Joe Manganiello, currently of True Blood fame, is said to be one of the frontrunners to play Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel film.

Rumors earlier in the week by the L.A. Times placed Manganiello in the role due to talk at the Academy Bake Off last week. Then, over the weekend, it seemed the actor himself confirmed the possibility of him taking on the famous role in an interview with Extra at the Producers Guild Awards red carpet.

When asked by the interviewer if he indeed was going to be playing Superman, Manganiello said, “Well, you know, that’s really not up to me at this point….It’s out there in the ether so we’ll see.”  Although he did not answer with a direct yes, not many actors up for a role do, especially one as important as this. But it seems he’s not past sucking up to better his chances, “I would be honored. I love Zack Snyder, I love Christopher Nolan, I’m huge fans of both of them. So I’d be honored to if they choose to do that.”

Manganiellos is currently busy filming Season 4 of True Blood right now. He told Extra, “Witches show up and cause some trouble in Bon Temps.”

Manganiello is already familiar with the comic book movie realm, you may remember he played Flash Thompson in the Spider-Man films. But does he have what it takes to fill some of the biggest boots on the block? He certainly has the body for it but he doesn’t scream Superman to me. Perhaps Snyder is looking for someone completely different than who we’ve seen as the Man of Steel in the past. What do you think?

We’ve seen old William Adama and young William Adama, now it’s time to unveil twenty-something Adama! Syfy has announced the casting of 22-year-old Luke Pasqualino for their next Battlestar Galatica prequel series, Blood & Chrome.

Here’s his character bio as revealed on Entertainment Weekly’s website:

Pasqualino will star as the young, talented fighter pilot William Adama, a recent Academy graduate who finds himself assigned to the newest Battlestar in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Full of ambition and in pursuit of the intense action that the Cylon war promises, Adama quickly finds himself at odds with Coker (Cotton), the battle-weary officer to whom he reports. With 45 days left in his tour of duty, Coker desires an end to battle just as much as Adama craves the start of it. Though they clash at first, the two men forge an unlikely bond when a routine mission turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

As you can see, EW also announced the casting of Ben Cotton (Stargate: Atlantis) as Adama’s commanding officer. Cotton previously held the role of Atreus in Syfy’s short-lived BSG prequel series Capria and an even smaller role in the TV movie, Battlestar Galactica: Razor. Pasqualino has had a short career thus far but is best known for his role as Freddie on BBC’s Skins.

Executive produced and written by longtime BSG companions David Eick and Glen A. Larson respectively, Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome will premiere as a tw0-hour pilot on Syfy.

ComiXology, with their own app plus individual apps for companies like Marvel, DC, and BOOM!, has emerged as a leader in the digital comics game. They’ve been making strides on a regular basis in their approximate year and a half in this growing market, adding apps for the iPad, a web-based reader, and recently announcing Android readers as well.

Now the company, who has always pledged loyalty to direct market comic book specialty stores, is helping them get into the digital market as well. Announced today via press release, comiXology’s Digital Storefront Affiliate program lets retailers set up an online store for digital comics. It’s an interesting step to help move retailers forward as more companies begin to offer same-day digital releases and discounted prices. The full press release is after the jump, and stay tuned to the homepage for an interview with comiXology CEO David Steinberger later this afternoon.

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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.

Though nothing official has come through from Wizard or owner Gareb Shamus, there are multiple reports, including Bleeding Cool, saying the magazine has shuttered.

Our own calls to Wizard’s listed public relations phone number go unanswered, and their “bullpen website” is down, listed as under maintenance mode. The Subscriptions page on WizardUniverse.com gives a 404 error as well.

Johnston speculates ToyFare and the multitude of Wizard conventions will continue on. Shamus has come under heavy fire in the last several years, with reports of non-payment of freelancers, mail fraud from the Wizard store, and hefty layoffs, all while purchasing more comic book conventions in his own name.

UPDATE

We’ve just received a Press Release from Gareb Shamus announcing his intent to launch a digital magazine called “Wizard World” in February 2011, and a 12-city convention tour. While there’s no explicit mention of the print magazine in the release, this serves as functional confirmation of the print monthly’s end. Full Press Release follows:

GAREB SHAMUS UNDERTAKES PUBLIC COMPANY WIZARD WORLD, INC. AND LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE PUBLICATION ‘WIZARD WORLD’

New York, NY (January 24, 2011) – Gareb Shamus, recently appointed President and CEO of public company Wizard World, Inc. (“Wizard World”) (OTC: GOEE.PK), today announced that the Comic Con Tour, which consists of pop culture conference events that provide high visibility marketing opportunities to pop culture brands and companies in multiple venues throughout the year, is now being produced by public company Wizard World. The Wizard World Comic Con Tour intends to cover 12 cities in 2011, including major cities such as New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin and New Orleans. The Tour will include sponsors ranging from major movie studios and TV networks to gaming and toy companies to content publishers.

