AOL RED Blogs: COMICS!

Coming soon: The End (League)

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 09:55:58 PDT

Dark Horse Comics proudly presents a new ongoing superhero event sure to have fans of the genre buzzing. For his return to the world of comics, renowned artist Mat Broome teams up with critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender in The End League. A merging of The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Knight Returns, The End League follows a cast of the last remaining supermen and women as they embark on a desperate and perilous journey through a world dominated by evil, in hopes of locating the one remaining artifact that can save their world—the Hammer of Thor.“I’ve been a big fan of Rick Remender’s work on Fear Agent, and I’ve wanted to work with Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics for years on a creator-owned project. This book will set Rick apart from the pack—a Watchmen-sized epic!” said Broome of the team-up.The battle between good and evil is long since over; evil has prevailed. The entire world is now splintered into mafia-style territories that are ruthlessly controlled by eternally feuding supervillains. Earth itself has been transformed into a nightmarish prison, little more than a polluted, environmental muddle; the decades of superhuman war have sent the planet into a nuclear winter. The only light in the night sky is the glow of the evil new gods as they struggle for dominance.Only ten champions have managed to survive the villains’ bid to eradicate them. For these former heroes, there exists no hope of defeating the new, dark lords of Earth. The once courageous and gallant have been reduced to pursuing the same primal goal as the remaining human population—survival. To that end, together, these last remaining heroes comprise the small band known only as The End League. “Mat’s breathtaking illustrations add a dynamic element to the narrative in a way that pulls the dramatic essence of the characters to the forefront,” said Remender of Broome’s art. “If you're going to do an epic superhero yarn that turns everyone’s heads, you’d better have the best art in the business . . . and we do.”The subtly philosophical undertone of the story filters through the dialogue and exposes the masterful styling of Remender. The End League merges big, Jack Kirby-influenced action with Rem,ender’s social commentary and elplores what would actually happen if thousands of humans were randomly given superhuman abilities.The End League is slated for a winter 2007 release.

Conan returns to his homeland, Cimmeria

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 09:53:18 PDT

The world’s most famous barbarian will be going through some changes, starting with a relaunch of the Dark Horse comics series after issue #50. First, though, they’ll be tying up some loose ends: after Tim Truman and Cary Nord wrap up their adaptation of “Rogues in the House” in Conan #44, original Conan writer Kurt Busiek and artist Greg Ruth will be finishing off Born on the Battlefield, their chronicle of Conan’s youth in Cimmeria, with the climactic Battle of Venarium. The last three issues will be devoted to the end of Conan’s career as a thief, as Truman and new series artist Tomás Giorello adapt the Robert E. Howard fragment “The Hand of Nergal.” Issue #50, which will be a special double-size issue, will be the last of the series.But fans of its eponymous hero needn’t worry: after a month’s break, Dark Horse will be bringing Conan back in a new ongoing series, titled Conan the Cimmerian. The new series will continue where the old one left off, bringing back Conan writer Timothy Truman and penciller Tomàs Giorello. And it wouldn’t be Conan without Cary Nord, who will be providing cover art for Conan the Cimmerian.So, what’s new? Well, aside from the title, Conan the Cimmerian opens the second major chapter of Conan’s life, as he changes from thief and rogue to mercenary and pirate. Timothy Truman explains, “REH divided Conan's life into distinct 'career' phases: first as a youthful thief and wanderer, then mercenary, to pirate, to border raider, scout, and finally king. During his thief era, he's less experienced—a daring, larcenous, wide-eyed lad from a mountain tribe who goes adventuring in the "civilized" world beyond his own. Later, he starts showing the scars of experience. He gets wiser, tougher, and more confident. His attire changes, as well. He dresses more elaborately and he buys and scavanges clothing and gear that reflects different countries that he's traveled to.” The relaunch also promises more cohesive series continuity. Editor Matt Dryer, who will be taking the reins of the new series, has high hopes: “With Conan, there have been a lot of opportunities to work with all sorts of really brilliant artists—folks like Eric Powell, John Severin, Bruce Timm, and Rafael Kayanan. But that got away from us. There just got to be too many stand-alone issues, and they were disrupting the continuity of the main story. That won’t be the case on Cimmerian. We’re refocusing on the main story and committing ourselves to an ongoing cohesive structure.”Timothy Truman is likewise optimistic about both the relaunch—and ready to get down to the business of writing the barbarian’s new adventures, beginning with his return to his native Cimmeria. Says Truman, “The entire team is really excited. From here on out, we're going full gallop-- swords drawn, visors down and shields raised. Crom help the bastard that gets in our way.”Conan the Cimmerian is scheduled for release in May 2008.

New MINX Titles Coming

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:03:14 PDT

MINX announced seven of the graphic novels that it will publish in 2008. The titles announced for MINX in 2008 include: TOKENNoted novelist Alisa Kwitney (Sex as a Second Language; Does She Or Doesn’t She; Till The Fat Lady Sings) has received glowing reviews in the New York Times Book Review, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal. Kwitney will collaborate with Joelle Jones, the critically acclaimed artist of 12 Reasons Why I Love Her for a tale of teenage romance set against the backdrop of South Beach in the 1980’s. Shira is a nice Jewish girl who goes from being a devoted Daddy’s girl to the “worst shoplifter of all time.” Her world changes when she is caught shoplifting and she meets Raphael, a fellow social misfit. Can their new friendship (and possible romance) survive two very different cultures clashing? EMIKO SUPERSTAR Canadian performance artist and novelist Mariko Tamaki (Skim, Fake ID, Cover Me) is the writer for EMIKO SUPERSTAR, illustrated by indie favorite Steve Rolston (The Escapists; DeGrassi; Queen & Country). Emi, a sixteen-year old babysitter, is desperate to break out of the suburbs and become part of Toronto’s vibrant art scene. When she takes the stage “borrowing” passages from her bosses’ diary for her performance, she becomes Emiko Superstar: an instant success with the art crowd and a keeper of secrets that could ruin her and her bosses lives. BURNOUTNoted author Rebecca Donner (Sunset Terraces) was the literary director of the fiction series at New York’s KGB Bar. For her first graphic novel, she collaborates with Inaki Miranda, one of comics’ rising superstar artists (Fables; The Road to Paradise). In BURNOUT, Danni follows her older, mysterious, soon-to-be-stepbrother Haskell when he sneaks out of the house through his bedroom window and discovers his secret: Haskell is a monkeywrencher. Haskell, it turns out, spikes trees with the intent to stop corporations from what he reverently believes is mass ecological sabotage. It’s a dangerous, illicit activity and it brings the two teenagers together in surprising and dangerous ways. THE NEW YORK FOURRenowned graphic novel creator Brian Wood (DMZ, the Eisner-winning DEMO and the forthcoming Vertigo series Northlanders) once again collaborates with LOCAL artist Ryan Kelly (Lucifer and Books of Magic). In THE NEW YORK FOUR, Wood and Kelly follow the trials and tribulations of four freshmen during their first year at a New York City university as social and academic pressures and conflicting personalities threaten to unravel their friendships as quickly as they’ve been forged. ALL NIGHTEREisner-nominated cartoonist David Hahn (Bite Club, Private Beach) will bring his story of an angry young punk rocker to Minx with ALL NIGHTER. Art student and part-time cat burglar Kit Bradley enjoys spending her free time hanging out with her friends at a local 24-hour diner. When one of them mysteriously disappears, Kit spearheads her own search party for the missing girl as her hometown is transformed into a media circus. POSEURProlific and highly-esteemed journalist Deborah Vankin’s writings on lifestyle, culture and the arts have appeared in Variety, The L.A. Times, The New York Times and the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles. For her first graphic novel work, Vankin collaborates with illustrator Rick Mays (Kabuki Agents) to create POSEUR. Jenna Berry has an after school job many teenagers would be envious of, working as a “house guest for hire” and getting paid to party with Hollywood’s rich and famous. When a new friend is in danger of being sent abroad and forced into an arranged marriage, Jenna becomes wrapped up in a kidnapping plot that goes horribly wrong. This exciting work follows the identity struggles of three unlikely victims of L.A.’s Generation M from the graffiti-tagged hillsides of Silver Lake to the billion-dollar mansions of Bel Air. CLUBBING IN TOKYOIn CLUBBING IN TOKYO, the second volume of the series by Eisner-nominated Andi Watson (Skeleton Key, Samurai Jam, Love Fights), Josh Howard (Dead@17) and Grazia Lobaccaro (Silent Dance), spoiled goth girl Lottie Brooks is sent to Japan to assist her uncle at his English language school. With the help of a friend and her new boyfriend, Lottie must unravel a bizarre mystery involving poisoned students, vampire cats, and costumed manga fans, all while struggling to adapt to new surrounding that couldn’t get more different than her home city of London.

Vertigo Creating Comic based on Neil Young's Music

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 11:00:46 PDT

Neil Young’s epic GREENDALE has made headlines as a powerful concept album, a performance piece and a movie. Now Vertigo, the critically acclaimed publisher of Sandman, Preacher and Y The Last Man, will publish a graphic novel based on Young’s ambitious concept piece. The project was announced today by Karen Berger, the Senior Vice President and Executive Editor of Vertigo, during the San Diego Comic Convention. GREENDALE will continue to find new audiences as an original graphic novel, written by Joshua Dysart (SWAMP THING, VIOLENT MESSIAHS) from characters and concepts by Young, and featuring full color artwork by Sean Murphy (OUTER ORBIT, OFF ROAD). It’s the fall of 2003 and the nation is marching blindly into a war that the rest of the world doesn’t seem to want. The media pipes in stories of global unrest and criminal politics. GREENDALE tells the story of Sun Green, a teenager and burgeoning activist whose life is changed when a mysterious stranger pays a visit to her small town. In a matter of days the only symbols of uncorrupted authority, unconditional love and youthful rebellion are swept clean form the streets, sending the town into a disillusioned spiral and Sun on a surrealist, transformative journey through familial tragedy, failed romance and self-discovery. Politically and environmentally aware, GREENDALE is a meditation on the magic of activism and the nurturing strength of humanity in all of us.

