---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 270 1999 EAGLE AWARD NOMINEE 6/23/2000 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] Interview:Timothy Mitchell ............ Paul Dale Roberts [6] Great Googaly Moogaly ................. Chad Trout [7] Sound And Fury ........................ Craig Lemon [8] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [9] My View:DORK TOWER/NODWICK ............ David LeBlanc [10] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [11] TOP 100 COMICS FOR - JUNE, 2000 ....... Diamond Distributors [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 strips: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS AND DR. CYBORG by Alan Gross & Mike Oeming ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, Web Page 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 This week there was a rare look back into 50's TV and one of the unsolved mysteries of Hollywood. Thursday night on ABC's 20/20 DOWNTOWN there was a half hour segment entitled "WHO KILLED SUPERMAN" about the so-called suicide of George Reeves, TV's first Superman. I must admit I happened on it by accident when I caught a promo earlier that night. Of course it was a must see for me. It opened with an overhead view of Superman Square in Metropolis, Illinois and the larger than life statue of the Man of Steel. We got a brief rundown on the career of George and the evolution of the ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN TV show. It sat on the shelf for two years for lack of a sponsor but when it finally ran it was a large hit. Ironically, it was not a large payday for George - he got $2500 a week fo only 13 weeks a year. Now $32,500 may seem like a lot for the average person in the 50's - but for a star living in Hollywood is did not begin to be enough. Fortunately for George he had another source of income, the wife of an MGM Vice President who was his lover for ten years. She bought him a car and a home and anything else he needed - which apparently was lots of alcohol. This was an open secret in Hollywood - much like today, peoples morals in tinsel town are seldom questioned in public if the parties involved do not make a fuss. So, George was leading a double life, on and off the tube, and he did not care to be known as a super hero, never appearing in public as Superman for fear some fan would shoot him to prove he was invincible. And after the show ran its course he found he was type cast and would not get hired so he resigned from the Screen Actors Guild. His affair had also ran its course and he took up with another women, 20 years younger. He looked to begin a new career directing and it seemed things were turning his way until a single shot to the right temple ended his life. The 20/20 crew interviewed Jack (Jimmy Olsen) Larsen and Noel (Lois Lane) Neal as well as people who were material witnesses to the case but were never interviewed by the police. A piano player saw George and his fiance argue the night of the murder, so did a neighbor who came to the house to find her husband. She even heard the shot but was never interviewed! Then the forensic evidence showed bruises to his head and elbow but experts believe this was not conclusive of a struggle but why were there no fingerprints on the gun? Odd for a suicide! And later two more bullet holes were found in the floor of his room. The author of a book about Reeves called "Hollywood Kryptonite" was interviewed extensively and is convinced he was murdered by a hitman on the orders of his former jilted lover. She was publicly livid about the breakup and the slut that stole her Superman. Alas, if she did it she will never confess as she too is now dead. So the case is officially a suicide and will probably remain so. *** Still on a few days vacation and found a few things waiting at the store on Thursday : CROSSGEN COMICS Scion #1, 2.95 DC COMICS Jenny Sparks The Secret History Of The Authority #1 (Of 5), 2.50 JSA #13, 2.50 Millennium Edition Worlds Finest Comics #71, 2.50 Orion #3, 2.50 Planetary The Authority Ruling The World, 5.95 <--Pick of the Week! George Reeves will always be the first memory I have of what Superman should be. Sure the show was crude by today's standards, but it embodied the essence of the character and the ideals he professed. Though George did not enjoy the role, he played it to the hilt and became a legend to the baby boom generation. Whether he took his own life or was killed, he was missed by millions at his passing. 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. +++++ From: jbarker@inch.com (jb) To: ComicBkNet@aol.com David, I've just been informed that the X-Men Movie junket will be held in New York the weekend of July 7-9. They did delay it because of Special Effects issues. There's a good chance I'll get to cover it, so cross your fingers. best, john [John is an frequent contributor to the Emag so we wait in hope that he will file a report. - DL] +++++ From: menje@interport.net (menje) 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. We're also on the internet in Live streaming Real Audio at www.wbaifree.org and www.porus.com as well. There's a link to the live stream as well as a link to an MP3 archive of previous shows on our own website: http://nuffsaid.net ---------------------------------------------------------- Here are our upcoming shows: Tuesday, June 27, 2000 Neil Volkes Current artist of Superman Adventures, Neil has worked on many high profile projects such as Ninjack at Valiant, Congorilla at DC, The Mask and Johnny Demon at Dark Horse and Robotech at Comico among others. Tuesday, July 4, 2000 Richard Ashford Editor/Publisher of Cross Palins Comics, Richard is a former Marvel editor for their then licensed Robert E. Howard titles. He's now publishing Howard's characters at Cross Plains with renowned creators such as Roy Thomas, Richard Corben, Kelly Jones, John Bolton and Steve Lightle. Tuesday, July 11, 2000 Chuck Cuidera Co-creator, with Will Eisner, of The Blackhawks, Chuck drew the title for many years. He is one of the great, though not well known, artists of the golden age. Tuesday, July 18 and 25, 2000 One show will be a phone in episode and another will be a show with a comic strip guest to be announced. Tuesday, August 1, 2000 Carmine Infantino Carmine's career began at the age of 17 when he worked for Sheldon Mayer. Though he's most famous for drawing The Flash, Adam Strange and the "New Look" Batman, He also served a stint as DC's Editorial Director and as a freelancer pencilled for Warren and Marvel. This is one show not to be missed. (psstt...we may also go for a second show with Carmine the next week...keep it under your hat.) And of course, we try to take your phone calls on every show (though sometimes the guest has so much territory to cover or is on tape that we just can't get to them...but we'll try.) ---------------------------------------------------------- WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt non commercial station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. (And through live streaming audio for an even greater distance, natch.) The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, newspaper strips and fandom. Hosted by Ed Menje (Engineer/News reporter) and Ken Gale (Interviewer) Molecular Mail: WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr New York, NY 10005. Electron Mail: ed@nuffsaid.net for Ed Menje kengale@nuffsaid.net for Ken Gale Web address: http://nuffsaid.net Ed Menje Engineer/News reporter 'Nuff Said! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: >Whom did Gene Colan model his Dracula character for Marvel after? As usual, a detailed explanation from this week's winner, Bob Ingersoll: Gene patterned his Dracula after Jack Palance. But, ironically, not because Palance played Dracula, as he hadn't done that TV movie yet. It was Jack's performance in DR. JECKLE AND MR. HYDE that made Gene believe Palance's face was perfect for Dracula. Bob Wins the "Gene Colan Annual:Painting With Pencils" donated by the publisher, AS YOU LIKE IT PUBLICATIONS. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Which character from the original ULTRAVERSE Made it to a live action TV show adaptation? 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 From: genesis@wow.net (Hafeez Amin) I'd like to let you know about a new comics magazine debuting on the US & Canadian market in August called JUST COMICS & MORE. Each issue will come packed with in-depth feature ARTICLES on many topical issues, PLUS lots of REVIEWS & COMMENTARIES on today's comics industry PLUS INTERVIEWS with some of the top CREATORS in the business. Highlights of Issue #1 include: - A look at what we call a COMIC-BOOK CRISISS OF INFINITE PROPORTIONS, some of what went wrong with Marvel's Blaze of Glory miniseries and how this can be endemic to the entire comic book industry, Dark Horse's ability to mine the Aliens vs Terminator vs Predator movie genres and a look at many independent comics which you ordinarily wouldn't get a chance to see reviewed. - Commentaries on what the producers of The X-Men movie neglected to address, the Cyber-Age of comics on the Web, the relationship between comics and wrestling, and an in-depth comparison of the startling similarities between THE MATRIX and Grant Morrison's INVISIBLES series. -Interviews with Jim Valentino, Dwayne McDufffie and Too Much Coffee Man creator, Shannon Wheeler. Plus articles on Sergio Aragones, Savage Dragon, Superman's Bizarro and breaking news in the industry. - PLUS a look at a very special low-run FREDD HEMBECK compilation, complete with an all-new original HEMBECK cover! AND MANY, MANY more articles and features too numerous to mention. Despite the fact that it is primarily a black and white magazine (interior & exterior covers and some inside pages) we have done some bang-up layouts which we are very proud of. Our vivid use of grayscales, full-bleed illustrations and watermarks give the illusory effect of colour and the look is very pleasing. The articles themselves are tightly focused and about 850-900 words per one-page. The GREATEST news of all is that the price for our full package is a mere US$1.50 per issue. The cheapest on the North American market! God willing it will be listed in the JULY issue of Previews (magazine section) for an August ship date. Give it a try, order it from your retailer or contact us at: JUST COMICS & MORE Suite #3110 8326 NW 56th Stret Miami, Florida 33166 Or email us at > You won't be disappointed. Thanks for your time! Hafeez Amin Publisher/Editor-in-Chief JUST COMICS & MORE Hafeez T. Amin Publisher JUST COMICS & MORE Trinidad/West Indies **************************************************** JUST COMICS & MORE - The Caribbean's only MONTHLY comic-book magazine. Each issue comes packed with CREATOR INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & COMMENTARIES all attractively designed, complete with FULL-COLOUR covers & interior posters. Only US$1.50 and available throughout the UNITED STATES, CANADA and many CARIBBEAN islands. CAN'T FIND A COPY? Call 868-627-8433 or e-mail us for SUBSCRIPTION rates and have each issue of JUST COMICS & MORE mailed right to your door! AD rates are also available upon request. Reserve your copy TODAY!! +++++ [Yahoo! News] Crimes and Trials Headlines Wednesday June 14 05:07 PM EDT Somewhere Between Sam Spade and Clark Kent NEW YORK (APBnews.com) -- Crime comic books haven't had it easy. They've always had a Sam Spade attitude in a Clark Kent world. And when your rivals are the bulletproof, steel-bar-bending sort, it can be rough going. But lately this often-overlooked slice of the mystery genre has been gaining ground and adding new readers as crime titles enjoy a resurgence. Sin City, by artist and writer Frank Miller, is the reigning heavyweight champion. This hard boiled series has been going strong commercially and critically for nearly a decade and has found mainstream acceptance. For much of that span, it was the only crime comic racking up that kind of wide appeal. These days a new pack of writers and illustrators have joined Miller in expanding the scene. Their work ranges from black-and-white small press titles like Stray Bullets, Whiteout and Torso, to full-color comics like 100 Bullets, Scene of the Crime and Sam and Twitch. No superheroes allowed While mystery fans often dismiss comic books as kid stuff, many creators are aiming to make their work the equal of anything in movie theaters, on television or in bookstores. "Just because it's comics doesn't mean it can't be a good mystery," said Ed Brubaker, author of the private eye tale Scene of the Crime. That series, like virtually all crime comics, is a separate species from the blustery, muscle-bound superhero episodes most associated with comic books. "I tried as often as possible to avoid any glamour in my illustrations," said Whiteout artist Steve Lieber. "My style is best with small, comfortable details." Visually, the crime comic loves shadows, which stems from the influence of film noir, according to writer and artist Brian Bendis. "I'm a huge fan of [cinematographer] John Alton's [Witness to Murder] work. It showed me not be afraid of the dark, but to be afraid of the light," said Bendis, whose output is among the most prolific of the bunch. In the past five years he's produced several graphic novels about a bounty hunter, the true-crime comic Torso and is currently writing the detective comic Sam and Twitch. "Crime stories inspire me tremendously," Bendis said. "The language and the writing are more natural." History almost included Hammer This is the latest round in