In addition, Wizard World plans to launch in February 2011 an all-new digital magazine called ‘Wizard World’ that will appeal to pop-culture fans, the same audience to which Mr. Shamus has catered to, for over 20 years. Wizard World digital magazine will provide coverage of the world of comic books, toys and superheroes, and the personalities behind them.

“This is a very exciting day for Wizard World and the industries it serves,” said Shamus. “Having the Tour produced by a public company provides additional opportunities to expand and grow the Tour. The new digital magazine Wizard World will give consumers the content they want in a magazine format with which they are familiar, but distributed in a form that is always available at any time on any device. It is a natural evolution for us in this market.”

Wizard World Comic Con will begin its North American tour at New Orleans Comic Con held from January 29 to 30, 2011. The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

UPDATE #2

Albert here. Just got an e-mail from Jerry Milani at Wizard World PR, confirming that ToyFare is also ending publication:

Wizard Entertainment is ceasing publication of the print magazines Wizard and ToyFare.  Wizard World, Inc. will begin production of the online publication “Wizard World” beginning in February.   We feel this will allow us to reach an even wider audience in a format that is increasingly popular and more readily accessible.

Something tells me there isn’t much crossover love between comic fans and the people who enjoy watching award shows each year but last night something strange happened. The Golden Globe Awards were filled with comic book characters. With all those heroes in the room I’m surprised a supervillain didn’t attack.

Boardwalk Empire may have won Best Television Series – Drama over The Walking Dead but that doesn’t mean Robert Kirkman didn’t win a Golden Globe in an alternate reality. Hey, you can’t blame a guy for playing make-believe.

So a creator was in the crowd, but as the show progressed,  people started noticing something oddly familiar about the audience – it was sprinkled with all kinds of comic book characters. (more…)

Everyone is waiting for big news from DC Comics this week, wondering if they’ll be staying or going. We got our hands on some leaked notes from a major company-wide meeting, and let me tell you, their plans are truly shocking!

1) That’s No Moon: DC Comics will be moving to a “to scale” moonbase modeled off of the original JLA design.

2) You know what it means: Not sure what this means, but repeated over and over in the meeting notes is one word: Jabberwocky. What IS Jabberwocky? What, you don’t know? I mean, I know. Of course I know. I was just checking if YOU knew…

3) DC is going all-digital for monthly comics through Zune Marketplace: Yup, they’re completely abandoning all the work done on PSP and iOS devices, instead opting for the 10 people that own Zunes to have digital comics. It’s an unprecedented move, not likely to ever be seen again.

4) Geoff Johns is a Robot: Well, can’t say this one was kept very secret. Engineered by the Guardians of the Universe to police the stars, Geoff Johns broke free of his original programming and came to Earth to write comics. Also revealed, the Manhunters will return in a special cross-promotion with Twitter and 7-11 called “Infinite Slurpees.”

5) Final Crisis was all a big misunderstanding: In a meeting between Grant Morrison and Dan DiDio, when Grant Morrison asked, “What did you do in animation?” Didio said “Reboot” and Morrison said, “Hey, no problem.”

So there you have it folks, all the gigantic DC News. Hard to believe that’s what we’ve been waiting on since the restructuring a year ago!

*this is a work of fiction. Unless you’re Rich Johnston, then you can reprint this all as fact, Rich.

Kickstarter — the incentive-based, all-or-nothing fundraising site that’s exploded in use this year from folks looking to finance a variety of creative endeavors — has become a popular choice for comic book creators looking to get projects going. Kody Chamberlain (Punks) used the site to raise money for his upcoming Image Comics series Sweets, ending up with $4,633 (exceeding his goal of $3,000). Vaneta Rogers wrote about it on this very site a couple of months ago, and Christian Beranek blogged about his Kickstarter experience.

Yet the more popular this method becomes, the possibility mounts that potential donors could face burnout. Over on Comics Worth Reading, Johanna Draper Carlson posted a thoughtful commentary today titled “Why I Won’t Be Giving to Kickstarter Projects.” In it, Carlson questions both the nature of Kickstarter and its long-term feasibility, saying “people are quickly going to get tired of these pleas for funds.” Naturally, the post wasn’t without controversy, with Hawaiian Dick writer B. Clay Moore, among others, challenging Carlson on her take in the comments.

The post also inspired a debate on the Bendis board, with poster Jef UK — aka Jeffrey C. Burandt, an independent comic creator himself and writer of Oni’s upcoming Odd Schnozz and the Odd Squad — describing his “Kickstarter fatigue,” and Moore also joining that conversation. UPDATE, 6/25: Carlson has reconsidered her position, and posted a new column: “More on Kickstarter: I Was Wrong.”

