DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for October 23, 2013

COMICS!

The inimitable team of Brubaker & Epting (Captain America) deliver an all new, extra-sized issue number one of Velvet to Image Comics. The superspy vixen Velvet Templeton is on the case in 1970s Paris! … Joining IDW’s animation resurgence is Jim Zub’s (Skullkickers) Samurai Jack #1. Jack faces demons as he attempts to thwart Aku and string together the Rope of Eons! Rejoice, old school Cartoon Network and Samurai Jack fans! … Issue 2 of The Rocketeer and The Spirit: Pulp Friction soars by today with a bi-plane punch-fest and the Rocketeer’s way of the future swooping in! Plus some romance too, thanks to Mark Waid and Paul Smith! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19, S.H.O.O.T. FIRST #1, BATMAN AND TWO-FACE #24 plus CODE MONKEY SAVE WORLD

Parker gets fired in Superior Spider-Man (surprise, surprise), a team of atheists are charged with facing the occult in S.H.O.O.T. First #1 from Dark Horse, and the New 52 Origin of Two-Face has just begun in the Batman and… series.

Hang out with your boss Skullcrusher on Chiron Beta Prime with Greg Pak and JoCo with Code Monkey Save World, only available on ComiXology.

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19
WRITER: Dan Slott
ART: Ryan Stegman
Publication Date: October 16, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607912401911
Buy it HERE

Slott really jacks up the action and resolves more than one hanging plotline, referencing his Amazing Spider-Man run and looking forward to2099 in the latest issue of Superior Spider-Man.  Things are looking like they are coming to a head as Octavius finds himself unemployed and Horizon Labs takes to the sea. Spoiler warning for those that want to catch up in trade, as this issue resolved some major beats!

Michael O’Mara, Spider-Man of 2099 is in the present day as a result of Tiberius Stone mucking about in the Marvel timeline — a common theme this year that we’re hoping will continue as past and future versions of heroes mix with the current day.

Horizon Labs is rigged to explode and all future time will diminish if our Superior Spidey fails to solve an equation—an equation only Peter Parker knows how to formulate! Otto fudges it, saves the day but not Horizon, which is imploded and destroyed.

In the end here are the major points: Parker’s fired from Horizon, O’Mara is now stuck in 2013, Horizon is not allowed to re-open and someone very close to Spider-Man is now on the case of a connection between Superior Spidey and Doc Ock. Can the end be near? Where’s Peter? Gone forever?

The amazing and spectacular team of Ryan Stegman and the masterful Doctor Who time bending make this issue a BIG TIME deal. How long are we with Superior? I have a feeling the payoff and the buildup will continue to impress as Slott keeps us guessing and wanting more.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: INTERVIEW WITH PETER BAGGE (PART TWO)

We continue our talk with underground comics legend Peter Bagge (Hate) at Earth Prime Time to talk about his latest: Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story fromDrawn and Quarterly. Peter’s biographical hardcover graphic novel takes a look at one of feminism’s most controversial and important icons. Sanger’s (September 14, 1879 – September 6, 1966) life’s work was devoted to legalizing birth control and played a part in forming what is known today as the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Peter’s book tour stops at Brookline Booksmith on Monday, October 21.
Interview part 1 HERE.

DIGBOSTON: You could say she was a loudmouth. She wrote columns in newspapers, she was a socialist. There’s so much to her.
Peter Bagge: She lived a long life, she was in her 30′s when she became very active in politics in general and more specifically in birth control.

Her politics, as is the case with most people, evolved over time.

You know that adage, if you are young and not a liberal, you don’t have a heart, if you are old and you aren’t conservative, you don’t have a brain. That would describe her. It’s not like she did some 180.

Some people would say to me, did you know she voted Republican? Technically yes, that was true, she was more supportive by the 1950s of Republicans, but that was only because the only people that would support birth control were the Republicans. By then, the Democrats, a huge part of their constituency were blue-collar Catholics.

