My interview with Aussie comics creator Pat Grant is now up at Broken Frontier. Our chat is mainly about his new OGN, Blue which will be released next month. It’s a funny, honest and visually impressive look at xenophobia and youth and is definitely worth picking up.
Set in the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is this free digital comic. Well the first issue of this 8 ish mini is free anyway.
Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude Debuts For FREE On Sunday
Lead-In To Hotly Anticipated Blockbuster Film Available on Marvel Comics app
Get your first look at the events leading up the biggest movie of the year—Marvel’s The Avengers—this Sunday in Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week #1 (of 8), free on the Marvel Comics app! That’s right—not only is Marvel giving you the first look at new footage from The Avengers in a special commercial during the big game, but the Marvel Comics app will feature the first issue of this action packed series for FREE! Subsequent issues of Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week will arrive every Tuesday beginning February 14thfor 99 cents per issue.
“We’ve worked hand-in-hand with Marvel Studios to create an exciting story set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that sets the stage perfectly for the most anticipated film of the summer,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Editor in Chief. “Now, for the first time. you’ll find out just what happened to some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on the road to Marvel’s The Avengers.”
What is the Avengers Initiative? And what are the secrets of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury? The answers arrive in Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude: Fury’s Big Week and the first issue is free this Sunday only on the Marvel Comics app!
Want to know more about Marvel Studios The Avengers blockbuster film? Follow us on Twitter at @Avengers and tweet with hashtag #Avengers! And then “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/avengers for access to more exclusive Avengers content!
Check out http://avengers.marvel.com for more news on the biggest film of 2012!
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS PRELUDE: FURY’S BIG WEEK #1 (of 8)
Story by Chris Yost & Eric Pearson
Written by Eric Pearson
Art by Luke Ross
Rated T+ …FREE ON MARVEL COMICS APP
After years of rumours, DC Comics have officially announced that a prequel series to the 25 year old classic Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is happening. It’s pretty controversial, and Moore’s not happy about it, but it’ll be sure to sell.
The 7 mini-series and one-shot will carry the Before Watchmen banner and focus on the characters in the original series such as Dr. Manhattan and Nite Owl and will feature work by creators such as J. Michael Straczynski, Adam Hughes, Darwyn Cooke, Brian Azzarello and more.
Check out an interesting interview with JMS here, in which he talks about the controversy, the details and his approach. It’s no surprise that this is actually happening, as DC are sure to get lots of attention and sales and I’ll probably pick up some of the mini-series out of curiosity.
Official press release, and covers, below.
This summer, DC Entertainment will publish all-new stories expanding on the acclaimed WATCHMEN universe. As highly anticipated as they are controversial, the seven inter-connected prequel mini-series will build on the foundation of the original WATCHMEN, the bestselling graphic novel of all time. BEFORE WATCHMEN will be the collective banner for all seven titles, from DC Comics.
“It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee. “After twenty five years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original.”
Stepping up to the challenge is a group of the comic book industry’s most iconoclastic writers and artists – including Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS), Lee Bermejo (JOKER), Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL), Darwyn Cooke (JUSTICE LEAGUE: NEW FRONTIER), John Higgins (WATCHMEN), Adam Hughes (CATWOMAN), J.G. Jones (FINAL CRISIS), Andy Kubert (FLASHPOINT), Joe Kubert (SGT. ROCK), Jae Lee (BATMAN: JEKYLL AND HYDE), J. Michael Straczynski (SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE) and Len Wein (SWAMP THING).
BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:
Each week, a new issue will be released, and will feature a two-page back-up story called CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR, written by original series editor Len Wein and with art by original series colorist John Higgins. There will also be a single issue, BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE, featuring the work of various writers and artists, and a CRIMSON CORSAIR story by Wein and Higgins.
“The original series of WATCHMEN is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire,” said Dave Gibbons, WATCHMEN co-creator and original series artist.
“Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction,” said DiDio and Lee. “Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”
If you like superheroes and art history, Marvel has you covered. Literally. My fave is the second one, by Mike Del Mundo.
Marvel Unveils AVENGERS ART APPRECIATION VARIANTS!
