---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NETWORK ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE Issue Number 457 1/30/2004 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] Interviews: David Chelsea ................. Tim O'Shea [6] My Life With Comic Books .................. Paul Howley [7] If I Ruled the World ...................... Steven D. Forbes [8] Cheap Seats ............................... Rich Watson [9] Lines On Paper ............................ Bruce Canwell [10] Suspended Animation ....................... Michael Vance [11] Silva Shado Reviews ....................... Sarah Haslett [12] Thoughts From the Land of Frost ........... Alex Ness [13] ComiX-FAN Reviews.......................... Eric J. Moreels [14] Rich's Reviews ............................ Richard Vasseur [15] M.O.E. Reviews ............................ Paul Dale Roberts [16] New Comic Series List ..................... Diamond Distributors [17] New Comic Book Releases List .............. Charles LePage [18] HYPE! & LINKS Section ..................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by Yahoo!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag WEEKLY HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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) and is used with permission. Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 2004 by David L. LeBlanc. 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. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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. The weekly deadline is 7:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday - NO EXCEPTIONS! Late submissions are held over for the following week. 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 per se, only the printed media. 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 in the column MY VIEW. Send material to be reviewed 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 An interesting story surfaced today on Newsarama, which we have run in our News section. It involves use of the term "SUPER HEROES" in a comic book title. The story in part: GeekPunk's press release reads: GeekPunk is announcing that their flagship comic book title [SUPER HERO HAPPY HOUR] featuring superheroes patronizing their favorite bar & grill during their off-hours will now be entitled Hero Happy Hour beginning with the fifth issue of the ongoing series. According to creator Dan Taylor, "The decision to change the title was brought upon by the fact that we received a letter from the trademark counsel to 'the two big comic book companies' claiming that they are the joint owners of the trademark 'SUPER HEROES' and variations thereof." ****** This is a subject mentioned from time to time, even used in our trivia contest. DC and MARVEL jointly own the trademark on 'SUPER HEROES'. I know there will be a few angry fans out there who will blow a gasket about the two 800-pound gorillas pushing around the little guy as if he will cause them any harm. But you will also hear rational, independent minded pros who will quickly point out that your trademark has to be defended whenever it is infringed upon. It is not a case of the big guy flexing his muscles; it is protecting your property rights. It could just as easily have been John Kovalic going after someone who decided to publish a comic called DORK TOWER HAPPY HOUR. The classic stories of course are out there. Probably the most famous is Marvel's suit against the publishing of CAPTAIN MARVEL resulting in DC calling the title SHAZAM! There is nothing wrong with DC having a character called Captain Marvel, it just can't use the name in the title of a book, which then gets trademarked. There have been examples in the past of a publisher using trademark rights to purposely create a hardship for a smaller publisher. The example often held up by fans is Marvel taking Jim Shooter to court over his PLASM title for its similarity to the Marvel UK title PLASMER. It was a suit Shooter may have been able to win but could not afford. The title was changed to 'Warriors of Plasm' and somehow that was okay. Funny observation about all this is that the same does not hold true with movies and songs. You cannot copyright the title of a movie or song, though distinct names would probably eventually draw a suit to force a change if it looks like you are trying to trick people into thinking the content is something else. You probably can't make a movie called "HARRY POTTER AND THE blah, blah, blah" as that is a blatant attempt to deceive. Songs are easier. You could call a song YESTERDAY and could not be sued by Michael Jackson or the Beatles for using the title. I was telling a friend about a song near to my heart called "If You Could See Me Now" about someone consoling loved ones grieving for him since he died. From the title my friend thought I meant an Ethel Merman show tune. And on that note . . . Here are this week's comics to look for: DC COMICS Global Frequency #11 (Of 12), $2.95 Hawkman #24, $2.50 JLA #92, $2.25 Legion #29, $2.50 IDW PUBLISHING Shield Spotlight #1, $3.99 MARVEL COMICS Ultimate Fantastic Four #2, $2.25 Ultimate Six #6 (Of 7), $2.25 <-----------Pick of the Week! X-Statix #18, $2.99 GEMSTONE PREVIEWS - Feb 2004 Marvel Previews Feb 2004 Extras, AR We put a new link ad on the front page of the AOL web site this week. It is a link to get a downloadable version of the movie HULK for a fee and when you do you also will receive a free comic. If you are one who likes to watch movies on the 'puter "legally" then check it 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. +++++ Subj:Re: [ComicBooknet E-Mag] resend - CBEM 456.01 Date:1/24/04 9:30:47 AM Eastern Standard Time From:aharlib@earthlink.net To:ComicBookNetworkEmag-owner@yahoogroups.com aharlib@earthlink.net HE SHALL BE MISSED! I grew up loving his show too! I also enjoyed his memoir, full of the gentle good nature that endeared him to so many! *sigh* Amy > 'Captain Kangaroo' Bob Keeshan Dies at 76 > By CHRISTOPHER GRAFF, AP > > QUECHEE, Vt. (Jan. 23) - Bob Keeshan, who gently entertained and > educated generations of children as television's walrus-mustachioed > Captain Kangaroo, died Friday at 76. +++++ Subj:Comic Related Movie Date:1/24/04 5:49:49 PM Eastern Standard Time From:steveo@brooklyn-born.com To:ComicBkNet@aol.com David, My movie Rock Bottom is now Available on VHS or DVD. It stars Jim Florentine (The Howard Stern Show and Crank Yankers - he's Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher), Jim Norton (Spider-man and Collin Quinn's Tough Crowd), and Rich Vos (NBC's American Dreams and Last Comic Standing). Thanks, Steven O'Connell Synopsis: All Miller Davis (Jim Florentine) wanted was to own a comic book store. He partnered with his close friends, Artie Shaw (Eric McMahon) and Brian "Diesel" Bishop (Jim Norton). But now those dreams are over because of a shady real estate agent who stole their down payment. They soon agree to scrap the plans for a comic book store and decide to open a strip club instead. They find funding via a very unorthodox method: stealing. They get wind Action Comics #1 (the first appearance of Superman) is for sale at a local comic book shop...and is fetching $150,000 in cash. Nice seed money for a strip club, isn't it? Well, the boys think so and that's where the chaos begins. How does it end? With a few beers, bikers, some strippers, the cops, an irate father...did we mention strippers? Hold on tight for a wild ride before hitting rock bottom!!!! CAST: JIM FLORENTINE - Miller Davis ERIC McMAHON - Artie Shaw JIM NORTON - Diesel CARIE KARAVAS - Vicki Charles MICHAEL DeNIGRIS - Ed Lang ROBERT STRATTON - Mr. Charles RICH VOS - Paul's Bodyguard STEVEN O'CONNELL - Dale & Donnie Piltry VHS: $19.98 DVD: $19.98 Paypal accepted!!!! http://brooklynborn.com +++++ From: "Ken Gale" nuffsaid@riseup.net Subject: Dave Cockrum in the hospital - 1/23 update Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:36:48 -0500 I just got back from visiting Dave Cockrum in the hospital with Elayne Riggs and Naomi Basner (Mercy was working). He's doing way better since Wednesday night. The light in his eyes in brighter and he's not quite as weak, though he thinks more about the things he can't do that he wants to do while I notice what he can do that he couldn't do Wednesday. For example, he complains that he has to hold the phone in both hands. But on Wednesday, he couldn't hold it at all. A physical therapist comes in once per day. The address to visit or send cards is: Bronx Veteran Affairs Medical Center Floor 7C, Room 9B, 130 W. Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, NY 10468. Visiting hours are 10 AM to 8 PM. The hospital's phone number is 1-718-584-9000; Dave's is 1-718-741-4544. The nearest subway is the #4 to Kingsbridge Rd. Walk past the Armory on your right and the hospital is on your left in about five minutes. The only entrance is past the parking lots. He's kind of stuck in bed watching TV, so he really would like visitors, so please forward this to whatever lists and chat rooms and people you feel might be interested. We'll have a card at Saturday and Sunday's Big Apple Con in NYC (33rd & 7th). Ken Ken Gale http://www.comicbookradioshow.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] Due to costs, customs regulations, and logistical difficulties: THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF THE CONTIGUOUS 48 U.S. STATES! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A U.S. ADDRESS DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WIN THE PRIZE. **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: What was the first comic book reprinted by Antarctic Press? It was Terry Moore's STRANGERS IN PARADISE #1! No winner. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: From Nameless Chuck Long time Marvel readers know that Real Frantic One and Quite 'Nuff Sayer are among the ranks of Marvel. Who is the True Believer who proposed that Marvel adopt these titles in the first place? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE Due to costs, customs regulations,and logistical difficulties: THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO RESIDENTS OF THE CONTIGUOUS 48 U.S. STATES! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A U.S. ADDRESS DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WIN THE PRIZE. 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 CYBEROSIA TO PUBLISH 2020 VISIONS SOMERVILLE, MA - January 24, 2004. Cyberosia Publishing officially announced today that it is reprinting Jamie Delano's (Hellblazer, Outlaw Nation) 2020 VISIONS in an all-new hardcover edition. "I've read 1984 and Brave New World, and I put 2020 VISIONS right there next to them," said publisher Scott O. Brown. "Add the work of four fantastic artists to the riveting story, and you have an epic of depth and passion that truly deserves to be called a graphic novel." Originally published by DC/Vertigo, 2020 VISIONS is Jamie Delano's tour de force. Broken into four chapters illustrated by Frank Quitely (New X-Men), Warren Pleece (True Faith, American Century), James Romberger (Seven Miles a Second), and Steve Pugh (Vampirella/Witchblade), 2020 VISIONS follows a disjointed family trying to get by in the socially decayed and morally decadent United States of 2020. Jamie Delano calls his stories "human dramas, set in a post-Millennial American landscape shaped by my own politics and prejudice, hallucinated by my artistic collaborators. They're about fear, murder, sex, hatred and love...the things that people do. Because, however radically our technologies and cultures change, people still make the best stories." 2020 VISIONS, a black and white, 296 page hardcover graphic novel with an introduction by science fiction and comics author Richard Kadrey, will be available this April. It will retail for $29.95 and is available to preorder from your local comics retailer with Diamond Order Code FEB04 2271. Visit http://www.cyberosia.com for a free pdf preview of the book. Cyberosia Publishing is an independent publisher of high-quality graphic novels and comics related books. Cyberosia's books are available to the specialty market through Diamond Comic Distributors and FM International. For more information, visit http://www.cyberosia.com or email publisher Scott O. Brown at scott@cyberosia.com. +++++ Chanting Monks Press Seeks Amateur Horror Films Comic and Book Publisher Branching Out Into DVD & Video January 22, 2004 Contact: Joe Monks, Editor Chanting Monks Press editor@chantingmonks.com Chanting Monks Press is calling all amateur horror filmmakers for submissions. The publishing house, best known for comic books such as The Night Terrors and NightCry, began publishing hardcovers and paperbacks in 2003, and now expands its horizons to include films. Chanting Monks is releasing a DVD and video short packaged in the relaunched Flowers on the Razorwire title. The horror anthology, originally published by Boneyard Press in the 1990s, has now found a new home at Chanting Monks, and creator and Boneyard Press head honcho Hart D. Fisher continues to drive the title. Flowers will incorporate horror comics with horror movies, seeking to attract a wider media audience than just the one found for printed titles. "Why aren't comic shops more like music stores?" noted Monks. "Because you have largely one-dimensional product lines. The best you usually find is a toy line with some titles, action figures, trading cards. But nobody really pushes comics with film or video, it's always one or the other. There's a lot of anime out there, but how many producers are releasing high-quality, related comic products in the same package? We're doing it, and hopefully it'll attract fans used to renting movies who don't currently give a damn about a comic book." The first foray of the ambitious undertaking is slated for May, when Flowers No. 1 comes packaged with the short feature, Chance Meeting, based on Monks' short story of the same title and originally produced for the Japanese market. Fisher directed the short, which received critical acclaim in the Far East and most recently in the US at the New York Horror Film Festival this past October. "We have the first one done, shot, edited and in the can, and the first comic is completed to go with it. There's some really edgy stuff in the comic, while Chance Meeting is more of a Hitchcockian thriller. Now, we're putting the call out to other independent filmmakers. What have you got? is it good enough to turn the screws and make us wince? If it is, then we want to get a look at it." The limitations on material are few. The film must be horror. The director or producer must have valid model releases for every actor and actress, and the film must be 100 minutes or shorter. "We're opening the doors," said Monks. "Now it's up to aspiring filmmakers to give it their best shot. If they make the grade, we're gonna be in a position to release it to a growing market of film fans and our core audience of comic book readers." To send your film or video for consideration, please contact Joe Monks at: editor@chantingmonks.com or Hart Fisher at: bonedaddy777@earthlink.net or via phone at: 818-720-1565 +++++ FLUKE comics festival brings 'SpongeBob' writer to Athens Annual mini- comics festival takes over Tasty World By Kimberly E. Mock kim.mock@onlineathens.com Independent publishing isn't a game for the meek of heart. here are financial costs, an investment of time and energy and, of course, the intimidation factor of presenting one's work to a publishing firm. But the FLUKE festival hopes to help eradicate or at least lessen those hurdles to local artists, writers and others staking it out in the small or independent publishing realms by providing a common ground for artists to share ideas, resources and tips for bringing their art to the community at large. Begun in 2002, FLUKE serves as a gathering point for local comics artists, writers and independent publishers to meet and share ideas or resources. According to organizer Patrick Dean, nearly 50 people attended the first Fluke, which Dean notes is perhaps the only underground and mini- comics convention in Georgia. This year, organizers are expecting a crowd of between 75 to 100 for the daytime festival, at which artists and publishers can talk about the business. "(FLUKE)'s mostly just a way for those who aren't published by companies and who are relying on small press to work - who are publishing (their work) themselves or taking it to small print places," Dean says. "It's really important for those who do things like that to be recognized. Something like this encourages people to come out and talk to one another." Attendees also have the opportunity to mingle with successful artists. FLUKE 2004 welcomes two popular names in the mini-comics and alternative publishing world: mini-comics (''The Magic Whistle'') and Nickelodeon artist Sam Henderson (''Sponge Bob, Square Pants'') and Jeff Mason, owner of the Alternative Comics Inc. Organizer Mandy Mastrovita says Henderson and Mason were brought to FLUKE both through good scheduling and opportunity. "Jeff Mason isn't that far away and he looks at it as a regional marketing strategy," Mastrovita says of drawing Henderson and Mason to Athens. "And Sam (Henderson) travels frequently to and from Atlanta. ... So it just worked out." But, as Mastrovita says, Fluke is less about meeting big names than it is creating a gathering point for Athens' comics and small press community. "This is really about people getting together - independent publishers, writers, artists - and meeting other people who have done the same kind of things," Mastrovita says, adding, "It's really for these people to have an opportunity to gather amongst themselves and talk, and it's for people who have an interest in comics and zines and for people who haven't had experience or haven't been exposed to those things as well." Aside from a myriad of contacts and advice from the pros, attendees also will receive a token for the 2004 FLUKE anthology, which includes work from local mini comics artists including t. edward bak, Patrick Dean and Bizarro Wuxtry owner Devlin Thompson. The small-publishing forum also is coupled with evening entertainment this year, which will include music, readings and performances by local trapeze artists. But more than anything, says Mastrovita, FLUKE is a celebration and unveiling of Athens' rich underground comics and small press community. "There are many artists in Athens, and authors, artists, underground comic enthusiasts, and it's a very vibrant part of the Athens arts community," says Mastrovita. "Anybody who's interested in reading or visual art or certain types of drawing, painting or independent writing also will feel comfortable (at FLUKE)." FLUKE Mini-Comics Festival 2004 featuring special guests Sam Henderson, creator of The Magic Whistle Jeff Mason, owner of Alternative Press Inc. Evening concert featuring: The Bet, The Carrie Nations, Trapeze Tarts When: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 (evening show begins at 8 p.m.) Where: Tasty World, 312 E. Broad Street Cost: $5 (admission to evening performances free with Fluke admission) Call: (706) 543-0797 +++++ IDT Entertainment Acquires An Equity Stake In Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC and Worldwide Animation Rights to Archie Comics Characters NEWARK, N.J. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--01/28/2004-- IDT Entertainment and Archie Comics Entertainment To Co-Produce and Co-Develop Animation Projects IDT Entertainment and Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC today announced IDT Entertainment's acquisition of a five per cent (5%) equity interest in Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC. The agreement provides IDT the rights to co-develop and co-produce select animated properties based upon Archie Comics Entertainment characters. IDT Entertainment is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE:IDT, IDT.C) a multinational carrier, telephone and technology company. Archie Comics Entertainment LLC is the entertainment and licensing arm of Archie Comic Publications Inc. The Archie Comics Entertainment character properties include: Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty and their Riverdale friends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, Katy Keene, Cheryl Blossom, as well as super hero properties from the Mighty Crusaders library. "Sit back, relax and get ready to laugh - The best of the Archie Comics characters will be animated for your viewing pleasure," said Jim Courter, IDT's CEO. "Archie Comics characters will be joining X-Men and Spiderman, other comic book heroes that IDT Entertainment is animating for television and direct to DVD distribution." IDT Entertainment intends to immediately start development on several projects based on Archie Comics characters. Plans include the creation of direct to DVD programming that may be distributed through Anchor Bay, IDT Entertainment's distribution division, as well as possible feature film production. "For over 60 years Archie Comics characters have provided the public with the best in family friendly entertainment," said Morris Berger, CEO of IDT Entertainment. "This is a brand that has stood the test of time. We're excited to be working with Archie Comics Entertainment to produce animated programming for their loyal audience and to introduce their wonderful characters to a whole new generation of fans." "The last year has proven to be a time of tremendous growth for both Archie Comics Entertainment, LLC and IDT Entertainment, which has gained industry-wide recognition for its distinctive and innovative approach to worldwide animation," said, Allan I. Grafman, President of Archie Comics Entertainment. "IDT's commitment to wholesome, fun, animated programming is our 'sweet spot.' IDT's strategy, family orientation, management and staff are in perfect 'sync' with Archie Comics Entertainment. We look forward to the limitless synergistic opportunities that will be generated by our association." Archie Comics Entertainment LLC was established in 2003 as the entertainment and licensing arm of Archie Comic Publications, home of the world renowned character properties Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and their Riverdale friends, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats and Katy Keene, as well as super hero properties Mighty Crusaders including The Web. With offices in metro New York, Archie Comics Entertainment is involved in the development, production and worldwide distribution of original projects for television, film and home video, music, live events and the Internet as well as represents the licensing and merchandising of its enduring brands across all global markets. Archie Comics Entertainment is on the Web at www.archiecomics.com. In March 2003, Digital Production Solutions (DPS), now a unit of IDT Entertainment, acquired rights to Starpoint Academy and Char, both Gene Roddenberry creations. Starpoint Academy is presently in production. In May 2003, IDT Entertainment acquired a controlling interest in Film Roman, Inc., the animation company well known for its production work on The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and other popular broadcast television programs. In July 2003, IDT Entertainment acquired a minority equity interest in Vanguard Animation, LLC. Under the terms of the Vanguard Animation investment, IDT Entertainment was granted a first look right to provide production services on future Vanguard Animation projects. IDT and Vanguard Animation also entered into a joint venture agreement to jointly develop, produce, finance and arrange distribution of computer generated (CG) animation entertainment. In December 2003, IDT Entertainment acquired a controlling interest in Mainframe Entertainment Inc., a Vancouver, Canada based entertainment company well known for producing CG animation for films, television, videogames and the direct-to-consumer market. In December 2003, IDT Entertainment acquired Anchor Bay Entertainment Group from Handleman Company. IDT Corporation, through its IDT Telecom subsidiary, is a facilities-based, multinational carrier that provides a broad range of telecommunications services to retail and wholesale customers worldwide. IDT Telecom, by means of its own national telecommunications backbone and fiber optic network infrastructure, provides its customers with integrated and competitively priced international and domestic long distance and domestic all-distance telephony and prepaid calling cards. IDT Entertainment is the