NYCC Report: DC Entertainment ‘Meet The Publisher’s’ Panel - at Forces of Geek

For answers to the many questions Rebirth leaves the fans with, we headed to “Meet The Publishers” panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday afternoon.

The packed room full of Damian Waynes, Reys and our favorite, an older gentleman dressed as Wonder Woman, munching on some Kettle Korn.

DC Entertainment’s co-publishers, Dan DiDio and Jim Lee opened with the usual jokes and self-congratulation for the Rebirth line.  Among the tidbits mentioned during the presentation:

• Dan admitted that last year’s lukewarm NYCC panel reaction was partly the catalyst for the line wideRebirth change.

• Respect for legacy and character relationships were two of the other main reasons for the change.

• 14 million Rebirth books have shipped, and the numbers were strong for Wave 1.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FFOG! Chats With Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire About ‘A.D.: After Death’ at Forces of Geek

A superstar creative team of this caliber only comes together rarely to create a book that can change how comics are consumed and touch us with such personal stories. 

Scott Snyder (Batman, Wytches, American Vampire, Swamp Thing) writes A.D.: After Death for Image Comics with artist Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Essex County, Descender, Animal Man) contributing illustrations for this mostly prose comic book story.

These modern masters of comic storytelling joined Forces of Geek to talk about November’s upcoming first oversized volume in three parts of A.D.: After Death. The book proposes what it might be like if someone cures death itself.

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FOG!: Thanks for joining us guys!, We’re here to talk about After Death. I gotta say, this is really different and unexpected, two huge talents coming together. How did this come about?

Jeff Lemire: Scott and I have been friends and colleagues for quite a while, and mainly working on superhero stuff together for a bit (Animal Man/Swamp Thing). We’re developed quite a friendship and this started when Scott mentioned the initial idea of the story to me a couple of years ago.

At that time it was just going to be a straight forward, 20-page comic, a sci-fi, high-octane bombastic story, as a fun side project. We just wanted a chance to work together. We sat down and started to work on it, and the scope of the project started growing and changing and evolving. It became a much bigger project, what it is now.

Scott, this is your story, correct? Is Jeff writing too?

Scott Snyder: I’m writing it, but everything in it, I’ve run by Jeff. He has been an incredible help, sound-boarding stuff, brainstorming it, troubleshooting. He definitely deserves a credit toward the creation of the story as well. Having someone who is such a terrific writer, I feel like I have only a quarter of the work! He’s a terrific artist, he’s drawing it, and he helps me with the story.

If anyone got off easy, it was probably me! (Laughs)

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Dean Haspiel Bids Adieu To ‘The Red Hook’ (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Dean Haspiel’s latest original comics creation lands on the scrolling pages of the Line Webtoon (browser and app) and introduces a new superhero universe in New Brooklyn. The Red Hook takes elements of Silver and Golden Age heroes, borrows from modern art and takes cues from Scott McCloud’s Reinventing Comics. 

By releasing content weekly, the webcomic is not like anything you may have seen before. The pages tell their story by scrolling continuously from top to bottom on your screen (tablet/phone/computer screen), stopping at the chapter markers.

The setting is New Brooklyn, a borough seceding from the rest of the world that is not unlike Batman’sNo Man’s Land storyline. The American flag has been replaced by a white flag, not of surrender but independence.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year’ (review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

The girls are back, or should I say, have arrived in DC Animation Studio’s latest all ages movie DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year. New versions of Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Bumblebee and even Big Barda star in this fun action adventure for everyone.

The class members of Super Hero High is gunning for the trophy of Hero of the Year, as principal Amanda Waller puts the girls in charge of finding out what is wrong with the school’s amethyst crystal.

Don’t worry, you’ll get to see Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld make an appearance because the main villain for this story is the creepy angular forehead of Dark Opal and a female version of Eclipso!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats with EarthQuaker Devices’ Matt Horak About ‘OctoSkull’ - at FORCES OF GEEK

Rock and Roll. Comics. Rock and Comics, our “old alma mater,” as Chuck Berry once said!

Matt Horak (The Covenant, Thundarr The Barbarian Fan Comic) joins us to talk about the fusing of guitar pedals and the comic stories that back them up.

Earthquake Devices have commissioned Matt to drum up some interesting stories to market their effects pedals, and gives us a peek at the first story, OctoSkull.

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FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Matt. I’m not a guitarist but thought this was an interesting project. Please tell me first about your guitar pedal company.

