Planetary #27 on its way?!

Yesterday @warrenellis posted a Twitter saying he received notification from DC that John Cassaday had uploaded the completed art for issue #27 of Planetary.

Now Warren has posted on his official site that this is indeed a fact. He even uploaded the below page to prove that this isn't some April Foolery:



Nerds everywhere are rejoicing.

- TFM

New Wormwood Prints For Sale

The always amazing Ben Templesmith has put some beautiful, and more importantly affordable, new Wormwood prints up for sale.

Here's what Ben has to say:



The time has finally come. I'm clearing out my Cafepress store. From tomorrow, all the old prints will be gone and a whole bunch of new ones, which are already up, will be what's left. Put up quite a variety this time. Cafepress isn't too bad for prints, though be advised these aren't the fine art prints I do up myself, these are a POD type deal. Give em a click and see what you think. This here is a new image to celebrate it. Next step is to finally have some t-shirt/extra stuff up. I've neglected this sort of stuff for too long! I have plans...oh do I have plans...



Grab the bank card and head over to Ben's CafePress store. Trust me, these will look really rad on your wall.

Credit goes to www.warrenellis.com for bringing this to our attention.



- TFM

Jonathan Hickman to take over writing duties on Fantastic Four!

Yes...I know. This is OLD news. It was announced at NYCC last weekend. But in case you hadn't noticed the lack of posts around these parts, I haven't been keeping up with my comics news like I should be. I mean, hopefully in the future I will be able to do nothing but read comics and write about them and write my own. Sigh. Maybe someday.

Anyways- I'm not a Fantastic Four fan. I like Reed Richards and his place in the Marvel Universe, but I've just never really been hip to the whole FF clan. Even when Mark Millar started writing it I didn't really care enough to buy it. But Jonathan Hickman writing this is enough for me to add it to my pull list TOUTE SUITE.

I only skimmed the article over at CBR, so as far as I can tell Hickman will be taking over "in a few months" with Dale Eaglesham on board handling pencils.

I recently professed my love for Hickman and even then I really didn't go into much detail about why I think he's so great. Call it lazy blogging if you will, but I really think you just have to go out and buy some of his past work to see what's so refreshing about it. You more mainstream people already got a preview of what he's capable of if you picked up Secret Warriors last week. One issue into it and he and Bendis are already shaking things up.

Great news Jonathan and congrats. I just hope writing these more mainstream titles still affords you the time to keep putting out your own original ideas. God knows comics needs more of what you are putting out there right now.

- TFM

Ignition City set for April release

From warrenellis.com:



Damn this thing looks pretty. Gianluca Pagliarani did the art for Aetheric Mechanics, which I finally got around to reading this past weekend (and was also great by the way).

This is high up on the list of most anticipated anythings for 2009.

- TFM

Review: No Hero #3

(Please note: This is NOT the official cover to No Hero #3. I wasn't able to find a nice sized image of it and damn it, I needed to put something up there so you can see the pretty art)

Holy hell, I think No Hero is officially my favorite comic from the last 3 - 5 years.

When we last left The Front Line Joshua had just been given FX7, the super human drug, and locked in a room by Carrick Masterson to let it run it's initial 12 hour course. The last page of issue #2 really only offered a glimpse of the horror that he had in store. Aside from the first page of #3 which has a quick glimpse of an interview with an individual comparing the practices of Carrick Masterson to Aleister Crowley, the next 8 pages are void of any dialogue. Instead we get four separate splash pages that take us along for the ride on the FX7 journey. Despite being only two comic book weeks into 2009, it equates to probably the most awe inspiring and bizarre art you will see this year. Juan Jose Ryp's pencils continue to be detailed, imaginative and disturbing.

What else happens this ish? Another key member of The Front Line bites it, Carrick tells the rest of the team a story of what happened in Chechnya when they discovered something called Disgel that can eliminate super humans with ease by essentially dissolving human tissue and they widdle down the cause of the attacks on the team to either the Russians, the Chinese, the Russians AND the Chinese or every single person they have pissed off since their inception in the 1960's. Oh- and Joshua wakes up from his post-FX7 operation and discovers his skin is falling off and his vomiting hasn't subsided.

