GreenLoontern's Menagerie

1st edition D&D Reprinted!

2012-02-05T14:15:00.002-06:00

This is so cool!

http://wizards.com/DnD/Product.aspx?x=dnd/products/dndacc/02410000

1st Edition Premium Player's Handbook

Gary Gygax

In 1974, the world changed forever when Gary Gygax introduced the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The legacy of his innovative ideas and the extensive reach of his powerful influence can be seen in virtually every facet of gaming today.
To help honor his work and his memory, we created limited-edition reprints of the original 1st Edition core rulebooks: the Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, andDungeon Master's Guide. These premium versions of the original AD&D rulebooks have been lovingly reprinted with the original art and content, but feature an attractive new cover design commemorating this re-release. Available in limited quantities as a hobby channel exclusive in North America.
Your purchase of this monumental book helps support the Gygax Memorial Fund—established to immortalize the “Father of Roleplaying Games” with a memorial statue in Lake Geneva, WI.

Item Details
Item Code: 02410000
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 112
Price: $34.95
ISBN: 978-0-7869-6243-3

WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: ARTIST”S EDITION

2012-02-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

IDW, in cooperation with MARVEL Comics, proudly presents WALTER SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR: ARTIST”S EDITION, collecting seven complete issues of Simonson’s Transcendent run on The Mighty Thor, including the groundbreaking first arc that introduced Beta Ray Bill. Each page is scanned from the original art, same size as drawn, and in full color (in insure the best possible reproduction).

Brought to you by the same team responsible for the Eisner Award-winning The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures Deluxe Edition.

WHAT IS AN ARTIST’S EDITION?

AN ARTIST'S EDITION PRESENTS COMPLETE STORIES WITH EACH PAGE SCANNED FROM THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL ART.
While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for instance, corrections and blue pencils. Each page is printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible to the original art board.

This book is worth every penny, its breath taking. I love collecting original art and have always wanted some of Walt Simonsons pages but i knew i could never afford them. So finding this huge hard cover edition made me drool! The publishers description above details what the book consists of so i wont go over it again, but I will say you have to find a copy for yourself. Here are a couple interior page shots to give you an idea of whats inside.

John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's Edition

2012-02-04T09:20:00.003-06:00

This is a must have if you love comic art! Especially John Romita! I own the Walt Simonson Thor Artist Edition and it is beyond amazing.

John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's Edition collects six issues of classic Romita Spider-Man art, nearly all shot from the actual original art (there are three pages that are printed from black and white copies but every other page is from the originals) and printed at the same size it was drawn. What I love about the Artist's Edition series is that it enables readers to really get a sense of what an artist's actual original art is like, up close and personal - you can see the little idiosyncrasies that make art unique. Many of us, especially the way comic art prices are escalating, ever get a chance to hold and and touch John Romita (or Wally Wood or Will Eisner) original art - this series allows you to experience that thrill without spending ten of thousands of dollars in the process!
- Scott Dunbier, Editor Special Projects

RPGCON 2012 was a big hit!

2012-01-29T11:05:00.002-06:00

I'm happy to report that yesterdays RPG event was a huge success! We had 14 people that came early and we played for nearly 12 hours!

The morning session (4 -4.5 hours) had the following #'s

Shadow Run: 4 players
A Song of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones): 4 players
Zombie Apocalypse - Medieval (Harn Rules): 3 Players

Afternoon session (5 hours) #'s

Savage Worlds - Gas Light edition: 6 players
Zombie Apocalypse - Modern (Harn Rules): 5 players (

AD&D 2nd Edition - Game was canceled - as it turned out zombies and Gas Light won the popular vote.

I would like to thank all of our GMs and attendees for joining in all the fun yesterday. I had a blast! As I mentioned before I am planning on Hosting RPGCON 2013! So if you would like to attend next years event contact me and I'll add you to the mailing list.

Green Ronin RPG Product Updates

2012-01-29T10:24:00.000-06:00

Wanted to share a few interesting items i found over at the Green Ronin web site. Game of Throne fans will really like their new offerings this summer.

A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying (SIFRP)( Game of Thrones)
I think it's fair to say that 2011 was a great year for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire. A Dance with Dragons was released, HBO's excellent Game of Thrones TV show debuted, and our SIFRP Chronicle Starter was released in time for the holidays. This confluence of events lead to a big spurt of SIFRP sales and it soon became clear that by 2012 we'd be out of core rulebooks. We could have just reprinted but the rising tide of Ice and Fire enthusiasm argued for something grander.
This May we'll be releasing "A Game of Thrones Edition" of A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying. This takes the existing core rulebook and appends the entirety of the Peril at King's Landing adventure. This will give you all the rules and a full adventure in one glorious 320 page, full color package. We've commissioned a new cover from Michael Komarck that we're expecting any day now. We also replaced a dozen pieces of interior art, and of course we're fixing errata and such. If you already have SIFRP, there's no need to panic. Nothing major is changing in the rules and you don't have to re-buy them. We just want to take the opportunity to make our core rulebook bigger and better. And having a sexy new book to sell during season 2 of the TV show is no accident.
We'll be following that up this summer with The Night's Watch. Yes, it's a full sourcebook about the black clad heroes who hold the Wall. The book includes rules and advice on running a Night's Watch campaign, as well as providing the order's history, organization, personalities, and so on. Then later in the year we'll be doing a SIFRP Starter Set aimed at introducing the game to new players and gamers. As awesome as the new edition of SIFRP is going to be, it's not the sort of thing you want to drop in a newbie's lap and say, "Here, read this!" With all the attention the novels and TV show are getting, we want to have an accessible entry point to SIFRP and that'll be the Starter Set.
Another thing the "A Game of Thrones Edition" lets us do is name the game's system. We've dubbed it the Chronicle System and Hal Mangold is designing a logo for it. This will allow us to release material that is useable with the rules but not specific to Westeros. As with the AGE DLC, you'll see a series of Chronicle System PDFs this year that expand the rules in different ways. You can use these options in your SIFRP game if you like or use the rules in other settings.