IDT subsidiary focused on developing, acquiring, producing and distributing computer-generated and traditionally animated productions and other productions for the film, broadcast and direct-to-consumer markets. IDT Media is the IDT subsidiary principally responsible for the Company's initiatives in radio broadcasting, brochure distribution and new video technologies. Winstar Holdings, LLC, which provides service under the IDT Solutions brand, is the IDT subsidiary focused on providing broadband and telephony services to commercial and governmental customers through a fixed-wireless and fiber infrastructure. Net2Phone, Inc., a subsidiary of IDT Corporation, is a leading provider of high-quality global retail Voice over IP services and offers a fully outsourced cable telephony service to cable operators allowing cable operators to provide residential phone service to their subscribers. Liberty Media Corporation holds a 5% stake in IDT Telecom and also owns 5.6% stakes in IDT Entertainment and IDT Media. IDT Corporation's Class B Common Stock and Common Stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols IDT and IDT.C, respectively. +++++ HEROBEAR AND THE KID WINS SELECTION TO AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCATION- SPONSORED LIST Toluca Lake, CA -- January 29, 2004 -- Herobear and the kid: The Inheritance, the first collection of the two-time Eisner Award winning comic book, was selected for the exclusive 2004 Popular Paperbacks list. The list, created by The Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee and sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2004 finalized selections at the ALA Midwinter meeting held January 9 - 12, 2004 in San Diego. "I couldn't be happier," said Mike Kunkel, creator of Herobear. "I've always hoped that Herobear would be something people could both enjoy and connect with. To be nominated for this prestigious list was flattering enough, but to be selected as one of the finalists by the Young Adults Committee and the Young Adult Library Services Association of the ALA is awesome and truly an honor." Each year The Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee is charged to prepare one to five annotated lists of at least ten to no more than twenty-five recommended titles that are widely available in paperback and are selected from popular genres, topics or themes. The theme for which Herobear was selected was "If It Weren't for Them: Heroes". The final list for "Heroes" includes heroes real and imaginary, historic and contemporary. The purpose of the lists is to encourage young adults, ages twelve to eighteen, to read for pleasure. Herobear and the kid: The Inheritance (Astonish Comics, $19.95, ISBN: 0-9721259-1-4, 6.625"x10.25", 208 pages) chronicles the adventures of a young boy named Tyler and his magical gift -- a stuffed toy bear that can come to life as - Herobear! Contained in this edition are loads of extra sketches, notes, and drawings. Herobear and the kid: The Inheritance is available at finer bookstores, libraries, and comic book shops everywhere. The Astonish Factory encourages readers to: "Remember your childhood and pass it on." ABOUT ASTONISH COMICS Astonish Comics was founded in 1999 by Mike Kunkel. In September 2003, Kunkel merged his studios with Scott Christian Sava's Blue Dream Studios, forming The Astonish Factory. Under that umbrella is now Astonish Comics, Astonish Books, Astonish Toys, and Astonish Studios. Having both worked in animation in Hollywood on numerous features and television projects, they strive to tell comic stories in a new way -- The Animation Way. Please visit at www.theastonishfactory.com +++++ ITEM! CAM & CBLDF TEAM UP FOR APE PARTY! The Cartoon Art Museum and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund are proud to announce the Fourth Annual Alternative Press Expo (APE) Benefit Bash. On February 21, 2004, come to CAM to mingle with dozens of the finest stars in comics and many up-and-coming cartoonists as they gather to celebrate the comics medium and support these two distinguished organizations. The party will be held from 8 to 11 PM at the Cartoon Art Museum, where over 300 pieces of original art spanning 100 years of comics history will be on view, including works by contemporary legends Alex Ross and Frank Miller, underground masters R. Crumb and Justin Green, rare pieces by pioneering cartoonists George McManus and E.C. Segar, and comic strip icons Walt Kelly and Charles Schulz. Beyond the visual feast of the museum's walls, refreshments will also be provided for party guests, who will all be entered to win rare, signed comics and original art to be raffled off throughout the night. General Admission for the party is $10, or $5 for members of the Cartoon Art Museum or Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. All proceeds from this reception will benefit The Cartoon Art Museum and The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. For information please call (415) CAR-TOON, ext. 314 ITEM! TODAY'S E-BAY AUCTIONS The CBLDF is offering some cool signed books and original art on eBay today and tomorrow. Visit http://tinyurl.com/zjlr to check out these items: Elektra and Wolverine HC Signed by Greg Rucka Green Arrow Archer's Quest HC signed by Brad Meltzer Darick Robertson original art Spiderman Sketch from by Moreno and Hoberg! Alien karaoke! Invisible Man and the Fridge! By Moreno and Norton Romance Smurf style! Art by J Bone and Kohi Pahm Blue Beetle and Batman Sketch by Hernandez and Norton Sketch by Alex Robinson and Chris Moreno! Sgt Rock Promotional poster signed by Azzarello Visit the Fund on eBay today: http://tinyurl.com/zjlr +++++ From WARREN ELLIS on his newsletter "bad signal" Movie/TV site CHUD posts the following rumour at http://www.chud.com/news/jan04/jan29global.php3 : "What's the coolest thing about the WB? I have no clue, but whatever it is, it won't be the coolest for long. "Mr. Reacher" tells us that the network will be shooting a pilot for Global Frequency in the spring..." I, of course, could not possibly comment. It's just a rumour. The GLOBAL FREQUENCY TV pilot script is actually really good. +++++ HARVEY AWARDS NOMINATION BALLOTS ARE OUT, DUE BACK BY FEBRUARY 13th Nominees To Be Announced in Late February, Winners Will Be Revealed at Harvey Awards Banquet on June 26 during MoCCA Art Festival in NYC NEW YORK, January 26, 2004 -- The HARVEY AWARDS Committee of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) has begun distributing Nomination Ballots for the 17th Annual HARVEY AWARDS. Named in honor of the late Harvey Kurtzman, the HARVEY AWARDS are one of the comics industry's oldest and most respected awards for recognizing outstanding work in comics and sequential art. To be eligible for this year's HARVEY AWARDS, a title or work must have been published between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003. Each year, nominations for the HARVEY AWARDS, are selected exclusively by comics creators -- those who write, draw, ink, letter, color, design, and edit or are otherwise involved in a creative capacity in the sequential art field. Qualifying professionals -- those who can provide the required professional verification information -- are able to nominate up to five entries in each category. The top five nominees, plus ties, in each category are placed on the Final Ballots distributed to voters in the Spring. "In the last two weeks, we have shipped or delivered ballots to every major comics and cartoon publisher who requested them so that they, in turn, could distribute the ballots to their artists, writers, editors, freelancers and other creators," says MoCCA Trustee and HARVEY AWARDS Committee Chairwoman Nellie Kurtzman. "Since nominations close on February 13, any publishers or professional creators who have not yet received their ballots should contact the HARVEY AWARDS Administrator (pjcjmc2@comcast.net) immediately." Nomination Ballots will be accepted up until midnight (Pacific Time) on February 13, 2004. Nominees are to be announced a few weeks later. Final results will be announced on the night of June 26 during the HARVEY AWARDS Banquet to be held at the historic Puck Building in downtown New York City as part of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art's Third Annual MoCCA Art Festival weekend. Sponsor-level Tickets for seats at the HARVEY AWARDS Banquet are now available, with Individual Tickets to go on sale in the Spring. For reservations or more information about this and other museum events, visit www.moccany.org or call the museum at 212-254-3511. Visit www.harveyawards.com for information about the HARVEY AWARDS. About MoCCA The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, study and presentation of one of the world's most popular art forms. MoCCA's mission is to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the artistic, cultural and historical significance of comic and cartoon art. +++++ AFFORDABLE PROMOTION FOR SMALL PRESS PUBLISHERS! Tiverton, Ontario, Canada, January 28th, 2004 - A Canadian entrepreneur and comic creator has created a service that's great for the small business, and especially small press publishers! The person offering these services is a small press publisher himself, Mike Gagnon. After launching and promoting his own ventures Mike realized he had quit ea knack for promoting small business news. At the suggestion of a friend Mike has decided to use his experience to help other entrepreneurs. Gagnon especially excels at promoting small press comic publishers as that is the environment that he himself is most familiar with. "I started getting a lot of success in having the media carry my press releases." said Gagnon. "Then I was getting reviews everywhere and news sites, TV & radio shows started contacting me about interviews." After a suggestion from American friends Ron & Astor Gravelle, Mike began to tender his promotion services online. "He has a real flair for promoting and up-talking" Said Astor Gravelle of Landwaster Books. Since Mike has begun offering his promotion services he has picked up clients such as Landwaster Books, Kling Cock Studios, Praetorian Distribution, and more. Mike is always willing to discuss rates and negotiate rates and terms with businesses that are having tight times financially. For more info visit http://www.lightningstrike.ca/gagnon or e-mail mgagnon@bmts.com +++++ Comic Books Go Bollywood Indian Female Heroine Debuts in Bombaby #1 SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Comic books go Bollywood for the first time when SLG Publishing, the innovative publisher behind such hit comic books Milk & Cheese and Squee releases Bombaby #1 by Antony Mazotta. The story introduces us to Sangeeta Mukherjee, the daughter of well-to- do, traditional parents, dealing with a bratty little sister and a possible arranged marriage when an out-of body experience reveals that she is not an ordinary young woman. Sangeeta is, in fact, the reincarnation of India's ancient protector, the Goddess of Mumbai. But how will Sangeeta use this new-found power? Can she make a difference in a male-dominated society? Sangeeta must defy traditional expectations to choose what kind of life she wants and discover her true self. The comic book series captures the look, feel and storytelling style of Bollywood musicals, the energetic and fun Indian movies which have been gaining larger audiences in the United States. In gorgeous full-color artwork, Mazzotta brings his vision of "an Indian heroine in India" to life in the new three-issue mini-series. Above all, Mazzotta says, Bombaby is a story about "a young heroine on a journey of self-discovery." Creating the comic has been something of a personal journey for himself, as well. He describes Bombaby as "a story I need to tell" and explains that "it is the product of where and how my life has guided me." The personal significance of the project shines through in Mazzotta's beautiful artwork, which captures the aesthetic, as well as the emotional exuberance and spectacle, of 1960's Bollywood movies in the character designs and color palettes. The color was so much a part of the mood and design of the project that SLG Publishing, a company whose output is mostly in the format of black & white, humor comics, decided to publish the series in full color. "We look for projects in which the artist's devotion to their story and the art form really come through," said SLG's editor-in-chief Jennifer de Guzman, "and Bombaby is a perfect example of this. Antony shows that he cares deeply about this project in every detail, from the stunning artwork and Sangeeta's lively, clever narrative voice to the exploration and development of his themes of independence and self- discovery." Bombaby is a 24-page, full-color, four-issue miniseries. It will be published bi-monthly, beginning in January 2004 and retail for $3.50. SLG Publishing is a San Jose, California-based publisher of comic books and graphic novels, known for discovering new talent and publishing a wide variety of titles, including Squee! by Jhonen Vasquez, Slow News Day by Andi Watson, and The Waiting Place by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton. SOURCE SLG Publishing +++++ STAR TREK "KEY COLLECTION" ANNOUNCED BY CHECKER Original 1960s-70s Comics to be Re-Issued in Paperback DAYTON, Ohio: Checker Book Publishing Group and Paramount Pictures Corporation have announced a licensing agreement under which Checker will reprint the original Star Trek comics in a series of trade paperbacks beginning in MAY 2004. Star Trek comics debuted in 1967, the same year the original television series premiered, and continued on an irregular serial schedule until 1979 under Western Publishing's Gold Key imprint (newsprint paperback collections dubbed "The Enterprise Logs" were also offered in the 1970s). The comics feature the original Enterprise crew (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott) in adventures available nowhere else. Eventually, sixty issues full-color issues would be published, and Checker's first collection will include issues one through eight, featuring art by Nevio Zaccara (1,2) and Alberto Giolitti (3-8). Though writing credits on the first eight issues were not given, subsequent writers for these rare comics gems included Len Wein, George Kashdan and Doug Drexler. Checker Book Publishing Group was established in 2000 to bring the absolute best of dormant, unpublished, and under-published serial comics and cartooning back to print. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: SHOOTING STAR COMICS ANTHOLOGY Shooting Star Comics Anthology #3 begins a new publishing era for Shooting Star Comics. The once-a-year anthology that previously has been available as a special issue designed for the summer and call comics convention season becomes a quarterly anthology series this month. "We're committed to maintaining our new quarterly schedule to ensure fans that they'll get four times the fun, eye-popping art and great reading they've come to expect from the Shooting Star Comics Anthology," said editor-in-chief Sean Taylor. The first quarterly issue, Shooting Star Comics Anthology #3, goes on sale Wednesday and features the following: * "Aym Got Game," by J. Morgan Neal and Todd Fox. An extra-length tale of Aym Geronimo and the Postmodern Pioneers that has Aym and crew trying to prevent a terrorist defacing of the Crazy Horse national monument. * "Wilde Magick," by Jon Hook, Sinclair Elliott and Ed Lavallee. Featuring special guest Jon Hook's (Archeon) supernatural private investigator in a tale of missing children and black magick. * "Feeling the Sting," by Scott McCullar with daughter Rachel McCullar. The gripping conclusion to last issue's Thrill Seeker Comics meeting between the time-lost Yellow Jacket: Man of Mystery and his former partner's grandson. * "Over the Edge," by Scott Rogers. When Bedbug leaps to the rescue of a suicidal young lady, who will ultimately need the saving? * "Beauty and the Beast," by Gregg Noon, J. Morgan Neal, Kieran McKeown, Michelle Coulter and Sean Taylor. The story introduces the newest Shooting Star cast members to join the stable, the indomitable Rex Solomon and Moe Marx, as they fight for their lives against assassins and attempt to stomach a Waldorf salad. * "Passing in the Night," by Sean Taylor, Loraine Sammy and Luis Alonso. Love, American Style meets 70's super heroes in this tale of misconnected crushes among the superset featuring Multi-Gal, the darling of duplication, and Mist Master, the gentleman guru of gases. * "Looking for Lou," by Scott Hileman, Chris Franklin and Ethan Colchamiro. continues Shooting Star1s commitment to Western tales, this time as a woman seeks to resolve her past inside the doors of a dead man's saloon. "We're especially proud of our first quarterly issue," said Taylor. "We've pulled out all the stops on this one, and it's only going to get better. It's a cliche to say so, sure, but in this case, it's also true. We've got all kinds of surprises in store this year, from stories by highly sought-after creators like Jeff Moy and Stefan Petrucha to spectacular covers by fan-favorite artists like Todd Nauck." DC PROMOTES MATT IDELSON Matt Idelson, editor of DCU titles including Catwoman, Batman, Gotham Knights, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Fraction and Touch as well as several upcoming projects for both the DCU and Vertigo, has been promoted to Senior Editor. "I'm thrilled and flattered by DC's faith in me," Idelson said, "and I'm totally jazzed to try and reward that faith with some darn good comics!" "Working with Matt these past five years has been one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences I've had in my entire career," said Group Editor Bob Schreck. "His creative contribution to the Batman line has been enormous." "Matt's inspiration and expertise have been an integral part of the success of the Bat-group," said Dan DiDio, DC's VP -- Editorial. "This promotion is very well deserved." Idelson joined the DC staff in 1999 as an editor. Before that, he was on the editorial staff of Marvel Comics, where he worked on titles including Deadpool and Captain America. Idelson graduated from Connecticut College in 1993 with a degree in English. IDW COLLECTS DARK DAYS IDW Publishing is collecting the Dark Days mini-series by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith into a trade paperback compilation in April. Dark Days is the sequel to 2003's 30 Days Of Night. The 30 Days of Night trade paperback was Diamond Comic Distributors' No. 4 best- selling book of 2003. The full six-issue Dark Days series is collected with an introduction by screenwriter Eric Red (Hitcher, Near Dark). "I can't wait to see Dark Days collected," Niles said. "IDW always does a beautiful job, Ben's art is nothing short of spectacular and I had a blast writing it. Stella Olemaun is rapidly becoming one of my favorite reluctant heroes to write. I hope the fans agree." Dark Days will be 144 pages and will cost $19.99. +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.Newsarama.com/ SUPER HERO HAPPY HOUR CHANGES NAME Dan Taylor, creator of the critically acclaimed Super Hero Happy Hour comic, published by GeekPunk has announced that the name of his series has had to change, due to Marvel and DC co-owning the term "Super Hero." It's just Hero Happy Hour from here on out. The series had found fans in Brian Bendis, Gail Simone, and Mark Waid (and was named "Concept We Wish We'd Thought Of" by Wizard Magazine in their Best of 2003 listing), thanks to its offbeat style and humor, and saw its first trade collection hit stores on December 10th. GeekPunk's press release reads: GeekPunk is announcing that their flagship comic book title featuring superheroes patronizing their favorite bar & grill during their off-hours will now be entitled Hero Happy Hour beginning with the fifth issue of the ongoing series. According to creator Dan Taylor, "The decision to change the title was brought upon by the fact that we received a letter from the trademark counsel to 'the two big comic book companies' claiming that they are the joint owners of the trademark 'SUPER HEROES' and variations thereof." Hero Happy Hour officially premiered under its original title in January 2003 to favorable reviews by critics and garnered a loyal fan base that continues to grow with the release of each issue. "I want to assure our regular readers that the comic will continue to be published and will contain the same unique and humorous take on the genre we are all fans of," says Dan Taylor. "If this means that we have to make a change in the title of our book in order for us, the guys struggling in the minor leagues, to be able play ball in the same park with the major leaguers, so be it." Dan Taylor adds, "It looks like all of the readers that took a chance and purchased our book before the title change are now in the possession of a collector's item." In addition to the comic book series continuing, Hero Happy Hour will also be published as a "Super Special" this summer featuring guest talents from the comic book industry bellying up to the bar to tell their own interpretations of life at The Hideout Bar & Grill. A spin-off comic book mini-series is also in the works in addition to Hero Happy Hour exploring incarnations within other mediums. The newly entitled Hero Happy Hour #5 "Reality Shots" written by Dan Taylor with art by Chris Fason is scheduled for release in March with a cover by Dave Crosland (Puffed) and an additional story written by James Patrick (Crackurz) with art by D.J. Coffman (Monkey Man Unleashed, Crackurz). Hero Happy Hour #5 (b/w 32 pages) will be available at comic book shops, or online at www.geekpunk.com About GeekPunk First and foremost, GeekPunk is a publisher of comic books. We could be called small press, self-published, or independent. But, we prefer the term guerrilla publishers. Formed in order to publish the comic book Hero Happy Hour, GeekPunk will continue to publish additional issues of Hero Happy Hour as well as producing other entertaining comic books for those looking for something different. For additional information visit the GeekPunk web site at www.geekpunk.com MARVEL SUES SONY...AGAIN While its suit against Sony over Spider-Man is being resolved by a judge privately, Marvel has once again sued Sony, claiming that the studio deprived it of $6 million in royalties from the Men in Black franchise The suit was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court and claims that as Sony's accounting goes, the two Men in Black films (which had a combined worldwide gross of $768 million) actually lost money. Marvel alleges that Sony's accounting of the two films contains irregularities which include unexplained and excessive charges for advertising and overhead, this according to Variety. Marvel acquired Men in Black when it purchased Malibu Comics outright in 1995. Previously, Malibu had signed a deal with Columbia (owned by Sony) under which it would get 35% of all merchandising income from the film, and 50% of income from merchandising of interactive rights, minus fees. The suit seeks at least $6 million in damages. Marvel's other suit against a subsidiary of Sony, Sony Electronics, is ongoing, and seeks over $10 million in damages. DC INCREASES DISCOUNT INCENTIVES FOR APRIL SUPERMAN TITLES Press Release This April, a new era dawns for the Man of Steel as three dynamic teams take the reins on his monthly titles: Writer Brian Azzarello and artists Jim Lee & Scott Williams take over SUPERMAN, with writer Greg Rucka and artists Matt Clark & Nelson on ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and writer Chuck Austen and artists Ivan Reis & Marc Campos on ACTION COMICS. Now, DC Comics adds to the excitement of the new teams' debuts by offering qualifying retailers an additional 5% discount on all initial orders for ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #627, ACTION COMICS #814 and SUPERMAN #204. Retailers may qualify for the additional 5% discount on each title as follows: * For ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #627 (FEB040240), initial orders must meet or exceed initial orders on TEEN TITANS #7 (NOV030248). * For ACTION COMICS #814 (FEB040239), initial orders also must meet or exceed initial orders on TEEN TITANS #7 (NOV030248). * For SUPERMAN #204 (FEB040241), initial orders must meet or exceed initial orders on BATMAN #618 (JUN030139). "All of the new writers and artists come to the table with their own strong reputations, so we expect to see significant heat with these issues," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales & Marketing. "We're pleased to offer this additional discount to make sure retailers get the most out of the new teams' debuts." Please note that this discount applies to initial orders only. Retailers must qualify for each title separately. Each store must qualify separately. ACTION COMICS #814 (FEB040239), ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #627 (FEB040240) and SUPERMAN #204 (FEB040241), are solicited in the February issue of Previews (Volume XIV #2). JULIE SCHWARTZ 1.26.04 UPDATE At his weblog, Peter David posted an e-mail received from Paul Kupperberg, updating Julie Schwartz's condition. David received the e- mail from Kupperberg last Thursday. "I'm happy to say that I just spoke to him (1:45 PM-ish) and he sounded like his usual cantankerous old self, if not sick and tired of being sick and tired. (Part of the reason for reported the fuzziness and confusion MAY have been due to the fact that he had, for reasons not known, experienced an 85% hearing loss yesterday; as of today, he's back up to 85% of his hearing.) He says his docs think he'll be able to go home (that is, to his grandson's home) in the next few days. "Julie's always held a special place in the hearts of those of us who have worked with and known him. He's not only a living legend but a force of nature... although I guess at 88, even a force of nature sometimes needs our prayers and good thoughts." Mark Evanier has put up an email address at schwartz@newsfromme.com to collect notes from well-wishers. One assumes, if you are a pretty girl, that pictures of smiles will also be appreciated. Yesterday, Evanier posted at his 'blog: So far, our special mailbox for Julius Schwartz has received 188 "Get Well" wishes, six requests to help someone in Nigeria get money out of the country, seven messages telling him he's won a lottery in Holland and thirteen offers to sell him Viagra and/or enlarge his penis. I'm trying to decide which ones to include in the package. +++++ From ComiX-Fan at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan AWARD-WINNING COMICS RETAILER SUFFERS BURGLARY In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 17th, unknown burglars smashed their way into the storefront of Brave New World Comics on Lyons Avenue in Santa Clarita. The burglars then smashed open the glass-front case in the back of the store and stole over $1700 worth of Gold and Silver Age comics and statues. "Unlike break-ins in the past," commented Atom!, the proprietor of Brave New World, "this was done by people who knew what they were looking for." The cash register and computers were left alone, and the only items stolen were high priced comics and collectable statues. Among the items stolen on Saturday: Amazing Spider-Man #2 - Fair to Good (missing a piece of the upper right-hand cover) X-men #94 - VF+ Conan #1 - Fine+ Fantastic Four #2 - Fine+ Batman #67 - Fine Sandman Snowglobe Atom! asks that if you, or your store, approached by anyone trying to sell these items, please contact him immediately with any information. Loss of high-priced comic books was not the worst of the damage done by the burglars on Saturday morning. In their efforts to break-in, an exterior glass door was shattered, sending glass flying throughout the store. The Kids book and graphic novel display was covered with glass, rendering the entire inventory dangerous and unsaleable. To gain access to the lighted showcase that housed the statues and comics, the glass doors were smashed, breaking or damaging two-thirds of the merchandise in that case. "The worst part about all of this has been the loss of our Kids Book section. That won't be easy to rebuild," continued Atom!. Though, several publishers have already contributed to the rebuilding effort, Brave New World estimates that it will take several months to restock the children's books that were damaged. Brave New World has been has been providing comics and fun for the entire family since 1990, and is very active in their neighborhood and the greater comics community. Atom!, Portlyn and the entire staff of Brave New World are determined to not let this event slow down their plans for 2004. Says Atom! "It'll take more than some idiot with a bat to keep us from our greatest year, yet!" If you have any information that may help police find and prosecute the parties responsible for this crime, please contact Atom!, at Brave New World, 661-259-4745, mail@bravenewworldcomics.com +++++ From The SCOOP! at http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/ Heritage to Offer Mile High Run in Signature Auction Industry News, Scoop, Friday, January 30, 2004 Heritage Comics Auctions (HCA) is proud to announce that it will offer the Mile High Run of National Comics in its upcoming Signature auction, to be held February 6 & 7, 2004, in their new offices in Dallas, Texas. National Comics, published by the Quality Comics Group between June, 1940 and November, 1949, is renowned among collectors for featuring some of the greatest artists in the field, particularly in the earlier issues featured here. Covers by legendary artists Lou Fine, Reed Crandall and Will Eisner graced these classic issues, making them highly prized treasures, eagerly sought by today's comic aficionados. Making these comics even more spectacular is the fact that they hail from the Edgar Church (Mile High) Collection. Long recognized as one of, if not the, most important pedigrees in the field, the Mile High Collection is famed for its high quality and exceptional condition. For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HeritageComics.com. UK Web Comix Thing 2004 Slated for March Industry News, Scoop, Friday, January 30, 2004 Gosh Comics! and Alternative Comics present this interesting and informative convention to highlight the web and mini-comics industry of the UK. Consider it a Small Press Expo of sorts, with exhibitors from the web, independent, alternative and underground UK comics community. UK Web Comix Thing 2004 will be held at The Octagon at Mile End Road in Stepney, London, United Kingdom on March 20 from 9 am to 6 pm. Visit http://www.ukwebcomixthing.co.uk/ for more information. +++++ From Markisan Naso in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com Write to him at: markisan@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. [NOTE: this column may be slightly edited for language. - D.L.] Ghostplay By Markisan Naso Thanks to everyone who emailed me their condolences or sent me an IM just to say "sorry." The death of my Great Grandmother was a blow, but the kind words I received from you guys really helped me to stay positive over the last 10 days or so. Hopefully that was the last bad news I'll hear for a while and I can get back to having some fun in this column. Green Piece I'm told superstar artist Alex Ross (Mythology) unofficially confirmed the revival of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern and hinted that changes are in store for current GL Kyle Rayner. According to Primate, a self- professed Green Lantern dork and attendee at the recent Mythology signing at the University of Washington bookstore in Seattle, Ross got excited when asked if he would ever soften his dislike for Kyle. Primate tells me Ross replied, "I hate to tell you this, but I don't have to!...WE WIN!" While Ross didn't flat-out state that Kyle was on the way out or that Hal was on the way in, Primate interpreted his jubilation to mean Hal is coming back. "[Ross] also said something along the lines of, `I'm sure DC won't alienate all the Kyle fans by totally getting rid of the character.'" This Has A "By Lantern's Light" Factor of Six Out of Ten Passing the Puck Last week Comicon wonder Jen Contino interviewed artist Clayton Henry (Exiles) on his upcoming series Alpha Flight. On the discussion boards she casually mentioned that a female character will be the new Puck in the monthly book, taking the place of the little dude comic fans are familiar with. "I'm pretty sure it's Puck," Contino wrote. "At least I think the file for art I received was labeled `Puck.'" Jen's comments soon sparked numerous discussions about the possible change. To find out if the rumor was indeed true, I managed to get a few of my Puck inquiries to Alpha Flight writer Scott Lobdell (thanks to SBC facilitator Jason Brice) . "Yes, the character who will eventually (after a year) take the name of Puck, is female," confirmed Lobdell. "She is also very hot, and very CanadAsian, and very much like a certain jug eared little guy who originally went by that name! And, much like Eugene Judd himself, this young woman has sort of "hyper-gymnastic" abilities that make her at once fun and formidable! When asked why he decide to make the change, Lobdell answered, "Why the change?! Didn't you hear -- Life is about change! "If there wasn't change, we never would have had Tony McGuire as SPIDER-MAN because Stan Lee's publisher told him no one was interested in teen super heroes -- that teens were only sidekicks! We wouldn't have had the family dynamics of the FANTASTIC FOUR, because heroes are supposed to get along, not bicker like real people! We wouldn't have had STORM and NIGHTCRAWLER and COLOSSUS if the X-MEN hadn't changed into the ALL NEW, ALL DIFFERENT X-MEN! GENERATION X?! AGE OF APOCALYPSE?! ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN?! THE ULTIMATES?! (And lets not even get started on the modern day versions of GREEN LANTERN and the FLASH! And what about SMALLVILLE?!?) Dude, if we the audience didn't crave change, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale would be sitting on a sidewalk somewhere sharing a flaming barrel instead of being one of them greatest comic book storytellling teams in the industry!) "Change is good! "Change rocks! "Why change?! I ask thee -- why NOT change?!" Resisting the sudden urge to sing "Man In the Mirror", I also asked Scott whether or not the old Puck would make his way into the new series. "Will the "Old Puck" make his way into the series?! Well for starters, don't let Eugene hear you call him the Old Puck!" Lobdell wrote. "And for enders, he and Guardian, and Vindicator, and Snowbird, and Shaman and the other guy who's name I always forget are ALL in the series (making a cameo in the very second issue! Woo hoo!). Verily, they HAVE to be in the series -- otherwise I'll have no one to spin off into UNCANNY ALPHA FLIGHT!" Speaking of spin-offs, my initial Puck questions have spiraled into an Alpha Flight character Q&A series with Lobdell. Jason's gonna be working on that. Look for them in the SBC news section soon. This Has A "Pucker Up, Baby" Factor of Nine Out of Ten Zero to Bat Speed Superherohype.com received an out-of-the-blue rumor on the description of the new Batmobile for the upcoming Christopher Nolan (Insomnia) flick. Some dude calling himself Tomato says he got a look at the new Bat Wheels at Shepperton Studios in the UK. "2 F1 style tires at front, and four huge monster truck style, nobbly tires at rear. Batmobile not long, but wide, also has jet at rear. 2 seater side by side, it was mobile and driving. The one I saw had no shell." Superherohype says they've also received word that the Batman costume has short ears and the Batmobile is "indeed complete and ready for filming." This Has A "Fire Up the Engine, Chum" Factor of Five Out of Ten Unloading I'm told Marvel will make an official announcement about the creative revamp to the X-Men titles about three weeks from now. Dubbed "RELOAD", the changes are set to begin this May. Given that comic book distributor Diamond publishes three-month advance solicitations, the House of Ideas is waiting until the last possible moment to reveal what it has up its sleeve. Things we know for sure about RELOAD: Chris Claremont and Alan Davis on Uncanny X-Men. Chris Claremont and Sean Chen on X-Men: The End, an 18-issue maxi- series in three arcs. X-Treme X-Men will be cancelled with April's #46. It will be replaced by a new Excalibur title written by Claremont. Salvador Larocca will be drawing some damn X-book. Things rumored about RELOAD in Rage: Joss Whedon and John Cassaday on New X-Men Weapon X will undergo format changes. Rob Liefeld will be overseeing a line of X-Force related books. There will be a classic X-Force ongoing series with possible minis featuring characters from the early 90s team. X-Men Director Bryan Singer may write some X-Men comics. A new Starjammers series will be written by science-fiction author Kevin J. Andersen. The new series was revealed on the dustcover to his new Saga Of Seven Suns: Veiled Alliances trade paperback. There's a definite possibility that this new ongoing will be part of RELOAD, given the Starjammers ties to the X-Men. This Has A "Three Weeks Too Many" Factor of Ten Out of Ten Ghost of the Past Lately there's been a lot of noise about the possibility of a second Hulk series written by Peter David. David wrote Hulk for 12 years before he was kicked off the book in 1998. Marvel wanted new blood on the title. While the decision was certainly understandable from a publisher's perspective, it caused quite a backlash from longtime fans who felt the termination was uncalled for. It didn't help that Peter's final issues featured some of the finest writing of his career, or that he expressed disappointment in the decision. And when Hulk was re-launched and it failed to live up to.. well, anyone's expectations, Hulk fans blasted Marvel again for letting Peter go. It wasn't until Bruce Jones took over The Incredible Hulk that interest in the book rose again. But even the great commercial success of Hulk in the last two years has failed to ghostbust the spirit of Peter David from fanboy minds. More and more critics and fans are complaining about Jones' never-ending plotlines and lack of smashing. Readers are getting restless and Peter David's name is being whispered once again. According to various sources like Molly Molly Mole, Marvel Comics has begun to recognize the signs. After Marvel made the spectacular and much publicized mistake of firing writer Mark Waid from Fantastic Four to pursue weird ideas courtesy of controversial former publisher Bill Jemas, the company got a wake-up call. The universal disapproval of the decision prompted the company to return Waid to FF writing duties and may have been the backbreaker for Jemas, who was shuffled away from editorial into a new marketing position. But the disaster also made the House of Ideas realize that they could satisfy a broader range of reader tastes by putting out different versions of the same title. Fantastic Four now has three versions of the team - 4 for Marvel Knights, Ultimate Fantastic Four and the classic Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo Fantastic Four. Marvel doesn't plan to stop there. The publishing house has already announced the debut of a new, classic Captain America & The Falcon series in March. The book, written by Priest (Black Panther) with art by Bart Sears (The Path), will adhere to events in the regular Marvel universe, allowing the Marvel Knights version to run without continuity restrictions. Earlier this week it was also announced that Hulk, Wolverine and X- Statix will be moving to the Marvel Knights imprint in April, where they join Daredevil, Captain America, 4 and the new Mark Millar penned Spider-Man series. The move makes sense given that all these books are aimed at more mature audiences and offer off-beat portrayals of classic characters. But like the Fantastic Four and Captain America changes, the reorganization also opens up opportunities for Marvel to create more classic versions of titles to satisfy fans looking for more superheroics and less talking heads. Peter's new Hulk book isn't the only rumored return to form. Multiple sources confirm that Rob Liefeld will be overseeing a handful of X- Force projects, featuring the classic characters he created in the early 90s. Since X-Force (now X-Statix) was revamped a few years ago by writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred, fans of the old- school version have clamored for the original team. I'm told this counter-balancing of "Nu-Marvel" books will be revealed in stages. My sources say the company is in the process of coordinating promotions, but has also been hinting at things to come without people realizing it. I hear Hulk editor Axel Alonzo's recent comments on Newsarama about Peter David were not made at random, nor were David's blog retorts (see last week's Rage). Just like U-Decide, I hear this is all set up to get some buzz happening again before the publishing house plugs the Hulk void in the regular Marvel Universe. A stretch? Maybe. To find out I asked Peter David whether or not he is writing a new Hulk book. He told me the rumor is interesting. "It's flattering, because it says to me that people believe I still have exciting stories to tell about Bruce Banner and his alter ego. If I did take on such an endeavor, it would certainly be a challenge to live up to those expectations: To come up with something that would both satisfy the long-time fans of my work while simultaneously breaking new ground. The familiar and the unfamiliar, all at the same time. Now if it weren't true and I said it weren't true, that would put an end to all the lively rumor mongering, and what fun is that (since I've seen my name attached by fans to everything from Wolverine to a new Spider-Man 2099 book). But if it were true, then I'm making an announcement in someplace other than, say, my website at www.peterdavid.net, and what fun is THAT?" This Has A "Lone and Level Sands" Factor of Five Out of Ten Out, Markisan PS If anyone has any rumors, stories or news to share email me at markisan@silverbulletcomicbooks.com or IM me via AOL Instant messenger. My screen name is Automatic San. Thanks to everyone who has been sending stuff in. It's greatly appreciated. +++++ Items found in Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters" column at http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/ which are all rumors or gossip so take any of it with a BIG bucket of salt! Rich was chosen Best Comics Journalist in the 2002 Usenet Squiddy Awards, his third consecutive win. Write to Rich at: rich@comicbookresources.com Rich heard rumors . . .. Frank Miller has just finished a first-draft script of "Hard Boiled," which is in development at Warner Bros with Nicholas Cage's production company, and development continues on "300" with producers Gianni Nunnari. The newly solicited Wizard boasts a preview of a new "X-Men" #1 by Chris Claremont. "Hypothetical Lizard," the World Fantasy Award nominated Alan Moore novella from the eighties, long out of print is to be reprinted and adapted for comics, from Avatar - adapted by Anthony Johnston, with art by new name Lorenzo Lorente. Paul Lee is intending to draw the merge-Spawn-and-Hellspawn-into-one -title. Bret Sears was "let go" about 2 months ago as the CFO of CrossGen Entertainment. Recently released Daredevil Hardcover, featuring the Kevin Smith/Joe Quesada run as well as certain David Mack stories, has run into a slight problem. It appears there are a number of copies out there (maybe even all of them) where pages 19 and 20 of issue 10 have the exact same lettering, placements and speech balloons, with different art underneath. "Top Ten Season Two" from ABC, being announced this summer. Not by Alan Moore, but another of his co-collaborators. Is Sean McKeever signing up to be the new writer on "Exiles?" That's the word. However it may be more likely that Sean will be taking over "NYX." And he's got the upcoming "Marvel Age" version of Fantastic Four on his plate, too... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_oshea@bellsouth.net Originally run at http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/ Tim's interviews appear here with permission. David Chelsea in Love: Q&A Posted: Thursday, December 18 Posted By: Tim O'Shea http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/107176687214108.htm David Chelsea and the return to print of his early 1990s autobiographical work, David Chelsea in Love, are the focus for the final week in SBC's three-week (three-interview) Reed Graphica coverage. (Click here for the week one/part one with Reed Graphica's consulting editor Calvin Reid and here for week two/part two with Jack Jackson on the re-release of his 1979 work, Comanche Moon). As detailed at the Reed Graphica site, Chelsea's "illustrations have appeared in The New York Observer, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Press and many other publications. In addition to David Chelsea In Love, he is the author of another graphic novel, Welcome To The Zone, and Perspective! a how-to guide in comics form. He lives with his wife and two children in Portland, Oregon." David Chelsea In Love is "the hilariously true story of cartoonist and illustrator David Chelsea's improbable love affair with Minnie, a would-be actress, in 1980s New York. Based in New York City, David meets Minnie on one of his frequent bus trips back (hey, the bus is cheap) to his hometown of Portland, Oregon to spawn. You see, David can't get laid in New York. The only women he meets in New York are art directors-and they know exactly how much an illustrator is paid. But Minnie's not easy. In fact she's profoundly and comically difficult. She's tall, gawky, absurdly neurotic and saddled with an abusive boyfriend. None of this matters to David who believes-against all odds-that Minnie is the only girl for him. This is the true story of their cross-country "courtship," as well as the story of their idiosyncratic cast of friends and relatives. David Chelsea In Love is a strange and very funny look at the lives of the young, the talented, and the semi-talented in New York City's East Village." Tim O'Shea: I was curious, was David Chelsea In Love at one point going to be a play, before it evolved into the Eclipse series? David Chelsea: Well, yes. I actually staged it at a club in New York in three parts, playing myself, like I was Joan Rivers or something. In hindsight the egotism of it all makes me cringe, but that script eventually came in handy when I expanded the original series of short strips into a graphic novel. TO: Did you lose any long-term friendships/associations over the very personal nature (understandably inherent) of an autobiographical work? Or had many of those connections ended already with the passage of time? In general, what were the reactions of family and friends to the final work? DC: My sisters both told me they wished that I'd changed their names, as I had with all the other characters, and one guy who isn't even in the book, but whose sister is, still gives me grief because I included the line "I thought your brother was gay!" For the most part, I had little to lose in the way of friendships, since I hadn't seen the people I was most revealing about in years. I did get in touch with "Minnie" again when the comic book first came out, and we were actually friendly for a while after that- she and my wife really got along, and we used to go to plays together and have her and her kids over for barbecues on the roof. Then after about a year she decided she couldn't handle the whole idea of the book being out there in the world, and didn't want to be friends any more, and that's kind of where we've left it. TO: Looking back at the work, what scenes really worked for you and have seemingly gotten better than you remember when originally drawn? (Personally, in terms of dialogue, layout and pacing, the complicated staircase scene on page 126 impresses me more each time I look at it) DC: My own artwork didn't really take me by surprise, but there were a couple of scenes I'd forgotten about in which I was pleased with the quality my writing, which I'm usually much less confident about. One was a scene in a restaurant where I'm drowning my sorrows after being dumped by Minnie. I start to notice that a couple at a nearby table aren't getting along, and I find myself fantasizing about hooking up with the woman, who's obviously a major neurotic- until I pull back and say "What am I thinking?" That kind of puts my bad judgment in love into a nutshell. The other is another restaurant scene in which my new girlfriend Lily is in the middle of dumping me when she suddenly realizes she has one last use for me- she's spotted a very unwelcome would-be suitor across the room, and she wants me to hold hands with her so he'll get the idea she's not available. I spin a bitter little fantasy in my head of going over and telling him the truth, but in the end I'm too much the eager-to-please doormat not to do exactly what she