Archive for April 19th, 2012 |
Batman Beyond Unlimited #3 ReviewWritten by TommyZimmer on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Comic Book Reviews | 1 Comment » 
Rating: 5/5 Publisher’s Blurb: Reviewer’s Comments: Superman Beyond starts with Superman reflecting on how he got to earth. He reflects on his life, and how he sees the people in his life deteriorating. He thinks the Fortress of Solitude is like a museum now. He wonders if his life is now being a caretaker of the past or a relic. He then begins to reflect on how Metropolis has changed from the city he once knew to a place he cannot recognize anymore. The story then changes to a young girl who is mad at a shopkeeper for trying to help her. She apparently has a problem since she was turned down for a job as a technician. Using some of her tech, she causes a power outage. A government man calls her (who supposedly took all her money and inheritance from her mother) tells her there is a safety deposit box that was left in her name. Though she is not very receptive at first, she begins her quest to find which branch of Metropolis United Bank it is at. Next, there is a crime scene where Superman shows up too. However, he is overshadowed by a new police unit that is armored in Lex Luthor-looking power suits. The narrative moves back to the young girl who receives her safety deposit box, and it immediately goes back to Superman. He reflects on the police’s newfound abilities in this unit, and begins to wonder whether he is truly needed. He does note that in comparison with him, they have no care for saving others which a man thanks Superman for after he is rescued by him. Superman also reflects he still has some powers they don’t. However, one of the agents remarks they are getting to his level. He then goes to Lois’ grave, and tries to talk with her. Knowing she is dead, he wonders why she doesn’t have anything to say to him. Luckily, he still has the old Superman sense of humor he is known for. In a deep revelation about his life, he remarks about how she really was his reason for living his life. The story then transfers back to the young girl who is introduced as Lucinda by a keycard she found which she activates. A giant holographic Lex Luthor pops up, and declares something quite astounding about her….. Next, we move back to my favorite narrative of the book: the original Batman Beyond. And lucky for me, Mad Stan is still mad as hell in this follow-up. We catch up with our Russian weapons’ supplying friends who are scared to death about causing Stan trouble and taking his dog that they wonder whether they will be able to do business again. Batman and Mad Stan then do their old dance. Stan threatens he will blow up all of Gotham, Russia, and the entire world. It’s probably my favorite scene in this episode. Terry tries to electrocute our favorite anarchist. However, it doesn’t work as Stan has similar tech to Batman that will stop it. In one great line, Terry says he and Stan can team up. Unfortunately, Stan is not too stupid, and gains the upper hand on Batman escaping with Terry blurry. Once he wakes up, Bruce and Terry decide to go about the old fashion way rounding up as Bruce says “the usual suspects.” After not really getting anywhere, they decide to lie low to let their searching seep into the underworld’s subconscious. Next, Terry and Max have the meeting readers have been waiting for. Max is distracted by the television set while Terry talks about how he cannot stand Bruce’s strategic planning and forecasting. Finally, Terry gets her attention. She is about to spout off about her connections with Undercloud when Dana interrupts. Ms. Tan is going through an emotional crisis after what happened last issue, and this is what brings her and Terry back together. She has nowhere else to turn since her father has been hospitalized, her brother is a psychopath, and she still has feelings for Terry knowing she can count on him. She starts spouting off about her brother’s past, and reveals to Terry what just happened to her father. As Terry becomes more and more concerned, he tries to get help from Bruce. However, Mr. Wayne is more concerned about our friend Mad Stan who is about to make an exchange with the Russians. Too bad that I have to wait a month for the conclusion to this…… Next, we have Justice League Beyond. Kobra agents present to their queen the device they stole last issue. She commands them to proceed with the next phase or “The Awakening.” Meanwhile, Green Lantern does some diagnostics on both Micron and Ms. Waller, and makes clear the former will survive while the latter needs to take medications to survive for the future. The rest of the issue revolves around Ms. Waller detailing Cobra’s past and her connections with them. She also provides backstory to how she and Micron were brainwashed with the help of Spellbinder by Cobra where they were