Marvel has released the following ominous image, in what could be the rise or fall of Norman Osborn’s Dark Reign…

…Now discuss.

By Christian Beranek

Let’s hop into a time machine, my trusted readers. Let’s head back to 1980. It was time of change — a time of destiny. It was the year that the last great Star Wars movie was released.

1980: I was 5 going on 6.

I was living in Germany and had just learned how to ride a bicycle. Motor skills and reflexes were good; coordination was bad. I rode my bike to the PX shop on base, where they sold all sorts of sundry things, including comic books. I saw a Star Wars comic on the rack. Empire Strikes Back was coming out soon and I couldn’t wait. “Who was this Boba Fett guy I saw in that weird Christmas special?” Maybe this comic had some answers.

It didn’t, but then it didn’t matter. There was a story inside that was actually related to what the cover said it was about. I felt deeply satisfied, as if I had just had a bunch of Velveeta slices and a glass of milk with cookies — that was the ultimate kid snack back then. The combination was probably poisonous, but back then we had heightened immune systems, because, unlike kids now, we were allowed to play outside and get dirty.

We need dirt, everyone. It’s important. You should pick up something disgusting from time to time. It’s good for you.

So, what was cool about most comics back then was the fact you could pick up an issue and read a self contained story. There weren’t many collected editions in 1980. All that mattered was hooking a reader on a single story. This meant there had to be a jumping on point. It didn’t matter if it was issue 1 or issue 500: You immediately knew what the hell was going on.

These days the philosophy of many companies is to “pad” six issue arcs of a series so they can collect them into a trade edition. That’s where the real money is made, anyway, after costs are recouped on sales from the singles. Once printing is recovered on the trade editions they enter that strange and mythical land known as “pure profit.”

I understand the business model behind the story arc strategy: it’s basically a string of one mini-series after another under the guise of a continuing series. There is a downside to this, however: You don’t get the same experiences many of us had when we first got into comics.

(more…)

The library is a great place for readers to discover comics, and it’s a great place for comics readers to check out things that they want to try without spending their hard-earned cash. I’m looking at comics that I find in the New York Public Library system.

If you’ve read Mark Schultz’s comics (and you should), anything from his own creator-owned series Xenozoic Tales to his DC superhero work on Superman: The Man of Steel, you won’t be surprised to find out that Schultz is interested in scientific endeavors. Artists Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon (who are not related, I am assured) have twice now collaborated with true-life science-driven comics writer Jim Ottaviani, on the paleontological Cowboys, Bone Sharps and Thunder Lizards (for which Schultz illustrated the book cover) and the outward-looking T-Minus: The Race to the Moon.

So perhaps it should be no surprise to find Schultz and the Cannons working together on The Stuff of Life. The Stuff of Life is exactly what its subtitle claims, a guide to the cellular workings of DNA and RNA, with particular attention paid to the knowledge that we’ve gained as a result of our study of the human genome. Schultz tackles genetic disorders, heredity, recombinant DNA technology and cloning, and he does it all in an orderly, clear manner. The Stuff of Life is wrapped around a framing device of an alien reporting his discoveries of human DNA to his superior, as the cute little asexual aliens are facing a genetic malady of their own and need to learn how others species have learned to deal with similar crises. It’s a great technique, since the alien ruler is able to ask questions and repeat information in a way that enforces the researcher’s lessons. Also, the Cannons make the little alien critters adorable, so kids coming into this will want to see what happens to them. Similarly, the Cannons do a great job finding visual means to depict the cellular processes that Schultz describes, using diagrams, anthropomorphic cells and organelles, and easy-to-grasp cartoons to support the hard data Schultz provides.

Heavy on scientific jargon, the script is sometimes difficult going, particularly in the first chapter when Schultz breaks down cellular life and spends pages upon pages elucidating cellular reproduction and the myriad enzymes that enable cells and DNA to replicate. Less patient readers may be tempted to surrender during the early going, but Schultz does pull back on the technical aspects after the initial groundwork’s been laid, then discussing the scientists who’ve unlocked the puzzle of our DNA and the practical applications of this important information.