Mutants & Masterminds and DC Adventures
The year is starting off right for the World's Greatest Superhero RPG. The Gamemaster's Guide for Mutants & Masterminds Third Edition is in stores this week. We also just wrapped up the Threat Report series with the free Atom Family PDF, and started a new PDF series last week called Power Profiles. In each Power Profile, Steve Kenson takes a look at a particular type of super-power in Mutants & Masterminds game terms, and presents of plethora of ready-built powers and options you can choose from. These are a steal at 99 cents, as they make creating themed characters much easier.
The next print product for Mutants & Masterminds is the Threat Report. This collects all the PDFs of that series along with a few additional villains to challenge your super-heroes. Then this summer we'll be releasing our new setting for Mutants & Masterminds: Emerald City. We had previously announced this title as a softcover book but we decided that wouldn't do it justice. We're thus upgrading it a full boxed set with multiple books and a poster map. Emerald City is a great place to kick off a new campaign. It's also in the "Freedomverse," so it's fully compatible with our previous Freedom City books.
We're rounding out the year in Mutants & Masterminds with a mysterious October release. We'll have more to say about this later. We believe you'll find it more treat than trick.
Last but by no means least is DC Adventures. As you know, our license with DC was for four books only. Two have been published already (the Hero's Handbook and Heroes & Villains Volume I). The remaining two should come out this year. Heroes & Villains Volume II is in for approvals now and we're shooting for a March release. The last book, Universe, is scheduled for this Fall.
With all of our licensed material, the thing to remember is that we don't control the approvals process and this can affect our release dates. We do our best and so do our partners but sometimes patience is required. We'll keep you updated as the year progresses.

RPGCON Logos

2012-01-28T06:03:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple of the logos I created last night for the con:

RPGCON 2012 is a go!

2012-01-27T19:24:00.002-06:00

Well its been an exciting task getting this event underway and it looks to be a lot of fun. Thanks to everybody for volunteering to GM/DM our first annual event! Here is a run down of the days events:

Morning 10:00am to 2:00pm

Shadow run -

Zombie-Apocalypse - Medieval edition (Harn Rules) -

Game of Thrones -

Afternoon 2:30pm to 6:30pm

AD&D -

Zombie-Apocalypse - Modern edition (Harn Rules) -

Gas Light a Victorian Age - (Savage Worlds)

We have 15 people including GMs attending as of now, but we might have a couple stopping out in the afternoon. I'll post a follow up tommorrow!

DC comics new Logo

2012-01-20T18:15:00.001-06:00

So I finally heard about the new DC Entertainment Logo and I have to say I'm not real impressed. They look kind plain and boring. From what I understand DC filed a lawsuit against a shoe company saying their logo looked to much like DC comics logo. As it turns out DC never filed a patent on their image and the shoe company filed a counter suit and won. So DC has been paying them to use the current logo.
Here is the press release from DC on the identity change: dcu.blog

I do kind of like these versions but part of me wants them to go back to the old target style logo. What do you guys think of the new logo? let me know leave a comment!

Comic Store Visit

2012-01-14T06:42:00.001-06:00

Finally made it to the comic shop last night, here is a run down of what I picked up, its been a while:

DC Comics -
Red Lanterns # 4+5
Batman # 3+4
Nightwing # 3+4
Aquaman #3+4
Green Lantern: New Guardians # 3+4
Green Lantern Corps # 3+4
Green Lantern # 3-5
Green Arrow # 3-5
Justice League International # 4+5
Demon Knights # 3-5
Savage Hawkman # 2+3
Batwoman # 3+4

IDW Comics-
G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero # 169-173
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles # 3-5

Dark Horse Comics -
Star Wars: Dark Times # 3
Star Wars: Invasion - Revelations # 5
Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic - War # 1
Star Wars: Crimson Empire III # 1
Usagi Yojimbo # 140-142

Marvel Comics -
New Mutants # 33-35
Secret Avengers # 19

Holy Crap! I have a lot of reading to do!

Walt Simonson - Usagi Yojimbo!

2012-01-14T05:45:00.001-06:00

Walt Simonson is providing the introduction to Usagi Yojimbo Book 26: Traitors of the Earth. This is a pencil drawing that he did to go with the intro. (Posted on the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo Facebook Page by Stan Sakai) I love everything Walt Simonson works on, I look forward to picking up this book up. Go read Usagi people, it is a wonderful comic!

The Silverblade Family

2012-01-04T11:57:00.000-06:00

Happy new year! Well its the beginning of a new year and I am multitasking once again. I've been working on the Cal'thel site and the TMNT game I will be running at the end of the month. there have been a few updates on the Cal'thel web page, I added a full family tree so go check it out! The Wiki is coming along nicely, but it is taking me a bit longer to add content than I wanted. its coming! go check it out.

Merry Chistmas!

2011-12-25T19:28:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas! Thing have been a lot of fun around the house, toy train central! In other news things have been busy planning the RPG CON coming up in January. The Cal'thel page is slowly coming together, go check it out and let me know what you think. In other rpg news I picked up the Palladium book of Weapons and Assassins from my local game store. This book has everything you need to run an assassin game from around the world, not just in Japan. I am also playing SWTOR and it is beyond great! I just don't have enough time to play! LOL

A quick shout out to my friends over at the D20 radio network (Holocron 2.0, the Order of 66, Role for initiative and Thacos Hammer Pod Casts) and all of my fellow Guildies on the Order of Sixty Six!

Cal'thel site Launch!

2011-12-18T22:29:00.001-06:00

Things on the kingdom of Cal'thel have finally burst from my brain and onto the web! It is early in the process but check it out anyway.

Cal'thel - The ris of the Silverblade Family

RPG CON 2012

2011-12-11T19:16:00.001-06:00

Well things are moving forward nicely as our GM's get ready to plan their games for the event. As of now here are the RPG's planned for the day.

Star Wars (D6)
Harn (Zombie apocalypse)
Gas Light- Victorian fantasy
A song of fire and ice - Game of Thrones

We might be adding ICONS to the list but we will see if we can fit it in. More to come.

The return of Valiant Comics!

