Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. July 1, 2015

COMICS

Matt Wagner (Grendel, Batman) picks up Will Eisner’s The Spirit and places him in a brand new #1 from Dynamite! Here’s to a version of Denny Colt for a brand new set of pulp fans! …Chew #50 is the story of cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants. The capital culinary comic confuses and confounds with it’s capillary clogging cantankerousness! … Canada is being invaded 100 years into the future by the US in Brian K. Vaughn (Saga) and Steve Skroce’s (Matrix) We Stand on Guard #1!… Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

Triple Shot: CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER #1, CLARENCE #1 & NEGATIVE SPACE #1 AT FORCES OF GEEK

Triple Shot: CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER #1, CLARENCE #1 & NEGATIVE SPACE #1

Three new number ones this week for our Triple Shot!

Ming Doyle teams up with James Tynion IV for the DCYou take on Constantine: The Hellblazer, Liz Prince (Tomboy) and artist Evan Palmer (Munchkin) step into the world of Cartoon Network’s newest creation, Clarence and we preview next month’s Negative Space #1 from Ryan K Lindsay.

CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER #1
WRITER: Ming Doyle, James Tynion IV
ART:  Riley Rossmo
Publication Date: June 10, 2015
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194133011200111
Buy it HERE

 

New creative team Ming Doyle (Mara, The Kitchen)
and James Tynion IV (Talon, Batman Eternal) relaunch Constantine for the #DCYou.

The much beleaguered title and main character has to be an
intimidating one — Constantine has seen many forms, from
a Vertigo comic to a movie starring Keanu Reaves (what?)
and riding the recent wave of comic book television with 2014’s Constantine (RIP).

Getting a handle on the character is no easy task —
Vertigo writers in the past include Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis,
Peter Milligan, Andy Diggle and many more.

Constantine in the DCU is a younger character and Doyle and Tynion
are allowed to play him that way, hopefully to generate a new
audience for Constantine as well as bridge the gap with older readers.

This being a DC Comic and not Vertigo hurts the book in my opinion.

John Constantine should be able to swear and be raunchy.

Issue #1 isn’t a bad go at the old guy, though.
Our demon whisperer shows up naked in a clothing shop covered in blood
and brains. Later in the story, he is drafted by Blythe for a quick shag
and his first ‘mission’ against some demons.

Riley Rossmo has great stylistic choices for his art, including a
landscape splash page cutaway view of the club and by the end of the book gets to draw some cool looking demons.

I’m interested to see where this goes, issue #1 had enough bite to
want me to pick up the next issue. This book doesn’t seem to be
pandering to any fans of any Hellblazer incarnations — that could be a blessing or a curse once the story develops more.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. FEBRUARY 18, 2015

COMICS

American Vampire’s Rafael Albuquerque gives us a time bending tale with EI8HT #1 starring a chrononaut named Joshua trapped in The Meld. … Scarlett and the Joes are Rollin’ In Deep with Cobra - will anything change the tide? Find out in G.I.Joe #6! … The Doctor and Clara conclude The Swords of Kali storyline in Doctor Who 12th #5 out today! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

Dig Boston and League Podcast Comics Picks of the Week for Wed. JANUARY 7, 2015

COMICS

Marvel released the Paul Rudd Ant-Man trailer during it’s Agent Carter series last night. Here’s the new series Ant-Man #1 from one of our favorite writers Nick Spencer! … Lady Killer #1 from Dark Horse puts a 60’s housewife into the fray as a killer for hire! … Mortal Kombat X returns to game systems as well as the comic book rack with a new #1 published by DC Comics, collecting the Digital series. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

DIGBOSTON & LEAGUEPODCAST COMICS PICKS OF THE WEEK FOR DECEMBER 31, 2014

COMICS

Get your hands off me, you damn dirty Klingon! It was hard to not spend all morning coming up with a tag line for Star Trek/Planet of the Apes #1 coming out this week! … Mark Waid brings Agent Coulson and a helper monke to headlines with a brand new S.H.I.E.L.D #1! …All Ages pick from award winning Roger Landridge this week is Abigail and the Snowman #1. Abigail is the new kid but befriends a Yeti named Claude in this all ages adventure! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

FOG! Chats With MARK WAID About INSUFFERABLE V. 3! at FORCES OF GEEK

Mark Waid’s Insufferable is headed into Volume 3 this week and he joins us to tell us what to expect from this father/son super hero team-up book that continues to push the envelope of genre and format.

Back in May we talked with Mark about his app and subscription model, and today we check in on to see what is working for Thrillbent Comics and the challenges writing digital comic strips for the app that the creators face. 

