Cryptocracy

Jensen (Green Lantern Corps) and Woods (Cops for Criminals) concoct a treat for conspiracy buffs and graphic novel readers looking for something a bit weird. Nine families, all taking their names from Roman deities, have secretly ruled over the Earth since ancient days. Their agents, including cryptids like the Grays and bugbears, convey their orders to politicians and business leaders. The Mars family of North America are preeminent among the nine families jockeying for power, until a harbinger of Chronos appears and kills the elders of several families with ease. When millennia-old prophecies are revealed, it is up to Grahame, the new elder of Mars, to lead the fight against the minions of Chronos and the chaos that they threaten to unleash. Jensen jazzes the story up with bizarre creatures, tech that seems like magic, and, of course, plenty of fighting. This doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Woods’s art plays along, giving this the feel of a grown-up Saturday morning cartoon. (Apr.)