JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Doomed planet. 

Desperate scientists. 

Last hope. 

Kindly couple. 

Superman.

— Grant Morrison, All-Star Superman

Grant Morrison is most certainly capable of distilling Superman down into a few words, especially when introducing what has since become considered one of the greatest stories of all time of the iconic character.

Another master of the DC Universe  is Bruce Timm, the mastermind behind Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Batman Beyond (to name a few).

Timm is back in with his latest project,  an alternate reality version of Justice League with Justice League: Gods and Monsters, which debuted on Machinima last month with three shorts and has been released this week as a feature length animated movie.

These new interpretations include Superman / Hernan Guerra (Benjamin Bratt, 24, Modern Family), the spawn of General Zod and Lara Lor Van’s DNA (in vitro, you pervs) raised by a Mexican farming family.

Batman is the creature of the night we know in our world as Man-Bat, Kurt Langstrom (Michael C. Hall, Dexter).

Rounding out the un-holy trinity is Bekka, granddaughter of Highfather from New Genesis aka Wonder Woman (Tamara Taylor, Bones, Lost).

With a reimagined DC Universe including dozens of Easter Eggs and a President Amanda Waller calling the shots, Alan Burnett (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman Beyond) and Timm’s PG-13 alternate reality gets a little racier thanThe Animated Series ever could. A member of the new guard for DCAU Sam Liu (Batman: Year One, All-Star Superman) directs.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Speaks With DEAN HASPIEL About THE FOX! at FORCES OF GEEK

Distilling comics to their ultimate essence and having fun, Silver Age superhero stories is happening regularly today at one of the most unlikely publishers.

Writer and artist Dean Haspiel joins us this week to talk The Fox from Dark Circle Comics. Last summer we reviewed The Fox: Freak Magnet and the exploits of Paul Patton Jr. and family, so it was a pleasure to get with Dean about the new direction he is taking this classic Archie Comics owned superhero under the Dark Circle imprint.

Dean, who writes and draws the book, collaborates with Mark Waid on the writing and that relationship is explained here as well as some of the new heroes popping up in The Fox world.

The most recent chapter of the latest story arc, Fox Hunt, can be found in The Fox #4, out today wherever comics are sold, and that most certainly includes the device you are reading this freaky interview on!


FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Dean! After the success of Freak Magnet were you eager to get working on your next arc for The Fox?

Dean Haspiel: Thanks, Clay! I originally proposed a different idea for the Freak Magnet sequel that involved an ex-girlfriend who was a therapist for disturbed superheroes, the power of fossil fuel and the resurrection of a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur buried underneath the center of Impact City, and a zombie-version of The Jaguar.

But, my then editor, Paul Kaminski suggested we do something called Fox Hunt, and I wrote a different idea.

Things are a little more violent and bloody this time around, while maintaining true to The Fox as we saw in the last volume. How is it for you to get to write and draw some of the more visceral scenes?

My favorite genre is horror. So, turning up the gross factor in Fox Hunt wasn’t hard for me to do. I just wanted to keep some of the zany, Silver-Age superhero tone I established in Freak Magnet, while decorating some of the scenes with terrifying tentacles, exploding heads, and puddles of viscera.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA V. 1: THE HELL OF THE MIDNIGHT ROAD & THE GHOSTS OF STORMS (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Big Trouble In Little China V. 1:

The Hell of The Midnight Road & The Ghosts of Storms

Story by John Carpenter and Eric Powell

Written by Eric Powell

Art by Brian Churilla

Colored by Michael Garland

Lettered by Ed Dukeshire

Cover by Eric Powell

Published by BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: June 03, 2015
UPC 978160886716551499
Buy it HERE
Available on Comixology

John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China returned last year in comic book form thanks to Carpenter himself (story) and The Goon’s Eric Powell with Brian Churilla (The Sixth Gun) on art.

BOOM! Studios released the first volume of continuing adventures of The Pork Chop Express last month. Jack is back, baby and he’s born ready to rock!

Let him regale you with tales of his ex-wives as he deals with a pet demon named Pete takes on the evil Wing Kong with his pal Egg Shen.

Issue #12 is out today but to get the party started, check out Volume 1 collecting issues 1—4.

“Have ya paid your dues, Jack?”

