Sunday, August 31, 2014

Preview: GRENDEL VS. THE SHADOW #1


Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Matt Wagner
Colorist: Brennan Wagner
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Matt Wagner, Brennan Wagner
Cover Price: $5.99
Page Count: 48 pages
Release Date: September 3rd, 2014





Sparks fly and bullets blaze when the original Grendel, Hunter Rose, is transported to 1930s New York and faces off with the original dark-night avenger, the Shadow! Two pulp-noir icons go head to head in this three-issue prestige-format series written and drawn by legendary Grendel creator Matt Wagner.

* A great starting point for new Grendel and The Shadow readers!

* Matt Wagner continues his fan-favorite character—Grendel!

Preview: CONCRETE PARK #1


Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Erika Alexander, Tony Puryear
Artist: Tony Puryear
Colorist: Tony Puryear
Letterer: Tony Puryear
Cover Artist: Tony Puryear
Cover Price: $3.99
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: September 3rd, 2014





A troubled young outcast from Earth awakens on a distant desert planet that’s gripped by gang war. Will the exiles of Scare City destroy each other or create something surprising, beautiful, and new? Concrete Park returns with volume 2’s R-E-S-P-E-C-T arc—a sexy sci-fi saga by Tony Puryear (Eraser) and Erika Alexander!

* Blockbuster screenwriter Tony Puryear cowrites and draws!

“The swagger of the characters and their surroundings just burst off of the page.”—Read about Comics

“Every time I think I know what is going on in Concrete Park, [it] throws me for a loop. I have to read more.”—Comics Bulletin

Monday, August 25, 2014

Archaia's BUTTERFLY Explores Spies, the Family Business

August 25, 2014 (Los Angeles, Calif.) - There’s nothing like a good spy thriller that explores deeply flawed and morally complex characters. Archaia, an imprint of award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios, is pleased to announce the September debut of Butterfly, a new four-issue series that explores the true nature of people who devote themselves to covert ops and the solitude, deceit, and violence that comes with that life. Screenwriter Arash Amel (Grace of Monaco, Erased), writer Marguerite Bennett (Sleepy Hollow, Batgirl), and artist Antonio Fuso (G.I. Joe: Cobra) explore the espionage genre and the complexity of family drama within a web of global conspiracy.

“Butterfly lands right in our sweet spot as a publisher,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “The spy genre has always been a favorite of ours and this series stands out as a highlight amongst our work in that field. With Butterfly, we take a look at a father and daughter who are completely estranged due to the toll of the spy lifestyle. What I love most about this series is that Arash and Marguerite have managed to tell a patient story deeply rooted in character and still maintain the intense action of a spy thriller. While reading the first issue some of their small touches reminded of what I love about the work of John le CarrĂ©, J.J. Abrams’ Alias, and the Bourne franchise. Antonio Fuso’s stark and stylized art is an incredible compliment to a very promising series.”

WHY WE LOVE IT: We’ve all spent hours glued to episodes of shows like True Detective and House of Cards that explore deeply flawed and morally complex characters. In BUTTERFLY, screenwriter Arash Amel (Grace of Monaco, Erased) brings that aesthetic to comics and the espionage genre, exploring the true nature of people who devote their lives to covert ops and the deceit, solitude, and violence that comes with it.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Marguerite Bennett has been making a name for herself with her work on Lois Lane, Batgirl, and Earth 2: World’s End and we can’t wait for fans to see how she explores the dark world of spycraft. There’s no one better in the espionage genre than Antonio Fuso, the artist behind the critically acclaimed run of GI Joe: Cobra. It’s the perfect creative team for a morally complex story of violence and family set in the web of a global conspiracy.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Butterfly is one of Project Delta's deep cover agents, no birth certificate, no social security number, a complete ghost. When her cover is blown and she is set up for a murder she did not commit, she is unknowingly led to her father’s doorstep, a man she thought died 20 years ago. Codenamed Nightingale, her father was once a member of the very same Project Delta, a spy in the violent aftermath of the Cold War, and believes they are behind her setup. Trained to trust nothing and no one, Butterfly must decide whether to seek answers with the Project, or believe the man who betrayed her years ago.

