Luther Strode’s Popularity Skyrockets

LUTHER STRODE’S POPULARITY SKYROCKETS
The Strange Talent of Luther Strode Returns to Press For a Second Printing

Berkeley, CA – 10 October 2011 – THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE, writer Justin Jordan and artist Tradd Moore’s six part series from Image Comics, has proven to be even more popular than anticipated and has sold out at distribution level. While the debut issue of this hot new comic may still be available through some comic book retailers, first printing copies are limited to current stock. A second printing is underway and will arrive back on shelves next month, appearing alongside the second issue.

“It’s pretty damn awesome,” said Jordan. “You never know what will happen when you send your blood soaked baby into the world, but the support from the fans, retailers and critics has just been insane. I can’t thank you all enough for making Luther a success.

“And with the second issue on it’s way, we can’t wait to see what you think of what’s coming next! Believe me, it only gets more intense from here.”

“What’s next?” added Moore. “Well, without giving too much away, there’s definitely going to be some blood. Possibly some dismemberment. But you’ll have to get the next issue to find out!”

For a scrawny young antihero named Luther Strode, life has quite suddenly turned around! His mail order catalog miracle, The Hercules Method, means he’s buffed out and gotten everything he’d wished for: the attention of the girl, the respect of his fellow classmates… but he may also be in for more than he’s ready for. Now all eyes are on Luther Strode!

A second printing of THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #1 (AUG118206), a 32-page full color comic book that will appeal to fans of Kick-Ass and INVINCIBLE, is available for order now and will be back in stores on November 2nd for $2.99, alongside THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #2 (SEP110483). For more information about this increasingly gruesome comic, THE STRANGE TALENTS OF LUTHER STRODE, and its creators, visit www.thestrangetalentoflutherstrode.com.

Holy Terror Review

Rating: 2/5
Publisher Name: Legendary
Writer: Frank Miller
Pencils: Frank Miller
Number of Pages: 120
Price: $29.95
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY – 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.

Publisher’s Blurb:
There’s a deadly menace somewhere in Empire City, and The Fixer only has until dawn to save his town – and civilization as we know it! Legendary Comics presents an all-out, head-busting, bone-breaking, neck-snapping brawl of a tale from Frank Miller, one of the most celebrated storytellers of the medium. Years in the making, HOLY TERROR features the desperate and brutal quest of a hero as he is forced to run down an army of murderous zealots in order to stop a crime against humanity.

Reviewer’s Comments:
Frank Miller was once the wunderkind of American comics. While so many top comic writers are British (Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Garth Ennis being the most popular writers of the modern era) Miller created a uniquely American style of hard boiled sex, violence and pathos. DKR helped found the Dark Age of comics after all.

Looking at his works chronologically though, Miller’s last home run seems to be That Yellow Bastard, written half way through his Sin City period. That was in 1996, fifteen years ago.

So here we have Miller, the American in a field dominated by Brits, over the hill and remixing his old style. The story’s two main characters are obvious pastiches for Batman and Catwoman. The art is very reminiscent of Sin City. The content, according to Miller in interviews, is “a piece of propaganda”. The reader is left to sort through these seemingly disparate elements.

Holy Terror, on a purely technical level, is very strong. The pounding urban rain has never looked better. Splotches of white amidst the downward lines suggest impressionistic artistic frenzy. Empire City’s Lady Liberty strikes an imposing and majestic figure over the landscape. Close ups of the nails and razor blades packed into the terrorist’s bombs lend an epic feeling to a scene that is just two people huddling on a rooftop. In fact, I thought the nail motif was a nice artistic touch.

The figures fall into the Frank Miller 2.0 mold, with the exaggerated hands and head from late Sin City and DKSA. For some reason, Miller seems intent to find as many excuses to draw the bottom of people’s shoes as possible.

