Triple Shot With A Digital Chaser: NUMBER ONES!!! LEX LUTHOR, ZERO, BUZZKILL Plus THE CALAMITOUS BLACK DEVILS at FORCES OF GEEK

We end our nearly weeklong stint of boycotting the money grab lenticular cover to keep an eye on the Lex-Ticular Lex Luthor Comics #1 at Action, and check in on two awesome creator owned books from Image and Dark Horse.

Zero #1 is a buzzworthy future super-spyfi action tale and Buzzkill #1 showcases a hero that appropriately loads up on booze to get powers.   Knock back The Calamitous Black Devils over at ComiXology Submit to avoid the DTs.

LEX LUTHOR COMICS #1 (ACTION COMICS #23.3)
WRITER: Charles Soule 
ART: Raymond Bermudez
Publication Date: September 18, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131809723321
Buy it HERE

We were a bit disappointed with what Bizarro #1 had to offer us for Superman bad guys but decided to go back to the well this Villain’s Month for the Lex Luthor in a title you associate him with, Action Comics.

Heck, things ain’t been the same for old Supes since Morrison’s departure on the title, and lots of people have been given a shot at writing him. Charles Soule (27, Swamp Thing, upcoming Superman/Wonder Woman) is a rising star, and what better challenge than to take on Superman’s greatest foil, Lex Luthor?


This story focuses on Lex’s ability to ruin someone’s day, in a conniving way that exonerates him from blame, because the super genius plays his life like a game of chess, five moves ahead of everyone else. We see him get released from prison, get the reverse Nicholson-Joker face surgery to fix his scarred face, he ruins a small business, launches a space mission and suits up in his famous War Armor suit. All seemingly before lunch. The whole time, he’s trying to trap Superman, somehow but Clark’s alter-ego is no where to be found.

Soule gets to the heart of the smartest man in the New 52, in much the same way Abnett & Lanning did inAdventures of Superman #4. There’s not a moment or synapse wasted in Lex’s waking moments. He’s thinking about destroying the alien. He may well do it, too. Looks like this is a continuation of the Bizarro #1 story. Another iteration of a cloned Bizarro takes bullets from the War Armor.

Great art harkening to the clean look established by Rags Morales here from Raymond Bermudez as well.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: REALITY CHECK, NON-HUMANS, + MORE WITH GLEN BRUNSWICK

Image Comics has been, since 1992, the proving ground for comic book professionals to claim ownership of their work. Today we talk to Image creator Glen Brunswick about his awesome new series Reality Check, which tells the tale of a hero stepping into the real world, directly from the mind of his creator! Glen was gracious enough to talk a bit about his recent work with one of the fathers of Image, Whilce Portacio, entitled Non-Humansabout toys coming to life and walking among us. We’ve been a fan of Glen since his ‘Kirby as Genre’ series, Jersey Gods, so we would have been remiss to mention The Kingin our interview on this fine Wednesday. Reality Check #2 is released on Wednesday, October 2.

DIGBOSTON:Hi Glen! Thanks so much for talking to us today about your comics, and news of your most recent series, Reality Check for Image Comics! 
GLEN BRUNSWICK: Thanks for the invitation. Happy to be here.

In Reality Check #1 you’ve turned the mirror on a comic book creator that is being vetted by The Big Two and also we see a comic book origin like we’ve never seen before, the secret origin of a comic book creator! How much of this is based on your own experience? Is this an ongoing title?
I’m starting Reality Check off as a four issue mini-series. I have some ideas for future sequels, but this is a self contained full story experience. I clearly share some similarities with Willard—and that was a big part of writing about a comic creator who’s creation comes to life in the real world. There wasn’t a lot of research involved for me—it’s the old write what you know adage.

So many of the details about the comic industry and Hollywood seeped into the work based on my own memories or experiences.

Having said that, Willard as a character, is quite different than me—He’s single, while I’m a married guy. He’s has experienced great loss in his life—the death of his brother, while I fortunately haven’t been affected by that kind of tragedy.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill: 'KNUCKLEHEADS' (comic review) - at Forces Of Geek!

Bill & Ted. Jay & Silent Bob. Han & Chewie. Monkeybrain & ComiXology.

