Secret Identity--What's New?

Boston Comic Con Postponed, But Local Comic Shops Holding Events All Weekend

4/20/2013

Sad news came late yesterday when the organizers of Boston Comic Con had to announce the show was being postponed.

Even though the second suspect in the marathon bombing was caught late last evening, the call by the show organizers needed to be made before that. Since much of the city was shut down, people couldn't get into the show to set up, and a lot of the guests' travel plans had to be changed.

So, the show will be rescheduled sometime in the near future, and hopefully most of the scheduled guests will be able to return. Secret Identity will be there fir sure.

On a happy note, many of the creators who were already in town for the show have decided to hold mini gatherings at some of the area comic shops. Comicazi and Larry's Comics are both holding events all day today for those interested. The folks at Boston Comic Con have been retweeting details of those meetups if you're looking for more details.

It's pretty awesome that the local comic community is coming together to make something positive out of an unfortunate situation.

We'll have more details about the rescheduling of Boston Comic Con as soon as we get them from the organizers.

Review--The Raptor #1

4/19/2013

by Brian LeTendre

Blair Shedd’s The Raptor is an interesting take on the superhero genre that is equal parts Law & Order and Batman at the same time.

The book begins with the Special Crimes Unit of the NYPD investigating a murder. Much to the dismay of Detective Willow Barnes, she knew one of the victims, and her personal feelings threaten to overwhelm her as she tries to find the killer. Meanwhile, a masked vigilante known as The Raptor is also investigating the crime by shaking down members of the criminal underground, and we learn that he has ties to Detective Barnes as well.

The two aspects of The Raptor that stood out to me were the depth of the story and the wonderful artwork. Shedd has taken time to flesh out the crime procedural aspects of the story so that they're not just filler between the scenes involving The Raptor. His visual storytelling has a nice pace to it, and the way Shedd conveys emotions with characters’ eyes and facial expressions reminded me of Jamal Igle’s style.

Overall, The Raptor #1 is a strong introduction to this new series, and offers a lot more story than you’ll find in most superhero books out there today.

4.5 out of 5 Unsolved Mysteries

You can find out more about The Raptor and get both print and digital copies of the book at www.theraptorcomic.com.

Boston Comic Con - How To Get In!

4/18/2013

PLEASE ENTER THE SHOW THROUGH THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER ENTRANCE

April 20 & 21st. Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

EVENT ENTRANCE PROCEDURE:

1. Please enter The Hynes Convention Center through The Prudential Center entrance which can be accessed from Huntington Avenue.

2. There will be a bag check by Hynes security. In order to keep the line moving and to get everyone into the show quickly, we ask that you only bring bags, back packs, and the like if only absolutely necessary.

Thank you for your support, patience, understanding, and cooperation.

NOTE: For those people coming in costume, please do not bring any realistic looking prop weapons to the show. Thank you.

SI Summer Reading Project Voting Begins Today!

4/18/2013

It’s that time of year again--time for the SI community to vote on our summer projects!

Yesterday, we unveiled our candidates for the Summer Watching Project, and today--the Summer Reading Project candidates!

Each year, we pick a comic series to read together and discuss in weekly segments on the podcast. last year’s reading project was the Infinity Gauntlet. This year, we’re all about Star Wars!

There have been some amazing comics from both Marvel and Dark Horse over the years, and Dark Horse has collected many of them in omnibus editions. The great thing about a lot of these books is they explore parts of the expanded universe that many are unfamiliar with.

While all of these series should be available in print form, they are definitely available digitally. Each of collections on our list can be purchased right now on the Dark Horse Digital site for $14.99. Considering that most of them are over 300 pages long, that's a pretty sweet deal. We’ve picked a handful for you to choose from for our Summer Reading project (along with their solicits):

Tales of the Jedi--Vol. 1
Five thousand years before Luke Skywalker's successful assault on the Death Star, the Sith Lord Marka Ragnos ruled the galaxy. That is, until his death ignited a battle for ascension that would spell the end for his empire—and nearly the entire galaxy! It would be another thousand years before two young Jedi novices, Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, would rise for the cause of justice, first in the case of a Jedi-killing Hutt, and then against a dark Jedi spirit threatening to engulf an entire planet!

X-Wing Rogue Squadron--Vol. 1
The greatest starfighters of the Rebel Alliance become the defenders of a New Republic in this massive collection of stories featuring Wedge Antilles, hero of the Battle of Endor, and his team of ace pilots known throughout the galaxy as Rogue Squadron!

Meet the Rogues for the first time and learn the fate of the galaxy immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi as the Rebellion's best pilots battle remnants of the Empire wherever its ugly agenda of fear and domination appears. Along with the critically acclaimed X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair, this jam-packed volume contains tons of material never before collected!

Rise of the Sith
Before the name of Skywalker—or Vader—achieved fame across the galaxy, the Jedi Knights had long preserved peace and justice…and prevented the return of the Sith.

