2009 May
Fan letters save Spider-Man’s marriage — in the comic strip
At the beginning of the year, the Spider-Man newspaper strip received a bit of a makeover that brought it in step with comic book continuity. Echoing “Brand New Day,” the strip reverted Peter Parker to an unmarried student living with his Aunt May. Mephisto not included, it was just an abrupt change to the status quo.
“In keeping with the new Spider-Man story line at Marvel Comics, we, too, are going back to Spidey’s roots. He’s single, and attending college. Now let the surprises begin!” the editors wrote back in January.
Well, surprise! — fans of the strip weren’t very happy with the change. The editors have decided to “bow to your letters” and return the strip to the previous set-up. Writing off the last few months as a dream, Peter Parker woke up today to find his wife, in a Dallas-style homage, getting ready to shower:
Spider-Man
Read the entire strip — and humorous commentary — over at The Comics Curmudgeon.
- May 24, 2009 @ 10:43 AM by JK Parkin
Could Marvel’s Reborn bring us back to Truth?
Marvel's July teaser, and "Truth" #1
Remember all of that speculation that Marvel’s super-secret Reborn will feature the return of Steve Rogers as Captain America?
Well, forget about it — maybe! — because retailer Lisa Lopacinski has a theory for you: The five-issue miniseries, which debuts in July, won’t center on Rogers but rather on characters and concepts introduced in 2003′s Truth: Red, White & Black.
Stay with me, now …
As evidence, Lopacinski points to the similarity between the cover to Truth #1 and the image Marvel is using to promote a mysterious event in July. But that’s only for starters.
Created by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, Truth followed a regiment of black soldiers who were used as involuntary test subjects in the U.S. government’s super-soldier program. The name of the program was “Project Rebirth.” The name — the one advertised, anyway — of the July miniseries? Reborn.
More support, perhaps, comes from Marvel’s message to retailers assuring them that the first issue of Reborn will receive nationwide publicity on June 15, “possibly on par with the media coverage we received during Civil War.”
As Steven Flack commented here earlier in the week, the resurrection of a comic-book character doesn’t draw the level of attention that his death did. Would Marvel really expect mainstream news outlets to pounce on the return of Steve Rogers when, for the better part of two years, somebody else has been carrying the shield? Is the publisher instead banking on an African-American Sentinel of Liberty to spark Civil War-sized media coverage?
I have no idea. It’s an interesting theory that, on the surface, appears plausible but, for some reason, seems less and less likely the more you think about it. Maybe because it’s difficult to imagine that Ed Brubaker’s engrossing four-year narrative has been working toward what amounts to a publicity stunt.
But if the theory holds any water, it’ll certainly make for an interesting summer.
- May 22, 2009 @ 01:02 PM by Kevin Melrose
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 074
I know that we’re heading into a long weekend and all, but I gotta say that entries were light for this week’s giveaway. I’ll see what I can do about fixing that while you folks go on ahead and read page 74 of THE THIRSTY.
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell
Looks like we’re gonna need a streetsweeper soon enough.
So, congratulations to Bryan Fisher, this week’s winner of a copy of MURDER MOON. Tune in next week on Wednesday for a chance to win your own copy.
Next Friday will see me in Burbank at the site of Monsterpalooza, which I’m looking forward to, not only from the obvious cultural anthropology standpoint, but as a chance to meet a bunch of new folks who probably haven’t heard of the book before (not that that’s such a hard thing to find these days.) Looks like they’ll have a ton of interesting guests, and it might even give me a chance to actually begin to catch up on what’s going on in the world of straight horror, as opposed to genre-bending exercises like my own. I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch of good stuff in the last several years (a wife who dislikes horror movies and kids too young to watch them will do that to you.)
See you all next week.
- May 22, 2009 @ 01:00 PM by Matt Maxwell
Thin Wallets, Fat Bookshelves: Candlewick Press’ fall/winter catalog
Sticky Burr
The children’s book publisher Candlewick Press has released their fall/winter catalog and it appears they’re stepping up their entry into the land of graphic novels with a slew of interesting titles. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Vermonia: Quest for the Silver Tiger by YoYo. 208 pages, $9.99 paperback. No, it’s not the late 80s-era rapper (though how cool would that be?) but a Japanese manga studio spinning a yarn about a group of friends who find themselves adrift in an alternate magical dimension. Hmmm, where have I heard that scenario before? Continue Reading »
- May 22, 2009 @ 11:35 AM by Chris Mautner
Friday diversions, Snake and Bacon Style
Kick off your Memorial Day weekend the right way by watching the pilot episode of Snake and Bacon that debuted on Adult Swim the other week. Below is a little snippet, but go here to watch the whole episode.