Ever imagine what the Avengers would look like if they existed throughout the ages? Well here’s your chance as Marvel is proud to unveil Avengers Art Appreciation Variants available throughout all of April! With everyone on the edge of their seats for Marvel Studio’s The Avengers, fans will have the opportunity to see their favorite super hero team in the styles of the world’s greatest artists like Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Monet, Pollock, Schielle and more! No fan can miss their favorite Marvel artists like Alex Maleev, Michael Kaluta, Gabriele Dell’otto, Greg Horn, Gerald Parel and more put their spin on these surefire classic covers. So be on the look-out True Believers, because in April – these Avengers Art Appreciation Variants are sure to go fast!
AGE OF APOCALPSE #2
Variant Cover by CHRISTIAN NAUCK
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #683
Variant Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
AVENGERS #25
Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #2
Variant Cover by STEPHANIE HANS
DAREDEVIL #11
Variant Cover by STEFFI SCHUTZEE
FANTASTIC FOUR #605
Variant Cover by MICHAEL KALUTA
INCREDIBLE HULK #7
Variant Cover by CHARLES PAUL WILSON III
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #515
Variant Cover by GREG HORN
SECRET AVENGERS #26
Variant Cover by JOE QUINONES
UNCANNY X-FORCE #24
Variant Cover by JULIAN TOTINO
UNCANNY X-MEN #11
Variant Cover by GREG HORN
WINTER SOLDIER #4
Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
WOLVERINE #304
Variant Cover by Gurihiru
WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #9
Variant Cover by ALEX MALEEV
X-MEN #27
Variant Cover by KHOI PHAM
Back in 1990 Grant Morrison wrote this series for Eclipse Comics based on the classic spy TV series, The Avengers. Thanks to BOOM! Studios it’s back in print and here’s my review of the first issue.
Preview below.
At Newsarama you can read three debut issues from Image Comics and Top Cow. There’s the ever popular zombie series Walking Dead #1, sci-fi Red Spike #1 and crime drama Last Mortal #1.
Check them all out right here.
Here’s another acclaimed mini-series that I missed out on that I may need to look at. Thankfully the collection of the 6 ish min is out in March.
BENAROYA AND IMAGE TAKE AIM WITH MARKSMEN
Image Comics Collects The 6-Issue Sci-Fi Miniseries
Image Comics is proud to announce the March release of MARKSMEN VOL. 1 TP, written by David Baxter, illustrated by Javier Aranda (Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ghosts) and Garry Leach (Judge Dredd, Marvelman), co-created and edited by Dave Elliott and produced by Benaroya Publishing. MARKSMEN VOL. 1 TP collects issues #1-6 of the sold out miniseries and will include a never-before-seen 4-page illustrated introduction to the world of MARKSMEN, an epilogue from 5 time Hugo Award winning science fiction novelist Vernor Vinge and extras such as a gallery page of covers by acclaimed artist Tomm Coker (Daredevil:Noir, Undying Love).
Based on real life economic hardships, MARKSMEN takes place in dystopian world just one step removed from our own. After a massive recession, the United States government collapsed and a civil war erupted between the cities and states to keep any last resources to themselves. This destroyed our country’s infrastructure and most of its population…the Big Collapse.
Out of the ashes rose New San Diego, one a few cities that survived by cutting itself off from the outside world. Rebuilt by a group of top scientists and protected by the Navy Seals stationed at the Coronado Navel Base, NSD became a technological utopia. After sixty years war threatens to break out again when another state attempts to occupy the city, seizing their resources.Their only hope for survive rests with the ancestors of the Navy Seals who protect the city as… MARKSMEN.
Rave reviews for MARKSMEN include:
“9.0 out of 10” – Impulse Gamer
“The action is solid, and the story adds layers to the already interesting original concept as it progresses.“ – Geeks of Doom
“A home run.” – Comic Buzz
“David Baxter is mashing together two distinct genres – science fiction and westerns – and does a great job of blending them together.” – First Comic News
“Javier Aranda’s art with Garry Leach’s inks work well for this book. They do an excellent job in making the story move.” – My Comic Network
“The dialog is snappy, the action is poppin’, and things are looking grim all over.“ – Sequential Tart
“The characters are full of life and they will draw you into this story.” – Jazma Online
MARKSMEN VOL. 1 TP (JAN120525, ISBN: 978-1-60706-486-2), a 192-page full-color trade paperback, will be on sale in stores March 14th, 2012 for $15.99 and is available to order in the January 2012 edition of Previews. For more information, please visitwww.benaroyapublishing.com.