2011-12-08T16:52:00.001-06:00

Just announce today, Valiant comics will be releasing its first new comic with the free comic book day edition featuring X-O Manowar! The new logo and art looks great. I cant wait to read it! For more info on this check out the article on IGN.

Cal'thel back story!

2011-12-07T17:42:00.001-06:00

So I finally decided to take all of my notes and put together the Time line and back story for my world. Its far over due, now I just need to figure out where to start! When the time line gets closer to being finished I'll post it here and on the osr gaming forums

RPG scores, gaming continues and comics!

2011-11-29T19:14:00.001-06:00

Alright, here we go again, on black Friday my wife decided we needed to go shopping. For once shopping paid off for me. Headed out to Half price books and scored some sweet books. First off I found 3 copies of the AD&D Dungeon Masters guides, of which I grabbed the best looking copy.(stock photo from rpg.net)

My original book was falling apart at the spine so I was happy to replace it. Next up is an RPG that I have played a couple times but never own a copy of the book. Earth Dawn 2nd edition: Brand new HC, this game is alot of fun, I highly recommend trying it out.

Moving on from those sweet acquisitions we move over to the world of comics. I was shocked to find a brand new never opened copy of Marv Wolfman / George Perez's New Teen Titans: Games Hard Cover.

This is a beautiful book with one of the coolest Titan stories ever told, plus I picked it up for $10. If you have a local half price books or used book store, you should check them out. You never know what you can find. Along with the above I also found a few comics:

X-factor # 7 (vol. 1)
The Green Lantern Corps # 223

The Mighty Thor # 396
G.I. Joe A Real American Hero! # 5, 7, 17, 18, 19, 22 (marvel 1982)
Classic X-men # 4-6, 10-13, 23

In other news on the gaming front, plans for the January Game event are slowly moving forward. I've got a few people lined up to GM/DM a few games, now im just looking for more people to attend as players. hehe a work in progress =) Also, I will be continuing my current 4th edition D&D game based in my Home Brew world of Cal'Thel. Quinn (a knight of Kalamar) and Bayard (a war cleric) are brothers on an adventure to safe guard their families lands. A friend of mine is DM and has been running our little adventure every couple months for a year or so now. It is very cool to be playing characters in the world i've been building on for over 20 years now..

Star Wars the Old Republic - Beta weekend!

2011-11-26T14:46:00.001-06:00

Since the NDA was lifted a while ago, I decided to talk about the game a bit while I wait for a server to let me in game. =) I was apart of the 3rd beta weekend a couple weeks ago and have been in this weekends beta since Friday morning. Server crowding is to be expected, especially on a Saturday afternoon, but all in all the wait times havent been to bad. Plus I have made 5 characters each on a different server.
Jedi Counselor
Jedi Knight - Sentinel
Bounty Hunter
Sith Warrior
Republic Trooper

I think I'm going to try some crafting tonight if I get on a server! lol It has been alot of fun so far, the guild im in "The Order of 66" had a great showing on the Cosmic Turbine server. I believe we had at least 23 guild members on last night

New books, upcoming plans and a D&D update!

2011-11-17T15:51:00.001-06:00

So its been a little while since I posted last, but I've been a bit busy of late. I have picked up a few RPG books, including a D6 Star wars Source book in great condition. You have to love Half Price Book stores there awesome! Also Palladium books had a sale going a couple weeks back so I got for of the After the bomb titles (T.M.N.T)(pics below)

On the D&D front I have a couple snap shots of my 1st ed. AD&D and 4th ed. D&D players hand books that I made for my world Of Cal'Thel. More on Cal'Thel yet to come, hopefully I'll get some more time to work on it over the next couple months now that winter is moving in.

Just the contents pages for now, but at least you get an idea of the books layout. On another note I am in the early stages of putting together a one day RPG with multiple games and rotating GM's (or DM's depending) so keep an eye out for more updates on that bad boy.

Comics and more comics..why is my wallet empty?

2011-11-05T20:22:00.001-05:00

So I finally cleared out my folder at the comic shop today, heres a list of what was there:
Usagi Yojimbo #141
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3
Aquaman #2
Doctor Solar- Man of the Atom #7 + 8
GI Joe - A Real American Hero #171
Green Lantern New Guardians #2
Red Lanterns #3
New Mutants #32 + 33
Justice League International #3
Green Arrow #3 (new series)
Green Arrow #14 + 15 (last series)
Star wars Invasion -Revelations #4
Green Lantern Corps #2
Nightwing #2
Green Lantern #2
Demon Knights #2
Batman #2
Batman #712 + 713 (last series)

Now I just have to find time to read everything! On a side note, I have thinking about digital comics and what devices to read them on. The obvious choice would be an Ipad, but I dont want to spend $600 to read comics a book or two and surf the web. I have been debating the Kindle fire mainly for the kindle books android app use and pdf reader. Still debating, what do you use to read digital comics?

Usagi Yojimbo #141

2011-11-02T18:31:00.001-05:00

New and out today is Usagi #141, the 200 actual issue of the book. Go buy it! Check out Mr. Sakia's live journal post here

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:52:00.001-05:00

Well its the last day of October and my son cashed in on candy while rockin a kick ass Green Lantern costume! It was a fun night. Its been a busy week since my last post and I havent had much time to get caught up on my comics, but never fear i should have more coming soon. Plus I'll have some updates on my RPG projects.

Comic stuff! Not just DC!

2011-10-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

So I am reading some comics other than from DC, but not much. From Marvel I'm reading :

Secret Avengers - This was a fun book..... until Fear itself happened. Stupid Tie-in issues that make absolutely no sense if you havent been reading the mini series. Not sure if I'm going to keep getting this book. Marvel just need to bring back Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.!! I miss you secret warriors!!

New Mutants - Issues 29-31 Tie-in to Fear itself, but unlike secret avengers it makes sense! It feels like a classic Chris Claremont New mutants story. Dani Moonstar (Dark Valkyrie for Hela (Asgardian god of the dead)) travels to HEL (Norse version of Hell) to enlist help from Hela, only to discover Helas body impaled! Mean while the rest of the new mutants decide to head over to Hel to lend Dani a hand. Doug (aka Cypher) miss reads a spell transporting them to Mephistos Hell! Its a fun read.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - This series continues where the original one left off. I have to admit I never read the end of the old series but after I read the free comic book day offering I had to pick this up. Solid stories and great looking art.

