Escape from Tomorrow

"There Is No End. There Is No Beginning. There Is Only The Passion of Life"

2011-11-02T10:55:00.000Z

It's with some reluctance that I've decided to take a break from posting at Escape from Tomorrow - the break may be for a few days, a couple of weeks, or longer: I'm just not sure at the moment.

Why? Well, I was discussing my decision with a friend earlier today and I explained that on top of increased work and family commitments I've finally run out of patience with the way a couple of the larger publishers have been treating their readers - of which I am one - over the past year or so ... so I'm voting with my wallet and cutting their books from my pull list.

Yes, I know, there are still loads of really good comics being published every month - and I'm still buying many of these titles, just not writing about them ... for a while at least.

Escape from Tomorrow will return, there is no end ...

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: January 2012 Highlights

2011-10-25T13:23:00.001+01:00

As I've come to expect, the new months solicitations from Image and Top Cow promise a number of highlights and I'm looking forward to picking up a couple of trade paperbacks this month, particularly the 160-page, oversized collected edition of Fractured Fables featuring the work of Terry Moore, Ben Templesmith and Nick Spencer amongst many others!

More details from Image Comics, Top Cow Productions and CBR.

FRACTURED FABLES TP
story VARIOUS
art VARIOUS
January 18, 160 pages, FC, T, OVERSIZED, $19.99
Some of comic’s most celebrated creators (including MIKE ALLRED, JILL THOMPSON, TERRY MOORE, SHANNON WHEELER, WHILCE PORTACIO, PETER DAVID, BEN TEMPLESMITH, NICK SPENCER and over 40 more) turn familiar fairy tales on their ear! This critically acclaimed, super-star anthology will thrill old and young alike. Now, for the first time in an oversized trade paperback edition!

FATALE #1
story ED BRUBAKER
art & cover SEAN PHILLIPS
colors DAVE STEWART
January 4, 32 pages, FC, M, $3.50
GUNS! SEX! SECRET CULTS! AND MONSTERS!
Nothing the BEST-SELLING and AWARD-WINNING creators of SLEEPER, CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO have done so far will prepare you for the explosive debut of FATALE!
A reporter in 2012 stumbles on a secret that leads him down the darkest path imaginable… to a seductive woman who’s been on the run since 1935, a mobster who may be an immortal demon monster, and the stories of all the doomed men who’ve been caught in their decades-long struggle.
FATALE blends noir and horror to tell a riveting epic unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Issue #1 ships with “Beauty” and “Beast” variant covers.

WHISPERS #1
story JOSHUA LUNA
art & cover JOSHUA LUNA
January 11, 32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
A mentally troubled man is suddenly empowered with the ability to leave his physical body in “ghost” form and manipulate people in strange and disturbing ways. With this incredible power, will he control his demons...or discover even more?
JOSHUA LUNA of the Luna Brothers (ULTRA, GIRLS, THE SWORD) makes a solo debut with a dark, supernatural thriller that questions free will and explores the obsessions, addictions and urges we all have and may not have control of at all.

THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN: DISINTERRED #1 (of 6)
story DAVID HINE
art & cover SHAKY KANE
January 25, 32 pages, FC, M, $3.99
“KILLER INSIDE” - THE ORIGIN OF THE SHIELD OF JUSTICE
Back from the grave! The cult hit of 2011 returns with a tale of treachery, murder and unrequited lust. When headless corpses start to appear on the first night of the full moon, ace detective Johnny P. Sartre smells a rat…
Contains profanity, nudity, violence and the graphic depiction of alcohol abuse.

MONDO #1 (of 3)
story, art & cover TED McKEEVER
January 4, 48 pages, BW, M, GOLDEN-AGE FORMAT, $4.99
Catfish's daily grind of "enhancing" poultry comes to a halt when he is accidentally tripped up by a loose chicken, causing him to fall victim to his own process. What proportions of his that were once human are now beyond anything normal. Add villainous corporate and military big wigs, a roller-skating weapon-toting chick named Kitten Kaboodle, a gang of tattooed babies, and there's still that enormous beach monster…
And what you have is MONDO, in all its raging glory!

NANCY IN HELL (ON EARTH) #1 (of 4)
story EL TORRES
art ENRIQUE LOPEZ LORENZANA
color FRAN GAMBOA
January 25, 32 pages, FC, M, $3.99
The unlikely couple of Nancy and Lucifer are back! After escaping from Hell, the chainsaw-wielding hottie finds that the Gates of Hades remained open, and all kind of demons are pouring out on Earth. Our world is the newest infernal region, and nobody will help the humans... not even the angels from Heaven!

THE DARKNESS ACCURSED, VOL. 6 TP
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover MICHAEL BROUSSARD
January 11, 160 pages, FC, M, STANDARD SIZE, $19.99
OUTER DARKNESS!
In one of the most explosive THE DARKNESS arcs yet, longtime writer PHIL HESTER (WONDER WOMAN, GODZILLA) and artist SHELDON MITCHELL (PILOT SEASON: STEALTH) push Jackie Estacado, current bearer of the Darkness, to the brink. Having defeated his enemy, The Sovereign, Estacado had hoped to settle into a quiet, peaceful life in Chicago. But a series of attempts on his life, set him on a path that reunites him with old friends, allies and enemies. However, Jackie soon finds that the most dangerous enemies don’t come from outside, but rather, from within…
Collects THE DARKNESS #90-#95

RED SPIKE, VOL. 1 TP
story JEFF CAHN
artist MARK TEXEIRA & SALVADOR NAVARRO
cover MARK TEXEIRA
January 11, 144 pages, FC, T, $12.99
70 years ago, the world began its race to create the first Super Soldier. In 2011, the United States succeeded... twice. Project Red Spike discovered that through the manipulation and regulation of the adrenal glands the super soldier was no longer just a dream. Matt Cutler and Greg Dane, the first to survive the process, have been proven on the field to be everything that was wanting in the program. Unfortunately, an upgrade to Greg’s implant goes array and now it’s up to Matt to chase down his friend before he hurts himself, the city and the tax payers who funded their creation. But as the friends begin their very public battle in heart of Washington D.C., twisted and sinister secrets begin to emerge from within the Red Spike program. Can both soldiers survive or are their deaths a necessary measure to secure the program's secrecy?
Collects RED SPIKE #1-5

THE VAULT, VOL. 1 TP
story SAM SARKAR
art & cover GARRIE GASTONNY
January 1, 96 pages, FC, T, $9.99
A small team of treasure hunters struggles to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the Graveyard of the North Atlantic. Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature's fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash from the vault.
Collects THE VAULT #1-3

THE DARKNESS #99
story PHIL HESTER
art ROMANO MOLENAAR
cover A JEREMY HAUN
cover B SHELDON MITCHELL
January 18, 32 pages, FC, M, $2.9
CELEBRATE THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY!
The Darkness has mustered its considerable defenses in its home dimension to crush its prodigal son and current bearer, Jackie Estacado. Long time writer PHIL HESTER (WONDER WOMAN, THE GREEN HORNET) and ROMANO MOLENAAR (THE DARKNESS II: CONFESSION) build to the crescendo that will be landmark THE DARKNESS #100 when Jackie will come face-to-face with the source of his power and misery.

Batman Solicitations - January 2012

2011-10-20T12:58:00.000+01:00

The Source have this week released the Batman solicitations for January 2012 and while I've only so far read a few of the first and second issues that I'd ordered I'm (on the whole!) enjoying what I'm reading.

The first issues of Batman, Nightwing, Batwoman, Batman and Robin and particularly Detective Comics all connected with me so I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how these stories develop over the coming months.

For more details, including cover previews, head over to The Source.

DETECTIVE COMICS #5
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:25 Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
On sale January 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
There’s been a seriers of assassinations in the criminal underworld – and The Penguin is among Batman’s first suspects! But when seemingly ordinary women become part of the killings, Batman discovers a common denominator that leads him on the trail of a vicious killer who is spiraling down a path of destruction. Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend, investigative reporter Charlotte Rivers, ends up on the killer’s hit list. And with her missing, can Batman uncover the layers of lies and deception within the underworld in time to save her?

BATMAN AND ROBIN #5
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale January 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
There’s a devil on Robin’s shoulder – and his name is Nobody! Batman and Robin’s relationship gets pushed to the breaking point as Nobody insinuates himself into Damian’s life and tries to make him see that Bruce’s plan to battle crime is hopeless – and only by teaming up and tapping into Damian’s killer instinct can they ever hope to rid Gotham City of its evil roots.

BATMAN #5
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO • Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:200 B&W variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale January 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $3.99 US
Deep beneath Gotham City lies the Court of Owls’ deadliest trap – and Batman has fallen right into it! Can he escape, or will he perish in a maze of nightmare? Enter the labyrinth, Batman – if you dare!
This issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of the issue.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #5
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art and cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
1:25 Variant cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale January 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
When a madman attacks Batman with a new and powerful fear toxin, The Dark Knight visits the coldest and most distant part of his soul. And as his deepest fears resurface, he must rely on old friends to help quell the terrible effects, and to remind him of his true mission as a hero. But what Batman discovers hidden in a moment of courage may change his life forever… for a dark figure from his past has returned – the one adversary The Dark Knight truly fears.

BATWING #5
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art by BEN OLIVER
Cover by KEN LASHLEY
On sale January 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The mystery of the Kingdom, Africa’s first and last Super Hero team, continues. When their former headquarters is opened to the public, its American benefactor, Bruce Wayne, is on hand. Will the villainous Massacre, who’s been murdering the lost heroes, stop by for the grand opening? If he does, it will be up to Batman and Batwing to stop him. It’s a battle of the bats!

BIRDS OF PREY #5
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by JESUS SAIZ and JAVIER PINA
Cover by DAVID FINCH
On sale January 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
After [REDACTED] in issue #4, the team agrees to take 24 hours to take stock of what just happened. But there’s no such thing as R&R for the Birds of Prey, as Black Canary realizes that Gotham City is still in grave danger. And the key to unmasking the villain known as “Choke” may lie in the mystery of a man who one day just walked out on his family and life…and into a world of mind-control and murder.

BATWOMAN #5
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
1:25 Variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale January 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“Hydrology,” the first arc of the critically acclaimed new BATWOMAN series, reaches its powerful conclusion! After the horrors Batwoman has faced, she has a final showdown with The Weeping Woman – a specter with the power to dredge up Kate’s deepest pain. Can she finally forgive herself so she can dispel this evil? And how will she respond when Chase and the DEO tighten their grip, forcing Kate to make an impossible decision?

BATGIRL #5
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale January 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Still reeling from the shocking return of a major figure with secrets from her past, Batgirl goes on the hunt for the terrifying killer Gretel, whose eerie and violent power over the men of Gotham City leaves no one safe – not even guest star Bruce Wayne!

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #5
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale January 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
With Jason going one-on-one with the ancient evil known as the Untitled and Koriand’r barely able to crawl to his side, it’s up to Roy to stand alone against the monstrous threat known as Crux!

CATWOMAN #5
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale January 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Catwoman is flying solo and finding plenty of turbulence! She has her paws full when a simple smash and grab turns into a hit and pummeled, as she faces an adversary who is more than a match for Selina. She calls herself Reach, and she doesn’t pull any punches. Can our favorite Feline Fatale land on her feet?

NIGHTWING #5
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art by EDDY BARROWS and PAULO SIQUERIA
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
On sale January 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
With winter closing in, Haly’s Circus hits New Orleans! But as Dick Grayson gets closer in his search for answers about the mystery of the circus, it’s not just the temperature that heats up. And just how does a voodoo ritual gone bad factor in? Find out as Nightwing takes the Big Easy!

Out Today: 30 Days of Night #1 - A New Ongoing Series from IDW

2011-10-19T13:49:00.000+01:00

My highlight from this weeks new releases is the first issue of a new 30 Days of Night ongoing series written by Steve Niles and featuring art by Sam Kieth.

30 Days Of Night #1
Written by Steve Niles with art by Sam Kieth
Fright-master Steve Niles returns to the creation that launched his career for an all-new 30 DAYS OF NIGHT ongoing series, with warped genius Sam Kieth (creator of THE MAXX) joining in the bloodletting! A letter from Barrow, Alaska, carries a cryptic warning to a young, curious woman, which leads her down the rabbit hole and face-to-face with her desire… and likely her demise. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, a vampire resurrection ignites, which could threaten the very way of life of all mankind. Features an all-new cast characters being introduced to the world of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT for the first time!
32 pages, colour, $3.99

Publisher IDW has offered io9.com a preview of the first issue and it looks absolutely fantastic: there are a number of variant covers - I think cover c is my personal favourite - and Sam Kieth's interior art looks amazing.

Head over to io9.com to check out the preview pages of the first issue and to the IDW Publishing website for more information about the 30 Days of Night series.

Fatale from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

2011-10-17T11:32:00.000+01:00

As you might know I'm a huge fan of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Criminal and Incognito series so you can imagine just how excited I was to hear news from the "Creator-Owned Comics with Robert Kirkman" panel at New York Comic Con last week that the pair will be launching a brand new series through Image Comics.

The new series will be entitled Fatale and through an article/interview with CBR Ed Brubaker revealed that unlike Criminal and Incognito it's set in a much darker, kind of supernatural, fictional world.

Brubaker talks at length about his influences for the book, his relationship with artist Sean Phillips and future plans for established favourites Criminal and Incognito.

This morning Sean Phillips posted a video trailer for Fatale over on his blog.

Fatale will be published in January 2012 - head over to CBR to read the article in full.

Trailers Released for "Marvel's The Avengers" and "The Raven"

2011-10-12T12:50:00.001+01:00

A couple of film trailers caught my eye yesterday: of course the first official trailer for The Avengers has been posted everywhere - and why should I be any different? - and it really does look fantastic doesn't it.

Marvel Studios presents "Marvel's The Avengers" - the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, "Marvel's The Avengers" is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series "The Avengers" first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when "Marvel's The Avengers" assemble in summer 2012.

[Synopsis source]

Released with less of a fanfare - but no less eye-catching - was the extended trailer for The Raven staring one of my favourite actors, John Cusack, as Edgar Allan Poe.

In this gritty thriller, Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack, Being John Malkovich) joins forces with a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans, Immortals) to hunt down a mad serial killer who's using Poe's own works as the basis in a string of brutal murders. Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), the film also stars Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Faster). When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a startling discovery: the crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper--part of a collection of stories penned by struggling writer and social pariah Edgar Allan Poe. But even as Poe is questioned by police, another grisly murder occurs, also inspired by a popular Poe story. Realizing a serial killer is on the loose using Poe's writings as the backdrop for his bloody rampage, Fields enlists the author's help in stopping the attacks. But when it appears someone close to Poe may become the murderer's next victim, the stakes become even higher and the inventor of the detective story calls on his own powers of deduction to try to solve the case before it's too late.

[Synopsis source]

Both films will be in cinemas next year.

Pilot Season: City of Refuge from Top Cow

2011-10-11T13:09:00.002+01:00

Top Cow's Pilot Season is underway and Newsarama have an exclusive preview of one of this years titles - City of Refuge.

PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Over a decade after Terminal, the residents of San Francisco live a peaceful and prosperous existence thanks to the Program. Every resident of the city is hand-selected and implanted with the chip Secura, which removes the human capacity for violence to maintain the greater good. Only the city's security forces are allowed a brief reprieve from Secura through use of the drug Freestone in order to do their jobs. Now, rumors of Freestone getting out into the open market threaten to upset the delicate balance keeping humanity from extinction.
Screenwriter MORGAN DAVIS FOEHL and artist DENNIS CALERO (X-Men: Noir) deliver a twist on the classic dystopian future in City of Refuge!

I've been a huge fan of Top Cow's Pilot Season over recent years and this years 'contestants' look like raising the bar once again. City of Refuge sounds like a fantastic concept and the cover and interior art looks stunning.

Pilot Season: City of Refuge #1, written by Morgan Davis Foehl with art and cover by Dennis Calero, is in shops tomorrow.

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #3

2011-10-07T08:47:00.000+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

I'm going to say this now: There Be Spoilers Ahead - you have been warned!

The previous issue of Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness finished with Sydney Savage of the Danger Girls - my favorite Danger Girl if you're curious - leaving the team on a solo mission to 'help' Ash get out of jail.

We pick up this issue as Sydney stands on a roof-top opposite the building where Ash is being held by the authorities and is about to swing into action by James Bond/Batman style zip-lining between buildings and stealthily laser-cutting her way through a window before smoke bombing and kung-fuing her way through the guards.

At this point we are treated to a bit of back story for the character of Sydney, starting from when she was a young girl and she broke into an aquarium to swim with the octopus, through to her teenage years of sneaking into rock concerts, and then to finally going to military school and being recruited by Deuce into the Danger Girl team. We even get to find out why she wears a vintage black leather cat suit. You didn't even get that bit of information in the original Danger Girl comics!

We now get to meet Doctor Lauren Alia, I would just like to add that if my Doctor looked like Dr. Alia I would be permanently ill. Lauren is tasked with analyzing a new detainee called John Doe (Ash) who suffers form severe paranoid hallucinations. It is not long before Sydney has knocked the good doctor out, stripped her out of her uniform and disguised herself as her.

Oddly, Ash has similar plans for one of the prison guards who he tricks into his cell, knocks him unconscious, steals his uniform and makes his way out of the prison. That is until he encounters his doctor.

After a bit of a scuffle, Dr. Alia (Sydney) and the prison guard (Ash) realise that they are both after the same thing, the Necronomicon!

The story now shifts to North Africa to catch up with the guys who are currently in possession of the deadly book as they plan how to get the book to the buyer. All is not well in the camp though as one of the henchmen is acting a little strange ... and when he is confronted by one of the other henchmen about his behavior he is quickly uncovered as a spy: none other than Agent Zero!

If you have never read Danger Girl this last page reveal will mean very little to you. If like me you are a fan of Danger Girl you will have wee'd in your underpants more than a little when you turned to that last page! [Oh dear - Zaius] To then be teased even further with the solicitation for the next issue stating '... But when Agent Zero crosses paths with an old adversary from the former Hammer Empire, will his thirst for revenge put Abby in the middle of the crossfire ...?'

Now, me, I squealed like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert: The Hammer Empire! Revenge! Old adversary! - Queue squeal!

What an amazing issue this is. No, scrub that. What a fantastic mini series this is turning out to be!

I haven't had this much fun and excitement reading a Danger Girl comic in years. So-much-so I'm even planning to go back and re-read my collection of the earlier Danger Girl stories once this mini series has finished its run. Andy Hartnell's so on the ball with his writing in this series he is falling nothing short of genius. Throw in the brilliant artwork of Chris Bolson and Adriano Lucas and I think my head may just very well explode in a joygasm!

I give this issue a five out of five boomsticks!

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #3
Written by Andy Hartnell, art by Chris Bolson, colours by Adriano Lucas, letters by Marshall Dillon, covers by Paul Renaud (50%) and Nick Bradshaw (50%)
Published by Dynamite & IDW

Many thanks to Simon for his thoughts - after his earlier reviews I've started reading some of the original Danger Girl stories and I must say I'm loving them: they have a real sense of tongue-in-check adventure that I'm finding very enjoyable.

Image Comics: Graphicly to Provide Digital Comics on all Platforms

2011-10-05T13:07:00.000+01:00

As someone who buys a LOT of Image Comics titles I was very interested to read the publisher's announcement that it had teamed-up with Graphicly to digitally supply and share their entire publishing catalogue - with new titles being released in print and digital formats on the same day.

Now I've always maintained that, for me at least, the digital format would never replace the printed comic but I have to say my buying/reading habits have been changing over the past eighteen months or so. I still get most of my comics in printed form but I've shifted some titles that I pick up over to trades rather than single issues ... and I've started buying one or two digitally.

'Same day' release has been an important factor in deciding what titles I've picked up digitally but, for me, the most important factor has been the price point: if a publisher offers me a print version and a digital version at the same price I'll still always go for the print version. It's the same with my music buying habits - if I can pick up a CD for the same price, or even just a little more, as a digital download I'm more than happy to wait a couple of days for the CD to arrive.

However, if the digital download - comic book or musical recording - offers a significant saving then I'm on board: for a comic with a $2.99 cover price I'm looking to pay no more than $1.99, even if that means setting aside the 'same day' selling point and waiting for a couple of weeks to make my purchase.

GRAPHICLY TO PROVIDE DIGITAL COMICS ON ALL PLATFORMS INCLUDING FACEBOOK

Berkeley, CA – October 3, 2011 – Graphicly, a social networking and digital distribution platform for the visual entertainment industry, announced today a partnership with Image Comics, the third largest comic book publisher in the US and the number one creator owned content publisher, to digitally supply and share their entire publishing catalog, including such hits as Walking Dead, Invincible, Savage Dragon, Chew and many more, to be released same day as print on Graphicly.

Working with Graphicly, Image Comics will be expanding their reach on all iOS and Android platforms including Barnes & Noble’s NOOKcolor and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. As the only comic book application on Facebook, Graphicly will be making the world of Image Comics available to this growing social audience. Image’s Facebook page will become a browseable comic store where potential readers can preview and purchase the wares while never having to leave the page. Fans can now like a new comic and share it on a friend’s wall!

"20 years ago, Image Comics changed the comic book industry and we’re excited that they’ve chosen Graphicly to help them innovate comics in the digital age." said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphicly. "Image's focus on creator owned content , making them THE cutting edge publisher for creator owned titles, is perfectly aligned with Graphicly's philosophy of putting the creator first. We are excited to join them in becoming the leading cutting edge digital solution for creators."

“For years, print comics have been dependent on a single distribution network, so it's interesting to be a position to utilize a variety of different digital platforms,” said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. “As digital comics continue to become a greater concern, it's important to embrace as many different options as possible.”

Graphicly is bringing the content to the communities rather forcing the people to come to them and is dedicated to providing visual entertainment for the communities that love stories. Image Comics is a venue where creators can publish their material while maintaining creative control and the rights to the stories and characters they create, as creator-owned properties. Together Graphicly and Image are spreading the idea of the importance of good stories by world class creators.

ABOUT GRAPHICLY
Graphicly is a cutting-edge entertainment digital content delivery system and community platform, providing an immersive solution to tell, share and collaborate around story. With more than 300 publishers and over 4,000 creators from major publishers such as Marvel Comics, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Top Cow and IDW Publishing to indie creators from around the globe, Graphicly is the leading story-telling and sharing platform online. The Graphicly Network includes dozens of leading websites and blogs, mobile applications including the iPhone, iPad and Android; A desktop AIR application, and an industry leading HTML5 web app. For more information, please visit www.graphicly.com

More details from both Image Comics and Graphicly.

Cardiff International Comic & Animation Expo 'IN FIRST' Ticket Offer

2011-10-04T08:44:00.000+01:00

Great news from the team at Fantasy Events UK for all those readers who attended this years Cardiff International Comic Expo - until the end of this month ticket prices for next years event are being frozen at this years prices!

The 2012 Cardiff International Comic & Animation Expo takes place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 February at the Holland House Mercure Hotel and features Guest of Honour Mike Ploog and very special guests including John Higgins and John M. Burns.

More details will be revealed shortly when the event website goes live - in the meantime, as I say, tickets are now on sale here: adult weekend tickets are just £9 while a single day ticket will cost just £5 (with generous discounts for children including free entry for under 11's when accompanied by an adult ticket holder).

Action Comics #1

2011-09-30T11:05:00.001+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

Here we are, the new DC Universe not-reboot of 52 of their ongoing titles ... or whatever you call it. The not-reboot of the DC comic line presented me, and most likely many others, with an opportunity to spring-clean my monthly comic pull list. To lose a tired title or two and to pick up a few new ones.

One of the new titles that I added to my pull list is the relaunched, but not-rebooted (I know, I'll stop that now) Action Comics.

Action Comics main focus is on the character of Superman. Yep, there is also a Superman comic too, but the same also goes for Batman of course - Detective Comics is a Batman title along with the monthly Batman comic. What's the difference between the two then?

For the Superman title and Action Comics, Superman is set a little later in Superman's story where he is a full fledged hero and seems more in synch with the rest of the new DC title relaunch whereas for Action Comics it is set very early on in Superman's life as a Superhero, starting only six months after he has arrived in Metropolis and therefore is somewhat behind the rest of the new DC Universe as time lines go. For me? Well I simply liked the look of one over the other. That was good enough at this point to swing it for me.

It may sound a bit of a whimsical way to decide which one to invest in and therein lies the key behind my choice. I used to pick up from my local comic shop just about every title that Superman was in that came out, Superman, Man of Steel, Superboy, Supergirl, Justice League of America. They were great times! They all crossed over from one to the other, in fact just to keep up I also picked up the other various titles such as Batman, or Wonder Woman. Each month I would leave the comic shop weighed down with books and a big smile on my face (oddly the comic shop owner would have a smile on his face too).

Then I got fed up with it and many years before DC caught on to what messy continuity they were creating I dropped the lot. Every single DC title I was getting! I kept up with things through some new fan-dangled thing called the internet and occasional purchasing of trade paperbacks and graphic novels. If the truth be known, I have spent many happy years with this relationship. That was until DC slapped me with a re-launch.

I love Superman. He is without a doubt in my top three bestest super heroes. However, I'm jaded against buying monthly titles of DC (and Marvel) super hero characters. There just seemed to me, when I have thought about picking up some monthly titles, to be no jumping on point in the continuity heavy universes. If I am honest, this is just an excuse and not a reason. I'm not sure what the real reason was however, the re-launch has given me the kick in the pants I needed to readdress this. I wanted to play it safe though and I'm not sure what it was about Action Comics that did it, it felt like the safer bet.

Okay, on with the comic.

Wow, controversial from the very front cover. Superman in jeans, work boots, a t-shirt with a tea towel for a cape? Hmmm... Maybe I should have gone with the Superman title?

I kid!

All my worries started to melt away with the first two pages and by the time I got to the two-page spread on pages four and five they had evaporated completely.

The comic begins with Superman inviting himself along to a meeting between some crooked businessmen and telling them that he '...is their worst nightmare' before he cleans the floor with their goons. Dust from the very short fight settled, the police turn up to arrest Superman as he stands on the edge of a balcony many floors up with one of the businessmen held one-handed above his head saying that he will only let him go once the bad guy has made a full confession. To this the businessman screams 'Somebody! Save me!' (which queued the Smallville TV show theme in my head, and I must admit throw me out of the story for a few moments).

From here Superman forces a confession from the businessman by jumping off the building and landing with bone-jellying force on the streets below. As to Superman's plan: the terrified businessman confesses (not sure how that is going to stand up in a court of law) and he tosses him over to the waiting police officers. The police officers don't seem to bothered though as they are there for one purpose: to arrest Superman.

Superman is unimpressed, so much so he even challenges them to open fire on him so he can show how powerful he is and that they are no threat to him and are wasting their time before he runs off at blinding speed across the city (he still can't fly yet). The police give chase, and so do the military!

The military, under the leadership of Lex Luthor as a hired consultant, are employing what has to be said is almost a 'Wile E Coyote' type plan if it wasn't so sinister to capture the Man of Steel. Through the rest of the comic this not only introduces a fight with a wrecking ball, several tanks and soldiers, but also affords time to meet Superman's alternate ego, Clark Kent. Not only that we also get a brief introduction to Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen on a news story (for a rival newspaper to the one Clark works for?) and to finally see the fruition of Lex Luthor's plans as Superman is splatted against a wall by a speeding train.

Next issue: Superman in Chains!!

Hmm ...

