---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 267 1999 EAGLE AWARD NOMINEE 6/02/2000 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] Submissions, mailing address, web page [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] Russ Manning Tribute .................. Link Yaco [6] The Swap Meet ......................... Chad Trout [7] Sound And Fury ........................ Craig Lemon [8] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [9] My View:SACRED RUINS: THE MYSTIC WARS . David LeBlanc [10] Comic Buyer's Guide Fan Awards ........ CBG #1386 [11] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [12] HYPE! Section ......................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ 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 a message 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. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The ComicBook Network. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Back Issues, Copyrights SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our e-mag, simply E-mail it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and we encourage reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If you write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of anything it will almost always be printed so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. PLEASE, no material on Gaming, role playing, collectible card games or other hobbies or collectibles other than comic books. That does not include plugs for web pages UNLESS they are concerned with print comic books. We do not promote web comics as we do not consider them to be comic books. SEND US YOUR WORK ----------------- We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but anything sent to us *will* be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Material is generally reviewed in the order received and be advised that we work a few weeks in advance so your review may not be in the magazine immediately. Advanced copies are therefore encouraged so the review will occur prior to your product hitting the stores. THE Comic Book Net WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as all back issues and an annotated index. You'll also find important information and other neat features like links to the HTML version of the current issue of this magazine at DIGITAL WEBBING, [http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem], some of the comic companies and creators' web pages and many other Comic Book related links! You can also find some back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: COMICS, then choose the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. These are non-zipped text files. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc Hmm... maybe it is time for some random observations. I will be tied up in a sales meeting next weekend starting with a late day Friday to get ready so I just might send out the mag early - I haven't decided. Otherwise it might not show up until sometime Sunday. Don't panic. I have done some business travel lately. I find it rather ironic that at Boston's Logan Airport (I wonder if Wolverine had something to do with that name?) the people directing traffic at the terminal curbside are uniformed and armed Massachusetts State Police and the people in charge of security at the entrance to the gate area are hourly workers of no particular menacing or authoritarian appearance - and they are not armed. One day last week, while waiting in Charlotte, North Carolina for our connecting plane to be allowed to take off we were told there were "weather" problems in Boston. The next morning I read in the paper that a man had ran through the security metal detectors and disappeared in the crowd forcing them to close off that concourse and search for him and any possibly explosives. I wonder what he would have done if a State Trooper was on guard! While in New Orleans I was taken to an eatery, popular with the locals and after some wait finally got seated. It was a new experience for me to be walked through the kitchen to get to the dining area, at this place called Jacque Amoe's (sp?). We get seated and right behind me is a table of about 8-10 people, young 20's or so, and a man with a huge video camera (TV type) an sound man with a boom mike and a guy with a clipboard - obviously directing the other two. It turns out this was the farewell dinner of the cast of REAL WORLD, an MTV show being filmed in New Orleans this year. We had a lot of fun pondering the irony of the title of the show versus how "real" it is to live the way these kids are - always playing to the camera, no doubt trying to parlay their 15 minutes of fame into a career. Hey if it worked for Judd Winick (ONI DOUBLE FEATURE, ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, GREEN LANTERN) it could work for them. Any way we grabbed a couple of them as they walked by and took their pictures, even the sound guy (whom we promised we be famous because of it), and the waitress brought us a free round of wine for being such a fun table. I have had the fortune to have a few fun experiences like this in my travels. I have passed senators, tv newscasters, athletes, Arlo Guthrie and even Jimmy Carter in various airports. The best was bumping into John Travolta in an airport newsstand about 15 years ago. Two of us introduced ourselves and he was very cordial, asking more about what we did and where we were going. A real friendly guy. Speaking of newsstands, this is some of the stuff I saw this week at the comic store: DC COMICS Authority #15, 2.50 <--------------Pick of the week! Silver Age 80 Page Giant #1, 5.95 Supergirl #46, 1.99 Superman And Bugs Bunny #1 (Of 4) (resolicited), 2.50 IMAGE COMICS Savage Dragon #74, 2.95 INSIGHT STUDIOS GROUP Liberty Meadows #11, 2.95 Did not see MYSTIC on the rack and noticed it is on next week's NCRL. That's ok, I got review copies in the mail, which will be up next week. Might even have that issue of the Emag out on Thursday. Til then . . . 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: Mister Blank Final Issue! From: loopgaroo@geocities.com (Christopher J. Hicks) This Wednesday, May 31st, the fifteenth and final issue of Mister Blank will be in stores. $2.95, a bit more in Canada. The trade paperback, which will compile ALL of the Mister Blank Issues, is due for July. It will be 360 pages, featuring a few pages of sketches, but no new stories. Plus an introduction by CBR's Jonah Weiland! $29.95, $43.95 CA, ISBN 0-943151-25-2 (does anyone actually use that number?). You can order Mister Blank 14, or the MB trade paperback direct from Slave Labor at 1.800.866.8929 or off the Slave Labor web page at http://www.slavelabor.com if your shop doesn't happen to carry it. I will be at the San Diego Comicon this July, hussling my wares, doing some sketches, and throwing stickers at the heathen masses. I'm not going to lug pages out there to sell like last time, because, well, they're heavy, and we have E-Bay for that now. But if you want to come give me some grief, buy me some lunch, or serve a subpeona, I'll be at or around the Slave Labor Graphics table. As for what's next, I'm going to do a few 3 issue miniseries. I'll send out a heads-up on this list just before they ship, and hopefully I'll have a more stable web page to support it. Will there be anymore Mister Blank's/ Definitely maybe. #14 pretty much wraps things up, but there are some loose ends I could tug on. We'll see... BTW- just a personal note of thanks to all of you for supporting Mister Blank all these years. I really do appreciates it. Considering the financial state of the industry these days, fan support is pretty much THE perk of being an independent creator, so it's meant a lot to me. Have a great summer, and keep your nose clean! C.Hicks +++++ Subj: We Need Godzilla Fan Art! From: Silhouet9@aol.com Jazma Universe Online! and Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter is coming up with a Godzilla Special Issue. We would like to load up on all kinds of Godzilla fan art for this issue. If you are submitting Godzilla fan art, don't be afraid to draw a crossover picture. Recently I saw a drawing of Godzilla going one-on-one with Ironman. This special issue will be sent to G-Fan Magazine. We will publish all fan art received in the newsletter and also on the website! Please submit your artwork to: William Carlisle, Vice President Jazma Universe Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ 18 Arthur Street Methuen, MASS 01844 BCJazma@aol.com +++++ Subj: Kat & Neko Manga Expands! From: neko_haruka@hotmail.com (Kathryn Williams) Konnichi wa Minna-san!!, We've returned from Kitchener with big news. Three new artist/Writers have joined K&N Manga. With them they bring three new Manga stories which will be launched at Anime North June 16 - 18. New Monthly title: Cyber Prison by Adam Goode New bi-monthly titles EVEB (Espionage Velocity Express Blue) by Andrea Haid Yoriko: Maiden Of The First Fire by Svetlana Chmakova Well I have to finish scanning the last issue into the computer (with the new titles I've been given more then enough work to keep me busy especially with the up coming Cons.) Well I've got to get going. Ja ne Writer/Artist Kathryn Williams +++++ Subj: Re: [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 266.5 From: GPerez6643@aol.com To: ComicBookNetworkEmag-owner@egroups.com Hi: I just wanted to correct an item in your latest listing of release dates. For CRIMSON PLAGUE #1, it is stated that the book was recheduled from 6/7/00 to 6/14/00. As far as I know the book was always scheduled for a June 14th release date, which timed it to come out right before its official debut-celebration at Heroes Con the following weekend. I've worked very hard to ensure that this book come out on schedule and don't want anyone to believe I didn't make it. Take care, George Perez [Thanks for writing George, and take care of yourself. It is not our listing but is used with the permission of Charles Lepage of New Comic Releases List. You are not the first to ask that I correct an error in the listing. Often an omission is due to the fact that we publish on Friday and use the preliminary list available at that time. The final list is not sent by NCRL until Tuesday. If there is an error, other than a typo, Chuck is not responsible - he is passing on information provided by Diamond. In light of that, I have reworded the intro to the NCRL to include the disclaimers on how to report errors, and updated the subscriber and web page info as well. - D.L.] +++++ Subj: New Sequential Tart issue up! :D Date: 6/1/00 10:02:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: Jencomx3@aol.com HI, the newest issue of Sequential Tart is up and running! www.sequentialtart.com go check it out :D hugs thanks JEN :D ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: What was the first thing the Impossible Man turned into? Once again, our friend from Brazil, Pedro Bouca, was first to get it right. The answer is a small jet. Pedro wins "Spider-Man:Invasion of the Spider-Slayers" Trade Paperback from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What group of kids debuted in DC's STAR SPANGLED COMICS #7? 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 Renowned Comic Book Artist Alex Ross to Debut 'Batman: War On Crime' Lithograph at Warner Bros. Flagship Studio Store in New York BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 30, 2000-- Original Art to be Auctioned at Sotheby's June 17 Renowned comic book artist Alex Ross will debut a limited edition lithograph from the award-winning DC Comics graphic novel "Batman: War on Crime" at the Warner Bros. Studio Store Gallery at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City on Thursday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. The reception for Ross will also commemorate Sotheby's auction of the entire selection of original paintings from "Batman: War on Crime." The book tells the story of Batman as he encounters a young boy whose parents have been murdered and sees a reflection of himself as a youth, about to choose the path that led him into endless conflict with evil. This parallel haunts him as he examines the nature of crime, from Gotham City's dingy back-alleys to its plush corporate suites. Selected pieces of original art, to be auctioned at Sotheby's on June 17, will be on display at the Warner Bros. Studio Store in New York at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street from June 1 to 8. Ross will donate all proceeds from the auction to the John A. Reisenbach Foundation, benefiting the John A. Reisenbach Charter School in Harlem. The limited edition lithograph, "War on Crime," with an edition size of 250 and retail price of $425, illustrates Batman's origin and motivation for his never-ending fight against crime. The lithograph, taken from the pages of the graphic novel, was created by Ross and Warner Bros. Emmy Award-winning producer, and writer of "Batman: War on Crime," Paul Dini, will also be on hand for the debut. Each piece, sold exclusively through Warner Bros. Studio Stores, is signed by Ross and Dini and comes with a softcover edition of the book. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork will also be donated by Ross to the John A. Reisenbach Foundation. "Alex Ross is a truly extraordinary artist, not only in the power and popularity of his work, but in his commitment to charity," said Mark Taliani, vice president of Warner Bros. Studio Store Gallery. "Warner Bros. Studio Store Gallery is proud to work with Alex on the events surrounding 'Batman: War on Crime' as we did last year with 'Superman: Peace on Earth.'" Ross studied illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, then honed his craft as a storyboard artist before entering the comics field. His miniseries "Marvels" (Marvel Comics, 1993) opened a wider acceptance for painted art in comics. He moved on to produce the equally successful "Kingdom Come" (DC Comics, 1996) and "Superman: Peace on Earth" (DC Comics, 1998). Receiving critical acclaim and multiple awards for these best-selling works, Ross made a name as both an artist and storyteller, dedicating himself to bold experiments within the comics medium. In his 10 years with Warner Bros. Animation, Dini has won four Emmy Awards. Dini joined Warner Bros. on the writing staff of Steven Spielberg's "Tiny Toon Adventures" in 1989. In 1991 he moved on to write and then co-produce "Batman: The Animated Series," then "Superman" and finally the critically acclaimed "Batman Beyond" animated series. Branching into comics, he wrote the graphic novels "Batman: Mad Love," "Batman: Harley Quinn" and "Superman: Peace on Earth." He is also the author of "Batman Animated" (HarperCollins). http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.053000/bb3 +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ MIXED VERDICT FROM STARBUCKS/DWYER HEARING! JUDGE RULES 'CONSUMER WHORE' A PARODY CAUSING 'TARNISHMENT'! May 31: The first hearing on a STARBUCKS Corp. lawsuit against cartoonist Kieron Dwyer over a satirical version of the company's logo, which ran on the cover of LCD Comics and on T-shirts and stickers sold by Dwyer on his web site has ended with Judge Maxine Chesney ruling in Dwyer's favor on the counts of copyright and trademark infringement, strongly agreeing that the work was a clear and definite parody. The court also ruled in Starbucks' favor on the issue of tarnishment. Dwyer said this was due to the commercial nature of the merchandise, "which apparently has less first amendment protection." Happy with the outcome, Dwyer told the SPLASH: "The lawyers are now charged with coming to some agreement on the injunction order, which will prohibit me from selling my t-shirts and stickers, but should allow me to keep the image and put it back up on my website, as well as the latitude to give away my merchandise, should I wish to do so. All in all, it was probably the best outcome, for me at least. This way, we avoid a protracted trial and I can get back to my primary business: losing money drawing comics" One of the striking aspects of Starbucks' action, was their ferocious legal attack on Dwyer, forgoing the usual "Cease and Desist" letter and unexpectedly filing a lawsuit against him. On a post to the extensive discussion about the lawsuit on the comicon.com message board, Dwyer said Starbucks was, "intentionally misleading in applying to the judge for an ex parte injunction on me. They made a pretty obviously specious claim that I was a flight risk, some sort of fly-by-night web operation who would simply pick up and move all his stuff if given a chance to respond to a simple cease and desist letter. I resented the implication, as I consider myself a decent, struggling, law-abiding entrepreneur." Dwyer went on to say, "It is clear that my site and my comics (the small press ones anyway) fall strictly in the satire/humor vein, with a strong emphasis on poking fun at public figures and other sacred cows, with little to no harm done in this pursuit. While they might have felt that they needed to rigorously pursue even the smallest fry to justify the larger ones, or whether they always stamp out any bug because they can afford to, I don't know." During the debate and reporting on the lawsuit, the question of whether the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund would or should be involved arose. Dwyer clarified the situation by saying, "I contacted the CBLDF immediately after talking with Andy. I didn't realize that the fund doesn't normally take on first amendment cases like mine (and I believe that it is that, despite the commercial overtones), but Chris Oarr was intrigued. He was very familiar with my comics and with the shirt, possessing one of his own, and he talked with my lawyer and with the fund's counsel, Burton Joseph, at great length about the case. Andy officially petitioned the fund for help in my defense, should the case go to trial, and they are still in deliberations on that matter, I guess. So the CBLDF did not turn me down." Dwyer said: "The federal court judge, Maxine Chesney, found in my favor on both the issues of copyright and trademark infringement, stating that it was very clearly a parody and protected as such (she even called it the "good kind" of parody and "pretty clever"!). She found that on the issue of tarnishment, Starbucks had the edge, but really only because of the "for sale" nature of my products. Ultimately, that was all Starbucks had on their side, mostly because there are very few cases to clearly mark the way in respect to this concept of "tarnishment," but the primary guiding element in the existing cases is whether or not the offending item(s) is of a commercial or non-commercial nature." +++++ From Beau Yarbrough's Comic Wire at: http://www.comicbookresources.com/ 'IMPULSE' NOT CANCELED, BUT 'AQUAMAN' STILL IS Talk about fast results. "Impulse" fans panicked by reports at the Comic Wire and elsewhere this week that their title was staring cancellation in the face, take heart: Writer Todd Dezago has something to say to you: Oops. "First of all, I want to apologize for any panic and misconceptions that I may have caused," Dezago said in a post on DC Comics' message boards Wednesday night. "Let me say it straight out - 'Impulse' has NOT been canceled! I was a bit surprised myself when I saw the headline 'Impulse Writer Confirms Cancellation,' as I didn't think I had said that at all. Then I looked back on my original post on the DC message boards and realized my error. I had stated that '… DC has decided to hand 'Impulse' his walking papers as well.' I had INTENDED to write '… DC has considered handing 'Impulse' his walking papers as well.' A mistake. All mine. I'm sorry. While sales are definitely low on the book, and talk of cancellation has come up, 'Impulse' has not been put on the chopping block. Again, I'd like to apologize to everyone at DC (who had to field the million and one questions that bombarded them as a result of my error) and all of you wonderful and supportive 'Impulse' fans and readers who love the little guy as much as I do. I didn't mean to cause a panic, only to be fair and keep everyone informed. "Thank you for your time … and understanding …" Series artist Ethan Van Sciver was even more blunt, on another thread in the DC forum: "'Impulse' is NOT canceled, never was canceled and could very well NOT be canceled, if fan support continues the way it has been! Don't just BUY copies off the stand, ORDER more from your retailer! That's how DC Comics sees higher sales, by the way. Buying copies extra copies off the stand is good, but it might deprive other fans of getting their copies. If you request more copies to be ordered, we'll see a sales increase. Cancellation was talked about, and we were warned that we were in that danger zone, but we haven't been told to stop yet. "If we were actually axed, we would know which was our last issue. "It's STILL your book, and you can STILL keep it in publication if you really try!" All this talk of resurrections inspired something unique amongst Internet rumors: the rumor of an un-cancellation. Unfortunately, this death turned out to be anything but exaggerated. "That's a new one to me as well," Dan Jurgens told the Comic Wire on Tuesday. "Every bit of information I have regarding 'Aquaman' is that it will end with issue 75." +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com WHITEOUT -------- It's been about six months since we heard the announcement that Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's Whiteout is in development as a major motion picture. Last December it was announced that the comic was set up at Columbia Pictures and was to be produced by Wolfgang Petersen and Gail Katz, both of Radiant Productions (The Perfect Storm). Looking for an update on the project, Comics 2 Film spoke with Erich Hoeber. Hoeber, along with writing partner and brother Jon Hoeber, wrote and produced 1998's Montana and also worked on the screenplay for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons. The pair have been hard at work developing the screenplay for Whiteout, which they were instrumental in setting up. Erich told C2F that he and Jon weren't familiar with the comic when it first came out. However, their agent, Angela Cheng, is also Greg Rucka's agent in Hollywood. Cheng had been trying to get the concept set up with a studio. "She had shown it around town a little bit and it hadn't gotten a terrific response," Hoeber told us. "She gave it to us and we immediately responded to it. We thought, 'this is so obviously a film.' Not just because it has great characterization and great setting (you know the world in this movie and in the comic book is really a character) but also structurally it seemed to be a film." However, Hollywood wasn't quite prepared for a movie centered around a female hero. "We shopped it all over Hollywood, which was a fairly difficult process. It always is. We literally went to every studio," Hoeber said. "Frankly, it wasn't an obvious sell for a lot of these people. It's obviously a commercial piece, but people had reservations about doing a big studio film with a woman in the leading role. That's something that always comes up. It's not to say anything bad about the studio people. They have to make decisions based upon what's succeeded in the past." Presently, Hoeber sees that climate changing, citing the box office success of recent movies like Double Jeopardy and Erin Brockovich as examples. On top of that, the pair's Montana features Kyra Sedgwick as the lead protagonist. "Doing female characters is something that we are known for, so it seemed a good fit to Columbia." Hoeber also praises Rucka and Lieber for realizing such a strong character in the comic's heroine, US Marshal Carrie Stetko. "The character they created has a very clear voice. A lot of times people will come to the work and everybody will find something they like different about it. People, as a result, have different visions of the film, but everybody we've presented this material to sort of bought into the concept of the character those guys created. That's one of its great strengths and it's a credit to both of them." The Hoeber brothers are also pleased to be working with Petersen and Katz. "The two of them have been wonderful. It's been one of the best experiences with a producer that we've ever had," Hoeber said. "They've proven themselves to be incredibly smart about the material, incredibly open to why this material is different, why it's special, what its unique strengths are, rather than trying to put it into a totally reductive mold. That's always a strength, when people can come to the material with a really clear vision and sense of direction." With a draft of the screenplay written, the ball is currently out of the Hoeber brothers' hands. "The studio ultimately has to decide to greenlight the movie, which means they decide to spend however many million dollars it takes to make it. In the case of a movie like this one, it's not cheap. It's not a low-budget movie. It's a big studio movie. But we're in great shape to do that. I'm really optimistic about it." http://exo.com/~ehoeber/ DARKNESS, DARK MINDS, ECHO, SHANG CHI ------------------------------------- A source at Chris Lee Productions told Comics2Film that the screenplay for the movie version of Top Cow's The Darkness is moving forward. Chris Morgan as work on the script. The movie is set up at Columbia and Hong Kong action director Andrew Lau is set to direct. The production company also has a pact with Dreamwave Studios. This pact currently has the Image titles Dark Minds and Echo in development as movies. Music-video director, Kaos is writing a spec script for Echo. Chris Lee Productions and Marvel are working to set up Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu at New Line. Previous reports indicated that Kaos would also direct this. THE TICK -------- FROM NEW ENGLAND COMICS: Just two weeks ago it was announced that the live action Tick TV show is on Fox's schedule for the next season. Now, New England Comics has published the first post-announcement interview with Ben Edlund, the writer and producer of the show and creator of the character. The interview is presented both Real Audio and in text transcript formats, and is accompanied by 20 set photos from the 9 day shoot. According to Edlund, he was aided with the writing chores on the pilot by Randolph Heard, Chris McCulloch, and Richard Liebmann- Smith, all veterans of the animated show. Edlund told NEC that the live-action show would slightly shift the focus of the concept. "Well, yeah. I mean one of the keys of live action--- well not live action but prime time---is that you really want to humanize the characters to the point where adults can watch a silly superhero show and on some level, connect with the characters there. So Arthur's going to have, I think, a more involved family life." Fans commented favorably on the look of the big blue character after seeing the publicity photos that were released last week. However, some expressed disappointment over the completely open- faced mask. "Yeah, we actually did make both an open-faced and an actual mask. I mean like the two different versions of the Tick," Edlund explains. "And really what was found was that the mask covers certain really key parts of [star Patrick Warburton's] face: eyebrows, for example---and kind of constricts, because, it would be rubber, you know, a very light rubber, that would almost move with his face. It would be glued on. But, in addition, it gives him a shifty-eyed look. Because you get these blue orbits around his eyes. And every way we sculpted them, it would fix one emotion on his face." Edlund also said that they contemplated using CGI to animate a set of eyes that followed the look of the cartoon and comic. However, that notion was thwarted by the expense of it and the possibility that the effect (on top of the costumes) would "probably induce seizures and nausea." Edlund had high praises Warburton, "Patrick was REALLY good. Like he really got into this role. He invested himself and managed to wear this costume for like five days straight, basically, everyday being strapped into this thing. It was really hot. We had to keep the studio chilled in order for him to not collapse. It was a lot of work" If the show is a success, the comic, cartoon and film creator is contractually obligated to stick with it for two years. In general Edlund seems pleased with the show. "Yes, good, shiny, pretty. It's got stuff in it. It's good, you know. I like it." Edlund also revealed that Sony now holds the rights for long talked-about animated feature. Edlund discussed how an animated movie might compare or contrast to the animated TV show. "My primary focus now would be trying to figure out how to expand The Tick into another medium," Edlund told NEC. "Because that's been what's kept The Tick interesting, in