Ok, this has been bugging me for some time now and I'm just now getting around to posting it.
Does this whole Scott/Emma thing bother anyone else? Seriously I would have been fine with it, really....but standing over the grave of his dead wife kissing another woman....that's not Boyscout Scott. That's honestly some of the most twisted *%& I've ever seen. Not to mention the woman his wife caught him cheating on her with.
If Jeannie is in that grave, she's spinning right now. And when she comes back (she is the Phoenix after all) I so wanna see her just bitchslap the both of them.
They say Hell Hath no fury like a woman scorned, well, when that woman is the living embodiment of the Phoenix....you're screwed pal!
I can't stand to read the book. It makes me physically ill.

Beast summed it up for me-"I just don't like you very much right now."

I've seen the film a couple of times now and it just keeps getting better and better, i've spotted new jokes in it I missed the first time. I can't wait for the DVD so I can freeze frame and spot all the ones i've still missed

one of my fave films of the year so far!

Posted 02/07/2004
Source Newsarama

Officially confirming the drumbeats that had been ongoing for several weeks, Publisher’s Weekly today confirmed that Scholastic will launch its own graphic novel line aimed at both teens and younger readers called Graphix.

According to the report, the line will launch in the spring of 2005, and will be headlined by Jeff Smith’s Bone. According to sources, Scholastic will have the rights to reprint the series under its imprint for an extended period of time. Newsaram has learned that the Scholastic volumes will be in color, issued twice a year, and will be in a size reminiscent of manga trim. Other creators that Newsarama has learned to have been approached by Scholastic include Scott Morse, Jim Mahfood, and Christine Norrie.

Scholastic is the largest publisher of Children’s books, with roughly 750 titles seeing print each year. The company also runs several book clubs and book fairs, which reach over 35 million children, 40 million parents, and, according to the company, nearly every school in the United States, as well as numerous other countries.

PRESS RELEASE
Chuck Austen, one of Marvel’s go-to talents for the past few years, will be resigning from his monthly commitment on X-Men. Austen’s last issue is slated to ship in the fourth quarter of 2004, with more details to be announced over the coming weeks. Austen, who gained fame for his ability to relate character-driven stories, has worked on Uncanny X-Men, The Avengers, War Machine and many other titles.

“Marvel Comics, and Joe Quesada in particular, gave me a chance when no one else would, as both a writer and an artist, and helped get my career jump-started in the comics profession. For that I will always be deeply appreciative, and owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. It’s a very difficult thing to leave Marvel, particularly with the personal relationships I had developed over the past few years with the great editors--people like Mike Marts, Ralph Macchio, C.B. Cebulski, Nick Lowe, Nanci Quesada, Tom Brevoort, and of course, Joe. It’s the people who make a company, and Marvel has some of the best in the business,” said Chuck Austen.

Joe Quesada, Marvel's Editor in Chief added, “Chuck is a true professional. We at Marvel really want to thank him for his years of hard work, and we look forward to finding him another project down the road!”

Marvel's Publisher Dan Buckley concluded, “We will certainly welcome Chuck back when and if the time comes. His writing has been top-notch and his shoes will be hard to fill.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

by Arune Singh, Staff Writer
Posted: July 2, 2004
Source: ComicBookResources

He's hated and feared by some of a fan base that he's sworn to entertain. Since his photo from a Los Angeles comic convention was released on CBR, he's become a sex symbol for many comic book readers. His work at DC Comics is generally acclaimed and his work at Marvel Comics has met with criticism. But almost all his work constitutes some of the best selling and most consistent comics of the last few years.

His name is Chuck Austen and this is his CBR News interview where he speaks on "Worldwatch," his new creator owned superhero series hitting shelves in a few weeks. "The high concept is: Superheroes meets 'The Shield," explains Austen. "What if the premiere group of superheroes were real people, some corrupt and some not, rather than perfect individuals who always made the 'right' or 'ethical' or 'heroic' choice, and they were co-existing in a difficult situation. Whose definition of 'right,' or 'ethical,' or 'moral' do these heroes adhere to?

