From Hell

Hey there, hi there, ho there, it's time once again for What Are You Reading. Our guest this week is blogger and Top Shelf pr guru Leigh Walton. Want to know what Leigh is reading this week? Of course you do! Click on the link to find out, then let us know what you're reading in the comments section.

The Incredibles

Tim O'Shea: Well, even though the next issue of Irredeemable does not come out until next week, it appears to be a Mark Waid kind of week for me. First off, Waid and Landry Walker's written Incredibles is a must read for the villains--or more exactly, the villains' dialogue. This month's gem features such great moments as Mr. Pixel saying to a captured Jack-Jack: "So...baby. We meet a last." prompting Jack-Jack's rejoinder of "Zbtlz! Pbbb." Waid and Walker's ear for baby gibberish is uncanny. Second best line? When Tronasaurus voice drifts off and he collapses in mid-sentence. In reaction, Mr. Pixel turns to his fellow co-horts in the Confederacy of Crime and asks: "Oh, come on...did no one think to recharge Tronasaurus last night?" I love the book's universal sense of humor (appealing to the kid in all of us).

The other Waid must read for the week is the first issue of the four-part Strange (that's Stephen to his pals) miniseries. No longer the supreme sorcerer, Waid has Strange take in a baseball game in this first issue. Really. I had not read Rios' work on Boom's Hexed, so this is my first exposure to her style. It's an acquired taste, and that's not a slam. I just think it will take me some time to get used to her style. It appears that while Strange still clearly needs to heal thyself, he also may find himself in the mentor role again in this mini. I'm sticking around and not just because Waid is writing it, but also because the great Todd Klein is lettering the hell (pun intended) into the story. His word balloons consistently elevate the form to a higher level.

The wheels fell off Morrison's Batman and Robin with issue 6. In one scene Robin is paralyzed with five gunshots to the back. Batman just stands there (apparently think to himself: "Well Alfred has no cure for paralysis last I checked.") and says to Morrison's prop tool version of Commissioner Gordon: "He's in a bad way. But Robin's a tough kid, right?...Your mom's paramedics just turned up. You sure you don't need painkillers?" And Gordon has no reaction as Talia's goons (Talia is a criminal last I checked...) cart the child/sidekick away. Meanwhile freshly disconnected Batman gets distracted and angered by more crazy Jason Todd ranting with his latest round of crazy talk and forgets about Robin. The story was just a jumbled mess. I'll give it a few more issues but my money may end up staying in the wallet on this one if it continues this nonsensically.

Back to Boom, Roger Langridge ends the Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson four-parter firing on all cylinders. He lays waste to the Muppets' theater with a wrecking ball -- many wrecking balls, and other means of
destruction, as well as an equal number of comedy bits. Really, if you think about it, collapsing rubble is the punchline to many fine Muppet Show bits.

Black Widow

Two books I read this week were ones I missed last week -- and both have strong female spy leads.

Black Widow Deadly Origin (1 of 4 issues) was a big disappointment. I love Cornell's writing, but some plot choices he makes early on in the tale bewilder me (including the apparent killing of a major character
in Widow's long-established supporting cast). Also Tom Raney's art (his style has changed over the years and sadly not for the better) seriously undermine the story. At one point Natasha is talking to a guy who is supposed to be James Barnes, but the guy looks nothing like him. Hell Natasha looks nothing like Natasha. We just know it's her because of the red hair really. The best part (and strongest aspect) is the seven-page flashback drawn by John Paul Leon. It's a real shame as Cornell opens the book with a James Bond-ian bit that falls flat because Raney's just not up to the task that Cornell wrote for him. In his defense, a fight scene in the cockpit of a plane is no easy thing to convey kinetically, but I remember Raney having a stronger line earlier in his career.

My second missed opportunity came about because of the sneak peak that Vertigo offered for Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love motivated me to track down the issue this week. And I am truly glad I did. I lost interest in Willingham's Fables several years ago and I never looked back. But this miniseries, which takes Cinderella the Spy out of Fabletown is a great concept. It's too early to see how strong a writer Chris Roberson is, but the project's appeal for me is the whimsical art of Shawn McManus. McManus gives a great scene on The Farm with a cat, a mouse and a bird that gets to the heart of why I enjoyed the read.

yokaiden vol. 2

Brigid Alverson: Big manga week this week. I dove into vol. 2 of Yokaiden, Nina Matsumoto’s comedy/adventure about a boy avenging his grandmother’s death in the land of the Yokai. It’s very light and well done; Matsumoto has a sure hand and a killer sense of humor. I really enjoyed volume 1, and I have just dipped my toe into vol. 1 but I’m really looking forward to it.

A while ago, I was talking to a Tokyopop marketing person and she mentioned that the .hack books were among their biggest sellers. When I remarked that I had never read one, she admitted, “Neither have I.” Fortunately, Tokyopop is publishing the first three volumes of .hack//Legend of the Twilight as an omnibus edition. It’s a fantasy story set in a multiplayer game, with the characters slipping in and out of real life occasionally. I’m not a gamer, but so far I’m finding it pretty readable anyway. It helps that the game it is based on is fictional, so you’re not expected to know a whole canon before you start reading.

Time and Again is a Korean ghost story anthology that is running in Yen Press magazine; I got the first volume of the collected edition this week. The art is nice, with a very open style — lots of empty space in the panels, and a monumental feel to it—but it suffers from a terrible flaw: It’s hard to keep the characters straight and to tell who is talking in any given scene. The stories are fairly short, but I had to reread the first one twice, and really look at the details, to fully understand it. That’s a lot of work for a ghost story. The artist blanks out faces a lot, which makes it even harder to follow. It’s a nice book, and I like the idea, but it’s a bit too much work for a leisure read.

X-Men/Agents of Atlas #2

Matt Maxwell: X-MEN/AGENTS OF ATLAS #2
I love ATLAS, I really do. And I guess I can understand breaking it out of a continuing series and into little chunklets designed to cross over into other books and try to pick up crossover readership that way. I can understand the intent, but the process in this case is making the book harder to read. Instead of ATLAS #13-15, we have a differently branded miniseries and a one-shot (which I haven't gotten to yet). I hope it's a roll of the dice that works, but it isn't for me. And while the creative team adds a second dimension to "two super teams meet and fight then realize they shouldn't be fighting", it's not the best foot being put forward. I hear rumors of a rebranded relaunch after all this, and I really hope they come to pass, along with a consistent art team. I still firmly believe that this is one of the best books Marvel has, but it's not feeling that way right now.

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #1
I once swore I wouldn't get this in singles, but I couldn't stay away. Spinning out of the strongest arc of CRIMINAL (and a lot of people disagree with this), "Lawless", THE SINNERS follows up the story of Tracy Lawless, U.S. Army turned reluctant hitman for the city's crime boss. And it does a great job of setting up all kinds of potential complications and pitfalls for Tracy to wander into, along with the grimiest (in a good way) art that Sean Phillips has turned in for CRIMINAL yet. ATLAS may be my favorite Marvel book, but CRIMINAL is probably the best book Marvel's putting out right now.

HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski
Yes, I read novels, but I don't see getting through this one. Not that it's badly written, but the choices in storytelling are the polar opposite to perhaps everything I try and do in my writing. And it's weird, because on its surface, I should find it compelling, but instead I'm finding it totally impossible to read. Might be this flu (I'm sitting here swaddled and chill in spite of said swaddling) and maybe I should try some other time when I'm not feeling so awful, but my immediate reaction tells me that's unlikely.