my opinion. As interesting as one might consider The Tick, for me it's been a very effective passport to move through different media. If it came up [The Animated Movie] there's always a chance that the people who own those rights would want to exploit those rights. And that's all fine, but that's not what I'm concentrating at this point upon." Check out the complete interview where Edlund talks about how the live-action show came into being, his thoughts about co-producer and director Barry Sonnenfeld, the naming of Captain Liberty, rubbing and his other movie projects like Titan A.E. and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. http://www.newenglandcomics.com/ FROM 4COLOR REVIEW: Following the posting at NEC, 4-Color Review unveiled a nice treat for Tick fans late last week. The site posted the first video images from the live-action show to be seen on the internet. A Real Media clip depicts the opening title sequence of the pilot episode. The sequence opens with The Tick (Patrick Warburton) standing vigil over the bus station he has sworn to protect. The hero springs into action aiding a hapless traveler victimized by the "armless bandit" of a malfunctioning coffee vending machine. "Empty your bladder of that bitter black fury men call coffee," The Tick rages. The remainder of the clip features some typically funny Tick taunts and sets up for his fateful journey into "The City." Although the clip is of low quality (making for a fast download), what we are able to see is quite funny. If its any indication, the show should be hilarious. http://4colorreview.com/ STATIC SHOCK! ------------- Our friends at the 4-Color Review website have provided Comics2Film with a video preview reel from the upcoming Static Shock! animated show. The reel features concept art from the show, partially animated to Eminem and Beastie Boys music. Denys Cowan, director on the show and creator of the character, Allen Burnette, supervising producer of the show, and Scott Jeralds, producer, are also featured in video snippets in which they describe the concept as well as the various characters on the show. (Stop by the Comics2Film site to see the Static Shock! Clip) http://4colorreview.com/ X-MEN: EVOLUTION ---------------- FROM 4COLOR REVIEW Continuing their string of online video previews the 4-Color Review website told Comics 2 Film that they'll be unveiling the Kids WB! trailer for the animated X-Men: Evolution. In the clip, the show is simply referred to as X-Men. Like the Static Shock! trailer, this blurb features the show's creators talking about the concepts of the series. Executive producer Dick Ungar tells the audience, "What we want to do with this X-Men is take it to places where it hasn't been before. The X-Men will be teenagers...and they're not only going to confront the difficulties that come from being a mutant. They're going to confront the difficulties of being a teenager." Producer Boyd Kirkland also provides commentary during the clip. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Kitty, Wolverine and Professor X are all shown in the preview. The school, the blackbird and the danger room are also revealed in design sketches. http://4colorreview.com/ BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER ---------------------------------- Fans eager for the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker feature will be able to order the script before the movie comes out. Amazon.com is now taking orders for the official screenplay by Paul Dini, which is set to ship September 1. The movie itself is not due out until October of this year. Thanks to Corona Coming Attractions for the tip. http://www.corona.bc.ca/ +++++ Acclaim Entertainment to Appeal Nasdaq Decision GLEN COVE, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2000--Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKLM) reported today that it will file an appeal in connection with the Nasdaq staff's recent decision to delist Acclaim's securities from the National Market. Acclaim's request for an appeal of Nasdaq's decision will suspend the delisting process pending resolution of that appeal. On May 30, 2000 Acclaim received notification from Nasdaq that because Acclaim does not currently meet the net tangible asset requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq National Market under Maintenance Standard 1, Acclaim's securities would be delisted from the National Market effective at the opening of business on June 8, 2000. In addition, the Company is currently not in compliance with the $5 minimum bid price for continued listing on the Nasdaq National Market under Maintenance Standard 2. The Nasdaq staff also indicated Acclaim could submit an application to have its securities listed on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market; Acclaim currently qualifies for listing on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market. The Company is currently evaluating various alternatives to present to the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel, including a reverse stock split. The Company believes that this action should result in an increase of the bid price for the Company's common stock to over $5.00 which is Nasdaq's stated minimum bid price for shares on the National Market under Maintenance Standard 2; the Company currently meets all other requirements for continued listing on the National Market under Maintenance Standard 2. The Company is unable to predict whether any appeal would be successful. If the appeal is unsuccessful, Acclaim's common stock would be removed from listing on the Nasdaq National Market. +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE Comics Newsarama Launches Tuesday 5/30/00! (from earlier this week) Daily readers of our site and the other web news sites have probably figured out its one of those early con season slow down periods so far as news goes, and we've been working all week on getting the new Comics Newsarama site together, so in this somewhat abbreviated edition we figured we'd take the time and space to tell ya some more about our new spin-off Fandom.com domain, launching THIS coming Tuesday, May 30th, 2000. So what can you expect from Comics Newsarama? More of the same up-to-the-minute comics news of course, plus an expanded focus that we think will make Comics Newsarama one of these most comprehensive sites on comic books and the comic book industry on the internet. Here's an early look at some of the features: NEWS – Our bread and butter of course. From breaking, to-the-minutes news, to company press releases, to in-depth coverage of today's headlines, we'll be brining you the most complete and expansive news site on the web, bar none. Plus, interviews, analysis of the industry and in-depth looks at all the issues and personalities shaping comics. Look for Matt's Brady's in-depth interview with industry legend Will Eisner on Tuesday. If you think Last Day in Vietnam from Dark Horse is the only new Eisner project to look forward to this year_Well, `nuff said for now_ REVIEWS – You may love them, or you might even hate them, but starting Tuesday Comics Newsarama is the new home for the industry's best known comics critic tag-team, Don (Critiques on Infinite Earths) MacPherson and Randy (Snap Judgments) Lander. Twice a week Don and Randy will bring you reviews of all the week's major releases, including `First Look' reviews of some of that week's big releases every Tuesday. Also expect reviews of independent and smaller press titles, plus previews/reviews of upcoming releases. OP/ED – An interactive opinion/editorial section for discussion of issues facing the industry, its creators and it customers. Includes journalist Mike Sangiacomo's Journey Into Comics, our featured weekly pro columnist whom you'll be meeting next week, and our weekly `Open Mike', where a diverse cross section of pros, fans and industry pundits will be tackling the issues and talking about whatever is on their minds. Plus, a virtual bevy of fun, useful and informative features including: Strip District – Your daily online comic strips funny pages. Asleep at the Wheel – a light-hearted look at some of the bad science and implausible happenings in our favorite comics. Holy Grails – Rare books and artwork that aren't so rare at all, if you know where to look. Superhero Love Connection – We've all seen the `Vs.’ threads on the Internet_Well forget who can beat up who, we want to know would make a perfect match for who? Newsarama's Best of the Web – An up close look at the best of some of the OTHER comics journalism the Internet has to offer. And would you believe us if we said 'more'? And that's just for starters. So check back with Newsarama and Mania's Daily Buzz, or at www.fandom.com on Tuesday for our new URL, and come on over and give us a look. See ya there_ PEREZ ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM AVENGERS In an interview with Jamie Coville of the www.Collectortimes.com website, recent CBG Fan Awards Favorite Penciler winner George Perez announced that with the expiration of his exclusive contract with Marvel this July, he'll be stepping down as penciler of Marvel's The Avengers with September's double-sized issue #34. " I just need to take a break from the monthly grind for a while and I`ve been offered a few short-term assignments that I`m looking forward to working on," Perez told Coville. "I should explain that this decision has nothing to do with my working relationship with anyone on the Avengers team," Perez continued. "I love them all. It`s just that, according to my last medical check up, I need to slow down. My blood pressure`s up and my diabetes needs to be controlled better. That means more exercise, among other things, and my current schedule just doesn`t allow that. I`ll still be doing a lot of work; it just won`t be on a monthly title for a year or so." Discussing the move with the Comics Continuum (http://comicscontinuum.com/index.htm), Perez said there was a "remote possibility" that he could remain on the title for a little longer in a "diminished capacity" - doing layouts for another penciler as he did several years ago for artist Kerry Gammill on DC's Action Comics – in an effort to complete storylines he and writer Kurt Busiek started, but said that is a decision that Busiek and editor Tom Brevoort would make dependent upon what artist would immediately follow him. PEREZ LINES UP NEW PROJECTS - AND THEY`RE DOOZIES So with George Perez leaving the Avengers this September, to the immediate forefront of all his fans' minds is what will he do next? Well, an artist of Perez's stature doesn't remain wanting for work for long, and Perez tells Newsarama he's already lined up his next gigs in addition to this upcoming revival of Crimson Plague at Gorilla. One of these new projects might come of somewhat a surprise to fans, the other just might send true comics fanboys into a dream-come-true lather... First up is a series of four specials for CrossGen Comics. According to Perez, the specials will be similar in vein to the series of Tales of the Titans books he did with Marv Wolfman for DC years ago, meaning each special will provide background to characters and concepts in the four initial CrossGen titles - Scion, Meridian, Sigil and Mystic. "I think I'm probably one of their first freelancers, I'm not on staff," explained Perez. "One of the things I look forward to working with CrossGen is working with a lot of new people, as most of the creators working there are relatively young newcomers, so I'll be the eldest statesman. "I'm also very much looking forward to working with Barbara Kesel, whom I've wanted to work with for years. She was my editor for a time on Titans, so it'll be nice to work with her and Ron Marz, who will write the series of specials." According to Perez, the specials probably won't be coming out until sometime in mid-2001 and a spokesperson for CrossGen said the early tentative plan is to probably release the specials on a quarterly basis. As to the second new project, Perez reports he'll be illustrated one of the Imagine Stan Lee Creating_specials for DC. Which one..? Well, that would be Imagine Stan Lee Creating THE CRISIS of course! "Big Surprise.!!" exclaimed Perez, though details are still sketchy at this point. "Beyond the title, I don't have the faintest idea where Stan is going to go with it," he said. "I'll be as surprised as everyone else. My only hope is that it will be something like the old Crisis wherein I get to draw everybody that Stan creates and all the other artists have designed prior to my involvement. I don't know yet if I'll be designing any new characters, that will be up to Stan." Concluded Perez on his future_"So with that, the CrossGen specials and Crimson Plaque, that's a pretty full plate." _______________________________________________ Avengers editor Tom Brevoort and writer Kurt Busiek have responded to this morning's news regarding the upcoming departure of penciler George Perez (with September's double-sized issue #34 being his last). While expressing appreciation for his long run and dedication to the title, they also said it's still a bit early to discuss the title's post-Perez future. "It`s all pretty new news, at this point," said Busiek, when asked for comment. "I`m thrilled to have been able to work with George this long, and I`d jump at the chance to work with him again, on practically anything. I sympathize with his health troubles, knowing what it feels like, and completely understand and support his decision." "George has been on Avengers for three years now, including four double-sized issues," added Brevoort. "Which is a pretty substantial run these days, particularly from an artist some naysayers feared would crap out by issue #3. While we wish George were able to stay with the book even longer, we appreciate and admire the work he`s done these last 36 months, and look forward to working with him again in the future." As for what artist will be taking over the title following George`s departure, both writer and editor say it`s too early to say anything just yet. "But Kurt and I have been discussing the possibilities, and as soon as we`re ready, we`ll make announcements as appropriate," said Brevoort And as to Busiek's own future with the title_when asked if he's stay on following Perez's departure, Busiek responded, "I`ll be staying for the near future at least, since there are open plot-threads to be dealt with. Beyond that is an open question - so much depends on who