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"So 'WorldWatch' is dealing with the question of what it would be like to be a super hero in an "office" or police station type environment, where all the people you work with are not people you necessarily like, but still need to get the job done, and sometimes you can't because you so vehemently disagree. If you've ever worked in an environment (and who hasn't?) where you do like some people, don't like others, there's office politics, interoffice affairs, and backstabbing, you'll see where this is going. But now imagine if everyone has powers and secret identities? And all the while you're dealing with incredibly powerful world stopping villains who really want to destroy the world, or take it over, and kill lots of people in the effort, and you can't agree with your co-workers on what's the best approach? How do you come through that and maintain your humanity?"

Most readers are familiar with Austen's high profile work on "Uncanny X-Men" and his acclaimed work on "Action Comics," where he doubled the sales of the series in only a month. But those series have existing parameters, established over decades and one has to wonder if Austen feels some trepidation with these new characters that he's created. "Oh, absolutely. Yeah. I'm out there on my own, a hundred feet above a flaming pit with no continuity to help me out, no pre-established characters, no built in audience, and living and dying on my own dime, entirely. Sure, that's scary. But it's also exciting. Very, very exciting. Because I'm really, really relying on myself, and of course, Tom's [Derenick, artist on the series] brilliance, and enjoying every decision, and if it works, it could pay terrific creative dividends. I just don't think about the possibility that it could not work out [laughs]."

Looking at the preview art, included with this article, many fans will notice that the characters resemble heroes from "Avengers" and "JLA," the former of which Austen has concluded his work on and the latter on which he will be showcasing his talents this summer. So who are these somewhat familiar heroes? "The cast of characters are primarily those set up on the first page of the first issue. War Woman, Doc Gulliver, Sgt. Mercury, Intercessor, and Tiger Princess. They're the most prominent members of WorldWatch, and they have tense, interpersonal relationships. It says on the first page, but some of the members lead to the downfall of WorldWatch--this is essentially the last story of the team, how it was destroyed, and those five are the major players.

"There are other secondary characters, Omnia, Satyr, Fastball, Regulator, Pharaoh, Qaballa, and some other villains, but the five above are the focus, and core of the story."

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Austen is aware of the similarities, at least visually, to established characters and if he does proceed to create similar characters, it's interesting to wonder what he'll say about these characters that he couldn't say about the characters in their "real" series. "The archetypes seem similar, because of the look and some similarities in background, or what have you," says Austen, refuting claims that he's lampooning the JLA or Avengers for his own creations. "But only if the powers define the hero. These characters are not copies of any JLA or Avenger archetypes. In fact, the powers are secondary to who these people are.

"WorldWatch is about people. People who just happen to have powers, and most of the time use them to save the world. But they're not all magnanimous or heroic. Some are, to a degree, but even the most heroic ones have their flaws. There are some you will like, some you will despise, and some you will love to hate.

"In the JLA or Avengers, you have characters with similar personalities, for the most part, and you pretty much like everyone even if you have favorites. In fact, some fans complain when you add that one character they don't like who causes problems, but that's what makes 'story' interesting. It's where the idea of 'franchise' versus 'story' comes in. It's very, very hard to do both. In WorldWatch, there is no franchise. It's all story.

"In mainstream, JLA or Avengers, the heroes are all heroic, all left wing leaning, more or less. All use their powers in non-fascistic ways, ultimately, to 'stop bad guys' and for 'the betterment of mankind.'

"In WorldWatch, it's more a 'what if the survivalist down the road got super powers and joined your team?' How do you compete when your husband's cheating on you with Super Woman? How many guys would use the powers and spandex to get laid? How many women would? And when they had the chance, would they go out and save the world, or stay in bed? And whose definition of 'right' and 'wrong' are they using? Who would be in charge? How would they get along long enough to do the job? How does the in-fighting affect the outcome of world-ending battles?