In terms of story, Volume 3 or The Complete 3rd Season, has the insufferable Galahad and his father Nocturnus clicking on all cylinders as they go after their publicist’s Meg’s abductors. Will they be in sync for long, or will Nocturnus strangle his fool kid’s arrogant neck?  

Mark gives us some insight!


FOG!: I’ve been reading Insufferable from the beginning, I really dig it. Would you considerIncorruptible, Irredeemable and Insufferable to be trilogy, or is this a separate world?

Mark Waid: Because of the way the continuity works and Insufferable needs to be in a world that hasn’t been ravished by The Plutonian, it’s not exactly the same continuity, but then again we’ve never put a timeframe on stuff. I guess there is always the possibility that Insufferable could lead into Incorruptible andIrredeemable somewhere down the road.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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League Podcast and Dig Boston Comic Picks of the Week for July 16, 2014

COMICS

Our pal Ben Templesmith releases Squidder #1 from IDW for all of your tentacle needs! You remember him from 44 Flood Kickstarter, right? … The Supers may be saving our asses from harm but their blood may hold the cure for cancer. An undertaker is convinced to help out his delinquent brother to get superhuman DNA in Black Market #1 from Frank J. Barberie and Victor Santos at Boom! … “Trust me, I’m The Doctor”, Star Trek’s medical all-stars are in ST: Flesh and Stone one shot focussing on Starfleet Medical from McCoy to Crusher and EMH! … Picks this week from the All-New LeaguePodcast.com.

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for June 3, 2014

COMICS

Archie comics are Undead! When Sabrina resurrects Hot Dog with a spooky spell, she kicks off a zombie outbreak! Amazing art by Francesco Francavilla on this Walking Dead meets Riverdale trade paperback, Afterlife with Archie Vol. 1. …Trekkies rejoice, Harlan Ellison’s Star Trek: The City on the Edge of Forever #1 gets the originally intended version of the teleplay from IDW in comic form. …Master Kazuo Koike returns with an all new version of New Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 1, continuing the classic samurai title. Picks this week from League Podcast.com.

BRIAN WINKELER CHATS UP KNUCKLEHEADS ON THE COSMIC TREADMILL AT FORCES OF GEEK

We’ve been enjoying Knuckleheads since the beginning.

Writer Brian Winkeler was kind enough to join us to talk about issue #6 available today on ComiXology.

Coupled with Robert Wilson IV on art, this MonkeyBrain title is full of comedy, monsters, cute dogs and impossible breakfast scenarios.

Aliens gave Trevor a fist with special powers, but will he be able to control it for that much longer?

Here is Brian to reveal the buildup to the latest issue.

FOG!: Hey Brian - thanks for joining us for Knuckleheads! Seinfeld voice - “What’s the deal with Crystal Fist?”

Brian Winkeler: The weapon or the “superhero?”

The weapon is kinda sorta maybe like a Green Lantern power ring but Trev (our protagonist) was way hungover when he got it so he’s super fuzzy on it. All he knows for sure at the start is he can use it to cheat on video games and steal Netflix.

He learns more as the series progresses.

Issue one brings the band all together, a ragtag bunch consisting of our ‘hero’ Trevor, his roommateLance, hipster Pizza Guy and hot British chick, Emma. Are more cats going to be added to the main group?

Issue #6 introduces a couple of characters who may or may not be sticking around for volume 2, and #8 introduces a brand new character who has been with us from the beginning. That confusing sentence will make sense as soon as you read #8.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 21, 2014

COMICS

Rise of the Magi #1 is a story of Asa, who controls the gates between our world and his where magic rules the land. Written by Top Cow founder Marc Silvestri - this “Harry Potter meets The Usual Suspects” is sure to be a hit! … The Flash trailer has everyone running around like crazy and with the drug the help of a drug in MPH #1 from Mark Millar, teens in Detroit are using it to collect loot! … Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman invades Invincible in issue #111. Things are getting DARK in Mark Grayson’s world thanks to Robot! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

DIGBOSTON AND LEAGUEPODCAST COMIC BOOK PICKS OF THE WEEK FOR MAY 14, 2014

COMICS

Superman’s deadliest foe, Doomsday is back in the New 52, and writer Scott Lobdell promises tons of smashing action in the Superman: DOOMED #1 event! …Mark Millar’s take on a retired Flash Gordon a la the Dark Knight in Starlight #3 is the must read comic event of the year. Genius level stuff, sure to be optioned for a flick! … Star Mage #2 is the opposite of our last pick in many ways, young Darien is also the chosen one! …Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

COSMIC TREADMILL / TRIPLE SHOT - FREE COMIC BOOK DAY RECAP 2104 AT FORCES OF GEEK

Another nerd holiday came and went, and unlike the usual December comedown, we ain’t sick of our presents after coming down from a sugar high!

Free Comic Book Day, the first Saturday in May offers an opportunity for fans and more importantly retailers to focus on what really matters, comic books!