the waxing and waning of the crime comic, which has long been a part of the comic book market. Will Eisner's The Spirit, the adventures of crime buster Denny Colt, is regarded as one of the medium's finest examples of storytelling even now, nearly 50 years after its initial run concluded. Similarly, EC Comics -- the forerunner of Mad Magazine -- put out a line of bold and pulpy crime and mystery comics in the 1950s, many of which have recently been reissued. Years ago the field just missed a superstar: Mike Hammer, who found his fame in books. Author Mickey Spillane originally pitched the tough guy as a comic book project just prior to World War II. Back then Hammer was named Mike Danger. Spillane dusted off the idea in the mid-1990s as the short-lived comic Mike Danger, scripted by mystery novelist Max Allen Collins. Collins also has a history with crime comics. He wrote the Dick Tracy newspaper strip in the late '70s and early '80s, and along with artist Terry Beatty produced the Ms. Tree private eye series for Dark Horse Comics in the late 1980s. At a bookstore near you The current rise of the crime comic coincides with a diversifying comic book market, as fantasy, horror and crime comics compete for reader attention. DC Comics' imprint Vertigo, which publishes 100 Bullets and the miniseries Scene of the Crime, has also published several crime projects since 1997 including Johnny Double, from the 100 Bullets team of writer Brian Azzarello and Argentine illustrator Eduardo Risso. And within the crime comic, different kinds of subgenres bloom, from private eye to police to the revenge noir stories of 100 Bullets. "A lot of the current stuff is detective fiction and I try to keep the cops out of my stories," Azzarello said. Crime comics are also increasingly available in book form. The monthly installments are periodically collected as trade paperbacks and sold through in bookstores and through Internet merchants. "We sort of had to fight to get the Scene trade to look like a book," Brubaker said. "People in a comic book store are going to know it's a comic no matter what it looks like, but we wanted it to hook people in a bookstore too." Ultimately those producing crime comics are looking to attract not just hip comic fans but all crime fiction fans. "I think that fans of crime fiction would be pleasantly surprised by picking up a crime comic," Azzarello said. "All the elements of a good story are there." By Patrick Williams, an APBnews.com correspondent in Hawaii. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: VAN SCIVER LEAVES IMPULSE Ethan Van Sciver told The Continuum that Impulse #67 will be his last issue as artist of the DC Comics title. "It just felt like the right time," he said. "I've been drawing Impulse and Impulse-related stuff for two and a half years now, and with so many other characters and stories I'd like to work on, I'm movin' on to something new. "DC editorial has opened up a ton of new opportunities for me, and as far as I can see now, it's just a matter of choosing new projects carefully. I'm interested in Flash, Young Justice and JLA prestige formats and mini-series right now. And maybe some Wonder Woman! "As long as it's fun, I'm there." THE CROW: SALVATION SCREENING Dimension Films will be showing The Crow: Salvation at Dragon*Con in Atlanta on Friday, June 30 at 12:30 a.m. Eric Mabius, who stars in the film, Crow creator James O'Barr and movie publicist Jeff Conner in the 35 mm screening. The screening, which is free, will take place in the convention's main ballroom, and there are no advance tickets. There will be a Crow panel on Saturday, July 1 at 1:30 p.m. The Crow: Salvation does not have a release date yet. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com WITCHBLADE ---------- Turner Network Television (TNT) has officially announced the air dates for the now completed Witchblade original film. Witchblade stars Yancy Butler (Drop Zone) as Sara Pezzini, David Chokachi (12 Bucks) as Jake McCartey, Eric Etebari (The Murder in China Basin) as Ian Nottingham, Anthony Cistaro (Angel) as Kenneth Irons and William Yun Lee (What's Cooking?) as Danny Woo. The movie is directed by Ralph Hemecker (The X-Files) from a script by J.D. Zeik (Ronin) who also serves as Co-Executive Producer. Dan Halsted (The Virgin Suicides) and Top Cow's Marc Silvestri server as Executive Producers on the movie. Comics2Film is proud to present you, the loyal reader, with a sneak peek at the upcoming Witchblade TV Movie. A copy of the movie was shipped to us this weekend and we've been busy assembling a short clip reel for your viewing enjoyment. You will need to have a RealPlayer viewer installed to see the action. Stop by the website at http://www.comics2film.com to see the video and several stills from the movie. Comics2Film viewed a tape of the movie in its entirety. Here is our review: The story finds Sara Pezzini (played by Yancy Butler), a tough NYPD detective, determined to bring down the mobster who she believes is responsible for the death of her best friend. Her pursuit of the hit man she believes is responsible brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient gauntlet with mysterious powers. Sara finds the Witchblade a blessing and a curse as she continues to track her friend's killer. The artifact proves a great weapon in battle, but also bombards her with troubling images which may hold the key to solving the murder. Comic fans should be pleased by the serious-minded take on the material. The look of the film is very stylish, taking advantage of city venues and architecture to evoke a tone of old-world mystery while remaining in the present. The feel of the show is much like that of a police drama, rather than the campiness of a Xena or the youth-cool found in Buffy. The characters are all very well written and realized. Butler in very convincing as Pezzini. She plays the part both tough and vulnerable by turns. We particularly liked the dynamic between her character and her partner Danny Woo (William Yun Lee). The banter between the two is very engaging (although in a few places it trips over its own cleverness). Likewise the characters Kenneth Irons (played by Anthony Cistaro) and Ian Nottingham (Eric Etebari) provide the foundation for the mystical elements of the story. Irons is powerful but shadowy figure who holds the keys to the mysteries of the Witchblade. Nottingham is even more intriguing. We learn that he has apparently been raised by Irons to be his agent and an aid to whomever wears the gauntlet. The only character who troubled us was Jake McCartey (played by David Chokachi). McCartey is also a NY cop and Pezzini has to decide how much she can trust this boyish, ex-surfer hunk. McCartey treads the line between comical and annoying and is burdened with dubious surfer-dude dialog. Fans of the comic may be disappointed by the look of the movie, which is subdued compared to the Top Cow comics. Understandably, a made-for-TV movie probably didn't have a huge budget for special effects. The Witchblade itself looks more like an iron gauntlet from a medieval suit of armor, not the living weapon it is in the comics. And, while the artifact does change shapes, it never morphs into full body armor. However, the story is limited to Pezzini's first contact with the weapon. If the movie should spawn a TV series, it's possible that we would seen the Witchblade manifest itself in new ways. Perhaps most disappointing was the action sequences. Although, the film makers seemed to aspire to Hong Kong style fight scenes, the budget probably didn't allow them to execute them properly. Instead, the film makers use rapid editing, strobe lights, silhouettes and other techniques to keep fight scenes movie, suggesting the frenetic action that couldn't be filmed. Some budget is allocated for a few Matrix-like "bullet time" shots. However, we would have preferred better fight choreography over these effects, which have now been featured in a variety of movies and TV shows. Overall, the movie presents an intriguing mix of cop-drama realism and ancient mysticism. Witchblade is recommended, and Comics2Film hopes it does spawn an ongoing series, which will allow Sara to explore the mysteries of her living weapon. SPIDER-MAN ---------- Daily Variety reports that Scott Rosenberg (Gone in 60 Seconds) is now on board to rewrite the screenplay for Spider-Man. Rosenberg follows David Koepp (The Lost World) who wrote previous drafts. http://www.variety.com/ According to a write-up appearing on the Mr. Showbiz, Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Down To You) is still eager to play Spider-Man on the big screen. His efforts to land the role have had him in conversations with Spidey creator Stan Lee and director Sam Raimi. Heath Ledger, whose name has come up in relation to the Spider- Man movie several times in the past year, told Mr. Showbiz that he would not be donning the webs. "I won't be flying as Spider- Man. I talked to Sam [Raimi], and it's a great script and will be a great movie, but I don't want to bear the responsibilities of being an action hero." http://www.mrshowbiz.com/ The Hollywood Reporter has named a four actors who are in the hunt to play Peter Park in the big screen version of Spider-Man. According to the write-up Scott Speedman (Felicity), Jay Rodan (Caveman's Valentine) and James Franco (Whatever It Takes) all had screen-tests last week. The article also mentions that Tobey Maguire (The Cider House Rules) is "rumored to be in the mix." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ Speaking of Maguire, the Spider-Man Hype website provides additional insights into the actor's interest in the part. According to that site, US Magazine has reported that Maguire has met with director Sam Raimi about the part. Although Raimi continues to screen other actors, the magazine insists that Maguire would "definitely" take the part if it were offered to him. http://www.spidermanhype.com/ BATMAN 5 -------- Bill Ramey, proprietor of the newly reconfigured Batman On Film website, dropped by to catch us up on the news he's been reporting on his own site. Ramey's sources tell him that it looks like Warner Bros. is going with a Year One restart after looking at every possibility over the last 3 years. Director Darren Aronofsky may have gone as far as already signing on to direct, although nothing has made public yet though. The studios may be moving faster with Batman due to the recognition that Nicolas Cage will not be doing Superman (which may delay that project significantly). Now we can't vouch for Ramey's source, so this all should be read as rumor until any official announcements are made. http://jettd60.tripod.com/ Meanwhile, Fabio2 has posted some interesting rumors over at his Batcave website. According to Fabio2, Warner Bros. are considering Chris Klein (American Pie) for the part of Bruce Wayne. The report states that the studio likes the actor's profile, which is somewhere between a complete unknown and a big star. Fabio2 also claims to have "hear rumblings" that the studio may be eying Tobey Maguire (The Cider House Rules) for the part of Batman. As with the Klein story, Fabio2 insists that both these reports be viewed as rumors for the time being. http://www.fabio2.zzn.com/ X-MEN ----- A recent report from the Toronto Sun (via the Jam Showbiz! Site), indicates the director Bryan Singer is racing against the clock in order to put the finishing touches on X-Men, which is set to hit theaters next month. "Bryan thought the shooting schedule in Toronto was tight," says an unnamed source. "The post production is unbelievably tight." http://www.canoe.ca/Jam/home.html The X-cellent X-Fan site continues to come up with goodies supporting the X-Men movie. Currently found on the website is an MPEG file of the film's TV commercial. The site is also displaying a new image which may reveal " the final fate of Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) in the film!" Most recently X-Fan covered the pro-Kelley picketers who marched in front of the Things From Another World story on Universal City Walk in Los Angeles. The site has photos of the demonstration posted. The site promises to publish more photos and possibly a video in a future update. http://www.fandom.com/x-men In other X-Men news, it appears Senator Kelly will soon take his anti-mutant agenda to prime-time television. IGN FilmForce reports that a TV special focusing on Kelly's campaign is to be shot this week in Los Angeles. The show will likely air on the Fox Network during the week of the release of the movie, with encore presentations airing on the FX cable channel. http://filmforce.ign.com/news/1074.html Finally, Collectible Concepts X-Men Club opened this week and is now accepting memberships. http://www.x-menclub.com/ LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN --------------------------------- Matt Brady recently spoke to comic and screen writer James Robinson. During the interview, which can be found on the newly launched Comics Newsarama website, Robinson commented on the process of adapting Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for the big screen. Robinson commented on the anxiety of making changes to Moore's creation. "People, myself included, tend to hold these characters very near and dear, and tend to have a very purist viewpoint about them," Robinson told Brady. "The more you take them away from the scene that inspired it, the more you stand to earn the scorn from the fans that got the series attention in the first place." One of the changes is to develop the villain a little more than the comic series