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"It's a much grayer world than either JLA or Avengers, and more fun to write about, honestly, because the stakes are higher. Not that JLA and Avengers aren't a ton of fun from a childhood memory point of view. But this is more about how the characters make the story, rather than how the story involves the characters, which is a subtle but important distinction, to me.

The series is scheduled as a six issue mini series, but that's not because Austen is testing waters- this series is all he has to say about the characters… for now. "Originally, it was just this and then over. One arc, one trade. But as you play with the characters, more possibilities come to mind.

"I'm saying a lot in the first arc, but there's turned out to be more to say. If it sells, it's entirely open to expansion. I have a second arc ready to go, if this one succeeds at all. But right now, it's a labor of love. There's no money in it. So it'll go to the first seven issues and a trade, and I'll gauge it from there. If it ends, it will wrap up nicely, as a package. If it continues, it will leave things open for that, just a bit. Very different, with some characters gone, but possible."

If you ever have the opportunity to speak to Austen, there's one thing you'll definitely learn: the man is never going to be happy with his work, no matter the acclaim and he aims to push his craft even further. "Worldwatch" is no exception and Austen says, "First, there are no predetermined outcomes. The screen is blank, and I can throw anything I want up there. Some characters will live, and some will die. Some will betray, and others will rise heroically to help others. Heroes will fly and heroes will fall. Nothing will be expected, or predictable. Anything is possible. There are no preconceived notions or pre-existing fan-base with these characters, so I can ruin them in any way I see fit [laughs]. In any way that serves the story, which means the story takes precedence over anything else.

"My goal was to take the super hero concept and play with it in a more mature, adult context, and tell some interesting stories that catch people off-guard. Because, like so many of us, I enjoy the super hero idea, but I'm bored with the middle of the roadness of it. I loved 'Watchmen.' 'Dark Knight.' 'The Authority.' 'Planetary.' All pushed this concept further, and in more interesting directions. I wanted to do that, but with a wider tableau of characters who are more like people I've known in my life.

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"So this is a series for people who are bored with the obvious outcome, and want something unexpected and out-of-the-box. To that end, I'm utilizing my storytelling skills to their maximum by unleashing them with no holds barred, like I did in 'War Machine' and 'Eternal,' to go places people will not expect, and hopefully, entertain them with that unexpected.

With the personal nature of this project, it's reasonable to assume that Austen would be facing a tough decision with choosing a penciller (a job in which Austen is skilled, but has been prevented from doing due to injury), but a one issue gig on "Superman" brought him a kindred soul- Tom Derenick. "We worked together on a Superman story, 'Superman' 188, and Tom did an amazing job following my scripts, putting in all the detail and work that made the story come alive in a big, grand way. But he also did the small things so damn well -- expressions, subtlety, humor, emotion. He was the perfect choice for something like this, and like me, he loves superheroes, and wanted to do something big and surprising. I can't imagine a better collaborator. He's the best.

"He has also brought in some characters of his own, or of his own design, that I built personalities around. So he has a strong creative voice in this project, as well. He designed all the characters looks, and costumes, and had a lot of ideas for specific scenes and interaction. A lot of the characters themselves were designs and names that Allan Jacobsen [writer of Marvel Comics' 'Invaders'] came up with, but Tom made them his own.

"[What makes Tom so strong is] His attention to detail, and his sensitivity as a person. He brings out the soft side in every situation, the heart, and then he'll bust someone's head open, and explode them through a wall. He's got it all, for exactly this kind of series. Plus his work is just nice to look at. Attractive people, well-drawn, powerful and stylish. He's also got a little of that John Buscema retro feel that makes it feel grander and bigger than life. Tom's awesome. I'm so pleased with this book, and how it looks. And Norm Rapmund's inks are just bringing his pencils to life."