True friendships are golden through and through. Trevor K. Trevinski and Lance Powers are roommates who do normal roommate things like watch Cake Boss marathons on Netflix, play video games and eat pizza.

The difference from most of us is, aliens have bestowed a crystal fist to Trevor, allowing him the power cosmic to cheat on GTA: 5 and maybe even fight some bad guys.

The latest digital comic series from Monkeybrain has been released on ComiXology and we’ve taken a look on this Cosmic Treadmill.

KNUCKLEHEADS #1—#3
Writer: Brian Winkeler
Artist: Robert Wilson IV
Colors: Jordan Boyd
Letters: Thomas Maurer
Imprint: Monkeybrain
Pages per issue: 17
Issue #3 Digital Release Date: August 28, 2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

We’re finally here, when the digital comic can get its due.

We’ve been reviewing ComiXology Submit titles and when appropriate also digital titles from the Big Two. With so many people reading on their devices these days (including the PC or laptop computer, with ComiXology in a browser) the market has changed from fearing the digital format in the post-iPad world in only a couple of years. ComiXology itself, along with Amazon has encouraged and allowed creators to submit works to the platform. 

Smart, forward thinking imprints like Chris Roberson and Allison Baker’s Monkeybrain Comics as well as Mark Waid’s Thrillbent have also provided a home and for these great digital comics from known and unknown creators, forging the way in the digital space for an almost Image Comics-esque revolution.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 18, 2013

COMICS

Another great spyfi title hits the shelf this week with Zero #1 from Image Comics by Ales Kot and up and comer Michael Walsh. Great military action with a sci-fi twist! … Over at Dark Horse, we trade in our NOLA vamps for furry Werewolves in the Big Easy with Kiss Me Satan #1 from the author of the recent Buffyverse tale Spike: A Dark Place. “Do you wanna die”? Toadies drummer Mark Reznicek co-writes Buzzkill #1 about a superhero who gets his powers from drinking copious amounts of alcohol! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

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EARTH PRIME TIME: PEACEFUL TOMORROWS WITH SHANE W. SMITH

Shane W. Smith is an Australian independent comics creator with a successful sci-fi series The Lesser Evil under his belt. The sequel books Peaceful Tomorrows Vol. 1 & 2are now available on Amazon. Volume 2 was released just this week. Shane joins Earth Prime Time to tell us about the rich world he has created, with a galaxy at war and corrupt politicians pulling the strings.

DIGBOSTON: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us about The Lesser Evil and Peaceful Tomorrows. Care to tell new readers a bit about the world you’ve created?
SHANE W. SMITH: Thanks for having me here, Clay! Centuries of racial hate have kept a bitter conflict on the verge of engulfing the galaxy for as long as anyone can remember, even though the reasons for the hatred have long since ceased to matter.

Corrupt bureaucrats have been stoking the fires of fear and prejudice to strip their citizens of their rights.

That’s the macro story. The backdrop.

The story in my books, however, tends to focus a little more tightly on individual characters, attempting to navigate the moral pitfalls of a galaxy gripped by terror, and trying to carve out for themselves a place where they feel they belong.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

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COSMIC TREADMILL - LOGAN’S RUN (Bluewater)

Bluewater Publishing picked up the rights to William F. Nolan’s cult scifi Logan’s Run comic books back in 2009, and since then has been pushing us to Last Day with a series of comics and collected trades.  This Cosmic Treadmill takes us forward to the ageist post-nuclear future society and the story of our runner Logan 6 and pairmate Jessica through a series of adventures to destroy the controlling mind of The Thinker.

Scifi fans should be encouraged to check out the extended universe of the Logan’s Run novel trilogy, 1976 film and short-lived 1977 television series.

The future world of Logan’s Run is rule based, appealing to gamers and nerds of all kinds.

You are required to turn yourself in to a Sleep Shop on your 21st birthday to be gassed for your Last Day. Runners fight the system by escaping the big sleep and the grasps of the Sandman. The Sandman is equipped with a gun to take down runners, with six different kinds of ammunition from the immobilizing Needler to the extreme pain on every nerve ending Homer. Logan starts as a Sandman before trading that in for a life on the run, the only way to survive past 21! Your age is reflected in the color of a gem, embedded in your hand.

It turns black on Last Day. 

The starting point for the Bluewater titles is Logan’s Run: Last Day.