Yet one more irony, the one person in Washington who was the most upfront about legal access to birth control was a senator from Connecticut, Prescott Bush, George W. Bush’s grandfather—who lost re-election for sticking his neck out for birth control.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: INTERVIEW WITH PETER BAGGE (PART ONE)

Underground comics legend Peter Bagge (Hate) joins Earth Prime Time to talk about his latest work, including Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story from Drawn and Quarterly. Peter’s biographical hardcover graphic novel takes a look at one of feminism’s most controversial and important icons. Sanger’s (September 14, 1879 – September 6, 1966) life’s work was devoted to legalizing birth control and played a part in forming what is known today as the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Peter’s book tour stops at Brookline Booksmith on Monday, October 21 at 7pm.

DigBoston: The most obvious question, and the one you are probably getting a lot, is why Margaret Sanger?
Peter Bagge: I wish I had a short snappy answer to that question! For a while now I’ve been doing nonfiction pieces, mainly for a publication called Reason magazine.

Short journalistic comic strips, most recently I’ve been doing short biographical strips. It felt like it was starting to build up to the possibility of doing a book-length one. I ran a bunch of names by this one particular publisher who I thought would be interested, and they were the ones who published it, Drawn and Quarterly.

One of the names I ran past was Margaret Sanger. What was interesting was the other subjects I had in mind were all literary figures for the most part. I was very interested in women writers from the mid 20th century, from between the two wars. The reason I was interested in them, besides liking their work, was that they lived very autonomous, independent lives. Though these women weren’t the least bit masculine, they lived their lives as if they were men.

They didn’t let their gender hinder them from doing anything. And that made me wonder about birth control. I also couldn’t help but notice these women didn’t get pregnant, they weren’t saddled with a bunch of kids.

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of birth control did they use, what was available if they were using anything.

Peter Bagge - Self-Portrait / Author Photo (Drawn and Quarterly)

While researching that, I kept getting taken to Margaret Sanger. I kept running across incredible contradictory things that people would say about Sanger.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill: CODE MONEY SAVE WORLD NYCC Panel With Greg Pak and Jonathan Coulton

College friends Grek Pak (Action Comics, Planet Hulk, Eternal Warrior) and Internet famous musician Jonathan Coulton held a panel at New York Comic Con to explain to the world that needs saving about the wildly successful Kickstarter comic based on ten of JoCo’s most popular songs, themes and lyrical insanity.

As so many legends go these days, “It all started with a tweet”.

Issue #1 of Code Monkey Save World  (MonkeyBrain Comics) is available on ComiXology on Wednesday, October 16. 

Greg Pak stood at the panel with sculptor and comic book artist Sean Chen, JoCo’s assistant Drew Westphal aka Scarface and Jonathan Coulton to his left. Upcoming covers for the debut four issues of Code Monkey Save World were revealed to an audience of JoCo and Greg Pak fans. The amazingly talented series artist Takeshi Miyazawa (Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane) was not in attendance

 [READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for October 16, 2013

COMICS

Check out our the first part of our two-part unabridged interview with Dig favorite cartoonist Peter Bagge (HATE) today in the paper and online. Bagge teams up with Drawn & Quarterly for a biographical comic of feminist icon that was once banned in Boston in Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story. … Golden Age hero The Fox returns in a new #1 from Archie’s Red Circle Comics with the award winning team of Dean Haspiel (Bored to Death, American Splendor) and Mark Waid (Thrillbent, Daredevil). … Harada has stolen some nanites from Bloodshot’s body and it’s up to H.A.R.D. Corps to exfiltrate and save him before the remaining nannies eat him alive in Bloodshot and H.A.R.D. Corps #15. Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.

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NYCC - VALIANT COMICS Panel Report

Convention Report by Clay N Ferno

Valiant Comics remains committed to their rabid fans with a series of announcements tied to top industry talent and is expanding on the current Valiant Universe with new titles and crossovers in 2014.

Valiant Comics Director of Marketing Hunter Gorinson introduced an impressive series of panelists including Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Matt Kindt, Clayton Henry, Dinesh Shamdasani, Alejandro Arbona, ChrisCross and more at the Must Read Valiant panel on Saturday.

The panel starts off with the reveal to the pre-con teaser about the return of “The (Original) World’s Worst Supehero Team”.