Matt Horak: EarthQuaker Devices began when our illustrious founder, Jamie Stillman, attempted to fix one of his broken pedals. This led to him building some of his own pedals and selling them online. Flash forward 10 years and EQD has a line of 30+ pedals and 30+ employees.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘James Bond Vol.1: VARGR’ (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

James Bond Vol. 1: VARGR
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Jason Masters
Published by Dynamite Entertainment
ISBN: 9781606909010 | Price $19.99
Release date: June 22, 2016

Those fans of 007 may not have gotten all they wanted from Daniel Craig’s most recent performance of the MI-6 agent in Spectre last year, but may very well be delighted at what Warren Ellis has been able to do in the comic series from Dynamite.

Ian Fleming Publications and the Fleming Estate commissioned Ellis to approach the character for comics stemming from a licensing deal with Dynamite. The first story art is collected here in one volume, VARGR. Currently on stands is Ellis’ second arc with artist Jason Masters. More writers and artists including Andy Diggle (Green Arrow) will be brought on later this year to fill out more of 007’s modern comic continuity.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘The Sheriff of Babylon Vol. 1: Bang. Bang. Bang.’ (book review) at Forces of Geek

The Sheriff of Babylon Vol. 1: Bang. Bang. Bang
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Mitch Gerards
Cover by John Paul Leon
Published by Vertigo Comics
ISBN: 978-1401264666 | Price $14.99
Release date: July 13, 2016

Crime and war in post-9/11 Iraq is captured in Sheriff of Babylon written by Tom King (Batman, The Vision) and drawn by Mitch Gerads (The Activity, The Punisher).

King draws on his experience as a CIA officer to create a deeply personal rich reflection of the Baghdad of 2004 through the eyes of a former cop and current military contractor Christopher, his Muslim Iraqi girlfriend Sophia and former Iraqi police officer Nassir.

By being exposed to the environment, King has created, along with the carefully researched accuracy of Gerads’ artwork, a military crime fiction of the highest order—it just so happens to be in comic book form.

‘Suicide Squad’ (movie review) at Forces of Geek

Produced by Charles Roven, Richard Suckle
Based on Suicide Squad by John Ostrander
Written and Directed by David Ayer
Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie,
Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney,
Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,
Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne

One thing we can all agree on is that the DC Cinematic Universe got off to a rocky start and seemed doomed with the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The controversy won’t end with this film, but I can say writer/director David Ayer finally gets it. Nothing is ever perfect but this movie is more than what meets the eye from the promos.

Spanning superhero, comedy, supernatural and military genres and introducing visual elements more commonly found in video games, Suicide Squad is a wild ride.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘Tetris: The Games People Play’ by Box Brown (graphic novel review) at Forces Of Geek

Tetris: The Games People Play
Written and Illustrated by Box Brown
Published by First Second
Release Date: October 11, 2016
EAN 9781626723153
Price: $19.99

The New York Times Bestselling author Box Brown (Andre The Giant: Life and Legend) returns for his second major release through First Second to be released in October of this year. With herds of roaming purple-eyed glow kids tripping on curbs to collect the latest Pokemon lately, we thought this a fitting time to review the origin of Tetris in Tetris: The Games People Play.

Brown illustrates the graphic novel using two color printing (yellow and black) and a simplistic but humorous style that is uniquely his.

The story of Tetris doesn’t include Man from U.N.C.L.E. espionage, but it does have a dramatic element and compelling story that is difficult to put down.

Back in my day, my family, like Brown’s, all fought over the grey screened Game Boys and this addictive Russian video game, shrunken down from the full color version on our ‘big’ TVs.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

The Cloud GN (book review) at Forces Of Geek

Written by K. I. Zachopoulos
Illustrated by Vincenzo Balzano
Published by BOOM! Studios/Archaia
Pub. Date: July 20, 2016
Price: $24.99
UPC:  978160886725752499
Buy It Here

The Cloud is the latest graphic novel release from Archaia, an imprint of BOOM! Studios. This fantasy world is set far in the future as a boy and his trusty flying wolf Cloud travel to discover the secrets of his father and seek after a totem for wishes.

Come along and get lost in this beautifully delightful adventure story with pirates, defiant pachyderms, and talking statues.

This adventure story of a boy and his wolf will transport you to another world that is familiar but forever changed by the actions of our time. In the future of The Cloud we are left with mountain cities in the sky as the earth below is no longer fit from the actions occurring in “The Great Before”.

