Now up at Broken Frontier is my interview with writer Jason Becker, from Archaia’s supernatural horror/thriller series Killing Pickman. It’s a pretty candid interview about the realities of being a writer, and trying to make it as a career. You can check out the full interview right here. It’s worth a read.
Below is a text-free look at Part One of Dark Reign-The List-The Avengers. This new x-over epic is written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Marko Djurdjevic. It goes on sale on September 9. This is what Marvel have to say about the issue:
The Marvel Universe Begins Major Changes In Dark Reign: The List—Avengers!
If you’re reading New Avengers or the red-hot Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia, then you can’t miss an issue of Dark Reign: The List, beginning with the Avengers! Clint Barton (Ronin) makes a decision that’ll change the Avengers as you know them! The List—Avengers, from the superstar dream team of Brian Michael Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic, begins the end of the Marvel Universe as you know it when Norman Osborn is targeted for death by Ronin! Meanwhile, Osborn himself reveals his end game—the elimination of every obstacle in his way! He’s battled the X-Men and now, with his sights set on every other major player in the Marvel Universe, all will feel the wrath of Osborn! This landmark issue also features a variant cover by superstar artist Frank Cho!
“In 2010, the Marvel Universe changes forever and it all begins in The List,” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation. “If you’re a Marvel fan, you can’t miss any of these specials—no hero or villain walks away the same.”
Courtesy of DC’s blog, The Source comes this look at the new Batgirl series, which lands on August 19. Interior art and cover is by Lee Garbett, with a variant cover by Cully Hamner. The series is written by Bryan Q. Miller, who’s written episodes of Smallville before moving on to a few Teen Titans issues. I was always a fan of the Cassandra Cain Batgirl – the mute daughter of an assassin is a concept to cool to ignore. The identity of this new Batgirl, or possibly new, is unknown yet and DC is playing coy, as they did with all the other Bat-characters post Battle of the Cowl. I hope Cassandra is back, but she’s been absent in the pages of DC comics for a while now, so maybe it’s Stephanie Brown AKA Spoiler AKA Tim Drake’s ex-girlfriend. It’s perhaps likely, as Cassandra never really smiled. Plus that cover doesn’t look like an Asian girl. Maybe, DC will pull a swifty and put one of the Birds of Prey under the mask, such as Misfit or Lady Blackhawk.
Produced by Australian publisher Gestalt (Waldo’s Hawaiian Holiday, Character Sketches), Flinch is a digest sized anthology, and a good one at that. Inside its 120 black and white pages is a wild assortment of eerie, strange and occasionally disturbing tales. I mean, look at that cover by Shaun Tan – a giant rabbit! Freaky.
The first story is by far my favourite. It’s a great mood setter for the remainder of the book. Bobby. N’s tale, entitled Withheld follows middle-aged prisoner, Jim on his last day in the clink after 30 years inside for a murder he didn’t commit. Having lived half his existence behind bars he’s dejected about his release and the friends he’ll leave behind. The last few pages give the scenes before it a real emotional kick. The artist deserves praise for his panel layouts – dark and angular when in prison and light and welcoming when outdoors. Jim is set up as a quiet and gentle man with such restraint. It’s not wordy and is a superb example of the use of space to build tension.
Also scattered throughout these tales that, “question the darkness within us all,” are simple, yet clever one page pieces by acclaimed artist Shaun Tan that capture a theme such as innocence or knowledge.
The majority of these creators are Australian and really run with the theme behind this collection. Some, like Mel Tregonning in Night, Justin Randall and Chris Bones in Speak of the Devil and James Barclay and Chris Bolton in Twain play with the concept of light battling darkness to unique effect, while Anton McKay’s The Ride Home throws out a Hitchcockian story of suburban horror involving a DJ’s youthful secret.
Other standouts would be Tom Taylor’s work in 96, 000m with artist Tom Bonin. It’s only 6 pages, and opens with two men in a submersible craft on a deep sea mission. The ending is bold and made me laugh because it came from nowhere and really works. Taylor’s other story, with his Star Wars: Invasion collaborator Colin Wilson is a sci-fi tale called White Dove III. Like Bobby. N, Taylor expands a simple premise in to a powerful story.