Let us know your thoughts on the site — and whether or not you’re feeling the fatigue.

Twitter brings a lot of daily entertainment, and a fun way to get short communicae from some of your favorite comics writers, artists, editors, and of course, journalists. Sometimes, it also spawns some great freaking ideas.

While Matt Fraction was talking about the impending return of the many-ringed villain The Mandarin to the pages of Invincible Iron Man, Geoff Johns had a sudden idea:

@mattfraction What can the Mandarin’s rings do? Iron Man/Green Lantern xover…! about 15 hours ago via TweetDeck

GeoffJohns0

Fraction responded:

@GeoffJohns0 together, all of ‘em can save the direct market…! #LETSDOTHISTHING about 15 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to GeoffJohns0

mattfraction

Then it sat for awhile, until Fraction brought it up again, starting to riff a story idea:

wait weren’t me and @geoffjohns0 plotting our GreenLantern/IronMan xover in real tweettime? wasn’t mandarin getting a red ring or something? about 10 hours ago via web

mattfraction

And Johns responded once more:

@mattfraction Then Hal loses his ring, but finds one of Tony’s suits. And thinks it’s the coolest thing to ever pilot… about 3 hours ago via web in reply to mattfraction

GeoffJohns0

And suddenly, an actual story idea was born. One that makes amazing sense, and could be a lot of fun. Ya know, if Marvel and DC would actually consider doing a crossover again, using two franchises that are currently big in the movie biz (and/or soon will be) wouldn’t be a bad way to resurrect the idea.

Me? I’m holding out hope for a Green Lantern/Captain Planet crossover. What say you?

by David McRaney

This article was authored by David McRaney and republished with permission of http://wwww.youarenotsosmart.com

The Misconception: You prefer the things we own over the things we don’t because we made rational choices when we bought them.

The Truth: You prefer the things you own because you rationalize your past choices to protect your sense of self.

The Internet changed the way people argue.

Check any comment system, forum or message board and you will find fanboys going at it, debating why their chosen product is better than the other guy’s.

In modern consumer cultures like America, people compete for status through comparing their taste in products. (You can read more on how that works here: Selling Out).

Mac vs. PC, PS3 vs. XBox 360, iPhone vs. Android – it goes on and on.

Usually, these arguments are between men, because men will defend their ego no matter how slight the insult. These are also usually about geeky things that cost lots of money, because these battles take place on the Internet where tech-savvy people get rowdy, and the more expensive a purchase, the greater the loyalty to it. (more…)

In a week that saw Supergirl as fantastic as it’s ever been (apologies to the Peter David enthusiasts out there), a curious piece was found by way of The Hollywood Reporter this week.

According to the press release…

[Warner Bros. Consumer Products] has partnered with five-time Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin to create Supergirl by Nastia, the first-ever lifestyle merchandise line of its kind for girls available at a major retailer. Supergirl by Nastia will feature trend-right, affordable apparel that encourages a message of empowerment, creativity, strength, intelligence and independence – the symbolic attributes of the iconic Supergirl S-Shield. The collection, created for today’s 8-12-year-old girls, will be available exclusively at JCPenney – in stores and on jcp.com – beginning July 20, just in time for the back-to-school season.

“The Supergirl S-Shield is embraced the world over as a symbol of girl power,” said Brad Globe, president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “From ‘fashionistas’ to ‘actionistas,’ a Supergirl is today’s girl and we are proud to be partnering with Nastia Liukin and JCPenney to bring the Supergirl by Nastia line, and its message of empowerment, to life at retail for all girls and their parents.

Prior to reading this, I was not aware that WB had been using Supergirl as a brand in this manner anywhere (or the “Supergirl Jam” mentioned further in the press release). Far be it for me to play fashionista, especially for young girls’ clothing, but while I like that there are some tasteful designs here (and we really only get a sampling), it seems more like the El family crest is merely getting incorporated into some graphic designs and not so much Kara Zor-El herself. Just another symbol like the peace sign. Maybe there are some items with Supergirl’s likeness on them in development, I can’t tell. But, hey, whatever works! Not a parent myself, and lord knows it’s been a kajillion years since I stepped inside a JCPenney.

Update, 9:51pm EST: Bluewater’s Darren G. Davis contacted us earlier this evening in order to make the following statement:

Hey Troy –

Thanks,
Darren

So, y’know, maybe it is Boom! And if it is, big ups to them for using the Vancouver, WA P.O. Box as a clever fake-out (unless of course that was just some happy internet weirdness).

As it stands, sometimes when you speculate, you speculate wrong. Our own Tom McLean got a load of, uh, guff when he posited the likes of Jim Lee and Geoff Johns alongside Dan Didio as DC leadership candidates, and look how that turned out. I’d say that as wrong guesses go, it’s still got a ways to go before it touches “People will love New Coke!” or “People will love Leno at 10pm!”

