As the licensing machine revs up for the May 4 premiere of The Avengers, fragrance company JADS International — the company behind such brands as Sulu Pour Homme, Slave Leia Perfume and Shirtless Kirk Cologne — has rolled out scents inspired by Captain America, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Nick Fury and even Loki. Sorry, Hawkeye, you’re out of luck.

The Avengers Cologne Set boasts “four unique fragrances”: PATRIOT, Mark VII, SMASH! and Worthy; you can probably piece together which name goes with which hero. Loki, meanwhile, gets Mischief Cologne (“Made to Rule”), and Fury has Initiative Cologne (“Activate the Initiative”).

Check out the details below, or on the JADS website.

PATRIOT Cologne
A cologne that pays homage to the confident, stand-up-to-bullies, hard working average Joe in every man. PATRIOT Cologne is both reserved and sexy; like a symbol on a shield or a moniker on a motorcycle helmet. Fresh notes of green lime and white pepper are the first to hit with dry oak wood, sandalwood and tequila accords finishing the adventure. Perfect for any time or place, PATRIOT Cologne puts the Novus Mundus in your strong, sensuous hands for you to embrace and discover.

PATRIOT Cologne
Your Attack Plan.

Mark VII Cologne
A resolutely sophisticated cologne forged from the sea, the sun, the earth, and a touch of devil-may-care whimsy. Transparent, aromatic, and modern in nature, Mark VII combines mandarin, neroli, nasturtium and jasmine layered with light patchouli to create a contemporary expression of “I don’t play well with others” confidence; leaving you always ready for whatever a genius, billionaire, playboy-philanthropist might encounter along the way.

Mark VII Cologne
Armor Up.

SMASH! Cologne
Very unusual and rare materials have been brought together to create a woody aquatic cologne evoking both a serene sense of timeless freedom and a single-minded, unbridled passion for life. Yuzu, bergamot and tarragon create clean, clear top notes along with unexpected accords of water lily and nutmeg. SMASH! then carries an intense woody drydown enriched with Indian sandalwood, vetiver, musk and sharp cedar. Complimentary to a full range of emotions, it wears well no matter where—at work, the lab or an evening out on the town.

SMASH!
Be Angry.

Worthy Cologne
This woody citrus cologne is a unique, meaningful combination of bergamot, frozen ginger and wheatgrass blended with a hint of fresh natural grapefruit and layered deeply with aromatic cypress. Basenotes are possessed with sensual, seductive tones of dark amber and cedarwood, protecting and enhancing a deep, dry masculine (dare we say almost God-like?) musk.

Worthy Cologne
Possess the Power.

Infinity Formula Cologne
Colonel Nicholas “Nick” Fury. Paratrooper, Ranger, Weapons and Demolitions Expert, Aircraft Specialist and Pilot, Green Beret. Veteran of every US War and Military Conflict since WWII. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The single most powerful, most important organization on the planet Earth.” And the only human strong enough to bring together a group of remarkable people who would fight the battles no one else could.

Infinity Formula Cologne.
Face danger with something dangerous. Activate the Initiative.

Mischief Cologne
Possessed of Superhuman strength, Genius-level intelligence, Mystical powers, Telepathy, Flight, Clairvoyance, Therianthropy, and Teleportation … who could blame you for becoming the greatest trickster of them all? So wear your crown of baleful maleficence with pride; let mirth and mayhem stand ready at your side, anticipating your every command. Test their mettle knowing you have nothing to fear; you are Mischief and you were made to rule.

(via ComicBookMovie)

American Barbarian

Back in 2010, when Thomas Scioli started bolstering his online presence and entered the realm of webcomics with American Barbarian, I was curious to see how things would play out (as may or may not have been obvious in my June 2010 interview of him). I’ll be honest and admit that now, more than a year later (and with far more of the project online to read), American Barbarian far exceeds what I expected. As much as I have always enjoyed and respected his Kirby-influenced approach to visual storytelling, after reading this double post Apocalyptic tale, I am far more impressed with Scioli’s funky ear for dialogue. It’s like reading a 1970s comic written by a minimalist version of David Mamet. Doubting my quirky endorsement of the work? Then realize AdHouse is collecting the webcomic for a 256-page/6 ” x 9 ” /hardcover release early this year. If you don’t trust my tastes, then you should definitely trust AdHouse publisher Chris Pitzer. To mark the upcoming release, Scioli and I did another of our quick email interviews. Before diving into the interview, let me take a second to agree with JK Parkin’s sentiment in this post, back in June, that DC Comics should have considered Scioli for one of the New 52 titles that it launched back in September. So I was surprised to learn (as you can read in this interview) that DC did not contact Scioli when assembling the creative team for the new OMAC title. As I edited this interview I realized it was hard to find my favorite part of our discussion, but it may be the revelation that the look for Two-Tank Omen came to Scioli in a dream. A close second was learning a bit about his next webcomic, Final Frontier. Feel free to chime in with your favorite part of this interview and/or Scioli’s work in the comments section, please.

Tim O’Shea: As an independent creator, the job of marketing your work falls to you. Do you think over the years, you have gotten more comfortable marketing yourself? On a related note, how did you decide upon doing this one minute trailer for American Barbarian?

Thomas Scioli: Even the largest comics publishers don’t seem to have a budget for promotion, so I’d say any creator, independent or mainstream, can benefit from doing their own promotion. It’s something that I’ve never been comfortable with, but do out of necessity. I think I have gotten better about it, because in the beginning, it would give me crippling anxiety, now it’s just mild trepidation. The idea for doing a trailer came from having seen other people do it. AdHouse’s own Afrodisiac trailer and [Top Shelf's] Infinite Kung-Fu [trailer] are two that made an impression on me when they made the rounds. It got me excited about those two works, so I wanted to do the same. I’d been dabbling with animation, back when I started AmBarb so it was a natural outgrowth of that, too. Once you start doing a webcomic it isn’t long before you realize, hey, why not just do a cartoon?

O’Shea: Did AdHouse’s Chris Pitzer contact you regarding the possibility of an American Barbarian book, or was it the other way around?

Scioli: It happened pretty organically. Comics is a small world, independent comics is even smaller. We’d been hanging out on the convention circuit. Chris had expressed an interest in American Barbarian from pretty early on, but there’s a wide gap between interest as, “that’s something I’d like to read” and “that’s something I’d like to publish.” When I got closer to finishing the book, I knew I had to start pitching it to publishers soon. I was dreading the thought. Chris had bought an American Barbarian pinup I did for the program book and art auction at HeroesCon 2010. At HeroesCon 2011, our tables were adjacent. One of the most common things people ask me at conventions is “When are they going to reprint the first Godland hardcover?” Since it’s been out of print for many years and goes for ridiculous prices online. The idea occurred to me, “Hey, Joe and I own this, so just because Image doesn’t want to reprint it doesn’t mean some other publisher might.” I half jokingly turned to Chris and said, “Do you want to publish a reprint of the first Godland hardcover?” Chris said no, but that he’d like to publish American Barbarian. It was as simple as that. I was ready to say yes right then and there, but I decided to wait until I got home and think about it first. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I had a long list of reasons why AdHouse would be the best possible publisher for it. And I like Chris so much, that the idea of working with him made it easy to say yes.

O’Shea: To you, what are some of the larger benefits to teaming with AdHouse?

Scioli: Before AmBarb, my audience was largely the wednesday comics store audience, viewing my work mainly from a Kirby nostalgia direction. When I started going all-in on webcomics, I noticed a totally new audience discovering my work for the first time. I think being with AdHouse gives it a different context where the full range of things I’m bringing to the table can be highlighted.

I feel like Chris Pitzer is strong in areas that I struggle with. He’s got a great understanding of book design, which is really important for a project like this that is going from an online context to book form. He’s focused on making the book an interesting object in and of itself. Since this is a work that I created entirely on my own, it wasn’t commissioned by a publisher, the main thing you need is a publisher who understands presentation. I know American Barbarian will get the attention it needs and not get lost in the shuffle. AdHouse’s line seemed to me to be carefully curated. Each release really counts. It’s gotten to a point where each new AdHouse book is kind of an event, you know? The Josh Cotter books, then Afrodisiac, then Duncan the Wonder Dog, Pope Hats, Forming. I feel like AdHouse has had this great track record of quality, where I’m benefitting from that goodwill, that American Barbarian is the next AdHouse book and that that means something. I think it’s a great way to have your work presented.

O’Shea: In the webcomic’s first chapter for several panels before his arrival you inject small panels teasing the impending arrival of Two-Tank Omen in a manner that reminded me of Walt Simonson’s teases for Surtur. Did that serve as an inspiration for you?

Scioli: I’m a fan of Thor, so it might be in there somewhere. It’s probably closer to the buildup to the introduction of Galactus, since the buildup and intro happen within the same chapter. Ditko tended to do more of the Surtur-style multi-issue buildup to a villain’s intro than Kirby did. Didn’t they mention Dormammu for months before he actually showed up in Dr. Strange? Spiderman always seemed like it had lots of silhouetted mystery villains hanging around making plans for ages before they’d actually make a move.

Specifically what I was thinking of, and I think it will be more apparent in the print version, is that I had an idea in one of my notebooks to have a subplot going on in a small panel at the bottom of each page, and to have that bottom panel slowly get larger and larger until it engulfs the entire page. I eventually found a use for that idea here, in the buildup to Two-Tank’s arrival.

O’Shea: Is it me or did you enjoy writing the dialogue for American Barbarian’s brothers and father? I cracked up when you had his dad telling the king: “you’re going to have to eat some shit.”

Scioli: Yes I did. I had to make that choice for this comic, how do people talk? I’d been doing the high and mighty fantasy speech in 8-Opus. I wanted to take a break from it and see if I could get away with some more direct, less polished speech. While I’m drawing, I’ll write temporary dialogue in the margins as a placeholder for when I can fill in something more polished. I’ve talked to some other artists who also do this, too. I thought it might be interesting to have them speak in that “first draft” dialogue. “Eat shit, Submariner!” rather than “Taste the full cosmic fury of mine awesome hammer Mjolnir!”

O’Shea: When Rick is carving revenge into his fingers you went to a completely different art style in two panels (pages 10 and 11) of Chapter 2, in fact at least with 11 it looks like it is a photo of actual hands. What lead you to try those panels that way?

Scioli: I don’t know. It was something that just came up in the course of doing it. I hadn’t planned to do it that way, until I sat down to draw it. I knew I wanted to reserve the right to draw any page any way I wanted to. That’s part of the freedom of webcomics. I knew fumetti, watercolor and collage were tools that I hadn’t used before in a comic, so this seemed like a good place to do it. In a lot of ways that’s the emotional focal point of the whole story, so if you’re going to do it somewhere, that’s the place for it.

O’Shea: Am I right in assuming you love designing zany-looking characters. Who do you consider among the American Barbarian cast to be the most outlandish looking character?

Scioli: You’re right, that’s my favorite part of the job. The most outlandish has got to be Two-Tank Omen. That was one that came to me in a dream, so I don’t feel like I “designed” it as much as some of the other characters. Gali-Leo is pretty weird and he was one that was very carefully constructed.

O’Shea: At what point in the story planning did you realize: “I want to have Rick driving a Honda in the opening to chapter 3!”?

Scioli: I wanted him to roll down the hill in some kind of vehicle. At first I was kind of picturing something like in the Simpsons driving game where you utterly destroy your car and drive around in a frame with no tires.

Eventually I decided I wanted this to be another point to include some photo-collage. That’s actually my car.

O’Shea: How is plotting and pacing for a webcomic different than your approach in your past projects?

Scioli: Here’s a big difference, which worked out really well: there’s no set length for the chapters. Each chapter is as long or short as it needs to be. I had 14-page chapters, 40-page chapters. Originally I had concieved of this as a 10-part monthly mini-series comic book. That means that I would’ve had to cram the 40-page chapter into 20-some pages or pad out the 14-page chapter. It lets the work breathe and find its own pace.

I also like how you can release it a page at a time. In a monthly comic, the only page that lingers is the last page. You have to wait a while for that next chunk of story, so that’s where the cliffhangers go. With a webcomic, every page is a cliffhanger. As a creator, you hate the fact that something you labored over can be read so quickly. The people who followed the comic as each page was posted read it in a timeframe that was a lot closer to the timeframe I created it in.

O’Shea: Am I right in thinking you love to use thought balloons for comedic effect (I am thinking in particular of the line “I thought that douche was her boyfriend” from Chapter 5).

Scioli: I’m a big believer in the thought balloon. It lends itself to humor of course, since it’s viewed as a quaint relic, but I think you can use it for serious effect, too.

O’Shea: The webcomic is currently at chapter 10. How many chapters will be covered in February’s release?

Scioli: There will be 10 chapters total, but chapter 10 is pretty long. That’s the whole story. After the story finishes, ambarb.com will host my next webcomic: Final Frontier.

O’Shea: Care to divulge some more details about Final Frontier?

Scioli: It’s the most straight-up superheroey thing I’ve ever done. There’s a whole universe of characters doing all kinds of crazy stuff. It’s tangentially related to American Barbarian.

O’Shea: Are there any extras that the American Barbarian book is going to offer?

Scioli: There are extra drawings and sketches scattered through the book as chapter breaks or design elements. There’s an awesome map of American Barbarian’s world on the endpapers. There’s no backmatter. The book is pretty much all story. The story ended up being a lot bigger than I thought it would be. That last chapter just kept going and going.

O’Shea: In a recent Twitter exchange with Kurt Busiek, you noted that there is a lack of plot (much less subplot) in some comics. How did that come to be, in your opinion?

Scioli: I disavow anything I post on Twitter. Anything I say on there is usually only how I feel at the moment I tweet it, and I usually disagree with it immediately.

I think that because Kirby-style action comics story-telling is my baseline, which is very plot-heavy, everything else tends to seem to my eyes, leasurely and anemic by comparison. But I probably tend towards an over-reliance on plot mechanics and need to learn to more fully utilize the other components of storytelling.

O’Shea: It’s a simple opinion at its core, but I still have to ask (based on this tweet) what is it about the writing process that is so enjoyable for you?

Scioli: That’s where it feels like you’re really playing with toys and having fun, when you’re in those early stages of figuring out the shape of it. The day-in-day-out drawing of a comic has its own set of rewards, but things happen so much more slowly, it’s not as enjoyable. I think it’s also because my early work was so much more focussed on the drawing. Writing was something I did to facilitate the things I wanted to draw, where now I’ve accumulated enough experience that I actually have feel like I have things to say, and a way of expressing them.

O’Shea: Please tell me that DC contacted you when they decided to include OMAC as part of the new 52?

Scioli: They did not. DC is the one big four company I’ve never done anything with. OMAC is a lot closer to what I’d like to see from mainstream superhero comics, a focus on visual bravura and clearly-choreographed action. It’s got that joy in the drawing process that I’d just mentioned. I’d been enjoying Giffen’s recent penciling work leading up to it. It’s beautiful. It’s my favorite of the new 52, and tellingly enough it’s by far the worst-selling. I know better than anybody what a tough sell the fake Kirby thing can be.