Each page of this graphic novel is beautifully painted by Vincenzo Balzano (Revenge: The Secret Origin of Emily Thorne) borrowing thoughtful stylistic elements from the likes of Dave McKean (Sandman) and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Fans of The Sandman: The Dream Hunters will most certainly enjoy this story tonally. The pitch and solicit also make sure to mention The NeverEnding Story a bit and for good reason. Cloud and Falkor have much in common. The boys in both stories are adventurers on a quest.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Jordan Rennert, Patrick Meaney,
Julian Darius, Mike Phillips,
Cat Mihos, Morgan Peter Brown
Directed by Patrick Meaney
Starring Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer,
George R.R. Martin, Grant Morrison,
Karen Berger, Shelly Bond, Terry Prachett,
Lenny Henry, Michael Sheen, Patton Oswalt,
Chip Kid, Wil Wheaton, Jill Thompson

The living embodiment of The Sandman and literary genius Neil Gaiman (American Gods, The Ocean at the End of the Lane) is highlighted in this documentary from SeqArt, following Neil on his final book signing world tour.

That is too say, Neil will, at the end of the documentary have signed over 75,000 books and need to ice his had after every session. An artist with such class and graciousness is rare for wanting face time with all of his fans, just one last time. No one can accuse Neil of being a ‘Ringo’ about his signing tour. He wants to get back to writing. At some point he decided he wanted the final tour to happen, so he, like one of his Endless characters, planted the seed in his fan’s dreams and let this pan out one last time.

With some great interviews with celebrity fans Wil Wheaton, George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Ross, Lenny Henry, Grant Morrison, the late Terry Pratchett and so many more, this insightful documentary about Neil’s writing and life will be surely devoured by his devout followers and comics fans that recognize how works like Sandman truly changed the conversation and cultural landscape.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ (movie review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Carthew Neal, Leanne Saunders,
Taika Waititi, Matt Noonan
Based on Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump
Written and Directed by Taika Waititi
Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby,
Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley,
Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Taika Waititi

A departure from the comedy of his work on Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows, the sophomore feature from writer/director Taika Waititi crosses The Fugitive with the New Zealand bush.

Camping across over five months, Uncle Hec (Sam Neill) and young Ricky (Julian Dennison) are on the run to escape the clutches of Juvenile hall.

The wry humor of Waititi’s previous work shines through, this is a very funny movie and the touching story of bad kid Ricky being accepted into a farming family to turn himself around without losing identity.

Rima Te Wiata stars as Ricky’s adoptive aunt, Bella, that can both heat a water bottle for Ricky’s bedtime cuddling and joyfully slaughter a wild pig for dinner without caring much about the gangsta rap 10 year old’s reaction.

This is a movie about outsiders and acceptance.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: ‘Action Man #1’, ‘She-Wolf #2’, ‘James Bond’ #7 & ‘Adventures of Supergirl’ #11

This return of Triple Shot brings us a little known action hero from the UK getting his due with IDW’s Action Man #1, a teenage girl wolf’s out in She-Wolf #1 from Image and the Duke of Dapper James Bond starts in on a new adventure “Eidolon” written by Warren Ellis issue #007!.

Are you missing out on Supergirl lately? Don’t fret because Sterling Gates has been keeping Kara and the Danvers girls busy in our Digital Chaser for Adventures of Supergirl #11.

Action Man #1

Writer: John Barber
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub. Date: June 22, 2016
UPC: 82771401090900121
BUY IT HERE

John Barber (Transformers) starts us out in media res with our hero Action Man infiltrating Doctor X’s headquarters.

Don’t know who Action Man is? Picture G.I. Joe but for Anglophiles.

I’m not talking the little guys, we’re talking Original 1960’s Kung-Fu Grip that might ask for a spot of tea.

Paolo Villanelli (Snake Eyes) is on art and if you crave a modern G.I.Joe title (one that is noticeably missing from the current IDW line), Action Manmight be what you are looking for!

Action Man is a highly trained soldier in martial arts, weapons and even the culinary arts according to this incarnation. He’s Duke, Snake-Eyes and Roadblock all rolled into one!

That is, of course until a Wrath of Khan moment changes the fate of Action Man!

This is a fun start to the series that I look forward to continuing, a mashup of James Bond, The Kingsmen: Secret Service, G.I. Joe and Torchwood, Action Man has what it takes to keep me interested!