Tom Bondurant: My wife glanced over my shoulder at the swanky party scene from the Batman/Doc Savage Special and asked, "Is that a 'Mad Men' comic?" If only it were. I enjoyed Phil Noto's art, but I kept wishing it served something more substantial than Brian Azzarello's script. At first the issue -- and actually, the whole "First Wave" project -- seemed like the kind of no-nonsense, superheroes-are-the-anomaly approach well-suited to someone like Howard Chaykin. Indeed, the more I think about it, Chaykin might have given this issue the edge it needs. Instead, it's a bland, inoffensive start which threatens whatever goodwill I still have (and yes, I still have some) towards the project as a whole. Also, this might just be me, but I was expecting a period piece, and this is pretty clearly set in the present. That didn't help.

Note to Phil Noto, though: if you ever do a "Mad Men"-style project, I've got one customer already lined up.

In the grand scheme of Blackest Night, I have not been as impressed with the subplots played out in Green Lantern Corps. Mostly they've been personal to the GLs who appear frequently in the book, and where they haven't involved Black Lantern versions of said GLs' loved ones, they've involved the various Bad Lanterns (Kryb, for instance) who also appear frequently in the book. As a result, my expectations for GLC #42 (written by Peter J. Tomasi, pencilled by Patrick Gleason, inked by Rebecca Buchman) had been lowered. Well, that won't happen again. I thought GLC #42 was an excellent, suspenseful, meaningful installment of Blackest Night. It was paced well, and (although I'm not good at judging such things) it might even work well on its own. Tomasi's script was tight and efficient, and Tomasi and Buchman's storytelling was clear and energetic. The simple plot concerned the Black Lanterns' attacks on the Central Power Battery, and the Green Lanterns' multiple attempts to stop them. I didn't see the ending coming, and although I'm cynical enough to think it won't stick, I'm also impressed that there doesn't seem to be any loophole. (I suppose this means Ice's death doesn't send Guy over the edge....) Well done all, especially in the context of a big crossover.

Finally, by this time next week I'm hoping to be well into Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 10 and the transition from John Romita Sr. to Gil Kane. Can't wait!

Chris Mautner: When I first saw the cover to Robot City Adventures: City In Peril by Paul Collicutt, my heart did a little dance. A kids comic about a city where giant robots and humans live in peace? And where one of the robots is a giant lighthouse? This has gotta be great, right?

Wrong. It's an amazingly dull, stiff affair. Collicutt's art is way too sloppy and indistinct, especially where people are concerned, and manages to make what should be great fun -- the lighthouse robot battling a giant squid in the downtown harbor -- seem clumsy and boring. It doesn't help that all of the characters talk in a trite expository tone. I was going to pass this on to my son initially, but I think I'll pass now.

Eagle Vol. 1

Leigh Walton: Lately I've been playing a bit of catch-up with my comics reading: I finally took the plunge and tore through Kaiji Kawaguchi's EAGLE: THE MAKING OF AN ASIAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT, a fine piece of political entertainment from ten years ago. The plot -- about a nonwhite Democratic senator who comes out of nowhere to run for president using only his optimism, charm, and political savvy -- may have seemed outlandish in 1998 ... but I think you can see where I'm going with this.

At times I found myself wondering whether somebody on the Obama campaign had been taking notes. Kawaguchi's grasp of the American political system (both formal and behind-the-scenes) seems solid, with missteps here and there: audacity and hope will get you far, but it won't get a majority of Texans to vote for gun control, to say nothing of the candidate's foreign policy proposal. The overall structure is lumpy and imperfect, like most long-running serials, but Kawaguchi does an admirable job balancing the various strands of his drama, including a bits of sex and murder. Frankly, it's impressive that he was able to keep BIG COMIC readers interested in American politics twice a month for several years.

Viz published the English translation (actively adapted by Carl Horn) in an unusual monthly format before releasing 5 massive tankoubon from 2000-2002. Despite four Eisner nominations it never took off in America and seems to have sunk without a trace; I stumbled across it in 2005 or so and marveled that it had become so obscure so quickly. In an ideal world this book would find the wide, middlebrow, airport-novel readership it deserves (and which it reportedly has in its native country). 2300 pages is a bit much to lug on an airplane, but it strikes me as a perfect e-book read...

I also read through my stack of JH WILLIAMS III DOES BATWOMAN, motivated by Jog's excellent reading over at Savage Critics. Williams is at the point now where I don't ask "is it magical?" but rather "what magic is he weaving this time?" In this case I suppose it's still too early to tell, but I am heartened that this book exists -- it should make a handsome hardcover. Rucka's story is fine, but so far nothing for the ages... the project reminds me more of David Mack on DAREDEVIL than David Mazzucchelli on BATMAN, if you know what I mean.

Finally, I'm wading back into FROM HELL with a new appreciation for Eddie Campbell, having spent so much time promoting his ALEC collection (out next month, plug plug plug). It can be tough to put the book down after a few hours in Gull's mind and then try to relate to normal society...

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

Well bust my buttons, if it isn't time for another round of What Are You Reading, where we talk about all the comics, books and other reading matter we're currently engrossed in. Our guest this week is High Moon co-creator and writer David Gallaher, who's been blogging with us at Robot 6 all this past week.

David has quite a list of titles to pour over, so let's get to it. Click on the link below to get started.

Spider-Man 2099

Tom Bondurant: I've been re-reading Spider-Man 2099, but now I have a strange compulsion to pick up "Hush"....

So far I've gotten through the first twelve issues of Spider-Man 2099, all of which which were written by Peter David, pencilled by Rick Leonardi, and inked by Al Williamson. For a book designed to launch an entire imprint, build a new Marvel future, and piggyback on the considerable goodwill of Marvel's best-known character, it stands on its own quite well. That doesn't mean it doesn't feel like Spider-Man, because there's enough humor and swashbuckling to make Miguel O'Hara a credible Spider-successor. It's a handsome package too, with Williamson's inks complementing Leonardi's pencils nicely. David also juggles a growing cast efficiently, for example using villains like Venture and the 2099 Vulture for world-building. He's just introduced the Net Prophet on the last issue of #12, and I know the NP is supposed to be a familiar Marvel character, but I can't remember who -- and don't tell me, I want to see if I can figure it out!

Man, I'm writing about Donna Troy a lot these days! I even watched bits of "Cougar Town" (during "Glee's" commercial breaks) to test my theory about her and Courteney Cox. Anyway, Blackest Night: Titans #2 is probably the most tasteless superhero comic I've read in a while, as well as one of the more ridiculous. Written by J.T. Krul and drawn by Ed Benes (with some inks from Scott Williams), its centerpiece is Donna's confrontation with the Black Lantern versions of her late husband and infant son (who were killed off-panel over ten years ago). What's tasteless is having baby Robbie half-decomposed. What's ridiculously over-the-top is having baby Robbie fly around attacking Donna. Sure it's horrific, and sure that's the point, but baby Robbie didn't have to look so ... dead. (In fact, Black Lantern Jade looked pretty healthy.) Blackest Night can get along fine without a dead baby, so it could have either made Robbie look more presentable, or hidden him in the shadows with his condition implied. It's too bad, because as it happens, Benes' work here is some of his best. It's moody and scary when it needs to be, and dynamic where appropriate. Terra's hinder still gets some undue attention, but at this point that's to be expected.