Officer Downe

Hello and welcome to a special birthday bash edition of our weekly “What Are You Reading” feature. Typically the Robot 6 crew talks about what books we’ve read recently, but since it’s our anniversary, we thought we’d invite all our friends and colleagues from Comic Book Resources and Comics Should Be Good! to join in the fun.

To see what everyone has been reading, click below …

*****

Timothy Callahan

Uncanny X-Force #1

Uncanny X-Force #1-19, by Rick Remender, Jerome Opena, Dean White, and others. I’ve been reading — and enjoying — this series since the first issue debuted, but I carved out a couple of hours recently to reread the entire run to see the whole Archangel saga play out as a single story. I wondered if this was, perhaps, the defining run for the character — the way the Brubaker/Fraction Immortal Iron Fist defined Danny Rand, or the way Jason Aaron provided the definitive Ghost Rider. And upon rereading, I have to say “yes.” This first year-and-a-half of Uncanny X-Force is the definitive Angel/Archangel story, and what’s so great about it is that Remender built upon the mythology of the character’s past instead of trying to revert him to some oversimplified version of the original Lee/Kirby creation. Also, this series is just packed with characters and plot points and yet maintains a deep emotional core. Good stuff, all around.

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner. I’m only about 50 pages into this novel so far, and though I’ve read a decent amount of Faulkner — and plenty of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, the other two Big American Moderns — I’ve never taken the time to read this acclaimed masterpiece. I’ll reserve complete judgment on it until I’ve finished it, of course, but I already know that it lacks a direct through-line like you’d find in my favorite Faulkner book, As I Lay Dying. When I used to teach that novel, we would explore Faulkner’s use of heteroglossia — basically, the multiplicity of narrative voices — and he’s clearly up to the same tricks in The Sound and the Fury. My prejudice against this novel, and the reason why I’ve avoided it for so long, is that I assume it will be more of a portrait of a time and a place than an actual, compelling story. I have always been more of a story guy than a portrait guy, personally, but we will see what treasures this novel holds.

Tom Spurgeon’s Holiday Interview series. Every year, during the Christmas season, Tom treats us to daily interviews with some of the most interesting people in and around the comic book industry. From Kim Thompson to Jeff Parker to Tucker Stone, we get a profile of the current state of comics from all angles, and the interviews go far deeper than the standard online promotional pieces. These are actual conversations with people who have things to say. Every one of them is worth reading, even if you don’t think you’re interested in the topic at first.

Timothy Callahan writes CBR’s When Words Collide column. He also writes about comics for Tor.com and has his own blog.

Chad Nevett

1. A bunch of Joe Casey comics. Anyone who knows me probably isn’t surprised by that statement, but, look at December: Doc Bizarre, the Officer Downe hardcover, new issues of Haunt and Gødland, and the conclusion to Vengeance. All that was missing was a little Butcher Baker… Any month with that much Joe Casey is going to seem a little crazy. Doc Bizarre is some madcap fun, Officer Downe manages to be even more fucked up, and Vengeance ends on such a crazy high note that I think I need to send Mr. Casey a big thank you letter for writing a comic book series so squarely aimed at yours truly. I know I’m not the only one who marked out at Z making a cameo appearance at the end…! I’m still not entirely sure about Haunt (aside from loving Nathan Fox’s art). Casey obviously has some plans, but it’s hard to see where they’re heading. I dug the new issue, though. Ending the year with that small stack of December Joe Casey comics is pretty nice.

The Visible Man

2. The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman. Probably the last book I’ll finish in 2011 (I finished reading it late Friday night) and it was a big leap from his first novel Downtown Owl. I’ve really enjoyed Klosterman’s non-fiction (or semi-fiction, maybe?) work for years. Funny, insightful, and always interesting in his essays on pop culture in all its forms. I tend to blow through his books, because they’re so damn enjoyable. His fiction, on the other hand, hasn’t always grabbed me. Downtown Owl was entertaining and had its moments, but it was definitely something that I read because I like Klosterman’s writing. The Visible Man has me thinking that Klosterman may have some strong fiction chops. It’s a novel framed as a non-fictional account of a therapist and her (failed) treatment of a man who wears a suit that renders him virtually impossible to see by reflecting light in such a way that you see what’s on the other side of him. The protagonist ‘Y____’ reminds me a lot of a character who has stepped out of a Paul Auster book. Forceful and strange with a strong and unique perspective on the world and himself. Some of the ideas discussed are wonderful. The stories he tells of observing people in their homes without detection are rather engaging — to the point where the novel suffers a little when it moves away from those stories. The ending is what it is… it doesn’t live up to the potential the book or Y____ showed, but… entertaining book that made me stop and think from time to time. And has me wondering what Klosterman’s next novel will be like.

3. Banner by Brian Azzarello and Richard Corben, and Filthy Rich by Brian Azzarello and Victor Santos. A couple of Azzarello books that I’ve been meaning to get for a while. I read Banner years ago on Marvel’s website and it’s both very like and very unlike Azzarello’s other writing. The language games are there in spots, but his dialogue is very sparse — he really steps back and lets Corben run the show to a degree. Filthy Rich had its moments, but is so rooted in being ‘pulp’ that it doesn’t do much more than work within the confines of the genre. It’s a fun little exercise. Santos’s art is wildly inconsistent — but, when he’s on, he does a mean Frank Miller impression.

Chad Nevett talks about comics in several different places around the web — at his personal blog GraphiContent, at Comics Should Be Good! and as a reviewer for Comic Book Resources. He also writes about wrestling for 411mania.

Bill Reed

These days I’ve found myself reading more and more webcomics, and as someone who still hasn’t figured out how an RSS feed works, that involves me remembering to read a strip on a specific schedule, and then clicking or typing myself over to the designated webspace from which the particular comic springs forth. I would totally pay real dollars for the following:

Al’Rashad, from Christopher Bird and Davinder Brar, which goes up weekly at Mightygodking, a clever, funny, and superbly drawn fantasy adventure comic that features pirate action, bizarre bazaars and the wiliest mop-haired street orphan since Flim-Flam from The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo.

Bearmageddon

Bearmageddon, artist Ethan Nicolle’s other, non-Axe-Cop webcomic, which has been slowly building its way to the titular Grizzly apocalypse, and has just recently leaped into the Kodiak carnage we’ve been waiting for, with well-meaning hippies versus nature’s hungry killing machines. Nicolle’s gorgeous cartooning and Noah Maas and company’s vibrant colors give the series the most beautiful mayhem since, well, Axe Cop.

Bucko, by Jeff Parker and Erika Moen, a freewheeling (actually, fixed-gear) epic for our times, populated by hipsters, cyclists, Juggalos, and fartmongers, the strip turns Portland into a magical, madcap fantasy land filled with delightful, deranged characters, the true Oz of the Northwest. Moen’s lines have been getting sparer and more confident, the art style becoming more refined, like the evolution of a newspaper comic strip, only at hyperspeed.

Lady Sabre & the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether by Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett, a beautifully realized space pirate cowboy adventure serial that opens with a tremendous swordfight on a space zeppelin before segueing into Sam Elliot kicking ass. I shouldn’t have to say any more, but I will: it’s the best artwork of Burchett’s career, and the included script with each new installment provides a great insight into the collaborative process, specifically in terms of how artwork interprets and diverges from the narrative skeleton.

Bill Reed contributes regularly to Comics Should Be Good! and has his own personal blog.

Ryan K Lindsay

11.22.63

11.22.63: I’m a massive Stephen King fan. Always have been and always will be. Most of his recent fare hasn’t been anything compared to his late 70’s stuff (but what is?) though his short stories continue to thrill and I enjoyed Under The Dome right up until the cop out ending. I am, however, thoroughly enjoying 11.22.63.

There might not be any subtext to this book but you must cast that aside and revel in the fact King is one of the premiere storytellers when it comes to sinking you right into the narrative. There are some King tics that’ll stand out (constantly naming songs to set the tone and you’ll hear his unmistakable voice coming through some of these characters) but the swell of this tale is captivating. King turns a phrase well but mostly he just wants to tell an enjoyable tale and he really is.

There has been more than one occasion in this book where I have stopped because the events have floored me. That’s the sign of a good book to be read. Oh, and this is my first novel read on the iPad and I’m completely digging the way it goes. I have no issue with it at all.

The Cape: This is the sort of comic that makes me excessively proud to be a comic fan. Just by tangentially knowing this product through purchasing, reading, enjoying and reviewing this book, my life is better and I’ve spread the love out into the world. This book started with the acorn of an idea from a Joe Hill short story, and now Jason Ciaramella and Zach Howard have grown it into a mighty tree with a canopy of rich ideas and a nasty lead character at the peak.

If you haven’t picked up The Cape then you need to do it. If you have any member of your family who digs on subversive fare then buy this for them. The level of amazing this comic goes to will win you over completely. Comics need to try this hard more often.

The Mighty Thor Omnibus

Simonson’s Everything: I listened to Walt Simonson on Word Balloon, and it’s put me in a spin. I’ve owned the SIMONSOMNIBUS (The Mighty Thor Omnibus) for half a year and my New Year’s Resolution is to burn through it all. I might even annotate my thoughts. I also found some Simonson Fantastic Four issues on ComiXology for only $1.99 so I snapped those up. And I’ve also pulled down my old Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown issues for another spin through.

I’m a big back issue fan, as a kid I loved coming back from the comic shop (an hour train ride to and back) and spreading all my swag out on the bed and spending the day losing myself in old Marvel U history. It’s now nice to have my pick of them in authentic old school issues, a massive omnibus presentation, and crystal clear on my iPad. We do truly live in the future – here’s to 2012.

Ryan K Lindsay is a reviewer for CBR and a podcaster with Kurtis J Wiebe and Jeremy Holt on The Process, where they talk about comic writing. He is planning to have a very big 2012 in all things comics.

Greg McElhatton

Kushiel's Dart

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey: I still remember when Kushiel’s Dart was published in 2001; I was living in Falls Church and the local Borders had copies of it everywhere. Clocking in around 700 pages, it looked interesting but daunting at the same time. There are nine books in the series now, and I’ve still never gotten around to reading them. Fortunately for me, my book club picked it as the January 2012 book, which means I finally have an excuse to dive in. I’m still in the early pages and it’s slow-moving, but Jacqueline Carey’s prose is comfortable and I’m interested in what I’ve seen so far about this alternate history. Half of the fun is piecing together what’s different when it comes to an alternate history, and this one is no exception.

Embassytown by China Mieville: I’ve put Embassytown temporarily aside so I can finish up Kushiel’s Dart, and already I’m dying to get back to China Mieville’s latest novel. Mieville’s ideas are always wonderfully huge and crazy, and Embassytown is no exception. What starts out as a simple “humans co-existing with aliens on another planet” story has rapidly turned into a mixture of social dynamics and linguistic oddities. Similar to his novel The City & The City (with its two cities that exist side-by-side where the inhabitants have learned to block out the opposite side), it’s hard to describe the joy and wonder of Embassytown without giving away a lot of the wonderful surprises, but if you can make it to the point where you first meet the Ambassadors, you’ll quickly learn just why Embassytown is in a class of its own. If you’ve never read a Mieville book before, Embassytown is a great place to start.

Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes

Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes by Carl Barks: I’m a little mortified to admit that Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes is my first exposure to Carl Barks (after decades of being interested in finally seeing why he’s so revered as a comic creator), but it definitely won’t be my last. Fantagraphics’ first volume of Barks material is a great place to start; a mixture of epic quests, short stories, and gag strips that are all impressively funny and awesome. There’s something wonderfully evil about a strip where a witch is forcing the Duck nephews to cry so that she can turn their tears into a potion to destroy all Christmas trees, only to turn around and have a hilarious transformation sequence to break up the gloom and make you laugh.

A friend once said, “Everything good in the DuckTales cartoon was first done by Carl Barks” and I can see that now. This is one of those rare comics that really is meant for all ages, or for that matter all interests; the only reason it took me a few weeks to finish the book is that halfway through, my non-comics-reading boyfriend started flipping through it and then temporarily claimed it as his own so that he could finish it first. Trust me when I say, that’s high praise indeed.

Greg McElhatton writes reviews for Comic Book Resources and Read About Comics, and he has a cool personal blog as well.

Dave Richards

Beautiful, Naked & Dead and Out There Bad by Josh Stallings: If you’re like me, you love a great crime story regardless of whether it’s published in four color or prose formats and these two prose novels which I recently discovered were some of the best crime stories I read all year. In Beautiful, Naked, & Dead, Stallings’ stellar debut novel, you’re introduced to Moses McGuire; an ex-marine, ex-con, and strip club bouncer as he goes on a quest to avenge a friend’s murder. In the even better follow up novel, Out There Bad, Stallings sends Moses to Mexico for a confrontation with human traffickers. If you love the work of Ed Brubaker, Jason Aaron and Greg Rucka pick these two books up. You won’t regret it.

Batman: Noel

Batman: Noel by Lee Bermejo: I got this as a Christmas present and read it Christmas eve. I don’t think I really need to say a whole lot about Bermejo’s art. It’s beautiful, breathtaking and speaks for itself for the most part. His renderings of Gotham City and the Joker were especially impressive in this. I believe this is Bermejo’s first book as a writer though and he does a pretty great job with it. He tells a fun story that does a nice job working the framework of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol into a Batman story. Bermejo also did a great job with characterization, especially Superman who serves as the Ghost of Christmas Present. All in all this was a fun holiday read and might just become a Christmas Eve tradition for me.

Hellboy: House of the Living Dead by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben: House of the Living Dead is a tale that involves Hellboy, a Frankenstein style monster, a werewolf, a vampire and Mexican Lucha Libre style wrestling. That’s a pretty awesome recipe, and Mignola and Corben cook it up very well for this original graphic novel. In the story it’s 1952, and an alcoholic Hellboy is working as a masked wrestler. Thanks to the machinations of a mysterious foe he has to wrestle a scientist’s monstrous creation to save a young girl. The result is a fun, strange, exciting tale with a lot of heart.

Dave Richards covers all things Marvel for Comic Book Resources.

Greg Hatcher

Kamandi

Well. I’m sort of reading all three of these at the same time, alternating.

1. The new Kamandi omnibus, because it arrived recently and Kamandi is awesome. I could go on and on but Alex Cox really said it all here a couple of years back…

2. The Green Hornet Casefiles. I love the Moonstone prose anthologies and already own a bunch of them– the Avenger, the Phantom, Kolchak, the Domino Lady. But I think the ones featuring the Green Hornet may be my favorites and this is the new one. Full disclosure– editor Win Eckert and I occasionally correspond and he asked permission to use a quote of mine for a cover blurb on the deluxe edition. But I went out and spent my own money on this because I enjoyed the first one so much. New, original prose adventures featuring the Green Hornet and Kato– and it’s clearly MY Hornet and Kato, the Van Williams and Bruce Lee version from the mid-sixties. What with Kevin Smith and Matt Wagner and Seth Rogen and God knows who else doing versions of the Hornet these days, it can get confusing. But this version’s mine. Rocking it old-school.

Rider of the Rifle Rock

3. For Christmas my wife Julie found me Bennett Foster’s Rider of the Rifle Rock, a vintage Western hardcover from 1939. It’s a great story of how young Chet Minor learns how to be a real man again after a riding accident that leaves him crippled. I love old westerns and I’m a sucker for a redemption story. This actually is pretty easy to find–reprinted in hardcover under the “Sagebrush Western” imprint not to long ago–but mine’s the original one. Because my wife is even more awesome than Kamandi.