And with that, I admit that “I Was Wrong” with a little help from Mr. Ness and Friends.

Original Story: As reported on Bleeding Cool and others, an ad campaign has launched in print and across the web using Stan Lee’s signature declaring “STAN’S BACK!”

There’s even a website aptly titled stansback.com that again shows Stan’s signature in white on black.

Rich Johnston (and his commenters) noted that this campaign is somewhat similar to the BOOM! Studios “Mark Waid is Evil” viral campaign for Irredeemable, leading to speculation that BOOM! may be working with Stan the Man in the near future.

This didn’t feel quite like BOOM! to me, though, so I did a little looking via WhoIS. WhoIS, for those not in the ‘net know, is a site that tells you who domain names are registered to.

All of BOOM!’s sites are registered to CEO Ross Richie.

The StansBack site is registered (as of last November) to a P.O. Box in Vancouver, Washington. It would seem a pretty elaborate ruse for BOOM! to privately register to a P.O. Box for a simple marketing campaign. While MarkWaidIsEvil.com wasn’t registered to Richie, it was still registered in L.A.

So who IS in Vancouver, WA? Well, you saw the title of this blog post: Bluewater Productions. The company that gets by mostly on their biography comics could very well be simply running this little campaign to drum up promotion for: a Stan Lee Biography comic. It wouldn’t exactly be the biggest pay off, but it wouldn’t be so far-fetched, either. Bluewater has also published superhero books, so that’s not out of the question, but with Stan’s recent Archie deal, that would seem like a larger reach.

So is Stan Back, merely as the subject of a biography?

When a knock down fight between Wonder Woman and Giganta suddenly shifts into a pair of women engaged in girl talk about dating and having brunch, that tends to put a smile on your face and makes you want to read more. That’s what Gail Simone’s writing will do to you. She is one of those special writers, like Grant Morrison, who, at their best, take super-heroes as the jumping off point for something unexpected and fun. If only Megan Fox were to read what’s going on with Wonder Woman lately, she might not think she’s so lame.

Let’s take a look at a true flash point in comics: Gail Simone taking over the writing helm of Wonder Woman. It has been and remains an excellent run. This is a particularly good time to start reading Wonder Woman during Simone’s historic take on the mighty Amazon. I jumped into the last story arc, “The War Killers,” and it took a little adjusting to all the Greek mythos but thanks to Simone’s pacing and the eye-popping art of Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan, I got hooked. Given that Simone has been writing this title since 2007, I was impressed with how the story still feels fresh. And then to go back and read the opening arc, “The Circle,” I was pleased to find the starting points of an epic saga.

I think that’s the best way to put it: a sweeping epic saga. When Simone took over as writer at Issue Fourteen, people took notice, including The New York Times. The hook may have been that we were finally getting an ongoing woman writer for Wonder Woman but it was also simply the fact that is was Gail Simone. Like, say, Joss Whedon, fans could rely on Simone for distinctive character-driven stories. It’s interesting to note the struggle that Whedon had in attempting to script a viable Wonder Woman movie. It seemed to him that there simply wasn’t much there to work with. Apparently, Simone found what worked but then went about forging new ground.

Simone was willing to get her hands dirty and till the very soil of Diana’s origins which had been left undeveloped. Since all the Amazon women on Paradise Island have foresaken men, they have also foresaken ever experiencing the birth of new Amazons from within their own ranks. They all feel a maternal instinct but resist it. Until, one day, the queen, Hippolyta, creates a child, Diana, from clay and magic. Allowing this “dragon” to trespass this Garden of Eden, sets off a fanatical backlash putting the lives of Hippolyta and Diana in danger. But, most importantly, for the long term, it anchors Diana’s indentity and gives readers and future writers more to work with.

Wonder Woman is a woman to be reckoned with. Mercedes Lackey expresses that eloquently in her introduction to Wonder Woman: The Circle. She points out that, since the Greeks, there’s always been a fascination and fear of the Powerful Woman. That goes a long way in explaining why writers have steadily marginalized Wonder Woman over the last sixty years. I think it’s safe to say that Wonder Woman, as powerful and iconic a figure as Batman and Superman, had not been working up to her potential. Much like Spider-Man, even more so, Wonder Woman was in bad need of a relaunch. That effort was underway starting with the question, “Who is Wonder Woman?” and ended with a botched attempt to answer it. And along came Gail Simone and she has been making things so much better, probably paving the way for an awesome Wonder Woman movie someday.

Wonder Woman is a case of Simone pumping fresh blood into characters and stories just like she’s done with Birds of Prey and Secret Six. If Wonder Woman is capable of taking down whole armies, then Simone figures she can handle the complexities of a sexual relationship. Wonder Woman can also reason as well as she can fight and turn a whole pack of raging gorillas into her own personal entourage. And, with the lasso of truth, she can turn the most evil Nazi into a crying child.

