---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 368 5/17/2002 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Winner of the 2001 EAGLE AWARD as FAVORITE COMICS E-ZINE! 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] Convention Report ..................... Robert Andres [6] Graphic Novel Reviews ................. Amy Harlib [7] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [8] Thoughts to Be Heard .................. Jeff Clifford [9] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [10] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [11] My View:NODWICK, DORK TOWER, PVP, SATYR, CINDERALLA ................... David LeBlanc [12] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [13] 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. 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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 Things you may have overlooked last week: FADE FROM BLUE - Second to Some Studios $1 This was specially priced to accommodate readers in the spirit of Free Comic Book Day and the next issue is only $1.50. I gave it a review last month from the preview copy and the finished product is now out for everyone to see. This one is for all readers and I think the females will go for the strong leads of the main characters, 4 stepsisters. No need to go over my review again here but the finished issue has an essay, ostensibly by Christa who writes those columns for modern magazines for women. This piece is called, "The 4 Things About Your Pad That Makes Him Panic" and is a hoot to read after the main story. Sub headings are: 'Hide what you would from your Dad', 'Watch what's growing in your fridge', 'Don't leave your past in the present' and 'Keep the scary stuff to a minimum'. Fun stuff, and the whole package is worth your buck so give it a shot. FABLES #1 - Vertigo/DC $2.50 I have always been a fan of Bill Willingham's writing since the days of ELEMENTALS. Now he has introduced the idea that the various fairy tale characters are living among us after being forced out of their homelands by the "Adversary" and have established an underground government. Those that appear human, or can fake it with magic spells, live among the humans - people like Snow White, Prince Charming, Bigby Wolf (get it? Big B. Wolf), Jack (of bean stalk fame) and the like. Others live on a farm upstate out of site. At the core of the first issue is a murder and aside from a brief visit to the murder scene, this issue mostly sets us up for what is ahead by developing the main characters. As always, Mr. W. provides great reading and interesting concepts. He is also the writer on PANTHEON out this week. Speaking of this week, here is more stuff to read: ABSTRACT STUDIOS Strangers In Paradise Vol III #50, $2.95 BONGO COMICS Radioactive Man #575, $2.50 CROSSGEN COMICS Forge #2, $9.95 Mystic #24, $2.95 Way Of The Rat #1, $2.95 <------------ Pick of the Week! DC COMICS Authority #29, $2.50 Establishment #9, $2.50 JIST With Chris Bachalo Creating Catwoman, $5.95 Lab Rats #2, $2.50 Power Company #4, $2.50 IMAGE COMICS Midnight Nation #11 (resolicited), $2.50 Noble Causes Chris Cross Cvr #3, $2.95 Noble Causes Gleason Cvr #3, $2.95 Savage Dragon #97, $2.95 LONE STAR PRESS Ex Parte #1, $2.95 Pantheon #11 (Of 12), $2.95 Strange Heroes #6, $2.95 MARVEL COMICS New X-Men #126, $3.25 Ultimate X-Men #18, $2.25 X-Force #127, $2.25 OLIO PRESS Castle Waiting #14 (resolicited), $2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS All New Tenchi Muyo Part 1 #1 (Of 7), $2.95 Lots to read and I am WAY behind. I got a couple of gems for next week's review column that will take some time to read so on with the show! 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:About Spider-Man the Movie. From:Silhouet98@cs.com Okay, I saw the movie. No, I'm not talking about The Scorpion King. I'm not talking about Blade II. Even though I have seen both movies. Right now, I'm talking about Spider-Man! It was everything I hoped for and more. With computer animated technology, Spider-Man finally looks like Spider-Man. The swinging on the web routine looks real; landing on the side of a flagpole looks real and so on. I just wish I saw more Spider-Man action. I was surprised that Spider-Man had real webbing oozing from his wrist, instead of having webshooters. This Spider-Man didn't have a potbelly like the way Adam West had when he portrayed Batman. Tobey Maguire had a spectacular physique that allowed him to fit in the Spider-Man outfit with ease. They got Spider-Man's outfit down to perfection. I was somewhat disappointed on the way the Green Goblin looked. The Green Goblin looked more robotic and I felt he would have been better at home with the Power Rangers. Marvel Comics had a history of poorly made films from the Fantastic Four B flick to the Spider-Man series. Finally Marvel Comics came along and got everyone's attention. Then with the success of the X-Men movie and Blade, Marvel was finally on their way to success in the realms of Hollywood. It's hard to believe that at one time Marvel was struggling with a Chapter 11. Marvel has made a comeback that would make John Travolta blink. Sincerely yours, Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher Jazma Universe Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ 5606 Moonlight Way Elk Grove, CA 95758 Silhouet98@cs.com +++++ Subj:Re: On The Net CBEM #367 Date:5/12/02 7:35:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time From:sreid@gresham-computing.com.au To:ComicBkNet@aol.com Hiya Dave, I really enjoy receiving CBEM each and every week and eagerly read it from "cover" to "cover". However, I do have to take you to task for one of your comments in "On the net" this week. You said:- )) Well everyone must have seen SPIDER-MAN at least once by now. This may come as a surprise to you, but not everyone *HAS* had the opportunity to see Spider-man once ( or more ) by now. We don't get the film down here in Australia until June 6th. So as you can see "everyone" only really equals "every American and Canadian". I do have tickets to see it opening day down here, but that's at least two weeks away. That said, I did enjoy the rest of the issue (minus the Spidey reviews as I don't want to spoil the movie before I have a chance to make up my mind! ). Thanks -- Stuart [Of course you are right and forgive me for not thinking of all the readers we have around the world. There are no borders anywhere Email or web sites can be accessed. I think your wait will be worth it. - D.L.] +++++ Subj:you gotta love Marvel Date:5/13/02 10:33:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time From:MystiqueMK@aol.com In a message dated 5/10/02 10:40:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time, ComicBknet@aol.com writes: (( Meanwhile, MARVEL ENTERPRISES' stock price responded in reverse to the box office score, dropping to $7.25 in Tuesday morning trading. )) Once your company goes public can you ever get it back off the stock exchange? [Most of the time stocks go "off" because they become worthless or too low in value to meet the particular exchange's standards. Of course, if a company can buy back all its stock it can stop it from being traded. - D.L.] +++++ Subj:HUMANOIDS IS MOVING ! ! ! Date:5/17/02 12:24:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time From:dave.olbrich@humanoids-publishing.com Today is MOVING DAY at Humanoids Publishing As of MAY 17 our new phone/address information is: phone (818) 655-9800 (phone extensions will remain the same) fax (818) 655-9811 12001 Ventura Place #200 Los Angeles, CA 91604 e-mail should remain the same adjust your databases accordingly. DWO ------------------------------------------------ Dave Olbrich Humanoids Publishing ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: In what title did Marvel's Celestials first appear? Dan Wong got it before all the others. The Celestials first appeared in THE ETERNALS #2. Dan wins FORGE Vol 1 TP from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In what title did Barbara Gordon first appear as Oracle? 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 Spider-Man' Nets $223M at Box Office By DAVID GERMAIN LOS ANGELES (AP) - Now you know why they call him the Amazing Spider- Man. With $72 million in its second weekend - a number that would be a tremendous debut weekend for almost any film - ``Spider-Man'' knocked off ``Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace'' to become the fastest movie ever to hit $200 million. ``Spider-Man'' passed that mark on Saturday, its ninth day of release. It took ``The Phantom Menace'' 13 days to reach $200 million. The comic-book adaptation starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi has grossed $223.6 million in 10 days, according to studio estimates Sunday. The movie had the best second weekend ever, beating the $57.5 million that ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' took in over the same period. At $72 million, it was the fourth-highest weekend gross of all time, behind its own record debut of $114.8 million, the $90.3 million opening of ``Harry Potter'' and the $72.1 million premiere of ``The Lost World: Jurassic Park.'' ``This is one of those second weekends that's almost more impressive than the first, if that's possible,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. ``This film is relentless in its accrual of money.'' After huge openings, films often nose dive by 50 percent or more in their second weekend because so many people already have seen them. ``Spider-Man'' held up strongly despite its phenomenal premiere, its revenues dipping just 37 percent. ``That's probably the most gravity-defying feat yet of `Spider-Man,' to hold up like that from a number of that size,'' said Jeff Blake, head of distribution and marketing at Sony, which released the film. Opening in second place was the Richard Gere-Diane Lane adultery thriller ``Unfaithful,'' directed by Adrian Lyne (``Fatal Attraction,'' ``Indecent Proposal''). ``Unfaithful'' grossed a healthy $14.2 million in 2,613 theaters, 1,000 fewer than ``Spider-Man'' played in. Distributor 20th Century Fox hopes good word of mouth will establish ``Unfaithful'' as an adult alternative to ``Spider-Man'' and its own new ``Star Wars'' movie that opens Thursday. Older adults ``don't rush out to movies like you do for `Spider-Man' or `Star Wars,''' said Rick Myerson, general sales manager for Fox. ``What you're hoping for with a film like this is a consistency where you continue to play week after week after week.'' The teen comedy ``The New Guy,'' about a nerd who gets a makeover into a super-cool heartthrob at his new school, debuted at No. 3 with $9.5 million. In just over a week, ``Spider-Man'' soared past ``Ice Age'' to become the year's top-grossing film. ``Ice Age'' has taken in $170.8 million in two months. With broad demographic appeal and steady repeat business, ``Spider- Man'' is expected to hold well next weekend, though it comes up against ``Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones.'' ``I'd say we have No. 2 locked up for next weekend,'' Blake said. ``Star Wars'' creator George Lucas already has conceded his film will not break opening-weekend box-office records because it is debuting on about 6,000 theater screens, 1,500 fewer than ``Spider-Man.'' Lucas sought the highest-quality theaters, with digital sound, for his new ``Star Wars'' movie, forgoing a shot at a record opening and aiming for longevity. ``I am not a horse. I do not do horse races,'' Lucas said in an interview last week. ``I'm not interested in opening weekends. I'm not interested in setting records. I know that sounds silly, because we've broken so many records and done all that stuff. I'm interested in making movies and telling stories and giving audiences the best possible presentation.'' Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. ``Spider-Man,'' $72 million. 2. ``Unfaithful,'' $14.2 million. 3. ``The New Guy,'' $9.5 million. 4. ``The Scorpion King,'' $4.4 million. 5. ``Changing Lanes,'' $3.5 million. 6. ``Murder by Numbers,'' $2.3 million. 7. ``The Rookie,'' $2.1 million. 8. ``Panic Room,'' $1.5 million. 9. ``Ice Age,'' $1.4 million. 10. ``Life or Something Like It,'' $1.3 million. +++++ Japanese comics weekly to publish English version in U.S. Kyodo News Service TOKYO, May 16 (Kyodo) - Weekly Comic Bunch, a Japanese comics periodical, will from October be available in the United States in English, publisher Coamix Inc. announced Thursday. The U.S. version, Raijin Comics, will be the first full-fledged comics weekly in the United States, where interest in Japanese comics and animation is rising, according to the Tokyo-based publisher. Ahead of the U.S. release, Raijin Comics will be sold in Japan from Friday, with a bilingual supplement for those Japanese readers who want to learn English and those English speakers who want to learn Japanese, the publisher said. The U.S. publication will feature author Tetsuo Hara's ''Hokuto No Ken'' (the Fist of the North Star) and Tsukasa Hojo's ''City Hunter.'' Comic Bunch was launched in May last year. With weekly circulation standing at about 720,000 copies, it has been made available in local languages in Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Thailand, the company said. Publication in Europe, after the U.S., is also planned, it said. +++++ Kurt Busiek, writer/creator ASTRO CITY: "Every time I see new art on HIP FLASK, I'm amazed and astounded all over again. I thought Ladronn was good when he first showed up, but he was just getting started. HIP FLASK looks like it's going to be the work of his career, and like something that'll go down in comics history as a masterpiece. I can't wait for this book." Christian Gossett, writer/penciller/creator THE RED STAR: "Ladronn's character designs, his amazing camera work and layouts... his breathtaking technical drawings... the beautiful ease of his natural line... HIP FLASK is one of those rare works that is so damned good that the whole industry should stand up and take notice." Jim Lee, penciller BATMAN: "I never thought a science fiction comic book about a hippo could work, but count me a believer, man. Ladronn's artwork is awesome, just... Mind-Blowing! I'm preordering my copy right now!" This Week's News & Updates: The HIP FLASK Digital Ashcan Although the first issue of the Ladronn/Starkings/Casey HIP FLASK: project doesn't hit stores until mid-July, we've posted a three page "Digital Ashcan" showcasing more of Ladronn's stunning multimedia artwork on the official HIP FLASK: UNNATURAL SELECTION site @ www.hipflask.com. "It was never my intention to kick off the HIP FLASK series with the story of his... delivery," says HIP FLASK creator and Comicraft president, Richard Starkings. "Ladronn was already halfway through the issue which would serve as prologue to THE BIG HERE & THE LONG NOW mini-series but every other day he would ask me questions regarding the creation of Hip Flask and the Elephantmen. Ladronn was born and raised in Mexico and recently told me that he first watched the movie ALIEN at the tender age of twelve. His aunt was supposed to be taking him to see another (more age-appropriate!) movie but they entered the wrong screening room and Ladronn sat mesmerized by a movie he would later describe as 'Made for me!' Not surprisingly, Ladronn proposed that we present the origin of HIP FLASK in a manner which can best be described as 'chestburst'!" "In my efforts to help Ladronn gouge the unsettling visions of Hip's birth out of the dark recesses of his dangerously disturbed mind, I wrote a three page script which I thought could serve as a short prologue to the prologue... but of course Ladronn had other ideas! UNNATURAL SELECTION is the bigger story of Hip's origin -- Ladronn has filled the issue To The Brim, his amazing art is featured on 35 of the 36 pages of the book, literally cover to cover! -- but we thought it would be interesting to put together the Digital Ashcan from the original script as a way of whetting readers'... 