Ash & Hitler Jump on The COSMIC TREADMILL With Ian Edginton and Larry Watts at FORCES OF GEEK

The name ‘Deadite Adolph Hitler’ is thrown around all too often these days. Luckily the folks at Space Goat (a real thing) have decided to clear the air and pit Ash against this very, very bad man.

The creative team behind EVIL DEAD 2: Revenge of Hitler, Ian Edginton and Larry Watts, took time out of their busy schedule to join us to talk this special ONE AND DONE™ (Stories so good…we don’t need 2!) comic!

From the trenches of Berlin to a trench mouth in Texas, here is everything you need to know about our groovy hero taking on a man so evil that he can’t be named, except that he can, and that name is Hitler.


FOG!: So…from reading your comic and watching a couple documentaries, this Hitler was kind of a jerk, right?

Larry Watts: A bit.

Ian Edginton: Actually, the scary thing is, is that he wasn’t. You don’t get to rally a nation behind you by playing the fool. It may seem that way, I mean take Donald Trump—that guy should be wearing clown shoes—but he tells people what they want to hear. He plays on their fears and insecurities. On their need to find easy scapegoats and solutions for larger, more complex issues of politics and policy. 

You look at Donald Trump and you see a toupee wearing braggart and bully. You look at Hitler and you see a shouty little man with a dumb mustache that even Charlie Chaplin had the good sense to take off at the end of the day. But don’t be fooled, they were and are master manipulators.  

Wow, that got serious fast!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette (graphic novel review) at FORCES OF GEEK

DC Comics gave us a sneak peak into Grant Morrison’s Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1 hardcover coming out in April of next year. It may be a few months before you can lasso this hefty treat into your hands, so we thought we would give you a sneak peak.

The Earth-One series, for comic fans, delivers what the title implies. This self-contained universe allows creators to take on DC heroes under an umbrella imprint that is easy for mainstream audiences to pick up at the local chain bookstore. I’ve been enjoying these Earth One with stories from writers Geoff Johns, J. Michael Straczynski, Jeff Lemire and art by heavy hitters Shane Davis, Gary Frank and Terry Dodson.

Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1 showcases one of our favorite Grant MorrisonBatman, Inc. artists, the versatile and award winning Yanick Paquette. With Morrison’s plan for icons and superheroes laid out in his book Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero (2011), the Scottish writer’s twirling take on his remaining hero of the DC Trinity, Wonder Woman, is highly anticipated.

Wonder Woman has one of the strangest creation stories in all of comics, the history on psychologist William Moulton Marston, his wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston and live in lover Olive Byrne alone is fascinating. This tryst formulated some if not all of the bondage imagery, ropes and chains often associated with the character.

No bat, no alien rocketship, just good old fashioned bondage and submission bore the child that is the Amazonian princess we know today starting with the character’s inception back in 1941.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Discusses INDOCTRINATION With Matt Battaglia & Michael Moreci at FORCES OF GEEK

Z2 Comics keeps it coming with Indoctrination, an apocalyptic political thriller in the vein of the first season of True Detective mixed with the scary realization that people are coerced into believing what groups are capable of.

Writer Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Hoax Hunters, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and artist Matt Battaglia (Roche Limit) join us for a spin on the Cosmic Treadmill in advance of the June launch.

The book is already getting major attention from some True Detective fan sites, but as the following interview will reveal, there is more to Indoctrination, as our heroes face a far more sinister force.

Between death cults and sleeper cells, Indoctrination tackles fear, at a time when the world is growing tired of threats from inside and outside forces.

FOG!: What can readers expect from Indoctrination?

Matt Battaglia: Readers can expect a thoughtful thriller in the vein of classic 70s cinema, but wrestling with the potent issues of our times.

Michael Moreci: What Matt said. I think the series reminds me a lot of Hannibal, in that it’s slow, methodical, and the underlying developments are so unsettling that it makes everything else all the more frightening. 