The four issue series is the origin of Logan-6 on his Last Day, finally making the run for it. Quite literally on his way out, he meets his partner, or pairmate Jessica who fight their way to Sanctuary through a pack of Warriors-esque pre-teens on the Thinker’s side called Cubs and down to the depths of the sea to a pre-war Atlantis called Molly.

The beautiful artwork by Daniel Gete is reminiscent of the work of Kieron Gillen on Phonogram, making for a very nice read indeed. This story was written by Paul J. Salamoff (Discord, Vincent Price Presents) and ends on a cliffhanger.

The second trade, Logan’s Run: Aftermath is the direct sequel to this story. Though the art team changes multiple times over the course of the book, the story is still solid.

An advantage of these books is that series author William F. Nolan is involved with writing or co-writing many of the titles, including the one shot Logan’s Run Solo that features a future tale of an older nomad chased to the Wastelands by a current runner, only to be confronted by his own history! 

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 11, 2013

COMICS

We’re still in the Summer of Valiant for a couple of weeks! This week shows the debut of the immortal soldier in Eternal Warrior #1 written by Greg Pak (Planet Hulk, Batman/Superman) and drawn by Valiant exclusive artist Trevor Hairsine. … Fred Van Lente launches a new title at Dark Horse with Brain Boy #1, reviving a short lived ’60s comic about a psychic working for the secret service. … Martians invade Mega-City One in Mars Attacks Judge Dredd #1. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: THE JOKER #1, BIZARRO #1, ALL-NEW X-MEN #16 plus THE SIRE #1

Looming over cites such as Boston, New York and San Francisco is similar to the pain that is being brought down upon Metropolis, Gotham and Central City.

Yes, college kids are on a tear of rampant destruction similar to Villain’s Month at DC whereby the bad guys take over your favorite books, coffee shops and bars like they own the joint.

Taking a cue from Marvel, the DC Comics Point One issues of Batman and Superman are now property of The Joker #1 and Bizarro #1. Over at ComiXology Submit, The Sire #1 is trapped by his costume!

THE JOKER #1 (BATMAN #23.1)
WRITER: Andy Kubert
ART: Andy Clarke
Publication Date: September 4, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131806623121
Buy it HERE

We heard stories of DC messing up the print run of the lenticular (3D) covers for this, but the company made up for it in a way by releasing a plain paper cover as well, and if you are reading digitally, no skin off your face!

Speaking of faces, this Joker is conspicuously full-skinned, and ready to laugh all the way home!

Set a few years in the past, Andy Kubert flashes back to a young boy who’s sadistic Aunt Eunice takes bleach and scrub brush to the young Joker’s face as she beats the boy and barely feeds him.

He does grow up with a sense of humor though! A very sick one.

Joker adopts a baby gorilla and decides like many parents to right the wrongs of his own rearing. This comic takes a turn for the really bizarre and melds ideas of golden age cartooning and animals acting like people and dressed in clothes to a modern day deconstruction of the American family. Via the Joker and his pet!

Andy Clarke (2000AD, Detective Comics) has a fine line Brian-Bolland style suitable for the Clown Prince of Crime, tying in character designs from The Killing Joke and The Man Who Laughs.

Great stuff! And quite possibly the only Joker story in recent times where Batman is no where to be found!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: “DRONES” WITH CHRIS LEWIS

 

Some great stuff comes my way via ComiXology Submit: a section on the site where creator-owned projects and independent creators get to strut their stuff with guided-view technology and sit right next to the big boys on the app! A recent gem I discovered was Drones, a comic about remote bomb pilots in Las Vegas bombing Afghanistan in the war on terror. Writer Chris Lewis was gracious enough to join us today to point some attention to his Kickstarter to get a trade printed with the conclusion of this action-packed and fun book!

DIGBOSTON: Thanks for joining us today to talk about your Kickstarter for Drones. What can you tell new readers about the series?
CHRIS LEWIS: Thanks for having me, Clay! Drones is a self-published, five-issue miniseries about the so-called War on Terror, Las Vegas style. It’s a satirical look at these crazy things we hear about in the news, with a special emphasis on unmanned aerial vehicles (AKA drones), the pilots who operate them, and the people (and goats) caught in the crosshairs.