This issue went by very fast but the story is still moving along quite nicely. Seriously guys, I can't talk this one up enough. It gives me that tingle in my stomach that I haven't felt while reading comics since I was a kid. If you are for some reason resisting picking this series up, then you really need to reevaluate why you even read comic books in the first place.

- TFM

CBR Reveals Their Top 100 Comics of 2008

Earlier this week, Comic Book Resources revealed the results of their contributor poll of the best 100 comics of 2008. It's an interesting list so feel free to read the whole thing, but I did want to point out a few highlights that I was happy (and maybe even a little surprised) to see them give props to.

83. CHECKMATE
















This was interesting to me, because up until the point where Greg Rucka left as writer, this was one of my favorite comics to come around in a long time. It had everything- superheroes, espionage, great plot lines. The things that made Queen & Country so great but set inside the DC Universe. While I was reading it I felt like I had to be the only person in the world who was buying it because I didn't really hear anything about it. In fact I'm pretty sure my comic shop ordered only one copy each month and it was for me. While it went downhill fast when Rucka left, it's really nice to see this on CBR's year end list to maybe encourage people to check out the trades.


42. AIR



















I read pretty much anything Vertigo puts out. Hell, I even collected the entirety of Crossing Midnight when I thought it was actually pretty boring from start to finish (no offense Mike Carey). For some reason, I'm not reading Air but I keep hearing good things about it. This might be something I'll pick up in a collected edition.


30. MADAME XANADU



















Pretty excited to see this so high up on the list, as again it's another comic where I feel like I might be the only one reading it (although I do see it on Negative Man's pull list!). I can't really put it any better than how CBR's Andy Khouri puts it, so take it away Andy:

Arguably the most impressive debut of the year, Matt Wagner has taken a largely arcane DC Comics fortuneteller and breathed into her a whole new life. In the best Vertigo tradition, Xanadu’s magical story spans the ages, and with the help of breakout illustrator Amy Reeder Headly, readers follow the wide-eyed mystic as she rubs elbows with some of the most important figures in human history, from Kublai Khan to Marie Antoinette. With guest appearances by Etrigan the Demon, Merlin, Neil Gaiman’s Death and featuring a reinvigorated version of DC mainstay The Phantom Stranger in a co-starring and bizarrely romantic role, “Madame Xanadu” is poised to become Vertigo’s next classic series.


16. NORTHLANDERS





















Ahhhh, now see- I guess this is turning into a Vertigo love fest and I didn't mean for it to be. I don't really care though, cause I love 'em. You know how we feel about Northlanders here and I am absolutely ecstatic to see someone like CBR put this book in their top 20 best comics of the year. It would probably be in my top 10, but whatever. Vikings. That's really all you need to know. Oh- and that the comic is written by Brian Wood and it kicks ten different ways of ass.


That about does it for what I wanted to point out to you all. Scalped, Criminal and All Star Superman took the top three spots and I ain't mad at any of those. A nine to five, tons of comic reading, a strong 4th Quarter showing of Xbox 360 games and travel kept me from deciding on a top 10 of my own so this list stands as a really good reference to some great stuff you might have missed out on in 2008.

- TFM

Phonogram: The Singles Club #1 in stores tomorrow!

One of my favorite minis from the last year or two was Phonogram, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. It had all of the things that I love: magic, music, snarky characters...and Britpop!

Phonogram (FINALLY) starts up again this week. To say this is my most anticipated book this week is an understatement. I haven't even looked at what else is coming out, but it doesn't matter. The first series was so much fun that I can't wait to delve back into the world of phonomancers.

Phonogram: The Singles Clubs is seven issues, each told from a different characters point of view and each taking place in the same club on the same night. Since the night in question is December 23rd, 2006 I'm guessing the Britpop references will be at a minimum, but no matter. Kieron's writing and Jamie's art (especially when colored!) is a glorious thing to behold and I'm sure this will be my first read every week that it comes out.

Newsarama has a six page preview of the first issue up right now. Click on over and find out what it's all about.

Also- look for an upcoming interview with Kieron, if I can finally tear myself away from my Xbox controller and my stack of unread comics.

- TFM

It's beginning to look a lot like X-Mas...

Fuck yes!

If there is anyone that can even come close to being a worthy successor to Garth Ennis on The Punisher, it would hands down be one Mr. Jason Aaron. And I'm as giddy as a school boy that Jason makes his Punisher debut this very week with the holiday one-shot Punisher MAX X-Mas Special.