We want to make a book that gets readers at their core with intense, thought-provoking, and chilling horror and crime. It’s very unique in a lot of ways, in a lot of GOOD ways, and there’s never been a better time for it to hit—in regard to the current political climate and the comics climate.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT with a DC CHASER: The Road To REBIRTH – Grayson #18, We Are Robin #12, Teen Titans #18, Secret Six #12 at FORCES OF GEEK

It’s a DC Comics takeover today as we get closer to the Rebirth event and a new Batman on screen. We start off with a new creative team on Grayson before Rebirth, more Gotham sidekick action with We Are Robin and Teen Titans (guest starring Wonder Woman). Over in Secret Six, Strix is faced with dilemmas from the League of Assassins.

Are you ready for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Be sure to check back Friday morning for the Forces of Geek review when it is posted!

Grayson #18
Writers: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Artist: Roge Antonio
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: March 23, 2016
UPC:  76194132185101811
PRICE: $3.99
BUY IT HERE


Things are really heating up for Dick and Spyral this issue, but Grayson aka Agent 37 isn’t really at the center of all the action.

With Lanzing and Kelly (Batman and Robin Eternal) jumping on as writers to wrap up this arc, where a lot of threads were just sort of hanging there, we start the issue in the middle of the action at the St. Hadrian’s school for wayward spy girls.

With guest appearances from Bronze Tiger, Grifter and Midnighter, Dick leads a team against Leviathan. 

Helena is seriously injured in the melee, but at the end we have Agent Zero and her sister vying for the top of the stack as someone from their past makes a surprise appearance.

This is most certainly not a jumping on point for readers, perhaps not many people out there are even aware that Dick is a spy now, but no matter. With Rebirth, Nightwing returns and we can turn our back on this now overly complicated spy story. 

I sure wish Seeley wrapped this arc up, though because this issue is a bit confusing, and I have been reading this book since the beginning!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE DARKSEID WAR PART 1 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE DARKSEID WAR PART 1 (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jason Fabok, Various
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: March 09, 2016
Price: $24.99
UPC: 978140125977852499

Collecting Justice League #40-44,
DC Sneak Peak: Justice League #1

BUY IT HERE

In this week leading up to the biggest DC movie event ever, the debut ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (still a mouthful), we’ve got a hardcover release of volume 7 of Justice League from Geoff Johns with art by Jason Fabok.  

Volume 7: Darkseid War Part 1 pits the New 52 Justice League against a reimagined Fourth World and introduces some new and interesting characters for the modern age.

These are definitely comics more skewed toward the longstanding DC Comics fan than the casual reader, but if someone were to wander off of the streets and grab this hardcover in preparation for the movie (a scenario often prescribed by comics journalists like myself, but rarely do the masses imbibe) they may be entertained but will certainly leave with a lot of questions.

Johns, recently announcing yet another ‘Crisis’ aka Rebirth, lays the groundwork for the theory of the DC multiverse in Darkseid War.  Besides the usual cast on the side of the righteous, we see Darkseid pitted against the powerful Anti-Monitor and a view of how these worlds came to be.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With STEVE LIEBER About His New Series About Awful People, THE FIX! at FORCES OF GEEK

Hands down, one of the funniest comics from the House of Ideas to come out in this new age of Marvel NOW! was the often overlooked but still celebrated-among-thieves Superior Foes of Spider-Man. You know what? I’m not even sure his holy Web-Head even showed up for more than a few panels in the book. That’s some next level genius marketing there.

From the twisted minds of Steve Lieber (Hawkeye, Hawkman, Whiteout) and Nick Spencer (Morning Glories, Captain America, Astonishing Ant-Man) with team mates (accomplices?) Ryan Hill (colors) and Nic J Shaw (lettering and design) comes their latest Image Comics creation: The Fix. 

This creator owned book is already turning heads for it’s colorful language and comedy the toes the line between violence and the absurdity of real life. It turns out The Fix is about awful people. Who knows if these guys turned the mirror on themselves to get inspiration?

Heck, at least they were nice enough to return my emails! Artist and co-creator Steve Lieber joins us today to previewThe Fix, conveniently just in the nick of time for you to ‘convince’ your shop to order it from Diamond. 

We must warn you moms out there, Steve and I get a little blue in the interview. Earmuffs!

FOG!: You guys have gone and done it again. The question is…why? How did The Fix come about?