That was one fast-paced comic that without a shadow of doubt lived up to the 'Action' part of the title. Much more and I think my head would have been spinning by the time I put it down. The story, what there was of it, was good. I must admit I am struggling with it. Not the 'story' but how it portrays Superman. He is just so violent! He beats up the bad guys goons so badly that you can only assume a beating like that would kill someone. To then force a confession out of their leader by throwing him off of a building until they can't take any more and are forced to confess to their crimes. To then taunting the police to shoot at him, fighting with tanks and soldiers in a residential area, to then discovering that Superman has also randomly thrown some guy who lives across the street from Clark out of a window, breaking his hips and several ribs because he believes that he was beating his wife! This with all of the other mad action that takes place, I'm not sure this is the Superman I know and love ...

... Sure, Superman has always been about the physical action, especially in his early days. Though I can't remember when he had such a disregard for human safety. Taunting the police to open fire on him in a busy street just to prove a point, but to mostly show-off? Fighting with the army in a heavily populated residential part of the city? I know that was the point and was part of Lex Luthor's plan, but still, I'm sure the Superman I know knowing that he was the cause would have allowed himself to be captured rather than endanger so many lives in a frivolous fight. Grant Morrison is taking the character of Superman and his world in an interesting direction with this first comic. Only time will tell if it is the right one or not.

As for the art, it is fantastic! It complements the writing perfectly and I couldn't help getting all excited when I had a quick flick through the pages before I sat down for the big read. The transformation from Superman to Clark Kent is brilliant, they do appear to look as two different people. The action is breathtaking and dazzlingly rendered and the two page splash of Superman holding the bad guy above his head while he stands on the edge of a balcony is awe-inspiring: a real classic Superman moment.

In summary, I have many mixed feelings about this first issue of Action Comics and the 'new' Superman. I think it is tricky jumping on point for both new and old readers of Superman alike. For the old it is trying to get your head around the odd changes in a character you have known and loved for a very long time. For the new it is going to be tricky because there is a big air of assumption within this first issue. I can't help but get a 'Marvel Ultimate Universe' vibe from it as it presents (to me) like it is written for those already familiar with the Superman character and universe. If you knew nothing about Superman, which I know is highly unlikely but still, you could not pick this comic up as a first issue and not walk away scratching your head in confusion.

Next to no time is spent explaining anything about this new universe and take on the new vision of the Superman character. Yet this all said, it does also leave a very big opportunity to expand, offering a lot of potential for future story development and telling. I am very much on the fence with this first issue of Action Comics, not a place I assume DC wanted their readers to be. This leaves me torn between giving Action Comics #1 a three out of five, or a four out of five.

In the end I decided to give Action Comics #1 a 'benefit of the doubt' four out of five. I am going to be picking up the next issue and I guess see how it goes from there.

Action Comics #1
Written by Grant Morrison, pencils by Rags Morales, inks by Richard Bryant, cover by Rags Morales
Published by DC Comics

As always my sincere thanks to Simon for another enjoyable and thought-provoking review - I hadn't planned on picking up Action Comics but I think I'll give it a go after reading his thoughts. If you want to read more from Simon you can visit his work/personal blog and bookmark his weekly webcomic JessieKane where readers are currently being teased that "The Count Down to the Apocalypse Begins ...".

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: December Highlights

2011-09-28T13:09:00.000+01:00

As always, there are a number of new, eye-catching titles coming from Image and Top Cow during December - none more so than The Last Battle, from Tito Faraci and Dan Brereton, an 80-page one-shot telling the story of retired Roman General Caius Rodius and his return to war in service of Julius Caesar.

Elsewhere, there's a Witch Doctor one-shot - The Resuscitation - from Brandon Seifert and Lukas Ketner, what looks like being a beautiful hardcover volume The Art of Carbon Grey, the first trade paperback of Shinku from Ron Marz and, "for the first time in print" The Li'l Depressed Boy volume zero featuring never before seen artwork and an exclusive all-new story drawn by Sina Grace.

Full details from Image Comics, Top Cow Productions and Comic Book Resources.

THE LAST BATTLE (ONE-SHOT)
story TITO FARACI
art, cover DAN BRERETON
December 21, 80 pages, FC, T+, $7.99
In 52 BCE, General Caius Rodius, retired hero of Caesar’s Legions, is called back to war. In nearby Gaul, Rome’s combined armies lay siege to the Gallic stronghold of Alesia in a conflict fated to shape history. A third barbarian horde prepares to attack the Romans from without, led by the rebel Cammius, who once fought for Rome. Rising star Julius Caesar dispatches Rodius to track through the wilderness and bring back the rebel’s head. Who better to hunt Cammius than the man who taught him the very skills he now uses to defy Rome? Rodius must choose between duty to Rome and Caesar or the barbarian he raised as his own son.
Story by international comics legend TITO FARACI (Diabolik, Spider-Man: The Secret of Glass, Daredevil and Captain America), art by award winning, multiple Eisner nominee DAN BRERETON (NOCTURNALS, Punisher, Marvel Ultimate Team,-Up, God-Sized Thor, Red Sonja).

THE ART OF CARBON GREY HC
art, wraparound cover HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH
December 7, 128 pages, 9" x 12", FC, T+, $29.99
The art secrets of Image Comic’s masterpiece are revealed in THE ART OF CARBON GREY. Learn how three talented artists united to create a uniquely beautiful and kinetic visual style. Follow their working processes and trace the evolution of the characters and worlds that made CARBON GREY the most explosive comic of the year.

MADMAN 20th ANNIVERSARY MONSTER! HC
story, ART, COVER MICHAEL ALLRED & VARIOUS
December 14, 264 pages, FC, T, Oversized, $100
FRAZETTA! KIRBY! TOTH! MOEBIUS! KUBERT! MILLER! STEVENS! The BIG one! Literally: This gigantic 11 x 17 hardcover is the coffee table book of the Millennium! Nearly every great artist to ever work in comics is in this book which includes new stories from PETER BAGGE, KYLE BAKER, PHILIP BOND & PETER MILLIGAN, DARWYN COOKE, DAVE COOPER, DEAN HASPIEL, LOS BROS HERNANDEZ, ERIK LARSEN, DAVID MACK, PAT McKEOWN, BERNIE MIREAULT, MICHAEL AVON OEMING, PAUL POPE, ERIC POWELL, FRANK QUITELY, STEVEN T. SEAGLE & TEDDY KRISTIANSEN, JEFF SMITH, JAY STEPHENS, CRAIG THOMPSON, MATT WAGNER, JOE QUINONES & MARIS WICKS. Also MICHAEL ALLRED’s latest – and most epic ever – MADMAN story! PLUS almost every Madman illustration collected over the past 20 years from all the greats. Surprises galore!

THE ACTIVITY #1
story NATHAN EDMONDSON
art, cover MITCH GERADS
December 21, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.50
The evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, the INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.

WITCH DOCTOR: THE RESUSCITATION (ONE-SHOT)
story BRANDON SEIFERT
art, cover LUKAS KETNER
December 14, 32 pages/ FC, T+, $2.99
You wake up in a bathtub of ice with a surgical incision on your side… but the hospital says you’ve still got two kidneys! Where do you go for a second opinion? Where else but Dr. Vincent Morrow, the Witch Doctor! Summer’s medical horror smash hit returns with a tale of black magic and organ-swapping. And it’s a great jumping-on point for new readers, so don’t miss out — ask your retailer to preorder a copy for you!
“If you’re not checking out WITCH DOCTOR, you need to do so, STAT!” - Ain’t It Cool News

THE INFINITE, VOL. 1 TP
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art, cover ROB LIEFELD
December 7, 120 pages, FC, T, $9.99
Freedom fighter, Bowen has lost everything in the war against The Infinite. His only hope, travel back in time to prevent their world domination before it starts! Bowen can’t do this alone, he must turn to the only ally he knows he can trust: HIMSELF. Now a man in his 40s, damaged by the horrors of war, must team-up with his younger, reckless and optimistic 20 year-old self in order to SAVE THE WORLD!
Collects THE INFINITE #1-4

THE LI'L DEPRESSED BOY, VOL. 0 TP
story S. STEVEN STRUBLE
art VARIOUS
cover LINDSAY JANE
December 7, 96 pages, FC, T, $9.99
“LONELY HEART BLUES”
For the first time in print: Before disastrous road trips. Before style-points. Before Jazmin. Join LDB as he takes his first steps on his search for love. Told in shades of blue with artwork by SAM KIETH, JIM MAHFOOD, JIM VALENTINO and many more. Including never before seen artwork and an exclusive all-new story drawn by SINA GRACE.

SHINKU, VOL. 1 TP
story RON MARZ
art, cover LEE MODER, MATTHEW WAITE & MICHAEL ATIYEH
December 7, 160 pages, FC, M, $14.99
Bloody horror meets martial-arts mayhem in the first collection from the sold-out series by RON MARZ (WITCHBLADE, ARTIFACTS) and LEE MODER (WONDER WOMAN). The last surviving member of a samurai family wages a one-woman war against a clan of vampires in modern-day Tokyo in the first story arc from the acclaimed new series. If you like your vampires to sparkle, look elsewhere! Also contains a cover gallery, sketchbook, pin-ups and the rare black, white and red ashcan edition.
Collects SHINKU #1-5

TALES FROM BEYOND SCIENCE HC
story MARK MILLAR, ALAN MCKENZIE & JOHN SMITH
art, cover RIAN HUGHES
December 21, 88 pages, FC, T, 8.5” X 11”, $16.99
Follow your host Hilary Tremayne on eight surreal journeys into the unknown. Discover the truth behind the mysteries of spontaneous human combustion, the Bermuda Triangle, the lost 13th month, and the real reason men have nipples.
Drawn by RIAN HUGHES and written by a Rogue’s Gallery of Britain’s finest comic writers that includes MARK MILLAR (KICK ASS, WANTED), ALAN MCKENZIE (THE HARRISON FORD STORY) and JOHN SMITH (DEVIN WAUGH), this hardcover volume collects the complete series.

WITCH DOCTOR, VOL. 1: UNDER THE KNIFE TP
story BRANDON SEIFERT
art, cover LUKAS KETNER
December 14, 112 pages/ FC/ T+, $12.99
“A glimpse into the future of horror comics” — Bloody Disgusting.
Meet Dr. Vincent Morrow, the Witch Doctor, in the smash hit debut title from Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Originals line! Dr. Morrow’s looking for a vaccine — for the apocalypse — and in his quest to understand the biology of the supernatural, he faces vampires, demonic possession, faeries and more.
“Arguably the most accomplished debut by a pair of new creators in recent memory.” — Broken Frontier
COLLECTS WITCH DOCTOR #1-4

THE DARKNESS #98
story PHIL HESTER
art ROMANO MOLENAAR
cover JEREMY HAUN
December 21, 32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
CELEBRATE THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY!
Fighting his way further into the Darkness dimension itself, Jackie Estacado will need be forced to decide what he is willing to sacrifice in order to confront and destroy the Darkness itself. Long time writer PHIL HESTER (Wonder Woman, Green Hornet) and ROMANO MOLENAAR (THE DARKNESS II: CONFESSION) barrel towards the landmark issue #100!

ELEPHANTMEN #38
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art AXEL MEDELLIN
cover BOO COOK
December 7, 40 pages, FC, M, $3.99
“THE KILLING SEASON,” Part Three
RAZORBACK versus BLACKTHORNE.... one lives, one dies!

HACK/SLASH #11
story TIM SEELEY
art DANIEL LEISTER
cover A TIM SEELEY & CARLOS BADILLA
cover B EMILIO LAISO
December 14, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.50
“INTERDIMENSIONAL WOMEN'S PRISON BREAKOUT,” Part Three
Vlad is dying! Samhain is in the clutches of the highly evil, Bomb Queen, missing a limb or two! And a lone Cassie has to take out one really psychotic mime! Things are getting ugly up in here, in the conclusion to INTERDIMENSIONAL WOMEN'S PRISON BREAKOUT.

MORIARTY #7
story DANIEL COREY
art MIKE VOSBURG & ANTHONY DIECIDUE
cover ANTHONY DIECIDUE
December 7, 32 pages, FC, T, $2.99
“THE LAZARUS TREE,” Part Three
Veteran artist MIKE VOSBURG joins the creative team for this link in the Lazarus Tree mystery, which finds Moriarty reflecting on a case in 1880's Kingston, Jamaica. Answers are revealed to present-day questions, including the identity of the sniper that has been murdering residents of Kyauktada and stoking the fires of rebellion.

WITCHBLADE #153
story TIM SEELEY
art DIEGO BERNARD & FRED BENES
cover A JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
cover B DIEGO BERNARD & FRED BENES
December 21, 32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
The new creative team of TIM SEELEY (HACK/SLASH) and DIEGO BERNARD (The Man With No Name) smash occult and biker culture together as Sara is dragged deeper into the supernatural underbelly of Chicago by a coven of biker witches!

Titanium Rain Audio Drama Fundraising - Phase 2 Underway

2011-09-26T11:10:00.000+01:00

The second phase of fundraising for the Titanium Rain audio drama is now underway - and fans of Josh Finney and Kat Rocha's masterpiece will have just one further month to pledge their support.

Perks for supporters include limited edition Titanium Rain art prints and one-of-a-kind sketch cards and original art from Josh Finney and Kat, as well as complimentary compact discs and digital downloads.

The campaign is being run through Kickstarter.com where you can find full details.

The AudioComics Company has announced that they will be extending their crowdfunding campaign for the forthcoming audio movie adaptation of Titanium Rain. The campaign, which was previously on the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo, will move to Kickstarter beginning September 23.

“We have heard from friends and from fans of the title wishing that they had had the opportunity to be a part of the funding experience, only to find that the timing of the campaign did not work for them. With many inquiries as to whether or not it would continue, and as our voice-over recording dates have been pushed to November, it simply made sense to keep it going a little while longer. It’s also gratifying to know that this much interest has been generated in the audio project; Titanium Rain has built a strong following, and we’re pleased to be able to offer this extension to them.

“However, it should be noted that the campaign will run for one additional month and one month only. The extension will end on October 23, and that’s it.” The AudioComics Company adds that pledge perks include limited edition Titanium Rain art prints, signed books from 01Publishing, and one-of-a-kind sketch cards and original art from TR creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, as well as complimentary compact discs and digital downloads from both the forthcoming audio edition of TR as well as downloads of previous AudioComics audio movies Starstruck and Horrorscopes (volume one).

Furthermore, AudioComics Company co-founder Lance Roger Axt plans to donate over 1,000 comic books from his personal collection to Operation Comix Relief, which sends care packages of comic books to our men and women fighting for our country overseas, if the initial goal of $1,250.00 is met.

Currently published by Archaia Entertainment, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic set in the year 2031 where a civil war in China has escalated into a global conflict that has decimated entire nations and millions of innocent lives. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival in this new age means that man and machine must exist as one. The work will be adapted for audio by co-creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, and directed by AudioComics Company Co-Producer William Dufris.

In addition to adapting the work, both Finney and Rocha will attend the voice-over recording sessions for Part One of the audio trilogy in Portland, ME, which will be available on compact disc andpay-per-Mp3 download; Jonathan Sharp’s soundtrack for Titanium Rain will also be available as a separate Mp3 download, to be released concurrently with Part One of the TR audio production. CD’s and downloads will be available for pre-order beginning in mid-January, 2012.

The Titanium Rain audio campaign will go live on Kickstarter.com Friday, September 23, 2011.

The AudioComics Company, under the guidance of producers Lance Roger Axt, William Dufris, and Elaine Lee, provides superior audio entertainment with its professional full-cast audio theatre productions of both licensed properties and original works from the world of comic books, graphic novels, and related media, accessible in today’s market with today’s sound. Their debut production of the original play script of Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta's Starstruck has received critical acclaim from comics and audio professionals alike.

Batman Solicitations - December 2011

2011-09-22T13:13:00.001+01:00

DC have released their Batman solicitations for December 2011 and, in addition to finding out why Barbara Gordon is wearing Stephanie Brown's Batgirl costume in Birds of Prey, I'm looking forward to learning how many of these first story-arcs develop.

My own highlight, potentially, is actually a one-shot - Batman Inc: Leviathan Strikes written by Grant Morrison. “The long-awaited conclusion to season 1 of Batman Incorporated” features art from Cameron Stewart and Chris Burnham, is told across 80 pages and goes on sale on 21 December.

Further details from DC's The Source and Batgirl to Oracle.

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by CHRIS BURNHAM and CAMERON STEWART
Cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
One-Shot • On sale DECEMBER 21 • 80 pg, FC, $6.99 US • RATED T
In this sensational, giant-sized one-shot spinning out of BATMAN INCORPORATED, Batman realizes to his horror that he's been outwitted as the true identity of Leviathan continues to elude him. Is his deadly adversary an old foe with a grudge to settle, a new face of evil…or something completely different? Only one thing is certain: You won't soon forget the shocking ending!

BIRDS OF PREY #4
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by JESUS SAIZ
Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The only thing worse than a bomb on a speeding train is three bombs. Hidden inside the skulls of three different people. All on the same speeding train. And the Birds of Prey – Black Canary, Starling, Katana and Poison Ivy – know the names of only two of these walking bombs. Don’t miss the shocking revelation that will rewrite the rules of the team forever! Yes, we know it’s only issue #4! Guest starring Batgirl!

Huntress #3
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by MARCUS TO and JOHN DELL
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, 3 of 6, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Huntress has vowed to take down one of the most powerful mob bosses in Europe…but who's the even more powerful man behind him? And why is she facing a showdown in the ancient ruins of Pompeii?

NIGHTWING #4
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art by TREVOR McCARTHY
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
As Haly’s continues to travel the east coast, Dick’s search for answers take him – and the circus – to Miami! But when a case from Gotham City brings Barbara Gordon to Florida, Nightwing and Batgirl must work together to bring a thief to justice. Be here as Nightwing and Batgirl tackle South Beach – and discover the true nature of the circus! The answers start this issue!

CATWOMAN #4
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Catwoman pays a call on Wayne Manor, but those who live there prefer that you call first. Then Selina Kyle says goodbye to an old friend, says hello to an older one, and resolves more firmly than ever to strike out on her own. Only one of those things almost gets her killed.

BATWOMAN #4
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Blood drenches the back alleys of Gotham City in Part four of “Hydrology” – and Batwoman’s life begins to burn!

BATGIRL #4
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Batgirl’s secret past finally catches up to her as she races to a final confrontation with the deadly sociopath Mirror! All the answers start right here in this thrilling issue!

BATMAN #4
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by MIKE CHOI
1:200 B&W variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Shocking discoveries lead Batman deeper into the mystery of the Court of Owls and its secret and bloody ties to both Gotham City and the Wayne family. But an even deadlier threat awaits Batman: a trap set hundreds of years ago, far beneath his city. The war for Gotham’s soul begins here!

DETECTIVE COMICS #4
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art and cover by TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
As Batman uncovers a deranged plot with far-reaching tentacles that touch some of the city’s most elite citizens, he finds himself facing off against his newest and most fearsome foes: Dollmaker and his twisted family of killers!

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #4
Written by PAUL JENKINS and DAVID FINCH
Art and cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale DECEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Batman must race against time to save a friend’s life. But his mission may prove impossible as he reels under the weight of three hundred chemically enhanced super-criminals who stand against him. All clues point to one psychotic criminal, and all roads to a solution that will lead to one secret location… but will Batman arrive too late to stop the rage let loose on his city?

BATWING #4
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art by CHRISCROSS
Cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
As Massacre’s bloody reign of murder continues and more heroes fall, Batwing closes in on this mad villain. But with his memories stirring, Batwing’s dark past begins to emerge… At last, the truth of his past will come to light.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #4
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Batman and Robin are at the mercy of NoBody as he forces them to embrace a new way to battle crime and injustice. But Batman has other ideas! Plus: Don’t miss the origin of NoBody!

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #4
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The man who has pursued Starfire all the way to the wilds of Colorado has only one thing on his mind: her slow and painful death. His name is Crux – and he’s done some dark and dangerous work on his DNA to reach his goal of ridding the Earth of every alien on the planet! And Kori’s about to learn that Red Hood and Roy Harper have their hands full with the ancient evil known as The Untitled!

Critter #2

2011-09-20T11:50:00.000+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

Issue #2 of Critter is awesome! Let's just get that stated right away. Critter hit the ground running with first issue and has kept the momentum going into this second one and looks to be pushing it into the next.

A quick flick through got me itching to get reading and bumped it right to the top of my reading pile.

The comic starts with a new story picking up with Cassia in one of her classes at school where the teacher is discussing 'why do people with superpowers become heroes and not film stars or villains?'.

Using her ties to the super-hero community the teacher has invited a guest speaker to talk to the class in the guise of a super-hero called, Lilly Hammer, who is just brilliant!

Lessons and school over for the day, and Cassia puts on her costume and goes on patrol as Critter selecting to keep an eye on things along the Californian beach front. Despite her reservations as to her choice of places to patrol, it isn't long before Critter is jumping into action and stopping a purse thief in his tracks with a huge pounce from a lifeguard tower and mushing his face in the sand.

Things move very quickly from here and start with an introduction to who I can only assume at this point in the story is the 'Anti-Critter'. This encounter with this interesting lady (and I use this term 'lady' lightly) leads to a confrontation and a girl-fight between Critter and her troubled 'gothic-punk' rival, it even has hair pulling!

Now throw in a huge sea beast attacking boats and the coastline with its army of sea monsters into the mix and you have a conclusion to an issue that sets up the next one in such a way I can't wait to read it, it has also left me with a big smile on my face too!

I think that is one of the things I really like about Critter: not only does it leave me wanting more, it also leaves me with a big grin on my face and throughout too. An example of this is with the introduction of the character of Lilly Hammer. Boy do I love this hero. Picture a female parody of Thor played in a similar way as Marvel do with his Marvel Super-Hero Squad character, it is little short of brilliance! I would go as far as to say I would probably pick up a comic based on Lilly Hammer as she seems such a fun character.

The rest of issue #2 is a highly enjoyable read and flies along at a cracking pace, and yet also has so much going on at the same time that when you have finished reading it you wonder how you ever paused for breath as you turned the pages. Once again the art is fantastic, the dialogue brilliant and the story and pacing are bang-on!

As I've said, I can't wait for the next issue and so far Critter is one I will be looking to get when it goes to trade edition. Just as with issue #1, I give issue #2 of Critter top marks and a cat fighting five out of five!

Critter #2
Story by Tom Hutchison & Kel Nuttall, art by Fico Ossio
Published by Big Dog Ink

Many thanks to Simon for another enjoyable review - remember Simon will be contributing to Escape from Tomorrow each week and in between his posts you can pop over to his blog to enjoy more of his writing and artwork.

"Nothing Compares to the Simple Pleasure of a Bike Ride"

2011-09-09T13:00:00.000+01:00

I'll be taking a break from blogging for the next week or so: it's that time of year again - the Tour of Britain will be rolling through the normally quiet country lanes of Devon and Somerset and I'll be there, cheering the athletes along, hoping to add to my collection of bidons and maybe getting a few photgraphs and autographs at the start/finish line.

The Sixpenny Murder - John A. Short Interviewed at Down The Tubes

2011-09-08T13:28:00.001+01:00

Over the past year or so here at Escape from Tomorrow we've published a number of features about independent publisher Kult Creations and in particular their titles Cross, Armageddon Patrol and The Sixpenny Murder.

Down The Tubes - the website for everything to do with British Comics - recently caught up with Kult Creations founder John A. Short to discuss how The Sixpenny Murder book came about, John's background in the comics industry and his plans for the future.

Click here to visit Down The Tubes and here to visit the Kult Creations website.

Tony Daniel Speaking about Detective Comics

2011-09-06T13:14:00.002+01:00

"Wednesday marks the first Detective Comics No. 1 since March 1937, and the first to ever star the title's cowled mainstay, Batman.

All that history is not lost on Tony S. Daniel."

Tony Daniel has been speaking with both USA Today and IGN this week ahead of the relaunch of DC's Detective Comics. I've made no secret of the fact that I'm not a fan of the DC relaunch/reboot and I've cut quite of few DC titles as a result - that said, from the moment I read the Tony Daniel was attached to Detective I was always going to be on board.

I enjoyed Tony Daniel's run on Batman - both his writing and his art - and I'm expecting good things from his creative partnership with Ryan Winn. One of Daniel's strengths, for me, is his ability to work with a large ensemble of characters: the cover of this first issue features both Batman - Bruce Wayne Batman of course - and Joker while
we'll also be introduced to a brand new villain known as Dollmaker.

More from Tony Daniel at USA Today and IGN.

This Week: The Rinse from Boom! Studios

2011-09-01T11:08:00.001+01:00

Over recents months my pull-list has been containing fewer and fewer titles from the 'big two' publishers and yet the number of books I'm picking up hasn't changed.

One of the publishers that has benefitted from my change of direction is Boom! Studios: their Planet of the Apes ongoing series is fantastic and probably my first read every month and I'll certainly be picking up the Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes mini-series from November while Elric The Balance Lost arrived with a bang and is shaping-up to be one of the most thought-provoking and imaginative series I've read in a very long time.

Out this week from Boom! Studios - alongside the first trade paperback and latest issue of Planet of the Apes -is The Rinse - a new series from crime novelist Gary Phillips with this first issue priced at a too-good-an-offer-to-pass-up $1 (70p in proper money).

The Rinse #1
Written by Gary Phillips with art by Marc Laming
Special $1 debut issue!
Acclaimed crime novelist Gary Phillips (THE JOOK, VERTIGO’S ANGELTOWN and COWBOYS) returns to BOOM! with a new brand of crime! High finance and low-down greed rear their ugly heads as Jeff Sinclair, the premiere laundryman in San Francisco—and we’re not talkin’ wrinkled jeans and dirty gym socks—is unwillingly pulled into a dangerous gig laundering $25 million in stolen casino skim money. Forced to truly consider his line of work and the evil that he facilitates, Jeff must find a way to clean the cash and wash away his own sins. A grounded, gritty look at the world of money laundering in the vein of Elmore Leonard, THE RINSE is a modern crime classic in the making! For fans of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s CRIMINAL!

Sounds great doesn't it? As you'll know I am very much an Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips/Criminal fan so I'm really looking forward to reading and reviewing this title.

For more about The Rinse visit the Boom! Studios website.

The Dynamite Art of Alex Ross

2011-08-30T10:38:00.000+01:00

Dynamite Entertainment have released details of The Dynamite Art of Alex Ross which is to be published in November this year.

Needless to say I'm a huge Alex Ross fan and this hardcover collection sounds fantastic containing sketches, designs, layouts and pencils, interior work, covers, and a wealth of unpublished art.

Here's the press release with more details ...

Alex Ross' ultra-realistic, painted renditions of iconic superheroes have made him a superstar. In the vein of acclaimed and fan-favorite Alex Ross books such as Mythologies and Rough Justice, we are proud to present the ultimate collection of Alex Ross art from his extensive collaboration with Dynamite, The Dynamite Art of Alex Ross. Containing sketches, designs, layouts and pencils, interior work, covers, and a wealth of unpublished art, The Dynamite Art of Alex Ross can be found at comic stores everywhere this coming November!

Collecting all of Alex's Dynamite covers and interior art in one complete hardcover volume, along with commentary throughout the book by Alex Ross himself, as well as special bonus material, this is a package not to be missed. A must-buy for Alex Ross' legion of fans!

"For all people who had been interested in my art before but may not have taken a close look at the many projects I've served on with Dynamite Entertainment, this book is the perfect collection of all of that work in one," says legendary artist Alex Ross. "I'm thrilled to finally have a portfolio-like collection of these images that can stand next to my work with other publishers."

"Alex Ross's artwork hit the comics industry like an atom bomb, ushering in a new era of heroic realism," states Marvels and Kirby: Genesis collaborator Kurt Busiek. "And the shockwaves are still echoing. I've been working with Alex for over 20 years now, and new work from him is always a thrill."