forced to do Cobra’s biding. There is a cameo by the Challengers of the Unknown, and it is revealed Mr. Luther was funding Cadmus as a silent partner (not much of a surprise there). However, once the purpose is revealed, it becomes apparent Kobra is trying to access a device under the ocean. Aquagirl makes clear her father and Atlantis can stop them (with a nice cameo by Aquaman Beyond). However, Waller makes clear that is not possible. Waller reveals what will be needed to be stopped: the destruction of New Genesis. Unfortunately, nobody has a boom tube (the last one was stolen from Cadmus). With no other options, Terry will have to turn to Bruce for help. I have absolutely no complaints about JT Krul. He hits the nail right on the head with Superman, and creates quite an emotional first episode if I do say so myself. Yes, he is continuing past plot lines but he expands it, and allows Superman to ask those questions that may have some answers in future issues. Howard Porter does some great work. He depicts Superman and all the characters very detailed which works well considering this is an aged Superman, and a detailed Metropolis is always good for the story. Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing what this team has in store in future issues. My other favorite team of Beechen and Breyfogle continue to deliver. Beechen knows the tail he wants to tell, and makes me love every moment of the comic. I have heard countless time him say how he wants to make Dana Tan a more important character, and as a longtime fan of hers since the animated series seeing that potential she had, I can fully say he is doing that. He is making me think this is going to be just as dark an arc as his previous arcs have been. Breyfogle continues to hammer out good art. He depicts the characterizations quite well, and it really shows in his detail. Needless to say, there is nothing wrong with this team, and I am counting down the issues until the “10,000 Jokers” arc begins. The final team of Nguyen and Fridolfs deliver another solid episode. The two writer/artists do a solid job with the characters and the arc they are trying to tell. Again, as with the previous issue, their narrative plot structure bothers me. I love what they are trying to tell but their execution does not compare well with the writing skills of Beechen and Krul. As professional writer with more experience, they do not have that handicap. However, it is quite apparent here. However, needless to say that beyond that, the writing is pretty solid and the art is top notch. I can never complain about it. The only thing I will point out again is plot structure. They need to structure the story better to compete with the professional writers they are attached to. Otherwise, solid all in all, and I look forward to seeing what happens next issue.
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Steed and Mrs. Peel #4 ReviewWritten by TommyHancock on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Boom Studios Reviews, Comic Book Reviews | 1 Comment » 
Rating: 4/5 Writer: Grant Morrison Publisher’s Blurb: Reviewer’s Comments: As stated in the blurb, Steed and Mrs. Peel is a spy comic(honestly, I haven’t seen much of the sci-fi aspect yet) based on an old TV show. That basically describes the feel of the story. Everything about the book just feels like an old comic in a very good way. It’s a murder mystery, so it is kind of dark by nature, but it approaches the darkness in such a lighthearted manner that it remains fun even when tragic. Aiding in said lighthearted fun is artist Ian Gibson, whose style is very soft and toony, sometimes even bordering “cute”, while still maintaining a definite edge when needed. A few characters look like they could have been pulled straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. I hope that doesn’t sway anyone who may be otherwise interested, because the art and story really work well together. Also, in four issues there has been one night scene, which helps give Steed/Peel a different tone from most spy comics. This issue was the conclusion to the “Golden Game” murders. John Steed is given a book of riddles in issue #1 and all of the murders in this arc take place according to certain riddles in the book. They are also performed in ways derived from old games, Hangman being my favorite of the bunch. Sounds campy and fun huh? It totally is! My only complaint is that while I did not in any way see the killer coming… it was because it was someone who, I’m guessing, was in the TV show, since he knew Steed so well, but was never shown in the series until his reveal. That’s not a big gripe, but when I feel like I’m reading a whodunnit, I wanna see whodunnit before they tell me whodunnit so I can try to take a stab at who-freakin’-dunnit! Okay, I’m better. That one gripe aside, good stuff. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you’re in the market for a fun read and a break from the darkness and broodiness of the average spy comic this is probably a pretty safe buy, so long as you can get your hands on 1-3. There are, apparently, two more issues in the series. Since this one was such a definite ending I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the next two. But I can’t wait to find out. And I’ll probably be back here to share the news with you fine folks! |
