Atomic Robo For Everyone

Red 5’s flagship character Atomic Robo is currently in it’s sixth volume, the second issue of which is due out this month. On the official Robo blog, writer Brian Clevinger shares an encouraging letter from a mother about her son. Here it is:

My 6 year old son, Bobby Jr., just got done readingAtomic Robo: Ghost of Station X (part 1). Tomorrow he is taking it to school to read it to his first grade class.

He is the most advanced reader the school has ever had (he is reading at a 5th grade level now). I started reading comics to him since he was 3, and now we both can’t get enough. Every year he goes as a comic book superhero for Halloween. And everyday he builds robots with LEGO.

It is because of the hard work of his teachers and I, and his extreme love of comic books that he has excelled. It is because of writers and artists like yourselves that we both want to read. The wanting makes all the difference.

Thank you Red 5 for making reading fun for my son. I am really grateful that we saw your booth at the Dallas Comic-Con earlier this year. Now we make sure to pick up any Red 5 issues we can find. Thank you again.

-A very proud mom.

Great stuff. Check out Brian’s response, and pics of Bobby reading the issue to class at the blog here, and grab any issue of Atomic Robo for some good, funny, all-ages entertainment.

        

October 1, 2011
Categories: Comic Art . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Extra Sequential Podcast #60-Sex Scenes

75 mins. Put on the jazz and light some candles. It’s time for a look at sex scenes in comics. It’s our raunchiest episode ever! Actually, it’s more funny than raunchy as we realise how disturbing, hilarious and just plain strange sequential art sex can get. Also duck rude bits, cooking chicken and Andrew Ridgley from WHAM!.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR ON iTUNES

You can email us at kris (at)extrasequential(dot)com and befriend us on the NEW ES Facebook page.

4:18 NEWS

Mladen’s writing for the digital Find Magazine! Woo hoo!

Catwoman’s unimpressive new film costume

Justice League: Doom animated film premieres next year

Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts doco

The hugely negative response to DC’s new version of the sexed up Starfire

Uderzo’s Asterix successors

14:06 SEX SCENES

Catwoman #1

Green Goblin and Spider-Man’s first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy

Superman and Wonder Woman having sex while flying through volcanoes. The earth literally moves.

Watchmen’s 2 scenes, including Dr Manhattan’s multitasking

Dave McKean’s artful “Celluloid”

The amazing hallucination/sex scenes in “Swamp Thing”

“The Boys”, and whether Garth Ennis’ has issues with women in authority

Last Gasp Publishing’s yearly anthologies: “Best Erotic Comics”

Milo Manara’s “Bolero”

Ignacio Noe’s “The Piano Tuner” and “The Convent from Hell”

Caza and Paul Lamontellerie’s “Planet Terror”

Serpieri’s “Druuna”

Vittorio Giardino’s Little Nemo sex romp, “Little Ego”

Hentai, and the troubling subculture of Lolicon

The gratuitous sex in “Gantz”

The mature sex and violence in “Crying Freeman”

The mechanics of mutant sex and superhero kids

The numerous, and disturbing scenes in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series


October 1, 2011
Categories: Cartoons, Comics, Movies, News, Podcast . Tags: , , , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Warren Ellis Doco at NYCC

Last year’s doco on Scottish comics scribe Grant Morrison was an entertaining insight into the mind of the man. That same team is behind Captured Ghosts, a similar doco about writer Warren Ellis. Here’s the skinny.

Halo-8 Entertainment and the Napa Valley Film Festival are co-hosting a special NYC sneak preview screening of “WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS” at the downtown theater CINEMA VILLAGE (22 E 12th St NYC 10003) during New York Comic Con on Friday October 14th at 11:15pm.

CAPTURED GHOSTS will have its official World Premiere November 11th at the Napa Valley Film Festival (alongside the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s HUGO and gala screenings of Alexander Payne’s THE DESCENDANTS & Clint Eastwoods J EDGAR), but the NVFF organizers made a special exception to co-present this sneak preview screening for fans attending New York Comic Con.

