21st Century Fox

Just wanted to say well done for a great article. I couldn't agree more on how nice it is to see a comic that doesn't try to be anything but wholesome fun. I know people want to bash marvel for jumping on the mangawagon, but they are simply filling a gap in the market. Ppersonally I don't see the problem as long as the story is there and the artwork fits the style of the narrative. Which in the case of most of the Mangaverse I believe it does.

Reported 20/04/2004
Source Newsarama

Dynamite Entertainment has provided Newsarama with a six-page preview of July’s Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes #1 as well as one of the covers to issue #2. The comic, which will be published by Devil’s Due, is written by Andy Hartnell, with art by Nick Bradshaw. Covers for the first issue will be by J. Scott Campbell, Marc Silvestri, and Ben Templesmith, with the fourth cover being a photo cover.

Tied to the mythology made famous by Sam Raimi in his Evil Dead movies, Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes #1 showcases Ash in a story where the hero gets a chance at a “do-over” – a chance to set right a new problem he inadvertently caused when he misspoke the magic words in the Army of Darkness film. Straight from the comfort of S-Mart, Ash has to retrace his steps to a certain cabin in the woods he’s all too familiar with.

Army of Darkness #1 will be in the Devil’s Due section of the May Previews, for items scheduled to ship in July, 2004. The issue will retail for $2.99.

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With one issue of Action Comics out, Ivan Reis has opted to make DC his home – the penciller has signed a two year exclusive deal with the publisher. According to Reis, it was DC who approached him with the intent of securing his services.

“I almost flipped when DC approached me about the exclusive contract,” Reis said. “To me that’s real proof of faith in my work. Now I have more time and tranquility to pencil a page, and the chance to go wild with so many DC characters — characters I grew up with!

“One of the plusses in all this is [Superman Group Editor] Eddie Berganza. Besides being a great guy to work with and a remarkable editor, he gives me all the freedom to create an artist could ask for, always ready to inspire me to do my best."

"Chuck Austen’s plots and subplots are a treat, always in the best super-hero tradition. And my efforts to make Action Comics exciting wouldn’t be possible without Marc Campos’s inks. I also have to mention Guy Major’s colors! In a nutshell, I couldn’t be happier to work with such a… um… SUPER crew!”

“Ivan’s work on the ACTION COMICS has been nothing short of spectacular,” said Dan DiDio, DC’s VP — Editorial. “He’s captured the spirit and energy of Superman, and we’re very happy to have him on board.”

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Reported 20/04/2004
Source Newsarama


In an e-mail passage that in equal parts praised Marvel while poking DC in the eye, Mile High Comics owner Chuck Rozanski announced today via his e-mail newsletter that he will now be posting entire preview issues of Marvel Comics online at the Mile High Comics website, beginning with issue #1 of Daredevil: Father, due in stores next week.

Rozanski wrote: “I am delighted to finally be able to bring you a completely authorized advance preview of an entire comic book. For those of you who have been with us for a while, you might remember that about three years ago we posted on our website the entire contents of several black and white DC comics that had yet to be published. We were given these advances at a DC retailers meeting, with the proviso that we couldn't show them to our customers until the following week.

“Once we posted the books to our website, and I simultaneously mentioned them in this newsletter, advance sales on all of those books surged upwards by 20%. You would have to think that DC would be delighted by a 20% increase in sales, but when DC President Paul Levitz discovered that we had posted these sneak peek books online, however, he threw a fit. It seems that while DC intended the 40 retailers in attendance to physically show these advances to their customers in their stores, they had no intention of letting anyone see them on the Internet. The logic entailed in this distinction escapes me. How is an online customer different from a retail store customer? Both get to read the entire comic, and both then decide for themselves if they want to buy a copy for their collections. DC, however, in their infinite wisdom, made it a policy from our “transgression” forward to no longer allow retailers advance copies of their comics.

”Now, in a clear manifestation of why Marvel will always be able to outperform DC in the comics marketplace, Marvel Comics has set up a program with us under which they will be sending us all of the pages of entire comics to post for your reading pleasure. In this first instance, we are thrilled to be able to let you read DAREDEVIL: FATHER #1 ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/marvel/">http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/marvel/</a><!-- m --> ).

“Several of our staff members who are Daredevil and Joe Quesada fans read this book yesterday, and they liked it very, very much! Based on their initial reactions, I would predict that this book is going to be a nationwide sell-out within just a couple of days of it's scheduled April 28th release. (click on image for more information)

”Oddly, while having this book available for you makes me very happy, it also creates a problem for us. You see, we don't have enough copies on order to fill any extra orders. We did place a large reorder yesterday, but Diamond could not confirm for us as to whether we're going to get the books. In reality, Marvel may already be sold out of their small overrun on this issue. If you don't already have this book on order from us (or your local comics retailer...)…”

Mile High Comics is the largest comics retailer in the United States. Also, until last year, Marvel would often preview their own comics at their website, calling them "dotcomics." This practice was suspended roughly mid-2003.

