Boundless Plug of the Week ' WAR GODDESS #9

Sexy heroine? Check. Zombies? Check. Ass-kicking? Check. Naked beauty's torso floating in the juices of a heavily armed exoskeleton? Check. Looks like the new issue of War Goddess is ready for release!

In War Goddess #9, which hits comic shops tomorrow, the immortal Pandora trespasses on an offshore platform guarded by Shimmer, a massive cybernetic juggernaut. Pandora, in her quest to eliminate the extra-dimensional evil she unwittingly unleashed earlier in the series, must now convince the walking tank ' one programmed to eliminate all intruders ' to assist in wiping out the army of corrupted employees stalking the platform's corridors. It's not an easy job. Shimmer's programming runs deep, and there's not much time for argument with zombies flooding the labyrinthine corridors.

Enjoy our preview of War Goddess #9 below, as written by Mike Wolfer (Stitched, Lady Death) and illustrated by Andres Ponce!

War Goddess #9 is available in a handful of variant cover editions, allowing fans the freedom of choice! Our available covers include Regular, Sultry, and Wraparound. Select retailers may also have the Art Nouveau Incentive edition available.

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WAR GODDESS #9 Regular Edition
Cover by Renato Camilo
$3.99 US Retail, Item Code: MAY121007

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WAR GODDESS #9 Sultry Edition
Cover by Renato Camilo
$3.99 US Retail, Item Code: MAY121008

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WAR GODDESS #9 Wraparound Edition
Cover by Michael DiPascale
$3.99 US Retail, Item Code: MAY121009

Steve Pink In Talks To Direct Bad Santa 2

We've known since last year that Billy Bob Thornton was plotting a return to the red and white suit for Bad Santa 2, but what a lot of people were waiting on was news of whether Terry Zwigoff would be returning as director. Apparently this won't be the case, as Deadline reported today that Steve Pink is currently in talks to direct and also to rewrite Johnny Rosenthal's script.

As well as directing recent comedy films Accepted and Hot Tub Time Machine, Pink was also a co-writer on Grosse Pointe Blank and High Fidelity, although in the case of the latter film all the best lines (and about 80% of the dialogue) were lifted directly from the novel, causing author Nick Hornby to comment, 'At times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book.'

Pink also appears to be attached in a directorial role to The True Memoirs of an International Assassin, a film about an author who finds himself thrown into the world of assassination and intrigue he has created after publishers accidentally change his book from fiction to non-fiction. It sounds like an interesting idea but there's no word so far on when (or if) it's going to happen.

Black Kiss 2 Is The Most Sexually Explicit Image Comic Book To Date By A Multitide Of Erect Penises

I remember the days when Steve Geppi used to rail against the portrayal of a birth in Miracleman as the kind of content that Diamond should not distribute. (They did distribute it.) When Howard Chaykin's Black Kiss was published, it was published by a minor publisher and distributed in sealed bags to as not of offend browsers. While it had sexual content, famously full frontal naked scenes with a pre-op transexual, it was far more a hard boiled LA thriller with religion, Hollywood and vampires. Those looking for sexual jollies would find more joy elsewhere.

And joy they found. Diamond created a special separate section of Previews for the more pornographically aware titles that profilated in the eighties and early nineties (now relegated to an online-only PDF.)

This week, Image Comics publish Black Kiss 2. Rather than being hidden away, it has pride of place in the premier section of Previews. Image have published a number of books that were sexually explicit to varying degrees, Butcher Baker being a prominent example. But nothing like Black Kiss 2. The explicitness of Milo Manara, currently to be republished by Dark Horse in English, is kept in a big heavy hardcover, but this is in floppy form. Even if the penises aren't. From page two we're already putting it now, Tom. The comic is marked Mature Readers, but this may still catch many people unawares.

This is set on the East Coast, decades before the original. That's right folks because, despite the '2' in the title, this isn't a sequel, it's Before Black Kiss. Looking at the beginning of the supernatural cult on the other side ofthe country and a certain individual on the Titanic who has a very different story to Leonardo DeCaprio.

It's intelligently told, with some great storytelling tricks along the way. The cinema sequence is especially strong, the unchanging audience confronted by scenes on a cinema screen that change them dramatically.

There's even a sex class structure at work here, defined by position, both sexual and in society. The language of bodily parts on conjunction with each other, spreads wide. As it were.

The use of photography reminds me very much of the earlier work of Brian Bendis, but it's used with greater scope here, grounding this series in reality, just as you step up into the supernatural. And all the penises you can muster.
Fifty shades of Howard Chaykin and all in black and white.

And for those who care, there are many lady parts to accompany the men's bits. But if I catch any of you fiddling with yourself when reading this, then I will be having words. The themes, attitudes and horror of the situation presented should have the opposite effect.

Black Kiss 2 by Howard Chaykin is published by Image Comics tomorrow.

 

 

 

Video: A Live Action Nausicaä Spin-Off From Studio Ghibli And Evangelion's Hideaki Anno

Shunji Higuchi, a storyboard artist on Evangelion, has directed a live action film featuring the God Warriors from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It's going to be screening at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo between now and October, and a trailer was screened on Japanese TV recently (via ANN).

