Comic Book Resources

Talking Comics with Tim: Shawn Martinbrough

Luke Cage Noir

I first took notice of Shawn Martinbrough's work during his and Greg Rucka's run on DC's Detective Comics back in the early 2000s. While his storytelling skills were great then, they've only improved over the years and can currently be appreciated in Marvel's Luke Cage Noir miniseries, set in 1930s Harlem (Issue 2 was released on September 2; Issue 3 will be out on October 7). Actually, I've wanted to interview Martinbrough since 2007 when he wrote How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling, so we discussed that book before moving on to his current Marvel work, as well as his upcoming Studio Museum exhibit on Luke Cage.

Tim O'Shea: How did your How to Draw Noir Comics book come into being?

Shawn Martinbrough: My friend and colleague Joseph Illidge mentioned that I should pitch an art instruction book based on my art style. I approached Jackie Ching, an editor at Watson Guptill who was also a friend and colleague about the concept. She was very interested and suggested I create a proposal. I turned around a proposal for “How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling” within two weeks and shortly after it was approved by the higher ups.

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SDCC '09 | But who holds the record for the most fat Supermen in one place?

Guinness World Records was at the San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend presenting awards for various records achieved by comic books, TV shows and other activities you might associate with the con. Here's a complete rundown of what they presented:

DC's Paul Levitz and Guinness’ Craig Glenday

Longest Running Sitcom and Longest Running Animated TV Series - With over 443 episodes, The Simpsons is the longest running sitcom (by episode count) and longest running animated series. During its 20th season (2008-09), The Simpsons finally overtook the 435 episodes of former record holder The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-66).

Best-selling Comic (single edition) - Spider-Man No.1, first published in August 1990, is the Best-selling Comic (single edition). With an initial print run of 2.35 million, the record-breaking edition was sold with a variety of differently colored covers and several reprints were ordered to keep up with high public demand.

Longest Continuosly Published Comic Book - The longest running comic book is Detective Comics, which has been printed continuously by DC Comics in the USA since Issue #1 in March 1937. The comic introduced the character of Batman in Issue #27 in May 1939.

Most Successful Sci-fi TV Show - Doctor Who, the longest running sci-fi television show, is now the Most Successful Sci-fi Show on Television. Based on the length of the show's run and international sales data, the series about the adventures of the iconic Time Lord was presented with the new record at Comic-Con 2009 International.

Most Digital Effects in a TV Series - Farscape employed about 25 computer artists to create between 40 and 50 effects shot per episode. The effects team had just seven days to work on each episode, at a rate of 22 episodes per year.

Largest Gathering of Zombies - The record largest gathering of zombies was achieved by 3,894 participants in the 'Red White and Dead Zombie Party' in association with Night Zero on July 3, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Ryan Reiter, Artistic Director for Freemont Outdoor Cinema Events.

Picture via The Source

Straight for the art | Detective Comics second printing cover

Detective Comics #854, which kicked off Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III's Batwoman run, is getting a second printing with a new cover by Williams and colorist extraordinaire Dave Stewart.

Although it's hard to find anything wrong with the book's first cover, I like the fact that the star of the book's co-feature, The Question, is featured this time around.

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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Stiletto heels are so ... three years ago

Batwoman character designs, by J.H. Williams III

One of the criticisms lobbed at the new Batwoman when she was introduced back in 2006 was that her costume played up the "lipstick lesbian" titillation angle. After all, who could effectively leap from rooftops and fight crime in those Alex Ross-designed stiletto heels?

Luckily for Kate Kane, and for us, artist J.H. Williams III has taken a more practical approach to Batwoman's costume.

In character designs posted Friday on the DC Comics blog, we're given a glimpse into Williams' thought process: Gone are the stilettos, replaced by boots -- with serious tread! -- "more realistic to purpose." She's given more heavily armored arm braces, with detachable points that transform into throwing weapons, and a protective mask.

I'm not sure at this point what I think about Batwoman's "retro-rockabilly" alter ego, but I'll concede that it's several steps up from the generic, slinky gown-wearing persona we were initially introduced to almost three years ago. This Kate Kane radiates personality with a look that's distinctive, at least in the DC Universe. Before, she could've been any background character from virtually any crowd scene.

Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams' take on Batwoman debuts in June in Detective Comics #854.

After three years, the media rediscover 'hot lesbian' Batwoman

Batwoman, from Detective Comics #854

As predicted, mainstream media outlets have glommed onto news of Batwoman's starring turn in Detective Comics.

Of course, their focus isn't that a character other than Batman is taking the lead in DC Comics' flagship title. No, it's that the character is "a hot lesbian." Or "a lipstick lesbian." Or a "flame-haired lesbian." Or ... well, you see the pattern.

Never mind that many of these newspapers and websites worked themselves into a lather over the same thing almost three years ago, when Kate Kane was introduced as the new Batwoman in the pages of 52.

Excuse me, the new flame-haired lesbian Batwoman.

The renewed interest began yesterday in the U.K. press with innacurate headlines -- "Lesbian Batwoman is DC Comics' first gay superhero" -- and nods to the 1960s Batman TV series -- "Holy ____!" -- before settling in for a little game of telephone.

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NYCC | A relieved Rucka shares a little about Batwoman

From "Detective Comics" #854, by Greg Rucka, J.H. Williams III and Dave Stewart

New York Comic Con attendees were treated to a preview in their programs of Detective Comics #854, which kicks off a run by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III. So that long-rumored Batwoman title won't be a separate miniseries, but instead an arc of Detective timed to coincide with the "death"-induced absence of Batman.

"Which means finally -- finally! -- I can openly admit that yes, JH Williams III and I have been working on a Batwoman title for nearly two years," Rucka writes on his blog. "And that is both a pleasure and a relief, if I may say so, because I've been wanting to share this for so long it's not funny. And as much as it's been hard for me to keep my tongue still on the subject, I think it's been infinitely harder for JH, all the more so because I believe, sincerely, that this is some of the best work I've ever done, and it's certainly the finest work I've ever had the pleasure of seeing from him."

Rucka also shares a five-page preview, along with the corresponding script.

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