When the time comes, if the rumors of his taking over are true, Grant Morrison will be inheriting a revitalized and relevant Wonder Woman. It looks like that will be happening once Wonder Woman gets renumbered to #600 and a new kick off is set in motion. For now, enjoy what remains of Simone’s run. Wonder Woman #40 starts a new arc, “The Crows,” and comes out January 27. And if you need a pitch for Wonder Woman, then these now famous lines by Gail Simone will serve that purpose: “When you need to stop an asteroid, you get Superman. When you need to solve a mystery, you call Batman. But when you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman.”

It’s a common enough story: Company A makes the best darn little widgets and builds up a reputation. Along comes Company B who buys out Company A and sucks the soul out of what it bought. That is a fate that Top Shelf Productions, a leading publisher of indepenent graphic novels and comics, has avoided. So, it’s wonderful news from Top Shelf that they have entered into a deal with genuine kindred spirits that they’re excited about that should actually enhance the company. The deal is with new media entrepreneur John S. Johnson and independent film producer Anthony Bregman’s company, Likely Story. They have bought a 33 % interest in Top Shelf Productions.

The deal seems as fair as one could hope for. Co-founders Chris Staros and Brett Warnock  get to keep a controlling interest and Johnson and Bergman provide their substantial resources to take things to the next level. What makes things appear promising is the impressive line up of movies that Bergman has produced over his career which include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lovely & Amazing and Sense & Sensibility. Currently, his production company, Likely Story, have two films premiering at Sundance: Please Give, starring Catherine Keener and The Extra Man, starring Kevin Kline.

Johnson and Bergman will have a first-look option on all new Top Shelf publications for possible film and TV development. Could this inhibit seeking out more experimental comics that may not transfer all that well to other media? And what are the particulars of the first-look option?

The first Top Shelf book to benefit from this new arrangement is Too Cool To Be Forgotten by Alex Robinson which is considered to be his best work yet. About a dad who must come to terms with his bad habits, namely smoking, the story transports him back in time as a teenager with a unique chance to get things right. As for Top Shelf, it looks like they have the most unique chance of all to continue to get things right.

You can read the full press release over at the Top Shelf Productions Web site.

In the spirit of a topic I brought up a few weeks ago, your friends here at Super Articulate wanted to remind the fine folks at DC Direct that there’s an A-list character they’ve lagged on for far too long. Don’t get me wrong, The Flash has gotten attention in the last year alone. But for a hero who has an array of villains surpassed in the DC Universe by Batman alone, I’m not alone in being astounded at all the missed opportunities over the years. Though DC Direct can no longer ignore the viability of the Rogues Gallery and supporting cast of the Fastest Man Alive, not when the DC editorial and creative hierarchy has placed Barry Allen at such a premium. So it is with that sentiment that we offer up a solid THREE rounds of Flash-based heroes and villains who need to find their way to our shelves faster than… well, the Flash.
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I thought I’d share with you some of my thoughts on comics that intrigued me in 2009. I tip my hat to my colleagues, Caleb and Mike, who have compiled similar thoughts. Comics entertain, fascinate and inform us. So, here’s to all our friends who share a love for this unique medium. Please read on:

Mysterius the Unfathomable (WildStorm): This title appeals to me the most for 2009. And, believe me, I go through a lot of comics. You really should find this limited series to be all-around good fun. The story of a bumbling, yet dapper, magician/detective and his trusty assistant set the gold standard with the awesome talent of Jeff Parker and Tom Fowler. The trade comes out March 17! (Read my reviews here and here).

Red Herring (WildStorm): Another winner much in the same vein as Mysterius: the energy and tension generated between a man and a woman, in over their heads, having to depend on each other to survive. Wry humor, plot twists, colorful characters, it’s all here. This limited run by David Tishman, Phillip Bond and David Hahn, is winding up January 13 and the trade will be available before you known it. (review).

The Squirrel Machine (Fantagraphics): Yeah, baby, this is what I debuted with for my Comics Grinder column and for good reason. If you want to know what appeals to me, this is as good as it gets. Aside from the most celebrated titles, it is books like this that truly bring home the level to which the comics medium can take, especially on a regular basis by its creator. Hans Rickheit has been producing work like this for years and he has perfected a certain haunted and exquisite comics style. Take it from me, this story of two very strange brothers is the real deal. (review).

Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf Productions): What a banner year for Top Shelf with the likes of Far Arden and Essex County. Well, for me, the one that won my heart is Swallow Me Whole. Nate Powell’s  art and story about two kids who keep floating in and out of reality will have you hooked. Something like this could be taken for granted but, trust me, it’s hard work. To reach the level of skill of Craig Thompson and also retain your own distinct style and voice is remarkable. (review).

