Antony Johnston Discusses ‘The Coldest Winter’ on The Cosmic Treadmill at FORCES OF GEEK

New York Times bestselling author of comics and video games Antony Johnston (Wasteland, Dead Space, The Fuse, Daredevil) joins us today to talk about his latest graphic novel The Coldest Winter. This is the prequel graphic novel to the upcoming film, The Coldest City starring Charlize Theron (Lorraine Broughton) and James McAvoy (Percival) about MI6 agents in The Cold War.

The Coldest Winter is for fans of the action spy genre and a good murder mystery. Antony bravely sends agents behind the Iron Curtain with no certainty of returning and the loyalty of his characters and the mission is always at the forefront.

When you are a spy, you must always watch your back!

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FOG!: Thanks for joining us to talk The Coldest Winter, Antony! Is it cold where you are right now?

Antony Johnston: I live in north-west England. It’s always cold here.

This is the volume that precedes The Coldest City (soon to be a major motion picture). Were the volumes meant to be released in this order?

That’s a bit of an odd question. If I’d wanted to tell the story of The Coldest Winter first, I would have written it first instead of The Coldest City. So yes, that was always the intention.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Best of 2016: Part Two at FORCES OF GEEK

Clay N Ferno

FOG! Contributor
@ClayNFerno • leaguepodcast.com • do617.com

Best Movies: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Deadpool, Star Trek Beyond
Best TV Shows: Supergirl, The Crown, Mr. Selfridge, Divorce, Luke Cage
Best Video Game: Star Wars: Battlefront
Best Songs: Sad13 – Get a Yes, Whitney – No Woman
Best Albums: Whitney: Light Upon the Lake

[AND MORE at FORCES OF GEEK!]

‘Patriot’s Day’ (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

April 15, 2013 is a day that will live in infamy for Bostonians and runners the world over.

On this day, three people lost their lives and 264 others were injured at the finish line of the world’s oldest marathon.

Days later, an MIT police officer by the name of Sean A. Collier was shot and killed in the line of duty as the bombers tried to steal his gun. Nearly a year later, Dennis Simmonds, a Boston Police Department officer died of complications from an ensuing firefight with the terrorists.

These cowardly acts continue to have an affect on the Boston community, and on the other side of it, the chant of “Boston Strong” made it to the lexicon as a symbol of resilience, strength, pride and inspiration in the face of adversity.

Director Peter Berg’s Patriot’s Day captures the city’s reaction to the bombing that spurred an unprecedented ‘shelter-in-place’ declaration as the murderers made more sinister plans and plotted their way to New York City for more destruction.

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‘D4VEocracy #1’ (advance review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Written by Ryan Ferrier 
Art/Cover by Valentin Ramon 
Published by IDW Publishing
In Stores January 25, 2017

The third arc of IDW’s D4VE starts in January, picking up when vacuum robot Roombo is assassinated and the world is left without a leader.

That’s where our hero D4VE steps in, hoping to fill in the roll as Earth’s (34RTH’s) savior once again.

From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, D4VE has seen it all, from aliens to time travel to a big black hole threatening everyone’s existence.

In post-vacuum America, can D4VE be the one that makes everything great again?

Time will certainly tell.

The last volume, D4VE2, exalted D4VE to the Secretary of D-Fense. In his off-time, he’s struggling to maintain with his robot ex-wife S4LLY and raise his son, the mouthy and sexually fluid 5COTTY on the weekends. What we have here is Just your typical robot broken home. Why, you may ask, are robots ruling everything? They’ve taken over and beaten the meat puppet humans in an uprising (but not without learning human’s baser instincts and dank meme slang.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With ‘Stumptown’ Artist Justin Greenwood at FORCES OF GEEK

Stumptown is your favorite Rockford Files private detective story in comics form that you may or may not be reading!

Greg Rucka puts leading tough gal Dexedrine Parios in danger every issue but she can get to the bottom of the jig when that jig is certainly up, or in this instance, the bottom of a very dank coffee cup. Volume 4 of Stumptown, The Case of The Cup of Joe, comes out in January but is available for pre-order today (Diamond code: SEP161833)

Artist Justin Greenwood joins us to talk about the mystery comic set in Stumptown aka Portland, Oregon, cat-shit coffee and ‘silent’ issues of comic books!

* * * * *

FOG!: The Case of the Cup of Joe was one of the funniest crime comics and of a lighter tone than the previous volumes. Was it fun to play with Portland’s barista and coffee culture obsession?

Justin Greenwood: Yeah, we had a lot of fun with it! I remember Greg telling us about the idea for building a case around some very valuable, sought-after coffee beans and you couldn’t help but chuckle at the premise.

 [READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘Allied’ (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Written by Steven Knight
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard,
Jared Harris, Simon McBurney,
Matthew Goode, Lizzy Caplan

Robert Zemeckis Allied is a decent Nazi spy romance film that is not without its problems with pacing and story, but still has some great scenes and overall looks great.

From the dizzying ‘when is he going to touch ground’ of Brad Pitt’s opening paratrooper scene to another steamy desert sex scene, the movie sure is great to look at. With the gorgeous Marion Cotillard (Dark Knight Rises, Inception) dripping a satin sensuality and Pitt’s leading man charisma, the sexiness can blow the gasket off of an RAF Jeep.

To be honest, Allied is a bit of a slogger, resting most of the burden on pure star power.

The movie has it’s very own identity crisis, switching sides from being a romantic period piece to a Nazi-punching war flick with behind the enemy lines grenade-throwing action. Where Zemeckis and writer Steven Knight go wrong is in the focus of the thing.

