Comic Book News & Previews

[doglips]

I'm probably linking to stuff most of you already know, but I have been wondering what the new LOEG book is going to be about.....Tonight I finally remembered to check. Sounds badass to me....The Black Dossier Can't wait!

[Doc Holliday]

I've read the not-so-complete Age Of Apocalypse saga.

I say not-so-complete because having released Books 1-3 the publisher has decided it best to leave it until November before releasing Book Four.

Its just teasing is all.....

[Keepcoolbutcare]

I'm probably linking to stuff most of you already know, but I have been wondering what the new LOEG book is going to be about.....Tonight I finally remembered to check. Sounds badass to me....The Black Dossier Can't wait!

sweet!

THE BLACK DOSSIER is an elaborately designed, cutting-edge volume that includes a "Tijuana Bible" insert and a 3-D section complete with custom glasses, as well as additional text pieces, maps, and a stunning cutaway double-page spread of Captain Nemo's Nautilus submarine by Kevin O'Neill

that "Tijuana Bible" is gonna be a hoot, and now I can finally read the Marvelman 3-D special!

[doglips]

I'm probably linking to stuff most of you already know, but I have been wondering what the new LOEG book is going to be about.....Tonight I finally remembered to check. Sounds badass to me....The Black Dossier Can't wait!

sweet!

THE BLACK DOSSIER is an elaborately designed, cutting-edge volume that includes a "Tijuana Bible" insert and a 3-D section complete with custom glasses, as well as additional text pieces, maps, and a stunning cutaway double-page spread of Captain Nemo's Nautilus submarine by Kevin O'Neill

that "Tijuana Bible" is gonna be a hoot, and now I can finally read the Marvelman 3-D special!

Yeah, it sounds great - Nautilus schematics, I may have to have a geek out.

Better yet, you can tie it to your head for once, dude.

[Bob Samonkey]

I picked up Elephantmen. It was pretty and nice but very very very short.

[buster00]

I'm probably linking to stuff most of you already know, but I have been wondering what the new LOEG book is going to be about.....Tonight I finally remembered to check. Sounds badass to me....The Black Dossier Can't wait!

Wow!

I'm sure to love this for its contents....

But I HATE the idea of spending 30 odd dollars on the sonofabitch.

[Al Shut]

But I HATE the idea of spending 30 odd dollars on the sonofabitch.

You lucky bastards! When it's released in Germany, approximately one aeon after it's US release, it will likely cost about 40€ which I think are more than 50$.

[DennisMM]

USD 51.04. Damn.

[Al Shut]

And that's still optimistic. I remembered the first two volumes 14.95$ around 20€. I looked it up and they are 22€ so the third could easily end up at 44~45€.

Comics are ruining me.

[doglips]

Found one for you Zombie!

Zombee can't be far off your perfect comicbook can it?

[doglips]

I picked up Elephantmen. It was pretty and nice but very very very short.

I read this last night and although a little short ( the main story anyway, you get another mini-tale on the flipside of the book. ) there is a lot of good sci-fi ideas and emotions packed into the pages. Flumm is really interested in this book so here is a mini review buddy!

Our 'hero' is a genetically bread human/elephant hybrid ( there are rhino, hippo, warthog and crocodile hybrids featured in this issue too ) named Ebony. The story is set in 2259 with flashbacks to Ebony's violent military past in 2241 - Giant badass elephants with big guns - a good start for many, I would have thought.

Spoilers - It would appear that Ebony has some sort of gulf war syndrome/massive guilt and sorrow for his actions during battles. One scene shows him trying to commit suicide in U.N. rehab, so this book is going in many different directions.

The back story is played off against a meeting between Ebony and a young girl, who sees him as an elephant rather than a retired killing machine ( the reaction of her mother ) which throws up some nice moments of dialogue between girl and beast.

All in all an interesting first issue, the art is good and the story puts a lot into the mix. I think this will actually benefit from reading a few issues together in a TPB, but I will wait and see what happens in issue 2.

6½ / 10

[doglips]

Has anyone ( or are you planning to ) read Sloth yet?




'From Gilbert Hernandez, the award-winning co-creator of Love and Rockets— the series that defined alternative comics — comes SLOTH, Hernandez's first original graphic novel, presented in breathtaking black and white by Vertigo.

Troubled teenager Miguel Serra becomes a walking urban legend after he wills himself into a coma and wakes up one year later virtually unchanged — except for his sloth-like pace.

Discover how a haunted lemon orchard, a mysterious goatman and murder collide as Miguel, his girlfriend Lita and their friend Romeo take on the teenage wasteland of suburbia.