There's a certain malaise among comic book fans these days, with many feeling frustrated by the dominating super hero genre and while Austen, as he mentioned, loves superheroes, he feels the genre needs a boost. "I agree, the genre is getting stale. Sixty years of stories, intricate and involved continuity, and repeating villains who never give up or get a clue. Keeping it fresh means looking at it from new angles. This ['Worldwatch'] has violence, nudity, strong language, strong characters. This book is to Super Heroes what 'Deadwood' is to westerns. It's edgy, dark, but with strong characters you can relate to and understand. You even wind up liking the bad guys, and want to see more of them all. At least it feels that way to me. I'm hoping the audience finds that, as well."

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There's been a lot of acclaim and excitement surrounding the work that Austen's done thus far on the Superman series "Action Comics" and he's honestly not sure why people are responding so positively to this series and not his other work. "Got me," laughs Austen. "Because he's happy? Because he's funny and entertaining? Because he's bad-ass? Because it's just a fun, summer read? I don't know, but I'm glad. It's surprising, even to me. I hoped people would like it, and I know I did, but it was a tremendous gamble. I enjoyed working on it, and I know Eddie and Tom did, as well, and hoped it would be a breakout hit. But who honestly knew for sure?"

Even more surprising, his work on "X-Men," done much in the style of Austen's work on "Uncanny X-Men," has received much more positive reviews from critics and fans, a fact which floors Austen. It also raises a bigger question: if some readers, who have seemingly made hating Chuck Austen a passionate hobby, begin to like his work, who will fans blindly hate instead? "You're kidding me! That can't be true!" laughs Austen when told of reviews that weren't a 1/10. "If it is, God only knows, but I'll take it. [If you can't hate me anymore] So find a life, Arune! I can't keep providing one for you! [laughs] There are other people out there to hate!

"I don't know, maybe I woke up on the right side of the bed, this morning. Someone did a voodoo spell to break my curse. I'm not doing anything that differently. I looked at the concept and did what I thought made it unique and special and fun. I got great support from editorial, and that helped. But who knows? Maybe people have just given up. 'He won't leave, we may as well start liking him [Laughs]."

But, if the rumors in Rich Johston's "Lying In The Gutters" are true, as they often are, Austen is leaving "X-Men" pretty soon. So is it true? "Yep. The press release should be out by the time you read this. It's scheduled for Friday. It all has to do with that desire to do edgier material, like in manga, or in independent publishing. Marvel's new internal policies are heading the other way, and it was too difficult for me to write that way. I felt they would be better served by a different writer, and while they didn't agree at first and thought I could work with the changes, they eventually understood, and we agreed to part ways. I stayed long enough for them to find a suitable replacement."

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Not limiting his creative palette to superheroes, Austen has been talking to the arguably biggest manga provider in America, namely TokyoPop, about a sports series. "I've got a baseball comic pitch in at TokyoPop, right now," he reveals. "I've got my fingers crossed. It's moving forward. It's a romance comic about a guy who's given up on baseball, and is talked back into joining his college team because the coach is desperate for talent. This guy initially says 'no' and then finds out a girl he likes also plays on the team, so he changes his mind.

"Pat Olliffe and I are working on one in our spare time, that I like a lot. It's a fantasy, murder-mystery, romance. I'm beginning drawing again, and have started working on something new that's geared in that manga direction. Or maybe it'll be a Vertigo pitch. I don't know, yet.

"I like the manga market because it's new, young readers and it's growing faster every day. The trade numbers are beating out Marvel and DC on a regular basis, and the manga market is more skewed towards women, but with a pretty good split between boys and girls, men and women. I tend to have a strong, female readership, especially new readers, so I think I'm very geared toward that market. The material is also more edgy, and shall we say, risque? Sexy? It calls to me [laughs]."

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If nothing else, Austen is ambitious and when asked what other projects fans can expect to see from him, he hints at even more than you might expect. "All of the above, hopefully. I like all the projects I've mentioned, and I want to see them all in print and finding an audience. Then there's 'Flywires,' and some other pitches I'm preparing for Humanoids."