The Stuff of Life is essentially a science book in comics form, which makes it incredibly valuable to young scientists and those who’d like to know more about the practical benefits of scientific research into stem cells and cloning technologies. The information can be slightly overwhelming at times, but it is presented clearly and the important biological groundwork is laid early so that readers can understand exactly how this research can benefit humankind. After all, the alien Squinch race in Schultz and the Cannons’ book is facing a dilemma due to their failure to understand their DNA. How can we fail to use our knowledge as best as we can, particularly when you can find great comics like The Stuff of Life at your local library.

At this point, I’m pretty sure all of the Obama comics are part of a Republican plot to make everyone so sick of the president they won’t re-elect him in 2012: I mean, even his dog is going to be appearing in one of Marvel’s comics, Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. USA Today had the scoop, and they have a nice little chat with writer Chris Eliopoulos. Well, it’s nice if you can stand all the puns and pet humor in it. Careful though, that link leads to a spoiler! Don’t read the article if you don’t want to know the location of the final infinity gem!

I think we should replace the word “graphic” with “comics” and have “comics novels” (and “comics short stories” and “comics serials” and “comics biographies” and so on): Shawn Huston has a pretty great piece about the names by which we call comics, prompted by the New York Times‘ decision to use the term “graphic books” in their sales tracking, a term I kinda freaked out about when I first heard it (Like it or not, the publishing world long ago settled on the term “graphic novel” for any bound comics work, and it’s gonna take a lot more than a decision from a few folks at the NYT to change that). Do take some time to check out Huston’s article. It’s well written, and wrestles with an issue no one’s been able to solve satisfactorily so far: Just what the heck do we call these things?

“Fan expectations high for the most famous queer character in mainstream comics”: More famous than Extrano and Northstar? Is it possible? Chaos McKenzie talks to writer Greg Rucka about his upcoming run on Detective Comics, which will be focusing on Batwoman. It’s a pretty thorough piece, starting with the original Batwoman in the 1950s, although it seems to skip over the weird, several-year delay between the new Batwoman’s debut in 52 and the start of this story arc. Why has it taken DC so long to exploit a potentially hot character the mainstream media was interested in? Because they wanted to make sure they got this comic book just right?  That’s not exactly the company’s usual M.O., as the state of Bat-books for, oh, the last five years or so attests.

Trinity, one year later: Comics critic Don MacPherson takes a look at Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley and company’s year-long weekly series as a whole, now that it’s finally wrapped up. Is MacPherson’s piece a good read? Um, I don’t really know, as I haven’t read it yet; I’m planning on doing my own Trinity debrief later in the week, and so have been avoiding other Trinity pieces. But I’m totally going to come back and read MacPherson’s afterward.

Wow, right through the goatee!: Chris Sims on Conan’s first night as the Tonight Show host.

The Penguin, dressed as a cowboy: Dr. K presents an old Batman mini-comic he got from a box of cereal, in which the arch-villain attempts to rob a rodeo, while accessorizes his Western duds with an umbrella and monocle. It is, as Dr. K notes, the perfect example of a Batman story. I particularly like this panel, in which the artists draw Penguin’s whole area. Denim doesn’t do Oswald Cobblepot any favors.

And speaking of The Penguin, Kevin Church has assembled a whole bunch of ’80s era Super Friends/Super Powers Team videos in one spot here; I always used to feel bad for The Penguin, because he was just some middle-aged fat guy with a helicopter umbrella going up against an army of superheroes, you know?

“…but what set her apart was her tendency for her face to transform into a hideous grinning skull”: Dave Campbell on the two weirdest characters that appear in Supermen!: The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes: 1939-1941, Fantomah and Stardust The Super-Wizard. Hmm, now what do those two have in common…

Lots and lots and lots of extra softball.

If nothing else, the Bullets are getting lots of practice as they warm up for the summer months. Complementing their usual Thursday games, the Bullets opened the New York Media Softball League season on Monday against New York Public Radio’s WNYC. After Thursday’s nine-inning affair against Scholastic, the Bullets were looking to put this one away early to get their NYML season off to a strong start.

