The first issue of The Boys spin-off, Herogasm, isn't even out yet but Dynamite Entertainment has already released the Darick Robertson cover for #2.
Will this comic be even more over the top than it's parent series? That's too tough to call right now (The Boys has DEFINITELY had it's "Holy fuck!" moments), but judging by the two covers we've seen so far it will certainly give it a run for its money.
The first-ever spin-off mini-series from Dynamite and The Boys is coming your way in May - get ready for your first-ever Herogasm
Exploding from the pages of The Boys, Herogasm features the pairing of Garth Ennis with Hitman artist John McCrea and covers by Boys artist and co-creator Darick Robertson!
An evil so profound it threatens all mankind... the mightiest heroes on the planet uniting to defend us all... a secret crisis of such utter finality that a countdown to civil or infinite war seems unavoidable... but have you ever wondered what really happens during Crossovers? The Seven, Payback, Teenage Kix, Fantastico and every other supe on Earth team up for an annual event like no other... and where the supes go, can a certain "five complications and a dog" be far behind? Vought-American prepare to make their move, in a story that will change the world of the Boys forever: Herogasm #1.
"Garth has a few special surprises for The Boys planned for the back-half of his story and this mini is the first," explained Dynamite Associate Editor Joe Rybandt. "While Darick works on the main series, we're especially pleased that we were able to reunite Garth and John McCrea for this mini which will shock even the most hardcore Boys fan. Guaranteed."
About the series, Ennis stated, "What really happens during crossovers? What do superheroes do when nobody's looking? And what does the Vice-President of the United States have to do with any of this?"
Herogasm will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you…. well, this Garth Ennis and The Boys we're talking about, so you know what to expect. Or at least you think you do.
The Boys: Herogasm ain't just breathin' heavy, it's coming at you this May from Dynamite. And be sure to ask your local retailer about our incentive covers so that you can have multiple Herogasms.
To say that Battlefields: The Night Witches was one of the most enjoyable Garth Ennis stories I have read in quite some time says kind of a lot. I love Garth Ennis. I read everything that has his name on it. Not all of it is spectacular, but a lot of it is great and all of it is at the very least pretty good. I can't say that about too many comic book authors.
So the fact that Dynamite Entertainment keeps rolling out more Battlefields stories makes me happy. The first chapter of the second installment, Dear Billy, debuted a couple of weeks ago and it continues the trend of the intense, exquisite storytelling found in The Night Witches.
Even though Dear Billy just started, the next installment has already been announced for April. The Tankies reunites Ennis with his old partner in crime Carlos Ezquerra (The Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, Just A Pilgrim, A Man Called Kev, etc).
Here's a synopsis from Dynamite:
"After D-Day came the battle for Normandy, when largely untried Allied soldiers met the seasoned veterans of the German army. As Panzer units and SS troops turn the French countryside into a killing ground, a lone British tank crew struggle to rejoin their squadron. Cut off behind enemy lines, their only hope lies in their fearsome commander, Corporal Stiles- but no one in the crew can stand him, and Stiles isn't too fond of them either. And there are Tigers lurking in the undergrowth..."
Well hey- look at that. The first Battlefields story by Garth Ennis just wrapped up last week and we already have the first part of the next story hitting comic shelves tomorrow.
As I mentioned before, The Night Witches is one of the best war stories Ennis has delivered in a long time and hopes are high that the second chapter keeps with this trend.
CBR has a five page preview of Dear Billy. Check it out here.
Have we talked about Battlefields: The Night Witches yet? No? All right, let's talk about it.
This is a wonderful three part World War II story written by Garth Ennis with art by Russ Braun. Published by Dynamite. The last issue just came out this week.
Ennis writes a lot of war stories. Some of them are good. Some of them are better than good. And a few are kind of meh. I just finished the third and final chapter of his latest and it's not only one of the best war stories of his I've read, it's one of his best stories in recent memory.
It's the Soviets vs the Nazis. This story is told from both perspectives. The Russian side follows the fighter pilots, specifically centered around The Night Witches- women pilots who fly their missions under the cover of darkness and who also don't get much respect from their male counterparts. On the German side you follow a regiment made up of the obligatory scum of the Earth type we've come to expect in these types of situations- except this particular unit is interesting since it includes a solider who is far more inclined to follow his own moral compass than he is at taking the horrific orders he's given by his head of command.
In three short installments, Ennis and Braun craft quite the captivating narrative. It's rich with history, violence, some interesting twists that you might not see coming and even brief glimpses of a love story. The idea of these "Night Witches" was so fascinating that one might think that ol' Garth had come up with a great fictionalized World War II story that seemed almost like it could have really happened. As it turns out, it's firmly grounded in facts. You can read more about The Night Witches here.
And as luck would have it, Battlefields continues on with a new story coming in a few weeks. If you haven't read this first one go and check it out. And be on the lookout for Battlefields: Dear Billy at your comic shop in the near future.