It's been some time since Austen has been seen penciling- it was years ago that his collaboration with Brian Bendis on "Elektra" was released- and fans of his art may have to wait a bit longer to see more visual art from him. "I'm working on it, now. I had a long period off, because of the severed rotator cuff tendon, but now I'm almost back to full use of the arm, and I've been practicing drawing, again. But I want it to be a slow return. Nothing with a tight deadline again, for a while. So, eventually, yeah. And probably on something of my own."

Love him or hate him, you'll have your own chance to meet Chuck Austen this July at the Comic-Con International in San Diego. "I'll be at the DC booth, hanging with Eddie, Fletch and Matt. But not much else. I want to be close to home and hang with my new son, so I'm curtailing the travel, this year, to just local stuff."

Posted 30/06/2004
Source Newsarama

Marvel has provided Newsarama with the first 23 pages of Avengers #500, part one of the "Avengers Disassembled" arc by Brian Bendis and David Finch. In case you've been living under a rock for the past few months, Marvel's solicitation text for the first issue reads:

The powerhouse team of Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes in this double-sized anniversary issue! It begins with the return of an Avenger thought dead--and by the time it's over, everything you know about the Avengers will have changed!

AN EVENT THAT WILL ROCK THE ENTIRETY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE -- AND IT ALL STARTS HERE, TRUE BELIEVER!

Avengers #500 runs 48 pages.

Click here for the preview. and then click on each image to proceed to the next page.

Posted 29/06/2004
Source Newsarama

DC Comics added another exclusive creator to its roster, today announcing that JH Williams III has signed a two-year exclusive contract with the publisher. While the news may come as a “duh” worthy event to some, given that Williams was the artist for the entire run of Alan Moore’s Promethea, but he had been doing work outside of DC.

“I’ve been doing lots of covers and little tidbits if interior stuff for some the competition,” Williams told Newsarama. “But as for why now...I had been approached to go exclusive about six months or so ago but didn't want to do it then without knowing what the next project would be. I wanted to keep my options open for the right thing to come along. Now that it has been settled I figured I might as well take advantage of some of the perks to going exclusive since my next large amount of work was going to be with Wildstorm anyway and I have always been treated with the utmost respect from DC and Wildstorm in particular. It just feels like home.”

Williams admitted that the exclusive will help to keep him focused on the work at hand, without succumbing to temptations from other companies. As for what the work at hand is, the bulk of it will be Warren Ellis’ Desolation Jones

”I’m really looking forward to Desolation Jones Williams said. “One, because it allows me to work on something with mister Warren Ellis. He’s one of my top favorite writers and I really wanted work with him on a project, so I'm very happy that it has worked out. And two, Desolation Jones is very different than Promethea and that’s why I wanted to do it. It’s going to pull me in some directions that I really wanted to go visually - to try something new, which is always what I like to do. My work on Promethea can attest to that.

Jones will be nothing like Promethea visually, other than a spot here and there. But at the same time it will allow me to be just as extremely creative and as risk taking as I have always been. So it will be lots of fun for me as an artist to keep pushing those boundaries of what I'm capable of, very challenging. About the story itself...I really don't want to say much more about it than what Warren has on his website other than that it is very urban, dark, human, gritty, and can be pretty funny at times. I think it has the potential to be some of Warren's best work yet and that’s saying a lot.”

While it may sound like Williams is happy to be moving on past Promethea, the end of the series was bittersweet for the artist. In working with Moore on the series, Williams managed to keep Promethea on a regular schedule, and never required a fill-in. A sign of the times, perhaps, but the accomplishment puts Williams in a small group of artists who can claim that they began and finished a finite work of the series’ scope.

“It feels absolutely amazing, but at the same time, I’m sad to have it behind me,” Williams said of the series. “It has been one of the best experiences of my life professionally and personally. To be honest though, I'm not sure if we really had much more we could have done with this particular take on Promethea. Alan said to me a couple of issues back that we probably only had a few really good issues left in us for now and I think he was right about that. Nothing lasts forever and it’s always good to end on a high point instead of letting things fizzle. So in that regard I am very much looking forward to something new with Desolation Jones. I'm looking to recreate a positive experience for my work and for the readers. I'm sure that will happen.”