Your first issue draws people in with a cool concept, plenty of action, gambling, and even sex. Are you trying to give people a heart attack?
This is just another example of reality being far stranger than fiction. With Drones I’ve tried to ride my imagination into the weirdest wild blue yonder, but I’m nowhere close to matching the pure insanity we’re consuming on a daily basis.

Just another day at work. Drones, Bruno Oliveira art

How much research did you do on drone pilots?
Quite a bit, actually. I’ve always been into politics, espionage, technology, etc., and I just started gobbling up news reports about drones after the events of September 11th. There’s an amazing book called Wired For War, and after I read it I started realizing that there was a very interesting psychological aspect to these drone pilots who are flying missions over war zones half a world away, sometimes firing missiles, but mostly just watching.

There’s a term that gets thrown about when describing how these drone pilots feel while they’re at work: The God’s Eye View.

The whole thing started to get uncomfortable when I realized that this technology mirrored how I was consuming media.

War via video feed. War as entertainment.

And guess what? A lot of drone pilots live and work at a base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. They have access to the biggest stage in the world in Afghanistan, and they are literally a short drive away from the entertainment mecca that is the Strip. These two things should make you question your sanity.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 4, 2013

COMICS

The bad guys take over at DC Comics this month, and if you are lucky you’ll get a copy of the 3D lenticular cover of your favorite baddy. That is, if DC made enough (which they didn’t). Speculators and collectors alike will be clamoring over these special covers! … Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Blackest Night) and David Finch (The Dark Knight) kick it off with the main event title, Forever Evil #1 as Nightwing seems to be teaming up with none other than Lex Luthor before facing the Crime Syndicate of America from another dimension. Keep an eye on Grayson! … Andy Kubert writes and Andy Clark draws the Clown Prince of Crime in Batman 23.1 — Joker!, an early tale of the purple suited lunatic, complete with face! … Me am tell you not pick up Superman 23.1—Bizarro Superman because Sholly Fisch terrible Superman writer. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1, BATMAN INCORPORATED SPECIAL #1, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #4 plus FIGHTING STRANGER VOL. #1

Art & Franco take a lighthearted all ages approach to Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse superhero and movie star Hellboy in Itty Bitty Hellboy #1, Chris Burnham curates a send-off to his team-up with Grant Morrison in Batman Incorporated Special #1, and Adventures of Superman #4 gives us some all star shorts in red shorts! Wash it down with a post-apocalyptic ComiXology Submit creator owned title Fighting Stranger Vol. #1.
  

ITTY BITTY HELLBOY #1 (of 5)
WRITERS: Art Baltazar & Franco
ART: Art Baltazar
Publication Date: August 28, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
UPC: 76156823936200111
Buy it HERE

Aw, Yeah Hellboy!

You might recognize the team of Art & Franco from Tiny Titans at DC as well as the most recent Superman Family Adventures. 

Perhaps you’ve seen the DC Super-Pets on Cartoon Network.  The point is, Art & Franco have been doing kids or all ages comics for years and now they have broken away from DC to give the cute mischievous humor and art to the Hellboy Universe and the fun keeps on coming!

From our usual inside jokes, referring to running gags on the Aw Yeah Podcast to Lil’ kid versions of everyone from Johann the spirit, Liz and Hellboy this book is just pure fun. They face off against kid friendly Karl (with exclamation point on his head), Rasputin and Herman The Head in varying sizes of cardboard box forts.

The book is worth the price of admission for the Johann chicken soup gag alone. True Story!

BATMAN INCORPORATED SPECIAL #1
WRITERS: Chris Burnham, Joe Keatinge, Nathan Fairburn, Mike Raicht, Dan DiDio
ART: Chris Burnham, Ethan Van Sciver, Emanuel Simeone, John Paul Leon, John Stanisci
Publication Date: August 28, 2013
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131789200111
Buy it HERE

Chris Burnham was the artist chosen to work with Grant Morrison to close out the chapter of his Batman run known as Batman Incorporated.  Burnham filled in on issue #11, featuring Jiro and Canary, the Batman of Japan (Introduced in Batman Inc., Vol. 1 #1).   The first internationally franchised Batman character Jiro (also known as Mr. Unknown - too many names) is more Bruce Lee than Wayne and all of his adventures are fantastical weird sci-fi kung fu flick futurist tales of Tokyo.