The lead off announcement is that series creators Christopher Priest and M.D. Bright are returning to Quantum and Woody for a limited series set in the original Valiant Universe. No plans on expanding on the original universe beyond this series, we’re told, this is a special exception to reunite the team.

Starting in issue #5, fan favorite Mara artist Ming Doyle joins James Asmus on the current Quantum and Woodytitle, introducing the goat! 

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NYCC - BATMAN PANEL Report at FORCES OF GEE

For those not in attendance or watching the live stream, yesterday’s Batpanel was chock full of Spoilers (see what we did there?), updates, praise for fan enthusiasm and announcements.

John Cunningham (VP Marketing, DC Comics) introduced an all star family of writers including Batman: Eternal showrunner Scott Snyder and the artist Greg Capullo to a room full of eager fans and classic Jokers at the Javitz Center.  Introduced were James Tynion IV, Marc Andreyko, Ann Nocenti, John Layman and Peter Tomasi.

Cunningham started off by thanking all for supporting the books but also for supporting the We Can Be Heroes fundraising campaign, raising more that $2 million last year. He also announced a new video podcast from DC, DC All Access, which will show an insider’s view into the DC offices and announce upcoming projects.

First up, Bat-wise was the introduction of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to talk about current Zero Year issues and what we can expect in the days to come. The 64 page introduction of the New 52 origin hit shelves earlier this week, and Capullo’s redesigned Batman costume debut is an outstanding reference to Detective Comics #27.

Snyder admits that initially he wanted to keep all aspects of Batman: Year One as the origin story for Batman, but later fretted that with the changes of the New 52, Year One doesn’t exactly fit. Both Scott and Greg have had high anxiety about delivering and changing the right Batman origin and are expressed gratitude for the fan’s enthusiasm for what they have done with the book.

Batman: Zero Year deliberately references all things Batman, including the aforementioned Detective Comics cover, Batman: The Animated Series and beats from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One.

Issue #25 pages were revealed exclusively at the Con as well as the three part over arching chapters of Year Zero, to be spread in total over 11 issues. The three parts of the story are Secret City, Dark City and Wild City.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #1, TRIPLE HELIX #1, MARA #6 Plus TEMPLATE #1 - FORCES OF GEEK

Let’s pretend that we’re dead with another amazing Halloween issue, this time set in a place as dark as Riverdale with Afterlife with Archie #1, John Byrne expands on his Trio comic book Byrne-verse with a new superhero team in Triple Helix #1 and Brian Wood and Ming Doyle wrap up Mara in issue #6.

Over at ComiXology Submit, Template #1 uses the screen in effective ways to tell a futuristic scifi tale! 

AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #1
WRITER: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
ART: Francesco Francavilla
Publication Date: October 9, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Archie Comics
UPC: 76281606624200131
Buy it HERE

Archie Comics, as a publisher is one of the most surprisingly progressive and forward thinking in the industry.

From the gay marriage of service man Kevin Keller to the diverging timeline tale of Archie The Married Life, the Riverdale kids are mature characters not being put to waste by cheeseburger gags (though, when done right are as charming as when you read these at the barber shop or salon as a kid). 

Zombies have been popular for about 5 minutes or so I guess, so why not make a new ongoing Archie series with a horror bent?

This is more Dark Shadows the movie remake than The Walking Dead, but finally Sabrina and Salem exist in a book where spellbinding seems plausible, the dark corners of the night are gloomy, and the night of the Halloween Dance gives everyone an excuse to be dressed in costumes.

Did we mention that powerhouse Triple Shot favorite Francesco Francavilla was spotted in a cemetery near the burger joint spotting blacks? The artwork here is incredible, and people will be talking about this book all winter!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK!]

Cosmic Treadmill: BAD KARMA V. 1 Arrives From Creators Alex Grecian, Jeremy Haun, B. Clay Moore & Seth Peck - FORCES OF GEEK

Bad Karma is a new hardcover anthology comic spanning multiple genres but maintaining a common thread throughout the stories.

