Marvel Boss Joe Q Talks To You

A new feature of the awesome MySpace Comic Books page is the video blog from Marvel EIC, Joe Quesada, in which he answers fans questions. There are also a few preview pages from Leinil Francis Yu’s great artwork from August 13’s Secret Invasion #5, the current series rocking the Marvel Universe that has everyone wondering who can be trusted.

On an unrelated note, the new Batman: Gotham Knight DVD which has had a mixed reception has at least one thing in its favour; this great looking cover which graces the Japanese 2 disc version. It’s certainly a lot more enticing than the generic cover the rest of the world was offered.

And for your general gawking pleasure, below that are some pages from Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane,(Vol. 2) the all-ages title from writer Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) and artist Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts). Also included is the alternate cover by Adrian Alphono. The first issue of the 5 ish mini is out on August 6.

Aww…so cute! This will be a great series for kids who like Spidey, but it is aimed at teenagers who like humour and romance more than superheroes duking it out with each other while spouting zany pop culture references.

As you can see by these pics, this series brings the regulars back to their school days, with all the lost loves and confusion that comes with it.

Volume 1 of this series will be available in collected form from August 30 and is written by Sean McKeever with art by Takeshi Miyazawa.


July 13, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Movies . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

It’s All About Superman

The first film I saw? Superman: The Movie. My first (and only) tattoo? Superman’s symbol. The pattern on the pyjamas I’m wearing right now? One guess. Yeah, I love Supes, and so do a bunch of other people all over the world. So here’s a tide of recent news all about the original and the best.

First up, is a great collection of new Superman costumes from fans across the globe. None of these will appear in the comics, but it’s just a bunch of artists re-designing Superman’s classic look as part of a competition on the always fun to look at Project Rooftop site. Comics writer Mark Waid and the staff at PR offer their comments for the numerous finalists. Each one is unique and unexpected. I can’t pick just one. While you’re there you can also check out past costume upgrades for other characters such as Robin, Wonder Woman, Iron Man and more. You could lose yourself at Project Rooftop and either become very jealous or very inspired.

Secondly, the savvy readers of the tremendous film mag, Empire have voted Big Blue the No. 1 superhero of all time. They have compiled a well-researched list of the 50 greatest comic book characters, but if you don’t want to read that many, counting down from no. 5. we have Spider-Man, Wolverine, John Constantine (from Hellblazer and the Keanu Reeves film, Constantine), Batman and Kal-El himself. The list is a good guide to a cavalcade of various characters with great art, background and handy facts about each one. A nice way to familiarise yourself with some perhaps unfamiliar heroes, or anti-heroes.

Finally, you can see actual game play from November’s Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe fighting game right here. With interesting character choices and some great visuals, Midway looks like they may have a winner on their hands.

July 10, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Games, New To Comics? . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 1 Comment

Hulk Jr. & Wolverine Jr.

Well, his actual name is Skaar, but he is certainly Hulk’s son. He is all grown up (which happened abnormally quickly) and is living on the prehistoric planet Sakaar, which a secret group of superheroes sent the Hulk to. Out of mind, out of sight was their plan. However, Hulk’s ship landed not on a lush planet, but a desolate one, where the Hulk became gladiator, king, father – in that order. He returned to earth to wreak havoc on those that flung him far, far away, then “died,” but his alter ego, Bruce Banner is still around (as a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D) The whole tale can be read in the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk collections.

They are well worth a read if you want to see what the Hulk is up to besides pining for Betty and running and growling, as seen in the recent film. Writer Greg Pak has had a lot to do with The Incredible Hulk series (now The Incredible Hercules) and WWH, and is primed to tell the tale of Hulk’s barbaric offspring and his destiny in a primitive, war loving land. Artist Ron Garney does a great job with the pencils as always, as you can see from these preview pages.

There is also a backup tale which lets you in on a few secrets regarding Skaar’s history, to get you up to speed.   Skaar: Son of Hulk # 1 may be hard to get a hold of, but #2 should be available from your local comics shop right now.

The Hulk’s not the only one with a son running around in the Marvel Universe though. Another popular cinematic hero has one too – good ol’ Wolvie. That’s right, the X-Men’s surliest member also has an even surlier son. Daken is the child of Wolvie and Itsu, his (now deceased) Japanese wife from many years ago. He’s basically a contract killer, was born in 1946, raised in Japan, and hates his father. Kids these days, huh? This month is also a great time to catch up on Daken’s origin too, in Wolverine: Origins #27, which is out July 30. It’s written by Daniel Way, with art by Stephen Segovia. Look for the cover with two men yelling at each other with their claws out.