You can read more from Greg Hatcher every Friday at Comics Should Be Good!

Pól Rua

Infinite Kung-Fu by Kagan McLeod (Top Shelf Publishing): First, read that again… Infinite. Kung. Fu. Roll it around inside your head for a bit. Give it a bit of reverb. Now try saying it out loud, feeling each syllable thunder off your lips. That’s some serious righteousness right there, and a comic book would have to be pretty damn good to live up to a name like that. So, it’s damn lucky that Kagan McLeod has the chops (and the kicks, stomps and strikes) to do just that and exceed it.

Infinite Kung Fu

First of all, he’s good. Crazy good. He has a kinetic, graphitti-inspired art style that leaps, glides and dives across the stage like righteous combat lightning. But, in conjunction with that, he’s also a hell of a storyteller. He effortlessly translates the classic style of 1970′s Hong Kong Kung Fu cinema into comic form, using an incredible degree of craft, draftsmanship and skill to convey all the style, dynamism and impact of martial arts combat into pictures which seem to come alive on the page. And what’s more, he knows his stuff, combining bone-shattering kung fu, Taoist mysticism, bloodthirsty zombies, ruthless villainy and funky blaxploitation-fuelled grooves seamlessly together without the disparate elements clashing with each other. In short, this is an amazingly good comic, and Top Shelf have really put it all together into a gorgeous package.

Moriarty and the Hound of the D’urbevilles by Kim Newman (Titan Books): Kim Newman is one of my favourite writers. He’s an incredibly literate pop culture critic and commentator and an astoundingly skilled storyteller. He uses similar techniques to Phillip Jose Farmer (in his Wold Newton stories) and Alan Moore (in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) in a way that’s playful, frequently funny as hell and always utterly captivating.

In this collection of short stories, we are introduced to Professor James Moriarty, a genius obsessed with the “mathematics of crime,” who has made his life’s work the imposition of pure reason onto the chaotic realm of criminal endeavor. Our point-of-view on this extraordinary criminal is Colonel Sebastian Moran, big game hunter, ex-soldier and rapacious scoundrel, as a kind of anti-Watson. Like many of his other stories, most notably the Anno Dracula series (an alternate world in which Count Dracula became ruler of the world in the late 19th Century) and the Diogenes Club (about an organization of paranormal investigators stretching from Victorian London to
Thatcher’s Britain), Newman liberally sprinkles his stories with obscure and not-so-obscure references to various historical and literary character. These don’t impede the storytelling–each story is an engaging and entertaining work of fiction in its own right–but they provide an additional layer of entertainment, where the stories can also be read as a fascinating literary game.

King City #1

King City by Brandon Graham (Image Comics): If there is any justice in the world, Brandon Graham is one name you will be hearing a lot of in the upcoming years. He is ridiculously talented, and has an undeniable style and energy. Imagine, if you can, a story that combines the freewheeling whimsy and character-driven
storytelling of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim with the streetwise neo-futurism of Ellis and Robertson’s Transmetropolitan or Paul Pope’s Heavy Liquid or THB, and you have the world of King City. It’s a world of costumed spy gangs and giant atomic monsters, alien pornography and Sasquatch inn-keepers, but it’s more than that…

It’s a world where our hero, arriving back in town after a long stretch, dreads seeing his ex-girlfriend as he re-connects with old friends. It’s a world where a young woman worries about her lover, a recently returned war veteran whose only solace for his night terrors is a drug which may be slowly killing him, but it’s more than THAT…

It’s a comic where the creator throws in puzzles and games even, in one place, a board game all of which are actually parts of the story and serve a plot purpose. This is GREAT comics. Playful comics. Fun Comics. All delivered with a charm, verve, wit and skill that deserves wider attention. The trade paperback collection should be out in February which I’m as excited as all get out about.

Pól Rua is an artist and occasionally contributes to Comics Should Be Good!

Kelly Thompson

Warren Ellis’ Secret Avengers run (Secret Avengers #16 – #20): There’s still one more issue left in Warren Ellis’ wonderful Secret Avengers run, but he has been blowing my mind with these amazing superhero comics. With incredibly smart standalone stories with limited casts that all feel like they tie together even though they don’t depend on one another to make sense Ellis has been creating some of the best superhero comics I’ve read in 2011. It doesn’t hurt that he’s got a rotating cast of amazing artists helping him bring these stories to life. Reading this short run reminds me how great a wonderful 20-page superhero comic can be. I wish comics could do more of this and I will be decidedly sad to see this run end. I’ll be first in line for the trade when released as well – it’ll make for a hell of a strong collection.

Hinges

Hinges by Meredith McClaren: I’m been reading Meredith McClaren (artist for Jen Van Meter’s upcoming Hopeless Savages Volume 4) excellent webcomic Hinges for a while now and I am just constantly blown away by her beautiful haunting work. The mastery of craft in her pages – from the well-developed drawing style, to pitch perfect color choice, to even her stylized execution of word balloons – is just phenomenal. The story of Hinges is frequently text free, relying on McClaren’s strong artistic chops to tell the story – but even without words it’s emotional and haunting. McClaren is a major new talent in comics and I simply can’t wait to see what she does next.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 9 by Andrew Chambliss and Georges Jeanty: The first arc of Buffy The Vampire Slayer‘s new series has wrapped and I have to say, I’m pretty enchanted with it. The end of Season 8 had me frustrated and confused, but as always with Joss Whedon, he’s managed to bring things back around to a place where I’m re-engaged and highly intrigued by where he wants to take these characters that I adore. The comics have been a funny animal, since they’re able to do things and go places that the television show never could and because of that they have different boundaries and rules, but somehow, thanks to great creators and a strong guiding hand from Whedon, the characters, which are the important part in all of this, remain as fascinating and as emotionally engaging as ever. Steve Morris’ stunning covers aren’t hurting the series any either!

Kelly Thompson writes (and podcasts) for Comics Should Be Good! and reviews comics for CBR. You can also read more from her on her personal site.

Brian Cronin

This week saw the release of two noteworthy Vertigo issues, one an ending and one a beginning.

DMZ

The final issue of DMZ gave a powerful conclusion to Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli’s excellent series. Wood chose to use the “leap forward a bunch of years” approach to a finale, which I am always a fan of. I especially enjoyed how Wood decided to give the focus of the final issue to New York City itself…it was a very satisfying goodbye to the book. Much like the tributes within the comic, the subtly of the farewell worked beautifully.

As we say goodbye to the DMZ, we say hello to yet another fascinating new character in Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s American Vampire. One of the most impressive aspects of Snyder’s work in this series has been his ability to quickly develop compelling new characters. This was on fine display in the start of the new American Vampire storyline, where Snyder gave a brilliant take on the 1950′s greaser hood archetype.

Brian Cronin runs our sister blog, Comics Should Be Good! and was part of The Great Curve team way back in the day, before we were ever Robot 6. He’s also the author of Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed.

Sonia Harris

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diáz: I initially picked this paperback up because I liked the cover art and the grainy texture of the coating they had used on it. Then when I flipped it open, the quote on the first page is “Of what import are brief, nameless lives… to Galactus??”, which is from the Fantastic Four, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. How could I resist? Inside the book chronicles the life of an unattractive geeky boy and his oddly endearing family life. I’m half way through and so far I’m loving the constant references to comic books which I know and love. It gives me another way to understand the environment the author is describing and I am more involved than I might otherwise be. The book is heavily peppered with long footnotes, explaining all of the cultural and historical references the author makes, which gives the book a conversationally tangential air. So far the author has mentioned Gilbert Hernandez’ Love & Rockets characters enough that I am basically imagining this as another “Palomar” story, not so much as a visual reference but as a way to understand the mood and feel behind Diáz’ immigrant story.

JLA Vol. 3, Deluxe Edition by Grant Morrison, Howard Porter and John Dell: Along with Vol 4, this was a thoughtful holiday gift I received after I read the first two volumes of Morrison’s groundbreaking JLA run and wrote about them in my column. It is lucky I received this, since I don’t know if I would have bought the book myself as I felt like I’d just read a ton of this run and didn’t want to risk spoiling it. Of course once I started reading I was extremely happy about it. The groundwork Morrison initially laid, now builds to great effect. He continues to develop and elaborate on the storylines of the team and individual characters to the point where I found myself actually wanting to read the crossover stories that were referenced (and I usually hate crossover stories.) In amongst his complex and gloriously random storylines, there is a basic humanity to the character’s conversations which is terrifically endearing, it works to anchor and ground the fantastic stories. As it began, it continues, with Morrison giving everyone their own voice and distinctly relatable character. Now I’ve still got volume 4 to read next and I’m excited to get to it.

Sonia Harris writes her column–Committed–every Wednesday on Comics Should Be Good!

Thor’s mythic warhammer Mjolnir can level mountains, emit blasts of mystical energy and even detect illusions. But for those swingin’ parties at Avengers mansion, only those who are thirsty shall possess its mighty power.

Early next year Diamond Select Toys will roll out a series of Marvel-based bottle openers, beginning with — you guessed it! — Thor’s hammer, complete with its legendary inscription: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”

With it, you’ll be the hit of every party. Well, at least those that don’t feature twist-off caps — or Loki.

I’ve been pretty excited for this movie to come out on DVD since I saw it back in May. Despite Captain America: the First Avenger‘s incredible achievement in crediting Marvel Studios as a real-live movie-making studio rather than a tentative wing of a funnybook publishing arm, I still like Thor better. I love the tone of the film, I love the music and the actors, I love the costumes and the pageantry, and I wanted to take it all home from the moment I walked out of the theater.

A lot of movies I adore come out with special packaging for their big release, and chain and online stores will often stock a limited thingamajig with your DVD sale. Iron Man came in a metal case when you bought it from FYE, and when my friend bought the first “Bayocalypse” Transformers movie, there was a bevy of different boxes, statuettes and editions he could choose from. It’s a nice bonus to being a nerd sometimes: we get cool stuff for liking cool stuff.

When I went to FYE this Tuesday to grab myself a copy of Thor, we chatted about this as I bought my very plain edition of the Thor movie. No tiny hammer. No statuette. The box wasn’t even shaped like his head. The only extras were a digital copy (that refuse to ever work when I download them), some Avengers hype, an awesome little short on Agent Coulson (see it here!) and some interesting featurettes on how this movie was made. All of them seemed very short but were more than simply accolades for all the people working on the film. I actually feel like I learned something about the production’s process, which brings me to the best part of the DVD that isn’t the movie, the deleted scenes.

In the featurettes, they mention that the director Kenneth Branaugh would take a lot of “one more” shots, giving the actors new and interesting directions as they went along. Some of these off-the-cuff innovations weighted Thor’s more dramatic moments stunningly, but that got me thinking about the choices that didn’t make it into the movie. What did they want to do before they shot this scene this way? Going through the deleted scenes, you could almost use them as puzzle pieces, trading one exchange out for another to make a slightly different movie for a different audience.

Join me, won’t you, as I take a look at these deleted scenes from Thor and try to figure out what could have been.

Quick note: I don’t have all of the deleted scenes, but I did find some of them and added them into the overview. Just use your imagination for the others or go grab yourself a copy of the movie and watch along!

Thor and Loki Before the Coronation

Summary: A behind-the-scenes look at Thor’s coronation and a short introduction to two very different brothers.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Family Drama / Kids’ Flick

While Loki and Thor are really charming and their final words at the end of the scene are kind of heartwarming, it just feels a little too slow. Anything this scene did to establish Thor and Loki was done more seamlessly in other moments of the movie.
However, this moment does highlight the family aspect of the film and would have fit more in an Asgard-based movie. For kids, it’s a simplified version of who the main characters are to catch everyone up to speed. Speaking of which…

Warriors Three and Sif Turn Over Their Weapons

Summary: An introduction to Thor’s buddies, one by one, before the coronation.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Kids’ Flick

This was a bit silly. While I’m sure people had no idea that Hogun was indeed grim from the moment his name was announced, I’m sure they knew it by movie’s end. Yes, Volstagg likes food. He will like food through the entirety of the picture, so seeing it now won’t add anything.
However, it’s goofy and fun for the whole family, and kids can get a better idea of who these people are. A really nice choice for the DVD.

Thor and Frigga

Summary: The orange stage curtains return! Also: Thor gets a bit of a pep talk from his mom.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Family Drama

It’s short and sweet, and Branaugh does nothing but praise Rene Russo on her performance and just in general as a really great actress, so you know they wanted to do more with her in the movie. But our central theme in Thor is the relationship between father and son, so having a moment with mom just makes you wonder why she didn’t intercede on his behalf more often (more on this later).
However, there is so much good stuff in Asgard, this just helps cement more of that big family bond, that she is also with her son trough this terrible journey and that she loves him. Were this to be an Asgard-centered family drama, this scene would be essential.

Rah Rah (Extended)

Summary: Thor gets this crazy idea to take the fight to the Frost Giants, his friends and brother find themselves taken with the prospect and plans are made to evade Heimdall.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Family Drama / the Actual Movie

I actually kind of like this more extended version of the “tossin’ the table” scene. I think Loki comes out more manipulative but more relatable in a way, like he might not have actually planned for things to have gone this far, but hey! They talk about Heimdall and if there is one thing the movie missed out on was to explain more about how rad Heimdall is. Idrys Elba knocks it out of the park by making him awesome, so I can’t say I’m complaining, but someone just mentioning the idea that he can hear and see forever would have been nice. Branaugh says that there was “more reservation, suspicion and fun” in the extended scene and I agree.
However if I am keeping to a theme, I would totally use this scene as another way to highlight the bond between the brothers and just how far this whole plan could get away from even Loki’s schemes in a lunk-headed moment.

Hospital (Extended)

Summary: Foster and crew take Thor to the hospital after he’s hit by a car and tazed, Thor then fights off the orderlies. There’s a lot of orderlies.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Not really sure, Kids’ Flick?

I’d admit it, this goes on way too long. There are a lot of orderlies in that emergency room and Thor lovingly smashes into each and every one of them. Also, the reception nurse is a bad typist, which kind of doesn’t tell us anything about anything.
However, I am sticking to my theme and I’ll hazard a guess that kids would love to see a longer cut only to have it end with Thor getting a shot in the butt. It’s a guess.

Frigga Confronts Odin

Summary: Frigga wants answers as to why Thor was banished and Odin sums up why he took such an extreme action.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Family Drama / the Actual Movie

I wish they hadn’t taken this out; it’s so short and yet helps the audience along with the whole ‘Thor’s purpose’ portion of the plot. Yes, this was the act of an angry father, but at the very end (and I’m super sorry I couldn’t find a clip of this online), Odin tells Frigga that “His fate is in his own hands, now.” Thor’s eventual humility and self-sacrifice at the climax is his own actual choice, not a result of being chastised by his father or the machinations of his brother. We make our own fates as mortals, so for Thor to learn this in mortal form and to learn a finer aspect of being human makes his final face down with the Destroyer a little sweeter.
However, this certainly takes more time up in Asgard rather than where our main character is posted, though if you’re simply following Odin’s story, it bridges the gap nicely between banishment and Loki’s confrontation in the treasury.

