Knowing McIntire from his work with the Snake Oil Comics podcast crew, I was quite eager to see what kind of style his writing would take the shape of. When I found out a new short of his was available on the Drive Thru Comics site, I jumped at the change to grab a copy of it.

With the synopsis sounding rather interesting, I sat down to read this and was struck by the quite sarcastic comedy that ran throughout the story itself.

The one thing that struck me the most about this short story was the fact that McIntire manages to pack a lot of humor in to this release in very few pages. The patter of the sales man feels like it would be right at home from a movie such as the Tim Burton version of Sweeney Todd or a movie like that. I loved the idea of the salesman being so smooth with his patter that he could turn almost any situation around with the minimal amount of effort.

With the writing so effectively paced and packed with humor, the art was going to have a very big task ahead to match but they bright, colorful work here really does it's job really well. Not only does it catch the eye but the bright colors add to the comical side of the story.

My favorite part of the short has definitely got to be the stunning cover by Sean Seal. It has an almost ghostly yet classic style to it and really makes you wonder what the kind of story is going to be inside.

For a short story, I was very impressed. Talking from experience, it's hard to write a shorter story that will grip in the reader enough for them to want to read the whole thing but Step Right Up manages that in style. Definitely one that is well worth picking up.

Sam Johnson, co-creator of The Almighties, returns with Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman - Dark New Year, a dark tale set forward as a taster of the four part mini-series that will soon be released by Actuality Press.

Completely different from the action comedy of his The Almighties title, Cabra Cini is a dark look in to the world of the title character and couldn't be more different.

With a great opening that gives us, the readers, just enough to hook us in but leaves us wanting more. Being familiar with Johnson's work, Cabra Cini really shows just how versatile he is. The story here is well paced, well written and really shows a lot of promise for the forthcoming mini-series.

We're shown Cabra herself, a couple of the characters that will no doubt play a big role in the title as well as seeing some great background work for the character. Johnson manages to pack a lot in to the short page count without it feeling rushed or cluttered. You are pretty much dropped straight in to the world but not once does it feel confusing. Instead there's a great feeling of dread that runs through the story and I loved the idea of traveling between the worlds but there being a consequence if you do.

As well as the debut story for the character, which has some great art by Bruno Letizia that really brings the action to life, we're also treated to some promo art from the mini series as well from Rodrigo Diaz Ricci. If the combination of the two are anything to go by then the series is going to be one that will be well worth picking up.

All in all, despite it's short page count, Johnson and his team really have made a title that feels unique and exciting yet manages to keep Johnson's unique writing style. I, for one, can't wait to see the mini series and this is definitely a fantastic jumping on point.