EARTH PRIME TIME: JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 1

Jack “King” Kirby created Captain America with Joe Simon in 1941. By 1970, Jack negotiated a deal with DC Comics to create the Fourth World series of books that showcased hero Orion along with the Forever People and Superman facing off against new villain Darkseid of the planet Apokolips. Kirby’s Fourth World is collected for the first time in affordable paperback from DC Comics, and continues to be at the top of the list for timeless superhero adventures. The King didn’t merely innovate comic book storytelling and create all of our long lasting heroes, Jack Kirby is why there is a comic book industry today.

EARTH PRIME TIME: JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 1 by clay-fernald

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for April 4, 2012

COMICS

We’re doing an artist and fanboy edition for you starving comic fans out there this week! First up is Dursin’s favorite artist Terry Moore with another instructional book, How to Draw - Beautiful. Step by step instructions to go from drawing stick figures to Toulouse-Lautrec dancing girls in weeks! … If you can draw a box, you are halfway to drawing a robot in disguise! That’s right, friends, IDW publishes a definitive guide to drawing Transformers in How To Draw Transformers - Prime. We wish we had this book as a kid! … Wrapping up this segment showcases one of the most dynamic artists in the business Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man). Humberto and Sam Humphries drop Fanboys vs. Zombies #1 for just a buck! Save your money for art supplies! … Supportive words and pictures this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

EARTH PRIME TIME: CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT & COMMANDER X PREVIEW WITH JAY PISCOPO

Moonstone Books will co-publish a cross-over one shot with local publisher Nemo Publishing to rebirth the legendary golden age hero Captain Midnight in December 2012. We’re huge fans of  the collaborators, Jay Piscopo (Nemo, Capt’n Eli) and Brian Augustyn (DC Comics, Gotham by Gaslight). Jay was kind enough to take us to the skies and give us a birds-eye view of what to expect!

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

[LISTEN at SOUNDCLOUD] EARTH PRIME TIME: CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT & COMMANDER X PREVIEW WITH JAY PISCOPO by clay-fernald

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 28, 2012

COMICS

“Spoon!” you say? You’ve got that right, as The Tick turns #100, local New England Comics character teams up with Robert (The Walking Dead) Kirkman’s Invincible in an absurdist superhero romp through The City facing Chairface Chippendale! … The man who killed Superman teams up with the dude who penned Batman knocking out the Green Lantern in ‘one punch’ to bring us a new team on Superman in issue #7. Dan Jurgens and Keith Giffen bring new blood to the New 52 take on the last son of Krypton. … If you are too cool for another steampunk vampire/zombie comic (or as Jaush says, “Vamp-ombies” then the League wishes Consumption on your offspring! Just kidding, but seriously, if you are into that sort of thing, check out The New Deadwardians #1 from Vertigo. … LeaguePodcast.com has inspected and endorsed these periodicals!

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IT’S WEDNESDAY, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS: #COMICS DAY! IN THIS WEEK’S EARTH PRIME TIME COLUMN, AN INTERVIEW WITH JAY PISCOPO, WHO’S REBIRTHING LEGENDARY GOLDEN AGE HERO CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT IN DEC 2012.

EARTH PRIME TIME: JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM

Vandal Savage rounds up the baddest of DC villains to bring down the Justice League in Justice League: Doom, the latest DC Universe Animated Movie.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 21, 2012

COMICS

My niece Macie’s favorite comic in the known universe goes away so that Aw Yeah Franco & Art Baltazar can work on the new Superman Family Adventures book! Pick up the final issue of Tiny Titans with the littles this weekend to enjoy some quality superhero bonding! … We haven’t gone all soft and family-friendly, Dad will enjoy the heist story in Supercrooks #1 from Mark Millar and Lenil Yu. … Before lightsabers was The Dawn of The Jedi! Two young students feel a disturbance in the Force, a calm before the storm that will engulf their planet and change the galaxy forever! Use the cash, dude. And pick up Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #2 this week! … Midi-chlorian counts this week courtesy of LeaguePodcast.com.

It’s #comics day kiddies, and you know what that means! A group of the baddest DC villains is plotting to annihilate the Justice League. But hark! You can save them by reading Clay’s comic column and then watching the movie… EARTH PRIME TIME: JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: INTRODUCING THE RED SPIKE SUPER SOLDIERS: INTERVIEW WITH JEFF CAHN

Last week, we picked Image Comic’s Red Spike trade paperback as our marquee pick of the week. After reading the book, our adrenaline spiked higher than our usual caffeine levels and we naturally had to regulate. Writer Jeff Cahn was kind enough to shaman us through the transition and tell us more about his action-packed comic series.