Loki is Made King

Summary: Frigga comforts Loki and tells him a little more about his family when duty calls and Loki finds himself King of Asgard.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Family Drama
I should say upfront that this scene starts with the most awesome shot of the Odin sleep and really showcases that amazing chamber where he’s taking his godly snooze. Technically, this is an extended scene, as some of their dialogue is kept for the movie (telling Loki there is always hope for Thor’s return), so what you see in the movie is a lot tighter and more direct a version.
However, this scene also starts off with Frigga admitting she always knew about Loki’s true nature and wanted to tell him. When Asgard needs a king, she is the one to explain how he’s the next in line and even tops it all off with a “Do your father proud.” And then Loki spends the rest of the movie double crossing everyone to prove to his father he is a worthy son. This scene has the exact moment of where this went from “mischief made” to “villainy enacted.” Branaugh says that Tom Hiddleston shows a sort of “naked relish and glee” in Loki’s sudden new position and as far as Asgardian family drama goes, this is the centerpiece of that movie.

Selvig Sings with Thor

Summary: Selvig and Thor down some drinks, smash some cups and sing some songs before Selvig drops and Thor carries him home.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Kids’ Flick

Oh man, this is just silly. Interesting to note is that this is an actual Norwegian drinking song, translated and then “adapted” to better fit in with the movie. To me, that means there had to be some ribald lines that might not have fit in with the movie’s more family friendly tone.
However, guys drink and do a silly dance and then fall down. They were one animal reaction shot away from Kevin James territory.

Warriors Three and Sif Arrive (Extended)

Summary: Thor makes amends and the Warriors Three and Sif roam around town in search of him.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Kids’ Flick

More silly-fun kid’s stuff. Enjoyable, but not entirely missed. My one exception is that there is a moment in which Thor takes the time to replace the coffee mug he smashed in the beginning and apologize for his previous behavior. I think this brings us full circle and shows a change in Thor’s attitude before disaster strikes; again, it’s his choice to be a nice guy, no matter what other forces are at work.

However, a lot of this is geared more towards showing just how fun it is to hang with the Warriors Three. Volstagg helps a little girl get a baseball out from under a car, Sif continues to poke fun at the boys, Fandral: still dashing, Hogun: still grim.

Darcy’s Dog

Summary: intrepid sidekick Darcy rescues Baker the dog
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Kids’ Flick/ The Actual Movie

I don’t know why they didn’t keep this in, it’s adorable plus it’s short, gives you the idea of a bigger evacuation and builds some tension. Fun fact: Kat Dennings bonded with the stunt coordinator’s dog who appears in this scene as the aforementioned Baker.

Selvig is Saved by Thor

Summary: Selvig takes a bad wound, and Thor saves him with Asgardian magic.
What Movie This Scene Belonged In: Kids’ Flick. Strictly kids.

This was really hokey. And apparently, this scene made it into the movie the longest before being cut. Thor uses one of the Warriors Three’s healing stones, crushes it over a large shard of glass that caught Selvig in the chest during their escape from the Destroyer. Strangely, by adding in magic, it takes away from the real magic of Thor’s return to grace. So I’m glad they removed it.

However, this goes a long way to tell kids that people don’t really get hurt in movies.

All in all, Thor is a great film and (with some cutting and splicing) could have been three great films, but I’m rather happy with the one we got.

…And if they do a super-special release complete with mini hammer pendant in six months, I’ll buy that one, too.

Bully enjoys Astronaut Academy

Hello and welcome once again to What Are You Reading? This week it is our distinct pleasure to welcome our very  special guest Bully, the little stuffed bull, who blogs about all sorts of comics with the help of his friend, John DiBello.

To see what Bully and the rest of the Robot 6 crew have been reading lately, click on the link below.

Justice League Elite

Tom Bondurant: This week I finally got a chance to read Justice League Elite, the 12-issue 2004-05 miniseries from writer Joe Kelly, penciller Doug Mahnke, and inker Tom Nguyen. It was their follow-up to/continuation of their run on both Justice League of America and Action Comics. Specifically, it picked up after “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?” in Action #775, in which Superman (and Kelly) addressed concerns that he’d become irrelevant in a world which demanded different kinds of superheroes. Accordingly, Justice League Elite combined a handful of Leaguers with the do-what’s-necessary Elite, taking on missions too unsavory for the regular JLA. I read the first couple of issues back when they came out, but they never did anything for me, and I didn’t get the rest of the series. However, I’d always been a little curious about what I’d missed, and now I’m glad I got the two-volume collection. (Included in Volume 1 is Action #775 and JLA #100, which set up the team.)

In hindsight, JL Elite‘s mix of politics, black-ups, and superpowers reminded me of Greg Rucka’s work on Checkmate, except with the JLA’s reputation at stake instead of the UN’s. Basically there are two arcs, one dealing with a political assassination (which gets blamed on the Elite) and the other involving alien drug dealers who want an artifact from the Morrison/Porter run on JLA. I liked it well enough — I suppose a superhero-reader’s “reader-identification” character is Wally “Flash” West, who splits time between both teams and who becomes the JL Elite’s conscience. Wally’s often portrayed as idealistic, but going back to his New Teen Titans days he’s also kind of conservative, and I think both sides come out here. Contrasting with Wally is Green Arrow, whose liberalism gives way to pragmatic world-weariness. The new characters of the Elite don’t quite fare as well, although they each have distinct personalities. Basically they get lost in the larger plot. Overall, though, it’s engaging reading, and it makes me want to revisit Kelly and Mahnke’s contemporaneous DC work.

I’ve also started reading Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Vol. 1, a handsome volume whose first story sucked me right in. “A Man Called Mole!” comes from October 1981′s Batman #340, and it brings back a villain from World’s Finest Comics #80 – but writers Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas also throw in some pretty obvious references to “Mole!,” a 1952 classic from Mad #2. (Two of the Mole’s victims are named Kurtzmann and Elder.) Still, apart from that, it’s a neat standalone Batman story, pitting the Darknight Detective against a grotesque (and somewhat tragic) foe. Colan tells it with customary style, whether he’s drawing a racing Batmobile, a driving rainstorm, or just our hero flowing smoothly into and out of scenes. Looking forward to the rest of the book.

Justice League #1

Tim O’Shea: Justice League 1: If I was a teenager (the target audience), I think I would have been bored by this issue. That being said, I am not a teenager. Artist Jim Lee? Please go to a high school football game, I think the last high school that used a scoreboard like that closed in the 1980s. And what was with the American flag in the background of Vic Stone’s football catch. Can the kid really leap 10 feet? This does not bode well for the new 52. It read like a weak Elseworlds issue to me. Granted I do not think a 40+ year old man is the target audience for this book, but a woman who may have picked up this issue hoping to see a woman, any woman in this issue, you are out of luck. Wonder Woman on the cover and nowhere else (unless you count the sketchbook, where Cyborg is oddly referred to as “Vic Stone, a Titan to be”. What? He starts with JL and then graduates to be a Titan? Color me confused.

The Incredible Hulks 635: And so writer Greg Pak says goodbye to a character (and a cast) he made worth reading with this issue. The ending was not rushed and it was nice to see Pak end the run in the fashion he wanted to. But the part of the issue that really affected me and gave me pause was Pak’s tribute to Bill Mantlo, the former comics writer (who suffered a traumatic brain injury in the 1990s) who influenced Pak’s approach to his own run with the character.

Fear Itself: The Deep 3 (of 4): Continuity faithfuls may wince at this issue, but I love the fact that writer Cullen Bunn had the Silver Surfer utter a sarcastic line in the heat of battle. With Namor and Doc Strange likely unable to maintain a solo book (sorry to my pal Stuart Moore on that former point) I will be curious to see if this lineup of characters and creators becomes an ongoing.

Secret Avengers 16: Whomever concocted the idea to get Warren Ellis to write a series of done-in-one Secret Avengers issues should get a bonus this year. This is is the comic everyone should be talking about this week. Sure Ellis writes Steve Rogers, Black Widow, Moon Knight and the Beast quite contrary to how they are typically portrayed (Hank McCoy is played as an intellectual snob, but fortunately there’s enough of his wisecracks to make it the Beast I love), but the way each character plays off each other is delightful. Ellis is strong in terms of injecting an equal dose of wit and team chemistry, the latter of which is key in a book of this type. While I normally respect Jamie McKelvie’s art, some of his layout falls short in this issue (in one scene, a tank fires on the vehicle that the heroes are in, and after looking at the panel for a good 10 minutes, I still cannot fathom what happen in the scene to make the vehicle not blow up…). One more quibble (in what is otherwise a great read), with John Cassady’s cover, why is Black Widow petting the Beast like he’s the Secret Avengers’ pet/mascot?

Best of Archie's Mad House

Brigid Alverson: There are certain books that just make me happy, and Craig Yoe’s The Best of Archie’s Madhouse is one of these. Dating back to the early 1960s, Archie’s Madhouse was the Archie gang’s attempt to make a wacky comic in the vein of Mad Magazine and its many imitators. This is, of course, impossible, because Mad is transgressive and Archie is not. Still, some of the gags, especially the self-referential ones, are quite funny, and it’s a good opportunity to enjoy the work of classic Archie artists like Dan DeCarlo and Bob White. This book mostly sticks with the earlier incarnations of Madhouse (which changed quite a bit over the years, and even altered its title several times). Some of the stories feature the familiar Riverdale cast, while others wander away from that a bit. Sabrina the Teenage Witch made her debut in this comic, and I enjoyed the Lester Cool/Chester Square comics because they are so of their time. Yoe starts off the book with a brief intro and a few good anecdotes about the creators, then turns the rest of the pages over to reprints of stories, organized, as in the original, into sections on teenagers, monsters, superheroes, etc. It’s good, clean, kid-friendly satire, and that is not easy to do.

I’ll admit I was initially put off by the cover image of Chimichanga — that little girl with the beard and mustache (at first I thought she was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask) grossed me out so much I didn’t even notice she was standing on a monster. I’m glad I picked it up, though. It’s actually a cute little story about a cheery bearded girl who works in a washed-up circus and happens to acquire a pet monster, to her co-workers’ delight. The setting gives writer and illustrator Eric Powell lots of scope to be creative with his characters and their look, and he takes full advantage of that‹-the side characters are great, and I laughed out loud in places. There is a real solidity to the illustrations, and Dave Stewart has colored it beautifully in a muted, earthy palette that sets the tone from the beginning. Dark Horse is marketing this as an all ages comic, and it is all-ages in the sense that a kid can read an adult’s comic and enjoy it (plus there are fart jokes). Think of it as Jellaby with attitude.

Astronaut Academy

Bully: What have I, Bully the Little Stuffed Bull, been reading? Why thank you…that’s a very good question. I of course picked up Justice League #1. And as it only took me five minutes to read it, there’s been plenty of time to read these:

In my book (and I have lots of them!), the All-Ages Graphic Novel of the Year award oughta go to Dave Roman for Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity (First Second). It punches every fun button I’ve got (got a lot of those, too). You could sum it up as “Hogwarts … in … SPAAAAAAAAACE!” — but you’re not capturing the full delight of Astronaut Academy, outer space’s top educational facility (with courses in advanced heart studies, anti-gravity gymnastics, and run-on sentences). It’s chock-full with time-stopping watches, transforming giant mechabots, panda professors (of Spanish), dinosaur races, the big Fireball match, and best of all, a large cast of strong likable characters both male and female…plenty to choose your own favorite! I really love Dave Roman’s writing and art style: he has a great skill in movement, expression (even with black dots for eyes on his characters), and honest-to-goodness laugh-out-loud humor: great for kids, entertaining and delightful for adults. Happy, heartwarming and high-adventured, this first book of a new series leaves me giggling with delight and anxious for the sequel.

I’m not great at cartooning, but I have the ideas and urge to want to create my own strips. That’s why I’ve been working my way through Ivan Brunetti’s Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice (Yale University Press)—an incredibly valuable volume for any beginning cartoonist or anyone who wants to learn the theory, and more important, the practice of creating comics. It’s not an “art” book: Brunetti doesn’t teach you how to draw (the book’s examples are stylized stick figures). Tools, style, placement, form, design, movement and timing are on the syllabus here. In a fifteen-week paced lesson plan, he covers creating comics from a single panel gag to a four-page story in weekly lessons and exercises (and homework!). Lessons are brief but challenging, and cumulative: each chapter builds on your previous work to increase your range, creativity, and understanding of the medium. If you’ve been intrigued by the ideas and theories in books like in Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics but want to put them into practice, here’s the book. Cartooning is a slim 88 pages, and yet it may become one of the most valuable books you ever pick up: a college course in cartooning, in book form, from a solid master of the field.

Bully reads Little Lulu

Dark Horse’s Little Lulu reprint series continually delights me. There’s nothing fancy about these reprints—no archival “remastering or recoloring” needed. The stories in their original four-color printing are just wonderful enough, thank you! John Stanley’s bright and energetic art shines in adventures of Lulu, Tubby, and their pals, and best of all: these stories are genuinely funny. I’d go so far as to say that Little Lulu stands right on the top of the pantheon of kids comics alongside Carl Barks’s duck comics. The newest volume is The Prize Winner and Other Stories, but pick up any volume, or one of the companion Tubby books by Dark Horse. Lulu’s chubby buddy is one of my favorite comic book characters of all time, so I’ve gotta highly recommend The Castaway and Other Stories , which reprints several solo Tub stories, including the wonderful Four Color #381, in which Tubby becomes the captain of a pirate ship using his personal weapon: a yo-yo.

Speaking of classic all-ages adventure comics, Boom!’s trade paperback series of Disney comics are well-produced and a great value, reprinting many stories that haven’t been collected in an affordable form before. I immediately snapped up the two collections of Don Rosa’s early Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck tales. They’re as fantastic fun and great adventure as I remember them from the Gladstone floppies of the nineties, and in a heavy paper stock, brightly colored paperback edition. Say, Boom!, why do these books have a “Thirteen and Up” age label? If there’s any comics suitable for all ages, it’s Disney, and Rosa’s stories present nothing further than light fantasy violence. But come on, who doesn’t want to see the Beagle Boys trip on marbles or Donald Duck fall down a manhole? (Communists. That’s who.) I don’t know how much longer Boom! will be able to distribute Disney trade books, so pick these up, and pick ‘em up now. These are comics to cherish for a lifetime.

Yeah!

When I heard the news that Fantagraphics was collecting in trade paperback one of my fave DC Vertigo comics of all time, my immediate reaction was the same as the title: Yeah! The adventures of an intergalactic girl group (think “The Go-Go’s in Outer Space”) and their ever-scheming manager (think “Ari Gold in the Twenty-Fifth Century) is high enough concept…now consider the creators: it’s written by Peter Bagge (Hate) and drawn by Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets). But with such an alt-comic pedigree, Yeah! is a surprisingly delightful fun fantasy of kicky pop music, weird alien fans, and evil twin competition bands. The “girl group in the future” idea has been done before and done well (Battle of the Bands, Apocalipstix); what Yeah! adds to the concept is an all-ages appeal. Witty, high-spirited, and thoroughly fun, it’s the greatest Saturday morning cartoon adventure that never was. Although originally in color, Fantagraphics has reprinted the series in black-and white. It’s a sound artistic (Gilbert’s art is bold and vibrant in its original inks) and economic (keeping the price under $20) decision, and while purists may argue otherwise, a black-and-white Yeah! will appeal to teens, young girls, and manga fans: a whole new market for this sadly under-lauded comic.