'appetites'. Hopefully people will then realize that they should not approach the comic itself with a full stomach." Comicraft's Secret Weapon! You still have a chance to see the HIP FLASK Flash movie promo at www.hipflask.com! Designed by Ladronn & Starkings, our short teaser was put together by the man WIZARD editor Brian Cunningham recently recognized as "Comicraft's Secret Weapon". That man is John JG Roshell. "Notwithstanding the brilliance and enthusiasm JG has brought to HIP FLASK," says Starkings, "his contribution to the greater world of comics is Massive. Aside from the hundreds of fonts he designed (or badgered me to design) over at comicbookfonts.com; aside from the network of websites he's created (including the forthcoming joequesada.com and timsale.com); aside from the ten dozen trade paperbacks he's designed (check out the recent DANGER GIRL books, the ASTRO CITY hardcovers, the FRANK MILLER DAREDEVIL VISIONARIES and the DAREDEVIL: YELLOW hardcover); aside from the hundreds of logos he's designed for books as disparate as DAREDEVIL, LADY PENDRAGON and TUROK; aside from the Digital Lettering course he teaches online at MCAD; aside from ALL the above, JG also self-published his own comic, WASTE LA, a five issue series which he wrote with FATHOM's Bill O'Neill and illustrated (in Photoshop), long before I ever got my act together. Plus, he builds a mean picket fence. Sorry, ladies, he's already married." +++++ Marvel Shares Fall Ahead of 1Q Report NEW YORK (AP) - Marvel Enterprises Inc. shares slid Monday, after the company was the subject of an unfavorable published report, just before it reports its first-quarter results. Marvel, which holds the licensing rights to the Spider-Man comic book character featured in Sony Corp.'s blockbuster movie, got a black eye Monday in the New York Post. The tabloid published a report pointing out Marvel's recently slipping share price, as well as insider sales by Marvel director Shelley Greenhaus of Whipporwill Associates, of White Plains, N.Y., and Morgan Stanley & Co. Though Greenhaus recently trimmed his stake in Marvel to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent, ``We still have a tremendous amount'' of shares in the company, Greenhaus said Monday. Greenhaus declined to comment further on his recent sales. Carl Marker, who manages a small investment fund with holdings in Marvel, said insider sales are unsurprising, given the run-up in the shares in recent months. Marker said the holdings of his IMS Capital Value Fund in Marvel are predicated on a target price of $12 to $15 a share. ``We're not worried,'' Marker said, noting that Marvel shares have often proven volatile. Marker said he doesn't expect Marvel's first-quarter earnings report to contain ``anything real positive,'' and any impact from Spiderman related to the film won't show up until later. In late trading, Marvel shares were at $6.99, down 70 cents, or 9.1 percent on the New York Stock Exchange. +++++ Marvel Enterprises Q1 Net Sales Rise 34%; EBITDA Improves 68%; Initiates Fiscal 2002 Guidance of $60-$65mm in EBITDA NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2002--Marvel Enterprises, Inc. ("Marvel") (NYSE:MVL) today reported financial results for the 2002 first quarter-ended March 31, 2002 as highlighted in the table below. MARVEL ENTERPRISES, INC. Summary Consolidated Statements Of Operations (dollars in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, % 2002 2001 Change ------------------ --------------- Net sales $ 57,222 $ 42,672 34.1% Cost of sales 28,804 24,323 18.4% Gross Profit 28,418 18,349 54.9% Selling, general and administrative expenses 18,111 12,196 48.5% EBITDA (1) 10,307 6,153 67.5% Depreciation and amortization 946 802 17.9% Amortization of goodwill and other intangibles 85 5,921 (98.6%) Operating income (loss) 9,276 (570) -- Interest expense, including amortization of debt discount (2) 7,893 7,867 0.3% Income (loss) before income taxes 1,383 (8,437) -- Income tax provision (3) 623 154 304% Income (loss) before equity in net loss of joint venture 760 (8,591) -- Equity in net loss of joint venture -- (96) -- Net income (loss) $ 760 $ (8,687) -- Less: preferred dividend requirement 4,131 3,968 4.1% Net loss attributable to common stock (3,371) (12,655) -- Basic loss per share ($ 0.10) ($ 0.37) -- Weighted average number of Common shares 34,406 33,820 1.7% (1) "EBITDA" is defined as earnings before extraordinary items, interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization and equity in net loss of joint venture. EBITDA does not represent net income or cash flows from operations as those terms are defined by generally accepted accounting principles. EBITDA does not necessarily indicate whether cash flows will be sufficient to fund cash needs. (2) Includes $2.7 million in non-cash items related to the amortization of HSBC loan costs as well as the amortization of warrants issued to Isaac Perlmutter. (3) First quarter current payable taxes of $129,000 relate primarily to foreign taxes, state and local taxes. The balance represents non-cash deferred taxes resulting from the utilization of pre-acquisition net operating losses. Marvel's net sales for the first quarter ended March 31, 2002 increased by $14.6 million or 34.1% to $57.2 million compared with net sales of $42.7 million in the first quarter ended March 31, 2001. EBITDA for Q1 2002 was $10.3 million an increase of 67.5% compared to Q1 2001 EBITDA of $6.1 million. MARVEL ENTERPRISES, INC. DIVISIONAL REVENUE/EBITDA (dollars in thousands) 3 Months Ended March 31, 2002 2001 % Change Licensing: Net Sales $ 9,172 $ 5,430 68.9% EBITDA $ 4,252 $ 2,853 49.0% Publishing: Net Sales $ 14,559 $ 10,217 42.5% EBITDA $ 3,775 $ 2,739 37.8% Toys: Net Sales $ 33,491 $ 27,025 23.9% EBITDA $ 4,757 $ 2,214 115.0% Corporate: Net Sales -- -- -- EBITDA $ (2,477) $ (1,653) -- TOTAL NET SALES $ 57,222 $ 42,672 34.1% TOTAL EBITDA $ 10,307 $ 6,153 67.5% the continued increase in licensing opportunities, including a major mass-market apparel license with NTD of Canada, agreements in several new licensing categories and a promotional license for a Chevrolet television commercial. First quarter 2002 licensing results did not include any revenue from the Spider-Man movie pursuant to Marvel's Spider-Man Merchandising L.P. joint venture with Sony Pictures Consumer Products. Sales from this 50/50 joint venture could not be recognized until the motion picture was released and accordingly will now be reflected in the second quarter of 2002 and in subsequent periods based on the success of the broad variety of licensed goods. As of May 14, 2002, Marvel had approximately $6.0 million in deferred revenue related to Spider-Man: The Movie licensing which will be recognized in the second quarter. The Spider-Man Merchandising joint venture has already initiated licensing programs for Spider-Man II and the Sony animated series airing later this year on MTV. Gains in the publishing division reflect continued improvements in Marvel's North American comic book market share, including a 27% increase in Marvel's first quarter 2002 comic book sales versus the year-ago period. The increases also reflect continued improvements in artistic and editorial content and the implementation of innovative programs aimed at expanding readership levels. Publishing results also benefited from Marvel's reemphasis on the higher-margin trade paperback products, late in 2001, including the subsequent penetration into major book chains. Sales of trade paperbacks increased by 240% in the first quarter of 2002, versus the year-ago period. Publishing also benefited modestly from first-time product offerings for the mature comic book market segment, marketed under the MAX brand. Following the restructuring of Marvel's Toy Biz division undertaken in 2000-2001, Marvel reported improved toy results for Q1 2002. The restructuring included a licensing agreement with Toy Biz Worldwide, an unaffiliated company, whereby Toy Biz Worldwide received the rights to produce action figures and accessories based on the entire Marvel portfolio of characters, with the exception of Spider-Man movie toy lines. The Toy Biz Worldwide relationship went into effect on July 1, 2001. Toy division sales in Q1 2002 included sales of action figures and accessories for toy lines based on both the Lord of The Rings and Spider-Man movies as well as the Spectra line of flying toys. Marvel had approximately $24.6 million in cash as of March 31, 2002, total current assets of $113.3 million and working capital of $34.1 million. At quarter's end Marvel's total long-term debt stood at $178.7 million, including $151.0 million of 12% Notes. Marvel Character Feature Film Line Up: Film/Character Studio/ Actors/ Expected Release(1) Distributor Director Blade II New Line Wesley Snipes Released Guillermo del Toro March 22, - Director 2002 Spider-Man: Sony/Columbia Tobey Maguire, Released The Movie Pictures Kirsten Dunst, May 3, Willem Dafoe 2002 Sam Raimi - Director Daredevil New Regency/ Ben Affleck, January 17, Fox Jennifer Garner, 2003 Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell Mark Steven Johnson - Director X2 Fox Patrick Stewart, May 2, 2003 (X-Men Sequel) Halle Berry Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen Bryan Singer - Director The Incredible Universal Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, June 20, Hulk Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott 2003 Ang Lee - Director The Punisher Artisan Jonathan Hensleigh Second half, - Director 2003 Spider-Man II Sony/Columbia Tobey Maguire, May 7, 2004 Pictures Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe Sam Raimi - Director (1) Feature film release dates are not within Marvel's control. Marvel Character Television Projects: TV Series Producer Network/Format/Season Season Starts X-Men Evolution Marvel Kids WB/Animated/ Third Season Sept. 2002 Mutant X Tribune Nationally Sept. 2002 syndicated/Live-action/ Second Season Spider-Man Sony MTV/Animated/First Season Dec. 2002 Marvel Character Motion Picture Pipeline - Films in Development Film/Character Studio/Distributor Dr. Strange Dimension Films Fantastic Four Fox Iron Fist Artisan Iron Man New Line Namor: The Sub-Mariner Universal Marvel President and CEO, Peter Cuneo, commented, "The release of Spider-Man has marked the beginning of a new golden age of Marvel and our character portfolio. Over the last twelve days we have seen unprecedented, worldwide interest in our most visible character, Spider-Man, as demonstrated by the enormous commercial success of Spider-Man: The Movie and the vast array of licensed products supporting the movie franchise. To date, the film has generated in excess of $225 million in U.S. box office revenues alone, while also setting records in many foreign markets. The success of the movie as well as sales for merchandise and toys based on the film has elevated Marvel to an unquestioned position as one of the preeminent owners of entertainment intellectual property. The value of the Marvel's portfolio continues to rise, as evidenced by the growing pipeline of major entertainment projects based on Marvel characters. As this pipeline continues to build, Marvel is structured to uniquely capitalize on this new age of fan and consumer awareness across all of our operating divisions. "Our ability to synergize high profile media events across all our divisions is evidenced by the extraordinary success of merchandise, comic book and toy sales for the Spider-Man movie. Across all product categories, from traditional apparel to newer categories such as video games and of course in our own toy line, we are seeing an overwhelming demand for all products based on this highly visible character. As these franchise entertainment events go through their natural life cycles, Marvel is positioned to continue to capitalize on their success through DVD/video sales, pay-per-view offerings, cable and broadcast TV rights and, of course, in sequels that will be made. "Marvel projects that Spider-Man: The Movie's effect on all business segments of the company will be to generate $70 - $100 million in total EBITDA, including our previous non-refundable advance of $10 million in Q1 1999. Accordingly, we expect to recognize $60 - $90 million in EBITDA from the movie over the next two years. EBITDA directly attributable to the Spider-Man movie, DVD and ancillary film revenue is projected to range from $30 - $45 million, also inclusive of the $10 million advance. "Based on the early commercial success of the movie and strong sales across many product categories, we are optimistic that our strategy to unleash our vast intellectual properties will generate improving cash flows which will add value for our shareholders in 2002 and beyond." Initiation of Fiscal 2002 Guidance The following guidance reflects Marvel's expected 2002 participation in Spider-Man: The Movie, DVD/home video and ancillary revenues, as well as contributions from Spider-Man: The Movie licensing, toy sales and a modest related uplift in comic book sales. Marvel's guidance is based on an $800 million projection for Spider-Man: The Movie's worldwide box office in 2002. Also reflected are projected contributions for DVD and home video products currently planned for release in October 2002. The guidance excludes any one-time, non-cash charges related to the January 1,, 2002 implementation of FAS 142 rule concerning goodwill amortization. Marvel anticipates recording any potential charges for impairment of goodwill in the second quarter of 2002. For fiscal 2003, the Company believes that EBITDA and net income will exceed the levels of fiscal 2002, but specific guidance is not being provided at this time. Marvel believes that its guidance, which excludes any one-time items and is provided in the table below, is based on a conservative set of assumptions and management's current view of business trends for all operating divisions. -0- (in millions) (2) Q2 2002 FY 2002 Q2 2001 FY 2001 Total revenues $55 - $60 $190 - $200 $45.9 $181.2 EBITDA $16 - $20 $60 - $65 $7.0 $30.9 Net income $5 - $7 $18 - $20 ($7.4) $5.3 Net income attributable to common stock(1) $1 - $3 $2 - $4 ($11.4) ($10.8) (1) Net income attributable to common stock assumes a preferred dividend requirement of approximately $4.0 million per quarter. (2) FY 2001 Net income and net income attributable to common stock include a one-time gain of approximately $32.7 million for the retirement of senior notes at a discount to face value. 