Burnham introduces a new  organ harvester villain, Dr. Inside Out in this issue that has the best use of a capsule hotel as a story device I’ve ever seen. Let’s hope Burnham moves to the writer/artist part of the business because I think he is great at both.

This book is an anthology looking at various international Bat-Associates from El Gaucho, the somewhat controversial Night Runner, Squire, Raven Red and Man-Of Bats. You’ll never guess it, but when DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio writes a story about some wacko DC C-Lister (See OMAC, Wednesday Comic’s Metal Men), its quite good. DiDio and Ethan Van Sciver drive it home with a Bat-Cow backup that’s something to be seen to believed. Damian Wayne’s former pet, Bat-Cow, is absolutely the hero. And he has a cape. Bat-Cow wears a cape.

I WAS LIKE:

Excuse me sir, Mr. @EthanVanSciver - BAT-COW WEARS A CAPE? Bat-Cow wears a cape. #yes. - @dandidio1

— Clay N. Ferno (@ClayNFerno) August 29, 2013

WHAT?

@ClayNFerno @dandidio1 BatCow has a cow blanket that happens to RESEMBLE a batcape…sorta by accident. ….OH HECK. Yes, she wears a cape!

— Ethan Van Sciver (@EthanVanSciver) August 29, 2013

Gotta keep her warm! @EthanVanSciver @dandidio1

— Clay N. Ferno (@ClayNFerno) August 29, 2013

[READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

EARTH PRIME TIME: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK “KING” KIRBY

Let’s all take a minute to celebrate the life and times of the undisputed King of Comic Books, Jack “King” Kirby! Comic book, movie, sci-fi, and pop culture fans all owe this man practically everything. Jacob Kurtzberg (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994), was born to the poor Kurtzberg family. His mother encouraged him to draw and as a young man he eventually started on newspaper strips. His career got the biggest boon when he created Captain America in 1941 with collaborator Joe Simon. Timely Comics (later Marvel) had a winning team on its hands. After switching from company to company and working on various projects, Kirby teamed up with Stan Lee to create The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine in 1961, The Fantastic Four, creating, in that single issue, the start of the Silver Age of comics and resurrecting Marvel Comics from the Power Cosmic. That year begat stories resonating with fans to this day and influencing our favorite summer superhero blockbusters with timeless characters.

The saddest part of Jack Kirby’s legacy is that he is not often credited in these movies, nor was he ever rightly compensated for the work he did as a creator. Before the creator’s rights revolution, partially spearheaded by Batman’s Neal Adams in the 1970s, all work for comic book companies was work for hire. All characters (to this day, this is sadly true for the Big Two companies, unless a contract denotes otherwise) are property of the parent company to do what they like with them.

And that’s all fine, but it should shock and surprise you, and make you drop your cereal spoon, to realize that Jack Kirby’s heirs receive NOTHING when a movie likeCaptain America is produced.

Luckily, his family is cool, and so are the people over at the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center. Let’s tell you a few things about the cigar smokin’, page crankin’, sonuvvagun that you might not know!

1. Ben Grimm / The Thing is Jack Kirby!

Fantastic Four #8 by Jack Kirby

Well, we are sure that Jack himself didn’t get irradiated in space and turn into a rock monster, but we can be sure that The King saw himself in his creation. I bet he would have clobbered the Yancy Street gang with big orange fists if he could have. But Jack found more time for drawing on fish paper with a No. 2 pencil than he did for fighting, so I guess we are lucky.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

Cosmic Treadmill: A Look at 'Classic Star Wars - A New Hope' at FORCES OF GEEK

I wonder if Jedi before me woke up with a light saber in their bed like I did today.

Of course mine is a Halloween prop from years ago, I dug it our to do a pose for a project I’m working on.

Also, to the chagrin of my girlfriend, when she isn’t staying over, her side of the bed is filled with comics, toys, guitar picks, my backpack and whatever else I decide to leave there. Right now it’s my well-deserved booty from Boston Comic Con, where I raided the $5 trade paperback bins to expand my collection of classic must read comics on the cheap. My favorite score from the Con?

Classic Star Wars: A New Hope by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin.

This six issue series are the first Star Wars comics to exist, written by former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Roy Thomas in an unusual deal for Lucasfilm.