Will it be love or rock-and-roll suicide? Find out in SLOTH, a surrealistic romantic drama in the spirit of David Lynch that takes the art of sequential storytelling to new heights in its use of light and shadow. '



EDIT - got it last week, worth a read if you like Love & Rockets. Very clever use of the 3 main character's stories. Goes somewhere you're really not expecting it to half way through and then twists again before the end. Lovely art too.

[doglips]

ULTIMATE VISION #0
Written by MARK MILLAR
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by BRANDON PETERSON
“VISIONSâ€

[darkjedijaina]

I am sad. I will probably cry when I read this. I cried when Chewbacca died, after all.

ARMY OF DARKNESS #13 - THE DEATH OF ASHLEY J. WILLIAMS
October 2006.

from Dynamic Forces: "What the hell? Ash Williams is dead? Run to the light, Ash...run to the light! Don't miss out on the most unexpected issue of Army of Darkness as the Deadites finally get their pound of Ash. And with Ash out of the way...the Deadites will play."

[Leckomaniac]

There are a couple of things I am looking forward to. I figured I would share.

The first is Go With Grace which is a one volume mange created by 20 year old George Alexopoulos. There is an early review over at ign that you can check out here. Here is a synopsis of the plot:

Grace has a disease that keeps her in bed most of the time. Though her younger sister, Ashley, does her best to care for her, there's only so much she can do, and Grace's problems seem to be a lot more than physical. Her abusive stepfather, who could easily win the award for biggest scumbag in manga this year, refuses to allow her to be observed for any length of time by the doctors who want to cure her, mainly for financial reasons. The journals Grace keeps to try and preserve her sanity no longer seem to be helping her. Finally, there's that pesky ghost that keeps showing up, trying to make her go outside and experience the world she can only see from her window.

Another book that I am looking forward to is Twelve Reasons Why I Love Her which is being released by OniPress. You can read the synopsis below and click this link to look at some art.

A romance novel told in twelve individual vignettes, 12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER explores the relationship of young couple Gwen and Evan, traversing the ups and downs of their romantic life together. Told out of chronological order, these specific slices of love focus on all the things that make two people care for one another, be it something small like telling a joke or larger aspects of life, like the dreams that drive us or the secrets we keep. When put together, the pieces make a whole in the same way two lovers join as one.

The last book is another manga being released by Tokyopop called My Dead Girlfriend written and drawn by Eric Wight (the guy who ghost draws for Seth Cohen on the O.C.). The artwork is what really sold me on this title. (sorry can't find any links but you can google it if you are interested). Synopsis below.

My Dead Girlfriend invites readers to meet Finney Bleak. At any other school, his Johnny Depp good looks and aberzombie style would secure him a place among high school royalty. But within the halls of horror at Mephisto Prep, normal is the new weird, and Finney dangles from the lowest rung of the social evolutionary ladder.

Then along comes Jenny Wraith. Smart. Beautiful. But kind of dead. Jenny is the ethereal object of Finney’s affection, except that their corporal differences keep them apart. As if young romance wasn’t awkward enough, try getting frisky with a ghost.

How far will Finney go to be with his true love, when not even Death can stand in his way? Find out when My Dead Girlfriend comes to life in bookstores everywhere Valentine’s Day 2007.

[doglips]

I'm going to order 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, thanks for the heads up Lecko!

Se7en has been giving the comic treatment, not a straight adaption of the film however, there will be 7 issues, each telling the story of the individual murders in the film.

Check out the cover art for issue 1 here Looks great!

[Leckomaniac]

An interesting new project from Image.

Its called The Nightly News. You can read more about it here.

[doglips]

An interesting new project from Image.

Its called The Nightly News. You can read more about it here.

Sounds good. I shall order Issue 1.

[Leckomaniac]

Well some interesting news broke over the past few days...my beloved FEAR AGENT has decided to leave Image Comics and become part of the creator-owned line at Dark Horse. For those of you keeping up with current comics news...you will remember that this is exactly what happened with Rex Mundi.

I wonder if there are problems brewing over at Image? Seems like losing two comics to another publisher would be a big deal.

[doglips]

Warren Ellis's new book Newuniversal is out in December. He is updating the New Universe series that was published by Marvel in the mid 80's, giving it an Authority like kick up the backside. Looking forward to Ellis getting his teeth into an ongoing arc, now that the end of Planetary is in sight.

8 pages of preview art by Salvador Larroca, it's looking very nice indeed.

Here is a run through of the original characters from the 80's New Universe series.

[Leckomaniac]

Looks like Ellis is going to take over The Thunderbolts starting with #110.

Here is the story

Sounds good to me. I can't wait to see Ellis tackle these characters. While I don't think the creation of this team is logical...but it is going to be interesting from a story perspective.

[doglips]

Here's one for DJJ This must be your ultimate comic?

[doglips]

The Vietnam War from American and Vietnamese perspectives, with comicbook twists? I'm there........ The Other Side

[Leckomaniac]

Huge Ultimate Spider-Man News!!