Finally, I did like this week's Justice League of America 80-Page Giant, a clever riff on the venerable JLA format which finds our heroes paired up and cast randomly through time. It's by a veritable horde of writers and artists, so some chapters come off better than others. Basically, each pair of Leaguers teams up with a classic DC character from the particular time period. I liked Green Arrow and Firestorm teaming up with the Bride to fight Ra's Al Ghul in World War II, as well as Steel and Wonder Woman as pirates fighting Starro. Sadly, I get the feeling that these kinds of stories only get done in these special-format issues because they're too "retro" and throwbacky for the cool kids who read the regular JLA book. That's a
shame, because (as I get tired of saying) the regular JLA book could use a little structure, retro though it may be.

Batman and the Outsiders

Tim O'Shea: I bought/read/own the original Batman and the Outsiders when they were published back in the early 1980s. But I still could not resist the urge to snag a used Showcase edition that collects the first 19 issues of the series (plus a few crossovers here and there). Why? Because it's nice to see Jim Aparo's art in pure black and white. For me, I think Aparo will always be my favorite Batman artist. Also, this was an era in Batman comics where the tragic bastard actually smiled once and a rare while.

Chris Mautner: WW Norton was kind enough to send me a copy of Crumb's Genesis adaptation. I only got it in the mail yesterday, so I haven't had much of a chance to delve into it yet. It looks beautiful though. I hope to have a proper review of the book up soon.

I spent most of the past week or so reading an advance copy of I Will Not Write an Uncensored, Unauthorized History of the Simpsons by John Ortved. As the title so coyly suggests, it's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the popular animated show, and apparently there was a lot more bad blood amongst the creators and writers than one would initially imagine. The book is especially harsh towards producer James L. Brooks, who comes off as selfish and cruel at times, and Matt Groening, whose contribution to the show seems to have started and stopped with those initial Tracy Ullman shorts. It's one of those "oral history" type books, and Groening and a few significant others don't really contribute directly to Ortved's history (apart from the occasional old magazine interview). Still, for Simpsons fans, those of us that still have fond memories of the show anyway, it's probably a must read. It should be out in stores in a week or so.

Matt Maxwell: FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: JOHN BYRNE v.1
Someone reminded me of these in a twitter conversation recently and I was inspired to revisit these.  While they're not written in a fashion that we're used to today, they're as good as I remembered them.  And it's pretty amazing to know that John Byrne not only pencilled these stories, but wrote them and inked them, all on a monthly schedule like clockwork.  The stories themselves don't show it, either.  They're all engaging, and remarkably solid and dense.  Most of them are actually one-shots, where everything is wrapped up in 22 pages, which makes for a satisfying read.  Sure, by our standards, they're overwritten, but they're filled with imagination as well.  It may not be the Lee/Kirby FF, but it is an entertaining read nonetheless.

BLOOM COUNTY ARCHIVES v.1
I couldn't resist, as this was one of three comics I was able to follow from beginning to end.  And as Berkeley Breathed was right there signing them at the IDW booth, I took the opportunity and ran with it.  Though i suppose this is cheating, as it's "What I'm About to Read", not really what I'm reading.  Just yet anyways.

Domo

Brigid Alverson: I had pretty low expectations for Domo: The Manga. I never found the character very appealing — he’s one-dimensional and lacks the quirkiness of a lot of Japanese cartoon mascots. But Tokyopop played this one pretty well. Domo is the mascot for Japan’s NHK network and stars in a series of 30-second animated shorts there. Writer Clint Bickham chose a similar format for the book, with a series of very short stories, every one of which could be summed up as: Domo finds something cool and gets carried away, to the annoyance of his friends. The storytelling is almost wordless, which means the art has to be very good, and it is; Tokyopop picked some veteran global manga artists to illustrate the book. There’s not much depth to it, but it’s simple, bright, and funny, very good for what it is—a kids’ book.

I wish I could find Meg Cabot and Jinky Coronado’s Avalon High manga trilogy as likable. The problem with this set, the latest volume of which just came out, is that the manga are based on a set of prose novels with a fairly complicated back story (American teenagers are reincarnations of King Arthur and his court), so the whole first volume is recap. Coronado’s drawing style is a bit heavy-handed — her figures all seem very solid and fleshy—which also weighs the books down a bit.

Red Plains, on the other hand, is a comic for grownups. It’s a western, something I don't see a lot of, and the first story arc is about ranchers vs. settlers, a classic theme. I really enjoy Noel Tuazon’s loose, brushy inking style in the first arc, Range War, and I like Larry Watts’s tighter work in the later arcs as well. I’m still getting a feel for the story, and Tuazon’s art is so loose that it’s hard to tell the characters apart, but Caryn Tate’s solid, spare writing is keeping me hooked.

New Warriors Classic, Vol. 1

David Gallaher: On the print side of things, I've spent most of the last three weeks reading all of the back issues from The Official Handbook of The Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition. I've always been a Marvel handbook junkie and I love having the opportunity to go back and re-visit all of these characters. Among my favorites, of course, are the old BOOK OF THE DEAD volumes. As much as I like reading the newer Marvel handbooks, for my money, these are still the best

Besides refreshing my old Marvel Lore, I've been really enjoying the trade of NEW WARRIORS CLASSIC Vol 1 - and I can't wait for VOL 2! Almost twenty years later, Fabian Nicieza's writing is still crisp as ever and Mark Bagley's pencils are dynamic, interesting, and engaging.

Speaking of the New Warriors, NOVA always tops my reading list. Several folks have often cited that Nova is a rip-off of GREEN LANTERN, but that's not a connection I tend to make [as I see far more of Doc Smith's LENSMAN in NOVA]. Richard Rider is simply one guy trying to do his best with the situation life has handed him. Over the course of the last ten years, Nova has gone from being a a bit of a joke - to being one of Marvel's stellar heroes. Abnett and Lanning are doing amazing things with this book. Pick up a copy of the series - and I think you'll agree. [Also, as a totally geeky aside, if my calculations are correct, NOVA will be approaching his 100th cumulative issue in about 17 more issues - which is around the time of his 35th anniversary as a character!]

Webcomics-wise, I've found myself really enjoying Cameron Stewart's award-winning series Sin Titulo. It's a moody, semi-autobiographical thriller -- and Cameron's storytelling is really at its peak here. And if you aren't familiar with any of the other comics on Transmission X, you are really missing out on some extremely well-crafted comics!

Also, I following the work of my peers on Zuda. This week, in particular, I've found myself reading or re-reading Ilias Kyriazis' MELODY, Andy Belanger's BOTTLE OF AWESOME, and Kevin Colden's I RULE THE NIGHT.

And, finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how Brad Guigar's EVIL INC. series always manages to keep me entertained.