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

I think this can only be a good move for those who are dithering over buying a particular book without seeing any of it. Hats off to Milehigh!

Reported 20/04/2004
Source ComicsContinuum

Scott Kurtz's PvP, published by Image Comics, will be moving from a bi-monthly to a monthly schedule beginning in July. The move, starting with PvP #9, follows the June release of the first PVP trade paperback, which collects the first six issues. Kurtz's online comic strip revolves around the staff of a gaming magazine (including a big blue troll intern named Skull) and their day-to-day adventures. Each issue of PvP collects 22 pages of strips in the same "sideways" landscape format as Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows. "I can't believe I just finished my first year with Image Comics," said Kurtz. "I was so terrified the market wouldn't support a black-and-white humor book that Frank Cho didn't draw, but lo and behold, sales have been great and reaction has been overwhelming. Retailers and fans alike have been asking me to go monthly, and I finally feel secure enough to take that plunge."

"We're couldn't be happier for Scott and PvP," said Image managing editor Eric Stephenson, "and we're excited that the comic has been able to build its readership from its early days on the Web. That's not an easy feat for a humor book in today's market." Kurtz said PvP has given him a personal creative outlet without forcing him to make editorial concessions. "Image has fulfilled my dream of being a newspaper cartoonist but, unlike the syndicates, they aren't demanding my soul in return," Kurtz said. "When people read PvP, I want them to remember the days when they looked forward to reading the funny pages. Just like the comics page, every issue of PvP is a great jumping-on point."

PvP #9 goes on sale July 21.

Ok, when I first heard about this Reload horsecrap, I was skeptical. I'm even more so now.
Granted, these guys need all the help they can get with their dying X-titles. Chris Claremont's rotten egg of X-treme and Grant Morrison's *inserteveryformofprofanityhere* New X-men....they seriously need the help.
However, as I said, I'm skeptical. I personally view it as yet another Marvel Money Making bonanza.
I mean, they're doing a book called "Excalibur" with (as far as I've heard) NONE of the original team, and it's based in Genosha? Yeaaaaahhh....isn't that kinda like doing a "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" with no Mags?
Then we get Brian Singer on Ultimate X-men.... I'm nervous..I'm very nervous. I actually LIKE Ultimate X-men... Then I hear they are turning Uncanny into Buffy the Vampire Slayer? :roll:
Where have all the decent writers gone.... oh yeah... DC...

Makes me glad that Mark Waid's still around....for now.

Ok, I know what you're all saying. Isn't this the book that is only being produced after Marvel removed the proverbial foot from their mouths with the firing of Mark Waid and a creative team already had contracts? Unfortunately, the answer is YES. HOWEVER, I had purchased the first few issues of it because FF has ALWAYS been one of my favorite books, and believe it or not, I LOVE THIS BOOK. It may not be for everyone, but so far, the writer of this book has brought the FF down to a much more human level instead of the more esoteric feel that the regular title can sometimes have. It has always been a book that had a strong family message, and this incarnation just takes that same feel that it has always had, multiplied it by 10. Throw in some of the best artwork that I have seen at Marvel in years, and you have a WINNER. at least, that's my oppinion. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ONE?

Here is the first banner for me roleplay character of Xlorvok. The image was taken from an Art Adams illustration from Fantastic Four 348. I did a tiny bit of shading and added a pirate inspired background.

KEVIN J. ANDERSON ON THE RETURN OF THE STARJAMMERS

Reported 14/04/2004
Source Newsarama
by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Leaked a while back, acclaimed sci-fi writer Kevin J. Anderson has confirmed for Newsarama that he is writing a new Starjammers miniseries for Marvel Comics to begin in July. Teaming up with the writer is artist Ale Garza.

For those who came in late…or only have caught glimpses of the Starjammers crew, the group first appeared in X-Men #104 (first series, now known as Uncanny X-Men). Led by Christopher Summers aka Corsair (and the father of Scott Summers, aka Cyclops – and that’s a long story), the Starjammers are a small band of space pirates with noble intentions. Apart from numerous appearances in the various X-titles, the Starjammers starred in two miniseries in the past, namely the two-part X-Men Spotlight On… Starjammers by Terry Kavanagh and Dave Cockrum in 1990 and the Starjammers four-issue limited series by Warren Ellis and Carlos Pacheco in the mid-1990s. Former teammates include Professor X of the X-Men, Binary (Carol Danvers) and Shi’ar Empress Lilandra Neramani. Don’t expect to see the regular band of space pirates in Anderson and Garza’s new Starjammers however. “First off, readers have to be prepared that this is a completely new version of Starjammers, retooled from scratch,” Anderson told Newsarama. “In fact, my instructions from the Powers that Be were to scrap everything, keep the good stuff, and begin over. This has no continuity with the old series or with other parts of the Marvel Universe. No Shi'ar Empire, no "Corsair" Summers -- it's an original science fiction tale that will have some familiar aspects for those who remember the old issues, but new readers don't have to haunt comic shops to pick up all the back issues. It's standalone in the Marvel universe, with no continuity with other titles.