Like any anthology, not every story is a winner. Demon Street Ghost Trap and The Snare just didn’t do it for me and seemed overly wordy. However, each story also brings a fresh artistic approach and every style imaginable is contained within Flinch’s pages.
Flinch is available now and when I see the varied talent on display here, I gotta say, it makes me proud to be an Aussie. For previews and creator commentaries, visit the official site or see the trailer below.
Withheld by Bobby. N
96, 000m by Tom Taylor and Tom Bonin
Night by Mel Tregonning
Moral Lesson #7 - Regret by Shaun Tan
On sale in October is Tracker: First Look, which is a peek at Top Cow’s new mini-series, Tracker which launches in November. This First Look was previously only available at last month’s Comic-Con. At the Cow panel at the Con it was mentioned that Tracker would be a new look at werewolves, with serial killers thrown in. Now with this special issue we get the full story, or at least the beginning of it.
It opens with Agent Jezebel Kendall (cops never have boring names in fiction, do they?) arriving on the scene of a bus crash. She wonders why a Federal Agent like herself has been called to a traffic accident until she looks inside the bus and discovers not only a mass of mutilated bodies, but also a survivor. The survivor is an agent too, and it appears the reason he alone survived the “Blue Line Massacre,” is more than just luck. Alex O’Roark returns to work nursing a cane and tender ribs and is put on the case of the massacre – the work of a serial killer called Herod. O’Roark knows what he’s doing as he’s the tracker of the title.
There’s only 10 story pages in this preview book, but it’s certainly a meaty start. Writer Jonathan Lincoln introduces us to not only O’Roark, but his girlfriend, boss and fellow cops, all while creating distinctive voices for them all. There’s no big reveal of Herod or the werewolves that are hinted at, but there’ll be plenty of time for such when the series kicks off proper. Francis Tsai’s art works well, and his colouring deserves to be mentioned. From the red glare of the bus massacre to the bright lights of the police precinct and hospital he makes each scene diverse enough to be interesting, and it’s all entwined with a subtle painterly approach.
Rounding out the extra pages are a few words from the 3 guys behind HVE, or Heroes and Villains Entertainment. In the new tradition of Top Cow aligning themselves with outside story developers, HVE appear to be men after my own heart and mention their love of Star Wars, Street Fighter 2 and Halo. Lincoln also mentions his love of werewolves and ends his text page with a powerful summary of Tracker’s premise – “A good man wakes up with blood on his hands.” Nice.
Also included are 3 pages of character summaries and a neato mini-poster of the cover, which reminds me of Ash from the Evil Dead films. Lastly writer of the excellent series Impaler, William Harms gives a one page intro to his new series, also aided by HVE, called Epoch. At the Cow’s Con panel Epoch was described as a “supernatural Fight Club,” with a bunch of diverse mythological creatures laying the smackdown on each other. Sounds good to me.
Only in the Comic-Con exclusive of Tracker: First Look are 7 pages of The Darkness/Pitt x-over by Paul Jenkins and Dale Keown. All I can say is that it looks very appealing, thanks to Jenkins and Keown, and that book hits shelves on August 26. As for Tracker, it’s off to a good start. I’m intrigued by the concept and O’Roark seems to be a great protagonist. Cops chasing serial killers we’ve all seen before, but not like this. With a new twist on the hairy moon howlers, the lone man who knows how to destroy them and the psycho Herod, who’s described as, “Hannibal Lecter with fangs,” this looks like a story worth following.
On sale August 12th is The Darkness #79 from Top Cow. Below are a few pages from it, as well as the two covers by Jorge Lucas and Whilce Portacio.
The Darkness #79
Phil Hester (A) Jorge Lucas (Cov) Lucas, Whilce Portacio
Jorge Lucas returns for a special issue of The Darkness.
Jackie Estacado, bearer of The Darkness, is through with being someone else’s bag man and assembles a special team of thieves, smugglers, and murderers for one purpose – to take down The Sovereign.