Archaia’s Butterfly #1 arrives in comic shops on September 24th with a cover price of $3.99 under Diamond order code JUL140987. The issue ships with a card-stock cover by Phil Noto (Black Widow). Not sure where to find your nearest comic retailer? Use comicshoplocator.com or findacomicshop.com to find one! It’s also available for order directly from boom-studios.com.

CBL's take: Spy stories have always intrigued me. I've tried to add more spy comics to my collection, so when I come across them, I at least check them out. I saw the solicit for Butterfly in Previews and added it to my already lengthy order without hesitation. I'm looking forward to reading it based on the concept alone. I'm also curious to see what Antonio Fuso brings to it as I've seen his previous work on G.I. Joe: Cobra.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Preview: MIDNIGHT TIGER #1


Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Writer: DeWayne Feenstra, Ray-Anthony Height
Artist: Ray-Anthony Height
Colorist: Paul John Little
Cover Artist: Ray-Anthony Height, Jerry Gaylord (Variant)
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 13th, 2014





Having lost all hope in the heroes of his world, fate steps in and gives young Gavin Shaw the power to do the things they have not. Only as the teenage hero Midnight Tiger does his city have a chance at redemption. Retailer incentive cover by Jerry Gaylord!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

SDCC 2014 Hasbro Marvel Highlights

Now that San Diego Comic Con is over, it’s time to pick out some of the best news from the convention. Though I wasn’t in attendance, I was glued to my Twitter feed catching updates as they poured in. The next best thing to actually being at a convention is connecting with friends and strangers on social media to circulate news.

As a huge action figure collector, I tried to catch all the news I could from the usual suspects. Judging by everything shown, it’s easy to see how hyped collectors likely were. But none stood out more than Hasbro’s Marvel Legends and Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”) figures. I’m still unsure of what the new name is for the 3.75” line, formerly known as Marvel Universe. It’s either Avengers Infinite Series or Marvel Infinite Series. I was thrilled to see some of the characters that will get the action figure treatment come 2015 and beyond. The Marvel Legends line will produce an Avengers series as well as a Spider-Man set. Here are my highlights from Hasbro’s Marvel display.

Avengers Infinite Series (3.75”)

Beast (‘90s)
Oh my stars and garters, mutant lovers and toy collectors, Beast from the ‘90s is finally here. This isn’t the first Beast figure Hasbro has produced for this line but it’s the first in this costume. He appears a little slimmer than you’d expect but come on, it’s Beast. Of course you want him.

Bishop (‘90s)
I must admit being surprised to see Bishop on display. He’ll definitely have a good home here though. One aspect of his design I can already see limiting rests in his legs. For those familiar, he appears to share the legs with earlier figures such as Moon Knight and Mr. Fantastic. Still, it’s great to have another X-Man and Black action figure.

Black Cat
Black Cat isn’t a character I’d have given much priority for this line. But she’s a welcome addition in a line with few women figures, one of which being Mary Jane. I expect to see a lot of dioramas featuring Black Cat and the web-slinger once she’s released.

Sandman
Though Sandman doesn’t make my top-5 in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, the character is cool enough and I like his powers. Collectors have been treated quite well in terms of Spidey villains and this figure adds to that. He’ll also have a variant which depicts him in fully covered in sand.



Spider-Man (Big Time costume)
The Big Time costume now comes in 3.75” scale to match its Marvel Legends counterpart. Though it didn’t see long-term use, it does look good. Now all we need is another Hobgoblin figure, this time matching the design of Phil Urich’s costume.