The rights were offered for free to Marvel so long as the first two issues hit the stand to raise awareness of the movie. No one knew the comic or the movie would be successful of course!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for August 28, 2013

COMICS

Aw Yeah, Hellboy! We’ve missed Superman Family Adventures and Tiny Titans, now we can get our fill of cute heroes in the Aw Yeah style at the popular Dark Horse character, Itty Bitty Hellboy #1 from our pals Art & Franco. Its an all ages funny book, from hell! … The Joes amp up to take on Cobra and defend Manhattan in Fred Van Lente’s G.I. Joe #7. Yo Joe! … Grant Morrison ran out the clock on his two volume end cap to an epic run on Batman with Batman Incorporated. Superstar co-creator on the series, artist Chris Burnham leaves the series with an all-star special in Batman Incorporated Special #1. DC Publisher Dan DiDio and Ethan Van Sciver (Flash Reborn, Dark Knight) spin off a BatCow backup! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser:X-O MANOWAR #16, BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #12 plus THE FEZ #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser:X-O MANOWAR #16, BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1, INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #12 plus THE FEZ #1

The Summer of Valiant is almost over but X-O Manowar is ramping up for the fight of his life, Batman Beyond Unlimited Universe jumps ahead a year in Neo-Gotham, plus Triple Shotfavorite Mark Waid gives Indestructible Hulk the Doctor Who treatment and drops him into the Wild Wild West.

Wash it all down with 12 pages of The Fez from Roger Langridge found backstage at Babette’s Supper Club.

X-O MANOWAR #16
WRITER: Robert Venditti
ART: Lee Garbett
Publication Date: August 21, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200303101611
Buy it HERE

Aric of Dacia has returned from rescuing slaves from The Vine on Planet Death, and now he’s home.

A flashback to the Visigoth Aric looks much like Thor the Mighty Avenger on the title page, being schooled by his former mentor, Gilad The Eternal Warrior.

Flash forward to present day Romania, where Aric breaks into the National Museum of History to reclaim his father’s throne and fulfill his destiny as king.


Two of the most powerful heroes in the Valiant Universe go head to head as The Eternal Warrior sees firsthand the might of the alien X-O armor. 

This series is the lead-up to the fall Unity event at Valiant that will pit Aric against Ninjak, Toyo Harada (Harbinger), The Eternal Warrior and more. Aric is on the path to reclaim not only his throne, but conquer the Earth itself, fulfilling the destiny of his people.

The Valiant crossover event looks promising with Matt Kindt at the helm, and this main book by Venditti and Garbett continues to impress with great stories and art.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED UNIVERSE #1
WRITER: Kyle Higgins, Christos Gage
ART: Thony Silas, Iban Coello
Publication Date: August 21, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131789200111
Buy it HERE

There are two full stories here, collecting the digital first comics Batman Beyond 2.0 and Justice League Beyond 2.0.  Both stories jump ahead one year after the reveal of the new Batgirl Beyond and the 10000 Clowns storyline. 

Kyle Higgins (Nightwing) kicks off his run on Terry McGuinness with a re-opening of The Arkham Institute, a mid-air Man-Bat fight and a ‘round the table introduction to the people most important to keeping Batman Beyond out there on the streets, Dick Grayson and Commissioner Barbara Gordon.

Where’s Bruce? He’s there, but observing. For the first time, Bruce Wayne is not in the mentor role, as reported by the writers, to shake things up a bit.

Terry and Babs tackle a murder at Arkham, with Grayson advising from his acrobatics gymnasium. This story is off to a great start and if you care to read this digitally, you will be ahead of the print readers. Kyle Higgins knows Nightwing so his interpretation of the older Grayson is fun to read.

Some of the coolest Superman stories are those in which he is weakened by Kryptonite, or otherwise de-powered.

What is happening in Beyond is that something is wonky with how Superman is processing his solar energy and he is losing control over his powers. In an ode to a Cyclops mess-up, Supes nearly takes out Aquagirl with his heat vision and is forces into exile in his Fortress of Solitude. 

Micron helps out with his physiological problems and returns Clark to one of his previous New 52 professions—a firefighter. Unable to use his Kryptonian powers, can he rescue a cat this time? It might be hard! Christos Gage is at the helm of the JLB, and the two books compliment themselves nicely and exist in the same space and time.