From talented Aussie artist Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz, comes this wild and whacky OGN, the first from publisher Udon Studios. Udon are mainly known for their many Street Fighter comics, of which Cruz is a regular artist. Here he works his mad visual skills and co-writes with Leonard Bermingham.
Firstly, this is a beautifully presented book, and I don’t just mean Cruz’s art. Under the Hard Cover, with a glossy picture of the 3 protagonists are 144 pages of drool worthy visual variety, including some tasty extras. The first one of which is a character gallery, showcasing Cruz’s designs for 29 different inhabitants of Randomveus, ranging from Brownz (a dollop of faecal matter with a smiling face) to The Loop (a large chocolate doughnut) to Deepfreeze (a heroic fridge). The fact that the majority of these characters don’t appear within this tale means that the Volume 1 on the cover indicates Cruz has more stories to tell. Following that one page gallery is an 18 page black and white story centred on Henshin Hero, a fictional hero within Randomveus. There are also chapter breaks and pin-ups by other artists.
The main tale is free flowing, kinetic and madcap. It’s like the best parts of a Saturday morning cartoon of the ’80s, combined with anime and a healthy dose of non-stop, sugar induced shenanigans. The main character is Raimundo. After a hectic delivery to a customer inside a giant Footsnake (what it sounds like), we learn that Raimundo had a bunch of part-time jobs on Earth before getting sucked into a portaloo on a film set and landing in Randomveus. He also landed on a poor creature, which meant he had to take his job. That’s how he came to work for the One Dimensional Couriers and ended up working with Bloob, a blob who holds all manner of things inside his gelatinous body from anvils to packages, and Melody. The rest of the story makes about as much sense as any Monty Python episode, with a bounty of Raimundo’s head, an escape from pirates who “can’t turn left,” and a sax playing crime boss. Really, this is a book that embraces nonsense and adventure with gusto. It’s not a hilarious book, but the turns it takes are unpredictable. It’s easy to follow, although future volumes may explain more of the “rules” of this universe Cruz has created, though the creators seem intent on not allowing logic to get in the way of a fun story.
It’s also a book that needs to be looked at more than once and it’s great to see Cruz unleashed with such spectacular results. The few random preview pages below don’t do it justice. Randomveus is populated with characters ranging from the cute to the bizarre and the multitude of characters that show up is impressive. It’s certainly a busy and action driven book, but is never distracting. The colour palette is extensive, and the page layouts are diverse.
Randomveus is an entertaining, carefree OGN that wholeheartedly embraces the storytelling and artistic possibilities of the comics medium, kind of like Scott Pilgrim and much like that series, is also newbie friendly.
Two Dark Horse reviews of mine are now up at Broken Frontier.
Dark Matter #1 is a new mini-series from the writers of TV’s Stargate.
See a preview below and my review here.
Lobster Johnson: The Burning Hand #1 is the debut of a new mini focused on the pulp-like hero from the pages of Hellboy. I enjoyed it more than the sci-fi Dark Matter.
Preview below and my review here.
This ambitious, and sure to be popular, 12 issue series from Marvel starts in April. The title says it all really, but here’s a summary of what to look out for, and below are 2 promo pieces of artwork showing the kind of face offs we can expect.
That’s Iron Man vs Magneto, and Psylocke vs Black Widow, and here’s friends and Fantastic Four members Spider-Man and Iceman, and weather wielders Storm and Thor.
Now up at Broken Frontier is my review of the fourth and final collection of the previous The Lone Ranger series from Dynamite Entertainment. The new series launched last week.
I was pretty impressed with this Trade Paperback by creators Brett Matthews and Sergio Cariello. It was the first time I’ve read any Ranger comics and it was highly entertaining. Catch my review here and a preview here.
In 2010 the OGN, Superman: Earth One was a huge, if controversial, success. Of course a sequel was always going to happen and we’ll get it this year and here are two just released pics from the same creators – J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis, and here’s what the pair say about their new project.