StarWars - The Old Republic: The Lost Suns - This is the second Old republic mini series from Dark Horse comics. Nothing spectacular but it was still a fun story. It follows Republic spy Theron Shan as he tries to destroy the Sith's star-killing Sun Razer mega-weapon.

StarWars - Dark Times: Out of the Wilderness - This continues the previous Dark Times series where it left off. Following the adventures of the fugitive Jedi Dass Jennir, the coolest part of issue #2 there is a Verpine Jedi!

Usagi Yojimbo reaches 200!

2011-10-17T20:14:00.001-05:00

I have been reading Usagi Yojimbo for many years, it feels like forever (in a good way). The story of a Ronin samurai (usagi) and his adventures in the Tokugawa era japan. Lets face it, any description I can give you wont do this book justice. So If you haven't read an usagi comic, you really should go out and find one of the many trade paper backs that are out on store shelves. Local comic shops, Barnes and Noble stores even half price books stores. Check out the official Dark Horse Comics Usagi page for a detailed history of the character from his creator Stan Sakai. If you can find a copy go out and pick up Usagi Yojimbo #141 - Sept, 2011

Also do me a favor and head over to the official Usagi Yojimbo Dojo on Facebook
and the Usagi Yojimbo Dojo Forums, there are alot of great guys and gals over their that can help answer all of your questions about Usagi. Plus Stan is on the board all the time answering question! How can you not like that?

Thundercats HOOOO!!

2011-10-16T14:57:00.001-05:00

So after posting last I decided to roll up the Thundercats (1980's version) using the Palladium system. Here is PANTHRO, its not complete but its very close. Take a look:

larger image

gaming projects

2011-10-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

Gaming! I love RPGS! I cant get enough and I'm at it again. As some of you know I have played D&D (ad&d) since the mid 80's and the adventures I had spawned a world, a world that I have been adding to for 20 years. As I was going through my back log of papers, characters and world notes, I discovered my 1st edition AD&D players hand book I created was messed up. So I decided to remake a players book for my world for 1st, 2nd and 4th edition D&D.
The central theme has always been an order of knights, founded by my Cavalier. I would like to note that My friend who ran most of our games, hates Cavaliers more than ogres! As much as he tried I lived through a lot of campaigns and as the games changed so did the character(s). My Cavalier spawned 3 generations of decedents, currently two brothers adventure together in 4th edition. But I degrees...

So after looking at my Knight Class I discovered that I had combined ad&d 2nd and 3rd ed. together, it didnt make much sense. So with the help of the guys over at OSR Gaming I'm starting over. I've decided to go with creating an order of knights for multiple kingdoms and making each unique to its location on my world map. Using existing Player Classes (Fighters, Paladins, Cavaliers and Clerics), as the playable classes for each Order. I'll have more on this as I get closer to completion.

Other Projects:

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs - I love this comic(Xenozoic tales) and I love this game! We have played one session so far and I had to make a new GM screen to help decipher the rule book. Hopefully I can run this game again soon.

ICONS - Super powered Heroes - About 4 months ago I started a World War II super hero game and it was awesome! Scheduling nightmares have kept this game on hold, but I'm hopeful that we will get it running again this winter.

TMNT and Other Strangeness (Palladium Books) - I ordered a couple After the Bomb supplements from the palladium website and after reading them I really want to play again! So I think im going to run a Robotech game on an alternate earth where Humans don't exist! Bring on the Mutant Animals! wait... are they still considered mutants? perhaps not.. lol

Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster's Guide Pre-Order & PDF

2011-10-09T19:57:00.002-05:00

The Mutants & Masterminds Gamemaster's Guide is now available for Pre-Order through the Green Ronin Online Store!Pre-order the book and buy the PDF for $5.00! Game Master Guide $32.95

what i'm getting caught up on

2011-10-06T22:02:00.000-05:00

Ok im getting caught up on the new 52 and I read a few books at work today, so lets jump in!

Batman #1 - I really like this book, nice art work, decent story, love that batman is doing detective work again!

Detective comics #1 + #2 - This is one wicked book! =)

Hawk and Dove #2 - ......I think i'm done, the story went from interesting to lame with the intro of Condor and pigeon? seagull? How many freakin entities or in the DCU now? CANCELED

Black Hawks #1 - Very nice art, cool story, this might turn out to be a good book. Fast paced dynamic characters and a cool ending that makes me want to pick up issue 2

Savage Hawkman #1 - I want sure about this book, the art was quite different than what I was expecting but it grew on me by the end of the book. Story isnt very strong but it does leave you asking questions about his Nth Metal (new costume). I'll read #2

More to come

Miniature Mayhem!

2011-10-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

So I was working in the garage this afternoon and spotted the castle I built. I thought to my self, self you need to set this baby up and unleash the miniatures! I designed this as a modular set up, so I could build multiple types of castles for D&D sieges or encounters. So here's a few pics:

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs aka: Xenozoic!

2011-09-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

So not to long ago I found a copy of the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs RPG (based on the comic/cartoon created by Mark Schultz) and discovered the comics original name - Xenozoic. Back in 91' a few of us watched the cartoon which wasn't all that great but it was the first time we saw a futuristic Cadi get attacked by a Dinosaur! Who doesn't love that idea! But I digress, as I usually do I went on a quest to find the original comics or trades. As you might guess its not real cost effective to purchase the single issues and I didnt have much luck finding all of the trades.

So I did a bit more digging and found a collected edition that was published last fall by flesk publications 352 pages, 8.5 x 11 in.black and white $39.95.

