Shout Outs! and Scream Ats! San Diego Edition

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?
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Beyond the Big 2: November 2008

by Matt

I love going through the Previews magazine every month. I spend hours going through every page, reading every solicitation and I usually find something that piques my interest. Each month I try to pick up a new book that is NOT part of the "Big 2". Here are a couple of new books that I am giving a try in January from the November 2008 Previews.





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.

VELOCITY #1
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.


ABSOLUTION #0
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!
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Beyond the Big 2: Aug 2008

by Matt

I love going through the Previews magazine every month. I spend hours going through every page, reading every solicitation and I usually find something that piques my interest. Each month I try to pick up a new book that is NOT part of the "Big 2". Here are a couple of new books that I am giving a try in October from the August 2008 Previews.

I love it when comic companies put out a cheap preview issue of a new series to generate interest. I'll usually try out any comic when it is around a buck, I have picked up a bunch of great series because of this with Black Summer and Drafted certainly coming to mind. This month, 3 out of my picks are cheap preview issues!



GI JOE: A NEW BEGINNING #0
By Larry Hama (W) • Robert Atkins (A)
Published by IDW Publishing
99 cents!
Product Code AUG084120
G.I. Joe has a new base of operations! IDW Publishing is proud to present an all-new era for the legendary Joe team. This specially priced introductory issue re-introduces the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA conflict for today's world, as presided over by G.I. JOE commanding officer, writer Larry Hama. Joining Hama on art chores is artist Robert Atkins. Together, the two tell their first tale-during a routine mission, the Joe team comes under attack by a mysterious outfit with terrifying goals. Featuring a special cover by painter Dave Dorman, as well as a wraparound incentive cover by the inimitable Ben Templesmith, this 24-page comic features a 16-page story, plus character sketches, interviews. All that and more for less than a buck!

I am a child of the 80's and I fondly remember Marvel's GI Joe series. I bought the Image reboot and almost every incarnation since and eventually dropped them because they just didn't capture what I was looking for. Remember GI Joe: Reborn? Ugh. I am hoping that this reboot will recapture that early magic and for a buck I am definitely willing to give it a try!

NOWHERE MAN #0
By Hugh Jackman & Marc Guggenheim (W) Paul Gulacy (A)
Published by Virgin Comics
$1.00
Product Code AUG084355
Its 500 years in the future and an oppressive government monitors everything- including your mind. It's the Patriot Act gone haywire. Everyone on earth has been infected with a virus that allows a central computer to tap into and analyze their thoughts. But a group of rebels have engineered the ultimate weapon: a genetically altered child, born immune to the virus. With the ability to act undetected, he's the only one on the planet that can bring some semblance of privacy and individuality back to the world. It is his destiny. He is the Nowhere Man.

The storyline sounds intriguing but the biggest draw is Paul Gulacy. When I was younger I never liked his art but I have grown to love it. What could have been my first Virgin book now looks like it may never be published. But I am going to order it anyway.


CYBLADE #1
By Joshua Hale Fialkov (W) Rick Mays (A)
Published by Top Cow Comics
$2.99
Product Code AUG082277A
The “season premiere” of one of last year’s Pilot Season winners! You voted for it, you got it! From the pages of Marc Silvestri’s Cyberforce comes a solo series for Cyblade! Dominique Thiebaut has been leading a double life. By day she’s an awkward teenager, but, at night, a chip in her brain changes her into the deadly master assassin Cyblade. Now she’s broken free from Cyberdata’s control. She must find a way to escape from their clutches, while trying to discover who she really is beneath.

I thought Cyblade was the worst of last year's Pilot Season but I am willing to give this series a try. I am a huge Cyberforce fan and I am hoping that the series will be better that the pilot. I almost didn't order the series because of the lame T&A cover but mailordercomics offered it for 75% off so I will try it again.


ZEN INTERGALACTIC NINJA #0
By Joe Casey (W) Joe Abraham (A)
Published by Devil's Due
99 cents!
Product Code AUG083930
The comic book legend returns! DDP is proud to present the beginning of the new Zen legend! Trained as a master of the Om martial arts, Zen becomes the galaxy`s deadliest mercenary-for-hire, but at what cost to his soul?

