Hexed #4 Review
This has been an excellent series with every issue. It’s been tightly scripted with a genuine momentum, and especially when compared to the disappointing finale of The Remnant, this is a truly satisfying conclusion to a great adventure.
By keeping the number of characters to a minimum, namely teenage magician/thief Luci, her friend Val, bad guy (and Luci’s former boss) Dietrich and badder girl Madame Cymbaline, writer Michael Alan Nelson has been free of confusing sub-plots and unnecessary diversions. Along with artist Emma Rios, he has crafted a dark supernatural tale of friendship, thievery, secrets and power lust. This final issue brings Luci’s desire for the death-dealing item, the carasinth, Dietrich’s machinations and Luci’s relationship to Madame Cymbaline all to a tidy conclusion. Luci shows she’s more wily than she’s given credit for and Val learns the pain of being a bargaining chip at gunpoint.
I’ve praised Hexed ever since it began. Fans of Buffy must grab this, and when the Trade comes out, I hope they, and others do so. The art by Rios is bold and fluid and with Cris Peter’s colour choices, violence and blood letting have never looked so strangely appealing.
Hexed could definitely carry the weight of an ongoing series, and this is a great primer. Writers who want to know how to craft an intelligent and entertaining introduction to a new universe should take notes. The mini-series format is an artform in itself. Hexed is one of the new breed that would easily fit in the done-in-one format of a Trade, without the sometimes unnecessary recaps in every issue. It barrels along and is a perfectly captured realization of a taut tale that can be read by anyone without getting bogged down in stray details. Telling an engrossing story these days while keeping things simple at the same time, is an honourable feat. Nelson and Rios have done it with Hexed.
Go here for a preview.
Tauntaun Sleeping Bag
The website ThinkGeek.com put this product up, along with a few others, as an April Fool’s Day joke. However, due to overwhelming demand it may just become a reality. It really is hilarious and would be perfect for the young Luke in any family. Head on over to ThinkGeek to see what’s what, and also to check out the other hilarious imaginary products, dating back to 2001, including squeezable bacon, USB pet rock, glow in the dark beer, a printer/shredder and laser cannons for piranhas. Here’s the skinny for the tauntaun sleeping bag…
Tauntaun, complete with saddle, internal intestines and glowing lightsaber zipper pull. Now when your kids tell you their favorite Star Wars movie is “Attack of the Clones” you can nestle the wee-ones snug in simulated Tauntaun fur while regaling them with the amazing tale of “Empire Strikes Back”.
Use the glowing lightsaber zipper pull on the Tauntaun sleeping bag to illustrate how Han Solo saved Luke Skywalker from certain death in the freezing climate of Hoth by slitting open the belly of a dead Tauntaun and placing Luke inside the stinking (but warm) carcass. If your kids don’t change their tune on which Star Wars film is the greatest ever, you can do your best Jar Jar impression until they repent.
Free Full Metal Alchemist
In what could be considered a nice Easter present, here’s some free anime for you. Press release below from Madman.
In an Australian first, Madman is presenting free online episodes of the hit new Japanese anime series, less than a week after its premiere broadcast in Japan, and months prior to any DVD release.
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD, along with a selection of other regularly updated anime episodes are available to watch for free at www.madman.com.au via Madman’s enhanced new “Screening Room +” area of the site. New episodes will be made available on a weekly basis.
Madman.com.au is the premiere destination for Australian anime fans, offering a massive catalogue of anime and manga, along with social features such as discussion boards, galleries, events, downloads and more. Madman is thrilled to offer its fans the opportunity to view full episodes on the site in a bold new direction for the company.
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD is a brand-new production from Japan which closely follows the original FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST manga series storyline. The series chronicles brothers Edward and Alhponse Elric and their epic quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, the only thing that can help them undo a terrible alchemic error, which tore their bodies apart.
