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 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.

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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Quesada confirms Diggle on renumbered Daredevil

Daredevil #500, by Marko Djurdjevic

In this week's "My Cup o' Joe," Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada confirms what he let slip in the previous column: that writer Andy Diggle will take over Daredevil this summer, with the renumbered Issue 501.

Make that Marvel-exclusive writer Andy Diggle.

"I thought for whatever reason that we had already announced that one, but I guess we hadn’t," Quesada says, explaining the quickly deleted slip.

"But man, I can’t get away from this without complimenting [outgoing writer] Ed Brubaker.
Ed did just an amazing, amazing run, following up after Brian Bendis, which was no easy feat. I mean, Ed’s run has been legendary, but he just needed to cycle off. I think he’s had a workload that just felt like 'one book too many,' and he’s told all the Daredevil stories he feels he needs to for right now."

So, why Diggle?

"Well, I think Andy really showed us something when he took over Thunderbolts," Quesada says. "He has a certain feel, a certain 'bite' to his stories, and he just writes tremendous, tremendous villains.
He writes mean characters! [laughs] And there’s something there that resonated with all of us in editorial, where we just thought he could write the piss out of Daredevil."

Update: Diggle writes on Twitter that his contract with Marvel is for two years.

Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

Final Crisis

Publishing | Yen Press has confirmed the release dates for volumes 6-8 of Kiyohiko Azuma's Yotsuba&!, the popular comedy series previously published by ADV Manga: Vol. 6, September; Vol. 7, December; Vol. 8, April 2010. Yen Press announced at New York Comic Con that it had acquired the license to the offbeat manga. [Yen Press, Anime News Network]

Creators | Laura Hudson talks to Grant Morrison about Final Crisis, "Batman R.I.P," event comics, and the high expectations of fandom: "A lot of artists are naturally wary of fan pressure and the excessive criticism that come with a higher profile, so they put their all into a project, knowing that if they do less than the best they’re capable of, 50 jeering bastards on the Internet will turn up to personally insult them." [Comic Foundry, reposted from the Spring 2009 issue]

Creators | Wind up Alan Moore and watch him go (Part 27): "Much as I love the medium, I despise the industry. I've always despised it to a certain degree but after this last few years and all this nonsense with the films, I believe it to be a completely poisonous place that isn't really going anywhere. I did once feel I was part of a movement that wanted to change comics into something was valuable to culture, but I don't really feel that kinship in the way I used to." [The Guardian]

Publishing | Chris Ryall, editor-in-chief and publisher of IDW Publishing, discusses moving the company away from the horror niche, signing author Joe Hill, and his new series with Ben Templesmith Groom Lake. [The Cult]

Creators | Our own Chris Mautner posts the full interview he conducted with writer Ed Brubaker before the release of Incognito #1. [Panels and Pixels]

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Brubaker's Angel of Death debuts today

Angel of Death

Can't believe I almost forgot to post this ... Ed Brubaker's web series, Angel of Death, debuted on Crackle.com today. The series about a female assassin stars Zoe Bell, Lucy Lawless, Doug Jones, and Ted Raimi.

What Are You Reading?

Incognito

Welcome to another edition of What Are You Reading, where we tell you ... well, what we're reading. Duh.

Our guest this week is Frank Santoro, the artist behind PictureBox's Cold Heat series, and the creator of one of the best graphic novels of the past twenty years, Storyville. He's a regular contributor to the Comics Comiclog and his latest work can be found in the pages of the behemoth known as Kramer's Ergot 7.

To find out what Frank and the rest of the Robot 6 crew is reading, click on the link.

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WonderCon '09 | Panel schedule announced

Comic-Con International has posted the programming for WonderCon, which is coming up Feb. 27-March 1 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. As its run by the same folks who do San Diego, it has that same feel and variety, but is a little more laid back and low key than the madness that is the San Diego Comic Con. My brother and I were able to walk right into the X-Files panel last year just as it started ... same with the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles panel. I don't think you could ever do something like that at San Diego. In any event, it's a great opportunity to see creators and actually chat with them a bit.

Let's see what will be going on ...

• Marvel's been absent from WonderCon for the past couple of years, and while they don't appear to have a booth, they do have a presence this year. Both Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction are guests of honor, and it looks like Jeph Loeb, Mark Paniccia and Axel Alonso, among others, will also be there. Of note is a discussion between Fraction and author Michael Chabon on Saturday that will likely be worth the price of admission alone.

• Speaking of special guests, Brian Azzarello and Dave Johnson are also attending and will host a panel on 100 Bullets on Saturday ... followed by a night at Isotope Comics. And although Dan DiDio won't be at the con this year, DC's got Jim Lee, Will Dennis, Ian Sattler, James Robinson and Aaron Lopresti, among others.

• Oni Press, IDW, Dark Horse, BOOM!, SLG, Aspen and Top Cow will also be on hand, both on the floor and at various panels to talk about their latest projects.

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What are you reading?

RASL Vol. 1

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. This week our special guest is none other than Ed Brubaker, acclaimed writer of such exemplary comics as Captain America, Daredevil, the new Incognito and Criminal, the latest trade collection of which, Bad Night, was let loose in stores last week.

To find out what Ed and the rest of us are reading, click on the link below ...

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