Bruce is the one who tells Superman to go away, of course!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: SUMMER OF VALIANT: BLOODSHOT, X-O MANOWAR & UNITY

Before another Summer of Valiant comes screeching to a close, new portals are opening up in the Valiant Universe introducing Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT, Frankenstein: Agent of Shade) to the characters in Bloodshot #0 and November’s Unity. Aric of Dacia (X-O Manowar) faces former brother-in-arms Eternal Warrior in modern day Romania in X-O Manowar #16. The second year of Valiant is just as exciting as the launch, with some of the industry’s top talent.

 
Matt Kindt’s Valiant debut, with Chrisscross on art, in Bloodshot #0 explores the origin of our favorite nanite-covered super soldier. Narrated by the scientist put in charge of throttling back the killer instincts of the nanite-driven soldier to give him a conscience, the story spans several decades of the government-run Bloodshot program. We’re taken through Vietnam, the Reagan assassination, and up to the unfortunate soul chosen for the 1993 Project Rising Spirit experiment.

The Man Who Would Be Bloodshot - Chrisscross Art

This is the true origin of Bloodshot that you may have been waiting 25 years to read.

Bloodshot #0 - Matt Kindt Variant

As with the previous issues of Bloodshot, we’re treated to some truly horrifying violence and horrors of war. The Vietnam version was in improvement, physically, with self-repair built in, but, like the real soldiers in the war, lines were blurred and unnecessary casualties were par for the course. It was not until the ’90s when the nanites were infused with the memories of dying men, a step closer to garnering a conscience for the killer.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

Cosmic Treadmill: 'MARBLE SEASON' by Gilbert Hernandez (review) - FORCES OF GEEK

Cosmic Treadmill: ‘MARBLE SEASON’ by Gilbert Hernandez (review)

The Cosmic Treadmill takes us back in time to those summer days of reading comics, collecting baseball cards and watching everyone grow up around you, even if it seemed as if you would never get older.

This year saw the release of Marble Season from Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets). 

As the summer starts to wind down and kids go back to school, what themes will resonate from this book to an all ages audience?

The book is not merely a nostalgic retread of Hernandez’ childhood, but rather an account of growing up, family and the livelihood of a neighborhood when kids still played outside.


MARBLE SEASON
Writer/Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Price: $21.95
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
UPC: 9781770460867
BUY IT HERE

Los Bros. Hernandez have been publishing Love and Rockets for over 30 years.  

Marble Season is an excursion to the past, referencing the dawn of Marvel Comics in the ‘60s,Adventures of Superman on TV with George Reeves and Topps narrative trading cards Mars Attacks.

Brothers Huey and Junior join in the reading fun and both share access to Junior’s box of comics—that is until Mom puts an embargo on comics for the both of them until Junior gets his grades up. Their younger brother, the toddler Chavo is too young to read, and prefers to tear the covers from the books. 

Around the neighborhood are a whole host of boys and girls of differing ages, playing marbles, stickball and even a It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World party.

Everyone seems to get along, except for when they don’t, which usually ends up in an honest to goodness old fashioned fight with little boy punches and slaps (remember those?). 

A tomboy swings her stickball bat, some bad kids move into the neighborhood briefly for the summer and the star football player decides he is more interested in cooking than playing ball.

The little vignettes of Huey walking around the neighborhood as time passes takes the concept of Billy in Family Circus running around the block and elegantly captures the sense of time passing in the summer, and the myriad of adventures one finds themselves experiencing. The story is told through the eyes of Huey and Junior but also with the gift of play and imagination. 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: ROBIN HOOD: OUTLAW OF THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MATT DURSI

Matt Dursin is a comic book writer as well as the founder of the League of Ordinary Gentlemen Comic Book Podcast (LeaguePodcast). Dursin has written comics before, but taking the knowledge of his Comics Experience writing classes combined with his film-making degree from Emerson College has led him to applying himself to his latest project, green lit by Kickstarter: Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century #1. Fellow League member and Earth Prime Time comic book correspondent Clay N. Ferno interviews his close friend about his experience getting the project together, Robin Hood’s modern Merry Men, and the ridiculously high cost of medical expenses these days.

