---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 370 5/31/2002 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] Interview:Bruce Jones ................. Tim O'Shea [6] Graphic Novel Reviews ................. Amy Harlib [7] Column from the Philippines ........... Erwin Rafael [8] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [9] Dreams of Silver and Gold ............. Terrence Lo [10] A View From the Cheap Seats ........... Rich Watson [11] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [12] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [13] My View: HOPE 7, EXTINCTIONERS, ODDBALLZ .......................... David LeBlanc [14] 2001 RUEBEN AWARDS .................... Ted Goff [15] Top 100 Comics for June ............... Diamond Distributors [16] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [17] HYPE! Section ......................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by Yahoo!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag AOL text copies in Sci-Fi Library II - Keyword aol://4400:3990 HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring a week's worth of the online strips: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS AND DR. CYBORG by Alan Gross & Mike Oeming ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, FREE, please send a message FROM that account TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 2002 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or retransmit this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Except for personal archiving, permission must be obtained from the individual authors to reproduce, retransmit, or publish any part of this magazine. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The ComicBook Network. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Back Issues, Web Page SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our Emag, simply Email it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com You must include your REAL name and a valid Email address in order to be published in this Emag. Sorry, we do not accept anonymous columns. Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and we encourage reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If you write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of any comic book it will almost always be printed, so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. PLEASE, no material on Gaming, role playing, collectible card games or other hobbies or collectibles other than comic books. That also includes plugs for web pages UNLESS they are concerned with print comic books. We do not promote web comics as we do not consider them to be comic books. SEND US YOUR WORK ----------------- We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but any comic books sent to us *will* be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Material is generally reviewed in the order received and be advised that we work a few weeks in advance so your review may not be in the magazine immediately. Advanced copies are therefore encouraged so the review will occur prior to your product hitting the stores. THE Comic Book Net WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as all back issues and an annotated index. You'll also find important information and other neat features like links to the HTML version of the current issue of this magazine at DIGITAL WEBBING, [http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem], some of the comic companies and creators' web pages and many other Comic Book related links! You can also find some of our back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: COMICS, then choose the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. These are non-zipped text files. AOL search/keyword: aol://4400:3990 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com If last week's issue looked kinda funky, to those on the mailing list, part one was a bit mixed up with some text appearing twice. Sorry about that. HOW THINGS WORK HERE. There is some information that is repeated every single week in the Emag and yet invariably I am forced to repeat it in Emails to people on a regular basis. I guess people don't read they just assume or ask without checking first. So for the heck of it, here are some CBEM basics. World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet This is our official home page. It has been for 6 years or so. It is where we store all the back issues, offer complimentary links – primarily to artists and others in the business. There are some links to retailers but those are not automatic. The site is not designed to be all-inclusive as some other "resource" sites are. I don't have the time or desire. The effort is directed to the Emag. I have seen people make note ion Emails, postings, and even columns in our own mag refer to the Digital Webbing site as our home page – it is not. I send the Emag to Ed Dukeshire every week and he posts it in HTML format. It is one small section of a terrific site, but it carries the current issue and a few other bits of what we do. Our spot on HIS site is http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem Each issue of the Emag is created in plain ASCII text format and is mailed in plain text. It is posted to the web site as a plain text file and that same file is zipped into the archive edition. It is also uploaded to the AOL Science Fiction Libraries. As that same text file. WHY? Every platform can read ascii plain text. People who send image files with press releases or promos are generally wasting time because I cannot include them in the text format, though I will forward them to Ed for inclusion in the Online edition at Digital Webbing. The Emag is mailed from our Yahoo Group, which is also the easy way to select how you want it – every week in sections as they come out, once a week as a compilation, or saved on the site to read as you wish (so as to not fill up your inbox). The group is not a discussion group. It is a way to make a mass mailing and keep a secret mailing list. NO ONE has access to the mailing list except YAHOO and yours truly. If you post a message it comes to me only. There is no way to send a message to the list except through me. It is also the best way to subscribe and pause your subscription or drop it. The group is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag NOW THIS IS IN EVERY ISSUE BUT NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION: If you want to add an Email address to our mailing list type a message, any message, it does not matter what it says, and send it FROM THAT ADDRESS TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UNSUBSCRIBE, or temporarily stop the mail, send a message FROM THAT ADDRESS TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com I have actually had people copy this address and post it in a message to me, IT IS WHERE you send it to not WHAT you send to me! Submissions of stuff to be included to the Emag MUST be about COMIC BOOKS! We promote COMIC BOOKS! We do not want stuff about Collectible card games, gaming, role playing, other collectibles (like Pokemon or beanie babies) or stuff not related directly to comic books. Example – a review of SPIDER-MAN the movie is ok because it is an adaptation of a comic book. Lord of the Rings is not. BOOKS by people also in the comic book industry is a gray area – the book should also be about comics. Illustrated books are a close call. You must have an Email address that works because it will be published along with your real name. You are on your honor not to submit under an alias. There is a deadline in order to meet the next issue. I must have your email submission by Thursday PM at 7:00 Eastern time. There are NO exceptions to this rule. If it is later I will hold it until the next week. If ther is mail sent back as REPLY to the emag about your work I will try to be sure to forward it to you. Do not send a column in anticipation of lots of feedback. We have over 1200 email subscribers and many more download it or read it on the web, but for some reason not many bother to write about individual pieces. Keep your expectations low. Promotional press releases and other hype and news will be accepted right up until press time, which is Friday evening. It is up to my discretion as to whether there is enough time to get it in. I DO NOT Re-type hard copy press releases so send it via email or in a WORD attachment. I also DO NOT open attached executables – I delete the whole message. Which leads to another subject. If you send Email for any reason be smart about it. If you REPLY to one of the emag sections PLEASE delete unwanted quoted text if you are quoting something specific or all of it if you just want to send your own message. If, on the other hand, you are composing from scratch, use a pertinent SUBJECT – not something like – Look at this! Or Hello! I get dozens of pieces of junk mail every week. I do not memorize email addresses, even from the columnists. Because of the volume of junk I delete a lot unopened. More often than not those with simple subjects are come-ons for scams or porn. So learn how to make your mail relevant. Things like "Message for the Emag" or "Press Release" "Question for Editor", "CBEM submission" and so on clues me in that there is a legitimate message. If you want your comic books reviewed by me you can mail them to the address in every issue (yes I get mail asking all the time). I URGE you to include a letter or note about WHEN the issue goes on sale and how people can contact you to buy direct (address, web page, Email.) This is especially important if you send a Xerox preview with no indicia, pricing, or anything else. HELP ME promote your product by providing detail. If you want to be notified or copied on the review you must include your Email. AND it sometimes piles up so the review can be 2 or 3 weeks later. David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 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. Don't write back later and say you did not authorize your email to be published. The disclaimer is in every issue. Now the usual recommendations for the week: DC COMICS JLA #66, $2.25 DORK STORM PRESS PVP Coll Ed Hat Trick #1, $2.99 IMAGE COMICS Black Tide Green Cvr #4, $2.95 Black Tide Miller Cvr #4, $2.95 MARVEL COMICS Howard The Duck #5, $2.99 X-Force #128, $2.25 TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS Tribulation Force Vol 2 GN, $5.99 ? <-------Pick of the Week! The Trivia Contest is sponsored by Discount Comic Book Service, occasionally by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT and once in a while by a publisher or myself. There is a prize every week – usually a trade paperback, graphic novel or group of comics worth more than $10. We have been around and around on what is fair. The way that works best is to post each issue on the AOL web page just before it is Emailed. Email is often delivered hours apart on different systems while the web is available to all. This way the winner is the one who answers first. If I wait for all the correct answers and pick one it amounts to too much more work and I am stretched as far as I can be as it is. That is the way it is and will stay. I try to vary the subjects and welcome good questions, with the correct answers of course, which will be rewarded with the prize if no one gets it. You can only win once every four weeks unless there is a special contest which waives that rule. That is enough for now, most of which everyone will forget or ignore when the time comes. But I feel better having written it all out. 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. +++++ Dave Olbrich leaving Humanoids In an Email on Tuesday, Dave Olbrich informed us that today, Friday May 31, is his last day on the staff of Humanoids Publishing. He will be looking into new career opportunities and would love to stay "in and around" comics, if possible. So, if you know of anyone hiring ... or if you'd like to work with him on a particular project feel free to contact him directly via e-mail if you'd like. Since he will no longer have company email you must reach him at dolbrich@vcnet.com +++++ Subj:Show your support for the NYCCBM! Date:5/27/02 5:50:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time From:nyccbm@hotmail.com Our annual fundraiser is June 8th in Manhattan at the Dylan Hotel and Nyla Restaurant. The ticket price this year is only $35 and this includes food, beer and wine (there will also be a cash bar available like last year for those who require a special drink!) If you haven't bought tickets yet, purchase them soon. Help to make this exciting event a huge success! Guests this year will include: Jim Steranko Jim Starlin Gene Colan Carmine Infantino Joe Quesada John Cassaday Phil Jimenez And many more... Raffle prizes will include: DC and Marvel Portfolio reviews with either Mike Carlin or Joe Quesada! and many other great items!!! Read more about Beyond the Panels II at http://www.nyccomicbookmuseum.org/beyondthepanels2.htm Tickets can be bought in Manhattan at Midtown Comics, or purchased online through the Helping.org link on the BTPII page using a credit card! Show your support for our mission by purchasing your ticket today! Thanks! NYCCBM www.nyccbm.org ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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 "The Adventures of Superman" TV series, when a mobster encased himself in an impenetrable cube to wait out a statute of limitations, what new power did Superman try for the first time? Mike Rhode was the first to get it right. A few folks guessed but the answer was a trick that FLASH often used in the old days. With total molecular control Superman managed to walk through walls. Mike wins Universe X Vol 1 TP from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Legion is the son of Charles Xavier. In what title did he make his first appearance? 