did. "He isn't given much of a character arc, and he certainly isn't given any relationship or interplay with the heroes," Robinson said. "From that standpoint, it was a case of creating more for the villain in terms of relationship with the heroes, also making them all into characters true to Alan's vision of them so that you could accept them as cinema heroes." Robinson prescribes a similar treatment for the heroic characters in the comic. "With a film, characters do need to have an arc to their feelings and actions, and there needs to be a sense of resolution for them internally as well as the external adventure. Whilst I'm trying to create something that stands alone as a really cool film, I'm trying to be true to the vision and the feeling of the comic book series." The League concept won't be dumbed-down for the big screen. "In terms of summer action movies, it will be one of the most cerebral summer action movies that a studio has made in a while, if this version I'm doing gets made," Robinson told Brady, "That should please the fans of the series, of which I am one of the, I should add." For the complete interview which covers many more subjects, check out Comics Newsarama. http://www.fandom.com/comics THE CROW: SALVATION ------------------- The ever-entertaining CHUD website reports that Crow fans in Atlanta, GA may get an early look at the upcoming sequel The Crow: Salvation. CHUD has received "unconfirmed reports" that the movie will be previewed at Dragon*Con, which runs June 29-July 2. Salvation star Eric Mabius is a guest at the con. Although CHUD terms the reports unconfirmed, a look at the Dragon*Con website seems to verify this. A page titled "Special Events at Dragon*Con 2000" indicates that the movie will be screened there. However, that page is strangely absent for the menu links for the site, and is only accessible from the website's search function. http://www.chud.com/ http://www.dragoncon.org/ BLADE 2 ------- IGN FilmForce reports that the sequel to the hit movie Blade may be delayed until 2002. FilmForce spoke with a source New Line who told them the movie has no chance of making a production start this year, which it would need to in order to be ready for a 2001 release. The prevailing factors are the status of the script and the availability of the movie's stars. http://filmforce.ign.com/ JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS ----------------------- Corona Coming Attractions unveiled the first teaser poster for the upcoming Josie and the Pussycats movie. The artwork was on display at the licensing show in New York City. The poster can be seen at the Coming Attractions site and at the Comics2Film website. http://www.corona.bc.ca/ +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.Fandom.com/comics/ WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE SUPERMAN`S MCGUINESS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT DC has announced the signing of Superman artist Ed McGuiness to a one year exclusive contract. "Working on SUPERMAN, I`m having the best time of my career," said McGuiness of the news. "Why would I want to go anywhere else?" McGuiness will be providing all four covers for the upcoming Bizarro storyline "Superman: Arkham", something editor Berganza is looking forward to. ""This am least favorite part of crossover," said the editor. "We get Bizarro done wrong finally!" Colorist Sherilyn Van Valkenburg - best known for her work on Orion, The Books Of Magic and Accelerate - also has signed a one-year exclusive contract. CHADWICK`S CONCRETE TO RETURN Fans of Paul Chadwick’s Concrete will be glad to learn the writer/artist will be returning to his creator-owned property with a new upcoming mini-series. Next month, following the completion of his work on Marvel’s Deadpool and a online Matrix comic, Chadwick will begin work full time on Concrete: The Human Dilemma, a story about "overpopulation, sexuality, and parenthood." "Concrete is hired as a (race-neutral) spokesman for an organization with a controversial approach to population control - it pays people to stay childless," explained Chadwick. "As he makes the media rounds, he gets heat from all sides. The left critique of population control as racist; the right critique that it`s socialist; and the radical enviro view that it`s a tepid half-measure. "Immersed in the issue, Concrete reflects on the human sex drive, so strong it seems to be working towards systemic collapse, and indeed still burns in his sexless body. His relationship with Maureen changes in an unexpected way. "And he gets pregnant...or maybe a latent pregnant condition merely becomes activated. He must face the anxieties and other strange feelings of incipient parenthood. Something I went through a scant six years ago. "There`s also a murder," concluded Chadwick. SO JUST WHAT`S IN THE BACKPACKS? Marvel editor Polly Watson, who's office handles most of Marvel's reprints projects like trade paperbacks, gave Newsarama a look a what readers can expect out of the publisher's new digest size Marvel Backpack b&w reprint books. The first two Backpacks volumes featuring Spider-Man and the X-Men ship in September. According to Watson, the X-Men Backpack will reprint Uncanny X-Men #167-173. These issues were written by Chris Claremont of course and feature art by Paul Smith. Highlights of that run include Rogue joining the team and a story with the title "Professor Xavier is a Jerk!" The Spider-Man Backpack collects Amazing Spider-Man #224-230, written by Roger Stern with art by John Romita Jr. Villains making appearances in that run include the Vulture, the Juggernaut and the Black Cat. October will see the release of two more editions, a second X-Men volume and an Avengers Backpack. The second X-Men book reprints Uncanny X-Men #174-179, by Claremont and Romita Jr., with Paul Smith in the mix for an issue and ½. And though the first two X-backpacks are reprinting 13 consecutive issues of Uncanny, Watson says that is just a "happy coincidence"_future Backpacks won't necessarily pick up where the last left off. "The goal of Backpack books is to provide good stories and beautiful art, and also to provide complete stories, which is especially nice if you`ve never read any of this stuff before," said Watson. The Avengers volume will reprint Avengers #181-189. "Most of these issues were written by David Michelinie and drawn by John Byrne," said the editor. Watson isn't sure if the program will continue after that – that probably has much to do with the public's reception of them, but she tells Newsarama she hopes it will and is making plans for future volumes in preparation. BUSIEK RESPONDS TO AVENGERS NEWS, PROMISES CHANGES IN THE FUTURE Kurt Busiek checked in with Newsarama for his reaction to today's news regarding the addition of Alan Davis as The Avengers regular penciler beginning in January 2001. "Naturally, I`m thrilled," said Busiek. "I`ve been a fan of Alan`s work since I was in England for a semester abroad back in my college days, and was acting as a `foreign correspondent' for Comics Feature. I visited the Marvel UK offices, and Paul Neary showed me the new costume design sketches for the about-to-be-revived Captain Britain series. Just looking at them, I knew I wanted to work with this guy someday - and now, 20 years later, I finally get to do it. "I`ve loved working with George on the Avengers, of course, and sorry to see him go - but I`m very excited to be working with Alan. His work is bold, dramatic, beautifully-drafted and classically-heroic as all get out, which I think makes him perfect for Avengers. His work is also very different from George`s, so I`m sure the book will have a different flavor, a different feel - but just as Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Neal Adams and George all delivered a different feel to great runs of the Avengers, I think Alan`s take on the book will be an absolute winner." ONI`s SEASON OF THE `WITCH` Oni Press and Artisan Entertainment today announce a trade paperback version of The Blair Witch Chronicles. This book edition will collect the five Oni Press comic books, including the original The Blair Witch Project one-shot. The comic books tell all-new stories that expand on the Blair Witch legend, including more in-depth examinations of some of the anecdotes related in the hit film. The comics are written by Jen Van Meter, and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards, Guy Davis, Tom Fowler, and Bernie Mireault. "It has been a tremendous pleasure being a part of the Blair Witch mythology," Van Meter said. "The filmmakers have created a rich tableau that lends itself to different interpretations, as well as providing unlimited inspiration for new stories. It is my hope that when all the comic books are under one cover, where people can read them as a long sequence, they will begin to see a certain pathology to the legend, an inter-connectedness that makes it all even more frightening." "Our association with Artisan has been a huge success," commented Oni Press editor in chief, Jamie S. Rich. "Our original Blair Witch Project comic sold over 70,000 copies and had five separate printings. Thankfully, as with all the Blair Witch material, it was also a high quality item. Our goal was to make good comics, and we think this book is proof that we did." The release of this collection is set to coincide with the theatrical release of Blair Witch 2, the sequel to The Blair Witch Project, due in theaters this October with the third installment set for release in the summer of 2001. "We are excited about the paperback version of The Blair Witch Chronicles as the individual comics were a success and repackaging these stories will give the audience a more intimate and complete understanding of the extensive mythology," said Amorette Jones Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Artisan Pictures. "We see this as a great opportunity to bring a new direction to The Blair Witch franchise." The Blair Witch Chronicles trade paperback retails for $15.95. It has 20 pages of black-and-white story and art and a color cover. It contains mature situations. It ships to comic book retail outlets on September 29, 2000. It will be distributed to retail outlets via the LPC Group. GARNEY LEAVES HULK And end of an era is coming for both Marvel and Ron Garney. "September`s Hulk #20 will be my final issue," Garney told Newsarama at this past weekend's Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC. "My exclusive contract with Marvel is up, and after 12 years of working at Marvel, I'm looking to move to some other companies and characters." But not just yet – Garney's immediate future plans include a vacation to relax from 12 years of monthly books. After that? Anything is open. "I'd like to look at doing a Superman project perhaps, and after that, I may go for something along creator-owned lines. Right now though, all I'm looking forward to is a little relaxation." MORE MAXIMUM SECURITY DETAILS You got to give the planet Earth some credit_when it comes to galactic conflicts, the heroes of Earth always seem to hold their own. In fact, they never lose, even against seemingly unstoppable powerhouse threats of the likes of Galactus and Thanos. It's enough to give the rest of the universe an inferiority complex. Writer Kurt Busiek and editor Tom Brevoort are going to explore just how the rest of the Marvel Universe feels about Earth and its citizens in Maximum Security, a company wide event that kicks on with Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet, a September one-shot by Busiek and penciler Jerry Ordway that leads into a 3-issue October mini-series event (also by Busiek and Ordway), that in turn spills over into various monthly titles from all over the Marvel spectrum. "The premise of Maximum Security, at least on the surface, is that the galactic powers have gotten together and noticed that humanity meddles in galactic affairs whenever they feel like it -- and worse, wins all the time, no matter how powerful the foes they`re up against," Busiek told Newsarama. "This makes them dangerous, and something`s got to be done about them. They decide to blockade off our solar system and use it as a dumping ground for criminals -- in essence, their Botany Bay -- figuring that (a) that`ll throw us in enough disarray to keep us from being a threat, and (b) it solves the problem of what to do with their criminal element. Naturally, this causes a lot of trouble on Earth. "There`s also something more going on, and therein lies our tale..." As he's also the regular Avengers writer, Busiek said that naturally the team will play a central role in the main storyline, but not THE central role. The writer reports that there will be significant parts to play for Professor Xavier and his cadre of mutant Skrulls, for the USAgent, for the Silver Surfer, the Fantastic Four, and others - including the Avengers Infinity squad and Ego the Living Planet. And in a feature on the project at the online comics magazine The Comics Reader, Busiek reveals that there are some "dramatic changes" in store for some characters, including a "completely new status quo" for the USAgent, and that a "dramatic sacrifice on the part of one of Marvel`s best-loved cosmic characters", will take place. For those somewhat wary of company-wide crossover that in the past have required fans to read title they normally may not have in order to follow the main storyline, Busiek said that this should not be a concern here. What he and Brevoort are trying to accomplish with Maximum Security would more accurately be called a crossover "scenario", rather than a crossover story. For more information on Maximum Security, check out The Comics Reader. EXPO 2000 ANTHOLOGY LINE-UP ANNOUNCED Organizers of this year's Expo 2000 have announced the creative line-up of a 352+ page Expo 2000 anthology one-shot special. Available in August and retailing for $6.95, all profits from the book, which will feature 60 short comics stories, interviews and essays, go to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The special features over 300 pages of comics by alternative comics and the independent press creators, including 40 pages never before available in English from the founding members of the French collective L'Association. The line-up includes: David B., Marc Bell, Charles Berberian, Nick Bertozzi, Chris Bleistein & Chris Shadoian, Mike Brennan, Mat Brinkman, Ivan Brunetti, Mark Burrier, Timomir Chelanovich, Dave Choe, Chris Cilla & Zak Sally, Tony Consiglio, Greg Cook, Jim Drain, Philippe Dupuy, Tom Galambos, Daniel Gallant, Leif Goldberg, Dean Haspiel, Ben Jones, Megan Kelso, Killoffer, James Kochalka, David Lasky, Jon Lewis & Tom Hart, Darko Macan, Ted May & Warren Craghead, Dave Mazure, J. C. Menu, Sasha Mihajlowich, Scott Mills, Leland Myrick & Mark Dos Santos, Josh Neufeld & R. Walker, Jim Ottaviani & Rick Veitch, Michael Patrick, John Porcellino, Ansis Purins, Brian Ralph, Ron Rege, Jesse Reklaw, Eric Reynolds, Alex Robinson, Johnny Ryan, Kevin Scalzo, Seth, P. Shaw Ted Stearn, Cat Sullivan, Craig Thompson, Adrian Tomine, J. Torres & Jason B., Lewis Trondheim, Sean Wang, Chris Ware, Daniel Warner, Kurt Wolfgang With essays and interviews by Charles Brownstein, Mark David Nevins, Tom Spurgeon and Jason Thompson Information on The Expo 2000 anthology and The Expo 2000 itself can be found at www.SPXpo.com. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com WONG SIGNS TO 'MAI' FEATURE VARIETY reports Kirk Wong (The Big Hit) has signed on to helm the adaptation of the Japanese Manga series MAI THE PSYCHIC GIRL. Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola had previously been attached to the SONY Pictures Family Entertainment feature. DC MAKING 'WATCHMEN' TOYS The RAVING TOY MANIAC site recently broke the news that DC DIRECT is developing a line of action figures based on Alan Moore & Dave Gibbon's WATCHMEN miniseries. The figures are expected out in mid-2001, commemorating WATCHMEN's 15th anniversary. http://www.toymania.com http://www.dccomics.com D-BOY MAKING 'DARK ANGEL' FIGURES D-BOY Inc. has announced plans to produce a line of four action figures based on Kia Asamiya's manga series DARK ANGEL. D-BOY, who created the Abbey Chase DANGER GIRL statue and the upcoming NINE RINGS OF WU-TANG figures, plan to release figures of Dark, Leen, Sen, and Tan in early 2001. http://www.d-boy.com LEE TO ACQUIRE 'MIGHTY MOUSE'? ANIMATION BLAST reports STAN LEE Media is in final talks to acquire the rights to MIGHTY MOUSE. Mark Evanier and Earl Kress are both attached to write episodes. http://www.cartoonresearch.com http://www.awn.com/blast/news http://www.stanleemedia.net +++++ 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. DC ANNOUNCES ITS PLANS FOR COMIC BOOK EXPO AND COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL: SAN DIEGO 2000 On July 18, the Comic Book Expo 2000 will kick off in the San Diego Convention Center, and DC Comics will be there in force to welcome retailers to the biggest comic-book industry trade show of the year. Beginning on Tuesday, July 18, the Expo will be launched at 11:30 am with a Keynote Speech by Bone creator Jeff Smith, followed by publishers' presentations. At 3:15 pm, DC will unveil its own presentation, complete with a slide show featuring sneak peeks at a host of upcoming projects. On Wednesday, July 19, the Exhibit Hall will open, and the massive DC Booth will be manned by DC's ace sales and marketing staff, ready to answer any and all questions, give away new promotional AMERICA'S BEST COMICS and THE SPIRIT buttons and black-and-white advance copies, and to take orders for show specials on selected backlist books and DC DIRECT items. All retailers attending the Comic Book Expo will also receive a free copy of the Chromium version of MILLENNIUM EDITION: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1. Staffing the booth for both the Expo and the convention will be DC's ever-vigilant Sales & Marketing teams, including Vice President -- Direct Sales Bob Wayne, Director -- Marketing Services Syndee Barwick, Manager -- Marketing Communications Patty Jeres, Publicity Manager Peggy Burns, Manager -- Direct Sales Vince Letterio and Representative -- Direct Sales Jann Mannarino as well as DCC's Executive Vice President & Publisher Paul Levitz and WildStorm's Vice President & General Manager John Nee. Joining them will be a host of editorial staffers from DC, VERTIGO and WILDSTORM, including Executive Editor -- DC Universe Mike Carlin, Executive Editor -- VERTIGO Karen Berger, WildStorm Group Editor Scott Dunbier, Vice President -- Creative Director Richard Bruning, Senior Editor -- DCU Bob Schreck and Design Director Georg Brewer. The San Diego Convention Center opens to the public on Thursday, July 20, as Comic-Con International: San Diego 2000 takes over, lasting through Sunday, July 23. A huge crowd of freelancers are scheduled to appear at the DC booth to greet fans and sign autographs. The current list includes Brian Azzarello, Phil Jimenez, Frank Quitely, John McCrea, Joe Kelly, Humberto Ramos, John Cassaday, Chris Bachalo, Darick Robertson, Walter Simonson, Greg Rucka, Staz Johnson, Goran Sudzuka, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Ed Brubaker. In addition, the following editors also scheduled to be on hand to talk with fans and answer questions: Mike Carlin, Dan Raspler, Andrew Helfer, Bob Schreck, Eddie Berganza, Joan Hilty, Peter Tomasi, Scott Dunbier, John Layman, Eric DeSantis, Jeff Mariotte, Karen Berger, Shelly Bond, Heidi MacDonald, Richard Bruning, Georg Brewer, and Mark Chiarello. In addition to the ongoing excitement at the its booth, DC will also be sponsoring a series of thirteen panels throughout the weekend showcasing the latest developments DC Universe, VERTIGO, WildStorm (including Cliffhanger, Homage and ABC), Paradox Press, MAD Magazine, The Spirit and the Will Eisner Library, and comics featuring characters from Warner Bros. and the Cartoon Network. Check out the Comic-Con International website at www.comic-con.org/index.html for updates. See you in San Diego! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Interview with: Timothy Mitchell, Publisher of Loud Comics Interviewed by Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher, Jazma Universe Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ Question: Before we get this interview started, can you tell us something personal about yourself? Your family life, where you were born and raised, what schools you attended? ANSWER: I was born West Palm Beach, Florida. I am actually a native of these parts, which is a rarity these days. I attended Elementary, Middle School, and High School here as well. I graduated from Twin Lakes High School in West Palm Beach and attended Palm Beach Community College majoring in Advertising Design. Burt Reynolds also went to these schools. I even studied under a few of his former teachers. As for family, I was raised by my grandparents, who believed in everything I did. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? ANSWER: Actually, there's a story that goes with that answer. I had this neighbor whose wife hated that he was a comic book junkie! I was about 8 or 9 at the time. So one day he asked me if I liked to read comics and I said "Sure!" so he would bring me all of the comics he had purchased when he was done reading them so his wife wouldn't toss them out. That first book I read was Amazing Spider-man 124 " The Mark of the Man-Wolf". I still have all of those books. It was guys like John Romita Sr., Gene Colan, John Buscema, Neal Adams, and Jack Kirby that made my world. Question: For people unfamiliar with Loud Comics, can you please tell us something about it? ANSWER: Loud Comics is a new company created because I felt that I could give the world some new heroes and villains, and new adventures on a grand scale.I figured if no one had the guts to hire me, I'd just hire myself! Question: What is your main goal for Loud Comics? ANSWER: The main goal at Loud Comics is to become a household name all over the planet. I have no desire to be just another comic book publisher, I would like to be one of the best. And I believe that Loud Comics can be just that! We have characters that are very exciting to look at and wonderful stories to tell. Question: Can you tell us something about your staff members? ANSWER: Our staff is made up of unknowns to most of the comic book world. My wife, Rebecca, is the company President and is the writer of The Crusaders. She is an amazing author and promises to give The Crusaders a great future. Karl Cushnie is our webmaster at www.loudcomics.com. He has done some wonderful work with our website. Jason Robinson is doing some amazing pencils and keeping me in check when it comes to my Star Trek views. A fellow named John Wilson is going to be doing some coloring for us. He lives in Burbank, California. We also have a ton of other folks that will be doing various freelance projects. Everyone here is putting in a lot of sweat equity. Question: How did you come up with the idea of Loud Comics? ANSWER: I had been sending out submissions and started going to conventions to submit in person. Incredibly, many of the folks I had met initially remembered me but could not decide if they could offer me work or not. After leaving the WizardWorld Con 1998 in Chicago, I was feeling a bit annoyed. It must have showed because while we were on our flight back to Palm Beach, I sat next to a guy who was a Mattel sales rep who struck up a conversation with me. After looking at some of my stuff, he planted a seed by saying " Why don't you start your own company?" By the time Rebecca and I got into West Palm Beach, I was convinced. Thus the beginning of this journey. The name Loud Comics is the result of my nickname "Loud" from my days as a touring Heavy Metal musician! Of course, that's another story. Question: What are some of the titles coming out of Loud Comics and can you briefly give us an idea what these titles are about? ANSWER: At this point, we will be doing three titles: THE CRUSADERS is the first out of the gate. They are an all female, multi-racial, superheroine team. And just because they are women doesn't mean that they will be treated as lesser heroes. Next on our slate is SCREAM THEATRE. The current plan is for this to be a 100 page, horror comic opus featuring the characters PAIN, who is a former rock star that becomes a deadly supernatural hunter that has a 1500 year old vampire as his mentor, and three spirits that attempt to guide his fate. SCREAM THEATRE will also feature THE GHOULS, whom are a mortician family with a fondness for the afterlife. They tell you the decedents' story and then determine his final journey. SCREAM THEATRE will also contain a backup horror story in each Quarterly issue. We are looking towards a fall release. The third title is MAN:ZERO. It is about a man who will become the champion of the galaxy after a tragic accident that will never allow him to be with his wife, family or friends ever again. Man:Zero makes his first appearance, however, in Crusaders #1. We also have some other titles planned, but we are taking the entire process one step at a time. Question: Can you talk about the characters in The Crusaders? Why four women and can you tell us about their ethnic backgrounds? ANSWER: Minorities and women have always been at the bottom of comic book readerships. I think that's a big audience that has yet to be tapped and I would like to bring these people into the comics arena as fans. Yes, we have many female heroes ( Wonder Woman, Storm, Supergirl, The Invisible Woman,etc.) but how many all female teams have you seen over the years. I can only recall one ( an indy that escapes me right now ) and they were not multi racial. That's why when I created The Crusaders, I made sure we got eclectic. These girls will not just be female heroines, they will be heroes that the faces of earth can identify with. I think that is important. RAMPAGE is Hispanic, BOMBSHELL is a all American white girl, SILHOUETTE is Asian, and RAVEN is Black. And yes, even with all of that info for you, there is still a twist! Question: I loved the artwork in The Crusaders! Who is doing the artwork? ANSWER: That would be me. I will be doing the pencilling for The Crusaders. Jason Robinson will be doing the covers and Nite Owl Graphics will handle most of the coloring and inks. I've got a super group! Question: What is the future for Loud Comics? ANSWER: I hope that the future finds Loud Comics prospering and thriving in the comics world. We want to give fans of this medium the best comics available. It is important to us that we maintain a level of quality and professionalism in all of our titles. Even those we haven't created yet. Question: How do you go about laying out the direction for your stories? ANSWER: There is no real method to our madness. We come up with ideas and begin the brainstorming process. And most important we write it all down and begin our story formats. Sometimes it's all scripted, and sometimes we use working plots and add dialog as we progress. Question: Do you have a website? If you do what is the URL address? ANSWER: You bet we do. It's www.loudcomics.com! The site is easy to view and most important, you can purchase our comics direct from us either with a credit card or by downloading the mail order form. If you are using AOL and you have not upgraded to 5.0, you might want to do so before you visit because the older browsers distort the graphics. I hope that everyone that is reading this will visit our site and order The Crusaders! Question: How can somebody contact you? ANSWER: You can contact us via the website or drop us a line at Loud Comics, 710 Rockland Drive, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 or Email: loudcomics@hotmail.com We will get back to you. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? ANSWER: My wife, some sort of universal apparatus for hunting and fishing, and something to write with. Question: Your thoughts on the comic industry? ANSWER: The comics industry is feeling a shrinkage in growth at this time. We could speculate on a lot of reasons why ( comic prices, distribution hell, kingpins, scared retailers, online sales, etc.), I personally think there isn't just one bonafide answer. I think that the 90's somehow took away the charm and grandness that made the silver age of comics so incredible. I want to go back to a time where you picked up a comic and was blown away by the story as well as the art, and the characters were believable. I miss that time in comics very much, and it really didn't need to change although, at the same time, it had to. I plan on changing that, even if it isn't popular at first. Question: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? ANSWER: James Bond, because he was just too cool and he always gets the girl. Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek, because only Kirk could survive 30 years in space, have hundreds of women and die a useless death at the hands of a bad writer. The Amazing Spider-man, because he really made me believe in the underdog! Question: Your 3 real life heroes and why? ANSWER: KISS, that band changed my life forever. If I had not discovered them, I would have never become a musician, never met my wife, never met my best friend.I owe them a debt of gratitude that I pay homage to every time I've seen them live. I've seen them 18 times! DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING, without his beliefs in basic human freedoms, a black man (me) would not be doing this interview at all. My great grandmother, the late OPHELIA CHAPPELLE. I named the character Raven after her because, she made me believe in me! Question: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? ANSWER: I am a SciFi junkie! I am into Star Trek, Star Wars, and classic horror films. The Batman T.V. show is still law with me, and long live Adam West! I love the old 60's Hanna Barbera cartoons,etc. Question: What books do you read? ANSWER: The last books I read were Figure Drawing For All It;s Worth by Andrew Loomis. It's out of print but I got a copy from Jason Robinson and KISS and SELL: The Making of a Supergroup by C.K. Lendt. If you are a Kiss fan or a musician, you must read it. Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? ANSWER: Playing guitar. Most people don't know that I am an accomplished guitarist, that is, in the comic book world. I actually auditioned for a few BIG groups. I am currently writing a new CD with my band of metal mutants, Crazy Agnes. More importantly these days, spending quality time with my wife, Rebecca. Question: What comic books do you read now? ANSWER:I have become a very finicky reader these days. I like the current run of The Avengers. I love anything that Alex Ross does. Question: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? ANSWER: I would like to see Loud Comics as a bonafide brand name in 5 years. In 10 years, I'd like to see Loud Comics up there with the big boys and in complete control of our destiny. Question: When can we expect the The Crusaders movie? Who is going to play the main characters parts? ANSWER: Well, I kind of think we'd better sell the masses on the comic book first, however, if Hollywood is ready for the challenge, so are we! Just give us a call. I think The Crusaders would make a great movie! I could see Jenny McCarthy as Bombshell, or Tia Carrere as Silhouette, or Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rampage, or a Angela Bassett as Raven. Maybe Kim Bassinger as the Contessa, Wesley Snipes as Man:Zero. It would be a motion picture Blockbuster! Someone send us a contract and get Spielberg on the phone! Question: Well, I guess that winds up the interview. Thank you. Is there anything else you would like to say before closing? ANSWER: I thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about something that is dear to me. I hope that your readers will go to our website:www.loudcomics.com, tell your retailers that you want Loud Comics, and if they can't handle the pressure, come to us and we'll make sure you get it. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Great Googaly Moogaly Chad Trout cct107@psu.edu [Chad has been collecting comics for over a decade. Currently he is a grad student with hopes of getting out this fall.} The Marquis has Finally arrived!!!!!!! Does anybody remember this book by Guy Davis? The prelude to this was published in 1997 and this is issue one of five. Hopefully the next issue will be out before 2003, but if its not who cares. The art looks great! The prelude was really good. I have liked Davis since his days on Sandman Mystery Theater. I will read this and review it for next week. Yet again format of the reviews have changed. One of these days I will decide on a format I like. Everybody is asking what we can do for the industry. Well Marvel has a perfect chance to help the industry with the X-Men movie. To promote the movie they are handing out stuff to people who go to see Titan A.E. Do they hand out comics? No! They hand out trading cards! What a waste of an opportunity. Marvel has a chance to do something really good for the industry and they absolutely blow it. DC on the other hand has an interesting idea. I was in the grocery store the other day and noticed a display containing a magazine called Adventures in the DC Universe. It was by the milk section and was free with the purchase of 2 gallons of milk. I didn't get a good look at the thing, so I cannot say much about it. This is a great thing to have in the grocery store, but they really should put it up by the cash registers. I buy the Archie Digest every now and then, because I get reading it and decided to finish it at home. Also end up with People and US magazines at times too. If this magazine was at the check out line then I would be buying it too. So would other people, which is the most important point though. Does anyone know how Archie Digest does in the grocery store? Bone Headed Comics Of The Week: Books that did something stupid Birds of Prey - The Hunt For Oracle: Part 2 Writer - Chuck Dixon Illustrator - Butch Guice I just started reading this book a few issues ago and it's really good. I am amazed that Dixon can write three continually good books a month. It's too early to tell if Marvel Knights is going to be good, but I did enjoy the first issue. The reason for The Bone Head Award is because it contains a MAJOR plot development for Nightwing. It didn't make me mad and most people who read Nightwing probably are picking this up, but still major developments should not take place in other books. I feel like it's a snub to the loyal fans of a book. Regardless of that, this is still an excellent book and a must read. Iron Man - The Sons of Yinsen Part 1 Writer - Joe Quesada & Frank Tieri Pencils - Alitha Martinez Inker - Rob Hunter The bonehead move of this book just out right pissed me off. I have been collecting Iron Man for a long time, but it may be time to stop. It seems that this is not the first appearance of the Sons of Yinsen. They first appeared in Wizard's Iron Man _. I think Wizard is a waste of paper myself and rarely buy it. I just can not believe the stuff Marvel is trying to pull. First we are made to pay an extra dollar for an advertisement in Punisher # 3, now this and I thought I read somewhere that they were doing a variant cover for something. True variant covers do not affect me, since I am not forced to purchase them, but it just seems like Marvel doesn't care about the fans. I just started collecting Marvel about 2 years ago again after a 5 year hiatus. It may be time to drop all Marvel titles again. Comics In Need of Support---------Possible minor spoilers Black Panther #21 - Victory Marvel Comics - 2.50 Writer - Christopher Priest Pencils - Sal Velluto Inker - Bob Almond Letter - Sharpefont&PT Colors - Steve Oliff Editor - Tom Brevoort Chief - Bob Harris The more I read this book, the more I like Ross. When I first started reading this book I found him very annoying. I wanted nothing more than to see the Hulk step on him, but I am glad he didn't. I have finally read BP from issue 6 to the current and have found that Ross is actually a very complex character. I see him as a hero, even though he is often the butt of jokes. The reason I see him as a hero is that he stands by his friends and is willing to stick up for them. Even if he doesn't always think things through all the way, which heroes don't do anyway. If they did then there wouldn't be all those Superguy A vs Superguy B fights. I also enjoy Killmonger, who makes an excellent adversary for T'challa. Priest has made him into a 3 dimensional character and lines of right and wrong are not clearly drawn. This issue seems to have a little clearer story telling which helps in the reading. The one thing I didn't like was the appearance of the bad guy at the end of the book. I have seen it several times and have never been impressed with him, but he made a great entrance. I was truly shocked by what he did. Its always nice when a books throws a nice surprise. I think Priest is going to make this villain likeable now. I do hope Moon Knight becomes more involved in the story though, because I rather like him. He seemed like window dressing here. Recommendation: Run! Don't walk to your store and buy this book. If only Christopher Priest could do for the Ray what he has done for the Black Panther. I did reread the Ray series to see if I still thought Priest ruined it. Yep, but not everybody gets a hit at bat every time. A Good Comic for the Kids DragonBall Issue 29 (Inside) or Part 3 Number 1 (On cover) Viz Comics - 2.95 By - Akira Toriyama Viz should go with one numbering system or the other. I rather like dividing it up into different parts. Each part is a clean break from the previous story and makes a nice jumping on point, just as this issue makes a nice jumping on point. This series is much more enjoyable than the Dragonball Z series. While I enjoy DBZ, everybody and their friend seem to be stronger than Superman. In this series the focus isn't always on fighting. Although, Part 2 was about the Strongest Under The Heavens Tournament, the story was done in a lighthearted and fun way. With the tournament over, Goku sets out to find the Four Star DragonBall, which was given to him by his grandfather. It's the only thing he has left from his grandfather. Of course there is somebody else looking for the Dragonballs, which brings them into conflict with Goku. Some manga that I have read seem to contain hardly anything on the page. Dragonball sometimes suffers from that and it is a faster read than other comics, but it is written for a younger audience. The letter pages are a lot of fun to read. They are filled with letters from kids and the artwork they send in. It's nice to see that stuff printed. Not many letter columns and that kid friendly. If your kids like Dragonball Z, then buy the comic. While your there pick this one up for them also! A trade Paperback of Part 1 is due out in August, which would make a great gift for the little ones. It should be noted that these comics read from the back to the front as they do in Japan. Over there they read from left to the right and this takes a bit of getting used to. There are instructions on one of the covers, which helps you figure out in which order the boxes need to be read. Well that is all for this week. I also got Empire by Mark Waid and just finished it. It was an excellent book. I highly recommend this book. I liked it a lot better than ShockRockets. Look for Aquaman #70, which came out this Wednesday. I will review this one next week. This is some of Jurgens best work ever. Got Something to say? cct107@psu.edu ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Sound And Fury Craig Lemon craiglemon@aol.com [Craig writes about comics, football and the price of bananas (well, maybe) at www.themestream.com, stop by if you have the chance.] A special Sound And Fury this week, a chance for you, the reader, to take advantage of my misfortune. Let me fill you in on the details, and you will also find out why I'm annoyed with comics this week. Like many other people, I have a particular wants list of back issues of various comics that I've been looking out for. It seems that I've been trying to find these forever: some of the early Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, the conclusion to the recent House of Secrets run, the missing two or three issues of Grant Morrison's Animal Man run. And then there are a few other series' that I haven't got many issues of at all, but want to get a specific set - for example, Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, Shade The Changing Man, Aztek: The Ultimate Man. You get the idea. Filling in back issues is a time-consuming (and sometimes expensive) task - visiting comics shops, calling others, trawling the web - made all the more difficult by living in England and being unwilling to pay the huge amounts charged in, firstly, international shipping, and secondly, conversion of currency from sterling to dollars. However, a recent advertisement in Comics International featured the resumption of business of quite a large, British, back issue stockists. Huge range of comics, never had a problem ordering from there in the past, and, get this - they had everything I needed, in terms of individual issues. Plus. They were also offering bundles of comics for 18p each. You basically bought three bundles of 10 comics, from a range of categories, and you got a random selection of 10 issues from those categories. Such categories included Doom Patrol and Shade The Changing Man. A-ha, thinks I, get three bundles of 10 from each category, and I've got a cheap way to get 30 DP issues, and 30 STCM issues. Only problem - what if there is duplication between the bundles? So I checked. I rang them up, and place my order for the individual issues, and asked if you ordered three bundles from one category, would the comics definitely be different from bundle-to-bundle. Answer - yes. Good news, says I, and order the three bundles of DP, and three of STCM. Comics turn up, eight weeks later. Let's forget about the issue of protracted delivery, and concentrate on the comics. Open the first bundle - 10 random issues of Doom Patrol. Nice. Open the second bundle - 10 random issues of DP - the same 10 as in bundle #1. Uh oh. Open the third bundle - 10 random issues of DP - the same 10 as in the previous two bundles. This is not good news. In fact, the story is the same for the Shade The Changing Man comics too. So, I've got three copies of each of 10 issues of these series'. What to do? Send them back, you may say, but this is a lot of comics, the box is quite hefty, and getting this stuff into a post office during opening hours is not going to happen - I work during the week, the box is too heavy to take into work, and my home is some way from the nearest P.O. anyway (we live in relatively deserted countryside). Plus, the stated returns policy is back with them within 7 days of receipt - doesn't leave much time to get the comics back, does it? Needless to say, I'm not very happy with this situation, and obviously will be writing to complain, and I won't use this company again. In the meantime, what to do with these excess comics? They weren't expensive, but I don't keep duplicates, so I've got 20 copies of Doom Patrol and 20 of Shade The Changing Man to find good homes for. So, why not give them away here? That's right, the first 20 people that email me at craiglemon@aol.com with their mailing address, with get an issue of DP, and an issue of STCM mailed off to them. All I ask that you do, is tell me in your email your favourite three recent (in the last year or so) comics (graphic novels or individual issues), and, most importantly, why. If you don't say what and why, you don't get the comics. Can't say fairer than that, can I? Some of you guys get some free comics, and I get a bunch of recommendations to mull over, and use for a future column or two! Everyone's a winner! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: Warren Ellis Strange Kiss #1, #2, #3 Publisher: Avatar Written by: Warren Ellis Drawn by: Mike Wolfer & Dan Parsons Price: $3.00 To Contact Publishers: Snail Mail: Avatar Press, 9 Triumph Drive, Urbana, IL 61802 Website: http://www.avatarpress.com Email: avatar@net66.com Comments: What would you do if you saw a beautiful woman with raven black silky hair staring at you? You would probably stare back. What would you do if this same woman took a knife and mutilates her face in front of you and asks..."do you still think I'm pretty?" I know, you'd probably run, I know I would! This mysterious woman has a very important part in all 3 issues of Strange Kiss. This very same woman has a very large lizard living in her belly. But, we'll get to that later. Let's change scenes. Bull is laying up in the hospital and a friend named William Gravel talks with him and is curious about his sexual preferences. The reason why is because Bull was seen in Kosovo sodomizing a Serb General right in the middle of the street during this wartime period. Now Bull lays in the hospital bed with something huge growing inside of his stomach and his manhood actually rotted off! Sound strange? It only gets stranger from here. Bull's stomach bursts in the hospital and a hundred baby lizards come out of his intestines! Another man lays in the hospital and his genitals have rotted off. This story is disturbing and you will be haunted by the story long after you finish reading it. You'll see an exhibition called "Whores of the Lizard" and let me give you a hint, these lizards need humans for incubators. The last issue has a lizard larger than Godzilla in the storyline and he is on a rampage! To fully understand this story, buy the issues, you won't be disappointed! Did I mention that the artwork is outstanding? Let me tell you all of the Avatar comics have outstanding artwork with splendid details! NO cartoony work here! Name: Faust #1/2, #1, #2 Publisher: Avatar Written by: David Quinn Drawn by: Timothy B. Vigil Price: $3.95 To Contact Publishers: Snail Mail: Avatar Press, 9 Triumph Drive, Urbana, IL 61802 Website: http://www.avatarpress.com Email: avatar@net66.com Comments: Meet the sexy seductive Joanna Tan. Wait until you see her incredible costume with metallic talons similar to Wolverine! You will find some great artistic pin-ups and learn about the Warriors of Singha's Talons! Brutal war depiction is shown with the Singha's Talons! Everything is in here, magic, demons, arcane art and a whole lot more! You might even find some ethereal creatures that touch things and they vaporize. A companion of Joanna is Sinclair Cabal the urban magus who has the power of the third eye. In one scene he almost gets digested by a sinister tree! There is cult following for Faust, so I don't have to mention the unique and fascinating story-telling or the magnificent artwork! You should know that already! Name: Genaissance #1 Publisher: Visual Assault Written by: Ryan Scorpio-Rhys Drawn by: Keith Robinson/pencils Ryan/inks Price: $2.95 To contact publishers: Email: Visassault@aol.com Snail Mail: Visual Assault, Murray Hill Station, PO Box 1122, New York, NY 10156-1122 Comments: Biblical story that deals with angels of all types. Very nice and I mean very nice artwork! Well thought out bible story with Enoch. In this story there is talk of transgression of God's commandment and the consequences there of. If you collect those little angel knick knacks, you are going to love this angelic comic book! Heavy drama and at times the story becomes very adventurous! Highlights on Noah's arc focuses into the story and the place for people who dishonor God is shown to Enoch. Enoch is seeing more than any normal mortal. This bible story had me enthusiastically turning one page to another! High adventure done the angelic way! Powerful story that ran smoothly without a hitch! Name: Infinite Tales #2 Publisher: Blue Moon Comics Price: $3.95 To Contact Publisher: Blue Moon Comics - HC 66 Box 1448, Barbourville, KY 40906 Website: http://www.bluemooncomics.tsx.org Email: Blue_moon_99@hotmail.com Comments: Well put together comic book with an anthology of excellent stories! First story is called 'Ultimus' - written by Lavishing Lloyd Smith and art by JP Dupras. From the book of prophets - the deliverer shall fall from the sky - his coming will light the sky! A powerful being named Monark comes to the rescue of the 'light from the sky'. Monark was once a great ruler, but a being named Lusifer has brought rioting, poverty, drugs, perversion, pestilence and famine! Can 'the light from the sky' aka Ultimus restore Monark's rulership and end the rule of Lusifer? This exciting story will move onto the next ish! This story moved lightning fast with high paced drama in the horizon! Excellent story-telling with some very beautiful artwork to go with it! I loved Ultimus's costume and you'll love it too! Skyblazer - Written by Lloyd Smith - Drawn by Evan Driscoll/pencils David Vance/inks. This story deals with the military, top secret missions and a small airstrip in Arizona. Would you believe Nick Fury's son or nephew might be in this story? A MP (Military Policeman) named 'Fury' who smokes cigarettes and looks like Nick Fury, and even has an eye patch is in this story! A very cool X090 Rocketplane is shown and this experimental model will be flown by Skyblazer! The excitement builds from here on out and you'll find yourself using both hands to hold onto your seat as Skyblazer takes this rocketplane for a thrilling flight! Champion of Light - Champion of Darkness! by Ed Quimby: Meet Terry "Ripcord" Vandal - primetime TV hero! Also meet the mighty Sandow! Who are these guys? Move over ECW Wrestling - move over WCW Wrestling - move over WWF Wrestling! We now have the Blue Moon Wrestling Federation and Terry 'Ripcord' Vandal and Sandow are just a couple in a huge stable of wrestlers! High paced wrestling laced with intense drama. At the end you will meet someone very mysterious and his named is "The Masked Wrestler" and souls are in the bargaining! One Simpleton - by Steve Skeates and illustrations by Tommy Doyle and Larry Blake. In this hilarious story we have the hero One Simple Ton fighting against the Damnation Army. This is done in text form with illustrations thrown in. One Simple Ton reminds me a lot like Herbie...remember Herbie? One Simple Ton is a very strange character and his appearance alone will have you laughing until Coke comes out of your nose...if you're drinking Coke at this period of time! Space Thunder - Written by Dave. A. Law and art by Vatche Mavlian. Sci Fi excellence is found in this story! Learn about the great amulet of light. Follow the adventure! Move over Flash Gordon! Move over Space Thunder! Space Thunder is here! No Man Can Stop Toombora! Story by Lloyd Smith, Pencils/Phil Fried, Inks/Dick Ayers. Remember Marvel/Timely Horror Comics like Fin Fang Foom? Well, get ready for Marvel inspired Toombora! This is how Toombora talks..."Where are you going? You can't escape Toombora! You will die for your insolence human!" Toombora is raising havoc on the busy city street and I'm waiting for Godzilla to appear any moment to smash this evil monstrosity! Remember how a virus killed the Martians in "War of the Worlds"? Well, something can stop Toombora and I ain't tellin'! Gosh! I love this story! My final comment: If you like to be taken back into the time when comics were fun, then I.T. is for you! Great talents contribute for each big fat issue! The stories hit me like a tidal wave - a major impact with unforgettable stories! Sheer excellence! Name: From the Desk of Warren Ellis Publisher: Avatar Price: $6.95 To contact Avatar: Email: Avatar@net66.com Comments: About 80 pages from the mind of Warren Ellis fills up this whole comic book. Spectacular articles like "Cutting the Meat off Comics - Frank Miller and Sin City", "Comics Look Bastard Ugly" and "Writing for Comics" in which Warren details browsing through book stores for hours, how some comics look butt ugly because of the horrid artwork and how he used to shoot the gab in a column for Comic World Magazine and many other topics. Very entertaining read and if you are a fan of Warren Ellis, you're going to get a kick out of this book! Name: Threshold #25 and #26 Publisher: Avatar Price: $3.50 Comments: A variety of stories and I do mean a variety! Let's briefly talk about some of them: Story: Dark Blue Written by: Warren Ellis Art by: Jacen Burrows Comments: We get 2 stories. The first one you will see a hard-nosed detective interrogating a prisoner to the breaking point! The breaking point leads to a severe pistol whipping with blood splattered on the walls, on the detective's clothes, on the floor. Be warned some of Avatar's comics are not for the weak stomached. The artwork is always exceptional and everything is detailed extremely well, it's as if you were watching a movie. In the second story there is more extensive violence and in one scene you will see hacked-up cadavers strewn everywhere. A torso here, a head here, a couple of legs over here and so on! This grisly sight is worse than anything seen in the movie "Hellraiser". Warning: Not for the screamish! Dark Blue is powerful and hard-hitting! Story: Pandora Written by: Christensen & Seifert Art by: Philip Xavier and Rick Lyon Comments: Egyptian oriented story in which focuses on how the belief system came about for the goddess Isis. In this story you'll run into the Cult of Isis and many other surprises! This story is as good as the summer blockbuster hit of "The Mummy". This comic book sweeps you away to the arid deserts of Egypt! There is a second story in which you think you're meeting an angel known as the Guardian of Cloud City and certain twists in the story that will show you that the angel is actually a demon. If you love demons known as a Succubus, then you're going to love this story. More horrific than the movie "The Entity"! Story: Falina Written by: Christensen & Seifer Art by: Sean Shaw Comments: Meet Fauna the Jungle Girl! Gorgeous woman swinging on vines that even makes reference to Tarzan. Enchanting story that will take you in the land of dinosaurs! Story: Lookers Written by: Christensen & Seifer Art by: Patrick Fillion Comments: If you love Cagney and Lacey, you won't love them anymore, because these two