The Winter Men (WildStorm): Comics is a serious business and, while everyone is welcome to try to create something, only a few works stick around. This is one of the most offbeat works you’re likely to encounter but because Brett Lewis and John Paul Leon are serious players, you get one of the most memorable comics: a multi-layered crime/anti-superhero tale that is breathetaking. (review).

Rotten (Moonstone Books): You won’t know until you try but Rotten is the comic that does the zombie genre right in more ways than one. Given that a really good zombie story is in some way commenting on our own society, Rotten does this in a variety of interesting ways. Packed with political, pop culture and movie references, and set in the Wild West, it’s definitely something different. By Mark Rahner, Robert Horton and Dan Dougherty. (review).

Spider-Man: The Short Halloween (Marvel Comics): Don’t you love the unexpected one-shot? I want it known that I really appreciate this sort of thing and this one is probably the best of its kind for 2009. Not only is it a welcome concept but it works. Bringing on board the SNL writing talents of Seth Myers and Bill Hader, along with art by Kevin Maguire, we get a wild romp involving mistaken identity and a healthy dose of solid comics references. It’s very good to mix things up like this and I look forward to seeing more of it. (review).

Pope Hats (Ethan Rilly): Coming from the small press as I do, I totally love to see exceptional work that is self-published. From my review: “Who is Frances Scarland? We know she’s what keeps Vickie together. We know she’s loyal to her job, she’s pretty mild-mannered, and she talks to a ghost. Maybe that’s more than enough for a girl of 23 or so. Maybe it’s a perfect picture of someone young who is trying to cope with an uncertain future, just a few steps away from the nearest Zoloft.” (full review).

Nine Gallons (Susie Cagle): Speaking of indie comics, it doesn’t get much more underground than this brilliant comic. From my review: “We roll into the holiday season and more thought is given to those among us who are in need. Whether or not it’s the holidays or The Great Recession, there will always be those of us less fortunate. Susie Cagle’s mini-comic, Nine Gallons, invites those of us more fortunate to take a step into the world of the homeless and consider helping out.” (full review).

The Deformitory (Sophia Wiedeman): And one more small press wonder to consider: a very unusual little fairy tale. From my review: “The book revolves around Delores, a Kafka-like city dweller stuck in the rut of working in an office. Instead of turning into a cockroach, her hands, overworked from typing, turn into claws, each literally with a mind of its own. These claws have faces and they can talk. With cute little eyes, they could pass for muppets.” (full review).

What else would I add to this list? Well, no doubt, there’s plenty more. We here at Newsarama often need to pick up the pace as we bring you reviews as soon as titles are available. And, at other times, we can reflect back on titles and provide even more insight. I plan to come back to titles, keep tracking the latest stuff and provide whatever extra features I can for you. In general, I will follow my heart and do my best to share more thoughts with you in 2010.

In the spirit of Newsarama’s own Readers’ Favorites of 2009 Tourney, I thought I’d get a view from my local comics shop and see what my friend in comics, Chris Ureta Casos, the long-time buyer for Comics Dungeon, here in Seattle, had to say about comics in 2009 and much more.

Blog@Newsarama: Chris, with Newsarama’s Readers’ Favorites of 2009 Tourney in mind, tell us your thoughts on what tops your lists of favorites in comics this year.

Chris Ureta Casos: I have a lot of trouble really picking out top favorites for any categories, simply because different creators and titles appeal to me at different times and for numerous reasons. If I had pick on the spot though, my breakdowns would be:

Ongoing Titles: The Boys, the Green Lantern titles

Mini-series: Beasts of Burden, Atomic Robo

Writers: Geoff Johns, Garth Ennis, Peter Tomasi, Gail SImone really shines for her work on Secret Six And Wonder Woman

Artists: Marcos Martin, Darwyn Cooke, Patrick Gleason, Amanda Conner

Covers: Pretty much all the covers Marcos Martin has been cranking out this year. The Cooke covers (regular & variant) for Jonah Hex #50 really stood out for me this month as well.

And just as a general thing I’ve been loving all the great work being put into reprints from Fantagraphics, IDW, and a few others. The newly colored Prince Valiant book was a thing of beauty, as well as the Complete Rocketeer that just came out this month.

Blog@: Moving right along, tell us any thoughts that come to mind regarding trends you’ve observed in 2009.

Chris: Well, the “event” trend along with the nostalgia crawl have been fairly strong for the year. Some events fell on there faces while others actually spiked sales very well and generated a lot of new interest. Then it felt like since we managed to work our way through the bulk of the 80′s nostalgia we for some reason had to immerse ourselves with the ’90′s again which is honestly more than a little bit painful.