“Yessir, the check is in the mail”.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB (review) - at FORCES OF GEEK

THE ROCKETEER - THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES TPB

By Dave Stevens

Coloring by Laura Martin

Lettering by Carrie Spiegle

Volume 1 art assist by Jaimie Hernandez

Co-writers of Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3: 

Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo

Volume 2 art assist by: Art Adams, 

Geof Darrow, Gary Gianni, Mike Kaluta,

 Stan Manoukian, Sandy Plunkett, and Vince Roucher

Volume 2, chapters 2 & 3 covers by: Dave Stevens

 and painted by Dave Dorman and Paul Chadwick

Edited by Scott Dunbier

Collected Edition by: Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon

Cover by Dave Stevens

IDW Publishing

Release Date: March 18, 2015

Cover Price: $19.99

UPC: 978163140227251999

Buy It HERE

Available on Amazon Kindle

Summertime is the best time to catch up on reading! One of the classic comic characters I have always wanted to know more about, since seeing his 1991 film was The Rocketeer. 

The pulp hero, inspired by art deco design and the creations of Howard Hughes (see The Aviator) was the titular work of Dave Stevens, a cartoonist and storyboard artist that passed away in 2008.

IDW released an accessible paperback volume of our hood ornament of a hero with The Rocketeer The Complete Adventures in association with the Stevens Estate. The publisher and Stevens before his death tapped the talented Laura Martin to remaster the colors for the hardcover edition.

This book is the best independent comics has to offer, a legendarily rare creation with extraordinary art and dogfight action.

The Rocketeer wasn’t created in the time of the pulps, but instead captures the spirit of that high-flying time in American history with Cliff Secord,  The Rocketeer and his sometime pin-up gal pal Betty.

Back in 2013, we covered Mark Waid’s Rocketeer & The Spirit: Pulp Friction. The two heroes are a perfect pairing for an adventure, but this was all I knew of Cliff and Peevy the mechanic besides the film.

Reading the ‘real’ Rocketeer makes me itch for more of these kinds of tales, hopefully Waid, Langridge. Samnee and J. Bone continue to work on more tales of Cliff under the IDW imprint.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

THE COMIC BOOK HISTORY OF COMICS (book review) at FORCE OF GEEK

The Comic Book History of Comics

By: Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey

Type: Graphic Novels

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Pub. Date: May 23, 2012

UPC: 978161377197652199

BUY ON AMAZON OR KINDLE

Pencils down, True Believers!

As the The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture edX course winds down, my extra curricular activities have not stagnated.

In fact, I’ve dusted off a few academic books about comics to further my station (in an audited class—I was never one for impressing actual teachers).

A few weeks ago we talked The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.  This week, I completed Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey’s illustrated Comic Book History of Comics and am still processing what they’ve done.

By breaking down the history of comics in the selfsame sequential art medium, they have achieved nerd nirvana.

Not since Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics have I felt such a connection with the books I love so much.

I was lucky enough to speak with the ‘Evil Twin Studios’ artist Ryan back in 2013 for the debut of Action Presidents #1(George Washington).

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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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SPY (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson,

Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping

Written and Directed by Paul Feig

Starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham,

Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale,

Nargis Fakhri, Allison Janney, Jude Law

Melissa McCarthy’s latest movie Spy is a treat.

Director Paul Feig graduated McCarthy from supporting player in 2011’s Bridesmaids, to co-star in 2013’s The Heat and now, badass leading lady in Spy. 

The comedic sendup of the classic James Bond formula goes back at least as far as the original 1967 Casino Royale and Get Smart but also was reinvented in the ‘90s by Mike Myers in Austin Powers.

Gadgets, plane fights, prat falls and cat-lady sweaters are what populatesSpy.

Next year, Feig will take McCarthy into her next showbiz tier with Ghostbusters, where she’ll get her doctorate in ‘ensemble cast’.

Susan Cooper is a CIA Agent, working as an assistant to field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). She witnesses Fine’s brutal murder via a very unrealistic ‘contact lens camera’ as she’s guiding him through his final mission. 

When the CIA is made aware of a possible leak, the only thing left to do is send someone after his murderer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). Hothead agent Rick Ford played by Jason Statham is a braggart and bumbling parody of the usual roles the actor plays. 

Ford goes rogue when the agency picks the unassuming analyst Susan Cooper to go out into the field to Paris to gather intel on that “Thundercunt” Rayna, her bosses and a nuclear bomb!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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FOG! Chats With MIDNIGHTER Writer STEVE ORLANDO #DCYOU - AT FORCES OF GEEK

Today launches the New #DCYou continuity and one of the books debuting is Midnighter.