Some stories come in comic form, others in prose, and an all star lineup of pinup artists make this Kickstarter creator owned book a varied and engaging read from top comics talent.

The book was conceived and assembled by FOG! favorite creator, B. Clay Moore (JSA Liberty Files, Hawaiian Dick) and nearly double its Kickstarter goal at launch.

The first volume of this anthology series starts off with Alfred Tennyson’s sonnet The Kraken and a collaborative story, The 9th Life of Solomon Kane.

The four main writers for the book, including artist Jeremy Haun (Batman, Darkness) introduce us to this new universe though the eyes of one of our heroes, Solomon Kane. We’re treated to a Western combined with all of the time travel and intrigue of a Doctor Whoepisode and of course a visit from the mystical sea beast. 

The first chapter of the Solomon Kane tale leaves you guessing about important questions, like how can he at once be in feudal Japan and the next moment in the old West or washing ashore. Clearly there is a crack in the time stream and multiple versions of Kane exist. Huan’s storytelling and artistry are a standout for me in this book, a clean line reminiscent of contemporary Joe Eisma’s work.

The next chapter of comics in the book is written by Seth Peck and drawn by Andy MacDonald for his story starring an intriguing force of nature known as Chaos Agent.


The bald man in a blue suit is as much an action hero modeled after Jason Statham as he is a supernatural being, rivaling the mystical powers of someone like Constantine. The Chaos Agent is on our world as a representative of the force of Chaos and this story shows how he does so. This is a cool character, worthy of his own world building if not a series himself!

We move on to Seth Peck’s Hellbent, a supernatural noir tale set around the time of Jack The Ripper.

Starring a crooked cop and some thugs, we see how the bruiser reacts when faced with the dark forces of dormant tentacle monsters roaming the streets of London!

[READ MORE at FORCESOFGEEK.COM]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for October 9, 2013

COMICS

The indirect result of DC denying an all-ages Kamandi book for kids is the newest graphic novel from Paul Pope, Battling Boy. Join Aurora West and Battling Boy on a fresh monster stomping adventure. … Its a teamup of the century, Charles Soule (27, Swamp Thing) and Tony S. Daniel (Detective Comics, Action Comics) creating the The Man of Steel and Wonder Woman meet-cute in Superman Wonder Woman #1. … Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Walking Dead with issue #115. Rick vs. Negan in ALL OUT WAR! 10 alternate covers interlock, representing 10 years of the hit book just in time for the television return. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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The Lottery Ticket Comic

The Lottery Ticket Comic The lottery ticket that is guaranteed not to disappoint! The instantaneous, over-night fulfillment of lifelong dreams, the adoration of your friends and family, the ability to do what you love without worrying about the costs — this is every man’s dream.

And we’re not talking about suddenly becoming a movie star, either. Instant rewards are something that all humans are wired to desire, which explains why, according to the PBS, from as far back as 1996, over 60% of Americans have been involved in some form of gambling or another. Most people gamble for financial gain, or the adrenaline rush of seeing those dice roll over and make your day. While some winners have developed winning techniques, like Richard Lustig, who’s published a book detailing his techniques, which ranked #3 in Amazon’s Self-Help category in 2010, some winners, like William Post have experienced nothing but disaster following what they thought would be the greatest day of their lives. Gambling and the lottery continue to attract thousands of people everyday, with some flocking to casinos in Las Vegas for a round of cards, and some choosing to play a game of Uptown Pokies from the comfort of their computers.  While lottery tickets have become a symbol of both hope and despair for people all over the world, one comic book artist has turned it into a whole new form of art.

Peter S. Conrad has been experimenting with different mediums for years, transforming his comics into things never heard of before, like cassette tapes, cigarette packs and Rubik’s Cubes. In the 2011 San Francisco ZineFest, he revealed his latest creation: a comic in the form of a lottery ticket. This ingenious design brings comics to a whole new level. It eliminates a common problem that impatient comic book readers seem to have: skipping right to the end panel and spoiling the ending, while still allowing readers to go through each panel at their own pace. The anticipation of what could happen next, and the joy that comes from scratching off the ticket just add to the whole experience. Conrad’s unique comics have been featured in various newspapers and exhibited in museums all across the United States, and rightly so. After all, it takes an exceptionally talented man to turn something like a lottery ticket into an instrument of entertainment and fun.