"To say that Alex Ross' work with Dynamite Entertainment contributed to the success of our company is a HUGE understatement of his importance," says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. "I am humbled and grateful that Alex has decided to make his home at Dynamite for the past several years. Wait until you see what we have coming up next!"

More details from CBR.

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #2

2011-08-25T13:13:00.000+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

Last month I reviewed Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #1 (find it here) and if you read my the review you may recall that as much as I liked it, I felt that it could have been better. What was a good and solid comic in my mind, should have blown the roof off of the house!

Now here we are one month later and issue #2 just delivered and read, has my opinion changed?

This issue as I assumed (and could it have been any other way?) saw the introduction of Ash from the popular Evil Dead films and the Army of Darkness comic title. I have always been a huge fan of Ash, ever since I watched a copy of Evil Dead as a nipper - me and my friend Marc 'borrowed' the VHS from his older brother's horror film collection one school summer holiday.

This meant that not only was my tiny little mind of the time permanently warped, yet more relevantly, I was really looking forward to the appearance of his character in this issue.

Avoiding spoilers, here is a real quick summary of the story for issue #2 that does it no justice at all:

We are introduced to Ash in his ho-hum everyday life when something weird starts to happen to him and the people around him, and he figures out it is related to the Book of the Dead. Now flash back to Ash's history with the Book of the Dead and then a slight nudge in his present life to get him on track to meet up with the Danger Girls. This is followed by further progression of the last issues story to be concluded by all of the Danger Girls being introduced and moving their story towards them meeting Ash ... to be continued!

This comic is one of two halves. The introduction of Ash in the first half, and the progression of the story that started in issue one in the second. So-much-so that even the page count is practically split right down the middle! Yep, you read the Ash part, there is an advert, then you jump right in to the Danger Girl part. Does this matter? Not really! I just found it interesting! What matters is that it worked.

I think one of the main things that stood out for me in this issue was that it doesn't matter what degree of knowledge or history you have with either of these franchises (Army of Darkness or Danger Girl). You could pick up this comic and have a really good read and an enjoyable adventure. By the end of this second issue, you know about all the main characters, where they come from and for the most part where they are going and why they are on this trip together.

Issue #2, as with issue #1, has brilliant writing and art. However, unlike issue #1 there is the payoff for the fans of both Danger Girl and Ash alike. Now I might just be reading into things, or much like Ash himself in this issue and hallucinating, but the issue appears to be packed with lots of subtile hat tips to the Evil Dead films and Danger Girl comics in both the dialogue, narration and the artwork that the fans of either or both with a keen eye will love! If you have never read a Danger Girl comic or don't know anything about Ash (though I would question why to both!), you have nothing to worry about. The 'hat tips' are done in such a way that you wont notice and therefore will not spoil your reading enjoyment at all.

Another thing that this second issue has done, and it has done it well, is to bring the 'cheesy' humour of both Danger Girl and Evil Dead to the story, something that I felt was very much lacking in the first issue. The humour and cheesyness is something I believe that in the past has underpinned the characters stories in previous titles and incarnations. Without the cheese and humour Danger Girls and Ash don't work. One of the key things that drew me to this title in the first place was the thought of Ash and his macho runaway mouth working with three smoking-hot and strong minded girls! To me it is the perfect recipe for many clever comedy moments, and it would have been a shame to have missed out on them.

All this said, the best bit for me came towards the end (you have to picture me bouncing around like Tigger as I type this) as Sydney, my favourite Danger Girl, put in a proper appearance in this issue. Not only that! She is introduced in such a way that it sets up her character brilliantly to have her play a very interesting role in the next part of the story. (I had a fear, very much supported by the first issue, that the focus would be on, and remain on, Abby Chase to the exclusion of the other Danger Girls). I was (and still am!) almost at the point of bursting with anticipation for the next issue that was reached the very second I finished the last page of issue #2! If I could 'speed up time or alter the harvest' to get issue #3 here in my hands now, I would do it!

If you had any doubts about this comic after reading issue #1, I would now like to take this opportunity to dance about saying, 'I told YOU so!' This comic has met the potential in this second issue that I assumed (be it with crossed fingers) it could, and I am itching to see how it plays out in issue #3 and beyond.

A very well deserved five out of five chainsaws!

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #2
Written by Andy Hartnell, art by Chris Bolson, colours by Adriano Lucas, letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by J. Scott Campbell, Paul Renaud and Nick Bradshaw
Published by Dynamite Entertainment & IDW

Many thanks to Simon for another enjoyable review - remember you can read a new review from Simon here at Escape from Tomorrow each week and pop over to his own blog to enjoy more of his writing and artwork.

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: November Highlights

2011-08-23T07:45:00.001+01:00

My highlights from November's Image and Top Cow solicitations are once again dominated by the annual Pilot Season initiative. Now in its fifth year Pilot Season gives readers the chance to vote for their favourite one-shot with the winning title getting its own series at a later date.

Last year over a million votes were cast for the winning title - 39 Minutes - written and created by William Harms featuring art by Jerry Lando. Four of the 2011 Pilot Season titles were released in October - details here - with a further four being released in November.

Aside from Pilot Season other titles to catch my eye this month include a 68-page Giant-Size Elephantmen #1, the 2011 Hack/Slash annual, the oversized Thought Bubble Anthology and a second anthology of short stories set in the Carbon Grey universe.

Full details from Image Comics, Top Cow and Newsarama.

PILOT SEASON: MISDIRECTION #1
story FILIP SABLIK
art CHRIS DiBARI
cover MICHAEL GAYDOS
November 2, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Vince Martinez raced cars for a living, now he can’t even drive. A tragic mistake took Vince from the height of success to losing his career, his family & his freedom. When he is unwittingly made the getaway driver for a bank robbery gone wrong, will Vince head back to jail or show the world why he was NASCAR’s hottest driver in one of the heaviest trafficked cities in the US.
Writer FILIP SABLIK (LAST MORTAL, PILOT SEASON: ASSET) teams with artist CHRIS DIBARI (Pale Horse, The Warriors) hit the gas on a high-speed fugitive tale with a twist!

PILOT SEASON: THEORY OF EVERYTHING #1
story DAN CASEY
art THOMAS NACHLIK
cover ERIK JONES
November 9, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Charles Witten is a brilliant scientist capable of inventing devices that will change our world. Unfortunately, most of the scientific community thinks he’s a crackpot. As does the government, until... a precision team of heist men rob a bank in Switzerland using what appears to be Witten’s dimension hopping technology. Technology that Witten designed, but never completed...
Writer/director DAN CASEY and artist THOMAS NACHLIK (LAST MORTAL) deliver fast-paced, action-packed science fiction that will keep you guessing.

PILOT SEASON: ANONYMOUS #1
story ALAN McELROY
art MICHAEL MONTENAT
cover ERIK JONES
November 16, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Marcus Walsh was an elite Special Forces soldier involved in black ops all over the world. Wet work like this takes its toll and Marcus wanted out, but this wasn’t a job you quit. There was only one way out. Now believed dead and completely anonymous, Walsh struggles to use his black ops skills to atone for his past sins.
Screenwriter ALAN McELROY (SPAWN, Tekken) newcomer MICHAEL MONTENAT delivers a hard-hitting adventure of redemption and conspiracy!

PILOT SEASON: SERAPH #1
story LANCE BRIGGS & PHIL HESTER
art & cover JOSE LUIS
November 23, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
The angelic warrior now known only as Seraph was once a sinner. After living a life of selfishness and sin, personal tragedy drove him to kill himself. Plucked on his way to Hell by Heaven, the man was made Heaven’s soldier in an endless battle. Charged with fighting an ancient war, but bound by God’s law, can Seraph triumph over opponents not restricted in the same way and regain his faith in the process?
Creator LANCE BRIGGS (Chicago Bears) and writer PHIL HESTER (THE DARKNESS, Wonder Woman) are joined by artist JOSE LUIS (Justice League of America) deliver a story of personal loss and redemption wrapped in a rich supernatural mythos.

SHAKY KANE'S MONSTER TRUCK
story/art/cover SHAKY KANE
November 23, 108 pages/ FC, LANDSCAPE, T+, $14.99
GET YOUR MOTOR ROLLING AND HEAD OUT ALONG COMIC BOOK ROUTE 666!
Taking it's stylistic cues from the silver age of comics, this graphic road movie by comics legend SHAKY KANE, pans out over 50 continuous panels, taking the reader on a hallucinogenic journey into the very hinterland of popular culture. Deluxe, recolored, remastered second printing of the WISHBONE STUDIO cult classic.
"The world in a blender, all the tastiest parts shaken, rattled, and rolled into a Technicolor mind-warp!"
Matt Seneca, Death To The Universe.

GIANT-SIZE ELEPHANTMEN #1
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art AXEL MEDELLIN
cover A J. SCOTT CAMPBELL & NEI RUFFINO
cover B AXEL MEDELLIN
November 2, 68 pages, FC, M, $5.99
COMPLETE THIS ISSUE: “MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN”
J. SCOTT CAMPBELL’s beautiful tri-fold cover art wraps around the complete, sold out ELEPHANTMEN: MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN story arc, previewed in THE WALKING DEAD #86. Read the whole story and see what everyone was talking about!

HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011: HATCHET/SLASH
story BENITO CERENO
art ARIEL ZUCKER-BRULL
cover A TIM SEELEY & MARK ENGLERT
cover B ARIEL ZUCKER-BRULL
November 2, 48 pages, FC, T+, $4.99
The biggest stars in comic book horror meet the biggest star in independent horror films as Cassie and Vlad meet HATCHET's Victor Crowley!
In the Louisiana Bayou, the murderous ghost of Victor Crowley is maiming tourists in creatively horrible ways. But in his blind murderous rampage, he may have created something worse than himself! Now, Cassie and Vlad are back in New Orleans, and it won't be long before baseball bat meets hatchet and deformed mutant meets deformed mutant! GUARDING THE GLOBE writer BENITO CERENO teams with star-in-the-making ARIEL ZUCKER-BRULL for this momentous mash-up!

ARTIFACTS #14
story RON MARZ
art & cover STJEPAN SEJIC
November 2, 32 pages, FC, T, $3.99
NOW ONGOING!
The Top Cow Universe irrevocably changed by the event of ARTIFACTS #13, and while the event is over, the story continues. Tom Judge, bearer of the Rapture, can’t get the feeling out of his head that something is horribly wrong... with everything. The longtime WITCHBLADE team of RON MARZ (MAGDALENA, SHINKU) and STJEPAN SEJIC (ANGELUS) reunite to tell the ongoing saga of the Top Cow Universe itself.

MUDMAN #1
story/art/cover PAUL GRIST
November 16, 32 pages, FC, TEEN, $3.50
A BRAND-NEW SUPERHERO COMIC BY PAUL GRIST!
It’s the first day back at school for Owen Craig, and it’s not going too well. He’s been run over, got detention, and his police officer father has been taken prisoner by armed bank robbers.
And now his body seems to be turning into mud...

THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY #1
story ANDY DIGGLE, STUART GORDON & ANTONY JOHNSTON
art CHARLIE ADLARD, DUNCAN FEGREDO & D'ISRAELI
cover BECKY CLOONAN
November 9, 24 pages, FC, E, OVERSIZED, $2.99
Top names come together to celebrate Thought Bubble's fifth year with an anthology of new short comics. This collection will also print the winners of the first ever Northern Sequential Art Competition. All profits from this comic will go to the charity Banardos.
www.thoughtbubblefestival.com

ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 0 HC
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art MORITAT, BOO COOK, AXEL MEDELLIN & LADR÷NN
cover BOO COOK
November 9, 312 pages, FC, M, $34.99
Collecting the sold out WAR TOYS trade paperback, now in full color for the first time, and the sequel, ENEMY SPECIES, this highly anticipated ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 0 is packed with extras, including MORITAT and BOO COOK sketchbooks and unseen work by LADR÷NN, MARIAN CHURCHLAND, MARLEY ZARCONE and a new prologue by AXEL MEDELLIN!
Collects ELEPHANTMEN: WAR TOYS, VOL. 1: NO SURRENDER; ELEPHANTMEN: YVETTE ONE SHOT and ELEPHANTMEN #34-35

THE COMPLETE INVINCIBLE LIBRARY, VOL. 3 HC
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art RYAN OTTLEY & BILL CRABTREE
cover RYAN OTTLEY
November 23, 688 pages, FC, $125.00
S&N EDITION LIMITED TO 150 COPIES $175.00
Collecting the INVINCIBLE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, VOL. 5-6 into one massive slip cased volume just in time for Christmas! Almost 700 pages of pure INVINCIBLE goodness. This is a can't-miss for any INVINCIBLE fan and a perfect addition to any reinforced, sturdy bookshelf.
Collects INVINCIBLE #48-70

THE MISSION TP
story JON HOEBER & ERICH HOEBER
art & cover WERTHER DELL'EDERA & ARIANNA FLOREAN
November 9, 144 pages, FC, $14.99
Paul Haskell's average suburban life is upended when a mysterious figure claiming to be an angel taps him as a foot-soldier in the hidden war between Good and Evil. As Paul descends into a dark disturbing world of covert missions and murder, he struggles to discern reality from illusion, good from evil, and sanity from madness.

TOP COW: WE CREATE... HC
story TOP COW’S FINEST
art & cover TOP COW’S FINEST
November 30, 224 pages, FC, T, OVER-SIZED, $34.99
THE PERFECT GIFT!
Over it’s almost 20-year history, Top Cow has established itself as both a legendary breeding ground for great artists, and a hot bed of creativity and new ideas. Celebrate the full library of Top Cow properties and characters with overviews, profiles, and insights in this deluxe hard cover reference guide. Collecting material previously found in the Top Cow Bible and Bible Addendum along with new entries and content, Top Cow: We Create... makes the perfect holiday gift for the diehard Top Cow fan in your life. Plus be the first to find out about what Top Cow has planned for the future with sneak peeks at upcoming concepts and properties!

WITCHBLADE: REDEMPTION, VOL. 4 TP
story RON MARZ
art STJEPAN SEJIC
cover STJEPAN SEJIC
November 30, 160 pages, FC, T, STANDARD SIZE, $19.99
END OF AN ERA!
Longtime scribe RON MARZ (ARTIFACTS, MAGDALENA) and artistic partner STJEPAN SEJIC (BROKEN TRINITY) conclude their critically acclaimed run on WITCHBLADE. In this volume, Sara Pezzini must defeat the ancient Babylonian goddess-queen Tiamat, who has returned after centuries with an ax to grind with the Witchblade bearer. Also in this volume, the over-sized landmark 150th issue of Witchblade where Internal Affairs closes in on Sara’s mystical secret, forcing her to choose between her role as Witchblade bearer and detective.
Collects WITCHBLADE #145-150

CARBON GREY ORIGINS #2 (of 2)
story PAUL GARDNER, HOANG NGUYEN & KHARI EVANS
art HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH
cover A HOANG NGUYEN
cover B KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH
November 23, 32 pages, FC, M - MATURE, $3.99
“ORIGIN,” Part Two
A second anthology of short stories set in the CARBON GREY universe. A boy becomes a god in “Gottfaust,” mysterious events are investigated by “Marshal and Marshall” and a refugee becomes a queen in the tale of “Raisa.” Legends, secret histories and continuity errors – all will be revealed in CARBON GREY ORIGINS.

THE DARKNESS #97
story PHIL HESTER
art ROMANO MOLENAAR
cover JEREMY HAUN
November 16, 32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
CELEBRATE THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY!
Longtime Darkness bearer, Jackie Estacado, is on a mission to destroy the one enemy that can strike at the core of his life... the Darkness itself. But fighting his way through the Darkness’ home dimension, Estacado will encounter unexpected ghosts from his past. Long time writer PHIL HESTER (Wonder Woman, Green Hornet) and ROMANO MOLENAAR (THE DARKNESS II: CONFESSION) barrel towards the landmark issue #100!
ALSO AVAILABLE: THE DARKNESS #90-#95 Signed Set – issue #90 signed by PHIL HESTER - $19.99

MAGDALENA #11
story RON MARZ
art NELSON BLAKE II, DAVID MARQUEZ, SAL REGLA & DAVE McCAIG
cover NELSON BLAKE II, SAL REGLA & DAVE McCAIG
November 9, 32 pages, FC, T, $3.99
GUEST-STARRING WITCHBLADE!
The hunt for a piece of the One True Cross leads Patience and Kristof to the US, where Patience is reunited with an old friend – Sara Pezzini! Together will the Artifact bearers be able to recover the relic from Patience’s newest adversary? RON MARZ (ARTIFACTS, WITCHBLADE), NELSON BLAKE II (PILOT SEASON: MURDERER) and DAVID MARQUEZ (Secret Warriors, Days Missing) continue the fan favorite series!

SAMURAI’S BLOOD #6 (of 6)
story OWEN WISEMAN
art NAM KIM, MATTHEW DALTON & SAKTI YUMONO
cover JO CHEN
November 9, 32 pages, FC, T, $3.99
MINISERIES CONCLUSION!
It all comes down to this moment... Three teenagers, the last survivors of a brutal betrayal on their clan, face an army with only the support of the Edo Ghost. All willing to die to enact their revenge. It looks like it may come to that.
32 PAGE - NO ADS FINALE!

WITCHBLADE #152
story TIM SEELEY
art DIEGO BERNARD & FRED BENES
cover A JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
cover B DIEGO BERNARD & FRED BENES
November 23, 32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
“UNBALANCED PIECES”, Part Two
Tracking supernatural killers was a lot easier when Sara Pezzini, bearer of the Witchblade, lived in her hometown of New York and was a police detective. Now she must do it while avoiding butting heads with the Chicago PD and trying to make ends meet as a private detective. The new creative team of TIM SEELEY (HACK/SLASH) and DIEGO BERNARD (The Man With No Name) continue to shake up the status quo of WITCHBLADE!
Featuring two covers by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (ARTIFACTS) and DIEGO BERNARD!
ALSO AVAILABLE: WTICHBLADE #146 – Comic-Con International Exclusive Variant Cover by KALMAN ANDROSOFSKY - $10.00

Underworld: Awakening Trailer Released

2011-08-21T19:31:00.000+01:00

Sony Pictures have released a trailer for the fourth installment in the Underworld series of films: Underworld: Awakening.

I loved the previous Underworld films and I'm really looking forward to seeing this. Starring Kate Beckinsale, I'm pleased to say, Underworld: Awakening (in 3D!) opens in January 2012.

More details at the films official website.

Batman Solicitations - November 2011

2011-08-18T10:52:00.002+01:00

November's Batman solicitations have been released and my highlight from the months new books might surprise you: not normally a title I pick up but I'm really looking forward to The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13 - a story from Sholly Fisch that sees the Phantom Stranger gathering together every former Boy Wonder ... just for the record there are 5 - not 4 - of them!

Aside from that title my eye was caught by the covers for the second issues of a couple of mini-series: Guillem March providing the cover for The Huntress and Szymon Kudranski providing both cover and interior art for Penguin: Pain and Prejudice.

Further details from a variety of sources including Comic Book Resources and The Source.

THE ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13
Written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art and cover by RICK BURCHETT and DAN DAVIS
On sale November 9, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED E
Batman is seriously injured, so it’s up to a whole team of Robins to stop the League of Assassins! How? The Phantom Stranger reaches through space and time to gather everyone who’s ever been “The Boy Wonder,” but will their combined skills be enough?

THE HUNTRESS #2
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by MARCUS TO and JOHN DELL
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale November 9, 32 pg, 2 of 6, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Helena Bertinelli takes a trip to Naples, Italy, but she’s not there on holiday. As her alter ego, the Huntress, she’s uncovered a human trafficking and gun-smuggling ring that only scratches the surface of Mafioso activity! With no backup, no safety net, can this one-woman wrecking crew clean up the mean streets of this ancient city?

PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #2
Written by GREGG HURWITZ
Art and cover by SZYMON KUDRANSKI
On sale November 9, 32 pg, 2 of 5, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Writer Gregg Hurwitz and artist Szymon Kudranski continue their dark examination of the Penguin in PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE. The Penguin runs a vast crime empire that’s always one step away from faltering, thanks to the interference of Batman. How can Penguin keep Batman at bay and maintain the power and image that’s become so important to him? And what dark family secrets is the Penguin hiding?

BATMAN #3
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
1:200 B&W Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale November 16, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
As Bruce digs deeper into the mystery of the recent owl murders, he soon finds himself face to face with a shocking enemy - an enemy the Wayne family has secretly been at war with for centuries. Be there for the first shots of the war for the soul of Gotham City. Friends will become deadly enemies and secrets will be revealed - revelations that will change the Bat-family forever.

DETECTIVE COMICS #3
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art and cover by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
On sale November 2, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
He makes dolls out of his victims - and he's tired of being referred to in the media as the Gotham Strangler. His moniker is the Dollmaker, and he and his insane family are going to hunt down Gotham City's public figures and turn them into the ultimate collectables. As the Dollmaker ups the stakes, Batman finds himself in a race against time - because one of his allies is the Dollmaker's next target!

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #3
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND with JAY FABOK
Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale November 23, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
A wave of fear washes across Gotham City as a mysterious toxin radically alters the bodies of its criminals, sending crazed villains into the streets and stretching the resources of the police department. Can Batman and his vigilante partners follow the clues and uncover the perpetrator's real identity? And when one fabled hero is stricken by the poison, the trail will point to the mysterious White Rabbit.

BATWING #3
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale November 2, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Massacre's crusade of blood continues, and the only one standing in his way is Batwing, who finds himself fighting alongside a legendary hero of Africa: the mighty Thunder Fall! As more heroes are targeted by this madman, the mystery of why begins to unfold, as does the story of Batwing's dark past.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale November 9, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
As Robin does all he can to keep his own killer instincts at bay, Batman focuses his energies on Nobody, the deadly enigma from Bruce's past who has arrived in Gotham and is hellbent on forcing him to accept a new world crimefighting view even as he infiltrates the Waynes' personal lives.

BIRDS OF PREY #3
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art by JESUS SAIZ
Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale November 16, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Someone's come up with a way to turn ordinary citizens of Gotham City into undetectable walking bombs...and only Black Canary (a.k.a. Dinah Laurel Lance), Starling (a.k.a. Ev Crawford) and new team member Katana (a.k.a. Tatsu Yamashiro) can stop them. But will Canary's choice of a fourth team member, a notorious bioterrorist, tear them apart first?

BATMAN: ODYSSEY VOL. 2 #2
Written by NEAL ADAMS
Art and cover by NEAL ADAMS
1:10 B&W Variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
On sale November 30, 40 pg, 2 of 7, FC, $3.99 US RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Batman’s odyssey has brought him to the underworld, where The League of Assassins has been firmly established for decades! The League is liquidating its enemies to make way for the Sensei to take over his father’s kingdom, and after that, the world itself. But if Batman can’t conquer his inner demons and learn to save lives by taking them, he may forfeit the war to the League!

CATWOMAN #3
NOT FINAL COVER ART
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale November 16, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T+
Cats hate baths. Cats hate dogs. And cats hate being caught. Catwoman stole from the wrong man, and now he's got her. He wants his stuff back, he wants answers and he wants blood. Cats had better have nine lives, because Selina Kyle is about to lose one!

BATWOMAN #3
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale November 9, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Horror! Batwoman faces the terrifying villain stalking Gotham City's children. Can she defeat the gruesome monster in time to save the city's most innocent victims? Intrigue! Kate Kane unearths a ghost she has tried hard to bury, even as the D.E.O. closes in on Batwoman. Can Kate outrun her past and Cameron Chase? Romance! Kate's relationship with Detective Maggie Sawyer continues to evolve. But will Kate's nocturnal activities cause a rift between the two?

BATGIRL #3
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale November 9, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
It's the story you've been waiting for! As Barbara Gordon struggles to find her place in the world, Batgirl and Nightwing collide with the unstoppable force of a train wreck! Will it be sparks flying, or fists for this star-crossed duo? Also, the terrifying Mirror ups the ante in his bizarre war on the citizens of Gotham City! Featuring the eye-popping art of rising superstar Ardian Syaf!

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #3
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT and BLOND
On sale November 16, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Red Hood, Arsenal and Starfire enter the Chamber of All to discover what the Untitled wanted - but they'll need to leave their most cherished memories as collateral! And when you're a reincarnated sidekick who lets your madon get the better of you, a former addict turned soldier of fortune, and an intergalactic princess who never quite recovered from a childhood spent as a prisoner of war...? Well, there aren't a lot of cherished memories to choose from! All this as the trio draws ever closer to dealing with a threat that's already killed the ancient caste of assassins who taught Jason Todd everything he knows about the art of killing!

NIGHTWING #3
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art and cover by by EDDY BARROWS and JP MAYER
On sale November 16, 32 pages, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
The Big Top comes to the Windy City! After the massive events of issue 2, the circus heads to Chicago - and Dick Grayson is along for the ride! But as Nightwing puts pressure on ex-Haley connections in search for answers about his past, one lead may be far too explosive to handle! Be here as Nightwing takes his quest for the truth to the Second City!

Titanium Rain: The Audio Drama - Fundraising Campaign Continues

2011-08-16T08:52:00.000+01:00

We're around half-way through the 'Titanium Rain: The Audio Drama' fundraising campaign so I thought it was time for a reminder of what creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, in partnership with The AudioComics Company, are working towards ...

I've lost track of the number of times I've posted about Josh Finney and Kat Rocha's Titanium Rain graphic novels over the past couple of years - most recently a month or so ago when it was announced that the books are to be adapted as a three-part full-cast radio drama in partnership with The AudioComics Company.

This morning I received news from The AudioComics Company of their plans to raise production funds for the forthcoming radio drama which is scheduled to record this coming September at Mind’s Eye Productions in Maine.

Fans can pledge any amount - between $5 and $5000 - to help cover production costs and in return will receive "perks", depending on the amount pledged, including an acknowledgement and thanks for their support; a complimentary digital download of "Titanium Rain" and its soundtrack; a limited edition "Titanium Rain" print; an original one-of-a-kind colour commission of the character of your choice from the art desk of Josh Finney ... even an opportunity to provide the voice of one of the fighter pilots!

More details around this fundraising initiative can be found over at Indie Go Go, The AudioComics Company and 01Publishing.

Critter #1 from Big Dog Ink

2011-08-12T10:38:00.001+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

Critter is the story of a country girl joining the ranks of the world's greatest heroes, and it isn't all sunshine and marshmallows! The learning curve of saving cats from trees and pulling tractors out of the mud in Michigan, to fighting real-deal super villains who won't hesitate to kill you is, well, let's just say the life of a superhero is far from easy as Critter is about to find out.

I have read issue one of Critter a couple of times now and enjoyed it tremendously each time. As the blurb says Critter is a story about a young girl called Cassia, who is leaving her small town country ways behind and is moving to the big city to join a team of big-time super heroes as the super hero, Critter.

The story, for me, is in three parts. The first part of the story is set in Cassia's home town of Michigan where we learn a little about her simple and fun life there as a young girl with her friends and family. The second part of the story sees a jump to several months later and Cassia has moved to the city and is now part of a group of super heroes fighting crime and super villains. The third and final part of this smashing first issue of Critter is set in Cassia's school where we get to meet her roommate and get a little peak into her 'normal' life.

It is a simple first issue formula, but there in is the thing that makes Critter a highly enjoyable read.

As the poster says: Remember When Comic Books Were Fun?

So you know what you are getting into from the start. A real fun, sometime sweet, super-hero action adventure with a very likable lead character (with cat ears!).

