2010 February
Straight for the art | Foggy memories of ‘Lost’
Everyone seems to be linking to this Flickr set of “Lost”-inspired cartoons by Graham Annable, and I see no reason not to join the party.
- February 19, 2010 @ 07:18 AM by Chris Mautner
Quote of the day | Tom Brevoort on the DC Entertainment announcements
Tom Brevoort
“And hey, congrats to @GeoffJohns0 and @JimLee00 and the twitterless Dan DiDio on their new promotions and responsibilities. Although it does feel a lot like @axelalonsomarv’s and my announcement a while ago: ‘Same Guys Continue To Do Things!’ Seems more like a ratification of a system that was already in place than an actual change. But now @richjohnston can stop combing Diane Nelson’s Facebook account looking for photos of her friends.”
– Tom Brevoort, recently promoted vice president-executive editor of Marvel, tweeting about DC Entertainment’s newly announced executive management team
- February 18, 2010 @ 06:09 PM by Kevin Melrose
You had me at ‘parallel dimension’: A review of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Confession time: I’ve always had a soft spot for the whole alternate universe concept vis a vis superheroes. The idea of folks like Superman having completely different adventures — maybe even being completely different people! — just thrilled me as a young comic book collector for reasons I can’t really quite to explain (although the cynic in me might say it might have had something to do with the fact that these stories were allowed the grace of an actual ending). Whatever the reason, imaginary stories, parallel worlds, alternate universes, Earths 1-52, I loved em all. As a kid my big addiction was trying to get a complete run of the first run of Marvel’s “What If?” series (it wasn’t that hard).
So when Warner Brothers announced that their next straight-to-DVD animated film was going to be titled Crisis on Two Earths I acted a bit like Hugh Herbert. On the other hand, the company’s last offering, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, was abysmal, and left a bad taste in my mouth for days. Would this new film run along similar lines? Was I foolish to get my hopes up?
- February 18, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Sure looks fertile: DC Entertainment comic-book solicitations for May 2010
Grumpy Old Fan
[Note: This post was written before I learned about Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, and Geoff Johns' new management positions. That topic will have to wait for a future GOF. -- TCB]
Some months the solicitations just feel perfunctory. May 2010 is not one of those months. There’s a lot to anticipate, both in new series and old favorites. There are even some pleasant surprises. I found a lot to like in the latest batch of solicits, so let’s have at it!
THE LONELIEST NUMBER?
There are twelve No. 1 issues in the May solicits. These include the ongoing Birds Of Prey vol. 2, I, Zombie, Legion of Super-Heroes, and Zatanna; as well as the miniseries Batman: The Return Of Bruce Wayne, Brightest Day (picking up from April’s zero issue), DC Universe: Legacies, Justice League: Generation Lost, and Superman: War Of The Supermen (which follows the Free Comic Book Day zero issue). There are also the lead-in specials Titans: Villains For Hire and Mighty Crusaders.
- February 18, 2010 @ 12:40 PM by Tom Bondurant
Some thoughts on DC’s new ‘executive management team’ [Updated]
The new Warner Bros. mural (photo by Jonah Weiland)
Like virtually every other comics blogger and fan, I’ve been mulling over DC Entertainment’s big announcement this morning of an executive management team to replace President and Publisher Paul Levitz.
As you can read at Comic Book Resources, the new team is: Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, co-publishers of DC Comics; Geoff Johns, chief creative officer of DC Entertainment; John Rood, executive vice president-sales, marketing and business development; and Patrick Caldon, executive vice president-finance and administration.
First, congratulations to all five. And now, some thoughts:
• Nobody won the DC Publisher Betting Pool — although, as Sean Collins points out, Variety alum Tom McLean, with his much-derided list of candidates, certainly came closest. Still, in all of the prognostication that’s gone on since September, when Diane Nelson was named as president of a newly formed DC Entertainment, no one predicted that the departing Levitz would be replaced by a five-person “executive management team.”
- February 18, 2010 @ 11:18 AM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | What is Pood?
by Henrik Rehr
Jim Rugg, Joe Infurnani, Geoff Grogan and several other artists have formed Pood, a new … something. Actually, they’re having a contest now to decide what exactly “pood” is, so head over there and leave your guess.
- February 18, 2010 @ 10:38 AM by JK Parkin
The big question: Is DC moving to L.A.?
Jeff Robinov is based in Los Angeles. Diane Nelson is based in Los Angeles. Geoff Johns is based in Los Angeles. John Rood is based in Los Angeles. Jim Lee isn’t based in Los Angeles, but he is based down the road in San Diego. Dan DiDio was based in Los Angeles for years before he came to DC. Obviously Warner Bros. is based in Los Angeles. But DC Entertainment is still based in the historic capital of comics, New York City. For how long? I expect this will be a question that gets asked a lot as the first round of post-announcement interviews with the major players hits the Internet this afternoon.