Of the more positive trends I would have to go back to the healthy amount of reprinting we’ve seen. Marvel’s finally released the soft cover version of the Marvel Masterworks, which are great if not a few years too late. DC’s Kirby Omnibus collections as well as the Showcase editions and other special hard covers have been fantastic. Then you have Fantagraphics offering such things as Blazing Combat and the Strange Suspense to name a few. Top that off with Dark Horse and IDW really coming up to bat and putting out some impressive collections and it’s just been a dream year for nicely packaged reprint material.

There were plenty of trends I wish we could have avoided. The price bumps, the over saturation of variant covers, and the odd marketing and packaging choices we’ve been seeing from the larger publishers. As a whole, I would think the worse trend is the widening of the gap of communication between consumers, retailers, distributors, and publishers.

Blog@: What can you tell us about your favorite comics from this last decade?

Chris: This is where I really just freeze up because there are just too many things to go on about. I think one of the greatest new titles we’ve seen from the past decade was Atomic Robo, not only for just the actual content (which is amazing) for the actual work ethic of the creators. Joss Whedon’s work on X-Men and his launch of Buffy Season 8 were great in and of themselves but when you factor in the amount of new readership and interest they brought in then you can’t ignore their value.

Geoff Johns has helped to not only resurrect interest in Green Lantern but to push the entire mythology of the creator into being one of the most successful, easily accessible, and expansive properties in the industry.

Pretty much everything Dark Horse has been doing over the past few years has been making me happy, from their production values to their overall content, and they always strike me as one of the if not the most solid publishers.

I don’t think I’ve read a Garth Ennis story I’ve never liked. So, from him launching Battlefields, to returning to Hitman for a few issues, to pinpointing exactly what a Punisher story should be, and to launching The Boys I’ve been a pretty happy camper.

There’s the obvious stuff like All Star Superman, Wednesday Comics, and Scott Pilgrim, which all deserve plenty of praise and attention.

Gail Simone emerging as one of the best writers in mainstream comics has been pleasant to watch. I’m disappointed she doesn’t seem to be doing too strongly on the Newsarama polls.

I was actually one of the minority it seems that really enjoyed Final Crisis and Batman RIP, but hell I thought they were just a lot of fun as experiments.

I feel like I’m neglecting a ton of things….

Blog@: What would you like to share with us about an all-time favorite comic?

Chris: There are two all time favorite books I think need mentioning. First is Mother, Come Home by Paul Hornschemeir. If you want an example of how much emotion can be put into a comic with a very minimal yet expressive style then you need to check this out. This is the only comic I’ve ever written a letter to when it was being published as single issues, and I was incredibly grateful for the reply I got back from the creator. It’s an incredibly sad story, so if you’re a fan of Chris Ware or Craig Thompson you should love it.

The second is Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarndio. Pretty much every time I read I realize that this is pretty much the perfect example of the heights the medium can achieve in storytelling and that more people need to know this work so they can understand how high the bar has really been set. The good news is that Dark Horse will be releasing a new compete collection in 2010.

Blog@: How would you describe the experience of reading comics?

Chris: Reading comics for me can range from incredibly transcendent to horribly enraging. I was taught how to read with comics and fortunately (or unfortunately) they’ve stuck with me for the long run, so visual narratives have been engrained into me and I often can get a little too engrossed in what I’m reading.

Blog@: Any quick and easy comment for someone walking in and wanting to read something that will blow their mind?

Chris: I need to talk with the person first and see what type of taste they have. It’s not that easy for me to assume they will like what I think is cool. Considering how excited I get when Starro the Conqueror shows up or Atomic Robo beats up a giant mutant ant with a Buick I think it’s a safe bet not everyone likes the same thing. It’s a little bit more interesting to gauge what a person’s taste is and see if you can find just the right thing for them, which means actually taking the time to expose yourself to different material constantly.

Blog@: What do you see ahead in comics in the new year, or in the future in general?

Chris: This is a hard one, simply because the future of comics really depends on how the economy holds up and how the publishers react. If we continue to see the trend of prices rising and a harder push to online comics, then we may see some really negative and possibly cataclysmic changes to the industry. There are a few things that could really help such as dropping the cost of production and material, but the main concern is that it feels like consumers are being drained of their blood at times and we are in a recession. I have customers who would love to buy more comics, but they can’t even afford 5-10 comics a week.

I was talking with a customer not to long ago, and we were asking the same question about Hollywood and other mainstream outlets and what trends might pop up over the next year. We decided that unless the powers-that-be were complete idiots, they would realize the potential with the increasing amounts of female genre fans with the popularity of Twilight and Firefly. Comics saw substantial new interest from female fans when Buffy Season 8 came out, and there were so many great books coming out at the time to cross-sell such as Runaways, Fables, and Y The Last Man.

