You may remember me mentioning the highly entertaining documentary, Comic Book Heroes last year. It focused on West Australian publisher Gestalt Comics and their struggle to great success. It aired on Australian TV last year and is really worth watching. If you missed it however, fear not!
As part of this year’s Perth Writers’ Festival, you can see it for free, along with a Q and A of some of the talented Gestalt crew, at Octagon Theatre, Nedlands on Saturday February 22.
It’s always encouraging when libraries or local governments encourage arty and creative activities. The City of Wanneroo, here in Western Australia recently started their Pop Culture Festival, with a focus on cosplaying, but also a discussion, and workshop wit writer/artist Justin Randall (the excellent horror comic Changing Ways), as well as an anime film festival.
Go here for further info.
Writer Nathan Edmondson is one of my fave comics scribes, with series such as Olympus, The Light, Who Is Jake Ellis? and now Black Widow from Marvel. His new work with Image Comics is a one-shot with an intriguing premise, and the first work from artist Alison Sampson. Official lowdown below.
GENESIS WILL TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION
Sweeping visuals and poignant writing make Nathan Edmondson and Alison Sampson’s new one-shot
Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, The Punisher, Black Widow) and debut artist Alison Sampson’s, GENESIS, pairs sweeping visuals with poignant writing to bring readers a one-shot that cannot be missed.
GENESIS is a trippy journey of creation and destruction as one man finds himself with the ability to manifest anything by thinking it—only to learn that with seemingly unlimited power comes unstoppable terror.
“Genesis was a fun opportunity to let storytelling and art run wild with the idea of creativity itself—of the boundlessness of imagination and the inevitable vertigo that comes from the unlimited ability to manifest anything into being,” said Nathan Edmondson.
Sampson has a background in architecture which informs her style. “The comic page is built up like I’d design a bit of architecture, with leading and secondary spaces and places and so on. I found it hard to be linear, to cater to a reader—comics and architecture are not always the same,” explained Sampson. “It amazes me what level of design skills comic artists bring to their pages, even as someone who designs every day. I miss the excitement of being on site, but you can do all sorts of things on paper you can’t do in real life, and there is a lot of that still to explore.”
“I’m really grateful for Nathan asking me to do this. The script let me draw on my architectural background (twenty five years of it) to bring something special of my own to the project and I hope that comes across—Nathan is a designer’s writer,” said Sampson. “I’m relatively new to comics and there was a steep learning curve, but Nathan works with some amazing artists, so there was a standard to meet and this made me work harder.”
GENESIS (ONE-SHOT) arrives in stores on 4/16, and will be available for $6.99. It can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code: FEB140504.
The first issue, that is. As of last week, Marvel have been distributing free copies of the first issue of Deadpool: The Gauntlet, a 13 part series that is made specifically for their new Infinite Comics line. It will all be collected on paper at some point.
I’d like to take this opportunity to let you now that there are always some good freebies to be had at your generous comic book shop. It’s always promotional material, but I’ve grabbed heaps of plastic Green Lantern rings, posters, coasters, bookmarks, temporary tattoos, etc for my nieces and nephews (and occasionally myself), over the years. You don’t get that kind of stuff at a digital store! I have nothing against digital stores by the way. I o prefer reading on paper, and socialising with my fellow witty comics clerks and readers though.
There’s aslo Comic Shop News, which is a free weekly newspaper which covers the latest releases and announcements, and interviews. Your comic shop may not carry copies though. It’s been running for years and is a good way to catch up on all the news in the comic book biz if you’re not one to jump online for such things.
Well, this is a surprise. DC Comics/Warner Bros. release about two animated films based on classic, and new, DC series every year, but this one came from nowhere. Usually there’s a press release with a few details, but not this time. Bam! Here you go internet, thanks to TV Guide. What a nice surprise it is though.