"Heroes" Coming to DC Comics

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 10:54:48 PDT

DC Comics, the world's largest English language comic book publisher and home to Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman announced plans to publish a hardcover collection of graphic novels based on NBC’s Emmy and Golden Globe nominated “Heroes,” the #1 new series on television for the 2006-2007 season, from executive producer-creator Tim Kring (NBC’s “Crossing Jordan”). The stories, which mark the first printed graphic novel adaptation of the show, were originally created for and new chapters continue to be exclusively available on NBC’s “Heroes” website. The collection will also feature the artwork of legendary comic book artist Tim Sale (“Batman: The Long Halloween”), whose work was featured prominently throughout the first season of the series through the visuals created by a drug-addled painter with apocalyptic visions of the future.The book is slated to reach stores this fall and will be published under DC’s WildStorm imprint. It is developed through a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group.“We are very excited to be releasing the compilation of “Heroes” comics through DC Comics. Until now, most of these stories have only been available on NBC.com. To have this first printing coming from DC, the premier publisher of comic books, is a dream come true,” said Tim Kring, creator-executive producer, “Heroes.” From creator/writer Tim Kring (NBC’s “Crossing Jordan”) comes the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated “Heroes,” an epic drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. In its first season, “Heroes” has been honored with a People’s Choice Award, an AFI Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and this year’s TV Land Future Classic Award, as well as nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, NAACP Image Awards, WGA Awards and Satellite Awards.They include a genetics professor (Sendhil Ramamurthy, Blind Guy Driving) in India who is led by his father's disappearance to uncover a secret theory – that there are people with super powers living among us. Also featured are a young dreamer (Milo Ventimiglia, Gilmore Girls) who tries to convince his politician brother (Adrian Pasdar, Judging Amy) that he can fly. A high school cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere, Ice Princess) learns that she is totally indestructible while trying to relate to her father (Jack Coleman, Dynasty) who has a keen interest in people with special abilities. A Las Vegas single mother (Ali Larter, Final Destination) struggles to make ends meet to support her young son (Noah Gray-Cabey, My Wife & Kids) and discovers that her mirror image has a secret. In addition, a fugitive from justice (Leonard Roberts, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) continues to baffle authorities. A gifted artist (Santiago Cabrera, Empire), whose drug addiction is destroying his life and relationship with his girlfriend (Tawny Cypress, Third Watch), and whose paintings, done specifically for the show by comic book artist Tim Sale, open a visual gateway to a possible dark future. A down-on-his-luck Los Angeles beat cop (Greg Grunberg, Alias) can hear people's thoughts, which puts him on the trail of an elusive serial killer. In Japan, a young man (Masi Oka, NBC's Scrubs) develops a way to stop time through sheer will power.

Indiana Jones for a new generation

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 10:52:43 PDT

Lucasfilm's celebrated action/adventure hero, Indiana Jones, the forerunner of popular characters such as Lara Croft, will be making a triumphant return in 2008 with the yet-to-be-titled fourth installment of the Indiana Jones film series. Starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is slated for release in May 2008. Dark Horse Comics is excited to announce that it has acquired the comic book rights to the world's most famous adventurer and will launch a new series in 2008. Fans can plunge themselves into the adventures of the fedora-wearing archaeologist well before then. In February 2008, Dark Horse Comics will publish the first of two Indiana Jones Omnibuses collecting Dark Horse's previous entries in the saga. Then April sees the release of volume one of Indiana Jones Adventures—a digest-sized graphic novel designed for the enjoyment of young readers as well as adults. The Indiana Jones Adventures volumes and the Omnibuses will continue on a quarterly basis—including Omnibuses for the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and the original Marvel run of Indiana Jones comics.A comics adaptation of the film will be released simultaneously with the motion picture, followed immediately by an all-new Indiana Jones comics series.

Dark Horse Is Getting Creepy . . . and Eerie

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:57:37 PDT

The magazines that gave a whole generation the shivers are back. Creepy and Eerie were the definitive horror and sci-fi comics of the 1960s and flourished up until the early 1980s. Dark Horse Comics has entered into an agreement with New Comic Company to create archive editions of this classic material, as well as launch new Creepy and Eerie comics for modern horror fans. The licensing deal will encompass publishing, select film and TV development, and merchandising. Many of today’s brightest stars will lend their talents to the venture, including horror legend Bernie Wrightson (City of Others) and modern master Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre). Creepy is best remembered for its classic horror and was hosted by Uncle Creepy, while Eerie often ventured into science fiction and featured Cousin Eerie as its host. The rest of the gang includes Hunter, Child, El Cid, Marvin the Dead Thing, and the newly developed Creepy Family. The magazines, originally published by Jim Warren are remembered as presenting some of the era’s greatest genre comics work. “Both Creepy and Eerie are fondly remembered by comics fans as representing the best of science fiction and horror, and Dark Horse is proud and excited to relaunch these classic titles,” said Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson. “Mike Richardson and Dark Horse have an impressive and deep understanding of what it will take to help us correctly re-launch Creepy and Eerie. It’s a great fit for our brands,” said New Comic executive and Submarine Entertainment Co-President Dan Braun, who negotiated the deal in cooperation with CAA—who represents both New Comic and Dark Horse. Deals in TV and Film are expected to be announced shortly. New Comic Company acquired all rights in all media to the Creepy and Eerie comic book series earlier this year and was formed by New York based Submarine Entertainment and Los Angeles based Grand Canal Film Works.New efforts are expected to debut this fall with the classic tales being prepared for the hardcover Dark Horse Archive series.New Comic and Grand Canal Film Works executive Craig Haffner added, “The depth of this library across the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres makes it truly tantalizing for a multitude of different platforms. Our association with Dark Horse will take us one step closer to realizing our goal of returning the Creepy and Eerie brands to their former stature and beyond.” Dark Horse has set a tentative release date for the comics in early 2008.

Spacedog at Comicon

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:03:49 PDT

Spacedog Entertainment's line - up for SDCC 07 Kompany X and Top Cow, in facilitation with Spacedog Entertainment, is proud to announce their stellar line-up for this year’s fan-packed Comic - Con San Diego 2007. The show runs from July 25th (preview night) until July 29th and Saturday is already sold out to the public. We are proud to launch the much-anticipated release of Johnny Delgado is Dead. In celebration, we have the actual vehicle featured in the book, available to fans to pose and get a free photo. There is also an online sweepstakes to win the custom motorcycle and other great prizes. The book was co-created by Kompany X and Emmy award winning executive producer and writer John Leekley, Spacedog president and CEO Roger Mincheff, and son of the legendary Edward J. Olmos, Michael D. Olmos. The creators of Johnny Delgado is Dead will be at the Top Cow Booth # 2329.John Leekley will also be signing for Kompany X’s Amerikan Freak at booth #2514 along with Arcana Studios and the folks at Zenescope for San Diego Comic Con. Leekley known best for Spawn the animated HBO series and Kindred the Embraced will be joined by fellow co-creators of Amerikan Freak, Ahmet Zappa (The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless) and Brendan Smith. The Zenescope staff will have preview issues of the book all weekend long, so stop by and get your free teaser and maybe a signature or two! Rising star Chris Moreno will be at the Top Cow Booth (2329) as well sketching and signing. Make sure you stop by to see this talented artist who has worked on Johnny Delgado is Dead, Hip Hop Chronicles, Dracula vs. King Arthur, Sidekick, and much more. Jiba Molei Anderson will also be on hand at the Zenescope table on Thursday and Friday as writer and art director of Hip Hop Chronicles. Preview issues of this urban book will be available at booth # 2514.See no evil, hear no evil, allow no evil. Meet Helen, our lovely lady of the lineup. Helen Killer debuts at San Diego Comic-Con before you can find the book in stores. Get your advanced copy and get it signed by Andrew Kreisberg, the writer and producer who has written for “Boston Legal”, “The Simpsons”, and “Justice League”. He will be at booth # 2514 alongside artist Matthew JLD Rice who will be sketching. Rice has designed a prop comic for the TV show “Bones” and worked on storyboards as well as working on the beautifully graphic Helen Killer. Zero G artist, Jason Badower, (also of Heroes online comic fame) and writer JAn Napiorkowski join us all the way from the land down under. The two Aussies have come far and wide to join us again, and Jason will be on hand to draw sketches for lucky convention attendees. Make sure you stop by to show the duo from Oz some American love and maybe check out their alluring accents.Promotions: Enter your chance to win the motorcycle from the book Johnny Delgado is Dead. Better yet, come get your picture on the bike at booth 2514 to show all your friends. We will also have a lovely biker babe on hand to pose at selected times. Get your free Polaroid and remember to visit the website johnnydelgadoisdead.com to enter to win prizes like the motorcycle, original art, a customized guitar, or a walk on role. See the website for details and ask Gus, found on the Ask Gus, Win Prizes page.Wanna sweeten your deal? We are giving away Jones sodas - limited edition bottles with Top Cow art and Countdown DVDs with purchase - while supplies last. For more information on the world of Johnny Delgado, the sweepstakes, or the companies present, please visit www.johnnydelgadoisdead.com SAN DIEGO SIGNING AND SKETCHING SCHEDULE AT BOOTH # 2329 (Top Cow) Thursday, July 26th 2007 4 - 5 PM John Leekley (writer) & Chris Moreno (artist) Johnny Delgado is Dead 1-2 PM Jason Badower (artist) - sketches - Zero G Friday, July 27th 2007 1:30 - 2:30 PM Jason Badower (artist) - sketches -Zero G 3:30 - 5:30 PM John Leekley (writer), Michael D. Olmos (writer) & Chris Moreno (artist) Johnny Delgado is Dead Saturday, July 28th 2007 11-1 PM Jason Badower (artist) - sketches - Zero G 2 - 4 PM John Leekley (writer), Michael D. Olmos (writer) & Chris Moreno (artist) Johnny Delgado is Dead Sunday, July 29th 2007 1pm-2pm John Leekley (writer) Johnny Delgado is Dead 3pm-4pm Jason Badower (artist) - sketches - Zero G SAN DIEGO SIGNING SCHEDULE AT BOOTH # 2514 (SDE/Arcana/Zenescope) Thursday, July 26th 2007 2:30 - 3:30 PM John Leekley (writer) - Amerikan Freak 12 - 2 PM Matt JLD Rice (artist) - Helen Killer Friday, July 27th 2007 1 - 3 PM John Leekley (writer) - Amerikan Freak Saturday, July 28th 2007 10:30 - 12:30 AM Andrew Kreisberg (writer) & Matt JLD Rice (artist) - Helen Killer 12:30-1:30 PM John Leekley, Brendan Smith, & Ahmet Zappa (co-creators and writers) - Amerikan Freak 4:30 - 5:30 PM John Leekley, Brendan Smith, & Ahmet Zappa (co-creators and writers) - Amerikan Freak 4 - 5 PM Andrew Kreisberg (writer) & Matt JLD Rice (artist) - Helen Killer Sunday, July 29th 2007 11:30 -12:30 PM John Leekley (writer) - Amerikan Freak 12pm-1PM Matt JLD Rice (artist) - Helen Killer