The film was 'developed' by Hideaki Anno. I'm not sure what that means, specifically. Still, it's a good looking bit of showing off and the full film is bound to draw in a lot of punters to the museum, and likely sell a lot of plastic toy God Warriors to them while they're there.

A New French Trailer For Taken 2 Brings The Stunts ' Plus Bonus Featurette

Only one of these videos talks English, but they both talk Taken and, really, it's that language of wham and bam we're most interested in here.

This is the new French trailer for Taken 2. If I find a VO version, I will bring that to you too.

And here's a promo featurette with Liam Neeson talking the film up somewhat, amidst clips.

Kieron Gillen And Greg Land Launch Invincible Iron Man For Marvel Now! (RWIYOTAAPJ)

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

Warner Bros. Set Wheels In Motion For A Prequel To The Shining, As Stephen King Readies His Own Sequel

While Stephen King will soon release Dr. Sleep, his sequel to The Shining, Warner Bros. have started, very quietly, on early work that could lead to a prequel for their film version.

The project has a long way to go to the screen, but Warner Bros. have called in Laeta Kalogridis, Bradley Fischer and James Vanderbilt to produce the new film. Kalogridis worked with James Cameron on the script for Avatar, wrote his Battle Angel script, and also penned Scorsese's Shutter Island; Vanderbilt drafted Zodiac and the original pass at The Amazing Spider-Man.

The LA Times tried to get an official statement from WB, but one was (predictably) not forthcoming.

It's possible, then, that we'll have duelling Shining spin-offs in a couple-few years. A prequel to Kubrick's movie on one hand, and likely without the support of King; and an adaptation of his Dr. Sleep set up elsewhere.

Here's the blurb for Dr. Sleep, then a video of King reading from the unpublished book.

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless'mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the 'steam' that children with the 'shining' produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant 'shining' power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.'

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Updated Synopsis For Walt Disney's Frozen Reveals New Characters And Plot Twists

Disney were, for some time, working on an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen and I suppose they still are, though the ongoing tweaks to the plot and characters of Frozen justify the name change more and more each time I read some new info.

A month or so ago, the official blurb read like this:

In Frozen, a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Idina Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

And now I've procured something a little more detailed for us:

When Anna is cursed by her estranged sister, the cold-hearted Snow Queen, Anna's only hope of reversing the curse is to survive a perilous but thrilling journey across an icy and unforgiving landscape. Joined by a rugged, thrill-seeking outdoorsman, his one-antlered reindeer and a hapless snowman, Anna must race against time, conquer the elements and battle an army of menacing snowmen if she ever hopes to melt her frozen heart.

That's Disney's current official description of the film.

So, that Snow Queen character remains, but everything else is stepping further and further away from the original tale.

Not intrinsically a bad thing, and the reindeer and snowman characters are just the kind of thing Disney have made great play of before ' which, to put it another way, marks the film out as a touch unoriginal.

Sometime Tim Burton collaborator and longtime Disney director and animator Chris Buck is in charge of Frozen, with Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel in the lead roles of Anna and her cold hearted sister. The US release is set for November next year. We may be lucky and see a teaser with either Finding Nemo, Wreck-It Ralph or this December's 3D re-release of the first Monsters Inc. I can't quite believe we'll get through winter without seeing something.

Hypernaturals #1 Sells Out Of Second Print, Goes To Third

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

Rentaghost Movie Gets Dreamworks Director (So Let's Watch Some Rentaghost)

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

Swipe File: Matches Malone And Axe Cop

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

Review: National Comics: Eternity #1

Louie Falcetti writes for Bleeding Cool;

Personally, I've scratched my head at some of the choices that DC has made regarding it's comic lines. Thankfully, the publication of National Comics: Kid Eternity is not one of those head scratch inducing choices. It's a formula that you wonder isn't followed more often, you know, great writer plus great artist minus nosebleed inducing company wide continuity shenanigans. Consider Kid Eternity to be the olive branch, held out over the divisive 52 rift, saying, 'Look, it's not all Catwoman contortions and reappearing, disappearing Robins. We haven't forgotten about you, regular comic reader.'

One of the creative hurdles holding back story development these days is the origin story. Nothing puts the brakes on an audience members interest like the immediate rehashing of a characters troubled beginnings. These days the more savy writer will introduce the character and then dole out bits of origin as the tale goes on, giving you something to sate your appetite but leaving you hungry for more. It's hard to just take someone random and say, 'Look, this is how they became this person that you don't yet care about, but should'. It's like if a total stranger started talking to you about the worst day of their childhood. You'd more than likely be asking yourself, 'Why do I care about this?' But the Lemire/Hamner/Donovan team deliver Kid Eternity's origin in a brisk, clear three page spurt. Granted, it's a One-Shot and they don't have a ton of time to dillydally but I digress and still champion the brevity.

Christopher Freeman is the newest incarnation of the 70 year old character, though it's not the first time he's worn that name. He's been a lot of things under the various imprints that have owned the Kid Eternity trademark since his 1941 conceptions, but this most recent imagining immediately feels more accessible and comfortable than his Vertigo predecessor. Christopher Freeman, the son of a star cop, dies with his dad, but for some reason comes back. Now he can reach into the afterlife and pull out the spirits of the recently deceased to help them solve the mystery of what happened to them.