Collected in this newest Star Wars Omnibus are tales leading up to The Phantom Menace. First, Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi save a sinking ship in The Aurorient Express and investigate an unexpected death in Last Stand on Ord Mantell. The origins of bounty hunter Aurra Sing are revealed in "Aurra's Song." Then, in Jedi Council and Prelude to Rebellion, we follow two key Jedi Masters, Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi, as they face new foes that will try the Jedi ways to the very limit. And finally, in Darth Maul, the terrifying Sith apprentice leaves a trail of death in his efforts to keep the secrets of his Master.

Menace Revealed
This is our largest omnibus of never-before-collected and out-of-print Star Wars stories. Included here are one-shot adventures; short story arcs; specialty issues; and early Dark Horse Extra comic strips! All of these tales take place after Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and lead up to Episode II:Attack of the Clones.

In Jedi Quest, Anakin Skywalker will work to overcome his fears while on a mission to protect a freighter from pirates. Starfighter: Crossbones pits pirate against pirate, featuring the intimidating Captain Nym.

A long Time Ago--Vol 1
Collecting the first twenty-six issues of the Marvel Comics Star Wars series that launched in 1977 (the same year as the first film), this first volume ofStar Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago.… is a must-have for any Star Warsfan!

Quinlan Vos: Jedi in Darkness
From his first appearance as a mind-wiped amnesiac to his triumphant passage to the rank of Jedi Master, few Jedi had more brushes with the powers of the dark side and the evil of the underworld than Quinlan Vos. This volume includes over 120 pages of story that have never been collected, plus the introduction of Jedi Aayla Secura, who made the jump from the pages of the comics to appearances in the films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.

From now until April 24th, you can vote on which show we’ll be watching for our summer project. We plan on beginning the project on the week of May 6th.

Head to the forums and vote now!

SI Summer Watching Project Voting Begins Today!!

4/17/2013

It’s that time of year again--time for the SI community to vote on our summer projects!

Each summer, we pick a TV show to watch together and discuss in weekly segments on the podcast. Last year’s project was Brisco County Jr., a classic show that was cancelled before its time. This year, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the series that SyFy has aired over the past few years, and watch the first season season of one together. Here are this year’s candidates:

Eureka

Dresden Files

Alphas

Warehouse 13

Lost Girl

Being Human (US)

From now until April 24th, you can vote on which show we’ll be watching for our summer project. We plan on beginning the project on the week of May 6th.

Head to the Forums right now to vote!!

P.S. One of the reasons these shows are on the list is because all of them are currently available on Netflix.

Get 'Personal' With Marky Ramone

4/16/2013

No matter what your taste in music, there is no denying the legacy and influence of the Ramones!

The Ramones emerged as part of the New York Punk movement of the 1970's but became more than just your average punk band.

"For me growing up, the Ramones were my bridge band," remembers Matman. "When my sister first introduced me to them around 1979, not only did I discover and love punk, but I went back and discovered much of the music that influenced them."

In 1978 The Ramones, in need of a drummer, added Marky Ramone and the classic line up of music's 'first family' was born. But Marky's life and career didn't slow down when the band broke up. In fact Marky is probably busier than he ever was.

Marky Ramone's Punk Rock Blitzkrieg can be heard on SiriusXM Faction Ch. 41 on Tuesdays from 8:00 PM - 11: 00 PM EST.

Musically he can be seen (and heard) laying down the beat for his own band Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, which includes ex - Misfits Michale Graves on vocals.

This weekend at Boston Comic Con you will be able to meet and chat with a true music legend. But if you want a more personal time than click the link below to find out about the Image Personalized Autograph Experience. This event is happening the night before the show on April 19th.

For information click here:
http://www.imagemeetandgreet.com/events/201304/MarkyRamone/#.UW3yWld3fD4

To find out more about Marky's amazing career, hectic schedule and cool stuff including PASTA SAUCE, head over to www.markyramone.com

The 2013 Inkwell Awards Voting Has Begun !

4/16/2013

Press Release

The Inkwell Awards, a non-profit organization devoted to educating and promoting the art of inking, invites the public to vote for the industry’s best of the past year. The official public ballot will be available on the Inkwell Awards’ homepage from April 15 through April 30. Voting is open to everyone, whether fans or professional peers. The winners will be announced at the live awards ceremony at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC June 7-9.

The only noteworthy change this year will be that while the ballot will still list the nominees for the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame lifetime achievement award, the public will not be able to vote in that category. Bob Almond, founder and director of The Inkwell Awards (AKA “The Inkwells”), said, “Due to reader/fan turnover every few years, we’ve found the public can often be unfamiliar with many of the master artists from a decade or more ago. Thus, the award inadvertently becomes a ‘popularity contest’ with the voter ultimately choosing only familiar names from recent/favorite work, not from a culmination of the artist’s career accomplishments. We decided to have the internal and separate Hall of Fame Nomination Committee (made up of the core committee, former committee members, ambassadors, contributors and existing Hall of Fame award recipients) that chose the original nominees to then vote for the two deserving winners.