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 www.digitalwebbing.net (Publishing) MAY 28, 2002 Contact: Ed Dukeshire (eduke@digitalwebbing.com) DIGITAL WEBBING COMICS IN AUGUST Digital Webbing offers the 4th issue of its Internet Anthology and launches Digital Webbing imprint line Haverhill, MA - The hit Internet anthology 'Digital Webbing Presents' is now bi-monthly with our fourth issue. This issue kicks off the serialized adventures of AMBER AND ALLEY as they battle the menace known as... Harvey? Also, when it absolutely has to get there.you call THE COURIER, and BLAMMO: THE SPACE MONKEY proves that when you're the only human in space, strange things are bound to happen. Plus, explore love, jealousy, and shooting pool with strangers in the autobiographical vignette A NIGHT AT OLDFIELD'S, take a ride with a truck driver who gets an unusual PEP TALK, and witness a father make the ultimate sacrifice to save the HUMAN RACE. Diversity, quality, and a spectacular wrap-around cover by Sanford Greene (Adventures of Superman) and Garry McKee II, colored by Hi-Fi Design. Digital Webbing Presents has continously hit Diamond Comic Distributors' Top 300 Best Selling Comics list since it's first issue. Wizard Magazine ran a full page article in their March issue praising "With this talent already turning heads in the industry, the anthology series may soon turn into a breeding ground for tomorrow's big names." Also in August, Digital Webbing is offering the Ma brother's BURN: RAIN. A full color one-shot. Previously previewed in the pages of Digital Webbing Presents #1, BURN: Rain is the first book from the creative team at Epic Proportions Art Studio. The story: Troy and Marlon are ambushed by their former gang members in a nightclub while the heartbroken Meiling awaits Troy's return. Love, honor, violence, betrayal and brotherhood take place in a stylish and moody gangland Chinatown. The drama drama goes down like a smooth drink at the bar of one part visual and one part narrative for some pure intoxicating imagery. Shipping with 2 different covers in a 50/50 ratio split. +++++ Dave Olbrich leaving Humanoids In an Email on Tuesday, Dave Olbrich informed us that today, Friday May 31, is his last day on the staff of Humanoids Publishing. He will be looking into new career opportunities and would love to stay "in and around" comics, if possible. So, if you know of anyone hiring ... or if you'd like to work with him on a particular project feel free to contact him directly via e-mail if you'd like. Since he will no longer have company email you must reach him at dolbrich@vcnet.com +++++ MARVEL MEDIA UPDATE! Hey, True Believer! It may have been a holiday weekend, but that didn't mean that the media took time off from their increasing coverage of Marvel. From movies to comics, journalists continued to focus on The House, once again carrying our favorite industry into the pop culture spotlight! First, media sources from local TV newscasts to trade journals reported that Spider-Man has set yet another record, being the first movie to reach the $300 million mark this quickly. What can we say? As the X-Men and the Spider-Man movies proved -- and the upcoming Hulk and Daredevil flicks will show -- the more movie makers look to the source material (i.e. those comic books we all know and love), the more audiences respond! Second, calling it "perfectly timed," and "subversive," the May 31st issue of the uber-popular Entertainment Weekly magazine gave Pete Bagge's The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man an impressive review. Bestowing upon the Startling Stories one-shot an outstanding grade of "A," writer Ken Tucker asked "Who knew Marvel Comics had such a good sense of corporate humor?" C'mon, Ken, from Stan Lee's early Bulletins to Not Brand Echh to Peter Milligan and Mike Allred's X-Force, the gang in the Bullpen has shown over and over again that we're not afraid to laugh at ourselves. In fact, it's a tradition! Finally, the latest issue of Cinescape, the glossy magazine known as "the crossroads of genre entertainment," were all over The House. First, kicking off their coverage of this Summer's movie season, the editors gave Spider-Man the "Cinescape Seal of Approval." Then Captain America (called the "hot ticket of 2002"), Blade and all of the Spider-Man titles made the list of "The 10 Comics You Can't Afford To Miss This Summer." Finally, a plethora of Marvel personalities were named in Cinescape's "Super Power 100," the mag's "It List" of the genre world. Along the likes of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg stand Joe Quesada & Bill Jemas (#22), Spider-Man's Sam Raimi (#24), Avi Arad (#31), Stan Lee (#44), Blade 2's David Goyer (#50), Amazing Spider-Man's J. Michael Straczynski (#61), Spider-Man/Black Cat's Kevin Smith (#66), 1602's Neil Gaiman (#72), Hulk's Ang Lee (#77), Daredevil's Brian Michael Bendis (#84), and Universe X's Alex Ross. All of us at Marvel hope you and your families had a relaxing Memorial Day... and we thank you for your continued support! THE NEW MARVEL TRAILER IS SMASHING! You've heard the buzz. You've seen the title leap up the charts month after month. Now it's time to see firsthand what writer Bruce Jones and artist John Romita Jr. have done to the green goliath! Yes, it's the latest Marvel Trailer... and this time it's The Hulk in the spotlight! And you can watch it right now at: http://www.marvel.com/comics/trailers/ 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ QUEBECOR ERROR CAUSES CROSSGEN BOOKS TO MISS DELIVERY CrossGen, Archie, Bongo And DC Comics All Affected By Warehouse Mistake TAMPA, FL., May 29, 2002 - Fans looking for Scion #24, Crux #14, and Edge #2 on Thursday, May 30 won't find them in their local comics stores because of an error by CrossGen's printer, Quebecor. A batch of books that had been printed and entered into the Diamond Distributors, Inc. computer system for pick-up were not placed on the appropriate loading dock for Diamond trucks to load. Therefore, Diamond did not pick up many boxes of books that included titles from CrossGen, Archie, Bongo, and DC Comics and ship them to their retail customers. Quebecor assures that the books in question will be picked up by Diamond in time for next Wednesday's regular shipment, resulting in Scion #24, Crux #14 and Edge #2 arriving on June 5, 2002. Quebecor has taken full responsibility for this error and has issued the written apology below: "Mark Alessi, CrossGeneration President Dear Sir, Quebecor World Montreal wishes to apologize for what happened with the Diamond order shipment of Edge #2, Scion #24 and Crux #14, that were shipping on May 21st, 2002. We experienced some problems with our computer system. The books will ship one week later, leaving on May 29th 2002. We are very sorry for the delay. Thank you for understanding, Lina La Valle Quebecor World Customer service representative, Distribution" CrossGen Publisher and CEO Mark Alessi wanted to reassure fans that CrossGen takes every possible precaution to prevent late shipments, but that this was unavoidable as the books were in Quebecor's possession at the time of the error. "Everyone here works extremely hard to assure that all our titles ship on time, every time," said Alessi. "When you do all the right things and something like this happens, it's a shame, but it's not the end of the world. We worked with Quebecor on a solution that would get these books into the stores when originally scheduled, but the logistics just didn't work. As much as we wanted everyone to have these titles this week, they'll just have to wait until next week. For this we are extremely sorry." +++++ DIAMOND NEWS RELEASES CONTACT: Andrew Smith, Marketing Manager (410) 560-7100 sandrew@diamondcomics.com May 28, 2002 June Exclusives to Heat Up Retailers' Sales! In June, Diamond Comic Distributors is giving comics specialty retailers the opportunity to raise the heat on their summer sales with a wealth of white-hot merchandise solicited in this month's Previews catalog! Previews Exclusives These items are available only through the Previews catalog. Dawn Emerald Queen Previews Exclusive Print (JUN022403F): Acclaimed creator Joseph Michael Linsner is once again conjuring his best-known creation for collectors on a signed and numbered, 20" x 16" print that looks heavenly on any wall. Limited to 1,500 pieces, this beautiful collectible will be in high demand amongst all of the goddess's loyal followers. Monty Python Killer Sheep Previews Exclusive Plush (JUN023185H): Long before he became the acclaimed director he is today, Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam created Monty Python's Flying Circus's hilarious animated segments – one of which is the inspiration for this 9" plush doll! Advanced-solicited for October shipping, this "ba-ba-baaad" sheep comes wrapped in a fake wolf pelt and sports his signature eye patch and Tommy gun. Battle of the Planets "Civilian Keyop" Previews Exclusive Action Figure (JUN023147H): Shipping in August with the toy line's first series, this 7" scale variant figure features the youngest member of the "Science Ninja Team" unmasked. In the near future, all five members of G-Force will be featured as unmasked figures, making this collectible a must for collectors who want the entire set! Eric So's "Estate": Sam Lee Previews Exclusive Vinyl Figure (JUN023264H): Imported from Japan, this approximately 6" tall Hong Kong Hip-Hop figure from hot toy creator Eric So carries roughly eight points of articulation and is advance-solicited for October shipping. Battle of the Planets: G-Force Previews Exclusive T-Shirt (JUN023030- 2H): Your customers can now join in the fight against Spectra with this handsome Tee, which is available in L-XXL sizes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ladies Cast Previews Exclusive T-Shirt (JUN023040-2H): The Forces of Darkness are no match for this "breathtaking" shirt, which comes in L-XXL sizes. Monty Python: Killer Flock Previews Exclusive T-Shirt (JUN023113-5H): They're not laughing at you_they're laughing at this good-looking shirt which features Terry Gilliam's hilarious (and inspired) Killer Flock, and is available in L-XXL sizes. Krypto the Superdog Previews Exclusive Cap (JUN023047H): Make no bones about it: this out-of-this-world cap with Velcro closure is sure to be "tops" with comics fans and dog lovers alike! Jack the Lantern: Tim Vigil "Zero" Print (JUN022117H): Illustrated by Tim Vigil – and guaranteed to ship in July – this awesome 11" x 14" litho is just the thing to scare up sales! Christian Zanier's Dark City Angel #1 Previews Exclusive Cover (JUN022216F): Introduce your fans to the world of the Dark City Angel with this variant version featuring a dynamic cover by Rising Stars artist Christian Zanier. 007 Magazine #38 Previews Exclusive Cover (JUN022648H): Featuring a Previews Exclusive variant cover, this source for the upcoming Die Another Day film is a must for fans setting their sights on all things Bond. Official X-Files Magazine 2.5 Previews Exclusive Edition (JUN022668H): ShowcasingPreviews Exclusive variant cover, this 68-page magazine contains behind-the-scenes access, set reports, and interviews with the cast and crew. Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles The following items are specially created by Diamond's sister company, which works with toy suppliers to develop, manufacture, and market toy products for both specialty and mass-market retailers. Marvel Select: Ultimate Spider-Man Action Figure (JUN021918H): Sculpted by Shawn Nagle and produced in conjunction with Toy Biz, this 7"-scale, articulated figure ships with a highly detailed base and accessories, comes with deluxe blister card packaging, and is advance- solicited for September shipping. Ultimate Colossus Bust (JUN021920H) and Ultimate Colossus Special Edition Bust (JUN021921H): Sculpted by Rudy Garcia, and designed in conjunction with Ultimate X-Men artist Adam Kubert, the bust is in scale with the rest of the Ultimate line, measuring 7" tall. Packaged in a fully illustrated box (depicting a highly detailed comic book version of the bust itself) featuring all-new artwork by Kubert and colorist Rich Isanove, the bust is limited to a 5,000-piece total production run and comes with a full-color Certificate of Authenticity. The Special Edition Mini-Bust is limited to 500 pieces, and comes with a Mini-Print/Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by Garcia and Kubert. Both mini-busts are guaranteed to ship in September. Terry Dodson Black Cat The Evil That Men Do Poster (JUN021917E): Illustrated by artist-extraordinaire Terry Dodson, and guaranteed to ship in August, this beautiful 34" x 22 Ό" poster is purr-fect for True Believers everywhere. Spider-Man's Rogues' Gallery: Kingpin Mini-Bust (JUN021916H): Guaranteed to ship in September, the Kingpin of Crime is the fourth release in Diamond Select's collectibles line celebrating Spidey's most notorious foes. Designed and sculpted by Art Asylum – and limited to 6,500 pieces – the bust measures 6" tall and 4" wide, and comes with a full-color, hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Silver Age Cyclops 8" Resin Statue (JUN021919H): Guaranteed to ship in September, this bust of "Slim" Summers – the mutant known as Cyclops – is celebrated with this 10"-tall resin statue (with base). Sculpted by master artisan Rudy Garcia, the statue is limited to 4,000 pieces and ships with hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Battle of the Planets Series 1 Figure Assortment (JUN023148H): Guaranteed to ship in August, the first series of the new line of articulated action figures includes Mark, Princess, and Keyop – each packaged with their trademark weapon and their bonus mini-PVC of their G-Force vehicle! Sculpted by master artisan Gabriel Marquez (with the accompanying vehicles sculpted by SOTA) and sold to retailers in case lots of 12, each of these figures comes with blister card packaging for easy display. Jade Bust (JUN023224H) and Jade Special Edition Bust (JUN023225H): Sculpted by Andy Bergholtz, both versions of the 7"-tall rendition of Chaos! Comics' Asian femme fatale comes with hand-numbered Certificate of Authenticity and are scheduled to ship in August. This month's Previews also offers again the Fathom HC Exclusive Signed Dustcover Edition (JUN021505D2), the Transformers Volume 2: End of the Road Previews Exclusive HC (JUN022500F), the Transformers Volume 3: Primal Screams Previews Exclusive HC (JUN022502F), Simpsons Previews Exclusive Blocko Figure 3-Pack II (JUN023301H), Simpsons Previews Exclusive Blocko Figure 3-Pack III (JUN023302H), the Trigun: Wolfwood Exclusive Bust (JUN023306I), the Ultimate Spider-Man Bust (JUN023220H), the Ultimate Green Goblin Bust (JUN023219H), the Chaos! Chastity Orb (JUN023221H), the Evil Ernie Bust (JUN023222H), and the Vampire the Masquerade Figure Assortment (JUN023213H). – giving retailers another opportunity to bring these best-selling exclusives into their stores, and another chance to sell them to consumers who are looking high and low for them! Art for all of these products is available upon request. Diamond Announces Invoice Improvements At the request of its customers, Diamond Comic Distributors is implementing organizational improvements to the hard copy invoices included in retailers' weekly shipments beginning in June. Under the new system, the information provided on hard copy invoices will now be listed in the following order: Section One Order Status Report data (if applicable) Section Two Local Distribution Center products shipped Local credits Local debits Section Three "Rack Up Magazine Sales" Program products shipped "Rack Up Magazine Sales" Program credits "Rack Up Magazine Sales" Program debit Section Four Direct Ship products shipped Direct Ship credits Direct Ship debits All credits and debits within each section (Local/"Rack Up Magazine Sales" Program/Direct Ship) will be subtotaled for customer convenience. Furthermore, freight charges on retailers' Weekly Invoice Recap