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. Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this news release regarding the Company's plans are forward-looking statements that are dependent upon certain risks and uncertainties, including the Company's need for additional financing, the Company's potential inability to successfully implement its business strategy, a decrease in the level of media exposure or popularity of the Company's characters resulting in declining revenues from products based on those characters, the timing of releases and the decisions to proceed with feature films and TV series based on the Company's characters, the lack of commercial success of entertainment projects based on the Company's characters, the lack of commercial success of properties owned by major entertainment companies that have granted the Company toy licenses, the lack of consumer acceptance of new product introductions, the imposition of quotas or tariffs on toys manufactured in China as a result of a deterioration in trade relations between the U.S. and China, changing consumer preferences, production delays or shortfalls, continued pressure by certain of the Company's major retail customers to significantly reduce their toy inventory levels, the impact of competition and changes to the competitive environment on the Company's products and services, the ability of the Company's licensees to successfully market and sell the licensed products, changes in technology and changes in governmental regulation and the continued financial stability of major licensees of the Company. Those and other risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Marvel assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated Richard Land, David Collins 212/835-8500 mvl@jcir.com SOURCE: Marvel Enterprises, Inc. +++++ From: www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com Stan Lee Tells His Own Story In Excelsior By: Jason Brice EXCELSIOR! THE AMAZING LIFE OF STAN LEE By Stan Lee and George Mair The man behind Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, and a legion of other superheroes tells his own amazing story in a book packed with punch, humor, anecdotes, and a gallery of never-before-seen photographs. The leading creative force behind the rise of Marvel Comics, he brought to life some of the world's best-known heroes and most infamous villains. His stories, featuring super-heroes who struggled against personal hang-ups and bad guys who possessed previously unseen psychological complexity, added wit and subtlety to a field previously locked into flat portrayals of good vs. evil. Lee put the human in the super-human. In the process, he created a new mythology for the twentieth century. In this treasure trove of marvelous memories, Stan tells the story of his life with the same inimitable wit, energy, and offbeat spirit that he brought to the world of comic books. He moves from his impoverished childhood in Manhattan to his early days writing comicbooks, followed by military training films during World War II, through the rise of the Marvel empire in the 1960s to his recent adventures in Hollywood. The story of a man who earned respect by blazing new creative trails in a storytelling form once dismissed as just for kids, Excelsior! is an inspirational story about following one's vision, no matter the odds. Yet it's also the story of how some of the most exciting and memorable characters in the pop-culture universe came to thrill a generation. Fireside, May 2002 (256 pages, $40.00) Hardcover, ISBN: 0-743-22800-6 +++++ WIZARD WORLD EAST ANNOUNCEMENTS As Reported by The Hollywood Reporter TAMPA, FL., May 14, 2002 - If you were unable to attend the CrossGen panel at Wizard World East in Philadelphia, this is the big news you missed. Branded deals bring CrossGen comics to life By Chris Marlowe The development deal that CrossGeneration Comics signed with Michael Uslan, executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, has started to reap rewards. Uslan's Branded Entertainment has reached separate agreements with Threshold Entertainment and Craven/Maddelena Pictures that will bring CrossGen characters off the printed page and into several different media. Threshold Entertainment optioned the rights to "Sigil" and its spin- off, "Saurians," for feature film, television and video games. "CrossGen Comics is hands-down the most exciting comics company to come around in decades," Threshold Entertainment chairman and CEO Larry Kasanoff said. "The unusual thing about that company is not one particular franchise, but that everything they do is so remarkably good." The options are in the tradition of such previous Threshold franchise rights purchases as Mortal Kombat and Duke Nukem, according to Kasanoff. "We like to create worlds in our projects and the Sigil world is unique, original and a cut above the rest. We look for material that is unusual and new and this really fits both descriptions," he said. "Sigil" is based on the adventures of Samandahl Rey, a nomadic ex- soldier who is granted mysterious powers that make him a wanted man but that also mean he is the key to saving the entire galaxy -- not to mention the rescue of a beautiful woman. The Saurians, a reptilian race from another galaxy, are the enemy. Wes Craven and Marianne Maddalena, of Craven/Maddelena Pictures, are close to sealing a deal to option "Mystic" for what currently is conceived as a live-action primetime weekly television series. Uslan brought the property to Craven's attention because the two have worked together in the past on projects including 1982's "Swamp Thing." Maddalena, president of Craven/Maddelena Pictures, said that what attracted them to the property were the central characters Genevieve and Giselle Villard, sisters with magical powers who are entangled in a life-or-death power struggle. "It is probably along the line of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and we believe it would attract the same young audiences that 'Buffy' does attract," she said. Uslan will be executive producer on all CrossGen licensed feature film and television projects. "In all honesty, there is little in North America of this quality of character, story, and art," he said. "To me, the characters are like classic mythology combined with American folklore." He believes that the time is propitious for this deal following the success of "Spider-Man" and other sci-fi/fantasy movies. The lack of what he called "spandex superheroes" was a definite asset too. "This is exactly the kind of material that will commercially attract studios, but that because of the quality of art and character development also will attract major talent and producers," Uslan said. "And that's all coming true." Tony Panaccio, CrossGen's vp product development, said that the licenses were intentionally liberal. "In many cases the licensor can make it very difficult for producers to do their jobs," he said. "We don't want to hamstring them with silly approval processes. They're not tied to a costume or a look -- They can even devise their own storylines. We're more concerned about the essence of the characters and their motivations." The potential loss of control doesn't worry him, because, he said, CrossGen is working only with people it trusts. "With all of the interest in comic book properties right now, we don't foresee a dearth of options," Panaccio said. "And with Michael's track record, I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather have in that driver's seat." Based in Florida, CrossGeneration Comics launched on May 24, 2000, and has grown into the comic industry's fifth-largest publisher. Its entire line is published in six languages. Nellie Andreeva and Josh Spector contributed to this report. +++++ COMIC BOOK STARS GATHER AT BRITNEY SPEARS' NEW RESTAURANT TO SUPPORT THE NEW YORK CITY COMIC BOOK MUSEUM Contact information David Jay Gabriel at 212-712-9454 917-685-2520 nyccbm@hotmail.com Saturday, June 8th, The New York City Comic Book Museum will host "Beyond the Panels II," the second annual fundraiser in celebration of the men and women of the comic book industry. The event will be held at the Dylan Hotel and NYLA Restaurant in Manhattan at 52 East 41st Street from 6-9 p.m. This is the first event to be held at the new restaurant owned by Britney Spears and operated by New York restaurateur, Bobby Ochs. Guests will be granted an exclusive sneak peek at the restaurant before its official opening later in the month. This year's annual gathering will serve to introduce some exciting changes for the NYCCBM. Most notably among these changes will be the announcement of an all-star honorary Board of Trustees -- an unveiling of ten legends of the comic book and entertainment industry. Also at the event will be the launch of the nationwide tour of the highly acclaimed Heroes Among Us: the Artwork of 9-11. In addition, fans will get to mix and mingle with the writers and artists they admire, in a relaxed, party atmosphere. "The Heroes Among Us exhibit really put us on the map this year," says David Jay Gabriel, NYCCBM Executive Director and Founder. "It has definitely made people look anew at comic books and comic book art. And recently, with the tremendous success of Marvel's Spider-Man movie, comic books are once again becoming a house-hold item.'" The guest list is indeed star-studded and appeals to a wide variety of tastes. Come meet comic book legends Joe Quesada, Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Gene Colan, Denny O'Neil, Jim Starlin, Chris Claremont, Joe Staton and many others, listed and updated daily at www.nyccbm.org. A host of talent rarely seen gathered together in New York City all assembled for one momentous evening. With the mass appeal that comic books are experiencing lately, celebrities from TV, film, and the music arena are expected to attend as well. The New York City Comic Book Museum started its mission in 1999 to preserve the historical and artistic legacy of comic book culture, place it in the context of a changing society, show its usefulness in educating and entertaining, and instill in audiences the value and joy of this rich American heritage. It is the nation's only museum dedicated to the art of the comic book. The NYCCBM has concentrated on its outreach programs with traveling exhibits, industry gatherings, panel discussions, virtual exhibits and comic book promotions all around the city and the country. The museum is searching for its permanent home to serve as a research facility, library, and showcase for comic books and the creators of this American art form. You don't want to miss out on this event! Ticket price is $35 and space is limited. So purchase tickets early to insure your spot at this event. Call 212-712-9454, email us at nyccbm_rsvp@hotmail.com or purchase tickets at Midtown Comics at 200 West 40th street. More information and photos are available at our website www.nyccbm.org. +++++ From:sandrew@diamondcomics.com Game Trade Magazine to give away a complete set of Marvel HeroClix! Please Post the following Press Release to your websites: Do you want a complete set of Marvel HeroClix? Game Trade Magazine will be giving away a complete set of Marvel HeroClix in its May issue (#27). And all you need to do to win ALL 150 figures is enter the contest. You can enter the Marvel HeroClix Giveaway contest on-line by going to http://www.gametrademagazine.com/ and clicking on the HeroClix logo in the top right corner of the screen to enter. Good Luck! While you are there remember to check out our monthly quiz. This month's prize is a copy of Wargods of Aegyptus (CDG WG001) generously donated by Crocodile Games. Be sure to check out p. 29 of our current issue (#27) for pictures of the cool figs for this miniatures game, as well as a sample scenario for the game on pg. 14. Contests will end May 31st! Andrew Smith Assistant Editor Game Trade Magazine Do you want to know what hot new products are coming to the Game and Video Industry? Ask your retailer for a copy of Game Trade Magazine each month. It lets you read about games and videos before they hit your retailers shelves. Check us out online at http://www.gametrademagazine.com +++++ Fifteenth Anniversary Gala for Industry Icon Top Cartoonists Gather in Toronto to Honour Industry Icon Today's greatest underground and alternative comic book creators will gather at Bloor Cinema in Toronto on Sunday, May 19, 2002, in celebration of The Beguiling's 15th astonishing year in business. Beating the odds and defying market trends since its inception, championing literary graphic novels and