With two outs in the first, the Bullets put together a quick two-run rally, with singles by LF Jay Kogan (3-5, 2 runs) and 3B Mike Lorah (2-4, 2 runs, RBI) setting up DH Larry “LP” Vollano’s (2-5, 5 RBI) two-run double. WNYC knotted the score at two in the bottom of the first, but Lorah’s sacrifice fly scored SS Adam Schlagman (2-5, 2 runs, RBI) to retake the lead after three innings.

Both teams traded four spots in the fourth inning, with a single by CF Andrew Arnold (2-2, run, double), double by RF Pat Brosseau (1-2, run, double) and a walk to 2B Christine Napolitano (0-4, BB, run) loading the bases with only one out. SCF Brian Cunningham (0-1, RBI) lofted a sacrifice fly, and LF Rickey Purdin (2-2, run, RBI), P Larry Ganem (3-5, RBI) and Schlagman all wrapped two-out RBI singles to pick the Bullets up.

However, single runs by WNYC in the fifth and sixth innings gave the radio team a one run lead going into the seventh and final inning. After a pop out, single and fielder’s choice set up a tying run on first base with two out scenario, back-to-back two-out singles by Kogan and Lorah loaded the bases. Seizing the spotlight, LP Vollano crushed a double to deep center field, clearing the bases and spotting the Bullets a two run lead. In the bottom of the seventh, WNYC found themselves in similar straights, down to their last out with runners on second and third. Unfortunately for the DC squad, WNYC’s top hitter was due up, and his smoking line drive down the left field line easily tied the scored. However, a quick Purdin to Arnold (who’d rushed over from center field to assist with the play) to Schlagman to C Sal Cipriano (1-3) cut down WNYC’s slugger at home plate, preserving the tie.

Yes, for the second consecutive game, the Bullets were going into extra innings. Alas for our valiant heroes, the extra baseball seems to have worn them out. Over a four inning span from the eighth through until the final inning, the eleventh, the Bullets mustered just three measly singles (Purdin, Ganem and Cipriano) and never advanced a runner past second base. Leading off the bottom of the eleventh, one of WNYC’s speedsters got into a floater and hammered it into the right centerfield gap for a walk-off, game-ending home run.

Final tally: DC Bullets 10, WNYC 11.

The Bullets record is 2-3 (0-1 in NYML play)

Game Notes:

Despite the late-game offensive funk, the Bullets showed impressive defense. Two runners cut down at home plate on relays from the outfield, a headlong diving catch in left field by Andrew Arnold, a lunging line drive snagged by Lorah, and a juggling, “seat” catch by Brosseau kept the team in the game late into the evening.

Please check out the gorgeous graphic that will adorn the back of the new DC Bullets jerseys (which I’m promised we’ll have before the season ends), courtesy of Mr. Andy Kubert. Thanks a ton, Andy!

Local fans are encouraged to see the Bullets next in action in one of TWO locations! Can the team that can barely win with all their players handle the rigors of a split squad game? Come see Thursday evening at 5:30, as the Bullets take on The Daily Beast in NYML action at the Baruch field (somewhere in east Hell, down in the Houston/FDR vicinity) or against Abrams Books at Field 2 in Central Park’s North Meadow.

For the past months, I’ve been walking through the monthly Previews catalog from Diamond Distributors to spotlight some of the more interesting and more inane comics that might’ve slipped past your attention. I admit, it’s gotten a little tedious for me, so I’m going to try injecting a little more of myself into this month’s article and see how it goes. I’m only listing books that actually caught my attention, briefly why, and handicapping the chances of myself actually purchasing said book. Also, a caveat that I’m a trade-waiter, so if you don’t see your favorite serial here, it doesn’t mean I’m ignoring it. I’m very anxious for Dark Horse to collect Citizen Rex, for example, but it won’t be mentioned elsewhere in this article.

(more…)

Apologies to Deco, Chuck an Kevin, who asked for more poorly-drawn, not-terribly-funny cartoons at the top of each of these posts. I meant to do one for this week, but ran out of time. It turns out drawing is really, really time-consuming, even if you’re not drawing all that well. I’ll try to start again next week. Maybe.