Along with Desolation Jones, Williams contract will cover covers for JSA, as well as some pages for the upcoming Wildstorm project by Leah Moore (yes, there’s a relation), called Wild Girl.

“I also want to mention that I'm going to be at the big San Diego Convention this July so if any of you out there are going, please come by and say ‘hi,’ chat, maybe have a beer or two, heh. I can found be at the ‘Naked Fat Rave’ booth on the main floor along with Arthur Adams, Joyce Chin, Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, Phil Noto, Seth Fisher, Tony Harris, Eric Powell, Dave Johnson, Brandon Peterson, and Jason Pearson, or wandering around the DC booth as well. I know it's a shameless plug but I couldn't help myself.”

Posted 28/06/2004
Source Newsarama

Screw Thomas Wolfe, you can go home again. That is, if you’re name’s Randy Queen, and you’re talking about Darkchylde. The creator of the character that made an impact in the late ‘90s has come home again, reinventing Darkchylde into a different version for the new millennium with a contemporary and ideally, very marketable spin. But first, Darkchylde 101.

“Darkchylde is Ariel Chylde, a cursed girl who can become any of the creatures from her nightmares,” Queen said. “What's interesting, beyond the multiple transformation angle, and that every time she changes it's different, is that once these creatures ‘borrow’ her blood and bones to get here, they split off from her physically, divide like a human cell would, and become completely independent when she turns back into Ariel again. Then she has another problem to deal with, this thing she's set loose, because she's this perpetual Pandora’s box.”

Darkchylde was a hit in the late ‘90s, starting at Maximum Press, and then moving to Image, and then later to Queen’s self-publishing venture, Darkchylde Entertainment. At the time, the series received attention both because of Queen’s art, but also because of the larger metaphors Queen was playing with – Chylde’s first manifestation of her powers come at 18 when her father attempted to molest her one last time. Over time, Ariel learned to control her abilities, and prevent further creatures from budding” off by only pulling part of the nightmare creatures’ abilities to her at a time – resulting in hybrid of a very attractive girl with some very unattractive appendages.

After a few storylines, specials, and different versions, Queen ceased publishing new comic material about Ariel Chylde. But that’s not to say that she was dead and gone. “It's been more of hibernation, like what Vampirella has done over the years,” Queen said. “With creating your own character, getting it published, and then fighting to sustain that in a volatile industry, it's taxing. And with Sarah [Oates] and me at Darkchylde Entertainment, we're just two people to take the meetings, deal with lawyers, foreign publishing, packaging and shipping orders, etc. We're very much the ‘mom and pop’ shop, and even if you're not on the stands monthly, the amount of mental energy spent on it and all the behind the scenes stuff can be difficult. I was burned out, and decided to regroup, re-focus, and create new properties which I hope to unveil soon. With Darkchylde, fortunately, and while I concede to having made mistakes, and having stumbled, I still own it, people are still interested, and it's still viable. In the process of creating new children, you should never neglect your first born, and with Manga D. it's as new and vital as ever. Darkchylde is simultaneously the hero and the threat, and this new spin is so full of heart and pathos, something that has always separated this character from perceived like-minded ilk,” Queen continued. “In a sense, Ariel will always be her own threat with these things she can become, which are in direct contrast to who she is as a person. But what Manga D. does, is takes this story of a girl who can become any of the creatures from her nightmares, makes it all ages, represents, and re-creates it from the beginning. Old favorites will be there, but like Ariel, they'll have a fresh spin, and in some cases be radically different, but always compelling. As far as the villains, they'll be loads of fun too -- in issue #1, we have a bio-mechanical spider chick that fires blood bullets. I can promise it will never be by the numbers, or homogenized in any way. Just fresh and fun, with some amazing colors by Sarah, and this is her first color work ever, so you can only imagine where she goes from here.”