Dark Horse at Comicon

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:01:29 PDT

Dark Horse Comics – Booth #26152007 Signing Schedule! WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 (Preview Night):6:00 - 7:00 Sergio Aragones: Celebrating 25 years of Groo!7:00 – 8:30 The Artist Within: Greg Preston (Special Book Release Reception – Expect Special Guests!) THURSDAY, JULY 26:12:00 - 1:00 Joshua Dysart: Conan and the Midnight God1:00 - 2:00 Tara McPherson: Lonely Heart2:00 – 3:00 Will Vinton & Andrew Wiese: Jack Hightower2:00 - 3:00 Chris Grine: Chickenhare3:00 – 4:00 Matt Wagner: Celebrating 25 years of Grendel!4:00 - 5:00 Jeff Smith: The Art of Bone4:00 – 5:00 Eric Powell: The Goon, Chinatown5:00 - 6:00 Rick Remender: Fear Agent FRIDAY, JULY 27:11:00 - 12:00 Eric Powell: The Goon, Chinatown12:00 - 1:00 Bryan Talbot: Alice in Sunderland1:00 – 2:00 Rick Remender: Fear Agent1:30 - 2:30 Stan Sakai: Usagi Yojimbo2:00 – 3:00 Adam Hughes: Star Wars Legacy2:00 - 3:00 Matt & Shawn Fillbach: Star Wars – Clone Wars Adventures, Maxwell Strangewell3:00 - 4:00 Yasuhiro Nightow: Trigun (*ticketed event: See Dark Horse employee for details)4:00 – 5:00 Ron Marz & Clement Sauve: Pantheon City4:00 - 5:00 Travis Charest: Star Wars Legacy5:00 – 6:00 Dustin Weaver & Michael Atiyeh: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic5:00 - 6:00 Steve Niles & Bernie Wrightson: City of Others5:00 – 6:00 David Lloyd: Kickback6:00 – 7:00 Tony Millionaire: Sock Monkey6:00 – 7:00 Arvid Nelson: Rex Mundi, Zerokiller, Kull SATURDAY, JULY 28:12:00 - 1:00 Who Wants to be a Superhero? – Meet the contestants from Stan Lee’s reality show on the Sci-Fi Channel: Iron Enforcer, Monkey Woman, Nitro G, Feedback, Lemuria, Creature12:30 - 2:00 Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba, James Jean: Umbrella Academy (*ticketed event, see Dark Horse employee for details.)1:00 - 2:00 Georges Jeanty & Andy Owens: Buffy the Vampire Slayer2:00 - 3:30 Joss Whedon: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (*ticketed event, see Dark Horse employee for details.)5:00 – 6:00 Mike Mignola: Hellboy (*ticketed event, see Dark Horse employee for details.)6:00 - 7:00 Yoshitaka Amano: Vampire Hunter D; Fairies (*ticketed event: See Dark Horse employee for details)SUNDAY, JULY 29:11:00 – 12:00 Bryan Talbot: Alice in Sunderland12:00 - 1:00 De: Tales: Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba1:00 – 2:00 Emily The Strange: Creator Rob Reger; Artist Buzz Parker2:00 - 3:00 Yoshitaka Amano: Vampire Hunter D; Fairies (*ticketed event: See Dark Horse employee for details)3:00 – 4:00 Susan Bernard: President of Bernard of Hollywood, Author of 7 books, star of the classic cult film “Faster Pussy Cat, Kill! Kill!” And Check out these Dark Horse Related Panels and Events! SPOTLIGHT ON MATT WAGNERTHURSDAY, JULY 261:30-2:30pmROOM 1AB ACTION FIGURE TIMES TOYMAKER Q & A PANEL(featuring Dark Horse Vice President of Product Development, David Scroggy)THURSDAY, JULY 265:00 - 6:00 pmROOM 4DARK HORSE COMICS *Don’t miss the biggest announcement of this year’s Con!FRIDAY, JULY 272:30-3:30pmROOM 1AB JOSS WHEDONSATURDAY, JULY 284:45-5:45pmROOM 20THE GOON PANELSATURDAY, JULY 286:00-7:00pmROOM 8 EMILY THE STRANGESUNDAY, JULY 2911:30am-12:30pmROOM 2 Tickets available here for Friday night screening of “300” at Petco Park! (while supplies last) The Too Much Coffee Man Opera!Horton Grand Theater444 4th Avenue3 free performances with Comic-Con Badge!Friday at 3:00pmSaturday at 1:30pmSaturday at 11:00pmMore details available at Shannon Wheeler’s Booth (#2200)

Make Your Own Comics on My Space

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:31:57 PDT

Fancy yourself as a comic book artist? Virgin Comics and MySpace launched Coalition Comix, an online comic book platform allowing leading comic artists to create interactive comic adventures with the MySpace community. Each digital issue will be put together within a two-week time frame utilizing sketches, artwork and scripts uploaded by contributing users. Mike Carey (Voodoo Child, X-Men), will produce the first title.

PRESS RELEASE: Comflix.net

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:38:23 PDT

COMFLIX STUDIOS LAUNCHES ITS NEW WEBSITE TO RAVE REVIEWSBY COMIC BOOK FANS!Los Angeles, CA - (July 20, 2007): Comflix Studios, a Los Angeles andNew York based multi-media company, launches its newly redesignedad-supported website, COMFLIX.NET, after a highly successful softlaunch/preview for comic book fans.Reaction to the new site has been extremely positive, "I came acrosssomething pretty cool…Comflix Studios, check out the website and enjoysome comics, folks."—Ain't It Cool News.And the fans who caught the preview thought, "This site isamazing...This is an innovative idea...Your site rocks!", "This willbe revolutionary for its format and great for comics as well", "Whata fantastic way to bring characters to life without taking away fromthe authors vision. I absolute love this premise", and finally "I gotso into watching the comic. I'm totally jonesing for more episodes!"Comflix Studios, Inc. presents a new way to enjoy comic books thatcombines the art and storylines of traditional print comic books withthe excitement and visual effects of film based entertainment.Comflix Studios website, Comflix.net, launches with episode #1 ofDracula vs. King Arthur and episode #1 of The Last Sin of Mark Grimm,and for those who have seen the two aforementioned titles during thesoft launch, Comflix will premiere the much anticipated actionadventure Comflix adaptation of Empty Chamber.Following the launch, Comflix.net will have weekly premieres of newepisodes from their ever-growing library of comic book titles.Comflix Studios is also proud to announce the official start of their"Create Your Own Comic Book" contest where one contestant, picked byfans and the Comflix staff, will have the opportunity to have his orher comic book idea made into a Comflix series."We are thrilled by the positive response. We recognize that ourcontent has a large and diversified audience but foremost, it wasimportant for us to be accepted and embraced by the comic bookcommunity", says Scott Schneider, CEO of Comflix Studios. "We are alsopleased by our successful transition from a pay per view model to afree advertising backed model where we can offer our content free toour audience. The soft launch was not only a critical success withcomic book fans, but also a success for our advertising model sinceover 99% of our traffic was derived from the highly coveted 18-34 maledemographic."The Studios' unique presentation of a new comic book form, along withits targeted demographic appeal has led to their rapid growth andstrategic partnerships with such high profile marketers as SonyPictures, Nissan, Harley Davidson, Universal Music and SonyPlaystation.Comflix Studios will continue to produce comic book based content andadd to its growing library of titles through production and thelicensing of intellectual property from both independent and majorpublishers.Please visit http://www.comflix.net for more details.

The RED Free Comic Book Day(s) Giveaway

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:04:31 PDT

Do you like comic books? (Of course.) Do you like free stuff? (Well, Duh) Then do we have the perfect day for you! Out of all of the 365 days in a year (366 in leap years) only ONE is good enough to be Free Comic Book Day: The first Saturday in May. This year, Free Comic Book Day is on May 5th—this upcoming Saturday—and we at RED could not be more excited. So, we thought, “Why should it be just one day? We want to celebrate all week.” We contacted our good friends at Diamond Comics (if it's a new comic, and you want it, they have it) are giving away some really cool prizes every day this week!Everyday, starting at 12 Midnight on Monday April 31st through 12 Midnight on Monday May 7th, we will be giving away some really cool prizes, including collectable figures and heroic statues. Enter for your Chance to WinHere's how to play: Starting Noon on Monday, send an email to 1. Read the official giveaway rules.2. Come back each day during the giveaway and send an email to yurisknight@aol.com with this info:SUBJECT: RED Free Comic Book Day(s) Giveaway • First and Last Name • Age • E-mail address • Mailing address (where prizes can be sent)3. Go to your local comic book store this Saturday and get all of the free comics! Ok, you don't have to do that to win the prizes BUT YOU SHOULD STILL GO! If you aren't already convinced, watch the cheezy promotional video. Find Your Local Comic StoreDon't know where to go this Saturday to find your free comics? Just use the handy-dandy Comic Shop Locator from Diamond Comics.The PrizesDay 1 - Monday : Marvel Icons Daredevil Bust - A really cool bust of the blind man himself.Day 2 - Tuesday : Marvel The Thing Bust - Clobberin time right on your desk.Day 3 - Wednesday : Marvel Icons Venom Bust - Make sure that it dowsn't take over your body in the middle of the night.Day 4 - Thursday : Marvel Beta Ray Bill Statue - Good guy? Bad Guy? Who cares, he's cool.Day 5 - Friday : Marvel Origins: Hulk Statue - He's big, and so is this statue.Day 6 - Saturday : DC The Flash 13“ Deluxe Collector Figure - Your very own posable flash.Day 7 - Sunday : DC The Silver Age Batman and Robin Deluxe Action Figure Set - Back before he was so dark.

On Sale This Week

Wed, 4 Apr 2007 12:25:53 PDT

04.04.2007 Vertigo » JACK OF FABLES #9 Marvel » NEW EXCALIBUR #18 I » NCREDIBLE HULK #105 » MS. MARVEL #14 » FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #19 » MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #26 » RUNAWAYS #25 » PUNISHER #46 » ULTIMATE MARVEL FLIP MAGAZINE » ULTIMATE TALES FLIP MAGAZINE Darkhorse Old Boy Vol. 5 Star Wars: 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 2--Jedi vs. Sith HC DC Comics » 52 #48 » ABSOLUTE BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN » THE ALL-NEW ATOM #10 » BATMAN: DETECTIVE » DETECTIVE COMICS #831 » JONAH HEX #18 » JONAH HEX VOL. 2: GUNS OF VENGEANCE » JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7 » JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #32 » LOONEY TUNES #149 » NIGHTWING #131 » SGT. ROCK: THE PROPHECY » SHOWCASE PRESENTS: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL. 1 » SUPERGIRL #16 » SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF THE SUPER-HEROES #28 » SUPERMAN #661 » SUPERMAN/BATMAN #33 Wildstorm » DANGER GIRL: BODY SHOTS #1 (OF 4) » MIDNIGHTER #6 » A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET #7 » WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #5

Poll Results: What type of comics do you like to read?

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 08:42:52 PDT

In our amazingly unscientific poll, the readers of COMICS! 'nuff said like to read: Romance - 15.2% (52 Votes)Sci-fi/Fantasy - 17.3% (59 Votes)Super-Heroes - 43.0% (147 Votes)Other - 24.6% (84 Votes)So, Super-Heroes prevail, but it looks like Romantic Sci-fi/Fantasy would give them a run for their money. And what about romantic Super-hero books? And exactly what are these "other" comics you guys are reading? Do tell...

PRESS RELEASE: Dark Horse Comics

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 08:25:06 PDT

The hunters become the hunted in BPRD: Killing Ground!The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense will be forever altered in Killing Ground, and not all the changes are for the better. Abe’s encounter in Indonesia has brought a new member to the Bureau, and Johann finds himself in possession of a very valuable commodity. The B.P.R.D. will need all of its resources to handle the sinister forces that have wormed their way into the heart of the Bureau itself, blurring the lines between the hunters and their prey!B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground features story by B.P.R.D. and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, with art by acclaimed series artist Guy Davis. The series arrives on sale August 1.