will be noted as stemming from Direct or Local shipments. (Please Note: These improvements are being made to retailers' weekly hard copy and electronic text file invoices only. The electronic invoice data file will not change.) Diamond customers with questions about these changes should contact their Customer Service Representative. Diamond Debuts Diamond Daily E-Newsletter New E- Newsletter Designed to Reduce E-mail Clutter Beginning on May 28, Diamond Comic Distributors took steps to improve e-mail communications with its customers, streamlining what had been multiple e-mails into a single "digest" e-mail sent out on a daily basis. The new e-mail, called Diamond Daily, contains news, information, and product updates that previously would have been sent individually. It marks the first step towards implementation of a custom-designed, system-wide news database that will allow Diamond to propagate news and information across multiple platforms as quickly as possible. "E-mail is a great way to communicate – fast, efficient, inexpensive," said Diamond Executive Director of Marketing Communications Shelley Myers. "But it's also a method that tends by its very nature to result in enormous amounts of mail being sent and received. That's why we've developed Diamond Daily. This is just the beginning of a streamlining of communications that our ongoing database development will allow us to perform." Whereas in the past customers may have received several daily e-mails from Diamond to communicate sales advisories, policy changes, special deals, or breaking news, now retailers will receive all of this information in a concise, digest form once a day. The e-mail contains headlines for the day's stories, with links to pages on the Diamond website that contain the complete stories in question. (Please Note: Information specific to a particular account such as invoices and UPS tracking numbers will still be sent separately.) This new format also allows customers to receive information in a more timely fashion. For example, rather than waiting for Diamond Dateline to arrive each week, Product Updates will be added to Diamond Daily as Diamond becomes aware of them each day. Diamond Daily is more than a means of communication – it also means savings for retailers! The newsletter includes a "Diamond Daily Deal," a special offer only communicated through Diamond Daily, which takes the form of buy-one, get-one-free offers, additional discounts on selected items, etc. A valid account number and password are required to view the Diamond Retailer website. Customers interested in accessing the site can sign up for a password automatically when they click on a Diamond daily link. (Please Note: Diamond customers who do not have password access to the Retailer Services Area of Diamond Online will now find it easier than ever to do so. Filling out a simple online form will grant a password that allows customers to view retailer-only information on the site and place both Initial Orders and Reorders online.) Each Diamond Daily is broken up into sections for ease of use: Diamond Daily Deal – a special sale only available to readers of the Diamond Daily! Lead Story – the day's top story or most important information Shipping & Product Updates – Product Updates, Invoice Adjustments, Order Adjustments, and Price Changes Order Forms – Check your orders against Top Reordered products, see Previews Update, and more Diamond News – The latest from Diamond Industry News – Stay abreast of recent developments Industry Analysis – Monthly charts of market share and sales in a variety of categories, as they become available Product News – Special information about products that can help you increase your sales and alert you to in-stock and Reorder opportunities Website Updates – Find out when the Diamond website has been updated Your Feedback – Tell us what you think on a variety of topics, from the monthly Pulse question to our suggestions@diamondcomics.com e-mail address Diamond looks forward to customer feedback on this new, timely, and efficient source of information and news. Look for regular updates and improvements to Diamond Daily in the near and long-term. 1966 Greenspring Drive, Suite 300 Timonium, MD 21093 Phone (410) 560-7100 FAX: (410) 560-7148 • www.diamondcomics.com DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC. – the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and related merchandise – is based in Timonium, MD, with strategically located Distribution Centers servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. +++++ DORK STORM PRESS PRESS RELEASE GEEKS AND DORKS AND LADS, OH MY! Madison, WI -- (May 28) Dork Storm Press announced today that Rich Koslowski's THE 3 GEEKS would be joining the DORK TOWER comic book as a permanent three-page back-up feature. The 3 Geeks will start running with Dork Tower #19. They join Greg Hyland's Lethargic Lad, Aaron Williams' PS 238 and Nodwick and Scott Kurtz's PvP as permanent back-up features. "Obviously, I'm thrilled," said John Kovalic, Dork Tower creator. "The 3 Geeks are a perfect match for Dork Tower. I'm a huge fan of Rich's work, and he's a great guy on top of it all." The 3 Geeks began life in Koslowski's hilarious, self-published "How To Pick Up Girls If You're A Comic Book Geek" in 1997. The overwhelming popularity of the book led to eleven self-published issues of the Geeks' own self-titled series, as well as ten issues of the collaboration comic book GEEKSVILLE (with Gary Sassaman's acclaimed Innocent Bystander comic), three of which were self published, seven of which were published through Image. "I'm just glad the Geeks are back in print on a permanent basis," said Kovalic. "I was going through withdrawal symptoms when Geeksville ended. I'm honored and humbled to have this hilarious comic helping make Dork Tower an even stronger comic book." "It's great to be bringing the boys (The 3 Geeks) back!" said Koslowski. "And I can't think of any better places to do so than in the pages of DORK TOWER. It's a perfect fit, really. It also helps that John and I are friends and both admire each others work. And, y'know, we've both got that good Wisconsin breeding thing going..." It had previously been announced that The 3 Geeks would join Dork Tower for issues #19 and 20 only. "But the partnering was just too fun," said Kovalic, and it was decided to make Koslowski's creation a permanent fixture. "There's no question we'll probably have to up the page count on each issue," said Kovalic "But for now, the $2.99 price will remain the same. "More 3 Geeks will not mean less of anything else. Current issues have been running between 48-52 pages, but the chance to include new 3 Geeks stories was just too tempting to pass up." Dork Tower began life as a comic strip in Shadis magazine before becoming its own comic book in 1998. Its web site, http://www.Dorktower.com, receives nearly two million hits a week, and Dork Tower runs in Dragon, Scrye and Games magazine, as well as the Chicago Sun-Times and other mainstream publications. Dork Tower has a circulation of 10,000 issues bimonthly, and is planning to move to a six-week publication schedule in 2003. ------------------------------------------------ For more information, please contact Liz Fulda at liz@sphinxgroup.com, John Kovalic at john@kovalic.com or Rich Koslowski at the3geeks@aol.com. Dork Storm Press Box 45063 Madison, WI 53711 (608) 255-1348 http://www.dorktower.com -- John Kovalic Dork Storm Press, Box 45063, Madison, WI 53744 http://www.dorktower.com +++++ THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND POST OFFICE BOX 693 • NORTHAMPTON, MA 01061 PHONE: (800) 99-CBLDF • FAX: (413) 268-7887 E-MAIL: info@cbldf.org • WEB: www.cbldf.org May 29, 2002 CONTACT: Charles Brownstein, 413.584.7151 CBLDF DEFENDS STU HELM IN KRAFT LAWSUIT The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is defending Chicago cartoonist Stu Helm against Kraft Foods in a trademark dilution and infringement suit over Helm's nickname King VelVeeda. The Phillip Morris owned cheese food giant is suing Helm to stop using the name on any comics or illustration work and for punitive damages of three times the amount he has made from using the name. They are also seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent him from using the nickname leading into and during the trial. Helm had been signing comics under the moniker for over a decade before Kraft took notice and is the author of the comics collection "Singles" and operates the website Cheesygraphics.com. Helm had been defending himself against Kraft for over a month before he contacted the Fund for help. Within two days of taking Helm's call, he was in the office of CBLDF legal counsel Burton Joseph building a strategy for the case. Joseph agreed that Helm's long use of the nickname falls within the rights afforded him by the First Amendment and that he is being unjustly persecuted by Kraft. "This case represents a two billion dollar corporation trying to push the envelope in restricting the use of anything that resembles or ridicules a trademark," Joseph explains, "Kraft's complaint alleges that Stuart Helm's website cheesygraphics.com, which averaged about 350 hits a day by use of the designation 'King VelVeeda's Cheesygraphics' diminished or diluted the value of the Velveeta pasteurized processed cheese food that they sell. The facts seem highly dubious from Kraft's standpoint that any visitor to cheesygraphics.com would confuse King VelVeeda with Velveeta pasteurized processed cheese food." Helm, Joseph, and the CBLDF see larger implications in Kraft's suit, and feel it's an important fight. "The law is in a state of flux with regard to trademark dilution, so it is more important than ever to protect the First Amendment rights of comic book creators who poke fun at the symbols of our popular culture," explains attorney and CBLDF Board Member Louise Nemschoff. "Claims such as the ones brought by Kraft against alternative comic book creator Stu Helm have a tendency to chill freedom of expression when it comes to such jokes, parody and commentary," Nemschoff adds. Helm says, "Even though it seems like a small issue because it is a silly nickname, I feel that it's so far removed from the actual product that if I go down, it opens the door for a lot more action against a lot more people. It's a big issue. If it can happen to me -- and I'm so far removed from the product -- that sets a bad precedent." Since taking the case, the Fund has spent dozens of legal hours waging Helm's defense, including the deposition of a Kraft executive and an appearance at the Preliminary Injunction hearing. "We are hoping first that the court will deny Kraft's request for a preliminary injunction and will ultimately rule that Kraft cannot prove any dilution of its trademark by the artist's nickname of King VelVeeda," Joseph says. "We're very confident, but the ultimate decision will depend on a case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Mosely d.b.a. Victor's Little Secret v. Secret Catalog Inc. (Victoria's Secret), and also whether Kraft's arguments are mere speculation or grounded in some evidence or genuine concern of market confusion." "It's cases like this where the community's support of the Fund matters the most," says CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein. "Without our involvement Kraft could have steamrolled Stu into bankruptcy simply because they have more money and lawyers. We believe that Stu Helm is well within his First Amendment rights and are committed to defending them, despite the monstrous expense ahead of us. That's what the Fund was set up to do and this is what every membership and donation dollar goes into making happen." Helm is grateful for the Fund's involvement in his case, but it's a hassle he never wanted. "I haven't tried to cut into their market by mimicking anything they do," Helm says. "I made a good name for myself doing what I do best which is my art and I just want to be left alone to do that." For more information and to support the CBLDF, including the defense of Stu Helm, visit http://www.cbldf.org To read Helm's journal of the case and official papers visit http://www.cheesygraphics.com/castle_hassle.html SUPPORT THE FUND The CBLDF is set up to defend artists and retailers on First Amendment issues and we pay for that defense through money raised in contributions and memberships. It's your donations that enable us to pay for a case like Helm's and to keep comics a safe place to exercise the rights afforded by the First Amendment. To keep the Fund strong and to help us pay for Helm's case, we ask that you consider making a donation, renewing your membership, or buying a piece of merchandise from our website. Protecting free speech is an expensive endeavor and every dollar counts, so please help us stay strong and make a donation today. http:/www.cbldf.com +++++ "Spider-Man" dominates April video game sales LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Reuters) - "Spider-Man," already setting records at the box office, spun his web wider in the video game market in April, with four of the top 20 games in the month, according to data released on Thursday. Versions of the game based on the comic book character came in at Nos. 1, 5, 7 and 19 for the month, market research service NPDFunworld said in its monthly report. The games were published by Activision Inc. (ATVI.O), which raised its guidance for fiscal 2003 in early May, based in part on the early success of the "Spider-Man" franchise. Three of the four were new versions for the latest generation of consoles, while the fourth was actually published in mid-2000 for Sony Corp.'s older PlayStation console. Of the three new versions, the best seller was the version for Sony's newer PlayStation 2 console, followed by the version for Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O) Xbox and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s GameCube. Showing no sign of slipping was Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s (TTWO.O) "Grand Theft Auto 3," which was the best-selling game in the country for four months and has been No. 2 for the last two months. In total, PS2 had nine games on the list, followed by the GameCube with four, the Xbox with three and the PlayStation and Nintendo's handheld Game Boy Advance with two each. The top publisher in the month was Activision, with the four "Spider- Man" games, followed by Sony Computer Entertainment of America with three titles. Nine titles entered the top 20 for April, including six in the top 10. The top 10 games for the month of March, based on units sold, according to NPDFunworld: Rank Title Platform: Publisher: 1 Spider-Man: The Movie PS2 Activision 2 Grand Theft Auto 3 PS2 Take-Two 3 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec PS2 Sony 4 Resident Evil GameCube Capcom USA 5 Spider-Man: The Movie Xbox Activision 6 Super Mario Advance 2 GBA Nintendo 7 Spider-Man: The Movie GameCube Activision 8 Virtua Fighter 4 PS2 Sega of America 9 ATV Off-Road Fury PS2 Sony 10 Sonic Advance GBA THQ +++++ May 30, 2002 For Immediate Release Contact: Stewart Morales 845-268-2000 Fax: 845-268-2392 E-mail: smorales@wizarduniverse.com Dual Previews and the Updated Captain America! Wizard Entertainment is proud to announce that Wizard: The Comics Magazine #133, will feature two exclusive comic previews. The first looks at pages from Carlos Pacheco's highly anticipated battle royale between some of DC Comics hardest hitters, JLA (Justice League of America) vs. JSA (Justice Society of America). Written by Geoff Johns with David Goyer. Also, the mysterious world of Chinese mythology invades Wizard #133 with the preview of Anarchy Studios' new comic, Xin, by artist Kevin Lau. One cover of Wizard #133 will showcase John Cassaday's Captain America to compliment our story on how the Captain has changed since the events of 9/11. Cassaday and writer John Ney Reiber will be taking him to new levels in the near future. The alternate cover by artist J. Scott Campbell (Danger Girl) presents the fight of the East vs. West with their icons Goku vs. Superman battling out to see who will be the Last Man Standing. The issue will go on sale August 28th at comic book and specialty stores everywhere. Wizard Entertainment in Congers, New York, publishes the top-selling, award-winning special interest magazines Wizard: The Comics Magazine, ToyFare: The Toy Magazine, InQuest Gamer: The Gaming Magazine and Anime Invasion, which are available at newsstands, comic book and hobby specialty stores everywhere. The company also operates the annual Wizard World Chicago event, the largest popular culture/multi-media three-day convention in the country; attendance exceeds 40,000. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: BIRDS OF PREY UPDATE The Birds of Prey pilot episode for the new WB series contains several familiar Bat-verse characters. SPOILERS ABOUND IN FIRST EPISODE DETAILS! Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, is killed early in the episode, with her daughter Helena watching over her. Helena becomes the Huntress and discovers that Batman is her father. Batman himself actually appears, very briefly, as he tackles the Joker in what appears to be their final confrontation. Batman does not talk and is seen from behind from Batgirl's point of view. Later, the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon in her apartment, causing the injury that paralyzes her and restricts her to a wheelchair. The Joker is voiced by Mark Hamill. Alfred is seen helping Barbara in the Clocktower. He mentions he is taking care of Wayne Manor. Sherilyn Fenn plays Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn. She is a psychiatrist counseling Helena but she has more ominous agendas. +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ Winner of the 2001 Squiddy - Best General Comics Web Site 'T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS' COMES TO DC In the spirit of DC's Will Eisner's The Spirit Archives, DC Comics Friday confirmed a new Archives series is the works featuring a much sought after collection from another era, Tower Comics' T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. "I remember the exact moment I saw #1 on the newsstand," said comics writer and movie producer Michael Uslan, who according to DC worked with them to initiate the archive series. "The publisher, Tower Comics, was a company I never heard of. Inside, I found phenomenal art, along with new heroes - Dynamo, NoMan and Menthor - who were exciting, captivating, and totally different in tone from the DC, Marvel, Charlton, Gold Key, and Dell comic book super-heroes I'd been reading and collecting." Uslan also co-writes the introduction to this volume with comics historian Robert Klein. "I know the fans are gonna love this first-class treatment," added John Carbonaro, current holder of the rights to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and this project's Editorial Consultant. "I can sense the excitement in the air." December's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Archives Volume 1 is a 255-page hardcover volume reprinting the first four issues of the series from 1965 and 1966, features artwork by comics luminaries including Wally Wood, Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, Joe Orlando and many others. The stories collected introduced Dynamo, NoMan, Menthor, and the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Squad as they battled the Warlord, the leader of a mysterious organization bent on subjugating the world. Future volumes will continue to collect issues of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, along with its companion titles Dynamo and Noman. The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents' top operative, Dynamo, will also be the subject of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents: Dynamo Statue, the first of a series of statues from DC Direct. Sculpted by William Paquet, the hand- painted, cold-cast porcelain statue stands approximately 9 1/8" tall x 7" wide, will retail for $149.95 and will be limited to a run of only 1500. DHC DEBUTS 'STAR WARS: EMPIRE' With Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones currently ruling movie theater box offices, if makes sense that the comic book license holder Dark Horse would announce a brand new ongoing Star Wars series. The interesting part, however, is that the new series will actually take place in the era of Episodes IV – VI. In September, DHC's current ongoing series, set in the final years of the Republic (or the Episodes I – III era) will be joined by another ongoing series, Star Wars: Empire, and as expected, it's set during the time when the Empire was in control of the Galaxy … or what has come to be known as "the Classic Era". The series' first four-issue story arc is titled "Betrayal", and it's written by DHC editor Scott Allie and illustrated by Ryan Benjamin, Curtis Arnold and Dave Stewart with covers by Brian Horton. StarWars.com describes the story arc as, "An original story of deception and intrigue in the highest echelons of the Imperial court. The Republic is no more - the corruption of the Senate and the inefficiencies of the Jedi have been swept away following the turbulent Clone Wars. In its place stands the Galactic Empire, ruled over by two Sith practitioners, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. "Not everyone sees this as an improvement, however. Some believe that the Empire needs to be saved from these two shadowy cultists, and thus a quiet insurrection begins to form. Readers will not only revisit classic villains like Darth Vader, but will meet new villainy such as the mysterious Grand Moff Trachta." "It's set just before Episode IV," Allie told Newsarama.com. "High- ranking Imperial officers are planning a coup d'etat against the Emperor and Vader. The ringleader, Grand Moff Trachta, has arranged for a hundred stormtroopers to do the dirty work for them. "Appropriately, it's really all about betrayal. The generals are betraying the Sith, the generals wind up betraying each other, Vader considers betraying the Emperor, and most of the main characters wind up betraying themselves in one way or another. The Emperor sends Vader to look into rumors of a young Jedi adept on a backwater planet, and the Emperor deliberately plants the idea in Vader's head that this could be the offspring of a fallen Jedi." And although Allie admits this time period has been pretty well mined by Star War novels in the past, he says he doesn't think there's been a story set this close to the beginning of A New Hope. "The Death Star's being constructed during my story," he said, "and at the end, Vader is sent to oversee Grand Moff Tarkin's work." In order to better distinguish the two ongoing series, also beginning in September the title of the existing ongoing Star Wars series will be amended to Star Wars: Republic. "No doubt there will be certain characters who appear in both time periods," explained DHC Star Wars editor Randy Stradley, "but my plan is to make any 'crossovers' between the two books strictly a matter of maintaining continuity, and not telling stories that begin in one series and end in another. "And we're really trying to make both of these books as reader-friendly as possible. There's a huge 'Expanded Universe' built up around Star Wars, but our goal is to tell stories that are accessible and enjoyable to even the casual Star Wars fan who may know nothing of the franchise beyond what he or she has seen in the films." As to future story arcs for Empire, Stradley told Newsarama.com that stories set anytime during that era and starring any of the classic cast are possibilities, and that the next story following the four- issue "Betrayal" is written by Paul (Concrete) Chadwick and penciled by Doug Wheatley. Said the editor: "Not to give away the store, but the story is entitled 'Darklighter'. Star Wars fans will know what it's about_ NEW 'SUPERMAN' CREATIVE TEAM NAMED When in the course of a few days it was announced that Jim Lee would be taking over the penciling chores of Batman this fall, and that Ed McGuinness was leaving Superman this summer to launch Superman & Batman early next year (both with writer Jeph Loeb attached), almost immediately DC message board regulars suggested current Batman artist Scott McDaniel would make a perfect choice for next regular Superman penciler_ DC Comics confirmed Tuesday that McDaniel indeed will be the new regular Superman artist beginning next January with issue #190, and that he'll be joined by new regular writer Steve (The Crusades) Seagle. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com GRENDEL ------- With development on a movie version his Mage comic book well underway, Comics2Film has learned that Hollywood has now turned an eye towards Matt Wagner's Grendel. Dark Horse Entertainment and Arsenal Entertainment are developing the project. Hans Rodionoff, who penned the script for Artisan and Marvel's Man-Thing movie, is attached as writer. Rodionoff is currently out pitching the concept to studios. "The response has been very positive," Rodionoff told C2F. "More importantly, this is a story that Matt Wagner has signed off on and feels passionate about." The screenwriter's take on the material focuses on the Christine Spar incarnation of the character. Mike Richardson is set to produce the project for Dark Horse with Kevin Hageman co-producing. Ian Unterreiner of Arsenal Entertainment is executive producing the project. MAGE ---- Comics2Film has learned that the big-screen version of Matt Wagner's Mage has gotten a greenlight from Disney. Sources-in- the-know tell us that the studio has given the production its blessing to Spyglass Entertainment to move forward on it. According to our source, the Disney is eager to make Mage it's comic book offering for 2003. X-MEN 2 ------- There's been some new casting on the X-Men 2 movie according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ethan Embry (Can't Hardly Wait) is said to be in negotiations to play Nightcrawler in the film. While newcomer Aaron Stafford has been cast as Pyro. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer for a May 2 release. TURTLES COWA-COMEBACK TO DVD! -------------------------------------------- The heroes on the half-shell have been plotting and planning their comeback with multiple projects targeted at the big and small screen. Now, New Line Home Video has announced that the entire slate of the first series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movies will be released on DVD this year. The first film is already part of New Line's available DVD titles. It's priced at $14.98. On September 3rd of 2002, the second and third installments of the feature franchise will also be available, with an MSRP of $14.94. Here's how New Line describes the sequels: CATWOMAN -------- Dark Horizons reported that a French newspaper named Liberation wrote that French director Pitof has signed to direct the Catwoman movie starring Ashley Judd. The newspaper wrote that Pitof signed the Catwoman deal the other day in Cannes. http://www.darkhorizons.com +++++ 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. Bristols In My Face The Panel Next weekend it's the British comic convention, Comics 2002 in sunny Bristol. On Sunday at 12.30 is the long anticipated All The Rage Live! Panel, featuring a host of never-revealed gossip and rumour, blind items unveiled, an all-weekend question box, rumour generators and, Bob willing, The Patty Jeres Stare-O-Meter (patent pending). Marcia Allas, editor-in-chief will be heading up the bouncer team in case any comic pros get unruly. Or refuse to share gossip. The absence of Cool Beans World will no doubt be a talking point, but I hear that organiser Kev Sutherland is rustling up some solid replacements, especially for the portfolio reviews. I even hear Marvel Comics will have a booth. Which, you know, is more than they'll have at San Diego. I'll be around all weekend and contactable on 0780 1350982. Write that number down now in case you forget. Another unmissable panel is Hypotheticals III, run be Lee Barnett and Dave Gibbons, where illuminati form the world of comics discuss of events that might take place in an alternate world of comics publishing on Earth Dave. Read more about Comics 2002 here. This Has A Rabble Value Of 9 Out Of 10 Eh, Readers? Last year's National Comics Awards at Comics 2001 were noted for being a tad 2000AD friendly. Hardly a surprise since it stills sells 30,000 a week in the UK, and happened to be the only comic carrying the award ballot_ This year, it should be a very interesting spread, as a number of company websites have carried the form. 2000AD, of course, DC Comics and_ The Dandy and Beanotown, websites of The Dandy And The Beano - two of Britain's most popular and longest running comics. This could be fun - imagine the faces of hundreds of superhero comic fans and publishers when a couple of kids' weeklies wipe the board. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Two Tier Treatment Regarding the new Marvel contract I reported on last week, giving clarified rights over ownership, lifetime payments and other issues that had caused creators to postpone signing, or even not to work for Marvel at all - I'm now told that this is a "Harris Miller" contract. That only creators represented by Miller will get to sign this contract and they must request it specifically. Other creators choosing to represent themselves get a bog-standard less-attractive contract. Looks like those recently-reported talks about unionising in the comic industry may be stepping up a notch_ This Has A Rumnour Value Of 6 Out Of 10 Kruger Versus Cockrum Over on the X-Fan Message Boards, Dave Cockrum (co-creator and protector of Nightcrawler) wrote in response to a question about the retconning of Nightcrawler in the Earth X series as becoming the X-Men villain Belasco, and then travelling back in time to relive that role. Dave Cockrum wasn't too keen on this. He writes: "Bulls**t. Kurt is *NOT*, I repeat *NOT* Belasco, despite what some moronic nincompoop has written in the latter day crap." Jim Kruger's response was a tad more diplomatic. "This is a message to Dave, an artist whose work I have admired for a very long time. "First of all, don't be so formal. Just call me 'poop.' "Second of all, the idea of having Kurt become Belasco was not one with the desire to screw up a perfectly good character. I love Nightcrawler. He's a favorite. My first story was a solo Kurt story in Excalibur #75, a back-up drawn by Tim Sale. "The idea to make him Belasco was not one designed to discredit him, but to take the idea of him and what defines him further. "Kurt, more than most X-Men, is a character more affected by the prejudice of mutant bigotry than others. He does look like a Demon. The idea of this is no more evident than in his first appearance (and scariest as far as bigotry is concerned) when an entire town was set on killing him (maybe even burning him). "Now, the idea of having Kurt become Belasco came out of looking hard at continuity and asking if it works. In Limbo, we saw Storm become old, a demonic Kurt, a slain Colossus, a demon Kitty Pryde and etc. "But, more than just continuity, the idea of this transformation came out of looking at bigotry and accepting that those we treat with prejudice and cruelty often become the very things we label them to be. "For me, Nightcrawler is an X-Man. And him becoming a demon is a cold reminder to the rest of us that fear and hatred produce characters to be feared and hated. That is the cost of bigotry. That is the way it bites us back. "We must be careful that we do not take good men and make them evil out of our ignorance. Or so the story I am telling goes. "Kurt's story is not over. But the problem of his becoming Belasco will not have a simple quick solution. I hope this does not cause you reason to be alarmed. I understand this is a character you designed and you had the original intention for what and who he should be. "And for that, I'm sorry I haven't followed the original intent. "But I'm not sorry for seeing so much richness and depth in the character you created. "With respect." But Dave wasn't moved. He replied: "If you've ever read any in-depth interview with me, you'll have seen that I originally created Nightcrawler to be a demon, but dropped the idea when Jack Kirby introduced his demon, Etrigan. When we took Kurt in the direction of swashbucking gallant-- against Len Wein's wishes, who wanted him to be a bitter monster- -Kurt came to life for me, and I totally rejected the demonic notion. Nightcrawler will never, never, NEVER be a demon. The thing I hate the most is that you're saying Kurt has been lying to the X-Men and to us, the readers, about who he is all these years. I refuse to accept your concept, and as far as I'm concerned your stories belong in 'What If'." This Has A Bamf Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Ink Capability Is The Ultimates being digitally inked? This process, used to take tight pencil art and convert it into "inked" art through a computer, rather than an inker has been an industry topic of discussion for a while. There have been a few examples from mainstream comics but there are issues, such as job losses, and quality control, that have brought negative publicity to the format. However, Marvel have expressed an interest in experimenting with it further. Could The Ultimates be that experiment - without telling anyone and avoiding the publicity it could generate? One source passed on what they saw as hallmark inconsistencies with the digital inking process. A telltale sign is that thin lines break up towards the end as they come to a point. Long curved lines that would be smooth when traditionally inked have little bumps and balls in them - small inconsistencies that occur when a pencil line is darkened during digital inking. One eye-catching moment is in The Ultimates #3, where the older Bucky answers the door. The wood grain on the right of the large panel at the top of the page is very broken up indeed, a telltale sign of digital inking. Again, The Ultimates #2, page 13, panel two, a certain clumsiness and clumped up lines of the Tony Stark and Fury figures, again a familiar sign of the process. And to the left of them on the ground and wall, see those black specks? Those little small dots? That is likely to be dust that gets on the pencilled page, and when darkened digitally, becomes dark specks. Indeed, such dark specks and clumped lines are common throughout the book. Another possible giveaway are the absence of "inker tricks", such as ink splatter and the absence of whiteout lines over the inks. So, when Andrew Currie is credited as "inks" - is that credit entirely accurate? Maybe "Pixels" would be better? This Has A Rumour Value Of 4 Out of 10 Wall Crawlers? I hear that both Ian Edginton and D'Israeli are planning a trip to the Cool Beans offices (what's left of them) to try and reclaim their artwork before the receiver sells it at car boot sale prices. In days of old, Wally Wood abseiled up a building to break into an office to get his originals from an uncooperative publisher. Will history repeat itself? Come on Ian, get that grappling hook out. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Happiest Days Of Your Life Here's a story I heard: A writer is visiting the CrossGen compound. They're sitting in big bossman Mark Alessi's office with Ian Feller, CrossGen's Director Of Corporate Communications. They're waiting for Alessi to show up. A fax comes over the line. The writer asks Ian if he can see it... it's a list detailing retailers orders for the CrossGen books that month. Ian says sure. The writer looks at it. Alessi walks in and yells, "How the fuck did you get that?!" The writer points to Ian. Alessi points to the corner, saying "Ian, the corner. Now!" And Ian goes and stands in the corner... like he's in grade school. And then Alessi and the writer leave the office... and Ian has to stay there, looking at the corner. This Has A Rumour Value Of 3 Out Of 10 As Much As Meets The Eye There has been a prevalent rumour over the last few weeks that Diamond and Dreamwave have some kind of deal - that Diamond helped Dreamwave set up shop away from Image, and in return for hype and over-buying Transformers to give the book higher profile in the marketplace, get an extra percentage of the profits. Evidence cited includes certain retailers reporting that they order less Transformers than seems to be reflected in the overall figures. Employees from both Diamond and Dreamwave deny this rumour wholeheartedly. That Dreamwave is treated just like any another publisher, albeit it one with a very high selling book and that any rumours to the contrary are being used to discredit this new publisher who is suddenly beating the others months after month - indeed, Transformers #3 is due to take the top place on the Diamond lists, above the new Kevin Smith Black Cat series. As for certain retailers finding their orders out of whack with the industry as a whole, this may also be due to certain pop culture stores ordering very heavily on Transformers for their fan customer base, differing to the traditional comic store demographic. This Has A Rumour Vale Of 2 Out Of 10 Paper Trail Following the reported collapse of Sheffield-based Cool Beans World last week, it appears that there has been no petition for bankruptcy in the high court yet and Companies House Registry lists Cool-Beans Productions as still being active, which might give people cause not to be concerned. But Cool Beans Productions Ltd used to be known as Wakeco [105] Ltd until it changed its name in 1996. Funnily enough, there's another company named Wakeco (this time Wakeco 180) Ltd based in Sheffield which in 1994 changed its name to Cool Beans Trustees Ltd, also in Sheffield. I understand that Cool Beans Trustees are currently in the process of being thrown off the companies list, which means they will have to cease trading. I understand Cool Beans Productions owe creditors £1.8 million. Anyone able to translate any of this? Me, I just need an aspirin. This Has A Rumour Value Of 5 Out Of 10 Borderline Treatment As to the future of CoolBeans-sponsored international on-line magazine Borderline, I understand that Phil Hall is indeed talking to new funders - one of whom has paid for his hotel bills at Comics 2002. This Has A Rumour Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Stray Creator Schwarzer Turm, the German publisher of David Lapham's Stray Bullets is in a bit of a pickle. Dark Horse does the foreign licensing for Lapham but (so the story goes) will stop doing that because they can't get in contact with Lapham with no responses from him to e-mail, fax, calls - and the German publisher can't contact him either... Can anyone help out? This Has A Rumour Value Of 5 Out Of 10 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com Originally run at www.orcafresh.net This interview appears here with permission. "Banner is Everyman:" An ORCA Q&A with HULK Writer Bruce Jones By Tim O'Shea A visit to Michigan State University's (Library) Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection (http://www.lib.msu.edu/comics/rri/jrri/jones.htm) details the amazing depth of writing in comic hooks alone by Bruce Jones dating back to the 1970s. To many more folks he's known for his horror stories. But most importantly (and most recently), he's been leaving a major mark on the Marvel book, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which is no easy task. Recently I was able to e-interview him thanks to the efforts of Axel Alonso and of course thanks to Bruce himself. My thanks to Bruce, obviously, for his time and thoughts. Enjoy. ORCA: Right out of the gates I want to ask one fanboy-type question. How long will folks have to wait until we find out who the computer correspondent Mr. Blue is? Or do you plan to reveal this fact? Jones: Yes, we'll definitely reveal the origin of the mysterious Mr. Blue. Giving a precise date would obviously be a disservice to readers and a clear spoiler, but let's just say sooner than a lot of people may think. ORCA: How surprised/pleased are you that HULK has jumped from #55 to #22 on the Top 100? Jones: Very pleased, but not wholly surprised given the talents of John Jr. and Axel Alonso. Everybody really got behind the book from the get- go and gave it their all. I think there was that friendly competition thing going, that hey, let's do the next one even better, keep pushing the envelope, tear down the walls. It's a book that's been given a lot of latitude by Marvel but at the same time has been fussed over feverishly by the creative team. We've tried very hard to make it feel emancipated and methodical at once; no mean feat. One of my favorite arcs is the one Lee Weeks drew. Stuart Imommen's work is just phenomenal. ORCA: It almost seems like rather than trying to avoid becoming the Hulk, Bruce uses the Hulk to his advantage. He's come to this level through meditation and other means. (Your first issue had him reading such books Exercises in Mind Control Yoga and Taming the Inner Will, as well as employing a metronome, researching articles on such things as behavior drugs). How much research did you have to do to formulate your take on Bruce/Hulk? Jones: I tend to be a bit anal anyway, so I probably over-researched the biofeedback aspects of the book, then had to consciously cut back in deference to it reading like a term paper. The hardest research was in our own collective consciousness; we wanted to break out with the new team but not disrespect long time readers. How do you do that? I think the answer is you contemplate it, give yourself a space of time to see all sides, but ultimately just take the plunge. I mean, the only thing worse than the book alienating people across the board would be one so homogenized it became bland. Even the most carefully prepared meal should have a dash of unabashed spice. In the end, you have to take a long walk in the woods and just trust your instincts, knowing you're going to gain a few and lose a few and leave the percentages in between to the bean counters. Numbers aren't everything. An awful lot of people watched The Gong Show. I wouldn't say Banner has come to the point of being able to use the Hulk to his advantage though_not yet, unless circuitously. ORCA: Prior to starting this book, you said this take would be more "reality-based" Bruce Banner is a hunted man, seemingly always has been, but in the past it's been legal authorities pursuing him for the most part. Now (in a very 2000 fashion [an yet also hearkening back to the 1970s TV series and Jack McKee's character]) the feeding frenzy of the media seems to be another Hulk hunter. Is this part of your reality element? In partially basing it on reality, do you hope on some level to make HULK a form of social commentary on some subjects? Jones: Oh, I think everything you write is, in its way, social commentary if only by virtue of it's to the now. Whether that becomes part of the normal flow of the narrative or a platform for greater ideas is up to the writer. The best kind of social commentary for me is that which doesn't show. The minute we stray from universal truths we invite antiquity. Every generation is given a short hand built on proceeding leaps of logic; today's readers can assimilate tremendous amounts of information from disparate, overlapping media so its easy to date yourself as a writer even within a margin of weeks. The world is ever shrinking and the price is the New Paranoia. That's the underlying theme of our story even if every arc doesn't hinge on it. To me, Banner is Everyman; his schizophrenic state is as metaphorical as physiological. ORCA: Prior to this, your comics work had been with Vertigo (where you worked with current Hulk editor Axel Alonso).