Most stores will set up some kind of event or discount for coming by to get the free goods, while the publishers get their hooks in to greedy fans everywhere with honest-to-goodness free product! 

If you are lucky, when in the shops today, there may be some leftover goods to grope.

This week’s Cosmic Treadmill merges with Triple Shot to take a look at our Saturday grab bag and also every title available for free on the ComiXology platform in honor of Free Comic Book Day!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 7, 2014

COMICS

With all the hub-bub about Peter coming back we almost forgot about the other Spider-Man, Miles Morales! Luckily Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man #1 reminds us with a new #1, putting Miles back in the suit and against one of Spidey’s big villains! …Mike Carey and Salvador Larocca (Invincible Iron Man) follow up the events of Battle of the Atom with Marvel’s first Original Graphic Novel in a long time, X-Men: No More Humans! … Can rival X-Men come together to find out why all the humans have disappeared? … Your favorite ride at Disney gets a backstory! No lines for this, but there should be, with Brian Q. Miller (Batgirl) and Kelley Jones (Batman) giving you the story of Space Mountain finally! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for April 30, 2014

COMICS

He’s Back! Swinging his way through Manhattan, conveniently in time for a new movie! Amazing Spider-Man #1 stars Peter Parker and his damn luck - will this be a Superior book? Let’s see! … Valiant jumps forward to 4001 AD for the return of the legendary Japanese warrior ghost of Japan in Rai #1 by Matt Kindt and Clayton Crain. … Buddy Bradley from ‘Hate’ comics returns from indie legend Peter Bagge with 20 pages of new material. What’s Buddy gonna do raising his family in the local dump in Buddy Buys a Dump! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

CHARLIE GILLESPIE TALKS 'THE MANY' ON THE COSMIC TREADMILL AT FORCES OF GEEK

This week at ComiXology, fans of 2000AD books will get a special treat, a full graphic novel, The Many, from cover artist Charlie Gillespie.

This future world with superpowers, vampire lore and gore ranks right up there withTransmetropolitan or Black Mask’s Ballistic. Both the art and story are rich and colorful.

Charlie Gillespie joins us today for a run on the Cosmic Treadmill!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us today for your ComiXology Graphic Novel The Many! Fans may have seen your work with. 2000AD and Judge Dredd, but can you tell us some of the video games you have worked on as well? 

Charlie Gillespie: Cheers, thanks for hosting me! Off the top of my head, Micro Maniacs, Mike Tyson Boxing, BC, Paperwings, Burn Zombie Burn, Legends of the Guardians, Lara Croft Guardians of the Light (iPhone/iPad),Call Of Duty Black Ops Zombies (iPhone/iPad), Wipeout (from the TV show), and there was work on a few others along the way.

What are some other comics work you have done? Is this your first venture with both writing and drawing a comic?

Yeah this is my first big adventure into writing and drawing a comic book, I’ve dabbled with doing both before but nothing that was this complex and hopefully interesting. The other stuff I’ve worked on have been The Judge Dredd Megazine, 2000AD, Shit the Dog, Wasted, Sancho, covers and illustrations for various sci-fi/fantasy mags and Magic Cards and that sort of thing.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

COMIXOLOGY ACQUISITION Q & A WITH TIM GIBSON OF MOTH CITY ON THE COSMIC TREADMILL AT FORCES OF GEEK

Moth City (Thrillbent) is one of our favorite and innovative digital comics, so when we heard of the pending merger between ComiXology and Amazon we had questions!

Who better to ask these to than Moth City’s own Tim Gibson?

We get into the nitty gritty of the pinch, swipes, scans, payments and tablet wars with our favorite Kiwi after the jump!

FOG!: Have you ever read a comic on the Kindle app? Kind of atrocious, right?

Tim Gibson: Hah, I’ve only read one comic on my Kindle, and that was Tumor by Joshua Fialkov and Noel Tuazon many years ago. It was a great comic but I haven’t been back to try another comic on that platform.

What’s your initial reaction? Glee, excitement? Disappointment?

Cautious optimism.
  
Do you think creator percentages for something like the ComiXology Submit program will stay the same? How does this affect creator owned projects?

Amazon has always been open about the royalty rates they offer authors, 35% if you sell your work for less than $1.99 or more than $10, and 70% if you sell between $2.99 and $9.99. I believe our royalty rates via ComiXology are locked behind a T&C wall, but they aren’t bad.

There would probably be more comics on Amazon right now taking advantage of that 70% rate if they didn’t also have a strange ‘Delivery Fee’ that cuts into the author’s proceeds for supplying high resolution art at larger file sizes.

I have no idea if ComiXology’s rates will change, but I would like to see our books integrated into Amazon’s store at either rate.

