Hexed is a new, December debuting mini-series from BOOM! Studios that follows 19 year old Brazilian thief of the supernatural, Luci Neves. It’s written by Michael Alan Nelson with art by Emma Rios, and you can check out one of the two covers, and two preview pages from the 4 ish series below.
Here’s the challenge – create a 24 page comic within the same number of hours. It was held at Fremantle’s FTI (Film and Television Institute) for the 3rd year in a row and had a good turn out. I was not one of the admirable participants. I was there to take photos, some of which are below, and to do some filming. FTI also posted some photos up on their blog. Expect a video of my time there up here in the next couple of days.
I’m glad I went. I was encouraged by all the young creatives and managed to have a few laughs and make some new friends. It’s a global event, so if you’re keen, you can see if there’s a venue near you for next year.
There’s not much to say about either of these films. They’re both…passable. Doomsday is written and directed by Brit Neil Marshall, whose two previous films as director are far better than this. Both Dog Soldiers and The Descent are great genre-twisters with genuine surprises and suspense. Doomsday is like a Michael Bay film without all the pretentiousness and glitz. It does have the Marshall marks of brutal violence, English lead characters, high-speed action and lots of brown, grimy world creating. These were used to great effect in his past films, but here there is nothing truly original. With elements of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, the recent BBC Robin Hood series and 28 Days Later all thrown in, it screams familiarity. It is entertaining, just not stimulating. There are also some thrilling chases and Rhona Mitra has never seemed like such an impressively scary woman. With it’s plague centred story that brings about the end of the world, sort of, plus two different tribes, an isolated London and the military that turns its back on its people, it just isn’t as intriguing as I’ve come to expect from Marshall. His next film, Drive, is released next year and stars Hugh Jackman as a Hollywood stunt performer who has a contract put on his life. Let’s hope it’s better than Doomsday.
Eagle Eye has the same, “Haven’t I seen all this before?” vibe. If you’ve seen Tony Scott’s (Ridley’s brother) 1998 film Enemy of the State starring Will Smith as a lawyer on the run, then, yes, you sort of have. By the way, watch Tony Scott’s great Brad Pitt/Robert Redford film Spy Game for some genuine drama and action. Anyway, Eagle Eye is directed by D.J Caruso (the far better Disturbia) and involves Shia LeBeouf and Michelle Monaghan running and shouting a lot and being amazed at the tech gone awry that constantly saves their lives while killing everyone else around them. The plot is almost laughable, as is one scene that involves a guy being killed by wayward power lines, and vanishing in a puff of smoke. The simplistic plot involves a computer that gains sentience and wants to rule the world (again, not an original concept). Its voice is female however and seems like 2001’s Hal’s sister. Apart from the, “yeah, right” moments the other annoyance is the extreme close-ups. Billy Bob Thornton has never looked so old and Rosario Dawson has never looked so pale. The usually attractive cast looks quite different here, with every pore and bump and blemish visible. It won’t be so noticeable on DVD of course, but certainly is on the big screen. If you can switch your brain off and accept everything that big budget cinema can throw at you, including cars that explode on the smallest impact, then these two films may be your cup of tea.
Draw robots and win. Maybe. To celebrate Image’s upcoming robot-centric Liquid City anthology editor Sonny Liew is opening up the floodgates to fans and allowing users of Deviantart.com to submit their own robotic creation – or a rendering thereof.
“The variety of robot designs is practically limitless,” said editor Sonny Liew. “I hope we’ll see lots of fun and interesting ones sent in for the contest.”
Take part in the Liquid City: Draw-A-Robot Contest and you could win one of three signed copies of Liquid City, or the grand prize of an actual page of original art from the story by Liew and Mike Carey’s “Faces.” To enter, just design an original robot (ie, no fan art) and submit it by November 2nd 2008 (EST). Winners will be notified on Liew’s DeviantArt journal on November, 5th. For more information and contest details, go here.
Image’s Liquid City is a full-color 326-page anthology for $U.S 29.99 and will be in stores on November 5.
Here are my latest reviews at Broken Frontier, for two titles from BOOM! Studios.
First up, the debut issue of a new series set in the Warhammer fantasy realm, Crown of Destruction, involving rats with canons and weird wizards. Also at BF is my look at the second issue of the creepily effective horror series Necronomicon. This is certainly the better pick and has some great visuals by artist Andrew Ritchie. I got chills, I tell ya. Chills.
If you’re a fan of horror, pick up this issue, even if you don’t have the first one. It’ll still make sense and create a sense of foreboding that will have you hungry for future issues.
From now until October 26 you can download the first episode of the crazy Witchblade anime. Press release below.
From the renowned anime studio GONZO, Witchblade is the saga of a woman who must bear the burden of a terrible force of destruction known as the Witchblade. Based on the comic book series from Top Cow Productions, the anime series goes into the future to tell the tale of a new bearer of the Witchblade and the conspiracy that surrounds her burden. Witchblade is the first U.S. comic book property to be made into an anime.