asks. TO: In an afterword/update at the end of the book, you say: "I've been single and I've been coupled, and I like coupled better even if it lacks the drama of a good graphic novel." Does this mean your days of being an autobiographical storyteller are over? DC: You'd better believe it. TO: Why are your days as an autobiographical storyteller over? DC: For several reasons. Every woman I've been involved with since I began work on the very earliest versions of the story has made me promise not to put her in one of those, so I'm pretty much restricted to material from 20 years ago and back. I did start a story about an affair I had just before I met Minnie, but since it involved a woman I wasn't really in love with and wound up treating very badly, l chickened out because it showed me in too unflattering a light. How's that for honesty? I suppose I could do stories not about my love life, about the little things in life like losing your car keys or finding a really good Mexican restaurant, but it's hard for me to bring the same passion to it. I've come to realize that I'm not a lifer like Harvey Pekar- when interviewers ask him where he got the courage to do comics about his cancer treatment, he replies that he would have been doing comics about his life whatever was happening in it, and I believe him. I'm not saying I'll never do another autobiographical story, but I'm less interested in the daily grind than in suspenseful stories with a beginning, middle and end, and life doesn't throw too many of those my way. Oh, and another thing- at some point I decided that it is false to do an autobiographical story in which you yourself appear. To truly represent your own experience it should all be done subjective camera- that is, from your own viewpoint, with the other characters speaking straight at the reader and the central figure visible only in mirrors. I just haven't worked out whether it is actually possible to tell a story that way. Sex scenes would be interesting- close ups of one ear and a corner of pillow. TO: How much of David Chelsea in Love was done when your father died in 1991? Did he know of the work and/or did he have an interest in your work? DC: I was about halfway through the series, but nothing had appeared in print yet. I was coming up to the sequence he appears in, and I did ask if he minded being in the book, and he said he it was OK with him- of course he had other things on his mind at that point. I think he was proud of my career, but I don't remember him taking that much of an interest in my work. He probably would have liked some of the political cartoon stuff I'm doing now for INX. TO: How much (if at all) did your mother's work in graphic design influence your style or approach toward illustration DC: Well, I had a great example in front of me of someone making a living doing art, so I knew it was POSSIBLE, and I never got the family resistance that a lot of artists get when they decide that's what they want to do with their lives. It probably also helped that I used to hang out at my Mom's studio, futzing around with markers and reading graphic design magazines, in that I was exposed to a wider selection of art styles than if I'd just spent my childhood reading comic books. I grew up knowing who people like Milton Glaser and Paul Davis were. TO: Do you like putting visual gags/homages in your work? What got me wondering this was the shot of you naked with a fully clothed Minnie on page 149, which in every aspect was a recreation of Annie Leibovitz's John Lennon and Yoko Ono photo from 1980. DC: Oh, sure. Before doing comics I worked for years as a freelance illustrator, and most of that work involved using photo reference, and nowadays I do a lot of celebrity caricature, which ALWAYS requires photo reference, so it's natural for me to head for my clipping file when I'm stuck for an image. Riffing on a familiar image can give you a leg up, like samples on a hip-hop record, and readers clever enough to spot the reference can pat themselves on the back. TO: Are there any plans to re-release your second graphic novel-1995's Welcome to the Zone? DC: What, THAT thing? TO: Why do you refer to it as "THAT thing"? What was wrong with it in your opinion? DC: I consider that one my New Adventures Of Abraham Lincoln [SBC aside: Chelsea is referring to a 1998 graphic novel that was Scott McCloud's first attempt at computer-generated artwork]- an interesting technical experiment that doesn't exactly work as entertainment. I probably could have done a decent graphic novel about the East Village folk music milieu if I'd approached it straight, but for some reason I felt the need to go over the top, mixing in a lot of grotesque mutants and cannibals from outer space- I think I figured that it would sell better if the story had some kind of sci-fi aspect to it. I did have fun building little clay models of all the characters to use as reference, but I think I would have done better to have put in a little extra time on the script. Of course I'd be perfectly willing to allow a new edition, but so far as I know there's no group of Welcome To The Zone cultists out there clamoring to have it back in print. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] My Life With Comic Books Paul Howley pmca@together.net [ My name is Paul Howley, owner of the Eisner Award winning pop culture collector's store known as "That's Entertainment" in Worcester, Massachusetts. Some people have called me the "luckiest man in the comic book business". My store has been around for over twenty three years and it's been a long and interesting combination of events and people that has brought my store to its current place. It is not my intent to boast or brag about my store or my life . . . I just want to tell you my story. See more about the store online at http://www.thatse.com ] MY LIFE WITH COMIC BOOKS: THE HISTORY OF A COMIC SHOP - Part 63 It was early 1989, and it was getting closer to the release date of the big-budget Batman movie. I had been unable to convince the company that was handling the distribution of the film to the Massachusetts area to let me organize a big Worcester premiere. I was explaining my predicament to my friend, Linda Weatherbee, and she told me that her sister, Carol, worked at that company! I now had an inside contact person that I may be able to work with. Carol was smart enough to realize that Worcester was an important city for movies because of its large population and she was willing to work with me to make the release of the Batman movie a special event. She wasn't able to convince the company to allow us to have a special premiere but she allowed us to have a private screening the morning after the movie opened. I purchased five hundred tickets at a slightly reduced price from the Showcase Cinema in downtown Worcester for a 10:00AM show. I decided to give these tickets away (for free) so that this event would be run as a "thank you" for my customers. I wanted to somehow let them know that I appreciated all of the business they had given me for the past nine years and this seemed like an interesting way to do it. There were some potential problems though. I couldn't really purchase any more tickets because none of the theaters held more than five hundred people. I had over a thousand regular customers and their family members that I wanted to give these tickets to. I didn't want to make the difficult decision of who wouldn't get the free tickets so I came up with a plan that would be as fair as possible. I'd give one ticket to each of the first five hundred people who came into my store on a Saturday two weeks before our special presentation. This seemed like a good, fair plan. I designed a large illustrated ticket with the Bat-Symbol on it and had them sequentially numbered from #1-#500. I kept the first six of the tickets for my wife, my Mom and Dad, myself, and some of my employees. I wrote some press releases to send to local radio stations and newspapers. I began "hyping" the event to my regular customers when they came into the store. Everything was under control and the movie wasn't going to be released for another three months! Next chapter: What could possibly go wrong? ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] If I Ruled The World Steven D. Forbes sdforby@psnw.com [Steven Forbes has been collecting comics ever since he could read, and has been writing stories ever since he could hold a pen. He dreams of breaking into the industry to tell his own stories. ] If I ruled the world, people wouldn't be so sensitive about everything. "Sensitive" is the un-PC way of saying Politically Correct. With the rise of political correctness in the world, we've become sissified. This is even more so in comic books. Comics have become the feeding ground for political correctness thanks to Dr. Fredric Wertham and his book Seduction of the Innocent. In polite conversation, they say you're not supposed to talk about sex, politics, and religion. No one's ever accused me of being polite. A nice young man, but not polite. I'm going to concentrate on religion for the simple fact that it's the most taboo subject in comics. There are comics that deal with political views (or should- Captain America, anyone?), and comics that deal with sex, but there are precious few that deal with religion. Basically, when a comic book "deals" with religion, it's in the form of a corrupt Church official, or a conspiracy, or a character with a few religious overtones. It's cliched, over-used, and easy. Most people believe in some kind of conspiracy, from the JFK assassination to alien cover-ups to secret government. This means that these are the easiest stories to tell, because most people can agree with it on some level. I do not, however, consider this "dealing" with religion. You can always find Satan in a body of work. He's a great character/plot device, and can spice up a story immediately. However, it's always Satan or the anti-Christ or a demon- or an angel or guardian spirit for the other team. However, when it comes to Christ and God, they're almost immediately off limits, or are shown in the best light possible. This is why I applaud Garth Ennis, for he helped to break the taboo of using God as a comic book character. As a matter of fact, I think that all mainstream writers (such as Mark Millar) need to pay homage to Garth for creating Preacher- the first mainstream comic that I know of to deal with religious icons in a provocative light. Imagine the floodgates that have opened because of this: Jesse Custer, a reverend, goes on a quest to take God to task for leaving Heaven. And it was published and allowed to run it's full course by DC (Vertigo)! Not only is the premise challenging and instigatory, but it was also filled with violence, strange sexual acts, cursing- and great characterization. Mark Millar has written a comic called Chosen that deals with Christ. I haven't read the book, and I don't know if I will because I'm not a fan of his writing, but the point is that Preacher paved the way for Chosen. These are not soft books in any way, shape, or form. They deal with real figures of a major religion, and do it unflinchingly. Until the advent of Preacher, a reader would be hard pressed to find a comic that dealt with real religious figures that approached anything that smacked of controversy. It was always the corrupt cardinal/bishop using the Church as power, or someone having the Holy Grail in their broom closet. Sure, it made for (semi) interesting reading, but it doesn't cause the reaction that dealing with Christ as a character does. And as a writer, that's really what it's about. We're great with extrapolating science into science fiction, or manipulating emotion for various effects, but we're usually scared stiff of putting out a true religious story- especially if it pertains to Christianity in any of it's forms. What's worse is that publishers generally won't touch religious stories with a Joel Schumacher Batman. I understand that the subject matter is controversial, but if the writer is brave enough to write it, then the publisher should be brave enough and back the writer enough to publish it. It's a story. Here's a scenario. Which one is the most offensive? A man gets beaten up. The man is gay? Black? Jewish? Christ? If the man is gay, then the writer is a homophobe and should be burned, and the publisher is irresponsible for publishing such a piece of trash that promotes gay-bashing. If the man is Black, then the writer is a racist, and the publisher is irresponsible for publishing such an anachronistic piece of trash. If the man is Jewish, then it's anti- Semitic, and won't get published anyway. But, if that man is Christ? The firestorm that would follow the telling of that tale would be daunting, indeed! I understand that religion is very personal to a person, and very few things can match it. I also understand that no one wants to see their religion in a negative light. However, religious figures and trappings are a virtually untapped mine of stories that will be both new and fresh. Picture Christ delivering holy retribution as a Garth Ennis style Punisher-type character, or the most powerful mutant that Xavier has ever found. What would be the ramifications of Christ meeting Darkseid? There is an absolute wealth of stories waiting to be told, if only we're brave enough to tell them. Then again, what do I know? I just want to rule the world. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] 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 featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] SMALL PRESS NATION: Detroit SMALL PRESS NATION is a new ongoing series within CHEAP SEATS where periodically, we'll take a look at towns, cities, states and provinces in which small press activity flourishes. We'll find out who makes mini-comics, what kind of support there is for small press and independent comics, especially within the retailer network, and how the visual arts in general shape the identity of these places. By seeking out and documenting the life of these communities, a map of the small press will begin to take shape, which will hopefully inspire potential self-publishers to make comics on their own. Detroit, Michigan [www.ci.detroit.mi.us] is one of the best known American cities in the world, in large measure due to its reputation as a leading automobile manufacturer for many years, as well as the home of legendary music studio Motown Records. The small press community within this city includes many long-time self-publishing veterans who strongly support each other not just as cartoonists, but as friends. Perhaps the best known self-publisher living in the Detroit area is Cynicalman creator Matt Feazell [members.aol.com/cynicalman], whose deceptively simple, yet charming, stick figure creations have appeared in comics large and small for many years. He resides in nearby Hamtramck, and describes it as a very multi-cultural place. "[Hamtramck] is very urban. It's very affordable, there's no chain stores, you can walk everywhere in town. There are a big variety of immigrants living here; Bosnian and Arab are the two biggest languages other than English spoken by kids in the schools. There's a big Bengali population. People from all over the world are coming here and putting down roots - including cartoonists!" It was Feazell who instituted a weekly get-together of local cartoonists, held at his house and sometimes at cafes, where they all schmooze and have fun talking about and making comics. It was a practice Feazell brought with him when he first moved to Michigan. "It goes back to a group of cartoonists I was hanging out with in Minneapolis in 1980-83. I lived in Minneapolis and I started to get together with Dave Steinlicht and a couple of other guys; Billy Fugate was one of them, Scott Adams [was another]. We put out a zine called Say, What? And we did a thing where we got together every Wednesday or Thursday night and drew comics. That was pretty fun, so when I lived in Raleigh [North Carolina] I started up the same kind of group there - mostly hung out with kids - and when I moved to Ypsilanti [Michigan], when my wife got accepted to grad school, I took the rounds for some other cartoonists to hang around with and got in touch with Terry Laban. We started hanging out in coffeehouses in Ann Arbor and kept that up. Matt Madden started coming to the group. I moved to Detroit and started hanging out in coffee houses in Royal Oak. We like to bring our sketchbooks, we like to bring new comics we got that week, we like to bring zines we got in the mail, [or] a big bag of swag we got at the last convention if there was one the last week, eat chips, drink soda pop, and talk comics!" Regulars to these parties attest to their festive atmosphere. "Everyone (who's the least bit couth) brings snacks and we all just sit around at folding tables, eating, drinking coffee, listening to odd music and working on whatever comics projects we have lined up at the moment on portable drawing boards," says Cool Jerk & Homo Gal creator Sean Bieri [www.dimestoreproductions.com/Catalogs/SeanBieri/index.asp], who says the experience was what got him into small press to begin with. "Being invited to them in the first place, back in the day (what - 1990, I guess?), when it was me and Matt F. driving out to Ann Arbor to meet Matt Madden and some others at a cafe or Matt M.'s house, was a huge influence on me - it got me started making mini-comics and reading alternative comics." "It helps to have that weekly affirmation that I'm not the only person out there making comics," says Suzanne Baumann [www.fridge-mag.net], creator of As Eavesdropped and a host of eclectic books in different shapes and sizes. "Going to cons and trading comics through the mail are good for that, too; but the unspoken understanding that cartooning is part of the everyday life of people I see regularly is very inspiring. Reminds me it's possible and altogether worth it." Feazell says many cartoonists have passed through their parties over the years. "[We get] as many as nine, as few as four. Yul Tolbert, Aaron Trudgeon, our friend Gary Freeman, George McVey, an old-timer who's just got back into comics, and Jerry Bonkowski, who hasn't been published anywhere but in 5 O'Clock Shadow [a local mini-comic anthology edited by Jim Mackey]. John Boissy, he would come to a couple of meetings and tagged along to SPACE or Mid-Ohio Con or something. He changed jobs and fell out of touch, so I'm not sure if he still lives in Ypsilanti or not." Amongst the area retailers, one in particular stands out in terms small press and independent comics support - Dearborn's Green Brain Comics [URL=www.greenbrain.biz]. Co-owner Dan Merritt recognizes the appeal indy comics have to fans. "People that buy small press/indy books are looking for diversity. They buy books that appeal to their taste in art and literature, books that appeal them aesthetically. They are also the type of people that shop at indy record stores, and tend to avoid chain-stores or big box stores. People that buy 'corporate books' often times buy books that they grew up reading. These people buy books for the sheer joy of escapism. They are looking for adventure and a sense of nostalgia. Some are brand loyalists, and rarely if ever, stray from a company's stable of books. Please keep in mind, these are generalities. We have lots of customers that happily pick the best from both sides of the store." Green Brain hosts many in-store signings by creators, who use mini- comics as a promotional device to bring in fans. They're also active in both national events like Free Comic Book Day, and local ones, such as a hip-hop fundraiser for college radio station WHFR [www.whfr.fm]. Merritt does a weekly show on the station where, in addition to music, he talks comics and interviews creators. "I've been having fun attending signings and events over at Green Brain Comics," says Baumann. "Owners Dan & Katie Merritt are tremendous supporters of comics, and I like supporting what they're doing." Conventions are always a place to discover small pressers, and Detroit has its bi-annual Motor City Con [www.motorcityconventions.com/motor_city_comic_con/]. "[Motor City] is more mainstream," says Feazell in describing it. "They've got media guests and science fiction movie stars, Star Trek actors; they had Scotty there one year. The comics guests skew towards the mainstream, and there's this rabid underground of new small press people. They sell their artists tables there at a pretty good price; anybody with their own comics can afford to get at least a half table, and [I've] run into a good handful of people doing the same thing. There's people making beads, and their own handicrafts, making vinyl purses out of license plates, doing their own mini-comics. You get a good crowd of do-it- yourself-er kinda folks coming to these shows. People take small press pretty well at Motor City Con." In addition to making comics, some cartoonists are able to get their work out through the local newspaper. "Matt, Suzanne and I are all published in the local Hamtown newspaper, The Citizen [http://hamfolks.com/the_citizen.html]," says Bieri. "I'm told by our contact at the paper that people who like my stuff hate Suzanne's, and vice versa. I love Suzanne's stuff, so I don't know what that means. The guy across the street from me (shortly before he was arrested for bank robbery) had me sign his copy of the paper to prove to his kids that it was really me who'd drawn the comics in it. My approach is so scattershot, with different styles of art and humor, that I manage to hit most people with at least one gag out of a dozen in any given mini- comic - different gags for different people. I can't speak for the others but my stuff seems to have a lot of appeal for folks outside the tail-swallowing comic-book clusterf#@&. Especially among bank robbers." Detroit supports the arts with events like the Detroit Festival of the Arts, a giant multi-media outdoor gathering held at the University Cultural Center, and institutions like the Detroit Artists Market, which exhibits and promotes city and state artists. In addition, more avant-garde stuff like The Heidelberg Project [www.heidelberg.org] have attracted national attention. "There's a lot going on artistically here, much of it below the mainstream radar (black box theaters, poetry slams, graffiti artists, neo-pop art galleries, techno music, etc.)," says Bieri. "There's seems to be a lot of energy and activity, though I think if you asked local artists they'd wish it got more recognition." Back in November, Governor Jennifer Granholmn signed into law an act which made it illegal in the state of Michigan to display, disseminate, or sell "sexually explicit material" to minors. The law, which went into effect January 1, specifically cites "a book, pamphlet, [or] magazine" amongst the list of verbal material and "a picture, photograph [or] drawing" amongst the list of visual material that must now have the bottom two-thirds of their covers hidden or placed in a restricted access area, out of reach of children under 18. Obviously, comic books can easily fall under this definition. How has this affected business? "Our Adults Only section has always been a poorly kept secret," says Merritt. "Due to its proximity to our service counter there was no need for signage. When someone asked about a book, we would just direct them walk right into a cleverly ambiguous looking enclosure. It was poor marketing, display-wise. But it was never an area that really needed advertising, the customers that were interested in the material knew where it was. We are now required to have a sign at the entrance. This will probably help me to sell more of the material. We display all off our mature theme periodicals on the top rack of our new periodical racks. This material is displayed tastefully, and with careful observation from our trained staff this material is never in the hands of minors. This is not thumbing our noses at the law, this is business as usual. We have never had any complaints about how we display books, and we have always been very careful about the sale of material that could be considered sexually explicit. It is of the utmost importance that people reading this understand, that we here at Green Brain Comics consider the amendment HOUSE BILL No. 4360 to be unconstitutional. Unconstitutional on the grounds that it broadens the definition of 'sexually explicit', and that broader definition now threatens to restrict the visibility and availability of so many great works of art and literature. We are however grounded by practical concerns, like not going to jail, and paying outrageous fines. We disagree, but we comply. For now." "Wherever there are cartoonists, there will be underground comics," says Baumann. "Wherever there are underground comics, there will be sexually explicit material. It'll take more than a law to take that away. It could easily mean, however, that many cartoonists would have no other choice but the underground if their work just happens to have sex in it. This would deny some great people the wider exposure they -- and the Comics art form in general -- rightly deserve. Frankly, I'm not sure how such a law would benefit children, or their parents, or anyone else. It sounds like a big, unnecessary headache for all involved." Regardless, the self-publishers of Detroit enjoy what they do and the camaraderie they share as a result of their common avocation. "My proudest moments are when I can get my dad to laugh out loud at my stuff," says Bieri, "since he, with his goofball sense of humor, is one of the key people who made me the wise-ass funny-guy japester I am today. If I can make my father laugh until he turns blue and can't breathe - I'm happy." "A lot of people don't understand why I put so much time and effort into something as juvenile as comic books," says Baumann. "Even some comics readers find it hard to believe I'm happy sticking to mini- comics. But I have a million little jokes and stories to share, and the format has always been an excellent way for me to share them." ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] LINES ON PAPER Bruce Canwell bruce.canwell@verizon.net [Freelance writer Bruce Canwell is a New England native who has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics. His essays have appeared in TOMORROW SF, THE CORTLAND REVIEW, COMIC BOOK WEEK, the PORTSMOUTH (NH) PRESS, and AMAZING HEROES. In the summer he is often found at Fenway Park; in the winter, he enjoys playing high-stakes poker against really dumb opponents.] Installment 17: When Editors Collide It was too good a title to pass up, so be warned! No juicy story of editorial jousting, fisticuffs, or sumo wrestling is forthcoming. The only collision is the one that occurred inside my own mind. That's how it goes sometimes: you find one thing, put it together with another, and *tzingg!* a flash of insight occurs. This particular insight began with the august publication you are now reading. . . On January 2nd, the 23rd hour of the day was draining away when I began reading CBEM # 453. "All The Rage" mentioned this link -- http://www.newcomicreviews.com/GHM/specials/LifeOfReilly -- leading to a site containing a 35-part retrospective of the infamous SPIDER-MAN "Clone Saga." Now, I gave up reading SPIDER-MAN when Roger Stern left the title, and that's a loooong time ago. I heard about the derision that accompanied the Clone Saga, but I never opened up a single issue related to it. I have no first-hand knowledge of it, no emotional investment in it. Still, an indefinable "something" made me click that link. Once on site I ended up fascinated -- fascinated enough to scan through all 35 parts of the series, staying up until almost 3:00 AM to do so. I skipped the lengthy summaries of every issue of the Clone Saga. No offense to Andrew Goletz, author of these exhaustive recaps, but if I was not interested enough to buy the actual comics, there's no way I am interested enough to read summaries of them. What captivated me was the commentary provided throughout the series by one-time Marvel editor Glenn Greenberg, who was an assistant under Tom Brevoort during the latter parts of the Clone Saga. I never worked with or pitched ideas to Glenn Greenberg; to the best of my knowledge, I have never even read a comic he edited, so I had no personal investment in finding out what he had to say. What, then, kept me riveted? Greenberg's commentary is filled with excellent and seemingly honest behind-the-scenes material: ".the clone was coming back [and] my reaction.was one of absolute dismay."; "All the identity switching, multiple versions of costumes...it was reaching fairly ludicrous proportions.."; "Howard Mackie often incorporated ideas and stylistic touches from other sources into his stories. For example, I think it's pretty obvious from Howard's work over the years that 'The X-Files' has been a major influence on him. Whether this is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion."; "Bob Budiansky suggested that.Mary Jane suffer.a miscarriage. Tom Brevoort.flatly refused. I believe his exact words were, 'There's no way in hell that I'm going down in history as the man who killed Spider-Man's baby.'" This is juicy stuff, and there is plenty of it to be found. Check out these additional passages, related to how "Suit-think" dictated creative content: "WEB [OF SCARLET SPIDER] was extended because the sales and marketing guys felt that two more issues of a Scarlet Spider book would bring in a significant amount of revenue for those two months.[they] rattled off their sales projections and their statistics and whatever else they had in their arsenal, and.[the creative team] couldn't come up with an argument that was strong enough to defeat theirs. To paraphrase another line from THIS IS SPINAL TAP: "Money talks, and 'creative integrity' walks."; ".one of the first things [editor in chief Bob] Harras did was tell [SPIDER-MAN group editor] Budiansky to postpone the end of the clone saga [six months] until at least October. Harras's explanation was that there was going to be a big X- MEN event happening.and he didn't want the end of the clone saga to have to compete with that." Reading those observations recalled the wise words of one Lester Del Rey, who started as a science fiction author and critic before making an indelible mark as an editor, successfully expanding the SF and fantasy branches of Ballantine Books until they were renamed in his honor (for almost 20 years, "Del Rey Books" have been sold in stores nationwide). Del Rey was the editor sharp enough to compose this truism about fiction: "In a story where anything can happen, who the hell cares what does?" *TZINGG!* Inside my head, editors collided, Greenberg's observations reinforcing Del Rey's words of wisdom. Whether the Clone Saga was an act of folly from the outset is open to debate; far more certain is the notion it was doomed to failure once the story was prevented from following a natural, organic growth pattern. When the sales staff can force two additional months of padding, and scheduling considerations for X-MEN dictate stalling for another six months -- when the creative personnel are forced, as Greenberg observes, to "throw something - ANYTHING -- together in a very short amount of time"-- the results are bloated plot, stalled pacing, and a shattered chain of internal logic. Suddenly the story has crossed the border and become a framework in which anything can happen. So who the hell cares what does? This, it seems to me, is one of the major problems affecting not just SPIDER-MAN, but many of the long-running comics titles. Dr. Doom has just killed The Thing in the latest FANTASTIC FOUR? In the same Marvel Universe where death only applies to Bucky and Uncle Ben? Ho-hum -- in a universe where no one stays dead, who the hell cares who dies? Superman is going to be affected by a split in time and turned into three different entities, each inhabiting a reality separate from the other two? *Snnorrrre* In a world where any number of Supermen can appear, who the hell cares what happens to them? Since the much-ballyhooed "Death of Superman," most Marvel and DC stories have been increasingly dominated by stunts that can, in Greenberg's words, ".be marketed and promoted and hyped in the sales catalog." The level of "hardcore" bombast escalates, causing a proportionate decrease in crucial "softcore" elements, such as development of supporting characters (Greenberg at one point told editor Danny Fingeroth, "We haven't seen any of [SPIDER-MAN's supporting cast] in months, and nothing significant has been done with them in years!"). Many reasons have been put forth since the late 1990s for plunging comics sales: high cover prices, limited distribution and retail penetration, competition from other media. It took a collision of ideas from Messrs. Greenberg and Del Rey to make me add another to the list. You see, the next logical question behind "In a story where anything can happen, who the hell cares what does?" is: "If I don't care what happens, why the hell should I buy this book . . . ?" ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] Suspended Animation Michael Vance MiklVance2@worldnet.att.net [Michael Vance was first published in The Professor's Story Hour chapbook at the age of eleven and became a professional freelance writer in 1977. Vance has been published in dozens of regional magazines and as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. Among his credits are: "Forbidden Adventure: The History of the American Comics Group," articles for "Starlog," "Jack & Jill" & "Star Trek: The Next Generation". He briefly wrote the comic strip, "Alley Oop" and his own strip for five years called "Holiday Out," that was reprinted as a comic book. Vance also wrote comic book titles including "Straw Men," "Angel of Death," "The Adventures of Captain Nemo," and "Bloodtide". His work has appeared in several comic book anthologies, and he is listed in the "Who's Who of American Comic Books" and "Comic Book Superstars". With novelists Mel Odom and R.A. Jones, he co-wrote "Global Star". He worked in newspapers for twenty- two years as an editor, writer and advertising manager, creating three successful newspaper magazines. Michael Vance is currently communications director of a nonprofit agency, the Tulsa Boys' Home, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a Christian] Conan, The Legend, published by Dark Horse Comics, 20 pages, 25 cents. After being at Marvel for over 30 years, the rights to Robert E. Howard's barbarian character Conan now reside at Dark Horse Comics. And, so far, this new comic age of the legendary Cimmerian is off to a particularly impressive start. I mean, with a 25-cent zero issue sporting an intriguing story and incredible artwork, how can comic fans, present and potential, go wrong? It all begins with the caravan of a spoiled and bored prince, as it makes it's way through the west, where the city of Aquilonia once stood. Upon discovering a chamber in the ruins, the prince happens upon a statue of Conan, and becomes fascinated by his legend. Writer Kurt Busiek's characters are interesting, and this "appetizer" has me looking forward to the series. Cary Nord's artwork on Conan is possibly the best seen since the character's first comic incarnation, under artist Barry Windsor Smith. Besides the attention to detail, and sense of realism, Nord's style is highly dramatic, and energetic, getting a further boost from the deep, rich colors by Dave Stewart. I don't really want to employ the over-used term "cinematic" in a description of this comic work, so it will have to suffice to say that this is what should be the look of the next Conan movie, come to comics. Batman, published by D.C. Comics, 32 pages, $2.25. The latest storyline in D.C.'s Batman series is some of the best material the title has enjoyed for the last couple of years. Writer Brian Azzarello primarily writes crime comics, and is new to super heroes. I read somewhere about the unique way he is approaching the character; he just imagines the cape as a trench coat. It works. Batman is one of the few super heroes who are not out of place in a crime noir setting. Due to some racy content, recommended for older readers. Find both titles at your local comic shop. Mark Allen ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Silva Shado Reviews Sarah Haslett silva_shado@yahoo.com [Known as Silva Shado on many boards, Sarah is most frequently found at HeroRealm.com where she is a reviewer, moderator and frequent poster. She has read comics off and on her whole life, but really got into comics in 2000. In Sept. of 2003, she started reviewing after realizing that there were good comics out there that no one was paying much attention to.] Desperate Times #0 Writer/Artist: Chris Eliopoulos Publisher: Image Released: Jan. 21, 2004 Desperate Times is about two lovable losers - Marty, a cynical realist, and Toad, a shy geek, as they try to figure out their lives. This issue introduces Desperate Times, setting up the story for the rest of the series. It shows how the two losers' lives change when one of them decides to get married. For those who like PvP or Liberty Meadows, Desperate Times will be right up your alley. Marty and Toad have been roommate for years, but now Marty has decided to marry Staci. While the strips in this issue make it look like Marty and Staci are strangers and got married out of the blue, they really have known each other for a long time. Hopefully more of their relationship will be revealed in future issues, but what is shown so far is very funny. Staci has a very strange way of dealing with confrontation. Whenever she wants to say something negative to Marty, she does so through a hand puppet. So while she may say yes to Marty wanting to hang with his friends, the puppet tells him that the week will be a living hell if he goes. The other thing that I'm looking forward to seeing is the other characters. In this issue, the only other character we meet is Kennedy - a short, strange-looking creature, who is often the comic relief with his sharp comments and constant womanizing. There are three other characters that are profiled on the inside cover, but don't show up in this issue. Doofus is a guy who is always dressed up in a goofy-like costume. Linda is a self-centered workaholic who is unlucky in love. Then there's Cliff, a guy who is only mentioned, but not described in this issue. Just like Marty and Staci's relationship, Desperate Times has been around for a while. Chris Eliopoulos started at Image in 1998 with a four issue miniseries. Then in 2000, he went solo and tried self- publishing under Aaaargh! Comics for four issues before he turned his attention back to lettering. Marvel offered to do Desperate Times as an Epic title, but when that went down the drain, Chris returned to Image. Desperate Times is going to continue as a bi-monthly comic. Recommended Reading: PvP and Liberty Meadows are in the same humor/relationship vein, though each is very unique. PvP is about a group of oddballs working at a magazine while Liberty Meadows is about an animal sanctuary for some really off-the-wall animals. Not to inundate you with too many funny strips, there is one more that is making its way into print. It's called The Nice Guy. It's about a nice guy and how it's not always nice to be the nice guy. Check out http://www.theniceguycomic.com for free strips. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] Thoughts From the Land of Frost Alex Ness Alexander@popthought.com [Alex has taught college level history and is a full time father. His interests include cats, comics and militaria. His writings have been featured on SlushFactory.com, UGO.com, and are currently on the Popthought.com web site. ] Great Trades I am not talking about a sports trade. I am not talking about the 1500 dollars in comics stuff you received for an ultra rare sport card that you traded. I am not talking about the 50 tons of wheat you commodity traded for an awesome price. I AM talking about the collections of comic book story arcs that make reading a epic or short story in one sitting an easy, pleasant event. FROM HELL By Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell Published by TopShelf You cannot underestimate this work. Ever since the events considered to be the slayings of Jack the Ripper occurred in 1888 various "experts" have considered the available evidence and speculated who might have slashed and dismembered at least 5 women. The murders were shocking despite the general level of conditions in the WhiteChapel region of London. Author Stephen Knight had investigated the Masonic Brotherhood, and used and transferred that knowledge to an investigation of the Ripper slayings, with his controversial best seller JACK THE RIPPER, THE FINAL SOLUTION. He saw multi-leveled conspiracies that involved the crown and the need to cover up through killing those who might know. Alan Moore used the same work as the premise for FROM HELL, but rather than a consideration of those arguments in a scholarly fashion, he used a fictional approach to illustrate that story, as if and should it have occurred along the lines of the argument put forward by King. The argument in itself is rather solid and therefore Moore was well able to use it to tell an awesome story. A story is just that but whether it is true or not is actually of import. The power of any conspiracy story is the believability factor. The thought of the crown endorsing a slaying is not unthinkable, and should the events occur as stated even logical. King died in a strange fashion, and conspiracy thinkers point to the oddities of his death as clear proof that he had been correct and Masons had orchestrated his death. Buy this and find out for yourself. Check it out at your comics store, or from Topshelfcomix.com WILDERNESS By Timothy Truman Simon Gurty was a young survivor of one of the multitudes of raids within the Indian Wars in the pioneer history of the US. He was adopted by the Native people who had performed the raid, and learned the ways, languages and thoughts of those people. Gurty has been remembered as a traitor to the European American cause, and Truman did not ignore those aspects of the story. More though, he presented Gurty as an outcast of two people, caught between the vice of historical events, wherein the dominant white European culture was moving West while the Native people had no real choice in the matter, they had to fight, assimilate or get out. Gurty was emotionally moved by the events, and did his best to negotiate between the two cultures. Truman did much to rehabilitate the real history of Simon Gurty, but the legends always die hard. How many people want to lose their cherished falsehoods? And please consider, while Truman wrote and illustrated a masterwork, did he himself have an agenda. Hmmm looking at Truman's fixation upon the Indigene people all over the world, I would definitely say he had something to say. But is telling the truth that you might agree with the moving forward of an agenda? Buy it from Tim himself at t.truman@verizon.net MAUS By Art Spiegelman How do the worst possible deprivations affect a survivor? How does the survivor thereafter raise a family? Art Spiegelman had a story in him that he had lived. His father had survived the Nazi death camps along with his mother, and raised Spiegelman in the US. The father's constant emotional assaults and fixations upon survival tormented Spiegelman, and he needed to respond. As a professional artist, writer, editor, and storyteller Spiegelman found that his previous work had not set a fire beneath the feet of potential buyers, whatever the true value of the work, so he set out to tell the story that existed already within him. To some Vladek Spiegelman was a hero, for surviving. He had faced and survived the worst sort of events in human history. And yet his treatment of people afterwards, especially his children and wife would lead you to think he was an old cranky bully. (I am not saying by the way that he was anything.) The reason this work is so vital and important, is that it reveals the toll of survival and the results of horror such as genocide. And it tells a tale of human relations between son and father. Reviews Catwoman #25, 26 By Ed Brubaker and Paul Gulacy, Color $2.50, DC Comics Catwoman is a vigilante now of sorts, keeping her home territory free from corrupt officials and major criminals. With her also being a cat burglar still she makes her world safe for the lesser folks. But major criminals like Penguin and Zeiss and certain crime lords make her neighborhood a dangerous place to live. I picked up this book because of two reasons. Reason #1 I love Jimmy Palmiotti's inks on Paul Gulacy's pencils. Reason #2 I read some highly critical reviews of Catwoman and particularly about the art. So I wondered how bad could it be and what could have happened to Gulacy and Palmiotti to have this happen. Well I looked at it, read the story, and found it all to be fine. Not the greatest art by Gulacy and Palmiotti but by no means not good. Next while I didn't love the story, it was fine, kept my interest and quickly brought me up to speed. Ed Brubaker drank the coca cola I bought for Brian Bendis at San Diego Comic Con but I truly have no malice towards him. This story was fine. But the other reviews tell the story. Gulacy and Palmiotti are replacing the previous art team and have a different take on the character. She doesn't have the same feel and the writing is subtly changing as well to match the art shift. That is fine, and well understood. But I never read the book before and might buy more under the current team. I think I came in with no preconceptions and left feeling I got my money's worth. Other folks who liked the previous team of art came in liking what was and would prefer it. So I give this a grade of a solid B, at least ok in every way and I suspect anyone else not sold upon the previous team will feel the same. For those who miss what was, I can only say be happy for what you had. I intend to buy more of this book. Grade: B Crimson Dynamo By John Jackson Miller, Steve Ellis & Joltin' Joe Corroney. #1-4 Color, $2.50 Marvel Comics A teen age Russian, Gennady is faced with being booted from school, and he only survives due to the influence of his father over the school master. He finds a helmet, tries it out and finds it to be the controller of an enormous body of steel, the Crimson Dynamo. The Dynamo is seeking to be mastered by the one with the helmet, but there are those who would prevent the unification. An original story and story idea. I liked the development of the characters and the use of the relative innocence of Gennady as a draw for the reader to want him to become the Dynamo. I liked Steve Ellis's art work, and found the replacement art by Joe Corroney to be of great promise. His work is dynamic, and while he began with a style similar to Ellis's, clearly to avoid discord between the early pages, issue four and soon in five demonstrate the artist's great abilities and his interest in branching out. His style is very pleasing and I would think issue #5 with an Iron Man appearance will rock. Good stuff. Grade: B+/A- Grand Gestures by Robert Ullman, B/W $3.95 Alternative Comics This is about the lives of a cadre of college age and college attending people. It is about the ups and downs, depressions and fixations of people who are attempting to figure out the world they live in, but especially the opposite sex. And they often fail. They pursue relationships but are hampered by a lack of courage and a lack of an honesty. Ultimately they miss out on the best of life because of fears and failed expectations. This is a book that for me marks an important distinction between Alternative and everything else. Whilst it is about a personal, not altogether linear, story it is a look and examination of communications and expectations. I cannot say I enjoyed it but I can say it was good in every aspect. Kind of like horror for some people, highly personal stories and story-telling is something that often leaves me feeling uncomfortable. I am not a typical emotions hating male, I am a huggy person and I think we should read material like this. I am just saying some things you do for pleasure and others to educate. For me this educates. For you perhaps something else. Grade:A Wynonna Earp Home on the Strange #1,2 By Beau Smith and Carlos Ferreira Color $3.99 IDW A US marshal, descendant of Wyatt Earp and hunter of the paranormal, Wynonna Earp is a beautiful, bright and dangerous agent of the government. In this series she is hunting the remnants of the Clanton clan. And in her way are zombies, werewolves and gremlins who fling poop, moon you and flip you the bird. The action scenes are very fun and the story, while less than serious is coherent and fun. I am not an unbiased reader here. I like Beau Smith, and consider him a friend. But with rare exceptions, this series delivers fun, action and more than a few laughs. While the cheesecake could be toned further down it is still a book that makes me smile, and look forward to each issue. Grade: A- ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] ComiX-Fan Reviews Eric J. Moreels X-Fan Editor-in-Chief x-fan@bigpond.net.au From ComiX-Fan: http://www.comixfan.com/xfan WOLVERINE #10 Reviewer: Linsey Duncan, existentialratchildren@hotmail.com Quick Rating: Good. Story Title: Coyote Crossing, part 4 Even Wolvie has his sensitive spots. Written by: Greg Rucka Pencils by: Leandro Fernandez Colors by: Studio F Letters by: Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton Cover Artist: Leo Fernandez Assistant Editors: Warren Simons and John Miesagaes Editor: Axel Alonso More Edit: Warren Simons Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada President: Bill Jemas I'm ambiguous about this issue. On the one hand, I feel that Rojas herself could have been handled better. On the other, Wolverine remained rather gruesomely true to character. I'm not sure if these entirely balance out - I think that we got some disturbing insights into Wolverine's psyche, but Rojas was dropped too quickly. Rojas first. She works best when she's in control. I love that wickedly confident eyebrow. Her taunting of Wolverine's inability to do anything about her is right in line with villain tradition, but she does it so well. Baby as a shield indeed. Maybe I just like Wolverine so desperately out of sorts. There aren't enough situations that he can't handle. It breaks down when too many other traditions get dropped on Rojas' head. First. I understand that anyone, regardless of gender or societal status, would be a little unnerved by a Wolvie rampage. But I could have really gone for Rojas' sheer nasty defiance to carry over, even when Wolvie has her pinned. There was so much fear in her eyes and her face went all slack. Typical reaction, but this is a gutsy kinda lady. I was disappointed that as soon as Wolverine got at all physical, she went soft. I was disappointed that her expression almost bordered on concern when he sliced up her front room. I suppose that makes her more complex, but it's the same kind of complexity that women around Wolvie are often saddled with. Let her be nasty! She's so much more fun that way. I also understand that giving birth is a fairly painful process and can make people mildly frantic. But did Rojas have to have that special moment where the poor villain realizes they're all alone and they can't even reach the phone? Did she have to give birth right then? Isn't it a little too convenient for Wolverine that she's exactly that pregnant? I tend to think that much fun could be had by all if Rojas had either hung on just a little longer to torment Wolverine, or filled her panels with more of the off-hand viciousness she started with. Heck, if she'd carried it through to the just-prior-to-birth panels, the issue might have been a little . . . surreal, but it would have been more interesting than merely reducing her to helplessness. Wolverine. His out-of-control furniture-venting is good stuff. He is a violent man by rote, he's hacked a route of blood to get to Rojas, and now he gets there . . . and he can't cut off the head of the organization like he so wanted to. He tantrums. There's nothing prouder about what he does. Rojas is right - he wants so badly to kill that he has to let his energy out somehow. Killing a pregnant woman is a taboo he's unwilling to break, but he's anything but mature about it. He calms down once he's out of her presence, sulking in his bed while Cassie wanders around like a vagrant through the halls, and has his epiphany before morning. The fact that his taboo thread is just that thin is rather eye-opening. As long as the lady's birthed, even just birthed, it's perfectly okay to kill her. But, oh well, I suppose she's not much different from the hundred-odd helpless-but-bad people he feels the necessity to kill here and there. He's a vigilante! It's just a somewhat more distasteful image. What really works here is Wolverine's apparent bafflement at what to do with a screeching baby. I guess this might be an opportunity to humanize/redeem him a little? I'm not sure. Cassie is back to being more self-assured and wry about her whole obsession, which is nice, and she has a good rapport with Wolverine's bartender friend. The writing is still excellent and the art is lovely (although Robertson's squatter Wolvie added a decidedly weird edge to all this feminine attraction -- Rodriguez's is so hot that the weirdness mostly vanishes). But I keep thinking that the storylines could go deeper than they currently are. Well. Maybe the arch will end such that all my complaints will be more than answered. ART: 4 STORY: 3.5 OVERALL: 3.5 EXILES #41 Reviewer: Jim Lemoine, jimlemoine@comixfan.cjb.net Quick Rating: Excellent! Story Title: A Nocturne's Tale - Part 1 A look back at the adventures of Nocturne's team of X-Men, pre-Exiles. Written by: Jim Calafiore Pencilled by: Jim Calafiore Inked by: Eric Cannon Colored by: Transparency Digital Lettered by: Dave Sharpe Cover by: Jim Calafiore Assistant Editor: Cory Sedlmeier & Stephanie Moore Edited by: Mike Marts Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley It says something that a regular Exiles reader can finish this issue, the fourth in a row that really has nothing to do with the Exiles as we know them, and not mind in the slightest. Exiles #41 reveals nothing as to Weapon X's next destination, Hyperion's mania, Blink's odd return to the core team, the death of Sunfire, or the leadership of the Exiles. Instead, it's a story of defining moments for one of the team's mainstays, the mutant known as Nocturne. This book is written and drawn by regular fill-in (whatever that means) Exiles artist Jim Calafiore. Now, whenever you hear that an artist is taking over the writing chores of a book as well, it generally means one of two things: the book's either going to be very good (due to the art perfectly matching the writer's vision for the overall story) or it's going to be very bad (because many artists can't write; see early Image). Happily, Calafiore absolutely can write, so Exiles #41 emerges a success. As a spotlight on Nocturne drawn by Calafiore, comparisons between this issue and the Nocturne and Evensong stand-alone tale from Exiles #16 are natural. However, there are differences: for instance, you'll never mistake Calafiore's writing style for that of Judd Winick (which isn't good or bad, necessarily; the styles are just different). Where Evensong showed us what happened behind the scenes of the pages of Exiles, this more recent Tale seems to be portraying a formative moment in young Nocturne's heroic career. And where Winick would occasionally reach into Marvel obscurity to draw out the kind of continuity that modern Marvel ignores (and thus, proves the basis for rumors that Marvel Editorial resents the success of Exiles), Calafiore parades that continuity in full-force, making this feel more like a nineties Marvel tale done right, than it does a twenty-first century story. This makes for a most refreshing change of pace, not just from past issues of Exiles, but from just about any other Marvel book, excluding only JLA/Avengers. What will you see in this issue? You'll see heroes and villains using codenames. You'll see classic spandex costumes on everyone from Nightcrawler to Thunderbird to Wolverine (isn't it wonderful, Wolvie's in yet another issue of Exiles). You'll see an old-fashioned, straight- forward supervillain fight, and yes, even a Danger Room training sequence. Calafiore does more than simply take Nocturne's past as provided by Winick and the oneshot Millennial Visions; he takes the time to create deep back stories for many of the characters and events of this alternate Marvel Universe. He combines classic superhero elements with an eighties/nineties style to produce a world very much like what ours could have become, only with a few key differences. It's obvious Calafiore did his homework here, and the result is very smart and pleasing. Characterization is key in a comic like Exiles, and Calafiore does a good job in that respect of filling the shoes of Winick and Austen. These heroes are multi-dimensional, realistic, and respectful to their regular counterparts. Kurt Wagner is pretty much what you'd expect: just a slightly older version who's developed his leadership skills a touch more and is prone to overprotection. Nocturne is without a doubt her father's daughter, more like the original Nocturne of the first few issues of this series than the one she developed into after T-Bird's death. Young Kitty Pryde (who's been showing up in this book a lot lately, hasn't she?) is perfect, spot-on, and the page where she emotionally collapses tugs at all of the right heart-strings. All in all, Calafiore does a fantastic job of making these mutants human, lovable, and real. One of the few bad things about this issue is that it's contributing to the feel that Exiles is going the way of the early Excalibur without its creators; it's in serious danger of losing its momentum. However, where Excalibur's fill-in issues featured some of the very worst stories and art of the day, Exiles is giving us good, solid material. So while it's regrettable that this Nocturne story had to come right after the Weapon X arc, at least we can take solace in the fact that it's a darn good Nocturne story. However, one has to wonder why exactly this story exists, other than for the obvious reason of filling in issues. Will there be repercussions from this arc to the ongoing Exiles story? Maybe, maybe not. The art flows along with the story in a way that's rare to see, except when artist and writer are the same person. The visual storytelling isn't quite up to, say, Alan Davis' standard, but it's still very good. The art itself is a step above even Calafiore's regular work (which is saying something), assumedly because it's the artist's own epic, and because Eric Cannon is on hand for inks (Cannon always seemed to me the best match for Calafiore's style). There are a few shots that really stand out: Kurt viewing Wanda on the news monitor, an almost-naked James Proudstar walking down the dorm hall, Lucien showing the girls his new model plane... this is all very, very good stuff. It would have been very easy for this issue to be forgettable, annoying, repetitive, or just plain bad... but instead, Jim Calafiore provides a strong plot with great art in a compelling manner. It's a real shame that we still don't have an actual Exiles story to read, but we're not just getting cheap fill-in issues in the meantime; this issue is seriously good. For a great Nocturne story, or a great future- Nightcrawler story, or a great old-fashioned X-Men story... or just a plain great story, I recommend you pick up Exiles #41. And credit where credit's due: this issue has a truly gorgeous cover. ART: 4.5 STORY: 3.5 OVERALL: 4 NEW X-MEN #152 Reviewer: Anthony Zisa, anthonyzisa@hotmail.com Quick Rating: Average Story Title: Surrender the Starlit City (Here Comes Tomorrow, part 2 of 4) The X-Men scramble to prepare for their showdown with the Beast, who now possesses a weapon of unimaginable proportions! Writer: Grant Morrison Penciller: Marc Silvestri Inkers: Joe Weems with Billy Tan Colorist: Steve Firchow, John Starr, and Matt Milla Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy's Chris Eliopoulos Assistant Editors: Stephanie Moore & Cory Sedlmeier Editor: Mike Marts Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley I'm holding out hope for "Here Comes Tomorrow." I'll confess a certain love for post-apocalyptical literature, particularly when it's as riddled with Biblical allusion as "Surrender the Starlit City." I really want this storyline to work, because it's a favorite sci-fi subgenre of mine, and last issue's setup was pretty rich and textured. However, "Surrender the Starlit City," the second chapter in Grant Morrison's big finale, comes up short in quite a few ways. Partially, this is due to the issues status as largely one of setting up for later events. Not much happens in "Surrender the Starlit City," save that the X-Men prepare for war, the Beast pontificates, and we see how the Proud People died. Obviously, the first two events have the upmost importance to the story, and the audience is naturally going to be a bit more interested in those developments, due to long-standing ties with some of the major characters. The latter event, however, is problematic. The Proud People flashback is problematic because it involves characters the audience has not seen, introduced for the sole purpose of dying. It is fully possible the death of the Proud People comes into play in the latter part of "Here Comes Tomorrow." Their sacrifice could certainly be a key event, making some sort of flashback necessary. The problem with the flashback sequence is in its execution. It just doesn't work. The characters involved, save Tom Skylark, have not been developed, and exist solely as a collection of neat looking religious iconography. There is no indication of who the Proud People are. Are they humans? Mutants? Technologists? Aliens? Angels? Devils? Gods? A minor point, to be sure, but just answering that would develop them into something tangible. As they stand, they are a collection of interesting visuals with a few cool names that die, with ramifications already and suitably covered last issue. The scenes at the new Institute are a little more interesting, as Tom Skylark tries to get intimate with EVA and Cassandra Nova prepares for war. Morrison's decision to bring back Nova strikes me as an good move. It implies Xavier recognized the limitations of mortal frailty, and used those resources at his advantage to maintain a purity of his dream beyond his mortal death. Which is actually quite good characterization of a character who is presumably over a century deceased. The Skylark/EVA stuff is more throwaway, as it seems unnecessary for us to be informed that Skylark "very good with machines," if the subtext can be made anymore textual. It is a humorous little exchange, the thematic thrust of which I can see being picked up again before the end, but a little creepy nonetheless. The final scene brings the reader back into the Beast's Transatlantis lair. I think the Beast scene is where this issue is most successful, because it simultaneously brings us back to the main thrust of the story, the battle between the two camps over the Phoenix Egg while adding more of the weird futuristic stuff that made last issue so fun to read. The audience is introduced to "feeders," brain-like organisms that feed off brains and/or thoughts, whose genetics the Beast is thinking of coding into his next generation of Crawlers. Meanwhile, heat-vision enhanced Crawlers incubate the Phoenix Egg, which hatches, releasing an old friend. There is also a little final page revelation that should provide for some interesting second-half developments, but which in the greater story of Morrison's run certain needed explaining anyway. I'm struck by how neatly "Here Comes Tomorrow" might end up tying up Morrison's run. The Biblical symbolism and allusion is pretty heavy, particularly with the Beast and his legion of demons. However, as a result, the dialogue can be even more disjointed than is normal for Morrison's stories. I suspect it's an attempt to mimic more revelatory, apocalyptic, and prophetic speech patterns and structures, so it works for the most part. Still, while I have never actually been bothered by Morrison's more casual construction of conversation--it strikes me as how real people talk, in one or two sections of the book, I did wonder if speech bubbles were missing (Tom Skylark and EVA's conversation was particularly guilty of feeling incomplete). I am less impressed with Marc Silvestri's art this issue. It feels looser than last issue's offering, which I found made it much more difficult to follow. Similarly, some of his page layouts were more confusing than last month (I'm struck, particularly, by the creators' decision to stick Wolverine directly in the center of the very moody Three-In-One vision of the apocalypse, which makes pretty much the entire page not work in my mind). However, his interpretation of the Morrison characters and designs remain stellar. Nova, in particular, retains her essential character, and Silvestri's vision of her manages to be, in places, even creepier than the versions seen during "E is for Extinction" and "Imperial." "Surrender the Starlit City" is only the middle chapter of a "Here Comes Tomorrow," so I remain optimistic about the storyline as a whole. There are a few interesting ideas around the edges of this book, and the course Morrison seems to be setting will hopefully be fascinating. However, there is definitely a feel of stretching for story here. Not much plot advancement, and not much exploration of the world Morrison's created, either. A stylish disappointment, but a disappointment regardless. ART: 2.5 STORY: 2.5 OVERALL: 2.5 UNCANNY X-MEN #438 Reviewer: Scott Williams, yoda905@yahoo.com Quick Rating: Below Average Story Title: She Lies with Angels, part 2 of 5 Now old desire doth in his death-bed lie / And young affection gapes to be his heir / That fair for which love groan'd for and would die / With tender Juliet match'd, is now not fair. (Romeo & Juliet, Act II, Prologue) Written by: Chuck Austen Pencils: Salvador Larocca Inks: Danny Miki Colors: Udon Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Rus Wooton Assistant Editor: Cory Sedlmeier & Stephanie Moore Editor: Mike Marts Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley In the words of my grade school principal, "I'm not upset, just disappointed." It's no secret that all great writers look to the Bard for inspiration, and even adapt his work into a new setting. Sondheim achieved great critical acclaim for "West Side Story," as both a Broadway Musical and a feature film. Baz Luhrman made that inexplicable "Romeo + Juliet" film a few years back with Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Those were the exact same story as Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," only (very thinly) disguised. And I cannot fault Austen, not at all, for tapping this well. After all, as the old saying goes, "If you're going to steal, steal from the best." And of course, he has stolen from one of the most touching, heartbreaking, and well-known stories ever known. My problem is that the adaptation takes and takes without giving anything back, without offering anything new to anyone who has actually seen or read the play. Not long ago, I studied the play in Grade 10 English class. It hasn't been long enough for me to even forget some of the more minute details of the play which make it into this book. No points for recognizing names like "Julia," "Rosalinda," or even "Abe." I'm surprised Josh's friend wasn't named "Ben" or something. When Austen steals, it is with all the subtlety and nuance of a baseball bat to the skull. What he adds to the story is another matter entirely. He makes the story his own (more or less) by adding one notable difference; Josh and Julia were childhood friends at one point, 7 or 8 years ago, who had a bit of a thing for each other, and somehow, it remained the most important event in either of their lives to this day. Strange, for such a life-affirming event, they managed to forget each others' last names! Not only that, but they both just happen to be - gasp - from the feuding families of Guthrie and Cabot! Oh yeah, I can feel that baseball bat now. This is paired with a related subplot, that was not really in "Romeo & Juliet," about the Police Sheriff's crush on Mrs. Guthrie, though he is helping the Cabots poison her family. This makes no sense to me whatsoever, and I'm sure it'll become a hot topic of debate in the message board following this review. While the Prince in "R & J" was a neutral figure looking out for the benefit of his people at the expense of the Capulets & Montegues, the Sheriff seems to be allied with the Cabots, though he likes the Guthries more and switches to their side at the end. Rather than let them fight it out themselves, or mutually punish them, he helps them both. Or maybe just the one side. He's so duplicitous it's hard to keep track. Meanwhile, Josh and Julia recite layman's version of the hands/saints/lips dialogue between Romeo and Juliet upon their first meeting. Something must have been lost in the translation. In the original, Juliet teased Romeo, and led him on, into the kiss. Here, Julia lies down and invites him over. At the end, he sets off to fly to her place, where I can no doubt expect some crude adaptation of the famous balcony scene. There is even a line in Act II Scene II where Romeo proclaims "With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;" and I shudder to think about that and the many other lines which will inevitably become fodder for Austen's clunky romance story. If you think it's unfair for me to compare this book so directly to the original, speak no more. This story is such a direct adaptation of the play - not just the overall "star-crossed lovers" theme - that it's only fair for me to compare it to the original. Salvador Larocca's pencil work is awe-inspiring indeed. While many don't care for Udon's colours on his work, I do. It fits the more graceful subject matter, whereas Liqiuid! Was better for the action- packed X-treme. Sadly, there's nothing that I find particularly of note in this issue, art-wise. Some of the people are very well-drawn, and other faces are perhaps too exaggerated. Was it a good idea to adapt Romeo & Juliet into the X-Universe? I cannot say for sure until part 5 has finished, but my instinct tells me no, at least, not in this way. Austen jams his X-Team into the story right at the end, presumably to set up a conflict between Guthries + X- Men and Cabots + Sheriff. Yeah, that should be a fair fight. Why couldn't we be given, instead of this, Morrison adapting "Othello" over in New? STORY: 2 ART: 3.5 OVERALL: 2.5 X-TREME X-MEN #40 Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@comixfan.cjb.net Quick Rating: Great Story Title: Prisoner of Fire, part 1 It's the beginning of the end for the X-Treme team! Written by: Chris Claremont Cover by: Salvador Larroca Penciled by: Igor Kordey Inked by: Greg Adams Colors by: Liquid! Letters by: Rus Wooton Assistant Editor: Stephanie Moore Editor: Mike Marts Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley Um, no. Dear Marvel, I don't recall giving you permission to cancel X-Treme X-Men and I am very distressed that you did not at least consult with me, the reviewer, on such an important decision. Your rash act has now lessened the pool of books I review and I'm treating this as a black mark on our relationship. Further to that, it's a great book and I don't care how great whatever else it is you've got coming to fill the void as it isn't X-Treme X-Men and you are, therefore, a bunch of p****s. Sincerely, Eric J. Moreels Now, I don't normally condone that sort of language, but in just this one case I tend to agree with our esteemed EIC. Despite the fact that we've had insider info on this move for a while it still comes as something of a shock given how high the title has routinely placed in best-seller lists. Sometimes, though, to ensure the highest quality you get rid of the quantity... that explanation not do it for you? Me neither. Still, there are ups and downs to this. An up is that the most expensive of the X-Men titles will no longer be taking a giant bite out of my wallet each month. The down is that this unique group of characters and their just-beginning story will be lost. I'm sure Claremont will pick up the threads inspired by his 'Prisoner of Fire' arc and the beginnings of the X.S.E. once he starts Uncanny X- Men this May, but you have to also look at the big picture which will have a whole new world of characters re-opened to him and other tales that might be more appealing at this point in time. We'll just have to wait and see. On the other hand, it's nice to have Claremont return to the one title that is undeniably his. After all, Claremont is coming up on nearly thirty years worth of tales for the X-Men and it seems only fitting that he returns to the mantle of the ship he steered into comic history. With his current effort, 'Prisoner of Fire' you can see that Claremont has lost none of his lust or love for the characters or for adventure itself. In some ways, this issue is a bit toned down and relaxed, but it also gives us some of the characters most human moments in months. Cannonball for instance waxes philosophical on his sister's costume and her current relationship with Archangel. In fact, there's a great deal of good-natured ribbing of the current team going on which leads one to wonder if this is an unconscious reaction on Claremont's part to Chuck Austen's writing? I just realized that while Claremont frequently mentions what's happening in Grant Morrison's New X-Men that Austen's Uncanny X-Men has only now been mentioned. But that's the conspiracy theorist in me. Other great moments come with a bit more exposition on Bishop's character and his tortured past. Bishop still needs to lighten up considerably before he blows his head out his rear, but you can at least begin to understand why he is the way he is. Flashbacks to his future past and his battle with Revenant and her gang all works wonderfully to give Bishop his time in the spotlight. I'll admit that I got the most guilty pleasure of out seeing Gambit and Rogue finally act as a proper couple in love should act. Lots of affection, fun and teasing. Rogue seems to suggest at one point that the two of them have yet to become intimate, but to my mind that happened a while ago... just before Uncanny X-Men #350 during the trial of Gambit. At least that's what my inner fanboy prefers. Other great moments come through in this issue with Sunspot and Magma showing up, Sage going all computerized and the reasons for Marie's continued presence with the group all explained.... It's just a damn shame that all of this has to be wrapped up in six more issues. It was just getting good. Igor Kordey's art this issue takes a couple of steps backwards in my opinion. During the Bishop flashback, for instance, the colors and art made it hard to figure out what was going on in Bishop's mind and who the characters were that he was fighting. That LOOKED like Cable in one of the pics, but a few others were confusing. Maybe it was just the coloring. The rest of the issue works quite well between Claremont and Kordey and I hope they can keep up the magic until the bittersweet end of X-Treme X-Men. PS. Eric J. Moreels didn't ACTUALLY write that letter, nor was it ever sent out. It's just satire, people. PPS. I've been reviewing this title since issue #5. Scary, huh? ART: 3.5 STORY: 4.0 OVERALL: 4.0 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] Rich's Reviews Richard Vasseur richardv@sympatico.ca [Rich has been collecting comic books for about 25 years. He belongs to two comicbook clubs Jazma and ORCA. He has been writing reviews for Jazma's paper newletter for about 2 years and has his own review page at www.jazmaonline.com] Title: The Incredible Hulk # 65 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Bruce Jones Artist: Mike Deodato Jr Price: $ 2.25 US, $ 3.25 Can Comments: Hasn't Marvel learned clones are a mistake. Now the Betty Ross we have been following is a clone. That kind of cheapens the character. You don't care quite as much what happens to them. Plus you feel cheated because you were led to believe they were the genuine article. There are clones everywhere even a Banner clone which doesn't last to long once the Hulk gets his hands on him he squishes the Banner clone. The Hulk has on many occasions wanted to destroy Banner so he got to live out a dream even if it was only a clone. This comic is to much cloak and dagger. Its fine for awhile but we need more action. We need an opponent who can go toe to toe with the Hulk. I sure hope we don't get a Hulk clone. The art is great even though it is a bit dark. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Hulk to. He is only shown on one page. The Hulk is big and brooding but the whole comic book doesn't have to be. We could use a lighthearted issue. This comic is so serious. Title: Captain America # 22 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Robert Morales Pencils & Colors: Chris Bachalo Inks: Tim Townsend Price: $ 2.99 US, $ 4.25 Can Comments: It is good to see Steve with a girlfriend. He can always use some down time to enjoy the freedoms he is always fighting for. Rebecca seems good for him. Now he is in Cuba to serve on a military jury. The military base where the trial is being held has lots of interesting personal posted there. The General wants the accused convicted. His lawyer just wants a fair trial. Tempers have already started flaring. It was great seeing Steve dump the General in the water not once but twice. It was funny when his girlfriend called and he pretended she was some high up in the government maybe even the President. The lawyer knew who was really on the phone. It was nice to seeing a lawyer being portrayed as good, this guy is likeable. Captain America's costume is been shown as a lot more realistic than it is in other comics. He has pouches in his belt like a soldier does. You can see the links of his chain metal vest. It is great to see him drawn like this. Title: The End: Wolverine # 2 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Paul Jenkins Artist: Claudio Castellini Price: $ 2.99 US, $ 4.25 Can Comments: Who is that guy with the glowing red eyes and the body made out of snow? He beats Wolverine pretty easily. It looks as if this creature might just be a figment of Logan's mind. He's beating himself up maybe because he is tired of living. This ageing Wolverine is well portrayed. At two hundred and ten he's doing pretty good. Is it an act though? Is his mind as sharp as ever? The story does get you thinking and wondering what really is going on. Is the Weapon X program after him? You are kept guessing. Paul Jenkins does know how to give the readers just what they want. Claudio Castellini delivers on the art. This is exactly how you would picture an ageing Wolverine to look. Graying hair, wrinkles and a slouch. And he is still the best at what he does. Title: Batman: Death And The Maidens # 6 Publisher: DC Writer: Greg Rucka Artist: Klaus Janson Price: $ 2.95 US, $ 4.50 Can Comments: Bruce continues his visit with his dead parents. They don't seem to really approve of his lifestyle or his persona of Batman. They wish he could have a happy life. Maybe he could have if he had used his money and intelligence to pursue a different life. He could have been a doctor like his father, maybe a teacher or even President. He could have given Lex a run for his money. But Bruce made his choice and he will never change. Bruce or rather Batman does what he does so no one has to go through the pain he did as a 8 year old boy when his parents were brutally gunned down in front of him. His parents said he could have saved lives by choosing another profession such as a doctor. But he has saved lives. He has saved the world many times over. Can you imagine a world without a Batman! The art is a casual style but quit dramatic when it shows Batman. He does strike fear into criminals as well as law abiding citizens. I didn't like having Ra's refer to Alfred as a lackey. Alfred is much more than that. Alfred may keep his station and place but he is part of the family. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.jazmaonline.com/ He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] SPOILER WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN MAY REVEAL SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF THE PLOTS OF SOME COMIC BOOKS, OR THE ENTIRE STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Name: Boys Over Flowers 1 Publisher: Sojo - Viz Graphic Novel Story and Art: Yoko Kamio Price: $9.95 Comments: Hmmm...let's see, this is more of a girly book than a guy's kind of book. You won't see gun battles like in the movie Once Upon a Time In Mexico. Nope, no Antonio Banderas here. What you will find is that the main character Tsukushi Makino has been accepted into the prestigious Eitoku Academy. Tsukushi has this friend who falls head over heals with a guy named Tsukasa Domyoji...man, I hope I get these names right...geesh! Anyway Tsukasa Domyoji is the leader of a club called F4. F4 is a club for rich, powerful and handsome boys. When Tsukushi Makino interferes she finds a red tag in her locker, this means she will be bullied by other students throughout her school year. Tsukushi becomes the heroine and stands up to her oppressors. Great black and white manga artwork and the story is pretty dramatic, but it's still a girly kind of book. Name: Fake Publisher: Tokyo Pop Story and Art: Sanami Matoh Price: $9.99 Comments: Just finished watching movies with titles like: Ringu, The Eye and Hunting Humans. Each story was very scary in its own unique way. Well, Fake is sort of scary, especially when two New York cops named Ryo and Dee go on this very nice vacation and discover a corpse. Then things take a hairier turn, when the local cops start questioning Ryo and Dee on this crime. Do the local cops think they did the crime? Things get worse when 4 other people are found dead and when Dee takes Ryo to the orphanage in which he was raised at, they discover that the nun that raised Ryo has been killed by a bomb blast. Now it's up to Dee to try and stop Ryo from seeking retaliation in this brutal murder! Yep, things can get a bit intense and scary in this story. I liked this one! Name: Too Much Coffee Man #19 Publisher: Shannon Wheeler Price: $4.95 Contact Information: swheeler@tmcm.com Comments: Like always Too Much Coffee Man has a bunch of funny stories. I loved it when Espresso Guy goes to Hell and finds a way out. Then the story of the future self warning his present self about a relationship that he should avoid at all costs. But the present self who hasn't gotten any for awhile is only thinking of sex and when your 17 all the warnings in the world can't stop the hormones from taking over! When I was 16 my very first girlfriend was named Rachel Nunez and I would hitchhike from San Bruno to Big Sur on Highway #1 to be with her at her father's ranch called the Sanchez Adobe Ranch. I learned to ride horses at this ranch, but to spend some time with this hot chick, I had to shovel horse manure all day long, just to get a one hour ride into the hills with this girl. After awhile I got tired of it and went after a loose chick named Bonnie Fee. I was 16 and let my own hormones get in the way. Oh well. Well, I must say that this was one of the best TMCM covers ever! TMCM should be a Hollywood movie! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [16] New Series Diamond Comics Distributors This list contains every comic or magazine with a #1 or #0 issue in Previews this month, allowing you to find new series quickly and easily! The list is arranged by publisher, and offers you the item code, title, and Previews page number for each item in question. Please note that the items on this product page may not be available at every store. Ask your retailer for more information when you order. Directions: 1) Print out this product page 2) Take this product page to your local comic book specialty store near you, and ask them to order the item(s) you want. 3) If you cannot find a store near you, check the Comic Shop Locator Service at 1-888-COMIC-BOOK or at http://csls.diamondcomics.com Publisher/Item Code Previews Page# Title DARK HORSE COMICS FEB040016 18 SHI JU NEN #1 (Of 4) FEB040017 20 EL ZOMBO #1 (Of 3) FEB040018 22 STEVE RUDE THE MOTH #1 DC COMICS FEB040228 94 BATMAN HARLEY & IVY #1 (Of 3) FEB040254 99 ENGINEHEAD #1 (Of 8) FEB040257 100 FRACTION #1 FEB040282 104 TOUCH #1 FEB040301 107 BITE CLUB #1 (Of 6) IMAGE COMICS FEB041305 133 BAD IDEAS #1 (Of 2) FEB041332 148 NYC MECH #1 FEB041348 158 MADGALENA VOL 2 METAL CVR #1 FEB041349 158 MADGALENA VOL 2 METAL CVR SGN #1 FEB041357 163 STRYKEFORCE #1 (Of 5) MARVEL COMICS FEB041558 0 MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #1 FEB041560 3 DAREDEVIL FATHER #1 (Of 5) FEB041561 5 SPIDER-MAN #1 FEB041576 23 ULTIMATES VOL 2 #1 AC COMICS FEB042030 194 FEMFORCE FRIENDS COLOR PACK #1 ALCHEMY TEXTS FEB042051 198 ARMAGEDDON PATROL FIRST MISSION #1 (Of 3) (MR) AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) FEB042072 200 GHOULY BOYS #1 ANTARCTIC PRESS FEB042089 204 ANGELS 750 #1 (Of 9) FEB042091 205 DICTATORS HITLER #1 (Of 4) (C: 3) ANTIMATTER / HOFFMAN INTERNATIONAL FEB042107 206 MADAME TARANTULA #1 (Of 5) APC FEB042113 208 DARKHAM VALE PX REMARKED #1 (C: 2) AVATAR PRESS FEB042129 214 STARGATE SG1 POW TEALC PHOTO CVR #1 (Net) FEB042131 214 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS NECROMANCER #1(MR) FEB042132 214 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS NECROMANCER WRAP CVR #1 BLACK BOAR PRESS FEB042159 215 SPRINGHEELED JACK #1 (Of 3) BROCCOLI INTERNATIONAL USA INC FEB042177 219 AQUARIAN AGE JUVENILE ORION GN #1 (C: 3) COMIC CAVALCADE FEB042198 224 STARGATE SG1 POW DRAKE PAINTED CVR #1 DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING FEB042289 254 HACK SLASH #1 (MR) DYNAMIC FORCES FEB042323 263 DF DAREDEVIL FATHER SGN #1 (C: 2) FEB042326 264 DF SPIDER-MAN MILLAR SGN #1 (C: 2) FEB042327 264 DF SPIDER-MAN DODSON SGN #1 (C: 2) FEB042328 264 DF SPIDER-MAN 9.6 CGC GRADED #1 FEB042334 264 DF SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN STAN LEE SGN #1 (C: 2) FEB042353 265 DF BATMAN HARLEY & IVY SGN #1 (C: 2) FEB042354 265 DF BATMAN HARLEY & IVY REMARKED #1 (C: 4) EROS COMIX FEB042402 273 SPANISH CONQUEST #1 (A) (C: 3) IDW PUBLISHING FEB042468 280 ALEISTER ARCANE #1 (MR) FEB042474 286 DRACULAS REVENGE #1 (MR) FEB042475 286 GEORGE ROMEROS DAWN OF THE DEAD #1 (MR) MOONSTONE FEB042500 290 MONTE MOORES BLOODLINES #1 NEW ENGLAND COMICS FEB042546 295 WW2 PRESENTS TOBRUK #1 (C: 3) OBION COMICS FEB042549 295 ALONG THE CANADIAN #1 (Of 6) ONI PRESS INC. FEB042551 296 BLUE MONDAY PAINTED MOON #1 (Of 4) (MR) RADIO COMIX FEB042581 300 SPACE RACE #1 (O/A) SADDLE TRAMP PRESS FEB042590 302 AMERICAN AMORISTS ASSOCIATION HANDBOOK #1 SIRIUS ENTERTAINMENT FEB042599 306 MARK CRILLEYS BEAST THAT ATE MORIOKA #1 VIPER COMICS FEB042714 320 DEAD AT 17 BLOOD OF SAINTS #1 (Of 4) (MR) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [17] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage chuck@comiclist.com http://www.comiclist.com New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 2/04/2004, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the *preliminary* list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Tuesday evening, at http://www.comiclist.com and other places. You can receive this list each Tuesday via email by following the instructions at the web site, or you can email NCRL-subscribe@egroups.com PLEASE NOTE- Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. Let CHARLES know if any of the names or numbers are wrong. chuck@comiclist.com (Charles LePage) PUBLISHERS: If you know when your comics are going to be available through Diamond, please email chuck@comiclist.com so that he can place your comics on the appropriately dated list. Thanks! "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS DARK HORSE COMICS Crush #3, $2.99 Fused #2, $2.99 Super Manga Blast #38, $5.99 Usagi Yojimbo #72, $2.99 DC COMICS Batman City Of Light #5 (Of 8), $2.95 Coup Detat Sleeper #1 (Of 4), $2.95 Detective Comics #791, $2.75 Hard Time #1, $2.50 Justice League Adventures #28, $2.25 Lobo Unbound #5 (Of 6) (resolicited), $2.95 Looney Tunes #111, $2.25 Lovecraft HC, $24.95 Monolith #1, $3.50 My Faith In Frankie #2 (Of 4), $2.95 Plastic Man #3, $2.95 Robotech Invasion #2 (Of 5), $2.95 Sandman Presents Thesaly Witch For Hire #1 (Of 4), $2.95 Superman Birthright #7 (Of 12), $2.95 Tom Strongs Terrific Tales #9, $2.95 Y The Last Man #19, $2.95 IMAGE COMICS Frankenstein Mobster Oeming Cvr B #2, $2.95 Frankenstein Mobster Wheatley Cvr A #2, $2.95 Sam And Twitch #26, $2.50 MARVEL COMICS Exiles #42, $2.99 Fantastic Four Vol 3 Authoritative Action TPB, $12.99 Hulk Unchained #2 (Of 3) (Pu#602), $2.99 Inhumans #9, $2.99 Punisher Vol 6 Confederacy Of Dunces TPB, $13.99 Runaways #11, $2.99 Supreme Power #7, $2.99 Thanos #6, $2.99 Ultimate Spider-Man #53, $2.25 Uncanny X-Men #439, $2.25 Wolverine Captain America #1, $2.99 X-Men Unlimited #1, $2.99 X-Treme X-Men #41, $2.99 Other comics (from Diamondcomics.com shipping list) ALIEN NINE EMULATORS VOL 1 GN $9.99 ARCHIE AND FRIENDS #80 $2.19 AYA #2 ZERO TOLERANCE $2.95 AZUMANGA DAIOH MANGA VOL 3 TP $9.99 BABYSITTER #3 (Of 3) $3.50 BE A MAN #1 $3.00 BETTY #135 $2.19 BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #145 $2.39 BOYS OVER FLOWERS VOL 4 TP HANA YORI DANGO $9.95 BRIAN PULIDO LADY DEATH #11 $2.95 CHANNEL ZERO JENNIE ONE GN $9.95 COURTNEY CRUMRIN IN THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM #2 (Of 4) $2.99 DEADBEATS #63 $2.50 DONALD DUCK ADVENTURES IN COLOR #4 $8.95 DRAGONLANCE THE LEGEND OF HUMA BENNETT CVR #1 $2.95 DRAGONLANCE THE LEGEND OF HUMA MILLER CVR #1 $2.95 EDGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY ED MCKEAN CVR ED (RES) $19.95 EDGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY ED STERANKO CVR ED (RES) $19.95 FULL METAL PANIC MANGA VOL 3 TP $9.99 FUTURAMA COMICS #16 $2.99 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #101 $3.59 LOVE FIGHTS #7 (MR) $2.99 MERIDIAN #43 $2.95 RAKAN #2 DEN OF THIEVES (OF 2) $2.95 ROUTE 666 #20 $2.95 RPG WORLD VOL 1 TP $9.95 SHONEN JUMP VOL 2 #3 MAR 2004 $4.99 THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE VOL 3 #1 $2.95 YU YU HAKUSHO VOL 3 TP $7.95 ComicList for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD NEW DARK HORSE COMICS Star Wars Greedo Mini Bust 11/12 02/25 DC COMICS Arrowsmith #6 01/21 02/18 Global Frequency #12 09/24 02/25 Smax #5 01/21 02/18 Superman/Batman #6 01/21 02/11 Two-Step #3 12/10 02/11 IMAGE COMICS Alternation #1 Cvrs. A-B 02/18 Big Bang Comics: Round Table of America #1 02/18 Casefiles: Sam and Twitch #8 02/18 Clockmaker Act II 02/04 02/25 Darkness Vol. II #7 01/07 02/11 Darkness Vol. II #8 Reg./SGN 03/10 Darkness: Resurrection TP 02/18 Hawaiian Dick: Last Resort #1 01/28 02/18 Heavens Devils #3 02/11 Hedge Knight #3 Cvrs. A-B 01/21 02/11 Hellspawn #17 01/31 02/25 Invincible #9 02/18 Jack Staff #5 01/28 02/18 Kabuki: The Alchemy #1 02/18 Kabuki: The Alchemy #1 Free Print Incentive 02/18 Legacy #4 Cvrs. A-B 01/21 02/11 Manic One-shot 02/18 Mythstalkers #8 02/18 Powers Vol. VI: Sellouts TP 02/18 PvP #6 01/28 02/11 PvP Vol. I: Dork Ages TP 02/18 Rotogin: Junkbotz #4 02/04 02/25 Sam & Twitch #26 01/28 02/25 Savage Dragon #116 04/07 Trakk: Monster Hunter #2 Cvrs. A-B 02/04 02/25 MARVEL COMICS ACTOR Presents Spider-Man/Incredible Hulk #1 02/11 03/03 Ant-Man #2 01/28 02/11 Crimson Dynamo #6 02/11 02/18 Essential Punisher Vol. 1 TP 02/04 02/11 Inhumans #10 02/11 02/18 New Mutants #10 01/28 02/25 New Mutants #11 02/18 03/03 New Mutants #9 01/21 02/11 NYX #4 02/04 03/17 NYX #5 (RES) 03/17 04/28 Spider-Man/Dr. Octopus: Negative Exposure #5 02/11 02/18 Ultimates #13 (RES) 01/28 02/11 Weapon X #18 02/11 02/18 Weapon X #19 02/18 02/25 Weapon X #20 02/25 03/03 Wolverine: The End #3 02/25 02/18 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [18] HYPE! & LINKS Section Various THIS WEEK'S LINKS These are the website URLS to things mentioned in this issue: The regular items that are usually there every week or two: World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Yahoo Group CBEM http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem Trivia sponsors: Discount Comic Book Service http://www.dcbservice.com That's Entertainment http://www.thatse.com News: Diamond Comics http://www.diamondcomics.com Marvel http://www.Marvel.com The PULSE http://www.comicon.com/pulse/ Comics Continuum http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: Newsarama http://www.Newsarama.com/ X-Fan http://www.comixfan.com/xfan Zentertainment http://WWW.zentertainment.com The Comic Wire http://www.comicbookresources.com/ DC Comics http://www.dccomics.com ICV2 http://www.ICV2.com The SCOOP! http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/ Alternative Comics http://www.indyworld.com/altcomics CrossGen Comics http://www.crossgen.com All The Rage http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com Lying in the Gutters http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/ Columns: Tim O'Shea http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com Paul Howley http://www.thatse.com X-Fan Reviews http://www.comixfan.com/xfan Paul Dale Roberts http://www.jazmaonline.com/ Richard Vasseur http://www.jazmaonline.com/ Craig Lemon http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com Rich Watson www.revampscripts.com/board/Rich_Watson.shtml Jonathan A. Gilbert http://www.twmgrafix.com Michael Vance http://www.starland.com/sus Mark Allen Sarah Haslett http://www.HeroRealm.com Alex Ness http://www.Popthought.com New Comics Releases http://www.comiclist.com and the rest of the links this week: Cyberosia Publishing http://www.cyberosia.com Dark Horse Publishing http://www.darkhorse.com Rock Bottom http://brooklynborn.com Archie Comics www.archiecomics.com Astonish Comics www.theastonishfactory.com CHUD (Global Frequency)http://www.chud.com/news/jan04/jan29global.php3 Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art www.moccany.org HARVEY AWARDS www.harveyawards.com Mike Gagnon http://www.lightningstrike.ca/gagnon UK WEB COMIX THING 2004 http://www.ukwebcomixthing.co.uk/ The Nice Guy http://www.theniceguycomic.com Detroit www.ci.detroit.mi.us Green Brain Comics www.greenbrain.biz WHFR www.whfr.fm The Heidelberg Project www.heidelberg.org Matt Feazell members.aol.com/cynicalman Sean Bieri www.dimestoreproductions.com/Catalogs/SeanBieri/index.asp Suzanne Baumann www.fridge-mag.net Motor City Con www.motorcityconventions.com/motor_city_comic_con/ The Citizen http://hamfolks.com/the_citizen.html Geek Punk www.geekpunk.com +++++ PREVIEW OF PREVIEWS Diamond has updated their web site for the new PREVIEWS out this week. Writer/Ad Coordinator Vince Brusio is the designated editorial writer for Previews' "The Splash Page" which is our source material Quesada Comes Full-Circle On Daredevil Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti started the monster that was Marvel Knights at the end of the 20th century. At the beginning of their tenure for the Marvel imprint, they produced the re-launched Daredevil series, written by Kevin Smith, and illustrated by Quesada. This comic would help define the success that Quesada and Palmiotti would later have with Marvel Knights, as the upstart began to steamroll towards the new millennium. Quesada was initially behind the helm of 1998's Daredevil as an artist. But with the series Daredevil: Father, he serves as both writer and artist. Yes, Marvel's Editor-in-Chief has full control of ol' Hornhead for a 5-issue mini-series that'll prove why Quesada is the main man! Details? As always, Marvel plays everything close to the vest. After all, that's what keeps the suspense fever-pitch! But what we do know is that Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, has to contend with a serial killer in weather hot enough to cook pizzas under car windshields. Imagine: in the blistering, peeling summer heat, a man with murder on his mind lurks about for an unsuspecting piece of flesh. He is alert. Quick. And hungry. And he's good at not getting caught. What is a costumed do-gooder supposed to do so that a pile of bodies isn't seen littering the streets? Should you become a monster to catch a monster? In DD's case, the answer doesn't come easy. But then, being Daredevil has never been easy! Look for Daredevil: Father #1 from Marvel Comics in the Premiere section of Previews! Shi Returns in Shi: Ju Nen #1 Know your comic history? Crusade Entertainment unveiled Shi in what year? 1994? And did you know that Shi actually first appeared in Razor Annual #1? So you ask, why are we so interested in the background of Billy Tucci's famous sword-wielding beauty? There's fireworks in the clouds tonight, folks, as the announcement comes that Dark Horse will be celebrating Shi's 10th Anniversary with a new Tucci series! On sale soon is Shi: Ju-Nen #1, written and illustrated by Shi creator, Billy Tucci. The series takes our beloved Ana Ishikawa to her native Japan, where she tries to avert an all-out war between the secretive sects of the Kyoto and Nara Sohei. Men who place their pride before their conscience are the enemy! Take such blindness, and mix it into a salad bowl where the Yakuza are the chestnuts, and you see that a deadly combination of attitudes can bring unwanted death. Unnecessary death. So Ana must don her grandfather's Kabuki face paint, and save both cities with the help of her father's.murderer! Look for Shi: Ju-Nen #1 from Dark Horse Comics in the Premiere section of Previews! Walt Owes It All To Mickey Mickey Mouse receives credit for launching Walt Disney's animation career in 1928, and Walt himself was known for saying " I hope that we never lose site of one thing: that it was all started by a Mouse." Humble