---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 359 3/15/2002 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Nominated as FAVORITE COMIC EMAG in the 2001 EAGLE AWARDS! 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] A View From the Cheap Seats ........... Rich Watson [6] Comics Culture Shrapnel ............... Kris Naudus [7] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [8] My View:WELCOME TO ELTINGVILLE, LEAGUE OF SUPER GROOVY CRIMEFIGHTERS, GET BenT, DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS ....... David LeBlanc [9] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [10] HYPE! Section ......................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by Yahoo!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag AOL text copies in Sci-Fi Library II - Keyword aol://4400:3990 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@yahoogroups.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.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 2002 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 Emag, simply Email it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com You must include your REAL name and a valid Email address in order to be published in this Emag. Sorry, we do not accept anonymous columns. 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 any comic book 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 also includes 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 any comic books 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 of our 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. AOL search/keyword: aol://4400:3990 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com Today is my birthday. My brother took me to see THE TIME MACHINE. We both enjoyed it - awesome effects. I had planned to get the mag out before we went out but something unforeseen came up and so I am once again laboring late to get it out before Saturday rolls around. Here is the new list I recommend. I think they are on sale - didn't get to the store yet either. . . CROSSGEN COMICS Negation #4, 2.95 Sigil #22, 2.95 Sojourn #9, 2.95 DC COMICS Power Company #2, 2.50 Suicide Squad #7, 2.50 DORK STORM PRESS Dork Tower #16 (resolicited), 2.99 IMAGE COMICS Black Tide #3, 2.95 Noble Causes Gleason Cvr #2, 2.95 INSIGHT STUDIOS GROUP Liberty Meadows #25, 2.95 MARVEL COMICS Origin #5, 3.50 <------------Pick of the week! X-Force #125, 2.25 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Bastard #4 Ninja (2 Of 3), 3.95 Vagabond Part 1 #5, 4.95 WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT Just A Pilgrim Garden Of Eden #1 (Of 4), 2.99 Just A Pilgrim Garden Of Eden #1 Glenn Fabry Variant Cover, 2.99 magazines Comics International #143, 2.25 The emag could be late next week. Once again I am travelling and not getting back home until Friday. We'll see. See you then. David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment, including those sent to the columnists, may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj:Towering Above Ant Hills: TCI Inks New Deal Date:3/11/02 3:27:40 PM Eastern Standard Time From:interpreter11@comcast.net Friends, Lovers, Fellow Comics Masochists, Please note the new email address (which because of my cable service's recent "transitioning", is a slight variation on my old ISP address). Now onto a sliver of news regarding ... ----------------------- The Comics Interpreter is proud to announce our new distribution deal with Tower Records. Tower's magazine division has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the small press by carrying some of the world's best cutting edge magazines. By signing on with Tower, TCI is assured of being distributed in its' stores nationwide, and also in Tower's international stores based in Glasgow, Dublin, London, Tokyo, and Singapore. Look for shiny copies of TCI#6 (the Los Bros issue) on the shelves of your nearest Tower store in the coming weeks. With two additional contracts offered by major magazine distributors, and our ongoing relationship with Shenton Sales (which places the magazine in many of the best comics stores in the country) and Last Gasp, TCI is hoping to prove that comics-related material can succeed even without the services of the industry's monopoly distributor. A new issue is in the works (granted the gestation period is roughly that of an elephant's), but in the meantime look out for an extensive review of TCI #5 in the "Meet The Comics Press" section of an upcoming Comics Journal. ------------------------- And please feel free to fill us in on any, and all of your latest projects. We're always interested. best wishes, Robert Young Editor, The Comics Interpreter http://tci.homestead.com +++++ Subj:League of Crimefighters-NEW LOW PRICE Date:3/8/02 4:00:47 PM Eastern Standard Time From:AcntStdios@aol.com INTRODUCTORY OFFER- ISSUE #1 ONLY ONE DOLLAR! Ancient Studios would like to introduce you to League of Super Groovy Crimefighters for the low price of one dollar!!!! This plus their new policy of free shipping anywhere in the U.S. makes this a deal you can't pass up. Why are they slashing prices? Jan-Ives Campbell, creator, writer and publisher of this retro super-hero spoof had this to say, "I want to give as many people as possible the chance to read League and see how good it is. It's hard for the small press publisher to make an impact, so I've got to do anything and everything to get attention. Please help?!" League of Super Groovy Crimefighters #1 is available for free online (on your computer screen), so you can judge for yourself, but if you don't have all day to sit online and read comics, pick up the print version of issue #1, delivered to your door for a single buck. Terry Bradshaw's right, you can buy stuff for a dollar! Groovy! +++++ Subj:Comic book radio show info: March & April, 2002 From:nuffsaid@escape.com Hi, folks, 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is still on the air and over the internet for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM (eastern North American time) on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. There are TWO live streams (via 2600.com and escape.com) that you can get from our web site, http://www.nuffsaid.net. If one access is unavailable, try the other. Everyone with the right software (and there's a free download link from our site) should be able to get through now. In fact, I was told by one of the techies that only one show fills every slot and it ain't 'Nuff Said! (It's Gary Null.) Upcoming shows are: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 - We'll be discussing women in comics, all the way back to the 19th century, with Trina Robbins, author of "A Century of Women Cartoonists" and "The Great Women Cartoonists," among other things. Joining Mercy and I this week will be Margaret O'Connell, who also knows quite a bit about this subject. Your phone calls, too. Tuesday, March 26, 2002 - Marie Severin will join us to discuss the life and work of the late John Buscema, acclaimed long-time comics artist with many companies, but especially for Marvel. Possibly joining us will also be John's granddaughter Stephanie, who is inking her grandfather's last job. Marie is very impressed with Stephanie's work, and she should know, having worked many decades in the industry as an artist and in management! Your phone calls, too. Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - to be announced Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - A Charlton reunion panel taped at a recent Big Apple Con with George Wildman, editor and artist in the '70s and '80s; Joe Staton, whose first professional art assignment was for Charlton in the early '70s; Sergius O'Shaughnessie (aka Denny O'Neil), who started his writing career with Charlton in the mid-'60s and Jon Cooke, editor of Comic Book Artist. Moderated by Allan Rosenberg. Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - Jeff Lindenblatt sits in for Mercy and I, interviewing Brian M. Kane, author of "Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip" and David Spurlock, Brian's editor. Hal Foster created Prince Valiant and is one of the most influential comics artists of all time. Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - This show is turned over to the listeners. Mercy and I will do a couple of reviews then take phone calls. Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - To be announced. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. But via the internet for an even greater distance, natch. We cover the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) with Mercy E. Van Vlack. WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Explorations," "Democracy Now" or Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). For more information on the WBAI "situation" (a lot of you have asked me about it at conventions), I highly recommend checking http://www.glib.com. It's full of information, history and links covering several different points of view and is updated frequently (sometimes several times per day). WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, producer, interviewer and co-host ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet 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: Atlas, Thor, The Ring and Cupid belong to what super hero group? If I ran that question this week I would probably get more than one right answer, because the answer is one of the comics reviewed this week in MY VIEW, the League of Super Groovey Crimefighters. Sean Johnson was the only one to know and he wins Captain America: To Serve and Protect TP from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who (by name) gave Ayden's bow to Arwyn? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE Email your guess to ComicBkNet@aol.com or just REPLY to the message if you read the Emag in your mail. DO NOT quote the entire message! You MUST allow mail from ComicBkNet@aol.com to be notified if you win. 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. Winners will forfeit their prize if the Email notification is not accepted from ComicBkNet@aol.com LIMIT: ONLY ONE PRIZE every 4 weeks PER PERSON! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS NOW AVAILABLE FOR RETAILERS 3/8/02 **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** CREST HILL, IL- In an effort to assist comic retailers in better promoting the upcoming Free Comic Book Day event, a signage and graphic program has now been established. Joliet Pattern, an award winning printer and point-of-purchase display company, has teamed up with Diamond Comic Distributors to provide a low-cost, print to order signage program. The program includes a 2 foot by 12 foot horizontal banner, a 4 foot by 5 foot vertical banner, a 24 inch by 30 inch window cling, and a two-sided corrugated plastic yard sign. "For Free Comic Book Day to be truly successful, the public needs to be made aware of it, and the best way to do that is with some big, bold graphics outside of the comic stores" stated Erik Enervold, Art Director at Joliet Pattern and the initiator of the FCBD signage program. "We really wanted to help support comics and the FCBD program and the best way for us to do that is by offering our graphics and printing services. This is just our little way of helping support this great event. We hope that we can help retailers make this a great event for their stores" he added. These items are being produced with state-of-the-art digital printing equipment which allows the company to produce short run graphics very quickly and cost effectively. Quantities as low as one print can be produced with out all of the film, material and set-up costs associated with traditional printing. The company will fill orders as received and ship each order directly to the retailer. These items are being sold to retailers at cost and an informational webpage has now been set up at: http://www.comicartsonline.org/fcbd.html to help facilitate orders. In addition to standard sizes and graphics in this program, custom services are also available. "Digital printing allows us quickly produce custom one-of-a-kind graphics directly from a computer file. So, we are able to do custom sizes and graphics if a retailer has special needs or wants to include custom graphics, like their store logo." explained Enervold. For more information or to place an order, contact: Erik Enervold at Joliet Pattern phone: 815.726-5373 fax: 815.722.8984 email: graphicsdept@jolietpattern.com +++++ This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to CBEM by jackr@axess.com A Museum Gives Comic-Strip Works a New Cachet March 14, 2002 By STEPHEN KINZER LINCOLN, Neb. - Inside and out, the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska here is a temple of high modernism. Designed by Philip Johnson in the early 1960's, the building is austere and contemplative, with high ceilings, carpeted walls and sight lines that focus attention on large works. Its exhibitions, which usually come from the museum's own collection, feature revered figures like Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden Hartley. In February and early March, however, the Sheldon presented a show unlike anything it had done before. Instead of semi-abstract landscapes and nudes, visitors found Dick Tracy, Pogo, Flash Gordon and Superman. "Comic artists have developed dynamic and powerful aesthetic vocabularies that seize and sustain attention through the creative juxtaposition of words and images," said a sign at the entrance to the show, "Comics, Heroes and American Visual Culture." "While the popularity of comic art has tended to scare off art critics, art historians and museum curators, this popularity is due in large measure to its compelling aesthetic features." This was not the first exhibition of comic-strip art to hang in a fine-art museum, but it signified a departure. The museum's curator, Daniel A. Siedell, said he wanted to make the Sheldon the first fine-art museum in the United States not only to show comic-strip art regularly, but also to try to blend it into its modernist collection. "This flies in the face of everything we've done before," he said. "Our collection is changing. The tension is really there between popular and high art, and the challenge we're looking at now is how to integrate this into the collection we already have." Mr. Siedell did not seek this challenge. It was thrust upon him when Daniel F. Howard, a painter and former chairman of the art and art history department at the university, donated his 120-piece collection of