Ben Templesmith now has his own app thanks to IDW Pubishing! Dubbed Templesmith Comics, the company announced today they would be selling the writer/artist’s collection in his very own digital comics storefront.

Available exclusively for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, Templesmith Comics is the fifth store IDW has opened. G.I. Joe Comics, Transformers Comics, Star Trek, and IDW Comics were opened previously.

“Ben’s work deserves to be featured on it’s own,” said Jeff Webber, Director of ePublishing for IDW. “The custom designed app includes several of Ben’s biggest series – Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, Singularity 7, Groom Lake, Shadowplay, Welcome to Hoxford, and even a special G.I. Joe story featuring the Baroness. These books have been top sellers on other platforms such as Sony PSP, so we wanted to bring them to his iPad and iPhone fans as one complete library.”

Downloadable for free through iTunes, Templesmith Comics comes with three free books and the option to purchase over 30 for either $.99 or $1.99. IDW currently has over 650 individual issues available through the App Store, with more becoming available every week.

Via Twitter, Templesmith had this to say, “Yes, I have my own app now. Any creator with name recognition & a back catalog should have one I think.” He also replied to a fan asking about possible Android versions of the application, “I have no idea on an android version of the app, sorry. I’m Mac user so such things are foreign to me.”

As you may already know, ComiXology sells digital comics through the Android market and since the IDW apps are powered by iVerse, which is compatible with Android phones, it’s probably only a matter of time and reader demand before the IDW storefronts become available there.

And, well, we can’t really say much about it without spoiling the end of this week’s Chaos War #5, so all information is after the jump.

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Marvel’s latest Jane Austen adaptation is the matchmaking tale of Emma, and features art from Return of the Dapper Men‘s Janet K. Lee. Courtesy of the publisher, here’s a look at some interior pages of the first issues, scheduled to go on sale March 2. After the jump!

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Yes, April Solicitations just came out, but darnit, we can’t wait a whole month when something like this hits our inbox. So, here are the covers and solicitation info for two brutal barbaric comics from Dark Horse coming in May! Hit the jump for the pretty.

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Fantastic Four #587, which contains the death of a major character and went on sale at many comic book shops yesterday, is unarguably the biggest release of the week — but it’s not the only release of the week. Age of X: Alpha #1 is out, the start of Mike Carey’s alternate timeline X-Men saga. DC’s got a reunion between the Joker and Lex Luthor in Action Comics #897, Dark Horse is debuting the new Star Wars series Darth Vader and the Lost Command, plus Top Cow has both Artifacts #5 and Echoes #2.

The Best Shots team has already reviewed the polybagged FF issue and Brian Wood’s new Vertigo series, The New York Five ’round here, but why not let the world know your thoughts on any of the above comics — or whatever you may take home from the comic book store this week? So skip on over to Twitter (Don’t forget to follow us!), and let the world know your 140-character-or-less thoughts on this week’s releases. Just add the hashtag:

#RamaRev

and it’ll go into our stream right here! So share your thoughts, spread the word, and let’s talk comics!

A Death in the FF: There are a lot of stories about one of the four members of the Fantastic Four seeming to die in this week’s issue, in the comics media, the mainstream media and all over the comics blogosphere and the Twit-scape. I could probably fill this column with nothing but links to various reactions to and stories about that death, but I assume that if I get bored collecting such links, you would probably get bored reading them, dear reader. So instead, I’ll simply link to this nice little round-up that Heidi MacDonald did over at The Beat, which includes such salient angles as Stan Lee’s reaction. Also, it may behoove you to check out Bully, The Little Stuffed Bull’s latest post on the subject of how very often one of the four members of the Fantastic Four get killed (Get it? Behoove? That’s a cow joke!). Aside from the funny commentary the million or so panels Bully posts provide, it’s a fun thing to scroll through simply to see how much the members of the FF and their costumes and hair styles and what have you have changed over the decades. Like that crazy get-up Sue is wearing above—I still maintain that the live-action Fantastic Four movies would have been much bigger hits had Jessica Alba wore that version of the comic (By the way, I forget—why was Ben Grimm wearing a bucket on his head at that point?) Finally, David Brothers posts the panels in which the one who bites it seems to bite it—I’ve heard nothing but good things about writer Hickman’s run on the title so far, but boy, that art style sure isn’t one I enjoy looking at.