SHADOWLINE TAKES A LEAPWritten by StephenJondrew on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
SHADOWLINE TAKES A LEAP GRIM LEAPER, new series from PETER PANZERFAUST creator in May At the beginning of the new Image Comics series GRIM LEAPER, Lou Collins has died thirteen times, and he can be sure that grisly death #14 is just around the corner. This may seem like a weird way to find romance, but that’s just what Kurtis J. Wiebe (PETER PANZERFAUST, GREEN WAKE) has in store for Lou in his new series debuting in May, drawn by Aluisio Santos. Every time he dies, Lou jumps into a stranger’s body, and just as he’s learning something about his new host, another gruesome accident sends him leaping to the next one. Lou wants to escape the violent cycle and find eternal rest — that is, until he meets another “leaper” named Ella. “This is the gory love story you’ve been waiting for, a buckets of blood romantic comedy for the ages,” said writer Wiebe. “Grim Leaper is a story about that person you’ve always wanted to date but never had the chance to,” added Santos. “Except now your bad luck is a killer.” GRIM LEAPER #1 (MAR120418), published under Image Comics Shadowline imprint, will be in stores on May 30. It’s a full-color comic book for $3.50. It is available for pre-order now in the March issue of Previews. ABOUT IMAGE COMICS Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.
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Your First Look At AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #4!Written by StephenJondrew on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Marvel Comics News | 1 Comment » 
AVENGERS VS. PHOENIX – Your First Look At AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #4! This May, superstar writer Jonathan Hickman joins fan-favorite artist John Romita Jr as the Avengers face their biggest battle yet in Avengers VS. X-Men #4! The Phoenix Force is closing in on Earth, and Captain America has tasked Thor with stopping it…IN SPACE! With brawls exploding across the Savage Land, Wakanda, Tabula Rasa and throughout the Marvel Universe, can Thor and his team put an end to the Phoenix threat once and for all? This is what you’ve been waiting for all year, and now the war is here! Don’t miss out on all the action in Avengers Vs. X-Men #4, hitting comic shops worldwide, the Marvel Comics app and the all-new Marvel Comics web store – this May! Plus! Every issue of Avengers VS. X-Men come packaged with a code for a FREE digital copy on the Marvel Comics app! Fans will also be able to take the Avengers VS. X-Men experience even further by unlocking access to exclusive behind the scenes extras utilizing special augmented reality technology with the Marvel AR app powered by Aurasma. This is exciting bonus content that you cannot access anywhere else! Join the Marvel ReEvolution! Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX! For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #4 (MAR120534) Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Art by JOHN ROMITA JR. Cover by JIM CHEUNG FOC – 4/23/12, ON-SALE – 5/16/12 |
ComixTribe Signs Deal with DiamondWritten by StephenJondrew on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
ComixTribe Signs Deal with Diamond, Keeps Micro-Distribution Network Intact April 19, 2012 — Newburyport, MA — Independent publisher ComixTribe announced today a partnership with Diamond Comics Distributors, Inc. to distribute its creator-owned titles including SCAM, THE RED TEN, and others in development. The upstart publisher had previously made headlines by circumventing the traditional direct market distribution system and still managing to ship thousands of books directly to more than 50 retail partners. The Diamond deal will give the year-old publisher a direct pipeline to virtually every comic shop on the planet. “We’re thrilled to be working with Diamond,” said ComixTribe publisher and THE RED TEN scribe, Tyler James. ”With the help of maverick retailers who took a chance on our books, we were able to demonstrate that our comics could find a readership and deserved shelf space. Diamond took notice.” Last November, ComixTribe humbly launched its first title THE RED TEN #1 in a handful of shops, before expanding thanks to a partnership with the New England Comics Retailers Alliance (NECRA.) Joe Mulvey’s SCAM #1 built on that momentum, selling out of its first printing of 777 copies 10 days before