Disney and Marvel

Retailing | Could Disney's planned $4-billion purchase of Marvel signal the return comic books to the mass market? "I see the Marvel acquisition by Disney helping to expand the genre of comic books and remove it from the dusty basement of the world," says direct-market retailer Creswell. "I do see Disney stepping in and offering retailers outside of the direct comic book market incentives for selling Marvel products," Creswell said. [Reuters]

Publishing | Long-struggling e-book site Wowio reportedly has informed publishers that payments for the second quarter of 2008 will be made by Nov. 15. Wowio, which was purchased last year by Platinum Studios, was sold in July to a holding company formed by Platinum President and COO Brian Altounian. [Bleeding Cool]

Long Beach Comic Con

Conventions | The inaugural Long Beach Comic Con kicks off today at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. Guests include Berkeley Breathed, Stan Lee, Tim Bradstreet, J. Scott Campbell, Amanda Conner, Geoff Johns, Dave Johnson, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Scott Lobdell, Dustin Nguyen, Darick Robertson and Mark Waid. The Long Beach Post and Gazettes Town-News have previews. [Long Beach Comic Con]

Events | 24-Hour Comics Day will be held Saturday at locations around the world. [24-Hour Comics Day]

Conventions | Heidi MacDonald posts her Small Press Expo round-up/wrap-up/photo parade. [The Beat]

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6

Sales charts | Well, huh. The collection of Kevin Smith and Walter Flanagan's Batman: Cacophany debuts as the No. 1 hardcover on The New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller List. Elsewhere on the chart, Yen Press should be pleased that the sixth volume Yotsuba&! -- the first new installment under the publisher's banner -- premieres as the No. 3 manga. [The New York Times]

Publishing | Diamond Book Distributors has signed an exclusive agreement with Tokyopop to distribute the publisher's titles in the United Kingdom and Ireland beginning next year. PanMacmillan has handled distribution since 2006. [ICv2.com]

Publishing | SLG Publishing has reopened submissions after a two-month hiatus. [SLG Publishing]

Publishing | Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics Books answers five questions about the publisher's output and the comics market. [Trouble With Comics]

Diesel Sweeties

Webcomics | I'm not sure this article delivers on its title -- "What Newspaper Cartoonists Can Learn from Web Comics" -- but it does spotlight how creators Richard Stevens and Howard Taylor make a living through their webcomics. [MediaShift, via Fleen]

Comic strips | Cartoonist Karen Montague-Reyes reflects on the unsuccessful newspaper syndication of her strip Clear Blue Water: "It got to the point where I dreaded getting my checks in the mail because it would tell you what papers dropped you or added you (the syndicate never told me beforehand).  I made my husband open them; I couldn’t even face them.  He’d just say, 'Holding steady.' Or, 'Two drops this month.' People would ask me what papers I was in and I didn’t know anymore because I chose not to know." [Clear Blue Water, via The Daily Cartoonist]

Creators | Garry Trudeau discusses Doonesbury, deadlines, and the decline of newspapers: "Short-term, we're probably OK. What's not commonly known is that most print newspapers are getting by. It's just the big, debt-loaded metros that are sinking fast. There will probably be enough paper clients to keep me going for the foreseeable future. I feel extraordinarily fortunate that I've been given the long run I have -- if newspapers vanish tomorrow, I'll have no grounds for complaint." [News-Record]

Brother Voodoo, by Jim Rugg

Creators | Sean T. Collins talks with Jim Rugg about his Brother Voodoo story for Marvel's Strange Tales anthology miniseries: "I like the weird '70s Marvel characters like Brother Voodoo, Satanna, Morbius, ROM, Power Man and Iron Fist. Those characters are so transparently a marketing grab, yet the creators seem earnest in their effort and execution, for the most part. There's a sense of anything might happen. You can almost see the duct tape holding these concepts together. They're the second generation of Marvel characters, and they are so different than the Jack Kirby/Stan Lee model. It's almost Marvel's awkward teenage rebellion period." [Marvel.com]

Creators | Abby Denson chats about her new graphic novel Dolltopia. [New York Daily News]

Creators | Steve Ditko: "Spider-Man's Forgotten Father." [Examiner]

Pop culture | Tor.com has launched its first "Steampunk Month." [Tor.com]

Labor Days Vol. 2

Welcome once again to What are you reading?, the weekly column where the Robot 6 team runs through what comics and other stuff they've been checking out lately. As Chris is in Bethesda this weekend, I'm filling in for him as your host.

Our special guests this time are Philip Gelatt and Rick Lacy, creators of the Labor Days graphic novels published by Oni Press. Volume two, Just Another Damn Day, is now available in finer retail establishments everywhere. (You can check out a preview here).

See what they've been reading, as well as the rest of the Robot 6 crew, after the jump ...

*****

Underground

Tim O'Shea: The first issue of Underground by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber hit the shelves this week. There's so much to like about this first installment of a five-part miniseries. But I find myself focusing one element of Parker's writing--his ear for dialogue. The core of the story has people of opposing views conflicting quite frequently and I love how the storytellers allow the word balloons to overlap and interrupt characters in mid-sentence.

I rarely read Bongo Comics, despite the fact I enjoy the show and typically respect the writers that work on the comics. But with the release this week of The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror 15 (edited by Sammy "Damn Wasn't the Last Book He Edited Huge?" Harkham) features an amazing collection of indy creators (including Jeffrey Brown, Jordan Crane, C.F., Tim Hensley, Ben Jones, John Kerschbaum, Ted May, Will Sweeney, Matthew Thurber, and John Vermilyea). Each creator takes a unique take on the characters, but for me the strongest off-the-grid comedic horror vibe is captured (not surprisingly) by Kerschbaum in a straightforward two-pager "Three Little Kids."

I'm struggling to fully enjoy Hickman and Eaglesham's Fantastic Four. In the positive column is getting to see a world of many Reed Richards (even one that's fully bald/half doom and half ZZ Top; another that looks like he's 1980s Atari logo Reed; and Reed as Morrison's Seaguy) and Eaglesham's ability to convey emotion in Ben Grimm's rocky face. In the negative column, the tagline on the front cover: "...This morning, I helped kill a Galactus on Earth 2012." Has the status quo of Reed Richards been made so "modern" he takes pleasure, or at least seeming indifference, in killing villains?

I've really appreciated Matt Fraction's take on many of Marvel's characters, and he's really seemed to hit his stride with Dark Reign:The List--X-Men (Lord that title is a mouthful though). There's three or four pages of the team in battle that is the closest to recapturing the finest rhythm and kineticism of Claremont and Byrne's definitive X-run (the kineticism is thanks to the never-disappointing art of Alan Davis [inked by Mark Farmer]). That being said, as great as Fraction is with the X-team, his Namor is cracking snide lines in the midst of a fight. A few WAYRs back I spoke highly of Jeff Parker's approach toward Namor. So, if anybody at Marvel is reading this, you're seemingly leading toward giving Namor his own book again, please consider Parker and Davis teaming up for it.

Wednesday Comics #1

With Wednesday Comics having finished this week, I have to go back and read them again. And that's not going to be easy, as my son took a liking to the Metal Men arc. And when I say take a liking, I mean he took the issues apart, as he read and reread them (leaving the pages he did not like behind) --leaving me with a disorganized mess. It was only when I started trying to reconnect the issues that I realized, after the cover pages--there are no page numbers or issue number identifications on the interior pages. But I have a newfound desire to reread Paul Pope's pages in particular after finding out through CBR's interview that he was aiming for something Ditko-esque--rooted in Jungian influence and inspired by McCay’s Little Nemo pages.

In terms of music, I've got Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers' Levitate in heavy rotation on my CD player, along with Death Cab for Cutie's The Open Door EP.

Dark Reign: Ms. Marvel

Carla Hoffman: Believe it or not, I'm reading things. I bought the Dark Reign: Ms. Marvel HC on a dare from a customer who wasn't sure if it was going to be good and I honestly couldn't give him an answer. But seeing how hard Mr. Reed has been working on the character, I thought I'd give the book that switched main 'heroine' thanks to the new status quo. First part of the book, we're thrown into a Alias-esque super spy style story in which we lose Carol Danvers due to the theme of Brian Reed's run of 'I can't control my wacky powers'. The middle of the book is Karla Soften dealing with her new role within the Avengers and actually gets to be kind of entertaining, watching her deal with the public, her crazy boss and the fact she might have the psychological edge on them all.

And then we get reality-altering MODOK babies.