If it sounds like a lot of network TV dreck, well, that's because network TV has realized that square jawed doctors and screw-the-rules cops aren't enough to hold the viewers' attention anymore. They're embracing genre and have been doing it more and more over the last two decades, with no end in sight (Grimm, I'm looking in your direction). But unlike network TV dreck, Kid Eternity isn't ham fisted, superficial or insulting to your mental pallete.

The first issue is a twist filled mystery that's not so far off that it couldn't be our world. Grounding baby, that's what that's called, and it's great when you don't have to run to wikipedia to quickly find out who all of these brawny, cape sporting folks you don't recognize are. Hamner's work feels like storyboards for the coolest animated show that's not actually real, and when you find out that Val Staples does the colors you can hardly be surprised  by how much you were digging it.

Christopher Freeman is a kid with a gift that is more like a curse, with a life that's more like a death, a job that's more like a weight and a love life that's, well, I guess calling it D.O.A. would be a little tacky. It's a one-shot, or is it? The end of the book offers excited question marks, making the reader hope (and pray) that enough copies move to give a little more room for this dynamic creative team to play with the dark but relatable world of Kid Eternity.=

Do You Have Military Experience? Want To Be In Thor 2?

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

Dave Gibbons Dismisses Before Watchmen As 'Really Not Canon'

This is Dave Gibbons first comment on Before Watchmen since his words quoted in the DC Press Release that, even then, seemed rather awkwardly ' or rather precisely ' chosen, so as not to give them any real blessing.

Butwhen talking about his new Madefire comic and his new gaming work for GameCity Nights, Dave Gibbons talked about Watchmen at length, and also mentioned the prequels when talking about the Watchmen video game, with a mocking laugh in his voice. He said (about one hour seven minutes in);

'It was a little bit out of my control, but they actually paid me quite a lot of money to be a consultant on it. I looked at two of the cut scenes and drew over a bit of artwork to show how I would draw it. That's what they paid me' well, I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many thousand dollars for. But I was a distant consultant.

'I didn't have a lot of input in it. To me anything to do with the movies ' as far as I'm concerned, what Alan and I did was the Watchmen graphic novel and a couple of illustrations that came out at the same time. Everything else ' the movie, the game, the [laugh] prequels ' are really not canon. They're subsidiary. They're not really Watchmen. They're just something different.

'So I was quite happy to say with the video game, yeah, I like that, and I don't like that, and, that's okay, because it wasn't really anything that impinged on what we'd done creatively.'

You can see him talking at length here;

 

The Little Guys Of Comic Con

Will Romine wrote for Bleeding Cool from San Diego Comic Con;

Now that the initial hubbub of Comic Con footage and breaking news has died down, I thought I'd give some ink to the little guys of the Con. These folks don't get nearly enough recognition.  The big boys of Comic Con roll in with their sizzle reels, autograph signings and free tee shirts, spending millions to kiss the ring of the geek community and gain our blessing for their mega scale projects.

The little guys, on the other hand, arrive with nothing more than an attendee badge, xeroxed promo materials, and dreams. These guys may not have the coffers of a Warner Brothers or a Marvel Comics, but they have something equally valuable: heart. I discovered one of these little guys in the men's room, of all places.As I lowered myself to vanquish the double-headed hydra of con-walking and poor eating choices, the following comic strip greeted me at eye level.

The strip is called 'The Missing Digit'.  If it was just a couple of stick figures reading the phone book, I would have at least given the artist props for strategic product placement; an audience is at its most captive with pants at half-mast.  That the comic strip was genuinely funny made me want to meet this master craftsman.  I followed the link and met the mind behind my toilet-time reading.

Alan Truong is an Atlanta area cartoonist who has decided to do what he loves first, and then find someone to pay him for it later.  The 'micro tag' that I found in my stall was one of thousands that he placed all around San Diego at places where people tend to direct their focus.  From bathroom stalls to the 'eye' of the SDCC logo, no target was left untagged.  'It's like an Easter Egg hunt' said Truong,  'I find fun places to hide them and hope that, when people find them, I can bring a little chuckle to their day and maybe direct them to my site.'  As a result of his SDCC micro tagging blitz, his site has been featured on icanhazcheeseburger.com, a remarkable feat for a website with no discernible cat-content.  Mr. Truong would eventually like to get his website up to a million unique hits, but what's more important to him is that the site offers to the masses what his microtag does for the lucky individual.

If you want to brighten both your day and his, go to www.TheMissingDigit.com.  It's cheaper than KickStarter and unlike KickStarter, the Missing Digit is updated twice weekly.  You can also follow him @themisseddigit.  Alan Truong loves you and wants you to be happy.

Now Is The Time To Buy' Smallville The Complete Series

The complete ten season box set of Smallville has a recommended retailer price of $339.88.

Yesterday, Amazon wwas selling it for $208.19.

Today, as part of Amazon's Gold Box promotion, it's a further $55 off, at $152.99, that's 55% off the list price.

Which means, if you want it, today is the day to buy Smallville Complete Ten Season Box Set.