From Lying In The Gutters:

With Mark Bagley's lengthy run on "Ultimate Spider-Man" ending soon, it's time for a new artist to be named. Who might it be?

I have it confirmed that Stuart Immonen is the new artist on "Ultimate Spider-Man."

To celebrate Stuart's arrival, I have decided to spell his name correctly.

[doglips]

Now that is great news, Immonen will be great for Ultimate Spidey. His art should bring a new dynamic to the book. His work on UFF was outstanding, I hope he takes a Shockrockets approach, that book is beautiful.

[The Garbage Man]

Hurm.

I was hoping for Mark Brooks, who did a fantastic job with the Annual issues IMO, but Immonen's a good choice.

[DennisMM]

So long as he doesn't take a Nextwave approach.

[Leckomaniac]

Interesting little bit of info...

It appears that Image is planning to release an Invincible Omnibus in December. That is 700+ pages of teenage superhero goodness. This would make a great Xmas gift!

[doglips]

I've only got the first Invincible trade, so would love this, but that is a lot of money and I want The Black Dossier, which is enough of a shell out.....

[Leckomaniac]

For those interested...here is a quick preview of Superman Confidential before it hits this week.

4 PAGE PREVIEW HERE!

[doglips]

An interesting new project from Image.

Its called The Nightly News. You can read more about it here.

Preview up at Wizard

Looks very interesting.

[Leckomaniac]

Check out the previews here.

Check out the preview for Batman Confidential...it looks kick ass.

[silentbobafett]

Nightly News was very enjoyable!

[silentbobafett]

Wow - gotta get me that Batman Confidential! 13th December!!! AW MAN! BUT I WANT IT NOW!

[Leckomaniac]

Wasn't sure where to post this...but an interesting interview was just posted with Jim Lee where he discusses the chronic lateness of WILDcats and ASB&R. This is part 1:

CLICK HERE FOR JIM LEE'S INTERVIEW

For those of you not willing to click the link...here is the interview itself:

Newsarama: Jim, we were going to start off talking Wildcats and your style, but something came up that we need to touch on first - DC announced recently that Wildcats #2 is delayed until March of next year. What happened there?

Jim Lee: Well, the book is late - blame squarely on my shoulders - and will continue to run late so it had to be resolicited. The way Diamond solicitations are set up, the earliest it could be resolicited for is March. In other words, once you take a book off the shipping schedule, the earliest it can be resolicited for is 4 months later because that is the lead time Diamond requires to put it in Diamond Previews for offer to retailers.

That said, issue #2 will ship before March. Exactly when depends on when Grant Morrison and I get it finished but it would be pretty sad if it took that long. It's comics, not the Great Pyramid. Your average comic should take a month to do, give or take a week. Becoming more efficient and for lack of a better word, more ruthless, with my time and commitments is the only solution.

NRAMA: Likewise, All-Star Batman and Robin #5 has been delayed until the end of January, making #4 the only issue of the series that came out this year. What happened there?

JL: Obviously I got overextended. I think DC wanted to be extra cautious on release dates and pushed everything back to give me some breathing room and retailers and fans a guaranteed release date more or less. Again, the aim is to come out before. I've been in this spot before and I know how to get out. It can't be done overnight. Drawing comics is like running a marathon; you take it one step at a time. 2006 has been really grueling for me, partly because of adjusting to new work responsibilities, partly for personal, family reasons.

2007 will be markedly different. It has to. No one wants to work with a creator who doesn't deliver. Wildcats with Grant Morrison and All-Star Batman and Robin with Frank Miller are my dream projects...I want to give my all to make them as good as they deserve to be.

NRAMA: Prior to this, you did two virtually on-time runs on Batman and Superman...what made those runs so different from these? What makes that Jim Lee different from Jim Lee, circa the waning months of 2006?

JL: I think getting Batman: Hush and Superman: For Tomorrow out on time made me a bit overconfident in what I could handle workwise and taking on the DC MMO project is what broke the camel's back. Too much work, too little time and way too many covers for other projects. Saying 'no' isn't as easy as it sounds, especially when you have a lot of good people who are your friends asking you for a favor here, a favor there. I guess I would ask the fans a favor and ask for a bit more patience. I know it sucks waiting for comics you love and want to read. It pains no one more than me not being able to deliver. But again, it's going to take time. Two pages a day is my max speed and that's really burning the candle on both ends. And that's when I have the opportunity to sit down and draw. I just want the retailers and fans to know it's not because I don't care or that I'm lazy.

NRAMA: Taking ASB&R as an example, you've said on the record that Frank is moving along fine, and that the delays aren't his fault. So why not bow out? Why not, say, but a Shane (Mystery in Space) Davis inked by Scott (to match your style), or another team altogether on there, and have the book pull back to a regular schedule? Is there a "pride of ownership" type issue involved?

