$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: $ $ $ $ THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 250 $ $ 1/28/2000 $ $ Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com $ $ $ $ FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 $ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Ramblings 2000 ........................ Rich Johnston [6] Interview: Dan Jurgens ................ Tim O'Shea [7] Had Your Phil? ........................ Phil White [8] Comic Abstracts ....................... John Barker [9] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [10] My View:OPERATOR 99 ................... David LeBlanc [11] Top 100 Comics for January ............ Diamond Distribution [12] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [13] HYPE! Section ......................... Various [A] Submission, Back Issues, Copyrights ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by ONElist: http://www.onelist.com/community/ComicBookNetworkEmag HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring a week's worth of the online strip: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, FREE, please send amessage FROM that account TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@onelist.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@onelist.com See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 2000 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or retransmit this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Except for personal archiving, permission must be obtained from the individual authors to reproduce, retransmit, or publish any part of this magazine. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc Welcome to the 250th edition of the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine. I know some folks make a big deal about such things and we are certainly proud to have lasted this long, but you won't find any special features or hooplah in this issue. I have long maintained that just because a number is "divisible by 25" (t.m. VK) does not make it magic. Indeed, we continue to lament publishers who use those numbers to exploit the willing fans with pricey gimmicks to line their own pockets, rather than give back to the fans by giving them more value for the dollar on those "special" occasions. Well, you will notice we are not raising our price this issue or creating other costly ways for you to complete your collection of CBEMs, like multiple covers or interiors. Our special money glittered logo is as close as we come, and it is yours free of charge. The rest is what you have come to expect from each issue; the latest news and rumors, thoughts from our regular columnists, a nifty interview - this time with Dan Jurgens, reviews of many new comics, the list of comics going on sale next week, the top 100 comics for January and the hype on all the new products coming out in the near future. While you ponder that, check out the products I suggest on the racks this week: AIT/PLANETLAR Astronauts In Trouble Space 1959 #1 <------Pick of the Week! (Of 3), 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS World Below II #2 (Of 4), 2.95 DC COMICS Authority #11, 2.50 Flash #158, 1.99 JLA #39, 1.99 Legion Of Super Heroes #125, 2.50 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze #6, 3.50 Savage Dragon #70, 2.50 ONI PRESS INC. Adventures Of Barry Ween Boy Genius TPB (AA), 8.95 Oni Double Feature #11 (AA), 2.95 SICILIAN DRAGON Anne Rices Tale Of Body Thief #4 (Of 12), 2.95 As I said, and "divisible by 25" (t.m. VK) - Ho Hum. The real stuff starts next month. In just 3 weeks we start the celebration with the first of 3 special issues. BUT, we won't be raising the prices then either. I hope you stay with us. David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj: Jiroboy From: jappa@swbell.net Comic book network, Jiroboy is now available for sale through Diamond Comic Distributors and from Jappa Comics! My name is Anthony Jappa. I'm the creator, writer and illustrator of the Jiroboy mythology. I would like to invite you and your customers to experience the humor, the adventure, and the humanity for yourselves. Jiroboy is currently being spotlighted in the Jan 2000 issue of PREVIEWS and appears on the web at: jiroboy.tripod.com Thank you for your time, Anthony Jappa +++++ Subj: "On The Net:" COMIC BOOK NET # 249 From: B Canwell Hi, Dave -- Continued fine work on the mag (which can't be said often enough; credit where due, after all!). But a couple points in regard to your latest "On The Net": (1) THE GAME SHOW GUY: Agreed -- a comics fan blowing a true/false that claims Odin is the Norse god of thunder _is_ a jaw-dropper. But you're a New Englander, like me: you know our sports heritage is full of stories of guys choking under pressure. This poor shmoe must have been feeling the heat in ways you and I can't understand -- but I bet Johnny Pesky ("Pesky holds the ball! He _holds the ball_!") or Bill Buckner could. . . (2) MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE: I haven't seen this show, and I agree it's a good deal when _any_ series gives comics a plug. But just think how much cooler that scene would have been, once Malcolm says he's worried about hurting that YOUNGBLOOD # 1, if the other kid had said, "Hey -- it's a comic book! You're _supposed_ to read it!" If we could get that one simple concept burned into the public's perception, the whole business would be a lot better off. . . Looking forward to # 250 next week, and to at least another 250 after that! Best wishes, -- Bruce Canwell +++++ Subj: Press Release From: Rapscall99 PRESS RELEASE: RAPSCALLION MAGAZINE Rapscallion Magazine is accepting small press and indy titles for review. If you produce a comic we want a copy. Each contributor will receive a copy of issue 3. Issue 3, due in March, will feature a cover by Sean (Worgard) Patty. This extraordinary individual is setting new standards for the fantasy genre. This issue will also include interviews with Not My Small Diary's Delaine and Illusion Studio's Wayne (Jonathan Savior) Smith. Send review materials to Rapscallion, c/o Richard Sullivan, 209 E. High Street, Orrville, OH 44667. Issue 2 is still available for $2, includes postage. Email Rapscall99@AOL.com +++++ Subj: [Ultimate Art] Alex Horley website updated - 1/20/00 From: "Enrico Salvini, the Muffin Man" First update of 2000 for Alex Horley's website and it's a big one! http://members.xoom.com/horley_art/ What's new on the website? Well, get your popcorn and soda, start your browser and get surfing: it'll take a while... - almost two dozens new Commission works; - "Babes" section in the Gallery; - "Animated" section in the Gallery; - "Heavy Metal" section in Art For Sale; - "Sharky" #3 and #4 (Vampirella! Savage Draagon! Madman! Milk & Cheese!) pages added to the "Image" section in Art For Sale; - two new gorgeous S/N prints; - a lot more payment options: now I can alsoo accept cashier and personal checks, money orders and US domestic postal money orders. http://members.xoom.com/horley_art/ Happy browsing! Enrico Community email addresses: Subscribe: ultimateart-subscribe@onelist.com Unsubscribe: ultimateart-unsubscribe@onelist.com Ultimate Art homepage: http://members.planet.it/freewww/ultimateart +++++ From: admin@silverbulletcomics.hypermart.net Silver Bullet Comics, the ONE solution for all the best comic book entertainment, is pleased to announce a partnership with Alan David Doane. Alan is bringing his Ministry of Popular Enlightenment to SBC, currently at: http://silverbulletcomics.hypermart.net from its current home at: http://www.ministry2000.com. Alan will bring his reviews, essays and commentary, as well as transcripts of his radio interviews with comics professionals from all over the artform and industry of comics. Alan said "With the countdown on to the official launch of Silver Bullet's new service oriented site, I'm very excited to be getting in on the ground floor. The Internet is a great opportunity for comics fans to find what they want, whether it's products or information, and find it their way, in their time. Jason Brice is committed to providing top-notch service for his customers, and I plan to continue doing exactly what I have been for almost a year now; using the Ministry to inform and entertain, point out the good stuff, and warn people away from the bad." Alan will continue his non-comics Ministry of Disinformation at http://www.ministry2000.com. Jason Brice was said to be pleased about the new partnership. "Pleased? I'm ecstatic! Alan has 15 years of radio experience, not only giving him excellent interview skills and a concise, insightful writing style, but he can now write press releases for me, giving me more time to prepare for the SBC web site's official launch!" Look for the official launch of Silver Bullet Comics on March 1st, 2000 at http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com Check out the "Beta Test Version" RIGHT NOW at: http://silverbulletcomics.hypermart.net +++++ Subj: A question to all readers From: plavoie@total.net (Pascal Lavoie) I just read in Entertainment Weekly that Patricia Highsmith, the world-known thriller writer (whose "Talented Mr. Ripley" novel has recently been adapted for the screen), began her writing career with comic books! Does any CBEM reader know which comic book she wrote? It's probably during the golden age since her first novel was published in 1950. Sorry, no Cheezy Prize (TM) involved. ;) Pascal Lavoie Longueuil, Quebec, Canada plavoie@total.net Subj: Attention Artists! Want to get paid? From: Liquidstudios Liquid Manga Studios is an exciting new manga publishing company that has acquired enough venture capital to compete with the major publishers and eventually expand into merchandise, video games, and anime. Our number one goal at this time is to hire talented artists that are serious about contributing in the creation of monthly manga titles. We will be paying our artists weekly salaries based upon the number of pages completed. Once hired, they will help us create ads/posters to place in major publications to promote our initial manga titles. For complete details check out our site at, http://www.liquidmangastudios.com Thank you, Submissions Editor Liquid Manga Studios +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! radio/web show guest info Feb, 2000 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. We're also on the internet at www.wbaifree.org and www.2600.com as well. There's a link to each of those on our own web site: www.nuffsaid.net. I'm hearing the limited number of connections gets filled up early, so dial in early. Tuesday, Feb 1, 2000 - Chris Companik joins us to interview Terry Moore, creator of the highly acclaimed independent comic "Strangers in Paradise." We'll get into detail on the series and take your phone calls, too. Tuesday, Feb 8, 2000 - A short monologue then listener phone calls Tuesday, Feb 15, 2000 - A conversation with the outspoken writer/artist of Stinz and Desert Peach, Donna Barr. Margaret O'Connell joins me in the studio. Tuesday, Feb 22, 2000 - Part 2 of our Will Eisner interview. Join us as we talk to one of the creators of the industry and the art form itself. Tuesday, Feb 29, 2000 - Arnold Drake. Long time comic book writer who wrote hundreds of stories for DC, Gold Key and Marvel, including the creation of the Doom Patrol and some of the original X-Men stories. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. But via the internet for an even greater distance, natch. The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) and Ed Menje (Engineer). WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Democracy Now" and Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, interviewer and co-host ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet/emag.htm QUESTION OF THE WEEK Prizes donated by Discount Comic Book Service at www.dcbservice.com where you can order most DC, Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse comics, statues and retail products for 35% off. +Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you can stump+ +the readers! You MUST submit the correct answer with your question.+ LAST ISSUE'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: He was the radio voice of Superman, but he was better known for what show? Steve Chung receives Savage Dragon: The Fallen Trade Paperback from our sponsor for being the first TO TELL THE TRUTH about Bud Collyer. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What two things were used to make up the name Monel? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Messages with more than one guess will be disqualified. LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry Fandom, Inc. Announces Acquisition of AnotherUniverse.com Fandom's Expanded Ecommerce Capabilities to Offer Genre Entertainment Consumers a Superior Web Retail and Content Outlet SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandom, Inc. (www.fandom.com) the Internet's premier destination for science fiction, fantasy and horror entertainment news, information and merchandise, today announced the acquisition of certain business assets of AnotherUniverse.com, a leading Internet retailer of comics and science fiction related products. The acquisition of AnotherUniverse.com will extend the ecommerce capabilities of the company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fandom provides science fiction, fantasy and horror entertainment enthusiasts with an online environment that tailors commerce, content, and community to their needs and interests. At the core of the site's activities is fan-generated news and information dedicated to genre entertainment icons. Well-trafficked fan-sites have been acquired and integrated into special sections or "domains" that are maintained by Fandom's "Head Fanatics" who spend considerable time and energy providing fans with exciting forums on topics ranging from Japanese monster movies to superhero comic books. AnotherUniverse.com is one of the largest online retailers of genre merchandise with nearly one million unique visitors every month. The site combines editorial content with an extensive product line of toys, comic books, and animation items. "Fandom's acquisition of AnotherUniverse.com is a significant milestone for our company," said Mark Young, CEO and co-founder, Fandom, Inc. "Thus far, we have successfully integrated fifteen of the most popular fan created Web sites into our community and original content offerings. Now, with this latest acquisition we are able to provide the ultimate online shopping experience for our customers. In addition, with AnotherUniverse.com's scalable fulfillment operation located in Manasses, Virginia, Fandom is poised for rapid ecommerce growth." Following the transaction, Steve Milo, president and founder of AnotherUniverse.com, will join Fandom as Executive Vice President, Merchandise, where he will direct Fandom's merchandising strategies. Young and co-founder Chip Meyers will remain CEO and President, respectively, of Fandom, Inc. "I am pleased to be joining Fandom," Milo said. "Market demand for science fiction, fantasy and horror entertainment related merchandise and collectibles is at an all time high. I believe the combination of Fandom and AnotherUniverse.com will best serve the fans and consumers of genre entertainment." "We have been working with AnotherUniverse.com since Fandom's inception and found that the companies have very similar visions," said Chip Meyers, Fandom's president and co-founder. "By combining AnotherUniverse.com's expertise in direct marketing and Internet retailing to the genre community and Fandom's top-notch editorial and community content offerings, we are building a new organization focused on redefining the creation and consumption of genre entertainment on the Internet." About Fandom, Inc. Santa Monica, Calif. based Fandom, Inc. operates www.fandom.com, an Internet destination site dedicated to providing science fiction, fantasy and horror enthusiasts with an online environment that tailors commerce, content, and community to their needs and interests. The site currently features an online store specializing in genre merchandise and collectibles as well as news, in-depth articles, fan generated content, surveys and polls, sweepstakes, and contests. For more information, please contact: RoseAnn Ciarlante, Vice President of Communications, of Fandom, Inc., 310-451-6777, Ext. 507, roseann@fandom-inc.com. SOURCE Fandom, Inc. 01/28/2000 16:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com +++++ COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND GOES APE! THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND will kick off the 2000 convention season with an appearance at APE, the ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO. Taking place on Saturday, FEBRUARY 5 at the Fort Mason Center in downtown SAN FRANCISCO, APE brings together some of the best creators and publishers in the world of alternative and small press comix. The show will climax with LAST GASP'S "GO APE" PARTY on Saturday night, featuring several events benefiting the CBLDF. This year's APE moves from its long-time home in San Jose down to the heart of San Francisco. The guest include some of the finest cartoonists working in the field today, including such luminaries as PETER BAGGE, LARRY GONICK, MARY FLEENER, RICHARD SALA, BATTON LASH, DARICK ROBERTSON, JIM MAHFOOD, JUDD WINICK, JHONEN VASQUEZ, BRIAN RALPH, and many more. The "Go Ape" Party will close out the show on Saturday night. Sponsored by Last Gasp, the soiree will include several raffles and other events benefiting the CBLDF. The fun begins at 7:00 at Edinborough Castle, 950 Geary Street (between Larkin and Park) in the Tenderloin District. Known for its selection of single-malt scotch and hand-crafted beers, the Castle will be the perfect venue for creators, publishers, and fans to mingle and unwind after a hard day's con. Admission is free to all con attendees. Call 415-885-4074 for directions and more information. "The importance of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is obvious to us here at Last Gasp," said Last Gasp founder RON TURNER. "We always try to do what we can to support their defense of all of our First Amendment rights, including sponsoring the annual CBLDF Party at San Diego for years now. With APE right here in San Francisco, we thought 'why should San Diego have all the fun?'" "If I know the Last Gasp crew," said CBLDF executive director CHRIS OARR, "this is one party that will go on 'til closing time. It's great to go to a show that really celebrates the avant-garde and alternative side of comics. This is where new things are happening in the medium, and that's where the Fund wants to be." Created by DAN VADO of SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS as a vehicle to showcase works of art and artists which might otherwise be lost at more main stream comic conventions, APE has evolved into the West Coast's largest gathering of the alternative, experimental, independent, and small press scene. For the last five years, the show has been run under the auspices of COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL. A fellow non-profit organization, Comic-Con is dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. As a gathering of new, sometimes award-winning, and always exciting creators, APE is a perfect forum for Comic-Con's mission. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization protecting First Amendment rights in the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the CBLDF at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. For more CBLDF news and information, pick up a copy of "Busted!," the Fund's free quarterly newsletter, or visit the CBLDF web-site at http://www.cbldf.org. ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO Info: WHEN: February 5, 2000, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Exhibitor Registration 8 a.m.) WHERE: Fort Mason Center, Herbst Hall, San Francisco, CA HOTEL: Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf is the official APE hotel. Contact Carol McNeil in Reservations at 415-771-9000. ATTENDEE COST: $5 at the door. Free to retailers and anyone with a badge from the 1999 Comic-Con International! WHAT: A huge exhibit hall filled with artists and publishers selling independent comics, mini-comics, 'zines, artwork, and more. Fans can meet creators, attend programming and panels on a variety of topics, and meet other fans of independent comics. WEB-SITE: http://www.comic-con.org. For additional information contact Chris Bleistein at the CBLDF at (413) 586-6967 or cbleistein@cbldf.org +++++ Psylum, Inc. Launches into Japanese Manga Market NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 2000-- Online community builder moves into Japanese comic book niche Psylum, Inc., a creator of branded vertical portals, is launching a new site, www.psymanga.com, that promises to be the ultimate resource on the web for fans of Japanese manga. The preview site, launching on Feb. 1st, 2000, will feature the top selling titles from the major publishers, an index of all the titles currently available in English, news, as well as community-generated reviews. Manga refers to a genre of Japanese comic books, with highly stylized black and white art, usually characterized by fast-paced stories running the gamut from children's fare, fantasy/ science fiction, romance to crime noirs. As people are beginning to notice the sensational artwork and the styles of these books, manga has slowly moved beyond the traditional comic book base of fans to a more mainstream general audience. With films like Princess Mononoke and Pokemon: The First Movie, a new audience is discovering manga for the first time. Traditional booksellers, both on and offline, now see enough of a demand to have manga graphic novel titles available in their inventory. Publishers have, of late, been dealing with not only the big name comics distributors like Diamond, but also Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Virgin Mega-stores. Using their proven community-based editorial model, Psylum plans to create a new web resource for the community of manga fans, with users essentially driving the content and information on the sites. This community-based editorial model, which is used on Psylum's current properties, www.thedojo.com and www.psycomic.com, has resulted in over 90% mind share in one vertical niche. Psylum's model blurs the line between producers and consumers of content; it fosters users to exchange information with each other while simultaneously aggregating the best of the Web for that area of interest. "Too many companies believe community-building is a matter of throwing up some message boards and a chat program on their site," according to Robert Hahn, CEO of Psylum, Inc. "As a result, these so-called 'communities' have none of the vibrancy and the loyalty that we've seen from our communities. We do community the right way, from the ground up, and structure each branded vertical around the users. Our whole editorial model is community-based and really gets people to take ownership over the site itself. Our content management system technology is geared towards creating community. In the hobby space - such as collectible card games or manga - too many people tried to make online magazines and failed. We are excited to address the needs of the growing manga community using our model with PsyManga." Psylum, Inc. is a pioneer in creating online communities, with sites such as The Dojo (http://www.thedojo.com), the community for Magic: The Gathering(R), Psycomic.com (http://www.psycomic.com), the online resource for comic book enthusiasts and PokeGym (http://pokegym.thedojo.com), a community-driven site for Pokemon(R) TCG players of all ages. With their proprietary content management system and community-based editorial model, Psylum plans to expand into many new vertical portals. Founded in November of 1998, Psylum, Inc. is funded by a syndicate of investors led by New River Capital Partners. Psylum, Inc. is based in New York City. CONTACT: Psylum, Inc. Anna Liza Bella Director of Marketing 212/689-4830 x 110 alb@psylum.com +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: James Breitbeil MegaCon Manager (813) 891-1702 Tony Panaccio Representing Stan Lee Hill and Knowlton (813) 221-0030 "MEGACON 2000: 60 YEARS OF STAN LEE" TO CELEBRATE POP CULTURE ICON'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY IN ENTERTAINMENT ORLANDO, January 24, 2000—The sixth annual MegaCon convention will begin with a bang as pop culture icon Stan Lee celebrates 60 years in entertainment. MegaCon 2000 will be held at the Orlando Expo Centre March 31 through April 2, 2000. Touted as "the most exciting comicbook, gaming, sci-fi, multimedia event of the year,” MegaCon 2000 anticipates attendance by more than 20,000 fans and 200 special guests. Stan Lee will lead the way as he participates in the Cross Generation Quiz Show where comic gurus battle it out answering comicbook questions from across the eras. Throughout the three-hour skirmish, comic creators all through history will discuss their careers and compete for $5,000 in charity money. Additional contestants include John Romita, Sr.; Roy Thomas; Ron Marz; Michael Turner; and Garth Ennis. Throughout the convention, attendees will explore the 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall, publisher/exhibitor presentations, late night animation rooms, cutting edge sci-fi programming, 100 gaming tracks with networked computer gaming and movie previews. About MegaCon 2000 MegaCon (http://www.megaconvention.com), sponsored by NextPlanetOver.com, is an annual forum for comicbook and multimedia publishers, manufactures, dealers, distributors, creators and fans to come together. MegaCon has become known as THE marketplace for comics, toys, anime and collectibles. Over the past five years, MegaCon has hosted some of the biggest names in the comicbook, gaming and sci-fi/fantasy industries. By attending the convention, enthusiasts have encountered industry giants and discovered exciting new products. Movie producers, artists, authors and creative teams have been among the 1,000+ personalities that have attended the MegaCon event. +++++ CARBON-BASED OFFERING AVAILABLE NOW "Faith: A Fable," the new novel in words and pictures coming in March from Carbon-Based Books, has been receiving rave reviews all over the web. Comics sites such as iComics.com, CBEM, and Amazing Montage magazine among others, have praised this singular work calling it "a story you will want to pass along to friends and family with a demand that they read it," and "a gorgeous, uplifting original graphic novel." Creator Bill Knapp has been described as "a skilled craftsman at the top of his form," and "He sets a new tune for comic book readers!" Now, you don't have to wait until March to pick up your own copy of this defining work. Amazon.com, the leader in online book retailing, has copies available now for immediate shipping. Two months before this book is released through the comics direct market, you can be among the first to read this unique piece of fiction. The next time you log on to Amazon.com's website, just type "Bill Knapp" in the search box under the book section. Order along with the other Amazon.com purchases in your shopping cart and your copy will be on its way, now! +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com FROM THE MIGHTY MARVEL MAILER: According to the Mighty Marvel Mailer that arrived via e-mail this Monday, there will be no X-Men trailer airing during the upcoming Super Bowl broadcast. Producer Tom DeSanto broke the information stating that they want the first look at the film to be the theatrical trailer. DeSanto estimates that the trailer will likely air in late February or early March. http://www.marvel.com FROM MOVIELINE MAGAZINE: Finally, the February issue of Movieline has a few buried tidbits about X-Men. Cover girl Rebecca Romijn-Stamos commented on whether or not her role as Mystique moves her toward being a "real actress". Romijn responded, "Well, I'm going to have my own action figure, so that does put me in another league, doesn't it? Actually my part is pretty small and I don't say that much." The actress also states that her 14 hour body painting sessions for Sports Illustrated may have helped her get the makeup-heavy part. A brief mention elsewhere in the issue stats that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich is in talks to take on music supervision chores on the movie. Todd McFarlane Gorilla Show --------------------------- Sources at Todd McFarlane Entertainment want to make clear that the futuristic Gorilla show in the works for UPN is not called Gorilla World as was recently suggested. Our source tells us that name was "very briefly bantered about, but Todd and Terry have chosen to move forward with no title at this time." Our source also encourages interested readers to visit the newly revamped Spawn.com for information on all things McFarlane. http://www.spawn.com Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker ---------------------------------- Warner Bros. has released a teaser trailer for the feature-length, animated video Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. A QuickTime version of the trailer can be found at the New Batman/Superman Adventures website. A copy of the trailer is also available at the Batman Beyond Video website. Curiously, that trailer is a lower quality (and easier download) version. Mark Hamill's Joker laugh can be heard over the dramatic music and narration on the clip. The movie is said to feature the character's appearance in the futuristic Batman Beyond setting. The story will answer many of the questions about what happened between the era of the classic show and the start of the Beyond continuity. The movie is due out November 7, 2000. http://www.batman-superman.com/ http://www.batmanbeyondvideo.com/ Bone 3-D Online --------------- Cyberworld International Corporation, a new-media enterprise committed to transforming the web into an interactive multimedia experience for everyone, has today announced that Jeff Smith's Bone, one of the world's best selling, and most popular alternative comics, has joined Cyberworld to produce a new multidimensional interactive Boneville website. Cyberworld President & CEO Keith Soley said, "We are delighted to have a tremendous talent like Jeff Smith and Cartoon Books using Cyberworld to showcase his award winning art and stories. Jeff's agreement to use Cyberworld's multidimensional web authoring software is another endorsement of our technology and its incredible potential to transform the web into a true multidimensional, multimedia information and entertainment platform." "This is really exciting" Smith said. "Cyberworld's ability to transform my art and vision into a three dimensional walk through adventure is exactly what I've always wanted for our Boneville web site. This is an incredibly exciting new aspect of the web I only dreamed would one day be available." The new Boneville.com internet site, featuring Cyberworld 3D Technology, is scheduled to make its Internet debut February 1st, 2000! A Bone Theme Pack, which will allow fans to build their own 'Bone' worlds, will follow soon. Bone is a fantasy adventure about three cousins; lost and stranded in a strange and mysterious forest populated by good guys, bad guys, giant rat creatures and dragons. Visitors to the new Boneville.com will now be able to actually step into the story and explore the trails, walk amongst the trees, dodge the 'stupid stupid rat creatures' lurking in the forests, and discover a whole new adventure. With Cyberworld's new browser visitors now have the ability to 'walk into' the 3-D village of Boneville, stroll through the town , visit the county fair, and walk amongst and mingle with the Bone characters. http://www.cyberworldcorp.com http://www.boneville.com Deadworld --------- The "final, final script" for a Deadworld movie was turned in back in November according to Corona Coming Attractions. CCA cited a posting on the Caliber Comics website as their source. Deadworld features a planet overrun by Zombies, lead by the sole intelligent undead flesh-eater: King Zombie. The property was purchased by Warner Bros. for George Clooney's Maysville Pictures back in July of 1998. http://www.corona.bc.ca http://www.calibercomics.com +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Cartoon Books to Publish Castle Waiting Cartoon Books, publisher of Jeff Smith's Bone, announced today that it will publish Linda Medley's Eisner award-winning series Castle Waiting. The fan-favorite series went on a brief hiatus last year as Medley worked on other projects as well as sought out a new publisher after self-publishing the title through her own Olio Press. Cartoon Books wiill release a Castle Waiting 184-page graphic novel in May, called Castle Waiting, Volume One: The Lucky Road. The trade paperback will compile the first seven issues that were previously self-published by Medley. In July, Cartoon Books will release Castle Waiting #1 featuring all new artwork and stories by Medley. As a special treat, Smith and Medley will team up for a backup story in #1 that has the Bone cousins visiting the Castle and meeting its denizens. The Buzz Gets Its Own Comic! After a two-page cameo in Spider-Girl Annual#1 and a few appearances in recent issues of Spider-Girl, The Buzz will get his own three-issue miniseries in May. Quesada Steps Aside on Daredevil #11 In an effort to get the chronically late Daredevil back on schedule, Joe Quesada announced that he will step down as penciler for issue #11 of the Marvel Knights series. Quesada's statement read: "Today, Marvel will be releasing news about our attempts to help get back on schedule and put more product in the hands of fans and retailers. The first step will be an interlude in David Mack's story arc. After David's issue #11 hits the stands it will be followed by a short story written by Jimmy and myself and illustrated by a young artist named Rob Haynes. Rob is, in my opinion, our next Marvel Knights star. The story will be an extension of Mack's and will involve Daredevil and Echo, but will in no way interrupt, change or alter anything in David's story line. David's story line will continue with issue #13. Most of this will be covered in today's 'Your Man at Marvel' (http://www.marvelcomics.com/news/your_man/index.html)." "I realize that this may seem like a Band-Aid on cancer, but there is more yet to be announced … Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We've been making plans for several months now to resolve this problem and we're just glad that the time has come that we can be a bit more loose-lipped about it." Carter Brings Claim Against Comics Creators According to a statement issued by Andrew Paquette, X-Files creator Chris Carter and 20th Century Fox filed a counterclaim on Jan. 7 against Paquette and James D. Hudnall. This apparently is in response to a claim filed in October by the two comic book creators. In their legal action, Hudnall and Paquette claimed that they were the creators of the Harsh Realm comic book and that they should be so identified in the credits of Fox's cancelled Harsh Realm TV series. According to Paquette's statement, the action filed by Carter and Fox seeks to prevent Hudnall and Paquette from publicly addressing any connection between the TV series or the comic book. Hudnall Reacts to Harsh Realm Counter-suit Harsh Realm creator James Hudnall recently offered the Daily Buzz his comments on the counter suit Chris Carter and Fox have filed against he and Harsh Realm artist Andrew Paquette_ "Our suit us still ongoing,” Hudnall explained. "Carter and Fox are counter-suing us all of a sudden, claiming that our statements in the press were defamatory. It's just an attempt to keep us from talking to the press, as if that's going to work." "It makes them look like the bullies they are. We have a first amendment right to tell people what our case is about. Carter still maintains that he created the show without having read the comics. Give me a break.” "He wants that created by credit at all costs. If he admits he used our comic as a basis, under WGA rules he would lose that credit. His credit would end up being something like Developed for Television, instead.” "We have discovered in our research that it is becoming all too common for Hollywood to use a famous producer's name as a marketing tool for a new show, whether they created it or not. We found that shows like Northern Exposure, The Visitor and Earth: The Final Conflict have or had lawsuits over the created by credit. In the case of Northern Exposure, there was an 8.5 million dollar decision in favor of the plaintiffs. The Visitor suit was settled out of court. Earth: The Final Conflict is just getting started.” "As for whether or not I wished I hadn't done this. I don't let people step on me. I fight for my rights. I don't care how big these guys are, how powerful, how much money they have. I will fight them until they fall. As long as it takes. The more tsuris they heap on me, the more determined I am to win. They picked the wrong guy to fight with.” "We were perfectly willing to settle if they made us a serious offer, but they didn't. They wasted our time having us fly out to New York, and when refused their non-offer they pulled this stunt." "So now the gloves come off. So be it.” "If more people stood up for themselves these kind of things wouldn't be happening. We're fighting for more than just ourselves here. Writers are getting screwed way too often. Hollywood needs to learn they can't cheat people out of their rightful credit." More Harsh Realm products More Harsh Realm articles Batman 5 Gets A Piece of Pi? Writer-director Darren Aronofsky (Pi) may be tapped to direct Batman 5. Warner Bros. is reportedly planning a darker prequel to the series that should make fans remember Tim Burton's original vision of the Dark Knight. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is putting a hold on the Batman TV series Bruce Wayne until the movie's details are more solid. The pilot, also described as moody, was written by Tim McCanlies of Iron Giant fame. --The Hollywood Reporter Rising Stars Action Figures To Debut J. Michael Straczynski has developed action figures for his popular Rising Stars comic book series. Shipping this year, the figures will include Chandra and three other figures to debut at next month's Toy Fair in New York City, according to Palisades Marketing. More Rising Stars products More Top Cow articles Marvel Axes Titles Marvel has cancelled the following titles: Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man with issue #18 Warlock with issue #9 Deathlok with issue #11 and as was previously announced, Avengers United with issue #7. +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE A Look At Marvel's 'Twist'-Filled May Event If you're reading these words, odds are pretty spot on that you know who and what Marvel Comics are_but do you know what Marvels Comics are? You'd best get caught up now, because this spring Marvel will be turning over their release slate to Marvels Comics for a one-week publishing "event". Editor Tom Brevoort - architect behind Marvel last event, November's Doomsday - and coordinator of this upcoming one explains: "From stories that have been done over the years, we know that there exists a Marvels Comics within the Marvel Universe which publishes comic books based upon the real-life `Marvels' that inhabit their world. So, for one week - the first week in May (May has 5 of `em) - we'll be publishing not the comics of our world, but the comics of the Marvel Universe - the Marvels Comics.” Encompassing a variety of styles, the Marvels Comics event will consist of six one-shots, and although each issue will sport a #1 on the cover, according to their editor, that's only a "real world conceit". Each Marvels Comics issue will take the approach that they're just the latest monthly issue of a series that been in publication for years. Fantastic Four #1 Karl Kesel/Paul Smith with Carlos Pacheco, J.G. Jones, Mike Wieringo & Tom Grummett The World's Only 100% Authorized Comic Magazine, starring the first family of far-out action, the Fantastic Four! Spider-Man #1 Paul Grist/Kyle Hotz He lives! He prowls! He stalks the concrete canyons of New York City, dining on the blood of his enemies! What is the secret of the menace known as The Spider-Man, and how does it relate to an experimental space flight? That's what Daily Clarion publisher T.T. Thomas is determined to discover - if the wall-crawling weirdo and the horribly mutated Professor Squid don't write and end to his journalistic career - and his life -first! X-Men #1 Mark Millar/Sean Phillips/Duncan Fegredo The mutant menace threatens to overwhelm humanity! But never fear! Deep in the bowels of the world's most secret government installation, Colonel America has assembled 666 captive mutants - and turned them into living weapons designed to topple the mutant conspiracy from within! Codename: X-Men! But now the sinister Doctor Strange has captured both Iron Man and Tony Stark's latest technological wonder! How many X-Men must sacrifice their lives in order to save humanity? Thor #1 Ty Templeton/Derec Aucion/Walden Wong Make way for the sci-fi superhuman, Thor! Learn the secrets of the high-tech Hercules who plays the role of a god on Earth! Meet the beguiling Uru, and the inscrutable Odin! And witness the shocking showdown between the Thunderer and his arch-foe Loki - and Loki's greatest technological achievement, the killing machine called the Destroyer! Daredevil #1 Tony Isabella/Eddy Newell He's a failed demon who seeks an entrance into Heaven on the Earthly plain, haunting the back alleys and mean streets of Hell's Kitchen, dispensing his brutal brand of Stygian retribution! But what happens when the Hell-born Daredevil meets an Earth-bound angel? And lurking in the shadows: the Warlord of Crime! Captain America #1 Rick Jones (Peter David)/Steve Rogers Get on your feet and salute the star-spangled sentinel, Captain America! Special celebrity guest-writer Rick Jones (aided by Captain Marvel writer Peter David) pens this firsthand account of life with America's defender of freedom-and he's convinced his pal, former Captain America penciler Steve Rogers, to illustrate the tale! Rick knows the shield-slinger like few others, and his illuminating account of fighting side-by-side with the Living Legend of WWII will give you new insights into the heart of the man behind the mask of the U.S.'s celebrated super soldier! "Captain America is a little bit different from the rest of the books in this event, in that it's being written and drawn by actual characters from the Marvel Universe. Rick Jones is something of a minor celebrity in the MU, so getting him to write an issue of the Cap comic is similar to having Kevin Smith or Bob Gale writing books in our world. And, of course, it purports to be a true, firsthand account of actual events that Rick lived through.” Erik Larsen To Guest Pencil Thor While there is still no word out of Marvel as to who will follow John Romita Jr. as regular penciler of The Mighty Thor when the artist departs for his new ongoing assignment as penciler of Amazing Spider-Man, Erik Larsen has announced that he will pencil a 3-issue 'fill-in' run on Thor (issues #26-#28) in between Romita's exit and the debut of the unnamed next regular penciler. Klaus Jansen will ink. And if Larsen is feeling any pressure following Romita, he'll have the chance to return the favor. As previously announced, Larsen will also guest