Finally, I’m absolutely loving Marvel’s very-very-big Thor Omnibus by Walt Simonson … but it keeps falling over and pinning me down, so I now have to squeeze myself out from underneath it yet again. You’ll find it captures you, too. But not physically, I hope.

Oh no! Someone help Bully!

Best Buy's Thor packaging

Marvel’s big summer blockbuster Thor movie arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD Sept. 13, and retailer Best Buy will offer “limited edition packaging” featuring the cover to Journey into Mystery #83 by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott for folks who pre-order it from them.

But wait — there’s more! If you pre-order, you also get a one-month subscription to Marvel’s Digital Comics Unlimited … a cool little extra that hopefully will introduce folks who liked the movie to the comics.

You can find the complete press release after the jump.

*****

BEST BUY OFFERS COLLECTIBLE, LIMITED EDITION PACKAGING FOR THOR BLU-RAY/DVD COMBO FEATURING ORIGINAL COVER ART FROM THE CHARACTER’S COMIC DEBUT
Consumers Who Pre-Order Will Receive a One-Month Subscription to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited

HOLLYWOOD, CA—Beginning on August 23, 2011, BestBuy.com will give fans the opportunity to pre-order the Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack of the blockbuster hit Thor in sensational, limited edition packaging exclusive to the retailer. From Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios, the phenomenal screen debut of the legendary God of Thunder took audiences by storm, earning more than $448 million at the global box office.

The collectible package features the very first image of Marvel’s Thor, which appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery” #83 in August 1962 with cover art by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. The vintage image invites consumers to “Begin the saga of Thor in this issue!”.

In addition, every person who pre-orders the Thor Blu-ray/DVD Combo prior to September 13, 2011 on BestBuy.com will receive a one-month subscription to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited ($9.99 value).

The Thor Blu-ray/DVD Combo debuts on September 13, 2011 and includes a digital copy of the film, as well as 80 minutes of immersive bonus materials including an original short film Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant, an unprecedented look inside the world of director Kenneth Branagh, a sneak peek into Marvel’s The Avengers, and much more.

Hello and welcome once again to What Are You Reading? This week our special guest is Von Allan, creator of the self-published graphic novel series Stargazer. The first volume is still available, while the second one is due in shops in October.

To see what Von and the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click below.

*****

Michael May

The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde

I finished The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde. After the thrilling first issue, I got bogged down in the middle two issues wondering about the point of the story. This is the problem with a lot of Jack the Ripper stories. Thanks to From Hell‘s searing the case into my brain, I’m familiar enough with it to know its beats and see then coming. That means that I have time to pull the story apart and look at the details: What’s different about this version? Does it have anything new to say? Ultimately, I decided that Mr. Hyde does. By combining the Ripper story with Jekyll-and-Hyde, it lets each comment on the other. Dr Jekyll’s theories about the separation of good and evil helps explain the Ripper’s actions, while the Ripper case in turn offers a real-life example of those theories at work.

Unfortunately, the mini-series wants to blur the lines between good and evil. An example of this is that there’s no visual distinction between Jekyll and Hyde, but the story reinforces the idea in other ways too. While I appreciate the ambition of that goal, I think it’s kind of misguided for this particular story, which would seems to be all about the separation of those two natures. That’s what Jekyll’s serum was supposed to do in Robert Louis Stevenson’s story and if there’s ever been an example of a purely evil human, Jack the Ripper is it.

By the final issue though, the story’s weaknesses don’t matter very much. It ends with a strong climax that made me forget the themes I’d been wrestling with. The story’s strength is in its two, lead characters: Hyde and Inspector Adye. Their relationship and conversations are fascinating and I wanted to see both of them survive to the end of the story. As I approached the conclusion, that’s all that mattered to me.

I also read the first two issues of BOOM!’s Elric: The Balance Lost. I think Elric fans will enjoy it. The problems I have with it are the same problems I have with Moorcock’s stories: not enough focus on Elric – whom I find fascinating – and too much on the other incarnations of the Eternal Champion. An advantage the comic has over the novels though is that it makes the non-Elric incarnations more interesting to me by doing the work of visualizing them and their worlds for me. I never spent a lot of time doing that in the novels because I was too busy wishing we could get back to just Elric.

I also appreciate The Balance Lost‘s including a new incarnation of the Eternal Champion from our world. Not only does that give new – or, in my case, extremely lapsed – Elric readers a character through whom to learn about Moorcock’s Multiverse, but it allows Moorcock’s ideas about Law and Chaos to play out in a real-world setting. While I think that Balance Lost is heavy-handed (many will disagree with me though) about how it assigns Law and Chaos to particular political groups in the US, it’s still interesting to see those groups’ agendas carried out to their ultimate conclusions. It also invests me in a very real way in the struggle to maintain balance between those two forces.

Brigid Alverson

Anya's Ghost

I finally got around to reading Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol, and I was blown away by it. Brosgol’s simple, rounded style belies the sophistication of her story. Anya is every teenager, uncomfortable and awkward, wishing she could be normal, like one of the cool kids. A chance encounter with a ghost seems to be the answer to her prayers, but then the ghost takes over and things get ugly. The ghost story is pretty good, but what Brosgol is really writing about is growing up, pushing away the things of your past and then embracing them again, realizing that the others you envy are as scared and troubled as you are, and most important of all, learning empathy for others. The art and writing are top notch, and I really hope this book will catch on with high-schoolers the way Smile did with the middle school crowd.

I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of Matt Phelan’s Around the World, the story of three travelers who traveled around the globe at the turn of the 19th century: Thomas Stevens, who did it on a bike, Nellie Bly, who did it for the publicity, and Josiah Slocum, who did it solo in his sailboat. Phelan’s style is both simple and complex: Despite the exotic subject matter, he eschews complicated backgrounds filled with local color, but he will devote three panels to a single double-take, and he often follows a conversation with a reaction shot. The section on Stevens was my favorite, because I enjoyed his little sketches of Stevens falling off his penny-farthing bicycle in a number of acrobatic ways. My advance copy, alas, is in black and white; it looks like Phelan will use a fairly muted, pastel palette for the book, which suits his linework. It’s highly entertaining, and I can’t wait to see the finished version when it comes out in October.

Tim O’Shea

Incredible Hulks

The Incredible Hulks #634: Intrigued to see where writer Greg Pak is taking Bruce Banner/Hulk before he ends his long run with the character. One has to wonder if Amadeus Cho will appear anywhere after this (I’ve grown to like the character). Also add Pak and artist Paul Pelletier to the list of creators I would love to see write Doctor Strange (he guest stars in this arc).

The Iron Age #3: Note to Marvel editor Thomas Brennan: You just worked with Louise Simonson, an experienced writer with an ability to write solid characters. Go find a monthly book for her. I love seeing Louise Simonson writing in present day comics, but I want more than these “flashback” homage assignments (Simonson also wrote for DC’s current retro project).

Red Robin #16: An interesting coda to the series, which always had Tim Drake dancing with a darker path. I was surprised to see him leaning seemingly toward the darker path at the end of this issue. Not the satisfying end I had hoped for, but still an effort to give Drake’s character some closure on a major front.

Marvel Adventures #17: Paul Tobin remains the master of done in one storytelling that makes this comic a must read for me. I loved his approach toward Black Widow in this issue, particularly the bluntness with which she deals with Nick Fury.

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #522: I never imagined that in the chaos of the Fear Itself event, writer David Liss could find a way to inject a smidge of humor in the book, but he does. Also, this series is at its strongest when artist Francesco Francavilla is on board (as he is with this arc). I cannot wait to see how Liss ends the Hate Monger arc with the next issue. Extra points for the usage of an engaging supporting cast.

Batgirl #24: Good lord, Bryan Q. Miller finally writes a DC Comics series coda completely worth reading. Not only is almost everything wrapped up, but he uses Black Mercy as a means to reveal the vast possible arc scenarios that might have occurred if the series had continued. And the read is even more enjoyable if you check out the DC Women Kicking Ass guest post that Miller wrote this week (and we previously linked to, of course). Of all the possible scenarios, I wish we had gotten to see a time travel team-up between Babs, Cass and Stephanie during WWII with the Blackhawks.

Von Allan

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four #307-323 (written by Steve Englehart, Pencilled by John Buscema and Keith Pollard, inked by Joe Sinnott). Due to the 50th anniversary of the Fantastic Four, I decided to pull out some of my old comics and dip my toes into some FF stories. I had been recently re-reading the first Fantastic Four omnibus that my wife had given me for a Christmas gift a few years back, but the anniversary along with Marvel’s teasing of the return of the Human Torch made me wistful for Englehart’s run. Why? Well, Englehart had crafted a series set in “real time” as opposed to “Marvel time.” In other words, readers were seeing real evolution in the Fantastic Four for the first time in a long while. Things weren’t static, and this is actually the reason why I picked these comics up off the shelf at the time. I was curious to see what these changes would mean and Englehart didn’t disappoint. Issue #307 sees Reed and Sue walk off into the sunset to raise Franklin while ol’ Blue Eyes takes over running the team. Issue #308 solidifies the new FF as Ms. Marvel and Crystal hook up with Ben and Johnny (though that issue also sees the unfortunate Fasaud storyline and that was an early bump along the way). Later issues are stronger as the team begins to jell and has a number of cosmic adventures in true Fantastic Four fashion.

Are these perfect comics? No, I don’t think so. Englehart overly uses caption boxes and it gives the narration a “heavy” feeling that I don’t think has dated well. The same could be said for his use of thought bubbles. While I actually miss the use of thought bubbles in contemporary comics, in this case their use overly-dramatizes certain sequences and gives the stories more of a “soap operish” feel that didn’t work well for me. That said, the freshness of the team and the sense of evolution is unmistakable and that DID speak to me. The departure of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman is poignant (though admittedly not nearly as much as Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s “Whatever Happened To the Man of Tomorrow?”) and that freshness also gives the creative team a chance to explore both old friends and foes and show them in a new light. I’m certainly not saying that real time stories are the end all and be all of good comics, but stories like these show how well it can work when it’s done well. And make me wish that Marvel had never stopped evolving.

The Mighty Thor Omnibus (written and illustrated by Walt Simonson). I actually have many of these issues as periodicals, but I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of this to be able to read, especially after I learned that Simonson had kept all of his art boards and this edition was put together from new scans before being re-coloured by Steve Oliff and his Olyoptics Color Shop. These are, to my mind, truly fantastic comics. Walt Simonson’s respect and love for the character (spelled out in some of the early letter pages that are sadly lacking from the Omnibus edition) is apparent from the get-go as are his feelings for the Norse myths. His Thor is a wonderful fusion of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 60s Thor and the best that the Norse myths have to offer. It’s funny; Marvel’s Thor is one of those characters that’s tricky to do well. When he’s not up to snuff the stories are these weird hybrids of Shakespearean dialogue mixed with heavy melodrama. Simonson’s run is the exact opposite and his entire run (even the frog!) works very, very well. What’s also interesting to me, in this era of decompressed storytelling we find ourselves in, is how each issue stands on its own and yet is still part of a bigger overall story. There’s no feeling of padding it out.

Since I’m also a big fan of Simonson’s art, his work on Thor is amazing. Thor “feels” cosmic and there’s a very strong contrast between the scenes set in Asgard versus the Earth-bound scenes set primarily in New York City. His penciling and composition is great, but his inking is just unbelievable. Strong and bold but always with a clear purpose in mind. Great stuff.

Another aspect that makes Simonson’s Thor a cut above almost anything else is the lettering by John Workman. His lettering is stunning throughout Simonson’s run and it does exactly what good lettering is supposed to; engage the reader without confusing them. The balloon placements make sense and Workman leads your eye throughout both panel and page without confusing you or forcing you to read balloons out of order. It’s intuitive. His use of sound effects (something I’m normally not crazy about) works well here, too. His approach shows, to my mind, how much lettering is a part of good storytelling.

The one criticism I have is the colouring. My sensibilities are old-school and I suspect others will disagree with me here but what the heck; as much as I like a lot of what Olyoptics does, I just find there’s something missing in the Omnibus colours compared to the original issues. The colours are a bit garish and over-rendered to my mind compared to the more muted colours that were displayed in the original issues. I suspect Oliff was trying to balance the original colouring with current sensibilities, but it doesn’t work perfectly for me. Does that mean it’s bad? No, no. Far from it. For my tastes just not as good. Oh, and I should add that the omnibus has brilliant blacks, especially when compared to the original issues, mainly due to the better quality of the actual paper and printing process.

Speaking of colouring, I was also recently re-reading Shaolin Cowboy (issues #1-7, written and illustrated by Geof Darrow). The colourist here is Peter Doherty and his colouring is absolutely fantastic. Really stunning stuff. Burlyman chose a terrific paper to print Shaolin Cowboy on and Doherty’s colours really come to life on its texture. There’s a beautifully muted sense to them that didn’t over-power me and yet they still remain rich and vibrant. Often times paper used for comics and graphic novels is very slick and the colours are almost overpowering as a result. At least to me. In the case of Doherty and the Cowboy, the colours and interior paper work together extremely well. Better, I think, then the colours on the slicker cover stock for each issue. I should add that Darrow’s “ligne claire” style really works well with Doherty’s colour sense and palette.

Darrow’s storytelling on Shaolin Cowboy was also very, very good. What’s interesting to me is that the comics that draw me back and make me re-read them are the ones that have the strongest storytelling. Dave Gibbons is a natural. So is almost any Jim Shooter comic; he seems to bring that out of his illustrator collaborators. And, of course, Jack Kirby was probably the greatest. Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy is, I think, top-notch for this. Very strong storytelling, especially considering how peculiar the actual story is. The plots get weirder as the story progresses (oh, hell, they’re weird from the get go and just get weirder), but despite that his storytelling is clear throughout. Lastly, Darrow’s inking is great. He mixes thin and thick contours and your eye knows exactly what the focus is on each and ever panel. No confusion, no fuss and no muss. You know what to look at and why. Brilliant.

Star Brand

Continuing on the storytelling front, I finally got my hands on Jim Shooter and John Romita Jr.’s Star Brand run that also came to an abrupt end when, as I mentioned earlier, Shooter was fired from Marvel. At the time, the New Universe did not grab me as a reader. I was perfectly happy with the current universe, thank you very much, so the idea of a “new” one was not appealing. Well, in hindsight, at least with Star Brand, I was wrong and reading this series was a very pleasant surprise. Romita Jr.’s storytelling is top-notch; he establishes everything clearly and I was never confused in any of the issues. ‘Course, that’s not really a surprise since Romita Jr. is one of the best storytellers in comics. Shooter’s writing here was also very good, and Shooter and Romita Jr. really work well together. Everything is smooth and clear and, when I mentally compare this to some contemporary super hero comics, I’m surprised at how much I prefer a comic like this.

