SHE MAKES COMICS (movie review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Karen Green, Patrick Meaney, 

Jordan Rennert, and Marisa Stotter

Executive Produced by, Julian Darius and Mike Phillips

Directed by Marisa Stotter

Starring Ramona Fradon, Trina Robbins, Karen Berger,

Joyce Farmer, Karen Berger, Kelly Sue DeConnick, 

Becky Cloonan, Wendy and Richard Pini, 
Jenette Kahn, Marie Severin, Paul Levitz

She Makes Comics is the latest film by the Sequart Organization funded by Kickstarter and available for sale and digital download for comics fans of any gender.

Marisa Stotter directs this documentary produced in association with Respect! Films that delves into the history, present and future of female fandom, lady creators and what it means to be a fan of comics today. A true celebration of the medium, She Makes Comics puts the spotlight on key contributors, editors and cosplayers to encourage young girls and women to embrace what they love.

It seems like you can’t swing a longbox these days without running into some internet discourse or open letter about gamergate, cosplayers at conventions or fan backlash about new costume designs for female heroes (looking good, Batgirl and Spider-Woman)!

As a straight white male (boring, I know!) checking my privilege seems to be something I do without such reminders but I’m grateful to have the opportunity to review great films like this.

We need more movies like She Makes Comics! 

Not only are we given a history lesson about comic books, a subject that I’ve quite literally worn the leather of my armchair reading up on, but we get to learn and listen to important lessons in this documentary. I watched this with my girlfriend, also a comic book fan and we were high-fiving throughout! Mostly when Kelly Sue DeConnick was speaking, because she’s just so cool.

Scanning the indicia (you know, the tiny print on the inside of comic books, usually page 1) and the credits was something I always did while reading comics as a kid (didn’t everyone? No?).

Some of my favorite books were by ladies and I thought nothing of it, I mean anyone can write and draw a book, right? There were Mary Shelley and Anne Rice for example. Until I grew into an adult, I had NO IDEA what kind of struggle an Ann Nocenti, Louise Simonson or Lynn Varley might be dealing with just because they were female. I saw them just as creators — and most of the time I thought they did a better job than their male counterparts.

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FOG! Chats With ERIK LARSEN About SAVAGE DRAGON #200! at FORCES OF GEEK

A heavy book hit the shelves this week! Savage Dragon #200 is weighing in as a ‘100-Page Super Spectacular’ and also carries with it the legacy of Erik Larsen’s career, where he has stayed with Dragon and now Malcolm as the titular character.

From the Image Revolution to the age of digital comics, you can rarely find a more ingrained creator or publisher in the industry.

He is able to playfully tip his hat to the Silver Age and Jack Kirby while moving his own book and stories into the future. 

The Image Comics CFO took the time to talk his milestone issue with us—and for that we are grateful and wish him and Dragon many more milestones in the future! 



FOG!: Erik - thank you so much for taking the time! When we saw #200 was hitting shelves, our fins went straight up! Thank you for so many awesome issues! What does this milestone mean to you? 

Erik Larsen: Every issue is a milestone, really. Each one is another number reached and another issue under my belt. The big ones, 50, 100, 150 and 200 are just that much sweeter because I pull out all the stops and involve a number of others to join in the celebration but I don’t think of any issue as ordinary, really. 

In my mind they’re all a big deal. 

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Cosmic Treadmill - Reviewing BATMAN/SUPERMAN VOL. 2: GAME OVER AT FORCES OF GEEK

Last week we took on Nightwing, and in these last weeks of the year that celebrate 75 years of Batman, we take a look at Greg Pak’s Batman/Superman Vol. 2: Game Over. 

Pak’s take on the World’s Finest team begins its second volume with an art change and video game story then the rest of the book tackles Mongul and son, Jochi, and a battle on Warworld. 

Pak is joined by Paul Levitz on some writing duties and the art team is split up between the talents of Brett Booth, Jae Lee, R.B. Silva, Kenneth Rocafort, Philip Tan, Scott McDaniel, Norm Rapmund and Joe Weems.

