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Alex Ross Exhibit...Amazing!

1/21/2013

 
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by Matman

In the quiet little town of Stockbridge, MA. is the home of possibly the greatest collection of art in the world, the Norman Rockwell Museum. And there until February 28th, this home just got better!

'Heroes and Villains: The Comic Book Art Of Alex Ross' is an amazing look at the history of one of my favorites, Alex Ross. To describe it in one sentence; it's like a living version of his amazing 'Mythology' book. To describe it in one word...amazing.

Among the expected amazing pieces (very heavy on his DC work) there are some incredible gems from his early day. Back in 1981, an 11 year old Alex made six amazingly detailed dolls out of construction paper that show you a genius in training. These dolls were my favorite of the entire exhibit. There were also some home made comics and pictures he made as a pre-teen that looked like the work of a professional. 

Some other unexpected work on display was work done by his artist mother Lynette who shows where Alex got his style. 

What is amazing about the exhibit is that Alex Ross' work fits in perfectly with the legendary work of Norman Rockwell. The many people that weren't there specifically for the 'superheroes' enjoyed the work that was on display. 

To find out more, including times and directions just go to www.nrm.org.

Review--Red Hood And The Outlaws #14 (DC)

1/20/2013

 
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by Brian LeTendre

If there's one book that just won't let me drop it from my pull list, it's this one. I think it's because Red Hood and the Outlaws is all over the place. The characters themselves haven't been really well defined in the New 52, and it's never been super clear to me why these three are together in the first place. But man, they sure do get in some crazy adventures with one another. The last arc featured the Outlaws having to save the planet Tamaran, and this one begins with them traveling home, only to get paid a visit by Superman, which they don't welcome. The situation devolves into the usual standoff and punch up between good guys who don't really like each other (if you can call the Outlaws good guys).

What for the most part was a pretty boring issue was saved at the end by the arrival of the Joker. I'm not a huge fan of line-wide crossovers  but given Jason Todd's history with the Joker, this book could be one of the better tie-ind to Death of the Family. I'm hoping that writer Scott Lobdell uses this arc to give Jason Todd some more depth and leaves the series in an interesting place when he exits after issue #18. 

3 out of 5 


GAME ON! Welcome Back Boys!

1/19/2013

 
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Superior Spider-Man #1 Review

1/18/2013

 
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by Brian LeTendre

After the mega-controversial ending of Amazing Spider-Man #700, some longtime Spidey fans were boycotting future books featuring the wall-crawler, while others were threatening to swear off Marvel books forever. Superior Spider-Man #1 proved once again however, that Dan Slott knows what he's doing.

For those not up to speed, the final arc of ASM had Doc Ock pulling a mindswap on Peter Parker. While Peter seemingly died in the broken body of Octavius, Otto finds himself the new owner of Peter's body, his spider-abilities, his life and his legacy.

This first issue of Superior does a nice job of touching on all of the aspects of Peter's life that Otto has to now deal with. When it comes to the science side of things and his job at Horizon labs, Otto excels. And he certainly has designs on being a better Spider-Man that Peter ever was. But the whole "responsibility" thing isn't really his forte, and he's less interested in saving people and catching crooks than he is making himself look good. He's also not opposed to taking lives either, and when he's about to beat a c-list villain to death, we get the biggest twist of the issue--which I won't spoil for you if you haven't read it yet.

Needless to say, Dan Slott has proven time and again that he understands exactly what makes for a great Spider-Man story. Ryan Stegman's art, whcih I loved on Scarlet Spider, is a perfect fit for this book, and the way he draws the Octavius versions of both Peter and Spidey are a great contrast to the Pete we know and love.

4 out of 5 Not-So Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mans 

What The Industry Needs In 2013

1/17/2013

 
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by Matman

Many of you know that when I'm not working with the homeless or recording 'solid gold ear candy' I spend two nights a week working at Most Excellent Collectibles in Enfield, CT. Well today as I worked on the shelves I noticed something that made me think...why are there so many comic books out there?

It is great that there are so many cool comic books but the big two are really clogging up the shelves, thus making it impossible for anyone else to get valued space for customers to see.

Since most stores list their books in alphabetical order lets look at letter 'A'. With Marvel putting out 'Uncanny Avengers', 'Avengers Arena', 'Avengers', 'Young Avengers', 'New Avengers', 'Secret Avengers' and 'Avengers Assemble' where is there room for a book like IDW's 'Agusta Wind', 'Archie' or 'Aliens vs. Parker' from Boom? Do we really need that many Avengers books and are all of them that good? 

And DC you're not getting off that easy!!! I know we live in the '52' world but even you folks can't sustain true quality and value over 52 monthly books. Look at all the lineup changes and the fan indifference in your line up. Trim and make what's left that much stronger. 

It's incredibly hard to find those hidden gems in Previews Guide each month, but golly gee whiskers! By the time you get out of the first five sections you don't have any money left to order other stuff. How many of us (retailers, media and fans) actually get to a company like Zenith Press and the Gettysburg graphic novel by our pal Wayne Vansant? It's on page 355 in your January guide.

So I (we) ask you big two, trim down your lines and get the best creators on the best books. We need to be excited about 'Superman' and not laughing at how bad it is. We need to be excited about the new 'X - Title', not getting upset because there are four out in one week.  

Let's enjoy our comics; the variety, the quality and the trip to the store that doesn't break us.


BOOM! Teases New Comic Series Based On "Regular Show'

1/16/2013

 
My immediate reaction upon getting the teaser image below in my email today was "Yea-uh!" Like Adventure Time, Regular Show is one of Cartoon Network's most imaginative shows, and I'd been hoping BOOM! would bring it to comics since they've done such an amazing job with Adventure Time. The series will be debuting in April, and will be written by K.C. Green, creator of the webcomic Gunshow.