One of the things that I really like about Critter is the lead character of Critter - Cassia. Cassia is very easy to identify with and you very quickly become emotionally tied to her from the very first (if not you will by the second) page. You find yourself caring, and sometimes worrying about her as this first story grows, and yet you hardly know her, even by the end of this first issue. I put this down to some smart story telling and brilliant artwork from the off that carries on throughout the comic. Cassia has been created in such a way, character and visually, that you can't help but develop an attachment to her. The sweet, sometimes naive small-town county girl by day; the cat-eared heroine by night.

In her role as Critter, Cassia doesn't lose any of that small-town charm either. With a hero persona of a cat it would have been very easy to have taken a turn down that same road as DCs Catwoman: an uber-confident feline sexpot. Instead Critter embraces the more fun side of things and retains that appeal as a hero that she has as a civilian - which is great. This also applies to her costume too, which has a fun 'manga' feel to it that is awesome.

So that's the character, what about the story?

The story is really good, has and hints to a lot of potential and is a very fun read too. From paint-balling the local boys as they tip cows, to brawling with a villain in an alleyway, to finding one of the guys in her dorm has stolen her underwear! There is a lot going on in this first issue, however at a pace that is comfortable and at no time feels rushed. Although I have said earlier in this review that this first issue uses a simple formula, that by no stretch of the imagination means that the story has no depth. Within the pages of this first issue we get introduced to several characters, concepts and the world of Critter. Not only this, but we get a glimpse of some very interesting stories to come. All effortlessly and enjoyably bundled up in a twenty page first issue.

There is not one thing I disliked about this comic, the writing and art are both top-notch and fit the style of story being told perfectly. Critter gave me a big nostalgic hit and took me back to when I was younger, to 'back-in-the-day' (the 90's) reading comics sprawled out on my bed or my parents living room floor, and there is a very strong vibe of this era throughout, especially the artwork, which I loved. If I have understood what Big Dog Ink are trying to achieve with Critter, and I like to think that I have, this was no mistake and they have hit the nail right on the head in my opinion.

I'm going to give Critter a well deserved 5 out of 5 ker-pows! This first issue is the start of what appears to be really fun super hero adventure with lots of thrills and spills to come.

For more information on Critter and other Big Dog Ink publications, visit their website.

Critter #1
story by Tom Hutchison & Kel Nuttall, art by Fico Ossio
published by Big Dog Ink, July 2011

Thanks to Simon for another enjoyable review - I must admit I hadn't spotted this title from Big Dog Ink when I was placing my advance order but I'll definitely be picking it up from now on.

Don't forget, you can check out more from Simon - including his writing and artwork - over at his
blog. There will be another review from Simon next week.

Stephanie Brown's Last Hurrah as Batgirl

2011-08-10T19:25:00.001+01:00

When my monthly comic delivery arrives tomorrow the first book I'll read - as always - will be Batgirl, issue #24. However, it'll be a particularly bittersweet read I'm sure as this will, of course, be the last of Stephanie Brown's adventures as Batgirl before DCs 'refresh' next month which will see Barbara Gordon returning to the role.

Very appropriately two of the creators who launched Steph's run as Batgirl have paid their own tributes to the young woman affectionately described by Clancy Johnson/The Grey Ghost as the "Violet Avenger".

Bryan Q. Miller talked at length with Comic Book Resources during which he reflected on his time as the writer of Batgirl while discussing the end of Stephanie's time as the female Caped Crusader.

Artist Lee Garbett tweeted what he described as a "quick sketch in honor of Stephanie Brown's last day as Batgirl today ...":

I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone reading this post just how much I've enjoyed Batgirl over the past couple of years: to Messrs Miller and Garbett; to Phil Noto, who's covers to the first few issues of the title immediately drew me to the book; to all the fantastically talented creators that have worked on the book over the past couple of years I simply want to say a heartfelt "thank you".

Paul Levitz Talks About The Huntress

2011-08-09T10:59:00.001+01:00

One of the bright spots over recent issues of DC's Birds of Prey title has, for me, been the focus on Helena Bertinelli, The Huntress.

As I've acknowledged elsewhere, in the past I've probably been guilty of underestimating the character, dismissing her as a fairly shallow, 'hit-now-ask-questions-later', character. One of the things that fan-favourite Gail Simone has done well while writing Birds of Prey is present Helena as a strong, determined, complex individual ... and to my great disappointment she didn't appear to have much of a future in the DCnU.

Then there was news of a six-issue mini-series launching in October reuniting the character with her original creator Paul Levitz.

Yesterday CBR ran a very interesting, and lengthy, interview with Levitz during which he explained what readers should expect from the series; he makes some interesting comparisons between his Huntress and comic strip heroine Modesty Blaise and he explains some of the thinking behind setting the series in Italy.

With Marcus To taking care of interior art and Guillem March providing the cover for the first issue I'm certainly looking forward to this mini-series which launches in October. Read the interview in full here at Comic Book Resources.

'The Clock Strikes' at Kult Creations

2011-08-05T12:49:00.000+01:00

At the Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo a couple of months ago I had the great pleasure of enjoying a long conversation with comics creator and publisher John A. Short, during which we talked about a number of his Kult Creations titles - particularly Armageddon Patrol, The Sixpenny Murder and my own favourite Cross.

During our chat John mentioned a new project he was working on ... "the first ever masked hero in comic books" he said. Now, courtesy of the Kult Creations website more details have been announced and this major new project is entitled The Clock Strikes and sees John joined by artist of the fantastic Harker series Vince Danks.

The character of The Clock was created by George Brenner and first appeared in November 1936 in either 'Funny Pages' or 'Funny Picture Stories', pre-dating Superman and Batman by two years apparently. True to the characters roots John has confirmed that the Kult Creations incarnation of The Clock will be set in the 1930s.

Head over to the Kult Creations website where John has posted a number of character sketches from Vince Danks along with a completed page of interior artwork.

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to following the progress of The Clock Strikes over coming weeks and months.

Links:
Kult Creations
The Clock at Wikipedia
Kult Creations at Escape from Tomorrow
Ariel Press, publisher of Harker
Harker and Critchley
My comments about Harker #7

Witch Doctor #1 from Skybound/Image Comics

2011-08-03T11:04:00.000+01:00

reviewed by Simon Breeze

"It's a sick world - LITERALLY. The universe is a living thing, and the monsters of legend are its parasites. Earth's immune system - humanity - has been at war with supernature for all of history. But to fight a disease, you don't need soldiers. You need doctors.

Doctors like VINCENT MORROW, excommunicated from the medical community and headhunted into an exciting new career in the black arts. Marrow serves the world with both hands - one in magic, one in medicine - as Earth's protector. Earth's WITCH DOCTOR.

It's a sick world - HE'S HERE TO TREAT IT."

[Taken from the inside front cover of Issue #1 of Witch Doctor.]

I discovered Witch Doctor a few months back whilst scrolling through Image Comic's solicitations. There were several new titles solicited, but only two really jumped out at me instantly. One was 50 girls 50, and the other was Witch Doctor.

The cover alone leapt off of the web-page for me: the stark white background contrasted with the bright red logo and a quirky (in a good way) doctor listening intently to the heart of what looks like a clearly possessed man arched backwards on all fours dribbling oodles of green slime! A quick read of the synopsis, which from memory matched the quote from the inside cover, and I was sold!

Witch Doctor is a four issue mini series, and having just read issue #1, I can tell you before you read any further, that I am already planning to pick-up the whole series, and most likely a trade should it do so too.

This first issue, and one of the many things I like about, is that it is a self contained story. With a limited run of only four issues, I assumed that it would be a four-issue story-arc. Who wouldn't? However I'm happy to say that it isn't. The impression I am taking away from this fantastic first issue is that each one will be it's own story, each introducing elements of the Witch Doctor 'world' to the reader. This to me is great news! Because it means that we are going to get four stories and not just the one.

So what is this first issue about? As always, I'm going to do my best to 'skimp' on details to avoid spoiling things for anyone who is yet to read Witch Doctor.

The story starts by introducing the main characters via a case of a demonically possessed boy (think The Exorcist) who religion has failed to help. The Witch Doctor (much to the priest's annoyance) bursts onto the scene to help out, and here we get to meet the gang: a paramedic who is new to the role called Eric Gast; a very fascinating young girl called Penny; and of corse the Witch Doctor himself, Vincent Morrow.

The witch Doctor and his team take the boy into their care to find a cure for his demonic possession, and here is where we get a brilliant insight to the world of the Witch doctor as he goes about 'curing' the boy of his affliction. Not only do we get to see how the Witch Doctor works, however we also see how his world works. I must admit, it is all very convincing. One thing that I have always struggled with is supernatural stories. The believability, or suspension of disbelief, is always a hard sell to me, especially when it involves magic in a modern day setting. With Witch Doctor I had no problem at all, it all felt perfectly natural, even when its was at its most bonkers!

Witch Doctor worked brilliantly for me on many levels. The art and writing are spot on and compliment each other fantastically. The characters, as well as the world, are well conceived, convincing and intriguing. The story is a good one, with great dialogue, pacing and humor. Brandon Seifert states within the issue that Witch Doctor is influenced by '... bits of Hellboy and Hellblazer and House, M.D. and Planetary, '70s horror comics ... ... and the H.P. Lovecraft that blew my mind in high school' and you can really feel all of these influences within the comic.

As you can tell, I really-really enjoyed this comic. Witch Doctor is a very welcome breath of fresh air in my monthly comic subscription, and I am very much looking forward to the next three issues and what they might bring. Witch Doctor is also the very proud holder of the title of the only comic book to make my skin crawl too! With everything I have said, how can I not give this issue a demon splattering five out of five! Go pick up a copy now, you won't be disappointed.

Witch Doctor #1
Written and lettered by Brandon Seifert, art by Lukas Ketner, coloured by Sunny Gho
Published by SkyBound/Image Comics

Witchblade Starts A New Chapter

2011-08-01T13:32:00.000+01:00

Continuing the focus on Top Cow and on Friday when I (belatedly) posted my Image and Top Cow highlights for October 2011 I mentioned that Witchblade #151 would see the introduction of a new creative team for the title consisting of Tim Seeley and Diego Bernard.

Top Cow have posted some preview artwork on their website along with details of a very welcome new regular cover price as well as revealing that the landmark issue #151 will feature a third, retailer incentive cover by none-other than J. Scott Campbell.

"Witchblade" Starts A New Chapter
Sara Pezzini has been through a lot in the past six years. She's had a child, maintained her police career while juggling her duties as Witchblade, lost and gained back the mystical gauntlet, hunted down those who kidnapped her daughter, and even discovered the inner-workings of the universe. Her life has been eventful. However, nothing has prepared her for what's coming next!

Hot off the Top Cow universe-altering events of ARTIFACTS #13 and WITCHBLADE #150, WITCHBLADE #151 begins a new chapter in the story of Pezzini. The passionate new creative team will provide an ideal jumping on point for new readers.

These changes all start with Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH) and Diego Bernard (The Man With No Name). Seeley and Bernard mark the first completely new creative team in over six years following the landmark run by Ron Marz and his co-collaborator Stjepan Sejic. Seeley will be using the Marz-era as a springboard from which to tell stories of Sara's new life and build on the rich Top Cow history and continuity while bringing a new voice and putting her through new challenges.

"Over the years, I've developed a rep as a guy who likes to write women who kick ass, and look great doing it," said Seeley. "I'm over-the-moon at getting the opportunity to follow up one of the most beloved creative teams in comic history, on one of the most enduring heroines ever!"

To celebrate this new chapter, Top Cow is lowering the regular cover price of Witchblade to $2.99 and offering two covers by John Tyler Christopher (ARTIFACTS) and Dennis Calero (X-Men: Noir), as well as a special retailer incentive cover by the legendary J. Scott Campbell.

WITCHBLADE #151 (AUG110425), a 32-page full color comic book, is available for order in the August issue of Previews.

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: October Highlights

2011-07-29T13:29:00.000+01:00

The highlight of October's Image and Top Cow solicitations is, for me, the return of the publishers innovative Pilot Season initiative - a series of original one-shots with the fans getting the opportunity to vote which title becomes a mini series: past winners of Pilot Season include Velocity and Twilight Guardian.

October also sees a couple of landmark issues for longrunning series The Darkness and Witchblade: for the fifteenth anniversary edition of The Darkness long time writer Phil Hester is joined by artist Romano Molenaar for the conclusion of his three year run while Witchblade welcomes a new creative team of Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and Diego Bernard (The Man With No Name).

Full details of Octobers solicitations can be found at Image Comics, Top Cow and Comic Book Resources.

PILOT SEASON: TEST #1
story JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
art RAHSAN EKEDAL
cover BAGUS HUTOMO of IFS
October 5
32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
The Harvey nominated creative team of ECHOES, JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV (I…Vampire) and RAHSAN EKEDA (Solomon Kane) reunite to kick off 2011’s PILOT SEASON competition with TEST.
A group of ten strangers wake up in a mysterious town with no memory of who they are and how they got there. They are the lone survivors of an apocalyptic event, chosen to repopulate the Earth. But what is the true nature of their fate?
TEST offers a fresh take on survivalist horror and psychological thriller in the way only FIALKOV and EKEDALcan!

PILOT SEASON: CITY OF REFUGE #1
story MORGAN DAVIS FOEHL
art & cover DENNIS CALERO
October 12
32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Over a decade after Terminal, the residents of San Francisco live a peaceful and prosperous existence thanks to the Program. Every resident of the city is hand-selected and implanted with the chip Secura, which removes the human capacity for violence to maintain the greater good. Only the city's security forces are allowed a brief reprieve from Secura through use of the drug Freestone in order to do their jobs. Now, rumors of Freestone getting out into the open market threaten to upset the delicate balance keeping humanity from extinction.
Screenwriter MORGAN DAVIS FOEHL and artist DENNIS CALERO (X-Men: Noir) deliver a twist on the classic dystopian future in CITY OF REFUGE!

PILOT SEASON: THE BEAUTY #1
story JEREMY HAUN & JASON HURLEY
art & cover JEREMY HAUN
October 19
32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could be come more and more beautiful every day? What if it was contagious? In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is attainable and while the mass majority of the population has taken advantage of it, Detectives Foster and Vaughn will soon discover it comes with a terrible price.
Writer/artist JEREMY HAUN (Detective Comics, ARTIFACTS) and co-writer JASON HURLEY offer up a startling reflection on the cost of looking good in this procedural science fiction tale.

PILOT SEASON: FLESHDIGGER #1
story SHANNON ERIC DENTON & BRAD KEENE
art ALEX SANCHEZ
cover FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
October 26
32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
PILOT SEASON RETURNS! TAKE CONTROL!
A random act of kindness can be damning. When a man witnessed the ruthless beating of an innocent woman, he rushed to help her and was brutally murdered for his trouble. Now driven by revenge, sorrow, and guilt, the woman enacts arcane forces to resurrect him. From out of the earth he'll rise, a twisted, worm-riddled monstrosity forced to carry out vengeance to maintain whatever life he has left, all while confronting the unimaginable truth of his new, hideous existence. Is he forever damned to be a rotting monster driven by an insatiable bloodlust...or is it possible to shed the curse and return to normal? The torment belongs to the living nightmare they'll call Fleshdigger. God help anyone who gets in his way!
From Harvey Award nominee SHANNON ERIC DENTON (GRAVESLINGER, Common Foe) and screenwriter BRAD KEENE (The Grudge 3) and artist ALEX SANCHEZ (Fathom: Blue Descent) comes a tale of supernatural horror!

THE DARKNESS #96
story PHIL HESTER
art ROMANO MOLENAAR
cover A JEREMY HAUN
cover B SHELDON MITCHELL
October 19
32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
CELEBRATE THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY!
Since The Darkness first debuted fifteen years ago, the Darkness itself and its headstrong bearer, Jackie Estacado, have often been at odds. Estacado is no saint, but the Darkness has crossed a line and to protect his family, Jackie will take the fight into the heart of theDarkness itself. Leading up to the landmark issue #100, long time writer PHIL HESTER (Wonder Woman, Green Hornet) is joined by artist ROMANO MOLENAAR (The Darkness II: Confession) for the stunning conclusion of his three year run!
Featuring a variant cover by SHELDON MITCHELL!

WITCHBLADE #151
story TIM SEELEY
art DIEGO BERNARD
cover A JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
cover B DENNIS CALERO
October 26
32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
DAWN OF A NEW ERA! The new creative team of TIM SEELEY (HACK/SLASH) and DIEGO BERNARD (The Man With No Name) bring excitement and big changes to Sara Pezzini’s world with this debut jump-on issue! Forever altered by the events of ARTIFACTS, Sara finds herself in a completely foreign situation and surroundings. The mystery of how and why will compel readers for the coming year and beyond!
Featuring two covers by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (ARTIFACTS) and DENNIS CALERO (X-Men: Noir)!
PLUS: WITCHBLADE #151 – Foil Stamped and Signed Collector’s Edition - $14.99

BLOOD RED DRAGON #0
story JON GOFF
art CARLO SORIANO & CRIMELAB SYNDICATE
cover CARLO SORIANO
October 5
24 pages / FC / T, $3.99
Limited print run of 5000 copies
Legendary comic creators STAN LEE and TODD McFARLANE join international superstar YOSHIKI to bring the world an ALL-NEW HERO!
Born of light. Powered by darkness.
Dark prophecies speak of a power beyond comprehension: a noble force that rests, buried in the creative heart of the human spirit. It is said this power is all that stands between existence and the unmaking of all things. One man must unlock his destiny and be re-made – a warrior to defeat the coming of Oblivion.
A hero will rise: The Blood Red Dragon reborn.
BLOOD RED DRAGON combines elements of sci-fi, anime and American superhero comics in a modern gothic adventure story that plays at salvation, while hinting at the end of the world. AND IT ALL STARTS HERE!

THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE #1 (of 6)
story JUSTIN JORDAN
art & cover TRADD MOORE
October 5
32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
Luther Strode is just your average nerd until he sends away for a bodybuilding course from an old comic book, one that works a whole lot better than he ever imagined. His newfound strength and strange talents make school a lot easier, but they’ve also caused some very, very bad people to take a very, very keen interest in him. Things will never be the same for Luther Strode…if he survives.

FEEL BETTER NOW
A PLUS! Novella
story, art JONATHAN HICKMAN
cover JONATHAN HICKMAN
October 26
40 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
If you're a highly qualified psychologist in Los Angeles, the fake problem capital of the world, sometimes you get bored. And, sometimes, this means you screw with your patients.
For the first time in three years, JONATHAN HICKMAN is writing and drawing a creator-owned comic. Known for the boundary-pushing stories like THE NIGHTLY NEWS and PAX ROMANA, this one-and-done book is the first of three PLUS! stories, will not be collected for over a year, and is intended to have a shelf life of several months.

THE LAST OF THE GREATS #1
story JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
art & cover A BRENT PEEPLES
cover B PHIL HESTER
October 5
32 pages, NO ADS, FC, T+, $3.99
“THE DEAL,” Part One
There were seven, possessing the power of gods, and representing all that could be right with the world. But now... he is the Last. As humanity stands on the brink of annihilation, he is our only hope. And he hates us for what we've done. From the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated writer of ECHOES, Tumor and Elk’s Run comes a dynamic new take on how far mankind will stoop to survive.

CARBON GREY ORIGINS #1 (of 2)
story PAUL GARDNER, HOANG NGUYEN & KHARI EVANS
art POP MHAN, KHARI EVANS, HOANG NGUYEN & KINSUN LOH
cover KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH
alternate cover HOANG NGUYEN
October 26
32 pages, FC, M , $3.99
“ORIGIN,” Part one of two
Creator HOANG NGUYEN presents an anthology of short stories set in the universe of the Carbon Grey. A boy becomes a god, two fictional characters come to life, a refugee becomes a queen and two sisters become killers. Legends, secret histories, and continuity errors – all will be revealed in CARBON GREY ORIGINS.

XENOHOLICS #1
story JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
art SETH DAMOOSE
cover DAN DUNCAN
October 19
32 pages, FC/ M, $3.50
Are you addicted to aliens? Late night Encounters? Abductions? Probes? The XenoHolics are here to help!
Because everyone thinks they’re a bunch of nutcases, a support group that claims aliens abducted them try to prove that aliens are real. But that’s much easier said than done and they find themselves caught up in not just ONE government conspiracy, but TWO. Oh, yeah and along the way they learn who is lying about being abducted… and who is telling the truth.
Presenting a twisted new series about aliens and the crazy people who believe in them, by creators JOSHUA WILLIAMSON (Superman/Batman, DEAR DRACULA), and SETH DAMOOSE (I HATE GALLANT GIRL) with covers by DAN DUNCAN (TMNT)

CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011
story MATT WAGNER, J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, KAZIM ALI, DARA NARAGHI, J.H. WILLIAMS III, MARK WAID, CARLA SPEED MCNEIL, AJ LIEBERMAN, MICHAEL BRAMLEY, STEVE NILES, BRANDON MONTCLARE, JUDD WINICK, RICHARD STARKINGS
art MATT WAGNER, KEVIN SACCO, CRAIG THOMPSON, CHRIS MITTEN, J.H. WILLIAMS III, JEFF LEMIRE, CARLA SPEED MCNEIL, RILEY ROSSMO, FRANK QUITELY, SHANE DAVIS, FRED HEMBECK, MICHAEL MONTENAT & JACK PURCELL, JOËLLE JONES, GREG LAND, GREG HORN, THIAGO MICALOPULOS & RODNEY RAMOS, DUSTIN NGUYEN, DAVE COOPER, IVAN REIS, SHAKY KANE
cover A JOHN CASSADAY
cover B MATT WAGNER
October 12
48 pages, FC, M, $4.99
A COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND BENEFIT BOOK!
Stand Up For Your Rights! Censorship is the ultimate form of bullying. Censors want to take away the power people have to think, speak, or create freely. In CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011, Legendary Editor BOB SCHRECK gathers an all-star line-up of comics creators to stand up to those censoring bullies with 48 powerful pages of ALL NEW story and art about standing up for your rights! All proceeds from this book benefit the important First Amendment work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who've been fighting censorship in comics for 25 years!
This year's Liberty Annual includes incredible contributions, including all-new original stories by superstars J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, FRANK QUITELY, J.H. WILLIAMS III, STEVE NILES, JUDD WINICK, MARK WAID, and CARLA SPEED MCNEIL. Plus, new tales featuring GRENDEL by MATT WAGNER, COWBOY NINJA VIKING by AJ LIEBERMAN & RILEY ROSSMO, and ELEPHANTMEN by RICHARD STARKINGS & SHAKY KANE. Plus a massive, and first ever color story from indy comics master CRAIG THOMPSON! Even Marvel and DC have stepped up to show their support all-new pin-ups including BATMAN by DUSTIN NGUYEN, X-MEN by GREG LAND, GREEN LANTERN by IVAN REIS, and THE AVENGERS by GREG HORN!
All proceeds from CBLDF Liberty Annual 2011 will benefit the important First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians and readers.

DOC BIZARRE, M.D.HC
story JOE CASEY
art, color ANDY SURIANO
October 19
72 pages/ FC, T+
STANDARD SIZE, $12.99
From monsters crippled with pneumonia or demons suffering from incontinence, only one manclaims to possess the skills and the training to cure what ails them … DOC BIZARRE, M.D.! He’ll make globe hopping house calls for sick creepers, medically challenged myths and ghouls at death’s door!It’s over-the-top, comedic horror from JOE CASEY and ANDY SURIANO!
DON’T MISS THIS ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL – JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

LAST MORTAL HC
story JOHN MAHONEY & FILIP SABLIK
art & cover THOMAS NACHLIK
October 26
160 pages, B&W, M, DIGEST SIZE, $19.99
REVENGE NEVER DIES!
Alec King is a small time thief & con man who has always run away from responsibility. When he and his partner get in over their heads after being blackmailed into becoming hitmen and his partner is killed in the process, Alec tries to escape one last time. Alec attempts to take his own life, only to discover he cannot die. What would you do if you had nowhere left to run?
Collecting the hard-hitting noir tale of revenge from Minotaur Press, this hardcover not only offers the complete series, but a wealth of behind-the-scenes bonus material including a complete cover gallery,character designs, and a look at the development of Last Mortal.
Collects LAST MORTAL #1-4.

THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TP
story TIM DANIEL & ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
October 19
112 pages, FC, M, $14.99
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the cast of The Walking Dead. TheSurvivor’s Guide is a handy checklist of all the characters who have appeared in the series thus far, alive or dead. This series isa can’t-miss supplement to the hit comic book series that is now a hit TV series on AMC!

WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, VOL. 1 TP
story NATHAN EDMONDSON
art & cover TONCI ZONJIC
October 12
136 pages, FC, T+, $16.99
The multiple-sellout miniseries Newsarama calls "a modern noir package that is not to be missed" and MTV "couldn't put down." Jon Moore is a mercenary spy on the run, protected only by Jake Ellis, a man invisible to everyone except Jon.
Collects WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? 1-5

MORNING GLORIES #14
story NICK SPENCER
art JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO
October 12
32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
RUN!!!
Nominated for four Eisner Awards!

SKULLKICKERS #12
story JIM DEMONAKOS, KYLE STEVENS, HOWARD TAYLER, ZACH WEINER &JIM ZUB
art JOEL CARROLL, MIKE LUCKAS, BEN MCSWEENEY & JOE NG
cover SAEJIN OH
October 26
32 pages, FC, T, $2.99
"FOUR MORE TAVERN TALES"
The Skullkickers tip back a few more pints and you're all invited along to the pub to toast their glory!
This issue is another righteous Skullkicking short story cavalcade by killer comic talent JOEL CARROLL (Flight),MIKE LUCKAS, BEN MCSWEENEY (Joe is Japanese), JOE NG (Street Fighter IV), HOWARD TAYLER (Schlock Mercenary), ZACH WEINER (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal), JIM DEMONAKOS & KYLE STEVENS (Kirby Krackle) and JIM ZUB (that SKULLKICKERS comic thing).

THE WALKING DEAD #90
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art, cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
October 12
32 pages, BW, M, $2.99
Glenn will soon regret his decision.

Batgirl #23 Reviewed

2011-07-27T13:18:00.000+01:00

The penultimate instalment of Stephanie Brown's tenure as Batgirl, appropriately entitled "Here Endeth The Lesson", opens outside Gotham Central Police Department as we witness a group of police officers enjoying the evening air, coffee and reminding one another what a unique city Gotham is.

The calm is broken as first one and then a whole group of tech-suited figures demand access to the building. Inside, and this time it's the officers who are armed as they open fire on another, similarly suited, intruder.

As an officer Finch calls for backup the red-suited intruder - apparently known as Miranda - signals a colleague - Jabberwock - who crashes through the ceiling and into action, ripping apart the evidence room doors to reveal Slipstream and Harmony's suits.

Elsewhere in Gotham: Batgirl, Detective Nick Gage and a number of his officers stand over the twisted, lifeless body of The Grey Ghost, Clancy Johnson. In "The Reaper's Lair" emotions are running high as, at first through a whisper, Stephanie tries to explain, without giving too much away, that she had to leave town recently, it wasn't her choice and sometimes she has to just do what she is told.

As Steph's patience breaks she reminds Gage - as well as the officers present - that if he'd been somewhat more forthcoming about his earlier connections to the Reaper cult then Clancy wouldn't be dead now. Asking for some privacy Gage explains that as a younger man he had been recruited by a Reaper chapter when, during a robbery that went wrong, his fiancée was "caught in the middle" of a fire fight.