Here's what Jason told CBR:

"...it's got a couple of the darkest scenes I've ever written,” Aaron stated. “ There's no way I could ever even attempted a story like this in the Marvel Universe. Axel Alonso would've had me drawn and quartered. And he could do it, too.”

As any good little Scalped fan knows, thats a pretty lofty promise from ol' J. But I think I just might believe him.

If you are so inclined, CBR also has a preview of the first few pages at that same link. As for me, this is one holiday treat that I am going to need to enjoy all in one sitting.

Here's hoping this thing sells a gazillion copies and they put him on the ongoing series toute suite and el permanente.

- TFM

Contest: Read Northlanders #1 for free / Win a copy of the first trade

All right. There's really only enough screaming from the rooftops we can do from this blog. We've told you that Northlanders is the best comic you're not reading, but you're all probably a bunch of free thinking individuals that just won't take a bunch of awesome people's words as absolute facts. Well now you don't have to. This has probably been up for a while now, but I just noticed it today. The fine nerds over at Vertigo have the entire first issue of Northlanders up on their site so you can read it for free. Did you hear that? You don't even have to part with $2.99 to decide if you like it or not. Head on over and check it out.

Now, I know you're going to be instantly hooked so you're going to want to immediately run out and buy the entire run. Well, the pending holiday season is making us feel a little generous right now. If you email us at spoilerzplz[REMOVETHISPARTWEHATESPAM]@gmail.com with "I Love Northlanders" in the subject line we will randomly send a few people a copy of the first trade.

Not bad, eh? Now get to it. There are some blood thirsty Vikings waiting for you.

- TFM

You Should Be Reading: Greatest Hits

I already have Amy Racecar on board (see below post), but I wanted to remind everyone that Greatest Hits #3 is set to release tomorrow. Definitely very near the top of my read pile right now (and trust me- it's a large stack), so do yourself a favor and pick up all three issues when you hit your shop and read them in one sitting. It's a six issue mini so you're not making a huge commitment. I'm all about getting everyone to read the best of what's out there and this one is a lot of fun.

- TFM

Beasts!

Probably my favorite non-purchase of last year at Secret Headquarters was Beasts!. Published by Fantagraphics, compiled by Jacob Covey and featuring a slew of great artist renderings and descriptions of cryptozoological creatures:




My main problem is by the time I walk over and start to peruse the books and other publications I'm already loaded up to the chin with single issues and graphic novels to the point where my bank account is screaming for mercy.

But Beasts! was really rad and I flipped through it many times. It started with the first edition. Then that sold out. Then the second printing arrived so I would glance through another time. Then it just disappeared.



Well- good news for procrastinators everywhere. Not only is a soft cover edition of the first installment on it's way, but now a second installment will be available in December:




Comic Book Resources has a recent interview with Jacob Covey and artist Femke Hiemstra. Read it!


Preorder Beasts! Book 1 softcover

Preorder Beasts! Book 2 hardcover

Me? I'm off to crawl the internet to find myself a copy of Book 1 in hardcover. Cause I'm a sucker like that.


- TFM

Review: No Hero #2

I have to agree with Dave at Secret Headquarters. The other day he said something to the effect of "With Warren Ellis, I either like it or I really like it". No Hero is on issue #2 and so far, by all accounts, this falls into the "really like" column.

The world has one superhero team, The Front Line, created and hand selected by a gent named Carrick Masterson. Carrick created the synthetic drug FX7, which is the only known supplement which will give a regular person superpowers (although it appears the American government has tried several times with less than desirable results).

Anyways- The Front Line has recently been mysteriously and maliciously ambushed taking two of their members out of commission. Desperate to fill the ranks to fend off any more direct attempts at taking another piece of the team, Carrick has whisked away a young crime fighter by the name of Joshua. Joshua doesn't have any superpowers per se, but he's been diligently taking out bad guys in his neighborhood trying to attract the attention of Carrick and The Front Line. Now he has and at the end of the issue, as Carrick offers Joshua his first taste of FX7, he has to answer the all important question (and The Front Line tag line): How much do you want to be a superhuman?

The last four pages are filled with equal parts disgustingness and intrigue.

