by Matt
Welcome to a special San Diego Comic-Con edition of "Shout Outs/Scream Ats!” This edition will be a little different, I will be only looking at announcements from the big comic con that make me all giddy. (Shout Outs!) Like Marvelman, Mike Allred, Bone and more!!
There were quite a few announcements that were made at San Diego that excited me. Here are the ones that stand out the most to me and are in no particular order.
SHOUT OUT! Kurt Busiek’s American Gothic!
Busiek described this series as "set in the United States. It’s contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy.” He continued to describe his series of having stories like a girl in Rhode Island who discovers Thor is living in exile on a nearby island; and the story of a washed up cooking host searching for the perfect burger, who ends up in the borderlands of hell. I feel like I am missing reading something like this and it looks like this will scratch that itch!
SHOUT OUT! New Bone books!
This had to the announcement that surprised and excited me the most. Jeff Smith is back on Bone! He is creating new Bone projects with writer Tom Sniegoski, including Bone: Tall Tales (featuring Smiley and Bartleby!) and three new prose novels set in the Bone universe. One of my favorite characters, Roderick will appear in these new books. I cannot wait for this!
SHOUT OUT! Marvelman!
I had a feeling this was going to be the major announcement Marvel had up their sleeve when Joe Quesada started to tease it via Twitter. And I couldn't be more pleased, finally an announcement that lived up to the hype. Miracleman has been one of the few remaining "Must Read" comics that I have not read and I am really hoping that Marvel will put out a reasonably priced (please no expensive hardcovers!) reprint so I can finally see what the hubbub was. I also hope that Neil Gaiman will come back to finish off what he started so many years ago. What I do fear is that Miracleman is not integrated into the Marvel Universe, I would prefer that the character is kept separate from the main Marvel Universe and I definitely don't want to see Miracleman given to Bendis or Loeb or really any other creator. Just get Gaiman and one of the original artists (Buckingham, Davis) to finish what they started and not something new. And since I am being really picky about it, I like the name Miracleman over Marvelman and hope they keep it Miracleman. But if the only way I can get my hands on the reprints is if they make it Marvelman, I'll still get it. 
SHOUT OUT! New Cyberforce series!
Cyberforce was my favorite property when Image debuted over sixteen years ago. Wait a sec, SIXTEEN years ago? Good gravy, I remember picking up the first issue like it was yesterday. There is no way that it came out that long ago! Sure enough, it came out in October of 1992. Man, I am old. Anyway, Cyberforce was my most anticipated book and I followed it right through the mini and through the ongoing. Sadly it was canceled when Top Cow became more fantasy-type books and there was no room, or demand for Cyberforce. They tried to reboot it about two years ago but it wasn't as great. Now with the new Fusion series (featuring Cyberforce and Hunter Killer and Marvel's Avengers and Thunderbolts teams) and the new Cyberforce/Hunter Killer series just coming out, Top Cow announced that an ongoing Cyberforce will launch in 2010. The writer has not been announced yet (I have a feeling it might be Joe Casey) but it will be drawn by Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer artist and HUGE Cyberforce fan Kenneth Rocafort! Really looking forward to seeing one of my favorite teams back.
SHOUT OUT! Image United!
Speaking of Image, I CANNOT wait for the Image United series! I know, I know, this was announced at a prior comic convention but the real reason to celebrate is that work has been done on the series and it looks like it just might come out on schedule. If that truly is the case, Kirkman really deserves a raise for getting all the creators focused on this book. I am a sucker for events like this and the Image nostalgia factor is kicking in high gear. This will be the first book I have picked up that featured the likes of Spawn and Youngblood for almost 10 years! I really hope Kirkman rides McFarland to finish (or start) the Batman/Spawn special that was solicited two or three years ago. 
SHOUT OUT! I, Zombie!
I like zombies but I think I am getting a little zombied-out of the whole genre and when I saw this title announced I was not interested until I found out that Mike Allred was pencilling the book. This does seem to be something different than the standard zombie story and the idea (a girl who is a zombie detective) by writer Chris Roberson really seemed interesting. But my interest is really on Allred, I am looking forward to seeing him draw some zombies! Looks to be a fun project.
What were some of the announcements that excited you?
Read more!
7.31.2009
Shout Outs! and Scream Ats! San Diego Edition
11.24.2008
Beyond the Big 2: November 2008
by Matt
I apologize for the lateness of this column (I skipped a month) and I have no other reason than being just plain lazy. That and I quit my hellish job and have discovered the hard work and joy of becoming self employed. This month, I am combining the October and November 2008 Previews and will first look at the lone title I am picking up from the November Previews.