EARTH PRIME TIME: BABYLON CONFIDENTIAL WITH CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN (PART TWO)

 

Actress Claudia Christian (Babylon 5, The Hidden, Clean and Sober) joins us to talk about her tell-all book about Hollywood, a new way of coping with an alcohol addiction, and more in Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction. Part two of our unabridged interview deals with her discovery of The Sinclair Method to treat alcoholism as well as her upcoming projects. (Part 1 HERE)

DIGBOSTON: To go back a bit and to change tone. Throughout the whole book, you talk about your struggles with alcohol, something you deem to call a monster that a lot of people struggle with, including myself. A lot of people go about their recovery in different ways. At the apex of the book you talk about your absolute bottom and your recovery. Mind talking about that a bit?
Claudia Christian: Not at all! My alcoholism struck when I was 37/38. I realized that I had a problem so I became sober. I tried everything. I went to AA meetings, which did nothing for me, I tried hypnotism, I tried psychotherapy. You name it. What happened to me, I was one of those people who would stay sober for six months and fall off the wagon. [I would] stay sober for 9 months and fall off the wagon. The problem with that is, there is a state of alcohol deprivation if you are an alcoholic. This is a scientific term.

The brain is in constant craving, even if you don’t realize it.

When I was sober. Every single day, all I could think of was the fact that I was sober, and I hated it. I just wanted to be normal again.

I wanted to be the Claudia that had one drink and could walk away.
I wanted to be the Claudia that had a dinner party, [could] have a couple of glasses of wine and be fine. It confused me that something changed in my brain.

I come from a family of scientists and doctors. I kept thinking there must be some sort of way to change the brain. There has to be. I ended up in a detox center with my absolute last, worst binge. It was a nightmare. It was the only time I had to have a medical detox. I was sober for 10 months and fell of spectacularly. Because that is what happens, the binges get worse!

As we tend to do.
And that’s how people die. You hear about these famous people who drink a bottle of vodka, and they die. You overdo it and you poison yourself.

I went to the detox center, they treated me horrifically, inhumanely. Most of the time that’s what it is, treating addicts with degradation, which is so not fair. I checked myself out in 24 hours. On the way out, I saw this flyer, for Vivitrol” “Get Rid of the Cravings.” It was a shot, $1000 a month. I called and no one ever called me back so I did my own research. I found out the key ingredient is called Naltrexone.

That lead me to the book by Dr. Roy Eskapa, The Cure for Alcoholism: The Medically Proven Way to Eliminate Alcohol Addiction.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.com]

EARTH PRIME TIME: BABYLON CONFIDENTIAL WITH CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN (PART ONE)

Actress Claudia Christian (Babylon 5, The Hidden, Clean and Sober) joins us to talk about her tell-all book about Hollywood, a new way of coping with an alcohol addiction, and more in Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction. Part one of our interview deals with her illustrious start in Hollywood and inspiring people as Commander Susan Ivanova in Babylon 5.

DIGBOSTON: Thanks for joining us to talk about Babylon Confidential.
Claudia Christian: Thank you for having me.

What I expected was a Hollywood tell-all book and what I got was much more than that! An inspiring story of recovery, as well as stories about Hollywood and your relationships. Can you tell me about the interesting things that happened when you first moved to Hollywood?
Back in the ’80s, it was a much easier profession, I think. Nowadays with the advent of reality shows and so forth it is difficult for actors or actresses to get a job. My beginning is almost a joke. I met an actor in Laguna Beach when I was 16 working in a coffee shop, he gave me the name of a manager. I met her, she signed me, I booked a series! It was so easy.

There was much less competition, you didn’t have families moving out for pilot season with children in tow.

That was really exciting, I worked all the time, it was a new environment. I wanted to be on my own since I was a little kid. I loved being independent. I moved to LA when I was 17.