small press comic books has made The Beguiling a veritable legend in the industry. At the behest of big-name creators, the Eisner Awards actually invented a wholly new category in recognition of stores like The Beguiling for their daring booklist and cultural significance: The Spirit of Retailing. Initially obscure titles like Eightball and Optic Nerve found a warm welcome for their first issues on the shelves of The Beguiling, as did Toronto-based comics Palookaville, Yummy Fur, and Peepshow. Today, these books are recognized internationally as among the best the medium has to offer. This acclaim has not gone unnoticed by Hollywood. MGM's Oscar-nominated hit film from 2001, Ghost World, was an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, collected from several issues of the groundbreaking series Eightball. (see below) Clowes (Eightball), Chris Ware (ACME Novelty Library), Adrian Tomine (Optic Nerve), Seth (Palookaville), Chester Brown (Louis Riel, Yummy Fur), Joe Matt (Peepshow), James Sturm (The Golem's Mighty Swing), Ivan Brunetti and special guest, top book designer, editor and author, Chip Kidd, will be among the dozens of industry leaders at the event. The schedule: Saturday, May 18th at The Beguiling - Adrian Tomine launches his latest collecction of his stories from Optic Nerve in a hardcover entitled Summer Blonde with a rare signing session from 12 to 2 o'clock. Sunday, May 19th at The Bloor Cinema - from 1:30 onward a series of signings annd landmark panel discussions featuring all of our prestigious guests. At four o'clock, Dan Clowes introduces a very special screening of his hit movie Ghost World. There will be door prizes and raffle of books and DVDs donated by our sponsors. In the evening The Beguiling will be hosting an invitation-only party. Admission for the panel, screening and signing is a low $3 (advance tickets available at The Beguiling) and all profits will go towards Little Sisters Bookstore in Vancouver as they battle harassment from Canada Customs. For more information: David Kim, Promotions and Media Coordinator, david@visualcliff.com Peter Birkemoe, The Beguiling, mail@beguiling.com, 416-533-9168 http://www.beguiling.com The Beguiling, 601 Markham Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6G 2L7 --- Please feel free to forward this message to anyone who would be interested in the event. -- Chris Oliveros Drawn & Quarterly http://www.drawnandquarterly.com +++++ PRESS RELEASE YAMBAR VS. DK2 AT THE HARVEYS During the 2002 Harvey Awards held at the Pittsburgh Comicon, independent comic creator Chris Yambar gave a short address prior to presenting the award for Best Inker that set many in attendance ablaze - some with anger and some with laughter aand applause. His remarks were geared toward several topics, but the ones that everyone seemed to remember were those leveled at Frank Miller's DK2 project. After drawing attention to the need for more industry support in the areas of all-ages and young reader material and better mainstream product placement, Yambar went on to talk humorously about the difference between "good inkers and evil inkers." He then began to describe a vision he'd had of a rain forest where all the trees were weeping because they were slated to be destroyed to produce DK2. He continued, commenting that one of the trees asked hopefully, "Will Klaus (Janson) be inking it?", to which the answer was "No." The trees were then said to have uttered a single collective, "Damn!" as they were led away for mulching. Yambar further barbed that it looked like Miller inked DK2 "with the edge of a Dinty Moore Beef Stew can lid, a Lawn Jart, and half a broken Spirograph." He concluded by calling DK2 "one of the biggest insults to retailers and fans in modern comics history. Hey, I didn't bring anything to rip up, so I thought I'd find something to rip on." When asked why he chose to use his presentation at the Harvey Awards as a sounding board, Yambar laughed and explained, "Outside of the Eisners, do you know of any other gathering where statements like that can be made directly to the ears that need to hear them most? I sure don't. "As I understand it, Frank ripped up a copy of Wizard at last year's Harvey Awards and basically called it the worst publication on Earth. I'd call that a public criticism. Now, let's be honest for a moment. Picking on Wizard for its unique brand of journalism is like shooting an unarmed man in a gun fight. In turn I simply shot the emperor himself for wearing no clothes. "I'm personally shocked that Frank would produce something as bad as DK2 in light of what a high profile project it was billed to be. I think his work on past projects such as Ronin, Daredevil, and the original Dark Knight Returns is absolutely classic. DK2 is horribly beneath him. The whole project smacks of desperation and opportunity, which only blackens the eye of its historic predecessor. "I'd like to believe that there is some room in this business for a critical eye and that industry journalism and editorial opinion aren't completely motivated by hype and advertising revenue. That may sound utopian to those who feel they know better, but I believe it's a standard to be highly prized and protected. Having published international alternative newspapers, magazines, and comics, along with having been a product and performance critic for nearly 25 years, not to mention my 35-year love of comics, I feel I've earned the right to speak my mind. "Frank is as much of a defender of free speech as I am. Right now, we're just on two different sides of the same street. We'll live. And we'll continue to churn out a ton of new comics in the future, which some will love and some will hate. That's just the nature of the beast." Chris Yambar can be reached by calling (330) 799-1037 or by e-mail at cyambar@hotmail.com. +++++ JOE QUESADA REWRITES MARVEL'S SUBMISSION GUIDE! New Ideas & New Requirements For Your Submissions! Can you craft words like Brian Michael Bendis? Does your artwork stand toe-to-toe with Andy Kubert's? Then Marvel wants to review your work! And, best of all, Joe Quesada himself has completely rewritten our Submissions Guide! Hopeful writers, pencilers, inkers and letterers can read Joe's thoughts at: http://www.marvel.com/about/submissions_guide/submissions.htm "While other companies are tossing your submissions in the trash, we're looking for the next big talent," Quesada stated. "Every great creator has to start somewhere. Some had to direct movies to break in (like Kevin Smith), some had to create TV series (like J. Michael Straczynski), and still others had to be sitcom writers (like Ron Zimmerman)! But for the rest of the world, the chance of breaking in is much easier! Just follow the simple instructions and maybe one day you can be the next Stan Lee!" But -- to make lawyer-types like Matt Murdock happy -- there are a few simple steps you have to follow to reach Joe's desk. If you want to send your ideas for comic book stories, media projects, toys and/or other products to Marvel Enterprises, please do the following: 1. Go to Marvel.com and download the new submission form. You'll find it through the "Submissions" link in the "About Marvel" section of our web-site. 2. Sign the form and send it, your submission, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Carol Platt (Unsolicited Ideas Form & Materials) Marvel Enterprises 10 East 40th Street New York, NY 10016 3. Cross your fingers! Yes, if Marvel receives this form with your submission -- and if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope -- we will make a reasonable effort to review the materials you send and get back to you by mail or e-mail. That's right, you may get pointers back The House's sensational Submissions Editor, the legendary Pondscum! And who knows, maybe one day it'll be Joe Quesada giving you a phone call! 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: BIRDS OF PREY, SMALLVILLE ON THE WB -- UPDATED! The WB will have two DC Comics-based series next season, with the addition of Birds of Prey and the return of Smallville. Smallville, which was picked up for a second season earlier this year, will remain on Tuesday nights and Birds of Prey will air on Wednesday nights. In addition, The WB announced that Angel is moving to Sundays at 9 p.m. for its fourth season, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch will return for its seventh season (third on The WB) on Friday nights. Birds of Prey stars Dina Meyer, Ashley Scott and Rachel Skarsten as Oracle, Huntress and Black Canary, respectively. It will air at 9 p.m., following Dawson's Creek, on Wednesdays. The series is executive produced by Smallville executive producers Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola, along with Laeta Kalogridis. "The Birds of Prey pilot delivers a powerful cinematic feel, with big-screen effects, non-stop action and real breakout potential for the three female stars," said Jordan Levin, President, Entertainment, The WB. "We enjoyed tremendous success this year with Smallville, another DC Comics franchise from Tollin/Robbins, and see similarly great potential from this romp about Batgirl and her two sexy proteges." Here's how The WB describes the show: "The Batman legend is about to take a very unexpected turn. With Birds of Prey, the producers of Smallville masterfully combine the human drama of their hit WB series with a stunning cinematic visual style. "It begins with New Gotham in chaos. In one night, Catwoman is murdered and Batgirl falls in a rain of gunfire, victims of The Joker's wrath. With his true love dead, The Caped Crusader flees the city and Batgirl, now confined to a wheelchair, redefines herself as Oracle (Dina Meyer, Beverly Hills, 90210), a master of cybernetics and weapons design. She takes under her wing the secret daughter of Batman and Catwoman, Huntress (Ashley Scott, Dark Angel), who is as fierce as she is beautiful. Powerful, haunting visions lead a third young woman, Dinah (Rachel Skarsten, Virginia's Run), to their secret Clock Tower lair. The trio is complete. They are now the Birds of Prey, determined to battle crime in a New Gotham laced with bold new villains. Shemar Moore (The Brothers) and Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks) also star." Moore plays Detective Reese and Fenn plays Dr. Harleen Quinn in the pilot. Smallville was one of only two WB first-year shows that were renewed. Here's how the network sets up the second season: "Next season, Clark discovers a new power that not only increases his ability to help others, but also his chances for being discovered. Lex also gains new power, but of a different nature. In the fight to oust his father from Luthor Corp., he undergoes a sinister transformation that will warp his friendship with Clark. "The greatest threat to Clark Kent remains the disclosure of his true identity. (Can he trust a close friend when the truth is revealed?)" +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ Winner of the 2001 Squiddy - Best General Comics Web Site WILDSTORM AT WWE Wildstorm kicked off the panel discussions today at the Wizard World East convention in Philadelphia. Among the topics discussed: - The lead member of the new Chris Claremoont/Ale Garza Gen13 is named Ethan. The yellow bolts were revealed to be Ethan's power - controlling life force energies. Other new team members include: Hamza, an Arab-American character who controls time; Gwen, whose powers include projection and manipulation of a psychic dragon; and Jannelle, a character who's power was not revealed. - Wildstorm Editorial Director Jim Lee saiid that Claremont would be writing very character-oriented, coming of age stories following the young heroes as they to deal with their powers. - Also at the panel was Jimmy Palmiotti, wwho gave a few more details regarding his new Wildstorm series, The Resistance. Described as an off the wall futuristic science fiction series, The Resistance is set in a futuristic New York where food is the rarest commodity of them all. To keep supply from outstripping demand, the government has instituted a strict 1:1 population policy – for every one birth, there must be one death. The series focuses on a group of teens who are on the run from the law, as they were born without government sanction. - It was made clear at the panel that therre will be more Authority after the upcoming Garth Ennis/Glenn Fabry project. Wildstorm members were not willing to say more than that, only that there will be more. - Like DC's other imprints and sub-imprintts, Wildstorm's Homage will be getting an "upgrade" in later 2002. In addition to the already-reported Matador by Devin Grayson and Brian Stelfreeze, Warren Ellis' MEK will be released under the imprint. Speaking of Homage, it was said that Wildstorm is waiting to have roughly three Kurt Busiek's Astro City scripts in before they feel comfortable soliciting the next batch of issues. - Lee said that even with Batman taking upp the majority of his drawing time for the foreseeable future, he is still firmly committed to illustrating the Comet Rangers graphic novel, which will be written by Alan Moore as part of the ABC line. Lee commented that Moore had sent him the script pages for three pages' worth of Comet Rangers' overall 96 pages. The total number of pages Moore used to describe the images of the three pages? Twelve pages, total. - Currently, Wildstorm has three Planetaryy scripts from Ellis in house, and is waiting for artist John Cassaday to find time in his schedule to illustrate them. - There will be more Danger Girl. While Leee would not go into detail, he did say that it will ship on time. - Lee addressed the "DC rumor" regarding WWildstorm handling various DC characters, as Lee and Wildstorm Editor in Chief Scott Dunbier confirmed fro Newsarama in an interview this February. Currently, the project has the working title of "Storm Crossing," and no specific details are available. Any specifics people may have heard online, Lee said, were results of the "telephone game" like communication, where a vague idea can go from rumor to fact if enough people repeat it. - Wildstorm is looking at bringing other ''80s properties to comics, but nothing could be announced as of yet. - Wildstorm is also talking to Adam Warrenn about developing new projects. DCU & BATMAN PANELS @ WWE Covering all the bases, from ongoing series to upcoming