In the meantime, tomorrow is Wednesday, which means the shelves at the comic shops will magically replenish themselves with brand-new books while we sleep tonight.

Here’s what looked noteworthy (i.e. really good, really bad or at least fairly interesting) to me on Diamond’s shipping list. Feel free to let us know what you’re getting and/or tell me to shut up Ultimatum rules in the comments.

Agents of Atlas #6: It is my firm and sincere belief that the Marvel Universe was created simply to give Namor many more people to be a jerk to and/or to punch. In the latest issue of the Jeff Parker-helmed super-team book, Namor should get to be a jerk to and/or to punch a killer robot, a talking gorilla, a man from Uranus and his own cousin. I expect it to rule.

Batman and Robin #1: The universally acclaimed All-Star Superman creative team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely reunite to launch an all-new Batman comic featuring the all-new Batman and all-new Robin. If anyone can redeem the phrase “Batman and Robin,” which since 1997 or so has been associated with this, Morrison and Quitely can.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Vampires: Attention people who don’t normally read/care about Buffy comics! This one-shot special is written by Becky Cloonan, features artwork by Vasilis Lolo, and features a cover by  Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon. Well, a cover. There’s two; the other cover is by the also always worthwhile Jo Chen. Short preview here.

Chew #1: This is a new Image series by John Layman and Rob Guillory about a “Cibopathic” detective who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. His name? Tony Chu. Which is pronounced like “chew,” but spelled different! Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Um, hopefully the rest of it is funnier? The art sure looks nice, anyway. Take a look here.

(more…)

With a third film announced and a video game out this year, the folks behind Ghostbusters are doing their best to make sure that it retains its geek-sacred status. Part of the plan is a 25th anniversary Blu-Ray release, and Fangoria is screening that incarnation of the movie, on the big screen for the first time, at a midnight screening Wednesday in Los Angeles. In attendance? Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman.

Full details and how to get tickets (which are free) can be found here. Fans at the show are also going to be encouraged to enter a contest being held for free tickets to the San Diego Comic-Con. Those who can’t make it to the screening can enter the contest at the Ghostbusters is Hiring website.

Bleeding Cool has reported that Brian Blessed has been cast as Odin in the upcoming Thor film.

This speculation is certainly supported by the fact that Blessed has worked on many of director Kenneth Branagh’s films, including playing the titular King Lear.

Rich Johnston even linked to some clips, just to give us a taste of what is to come. But while the I Claudius clip was meant to show us fear, the other one is hat really stood out for me:

After watching this, I’m not questioning the fact that Blessed is in the film — but in what capacity. Could this be Volstagg the Voluminous, of the Warriors Three? Sound off, Rama readers, and we’ll see in 2011!

If you like what you’ve read so far (c’mon, how can you not?) totally check out more super cute comics at:www.sosuperduper.com!

Well, since we’re on the tack of Marvel in the ’80s, Green Arrow/Black Canary artist Cliff Chiang has made his own clever pastiche:

Why yes, that would be the Mistress of the Hand, transported to that 1983 classic Flashdance.

“This was a blast to draw,” Cliff wrote on his blog, which has some other great sketches featuring Batgirl and Vampirella. “After years of brush inking, it was liberating to grab a pen and just mess around. I think the brilliant source material inspired me to experiment and play with the look of the piece, and it turned out to be a great learning experience.”

Chiang said on his blog that he would be donating the inked version of the above piece to the art auction at Heroes Con in Charlotte, which runs from June 19-21!

The only thing more relaxing to Darth Vader than killing a Jedi is when he’s taking a sith.

You can see more of these hilariously candid superhero shots by checking out Ian Pool’s photography gallery, known as “Super.”

They’re all pretty funny, but I think my second favorite of these has to be Doctor Octopus with his Jonas Brothers posters.

[Tip of the hat to Graeme for spotting the link]

Tom Spurgeon has reported that allegedly Wizard has made some more significant personnel cuts.