Turning their attentions back to the dead man before them Gage explains that Clancy had called the police station looking for help - looking for Batgirl. Although they were too late to save Clancy he'd left behind an encoded video-message for his "dearest violet avenger" ... a message that reveals that the Reapers had struck a deal with a "client" - only to find themselves double-crossed.

As the message ends the enormity of the situation strikes Steph - and she's overcome with a tremendous sense of guilt. Rising to Gage's challenge to use that guilt positively the pair are interrupted by the news of the attack downtown on Gotham Central, and the deaths of many, many officers.

Across the city at Blackgate Penitentiary and as fires burn the aforementioned Jabberwock, now accompanied by Figment, have reunited their fellow Reaper Xane Swift - Slipstream - with his speedster suit. Revealing that Miranda had gone in search of their 'colleague' Harmony Jabberwock responds to Swift's rhetorical question 'who do they need to kill to get out of there ...

"Just the one guy ...".

In a helicopter high over Gotham Steph and Gage are heading towards Blackgate. With Batman and Robin dealing with a situation at Arkham and "Not-Oracle" busy on with Birds of Prey business Batgirl will be going in alone - at least until SWAT and SCU arrive at the island.

Amidst wishes of good luck and apologies for earlier raised voices Steph prepares to leap from the aircraft - but not before she tells Gage to give Barbara Gordon a call sometime ...

"Goodbye, sweet Detective".

Back inside Blackgate Penitentiary and the staff of the facility are being intimidated by the Reapers who themselves are unaware that they now have company. Easily breaking free of Batgirl glooperangs they go on the offensive, Steph just managing to evade their attacks.

With the odds very much against her Stephanie needs to understand why the Reapers have targeted Blackgate and, equally, why they won't leave.

Discovering that the riot is just a distraction while they locate and then kill their "client" Batgirl calls in her own 'girl-power' support team - Stargirl, Bombshell, Miss Martian and Sugergirl. As fists and feet fly blows are exchanged until eventually Steph and her team come out on top, victorious.

With the Reapers taken care off Steph realises that in spite of all the violence and vandalism there's just one door in the facility that's firmly closed ... and that must be where the "client" is waiting.

Kicking down the door Steph gets the surprise of her life when she identifies the occupant.

"Daddy?!".

Issue #23 very much felt like the beginning of the end: on the whole beautifully crafted just at times feeling a little rushed, a little 'convenient'. The story itself certainly took a somewhat darker tone - and well it should with the death of Clancy Johnson, Gage's revelations of his past and the foreboding appearance of Cluemaster.

Understandably, but nevertheless regrettably, all of this impacted on the playful banter that's become such a feature of this book - aside from the closing 3 or 4 pages when Steph was joined by her team of girlfriends the dialogue was much 'straighter' than I've become used to.

The death of Clancy Johnson - as far as anyone ever actually dies in comics it seems - really did surprise me: he'd become something of a comedy, even irritating, sidekick for Steph and as such I, naively I'm sure, don't generally anticipate bad things happening to (on the whole) well intentioned people. While I certainly wouldn't say that I wanted him to die it speaks volumes for Bryan Q. Miller's craft and confidence that he did.

Perhaps one of my favourite scenes from this issue was the moment Stephanie couldn't hold her emotions any longer and she turned on Detective Gage, pointing out in no uncertain terms that if he'd been more honest about his past the tragedy could have been avoided. Steph's harsh words really did appear to take the wind out of the Detective.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the speed with which Detective Gage's dark past was reintroduced and then almost immediately put to one side. Gage's 'mysterious and shameful' past has been alluded to several times throughout the series and I was looking forward to seeing this particular thread play out. Of course I imply no criticism of Mr Miller for this - as I understand things Stephanie's run as Batgirl had been originally been mapped out across 30 issues and this quite naturally explains why certain elements felt rushed, too convenient and a little, just a little, unsatisfactory.

Running the risk of revealing too much about her own background and identity I found myself smiling through the scenes with Gage and Stephanie where first the officer shocked Steph with his belief that she was a college student and, later in the story, when the pair briefly held hands, calmed the troubles between them and, much to Gage's surprise this time, Steph said he should give Barbara Gordon a call.

"Goodbye, sweet Detective" indeed.

The ongoing story of The Reapers has been, and continues to be, enjoyable and thought provoking. As we began to learn that the group have been operating at the behest of a 'client' I don't mind admitting that I hadn't suspected The Cluemaster - although of course after the reveal he's an obvious and entirely appropriate choice. With a mixture of emotions I'm certainly looking forward to picking up the next issue to see how this story concludes.

As I've said before, I've become a real fan of the artwork of Pere Perez throughout his run on Batgirl. In this issue, again in partnership with colourist Guy Major, the interior artwork was everything I've come to expect and appreciate. In keeping with the overall tone of this issue the art was perhaps a little darker than we've seen before, the page layouts perhaps a little more 'conventional' until ... the arrival of Steph's backup team and then the panels were a riot of colour, the page layouts provocative.

From Dustin Nguyen we were treated to another wonderful 'more than at first meets the eye' cover. At first glance it's Batgirl, poised for action, seemingly being pursued by Harmony. And it is until, on closer inspection, we see that Steph's exit is blocked by a second Reaper and, through the mist and her billowing cape, we can just make out the shadowy figure of a third over her shoulder. Fantastic.

There we have it: as I say, the beginning of the end. Next months concluding issue will be bitter-sweet for sure.

In summary - another hugely enjoyable issue in this most enjoyable series.

Batgirl #23
Written by Bryan Q. Miller, art by Pere Perez, colours by Guy Major, letters by Carlos M. Mangual, cover by Dustin Nguyen
Published by DC Comics, September 2011

Footnote to my review:
Following on from my comment - indeed complaint - regarding the appalling use of a banner advertisement on the cover of Batgirl #22 I have another comment – yes, a complaint - for the editorial/marketing teams concerning layout: advertisements that are intended to look like pages in a Batman comic are not helpful when used in a Batman-family comic: they take the reader, this reader at least, out of the moment, breaking the story momentum that the writer and artists have carefully crafted. To me this shows a lack of respect for the reader, and the creative team.

The Crow Lands at IDW

2011-07-26T12:20:00.000+01:00

Some interesting news from IDW over the SDCC weekend including the announcement of an all-new The Crow series launching next year along with several other series in the classic The Crow universe.

In light of recent developments at DC, coupled with a number of unacceptable delays from some other publishers, I've been looking at my pull list and working out what titles I want to continue to take monthly, which I'll be switching to trades and which, regrettably, I'll be dropping altogether.

As a result, I'm going to have a number of 'vacancies' on my monthly pull list and IDW's The Crow could be exactly the book I'm looking for.

Here's the offical press release from IDW:

At San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, IDW Publishing and Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation announced an all-new series of The Crow comics, beginning in 2012. IDW Publishing will produce several comics series in the universe of James O’Barr’s classic The Crow comics and based on the upcoming feature film. Additionally, IDW will offer collector’s editions of all existing The Crow comics.

“I’m glad to see The Crow land at IDW,” said Ted Adams, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “I edited the last Crow series when I ran Todd McFarlane’s comics in the late ‘90’s, and we’re looking forward to bringing this classic character back to the medium in 2012 at IDW.”

Originally a comic series created by James O’Barr in the early 1980’s, The Crow was first published by Caliber Press in 1989. The concept was adapted into blockbuster film in 1994, and has inspired several different series from Kitchen Sink Press, London Night Studios, Random House and Image Comics. The original The Crow has sold nearly one million copies worldwide. Dan Kletzky's Entertainment Licensing Associates handled the licensing agreement with IDW on behalf of Pressman Film.

Source: IDW

''... The Summer Reaches Its Moment of Sadness ...''

2011-07-25T13:33:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm back to posting after my annual Tour de France break feeling well rested; inspired by some of the greatest - and humblest - of sportsmen and just a little sad that the highlight of my sporting year is over (until next year at least).

In my absence our friend Simon Breeze has clearly been catching up with his reading pile as he's composed 3 new reviews for us: the second issue of Danger Girl And The Army Of Darkness from Dynamite and IDW, the first issue of Witchdoctor from Skybound and, kicking things off for us this week, 50 Girls 50 #1 from Image Comics

50 Girls 50 reviewed by Simon Breeze

I am a huge fan of Sci-Fi, so when I saw the cover for 50 girls 50 my interest peaked immediately: A woman in a retro-classic Sci-Fi spacesuit waving the American flag on a strange alien world with a rocketship on the horizon! What more can I say?

The premise for 50 Girls 50 is also a simple one, 10 ships, 50 women and one way home. Before I had actually read 50 Girls 50, I was getting a vibe of Lost in Space or a Farscape-type thing ... only with 50 women lost/trapped somewhere out there in space trying to find a way home. I wasn't far wrong either after reading. The other feeling I had was that this comic was either going to be total cheese-cake, come on, a space ship with 50 very attractive women on it lost is space somewhere, all in figure-hugging spacesuits? Or it was going to be some fantastic Sci-Fi. Again, being brilliant like I am (I joke), I wasn't wrong with that feeling either. Well, sort of...

The story begins with a quick set up. Two girls in figure hugging spacesuits being attacked by a giant alien creature, their guns miss-fire, so they have to make a run for it. This then jumps back to Earth, which appears to be set in the short future, and the anticipated return of the ESS Savannah from her space mission to travel through a wormhole in space and explore the galaxy. The reason for this mission is because the Earth is almost used up and over populated, and in order to survive we need to find new resources from other worlds.

The story now jumps back to an earlier point with the ESS Savannah and her crew, pre alien attack, and establish the premise for the attack. Simply that they are lost in space somewhere, it appears that they can't 'jump' home to Earth and, hell, there is a strange planet there, why not take a look?

Two of the crew fly down to the planet surface in a shuttle and quickly discover that there is a plastic desolving element in the atmosphere. Which is a problem, because not only is the shuttle and all of their equipment made of plastic, but so is their clothing! Oh-dear!

This now leads the two girls to come up with an ingenious way to escape from the planet before they are either eaten by a giant alien bug or all of their clothing is lost. Luckily, the girls manage to make it of the plant without getting eaten, the same can't be said for the clothing.

The issue finishes with one of the girls that visited the planet in the shower, and this is where it got interesting, because it introduces a very curious twist to the story that I'm not going to tell you here as it will blow the end of the first issue and simply ruin it for anyone who wants to read it and hasn't had the opportunity yet.

Okay, so my thoughts?

To start with, the art is brilliant! Really-really brilliant! Axel Medellin landed the illustrating role through an Image Comics art contest, and if this is his first comic, he is going to be one to watch in the future. I am predicting big things for him just off of the back of this first issue.

The science is ... well... let's put it this way: if your only knowledge of physics and 'space science' is Star Trek based, you'll mostly get along fine with it. However, if you're a bit like me, quite interested in it, it will undermine a little some of the core premisses of the story. I only bring this up as it seems (to me at least) to be written to play to science and its applications in space exploration and also very key to specific elements of the story too. But hell! You could say the same about the film Armageddon, and I remember really enjoying that slice of cheese-cake when I watched it.

My only other negative is that the dialogue seems a little clunky in places. It feels like it needs a 'feminine touch' to it too. You get the feeling in places that this is a comic about women written by men who think this is what a woman would say and do. This added to the flawed science can at times (for me) pull you out of the story.

Over all I found 50 Girls 50 a nice slice of fun Sci-Fi. Is it cheese cake? Of course. Is it Sc-Fi? Hell yes! There is lots of action, fantastic artwork, excellent design work too on everything from the spacesuits and ships to the alien world and creatures. The story is fast paced, interesting and in places quite smart. This is a really enjoyable read that I'm going to be giving a re-read very soon, which I am sure will leave me much happier than the first time.

50 Girls 50 is a four part mini series, of which I will be picking up all four parts. Some times you just need some action packed Sci-Fi adventure in your reading pile, and 50 Girls 50 is served with a nice slice of cheese cake! I give 50 Girls 50 a 'boldly going where no woman has gone before' four out of five!

50 Girls 50 #1
Written by Doug Murray & Frank Cho, art by Axel Medellin, colours by Nikos Koutsis, letters and design by Thomas Mauer
Published by Image Comics

Titanium Rain: The Audio Drama - Fundraising Campaign Commences

2011-07-20T11:09:00.000+01:00

I've lost track of the number of times I've posted about Josh Finney and Kat Rocha's Titanium Rain graphic novels over the past couple of years - most recently a month or so ago when it was announced that the books are to be adapted as a three-part full-cast radio drama in partnership with The AudioComics Company.

This morning I received news from The AudioComics Company of their plans to raise production funds for the forthcoming radio drama which is scheduled to record this coming September at Mind’s Eye Productions in Maine.

Fans can pledge any amount - between $5 and $5000 - to help cover production costs and in return will receive "perks", depending on the amount pledged, including an acknowledgement and thanks for their support; a complimentary digital download of "Titanium Rain" and its soundtrack; a limited edition "Titanium Rain" print; an original one-of-a-kind colour commission of the character of your choice from the art desk of Josh Finney ... even an opportunity to provide the voice of one of the fighter pilots!

More details around this fundraising initiative can be found over at Indie Go Go, The AudioComics Company and 01Publishing.

AUDIOCOMICS LAUNCHES TITANIUM RAIN FUNDRAISER

The AudioComics Company launches Indie Go Go Campaign for the
audio production of “Titanium Rain”
For immediate release:
The AudioComics Company, in association with 01Publishing, has begun a fundraising campaign though the crowdfunding site Indie Go Go to raise production funds for their forthcoming radio drama production of Titanium Rain, which is scheduled to record this coming September at Mind’s Eye Productions in Maine.

AudioComics co-founder Lance Roger Axt: “the campaign commenced on July 12, and has been picking up steam. There are a lot of people who are looking forward to this production, and they understand that it takes money to make it happen. Josh (Finney) and Kat (Rocha) have been incredibly supportive of this endeavor, and with that in mind we’ve come up with some fantastic incentives, and recently added some new ones that we think fans of the series will really enjoy!”

“Perks” for donations include limited edition prints, several hours worth of digital downloads, sketch cards, and even, at the $500 level, the opportunity to be in both the audio drama and in the third and final volume of Titanium Rain: “audio-wise, you will get to be in the audio production as a pilot in a dogfight, regardless of where you live in the world! We’ll send you the lines, you send us an Mp3 of your voice reading said lines, and they will be converted into “fighter pilot intercom” voices. In addition, your face will be drawn into the third volume of the Titanium Rain graphic novel series as the face of a character! Here's your chance to be in the audio play AND the printed graphic novel!”

The first book in the TR trilogy records this fall for a winter 2012 release, with parts two and three to be recorded later that year. The work will be adapted for audio by co-creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, and directed by AudioComics Company Co-Producer William Dufris.

Currently published by Archaia Entertainment, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic set in the year 2031 where a civil war in China has escalated into a global conflict that has decimated entire nations and millions of innocent lives. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival in this new age means that man and machine must exist as one. In the spirit of films such as Ghost in the Shell and Blackhawk Down, Titanium Rain follows Killian’s journey through mankind’s worst, only to discover its best.

The completed piece will be available on compact disc and pay-per-Mp3 downloads; Jonathan Sharp’s soundtrack for Titanium Rain will also be available as a separate Mp3 download, to be released concurrently with Part One of the TR audio production.

The Titanium Rain audio drama campaign can be found at http://www.indiegogo.com/Titanium-Rain-The-Audio-Drama through September 5, 2011.

The AudioComics Company, under the guidance of producers Lance Roger Axt, William Dufris, and Elaine Lee, provides superior audio entertainment with its professional full-cast audio theatre productions of both licensed properties and original works from the world of comic books, graphic novels, and related media, accessible in today’s market with today’s sound. The AudioComics team is working to establish relationships with top name comic book companies, sci-fi writers, sponsors and the entertainment industry in Hollywood and New York, and to give these audio theatre pieces worldwide exposure. Their debut production of the original play script of Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta's Starstruck has received critical acclaim from comics and audio professionals alike.

Twilight Amnesty: IDW Launch "Sparkles for Blood"

2011-07-15T13:48:00.001+01:00

Well done IDW!

IDW Publishing is daring fans to switch to a vampire franchise with some teeth! This year at San Diego Comic-Con, in an unprecedented promotion, fans can turn in any copy of a Twilight book or graphic novel at the IDW booth #2643 for a free copy of a 30 DAYS OF NIGHT graphic novel! IDW is vowing to help vampire fans get back on track with the undead the way they were always meant to be: bloody and terrifying.

“Real horror fans have watched vampires systematically turned into wimpy fodder for years now. It’s time to fight back” said Niles. “I’m happy to be working with IDW on the Sparkles for Blood event. Hopefully, working together we can put an end to this nightmare.”

IDW’s exclusive “Sparkles for Blood” outreach program is designed to help all fans of the undead get what they really want – bloody, vampire horror. Sprung from the twisted minds of Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith in 2002, 30 Days of Night graphic novels and major motion pictures offer vampires as the feral, animalistic creatures that stalked humans under cover of night that they really are.

“Recently, vampires in pop culture have started to swing back to the romanticized vamps of other literature and films before 30 Days of Night,” said IDW chief creative officer, Chris Ryall. “In some cases, they’re even being treated more as chaste immortal teenagers than as the murderous creatures that they are. ‘Sparkles for Blood’ will remind everyone that vampires are creatures of the night, not of the twilight.”

As part of the book-swap being offered to fans at Comic-Con, everyone who receives a 30 Days of Night graphic novel in trade for their sparkly novel will also receive information about the coming 30 Days of Night ongoing series. Written by 30 Days co-creator Steve Niles, with art by acclaimed artist Sam Kieth, this first-ever ongoing 30 Days of Night series kicks off very appropriately in October.

“We may need a forklift at the end of the show, for all the Twilight books,” says Dirk Wood, IDW’s director of retail marketing. “But it will be worth it. It’s time to start scaring people again.”

Every lapsed 30 Days of Night fan and sparkly vampire purveyor is invited to the IDW Publishing booth #2643 at Comic-Con to get back on the straight and bloody path. Steve Niles will be in attendance and signing at the IDW booth every day.

Suggested Wood, “Come swap out your Twilight books and get a needed blood transfusion in your reading habit.

[Source: CBR, IDW]

"Deliver Us From Evil"

2011-07-13T11:19:00.000+01:00

Top Cow and Image Comics have released a teaser promoting a new series from the current Witchblade creative team of Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic.

Intriguing. Very intriguing ...

Meanwhile, with Comic-Con International in San Diego just around the corner details of the "Top Cow: We Create ... Excitement" panel have been published. Hosted by Marc Silvestri, Matt Hawkins and Filip Sablik the panel will, amongst other subjects, include the announcement of the 2011 PILOT SEASON titles and creative teams.

Saturday, July 23
11:30 - 12:30 TOP COW: WE CREATE... EXCITEMENT
Join Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri (THE DARKNESS, X-Men/Dark Avengers: Utopia), President Matt Hawkins (THE DARKNESS II: CONFESSION), and Publisher Filip Sablik (LAST MORTAL), along with a bevy of Top Cow creators for the most dynamic, news-packed hour at Comic-Con! Be the first to get exclusive news about the future of the Top Cow Universe, the announcement of the 2011 PILOT SEASON titles and creative teams, and a metric truckload of Top Cow film and television announcements. Plus special surprise guests and a free gift for every attendee! Room 8.

Source: Top Cow, Image Comics, Comic Book Resources

Batman Solicitations - October 2011

2011-07-12T13:35:00.000+01:00

DC have released the Batman solicitations for October 2011 ... and there are a couple of surprises. In addition to all of the second issues I was expecting there's news of two new mini-series: a six-part mini from Paul Levitz, Marcus To, John Dell and Guillem March entitled The Huntress and a five-part mini from Greg Hurwitz and Szymon Kudranski called Penguin: Pain and Prejudice.

My choice for favourite covers this month goes to Guillem March for The Huntress #1 and Adam Hughes for Batgirl #2. For more details of these titles visit DC's The Source and Newsarama.

THE HUNTRESS #1
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by MARCUS TO and JOHN DELL
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale OCTOBER 5, 1 of 6, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Look out! By the end of this hot new miniseries, the Huntress will have the largest price on her head in DC Universe history.
What will the Huntress do that warrants such a death mark? And who puts it there? The jaw-dropping events will be revealed as the Huntress heads home to Italy and embarks on a mission that defines her life. Don’t miss out, because this story will tie in to upcoming events in BIRDS OF PREY!

PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE #1
Written by GREGG HURWITZ
Art and cover by SZYMON KUDRANSKI
On sale OCTOBER 5, 1 of 5, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
In this exciting new miniseries from novelist Gregg Hurwitz (You’re Next) and rising star artist Szymon Kudranksi (Spawn), the painful and dark past of one of Batman’s most devious foes is examined. How did young Oswald Cobblepot go from being the apple of his mother’s eye to the leader of underworld gangs and adversary of The Caped Crusader? Find out in PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE!

BATMAN #2
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by JIM LEE
1:200 B&W variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale OCTOBER 19, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Bruce Wayne is back in the cowl, hunting a new and deadly killer in Gotham City – a killer with a vendetta against Bruce Wayne! But who is this mysterious killer in an owl skull mask? And is he the key to unlocking one of Gotham’s oldest and most terrifying secrets? Be there for their first brutal encounter!

BATWING #2
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale OCTOBER 5, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
He is called Massacre, and he brings death. What does the soldier in service of Batman Incorporated do when he’s met his match? When he’s been brought so low and been wounded so badly? What does he do when lost Super Heroes begin turning up as victims? Batwing fights back!

DETECTIVE COMICS #2
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
On sale OCTOBER 5, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Batman sets his sights on the Gotham Ripper, who in turn has his sights on Batman. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne explores a budding romance with television journalist Charlotte Rivers, who’s visiting Gotham City to cover the gruesome slayings – while also trying to uncover Bruce’s own mystery. But time is running out as both Commissioner Gordon and Batman work to uncover the true identity of this new serial killer.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #2
Written by DAVID FINCH and PAUL JENKINS
Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND with JAY FABOK
Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
On sale OCTOBER 26, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Something sinister surges through Arkham Asylum, and Batman finds himself bombarded by his greatest foes in this second sensational issue from superstar creator David Finch!
Bigger, meaner, and more powerful than ever before, the inmates of Arkham Asylum run rampant as the entire Bat Family struggles to keep the walls from falling down, unleashing Gotham City’s worst criminals on the unsuspecting population. And you won’t believe the jaw-dropping final page! Just keep repeating, “It’s only a comic book. It’s only a comic book…”

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
Cover by PATRICK GLEASON
On sale OCTOBER 12, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Batman’s fears about Robin’s tendency to dish out more pain than necessary are growing! And who is the man named NoBody, visiting Gotham City to say hello to his old friend Bruce Wayne and find out where he went wrong in his battle against crime.

BATGIRL #2
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale OCTOBER 12, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
The nightmare-inducing brute known as Mirror is destroying the lives of Gotham City citizens seemingly at random, and an explosive confrontation between Batgirl and Mirror leads Babs to question wearing the cape and cowl at all!
The riveting adventures of Batgirl continue in stunning fashion, with script by fan-favorite Gail Simone and stellar art by superstar Ardian Syaf!

BATWOMAN #2
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale OCTOBER 12, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T+
Horror! A terrifying new villain stalks the innocent children of Gotham City! Intrigue! A threatening government agency is hot on Batwoman’s trail. Romance! Kate Kane’s new relationship is heating up!
Can Batwoman stop the new evil rising from the damp back alleys of Gotham’s barrios? And overcome the many challenges she faces as both Batwoman and Kate Kane? 2011’s most anticipated new series intensifies in this exciting second issue!

NIGHTWING #2
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and JP MAYER
On sale OCTOBER 19, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
When a mysterious assassin targets Dick Grayson, Nightwing must work fast to uncover the killer’s plot before he strikes again. But as Haley’s Circus continues to perform in Gotham City, Dick finds himself torn between two lives: His old one as a circus performer and his new one as a Super Hero. And they may be more connected than he ever realized!

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #2
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT and BLOND
On sale OCTOBER 19, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
Red Hood is already globe-trotting in an effort to find the ancient assassins behind the slaughter of those who taught him some of his darkest skills… and if Roy and Kori are going to be of any help, well, they’ll just have to tag along – whether Jason wants them to or not!

BIRDS OF PREY #2
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
On sale OCTOBER 19, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T
An explosion in a secure Gotham City airport terminal hurls Black Canary and Starling headlong into a nightmare involving stolen pharmaceuticals, terrorists for hire and killers in stealth suits who can appear – and disappear – at will. When Canary calls in backup, Starling’s not so sure a vengeful samurai who talks to her dead husband in a sword is the best choice.

CATWOMAN #2
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale OCTOBER 19, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US, RATED T+
She’s a thief who lives to steal just for the thrill of breaking the law. He’s The Dark Knight, obsessively driven to battle evil with every ounce of his strength. They should keep each other at arm’s length, but…they just can’t seem to help themselves! Don’t miss this issue – things are gonna get messy!

Out This Week: Lady Mechanika #2

2011-07-11T13:02:00.001+01:00

One of the stand-out titles from this weeks new comic book releases is the next installment of Aspen Comics Lady Mechanika ongoing series. No doubt recognising that following a long - we're assured unavoidable - delay between issues much of the momentum around the initial release will have been lost, Aspen are also this week publishing the Lady Mechanika Collected Edition which contains the sold out zero and first issues of the title in an oversized value-priced collection.

Our friend and regular contributor to Escape from Tomorrow Simon Breeze tells us more about the fantastic, steampunk world of Lady Mechanika ...

Towards the end of last year I stumbled across some amazing art posted by Joe Benitez on his DeviantArt page featuring a steampunk girl called Lady Mechanika. This got me intrigued, and with a little poking about on line and chatting to a comic mad friend I discovered that she was the lead character in a new comic of the same title.

Not knowing much about the comic, other than the story was set in a steampunk world, I took a punt and added it to my monthly pull list. The art alone was enough to convince me at this point and the only nagging doubt I held was the steampunk element, not that I'm not a fan of steampunk, however I have been witness to some terrible writing crimes under the guise of steampunk before.

If I had any concerns they were washed away with just a cursory glance at issue #0, and once I had read the issue, I was hooked. This was further re-enforced when issue #1 arrived on my doorstep with my monthly delivery of comics.

Again, as with issue #0, a quick glance at the pages blew my socks off! Let alone a read of the book.

One of the things that really stands out for me is the world of lady Mechanika. With steampunk it seems that sometimes if you just stick some cogs and goggles on everyone and put them in a Victorian setting then it is steampunk. I need more than that from my steampunk. I need it to have a practical application, not just there because it looks good, and with the world of Lady Mechanika everything and everyone seems to have a purpose from the outset, which in my book of steampunk is perfect!

The hard effort that Joe Benitez has put into creating this marvellous world of the steam-age for his characters to live in and tell his stories from has worked out brilliantly. Upon reading, fan of steampunk or not, you will be instantly drawn into the characters, their situations and the settings with ease. The world and characters are so fully realised that there is no 'jarring' upon reading, and by this I mean that you never find yourself thinking 'What is all that about?' or 'What does that do?' I recently compared the world of Lady Mechanika to that of the original world of Star Wars trilogy in that everything looks like it is where it should be.

Issue #0 introduces you to all of the above and to some of the characters that will appear in the ongoing series. The Demon of Satan's Alley, as the #0 issue is titled, is a stand alone story and as such is not a necessary read for those interested in the ongoing issues however, I would highly recommend reading it. It is a fantastic story, a clever introduction and a stand out example of how a zero issue should be. Not only all that, but it will also enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the first issue too.