And to be honest, the Train Fight certainly jumped my ratings from a low 4 to a high 5, targeting for my own locomotive combat preference.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK.COM]

FOG! Chats With ‘The Revisionist’ Writer Frank J. Barbiere - at FORCES OF GEEK

Frank Barbiere (Five Ghosts, Avengers World) joins us today to talk about his latest time travel crime book  The Revisionist from new publisher Aftershock. The ongoing title stars time traveling assassin tasked with repairing a cracked timeline!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us today, Frank! The Revisionist #1 is out now, from Aftershock. How did you get involved in the launch of a new publisher?

Frank Barbiere: I had met Mike Marts a few times socially, and was always interested in working with him. Mike has edited many of my favorite books, including long runs on X-Men and Batman.

When Aftershock was starting to get the ball rolling, Mike reached out to see if I had any creator owned properties I was interested in pursuing.

I’m a creator who loves to have my own books as well as work for hire, so I quickly responded with a few ideas I had kicking around and we settled on The Revisionist.

Are you happy and excited to work with them? The roster from day one certainly caught my eye!

It’s been a wonderful experience. Aftershock has built a really strong publisher where they let their talent have creative freedom and work with the people they want—I was able to handpick my creative team (co-creator and artist Garry Brown and colorist Lauren Affe), as I knew they’d deliver a book we were all proud of.

Everyone involved is extremely passionate about having beautiful, quality books and I think it shows in their library. It’s an honor to be amongst some of the best creators in comics, as well as some of the best new talent.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With Christopher Duddy, Director of “It’s So Easy and Other Lies” - at FORCES OF GEEK

Director Christopher Duddy joins us today to talk about everyone’s favorite Gunner, Duff McKagan. It’s So Easy and Other Lies is the documentary version of Duff’s book that goes back to the Seattle pre-grunge days through Guns N’ Roses and carries you up to Loaded and Velvet Revolver. The bassist performs with a live band as he reads from his best selling book intertwined with interviews from friends Nikki Sixx, Slash, Matt Sorum, Mike McCready and many others.

Animated transitions and visualizations of some of the stories give the world an uncensored look at addiction, recovery, touring and being trying to survive being a musician in the best rock and roll band in the world.

Duddy is know for his many visual effects credits but sits in the director’s chair for It’s So Easy and Other Lies. He starts by letting us know how this movie came to be.

FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Chris! How did this come about?

Christopher Duddy: I only knew Duff’s story from Guns N’ Roses forward, I didn’t know the back history until I read his book, and that caught my attention. It was really interesting, his whole story, not just the GNR story.

I met Duff when we were both walking our kids to school. We became friends, we’re both big football fans, Duff would come over my house and watch football. A few years later he asked if I would read his book.

We talked about the book after I read it, and I said to Duff, “Your story is one of those that is really inspirational, and as a filmmaker, to get an opportunity to tell a story that inspires people is a gift”.

I approached him to make a documentary about it and his initial reaction was “No”. He didn’t want to be too self indulgent, he had already written the book about himself. I was just persistent because his story is one that needed to be shared on film, not just on pages.

Finally, he warmed up to it. When the book became a NYT Best Seller and came out in paperback, he started doing a press junket for the paperback release. He finally called me for that, “Hey if we are going to do this thing, maybe you should come with me on this press tour”.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Review: A Look Back at DARWYN COOKE's BEFORE WATCHMEN at FORCES OF GEEK - COSMIC TREADMILL

Before Watchmen was released in 2012 to the grousing of original co-creator Alan Moore and a blessing from the original series artist Dave Gibbons.

Fans at the time seemed to be evenly split on the matter as well, but greeted the new Watchmen books with the skepticism of a new Star Wars movie. I’d be interested in seeing a Venn diagram of original Watchmen fans and their reactions to both the limited prequel and also Zach Snyder’s 2009 film adaptation.

In short, one would be hard pressed to find a more controversial DC property writ large. One of the men responsible for revisiting the Minutemen was Darwyn Cooke. His untimely passing last week spurred this review, but truth be told we’ve been thinking about these books for a long time.

Darwyn provided both the story and his unique Golden to Silver Age pulp magazine style illustration to Hollis Mason’s story in Before Watchmen: Minutemen (6 issues) and also teamed up with Amanda Conner, co-writing her book,  Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre (4 issues).