The beginning was fun. When I look back now, I didn’t understand I was working with people like Faye Dunaway and Bob Hope, George Clooney … at the time, they were just people. I wasn’t really inundated with star-struckness. It was just work.

Unfortunately you had some negative experiences with some famous actors you talk about in the book, such as Cliff Robertson and William Shatner.
The Cliff Robertson thing was kind of shocking because I had never been treated like that, it was a silly incident and he pulled a very dramatic, sort of violent gesture toward me and I thought, “Wow, is this what Hollywood is like?”

I only had one real classic “casting couch” incident but that was with Bob Evans.

I’m sure every actress in town has one of those with him! That didn’t make the book.

The other incidences were men making passes or just being inappropriate or lascivious or whatever. I think I got a pretty good deal compared to some actresses I’ve talked to.

 [READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

Cosmic Treadmill: FORCES OF GEEK! Chats With Comic Writer MARK BERTOLINI

Independent comic writer Mark Bertolini shared his recent ComiXology Submit graphic novel Long Gone and its take on superheroes gone bad.

Not only is that a favorite topic around here at The Cosmic Treadmill and Triple Shot, but we also talk about the comic market and some very cool upcoming projects coming our way from his lair in Ontario. 

Mark, thanks for joining us today here at Forces of Geek!  We first heard of you while flipping the virtual spinner rack at ComiXology for your creator owned, Broken through ComiXology Submit.  You have a few books up on the store—how has it been actually submitting your comics from a creator’s perspective? What is your relationship with 215 Ink?

I have a great relationship with 215 Ink. They’re an incredibly supportive publisher, and always have an ear open for me. I’m very happy with how things work, because I don’t have to do the behind-the-scenes work. I get to create, and 215 does the business work. I haven’t submitted any of my own work to Comixology, the publisher handles all of that for me, which I appreciate immensely. All the books on the site are courtesy of 215 Ink’s hard work.

We loved the story in Broken, a twist on the Batman origin in a way, plus playing with some other tropes in comics. How did fans react to the book?

There has been some pretty great feedback about Broken.

Now, most of that feedback was about how brutal and depressing the story was, but I consider that good. People who read Broken really picked up on the Batman theme, and how I was able to adapt it into something new-ish.

Also, there was a ton of praise about Allen Byrns’ work. Allen’s a genius, and this first issue really demonstrates that.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK!]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for October 2, 2013

COMICS

October means Halloween! Halloween means comics specials, and here’s the first, Shadowman #11 from Valiant Comics written by Jim Zub (Skullkickers). This ish comes with a detachable Shadowman mask cover variant and is drawn by superstar Miguel Sepulveda. Is NOLA safe from the undead threats lurking in the shadows? Jack to the rescue! … Today’s the day to visit EARTH PRIME TIME for our interview with Glen Brunswick and pick up issue #2 of Reality Check. An artist’s comic book hero creation comes to life and he needs more help than you’d think! Also available today is Glen’s Non-Humans TPB with Whilce Portacio. … Keeping it spellbound and weird is The Occultist #1 from Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and Mike Norton as our young mystic takes heed of the book of spells called The Sword. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: STAR TREK #25, ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN #27, POWERPUFF GIRLS #1 plus THE JOURNALS OF ROHAUSER #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

The Klingons pick up from where Star Trek: Into Darkness left off, Miles is back in the mask in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, and the girls take on Mojo Jojo as The Powerpuff Girls return to comics.

On the ComiXology store, vigilante investigator The Journals of Rohauser #1 awaits you.

STAR TREK #25
WRITER: Mike Johnson 
ART: Erfan Fajar
Publication Date: September 25, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Comics
UPC: 82771400278202511
Buy it HERE

One thing we didn’t get enough of in Star Trek: Into Darkness was Klingons! Sure, they showed up with Bat’leth and we got a cool fight scene, but that wasn’t enough.

On Khitomer the Kilingon are setting up base when Romulans attack. Kirk and new crew mates are caught in the middle of this age old conflict before heading out on to the Enterprise’s five year mission.

Mike Johnson writes with the aid of Roberto Orci to continue the new Star Trek universe beyond the screen. Fajar’s art style fits, drawing accurate portrayals of the new cast and some very mean looking Klingons. 