The Demon of Satan's Alley follows lady Mechanika on a hunt for a supposed demon terrorising Satan's Alley. Very early on in the story we discover that Lady Mechanika is not alone on this hunt and that there are several other interested parties patrolling the alley too. The other groups of 'hunters' all have their own agendas and methods and so it is not too long before things kick off with a bang!

The chase propels the story along very quickly to a confrontational and bloody conclusion where we get a glimpse at the true character of Lady Mechanika and find that there is a lot more going on beneath that leather-trussed surface than you would first presume. If I have read and understood the story as well as I believe I have there are several character moments from the supporting cast blended in amongst the rest of the story that are already echoing into issue #1. Again, due to the fanatic story telling of the comic, you will not have had to have read issue #0 to read issue #1.

Issue #1, with the eerie title of Chapter One, The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse, picks up the story a short nondescript time after The Demon of Satan's Alley. The story starts with the disturbing discovery of a mechanical enhanced corpse in the heart of Mechanika City. Appearing obsessed with such discoveries in order to unravel the mystery that is her own life, Lady Mechanika decides to investigate.

As the investigation progresses we are introduced to several very interesting characters who will no doubt impact on future stories, and to the larger, breath taking steampunked world of Lady Mechanika. The story clips along at a fast pace, yet at no time do you feel like anything is being missed or over-looked giving the comic an edge-of-the-seat feel to it as you go. At times it can feel like you are on an emotional roller-coaster (in a good way), excited one moment, laughing the next and curious as hell in another breath. There is even one scene that I challenge you not to get a little choked up on it is so touching. Issue #1 comes to a fantastic ending where you feel like you have found out so much about these fantastic characters and their world, but there is so much more to learn.

The storytelling for both issues is brilliant and the art is fantastic, the comic almost feels cinematic in places and I wouldn't be surprised if someone out there in movie land is already considering Lady Mechanika for a future production. I highly recommend this comic and I can't gush about it enough to anyone that will listen, and sometimes those that don't too. I already pick this comic up as part of my pull list and plan to also buy the traded addition when it is published in the future. From just these two issues I can tell that Lady Mechanika does not only read well as a comic, but will read fantastically as a collected edition.

Each book comes packed not only with the main story, but the back of the book is packed with art, sketches, notes and a section called The Steampunkitchen by Stephanie Hanson where we can discover how to make some yummy steampunk treats such as cakes and tarts! I know it sounds a bit bonkers, however it is an inspired section that as a fan of cooking I really enjoy, and doesn't seem out of place within the comic. If this was a Spider-Man or Batman comic and there was a similar section you would find yourself asking why? Clearly not the case with Lady Mechanika, and genuinely I would miss it if it wasn't there one day when I flicked to the back of the book.

I guess by now you know where this is going. I give Lady Mechanika a steam-powered 5 out of 5. There are two new comic titles I have started reading recently that have really stood out and always move to the top of the reading pile when they arrive, and Lady Mechanika is one of those.

Lady Mechanika
Written & Drawn by Joe Benitez, colours by Peter Steigerwald, letters by Josh Reed
Published by Aspen Comics

Like Simon I thoroughly enjoyed these first issues of Lady Mechanika and am really looking forward to following the story. Don't forget you can read more from Simon over at his blog as well as follow his weekly webcomic JessieKane.

"... Just Mount a Bicycle and Go Out for a Spin Down the Road ..."

2011-07-05T18:14:00.003+01:00

It's felt like waiting for Christmas but finally the Tour de France is upon us ... and I'm off on my annual holidays timed around the first and third weeks of the worlds greatest annual sporting event.

When I'm not watching the Tour I'll mainly be reading - I've got a pile of comics to catch up with and I'm looking forward to rereading some early Conan Doyle - and cycling in preparation of my own two-wheeled challenge at the end of August.

Back to blogging in less than a week, for a week, then I'll be off again ...

When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1896

Birds of Prey #13 Reviewed

2011-07-01T13:15:00.000+01:00

As always my review contains spoilers - if you don't want to know what happens in this issue of Birds of Prey then stop reading now!

Birds of Prey #13

Picking up immediately as the previous issue closed this second, and closing, instalment of Hostile Takeover - No Sentence Shall be Commuted - opens with Huntress urging Barbara Gordon - Helena Bertinelli and Barbara Gordon - to abort the Birds of Prey's latest mission: unfortunately due to a breakdown in communication with Black Canary and Dove Babs explains that isn't going to be possible.

From the tunnels deep below Gotham City Huntress, accompanied by The Question Renee Montoya, explains that whoever 'Junior' is they need to proceed with the utmost caution: after all she - Junior - "made Catman afraid. Catman".

With a heavy heart Babs explains that yes, she's heard a little about Junior - she once ran the west coast organised crime syndicate but stayed 'off the radar' by relying on basics like a telephone and a note book ... there's little or no trace of her.

Reaching street level Huntress announces that if they can't warn the Birds to make their exit then the only thing they can do is fetch them and get them to safety. With that she and The Question jump on Huntress's motorcycle and head across the city.

Back at Kord Tower and Barbara is looking for an answer - how can she find out more about Alex Merkel, also known as Junior. Almost out of nowhere her moment of reflection is broken by Creote who quickly offers his and Savant's assistance ... an offer that is initially rejected before Babs realises that an answer may be closer to home that she initially thought.

Savant and Creote have their own criminal connections of course.

Elsewhere and Black Canary and Dove, Dinah Lance and Dawn Grainger, are literally in the dark trying to contend with blade-wielding Junior. Despite their undoubted combat skills - including Dinah's Canary Cry and Dawn's ability to fly - they are certainly coming off second best as feet, fists and blades fly.

With both women grounded Junior moves in for her final act - the "Mercy killing" as she calls it - and using the darkness to her advantage she surprises Dove and stabs her in the back. As her partner falls to the ground Dinah believes that the battle has been lost.

Many floors above and Zinda Blake, Lady Blackhawk, is receiving a beating of her own from the odorous Mr Tripe, in terms of day to day activities the head man. Demanding to know who sent her and what she and her team want Tripe reminds Zinda that there's nothing - nothing - that he can be threatened with and he won't allow anyone to touch his employer.

Down on the ground floor Hank Hall finds himself held at gunpoint by Tripe's assistants - sisters Trissa and Somnia Lachess. Realising that the phone call Trissa has received is unlikely to be good news he transforms into Hawk as the two women open fire. Through what appear at first to be inconsequential verbal jibes the sisters reveal that their clothing, as well as being very stylish, has a practical function: it isolates them from the electric charge that they subject Hawk to.

Recovering from his 'shock' Hawk surprises the women by getting back to his feet and telling them that now he's really, really, not happy.

Returning to the basements and Dinah senses that following the attack Dawn is fast fading. Gathering her in her arms Dinah is in no doubt that if her friend is to survive she need medical attention - but with Junior lurking in the shadows how can that be possible.

Moments later Dinah's words of encouragement and comfort for Dawn are broken as their attacker runs at them - and not a moment too soon the room is filled with her Canary Cry ... an act that buys them a little breathing space at least.

Back at Kord Tower Barbara is on the telephone - and it's clear she's not having an easy or enjoyable conversation. On the other end of the line is Catman - Thomas Blake - and Babs appears to have touched a nerve with him: she realises that two of the most important things in his life are money - which he declines - and Huntress.

With Huntress in trouble Catman reveals that he's prepared to listen.

Across the city and Huntress and The Question are on their target buildings roof-top discussing their next actions. Understanding that contrary to security at ground level their best entry point might be from the roof the women are sent flying to the ground as a helicopter rises from the side of the building, opening fire on them. Seizing the moment Huntress runs, leaps and grabs onto the aircraft before climbing up and taking out the gunman and taking the pilot captive.

Down below her friends and team mates appear to be making some progress - Zinda knocks Tripe to the ground with a well placed head butt as Dinah, carrying Dawn makes way up the stairs towards safety. Realising, however, that with Dawn's condition worsening time was very much against them Dinah decides it's time for one, possibly final, stand. With Junior hidden by the darkness Dinah calls her forward ... "Come on and try your luck, why don't you?".

As Junior steps forward the basement is flooded with light - intelligence courtesy of Catman and Barbara - which momentarily gives Dinah an advantage - an advantage that's doubled as she's joined by Huntress. With The Question now holding the helicopter pilot prisoner Huntress sets about Junior and with one swift kick knocks her off the staircase and down and down back into the bowels of the basement.

Gathering Dawn into her arms and heading for the roof Huntress explains that it was thanks to the Canary Cry she was able locate her - and the fact that she's the Huntress of course.

Half an hour or so later Dinah, Zinda and Helena are debriefing with Barbara back at Kord Tower. Realising that things didn't exactly go to plan, and recognising Helena's actions in rescuing the team, Babs 'promotes' her to new field leader - an appointment that understandably smarts with Dinah, initially at least. Zinda sounds a further word of caution by reminding the team that with no body there's no proof that Junior is actually dead.

With such a dangerous opponent who will now have both allies as well as weapons, Barbara explains, there's only one reason why they would go back.

"She hurt my girls".

End. Thirteen issues of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey series and that's it now before the much publicised DC reboot. Rather like the series as a whole this current two-part story-arc was at times enjoyable - particularly through issue #12 - at other times frustrating and just a little unsatisfactory - most of this issue I felt - and overall best summed-up as okay with a sense that okay just hasn't been good enough.

Whether it's me projecting what we know about this titles future but this issue felt like it was rushed, a compromise. Issue #12 did a great job, in my opinion, of setting up what was promising to be an engaging, thrilling story. This issue - again for me, others will no doubt feel differently - left me with a sense of 'what could have been', a feeling of frustration.

One of my first frustrations was to see another new artist on the book - ironically I rather liked Diego Olmos's work (one or two somewhat inconsistent panels aside) but this simply added to my regret that the publisher hadn't settled on a good artist to work on the title and stick with them.

I appreciated Olmos's subtly when capturing the emotions our central characters were experiencing - the almost blind panic of Huntress, Barbara feeling helpless as she believes she's run out of ideas, Zinda's 'never say die' attitude, Dinah's sense that for once she has found herself out of her depth. Emotions captured not just through facial expressions but through implied movement and fluidity of body language.

As always, much credit for the look and feel - and therefore my enjoyment - of this issue goes to colourist Nei Ruffino for his magnificent work.

The story just felt rushed - maybe it was and had to be - and this was probably my greatest frustration. There were too many 'conveniences', too many aspects that went unexplored: I'd have liked to seen the Birds extraction from the building ... what happened to Tripe? ... and the sisters Lachess? ... why hadn't Dinah used her Cry sooner? ... did Barbara really need Catman to prompt her to turn on the lights? (!) ... wouldn't Huntress, or someone, look to check whether Junior was actually dead?

Some or all of these aspects may well have been areas that writer Gail Simone would have liked to explore given more time and pages but, as we know, that isn't the case in the current DCU unfortunately.

I did approve of the decision to appoint Huntress as the teams new "field leader" - in Barbara's own words she's certainly "earned it" I'd agree. Recent issues of Birds of Prey have served as a showcase for Huntress and, as I've said before, I've been reminded what a fantastically complicated character she is.

Banner advertisement aside (see my comments for Batgirl #22!) I enjoyed this issues cover - covers have undoubtedly been a strength of this series and this image very much continued the feel of 'Mission: Impossible' that I took from the previous issue.

Finishing as I started, and in summary, this was a decent read - certainly not bad but by the same token not quite as good as I'd hoped and expected.

Would I recommend picking up the series at the moment? With everything that's happening at the publisher over the coming months then I'd have to say no. Will these single issues make for an enjoyable read when collected? Yes, I believe they will.

Birds of Prey #13
Written by Gail Simone, art by Diego Olmos, colours by Nei Ruffino, letters by Carlos M. Mangual, cover art and cover by Jesus Saiz
Published by DC Comics, August 2011

[Interior artwork source: IGN]

New 30 Days of Night Ongoing Series from IDW

2011-06-28T11:06:00.001+01:00

Over at CBR there's an interesting interview/discussion with IDW Publishing’s Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall where, amongst many other subjects, Ryall briefly talks about a new a 30 Days of Night ongoing series that launches in October:

"Yeah, we’re trying to get away from these miniseries and let people know every month what’s coming. I think the ongoing thing is helpful for retailers, because they can judge who’s interested month in and month out and then they know what’s important. In a lot of ways, we try to listen to fans and to retailers. Especially in these unsure times, it’s nice to let people know what to expect and base their ordering or their buying patterns off of that. And also I think we’ve finally found a good hook for “30 Days”--there’s been a good story to tell here or there, but there’s never been sort of an ongoing reason for the book to exist, and now we have that and we’re going to be developing good characters--which is another thing “30 Days” has needed--good ongoing characters that you can build a series around. Steve and Sam Kieth are working on that together and giving us that. It seemed like the right time to really make this thing work in a way that I would have liked to see it a while ago."

To read the interview in full head over to CBR.

I'm looking forward to picking up this new Steve Niles and Sam Kieth series - as a result of recent events at DC I'll be dropping a number of the titles that I currently pickup so I'll have one or two 'vancancies' on my pull list.

Continuing the 30 Days of Night theme and next week sees the release of the much anticipated Vertigo/IDW co-published X-Files/30 Days of Night trade paperback written by Steve Niles and Adam Jones with art by Tom Mandrake.

Two of the most popular horror properties of the last two decades collide in this harrowing six-issue adventure of epic proportions. When evidence of a cannibal killer in Alaska draws the attention of the FBI, Mulder and Scully draw the less-than-glamorous assignment. But all is not as it seems. Not only has the long seasonal darkness begun to fall, but there's something unnatural going on. And how is a chilling, mysterious black ship connected to the murders?

[Source: DC Comics/Vertigo]

Running across 144 pages X-Files/30 Days of Night goes on sale on 6 July 2011.

Batgirl #22 Reviewed

2011-06-24T18:38:00.003+01:00

As always my review contains spoilers, if you don't want to know what happens in this issue of Batgirl then stop reading now!

Batgirl #22

Amidst all the news coming from DC over the past month or - and worries for the future of some of our favourite characters - it's been easy to forget that there's still the present. Issue #22 of Batgirl is entitled "Five Minutes Fast" and opens at the home of Stephanie Brown and her mother.

Closing the door to her bedroom behind her Steph throws herself onto her bed, exhausted as she is after a long night looking after the citizens of Gotham City. No sooner has she hit the bedclothes than she receives an electronic message accompanied by a shadowed Bat-signal.

"You.Have.Been.Activated".

Several hour later, with her mother believing she's on a school trip, Stephanie - under the unlikely pseudonym Constance Aberthine - steps out of Heathrow International Airport and into the cool London air.

We're not told it's cool but it's London so it seems likely.

Gathering her thoughts Steph reminds herself that her plans involve meeting up with someone she's never met, crossing a city she's never visited to find a hotel she never knew existed.

Thanks Bruce.

As Steph is woken from her daydream by a loud, unfamiliar voice she looks up to see a young woman on a motorcycle, with side-car, waving a sign with her name on it. Well, not her name exactly - "Aberthine".

With their clumsy introductions out of the way Steph's driver - Beryl Hutchinson, also known as Squire - apologises that because of a prior commitment her partner Knight isn't able to join them, while encouraging Steph to take her place in the side-car.

Just a few minutes later, with Steph wearing some of her hastily purchased souvenirs of London and clinging onto the side-car for dear life, the pair are stopped in their tracks by The Beatles crossing Abbey Road (!) when they hear the shrill cry of an alarm.

Nearby, at the Ministry of Management and Proper Accord, that same alarm has been silenced thanks to a gunshot blast from a particularly unpleasant looking character - known as The Orphan - who is, in turn, surrounded by a number of his men wearing similarly outdated clothing.

Having watched on for a few moments Batgirl and Squire, by this time in their crime fighter costumes, leap into action as fists, elbows, knees and feet fly. As the group - minus their obvious leader - are taken care of Steph wonders aloud just what could they want at the Ministry: all they could find to steal there is clocks and more clocks.

Isn't it?

"He's after the Mean", explains Squire, "the Greenwich Mean". No, really, it's an actual thing - a physical thing Squire goes on to explain as she and Batgirl make their way deeper into the bowels of the Ministry. Continuing her fantastic tale it appears that during the blitz a crack in time was opened that only the Greenwich Mean could plug ... holding time together.

As the two young women again come face to face once again with The Orphan they discover that he's about to free the Greenwich Mean - that takes the form of an impressive-looking sword - from its binding, thus reopening the crack in time.

Warning the pair that they ought to be more concerned by the bombs his men - his 'Urchins' - had strapped to the Ministry staff The Orphan releases some sort of energy pulse from the Mean, knocking Batgirl and Squire off their feet. As The Orphan makes his exit the two young women set off in pursuit only to be stopped in their tracks when they discover that everything - everything - appears to be frozen in time.

Outside the Ministry building the enormity of their task begins to, initially at least, overwhelm Batgirl and Squire. As this leak in time spreads it'll reach Europe and beyond.

"... Batgirl and Squire have to save the world".

As Batgirl wonders aloud where The Orphan could possibly have disappeared to Squire has a 'eureka!' moment and pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place for her ...

Shortly after, and elsewhere the time-slip has reached Knight's 'prior commitment'. With everyone at the charity event frozen in time The Orphan is seeking his own particular brand of justice as he positions the tip of a jousting pole in front of Knight's face and in line with his brain. We do a lot of jousting here in Britain.

As Squire and Batgirl warn him to step away The Orphan orders more of his 'urchins' to deal with his unwelcome visitors - an act that surprises as Steph wonders just how his men are able to move when everyone else around them can't.

while more fists fly reality strikes ... it appears the urchins are each wearing some sort of mechanical device - clocks - around their waists, and when those devices are destroyed they also become frozen.

Unable to rely on the support of his men The Orphan attempts to make his exit before being confronted by Squire. Easily knocking his opponent to the ground he explains that the time-slip is starting to affect her - and when he returns the Greenwich Mean to its rightful place Knight will be finished. While taunting Squire it appears that The Orphan had forgotten about Batgirl - and he's rudely reminded that the fight isn't over as Steph launches herself at him, knocks him off his feet and 'pick pockets' the Greenwich Mean ... sending The Orphan himself into the time-slide.

Soon afterwards, and with the crisis averted, the honour of returning The Greenwich Mean to the Ministry of Management and Proper Accord falls upon Stephanie, accompanied by her new friend Beryl. As the pair head back across the city they discuss their own relationships with their 'mentors', Knight and Batman. Beryl explains to Steph that she and Knight have been through so much, they've shared both good and bad times. These comments strike a chord with Steph who admits that she's just a little jealous of the relationship.

"... you are most certainly not a sidekick" Beryl tells Steph.

Finally, with the world once again safe, Steph reaches the comfort of her hotel room. Once again shutting the door behind her and falling onto her bed she's reminded of the reason why she came to London in the first place ... coming out of the shadows in the room it's Batman.

Fun, delightful, charming, bitter-sweet: all words that come to mind when describing this issue of Batgirl. An immensely enjoyable story that, as so often this title does, focuses on the relationships between its characters every bit as much as it does on the plot.

Bitter-sweet because there are only another two issues of Stephanie Brown's Batgirl before the book is cancelled.

From Dustin Nguyen's striking cover to Pere Perez's wonderful last panel my face was fixed with a smile of enjoyment and satisfaction. Bryan Q. Miller's writing was - and always has been on Batgirl - a delight: real and yet fantastic characters treated playfully yet with a warmth and depth that for me is sadly absent in so many other books in the market today.

I really didn't know what to expect when I read that Steph was heading to London for her team up with Squire. For one, Knight and Squire aren't particularly characters that I have much history with. For two, I find 'Britishness' often gets overplayed and what to some may appear as 'quirky' often crosses the line for me and becomes just silly or strange.

Although we had a plenty of the 'Britishness' in this issue Mr Miller, as I've come to trust, kept it right on the edge, skilfully avoiding the so often taken route of 'overplaying' this aspect and therefore slipping into the aforementioned silly or strange.

One or two of the scenes did, to me at least, come across as being a little wordy - particularly when Batgirl and Squire confronted The Orphan as he was about to remove the Mean - which seemed a shame because as much as this meant a lot could be said in a relatively short span of time, the panels themselves felt a little overwhelmed by the speech bubbles.

As for the plot itself, I loved the interpretation of the Greenwich Mean Time as a 'thing' - something that could be stolen - leading into the idea of a time slip: great fun and an imaginative core around which the issue could play-out.

I appreciated the themes of trust and respect that I picked up from the book - Bruce trusts and respects Steph enough to engage her in Batman Incorporated business; Beryl respects, and envies a little, the relationship that Batgirl shares with Batman and the place that she holds within the Bat-family and, in her own right, within the crime fighting community. I only wish the publisher had as much trust and respect for Stephanie as Batgirl.

Pere Perez has become a firm favourite through his work on this title and this issue added to my admiration. Steph's 'disguise' when leaving the safety of Heathrow Airport was wonderfully illustrated - I don't even think her mother would have recognised her! - and I've said many times about how much I appreciate how he draws Steph as Batgirl.

The Orphan and his gang of urchins were very nicely portrayed I thought - Victorian-styled clothing that very much leant itself to a story about time, I noticed that even the firearm the groups leader used had the appearance of a highwayman's pistol rather than a more modern weapon.

If I can use the word again, fun is very much the word to describe Dustin Nguyen's cover - each with such a wonderful expression on their face, hanging way above street level from the hand of an impressive-looking clock face, cape and hair billowing behind and below them. This image - minus the inappropriately placed advert for the Green Lantern film - will indeed be one of my favourites from the entire series.

Great writing with stunning interior and cover artwork. Top marks to the creative team.

Buy Stephanie Brown's Batgirl while you still can.

Batgirl #22
Written by Bryan Q. Miller, art by Pere Perez, colours by Guy Major, letters by Carlos M. Mangual, cover by Dustin Nguyen
Published by DC Comics, August 2011

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: September 2011 Highlights

2011-06-22T14:14:00.000+01:00

As I've come to expect there's some great stuff coming from Image and Top Cow in September - and what better place to start than with the 150th issue of one of my favourite books, Witchblade.

If the issue number wasn't reason enough for celebration this issue will also be the last - for now at least! - from long-time collaborators Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic. Without dismissing the importance of their predesessors in many ways these two guys have made the book what it is today - compelling storylines, fantastic yet believable characters complemented by some of the most eye catching cover and interior art that you'll see in any book.

Truth be told, over the past year or so my enjoyment of the Top Cow U has suffered as a result of numerous delays with publishing the books and I've (reluctantly) dropped a number of the periodicals in favour of the collected edition. I think it speaks volumes for the job that Marz and Sejic are doing on Witchblade that I've been prepared to put up with the delays to allow me to pick up a 'semi monthly'.

The end of an era indeed.

September also sees the publication of a number of notable new #1's, a couple of what look like being enjoyable one-shots along with a number of eagerly anticipated collected editions - if you didn't buy Troy Hickman's Twilight Guardian in single issues then now is the time to right that wrong and pick up the 160 page trade paperback which includes all four issues plus the original Pilot Season issue along with a cover gallery, behind-the-scenes insights and more!

I did buy the single issues and already own the Pilot Season issue and I'll also be picking up the trade - that's how much I enjoyed it!

Here's my selection from the Image and Top Cow solicitations for September 2011:

WITCHBLADE #150
story RON MARZ, art STJEPAN SEJIC, cover A STJEPAN SEJIC, cover B MICHAEL BROUSSARD, cover C MIKE CHOI, cover D MICHAEL TURNER
September 28, 48 pages, FC, T, $4.99
END OF AN ERA!
WITCHBLADE reaches its momentous one hundred-fiftieth issue! The series reaches another landmark as longtime writer RON MARZ and artist STJEPAN SEJIC put a final stamp on the series they helped define for the modern reader with their final issue. Sara Pezzini has long walked the thin line between being the bearer of the Witchblade and a detective for the New York Police Department. Now as Internal Affairs closes in on her, she may be forced to choose between her two lives.

TWILIGHT GUARDIAN TP
story TROY HICKMAN, art SID KOTIAN, BILL FARMER & REZA, cover KEU CHA
September 14, 160 pages, FC, T+, STANDARD SIZE, $19.99
PILOT SEASON WINNER!
The entire tale of a lone, dedicated hero patrolling her nine block suburban neighborhood that captured the imaginations of fans during 2008’s Pilot Season and after heated voting emerged as one of the winning titles is finally collected! Creator and writer TROY HICKMAN (COMMON GROUNDS) along with artist SID KOTIAN (EAT THE DEAD) delves into Twilight Guardian’s past, her motivations for crime-fighting, and even give her an arch-nemesis in the terrifying Dusk Devil!
Collects TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1-#4 along with the original PILOT SEASON: TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1 with a cover gallery, behind-the-scenes insights and more!

NEAR DEATH #1
story JAY FAERBER, art SIMONE GUGLIELMINI, cover TOMM COKER
September 21, 32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
Markham is a professional killer who has a near death experience during a botched mission. Determined to avoid ever returning to the Hell he glimpsed, Markham dedicates himself to balancing the scales. He's going to save a life for every life he's taken. And he's taken a lot of lives...
A new ongoing crime series for fans of Criminal and the novels of Lee Child and Robert Crais.

PIGS #1
story NATE COSBY & BEN McCOOL, art BRENO TEMURA, cover JOCK
September 14, 32 pages, FC, M, $2.99
ISSUE ONE: HELLO, CRUEL WORLD
A KGB sleeper cell has been in Cuba since 1962. And now they’re coming to kill you. NATE COSBY (MARVEL), BEN McCOOL (CHOKER, MEMOIR) and hotshot newcomer artist BRENO TEMURA present PIGS, an ongoing series set to join Image’s elite ranks. Terrorists have descended on America, assigned to destroy everything in their path...but why, and why now?

ARTIFACTS #13 (of 13)
story RON MARZ, art DALE KEOWN & SUNNY GHO, cover A DALE KEOWN, cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER, cover C JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
October 5, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
THE DECISION!
It all comes down to this! The Survivor’s plan has come to fruition. All thirteen Artifacts and their bearers are in their fated place. The stakes are simple – the very fate of the Top Cow Universe. And the only question that remains is, will either Jackie Estacado or Sara Pezzini doom the world as Tom Judge predicted? Legendary special guest artist DALE KEOWN (THE DARKNESS/PITT, Hulk) joins Top Cow Universe architect RON MARZ to bring fans an event conclusion they will never forget!
PLUS: Each issue will also feature an Artifacts: Origin story written by RON MARZ and drawn by a guest superstar artist.

'68: JUNGLE JIM (one-shot)
story MARK KIDWELL, art NATE VAN DYKE & JAY FOTOS, cover A NATE VAN DYKE, cover B NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS
September 28, 32 pages, FC, T+, $3.99
Vietnam, 1968: Behind enemy lines, a soldier stands alone. A one-man army...armored against the risen, hungry dead under burlap, bamboo and Army green. Armored against the living with a Bowie knife and a mobile arsenal.
If you got left behind...he’ll find you. If you’re the enemy...you’ll never see him coming. If you’re a zombie...he’ll kill you again.
Sometimes, to slay monsters...you have to become one yourself.
Jungle Jim is a stand-alone one-shot comic story set in the grim world of ’68. Meshing smoothly with the ongoing military horror series, Jungle Jim is a savage new slant on the Vietnam/Zombie apocalypse scripted by MARK KIDWELL with stunning artwork by NATE VAN DYKE and JAY FOTOS.

THE BIG LIE #1
story RICK VEITCH, art RICK VEITCH & GARY ERSKINE, cover THOMAS YEATES
September 7, 32 pages, FC, T+, $2.99
A lab tech travels back in time to the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 to try and get her husband out of the world trade center before it falls, but will the facts convince him before it's too late? A riveting tale of 9/11 by award winning master storyteller RICK VEITCH that exposes “The Big Lie!”