I did note in my Nightwing review that the art inconsistencies were less than ideal for such an expensive volume. Much the same could be said for this book but Booth’s tight and traditional comic pages contrast nicely with the ethereal Jae Lee art of this book. The supporting artists keep it all together as well. 

This hardcover volume is a great gift idea for the DC Comics fan in your life this holiday season featuringBatman/Superman Issues #5—9, Annual #1 and the crossover tale for Worlds’ Finest #20-21.

Batman Superman HC Vol. 2 Game Over
Writer: Greg Pak, Paul Jenkins
Artist: Brett Booth, Jae Lee, Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: 11/22/14
Price: $24.99
UPC: 978140124935952499
Buy It HERE 
Digital: readdcentertainment.com


No stranger to the world of video games and programmers — Greg Pak’s Code Monkey Save World is a compendium on Jonathan Coulton songs brought to the page — the opening salvo of this volume is a gamer’s delight, all illustrated in landscape pages from superstar Brett Booth (The Flash).

A great experiment for this format was the McFarlane/Liefeld Spider-Man and X-Force: Sabotage from November 1991. Even more recently, Erik Larsen did this in Savage Dragon #199.

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Cosmic Treadmill - Reviewing NIGHTWING V. 5: SETTING SON with a Side Order of GRAYSON at FORCES OF GEEK

I’m a Bat-family loyalist, reading weekly Bat-titles, even when they fall off the rails a bit (Detective Comics) or even reach into my pockets weekly for some drawn out something or other (Batman Eternal).

I’m also a Batgirl fan and am giving the new ‘’Burnside’ creative team a shot.

One book I personally passed on the New 52 shelves was Nightwing.

Perhaps I didn’t like his new costume — but was it really that offensive to my sensibilities?

At any rate, I visited Kyle Higgin’s Nightwing Vol. 1 eventually, snaking a deal on the trade.  Not bad…but then another break.

With a ‘Villain’s month’, Forever Evil and Zero Year, the New 52 has an inherent problem with it’s regularly programmed books this year.

How does one randomly pick up Nightwing Vol. 5: Setting Son without wanting to pack up and move far away from The New 52 like Grayson himself?

I attempted to do this, and like an acrobat there were highs and lows from this book. 

Thankfully, more tricks were landed than fell into the net.

NIGHTWING VOL. 5: SETTING SON
Writers: Kyle Higgins, Tim Seeley, Tom King
Art: Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Price $16.99
UPC:      978140125011951699
Release Date: 12/10/14
Pre-Order HERE 
Digital: readdcentertainment.com


Nightwing Vol. 5: Setting Son collects the final issues of Nightwing #25-30 plus Nightwing Annual #1.

My main criticism as a volume overall are the aforementioned inconsistencies and obvious problems with injecting crossover events into a planned out story arc.

In my opinion, most of the Zero Year stories could have been contained to the main Batman book but this Nightwing story fits in to continuity well.

I’m reminded of Batman: Year Three in which the Robin story is told revealing secrets of the circus and The Flying Graysons. 

In this flashback, the superstar teenager defies his parents and ditching his parents to catch a movie in Gotham solo. Our proto-Robin saves the day and there is even a costume origin — tidbits I devour when flashback stories are told. Will Conrad nails the art, Higgins tells a great story.

It should be stated that while this might appear to be collected edition — and it is, this is more a collection of single issues, much like nearly every volume of The New 52 Superman (see the wildly erratic Vol. 4 Psi-War for example). Other top selling titles maintain a great level of integrity —even if artists change for an issue or two — like Batman, The Flash and Batman/Superman. 

Next up — Batgirl in Nightwing Annual #1. The on-again/off-again relationship tension is addressed as the two team up to take on a Scooby mystery of Hollywood proportions. The cute Robin/Batgirl selfie flashback is the backbone to the Dick/Babs vignette.