PRESS RELEASE: DC Comics

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 08:17:25 PDT

Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy"As always with Sgt. Rock, the primary appeal lies in the dynamically expressive artwork of the now-octogenarian Kubert, who is as indefatigable as his signature character."-BOOKLIST on Sgt. Rock: The ProphecyJoe Kubert knows war is hell. After serving in the Army during the Korean War, Kubert began working on the DC Comics WWII title SGT. ROCK (originally titled Our Army At War). Over the course of the next thirty years, he worked as the primary illustrator (and occasionally as editor and writer) of the series, creating definitive and iconic images for one of the most famous war comic books. Along with the likes of Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, and Neil Adams, Kubert is one of the legendary comic book artists.This acclaimed artist returns to the series that is synonymous with his talent with SGT. ROCK: THE PROPHECY (on sale April 4, 2007), where he serves as both writer and artist.THE PROPHECY begins in Vilnus, Lithuania, a country that lies between the warring Germans and Russians during WW II. Sgt. Rock and his loyal men of Easy Company are dropped into this devastated country with a seemingly simple mission: pick up the package from the Lithuanian partisans and return it to America. To the surprise of Sgt. Rock and his crew the mission is much more complicated than they had anticipated-and the package is far more delicate than they had bargained for.

PRESS RELEASE: Dark Horse Comics

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 08:06:09 PDT

To see or not to see—shojo girls risk losing their image in Translucent Shizuka has problems. Not only is she an introverted girl, dealing with schoolwork and boys, but she feels invisible. In reality, she is victim to a disease that is making her literally translucent! Shizuka finds support with Mamoru, a boy who is falling for her despite her appearance, or lack thereof. Another friend, Keiko, suffers from the same illness and has turned completely invisible. The strange disease becomes a metaphor in the ordinary lives of the students in their classes, as they work their way through romance and friendships. Quirky, and romantic, Translucent will appeal to shojo fans who like a little twist with their gakuen mono. Translucent’s shifting variables—between what people see and wish to see—create an emotionally sensitive manga, peppered with moments of surprising humor, heartbreak, and drama. Translucent features story and art by Kazuhiro Okamoto and arrives on sale July 18.

REVIEW: Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:26:44 PDT

This Saturday (March 17th), Cartoon Network will be premiering the new Hellboy Animated movie Blood and Iron at 7pm (EST). But you know, we couldn't wait, so we got a hold of a copy and a few clips to share with you (look for the links in the review below). We can tell you, this movie ain't no kiddy cartoon or episode of Scooby-Doo (Rut Ro). There is plenty of horror and suspense (not to mention some gore) and trust us, these monsters ain't no guy in a rubber suit either. So what did we think? Read on... James: After watching the first Hellboy Animated movie, I was a little disappointed (read our review). I just didn't feel like it really captured the tone or mood of the comics. But wow, Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron really hit all the right Hellboy notes for me, beyond just being a much more engaging movie overall.Jason: I would have to agree. Although I enjoyed the first movie, Sword of Storms, it felt disjointed with too many unconnected story lines. Blood and Iron was a solid and straight-forward action story. Although a touch predictable fat times, I didn't see that ending coming at all, and several of the fight scenes where anything but predictable, like the one with the Werewolf.James: There was a bit of predictability, but it still felt much more satisfying. And I agree, Sword of Storms had some storylines that just didn't feel necessary. In Blood and Iron, at first, the flashback moving backwards storyline threw me for a second, but ending where it did was just amazing. Definitely made me excited to see what they do next. And let's not discount how fun it is to see really great vampire moodiness in a cartoon.Jason: I really did like the reverse flashbacks throughout the story, I liked how they told the back story for the movie (how the professor last fought the Vampire) backwards, so that you knew the outcome before you knew all of the characters motivations. This really added to the suspense.Jason: And the vampire moodiness was fine, but I really liked the humor in several of the scenes, the best being where Hellboy and the gang are recounting their frietening adventures only to try and figure out the best place to find desert.James: It was a very cool effect, especially with the surprise reveal at the end. I wasn't too thrilled with the priest character ... it was a fun story, I guess, but it didn't really add much. I also felt like the BPRD team was better integrated into this story. The last movie, they felt like they'd been shoved into the movie without any real reason. This time, I felt like all of them actually felt useful.Jason: Yeah, the priest was a bit of a stereotype, who never got properly explained.James: I was hoping it was going to go somewhere, but he never really did.Jason: What did you think about their take on Vampire mythology?James: It didn't really effect me either way. Sure, it tried to give everything a "logical" explanation, but I enjoyed the vampire parts more in the flashback, when it was more of a universal dracula kinda thing.James: What did you think?Jason: I would agree with that.Jason: But it tied it into the story of countess bathing in the blood of, well... I'll leave that to the story, but that is an actual legend.Jason: I remember seeing a really spooky movie about it at 3 in the morning once.James: I didn't realize it was a true story, but the shades of Vlad the Impaler were close enough for me to get the gist. Still, I think it does really add something to stories like this when the details are at least remotely based around something real.Jason: Yeah, apparently she thought it would keep her young forever, and is where a lot of the vampire legends came from. Gotta' love those European Monarchs!James: hahaahJames: Overall, though, a big thumb's up on this oneJames: Let's hope any more are in the same vein. This one is well worth watching Saturday night on Cartoon Network. We give it a 4 out of 5 exclimation marks:! ! ! ! !

On Sale This Week

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:01:52 PDT

04.14.2007 Wildstorm » FRIDAY THE 13TH #4 » GEN 13 #6 » GRIFTER AND MIDNIGHTER #1 (OF 6) » STORMWATCH: PHD #5 » WILDSTORM FINE ARTS: SPOTLIGHT ON J. SCOTT CAMPBELL Vertigo » FABLES #58 » SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE: SLEEP OF REASON #4 (OF 5) Marvel » NEW X-MEN #36 » WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #12 » NEW AVENGERS #28 » MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #22 » THUNDERBOLTS #112 » GHOST RIDER #9 » AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #6 » MARVEL SELECT FLIP MAGAZINE #23 » MARVEL TALES FLIP MAGAZINE #22 Darkhorse Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man Volume 3 TPB Crying Freeman Volume 5 Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Vol. 1 It Rhymes With Lust Mail Volume 3 Star Wars: Boba Fett--Man With A Mission DC » 52 #45 » THE BATMAN STRIKES! #31 » CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #11 » CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS: THE TEAM-UPS VOL. 2 » THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE » GREEN ARROW #72 » GREEN LANTERN CORPS #10 » JLA: CLASSIFIED #36 » MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 (OF 8) » MYSTERY IN SPACE #7 (OF 8) » ROBIN #160 » ROBIN: WANTED » SUPERMAN #660 » SUPERMAN/BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD » TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #6 (OF 8) » TEEN TITANS #44 » WONDER WOMAN #5

REVIEW: Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:35:38 PDT

As the final part of Hellboy week, we take a look at the recently released first Hellboy Animated movie, Sword of Storms, which finds everybody's favorite paranormal investigating demon hot on the trail of a sward that imprisons demons. but he better watch out: one small cut, and he'll be trapped too.Jason: Despite being a Mike Mignola fan, and treasuring his run on Batman way back when, I never got into Hellboy. To me, it always looked like another demon gone good story. But having read several of the stories, and watching the first animated movie (Sword of Storms), I 'm hooked. This movie not only has a great look to it art wise, but (more importantly) I like the way the story carried me along with enough surprises to keep it interesting without getting muddled.James: That's interesting, because I took the opposite approach. I've always loved Mike Mignola too, from his Marvel stuff to Cosmic Odyssey and especially to Hellboy, which I think is easily my favorite stuff of his. But the first animated movie just felt much too watered down for my taste, like it was a hint of Hellboy here and there, but mostly just a Saturday morning cartoon ... albeit one with blood and decapitated demons.Jason: But it is a Saturday morning cartoon, and in that respect I think it met what most people would want from the story, while still pushing things along. The style was definitely recognizable as being a decedent of Bruce Timm (Batman, Justice League, etc...), but combined with a lot of the more moody stuff that Mignola comes out with.James: Moody is one thing, but I just felt like a lot of the cartoon was wasted time. Like the fight between Liz and the dragon sea monster thing towards the end, the dragon comes up, gets lit on fire for a few minutes, then dunks itself in the ocean ... and this happened like four times.James: That's not the only example, but it really stuck out.Jason: Fair point, but I think it was more like twice with a big explosion at the end. There's a difference between padding the story and developing the story, and those scenes on the island might have gone on a bit longer than needed, but I felt the story-line with Hellboy trying to unravel the mystery of the sword was very satisfying, with some nice Zen overtones of things not always being what they appear.James: I did like the Hellboy/Japanese fairy tale stuff, though even that seemed a LITTLE padded. I guess I would have preferred if it didn't feel to me like it was thrown in there, instead of evolving. Like the fact that the possessed professor was adding these demons to fight Hellboy instead of something linear that he encountered along the way.James: That's not to say I didn't enjoy it at all. I especially enjoyed the voice work, and Hellboy's character is always greatJames: I just wish everything had been a little more compressed.Jason: No doubt that Ron Pearlman IS Hellboy, and any other voice in that spot just would not sound right.Jason: Like this was 45 minute cartoon in an hour and a half bag?James: A little bit, more like a 45 minute story. If the action had been a little more integrated, it could have been fine for 90 minutes total ... or 77, I think it was.Jason: Well, in a straight to DVD movie like this, I think they leave in a lot of the stuff that would end up on the editing floor when they chop it down for commercials on TV.Jason: Despite the fact that the editing could have been tighter, I think the story was great, and I'm looking forward to the next movie.James: I'm definitely willing to give it another shot, especially considering the next one's about vampires. And I'm always willing to give Hellboy another shot!You can get the Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms DVD from finer retailers everywhere, and look out for our review of the new Hell Boy animated Movie Blood and Iron (premiering on Cartoon Network March 17th) later this week.'nuff said