Steve Lieber: A collaboration this great doesn’t come around every day. Nick writes characters that I love to draw! Our tastes in what’s funny on the comics page dovetail beautifully. So after we finished Superior Foes, we were eager to work with each other again. Nick had three ideas for our next project. One of them grew into The Fix.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes – JUSTICE LEAGUE: COSMIC CLASH (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Super-genius super-computer and compulsive Collector of Worlds aka Brainiac 1.1 has his sights set on our Earth but the Justice League is there to stop him!LEGO Justice League - Cosmic Clashis the fifth film in the LEGO DC Comics Super Heroesdirect-to-video series.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Hal Jordan Green Lantern protect the Earth from being shrunken to Kandor size but not without some help and a bit of timey-wimey adventures.

Digging into the lore of DC Comics Silver Age and recent history, this Lego movie is one for Superman and Batman fans of any age.

The movie opens at the Hall of Justice where everyone except Batman is playing a trust game of hide and seek.

Batman (Troy Baker) refuses to play because he’s sort of a wet blanket and refused to think of his Justice League co-workers as anything other than associates.

Younger teammates The Flash (James Arnold Taylor) and Cyborg (Khary Payton) take the opposite view and embrace friendship!

Led by Blue Boy Scout Superman (Nolan North) and the ultra confident Wonder Woman (Grey Griffin) and Green Lantern (Josh Keaton), the League takes to the sky when the Klaxon alarm warns of a threat to Earth!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

ZOOTOPIA (movie review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Clark Spencer

Story by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, 

Jared Bush, Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, 

Joshie Trinidad, Jim Reardon

Screenplay by Jared Bush, Phil Johnston

Directed by Byron Howard,

 Rich Moore, Jared Bush

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman,

Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Tommy Chong,

Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, Shakira

Disney’s Zootopia is the latest from the main mouse studio to anthropomorphize animals and have them burrow into our hearts.  Jason Bateman stars as fantastic fox Nicholas P. “Nick” Wilde opposite the real star of Zootopia, Ginnifer Goodwin as Zootopia Police Department’s first bunny rabbit officer Judy Hopps.

In a world where predator and prey have put aside their differences and mostly live in peace side by side in the city of Zootopia, some mammals have gone missing and Judy sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery in fear of losing her job.

The resolution and detail of the best animation technology and talent in the world is on display here with Zootopia, as the Disney machine keeps on rolling. 

Zootopia is a funny movie but not without drama, as the city of Zootopia is revealed to us as a whole new world where animals dominate!

Cleverly, the movie sets us up with young bunny Judy in a school play that reflects the rules of the new society we are introduced to in Zootopia. If only more fantasy movies gave a wink and five minutes of exposition at the top we’d all leave the theatre a little less rattled!

Sure, that’s for the kids who will no doubt be watching this over and over on iPads in the backseats on road trips, but for an adult, the explanation serves to rationalize our own obsession with scooping up Zootopia toys from the aisles of Target. We adults will be able to say, “I love THE MESSAGE Zootopia has to teach kids, that we can all GET ALONG”, in the same breath as we snatch the last plush Judy Hopps off the shelf—leaving a snot-nosed kid in a carriage crying because we took his favorite new toy.

Moving on, Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) is mocked by her parents and her 237 rabbit siblings that she wants to become a police officer. These jobs are typically occupied by bigger, stronger species. Through pure will and determination she trains her way through Police Academy (in a Full Metal Jacket montage) and earns her stripes to move away from her parent’s carrot farm in Bunnyburrow to the big city to be assigned to Zootopia Police Department.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

EDDIE THE EAGLE (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Adam Bohling, David Reid, Rupert Maconick,

Valerie Van Galder, Matthew Vaughn

Screenplay by Sean Macaulay, Simon Kelton

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Starring Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken,

Mark Benton, Keith Allen, Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny

“The thrill of victory, ..and the agony of defeat” was the signature tag on ABC’s Wide World of Sports program depicting ski jumper Vinko Bogataj tumble in a fateful failed jump.

We are now two years away from the next Winter Olympics in PyeongChang when this movie about a victorious ski jumper hits the screen. 

Eddie the Eagle tells the story of British ski jumper and famous underdog Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) and coach Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) preparing for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Produced by Fox in association with Marv Films (Matthew Vaughn), this Dexter Fletcher directed film is full of heart and the spirit of amateur athletics driving men and women to pursue their dreams to become Olympic athletes. 

