A publisher makes a high risk move. Why? To gain new readers. The industry launches their annual Free Comic Book Day. Why? To gain new readers. We argue that prices on print and digital comics need to be dropped. Why? Because we’re broke as hell. And to gain new readers.
So where are these new readers coming from exactly? I think we envision these droves of people with money in hand waiting for some new hobby. As if they’re wandering, looking for that shiny neon Superman sign in the middle of the city saying, “Welcome, Stranger.” If a random person were to find a comic book lying on a bus stop bench, do you think they would read it? Do you think they’d even pick it up? Maybe, just maybe, they’d give it to a kid. But I doubt it.
For lack of a better word, let’s call someone that doesn’t read comics ‘a Goofus’. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the classics. Have you ever tried to get a Goofus to read a comic? A graphic novel? A trade paperback? I have. It’s not exactly a smooth transaction. It basically breaks down like this: Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been sitting here for literally ten minutes trying to come up with some sort of title that worked in an Austin Powers joke. It’s impossible. That property has created a vacuum of comedy. It is now completely devoid of any humor. Shame on me for trying. Moving along…
Hot off the heels of this summer’s successful X-Men: First Class film, which was set in the swinging sixties, Marvel has announced a new mini-series that will take a new Avengers team to 1959. Read the rest of this entry »
Not often I go the route of personal blog-style content on here, but fuck it, I pay the bills so I’ll do as I see fit. This weekend marked my fourth year in attendance to the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (held, naturally, in my hometown of Calgary), which I believe is now the second largest con in Canada only behind Toronto’s FanExpo in August. This year was different however, as instead of walking around from booth to booth (though there was still painfully a lot of that regardless), a fair amount of my time was spent behind one, promoting my comic series Terminals and helping my good friend and comic-partner Rove.
It’s safe to say that CCEE is now a convention to keep your schedule clear for, if you’re the globe-trotting convention type. Last year the con broke their attendance record with close to 20,000 over two days. This year the space tripled, a third day was added, and the place was steadily packed. Though the con is, as I overheard “a quarter the size of San Diego’s” the vibe from the creators and guests was that Calgary is now a legit convention scene. Read the rest of this entry »
You will hear people say “Love stories suck.” Not true. Boring love stories suck. Monotony sucks. The regurgitation of the same plot line sucks. Love stories can be great. They just need to offer something different. Sometimes it even involves vampires. Now, avoiding the topic of the vampire phenomenon sweeping the world, let’s just try and ignore that pop culture nugget. I’m here to talk about Undying Love. A story of a human man in love with a vampire girl and their desperate journey to break her free from her vampire-like chains.
So we’ve got vampires and Chinese folklore with a love story wrapped up in a horror book. John falls for a Chinese vampire girl named Mei. In order to break the curse of the vampire, you have to kill the source vampire-the one that bit her. But then you have to worry about the one that bit him. And it just seems to build from there. Somewhere out there is the mother/father of all vampires and John seems fairly set on hunting them down so he and Mei can be safe. In issue #3 we see the way these two first meet. It’s very romantic. American soldiers in the Syrian desert come in contact with a traveling band of vampires that are trafficking young, vampire girls as sex slaves. Mostly everyone is brutally murdered but these crazy kids find each other and make a run for it. Just warms the cockles of the heart, right? Read the rest of this entry »
There’s been a lot of chatter about comics here lately, hasn’t there? Summer movies, deaths, events. A whole lot has been going on. Everyone is talking about the big DC reboot. Panic is rushing through the hearts of the readers. And you know what? I love it. More over, I love #1s. There’s just something about first issues. It’s the beginning of some adventure. I need no preparation, I don’t need to read a bunch of trades to get caught up. I’ve got my reading pants on and I’m ready to go. I’m just kidding. I don’t wear pants.
So you come to me and say, “Here’s a self-contained story with brand new characters but it’s still copacetic in relation to Marvel’s continuity.” And I get these big-ol’ child-at-Christmas kind of eyes and my heart flutters. You then tell me, “Oh, and it takes place in the thirties. Kind of a pulp fiction/horror/seedy murder tale.” And my eyes have tears of joy and I’m slipping into cardiac arrest. And then you hit me with, “Patrick Zircher will be drawing a bunch of pretty girls and scary stuff in it too.” And then I collapse. From pure elation. Read the rest of this entry »
For many of you (myself included), this July will mark your first visit to the San Diego Comic-Con. As exciting as this is, it’s not unreasonable to find yourself nervous about what to expect. We’ve all heard how overwhelming the event, which draws over 120,000 passionate fans through it’s doors, can be. It’s no mystery either, just how jam-packed the con is, making it imperative to maximize one’s time and efforts, getting the most out of the experience. When I started my preparation for this year’s Comic-Con, an event I’ve dreamed of attending for years, I found a resource that will prove to be absolutely invaluable to SDCC first-timers and returning guests alike.