Midnighter was created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch in 1998 as part of Stormwatch. He’s been featured in The Authority as well as a short lived mini Grifter & Midnighter and his own series before being a part of the DC’s New 52Stormwatch and Grayson books.

Steve Orlando (Undertow, Image Comics) reintroduces Lucas Trent and his alter-ego in the latest from DC Comics and is here to tell us about what it means to have an openly gay male superhero hit the shelves!

FOG!: Fans of The Authority and Stormwatch might know Midnighter, and of course we’ve seen him in Graysonrecently fighting Spyral. But really, Who is this guy?

Steve Orlando: He’s a fighter! Midnighter has been engineered to be the greatest, and he’s a weapon, a sword. That’s part of his core. But he’s found a way to make it into a positive, and he fights for those that don’t have anyone to listen to them, or fight for them. 

Midnighter is a community character, on the street, connecting with the people he helps and making himself available to even more people. When he saves you, you can become part of his Network, bringing situations to his attention, and helping him bring the Midnighter experience to even more people.

He’s the clenched fist that’s on your side when maybe no one else will hear you. Midnighter’s past was stolen, and in its place he was programmed to be a fighting machine.  And he doesn’t want anyone else to go what he went through. He’s fighting to make sure no one else has to become another Midnighter.

Midnighter is the guy that is puts the fear into the fear mongers.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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Triple Shot: FRESH ROMANCE #1, OLD MAN LOGAN #1 & SANDMAN OVERTURE #5 at FORCES OF GEEK

Fresh Romance is in the air, courtesy of Janelle Asselin. Bendis opens up three old wounds on each hand with Andrea Sorrentino on art in Old Man Logan (Secret Wars) #1 and don’t forget about The Endless Dreaming with Sandman: Overture #5 in this week’s edition of Triple Shot!

FRESH ROMANCE #1
WRITER: Sarah Kuhn, Kate Leth, Sarah Vaughn
ART:   Arielle Jovellanos, Sarah Winifred Searle, Sally Jane Thompson 
Publication Date: May 27, 2015
Price: $4.99
Publisher: Rosy Press/Janelle Asselin
UPC: 70985301875900111
Buy it HERE: RosyPress.com / Comixology

As I’m learning in my current comic book class with professor Michael Uslan, Romance Comics as genre came to prominence after the end of World War II.

Everyone hung up their collective capes, and even Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon filled the newsstands with tales of heartbreak, secret crushes and handkerchief hand wringing.

These days, superheroes dominate the scene and the big screen, but former DC Comics editor Jannelle Asselin is resurrecting the genre over at Rosy Press and also utilizing her vast established audience for Kickstarter funding for this special project.

[Read an amazing FOG! interview with Jannelle over here with Stefan Blitz, conducted after the project was funded!]

This inaugural issue of Fresh Romance is an anthology book highlighting 3 separate stories from some of the best talent around. Kate Leth (Adventure Time, Bravest Warriors, Edward Scissorhands) starts off with a classic high school tale of locker talk and Mean Girls swagger. I’m most looking forward to the next installment for the twist introduced at the end of these pages.

Upcoming talent Sarah Vaughn (Alex + Ada) goes back to the post-Revolutionary War days for an impending tale of arranged marriage from ye olde tymes. I wasn’t expecting to go back to the age of AMC’s Turn but it was a nice place to visit and Sarah Winifred Searle’s art is divine. 

‘The Ruby Equation’, the final tale by Sarah Kuhn and Sally Jane Thompson was perhaps my favorite. Without spoiling, this was the most comic-booky of the tales. Modern day cupid meets coffee shop barista. Very cute story with more to come.

Congrats on getting the ball rolling—this was a fun book, and I may have been quoted as saying, “I hate stupid love stories because they are stupid”.

Yet again, I was wrong.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DC COMICS GUIDE TO WRITING COMICS By Dennis O'Neil (book review) at FORCES OF GEEK

I’ve been fascinated by the credits pages of comics for longer than I can remember, and the all important “Writer” title is the one I have aspired to.

Fortunately for you, dear readers, this eventually shifted to the comics critique and ‘reporting’ steadfastly disappointing you here each and every week! 