For those that are unfamiliar with Regular Show, check out the video after the teaser image.
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Comicazi Hosts Book Tour Stop # 2

1/15/2013

 
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by Matman

Because the first book signing was so much fun, the gang is planning another one... this time we are bringing more friends!

On February 2nd, join myself and the following creators at Comicazi, located at 407 Highland Avenue in Sommerville, MA (near Cambridge)...

*Keith Gleason and John Cimino from Hero Envy / Swass Cast
*Alan and Chris Hebert from HB Comics
*Jason May (www.jaymay.com)
*Chris Giarrusso (www.chrisgcomics.com)
*Brian LeTendre (tentative) from the Secret Identity as well as author and webcomic creator (www.seebrianwrite.com)

This is an amazing group of creators as well as some of our best friends so this event is guaranteed to be a literal ton of fun!

I will be there selling copies of my book (Pow-Bam-Sell: The Guide To Comic Book Marketing), talking about the Secret Identity podcast and anything else anyone wants to talk about.

The signing will take place from 11 AM to 2 PM and we hope to see some old friends there as well as meet some new ones.

For more information you can reach out to me at matmancomics@yahoo.com!


Preview--Mike Norton's The Answer!

1/14/2013

 
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You’ve heard me rave about Mike Norton’s The Answer! before on Secret Identity. The Answer! was one of two titles that the Four Star Studios Double Feature app launched with in April of 2011.

Turns out, the story is Double Feature ws just to whet our appetite, because on january 23rd, The Answer will be starring in an all-new series from Dark Horse!

Here’s the solicit:

Devin McKenzie is an insomniac librarian with a knack for solving puzzles. The Answer! is a masked crime fighter with a giant exclamation point on his face. Aside from a penchant for late nights, they share nothing in common . . . until both become embroiled in a deadly mystery surrounding a sinister motivational speaker!

* Eisner Award-winning creator of Battlepug!

* Superhero mystery with explosive action!

* Written by Dennis Hopeless (Cable and X-Force, Avengers Arena)!

Luckily, you don’t have to wait to get a sneak peek of the book, as we’ve got a little teaser for you below. If you like what you see, make sure to pick up the first issue, and grab Double Feature Action #1 over at Four Star Studios for $0.99!



--Brian

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Oh Boy... Honey Boo Boo The Comic!

1/13/2013

 
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Press Release

Bluewater Productions the creators of the comic book “15 Minutes: Honey Boo Boo”, is granting Alana’s wish an animating her like a superhero.  

There will be four exclusive classic collectible homage covers for the digital release of “15 Minutes: Honey Boo Boo” on  ITunes, Kindle, Wowio and My Digital Comics released on Weds, Jan 9th for $1.99 each. 

Alana Mitchell better known to the world at large as pint sized pageant queen "Honey Boo Boo”.  Join writer/artist Michael Troy as we uncover Honey Boo Boo's rise to FAME from her breakout appearance's on Toddlers and Tiara's to landing her very own reality series. Discover why self-named “Honey Boo Boo” has garnered the attention, if not the hearts from Anderson Cooper to The White House.

The ITunes exclusive will feature Honey Boo Boo in a homage to Sensation Comics #1 – featuring the 1st appearance of Wonder Woman. Jonathan Woodward drew the cover in conjunction with Cosmic Ray Gun.  

The Kindle exclusive will feature the tiny tot in an homage to the 1st appearance of Supergirl in Action Comics #252. The cover was done by Michael Troy. 

The Wowio and My Digital Comics covers b y Michael Troy will feature Alana as a superhero with Glitzy the pig!  

15 Minutes is a brand new series brought to you by Bluewater Productions that will focus on reality stars. These celebrities, for better or for worse, have grabbed onto the attention of millions of people around the world. 

“We heard that Alana wanted to be animated and wanted to be a superhero, so we granted that by having her in these iconic covers” said publisher Darren G. Davis. 

The print version of “15 Minutes: Honey Boo Boo” is still available only at Comic Flea Market: http://bit.ly/UrB843

Bluewater’s biography comic book series has been embraced by the media and featured on television news outlets including The Today Show and on CNN. The series has also been featured in many publications such as The LA Times, MTV, Time Magazine, and People Magazine. Future titles will feature Julia Child, Elizabeth Taylor & the creators of Google.



Star Wars #1 Sells Out, And New Variants Announced

1/12/2013

 
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Press Release

The critically acclaimed and highly anticipated Star Wars #1, written by Brian Wood, has officially sold out of its first printing and will be going for a second run next month!
 
Set in the classic era with classic characters, this all-new Star Wars features artist Carlos D’Anda (Batman: Arkham City) with covers by the legendary Alex Ross. The initial print run of this smash-hit issue came complete with a download code for a free digital issue of the comic through Dark Horse Digital.
 
This is Star Wars as you remember it . . . and as you have never seen it before! Dark Horse is taking you back to those heady, adventure-filled days following the destruction of the Death Star—when the Empire ruled, the Rebels were on the run, and the galaxy was a dangerous place where anything might happen!
 
While a second printing is in the works, hurry now to your local comics retailer and grab a copy from the first print run before they’re gone for good!

To add to the excitement, Dark Horse also announced that it will produce special variant covers for Star Wars #1–#4, which will be consecutively tied to issues #4–#7. These special variant comics will feature artist Alex Ross’s original cover sketches!
 
Check out the first variant cover below, then head over to Comic Book Resources to see the other three. Then come back for next week's Secret Identity podcast to hear Matman review issue #1!

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