I did find the story a bit rushed in the first issue. A lot of things happen very fast; Shooter’s establishing as much as he possibly can right away and I think some of that could may have waited ’til issue #2. I suspect trying to get a new line launched probably meant that he wasn’t taking any chances, but the story worked better on a re-read then the first time through. Still, for a comic from this era (circa 1986), it’s pretty good stuff and holds up very well today. Certainly more adult in tone and characterization and it’s a shame that things all went to hell at Marvel shortly after the series launched. Being a fan of his later Valiant books, I think the echoes between Star Brand and Valiant are also pretty strong.

from Flashpoint #4

Publishing | Popular comic-book guest star President Barack Obama will make a brief appearance in this week’s Flashpoint #4. DC Comics Executive Editor Eddie Berganza told USA Today that the inclusion of the actual President, rather than a fictional counterpart, signals that the danger is real — something that will get pushed as the publisher prepares for the September relaunch. [USA Today]

Publishing | Fantagraphics announced the lineup for the first volume of its EC archives series, which will collect Harvey Kurtzman’s war stories. [Fantagraphics blog]

Conventions | More than 31,000 anime and manga enthusiasts flocked to Baltimore over the weekend for Otakon, one of the biggest fan-oriented anime conventions. There were a few anime and manga licenses announced, but mainly it was a meet-and-greet for fans and publishers. [Anime News Network]

Creators | io9 chatted with Walt Simonson at the Comic-Con International about his legendary Thor run, from Frog Thor to designing Beta Ray Bill’s head: “Before I ever talked about Bill’s design, nobody ever said, ‘Bill’s a horse.’ Back in the day, nobody knew. I did this for two reasons. One, the monster quality –- in many cultures, skulls are an emblem of death. At the same time, Bill’s head is very roughly based on a horse’s skull. I was a geology student when I was younger, and I was familiar with skulls. Skulls have this quality of horror, but at the same time, horses are beautiful animals. The skull is the structure under the skin that gives the horse its look. In a way, the skull was representative of Bill’s true nature.” [io9]

Word War Hulk #1

Creators | Incredible Hulk writer Greg Pak reflects on his 10 favorite moments from his five-year run on the title. [MTV Geek]

Creators | The Apocalipstix writer Ray Fawkes discusses his latest Oni graphic novel One Soul. [The Star]

Creators | Creator Brian Ralph talks about the collected edition of Daybreak. [Giant Robot]

Creators | Chris Roberson talks about the upcoming Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes crossover he’s writing for IDW: “When I was nine years old, there was nothing that commanded my attention more than Star Trek and the LSH, and the years since haven’t dampened my enthusiasm. This project is SO much in my wheelhouse that, when Chris Ryall first approached me about it a few months ago, I simply assumed that it was a prank that one of my friends was playing on me. It wasn’t until I was in a meeting with IDW CEO Ted Adams about another project, and asked him point blank, ‘This Star Trek/Legion thing is a prank, right?’ that I was finally convinced that it was really happening.” [ComicsAlliance]

Creators | Blankets creator Craig Thompson shares some youthful scribblings from a 70-foot-long scroll comic he did as a kid. [Doot Doot Garden Blog]

Daredevil #1

Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy at our local comic shop based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we’d get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on a “Splurge” item. We’re coming a little late today due to a power outage in my neck of the woods — due to a blackout, not because I spent the money for the electric bill on Flashpoint or Fear Itself tie-ins.

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.

Graeme McMillan

Because I’m not doing San Diego this year, some kind of crazy comic karma has decided that this week will be filled with comics I want to read. For example, if I had $15, I’d run to grab Daredevil #1 (Marvel, $3.99), which I’ve been looking forward to for some time — Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera *and* Marcos Martin? How can anyone refuse? — before scooting back to the DC aisle to pick up both DC Retroactive: The Flash – The ’70s #1 and DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman – The ’70s #1 (Both DC, $4.99), because I am such a sucker for old-school DC that even this weird “slight return” of the same seems exciting to me.

If I had $30, I’d probably pick up both last month’s #1 and this month’s #2 of Image’s Witch Doctor mini, after getting recommendations from friends (Both $2.99), before wandering grabbing Locke & Key: Clockworks #1 (IDW, $3.99) and then rounding it out with Batman: Gates of Gotham #3 (DC, $2.99), which is turning into an enjoyable little Batfamily series.

To splurge or not to splurge? Well, there *is* that Thor: The Black Galaxy Saga trade (Marvel, $19.99), and I really *do* like my Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz Thor, so that might have to be coming home with me…

Chris Mautner

Butcher Baker, Candlestickmaker

If I had $15:

Unlike Graeme, this is another quiet week for me, with my initial purchase being the first issue of The Boys: Butcher Baker, Candlestickmaker, the latest (and, I believe, final) spin-off of the Boys franchise, this time delving into the origins of the group’s leader Billy Butcher. I’ve been a bit down on the comic lately, disappointed with the heavy info dumps and not really digging John McCrea’s art, but this issue features the return of co-creator Darick Robertson, so I’m hopeful.

If I had $30:

I’d either grab Neptune, a charming all-ages book by Aron Nels Steinke about a girl and her dog, courtesy of Sparkplug Books, or I’d nab La Quinta Camera: The Fifth Room, a new manga series from Natsume Ono. I haven’t been exactly wow’d by Ono’s work, but this book seems to adopt a cartoonier style and, like I said, it’s a slow week.

Splurge:

The sixth volume of Fumi Yoshinaga’s Ooku is out this week. I’ve only read the first volume so far, so for my splurge I’d get Vol. 6 and the other four books to catch up.

Michael May

Deadlands

If I had $15, I’d start with a couple of Weird Western comics: Deadlands: Massacre at Red Wing ($2.99) and Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman #2 ($3.50). The Deadlands one-shot is by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, who know a thing or two about the genre and Zeke just looks and sounds fun. Next I’d add Criminal Macabre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide ($3.99) because Cal McDonald and the Goon are a match made somewhere very far away from heaven. Finally, I’d add Daredevil #1 ($3.99), not just because Mark Waid fills me with confidence about every Marvel or DC series he writes, but I’m just happy to see a superhero smiling again on that cover.

If I had $30, I’d add a few more single issues. The top of this part of the list is Marineman #6 ($4.99), the double-sized wrap-up to the first story in Ian Churchill’s excellent underwater superhero series. Besides the price, the only thing keeping this out of my $15 list is knowing that the collected version is coming out next month and I’m going to want that anyway. After that I’d add the redundantly titled Sergio Aragones Funnies #1 ($3.50) and Rocketeer Adventures #3 ($3.99).

My splurge item for the week is Ray Fawkes’ One Soul graphic novel ($24.99) that Brigid’s written about a few times. I saw a preview of it at C2E2 and was so impressed that this really isn’t a splurge item. I’d find money for it regardless of my budget.

Chris Arrant

DMZ #67

If I had $15, I’d dial into DMZ #67 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99) by Wood and Burchielli; although this book has entered the marketing doldrums the way 100 Bullets and Preacher did during it’s last year of release, the book’s reaching a high point quality-wise. After that I’d pick up Rocketeer Adventures #3 (IDW, $3.99), which has been non-stop hit and thanks in no small part to editor Scott Dunbier. After those two, I’d settle in for the next Walking Dead #87 (Image, $2.99) and then try the new Daredevil #1. For the latter, I’ll borrow a phrase from Tom Spurgeon and feel like I’ve read all I need to read on Daredevil… but the creative team on this has given me second thoughts enough to try this out.

And since this is Food or Comics, with my $1 left over I’d get an Icee from Burger King.

If I had $30, I’d drink my Icee and put my money all in at Marvel with Uncanny X-Men #541 ($3.99), Invincible Iron Man #506 ($3.99), Avengers #15 ($3.99) and Generation Hope #9 ($2.99).

For my splurge this week, I’d write a check to Misters Ross and Edwards for the Turf hardcover (Image, $39.99). Tommy’s art here is more than worth the cover price even though I bought the single issues, especially for the extra features promised.

Anne Rice Servant of the Bones

IDW Publishing has released a list of the items they’ll be selling at their booth at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, many of which are available for pre-order. The list includes advanced copies of Anne Rice’s Servant of the Bones #1, several Ashley Wood books, Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Baja ashcans, Locke & Key keys and much more. Check out the list below:

Anne Rice’s Servant of the Bones

• Visitors to Comic-Con can purchase an exclusive advance copy of Anne Rice’s Servant of the Bones #1 with a variant cover; only 400 copies of this exclusive issue will be available.
• Beginning in August, the first issue of Anne Rice’s Servant of the Bones will tell of the demon Azriel, who sets out to find the murderer of a beautiful young woman in the streets of New York City, only to discover a far more sinister plot that could end the world. Once a human in ancient Babylon, Azriel is a spirit of rage and terror that gradually rediscovers his humanity through holy vengeance and spiritual love.
• Anne Rice will be signing at the IDW booth #2643 on Thursday July 21, 2011 during Comic-Con. With the purchase of a SERVANT OF THE BONES #1, fans will be able to have one additional item signed.
• ANNE RICE’S SERVANT OF THE BONES #1 (Comic-Con Edition $5.00, 32 pages, full color) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• ANNE RICE’S SERVANT OF THE BONES #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores in August 2011.

Baja

Baja

• Attendees of Comic-Con can pick up a free ashcan of Baja and get an early look at the upcoming October release.
• In Baja, a beautiful woman and a man who knows better must escape a stalker whose fate is tied to their own.
• BAJA (FREE, Ashcan) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• BAJA ($19.99, 128 pages, partial color, trade paperback) will be available in comic and book stores in October 2011.

Dorothy of Oz Prequel

• Get a sneak peek at the Dorothy of Oz animated feature film coming in 2012 in the free preview comic!
• Featuring a star-studded cast, including Lea Michele, Martin Short and Patrick Stewart, the film draws inspiration from the classic story “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank L. Baum and the Oz adventure book series written by his great-grandson Roger S. Baum.
• DOROTHY OF OZ preview comic (FREE) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.

Fat Tarino

Fat Tarino

• FAT TARINO, featuring the impossible to find art books UNO TARINO, DOS TARINO and TRES TARINO, all in one gorgeous hardcover. This slip-cased edition offers over 350 pages of Ashley Wood art and is strictly limited to 500 copies.
• Now available for pre-order at http://bit.ly/fattarino.
• Ashley Wood will be based at the IDW booth #2643 throughout Comic-Con, and will be available for signings.
• FAT TARINO ($100, hardcover with slipcase, 360 pages, 12” X 12”) is available for pre-order through IDW Publishing, for pick up at San Diego Comic-Con or delivery after August 1.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters

• Comic-Con attendees will have the chance to purchase the never-before-sold IDW office promo covers in a single set. Get all four exclusive and limited covers and watch as your favorite IDW Publishing staffers tremble in fear of the great Godzilla as he destroys the IDW office.
• Readers can also collect the signatures of the IDW employees featured on each of the four covers.
• GODZILLA: KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #1 IDW Edition ($20.00, set of 4, 32 pages each, full color) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• GODZILLA: KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #1-5 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) are now available in comic stores.

Locke & Key key

Locke & Key

• LOCKE & KEY action will be non-stop, with exclusive keys, books and temporary tattoos; plus signings with the multiple Eisner-nominated creative team of Joe Hill (Horns) and Gabriel Rodriguez.
• Legacy Edition Ghost Key ($20, 3.5 inches, antique silver-plated pewter cast, printed black velvet bag) will be available at the IDW booth, while supplies last.
• 100 Legacy Edition Head Keys ($25, 4.6 inches, bright rose gold-plated pewter cast, printed black velvet bag) will be available at the IDW booth, while supplies last.
• Legacy Edition Shadow Keys ($20, 3 inches, pewter cast, bright nickel finish and black enamel, black velvet bag) will be available at the IDW booth, while supplies last.
• 100 Legacy Edition Hercules Keys ($25, 3.6 inches, antique yellow gold-plated pewter cast, printed black velvet bag) will be available at the IDW booth, while supplies last.
• 250 2011 Comic-Con exclusive IDW Keys ($25, 5 inches, antique silver-plated pewter cast, printed black velvet bag with a hand numbered tag) will be available at the IDW booth, while supplies last.
• Locke & Key fans can also collect a complete set of seven free LOCKE & KEY temporary tattoos. Different keys will be given out each day.
• Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez will be signing at the IDW booth #2643.
• LOCKE & KEY: VOLUME 4 KEYS TO THE KINGDOM (Comic-Con Edition, $25.00, 160 pages, hardcover) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• LOCKE & KEY: VOLUME 4 KEYS TO THE KINGDOM ($25.00, 160 pages, hardcover) is now available in comic and book stores.

Dave Stevens: The Complete Sketchbook Collection

Dave Stevens: The Complete Sketchbook Collection

• Comic-Con attendees can pick-up or pre-order Dave Stevens: The Complete Sketchbook with variant cover at http://bit.ly/stevenssketchbook.
• For several years, Dave Stevens self-published four sketchbooks to sell specifically at the San Diego Comic Con. This volume collects the entire contents of those four sketchbooks, plus approximately 100 additional sketches that have never before been published!
• DAVE STEVENS: THE COMPLETE SKETCHBOOK COLLECTION Comic-Con Edition ($50.00, 256 pages, black and white, hardcover) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• DAVE STEVENS: THE COMPLETE SKETCHBOOK COLLECTION ($50.00, 256 pages, black and white, hardcover) will be available in comic & book stores on July 27, 2011.

Walter Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition

• This collection presents Thor 337-340 and 360-362—Simonson’s first story, followed by one of his favorite story arcs. A variant cover edition will also be made available and is limited to 250 copies.
• Pre-order at http://bit.ly/mightythor.
• Walter Simonson will be signing daily at the IDW booth #2643.
• WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: Artist’s Edition (Comic-Con Edition, $100.00, 176 pages, black and white, hardcover) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: Artist’s Edition ($100.00, 176 pages, black and white, hardcover) is available for pre-order through IDW Publishing, for pick up at San Diego Comic-Con or delivery after August 1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

• Visitors to Comic-Con can pick up a free ashcan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and get an early look at the upcoming August release for the new series.
• Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael reunite to bring their ninja aptitude and teenage attitude to IDW Publishing in this all-new action-packed series.
• Members of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES will be signing at the IDW booth #2643.
• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Ashcan (FREE) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores in August 2011.

Transformers

• Comic-Con attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a special TRANSFORMERS #22 variant issue.
• MEGATRON: firebrand, tyrant, psychopath… prisoner? The DECEPTICONS leader had the AUTOBOTS at his mercy—and then surrendered. OPTIMUS PRIME tries to find out why in a story that spans four million years and features a cast of thousands. Events in this issue will forever change the way you look at the TRANSFORMERS Universe.
• Members of the TRANSFORMERS creative teams will be signing at the IDW booth #2643.
• TRANSFORMERS #22 Variant ($5.00, 32 pages, full color) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• TRANSFORMERS #22 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores on July 13, 2011.