Any sort of seriousness I had given the book was lost. The rather deux-ex-mutant of 'Storyteller' (seen in the Ms. Marvel annuals) was fused with MODOK's giant brain DNA and now 25 or so babies in jars can warp reality to AIM's will.Everything had been so personal until then, a really good read and clever character development for Karla that her sudden need to 'save the babies' just lost me. The New Avengers show up, hell, Deadpool shows up, everyone fights for the babies and in the end, Carol Danvers can't be kept dead for too long. Yeah, I'd say skip this aside from a couple issues in the middle, or at least don't buy it in hardcover like I did

Fantastic Four 571

Unlike My Pal Tim(tm), I adored the horizonless Reed Richards consortium of geniuses ( I swear one of them was in Starfleet) and could have easily read this issue spread out better into a couple more installments of the weird cross-time-caper Reeds and all their kooky high science plans plus some more with the family who almost always get wasted in the face of the super sci-fi. I hope this high adventure grounds Reed once and for all on this whole 'fix everything' kick he's been on since Civil War because I'm tired of him lording his big ol' brain around and Hickman might just blow the lid of this thing once and for all.

Dark X-Men: the Confession as the weirdest Gift of the Magi as guilt trip seen yet. Or ever. Yes, Scott now knows that Emma worked with the Cabal! Yes, Emma now knows that Scott has a kill-death squad led by Wolverine and has generally been unsavory. "I ruied the Dream!" "No, I ruined the Dream!" "Oh, kiss me you fool!" The end. Playing fair, this is actually a pretty good intro comic for anyone wanting to jump into the main X-Men storyline right now as they recap a lot of the past year. So... there's that for $3.99.

Superman: Secret Origins

Tom Bondurant: Some prominent commentators (including Chris Sims and our own Chris Mautner) have called Superman: Secret Origin #1 "unnecessary," or something similar. That was also my reaction at first. However, it got me thinking: so far this is the third, or perhaps fourth, account of Superman's post-Crisis origin, and that's getting into Gospel territory. (Think of the slipcased-hardcover possibilities!) I mean, we started with the Book of John (Byrne), and a while back we had the Book of Mark (Waid). If you count Superman For All Seasons, I suppose there's a Book of Jeph too. Now, though, here's the Book of Geoff, which apparently aims to be definitive.

And so far, it's executed well. I've always liked Gary Frank's Christopher Reeve-inspired Clark/Superman, both because it's a fitting tribute to another "definitive" interpretation and because it's a good mix of the character's power and humanity. In fact, this issue is a very pleasant contrast to Frank (and inker Jon Sibal)'s work on Supreme Power's Dark Smallville. I found that book sterile and calculating, but here Frank and Sibal are warm and pastoral. For his part, Geoff Johns obviously intends to show how Clark overcomes this issue's discomfort with his powers, especially those heat-vision "eyejaculations" (tm Television Without Pity). That was a nice lift from the "Smallville" series, and I also liked how Johns handled Clark's nascent football ability. Still, that tornado was awfully convenient.

Secret Origin's larger story remains somewhat unclear, though, and that I think is where the true measure of necessity lies. I tend to prefer Waid (and artist Leinil Yu)'s Superman: Birthright to Byrne's Man of Steel because the former actually tells its own story while the latter is more a collection of vignettes. Ironically, Secret Origin's purpose may vary inversely with its necessity. If it's meant to stand alone on the bookshelf, it must tell us something about Superman we don't already know. However, if it's just another part of the great Superman plot-puzzle (as the "Secret Origin" arc in Green Lantern was), then I'll wonder why this needed to be its own miniseries.

Planetary

Earlier last week, I stayed up for about two hours Sunday night reading all of Planetary. I don't have anything insightful to say about the series as a whole, mostly because I'm waiting for Ellis and Cassaday's final issue. However, I stayed up for those two hours because each issue practically dared me to read the next one. Now I can't imagine waiting months or years between issues, because the thing moves so quickly.

On a completely different note, I finished Essential Spider-Woman Volume 2 a few hours before picking up Planetary. ESW Vol. 1 started off on very shaky ground, thanks to the character's scattershot background: she's a freak of evolution! She's a HYDRA agent! She's got a Camelot connection! To his credit, once writer Chris Claremont came aboard for most of the series' last quarter, he tried to pull these threads together; and those issues (drawn with quirky charm by Steve Leialoha) are probably the series' high point. Writer Ann Nocenti then wrote the series' final few issues, including a fourth-wall-breaking goodbye to the reader. Those issues weren't bad, but I've read enough middle-of-the-road superhero books to know when a writer is just wrapping things up. I don't dislike Spider-Woman, although the series (thanks to its eventual SoCal private-eye premise) seems firmly rooted in the 1970s, and I'm content to leave it there.

Matt Maxwell:

Elric of Melniboné

Elric of Melniboné
Roy Thomas, P. Craig Russell and Michael Gilbert, Tom Orzechowski
Based on the books by Michael Moorcock

I'll admit to not having read the original books, which I should rectify, if they're half as good as this adaptation. The real star is the artwork, by both P. Craig Russell and Michael Gilbert. It's perfectly stylized, yet not sacrificing style for expression. There's a lot of fear and uncertainty, gloating and triumph on these pages, and the linework doesn't miss a step in relaying it to the reader. You could easily skip the text altogether and still follow the story clearly, perhaps leaving out only a few subtleties.

Before this, I hadn't realized exactly how influential Moorcock's take on fantasy had become. Certainly, Tolkien reigns supreme as high lord of fantasy. But Moorcock, with his blend of treachery and addiction, of magic that takes more than it gives, of graceful empires that are doomed by their very design, his dark vision has its fingers deep in modern fantasy (particularly influential in what is debatably the most popular fantasy today, that being World of Warcraft, though not strictly a book, but has a subscriber base that most books would kill for).

Elric presents a compelling story, last in the line of fabled sorcerer kings, ruling over a civilization slipping into slow decline, never brighter than the day that Elric takes the throne. Fighting off the schemes of his ruthless cousin Yrrkoon and becoming a pawn of the Lords of Chaos, Elric only barely begins to understand the powers at play in Melniboné, and will not fully grasp them in time.

Recommended, though I'm not sure of its status in print now, the graphic novel that is. I read it in the edition published by First Comics in the middle eighties (making it one of the first collected graphic novels, well before The Sandman and the like). Someone may have picked up the reprint rights to this, but it might require some sifting through the used bins as well.

Other reads this week, Batman and Robin #3 (I await the return of Pyg), Agents of Atlas #10 and #11 (M-11 is THE GREATEST) and the first issue of the new Dominic Fortune miniseries (Howard Chaykin is a very bad man.)

Far Arden

JK Parkin: Far Arden by Kevin Cannon starts off as a zany fun adventure comic, and at some point morphs into something a bit more serious. And somehow, it works really well, I've decided, after contemplating it for a couple of weeks. It's actually kind of shocking how well it works, too, and how much emotional investment you realize you have in the characters when, well, stuff happens. I should probably read it again.

I mentioned a few weeks back that I was reading Peter & Max, the Fables novel by Bill Willingham. Despite the ending being a little bit telegraphed (at least if you're paying attention), I thought this was an excellent outing for Willingham and the Fables characters into the world of prose. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the comic or just likes new twists on old fairy tales, and I hope to see more of these in the future. I've also started re-reading the first couple of Fables arcs, which are being issued as a hardcover, and it's interesting to see how far the book has come, both in terms of the plot and how the characters have developed. And the first Farm story, which was the second story arc, is still one of the book's best.