Son of Batman is based on the awesome and highly recommended 2006 Batman and Son comic written by Grant Morrison with art by Andy Kubert. It was a great story arc, and notable for having introduced Damian Wayne, Bruce’s son with Talia al-Ghul, Ra’s al-Ghul’s daughter. Voicing Batman is Jason O’Mara, who also voices him in next month’s Justice League: War animated film. It looks to be fairly close to the comics, including Man-Bat, but also throwing in Deathstroke who was absent from the original tale, but I guess he’s popular now, thanks to TV’s Arrow.
The film will premier at California’s WonderCon in April, and then hit Blu-ray and DVD, and a new edition collecting the comics goes on sale on January 29.
Released last week was the debut issue of this new four issue mini-series from BOOM! Studios. It’s got werewolves in it. With Teen Wolf and the new series Bitten starring Laura Vandevoort (Supergirl on Smallville), could werewolves be the new vampires or zombies? If Curse, has anything to say about it, then yes, and what it does say, it says in style.
Written by Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel and with art by Colin Lorimer, and Riley Rossmo, Curse is so far, a horror debut executed very well.
The creators may not necessarily be household names in the world of comics, but they have some impressive titles on their resume, with Moreci’s work on Hoax Hunters, and Daniel’s on Enormous, both with Image Comics. Lorimer created UXB in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, and Rosmo has crafted the art for Drumhellar and Cowboy Ninja Viking, both from Image Comics.
As you can see by the preview pages after the jump, it starts in a most intriguing fashion. Two men – one chained, and one angry. Then we see how they got there.Well, we get hints as to how they got there in this premiere.
Dark Horse’s focus on bringing a few more superheroes in to their line as of late makes sense. They are not normally associated with brightly clad cape wearers, but apart from Marvel and DC Comics no publisher is really.
X is a character who debuted in the pages of Dark Horse Presents, and his solo series ran from 1994 until 1996. That was the time I was becoming fully engorged on comics, and I do recall X at the time, although I never picked up any of the character’s tales. It was also a good time for the publisher, with the success of Mask, Barb Wire and Sin City getting attention, and they’ve only eclipsed that success in the years since.
Of course, comics readers are a nostalgic bunch, so bringing back X makes sense, plus there’s already some familiarity with the hard core character.
This Trade Paperback, entitled Big Bad, collects the relaunch which began in April 2013, in particular issues #0-4, plus a few sketchbook pages of character designs. Written by Duane Swierczynski (Cable and X-Force, Punisher, for Marvel), with art by Eric Nguyen (Batman: Arkham Unhinged, based on the Arkham series of videogames), this is a good (re) introduction to X and the nasty city he inhabits.
Well, this is ambitious. I must confess my ignorance to David Weber’s sci-fi books, but this multi-part adaptation/extension looks to be a fairly intense undertaking.
TALES OF HONOR: COMIC LAUNCHES MULTI-PLATFORM STORYWORLD TO INTRODUCE NEW FANS TO THE “HONORVERSE”
Evergreen Studios to transform David Weber’s critically acclaimed science fiction book series into a visually rich experience.
TALES OF HONOR #1 lands this March, kicking off the first of many immersive science-fiction comics, games, webisodes, and TV episodes, leading up to the release in 2017 of a feature film. Based on the USA Today and New York Times bestselling science-fiction novels, Honor Harrington, by David Weber, the stories are set 2,000 years in the future when hyperspace travel has allowed humanity to colonize the far reaches of the universe. TALES OF HONOR follows the life and times of a brilliant, genetically engineered female spaceship captain, Honor Harrington, as she heroically leads her crew through a series of epic political, military, and personal adventures.
“We chose the comic platform to launch the Honorverse to the uninitiated because it emphasizes visual storytelling and introduces our characters in a strong, iconic way. Comics also offer us the opportunity to interact with audience on a monthly basis to find the right tone and style for this new incarnation of Honor Harrington and her world,” said Scott Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer, Evergreen Studios.
The first comic series introduces Honor on the eve of her execution. From her cell, she recalls her first command assignment in a hellish backwater star system, where she discovers an enemy fleet massing for a sneak attack and must find a way to stop them with her lone ship.