The movie certainly has it’s moments of big screen action but for American audiences, the reverence to an underdog British sports icon might land the jump a few meters short of a qualifying distance.

While the story in the biopic is mostly made up, it is partially based on Eddie’s 1988 book Eddie the Eagle: My Story. We open to see a boy with a leg brace grow up to be the first British ski jumper since 1929. 

Eddie (Egerton) doesn’t meet the requirements to join the downhill ski team in 1984 so shifts focus to ski jumping which he has never done before! He borrows enough to make it to the only ski jumping training facility in Europe, Garmisch in Southern Germany. There, he meets up with the fictional Bronson Peary (Jackman), an amalgamation of some of Eddie’s real life coaches at his real life training ground, Lake Placid. 

Going from the smaller hill to the 70m run in the movie, Eddie gets the skiing part down but not the critical landing piece, but always seems to get back up to try again. The American groundskeeper Bronson Peary takes some persuading to help out Eddie but of course does to train him for the 70m.

The screenplay as a backbone to this story is a bit predictable, with the old drunk coach being coaxed out of retirement before the kid breaks his fool neck. There is a significant cameo with Christopher Walken playing the Qui-Gon to Jackman’s Obi-Wan in a voiceover as Eddie is learning how to ski from Warren Sharp’s (Walken) book.

I guess there comes a time in every studio filmmaker’s career where they need to make an 80s throwback winter sports montage movie — and this is that film for both Matthew Vaughn and Dexter Fletcher. From the Back To School Specialand Quantum Leap synth theme score to mixed with songs from Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Thin Lizzy on the soundtrack the music captures the essence of the time.

Training montage? Check. Multiple training montages? Check.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT with a DIGITAL CHASER: Black Magick #5, Army of Darkness Furious Road #1, Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Plus Adventures of Supergirl #3 - Forces Of Geek

EDITOR’S NOTE: This reviewer read an unlettered proof of ARMY OF DARKNESS: FURIOUS ROAD. it is now known that this is not a ‘silent’ issue. The new, Updated TRIPLE SHOT below!

TRIPLE SHOT with a DIGITAL CHASER: Black Magick #5, Army of Darkness Furious Road #1, Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1 Plus Adventures of Supergirl #3

We’ve got witches, werewolves (not swear wolves), and Ivan meeting G.I. Joe
in this week’s Triple Shot!

Rucka and Scott finish up the first volume of Wiccan detective story Black Magick. 

Over at Dynamite, Ash stars in Army of Darkness and a Clash Sandinista track comes

to life as they team up with Capcom to promote a battle royale game 
Street Fighter V with Street Fighter X G.I. Joe #1. I got next game!

Sterling Gates continues on a very satisfying compliment to Supergirl on CBS
with Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 3 only on ComiXology!

Black Magick #5 
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Nicola Scott
Publisher: Image Comics
Pub. Date: February 24, 2016
UPC: 70985301997800511
Price: $3.99
BUY IT HERE

The latest in this witchy supernatural detective story Black Magick
from the superstar team of Greg Rucka (Lazarus, Stumptown,
Star Wars, Gotham Central) and Nicola Scott (Earth 2, Birds of Prey)
wraps up the first arc before taking a hiatus to get an issue in the can
and to release a trade in April.

When the trade hits, I’m hoping for more attention to this incredible book.

Part police procedural, part Wiccan ceremony, Black Magick tells the story
of Rowan Black, a witch on the Portsmouth police department as a detective. 

Fans of the show iZombie (and the comic, duh) will appreciate the
supernatural mixed with the police work that we know Rucka
is so great at constructing. When I read Rucka’s crime books
I want to marathon The Rockford Files!

Of course Nicola Scott’s art is knockout amazing, full of detail, and with the
exception of expressions of magick it self is black and white (published in
four color process, with greyscale inks). She draws beautiful and
realistic ladies and is one of the best artists on the shelves today.
Color assists on the art by Chiara Arena.

This story wraps up some loose ends but leaves you wanting to know more
about the threats darkening Rowan’s door.

I don’t know much about spells and witchcraft in real life but if
I want to pretend, I can recite the spells from this well-researched book,
cleverly edited by Jeanine Schaefer (formerly of Marvel, now a freelance editor).