Issue #2 of No Hero is still setting up the pieces (presumably so they can all be knocked down again) but as much as I quite enjoy most everything Mr. Ellis does, for whatever reason this series seems to have some extra Awesome thrown in. Juan Jose Ryp's art is mesmerizing as usual. There's really no reason why you shouldn't be reading this right now, is there?

No, there isn't.

- TFM

Batman: The Cult

See what happens when you keep a positive attitude? Check out what I found at my neighborhood comic shop:

Four issues. Prestige format. First printings.

Batman: The Cult was written by Jim Starlin. Jim Starlin wrote the Batman storyline A Death In The Family in the late 1980's, which to this day is one of my most cherished comic book memories as a little nerd. I've never read this mini and I'm not sure how rare finding first printing single issues is, but that isn't the larger point. The point is I'm excited to take a trip back to my personal comics golden age, the 1980's. These moments are few and far between so you have to cherish them.

From Wikipedia:

The story follows the machinations of Deacon Blackfire and his band of homeless followers who have kidnapped Batman before the events of this story. Following a lengthy period of captivity Batman slowly succumbs to brainwashing. This eventually leads to him committing a murder in what proved to be controversial events among fans of the range. Under instructions from Blackfire, Batman opens fire with a machine-gun upon a man he believes to be Two-Face but ultimately turns out not to be. Batman is eventually freed from the cult but takes a long time to recover from his treatment at their hands. The story also delves into other territory. Gotham City politicians are assassinated by Blackfire's party of followers. An attempt on Commissioner Gordon's life is tried by Blackfire's group, leaving the commissioner in a hospital. Beyond Gotham authorities to protect the city, the National Guard is called in, then the Military and Martial Law is declared on Gotham. The series also features the second Robin, Jason Todd.

Given the nature of the story and Batman's apparent murder of an innocent civilian this story proved to be controversial among fans of the range. There were other graphic depictions in this series: the scarred face of a hooker victim leaves Batman in shock, while the comic panel clearly shows the reader what her scarred face looks like. Also the decapitated head of a Gotham City politician is tossed out of a sewer hole onto the street. The main villain Deacon Blackfire is seen bathing in a pit of blood from the dead corpses he has hanging above him.^[2] Due to the prestige format, DC was able to surpass the Comics Code Authority.

IGN Comics ranked Batman: The Cult #6 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying that "the story is told with callous brutality that makes it all the more powerful."^[1]

P.S. This is why I love Secret Headquarters. If you live in the neighborhood of Los Feliz / Silver Lake / Echo Park make this your go to place.

- TFM

Back to Brooklyn #1 (of 5)

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.

Stop whatever you are doing and go buy this.

- TFM

What I'm Gettin' - (08/06/08)

What's waiting for me at the comic shop today:

Final Crisis #3 (w00t!)
House of Mystery #4
Jack of Fables #24
Vinyl Underground #11
Criminal 2 #4
Eternals #3
Invincible Iron Man #4
Twelve #7
The Boys #21
Crossed #0
Killer #7 (woah! really?!)
DMZ Vol. 5 The Hidden War

Wow. That's a whole lot of greatness right now. Can't remember a week this epic in a long time.

Reviews to come later.

- TFM

Thor #10

Loki is trouble.

And she shows it here. The issue picks up in the middle of the conversation we were in at the end of #9: Loki explaining to Balder that he is a son of Odin and a half-brother to Thor.

Turns out during one of Odin's victory orgies back in the day, he impregnated one of his supple bedmates (her name is Frigga- learn more here). After the birth of Balder, Odin has unsettling dreams about his newborn son's future death in a battle for all of Asgard. He seeks out the meaning to this and learns that Balder is the key to the continuation of his lineage. The catch is Balder must not die before the coming of Ragnarok or all bets are off. Therefore, Balder's familial situation is kept a secret from him.

Until Loki spills the beans. This is all under the guise of the "new face" of Loki: kind, gentle, helpful, truthful. She urges Balder to ask Thor for the truth. Turns out she's not lying.

The issue ends with Loki asking Balder, in return for her good deed, that he allow her to counsel and advise him on his new position as a Prince of Asgard. The last panel easily conjures up one of the strongest feelings of uneasiness from a comic in recent memory.

Well done JMS and team. If you're not reading this, kick yourself in the ass and get with it already.

- TFM