Popbot

Popbot

• POPBOT BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK, which collects the long sold-out POPBOT Volumes 1 through 8. This huge 11″ x 14″ hardcover collection showcases over 400 pages of Ashley Wood art and comes with a slipcase. Strictly limited to 500 copies.
• Now available for pre-order at http://bit.ly/popbot.
• Ashley Wood will be based at the IDW booth #2643 throughout Comic-Con, and will be available for signings.
• POPBOT BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK ($125, hardcover with slipcase, 400 pages, 11” X 14”) is available for pre-order through IDW Publishing, for pick up at San Diego Comic-Con or delivery after August 1.

True Blood: Tainted Love #1 Legacy Edition

• The Legacy Edition of our debut True Blood comic was such a huge success; we’re doing it again! In celebration of the acclaimed follow-up series, we are proud to release a special Legacy Edition of the first issue of Tainted Love a Comic-Con variant cover will also be made available!
• True Blood: Tainted Love #1 Legacy Edition contains all six covers, as well as the first script, giving a rare insight into the inner workings of a comic book from initial thought to publication… if you want to see how hit comics come together, this is the book for you!
• Members of the TRUE BLOOD creative teams will be signing at the IDW booth #2643.
• TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE #1 LEGACY EDITION (Comic-Con Edition, $10.00, 48 pages, full color) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.
• TRUE BLOOD: TAINTED LOVE #1 LEGACY EDITION ($4.99, 48 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores on July 27, 2011.

Complete Zombies vs. Robots

• Exclusive new hardcover edition of the COMPLETE ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS. The acclaimed, 160-page volume, written by co-creator Chris Ryall and fully illustrated by Ashley Wood, is now available in an exclusive hardcover for only $29.99, and is limited to approximately 400 copies.
• Ashley Wood will be based at the IDW booth #2643 throughout Comic-Con, and will be available for signings with Chris Ryall.
• COMPLETE ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS (Comic-Con Edition, $29.99, 160 pages, hardcover) will be available at the IDW booth #2643 during Comic-Con, while supplies last.

Ultimate Spider-Man #160

Publishing | Arune Singh, Marvel’s director of communications, addresses how Marvel works with media outlets to break major storyline news and in many cases spoil the story, like Ultimate Spider-Man dying. Their goal is to hopefully bring lapsed or non-fans into stores: “When we line up this kind of mainstream media coverage, it’s offering the promise of breaking this big news to the outlet. It’s with the knowledge that they’ll be the ones making the headlines, being referenced by other sites and getting the attention. But if we wait till the story breaks or the Wednesday books go on-sale, someone else is going to buy the issue early in the morning and break the news. Is it possible that mainstream outlets will still pick up on the news then? Yes, it’s possible. But the only way to guarantee that big, sweeping placement worldwide — as you’ve seen with the Death of Spider-Man — is to break it before anyone has a chance. And that kind of placement is, as I mentioned above, what will get us attention from outside the industry.” [ComicsAlliance]

Retailing | Toronto retailer Chris Butcher worries about how well the two late Green Lantern movie prequel comics — one shipping this week, one shipping in August — will sell so long after the film’s release. He also discusses the lateness of the final issue of the War of the Green Lanterns crossover, which won’t come out until after the epilogue story in this week’s Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #11. [Comics212]

Business | David Maisel, the former chairman of Marvel Studios who stepped down after the Disney merger, will serve as a special adviser to Rovio, the company behind the hit game Angry Birds. He will also serve as executive producer of future Angry Birds films. Surely an Angry Birds comic is being worked on somewhere. [Business Wire]

from Mister Wonderful

Best of 2011 | Already? Yes, already. Amazon.com names its best graphic novels of the year so far. Topping the list is Daniel Clowes’ Mister Wonderful, followed by The Cardboard Valise, iZombie Vol. 1: Dead to the World, the Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus and Anya’s Ghost. [Amazon.com]

Comics | PopGun editor Joe Keatinge shares his love for Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean “Moebius” Giraud’s The Incal: “Incal’s a comic which definitely deserved the prestigious format. Moebius’ linework always benefits from having a larger format, but the sheer scope of Incal warrants as large a presentation as possible. It’s not a small story – it begins with detective John Difool making a run-in with a giant monster who bestows him with the titular Incal, which eventually leads him to become something of a messianic figure. That all just barely scratches the first twenty-two pages. Throughout the entire saga, you’re faced with sprawling metropolises without an end, alien assassins, genetically spliced creatures, religious crusades and flying cars aplenty.” [Broken Frontier]

Batwing #1

Retailing | Retailer Ron Cacace from Fallout Shelter Comics in New Jersey discusses the DC relaunch: “From a retailer’s perspective, it’s easy to get excited about the possibilities that 52 #1 issues can bring. It’s also easy to get completely terrified. My initial reaction was that there would be no way to accurately order all of these comics and not risk taking a huge loss. I could easily assume that most of the people buying titles such as Green Lantern and Scott Snyder’s Detective Comics will stick around for the new issues as these books will remain relatively untouched. (Snyder will move over to Batman, but the creative team on Green Lantern remains the same.) But how should I order a title such as Blackhawks or Batwing? These aren’t characters with a built-in fan base or a previous title that I can judge my orders against.” [The Weekly Crisis]

Digital comics | David Brothers argues that digital comics should be sold as complete stories, not single issues. [ComicsAlliance]

Comics | Evan Hughes dives into the story of Harold von Braunhut, the man behind those sea monkey ads that used to run in the back of comics. [The Awl]

Creators | Becky Cloonan’s newest project isn’t a comic, apparently but an illustrated edition of Dracula. [Ink and Thunder]

Conventions | The artist site deviantART will sponsor the Artists Alley at Comic-Con International in San Diego this year, and they are offering two “scholarships” to pay all the expenses of the con for a webcomics artist and a traditional artist. [deviantART]

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Broadway | Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the retooled $75 million Broadway musical, took in $1.7 million for the week ending this past Sunday, which is above the $1.2 million the producers have indicated they need to reach to stay viable. The amount made it the No. 3 musical for the week, after Wicked and The Lion King. [Associated Press]

Legal | Robert Corn-Revere, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s general counsel, discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. EMA, which sought to ban the sale of violent video games to minors. He notes that the court drew upon the history of comic book censorship in reaching its conclusion to reject the ban: “Citing the amicus brief filed by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, it noted the crusade against comics led by Dr. Frederic Wertham and observed that it was inconsistent with our constitutional traditions. The Court traced the history of censorship that targeted various media directed toward the young and held that restricting depictions of violence could not be justified under established principles of First Amendment law.” [CBLDF]

CBLDF advertising

Legal | Toronto comics retailer Chris Butcher comments on the CBLDF’s efforts to help a U.S. man facing criminal charges in Canada for possession and importation of child pornography because of comics that were found on his computer: “If you are a fan of any manga or anime, if you are a fan of comics, if you have even one comics page, anime clip, or ‘dirty’ picture on your computer, tablet, or phone, this is about you. This is about you being pulled aside, searched, your electronics confiscated to be sent away for weeks and months, all because you’ve got scans of Naruto on your desktop. This isn’t about ‘child porn’ or any variation thereof, this is about legally equating a description of a thing–written or drawn–with the real thing.” In related news, the Bonfire Agency has created ads for the CBLDF focused on this issue. [Comics212]

Webcomics | Greg Rucka and Rich Burchett have set up a site for their webcomic Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether, which was announced in April. The strip begins July 11 [Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether]

Creators | Public Radio International recently interviewed Shigeru Mizuki, creator of Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, the story of a doomed battalion in World War II that was recently published here by Drawn + Quarterly. [PRI's The World, via The Manga Critic]

Hark! A Vagrant

Criticism | Kristy Valenti analyzes Kate Beaton’s “voice” in Hark! A Vagrant. [comiXology]

History | Douglas Wolk traces how comics moved from being primarily aimed at kids to a more adult-oriented medium [Huffington Post]

Manga | Johanna Draper Carlson chronicles the history of josei manga (manga written for adult women) in the U.S. Sadly, it is mainly a story of good starts and poor follow-through. [Comics Worth Reading]

Comics | Robot 6 contributor Matt Seneca discusses the hardcover collection of Thor Godstorm, modern superhero comics and the art of Steve Rude. [Death to the Universe]

Reviews | Comic writer and soda blogger Neil Kleid yields to the taste of Dunkin’ Donut’s Captain America Cherry Coolata: “’Terrible’ would be spinning it politely. ‘Undrinkable’ hit the target more accurately, for after the fourth attempt and a rush of pounding drums to my cranium married with tense, shaking utensils I once called ‘fingers’ forced the expulsion of the remainder of the cup into the nearest trash receptacle.” [SodaBlog]

Business | Dean Haspiel and Seth Kushner join fellow Brooklyn entrepreneurs in a discussion of the secrets to success for small businesses. [Inc.]

Digital | Aspen Comics, which recently inked digital distribution deals with comiXology and iVerse, completes the triumvirate by signing with Graphic.ly as well. [CBR]

For his 24-Hour Comics Day challenge, Caanan Grall came up with a brilliant mashup: Muppet Thor, in which the Muppets discover the mighty hammer Mjolnir and the Thunder God himself makes a surprise appearance with Miss Piggy. Grall does a nice job drawing the Muppets, and the story has some clever twists.

If you can’t get enough of Muppet mash-ups, head over to our sister blog Comics Should Be Good for a few more.

Walt Simonson's The Mighty Thor Artist's Edition

IDW Publishing announced this week that Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition is now available for pre-order from their site. And if you’re attending the San Diego Comic Con this year, not only can you elect to pick up your copy at the show, but you can also choose a limited edition version with the above variant cover.

“I wrote and drew The Mighty Thor for Marvel more 25 years ago now, at a time when it was the fate of old comics to be deployed to the back issue bins in comic shops and at conventions. No one had any expectations of reprints or trade collections. Now, it’s a new day,” said Simonson. “I’m pleased that IDW and Marvel have seen fit to go back and revisit this work as they have. I couldn’t be more delighted to know Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and all their friends turned out to have a much longer shelf-life than I would ever have imagined.”

Announced earlier this year at WonderCon, Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition collects seven issues of the creator’s run on the title — Thor #337-340, which saw the debut of Beta Ray Bill, as well as Thor #360-363, which featured Thor battling Hela and the death of the Executioner. Each page is shot from Simonson’s original art and was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—so you’ll be able to see white-out corrections and blue pencil notations.

You can order the regular edition here and the variant cover edition, which is only available if you can pick it up in San Diego, here. Both editions cost $100. Simonson and his wife, comics writer Louise Simonson, will be at the IDW booth at the show.

‘Nuff said.

Previously: Wonder Woman I, Wonder Woman II, Wonder Woman III, Wolverine, Aquaman, Batman, Lois Lane, Kraven, Thor (with Nicholas Gurewitch), Rogue page 1/Rogue page 2

Did I miss any?

I don’t have a lot of commentary about this Thor piece by Carlos Lerms except to say that this is why animated GIFs were created.

Fear Itself #1

Publishing | The drop in year-over-year sales in the direct market slowed in April, with periodicals slipping 1.75 percent and graphic novels just .84 percent. Overall sales were down 1.46 percent for April and 6.5 percent for the first four months of the year. Marvel topped Diamond’s comics chart with Fear Itself #1, while DC led the graphic novel category with the 15th volume of Fables. [ICv2.com]

Crime | Police evacuated the bus terminal in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, Friday afternoon after a suspicious package was discovered across the street. The Michigan State Police bomb squad was called in, and it was determined the mysterious package was merely a briefcase-shaped media kit promoting Acura’s involvement with Marvel’s Thor. A writer for Automobile, whose offices are next to the terminal, had discarded the “S.H.I.E.L.D. Assessment Test” kit in the recycling bin, but it wasn’t picked up — apparently because it isn’t recyclable. [WXYZ, Jalopnik]

San Diego Convention Center

Comic-Con | Mark Evanier discusses a new hotel tax proposed by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders to pay for the planned expansion of the city’s convention center. There would be a 3 percent tax on rooms closest to the convention center, the location of Comic-Con International, with others being taxed between 1 and 2 percent, depending on their proximity. [News from ME]

Awards | Nominations are being accepted through May 31 for the 28th annual Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, which will be presented July 22 during the Eisner Awards ceremony at Comic-Con International. [Comic-Con International]

Retailing | In its first-quarter filings, U.S. retail chain Hastings reports a 3 percent increase in its “trends” merchandise category, driven in part by the sales of new and used comics. The retailer recently expanded its comics space in 126 stores. [press release]

Conventions | Tim Janson wraps up this weekend’s Motor City Comic Con in Nov, Michigan. [Mania.com]

Creators | David Lloyd chats about his career, V for Vendetta and a possible shift to online comics: “I’m interested in online storytelling, not just putting a comic online though. I think that’s kid of crazy. There should be something more than just putting a comic page on a computer screen, and there are different ways of doing that. I’m looking for the best way to do that, to tell a story, produce a graphic novel week by week, month by month. Now obviously you can do that just as a showcase and then sell the book afterwards. There have been some examples of that working well. But if I do something like that, I would like to earn money. I kinda regret that a lot of ideas I get, I can’t do. I have some nice ideas but if I did all of them, every one of them taking two years, I’d be fixed for the next ten, so I’m not sure if I want to do that. If I invest time in something, I’ve got to get results and it has to be seen.” [Philippine Daily Inquirer]

Creators | Chester Brown talks about his new graphic novel Paying for it: A Comic-Strip Memoir About Being a John. [The Gazette]

The Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3

Welcome once again to What Are You Reading? Today our special guest is John Jackson Miller, writer of Star Wars: Knight Errant and Mass Effect comics for Dark Horse and various Star Wars prose novels. He’s also the curator of The Comics Chronicles research website. His next comics series, Star Wars: Knight Errant, Deluge, starts in August.

To see what John and the Robot 6 crew are reading, click below.

*****

Tim O’Shea

Marvel Adventures #14

Marvel Adventures #14: This story by writer Todd Dezago and the art team of Ron Lim and Scott Koblish reminds me why I love all ages books. A standalone story rarely occurs in monthly comics these days (unless a filler issue is required)–and the set-up needed for multiple issue arcs (and ultimately TPBs) prevents stories from being all-out action like this one. I mean, in Journey Into Mystery #623 (also released this week), I literally had to read one page 4/6 of a page devoted to a bird waiting for the next plot point to occur. I imagine there will be a great deal of padding like this as long as the Fear Itself event plays out. Anyways back to Lim’s art, it’s far simpler (for the younger audience), but I found it refreshing in this Spidey/Thor team-up (a quirky combo in and of itself). At the outset of the story, the creators credited Gerry Conway and Ross Andru for inspiring the story. I may be mistaken but Lim’s layout even seems to carry an extra level of kineticism (much in the vein of Andru’s style).

Free Comic Book Day: Captain America/Thor: It breaks my heart to read this Roger Langridge/Chris Samnee tale..,because it’s so straightforward and delightful. And I’m still wondering why the hell the Langridge/Samnee series underperformed so badly–because it was just as solid as this tale. Extra points to Langridge for working in a Fighting American joke (as well as avoiding the whole “heroes meet/heroes fight/heroes clear up the confusion” cliche. I’ve praised Samnee’s art enough in the past, but this issue it really struck me how great he is at distinctive facial reactions.