the new artist might be and where we might want to go with the book. It`s certainly tempting to make a clean break and be satisfied with what George and I accomplished, handing the book to someone else to chart a new course - but it`s also tempting to take on the new challenge of finding a new voice for the series to go with its new look, and seeing if we can take the whole thing higher still. But right now, we just don`t have enough information to announce anything." And on possible future collaborations with Perez? "George and I have talked about working together in the future and we`d both love to. We`ve talked about a project or two - but right now, George needs to concentrate on recovering from three years of drawing with the pedal to the metal. He`s done a fabulous job, and I`m sure he`ll talk about his future (which includes Crimson Plague, of course!) when he`s ready to." ________________________________________________ JOHN ARCUDI TALKS DOOM PATROL Writer John Arcudi checked in with Newsarama to give us some early comments on his and penciler Kaare Andrews in-development Doom Patrol ongoing series at DC. Addressing what's maybe the two utmost questions in fans minds - which version of the series will the new title be more reflective of, the Silver Age or Vertigo era, and who will be on the new team, Arcudi told us what he could at this early juncture_ "I guess when it comes to comparing the new Doom Patrol with the two previous incarnations, I can only point out that they really are not two different incarnations," the writer said. "Grant [Morrison] came in and picked up where the previous writer left off (Paul Kupperberg, I think) and used the prior material, the entire continuity, as a springboard for what he wanted to do. I suppose that`s how I feel about what we`re doing; drawing on all Doom Patrol continuity, but mostly the more recent stuff, and by virtue of Kaare`s and my (hopefully) unique talents, we`ll bring about a (hopefully) unique vision. So is it like the Silver Age, or Grant`s, or is it completely different? Well, I guess the only answer is, all of the above, as evasive as that may sound." Arcudi thinks fan of Morrison's version might "dig" that their plans call for crafting stories that perhaps don't have "overt antagonists", or at least not always overt `bad guys'. "We plan to create character driven stories, which I suppose is what the DP has always been, even back when Drake and Premiani were conceiving the book. We just plan to update that abrasive group dynamic, and by update, I don`t mean we`ll make a lot of Buffy the Vampire references." As to the line-up, well, Arcudi is keeping most details close to the vest for now…but did give us a few details. "RobotMan returns, as does Negative Man - sorta - and the rest of the crew are new characters, or rather, all new characters," he revealed. "I don`t think I`m at liberty to name them yet, but when I am, I will." BRERETON`S NOCTURNALS RETURN IN OCTOBER FROM ONI Creator Dan Brereton has announced that after two years after their last appearance, his creation The Nocturnals, will return this October on their second Halloween special. Nocturnals: The Troll Bridge - An Adventure in Black, White and Orange is a 48-page one-shot by Oni Press. The special will be written by and feature a painted cover by Brereton with a host of guest creators pitching in, including: Joyce Chin and Arthur Adams, Kieron Dwyer, John Heebink, Eric Jones, Ted Naifeh , San Sakai, ay Stephens, Sephen DeStefano, Jill Thompson, Bruce Timm and Adam Warren. In the special, the Nocturnals go looking for Eve on Halloween Night. After she`s lured away by the Devil Lantern, an evil toy she finds in the hoard pile of the local Troll who lives under a bridge, Eve finds herself moving from one spooky world to the next..."It`s about the tricks, not the treats this Halloween!" ULTMATE SPIDER-MAN INKER NAMED According to a spokesperson for Marvel, inker Art Thibert has joined the Ultimate Spider-Man creative team along with writer Brian (Powers) Bendis and penciler Mark (Thunderbolts) Bagley. ________________________________________________ THOMPSON EXITS THE RING Creator Jill Thompson has announced she is no longer attached to draw Chaos! Comics August-shipping Chyna one-shot. In a post to her readers on her Fright Forum message board http://www.lurid.com/forums/jill/index.html, Thompson explained_"It seems that the folks at the WWF were expecting an art style along the lines of the Stone Cold and Undertaker Comics and my art was not filling that bill. We all know that I don`t do an `Image`-type style...I was handing in something a bit more naturalistic. So, Chaos is finding another artist for the story." Please support the Chyna comic," she added. "The Steven Grant story is really nice and a great vehicle for the character. " CROSSGEN EXPANDS LINE BY ONE In addition to the signing of George Perez to a deal that will see the fan-favorite artist create a series of specials related to their initial four ongoing titles, CrossGen has also confirmed the first addition to their regular monthly line-up, entitled appropriately enough, The First. Written by Barbara Kesel and with art by Bart Sears and Andy Smith, the October debuting ongoing series spins out of the publisher's quarterly title, CrossGen Chronicles, which introduced a few of The First, the race at the epicenter of the CrossGen universe and the sort of natural enemy of the Sigil-Bearers. Says CrossGen, "They were the First. They held power over all. Worlds were created at their hands, and their only threat was each other. Now the twin towers of the old city and the new city, separated by the eidolon rift, are united in a new anxiety; the ennui of centuries has catalyzed into fear with the discovery of the Sigil-Bearers. " "This new series will open the door to their world and their ways as seen through the eyes of two characters fated to clash - Persha, whose dark eyes see more than vision, and Seahn, whose ambition could bring down both Houses. "The First have just discovered they are not the only....and hints that they might not even be the first. The Sigil-Bearers are a threat the First cannot ignore...but are they the First's most important problem?" For Sears, the new project and CrossGen just might have kept the veteran artist in the comics industry. "I've been around comics a long time and I don't see any future at Marvel or DC," Sears told WizardWorld.com. "I would have gotten out of comics completely if not for CrossGen. They’ve got a commitment to quality and the future." BUSIEK ASKS READERS FOR AVENGERS INPUT Kurt Busiek and Tom Brevoort are looking for some input from Avengers fans, and according to the writer, the responses could affect the Avengers title. In Wednesday posts entitled AVENGERS POLL: Clear & Present Dangers to Marvel and Avengers messages boards like Usenet's rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe newsgroup, Busiek presented a question for fans "to mull over, while you`re taking in the news about George leaving." "Who would you say are the five top menaces currently at large in the Marvel Universe?" asked Busiek. "I`m not asking for your favorite villains, or even the villains you`d most like to see the Avengers face. And Magneto doesn`t count, because he`s technically not `at large' - he`s in compliance with a UN agreement that`s given him his own country." "So who`s out there that`s the biggest danger, the most trouble? Not dead guys, not guys that you`d like to see come back. Who`s at the top of the current Threat List?" Readers wanting to add their two cents and maybe influence a future Avengers story can head on over to Usenet to participate. WORD ON THE STREET - J. Torres, creator and writer of the Imagee Comics one-shots Monster Fighters Inc. and MFI: The Ghosts Of Christmas tells Newsarama his band superhero, supernatural-fighting teens are returning for a new September one-shot, Monster Fighters Inc.: The Bad Book #1. Explained Torres: "Have you ever heard of the Libro Nero? Also known as Das Sinister Buch. La Bible du Diable. The Wicked Bible of 1462? This once holy book is missing the word `not' from its Ten Commandments - a 15th century misprint that somehow transsformed it into a dangerous conduit for dark magic. Vampire hordes conspire to use the book to conjure up rivers of blood; some Neo-Nazis are convinced it's the key to world domination; and the Demon of all Demons covets this ultimate sinner's self-help guide for his library. Everyone wants The Wicked Bible. "And the Monster Fighters have it. But what are a bunch of super-powered teenagers supposed to do with such a powerful device?” According to Torres, the new 32-page one-shot, penciled by Francis Manapul will include all the elements fans responded to with the first specials.."Plus we've kicked the action up a notch, intensified the scary bits and produced our best artwork yet.” The one-shot will also include exclusive behind the scenes material, and in response to fans opinions on the team's costumes, Torres and Co. have designed new looks for Porte, Rapunzel and Amanda Firestarter. - According to Comic Shop News online compannion website, www.csnsider.com, creator Jerry Ordway has lined up a few upcoming high-profile penciling jobs, First up, Ordway will pencil the still-secret Kurt Busiek/Marvel mini-series/event, Maximum Security. Launching in September, the overall events of the mini-series will also affect a host of Marvel titles that month, with action spreading throughout the line in select books. Ordway is also set to pencil Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the JLA. Though saying the project is still a ways off, Ordway told CSNsider, “I understand they are introducing the solo heroes first, and will probably cull a team from that.” The Curious Case of Acclaim Comics by Michael Doran, Newsarama The ultimate fate of Acclaim Comics is a subject that has been bandied about the Internet lately, in light of Diamond's recent cancellation of orders on most of the publisher's projects solicited over the last several months, including the remaining issues of their Unity 2000 mini-series that at one time was suppose to serve as the catalyst for the relaunch of a regularly published line. Acclaim Editor Jim Perham has recently appeared on comics message boards and has been quoted in the press regarding the current status of the comics publishing arm of Acclaim Entertainment, and the `rumors' of their demise. On the rec.arts.comics.misc Usenet newsgroup, Perham addressed these issues. He wrote: "Seeing as Acclaim Comics rumors are flowing fast and furious once more, I thought now would be a good time to chime in. Let's see what juicy tidbits the grapevine has to offer... "Rumor #1.) We have it on good authority that Acclaim Comics is dead, dead, dead..." "It is?!!! Now that's news to me! I know we were re-working our schedule so some of our books were being resolicited through Diamond Dateline for quick release, while others are being resolicited through Diamond Previews... but I didn't think we were dead. I hate it when I miss those fictional meetings where the fate of the universe is decided.” According to Perham, their current publishing schedule looks like this: June 2000 Unity 2000 #3 (resolicited through Diamond Dateline) ShadowMan #6 (resolicited through Diamond Dateline) Armorines #4 (resolicited through Diamond Dateline) September 2000 Unity 2000 #4 (resolicited through Diamond Previews) Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion adaptation [a new 48-page one-shot adapting the Turok 3 video game, it'll be based on a story by David Dienstbier and adapted to comics by a yet-to-be-named writer and penciler, though inker James Lyle is already attached to the creative team] October 2000 Unity 2000 #5 (resolicited through Diamond Previews) ShadowMan #7 (resolicited through Diamond Previews) November 2000 Unity 2000 #6 (resolicited through Diamond Previews) Perham also discussed the specific future of Unity 2000 with Cliff Biggers of the Comic Shop News CSNsider.com website. "_We're dedicating ourselves to getting this series out in its entirety before the end of the year - and it will be written and illustrated by the creators we originally announced, Jim Shooter and Jim Starlin. Let me stress that this delay is not the fault of the creative team, by the way." Perham continued to address more rumors on Usenet_ "Rumor #2) Quantum and Woody has been cancelled..." "Quantum and Woody has gone on hiatus, with issue #21 being the last book to reach store shelves. We are, however, working to get everything up through issue #27 `in the can' for release at some future date.” "Quantum and Woody - well, fans like that book a lot, and it's a great comic, but the audience just hasn't been as strong as we had hoped,” Perham told CSN's Biggers. "I'm hoping that at some point in the future, we can put out several issues. We have books in the can, but we can't afford to publish them unless we resolicit and get better numbers. People have been very supportive and have waited so long for these books that we hate to disappoint them. I'm not soliciting anything in the future unless I'm 100% confident that it will come out." Whatever the future of Q&W, writer Christopher Priest remains currently unaware of any decision surrounding his series and has not been in contact with Acclaim regarding. Responding to the issue on Usenet and to inquiries by Newsarama, Priest issued the following statement – "They [Acclaim] have not notified me of anything. All I know is the rumors I hear. Acclaim is not returning phone calls. They have acted in tremendously bad faith, and I expect some gesture on their part in the very near future. In the absence of such a gesture, I will be pursuing other solutions.” The writer reports he has begun work on issue #28, and that artist MD Bright has finished issue #27. Priest also confirmed on Usenet that his editor on Quantum & Woody, long-time Acclaim editor Omar Banally, is not longer with the publisher, and Newsarama has learned he hasn't been with Acclaim since May 5th, but whether he left the company or was let go remains to be seen. Continued Perham in his interview with CSN: "Acclaim is standing behind us as far as producing comics is concerned; they know that comics can be an exciting part of the business. They've said we can produce comics, but we can't lose loads of money at it. We have to go into this with a sense of fiscal responsibility. We owe that to the company. Sales