“The overwhelming success of volume one of SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE – 37 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list for graphic novels – meant we had to ensure that Volume Two was even better,” said Straczynski. “We couldn’t just rest on our laurels. (And does anyone actually rest on laurels? Are there gatherings of laurel-resters? If so, why haven’t I been invited? These are the questions that keep me up at night while the rest of the world dreams.) Thematically, if Volume One was about Clark figuring out where he belongs, then Volume Two is about Superman trying to figure out where he belongs in all this, even as the world does the same at their end. How far can he push his power before he becomes something other than what he intended to become? In the midst of all this Clark gets his first apartment, becoming entangled with a beautiful woman next door, Lois starts trying to figure out what it is about Clark that doesn’t add up, and a new and terrifyingly strong version of the Parasite is born from what was previously a serial killer…and now Superman has to confront someone who is not only as strong as he is, but can drain his power completely. In the aftermath of one of the massive battles that threatens to tear apart Metropolis, Clark for the first time feels what it’s like to be normal, to be mortal, to be vulnerable…to be us. In the end, Volume Two is about power: its use and abuse, and its place in the world, to be used for good or for evil.”
“Working on VOLUME TWO gave me a chance to re-create one of Superman’s villains, the Parasite,” said Davis. “In doing so, I decided to develop the character in stages as the fights progress throughout the book. There are three stages of evolution: going from frail to the strongest villain Superman has ever faced. EARTH ONE Parasite is one of the most complicated and disgustingly beautiful characters I have ever designed! I came at VOLUME TWO in more of a movie sense, choreographing the fight scenes differently from one another, adding a little more muscle to Superman this time around as he is a practicing superhero, while drawing the “Geek” Clark Kent, who loves a sweater! I always kept the old in mind while bringing in the new. SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE – VOLUME TWO is the book of 2012, so save those pennies!”
Batman: Earth One by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank will also arrive this year. Below are pics (yes, that’s Alfred) and here’s what the creators have to say.
“Gary and I are tackling BATMAN from the beginning, before he knows what he’s doing and with a very different ultimate goal in mind,” said Johns. “He’s never left Gotham. And our Gotham and the people in it are very gray. Our heroes unlikely. Our villains hidden. Our story is only beginning with volume one.”
“It’s essentially the first piece of the jigsaw,” said Frank. “He’s not the Batman people know, but he might be one day. He’s certainly not yet a superhero. The fun is to watch him piece the persona together drawing on his experiences and the influences of those around him and, at this stage, the idea of becoming a ‘superhero’ hasn’t even entered his head.”
Lastly, on sale February 28 is the DVD and Blu-Ray of DC’s next animated film, Justice League: Doom, and here’s the back cover showing the usual impressive array of extras.
There’s usually free comics floating around the net. Here’s 3 recent, good ones.
Slave Labor Graphics are offering the first issue of their zombies in King Arthur’s court mashup series, Knights of the Living Dead. It’s by Dusty Higgins and Ron Wolfe, and the second digital issue is only 99c.
If you like Higgins’ artwork, then you can also grab the first issue of his and Van Jensen’s Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer: Of Wood and Blood right here. It’s also from Slave Labor Graphics and is being serialized digitally for now. This is the 3rd and final volume of what is a pretty good series.
Finally, the landmark 175th issue of Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon series is now free for anyone who has a Graphic.ly log in. If you don’t have one for the digital comic store, now’s your chance, considering you’ll also get this double sized tale of the much loved heroic finhead.
Bucky Barnes, AKA the former Captain America didn’t stay dead long after being killed in last year’s Fear Itself mini-series. Now he’s back, and below is a great, text-free preview of his February 1 launching debut issue.
Captain America’s Former Sidekick Takes Aim In WINTER SOLDIER #1!
Steve Rogers most trusted partner and a former Captain America, Bucky Barnes, must tackle his greatest challenge yet as Winter Soldier #1 hits store shelves everywhere this February! After going toe to toe with the Nazis and being assumed dead for decades, Bucky Barnes went through hell and back as the Soviet Union rebuilt his war torn body into their own one man army known to all as the Winter Soldier. But what if he wasn’t the only one?
From the blockbuster creative team behind Captain America, Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice send Bucky back into the shadows to take down the remaining ex-Russian sleeper agents and dismantle their diabolical plot. Teamed with the Black Widow, the former Captain America will have his hands full when he finds out that he trained them all AND that Doctor Doom is involved! With the entire Marvel Universe thinking he’s dead, Bucky will have to tackle this threat head on with limited resources. Get in on all the action this February in Winter Soldier #1!
WINTER SOLDIER #1 (DEC110588)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by BUTCH GUICE
Colors by BETTIE BREITWISER
Cover by LEE BERMEJO
FOC – 1/9/12, ON SALE – 2/1/12
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