- May 22, 2009 @ 10:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Trace the globe-trotting adventures of the world’s most famous boy reporter
From "Travels of a Boy Reporter"
I’m not as knowledgeable as I’d like about all things Herge, but that doesn’t prevent me from thoroughly being impressed by Chris Tregenza’s “Travels of a Boy Reporter,” which maps all of Tintin’s adventures around the globe. A mouse-click leads you to information about the locations — both real and fictional — and the adventures in which they appeared.
(via The Ephemerist)
- May 22, 2009 @ 09:28 AM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | Last Resort preview
The Last Resort #1
Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have been tearing it up for the last few years on titles like Heroes for Hire and Jonah Hex, and now they have a new mini-series coming out from IDW, The Last Resort, that “pays homage to 1970’s disaster films and grindhouse classics with non-stop adrenalin, courtesy of flesh-eating bio waste victims and a bevy of sexy broads,” per the press release.
If the first six pages are any indication, which feature art by Giancarlo Caracuzzo, this should be a fun series. Check’em out here.
- May 22, 2009 @ 08:44 AM by JK Parkin
No Faith No Moore?
Alan Moore
If you wanted an Alan Moore/Mike Patton team-up, it sounds like you can’t have it.
Yesterday Billboard reported on a project by Lex Records tentatively called Unearthing that would team comics writer Alan Moore up with several musicians, including Faith No More’s Mike Patton and Godflesh’s Justin Broadrick.
Now Tom Brown, founder of Lex Records and the source for yesterday’s story, is telling the Guardian that Patton and Broadrick aren’t involved:
According to Lex founder Tom Brown, the confusion arose when he was asked by Billboard if anybody else was involved in the project. “I said no, but that Fog and Doseone had asked Justin Broadrick and Mike Patton if they were interested. I was very clear that they had not confirmed.”
The other details on the project were correct — it will include a photographic novel, art prints, a two-hour audiobook and a soundtrack that will include contributions by Andrew Broder of Fog. Patton, meanwhile, is doing some work with Lex Records, specifically a collaboration with TV On the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe.
- May 22, 2009 @ 08:09 AM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Children of the Sea
Passings | Cartoonist Vince Davis, an animator and a contributor to underground comics in the 1960s and ’70s, died on May 6 from kidney failure. [Mark Evanier, Mark Kausler]
Publishing | Just two days after it confirmed the cancellation of Shojo Beat, Viz Media launched IKKI, a free online version of the Japanese anthology, which the company will use to debut new manga and solicit feedback as to what works should be released in print.
The first series showcased on the website is Daisuke Igarashi’s Children of the Sea. Upcoming works will include Natsume Ono’s House of Five Leaves and Shunju Aono’s I’ll Give It My All … Tomorrow. [Publishers Weekly, VIZBlog]
Legal | Jeff Trexler offers some solid analysis of Christopher Handley’s guilty plea, and notes the case is unlikely to provide any legal precedent. [Blog@]
- May 22, 2009 @ 07:31 AM by Kevin Melrose
Robot Reviews: Pedro & Me
Pedro & Me
Pedro & Me: Friendship, Loss & What I Learned
by Judd Winick
Henry Holt, $16.99
I would love to come down decisively one way or the other about Pedro & Me, either joining in the cacophony of praise that graces the back cover (“powerful and captivating” says Publisher’s Weekly; “impossibly brave” says Kirkus Reviews) or deriding it as ham-fisted, mawkish tripe overburdened with sentimental feel-goodisms that offer little in the way of insight.
Alas, I can do neither. Pedro is a book that sits firmly on the middle of the fence. It’s neither so awful that it deserves naught but scorn, nor is it really worthy of those effusive comments on the back cover. It has moments of tenderness and honesty, but it also obvious and clumsy at times and Winick’s verbal and visual tics seem to keep true greatness at bay.