pencil 3 issues of Amazing Spider-Man (#19-21) between the exit of John Byrne and arrival of Romita. - Giantkiller writer/artist Dan Brereton willl be taking on a different sorts of DC giants later this year - the JLA - in the painted prestige format one-shot JLA: 7 Caskets. According to the creator, the story owes much to the original 60' series' feel of the JLA, and, "the way those early issues colorfully illustrated the concept of teamwork and unity, but in a setting more akin to the comics I love to do. I'm hoping it will also be seen as a sort of homage to two of my favorite and most inspirational authors, Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft,” said the creator. The JLA are forced to make a major decision whether or not to accept a dark and ancient chaotic gift of power in order to save the world from being reclaimed by the spectral forces that once held it in darkness before Man had even left the trees. If for nothing else, Brereton's take on the JLA will have one fairly unique quality _"Aquaman will get a little more play in this story, as a sort of keeper of ancient and better-kept-in-the-dark secrets of the Deep,” he promised. "I've become fascinated with the idea of this King of the Sea, and all the wondrous and terrible things he must be forced to keep under wraps, even from his fellow Leaguers. The story boasts lots of dark, spooky, monstrous fun, lost continents and cities, dark sorcery and wicked villains.". - Pyscomics.com is reporting that creator Biilly Tucci will be taking this signature character Shi from his own Crusade Entertainment to Image Comics later this summer, a move Image Publisher Jim Valentino confirmed with Newsarama. According to Psycomics, the Image era of Shi will kick off with Shi: Year of the Dragon, a three-issue limited series serving as sort of a "Shi: Year One". Set in 1988, it depicts "the character being accepted into college and explaining how she became Shi.” Crusade's last project will be this May's previously announced Shi/Wolverine crossover with Marvel. - It looks as if J. Michael Straczynski's Riising Stars has found some artistic stability. Straczynski tells Newsarama "he's quite pleased" with the work artist Christian Zanier is doing, and that they artist will be staying on with the series "It took about an issue or so for him to really catch up, but the artwork on issue #5 is really very, very nice, and we've gotten the colors to work more closely with the art; there was a lot of great stuff in the pencils on his first efforts that kinda got washed out and lost when it went to colors, but now I think we've got that licked.” - Dark Horse has given the keys to their liccensed Star Wars comics franchise to editor Dave Land, following the departure of long-time DHC keeper of the Force, Peet Janes. Land has previous experience with Star Wars, having edited such projects as Tales of the Jedi and the Episode I adaptation. - In other DHC news, the publisher will be ccollecting the Eisner-winning series Grendel: Black, White, & Red as a trade paperback this August. The collection will include last year's entire four-issue series, as well as the 16-page BW&R story written by Matt Wagner and drawn by Dean Motter, published in 1987 as part of The Comico Collection. - Diamond Comics' Website has revealed that Gorilla Comics second title, debuting in May, will be Mark Waid's and Barry Kitson's Empire, as has been previously rumored. Empire at one time was in development with Wildstorm imprint Homage Comics, and reputedly involves a super villain that succeeds in taking over the world. Gorilla's April launch project, Kurt Busiek's, Stuart Immonen's and Wade Von Grawbadger's Shockrockets #1, will include an exclusive Empire prologue story, according to Diamond. +++++ From the DCOnline newsletter; http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html To subscribe, or for questions or comments about the DC newsletter, please email DCWebSite@aol.com. CRITICAL AMMUNITION FOR 100 BULLETS! "Reading 100 BULLETS is like being in a car chase. Just when I think I know where this series is headed, Azzarello gets slick and turns down a hidden avenue evading my expectations. I don't know how much gas he's got but this jaded retailer will be in hot pursuit until its inevitable violent climax." - -Matt Lehman, Comicopia "100 BULLETS literally burns with passion Ö it honestly does not get much better than this." -- Greg Rucka (DETECTIVE COMICS, Batman: No Man's Land novelization) One of the most compelling and streetwise ongoing series published by VERTIGO in recent years, 100 BULLETS has drawn accolades and exclamations from comics professionals (among them Jim Steranko, Dave Gibbons, Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Warren Ellis, and Greg Rucka) and readers alike, and with good reason. Written by Brian Azzarello with interior art by Eduardo Risso and a painted cover by Dave Johnson, 100 BULLETS #9 begins a new 2-part storyline entitled "The Right Ear, Left In The Cold", featuring Cole Burns, a mild-mannered ice cream man trying to make a semi-honest buck in a thoroughly dishonest world. When the mysterious Agent Graves enters Cole's life and exposes him to a deadly secret -- the first of many that will change his life forever -- Cole discovers that everyone's got secrets, and his may be the biggest of all. Allusions to "the Minutemen" give readers a glimpse of what's to come in the series, including issue #12's return of Dizzy (last seen at the end of the first story arc) as a major player. Subtle threads weaving through the series' earlier issues grow in prominence in upcoming months as the conflicts established in the earlier issues (collected in 100 BULLETS: FIRST SHOT, LAST CALL) reach a boiling point. SUPERMAN FOR THE ANIMALS This month, six DC titles arrived in comic-book shops polybagged with Superman for the Animals, a free 30-page one-shot comic, written by Mark Millar (SUPERMAN ADVENTURES, THE AUTHORITY) with art by Tom Grummett (SUPERBOY) and Dick Giordano (BATMAN). Superman for the Animals has been polybagged with copies of the following DC titles: GOTHAM ADVENTURES #22 (NOV99 0089) HOURMAN #12 (NOV99 0119) IMPULSE #58 (NOV99 0120) LOONEY TUNES #62 (NOV99 0143) STARS AND S.T.R.I.P.E. #8 (NOV99 0131) SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #41 (NOV99 0109) THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES/BATMAN BEYOND EPISODE SCHEDULE Warner Bros. Animation has supplied DC with the following air schedule for the animated The New Batman/Superman Adventures and Batman Beyond on the WB Network, airing Saturday mornings and on weekday afternoons. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 1/29/00 (8:00 am) -- "New Kids in Town" (Superman) 1/29/00 (9:00 am) -- "The Winning Edge" (Batman Beyond) 1/31/00 (3:30 pm) -- "Double Dose" (Superman) 1/31/00 (4:30 pm) -- "Hooked Up" (Batman Beyond) 2/01/00 (3:30 pm) -- "The Laughing Fish" (Batman) 2/01/00 (4:30 pm) -- "Knight Time" (Superman) 2/02/00 (3:30 pm) -- "A Little Piece of Home" (Superman) 2/02/00 (4:30 pm) -- "Animal Act" (Batman) 2/03/00 (3:30 pm) -- "Joker's Millions" (Batman) 2/03/00 (4:30 pm) -- "Obsession" (Superman) 2/04/00 (3:30 pm) -- "Cult of the Cat" (Batman) 2/04/00 (4:30 pm) -- "Rats" (Batman Beyond) 2/05/00 (8:00 am) -- "Legacy - Part 1" (Superman - new) 2/05/00 (10:30 am) -- "Final Cut" (Batman Beyond - new) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Ramblings 2000 Rich Johnston twisting@hotmail.com [Renamed for the new year, Ramblings 2000 continues to spread confirmed and unconfirmed news and rumours. It welcomes comment, especially comment that clarifies, refutes and corrects information already disseminated. Rich Johnston is an advertising copywriter, co-self publisher of Twist And Shout Comics, BBC comedy writer and comics columnist. He currently lives in South London, England. His column can be found online at: http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com All Ramblings e-mail received will be considered public domain and may be quoted.] This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value. Dateline: 21 Jan 2000 Astro Bitties Did we all see Astro City issue 21 just out? Written by Kurt (Gorilla Comics) Busiek, featuring Bulldog Comics and the moral lesson that spreading rumours will lead to big, big problems? Lovely!! Not Even Worth A Headline. We're also told that Kelley Jones has something in the works with Vertigo. German Morsels. Joe Kelly had time to talk to us about German Garcia's departure from Action Comics we revealed last week. He writes "German's stint on Action was short but wonderful. Unfortunately, things just didn't work out scheduling wise, so we had to go in a different direction. I deeply and truly respect German as an artist and a pal, and hope we get to work on something else together again soon. The energy and excitement inherent in his work is something every comic fan should be privy to." Cancellation Listlessness. After last column's Marvel cancellation list, we've been sent another one. Which is more disturbing. Basically because a) it lists a number a A-1 quality books and because b) unlike the list, we were able to get responses from involved creators that threw heavy doubt on the entire rumour list itself. This time, the list included Deadpool, Black Panther, Spider-Girl, Bishop:The Last X-Man, Capt.Marvel, Spider Woman and Webspinners. Well for a start, Peter David and Priest were able to scotch two of these titles by telling us all the plans Marvel has for these books.. Priest says "They never tell me anything. Honestly, I'd be the last to know about these kinds of things. DEADPOOL has always been on death's door. Like KA-ZAR, I'd imagine they'd want to at least give the new team a shot before pulling the plug. PANTHER, severely damaged by artist roulette and mis-ships, is anybody's guess. Officially, the word from Marvel is both titles are on their 2000 publishing plan, and no rumor of either book's demise has been passed on to me." And Peter David is even more vehement, saying "In regards to Captain Marvel, it's very simple: I'm busy plotting a longterm story arc which include a number of cosmic characters such as the Silver Surfer, the Silver Skrull, the MIcronauts, Starfox, and Galactus' lesser known twin brother, Cosmo. This, combined with not only my editor's assurance that all is well, but Marvel's current plans for a Captain Marvel promotional campaign (including an assortment of the rave reviews the book has gotten) leads me to believe that Marvel is committed to the book. More and more, this cancellation thing is becoming self-fulfilling prophecy. Fans hear rumors and, despite whatever good they've heard about the book, don't pick it up because, hey, why get attached to it. Retailers hear rumors, take it as given, and slash their orders despite increased attention. And the fans who are reading and enjoying the titles are thwarted in their efforts to excite interest by other fans and retailers who are so quick to predict disaster that they embrace it. No, the book's not cancelled. In fact the rumor I hear is that Marvel loves it and wants it to succeed. If we heard a few more rumors like that, perhaps we'd see it happening more often." On that point, a shout goes out to old Hulk readers who, like me, dropped the book when Peter David left. As of issue 12 of the new series, it's back to the good times ­ Paul Jenkins is on the book and is using Peter David's grounding of the character to inform the book. There isn't the humour of David's run so far, but it's a dark, introspective examination of the Bruce Banner-Hulk amalgam. Buy it. So what's Ramblings position on this latest cancellation list? As I said I'm doubtful as to its authenticity ­ especially compared to the last one. That last list seemed more likely to be true, but this one doesn't sit right. At all. X Over Easy. Marvel may be planning an X-themed skip week event later this year, involving classic artists such as Neal Adams, Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith. Could be like the issue 100 variant covers, just way bigger. House Of Renewals. Marvel may be having trouble with character copyrights. It's been rumoured that in 2007, a number of classic Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Thor and X-Men come up for renewal. And the Kirby estate may well be going after them with gusto. The estate (unlike the Siegels with DC) have a certain disdain for Marvel. And as for Stan? Despite Marvel's less than stellar treatment of the former house organ he will not be going after them. But it could be a way to leverage Marvel to back his new company Stan Lee Media. Practising Levitzation. A couple of rumours come our way about DC Publisher, Paul Levitz, both involving threats to fire him from his bosses. Sounds like someone's got an axe to grind and a definite bias comes across. So, remember, don't believe any of this until you'd had actual verification from someone involved, but here's what we've heard. First, there has been some disparity in the reporting of the pulling of the Mad Magazine Millennium Edition. Comicon reported it pulped, Mania later reported it shipped, but with replacement copies sent to replace the printed copies. The rumour goes that Paul Levitz did indeed order the book pulped but received word that if he pulped any more books (like the DC Elseworld 80 Page Giant), he's be fired. So the book swap approach was chosen instead. Secondly, Paul Levitz has apparently been under enormous pressure to settle Superman/Siegel thing. And his Time ­Warner bosses were not pleased when this story leaked to the media. If Levitz can't settle this thing quickly, which means getting the Siegels to give up interest in Superman without having to pay large amounts, then Levitz is gone. If this rumour is in anyway true, it's ironic in that Levitz was one of the individuals trying to get better compensation for the Superman creators ages ago, only to be nixed by his superiors. If only they'd listened then Paul Levitz has not responded to e-mail enquiries about these stories. Don't blame him to be honest. But the bias of the stories and the style leads me to believe that you'd be wise to take these rumours with a pinch of salt and rub your chin saying "Jimmy Hill, Jimmy Hill"... Rumour Patrol. What fate for Doom Patrol? We heard that John Byrne was planning a revamp that wrote out the magnificent Grant Morrison run on the book. Then David Quinn was putting together a proposal. Then a myriad of creators had some interest. Well, the latest rumour has it that John Byrne is going to plot/draw a Doom Patrol series that takes place in the past before the death of the original team. Tom Peyer is going to be scripting and co-plot the series. Bastard Battlechasers. Even since the Battlechasers book came out, a few individuals have cried 'ripoff', citing similarities with books such as Bastard!, Dragonball, Saber Marionettes J, Giant Robo, etc etc... The latest had it that Joe Madueria was being sued by Jump Comics who publish the manga book Bastard! Well, sources at Wildstorm indicate no sign of that, and despite some character resemblances, I've yet to find direct art swipes that many claim exist. So, if anyone can find them, great! If not, well, let's call this a non-issue until we can actual see some proof. Mind you, don't get me started on Pat Lee... Big Apple? Big Arse!! The advertising company I work for has politely informed me that I will not be shipped out to New York at the end of this week to collect an advertising award as I had the temerity to hand in my notice the other week. I shall be moving to a higher paying, Soho Square situated agency on Valentine's Day. Joy! London Loves. This weekend, I popped into the new cut-price London comic shop B-Hive to further investigate some rumours about how this shop can offer such low prices on American import comics and still prosper in the pricey West End of London. Rumours include the story that B-Hive has no Diamond account and that Gary is being funded by Forbidden Planet (Scotland) as an unfriendly stab to the southern Forbidden Planet chain. Shop manager Gary laughingly dismissed the latter rumour and almost dismissed the former. Almost. Basically Diamond aren't delivering directly to B-Hive, but via another source. Now, Diamond, acting as distributor agents to the Big Four and distributing everyone else, arrange contracts that stop sub distribution from one company to another. However shop chains can get around this restriction as they count as one company ­ shops within chains will often send stock from shop to shop where it's needed. Gary wouldn't explain any further but it doesn't take a genius to work out that this means B-Hive is part of a company that includes one other comics shop. And one that must be in van-driving distance of the West End of London. And the Hive shops in Brighton have made it very clear in advertising that they have no financial or other links with B-Hive. The Worm's Turn. While chatting in B-Hive (also picking up the recent DC Golden Age skip week copies, 9 issues for 6 quid!) Paul Gravett, organizer of the London Cartoon Art Trust popped in on an exploratory mission. Better known to Eddie Campbell readers as The Man At The Crossroads, we chatted a bit and he plugged The Worm, a collection of that literally very long comic strip written by Alan Moore and Garth Ennis and drawn by just about everyone in British comic at the Guinness Book Of Records. Out next week in British shops and Diamond US are distributing a couple of thousand, so watch out for it at good shops soonish! Exchanging Rates. What has been annoying me though, and I was reminded looking at B-Hive's rates, is that during the last recession in Britain, and the devaluing of the pound as it fell out of the European Rate Mechanism, is that as a result, Diamond UK put up all the comic prices. Fair enough, the pound was worth less. But during the rest of the nineties, the pound has grown, and grown strong, indeed too strong to enter the Euro. But the dollar/pound ratio from Diamond UK is still the same. How come? Will we only get price increases when the rate changes against us, and never a price decrease when it goes the other way? What gives? Dateline: 25 Jan 2000 Don't Bash The Bishop. Joe Harris, X-writer also writes to throw scorn on the second Marvel cancellation list that Ramblings received. He says "I was just pointed to your column's mention of next batch of Marvel titles to be cancelled, which included Bishop: The Last X-Man. I, as writer of the title, just want to echo the printed response by Peter David. We're not going anywhere. We're outlined and choreographed well into our second year on this book. We have a couple of surprise projects in the works that may well spin-out, or dovetail into, Bishop: The Last X-Man. Look for our coming "Last X-Men" storyline in February and March's issues #7&8." "The X-Men Revolution involves Bishop, as well. And, while the majority of the line gets a nice push this March, Bishop: The Last X-Man definitely keeps pace." Well, this looks cut and dried for the second cancellation list. It's a turkey. But as for the first...? Dateline: 26 Jan 2000 Marvel On The Inside. Ramblings has been e-mailed by a source to Marvel. Let's call this individual Lt_Kali. As well as repeating the news that Marvel are cancelling Webspinners, Warlock and Deathlock, the good lieutenant follows with news that Spider-Man Unlimited is cancelled with issue 8. Looks like our rumour list wasn't quite as confused as we recently thought. Lt_Kali also informs us that it is also possible that Marvel will be launching a Fox Kids Presents comic, featuring 11 pages of Spider-Man and 11 pages of Avengers. And the we had some more good news from our military member. X-51 and New Warriors may well have avoided the chopping block, despite still being labelled a 'cause for concern'. A new monthly artist on New Warriors who is causing a stir at the Bullpen is joining the book, while X-51 will have greater ties to the X-books in an attempt to boost its sales. Look for creative changes on that book too. If these rumours are accurate, it seems that the first cancellations list we received was pretty much accurate, with two titles being reinstated because of new circumstances. The second list gets another panning from the lieutenant too, as neither Deadpool, Black Panther, Spider-Girl, Bishop:The Last X-Man or Captain Marvel show any signs of being cancelled. Bishop has already been given a double sized 12th issue... however, we're told that the only thing Lt_Kali went a bit quiet over was Spider Woman. Apparently "Something is happening to Spider Woman" but no more came from those quivering lips. A quick about turn and Lt_Kali was gone as if never even here... From Rumour To Fact Mania's Daily Buzz (http://www.mania.com/buzz) has reported that Marvel have cancelled the following titles, Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man with issue #18, Warlock with issue #9 and Deathlok with issue #11. This fits in with part of the first Marvel cancellation list we printed a week or so ago, although no sign of news about New Warriors, X-51 or Spider-Man Unlimited. It is possible that the rumour we received mixed up Webspinners and Spider-Man Unlimited, and that Unlimited is currently safe from the chopping block. But there is no cancellation news on the second list we received, which fits in well with our stance that the first list seemed fairly likely but that the second list didn't. We hope that all creators involved with cancelled books find replacement projects as soon as possible. Dateline: 27 Jan 2000 X Rated. One of our sources who's provided some interesting info in the past, fills us in about Marvel's opinion of the new X-Men movie. And they're worried. Our source writes "It seems that the higher-ups at Marvel have seen the X-Men film in some form, and have supposedly panicked. It's awful." "Rumor has it that they are extremely upset and that they see the film as a bomb waiting to explode. So much so they called in Bob Harras and said "you have to try and save this situation for us." "Bob Harras was told to "raise as much money as possible" to combat what they fear will be a big loss for them." "One of the consequences, the rumor goes, is the recent increase in prices on the books." "The other is that there is gong to be a cut in page rates across the board, coming soon, excluding the big contract guys (the Kuberts, Romita, etc)." That's the rumour, what's Ramblings take? Well, I can't see the higher ups getting this upset... Marvel don't own the film, they've licensed the rights. However a bad film could mean low merchandise sales, and if Marvel/ToyBiz whatever are planning for high sales as a result of this film, then yes, a bad film could be a stumbling block. But this is hardly justification for increasing prices or dropping page rates. I think I'll reserve judgment over much of this rumour. But my take on this is just how good a movie did they think it would be? It's the X-Men for goodness sake, without the sense of humour that lifted films like Men In Black and Mystery Men. And from what we've seen, it won't have the deadly sense of speed and style that Blade did. I mean, I like Ian McKellen enough to go see the film, and the fanboy in me will probably push me a long, but we all know that this film isn't going to be an all-time classic. At best, it'll be better than Batman 3 or 4. Rich Johnston You have been reading Ramblings 2000! Send all response to twisting@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com Dan Jurgens-writer of Marvel's THOR, co-storyteller (with Andy Kubert) of CAPTAIN AMERICA, writer of DC's AQUAMAN and several other current and upcoming projects-kindly agreed to take time for a quick Q&A. I want to thank Tom Brevoort for helping me get in contact with Dan and most importantly thank Dan (obviously) for taking the time out of his voluminous workload for the interview. On another note, I'd like to invite folks to e-mail CBEM (or me at tim_jen@mindspring.com) if there are any creators you'd like to see interviewed in upcoming issues. Or, hey, if you're a creator that wants to be interviewed you can e-mail your request as well, at least that way we'll find you pretty easily.-Thanks, Tim O'Shea CBEM: Is there any particular run of Captain America that influences how you write the title? JURGENS: No, it's probably more of a situation where I have an impression of Cap based on a variety of attitudes put forth by different writers. I take it all into account and formulate my own approach from there. CBEM: Given that you're directing both Thor's and Cap's solo adventures, while they are both (until Avengers 25) active Avengers, have there been certain plotlines in either books that you wanted to do, but were unable to, due to Avengers continuity demands? JURGENS: Not a one. I've had a great time and have managed to do everything I want. CBEM: Is it easier writing the three titles you have right now vs. the challenges/limitations inherent with trying to write one Superman book that had to be in synch with two or three other Superman titles at the same time? JURGENS: I don't know if "easy" is the right word. I enjoy doing the books I do now, just as I enjoyed doing Superman even though it was a totally different type of exercise in writing. There are different positives to find with both approaches. CBEM: With the solid utilization of Nick Fury in your first three issues of CAP, any interest in writing Nick if he could ever get a solo book again? JURGENS: Yes. I love Nick and the whole concept of an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. as I'm a big on super spy stories. CBEM: Readers were treated to a Jurgens' Cap pinup in issue #27, and I know Jerry Ordway will be pitching in to give Andy Kubert a rest on issue #31, any chance you'll be doing art chores or covers on an upcoming issue? (I ask this totally realizing you've already got a full plate.) JURGENS: You're right. My plate is generally full but somewhere down the road I'd love to do an issue of Cap. CBEM: What is the writing relationship like between you and Andy on CAP, since you share storytelling credits. Does he help plot it out while you flesh out the dialogue? Or as an artist, do you thumbnail sketch some of what you'd like to see in a certain scene? For example, who gets the credit for the breathtaking shield toss that freed Falcon in issue 27 (the balance and pacing of art and dialogue was phenomenal on those two pages). I gotta give you extra points for making a reference to the circumstances around the death of Mr. Barnes without the obligatory flashback scene of "BUCKY,NOOOOOOOooooooo!!!!!" JURGENS: I write a fairly detailed plot for Andy and tend to break it down even more in some of the more crucial scenes, though I don't sketch it out. Andy's such a brilliant storyteller that he runs with whatever I give him and elevates it to a higher level. CBEM: With the departure of John Romita Jr. from THOR, has a permanent replacement been named? If not, Lee Weeks, who filled in for issue 15 would be great. Will Klaus Jansen be staying with the book? JURGENS: We have a replacement for John in place but aren't ready to announce it yet. Stay tuned, as I guarantee you'll be happy! CBEM: In THOR #9, John Buscema graced the pages with a fill-in issue (inked by Ordway). What was it like to work with such an industry legend? Any chance he'll return for a fill-in? JURGENS: I'd sure love to see it, but Big John doesn't work that frequently these days. But any time he wants to come back, I'd gladly plot him a story as it's a thrill to work with him! CBEM: Any interest in resurrecting the "Tales of Asgard" back-up stories? JURGENS: We've kicked the idea around from time to time, and may one day get to it. It's a tough call because, while we like those stories, we'd also hate to shorten the main Thor story. CBEM: Do you have any use for Beta Ray Bill, or do you think Walter Simonson did all that could be said with that character? On another note, call me nostalgic, but does Donald Blake exist any longer in your view of any future Thor continuity? JURGENS: Don Blake has probably run his course because so, so much has been done with him. As for Beta Ray Bill, I like him, Tom likes him, the readers like him so... CBEM: Having been recently reminded of the great relationship between Hercules and Thor-with the former's return to the AVENGERS pages-any chance of Herc guesting in Thor (a return visit, given his appearance in issues 6 and 7 of THOR) in the near term? JURGENS: Yeah, it's time to get Herc back on stage again. I see he and Thor as brothers of sorts, and I like the interplay between them as much as I like the interplay between Cap and Nick, who I also see as brothers. CBEM: How hard do you find it to write the Asgardian dialogue? Do you utilize certain reference works? JURGENS: I'm still finding my way with it. Tom and I refer to it as "Stanese", for some liberties must be taken to make it work as a comic. In truth, it's a heckuva lotta fun to write because Thor can be SO pompous. CBEM: Which do you enjoy writing more, Thor's Midgard-bound adventures or his otherworldly/Asgardian exploits? JURGENS: Neither. It's the mix that works for me. A couple of issues on earth where Thor stands out that then bounces to Asgard mode creates a dynamic that is most enjoyable. CBEM: Any plans to write an issue highlighting just the Warriors Three? JURGENS: Yes, though my favorite would be a Volstagg issue, concentrating on his solo adventure at a Sunday morning buffet brunch! CBEM: You've previously gone on record as saying that you plan to have Aquaman interacting more in the DC Universe as well as redefining Aquaman's role in the JLA (the latter goal made obvious by the closing page of issue 65). Is the latter something that you've discussed with Mark Waid, or do you plan to only address his JLA interaction within his own title (I know that can work just as well as evidenced by Ostrander's use of the JLA in MARTIAN MANHUNTER). Are there any other DCU heroes that will be appearing in the immediate future? JURGENS: Aquaman is hard to gauge at the moment. Though I'm very happy with the book, DC doesn't seem to be very happy with it. We'll have to see. CBEM: I've also read that you hope to treat Aquaman as a family book. Where does Mera fit in this albeit dysfunctional "family"? JURGENS: As far as I'm concerned, she's queen of Atlantis. I like Mera a great deal and see Atlantis as enduring and magical to the DCU as Asgard is to Marvel. It should have almost a fairy tale sense to it...and idea that it will outlast anything. DC doesn't seem to agree with this so I haven't been able to push it as far as I wanted. As for the royal family aspect, I've always thought that as a society, we obviously take great interest in Britain's royal family. Mix aspects of that in with super heroics and a fairy tale kingdom and we should have a great springboard for adventures. CBEM: Is Arthur going to rule with an "iron hand" forever or do you hope to somehow have him regenerate a normal hand? JURGENS: Stay tuned! CBEM: It's not everyday that a writer foreshadows plot developments that run through two generations. How much of AQUAMAN do you actually have plotted out from the current issue to the point where Garth and his granddaughter, Donna, are dining on the beach. In other words, left to your own devices, how many issues could you go? JURGENS: It's been so much fun to write that I'd like very much to carry it on as long as possible. However, I also get the sense that would be pushing it way too far so I'll be stopping in when this particular story is told. One problem is that it tips the hand about the future to a great extent, and DC is very nervous about that. CBEM: Do you plan on using any of the new villains Peter David introduced into the series, such as Kordax or Demon Gate? In terms of the classic Aquaman villains, how soon before Ocean Master or Black Manta? (Thanks for these villain questions goes to Laura Gjovaag, owner of The Unofficial Aquaman Website [http://www.eskimo.com/~tegan/aqua/index.html]) JURGENS: No. I'll stick with the classics and create some new ones as well. This is no criticism of what Peter did, but I have the sense it's time to turn to some different approaches. CBEM: Are there any other upcoming projects that you'd like to mention? JURGENS: We have a very special Thor project in the works that's sure to get everyone buzzing! We'll let you know more as plans come together! CBEM: Is the working title for the "special Thor project:" THOR: RAGNAROK AND BEYOND? (which was briefly teased in the January 24, 2000, YOUR MAN @ MARVEL column at http://www.marvel.com/news/yourman/yourman.html) JURGENS: Gulp! Didn't know they were already talking about it! Yes, that's the title. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] HAD YOUR PHIL? PHIL WHITE ogre4@earthlink.net [Phil has written and edited numerous comics for AC, including MS. VICTORY and BOLT. He self-published the four part OGRE limited series and has been a contributor to CBG and CBEM. After many years as a Marketing and Advertising manager in Southern California, he recently moved to Northern Nevada where he works as a sales representative for a specialty software firm.] "Can Marvel Comics launch a new series that makes it past eight issues?" This question was asked by an Albany, New York, retailer in the current issue of Comics Retailer, a magazine for those involved in selling comic books, published monthly by Krause Publications. The answer is a resounding, "Yes" with a proviso, of course. Since it began expanding in the late 1960's, Marvel has launched a virtual plethora of new, monthly titles. Many had great runs. There were spotlights on werewolves sitting on tombs of Dracula to howl at man-things and monsters near the tower of shadows. There were two-in-one team-up super hero books. There were sword and sorcery barbarian conquering she-devils comics. Not to mention the weird non-team comics of champion defenders invading the comic racks. Each of these fit certain genres and, eventually, saw the demise of their popularity. Of course, the retailer who asked the question was referring to the current situation at Marvel, pointing out how few successes the publishers has had in recent years. It doesn't matter whether the publisher is DC, Dark Horse or Marvel, every new series faces the challenge of competing with hundreds of established and new titles crowding the Previews catalog each month, making the chance for success dismal at best. I wouldn't be surprised if the survival rate for new comics in recent years was something like one out of fifty new titles. This might explain why Marvel's philosophy regarding new comics often seemed like they are just throwing anything at the old retail wall in the hope that something, anything, will stick and become popular. I doubt that readers were demanding such titles as Captain America, Sentinel of Liberty, Quicksilver, Ka-Zar, J2 or Nova. If the survival of new comics was guaranteed, we still see issues of earlier Marvel stinkers like Red Wolf, The Cat, Modred the Mystic, Black Goliath, Strikeforce Morituri, Damage Control or (shudder) Power Pachyderms. Let's face it folks, a lot of new titles deserve to die. Looking back over the past four years, several Marvel Comics have, or will be, passing that milestone eighth issue. These include: Bishop, Deadpool, Gambit, Mutant-X, Spider-Girl, Thunderbolts and Webspinners. I may not be buying any of these, but someone is. Marvel has successfully re-launched new volumes of Avengers, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America, all of which continue to make the top 30 best-selling list in Comics Retailer. (A list that reflects actual sales reported by retailers, as opposed to Preview's top 100 list that reflects retailer's advance orders.) In addition, they have re-launched several former second-string titles like Black Panther, Deathlock, New Warriors, Spider- Woman, and Warlock, all of which have passed or are closing in on that eighth issue. Of these new and re-launched comics, the most successful, sales wise, are those featuring top craftsmen, like Kurt Busiek with George Perez, Kevin Smith/David Mack with Joe Quesada, Chris Claremont with Salvador Larroca, Dan Jurgens with John Romita Jr./Andy Kubert, and Christopher Priest with almost anyone. These are creators with clear vision and strong story telling abilities. You've got to admit, Marvel's success ratio has been a lot stronger than, say, Acclaim or Image, two publishers who, just five years ago, were considered the cat's meow with comic fans when it came to launching new titles. The "proviso" message seems clear. If Marvel keeps on hiring strong, reliable professionals, they will continue to introduce new comics that can succeed past eight issues. I think they are on the right track by hiring Garth Ennis with Steve Dillon, to create the new Punisher comics. Phil White PS. I'm happy to read that Marvel has announced plans to finally continue their late, great, Masterworks Hardcover Reprint series with issues #51 - 60 of the Fantastic Four. I hope the format matches the original 27-volume set that's sitting on my bookshelf. No matter, I'll still purchase it and remove those issues of the FF from my want list on my comics trading web site at: http://home.earthlink.net/~ogre4/ ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Comic Abstracts John Barker jbarker@inch.com [John Barker lives and works in New York City. Comic Abstracts contains some commentary and thoughts on the comics world. http://www.inch.com/~jbarker/comic contains previous work.] Congrats to CBEM and David LeBlanc on CBEM#250 That's two hundred and fifty WEEKLY updates on the goings-on of the comic book world. CBEM had, in no small part, a lot to do with interest of the comic book medium. I also want to thank David for passing along my columns for the past three years. ON COLLECTING With comics, it seems, you have a hobby that you have to actively pursue and invest in. So many times there'd be an off week, and mediocre books would come around, and you wonder why the hell you collected comics in the first place. The books sit around, and week after week they stack up... you move, you have to lug them along or have a parent question time and time again just why it is that you insist on storing them there (in my case, anyway). You end up with difficult decisions to make- Should you buy a TPB and retire those issues to the "permanent collection", lest they become dog-eared? Which books get the cardboard backing? Does Transmetropolitan deserve a mylar bag? And my latest dilemma: why did I collect 3 runs of McFarlane's and Michelenie's Amazing Spiderman. And while I still deeply love and enjoy this medium, putting each and every issue in its own polybag has become the least of my worries. I don't think anyone will buy my run of "Aztek" for cover value (great read though it was). I suppose there will be a point where I start hawking my books on eBay... but until that happens, I still handle each and every book with a "comic book collector's care". It that same impulse that makes us NOT grab the first comic on the stands, but the one behind it. And just when you least expect it, a damn fine book comes along and sustains you. And just when you least expect it, there's a week where the reading pile is awesome, and you can't wait to plow through each and every one. So that happened to me this week, much to my pleasure. Each book was great, or at the very least- pretty damn fine. I don't have to remind anyone what makes a book great... it's pretty much all subjective. HELLBLAZER #146 The exploits of John Constantine have been pretty up and down, in my opinion, since Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon left. I say bollocks to the Jenkins run. It didn't grab me. Ennis' return was no great shakes... and Ellis had a superb few issues. He said he'd do it for four years! How great would that have been?! For whatever reason... new comer Brian Azzarello took it over with Richard Corben (!!!) doing the art chores. Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are doing some great work with '100 Bullets' (not to mention Dave Johnson doing covers). Hellblazer #146 did what few new releases make me do: I read the thing four times. Nevermind that I was stuck in a Salt Lake City airport... but cover to cover it was totally solid. And it make me (gasp) want more. AUTHORITY #11 And speaking of Warren Ellis... this issue was all that: great story, and great Bryan Hitch/ Paul Neary/ Laura Depuy art. Each Authority 4-part arc is incredible. Everythings on a global scale. And with the next issue being (sniff, sniff) Ellis and Hitch' last, well, it was a great ride while it lasted. One of those things you loath to happen- a great run ending. And while the title will continue, which is great, I just want to remember Jenny Sparks one way (come back, Tom Raney!). And Hitch's depiction of the Engineer on page 20? Incredible. JLA #39 Great action issue in Grant Morrison's last JLA story arc "World War III". Great artwork from Howard Porter and John Dell. And plenty of action. It's always fun to see the "end of the world" type storylines from Morrison. And while i'm anxious to see Mark Waid and (more importantly) Bryan Hitch, there are two part left of this storyline. Hopefully we'll find out whether or not Firestorm actually bought the farm. LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #125 The Legion used to be one of my favorites back in the Giffen, Immonen, Pearson, and Bierbaum days. Suffice it to say writers Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and artist Olivier Copiel have made them interesting again. And there's nothing like an "end of the legion?" twist and team-threatening catastrophe to clear out some of the dead weight. But I guess we'll see. AGE OF BRONZE #6 Even if you haven't read the Iliad... this is worthwhile. Eric Shanower is an excellent storyteller, even without Ed Brubaker. There's a lot of potentially confusing information to absorb, but it's also a good chance to put your college education at work. For me the big draw was to see Helen (of "Helen of Troy" claim to fame). If she had a face to launch a thousand ships... that has to be beauty incarnate. So how does Shanower's version stack up? not too shabby, it turns out. BOX OFFICE POISON #15 & 16 If you read on independent title this year... shame on you! But seriously if you want to give a great non-superhero book a chance... one that's packed with peanuts and always satisfies.... pick up Box Office Poison and get ready for some consistently great reading. Alex Robinson is a great storyteller, and his approach at writing and art is so consistently good. Some very compelling stuff, with lots of great stories woven throughout. CATWOMAN #78 Ya know, I liked it. Staz Johnson did a very good job taking over from longtime artist Jim Balent. The story wasn't too bad, and Selina Kyle (though not nearly as cool as her Batman Year 1 days). A solid read that I wasn't disappointed with. X-MEN #98 Jeez, that Alan Davis feller can sure draw! If it wasn't for that stupid spiderman story in the middle, I'd have more to say about it. A delicious story in the way the future version of the X-Men are drawn together. And Phoenix: still a babe. So there you have it... across the board: Great Reading! How often does that happen? My faith in comic books has been renewed. This will keep me from becoming jaded... for a while. Again- congrats to CBEM on its two hundred and fiftieth issue! -John Barker, somewhere in Park City, UT ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.jazmaonline.com/ He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] Name: Demonslayer #2 Publisher: Image Written by: Marat Mychaels & Jaime Mendoza Drawn by: Marat Mychaels/pencils Jaime Mendoza/inks Price: $2.95 Comments: What I would do, if I could pencil like Marat Mychaels. Marat is a very talented artist. How many comic books can you pick up and the main character is staring the reader in the face? A full size drawing of Jaclyn in detailed beauty. Wow! Yep, Demonslayer #2 was full of excitement and I couldn't put this comic book down! As Jaclyn was wondering if the demon was real or not, her whole life is turned topsy turvy when realization sets in that everything that is taking place is only too real. Her thoughts of Michael and his whereabouts, does not keep her unfocused, her destiny as a demonslayer is too overwhelming. I can see why Sanford has a hard time listening to Jaclyn's wild stories. They're too incredible to digest. Sanford is perfect as part of her team, since he is an archeologist and is able to research information on demons, gargoyles, ancient myths and everything else that could be considered paranormal. Marat Mychaels and Jaime Mendoza have a superb directional flow with this story and anyone jumping on board is going to be taken on a wild ride! Jaime Mendoza sets the inking perfectly to Marat's pencils, giving everything a nice bold look. I enjoyed the colors throughout this comic book too - everything is dazzling! Especially when the golden glow of Jaclyn's skin can be seen as she bathes. Her golden skin would make Doc Savage jealous. Another incredible drawing was of the red demon flying over the city. Every sinew, muscle was shown on this monstrocity, making the creature look quite fearsome. I have seen many outfits of many superheroines, but Jaclyn's outfit outshines them all. Sure it's somewhat revealing, but I can see where it would be beneficial for her to wear during battle. Jaclyn doesn't use that many weapons, her guns, dagger and sword. Even though the gun and sword were proved ineffective against her battle with the demon, the small dagger does find its mark. This dagger given to her by Sanford, must have had magical properties. Sanford may become upset that the dagger is ruined during her battle with the demon, but how come I get the sneaky feeling that Sanford is going to supply her with more supernatural weapons? The word is, that there is bigger things to come with this story and how come I'm not arguing? Buffy move over, Jaclyn's in town! PS: Be on the lookout for these titles by Image: Tincan Man, Hawkshaws, Iron Wings #1, Chassis #4! Also, stop by and see the Demonslayer at: http://www.next-entertainment.com Name: KISS - Psycho Circus #26 Publisher: Image Comics Written by: Brian Holguin Drawn by: Clayton Crain/pencils Kevin Conrad/inks Price: $2.25 Comments: Ever read a comic book to music? Well, I don't do this too often, but with KISS - Psycho Circus #26, I did. KISS is the persona of music and it only seems right. Except I didn't play any KISS music and instead started off the story with something slow from "Pure Moods" like "Sail Away" (because Brian Holguin is ready to take the reader on a fascinating journey with KISS) and ended it with a bang by throwing in "Livin' in America by James Brown" - only in America we can get good comics like this! Good stories and gorgeous artwork! I felt like I was stepping right into this carnival and became a voyeur watching the exploits of the beautiful Christine Hart. Christine is about ready to experience something that will have a major impact in her life. She seeks answers through Madam Raven who tries to unravel her multiple dreams. Dreams that need in-depth interpretation. Dreams that are mixed with her Prince Charming being someone who is known as the Prince of Hearts - someone who she can't dominate or control. Her KISS prince who is reputated to hurt the women he comes in contact with. Christine talks of how the carnival once scared her as a child, but her dreams take her to a masquerade ball - that has an eerie effect also. Christine's life seems to have known fear and fear has came back in another disguise. Her fear seems too overwhelming, it will be interesting to see how she will overcome this dilemma. How will the 3 'brothers' of the Prince of Hearts fall into the picture with Christine? The power of KISS is the essence of her soul now and this shows when Christine takes her music into the next level and stuns her audience. Her new-found fan even tells her that perhaps the audience was not ready for such music. This is definitely a powerful story. Everywhere I look now, I see KISS. Rented a video called "Detroit Rock City" which centered around KISS. Today I met Diamond Dallas Page and Kimberly of WCW Wrestling and one of the fans yelled out if The Demon was going to show up at WCW Nitro in Sacramento. Again, reminders of KISS, because it was KISS who introduced The Demon to WCW Wrestling. Yep, KISS is everywhere! These guys sure made a major comeback! As for this story it was brilliantly conceived! Kudos to the whole crew who put this gem together - looking forward to seeing the direction of this story. Now where is my James Brown tape, because I'm ready to celebrate after reading a good story like this! MOE Sidenote: New at Broadway Comics & Cards this week: Cardcaptor Sakura by MIXX, Sailor Moon by Chix Comix/MIXX, Flinch #10 by Vertigo, Gate Crasher #1 by Black Bull, Dirty Pair 1 of 4 by Dark Horse Comics, Blaze of Glory by Marvel Comics, Pulp Fantastic 2 of 3 by Vertigo, The Nine Rings of Wutang #2 by Image, Johnny the Dead and a whole lot more. For more information on any of these titles, contact: wilsonlew@sprintmail.com Multiverse Observer and Explorer signing off, until next time... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of the comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two teenage sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David supports his comic book habit by working as the Manager of Marketing and Sales for a privately owned manufacturer of electro-mechanical components.] OPERATOR 99 32 pages, full color, $3.95 Comics Conspiracy Publications 115-A East Fremont Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94087 www.comicsconspiracy.com Writer: Doug Miers Penciler: John Bosco Inkers: Sam Fonseca, Tie Alexande, Rob Lean Colorists: Roberto Miranda & Kevin Senft Letterer: Michael David Thomas Cover A: Ron Adrian, Rob Lean, Paul Robert S. Cover B: Al Rio, Tie Alexander, Ben Prenevost I must admit, I fell for this one right from the beginning. Usually that happens due to exceptional artwork, comics being visual at first impression. While the art is decent, the coloring very effective, and the composition well thought out, it was not that drop dead great that grabs you. No, it was the story that was intriguing from the very first sequence. A lovely female is on her cell phone trying to get a locksmith to get back into her car on a downtown street. All of a sudden a technician shows up in an orange jumpsuit and proceeds to spring the electronic locks by rewiring her cell phone to emit the right frequency - cool! At the same time it is unnerving - how did this guy suddenly show up, how does he know her name and address? Belle it turns out is an operator for the phone company and maybe something more. After she calls to say she will be late she makes another call that indicates she has other interests that may involve clandestine activity. Hmm... So she makes it to her shift, after a dressing down by the boss and guess who calls in and tricks her into throwing some switches she shouldn't, thinking he is a company tech working on a problem Soon the security is all over her and she is implicated in what appears an attempt to phreak the phone company network. She is unaware of who this guy is but he calls her cell phone during her interrogation - getting her in worse trouble. It looks like she will be whisked away, without much regard to her civil rights, as even FBI agents can't take control from the company bozoes who have some kind of high level clearance. Then the super-hacker rolls up in a sports car, takes out the muscle and intimidates the man in charge with some blackmail material. Before we know it Belle is in the car and they have a 15 minute start before being hunted down. That is when we begin to learn the motivation behind the actions. There is a big conspiracy by the phone company to take over the world! Bwa HA HA HA! I love it! The scary thing is the case laid out for the possibility is not that far fetched! So the technician is trying to keep the phone company from taking control by entering a Y2K bug into the system and melting nearly every communication system in the world creating utter chaos - ok so that part is a bit over the top. But it is a fun story in a Man From U.N.C.L.E. sort of way. And there are a couple of twists at the end that give things another unexpected edge. This was very enjoyable read right from the start. The intro had just enough appeal to want to keep going and the momentum kept building right to the last page. This is a good example of how to tell a compelling story in story and art and get to the conclusion with efficiency and entertaining all the way. Well done. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] TOP 100 COMICS FOR - January Diamond Comics Distributors Rankings are based on orders placed by retailers and reflect total units ordered not dollar values of total ordered. Unit prices are given for reference only. This is NOT a list of comics that sold the most copies to the consumers - it is a list of ORDERS by DEALERS. TOP 100 COMICS - January 2000 Rank Title Price Publisher 1 UNCANNY X-MEN #378 $1.99 MAR 2 X-MEN #98 $1.99 MAR 3 WOLVERINE #148 $1.99 MAR 4 JLA #39 $1.99 DC 5 AVENGERS #26 $1.99 MAR 6 SPAWN #94 $1.95 IMA 7 SOUL SAGA #1 $2.50 IMA 8 EARTH X #11 (RES) $2.99 MAR 9 TOMB RAIDER #3 $2.50 IMA 10 X-MEN UNLIMITED #26 $2.99 MAR 11 FANTASTIC FOUR #27 $1.99 MAR 12 CABLE #77 $1.99 MAR 13 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15 $1.99 MAR 14 THOR #21 $1.99 MAR 15 PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN #15 $1.99 MAR 16 IRON MAN #26 $1.99 MAR 17 BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #1 $2.50 DC 18 BATMAN #575 $1.99 DC 19 CAPTAIN AMERICA #27 $1.99 MAR 20 BATMAN: DARK VICTORY #4 $2.95 DC 21 X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM #4 (RES) $2.99 MAR 22 DETECTIVE COMICS #742 $2.50 DC 23 MUTANT X #17 (RES) $1.99 MAR 24 RISING STARS #5 $2.50 IMA 25 X-FORCE #100 $2.99 MAR 26 JSA #8 $2.50 DC 27 FATHOM #0 $2.50 IMA 28 X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS #4 $2.50 MAR 29 NIGHTWING #41 $1.99 DC 30 INCREDIBLE HULK #12 $2.99 MAR 31 WITCHBLADE #37 $2.50 IMA 32 BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #127 $1.99 DC 33 GENERATION X #61 $1.99 MAR 34 GREEN LANTERN #122 $1.99 DC 35 FLASH #158 $1.99 DC 36 ASTRO CITY VOL. 2 #21 $2.50 DC 37 THOR 2000 $3.50 MAR 38 CRIMSON #16 $2.50 DC 39 SUPERMAN #154 $1.99 DC 40 DARKNESS #29 $2.50 IMA 41 GATECRASHER #1 $2.50 WIZ 42 PREACHER #59 (MR) $2.50 DC 43 WILDCATS VOL. 2 #7 $2.50 DC 44 GAMBIT #14 $1.99 MAR 45 THUNDERBOLTS #36 $1.99 MAR 46 ACTION COMICS #763 $1.99 DC 47 SIN CITY: HELL AND BACK #7 (MR) $2.95 DAR 48 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #576 $1.99 DC 49 SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #98 $1.99 DC 50 WARLANDS #6 $2.50 IMA 51 X-MEN: HELLFIRE CLUB #3 $2.50 MAR 52 X-MAN #61 $1.99 MAR 53 TITANS #13 $2.50 DC 54 TOM STRONG #7 $2.95 DC 55 MARVEL: THE LOST GENERATION #1 $2.99 MAR 56 SPIDER-GIRL #18 $1.99 MAR 57 FLASH & GREEN LANTERN: THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #6 $2.50 DC 58 SPAWN: THE UNDEAD #8 $2.25 IMA 59 ROBIN #74 $1.99 DC 60 SPAWN: THE DARK AGES #11 $2.50 IMA 61 BISHOP: THE LAST X-MAN #6 $1.99 MAR 62 AUTHORITY #11 $2.50 DC 63 CATWOMAN #78 $1.99 DC 64 CAPTAIN MARVEL #3 $2.50 MAR 65 STAR WARS: CHEWBACCA #1 $2.95 DAR 66 STAR WARS: UNION #3 $2.95 DAR 67 YOUNG JUSTICE #18 $2.50 DC 68 PROMETHEA #6 $2.95 DC 69 DEADPOOL #38 $1.99 MAR 70 STAR WARS #14 $2.50 DAR 71 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #17 (2 covers) $2.95 DAR 72 SPIDER-WOMAN #9 $1.99 MAR 73 KISS: PSYCHO CIRCUS #27 $2.25 IMA 74 GEN13 #49 $2.50 DC 75 SUPERMAN VS THE TERMINATOR:DEATH TO THE FUTURE #2 $2.95 DAR 76 JINN #1 $2.95 IMA 77 TITANS/LEGION OF SUPERHEROES:UNIVERSE A-BLAZE #1 $4.95 DC 78 BLACK PANTHER #16 $2.50 MAR 79 SUPERGIRL #42 $1.99 DC 80 BATMAN: HAUNTED GOTHAM #2 $4.95 DC 81 TOMORROW STORIES #6 $2.95 DC 82 SAM AND TWITCH #6 $2.50 IMA 83 STARMAN #63 $2.50 DC 84 POKÉMON: SURF'S UP, PIKACHU! #3 $2.95 VIZ 85 AZRAEL: AGENT OF THE BAT #62 $2.25 DC 86 BIRDS OF PREY #15 $1.99 DC 87 WONDER WOMAN #154 $1.99 DC 88 JSA: THE LIBERTY FILES #2 $6.95 DC 89 F5: THE PREVIEW BOOK $2.50 IMA 90 NEW WARRIORS #6 $2.50 MAR 91 ANGEL #3 (2 covers) $2.95 DAR 92 ASCENSION #22 $2.95 IMA 93 BLADE: VAMPIRE HUNTER #4 $2.50 MAR 94 SUPERMEN OF AMERICA #1 $2.50 DC 95 WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #15 $2.50 MAR 96 X-51 #8 $2.50 MAR 97 LADY DEATH: DARK MILLENNIUM #1 $2.95 CHA 98 SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS GUIDE TO DCU 2000 $6.95 DC 99 XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS #5 (2 covers) $2.95 DAR 100 SUPERBOY #72 $1.99 DC ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage ncrl@mediaone.net +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 2/02/2000, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the *preliminary* list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Monday evening, at rec.arts.comics.info, http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl, and Compuserve's Comics Publishers Forum. "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Fillerbunny #1, 2.25 Spook Girl #1, 2.95,"Slave Labor Graphics*" Comic Book Heaven Vol 2 #2, 1.95,"Slave Labor Graphics*" Slave Labor Peepshow Vol 2 #2, AR ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie #494, 1.99 Archie Digest #170, 2.19 Sabrina The Teenage Witch Vol 2 #4, 1.99 Sonic The Hedgehog #81, 1.99 Veronica #98, 1.99 CHAOS! COMICS Chaos Chronicles History Of Cosmos, 3.50 CLAYPOOL COMICS Deadbeats #39, 2.50 Elvira #81, 2.50 CPM MANGA Dark Angel #9, 2.95 Frontier Line #5, 2.95 Lodoss War Grey Witch #15, 2.95 Martian Successor Nadesico #8, 2.95 Maxion #2, 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Ring Of The Nibelung Rhinegold #1 (Of 4), 2.95 Bettie Page Queen Of The Nile #2 (Of 3), 2.95 Oh My Goddess Childhoods End #2 (Of 2), 3.50 DC COMICS Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #128, 1.99 Batman Gotham Adventures #23, 1.99 Superman #155, 1.99 Supermen Of America #2 (Of 6), 2.50 Green Lantern #123, 1.99 Martian Manhunter #17, 1.99 Relative Heroes #2 (Of 6), 2.50 Starman #64, 2.50 Trouble Magnet #3 (Of 4), 2.50 Young Justice #19, 2.50 Looney Tunes #63, 1.99 Wildcats Vol 2 #8, 2.50 Destiny A Chronicle Of Deaths Foretold TPB, 14.95 Invisibles Volume 3 #3, 2.95 100 Bullets #9, 2.50 Preacher #60, 2.50 Sandman Presents Petrefax #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Superman They Saved Luthors Brain TPB, 14.95 Secret Files And Origins Guide To Dcu 2000, 6.95 DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol X #2, AR HARDLINE STUDIOS Force #1, 2.95 I BOX PUBLISHING Thieves & Kings #30, 2.50 IMAGE COMICS A Distant Soil #29, 3.95 Adrenalynn #3, 2.50 Alley Cat Movie Poster, 3.00 Chassis #2, 2.95 Crow Vol 1 Vengeance TPB, 10.95 Deity Revelations #4, 2.95 Eve Protomecha #1, 2.50 Eve Protomecha Holofoil Incentive #1, AR Exposure #4, 2.50 F5 The Preview Book, 2.50 Jade Warriors #3, 2.50 Jinn #1, 2.95 Lady Pendragon #8, 2.95 Neon Cyber #5, 2.50 Spawn The Undead #8, 2.25 Spirit Of The Tao #14, 2.50 Tenth Black Embrace TPB, 12.95 Tin Can Man #1, 2.95 Tomb Raider #3, 2.50 Wicked #2, 2.95 Witchblade #37, 2.50 MARVEL COMICS Captain Marvel #3, 2.50 Deadpool #38, 1.99 Fantastic Four #28, 1.99 Marvel Selects Fantastic Four #4 (Of 12), 2.75 Mutant X #18, 1.99 Spider-Woman #10, 1.99 Thor #22, 1.99 Uncanny X-Men #379, 1.99 X-Men The Hidden Years #5, 2.50 X-Men Universe #4, 4.99 X-Men Unlimited #26, 2.99 ONI PRESS INC. Soulwind I Kid From Planet Earth TPB, 8.50 PEREGRINE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Books Of Lore Storyteller #1 (Of 3), 2.95 ULTIMATE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT Super Sluggers #1 (Of 2), 3.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Pokemon First Movie Mewtwo Strikes Back #3 (Of 4), 3.95 Pokemon Adventures Ghastly Ghosts #5, 5.95 No Need For Tenchi Part 8 #4 (Of 5), 2.95 magazines Inquest Gamer Pokemon Cvr #59, 4.99 Inquest Gamer Nemesis Cvr #59, 4.99 Comic Shop News #659, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Red Tide TP 12/04 Jan 2000 Sergio Stomps Star Wars 01/28 02/11 DC COMICS Batman/Demon: A Tragedy 02/09 02/16 Batman: Gotham City Secret Files #1 02/23 02/09 DC Comics Millennium Ed.: Whiz Comics #2 01/26 02/02 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA Faith #5 01/26 02/23 Four Horsemen #3 02/16 02/23 Secret Files & Origins of the DC Universe 2000 01/05 02/02 Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain TP 01/26 02/02 Top 10 #7 02/02 02/16 Yeah! #7 02/02 02/16 IMAGE Alley Cat #5 02/16 EVE #1 02/02 EVE #1 Holofoil Incentive 02/02 Kabuki Reflections #3 01/19 02/16 Lady Pendragon: Origin of Merlin #1 12/22 02/09 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] HYPE! Section Various PREVIEW OF PREVIEWS Diamond has updated their web site for the new PREVIEWS out next week. Writer/Ad Coordinator Vince Brusio is the designated editorial writer for Previews' "The Splash Page" which is our source material On one cover, we see writer Kurt Busiek and artists Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger kick off the first series from Image’s new imprint, Gorilla Comics. In case you haven’t heard, Gorilla Comics is a Kurt Busiek and Mark Waid production, featuring creator-owned titles by the company’s founders. Up first is a 6-issue monthly limited series that takes place late in the next century on a battle-damaged Earth, which struggles to rebuild after a devastating alien invasion. But this isn’t ID4. There’s no alcoholic pilot who gives his life to waste a spaceship. There are professionals on hand to deal with this kind of menace from now on. Enter Shockrockets, an elite squadron of specialized aircraft that’s a hybrid of human and alien technology. These are our planet’s latest stormtroopers of justice. And they are very, very, good. What would you give up to be a member of this elite fighting team? Alejandro Cruz finds out. A young, machine-mad, blue-collar Los Angeleno, he learns first-hand about the pressure, responsibility, and power of being a major player on a global stage. And he sees that his enemies are cruel, calculative, and not the sort who will make your life easy. Busiek notes, "Our aim is to make you smell the jet fuel and feel the sonic booms. To step right into Alejandro's life, and his world." This isn’t a problem though, because this crack comic team is known to twirl us around, and dazzle us with their g-force. On the flip side, we see how Metropolis will soon smell like teen spirit, because the Gen13 teens will be teaming up with the Man of Steel in the new crossover Superman/Gen13. The super-teens take a jaunt to Metropolis, and the trip turns out to be one major-sized bummer. Superman’s in his element. He’s knee-deep in a slugfest, with all of the usual biff, bam, and pow sound effects. But then Big Blue is knocked for a loop, and he’s smashed into Fairchild, who tries to act as the perfect pillow. Fairchild does manage to cushion the impact, but it doesn’t leave her unscathed. Her memory’s been trashed, and the cape that Big Blue gave her creates an interesting identity crisis! This 3-issue mini-series features variant covers by Danger Girl’s J. Scott Campbell, and Battle Chaser’s Tom McWeeney! Writer Adam Hughes gives us the tale of a bedazzled Fairchild, with art and covers by Gen13 veteran Bermejo and John Nyberg. Look for Superman/Gen13 and Shockrockets in the Premier Comics section of Previews. Yukito Kishiro, creator of the cyberpunk manga classic Battle Angel Alita, gives life to Aqua Knight — his first new series since 1998. This is a whole new science fiction/fantasy cosmos of humor, wonder and adventure. It is the world of Marmundo. Kings rule isles scattered in the great ocean, and knights ride killer whales through the seas. Using an art style that is similar to Battle Angel Alita (as opposed to his Frank Miller-style experimentation in Ashen Victor), Kishiro gives Aqua Knight the same strong characters, original setting, and attention to detail as his earlier series. Unlike Alita’s grim, violent future, Aqua Knight is set in a swashbuckling world of sailing ships, ghosts, and motifs from Spain’s Age of Exploration. But for Alita fans, there is still strange technology, fierce battles, and weird creatures out in the seas of Aqua Knight. Look for the 6-issue blockbuster mini-series Aqua Knight from Viz in the Comics section of Previews Still More Cereal To Eat The acclaimed sardonic stories by masterful raconteur Rob Maisch vividly recounting his many everyday adventures and exploits growing up in the sixties — and trying to get by in the seventies — continue in quarterly comic books! The first collection featured art by Scott and Bo Hampton, Sandy Plunkett, and Rand Holmes. Presented as a jacketed hardcover, it had stories both in color and black and white. Well, if you thought Rob had kissed and told all, you’re wrong! He still has a treasure trove of funny and thoughtful experiences to share and make us all reminisce or discover what those days were like for the average prankster Joe. From childhood to misspent adolescence and college, to addled adulthood, Rob continues to bring out the real spice of living with gusto and a wry sense of humor. It should be noted that Scott Hampton has married the project’s size with a group hungry for recognition: the students at the increasingly noted Savannah College of Art and Design. "I think people are in for a pleasant surprise. A lot of work done for this comic is of professional quality and beyond," said Hampton. "These are some of Rob’s best stories. Anyone who liked what they read in the graphic novel will be blown away by this material." Look for Confessions of a Cereal Eater #1 offered by NBM in the Comics section of Previews! Smith Walks Up The Down Staircase Fans of Barry Windsor-Smith’s art know that it is ludicrous to pigeonhole the man’s abilities. Fantagraphics release of Opus Volume 2 HC attests to how it is impossible not to regard the famed illustrator as a top-notch comic artist. It’s a wonder that Smith even got into comics. His work is the sort of art you would expect to view in a gallery. His is the imagination that students would analyze and critique. They would fill their notebooks with footnotes and metaphors. Images would be noted for their titles, their energy, and their tone. This same type of analysis can also be applied to Opus2, as it is the true story of the artist’s struggles to deal with the transcendental, yet maddening, effects of meta-consciousness. We go past the impact of works like Storyteller, Adastra in Africa, and his Weapon X Wolverine story. Here is Smith’s humor and humanity painted into a real-life adventure. The book’s text makes the plot of The Sixth Sense seem room temperature. Opus2is quite a departure from conventional forms of illustrated literature, because it confronts one’s consciousness, and the crossroads of reality. This isn’t a book that you can read in its entirety on a lunch break. You wouldn’t be doing it justice. A deluxe art collection such as this — one that features never-before-published paintings and drawings, and artworks culled from over thirty years of comics art, comic strips, illustration, and sketchbooks — needs to be dissected by a critical eye, an art lover’s eye, and a fan who loves a story that is meant to make you think. Look for Barry Windsor-Smith’s bizarre interdimensional journey in Opus Volume 2 HC from Fantagraphics in the Comics section of Previews! Paradise Lost Abstract Studio is giving readers of Strangers in Paradise a one-time chance to step into the time machine. For those of you who wanted to look at the early developmental versions of SiP's Francine and Katchoo, you’ve been given the next best thing to free admission, soda, and popcorn. Terry Moore’s…Paradise, Too! is the photo album that you’ve been waiting for. Yes, Mr. Moore was repeatedly called over and over again to give the fans what they so desperately wanted. The pressure was on, and it was a bit too much. He finally gave up the goods. The end result is a sweet black and white, 24-page comic that exposes the classic comic strip art that would lead to the creator’s renowned females. This is a one shot deal, folks. You know, just like you can’t catch some of those great TV series as re-runs on Nick at Nite? The same thing’s going to happen here. Bam! Here it is. Bang! There it goes. So don’t sit around thinking about it. Pick up an order form, and make this a priority. Look for Terry Moore’s…Paradise, Too! from Abstract Studio in the Comics section of Previews! Battle of the Bods It’s a wonder that we’re not wearing straitjackets after hearing this news: Vampirella and Lady Death are going at it again! The rematch we’ve been waiting for is going to happen when Vampirella/Lady Death: The End #1 hits the stands. Two dynamic babes known for their bodacious bodies (and matching bad attitudes) will again clash in Vampirella/Lady Death: The End #1. It will be a mighty thing to behold, as Harris says that the comic will mark the end of Vampirella as we know her. Yep. The sharp-fanged minx in the skimpy red outfit is going to go into a cocoon and re-emerge as an even hotter babe. And why shouldn’t we be treated to such a change? Our lovely brunette vampiress has been beaten, killed, thrown to the past and resurrected in the present. She’s been knocked around more than the four-eyed nerd in high school with the "kick me" sign taped to his back! Apparently, Harris has decided to give the fans their due. This new story boasts that it will tie up all the current continuity and end the monthly series. No more monthly Vampi. A new millennium brings a new chapter in the life of our super-sexy siren. What lies ahead for her is unsure. But what we can tell you is this: Kevin Lau has a dramatic new vision that promises to deliver. We doubt that she’ll be the latest face for a Maybelline ad; it’s doubtful that Vampi will be the poster child for a Revlon ad. But you can bet that we’ll still get plenty of flesh…and bite! Look for Vampirella/Lady Death: The End #1 in the Comics section of Previews. Comics Coming Clean Sometimes it’s nice just to have the straight dope. Reading blurbs via email newsletters are convenient, but they can’t convey the real meat of a story like a well-researched article with punch. Enter the new mag, Comicology #1. A breath of fresh air. Here is the deliverance that we’ve been waiting for: comics news that’s off the cuff; right off of the street; out of the living room; from the lips of creators; and totally in your face. From down in the hole is the resurrected phoenix that is now a quarterly publication from TwoMorrows, the folks behind the fan-favorite mags Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego, and the Jack Kirby Collector. Each issue focuses on the best of today's comics with interviews, unpublished art, and special features. Still a little skeptical? Check this out: the first issue kicks off with an all-new Bruce Timm cover. Plus, inside you’ll find an interview with Bruce, showcasing never-before-published DC and Marvel Comics-inspired artwork from the desk of the Emmy-winning producer. Also inside you’ll find a career-spanning interview with Batman: The Long Halloween scribe Jeph Loeb. Then there’s the spotlight on ‘alternative’ female cartoonists, and a look at Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. There’s plenty to see and plenty to chew on in this first issue that’s sure to be a blow-out. Look for it in the Magazines section of Previews. [News & Notes] Deadly Dialect It’s a "strange" thing, but all your hard work paid off! That’s right, Ellis fans! You whined, you screamed, you threw a couple of tantrums and, you know what? — it worked! Here’s what you have been hollering for — the Warren Ellis "Strange Kiss" Script Book is here, and boy, was it worth the wait! It includes an all-new commentary on the genesis of the book, the scripting of all the scenes, and how to write horror comics all by the gonzo Brit, himself, Warren Ellis! Plus, there’s a killer cover by series artist Mike Wolfer. Going Against The Big Dog He taught you how to defend yourself from predators. You respected, cherished, and looked up to him. Now you must finish him. But how do you battle your mentor? How do you win? Why would you want to? Now, Shi is faced with this harrowing dilemma when an ancient evil known as the Hengeyokai is stalking the streets! Told in moody black and white with crimson slashes thrown in for a chilling effect, Shi: Year of the Dragon Black, Whit