Tomorrow, it won't be.

Redband Improv And Outtake Reel For The Watch

Once upon a time, I read and wrote something about a mysterious JJ Abrams project called Collider. At that time, nothing was really known about it, except that Abrams was in someway involved, likely as a producer, and that it would be some kind of sci-fi feature film. Now, at least, we know who had'

A1 Issue Zero Launches, Digitally, For Free, Right Here

We teased that this was coming. And now here it is, for free, A1 issue zero, from Dave Elliott and friends.

The 60 page  book contains previews and character designs for Odyssey and Odyssey: Blazing Glory by Dave Elliott, Garrie Gastonny and Sakti Yuwono, Carpo Diem by Rhoald Marcelius and Sakti Yowono, and Weirding Willows by Dave Elliott and Sami Basra.

The first full issue will be out in October, also availablke digitally' for a price!

So' what do you think?

 

Stolen: Inkwell Awards Books

Bob Almond writes about a theft of work stolen during delivery by USPS. Has anyone encountered anyone trying to sell these items?

STOLEN! Got back parcels of our Inkwell Awards materials following Heroes Con from the USPS and one box was empty although it had the stamp for $13.44 and had been resealed. Problem is we didn't insure the box so I could only get the postage reimbursed and place a report with the inspector general. Stolen items include the final three out of the five limited and numbered Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge editions (signed by Joe, Terry Austin, Daniel Best and myself), (6?) copies of the Joe Sinnott signed & numbered editions of the book, several regular edition copies, regular editions of our Donation Books from 2010 (Randy Green cover), 2010 (Craig Rousseau cover), and 2011 (Louis Small cover) including almost half of the signed and numbered copies of the Craig Rousseau 2011 edition, the 2010 (Rousseau cover) multi-signed edition (Craig Rousseau, Bob Almond, Enrique Savory, Jr., Sara Richard, Brian Kong, Jim Tournas, Joe Sinnott, Mike McKone, Nicole Hansche, Ethan Van Sciver and Joe Haley), and the last three Joe Sinnott signed 2010 blank variant printer defect editions. This may not seem like much but we're still a small non-profit with a meager budget at best so this hit after so many recent financial losses are crippling to the organization. I won't hold my breath but hoping for a miracle. Developing'.

You can see the items here'

Katniss Everdeen Barbie Doll Surviving In The Wild

How I feel about this particular (not yet officially released) piece of merchandise, I suppose, depends on whether I convince myself it's Katniss Everdeen made into a Barbie doll, or a Barbie doll made into Katniss Everdeen. I am thankful, though, that it's not Bella Swan.

I did see one young Katniss cosplayer at San Diego who really looked the part, despite being a couple-few years too young. Thought that I'd have been proud if she was my kid. I suspect the only use she'd have for a doll like this one is for target practice.

Thanks to Hunger Games Trilogy for the find.

Green Lantern #11 To Show Us A New Image Of The Future (SPOILERS)

Tomorrow sees the launch of Green Lantern #11, the beginning of the new Black Hand story, in which our grave-robbingne'er do well returns to cause all sorts of mischief, sending Sinestron and Hal Jordan on a mission to recapture him.

Naturally I was in time to download it last week when it was made accidentally available (and there are a coupld of Mark Waidish moments in the Guided view on ComiXology which are worth checking out as well).

But during that mission, they get a glimpse of the future. Including a certain Kick Ass-Green Lantern crossed fellow who we last saw in the Free Comic Book Day glimpse of the future.

Could he be part of the Third Army? THe one that follows both the Manhunters and the Green Lantern?

Spoilers, sweetie'

Monday Runaround ' The Doctor Will See You Now

WatchWatch: Watchmensch gets featured in a Swedish book on Jewish Comics. Blimey. All official and everything,

BagWatch: Comics Alliance taps up superhero art, still in their plastic bags, from Simon Monk.

YuWatch: Leinil Yu gets profiled by Yahoo Singapore.

PointWatch: That Marvel NOW! Point One image so far.

DoctorWatch: Bryan Talbot receives his second Doctorate.

GuidoWatch: I make a Cable joke about Liberal Democrat Vince Cable's march on power at Guido Fawkes this morning.

This is Computo the Comic Link Conqueror speaking. I come for your women. But for now I merely collate comic-related bits and pieces online. One day I will rule. Until that day, read on.

They say I am a work in progress. The fools.

The Legal View: Historic Documents in the Siegel & Shuster Lawsuits | The Beat

We've seen much of this before, but not in one place. Especially worth noting are full copies of the complaint, court opinions & settlement in the 1947 Siegel & Shuster lawsuit.

Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (OFFICIAL TRAILER) ' YouTube

This Fall, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming to Nickelodeon!

Awesome gender-bent Avengers cosplayers! ' | Agent M Loves Tacos

Awesome gender-bent Avengers cosplayers!

All that matters at San Diego Comic Con: A Retail Rundown from the #1 Comic Dealer | ComicConMen

While I opened with a genuine 'bow down' to TWD, another creator owned franchise did crazy numbers- KICK ASS. The new volume 2 hardcovers sold out of significant copies by first thing on Sunday morning, and I know we could have ordered/moved even more. Kinda kicking myself for that one, yet still pleased with the results. Kick Ass Volume one tpbs spiked too, and HIT GIRL was a surprise darling jumping from big sales at $5 to kissing $10 on the convention floor, selling out of all 80 copies we brought.

 

A1 To Relaunch Digitally, This Week

Sometime this week, I don't know where, I don't know when, Dave Elliott will relaunch A1. For the fourth (I think) time.

Originally spinning out of Dave's time at Quality Communications working on Warrior, he and Garry Leach created Atomeka, to publish A1, containing the creator owned work of Alan Moore, Garry Leach, Brian Bolland, Warren Ellis, Steve Pugh, Ted McKeever, Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, Phil Winslade and many more, in a series of much-loved volumes.

It then made the move to Marvel's Epic Comics, where it absorbed more American creators such as Kyle Baker and Evan Dorkin.

It then had a brief revival with Keith Giffen and Ross Richie in a sort of proto-Boom! Studios fashion, with new volumes and an attempt to republish the forgotten stepchild of Warrior, Alan Moore and Steve Parkhouse's sitcomic The Bojeffries Saga.

And now it's coming back for another time, without the burden of print. A1 #0 will be somewhere this week, with a full #1 being digitally published in October.

The Aurora Killings And The Comics Industry

From the Aurora vigil.

Reaction across the comic book industry and media to the Denver shootings has been widespread, as you might expect. The Denver Comic Con put out this ribbon image, and called for blood donations.

Blame on the Batman has been a common thread,with the Washington Examiner's connection to a scene in the Dark Knight Returns comics spreading around the place, though it seems the Bleeding Cool piece helped rein that in a little, and Fox News went in the opposite direction to much of the media. We were quoted in The Times and, though called by Sky Nws for comment, they didn't call back after it seems realising that I didn't subscribe to the view that Batman was to blame.

However recent discoveries of posters, comics  and other Batman paraphenalia in the suspected killer's apatment only look to bring more attention to his choice of film in which to carry out this atrocity, as well as his reported activity in jail, acting as The Joker. His first appearance in court is today.

Takings on the movie are down as a results of the shootings, causing some to not want to see the show, or at least postpone it. AMC cinemas also decided to ban cosplayers attending the show for fear, it seems, of what they may be hiding or what their intent may be. The Academy of Motion Pictures held a silence for the victims before their showing of the movie.

DC Comics sent out a letter to their freelance creators asking not to comment on the story aside from offering condolences. I understand the Bat offices have been considering looking again at their planned massive Joker storyline set to crossover across the line for many months, intended to be very dark indeed.  Personally, I think it would be a bad idea, but I can understand why people may make that decision. Making changes because of the actions of extremists only rewards them, and time does dull sensitivity ' the books are planned for later in the year.

Neil Gaiman asked, in such circumstances as these, the names of the killers could not be mentioned, indeed, stripped from history books, so as not to encourage or reward those who look for publicity.

Weirdly, an Italian newspaper decided to name Neil Gaiman as the father of Batman, and somehow possibly responsible for the killings.

The media, eh? Can't live with them and' I forget the rest.

Living In Stan Lee's World ' And Building A New One

Skip Harvey wrote for Bleeding Cool from San Diego Comic Con

Stan Lee may be the hardest working man in media. After seeing in both in L.A. and while presenting 'Stan Lee's World of Heroes', I'm convinced his chest contains some sort of Infinity Gem.  Based on his enthusiasm Stan seems to have willed his new YouTube Channel in to our computers without need of Internet.

That having been said, this project seems more ambitious and to have more credibility than many of his recent endeavors. Once again Stan is delegating much of the creative input to a high profile cast, including Mark Hamill (an unnamed podcast), Peter David (the unfinished but scripted cartoon 'Head Cases'), Adrian Curry (reality show 'Superfans'), America Young (live action scripted comedy 'Geek Therapy'), and Bonnie Burton ('Geek DIY ' 'nuff said).

Room 8 isn't spacious, nor is it often used for content announcements from one of the larger publishers. The Marvel All Winners Squad, however, managed to snag hot Geek commodity Morgan Spurlock as a moderator and with him, came cosplay. Much in the tone of Harvey Birdman, GLA: Disassembled or Dan Slott's She-Hulk, 'All Winners Squad' is a short animated web series featuring collection of D-list Marvel characters such as The Unicorn, Squirrel Girl, Frogman, Walrus, Ruby Tuesday, the indomitable Howard the Duck and Hypno Hustler (think Blackslpoitation Dazzler).

Seeking Fulfillment From A Bryan Fuller T-Shirt

Steve Robles wrote for Bleeding Cool from San Diego Comic Con

At the panel for Bryan Fuller, the man behind 'Pushing Daisies', 'Dead Like Me' and the new 'The Munsters' reboot 'Mockingbird Lane', I received a ticket for a t-shirt promoting his new NBC project 'Hannibal'. It's based on the early interactions between Thomas Harris' Det. Graham and Hannibal Lecter, the 'Cannibal' made famous in 'The Silence of The Lambs'.

I had never gotten a ticket for anything at previous Cons, so after asking what to do with it, I was told to head over to the Mariott next door to claim my prize at 'The Fullfillment Room'. Hell, who doesn't want a bit of fulfillment, especially when it comes with a free t-shirt?

Sunday morning, I took my place in line with a few dozen people also seeking fulfillment. As it did for most of the Convention, standing in line led to a discussion about how to avoid standing in line and how and why Con has, in part, become a monster that's eating itself.

Behind me, George from Santee, a suburb of San Diego is decked out in a Steampunk outfit, his jaunty top hat adorned with clocks and gears. His eyes are tired but twinkle when he recalls how Con brought him closer to his family. Though his children had been coming for years, it wasn't until a few years ago that he'd been willing to join them. He took a special interest in the trappings of the Steampunk culture and soon he was joining his kids on trips to Steampunk conventions beyond Con.

He also speaks from a local's perspective about the crowds, the snarls of human and vehicular traffic and the sheer number of fans and spectators that threaten to get out of control.

Joining in the dialogue is a man from Australia, Joseph, who is freelancing stories for a number of sources. His shirt is embroidered with dozens of ants with green abdomens. He and I chat a bit about the foreign perspective on Comic Con and he explains that his part of the world thirsts for just about any tidbit they can get about the Hollywood stars that provide the bulk of the spectacle.

A cute young lady, Jane, asks him about the ants on his shirt and he explains they are Queensland Sugar Ants. Cultivated properly, he says, their abdomens can be harvested as a sweet treat. He has dreams of distilling the sweet nectar into a liquor someday.

Small, blonde, her face scarred by acne, Jane joins in our conversation about the social aspect of ComicCon with a story about how she met her current partner at last year's Con. Coincidentally, her partner returns to line. Short with mousy brown hair and plain expression, her partner Shelly offers no verbal contribution to Jane's story about how they met. Jane was a San Diego local before moving to Denver earlier in the year. Last year, the pair met in line for a panel and became fast friends and eventually romantic partners, communicating mostly by Internet before their rendezvous at this year's Con.

For George, Jane and Shelly, Comic Con is a treasured yearly tradition. A place to meet and share time with loved ones, surrounded by people who will neither scorn nor judge them.

I offer my thoughts on how Con is a place for people who can't share their passion for Star Wars or Trek with the people with whom they normally associate. Each of them agrees that Con is a haven for alternative cultures extending beyond comics and movies. So many disenfranchised cultures make their own personal Hajj to the Mecca of the San Diego convention center where they walk endless miles, consume little food and water and find themselves exhausted, their bodies near their physical limits.

As people are trampled to death in Islam's biggest congregation, so ComicCon has had its death this year in the form of a middle-aged Twilight fan who was struck and killed by an elderly driver a couple of days before the event started. A few years ago, one Harry Potter fan stabbed another in the eye with a pen over seating arrangements.

All of this happens yearly in the name of a nameless concept. What is it? Call it Geek, Nerd, Dork or something else. Whatever it is, the power of its vortex sucks in fans from all over the world. Eager to leave their homes, sometimes their families, in pursuit of a common ground on which to explore, discuss and share their innermost passions with other fringe-dwellers.

Though I think the Hajj analogy pushes my line-mates a little over the line, they feel the same way as I do. No matter the length of line, price of collectible or fatigue of feet, they are ready to do it all again next year.

The line shifts and we move on toward fulfillment. As we break apart, probably never to see one another again, I am reminded of ants like the ones on Joseph's shirt. They travel in an endless stream, occasionally clump together to share sustenance and information and then move on. Do those ants ever see each other again? Can I ever understand what inexplicable force drew them together for the moment I saw them? Does our little nerd-bundle look any more significant to anyone casually observing?

I don't know if I found fulfillment in that room at the end of the line but I did walk away with a shirt that screams 'EAT THE RUDE' and a little more perspective on the whys and wherefores of this Geek Hajj. Sometimes swag and enlightenment make the day worthwhile.

Saturday Trending Topics: You Will Believe A Man Can Fly

Give or take 25 years. Or 75. There's an interestingly diverse reaction to the Man of Steel teaser in the forum, and I'm not sure what to make of it myself, quite yet ' though as an advance teaser and not a 'real' trailer, I think it does the job.

Most-Read TV/Film Stories Today:

Two Teaser Trailers For Man Of Steel, Zack Snyder's Superman Movie

Just surfacing on the Internet are a pair of (almost identical) teasers for Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman movie Man Of Steel starring Henry Cavill.

Remember Denver. But Not The Killer. 

Last night a madman with guns and gas canisters, gas mask and bulletproof vest, tooled up and entered a cinema to shoot as many people as he could.

Red Dwarf X Gets A Teaser Trailer

It's back. The laugh track is back. The guitar riff is back. It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere'. Red Dwarf X. Coming soon.

Most-Read Comic Stories Today:

Just A Beautifully Structured Comic 

Well, this week's Justice League #11 wasn't far off. Now, be warned there are big spoilers here. You okay with that? Good.

Swipe File: Watchmen And Wolverine

I thought this one was a little too obvious, but I've received numerous e-mails asking why I haven't run it, so here we go. Here is Warbird, undergoing a Rorschach examination by the Shi'ar Empire in the most recent Wolverine And The X-Men.

Would You Buy Batman For A Dollar?

Batman, Dark Knight, Catwoman and Batman And Robin are currently on offer from Discount Mags as $11.99 a year, or $1 an issue. That's 2/3 off the price of Dark Knight, Catwoman and Batman And Robin, or 3/4 off the price of Batman.

 

Would You Buy Batman For A Dollar?

Batman, Dark Knight, Catwoman and Batman And Robin are currently on offer from Discount Mags as $11.99 a year, or $1 an issue. That's 2/3 off the price of Dark Knight, Catwoman and Batman And Robin, or 3/4 off the price of Batman.

It's a hell of a good deal and is far less than the retailers, let along the distributor pays. Indeed, it may be worth a number of retailers using this deal to supply a certain amount of their stock'

Sixteen San Diego Comic Con Panels In Full Audio

Thank you Jamie Colville and your amazing mutant powers of recording combined with HTML mastery and photography! Sixteen San Diego Comic Con panels, recorded with audio. I even appear to be on a couple of them, but don't let that put you off'

How to Get News Coverage (53:51, 49.3mb)

Moderated by Rik Offenberger, a bunch of comic news sites writers talk about how to get coverage on their sites. One the panel was Rich Johnston, Alan Kistler, Bryan Young, Dan Manser, Holly Golightly, Chris Thompson, J.C. Vaughn, Josh Waldrop, Heidi MacDonald and Glenn Hauman. They talked about what e-mails they did and did not read, what information should be in the e-mail, things that people shouldn't do which will ensure you get ignored, they also talked about smaller sites vs bigger sites when it comes to promoting a project.

Spotlight on Geof Darrow (100:30, 55.3mb)

Geof Darrow wins an Inkpot award and talks about how he got started in comics with Moebius, Frank Miller and the Wachowski Brothers. He showed a partly worked on Shaolin Cowboy Anime that had no audio, but gave funny commentary as it played. He talked in detail about trying to get the anime created and some road bumps he encountered along the way. Geof took the unusual step of asking the audience questions and giving them some signed prints for answering them. The audience did ask him some questions and the Geof talked about good movies the audience should see towards the end.

Bleeding Alliance of Beat Reporters (47:51, 43.8mb)

On this panel was Andy Khouri, Rich Johnston, Heidi MacDonald and Tom Spurgeon. The panel was moderated by Douglas Wolk.

The group talked about making a living with their blogs, how they deal with commentators, how much they write vs editing their contributors, what type of stories get under reported, why they got into comics journalism and they took questions from the audience.

ComicsPro: Retail Optimism (54:31, 49.9mb)

A cross section of retailers talked about reasons to be Optimistic in the current comic market. On the panel was Joe Field (Flying Colors Comics, Concord, CA), Carr D'Angelo (Earth-2 Comics, Sherman Oaks, CA), Thomas Gaul (Corner Store Comics, Anaheim, CA), and Calum Johnston (Strange Adventures Bookshop, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada). From the back Amanda Emmert (Muse Comics + Games, Colorado Springs, CO) asked questions. They revealed some very good news about how the market has rebounded in 2012 and also trades stories with the audience of primarily retailers on cheap, easy promotions that created big sales. They talked about the demographics of readers now and how digital comics market is affecting them, among other topics.

Spotlight on Larry Hama (51:52, 47.4mb)

Larry Hama got an inkpot award to start off the panel. He then began taking questions from the audience. He talked about how his service in Vietnam influenced GI Joe. How old Japanese influenced the ninja aspect of GI Joe. How much long term planning he puts into his stories. Larry spoke about The Baroness and how she was a breakthrough for girl action figures as Hasbro thought boys wouldn't buy those characters at first. He talked about the animated ads for the GI Joe comic books, said they were really a way around using the animation limit to advertise the toys. Larry also talked a bit about his Wolverine run. editing the Nam (a very realistic Marvel book about the war) and how it won an award.

Comic Book Entrepreneurs (50:24, 46.1mb)

Moderated by Rob Salkowitz, on the panel were 4 Comic book Entrepreneurs in different areas of the industry. They were David Steinberger (ComiXology), Mike Richardson (Dark Horse Comics), Peter Levin (Nerdist) and Joe Field (Flying Colors). They all talked about how they started their own businesses and gave tips for doing so to the audience. Other topics were the hardest part of starting their business and fighting back against those that doubt your ability.

A Tribute to Richard Alf (49:20, 45.1mb)

Richard Alf was one of the co-founders of the San Diego Comic Con and was it's chairman in the early years. Moderated by Mike Towry, friends of Richard Ed Cormier, Earl Bookhammer, David Clark, Bob Beerbohm, William Clausen, Paul Sammon, George Clayton Johnson, Greg Koudoulian, David McClone, Denis Smith, Clayton Moore, David Glanzer and Rob Ray from San Diego University gather to talk about meeting Richard, what he was like, how he helped the convention and more.

Full 2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards (2:19:47, 127mb) ' 105 Photos

The 2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards was held in the Indigo Room at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on Friday, July 13th. The welcome was done by Jackie Estrada, Eisner Awards Administrator. Among the presenters are Kayre and Bill Morrison, Tricia Helfer and Michael Trucco, Lynn Johnston and Alison Bechdel, Michael and Laura Allred, George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Ross, RC Harvey, Erin Gray and Michael Uslan, Debbi Derriberri and Phil LaMarr. The Bill Finger Award was presented by Mark Evanier. The Spirit of Comics Retailer Award was presented by Joe Ferrara. The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award was presented by Ruth Clampett. Maggie Thompson did the Memoriam. The Winners can be found at the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards page.

comiXology Open Discussion: Everything Digital (48:16, 44.2mb)

comiXology co-founders David Steinberger and John D. Roberts give a short history of their 5 year old company and then answer questions from the floor.

They announced that Bongo and Abrams are now going to be selling their books digitally through their website. Among the questions they answered were about release times for their new comic books and doing 3D Comics for 3D monitors.

Comics Arts Conference Session #10: Focus on Steve Englehart (49:09, 45mb)

Travis Langley moderated this Q&A with Steve Englehart. They talked about Engleharts formal education and getting into the comic business, working in the Marvel bullpen, the reason he stopped writing the Avengers, his writing for DC Comics, bouncing in and out of the comic industry, his work on the Nightman TV show (a character he created for Malibu), how he got Stan Lee's okay to do a God character in Dr. Strange (funny bit of deception), Marvel vs. DC competition, his views on academic reviews of his work among other topics.

CBLDF: The Fight To Defend Manga (49:20, 45.1mb)

Charles Brownstein gives a bit of history of comics and censorship and what the CBDLF does to fight it. He talks about specific issues with the problems of crossing the Canadian Boarder. With him was Ryan Matheson who talked about his horrendous ordeal when the border authorities deemed an manga chibi parody on his laptop to be child porn and tried to get him to confess to the 'crime.' Matheson talks about the various head games that were played on him while in custody and how eventually all charges were dropped when it was clear they didn't have a case.

Will Eisner and the Graphic Novel (46:14, 42.3mb)

Klaus Janson, Denis Kitchen, Charles Kochman and Diana Schutz talk about Will Einser and his influence on the Graphic Novel. They talked about what underground comics influenced Eisner, Klaus talked about he reacted to Eisner's Graphic Novels when they came out and how Einser influenced him and Frank Miller. The Denis and Diana talked about how it took some time for the format to catch on and even talked a bit about the term itself. The panel was moderated by Charles Brownstein.

Spotlight on Gilbert Shelton (1:78:01, 70.5mb)

Moderator Gary Groth does an interview with Gilbert Shelton and talks about his career. He had a number of pieces of artwork and got Gary to talk about them throughout the interview. Among the topics were origins of Wonder Worthog and Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, talked about working with Harvey Kurtzman and how he knew Janis Joplin, said he used to do graphitti and had a potty character he would spray on billboards, and the how and why he ended up living in France. Shelton also answered questions from the audience.

Ted Naifeh and the 10th Anniversary of Courtney Crumrin (53:26, 48.9mb)

Ted Naifeh talks about what comics he loved as a kid (and still does with one particular character), how he got private art lessons as a kid, talked a bit about his parents and where they worked, his artist influences. Ted spoke a lot about Courtney and designing her as well as the new colour editions of her books. The audience also asked questions about various aspects of Courtney and her world, from particular characters reappearing and potential stories about Courtney as an adult.

Digital Comics Price Fight (51:35, 47.2mb)

Moderated by Chip Mosher, Mark Waid, Jeff Webber, Scott Kurtz, Chris Ross talk about how to price digital comics. Mark Waid was late getting to the panel which lead to Chip calling his cell and leaving a voice message with the audience participation. The group talked about what price a digital comic should be and a bit about how much comics they should get for that price. Scott Kurtz was not shy about talking about his issues with the way ComiXology business works, those on the panel asked the audience some question about pricing structures for digital comics. DRM (digital rights management) was also an issue that was brought up too.

The Fine Line of Inking (50:47, 46.4mb)

On this panel we have a few inker/artists who talk about their work and inking. The panelists are Mark Schultz, Rudy Nebres, Gary Gianni and Andrew Farago was the moderator. Klaus Janson was supposed to be on the panel but was not able to make it for some reason. The group talked about how they got into the industry and their influences. Part way through Rudy was given an inkpot award. A large number of the audience were artists themselves who asked technical questions about inking which the panelists, particularly Rudy, answered for them.

Super Secrets: Lifting the Curtain on the Man of Steel (55:28, 50.7mb)
Larry Tye, author of Superman (a new book about the history of the character) and Mark Waid talk about Jerry Siegel in particular, his father, the origins of the Superman. Waid talks about finding the K-Metal story that Jerry wrote that introduces an early version of Kryptonite and has Superman revealing his secret identity to Lois Lane. Tye talks about George Reeves suicide and the conspiracy theory around it. Waid also talks about the 100 page memoir that Jerry wrote and the lawsuit between the Siegel heirs and Warner Brothers. Tye and Waid gave their opinions on what they think needs to happen for resolution to the case.