returns of popular characters, DC Comics held their DC Universe panel earlier this afternoon at Wizard World East. Among the topics discussed: - The publisher offered a few more hints aabout the upcoming JLA storyline, "The Obsidian Age – The Hunt for Aquaman," including an image of the cover to JLA #69, a nod to the cover of JLA #16, which featured a change in membership. DC did note that the characters that can be made out on the cover may or may not be actual new members of the team when the storyline is said and done, as the JLA must travel back through time, a move which spurs the formation of an interim JLA. - James Robinson will write Hawkman #7, whhich will be a "Times Past" story, similar to the format he used in Starman. Robinson's story will be set in the Old West of the DCU, and explain how the hero Nighthawk was a previous reincarnation of Hawkman, while the Western character Cinnamon was a reincarnation of Hawkgirl. Tim Truman will ink Rags Morales' pencils for the issue. - Following their "lost" Shazam Family Annnual in July, DC will release a "lost" Wonder Woman Annual this fall, featuring stories by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito. - Upcoming Green Lantern plans include thee tentatively titled Green Lantern/Green Arrow, a six issue miniseries co-written by Judd Winick and Ben Raab, with art by Charlie Adlard. The story, according to Winick, involves a "drug dealer from outer space," which forces the two heroes – Kyle Rayner and Oliver Queen – to team up. True to his recently-returned-to-life form, Queen won't be able to help but measure Rayner to his predecessor, Hal Jordan, and it should come as little surprise that Queen finds Rayner not too impressive as a hero. Speaking to Newsarama shortly after the announcement, co-writer Raab expanded a little upon the friction that will exist between the two heroes. "It's not there for the reasons one might expect," Raab said. "Ollie's carrying a different set of emotional baggage these days, and Kyle is nowhere near as uptight as Hal was during 'Hard Traveling Heroes', so the conflict between them is born of completely different circumstances than the simple fact that GL and GA have historically been at odds with each other on some level. "Though the classic O'Neil/Adams stories were definitely an inspiration when Judd and I started hashing this story out, I'd say we're walking a very different road this time around. We wanted to capture that flavor in our own unique way, and not retread what's come before. The goal isn't to re-create a classic, but craft an entirely new one... "I wouldn't say we intentionally went the total opposite route for the sake of being different. It just turned out that way as the ideas developed into a cohesive story. And though our adventure has its basis in the cosmos, the majority of it takes place on Earth. That was something we felt was crucial for both characters...the sense that their world is being threatened. Their homes. Their loved ones. The things that matter most to them not just as super heroes, but as people." - Winick added that he had just agreed to write the anchor story of the upcoming Green Arrow Secret Files, a "lost" Hard-Traveling Heroes story starring Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan. - Winick added that he and Josie Mac artisst Cliff Chaing are exploring options to tell more stories with the characters, either as a miniseries, or as a backup in another series. The writer mentioned that Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka are looking at using the character in a series they're writing, presumably Gotham Central. - Speaking of Gotham Central, DC had a blaack and white preview of Gotham Central #1 at its booth, advertising it as a fall, 2002 launching title. - When asked what was coming in Spectre, eeditor Dan Raspler said that he would "make good" on the recent tease of the ghost of Sinestro, implying that the real ghost of the Green Lantern villain would enter the picture soon. - Asked if DC would ever do another 10 Cennt Adventure, the publisher's representatives agreed that it was a success on every level, and are open to doing another one, however, there is nothing currently in the plans. If the opportunity presents itself, they would strongly consider it. - While the first question at DC panels att conventions of the last few years had been "When's Hawkman coming back?" the subject has now changed to Firestorm and Shazam. Raspler said that Firestorm is in active development, and a writer is assigned to the project. The editor added that the character will be getting "a lot of screen time" in the next few months, including an appearance in JLA. - As for Shazam, DC's Patty Jeres said thaat it's too soon to say when the character will return, but that people will be very, very happy with the character's imminent return. - Previously, at the convention's Batman ppanel, upcoming Batman writer Jeph Loeb, when asked about the Batcave and Batmobile said it's hard to tell a good Batman story without either. Upcoming Batman artist Jim Lee added, "A new Batmobile? Hmmm_" - It was also elaborated upon that the Leee/Loeb run will feature a dozen or so "returns" of classic Batman villains and characters, appearing roughly one per issue, from the previously pictured Catwoman to Poison Ivy and Killer Croc. - Regarding the duo's doing more than twellve issues on the series, Loeb admitted that the first time he heard Lee express any desire to do more than the planned number of issues was in his Newsarama interview. Loeb said, "if Jim's there, I'm there." - When asked about his style on Batman, Leee said that he sees Batman as more of a superhero, the kind that would be a member of the JLA. - Moving away from Batman specifically, Looeb said that he and artist Tim Sale do have a very surprising project they'd like to do at DC, but it's all about timing. Additionally, the two have something they'd like to do at Marvel Knights after Spider-Man: Blue, so the schedules of both rules which will come next. SPIDEY & X @ WWE MARVEL PANELS @ WWE Making their presence felt, Marvel editors and creators spoke about Spider-Man and the X-universe this afternoon in panels at Wizard World East. Among the topics discussed: - Terry Dodson was confirmed as the new arrtist on Amazing Spider-Man, joining the title when Kevin Smith begins his stint as regular writer. No issue number for the Smith/Dodson debut was given however. - Spider editor Axel Alonso said that Paull Jenkins will be writing a third Spider-Man title when J. Michael Straczynski and Kevin Smith come on board as Spider-writers, but it will not be Peter Parker. - Alonso also announced a forthcoming Wolvverine/Doop project, most likely a one-shot coming in early 2003. The project will be written by regular X-Force writer Peter Milligan. An artist was not named. - When asked about the artist rotation on New X-Men, editor Mike Marts said that writer Grant Morrison is substantially ahead on plotting, and editorially, the books will be structured so artists will handle specific story arcs, rather than individual issues. Marts confirmed that Ethan Van Sciver and Frank Quitely will remain as two of the artists on New X-Men, and added that Phil Jimenez will be illustrating New X-Men #132. Marts said that Marvel and Jimenez are in talks about him playing a larger role on the art chores of the book. The publishing plan, in terms of numbers of issues per year, of New X-Men is still being discussed, according to Marts. When Newsarama.com spoke with Morrison recently, the writer alluded that the series may be ramping up in terms of frequency, saying: "I've written six issues in the last two months and found it very easy and enjoyable. I seem to be discovering new energy reserves in my alien solar cells which allow me to do everything and I think what we're seeing here is a kind of comics Darwinism picking off the more vulnerable and less prolific animals at the outskirts of the herd. Gentle, lumbering herbivores, like Mark Millar, who can only handle two books a month will now be forced into a strict Bendis-based regime of high-protein breakfasts, power typing and script pumping just to survive. Any foolhardy creator unwilling to rise to these challenges of the 21st century will be undoubtedly picked off by merciless market forces." - Ethan Van Sciver said that the X-Men Icoons: Phoenix miniseries has been postponed. Tom Peyer is still attached as the writer, and Marvel may seek out a new artist if Van Sciver cannot fit it into his schedule. - Talking on the upcoming editorial shift of Wolverine, as the book will fall under Alonso's purview, writer Frank Tieri said that with issue #176, the series for him will be spandex free, both with heroes and villains (Tieri will take a four-issue break from the title beginning with issue #177, and return with issue #181). Tieri said that along with the spandex going in the issue, he would be saying good-bye to writing Wolverine strictly as a superhero, noting that, "believe it or not, it's going to be a little grimmer and grittier." For more on the upcoming changes to Wolverine, check back with Newsarama in the coming week. - Marvel Marketing Communications Manager Bill Rosemann said that the publisher had sold more trade paperbacks in the first three months of 2002 than it did in all of 2001. - When asked if Marvel would be doing anotther talent search this summer at the major comic conventions, Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada said that while last year's was a lot of fun, and yielded positive results, a talent search has been put on the back burner for this summer, but may return next year. - When asked if they would consider doing a sequel to Origin, Quesada said that he wants to wait on any sequel, in order to avoid "milking it to death," while Jemas is in favor of producing Origin II sooner, rather than later. Quesada joked that the disagreement will be settled with an arm-wrestling match. - Quesada said that Marvel has two Amazingg Spider-Man plots from J. Michael Straczynski in house, and the series will shortly be back on schedule, and even ahead of the game in the coming months. As Amazing artist John Romita Jr. said in his recent Newsarama interview, he and the writer plan to have the series up to 18 issues a year shortly, and plan to carry that frequency to the new series the two will launch when Kevin Smith comes on as the new writer of Amazing Spider-Man. - On the topic of young readers' books, Quuesada said that the idea of retailers wanting books for young readers from Marvel is a myth. While admitting that younger readers are critical to the expansion and overall health of the market, Quesada pointed out that historically, Marvel books have been skewed towards mid to upper teens and beyond, and cited how, with their true-to-life situations and language, Stan Lee-written comics, at the time, were targeted towards teenagers, rather than younger readers. Kids read them, like they read Marvel comics today, because younger readers want to read what appeals to older kids and teenagers. - JLA/Avengers is coming - albeit slowly. The miniseries has been pushed back on the schedule to very late 2002, and will most likely begin in 2003. MOORE's 'BIRDS OF PREY' RUN ABBREVIATED DC Comics has confirmed creator Terry (Strangers in Paradise) Moore's upcoming run as writer of Birds of Prey is going to be a little shorter than initially expected. Announced as the upcoming regular writer in October of last year, Moore now will only be doing a three-issue story arc (issue #47-49) beginning in September, with art by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti. As to why the change, according to editor Lysa Hawkins, it was Moore's choice. "Although I enjoyed a fantastic working relationship with my editors at DC and loved what I was doing with them, I quickly found myself torn between two obsessions, Strangers in Paradise and Birds of Prey," Moore explained to Newsarama.com. "With my 10th anniversary year of SIP coming up in 2003 and all the plans I have working with that, I quickly realized I was going to have to step away from BoP and let someone else obsess about it. "It wasn't an easy decision. The people at DC are dedicated, fun to work with and true professionals. They really get into their work and that made it fun for me, too. Plus, I was working with friends. So, this was a reluctant act on my part but... I hope people will enjoy the thee-issue story arc I wrote. I had a lot of fun doing it!" As for the future of the title, details are still in the early stages and we expect more details soon, but Hawkins tells Newsarama.com another indy comic favorite has signed on for a six-issue (at least) writing stint to immediately follow Moore. Hawkins confirmed Gilbert (Love & Rockets) Hernandez will begin a run beginning with December's issue #60, with art by Casey Jones. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com WELCOME TO ELTINGVILLE ---------------------- Evan Dorkin fans who missed out on the March premiere of Welcome to Eltingville will get another chance to see it this month. Cartoon Network will air the animated pilot featuring Dorkin's hateful pop-culture junkies on Sunday, May 19th at 11p.m. This is the third airing for the show following a stealth airing on February 26th at 4:00am and the official "premiere" airing on March 3rd at 11 p.m. MY NAME IS MODESTY ------------------ Although a March mention of a Modesty Blaise movie made it seem as if work was just beginning on the new comic-based film, Comics2Film has learned that filming has already wrapped on Miramax's adaptation My Name is Modesty. Relatively unknown British actress, Alexandra Staden stars as Peter O'Donnell's comic strip character. Staden made her feature film debut in Mike Figgis' Hotel. Scott Spiegel directed the movie. Spiegel may be best known for the direct-to-video sequel From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money. As previously reported the script was penned by Janet Scott Batchler and Lee Batchler (Batman Forever, Smoke and Mirrors). The studio has not yet scheduled a release date for it. SPIDER-MAN The web-slinger may be on his way to breaking a different kind of record as well. Reuters news service reports that the Movie-Mistakes web site has a record-breaking 77 reported continuity errors for the Spider- Man film, so far. The noted continuity errors range from disappearing and reappearing spider-bites on Peter Parker's hand to the switching of which hand Peter Parker's writing with while he is designing his costume. (Note that some of the reported errors may contain spoilers, if you have not already seen the movie.) This is the most errors reported to the site during an opening weekend. Traffic to the Movie-Mistakes site has been fairly heavy, due to this, and you may not be able to access it immediately. http://www.reuters.com http://www.movie-mistakes.com THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN ------------------------------------- Variety confirms recent casting talk on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, stories first broken by IGN FilmForce. The trade announced today that British actor Jason Flemyng has been cast as Dr. Henry Jekyll. In an odd coincidence, Flemyng was recently seen in the silver screen treatment of From Hell, which was also based on an Alan Moore comic. Both movies are produced by Don Murphy. Jekyll, of course is also known as the more civilized alter-ego of Mr. Edward Hyde. Variety also reports that Stuart Townsend is in final talks to play Dorian Gray in the pic. Flemyng and Townsend joins a cast that includes Shane West as Tom Sawyer and Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain. League is to be directed by Stephen Norrington. Shooting locations this summer include the Czech Republic and Morocco. and scheduled to be released Summer 2003. http://www.variety.com SAINT SINNER ------------ SCI FI Wire reports that filming is underway on Clive Barker's Saint Sinner. The project is a two-hour movie loosely based on Barker's Marvel/Epic comic of the same name. Gina Ravera (Kiss The Girls), Greg Serano (Legally Blonde), Mary Mara (K-Pax) and Rebecca Harrell (Prancer) star in the made-for-TV film. The script was written by Doris Egan (Smallville) and directed by Joshua Butler (The Invisible Man). It's due to air on October on The SCI FI Channel. http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter at http://www.dccomics.com BOB GREENBERGER RETURNS TO DC AS SENIOR EDITOR — COLLECTED EDITIONS After an absence of two years, Bob Greenberger has rejoined the DC staff as Senior Editor — Collected Editions, reporting to Georg Brewer, VP — Design & Retail Product Development. "It was a dream come true to be hired by DC in 1984. To be hired twice in a career is beyond imagining," says Greenberger. "The first time, it was for my knowledge of DC's characters and publishing history, so it's great to be hired again for the same reasons. This time I will get to use that knowledge in new ways, helping Dale Crain and company continue to grow the collected editions program. I look forward to having some fun in a very supportive environment." Most recently, Greenberger served as Director — Publishing Operations at Marvel Comics, where he dealt with scheduling and coordination of the company's collected editions and ongoing titles. Prior to that, Greenberger was a producer at Gist Communications. Greenberger first joined DC Comics in 1984, after a 4-year stint as editor of Comics Scene. He was originally hired as an editor, working on titles including STAR TREK, THE ATLANTIS CHRONICLES, DOOM PATROL, STARMAN, and WHO'S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE. He was named Manager — Editorial Operations in 1988, taking on responsibilities including the coordination of freelancer workloads, overseeing incoming and outgoing work, developing publishing schedules and much more, staying with the company for 16 years. "Dale, the rest of the collected editions team, and everyone at DC are extremely happy to have Bob back," says Brewer. "His comics knowledge, expertise in scheduling and experience with freelance talent make him an ideal addition to the group." BEN ABERNATHY JOINS WILDSTORM PRODUCTIONS AS EDITOR DC Comics is pleased to announce that Ben Abernathy has joined WildStorm Productions as Editor, reporting to Group Editor Scott Dunbier. Abernathy joins WildStorm after a stint with Marvel Comics, where he served most recently as Special Projects Manager, editing collected editions and working on a variety of licensed projects. "I feel like I'm a baseball player who finally got called up to the big leagues," says Abernathy. "My interest in comics has always been with WildStorm. I'm looking forward to getting started, because I always got the feeling that they had a relaxed atmosphere of people who love their jobs." Abernathy broke into comics as a college intern at Dark Horse Comics in 1996. After graduating from Louis & Clark College in Portland, he joined Dark Horse as Assistant Editor, working on titles including THE MASK, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, 300, and others. He first joined the DC staff in 1999 as Creative Services Coordinator, where his responsibilities included working with WildStorm on a daily basis. "I'm absolutely thrilled that Ben is joining WildStorm," says Dunbier. "We worked quite closely with him when he was the DC/WildStorm liaison, and he was always on top of things and had very good instincts. I'm looking forward to working with him and to contributing to the collapse of his social life." NEWS FROM THE MAINSTREAM PRESS The June issue of Cinescape looks at summer debuts including the VERTIGO titles THE FILTH and 100%, as well as Brad Meltzer's first issue of GREEN ARROW, #16. Also in this issue is an item on the DC COMICS POCKET SUPER HEROES line. In that same issue, the article "The Super Power 100 of Genre Entertainment" lists DC President & Publisher Paul Levitz at #32, with the editors writing, "Industry insiders have faith that Levitz's vast comic book experience will steer him right as he guides the fortunes of one of the "Big Two" comic book publishers." Also on the list is JSA and HAWKMAN cowriter David Goyer (at #50), writer Alan Moore (#52), GREEN ARROW writer Kevin Smith (#66), writer of the upcoming graphic novel THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS Neil Gaiman (#72), Warner Bros. Animation Producer Bruce Timm (#79), Cartoon Network Producer Genndy Tartakovsky (#83), and artist Alex Ross (#90). The April 15 edition of the Brockton, MA Enterprise includes the article "How Many Supermen Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb?," in which Andrew A. Smith discusses multiple Earths in the DC Universe along with the graphic novel JLA: EARTH 2. The April 21 Syracuse Post-Standard includes the article "Ever Hear of Free Comic Book Day?," in which Jeff Kapalka reviews BATMAN: NINE LIVES, giving it a rating of 3 stars (out of 4). The Summer issue of the Columbus, OH, A&F Quarterly, includes an interview with Will Eisner in which he disusses the Spirit, A CONTRACT WITH GOD and other works. NEWS FROM THE TRADE PRESS The "Current Comics" column in the May 10 edition of Comics Buyer's Guide (#1486) includes an item on Mike Carey's exclusive. Also in this issue, Tony Isabella reviews CATWOMAN #1-4, calling the series "a mind- bogglingly good comic book." Isabella reviews SUPERGIRL #66 as well, calling the writing "always enjoyable" and the art "lovely." In the "Reading Room," the "Pick of the Week" is KING DAVID, with Jack Abramowitz writing, "the art and dialogue are often funny." WONDER WOMAN SECRET FILES #3 is reviewed as well, with Brent Frankenhoff giving it a grade of "B+." In "Comics Guide," Maggie Thompson looks at DC FIRST: BATGIRL/JOKER, calling it "a rewarding look at key events in the lives of DC characters." Thompson also reviews HUMAN TARGET: FINAL CUT, calling it an "entertaining mystery story," and FABLES #1, about which she writes, "Art on this issue is gorgeous… the more readers know about traditional fairy tales, the more they'll enjoy this issue. Wonderful fun." The "Back Issues" column includes an item on the upcoming BATMAN: BRUCE WAYNE — MURDERER? TP. Comic Shop News #776 includes the article "Smallville, DC," about the upcoming SMALLVILLE comic book. The issue also includes "A Second Look at DC Firsts," and an article about 21 DOWN and THE RESISTANCE that includes quotes from cowriter Jimmy Palmiotti. Comic Shop News #777 features art from GREEN LANTERN: BRIGHTEST DAY/BLACKEST NIGHT on its cover, along with the article "Lords of the Ring," which covers this project, GREEN LANTERN #150, the GREEN LANTERN: CIRCLE OF FIRE TP, GREEN LANTERN SECRET FILES #3, and more. Also in this issue is an item on the upcoming run of BATMAN by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, and an article about the SMALLVILLE comic with quotes from the TV series' supervising producer and comics writer Mark Verheiden. "Ins & Outs" looks at Mike Carey's exclusive agreement, while "Upcoming Comics" covers such titles at ALL STAR ARCHIVES Volume 8, the "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storyline, CATWOMAN: SELINA'S BIG SCORE, THE FLASH: TIME FLIES, CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS, JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH JOHN CASSADAY CREATING CRISIS, LAB RATS #4, MAD ARCHIVES Volume 1, NIGHTWING #71, POWER COMPANY #6, THE SAMURAI JACK SPECIAL, and the SHAZAM! FAMILY ANNUAL #1 (1953). From WildStorm, CSN spotlights THE AUTHORITY: EARTH INFERNO AND OTHER STORIES, AUTOMATIC KAFKA, EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS, GEN13 #0, OUT THERE: THE EVIL WITHIN, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Volume II, PROMETHEA BOOK THREE, and STORMWATCH: TEAM ACHILLES. VERTIGO titles include ANIMAL MAN: ORIGIN OF SPECIES, GODDESS, and Y — THE LAST MAN. DC Direct items listed include the CLASSIC AQUAMAN STATUE, the CLASSIC BIZARRO MINI-BUST, the CRIME SYNDICATE ACTION FIGURES, the JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED FLASH MAQUETTE, the MR. FREEZE SNOWGLOBE, the GOTHAM GIRLS: ANIMATED BATGIRL POSTER, and the ANIMATED SUPERGIRL POSTER. The May 17 issue of Comics Buyer's Guide (#1487) features an article about the upcoming WildStorm series GLOBAL FREQUENCY with quotes from writer Warren Ellis. Another Ellis-written project, the VERTIGO graphic novel ORBITER, is covered in "Current Comics." This issue's "Reading Room" looks at WONDER WOMAN #178, with Jack Abramowitz writing, "The art, by Roy Allan Martinez, is beautiful, especially when enhanced by Trish Mulvihill's subtle coloring." Abramowitz also reviews MAD #415, calling it "an excellent example of what MAD can be." Brett Weiss looks at ROBIN #100, writing, "the final three pages pack a wallop and should bring fans back for #101." The May 24 issue of Comics Buyer's Guide (#1488) includes an article on JLA/AVENGERS, in which George Pérez discusses his progress on the series. Tony Isabella reviews THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN #2, calling it "mighty entertaining." LAB RATS #1 is reviewed in the "Reading Room," with Brett Weiss giving it a grade of "B." MAD ABOUT SUPER- HEROES is reviewed by Jack Abramowitz, who gives it a grade of "A." JLA #62-64 are reviewed in "Series Spotlight," with Karen O'Brien calling it "an engaging tale." NEWS FROM THE INTERNET The May edition of Borderline includes the article "Terminal Obsessions," in which Jimmy Palmiotti discusses 21 DOWN and THE RESISTANCE. Mike Kidson reviews SUPERGIRL ARCHIVES Volume 1, writing, "[The stories] are gentle, rather magical pieces which overwhelmingly display a young girl's sheer enjoyment of being able to do anything she wants." Also reviewed in this issue is GREEN LANTERN #150, with Jennifer Cole writing that the current storyline "[explores] the boundaries of the Green Lantern concept in a way no writer before Judd Winick has dared." The Fourth Rail has posted a review of FABLES #1, with Randy Lander calling it, "fun and charming, with an amusing take on the nature of a post-happy ending Prince Charming and Snow White and several other characters… it is, no kidding, drop-dead gorgeous." FABLES #1 is reviewed by Don MacPherson as well, who writes, "[Writer Bill] Willingham's sense of humor serves him and the reader well." The site also reviews THE AUTHORITY #29, with Lander writing, "This issue, we get the inevitable payback, which is every bit as imaginative and darkly humorous as the torments that the Authority had visited upon them." MacPherson reviews THE AUTHORITY #29 as well, writing, "[Mark] Millar entertains with his mad super-heroics/villainy, and [Gary] Erskine does an excellent job of the art." Lander looks at LUCIFER #26 as well, writing, "A worldwide epic, an intriguing cast of characters, gorgeous artwork and the best use of Death that I've ever seen outside of Neil Gaiman's writing makes this one of the best issues of LUCIFER so far." Zentertainment has posted a review of GREEN LANTERN #150, with Jason Hues writing, "This is quite possibly the best anniversary issue of any series I've read in a long time, really living up to the celebration aspect of an anniversary." Also on the site is a review of DOOM PATROL #4, with Hues writing, "I guarantee you will be entertained." TRANSMETROPOLITAN #56 is reviewed at Comic Book Galaxy, with Alan David Doane writing, "Wrapped in another incredible Gene Ha cover, this issue also contains, I think, the first use of the title's iconic three-eyed smiley as part of the story; it made me want to cheer." WildStorm's upcoming THUNDERCATS projects are covered in a story at Comic Book Resources. Stories on the THUNDERCATS projects also appear at Comics Continuum and ICV2. Hero Realm reviews DC FIRST: SUPERMAN/THE FLASH, with Steve Sellers writing, "This one-shot should come as a delight to current readers." George Berryman reviews HAWKMAN #3, writing, "With the excellent story from [Geoff] Johns and [James] Robinson, and pages and pages of outstanding visuals from penciller Rags Morales (loved those fight scenes!), this [title is] my Pick of the Week." Sellers also looks at BATGIRL #28, writing, "Anyone looking for a good Bat-title should take the time to investigate BATGIRL." BATMAN: NINE LIVES has been reviewed at Silver Bullet Comics, with Craig Lemon writing, "It kept me so gripped and engrossed that I devoured the whole lot in one sitting...it's an excellent book indeed." Ray Tate reviews SCOOBY-DOO #60, calling it "the issue by which others are measured." Newsarama currently has several DC-related stories online, including ones on JLA: THE OBSIDIAN AGE — THE HUNT FOR AQUAMAN, BIG DADDY DANGER, WILDCATS VERSION 3.0, THUNDCATS, and the WildStorm and DC Universe panels at Wizard World East. 