Disappointing read. I had no previous viewings on the online web video series and I felt that there was very little attempt to inform non-viewers as to who these characters are let alone make me actually like them. The various short stories in this book felt throwaway and insignificant. ( )

A series of official alternate universe stories tied to the web series Husbands. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work as a stand alone, but it's fun for existing fans. ( )

Husbands is a beautiful trade collecting the six book run of the comic of the same name. The art is gorgeous, particularly the character designs in "Nocte Machinas" and the dead on Archie parody of "Arch Nemesis". I wasn't familiar with the sitcom prior to being accepted for this ARC, but luckily the story takes place in an AU where Cheeks and Brady, a pair of tabloid darlings who got married in Vegas, are transported to different traditional comic settings to learn morals on relationships and marriage. Written by Jane Epenson, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, and show-runner Brad Bell, the comic maintains a lot of the signature humor and satire associated with the Whedon crew.

Each chapter works well as a stand-alone, though only together do they really weave a story of a blossoming partnership. Together the boys travel to the time of golden-age superheros, medieval knights, Sherlockian-countryside, outer space, high school, and Bond inspired spies. In one chapter they learn about fidelity; the next, trust. The morals don't come off heavy handed or preachy, except maybe in "Arch Nemesis", but then Archie morals are about as subtle as a hammer to the nuts.

It's not a heavy comic and it's a fast, easy read. If anything, "A Case of Assumption" and "Secret Agents" could be longer. My favorite was "The Well-Intentioned-but-Oblivious Prince and the Justifiably Belligerent Peasant OR Equally Ever After", because it portrayed a gay couple in a way I don't get to see very often: tender. With fourth-wall breaking humor, a drunk sidekick, and natural-feeling romance, I heartily suggest Husbands for a fun evening in. ( )