Also… Check out more great episodes available to watch on www.madman.com.au including SCHOOL RUMBLE, DEVIL MAY CRY, BLACK BLOOD BROTHERS and DARKER THAN BLACK.
DC’s Got You Covered
Thanks to DC’s new blog, The Source, some great new artwork from upcoming titles can now be seen. Below are covers (and interiors) from writer James Robinson and artist Mauro Cascioli from the mini-series Justice League: Cry For Justice which debuts in July. You’ll also see below covers for The Flash: Rebirth #4, by Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver, and finally, there’s the cover to July’s Gotham City Sirens #2 and Batman: Streets of Gotham. I must say, the entire DCU has been disappointing for about the last year, with Batman: R.I.P and Final Crisis just being overhyped and underwhelming. However, in 2 month’s time, I may just stand corrected. Both Batman and Justice League are moving in bold directions, and having Superman live on New Krypton seems to be off to a good start too. Thank you DC. Now don’t let me down.
Green Lantern: First Flight Trailer
The 5th film in the direct to DVD animated features from DC is Green Lantern: First Flight. It’s released on July 21 and the trailer is below. The costumes seem to replace the original white with black to great effect, and Sinestro, Kilowog and more are included as characters. Looks great. Official site here.
Popgun Vol. 3 Preview
The 3rd volume of the much loved comics anthology, Popgun is out now from Image. Yes, now! Anthologies are the in thing now in sequential art, as it’s a pleasant and surprising distraction from superhero epics for fanboys and girls, and a great entry into the world of comics for the uninitiated. Below are a few random preview pages, but you can see a lot more of the massive 472 page (for only $30) tome at the official site. We loved Tara McPherson’s cover so much, we dedicated the back page of the new Extra Sequential #2 to it. Inside you’ll find a lot more unique art from a slew of very talented storytellers.
Long Live Overlord
Savage Dragon fans are a loyal bunch. It’s no wonder, as creator Erik Larsen has poured his heart into the Finned Fighter’s adventures for almost 2 decades. Now, in the best recent tradition of Marvel, Image Comics offers up a teaser involving a classic foe. Something’s brewing.
Marvel Helps You
Press release from Marvel below. It seems like a great idea for retailers to get in touch with on-line readers, and bring them to stores.
Hey Mighty Marvelites! Trying to plan your Wednesday comic buying? Looking for upcoming news about comic events and sales in the area? Or perhaps you’ve moved and want to find a new comic shop? Maybe you’ve seen the newest comic book blockbuster film and want to visit the nearest shop to read more about the characters that appeared? Marvel Comics is here to help you AND your local comic retailer!
Marvel is pleased to announce that retailers are now able to participate in the Marvel Retailer Resource Center- an invaluable tool to help retailers make use of all of the information, artwork, and previews that is at their disposal. This innovative tool offers tremendous benefits to local retailers and fans. TheMarvel Retailer Resource Center enables retailers to create websites for their stores with up-to-the-minute news, artwork, catalog listings and changes, as well as maps and local happenings. Ask your retailer if they have signed up for the Marvel Retailer Resource Center and tell them Marvel sent you!
Retailers, please note that you can list any and all non-Marvel products on the websites created through the Marvel Retailer Resource Center.
Top Cow Freebies For April
Official press release below from Top Cow, listing the 25 US and Canadian comic shops taking part in their unique free comics initiative this month. See if your comic shop is on the list!
TOP COW CONTINUES ‘LET US WIN YOU OVER’ INITIATIVE WITH WITCHBLADE #126
Top Cow Productions, Inc. revealed today the names of the participating retailers in their “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative for April and the program would continue the second part of their “War of the Witchblades” storyline – Witchblade #126.
The “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative is a yearlong campaign by Top Cow Productions to give out free copies of its regular comics to potential fans in the U.S. and Canada through participating comic book stores. Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores vary by geography and demographics. Top Cow has partnered with ComicsPRO to bring this promotion to fans and all of February’s retailers are members of ComicsPRO.