One of the most visually arresting sequences is when the casualties of the terrorist bombing are depicted with a series of grids. When it starts we have a grid with medium sized portraits. The second grid has smaller portraits, therefore more people, but has started to fade out. There is then two pages of increasingly more divided grids, completely empty, on a white background. This is an extremely impressive command of sequential art.

The sparse use of color is used to convey extra information, a green car and red shoe buried in the rubble reminds of the little red dress in Schindler’s List. When “Catwoman” goes undercover by stealing a burqua, the audience can tell it’s her because her eye’s are always colored in green.

There are some technical flaws, though. The character designs feel old. Natalie is Catgirl from DKSA mixed with Gail from Sin City. The Fixer is Batman with a pair of Gats. A pair of girl assassins are Miho crossed with the twins from Sin City. There were honestly one or two panels where I stared at it, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. One remixed element that is improved upon is Miller’s famous talking heads. Here, the heads are there, but they offer silent commentary. Miller doesn’t waste space or time with political commentary. We know what they will say, he just shows that they are there and lets us fill in their rants.

The actual content is an entirely different matter. The story could be summarized thoroughly on a napkin, with room left for some illustrative doodles. A work can function without story if it has good characters. Holy Terror does not have good characters, though.

The story starts with “Batman” chasing “Catwoman”, who has just stole something irrelevant. They take turns punching each other and making out. Then the terrorists strike! From there the plot functions basically like the first Sin City story. Our heroes steal a car to get around and torture bad guys for info. This leads us all the way to the final battle. Again, not much going on story wise.

Thematically, Holy Terror is a far right fantasy about the nigh omniscient threat that evil Muslims pose to Western civilization. The bad guys fortress? It’s in a mosque. Truly. The narration tells us that this mosque was built by Saudi Arabia and is basically a sovereign nation inside America. Remember kids, mosques are scary. The first bombing is carried out not by a bearded Taliban looking fellow, but a cute Muslim college girl. A humanities student wearing pink. Second lesson kids, no matter who they are, how they dress or what they seem to believe, they might be a foot soldier in the Evil Muslim Conspiracy. Remember also that terrorists are evil untermensch, so it’s totally cool to torture and kill them at will.

Once the bombs start going off, terrorists, bearded guys with ak-47s and burqa clad women with stinger missiles, come out of the woodwork to begin a military assault on the city. (They were probably hiding inside the Park 51 community center!)

This could maybe be dismissed as a fantasy if it wasn’t for two things: the opening text is a quote from Muhammad about killing infidels, and the last page tells us the book is dedicated to Theo Van Gogh, who was murdered by extremists. Seemingly Miller wants the audience then to tie this violent paranoid exercise in far right wish fulfilment into reality.

Whether it’s his intent or not, this and 300 would make a great start to a Neo-Nazi graphic novel reading list. In fact, if Legendary wanted to make coin on this, they should market it en masse to right wing reading lists. It’s got all the required elements: Lady Liberty, who gets blown up early on, is wearing a blindfold, telling us society is blind to the terrorist threat. “Batman’s” greatest help? A secretive guy named David with a Star of David tattooed on his face. (really) Translated, Israel is our only true ally! The police commissioner is corrupt and the police useless when the chips are down. Translation: Only hard violent men stand between us and the Islamic hordes. Only guys like the Fixer and David have the strength of will to torture and kill their way to victory.

While I still respect Frank Miller for his past work, Sin City, Daredevil, Batman, Ronin, etc etc, he’s been in a slump for a long time now, and I don’t see it reversing in the near future. The man possesses technical skills, but even his short.dialogue.bursts lack the charm they once had. My hope is that if Frank Miller keeps making comics, he gets someone else to write them.

STAR WARS “ATTACKS” THE GACC

STAR WARS “ATTACKS” THE GACC: CHEWBACCA, YODA, R2D2, AND REBEL LEGION TO ATTEND NOVEMBER 19-20th MEGA SHOW EVENT!
Actors Peter Mayhew and Tom Kane, Star Wars fan groups The Rebel and 501st Legions, and the R2D2 Builders of the Lehigh Valley – Join the Great Allentown Comic Con! November 19-20th Mega Show Guest Lineup.