Thanks for hanging with us, Jeff! You’ve got Red Spike from Image/Benaroya collected to trade. Are you excited?
Definitely. It’s my first trade, which is exciting. But I’m also just really excited and proud of the way it turned out. We added a couple extras to it that weren’t in the comics, so I’m glad that people are going to get to see a little bit of new content as well.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 14, 2012

COMICS

Saga debuts this week with a spectacular double-sized issue. Brian K. Vaughn (Lost, Y: The Last Man) returns to comics with breathtaking art from Fiona Staples. Merging sci-fi and fantasy in this epic space opera. Like Star Wars? Duh! This preview is for you! … Queen Crab is an original hardcover from Jimmy Palmiotti about a newlywed Ginger. She is murdered by her husband and tossed overboard on their honeymoon. That’s all before she is rejuvenated by the sea and turns into a crab! … Buffy Season Nine continues with issue #7. Will Buffy settle down for a movie night with Spike? Semi-romantic picks from your pals at LeaguePodcast.com.

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Need some inhuman adrenaline this morning? Check out our #comics column: EARTH PRIME TIME: INTRODUCING THE RED SPIKE SUPER SOLDIERS - INTERVIEW WITH JEFF CAHN .

EARTH PRIME TIME: ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES OF…SUPURBIA’ WITH GRACE RANDOLPH

A common complaint about the New 52 DC Comics relaunch was about the lack of female creators on the books.  That’s OK with me, because that gives the smaller, creator-centric companies concentrated talent.

Pre-orders for Grace Randolph’s SUPURBIA made news last week by selling out of all available hard copies.

DigBoston asked if she was as excited as we were about her sellout!

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 7, 2012

COMICS

Red Spike from our pals at Benaroya Publishing brings the Super Soldier motif to the modern age. One the two surviving test subjects’ implant goes awry and terrorizes D.C.. Will his super strong chum Greg stop the madness? Art by Ghost Rider’s Mark Texiera. … Check out the last generation of heroes with Hell Yeah! from Image Comics. Preview at iFanboy. … The New 52 Swamp Thing run from Scott Snyder is the best since the Alan Moore days. Swamp Thing #7 out today! Picks pruned by LeaguePodcast.com.

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OUR #COMICS COLUMN’S OUT THIS MORNING! CLAY CHATS WITH GRACE RANDOLPH, CREATOR OF SUPURBIA—THE BOOK SOLD OUT A WEEK BEFORE IT’S RELEASE TODAY (TALK ABOUT LEADING LADIES!) —-> EARTH PRIME TIME: ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES OF…SUPURBIA’ WITH GRACE RANDOLPH.

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 29, 2012

COMICS

Terry McGinnis, Batman of 2019, faces an onslaught of 10,000 Jokerz in Batman Beyond Unlimited #1. This future tale is drawn by legendary 90s Batman artist Norm Breyfogle and introduces Justice League Beyond! Preview here. … Samurai’s Blood is finally collected into trade paperback from Image Comics this week. Three teenage samurai must defend their family honor and take revenge on the evil force threatening their clan. Read our interview with writer Owen Wiseman HERE AT DIGBOSTON: EARTH PRIME TIME! … Gamers and comic fans can rejoice over the release of Darkness II and Darkness #100. Written by Phil Hester and variant cover by legendary Todd McFarlane, Jackie must stare in to the face of the Darkness itself! Button mashing comic picks this week from LeaguePodcast.

SAMURAI’S BLOOD: OWEN WISEMAN INTERVIEW here!

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 22, 2012

COMICS

Jonah Hex teams up with Amadeus Arkham to fight a giant bat to the death in All-Star Western #6! … Great movie ideas are being developed in comics every month, and we can only hope that a book called Nazi Zombies has been snatched up by a major studio. … Avast, readers, you get what you pay for, and you didn’t pay for this solicitation of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Annual #1! … Will the LeaguePodcast weekly comic picks continue to ram boyhood soldier fantasies down your throat? The answer is yes!

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EARTH PRIME TIME: THANKS FOR GHOST RIDER, NOW PAY US $17K

On the eve of the release of Nicolas Cage reprising his role as demon hero Ghost Rider, we hear the unfortunate strategy of Marvel’s lawyers going after the character’s creator, Gary Friedrich. The debate and discussion in the comic market is lively on the matter of creative ownership this past week. Are Marvel and Disney lawyers being unreasonable with the creator of this top selling property, or are work-for-hire artists retroactively reviewing their original deals?

In 1967, Marvel published the star of my recurring nightmares (1978-present)—a gun wielding ghost on a spirit horse called The Ghost Rider. After the introduction of the flaming motorcycle-and-chains madman we are more familiar with in the 1970s, this character was changed to The Phantom Rider.