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HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Brett Ratner, Jay Stern, John Morris

Screenplay by Sean Anders, John Morris

Story by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, 

Sean Anders, John Morris

Directed by Sean Anders

Starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, 

Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine,

Christoph Waltz, Jonathan Banks, Kevin Spacey

Hollywood returns to the well once again for another sequel that questions it’s own existence!

Thankfully, the familiar television and movie stars making up the ensemble cast do have their moments, and Horrible Bosses 2 isn’t a complete waste of time.

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day reprise their roles as Nick, Kurt and Dale and become their own bosses unleashing a new product “The Shower Buddy” onto the world.

Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey return as well, along with mastermind “Motherfucker” Jones — Jamie Foxx.

Added this time around are the father/son team of leading man Chris Pine and Basterd Chrisopher Waltz. 

For schlock value, if you like to tune out here’s a movie for you, with some funny moments but the spark isn’t as bright as the original concept or the director Sean Ander’s last effort behind the camera, Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy.

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LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Brett Culp,Tricia Culp, 

Matt Andrews, Josh Costella, Ian del Carmen, 

Vasilis K. Pozios, 5th Element Events, Sultan Saeed 

Al Darmaki, Sultan Al Saud, Southeast Psych

Written and Directed by Brett Culp

Starring Michael Uslan, Denny O’Neil, 

Lenny B Robinson, Jill Pantozzi, Kye Sapp, 

Petaluma Batman, Rabbi Cary Friedman, 

Dr. Travis Langley, Gotham Chopra, 

Brian Elliott, Patrick O’Connor, Daniel Scott

As a side dish to your binge-watch of Batman ’66 DVDs we present to you Legends of the Knight from Virgil Films. The documentary takes a look at people passionate to a fault about the Caped Crusader on his 75th Anniversary.

From Batman film franchise executive producer Michael Uslan’s story, to the one-legged breakdancing Daniel Scott to Lenny Robinson — “Maryland Batman”, each vignette tells the story of people making the world better as if Batman were real.

Brett Culp’s touching documentary shows the side of fandom not exploited by cosplay press, but the human side of using Batman as an inspiration to make the world a better place.

As an avatar of justice for the past seventy-five years, Batman has meant a lot to a lot of different people.

This documentary explores how a fictional character like Batman is a real life role model to kids and adults across the world. Sure, Adam West, Christian Bale, Michael Keaton and the rest are all very different models on the screen, but the essence of Batman as a hero is always the same.

Like a perpetual “It Gets Better” campaign, Batman is lurking in the shadows to show kids that the impossible is possible and to do what is right.

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Kickstarter Korner - MEGA RAN Documentary & CYBERINES #1 - AT FORCES OF GEEK

Two talented artists have some campaigning ending really soon so I grabbed them to tell us about their projects.  

 One is more familiar to this column — a comic book project from Joe Martino (Shadowflame, The Mighty Titan).

The other is only a household name to those hyped on the nerdcore rap scene.

Random aka Mega Ran aka Raheem is a former teacher who tours the world rapping about life, but also he is the only rapper to be officially endorsed by Capcom.

Following the footsteps of his friend Damien Hess also known as MC Frontalot’s Nerdcore Rising, Random is Kickstarting a documentary Mega Lo Mania - Director’s Cut for full distribution.

Joe even has some Kickstarter tips as well, so keep your eyes peeled, creative types. 

If you have a few dollars or a dollar to spare, consider backing these hard working gentlemen! If you can’t spare anything but you like what you see, spread the word. They will be grateful!


Mega Lo Mania - A Nerd Rap Documentary

FOG!: Ran, we’re excited about your Kickstarter. What can fans expect from Mega Lo Mania - A Nerd Rap Documentary?

Mega Ran: The doc got such great reviews that all we needed was more, quite frankly.. I went and found old footage, interviewed some of my heroes in the scene and I think it ties up the Mega Ran story, that’s so hard to explain to people most times, perfectly!

Maybe we should back up. What is it you do for those unfamiliar out there? You rap about video games, right?