original comic-strip art to the museum. Rather than treat this gift as the basis for a single exhibition or as a collection apart from what the museum already owns, Mr. Siedell hopes to use it to contest the view that comic-strip art has little or nothing to do with the more serious kind, he said. Several other art museums, thinking that the exhibition was traveling, have inquired about displaying it. Their assumption was not unreasonable, as it is a new idea for a conventional art museum to own such a collection. The Sheldon recently sold about 60 pieces from its collection, most of them European works that were not in keeping with its concentration on American modernism, even though some were considered outstanding art. Now it plans to buy more comic-strip works, beginning with those by contemporary masters of the genre, like Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman and S. Clay Wilson. "We'd like to make this comic art part of a larger popular culture program, but in a way that doesn't ghettoize it," Mr. Siedell said. "There's a comic-art cult made up of people who would come to see this even if it were hanging at the Holiday Inn. That's not what this is about. We want to show it in the context of our collection, to explore how this genre impacted and is impacted by the whole tradition of Western art." "What's the relationship between this art and forms like Cubism and Surrealism?" he asked. "How can you take it seriously without giving the sense that you're slumming, and in a way that doesn't make fine art seem irrelevant? Can you do this at all without offending people who are used to art museums as pristine places, and maybe even shifting their perceptions? These are new questions that we're asking ourselves these days." One of the obvious challenges is physical. The Sheldon, like many art museums, is designed for the contemplation of works from a distance. But much comic art can only be appreciated up close and seems lost on walls designed for large-scale oil paintings. A larger question is whether this work can be considered art. About half of the pieces in the recent show depict superheroes like Spiderman and Captain Marvel and might seem closer to illustration. But other pieces, like old strips depicting Krazy Kat, who has been cited by artists like Franz Kline as an inspiration, are harder to dismiss. American artists as varied as Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Ramos and Enrique Chagoya have adapted comic-strip art techniques, but they have done so within the studio, gallery and museum worlds. Those environments are only beginning to open to comic-strip artists. In recent years, comic-strip art has won sometimes reluctant acceptance as a legitimate way of telling complex stories. A few works, like Mr. Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning Holocaust epic, "Maus," and Joe Sacco's harrowing "Safe Area Gorazde: The War in Bosnia, 1992- 1995," have been widely praised for their success in placing world events in emotional as well as historical context. Graphic novels, fictional narratives told in comic-book style, are also becoming steadily more sophisticated. One that has attracted considerable notice recently is Chris Ware's "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth." Mr. Ware visited the Sheldon for a symposium after the opening of the show here. After the symposium, Mr. Ware said he sensed that the world of fine art was offering "an increasing embrace" of the comic-strip form, which he called a welcome relief from "branding comics as a facile stand-in for all that's vacuous and empty about American life and culture." "Caricature has been a part of `fine' art from Goya to Philip Guston," he said. "The fact that everyone can own a comic strip or a comic book is one of the aspects of the form that appeals to me most, but also is one of the aspects which will probably forever prevent it from being accepted as art." "If a reader doesn't understand or `get' a painting, one is apt to blame one's own ignorance of the history of painting," Mr. Ware said. "If one doesn't understand a comic strip, one is more likely to blame the artist." http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/arts/design/14ARTS.html?ex= 1017116809&ei=1&en=ac2543117d683b3b +++++ Fox Acquires Live-Action Theatrical Rights to `DRAGONBALL'; Worldwide Phenomenon Encompassing Comic Books, Television, Video and Games to Become Live Action Motion Picture Event LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 12, 2002--Twentieth Century Fox has acquired rights to turn the worldwide pop cultural phenomenon DRAGONBALL into a live action, event motion picture under its Fox 2000 division, it was announced today by Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman, Chairmen of Fox Filmed Entertainment. Fox 2000 president Elizabeth Gabler will oversee the project. Created by Japanese writer Akira Toriyama as a best-selling graphic novel, DRAGONBALL has become a multimedia phenomenon, including television, home videos, video games -- and now, motion pictures. The property, which for over 15 years has chronicled the mythology of its characters and settings, has an enormous following among young adult males as well as kids. DRAGONBALL is a top-rated show on the Cartoon Network. In addition, it is the most popular searched term in the history of the Lycos Top 50, and receives over five million hits a day on the official DRAGONBALL Web site. Fox acquired the rights from Mr. Akira Toriyama, who was represented by his publisher, Shueisha. The parties also plan to pursue development of other projects controlled by Shueisha, a leader in the field of manga and anime properties. Commented Mr. Akira Toriyama: "I have always drawn my manga (comics) with the desire to create something unique to comics, something that can only be expressed in the form of comics. I felt that if I didn't do so, the reason for the existence of my comics will become weak. But recent movies have surprised us by entering such territory that used to belong only to comics with wonderful technology and wisdom. As a big movie fan, I am truly looking forward to the movie version of DRAGONBALL. I hope you will entertain millions and millions of people with the brand new DRAGONBALL of a totally new dimension that surpasses my imagination." Added Shueisha: "DRAGONBALL has intrigued children all over the world, once in manga and twice in animation. And now the third chance to intrigue the world has come in live action feature film with Twentieth Century Fox as the powerful partner. We can't wait to see how the film turns out. We're sure that children all over the world share our excitement." Commented Fox's Mr. Gianopulos: "Acquiring DRAGONBALL is a major coup for the studio. It's an amazing and creative property, rich in great characters and unique worlds, and we are thrilled to be involved with it. We look forward to launching DRAGONBALL as our newest live-action motion picture franchise." The various DRAGONBALL properties relate an epic story between good and evil, involving super-powerful beings from another planet, known as the Saiyans, who protect Earth from the forces of darkness. Chief among the characters is the heroic Goku. +++++ Marvel Enterprises to Host Q4/Year-End Webcast Friday, March 22nd At 11:00 A.M. EST NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2002--Marvel Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: MVL) announced today that it will host a webcast open to all investors at 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday, March 22. On the webcast Marvel's management team will review its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2001 and provide an overview of its operations. Marvel will release financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2001 prior to the market's opening that day. Investors may access the live webcast on the Internet via www.vcall.com or directly at http://www.vcall.com/EventPage.asp?ID=80960; allow 15 minutes to register and download and install any necessary software. Following its completion, a replay of the call can be accessed for fourteen days on the Internet at either of the above links. With a library of over 4,700 proprietary characters, Marvel Enterprises, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel's operations are focused in four areas: entertainment (Marvel Studios), licensing, toys (Toy Biz) and comic book publishing. Marvel facilitates the creation of entertainment projects, including feature films, television and dvd/home video based on its characters and also licenses its characters for use in a wide range of consumer products and services including video and computer games, apparel, collectibles, snack foods and promotions. Marvel's characters and plot lines are created by its comic book division which continues to maintain a leadership position in the U.S. and worldwide while also serving as an invaluable source of intellectual property. For additional information visit the Marvel Web site at http://www.marvel.com We hope you will be able to join the webcast. For further information or to receive future company news announcements via e-mail, please contact Richard Land or David Collins at 212/835-8500 or mvl@jcir.com. CONTACT: Jaffoni & Collins Richard Land or David Collins 212/835-8500 mvl@jcir.com +++++ CAGE IN THE SOURCE! Hey, True Believer! For all of you who monitor "mainstream" media coverage of comic books, the April 2002 issue of The Source, known as "The Magazine of Hip-Hop Music, Culture & Politics", features a half-page feature on the new CAGE series from Marvel's adult imprint, MAX Comics. Journalist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez calls Luke Cage "a hero to many urban youths" who's updated his look and now sports "bubble vests, baggy jeans and Timbs." The Source, which boasts the #1 circulation of any music magazine in America, quotes Editor Axel Alonso as saying "The new Cage is going to look like the kind of guy that's all brawn and no brains, but that's one of the things he plays to his advantage." And, in the face of an industry dominated by white characters, Alonso states that "The fact that Cage hasn't had his own book in so long seems ridiculous to me... it's time for a comic book that's led by a Black male for a change." 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ WRITER TAKES CONTROVERSIAL STAND ON VIOLENCE IN COMICS! NEW BOOK SEES THERAPEUTIC SIDE TO COMIC BOOK VIOLENCE!" March 12: Gerard Jones, author of many comic book series and a history of comics, has written a new book that takes a controversial stand on the violence in comics: he thinks body-ripping hyper-violence is good for kids. Jones, a father himself, makes his case in ``Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence'' which will be released by Basic Books in early April. Portions of Jones' book have already been released and generated controversy on the MOTHER JONES website. The editor for Mother Jones sought Jones out after hearing him calmly discuss his views on the radio. ``I thought he was making a very, very controversial point, but that he was making it in a compelling, evenhanded and rational way,'' senior editor Vince Beiser told the MERCURY NEWS. The MERCURY NEWS reports Jones "thinks one of the keys to kids' psychological health is letting them work through their fears and anger in daydreams about guns, swords and fearsome imaginary powers. Not surprisingly, he's upsetting people by saying so. ``If we try to censor and take away this stuff, we send the message that kids' interests and fantasies are dangerous,'' says Jones, who lives in San Francisco. ``It's the kids who get to explore these things who keep fantasy and reality in context.'' MERCURY NEWS said: "Jones is cheeky enough to face off against everything from academic research on child behavior to rampant complaints about a growing coarseness in U.S. entertainment. He's pressing a heavily personal analysis into action against a tide of expert opinion. Jones questions, in a relentlessly common-sense manner, much of the controlled research that supposedly shows links between aggressive behavior and activities such as watching TV and playing video games. If the research were more persuasive, Jones says, he might agree that some forms of entertainment need stronger age controls. ``I don't like censorship,'' he notes. ``But every society does some regulating. If I felt legal restraints would really help, I'd have to come around to it.'' +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ PAD's OPEN LETTER TO JEMAS/QUESADA Writer Peter David has publicly addressed Marvel's recently announced plan to raise the price of three of their lower selling titles - Captain Marvel, Black Panther and Spider-Girl - by 25 cents. In an "Open Letter to Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada" (apparently to published in an upcoming edition of 'But I Digress', his weekly OP/ED column in Comic Buyer's Guide and posted recently by David in his AOL 'Peter David Speaks!' discussion folder), the Captain Marvel writer offers his take on Marvel's marketing strategy for the series so far, as well as some alternative suggestions, including a very interesting offer. The open letter follows unedited and in its entirety_ "An Open letter to Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada: Well, I gotta tell you guys: Reading that Captain Marvel was going up in price to $2.75, along with other critical favorites/fan snubs Spider-Girl and Black Panther, just gave me a warm, squishy feeling in the pit of my stomach; and that's a considerable amount of pit. I know, I know, I could have just called you and discussed this privately. But on the suggestion of a fan, you raised the prices without calling and discussing it with me. So I'm just going to follow your lead and air my thoughts on the matter publicly. And hey, Joe, when you challenged Todd McFarlane, you didn't do it in a friendly phone call or a telegram. You did it on the Internet. So if Marvel's leaders have opened the door to handling publishing affairs publicly, then I'm going to follow that lead right through the same door. And yes, at the end of this letter, there will be a challenge, so keep reading. I've had a good number of fans tell me that they don't buy Captain Marvel-never even sampled it-for three reasons. First, they have no intrinsic interest in, or even have an antipathy for, Genis-Vell, the son of Mar-Vell and our titular hero. Second, believe it or not, because the book is $2.50 rather than $2.25, I've been told