Witchblade #126 continues the six-part “War of the Witchblades” storyline, which promises to shake the status quo of Witchblade to its foundation. Since the events of First Born, Detective Sara Pezzini and dancer Danielle Baptiste have shared the mystical gauntlet, the Witchblade; but recently cracks have appeared in their relationship. The cracks widen in issue #126 pointing an inevitable battle. Regular writer Ron Marz writes the story with art by ongoing artist Stjepan Sejic. The issue will be in comic shops on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 and normally retails for $2.99.
“It’s not a coincidence that we decided to run Let Us Win YOU Over in conjunction with one of our best stories in Witchblade to date,” said Filip Sablik, Publisher of Top Cow. “The second chapter of “War of the Witchblades” digs deeper into the roots of Sara and Dani’s conflict and serves as another great jumping on point for new readers.”
“We are very excited to be a part of this Top Cow promotion,” commented Anna Warren, owner of Illusive Comics & Games of Santa Clara, CA, “Readers love free samples as a generous way to get a taste of a series they might not have otherwise picked up. And the promotion Top Cow has been doing is a great help to comic book stores, getting new comic book fans into stores. “
“Top Cow has really listened to retailers and is doing what it takes to fully market Indie titles to the average comic book reader,” added Warren.
A list of the participating retailers during the month of April (listed alphabetically by state) is included below. Additional information can be found at the official online home of the “Let Us Win YOU Over” initiative - www.topcow.com/freecomics. Customers who currently purchase Witchblade at the stores below will be able to purchase an extremely limited “All Beef” Edition (limited to just the stores listed below) at the regular cover price. Fans are encouraged to contact the retailer they wish to visit for specific details:
Flesicher Superman Toons
These Superman cartoons still stand up today, despite being produced in the 1940s. Sure, they might be light on story, but they look great. Now, Warner Bros. is releasing a collection of them all. Press release (and video clip) below.
Warner Bros. and DC comics opened the vault to release the very first animated DC Comics Superman cartoons. Commonly known as the Fleischer Superman Cartoons, the series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films will be released on DVD as a 2-disc collection featuring 17 action-packed vintage theatrical cartoons.
The Max Fleischer Superman title also includes great bonus features including a revealing documentary which defines the tradition of the “Super Human” archetype of hero and why Superman resonates with fans on such a deep and personal level. Also included in the bonus features are interviews with surviving members, relatives and biographers of the animation and production team and contemporary animators such as Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), Paul Dini and Dan Riba (Superman: The Animated Series) who detail the influence these cartoons have had on their own works.
Dead Romeo #1 Review
I grabbed this for 2 reasons – the cover and the name. They’re both awesome. Written by Jesse Blaze Snider (yes, he is a musician, the son of Dee Snider infact) and pencilled by Ryan Benjamin this new six issue mini-series is kind of like Twilight for the manly.
Snider is fairly new to comics, but it doesn’t really show. The old familiar story convention of having a narrator introduce us to a dying man and how he got into that predicament kicks things off, before we’re hit with, “But I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s not where the story begins. It’s not even where it ends. Our story begins six feet underground.” Sure, not entirely original to start a story with the protagonist’s death, but in this case it works-barely. The dead man is Jonathan Romero. He gets out of his grave, having been buried in 1986 and finds a homeless girl called Whisper hanging out at the cemetery with her snarling dog. They exchange unpleasantries and part ways, with Romero (nicknamed Romeo) seemingly smitten. The building of this romance between the cynical Whisper and the undead vampire Romeo is the basis of the series. Romeo has done some horrendous things to escape hell apparently, and was protected by the also-resurrected Hollywood Vampires, a collective of bad fangs. To escape hell forever they must kill a virgin.
For a debut issue, this is okay. There’s a lot to introduce here, but compared to say, Mark Waid’s Irredeemable, or even Hexed which were strengthened by their simplicity, Dead Romeo seems to be filling every page with characters. If all those characters serve a purpose, then that’s fine, but only future issues will tell. Snider’s not a bad writer though. Romeo seems quite clearly the romantic vampire, a la Angel, while every other vamp seems like they’re auditioning for the next Lost Boys sequel. They’re all bad to the bone. Got it.