Say, wait a minute…: Didn’t Ed Brubaker wear that very hat when talking about the Death of Captain America? Is that Marvel’s designated talking-about-the-death-of-a-character style of hat?

Can naked ladies sell comics?: The Suicide Girls website/media empire has long had a healthy interface with the comics medium, from running interviews with creators there to having that gal from Hack/Slash pose on their site. Now, the next logical step—IDW is publishing a four-issue Suicide Girls comic book series. Laugh if you like, but it’s being drawn by David Hahn and will feature covers by Cameron Stewart, two immense talents whose work is always worthy of your eyeballs. The press release quotes editor Mariah Huehner as saying, “I’m sure everyone will have a pre-conceived idea of what this series will be all about. And hey, it WILL have nudity and pretty girls and tattoo’s.” (Hey, I see a typo! There’ s an apostrophe where there shouldn’t be one! Can I have a lucrative job proof-reading press releases, IDW?). I’m glad to hear there will be nudity, and hopefully they’ll throw in some photo pin-ups too. I have long been utterly perplexed by things like Sarah Palin pin-ups in books like Steam Palin and the near-nudity in all those Zenescope books—if the market supports that sort of thing, then surely there’s room for actual pin-up girls, actual nudity and high-quality artwork depicting ‘em in the market.

Speaking of Palin comics: The Atlantic asks, “Why Are Comic Books Obsessed with Sarah Palin?” Good question. More important one? Why is the news media obsessed with Sarah Palin?

If he’s not doing Thor or The Muppet Show, what is Roger Langridge doing?: Well, he’ll tell you.

OMG Sara from Tegan and Sara and I have something in common!!!: Check out this video of her talking up Jeff Lemire’s wonderful Essex County. The only thing better would be if she sang a song about how much she liked Essex County.

This again: At E! online, someone asks, “Does Hollywood hate women?” in the context of Anne Hathaway being cast as Catwoman, while there’s no news of a Wonder Woman film yet. The answers remain the same: When Hollywood has made films starring comic book superheroines, they usually tank (and are usually spectacularly poorly made films, not that those two things necessarily have anything to do with one another). You know the laundry list by now: Supergirl, Barb Wire, Tank Girl, Elektra, Catwoman. It no doubt complicates things that the list of feamle Superman and Batman level of characters is limited to Supergirl, Batgirl, Catwoman and Wonder Woman, who was conceived fused to a set of past historical circumstances that make her a less fluid character than the other two points of DC’s trinity. As for Marvel they’ve got, um…hm. Yeah, I can’t really see any films starring any of Marvel’s superheroine headliners (Like, if Hulk movies can’t get enough momentum to launch a sequel, it’s hard to imagine a She-Hulk movie, you know?)

THE BOYS: HIGHLAND LADDIE #6 (of 6)
32 pages FC  •  $3.99  • Mature
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art by JOHN McCREA
Cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
Our hero’s visit home turns violent, and everyone loses something- Hughie a friend, Tupper his sense of humor, and Big Bobby something even more vital. Hughie finally comes to terms with his home and his past, but not before one last secret is revealed: his own.

Warning: Mature Readers, some NSFW violence/language after the jump…

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It Came From the NYPL

The Man in the Ceiling
Written & Illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Published by HarperCollins

Having recently read Jules Feiffer’s strong memoir Backing into Forward, I felt compelled to sample some of Feiffer’s children’s book output. His glowing regard for the form makes it nearly impossible to ignore the them, particularly given my high regard for his cartooning. So I checked The Man in the Ceiling out of the library, and it’s well worth it. It’s enjoyable for adults, and if you have younger children, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Jimmy can’t throw or catch or hit a baseball; he’s basically a failure as boy. However, he’s a fantastic artist and dreams of becoming a famous cartoonist (the theme should be familiar if you’ve read Feiffer’s memoir). His uncle is a failure as a playwright, but finds success suddenly on his doorstep. And the only popular boy who notices Jimmy likes his drawings, but has “better” ideas about comic book stories. Mix an emotionally distant father learning to express himself, an artist mother who designs women’s fashions, a bossy older sister who encourages Jimmy’s artwork, and an adoring younger sister who pesters Jimmy to no end, and you have the framework of The Man in the Ceiling.