“Weber’s story world is so cool because it’s based in real science, which gives it a feeling of authenticity. TALES OF HONOR is to Science Fiction what JASON BOURNE is to spy movies: realistic, gritty, and action-packed,” said Scott Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer, Evergreen Studios.
Matt Hawkins from Top Cow agrees. “I have never taken on outside comic projects, but when Evergreen approached me and I read the books, I was truly intrigued. David Weber has a level of detail that is not given in a lot of stuff now. The way they do the spaceship combat is actually realistic. The idea that the ships are so far apart and have to deal with inertia is something you don’t see in Star Trek or Star Wars. You can’t just turn a ship on a dime that’s going that fast.”
“What impressed me about THINK TANK was how clever and scientifically grounded it was, which made it very accessible and believable. Matt studied science and grew up in a military family, which made him the perfect person to adapt this story as a comic,” said Scott Kroopf, Chief Creative Officer, Evergreen Studios.
Evergreen Studios, the company behind WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, currently in theatres, develops stories whose characters, plots, and ideas can unfold over multiple platforms.
The mobile game, Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet, will be available on iOS and Android and releases shortly after the first comic. This free-to-play strategy game will allow people to battle a multitude of enemies in ship to ship combat across the breadth of the “Honorverse”.
David Weber wrote 28 Honor Harrington novels, including an anthology series, two spin-off series, and a recent young adult series. The most recent entry in the series, Beginnings, was released July 2013.
For more information, go to www.tales-of-honor.com or www.topcow.com
TALES OF HONOR #1
Story: Matt Hawkins
Art/Cover A: Jung-Geun Yoon (Diamond Code: JAN140539)
Cover B: Stjepan Sejic (Diamond Code: JAN140540)
Cover C: Rahsan Ekedal (Diamond Code: JAN140541)
Cover D: Patrick Tatopolous (Diamond Code: JAN140542)
March 5, 32 pgs $2.99
Cinemagoers around the world will now be familiar with the name, The Winter Soldier thanks to the advertising for a certain Marvel sequel called Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Comic fans will already be familiar with the identity of the Soldier, and eagle eyed viewers of the trailer will have already pieced it together – he’s Bucky Barnes, Cap’s former (and once presumed dead) partner. It took years to tell the tale of Bucky’s resurrection in the comics thanks to scribe Ed Brubaker, but the film will hopefully cover it in entertaining fashion in two hours. There are still a lot of blanks in Barnes’ history though, and the February 12 debut of this 5 ish mini will cover some of them. Text-free preview below.
Bucky Barnes Strikes in WINTER SOLIDER: THE BITTER MARCH #1!
Bucky Barnes has been called many things – Avenger, Invader, and even Captain America. But to many, he’s known by only one name – The Winter Solider! A name that carries a bloody legacy reaching deep into the pages of history. And today Marvel is proud to present your first look at WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH #1 – a new limited series from blockbuster writer Rick Remender and fan-favorite artist Roland Boschi!
At the height of the Cold War, S.H.I.E.L.D. sends their top operative, agent Ran Shen, deep into enemy territory to retrieve two Nazi scientists that could be the key to winning the war. But they aren’t the only ones who want these high value scientists. The Soviet Union have unleashed their most ruthless agent – THE WINTER SOLDIER! His mission: acquire the scientists by any means necessary – or kill them before they fall into enemy hands!
“In the late 1960s, a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission gone wrong begat the creation of the Iron Nail, the foe whose schemes and strategies are bedeviling Captain America in the present in his own series,” says Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH tells the story of that fateful mission, and the events that set S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Ran Shen onto the path that would result in him becoming the dreaded Iron Nail.”
Don’t miss the intrigue, adventure, romance, and action in this high-octane, pulse pounding thriller that will have grave consequences for the life of modern day Captain America when WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH #1 hits comic shops this February!
WINTER SOLDIER: THE BITTER MARCH #1 (of 5) (DEC130640)
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by ROLAND BOSCHI
Cover by ANDREW ROBINSON
Variant Cover by IN-HYUK LEE
Animal Variant by CHRIS ELIOPOULOS
Being released from Dark Horse Comics on February 5 is the first issue of another mini-series focused on popular pulp hero Lobster Johnson. He has a lot of mini-series, that guy, but the quality always seems to match the quantity.
Get The Lobster is written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola with John Arcudi, with ever gorgeous art by Tonci Zonjic.
A Manhattan sporting event goes terribly wrong as the ref is killed in front of a live audience by two crazed—and seemingly bulletproof—wrestlers. Who is behind this new reign of terror?
“The necessary thrills to justify every cent spent on this comic.”—Comic Book Resources
The most loved bad guy since…umm..well another bad guy doesn’t spring to mind, but thanks to that talented thespian (and dancer! look at him go!) Tom Hiddleston’s three turns as the evil Loki in recent Marvel films, Loki has never been more popular. And along come publisher BOOM! Studios with a new take on Loki. This looks pretty wild, and it’s released on my birthday!
LOKI GOES FROM MISCHIEF TO METAL IN NEW ORIGINAL SERIES
FROM BOOM! STUDIOS
Award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios is pleased to announce the February debut of LOKI: RAGNAROK AND ROLL, a heavy metal twist on Norse mythology. Writer Eric Esquivel (FREELANCERS) and artist Jerry Gaylord (FANBOYS VS. ZOMBIES) show what happens when you take the classic Norse god Loki and throw him into a rock and roll band in the underground goth clubs of Los Angeles in this new BOOM! original series.
“LOKI: RAGNAROK AND ROLL is one of those crazy mash-up ideas that, when you see them put together, is immensely entertaining,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Combine that with the talents of Eric and Jerry—two of BOOM!’s home-grown talents—and it makes for the perfect recipe for a rockin’ good time!”
WHY WE LOVE IT: Up-and-coming writer Eric Esquivel first caught our attention with Thor: The Unkillable Thunder Christ, and wowed us with his work on FREELANCERS. When he told us he wanted to bring those sensibilities to the trickster god Loki, we had to say, “Yes!” Pairing him with FANBOYS VS. ZOMBIES artist Jerry Gaylord sealed the deal.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Loki steps out of the shadow cast by his thunderous brother as Norse mythology crosses over with the only thing on Earth as wild and crazy—rock and roll!
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: What happens when Odin banishes Loki to Earth? He finds a world of outcasts that appreciate his style! While his kin sharpen their weapons, he picks up an electric guitar.
LOKI: RAGNAROK AND ROLL #1 arrives in comic shops on February 19th with a cover price of $3.99 under Diamond order code DEC130966.
Publisher BOOM! Studios are set to deliver the third volume of The New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler’s humorous pieces, with I Don’t Get it hitting comic book stores next week. Official details, and a few funny preview pages, below.
BOOM! STUDIOS RELEASES THIRD COLLECTION OF EISNER AWARD-WINNING SHANNON WHEELER CARTOONS
BOOM! Town, an imprint of award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios, is excited to announce the January 22nd release of I DON’T GET IT, a follow-up hardcover collection to Shannon Wheeler’s I TOLD YOU SO and Eisner Award-winning I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER books. As with the previous two volumes, I DON’T GET IT is a “best of” collection of cartoons Wheeler created for The New Yorker that were not accepted for publication. The New Yorker is a weekly magazine containing articles, short stories, and essays that focus on the cultural life of New York City.
“A new collection of cartoons from Shannon is always a highlight for me,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Shannon is one of a kind, a cartoonist with a singular voice and a gift for delivering sharp humor and biting observations. We’re thrilled to continue this award-winning tradition of collecting Shannon’s best cartoons that ended up on the cutting-room floor!”