I’ll give this series a go, because despite my harshness, I can see what Snider’s attempting. There’s going to be a battle, with love caught in the middle, and tough choices involving sacrifice to be made. Dead Romeo just needs time to develop the characters, and Snider shows promise in his dialogue. It’s not off to a great start, but with more streamlining this series could be interesting. Benjamin’s pencils are fine. There’s heaps of blood (if there was any swearing this would’ve been a Vertigo book) and each character, including Romeo in his glam rock outfit, Death the skeletal barman, and Dwight Phry (leader of the Hollywood vamps) possess a distinct visual identity.
Vampire tales have been through the wringer of pop culture so many times, there’s almost nothing new to say, but Snider may very well be creating an intriguing, atmospheric tale here. It’s just hard to see so far.
See a preview of this ish here.
Saturday Morning Watchmen
Ah, the Watchmen parodies just keep on coming, but this one is right up my alley. My Gen-X, 80s cartoon loving alley. Imagine if the studio who gave the world the cheesy Ninja Turtles toon back in the day got their hands on Alan Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’ seminal work of fiction. Funny, funny stuff, including an amusing theme song, a dancing Nite owl and Dr. Manhattan changing into a car. You can see the rest of creator Harry Partridge’s videos here.
Irredeemable #1 Review
Wow. Just – wow. I’ve never doubted Mark Waid’s mad skills behind the keyboard. The guy knows how to write good superhero comics, and has done so for years. Anyone who’s read Kingdom Come will agree. Now that he’s the EIC of BOOM! Studios, he appears to be ramping things up, free from the tight editorial reigns that The Big Two can sometimes choke a writer’s potential with.
With the clever marketing campaign stating “Mark Waid Is Evil,” fans were curious. The guy’s not exactly a squeaky clean comics writer. Those days haven’t existed since Batman was dancing on TV. Nor is he Warren Ellis though. However, with this new series, he seems to be exploring the darkness of costumed adventuring to a greater degree than he ever has before. The whole premise of this book is the slow corruption of a good superhero (the first and the best actually) before he begins to hunt down his terrified team-mates. Peter Krause’s art is suitably realistic and vicious and the terror is palpable. Waid – you’ve done it again.
To say more than that would be to ruin the wonderful slam dunk that this debut issue is. Anyone who’s read superhero comics for any length of time needs to read this. It’s a quick read (with an afterword by Grant Morrison and a preview of The Unknown), and not many details are offered, save that The Plutonian has now turned and his fellow spandex wearers are helpless. Imagine if Superman had enough of the human race. If all our stupidity and constant bickering and evil just made the most powerful creature on earth snap. And there was nothing we could do about it. That is Irreedemable, and it’s great stuff.
DC’s New Blog
And it’s about time. Marvel has always been the cooler company of The Big Two, while DC has done little to curb its closed off gentlemanly vibe. However, DC were the first to embrace the digital comics revolution, with Zuda, and Marvel soon followed with their slyly named Digital Comics Unlimited. However, Marvel’s E-I-C, Joe Quesada is always on TV chats shows, and on-line chatting Marvel up, especially with his informative weekly blog onMySpace Comic Books.
This is greta, but somewhat frustrating when compared with DC’s lack of chat. I’ve always had a love affair with DC. I’m a comic book nerd today because of them. Superman: The Movie, The Super Friends cartoon, The Killing Joke, The Death of Superman, Kingdom Come – all these and more were the watershed moments for me as a reader. They continued to reveal to me the awesomeness that comics can contain. However as a company, DC has always been tight-lipped about its plans compared to Marvel, and their relationship with the mainstream press can be awkward at the best of times. Things are finally looking up though. Finally DC has realised that it’s time to play catch-up and be pro-active. Their PR guy, Alex Sequra is now running their brand new blog. That’s great news. Hopefully it’s the first step towards new movements the company will be making to be embraced by, and embrace, the press and fans. You can see their blog right here and to give you a hint of what’s been happening lately, you can see pics of Ravager (the new co-feature in Teen Titans) and Ed Benes’ triptych cover to the upcoming Blackest Night: Tales of the Corp 3 ish mini-series. Your daily dose of DC is now here.