[and a Marvel TANGLED WEB arc] Now that you've had a taste of the Marvel universe, any other characters or books you'd like to try? Jones: Oh, sure. But comic work is an occupation, not unlike any other; finding a character is only one part of a complex process involving the creative team and corporate policy. Like film, this is first and foremost a collaborative medium. The success of a particular title can pivot on so many variables, some of which are beyond one's control. It's those x factors that make working in the field at once exhilarating and terrifying. It's a minefield of happy accidents (most of them happy) and the trick is to learn to recognize them when they appear then bend them to your advantage, or rather to the book's advantage. The best professionals, I think, strive to make the other guy look good, like a basketball player. From the moment you start the drive down court you have to keep the goal uppermost in your mind-- all the fancy footwork in the world means nothing if the damn thing misses the hoop. And, of course, the best moments come in those mid court swishes you used every muscle to make look effortless. Pounding away at the thing for fifteen drafts so it reads like you tossed it off with your left hand, that's the trick. Being human, we often fall short. As long as I'm waxing allegorical, let me also liken comics to the recording business. You work hard and finally get a hit. Then you have about five minutes rest before you're expected to make a bigger hit. Meeting deadlines and staying fresh, that too, can become a kind of trap. Thank God for the sex and drugs. I'm speaking of marriage and aspirin, of course. ORCA: Correct me if I'm wrong, but so far in your run on the book (at the time this question was posed he had not, this has since changed as the storylines progressed), the HULK has not been shown (except in flashback or on video). His actions or presence have merely been implied through other means or actions. Who's idea was this and who's job is harder in making this happen? Your job, as you have to come up with scenarios where the HULK appears without appearing, or JR Jr.'s job, drawing scenes of effect of chaos and destruction with out showing the cause? Jones: I never consciously sit down and try to create story lines where the Hulk doesn't appear. This may sound disingenuous, but I really think this whole Hulk appearance (or lack of it) phenom has been blown out of proportion. To me, Banner and Hulk are joined at the hip; Hulk is there even when he isn't, so to speak. Our goal is to explore (and hopefully explode) some of the Hulk mythos in detail, but we believe you have to get there through Banner. He's the cause, Hulk is the effect. You have to come at Hulk politely, on tip-toe, but always through Banner_and the passage, albeit a thorny one, is as convoluted as Banner's cerebrum. Ours is a sojourn of the anterior, a study in both voluntary movement and the coordination of mental actions. I can promise you big surprises at journeys end, perhaps a host of them, though I can't get you there faster than one cautious step at a time. But here's a hint: what you get with my take is the voice of a writer closer to his 40's than his 20's and everything that implies. Whatever wisdom I've managed to glean through my own life experience I'm channeling into the books even if not always consciously. As we age, we tend to become more introspective, more responsible for our actions, or hopefully so. Some of that is going to leach into what ever fiction I produce, which may partially explain our deliberate pacing. ORCA: In many ways you've made the character of Doc Samson as interesting as Banner/Hulk, was that your intent when you started on the series, or has it just happened as your approach toward the character evolved? Jones: Both. We strive to make all the characters as complexly interesting as possible and at the same time a natural consequence of the narrative. I like the Sampson/Banner history because it's so rife with shades of gray. There's a competitiveness, coupled with a grudging respect that allows for numerous layers of characterization, making good foils of the protagonists. But I try to do that with all the major players. Half the enjoyment in writing is playing one character off another, exposing the chinks in their armor, serving up little surprising slices of their personality their outward appearance may have masked. Like the rest of us. ORCA: Can you point to a scene so far (or an issue) and say "That's one of my favorite moments?" Jones: I'm usually wincing too hard at the ones that didn't work to find time for self-aggrandizing! I always blame myself when good moment fall short because I think it's my responsibility to telegraph those sometimes ambiguous details to the artist. What makes your heart soar is when you think you've done a pretty fair job with the script then one of these brilliant guys takes a particular scene and makes it better even than you visualized it, comes up with a new slant, a different way to orchestrate something for maximum impact. Comics are made up of moments. Like movies, when we think of great comics, it's great scenes or even individual panels we remember. They burn into the retina and walk with us forever. That's when it approaches art. I hope what's distinctive about our books is that you tend to recall the quiet moments as opposed to only the kinetic ones. Like the look in Sally Riker's eyes in the fourth panel of the opening page of issue 40. Lee just caught that so right. He did it in the same issue with a silent panel of Banner on the phone—his expression when he realizes whom he's talking to. Magical moments like that make it all worthwhile. And make the comic format uniquely its own. ORCA: What do you consider to be your greatest strength as a writer, and more specifically as a comic book writer? Jones: Tenacity. Bull-headedness. I just keep carving endlessly away at everything that doesn't look like an elephant, as the old sculptor joke goes. Then start over again when Axel tells me it looks more like a giraffe. ORCA: In the most recent issues, you've been leading readers toward a confrontation (or some form of interaction) between two professional assassins and Banner/Hulk. Again these villains are firmly rooted in reality. Will you ever have standard fare costume wearing villains, or would such an appearance compromise your reality approach to the book? Jones: Well, reality in a fantasy—which is what The Incredible Hulk is— is always a relative term. I suppose you could fudge a bit and call it science fiction, but we've often introduced elements that challenge what most of us define as "realistic." I think with us it has less to do with how a character is dressed and more a kind of mindset. In some third world countries our very way of life is a fantasy, which is the core of much of the current antagonism. I have less interest in the fact than an individual might wear Spandex then why he would chose to do so. It's when action-oriented superhero comics operate only for their own sake that it doesn't work for me, and you can always tell. After the decline (or censorship) of the horror trend in the 50's, Stan Lee knew he wasn't going to win over old readers again or gain new ones with the same old punch fest. He began to add subtext, bringing elements of the newspaper strips into the comic format. Every generation since has really just been embroidering on that. What's satisfying about working on the Hulk is that we've repeatedly attempted to push the envelope in terms of traditional action and pacing, and the audience has responded enthusiastically. It's been very gratifying to find that given exposure to alternative, even unorthodox story-telling, readers will embrace it. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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.] What's Michael: Michael's Favorite Spot. Written and drawn by Makoto Kobayashi. Translated from the Japanese by Hisashi Kotobuki, Alan Gleason, Dana Lewis, Elin Winkler, Toren Smith and Lea Hernandez. Lettering and Retouch by Pat Duke and Radio Comix, Tom Orzechowski, Amy Stella and Amador Cisneros. A Super Manga Blast Graphic Novel published by Dark Horse Comics, Inc., 10956 SE Main St., Milwaukie, OR 97222, (www.darkhorse.com ), Jan. 2002, $8.95. Among the most delightful examples of humorous Japanese manga or comics to be collected and translated for English-speaking audiences, 'What's Michael' by Makoto Kobayashi, represents the 5th volume of short pieces gathered together and published in compact trade paperback form. Of the previous 4 'What's Michael' books: 'Michael's Album' and 'Living Together' are unfortunately out-of-print, while 'Off the Deep End' and 'Michael's Mambo' can still be readily found. Since all these publications contain brief vignettes averaging 6 pages in length at approximately 80 some odd pages per compilation, any 'What's Michael' opus can be enjoyed independently of the others. What is 'What's Michael'? The name "Michael" comprises the generic appellation contemporary Japanese people use for any domestic short-haired cat much the same as the British use the term "moggy" for their housecats of mixed breed and "puss" or "kitty" get employed in the USA. Creator Makoto Kobayashi's Michael comes in the form of an orange-striped male who most often gets shown making light-hearted, comical mischief in the suburban household of an average, unnamed, middle-class, modern-day Japanese everycouple. The focus feline sometimes gets accompanied by a calico female cat and a cream-colored, nearly-grown kitten when he's not on solitary rambles through the neighborhood. In Japan, people tend to let their pet felines roam outdoors far more than folks do in North America or even in England. Sometimes Michael gets anthropomorphized along with other cats, dogs and animals in fantasy vignettes that more blatantly satirize the foibles and habits of everyday people than the "regular" stories do. Another particularly fun and interesting recurring human character, a cat-obsessed yakuza/gangster always puts in at least one appearance per collection serving to astutely illustrate how silly tough-guy macho pretentiousness can be. 'Michael's Favorite Spot' contains 13 vignettes nicely demonstrating the writer/artist's range: 2 animals-in-clothes outrageous, broad, comedic fantasies; 2 yakuza yarns; 4 outdoor encounters with unique elements; and 5 tales set indoors with the subject interacting with the humans, the other 2 cats and various visitors, etc. All possess the insightful wit, moments of warped fantasy and slice-of-life laughs that have made 'What's Michael' an enormous hit in Japan and an increasingly successful export to the USA and the rest of the manga-buying world. Kobayashi's fine black and white, pen and ink drawings, skillful use of gray-tones, expert arrangement of panels; clever, frequent employment of cats-eye-view camera angles; and pleasing blend of exquisite detail with an amusing cartoonish exaggeration in the rendering of the characters that makes the humor so effective---all add up to an incredibly, enjoyable blend of beautiful artwork and fiendishly fun storytelling. 'What's Michael', reasonably priced, with its warm and witty portraits of contemporary Japan that transcend geographical and culture boundaries to celebrate the common humanity and felinity in all of us, serves as an excellent introduction to manga for the uninitiated. It should be an essential part of the collection for aficionados and must be sought after at all costs for feline fanciers. 'What's Michael' deserves a favorite spot in every household that appreciates expert art and creatively comedic tales. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Column from the Philippines Erwin Rafael 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph Hi. My name is Erwin Rafael and I have an appeal to make. I am a 23 year-old university professor here in the Philippines, and American comic books have been pretty much a part of my life for over a decade now. Like most comic book fans, I have always wanted to make a difference in this industry that I love. I even aspired to become a writer of one of these comic books, but it just turned out not to be my cup of tea. Still, I was able to find a way to make my voice heard by serving as a regular reviewer for the X-FAN website. This gig led to my discovery of one of the best mainstream books around - precisely the subject of my appeal - Marvel's BLACK PANTHER. BLACK PANTHER is an ongoing monthly title, which details the adventures of T'challa - the king of the African techno-jungle nation called Wakanda. It has been one of the best-reviewed mainstream comic books in recent time. Browse through the reviews section of many comic book fan sites, and chances are you'd find nothing but praises for this title. It is a fact not lost to Marvel Comics who, in its recent June solicitations, described the book as "Marvel's best reviewed title". Sadly, despite the overwhelming critical acclaim BLACK PANTHER receives, it has always been threatened by the cloud of cancellation. Currently, it is Marvel's lowest selling ongoing mainstream title. I started reading BLACK PANTHER around the time when Marvel announced that the book (along with other low selling books, Captain Marvel and Spidergirl) would have a 25-cent increase to guarantee another year of survival. I have been meaning to pick up Black Panther for years precisely because of the positive word I have been reading about the title, but I just can not find the right "push" to put my thoughts into action. The "guilt" I felt, however, after the announcement of the price increase and the threat of cancellation gave me sufficient incentive to try the title out. Coupled with the fact that BLACK PANTHER was put up for review in X-FAN because of an upcoming Wolverine appearance, I took the opportunity to see what the BLACK PANTHER hoopla was all about. It's an understatement to say that I was not disappointed. Writer Christopher Priest, whose previous works I was not really familiar with, broke all my preconceptions of the Panther as a Tarzan-like superhero. Instead, Priest emphasized the monarchial character of the Black Panther. As a head of a technologically advanced state, which is the envy of other nations, Priest rightfully characterized the Panther as a more "cerebral" hero - relying more on mind games and extensive planning to accomplish his goals. For instance, in the recent "Enemy of the State II" story arc, T'challa was able to "take down" Tony Stark, the Iron Man, by manipulating the global economy, which enabled him to take over Stark Enterprises. Panther's unique methods in solving things, which usually involve very complex and brilliant behind-the-scene manipulations, add a high level of unpredictability and intelligence to its stories. That's not to say that the title does not have its own share of traditional superhero fisticuffs. While the testosterone content is considerably less than the usual superhero comic book, Priest still whips out exciting fight scenes, which has been a staple in this genre. From a John Woo-inspired kung fu fighting sequence against Iron Fist to an exciting underwater chase scene with Iron Man and Wolverine, this title delivers a lot of action along with the smarts. Priest complements the cerebral nature of the Panther character with what could best be called "intelligent" writing. The writing in this series assumes a certain degree of intelligence from its readers, as it usually asks for one's understanding of several areas of knowledge, like economics and political science. For example, the current story- arc, "Enemy of the State II", involves corporate takeovers, political coups, quantum physics and some discussion of the intricacies of the Iron Man armor. Priest does not present such issues in a "dumbed- down" manner, although I personally believe that his presentation is not too "high-brow" either. Definitely, this book is