If you were on the fence about these books, now is a great time to honor Darwyn’s memory and rediscover this amazing work you may have overlooked.

Back in the 90’s when Swingers was all the rage (yeah, I went there), I would scour my school’s magazine library for gas station advertisements, winking lightbulbs and all sorts of retro design to (literally) cut and paste to make new art.

I was always extremely jealous of that cool style, drawn with a pen, perhaps a wash of a single color and dashes of Tex Avery’s cartoon “The House of Tomorrow”. Nothing appealed to me more than that aesthetic, as I sat listening to the chairman of the board on wax, smoking cigarettes in my fedora, pretending to be an Artist!

Darwyn’s illustration was all of the corny stuff and more, a Mad Men explosion of a simpler time when you could forge a driver’s license with penmanship, rattle scotch around in your tumbler and men tried their darnedest to be honorable. How this man was touched with such incredible skill to make things look ‘older’ we may never know. Except, in the industry he was known as a hard worker, perfecting his craft and always drawing until it was right.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2016 ROUND-UP at FORCES OF GEEK

Captain America and Civil War II! Rom The Space Knight Returns! The Tick multiplies! Supergirl has test anxiety in DC Superhero Girls!

We cleaned up at Free Comic Book Day this year and here are the books that caught our eye, if you are lucky, maybe your store will have some left over when you pop in there on Wednesday!

We’re plowing through the stack, but these are the books that we were most excited about in this roundup report edition of Triple Shot!
Alright, we crammed more than three books into our Triple Shot but isn’t that always the case? Who cares about numbering anyway? Not the big comic book companies, that’s for sure!

Hopefully you were able to make it to your store this weekend for the free fare. Many places had cosplayers, free candy and creator signings to make the event (their largest retail date of the year) even more special. From 8-months-old to eighty-days-sober, the fifteen year tradition continues to bring comics and regular people through the doors of your local comic book store. 

This year’s associated film for Free Comic Book Day was Captain America: Civil War, so it makes sense to tackle the two big Marvel offerings for our special nerd holiday!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 FCBD 2016 EDITION

Cap is back, baby! He’s celebrating 75 years this year, so that makes it special that Steve Rogers is returning to the Captain America cowl and pirate boots (in my mind only).

The current Marvel Universe will have two Caps running around, Sam Wilson and Steve donning separate shields. The costume revealed for Steve in FCBD is very cool, and his shield is like Joe Simon’s original concept, the ‘badge’ shield design.

Why the change? Who knows…but this is a different and cool design and I’m fine with that.

S. H. I. E. L. D.  is facing charges in a Senate committee hearing. Agent Sharon Carter is doing her level best to defend the actions of the team before Steve steps in and sets the Senate straight! More to be revealed in Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 written by Nick Spencer. 

Welcome back, AGAIN, Cap!

Backup Spidey story sets up the next big move for Slott and team. Is anyone ever truly dead? Ask Cap! He’s been there before!

{READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK.COM]

FOG! Chats With MAD TIGER: THE PEELANDER-Z Documentary Filmmakers Jonathan Yi & Michael Haertlein at FORCES OF GEEK

I first saw the ‘comic book action punk band’ Peelander-Z (from the Planet Peelander) back in 2006. I’ve seen some colors come and go, different people dress up as bowling pins and cosplayers sliding into themselves at human bowling.

I’ve seen 200 people with varying degrees of musical skill join the band with instruments from a suitcase (and even the bands’ gear) playing a cacophony of noise that can only be described as a beautiful mess. Broken English punk chants ‘Mad Tiger’, ‘Medium Rare’ and my favorite ‘So Many Mike’ are on cue cards for the audience to sing along to, while squid and other Kaiju monsters make their way through the crowd. For the introverted nerd or geek, there was finally a punk band that could being you out of your shell. 

The band feeds on this kind of happiness as well.

Lead by Peelander Yellow and his partner Peelander Red, a Peelander-Z show is like being in a Japanese comic book with action lines and full page spreads. The show is, by Yellow’s definition, “10% music and 90% theatre”. (Though you will be hard pressed not to be singing these songs to yourself days after a Peelander invasion).

Filmmakers Jonathan Yi and Michael Haertlein explore the relationship between the colorful band members in Mad Tiger, debuting in New York on May 6th. What started as a music documentary became the story of a relationship between two friends who are as close as family can ever be, and how Peelander-Z can navigate change.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Kevin Feige

Screenplay by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Captain America Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr.,

Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan,

Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd,

Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman,

Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Emily VanCamp,

Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Daniel Brühl

Following up Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War is the latest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Winter Soldier filmmakers, the Russo Brothers.