I rap about life, mostly, but from a few unique perspectives, most notably, the eyes of video game characters. 

A lot of what I do is video game related for sure, It’s probably where I feel most comfortable.

… 

*****

To support the Kickstarter, Click HERE!

For more details visit MegaRan.com and on Twitter @MegaRan

*****

Cyberines #1

FOG!: Tell us about Cyberines #1!

Joe Martino: Well, I created Cyberine before Shadowflame. I always liked patriotic characters like Captain America so I wanted to create one like that. But I didn’t want him to look like a flag. 

I figured what’s better than Marines Red and Gold? Originally he was in Vietnam and he got blown up on his way home. But, as time went on Desert Storm made more sense and then Afghanistan. In Shadowflame I actually call it the Second Gulf War meaning the 2004 Afghanistan war.  

In issue 4 I added a few characters to the team. Crimson, Caress and Barrel. Along with Cyberine and Agent Napalm, they make the core of the group. There are others that we will see later and some that really aren’t very nice. 

To me it is a bit like The Avengers if they were formed by the government and run by Professor Xavier. The Marine part of the group is very boot camp/Danger Room and we will see the group go through some serious issues. 

To support the Kickstarter, Click HERE!

For more details visit Red Anvil Comics and on Twitter @jgmcomics and@RedAnvilComics

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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.

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Cosmic Treadmill: Call An Ambulance! It's THE GATECRASHERS With ZACHARY MORTENSEN! at FORCES OF GEEK

Zachary Mortensen joins the Cosmic Treadmill today to talk about his future tale, The Gatecrashers, available digitally on his website, TheGatecrashers.com. 

Grab the first issue or the first volume to take a look at a future where ambulance drivers are heroes that can travel between cities and predicts what a dystopian future based on tech we are developing in real life today!

FOG!: This is an immersive world, how long has The Gatecrashers been in development? How would you describe the world of Palomar City to first time fans?

Zachary Mortensen: I’ve had the world in my mind for many years, but about 4 years ago I decided to officially start writing it all down.

Palomar City isn’t a dystopia or a nightmare, it is a very real world that closely resembles any overcrowded mega-city of today like Sao Paolo or Mumbai or Lagos. 

Imagine if the population of New York swells to 35 million people in the same footprint and then something like the Occupy Wall Street protest happens and an already overburdened city hall just gives up and says “you think you can do a better job? It’s yours, the Lower East Side just became an independent city-state.” 

Then another neighborhood says, “Hey we want to be independent too!”

Then another … and another…


This, combined with a decades-old failed urban initiative of traffic gates has created a very real set of neighborhood borders that literally contain and define these new Districts.

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Triple Shot With A Digital Chaser HALLOWEEN EDITION! Advance Look at HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D. #1, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS #1, CUTTER #1 Plus Monkeybrain's BOO! HALLOWEEN STORIES V. 2!

We’re keeping it grimly fiendish here on this Halloween edition of Triple Shot! 

We were lucky enough to start in the scariest state in the union, Connecticut, to preview December’s Hellboy and The B.P.R.D. #1 from Mike Mignola and superstar artist of the dark arts Alex Maleev.

Then we cut your expectations into an animal shrubbery with a new Edward Scissorhands #1.

If that wasn’t enough evisceration, tune in to Cutter from Top Cow for the real bloody stuff.

Cap off this bag of tricks with Monkeybrain’s devilishly pieced together Boo! Halloween Stories Vol. # 2devised to make your blood curdle!

HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D. #1
Writers: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics 
Pub. Date: December 03, 2014
Price: $3.50
UPC: 7 61568 26148 6 00111
More Info HERE


A true treat for fans of Hellboy in his twentieth year is this story set in 1952 written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi.  Frequent Bendis collaborator Alex Maleev, who’s painterly style defined a Daredevil run and slight to redefine a schizophrenic Moon Knight is a treat to see return to the Hellboy-verse. 