And finally, the second Guardians of the Galaxy trade was every bit as fun as the first. Although it's billed as being part of War of Kings, there were no appearances by Inhumans or Shi'ar ... just more zany fun cosmic adventures.

On Stranger Tides

Philip Gelatt: I made a promise to myself that I was going to read butt-loads of science-fiction and fantasy novels during 2009. Sadly, with the year wrapping up, "butt-loads" has kind of turned into the far less impressive "half-butt loads." But this quest of mine has introduced me to an author named Tim Powers and he is swiftly becoming a personal favorite. He specializes in well-researched historical action-fantasy-sci-fi pieces, that include a big dosages of both the surreal and the mad cap.

Yeah, that's right: his books use every cool genre ever, mixed into one. And somehow he makes it all work.

Currently, I'm reading his On Stranger Tides. It is a pirate tale filled with Caribbean magic, large-scale ship-to-ship combat and so much swashbuckling. It focuses on a young pirate named Jack Shandy as he is caught between the plots of three powerful pirate captains, each possessing strong voodoo magic and nefarious intentions.

The Secret of Monkey Island and Pirates of the Caribbean (the movie) are both said to be loosely inspired by its heady mix of adventure, fantasy and high seas chicanery. Plus I'm getting an actual overview of the end of the pirate era in the Caribbean.

Oh and it has Blackbeard in it. And at one point he says "More blood salt than sea salt in the water tonight." And that alone, my friends, is worth the price of admission.

King City #1

On the comic book front, I just took my sweet time savoring every last panel of Brandon Graham's first issue of King City. I didn't read this title in its previous previous printing, so this is my first exposure to this strange sci-fi world. The larger format really suits Graham's artwork and he's made excellent usage of every square inch of this book, filling it with amusing extras and add-ons.

I've been a fan of Graham's work for awhile (via Multiple Warheads and his amazing blog), and the first issue of King City is not disappointing me in the slightest. It is, to my mind, exactly what science-fiction should be: bizarre, charming, visually stunning and chock full of wild ideas that need not be fully explained. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Also I want a cat like that, god damn it.

Rick Lacy:

Mouse Guard #1

Mouse Guard: This is the book that's currently on my nightstand. I fell for this book like a hot girl on Facebook I never met. It 's exactly the type of book I want to create… only with more Conan's and Madmartigan's. Not that mice aren't dauntless and bold, it's just not where my mind dwells. That being said, David Peterson has really created some interesting and compelling characters that are only a few inches high. My favorite parts of these books are the world building elements he uses. Everything from the mouse city of Lockhaven to the myth of the black axe to the "Moria" like caverns of Darkheather are all fully realized places. Places that I believe actually lurked under the roots of the woods in my old backyard. The supplemental work in this book is also very fascinating. It outlines the different roles of mice in the kingdom. The apothecaries! The medicines and armories! The working mouse elevators and the hierarchy. All well put together and creative. WITH MICE!

The City and The City: This is the latest novel from one of my favorite authors, China Mieville, It's a departure (somewhat) from his normal genre of "new weird" and focuses on crime drama. Though it is mixed with a good hearty amount of fantastic creativity, by building a realm in a modern time that's dotted with an alternate world of mystery. By that I mean, the crosshatched existence of two symbiotic cities Beszel and Ul Qoma that live side by side, but hold a very prejudice but checked border. To describe the elements within would take pages on pages! In my opinion, The City and the City is a fairly exhausting read, but Mieville proves yet again that he's a master of word-smithing by dictating a slew of different dialects, personas and interspersed societal agendas. For more of his work I highly suggest his Bas Lag series. Start with The Scar!

Joan

Joan: I picked up this manga series for wicked cheap at my local comic shop on a whim. It's gorgeously illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko in pen ink and watercolor, which was the initial reason I bought it. The story is a retelling of the Joan of Arc saga only with a different woman in the lead role reliving the same experience. I don’t entirely understand why the author didn’t just retell Joan of Arc, herself. Perhaps he wanted to have his own voice. The story is a variation on standard faire with uman rights, religion and loyalty to country taking the main stage. The huge draw, as I mentioned, is the art. The vistas and use of water coloring are beautiful. E very page is a masterpiece. I'll definitely seek out more of Yasuhiko's art.

Labor Days Volume 2: Just Another Damn Day: Yes, I know this is my own book! BUT! we just released this edition this weekend and I haven't seen a copy until now. So this one just got bumped up to the top of the list. I hope it holds up! We definitely pushed the boundaries on our own title in the pages of Volume Two and it's become closer, I believe, to what we wanted in our initial design. Volume three should be the coup de gras!

Marvel

Legal | New York City-based law firm Levi & Korsinsky on Friday filed a class-action lawsuit challenging Disney's $4-billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment. Like the earlier lawsuit filed by Marvel shareholder Christine Vlatos, this one claims the proposed transaction undervalues Marvel's stock. [press release]

Business | DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson continues her interview tour, assuring retailer-oriented website ICv2.com "we’re going to be looking for a real publisher" to succeed Paul Levitz as head of DC Comics: "This is not about replacing someone with a cyborg unit that will answer to me. We want a publishing expert."

At MTV's movie-focused Splash Page, Nelson highlights DC's Vertigo imprint as "an area of great interest" that "could potentially offer amazing stories for our future television video game, digital and consumer products businesses." [ICV2.com, Splash Page]

Tsubasa, Vol. 24

Publishing | CLAMP will end its six-year-old fantasy Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle with the Sept. 30 issue of Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine. The 28th and final collected volume will ship on Nov. 17 in Japan. [Anime News Network]

Publishing | The Beano publishes its 3,500th issue this week. [Forbidden Planet International]

Publishing | Koh Hui Theng offers a brief snapshot of the Singapore comics industry. [Asia One]

Publishing | Tokyopop is looking for a business administration clerk. [job listing]

Events | Tommy Hill goes beneath the New York Comic Con tent at last weekend's Brooklyn Book Festival. [Columbia Spectator]

Education | Emma Tower spotlights the masters-level creative writing course at Edinburgh's Napier University, which will be the first in Britain to include comic books. [The Journal]

Retailing | John Tanasychuk profiles Lauderhill, Florida's Tate's Comics, winner of the 2009 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retail Award. "It's like winning the best director Academy Award," says owner Tate Ottati. [Sun-Sentinel]

Creators | Evan Dorkin discusses his collaboration with Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden, and more. [Broken Frontier]

Nightmares & Fairy Tales #21

Creators | The Vancouver Sun has a multi-part profile of local artist Camilla d'Errico (Tanpopo, Nightmares & Fairy Tales, Sky Pirates of Neo Terra). [Vancouver Sun]

Comics | Ben Morse takes a fond look at the John Ostrander-penned (later with Kim Yale) Suicide Squad. [The Cool Kids Table]

Blogosphere | Alan David Doane launches a new blog with familiar names such as Christopher Allen, Johnny Bacardi, Alex Ness, Matt Springer and Diana Tamblyn. [Trouble With Comics]

Art | Daryl Cagle walks through his process for a pair of editorial cartoons. [Daryl Cagle]

Pop culture | Boneshaker author Cherie Priest puts together a steampunk primer while Sarah Hope Williams delves into the history of stitchpunk. [The Clockwork Century, i09.com]

Disney Interactive Studios

Business | Disney has followed its announced $4-billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment with the hiring of Bungie Software founder, and Halo co-creator, Alex Seropian as the head of creative for its video-game division. As part of the deal, Disney Interactive Studios acquired Chicago-based Wideload Games, the studio Seropian founded in 2003 after leaving Bungie. [CNBC.com]