point blank that some fans are not interested in spending the extra quarter on a character who holds no draw for them. So learning (second hand, thanks for the heads-up, guys) that the book would be jumping yet another twenty five cents, well_that loud ringing in my head sure sounded like a death knell to me, yes indeedy. I've never written a book like Captain Marvel before. I have never written a title that has been such a consistent, uniform, resounding critical success and simultaneously ignored by fans. It's rather wearying, I have to say, to read review after review that boils down to two things: "This is one of the best books Marvel is publishing," and "Why is no one buying it?" Well, it's not exactly "no one," is it. It's "DC numbers." Which is kind of funny when one thinks that DC numbers include a $7.95 book pulling in the number one slot, but let's put that aside for a moment. How creatively uplifting do you folks think it is to have the top guys in the company singling out a title you work on as in line for the chopping block? Until now, no one had publicly been saying anything about the series being in trouble. It was Spider-Girl that had been canceled. But now Captain Marvel has been given that same near-cancellation taint, and believe me when I say it is a taint. Just as many people stop watching television shows when they hear they've been canceled, they will also stop buying a comic when they think that the end of the title is near. They figure, "What's the point?" Indeed, Marvel's history of quick cancellations has been one of the stumbling blocks to getting people to try Captain Marvel in the first place (bet you thought I forgot all about a third reason when I mentioned it in an earlier paragraph, huh?) The reasoning is, "Why bother getting attached to a title when Marvel's just going to cancel it anyway? If the book does wind up hanging around for a few years, Marvel will collect it in trade paperbacks, I'll buy those, get caught up and then start buying it." Here you've got a title with a loyal readership. It can be perceived that by raising it a quarter, you are rewarding that readership by allowing the book to continue. And some of them are indeed grateful, and have the attitude that they would pay any amount of money to keep reading it. But not all of them. There is certainly a percentage who will feel that they are getting screwed. That Marvel is rewarding their continued support by singling them out to bear an increased cost. That their devotion is effectively being punished. They'll feel they're being told, You like this book? Hah! Then you'll have to pay through the nose to get it. And they're going to resent it, and silently voice that resentment with a closed wallet. Furthermore, many fans come into stores with a set amount of money they're going to spend. If a rise in a book's price puts it over that set amount, they drop the title. Simple as that. And in the meantime, will anyone new sample the book? Good lord, no. If they weren't buying it at $2.50, they're sure as hell not going to start at $2.75. So by bumping the price up, let's see what's been accomplished in exchange for keeping the title around for another year: You've stitched the scarlet "C" of cancellation on it, you've virtually guaranteed a drop in overall readership from people who will not want to pay the increased price, and also virtually ensured that no new fans will pick it up because they consider the title terminal or simply not worth the inflated cover price. Yes, a handful of fans are grateful. But I suspect the attrition from the fans who don't share that gratitude and the likely lack of expanding readership will wind up causing that increased price to be a wash. Were there other ways to help the title aside from raising it a quarter? Of course. First, advertising would have helped. There's been none. No promotion of this book. Second, every time I did something story-wise to give Marvel a hook into pushing the series, Marvel has not only fumbled the ball, but the ball's never even been picked up. I custom wrote a story for #19 to take advantage of the Marvel Slashback program, a program designed to try and get readers to sample titles they weren't already buying. Except the program was limited to Avengers and Incredible Hulk, and at the time, Hulk was ranked #55 and Avengers was ranked at #6. These needed help? And then the program was scuttled right before Captain Marvel, buried in the low 80s ranking-wise, could take advantage of it. Then I developed a four-part time travel storyline featuring characters from 2099 and Future Imperfect. Not only was there no promotion of it-not so much as a store flier or in-house ad-but the solicitation info didn't even make mention of Spider-Man 2099 being in the series. Third, the retailer at my favorite local store, Fourth World Comics in Smithtown, New York, came up with a simple suggestion: Instead of jacking up the prices twenty five cents on three books not selling well, which will likely cost sales, why not raise the prices fifteen cents on three books that are selling great and won't even notice. Yes, that's right, bump up the price on the X-Men books. For crying out loud, X-Treme X-Men is priced at $2.99 and it sells comparably to the other titles at $2.25. Use the increased profits from those books to float critically acclaimed titles that still need time to find their audiences. Fourth, you could display faith by saying, "You know, we feel so strongly that people should be buying Captain Marvel that we're going to knock the price down to $2.25 to encourage people to pick it up, and heavily promote it to boot." But I suspect you won't do that because, in business terms, it would be perceived as "throwing good money after bad." You've decided the series will never sell better than bottom rung, and are simply going to help it limp along for a while so that you're not the bad guys canceling a critically acclaimed book. Well, guys: I don't like to limp. I don't like to see fans penalized an extra quarter just for supporting the book. Young Justice has been on a consistent sales upswing lately, and I've got plans afoot for Supergirl that I think are going to pull people in by the carload. But Captain Marvel has an albatross around its neck that you hung there, so I think a different and more drastic approach is called for. I did the math. When we multiply the book's circulation by twenty five cents, and then subtract the distributor discount, we're really only talking a few thousand more dollars in the coffers. Fine. I have faith in the book and faith, as foolish as it may sound, that quality-given enough time-will pull in readership. There are books that I do more for love and interest than money, since the publishers can't afford my normal page rate. Soulsearchers and Company has been one. The Haunted is another. I'm prepared to put Captain Marvel into that category_and hopefully my work on those lowly DC titles you diss will help offset the sacrifice. If Marvel does not raise the price on Captain Marvel, then I in turn will effectively write the book for free. Not completely; we all know that if I don't get paid, that jeopardizes the book's "work-for-hire" status. So I will write the book for .95 cents a page, for a total of (get this) $20.99 per issue. The difference between that and what I presently earn should offset the increase of 25 cents that you would have charged the fans. And I will continue to write the book for $20.99 an issue until such time that the book breaks into Diamond's top 50 or sells over 25,000 copies an issue, whichever comes first. And in addition, there's got to be some serious promotion for the title. House ads, at the very least. Ads in CBG or Wizard. Another trade paperback collection would be great. In short, act as if the acclaim the book's been receiving is something you're genuinely proud of and want to run with, instead of simply a cross to bear that requires you to keep the title around in some fashion. On the surface, this seems an insane offer. But I don't see it that way. See, I'm convinced that if you bump the series up to $2.75, we're dead in a year. So the income will stop anyway. But I think the book, if given time, will eventually attract the audience that critics and Wizard Magazine have been screaming it deserves, so in two years I'll still have a book to write and with any luck I'll be back to getting paid for it. So that's the offer. I don't want to see the fans who have been supportive up until now be singled out for a price increase just because they've been enjoying the series that the Captain Marvel creative team has been producing. And if Marvel feels that the book simply can't be profitable enough to continue publishing under the current P&L situation, I can respect that. So I'll change the P&L, cutting out my P to offset your L. In short, I'm willing to put my money, rather than the fans' money, where my mouth is. Over to you. Best regards, Peter David" (Copyright (c) 2002 Second Age, First published in "But I Digress" in Comic Buyers Guide.) QUESADA RESPONDS TO CAPTAIN MARVEL OFFER The open letter follows unedited in its entirety_ "An Open Letter to Peter David" "While I appreciate this stunt more than anyone can, since it will bring some much-needed attention to this book, I wish you had cooked it up a year ago when it really could have helped the title! Hey you readin' this, before you go any further, buy Captain Marvel!! Sorry, back to business. When Bill and I heard from the Marvel bean counters that Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Spider-Girl had to be canceled, we rushed to meet with the corporate heads to try to save the titles. One, because we hate canceling books, and two, on behalf of the creators working on the books and the loyal fans who support them. However, we had to offer something up to keep the books alive: We offered a quarter increase; they accepted. Without this effort on our part, the books were gone, Sayonara, FINITO!! Not only did we get a stay of execution, we got another year guaranteed! I guess no good deed goes unpunished. Here we have a situation where we each see the glass filled in different ways. You think I'm trying to punish the loyal readers of Captain Marvel (BUY IT!) by raising the price up a quarter. I believed in my heart of hearts that I was trying to reward them, ChrisCross and you by keeping the book alive. Again, no good deed goes unpunished. So, what do you offer me? As one fan said with respect to one of your proposed options, you would like me to punish X-Men fans because Captain Marvel (The Captain Marvel that you should all be buying) is in trouble. As this person stated, you're not entitled to an audience or a successful book. You don't want your fans punished by paying an extra quarter, but you're willing to punish the majority of fans reading X-men because they don't recognize the value of your work on Captain Marvel? Let's hear the battle cry, "Tax Marvel fans unless they read Captain Marvel!" You cite three reasons (yes, I counted three) why fans are not picking up Captain Marvel. (Have we mentioned how everyone should go out and buy Captain Marvel?) First, either they have no intrinsic interest in, or even antipathy for, Genis-Vell. Second, because the book is $2.50 rather than $2.25, and you have been told point blank that some fans are not interested in spending the extra quarter on a character who holds no draw for them (this one made me scratch my head). And third, you say, "Indeed, Marvel's history of quick cancellations has been one of the stumbling blocks to getting people to try Captain Marvel in the first place." Well, that hasn't been the case at Marvel in quite some time, so that reason seems invalid not to mention grasping at straws! However, after reading through all your reasons why the book isn't catching on, you seem to be ignoring one other possibility – a possibility that amazingly hasn't crossed your mind but certainly would cross mine if I were working on a struggling book. And yes, at the end of this letter, there will be mention of that other possibility. So, why is no one reading Captain Marvel? You mention its critical acclaim. What does critically acclaimed in comics mean anyway? A couple of dozen people on the net under six dozen assumed names? I've had this argument with Black Panther enthusiasts. Heck, I've had this conversation with Priest regarding the book (Priest is God!). Everyone I know keeps saying that Black Panther is the best book that no one knows about. I mean EVERYONE tells me this. So if everyone knows, who doesn't know to read it? Fans have wondered why word of mouth hasn't increased Panther sales (by the way, everyone, READ Black Panther!) and I'm sure you're thinking the same about Captain Marvel (Buy Captain Marvel!). Well, there's word of mouth and then there's word of mouth. There's word of mouth, which is the two-dozen aforementioned people typing and sending you e-mails, and then there are books like The Authority. The same Authority that had one house ad total at its inception, and a word of mouth that caused it to move up an outstanding number of rankings in the top 100 during the wonderful Ellis/Hitch run through the Millar/Quitely arc. That is word of mouth in action, with no paid publicity to aid it. By the way, this is something that is not lost on Priest, who is looking at what HE can do to try to bring Panther to the next level of public awareness. According to you, Captain Marvel (Buy Captain Marvel NOW!) has word of mouth. But unlike Authority, Captain Marvel has had some advertising dollars put into it. Let's take a look: First, it was spun out on the heels of Marvel's biggest hit that year, "Avengers Forever," which should count for something. We created a point of purchase poster, we ran house ads (including multiple appearances in Marvel's "Nuff Said" house ads), purchased a full page Wizard ad, included it in the Marvel subscription service, promoted the heck out of it on the website and Bill Rosemann has knocked himself out doing many behind the scenes submissions to CBG, Wizard and numerous Internet and trade resources. Ah, and then of course there was the Wizard #0 insert. That's right, a free, FREE Captain Marvel comic that was inserted into every issue of Wizard, which at the time had a circulation larger than X-Men. Over 200,000 people were exposed to Captain Marvel. On my calculator that's about the equivalent of an $80,000 ad. Now, add the Marvel imprint, which is good for decent numbers, a trade paperback and some very good things being said about