Of note, two characters make their way onto the Enterprise bridge in this issue, Sulu’s sister Yuki and another formidable female, Carol Marcus from the second movie. We hope to see both of these ladies on the screen and in the pages of Star Trek in the days to come. Technician Yuki Sulu wears a read tunic, we pray for her safe survival in this, The Khitomer Conflict, part 1 of 4.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EARTH PRIME TIME: INTERVIEW: MAGREET DE HEER

Dutch comic book artist Magreet De Heer comes to Cambridge tonight to educate children of all ages with her new graphic novel, Science: A Discovery in Comics (NBM Publishing). It was a delight to read her book and get some feedback on her exhaustive research, women in science, and how her husband contributes to the book as colorist and number one fan. Margreet will be at Million Year Picnic at 5pm tonight for the signing.

 
DIGBOSTON:Margreet, thanks for taking the time today to talk about Science: A Discovery in Comics!
MARGREET de HEER: No problem at all, thank YOU for the interest in my book!.

After your acclaimed comic Philosophy: a Discovery in Comics, what motivated you to take on Science? 
Science is actually the third book in the series – but it is the second book published in the States. The second book published in The Netherlands was about Religion, and there’s a good chance that will be published in the US next year.

When I was invited by my Dutch publisher in 2009 to talk about making a graphic novel about philosophy, he tentatively mentioned that it might be the start of a series. My husband and I looked at each other and immediately said: “Well, then the next needs to be Religion (because I am a theologist and come from a family full of church ministers) – and after that Science, of course.” It seemed a logical trio to us: philosophy, religion and science are all ways in which people try to make sense of the world.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

Cosmic Treadmill: A Look At JUPITER'S LEGACY Part 1 (Issues 1-3) at FORCES OF GEEK

The Authority’s Mark Millar and Frank Quitely have teamed up again to dissect the superhero genre as well as the American family and economy in Jupiter’s Legacy.

Issue #3 of the ten issue series drops on Wednesday, September 25 from Image Comics.

This edition of Cosmic Treadmill takes a look at the first act of Millar’s unusually lengthy mini-series that dips into the Golden Age of comics at the same time it looks at the present and how comic heroes might act under present conditions.

Back in April, I presented this review of issue one.

I wasn’t that thrilled with what the first issue of Jupiter’s Legacy had to offer, in fact I had some harsh criticisms about the introduction of Chloe and her drug overdose at the end of the issue. After reading some interviews with Mr. Millar and reading the next two issues, I still stand by what I said about this being a tough introduction to the storyline, but found more to enjoy from the story after reading issues #2 and #3. 

Before delving into the plot points and sophisticated deconstruction of the genre we’re shown in the book, let’s note the artwork. We all know Frank Quitely beautifully renders clothing and costumes in a realistic way, and in an expansion of his talents, Jupiter’s Legacy gives us a wide-screen view of some sophisticated scenery and fight scenes with effortless detail, complex backgrounds and even a bit of gore.

Pacing throughout the books, with Millar’s trademark huge beat cliffhangers at the end of issues #2 and #3 are spectacularly drawn pinups making you crave the next panels to move the story along.
  
Long haired anti-hero and son of Utopian Brandon Sampson looks eerily similar the artist as a young man, almost as much as his Dick Grayson likeness.

Great to see the artist in his work, all complimented by colorist, letterer and book designer Peter Doherty (2000 AD) on these pages for a soft tangible feel to the world, coupled with naturalistic tones on for the backgrounds.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for September 25, 2013

COMICS

This one is for the kids! Our friend Nathan Edmondson from The Activity and Who is Jake Ellis? scribes the Man of Steel in Adventures of Superman #5. An alien baby crashed on Earth, and someone is out to get her! From capes to swaddles, the Man of Tomorrow! …Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup are back to steal the attention from MLP! Witness the cute Powerpuff Girls vs. Mojo Jojo in the return of Powerpuff Girls #1. Aw Yeah, camping trip! Itty Bitty Hellboy #2 takes to the woods for S’Mores and more! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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