INTERVIEW: Mike Mignola, Part II

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:37:32 PST

<< Read Part I of the Interview With the success of Hellboy, how do you feel coming into comics as a freelancer for other companies, and now letting others handle your creations? It certainly makes for an extreme arc to my career. The last thing you ever imagine is being management, you don't want to be the bad guy. But the truth is, I make up so much stuff ... and the more I make up, the slower I become as an artist. The part of me that makes stuff up cannot wait for the part of me that's going to draw the stuff. Especially in the last couple years, it's been tough to make that decision to let certain books go. The toughest one was when I realized I'd plotted this gigantic Hellboy story, and there was no way I as an artist could draw it. I would never get around to it. Going through the period with the first Hellboy movie, I was so busy with so many different things, trying to draw comics on top of everything else, it was so frustrating. It was really a horrible period. I was going to either have to say Hellboy's only going to exist in these really small doses, or to do these big stories that I plotted, I was going to have to find somebody else to draw them. How much involvement and control did you have during the movie production? My experience on the Hellboy movie might not be unique, but it was certainly on the high end as far as the way I was treated. Certainly, I was involved. I got extremely lucky when Guillermo Del Toro attached himself to Hellboy. He's such a fan of the comic, and he was a fan of me as an artist, and to a certain extent, me as a writer, so he wanted my involvement. Our initial meeting, I actually said, "Listen, change whatever you want, I want it to work as a movie." I even suggested an idea about how to change my story more so that I thought it would work even better as a film, but he was the one who actually said, "I want to make it as close to the comic as possible." That is something I don't think you hear that often in Hollywood. The trick is, finding someone -- or in my case, being sought out by somebody -- who really respects your work. I was involved all through pre-production on the first film, and I was on the set for quite a while, so it was great. It's a strange experience, working on something you created and helping someone change it. There were days where I was saying, let's do this, and he was saying let's do this, and I was kind of going, this used to be mine! I used to be the one to make those final decisions. But at the end of the day, he's the filmmaker, so I'm going to defer to him. Did you have more control on the animated versions? I had more control and less control. On the animated versions, from the very beginning, the movie studio Revolution went into it saying, "We don't want it to look like Mike Mignola's stuff." So I immediately was distanced from the visuals of the thing. And actually I was thrilled that they didn't want it to look like my stuff. I can't watch people try to adapt my style. Trying to make an animated version of my comic, all I see is, "I wouldn't do this, or I wouldn't do that, or they made this too angular, or they exaggerated this." It's much easier for me to see something in a different form. So I said, "Let's go with something much younger, much hipper, much bouncier looking." I don't want something that's trying to look too realistic, or trying to mimic me. I wanted something that is clearly a cartoon, it's not trying to be a live-action film. Where I became very involved was in story, on both films. Ted and I co-plotted the first two films, so in that respect, I had a huge involvement in the direction of those pictures. What are the differences between working on a comic, with no limits of budget or design, and working on an animated film? The main thing you run into with animation is time. I think you see it at the end of the first animated film, where we have this graveyard that's filled with all these different Japanese folklore ghosts and monsters, and there were a billion different creatures we wanted to use, but when you came down to it time-wise, somebody still has to design all that stuff. It's not like live-action, where you go, "We gotta actually do CGI or costumes for all these things," and it becomes a giant cost thing. But in animation you still do have to have somebody design stuff, and there just wasn't time or probably the budget to spend as much time as I would have liked, designing all these characters. Was the Amazing Screw-On Head the same experience for you? I had almost no involvement in it. Someone had optioned the comic ... which in a way, I let them option it, thinking no one was ever going to make it. It's kinda what I did with Hellboy: I said, "No one's ever gonna make this, but sure, I'll let somebody option it." They pay you and at the end of a year or two you get the rights back. So I went into Screw-On Head thinking no one was ever going to make this thing. Since Screw-On head was designed just to be that one issue comic, there was no plan to do a series, in my mind. When they wanted to make it into a TV series, they wanted to add things and change certain things and add relationships between the characters. It's actually just my absurd humor book, so as soon as you start trying to make it into something, I just lost interest. It just wasn't my kind of thing. I did give notes on the first script, and they actually paid attention to about half of my notes, but the other half of the notes, they just said no, we're making these changes because we want to do a series. I said that's fine, that's great, you called my bluff, you bought the rights to do it, but there's nothing I can do to help you there, it's different from what I intended. But also because they were so hell-bent on doing my style -- by most people's accounts, they did a great job -- but because Screw On Head was probably my favorite thing I've ever done as a comic, and because they were trying to do the animation thing in my style, it was just way too close to what I had done. I have no objectivity about it. I couldn't watch it. Again, it's not because it's terrible, it's just too weird to me. The writer is really good, and I've seen little quickie descriptions of what he would do with future episodes, and they're really good. It's just that comic was so … it's weird to say that it was very personal, but it was so much my sense of humor, it's really difficult for me to see it changed. In hindsight, what I learned is, if you're so precious about something like that, then you don't feed it to Hollywood, you keep the rights, you bury the rights in the yard. I'm really glad that fans of the comic really enjoy the animated thing, so that's great. I'm glad it worked, it's just kinda a weird one for me. Enter the Hellboy Week Giveaway >>

On Sale This Week

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:24:56 PST

04.07.2007 STOP THE PRESSES! It's rare that we interject our opinions in the On Sale This Week page of COMICS! 'nuff said, preferring to keep our snarky comments to the other pages, but on sale this week in Captain America #25 Captain America dies! Shot down in his prime of his life (well, second or third life) by an assassins bullet. But, before you break out the black arm bands, remember that Superman died once to, and look how well that turned out for him. DC Comics » 52 #44 » THE ALL-NEW ATOM #9 » DETECTIVE COMICS #829 » HELMET OF FATE: ZAURIEL » JONAH HEX #17 » JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6 » JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #31 » LOONEY TUNES #148 » MANHUNTER #29 » NIGHTWING #130 » NIGHTWING: BROTHERS IN BLOOD » OUTSIDERS #46 » SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #2 (OF 4) » SUPERGIRL: CANDOR » SUPERMAN/BATMAN #32 » UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #8 (OF 8) Wildstrom » THE AUTHORITY #2 » EX MACHINA VOL. 5: SMOKE SMOKE » MIDNIGHTER #5 » A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET #6 » WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #4 » WORLDSTORM #2 Vertigo » THE EXTERMINATORS: INSURGENCY VOL. 2 » LOVELESS #16 » SCALPED #3 » Y: THE LAST MAN #55 Marvel » UNCANNY X-MEN #484 » INCREDIBLE HULK #104 » CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 » ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #106 » FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #18 » MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #25 » FANTASTIC FOUR #543 » PUNISHER #45 » ULTIMATE MARVEL FLIP MAGAZINE #23 Darkhorse Star Wars: Rebellion Volume 1--My Brother, My Enemy TPB

REVIEW: Hellboy Animated: The Black Wedding

Thu, 8 Mar 2007 14:30:17 PST

The idea of a comic book based on an animated series that is based on a comic book is actually no new idea. I have a super-sized copy of the Justice Friends comic book from the 1970's, which was based on the Justice Friends cartoon, which was (loosely) based on the Justice League of America. Basically, if you do an animated series spin off of a comic, there is almost certainly going to be the reciprocal comic book version of the animated series. Teen Titans, anyone? So, it's not surprising that Hellboy Animated has it's own comics coming out, the first of which has the dark and gothic title The Black Wedding, with a short back-up story from the days of young Hellboy called Pyramids of Death (which sounds strangely like the title of a Doctor Who episode). There is an expression in the theatre, In medias res, which is used to refer to a story that starts in the middle of the action. Rather than starting at the beginning, you are plopped right down in the big action scene and left to figure out how the characters got there. That's how The Black Wedding starts, with the main characters frantically searching Paris for... well, I'll leave some mystery for you. The story is solid, but I have to say feels a bit short, with lots of characters who have unclear motives for their actions if you aren't already familiar with the world of Hellboy. In addition, though both stories follow the artistic stylings of the Animated series, they still manage capture some of the nuances that Mike Mignola brings to his art, which is a good thing.Hellboy Animated: The Black Wedding fromDarkhorse is a fun read and a good companion (if not a good introduction) to the Hellboy Animated universe, so we'll give it 3 exclamation marks out of 5: ! ! ! ! ! Enter the Hellboy week Give Away >>

INTERVIEW: Mike Mignola, Part I

Wed, 7 Mar 2007 12:34:01 PST

How did you start with comics? What led you down that career path? The only thing I ever wanted to do was draw, and more and more as I got into my teen years, I focused on wanting to do stuff that had mostly monsters. I went through a comic book phase where I read a lot of super-hero stuff, but I was really much more interested in fantasy and horror. But where was I going to get a job drawing that stuff? So I went into comics knowing that at least the subject matter was closest to what I wanted to do. I didn't actually think I could draw comics, but I started out as an inker, work as an inker, then maybe after I'd been in the business for awhile, somebody would let me do covers. The last time I made a conscious goal was to someday, before I kicked off, to draw a little ten page story, probably a Conan thing or something. After about a year of being an inker, one of the editors up there had said, "You know, you should try drawing this stuff," because all of my samples I showed were me drawing, but I just wasn't drawing stories, I just wasn't drawing pages, I was just doing pin-ups and stuff. So I got into being an artist because I was too bad to be an inker. To my knowledge, I'm the only person who entered comics that way. Where did you get your monsters fix, other than through comics? By then, I'd been reading the stuff, through high school and through college, I really got into the supernatural literature. It never really occurred to me to do comics based on what I was reading, but I did want to try to get that kind of imagery. You certainly made use of Lovecraft in your stories. Yeah, and that's where Hellboy came from. After ten years of being in comics, I wasn't getting a shot, nobody was calling me up saying, "Hey, we want to do a comic based on H.P. Lovecraft." So, after ten years, I thought the only way I was going to get a chance to draw exactly what I want would be to make up my own thing. And I thought I'd only get the chance to do it once, which I think is actually why Hellboy looks like everything and the kitchen sink is thrown in there, because it was my one chance to draw everything I wanted, so I tried to cram everything into that first Hellboy mini-series. Was that mini-series your first writing experience? Before I did Hellboy, I had plotted an issue of Batman, just one issue that was very much a ghost story. That issue of Batman really changed things radically, because I really had a good time doing that, and it was very much my kind of subject matter. So I thought, "Do I continue to do this, do I continue to make up my own stories? You know, work with another writer, but make up my own stories so I'm drawing what I want? And then should I do a Wolverine monster story, can I do a Batman monster story, OR do I make up my own character that's specifically designed to do these stories around? So I took a shot at it. Beyond the Lovecraft influence, Hellboy also feels very pulpish. Did the pulp stories influence you as well? My influences are all over the map. Dracula was what started it all, so I always have one foot in that early 19th century occult detective/ghost story kind of stuff. But I did go through a phase in high school where I was reading a lot of pulp magazine reprints, like Doc Savage and things like that, I love that stuff. And you know there's that element in my favorite old Marvel comics, a lot of the Jack Kirby stuff, the Captain America stuff that was set in WWII. I wanted to bring some of that stuff into Hellboy also, which is why I had Hellboy show up in the early 40's, cause I wanted him to have one foot in the great pulp era and my favorite early Marvel comics, that WWII era. How did you come up with the specific concept of Hellboy? My whole goal was to draw monsters. So I thought, well, I'll have a guy who investigates supernatural stuff. I think coming out of all thsoe years of doing super-hero comics, there was a little bit of a super-hero thing in the back of my head. I mean originally it was conceived as this kind of team book, but I could never come up with a name for the team. I had a fish-guy who was kind of my nod to the Sub-Mariner, and whatever the hell all the other characters were. But to go right back to the beginning, my first thought was just to make up a regular human being, who was an occult detective. Some of my favorite literary things were these old Victorian era occult detectives. But I knew that I would get really bored drawing a regular guy, so I said, well, let me make up something that would be fun, a character that would be a lot of fun to do. And I had done this kind of character once or twice at conventions. People would say, oh, just draw something for fun. And so I drew this kind of Kirby-inspired monster kind of guy. It never occurred to me that I was making up a character, it was just a bunch of shapes I kind of liked. And on one of these drawings, I had written Hellboy on it, he had a belt that was just a blank space, so I just wrote Hellboy and thought that was hilarious. So a year or two later, when I started making up my own thing, and I said well I'm not going to draw a regular human, the only name I ever came up with that I thought was funny was Hellboy, and I liked this monstery kind of guy, so I thought well if I make up a monster who is an occult detective, then I get a monster fighting monsters, I'm drawing nothing but monsters. So if I can pull that off, I'll really be happy. Read Part II >>