ComiXology seems to be forward thinking and has good customer service (these days). Do you picture a total absorption of the company?

I hope not, and I doubt it. Everything said to date implies that they will keep being the great company they are. Hopefully Amazon just gives them a new audience, and they give Amazon some comic selling tips!

Do you see the iPad comics Apps: iBooks vs. ComiXology going after each other’s throats? At least the competition is healthy, right?  I’d imagine Amazon stops developing it’s various comics properties and shifts all comic attention to the ComiXology app, yeah?

I’m not sure that any independent creators are using iBooks or Amazon in anywhere near the same capacity as they are using ComiXology. But yes, I would hope that Amazon would follow ComiXology’s lead when it comes to technology and systems for comics. I imagine they’ll continue publishing their own stuff through their imprint Jet City Comics.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for April 2, 2014

COMICS

Bendis’ Ultimate Comics Spider-Man run is record breaking and groundbreaking! Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, now starring Miles Morales as the Web-Slinger hits #200 (with timey-wimey numbering) as everyone celebrates the memory of Peter Parker! Surprises guaranteed! … Vegans! Hardcore Kids! Comic Fans! Run to Liberator - Earth Crisis #2 from Black Mask and #OccupyComics. This issue guest starring the animal friendly tattooed hardcore legends. … Angel and Faith Season 10 #1 is out today, with 200% more Zombpires and Magic! Picks this week from Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century on Kindle!

TRIPLE SHOT WITH A DIGITAL CHASER: MONSTER & MADMAN #1, JUDGE DREDD #17, STRAY BULLETS: KILLERS #1 PLUS D4VE #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

With so much comics news in other media yesterday, its time to slow down, belly up to the shelves at your local comic shop today or relax in your bed with your tablet for the latest edition of Triple Shot here at Forces Of Geek!

Steve Niles returns steer the ship of our nightmares with Monster & Madman #1, The Dark Judges appear in Judge Dredd #17 and Lapham returns with Stray Bullets: Killers #1. Monkeybrain treated everyone to D4VE #1 the robot this week over in ComiXology!

MONSTER & MADMAN #1 (of 3)
WRITER: Steve Niles
ART: Damien Worm
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400608700111
Buy it HERE


Here’s a matchup that can only come from the mind of Steve Niles (30 Days of Night). Monster & Madman is a limited series focusing on Frankenstein’s monster and Jack the Ripper! 

Issue #1 largely is set upon an olde wooden ship. Frank has been through a lot since master passed and his wife left him (or was dropped in a vat of acid—whichever your prefer!).

The monster is seeking to escape, as he realizes he is difficult to kill. Joining the Norwegian sailing vessel is his best bet. 

While aboard he is tricked by the captain, a master he is forces to obey. 

A good, meaty story here in the first issue of the mini-series, focusing on Frankenstein character development in this particular world. 

So much happens in a short number of pages, it is staggering the way Niles can craft a story. The monster is familiar in name, but this Frankenstein has a personality all of his own.

Spooky art by Damian Worm gives a Dave McKean Arkham Asylum painted/collage look. Great lettering too, assuming by Worm as well (no letters credit listed). 

Fans of Universal Horror, Steve Niles and his Frankenstein work with legend Bernie Wrightson should pick this up!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

COSMIC TREADMILL: RYAN K. LINDSAY TALKS HEADSPACE FROM MONKEYBRAIN! - AT FORCES OF GEEK

I’m fortunate enough to have made some friends online that live on the other side of the planet!

Aussie Writer Ryan K. Linsday (My Little Pony, Fatherhood, Ghost Town) burns the rubber of off his Converse in this edition of the Cosmic Treadmill to talk about Headspace from Monkeybrain, which was released today.

The book features an imaginative world full of bartending dogs, fear monsters and other creeps. But that’s not all, in this Take on Me twist, the other half of the story exists in the real world.

To call this Inception meets They Live will either delight or offend Ryan. Find out after the jump!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us today, Ryan! Care to tell us the quick elevator pitch for Headspace?

Ryan K. Lindsay: A strange town full of unfulfilled people suddenly discover they are actually in the mind of a killer and they had forgotten the real world and their old lives. Cue the sheriff, Shane, hustling to get back to his old life but finding that a killer’s brain throws up more roadblocks than you want it to.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 5, 2014

COMICS

Rogue Trooper #1 from IDW brings the classic blue-skinned genetically modified soldier to the States from the pages of 2000AD. A must read for fans of Judge Dredd and the Terminator! …An All New Wolverine and the X-Men #1 hits shelves as Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar (Supergirl) take over the book and Wolvie and Storm take over the Jean Grey School. …The Fox #5 is the finale for this great pulp series celebrating the the fun to be had in a comics series. Good for all ages! …Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.