Speaking of Hobgoblin…

Marvel Legends Infinite Series

Hobgoblin
When I saw Humberto Ramos’ newly designed Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #649, I was ecstatic. After reading it, I flipped back and forth through the issue to take in the visuals. It’s a fantastic design. So you can imagine the grin on my face when I saw this figure. My initial joy waned when I discovered he’ll be a Build-A-Figure constructed by pieces paired up with several figures, some of which have yet to be revealed. I would’ve liked to see more scales across his top to match his comic look more but I’m still more than pleased.

Scarlet Witch
I’m not particularly invested in Scarlet Witch’s character but I don’t have any problems with her. Well, except for that whole “No more mutants” episode. I do acknowledge and appreciate her place within the Marvel Universe and she makes for some decent action figures.


Captain Marvel
As a proud member of the Carol Corps, I couldn’t contain my excitement upon spotting Captain Marvel on Instagram. My love for the character has grown in recent years and I’ve been a big supporter of her books. Seeing this figure (with interchangeable heads!) geeked me up more than I can describe.


Ms. Marvel & Radioactive Man
These two figures will be packed with yet another Captain America. This one is a repaint of the previous Ultimate Captain America. But he’s nowhere near as important as Ms. Marvel and Radioactive Man. I’ve wanted a good Ms. Marvel figure for some time and while we’ll have Carol in her Captain Marvel costume, her previous one is still worth picking up. Seeing Radioactive Man yields some hope that he won’t be in action figure limbo for too much longer after being revealed last year. Also, I just want more villains in my collections of both scales. Initially I thought, and still do to a degree, that it was odd for these figures to be packed together. But as an Avengers vs. Avengers baddie pack, it has extra appeal.



Hawkeye (classic costume)
Another figure we’ve seen before only to be hidden away by Hasbro is Hawkeye in his classic costume. He was originally set for release as part of Hasbro’s train wreck of a variant program in 2013. This entailed figures being swapped in for others during production as “running changes.” I’m not exactly sure how well it worked. All I know is there are plenty of characters sitting in a Hasbro prison waiting to be freed. The only Hawkeye to hit the market featured his modern costume. So let’s hope this one sees release as I’ve held a spot for him in my collection.



What did you think of the toys shown at Comic Con? Which figures stood out to you? What toys disappointed you? Were there any you expected to see that weren’t shown? Sound off below.

*All photos courtesy of ActionFigureFury.com. You can find more images on their site here, here and here.

Preview: HEXED #1


Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Dan Mora
Colors: Gabriel Cassata
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: Emma Rios, Dan Mora (Variant)
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 13th, 2014





WHY WE LOVE IT: Besides being one of our favorite writers, Michael Alan Nelson is one of the industry’s preeminent voices in horror, and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing back his fan-favorite creation HEXED for another dive into the depths of the Aether with an ongoing series!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Lucifer is the perfect mash-up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lara Croft. Plus, HEXED was Pretty Deadly and Amazing Spider-Man superstar Emma Rios’ introduction to the American comics scene back in 2008, and new series artist Dan Mora is poised to continue the trend with his lyrical, horrific, and wholly unique take on Lucifer.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Luci Jennifer Inacio Das Neves (most people just call her “Lucifer”) is a supernatural thief-for-hire, stealing wondrous objects from the dark denizens of the netherworld for her mentor/mother figure, Val Brisendine. But when Lucifer accidentally unleashes a terrible evil from one of the paintings hanging in Val’s art gallery, will any of the tricks up her sleeve be enough to stop it?

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Preview: GENIUS #2


Publisher: Top Cow Productions/Image Comics
Writer: Marc Bernardin, Adam Freeman
Artist: Afua Richardson
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Cover Artist: Afua Richardson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 13th, 2014





What if the greatest military mind of our generation was born to a people who are already supremely conditioned to wage war, who know nothing but violence since birth, and must continually adapt to new predators in order to survive? What if the second coming of Alexander the Great, of Genghis Khan, of Napoleon, of Patton...what if it was a teenaged girl from South Central, L.A. named Destiny? And what if she decides to secede three blocks of the 'Hood from the Union? Who is going to take it back from her and her army of gangbangers? Who CAN?