This is the second year in a row Halo-8 will debut a film by Respect Films partners Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert during New York Comic Con, following the packed-house that greeted last year’s GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS.

WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS

NYC Special Advanced Screening

Friday October 14, 2011

11:15pm

CINEMA VILLAGE

22 E 12th Street, NYC 10003

212.924.3363

Advanced tix available from www.halo8store.com or direct at these links:

$11 adult / $8 student / $20 bundle with DVD pre-order

CAPTURED GHOSTS features the most extensive interview ever given by Ellis, whose groundbreaking body of work includes comic books Planetary, Transmetropolitan, Iron Man: Extremis, FreakAngels, The Authority and novel Crooked Little Vein. Spanning from his first memory watching the moon landing as a child to the recent boffo success of RED, Ellis’ acerbic wit and core belief in humanity come across like never before… revealing the unique point of view that has made him such a pivotal and influential figure to his massive audience of artists, journalists, scientists, and fans.

The film features Academy Award-winner Dame Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN), Ben Templesmith (illustrator 30 Days of Night), Matt Fraction (writer Casanova, Invincible Iron Man), Darick Robertson (illustrator Transmetropolitan), Joss Whedon (director upcoming THE AVENGERS), Will Wheaton (STAR TREK), Brea Grant (HEROES, DEXTER, writer Suicide Girls comic), Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria), Joe Quesada (Chief Creative Officer, Marvel Entertainment), Stoya (adult film star), Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy), Patton Oswalt (RATATOUILLE), and a Warren Ellis Muppet (!).

“Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert have an uncanny ability to tell the stories of cultural visionaries like Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison whose work serves as an epicenter of influence that expands to higher-profile mainstream innovators and subtly changes the world,” said Halo-8 president Matt Pizzolo, who also served as co-producer on the film.

Produced by Patrick Meaney and Jordan Rennert through their Respect Films banner in association with Halo-8 Entertainment and SequArt Publishing, WARREN ELLIS: CAPTURED GHOSTS is the follow-up to Meaney’s 2010 GRANT MORRISON: TALKING WITH GODS docu which Variety said “will intrigue the previously unconverted” and Wired called “an instant classic.”


September 28, 2011
Categories: Comics, Movies, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments

Justice League: Doom

Based on one of the definitive Justice League stories, the next entry in DC’s animated films is out next year. Here’s the lowdown.

Primetime Television Stars

Nathan Fillion & Tim Daly

join heroic cast of

Justice League: Doom

Warner Home Video to distribute

DC Universe Animated Original Movie in early 2012;

Eight Justice League TV series alums featured in voice cast

Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion and Tim Daly, the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join an exciting group of actors reprising their famed cartoon roles in Justice League: Doom, an all-new entry in the popular series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies due in early 2012 from Warner Home Video.

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”

Fillion, the star of ABC’s hit TV drama Castle, made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Fillion made his initial DCU bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman.

Currently headlining the cast of ABC’s popular Private Practice, Daly originated the title character’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DCU films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

In addition to current primetime stars Fillion and Daly, the cast is a grand reunion of the original group of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited. Reprising their roles are Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.

The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.

David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.

The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths). Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, SpongeBob SquarePants).

Warner Home Video will premiere the Justice League: Doom trailer during its presentation at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 14 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the IGN Theater. Also premiering during that session will be the Catwoman animated short that is attached to Batman: Year One, the next DC Universe Animated Movie (streeting October 18).

 

September 28, 2011
Categories: Cartoons, Comics . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments

The Deep in The West Australian

This was a happy accident. We get the newspapers delivered everyday at work, so during brekkie I was reading the arts pages, as I’m a highly cultured and sophisticated individual, and found something of a rarity – a review of a comic in The West Australian newspaper.

Perth publisher Gestalt has been increasing their diversity and output this year and The Deep by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer is one of their best works.

You can read the whole review at The West’s site (although they give it the wrong name), but do give it deserved praise.

To have captured the feel of a slick animated adventure so successfully in a graphic novel is not just impressive but a delight.

The Deep: Here Be Dragons introduces the Nekton family – cool mum, smart dad, crazy brother, canny sister (and Jeffrey the fish) – who explore the deep sea in their futuristic submarine.

Their adventure is absorbing and intriguing but what we really follow is this multiracial family and the bonds that keep them together and alive. They are involving and charming, subtle but quick-witted and all captured equally well in Tom Taylor’s tight writing and James Brouwer’s superb draftsmanship.

This adventure ends with the promise of more – making the ending even better.

September 27, 2011
Categories: Comics, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Zorro #2 Review

New Australian publisher Silver Fox Comics is quickly getting noticed with their radical interpretation of the classic, blade swinging avenger Zorro. Read my review of the second ish here at Broken Frontier, and keep an eye out for it your LCS, or a newsagent near you if you’re in Australia.

While you’re at Broken Frontier, you must check out this great list in Joe Keatinge’s latest One You Want column which gives shoutouts to a diverse array of 52 different comics. It’s not that long and is definitely worth a read if you’re stuck for something new to check out.

Also have a read of this examination of DC Comics’ 1997 experiment called Tangent, which saw familiar characters such as Green Lantern and Superman reinterpreted in bold ways, long before DC’w New 52 did.

September 27, 2011
Categories: Comics, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Marvel’s Point One 2012

Comic book newbies, and Marvel zombies take note. There’s a new one-shot launching in November that’ll show what in store next year for Marvel’s titles. I don’t know who that is on the cover. Perhaps Nova with a rad new getup?

The Foundation Of 2012 Is Here – POINT ONE!

“Point One is a massive one-shot of 64 all-new pages of story by the top creators in the business, setting the stage for the biggest stories coming in 2012. It is the starting point to what’s in store for the world’s most iconic characters and startling events. Point One serves as the launch pad for dynamic new series, the return of fan-demanded characters, and a shocking teaser that will have everyone talking. See how all it comes together in one gigantic epic!” – Tom Brevoort, Senior Vice President, Executive Editor.

POINT ONE #1 (SEP110496)

Written by JEPH LOEB, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, MATT FRACTION, ED BRUBAKER, FRED VAN LENTE, CHRIS YOST, DAVID LAPHAM & MORE

Art by ED MCGUINNESS, BRIAN HITCH, TERRY DODSON, SALVADOR LARROCA, RYAN STEGMAN, JAVIER PULIDO, ROBERTO DE LA TORRE & MORE

FOC – 10/17/11, ON SALE – 11/2/11

September 27, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Jim Henson’s A Tale of Sand Preview

And what a lively and generous preview it is. Below is the official lowdown and you can check out a 20 page preview at Archaia’s site.

 

ARCHAIA UNVEILS A 20-PAGE SNEAK PEEK OF ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

‘TALE OF SAND’

 

BASED ON AN UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAY CO-WRITTEN BY JIM HENSON, THE PREVIEW IS TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH GOOGLE’S CELEBRATION OF HIS BIRTHDAY

 

In honor of what would have been the late Jim Henson’s 75th birthday, award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment will debut the first 20 pages of the upcoming original graphic novel Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, which is based on an unproduced screenplay written by Henson and longtime collaborator Jerry Juhl and visualized and illustrated by acclaimed artist Ramón Pérez, it was announced by Editor-in-Chief Stephen Christy today. The pages will appear exclusively on Archaia.com starting on Sept. 24th.

 

“We are so pleased to be able to share with Henson fans a glimpse inside this groundbreaking project,” said Christy. “Ramón Peréz has created a stunning visual translation of Jim Henson’s only unproduced feature-length screenplay, and we are honored to debut this exclusive preview of the forthcoming graphic novel in partnership with The Jim Henson Company and Google’s celebration of Jim’s birthday.”

 

Tale of Sand, a dark, existential feature-length screenplay that built off of ideas Jim Henson had been developing since he produced his Academy Award-nominated short film “Timepiece,” tells the story of a man who is kicked out of a dusty town in the middle of the desert, with no memory of who he is or where he came from. Relentlessly pursued by an unknown assailant, and with only a rucksack of odds-and-ends to his name, he embarks on a desperate race across an increasingly bizarre landscape with only one thing in mind: survival.

 

Archaia and The Jim Henson Company entered into a multi-year publishing partnership in 2009 for Archaia to publish comics and graphic novels based on classic franchises like Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, as well as new, co-branded original properties.

 

Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (hardcover, 152pp, $29.95, ISBN: 978-1-936393-09-1) is scheduled to debut in comic book shops and wherever books are sold in November 2011.


September 24, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics? . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Extra Sequential Podcast #59-Donald Duck & DuckTales

55 mins. Don’t cry fowl, but we discuss the whacky and funny Fantagraphics collection of Carl Barks’ much loved 1940s Donald Duck stories, and compare them to BOOM! Studios’ current DuckTales…tales. Also, Ninja Turtles, Mythbusters and capitalism.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR ON iTUNES 

 

 

 

 

You can email us at kris (at)extrasequential(dot)com and befriend us on the NEW ES Facebook page.

2:53 NEWS

Amanda Waller gets retconned to a thin woman!

Marvel is no longer publishing any of French publisher’s Soleil’s great comics

Batman: Year One animated clip

 

John Dies at the End cast pics

9:43 THEME – DONALD DUCK AND DUCKTALES 

We tell you why creator Carl Barks is loved for his storytelling prowess and surprisingly funny and absurd humour in his Donald, Scrooge, etc tales and compare it with the modern equivalent in BOOM! Studio’s latest DuckTales mini-series.

You can get Fantagraphics’ Donald Duck in Lost in the Andes in November.

The 4 issues of BOOM!’s DuckTales series, Rightful Owners, are available now.

48: 02 A FEW QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE DC #1s WE’VE READ

 

September 23, 2011
Categories: Comics, New To Comics?, News, Podcast, Reviews . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Free The Thing Prequel Comic

Here’s the lowdown from Dark Horse about their free digital comic, set in the time of Vikings, and tying in to The Thing remake film.

THE THING RETURNS TO DARK HORSE COMICS

WITH A FREE DIGITAL COMIC THAT SERVES AS A PREQUELTO THE NEW THRILLER IN THEATERS OCTOBER 14!

Dark Horse Comics is pleased to announce that it has created an exclusive digital comic to serve as a prequel to the thriller “The Thing,” in theaters October 14. Starting today, the comic will be released in three parts on September 21, September 28 and October 5 and is available FREE online at www.digital.darkhorse.com and via the free Dark Horse Comics mobile app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id415378623). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare tells the origin story of pioneering Norsemen who discover a shape-shifting creature that is hiding in a desolate village with few human survivors.

In December 1991, Dark Horse Comics first published The Thing From Another World #1. In the style of Aliens, Predator and Terminator, Dark Horse Comics picked up where John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film left off. Now, 20 years later, Dark Horse shares a much earlier story about this creature from beneath the ice.

Taking us into frigid Greenland, the comic introduces us to a group of Norsemen who find themselves caught in a game of survival when they discover a terrifying creature. The shape-shifting monster has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. And it hides somewhere in a desolate village with few human survivors, among them a strange group of women…

Said editor Scott Allie: “This property consistently generates much excitement from fans, which made it easy to round up an incredible team for this prequel comic. This is a sincere horror story by guys who know how to knock it out of the park.”

The Thing: The Northman Nightmare is written by Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), with art by Patric Reynolds (Serenity), colors by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and a cover by Menton3 (Silent Hill). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare comes to readers as a prequel to Universal Pictures’ upcoming prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name.

“Steve Niles and Dark Horse have done it again, truly an amazing book,” said Menton3. “I am extremely proud to be a small part of it.”

The first eight-page installment of The Thing: The Northman Nightmare can be downloaded digitally from the Dark Horse Digital Comics App or at www.digital.darkhorse.com today FOR FREE!

About “The Thing” film: Antarctica: an extraordinary continent of awesome beauty. It is also home to an isolated outpost known as Thule Station. There, a crew of international scientists has unearthed a remarkable discovery. But elation quickly turns to terrifying paranoia in the thriller “The Thing,” as the group of researchers encounters something inhuman that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.

“The Thing” serves as a prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, the thriller is produced by Strike Entertainment’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman (“Dawn of the Dead”). www.thethingmovie.net


September 22, 2011
Categories: Comics, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Some Marvel Reads

It’s been a rather hectic week, but here’s a few quick mentions of some Marvel issues I’ve enjoyed over the last 2 weeks.

Spider Island: The Avengers is a great one-shot that doesn’t have Spidey have in it, but does feature Hawkeye, Jessica Jones and Ms. Marvel teaming up with Frog-Man, one of Marvel’s greatest D listers. Meanwhile Squirrel Girl is looking after Luke and Jessica Jones’ baby as she too (along with the rest of Manhattan) gains spider powers. Amongst the great action in the U.N as the Avengers fight Flag Smasher and his cronies, there’s some awesome humour. From Chris Yost and Mike McKone. Grab it as an entertaining respite from all the serious, epic action form Fear Itself.

Wolverine: Debt of Death is another one-shot, though blood and ninjas replace humour here. I’m not a huge Wolvie fan, but  David Lapham and David Aja are a great creative combo. Set in the ’60s (I think) Wolvie is about to leave Japan before he gets involved with Nick Fury, some Japanese cops, robo suits and the son of an old friend. Frankly, it’s awesome and is filled with great examples of action and timing, such as:

X-23 #14 follows Wolverine’s daughter/clone and thankfully has a “Previously…” page for irregular readers like me. Again, I only picked this up thanks to the creative team. In this case writer Marjorie Liu and artist Phil Noto. Part 2 of the Chaos Theory story arc, it made sense and has no action in it, but rather focuses on some very well crafted dialogue. Laura (that’s X-23) is hanging out with the Fantastic Four , or the Future Foundation as they’re known, in their swanky, hi-tech New York pad for most of the ish, and yakking about a mystery and getting to know each other a little more. It also features Gambit, looking the most normal he’s ever looked hanging out with Dr. Cecilia Reyes, who I haven’t seen in an X-Men comic since the ’90s. There’s some great tension between X-23 and the untrusting Thing, and Susan Storm’s caring nature comes to the fore. It all looks so clean and attractive, as Noto does so well.

Oh, and Punisher, and Black Panther are two of Marvel’s best series at the moment, which is a nice surprise.

September 21, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Grifter #1 Review

I haven’t really had time to post my quick thoughts on the new #1s from DC that I’ve bought this month, but I was looking forward to Grifter, as it’s being created by one of my favourite comics writers Nathan Edmondson (Olympus, The Light), with artist Cafu.

My entire review of the premiere issue can be read here at Broken Frontier. In short, it’s awesome.

September 20, 2011
Categories: Comics, New To Comics?, Reviews . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Makeshift Miracle

Fanboys love a good teaser, and most of the publishers love sending them out and watching speculation rise. Writer Jim Zubkavich, the man behind some of Udon’s Street Fighter mini-series, and Image’s fantasy romp Skullkickers has sent a teaser image out.

My first thought, since it has a date stamped on it was, “I don’t recall seeing this in any of July’s solicitations.” Thankfully Zubkavich is more forthcoming on the related website. It turns out that…

The Makeshift Miracle was a graphic novel serialized online from September 2001 through to March 2003. This month is the 10th anniversary of the first chapter and we’ve got big plans for celebrating that milestone. Keep your eyes on our site for more teasers and add our RSS feed to your favourite reader.

Get ready… because on September 26th, the Miracle is back.

I will do that indeed.

September 19, 2011
Categories: Comics . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Billy Tucci’s A Child is Born

Creator of Shi, and superb artist Billy Tucci’s next project will be out just in time for Christmas, and like all his other work, it looks beautiful. You can read an interview at Newsarama with Tucci here in which he talks about A Child is Born, his Christian faith, and his exhaustive research for the book.

Check out the Facebook page for updates and you can order the 32 page, full colour comic now from your local comic shop. (It’s on page 226 of the current Previews catalogue).

September 18, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

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