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Dicks and Deedees -- Because the material in this hardcover Love and Rockets collection is so recent, and because I've read it as it was released in Love and Rockets Vol. 2, I was prepared to be somewhat unmoved by it. Wrong.

Jaime Hernandez explores deep into the characters of three of his most important characters here, Maggie, Hopey, and Penny Century. Most importantly, the relationship between Maggie and Hopey -- among the most complex ever depicted in the comics medium -- is thoroughly, heartbreakingly examined. This is adult stuff in every sense of the term -- "Why don't you have a cock?" may be the most telling and tragic phrase in the book, and it is essential to understanding these characters and their world.

From its earliest days to its current state of resigned, wistful acceptance, Mags and Hopey's love, lust and friendship is as thrilling a thing to read about as can be. It's a mystery how Hernandez so masterfully gets inside the heads of his female protagonists, but there's no doubt at all that the emotions he depicts are thoroughly convincing and human.

Penny Century, too, is fully realized as a living, breathing woman with a fascinating past. Seeing these stories separated from their anthology origins in the newest comics incarnation of L&R has given me a whole new understanding and respect for their power and impact. It's no surprise, once again, that I have to remind you that these are some of the very best comics in the world. Pick up Dicks and Deedees and find out why.

Witchblade Animated #1 -- Here's a strangely late entry into the animated-style re-creation of known superhero entities. It's written by Paul Dini and Darwyn Cooke is involved in the art in some vaguely defined manner, so it clearly has some pedigree, but unfortunatrly the story adheres a little too closely to the grim, utterly disinteresting mythology of the series to be of genuine interest. On the other hand, the plot is linear and comprehensible, which certainly gives it a leg up on previous things I've (tried to) read featuring these characters. Grade: 3.5/5

Puffed #2 -- John Layman and Dave Crosland's manic comedy of errors about a guy trapped in a dragon suit. Crosland's art pays homage to the styles of Jim Mahfood and possibly even the late and much-missed Raoul Vezina. The demented humour here may take a page or three to fully appreciate, but the delicious cover by John Cassaday surely will soothe your sensibilities until the full Puffed effect takes hold. Grade: 4/5

Hellhounds #1 -- I'd venture to say another Image #1 is hardly what the world needs now, but this blend of Hellblazer and American Flagg is decent entertainment. What the story lacks in background information it more than makes up for in attractive artwork and a breakneck pace. Biggest flaw is the lettering, whhich is pixellated and looks like crap. Doesn't anyone check these books before they get shipped to stores? Grade: 4/5

Powers #33 -- Bendis said that the Monkey Sex issue would make sense soon, and here's where it all comes together, if you haven't figured it out by now. I like the depth this is adding to the Powers universe, and the range Mike Avon Oeming demonstrates in depicting the Crouching Tiger-like setting is stunning. This change-of-pace story arc is shaking up the status quo in ways that should make the book fresh and new for even the most jaded of readers. Grade: 4.5/5

The New CBA -- Editor Jon Cooke has cast off the shackles of TwoMorrows publishing and settled in with his new publishers, Top Shelf Productions. The first product of their partnership is Comic Book Artist Vol. 2 #1.

The new version seems much denser than ever, with a slew of good interviews with folks like Alex Ross, Neal Adams, Bill Griffith, art spiegelman and others. There's a well-produced colour section, and perhaps most interestingly of all, a more personal tone -- Cooke as editor really comes through in most of the pieces.

Clearly he's not entirely happy with how TwoMorrows has conducted itself during the spilt -- check out his somewhat pissed-off editorial that leads off the issue. Fascinating to us "process junkies," and certainly a step closer to The Comics Journal and away from the Team Comics mindset of TwoMorrows -- that is to say, a step in the right direction.

My biggest complaints were technical -- there's a good number of typos in the thing, calling for much more careful proofreading. More worrying, though, was the fact that the first copy I picked up had a good number of pages waaaaaay out of order. I had to return it for another copy, and about half the copies at the store were damaged in exactly the same way. So if you pick it up, make sure the pages are all there and in the correct order. Quick hint: If the very last inside page is in the 90s instead of the 120s, you've got a bad copy.

All in all, a promising reboot for what has almost always been a pretty terrific magazine about comics.