”In general, this story is inspired by the British Empire in India; our main character - Tolo Hawk, has completely bought into the Royal Army, doesn't understand these rebels in India, why they would object to the British way... until he is faced with a situation that throws him in with the opposite side, the ‘bloodthirsty pirates’ and is forced to see things in a different light. Oh, and there's also plenty of fights, explosions, all the good stuff, too.” The British Empire? “I meant metaphorically -- this is set in the far future out in deep space in a large galactic empire.”

Other than Tolo Hawk, who are in the new Starjammers comic? “Princess Sabra is a charming girl born to privilege, not realizing she is the pawn of a villainous shadow government organization, the Committee, run by Anazar Prime. Sabra's sexy and tough-as-nails bodyguard is Lenise. Tolo's father, Darby Hawk, is accompanying him to the capital world where Tolo will join the Defense Corps of the Union of Intelligent Races. They're stuck fighting a hopeless war against a corrupt empire... but nothing is exactly black and white, and they find allies in unlikely places. You'll see several of the main characters -- but they're in different roles, now. Raza, Cho'd, Hepzibah. From the outset though, I was told not to include Chris Summers.”

The 42 year-old Anderson is acclaimed for his international bestsellers such as the Star Wars: Jedi Academy trilogy, the Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights series with wife and co-writer Rebecca Moesta, the prequel trilogy to the Frank Herbert's classic SF novel Dune, coauthored with Herbert's son Brian, X-Files: Ground Zero and his multi-volume galaxy-spanning sci-fi epic The Saga of the Seven Suns. His comic works include Saga of the Seven Suns: Veiled Alliances and Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Gorn Crisis for DC/Wildstorm, the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi series of miniseries and Predator: Primal for Dark Horse and Grumpy Old Monsters for IDW.

“It's a long and roundabout path -- an editor at Marvel had read my Dune prequels with Brian Herbert and also some of my other novels, so he wrote me from out of the blue and asked if I would like to take a crack at writing some issues of X-Men, Hulk or other core characters,” Anderson said when asked how he came to work on Starjammers for Marvel. “I was thrilled with the opportunity, and we bounced around some ideas... but then he moved to a different job, and my proposals were handed off to another editor. Eventually, Marvel came back and said what they were more interested in was to have me pick up one of their ‘mothballed’ titles and retool it from scratch. Then we spent several months looking at several possibilities. I was interested in Killraven, because - as you can tell from some of my novels and short stories, I have a real connection with H.G. Wells and the War of the Worlds, but either there were copyright issues or Marvel had other plans for Killraven. Then we looked at trying to do something interesting with Man Wolf, and then I got a phone call from the editor: "Kevin, I have two words for you -- Space Pirates!" And that's how we settled on Starjammers. Because of my background in Star Wars and Dune, I was a natural choice for writing a big science fiction epic,” Anderson continued. “My approach to it is to tell a large story with amazing alien worlds and creatures, not just a small story with a group of core characters having an adventure. I believe there's a big readership for something that hits squarely in the science fiction genre, beyond superhero adventures - hey, I love reading about superheroes, too... but this is different. Make no mistake, Starjammers is not superheroes in space -- it's a coming-of-age tale for a young man thrown into a situation that goes utterly against his training and upbringing, and you'll see his character shift from hating a group of murderous pirates to understanding them.”

“I'm writing it as a monthly book, and Marvel has committed to six issues,” he added. “Obviously, we hope it's popular enough to continue. I've already got the story arc plotted for about fifteen issues. Because of the scope and the number of characters, the plotlines can go in plenty of different directions. I’ve done some big SF comics – Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi for Dark Horse, my Seven Suns graphic novel Veiled Alliances from Wildstorm, even Star Trek: The Gorn Crisis. I think big SF is just made for comics -- you can include spectacular landscapes, great space battles and ships, weird aliens. I tried to include those details in prose, in my Dune prequels with Brian Herbert, in all of my Star Wars novels, and in my Saga of Seven Suns series. I think I understand how to tell big epics spanning many characters and many star systems. Ale's artwork will convey that sense of "bigness" in the galaxy. He is fast and good and very enthusiastic.”

