Comic Book Resources

Blackest Night vs. Siege: Place your bets!

Blackest Night #7

Siege #2

They say nice guys finish last, but when event comics will finish is anybody's guess. The demands of a high-profile series around which entire shared universes revolve can play havoc with scheduling. Naturally, editors and publishers love to maintain the artistic quality and consistency (and sales levels) provided by the big-name writer-artist teams that tend to lend such books a sense of "this is a big deal." On the other hand, they need to get books out on time so that other series whose storylines depend upon what happens in the event can proceed as planned -- and so that they don't end up alienating retailers and readers. But these same readers and retailers can end up just as irritated if they get the sense that the creators are being rushed, or if fill-in artists aren't up to snuff. It's a tough row to hoe.

With his front-row seat for a variety of events this decade, including Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Civil War, and Secret Invasion, Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort knows this better than anyone. So it was with an obvious mix of boldness and trepidation that he made the following prediction on his Twitter account:

It's height of hubris time: I'm willing to bet that SIEGE will wrap up before BLACKEST NIGHT does.

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Marvel's Heroic Age begins here

...or, rather, over on the new Techland blog. Just in case it wasn't clear what happens after Dark Reign and Siege, this teaser image posted on Time.com's newest blog should give you an idea:

Hey Colbert, Cap's gonna need that shield back now ...

You might remember back in 2007 when talk show host Stephen Colbert was given Captain America's shield after Steve Rogers was apparently (but not really) shot to death. Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor in chief, passed the shield on "to the only man who has the red, white and blue balls to carry the mantle" -- the "conservative" talk show host/comic fan whose show runs on the Comedy Channel.

Well, as we learned in June, Captain America isn't exactly dead, so schoolteacher and Robot 6 reader Robt Seda-Schreiber has served Colbert with "a legal document called a writ of replevin that I have prepared." Here's what it looks like:

"As I am sure comes as no surprise to anyone, Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, has returned ('reborn' if you will) from his supposed death. More to the point, reports of his death were greatly exaggerated in the first place. It was under this false pretense that Mr. Colbert was 'bequeathed' said shield, so it would follow that the good Captain’s shield be returned to him post-haste," Seda-Schreiber writes. "I bring this legal action in his name, with the help of my brilliant & beautiful lawyer-wife." Check out his blog for updates and to find out exactly what a writ of replevin is.

(And a closer look at the writ makes me wonder if it IS actually legal ... there's a really good chance the sheriff who signed it was a Life Model Decoy ...)

The Fifth Color - Forward Into the Past Jan 2010 Marvel Solicitations

It's like looking back and seeing the tide recede.  You turn and think, 'Wow, that's a lot of water back there, all going backwards... I wonder what's going to come next?'

We have three major plotlines coming to fruition or at least the first blossom of a long road ahead:  the Siege, Fall of Hulks (wait, wasn't this War of Hulks?), and the start of the new era of Captain America.  No one is surprised that Steve Rogers is back in the old costume, but what he does next will have to rock the foundations of the Marvel Universe as did his passing.  2010 will one of those years we'll look back on as a point of interest on the Marvel superhighway, but for now, we can plan our trip along it's crazy, windy route and hope for a next rest stop along the way.

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Bendis: Dark Reign-ending Siege starts in December

Siege: The Cabal

In an extensive interview with Attack of the Show's Blair Butler, Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis confirms that Marvel's "Dark Reign" storyline will come to an end with a "big Marvel event" called Siege. It starts in December with a one-shot called Siege: The Cabal, which is followed in January by a four-issue Siege series.

Michael Lark will draw the Cabal one-shot, while Olivier Coipel will draw Siege. Both are written by Bendis. He says the storyline will bring a "seismic shift" in the Avengers titles on the level of what happened in Avengers: Disassembled and will reunite Thor, Iron Man and Captain America.

Siege was just one of several subjects Butler asked Bendis about; he also talked about Powers, various Marvel films, Fortune & Glory's 10th anniversary edition and much more. Check out the second part of the interview below (he talks about Siege at the very end) and go here to find the first half.