Preacher is one of the great comic book stories of our time. If you haven't read it June 24th is a great time to start, as they will be releasing the first twelve issues collected for the first time in a hardcover format.
I'm sure these will look beautiful, but my bookshelf would look so much more badass if DC / Vertigo would release Absolute Editions. Maybe someday!
The deets:
PREACHER BOOK ONE HC Written by Garth Ennis Art by Steve Dillon Cover by Glenn Fabry
“Features more blood and blasphemy than any mainstream comic in memory. Cool.” — Entertainment Weekly
Available for the first time in hardcover, preacher Jesse Custer begins his dark journey to find God, in this volume collecting PREACHER #1-12, plus pinups from PREACHER #50 and #66. After merging with a bizarre spiritual force called Genesis, Texan preacher Jesse Custer has become completely disillusioned with the beliefs to which he had dedicated his entire life. Now possessing the power of “the word,” an ability to make people do whatever he utters, Custer begins a violent and riotous journey across the country. Joined by his gun-toting girlfriend Tulip and the hard-drinking Irish vampire Cassidy, Custer loses faith in both God and man as he witnesses dark atrocities and improbable calamities during his exploration of America. This new collected edition features an all-new introduction by series writer Garth Ennis.
Advance-solicited; on sale June 24 • FC, 352 pg, $34.99 US • Mature Readers
(This was originally pointed out to me by the fine people over at CBR)
Empire Online spoke with Sam Mendes about the recent news that he's the latest name (in a long list of names) that have been tasked with making a Preacher movie:
“It's brilliant, it's an incredible twisted vision,” he said of the 66-issue story. “There's so much of it you couldn't possibly fit it all into one movie. It's just about what you keep and what you leave out, and how you structure the story. But just to have that toy set again, being able to paint on a big canvas and to say ‘I am gonna do crazy crane shots and massive action sequences again because I want to,’ it's exciting..”
Crazy crane shots nonwithstanding, I gotta say I'm a purist when it comes to this one. Even though Garth Ennis himself apparently isn't that concerned about staying 100% faithful to the original comic, this is one I would like to see exactly the same as it is in print. I don't think Hollywood should be trusted with what's expendable when it comes to my favorite comic series.
The good news is Mendes doesn't even have a script yet, so this will probably never get made. I remember far enough back when Kevin Smith was going to direct this and have Ben Affleck star.
If they could just go back to the HBO idea it would all be ok.
Then again, if they are set on making a feature length movie out of this they need to let Garth write the script. The chances of it sucking go down at least 75%.
Holy cow. Aren't people supposed to get softer as they grow older?
Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrow (Chronicles of Wormwood) return to Avatar with Crossed. Crossed falls into the survival horror genre, but it's Garth's take on survival horror so it's...uh...REALLY FUCKED UP! I mean one look at the cover will probably clue you in as to whether or not you'll want to steer clear but I'm guessing there has got to be at least a few people who picked up this first issue that probably won't be reading on. And 98% of the book is low key story set up. It pretty much all comes down to a splash page near the end of the comic that will determine which path you take. But no matter who you are, no matter how much Ennis you have read...you will stop and say to yourself "Holy SHIT! That is FUCKED UP!"
As for plot: if you are familiar with one survival horror plot structure, you have the gist of this one. If anything it will be the minor details and twists here and there that will make this stand out. The antagonists don't appear to be full fledged zombies, although they are zombie like. Most likely there will be some tie in with religion (duh- right?). Anyways- you have a small town being ravaged by a group of undetermined infected beings. You have the small group of non-infected survivors banding together to find a way out. And that's about it so far. Oh- and that FUCKED UP splash page.
Based off of issue 1 is this series going to be great? It's still too early to tell. Will I keep reading? You bet your sweet bippy. After all- it's Garth Ennis, ain't it?
Hot damn! Garth Ennis' new Image mini kicks things off with a shotgun blast. A few of them actually.
Back to Brooklyn's central protagonist is Bob Saetta, the number two man in the borough's notorious Saetta crime family. Bob's just walked into a police station and offered to give up every sordid detail about his organization. He's got something big- big enough to cause his brother Paulie to murder six uniformed police officers and hold Bob's wife and family hostage so that it doesn't get out. Bob convinces the Feds to let him go back into Brooklyn- alone- secure his family and then turn himself back in when they are safe.
I read a lot of Ennis. I buy anything with his name on it. Even when he's off his game a lil, I'll still tell you he's awesome. So it's really interesting that there's something about this book that seems so...refreshing and new. Maybe it's the fact that Jimmy Palmiotti is co-writing. Maybe it's the AMAZING artwork from newcomer Mihailo Vukelic. Whatever it is...I don't care. I'm excited about issues 2 - 5 and I want to read them all right now.
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