Even Queen admitted to being surprised at the strong positive response to the January announcement that he was bringing the character back in a “manga” form as Manga Darkchylde. The response affirmed to Queen that his feeling about bringing his character back was dead on. “To use an analogy, someone has to design and build the new houses on the block, and those mansions at the end of the street, meaning the industry juggernauts like Spider-Man and X-Men, didn't maintain themselves over the years, someone had to show up and do the work,” Queen said. “I hope to always see new houses from new architects, because no industry should be wholly perceived or defined by vehicles created at its inception. Someone said to me one, ‘Yeah, I used to read comics, but how many times can you see Superman save Lois Lane?’ That's not a slam on Superman, the guy was using an icon to illustrate a point, but I do agree. Darkchylde is a cool character, and if I have to be the one to shoulder her forward and maintain the house, and I'm able to, it's a privilege I don't take for granted. I'm so grateful for the people and fans in my life who have allowed that.”

So – that covers the character’s return, but what about Ariel’s new look? "We're jumping on the manga bandwagon, but it honestly wasn't that calculated, just fortunate timing,” Queen said. “It originated from an interest in Japanese resin models, and the super-deform craze there. I did a drawing of Ariel in that style, that Sarah liked and used in an editorial in 2002. Super-deformed became cartoon/manga, and here we are. Everyone from Shi, to Spider-Man, to McFarlane toys has done a manga take, and if you're going to do one, why wait till the craze is over? Also, I wanted to return with something that wasn't just a continuation of what I'd been doing.”

That said, Queen stressed that his take on “Manga Darkchylde” is almost a misnomer in that it’s not entirely “manga,” but incorporates super-deformed characteristics, as well as a more animation look. “I think generally, Western styles are edgy, more angular, and Eastern more rounded,” Queen explained. “Why not a cool fusion ? I've never been a fan of just outright copying a style or sensibility. It's much more difficult and interesting to bring a personality to the mix, and then get something, hopefully, that's unique and has an identity that feels authentic to the readers. We're just having fun. Fun is key for this project. It's done out of sheer love for this medium, and my nephews are going crazy over this. We wanted to do a ‘kid friendly’ version of a very unique story. The PG-13 horror take, which is more Dean Koontz, and Stephen King, isn't going anywhere.”

With the previously mentioned announcement of Darkchylde’s return in a new form, Queen launched the Manga D website, offering a new, free story with the “new” Ariel. Compared to where both he and the character were in the late ‘90s, the smaller, quieter approach to comics is a change of pace for the creator. “We're taking baby steps, and are still very much the boutique, but it's great to be rebuilding the Darkchylde community, and exploring the avenues available now,” Queen said. “Plus it's cool to get in on the ground floor of something, and this feels like a fresh start. I'm from the era of having to subscribe to comic newsletters to get info in the mail, and the fact that almost instant coverage, full color previews, and free comics are available online is staggering. I will never, ever, understand some of the negativity out there. Comics are for fun, and there has never been a greater, more accessible outlet to the art form, and creators, than the internet is now. I grew up with the alternative dynamic, when such an outlet was much harder to come by and usually involved sending a check.”

That said, Manga Darkchylde isn’t just going to exclusively call the Web her home. Come next months San Diego Comic Con, Queen’s character will return to print. “At San Diego, we’ll be offering a one time promotional run of Manga D. #0, limited to only 3,000 copies ever,” Queen said. “There will never be more copies produced of this singular zero issue, nor will it ever be offered wide, so fans will essentially have an instant collectible, available at the Darkchylde Entertainment booth in San Diego. This is a special 13 page prelude story, with a seven page preview of issue # 1, which will hit later in the year. The story ends with a cliffhanger that leads into issue # 1, now in progress at our site.