When not terrorizing my fever dreams, The Phantom Rider, with his stardust-infused cloak and Colt .44 shoots phantom bullets and rides his horse Banshee.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 15, 2012

COMICS

Sci-fi author Harlan Ellison (Star Trek; I, Robot) returns to his comic book roots with Phoenix Without Ashes set on a farm in 2785. What mysterious force sends rogue farmer Devon on a quest before the world is devastated? … Cobra Commander is back, baby. And so is the G.I. Joe movie franchise. Jon Chu takes the reigns for the promising sequel. Snake Eyes & Roadblock star in G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation #1. … Amazing Spider-Man entices new readers with a confusing numbering. It’s Peter vs. Morbius the Living Vampire in ASM 679.1. LeaguePodcast picks the winners this week!

EARTH PRIME TIME: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TRAILER …AND WHO IS MILES MORALES?

New EARTH PRIME TIME up at DIGBOSTON.com.

Yesterday a trailer for Amazing Spider-Man hit the internet. What is the reaction so far? With Sam Raimi’s trilogy in the rear view mirror, will Mark Webb ((500) Days of Summer) fill the gaps of Peter Parker’s origin story by dimming the lights in his Queens bedroom and sticking Andrew Garfield in a hoodie?

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 8, 2012

COMICS

Did you ever want to lead a double life? How about a wife and kids coupled with a penchant for high stake heistery? Thief of Thieves #1 from our favorite writers Robert Kirkman and Nick Spencer is on store shelves today. … While the big blue boy scout was out fighting the War of the Supermen, Lex Luthor took over the pages of Action Comics. Fueled by a lust for the Orange Lantern power of Avarice, the anti-hero’s journey teams him up with Sandman’s sister Death in Superman: The Black Ring. … Does the Merc with a Mouth bite it by meeting up with the Family Guy’s Death played by Norm McDonald, or is Deadpool’s demise brought on by his own body parts gone rogue? Deadpool #50 is listed as CLASSIFIED, but he’s gonna die (spoilers). Spoilers from LeaguePodcast. Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

EARTH PRIME TIME: INFINITE SADNESS, LIEFELD & KIRKMAN SERIES CANCELED

Infiinite #2 - Liefeld / McFarlane (variant)

Just months before San Diego Comic-Con last year, The Walking Dead writer and Skybound publisher Robert Kirkman announced a new project with Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld. The Infinite is the story of 40-year-old Bowen, who has traveled back in time to team up with his 19-year-old self to battle an evil organization called The Infinite. The Infinite Volume 1 collects the first four issues, and is available in stores. Rob Liefeld cited creative differences with Kirkman on Twitter this weekend as the cause for the end of the book.

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LeaguePodcast and DigBoston Comic Book Picks for January 25, 2012

COMICS

Bat Boy, Leonardo, Optimus, and Snake-Eyes had best have a great Dungeon Master to guide them through the second IDW crossover event, Infestation #2. Lovecraftian demons have invaded IDW once again, could Cobra’s dark experiments be behind it all, or are other evil machinations in place? … It’s 60 years after the oil has dried up, a massive recession has crippled the economy, and civil war has broken out! The ancestors of Navy Seals protect the city of New San Diego in Marksmen #5 from Image Comics. … We’re no strangers to crippling coffee addiction at Dig & The League. Can there ever be too much? New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler’s Too Much Coffee Man #2 is added to the increasingly impressive BOOM! Studios catalog. … Picks by LeaguePodcast.

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for January 18, 2012

COMICS

The controversial and gifted storyteller Grant Morrison released an analysis of super heroes and autobiography Supergods last year. Check out his take on British TV’s Avengers in Steed and Mrs. Peel #1. Best read in your worst Scottish accent aloud on the bus with one eyebrow raised! … If you’re trapped in the prison of Hell, you had best outsmart the mysterious Warden to escape. Greg Pak (Hulk) and Tony Parker (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) debut Dead Mans Run #1 this week. Preview here. … We hate repeating ourselves but, come on! This Mark Waid Daredevil book is what everyone is talking about, plus Daredevil #8 features The Amazing Spider-Man and Black Cat! Don’t miss the astounding classic art style of Paolo Rivera and Matt Murdock being happy for once! Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: HUB COMICS REBOOT IN SOMERVILLE

LeaguePodcast manager Matt Dursin and myself made our way to the celebrations at Hub Comics in Union Square, Somerville on Saturday to see what the Hub was about, Bub! The local comic shop (LCS) celebrated being open four years with a fresh new vibe. New owner Tim Finn has let the sunlight into the shop for the relaunch, both literally and figuratively, by unblocking the windows and by paying tribute to the memory of previous owner James Welborn, who passed away in May of last year.

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