it in Wizard, other trade publications and the net, and we should be seeing a book that's climbing the charts, no? I can think of many creators who wished their titles could get that kind of push. But no, it's obviously Marvel's fault, or the fans just aren't hip enough. Nevertheless, we still have the nagging fourth possibility don't we? I realize that we aren't spending a fortune on advertising, but you've worked inside these walls Peter (albeit things have changed considerably since then) so you should know that Marvel has anything but deep pockets. We have to watch where and how every dollar is spent, especially in marketing. That's why we spend so much time on the Internet doing stunts like this. (BUY SPIDER-GIRL!) However, you also know how those advertising dollars are really put into effect. I've talked to Panther fans about this in the past, but for those who missed it, here's a simple example. You may ask, why spend all that money advertising Spidey and X-Men when books like Spider-Girl, Black Panther and Captain Marvel could use it? Well, here's the simple math. If a billboard over the FDR Drive costs us $100, and we advertised Captain Marvel, that $100 would bring us perhaps $300 worth of revenue in old and new readership. If we took that same ad and pushed Wolverine, that $100 would bring us $3,000 in revenue in old and new readers, and that larger portion of customers that came through the door might sample Captain Marvel. That is why comic shops put Spider- Man or Superman in their window displays! Without a large ad budget, we have to pick our spots, and Peter, you above most freelancers know how that works. I mean, you're writing stories about the defunct 2099 Universe, and you want me to take out expensive ads to bring in new readers, perhaps mainstream readers. Do you know how much a new reader knows or cares about Future imperfect or the 2099 Universe? What's next, Captain Marvel in the New Universe? Hey, man, you wanted this out in public, not me. (Spider-Girl ROCKS!!!) Now I realize you wrote a special issue for our defunct Slashback Program, an issue that was reader friendly, a jumping on point. Well, sorry that didn't work out the way we would have liked, retailers hated the program, but I have to ask you one question. Why the heck did it require a special program for you to write a reader friendly book? We try to do this with every issue of a Marvel comic we work on. We may not always succeed, but we try. So this brings us to the core of your offer and that nagging, one possibility that just hasn't crossed your mind. Well, the offer is indeed intriguing, but let's get to the fourth possibility first shall we? I'm really offended that you blamed everyone, from Marvel to me to even fandom for the lack of success of Captain Marvel. I guess we're just not astute enough to get it or to advertise it? I guess there isn't a possibility in hell that it could be you, is there? That perhaps you're writing a book that isn't accessible, or penetrable, to all but your most hard-core enthusiast. I'm not saying that this IS the reason, Peter, but you should have put it on the table as a possibility. But, you never looked in the mirror once, and perhaps that says more about what's going on here than anything else. When Captain Marvel launched in 1999, it was selling about 47,000 copies and was ranked #35 in the top 100. Now it sells 24,000 and is ranked #79. What do you say to the 23,000 fans that no longer read the book that left on their own accord? What would you like to say to them? Would you like to tell the 23,000 fans that dropped the book that they're just not insightful enough? Would you perhaps prefer to blame Marvel, or me, for not keeping those 23,000 people coming back month after month? Isn't that your job? Oh, heck, let's just blame ChrisCross or Tom Brevoort! Now I realize (and I have been warned by others) that it would probably be considerably better to leave this alone, because answering would destine me to weeks of online bickering with you on this matter. But what the heck, it keeps the websites buzzing and I'm going to try to refrain from going back and forth. So, here's the deal: I'll listen to your offer, Peter, but be prepared because I may have one of my own. But I'm not discussing this any further until I hear one simple thing from you. I need you to publicly say to fandom (especially the 23,000 people who no longer read the book) that perhaps one of the reasons Captain Marvel is failing_ _is you. Over to you! Best regards, Joe Quesada Who managed to not once say, "But I digress." (Buy the Captain Marvel TPB at your local retailer!)" RUMOR: JIM LEE TO ANSWER THE BAT-SIGNAL? When last month it was revealed that writer Greg Rucka will leave Detective Comics in October of this year, to be replaced by Ed Brubaker (moving to 'TEC from his current position on Batman), the obvious question that immediately sprang to the minds of readers was who would follow Brubaker as new writer on Batman? Fans began immediately handicapping the odds, with writers like Jeph Loeb, Brian Azzarello, Brian Vaughan and the newly freelance Mark Waid being mentioned early and often. One question no one thought to ask, however, was who will be the next regular penciler of Batman? According to a current industry rumor, the very surprising answer may be one Jim Lee_ yes, that Jim Lee. Unconfirmed word around the virtual watercooler is the always fan-favorite artist may make his biggest splash in several years by taking on the monthly series for an extended run beginning later this year, possibly leaving the highly regarded and exclusively contracted Scott McDaniel free to pursue other high-profile projects at DC. Lee, a well-known Batman fan, has not drawn a regular series since his short-lived Divine Right at Wildstorm or kept a monthly or near monthly pace since his X-Men days, and the mere possibility of him taking on the assignment is sure to raise instant skepticism among readers and industry watchers. However, any possible Batman artistic change likely wouldn't occur until at least November (the earliest Brubaker could switch titles), and depending on when Lee may start or has started the assignment (if he even indeed has), the artist could log considerable lead-time in order to get a healthy head start. That 'head start theory' may also have some credence because in addition to the Lee buzz, the current scuttlebutt is also that Batman may already have a new writer with which Lee could work. Rumored to be the joining artist is writer Jeph Loeb, he of the Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory maxi-series and in the news just yesterday for DC having announced his new 2003 ongoing Superman & Batman series with Ed McGuinness and the pair's resulting exit from Superman this June. Neither Jeph Loeb or any representatives of DC were available for comment on the rumor, though we were able to contact Lee. Asked about the rumor, the always good-humored Lee responded simply, "I suppose the most surprising thing about that would be DC putting Batman on a twice- yearly shipping schedule." WAID WITHDRAWS FROM HARVEYS In a statement issued today to the comics press, freelance writer and ex-CrossGen staffer Mark Waid announced that he will formally request his name be removed for consideration for the 2002 Harvey Awards "Best Writer" category. "This absolutely should not be perceived as any lack of pride in the work itself," said Waid. "I'm grateful to have been nominated for my work on CrossGen's Ruse, I heartily endorse its other nominations, and I'm proud and lucky to be working with its extraordinarily creative team. However, for reasons of my own, I am respectfully requesting that my name be removed from consideration for 'Best Writer'.'" No further comment was issued. * Early Monday evening, in response to questions from Newsarama and others, CrossGen issued the following statement: "As we have been getting a lot of questions from fans and comics journalists about Mark Waid's recent statement regarding his request to withdraw his name from Harvey Award contention, we thought it would be a good idea to answer a couple of questions that we've been getting about it. "First, as a company, we support and commend his decision, as it is reflective of his desire to share credit for Ruse as a team. But rather than release a company statement, we felt the most appropriate response would come from his team." "As the rest of his creative team on Ruse, we appreciate and applaud Mark's gesture toward the acknowledgement of our involvement in the creative process and plot development," said Butch Guice, penciler of Ruse, in speaking for the rest of the team. 'We will always be in favor of one of our own standing up and taking a bow for a job well done, but we respect Mark's decision and thank him for his noble intent, and we stand by him as one of the team." While CrossGen states that Waid's decision to withdraw from "Best Writer" consideration is "reflective of his desire to share credit for Ruse as a team," Waid has yet to give any specific reason for his request to be officially removed from consideration for an award in the category. Though no indication was given the situations are related, the Harvey nominations has been a source of controversy since the nominations were announced last week. Look for a follow-up story on the Awards, the nomination process and industry reaction here at Newsarama soon. HAWKMAN # 1 FLIES OFF SHELVES DC Comics announced Monday that Hawkman # 1, the highest-selling debut issue for March (according to Diamond Comics Distributors) has gone back to press for a second printing less than a week after its initial in store date of March 6th. The issue is already sold out at the publisher. "The sales of this premiere issue by the talented team of James Robinson, Geoff Johns and Rags Morales exceeded our already-high expectations - and print run," said Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales & Marketing. "We're happy to see retailers and fans warmly embracing the return of this classic character. The additional printing will allow even more copies of the book to get into more hands and make it that much easier for retailers to sell subsequent issues to customers who are catching on to a series with momentum." Writer Geoff Johns added, "I'm extremely happy to see this. Everyone involved in 'Return of the Hawkman' in JSA and in HAWKMAN#1 really worked hard, and we're all continuing to work hard, on Hawkman. He's a character that deserves it." Hawkman # 1 Second Printing is scheduled to be in stores on Wednesday, March 20th. GAIMAN v. McFARLANE - THE RESPONSE The Neil Gaiman – Todd McFarlane legal battle took another step forward last week when attorneys for Todd McFarlane filed a response to Gaiman's complaint, in Wisconsin District Court. Newsarama has obtained a copy of McFarlane's amended response to Gaiman's complaint, which included a paragraph-by-paragraph response of the original claim, affirmative defenses (or why Gaiman's case has no legs, in the eyes of McFarlane's counsel), as well as a counterclaim against Gaiman, alleging wrongdoing on Gaiman's part. All in all, a fairly standard response in format. The response begins by refutes virtually every claim made in Gaiman's complaint, point by point. Some points of interest: As would be expected, the McFarlane response denies Gaiman's allegation that he solely created the characters of Angela, Cogliostro, and Medieval Spawn. Also as expected, the response denies each and every allegation listed in Gaiman's nine counts. The McFarlane response also denies Gaiman's claim that, as per the "1992 agreement," Gaiman would retain an ownership interest in his creative works he produced for McFarlane, and that Gaiman has no ownership whatsoever in the characters he allegedly created for issues of Spawn and Angela. The response also asserts that Gaiman began writing issue #9 of Spawn only after consultation and collaboration with McFarlane. Gaiman's thumbnail design sketches of the original characters are referred to throughout as "crude thumbnail sketches." The response claims that Gaiman's partial script for Spawn #26 was unsolicited, and that Gaiman was paid. The response also admits that Gaiman never signed a work-for-hire agreement. McFarlane's attorneys call into question the validity of Gaiman receiving copyright for the scripts to Angela #1-#3, and Spawn #9. McFarlane's attorney's deny that the conversations between McFarlane and Gaiman in 1997 wherein the two came to an agreement regarding Gaiman's compensation for monies owned to Gaiman did not constitute a legally binding offer or contract, despite the faxed letters spelling out specific conditions of the agreement between the two. The "1997 deal" (as referred to by Gaiman was where, according to the exchange of correspondence between the two, McFarlane would exchange his share of Miracleman (including the film) for the rights to Cogliostro and Medieval Spawn. As revealed in Gaiman's complaint, McFarlane agreed to Gaiman's terms with regard to Angela, Cogliostro, and Miracleman. One of the legs McFarlane's response stands on is the claim that Gaiman fraudulently reported how much he would have been paid at DC for creation of a new character and two derivative characters (Angel, Cogliostro, and Medieval Spawn, respectively), the formulae of which was the basis of the exchange between the two in 1997. Because of being misled by Gaiman, McFarlane filed for the trademark to the name "Miracleman." The McFarlane response states that McFarlane filed for the copyright to Miracleman with the intent to use the property, but deny that there have been any sales to date of products of publications depicting Miracleman. McFarlane's attorneys later admit that TMP has published a Miracleman poster. In the Affirmative Defenses section of the response, McFarlane's attorneys make the claim that Gaiman's claim to own the copyright of Angela, Cogliostro, or Medieval Spawn is "fatally defective" because Gaiman, at most, could only claim joint ownership of the characters. Additionally, McFarlane's attorneys assert that Gaiman's claims to the copyright of the above characters are invalid because the statute of limitations had passed in regard to filing. The response also states that Gaiman is not entitled to any further compensation from McFarlane for his use of the characters because Gaiman had already been paid in full. The response also alleges that Gaiman defrauded both McFarlane in misrepresenting his deal with DC, as well as the U.S. Copyright Office, in filing