Can a review come out in December and not be a gift suggestion?

Probably not! We do the cool down lap on the Cosmic Treadmill this year with our favorite short run series of the year, Francesco Francavilla’s breakout pulp hit Black Beetle Volume 1:No Way Out from Dark Horse Comics.

Francavilla’s composition, colors, and ink brush line work complement his own script—drawing influences from noir film to The Shadow and Batman.

Our hero looks cool, has steampunk weapons and is 100% creator owned and original. The hardcover version serves as a great gift, even for yourself as a sort of ‘reward’ for how generous you have been this season!

The book starts out with the long out of print One Shot - Black Beetle: Night Shift. I read this volume first in issues as No Way Out #1-4, kicking myself for missing a hard copy of the one-shot and issue #1 when I heard the buzz. The precursor to the main series hits hard with Nazis seeking a lizard amulet, a strong female doctor in a museum and hiding in a sarcophagus. It was clear to me that this was the beginning of a larger world with exciting consequences as we enter Colt City — the home base of the mysterious Black Beetle.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]