The RED Hellboy Giveaway

Mon, 5 Mar 2007 10:42:46 PST

A Hell of a Giveaway! The new Hellboy animated movie will be on your TV screen later this month, so how to get ready? Why, by winning cool Hellboy stuff from RED, of course. We have a slate of prizes from our good friends at Darkhorse that need a good home, and that home could be yours.Enter for your Chance to Win!First, read the official giveaway rules and then send an email to yurisknight@aol.com with this info:SUBJECT: Hellboy GiveawayFirst and Last Name Age E-mail address Mailing address (where prizes can be sent)You can then check out the Hellboy reviews and interviews we have this week for Hellboy Week!The PrizesSo, what's up for grabs? We've got 4 prize packages:One Grand prize winner will receive:One HellBoy Animated Three-Piece PVC SetOne "HellBoy Animated: The Black Wedding Book"One HellBoy Animated Journal One HellBoy Animated MagnetOne Hellboy Animated Stationary SetThree First Place winners will receive:One "HellBoy Animated: The Black Wedding" BookOne HellBoy Animated JournalOne HellBoy Animated MagnetOne HellBoy Animated Stationary Set

Hellboy Week

Mon, 5 Mar 2007 10:31:30 PST

The things that go bump in the night have an enemy: Hellboy. A baby demon brought to Earth by Nazi occultists during World War II, he was rescued and raised by the United States' Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). Now a full grown demon, he is the worlds greatest paranormal investigator. Think Mulder only a lot bigger and with red skin and a great big stone right hand.This week, COMICS! 'nuff said will be celebrating the sensation that is Mike Mignola's Hellboy as we get ready for the premiere of Hellboy: Blood and Iron on Cartoon Network next week (March 17th) and the release of the first Hellboy animated movie, Hellboy: Sword of Storms, on DVD. Check back every day for something new! Enter the Hellboy Giveaway >>This week, look for:Hellboy Giveaway! We'll be giving away prize packages that include copies of The Black Wedding, Hellboy notebooks, Hellboy stationary, Hellboy magnets, and one lucky winner will win a collector's set of 3 Hellboy PVC figures.Interview with Mike Mignola, Part I: Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola talks about where the ideas came from.Interview with Mike Mignola, Part II: In which we learn the trials and tribulations of bringing a comic to the big (and little) screen.Review Hellboy Animated: The Black Wedding: The first volume in the new Hellboy Animated comic book series. A review of the movie Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms DVD.Other Hellboy Animated links:Hellboy Animated The Official Hellboy Animated Production Blog Hellboy Zone on Darkhorse (includes games, desktops, and more) Hellboy Animated Trading Cards

Who should be in the JLA Movie?

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 13:34:55 PST

Last week we had a link in the news to a story about a possible Justice League of America movie in the works. Although the idea of a JLA movie seems like a cool idea, don't hold your breath. It'll be 2009 before we see the next Superman movie, and that one is already in production. A JLA movie, if it ever happens, will be years off. In the meantime, let's talk about what would you want to see in a JLA movie? The movie makers for this film have a lot of issues they have to wrangle with before they can even start writing—much less filming—the script. Let's help them out. Which heroes would you want? The classic line-up? Newer heroes?Who do you want to see as the villain(s)? Should they go up against a single enemy, an alien threat, or a team of super-vllians?

On Sale This Week

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:11:14 PST

Darkhorse Oh My Goddess! Volume 25 TPB Path of the Assassin Vol. 5: Battle of One Hundred and Eight Days Shaman Warrior Volume DC » 52 #43 » ACTION COMICS #846 » BATMAN #664 » BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #3 » BLUE BEETLE #12 » CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #30 » CONNOR HAWKE: DRAGON'S BLOOD #4 (OF 6) » FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN #33 » FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN: REBORN » THE FLASH: FASTEST MAN ALIVE #9 » GREEN LANTERN #17 » JLA: CLASSIFIED #35 » JSA CLASSIFIED #23 » JUSTICE #10 (OF 12) » SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN VOL. 2 » SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF THE SUPER-HEROES #27 » TEEN TITANS GO! #40 Wildstorm » NINJA SCROLL #6 » WETWORKS #6 Vertigo » 100 BULLETS #81 » CROSSING MIDNIGHT #4 » DEADMAN #7 » THE EXTERMINATORS #14 » JACK OF FABLES #8 Marvel » NEW EXCALIBUR #17 » WOLVERINE #51 » X-FACTOR #16 » X-MEN #196 » IRON MAN #15 » SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #15 » RUNAWAYS #24 » DAREDEVIL #94 » ETERNALS #7

PREVIEW: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:08:51 PST

If you've never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you missed one of the greatest TV shows of all time, people. Not just like from last year—of ALL time! Sure, it was high concept (teenage girl has to kill vampires, demons, etc) but the real magic lied in the story and the angst ... it was all just a metaphor for high school. For seven seasons, the Buffy faithful (and there are way more of us than you think) watched the show every week, which ended with Buffy completely destroying her town to kill the biggest evil of all. And that's where we left things, with the team just walking away. Flash-forward several years, and Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy, decides to continue things in a comic book. That right there is enough for anyone who knows anything about Buffy ... sure, there have been books and comics in the meantime, but nothing by the guy who started the show, and nothing that was as officially canon like this is: Joss says this is the official 8th season. But if you haven't ever seen a Buffy episode, give the comic book a try. After reading the first issue, we can tell you for sure that it's very friendly to new readers. In fact, even if you've seen the show, you're going to be dropped right into the middle of the story, with familiar characters about a year into their lives. Things have evolved, and without giving anything away, a lot is different, a lot is ... bigger, so to speak. You'll see. Since we've read it, what did we think? Basically, the best seasons of Buffy are generally considered to be the 2nd and 3rd seasons. The highest praise we can give the comic is that this felt like it could fit right into those seasons, story-wise. Incredible, incredible first issue, and it looks like there's a lot more to come, with Joss overseeing the stories that other writers produce, then ending the season with his second arc on the comic. Trust us ... this is one series you're going to want to read. And while you're at it, go watch (or re-watch) all those Buffy DVDs. You won't need to, but you'll have a great time doing it. The first issue comes out next week (March 7th) from Darkhorse.More on Buffy #1:• See a Preview of Issue #1• Tell your local comic retailer about the Buffy 100 contest• Get Buffy downloads for your computer• Read Joss Whedon's Blog

NEW SERIES: Ghost in the Shell 1.5

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:16:04 PST

We've just read through the first several issues of the new Ghost in the Shell 1.5 Series by Shirow Masamune and have to say it's off to a great start. If you are not familiar with GIS 1.5, it's a lot like the stories in the Animae TV-series, telling the stories of the case files that Section Nine deals with, and is a little more cyber and a little less punk than the movies. The storeis are a lot more mystery investigation and police process driven and recount the "lost" stories that take place between the first two major stories, Ghost in The Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface.In the new series—Human-Error Processor— Section Nine is trying to figure out who is cybernetically animating the corpses of several powerful men with no clear purpose (yet). Although the full color covers are a bit misleading since the actual comics are black and white, as always, Masamune's art is so technically detailed you might believe that he's drawing the devices and gadgets from real life not from his amazing imagination. Darkhorse has put out five of the eight issues of the series, and we are eagerly awaiting the last three.

Comic News Round-up

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:26:22 PST

'Justice' prevails for Warner Bros. Comics2Film • Batman may meet up with Superman on the bigscreen after all -- along with Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash and all the rest of DC Comics' biggest names. Warner Bros., with its major appetite for fresh franchises, is looking to make a feature based on super team the Justice League of… Read more WHAT A HOOT: RUNTON TALKS “OWLY” - comic Book Resources Google News - Comics • Through Free Comic Book Day we're able to get around 50000 books out and in the hands of kids-of-all-ages in a single day. It's About the Art, Bub: Bianchi Talks "Wolverine" CBR Articles • Wolverine #50 marked the opening bell in Wolverine and Sabretooth’s latest duel and eager fans flocked to the book causing the issue to sell out. CBR News spoke with the book’s artist Simone Bianchi about his work on “Wolverine.” Comics - So You Want to Write a Comic Book? Marvel News • Hey there true believers, day–dreamers and would–be writers, Marvel has partnered with Jeep to offer a contest unlike anything ever before! The all–new Jeep Patriot and Marvel are setting out on an adventure with YOU to create a brand...

On Sale This Week

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:27:58 PST

Marvel » SHE-HULK #16 » ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #39 » AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #538 » CIVIL WAR #7 » MARVEL ADVENTURES FLIP MAGAZINE » MARVEL HEROES FLIP MAGAZINE » PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #4 DC » 52 #42 » AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #49 » BIRDS OF PREY #103 » BIRDS OF PREY: PERFECT PITCH » THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 » CATWOMAN #64 » CATWOMAN: THE REPLACEMENTS » CHECKMATE #11 » CHECKMATE VOL. 1: A KING'S GAME » THE HELMET OF FATE: BLACK ALICE » ION #11 (OF 12) » JUSTICE VOL. 2 » KAMANDI ARCHIVES VOL. 2 » KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG #6 (OF 6) » THE OMEGA MEN #5 (OF 6) » ROBIN #159 » RUSH CITY #5 (OF 6) » SCOOBY-DOO #117 » SHADOWPACT #10 » THE SPIRIT #3 » SUPERMAN #659 » TEEN TITANS: TITANS AROUND THE WORLD » WONDER WOMAN #4 Vertigo » DMZ #16 » HELLBLAZER #229 » TESTAMENT #15 Wildstorm » DANGER GIRL: BACK IN BLACK » EX MACHINA: INSIDE THE MACHINE » RED MENACE #4 (OF 6) Darkhorse The Mummy: Dark Resurrection Nexus Archives Volume 5 HC Roman Album: Samurai Champloo TPB

PRESS RELEASE: XOMBIE animated Series available as book

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:00:35 PST

XOMBIELOS ANGELES – Feb. 20, 2007 – XOMBIE, Inc. today announced the availability of an illustrated novel based upon its popular online animated series, XOMBIE. The 155-page illustrated adaptation, XOMBIE: Dead on Arrival, will feature: all new full-color artwork; a complete artist’s sketchbook; new secrets about the world of XOMBIE and hints about things to come; as well as, a sneak peek at two unreleased episodes of the animated cartoon. XOMBIE: Dead on Arrival is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.Created by innovative artist James Farr, the XOMBIE animated series paints a bleak picture of a future where legions of undead roam the world and mankind struggles to survive. XOMBIE’s anti-hero is Dirge, a zombie himself, but unlike his brethren he has a mind of his own. With the help of his trusty undead canine, Cerberus, our hero treks across the hostile future wastelands facing robots, mummies, dinosaurs, evil demons and much more.For more information about XOMBIE: Dead on Arrival or the XOMBIE animated series, please visit www.xombified.com, which features news and announcements, episodic cartoons, comic strips, message boards, merchandise and much more. From 'nuff saidWe've seen this cartoon and it is great. We can't wait to see the book.