According to Spurgeon, Vice-President of Production and Circulation Darren Sanchez was fired yesterday, after being given the position in 2007. Meanwhile, in-house staff photographer Dylan Brucie allegedly left the company last week, as well. Spurgeon stated that Brucie did a lot of work for ToyFare.

This is only the latest in some shaky reports from the flagship comic news publication of the ’90s, as over the past year they have cut or pushed back major conventions in Los Angeles and Texas, laid off big names like President and COO Fred Pierce and Senior Vice President – Operations Joe Yanarella, and made moves to close down their Congers, N.Y. location to move their significantly diminished staff into their New York bureau.

Well, this may not surprise you — Warren Ellis has the head of a deceased creator in his office.

It’s probably metaphorical, but if you see Warren, especially after reading his first Do Anything column on Bleeding Cool, I’d still be wary around him. Here’s some nice highlights from the piece:

Sometimes I feel bad for having built this horrifying thing that just kind of shouts at me and spits smouldering cigar butts on to my floor and yells for “cawfee” and calls me names.  I have to bear in mind that it’s not just me who goes through this, really.  Comics as a whole are haunted by the head of Jack Kirby.  I just happen to have one in my office.  I probably shouldn’t drape old underpants on it.

Now that’s a guy you can take home to meet your mother — especially if you bring old Transmetropolitan trades to give her. Bleeding Cool is itself a brand new venture from LiTG alum Rich Johnston, sponsored by Avatar Press.

The Hero Initiative, which looks out for creators in need, has given us an update on the health of underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson:

From left to right: Paul Mavrides, Wilson, R. Crumb, and Spain Rodriguez.

“I thought you’d like to see a couple of pix I took last week when Crumb, Spain and Mavrides visited him in the hospital. We had a lovely visit, and took him out nearby for coffee after having a picnic lunch Spain brought to the ward,” said Lorraine Chamberlain, S. Clay’s girlfriend and legal conservator. “I’m hoping he will be stabilized in the next few weeks. I hope to get him home by his birthday in July.”

In late 2008, Wilson suffered a severe brain injury after attending the Alternative Press Expo, including a fractured neck. While he has been undergoing accelerated therapy, he has had deal with aphasia – an impairment of producing and comprehending speech. Hero has noted that you should check out the S. Clay Wilson Special Needs Trust by clicking here.

Talk about blink and you miss it.

Tom Brevoort, on his Blah Blah Blog, was answering reader questions this past weekend, but here’s an interesting tidbit that he mentioned:

There’s currently some very crucial mystic stuff going on in the pages of NEW AVENGERS that’ll be of consequence to the mystic portion of the Marvel Universe in the months to come. As for Wanda, as I believe we’ve mentioned in the past, she plays a central role in the AVENGERS project that Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung have been working on these long months, and which you should hopefully see in 2010.

Now here’s the really interesting part — Allan Heinberg, who made a huge splash in the TV scene with The O.C., was also responsible for the Young Avengers, a somewhat lackluster idea to the fan base until they were blown out of the water with strong characterization and quirky humor. Yet all good things come to an end, and Heinberg’s series, already plagued by delays, eventually petered out after the second arc.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention who his collaborator on Young Avengers was: Jim Cheung.

So when Tom Brevoort says “Avengers project,” I’m wondering if this means we’ll be seeing more of Patriot, Wiccan, Hulkling, the Vision, and Hawkeye in the future, in a brand-new Young Avengers book. (If my speculation is incorrect, on the other hand, as you see on the cover above, Heinberg has had some experience writing the Avengers, based on issue #12 on Young Avengers.) Either which way, it’ll be interesting to see how Heinberg makes his return to comics, even as his last project, Wonder Woman, eventually was moved to the sidelines due to increasingly late delays. What say you, Rama readers?

Portland comics artist Joëlle Jones and writer Jamie Rich will be unveiling work from their new graphic novel You Have Killed Me throughout the month of June at the Art Institute of Portland Gallery.

For those who don’t know them, Jones has worked at Vertigo on Fables and Minx on Token, while Rich — formerly the EiC of Oni Press — has written four prose novels, including Cut My Hair, I Was Someone Dead, and the Everlasting. You Have Killed Me is set to be released by Oni Press in July.