Writing is hard. Scripting is hard. You guessed it, making comics is hard work. Drawing comics is probably much harder than it looks.

As much as I thought my dogeared copy of How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way (1978) by Stan Lee and John Buscema would have me at the drawing board for 8 hours a day like an Extreme Studios understudy, that was not my path in life either.

I’m always up for a good challenge, though.

Upon urging from my colleague Matt Dursin (an actual published comics writer!) I have audited The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture MOOC with Stan Lee’s and Michael Uslan course of study. 


In preparation, I dusted off 2001’s The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics by industry giant, and writer of my favorite Batman tales, Dennis (Denny) O’Neil.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BATMAN: EARTH ONE Vol. 1 & 2 (review) AT FORCES OF GEEK

Shortly before The Dark Knight Rises closed the chapter on director Christopher Nolans’ cinematic take on Batman, DC Comics released the hardcover original graphic novel Batman: Earth One (2012) written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. 

Johns, protege to Superman: The Movie’s Richard Donner, became famous for his Green Lantern, JSA and The Flash runs before becoming DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer. The Blackest Night scribe also is the link between comics and movies across the lot at Warner Bros., consulting on everything from Green Lantern to Batman v. Superman and down to the successful Flash and Arrow programs on CW. 

Gary Frank, artist for Batman: Earth One drew an uncanny Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman in 2009’s pre-Flashpoint Superman: Secret Origin. While many artists have taken on the iconic DC heroes, Frank’s style rises to the top as a modern master. 

Batman: Earth One Volume 2 featuring the same creative team was released earlier this month.

Batman: Earth One Volumes 1 & 2 are out of the current DC continuities as we know it, are perhaps meant as chain bookstore (mass market) sellers but the two great hardcovers make great gifts for Batman fans of varied interest levels. Everyone from the enthusiastic FOG! crowd to your more causal The Dark Knight Trilogy or Gotham tv series fans will get lost in this version of the Caped Crusader.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BATMAN UNLIMITED: ANIMAL INSTINCTS (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

The strange Batsuits with angular black and yellow emblem we’ve been seeing at Target from Mattel have been finally been brought to life by Warner Bros Animation and DC Comics. If you were off-put by the Batman and Robin (1997) look of the things, you are not alone.

My expectation of an eventual animated property were that of a Joel Schumacher ice rocket, plummeting further into the abyss.

Expectations mean a lot to Batman fans, and we especially take note when they are exceeded. 
Bat-fans may be surprised by this with the latest offering, Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts.  

Keep in mind though, this isn’t New 52 Batman, this movie is geared toward a younger all-ages crowd.

Roger Craig Smith reprises his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne from the video games Lego Batman 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins. Charlie Schlatter returns to The Flash role from Superman: TAS and The Batman, Green Arrow appears alongside Nightwing, Red Robin, and Alfred for an alliance that is more Outlaws than Justice League to face down Penguin and the ‘Animalitia’.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

ADAM EGYPT MORTIMER Goes BALLISTIC on The Cosmic Treadmill at FORCES OF GEEK

Adam Egypt Mortimer is a filmmaker, author and co-creator of Black Mack Studio’s Ballistic with Transmetropolitan’sDarick Robertson. Black Mask just reloaded a clip in the form of a beautiful looking trade with the first arc featuring repairman Butch and his sentient Gun.

Adam hops aboard the Cosmic Treadmill today to talk about garbage island that is our dystopian Repo City State and how it might feel to have an addictive personality lodged into your gun as you battle the cities fiercest gangsters.

FOG!: Thanks for Joining us today, Adam! Black Mask Studios just released the trade for Ballistic by you and The legendary Darick Robertson (The Boys, Transmetropolitan, Happy). How did you guys meet?

Adam Egypt Mortimer: I met him at San Diego Comic-Con! We were both drinking late at night at the Hyatt bar — this was years ago when they still had an outdoor patio, before the eventual death crush of overcrowding forced them to shut down that whole scene. Darick and I wound up chatting, he introduced himself — this was back when he and I both still lived in New York. He was in Williamsburg at the time and I made fun of him for it. 