Most, if not all, of the plot is revealed in the trailer, which sets ones’ expectations up for failure from the first scenes in French Morocco. Max (Pitt) is a Canadian Airman fighting for the RAF. He’s dropped into a desert reconnoiter with his inside man who gives him a weapon and a cover story, complete with fake wedding ring.

In Casablanca, he meets his cover, a beautiful Marianne (Marion Cotillard).

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With The Inimitable Paul Dini About ‘Jingle Belle: The Whole Package’ at FORCES OF GEEK

Paul Dini is a legend in television animation and the father of DC Comics’ Harley Quinn. Dini has a fondness for the holiday spirit, a yearn for the Yule, a sizzle for the season! His lesser known creation, the blonde spitfire and daughter of the Kringle, Jingle Belle, has had books released in issues by various outlets over the years, and most recently, IDW has collected the rebellious teenager’s tales into one big volume!

It will hardly fit in the Santa Sack at 340 pages! Jingle Belle: The Whole Package is available now, just in time for that Yankee Swap.

Paul joined us today over some mulled cider for some questions to give us the origin of Santa’s spawn, Jingle Belle.

* * * * *

FOG!: Paul, thanks so much for joining us! You are well known in the comics and superhero world for creating Harley Quinn and your work in animation. When did the first Jingle Belle comic come in to your head?

Paul Dini: In 1998 I was talking to Oni Press about doing some new original characters, and they gave me the chance to try out two ideas in Oni Double Feature. One was “Honor Rollers,” which was based on some guys I had known in boarding school, and the other was “Jingle Belle.”

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

‘Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders’ (Movie review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

Holy Cash Cow, Batman! Batman ’66 the Comic, The Toys, The Franchise…and now the Movie!

Which came first, Robin? The revisit or the reboot? What peril faces The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder fifty years after the debut of the Batman television series? Of course, reuniting the original cast would be impossible, but somehow Adam West, Burt Ward and Catwoman Julie Newmar are able to return to the booths to voice their famous characters.

These cherished after-school versions of The Not-So-Dark-Knight (West) in satin gloves and his ward (Ward) are revisited in Warner Animation’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders.

I’m on record in these very pages of being a huge DC Animation fan, with only a few misses over these past few years. My favorite stories are when they take risks. This one, was risky for a number of reasons but truly I think they pulled it off once again.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Picks The Can’t Miss ‘Halloween Comic Fest’ Titles! at FORCES OF GEEK

Free Comic Book Day actually comes twice a year, and tomorrow, October 29th, the day wraps itself in gauze and dabs black makeup around it’s eyes.

That’s right, Halloween Comic Fest 2016 is here, at your participating LCS. Be sure to find grab bags of goodies, some Smarties and other healthy tricks at your local comic book store and as always, buy something, even a little thing to help out the store. Lots of stores have their own costume contests and more. Be sure to check with your store to see if they are participating or if they may have something else fun in store for the whole family!

And remember, kids, just like the speed limit, obey your store’s limits for free comics. If you are in an urban area riddled with comic shops this may be your opportunity to hit up more than your regular shop to be able to ‘collect ’em all’!

We’ve made some selections of Halloween Comic Fest 2016 books, labeled in creepy categories that have never seen the light of day, until now! Perhaps they were meant to be hidden forever! Klaatu Barada Nikto!

BEST COMIC FOR THE WALKING DEAD FAN
Afterlife with Archie Season 2 (Archie Comics
)

ZOMG! I can’t believe BLANK got BLANKED with a BLANK on this week’s The Walking Dead!

Almost as much as I can’t believe Archie has been publishing a daring ZombieVerse Riverdale comic from artist Francesco Francavilla and writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Zombie Jughead. That is all!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With DC Comics’ Team Arrow, Benjamin Percy, Juan Ferreyra & Nate Piekos at FORCES OF GEEK

With CW’s Arrow going into it’s fifth season and 100 episodes (how did that happen?) spawning a superhero revolution on TV with the Arrowverse, a new spike has been given to the Emerald Archer’s popularity.

DC’s Comics recent Rebirth initiative made comic stores great again and writer Benjamin Percy was able to give Ollie back his goatee and reunites castaway with Black Canary along with selling a ton of Green Arrow Rebirth #1s.

We talked pre-Rebirth and post-Rebirth with Ben and Rebirth #1 cover artist and co-writer Juan Ferreyra at the DC Comics booth at New York Comic Con last week as Mr. Queen and Black Canary face the Island Of Scars.

###

FOG!: Hey guys, it’s an honor to talk with you, I’m a big Green Arrow fan, and I’ve been reading what you’ve been doing since before Rebirth. My first question is, did you feel like Rebirth was a good opportunity to revisit some things, or did you feel like you weren’t done telling part of your (New 52) story?

Ben Percy: When I jumped into the New 52, and first pitched Green Arrow, I wanted to write Black Canary into it, I was told, “You can’t do that”. I said, “He’s gotta have a goatee,” and I couldn’t do that.

I was also trying to do the novelist thing, which is playing the long game, which you should never do in comics! Because, I could have been kicked out after a few issues. But early on, I was keeping Ollie away from his costume, away from his bow and arrow in an effort to really get to know him as a person. It felt kid of schizophrenic prior to that in the New 52.

I really wanted to build up the character, and I had in my mind a Rebirth revitalization of the character, anyway. I was going to move towards that moment when he truly became Green Arrow. It just got sped up a bit for me.

I did have another storyline involving The Outsiders that I was working towards. There were a lot of hints in there, about that, but its fine. We got rid of that, we just jumped right into the new era.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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]