Feiffer’s engaging and fun prose possesses plenty of wordplay humor to keep adults reading to their children engaged, while the story itself explores the terrible heartache of creativity and failed creative ventures. Regular illustrations, both of the characters themselves and of Jimmy’s comic books, spice up the proceedings, adding humor and humanity. Through all the heartache of Jimmy and his uncle’s struggles, Feiffer uses dollops of humor to keep the book upbeat and pleasant. And while the subject of dreams lost and dreams compromised runs throughout, The Man in the Ceiling excels through Feiffer’s strong interpersonal dynamics, weaving a deeper understanding of all the book’s themes by exploring the complex connections between Jimmy and his family.

If I had young children, no doubt this book would be purchased and add to my library. For now, however, I’m glad I can explore the many creative avenues of talents like Jules Feiffer by finding excellent books like The Man in the Ceiling at my library. Hopefully you can find it at yours.

UPDATE: Thanks to commentator Matt D, we know that Tom Brevoort has already addressed the question on his Formspring account.

Original Story, 1/26: Originally announced late last September, Arcade: Death Game, a three-issue miniseries written by Paul Tobin and pitting Spider-Girl, the Young Allies and Avengers Academy against Arcade’s latest iteration of Murderworld, has been canceled by Marvel Comics according to the latest Previews cancellation list: (more…)

In a move surely to inspire decidedly mixed reaction, McG, the director of Charlie’s Angels and Terminator Salvation, is the “odds-on favorite” to direct the pilot of David E. Kelley’s Wonder Woman series, says Michael Ausiello.

Let’s look at this reasonably. Yeah, a lot of people didn’t like his Terminator movie (though surely someone liked it… right?), but as far as his work in TV goes, he directed the pilot of Chuck as well, and that turned out pretty well. He’s a producer on another series adaptation of a DC comic — Human Target — and clearly has experience with female characters and independent women. McG — born Joseph McGinty Nichol — also co-wrote the song “Fly” by Sugar Ray, and though I’m not sure if that translates positively or negatively to potential ability to direct a Wonder Woman pilot, it’s at least worth noting, right?

The story of a man discovering his father was a serial killer, Echoes #1 from Top Cows hit late last month to rampant critical acclaim, including kudos from Newsarama’s own Best Shots team — and we’ve got an exclusive preview of the second issue, out this week, after the jump.

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In last week’s Etsy Made Me Do It, I bought you an array of geeky cufflinks. Once a week I’ll be sifting through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. This week I’m highlighting some of the most unique laptop skins to nerdify your computer. I’ve actually never bought a skin for my MacBook simply because there are so many great ones out there. It’s just too hard to decide. But here are a few to tempt you.

From user MacSkins, this Darth Vader MacBook skin shows the villain choking the life out of the Mac apple. Something I’ve certainly never wanted to do…Retails for $8.99. If you’re a Star Wars fan you may also appreciate this Bounty Hunter skin for $9.99 by macappeal.

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If you’ve consumed any media today, up to and including this very blog, then you’ve probably already heard that this month’s issue of Fantastic Four is the one in which one of the four dies (or is it “dies” when a comic book star of that stature dies?), and depending on which media you’ve consumed, you may even know who it is; the Associated Press story left the name out of the headline, but I’ve already seen it appear in a few other headlines online while perusing non-comics sites this morning.

This issue is also the one Marvel was shipping a little early and allowing retailers to sell a little earlier, today instead of Wednesday, although I’m sure the death of this particular character won’t drive the sort of death of Captain America feeding frenzy and, anyway, wouldn’t the issue have to come out before the announcement via the press in order to capitalize on both fan expectation and media-driven interest?

(Here is where I make spoiler-ish allusions).