hot detective babes will have you looking! Plenty of hard-edged action as they take it to the extreme and investigate the world of 'snuff films'. This story not only has the action, but also is super laced with heavy drama! Definitely my kind of story! Name: Ana #1 - Jungle Girl Publisher: Avatar Price: $3.50 Written by: Dave Campiti Drawn by: Al Rio Comments: Very shocking scenes in this issue as Ana is attacked by an 'organ' monster and then brutally ravaged by savages. She encounters a land of dinosaurs and is rescued for a spell by a handsome warrior. Love hits her hard with the warrior as she plays out her role well as the 'damsel in distress'. Uhhh.....as you get into this story, you find out she was in a virtual reality world! Great story, that keeps you right on the edge! Name: Red Star #1 Publisher: Image Comics Credits: A.D. Coulter - Goss - Kayl - Snakebite Price: $2.95 Comments: Excellent story with gorgeous artwork! This is about an alternate Russia called United Republics of the Red Star - U.R.R.S. Maya, a sorceress writes a heartfelt letter to her lover Marcus. She discusses with her comrade about the Great Patriotic War and how the Nistaani Religious army fought them to a standstill. The Nistaani were relentless! Sci fi technology is incorporated into the story from teleportation done in a isolation chamber to witnessing a 'burn' on ground level which sounds a lot like nuclear fallout, especially when they mention that the desert sand turned to glass. With Red Star technology they finally defeat the Nistaani...so they thought. The Nistaani bring out their last hope...a being called 'Kar Dathra the Eternal!' Ingenious story - you have to check this one out! MOE Sidenote: New at Broadway Comics & Cards are the following comics: Pulp #7 (Manga); Deadenders #6 by Vertigo; Accelerate #1 by Vertigo; Violent Messiahs #1. Pulp #7 is a 215 page thick magazine with interviews, anthology of stories that contain violence, drama, and comedy. Plenty of reading and a good speed-reader might have to spend a couple of evenings digesting this Manga marvel! I will be doing an overview of Violent Messiahs...so be looking out for what I have to say about this new comic book. From what I've seen, it looks promising. For more information about any of the above-mentioned comic books, you can contact Wilson Lew, owner of Broadway Comics & Cards at: wilsonlew@sprintmail.com MOE Sidenote: New at A1 Comics are the following comics: Charm School #1 by Slave Labor Graphics, American Splendor, Lazurus #1 by DC Comics, Mostly Wanted by Wildstorm, Hyperdolls by Ironcat, Forgotten Realms - The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch and plenty more. For more information, you can contact Brian Peets, owner of A1 Comics at: A1Comics@a-1comics.com 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!"] I received two comics from Dork Storm Press to review. One is an old favorite I have been raving about, DORK TOWER from Corsair Publishing and the other is new to me, NODWICK from Henchmen Publishing. The two have joined forces with the creator of the former, John Kovalic acting as CEO and the creator of the later, Aaron Williams as art director of the new Dork Storm Press. Dork Tower #8 was out earlier as the last issue under the Corsair label. NODWICK #8 is the first under the new imprint. The two will alternate publishing months with DORK TOWER #9 due out August 1. DORK TOWER #8 [High Sobriety] 32 pages, black & white, color covers, $2.95 Corsair Publishing PO Box 259836 Madison, WI 53725 http://www.corsairpub.com Created by John Kovalic John@kovalic.com If you are a fan of THE 3 GEEKS and have not yet picked up on DORK TOWER you are going to love it once you do. Where the GEEKS are goofing on the comic nerd stereotypes, DORK TOWER takes on gaming but does more than that and uses a more cartoonish approach, even with talking animals - a muskrat, Carson, being one of the main characters. The humor is not limited to gaming and similar hobbies though, right from the start we see a few thoughts about what a non-event the turn of the so-called millennium was. It seems Carson quit his job, withdrew his life savings and bought essential provisions (such as speculative copies of DANGER CHIX #1, and collectible Pez dispensers) for the disaster that never came. A series of job interviews are hilarious he manages to say just the wrong thing - mentioning his gaming and comic book collections as credentials, how he'd give his right arm to work for Medical Prosthetics Inc., asking if the office supplies are free to take at a security company, well you get the picture. Meanwhile, at the local store, Pegasaurus Games, protestors are picketing against POKEMON cards and actually driving sales through the roof as they buy as many as they can get to burn! The die hard gamers have mixed feelings - after all this is a game that is being protested but then Pokemon is hated by true gamers as it is a collectible card game not a role playing game. Should they counter protest, or break out the marshmallows? Meanwhile, disperate Carson tries to sell plasma, until he finds out that means HIS plasma, and on and on. Each issue is a wonderful collection of themes - some go on for several pages, usually with a punch line per page, others are a brief one or two. The long string here is the idea of the protesting and the things it represents, what it leads to and the hypocrisy it sometimes embraces - all done with tongue in cheek and very funny characters. As back up material there are sometimes short adventures of Carson, or as in this issue a page of strips titled WILDLIFE. The theme this time is "Signs you're spending too much time online." And the inside back cover had "Murphy's Rules', a cartoon depiction of silly actual rules from some games that don't make sense - like in SIMCOPTER you can rescue jumpers by plucking them off a roof and then crashing the copter. From cover to cover this title is full of entertainment and sometimes you may see yourself in the quirks of the main characters. I got an early issue from John and got hooked immediately. This latest issue still holds the same attraction as the first. One of the best for pure fun! Next issue will have a cover by Dave Sim featuring a certain AArdvark - huzzah! Look for it August 1. NODWICK #3 [Hench Games] 32 pages, black & white, $2.95 Henchmen Publishing PO Box 10032 Kansas City, MO 64171 Created by Aaron Williams aaron@nodwick.com Nodwick is a henchman by trade. This is set in medieval times and a henchmen have their own union. The president is a hamster, elected during a drunken revelry and now a contest will be held to determine the next president - The Hench Games. Now these are not games in which henchmen compete as much as they are used by the real competitors. Each team is also competing for a cash prize and they use the henchman to get past obstacles or to take the brunt of arrows, or darts or other dangers. Nodwick is entered by his employers - who have had lots of practice patching him up, sometimes with duct tape. There are users of magic and swordsman on each team and one team is using a golem created by magic as its henchman and is running away with the contest. Each new event bring new injuries and more duct tape for Nodwick. That other team is cheating but the rules allow even that so Nodwick's team needs to get a plan to negate the golem's magic. The sight gags here are the fun - events like dodge-curse, synchronized looting, hench vaulting and more are as silly as they sound. The last event is a magic carpet ride with henchmen on a rope dangling below so as to grab a treasure chest with the prize money off of a tower. How they manage to win the contest and defeat the seemingly unstoppable golem is the part you will just have to buy the book to see. While this is not as funny a book as DORK TOWER, I found it fresh and original. The characters interact well and the script is well laid out and executed. The combinations of the dialogue and the art make everything work in flowing fashion. You really feel sorry for the poor little guy being used in this fashion, even though he is a willing participant but you can't help but laugh at the 3 Stooges type comedy that is central to the theme of these games. I'll be looking for the next book to see what else Aaron has in store for Nodwick. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 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, / /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) Gloom Cookie #5, 2.95 Lenore #8, 2.95 Rare Creature #3 (Of 4), 3.50 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Betty & Veronica Spectacular #43, 1.99 Laugh Digest #159, 2.19 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Supreme The Return #6 (resolicited), 2.99 CHAOS! COMICS Purgatori Vs Chastity #1, 2.95 Purgatori Vs Chastity #1 Dlx Ed, 12.00 CLAYPOOL COMICS Soulsearchers #42, 2.50 CPM MANGA Time Traveler AI #9, 2.95 CROSSGEN COMICS Meridian #1, 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Blade Of The Immortal The Gathering (4 Of 15) #46, 2.95 Joker Mask #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Super Manga Blast #4, 4.95 Xena Warrior Princess #10, 2.95 Xena Warrior Princess Newsstand Photo Cover #10, 2.95 DC COMICS Accelerate #1 (Of 4), 2.95 Action Comics #768, 2.25 Batman #580, 2.25 Batman A Death In The Family TPB New Prtg, 12.95 Batman Beyond #10, 1.99 Batman Its Joker Time #2 (Of 3), 4.95 Catwoman #83, 2.25 Countdown #3 (Of 12), 2.95 Crimson #19, 2.50 Dexters Laboratory #12, 1.99 Flash #163, 2.25 Hellblazer #151, 2.50 Hitman #52, 2.50 Lazarus Five #2 (Of 5), 2.50 Legends Of The DC Universe #31, 2.50 Millennium Edition Kingdome Come #1, 5.95 Mostly Wanted #2 (Of 4), 2.50 Speed Racer The Original Manga Volume 1 TPB, 9.95 Supergirl #47, 2.25 Superman And Bugs Bunny #2 (Of 4) (resolicited), 2.50 Superman Annual #12, 3.50 The Patriots #8, 2.50 DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol X #7, AR FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Junior #1 (Of 5), 2.95 Whoa Nellie TPB, 9.95 FUNK-O-TRON, LLC Battle Pope #1 (Of 4), 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Blood Legacy #3, 2.50 Hawkshaws #2, 2.95 Magdalena #3, 2.50 Magdalena Blood Legacy Preview Book, AR Parts Unknown Hostile Takeover #1, 2.95 Section Zero #1, 2.50 Tomb Raider Witchblade #1/2, 2.95 Warlands #7, 2.50 Witchblade #41, 2.50 Witchblade Destinys Child #2 (Of 3), 2.95 Witchblade Revelations Dlx TPB, 24.95 MARVEL COMICS Avengers #31, 2.25 Before The 4 Ben Grimm And Logan #2 (Of 3), 2.99 Deadpool #43, 2.25 Gambit #19, 2.25 Marvel Knights Cvr A #2, 2.99 Marvel Knights Cvr B #2, 2.99 Marvel The Lost Generation #7 (Of 12), 2.99 Wolverine #153, 2.25 X-Men Universe #9, 3.99 ONI PRESS INC. Voodoom, 4.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Ranma 1/2 Part 9 #2 (Of 11), 2.95 Steam Detectives Vol 3 TPB, 15.95 Viz In Magazine Volume 12 #7, AR WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT Gatecrasher The Series #1, 2.50 Wizard The Comics Magazine Mystique Cover #107, 4.99 Wizard The Comics Magazine Professor X Cover #107, 4.99 Wizard The Comics Magazine Sabretooth Cover #107, 4.99 Wizard The Comics Magazine Wolverine Cover #107, 4.99 magazines Comic Shop News #680, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Classic Comic Char. Ignatz Statue #5 4/5 7/26 Classic Comic Char. Mandrake Magician Statue #7 7/26 8/9 Classic Comic Char. Olive Oyl Statue #6 7/12 7/26 Classic Comic Char. Prince Valiant Statue #3 2/2 7/12 Classic Comic Char. The Phantom Statue #4 3/1 7/12 Classic Comic Characters Krazy Kat Statue #1 1/5 6/28 Classic Comic Characters Popeye Statue #2 1/5 6/28 Digimon #4 07/26 07/05 DC COMICS Batman: It's Joker Time #2 06/28 07/05 Batman: Outlaws #1 07/05 07/12 Hawkman/Hawkgirl Deluxe Action Figure Set 6/21 6/28 JLA #44 6/28 7/5 MAD Bathroom Companion 7/5 7/12 Planetary #11 6/14 7/26 Preacher #65 07/05 07/12 Robin: Flying Solo TP 6/28 7/12 Steampunk #5 06/28 08/02 The Authority #16 06/28 07/05 Tomorrow Stories #8 6/7 TBD Top 10 #9 05/10 07/26 Wonder Woman #159 06/28 07/12 IMAGE Aria Vol. 1 TP 6/21 7/19 Aria/Angela: Heavenly Creatures #2 7/19 Astounding Space Thrills #2 07/19 Big Bang #32 06/14 07/12 Blood Legacy #3 6/28 7/12 Chassis #5 07/05 City of Silence #3 07/12 Cow #1 Spring 00 6/28 7/12 Dark Angel #1 06/28 07/05 Dark Crossings #2 07/19 DarkMinds II Poster #1 07/05 DarkMinds Vol. 2 #5 06/28 07/05 Darkness #33 07/12 Demonslayer Vol. 2 #3 07/12 07/19 Echo #0 07/19 Echo #4 06/28 07/05 Empire #2 7/5 7/26 EVE Protomecha #5 07/12 F5 #3 06/21 07/12 Fathom # 13 07/19 Fathom HC Excl. Signed Dustcover Ed. 6/28 7/26 Fathom HC 6/28 7/26 Gear Station #3 7/5 7/12 Geeksville #2 07/05 Geminar #1 06/14 07/19 Hawkshaws #2 7/5 7/19 Jinn #3 06/28 07/12 Kin #5 7/5 7/12 Kiss: Psycho Circus # 31 7/5 7/12 Lady Pendragon #10 06/21 07/12 Lost Ones #2 06/21 07/12 Magdalena #3 6/28 7/26 Messenger 07/19 M-Rex #3 06/07 07/12 Nine Rings of the Wu-Tang #5 07/05 07/12 Objective Five #1 07/05 Red Star #2 07/19 Saffire #2 7/5 7/19 Saint Angel #1 7/5 7/12 Sam & Twitch #12 07/05 Savage Dragon # 76 7/26 Savage Dragon #75 07/05 Shockrockets #4 07/19 Skinners #1 07/12 Soul Saga #3 7/19 Spawn #97 07/05 07/12 Spawn: The Dark Ages #16 7/5 7/12 Tomb Raider #7 07/19 Tomb Raider Vol. I: The Saga of the Medusa Mask 07/12 Top Cow Classics: Rising Stars #1 07/19 Warlands #7 06/21 06/28 Warlands #8 7/12 7/19 Warlands Chronicles Vol. 2 06/21 07/12 Wicked # 6 07/19 Witchblade #41 6/28 7/5 Witchblade #42 7/19 7/26 Witchblade Deluxe TPB: Revelations 6/28 7/12 Witchblade/DarkMinds Special (50/50) 07/12 Witchblade/DarkMinds Special 7/12 7/19 Witchblade: Destiny's Child #2 6/28 7/26 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] TOP 100 COMICS FOR - JUNE, 2000 Diamond Comics Distributors Rankings are based on orders placed by retailers and reflect total units ordered not dollar values of total ordered. Unit prices are given for reference only. This is NOT a list of comics that sold the most copies to the consumers - it is a list of ORDERS by DEALERS. TOP 100 COMICS - June 2000 Rank Title Cost Pub. 1 UNCANNY X-MEN #383 $2.99 MAR 2 X-MEN #103 $2.25 MAR 3 WOLVERINE #153 $2.25 MAR 4 FATHOM #13 (2 covers) $2.50 IMA 5 JLA #44 $2.25 DC 6 AVENGERS #31 $2.25 MAR 7 PUNISHER #5 $2.99 MAR 8 SPAWN #99 $2.50 IMA 9 DAREDEVIL #15 $2.99 MAR 10 FANTASTIC FOUR #32 $2.25 MAR 11 MARVEL KNIGHTS #2 (2 covers) $2.99 MAR 12 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20 $2.99 MAR 13 THOR #26 $2.25 MAR 14 PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #20 $2.25 MAR 15 BATMAN: DARK VICTORY #9 $2.95 DC 16 IRON MAN #31 $2.25 MAR 17 BATMAN #580 $2.25 DC 18 X-FORCE #105 $2.25 MAR 19 JLA ANNUAL #4 $3.50 DC 20 DETECTIVE COMICS #747 $2.50 DC 21 MARVEL BOY #1 $2.99 MAR 22 CAPTAIN AMERICA #32 $2.25 MAR 23 GENERATION X #66 $2.25 MAR 24 BATGIRL #5 $2.50 DC 25 X-MEN: THE MOVIE ADAPTATION ONE-SHOT $5.95 MAR 26 X-MEN: THE MOVIE - WOLVERINE PREQUEL (2 covers) $5.95 MAR 27 MUTANT X #22 $2.25 MAR 28 MAGNETO: DARK SEDUCTION #3 $2.99 MAR 29 FANTASTIC FOUR 2000 $3.50 MAR 30 SOUL SAGA #4 $2.50 IMA 31 CABLE #82 $2.25 MAR 32 SUPERMAN #159 $2.25 DC 33 X-MAN #66 $2.25 MAR 34 NIGHTWING #46 $2.25 DC 35 JSA #13 $2.50 DC 36 BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #6 $2.50 DC 37 BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #132 $2.25 DC 38 X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM #5 $2.99 MAR 39 PREACHER #64 (MR) $2.50 DC 40 X-MEN: THE MOVIE - MAGNETO PREQUEL $5.95 MAR 41 ACTION COMICS #768 $2.25 DC 42 X-MEN: THE MOVIE - ROGUE PREQUEL $5.95 MAR 43 WITCHBLADE #41 $2.50 IMA 44 ASTRO CITY VOL 2 #22 (RES) $2.50 DC 45 GREEN LANTERN #127 $2.25 DC 46 SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #103 $2.25 DC 47 THUNDERBOLTS #41 $2.25 MAR 48 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #581 $2.25 DC 49 GAMBIT #19 $2.25 MAR 50 TOMB RAIDER/WITCHBLADE $2.95 IMA 51 CRIMSON #19 $2.50 DC 52 INCREDIBLE HULK #17 $2.25 MAR 53 WITCHBLADE/DARKMINDS SPECIAL $5.95 IMA 54 FLASH #163 $2.25 DC 55 X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS #9 $2.50 MAR 56 BATGIRL ANNUAL #1 $3.50 DC 57 INHUMANS VOL. 2 #3 $2.99 MAR 58 THE DARKNESS #32 $2.50 IMA 59 THE TITANS #18 $2.50 DC 60 WARLANDS #9 $2.50 IMA 61 STEAMPUNK #5 $2.50 DC 62 PLANETARY #11 (RES) $2.50 DC 63 X-MEN: MILLENNIAL VISIONS ONE-SHOT $3.99 MAR 64 PLANETARY/THE AUTHORITY: RULING THE WORLD $5.95 DC 65 AUTHORITY #16 $2.50 DC 66 SUPERMAN/GEN13 #3 $3.50 DC 67 ROBIN #79 $2.25 DC 68 JENNY SPARKS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE AUTHORITY #1 $2.50 DC 69 BEFORE THE 4: BEN GRIMM & LOGAN #2 $2.99 MAR 70 SUPERMAN ANNUAL #12 $3.50 DC 71 MYSTIC #1 $2.95 CRO 72 SPIDER-MAN: DEATH AND DESTINY #1 $2.99 MAR 73 YOUNG JUSTICE #22 $2.50 DC 74 WITCHBLADE: DESTINY'S CHILD #3 $2.95 IMA 75 SPIDER-GIRL #23 $2.25 MAR 76 VIOLENT MESSIAHS VOL. 2 #1 (2 covers) $2.95 IMA 77 DAWN: RETURN OF THE GODDESS #4 $2.95 SIR 78 BATMAN/HUNTRESS: CRY FOR BLOOD #3 $2.50 DC 79 CRIMSON PLAGUE #1 $2.95 IMA 80 CAPTAIN MARVEL #8 $2.50 MAR 81 BIRDS OF PREY #20 $2.50 DC 82 CATWOMAN #83 $2.25 DC 83 SCION #1 $2.95 CRO 84 E.V.E. PROTOMECHA #5 $2.50 IMA 85 SIGIL #1 $2.95 CRO 86 STAR WARS: JEDI COUNCIL #1 $2.95 DAR 87 MERIDIAN #1 $2.95 CRO 88 WILDCATS VOL. 2 #12 $2.50 DC 89 BISHOP: THE LAST X-MAN #11 $2.25 MAR 90 DEADPOOL #43 $2.25 MAR 91 STAR WARS #19: TWILIGHT (Part 1 of 4) $2.95 DAR 92 GEN13 #54 $2.50 DC 93 SUPERMAN VS. PREDATOR #2 $4.95 DC 94 RED STAR #1 $2.95 IMA 95 F5 #3 $2.50 IMA 96 SPAWN: THE DARK AGES #16 $2.50 IMA 97 BATMAN: IT'S JOKER TIME #2 $4.95 DC 98 BONE #38 $4.95 CAR 99 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 (2 covers) $2.95 DAR 100 THE BATMAN OF ARKHAM $5.95 DC ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] HYPE! Section Various PREVIEW OF PREVIEWS Diamond has updated their web site for the new PREVIEWS out next week. Writer/Ad Coordinator Vince Brusio is the designated editorial writer for Previews' "The Splash Page" which is our source material On The Cover... Dark Horse grabs the front cover of Previews this month with a Star Wars comic about the evil Lord of the Sith. When last we saw him, Darth Maul got the salad shooter treatment from Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode 1, where he was sent tumbling down a shaft with his legs detached. But now there's a new story for you to read about Darth Maul which takes place prior to his demise at the hands of the young Jedi apprentice. It's a story that reads like a black ops mission, with our horn-headed villain leading the charge into doomsville. At last a space saga combat that stars the most ruthless Star Wars villain since Darth Vader. In Star Wars: Darth Maul #1, you get a 4-issue mini-series showing Lord Sidious and his deadly apprentice, Darth Maul, as they plot to pounce on the unsuspecting Jedi. But, as Murphy's Law would have it, conquest does not come easy as the Black Sun crime organization stands to challenge Sidious' plans — and aspirations. Does a would-be despot sit back and do nothing? Perish the thought. Sidious sends the death-dealing Darth Maul to do some dastardly deeds that will eliminate the competition, and keep the Sith Lord on schedule. It all happens in a 4-issue series that sports painted covers by none other than the talented Drew Struzan! On the flip side, DC takes the back cover of Previews with JLA: Heaven's Ladder, written by Mark Waid, with art chores by former Authority tag-team, Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary. This a story of gigantic proportions. So big that DC decided to give the writer and artists a bigger format to work with. A tabloid-size publication lets Mr. Waid and company weave a cinematic tale that shakes the ground and leaves dust in your mouth. Everyday life is turned upside down when a bunch of aliens decide to kidnap the Earth for a global science experiment. It seems that such an abduction is not uncommon either. Other worlds have fallen prey to the kidnappers, unable to defend themselves from becoming prized lab rats. So what can Earth do in its defense? Trying to reason with the kidnappers is like trying to teach babies how to fix a car stereo. Not much gets accomplished. You'd have better odds playing the lottery. But then let's not forget the heroes who were able to bring down the Hyperclan, Prometheus, and the Injustice Gang. Our costumed protectors aren't about to throw in the towel. In fact, they're just getting warmed up! When it all goes down, place your bets on the Justice League! Look for Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 and DC Comics' JLA: Heaven's Ladder in the Premiere section of Previews! Shi Returns With New Monthly Series Billy Tucci isn't resting for a minute. You'd think that after sweating over the blistering hot Wolverine/Shi, the artist/writer would take a break for once. Chill on the couch with some chips and a Kool-Aid. But no, Billy keeps the machine going with his latest project, Shi: Year of the Dragon #1, which debuts as a new monthly mini-series. The story centers around how 17-year-old high school student, Ana Ishikawa, tries to save her best friend, Yoko, from a dangerous lifestyle that leads to a deadly spiral of drugs, violence and prostitution. Penciled and colored in the "Pop Art" style of the late 80s icon, Patrick Nagel, this Shi series is something Tucci approaches hungrily. He's co-writing with Gary Cohn to create a hard-boiled tale that doesn't pull any punches. And doesn't make any excuses. Tucci explains "the use of clean lines and bold colors will be quite a contrast to the other books on the stands these days." He then added, "I knew I would eventually do a series using Nagel's techniques. And as far as the writing is concerned, it shows that Ana is all too human. Unfortunately this is a part of everyday life, and Gary and I both felt it was a story that had to be told." To further commemorate the series, a Joe Jusko Signed & Numbered Lithograph is available this month as well! Look for Shi: Year of the Dragon #1 from Crusade Entertainment in the Comics section of Previews. Gran'Ma Ben In Her Hey-Day Adventures Jeff Smith continues to give Bone readers all the eye candy that they can eat. But his newest treat is even sweeter, because it melts in your mouth and not in your hands. Acclaimed illustrator Charles Vess lends his artistic talent to Rose, the three-part Bone prequel that gives us the scoop on the lovable Gran'Ma Ben. Believe it or not, the feisty ol' coot was once an attractive princess! A princess that was a real looker, too. Men would swim oceans for the promise of a courtship. Rich, informative flashbacks flesh out Gran'Ma Ben to reveal how she was a bright caring young woman, who was once known as the beautiful Princess Rose. But she wasn't pampered. She was trained in the city of Atheia with the Veni Yan masters to assume the mantle of Queen. The regal princess had to be a formidable princess. One does not sit on a shelf, read books, and comb her hair in the sunlight, and expect to be a knowledgeable leader who knows of life outside of her bedchamber. She is thrown into the deep end of the pool to test the rough waters, and learn good from the bad by testing both her mind and her body. And lessons aren't always easy. Charles Vess does some of his best work in Rose, taking us through a window that Jeff Smith has shaped perfectly. There's good times, and bad ones. There's both sweet meat and sour pork. Look for Rose #1 from Cartoon Books in the Comics section of Previews. Ivory Goddess Modeling Prowess The diva of destruction will never be yesterday's news. She is eternal. Loved. Feared. And most importantly, always in your face, fanboy! Why are we all fired up? What makes your editorial writer grin with evil glee? Check out the Diamond Select Lady Death: Dark Millennium Cold-Cast Resin Statue and you'll see why the mercury in thermometers is rising throughout our office. Purgatori sculptor Sam Greenwall was apprehended again, and forced to work in the confines of a dungeon until he produced this 18" statue that was personally overseen by Lady D's creator, Brian Pulido. On a diet of water and stale breadcrumbs, Greenwall toiled to create a ravishing masterpiece which comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, and is limited to 5,000 pieces. But what really caught our eyes was the "Artist's Proof" statue, which is mounted on a black onyx base with a pewter nameplate. This rendition of the diva of death features a special gold treatment on Lady Death's outfit, and its limited to only 300 pieces . Quite the news of the day, wouldn't you say Chaos! fiends? If you're looking for a way to kiss up to her lovely lady of doom, picking up one of these statues will definitely move you to the front of the line. I'm Not Dead Yet When you expire, you cross over. That's the way it works. After the dirt nap, you take the long walk, go through that tunnel into the white light, and meet up with your loved ones. Then it's time for a cold one. But what would happen if that natural process was denied? What if you don't pass go and collect $200? Is it Purgatory for you? But what if there isn't a Purgatory? Most of you probably think the only other answer is limbo. But you'd be wrong again, because you didn't pick up The Coffin by Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston. Here is the answer: It is possible to keep the soul in stasis. You can stay at ground zero after the heart stops beating. Dr. Ashar Ahmad built a body suit that he uses to contain his soul after he's fatally wounded by his scumbag employer. And the thing works! Dr. Ahmad's soul lives on, even though he's died. His soul is encased by metal, so now he's a walking spirit. Yep. And if we listen closely, from high above in the clouds we can hear a familiar comedian screaming, "Oh! Ohhhhh! The dead live! The dead freakin' live! Put a stake in his heart! Kill him again!" But that's just it. You can't kill what doesn't live. So you're stuck with a dilemma. What happens next? And more importantly, what's going to happen to the scumbag employer when Dr. Ashar gets a mad-on? Is somebody going to meet his maker when all of this is over? Odds are_yeah. Look for The Coffin #1 by Oni Press in the Comics section of Previews. No Rest For The Wicked She's still trying to get her head straight in the newly reformed Chaos! universe. She doesn't have time for foolishness. Or murder. So, if she's not entirely with it, how is Chastity going to handle whatever it is that's killing off New York City's top martial arts masters in the most diabolical of fashions? The girl isn't Sherlock Holmes. She never pretended to be a detective. Heck, she's probably never seen a Dirty Harry movie. What she has been trying to do, though, is regain her focus and continue the martial arts training she began years ago. Time to get the Zen back, y'know? Come to grips with the yin and yang so as to become a fine-tuned chopping block. But you can't begin your training if all of the teachers have been massacred. Time to bring on the smack-down. Ram down the hammer, and put the hurtin' on whoever — or whatever — is lurking in the shadows, and snuffing the masters without mercy. Writer Steven Grant and artist Luke Ross put together the mini-series Chastity: Reign of Terror to let the sultry v