“We’re so excited for this event, where everyone’s hard work will pay off and the best of the best ink artists and their work will be recognized,” Almond continued. “Inkers have their own fans and followers, and often go unsung or glossed over in traditional awards events. Ours caters specifically to ink artists and allows several to be recognized and appreciated in various categories.”

Ballots and instructions can be viewed at The Inkwells’ web site beginning on tax day, April 15. A direct link will additionally be posted on their Facebook group page, where people may also ask any questions.

Click This Link To Vote Now!

What's So Funny? Read And Find Out

4/15/2013

by Matman

I thought this may be of interest some of you! A few weeks ago I was interviewed for a Springfield, MA based web magazine called 'BYO Family'. This site celebrates all the fun, culture and apparently weird people of our beloved Springfield, MA.

A few Saturday's back, I got to spend a few hours with writer Gina Beavers and photographer (and friend) Jennifer Garutti who wrote what i said and took pictures of me when i didn't know. Both ladies were excellent at what they did and put together a story that I thought was pretty interesting. What you'll see (if you follow the link) is the culmination of two hours of spending time with me.

http://www.byofamily.com/life/fam-preneur/matt-herrings-world-whats-so-funny/

Enjoy!!!

Review--The Final Plague #1 (Action Lab)

4/14/2013

by Brian LeTendre

Action Lab Comics has been putting out a string of great books under their new Danger Zone imprint, and the first issue of The Final Plague is no exception. Writer Johnnie Arnold and artist Tony Guaraldi-Brown craft a creepy tale that mixes a couple different genres into something unique.

The tale begins innocently enough at a country famhouse in Iowa, where a family is dealing with an escalating rat problem. We find out as the story goes on that these are no ordinary rats, and that the affliction they suffer from may be manmade. The rat problem is also not confined to one location, and as the issue comes to a close, the rats have turned into a threat to humanity.

Johnnie Arnold’s story has a great pace to it in this opening issue, and from the opening page the sense of foreboding builds until the chaos spills over. Guraldi-Brown’s art has a painted style to it, which gives the rats in the book both a scary and a nasty feel. With the word plague in the title, you need to capture that feel of an infectious condition, and this book does that very well. I was almost cringing as the story build, knowing that every incident of human contact with the rats had the potential to create some sort of outbreak.

The Final Plague feel like an effective mix of Willard and 28 Days Later, and the action is really just getting underway. It’s a great opening chapter, and it’s worth checking out.

4 out of 5 Why Did It have To Be Rats

IDW Gives Me Seven This Week!

4/13/2013

by Matman

Something funny happened this week at the comic store. Let's just pretend at this moment I don't work at a store on Wednesday nights to make this sound a bit cooler.

So as I walked up and down the rows at Most Excellent Collectibles in Enfield, CT. i pulled my books. I have the special stuff ordered, but for me I still love pulling books right off the shelf. Of the 14 books i pulled this week this is the breakdown...

DC - 4 (all Batman or related)
Marvel - 1 ('Uncanny X - Men')
ICON - 1 ('Secret Service') sort of Marvel...yes.
Valiant - 1 ('Archer and Armstrong')
IDW - 7. Yes I said (or at least typed SEVEN)

This was a shock to me. As someone who is trying to buy less but keep it at 10 - 15 books a week, I didn't realize I was buying so many IDW books. 'KISS', 'Rocketeer', 'Star Trek', 'Mars Attacks', 'G.I. Joe Special Missions and Cobra Files' and Doctor Who Classics. These are titles that have replaced books from the big two.

So there is the reason for this little story. Most of us have been showing displeasure in the current comic market, and I'm confident that DC will write this ship. But the danger for them is will I come back when they do? Will I even notice? With all the "new creative team to bring (fill in title) back to glory" hype I may not believe it. 'Action Comics # 19' was an amazing book but we all know how that ended, before it began. Will I come back again?

We as comic book fans show power with our purchases. As Brian said on a show recently, if you don't like it, don't buy it and i couldn't agree more. I'm no longer buying a book because I always have or because i hope it'll get better. At at least four bucks a pop, i can't afford to do this. There are some great characters and title I'm not reading because I'm not enjoying them. On the flip side... I'm discovering some amazing comics and creators I never noticed before.

Let your local comic book shop know you want more variety. Order books early from Previews to help them control their inventory and purchases and buy the 'indy' books that they have already ordered.

IDW may be taking more of my money, but they are giving me a whole lot of reading enjoyment.

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Forward>>

Boston Comic Con Postponed, But Local Comic Shops Holding Events All Weekend

Review--The Raptor #1

Boston Comic Con - How To Get In!

SI Summer Reading Project Voting Begins Today!

SI Summer Watching Project Voting Begins Today!!

Get 'Personal' With Marky Ramone

The 2013 Inkwell Awards Voting Has Begun !

What's So Funny? Read And Find Out

Review--The Final Plague #1 (Action Lab)

IDW Gives Me Seven This Week!

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