The Great Allentown Comic Con presents the MEGA SHOW to be held November 19th and 20th with a science fiction theme featuring STAR WARS guests and groups. Fans are invited to come together to collect unopened STAR WARS toys for needy children and to bid high on original comic art in an auction fundraiser supporting an Epilepsy Awareness comic book.

Iconic Star Wars actor Peter Mayhew headlines a galactic sized group of Star Wars themed guests that includes Clone Wars voice actor Tom Kane in addition to an R2D2 droid unit, numerous Jedi, Imperial Storm Troopers, Bounty Hunters, and other fan favorite Star Wars characters of the 501st and Rebel Legions.

Peter Mayhew is best known for playing the Wookie Chewbacca in four of the major Star Wars films, a role the 7’2″ English actor was born to play. In the years following the films, Mayhew has moved to the United States, become a citizen, and most recently begun writing children’s novels with his wife Angie Mayhew.

Tom Kane has spent nearly three decades doing voice work, often times as the narrating voice that helps propel a story and draw listeners into fantastical worlds. Currently he plays the part of Yoda on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while also providing the narrative voice for each episode. In addition to Star Wars, Kane has also worked on the popular children’s cartoon The Powerpuff Girls and lent his voice to the 2011 movie, The Smurfs as the “Narrator Smurf.”

Both the Garrison Carida® and the Rebel Legion will be at the show Saturday November 19th ONLY, and holding a special Star Wars themed trivia contest. Sunday see Peter Mayhew and Tom Kane discussing their experiences on Star Wars films and cartoons, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Additional guests are also being planned, and should be announced in coming weeks. For more information visit us online at allentowncomiccon.com.

Christopher D. Wertz, Show Founder and Promoter says, “We are pleased to announce that Star Wars icons such as Peter Mayhew and Tom Kane, will be joined by members of The Rebel Legion’s Echo Base and Garrison Carida® of the 501st Legion at the November 2011 Mega Show of the Lehigh Valley’s largest pop culture extravaganza, The Great Allentown Comic Con! After the great response fans had for the 501st at our first show in 2010, it was an easy decision to expand and include the ‘good-guys’ for our first multi-day extravaganza event.”

About The Great Allentown Comic Con! – The Largest Pop-Culture Comic Convention in the Lehigh Valley. Founded in 2010, by Riverside Comics; The Great Allentown Comic Con (GACC) is already one of the fastest growing Fan-focused events in the comics industry. Currently located in the 10,000 sq ft Showroom of the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown PA, the GACC is dedicated to producing celebrations of comics and popular culture by providing unique access to talented artists and a family-friendly experience for fans. The show motto “Get UR Geek On!” represents in part the recognition of the diverse and unique nature of our fans, and our commitment to providing events where they can come express themselves freely.

Twitter: Peter Mayhew, Tom Kane, R2D2, @RebelLegion & @501_Legion to attend GACC Mega Show! Full lineup: http://tinyurl.com/3vxgyxx #LVComiccon

NY TIMES HIGHLIGHTS RETURN OF RED CIRCLE HEROES

When it comes to superheroes, why should Marvel and DC have all the fun? Archie Comics are reviving their classic heroes from the Red Circle imprint next spring with the launch of The New Crusaders, a team of superheroes which includes The Shield, the original patriotic hero. Ready to take on a new generation of readers, Archie is bringing them back in a new exciting way! The New York Times broke the story on this exciting development with Newsarama, Robot 6, AOL’s Comics Alliance, Bleeding Cool, ICV2 and The Beat jumping on the news as well.

Already a leader in the realm of the digital comics medium, Archie is now on the cusp of taking it to the next level with a brand-new digital comic book label. This enables Archie to not only spare printing costs in this bold endeavor but to also reach the widest audience possible. In addition to brand new tales, this digital initiative will also include a trove of material meant to enrich the reading experience for readers unfamiliar to the superhero team without the worry of bogging them down with decades old continuity. Similar to Netflix, Co-CEO Jon Goldwater says, “It will be a nominal monthly charge with access to new comics and thousands and thousands of pages from the archive.”