DEADLANDS: HOPELESS ROADS (ONE-SHOT)
story STEVE NILES, art/cover FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
based on the game DEADLANDS from PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT
September 21, 32 pages, FC, T, $2.99
Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment bring the weird Western world of Deadlands to comics! When evil takes over a sleepy western town it will take a heartless father to save the souls of the innocent in the final of four one-shots by masters of horror and noire, Steve Niles and Francesco Francavilla. Backup series also wraps up the origin of Billy the Kid in the world of Deadlands! Do not miss this!

PILOT SEASON: DECLASSIFIED 2011
story TOP COW’S FINEST, art/cover TOP COW’S FINEST
September 7, 32 pages, FC, T, $1.00
TAKE CONTROL!
After five years, the annual Pilot Season has become a comics institution and a unique engine for debuting new ideas and properties into comics! Get your first look at this year’s competition, which begins in October, including the list of creative teams, this year’s concepts, and an early look at the art from each book. You’ll also get an early look at upcoming series from previous winners like GENIUS and 39 MINUTES. We can’t tell you much more, because it’s still Top Secret, but we will give you this hint: 8. 4. 2.

CARBON GREY, VOL. 1: SISTERS AT WAR TP
story HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS, PAUL GARDNER & MIKE KENNEDY, art/cover HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH
September 14, 96 pages, FC, T+, STANDARD SIZE, $9.99
To a noble family twins are born; Mathilde and Giselle, the Sisters Grey. For centuries the Greys have protected the Kaiser, ruler of Mitteleuropa – but this is a different time. At the dawn of the industrial age a great war rages. When the Kaiser is found dead Giselle is accused of his murder. Pursued by her sisters and hunted by the enemy Giselle must unravel the prophecy of the Carbon Grey before history itself is rewritten. ‘Sisters at War’ includes all three issues of the sold-out first arc plus deleted scenes, concept art and additional new content.

MORIARTY, VOL. 1 TP
story DANIEL COREY, art/cover ANTHONY DIECIDUE
September 7, 128 pages, FC, T, STANDARD SIZE, $14.99
“THE DARK CHAMBER” Part One
It is the dawn of World War I, and Sherlock Holmes has been dead for 20 years. Holmes’ enemy — Professor James Moriarty — is a lost man. MI5 blackmails Moriarty into finding Holmes' long-lost brother, Mycroft, but what at first appears to be a routine case leads to a web of intrigue that involves a psychic box and its creator, a woman from Moriarty’s past, and a new villain that threatens to be greater than Moriarty ever was!
Collects MORIARTY #1-4

MAGDALENA #9
story RON MARZ, art/cover NELSON BLAKE II, DAVID MARQUEZ, SAL REGLA & DAVE McCAIG
September 21, 32 pages, FC, T, $3.99
BACK MONTHLY!
After a sabbatical, the fan favorite team of RON MARZ (ARTIFACTS, WITCHBLADE), NELSON BLAKE II (PILOT SEASON: MURDERER) and DAVID MARQUEZ (Secret Warriors, Days Missing) return with a monthly MAGDALENA series. Once more under the employ of the Catholic Church, Patience, the current Magdalena and her mentor, Knight of Malta Kristof, are called on to find a piece of the One True Cross.

Full Image Comics and Top Cow solicitations for September 2011 can be found over at Newsarama.

Birds of Prey #12 Reviewed

2011-06-20T11:26:00.000+01:00

As always my review contains spoilers - if you don't want to know what happens in this issue of Birds of Prey then stop reading now.

Birds of Prey #12

Our story opens three weeks ago as two young women - "Misses Lachess" - stand in an office in an impressive-looking building before a smartly dressed, elderly businessman known as Mr Tripe.

Tripe refuses the women the opportunity to sit as he explains he enjoys disadvantaging others on first meeting. Lighting a cigarette he produces an ink-blot image and asks what they see.

The answers - a bunch of flowers, pretty flowers - disappoint. Rather surprisingly the women are asked to temporarily remove their blouses, an act that reveals several unsightly scars they they refuse to talk about.

What relevance do these scars have when they are interviewing for jobs as receptionists one of the woman demands.

Mr Tripe, by now losing his patience, explains in no uncertain terms that these aren't receptionist jobs - they are there to interview for the role of personal assistants to the owner of the firm: a Mister J.

Showing the ink-blot once again this time the women give Tripe the answer that he wanted to hear - it's a woman's crushed skull; a woman's entrails. Clearly impressed Tripe immediately hires the pair and explains that they must start this evening ... but they won't be working in this office.

Elsewhere, Renee Montoya - aka The Question - crouches over a manhole cover with crowbar in hand. As she's about to lift the cover she's joined by Huntress aka Helena Bertinelli and after a brief exchange - "Q", "H" - they get down to business ... is The Question really going into the underground tunnels with a storm on the way? Doesn't Huntress have something else she could be doing? Someone else she could be troubling?

With neither woman being known for their patience these questions go unanswered as Montoya drops down the access chute and in one swift movement takes out an armed lookout. As Huntress joins her Montoya explains that there's a "buy going down tonight" - weapons for drugs.

Drawing her flash light Montoya brushes aside Bertinelli's remark that she has something to ask her, something that will make a difference, as she sets off into the tunnel complex. Failing to take the hint that her prescence isn't required Huntress continues after her, demanding to know why her help on this case isn't welcome - the answer, we learn, is that everyone involved in the "buy" is a police officer: and The Question wants to go it alone.

Returning above ground and to the entrance to the earlier city office building Mr Tripe, joined by his two new female employees, welcomes a Miss Hargison and her entourage. Miss Hargison, we learn, is none other than Lady Blackhawk, also known as Zinda Blake, and her entourage consists of Black Canary aka Dinah Lance, Dove aka Dawn Grainger, and Hawk aka Hank Hall.

Shamelessly flirting with Tripe while passing through the buildings security "Miss Hargison" asks Tripe if they can be alone, after all she feels safe in his presence. Despite their protestations Tripe dismisses his own security personnel - the aforementioned Miss Lachess, Triss and Somnia - and as he and Zinda enter the lift alone Dinah activates her comms link to Oracle - Barbara Gordon - who confirms that they now have two minutes during which the security cameras will be off line.

"And Zinda's laying it on a bit thick, isn't she?"

Now that they are alone Zinda pauses the lift, turns to grab Tripe by his suit lapels and kisses him firmly on the lips before explaining that she's being blackmailed about events earlier in her life ... and she needs his help. At exactly the same time Dawn and Dinah pry open the lift-shaft doors and swing out into the void, heading down the shaft using a series of access ladders while carefully avoiding the motion detectors.

Back in the tunnel complex below Gotham City Huntress and The Question continue their conversation - The Question isn't concerned for her or Huntresses safety - she's concerned for the safety of the officers. Issuing one final warning that their prey must not be harmed - "punctured" as she puts it. Leaping into the crowded chamber where the deal is being done Huntress catches the men unaware, swiftly taking several of them down. As others try to make their escape The Question joins her friend and likewise disarms a number of the startled policemen.

As a flurry of bullets rip into a soft canvas bag bank notes fill the air before settling on the surface of the water and being swept away. At the same time The Question disarms an officer and knocks him out using the butt of his gun ... meaning she's left holding the weapon. Fearing that one of their visitors is now armed one of the men focuses his attention on this new threat as "Bam" she's knocked off her feet and into the water pool.

This proves to be one act too far for Huntress as with a swift kick and a strong headlock she disarms two more threats before forcing the shooter into the water and threatening to drown him in revenge for his attack. As her patience is running out she feels a firm hand on her shoulder, looks up before hugging The Question with a mixture of joy and relief.

"Bullet wound. Bullet wound".

Recovering from his own water ordeal the shooter pleads with the two women that they kill him. That they kill them all. Continuing, he explains that his wife's sister had been kidnapped before being tortured for three full hours - and he and his wife had been forced to watch the gruesome events on video afterwards.

Back in the upmarket office building and Mr Tripe thanks his guest - Zinda - for such a "charming moment", and expressing his willingness to take things further. As Tripe goes on to explain that he is in fact dying that same moment Triss and Somnia Lachess, realising that everything is not as it at first seemed, draw their weapons on Hawk demanding to know what he and his friends are up to.

Elsewhere in the same building Dinah and Dove have finally found their way to the basement floors and as the lights go off they are taken aback by what they've seen - graffiti covers the walls and dolls hang from the ceiling. In another area of the basement the two women come across another curious sight - a wooden chest, a telephone and a notepad.

Back with Zinda and Tripe is explaining that he's not afraid of death because he's found his "saviour" - and she has remarkable abilities. "Alexa Deborah Merkel ... daughter of the mass murderer, The Ragdoll".

Returning to Huntress and The Question in the tunnels deep beneath street level and Huntress has heard enough. Over the comms unit she urges Barbara to get Black Canary and the team out and away from Tripe and his people.

"Get them all out now!"

Amid the darkness of their basement neither Dinah or Dawn realise that they have been joined by a third party ...

'Hostile Takeover, A Thin Edge Directly to the Brain' continues.

Regular readers will know that, as much as I've been enjoying Birds of Prey over the past dozen issues, it's fallen short in a number of areas for me. I think this latest issue from Gail Simone and Jesus Saiz may just have been, for me, the best for a good while.

Jesus Saiz's dynamic, confident cover immediately set the tone - as many of the earlier issues had it "... when the heroes are in trouble they call the Birds of Prey" - with the team casually strolling away from a burning, crumbling building: an image straight out of the original A Team (and I mean that in a good way!). Gail Simone's story had a 'Mission Impossible' feel about it, her dialogue in places sparse, in places rich and elaborate.

It cannot be a coincidence that as the book has focused more on Helena Bertinelli/Huntress my enjoyment has risen. In this story Huntress appears at first to be featuring in something of a 'backup' feature as she ties in with Renee Montoya/The Question to break up a ring of crooked police officers - by the end of the issue it was obvious that this thread is to be integral to the larger story. I find it hard to believe that Huntress doesn't have a significant role to play in the new DC Universe.

I particularly enjoyed the introduction of several new characters - Mr Tripe and the sisters Trissa and Somnia Lachess. Tripe - very appropriately named I thought - came across as a vile yet equally charming man: indifferent, hard, uncaring with his own people yet personable, welcoming, humble even towards others.

The sisters clearly have a wider history than we're currently privy to - I found myself wondering what's brought them to Tripe's office, obviously how they received their horrendous scars and precisely what did they need to do to 'serve their time'. I'm looking forward to finding out more.

The sense of 'Mission Impossible' was captured through the scenes involving Zinda, Dinah, Dawn and Barbara and their elaborate plans to penetrate the 'inner sanctum' of Tripe's headquarters. With Barbara back at base calling the shots these pages held a genuine sense of excitement and tension for me - if, as we are told, the relaunched Birds of Prey is to draw more heavily on the 'dark ops' aspects then I may, after all, be picking it up.

If I've got one gripe about the story, it's the name of our 'master villain'. While I appreciate it must be incredibly difficult to keep creating new, larger-than-life, characters the name "Junior" failed to deliver the sense of fear that the closing scene truly deserved. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it undermined that scene.

Both the cover and interior art from Jesus Saiz were very much to my liking. For me one of Saiz's strengths is his ability to portray emotion through facial expressions. The sisters Lachess appeared at times weak and brittle, at times strong and confident; Zinda was captured as playing both a confident and yet vulnerable woman; I was reminded that Helena is both determined and playful. All of these personalities captured through facial expressions.

Once again credit must go to colourist Nei Ruffino for the wonderfully deep tones throughout the book - the scenes set in the underground tunnels felt cold and dank to me; those set in and around Tripe's offices had a warmth and comfort to them that was in complete contrast to that on the basement floors. Along with Guy Major on Batgirl these guys have really helped me appreciate the work of the colourist.

Over recent issues this title has been, for me, at best a decent read. This latest issue, however, was hugely enjoyable and suggests that this short story-arc could be one of the most enjoyable yet. Having struggled somewhat, in my opinion, to find its feet over the past year or so, it would be ironic, and a great shame, if it finally stands tall just as the series is coming to a close.

Birds of Prey #12
Written by Gail Simone, art by Jesus Saiz, colours by Nei Ruffino, letters by Carlos M. Mangual, cover by Jesus Saiz
Published by DC Comics, July 2011

Get Caught Up With These Damn Dirty Apes!

2011-06-16T11:14:00.001+01:00

Over the past weekend I reread the first couple of issues of Boom! Studios new ongoing comic book series Planet of the Apes - I can't begin to explain just how much I'm enjoying this series: great storytelling and dialogue; imaginative and eye catching interior artwork with stunning covers.

Taking place before the original 1968 Planet of the Apes movie — and true to the continuity of the first five films — BOOM! Studios' Planet of the Apes comic series begins in a time when Ape society reaches a new golden age. But there are ripples of dissent in both the ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in chaos! Amidst all this uncertainty ... what is the fate of The Lawgiver?

Don't just take my word for it - since its debut, the Planet of the Apes comic series has received generous critical acclaim:

"This is an exciting and gripping story that grabbed me by the nape of the neck and locked me for an intensely uninterrupted read." - Comic Book Resources
“As a fan that takes Planet of the Apes seriously, I was pleased with the comic … the art is fitting for capturing the essence of the franchise while also taking it to a new level.” — Comic Vine
“... holds promise for a well-written battle saga.” — Newsarama
“... a compelling drama about a brewing civil war and a clash between classes.” — Eye on Comics
“... you will be very pleased with the high quality that BOOM! has put into this licensed series. They’ve handled it with a lot of respect and it doesn’t come across as cashing in on the name.” — Player Affinity

If you're still not convinced (and why not?) then Boom! Studios are making an offer that I think will be very hard to turn down.

In August this year Boom! Studios are releasing the first full story-arc comprising the first four issues of the series as a trade paperback for just $9.99 (I've advanced ordered it from my shop for £5.44).

That same month a new story-arc launches with issue #5 - and Boom! Studios are offering this issue for just $1 (75p in real money). So for just $11 you'll be caught up on this fantastic new sci-fi series written by award-winning novelist Daryl Gregory and drawn by the sensational Carlos Magno.

The first volume trade paperback features cover art by the supremely talented Karl Richardson and carries a Diamond Code of JUN110954 and an ISBN13 of 978-1-60886-660-1.

Planet of the Apes #5 ships with an A and B cover in a 50/50 split by Karl Richardson, and Carlos Magno respectively and a 1-in-10 incentive cover. This issue carries a Diamond Code of JUN110952.

More details, of course, from Boom! Studios and your local comic shop.

Batman Solicitations - September 2011 ... All New #1's

2011-06-14T13:32:00.000+01:00

So, here they are - many of the details have been drip-released over the past couple of weeks or so and here, courtesy of DCs The Source, are the complete Batman solicitations for September 2011.

To be honest, I'm still smarting with the way that my favourite book, written by my favourite writer and staring my favourite character has effectively been cancelled however ... I think it's only fair to give these new offerings a chance.

I'll be advance-ordering most of these first issues and applying my new Game of Thrones policy to them: if the first issues (or episode in the case of Game of Thrones) don't 'wow' me then I won't be picking up the second, third and so on issues. If, a couple of months down the line, people tell me that a title I'd dropped is fantastic I'll pick up the collected edition.

Potential highlights for me include Dick Grayson's return as Nightwing written by Kyle Higgins, Scott Snyder writing Batman, Tony S. Daniel on Detective Comics, the Bruce and Damian Wayne team-up in the pages of Batman and Robin, Batwoman [finally!] from J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman and Catwoman from writer Judd Winick and artist Guillem March.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
DC’s flagship title is relaunched for the first time ever, with new Batman adventures from acclaimed writer/ artist Tony S. Daniel!
A killer called The Gotham Ripper is on the loose on Batman’s home turf – leading The Dark Knight on a deadly game of cat and mouse.

NIGHTWING #1
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and JP MAYER
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Dick Grayson flies high once more as Nightwing in a new series from hot new writer Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES
OF GOTHAM)! And as he embraces his destiny, Haley’s Circus, the big top where Dick once performed, returns to Gotham City – bringing with it murder, mystery and superhuman evil. Nightwing must confront his past, among former friends and enemies from his circus days, while uncovering a much greater evil!

CATWOMAN #1
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Meet Catwoman. She’s addicted to the night. Addicted to shiny objects. Addicted to Batman. Most of all, Catwoman is addicted to danger. She can’t help herself, and the truth is – she doesn’t want to. She’s good at being bad, and very bad at being good. Find out more about what makes Catwoman tick in this new series from writer Judd Winick (BATMAN: UNDER THE HOOD) and artist Guillem March (GOTHAM CITY SIRENS)!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!
As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne’s past: His name is NoBody, and he’s not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil…

BATMAN #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Be here for the start of a new era for The Dark Knight from writer Scott Snyder (AMERICAN VAMPIRE, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and artist Greg Capullo (Spawn)! A series of brutal killings hints at an ancient conspiracy, and Batman learns that Gotham City is deadlier than he knew.

BATWING #1
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Africa, a land of beauty – and of great horror. A land of creation and conflict. It is in desperate need of a defender, and from the ranks of Batman Incorporated comes a soldier to carry on the legacy of The Dark Knight in the most tumultuous region on Earth. Meet Batwing, the Batman of Africa!

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
Written by DAVID FINCH
Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by DAVID FINCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Dark Knight struggles against a deadly – yet strangely familiar – foe in this phenomenal debut issue from superstar writer/artist David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY, ACTION COMICS)!
As a mysterious figure slinks through the halls of Arkham Asylum, Batman must fight his way through a gauntlet of psychos, and Bruce Wayne faces the unexpected legal ramifications of Batman Incorporated!

BATGIRL #1
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Yes, it’s really happening!
Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl – and she’s going to have to face the city’s most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past. You won’t want to miss this stunning debut issue from fan-favorite BIRDS OF PREY writer Gail Simone!

BATWOMAN #1
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
At last! Batwoman’s new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman!
In “Hydrology,” part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government

BIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
One is wanted for a murder she didn’t commit. The other is on the run because she knows too much. They are Dinah Laurel Lance and Ev Crawford – a.k.a. Black Canary and Starling – and together, as Gotham City’s covert ops team, they’re taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. But now they’ve attracted the attention of a grizzled newspaper reporter who wants to expose them, as well as a creepy, chameleon-like strike team that’s out to kill them.
Don’t miss the start of this hard-hitting new series from mystery novelist/comics writer Duane Swierczynski (Expiration Date, Cable).

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
No sooner has Batman’s former sidekick, Jason Todd, put his past as the Red Hood behind him than he finds himself cornered by a pair of modern day outlaws: Green Arrow’s rejected sidekick Arsenal, the damaged soldier of fortune, and the alien Starfire, a former prisoner of intergalactic war who won’t be chained again.
As a loner, Jason has absolutely no interest in this motley crew of outlaws. So what’s he going to do when they choose the Red Hood as their leader? Find out in this hot new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men), featuring art by rising star Kenneth Rocafort (ACTION COMICS)!

Finally, from September’s Young Justice solicits ...

TEEN TITANS #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Tim Drake, Batman’s former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers.
As Red Robin, he’s going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world! They – along with a few other tortured teen heroes – will be the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Brett Booth (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

Full solicits for all of DC's new #1's can be found at The Source.

For the record, I dropped Game of Thrones after the first episode. Clearly it didn't 'wow' me.

Second Trailer Released for Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-06-12T14:06:00.000+01:00

My love of Planet of the Apes is well documented and 2011 looks like being a great year for all Apes fans. We've had the relaunch of an ongoing comic book title from Boom! Studios, a new illustrated novel from Archaia Entertainment and a brand new film Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Yahoo Movies have the second trailer for the film, that opens in the UK on 12 August 2011

Looks great doesn't it - see you there!

Titanium Rain to be Adapted as a Three Part Full-Cast Radio Drama

2011-06-11T12:29:00.000+01:00

I've received exciting news that Josh Finney and Kat Rocha's Titanium Rain graphic novels are to be adapted as a three part full-cast radio drama in partnership with The AudioComics Company.

The work will be adapted for audio by co-creators Josh and Kat, and will be directed by AudioComics Company Co-Producer William Dufris. The AudioComics Company have an impressive track-record of professional full-cast audio theatre productions - their debut production, an original play script of Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta's Starstruck received critical acclaim from comics and audio professionals alike.

On a personal note I'm very happy for Josh and Kat: when I first started to read and hear about Titanium Rain I was immediately struck by their passion, belief and commitment for their project and their enthusiasm, coupled with what sounded like an intriging storyline, made it very easy for me to jump on board.

Recording of the first book will commence this autumn for a winter 2012 release and I'll post more details as I have them. In the meantime, here's the press release:

TITANIUM RAIN COMES TO AUDIO
The AudioComics Company to adapt Glitchwerk Studios property as a full-cast radio drama
To be alive is to be at odds with the world. Man against nature. Man against man. The instinct to survive is what has made us who we are.

The AudioComics Company is excited to announce that they will be adapting Glitchwerk Studios’ graphic novel series Titanium Rain as one of their next full-cast audio theatre productions, with the first book in the trilogy recording this fall for a winter 2012 release, with parts two and three to be recorded later that year. The work will be adapted for audio by co-creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha, and directed by AudioComics Company Co-Producer William Dufris.

Currently published by Archaia Entertainment, Titanium Rain is a sci-fi war epic set in the year 2031 where a civil war in China has escalated into a global conflict that has decimated entire nations and millions of innocent lives. And for many, like US Air Force pilot Alec Killian, survival in this new age means that man and machine must exist as one. In the spirit of films such as Ghost in the Shell and Blackhawk Down, Titanium Rain follows Killian’s journey through mankind’s worst, only to discover its best.

“Titanium Rain is the antithesis of the post-apocalyptic ‘trend’ we’re seeing today in film, on television, in comic books. That’s part of the reason why it’s such an appealing audio project, the idea that we can rise above our mistakes rather than be dragged down by them is one worth exploring,” says director William Dufris, who also directed The AudioComics Company’s premiere production, Starstruck. “Also, it’s a great character-driven book. Actors are always looking for roles they can really sink their teeth into, and TR is chock full of great character studies.”

Co-creator Josh Finney: "From Titanium Rain's initial conception I had always wanted to hear the story translated into an audio production, going so far to actually commission a full-blown soundtrack by musician Jonathan Sharp (New Mind, Bio-Tek). Now with the AudioComics Company onboard this dream is finally shaping into a reality. Stay tuned. This is going to be amazing."

The first volume of Titanium Rain has been a consistent best seller, both in the US and abroad. The title was also the center of a controversy when the first volume was delayed when Chinese printing companies refused to print the book due to Titanium Rain's so-called “politically sensitive” content, leading to Archaia Entertainment’s decision to manufacture their books elsewhere.

In addition to adapting the work, both Finney and Rocha will attend the voice-over recording sessions for Part One of the audio trilogy, and will have a hand in casting the project as well. The completed piece will be available on compact disc and pay-per-Mp3 downloads; Jonathan Sharp’s soundtrack for Titanium Rain will also be available as a separate Mp3 download, to be released concurrently with Part One of the TR audio production.

For further information about Titanium Rain visit the Glitchwerk Publishing website and likewise for more about The AudioComics Company visit their website.

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #1

2011-06-08T07:45:00.002+01:00

reviewed by guest contributor Simon Breeze

Many years ago wandering around a comic expo (it was Bristol if I remember correctly) I stumbled across a comic I had never seen before - that comic was called Danger Girl.

As I was flicking through it, vaguely recalling something I had read about it (keep in mind the internet was still in training pants and a 56Kbps dial up connection was top speed, so information on comics came from an old invention in the form of a magazine called Comics International), my friend Jim, who I was at the expo with, looked up from his Iron Man comic and said, 'You'll like that one Si. It is the kinda rubbish you'd normally read!'

And on that recommendation, how could I go wrong? So I bought it, stuck it in my bag along with my 2000AD, Batman and Spider-Man comics and thought nothing more of it.

I got home that night and, like you do (or is it just me?), sat down on the floor of the living room of my house and spread out all my comics, trades and graphic novels and took account of my purchases. I then spent the next hour leafing through them all and trying to figure out what to read first. That was until I picked up the Danger Girl comic: Bingo!

In his own special way Jim was right, Danger Girl was the, 'kinda rubbish' I normally read. Danger Girl was the kind of comic I had always dreamed of owning, and my hardened superhero comic reading friend had always despised! Here was a comic that was a mix of Indiana Jones, James Bond, Tomb Raider, G.I. Joe and all the things I loved as a kid. Not only that it was full of cheeky humour, action and hot girls. Hot action girls with guns and big explosions drawn by J. Scott Campbell, so really-really hot girls beautifully drawn then!

This was a strange point in my life, a turning point too. This was the day that would not only see the start of my torrid love affair with Abbey Chase and the Danger Girls, but also, and oddly, the birth of my desire to create comics too!

Danger Girl for me is a brilliant concept of all of the above. In summary; hot action girls saving the world like only James Bond and Indiana Jones have done so in the past. However, doing it their way, how a girl would do it. Therein is one of the things I like about Danger Girl, yeah-yeah it plays on the fact it is a team of very attractive girls with some cheeky fun from time to time, but they are all 'strong' girls. Think Princess Leia from Star Wars, very pretty, very sexy and you wouldn't want to mess with her either!

As the years went by and the stories racked up I must admit the glory days of Danger Girl were short lived, and that despite a few good ones since, it has never reached the heights of that first run for me. But like that girlfriend that you never get over, you always hope that the next one you meet will measure up and out shine the old, or even just be almost as good! You keep trying though! Through thick and thin, through knock backs and bad dates you cling to the hope that there is a light at the end of that long old tunnel.

Here we are. Several years on from the start of that love affair and through the beauty of a 20Mbps broadband connection and from the comfort of an armchair (don't times change quickly) I find out from a comic blog that there is to be a new Danger Girl adventure, this time the girls are taking on the Army of Darkness!

Army of Darkness... Hmmm...?

I do really like the Evil Dead films, especially the Army of Darkness. However, I have never read any of the tie-in comics. Could this mash-up of titles work? On one hand you have Danger Girl, hot girls being James Bond and Indiana Jones and on the other a time travelling shop assistant with a robot hand, chainsaw and Boomstick (shotgun) fighting the legions of the undead?

The first issue of Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness begins with Abbey Chase, the main character from the Danger Girl title, narrating and giving the reader a little insight to the world of Danger Girl. To be expected, not everyone has read Danger Girl, and so they will need a little introduction.

Introduction over, we join Abbey on an assignment to help out on a rescue mission (I'm skimping on details if you are wondering to try and keep this review as spoiler free as possible) which very quickly goes south and introduces us to the existence of a book called the, 'Necronomicon Ex-Mortis' – the, 'Book of the Dead'. The very same evil, bound in human flesh and written in human blood book of all things nasty and foul from the Evil Dead films. Issue number one of Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness over and in the bag.

That was quick!

Okay, it is not that quick of a read, but that's it, that's the plot of the 22 page first issue, which ends very nicely setting up and leading us comfortably into the story for the next issue.

For me something was missing from this story right from the start. In my mind there is one real common ground that ties the worlds of Danger Girl and the Evil Dead together, and that I can sum up in one word: 'fun'. Sadly, it was missing from this issue. The story is full of action, cool gun fights, explosions and enough cheesy action movie moments to even make John Woo blush. It just wasn't fun enough for me though.