Flashpoint #1: This was more enjoyable when it was called Elseworlds. One highlight in this rather uninspired read: Barry Allen drives a car. Extra bonus, he has to borrow his mom’s car, because apparently he’s paid so poorly in this alternate universe he does not own one.

Cinderella: Fables Are Forever #4: How accurate is the 1985 flashback in this month’s issue? A character is wearing an unstructured jacket (thanks to Miami Vice, a 1985 mainstay), so my hat’s off to artist Shawn McManus. Later in the story, there’s a 1986 flashback in which writer Chris Roberson has a chance to work with Snow White and Cinderella’s character dynamics (and how frustrating Cinderella’s cover story could prove). In that same scene, Roberson makes Vertigo history (I am fairly certain) and works in a 1980s Cheers sitcom reference.

Superman #711: Such is the way of media trends: all the outlets that covered that odd “Superman considers renouncing his US citizenship” in Action 900 seem to have missed out on Superman’s speech in tribute to the American Way at the end of Superman #711. (Sidebar: DC and 7-Eleven missed out on some sort of Slurpee cross-promotion giveaway with this issue’s number). Roberson’s run (which he has confirmed on Twitter ends with 714) will only turn out to be seven issues, but it has benefited by being graced with the overall JMS isolated storyline mandate. What I mean is that the story has not had to work in Blackest Day, Doomsday or Flashpoint. It’s just Superman on this Grounded quest. Much was made of Nick Spencer’s recent writing of Jimmy Olsen, but Roberson in essence writes a damn fine Olsen/Superman team-up in this one. And while the overall tale is tied to the Grounded arc, this issue has a slight done-in-one vibe.

Chris Mautner

Flashpoint #1

Flashpoint #1 — I had promised myself I would never delve into another mega-superhero crossover again after going through the drudgery that was Secret Invasion, but having read the first issue of Flashpoint (provided to me by the good people at DC) I may have to rethink my vow. I’m a sucker for the alternate universe/”what if” type stories anyway, but I thought it was a pretty solid introduction. You can see where a good number of the pieces are going to fit in the narrative — The Flash is clearly going to have to make a choice between setting things right and living in a world where his mother is still alive — but I really liked the way Kubert and Johns set this up. I liked that I didn’t have to work too hard to remember who The Outsider was or Shade, just simple, broad introductions that let you know as briefly as possible where everyone stood. I thought Batman’s narration was a bit too purple, and the expository dialogue was stilted at times (especially among the Captain Thunder crew). Also, wouldn’t be this Batman be … really old? At least too old to do the things he’s doing? Those are relatively minor caveats though. I’ve been wooed by solid first issues before only to be swiftly let down, but for now I’m tentatively anticipating the second issue, albeit with crossed fingers.

The Heavy Hand by C. Cilla — A deeply off-kilter graphic novel about a middle-aged schlub who leaves his podunk town to try to get a job with an eccentric professor who is doing something unseemly in a cave. Surreal, nonsensical things happen in between and during his adventures. Then they all go to a party and things really get weird. The likely comparison would be Jim Woodring I suppose, but Cilla seems to be dealing with different demons. Not bad, but the pacing feels slack in parts and just a wee bit too random at times.

JK Parkin

Invincible #70

I recently got caught up on Invincible; I’ve always been a trade or two behind on it, but since it’s being released day-and-date on Image’s iPad app, I figured why not download everything I was missing. I’ve read through the two recent “wars” — the alternate reality Invincible attack, and the Viltrumite war. You can tell the creators are just having a ton of fun with this one, from the big world-altering plots to the character development between Mark, his dad, Eve and my favorite character, his little brother Oliver.

I mentioned earlier this week how much I liked Flashpoint #1. A little background: Barry Allen was never my Flash, not really. I was never a fan or reader of the comic until Wally West took up the mantle. I thought Barry’s death was handled well in Crisis, and he became, to me, one of those characters whose death brought out the best in another character — kind of like an Uncle Ben or a Bucky.

But looking at Flashpoint #1, the Barry Allen plot line was actually my favorite part of the book. I mean, yeah, it’s the main plot line, as we’re introduced to this alternate universe , from his initial discovery that everything is wonky to the parts with his mom and Iris, to the absolutely wonderful traffic jam scene to his confrontation with Batman at the end of the comic. That last page was obviously going for the Big! Shocking! Moment!, but I think it worked in the context of the story, as it really nailed down the “Everything is messed up and I gotta fix this” plot involving Barry. Like Chris, I’m hoping subsequent issues live up to this one.

Finally, I also recently finished the novel The Passage by Justin Cronin. It’s an epic, decade-spanning novel about the vampire apocalypse — with the vampires here being a far cry from what you’d find in Twilight or even American Vampire. They’re monstrous, barely human creatures created in a lab by the government, with mind control powers that lead to things going horribly wrong. The novel is basically broken into two halves, with the first taking place a few years in the future as we learn the back story of this world and the second taking place about 100 years later, as the last remnants of humanity struggles to survive in a vampire world. Excellent, excellent novel that really draws you into the lives of the characters in both time periods.

Tom Bondurant

Batman Inc. #6

Batman Incorporated #6 (written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Chris Burnham) was great fun from start to finish, showing off the “Incorporated” concept in all its versatile forms. I’m hoping Chris Burnham stays on the title for a good long time. His work has echoes of recent Morrison collaborators (and Bat-artists) Frank Quitely and
Cameron Stewart, plus a little Kevin Maguire and Linda Medley to boot; but with an energy all its own. As Justice League International revitalized DC’s signature super-team, so this book is transforming “Batman” from a singular avenging figure into something much more pernicious: an idea. “We’d have to invent him,” indeed.

Speaking of ideas, part of the reason I enjoy the Fantastic Four is their honored spot in the Marvel U’s hierarchy. As such, I always looked forward to their team-ups with other heroes — but especially with Spider-Man, since he has unique relationships with each of them. He’s Johnny’s contemporary (which makes Sue something of a big sister), he shares Reed’s intellectual curiosity, and he and Ben have both felt like outsiders, monstrous or not. Nevertheless, I haven’t really warmed to the Future Foundation’s role in these past couple of issues of Amazing Spider-Man. They’re not bad stories, but I found myself drawn more to the subplot with Carlie than to the FF’s switched-around powers or the secrets of the Sinister Six. Meanwhile, I don’t mind Spidey’s role in FF, because he’s supposed to be part of that book; and I liked when the Avengers showed up earlier in “Big Time.” I guess it’s similar to what Carla talked about a couple of weeks back — my idea of Spidey hasn’t quite expanded to include his being a regular part of Marvel’s first family.

Jesus Saiz picked a heck of a story for his debut as Birds Of Prey‘s regular artist (in this week’s #12, expertly written as always by Gail Simone). While Huntress and the Question team up, the rest of the team goes undercover in what seems like perfunctory caper style. By the end of the issue, however, things have gotten extremely bad, and the worst part is, the Birds have no clue. It reminded me of the end of The Blair Witch Project, in that same it’s-too-late-BANG!-it’s-over sense. (It helps that the setting’s almost the same.) Saiz is a good fit for the book — closer to Nicola Scott’s style than Ed Benes’, but more earthy, and with a good eye for storytelling. It’s more of a subdued feel, which suits this book better than something over-the-top like Secret Six. Ironically, though, this particular issue has a very Secret Six-ish vibe, and I suspect the next one will too….

Brigid Alverson

Bat Boy

I’m a Weekly World News fan from way back‹back when space aliens were endorsing Bill Clinton’s run for president, some guy was frying an egg on his bald head, and the talking carp was telling us to read our Bibles (there were actually two talking carps, and the second one only told us to read our Old Testaments, because he was Jewish … but I digress). So I was tickled pink by IDW’s collection of Peter Bagge’s Bat Boy comics. Based on an actual character that was regularly covered in the paper, Bat Boy was a four-panel strip that picked up on the paper’s obsessions and ran amok with them. In the first sequence, prophetically, Bat Boy kills Osama Bin Laden, but not quite the way it happened in real life. Columnist Ed Anger (“I’m madder than a canary in a blender!”) pops up in these strips, which makes me very happy. I can’t say I exactly miss the WWN — the quality deteriorated quite a bit toward the end‹but these strips bring back some good times.

Still following up on creators I met at Boston Comic Con two weeks ago, this week I checked out Gabriel Dunston’s A Funny Thing Happened Today. It’s a slice-of-life webcomic that follows Dunston’s personal life pretty closely, from big events like having a baby and putting his dog to sleep to little things like losing his toothpaste or the baby farting. The art is competent, and the format is all over the place–strips, pages, photo comics–but the writing makes it a lot of fun to read. By the time I had read all the strips I felt like I really knew Gabriel and his whole family, and that they were the kind of people I would enjoy knowing. One criticism, though: It seems like every blog entry is an apology for posting late or missing a post. While this adds a certain verisimilitude, given the events of his life in the past year and a half, it also gets tiresome, and it’s not very relevant if you are reading through the archives. Other than that, though, it’s a fun read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

John Jackson Miller

Star Trek

My “new” comics reading stack is so tall it’s no longer able to defy gravity, so a lot of what read right when it comes in is limited to the other Dark Horse Star Wars comics that I need for my own writing. But consistent with my work on The Comics Chronicles website I do enjoy digging through older comics — reading some for the first time, and others with new eyes.

For example, I just finished the first several years of Marvel’s Doctor Strange title (the one that came after Strange Tales) as it appeared in The Essential Doctor Strange Vol. 3. I’d read some of this before but it was fascinating as a writer to watch four greats of the game, Steve Englehart, Marv Wolfman, Jim Starlin, and Roger Stern writing the same storyline in succession. Strange, by its nature, was a relatively title to make course-corrections to; it was amusing, for example, to watch Englehart send Clea into a love affair with Benjamin Franklin (!) and to see Wolfman make sure that it never happened. Also, reading it now and knowing it was one of Marvel’s few bimonthlies at the time, the back burner was truly the back burner, plotwise. Doctor Strange invites some house guests one issue, goes off on an interdimensional fandango, and we suddenly remember the guests are still in the Sanctum something like a year later in real time!

I also picked up at C2E2 the complete Marvel run of Star Trek — the first one, right after The Motion Picture. Having adapted a movie for comics myself, I did not envy Wolfman and Dave Cockrum their job of cramming the movie adapt into three issues, but it was interesting to see moments in the comics version that were cut from the script, such as Kirk saving Spock from being mummified in crystal by V’Ger.

In prose, I recently read Then Everything Changed, the new book by Jeff Greenfield, late of CBS — in-depth counterfactual histories of what would have happened if John F. Kennedy had been assassinated before taking office, if Robert F. Kennedy hadn’t been killed, and if Gerald Ford had won reelection. It differs from a lot of “What If” histories in that Greenfield was part of RFK’s campaign, so there’s a “you are there” feel to it. Greenfield wrote an interesting novel some years back, The People’s Choice, that used as its springboard some of the really crazy outcomes that are possible in presidential elections because of the rules embedded in the electoral college. I enjoy stories where strange-but-true minutiae like that can have an outsize bearing on events — I tried to insert some of those moments during my Iron Man as Secretary of Defense storyline a few years ago.

Hoping to get started on the to-read stack before it buries another piece of furniture!

Mark Wayne Williams is ... Batman

Crime | Police in Petoskey, Michigan, arrested a 31-year-old man early Wednesday morning after he allegedly climbed to the roof of a downtown hardware store dressed as Batman. Mark Wayne Williams of Harbor Springs — yes, his middle name is Wayne — has been charged with trespassing, disturbing the peace and possession of dangerous weapons, as he reportedly carried a folding steel baton, weighted (sand-filled) gloves, and a can of chemical irritant spray.

Williams said at his arraignment that he didn’t realize the items were illegal, but didn’t offer an explanation as to why he was hanging off the roof of Meyer Ace Hardware dressed as the Dark Knight. The incident apparently isn’t Williams’ first encounter with police: The city’s public safety director said he had previously dressed as the Crow, but didn’t give any further details. [Petoskey News]

Crime | The expired website domain of defunct manga publisher Go! Comi is being used in a scam by an unknown party to solicit donations under the guise of resurrecting the company. “It is not real,” Audry Taylor, Go! Comi’s former creative director, warned last night on Twitter. “Do not donate. Gonna my lawyers on them.” [Anime News Network]

One Piece, Vol. 62

Publishing | The 62nd volume of One Piece has sold 2.37 million copies in Japan, making it the 13th consecutive volume of Eiichiro Oda’s pirate manga to break the 2 million-copy mark. [Anime News Network]

Digital comics | Todd Allen looks at the growing number of comics offered for Barnes & Noble’s Nook eReader. [Publishers Weekly]

Awards | Shojo pioneer Moto Hagio has won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award, which will be presented June 10 at the 40th Japan Cartoonist Awards ceremony. [Anime News Network]

Creators | CNN profiles Geoff Johns, with an eye toward DC Comics’ Flashpoint event: “I didn’t want to take the DC universe, put it in a box, shake the box and pour it out. I wanted to take the major characters and show what they could be like if they were put on a different path.” [CNN.com]

Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson

Creators | Walter Simonson discusses his landmark 1983-1987 run on Marvel’s Thor: “My intention was when you were reading the Thors I was doing, they would not feel like the Thors you were reading for some years – they were different. I wanted to create something that had the excitement of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby work, where they introduced new concepts every 20 minutes. While I didn’t want to go back and do those stories, I did want to create the feeling I had when I had read those stories and loved them … You have to find some new way to bring in new ideas and throw stuff at the readers. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy it and stick with you.” [Mania]

Creators | Chester Brown is spotlighted in advance of the Saturday launch party for his new graphic novel Paying for It: A Comic-Strip Memoir About Being a John. [The Gazette]

Creators | Alex Fellows, who won this year’s Doug Wright Award for best emerging talent, chats about his comic Spain & Morocco. [CBC Books]

Vasilis Lolos

Creators | Vasilis Lolos talks about his webcomic Hats, which debuts this week at MTV Geek: “Hats is about not giving a fuck about the comic making process and cutting it close, haha. I just wanted to do something that I set myself free of coming up with a script, making thumbnails or any kind of plan. Comics tend to be OCD and by the numbers — and at some point, I felt that I wanted to move away from it, initially it wasn’t even a conscious effort it was more like ‘I just want to make something fun.’ When I start on a Hats comic I have no idea what I’m doing, it’s like automatic writing.” [MTV Geek]

Art | Illustrator Jason Crosby walks through the process of creating a cover for SF Weekly. [SF Weekly]

Fandom | Steve Wing explains what attracted him and his childhood friends to Marvel comics in the early 1960s: “The Hulk was this rampaging engine of destruction, sure, but still, deep down, he was basically a nice guy. That is, he was the reverse of how we actually were in seventh grade, me and Rick and Jerry: all too nerdishly nice on the surface, but underneath raging. Raging, because in our day-to-day lives we were subjected to casual schoolyard violence and related humiliations. We might sidestep, we might negotiate, but sometimes an actual fight happened, messy, clumsy, sweaty, nauseatingly fearful and confusing. So of course we were drawn to the glory of comic book battles, the perfectly framed punches, the clean hard connections, the grace and balance displayed by heroes even in the midst of a complete ass-over-teakettle wipeout.” [Salon.com]