Masane Amaha is a woman on the fringe of society, bouncing rootless from town to town with no memory of the past and no clue as to what the future holds. But upon her arrival back in Tokyo, chance and circumstance conspire to unleash the fury of the Witchblade. The ancient weapon stirs. Conscripted into the service of the Doji Group and hunted down by the emissaries of the NSWF, Masane will find herself an unwilling ground zero for the swelling chaos fast approaching.
A new bearer of the Witchblade has been chosen. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin.
The link to download the free episode is right here.
Thanks to the fine folks at Dabel Bros. Publishing, here’s a sneak peek at December’s Take A Chance #1, plus the cover of issue 2. Written by novelist C.E. Murphy (Urban Shaman) with art by Ardian Shyaf (The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle) the five issue mini-series focuses on single mother Frankie Kemp who becomes a butt kicking vigilante after losing her son in the crossfire of a gang war. She strikes out with justice as an ordinary woman trying to make a difference, but must re-evaluate her role once a virus escapes from North Korea, killing some and creating super powered beings worldwide.
Sounds like an interesting take and from the pics below it looks fairly action packed. It might just fill the niche left by DC’s recently finished Catwoman series.
More pretty pictures. This time from Invincible Iron Man, Tony Stark’s second title. It’s a great time to be a goateed gazillionaire inventor. Written by Matt Fraction with art by Salvador Larocca issue 7 (released on November 5) has Iron Man teaming up with Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man. Two cinematic heroes in one book. Cool.
As many people will discover with next year’s film, Logan, otherwise known as the most popular X-Man, Wolverine has a mysterious past. However, it’s slowly unraveling these days with his Origins series and now the 3 ish Weapon X: First Class mini-series. Written by Marc Sumerak (Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius) with art by Mark Robinson & Tim Seeley the series takes a closer look at the military minded Weapon X program which gave Wolvie those fancy adamantium bones and claws. Old foe Sabretooth guest stars, to get the fur flying and every issue features a 10 page back-up tale spotlighting past and present Weapon X “graduates.” The first ish goes on sale on November 5.
Below are a few random pages, after the Michael Ryan cover.
Marvel’s 5 issue Ultimatum mini-series is released on November 5, and is a cross-over event, with repercussions affecting the entire Ultimate universe. Marvel think you should read it. Here’s why.
Mags sure looks comfortable doesn’t he?
Now you can skate to the comic shop with reckless abandon and declare your love for Darkness, Savage Dragon or Witchblade at the same time! “Get out of my way!” you’ll scream as you tear past dordling pedestrians. “I’m a comic reader and I need my fix!” Anyway, Top Cow are releasing some perty decks in conjunction with Graphic Image Skateboards. Below is the official press release.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Graphic Image Skateboards are proud to announce new Witchblade and Darkness skateboards are available for purchase starting November 1, 2008. Pre-orders are now being accepted.
These skateboards are available as deck only, complete with trucks and wheels, and are made from seven plies of hard rock maple and feature high-resolution graphics that are nothing short of spectacular. A very limited number of skateboards are available signed by Top Cow Productions founder and CEO Marc Silvestri, who co-created Witchblade and The Darkness.
“The partnership with Top Cow is simply surreal to me,” marveled Andrew Brousseau, founder of Graphic Image Skateboards. “When Image and Top Cow were founded back in 1992, it really revitalized for me the excitement that was once found in visiting the local comic book store. And so in partnering up with Top Cow today to make skateboards, I really feel it’s an incredible opportunity to revitalize the excitement that was once found in buying a new skateboard deck.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled by this partnership,” exclaimed Top Cow President Matt Hawkins. “Graphic Image Skateboards produce fine, quality decks and we’re more than happy to lend our characters to their line.”
Graphic Image Skateboards also has a Savage Dragon deck available, based on the character created by Erik Larsen and published by Image Central, which, along with Todd McFarlane Productions and Top Cow, make up Image Comics.
For all pricing and pre-order inquires please contact Andrew Brousseau at abrousseau@mts.net, or visit www.graphicimageskateboards.com.
So how would you like your Bat today? Grim and gritty or light hearted and witty? The double edged sword of having multiple titles for popular characters like DC’s Batman and Superman and Marvel’s Spider-Man and Wolverine is that there is an interpretation for everyone. Hardcore fans and unsure parents looking for something kid-friendly can both be satisfied. The danger is that the intent of the character; their core can be compromised. I’m afraid that’s the case with this month’s Batman selection. After having just read Batman Confidential #22, Secret Six #2 and Detective Comics #849 in quick succession I realise that the Dark Knight is not always himself from one title to the next. This is a bad month to make this comparison, as usually different writers can handle the same character/s fine, and here I want to make the point about characters other than Bats, but the difference is certainly noticeable.