July 9, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, New To Comics? . Tags: , , , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Josh Medors Benefit Book

BOOM! Studios will be unveiling an anthology book, called, Pulp Tales, to aid comic artist Josh Medors in his battle with recently diagnosed cancer. These types of books are not uncommon, and it’s always great to see the publishers, creators, retailers and fans rally around to help one of their own. The full colour, 24 pager will be available with two different covers, one for $3.99 and one for $9.99, for those who want to donate a little more. It’s a unique and meaningful way to not only feed your comics habit, but also help Josh and his family during this tough time. Details (and groovy artwork) below, straight from BOOM! Looks like some great pulpy tales to be found. For those going to San Diego Comic-Con (like me!) you can be one of the first to pick up a copy there, from BOOM!’s booth (no.2543). Here are some of the strange stories you can look forward to….

Steve Niles and Sarah Wilkinson contribute LIMBO’S ASSASSIN, a prose story written by Niles, featuring art by Wilkinson. In this macabre tale of crime and punishment, a hired killer comes face-to-face with his victims and finds that perhaps he wasn’t as evil as he thought he was.

B. Clay Moore and Seth Peck contribute the debut of BLUEJACKET, illustrated by Chris Samnee. Former 1930s crimefighter-now-corporate-mogul Bluejacket and his supporting crew, the Men of Adventure, tangle with an Aztec were-jaguar. But he’s not half as bad as Bluejacket’s board of directors!

Created by Josh Fialkov and Andy B, NEWT LAWMAN AND THE SECRETS OF THE VALLEY is the story of the rootin’ist, tootin’ist cowboy in all of the Southwest, Newt Lawman, who’s found himself and his Indian pal Running Bear in a heap of trouble. They must square off against the protectors of the Golden Ox or the evil Hayes Rutherford will kill Newt’s ladylove, Maggie Mae!

THE CRESCENT FLAME!, written by Kody Chamberlain, focuses on a down-on-his-luck would-be photojournalist who may very well have snapped the photo that makes his career. That is, until the subject of the photo, the mysterious Crescent Flame, shows up with an alternate proposition.

Tony Fleecs’ CRASH WINTERS: PALOOKA P.I. features one-time champion brawler Marion (Crash) Winters, who has set up shop as Los Angeles’ punchiest gumshoe. When his movie-star client takes a dive off the roof of her hotel, will Crash be able to wrap her case up? Or will he once again find himself down for the count?

“Comics are tricky when it comes to real issues like cancer,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid. “This is an industry that deals with men and women who are larger than life, who by all rights could cure cancer in an afternoon. But those heroes can’t do that, even in a world of limitless possibility – they are powerless because we are. Using PULP TALES to raise money for Josh Medors proves just how powerful comics and their fans can be in the face of adversity, and the important thing here is showing Josh and his family how true that is.”

So there you have it. For those of you who won’t be at Comic-Con, the book will be available, from your friendly neighbourhood comic shop sometime in September, but you are able to order it now.

July 8, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Comics . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Simone’s Spore

Nightcrawler by Simone BianchiOne of the beauties of comics is the collaboration. Writers and artists working in tandem. I always like reading how they work together and have always had a fascination with the creative process in any medium. That’s why I watch the behind-the-scenes extras on DVDs. It’s educational and inspiring. In some instances in the wonderful world of sequential art, sometimes the main creators don’t even meet each other for years, or even speak the same language, yet their vision still remains intact. Writer Brian Azzarello and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets is a good example. The new Astonishing X-Men series may also be a good one, as writer Warren Ellis lives in England and artist Simone Bianchi (a guy) resides in Italy. They are replacing Buffy creator Joss Whedon and John Cassady’s popular run on the title. The new duo’s first issue is this month’s #25. To the left is a design of Nightcrawler from Bianchi’s talented hand, with more Leonardo Da Vinci like sketches to be seen here. They include pics of Cyclops, Beast, Colossus and Storm, and even Dazzler!. All your faves. (Well, maybe not that last one) Bianchi has a distinctive look, and coupled with Ellis’ quirky style, this could be an interesting take on the X-Men.