In the new tradition of musicians creating comics comes Radical’s Incarnate, from Nick (son of KISS’ Gene) Simmons, and I gotta say, it’s not too bad. This 3 issue mini-series is a reinvention of the vampire mythos, but before you roll your eyes at that notion, let me say that Simmons, as both writer and artist does a respectable job of breathing new life in to the undead.
It opens with one of preacher/poet John Donne’s works about death, from a few centuries ago, before revealing a naked boy eating a dog in an alley, while speaking lines like, “I am a bloodhound tethered to an invisible master.” Right off the bat, you know this isn’t a typical vamp comic.
Mot, the naked kid grabs some clothes off a hobo he’s just drained blood from before shooting Connor, a vamp assassin in the face, but it’s just a flesh wound. The pair then go to a club of vamps, or “revenants” as they’re known in Incarnate where they discover that their old foe Solomon Vane and his family are tracking them. Not only that, they’ve finally discovered a way to kill them. A battle comences with Vane’s eager general Vincent and an army of well armed soldiers but only Mot and Connor remain behind to fight them, and things don’t look good for the pair.
Incarnate is off to an impressive debut. It’s wildly different from any of Radical’s other offerings. Their painterly, serious approach is not taken here and this resembles a standard comic that you’d find from another publisher. Having Nick Simmons’ name on the cover certainly helps, as does the exposure its received on his family’s reality TV show. Not alot is revealed about the revenants at this point. We know they’re immortal and treat humans with disdain, but that’s about it. Two more issues isn’t much at all to build upon that mythology, but perhaps if this series is successful enough, more will follow.
The manga influences are strikingly obvious, but Simmons makes it work. His passion for manga can be seen on every page, with flowing blood, speed lines and jagged panels everywhere. However, there’s a sense of clarity and purpose to the design. It never feels cumbersome and the story is satisfyingly streamlined. I can only assume Simmons is the primary penciller, as there is also an inker, a colorist and three assistant artists given credit. I’ve never seen that before, but Nam Kim is the only one given the honour of a cover credit besides Simmons’ name. However, from all the interviews I’ve read, and his appearance at Radical’s Comic-Con panel, this is Simmons’ show all the way. Considering this is his first comic as both writer and artist, he’s off to a good start. Hopefully with his name attached, and its manga flavour, many non-regular comics readers will pay attention and give Incarnate the chance it deserves.
With this new 6 part mini-series by writer James Robinson and excellent artist Mauro Cascioli, plus the unique format of Wednesday Comics, let alone sending Superman away from Earth and killing Bruce Wayne, DC are taking some bold steps as of late. It seems to be paying off. Now, on to some pages from this week’s Justice League: Cry For Justice #2.
On sale on September 2 is a new Moon Knight series, with a new man under the mask, and covers by Leinil Francis Yu, Alex Ross and a variant by Tim Sale. Official skinny below.
The White Knight Strikes Back in Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1!
Revenge is a dish best served at night, and Moon Knight has a fresh serving for Norman Osborn in the extra-sized Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1! The red hot team of writer Gregg Hurwitz and artist Jerome Opeña unleash an all new Moon Knight on the streets of New York City with a flurry of high tech weaponry in his vengeful arsenal! Exiled by Osborn’s rise to power, how does Moon Knight bring law and order to Norman ’s Dark Reign? From whom did he acquire his stunning new armor? And does he still kill criminals? One thing’s for sure, there’s something very different about this Moon Knight! Don’t miss covers by Leinil Francis Yu, Alex Ross and Tim Sale!
Marvel urges retailers to check all orders of Vengeance of the Moon Knight as it continues to garner significant buzz from all corners before its release! Marc Spector might be gone, but Jake Lockely is back in town, and he has a bone to pick with Norman Osborn. With new weapons, a new vehicle, and a new attitude, the extra-sized Vengeance of the Moon Knight #1 is a must read!