Army of Darkness Furious Road #1
Writer: Nancy A. Collins
Art: Kewber Baal
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Pub. Date: March 2, 2016
UPC: 72513024590801011
Price: $3.99
BUY IT HERE

I’ve said it before, and now that I see another Army of Darkness title from Dynamite,
I’m even more confused.

Oh well, we live in a time where Flash and Supergirl will team up across different
networks, Ash vs. Evil Dead is a TV show and someone more scary than a
hologram from The Dark Knight Returns is angling to be president.

What am I on about? I simply do not understand the rights issues
involved with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise! Can the TV show not really
not use the store name of S-Mart? Is it even possible to break up print distribution
rights for a property? 

Just last month, I praised Space Goat’s Evil Dead 2: Cradle of the Damned
and looked forward to Ash taking on Hitler. …and then this happened!

Dynamite (perhaps the holder of the MGM Army of Darkness license?
Spitballing here…) is about to unleash Furious Road, a Mad Max
 style look into the future 20 years from ‘now’.
This story is set twenty years from whenever ‘now’ is.

Acclaimed horror writer Nancy A. Collins also has a few
comics under her belt (Swamp Thing, Jason vs. Leatherface, Vampirella)
set us up here with a post-apocalyptic road warrior view of Ash’s beloved hometown,
complete with ridiculous outfits, shaved haircuts and heavily armored cars. 

Many reviewers (myself included) were mistakenly slipped an unlettered proof.
Thankfully we received a new copy of the book for us to revise our review. Sorry about that! 

What was criminally missing was the famous Ash quips and references to
previous issues and even a certain Cabin in the Woods.

Not to be one-upped by a Hitler book, Dynamite goes Legion of Monsters 

 with this one has Frank N. Stein (he prefers Michael),
Eva and the Daughter of Dracula enlist Ash to track down the Necronomicon.
I guess this is just another tricky day at the Housewares Department at S-Mart for Ash.

Highly recommended for fans of whatever movie or tv show is your
favorite one starring the guy with the chainsaw hand!

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Produced by Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, Michael Moore

Narrated and Directed by Michael Moore

Featuring Krista Kiuru, Tim Walker,

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir

Despite the title, Where to Invade Next isn’t a military strategy guide, but rather a brilliant look at global routines in other civilized countries that the US could take a cue from.

Where to Invade Next is subversive documentarian and divisive liberal political pundit Michael Moore’s latest movie and his first film since 2009. Moore takes us around the globe to point the camera back at ourselves in a different light as he uses invasion as a metaphor for cafeteria style policy changes that we could use in the United States as a means for treating our citizens better.

Stylistically, the movie isn’t as aggressive or pushy as his other films.

This one takes an already much described ‘kinder and gentler’ style as Moore visits these other countries to tackle everything from free health care to school lunches.

Where to Invade Next may just have enough style and grace to appeal to both sides of the aisle and at the very least get a conversation going about what changes would or could happen here at home for a better tomorrow.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #17, STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY #3, G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #225 Plus ADVENTURES OF SUPERGIRL Chapter 2 at FORCES OF GEEK

Harley’s shaping up to ship out of Belle Reve as Tim Seeley takes over on New Suicide Squad #17, the cadets are up to their necks in secrets and competition in Star Trek: Star Fleet Academy #3 and Springfield might not last as ‘A Nice Little Town’ as it survives the conclusion of Cobra World Order in Hama’s G.I. Joe #225. 

Still reeling from this week’s Alan Moore inspired Supergirl episode? There’s more to be had in ComiXology for the tie-in weekly Adventures of Supergirl Chapter 2 written by fan favorite Sterling Gates!

NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #17
Writer: Tim Seeley
Artist/Cover: Juan Ferreyra
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: February 10, 2016
UPC: 76194132184401711
Price: $2.99
BUY IT HERE

Tim Seeley has been an architect of the current Batman & Robin: Eternal and other Bat-Books, Nightwing and most recently, Grayson.

Aside from his work as an artist and writer on many independent books, Seeley has grown into a DC Comics powerhouse, adapting to these important legacy characters and making them his own.