JL: Definitely pride of ownership. I would have not worked on Batman for a good while but getting the chance to work with Frank is what brought me back. Frank and I have talked about working together for a good while now and so I know he's onboard to work with me as well. I can't let him or the fans down so it's not a situation where I can just take a hiatus. That cure would be worse than the problem. But yes, for the record, Frank has been amazing in his professionalism. I just need to buckle down and really find that extra reserve of energy to get this all sorted out. I will be working through the holidays for sure.

NRAMA: As a creator, what effects do theses types of delays have on your output? Does the progressive lateness spur you along when you can get to the pages, or does it induce almost more or a paralysis, that is, the mountain just got that much higher with each delay?

JL: No, I've been pretty good about not being paralyzed when it gets like that. Pressure has always made me work harder, faster. And honestly, hearing how the fan community is upset with the lateness is good too. It gets you motivated each and every morning.

NRAMA: At the same time, you're in a relatively unique position in that, while being an extremely popular creator, you're also an employee (officer of the company?) - is there a point where your responsibility to the company will outweigh the desire to be the sole artist on these two books?

JL: No, I think if I had to choose, I would be a freelance artist. I just enjoy telling stories and drawing comics too much. It's what makes the whole business of comics fun. If it was all about editorial, or all about marketing or all about business, it would feel too much like a 'real job.' I'm doing what I love and there's nothing better like that in the world. Nothing…

[buster00]

Check out the previews here.

Check out the preview for Batman Confidential...it looks kick ass.

Looks cool as hell!

Glad they're bringing back Sandman Mystery Theater too, but I don't know about Grampa Wesley solving the case. I'm thinking they should've just made it a period piece instead, if they were gonna bother.

[Leckomaniac]

Here is some comic related news for you folks:

ALAN MOORE TO APPEAR ON A NEW EPISODE OF THE SIMPSONS!

I am totally pumped for this.

[buster00]

The Brave and the Bold returns February 21st! Mark Waid to write, George Perez and Bob Wiacek on art!

I used to read the shit outta that book back in the day. This new update looks mighty keen!

Preview the interior at Newsarama.

[The Ginger Man]

Shit?!? Alan Moore guesting on The Simpsons??? This hasn't aired yet, has it? God tell me I didn't miss that, if only for the strangeness factor.

And Brave/Bold...wasn't Kevin Smith set to relaunch that like...oh, 6-7 years ago?

[doglips]

This looks great - Dr. Oblivion’s Guide To Teenage Dating

Nice idea, I'll hopefully grab this tomorrow too.

[Chilli]

"She said: 'Why don't you give him a ring, he's very approachable,'" Alan Moore explained. "I was happy to do it. I'm a big fan of 'The Simpsons.'"

He's very approachable? O-kay!

[buster00]

And Brave/Bold...wasn't Kevin Smith set to relaunch that like...oh, 6-7 years ago?

I had never heard of that until you said so. Makes me wonder how many of his ideas for B&B got incorporated into his Green Arrow.

I like Kevin Smith's material most of the time, but I don't think he'd have been a very good match for B&B.

[doglips]

Now this is pretty interesting news

I've always liked Fate as a character, so this re-imagining and relaunch has me excited.

[Adam Balm]

Fuck, I thought they got rid of magic in the DCU.

(Though I admit it does work with some DC characters like Fate who you can't do without the hocus pocus. I'd much rather see them get rid of all magic in the Marvel Universe.)

[Keepcoolbutcare]

I'd much rather see them get rid of all magic in the Marvel Universe.

Wanda Maximoff is teh sex...

[Fried Gold]

52 has a fair amount of magic in it. What with the Ralph Dibny stuff. Fate is currently a floating head.

[Adam Balm]

Well, the way the Marvel Universe is set up with all the Kirby cosmic stuff, you can basically explain everything magical away with either advance technology (ala Ellis did with Thor) or some kind of undiscovered universal forces.

But I dunno, it's not really relevant anyway...

[doglips]

Fuck, I thought they got rid of magic in the DCU.

(Though I admit it does work with some DC characters like Fate who you can't do without the hocus pocus. I'd much rather see them get rid of all magic in the Marvel Universe.)

As long as Nico gets to keep her staff.......

[The Garbage Man]

*Waits patiently for a staff-as-penis double entendre*

[doglips]

*Waits patiently for a staff-as-penis double entendre*

Sorry, GM, I know you've been patient, but I got nothing :cry:

Been hearing a lot of good things about Spiderman - Reign.

Someone who read it said it's shaping up to be Marvel's equivalent of TDKR!

Anyone going to pick up a copy?

I might wait for a trade.