One of the great things about Comic-Con is the massive amount of undiscovered talent on show. On my last day, with time dwindling I went for a last look down the Small Press aisles and browsed, and grabbed a few cards and flyers for later perusing on-line. Mr. Oblivious is one such discovery. The brainchild of Mark Gonyea, Mr. Oblivious is a regular web toon. The great thing about it is that the majority of the silent strips take a bit of thinking before the laughing commences, and all are accompanied by his initial sketches and thoughts. The wit on display is greater than the simple artistic approach may suggest. Gonyea is a talented guy and besides his Mr. Oblivious work, has also done graphic design, Story Posters and has released two books on design. Snoop around his site for a look at some unique art and a few chuckles.
As usual, there’s a bunch of Marvel goodies going on sale this week, including New Avengers #55, the Dark Reign: The Goblin Legacy one-shot and Dark X-Men: The Beginning #2. For the complete list see the link below.
The Watchmen Motion Comic is awesome, and now more are on the way. Full skinny below.
WARNER PREMIERE CONTINUES TO LEAD THE MOTION COMICS CATEGORY WITH THE DEBUT OF “SUPERMAN: RED SON,” “BATGIRL: YEAR ONE” AND “BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE” COLLECTION 2
First Episode of Superman: Red Son Available for Free via iTunes for Limited Time – Click here now.
Complete Motion Comics Series for “Batgirl: Year One” and “Batman: Black and White” Collection 2 Debuts
Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution today announced three new additions to the best-selling Warner Premiere Motion Comics slate. Classic graphic novels Superman: Red Son and Batgirl: Year One, as well as graphic album Batman: Black and White Collection 2 entered the digital age as Warner Premiere Motion Comics on the iTunes Store. Also announced today comrades everywhere, for a limited time, can download the first glorious episode of Superman: Red Son for free and see how Stalin’s most powerful weapon swayed the balance of power during the Cold War.
Continuing to lead the motion comics experience, Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics connect comic fans to authentic DC characters through short-form content. The Motion Comics slate draws on a deep reservoir of source material to bring a visually engaging experience to life through the use of subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores and stunning comic book artwork.
“Last year we debuted our Motion Comics slate and saw the voracious appetite graphic novel fans had for this digital content,” said Diane Nelson, president, Warner Premiere. “One of the reasons for our success is Warner Premiere working closely with DC Comics to determine if a story naturally lends itself to becoming a motion comic. Another key is the process we use to select the studios that ultimately create these motion comics. They are very passionate comic book fans so creating these motion comics really are a labor of love. We’re very proud of our success and look forward to bringing more titles to comic fans in the future.”
Superman: Red Son
Warner Premiere Motion Comics is proud to bring “Superman: Red Son” to its Motion Comics slate. Based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel written by Mark Millar and drawn by Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett “Superman: Red Son” takes viewers back in time to the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union where Superman is fighting for the Communists. In this alternate universe, Superman lands in Russia rather than the United States andSoviet Union’s greatest weapon as the world is transformed into a communist state opposed only by a crumbling capitalistic AmericaLex Luthor. Now as Superman stands on the brink of ultimate power, three heroes, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, each make a valiant stand to destroy the reign of the Man of Steel. The Superman: Red Son Motion Comic was animated by New Zealand-based Karactaz.
For a limited time, the first episode of Superman: Red Son is now available on iTunes for free. To download, visit here or here. Future episodes will debut once a week and fans are encouraged to sign up for a Season Pass to automatically receive future episodes.
And this concludes our daily sneak peek at the 352 page gallery that is The Art of Top Cow coffee table book. The book is out now. If you want to induce drooling, it’s worth grabbing.
On sale on August 19 is Punisher#8 written by Rick Remender and art by Tan Eng Huat (Doom Patrol). It’s described by Marvel like this:
Dark Reign The List brings the most dramatic changes ever to Punisher! Dark Wolverine faces off against Frank Castle and the Punisher’s (after)life is altered forever! Beginning with Punisher #8, don’t miss four special Rest In Pieces Variants, all clues to the startling changes ahead for the Punisher!
And if that doesn’t perplex and excite you, check out the John Romita Jr. promo below.
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