going on sale in just 21 retailers. The second issue of THE RED TEN in February was ComixTribe’s widest release to date, and it’s microdistribution network was comprised of more than 50 retailers when they inked the Diamond deal. “We can’t speak highly enough of the retailers we worked with. Whether they stocked five copies of our books or 500, we’ve always believed that every single retailer, and every single reader counts. I promise to keep that in mind as we now have a fighting chance to get stocked in retailers nationwide,” said James. The Diamond deal will mean ComixTribe books can be ordered alongside the biggest titles from Marvel, DC, Image, and the rest. The Downside… The one drawback to this opportunity is that new issues of SCAM and THE RED TEN will be delayed until the series has had a chance to distribute through Diamond. ComixTribe’s Diamond debut book will be a relaunch of SCAM #1 which will be appearing in the June issue of Previews, for sale in August. SCAM is “X-Men meets Oceans 11″ and involves a team of super-powered grifters on the biggest con of their lives…taking down a Vegas casino and getting revenge on a former teammate who double-crossed them. A remastered version of THE RED TEN #1 will appear in the August previews, for sale in October. The series will then release on a bi-monthly schedule. “I’m beyond honored that SCAM will be the Diamond debut book for ComixTribe,” said writer/artist Joe Mulvey. ”I’m thrilled people everywhere will have a chance to pick it up at their local shops. And for those readers who already have, I promise SCAM #2 will be worth the wait.” The Presses are Broken on SCAM and THE RED TEN Because ComixTribe is going back to press with a Diamond order in July, no more books for these series will be printed between now and this summer, and the books will soon be pulled from their online shop. ”First prints of SCAM and THE RED TEN have sold to collectors on Ebay for as high as $25-$59 dollars, so hopefully there’s an opportunity for any of these micro-distributed, limited run issues still out there to increase in value in advance of the Diamond relaunch,” said James. “We Still See an Opportunity for Micro-Distribution” ComixTribe also announced that they will continue to keep their micro-distribution network in place. ”While we’re excited to be working with Diamond, we think that there still is an incredible opportunity for short run, exclusive, micro-distributed titles in the comics market. As a publisher, we see micro-distribution as an opportunity to market test new properties, or reward shops with exclusive books. And I think retailers also see a value in having an elite selection of books, and stocking books virtually no one else has,” says James. For this reason, ComixTribe has announced that it will continue to offer certain new titles directly to its micro-distribution network, including the North American retail debut of THE STANDARD by John Lees and Jonathan Rector, and a super limited run of THE RED TEN spin-off OXYMORON #1, featuring a script by Eisner-nominated writer Jason Ciaramella (THE CAPE) later this year.
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Viper Comics Press ReleaseWritten by StephenJondrew on Apr 19, 2012Filed in: Comic Book News | No Comments » 
For Immediate Release: Viper Comics is proud to announce the May 2011 arrival of the much anticipated, “World War Hack”, which was inspired by true events. World War Hack Written by Ethan Bull | Art by Tsubasa Yozora | Edited by Gwendolyn Borgen Inspired by true events, World War Hack tells the story of how the U.S. Government gathers top computer hackers from around the country, under the guise of a competition, to unknowingly help solve a pressing national security crisis. Little does the government know that eighteen-year-old hacker, Wyatt Dyer, is both the cause and solution to their crisis. Retail: $7.95 | 72 pages | ISBN 978-0-9833670-8-6 | Diamond Order Code: MAR121238 Book is available for order from: Diamond Comics Dist., Ingram Books, and Baker & Taylor. World War Hack Trailer
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- #169 – Fanboy Buzz – All Good Things… - Comic Book Podcast
- #168 – Fanboy Buzz – A Guest with a Familiar Voice - Comic Book Podcast
- #167 – Fanboy Buzz – J.J. Abrahams the Ack-wa-man - Comic Book Podcast
- #166 – Fanboy Buzz – We Eat the Batman - Comic Book Podcast
- #165 – Fanboy Buzz – Wolverine Exposes Himself - Comic Book Podcast
- More photos from C2E2—- courtesy of Fanboy Buzz in accordance with Bestow Productions
- Fanboy Buzz in accordance with Bestow Productions brings you—- C2E2
- Windsor Signing- Catching Up with the mind behind the Justice League of America, artist David Finch
- Windsor signing- Interview with Green Arrow, Animal Man and Justice League Dark writer Jeff Lemire
- Windsor Comic Signing: Interview with Detective Comics artist Jason Fabok