Giving new life to these heroes will be the Sonic/Mega Man team of writer Ian Flynn and artist Ben Bates. Staying true to Archie’s family friendly titles, this expansion into the superhero realm will keep a light tone in line with Archie’s previous action/adventure titles. “They are not going to be water-downed superheroes, but they are not going to be dark either,” says Goldwater.

Coming out of retirement in both their fictional world as well as the world of comics publishing, The New Crusaders are ready to take on the challenge of any villains that should cross their path as well as the digital comics market at large. Get ready for a new era of adventure starring the most dynamic superhero team to hit your monitor!

Don’t forget to read some of your favorite Archie comics digitally – download the Archie app!

Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier HC & Immortals: Gods and Heroes HC Previews

Mankind’s rise and fall in space begins here! Two thousand years from now, the Earth is nearly dead. A bold group of explorers led by philanthropist Thomm Coney pushes forward to take the first tentative steps out of Earth’s solar system. Their quest: new worlds to colonize, so that humanity may yet have a chance at survival. Facing impossible odds, political agendas, and a fanatical terrorist regime bent on their destruction, Coney and his crew brave the dangers of a potentially volatile star drive in order to preserve a civilization intent not only on killing itself, but also on taking down every other living thing around it. Will mankind set aside its greed long enough to see a future amongst the stars? Collects Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier #1-4 and contains extra material, including data sheets, sketchbook pages, starship information sheets and more.

Mature Readers (Contains Adult Content)

CRITICAL MILLENNIUM: THE DARK FRONTIER
Collected Edition Hardcover
Retail Price: $24.95 U.S.
Page Count: 168 pages
Format: hardcover book with dust jacket, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1-932386-98-1

Written by Andrew E. C. Gaska
Illustrated by Daniel Dussault
Cover by Daniel Dussault

Spinning from the upcoming epic 3-D film Immortals from visionary director Tarsem Singh (The Fall, The Cell) and starring Mickey Rourke and Henry Cavill comes Immortals: Gods and Heroes, a stunning hardcover featuring ALL-NEW tales of Greek myths as you’ve never seen them before! Featuring incredible untold tales by Brian Clevinger (Atomic Robo), Dennis Calero (X-Men Noir), Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Jock (Detective Comics, The Losers), Ben McCool (Captain America, Memoir), Ron Marz (Witchblade, Green Lantern), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night) and more!

Mature Readers (series contains Adult Content, Nudity and Graphic Violence)

IMMORTALS: GODS AND HEROES
Original Graphic Novel Hardcover
Retail Price: $19.95 U.S.
Page Count: 112 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Pub date: Oct. 12, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1-936393-32-9

Written by Brian Clevinger, F.J. DeSanto, David Gallaher, Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Jock, Ron Marz, Jim McCann, Ben McCool, Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin
Illustrated by Dennis Calero, Kevin Colden, Steve Ellis, Trevor Hairsine, Scott Hampton, Phil Hester, Jock, Rafael Kayanan, Patrick Scherberger and Ben Templesmith
Cover by David Mack

The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker #3 Review

Rating: 3/5
Publisher Name: Dynamite Entertainment
Publisher Website: http://www.dynamite.net

Writer: Garth Ennis
Pencils: Darick Robertson
Colors: Tony Avina
Number of Pages: 32
Price: 3.99
Color: Color
Safety Content Label: PARENTAL ADVISORY – 15 years and older. Similiar to T+ but featuring more mature themes and/or more graphic imagery.

Publisher’s Blurb:
The love of a good woman turns Billy Butcher’s life around in the nick of time. Smart decision follows smart decision, new horizons open up, friends and family come together to celebrate newfound joy. Life was never sweeter- and will never get this good again.