"Forced into hiding by a global ecological cataclysm, humans emerge from their underground warrens half a millennium later to discover that the Earth has been totally transformed. All of the familiar flora and fauna are gone, replaced by a radically altered natural order populated by rampaging dinosaurs and strange, new creatures. It takes guts, grim determination, ingenuity and a whole lot of old-fashioned luck just to survive, much less thrive, in this alien wilderness—all qualities that ace mechanic Jack Tenrec, lovely scientist Hannah Dundee and their friends possess in abundance.
But even the worthiest of these hardy souls are hard-pressed to surmount the obstacles presented by their new homeland. And when those trials are further compounded by the underhanded and selfish actions of the cutthroat human scavengers they encounter, even the best equipped and bravest among them might not endure."

I will be doing a review of this book as soon as it arrives so look for it soon.

More of the new 52

2011-09-22T21:34:00.000-05:00

Alright next up I have a couple books I picked up on Wednesday from DC comics -

Red Hood #1 - First off the art is amazing, Kenneth Rocafort lays down some beautiful pencils in this book. The story is kind of lame, plus they make star fire a ditzy alien whore who sleeps with everyone in the book.... way to wreck a once cool character DC. This is a major disappointment for me.

Wonder Woman #1 - I enjoyed this book, fast paced with what can be a great story. The art is nice but I think I need to see it in a few more issues before i can say I really like it. On a big bright note, wonder woman has no pants! I say pick it up, this book is cool.

Legion of Super Heroes #1 - I really like this book and that kind of bugs me. Thats because it continues from the end of the previous series. I know, I know DC did say some of the books wouldn't be changing with the relaunch, but I figured it would be a bit different. I dont know, lol who cares! Paul Levitz Knows the Legion and writes a Damn good book. Buy it!

TMNT #1

2011-09-18T20:41:00.003-05:00

If you havent picked up a copy of IDW TMNT #1 do it! Its a great book! Also coming in November:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Microseries #1: Raphael Coming in November!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Micro-series #1: Raphael
Brian Lynch (w) • Franco Urru (a) • David Peterson, Urru(c)

Following in the tradition of the original TMNT microseriescomes the first of four stand-alone tales centering on each Turtle.Raphael's place in the world is uncertain and he can't shake thefeeling that he'll always be an outsider. That changes when hefinds another mutant, the arctic fox Alopex, who may have a newclue pertaining to the Turtles origin. Unfortunately she's too busybeing hunted alive to share the info! Will Raphael and his newfriend survive the night? The Angel: After the Fall teamof Brian Lynch and Franco Urrureveal all! Well, some, anyway!
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 4-to-1 ratio (4 DavidPeterson, 1 Franco Urru)
*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant covers:
David Peterson black & white variantcover!
“Retro” variant edition, featuring a re-masteredoriginal Kevin Eastman Raphael Micro-Seriescover!

Bullet points:
Blockbuster Angel: After the Fall team ofLynch and Urru reunited!

Cover by David “Mouse Guard”Peterson!

DC's New 52

2011-09-18T20:04:00.003-05:00

Well I know we are coming up on week three of DC's new 52 and I have a couple weeks of books to get you filled in on.
The good:
      Bat Woman - Great book and beautiful!
      Justice League - Jim Lee still draws an awesome book, we will see how the story plays out.
      Green Lantern - Cool as always
      Hawk and Dove - Other than Hawk whining to much this is a surprise book for me.
      Death Stroke - WOW! much better than I thought it was going to be. I'll be continuing this one for sure.

The not so good:

      Action Comics - I wasnt thrilled with this book...
      Suicide Squad - Lame characters changes and weak story
      OMAC - This book inst bad per say, just not my cup o' tea.
      Legion Lost - As a relatively new legion reader I was disappointed with this book. I didnt know half the characters and the story had alot of holes in it. its a pass

I havent picked up all my books yet, I split them between 2 different comic shops. I'll have more to come!

Wolverine 2

2011-07-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

Hugh Jackman announced today that Filming of Wolverine 2 will start in October. The story will follow Logans adventures in Japan.

DC Reboot! September 2011

2011-06-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

OK, so I'm late on the posting but why not, everyone else is, right? After deciding I wasn't going to buy anything from the DC reboot I have to admit I am intrigued, I like the looks of JLI, JLA, Black hawks, Demon Knights, Nightwing and Aquaman. Dammit. Heres a list of all the new titles from the guys over at Ifanboy.

http://www.ifanboy.com/content/articles/The_Definitive_Guide_To_The_DC_Comics_Reboot

New JLU Toys!

2011-03-21T15:06:00.000-05:00

So I have added a few more figures to my JLU collection

Also picked this one up at C2E2 -

New Wonder woman photos!

2011-03-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

Straight from the source - dccomics.com

C2E2 2011

2011-03-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

It was a great weekend! Picked up a few things, went to a few panels - overall a very fun Con

Sean and Jim from the ragingbullets podcast!

New Green Lantern Toys!

The last image is of an upcoming Quigon Jin ongoing series from Dark Horse. I received the poster after asking a question at the DH star wars panel.

New acquisitions !

2011-02-27T11:12:00.000-06:00

So its been a rather exciting February, I found the Kirby: King of Comics (Hard Cover) dirt cheap! It's a beautiful book. I also recieved my copies of the GREEN LANTERN Omnibus Vol. 1 and the USAGI YOJIMBO: Special Edition (Slip case) from Amazon.com. These three books are fantastic and so much fun to read, if only I had enough time to read all of them!

DC Universe Online

2010-12-24T21:01:00.000-06:00

This is my first Villain for the new DC Universe Online game. I've been playing the Beta for about a week now, its a lot of fun!

Dr. Eclypse! Master of the Magical arts and destroyer of do-gooders! BWA Ha HA HA!

Jeff Butler!

2010-05-16T19:07:00.000-05:00

Jeff Butler is a very extraordinary artist, working for TSR back in the 80's, he did most of the interior and cover art for the Marvel Super Heroes RPG game books. Along with alot of other projects for TSR, I hope to do an interview with him soon.

SpringCon 2010! - Jim shooter and Jeff Butler!