By Joe Casey (W) • ChrisCross (A)
Published by Top Cow Comics
$2.99
Product Code NOV082293
Another Pilot Season winner gets its `series premiere.` Cyberforce`s resident speedster, Velocity, gets her own solo series because you voted for it! Even with her super-speed, it seems the past still has its way of catching up with Carin Taylor. When a certain blue-skinned mogul reappears in her life to make her an offer she shouldn't`t refuse, Velocity discovers that saying no can get her killed!
I was a HUGE fan of Cyberforce back in the day and I have picked up any book that stars any of the Cyberforce characters. I thought that the Velocity Pilot was the best one of the batch and I was happy to learn that she won. I was also very happy to hear that artist ChrisCross signed on to pencil the series. I loved his art from the old Captain Marvel days and I am excited to pick this up. Hopefully this will be better than the Cyblade series that has recently come out.
I also am only trying out one title for the month of October.
By Christos Gage (W) • Roberto Viacava (A)
Published by Avatar Comics
$1.99
Product Code OCT083886
John Dusk is a man of honor. He has been fighting crime inside the rules of the law. He respects the laws he's been sworn to uphold. But day after day, bringing in the same scum, and watching the revolving door of justice, there comes a time when a man is pushed too far. When you're bound by rules that the bad guys ignore, when the criminals are going free, when the worst kind of man is loosed on the world, when do you finally take a stand? Where do you draw the line between being the good guy, and getting the job done - for good? Absolution is the story of masked heroes pushed to the brink, standing on their own, and against their best friends. Sometimes, a man just needs killing.
Christos Gage's work on the Man With No Name and Union Jack have won me over and have made me look for his name and I couldn't resist trying this series out.
I get all my comics, trades and hard covers through Mailordercomics.com. Click on the banner below and you visit their site and you can order these books (and anything else from the November Previews) at huge discounts.
I'll see you next month with some more picks and hopefully on time to boot! Also look for my other column Beyond the Big 2: Preview Review where I will be reviewing picks that I made in earlier columns. I have a whole slew of books to review this time. I will be reviewing SOLOMON KANE #1, CYBLADE #1, GI JOE: A NEW BEGINNING #0, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL HC, PROJECT SUPERPOWERS VOL 02 THE SUPREMACY #0, ZEN INTERGALACTIC NINJA #0, FLASH GORDON #1, and GHOST OMNIBUS VOL 1.
Yikes! I have a lot of work to do!
Read more!
9.05.2008
The Return: From Top to Bottom #18: The 90's!
by Matt
Last time, I admitted that I like gimmick covers and that I was one of those fans that helped make it a problem by buying a ton of them. I still stand by saying that some of them were cool and I looked at the Top and Bottom of Gimmick Covers. After reading more of Brandon's great Casualties of the 90's columns I decided it would be fun to look back at the 90's as well. With this special extended 18th edition, I will be looking at my favorite projects that came out in the 90's. While the 90's were not looked at as one of the greatest eras in comics, it was certainly important and is probably my favorite era. 
October 1992. Marc Silvestri is one of my favorite artists and I could not wait until this series came out. Like all early Image books this did have problems with lateness but it was worth waiting. The first miniseries had 5 issues (#0-4) and the second series lasted only 35 issues. What I liked about this series is that Cyberforce's main enemy was destroyed in the 25th issue and then it had to change direction. That new direction introduced a more supernatural edge to it that became Top Cow's main staple.
August 1994. I am a sucker team books and Ultraforce featured all of Malibu's top guns. Another big draw was the return of George Perez to a monthly book. Sadly, this series only lasted 10 issues before Marvel destroyed the line. But the 2nd volume that came out a year later was still pretty entertaining, it featured early work from Warren Ellis. This series and the original Prime title were fantastic.
September 1991. The only Valiant title that I have a full run (except for that pesky #60) of. Those early issues was absolutely terrific. Solar was not an ordinary super hero, and I recognized that quickly when he lost control of his powers and destroyed the whole Earth. The split personalities and alternative universes were more than plot devices, they were clever ways for the reader to learn how god-like and how human Solar really was.
March 1995. I discovered this book a lot later than when it initially came out and I wish I had picked it up then. Back when I first collected comics, I rarely went beyond Marvel and DC and I was more into superhero stuff. This book would have changed my comic buying habits for the better. This book is still going although sadly it is on hiatus. Reading Stray Bullets makes me feel better about the life that I have, there are moments when I read it that I feel sick to my stomach. I feel that way because I feel like I know these characters and the terrible decisions that they make and it is hard to watch what happens. 
March 1995. I couldn't believe it when I heard that Marvel was cancelling all of its X-titles (I heard this in the comic shop, way before the Internet was used) and I couldn't believe what these "new" X-titles looked like. Probably one of the greatest events of the 90's. While I knew that the normal Marvel Universe would return, it was so much fun to see how characters were changed and how they fought. It really felt important and would affect the X-titles for years after. Hey Marvel! This is how you kill off Banshee!