 
DIGBOSTON: Start with the origin of Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century!
DURSIN: This goes back to the Andy Schmidt (IDW, Hasbro) Comics Experience writing class I took in 2009. The first class assignment was to write a 5-page story with a beginning, middle, and end. I had this idea in my head because I wanted to make a screenplay out of it.

I had been writing scenes for the screenplay for many years. It was a classmate that suggested that we don’t know if they are good guys until the end … page 5.

Tell us about this Robin, the setting he is in. Does he use a bow and arrow? What is he stealing?
He doesn’t steal gold! I figured, “What do people need?” Because of my own health issues through the years, I always think of the cost of medications and medical supplies. “How would you even pay for this without insurance?”

What if this Robin Hood steals medicine and gives it to people that don’t have health insurance or can’t afford it or don’t have a job. That’s what people need these days.

In the traditional Robin Hood, he was just giving money to the poor. Now, who is richer than the pharmaceutical companies these days?

If you go back to serfdom and the knight class and the royal class of the medieval period, the gap is just about the same from the 99% to the 1% in modern times.
Spoiler here: in issue 2, he does actually steal money. Without giving away too much, there is someone that needs money and Robin Hood makes the decision to steal money, but it is a decent to a darker turn as he gets deeper into it. I was kind of inspired by Breaking Bad.

Every issue isn’t going to be a robbery; different things can happen.

Are there more characters from the old stories than the familiar Robin Hood who will show up in your comic?
There’s Robin Hood, The Merry Men, Little John, Will Scarlett, of course the Sheriff is the bad guy. Maid Marian of course—the lady friend of Robin Hood. She is not a maid, obviously. She’s a nurse and one of the people who knows where the medication needs to go, she knows where the supplies are that he can steal.

She’s the inside maid.

It’s basically Sherlock—not to compare my little comic book to one of the greatest shows ever!

Go for it!
That’s Sherlock Holmes in modern times.

Although when did Sherlock actually debut? I think I predate it with my 5 pages in 2009!

It’s the same idea. The character is one you know, and a story you can identify with. This Robin Hood uses a gun; it’s not bows and arrows.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

[Kickstarter page]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for August 21, 2013

 
COMICS

The power cosmic! It is a silver age swashbuckling Daredevil with the Herald of Galactus in one of our favorite runs on the character in Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil #30. … Batman Beyond Universe #1 gives Terry a new book and possibly introduces some more Batman lore set in the not so distant future of the existing books. Written by Kyle Higgins (Nightwing) and Christos Gage (G.I. Joe: Cobra). … You wanted the best, you got Kiss Kids #1! See what kind of trouble Li’l Demon, Starchild, Catkid, and Spacey can get into. Hopping on the Muppet Babies/Tiny Titans/Itty Bitty Hellboy trend, KISS introduces the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the world to the all ages audience! (Finally!) … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

Triple Shot: SIDEKICK #1, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #11, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #2

Triple Shot: SIDEKICK #1, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #11, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #2

JMS takes on the dark twist of a superhero sidekick plunged in to the depths of despair after the assassination of his hero in Sidekick #1, Paul Jenkins returns to Batman in Legends of the Dark Knight #11, and Nick Spencer’s misfit Scooby game of super villains are still one short of being Sinister until the Punisher shows up!

SIDEKICK #1
WRITER: J. Michael Straczynski
ART: Tom Mandrake
Publication Date: August 7, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Joe’s Comics / Image Comics
UPC: 70985301407200111
Buy it HERE


We’ve seen the fall from grace story a few times recently, in fact these are some of or favorite superhero books.

From Irredeemable to The Mighty and The Boys we see a super being turning bad and turning on the world he’s sworn to protect.

This most recent JMS superhero story focuses on Barry Chase aka Flyboy—sidekick of The Red Cowl.

At a parade in his honor, The Red Cowl is assassinated and Flyboy is left alone. Chase is left living in a tenement apartment trying to fund his career with Kickstarter, seeking the company of prostitutes, and staging saving the day with fake crimes for his public reputation. 

Needless to say, life sucks when you are a sidekick and are living under the shadow of the hero you served with, even when that hero is gone. Things aren’t looking up for Flyboy as he struggles with his identity in Sol City.

Straczynski’s return to comics is strong with this title and Ten Grand. Here’s to hope he continues his streak with The Protectors in November.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]