Beyond that, I’m personally hoping that the next trend will be a competition between publishers to see who can publish the best reprint material. We’ve already seen both IDW and Fantagraphics release Ditko books of fantastic quality. I see Marvel is finally reprinting the Geoff Johns Avengers run, which, seriously, what’s been the hold up with that? Ideally, DC will now reprint the entire Abnett/Lanning run of Legion as a rebuttal. There are tons and tons of books actually worth reprinting (and no, I’m not talking about the Spider-Clone Saga and X-Men 2099). Books like the Peyer/Morales Hourman, the Jurgens/Epting Aquaman, the Waid/Kubert Ka-Zar, the original Busiek/Bagley Thunderbolts, and much much more. But please please please don’t make them deluxe hard covers. Just make something reasonable so we can easily recommend them to people without forcing them to sell blood to afford them.

Be sure to check out the Comics Dungeon Web site and, for further thoughts from Chris Ureta Casos, read his reviews at the Trusty Henchmen Web site.

Todd Klein has posted on his blog that letterer Joe Rosen has passed away.

Rosen, who was 88, started his career at Harvey Comics, and had credits stretching back all the way to 1948. His most influential credits include the Frank Miller run on Daredevil (shown above), as well as the Spider-Man/Superman crossover.

The Comics Reporter had this to say about Rosen:

Rosen’s work managed to combine a certain hushed quality with routine clarity and even, one could say, a muscularity achieved through the crowded precision of the kerning. He enabled Miller’s unique voice in a way that was quite unique, and the work would have been slightly but I think perceptibly different without him. The long-time letterer’s work continues to be seen through Marvel’s increasingly aggressive reprint programs.

It’s a shame, as a lot of readers — indeed, even a lot of folks in the industry — will snub letterers, not even realizing that lettering is the glue that holds the whole she-bang together. Mark Evanier has a nice article up about the value of good lettering — check it out.

Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics and Zot!, has written an interesting post up on comics criticism — specifically, looking at negative reviews.

For myself, I always consider reviews useful—even the hatchet jobs. It makes my heart sink a little when I hear other artists dismiss all reviews as irrelevant to their process. A common claim is that reviews tell us “only about the reviewer” and tell us “nothing about the work,” but I disagree. Yes, reviewers have biases. Yes, they miss the point sometimes. But there’s always some kind of information embedded in any reaction to any creative effort.

As someone who writes reviews on a fairly regular basis, I think the idea of how the industry sees these things is really important. The best reviews — the way they should work, or at least the way I hope they work — is not only to give notice to like-minded consumers of whether or not it’s a praiseworthy effort, but to also be an advocate for readers, to respectfully let creators know what works and doesn’t work for us. In a perfect world, reviewers’ reactions to the work — even if they’re off the mark — give everyone some perspective.

But it doesn’t always work that way. Are there some reviewers with an axe to grind out there? Oh, yeah, I’d believe it — I’ve seen plenty of industry folks I know and respect have calls to be fired, have streams of invective sent their way because someone didn’t like — or worse yet, didn’t get — the work in question. Sometimes, nostalgia wins out — I’m sure you can think of status quo changes that are more controversial than others. Other times, things are lost in translation. Sometimes that’s the reviewers’ fault — other times, it’s a question of clarity on the creators’ part.

But, similar to what McCloud says at the end of his post, the most important thing — the only important thing — that a reviewer needs to have is that regardless of who you’re reviewing, regardless the character or status quo, the thing that’s most important is that a reviewer should want the industry to succeed and keep moving onwards. The story and its presentation — not the politics or inside baseball — is all that matters in comics criticism. What do you think? Fans, industry people, let us know what you think!

Talk about stepping up your game — based on an announcement issued yesterday, you can tell that BOOM! Studios is dead serious about getting their books out.

Why do I say that? The company announced yesterday that they would be teaming up with Haven Distributors, who would distribute all second printings of both the BOOM! Studios lineup and BOOM! Kids — which by the way houses their line of Disney licensed comics — to direct market stores.

The English translation here: first and foremost, having an alternate distributor is a fairly big deal. When BOOM! Studios sells out a first printing of a book, the company no longer has to wait for Diamond to send second printings out, as they work with specific monthly distribution points. Instead, if a store runs out of a book and orders a second print, Haven is free to send stuff out whenever they want.

“Retailers have been begging us to get our second prints into their stores at a faster pace for the past year,” said BOOM! Studios CEO Ross Richie in a press statement. “We’re happy to be able to offer retailers another choice in getting an important part of our product line to their stores and into the hands of their customers.”

This deal goes in conjunction with BOOM!’s deals with Simon and Schuster and HarperCollinsCanada, who distribute the company’s graphic novels to the mass market in the U.S. and Canada respectively.