Somehow that brought us together and we started hanging out a lot in New York, hanging in bars together, talking life, the universe, and comics. Many years later — at another Comic-Con — I pitched him the idea of Ballistic and he fell in love with the bat-winged cars.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Ant-Man

$75 Fandango Customizable Gift Card

FOG! Chats With DES TAYLOR About SCARLETT COUTURE, Comics' High Fashion Super-Spy at FORCES OF GEEK

You might recognize the work of British artist Des Taylor from Titan Comic’s Doctor Who covers and his unique Despop illustrative style found also in Cosmopolitan, FHM and many more high end clients.

His full-length comics include leading ladies The Infamous Katie Rogers and The Vesha Valentine Story.  He continues the tradition of sexy and deadly femme fatales with his latest Titan book, Scarlett Couture. 

Des joins us to take a ride on the Cosmic Treadmill to tell us skinny on his latest lady spy mini-series!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us today, Des! We’ve been enjoying your Titan Doctor Who covers. Tell us how Scarlett came to be!

Des Taylor: I explored the world of fashion with Katie Rogers (my first book) and gradually started to get a feel for Scarlett’s world.  Around then the show Alias was running and I was hugely inspired. 

Later that year at a party for Cosmo, the character and all the other elements fell into place when I saw a group of girls walking past security and into the VIP area to get to a celebrity football player. I thought to myself,“What if that was some sort of Billionaire Criminal… and the CIA needed to gain access to him to plant a bug? What better way than a group of supermodels that can placate his ego… and at the same time plant the device on him?” 

I went home that night and penciled the character that night.

I needed a better name though. Something that combined fashion and action. I started with the name Suzy Fortune (named after a friend from college) but it was only after I watched the Devil Wears Prada and a scene that mentioned the “Couture collection” that light bulbs started off in my head. 

I always wanted to name my daughter Scarlett after the beautiful actress Scarlett O’Hara.

Thus, Scarlett Couture was born back in 2005.

In 2012, I had a daughter which we named Scarlett.

Stylistically, this book is a bit different. How do you achieve the look of the book with computer illustration, yet with a natural feel to the action?

I literally work like an animator putting every element on separate layers in the PSD file. That way I can be more versatile and move layers around, create depth of field and add effects. Steve White (Editor in Chief) once said it looks like animation stills put together to tell a story, which is the desired effect.

Scarlett is a second generation spy, will we hear more of her parent’s origin?

The way I’ve set up this first book is to introduce the main characters to the reading audience and set up the scenario for a future story. In Series One of Scarlett Couture I just wanted to touch on certain elements that will make the story more engrossing down the line. Scarlett’s mother’s past is one of the main stories that will test Scarlett’s psyche, resolve and trust.

It is hard not to fall in love with Scarlett, but yet she is tough and has a lot of skills. Do you think it is a challenge for people to write female action heroes? My favorite characters on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are Agents May, Skye and Bobbi because they are smart and kick-ass.

It is hard to write female action heroes because most action writers and artists are male.

I remember a friend of mine asking me if I was watching 24 one year. I told him no, I was too into Alias. I showed him a scene of Sydney Bristow fighting a bad guy and he laughed his head off when she took a kick to the face. “No woman would stand after that kick” he remarked. I later asked him “ Wouldn’t you be proud to have a woman that could fight like that?”

He answered “Are you crazy? No man wants a woman that can kick his ass!” 

Maybe he was right. What woman (apart from Gina Carano or Ronda Rousey of course) would stand there and trade blows with some muscle-bound meathead ?

Why can’t she be a thinker? Instead of Kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do, why can’t she use close quarter martial arts like Wing Chun and Aikido? Or learn to fight and run with Ninjutsu?

Those two moments stuck with me and helped when defining Scarlett’s character. 

I also remember a conversation with a film producer at SDCC back in 2009. When I asked him why aren’t there more female action stars or female lead action blockbusters like Die Hard and Bourne.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Ant-Man

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Kickstarter Korner: Jamal Igle Brings Back MOLLY DANGER For Book 2! at FORCES OF GEEK

Molly “the princess of finesse” is a powered 10 year old, who has been a 10 year old for two decades. There are plenty of unanswered questions after the first book, and fans are eager for the answers!

The Kickstarter campaign has already launched and is live through Sunday, May 17th.

FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Jamal! We’re pumped to see this Kickstarter go live, and of course it is always a pleasure to check in with you. How are things?

Jamal Igle: I’m good, just busy as usual. I’m still finishing up some work for various publishers while running the Kickstarter, so it’s my standard juggling act.

