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

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

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

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

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

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

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DIGBOSTON AND LEAGUEPODCAST COMICS PICKS OF THE WEEK FOR WED., SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

COMICS

Gail Simone and Jim Calafiore (Secret Six) Kickstarted a dream, but for the citizens of Megalopolis it is a nightmare. Leaving Megalopolis shows what happens when the good heroes turn on the people they were sworn to protect. Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) delivers a punk rock sequel to last year’s Marble Season with Bumperhead from Drawn and Quarterly. It’s a story of growing up in the magical way only an Hernandez can illustrate, brilliant coming-of-age stuff with a flavor of 80s punk culture in LA. Verily, celebrate the final, 25th issue of a legendary Thor run with Jason Aaron’s Thor God of Thunder featuring the origin of Malekith the Accursed! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for May 1, 2013

COMICS

There was a time when we thought Gail Simone’s departure from DC Comics was permanent. The talented writer is back on Batgirl and now gives us the comic book take on #occupy with The Movement #1. A citizen’s army strikes back against greed! … We’re still amazed at our interview with The Activity’s Nathan Edmondson. For true to life military and service drama, complete with all the tech gadgets you see on the news and strategic exfils and infiltrations, join Nate and guest artist Mark Laming on The Activity #12. … Shadowman was also featured in an EARTH PRIME TIME last year, and nothing is better than a Zero Issue from the company that invented them, Valiant Comics. Go way back twenty-five years to learn the mysteries of sorcerer Master Darque and the nightmare realm of Deadside in >Shadowman #0. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com episode #150!.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: GENDER THROUGH COMIC BOOKS MOOC

Last week we talked about MMORPGs and MOBAs. This week we embark on a different multiplayer experience, the MOOC, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Class is in session for Christina Blanch’s (Ball State University) Gender Through Comic Books MOOC, and the best part of it all is that homework equals reading comic books. 7000 students are enrolled in this class that does not seek to define the comic book or gender roles in comic books, but gets students thinking critically about the subject.

It has been a few years since I’ve been to a classroom for any reason, but I have been enjoying the free iTunes U to learn about some basic computer science. The most convenient part of the iTunesexperience is that I can move along at my own pace and watch videos in my down time. When I had first heard of Christina Blanch’s course at Canvas.Net on John Siuntres’ Word Balloon podcast, I signed up, because I was intrigued by not only the platform but the subject matter. The course is free with open enrollment and students are allowed to join in at any time. The course will be archived on the site and students can go at their own pace. Also, the level of engagement is entirely up to the student.

If you wish to just watch the videos and skip the homework, you can do that, but you won’t get the cool certificate at the end.

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EARTH PRIME TIME: GAIL SIMONE FIRED FROM BATGIRL

Something’s amiss in Gotham and the Bat-Family is suffering a huge loss. Sure, some of us have been dumped by text messages or have accidentally posted “I Quit” status updates on our companies’ Facebook page, thinking it was our own. We’ve never been fired for being a role model over e-mail. Last Wednesday, our holiest of comic book days,Gail Simone was fired from DC Comics. What forensic evidence is left behind from this crime against comics? Barbara Gordon as Batgirl and Oracle act as role models to both young women with able bodies and with challenged bodies. Gail stands out as one of DC’s lone female creators in an industry dominated by men. Karen Berger leaves DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint after 20 years early next year. Everyone is baffled.

The comic industry rolls on, churning out the Bat-Family and all the Spider-Man books a month that are the backbone to the thing. Sure, people get fired, creative teams change, books and whole universes get rebooted. Like, constantly. So, why all the drama and shout outs on Twitter andTumblr this week? Because Gail Simone is amazing.

Many think this decision is unfair and we were all caught by surprise. Who are we to comment on the small speck of paint on Warner’s intellectual property canvas that we were staring at? We’re comic fans, dammit. It’s kind of our thing.

We wanted to eek out at least another year of issues with Gail at the helm. She had us going rooting for bad guys with her Secret Six run (Secret Six was a pre-New 52 team book of villains starring Dark Knight Rises taskmaster Bane alongside Deadshot, our favorite Catman, Rag Doll, and more). Another team book Simone directed was Birds of Prey with Barbara Gordon as a paralyzed and empowered Oracle, Black Canary and The Huntress.

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