This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the story, or any of the action, in fact some of it is awesome! For me (and I am willing to except that I may be alone in this opinion) Danger Girl worked because it was action and adventure with a real good dose of fun. At some point in the Danger Girl series the fun started to become thin on the ground and the title started to take itself a little too seriously, and as I said earlier, there have been a few Danger Girl comics that recaptured this fun element (Back in Black was one of the few story arcs that managed to do this) for the most part though it has been lacking. Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness is a good example (in my opinion) of this.

Why the big deal? Well you might ask. The big deal is this. As any fan of Ash (the hero from the Evil Dead films) will tell you he is the king of the one liners, and the Army of Darkness film is one of the most fun horror films there is. Add in the cheeky fun action-adventure from Danger Girl and you have possibly in your hands the making of something very special. Sadly, I'm just not seeing it in this first issue. It is all just taking itself a little to seriously.

For another thing. Where are the other Danger Girls? The focus of this issue is purely on Abbey Chase (although some members of the team do pop-up in the background of the odd one or two panels they do very little to nothing) Danger Girl is at its best when the team are all there to play-off off one another.

Where is Ash too? I understand that this is a first issue and I am 100% sure that Ash will show up in issue 2. However, don't give me 22 pages of action, story and only a fraction (a tiny one at that) of the cast!

I think there in lies the 'nub' of my slight negativity towards this first issue. You can't help but get the feeling, right from the start, that it could have been better. Do I feel let down? Yes, somewhat. But as a Danger Girl fan I'm used to riding that roller coaster. Do I have hope - and belief - that this could be the great comic I dreamed it could be? Yes! Without out a doubt!

Okay, bad bits out of the way, now on to the good bits.

Written by Andy Hartnell – Check!
Cover by J. Scott Campbell – Check!
(Awesome) Page art by Chris Bolson – Check!
Action, lots of – Check!
Lots of things going BANG! - Check!
Cheesecake moments – Check!
Weird supernatural stuff – Check!
Some guys hand gets possessed and trying to kill him! - Check!

So there is a short list of some of the brilliant stuff that this comic has used so far to good advantage. I still feel that Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness has the ability to be something very special. Scrub that, I know it can be something very special. Right now it is good comic, it could be a great comic though. I guess it is too early to tell if that will happen. Yet, it has done enough in my eyes to get me reading the next one, and if it stays as good as this first issue, I will not only be sticking with the series until its conclusion I will also be investing in the collected edition when it is published too.

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness is a good comic. A good read with some fantastic art and moments. It's not a great comic, not yet anyway. I'm going to give Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness a 3.5 chainsaws out of 5 and sit in twitching anticipation of issue 2 arriving on my doorstep. I won't be spoiling anything by saying that Ash is going to be in the next issue for sure and maybe, just maybe, the addition of one of the coolest guys in horror history will inject that missing element for me. Abbey Chase and Ash in the same comic together! This is where things could go from good to great in the space of one page or even a single panel! Mixing these two characters and worlds together was a stroke of genius, and with what I've seen of Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness so far, I am willing to take that gamble that it will be.

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #1
Written by Andy Hartnell, art by Chris Bolson, colours by Adriano Lucas, letters by Marshall Dillon
Covers by J. Scott Campbell (main), Paul Renaud (one in ten) and Nick Bradshaw (one in fifteen)
Published by Dynamite Entertainment & IDW

Massive thanks to Simon for another enjoyable review. Don't forget you can check out Simon's writing and art over at his blog and his excellent weekly webcomic - JesseKane.

"90% of the Game is Half Mental"

2011-06-07T17:18:00.001+01:00

So, Bruce Wayne is The Batman, THE Batman; Barbara Gordon is Batgirl and Dick Grayson is once again Nightwing. It feels like déjà vu all over again.

If, like me, you're finding it just a little challenging to keep up with what's going on with the DC renumbering/reboot/reimagining/refresh* (*again, please delete as appropriate) then salvation is on hand.

Allow me to point you in the direction of the three sources I'm following as I hopefully/nervously await news of a new Bryan Q. Miller-scripted Spoiler series featuring Stephanie Brown ...

Batgirl to Oracle
The Batman Universe
DC's The Source

The Mystery Of Titanium Rain Volume 2

2011-06-04T17:47:00.005+01:00

This afternoon I was checking back through a list of my comic book advance orders and I noticed that I'd ordered and am still waiting for the second hardcover collection of Titanium Rain from creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha and published by Archaia Entertainment.

Ordered last June. That's a year ago!

Titanium Rain was my favourite comic book of 2009 - and I've written about the book and its creators numerous times since then - and I just can't wait to read the second volume.

I started hunting around online to see whether 1) my shop had overlooked my order or 2) the books release had been delayed, in which case I wanted to know when it's due.

Amazon in the UK simply have the book listed as 'Currently unavailable' (incidentally Amazon in the UK are close to selling out of volume 1 again with just 1 copy currently in stock!); likewise at The Book Depository also have the second volume labelled as 'Currently unavailable' while at Wotnix the book is simply listed as being 'Out of stock'.

I was just about to call my comic shop guy when I stumbled upon 'The Mystery Of Titanium Rain Volume 2' over at Bleeding Cool:

On Twitter, comic reader Lonnie Morgan asked comic creator Josh Finney “Amazon delayed my order for Titanium Rain V2 a 3rd time. Any updates u can clue me in on? Target deliv is now June”

Finney responded “While I can’t state why Titanium Rain Vol. 2 is not on shelves yet, I can say that the book has been ready since December… I’m not a liberty to say what the problem is, but I’m hoping to see the book out by June, too. Also, it never hurts to remind my publisher, Archaia that fans REALLY want their Titanium Rain Vol. 2…please, for the love of dog, BE POLITE. Insulting my editors doesn’t NOT help anyone. You can guess why I have to say this.

At which point Archaia CEO PJ Bickett popped by “Josh, all you have to do is send your finished
files so we can finally print it!”

Josh_Finney: “If ONLY it were that easy, PJ.”

PJ Bickett: “Let me know if you need access to our FTP. We can get it going next week!”

Josh Finney: “Okay fans of TITANIUM RAIN, Archaia’s CEO PJ Bickett appears to be implying the only reason Titanium Rain Vol. 2 isn’t printed is because I have not sent him the files. PJ Bickett is entitled to his opinion, but I completely disagree. There are other reasons. Reasons which neither I or PJ Bickett should discuss in a public forum. Although if he wishes to do so, that is his choice.

PJ Bickett then deleted his tweets. And that was the end of it. For now.

So, while this article certainly appears to confirm that volume 2 hasn't yet been printed - sorry I doubted you 'mail order comic shop guy' - I don't really feel I'm any closer to getting my hands on book 2.

I can only hope that something good can come from this publicity and whatever the problems are they can be resolved quickly.

Forza Alberto! Forza Stephanie! ... Batgirl #21 Reviewed

2011-06-02T13:45:00.003+01:00

So, I'm back from my holiday and the 2011 Giro d'Italia - and the pile of comics I'd planned to read during this time away is just as large as it was a week ago! I did read just one comic - the latest issue of Batgirl - and as I finished my review where I wonder what direction some of my favourite characters are heading the DCU looks like it's about to go through a renumbering/reboot/ reimagining/refresh* (*delete as appropriate) that may make my thoughts and wishes redundant.

I'm naturally a conservative person so my first impression is not positive I have to say ... but over time I'm learning to hold back and reserve judgement. I'm not going to say much more until more facts are known but in the meantime I'd refer you to The Batman Universe and Batgirl to Oracle for information about how these changes may/will affect the Bat-books and to Newsarama and CBR and, of course, DC Comics themselves for news about the extended DCU.

As always, my review contains spoilers - if you don't want to know what happens in this issue of Batgirl then stop reading now!

Batgirl #21

Seemingly skipping ahead from the previous issue, 'Batgirl: The Lesson - Unchained Melody' opens with Stephanie Brown - aka Batgirl - in a whole heap of trouble.

Buried under a pile of rumble and masonry Steph reminds herself how she finds herself in such a situation: 'adopted' by the well-intentioned Clancy Johnson, who goes by the name The Grey Ghost, she's come face to face with another of the Reapers ... and clearly she's come off worse following their initial encounter.

Wriggling her arms free Steph looks up to see the mysterious 'Harmony' above her closing in to finish the job off. Brushing aside accusations of murder Harmony lets loose with a smash across Steph's face followed by a deafening sound-wave as Steph realises that despite the attacks on her over a period of time, the Reapers are under instruction not to kill her.

As Harmony closes in for another round she's almost immediately stopped in her steps ... "Deet ... Deet ... Deet" ... she realises that Steph has planted a series of explosive charges that take out a row of pillars in the abandoned convent, bringing down the vaulted ceiling onto her head.

With Harmony down - but apparently not out - Steph's comms unit crackles into life: it's The Grey Ghost Clancy Johnson, and he's in need of Steph's help.

Elsewhere, back in Gotham City under a blood red sky a reflective and rather downbeat Wendy Harris - Proxy - looks across the city skyline, the Bat-signal lighting up the sky. Wondering out loud, and to herself, just why she's such an angry young woman, she's taken aback to see her brother - her deceased brother - stood behind her.

On the verge of a breakdown Wendy asks whether Marvin had sacrificed himself to save her and expresses just how much she misses her brother. In this issues first example of 'tough love' Marvin urges Wendy to honour his death by doing something with her own life - something that makes her happy.

With his advice dispensed Marvin's job, for now, appears to be complete.

Back at the abandoned convent Steph has located Grey Ghost and, after splinting his injured leg, helps her 'partner' to his feet. Questioning quite how he knew where she'd be Steph appears to accept Grey Ghosts explanation that he happened to be out looking for his "Violet Avenger" when he heard Harmony on her comms unit arguing about "the plan".

With an unidentified figure looking on Steph dismisses Grey Ghost's comments as she realises that Harmony is once again on the move ... and it doesn't appear that she's now a threat to them. Questioning his motives Steph challenges Grey Ghost to explain whether he's working for the benefit of the city or for himself: questioning that isn't appreciated.

Realising perhaps that this particular partnership isn't working it's Steph's time to dish out some tough love as she warns Grey Ghost that if their paths cross again ... he'd better beware.

Elsewhen, at The Thompkins Clinic, we find Dr Thompkins studying Wendy Harris's x-rays while pointing out to Wendy that while she isn't as badly injured as their friend Barbara Gordon she suspects that it's her ego - as much as her wounds - that is standing in the way of her physical rehabilitation.

Turning her shoulder on her Doctor Wendy explains that she need more than a workout and a pep-talk - what she feels she needs is "peace".

Doctor Thompkins reveals that she knows where Wendy could find that peace.

Back at the abandoned convent and Steph has, unnoticed, crept up behind Harmony who appears to be taking some sort of sample from the remains therein. Amid a flurry of batarangs the two engage once again ... back and forwards fists and feet fly as both woman spill blood until one final blow from Steph secures the victory.

Another time, another place and Barbara Gordon and Wendy - along with brother Marvin - are enjoying a meal at a local diner as Wendy clumsily, reluctantly, finally plucks up the courage to ask Babs for her help, and financial assistance, to help her get away from Gotham to find the peace that she needs ... in Nanda Parbat.

Choking back her coffee Babs challenges Wendy as to whether she really - really - wants to make the dangerous journey to Nanda Parbat: and Wendy is in no doubt that she does indeed.

Later on, on the Gotham University grounds, Stephanie and 'Professor' Gordon - Barbara of course - are taking stock of their situation. Having taken care of Harmony - student Tracey Graham - and Slipstream - Xane Swift - there are 3 more Reapers somewhere across the campus ... and as we all know they are in need of a large amount of money. Reminding herself that rather than grave robbing Harmony was 'harvesting' DNA from the remains of a nun who herself had an ability to "remove maladies from the accursed" Steph suggests to Babs that they get Wendy working on monitoring campus communications for more information.

Ah yes, "About Proxy ..."

As this instalment of the story closes we witness Grey Ghost handing over his weapon and striking a deal with a very, very, surprising partner ...

First things first, let's look at Dustin Nguyen's striking, eye-catching, colourful cover. Taking the form of a stained-glass window - complete with stone surround with ornate decoration - I thought this was an inspired composition.

Stephanie looks almost regal posed as she is in a familiar crouched position, her "violet"-accented cape billowing out behind her; her long golden hair wrapping itself around the cowl of her costume; staff in hand; carefully surveying her environs.

Looking beyond Stephanie onto the window itself - a riot of colour; a visual kaleidoscope of symmetrical panes of glass with, at its centre, The Grey Ghost: the figure of Clancy Johnson looking as sombre and faded as the surrounding sunburst and flower garland look warm and inviting.

Quite simply, beautiful.

Contrary to the billing on the cover this issue saw Mr Nguyen - as always wonderfully complemented by Derek Fridolfs inks and Guy Major's colours - returning to interior artwork duties. I know I've said this before, probably several times in fact, but haven't we been fortunate with the wonderful artists that have worked on this title?

Credit must go to 'the powers that be' (presumably the editorial team) for ensuring that when the books 'main' artist - be it Lee Garbett or Dustin Nguyen - have for whatever reason not worked on an issue or issues their replacements - Pere Perez and Ramon Bachs spring readily to mind - have done a fantastic job and the book hasn't suffered.

What is there to say about Nguyen's artwork that I haven't said before - with their invariably simple, even plain, backgrounds his panels serve as a springboard as the characters almost leap off the page. A sense of movement is, I'm told, notoriously difficult to capture in a comic book panel and yet, for me, that's very much one of Nguyen's strengths.

From a visual point of view a couple of my favourite pages from this issue don't feature Batgirl/Stephanie Brown and feature Wendy Harris and her brother Marvin. For me these pages stand out from the [beautiful] others largely because of the rich, warm colouring of Guy Major that accentuates Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs wonderful pencils and inks.

Having experimented with one or two different looks over time I think the creative team may have found the definitive Wendy Harris. Here she appears as an older younger woman, perhaps in her early to mid twenties and, in contrast to her sharp features, there appeared at a times a warmth in her appearance, no doubt aided by the warm dark red colouring.

A close second favourite scene featured Stephanie and Babs at the university campus - again the talented art team delivered two or three fresh, eye-popping pages that were in complete contrast to the earlier deliberately darker tones of the preceding pages.

As I started reading this story I had a sense that I'd in fact missed an issue - we left issue #20 with the introduction of the mysterious Harmony and by the first page of issue #21 Batgirl and Harmony had said their hellos, introduced themselves and spent some time getting to know each other. Now, I for one would have liked to have actually seen this happen - I think it would have given us plenty of 'yikes!' moments - although I accept that with the limitation of just 20 story pages ("drawing the line at $2.99") something has to give.

In terms of story and character progression the two stand out themes for me in this issue were Steph and Clancy's ongoing fractured relationship alongside Wendy's potentially life-changing decision to get away from all that she knows and travel.

Aside from wondering exactly what the consequences of Clancy's betrayal might be I enjoyed, if that's the right word, seeing Steph finally lose her patience and warn him that he needs to leave her alone. The look on both Steph and Clancy's faces during their exchange was priceless: "tough love" indeed.

The Wendy Harris 'journey' story interests me I must say. She's a character that's been largely on the periphery of Team Batgirl and I suspect I've not been alone in assuming that at some point everything in her life would fall into place as she became the new 'Oracle' ... and maybe it will but for now she's off on her very dangerous journey to Nanda Parbat for a "system reboot".

Aside from anything else I find myself wondering just how this story might play into the pages of our monthly Batgirl fix or whether it'll be told in a spin-off series (I hope the former).

There we have it, another enjoyable issue of Batgirl.

Batgirl #21
Written by Bryan Q. Miller, pencils by Dustin Nguyen, inks by Derek Fridolfs, colours by Guy Major, letters by Carlos M. Mangual, cover by Dustin Nguyen
Published by DC Comics, July 2011

Ask Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty a Question Courtesy of Batgirl to Oracle

2011-05-22T19:28:00.000+01:00

I'll be taking a short break from posting over the next week or so while I follow the last half a dozen stages of this years exciting Giro D'Italia.

In the meantime, between now and the end of the month head over to Batgirl to Oracle: The Barbara Gordon Podcast where our host Stella will, on Wednesday 1 June, be interviewing Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty for a future episode of the show ... and she's offering fans the fantastic opportunity to ask the duo a question of their own!

Batgirl to Oracle: The Barbara Gordon Podcast

Image and Top Cow Solicitations: August 2011 Highlights

2011-05-21T07:45:00.002+01:00

August sees Image and Top Cow launching a number of what look like being interesting and enjoyable new series and one-shots.

Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld deliver The Infinite - a story featuring world domination and time travel. As well as a 'regular' edition there will be a 'deluxe' edition of the first issue that will include sketches and illustrations, notes and pages from the script.

Severed from Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft and Attila Futaki looks like an interesting new horror story while I also like the sound of The Vault from the pen of Sam Sarkar which promises treasure hunters, the latest tech and 'nature's fury'.

Notable one-shots include Deadlands: Death was Silent from Ron Marz and Bart Sears and '68: Hardship from Mark Kidwell, Jeff Zornow and Jay Fotos while August also sees the final issues (for now at least) of The Last Mortal, Moriarty and Netherworld.

Here are my highlights in full from the months new releases:

THE INFINITE #1 DELUXE EDITION
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover ROB LIEFELD
AUGUST 3, 48 PAGES, FC, T, $5.99
Freedom fighter Bowen has lost everything in the war against The Infinite. His only hope is to travel back in time to prevent their world domination before it starts! Bowen can’t do this alone, he must turn to the only ally he knows he can trust: HIMSELF. Now a man in his 40s, damaged by the horrors of war, must team up with his younger, reckless and optimistic 20-year-old self in order to SAVE THE WORLD!
This Deluxe Edition of THE INFINITE #1 is the complete first issue plus mountains of behind-the-scenes sketches and illustrations by ROB LIEFELD and piles of notes and script pages by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Much like your favorite extras-filled DVDs, this version will give you a glimpse behind the curtain to see all the usually unseen work that goes into the creation of a comic book.

THE VAULT #1 (of 3)
story SAM SARKAR
art GARRIE GASTONNY
color SAKTI YUWONO
cover BAGUS HUTOMO
JULY 27, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $3.50
A small team of treasure hunters struggles to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the “Graveyard of the North Atlantic”. Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature's fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash from The Vault.
From the team that brought you CALIBER and the artist of SUPERGOD.

THE LAST MORTAL #4 (of 4)
story JOHN MAHONEY & FILIP SABLIK
art / cover THOMAS NACHLIK
AUGUST 24, 32 PAGES, BW, M, $3.99
“REGICIDE,” Part Four
The finale of the hard-hitting supernatural noir series from Minotaur Press is here. Alec King, the suicidal immortal, has been beat down, stabbed, and shot so many times he’s beginning to lose count. But finally, the man responsible for his best friend’s death is in his sights. The question remains-- will Alec be able to make the hard decision for the first time in his miserable life?

SEVERED #1
story SCOTT SNYDER & SCOTT TUFT
art / cover ATTILA FUTAKI
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
“NOTHING WASTED,” Part One
1916. A man haunts the roads; a man with sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh. When 12-year-old Jack Garron runs away from home, he’ll see how quickly the American Dream becomes a nightmare. Be there at the beginning of the series that everyone will be talking about!
From Eisner-nominated writer SCOTT SNYDER (American Vampire, Detective Comics), SCOTT TUFT and ATTILA FUTAKI (NYT Best-Selling-Artist: Percy Jackson) comes the most terrifying horror series of 2011--SEVERED.

EPOCH #1 (of 5)
story KEVIN McCARTHY
art PAOLO PANTALENA & JORGE FARES
cover PAOLO PANTALENA & PAOLO BARBIERI
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
THE GREATEST TOURNAMENT THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEGINS ANEW!
Top Cow Productions and Heroes and Villains Entertainment proudly present a dark and intensely kinetic tale from writer KEVIN McCARTHY (Red Sonja, The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist) and newcomer PAOLO PANTALENA (What If?: House of M, War of Kings: Darkhawk). Jonah Bishop is an NYPD detective assigned to a mysterious murder case that threatens to rip the reality he knows and plunge him into the shadow world of his heritage--the Supernatural. Jonah’s quest will drop him deep in the middle of a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.

'68: HARDSHIP (ONE-SHOT)
story MARK KIDWELL
art JEFF ZORNOW & JAY FOTOS
cover A JEFF ZORNOW & JAY FOTOS
cover B NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS
AUGUST 24, 32 PAGES, FC, T+, $3.99
In February of 1968, Teddy Calhoun came home from Vietnam and brought a piece of the war back with him. Through a prism of battle fatigue and schizophrenia, his vision of Nebraska has changed into a threatening landscape of violence and enemy occupation. Now, Teddy will do whatever he must to protect his family from the murderous approach of “Charlie” and an army of the risen, hungry dead.
’68 Hardship is a journey into a psychological realm of hallucination, violence and undead horror. Written by MARK KIDWELL, with monstrous artwork by JEFF ZORNOW and JAY FOTOS, this one-shot is a direct tie-in with the regular ongoing ’68 series, extending the world of Vietnam/Zombie horror to America’s heartland and your own backyard.

DEADLANDS: DEATH WAS SILENT (ONE-SHOT)
story RON MARZ
art & cover BART SEARS
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment present the third one-shot of the weird Western world of DEADLANDS! A silent bounty hunter rides into a remote town, but the town holds dark secrets that may turn the hunter into the hunted. Superstars RON MARZ and BART SEARS team for a weird Western tale unlike any other!

MORNING GLORIES YEARBOOK 2011
story NICK SPENCER
art RODIN ESQUEJO & JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
A look back at our first year at the academy, with a sequential recap by MORNING GLORIES cover artist RODIN ESQUEJO! And loaded up with extras like character bios, sketches, designs, script excerpts, and more!

VESCELL #1
story ENRIQUE CARRION
art / cover JOHN UPCHURCH
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
The International Company known as Vescell specializes in what is commonly known as “Vtrans”, the transferring of a person’s mind and spirit from one body into another. Former Icarus City Detective, Mauricio “Moo” Barrino is now Vescell’s best agent, handling the most high profile and dangerous cases. In the seedy world of a high end corporate espionage, where mysticism and guns clash, and money is tainted with sin, Agent Mauricio Barrino fights against the demons of fate while trying to reach the heaven of his destiny. Be prepared for the bar-raising, sci-fi noir epic that is VESCELL.

THE DARKNESS: ACCURSED, VOL. 5 TP
story PHIL HESTER & JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
art SHELDON MITCHELL, ROMANO MOLENAAR & MATT TIMSON
cover MICHAEL BROUSSARD & STEVE FIRCHOW
AUGUST 31, 144 PAGES, FC, T, STANDARD SIZE, $16.99
Jackie Estacado, the current bearer of The Darkness, was blackmailed and lied to by a devil calling himself The Sovereign. Now free from The Sovereign's grip, Jackie has assembled a motley crew of criminals with one goal - destroy every last one of The Sovereign's reliquaries! His quest will pit him against a former Russian mob boss turned art collector, a mute mystic, countless of The Sovereign's statues, and even traitors within his midst! Concluding the second year of writer PHIL HESTER’S (Firebreather, Wonder Woman) epic run and featuring art by SHELDON MITCHELL (Pilot Season: Stealth) and ROMANO MOLENAAR (The Darkness II: Confession), and a special stand-alone "Tale of The Darkness" issue set in the Wild West by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV (Tumor, Echoes) and MATT TIMSON (Impaler, Popgun).
Collects THE DARKNESS #85-89.

HACK/SLASH, VOL. 9: TORTURE PRONE TP
story TIM SEELEY
art DANIEL LEISTER & JETHRO MORALES
cover TIM SEELEY
AUGUST 10, 160 PAGES, FC, T+, $16.99
The hit new ongoing series from Image is collected! In a dark future ruled by the Murder Messiah, street witch Liberty Lochs is on a mission to change the past. Meanwhile, horror heroes Cassie Hack & Vlad must contend with an obsessive serial killer, and a duo of slashers they thought they'd already put down. This epic collection sets the staus quo for Cass & Vlad's new adventures.
Collects HACK/SLASH ANNUAL #2 and HACK/SLASH #1-4

MORNING GLORIES, VOL. 2 TP
story NICK SPENCER
art JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO
AUGUST 10, 168 PAGES, FC, M, $12.99
Collecting the second story arc of the smash series in one volume. Learn (some) of the secrets in the Glories’ lives as we delve into their pasts and see how it affects their present. Each chapter focuses on a different Glory while maintaining the narrative and moving the mystery forward.

ARTIFACTS #12 (of 13)
story RON MARZ
art JEREMY HAUN & SUNNY GHO
cover A GREG HORN
cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, $3.99
THE PENULTIMATE ISSUE!
This is it! We arrived at the climax of the most universe-shattering event series in Top Cow history! We can’t tell you anything more! The final showdown you’ve been waiting for is here!
PLUS: Each issue will also feature an Artifacts: Origin story written by RON MARZ and drawn by a guest superstar artist.

AVENGELYNE #2
story ROB LIEFELD & MARK POULTON
art OWEN GIENI
cover A ROB LIEFELD
cover B OWEN GIENI
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T+, $2.99
“DEVIL IN THE FLESH,” Part Two
In his search for a new apprentice, the Red Dragon has taken control of Avengelyne’s body forcing her essence into Heaven Starr. Meanwhile, Torment targets the New Church of the People. Plus, the return of Passover!

THE DARKNESS #95
story PHIL HESTER
art SHELDON MITCHELL
cover BANE
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $2.99
“OUTER DARKNESS,” Part Six
The Darkness declares all out war against its most rebellious bearer, Jackie Estacado! With a small group of loyal allies, Jackie must face down an army of doppelgangers, a scorned woman from his past, and the very source of his own power.

ELEPHANTMEN #35
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art / cover BOO COOK
AUGUST 17, 40 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
“THE DRUM AT THE GATE OF THUNDER”
The sequel to WAR TOYS concludes as Yvette tracks down Hip, Ebony and Horn to exact her revenge.

MORIARTY #4
story DANIEL COREY
art / cover ANTHONY DIECIDUE
AUGUST 3, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
“THE DARK CHAMBER,” Part Four
"The Dark Chamber" comes to a climax in this installment, which sees Professor Moriarty finally confronting Tartarus in an epic battle that will change his destiny and decide the fate of London and the world.

NETHERWORLD #5 (of 5)
story BRYAN EDWARD HILL & ROB LEVIN
art / cover TONY SHASTEEN & DAVE McCAIG
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, M, $3.99
We ARE all lost!
It comes down to this. Either Ray gets Madeline on the train out of the city, or we will all be lost... forever. But first, he has to get through Cyrus Kane.

SAMURAI’S BLOOD #3 (of 6)
story OWEN WISEMAN
art NAM KIM, MATTHEW DALTON & JESSICA KHOLINNE
cover JO CHEN
AUGUST 17, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
There are four ascending levels of suffering in the world and Mayuko is about to learn them all. With Katashi floating unconscious down the river, Mayuko is left to fend for herself against the vile Mistresses Kimori and Yamayuna, as they attempt to break her spirit and make her one of their oiron girls. But just as quickly--as the faintest glimmer of freedom appears—so, too, does it fade away. Innocence must pay the terrible price.

SKULLKICKERS #10
story JIM ZUB
art EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover SAEJIN OH
AUGUST 31, 32 PAGES, FC, T, $2.99
"FIVE FUNERALS AND A BUCKET OF BLOOD," Part Four
This issue has it all: A cover, printed pages, comic panels in sequential order and staples! You heard that right-- staples! Okay, now that we’re past that stuff--does anyone read this info? Do you? Let us know at www.skullkickers.com. PS: We now have more issues than BATTLE CHASERS.

For details of the full Image and Top Cow solicitations for August 2011 visit Image Comics, Top Cow and Newsarama.