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: 5/18 (8:30 am) "Sunspots" (Static Shock) 5/18 (9:30 am) "Eye Of The Storm" (The Zeta Project – New) 5/18 (12:30 pm) "War World, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 5/18 (10:00 pm) "War World, Pt. 22" (Justice League – Widescreen) 5/19 (7:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 1" (Justice League) 5/21 (9:00 pm) "Tempest" (Smallville – New) 5/25 (8:30 am) "Static Shaq" (Static Shock) 5/25 (12:30 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 1" (Justice League) 5/25 (10:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 1" (Justice League – Widescreen) 5/26 (7:00 pm) "The Brave and the Bold, Pt. 2" (Justice League) Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. +++++ From Rich Johnston, THE 2001 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. Retro Rage Hey kids! Stop playing with those Rubik Cubes, and put that Big Trak down! No spangles until you've tidied up that fuzzy felt. While you're doing that, here's an early All The Rage to cheer you up. It's small, but perfectly formed. Christ On A Guinness Ed McGuinness was planning to take a break from his work on Superman to join Jim Krueger on a Christian-themed comic for WildStorm. The success of Left Behind which WildStorm produces, one of the current best selling comics in the USA - a fact not reflected in the Direct Market figures, had led WildStorm to explore this audience further with a new line. However this might be on hold for now. I hear Jim Lee tempted Ed away with something a little less spiritual... This Has A Rumour Of 4 Out Of 10 I Could Think Of Some Witty And Brief Headline But For #"*$! Sake, It's #"*$ing Thundercats Thundercats. Thunder thunder thunder thunder Thundercats. And you thought GI Joe, Transformers, Micronauts, and Battle Of The Planets were all you were getting. Not so! WildStorm are to initially produce a six issue series featuring those furry fighters from Saturday morning cartoons especially for us old, jaded, cynical readers in need of some juvenile masturbation material. So, yes, that's art and covers by Ed McGuinness. J Scott Campbell will be the cover and pencilling a 12 page Thundercats story for a '0' issue. Both #0 and #1 will ship in August. I also hear that Brian Wood was offered the project but didn't think he could do it justice. Thundercats, ho! Give me a whisky. Now! This Has A Rumour Of 9 Out Of 10 An Exclusive Too Far! The battle for exclusive news continues! It appears that Top Cow gave exclusive previews of their Battle Of The Planets comic to Wizard Magazine. So the planned Witchblade #55 flip cover preview of the first few pages of Battle of the Planets was suddenly unplanned. Then Wizard heard that Top Cow were making a Battle Of The Planets Preview for the Wizard World East convention so that got postponed until the Wizard magazine in question came out. After recent... events, Wizard are being a lot more careful about their exclusive content. This Has A Rumour Of 8 Out Of 10 The Long Trip East Okay, this one's flying everywhere. The rumour goes that WildStorm's La Jolla studio in California may be closed down. Word is that the original buyout by DC guaranteed its existence for a set period which runs out in less than a year. The rumour is elaborated that DC have expressed concerns about the quality of recent WildStorm colouring work and they're threatening to shut it down. If that happens, WildStorm may well just move to the New York offices and becomes just a DC label. Word from inside DC is that there's no substantiation to this rumour, indeed certain individuals would rather DC move offices to La Jolla than the other way around. But this hasn't stopped the gossip... This Has A Rumour Of 4 Out Of 10 Bag of Mixed Extras Looks like Authority #29 has been delayed one more week (well, what's one week between friends?). Those who'd talked about DC's clear homophobia based on scenes that were censored in previous issues should take a look. My good brother Antony Johnston has asked me to point out that Frightening Curves by he and Aman Chaudhary, published by Cyberosia (of which I have read half) won 2002 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Best Horror Novel recently. Well done, bruv! Rex Mundi, new series from Image is to have its preview story from Image Introduces: Dog Soldiers transferred into its own #0. Apparently the perception is that the Image Introduces line has already been tainted in the minds of retailers and they wanted this comic to get a different profile. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] CONVENTION REPORT Robert Andres robertandres73@hotmail.com Oakland WonderCon April 2002 Field Report Conducted by Robert Andres After spending practically the whole day shopping for comics in the main Exhibit Hall, I thought I'd check out at least one scheduled programme. I made a mistake last year by not attending any of them. Since Spiderman is so prevalent these days, the Spiderman Movie Preview hosted by John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr. seemed the most logical presentation to attend. By the time I got to the ballroom it was packed. I guess the really anxious Spiderman fans were seated well in advance. God I hate crazy people. Fortunately there were still a few empty rows in back. Before the Romitas came out a trailer for the movie was shown. Two large screens were set up on both the left and right hand sides of the room. The tint seemed off on one screen and the sound was poor as if they were using the house speakers instead of their own. While the trailer was exciting, I was disappointed at how much CG is apparently used. Many people believe a Spiderman movie could not have been made without CG. I'm not one of those people. When the trailer ended the Romitas came out to an ovation, and took their seats in the center of a long table on the stage. Naturally, as Spiderman artists that the Romitas are [or have been], many of the questions revolved around their opinion of the new movie. What did they think of the Green Goblin's costume? Were they happy with the choice of actors? How they felt about the CG effects. Someone suggested the Sandman as a villain for a sequel. As a joke Romita Jr. said he'd rather see Sandman and Hydro-man so they could combine to become Mud Man. A young fan asked if maybe Doppleganger would've been a more worthy villain for Spiderman than the Green Goblin. It sounded like a joke and some in the audience laughed. I doubt most of them knew who Doppleganger is. I still don't. But one crazy nut from the opposite side of the room yelled "Nooo!" as if even the mere thought had deeply offended him! After every answer came applause. What's your opinion on the CG armor? I like it. Round of applause. What do think about such and such an actor? Okay by me. Round of applause. Very weird audience. Many of the questions I couldn't hear. There were no microphones set up in the aisles, nor was one being passed around Phil Donohue style. Anyone with a question just shouted it out, or they raised their hand and the Romitas called upon them. I have to say "many" of the questions revolved around Spiderman because at least one did not. From the word Go a guy on my right hand frantically waved his big arm trying to call attention to himself. He was in the back so he had a fair disadvantage, but he never let up. Even when the discussions were interrupted to show clips from the movie, the guy's arm shot up as soon as the lights were turned back on. Just when I thought the session was going to end he got his big chance. I expected he'd have something really important to add, or some deep, thought out question that would be equivalent to hearing the mysteries of ancient sea scrolls read aloud. Instead, the guy asked about the next X-Men movie. Something like "Have either of you heard anything about..." I could only shake my head, although I wanted to jump out of my chair and strangle that bastard! After all that frantic waving and making a show of himself, practically carrying himself out of the seat to get noticed, at the Spiderman Movie Preview hour hosted by two well known Spiderman artists who are also father and son, this ass asked a damn X- Men question. Like he couldn't have gone to an X-Men website or read any one of the two hundred magazine articles that come out every month regarding the X- Men. The presentation closed with the latest Spiderman trailer which looked a lot like the first one we were shown. It was announced that the Romitas would be outside to sign autographs. I would have liked to get a signature from Romita Jr. but the line was too long. Fans must have ran out there or maybe they're like those Star Wars freaks and got in line ahead of time. There was a short guest list this year which included actress Erin Gray and actor Gerald Christopher. And the usual Playboy Playmates. That freakish bald guy from The Hills Have Eyes was also there, but that's about it. When I read that Erin Gray was showing up all I could think about was that one episode of Buck Rogers where those perverted midgets were trying to psychokinetically deprive her of clothes. This short but sweet review will be followed by reviews of the Independent comics I bought at WonderCon. In the meantime you can check out these sites: www.budplant.com www.slavelabor.com www.southbaystarwars.com topshelfcomix.com www.cartoonart.org www.wondercon.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Graphic Novel Reviews Amy Harlib aharlib@earthlink.net [Amy is a lifelong lover of SF & F, comics and graphic novels who reviews regularly on-line at SFRevu.com, rambles.net, silver-oak.com and Blue Iris Journal. She is also a dedicated listener to 'Nuff Said' comic book radio talk show on WBAI in New York.] The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders, Illustrated by Lane Smith (Villard Books, NY, Aug. 2000, $23.95, hardcover, ISBN#: 0-375-50383-8). Here is an item which, while not a 'comic book' per se, should appeal to admirers of 'The Scary Godmother', 'The Soap Lady' and the Akiko series, for it is a work in which art and text cannot be separated. George Saunders, American author of two previous collections of off-beat and slipstream short stories (CivilWarLand and Pastoralia), now has taken a somewhat different turn to write a modern fairy tale for 'adults and future adults' published in the form of a glossy picture book for children of all ages in which the text and the illustrations are equally important and perfectly complementary. Saunder's wry humor, sharp eye, satirical outlook and idiosyncratic voice are almost perfectly matched by artist Lane Smith's (The Stinky Cheese Man and James and the Giant Peach among others), stylized renderings of the characters and surreal backdrops executed in a skillful, distinctive blend of collage and mixed media---with eerie Daliesque results. The bizarre imagery and the unconventional storytelling makes this parable about selfishness, community and economy the perfect antidote to cloying Disney drivel, for The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip offers a most definitely non-sugarcoated glimpse of life. The story centers around a young girl named Capable who lives in the three-house town of Frip, overlooking the sea. For longer than anyone can remember, our protagonist, her widowed father, and her neighbors the Ronsons and the Romos, have been besieged by gappers---strange creatures that look sort of like bright orange baseball-sized burrs with multiple eyes (most hilariously depicted in Smith's illustrations). The gappers, for some inexplicable reason, manifest their love for the goats, whose milk is the town's entire economy, by attaching themselves to the hapless animals and then shrieking with joy, which causes the goats to lose sleep and stop making milk. Before long, one of the smarter gappers realizes that Capable's house is closest to the sea in which they dwell when not bothering goats and convinces the rest of its ilk to concentrate their efforts solely there, thus turning Capable's goats into massive, wailing balls of gappers, while the neighbors' herds are left alone. The Sisyphean task of brushing away the ceaselessly returning gappers takes up all of Capable's time. Her selfish neighbors react to her pleas for help with the peculiar logic of a trademark Saunders response: "Not that we're saying we're better than you, necessarily, its just that since gappers are bad, and since you and you alone have them, it only stands to reason that you are not, perhaps, quite as good as us. Not that we hate you! We don't. We even sort of like you." Of course it's only a matter of time and Capable's cleverness that gradually changes everybody's luck, but things do conclude as happily as is possible in the morally challenged, circumscribed world of Frip, for Saunders is much too savvy to bring this fable to a preachy, edifying ending. The collaboration between Saunders and and Smith in The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip is inspired, with Saunders' writing portraying the spooky and the disturbing as something to embrace rather than fear, his dialog featuring deadpan repetitions and platitudinous self-excuses that are uncannily amusing. Smith adds witty touches throughout, his creepy, beautiful illustrations being the ideal complement to the author's themes of melancholy and hope, ensuring that adults and youngsters alike will find the pictures appealing and intriguing. As a refreshing change from the usual cloying sentimentality of most books aimed at children, Saunders' and Smith's effort gives kids a taste of the dark humor that awaits them in the real world and offers adults an entertaining mirror in which to assess their own jaded cynicism. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh.net]). His reviews are reprinted here with permission.] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions for Comics Sold May 1, 2002 Howdy folks, my review system is straightforward: "Yes" means buy it "No" means don't buy it "Maybe" means make your own call based on your own likes and dislikes, it's too close to call for me. -Tim O'Shea, ORCA Contributor Doom Patrol 8 (DC) Arcudi/Eng Huat Just because I leave a book doesn't mean I'm not coming back. And with the return of the "real" Robotman (as far as I can tell), I was inclined to return myself. And I'm glad I did, with this issue it seem Arcudi's narrative is getting back on track (as much as it can given the inherent chaotic nature of the title itself). I particularly enjoy the manner in which Eng Huat conveys Cliff's inexperience with his new body (having him make giant holes in the street as he runs). Straightforward, comprehensible storytelling, let's hope it stays this way. Yes Citizen V and the V Battalion: The Everlasting 4 (of 4) [Marvel] Nicieza/Junior/Udon I may owe an apology to original series artist Lewis LaRosa. In earlier reviews of this book I busted his (and Marvel's) chops for his inexperience as the reason the art was so uneven. Now seeing a different artist on the book, with the same results, I know that at the very least it's either editorial mandate for the look of the book, or the influence of Udon Studios inking (which has been on all four issues IIRC). That being said, the series ends on a high note, thanks to FabNic's writing and despite the art. The battle for Roger Aubrey's soul (which in essence has been a lot metaphorically of what this series has been about) takes the plot in some great twists this issue. I'm not sure to make of the back-up preview of THE CALL (by Chuck Austen and David Finch), I'll need to see more than five pages to make a fair judgment of this one. Yes Deadline 2 (of 4) [Marvel] Rosemann/Davis I'm really liking this book. Rosemann reveals the gritty underworld of villains, without making it overly gritty. (That being said, I don't think Hawkeye nails people with his arrows. I could be wrong, but as you'll see in this issue, Batroc the Leaper will beg to differ). Two points for Rosemann for waiting until the second issue of this journalistic adventure before making a very funny jab at online journalists ("You want to post on chat boards. Be a desk jockey. You want to be a reporter? Hit the freakin' streets."). On the other hand, I'm not sure what the heck he was trying to accomplish when he had the two female leads (and journalists mind you), Cat and Betty Brant discussing if her new pants made her "butt look big." Sometimes male writers should just avoid writing gender-unique scenes, as it can end badly. But this is a minor complaint. For the most part, Rosemann has created a great new female character, which Marvel can always use more of. Yes Detective Comics 770 (DC) Rucka/Lieber & McKenna; Winick and Chiang It's official, this storyline is in the toilet. I could care less about this current arc and were it not for the back-up feature, this book would stay on the comics shelf. I was so psyched when Lieber came on board, but he's been given little to work with so far, artistically. It's deteriorated into a "Batman fights a drug ring" story with no real interesting hooks. And, of yeah, Bruce Wayne is STILL a fugitive. And Sasha still rots in jail, I assume, given that none of the Bat books have dealt with her for a quite awhile. Winick/Chiang's Josie Mac, on the other hand, has finally kicked into high gear as we get to part eight's guest-star, none other than Batman (and Winick writes good Batman). No (Batman); Yes (Josie Mac) Fantastic Four 55 (Marvel) K. Kesel/Immonen You'd be hard pressed to find someone more excited about Mark Waid writing the FF. But while I wait for his tenure to begin, I couldn't think of a better way to pass the time than reading the FF written by Kesel. Like much of his recent work (i.e. DC's Harley Quinn), Kesel uses comedy as a device to explore and reveals aspects of the characters in unique ways. This issue is a prime example, as Johnny and Ben take the Fantasticar for a spin. Not surprisingly, chaos ensues. This issue reminds me of the enjoyment that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had with the characters, and consciously or unconsciously when I read a comic book that's what I'm always looking for...enjoyment. And, one more thing, Stuart Immonen needs a monthly book! This guy's art just gets better to me with every read. Yes Exiles 13 (Marvel) Winick/McKone/Holdredge This conclusion to the two-parter where the Exiles meet Weapon X (their other-world, darker equivalent) was a bit uneven for me. Essentially they are told they have one mission and they try to alter the mission, something that I thought was impossible given the way the series was introduced. That being said, what happens in this issue still makes for a solid read, despite the slight inconsistency. Yes Superman 182 (DC) Loeb/McGuinness/C. Smith I sometimes wonder if folks will refer to this era of comics as the Movie Age. So many creators are either coming from or dabbling in Hollywood. The combination of Loeb and McGuinness has a very cinematic edge to their storytelling. And while I was disappointed that this issue did not feature more Solomon Grundy in it (never rely on the cover), I was happy to see where the issue went in terms of the long- term Lois Lane/Lex Luthor plotline. Yes High Roads 2 (of 6) [Wildstorm] Lobdell/Yu/Alanguilan/Tadeo I've never thought I'd read a book so heavily influenced by Howard Chaykin. I never thought I'd like a book so heavily influenced by Chaykin. This WWII/Hollywood-tinged adventure reminds me in a strange way of James Robinson's VIGILANTE DC mini of a few years back. I particularly loved how the prologue to this issue established part of what made one of the "heroes," Arthur Bombridge. This book has nice, small funny moments (i.e. the following exchange when one character comes across a scene of carnage: "Who would do something so horrible." To which Arthur sniffed the room and answered "Nazis") amidst the adventure. Yes Hawkman 3 (DC) Johns/Robinson/Morales/Bair You can't say this book lacks action. In essence, this issue provides two full adventures, one with Hawkgirl in India, the other with Hawkman (and some villains) trying to get the lay of an other-dimensional land. The potential guest appearance of Green Arrow greatly disturbed me, but maybe that was the point. Yes Spider-Girl 47 (Marvel) DeFalco/Frenz/Livesay I'm a sucker for any story that borrows from great film titles (which in itself is a reference as well, oh never mind) like this issue "Gods and Monsters." Maybe it's because the entire issue almost completely ignores the old and tired clone saga. Most likely its because this issue features some of the best (yet failed) elements of the M2 universe, namely the Fantastic Five. I genuinely thing this series will age well and will always be treasured for years to come. Here's hoping it has a long lifetime. Yes The Ultimates 4 (Marvel) Millar/Hitch/Currie While I quite enjoy elements of this series, certain aspects and characters strike me as too nonheroic-too Warren Ellis wannabeish. For example, Thor as new age shyster is too cynical for me. Dr. Bruce Banner coming off like a moron, how the heck did he ever gain anyone's respect? The whole "who would play me in a movie" conversation between the heroes (where a Samuel L. Jackson-looking Nick Fury theorized that "Samuel L. Jackson, of course" would be the perfect person) made me nearly audibly groan. That being said, the Captain America aspect to the tale is dead on and makes this issue worth reading. But it is supposed to be a team book (not Ultimate Cap), so I'm going back and forth on this series and will have to wait a few more issues before making my final call overall. Maybe The Mighty Thor 49 (Marvel) Jurgens/Raney/Hanna I don't know what you expect out of a Thor story to deem it as good, but if I feel like what I'm reading can be classified as "earth- shattering" or "pulse-pounding," (OK, sure its absurd hyperbole), I'm hooked. Well, when Jurgens and Raney get together with this character it's anything but dull-paced. And I must admit, this is one of the books where lack of the Comics Code allows from surreptitiously (yet effectively) incorporated battle scenes. The intensity of battle leaps out of some of the panels with the vibrancy. That being said, the back and forth with Jake Olson (I'm Thor, Not Thor) has gotten somewhat tiresome. Yes O'Shea's Offhand Opinions for Comics Sold May 8, 2002 Tom Strong's Terrific Tales 3 (America's Best Comics) Alan Moore; Steve Moore/Ordway; Adams and Weiss While it's great to see Ordway drawing a giant robot story involving Tom and Saveen, on another level I felt cheated by the ending (granted while being slightly bemused). As for the latest Jonni Future tale, while I love the adventure element and the various wacky characters Adams is coming up with to draw, there is a trend forming that annoys me. Is it possible that in one seven-page story there's a way Art could avoid drawing Jonni naked? So far in three issues the answer is an annoying "no." The best story is thankfully last, Steve Moore and Alan Weiss weave a tale of the Young Tom Strong (a story well that hopefully will never run dry), particularly given the foreshadowing of certain future story elements. Maybe (You have to be a Tom Strong fan to enjoy this book) Spider-Man: Blue-Book One: My Funny Valentine (Marvel) Loeb/Sale This is the kind of book where artist and writer compete to see who can do their best storytelling, and the winner in these situations is always the reader. Taking us back to the days of the Green Goblin's "ultimate defeat (the one where Norman receives a blow to the head and forgets he was ever Greeny, at least for awhile), Loeb and Sale give long-time Spidey fans another look at the courtship of Peter and Gwen. An added bonus is Sale's reuse of the "only see Mary Jane Watson in silhouette" gimmick from long ago. Yes The Amazing Spider-Man 40 (Marvel) Straczynski/Romita Jr./Hanna It's crazy, but I find myself wanting JMS to write an Untold Tales of May Parker miniseries. The dialogue between May and J. Jonah Jameson is priceless. But JMS does not forget the star of the series (or the fact that he's a schoolteacher) and provides us with a new smug villain (aren't they always smug?) to wonder about. Plus Mary Jane pops up (via phone of course) to talk to May, making for some unique scenes due to her new awareness of Pete's side "job." Yes DC1st: Superman/The Flash (DC) Johns/Burchett/Rollins In that this special issue advanced some plots in the monthly book I appreciated it. But in terms of being a special event, worthy of a separate publication, I find doubtful. Don't get me wrong, I love any issue that focuses on Jay Garrick (in this case, his "first" meeting of Superman, a dubious status, as they've met many times before-but they never raced [that's the first element]), but this could have easily been done in the monthly. Maybe Green Lantern 150 (DC) Winick/Eaglesham, Quinn, Ramos, Lowe Don't be fooled by the cover, which features all the GLs (Jordan, Stewart, Gardner, and of course Rayner) in full "charged up" battle mode. Doesn't happen. It's an issue that starts out the equivalent of a Happy Days "remember the time Fonzi did this" episode, recounting the origins of each GL. Thankfully that ends quickly, setting up a conversation between Hal/Spectre and Ion/Kyle. Winick has done a lot to restore the former glory of the Green Lanterns, but thankfully he hasn't gone too far. While rebuilding the GL legacy, he's also kept it on a personal level, and this issue's final finding of his father is the height of Winick's ability to tell adventure tales tinged with poignancy. But man, whomever designs costumes for that book, one word, Yuck. Yes The Order 4 (Defenders 16) [Marvel] Busiek and Duffy/Jurgens Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm seeing Duffy take a lot more creative control of this book with each issue. And that's not to say it's a bad thing. You can tell that Busiek is framing the story (as the plotline is going on a tad too long for my taste, but hey it's still entertaining, thankfully). But there's more than enough to make the story very palatable (while albeit a tad too slow), with the Order tinkering with the psyche of the Hulk (always a fun exercise) and "good" Defenders adding another member to their number. Add to that the fact it's good to see Clea (Mrs. Dr. Strange) in the Marvel Universe again, and you've got a winner. Yes Impulse 86 Dezago/Barberi/Faber No crossover this issue, thankfully. But still, it's an "alternate" universe tale involving a slew of DC characters (mainly the JLA), which for a book about to end I wish they'd gone another route. Granted, Dezago provides great Golden Age-tinged comedy (ably abetted by Barberi's art) in the opening pages (imagine if Robin carried Bat- termites in his utility belt), but in the remaining issues, I wish the book could focus on the book's "genuine" (heh, I know, mock me for that one) fictional landscape. No Justice League Adventures 7 (DC) Kaminski/Staton/Burchett This is one of those stories heavily influenced by the Silver Age era of comics. Imagine if the Flash borrowed from the Atom playbook and tried to travel via phone lines. Imagine that he dials one digit wrong and ends up traveling through the fax machine, becoming two- dimensional. Imagine that story works. Fortunately it does. Staton's style was perfectly suited for the tale. I only hope the success of the show, combined with the fact that this series first issue was DC's offering for the May 4 FREE COMIC DAY, helps this book to garner more attention. Yes Nightwing 69 (DC) Dixon/Rosado/Stull/Alquiza Imagine a part of the Bruce Wayne: Fugitive storyline that actually focuses on the story! Starting with the great cover and moving on through the story, which includes Alfred and Robin helping Nightwing explore the caves that connect to the Batcave. Thanks to everyone involved for actually delivering the story that was advertised. Yes Queen & Country 8 (Oni) Rucka/Fernandez I feel funny ripping on the new artist, particularly given that he dedicated the issue to his late father, but I cannot fathom why Fernandez was pegged for this book. After a number of issues where the lead character, Chace, dressed in blazer and oxford button down shirt, Fernandez has her in the field of battle dressed like Black Widow meets Black Canary meets a 1980s Madonna. And what's with all the long noses on everyone? The shift in artists from mainstream to cartoony was a tad too much for me and distracted me from Rucka's always-competent storytelling. No Captain America 2 (Marvel Knights) Ney Rieber/Cassaday Ney