for the copyright to the script for Angela #1-#3 and Spawn #9. As McFarlane's attorneys describe it, all materials used in preparation of any given comic, including thumbnails and scripts are covered by the copyright of that particular issue of the comic book. In the counterclaim, McFarlane's attorneys assert that McFarlane made fundamental changes in Gaiman's "Count Cagliostro," who is now named "Cogliostro." It is also asserted that McFarlane named the "unnamed Spawn character" from issue #9 as Medieval Spawn, both of which further draw into question any claim of sole creation of the two characters by Gaiman. The counterclaim also states that Gaiman either knew, or should have known that someone else (McFarlane) was asserting sole ownership of Spawn and all the characters contained within each and every issue, despite Gaiman not signing a work-for-hire agreement or transferring his copyright of the characters to McFarlane. In his two claims for relief, McFarlane's attorneys ask for a declaratory judgment in regards to copyright ownership of Spawn and Angela, as well as a judgment against Gaiman for fraud and unjust enrichment (that is, Gaiman should have never received any payment in 1997 because, according to McFarlane's response, Gaiman lied to him about how ownership rights in characters he was paid at DC, and "gave" McFarlane nothing in return for payment received). In the Prayer for Relief, McFarlane's attorneys ask for the following: a declaration stating that McFarlane is the copyright owner of Spawn #9 and #26, and Angela #1, 2, and 3; an order invalidating Gaiman's copyright registrations; a compensatory award; a punitive damages award; recovery of attorney's fees, and further relief as the Court sees fit. So what now? McFarlane's response was still part of the initial phase of the proceedings. Now, the matter moves into discovery phase, where attorneys for both sides gather up all the evidence that supports their claims, including taking depositions from pertinent witnesses. From the above, it's still a little unclear on where the Miracleman rights fit into the picture, but assumedly, Miracleman ownership is not an issue to McFarlane's side, meaning they feel they have full ownership. The discovery phase will most likely be followed by more motions where one side or the other will have to defend its claims against the other. Barring settlement, jury selection is slated to begin on September 28th, with the trial beginning October 2nd. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com DAREDEVIL --------- The latest Daredevil casting scoop comes from the ever-reliable Stax over at IGN FilmForce. Insider's told Stax that David Keith (U-571) is the latest actor to join the roster of the film. According to the unnamed source Keith will play Battling Jack Murdock, the pugilistic father of Matt Murdock. Fans recall that in the comics Jack Murdock was a single father and boxer pushing his son to excel in academics and build a better life. Things turn tragic when he refuses to take a dive in front of his own son. A write-up in this week's Variety confirmed the casting news. http://filmforce.ign.com http://www.variety.com GHOST WORLD ----------- The movie version of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World draws even more critical acclaim this month. This time the good word comes from the "Critics' Choice" round up in the latest issue of Premiere. The magazine amalgamated ratings from 15 of the nation's top film critics to create a list of the 85 most acclaimed movies of 2001. Ghost World was ranked #4 on the list, trailing Apocalypse Now Redux, Shrek and Mulholland Drive. The film was tied with In The Bedroom. http://www.premiere.com +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN Collected in Hardcover - The first 13 issues of Brian Bendis and Mark Bagley's ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN -- right up through when Peter Parker tells you-know-who you-know-what -- are collected in one deluxe hardcover edition this week by MARVEL Comics. The collection also includes a ton of behind-the-scenes material all about this perfect modernization of the wall-crawler. Also arriving in stores this week is the latest issue of J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah)'s AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. http://www.jinxworld.com ZEN QUICK HITS: - Kevin Smith may write a STAR WARS comic for DARK HORSE +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter at http://www.dccomics.com KING DAVID FEATURED IN NEW MINI-SITE AT DCCOMICS.COM! DCComics.com's Vertigo homepage spotlights Kyle Baker's upcoming KING DAVID softcover graphic novel in a new mini-site that includes an interview with Baker, his original proposal for the project, character sketches, an On The Ledge article and links to information about Baker's other works. BACK TO PRESS! As part of DC's commitment to retailers and readers alike, selected items go back to press when quantities become low. The following title has been reprinted and is available for order: THE KINGDOM TP (STAR15171) (2nd printing) SMALLVILLE, JUSTICE LEAGUE, STATIC SHOCK AND THE ZETA PROJECT EPISODE SCHEDULES DC has been supplied with the following episode schedule for Smallville, Static Shock and The Zeta Project on the WB and the animated Justice League on the Cartoon Network. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 3/16 (8:30 am) "Brother-Sister Act" (Static Shock) 3/16 (12:30 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 1" (Justice League) 3/16 (10:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 1" (Justice League – Widescreen) 3/17 (7:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 2" (Justice League- New) 3/19 (9:00 pm) "Nicodemus" (Smallville - New) 3/23 (8:30 am) "Bad Stretch" (Static Shock – New) 3/23 (9:30 am) "Absolute Zero" (The Zeta Project – New) 3/23 (12:30 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 3/23 (10:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 2" (Justice League – Widescreen) 3/24 (7:00 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 1" (Justice League) Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. +++++ From Rich Johnston, THE 2000 SQUIDDY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com RUMOUR BARRIER "I accept that the following material is rumour and gossip, intended to entertain only. "I won't repeat the information inside as fact. I understand if I want the truth, I will go to Silver Bulletins. "I enter freely with my mind open and my blinkers off." Now, onto the rumours. Call, Capes, And Capitalist Tendencies Money Matters My Ebay auctions are still up and running - it's a fine way to help fund the column and get something physical out of it at the same time. Low Blow Drinking with Mark Millar this weekend (he's on mineral water for another three weeks! The poor wee bastard!) he began to talk, very guardedly about his new Youngblood series, and how he tested the waters to see how much he could get away with from Liefeld. His first thought was that Supreme would realise that he was the Christ and would recruit Youngblood as his disciples. But then he thought of something a lot worse... of which he's spilling nothing. Well okay, just the first issue opening double splash page. It features Shaft on the receiving end of a [BJ] from another team member saying, "Sometimes I feel supervillains were the only thing that kept us decent." This Has A Rumour Value Of 8 Out of 10 Back To The Grist Mark Millar and Paul Grist's Insiders series, published originally in the UK's Crisis magazine, is to be collected later this year by Avatar. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Rodney's Comics Rodney' Comics is a comic shop in Barking, Essex, that held the Mark Millar/Bryan Hitch signing yesterday. They wouldn't let me pay for a copy of Savage Dragon and let me off with giving them a free plug, which I'm very happy to do. Find all about them in an out-of-date-but-still-relevant store profile from the Master List I'd like to make it clear that I'm open to bribes or any sort. I have no shame_ This Has A Greed Dressed Up As Irony Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Call Out The Call is a new series written by Bill Jemas, drawn by David Finch and inked by Art Thibert. An action comic about firefighters and paramedics, I'm told that the firefighter star has a girlfriend in the style of Milo Minara. A preview of the series will appear in all the back pages of the May Marvel titles part one in the first week's shipping books, part two in the second week, and so on. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out of 10 Tiny Problem Top Cow is having trouble with the Battle Of The Planets. It seems that every page, every panel must be approved by owners Rhino Records, including the covers. The sticking point? It all has to look like the cartoon exactly and none of the guys they have under contract can do it, so they've had to go outside. Top Cow were using Snakebite, of Red Star fame, to colour the book in an animated style but were quoted $20,000 a book to do the job. So Top Cow have looked elsewhere_ I understand that when Top Cow approached Red Star initially, they didn't tell them that Rhino had approval, just that Alex Ross wanted to duplicate the acclaimed Red Star look, and learn how to replicate the Red Star production process hence the high quote. Snakebite told me, "Every situation is different in the freelance world when it comes to billing. I have invested interest in The Red Star, I'm a partner. With Top Cow all they wanted was to milk the love of Team Red Star and they wanted to pay me a crap rate to suck on my nipples. For me to take away time from The Red Star as well as my other ventures for a job that is paying me crap would've been a stupid decision and the thing that is getting me the attention in the first place would've suffered for a crap rate. How would professionals and fans alike look at me? "Besides, they approached me, I wasn't looking for handouts or favors and that's how they sold the job to me, as a hand out and favor. Fooey, I say." For additional stuff on Top Cow and Battle Of The Planets see recent Newsarama articles. Top Cow did not respond to enquiries. This Has A Rumour Value Of 5 Out Of 10 Avoiding Death Red Star are also the people doing the "reimagining" of Lady Death, a project that also has been doing the houses. Before Dan Jolley, Red Star and Jimmy Palmiotti took the book on, it was turned down by Michael Turner, J Scott Campbell, Joe Madureira , David Finch, Joe Benetiz, Kea Cha, Kevin Lau... I also hear that, despite certain announcements, Amanda Conner is not drawing any of the book, just the cover. This Has A Rumour Value Of 6 Out Of 10 The Late Todd McFarlane As to why the Image 10th Anniversary book will be late, Erik Larsen posted on his forum, "I don't wanna McPoint any McFingers at anybody at Image. I TODD those guys to get McWorking but so FAR, one partner hasn't gotten out of the slow LANE." However I also hear that Silvestri's been a little tardy too_ This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Rabbit Trick The Harvey nominations made for fun reading this year. Good to see CrossGen made sure their employees sent in their nominations and that Marvel didn't. One of the advantages of having your creators as in- house employees instead of freelance workers. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Wolverine's Claws Are Impaling My Face!... Oh No I understand that Marvel's latest Big Gimmick is that a bunch of top titles will go 3-D! Yes, it's that mainstay of gimmicks, red and blue glasses! This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Clobberin' Time Grant Morrison's CGI Ultimate Fantastic Four is scheduled for December. Look forward to th Ultimate line expanding by a few titles in the next year or so as well. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Warning! Warning! Warning! This column will not be available over Easter Weekend. But if any up- and-coming rumour mongers fancy a shot at the big-time, email me and we'll see what we can work out_ ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] A View From the Cheap Seats Rich Watson cptsisko318@aol.com [A graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, Rich Watson has been a self-published cartoonist since 1993, and whose output includes the superhero drama Celebrity and the romantic fable Rat: A Love Story. He currently resides in New York and gets his comics weekly from Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics. Rich can be contacted on his board http://www.revampscripts.com/board/Rich_Watson.shtml and is is featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] self-publishing secrets pt. 1 I've received a request to talk about the process of self-publishing, so that's what I'll do this week and the week after next (next week's column is... a special one). Keep in mind that the information dispensed here is based on my own experiences and should not be taken as gospel. Ultimately, everyone does comics a little bit differently than everyone else, and if you do enough of them, then over time, you'll know what works for you and what doesn't. The week of the 25th I'll talk about storytelling. This week I'll talk about the physical process. I find that there are two ideal sizes for self-published comics: - "the mini": Take a 11" x 17" paper and ffold it into eighths and your mini will be 4 1/4" x 5 1/2", which is the size I use for THE PATH. - "the digest": Take a 8 1/2" x 11" paper and fold it in half and your digest will be 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", which is the size I originally used for RAT. Keep in mind, though, that there's no restriction on size. These, however, are what I find to be ideal when I do my comics, and are as good a place as any to start. Experiment with other formats at your discretion. When I draw my pages for THE PATH, I center two pages on one 11" x 14" Bristol sheet and arrange them in book format - i.e., how they'll be arranged when the time comes to photocopy them, so if you were to do it this way you'd need to set up a book dummy so you can see how the pages will be grouped. Say your book's gonna be 16 pages. That's four sheets of paper double-sided, arranged thusly: 1 and 16, 2 and 15, and so on up to 8 and 9. I find it's a great time-saver, because when you give your pages to the Kinko's guy to reproduce, you wanna make it as simple for him as possible. Believe me, I speak from experience! Even if you do your pages one per sheet of