The exhibit, titled “Comic Noir: The Art of Joëlle Jones,” will beging June 4th through the 30th, from 9am-6pm Monday through Thursday, 9am-4pm Friday, and 9am-2pm Saturday. On June 4th from 6-8pm, Jones and Rich will be on hand to discuss their creative process.

With the release of its sixth issue this week, David Petersen’s Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 draws to a close with a few twists that readers who haven’t seen a new issue in almost a year may not have seen coming. Whereas Petersen’s bestselling and highly-praised first series took place in the fall of 1152, therefore setting this one up to occur almost immediately after its conclusion, the third miniseries will focus on the world of Mouse Guard’s past, telling the story of The Black Axe, also known as Celanawe, the elder statesmouse of the series.

In the context of the mice’s history, The Black Axe is an important figure whose service in the Guard is legendary. In the context of the story, David Petersen describes him primarily as a mentor. “The Black Axe character came to me as the idea of like an Obiwan character where the way we were first introduced to this character is as Alec Guinness–the old wise master, and even though he’s this old guy he still went toe-to-toe with Vader,” explains the author. “This guy was still pretty cool, still pretty badass. And then with the prequels we see him as Ewan McGregor and we get to see what he was like in his heyday. So that’s what the idea of the Black Axe character was—let’s see this old guy who can still keep up with the youngfurs and go toe-to-toe with the predators. But the idea with the next story, the Black Axe story, was let’s see Celanawe in his heyday.”

And while the Winter 1152 series followed the same basic group of characters, Petersen says that the Black Axe story will be totally self-contained and feature only one other carryover besides Celanawe.

And it’s Celanawe whose actions in the final issue of Winter 1152 rock the main characters to their core, giving this series a jolt that the by-and-large predictable ending of the first series didn’t completely have. Petersen, who says that he’s “coming up with story ideas faster than [he] can write them,” and sees no end in sight for Mouse Guard, clearly sees this as an investment in the future of the title and the property, whereas the first series was more focused on a specific group of characters. That infuses the final chapter of Winter with a feeling of dreariness and an ominous air that Petersen completely intended.

“Living in Michigan we have all four seasons winter being one of the longer ones and it’s just kind of part of the adventure,” says Petersen. “I wanted to show a Mouse Guard adventure story that had that element. I’ve always said that the landscape and the weather are just as important of a character or a predator as anything else in Mouse Guard. But I wanted this to be action-packed and a little bleak.”

Next week, we’ll feature a more in-depth conversation with Petersen about the upcoming hardcover release of Winter 1152, the epilogue available only in the hardcover edition and his overall intentions for the series.

Whatever you think about Marvel’s variant lines — going from Wolverine Art Appreciation month last month, to other goofy pastiches like Marvel Ape variants, or my personal favorite, X-Force versus rainbows and puppies — I’ve always enjoyed the chuckle-worthy elements that go into these new covers.

Well, the House of Ideas isn’t done yet, with some homages to the ’80s and ’90s in June and July in honor of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary in August. Here’s a few covers for your perusal:

The covers, in order, are All-New Savage She-Hulk #3, War Machine #7, X-Men Legacy #225, and Marvel Zombies 4 #3. While I found Rogue “striking a pose” to be amusing, the Marvel Zombies cover is easily my favorite. (Although War Machine rockin’ out made me chuckle, too.) Thoughts?

Two things of note happened at last nights MTV Movie Awards: Sasha Baron Cohen sexually assaulted Eminem, and a new clip from the upcoming G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra premiered:

The clip shows the Joe team trying and spectacularly failing to stop the Baroness and Storm Shadow from destroying the Eiffel Tower. It looks… well, it looks pretty ridiculous, to be honest with you. Sienna Miller’s Baroness looks to be one of the highlights of the film, and I can’t wait to see more of Byung-hun Lee as Storm-Shadow. But the Joes jumping around in armor like video game characters? That’s not quite what I was hoping for. I’ll reserve final judgment until I see the movie, since the first Transformers flick greatly exceeded my low expectations. But I have to admit this clip has left a bad taste in my mouth.