have not been as strong as we would like. Fans are very wary right now; they're reluctant to try books unless they know that a series will continue, but it becomes financially demanding to publish a series when sales aren't strong enough to begin with." "_Acclaim has been publishing high-quality books that fans would expect to see from one of the top five publishers, and we're having to accept the fact that we're not one of the top five publishers any more. We were once, but things have changed in today's marketplace.” Perham also explained to CSN that the company will approach the comics field differently in its future ventures. "For us to remain active in comics, we also have to find new talent, enthusiastic new creators, and offer them a chance to show what they can do. There are people out there who will be very enthusiastic, very excited to get a chance to work for a larger company with quality production values. We're looking for people who are still excited about comics and want to do incredible stuff. That's what we need. "Don't expect to see a return to a full schedule of Acclaim books any time soon. We're too far out to even consider doing a line of books with new issues coming out every week. We're dealing with a changing industry. Right now, we're going to establish ourselves not with ongoing series and a new book every week, but with 48-page stand alone one-shots like Turok 3, books that fans can pick up and enjoy in one sitting without having to buy another issue." +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com 'GRENDEL' IN PROSE The first novel featuring Matt Wagner's GRENDEL is released next Wednesday, June 8th. Written by Wagner and Greg Rucka (Whiteout, Shooting at Midnight), GRENDEL: PAST PRIME is a 208-page novel of Susan Veraghen's search for Grendel-Prime. PAST PRIME features 50 pen-and-ink illustrations by Wagner. http://www.darkhorse.com http://www.easystreet.com/~kodiak TOYBIZ HAS BEGUN SHIPPING ITS 'X-MEN' MOVIE FIGURES X-MEN toys bearing the likeness of the actors playing them on-screen in this summer's feature film should appear at your local toy/specialty store by the end of the week. The initial 11 figures come with assorted props -- like Storm's lightning base, Professor X's motorized wheelchair & Cerebro accessory, and Magneto's magnetic action train wreck -- and are also available in two-packs like Wolverine VS. Sabretooth, Logan VS. Magneto, and Logan VS. Rogue. Also available are the ELECTRONIC X-MEN X-JET, the X-MEN WOLVERINE INFRARED MOTORCYCLE, the X-MEN POWER BASHERS, an X-MEN X-CYCLE, the X-MEN LADY LIBERTY PLAYSET, and MAGNETO'S MUTANT MACHINE. The film opens July 14th... And look for a third wave of figures to follow in September. http://www.marvel.com http://www.x-men-the-movie.com +++++ 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. FRANK MILLER STEPS INTO THE FOURTH WORLD IN ORION #3 From the start, the ongoing ORION series has proven that writer/artist Walter Simonson has a keen mastery of the characters that populate the "Fourth World" created by comics legend Jack Kirby. But that's not to say that Simonson is the only person capable of handling those iconic figures. Beginning with ORION #3, the magnanimous Simonson begins sharing the spotlight in backup features written by him and others and illustrated by some of the rest of the best artists the comic-book field has to offer. And to start things off right, the backup story in ORION #3 is drawn by none other than Frank Miller (BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Sin City, BATMAN: YEAR ONE, 300)! The 6-page story tells the incredible, not-for-the-faint-of-heart story of Orion's fierce and horrifying birth, revealing details of Orion's mother Tigra's treachery against Darkseid and Darkseid's own, unforgettable revenge against mother and son alike. Future issues are planned that will feature other stories of Orion and his fellow New Gods, illustrated by an array of artists that includes Dave Gibbons, Howard Chaykin, Erik Larsen, and many more! ORION #3 (APR00 0211) arrives in comic-book stores June 21 with a cover price of $2.50 U.S. DC COMICS SUPER HEROES CHECK INTO BEST WESTERN HOTELS WITH "SUMMER ADVENTURES" PROMOTION Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are checking into Best Western Hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer for the fifth consecutive year of the "Summer Adventures" promotion. From May 26 through September 4, customers checking into Best Western hotels under the "Fun Plan" will receive "Summer Adventures" gifts, including a Super Hero Fuji single-use camera, a DC comic book and a special AT&T phone card with 10 free minutes of long distance service. Guests will also receive a brochure featuring a coupon for free film development. "We are thrilled to offer families another great reason to travel this summer and we encourage them to enter our "Reasons to Travel" contest at www.BestWestern.com," said Wayne Wielgus, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Sales for Best Western. "This promotion has all the elements to make family vacations, in a word, 'super.' " "We are pleased to join forces with Best Western, once again, to make the family road trip a Super Hero adventure," said Joel Ehrlich, DC's Senior Vice President — Advertising & Promotions. "Five consecutive years of Summer Adventures is a testament to the success of this partnership." With each phone card, callers can play an interactive phone game to help Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman solve a mystery. The actual voice of each super-hero is heard and provides a clue to help solve the mystery. Participants then write the answer to the mystery on the brochure and send it in to receive special offers including a 15% discount at Warner Bros. Studio Stores. The promotion will be supported by broadcast television commercials tagged with promotional spots, and national advertisements running in consumer print publications, April issues of DC Comics and Six Flags Park Guides from May through September. Point-of-sale materials will include in-lobby signage such as counter cards. The "Summer Adventures" offer will be highlighted in 4.1 million American Airlines frequent flyer statement stuffers in May and Best Western and DC Comics will tie in with Warner Bros. Studio Stores for their Super Hero and Father's Day promotions. DC COMICS DIRECT CHANNEL #46 7 TAKE THE BATMAN ONSTAR CHALLENGE AT WWW.ONSTAR.COM Now you don't have to be inside the Batmobile to command the latest OnStar technology and assist Batman on his quest to stop the Joker from destroying Gotham City. OnStar, a division of General Motors, and its marketing partner DC Comics along with its sister division, Warner Bros. Online, launched "The Batman Challenge" at www.onstar.com and www.warnerbros.com in continuation of their fully integrated marketing campaign featuring the incredible Batmobile enhanced with OnStar's safety, security and information services. "The Batman Challenge" is a series of three web adventures designed to take viewers on an interactive adventure through Gotham City with the Caped Crusader, while highlighting OnStar's many features. Future adventures will feature other diabolical villains and will debut in June and July. As a reward for helping Batman foil The Joker's latest attack, each web adventure will end with a chance to enter a sweepstakes with a grand prize package featuring a VIP trip to Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles, an original framed animation cel from the award-winning Batman animated series and a $500 gift certificate to any Warner Bros. Studio Store. Viewers are automatically entered into the drawing after answering four questions related to the monthly challenge. "Now everyone can have a unique, animated Web experience of steering the Batmobile through the streets of Gotham City and interfacing with the added safety and security OnStar offers," said Chris Robinson, Director of Marketing, OnStar. "OnStar's innovative technology isn't the only experience we're offering at our website – 'The Batman Challenge' sweepstakes is also going to award some lucky www.onstar.com visitors with really great prizes." "This partnership would not be complete without an online component, demonstrating how the addition of Warner Bros. Online creatively adds value to an already exciting partnership with OnStar," said Joel Ehrlich, Senior Vice President — Advertising & Promotions. "`The Batman Challenge' gives his fans a unique opportunity to interact with Batman in an environment that is on the cutting edge of online animation. Being a high-tech master of gadgetry himself, nothing could better suit Batman." Along with the grand prize winner, 10 first prize winners will take home an original framed Batman animation cel and a Batman coffee table book; 20 second prize winners will receive a $500 gift certificate to any Warner Bros. Studio Store; and 50 third place winners will enjoy a Batman coffee table book. 1999 INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD AWARD WINNERS On Saturday, May 13, the World Horror Convention in Denver, Colorado, saw the announcement of the 1999 International Horror Guild Awards, one of the genre's premier events. Neil Gaiman was honored with the 1999 Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Illustrated Narrative for THE SANDMAN: THE DREAM HUNTERS. VERTIGO anthology FLINCH editors Axel Alonso and Joan Hilty were honored with the 1999 International Horror Guild Award for a Graphic Story. THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 1 VANISH INTO THE NIGHT FROM COMIC-SHOP SHELVES Since its release last month, the first of volume of DC's projected fifteen-volume chronological reprinting of Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT has swept in and out of comic-book stores, generating healthy doses of excitement and reorder activity. The first-ever all-color reprinting of the complete Eisner's classic creation, THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES is a perfect way to introduce a new generation of readers to a pioneer/master of the medium as well as satisfying the hunger of established fans by providing them with a high-quality definitive reprints suitable for the bookshelf of all SPIRIT completists. Vince Letterio, DC's Manager — Direct Sales, reports that "the run of THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES is off to a impressive start, with Volume 1 having the highest first week reorder activity of any Archive to date." "We usually order enough of a new Archive edition to last a month or two, but the SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 1 didn't last the afternoon!" — Dave Hutzley of Dave's Comics & Collectibles in Royal Oak, MI. "Eisner is being giving the attention he deserves, THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES are doing a great job of not only bringing new life to the character but also bringing new life to the Archive editions." — Hector Diaz, JumpGate, Portsmouth, NH. According to Carl Bonasera of All-American Comic Shops in Evergreen Park, IL: "Sales on the SPIRIT ARCHIVES surprised even I; the package was so well-done, customers who already had reprints of the stories were willing to buy it again. It doesn't compete with sales of other archive releases." THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 1 (MAR00 0199) is currently available for reorder from Diamond. THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 2 (JUN00 0284) arrives in comic-book stores August 16. IMPULSE INFO Despite several reports to the contrary, IMPULSE has not been cancelled. IMPULSE writer Todd Dezago will make comments on several comics news-sites and message boards to dispel these rumors. Mike Carlin, Executive Editor — DCU said, "We appreciate the enthusiasm of the fans in response to the reports and encourage those who are not reading IMPULSE to get in on the fun and action." 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: 6/3/00 (8:00 am) — "Plague" (Batman Beyond) 6/3/00 (8:30 am) — "The Eggbaby" (Batman Beyond) 6/5/00 (3:30 pm) — "Bizarro's World" (Superman) 6/5/00 (4:30 pm) — "Judgment Day" (Batman) 6/6/00 (3:30 pm) — "Catwalk" (Batman) 6/6/00 (4:30 pm) — "Stolen Memories" (Superman) 6/7/00 (3:30 pm) — "Speed Demons" (Superman) 6/7/00 (4:30 pm) — "You Scratch My Back" (Batman) 6/8/00 (3:30 pm) —"The Terrible Trio" (Batman) 6/8/00 (4:30 pm) — "Father's Day" (Superman) 6/9/00 (3:30 pm) — "Superman's Pal" (Superman) 6/9/00 (4:30 pm) — "Legends of the Dark Knight" (Batman) 6/10/00 (8:00 am) — "April Moon" (Batman Beyond) 6/10/00 (8:30 am) — "Zeta" (Batman Beyond) 6/12/00 (3:30 pm) — "Time Out of Joint" (Batman) 6/12/00 (4:30 pm) — "Prototype" (Superman) 6/13/00 (3:30 pm) — "Livewire" (Superman) 6/13/00 (4:30 pm) — "Baby-Doll" (Batman) 6/14/00 (3:30 pm) — "The Lion and the Unicorn" (Batman) 6/14/00 (4:30 pm) — "A Little Piece of Home" (Superman) 6/15/00 (3:30 pm) — "Shadow of the Bat-Part 1"(Batman) 6/15/00 (4:30 pm) — "Shadow of the Bat-Part 2" (Batman) 6/16/00 (3:30 pm) — "The Demon Reborn" (Superman) 6/16/00 (4:30 pm) — "Cult of the Cat" (Batman) Retailers are encouraged to share this information with their customers. Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Russ Manning Tribute Link Yaco [Link Yaco has written comic books for several publishers. His comic collection, SPACE CHICKS AND BUSINESSMEN is due to be out June, 2000. Paul Rudolph, lead guitarist for The Pink Fairies (Pigs from Uranus, et al) and many other art rockers e.g. Brian Eno (Here Come the Warm Jets) said, "I'm pleased to see that the comic art and story are way out enough for my warped tastes." Link lives in West Greenwich Village with his wife, Susannah, a senior Vice President at an independent film company. Check out his web page at http://members.aol.com/lexicon70s/index.html] There are two traditions of illustration in comics. There is the slick East Coast look of Alex Raymond, Hal Foster, and Burne Hogarth, all the artistic step-children of N. C. Wyeth. Then there is the rough, cinematic West Coast look of Milt Caniff. Most comics companies were East Coasties--New Yorkers. They favored a smooth, polished surface, with fine feathering. The California-based Gold Key illustrators worked out of a more painterly tradition. Jesse Marsh used multimedia--globs of rubber cement were used to create the impressionistic foliage in his Tarzan stories. Among all the Gold Key artists, only Russ Manning worked in a more West Coast style. Still, his work was minimalistic when it came to feathering. He favored simple lines and distinct form. However, ultimately, he became the successor of Hal Foster and Burne Hogarth, as one of the best Tarzan strip artists of record. Russ Manning was drafted and sent to Japan in 1950, where he made maps and drew cartoons for the base newspaper. In '53, he was discharged and joined the art staff at Dell. His first published work was a Tarzan story in March of Comics #114 (June 1954). However, he wasn't to work on the ape man for many years after that. One particularly interesting episode of that comic utilized color in a very psychedelic and experimental manner --especially for 1964, the year when it was published. The Pool of Time. In 1962, Manning created and wrote Magnus. The project was initiated by Art Director Jack Taylor and developed by Editor Chaise Craig, and his assistant, Zetta De Voe. They mentioned The George Pals movie of H. G. Wells Time Machine and the Classics illustrated version by Alex Toth. Manning countered with the concept of a Tarzan of the future. In one of the early drafts of the project, he called the character "Hammer" and had him carry a robot-smashing mallet. His wife talked him out of it. Manning had planned for Magnus' trademark white go-go boots to be brown, but the colorist made a different, and far more striking, choice. It might have been his success with Magnus that led his editors to have him replace his retiring friend, Jesse Marsh, as the lead Tarzan artist in 1965. His Tarzan work made his career. In 1967, he picked up the Tarzan newspaper strip, which he did for 12 years before moving on to the Star Wars strip. In 1974, after he left the Tarzan strip, he did four graphic novels for British and European publication. This was some of his best work and unfortunately, very little of it has seen print in the U.S. The 1996 Dark Horse reprint volume presents two 1974 Tarzan adventures, The Land That Time Forgot and The Pool of Time. This volume won an award as the best independent book of the year. So too was Mike Royer, who went on to ink an enormous volume of Jack Kirby's work for DC in the '70s. He has said that Alex Toth worked on some of the European Tarzan material. Royer also has said that Manning could be a bit cranky and irritable. In any event, he ended his days peacefully enough, retiring to the American SouthWest to paint landscapes. Today, hard core Manning fans are gobbling up early Manning material. His Korak books are not as sophisticated as his work of just a few years later, but they are still intriguing. For one to three dollars, you should be able to find some of these issues. He must have had some influence on the writing, or perhaps he wrote them himself, for they show his favorite themes--lost cities, dinosaurs, sexy women in exotic and brief garb, odd beasts and costumes--generally the stuff of pure fantasy, and a far cry from the bloodless imaginings of most of the other work of the era. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] The Swap Meet Chad Trout cct107@psu.edu [Chad Trout is a graduate student in Chemistry and has been collecting comics for over a decade. He says he does not care for what he is doing.] I got the new previews this week. There were some cool things that caught my eye, so I am going to talk very briefly about them. Lone Wolf and Cub Vol.1 TP (9.95) from Dark Horse I have been trying to get some issues of this series for some time. I only found one comic book store that even had issues. The problem was, they only had a few and they were not consecutive issues. The couple of times I tried to get it on ebay, the price went up and out of my range fast! I am really looking forward to this, because I have heard good things about it. Superman: Tales of Bizarro World, TP (14.95) DC Comics After reading the Superman in the Sixties TP, I sat there wishing there was a TP of the Bizarro tales. A few months later, here it is! I am not a big fan of Superman, but I love those weird tales about Bizarro. This should be a lot of fun to read. Aquaman #72 (2.50) DC Comics Dan Jurgens and Steve Epting are doing one of the best super-hero books ever. This issue guest stars the Warlord, which just adds to the excitement. I really cannot believe I am this excited over a Jurgens book. Jurgens has always been a mediocre writer, but not this time. Age of Bronze: 3.50 Image Comics This series is about the Trojan War and is as historically accurate as possible. I enjoyed history in school, so that's part of the reason I like this book. This book shows the versatility that comics are capable of. Dragonball TP 14.95 Viz Comics I am glad Viz is finally putting out trades of the Dragonball and Dragonball Z comics. This comic needs to be accessible to the kids. Hopefully they will get them into bookstores, because this show is very popular among the kids of my old apartment complex. When I showed them the comics they became very excited and were asking all about them. The Dragonball Z trade should be in the August previews. The comics have a faster pace and a tighter plot than the TV show. I recommend Dragonball over Dragonball Z. If kids hear about this then it should bring them into the stores. Well, that is all that really caught my eye. I hope these reviews are a little clearer than last issue's reviews. I am trying to make them a little more concise. I also changed the format a little for clarity sake. At least that was the goal. There will be minor spoilers in the discussion part. Shock Rockets "We Have Ignition!” 2.50 Gorilla Comics Kurt Busiek Writer Stuart Immonen Penciller Wade Von Grawbader Inker Jeromy Cox - Colors Story Summary: Cruz has a fascination with the Shock Rockets, who protect the populace from General Korda. This story shows the situation of Alejandro Cruz and his family. Cruz also meets up with the Shock Rockets and saves the day with no prior experience. There is also a short story on Empire, the new book from Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. I am looking forward to Empire, but this story made no sense at all. I have yet to figure it out, so I will not be talking about it. Still looking forward to the book though. Discussion: I know this book came out a while ago, but I just bought it this week. I had not really intended to buy it, but Busiek has rarely let me down. This book should really be called "Episode One: The Phantom Menace!”. The parallels between this book and the movie are many. This was a problem for me, because Star Wars was a big joke. Watching the movie with my friends is an attempt to get the most sarcastic remark out the fastest. It's a bad movie and it left a cloud over this book. The book does a better job of telling the same story, though. I liked that Busiek explained where Cruz got the parts from and who taught him how to fix things. Star Wars never explained how an 8-year-old slave boy came by enough parts to build a robot and a pod racer. The explanation for why the fighter was already preprogrammed was good, but did Cruz really need to save the day? It's the Wesley Crusher syndrome all over again. If Cruz can do that, then why don't the Shock Rockets just accept any warm body? Also where did this voice come from, because I couldn't really figure it out. I assume it was the ship, but I am not positive. Setting aside the similarities to Star Wars, I think Busiek has created an interesting world in which to tell stories. I am always glad to see something different from super-hero stories. There seem to be a lot of possibilities, but I just don't know if I can afford to give him the time to develop them. I don't think the idea to have this book reader friendly every issue is a good one. I understand the point, but I prefer books that are not that way. If a book catches my interest, then I will go hunt the back issue down. Of course, someone new to comics will probably not do this. Recommendation: If you like Sci-Fi then give this book a try. It seemed ordinary for a Busiek written book, but it caught my interest enough that I will probably pick up issue 2 to see how the story moves. Hopefully the parallels with Star Wars are dropped. JLA - "Tower of Babel Part 1: Survival of the Fittest" 1.99-DC Comics Mark Waid Writer Howard Porter Penciller Drew Geraci Inker Ken Lopez Letter Pat Garrahy Colorist Herioc Age Separations Summary: Ra's alGhul has a new plan for thinning the population of the planet. The first objected of this plan is to distract Batman and the league. Ra's effectively neutralizes Aquaman, Plastic Man, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Batman. Ra's is one of the best-underused villains DC has and a worthy foe of the JLA. Discussion: I had given up on Waid's Flash around 145. The book seemed tired and in need of fresh blood. I think a change in books has been good for Waid, because this story contains the dynamic story telling I have come to expect from him. It seemed like there was a lot more interaction between the members of the league than in Morrison's run. I liked Wonder Woman and Flash's banter while fighting the fire. As Superman stated when talking to Batman, they are friends. Most of the league has known each other for a long time, so they should be friends. I have read about 25 years worth of Batman comics and 30 years worth of Detective comics, plus assorted other Bat titles. In all those issues I cannot ever remember someone doing to Batman what Ra's did. Can anyone name a time when this happened? It's a very good idea on Waid's part. It was simple, elegant and very effective. Ra's has always been one of my favorite villains and frankly I don't think anyone in the league can really stop him besides Batman. I am not saying this to slight anyone, but it takes the "detective" aspect of Batman to combat him. Ra's operates in the shadows, which most of the league is not used to. The underworld is where Batman is best. Its also where the best Batman stories come from. Having Batman preoccupied so he cannot help the league is a good idea, because the league needs him in this situation. I don't think Batman knows all or should always save the league, but he is essential in certain situations. Another thing I like, is the way John and Plastic Man were taken out of action. Effective and brutal, which is the way Ra's should operate. Aquaman is another story, though. Making him afraid of water??? Why don't Superman and Wonder Woman hold him down and dump water on him? Besides with the humidity cranked as high as they say, he should be able stay out of water for a VERY long time. He should not be in to much danger, unless a lot more time elapsed than what they imply. If Aquaman is so afraid of water, then what about the sweat, which must be on him if the humidity is really that high. Does Aquaman even sweat? I think this is definitely the weakest point of the story so far. It will be interesting to see Green Lantern and how he is affected. Recommendation: Mark Waid is a great change of pace for this book. The book seems more focused. By this I mean only one main story at a time and the cast has been reduced. I am definitely back on the book! Well that is all for now. Got something to say? email cct107@psu.edu ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Sound And Fury Craig Lemon craiglemon@aol.com [Craig Lemon has been writing reviews and news for CBEM for over a year now, and is about to break his current record for continuous weekly column submissions. More in-depth reviews of the magazines mentioned here, plus archived columns and other writings about comics and stuff can be found at "http://www.themestream.com/" just search for "Craig Lemon".] As a slight change of pace this time around, let's look at a few of the comics-related periodicals you can find in your local shop, and see what depth there is to comics beyond the simplistic level of a monthly 32-page pamphlet! The Jack Kirby Collector Published bimonthly by TwoMorrows Publishing, $5.95 in the US for 80-odd pages, very few of which are ads. One of the two men without whom Marvel (and maybe the comics industry) would not exist. Jack Kirby, the artist to many of the classic Silver Age originals, coupled with Stan Lee, the scripter, changed the face of comics in the 60s. This fanzine celebrates the work and life of Kirby, by printing testimonials from famous (in the comics world) fans, unpublished art by Kirby, comparisons of the original pencilled art vs. the (in many people's opinion) hacked around finished product. You occasionally get an in-depth piece into the origins of a particular piece of work, or the history behind certain events. Most issues contain reasonably lengthy interviews, even unpublished ones with Kirby himself. The only problem with most interviews with comics professionals, is that they all tend to fawn over Kirby terribly - and there are only so many different stories about how someone was originally introduced to Kirby to be had, so reading a couple of issues in a row gives you a strange sense of deja vu. However, most issues have a particular theme - say, Kirby's work on the FF, or his New Gods books - so I'd say have a look at the contents page and see if the main article grabs your interest. If it does, give it a go. Recommended recent issue to pick up - issue #27, from February, a lengthy virtual chat with many high profile creators about the influence of Kirby on the comics industry. A good read. Comics International Published every four weeks by Quality Communications, $1.95 US for 70-100 pages, many of which are advertisements. The only English based publication of the four covered this time, much less biased in its coverage than any of the others too. The big disadvantage over the others is that the news is either more out of date, or covered in less depth - it tries too much to be a jack-of-all-trades, but tends to cover items in such little depth that you're left feeling dis-satisfied with what you get. The best sections are the Questions And Answers, Comment (articles on comics-related subjects) and Letters pages, these would benefit from more space in the magazine. An Advance Listing section which gives you nothing beyond what you've already seen in Previews, plus sections on Top 100 ordered comics are wastes of time in the main. However, there's a good roundup of rumours in their "Movers and Shakers" section, and Networks covers what they deem to be "the best of the web", including a self-indulgent piece lifted from their own message board. Finally, the