paper, the book dummy is pretty important because you need to see how your pages are gonna lay out in the finished product. The last thing you want is to print up the book and find that everything's out of sequence. Pencils and inks. There's no law saying you gotta use what the pros use. Find whatever works for you and whatever you're comfortable with and go with it. Plan out everything in the pencil stage - placement of figures, general background settings, and especially the word balloons and captions - roughly. Details come later. Plan it all out so you can have the freedom to change stuff around if you need to, and not have to erase that gorgeous money shot of your hero bursting in on the bad guy's secret hideout. Ink your pencils carefully and with precision. Think about line weights and how they can be used to indicate depth of field and light and shadow. Make sure the important elements in each panel are clearly rendered - what do you want the reader to look at first? I cannot stress enough how critical legible and neat handwriting is when you letter your dialogue (if you're not using a font, that is). It's a slow task, and it's tedious, especially when all you really wanna do is get to that big fight scene on page 12 and you're still on page three. But it's gotta be done, and it deserves to be done right. I use a T-square and measure off rows 1/8" thick, separated by spaces 1/16" wide. I rough in the lettering in pencil - at this stage it doesn't have to be neat, as long as the dialogue you want is there - and then I SLOWLY ink the letters. You'd be surprised how much sloppy lettering can ruin a decent mini-comic. It's also a good idea to leave a little bit of breathing room in your balloons and captions, to make the words read better. For your cover logo, if you decide to hand letter it and not use a font, again, make sure it looks top notch. For the post-production part (paste-ups, page sequencing, editorials, folding and stapling, etc.), keep an eye out for things like crooked pages and bleed lines. I try my best, but there's always at least one page that ends up looking slightly off kilter. I miss stuff all the time, and it irks me when I do. This is the part I hate most. Over time, though, you'll get better at post-production. Just keep in mind that though this is technically the surface material, it's what readers will see - and respond to - first. Invest in a foot-long stapler. You should be able to buy one for around twenty bucks at Staples (that was the price when I got mine over eight years ago; it may be more now). This will become one of your best friends, I promise you. The most important thing to remember in any comic story is communicating your ideas clearly. Doesn't matter what style you use, if your reader can't figure out what's going on you won't get too far. Think about body language, gestures, and facial expressions. If you need to, get friends or family members to pose for you and bribe them by saying they'll get to be in your comic! I'll come back to this point in two weeks. If there's anything you want to go into further, don't hesitate to e-mail me. Fantagraphics and THE COMICS JOURNAL has started an online archive of their best interviews from the past quarter century, as MP3's. It has begun with Gary Groth's interview with PEANUTS creator Charles Schulz, and continues with the following tentative schedule: - March 15-April 18: Gil Kane and R. Crumbb, from 1987, moderated by Groth. - April 19-May 16: Gil Kane interviews POGGO creator Walt Kelly during a 1969 National Cartoonists' Society meeting (Rube Goldberg is among those in attendance). - May 17-June 13: A large excerpt from Grooth's interview with Jack Kirby about his feud with Marvel, which includes character rights struggles and ownership of original art. There will also be available at the website choice excerpts from classic interviews in MP3 form, free, but for only 30 days each. There are 16 boxes worth of audio taped interviews in all, and it's Fantagraphics' goal to eventually get them all digitally transferred. The website is www.tcj.com. Meanwhile, ModernTales.com, the new webcomics site featuring work by, among others, James Kochalka, tom Hart, Gene Yang, and Scott Kurtz, has gotten off to a good start. According to a release from the website, more than 200 people subscribed to the site in the first 24 hours. The subscription price is $2.95/month or $29.95/year, and you can only subscribe by going here: www.moderntales.com/chartersubscribe.php. And I can't get away without mentioning that Sequential Tart columnist Pam Bliss is now hosting a monthly chat, based on her "Hopelessly Lost" how-to column. They'll be held the second Tuesday of each month, beginning this month, the 12th, at 9 PM EST. So stop on by and hang out with the Queen of Small Press. The specific address is www.sequentialtart.com/chat.shtml. A quick word about the Harvey Award nominations: The big surprise has to be the presence of CrossGen in the nominations. Already, though, I hear people crying foul, saying that ballot-stuffing must account for someone like SCION's Ron Marz, for example, being in the same category (Best Writer) as the likes of Chris Ware and Dan Clowes. Never mind the fact that SCION happens to be a very good book that deserves to be nominated. I was a skeptic of CG at first, too, but you know what? I've tried some of their books and they're not bad. Do I wish they were doing creator-owned material? Absolutely. Can any of it be considered groundbreaking and innovative? Doubtful, but how much is these days? It's a viable, easily accessible alternative to the Big Two that many people find entertaining. It should be interesting to see how CG will fare come Eisner time... It used to be that I wouldn't go anywhere near any of the Batman titles with a ten-foot pole. Nothing against the character; just that there are usually so many subplots to follow that require you to know what's going on in all the titles - and when a crossover happens? Forget about it! Actually, I've been hearing that the current "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" crossover is actually halfway decent, but I'm still not compelled to read any of the Bat-titles - except one. I never had any interest in CATWOMAN before Ed Brubaker took over with the relaunched edition. Now I'm totally loving it. Selina Kyle's look has been streamlined significantly: short hair, new costume (sans tail) and a new outlook on life. This book's got it all: a character who's not 100% squeaky clean, but you can root for anyway because of her motivations, a solid supporting cast (including Holly from BATMAN: YEAR ONE) and excellent artwork by Darwyn Cooke, who's fast becoming a fan-favorite for his animated-like style. And best of all, CATWOMAN operates far out on the fringes of the Bat-titles, so there's little chance of seeing any crappy crossovers (knock on wood). And Ed Brubaker writes it! This is a rock-solid title that's only getting better. Brad Rader takes over on the art starting with issue 5. I've seen preview pages and it looks every bit as good as Cooke's. Perfect place to start. (But try and get the first four issues too, if you can.) Besides the new issue of CATWOMAN (#4), last week's booty was a bit small: CRUSADES #13 (DC/Vertigo), POWERS #18 (Image), ALIAS #7 (Marvel MAX), and BONE: EYES OF THE STORM (Cartoon) - I'm trying to catch up on this book but I think it's much better read as TPBs because it's a relatively quick read. Good though. Next week: yours truly hits the big three-oh... and I get to gripe about it! Then, in two weeks, I'll return to self-publishing how-to's, and further down the road, an interview with Harvey Award nominee Renee French! So stick around. Rich_Watson ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Comics Culture Shrapnel Kris Naudus Krissy80@aol.com [Kris Naudus is a full-time student at New York University, founder of the Justice League of Stuyvesant, part-time Amazonian warrior and distinguished scholar of geek studies. Her previous roles have included "pathetic Star Wars fan #6" outside the Zeigfield Theatre last May, as well as "bored cashier #4" at Barnes and Noble. ] Declaration Being a geek is a full-time job. All of you know this - I'm sure that you have comics to be catalogued, movies to see, games to play. As much as we protest that we don't participate in these things in lieu of a social life, if certainly crowds that life out. I spent several hours last entering my last two months of comics into a spreadsheet and then doing the same for six months of VHS tapes (most of which actually belong to my mother, thank you very much). Then I read some manga. This morning I realized with horror that I hadn't written my column, so was faced with a choice of either not handing it in or going straight home after work to write it before the deadline. Instead I'm sitting at work trying to finish this in-between other work, all because after I leave I wanted to head over to Circuit City and complain about the full-screen DVD edition of A.I. that I bought. I wanted widescreen. God, I'm such a dork. I've been thinking about this recently. A little bit because I've been to a convention and it was my fourth in the past year and I still have more trips planned; because I'm now on the staff for a convention and people are actually starting to do things for it; because I've written an article for an anime magazine and then gotten into a flame war with the president of the club that publishes it. But mostly because I watched "Welcome to Eltingville" on Cartoon Network, which in turn inspired me to actually start reading "Dork". And it amused and frightened me, because I have of recent seen the uglier side of fandom, and it really scares me. I love the fan community. I meet lots of interesting people, I always have a good time... but then there are some things I've started to notice. The obvious one (which I've always been aware of) is the bad hygiene. There's the horrible superiority complex that some people have (some "indie" comix fans, Star Wars people, or shoujo fans). And there's the apparent disregard for real-life responsibilities (I'll never stopping reiterating the story of my friend who lost his job and apartment all in the same weekend). It seems there are only two ways we can go - either give it up (which I couldn't do, aside from all the freakiness, I'm having a good time) or totally embrace it (and those people are really scary. But then, we could always convert the world. Why be accused of having no life when everybody's doing the same thing? Why forsake responsibilities like work when it can be your job, your duty? You can say that's what we've been trying to do, convert the world. Make them like comic books. But what we're promoting is an artform, not the lifestyle. Most want to see that lifestyle dead because it gives comics a bad image. And it does, in certain groups and certain practices. But as the old adage goes, "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater." Fandom has given us valuable support, discussion, resources. No matter how far comics go, the fanboys and girls will always be there, anxious for Wednesdays, enthusiastic and giddy. Occasionally rabid and drooling. But they gave us webpages and campaigns. They're part of the reason creator rights are so important now ("I buy everything by so-and-so! I worship the very ground s/he walks on! Blah blah blah!"). Many titles now popular outside the comics industry were popular with the fanboys first (Dark Knight Returns, Preacher). And let's show some love to the people who spend hundreds of dollars a month on their pull list. Damn, I love being a fan. A comics geek. A fangrrl. I've said it before, and I know I've sounded like a broken record in this column about it. I love what I do, no matter what people say. My own mother is waiting for me to grow up and out of this fan crap. Maybe I will someday. But for now, I'm having a ball. So do your geeky thing and don't listen to other people who tell you that you don't have a life. Are you enjoying yourself? Well, great. Why stop? ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.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 OF COMIC BOOKS, OR THE ENTIRE STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Name: Elvira #107 Publisher: Claypool Comics Price: $2.50 Creative Force: Frank Strom, Tod Smith, Louis LaChance, Janet Hetherington, John Heebink, Mike Manley Comments: Today, I had to take a break from KFBK's Mark William's War Room and Rush Limbaugh, after listening to the crisis that still is going on in Afghanistan by reading my favorite comic book Elvira. Elvira #107 placed me in a good mood instantly as I see Elvira in a dire situation with a phallic horror ready to snap at her. As the story continues, there is some good humor as salaries are mentioned and comparing them to the salaries of comic book writers. A cute redemption of a spoofed out George Burns appears in the story and of course the Rockefellers...or should I say the Rockgomery Family. There is a strange subculture in which underground denizens choose to wear leather and play out their fantasies and Elvira experiences this bizarre subculture. She deals with it and moves on. Her encounter with the Thrilliams Sisters (I know, a spoof on Venus and Serena Williams) was a thrill and a half, man I love these spoofs! The tennis game was hilarious and then I even got a lawyer joke at the end! That's not all, then we move onto the second story in which Elvira is offered a free vacation by some unknown production company and of course, it's on some island. A take on Survival and Temptation Island. Now you can spoof the heck out of these reality shows, because they'll GARBAGE! But, let's move along as Elvira must compete with the other horror show hosts on this island to find treasure and of course Spookie Suzie is trying very hard to be the leader, until Elvira shows up! Elvira has the charisma and gusto to take right over and that's exactly what she does! Then the reader gets a treat to see Elvira in her island clothing...not shabby at all! I felt sorry for the one horror host who brought a ton of pills to the island and has to take nitroglycerin for his bad heart. Poor guy just may not make it for the full endurance of this show and if that isn't bad enough, Elvira encounters an island monster and the story continues.....sigh. Now I have to wait to see what will happen. Claypool Comics does it again, having me hang on by a thread....double sigh. Name: GI Joe #4 Publisher: Image Creative Force: Josh Blaylock, Steve