Red 5’s great series, We Kill Monsters is releasing its last issue this week.
It’s another winner in the tale of the Basher brothers and their battle against various beasties. Hopefully the Trade will be out in May or June and it will be a great treat for anyone new to comics, or readers who just want an entertaining and accessible story.
Read the review here.
Publisher Com.x has been around since 2001 and are mostly known for their Cla$$war series and the innovative 45 project which is being released this month. They seem to be one of those publishers who’s not in a hurry to flood the shelves with new books. Each new endeavour seems to be assessed as to how it relates to the Com.x line as a whole. Perhaps I’m reading too much into their limited output, but with a focus away from monthly comics, and squarely on OGNs, plus offices in London and California it’s obvious that they’re not just another comic book publisher.
Path is a black and white Original Graphic novel by Gregory S. Baldwin. It’s not a new book, having been released in 2008, but it has “timeless” written all over it. The plot is simple enough. Doppler is a rabbit who is simply trying to stay alive in a foreboding terrain when he runs into (or rather almost gets squashed by) Dodge, an elephant. Those always amusing Bugs Bunny or Road Runner cartoons would be the obvious comparison with Path showing the same kind of loose, child-like approach to story telling. Yes, child-like, not childish.
It’s a classic set-up, with two strangers with wildly different personalities learning to rely on each other while trying to stay alive. It’s a premise that makes those ’80s buddy cop action/comedies work so well, and Baldwin uses his two protagonists to great effect here. It also kind of reminds me of those great Jim Henson tales, Labyrinth and Dark Crystal with its sense of zany fun in the midst of danger.
Baldwin is a great artist. Path never suffers from being black and white, as other books sometimes do. Baldwin uses silhouettes, panel sizes that vary greatly and an attention to white space that must be noted. A video game designer by day, Baldwin takes to sequential art with enthusiasm and I’d be curious to see what he could come up with next. He was nominated for the Russ Manning Award for most promising newcomer, and deservedly so. His character designs, with Dodge’s large hands and feet and droopy eyes display his inner strength, while Doppler’s wild expressions give Path most of its humour. There’s all manner of creatures in this barren world though, from round robotic suits to nasty crocidogs, which just adds to the hectic nature of the travelling pair as they traverse the harsh environment, led by Dodge who’s strangely driven to his destination. The conclusion is a bold one, but surprisingly touching.
Path really is a visual feast and is a simple story populated by characters who are given distinct personalities, even if they only appear for a few pages. This 80 page adventure is rounded out by a few pin-ups of Dodge and Doppler. Path doesn’t have much of a plot, being an energetic journey leading to the next danger around the corner, but it’s simply a kid-friendly romp that looks great to boot.
Creature Box, the just revamped site of Baldwin, and Dave Guertin, is definitely worth a look for more fantastic imagery.
Marvel have handily connected all the dots, or rather, puzzle pieces from their last 4 teaser images hinting at what’s to come for Peter Parker this year. Hopefully it means a reunion with his wife Mary Jane Watson. Yay! Their separation/mind wipe in the One More Day storyline was a bad call, and hopefully Marvel are now convinced that a single Spider-Man doesn’t necessarily mean a greater audience for single readers who can identify with the character. Married men can have just as much fun, and that’s what Spidey’s all about.
Comic Book Resources have chosen their best comic book covers of last year, with brief explanations of each pick. It’s an eclectic mix. I don’t think I’d choose most of the covers featured but it’s a reminder that there’s some great art on the shelves.
Press release below from Nicita Designs and a contest they’re holding as part of their new Riot Shell comic. It’s not entirely clear what the comic is about, but the art’s not bad and it’s a good opportunity for budding artists. Riot Shell debuts sometime this year and is apparently “an all new online series where you control the outcome.” Hopefully more details will come closer to the release date. It seems to have promise.
Be Part of Riot Shell Contest
Nicita Designs and Comic Idol Online are holding a “BE PART OF RIOT SHELL CONTEST” Where fans can be part of the online comic by entering there original pin-up artwork of the Riot Shell Character to fans@comicidolonline.com , There are six spots available to be filled in the online comic by fans.
Anyone can enter. There are no restrictions of any kind! So whether you can draw like the industry greats or only draw stick figures give it a go, we want it to be fun for everyone.
GRAND PRIZE – One lucky artist will win a original Michael Broussard Unholy Union #1 page (Top Cow / Marvel cross over ) with a beautiful splash page of Witchblade.
The winner will be our number 1 pick out of the art submitted.
This is truly a beautiful artwork to have hanging on your wall! The Winner plus 5 runners up will have their art appear in Riot Shell #0 and also online at Comicidolonline.com.
So guys START A RIOT!
Entries close 28th FEB 2010
For more info on the contest please go to comicidolonline.com.
Trailer below for the Leo DiCaprio starring Inception. The film opens on July 16 and is written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also uses a few of his cast members form his 2 Batman films, namely Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe and Cillian Murphy. Looks like a classy combination of arty film meets high concept. Originally rumoured to be a Batman 3 project, as very little was known about it, Inception looks just as intriguing.