review section, covering over 100 titles, but giving each just a couple of dozen words - enough for a flavour? Not really. Could do with being far more in-depth, but quite a nice read whilst you're reading it - you're just left feeling a little unfulfilled at the end of it, that's all. Comics Buyer's Guide Published weekly by Krause Publications, $2.95 US for 64 pages, many ads. The problem with CBG is the adverts. It already feels like a lightweight read anyway, especially for the money, but once you realize exactly how many adverts there are in each issue, you do feel a little cheated. The news section, whilst reasonably timely (naturally enough for a weekly publication), and reasonably in depth (at least a few paragraphs on most stories) suffers from the same problem as their otherwise fine letters pages - stories split up by adverts. The other problem with news stories is that they sometimes read like press releases - there's no real journalism involved in creating them, just typing up of what was sent - you won't find a hard-hitting expose of the reasons behind a story here. Right, enough moaning about ads, are there any reasons to buy this? In a word - maybe. What CBG offers that none of the rest do, is regular columns by well known and entertaining writers - Peter David, Mark Evanier and Tony Isabella. These three columns are usually detailed and fun to read, and almost worth the price of admission on their own. Couple these with a major article each issue, about whatever appears on the cover - maybe Silver Age Sidekicks, maybe the Grendel series, maybe Late Comics, and things look a whole lot better. The thing is, if you're not going to enjoy the columns, it's not worth the money - so I'd say to try an issue or two, see if these writers can keep you amused - if so, maybe you've found a new weekly title to add to your pull-list. Otherwise, save your money. The Comics Journal Published monthly by Fantagraphics Books, $5.95 (usually) US for 128+ pages, not many ads. This is the baby of Gary Groth, and if his name rings a bell you need read on no further. Groth appears to have a problem with most comic books, thinking that comics should all be literature, and he (and his staff) usually love to attack the typical superhero outpourings of Marvel and DC. Rarely an issue goes by without a piece in the Journal seriously annoying me. But, get beyond that, and you'll find some of the best interviews, news and features of any magazine, let alone a comics-related magazine. You usually find two main interviews per issue, of between 20 and 50 pages each, intelligently using extracts from the interviewee's work to illustrate a point made in the interview. Interview subjects range from the littlest known independent creator, to the most popular mainstream boys - Kurt Busiek in particular, gives a far-ranging and detailed interview in issue 216 from October of last year. Add to this: detailed news coverage, detailed convention coverage, lengthy intelligent comic reviews, and a number of opinion pieces that border on insane rants, and you've got a thorough read, taking several hours to work through, well worth every cent. In particular, seek out the Oct 1999 issue mentioned about - it's a little more expensive than normal, $7.95, but has 176 pages and that massive Busiek interview, behind a superb Alex Ross cover. Next time, back to the monthlies! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] 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.] WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN MAY REVEAL SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF PLOTS OR ENTIRE PLOT DEVELOPMENTS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Name: Echo #3 Publisher: Image Comics Created by: Pat Lee & Ken Siu-Chong Price: $2.50 Comments: I'm sitting here dazzled - absolutely dazzled! I'm sitting here with Echo #3 and can't believe how good the story is moving along. My jaw is agape because the artwork is incredibly superb! The colors are vibrant, the details are riveting, the action scenes with the blur lines are done brilliantly! I absolutely LOVE this comic book! Anyway, let me calm down a bit and talk about the story. I like the way everything starts off, first a one-on-one basketball game allowing the reader to listen to the interactions and allowing us to know the characters better. At least the characters in this story play better than the Sacramento Kings! The reminiscing among these elite characters about how once they created a back yard particle accelerator. These kids deserve the A.U. (Akitaka University) - because they are truly gifted with intellectual properties that could categorize them as the next level of human development. It would seem likely that the government would sponsor A.U., because the government would want to keep close to these geniuses. These kids are the future of mankind. The drama unfolded nicely as mention on how to stop the scientists in creating Echoes. What are Echoes? Let's just say they make the Terminator look tame in comparison. They must especially stop Dr. Hokusai in his peddling Echoes to an American drug cartel. If the Echoes are not controlled, they could get more refined and this means a bigger threat that they now face. Love the scene shift to the Guaviare Jungle in Columbia. Then later seeing Gokon worried that the echoes are changing hands and they must prepare for a very dangerous situation. I will tell you that the intensity of this story came to a climatic cliffhanger as it is discovered that they can't penetrate the upper chest area to destroy the orbs of the Echoes. Man, I can't wait for the next issue to come out - this story leaves me petrified! A pure adrenalin rush! Name: CrossGen Chronicles #1 Publisher: CrossGen Comics Creators for this Issue: Ron Marz, Barbara Kesel, Claudio Castellini, Caesar Rodriguez, Andrew Crossley, Mike Atiyeh Price: $3.95 Comments: A universe has been created that will cross into different worlds and different characters! Lovin' it! Already I love Giselle of 'Mystic'. The character development is done superbly well and delves into Giselle's soul as she is tormented by her own mind as she thinks on how she was shamed by the other masters and is concerned about the Sigil-bearing mark on the palm of her hand. Her sister who is sickened with her excuses confronts Giselle harshly. Giselle learns that she has magical powers that she can't explain and when angered, she can unleash that power. As she was angered with her sister, the power seems to thrive even more. It will be interesting to see how this story with Giselle will pan out. I sat on the edge of my seat as the Old Fool discusses the new players with the Sigil markings - a marking that is somewhat similar to the Ying Yang symbol. Godlings of the CrossGen Universe watch over Giselle and the other players like Samandahl Rey aka Sam. Sam has his own devils to battle as he is saddened over the death of his companion Roiya. This is a man with much sorrow and now he must deal with the Sigil symbol that has now mysteriously formed on his chest. What is his role? It will be interesting to find out. It seems his comrade JeMerik Meer has given Sam plenty of bad news as their spaceship seems to be on the most wanted list by groups known as the Sultan's Guards - The Saurians and possibly Union Cruisers. What more pressure is Sam going to have to deal with? It seems that Sam's great inspiration will be the fact that he has been gifted with the Sigil symbol and that he now has Roiya inside his ship's computer. Did the Sigil symbol bring Roiya's soul into his computer? I guess in time I will find out. Did I mention I like Prince Ethan of Scion? No? Well, I sure do, a taste of medieval adventure beckons from the CrossGen Universe and from the looks of things, it's going to be a wild ride! Ethan discovers he also has the symbol - this time on the shoulder and I am left wondering what his role will be? Ahh...let's not forget Meridian with Sephie and her Uncle Ilahn. What a place to have the symbol show up at. Sephie has the symbol on her forehead and her uncle has it on his neck. Why did this strange symbol hit 2 people at once in the same family? How come the uncle seems to know it harbors power? Why does he use the power for destruction, while his daughter uses it to create? How come the uncle is head strong in keeping the symbol as a family secret? How long can they keep a secret like this? Well, it looks like I have a whole new universe waiting for me and Crossgen Chronicles #1 was a taste of something that is going to leave a huge impact on the comic book industry in whole!! Not only did the story dazzle me, but the artwork left my jaw agape in awe! Exceptional coloring - great penciling details and the inking is done with flair! Amazing, simply amazing! Name: Treasure of the Malvinas Basin #2 Publisher: Clark's Way Price: $4.99 Written and Drawn by: Joe O. Hawkins How to Reach Joe O. Hawkins: Joe O. Hawkins, 7803-B 196th Street - SW, Edmonds, WA 98026. Comments: Joe takes the reader to an oil drill site in the South Atlantic off the Argentine Coast. One of the characters makes the comment a few times that rigs can withstand gale force winds, but what these employees won't expect is when they spy a fire off on the horizon and take in 3 injured survivors from a lifeboat. Unexpected turns come about when a storm heads in and they learn of a chest filled with gold has been brought onto the rig by the survivors and things that were once peaceful, becomes an evening of horrific terror. Plenty of action takes place as the employees fight for their lives and not all is what it seems in this twisted story of greed. Expect some shocking knife fights and on the edge-of-your-seat drama. Also, some soap opera inside storylines take place as an employee named Hank is involved with an affair with his female boss and one of the terrorist survivors named Jose goes after a rig employee named Yvette Beauvois and must contemplate the fact that he might have to kill her when everything is done and over with. Great story with simplified artwork. In fact the cover was colored with crayons, which gives this comic book an unusual look. If you don't mind not having glossy covers and knock-em-dead artwork and after a real good story, then this comic book is for you. Many pages make up this story, so you have a good evening to sit back and read this entertaining comic book. Let me tell you something about the characters: Yvette Beauvois - Age 26 - Born and raised in Marseilles, France. She is a schoolteacher who had become disillusioned with school systems in France. She moved to Zaire to teach school there and feels she is doing some real good. Naοve, and not necessary bright, she is a social do-gooder and is always anxious to take on the world's problems. Henry "Hank" Wydville: Age 33 - Originally from Manchester, England. He is a former officer in the Royal Marines and an experienced geologist and engineer. Other characters are: Johnny Clark - Benjamin "Ben" Clark - Mary "Lulu" McKlame. MOE Sidenote: A mysterious contributor sent me some Western comic books via the regular postal mail. What I found are some great western yarns by AC Comics. Here's what I got: Young Gun #1 by AC Comics - starring Billy the Kid. In this one comic book, you will find a variety of Billy the Kid stories and at the end is a story called: "Young Falcon and the Mystery of Little Star". This comic book came out in 1992 and is in black and white. The next comic is called: The Great American Western - Special Limited Edition #2 by AC Comics with features on Red Mask of the Rio Grande, Billy the Kid, Red Hawk, the Durango Kid, Latigo Kid, Tim Holt, B-Bar-B Riders, Straight Arrow, The Ghost Rider, Trail Colt, Black Phantom, Tom Mix, The Presto Kid, Nyoka the Jungle Girl. The last one is called: Black Phantom #2 by AC Comics - all in color. Cool crossover story with Red Mask meeting up with Black Phantom. Also featured is some talk on Lemonade Kid and Presto Kid. Anyway it looks like I have a good line-up of entertainment with these comic books and I thank my mysterious contributor who left no forwarding address. Multiverse Observer and Explorer signing off until next time.......... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] 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 BBS 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'S favorite motivational phrase is, "BEHOLD THE TURTLE, HE ONLY MAKES PROGRESS WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK OUT!"] SACRED RUINS:THE MYSTIC WARS #1 (of 4) 28 pages, black & white, full color cover, $2.95/$3.50 CAN LABYRINTH ENTERTAINMENT labyrinth@comic.com PO Box 2573 Woodbridge, VA 22195 http://welcome.to/labyrinth-ent Comics available through the website Co-Creators: David Bovey - Illustrator Russ McIntosh - Writer/Lettering Russmc@comic.com I usually approach a new product that has a bunch of introductory material on the inside cover with mixed feelings. One view can be the authors have a desire to give you essential information to help you better understand what will be going on. The other view is that the work should do that for you - an example of fine comic work can be said to be a true marriage of art and story - both revealing all you need to know in concert and in a complimentary not redundant fashion. Character sketches up front in the first issue may give a feeling that this may be too difficult to follow otherwise. So I never know if I should skip this stuff and go back to it later. This time I opted to go with the flow and read it. I probably shouldn't have. The first paragraph gives away the ending of the this first issue. While the creators may be anxious to tell their story, I would advise to hold back on this point - too late now. Also a point of proper sentence structure in the second paragraph bothered me. They talk about "his" and "he" but never prefaced that with who "he" is! Now this may seem nit picking - but when you read this stuff in the very first words the authors put in their book, you wonder about the rest of the book. The brief character sketches are decent but not essential to follow the story. The story is about Cy, the son of the great dragon hunter who supposedly killed the last one. Cy is woken from the bed of his lover, a local prostitute, to the news that at least one dragon still survives. He is reluctant to take of the profession of his dead father, preferring to live off the wealth left to him, drinking with his friends. Meanwhile the