Kurth, John Larter, Hi-Fi Colour Design. Price: $3.50 Comments: Exciting, simply exciting! Today, I had to take a break from KFBK's Mark William's War Room and Rush Limbaugh, after listening to the crisis that still is going on in Afghanistan by reading my favorite patriotic comic book GI Joe! If any comic book can bring out our American patriotism, it's your comic book! Right from the start with GI Joe #4, the excitement is felt with the C-Span report on how arsenal is disintegrating and people who are connected to the military are getting ill. Then scene shift to the Pentagon and the talk of Cobra's return. Destro a tyrant by every means sets the plan in motion. Cobra is back with a vengeance and the dangerous nano-mites gave me the willies. Could nano-mites be just one part of our future? I'm not going to even mention the brain wave scanner that's a whole new topic altogether. It's amazing how Destro runs his force. He uses fear to gain loyalty and doesn't have any remorse when he kills one of his own soldiers in his lethal experiment. Now Duke is the positive part of the mankind's battery, while Destro is the negative. Duke motivates his elite troops and his troops respect him immensely. While Duke sets the record straight, Destro deceives America with his propaganda. There was so much going on with this story and the firefight at the White House was the ultimate! I must say, this is a tremendously thrilling read! Yo Joe! Standing ovation to: Josh Blaylock, Steve Kurth, John Larter, Hi-Fi Colour Design for making GI Joe come alive with illustrations, color and of course with a powerful story! Coming soon: Athena Inc. in April 2002 by Image. Name: Boneyard #1 and #2 Publisher: NBM Publishing Written and Drawn by: Richard Moore Price: $2.95 Contact Information: boneyard@nbmpub.com Comments: Brian Peets, owner of A1 Comics is promoting the heck out of Boneyard and I can see why! To get a full concept of what Boneyard is all about, you have to read Boneyard #1 and #2. These two issues introduces you to a marvelous world in which Michael Paris finds out he has inherited a 'boneyard'. What's a boneyard? It's a cemetery that has some unusual inhabitants!! If you love the Adam's Family and the Munsters, you will find the same enjoyment with Boneyard. You'll get a kick out of the reality of Raven's Hollow, in fact Michael Paris is brought to the Boneyard by Mayor Wormwood and the populace who are all carrying torches, like from those old horror Hammer films. The populace is afraid of the evil in the midst. Hmmm...after you meet some of the horrific characters of Boneyard, you will actually get attached to the characters. Like Nessie, who must be related to the Creature of the Black Lagoon. What's funny about Nessie, is that she is attractive in her own amphibious kind of way. Then there is the sensual Abbey, a vampiress who introduces Michael to everyone. In issue #2, there is a dramatic scene in which Abbey gets hit by a car and Michael is completely stunned to see that Abbey is not worse for wear. There are plenty of ghoulie characters in Boneyard and I can't even mention them all here. The characters are funny, like this Nightcrawler character is a fine example, then of course we have a beautiful vampire babe who shows Michael the ropes. This is a kind of story that will entangle you in it's web and won't let you go! Richard Moore is brilliant! Name: Savage Dragon #94 Publisher: Image Comics Group Written and Drawn by: Eric Larsen Price: $2.95 Comments: 'Useless piece of excrement' is such a harsh description, but then I had to see who was saying it. Cyberface aka the terrifying Sebastian Khan! Great tyrants have had the name Khan from Genghis Khan to the Khan that gave Captain James Tibirius Kirk plenty of trouble in the original Star Trek series. If I ever meet a 'Khan', I will stay clear away from that person. I don't need the misery and problems that Savage Dragon is going through. Sebastian Khan has got to be the worse Khan of all, since he has killed millions of people and has taken over the world. The thought that Cyberface is able to control every household appliance, every computer is maddening in itself. The long battle between Savage Dragon and Cyberface kept me right on the edge of my seat. Eric, you don't mess around. You don't give us a simple battle and throw out an outcome. You give us a hardcore battle with an outcome that is questionable. I love it. As powerful as Cyberface is, he still has some hidden fears of Mighty Man and Savage Dragon. As the intensity of this story moved along, I enjoyed the dramatic scene shift to Dart and Mako. Mako's heart is broken because now he fears losing Dart. But, let's get back to Cyberface, if he can truly control every appliance, computer, etc, then he has the ability to rule the world. He can set forth a household toaster to electrocute an entire family. What a horrifying thought. In a Popular Science magazine article, it mentions that the Internet as it grows, will acquire an incredible amount of information. When mankind actually creates true artificial intelligence, we will have something to fear. We must fear that when true artificial intelligence fuses with the Internet, we may have in turn created our own god. If this happens, then we must hope that our new Internet god will not try and control all of our appliances, control our computers and Internet. We must hope that this new god does not embrace evil. For this artificial intelligence will have absorbed all information placed on the Internet. So in a way, it looks like Eric Larsen has taken a glimpse into our own future with the horror caused upon the planet Earth by a crazed madman named Sebastian Khan! This is some scary stuff! Name: Mystic #22 Publisher: CrossGen Creative Force: Tony Beard, Fabrizio Fiorentino, Matt Ryan, Andrew Crossley Price: $2.95 Comments: Shock value for Mystic #22 was seeing 2 men buried in a garden up to their necks. Beady eyed Detective Manion of the Vice Squad probably has all sorts of vices and how he thought he was going to get Giselle on his side was beyond me. Poor Thierry, he can't understand why Giselle is acting so differently. She is acting like a witch, take away the w and add a b. I can see why Thierry is sick of it. She has a nasty attitude. The tunnel of love with Giselle must have been a nightmare instead of a dream. Devereaux of Internal Affairs had his hands full with Detective Manion, but little did he know that Giselle would end his investigation on a bittersweet note. I had a humorous moment to this story, as Thierry and Skitter teleport into Gen's bedroom and catch her with gobs of facial cream on and holding up some ice cream. Yuk! The spirits are worried about Giselle's meeting with Detective Manion, but just like Devereaux; they are unaware of her wraith and fury. When Giselle says that she doesn't like her sister and friends threatened, she means it. What I want to know, is if Giselle is changing to such a degree that she will harbor so much anger, that she will hurt many people? Will she lose complete control? If this were a Star Wars movie, would she embrace the darkside? Another question, why does the CrossGen Universe mirror our own universe? For example Devereaux is definitely a French last name. In this universe they have a police force that has a vice squad and Internal Affairs, just like our own reality's police force, what is the reason for this? Anyway, the story stood alone and anyone not familiar with the continuity, could have easily picked up this issue and enjoyed reading it. Name: The First #17 Publisher: CrossGen Comics Creative Force: Barbara Kesel, Andrea Di Vito, Rob Hunter, Rob Schwager Price: $2.95 Comments: With Barbara moving fast on the storyline and Andrea dazzling the readers with his penciling, I must say that The First #17 is everything I wanted and more! With Seahn planning to betray House Dexter, the tension in the air is tense. I love the way Andrea Di Vito made the hands/arms from the ground come alive; he displays the power of Seahn with sheer intensity. The turmoil of Persha was another highlight of this story, as she seeks to gain proof of what she knows to be true via the visions. I like the way Trenin and the other First set off for this upcoming glorious battle. Trenin is very head strong in his preparation for battle, he sort of reminds me of Thor. The evil of Braag darkly radiates throughout this whole story. He is set to bring in a new era, an era of darkness and chaos. With Braag's bravado, one can understand the true high anger of Trenin. Emotions run high for the First as they see one of their own, that being Pyrem who is being held prisoner of House Sinister and the moment of Pyrem's freedom is only slightly celebrated as the turmoil starts all over again, with the fear of another universe engulfing the universe that they now are in. I must say that you can't get any darn better than that! MOE Sidenote: When going to one of the Comix and Comics franchise, make sure to pick up one of their free newsletters. The latest one is CSN #768 with a Paradigm cover and Superman & Savage Dragon back cover. This newsletter is filled with information. A nice detailed article about Paradigm written by Cliff Biggers; articles about CrossGen comics; The Flash; and a detailed list of upcoming comics that will be hitting the shelves soon! CSN newsletter is not to be missed! New at A1 Comics are the following comics: Colonia - Islands & Anomalies by Jeff Nicholson; The Kindred #2 by Wildstorm Comics; Puncture #2 of 3 by Comix; Ancient Joe by C. Scott Morse; Angel & the Ape #4 by Vertigo; Angry Youth Comix; 3x3 Eyes; Parasyte; Couscous Express by Brian Wood; Tree vs. Bill by Madcar Comics; Truth Serum. Rumor has it that Koala Bear Kare (corporation) out of St. Paul, MN will be doing a one-shot comic book that will have their mascot Koala Bear in the comic. Koala Bear Kare is a corporation that deals with bathroom utilities. The comic book from what I hear will be one big ad for their products. For more information you can contact them at: 1-800-666-0363. This evening I went to UA Laguna theatres and saw Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers and H.G. Well's Time Machine. I must say Time Machine had some dazzling special effects, while We Were Soldiers was heart wrenching and the reality of war really came through in this true story of the Vietnam War. If you haven't had the chance, don't forget to reserve a copy of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of 9-11 comic book graphic novels! Multiverse Observer and Explorer signing off until next time....... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] 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 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!] WELCOME TO ELTINGVILLE Pilot: "Bring Me The Head of Boba Fett" 30-minute animated TV Special, debut Sunday March 3 CARTOON NETWORK Created and Written by Evan Dorkin Directed by Chuck Sheetz Executive Producers Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer In a perfect world I would have received this screening copy prior to the premiere of the special on CARTOON NETWORK's ADULT SWIM, but alas I only received it the week after. I hope they run it again in case you missed it because it is something worth seeing. Eltingville is a typical suburb in the USA and the Eltingville Club is comprised of typical teenage dorks - that is they are part of that small group that is into gaming and comics and science fiction and the like. Bill Dickey is President and the Secretary of Comic Books, Jerry Stoker is the Secretary of Gaming (and is constantly making sound like the robot on the Buck Rogers TV Show - beedee, beedee, beedee - a fact that plays prominently later), Josh Leavy is Secretary of Science Fiction and Pete Dinunzio is Secretary of Horror. I say they are dorks only in a loving sense because they do not really care what others think about the obsession they have with their hobbies. The story begin in a real funny situation as we see the guys dressed in medieval garb and approaching a confrontation with a master villain while complaining about what has gone wrong so far. Soon you realize they are in the midst of a role playing game and apparently not doing all that well as a Skeletor clone (raise your hand if you remember He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!) is mopping the floor with them. Flash to reality and the guys are pretty upset and demand resurrection by the Dungeon Master. Only the anger of Bill's mom stop things from a melee. A club meeting follows and each member reports on his specialty. Josh claims he scored the video of sexy sirens of science fiction which includes a clip of Tasha Yar topless (anyone see her in Red Shoe Diaries???). However, the tape is not what the claims say and a fight ensues from the ridicule aimed at Josh. The brawl is ended as the boys get tossed by Bill's mom. This all serves as set up to meet the guys and see their relations and reactions to each other. The real basic plot is revealed later next day as all is forgiven and the guys head for movies, a peak in the storefront of the lingerie store and of course a visit to the comic store. There they are stopped in their tracks as they spot a new item for sale. An original 12" Kenner Boba Fett unopened and in so beyond mint condition it is virginal. Both Josh and Bill want it - a fact the owner plays up to - but only one can. So the challenge is tthrown out - a trivia contest will be had, winner gets to buy it. There is a lot of funny stuff here, not so much in knee slapping jokes but in realizing that these guys act a lot like some people I know. They are totally immersed in the comic/sci-fi/gaming scene and try to prove to one another they know everything there is to know. If sarcasm and condescension were ammunition the place would be a bloody mess! One scene with a card collecting geek really shows Evan's cruel poke at the extremism of some fanboys as rather than help him after he fell our heroes sort through his spilled card collection looking for ones they need. And that is the key to understanding this comedy. It is about exposing the quirkiness of fans of pop culture and then pushing that quirkiness beyond normal. There seems to be a bit too much yelling through much of it but the humor is right on. I thoroughly enjoyed it and want more. Evan said in an interview he has a couple dozen plots ready if and when the show is picked up as a series. You can help that happen by writing to the folks at CARTOON NETWORK and demanding they rerun the pilot