Business | Not only will Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter become $4.3 million richer on the day the Disney merger closes, he'll become Disney's second-largest stockholder behind Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. [Orlando Sentinel]

Comic strips | Tom Tomorrow's This Modern World has returned to the Village Voice after a seven-month absence. Parent company Village Voice Media announced in late January it had suspended publication of syndicated comics in its 15 newspapers as part of company-wide cost-cutting measures. [This Modern World, via The Daily Cartoonist]

Publishing | Brigid Alverson spotlights Tokyopop's new and resurrected titles, and the company's efforts to refocus after last year's downsizing and the loss of the Kodansha licenses. [PW Comics Week]

Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1

Publishing | Deb Aoki highlights 50 "great new and noteworthy"  manga and related art books set for fall release. [About.com]

Conventions | Reed Exhibitions Vice President Lance Festerman discusses the company's stable of conventions, the "fantasy economy," and competing directly with Wizard Entertainment: "The choice of dates for Anaheim [the same weekend as C2E2] is curious, but I don't run any other business but my own and I'm sure there's a valid reason for that. My first concern is with the fans and with my exhibitors. We have a strong track record based on New York, and when you do right by your fans and your partners, good things happen regardless of what else happens." [PW Comics Week]

Opus, from "Bloom County"

Conventions | Reclusive Bloom County creator Berkeley Breathed is scheduled to appear Oct. 3 at the first Long Beach Comic Con to promote IDW Publishing's Bloom County: The Complete Library, Vol. 1. Breathed will host a panel discussion about his influential comic strip, and sign at the IDW booth. [IDW Publishing]

Conventions | Brooks Barnes spotlights the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" exhibit that will serve as the centerpiece for the inaugural D23 Expo, which kicks off Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. [The New York Times]

Creators | Kurt Busiek answers seven questions about Astro City, storytelling, his work on DC Comics' two most-recent weekly series, and his recently announced project American Gothic. [The Vault]

Creators | Michael Lark discusses art tools, technique and inspiration. [Comixtalk]

Creators | Brian Heater wraps up his three-part interview with Jordan Crane. [The Daily Cross Hatch]

Creators | B. Clay Moore posts the backmatter material from his Hawaiian Dick series. [On Broken Radio]

Donald Duck

Publishing | Egmont Publishing House has issued a warning to Danish readers that last week's issue of Donald Duck & Co. (Anders And & Co.) includes a fingerprinting set that contains a toxic iron-based powder. The publisher is recalling all unsold issues, and has advised parents to immediately throw out the fingerprinting set. [The Copenhagen Post]

Publishing | Tokyopop announced Wednesday in a webcast that seven series that were placed on hiatus last year during the company's restructuring will resume publication in mid-2010. The publisher also will add several new titles to its lineup. [About.com]

Publishing | First Second's Calista Brill offers her perspective on what an editor is and isn't. [Doodles and Dailies]

Webcomics | Sean Kleefeld critiques the Zuda Comics interface, and points to "a larger problem with using Flash to deliver web comics." [Kleefeld on Comics]

Archie Andrews, king of iTunes?

Digital comics | Archie Comics trumpets that its Freshman Year #1 is "the most-downloaded comic in iTunes history."  [press release]

Sales charts | The seventh volume of Matsuri Hino's Vampire Knight was the No. 1 graphic novel in bookstores in August, leading a Nielsen BookScan list that featured 11 manga in its Top 20. Viz Media held eight of those 20 spots, followed by DC/Vertigo with five and Tokyopop with three. [ICv2.com]

Events | The Decatur Book Festival, which kicks off Friday in downtown Decatur, Georgia, will feature comics-related programming, including a writer's workshop by Chris Schweizer (Crogan's Vengeance), a minicomics panel, and a slideshow by Keith Knight (The K Chronicles) focusing on race, censorship, politics and the media. The Temple of Cartoon Mojo spotlights the comics schedule. [Decatur Book Festival]

The Hero Initiative

Organizations | The Hero Initiative is among the charities that can benefit from the Ralphs supermarket chain's Ralphs Rewards card. Jim McLauchlin provides details on how your purchases can help the comics-industry group. [The Hero Initiative]

Retailing | Blogger Alan David Doane responds to retailer Ilan Strasser's grim assessment of the effects of Marvel and DC's policies on the direct market: "As much of a critic as I am of the policies of corporate comics publishers Marvel and DC, I have to call bullshit on Strasser here. He is asking the "Big Two" to change their policies so he can continue to operate his business as he always has, when in fact, it is the responsibility of the retailer and the retailer alone to adjust to changing market forces in his or her own retail establishment. In other words, if Marvel and DC believe what they are doing is working (and in the case of Marvel, clearly Disney, at least, believes it's four billion dollars worth of working), then they have no obligation to change their policies." [The ADD Blog]

Retailing | In sunnier direct-market news, Time Warp Comics and Games in Boulder, Colorado, is marking its 25th anniversary with a monthlong celebration. [Daily Camera]

Strangers in Paradise

Creators | Chris Marshall posts a podcast interview with Terry Moore. [Collected Comics Library]

Creators | Tucker Stone highlights five artists who are doing quality work at Marvel and DC Comics. [Comixology]

Fandom | U.K. readers voted Batman as the greatest superhero ever in a poll conducted by SFX magazine. The publication's website breaks down the Top 50. [Herald Sun]

Fandom | Can't some characters just stay dead? [iFanboy]

Beck Vol. 1

This surely would have made a bigger news splash yesterday were it not for the whole Disney buying Marvel tomfoolery. The Japanese publisher Kodansha has decided that it will end its manga relationship with Tokyopop and let its licenses expire series in progress will not be completed by Tokyopop and existing volumes will not be reprinted meaning, that series in progress will not be completed by Tokyopop and existing volumes will not be reprinted.

Here's a sample from Tokyopop's press release, which I cribbed from Brigid Alverson:

TOKYOPOP will not be allowed to complete the publication of any series that is currently in progress; in addition, TOKYOPOP will not be allowed to reprint titles after the current inventory has been sold out, so once these series are sold out at retail, they will not be available for consumers to purchase. The reasons for Kodansha’s decision were not communicated to TOKYOPOP.

Deb Aoki has a useful timeline detailing a number of events that have led to this decision, including Dark Horse picking up titles like Chobits and Clover. She also examines which titles are being dropped mid-serialization in a separate post. David Welsh, meanwhile, has a full list of titles here, which include Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, Love Hina and Peach Girl.

There's been no word from Kodansha about the decision, but the issue will surely come up, as Aoki notes, during the next Tokyopop webcast, which is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 p.m., Pacific time.

Finally, Brigid has a round-up of internet reactions over at Mangablog.