Let’s start with Confidential. The premise being that this is a look back at the cowled one’s early days allows me to look at it with some grace. I love Scott McDaniel’s (Nightwing) pencils, and always have, and any return of his to the Bat world is a welcome one. That Ryan Sook cover is great too (with a nice cameo from editor Mike Carlin as the guard), though Joker’s lame Monopoly reference (“Hey! We didn’t pass ‘Go!'”) is indicative of the trouble that lies within. Joker just isn’t himself. He’s more annoying than scary, and with the causing-trouble-from-within-a-cell storyline similar to the Dark Knight film it doesn’t scream originality. TV writer Andrew Kreisberg handles the pacing and plot well enough, but the fact that Joker is more like Superman villain The Prankster, isn’t helping. This is the first part of a new story arc and details the first time Bats bought Joker into Gotham police custody. Great idea right there and hopefully in future issues the maniac we all know and love will truly reveal himself. For now it’s bad banter and unfunny jokes (even a toilet gag!) And how the Joker convinces a stranger to kill herself with his one allowed phone call is almost absurd. However, the fact that he has no fingerprints thanks to his life transforming acid bath makes sense and I’m surprised no-one’s thought of it before, as far as I know. Bats is done well here I must say, with all the seriousness and minimal speech he needs.
Detective Comics, or ‘Tec as it’s also known, is DC’s flagship book effectively, and thankfully it soars high. Another TV writer, Paul Dini tells the penultimate tale of the Batman R.I.P tie-in, Hearts of Hush. This is a great book and has been for a long time. So far, Dini hasn’t put a foot wrong and with his career as a toon and comics writer in the DCU he knows Batman and co. well. Joker is here too, briefly, and more in character, as he cheers when Bats beats Scarecrow in Arkham. Last month’s cliffhanger with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) laid out on an operating table, with her heart out was a real teaser. Here the tale continues as Batman looks for answers and a solution to keep Selina alive, as she barely is for now, with Hush’s machinery. It was a shame to see Catwoman’s series end recently. Her last two issues were great and DC gave her some great arcs. Hopefully she’ll make guest appearances in ‘Tec for a while and then we can have Green Arrow and Black Canary as well as Batman and Catwoman books. Hmm…
Dustin Nguyen is another great Bat artist and has been showing of late that his covers are just as gorgeous, with a touch of Dave McKean influence in this ish. Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite from the JSA drop by too and don’t look out of place in this dark tale, which basically involves lots of running and punching as Bats gets angrier. Hush knows what I’ve always thought; Catwoman is Bruce Wayne’s real love, even if he won’t admit it. Hush is an interesting character and it’s fantastic to see that he’s still being used after Jeph Loeb’s and Jim Lee’s intro of the character from a few years ago. With flashbacks to his wildly different upbringing than Bruce’s and the last few pages which reveal Hush’s true, long reaching plan, this will be a book to keep your eyes on, especially to see how it ties into R.I.P’s conclusion. Grab a sneak peek here.
Lastly, Secret Six #2. Well, we get our first glimpse, of sorts, of last issue’s freak in a box, Bane continues to amuse but still stay barley in character, and Batman and Catman have a chat and a brawl on a rooftop (where all of Batman’s dialogue seems to take place). This is a fun book and shows, along with it’s originator, Villains United, two things: 1. That Gail Simone can create an original title that the DCU really needs and 2. Penciller Nicola Scott is sure to have a bright future. The Bat and Cat discussion is basically two guys sticking their chests out, but does seem oddly disjointed in their last page together. However even with their discussion of Batman’s breakfast choices, Simone still shows that Bats is a character with a big enough heart and mind to compliment his fists. He knows what’s going on, and wants everyone to know it.
The other highlight of this month is Action Comics #870, the fantastic Braniac finale. Yes, DC leaked Jonathan Kent’s death to the mainstream media first (as did Marvel with Cap’s death almost two years ago) but if it brings people to the LCS, then it has my support. I always liked Superman’s earthly parents. They fit in well, though Pa hasn’t lasted long on film and TV so it really only affects the comics readers. Who knows, he may come back, but it wouldn’t really work as he’s not a superhero or villain. It’s a great book nonetheless, with golden boy Geoff Johns and the graceful pencils of Gary Frank adding much emotional depth to this story.
After the hero-centric teaser image, we now have a villain-centric piece. It is accompanied only with the text, “Are You Ready To Villain Up?” It seems obvious now that these two images are to promote Marvel’s kid friendly cartoon, or comic, or both, probably to go along with Hasbro’s kidified Super Hero Squad toys. For now, gaze at the cutesiness of Juggernaut, Doctor Doom and the little limbed/ big headed awesomeness of the always fun M.O.D.O.K.
Marvel have a recent history of releasing teaser images and letting fans scratch their heads. The latest one was to promote their Noir series which re-imagines Spider-Man, the X-Men and Daredevil in a typical old school noir setting, and will be released in December. The image below, released yesterday seems more obvious. Marvel are getting in on DC’s game and getting kiddy and cutesy. All we know is that apart from the familiar characters such as Hulk, Spidey and Wolvie, there’s also some new Lobster Boy type creation. The tag-line is, “Are You Ready To Hero Up?” I think I am.
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