To those familiar and to newcomers as well, the story takes place in the 50s — as we bear witness to Hellboy joining the B.P.R.D. in the field for the first time.

No doubt as this arc progresses, he will learn a lot about himself as he interacts with the team. Already he faces challenges like Agent Stegner’s prejudice and an uncertainty of his abilities in the field after being raised and coddled by the Department since he was discovered.

A series of 33 murders in a Brazilian village prompts the investigation into the supernatural which will be Hellboy’s first mission. Stay tuned to this series to see if he succeeds or fails. 

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #1 is available on December 3. Highly recommended for Hellboy fans or new readers, considering the nature of this quasi-origin story.

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Cosmic Treadmill: IDW & HASBRO AT NEW YORK COMIC CON 2014 at FORCES OF GEEK

You’ll see all the news this week about NYCC beating out SDCC this week in attendance, so it’s notable that I got my ass to the Con on a Yo! Bus for four days of bumping into fans, dizzying cosplay and one heck of a good time. For an early evening panel after spending my whole day traveling, the seats at the Javits Center welcomed us for one of my favorite publishers.

We took a look at the popular licensed properties held by IDW from the IDW & Hasbro: Transformers, Ponies & More panel at New York Comic Con, Day 1 - Thursday, October 9 2014 at 6:15pm.

My only question is, why did my favorite book for life - G.I. Joe get relegated to peeling potato duty. I mean, “ & More”?

That’s a bit insulting to our nation’s Special Mission Force!

But Senior Editor John Barber and Mike Costa made up for it — by announcing Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra, the next installment in the Cobra Files seasons. 

Plus, some more “Truly Outrageous” announcements, nearly missed by the regular Friday through Sunday Con visitors!

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The Cosmic Treadmill Goes Behind The Red Curtain With CANNIBAL ISLAND at FORCES OF GEEK

When was the last time you read a good cannibal story set behind the Red Curtain?

Look no further than this new webcomic from Steve Ekstrom, Cannibal Island.

FOG!: Thanks for joining us today! Why are you inspired to do a webcomic based on the Nazino affair, and for the readers, just what is that?

Steve Ekstrom: The “Nazino affair” was an unfortunate set of circumstances that occurred during early 1930’s in the Soviet Union where Stalin and friends came up with something called the “grandiose plan” where various “undesirables” (vagrants, prisoners, people who left their passports at home on accident, affluent land-owners from rural areas, political activists) were all taken to the undeveloped eastern areas of Russia and placed into “Labor Villages” and basically told “build yourself some shelter and start cultivating this land…or die.”

Around 4000 “undesirables” were being sent to an area of Russia known as Tomsk and the local officials, when they learned how many criminals were mixed into their body of 4000 laborers, they panicked and decided to move their Labor Village to the island of Nazino which just happened to be about 2 miles long and half a mile wide.

Because rations and resources were stretched to their absolute maximum through poorly planned efficiency, the Labor Village on Nazino was only given about 20 Tons of flour dumped right on the shore of the island, right out in the open.

Before the prisoners ever arrived, people were dying of exposure and starvation. 

The criminally minded laborers began to form loose gangs. Within weeks of arriving, numerous reports of cannibalism had already been reported.

So the cannibalism is very real - in fact based on real events?

Cannibalism was already occurring in the outlying regions of the Soviet Union because of widespread famine and ecological issues of the time that were similar to what happened in the U.S. with the whole “Dust Bowl” famine. Couple that with the fact that the Communist government was seizing every bit of grain and/ or viable crop for the formation of rations for their labor camps and to feed their growing army and there you have it.

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Kickstarter Korner: Chatting It Up With The Creators of DEEP SEA, David Bishop and Ricky Lima

From recent oysters Undertow to Low to classics like Namor the Sub-Mariner, the ocean depths are rich subject matter for comic books.

Canadians Ricky Lima and David A. Bishop are culling the deep for an original graphic novel. The Kickstarter Staff pick is nearly funded for Deep Sea, and the guys are here to tell us about it before they poetically reach their final goal.