- May 21, 2009 @ 05:26 PM by Chris Mautner
Have I mentioned the upcoming Grant Morrison documentary yet?
’cause apparently they’re makin’ one.
- May 21, 2009 @ 04:32 PM by Chris Mautner
Hero Initiative book features new stories by Chaykin, Ha and more
Back in March we learned that the Hero Initiative was putting together a benefit book to help raise money for the organization. Not only have they released more information on the contents, but they’ve also revealed the cover art.
As seen above, one is an Eve cover by J. Scott Campbell, while the other features Grendel by Matt Wagner.
As for the contents, the 32-page comic will include a new American Flagg! story by Howard Chaykin, as well as new stories by Gene Ha, Bill Willingham, David Lloyd and Kaare Andrews. Arthur Adams will recreate three classic Marvel Comics covers, and Hero Initiative beneficiaries such as Gene Colan, Bill Messner-Loebs and Josh Medors will tell their own personal stories and the organization’s involvement in their recent struggles.
The book is edited and produced by Scott Dunbier, special projects editor at IDW Publishing, which is donating its publishing services to the project. The book retails for $3.99 and comes out July 29. The Hero Initiative will also have copies at their booth at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.
- May 21, 2009 @ 03:47 PM by JK Parkin
Faith No Moore?
Alan Moore
Per Billboard.com, writer Alan Moore is working on a project with the British independent record label Lex Records that’s probably best described as a multimedia project. It includes a photographic novel, art prints, a two-hour audiobook and a soundtrack — on vinyl — that will include contributions by Andrew Broder of Fog, Mike Patton of Faith No More, spoken word artist Adam Drucker and Justin Broadrick of Godflesh.
Tentatively titled Unearthing, the semi-autobiographical work will likely appear in early 2010.
Tom Brown of Lex Records talked about working with Moore on the project:
Of working with Moore, he says it’s “refreshing to meet somebody that important, culturally, that’s really down to earth and still into the core of what they do.”
During the recording of the audiobook in Northampton, where Moore lives, the process was filmed for possible inclusion in the box set.
“It’s the first volume of a series and it is definitely in the direction of an autobiography,” adds Brown. “I know that he’s writing another volume at the moment.” He adds that it is provisionally titled “Unearthing” and says it is possible the book will get a separate release by a publisher.
(Hat tip: Ash’s Twitter feed)
- May 21, 2009 @ 03:08 PM by JK Parkin
Annotations for Trinity issue #51
Trinity #51
Lots of last-minute housecleaning in this penultimate issue of Trinity. Just about every lingering subplot is either resolved or set up for resolution, which doesn’t leave much old business for next week’s conclusion. Considering the standalone nature of this miniseries — and the fact that it’s a 52-issue standalone miniseries — I think that’s for the best. There will probably be some super-powered action next issue, but I still hope that Kurt Busiek & Co. have left room for a thoughtful epilogue.
We’re not there yet, though.
SPOILERS FOLLOW
LEAD STORY (pages 1, 12-22)
“Can You Hold Out” was written by Kurt Busiek, pencilled by Mark Bagley, inked by Art Thibert, colored by Pete Pantazis, and lettered by Pat Brosseau; Rachel Gluckstern, associate editor; Mike Carlin, editor.
- May 21, 2009 @ 02:26 PM by Tom Bondurant
Everyone’s A Critic: A round-up of comic book reviews and thinkpieces.
The Color of Earth
Moving quickly, while I’m on break:
* Good Comics for Kids holds an interesting roundtable discussion of Kim Dong Hwa’s The Color of Earth.
* Speaking of roundtables, man, I wish I had gone to TCAF just to catch this panel.
* Time for another lengthy and fascinating essay from Even A Monkey Can Draw Manga co-author Kentaro Takekuma. This time he examines the work of Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo.
* John K. talks about the whys and wherefores of good composition, using Yogi Bear and N.C. Wyeth as examples.
* Noah Berlatsky tears apart Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Tom Crippen stitches it back together.
* The Guardian’s Rory McLean reviews Burma Chronicles.
* How long does it take you to read a standard comic book page. Neil Cohn ponders this question.
- May 21, 2009 @ 01:25 PM by Chris Mautner