Doug Kline is the author of The Unauthorized San Diego Comic-Con Survival Guide, and he knows what he’s talking about. The book is the perfect go-to tool for anyone attending the con, covering everything from how to handle the massive lines and keeping yourself alive amidst the chaos, to navigating around the neighboring hot-spots and increasing your chances of getting into that must-see panel or meeting that mega-superstar. I’ve read the book twice now, I’ll probably read it again before the convention, and I’ll probably have it on me when I’m through those doors in San Diego. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re still going on the DC reboot. We’ll be at it for a while too, at least until September, when all fifty-two relaunched titles hit (that’s right… fifty-fucking-two titles in one month).
DC took to their blog, The Source, this time to talk cheddar. Swiss, if you catch my sniff. Dinero. I’m talking that fabulous moolah, and not the female wrestler. No, I mean price point – something that retailers have to be thinking hard about after DC announced that their entire catalogue will be going digital the same day as release. While DC is only talking about the first relaunch title, Justice League, I think it’s safe to assume that the same model can be adapted moving forward.
Justice League will hit stores in print for $3.99. It will also hit the digital store for that same price. For $4.99, you can purchase a special poly-bagged bundle which includes the print version and a redemption code for a free digital download of the issue, giving you both options. I know what you’re thinking, $3.99 for a digital download? What’s the deal? Well, after four weeks, the price of digital downloads – for Justice League – will drop a dollar cheaper to $1.99 (double-sized issues to $2.99 – and#1 is a double-sized). Read the rest of this entry »
Black is white. Up is down. Dogs and cats living together. DC is rebooting. Phew. What a week. If you aren’t picking up what I’m putting down, get caught up with yesterday’s article.
DC’s cutting through the speculation and rumors rather quickly, announcing today some of the major titles and creative teams that will handle them. This is only the tip of the ice-berg, as we’ll be seeing fifty-two relaunched or new titles in total, so expect more updates in the coming weeks. These teams/titles look awesome and I am even more excited for this change-up. I’ll be buying every title (at least the first), so well done on getting my money for now, DC. Well done indeed.
So, straight from the Source – and with cover art! – coming this September we will see: Read the rest of this entry »
That ain’t a typo in the headline, you’re reading it right. Yesterday, DC announced – to a collective ‘WTF’ from most of the internet – that beginning August 31, fifty-two of their titles will be completely relaunched from scratch. The baffling move will come hot off the climax of Flashpoint, the current big DC event series.
But what does that mean, exactly? Honestly, I still haven’t the foggiest, but it seems like the change is as profound as it seems. From what I’ve read here and there online, most current on-goings will come to an “end”, and major characters will be rebooted ala Marvel’s Ultimates style, though in this case I don’t think they’re being treated as alternate entities; there aren’t going to be two different Batman continuities, or two different Supermans… or is there? Fuck, this is confusing.So, each title will relaunch with a new issue #1, and possibly new costumes and origins. The first of the titles to begin anew will be JLA (bringing together the creative team of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, the brains behind this whole thing), and will extend as far as Action Comics and Detective Comics. Still with me? This doesn’t make much sense, but basically DC is doing a universe-wide do-over. At least until Crisis on Infinite Earths II six years from now, when everything will revert to the way it was again. Read the rest of this entry »
The last year has had me paying real close attention to Image and what they’re putting out. When I found out about The Tattered Man – a double-sized one-shot from writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray – I knew the risk was minimal, and potential great. Once I reached the last page, I was glad I had stayed up reading until 1am on a work night.