Also be sure to check out Dave Richards' interview with Bendis on Dark Avengers over on the main CBR site.

The Fifth Color | Raise the flag high

All day, last week, I was kicking myself for my very important omission. Yes, I have disappointed my fan (Hi Mom!) by leaving out of my December preview-o-rama with the most important book to hit the shelves since Moses's Ultimate Ten Commandments:

Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield One-Shot #1

Kind of looks biblical, doesn't it? Well, it is! Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield One-Shot #1 isn't just a mouthful of an awkward rhyme to get your mouth around, it's titanic in scope and importance. It means Captain America: Reborn will shock no one with its conclusion but will leave two men to wear our star-spangled tights and, unless they start switching off on Tuesdays, only one will be raising that shield come 2010.

And in a moment of horrific honesty, I will tell you I don't want to see Steve Rogers back.

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The Fifth Color | Writer with a Home

It's been said that Sean McKeever has a survey group of teenage girls chained in his basement and, in exchange for their opinions and feelings, they get one hour of Gossip Girl a week and a poster of the Jonas Brothers to encourage development.

Wait.  That's probably not true.  But it has been said, mostly cited as a reason for why his Mary Jane-focused series-mini-series-then-series-again comics were such absolute joys to read for fans of all ages and genders.  By the time we got Mary Jane Loves Spider-Man (a very Joanie Loves Chachi title for me but that reference was so not in the target demographic), we had to say goodbye as our Pal left for the Distinguished Competition.  Never fear, I thought to myself, some good could come from this!  Maybe they'll put him on Supergirl, another can-do gal who could easily be put into that rich and delicious McKeever high school setting that feels oh my gosh, just like <i>mine</i>.  At DC, the plucky can-do gal can fight super-villains at the same time she's trying to get her best friend on speaking terms with the friend's ex and oh, the stories just write themselves!  Sean McKeever can really set the stage of high school life without making it feel hackneyed or childish so I expected they'd really let him work with the DCU.

Short answer:  it didn't go very well.

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SDCC '09 | Marvel costumes coming for LittleBigPlanet

Wolverine Sackboy

During yesterday's "The Next Generation of Marvel Video Games" panel in San Diego, Marvel debuted three new costumes they've developed for the Playstation 3 hit LittleBigPlanet, the game that combines platform adventure with community gameplay, enabling gamers to create and share their own levels. In addition to Wolverine (above), they also have made Sackboys -- as the game's characters are called -- of Iron Man and Captain America.

According to Kotaku, "Marvel showed off three concept renders of Sackboys that may be coming to the PlayStation 3 exclusive, but did not offer dates for the costumes, nor confirm that this would be the extent of the Marvel characters that would be licensed for LittleBigPlanet use." Click over to see Cap and Iron Man.

What are you reading?

Kurosagi Delivery Service Vol. 9

Is it Sunday again already? Time for another What Are You Reading then. Our guest this week is blogger and Bleach fanatic John Jakala. Has John been reading Bleach this week? Click on the link to find out. Oh, and don't forget to tell us what you are reading in the comments section below.

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Marvel offers Captain America Reborn: Prelude for free online

Captain America Reborn: Prelude

Captain America Reborn #1 hits stores tomorrow, just in time for the big Fourth of July weekend here in the States. If you'd like to get a hint of what to expect, Marvel has posted Captain America Reborn: Prelude on their digital comics site -- for free to everyone, not just subscribers to the service.

The short story features Sin, the Red Skull's daughter, who the government attempts to draft into the Thunderbolts. Yeah, that'll go over well ... it's by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.

What Are You Reading?

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?

Welcome to What Are You Reading, where we talk about stuff, but mostly books, especially comic books. Our guest this week is our fellow CBR blogger Brian Cronin, whom most of you no doubt know via the excellent blog Comics Should Be Good and author of the new book Was Superman Was A Spy: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed!

To discover what Brian and the rest of the crew are reading, simply click on the link below.