FOG!: Thanks for joining us today. Just finished the book, it truly was a different kind of story. Care to share about the origin of Deep Sea?

Ricky Lima: Deep Sea started from my desire to collaborate with David. He does some great work and I just wanted to get in on the ground floor of David’s Super Stardom. I approached him with the idea of doing a very small minimal book and he was interested.forces of geek

We decided to make the entire thing red and blue and the idea for the story came from that color scheme.

After the book was so incredibly well received we decided it’d be in our best interests to make a longer sequel.

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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: G.I. JOE #1, STARLIGHT #5, GHOSTBUSTERS #20 Plus THE ADVENTURES OF A 4TH GRADE SPACE CAPTAIN at FORCES OF GEEK

What better reason to bring back the Triple Shot of comics at FOG! than a new G.I. Joe book?

Season 4 of IDW’s run is written by Karen Traviss and has Scarlett as the head of the team. We also check in on Starlight by Millar and Parlov over at Image and try to trap them ghosts in the final issue of Ghostbusters from IDW.

Back all of that up with an all ages The Adventures of a 4th Grade Space Captain from ComiXology Submit!

Ahhh….refreshing…

G.I. JOE Season 4 #1
WRITER: Karen Traviss
ARTIST: Steve Kurth
Publication Date: September 24, 2014
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400693300111
Buy it Here 


IDW continues the Joe legacy with it’s fourth season of books.

Building off of the history and world building established in previous seasons is the latest from sci-fi author Karen Traviss. This new book jumps forward 5 years from G.I. Joe: Season 3 and the events in the spyfi thriller spinoff book G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files from Mike Costa.

I’m happy to report that this is a new take on the Joes, but also one that’s as thick as Dutch chocolate cake and the characters are all true to form. Fans of Hama’s military jargon will be satisfied, but also real world politics enter the dialogue and situations presented herein.

Recommended if you are enjoying Nathan Edmondson’s work on The Activity, or more recently in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Echoes.

That should do it for the author comparisons, except to say that this is very different from the relatively lighthearted Yo-Joeing going on in Chuck Dixon or Fred Van Lente runs on the book.

Traviss is taking this very seriously, and as a long suffering Joe fan, I couldn’t be happier. Notable changes to the vibe are Scarlett taking a lead role and trying to save the team from disbanding and a course change for Cobra and the surviving Crimson Twin, Tomax.

I am eagerly awaiting the next volume of G.I. Joe with a cool new logo and very talented new female writer at the helm.

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Cosmic Treadmill: LEAVING MEGALOPOLIS (review) - AT FORCES OF GEEK

Today, Dark Horse releases Leaving Megalopolis, originally a Kickstarter funded project from the amazing creative team of Gail Simone and artist Jim Calafiore.

Jim and Gail were responsible for a longtime run on Secret Six, the DC villain team book that will be returning to the New 52 with Gail on writing duties. 

Leaving Megalopolis stands in the grand tradition of books going back to Watchmen. At the center of the conflict, innumerable super powered beings take over and turn on the innocent humans they at one time were sworn to protect. 

Mina is our hero — a cop with baggage just trying to get out of the city in one piece.

Strong analog characters to popular super heroes have been created for Leaving Megalopolis. 
The Man of Granite — Overlord — is our Superman, Hulk and even a ‘grim and gritty’ Batman. In this world, comics also celebrate the heroes, and references and an excerpt from issue #47 of the fictionalOverlord comic is the turning point that the comic writers make Overlord a dark hero.

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Kickstarter Korner: Chatting SEX & VIOLENCE VOL. 2 With JUSTIN GRAY

Comics writer Justin Gray just wrapped up a longstanding run on Jonah Hexwith longtime writing partner Jimmy Palmiotti.

Gray, Palmiotti, writer Frank Tieri, artist Amanda Connor and colorist Paul Mounts make up PaperFilms, a creative collective that has launched yet another successful Kickstarter Exclusive comics campaign.