Superman #686 Review
I picked this up on a whim last week and have only now forced myself to read it. I’m glad I did. I followed Superman for years after his Death in 1992-93, which brought me firmly into comics. Then I gave up on his books, only following his latest adventures in JLA or Superman/Batman. Then Geoff Johns did wonders with the character, specifically with his re-introduction of Braniac. Now Superman is leaving earth, and his own title. Or titles. As of this issue, Superman will not be appearing in his titular series, or in Action Comics. He’ll be replaced in the latter by the new crimefighting team of Flamebird and Nightwing, and in this issue we learn who’ll become the new “Superman.” Or Supermen. As was the case in the awesome World Without A Superman storyline that lasted almost a year after his death, DC proved just how strong his supporting cast is, and do so again here. As Supes makes a new home on New Krypton, he’s filled in by Mon-El, his similarly powered hero, and returning heroes The Guardian and Steel, who both played a big part after Supes’ death. Supes appears in flashback cameos as he says his farewells and goes on his recruitment drive. Mon-El gets a secret identity, in Jonathan Kent, taking the name of Clark’s recently deceased father, and beats up on female baddie Rampage, while realising he’s got a lot to learn about superheroics. It’s awesome to see Steel and Guardian back, if purely for sentimental reasons. John Henry Irons is a great character and held his own series for years, but hasn’t been much of a player in the DCU lately.
Writer James Robinson knows these characters, though unfortunately Superman’s goodbyes to his long-time friends seem rushed. There is a lot to set up here however in this bold new direction. Renato Guedes’ art is as gorgeous as I’ve come to expect. The Mon-El/Rampage battling free-fall double page spread is rendered exquisitely and David Curiel’s washed out colours compliment the bright skies and cityscapes perfectly.
I had my doubts that Superman’s absence could continue the strength of this title, but so far things are looking up. For newbies, this is the place to start. It’s a great new beginning for a trio of heroes, as well as readers who haven’t visited Metropolis in a while.
The Flash: Rebirth #1 Review
Like most readers, I felt disappointed after reading this issue. Sure, superheroes come back from the dead all the time, but Barry Allen, who for a generation of readers was the Flash, was dead for a long time. He gave his life to save the world, or worlds, from the Anti-Monitor in 1985′s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Virtually unseen since then, Barry’s mantle was taken over by his nephew Wally West. In my mind, Wally is the Flash, and then when Bart Allen showed up as Impulse, and later Kid Flash, that was enough to fulfill my speedster requirements. So why bring Barry back? Good question.
And it’s one that goes unanswered here. Writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver are a great dynamic duo, and they brought Hal Jordan back to the land of the living in Green Lantern: Rebirth 5 years ago. That was a phenomenal, meaningful, action-packed series, and as much as I grew up enjoying Kyle Rayner as GL,it was great to see Hal return. That’s not the feeling I get here. There’s enough of a framework constructed for future issues to build upon, but I can’t really say I’m entirely interested. I’ll keep paying attention though, only because Johns is an expert story builder, and Van Sciver’s art is impressive here, as always, with it’s fluidity and extreme motion. At last year’s Comic-Con I sat in on the panel where Van Sciver explained his enthusiasm for this series and his interpretations of the Speed Force. I look forward to seeing that more than anything else in this series.
This is an issue not for newbies, with it’s abundant guest stars (primarily the JSA) and the complicated relationships Barry has with other speedsters (exactly how did Bart get resurrected, and why his anger at Barry’s return?). I can only hope this series will become more focused in the future, and I am somewhat intrigued to see how the DCU adjusts to this latest development.