“And while we do plan to include Manga D. #0 when it's collected as a trade, the original issue, Manga D.'s print debut to the world, will purposely be the rarest Darkchylde book ever printed. This is designed as a convention promotion, but we will make a small allocation available on <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.darkchylde.com">www.darkchylde.com</a><!-- w --> a week before the show, so our patrons and any retailers who are interested but can't attend will still have a shot. Additionally, time permitting, the first 100 or so will have sketches inside. Any retailers interested in wholesale should contact Sarah at <!-- e --><a href="mailto:Sarah@darkchylde.com">Sarah@darkchylde.com</a><!-- e --> with the understanding that there will be very few of these made available.”

The limited run of the zero issue comes partly from Queen’s background and earlier time in the industry, as well as being out on his own, without a larger publisher’s resources backing him up. “Again, we're just a small boutique,” Queen said. “We don't have millions to spend on booths and advertising. It was taking everything into consideration, and trying to do something new that will hopefully get fans interested and excited. Everyone knows they can go to a con and get an exclusive cover, but for my dollar, I think an exclusive comic is much more interesting and special, especially if the production values are high. It also adds value to the show, because you're paying thirty to sixty bucks to get in, and you want a quality exclusive that validates those prices.”

Manga D. #0 isn’t the only book Queen will have to offer at San Diego. To pepper the market with a refresher course on who both he and Darkchylde are, the creator is planning on giving away 6,000 copies of the First Darkchylde trade. “6,000 copies,” Queen said. “100 thousand dollars worth, and all with a nifty Manga D. sticker on the front. It's a heavy, twenty dollar book of Darkchylde classic, so there's real value. Darkchylde is still a new or unknown title to some, and with being away from the scene for two years in a ‘what have you done for me lately’ industry, this is a nice way to let them in on a very cool secret. Visit the Darkchylde Entertainment booth in San Diego and you'll get a smile and some free reading material!”

Queen feels that his new version of the character will hit squarely in the middle, offering enough to bring readers who knew the character in its original incarnation back, as well as be interesting enough to attract new readers. “This is just a flat out fun ride with wild visuals, and interesting characters,” Queen said. “We're very hard on ourselves to present people with what we feel is a lush, striking, comic book experience that's closer to what they would expect in a big budget anime like Vampire Hunter D. Bloodlust, and I hope that's evident from the preview pages. There's also a cool kind of Astro Boy and Mighty Mouse vibe with the feel of this particular take on the character, and as a kid I loved that. I feel the best ‘all-ages’ properties can still have a darkness and sophistication, which is why I think the Lion King is one of the greatest successes Disney ever had, because it never pandered. If you're reading comics at any age, you're probably still a kid at heart anyway, so we're betting there's something you'll respond to here.”

More Images:
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A webcomic version is available for you to check out at:
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September Solicitations

Click here for a rundown on the comics with images

Posted 28/06/2004
Source Newsarama

Marvel has provided Newsarama with seven pages from the September-shipping Bullseye: Greatest Hits #1 by Daniel Way, with art by Steve Dillon and covers by Mike Deodato Jr.

The five issue miniseries will finally tell the origin of the character, who first appeared in Daredevil #131, written by Marv Wolfman. Perhaps second only to Wolverine in his sketchy personal history (the pre-Origin Wolverine, that is), very little about Bullseye’s past has ever been revealed, save for that he gave up a professional baseball career in lieu of becoming a soldier and then a mercenary who discovered he had not only a knack for killing enemies, but dead-on aim as well.

In his time, Bullseye has battled Daredevil on numerous occasions, most memorably following Daredevil #181 where the villain killed Elektra.

Click on the links for images:
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I would have to say that my favorite comic as of right now would have to be AVENGERS. The characters are all so much cooler than they used to be, and I find myself glued to the pages eagerly awaiting my favorite heroe(s) next adventure. I'm slightly peeved about the death of JACK OF HEARTS, but I persevere and can't wait to see the kind of havoc wreaked upon the team by Brian Micheal Bendis