Among the awesome rewards available in this Kickstarter-exclusive release, supporters can actually have artwork printed in the book. 

Justin joins us today to talk about the campaign and what sets a PaperFilms project apart from the others in this interview promoting the Sex & Violence Volume 2 Kickstarter that’s running right now.

FOG!: Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today to talk about your Kickstarter for Sex & Violence #2. What does Kickstarter mean for PaperFilms? 

Justin Gray: Kickstarter provides opportunities for us to create work that might not otherwise find a publisher. I believe it also provides us the opportunity to help grow an audience for material that would struggle in a mainstream marketplace, which is dominated by a specific genre. 

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Kickstarter Korner With Joseph Schmalke for THE INFERNAL PACT AT FORCES OF GEEK

We love it when a plan comes together! And we love when one Kickstarter project begets another…and another!

Joseph Schmakle was on the Treadmill back in November for Calamitous Black Devils and now has The Infernal Pact campaign running.

Put your earbuds to 11 for this heavy metal meth fueled ride into the darkness!

FOG!: Joe, it was really awesome to see you at Boston Comic Con. What was your show schedule this year and want to tell us about the Calamitous Black Devils’ launch? 

Joseph Schmakle: So this year I’m concentrating more on creating my new comic book so I’ll just be doing local conventions for the rest of the year. Coming up I’ll be at Granite State Comic Con in Manchester New Hampshire and then at Bang Pop in Bangor Maine.

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KICKSTARTER KORNER: 'DEER EDITOR' with Writer Ryan K. Lindsay at FORCES OF GEEK

Since we profiled his weird and wonderful Monkeybrain book Headspace back in March, Australian writer Ryan K. Lindsay has become one of our favorite independent comic creators.

Other books of note you may be interest in are a run with My Little Pony: Rainbow Dash, and his own books Fatherhood and Ghost Town.

Ryan joins us today to promote his Kickstarter for Deer Editor #1 about an investigative journalist deer, stalking the streets for clues and justice.

This equine-noir story, like the rest, starts with the first trot.

FOG!: Thanks for joining us again, Ryan, this time for a Kickstarter Korner. The campaign just started, correct?

Ryan K Lindsay: Yep, in the very first days of our wild adventure.

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THE FOX: FREAK MAGNET (GN Review) - COSMIC TREADMILL AT FORCES OF GEEK

Just before Archie Comics superhero imprint Red Circle Comics gets eclipsed by the grittier, jaw gnashing Dark Circle Comics (imagine lots of lightning and silhouettes), The Fox Vol.1: Freak Magnet is collected for your enjoyment.

Written and illustrated by Dean Haspiel with heavy scripting help from Mark Waid (Daredevil, Thrillbent).

A classic comics creative team J.M. DeMatteis along with Mike Cavallaro (pencils, color), Terry Austin (inks) and John Workman (letters) set WWII comics on it’s side with tie-in back up story “The Face of Hate,” a cornerstone of the whole volume. 

If you remember comics being fun, bad guys getting punched, and if heroes leaping between dimensions gets you trotting, please check out this all-ages friendly The Fox. 

Back in MY DAY, we took our comics by the issue and we liked it! Well, that’s what I said way back in October when issue #1 hit the stands.

These days with all the hustle and bustle and Instagram snaps it’s hard sometimes to focus on a story when you have to wait a whole month between chapters. Lots of stuff is going to trade for me lately.

And boy was I happy to come across this sly Fox, all bundled up nice!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Kevin Feige

Screenplay by James Gunn, Nicole Perlman

Based on Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning

Directed by James Gunn

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, 

Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, 

Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, 

Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin

Marvel Studios, James Gunn and Kevin Feige have done it.

They’ve taken sci-fi to a new level, brought humor to the game and among the accomplishments too many to list have made unknown characters to the spotlight with great actors to get Marvel Cosmic into movie theaters across the globe.

The ensemble cast, one who is a raccoon, another a tree, spark on the screen and the space battle action triples from the previous epic-scale Marvel movie, The Avengers. 

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