March 1994. I always like Mignola's moody art when it was on Alpha Flight and I remember flipping through this issue at Woodhaven Comics in New York and thinking that this could be something special. This was pure Mignola art, not like I saw when he was on Alpha Flight. It wasn't until Wake the Devil that I knew for sure that this was special. I never imagined that this series would still continue today and that there would have been a few movies as well.
July 1996. When Stormwatch first came out I collected and loved the early issues, Backlash turned out to be a personal favorite of mine and I followed him through the Kindred and then to his own Backlash series. But the reason I listed Stormwatch on this list was when Warren Ellis took over the book and turned it around. Ellis gave me a superhero book that was not just about capes and supervillians. He gave us a book about how those who have abilities can change the world. His work grew more ambitious and led the way to the 2nd volume of Stormwatch and then naturally turned into the Authority. His run changed comics forever. 
July 1991. My first real independent book that I picked up. I heard a ton of good reviews about it and I saw #15 on the shelves and decided to pick it up. At first glance I thought I was picking up a kids book, the Bone characters looked silly. But as I read the issue and laughed out loud, I knew I was wrong. The black and white art really stood out and the pacing seemed a lot slower than other comics (this was before decompression was really used) and it fit. Those first 25 issues of the that series (it was completed with #55) were classic!
October 1994. By now I am sure everyone knows that I a MAJOR Alan Davis fan. I loved his run on Excalibur and was intrigued by this new mysterious series that featured all new characters. What I loved about this book were the relationships between the characters, they felt like a family to me. They argued like a family does, they treat each other like family members do, good or bad. During this time, comics were more grim and gritty. It seemed like every team book had a guy with claws and a guy with large guns. This book hearkened back to the older days, where characters had code names like Crimson Crusader and they wore a cape. This was a refreshing look back at the classic feel of the old days. Sadly, Alan left the book with the 8th issue and returned for a 2 issue miniseries with the X-Men and it would take almost 15 years for them to return.
July 1992. At first I really disliked Erik Larsen and now I love the guy. His book has never failed to entertain me. This book literally has everything. I never know what to expect when I read it, it is full of shocks, twists, violence, sex and a whole lot more! The best part is that Erik Larsen will always be on the book until he dies and I will be along for the ride the whole time. How can you go wrong with a character like BrainApe? Yes, he is a huge gorilla with the brain of Adolf Hitler. Erik is not afraid to change anything, NOTHING is sacred, even the Dragon himself!
See? I love the 90's! I could have easily added Preacher, Starman, Alan Moore's Supreme to this list! Now there are books that came out that were not so great either. I will not bore you with a huge list of what was ridiculous but I will give you my Bottom 3 projects of the 90's.
September 1993. This crossover featured 2 of the hottest comic companies in Image and Valiant and this series was one of the things that caused the downfall of comics in the 90's. Image was extremely late in the project, so late that retailers could not return any unsold comics back to the publisher. There was thousands of Deathmate Red and Black left unsold in comic shops. The project was hastily put together and it should be noted that Todd McFarland and Erik Larsen wanted nothing to do with the project. Its only bright spot was that it did introduce Gen13 to comic fans.
November 1996. You'd think that with Liefeld and Jim Lee returning to Marvel would be the greatest thing but it wasn't. None of the creators could even stay on the books the whole time, which was extremely disappointing. The only good thing about it was it gave more exposure to the Avengers and Fantastic Four titles and made them just as important as the X and Spider-titles. 
October 1994. I never thought it would come to a time when I didn't collect a Spider-Man book. It has only happened twice, with Brand New Day and back in the 90's with the Clone Saga. Comic book companies in the 90's found a formula of success by overhauling characters completely, they killed Superman, broke Batman's back, made Hal Jordan go crazy, kill Daredevil off and replace him with an 'armor' version, make Colossus go bad, suck the metal out of Wolverine, kill off Green Arrow... ...geez, the list is endless. The biggest disaster was the Clone Saga. The Spider-Man we all knew was just a clone! The Clone Saga was only supposed to last a year or so but it sold well (like all the comics in the 90's) and so Marvel extended it and it went on and on and on. Now there are some good stories within that craptacular event, Amazing Spider-Man #400 being the best, we ended up with a new Spider-Man. The costume was cool, but Ben Reily was not. Thankfully they ended it by killing Ben, who was revealed to be the actual clone but it also brought back Norman Osborn. Ugh.
Sure the 90's had some terrible moments but there were some great gems that came out of the same era!
Read more!
Posts