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Heroes Con + Wizard World Philly | Catching up on the weekend's news

Longbox

This past weekend Philadelphia welcomed Wizard World, while Charlotte hosted HeroesCon. Two East Coast conventions, separated by more than 500 miles and a couple of states. If you were away from your computer, then you may have missed some of the announcements that sprang from both venues:

• For years people have been asking for an "iTunes for comics." Well, it looks like we might actually get one. Rantz Hoseley's Longbox will be a free download available later this year for PC, Macs and Linux. Comics can be download for a suggested price point of $.99 per issue, with the potential for block and subscription pricing. BOOM! and Top Cow have already signed on.

• Marvel had a lot of announcements at the show. Spinning out of the Uncanny X-Men/Dark Avengers crossover that kicks off any day now will be a series of one-shots that fall under the heading of Dark Reign: The List. Basically Norman Osbourn starts making a list of everyone standing in his way who he needs to do dirty, nasty things to.

The eight one shots and the creators working on them are:

Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan
Dark Reign: The List – Wolverine by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic
Dark Reign: The List – Hulk by Greg Pak and Ben Oliver
Dark Reign: The List – Amazing Spider-Man by Dan Slott and Adam Kubert
Dark Reign: The List – Avengers by Brian Bendis and Marko Djurdjevic
Dark Reign: The List – Uncanny X-Men by Matt Fraction and Alan Davis
Dark Reign: The List – Secret Warriors by Jonathan Hickman and Ed McGuiness
Dark Reign: The List – Punisher by Rick Remender and John Romita Jr.

The project was announced at around the same time both in Philadelphia and in Charlotte. For more info, check out CBR's interviews with Bendis, Fraction and Remender, as well as Pak, Hickman and Aaron. Also, Aaron talks a little bit about his Wolverine one-shot on his blog; it will feature both Marvel Boy and Fantomex, as well as a new Weapon XVI.

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The Fifth Color | Marvel Solicitations for September 2009

Okay guys, this is September. Time to get serious. The summer blockbusters are either put to rest or coming to an end, and we have 11 different #1 issues to sort through, not to mention the other 11 #2 issues that are kicking it into high gear from last month. And what about the eight issues we know NOTHING about?? Pencils down, kids. The Marvel U just got real.

Or kind of ridiculous in regards to the ongoing narrative. But don't be afraid, not everything is all new and different. Let's take a gander at the September solicitations for the House of Ideas and see what we can look forward to hearing about when we're darn good and ready.

Okay, no joke, there are indeed 11 #1 issues coming out, from the benign Thor and Punisher Annuals (I actually find myself missing when they used to number annuals by the year they came out) to the long-awaited Spider-Woman #1 and Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size #1. There's even the ridiculous, but I'll get to that later. Point is, this is just as much a month for starts of things to come as August, which tips the scales at 14 #1 issues. Marvel may tout their 600th Captain America, Spider-Man or Incredible Hulk, but let's face it: #1 on a cover gives the book that delectable little collector's spice.

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Retailer roundup: Captain America #600

As you may have heard yesterday, the New York Daily News broke some news about the upcoming Captain America: Reborn mini-series. Yesterday also saw Captain America #600 go on sale at some comic retail stores.

I emailed a couple of retailers yesterday who I knew were selling the book early to see how the book was doing and what kind of interest they were seeing in it. Others have commented on their own blogs or even in the comments field of one of our older posts, which you can find after the jump:

Vito Delsante, Jim Hanley's Universe in New York City:

We've been getting calls about it since 8:30, when I showed up. We put the book out for sale around 9:50 AM (possibly making us the first place in the city to have the book out for sale...possibly) and probably around 12:00 PM for our New Dorp store. Steady selling since then. A lot of questions, I'm guessing, from folks who don't actually follow the book, but remember Cap's death. It's been kind of fun though...selling comics on a Monday seems so dirty, I feel like we're breaking a law.

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A first look at Captain America: Reborn #1

From Reborn #1

Marvel cranks the publicity up a notch for the return of Steve Rogers with this six-page preview of Captain America: Reborn #1, courtesy of The Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex blog.

The five-issue miniseries, by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice, debuts on July 1.