POLL: Who's your favorite Goth Girl?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:11:28 PST

Her are the results of our unscientific highly biased poll that posed the question: Who's your favorite Goth Girl? Emily the Strange - 38.8% (329 Votes)Wednesday Addams - 25.8% (219 Votes)Siouxsie Sioux - 5.9% (50 Votes)Ghost Girl - 29.5% (250 Votes)So, as you can see, Siouxsie Sioux was the least popular Goth Girl and thus the winner of our poll.

PRESS RELEASE: Titan Announces Launch of Comic Book Division

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:20:15 PST

Titan Productions, a franchise development company specializing in thevideo game industry, and Silent Devil, a creator influenced comic bookpublisher, are announcing the launch of a new comic book franchise atthis week's New York Comic Book Convention: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTCo-created by Titan Productions partners David Wohl (Co-creator ofWitchblade, Darkness, and Aphrodite IX) and Brad Foxhoven, EXECUTIVEASSISTANT debuts the art of Siya.The story is inspired by real events between the late 70's and 80's,where senior executives in Asia began to groom their female executiveassistants to be trained killers – taking the term "corporate warfare"to a new level. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT is a creative retelling of thispoint of history, bringing it into the modern day. She is a secretary,bodyguard, spy and assassin all rolled into one.Titan Productions is targeting EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT as the beginning ofwhat will be a series of new projects coming from the company laterthis year. "Our goal is to replicate the success David and I had whenwe were at Top Cow together several years ago," said Foxhoven. Thecompany plans on announcing the titles at San Diego Comicon later thisyear.A relative newcomer to comics, Siya's art caught the eye of Wohlseveral years ago at a convention in Seattle. "Over the years thatI've been involved with publishing comics, I've probably perused tensof thousands of art samples," expressed Wohl. "And among those manypages, I've been blessed with the opportunity to have seen the work ofa number of "diamonds in the rough"-- From Joe Benitez to David Finch,from Billy Tan to Michael Turner--one look at their work and you knewyou were seeing something special. And now, with Siya, I think thepotential for greatness is there. And I'm as excited as everyone elseto see how far she can go!""I've been a fan of David's work on Aphrodite IX, Witchblade and TheDarkness," says Silent Devil publisher Christian Beranek. "EXECUTIVEASSISTANT finally gives me a chance to work with David, and we'rethrilled to be presenting it. "A lithograph celebrating the announcement of the title and featuringart by Siya will debut at Silent Devil's booth #751 during New YorkComic Con this weekend. David Wohl and Christian Beranek will be onhand for a panel Saturday the 24th from 7-8pm to answer questions fromfans about the project.

Comic News Round-up

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:53:54 PST

MAKING OF A COMIC: REX MUNDI #4 Dark Horse Comics Highlights • Rex Mundi is a mystery set in a 1930s Europe where sorcerers stalk the streets at night and the Church never lost its grip on power. From script to inks, and to coloring and beyond--make sure to check out this DH.com exclusive! Review: 'Ghost Rider' Comics2Film • C2F's longtime critic thechrisbrown returns to the reviewer's desk to take 'Ghost Rider' to task for smiting helpless lizards and failing to be as cool as the tchotchkes he received in the theater lobby. 'Hulk 2' Stomping Into Vancouver? Comics2Film • According to reports, Marvel Entertainment's Hulk 2 aka The Incredible Hulk has been scouting studio locations to set up shop in either Toronto or Vancouver. Budget is said to be in the $125 million range. More... Dino Park Offers Scholarship - BYU Newsnet Google News - Comics • A new scholarship offered by the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park calls for a combination of creativity, imagination and adventure in its Zane's Adventure Quest Comic Book Challenge scholarship program. Ogden's George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is inviting ... Slaying Alive: Whedon talks “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” CBR Articles • Fans were saddened when “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ended it’s television run, but they’ll rejoice this March when Buffy’s adventures resume in a new comic series from creator Joss Whedon, which picks up where the series left off. We spoke with Whedon. Getting Smarter: Phil Foglio talks “Girl Genius” CBR Articles • Phil & Kaja Foglio took their print comic “Girl Genius” online two years ago and the results have been outstanding. Readership and TPB sales are up and they’re saving money by not printing monthlies. Phil Foglio gave us an update.

On Sale This Week

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:37:50 PST

DC » 52 #41 » BATMAN #663 » BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD VOL. 2 » THE BATMAN STRIKES! #30 » CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #10 » GREEN ARROW #71 » GREEN LANTERN CORPS #9 » JLA: CLASSIFIED #34 » JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #3 » MANHUNTER #28 » MARTIAN MANHUNTER #7 (OF 8) » OMAC #8 (OF 8) » SHOWCASE PRESENTS: AQUAMAN VOL. 1 » SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS. ALIENS AND PREDATORS #2 (OF 2) » SUPERMAN: CAMELOT FALLS » TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #5 (OF 8) » TRIALS OF SHAZAM! #5 (OF 12) Marvel » ASTONISHING X-MEN #20 » EXILES #91 » NEW EXCALIBUR #16 » NEW X-MEN #35 » WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #11 » NEW AVENGERS #27 » ULTIMATE X-MEN #79 » SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #35 » MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #21Wildstorm » GEN 13 #5 » STORMWATCH: PHD #4 Vertigo » NEIL GAIMAN'S NEVERWHERE » Y: THE LAST MAN #54

REVIEW: The American Way

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:20:10 PST

Alternate histories, especially when they involve super-powered characters, can be a rich and fertile ground for story telling that pose the eternally enticing question "What If?" The "What If" for WildStorm's The America Way, is not only what if there had been super-pwered beings in the early 1960's during the civil rights struggles, but also what if they were all really an act put on by the US government. If all of their mighty battles were staged just to keep the morale of the American people high. The book ends up not only taking on race relations, but also secret government conspiracies. Can a single comic bring together all of these huge ideas effectively in just 6 issues?James: Books like The American Way are bound to cause a little friction, if just because of the subject matter. 'AW' explains away the "silliness" of the silver age by claiming it was all staged by the government in a cold-war like arms race of super-heroes. That said, it then takes on the civil rights movement, bringing an African-American super-hero to a country not ready for one. It's kind of an odd mix, but ultimately, I thought it worked pretty well.Jason: I'm not so sure. While I applaud their courage to tackle this subject matter, I felt a lot of the characters, especially the southerners, where tiered clichés of what we now think people where like in the early sixties: The blacks are all militants and the whites are all either closet or full on racists. Coupled with that is the fact that there were momentous events happening in the country that get little more than a lip service from the writers. The Cuban Missile crisis is a single double spread, and there is almost nothing about the sit-ins or other acts of civil disobedience that were going on. In the end, I think this book ignores a lot of the reality of what it's trying to talk about, which does it a disservice.James: I think it was trying to do too much ... you can't use a clever concept like the government staging alien invasions and mix that with real world issues and expect a clean outcome. And I agree that a lot was missing ... there were what, two African-American characters in the whole book? But still, it brought up a bunch of interesting questions.Jason: It did, I'll give you that, but a lot of those questions where much better asked in Watchmen.James: there were definite parallels to Watchmen, and The Authority and some other comics. I think I'd rather have seen the issues devoted towards either the civil rights issue or the silver age craziness, not both. But in some ways, they did play off each other, given that the manufactured African-American super-hero's coming out was also carefully staged ... until it got out of hand.Jason: Yeah, but I think that could have been handled just as effectively if he were simply another masked hero. In fact, I think it would have been even more effective had we (the readers) not known until his mask broke that he was an African-American.Jason: And the book could have then tested some of our preconceptions about our own perceptions of race.James: That could have been interesting, I agree, though I did appreciate the behind-the-scenes back-and-forth about deciding to add an African-American to further race relations, and a little of the decision on how to break it to a, at least in the story, racist America.Jason: It's funny, because the books main character was not a super-hero at all, but the marketing guy who is brought in to basically revise the Super's brand image. Now that's a nice touch.James: that was a great touch, it brought the story down to a more relatable level, especially with some of the strangeness going on. In fact, I was a little thrown when we started to get the super-hero point of view added in.Jason: My main gripe was that a lot of civil-rights events were either glossed over or only obliquely mentioned, and I'm afraid a lot of readers will not understand why somethings are mentioned in the story but never elaborated on.James: Like what?Jason: One brief scene happens outside of Greensboro, North Carolina. The story never mentions, though, that Greensboro was the location of the first "Sit-In" in 1960, where African America Students from A&T University defied the local law by sitting at the lunch counter of a Woolworth's.Jason: A lot of reader will not know that, but it can't be a coincidence that the writers staged the scene not just anywhere, but outside of Greensboro.James: I didn't know that, or at least didn't make the connection... it almost seems like a reference might have gotten cut, or that the writer threw it in as more of an easter egg.Jason: That's true, they might have been expecting the reader to look into it.James: though on the other hand, it's such a throw-away reference, I'm almost wondering if he even intended it, or just picked a random spot in the SouthJames: I was a little bothered by the portrayal of the Southern super-heroesJason: That got to me too.Jason: I think they were overly simplified in a story that seemed to be trying to get to more complex reasoning.James: even when they weren't overly simplified, their reactions seemed to contradict each other at different pointsJames: consistency would have been nice.Although we found the subject-matter and story in The American Way compelling, we felt it lacked the cohesiveness and attention to historical detail to make it really effective. It tried to bite off too much and ended up short-changing the significant issues it was trying to deal with. The action is gripping, and the characters interesting, although often stereotypes.We'll call this one a 3 out of 5: ! ! ! ! !You can get The American Way from Wildstorm.

NEW SERIES: SHAZAM: The Monster Society of Evil

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 14:00:17 PST

Captain Marvel (known to most of us Shazam!) has always had a bit of a hard time really fitting into the DC Universe. This might be because the character was actually created as a reaction to Superman by Fawcett comics and only years later bought by DC Comics. During Crisis on Infinite Earths, "Earth-S"—as the world where the Marvel family lived apart from other DC characters—was brought into the "mainstream" Earth. Captain Marvel is known as the "Mightiest Mortal" but that's only because Superman is generally not classified as a "mortal". This all said, there is a lot of potential in the character. Unlike, Clark Kent, Captain Marvel's alter ego, Billy Batson, is a small, kind of puny little kid with no powers. This dichotomy can make for some interesting encounters between power and humility as he shifts back and forth. DC is now revisiting this story with SHAZAM: The Monster Society of Evil. It is being written and drawn by Jeff Smith of Bone fame, and I have to say, it's pretty good. The first issue retells the Captain Marvel origin, but, like a lot of retold origins, it convincingly updates the story line to fit the reality of today. for example, Billy is a homeless kid living on the street and trying to keep from getting robbed all of the time. The problem with a lot of modern retellings of Captain Marvel's Origins is they try to make some of the sillier concepts (like a talking worm as his arch-nemesis) and try to make them sound realistic. This new series shows a lot of promise. Smith has a done a great job of combining the old legend with new ideas of his own to really capture some of the whimsy of the originals stories without getting ridiculous.We'll give it three exclamation marks out of 5:! ! ! ! !Check out SHAZAM: The Monster Society of Evil #1 from DC Comics.