The biggest hurdle The Tattered Man faces at first glance is familiarity; the book has a definite dark, almost mystical air of Ghost Rider or Spawn. This immediately crashes down hard however, when we’re taken to Auschwitz, among the mass graves of the holocaust. It becomes very real and very disturbing. Palmiotti and Gray are pushing at the rawest nerve in humankind, and for a split second you almost become offended. Writing this took balls. The concept is very small – not a negative, in fact quite the opposite – so I won’t risk ruining it for you with a general summary, but the idea is that out of the holocaust (figuratively and literally) came a spirit. A spirit made from all the suffering, all the rage and all the wrong. We move forward to present day, and the spirit becomes the Tattered Man (again, not saying how), a new entity of vengeance and retribution. Make no mistake, the book is dark, unapologetic and like I said before, ballsy. Read the rest of this entry »
I saw this a few months ago (you know, before you had heard of it, bro), but Bleeding Cool refreshed my memory today. Basically, a gentleman named Gary Shore – a relatively new director who cut his teeth directing some big commercials – took it upon himself to make an incredibly badass Wolverine short-film-cum-faux-trailer out of still images, animations, score and black magic. Honestly, I don’t know how the hell he did it, but it is stunning. Watch it below: Read the rest of this entry »
Remember back in 2007 when the Why So Serious? ARG started, bearing its first fruits in the form of our first look at Heath Ledger? Yeah, I can’t believe it was that long ago too. We’re now two months away from San Diego Comic-Con, and it’s fitting that WB would start up some form of viral for the third film in Christopher Nolan’s franchise. Even though there hasn’t been much official coverage for any of his Bat-films at the annual con, the convention has embraced the viral promotion, and we can expect the same in July, I’m sure.
It went down like this (or rather, up): www.thedarkknightrises.com played a looped .wav file with some weird tribal chanting (presumably something to do with the League of Shadows or lazarus pits); some crafty cats found the twitter hashtag #thefirerises hidden in the audio (that’s some Hackers shit right there); the more people tweeted that hashtag, the more an image would be revealed on the site, very similar to how we first saw the Joker. Now, as of this writing, the image hasn’t fully filled in yet, but somehow every site on the internet has the proper image, in big ‘ol hi-res too. That image: our first look at Tom Hardy as Bane. Check it out (image and sleuthing via Joblo.com): Read the rest of this entry »
“They are strong. They are on guard. They are Alpha Flight.”
Yaaaaaaay! Alpha Flight’s back! Maybe you’re thinking “Oh, that Auburn. Always being sarcastic and feigning joy.” Nope. I’m truly stoked. I think Alpha Flight is great. Everything I know about Canada, I’ve learned from them. (And GKS-but Ryan can’t turn into an arctic fox, so Alpha Flight wins again.) They’re so diverse and in touch with nature. They’re like the after-school special of super heroes. We’ve got a mutant with a mental illness, an openly homosexual mutant, a dude that can change into a Sasquatch, a guy and his wife in battle suits that died but came back, an amphibian woman that also died and returned, a representative of the First Nations that also died and returned, and a Canadian-fauna themed metamorphmagi. Super sweet. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re two months away from SDCC. No official schedule has been released for the event yet, and already I’ve found my weekend – granted, all after-hours – nearly booked. Well scratch all that, because Tr!ckster has arrived to dominate your Comic-Con. If you’re into all that creative stuff anyways.
From July 19-24, directly across the street from the San Diego convention center, the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center will transform into part gallery, part store and part lounge, with an impressive list of who’s who in comics. The event is also free to the general public. The idea is that you can walk on in, grab some wine (I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot), rub elbows with the likes of Steve Niles and Mike Mignola, buy some small-run creator owned books or merchandise, and even catch a few panels (the panels look really excellent, perfect for those just starting out, or wanting to start in the industry – also, the panels will cost a fee – http://trickstertrickster.com/events/symposia/). Read the rest of this entry »
Have you ever read somebody’s work and just wanted to scream “YOU’RE TRYING TOO HARD!”?
I have. Tonight actually. It’s what happened when I read Flashpoint #1. This event is a mess. I love events! I love The Flash! What could possibly go wrong here?
The problem is: there is no reason to care. Where is the mystery? The intrigue? The cliff hangers to entice you to buy? They don’t exist. This story wasn’t ready to drop. Love it or hate it, Blackest Night was a well-done event. There was so much build up, so much tension, so much fanfare leading up to issue #1 that readers were chomping at the bit. One day I’m reading Flash-Barry’s missing family picnics and meeting a parallel universe self and tah-dah! we’re ready for a DCU event. No, no we aren’t. Flashpoint seems nothing more than a hurdle to jump over until we can get on with our books. Read the rest of this entry »