Back at work tomorrow in my regular day job as an admin assistant. The 2 weeks off has just flown by, but I did manage to get a lot of writing done for Broken Frontier, started turning the cogs for Arcana #2, and most importantly finished the final edit for Arcana #1, which will debut at your LCS (if they ordered any) at the end of this month. 2009 has been a great year. It was about this time last year that Dave (below) and I launched the 1st issue of our free on-line mag Extra Sequential, which created the opportunity for this new print endeavour thanks to Arcana Comics. You can check out all 3 issues of ES, plus a preview of this month’s Arcana #1 right here.
You might have noticed that I’ve changed my banner at the top of this humble blog. Since I started this about 18 months ago, I had a picture of Daredevil and Wolverine, but figured I’d start 2010 with something more in keeping with the name of this blog.
Far superior to the deservedly maligned live action film, G.I Joe Resolute was originally a series of 11 short animated films shown on the net, before being shown in its entirety on TV. Now it’s available on DVD for those who didn’t see it on US or Canadian TV, or for those that did, because it is worth seeing more than once. Written with gusto by comics scribe Warren Ellis (The Authority, Anna Mercury) and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League Unimited), this is G.I. Joe as it should be. It respects the ‘80s cartoon series, but reinvents the franchise for a modern, tech savvy audience. Unlike the live action film, Resolute relishes in the military and technological aspects of the Hasbro property with greater realism, filling the screen with mature dialogue and dynamic action scenes.
Sabotaging the U.S.S Flagg, the Joe’s aircraft carrier base, Bazooka’s death, the destruction of Moscow and a 24 hour ultimatum to the U.N by Cobra Commander, and Snake Eyes infiltration within a Cobra base. That’s all in the first few minutes of Resolute. Old favourites such as Tunnel Rat, Roadblock and Flint appear, as does a new female Dial Tone, and of course, Duke, Scarlett, Destro and Baroness. Cameos by Ripcord, Zartan, Stalker, Wild Bill and a few unnamed others are present too, and though I had a heap of Joe toys in my youth I can’t recall all their names. More observant fans will notice more I’m sure.
Resolute never appears disjointed as a complete 1 hour film. In fact you’d never know it was originally a multi-part adventure. In the story, there’s also a look at the origins of the silent Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and an awesome battle between them. The bad guys are about good as shooting as Stormtroopers and the side missions such as Tunnel Rat’s destruction of Cobra’s satellites and Gung Ho and Roadblock’s battle with Destro and Baroness in Alaska to free a few hostages are all presented equally. No one character really steals the show, though Snake Eyes is cool as always.
The anime flavour and slight costume redesigns really work here and fans of the series need not be concerned. It’s in good hands.
The voice acting is great, the animation is fluid and the action is intense. There’s a final scene after the credits which hints at a possible resurrection of one of the characters who died. Hopefully that means more Resolute episodes on the way. There’s definitely a market for mature Gen X tailored entertainment treated with respect and maturity.
There’s a few extras on the DVD, including a 20 minute interview segment with executive producer Steve Drucker , lead art designer Dan Norton and director Dos Santos. Obviously Norton and Santos are long-time Joe fans. Norton mentions that his toy battles were intense, leading to the deaths of his Joes, complete with funerals. The trio answer a few fan questions and discuss the origin of the project as a desire to make something for the adult fans, and why Warren Ellis was “one of the wow names,” and his unfamiliarity to the Joe Universe, but familiarity with near future military tech helped the approach to the story.
The bonus called And Now You Know is a short action scene showing Snake Eyes dispatching some Cobra goons with ruthless efficiency, and a tongue in cheek nod to the old Public Service Announcements of the ‘80s cartoon series.
Rounding out the extras are a few storyboards and Joe Files offering short bios on Duke, Roadblock, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Storm Shadow and Destro.
Resolute is proof that good ideas don’t need to be stuck to the cobwebs of nostalgia, but can be given a new lease of life, pleasing the original fans while making a few more along the way.
It looks like the team at Sequart and Respect Films have been busy. Their Grant Morrison doco is released this year and I’m looking forward to it. It’s quite the coup really. Their web series The Third Age looks great, and I really should get around to watching more episodes. They also have an upcoming feature on a few legendary X-Men creators. This is how it’s described:
Also in association with Sequart, Respect Films is producing a documentary history of the X-Men comics franchise, from its origins in the 60s to its rise to popularity in the 70s and 80s, ending with recent reinventions by Joss Whedon and Grant Morrison. The documentary will feature exclusive interviews with many of the series’ most important creators, including a roundtable reuniting writers Chris Claremont, Louise Simonson and editor Ann Nocenti. Former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, Art Adams and comics historian/Marvel Archivist Peter Sanderson will also appear. This project is being shot over the course of 2009, and will be released in 2010.
The Force Unleashed, with it’s secret Darth Vader apprentice, was an OK game with some serious issues. Hopefully the sequel will be far superior. The game will be released sometime this year.
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