Having yet to read the book, I’m not sure how exactly The Character Who Dies will die, but I’m hoping The Character is accidentally killed by The Character’s fellow FF member in a fit of rage, after one of The Character’s many mean pranks and insults directed at The Character’s teammate over the decades.

At any rate: Fantastic Four #587 is by writer Jonathan Hickman and pencil artist Steve Epting, and it costs $4.

It will no doubt be the most talked-about book this week, but it’s not the only book this week. Here are some more comics that come out this week…

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The transfer of power between J. Michael Straczynski and Phil Hester continues with Wonder Woman #606, out this week, featuring a fight between Diana and Philippus. Courtesy of DC Comics, a preview is after the jump.

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Written and created by Brian Andersen, art, colors and letters by the talented Celina Hernandez. For more So Super Duper go to:www.sosuperduper.com!

For months, comic book fans have wondered who would die in this week’s Fantastic Four #587, the last issue of the “Three” story arc, purported to contain the death of one of the founding member’s of Marvel’s First Family — either Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch or the Thing. An Associated Press article published around midnight eastern time Monday night/Tuesday morning — approximately nine hours before the comic was set to go on sale on the east coast — appeared to have revealed the answer.

Do we need to say it? Spoilers after the jump. Big ones.

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In the pages of Action Comics as of late, Lex Luthor has been running across some of the greatest villains of the DC Universe — so it was only a matter of time before meeting up with his sometime-partner, The Joker. Courtesy of DC Comics, here’s a preview of Action Comics #897, plus Justice Society of America #47 (part of the “Supertown” storyline). (more…)

Cutscene: You’re  a police officer traveling on horseback towards Atlanta, Georgia to search for your family. You enter the city limits only to find it occupied with the walking dead. You quickly get surrounded by a zombie horde as your horse gets pulled to the ground. Gameplay: Fight your way out without getting bitten.

Sound like fun? It could very well be the setting of a new video game from Telltale Games based on The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman.

According to MTV Multiplayer, the game developer is announcing five new multiplatform ventures to press at a big event next month. The news of a The Walking Dead video game was not explicitly released, but hinted at and presumed by MTV. “The title showcased very obviously on the invite, and one that we’ve known about for some time, is an episodic series based on ‘Jurassic Park.’ However, the invite also states that one of the titles announced is ‘based on a just-launched property from the TV and comic book world whose popularity is changing life as some know it.’”

The author of the article points out that besides Frank Darabont’s The Walking Dead, which premiered last October on AMC, FOX’s Human Target is the only other comic property on television right now and does not quite fit the bill as well as the zombie survival drama does. Telltale is no stranger to adapting comic, movie or television properties, the developer has put out games based on Jeff Smith’s Bone, CSI and Back to the Future.

So what do you think? Is The Walking Dead primed to make its video game debut? Would you want it to follow the storyline of the book/show or would you prefer it to house an all-new adventure? I think there’s huge potential here not only for exploring further plot lines from the comic but also perhaps introducing us to a whole new set of survivors as well.

Elmer
Written & Illustrated by Gerry Alanguilan
Published by SLG

After reading Gerry Alanguilan’s chicken-centric Elmer, I’m left wishing that he didn’t need to spend precious hours inking other people’s comics to pay the bills.  So I’ll ask you all to go pick up a copy of this amazing book so Alanguilan will have money and time to devote to his own comics.

Elmer tells of a world where chickens, spontaneously, gain human-level intelligence. Told via the framing device of a son reading a father’s journal, the story deals simultaneously with its titular lead character’s struggle for acceptance in the post-talking-chicken world, while his son, Jake, copes with his father’s death and the anger that comes of being a disrespected, often mistreated minority. Firstly, Elmer is beautifully drawn, with detailed renderings and careful pacing. Alanguilan lays out each page precisely, building emotional connections with close-ups, while pulling back to give proper impact and scale to the dramatic confrontations that occur frequently throughout the narrative.

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Takio — the long-awaited, all-ages, creator-owned, original graphic novel from Marvel’s Icon line and the Powers team of Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming — has an official release date, March 2. And even more excitingly, Marvel has provided us with a preview of the first seven-pages. Yup, that’s after the jump. And our interview with Bendis and Oeming on the project is here. (more…)