This August’s Suicide Squad movie will re-introduce the world to Joker and Harley Quinn with familiar faces filling the rolls. Suicide Squad is soon to be a household name, beyond the reach of the CW version we’ve seen in the Arrow-verse.

This jumping on point for readers feels much the same for Seeley, as he has admitted to not knowing much of Task Force X before taking this assignment. This is refreshing for me as well, as I’m not a huge Suicide Squad fan generally speaking, but was excited to check out these pages.

When Fred Van Lente took over on G.I. Joe in 2013, I feel like he had the same attitude, and these were some of the most refreshing stories I have read in the IDW run. Van Lente played it loose but with reverence, a fine line and difficult to do if you are a dyed in the wool fan. 

Tim Seeley’s Suicide Squad starts fresh with a basic mission of mismatched baddies selected by Amanda Waller to kick some ass before being locked up again. It’s formulaic for sure but a great jumping on point.  Seeley himself cites Harley Quinn for a big influence on his own Hack/Slash’s titular character Cassie Hack. All of that seems right.

If his first issue is any indication, there will be roster changes in the coming months and status quo will be messed with. This new run is off to a fun start, and a welcome shift from the issues leading up to #17.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BATMAN: BAD BLOOD (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Batman: Bad Blood is the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie and is quite possibly the best Bat-family animation since 2010’s Batman: Under the Red Hood. The animated franchise rebooted itself to align with the New 52 in 2012 withJustice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, and Batman himself, along with Damian Wayne and Nightwing, Alfred and the rest have their own continuity to follow now starting with 2103’s Batman: Son of Batman and the Court of Owls storyline in 2014’s Batman vs. Robin. 

With a dynamic screenplay from comic book industry veteran J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League International, Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt), Batman: Bad Blood borrows heavily from New 52 storylines featured Grant Morrison’s Batman, Batman Incorporated, Batman and Robin and Batwing as well as Batwoman from Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III. 

The stripped down Batman: Incorporated story in Batman: Bad Blood definitely works, with dynamic action, great character work and introduction and nods to the spanning comic stories that preceded this feature.

Batman: Bad Blood introduces some key members of the family, while piggybacking on Batman: Son of Batman andBatman vs. Robin. Batwoman (Yvonne Strahovski) appears early on as an uneasy ally to Bruce Wayne (Jason O’Mara) before Batman disappears from Gotham City.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot With a Heavy Metal Chaser: SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN #2, THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN #1, EVIL DEAD 2: CRADLE OF THE DAMNED #1 & NARCOPOLIS: CONTINUUM #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

From Krypton to Themyscira to the Deadite infested woods of North Carolina, we are kicking off 2016 with a return to form of the classic Triple Shot comics review column! 

Can’t make heads or tails of a pull list? Are you easily confused by staring at rows of comics on the shelf? We hope these recommendations do you well. Why think when we can tell you what comics to buy!

This week, Max Landis and Joëlle Jones give you a unique spotlight on a young Clark Kent, Renae De Liz (Peter Pan, The Last Unicorn) and Ray Dillon retell Wonder Woman’s origin in Legend of Wonder Woman and lastly Ash is back, baby, inEvil Dead 2: Cradle of the Damned!

This week you get an extra bonus Heavy Metal chaser as one of our very own FOG!’s very own (Steven) Scott Duvall! drops his new book Necropolis: Continuum #1 from Heavy Metal Comics.
That’s right, that Heavy Metal!

Groovy!

SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN #3 (of 7) 
Writer: Max Landis

Artist: Joëlle Jones
Publication Date: January 13, 2016
Price: $3.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194133061700311
BUY IT HERE

Max Landis (Chronicle, Dirk Gently) has been surprising comic fans the past few months with his take on different eras of Clark Kent, Superboy and Superman. With different artists assigned to each chapter of this mini-series, we are able to appreciate different aspects of Clark’s home life. 

Of course, this is the almost predictable ‘modern retelling’ of the Superman origin. What sets it apart, besides the art treatment, is a feeling that Superman is a legend.

No chapter picks up where the last story left off.

Much like in American television, each artist on a chapter shows a different era of Clark’s life, and each of the artists would be the guest director of the episode.

This particular chapter’s director is the talented Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer, Adventures of Superman).
The story takes place on Bruce Wayne’s yacht, but master Bruce is not even there to celebrate his birthday. Clark stands in for the absent Bruce, who is ‘Never at his (own) parties’. 

A young Clark lives it up, hooks up with a lady, gets drunk and has all of the fun Bruce Wayne would only pretend to have. 

There have been plenty of stories where these two have switched places but what sets this story apart is that they have yet to be acquainted. 

It’s not all booze and cupcakes as a popular DC villain is after Bruce Wayne and Clark has to face him.

In conclusion, this a fun issue, even if it just stands alone. It is a fun take for fans of the classic Batman and Superman dynamic that flashes back to the pre-superhero days.

The art is gorgeous and I’m enjoying what Max has to say with ‘his’ Superman!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Remembers DAVID BOWIE - at FORCES OF GEEK

Clay N Ferno

“All I have is my love of love  And love is not loving” — Soul Love, David Bowie 1971

Coffee shops, bars and cubicles today are to be filled with an air of sadness but also the notes, songs and incredible lyrics of David Bowie. I grew up in he sweet spot of growing up in a world where girls where more than aware of Labyrinth around the same time us boys got a lightning bolt in the pants for the Blue Jean video.

Bowie stayed with me through all of the Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes and Greatest Hits as I graduated from The College of Classic Rock Knowledge. Real world Art College brought me into the superhero world of Ziggy Stardust just as my first live-in girlfriend enlightened me to ‘the early years’ era of Hunky Dory and David Bowie. Now, when I need to listen to some rock and roll and remember a world before Cyrus and Skrillix and Drake, Bowie is what dominates the earbuds and I dare say the record player.

Bowie is the stuff of legend, the stuff of love, the stuff of sex, the stuff of women and men and being both at the same time. Rest in peace, Goblin King, Ziggy the guitar superhero, avatar of my adolescence. I’m sure you faced your Golden Years and cancer with as much strength as you gave us all.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Cartoonist CHRISTINE LARSEN Unleashes ORCS! on The Cosmic Treadmill! at FORCES OF GEEK

Christine Larsen has worked on some of your favorite properties over at DC, Boom!, IDW and more. Alongside that, she is a new mom and college professor. Christine is here to join us today on the Cosmic Treadmill to tell us about her self published comic, Orcs! #1, that grew out of an obsession with the monstrous creatures and demanded their story be told.

FOG!: Thanks for joining us to talk about Orcs! #1. How long have you been obsessed with orcs?

Christine Larsen: I’m not sure I would say obsessed… Well, okay, maybe obsessed is fair.

Since I read The Hobbit as a kid, and subsequently The Lord of the Rings. My notion of orcs in terms of temperament and character fall most in line with Tolkien orcs, so I guess they are equal parts goblin in their design and characterization. They are my favorite kind of monster, because they have strong roots in folklore, but also have a strong showing in contemporary fantasy.

We have seen some of your work elsewhere — can you tell us what are the challenges of putting this book out yourself? 

Do you mean instead of bringing it to a publisher I’ve worked with? I actually feel like there are more bonuses. Yes, I have to deal with finding a printer and shipping and press packages and submitting to Comixology for the digital version… but I also can set my own schedule and write whatever I want for it, so it’s really very freeing.

Are issues of Orcs! on a limited print run?

No. I found a very reliable small run printer, so when this issue runs out, I’ll probably order up more. But not right away. I’ll probably wait until the next book is out, since there will be a digital copy on Comixology.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BEST OF 2015 over at FORCES OF GEEK!

Clay N Ferno
FOG! Columnist
@claynferno | leaguepodcast.com

Best Movies: Ant-Man, Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (duh)
Best TV Shows: Jessica Jones, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mr. Selfridge, Transparent, Orange is the New Black
Best Books (fiction): Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo Adventure by Greg Rucka 
Best Video Game: Fallout 4, Arkham Knight
Best Songs: “Infinite Lives” by Mega Ran (RNDM)
Best Albums: RNDM - Mega Ran
Best Music Video: Taylor Swift: Bad Blood
Best Comic Books / Graphic Novels: Jupiter’s Circle/Jupiter’s Legacy, Invisible Republic, The Fade Out, Bitch Planet, Midnighter
Best Blu-ray/DVD Release: Ant-Man, Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars Digital Collection on iTunes & Disney Movies Anywhere
Most overrated thing about 2015? Mad Max: Fury Road
Most underrated thing about 2015? Amazon Prime video selection
Thing that you were most excited about in 2015? Star Wars, Ant-Man, Stan Lee coming to Boston
Thing that disappointed you most in 2015? Random shootings and violence
Thing that you’re most looking forward to in 2016? Star Wars: Rogue One, Batman V. Superman

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

NINTENDO QUEST (review) - Forces Of Geek

There were 678 Nintendo games releases for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America.

This is the story of lifelong friends issuing a challenge to one another to collect them all in 30 days.

Jay Bartlett is a super-fan of Nintendo and Star Wars, already has most of these games but must start from scratch using his own money and no online purchases in a race against the clock.

Nintendo Quest is the documentation of that journey and the hero’s challenges along the way as real life and anxiety set in as stumbling blocks toward achieving the goal.

Jay Bartlett and friend Rob McCallum (writer/director) have been friends for 30 years.

To channel the thrill of the hunt and also to showcase some great Nintendo trivia and history, Rick started a Kickstarter under the name NES Club. Nintendo Quest is the successful product of a crowdfunded movie, at the very least. They incorporate some great original 8-bit graphics for titles as well as an 8-bit soundtrack to set the mood.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

FOG! Chats With Will Tracy and Gabe Koplowitz About ALLEN: SON OF HELLCOCK at FORCES OF GEEK

I was at first skeptical to read yet another brightly colored Conan-sword-tale. With space lasers the fashion this week, this seemed like a step backward back in time to a place I didn’t need to revisit.

And the creators are comedians, and we all know how those people are.

This all came to a climax when Z2 Comics forced me at dagger point to read issue one of their Allen: Son of Hellcock to prepare for an interview with their famous funny people Will Tracy (HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Onion) and Gabe Koplowitz (VH1).

I finally relented. Mead in hand, I had some questions for these guys because I was only two pages in when I realized this might be the funniest book of the year.

Will and Gabe joined us to answer our questions about the new publisher and disappointing the person that brought you into this world. Allen: Son of Hellcock debuts today in stores and digital comic shops.

FOG!: Will and Gabe — thanks for joining us today, what’s going on these days with Allen: Son of Hellcock? How did this come about? Where do you guys know each other from? Do you even know each other?

Will Tracy: I just met Gabe for the first time literally 15 minutes ago, and I can already tell I’m going to hate him. I think it’s his face, voice, and personality that make him hateable. Also his clothes and his smell and his glasses. And his stupid feet and hands. 

However, on a professional level, we wrote Allen: Son of Hellcock together about, oh, seven or eight years back. And we could not be more thrilled or proud to see it finally unleashed upon the world this Wednesday, December 16th!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Kickstarter Korner! Chatting With Dan Parent About DIE KITTY DIE! at FORCES OF GEEK

You all know Dan Parent and Fernando Ruiz even if you think you don’t! Dan and Fernando have been taking care of the Archie Comics characters for years now and this Kickstarter Korner is dedicated to their latest creator owned project,Die Kitty Die!

By the time you read this on Wednesday, they’ve reached their goal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. On the contrary, the model for this Kickstarter is that the rewards get better as the stretch grows.

Dan took the time to talk to us today about this very exciting new universe of characters and the world of Kitty Ravencraft, comic book hero and real life witch who is being hunted down by her greedy comic book publisher in Die Kitty Die!


FOG!: Dan, congratulations on the funding, it looks like it is going pretty well so far!

Dan Parent: Yeah, we’re at 71% (at time of interview) which is pretty good for our third day! We want to hit our goal but we want to go over because we are going to add more incentives, we’ll add pages to the book. The more money, the better the project gets.

Tell those out there that don’t know, what is Die Kitty Die!?

Die Kitty Die! is about a comic book character, who in our universe has been around for a long time and her sales are low. Her publisher asks, “What are we going to do to generate publicity or sales? We’ve got to kill her off”!

In our world it’s a little different because in our world the characters are also real. So, they have to really bump her off. 

Not just bump her off in the story, they really have to get rid of her.

Things get a little more complicated because Kitty is a witch, so how do you kill a witch?

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]