Shadow Tribes, Pagan, Meridian, and Raider Kahn have their own plans to seize power and dominion over the world of Oran. Cy is not alone on the side of good though he does not want to be a warrior. The Mystic Warcaster, Arcane, is hatching his plan to unify the slayer and the beast, Oran's only hope to survive. Soon Cy meets with the king and a deal is struck if he will seek and slay the dragon. The plans are set in motion as the first chapter ends with the birth of a new hope for the salvation against the forces of evil. Ok, basically a good vs. evil drama in a sword and sorcery type world. You have magic, dead beings granted power, mystical creatures, intrigue and a little comic relief. Cy reacting to his girlfriends occupation is a bit overdone and not critical in my opinion. At first it seemed there was just too much crammed into the first issue to be easily absorbed, and I did find myself referring back to those character sketches once or twice. There is a lot more helpful information in the back of the book that explains some of the location and add more that is yet to be seen. I found the whole story interesting enough and worth waiting to see the next chapter. The art, on the other hand, is not what appeals to me personally. It is not bad, just a style that reminds me too much of Rob Liefeld - lots of lines in some of the close-up faces and the real telling sign was no feet. I think I counted maybe 5 panels in 28 pages where you can actually see feet and only twice close enough to see toes. There is some decent panel variations, and the flow of action was pretty good but things at times just did not click - I did not realize a character was being buried in a rock slide until after he emerged from a pile. I guess I would give it a B- overall, not bad for a first work but it needs to improve some. SACRED RUINS is clearly a work of passion and from the dedications something that was long in coming. I am left with the feeling that the chapters to follow will slowly bring things together with intense action along the way. Once you get a feel for all the characters you start to understand some of the relationships and see how things fit. Better than average story worth following for now. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 2000 CBG Fan Awards Results COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE #1386 These awards are the results of voting by the readers of the weekly comic book industry newspaper published by Krause. Favorite Penciller George Perez Favorite Letterer Todd Klein Favorite Limited Series Avengers Forever Favorite Publisher DC Favorite Inker Al Vey Favorite Cover Artist Alex Ross Favorite Original Graphic Novel/Album Batman: War on Crime Favorite Colorist Lynn Varley Favorite Comic-Book Story "No Man's Land" (Batman titles) Favorite Reprint Graphic Novel/Album (3 way tie for 1st) Manhunter: The Special Edition 300 From Hell Favorite Writer Alan Moore Favorite Painter Alex Ross Favorite Comic Book Avengers Forever Favorite Character Batman ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage chuck@comiclist.com +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.comiclist.com New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 6/07/2000, 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 Tuesday evening, at http://www.comiclist.com and other places. You can receive this list each Tuesday via email by following the instructions at the web site, or you can email NCRL-subscribe@egroups.com PLEASE NOTE- Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. Let CHARLES know if any of the names or numbers are wrong. chuck@comiclist.com (Charles LePage) PUBLISHERS: If you know when your comics are going to be available through Diamond, please email chuck@comiclist.com so that he can place your comics on the appropriately dated list. Thanks! "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) Skeleton Key Vol 5 Roots, 12.95 Stitch #4 (Of 4), 2.95 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archies Weird Mysteries #7, 1.99 Betty & Veronica Digest #113, 2.19 Jugheads Double Digest #69, 3.19 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Supreme The Return #5 (resolicited), 2.99 CHAOS! COMICS Chastity Poster #3 By Justiniano, 7.95 Insane Clown Posse Poster #2, 7.95 Purgatori Empire Poster, 7.95 Purgatori Collected Ed Vol 2 TPB, 5.95 CPM MANGA Aquarium #2, 2.95 Maxion #6, 2.95 Record Of Lodoss War Grey Witch Book Two, 15.95 CROSSGEN COMICS Mystic #1, 2.95 Sigil #1, 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS American Splendor Bedtime Stories, 3.95 Nevermen #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Oh My Goddess (Part VIII #6) Hail To The Chief #3 (Of 3), 3.50 Titan Ae #2 (Of 3), 2.95 DC COMICS 100 Bullets #13, 2.50 Astro City Vol 2 #22 (resolicited), 2.50 Batgirl #5, 2.50 Batman Fortunate Son SC, 14.95 Batman Gotham Adventures #27, 1.99 Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #132, 2.25 Battleaxes #4 (Of 4), 2.50 Green Lantern #127, 2.25 Legion Lost #4 (Of 12), 2.50 Life On Another Planet SC, 12.95 Looney Tunes #67, 1.99 Lucifer #3, 2.50 Martian Manhunter #21, 2.50 Millennium Edition Superman #75, 2.50 Preacher #64, 2.50 Reinventing Comics SC, 19.95 Star Trek Deep Space Nine N Vector #1 (Of 4), 2.50 Starman #68, 2.50 Superman #159, 2.25 Supermen Of America #6 (Of 6), 2.50 Wildcats Vol 2 #12, 2.50 Young Justice #22, 2.50 FANDOM, INC Gear Station Prelude Exclusive, 5.00 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Goody Good Comics #1, 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Darkness #32, 2.50 Eve Protomecha #4, 2.50 Gear Station Gold Foil Ed Incentive #2, AR Jinn #2, 2.95 Judge #3, 2.95 Kiss Psycho Circus #30, 2.50 Magdalena Blood Legacy Preview Book, AR Nine Rings Of Wu Tang #4, 2.95 Rising Stars #8, 2.50 Saffire #2, 2.95 Sam And Twitch #11, 2.50 Savage Dragon Vol 6 Gang War TPB, 16.95 Spawn #96, 1.95 Tomb Raider #6, 2.50 Warlands Chronicles Vol 2, 7.95 Warlands Poster #3, 5.99 Witchblade Convention Poster #1, AR INSIGHT STUDIOS GROUP University 2 Angry Years GN New Ed (Star09773), 11.95 MARVEL COMICS Conan The Flame And The Fiend #1 (Of 3), 2.99 Fantastic Four 2000, 3.50 Inhumans Vol 2 #2 (Of 4), 2.99 Marvel Boy #1 (Of 6), 2.99 Mutant X #22, 2.25 Power Pack Peer Pressure #1 (Of 4), 2.99 Spider-Man Death And Destiny #1 (Of 3), 2.99 Spider-Man The Death Of Captain Stacy, 3.50 Spider-Woman #14, 2.25 Thor #26, 2.25 Uncanny X-Men #383, 2.99 X-Men Children Of The Atom #4 (Of 6) (resolicited), 2.99 X-Men The Hidden Years #9, 2.50 ONI PRESS INC. Blue Monday The Kids Are Alright #3 (Of 3), 2.95 Breakfast After Noon #1 (Of 6), 2.95 PENNY FARTHING PRESS Decoy TPB, 15.95 Decoy One Shot, 2.75 PEREGRINE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Books Of Lore Storyteller #3 (Of 3), 2.95 WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT Inquest Gamer Lord Of The Rings Cover #63, 4.99 Inquest Gamer Wrestling Cover #63, 4.99 Tomb Raider And The Top Cow Universe Special, 4.99 magazines Comic Shop News #677, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Digimon #2 06/28 06/14 Digimon #3 07/12 06/21 Digimon #4 07/26 07/05 DC COMICS Legends of the DC Universe #31 06/21 06/28 Planetary #11 06/14 07/12 Realworlds: Superman 06/07 06/14 Steampunk #4 05/24 06/14 Steampunk #5 06/28 07/12 Superman/Gen13 #3 06/07 06/14 The Dreamer SC 06/07 06/14 Tomorrow Stories #8 06/07 06/21 Top 10 #9 05/10 07/12 WildCATs: Street Smart HC 06/14 06/21 IMAGE Aria Collected Ed. #1 05/24 06/21 Big Bang #32 06/14 Blood Legacy #3 06/21 Chassis #4 05/31 06/14 Chassis #5 07/05 City of Silence #2 06/14 Cow #1 Spring 00 05/24 06/21 Crimson Plague #1 06/07 06/14 Curse of the Spawn Vol. 3: Shades of Gray TP 05/24 06/14 Dark Angel #1 06/21 06/28 Dark Crossings Special: Dark Cloud Rising #1 05/24 06/21 DarkMinds II Poster #1 07/05 DarkMinds Vol II #5 06/28 DFE Chassis Gold Foil Daniel Cover #4 05/31 06/21 Echo #4 06/21 Empire #1 06/07 06/14 Empire #2 07/05 F5 #2 05/24 06/14 Fathom #12 05/31 06/21 Fathom HC 06/14 Fathom HC Exclusive Signed Dustcover Ed. 06/14 Gear Station #3 06/28 Geeksville #2 07/05 Geminar #1 06/14 Hawkshaws #2 06/28 Intrigue #4 06/21 Canceled Jinn #2 Holofoil Incentive 06/21 Jinn #3 06/14 06/28 Kin #4 05/31 06/14 Kin #5 07/05 Lady Pendragon #10 05/24 06/21 Lost Ones #2 05/31 06/21 Magdalena #2 05/24 06/14 Neon Cyber #8 06/07 06/21 Nine Rings of the Wu-Tang #4 05/24 06/21 Nine Rings of the Wu-Tang #5 06/14 07/05 Objective Five #1 07/05 Parts Unknown: Hostile Takeover #1 06/07 06/21 Powers #3 06/21 Red Star #1 06/14 Rumble Girls #2 06/21 Saffire #2 06/07 06/21 Saint Angel #1 06/21 07/05 Sam & Twitch #12 07/05 Savage Dragon #75 07/05 Section Zero #1 06/21 06/28 Shockrockets #3 06/14 06/21 Soul Saga Coll Ed #1 06/14 Spawn #97 06/28 Spawn: The Dark Ages #16 06/28 Tomb Raider #6 06/07 06/14 Tomb Raider/Witchblade #1/2 06/07 06/21 Violent Messiahs #1 06/14 06/21 Wahoo Morris #2 06/14 Warlands #7 06/07 06/21 Warlands Chronicles Vol. 2 05/31 06/21 Wicked #5 05/24 06/21 Witchblade #41 06/21 Witchblade Deluxe TPB: Revelations 06/21 Witchblade: Destiny's Child #2 06/21 X-Men The Movie: Wolverine Prequel* 06/21 06/14 X-Men: Beginnings TP* 06/28 06/21 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] HYPE! Section Various Loud Comics Press Release 710 Rockland Drive West Palm Beach, FL 33405 loudcomics@hotmail.com www.loudcomics.com (561)588-1588 Contact Person: Tim Mitchell Crime fighting's taken on a whole new look. So put away your utility belts, golden lassos, and kryptonite. Meet the members of the Crusaders who will make up the world's first multi-racial super-heroine comic book foursome. Loud Comics, a West Palm Beach, Florida, comic book publishing company, has released issue #1 of the Crusaders. The super-heroine team will be led by African-American, Ophelia Chappelle (Raven). Publisher, Tim Mitchell, 36 feels strongly about the need for comic books to diversify. "Historically, comic books have catered to white suburban American males. Potential minority audiences have been ignored. Loud Comics will reach out to people of color, Hispanics, Asians, and above all, females." Tiana Chavez (Rampage), Kiku Hosono (Silhouette), and Jenilee Hampton (Bombshell), complete the multi-racial super foursome. "We're going for a classic look. Brighter colors and better stories. Realism- that's important," Mitchell stresses. "These girls are proportioned; natural. They will face everyday problems and setbacks." The Crusaders is available exclusively at www.loudcomics.com. Internet sales have remained largely undiscovered by comic book fans. But with the rise in e-commerce and the closings of traditional comic book retail stores, Loud Comics sees a great opportunity on the horizon. Loud Comics writers promise such subjects as homelessness, racism, and the U.S.'s gun problems to name a few. When asked if the vastness of Loud Comics' demographics feels overwhelming, Mitchell responded, "It's a challenge, but we intend to offer the public characters and products that not only the kids will love, but their parents will too." +++++ Vinson Watson unleashes Reaction: The Ultimate Man! CHICAGO- True heroes are back! In the glut of titles on the self at comic book stores it's hard to find one that gives you everything, good art, an action packed but intelligent and thought provoking story, along with a creative team that's in it for the long haul. That's what Vinson Watson proposes to give comic readers with the August 2000 release of Reaction: The Ultimate Man. "They're very few comics you can find now that can give you a good story with good art for any good length of time." says Vinson Watson creator of Reaction: The Ultimate Man. "Either the story is great and the art is just okay or the story is confusing or insults the reader's intelligence but the art is fantastic. And if you can find a good creative team to pull the a fantastic story and great art together, the team is only together for a few issues then they disappear or go their separate ways and the quality goes down." The creative team for Reaction includes Vinson Watson, the creator, writer and artist, inker and finisher Bradley Hudson, color and production crew Digital Anarchy and editor David Chance. "Reaction is done in away that if the creative team splits up at any point, which is very possible in this industry, the quality of art and writing won't be compromised." explains editor David Chance. Reaction is the story of Darian Watts, a man whose given the power to do battle with the forces of Hell. Vampires, demons and other dark creatures have infested Chicago. They're teachers, doctors, politicians and even ministers. They walk around in the light right under our noses. They could be your neighbor, your best friend or your spouse. No one is truly safe because everyone is blind to them, all but a handful of people one of them being Reaction! Darian has been given incredible power but must use them wisely to battle back against the demonic forces. Even though there's enough action to satisfy any comic fan there are also stories that touch the reader on personal level. "Reaction's a personal hero." says Watson, "He's not about running around and saving the world each issue but about saving each person one at a time, today's heroes seem to have gotten away from that. Sometimes a character Reaction meets or saves becomes part of the Reaction back story, they don't just go away. There are those time when he goes up against incredible odds with the earth in the balance, but it won't by any means be every issue." Reaction's gallery of rogues include; The Vampire Alliance, a group of old and deadly vampires who want to bring eternal darkness over the earth, Lilith: Mother of Evil, The Dark Reign, a powerful demonic cult, and many other villains Reaction does battle with to help save humanity from evil's grasp. Hell's minion will be out in full force and The Devil himself may even pop up to try to destroy Heaven's Hero. "Comics are a tough business," says Joseph R. Currie publisher at the Chicago based comic book company Strictly Underground, "You have to strike hard with something that makes the reader want to keep buying. If you don't have them hooked at least by the first two issues you can say good bye to that title and come up with something else. There's too much competition and fans won't throw good money after bad. They want to be entertained. I'm glad to see someone trying to come out with something more than overly muscled, gun totting freaks, who spend they're time shooting