2010-05-16T18:49:00.000-05:00

After a long weekend I'm finally getting around to updating the blog on SpringCon here at the fair grounds in St. Paul MN. It was one heck of a show with alot of creators. Jim Shooter and I had a great conversation about the legal issues with VEI and him starting at Dark Horse, more on that later. heres a video clip I shot of Jim doing a signing:

Cool Books from Titan books

2010-04-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

After listening to the Raging Bullets Podcast today I went over to the Titan books website. They have some of the most amazing comic related books - Simon and Kirby, Jim Lee (Icons),. graphic novels and much more. Highly recommend you go check it out:

Titan Books

Brightest Day - C2E2 Panel

2010-04-17T14:23:00.005-05:00

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25802

Fan applause greeted representatives of DC Comcis at the start of the publisher's "Brightest Day" panel at the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo. DCU Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler led the panel that included writers Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, JT Krul and James Robinson as well as artists David Finch and Pat Gleason along with editor Adam Schlagman. CBR is on site with LIVE updates from the panel, so keep refreshing your browser for all the talk on DC's new bi-weekly event and series branding initiative!

"We're going to be talking on this panel about life post-'Blackest Night' and we're assuming you've all read 'Brightest Day' #0," Sattler said as a spoiler warning to kick things off. He moved on to spotlight some fans in the audience who were wearing not the popular colored Lantern t-shirt, but shirts featuring Johns' face on a coin saying "In Johns We Trust" to which the writer joked, "DC will be releasing those coins soon."

Gail Simone, who's return to "Birds of Prey" falls under "Brightest Day" soon arrived.

Johns asked Tomasi to explain how they were working together on the bi-weekly series, to which the latter said, "We've had a lot of burning the midnight oil and yapping away." Johns replied "That's not how you pitch a book" to laughter before explaining that the comic will follow the 12 characters that came back to life at the end of "Blackest Night" while their lives also reach into other monthly books. For example, Jade takes the spotlight in Robinson's "Justice League of America" as the writer explained "She's going to be the Green Lantern element to my Justice League, and what I'm going to be doing is establishing where the starheart energy [fits into the Green Lantern mythos]...how it all makes sense within the world now. Clarifying it, making sure it's easy to understand." The new arc of the series also serves as the traditional crossover between the JLA and JSA, starting in issue #44 of "Justice League."

Simone spoke on how Hawk of Hawk and Dove fits into "Birds of Prey" saying "Hawk is still a jerk." The Birds will introduce a new feature to the Gotham Skyline while "Hawk brings an interesting dynamic to the Birds of Prey, and we're going to learn exactly why the Birds of Prey need to be there and why Batman absolutely needs them to do what they do."

Rather than a resurrected character, Krul's new "Green Arrow" series focuses on the star-shaped forest that grew in Star City thanks to Deadman's actions at the end of "Brightest Day" #0. "It's essentially going to be a lot of gardening," joked Krul of what happens in the book while Johns added "There's stuff going on in that forest."

The panel explained that Max Lord is the resurrected character who is featured in "Justice League: Generation Lost" where only Booster Gold, Fire, Ice and Captain Atom remember his past. Meanwhile, Osiris will be featured in "Titans."

Finch expressed that his favorite character to draw in the covers fo the series is Green Lantern thanks to him being inspired by the GL work of Kevin Nolan and Gil Kane.

Asked whether Hank Hall (AKA Hawk) remembers being the villain Monarch, Simone said, "See 'Birds of Prey.'"

On the Superman front, a fan wanted to know why Robinson "put Mon-El back in the Phantom Zone so soon" the writer said he wanted to help Paul Levitz and the Legion ongoing book by freeing up the character, but nothing ruled out more stories of a modern day Mon-El. "If there's demand, I can always bring him back out in the present."

In GL movie news, one fan asked about rumors of a "Sinestro Corps War" animated movie. "I haven't heard anything about that," said Johns. "But would you guys want to see the Sinestro Corps animated movie?" The audience cheered the idea with Robinson adding how much faith he has in actor Marc Strong to play Sinestro in the "Green Lantern" movie.

Later, an audience member asked for new teases that Johns could drop from the movie which he hadn't said on Twitter. The writer said he'd just recently seen the filming of the scene where Abin Sur dies and gives his ring to Hal Jordan.

The Spectre will in "Brightest Day."

Several fans asked after the status of the "new" Firestorm and Atom now that Ronnie Raymond and Ray Palmer had come back. The panel played coy on the issue of the Atoms and how many there would be, though Johns noted that in terms of "Brightest Day," "Jason and Ronnie don't like each other."

Fans jokingly asked about changes to characters including whether there'd be an explanation for why the Martian Manhunter now has pants (Tomasi teased an upcoming "Ralph Loren tie-in" issue as a joke) and where Captain Boomerang's fat went (Johns said, "The Black Lanterns kept it.")

Asked if he would soon write more episodes of "Smallville," Johns said, "Well...I'm pretty busy right now" to laughter. He added that he would return if he could maybe think of another DCU character to introduce into that world. Fans called for him to put Green Lantern in "Smallville" though he said, "I think I'll let the movie do Green Lantern."

Captain Boomerang will appear in "Flash" #2.

Asked which characters will end up in which Green Lantern books with a third monthly joining the franchise, the panel said that Ganthet and Boodikka would be in "Green Lantern Corps" while the new "Emerald Warriors" would include Guy Gardner along with Kilowag and Arisia with Tomasi adding, "There will be a Red Lantern in it too."

A fan confused as to whether there were two Zooms in the Flash franchise due to recent appearances by the classic villain across titles had Johns explain to him that "If you look at Reverse Flash, I try to do everything in reverse" so when he appeared in "Rebirth" from the future to prophesize his own return, it may be confusing but hopefully looking at the specific timeline will make sense.

The topic of characters NOT brought back to life in "Blackest Night" went across the panel and the crowd, and Sattler asked if there was anyone fans were hoping would be brought back "other than Ralph and Sue Dibny and Ted Kord." Several fans noted Damage and one asked for Aztek. When it came to the Blue Beetle, Robinson said that it was because he died a dramatic heroes death and because people liked Jaime Reyes so much, they decided it was best to leave it be. "I love Ted Kord too, but to resurrect that character would be a terrible thing."

Later, a fan asked what the reasoning was for not bringing the Dibny's back, even in the so-called "ghost detectives" concept introduced in "52." Sattler said the two died "deaths we felt were important to the DCU." Johns soon added "They're together" which was what was important the the "52" writers who wanted to "give those characters the happiest ending we could with the stories being told."