and start making more episodes. I for one enjoy comics about comic fans (COPY BOOK TALES, 3 GEEKS, DORK TOWER) and a whole cartoon show about them (us) is a welcome idea. Maybe not enough mainstream viewers would get it, but they should give it a shot! LEAGUE OF SUPER GROOVY CRIMEFIGHTERS 1-4 #1 - 24 pp. color; #2-4 pp. b&w; $2.95/$4.50CAN; bi-monthly Ancient Studios 140 Curtis Ave. Suite A Burlington, VT 05401 ancientstudios.com ancientstudios@aol.com Creator/writer - Jan-Ives Campbell Pencils - Mitch Massey Inks - James Taylor Colors/letters - Mike Kelleher & Len Mihalovich Cupid, Black Belt, The Ring, X, Atlas, Thor and Mr. Phenomenal are also known as The League of Super Groovy Crimefighters. Fans of the sixties and seventies pop culture will recognize some of the sources of inspiration for these characters. They are not only spoofs of the typical super heroes - Thor has to talk like the familiar Marvel Character or gets corrected all the time by others, Mr. P. is an obvious Redd Richards clone; but are loosely based on ads for various items that have faded into history - mood rings (The Ring), X-Ray spec (X), Charlie "Atlas" can make you a man ads. The public loves them and the local police chief does not want them to interfere with police business. But hey, when did that ever stop costumed vigilantes? The introductory issue has them stopping a robbery and nearly destroying the building and several vehicles in the process. As a bridging element, we have a Watcher clone named A.D.D. who introduces the other main player - Sergeant America (you would think it wouldn't be so obvious but yes he works for the government as a super soldier). He has extensive combat training, chemicals that enhance his speed and strength and the help of an implanted computer mnemonic program. Trouble is the program is ended and they are going to take it all away. So he goes rogue, looks up his old girlfriend - not a good reunion after 5 years - and learns he is millions in debt from inheriting his father's bankrupt estate. In another twist he also learns his father was really the Dark Detective (3 guesses who that is a copy of) So he puts it all together to use his own abilities and his father's costume and gadgets to make some money. That is until he runs into the League. These are really funny tales, especially if you are old enough to get some of the inside jokes. Jan does a pretty good job of poking fun at lots of comic book cliches. I read these on a flight home and found myself laughing out loud a few times. When the Sergeant/Dark Detective faces off against the league it seems numbers and diversity have no power over dumb luck and hidden allies. The Syndicate of Evil Bad Guys is even goofier thant the league as they mix it up in typical comic fashion. The backup origin stories are a hoot as well. The art is as good as you will find in the comical mags out there - showing the diversity of penciler Massey. The only downside was the first issue, which though the only one in color was a little too dark. I think any comic fan will like these books and they get better with each issue. Even the fake ads are worth chuckling at. The comic is available through Diamond and from the publisher directly. GET BenT #9 24 pages, black & white, digest sized, $3.00 Created by Ben T. Steckler PO Box 7273 York, PA 17404 bsteckler@netrax.net Ben was nominated for an Ignatz Award to be awarded at the 2001 EXPO (SPX). Unfortunately the awards and convention were cancelled but keeps putting out work worthy of recognition. In fact, this issue impressed me more than anything he has done to date. The lead story, "A Fay Zone Leah", follows a person born with a severe deformities - Myopia, Hydrocephalus, a hunchback, and a cleft palate. It begins with his father's horror filled expression seeing him for the first time. It follows him through life - unable to make friends, never knowing his father and as an adult living alone. A poignant moment occurs as he ponders making a call to a talk show, knowing he would not be understood due to his speech impediment. The love of baseball is a constant in his life, yet he cannot discuss it without the fear of sounding stupid. The back story, "The Water-Head Man", is mostly Ben's real life experience recollections of a similar person - minus the hunch back and cleft palate - which he added for emphasis. The man was called The Water-Head Man due to the swollen head from his condition. This person went around the neighborhood collecting broken or old things and he would fix them up and give them to those more needy. The young Ben did not know this at first and so when he saw his mom give away some of his old toys he freaked even though his mom said he had outgrown those. From then on he played with every toy he owned a lot. And so it went with fear and misunderstanding until he learned more about those disabilities and how his prejudices clouded his judgement. There are a few short fillers, Fun With Palindromes is amusing and clever and the center spread deals with perceived change in luck from a purchase at a flea market. The strength of this mini is the reflection of life as someone different, and in reality we are all different in our own way. There is a lot of thought and a simplicity in storytelling that makes it work quite well. Ben should be nominated again this year based on this issue. Well done! DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #3 - preview shipping in June, 48 pages, b&w, Color wraparound cover, $2.95 Coming off some critical acclaim in WIZARD MAGAZINE and with issue #2 out in the next week or so, I get a peek at #3 to entice you folks. This time around there are 6 stories by 16 artists. Like many anthologies they are a mix of genres and styles with something for everyone. "Harlow's End: Elijah's Tale Doug Giffin, Anthony Castrillo, Ed Dukeshire The story is one about a kid in a futuristic city making it on the streets, avoiding the drug scene, and being helped by an odd collection of friends - like a cyborg, a voodoo griot and a hooker. Then his fortune turns when a big spending women come looking for him. She has information on his background and his special abilities - but will the data wafer she flashes tell him everything he needs to know, or will those who want to stop her stop him too? Questions left unanswered until the next chapter. Doug and Anthony seem to have a good grasp on the art of development and exposition while moving forward with the plot. The actual art is decent as well. You can check out more about this world at www.psychoengine.com "XSTACY:Advent" Created by Franchesco Xstacy is a teleportal dressed in skin tight latex and stiletto heels with hair down to the floor. She spends the first four pages posing for the drooling fan boys after a rather unladylike landing from a 'port. Do you know anyone who always arches their back no matter what? Another babe, Omega, shows up with robes flowing everywhere and an ankh-like thing called Argentino floating around her. Omega speaks of an approaching terrible day and prophecies calling Xstacy "Child of Light, Mistress of Darkness", Argentino attaches to her cleavage and then a real light show begins. Well, I am sure this is going somewhere, but frankly I was turned off by the needless dragging of the first half and the overemphasis of Xstacy showing off her form. Not my favorite in the issue. "The Dark Side of the Moon" Story: C. C. Kirby, Art: Juan Moreno, Letters: Ed Dukeshire This one is the best of the lot. A secret "last" trip to the moon in 1975 by apollo astronauts and a Colonel Austin turns out to be a salvage mission. It seems the Russians had devised a reusable lander and had secretly landed on the dark side of the moon. Our satellites detected the landing and the mission is to find out why the it never left. They come upon the crash site and go about taking the fuel cell before heading back to their lander. To their surprise the Russians had not all died and now it is a struggle to see who if anyone will every leave the moon alive. The whole package on this one is superb. The art is crisp and detailed. Black and white works especially well on space stories and this one is no exception. It is a clever story with good drama and pacing. Keep an eye on these guys. "Not Quite Lab Rats" Story - Mike Sciliano, Art - MerMuse Set in the 1920's, the art is a bit dark but sets the mood for the era. Mr. Everett buys some supplies at a hardware storm and races home to a secret lab. There he puts the finishing touches on an invention he hopes will allow him to communicate with animals - a cat and a squirrel in this case. Some barbed wire, the last thing available, is used to make the final circuit and with all three connected he throws the switch. At first look it appears a disaster - no sign of the animals where they had been. The punch line is something good enough to see for yourself. This is a clever story that is just as long as it needs to be without leaving anything out. Only the dark tone needs some lightning and it would be better. "The Team: Dream Come True" part 3 Story: Matt Starnes, Art: Diego Jourdan and Diego Barreto This is a super team spoof with Leather Jacket Guy calling for heroes to join him. He gets Squid Dude, Putty Girl, Top Heavy, Bug Eyed, Gill Gal and Secretor Girl - and yes, they are as silly as they sound. They open the story in an apparent battle with a dragon. Turns out it is the old pull the thorn from the paw routine and everyone survives the fray. Gil and Secretor seem to barf a lot and Top Heavy (full figured woman) makes a play for the fearless leader but he is not biting. Now all they need is a secret headquarters and a name for the team. They find both with a chuckle or two on the way. It is not knee slapping funny but amuses and the art is a good fit. "The Nest" Writer/Letters - Steven O'Connel, Pencils - Richard Connelly, Inks - Rob Lansley, Grayscale - Chris Mendoza This one has the most polished art in the book, and the greyscales are not yet added in this preview. A female member of a collective of trained assasins is rebelling against the program. Trained from birth she is showing individual thought and decides to see how far it will take her. We watch as she breaks in the HQ - the Nest and gun fights her way to the leader's office. He knows she is coming, one from each team always does something like this, and all have been put in their place. Rail, or Rachel, does make it and soon he is staring down her gun barrel, but can she pull the trigger? The ending is a bit confused - hard to criticize without giving it away. Other than that this is an exceptional collaborative effort. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] 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, 03/20/2002, 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 DARK HORSE COMICS Groo Death And Taxes #3 (Of 4), 2.99 DC COMICS Batman Deathblow After The Fire #1 (Of 3), 5.95 Batman Gotham Knights #27, 2.50 Birds Of Prey #41, 2.50 Establishment #7, 2.50 Gen 13 #75, 2.50 Haven The Broken City #4 (Of 9), 2.50 JSA #34, 2.50 King David SC, 19.95 Lucifer #24, 2.50 Mad About Super-Heroes TPB, 9.95 Monarchy #12, 2.50 Orion #24, 2.50 Outlaw Nation #19, 2.50 Powerpuff Girls #25, 1.99 Robin #100, 3.50 Supergirl #68, 2.25 Superman The Man Of Steel #124, 2.25 Titans #39, 2.50 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Luba #6, 3.50 IMAGE COMICS Banished Knights Alvin Lee Cvr #2, 2.95 Banished Knights Pat Lee Cvr #2, 2.95 Last Shot #4, 2.95 Spawn #115, 2.50 MARVEL COMICS Avengers Defenders War TPB, 14.95 Daredevil #31, 2.99 New X-Men #124, 2.25 Order #2, 2.25 Peter Parker Spider-Man #41, 2.25 Thing & She Hulk The Long Night, 2.99 Thor #47, 2.25 Ultimate Spider-Man HC, 34.95 Ultimate X-Men #16, 2.25 Ultimate X-Men Coll Ed #1, 3.99 NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DC COMICS American Century #13 03/20 03/27 Authority #29 12/05 05/08 Dark Knight Strikes Again #3 02/27 TBA Just Imagine Stan Lee Gary Frank Shazam! 03/13 03/27 Just Imagine Stan Lee Scott McDaniel Aquaman 04/10 04/24 Tom Strong's Terrific Tales #3 03/06 04/03 IMAGE 10th Muse #10 Cvrs. A-C 03/13 04/03 Art of Jay Anacleto 04/03 DarkMinds: Macropolis #2 Cvrs. A-B 03/27 Dawn: Return of the Goddess S&N HC 03/27 Electropolis #4 04/03 Fathom #14 (RES) 03/20 03/27 Felon #4 04/03 Inferno: Hellbound #3 03/27 Nowheresville TP 04/03 Red Star #8-Gossett/Rodriguez Cvrs. 03/20 04/03 Rising Stars #18 02/27 04/03 Rising Stars Vol. 2 TP: Power 03/27 04/03 Sam & Twitch #24 03/27 Savage Dragon #95 03/27 Tomb Raider Journeys #3 03/27 Witchblade: Pez Killer Set 02/27 03/27 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ] HYPE! Section Various Moonstone July solicitation contact_us@moonstonebooks.com Title: "Werewolf the Apocalypse: Children of Gaia" Story: Joe Gentile Art: Jerry DeCaire Colors: Jeremy Roberts Cover: Drew Tucker 48pgs, color, square-bound, self-contained, $6.95 mature readers This is the next volume in a series of one-shots based in the noir universe of White Wolf's "Werewolf the Apocalypse" role-playing game. When Werewolf betrays Werewolf! A member of the "Children of Gaia" tribe hands a videotape of a fellow tribe member shape-changing, over to a local television station. Motives and plot twists later, a bloody battle leaves many Lupine dead. The "Children of Gaia" caern elders send five "peace keepers" to track down their Judas and bring him back for questioning. Unfortunately, these five members of what is considered to be the pacifist tribe of the Werewolf mythos, follow a trail littered only with violence and frustration. Jerry DeCaire ("X-Men", "Wolverine") cranks up his "cinematography approach" in this emotional tale. (printed and shipped from Quebecor) +++++ MARVEL MANGAVERSE: FROM SURPRISE HIT TO MONTHLY SERIES! Hey, True Believer! While the gang in the Bullpen thinks it's cool when big rollouts like THE ULTIMATES and CAPTAIN AMERICA light up the scoreboards, we also enjoy what we call "the little books that could". In this case, we're talking about MARVEL MANGAVERSE, which started out as a one-week event, but -- due to fan demand -- has grown into an ongoing series! In fact, it's not just fans clamoring for more monthly adventures in the surprise-filled setting, but retailers as well! Here's just a sampling of comments that ran in the latest issue of Comics & Games Retailer: Barry Osser of North Coast Role Playing (Eureka, CA): "MARVEL MANGAVERSE stuff exploded out of here. I ordered 40% over what I expected to sell and still sold out on the first day." John Tinkess of Another Dimension (Cal