beginnings, of course, is where we find the origin of Mickey Mouse. He was not even known as "Mickey" in his first appearance on an animated short. The world would call him "Steamboat Willie" in the same-titled cartoon that debuted on November 19, 1928, at the Colony Theatre in New York. This film also featured the first appearance of Minnie Mouse, and it was the world's first use of fully synchronized sound in cartoons. Oh, how the mouse has grown up since those early years, when Walt barely had enough money for a meal. Now, Mickey Mouse is an international symbol of innocence and childhood happiness. And the Mickey Mouse 75th Celebration Collection Card Set helps to define the scope of Walt Disney's legacy, and where Mickey stands in pop culture history today. This set from Upper Deck sees 30 new shorts added to the 45 "Filmography Cards" from the first Disney Treasures Mickey Mouse series. Additionally, all new designs have been created especially for this set that also features a collectible "Walt Disney Cut Signature" card! Look for Upper Deck's Mickey Mouse 75th Celebration Collection Card Set in the Trading Cards section of Previews! The Ultimate Throwdown Scott McCloud is known for giving us the thick comprehensive reference books, Understanding Comics, and Reinventing Comics. It goes without saying that the man lives, breathes, and eats comic books. So the question arises, is there anyone else out in the field that's equally hardcore about the medium? And what if Scott were to throw down the gauntlet, and say "I dare you to burn the midnight oil with me!" Who would arise to such a challenge, and show Mr. McCloud that he is not alone in his mental comics warehouse? Out of the blue, fresh from a notepad with ideas and brainstorms, comes the 24 Hour Comics Volume 1 TP from About Comics. A work of art in softcover! The direction of this book was simple. A person had to write and draw a complete 24-page comic book in 24 hours. The challenge was met by such luminaries in the field as Neil Gaiman, Steve Bissette, and six others. The results are mindblowing! Look for the cutting edge 24 Hour Comics Volume 1 TP from About Comics in the Comics section of Previews! CLAMP Crossovers If you're a comics fan in the U.S., it's not unusual to read a DC or Marvel comic, and see characters from other books make guest appearances. Crossovers happen all the time. But you wouldn't see too much of this crossover activity in manga. It just wasn't a staple of manga storytelling. Until now. With the arrival of Del Rey's Tsubasa GN, all that is about to change. The crossover craziness takes hold of the initial storyline, and has hero Syaoran and his friends locking horns with other CLAMP characters from books like X, Chobits, and Magic Knight Rayearth." Manga buffs will like how Tsubasa GN is an alternate telling of Cardcaptor Sakura (still CLAMP) which also crosses over with Del Rey's other title XXXholic. The times are a-changin'. And Del Rey proposes to change with the times, introducing new mechanics to its manga titles to bring you fresh, inventive stories that will continue to keep you reading. Look for Tsubasa GN from Del Rey in the Comics section of Previews! Tokyopop Believes in Faeries One of the premiere publishers of high-caliber manga in the U.S., Tokyopop has stepped up its efforts to bring us new and inventive titles like Faeries' Landing by You Hyun. Usually when a new title debuts in Previews, we offer the debut issue, with subsequent issues to appear in the future. But Faerie's Landing has already hit the book shelves, as the title was a Borders Exclusive thru March of 2003. In an effort to bring you up to speed, we're offering three volumes of the series! Why be behind everyone else? Want the dirt on the story? Basically, a chance encounter with a mysterious character named Goodfellow leads Ryang to a town called Fairies Landing. Here, Ryang meets Fanta, a fairy who wants nothing more than to stay with him in the human world. If you read ahead to see what's in store for you in issue #2, you'll note that Ganji, Ryang's third evil affinity, takes center stage. And it is at this point that the love triangle begins to take shape. After all, living with a fairy can be especially trying, but also a blessing as Fanta helps Ryang resolve his rocky relationships with women. Oh, but what is a fairy with a conscience to do? Fanta always feels that yet another one of Ryang's relationships will be doomed to failure! Could it be that the fairy is more involved with Ryang than she cares to admit? Look for volumes 1-3 of Faeries' Landing from Tokyopop in the Comics section of Previews! Something Cooking at Silicon Who says there's a lack of comics for girls? Whoever says it isn't paying attention to the Previews comics section this month. There's a new kid on the block this month, and Silicon Times is out to show us just how diverse comics can be today. There are no super-heroes in The Delicious Seasons Volume 1. No bullets. No scent of blood. Just the scent of food for some hungry tummies. See, author Rainbow Buddy has created a hybrid comic. No, it doesn't run on gasoline and electricity. But what you'll have in your hands will be a combination of story and cookbook. Young girls will find the story of a young college girl who loves cooking intriguing, because the young heroine in the story finds a well-paying job to be personal chef for an extremely picky gentleman. He doesn't appreciate her skills. So she needs to do some convincing! And talk about something completely different! In addition to the story, adults will also love the practical and useful Chinese cooking methods and recipes detailed in this graphic novel series! Look for The Delicious Seasons Volume 1 from Silicon Times in the Comics section of Previews! World's Finest Guard the Brinks Batman and Superman have often bashed a bad guy over the head whenever he attempted a bank robbery. And there's no reason why that shouldn't hold true when you pick up these DC Heroes Bust Banks. Dual purpose furniture? Yeah, that's what we would call these conveniently sized 3 ®" x 8 ®" x 8 ®" busts. Both Batman and Superman are made from roto-cast plastic, and they'll help to protect your loose change, and not get too heavy when you fill them up! Why risk having your coin picked up by sticky fingers? These costumed crime fighters aren't called the World's Finest for nothing! Show your love for the stalwarts of DC Comics by picking up the DC Heroes Bust Banks! Look for them in the Collectibles and Novelties section! Shapely Slasher in Hack If you live in the normal world, where grocery store produce aisles are always cold, french fries are always hot, and video stores never have the latest rental you want, then chances are you'd be worm food for a shuffling zombie sneaking up behind you! But the good thing is that someone who shops for groceries, eats fast food, and watches DVDs isn't afraid to cleave the skulls of those undead maggots. Meet Cassie Hack. She's the big cheese in Hack/Slash #1 from Devil's Due Publishing. Her last name suits her. She is, in fact, the daughter of the notorious Slasher, the "Lunch Lady." So how does Cassie spend her free time? She travels the world with her monstrous partner, Vlad, hunting and destroying Slashers wherever they may be, in whatever form they may take. There's not much time to land a steady boyfriend, but her life isn't boring! From the guy who brought you Lovebunny & Mr. Hell, Tim Seeley has created all kinds of creative ways to kill attractive teenagers that lack good decision making skills! Wade, hip-deep, through undead hamsters, cats, and dogs in Hack/Slash #1 from Devil's Due Publishing! Look for it in the Comics section of Previews! Wolverine Looks Dynamic He may be short, but he carries himself in any crowd. And that means outside of the Great White North too, bub. Wolverine's always been a scrapper, but his true ferocity was revealed in the first Wolverine mini-series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. The story took place in Japan, and incorporated many aspects of Japanese traditions and lifestyles. But what really made the series shine was Frank Miller's artwork. Essentially, it raised the bar higher for what fans could expect from a professional comic book artist. The same magic that illuminated from that series was bottled, stirred, and poured over the DF Wolverine Miller 8-Inch Statuesque Bust. Comics fans will bolt upright in their lounge chairs and spill their espressos when they see how the awe-striking image from Wolverine #1 by Frank Miller was channeled through the hands of Rick Force. Through a strange osmosis, he recreated the image in 3D. And the masterpiece was made complete when it was later painted by Dan Lane. Showing off incredible detail, this 8" tall statue atop an inspired base displays the controlled arrogance of Logan as never before! Look for it from Dynamic Forces in the Comics section of Previews. The Dead Ones Back To Eat Us If you're a horror fan-more precisesly, if you're a gore fan-then you would probably acknowledge that George Romero's Dawn of the Dead was the film that got the ball rolling for the craze of 80s splatter flicks. Dawn of the Dead was a punch in the guts. Literally. After the punch, came the guts. And the zombies slurped up the spaghetti worms with glee. It was revolting. It was great! It made special effects creator Tom Savini a household name. And it's moved IDW Publishing to publish George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead #1 by Steve Niles & Chee. It shouldn't come as a surprise. With their recent slabs of horror hits that include 30 Days of Night, Dark Days, and Wake the Dead, IDW is setting itself up as the formaldehyde king. But the body count comes a little bit closer to touching the ceiling with this latest comic adaptation depicting four mismatched survivors taking refuge inside a shopping mall from a zombie plague that decimates the world around them. Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) pens the tale that acts as the sequel to George A. Romero's early horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. Doing the artwork is none other than the familiar grave digger, Chee (Wake the Dead). All flesh will be eaten! And zombie/gore fans will want to eat their own brains if they miss this ghastly comic which is rendered in full- color! Look for George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead #1 in the Comics section of Previews! Books from the Street There are certain must-have's on your list when you visit a quiet corner book shop. Broaden your niche of "street art" favorites with new books from Ginko Press! Eight and a Half by Eleven HC shows off digital design, photography, and graphitti. The I Love Comics TP explores the lifestyles of comics creators Julie Doucet, Renee French, and others. The Morning Wood TP highlights 'alternative creators' such as Garbage Pail Kids creator John Pound. And Kramer's Ergot offers a full spectrum of strips, abstract art, surreal drawings, and sublime philosophical exploration. Look for them in the Books section! Previews Exclusive Hellsing Apparel Alucard is the main fighter of the Hellsing Agency. A real head buster. With his powers, he can take out almost any foe. In the Hellsing anime, Alucard is paired up with a human from the Catholic Church named Alexander. Is it because that Alexander can regenerate that he and Alucard butt heads? If you're a fan of this duo's whacky chemistry, than you'll love to throw on the Hellsing: Alucard _-Length Sleeve Previews Exclusive T-Shirt. Look for it in the Apparel section of Previews! Backgrounds for Artists If you're an aspiring artist who lives at his drawing pad, you know how helpful it is to have reference material at your fingertips. So don't hesitate, and check out the Deleter Scenery Cut Collections, which offers school, restaurant, or Japanese traditional sceneries - all for you to incorporate into your own manga and anime illustrations! Out of the 3 different sets to choose from, each contains 32 sheets measuring 8" x 12" for a total of 64 illustrations! Look for it in the International section of Previews! Books from the Street There are certain must-have's on your list when you visit a quiet corner book shop. Broaden your niche of "street art" favorites with new books from Ginko Press! Eight and a Half by Eleven HC shows off digital design, photography, and graphitti. The I Love Comics TP explores the lifestyles of comics creators Julie Doucet, Renee French, and others. The Morning Wood TP highlights 'alternative creators' such as Garbage Pail Kids creator John Pound. And Kramer's Ergot offers a full spectrum of strips, abstract art, surreal drawings, and sublime philosophical exploration. Look for them in the Books section! Previews Exclusive Hellsing Apparel Alucard is the main fighter of the Hellsing Agency. A real head buster. With his powers, he can take out almost any foe. In the Hellsing anime, Alucard is paired up with a human from the Catholic Church named Alexander. Is it because that Alexander can regenerate that he and Alucard butt heads? If you're a fan of this duo's whacky chemistry, than you'll love to throw on the Hellsing: Alucard _-Length Sleeve Previews Exclusive T-Shirt. Look for it in the Apparel section of Previews! Backgrounds for Artists If you're an aspiring artist who lives at his drawing pad, you know how helpful it is to have reference material at your fingertips. So don't hesitate, and check out the Deleter Scenery Cut Collections, which offers school, restaurant, or Japanese traditional sceneries - all for you to incorporate into your own manga and anime illustrations! Out of the 3 different sets to choose from, each contains 32 sheets measuring 8" x 12" for a total of 64 illustrations! Look for it in the International section of Previews! Jackman's Van Helsing Collected in Trading Cards You'd probably know him best as Wolverine from the X-Men movies. But actor Hugh Jackman is also the lead character in the horror blockbuster movie Van Helsing! A step up from the old black and white films of the 40s, Van Helsing battles the old Universal Monsters with 21st century special effects magic. And that lightning in a bottle is captured in the Van Helsing Movie Trading Cards from Comic Images! Not only do you get stunning photos from the movie on these cards, but the set also features autographs and memorabilia cards! Look for it in the Trading Cards section of Previews. Chip Away at the Stone Your skills as an artist always have room for improvement. Rule number one: a craftsman never stops learning. And a basic lesson to know is that good finished art starts with a good under drawing. You can't build a house without a foundation! Check out More How to Draw Manga Volume 1 and you'll see in thorough detail how to handle the pencil before the pen ever touches the drawing. Use this book to learn the absolute basics of pencilled artwork, manga style! Look for it in the International section of Previews! Doctor Who Makes the Jump to Comics With a substantial history in BBC programming, Doctor Who has garnered one of the most loyal audiences in television history. And now the good Doctor sets out in his Tardis to conquer the realm of comics, courtesy of the folks from Panini Books! In Doctor Who: Iron Legion GN, readers are treated to fan-favorite stories from the pen of 2000 AD's Pat Mills and John Wagner, with artwork by the legendary Dave Gibbons digitally restored for the 21st century! Look for it in the Comics section of Previews! James Bond Appears in Comics Titan Books has once again mined some gems in the UK to bring them overseas to the West. Fans of James Bond movies can now expect to see the master spy appear in a new line of comics this month. Both the James Bond: Octopussy TP and James Bond: The Man with the Golden Gun SC are faithful adaptations from the stories of author Ian Fleming! As bonuses, the Octopussy book contains background material on the literary history of James Bond, and the Golden Gun book also includes The Living Daylights and a new foreword by Ian Fleming's niece! Look from them in the Comics section! Steranko in the East Comics veteran Jim Steranko has whipped up a maelstrom of kaleidoscopic color to explore the mystery and mythology of the East with the Spawn of the Dragon Print. This top-shelf collectible fuses oriental mysticism, feminine sensuality, exotic weaponry, and perilous intrigue to give you an awesome print on high-quality 18" x 24" acid- free, museum-weight vellum stock, suitable for framing. Also available signed by the artist and limited to 200 copies! Look for it from Vanguard Productions in the Comics section of Previews! Convention Calendar As a service to you, the dedicated Previews reader, we offer this rundown of upcoming events and conventions. SHOW LOCATION DATE Alternative Press Expo (Comic) San Francisco, CA February 21-22 MegaCon 2004 (Comic) Orlando, FL March 5-7 Wizard World Los Angeles (Comic) Long Beach, CA March 19-21 +++++ "Eric J. Moreels" X-WORLD X-CLUSIVE SIGNED EDITIONS TAKE FLIGHT IN MARCH! Alpha Flight #1 Signed Editions Available For Pre-Ordering Now! Portland, OR - January 24, 2004 - The X-Clusive line of signed comic books from X-World Comics are set to take "flight" in March with the arrival of the new Alpha Flight #1! Marking veteran writer Scott Lobdell's return to Marvel Comics, Alpha Flight is shaping up to be a title to watch in '04! Make sure you get in on the ground floor of the third series starring the Canadian heroes with an X-Clusive Signed Edition featuring a signature by fan- favorite series artist Clayton Henry! Limited to only 100 copies in the entire world each, these X-Clusive Signed Editions will each come signed and numbered with a Sealed Certificate of Authenticity for only $24.99, or $14.99 if you pre-order now! Alpha Flight #1 Clayton Henry X-Clusive Signed Edition (due in May): http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=10685 Also now available for pre-ordering are the first two issues of the much-anticipated Avengers/Thunderbolts mini-series by co-writer Fabian Nicieza! Limited to only 25 matching sets in the entire world, this X-Clusive Signed Edition comes signed and numbered with a Sealed Certificate of Authenticity for only $49.99, or $29.99 if you pre- order now! Avengers/Thunderbolts #1-2 Fabian Nicieza X-Clusive Signed Edition (due in May): http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=10686 Last but not least, artist Darick Robertson has signed 50 copies of Wolverine #12 for X-World! Limited to a mere 50 signed copies in the entire world, this X-Clusive Signed Edition comes signed and numbered with a Sealed Certificate of Authenticity for only $22.99, or a low $19.99 if you pre-order now! Wolverine #12 Darick Robertson X-Clusive Signed Edition (due in May): http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=10684 These books are sure to fly onto the secondary market, so head to X- World now to get your copies today! For more X-Clusive Creator Editions from X-World - including Conan #1 signed by writer Kurt Busiek, Wolverine/Captain America #1 signed by writer R.A. Jones & artist Tom Derenick, JSA #56 signed by writer Geoff Johns, Robotech: Invasion #1 signed by writer Jay Faerber, X-Men Unlimited #1 signed by artist Tom Mandrake, Wonder Woman #200 signed by writers Nunzio DiFillipis & Christina Weir, and the complete set of JLA/Avengers #1-4 also signed by Busiek - head to the X-World Comics Web site: http://x- worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=346 +++++ Dark Horse Newsletter v7.1 http://www.darkhorse.com/ Vol. 7, No. 1 January 23, 2004 Lots of cool news this time around... Dark Horse lands Samurai Executioner ("prequel" to Lone Wolf and Cub) and Billy Tucci's Shi, new First Looks for a ton of books, a new 100 Girls strip and more! In this issue: 1. Dark Horse to publish Samurai Executioner 2. New 100 Girls strip online 3. Shi lands at Dark Horse! 4. New First Looks pages posted! 5. New releases from Dark Horse Comics 1. Dark Horse to publish Samurai Executioner It's true! The "prequel" to Lone Wolf and Cub will be coming out from Dark Horse! Coming from the same award-winning creative team of Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, Samurai Executioner will be released as a ten volume series scheduled to begin in June 2004. So if you loved Lone Wolf and Cub, now you can get even more of the back story in these ten volumes! Read the official press release on Samurai Executioner: http://darkhorse.com/news/pressrelease.php?id=922 2. New 100 Girls strip online Another installment in our fan-favorite web comic, 100 Girls by Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong, is now up! Catch up on the continuing adventures of young Silvia Mark as she attempts to unravel the mysteries of her past, her blossoming powers and who is trying to kill her! Click here to see the new 100 Girls installment: http://darkhorse.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=4017 3. Shi lands at Dark Horse! As if the Samurai Executioner announcement wasn't enough, Dark Horse will also be publishing Billy Tucci's popular Shi series! Get all the details on this momentous partnership in this exclusive interview with Billy Tucci! http://darkhorse.com/news/interviews.php?id=921 4. New First Looks pages posted! Who doesn't lilke to look at something before they buy it? It's standard practice to check out the goods before plunking down your hard-earned money, right? Well, everyone one here at Dark HOrse is in complete agreement! We just added a bunch of new First Look preview pages to our website! Check 'em out... it won't cost you a thing and maybe you'll find a new title you like! Trigun Vol. 2 TPB: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-868 Love Me Tenderloin: A Cal McDonald Mystery (one-shot): http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-996 Star Wars: Empire #16: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-387 Berserk Vol. 2 TPB: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-706 Tales of the Vampires #2: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-915 Collected Works of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-956 Freaks of the Heartland #1: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-747 Fused: Think Like a Machine #1: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-782 Hellboy Jr. TPB: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=12-569 Iron Empires TPB: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=45-076 Megatokyo Vol. 2 TPB: http://darkhorse.com/profile/preview.php?theid=13-071 5. New releases from Dark Horse Comics Here's a listing of the comics, books and products coming from Dark Horse Comics in January 2004! January 07, 2004 Invincible Ed: The End? #4 (of 4) Love Me Tenderloin: A Cal McDonald Mystery (one-shot) Star Wars Minibust: Grand Moff Tarkin Trigun Volume 2 TPB January 14, 2004 Berserk Volume 2 TPB Blade of the Immortal #86 Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi #2 (of 4) Tales of the Vampires #2 January 21, 2004 Freaks of the Heartland #1 Fused: Think Like a Machine #1 Super Manga Blast! #37 January 28, 2004 Astro Boy Volume 23 TPB Chronicles of Conan Volume 3: The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories TPB Fused: Think Like a Machine #2 Judge Dredd vs. Aliens: Incubus TPB Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi #2 (of 4) Star Wars: Republic #60 Star Wars: The Rite of Passage TPB Ultraman Tiga #5 (of 10) Collected Works of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey TPB (Vols 3-4) Hellboy Junior TPB Megatokyo Volume 2 TPB Star Wars Tales Volume 4 TPB +++++ IDW PUBLISHING FOR APRIL 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RETURN TO BARROW #2 Written by Steve Niles, art and cover by Ben Templesmith. When Wayne Kitka goes to Barrow, Alaska--four days before it goes dark for another winter--to learn the truth about his brother William's death, he finds that the truth isn't always easy to come by, and Barrow is a hell of a lot scarier than he expected! The series that revitalized horror comics continues in this sequel series. 32 pages, $3.99. ALEISTER ARCANE #1 Written by Steve Niles, art and cover by Breehn Burns. Aleister Green loves playing late night TV horror host Aleister Arcane in his hometown of Jackson, OK. But Jackson's establishment forces him off the air and into unhappy retirement. Now Aleister has a new fan--will Jackson ever be the same? More groundbreaking horror from Steve Niles with Breehn Burns. 32 pages, $3.99. CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION