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

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

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

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

Mark gives us some insight!


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

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

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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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.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

MIGHTY Q&A: 13 COINS AT 13TH DIMENSION

The screenwriters of stealth video game Hitman: Absolution (Square Enix), Martin Brennan and Michael B. Jackson, team up with Simon Bisley (Biz) to tell a dark, supernatural story in a stand-alone app available on Android devices Friday 2/28. You are already able to buy the comic on iOS. Here’s all about 13 Coins on 13th Dimension! 

By CLAY N. FERNO

Clay N. Ferno: Thanks for joining us! Tell me, we’ve been hearing about this graphic novel for some time, why are we getting this delivered in an app?

Martin Brennan: The decision to release 13 Coins as a stand-alone app came after a meeting with former Namco president, Barry O’Neill.  We had one issue of 13 Coins almost completed, and Barry expressed interest in bringing it out through his new venture Corinthian — making it Corinthian’s first comic series. Given Barry’s past experience and his enthusiasm for 13 Coins we knew we had to go with him. Corinthian worked with tech company inlifesize, and animation genius Greg Maguire on bringing the digital comic to life. Greg is a legend, having previously worked on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban,” “Happy Feet,” “Avatar,” “Terminator,” etc. — the list goes on.

Issue 2

Clearly, there is more to the 13 Coins app than just the comic. We get a soundtrack, in-app purchase bonus material and 3-D parallax covers. Did you want to develop further than what the popular ComiXology app can provide?  

Michael B Jackson: ComiXology is great at what they do — deliver comics in a digital format. We want our app to deepen the entertainment experience. Music, 3D motion, freebies (like wallpaper) and a few more surprises are planned for the app as exclusives.

Promo art

I’m lucky enough to be reading this on a Retina tablet. Biz’s art is on a whole new level than what we might be used to from the newsprint days.

MB: Simon is one of those rare artists who captures and expresses emotion exceptionally well in his work. Simon’s drawings touch people. He’s able to see the pain, anger, frustration or joy in a character at that moment in the story and show it to you in his art.

MJ: Exactly, we took the art of one of the best comic artists in the world and enhanced it with technology, and are presenting it on devices that are truly extraordinary. It’s as close as you can come to bringing a character to life right off the page.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION]

BLASTOSAURUS Walks On THE COSMIC TREADMILL: An Interview With Richard Fairgray at FORCES OF GEEK

A dinosaur detective living in the present day fighting raptors in a time-spanning adventure?  Sign me up!

ComiXology Submit brings us Blastosaurus, from New Zealand’s talented Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones.

Writer Richard Fairgray was kind enough to take this colorful noir dino for a workout on the Cosmic Treadmill and tell us about his favorite toys and turtles!


FOG!: Thanks for joining us, Richard! What’s the elevator pitch for Blastosaurus?

Richard Fairgray: In short, he’s a crime fighting dinosaur, it’s just that in the real world that isn’t super helpful. He fights raptors, robots, travels through time but at the heart of it all he’s a curmudgeonly old man who wishes he wasn’t dinosaur shaped.

I love how you’ve tapped into the aspect of childhood play and storytelling with the book. Does that imagination stay with all people or just creative types as they get older?

I think it’s just a different way of looking at the world. All kids have that default of asking ‘why’ to anything and everything they discover and I think as we get older we stop needing to know, we become happy to just accept ‘because’ as an answer.

I was also very aware that in the early issues of Blastosaurus there’d be a lot of exposition to set up the story and, more importantly, the rules of this universe.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

The Cosmic Treadmill Takes a Look at Monkeybrain's EDISON REX at FORCES OF GEEK

I like myself some Superman, heck, I even like Lex in a way.

When it comes to new superhero comics, I have a go-to theme that I like too, and that’s of the Superman gone bad vs. the world and the super villain gone good to stop him.

While that’s not exactly the case here, as seen in The Mighty or Irredeemable, but Chris Roberson and Dennis Culver’s Edison Rex (Monkeybrain comics) transforms the world’s most formidable super bad guy into the man who will save the world. It won’t be easy for him, and it also won’t be easy for him to shake his bad public perception as he puts on the hero hat. IDW Publishing has released the first volume of the digital first Monkeybrain comic, a great independent comics gift idea this season. 

When Valiant, Protector of Earth, is exposed to knowledge of why he is really here (aliens from a doomed planet sent his RNA here to conquer our race) by criminal genius Edison Rex, he chooses to kill himself instead of wait to be activated by his doomed planet’s signal. Fans of recent issues of Superior Spider-Man will catch this trope immediately, as Edison Rex makes an equally hard decision. No longer having to use his inveterate hate for Valiant, he decides to take up the mantle of superhero! Of course his loyal female sidekick M’Laizz has her eyes set on world domination still, and needs some convincing. Much like Strax the Sontaran from Doctor Who, M’Laizz does go along with the plan, no matter how helpful to the puny human race!

This comic is like rolling around naked in a million dollar bills on your bed, or a million comics (though you could probably guess my preference as to the best paper to roll on!). Roberson has tapped into and referenced so many comic stories from the Silver Age to now, and not just Superman, but Thor, Howard the Duck, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bizarro Superman, Invincible, Fantastic Four, Fortress of Solitude, Cerebro, Superman robots, throw a little Grodd and The Venture Bros. and you have got just the first volume! Rao only knows what’s in store next! (Actually, the next six issues are available on ComiXology, Issue #12 drops on Wed. Dec. 4!)

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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MIGHTY Q&A: TIM GIBSON AND MOTH CITY - DEBUT AT 13TH DIMENSION

New Site! New Column! Same Great Comics Coverage!

Really stoked to be writing for these guys! Thanks for checking it out. - Clay

Tim Gibson’s murder mystery Moth City is a genre-spanning digital comic that draws from the Western, Kung Fu, zombies and historical fiction. The slippery ink line work and muted palette is combined with an instinctual approach to digital-native comics creation, made of hundreds of swipes per issue, animating and exposing sections of the page. The New Zealander, whose tale is based in a place similar to 1930s Hong Kong, joins us today to preview his latest issue.

Clay N. Ferno: Hi, Tim. Moth City returns to ComiXology today. When we last spoke in June, you said you wrote this first as a narrative piece. Issue #6 is bringing all of the story lines to a head. Is the pacing on point to end at issue #8?

Tim Gibson: Yes, the story is definitely ramping up. A lot of the characters are reaching breaking point, having already made some decisions that they can’t come back from. The last few pages of Issue #6 imply that the characters are going to be coming back together again. Last time they were in close proximity, a man got his throat cut. This time there’s a heck of a lot more teetering on the edge. Issues 7 and 8 are going to play that out, and not many characters are going to be happy with the result (evil grin).

Going through the issues, almost each added a new twist or an entirely new genre to the book. Can we expect genre exploration in the home stretch?

We’ve had mystery and crime/detective, a bit of thriller, some horror, this issue has some Western tones with the showdown on the roof, so yeah, it’s a nice little gumbo. The story dictates a lot of conflict and drama to wrap it all up so the remaining issues are moving towards all-in action. Which is great because previously we’ve only had moments interspersed here and there.

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill - 'ACTION PRESIDENTS' #1 with RYAN DUNLAVEY and FRED VAN LENTE at FORCES OF GEEK

While some might be inclined to be tongue-in-cheek about learning and American History, I am not!  I am unapologetically a nerd about the words of our forefathers.  What better way to celebrate and honor Veteran’s Day this week than to pay tribute to the ultimate veteran himself, the first President George Washington in the bombastic comic book stylings of our friends Ryan Dunlavey and Fred Van Lente (Action Philosophers!, Comic Book History of Comics).

These gentlemen were kind enough to give us a preview of their new series, Action Presidents! and Ryan joins us to tell us how the book got going!

The inimitable style and humor of Action Presidents is the first Evil Twin Comics venture to be released as a digital first and was originally commissioned by the nonprofit Reading with Pictures organization that advocates the use of comics and comic book storytelling to promote literacy. How many of us got excited about reading with Archie or The Avengers as a kid?

Consider reading up about what RWP is up to, especially if your child has trouble with traditional books.

Action Presidents: Washington will be released on Wednesday, November 13th on ComiXology. Ryan’s cartooning paired with Fred’s well research and oftentimes hilarious writing educates children of all ages about our first President and even Washington’s definition of ‘freedom’ which may surprise you!

There’s even a panel on the last page that references “Spider-Man No More!”.

What more can you ask for out of a text book, really?

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents THE HAMMER OF ARGUS #1, LOVE IS A BURNING THING #1 and ROCKET QUEEN AND THE WRENCH #1

There’s an easy to pronounce mighty hammer in this heroes’ book set in Greece with The Hammer of Argus, plus a bad boy super-soldier in Love is a Burning Thing. The Zoom Family hosts Jamie Baldwin for the summer, will he get his own armored adventures in Rocket Queen and the Wrench?

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year. Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixologycurates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

THE HAMMER OF ARGUS #1
Writer: Ernesto Lopez de Victoria
Artist: Christopher Nelson
Price: $1.99
Page Count: 27 pages
Imprint: Bearmoon Comics
Digital Release Date: 5/15/13
Age Rating: 17+ only
BUY IT HERE

Rendered on a computer in a unique and colorful CGI style is this great foray into mashing up mythology and comics—a tradition nearly as old as the medium!

The thief Brutus finds his way into the ancient forge of Argus the Cyclops.

For fans of Thor, Hercules, Percy Jackson and fun stories of the Olympian Gods. The art is the standout for this book, the 3D rendering makes for larger than life storytelling and great action.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents 51 SERIF ST. VOL. 1, DRONES #1, ZOMBIE SPOTLIGHT #1

Enter the madhouse of 51 Serif St., party with the drone strike infidels ofDrones #1 and tuck in that shirt napkin for a delicious spotlight on zombies in Zombie Spotlight #1 this week at Triple Shot Digital!

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology  curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books. 

51 SERIF ST. VOL. 1,
Written and Drawn by: Horatiu Radoiu
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 54 pages
Digital Release Date: 7/3/13
Age Rating: 17+ only
BUY IT HERE

Horatiu Radoiu’s 51 Serif St. is a dark portrait of a rehabilitation house.

In the style of David Mack, Ben Templesmith and Dave McKean, the artwork is dark and scary. Criminals inside the house have many tales of awful things that they have done, and we find out if crook Daniel Rosdower has what it takes to survive in this madhouse.

Part Arkham Asylum and part horror dreamscape, this book is worth checking out for the macabre storytelling and etherial artwork.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents BANTAM #1, BROKEN #1, LLOYD AND THE BEAR #1

Here at the digital ComiXology Submit is the first poultry-based Batman and Robin parody, a twist on the Crime Alley trope and wrapped up with a talking teddy bear.

No, not that one cursing thunder, LLOYD AND THE BEAR is an all ages book!

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year. Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

BANTAM #1
Written and Drawn by: Lupi McGinty
Price: $1.99
Page Count: 22 pages
Digital Release Date: 7/10/13
Age Rating: 12+ only
BUY IT HERE

Do you like fart jokes like “pull my finger”?

How about pecker jokes and Batman?

We’ve profiled you as a male between the ages of 12 and 112, and this is the book for you!

The delectable duo face the evil Jerker and narrowly escape the Shake and Bake.

These chickens ain’t chicken enough to patrol the streets of Cockham City!

Funny stuffer-roaster!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents DEMETER #1, THE KITCHEN WITCH #1, TIME SAMPLERS #1

Here at the digital ComiXology Submit camp we confront the dirty sea in Becky Cloonan’s Demeter, protect the secret family ingredient with the help of a witch and tune in to some time travel, man!

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books. 

Demeter #1
Written and drawn by: Becky Cloonan

Price: $0.99
Imprint: Ink and Thunder
Digital Release Date: 6/19/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only 
BUY IT HERE
 
Becky Cloonan (Buffy, Batman, Strange Tales) delivers Demeter, part of her one-shot short story series.

This is a richly illustrated romantic tale in one issue of a maiden in a lighthouse and her passionate love affair with Colin. The sea does not forget the debts owed to her, and seeks to take back from Anna that which is most precious to her.

Amazing art coupled with the tale that reads like classic literature makes for astounding comics.

Hard copies can be purchased at Becky’s new webstore with options that include silkscreen covers and sketch editions.

The Kitchen Witch #1
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Olivia Pelaez
Price: $0.99
Page Count: 27 Pages
Imprint: 215 Ink
Digital Release Date: 5/29/13
Age Rating: All ages
BUY IT HERE

Kevin feels a little neglected as his father, chef Bennett Gordon, prepares to open a new restaurant.

The restaurant Traddodiad is guarded by kindly witch Lovis at night as the kitchen is also a fantastical landscape where creativity comes from.

Kevin and Lovis pursue The Gremlin King in the Traddodiad realm to track down Gordon’s secret ingredient.

The Kitchen Witch is great fun for an all ages book, for fans of cooking reality TV and The Wizard of Oz.

TIME SAMPLERS #1
Writers: Thomas Gorence, Erik Koconis, David Pinckney

 Artists: Nicolas Colacitti, Christopher Hanchey 
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 37 Pages
Imprint: Paranoid American
Digital Release Date: 5/29/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Time Samplers is a fun adventure title based on psychedelic time travel.

In order for the two main characters Cal and Lex to make a copy of the past and investigate Alexander Graham Bell’s illuminati time crimes, they must also dose on heavy DMT.

To be honest the storytelling in issue #1 has a lot going on that could use some simplification, but this is still a fun Butterfly Effect time travel tale. 

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents BIKINI COWBOY VOL.1, DEADHORSE VOL.1, NOWHERE MAN VOL 1.1 at FORCES OF GEEK

An unusual cowgirl with a surfboard invades a western town, a man tries to figure out the mystery of his father’s death and a super powered detective gets himself in too deep.

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

BIKINI COWBOY Vol. 1
Writer & Artist: Fresherluke
Price: $5.99
Page Count: 377 pages
Digital Release Date: 5/8/13
Age Rating: 9+ Only
BUY IT HERE

This collection of a webcomic started at the beginning of this year clocks in at an impressive 377 pages of a bizarre twist on a western.

Whisky Jill rolls into town with her surfboard and only a duster covering her bikini! She demands an energy drink from the barkeep and gains the attention of the outlaws in the bar.

It’s not long before a drag out fight and an encounter with a soldier and rescues her new young boy companion Rod McCloud.

A deftly illustrated out-of-time book here with a fun story. Follow Fresherluke on Tumblr for new pages as they appear.

DEADHORSE Vol. 1 - DEAD BIRDS
Writer: Eric Grissom
Artist: Phil Sloan
Price: $9.99
Imprint: Frankenstein’s Daughter
Page Count: 184 Pages
Digital Release Date: 5/8/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

William Pike seeks to solve the mystery of a key left to him by his dead father and as he embarks on his journey, his nice neighbors the Vogels invite him in for a sandwich…of death!

The neighbors are hot on getting their hands on that key but Pike fights his way out. In the second issue, Pike finds himself chased by a man in a Sasquatch suit also looking for the key. With the help of companions Edgar and Elise they keep the key safe, for now.

This is a great book, for fans of the classic illustrative styles of Darwyn Cooke or Moon and Ba.

Deadhorse is a time spanning mystery set in the real world with bizarre twists that keep you laughing as you get deeper into the mystery of the key. 

NOWHERE MAN Vol. 1.1: You Don’t Know Jack
Writer & Artist: Jerome S. Walford
Price: $4.99
Imprint: Forward Comics
Page Count: 37 Pages
Digital Release Date: 5/8/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Nowhere Man is the story of a detective in love with his partner.

Since his accident in 2006, Jack Maguire is impervious to bullets but needs to rely on his street sense to break the illegal arms case in front of the department right now.

Nowhere Man is fun street-level comics starring a cop trying to do right by the death of his father.


Using his powers makes him stronger, but Jack is a tortured man on the inside. For fans of The Punisher, Luke Cage and Powers.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents THE ACCELERATORS #1, SECUNDUS #1, HELL’S BREW at FORCES OF GEEK

This week at our ongoing coverage of creator-owned digital comics reviews at Comixology Submit we time travel for gladiator battles and hot rod desert races.

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March of this year.

Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer. The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

The Accelerators #1
Writer: R.F.I. Porto
Artist: Gavin P. Smith 
Cover: Walt Flanagan
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 29 Pages
Imprint: Blue Juice Comics
Digital Release Date: 5/22/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Time crimes! The story starts out in the future in a gladiator arena, good and bad guys throughout history are pitted against each other for dominance. Stormtrooper vs. Caveman, The Mayan vs. The Professor.

We then cut to a doctor being chased by a soldier through time and pick up a smart teenager along the way.

The time travelers are using a device shaped like a donut to travel through time.

By the end, the chase has led our heroes back to the arena, surely to face combat in the Games.

Fun story here, I’m a sucker for time travel stories and superhero battles like Deathmatch andAvengers Arena. Looking forward to issue #2.

Secundus #1
Written and drawn by: Mike Tomas
Price: $2.99
Page Count: 32 Pages
Digital Release Date: 5/22/13
Age Rating: 15+ Only
BUY IT HERE

Secundus is the story of a brave warrior in Roman times, also set in a battle arena.

He always wins his battles, and he got his name by always fighting two at a time.

After winning his last battle and gaining freedom, he’s challenged by a magician who conjures up a creature to aid him in his battle against the mighty Secundus “Secundus fights two”! 

I loved this mostly black and white story, at once a parable and classic story set in ancient time.

A very quick read but a story that makes you think!

Hell’s Brew #1
Story & Art: Michael Liggett
More info: TBA
Imprint: Forgotten Dialect Publishing
BUY IT HERE

This book is drawn like underground comics of the 60s, and is also set in an alternate history 1968. In this land, muscle cars, or ‘firebugs’ are king, and this is the story of infamous racers The Brothers Garcia.

There’s a fun car chase, an element of a murder mystery and some romance in the first issue. I’m really attracted to the art in this book, with a minimal color palette and sometimes awkward but not bad storytelling.

Overall, it works and I enjoyed this hot rod tale.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 29, 2013

COMICS

For some reason, it is still X-Men, but this X-Book puts the ladies at the forefront. X-Men #1 debuts this week at Marvel NOW! with ladies at the helm of this team featuring Storm, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Grey, Rogue & Psylocke. … Whoa-oh-oh! Positive. Last summer we interviewed Alan Grant (Detective Comics, Judge Dredd) about his Tales of the Buddha Before He Got Enlightened and now the trade paperback is available. Tales of Sex, absurdity, meditation, smoke and rock & roll from Alan and Jon Haward are now available at the TFAW.com link and Renegade Arts Entertainment. … Who is the new Batman of Earth 2? Find out in Earth 2 Annual #1 - the closest thing you can get to an Elseworlds story these days. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com..

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!

TRIPLE SHOT DIGITAL: Comixology Submit Presents MOTH CITY, ULTRASYLVANIA & THE RAPTOR at FORCES OF GEEK

Look at this cool icon!, thanks Stefan!

The leader in the digital comics space opened up the platform to indie creators back in March. Writers and artists now have the chance to publish comics or graphic novels on the browser, tablet or phone using the Guided View technology. Comixology curates the submissions and soon the comic is put into panel by panel production for the viewer.

The comics appear right on the digital store alongside all of the major publisher’s books.

Here are three Comixology Submit titles on the store now worth checking out. 

Moth City
Story & Art: Tim Gibson
Price: $.99
Page Count: 168 Pages
Digital Release Date: 04/24/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE

Moth City truly takes advantage of the digital medium, in the way that Mark Waid has been talking about with Thrillbent for the past year.

Most notable about this book is the stunning art, and page transitions, using layers as a storytelling device.

An American becomes a Chinese crime lord in terrible dealings with the military for canisters of chemical weapons.

Amazing art for fans of Paul Pope’s work. Highly recommended.

Ultrasylvania Vol.1
Written By: Brian Schirmer
Art By: Various
Price: $9.99
Page Count: 92 Pages
Digital Release Date: 05/15/2013
Age Rating: 15+ Only
Buy it HERE


I naturally gravitated to this vampire book on title alone, and was delighted to find a fully realized alternate fictional history where both King Vlad Dracula and King Victor Frankenstein were rulers of their own countries.

This was a fun read, for fans of classic horror.

I quite enjoyed the twist on it, and the war between the two countries.

The art was ‘sourced’ by students at The Academy of Art University. Great work from all of the students and a compelling story.

The Raptor #1
Story & Art: Blair Shedd
Price: $1.99
Page Count: 36 Pages
Digital Release Date: 05/15/2013
Age Rating: 12+ Only
Buy it HERE


Kubert School Graduate Blair Shedd (Doctor Who) unleashes a superhero and cop story with The Raptor.

His cool looking and wise cracking hero looks a bit like Shadowhawk. The story is pretty standard street level superhero fare but that’s not a knock on the book. Great action and cool art makes for a solid superhero read.

No origin story yet for The Raptor, as they are focusing on the murder investigation.

A solid offering, even if the art does outshine the story a bit.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK] 

TRIPLE SHOT: SLEDGEHAMMER 44 #1, BUDDY COPS #1 & WOLVERINE #1

We’ve got robots, suits of armor and a drunken space cop in our Triple Shot this week.  Over at Marvel NOW! the Brits give Wolverine a makeover.   That is, they blast his flesh off of the bone and make over his body once or twice in the first few pages of Woverine #1 by Paul Cornell and Alan Davis.

 SLEDGEHAMMER 44 #1 (of 2)

WRITER: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
ARTIST: Jason Latour
COLORS: Dave Stewart
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $3.50
Publisher: Dark Horse
UPC: 76156818145600111

Hellboy and B.P.R.D stories are usually dropped in time rich after WWII and Hellboy’s origin.

This particular story is right in the middle of the war, in 1944 with grunts, cigarettes, nets over the helmets and classic call backs to the classic comics of Joe Kubert or Joe Simon. This two parter expands the Hellboy-verse to include a man in a suit of armor charging at a Nazi foothold in France after being dropped in the shell of a Blockbuster bomb onto the battlefield.

The U.S. soldiers on the ground are given strict orders to be backup for the behemoth Project Epimetheus aka Sledgehammer 44. Nazi soldiers are no match for the super-powered suit, but the Germans counter with an enormous S.S. robot that crashes it’s way out of the enemy armory it is protecting. The Lost in Space looking armored enemy gets the upperhand on the Allied weapon and our boys retreat, dragging the mysterious knocked out Sledgehammer back to base camp. Will the Nazi’s catch up to finish off old Sledgy?

Jason Latour gives us great pages of classic looking comic art on this war story. The design of our new hero is all Mignola, but the storytelling is textbook Kubert School and all details wonderfully rendered in a classic illustrative line.

The book was intended for the late John Severin to draw and collaborate on with Mignola and Arcudi. The Marvel artist passed away in 2012, and rather than shelve the script, the book was released and dedicated to the master penciller with reverence to his memory.

My only complaint is that this book is only two issues! We hope to see more of our WWII ‘Ironed Man’ in the future.




BUDDY COPS #1 (One-Shot)
WRITER: Nate Cosby
ARTIST: Evan ‘Doc’ Shaner
Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $2.99
UPC: 76156822968400111

From the pages of Dark Horse Presents is the story you haven’t been asking for in Buddy Cops #1. Reprinting the material from the anthology series with some bonus material for good measure is the story of two cops—well, not exactly.

This is the story of a partnership between T.A.Z.E.R. and Uranus.  You see, Uranus is an intergalactic space cop, you know the type; a guardian or part of a corp. Uranus caught drinking on the job and was demoted to lowly duties, earthbound as it were as a regular beat walking stick swinging cop.

They let him keep his space sword and jetpack, though. It gets wacky when a janitor reboots a 1970s uptight traffic enforcement cop android called Tactical Android Zoned for Efficient Resolution, (T.A.Z.E.R.). Stick these two in a cruiser and see what happens!

I identify most with Uranus, who screams out Wu-Tang lyrics on the scene of the crime. Old T.A.Z.E.R. is just a fuddy duddy automaton with no game, but on the plus side has a detachable head that more than once comes in handy in combat. 

The ‘tension rises in the third act’ as the partnership is blown apart by Uranus getting married and then impregnated by a member of the plant-like Fregnar race. Uranus’ daughter tries to eat all of the people in the city and the team is back together again as T.A.Z.E.R. forgives and forgets.

This is such a funny book and it’s great to see ‘Doc’ Shaner work on a full story after following his sketch blog (http://www.evanshaner.com) for the past couple of years. Nate Cosby has a new all ages book book Cow Boy (http://cowboycomic.net/about) with letterer and artist Chris Eliopoulos that we’re dying to check out soon!

This book ain’t nuttin to F$% wit’.

WOLVERINE #1 
WRITER: Paul Cornell
ARTIST: Alan Davis
Publisher: Marvel
Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Price: $3.99
UPC: 75960607921600111

I’m in. Well, I’m most of the way in with Marvel NOW! Not all books appeal to me but what would be the fun in that anyway?  By not rebooting the 616, but updating the titles and characters to be more aligned with the movie universes is just fine with me.

I’ve not been a huge X-Men fan since the ‘90s, but hey—now I’m reading two team X-Men books. The excitement I have for the mutant plight as analogue for oppression and sticking it to the man has never been higher, and now with so much happening with Bendis’ teams, it’s good to also attach myself to my favorite Bub, Wolverine.

Sure, Logan’s all grown up now and an Avenger somehow (look, I’m behind the times, OK?) but this new Wolverine title is exactly what I need and is almost reminiscent of the Larry Hama run on the book. Let’s have Wolverine go off and have solo missions like the good old days! Marvel and DC ‘time’ obviously allows for these guys to be in four or five different books seemingly at the same time (sorry, the kid in me still thinks about that stuff) but that’s where the fun comes in.

It seems that Paul Cornell and Alan Davis have Logan becoming a detective for a few issues before returning him to a team or running into any other heroes. This book can exist on it’s own already and we’re only on issue #1. Older fans of Wolverine have a great start here to jump on board, as no current continuity is referenced (besides the aforementioned Avengers bits).

Who is this kid that wants to take his father’s ray gun and watch Iron Insides regenerate over and over again? Looks like Logan is tracking his scent in the next issue, and I can tell you I’m on board. This is the kind of art that made X-Men and Excalibur comics must reads from the spinner rack coupled with equally masterful storytelling by Paul Cornell.

This is top of the stack stuff, for sure.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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

COMICS

There’s a new book from Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead, Invincible) Skybound imprint out this week. Clone #1 is written by David Schulner (TV’s The Event, Trauma) and confronts a doctor with his own clone in a conspiracy sci-fi thriller! Preview at CBR. … The cover to Star Trek Ongoing #15 has Zach Quinto’s Spock sporting a goatee. That can only mean one thing, he’s evil! This is a modern take of the classic ‘Mirror Universe’ Trek tale! … Matt Fraction is taking on Fantastic Four in a Marvel Now! #1. We’re stoked to see what cosmic craziness Fraction fantasizes for the Fantastic flagship family! Read more about Marvel Now! here at our EARTH PRIME TIME column! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: MONKEYBRAIN CREATOR-OWNED DIGITAL COMICS

Monkeybrain Comics is a new comic publisher from veteran Chris Roberson and his wife Allison Baker as an expansion of their 2001 company, Monkeybrain Books. The distribution model is the one fans have been looking forward to and big companies have been dreading for years. Single issues of creator-owned work debut on comixology, further increasing the momentum of the movement towards a digital marketplace. At $.99 for the first wave of issues, we take a tap and swipe at the Monkeybrain offerings and update you on the second tier of Monkeybrain titles announced this past week at San Diego Comic Con.

It is always exciting to keep up with the comic news, especially after a gigantic convention. Nothing particularly blew our minds this year from San Diego, though some of us are excited to see more Sandman from Neil Gaiman.

More important than any flashy headline is buzz about changes in the industry, and Monkeybrain’s panel announcements of top tier talent included a new book, “Wander” from Kevin Church (Agreeable Comics, twitterer) and Olive Hopkins, as well as “Intergalactic” from Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory).

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.com]

EARTH PRIME TIME: MONKEYBRAIN CREATOR-OWNED DIGITAL COMICS by clay-fernald

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for June 20, 2012

 






COMICS

Quack! Mars Attacks was an amazing comedy sci-fi film from auteur Tim Burton, a Topps Trading card set from 1962, and now our pals from IDW are bringing Mars Attacks #1 to the comic book shelves. Written by Chew’s John Layman. … Speaking of Chew, do Chew remember when they published issue #27 right after issue 18? If you skipped the issue then, numbering has caught up with the time jump and Layman has generously included extended bonus features in Chew #27 Second Helping Edition. … Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams with award winning children’s writer Christopher Golden to continue the tale of Baltimore, a lone soldier hunts vampires—and the surgeon responsible for unleashing the vamps on a small Croation town in Baltimore: Dr. Leskovar’s Remedy #1 … Comics du jour from your pals at LeaguePodcast.com

Pass the Daily Dig along! Your friends can sign up here!