not escapist in nature, but if one is looking for a more "fulfilling" reading experience, I would definitely recommend this title. While the concept of a book having "intelligent writing" and a "cerebral character" considerably lends a level of seriousness to this book, Priest manages to ground it with one of the book's best elements - the humor. Most of the humor comes fromm BLACK PANTHER's wonderful supporting cast, foremost of which is the POV person of the book, Agent Everett Ross. The humor is smart, witty and ridiculous at the same time. For example, seeing President George Bush dancing to house music while debating educational reform is a joy to watch. The humor plays off nicely against T'challa's overly serious character and this unusual mix brings a very unique flavor to this title. BLACK PANTHER is also blessed with wonderful art from the underrated regular team of penciller Sal Velluto, inker Bob Almond and colorist Jennifer Schellinger. While not heavy-hitters or "fan-faves", the Velluto-Almond-Schellinger art team delivers every month one of the most beautiful and fundamentally sound sequential art in mainstream comics. The art can capture a lot of themes, whether it be the lush and organic "tribal" setting or the highly detailed technological aspect of Wakanda. A lot of stories are imparted through the words, specially the humor that comes off beautifully in the facial expressions of the characters. The question, though, is "Why is BLACK PANTHER such a low selling title?" Does the complexity of Priest's stories "scare" a lot of readers? Is it the non-mainstream approach to this mainstream book? Is it because the creators are not big names which can attract reader attention? Is it because few people care about the Black Panther character? Maybe it's a combination of all these reasons. Personally speaking, these were all the reasons why I did not pick up BLACK PANTHER earlier despite the critical acclaim. I guess this book is something that one needs to actually read to appreciate. And thus, here is where my appeal comes in. I am appealing to all of you to try BLACK PANTHER, at least for a couple of issues. It is a good book which deserves a wider audience, and I hope you would at least give this book a chance to "prove its worth" Now for a jump-on point, coming up is the two-part "Saddles Ablaze" storyline, which involves Black Panther and crew's wild time- travelling foray to the Wild West. It starts with issue #46, which comes out June 26. Now why should you try "Saddles Ablaze"? I'll give you these reasons: 1. It's a short two-issue story which would only cost you $5.00 total. That's just the cost of one Big Mac meal. 2. While just spanning two issues, it's a complete storyline in itself. And BLACK PANTHER stories can be appreciated best by reading full storylines. 3. There's a Thor guest appearance. And then there's the Two-Gun Kid and Rawhide Kid and all those Marvel western superstars. (Well, guest appearances should count for something!!!) 4. This short story would focus more on the humorous aspects. Priest calls it as "a rapid change of pace from the complexity of Enemy of the State II into almost sheer farce". Thus, you would be spared from headaches in your first foray to this title while still getting a taste of the "flavor" of this book. 5. This is the lead-in story to the big three part "Death of Black Panther" storyline which spans issues 48-50. 6. Black Panther is going to be part of Geoff Johns' AVENGERS lineup, and this short story is a nice introduction to the character. 7. This is also a fun tribute to the late great John Buscema, to whom the story is dedicated to. The story "crosses over" with an old Thor issue drawn by John, and guest artist, Jorge Lucas, strived hard to recreate faithfully scenes from that issue. 8. By reading "Saddles Ablaze", I am giving you a chance to become the lucky winner of a year's worth of BLACK PANTHER back issues, the BLACK PANTHER: THE CLIENT TPB, a signed BLACK PANTHER: ENEMY OF THE STATE TPB, and a bonus BLAZE OF GLORY TPB. All you have to do is answer two questions, which can only be answered by reading "Saddles Ablaze". Full details of contest mechanics, terms and conditions can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/saveblackpanther . 9. And the ultimate reason to try out "Saddles Ablaze". BLACK PANTHER is just THAT good. Give it a chance to convince you. Take note that the retailer order cutoff dates for BLACK PANTHER #46 and #47 are on June 6 and June 20, respectively, so PREORDER your issues #46-47 of BLACK PANTHER now!!! Thank you for listening. Help save this wonderful but sadly unnoticed title. Help save the BLACK PANTHER. Sincerely yours, Erwin Rafael 1560 8th Street Fabie Estate Paco Manila, Philippines 1007 Phone: (632) 562-2343 E-mail: 3rdsummers@edsamail.com.ph ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Stream of Babbling Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh.net]) His column appears here with permission.] Learning from Other Mediums I intentionally decided to read everything BUT comic books for the most part over my vacation last week. It's not that I don't like comics, far from that, as longtime readers well know. The fact is, not surprisingly, comics are far easier to pick up and read than your typical nonfiction or fiction work. If I'm not careful, my brain can become slightly duller without outside varied stimulation (besides watching baseball and listening to sports talk radio or playing with my son). So as a result I found myself reading a great deal of movie critic/documentary maker Richard Schickel (with his collection of essays MATINEE IDYLLS and his interviews with movie greats THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES). The great thing about reading outside comics is, among other things, it can bring you a new appreciation of comics. Case in point, in one essay in MATINEE IDYLLS (Mind Slips: Remembering and Misremembering Movies), Schickel makes the following observation: "...when we try to analyze our tastes in movies, we nearly always find that our formative years were, in reality, deformative years. By this I mean that the movies with which we forge our most potent emotional connections-connections that have nothing to do with educated taste or sophisticated critical judgment-are the ones we roughly between the ages of 10 and 20. These films get into our heads in a way that those we encounter later, no matter how much we admire them, rarely do. They live there with an intensity that our childhood experiences with the other arts-much more forbidding, much less immediately apprehensible-do not. For these, obviously, are the years when we begin to see movies on our own recognizance, without 'parental guidance,' as it were...In short, we believed in what we saw with a concentration, a passion that most of us-even those of us who eventually made film our life's work- would only rarely achieve again at the movies." Despite the fact that Schickel believes this to be a phenomenon unique to movies, I must disagree. Read that excerpt but instead of reading the word "movies," replace "movies" with "comic books" and you've got me pegged. As much as I'm going to enjoy Mark Waid's Fantastic Four, those issues will still not enthuse or capture me as much as Byrne's did, when I was a kid. I'll still most likely enjoy them immensely, but there is a spark ignited in your formative years that is extremely hard to recapture. That being said, I think realizing that I'll never truly reach the height of excitement that I reached as a kid will help me to appreciate (and set my expectations in a comic book) a little more reasonably (hopefully) the next time I read one. Another book I started reading over the vacation was Los Angeles Times writer David Lamb's 1991 book, STOLEN SEASON: A JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICA AND BASEBALL'S MINOR LEAGUES. This book was ties in nicely with my appreciation of comics, both today and of my childhood. Lamb's journey, in part, was an effort to reacquaint himself with the baseball of his youth in the 1950s. To do this, he traveled through the country for an entire summer, catching up with minor league games as well as catching up with the heroes of his past. It seemed to me, while engaging, to be a bittersweet journey. While glimmers of what it was like in the 1950s remain, a great deal of it appears to be a mourning for what has been lost and how different the multimillion business that baseball is today in comparison to its gloried past. The advantage I have with comics is, if I ever want to recapture the happiness of my childhood, I only need to travel down to the basement and pick up my old comic books. Recapturing the magic for me is a lot easier and a lot more satisfying than having to travel throughout the country. That being said, if you're a baseball fan of any kind, this book is a must read. It in fact inspired me to take my almost three- year old son, Colin, to his first baseball game. It was a minor league game, of course, in Mobile, Alabama, and he had a blast, much more fun than he would have had if his first game had been at the far less personable (and much larger) Turner Field here in Atlanta. But I'm getting offtrack here. My Take on Comic Wars A lot of talk is going on about the new book, COMIC WARS, by CBS News correspondent Dan Raviv's book about the ruining of Marvel from 1989 to 1996 at the hands of Ron Perelman. In fact there is some talk (isn't there always) about making the book into a movie. I had not read the book, but was considering picking up a copy until I read a Q&A with the author (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/comicwars/Q&A.html). It's obvious the fellow, much like Perelman, has no interest in comic books themselves, but rather is looking at it from the business side. The one line that really made me view him with a bit of disgust was when it was asked why he wrote the book. His reply? "I happened to meet some of the people involved in this fight, and the story was so amazing -- so funny, so full of characters and passion -- that I couldn't resist. It turned out that the skills of an experienced investigative journalist were needed to ferret out the truth. The losers were very reluctant to say anything about the Marvel battle, and the winners insisted that they have their hands full trying to resuscitate the business. In addition, the bankers and lawyers didn't want to offend future clients. But one of the factions that insisted on knowing the truth was the loyal troupe of Marvel comics fans. They wondered why quality suffered in the 1990s, why the company went bankrupt, and how Marvel managed to get itself back on its feet -- heading for what could be greater triumphs in movies, television, the Internet, video games, and comics." Now I commend him for acknowledging the "loyal troupe of Marvel comics fans," he at least got that part right. The part that disgusted me was his characterization that the story of Marvel's almost total demise was "so funny." How funny was it to the comic book stores that went out of business? How funny was it to the folks who suffered at the hands of folks like Perelman? Who would find this funny? I guess some folks would, but not me. So, no, sorry Mr. Raviv, you're not getting my money and I definitely will not be giving this book any more attention in my column. I only address it now to let folks know I'm aware of it (and to let other folks know of it and my opinion of how the book approaches the subject) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Dreams of Silver and Gold Terrence Lo terrylo@videotron.ca [After years of mylar bag imprisonment, Terrence Lo aka Terry was released into hockey loving atmosphere of his beloved (frigid, cold and icy) Montreal. Terry has pretty much coasted for the last few years while pretending to be a scholar, lover and wanna-be superhero. Now quickly approaching the end of his graduate studies, he clings to his beloved comic collection in the hope of maintaining his lost youth and sex appeal_but would settle for a complete autographed run of the Watchmen.] Superman: The Man of Yesterday The Amazing World of Krypton! The Superman Emergency Squad! The Superman Revenge Squad! The Midvale Orphanage! The Memorial World of Krypton! The pungent odors Rondors and their miraculous healing horns! The devilish Dev-Em becomes a hero! Nova, the secret hero identity of Clark Kent! The sentient Red Sun of Krypton! The Daily Star! Crystal, Gold, Blue and Red Kryptonite! Lexor, planet of hero and champion Lex Luthor! If you just read these words, you might recognize a few, but pretty much only readers over the age of 30 really would understand them. All of those were but parts of the wonderful tales by a small army of writers and artists that built on the legend of Superman and the Superman Family. Superman, the great North American hero (he was both an American AND Canadian creation), is easily the single-most recognized superhero after Batman and Spider-Man. But he also comes with such an extensive history that DC later 'rebooted' the hero in 1987, eliminated decades of 'baggage' and started him out with a fresh start. Legendary X-Men Dark Phoenix Saga artist John Byrne was given the daunting task of converting Clark Kent, TV anchorman, the milquetoast of 344 Clinton St., a wimp and even arguably a coward, into a man's man_the college football champion and best-selling author and journalist. He first proceeded to completely wipe out Superman's rich history. For example, the Silver Age Superman was not exactly the 'Last' Son of Krypton. When considering that there was Kara Zor-El (his cousin killed in the Crisis), Krypto the dog, the entire population of New Krypton (from the combined populations of the formerly bottled city of Kandor and the surviving populace of Argo City, and even the dozens of prisoners in the Phantom Zone, there were a heck of a lot of survivors from the destruction of Krypton. This time it was different. Krypton really did blow up_and with only 1 survivor, Superman. He then changed the world of Krypton itself, making the whole possibility of any survivors extremely unlikely. The Phantom Zone never existed, simply because crime never did. From a futuristic world of innovation and light, the people and planet became a soulless, cold and harsh world, composed of a small populace that lived for centuries in bodysuits and sterile isolated chambers. No dogs, Argo City, Rondors, Fire Falls, etc_. And on and on the changes went. A Superman with a rich history suddenly became a man without a past. But Byrne also added a few interesting subtle changes. This Superman would also be a man with an intact family, orphaned only once and never again. Ma & Pa Kent never died of a mysterious disease, and continues to advise their son to this day. The seeds of a Clark Kent – Lois Lane romance came to pass, as opposed to a Superman – Lois Lane connection. Lex Luthor was still a brilliant scientist, but