- February 18, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Sean T. Collins
DC’s new crew speaks
DC’s blog The Source is chock full of posts by the new management team unveiled by DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson and Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov today. Here are some highlights…
In terms of possible alternate candidates for the Publisher role, some very qualified names have been talked about and raised. Each have tremendous merit in his or her own right, but none other than this team were approached or considered seriously. Jeff Robinov’s and my interest in this specific combination of people – with their highly complementary talent – has been in play since very early on in this transition period. And our decision to pursue assembling this specific team was made as early as mid-November.
- February 18, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by Sean T. Collins
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Zahra’s Paradise
Webcomics | On Friday First Second Books will debut Zahra’s Paradise, a web serial — “real-time historical fiction” — that explores social, political and human-rights issues in Iran. The comic, written by Amir and illustrated by Khalil, will be updated Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and will appear simultaneously in English, Farsi, Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. The strip will be collected in printed form next year.
Last month First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, launched Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson, a webcomic by Editorial Director Mark Siegel. It, too, will be published in a print collection. [Arts Beat]
Copyright | Helen McCarthy, co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia and author of The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, expresses her frustration with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and her outrage with her work being used online without permission: “I’m as angry as anyone would be if a slice of their paycheck had just been removed without so much as a by-your-leave – and that’s exactly what has happened. A slice of my income comes from royalties – payments from the ongoing sales of my books. Making my work available free reduces my income. My publisher, co-author and I should decide if giving The Anime Encyclopedia away free is OK, not some unknown person hiding behind an Internet alias.” [Helen McCarthy's Blog, via Anime News Network]
- February 18, 2010 @ 08:31 AM by Kevin Melrose
DC finally names its management team: DiDio, Lee and Johns
Holy smokes. Click over to CBR proper for DC’s press release on the long-awaited announcement.
Tom McLean, thou art avenged. Rich Johnston, maybe Publisher Barbara Marcus is hanging out with gay Superman and black Doctor Who in an alternate reality someplace.
- February 18, 2010 @ 07:47 AM by Sean T. Collins
Gorillas Riding Dinosaurs: Batman, the Brave, and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Written by Matt Wayne and J Torres; Illustrated by Andy Suriano, Phil Moy, and Carlo Barberi
DC; $12.99
I usually steer clear of DC and Marvel here, because Tom and Carla have those beats well-covered, but Batman: The Brave and the Bold is exactly the kind of fun, high-concept, adventure comic that this column was created to talk about. It may just be the best superhero comic currently made (though that’s a race with the Marvel Adventures line that’s too close to call).
I’ve got to confess that I’m not a superhero fan. Not in the sense that I like all – or even most – superhero comics in the strictest definition of the genre. If we’re going to include characters like Hellboy and Atomic Robo, then I’ll back off that position, but when it comes to people with extraordinary abilities dressing up in outlandish costumes to fight crime, my interest begins and ends at DC and Marvel. That’s 70% nostalgia for characters I grew up with and love; 30% overexposure to some really horrible knock-offs from other publishers. There are of course exceptions (Hello, Incredibles!), but for the most part my eyes glaze over when I see announcements of new comics and movies with superheroes I’ve never heard of. Once you’ve had Batman, it’s pretty hard to settle for anything else.
Of course, once you’ve had Batman, it’s sometimes hard to settle even for more Batman. What I mean by that is that there are some interpretations of Batman that are so iconic; so cool, that your run-of-the-mill, month-by-month Batman comics are dull in comparison. Every Batman story can’t be Strange Apparitions or Year One. I’m going to argue though, that Batman: The Brave and the Bold is. Although its roots are firmly embedded in the Silver Age, it’s an exciting, original vision of the character that never feels quaint.
Gorillas, dinosaurs, and Vikings after the break.
- February 17, 2010 @ 04:28 PM by Michael May
Send Us Your Shelf Porn!
Time once again for another round of Shelf Porn. Today’s entry comes from David Berger, who is the moderator for the Wonder Woman board at CBR. As you might guess, David’s quite the Diana Prince fan, and he’s got the pictures to prove it. Click on the jump and you’ll see what I mean …
- February 17, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Whedon, Spurlock teaming for Comic-Con documentary
Marc Malkin of E! Online reports that Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) are teaming up to make a documentary about Comic-Con International in San Diego. It “will be centered on a still-to-be-cast group of convention-going superfans,” he says, and will follow them for a few months before the con, in addition to seeing what they’re up to in San Diego.
Both Whedon and Spurlock are no strangers to Comic-Con. Whedon, of course, has attended numerous times to promote things like Dollhouse and Buffy, while Spurlock was there last year recruiting fans for The Simpsons 20th anniversary documentary he did. And both have a relationship with Dark Horse, as Spurlock is working on Supersized: Strange Tales From a Fast Food Culture with the publisher.
- February 17, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 117
If I say nothing, then people won’t notice. So I’m saying nothing.
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.
Back next week!
- February 17, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Matt Maxwell
Comics cavalcade: Deadman, dead girls and Super Turtle
Yak Yak by Jack Davis
The Hothead Hotel by Basil Wolverton
- February 17, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Mautner