Superman #1

Legal | A federal judge has ordered Warner Bros. and the heirs of Jerry Siegel to make another attempt at mediated settlement in their prolonged dispute over Superman. The parties will file a joint report on Sept. 18 outlining their efforts. [Jeff Trexler]

Crime | Authorities in Colorado say two brothers at the head of a massive methamphetamine ring were planning to use classic comic books to launder money. Police seized comics worth at least $500,000 when they arrested the suspects. [The Denver Post, The Associated Press]

Publishing | As Tokyopop gears up for its new online initiative, and King City finds new life this week at Image, Don MacPherson checks in with Brandon Graham and three other casualties of the manga publisher's 2008 implosion: Ross Campbell's The Abandoned, Eric Wight's My Dead Girlfriend and Becky Cloonan's East Coast Rising. [Eye on Comics]

Naruto, Vol. 1: The Boy Ninja

Publishing | Eva Volin talks with editor Traci Todd about Viz Media's Viz Kids imprint. [Good Comics for Kids]

Publishing | Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort takes issue with the term "filler" being used to describe an issue or storyline: "This seems like a strange sentiment to be so prevalent at the same time that many of the same people are crying out 'enough!' when it comes to event books -- it's like there's no way to win. But more importantly, I think that 'Filler' has become the new "decompressed storytelling" -- the new buzzword term that gets thrown at any book the reader in question doesn't like, regardless of how well it actually describes the book." [Marvel.com]

Conventions | The Birmingham Mail previews October's British International Comic Show, which is expected to attract 4,000 attendees to the city. Guests include Charlie Adlard, Mark Buckingham, Howard Chaykin, Paul Cornell, Alan Davis, Andy Diggle, Ian Edginton, Gary Erskine, Garry Leach, David Lloyd, Sean Phillips and Bryan Talbot. [Birmingham Mail]

Mercury

Creators | Dash Shaw talks with Hope Larson about her experience working with editors in the book industry: "When I submitted the Gray Horses script -- beginning with Salamander Dream, I've always worked from scripts, even for short comics -- I all but begged for editorial feedback. I'd always considered myself a bit of a writer, but doing it professionally was new. I'd barely written fiction since high school, and I knew I was probably doing a ton of things wrong. I wanted someone to tell me what those things were so I could fix them before the book was drawn and winging off to the presses. I never got any feedback for Gray Horses. Oni Press was in an, um, transitional place at the time, and my book slipped through the cracks. I sent the script to a few friends, but they weren't much help, either. That was when I realized that if I wanted a real editor, I'd better jump to a book publisher." [Comics Comics]

Pelu, Vol. 1

Creators | Deb Aoki interviews artist Junko Mizuno. [About.com]

Creators | Suvudu.com has provided the transcript to Monday's live chat with X-Men: Misfits co-writers Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman. [About.com]

Creators | Jeff Lemire chats briefly about his Vertigo graphic novel The Nobody. [Metro]

Creators | Brian Heater wraps up his three-part interview with Bryan Talbot. [The Daily Cross Hatch]

Creators | Matt Fraction talks about working on the script for the Iron Man 2 video game:. [Gamasutra]

For Tony Salvaggio, the creator of Psy*Comm, the news came as a relief. Psy*Comm is the first series in the new program; Salvaggio and co-writer Jason Henderson had finished the book, and it was being lettered when publication was called off last year. “We missed the window by about a month,” he said.

Now that the book is coming out, Salvaggio has put together a Facebook page to promote it. The series is being published in other countries, including the UK, Turkey, and Croatia, and the first volume was named to the 2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. Salvaggio hopes that being online will get his story in front of more readers. “We don’t sell gangbusters, but people who have read the book have really enjoyed it,” he said. “At A-Kon, everybody who came by and bought book one came back the next day and bought book two.”

We talked to Pavia about Tokyopop’s plans for the online manga program and where they hope it will go from here.

Brigid Alverson: Why did you decide to go this route? Why does it make sense from a marketing perspective?

Marco Pavia: About a year ago, when we restructured the company due to the economy, we told the artists and writers for these series that we wanted to publish their continuing volumes online to get them in front of hundreds of thousands of manga fans. The book retail market was having its challenges— at the time, booksellers and publishers were describing it as the worst retailing environment in memory—and in most cases, bookstores were taking in very few copies or skipping the next volume of a series entirely...and they were also returning books in droves. Last month at Comic-Con, we invited our creators to a summit, at which we let them know we'd begin to serialize these series on TOKYOPOP.com, which has become a destination to enjoy comics, from our published series to user-generated content. We want to continue to give fans access to these talented creators and storytellers.

Brigid: Which comics will go online?

Marco: Continuing volumes of Psy*Comm and Boys of Summer will start the online serialization, and we'll continue with Earthlight in early 2010. Other series on the schedule include—in no particular order—Afterlife, Grand Theft Galaxy, Dark Moon Diary, Pantheon High, Project DOA, We Shadows, Undertown, Gyakushu. There will be others, too—I'm sure I'm leaving some out—and we'll update the schedule in the coming months.

Brigid: Will you put earlier volumes of those series online as well?

Marco: Yes, we will always have at least one chapter of these series online, and from time to time we will release the entire volume(s) online for a limited time.

Brigid: If not, how will readers find the earlier volumes? Are they still in print?

Marco: We are exploring a print-on-demand model, about which we told our creators at the Comic-Con summit, and I expect this to be implemented in the relatively near future; I'm not giving you an actual launch date because integrating the technology is extremely complicated, as everyone knows. We told our creators that it is a priority for us, and I hope to have news very soon.

Brigid: Will there be iPhone, Kindle, or Android versions of any of these?

Marco: We are in the middle of developing our strategy for the iPhone, et al, and will make this public when it's finalized.

Brigid: Will you charge to view these, or will they all be free?

Marco: They are all free.

Brigid: If they are free, how will you make money from them?

Marco: Good question—in some cases, we've not made money from the physical books. However, these series and other great content bring readers to our site to enjoy the overall manga experience. I expect our traffic will continue to grow, and once we implement a "buy" option for the online-only manga, we can generate revenue. I won't bore you with our manga stimulus plan jokes that get bandied around the office.

Brigid: A lot of people argue e-books should be free because the publisher doesn't have to bear the cost of printing them. What other costs are associated with these books, and how much work do you need to do on them before publication?

Marco: I've not heard the "free" argument—making a book is more than just printing, obviously. We pay our artists and writers, of course, and there are costs associated with our staff related to editing, design, layout, marketing, sales, accounting. Once a book is printed, there are costs for distribution, too. And we have to pay for retail placement or the book will be shelved with its spine facing you in a sea of spines. Publishers pay to put books on that table in the front of your favorite book store. And after we do all that, a bookstore can still return it to us after a few months or a few years, even if it's damaged and we can't re-sell it.

Brigid: Is there a possibility you will release any of these in print form if they prove popular on the web?

Marco: Yes; however, they also have to prove popular with our retail partners. As I said earlier, buyers often base their buying on how the previous volumes sell. Once we have our print-on-demand plans in place, you will be able to buy any of these books in print form.

Brigid: Do you have any plans to expand the size of the book in your full-screen format? At the moment it appears to be smaller than a print volume.

Marco: We have been looking at an alternative to our current manga player, but I don't have any details yet.

Brigid: Will you be starting any new series in this format?

Marco: We don't have plans to do so right now. Apropos launching a series online, we've all seen that the definition of comics/manga publishing is rapidly evolving, and I'm sure publisher's roles will evolve, too—a publisher may start with something in digital then move to print or not even have a print edition.

Brigid: Will you be putting any of your Japanese or Korean series online?

Marco: We do put them on line—in most cases, we're not serializing entire volumes. We try to always have at least one chapter online to view. In the past we've run promotions for an entire volume of Fruits Basket, and a year or so ago we put the entire series of Loveless online for free. Of course, the scores of scanlation sites have most of our licensed series online for free.

Brigid: What happened to the Manga Pilot program? Is it still going on?

Marco: We were asked this question at last week's TOKYOPOP Insider webcast, too. Shortly after its launch, the economy began to go south, and we were forced to make some difficult decisions, including restructuring the company and laying off a number of extremely talented people. We just didn't have the resources to keep it a priority as we tried to navigate through a challenging retail climate, in which every business everywhere was impacted. That said, we're always interested in fostering new talent, and are looking at ways of doing this in a way that is mutually beneficial for everyone involved.