Where do cartoons go when they’ve been bounced by The New Yorker? When they’re as funny as what’s floating in TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN creator Shannon Wheeler’s brain, they’re boiled down to the best of the bounced and presented in one laugh-out-loud volume. Featuring an introduction by Keith Knight (THE K CHRONICLES, THE KNIGHT LIFE), I DON’T GET IT is the latest collection of wheeler cartoons that will leave you wondering why they never made it to publication.
I DON’T GET IT arrives in comic shops on January 22nd with a cover price of $17.99 under Diamond order code NOV130881. Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find one! It’s also available for order directly from boom-studios.com.
You’re a nerd. You need a t-shirt, because as we all know by now, geeks and nerds are cool, so you can be a fashionable fan now. I must say, until recently, the majority of my wardrobe consisted primarily of shirts with pictures of superheroes on them, but having recently lost some weight, a drastic change in apparel was implemented. Time to wear and declare my fondness for comics/films/cartoons once more I say.
However, before you look at the pretty options below, a word of warning – please make sure you actually like the character/series that is emblazoned on your clothing of choice. There’s nothing more irksome than a pretend fan of something pop culture related. In other words, don’t wear a Megatron t-shirt simply because you like the live action films starring Megan Fox. Here are a few superb selections as seen in the current issue of the Previews catalogue, from Captain America’s movie sequel logo to some great Godzilla art from his excellent Half Century War mini-series from IDW, and you can see a few more exclusive apparel options here.
PREVIEWS Exclusive New T-Shirts: Captain America, Deadpool, Loki, Godzilla and More Available this April
Strut your stuff with comic book character inspired t-shirts and hoodies from PREVIEWS
Sport your favorite hero, villain, monster or other comic book character with t-shirts and hoodies featured in PREVIEWS January catalog and available only at comic shops! Available in various sizes and colors, the apparel feature fan favorite characters Deadpool, Captain America, My Little Pony, Loki, The Punisher and many more that will be in comic shops starting in April 2014.
Some of the top exclusive apparel items available to pre-order now are:
These shirts can only be found in comic book specialty shops—you won’t find them at any other store locations. Connect with your local comic shop to pre-order the items you really want before they run out when they hit stores! Find a comic shop near you at www.comicshoplocator.com and get the latest t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and other apparel to add to your wardrobe line.
Infinite Comics is Marvel’s new approach of making comics work on mobile devices, with original content made specifically for phones and tablets. It’s a good idea for those who want to read something new which they can fit in their pocket, and take out while they’re waiting for their bus to arrive. Below are two press releases and a text-free preview, about Deadpool’s second issue of The Gauntlet, and a soon to be released series starring an amnesiac Spider-Man. Spidey’s series is entitled Who Am I and kicks off in April (yes, with the returning Peter Parker. Yay!)
Deadpool: The Gauntlet #2 On-Sale Today!
Marvel’s Next Groundbreaking Infinite Comic Series Continues Today!
After a tousle with Dracula, Deadpool becomes something far worse than undead—the Lord of Vampires’ whipping boy! And the servitude for his blood-sucking highness begins now inDeadpool: The Gauntlet #2, the second chapter in a 13-part all-new Infinite Comics series!
Designed specifically for mobile devices, Infinite Comics showcase the storytelling possibilities of a digital canvas while still staying true to the mediums greatest strengths!
Deadpool’s first assignment? Obtain and secure a very special package for Dracula (which may or may not damn all of mankind. Just saying.). Shouldn’t be too hard for the Merc With a Mouth—once he looks past the booby-trap laden secret tomb it’s hidden in. Oh, and teleporting warriors. Lots and lots of teleporting warriors.
As Deadpool slashes through his most absurd adventure yet, the Gauntlet is finally thrown in the year’s hottest digital comic! And the wedding bells will only ring louder as Wade takes another step towards his marriage to (You Wish!) in April’s mega-sized DEADPOOL #27!
Available right at your fingertips, Deadpool: The Gauntlet #2 is available on the Marvel Comics app (for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod Touch® & AndroidTM devices) and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop!
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