For those that don’t know — care to tell fans what is so special about Molly Danger? I mean besides being an inspirational pre-teen hero for all ages?

Molly is a girl who seems to have it all: Fame, fortune, superpowers but underneath that she’s a very lonely girl.

Her seeming immortality keeps her separate from the average person.

While she loves her life, she wonders what it would be like to be normal.

So for me, Molly is an awesome opportunity for me to explore a character who is searching for her self.

It’s a lot of fun to explore.

We all can understand a busy workload — how is it balancing Action Lab Entertainment responsibilities with working on this new volume of Molly Danger?

Like I was saying before, at this point I’m used to it. 

My freelance workload is easily as heavy, but working on Molly isn’t a chore, or a job, its personal. That makes the late nights and all of the logistics for putting a project like this together worth it.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Ant-Man

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MATT WAGNER TALKS About WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT! - COSMIC TREADMILL AT FORCES OF GEEK

FOG! Chats With MATT WAGNER About WILL EISNER’S THE SPIRIT!

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) is this week and Dynamite Entertainment gave us an inside scoop about some upcoming announcements.

At the top of the stack is today’s solicitation for the complete creative team for the July’s new ongoing Will Eisner’s The Spirit written by Matt Wagner and drawn by Dan Schkade (San Hannibal). Also, notably, keep on the lookout for some amazing covers by Alex Ross, The Goon’s Eric Powell and so many more.

Of course Matt is most well known for such classics as Grendel, Mage, Sandman Mystery Theatre and a number of memorable Batman stories — my favorite being Batman: Faces (Legends of the Dark Knight). 

Recently at Dynamite he has taken on Green Hornet, Zorro and The Shadow—so no one was surprised at Matt being assigned to scribe Eisner’s The Spirit.

Well, maybe Matt was, and he is here to join us and tell us about it!

FOG!: Matt, thanks for joining us today! The Spirit ongoing is exciting news, and we’re excited you are the one to take it on, though you’ve mentioned that even for you this is intimidating! What made you relent to the requests to take on Denny Colt?

Matt Wagner: Well, I’ve been a big fan of both Eisner and The Spirit for many, many years. As a result of my reverence for both the creator and the property, I at first said, “No” when Dynamite offered me the chance to write an all-new relaunch in honor of the character’s 75th anniversary. 

But both Dynamite publisher Nick Barrucci and their Editor-in-Chief Joe Rybandt were both persistent in getting me on board; “We think you’re perfect for this gig!” Eventually, they broke through my resistance and now I’m happy they did.

When did you first get inspired by Eisner or The Spirit?

I first discovered The Spirit via the over-sized, B&W reprints from Warren Publications in the mid 70s. 

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Triple Shot: TITHE #1, CONVERGENCE: BATMAN - SHADOW OF THE BAT #1 & HARROW COUNTY #1 Preview at FORCES OF GEEK

Its back to basics for this comics reporter this week with a throwback Thursday Triple-Shot!

What’s better than some single issue comic reviews to get you out to the store this week and enjoy that spring weather. Matt Hawkins (Top Cow President, Think Tank) safecracks his way into a mega-church with The Tithe #1 and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe, Wolverine) takes on Batman and the classic Dark Knight substitute Azrael in Convergence: Shadow of the Bat #1.

The fine folks over at Dark Horse let us have a sneak peak at Cullen Bunn’s Harrow County #1, mentioned in our interview a few weeks ago!

THE TITHE #1
WRITER: Matt Hawkins
ART:  Rahsan Ekedal

Publication Date: April 15, 2015
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Top Cow/Image Comics
UPC: 70985301875900111
Buy it HERE

The Tithe refers to the 10% donation of wages donated to a church or religious organization. Actually, there’s a verb form of that word as well as a noun, and the tradition is ancient so don’t come after me with pitchforks if I’m only slightly correct!

Last year, we talked with Top Cow President Matt Hawkins about his spy-fi comic Think Tank. I enjoy listening to Matt’s views on comics creation and running the Top Cow brand in various podcasts and interviews.

Matt and artist Rahsan are at it again with The Tithe. Three armed robbers invade one of those Disney mega-churches at Sunday mass in Jesus masks.

In the front of house, a young lady highjacks the television screens a la ‘Anonymous’ with images of the pastor Miles Tibett in ungodly compromising positions and spending the churches’ money on extravagances. This organization is called “SAMARITAN” on the teleprompter signoff.