Comic News Round-up

Fri, 9 Feb 2007 13:33:15 PST

'The Batman' to form another new 'Justice League' in Season 5? Comics2Film WB has released the official synopsis for The Batman's fifth season, which includes the formation of the 'Justice League'. The 'Legion of Super-Heroes' face a new threat in Season 2 Comics2Film WB has release the official desciption of season 2 of "Legion of Super-Heroes," including hints on who the teen team will be battling. Comics: Marvel Heroes - Marvel Zombies Visual Guide Marvel News UPDATED! When the Marvel Zombies universe first appeared in 2005's Ultimate Fantastic Four #21, few expected it to become the phenomenon it has. Spinning off into a mini–series and several upcoming projects, this ghoulish, twisted take on the... HELLBOY ANIMATED: SWORD OF STORMS DVD AVAILABLE NOW! Dark Horse Comics Highlights In this first animated feature, a folklore professor becomes unwittingly possessed by the ancient Japanese demons of Thunder and Lightning. But when The Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense dispatches a team of agents to investigate, a cursed samurai sword sends Hellboy to a supernatural dimension of ghosts, monsters and feudal… ReadDC Comics Offers Consignment on Frank Miller Titles CBR Articles With the Warner Bros. motion picture 300 set to reach theaters on March 9, DC Comics offers retailers titles by legendary writer/artist Frank Miller, creator of the graphic novel 300, on consignment Comics: Marvel Heroes - Join Joe Quesada at the Comic Book Club! Marvel News This week, Joe Quesada hosts the Comic Book Club, a weekly comic book talk show featuring the best comedians in New York talking shop with industry professionals from all corners of the comic book world. Hosted by Justin Tyler, Pete LePage, and Alex...AVRIL LAVIGNE, BUFFY IN COMIC BOOKS - Star Magazine Google News - Comics MTV.comAVRIL LAVIGNE, BUFFY IN COMIC BOOKSStar Magazine,?NY?- 1 hour agoAnother demon-fighting lass will be getting her own comic book as well. Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be resurrected from TV series cancellation this fall in the form of a comic book. Joss Whedon, the show's creator, will be overseeing the project… Read more

Sandman Movie? Not!

Wed, 7 Feb 2007 20:08:56 PST

When I was at San Diego Comic-con this summer, I heard Neil Gaiman remark that it wasn't that he didn't want a Sandman movie to be made, he just wanted the right Sandman movie to be made. We'll apparently, Joel Shumacher (who has done everything from the remarkably good The Lost Boys to the abysmally bad Batman & Robin) is not the right man for the job. In a recent Blog post, Neil comments that, despite the fact that Joel expressed a strong interest in taking on Sandman, he simply joins a long list of big names expressing an interest in taking the modern masterpiece of fantasy fiction into the cinemathat Neil w ill take a pass on, a list that include Miachael Jackson. The fact is many authors masterworks have ended up being made into crappy movies. Neil has plenty to do and can take his time until the right idea comes along. The question is, can we wait?

On Sale This week

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 20:43:45 PST

Marvel » UNCANNY X-MEN #483 » INCREDIBLE HULK #103 » MS. MARVEL #12 » ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #105 » FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #17 » MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #24 » PUNISHER #44 » SPIDER-MAN AND POWER PACK #4 » ULTIMATE MARVEL FLIP MAGAZINE DC » 52 #40 » ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #10 » THE ALL-NEW ATOM #8 » BATMAN: YEAR ONE DELUXE EDITION » DETECTIVE COMICS #828 » HAWKGIRL #61 » THE HELMET OF FATE: SARGON THE SORCERER » JONAH HEX #16 » JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #30 » JUSTICE SOCIETY VOL. 2 » LOONEY TUNES #147 » MYSTERY IN SPACE #6 (OF 8) » NIGHTWING #129 » OUTSIDERS #45 » SHAZAM: THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #1 (OF 4) » SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL. 2 » SUPERGIRL #14 » SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 2 Wildstorm » THE AMERICAN WAY » MIDNIGHTER #4 » A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET #5 » WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY #3 Dark Horse Blessed Thistle Chronicles of Conan Volume 11: The Dance of the Skull and Other Stories Eden: It's An Endless World! Vol. 6 The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 2 The Mighty Skullboy Army Vol. 1 Oh My Goddess! Volume 4 Old Boy Vol. 4 Penny Arcade Volume 3: The Warsun Prophecies

Avril Makes 5 Wishes

Mon, 5 Feb 2007 15:07:34 PST

So you are one of the hottest pop-singers around. What media do you conquer next? Why comics of course. That raccoon eyed singing chanteuse Avril Lavigne is launching her first Manga series with Del Rey: Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes.Details are spotty, but it will be coming out April 10th and is being created by Camilla D'Errico and Joshua Dysart whose work has included titles like Swamp Thing, so thing may be getting intense. Stay tuned for more news!

Spider-Man Meets Godzilla?

Mon, 5 Feb 2007 10:36:32 PST

If you are a Spider-Man fan (and who isn't) hold on to your hats. Not only is the new Spider-Man Family #1 104 page extravaganza coming out later this month, it includes Spidey stories never seen in the US from the Land of the Rising Sun (that's Japan for the geographically challenged). "Spider-Man J" is a manga inspired series written and illustrated by Yamanaka Akira, and now translated for your enjoyment into English by Yuko Fukami and Zeb Wells. Look for the new comic to hit the stands later this month.

Friday Comic Releases

Fri, 2 Feb 2007 09:08:59 PST

CMX THE EMPTY EMPIRE VOL. 3 GALS! VOL. 9 SWAN VOL. 9Dark Horse ArchEnemies Vol. 1 Berserk Volume 15 TPB Hellboy Animated Volume 1: The Black Wedding Mail Volume 2 TPB Rex Mundi Volume 2: The River Underground TPB Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 7 DC Comics » 52 #39 » BATMAN AND THE MAD MONK #6 (OF 6) » BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #214 » BATMAN: SECRETS » BLUE BEETLE #11 » CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #29 » THE CREEPER #6 (OF 6) » HAWKGIRL #60 » ION #10 (OF 12) » ION: THE TORCHBEARER » JLA: CLASSIFIED #33 » JSA CLASSIFIED #22 » KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG #5 (OF 6) » SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY VOL. 4 » SUPERMAN: BACK IN ACTION » TEEN TITANS #43 » UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #7 (OF 8) Marvel Comics » X-MEN #195 » ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #38 » ANNIHILATION #6 » DAREDEVIL #93Wildstorm » THE BOYS #7 » DEATHBLOW #3 » EX MACHINA #26

Thursday Comic News Round-Up

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 13:04:42 PST

Comics2Film Interview with Smallville's Green Arrow Justin Hartley With just a handful of credits to his name, young Justin Hartley has become an almost overnight sensation since his recent appearances as Oliver Queen, the bow-slinging Green Arrow, on Smallville. Justin was lucky that Smallville creator and executive producer Al Gough gave him a second chance at playing a superhero,… Read more Another 'Wonder Woman' for WBWarner Bros. Pictures and Silver Pictures are quietly in the process of buying a "Wonder Woman" spec script from newcomers Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland, sources said. The studio and producer Joel Silver have been developing a big-screen rendition of the DC Comics superhero, with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss… Read more CBR Articles Watchmen, Whiteout, Stardust, Heroes: January 31st Comic Reel Wrap The superhero masterpiece is slowly grinding its way towards reality, Greg Rucka finds some direction, Neil Gaiman gives up the goods and Tim Kring speaks, plus data about "The Dark Knight," "Underdog," "Spider-Man 3" and more. SCI FI Wire Heroes Will End In Cliffhanger Heroes creator Tim Kring offers a few hints about the season-one finale and season two. Speaking in an interview at the recent Television Critics Association winter press tour, Kring added that the first season will resolve the current apocalyptic story arc, in which Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) foresees a nuclear… Read more ComicWorldNews.com Stephen Colbert to appear at New York Comic-ConMarvel and DC officially on notice Spoon!New England Comics announces Tick 20th Anniversary Special

REVIEW: Emily the Strange

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:08:02 PST

Since we're all about you, the reader, here at the COMICS! blog, we thought that we'd not only review our next book, Emily the Strange, but we'd DOUBLY review it, and heck, let's even have a sweepstakes to win a bunch of fun Emily stuff (check out the link at the bottom of the review if you can't wait). We're so great ... Jason: First off, I have to come clean: I have never been (nor are likely to ever be) a morbid, bored, teenage, goth girl. That said, I have been a morbid, bored, teenage goth guy. So this book should have been right up my alley, with the Wednesday Addams like main character and quirky humor. I'll admit, at first, I was bit put off by the self-indulgent tone of our ghoulish little narrator, but by the end of the book I think the creative team doing this book found their collective jive and the comic started to feel more like Da-Da poetry than a "graphic novel".James: Me, I've never been goth, guy or girl. And I never honestly got the whole, what would you call it, movement? I've tried before ... Jhonen Vasquez stuff like Squee, Invader Zim and Johnny, tried it all, and some of the stuff made me laugh, but most of it just made me think, wow, what's THAT depressing? I got the same feeling from Emily the Strange: Lost, Dark and Bored. Though I was more Bored, Distracted, and Unimpressed. Jason: Maybe that was the point… the vast wasteland of the teen experience...Jason: ...or maybe they are just trying to be pretentiousJames: ha ha ha, I definitely got the pretention. And a little bit of snobbery, a dislike of everything that wasn't cynical and bitter James: which might be exactly the point...Jason: Either way, I think the point was more about trying to break away from that linear story telling that we get so bogged down in with most comics, and even Manga.Jason: That, to me, made it worth the read.James: I did appreciate that. Each story started and ended mostly in its own reality, having little to do with the preceeding one. Short stories dealing with the same character, with small through-lines that kept you moving James: And what action there was in some of the stories WAS fun James: it was the viewpoint that bugged me Jason: how so?James: there's one point where Emily crosses out God and writes "Ok, it was me" Jason: That she is the god of her comic book world?James: religious implications aside, it said more about how the character was designed James: I saw it as god of her own reality James: this is almost wish-fullfillment comics, like superman without the problems James: only goth Jason: Yeah, and that's where a lot of Goth culture will take you...James: it's probably pretty representational, just new to me, you're right Jason: And a lot of it was just trying to be clever and funny, which throws up some alarm bells. As Yoda says "Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.," and as soon as it becomes obvious that you are trying, you loose.James: good point, it did feel like it was trying too hard on one hand. Though here and there, I did get some stories that felt more natural, and those were the ones I liked.Jason: This book is defiantly speaking to a specific audience and I think it really hits the mark with them. So, if you like this kind of thing, this is something you are going to like. Verdict: Despite being a little conflicted, both of us got something out of Emily, and now you can too! We give this one a 3 exclamation marks out of 5:! ! ! ! ! Get Emily the Strange, Vol.1 at Dark Horse Comics. Enter the RED Emily Giveaway >>