Not much happens here though. Basically Barry talks with Hal at the Flash Museum, and various other spandex wearers talk about Barry, filling in a few details about him along the way for perplexed readers. I was happy to see the return of Savitar, a villain I haven’t seen in years, and the surprises that the Speed Force holds are intriguing. THough the revelation about Barry’s father-not so much. The ads for this series have claimed that Barry is back and it’s the worst thing that could’ve happened to him. How that plays out will be mildly intriguing, but I guess after the spoils of GL: Rebirth, I was expecting more. This is a slow build rather than a shot out of the gate, but Johns can usually be trusted. I hope he knows what he’s doing.
The Big Tease
Here’s 2 interesting teaser images released this week. It appears that the X-Men are getting darker and that Aquaman will finally return to the DCU as a Black Lantern. Stay tuned.
Blade Runner Comic
Well, not a comic book based on Blade Runner exactly, but one based on the novel that Blade Runner was based on. Whew. This is quite weird actually, as I just finished watching The Final Cut of the 1982 film on DVD, and all the awesome extras. Hearing how the film meandered somewhat from Philip K. Dick’s classic novel, I thought to myself, “I bet someone could adapt the book into a great comic.” And as I opened the latest Previews catalogue, that’s exactly what I found. BOOM! prove their mastery over chasing unusual properties yet again. Official description of the first issue of the series (which lands in June) below.
THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE FILM BLADE RUNNER COMES TO BOOM with backmatter by Warren Ellis! Worldwide best-selling sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s award-winning DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? has been called “a masterpiece ahead of its time, even today” and served as the basis for the film BLADE RUNNER. BOOM! Studios is honored to present the complete novel transplanted into the comic book medium, mixing all new panel-to-panel continuity with the actual text from the novel in an innovative, ground-breaking 24-issue maxi-series experiment illustrated by acclaimed COMA and WOLF artist Steven Dupre! San Francisco lies under a cloud of radioactive dust. The World War has killed millions, driving entire species to extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remained coveted any living creature, and for people who couldn’t afford one, companies built incredibly realistic fakes: horses, birds, cats, sheep… even humans.
Rick Deckard is an officially sanctioned bounty hunter tasked to find six rogue androids — they’re machines, but look, sound, and think like humans – clever, and most of all, dangerous humans. Rick Deckard, Pris, The Voight-Kampff Test, Nexus 6 androids, the Tyrell Corporation: join us for the publishing event of the year!
Superman Homepage
I’ve been reading the Superman Homepage for, well, years now. It’s the place to go for all your Supes-related news. Yesterday, being April Fool’s Day, they launched a few pearlers. Go here to see them all, including Tom Welling’s Smallville departure and the latest ‘development’ in the next Superman film. They’re done very well, and I’m not surprised they caught a few people out. They were also kind enough to mention my interview with Larry Tye on his new Superman book, as seen in pages 18 and 19 of the latest issue of Extra Sequential a few days ago.
Today they have even more amusing posts, including July’s Comic-Con’s exclusive Mattel action figures (Jan and Jayna) and an all-singing and all-dancing Superman and Spider-Woman from India. Sadly, this is no joke.
The Gallery: Ms. Marvel #38
At the link beneath the Phil Jiminez cover, you can see a text-free peek at Ms. Marvel #38, on sale on April 29. Marvel’s description of the issue below.
With Carol Danvers no longer Ms. Marvel, who will take up the mantle? Answer: The Dark Avenger formerly known as Moonstone! Writer Brian Reed and artist Rebekah Isaacs team up for an all-new, all-different Ms. Marvel #38! Norman Osborn has appointed the villainous Moonstone to become the world’s new favorite super-heroine–what kind of chaos and mayhem will ensue? This issue also features a Wolverine Art Appreciation variant cover by Paolo Rivera!