This is at the heart a great heist story, with religion and mega-churches as the playground. The FBI investigates SAMARITAN and other misallocated and tax-free accounting from the church with two very cool and opposite leads. Dwayne Campbell, a Baptist and believer is a family man. His partner Jimmy is a younger dude, a ‘hacker’ (apologies, not even Mr. Hawkins has a better name for this kind of computer savvy security breaching tech nerd gone good) and an atheist.

As what follows traditionally in Matt’s creator-owned books are some essays, behind the scenes to his research and a bit on his background as a former churchgoer turned atheist.

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FOG! Discusses THE ORDER OF THE FORGE With Writer VICTOR GISCHLER! at FORCES OF GEEK

The Revolution with be immortalized in The Order of The Forge coming from Dark Horse later this month.

In the tradition of super-sizing some of our past presidents with powers of the dark arts (see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), crime author Victor Gischler (Ink Mage, Spike, Angel and Faith, Sally of the Wasteland) joins us to talk about our founding fathers in a new way.

Starring a pre-Revolution Geo. Washington with pals Paul Revere and “Baudy” Ben Franklin — The Order of the Forge is coming at you by land and sea!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Victor! You’ve got a new take on a founding father with The Order of The Forge at Dark Horse. How did you come aboard on Donn D. Berdahl’s original concept?

Victor Gischler: Well, I guess they needed a writer to implement this great idea they had, and Dark Horse editor Dan Chabon suggested I might fit the bill. They wanted to take their story in a pulpy, irreverent direction, and a lot of my work suggest I’m the sort of fellow who can do that. I was just lucky that I’d worked with Dan on a couple of previous projects, so he knew what my strengths were.

I’m a big fan of alternate history. Would you like to go back and hang with George, Paul and Ben?

Not really. It turns out they didn’t have air conditioning back then. Also the toilet paper was not the best. Also, my guess is that the guys I depict in the comic are a lot more colorful than our actual founding fathers — although I’ve heard Ben Franklin was something of a party animal.

I suppose I couldn’t really say no to a time travel adventure if I had the chance. Although whenever I watch a time travel movie that shit NEVER goes right.

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DAREDEVIL: YELLOW: Preparation For The Netflix Premiere at FORCES OF GEEK

Digital comics retailer Comixology anticipated my heightened amplitude and heard my heartbeat though my chest in anticipation of Marvel’s Daredevil next week.

Comixology had a Daredevil sale and I revisited Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Daredevil: Yellow (2001). The all-star creative team was finished off by Matt Hollingsworth on colors and Richard Starkings with Wes Abbott on letters. Ask your LCS for a hard copy.

In preparation to mainline 12 hours of television next week (over a couple of days, I’m not entirely nuts!) I pulled Yellow and some other books off of the virtual shelf to get ready for Marvel’s first binge-worthy endeavor.

And until ‘binge-worthy’ is decreed out of the lexicon for being cringe-worthy, I’ll continue to use the word. Order in the court! Sustained!

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FOG! Chats With CULLEN BUNN about THE SIXTH GUN: DUST TO DUST - Forces of Geek

Interview conducted by Clay N Ferno
The Sixth Gun is headed toward its final issues but the legacy of the Western will live on.

Before the close of the final The Sixth Gun ongoing series at issue #50, Cullen Bunn explores the story of one of the more important and favored characters of the book, Billjohn O’Henry in the latest mini-series The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust from Oni Press.

You’re Darn Tootin’ we were able to wrangle some precious time from the very busy Cullen (Hellbreak, Empty Man, Magneto, Brides of Helheim to name a few!) to tell us about Dust To Dust with art by Tyler Crookm as well as another upcoming project.

The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust can be best described as Lovecraft meets the Spaghetti Western. Issue #2 comes out April 15, so don’t forget to tell your LCS to order some more of this three issue mini and the trades while you are at it!

FOG!: Cullen, thanks for joining us today! Issue #1 of The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust is out, starring favorite bounty hunter Billjohn O’Henry. Why go back to this, the story of Billjohn?

Cullen Bunn: Thanks for talking with me! Billjohn O’Henry, the star of The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust, is near and dear to me, so I love talking about the book! Billjohn is my favorite character in the series, but we’ve seen so little of his life before his adventure with Drake Sinclair began. I thought it might be nice to take a look at the man before he got himself turned into a mud golem!

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