Spore looks like an somewhat different game. I saw actor Robin Williams play a demo at a games expo show on TV. He’s a friend of the game’s creator and was offering his usual ribald commentray as he was building and moving strange looking creatures. You can download a demo of the Creature Creator and get into all kinds of fun. I guess. It’s not really my cup of tea. I prefer my games to include running, dodging for cover, lobbing grenades and the menacing joy of taking an enemy out with a sniper rifle. Oh yeah! But if you’re into games like The Sims this may be for you, especially as it’s created by the same guy, Will Wright. It’s set to be released on September 5 and is a massively single-player on-line game, for PC and Mac.

July 2, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Games . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

X-Men and the Power of Community

You’ve seen the sketch variants for the 500th issue below, now you can see a few interior pages right here, free of those annoying words that only get in the way. The crowded cover is also quite appropriate to my newest article, now on Sight magazine. It’s all about the power of community, and that is one thing comics are certainly not short of. To teams of side-kicks (Teen Titans) to magicians (Shadowpact) reformed villains (Thunderbolts) kids (Runaways) and chemical compounds come to life (Metal Men) there’s a team for everyone.

Sometimes we may think that life would be better without all those people that are slightly different from us (especially if you work in retail!) but honestly, those people help us grow. When others rub us the wrong way, sure, sparks can fly, but like sharpening knives, you end up with a sharper, more useful instrument. Wow, deep. Anyway, read on….

The X-Men, Fantastic Four, Justice League, The Avengers, The Outsiders, Teen Titans, Green Lantern Corps. The list goes on and on.

The team concept is one of the comic industry’s best sellers and will undoubtedly continue to be. With extra characters come extra story possibilities due to all the varied interactions and personality clashes. Marvel’s Punisher would be the most obvious anti-team player in comic books. He sees himself as a hero; a man picking up the slack of the paltry legal system, whereas DC’s Batman has often worked with the Gotham City Police Department. The Punisher sees himself as the only man worthy to dispense justice. All of his rage and frustration spews forth from his fists and gun barrels. Batman knows that in order to dispense true justice, his methods and motivations must be in direct contrast to the odd assortment of criminals he fights.

Both men are self-made warriors, soldiers of immense focus and endurance. But they see the world and their place in it very differently. And it stems from the people they have around them, or the lack of, in Punisher’s case. If it were not for Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s English butler, the young orphan could easily have turned in to a mirror image of the Punisher. Frank Castle had no-one to offer him guidance and comfort , but Bruce Wayne had someone to at least tell him right from wrong, a father figure in the shape of a loyal servant. Alfred’s influence on the identity of Bruce Wayne can not be understated. He has also offered the various Robins over the years the kindness and moral support that Batman never could, or wanted to.
Pennyworth’s inner light has always cast a strong influence over the Wayne mansion, and the cave underneath it. To the church in Corinth, Paul advised that “bad company corrupts good character.” Bad guys rarely hang out together. Dirty deeds are done in the dark, alone, not in the light with others. In his letters to other churches Paul’s frustrations showed to the early church. They were easily being led astray. Lack of unity and leadership made these churches all too vulnerable. Paul took charge, and left for us a treasure trove of godly advice regarding everything from marriage to finances. The epistles are an amazing account of practical Christianity and down- to-earth spiritual wisdom.

We often hear that people lose their virginity too early or become drug takers simply because of peer pressure. Similarly, others attribute their run-ins with the law to “falling in with a bad crowd.” But the opposite can also be true.

With the proper influence and good examples to follow we can become holy people; God pleasers rather than only people pleasers. Heroes such as the X-Men Rogue, Psylocke and Gambit were once villains, but were then reformed by Professor X. Nightcrawler was raised by his mother, the villainous shape-shifter Mystique yet also joined the heroic X-Men. However other characters such as Sinestro started life as a member of the galactic peace keeping force Green Lantern Corps, yet left and became evil. Each day we make choices for good or evil. So too we must choose our friends and their influence over us with Godly wisdom. God has created the church as a community. We are all different parts of the same body. Within that body we can offer help and support to one another. Sometimes being heroic means not only helping others, but also asking for help from those around you when you need it.

June 26, 2008
Categories: Comic Art, Comics . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

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