In just 8 short years, Marvel Studios has brought the comic book mythology to film, establishing several franchises and then bringing them together.  It’s simple to forget how unheard of a concept that was previously; with 2012’sThe Avengers having Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson share the screen together.

The Brothers Russo have done it again; with Civil War replacing the action-packed Winter Soldier as the very best in the Marvel filmography. On top of the already large cast, Civil War introduces two major heroes to the Marvel pantheon including the introduction of comics’ first African American hero Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the “They FINALLY Got it RIGHT”! onscreen Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is as pure perfection as Ivory Soap claims (99.9%, last time I checked).

Captain America: Civil War is pure Ever-Lovin’ Merry Marvel Marchin’ Society joy. ‘Nuff said!

We’re just now coming out of a post-holiday The Force Awakens/Deadpool/Batman v Superman/Supergirl Season Onehibernation that never seemed to end. Except now that it has. Some of that stuff was amazing, some not so much but mostly we fed off of the superhero movies and television send down the pike to us.

After leaving Captain America: Civil War, that all seemed like an appetizer for this souped up thrill ride from Wakanda to Berlin.

With longtime Cap baddie Helmut (Baron) Zemo (Daniel Brühl) as the film’s main foil, the Avengers face challenges more complex than infighting over political differences.

For a brief moment—a very brief moment—I was vibrating on all the right frequencies with this movie. And then I thought of the rights situation at Fox. The only thing that could have made this film more enjoyable for me would be to see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine take a swat at Cap’s shield and scrape it up a bit. Black Panther does manage to damage the Vibranium shield, so that is something. There are no mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Bryan Singer is doing a fine job with the X-Men franchise but I can’t help but want to see everyone on screen mixed up with a wise-cracking Peter Parker, a no-good Scott Lang and a beautifully crafted Vision.

Seriously, The Vision looks so cool. I have a note that says only, “The Vision looks cool”. A better writer would have left it at that. While I’m agape at the costumes and visuals, I will also compliment Boseman for his stellar debut as Black Panther and I can’t wait to see more of him. Black Panther costume? Nailed it. Spider-Man? Best one yet.

There are great little bits of humor to break up the high tension, and the Russo Brothers even snuck in a funny visual homage to their former gig as directors of Arrested Development during the fight scene. 

Want some romance? Check! Cap finally seals the deal (in a very proper, polite, 1940s way) with Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), with whom we discover has a special connection to Steve. No spoilers here but this is the clever nod to another established Marvel character.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BRIAN AZZARELLO Celebrates Dark Lord Day With 3 Floyd's ALPHA KING at FORCES OF GEEK

Sure, comics and beer have a long storied history.

I’m willing to bet fermentation and cave paintings have a huge connection. What happens when some beer drinking comic creator legends meet in a bar in Poland and discuss working together someday?

Swords, zombies and swear words erupt from the quill and the brush.

Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Dark Knight III: The Master Race, Joker, Luthor) joins us today to talk Alpha King #1 and how he became teamed up with Heavy Metal andLobo artist Simon Bisley.

From legendary brewmaster Nick Floyd (3 Floyds) comes the origin of one of his most popular brews, Alpha King by way of this legendary comics team. This weekend the team signs Alpha King #1 at the annual metal fest and beer celebrationDark Lord Day on April 30, featuring face melting bands Skeleton Witch, EYEHATEGOD and more. 

Munster, Indiana may never be the same.

FOG!: Hey, Brian thanks for talking with us about your book with Simon Bisley, Alpha King #1. I’m sure lots of comic book creation has been fueled by beer, but how do you tap into the story of the Alpha King beer?

BRIAN AZZARELLO: Don’t worry, this is fueled by beer, 3 Floyds beer labels have these characters on them, their beers are names after characters, their flagship beer being Alpha King which I first had 20 years ago. I’ve been a fan of the brewery ever since. They distribute in Indiana, Illinois, some in Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, they don’t have a very large footprint, they really do things their way. 

The beer is fantastic, I love it, when the opportunity arose with this book when Barnaby Struve who is a consultant with them and brewmaster Nick Floyd and he wanted to do a comic based on these characters, they had created this whole mythology behind them.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]