Reviewer’s Comments:
Let me start this review by admitting that I’d never read The Boys or the first two issues of this mini-series spin-off, The Boys: Butcher, Baker, Candlestickmaker before now. From what I can gather from this issue, The Boys are a CIA backed group that keeps super powered beings in line.

This issue focuses on Billy Butcher as he tells the tale of how he fell in love with Becky Saunders to his departed father.

We’re given some history about the couple as well as some family problems that the Butchers have been facing with regard to their parent’s relationship, or lack thereof.

This seems to be an issue where there is mostly just a lot of background told. So far there doesn’t seem to be much going on in the title other than some heavy reminiscing but I wouldn’t drop it from your pull list just yet. Even with my ignorance of previous issues of The Boys, I get the distinct feeling that there is a lot more to their story than this issue explains and I think it’d be worth checking out for at least a few more issues and I may even have to go back and read some previous issues to get the full take on things.

Garth Ennis drives home the British atmosphere with a lot of local slang and environments common to London. The talent on the art team lends a hand to the quality of the book with some fine pencils and coloring that gives it the professional, clean look that I’m known for being fond of.

All in all, this issue wasn’t fantastic but it wasn’t bad. Every title has filler issues and it seems to me that this is a bridge to something more interesting.

Outcast #1 for $1!

OUTCAST #1 FULL FIRST ISSUE ONLY $1
CGC-graded Joe Jusko 9.8 variant only available 1-in-200!

October 10, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA – The king is dead – long live the dead king! The undead will take vengeance this December in the epic new title from BOOM! Studios: OUTCAST #1; written by Michael Alan Nelson (28 DAYS LATER, ROBERT E. HOWARD’S HAWKS OF OUTREMER) with art by Matteo Scalera (DEADPOOL CORPS). BOOM! Studios offers the first full 22-page issue of a brand new fast-paced, action fantasy series for only $1!

Title ships in December with eight covers in a 30/30/30/10 split by Liam Sharp (INCREDIBLE HULK, GEARS OF WAR), Cary Nord (CONAN), Alé Garza (FATHOM) and Trevor Hairsine (X-MEN: DEADLY GENESIS), a 1-in-25 incentive by Chad Hardin (WEB OF SPIDER-MAN), a 1-in-50 incentive by Trevor Hairsine, and a 1-in-75 incentive by Alé Garza.

Special 1-in-200 Joe Jusko variant cover which will be only offered slabbed by CGG with a 9.8 Grade.

OUTCAST #1 begins a visceral new ongoing series that aggressively blends “epic fantasy” with “sword-and-sorcery.”

“Fans of Game of Thrones and Conan shouldn’t miss this action-packed #1 issue. OUTCAST blends the best of zombies, magic and vengeance,” says BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “Michael Alan Nelson and Matteo Scalera push a man over the brink, both visually and psychologically, to bring you an undead anti-hero worth reading.”

“You can’t refuse the full first issue priced at only $1! This is a steal. Who could want more with such insane action paired with an equally insane price,” says BOOM! Studios Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie. “This zombie king is ready to hack his way to vengeance in this savage world.”

OUTCAST tells the story of King Valen Brand. He was a just king and a great warrior until he was killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm, an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul…

OUTCAST #1 is written by Michael Alan Nelson (28 DAYS LATER, ROBERT E. HOWARD’S HAWKS OF OUTREMER) with art by Matteo Scalera (DEADPOOL CORPS). This title ships in December with eight covers in a 30/30/30/10 split by Liam Sharp, Cary Nord, Alé Garza and Trevor Hairsine, a 1-in-25 incentive by Chad Hardin, a 1-in50 incentive by Trevor Hairsine, a 1-in75 incentive by Alé Garza, and a special 1-in 200 Joe Jusko variant Cover which will be offered slabbed by CGG with a 9.8 Grade. Featuring 22-pages of story and carrying a price point of $1.00 with a Diamond Code of OCT110899.