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ALE GARZA: AN EYE FOR THE STARJAMMERS

Reported 19/04/2004
Source Newsarama
by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Last week, acclaimed sci-fi novelist Kevin J. Anderson confirmed for Newsarama that a new Starjammers will be hitting the spinner racks in July. Today, artist Ale Garza has provided Newsarama with more art and answered a few quick questions about the all-new, all-different Starjammers. And now… Starjammers artist Ale Garza…

Newsarama: How did you get warped into this new Starjammers time zone?
Ale Garza: Well, that actually had a lot to do with Kevin. Initially it wasn't something I was really drawn to, but after reading Kevin's pitch I was hooked!

NRAMA: How familiar are you with the concept and characters of the Starjammers?
AG: The only experience I remember was when Jim [Lee] drew the characters in one of his old X-Men runs. I remembered them looking cool, but then again Jim has a knack for making everyone look cool.

NRAMA: Considering that this is not set in continuity and that instead of Corsair, there's now this young guy called Tolo Hawk and his gang, did you come up with their designs?
AG: Oh yes, it was a blast! I love designing characters, and Tolo, Sabra, Verdian, Kalyx and all the rest were all a ton of fun! Plus I got to re-imagine the classics also!

NRAMA: What are your influences when you designed these new characters and settings? Did you base them on any of your favorite sci-fi series? What were your fave series, anyway?
AG: I'm really approaching this book from an European standpoint. I had just seen Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, so that was pretty fresh in my mind. As far as sci-fi influences, it definitely has a dash of Star Wars. Other than that, Titanic played an influence.

NRAMA: Kevin J. Anderson, being a novelist and having written sci-fi stuff such as The Saga of the Seven Suns novels and the Veiled Alliances hardcover graphic novel, the Dune prequels, Star Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Gorn Crisis... did he have an input when it came to initial character and set designs?
AG: Yeah, I always like feedback, not only from the writer, but also any editors involved. Kevin definitely played a part in whipping Sabra into shape! [laughs]

NRAMA: What's it like working with Kevin? Are you a fan of his novels?
AG: To be honest, I wasn't too familiar with his work - I tend to only read books with pictures - [laughs] but once I read his outline, I was like, "Damn, this guy's pretty good!" and from there on I was an instant fan.

NRAMA: Who's your favorite among the characters and crew?
AG: I gotta go with Tolo. This is his quest, he's the guy you'll see grow. Aside from him, I'm also partial to Darby - Tolo's dad. I based his visual look on my own father. So anyone who knows me from cons knows how important my dad is to me. [Garza’s father is usually seated beside his son at any convention appearance]

NRAMA: What about the rest of the cast? I'm sure you've got some personal attractions to each of them as you came up with their looks...
AG: Sabra… you'll also see her growth, plus she's super cute. [laughs] Verdian is a blast to draw just because he always looks so sinister. Captain Kalyx is also just insane, think "Long John Treebeard".

NRAMA: And how nostalgic are you with the usual/regular faces such as Cho'd, Hepzibah, Raza...?
AG: I'm really enjoying all three of them. Cho'd is just sooo big, and cool. Raza is the tough guy, almost the “Wolverine” of the group, lots of cool poses. And Hepzibah… super hot female/feline, who wouldn't enjoy drawing her?

NRAMA: What differentiates Starjammers from your past projects such as Ninja Boy, E.V.E. Protomecha, Robotech, Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day, Superman/Thundercats? What turns you on about Starjammers?
AG: Like I said, my approach is a bit different from my usual fare. It's kind of like Ninja Boy, it's kind of like Graduation Day. Over the course of the book I'd like to start one place and by the end be in an entirely different place. You'll see what I mean when you pick up the book!

NRAMA: In terms of your art style? You posted on the boards here that this is not your usual style, but some have already labeled/dismissed it as “manga”… though you said it has an European feel to the whole thing…
AG: It's not manga! The only manga I own is Akira. My art is heavily influenced by artist like Jim Lee, Art Adams and Michael Golden. My biggest animation influences come from the guys around here… Iron Giant being one of the biggest. For this book, however, I'm thinking a little more Moebius.

Starjammers #1 and #2 are scheduled to hit stores in July.

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I wasn't sure if this was the right place to put this myself, but it seems the best fit for this sort of thing.
I was browsing the latest comics news views and rumors and came across a link to Alex Ross website. and an interesting couple of images.

I think the basic idea is "what if Tom Welling(smallville) wore the costume?".
Now this is a fairly popular concept for fan art I have seen on the web, but now you can see what a professional artist would do with the concept.
They were done for Wizard, but in the end were never used.



Personally I would like to see Tom in some variant of the costume in the smallville series, but judging from what the writers have said it's unlikely to happen.