Exploring the eerie forests in Japan, this ethereal, four-issue series is collected into a trade paperback with great depth of self.

Watching or reading Alejandro Jodorowsky's work is an experience for the soul, acting as a meditation for the transcendence of ourselves. His audience is constantly asked not to trust him, but to believe in him. He explores the occult, Jungian philosophy, and the esoteric; however, an undeniable consideration of El Topo involves the sexual assault that occurred between Jodorowsky and The Woman’s actress, Mara Lorenzio, which may have brought about her decision to not continue an exploration of her talents. While Jodorowsky has gone on record saying that the act was merely “surrealist publicity,” it has required consideration in how an audience views Jodorowsky’s work.

The indie comic book series, Mindframe, entangles readers in a story that captures the antagonism of the horrible and the boring, putting these feelings in constant awareness of each other. In other words, Mindframe is wholly Lynchian in the best possible. Writer/artist David Tucker makes his debut as someone who has mastered nuanced storytelling. Within one issue, he presents three different segments of time, all coherently connecting the premise with the characters. Tucker's exposition is masterful in that it serves to reveal the true nature of the characters, providing a surreal narrative akin to creators like David Lynch, Brian De Palma, William Friedkin, and Nicolas Winding Refn. In terms of comparison with other comic book visionaries, look no further than Grant Morrison in terms of his eclectic panel layouts and visually distinct means of storytelling.

In Trees: Three Fates, readers follow a police sergeant in Toska, a remote Russian village where a dead body was was found nearby a tree that arrived eleven years prior. Our protagonist, Klara Voranova, will not only grapple with the murder, but they yet-to-be-unraveled mystery of the tree where the body was found.

Image Comics has released the 15th anniversary special of Hack/Slash which has become know for its series of one-shots full of grandiose horror comedy. In many ways, this series returns to its core intention, as it explores various tropes and metafiction. The series itself ran off the premise that horror victim Cassie Hack lunged at the chance to attack the creatures that harmed others. With the creatures being dubbed “slashers,” they comprise a set of original villains along with special appearances from crossover franchises.

Seeds of something sinister are planted in this debut issue. With The Red Mother already on its third printing prior to its release to comic book shops, the series deserves the hype.  The Red Mother is compact and, in many ways, serves to be an interesting dialogue for how people are haunted by trauma. In truth, this series acts as an empathetic allegory for their trials and tribulations. In its miniscule character moments, the series breathes proper pathos for readers to visually comprehend the emotional turmoil that haunts the protagonist.

Previously on Hellmouth #2, Buffy and Angel are deep in the Hellmouth, and it’s a good thing that they’re both handy to have around in a fight. Having fought through some of their deepest fears, they finally find Drusilla… but it appears that she isn’t in charge of the chaos after all?

In the opening issue of Undiscovered County, the series helmed by acclaimed writers Charles Soule and Scott Snyder, we saw a world completely changed. With the United States creating an isolationist society, the former world leader has become an dystopian nightmare that has been a virtual black box for decades, leading the rest of the world to wonder what has happened inside the walls of what America has become.

I’ve written 18 reviews now following each issue of Gideon Falls, and for me to say anything about the story at this point would be to ruin the experience of everything I’ve gone through. The emotional, mind-bending, upending nature of this series leaves me wide-eyed and out of breath at the end of every issue.

Matt Kindt must sit in his office and wonder, “What’s the last thing that readers would expect to happen at the end of this issue? I’ll do that.” And, he does. And, it is. It never feels inorganic; it never feels like a cheat.