I heard of Zen back in the 90's but I never picked up the book and I have no idea what it is all about. But with Joe Casey writing and it only costing a buck, I will take a peek at this series as well.

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 August Previews) at huge discounts.




I'll see you next month with some more picks. Make sure you check out my other new column Beyond the Big 2: Preview Review where I will be reviewing picks that I made in earlier columns. Earlier I reviewed Freddie & Me: Coming of Age, Charlatan Ball #1 and Fluffy. This week, I will review No Hero #0 and Modern Masters Vol 18: John Romita Jr and the first X Omnibus!

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Driveby Comic Reviews (April '08, Part 2)

by Chris

In this installment, I review Mighty Avengers #12, Witchblade #117, Spawn: Godslayer #8, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #27, and Thor #8.










MIGHTY AVENGERS #12
When Bendis is on his game, he is very good. He is definitely on for this issue. This is the best issue of this series to date. Gone are the thought bubbles that Bendis never figured out how to use effectively (they were more annoying than anything). Gone are the double page spreads of things exploding and the pages with no dialogue. This was a well written issue with an excellent balance of intrigue and action. However, it was only tangentially related to the team we've been seeing in this book. It was more of a one shot tying Secret War to Secret Invasion starring Nick Fury with an appearance by Spider-Woman. Not really what you'd expect from this book. Despite that, it was enjoyable read. Alex Maleev's artwork doesn't do much for me, but it was solid here and was very
effective at setting the tone of the story.
Grade: B+


WITCHBLADE #117
Month after month, Ron Marz makes this book a very compelling read. He's taken what had been a Bad Girl book and turned it into an intelligent supernatural crime book. The antagonists in this book are truly creepy and this issue continues Sara's investigation of the murders that are reenactments of how the Twelve Apostles were killed. Meanwhile, it seems Dani's gotten in over her head with the guy she'd been seeing and we just knew there was something off about him. It seems the two storylines are linked somehow and the reveal of that should be quite interesting. Stjepan Sejic turned in another gorgeous issue. That he can turn in painted work like this on a monthly basis is astounding.
Grade: A-


SPAWN: GODSLAYER #8
This is the final issue of this book. Apparently, sales weren't sufficient to continue publishing it. There is no closure to any of the storylines that had been going on. The book is left mid-story and I suppose we'll never find out what was to happen. Not only that, but they actually introduced some new plot elements. How craptastic. Being the fantasy fanatic that I am, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It wasn't the best fantasy I'd ever read, but it took the quest story and gave it an interesting twist. Gorgeous artwork from Philip Tan (I look forward to seeing what he's got lined up at DC) made for some amazing eye candy. Unfortunately, none of that saved this particular issue. If they knew they were going to cancel the book, it would have been nice if they could have wrapped up at least one or two storylines. Ending it like they did left a bad taste in my mouth.
Grade: D


STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC #27
I've enjoyed this book since the beginning. A lot of that enjoyment had to do with Brian Ching's artwork. Since he left, the art in the book has been going downhill. For the last few months, it's been solid if not spectacular, but this month it got downright ugly. Not that Scott Hepburn is a bad artist per se, but his style does not fit at all with this book. It's way too cartoony and exaggerated. Looking past the art, however, the story introduces a couple of new twists that
promise to take the book an interesting directions. A character introduced in the last issue seems to question her allegiance to The Covenant and then the last page shows us something that my drastically change the direction of her life.
Grade: B-


THOR #8
I like the covers Marko Djurdjevic has done for various books, but his pencil work on the interiors of this issue and the previous one is gorgeous. He lends a visceral sense of power and violence to the battle between Thor, Odin, and Surtur. While not as effective in the quiet moments between Donald Blake and Jane Foster, he still does solid work. I may even like his stuff better than Oliver Coipel, of whom I am a big fan. On top of the gorgeous artwork, we have JMS's excellent writing. His prose lends a sense of grand drama to the book and his dialogue captures the inherent nobility of the Asgardians (though I do miss the Shakespearean English that previous writers have utilized). While the action in this issue was anchored to the battle, the plot itself was driven more by the scenes between Blake and Foster. Plus, those scenes introduced an element I am sure will drive the book in future issues.
Grade: A
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