now he was also a revered multi-billionaire, with global resources (especially in his current role as the President of the United States). And most importantly of all, this was a Superman of LIMITS. The old Superman could fly at light speed, travel time and push around entire planets. He was a master of over 1,000 languages, a certified surgeon (and master of the super-speed triple bypass and heart transplant) and could live indefinitely under any condition ranging from the deepest oceans to the hearts of suns. The new Superman was still quite impressive, but could manage slightly above Mach 1, dreamt about time travel (in a machine one day) and seemed to be able to lift somewhere around 100 tons. Like everyone else on Earth, he had picked up some words here or there, and maybe even a few languages along the way (he spent a few years backpacking around the globe). While this would make his power levels at roughly the same as Gladiator of Marvel's Shi'ar Empire (who was incidentally modelled after Superman), it also made him a bit easier to believe. While understandably, DC probably did need to do such a drastic action in order to bring in a younger audience, they also eliminated a wonderful source of ideas and inspirations that they've slowly begun to bring back bit by bit in one way or another. For example, the hit show Smallville has brought back the adventures of a young Superman, albeit without the cape. Krypto the Superdog now soars above the skies while somewhere in the newly rediscovered 'Phantom Zone', a Krypton our new Superman never knew lies. What was old is new again, though the whole purpose of the reboot is steadily thrown out the window. Strangely enough, the man responsible for the destruction of all old things Krypton is probably the one who has done the golden and silver tales the greatest homage, John Byrne. For the last few years, and hopefully a few more, he has worked on the Generations project, or tales of the gold and silver Superman based on his old persona, with his family and descendants (and those of Batman and his own family). I can't recommend the two existing tales enough, Generations I and II (though I did find a continuity error). Byrne has indicated that there may be enough interest in a Generations III, and who knows what he could do with that. As for why I wanted to cover the Superman family, this summer, DC returns to the wonderful world of Krypton a second time since 1987 (the first was a special event last summer). Keep an eye out for it. It's well worth the read, and you get to explore Krypton at it's best once again. As for other resources, unfortunately the best silver age tales (and especially those of Krypton) were published back in the late 50's to the 70's (with a couple of note in the 80's such as the Amazing World of Krypton and the Phantom Zone mini-series in 1981). But some special stories are still reprinted in DC's The Greatest Superman Tales Ever Told compilation (1992) and many local libraries still carry the hardcover compilations, Superman in the 60's and Superman in the 70's. Next time around, it's Mighty Marvel's turn. While the X-Men, Spider-Man and soon the Hulk have had a tremendous boost of interest in recent time, let's see what's up with some of the more interesting secondary heroes and how they might return (or already have!). ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] A View From the Cheap Seats Rich Watson cptsisko318@aol.com [A graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, Rich Watson has been a self-published cartoonist since 1993, and whose output includes the superhero drama Celebrity and the romantic fable Rat: A Love Story. He currently resides in New York and gets his comics weekly from Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics. Rich can be contacted on his board http://www.revampscripts.com/board/Rich_Watson.shtml and is is featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] Hollywood and comics fans So SPIDER-MAN has been breaking all kinds of box office records and getting all kinds of people noticing the allure of superheroes again. As I lurk through various comics message boards, I've noticed some patterns emerging in the wake of the film's success regarding fan reaction. For example, the amount of Marvel-related films due to come out within the next couple of years has instilled an inferiority complex in some DC fans. It's the age-old Marvel-versus-DC feud, given a new twist: Marvel has all these movies being made of their characters, therefore they must be cooler than DC – or so the thinking goes. And after two mediocre Batman films and a potential Superman film still languishing in development hell, I suppose I can see why fans might feel that way. Understand, it's less about the comics themselves than about how they look to Hollywood and the mainstream media. How can one enjoy reading JSA or LEGION when ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY gave THE ULTIMATES a glowing review? (Hypothetical example here.) The my-publisher's-better-than-yours mentality has really got to stop. In an age where there are so many different comics to choose from, why should there still be this need to pledge allegiance to one company's books at another's expense? For a long time, many fans believed that non-comics readers will go see the film versions of DARKHAWK or G'NORT or whatever and will have a comics epiphany of some kind. Nowadays, I've begun to see a little more evidence that some fans no longer accept this as a given, but the mentality still exists. Hollywood is interested in comics to the extent that they can make big-money films out of them, but you'd be hard pressed to find people there who want to promote comics as comics, and those that do, I suspect, are primarily concerned about only the ones they're involved with. And why shouldn't they be? The goodwill generated by Free Comic Book Day was great, but it needs to be applied year-round for it to have any lasting meaning. The most successful films still have a limited shelf life. And then there's the angst over the inevitable changes made from the page to the screen. Recently, CrossGen announced a couple of movie and TV deals made involving some of their core titles, and there was concern expressed on the CG message boards over the extent of potential changes. CG veep Tony Panaccio – who is a visible and very courteous presence online – made the point in a response post that studio executives and creative people (directors, actors, etc.) are the ones who get the ball rolling when it comes to making comics-related films, and if Publisher X comes in demanding that Hollywood makes the Hero Guy movie their way, Hollywood's gonna walk. After all, what does Publisher X (or their fans) know about making films? Understand, I'm excited about all these upcoming comics movies too, and I think it's great to see so many of them finally being made. As fans, we're very protective of the books we like and we want them to be treated with respect by Hollywood; that's to be expected. We need to be reminded, though, that even the crappiest of comic-related films does nothing to alter the comics themselves, which can still be enjoyed long after the closing credits run and the house lights go up. I've mentioned here how I've been enjoying the mini-series VOGELEIN by Jane Irwin. For those of you not in the know about it, here's the deal: The main character is a small android in the form of a girl fairy, created in Eastern Europe centuries ago. This "clockwork fairy" needs to be rewound with a key once a day in order to continue functioning. As the story begins, her most recent keeper has died, and now she's searching for a new one, and along the way she discovers things about herself and fairies in general that she didn't know before. The characters are fascinating and written well, and the black-and-white painted art works for this kind of story. SANDMAN fans in particular should give this a try. The website is www.vogelein.com. Last week's haul: CATWOMAN #7 (DC) – this book continues to rock hard; MIDNIGHT MASS. #2 (DC/Vertigo) – liking it a little more now; THE HOOD #1 (Marvel Max) – not quite what I hoped for; POP GUN WAR #3 (Cryptic) – I'm starting to wonder if any of this is going anywhere; POWERS #20 (Image); NEGATION #6 (CrossGen); and X-FACTOR #2 (Marvel). Next week: the first of a two-part interview with 3-time Eisner nominee Jim Ottaviani, writer of the graphic novel FALLOUT, about the creation of the atomic bomb. Stick around! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] 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 22, 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 Vφgelein 2 (of 5) [Fiery Studios] Irwin and Berendt You know it's a very personal work when the creator (Jane Irwin) thanks her great-aunt for funding of this issue. And it's a story that works on a personal level, because Irwin has worked extremely hard to assure each aspect of the story is as accurate (as accurate as a faerie-folk tale can be). She's done thorough research and documents pretty heavily (with a half page of end notes at the end of this issue [one small complaint, the notes refer back to page numbers, but unfortunately the story pages lack page numbers]) this adventure of Vφgelein. The story is straightforward and about a clockwork faerie (built over 300 years ago by a Bavarian Clockmaker) who is forced to leave the protection and safety of her guardians to find her own way through life. In a market where Marvel, DC and CrossGen (as well as a handful of smaller mainstream publishers) garner a lot of the attention, this small independent book has survived so far thanks to grassroots support. It needs more support however and I think, given the past popularity of Neil Gaiman and the Vertigo titles (which this book is very much like and inspired by [namely Gaiman]), the market can make this book a success. If you know nothing about this book, please by all means check out my interview with her at http://www.orcafresh.net/Shea/sh22602.html and Jane's website http://www.vogelein.com Another bonus about this comic are her essays. This issue features a detail description of Ezell, the real life basis for the city caretaker (Ezrael) introduced in this issue. A grassroots-supporting Yes. Negation 6 (CrossGen) Bedard/Smith/Vancata/Lambert Bedard uses the character of Proconsul Gorg as a pseudo-narrator in much of this issue, and it's a unique effective device. The art, as always with most of the CrossGen line), is solid. I really enjoyed the balance of adventure and humor in this issue, plus the return to the story of space-pirate, Mercer Drake. In terms of character potential both Matua and Lizard Lady (c'mon give her a better name) are two that I hope stick around for the long haul. On a side note, given the negative press CrossGen gets sometimes, I had to laugh at Gina Villa's line (after announcing colorist-in-training Laura Villari [in the CrossGen's Bullpen Bulletins equivalent: CrossCurrents]): "Welcome to the compound, everybody! The Nikes and Kool-Aid are over there to your right; sigil tattoos are to the left." I respect a person who can make a cult joke at her own expense and make pop references to Heaven's Gate and Jonestown in one sentence. That's just good humor, folks. Yes Captain Marvel 32 (Marvel) David/Calafiore/McKenna A few months back, either on a message board or in a column (or both), I held up the Walter Simonson philosophy of "I write for an audience of one: myself" as a good thing. But that's because I like Simonson. Sadly, Peter David is writing for an audience of one as well, and it's a lousy target audience. I had given up somewhere along the Spider-Man 2099 storyline and came back with this issue mostly because I liked the cover. Yet again, David is digging up old characters from the previous Captain Marvel (or Genis or whatever it was called) series that I could care less about. You see, the last series and its characters failed, so why exactly would you recycle them again? He's obviously writing to please himself and that's rather shortsighted. Of course, if he wasn't "defending" himself from Bill Jemas' attacks he might have more time to write. And is anyone else creeped out by the new Rick Jones look? I actually miss the old man version now in retrospect. The back-up story (You Can Call Me, Al [featuring the new Kraven and the same old Punisher) by Rob Zimmerman is much better than the Jay Leno/Spidey teamup. But I wonder if anyone has told Zimmerman that while the supervillain bar concept that worked well as Tangled Web oneshot, may get old if he goes to that well too often. It's compounded by the fact that this story appears in the same month that Brian K. Vaughn uses a different supervillain bar in his first issue of the limited series, The Hood. (Editors should talk more often.) A big No (you can pick up "You Can Call Me, Al" in another one of Marvel's books) Batman Gotham Adventures 50 (DC) Peterson/Levins/Beatty I am so happy to see such a consistently solid book reach this milestone issue. I just hope it lasts to its 100th issue. And with stories like this issue, hopefully it will. It's hard to add further dimension to a long-established character like Batman, but with this issue, thanks to the effective take and use on the Catwoman, Peterson does. But forget all the character development, I'd buy this issue for the action (courtesy of Levins) with Batgirl, a fish and some thugs. Yes Birds of Prey 43 (DC) Dixon/Ross/Pepot This is the first issue where having a Green Arrow title and a Birds of Prey title written by different people becomes a problem. Characters are used in this issue that are otherwise occupied in the other book. I wish I could say more, but I'm more confused than informed and it would only serve to either confuse or spoil a story for you. Meanwhile this issue also advances the slow as molasses Bruce Wayne Fugitive storyline. It's part 10, but I feel like I'm reading part 50. Enough already. I feel like we're rehashing the same stuff, "Bruce is innocent, but how do we prove it?" No Powers 20 (Image) Bendis/Oeming This issue had me enthralled, that is until the narrative leapt forward 67 days (and over several plotpoints). I have no idea what happened in the end. That's bad storytelling in the end. But you may be able to make sense of what I could not. Three-fourths a good story is still one to enjoy. Maybe The Hood 1 (of 6) [MAX/Marvel] Vaughn/Hotz Some interesting characters-namely a confused, yet seemingly complicated punk named Parker-and some an engaging infrastructure despite the use of another supervillain bar (see my earlier comments in the Captain Marvel review). I could have done without the final elements of the Hydra recruiter scene (sadly you'll have to read that for yourself), but overall the issue is a solid read. Yes Sigil 24 (CrossGen) Dixon/Eaton/Hennessey/Quintana The Saurians have always struck me as annoying overgrown lizards. But with this issue, there was a glim