In upcoming story lines, Agent Orange moves into a junkyard to continue to collect as many things of earth as he can, with panelists noting his interactions with Lex Luthor in "Action Comics" by Paul Cornell would be a highlight for both characters. Johns fortold Luthor undergoing "An urge for more power" and that he'd ask "Is it the ring that did this or my personality?"

In dealing with the Shayera/Kendra issue where the memories of both Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman were in the resurrected body of the latter, Tomasi said, "That really opens the door into a lot of conflict. It has a lot of inherent drama, and we want to get into that at some point."

Krul explained that the new "Green Arrow" series would not feature the extended GA family like Speedy, Black Canary and Connor Hawke so he could "let Ollie take center stage." However, when it came to Hawke, the writer said "There's a story to be told there, and I'd like to tell it at some point, but I don't know where that would be."

A fan gave a very reasoned and passionate explanation for why he thought the death of Roy Harper's daughter in "Justice League: Cry For Justice" was a bad story, focusing mostly on how the little girl showed how a superhero could have a normal child in their life with all the story potential held in that idea. The man said that such relationships were too rare in comics. In response, Robinson said he very much felt what the fan has said and promised, "In the next two years, you'll see another hero or heroine have a normal child" and that those dynamics would be explored in full.

One last piece of Green Lantern movie news hit when a fan asked whether "Gossip Girl" actress Blake Lively would be a brunette as Carol Ferris. Johns confirmed she would, sayin, "She looks great. Trust me."

Dc Nation panel C2E2!

2010-04-16T19:47:00.002-05:00

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25783

DC Comics' DC Nation panel Friday evening at theChicago Comic and Entertainment Expo found panelists DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, Peter Straub, James Robinson, Scott Snyder, Geoff Johns, Brain Azzarello, and Jim Lee discussing developments throughout the DCU, as well as in the Wildstorm, Vertigo, and First Wave universes.

The panel began with DiDio announcing changes to the usual DC Nation panel format. "As Executive Editor, I'd stacked the deck with DC Comics people," DiDio said, before saying that he would be bringing Vertigo and WIldstorm people to DC Nation as Co-Publisher.

Peter Straub is working on "Green Woman" for Vertigo, a story about "where stellar serial killars go, their retirement home." He's working with Michael Easton, who is also an actor on "One Life to Live."

Following introductions, DiDio asked fans whether anyone was here attending their first convention. The first fan to speak said she began reading comics last year, by way of "Fables." Another was in town from Australia, while the third wanted to submit artwork.

Next, DiDio asked for reactions to this week's "Brightest Day" #0, and following applause, a fan called it "the best thing since '52.'" Several fans appreciated the return of characters like Osiris and Maxwell Lord.

This week's other big release was "Flash" #1, and DiDio asked whether any fans bought it just for the ring. One fan said she was disappointed that the ring did not pop open, like Barry Allen's. There was some dissent, though, about Barry's return vis-a-vis Wally West's tenure as the Flash. Most fans, though, were enjoying the ride.

DiDio asked for fan comments on Robinson's controversial "Cry for Justice" miniseries, which received a good amount of applause. Robinson said he was asked to put Starman (Jack Knight) on the team—"I wasn't going to do that, so I put Mikaal on instead." Regarding Congorilla, the character was the first Robinson thought of when asked to add an obscure character.

DiDio then opened the floor to questions.

Asked whether "dead means dead" in the DC Universe now, Azzarello said, "dead means dead in the First Wave universe."

"Working the Spirit into this has really been great," Azzarello said, continuing discussing "First Wave." "There's something about that character that really resonates."

"Justice League: Cry for Justice" is still controversial

The next question dealt with event fatigue. "How many people read 'Blackest Night?" DiDio asked the room. "How many of you enjoyed the storytelling of 'Blackest Night?'" He added, though, that there needs to be a balance, and the current raft of 'Brightest Day' books are more about building up the DCU than being an event in itself. "But if you want to buy it as an event, feel free."

A fan asked whether the new entity of DC Entertainment changed the way Vertigo was perceived within the company. "Vertigo has always been Karen Berger's baby," Jim Lee said, noting that the imprint has opened up new readers and brought New York Times best-seller attention.

"There's a flavor, there's a need, there's a tone to those type of stories, and we're going to make sure we keep doing them," DiDio added.

In response to a question, Johns said that "Brightest Day" would serve as Hawkman's "Rebirth" series, adding "there might be other plans."

The next question was about Rucka's departure from the upcoming 'Batwoman' title. "Greg has an open door at DC," DiDio said. "He's decided to move on. Sometimes to you need time to refresh."

Red Robin will be "heavily involved" in the return of Bruce Wayne, DiDio said, answering a fan question.

"Young Justice" characters will appear in "Teen Titans" soon, according to Johns, "and some of them might get their own books."

Will we see Grant Morrison's "Multiversity" before the end of the year? "Sure!" Jim Lee said, cheerfully but perhaps uncertainly.

James Robinson said that Gentleman Ghost is one of his favorite characters, "and you may well be seeing him soon."

A fan expressed disappointment at the end of Steve Niles's "Simon Dark," and the character's fade to obscurity. "It's interesting, because we put out a lot of product," DiDio began, noting that some books "struggle for attention, but we are intensely proud of." He noted that DC gave "Simon Dark" a generous eighteen issues, but it didn't catch on. "I'm sorry that didn't work, I thought it was a beautiful book."

Next, a question about the new "Earth One" graphic novels starring Superman and Batman, and how these iterations would differ from previous incarnations. DiDIo noted differences in Batman, from "Dark Knight" to Adam West to Paul Dini's animated version.

After a discussion of "Birds of Prey" and female heroes, Robinson said, "the Justice League is going to have more females in it than males."

"We've got more books with female leads than ever before," DiDio continued, noting "Batgirl," "Powergirl," and others, nearly omitting "Wonder Woman" before being prompted by a fan.

DiDio said he received over 700 postcards for the "Wonder Woman" #600 campaign, and said J. Michael Straczynski's run would begin with the destruction of Paradise Island "and it gets worse from there."

Asked what happens to Dick Grayson once Bruce Wayne returns as Batman, DiDio said, "we'll leave that to the story--but you're assuming Bruce returns as Batman."

"Brightest Day" began this week

Next was discussion of the Milestone characters and the lengthy time it took to bring them into the DCU. This was down to legal issues, DiDio said, and Johns added that he had wanted Static for "Teen Titans" #1, but the character wasn't yet available.

A fan asked what Johns would do "to save 'Teen Titans'" and "'Titans, villains for hire--why?" Johns said that "Teen Titans" is a very personal book for him and he wants to get it back on top, while DiDio added that the current "Titans" direction is not necessarily permanent.

Similarly, DiDio discussed the return of Batman and how fans never really thought Bruce Wayne was dead. "Somebody at DC once tried to kill Dick Grayson," DiDIo said, referring to his infamous wish to do away with the character in "Final Crisis." The current direction allows DC to play with the idea of Grayson as Batman for an extended period.

Johns was asked what other characters were considered for return in "Brightest Day." His initial list circled back through multiple discussions and, "these characters all came back because there was a story to tell."

DiDio asked who fans wanted to return. Ted Kord (Blue Beetle) and Ralph and Sue Dibny were popular choices, while others included Garth (former Aqualad) and Terra.

Johns said Deadman—or "Aliveman"—would be the lynchpin of "Brightest Day," and that "Boston Brand is now realizing he has to eat and stuff. Being alive sucks."

The next fan commented about "Cry for Justice" and questioned the wisdom of using "the death of a little girl" as a catalyst. "We never said we were getting rid of grim and gritty," DiDio said, addressing another of the fan's complaints, "and I don't think we're doing grim and gritty--we're doing storytelling." He said that the emotional reaction means the story worked.

"It's absolutely one of the darkest Justice League stories ever written," Robinson said, "and it was supposed to be." He also said that there was a purpose to everything--the rubble of Star City being star-shaped, taking everything away from Roy Harper, and so on.

"J.T. Krul, when he writes this material--he's very much a family man--it's going to be very heartfelt," Robinson continued, referring to the writer of "Fall of Green Arrow," "Rise of Arsenal," and the upcoming "Green Arrow" relaunch.

Johns added that Star City "is going to become one of the most important cities in the DC Universe, it's going to have a personality." DiDio added that all of DC's made-up cities should have identities, otherwise it would be best to use real cities.

Robinson then said, "I promise to make 'Justice League' into big, exciting adventures of the kind you like, and it will be nothing like 'Cry for Justice.'"

In a discussion of sales and trades, Lee said, "I would like to see more focus on the periodicals," which might help series at the lower end of the sales spectrum, like the previously-mentioned "Simon Dark" and "Manhunter."

"There's a major turn to" the Riddler in Paul Dini's "Gotham City Sirens," DiDio said, in response to a comment that the character had been under utilized.

"You'll see the Spectre in 'Brightest Day,'" Johns said in response to a young fan's question. "He's kind of messed up right now."

Asked whether he and Geoff Johns would collaborate on a Green Arrow Secret Origins series, Jim Lee said they have discussed working together. "I'm busy with 'Dark Knight: Boy Wonder,' and Geoff's got all his stuff; but eventually, I think there's a good chance." Not, specifically, for Green Arrow, then.

Now discuss this story in CBR's DC Universe forum.

Tags: c2e2, dc comics, brightest day, flash, geoff johns, jim lee, jim robinson

Blackest Night additions and more!

2010-03-13T09:08:00.000-06:00

Well I went and did it, I said I wasnt going too.... I went out and bought all of the BN tie in issues. Egads! I have to admit there are alot of cool stories in those books and a couple crappy ones. But thats ok, its all for my upcoming blackest night binding projects. I'm hoping to make two large volumes out of the event.

Currently getting together my nick fury vol. 2 bind, which consists of Nick fury agent of shield (vol. 3) issues 21-47. I was also debating adding the Nick fury vs. Shield mini series. Needs a bit of prep then off to the post office.

Also, confirmed my trip to Chicago for C2E2 next month.

Spring is so close... yet so far away!

2010-03-05T21:47:00.000-06:00

Its been a long time since I have posted, but I hope to get back into it soon.

TMNT Collected book volume one

2009-08-15T19:53:00.004-05:00

If you only buy one trade this summer, this is the one you need to pick up:

TMNT Collected Book Volume One

This massive volume contains 605 pages of B/W classic turtle goodness! A must have for any TMNT fan, this book had the first 11 issues of the original TMNT series. Plus a four page back up with a brief history of Eastman and Liards early days creating the turtles.

Old comic ads

2008-02-24T13:24:00.003-06:00

So I had to show you all this ad for Wizard magazine, from X-O Manowar.

pins found

2008-02-10T15:49:00.001-06:00

Comics for the week of January 23rd

2008-01-26T20:13:00.000-06:00

Usagi Yojimbo #109

Legion of Super Heroes #38

The Twelve #1
Another small week, only 4 comics, but great reads. First up from DC we have the Legion of Super heroes #38, from Dark Horse, Usagi Yojimbo #109 and two books from Marvel: Astonishing X-men and The Twelve.

Astonishing X-men #24

Week of January 9th- New comics

2008-01-09T19:21:00.000-06:00

Rather a light week, but i did find a couple cool additions for my collection. First up:

DC:
Green Lantern Corps #20

Dark Horse:
Starwars: Legacy #0 1/2
Starwars: Legacy #18

As for the new cool stuff, I scanned the new comics section at my LCS and found two new books I have been looking forward to reading. Both are from Dark Horse comics:

Savage Sword of Conan Volume One: I was a little skeptical when I read about this book in previews, but after picking it up I was surprised. It's a great collection of early 70's Conan stories set up in an Essentials format. hmmm.. I mean over sized Omnibus. =)

The End League #1: I read the preview on the Dark Horse web site and it looked pretty cool. So I will read it and let you know what I think.

I also picked up the new Justice League (series 7)action figure of John Stewert. It's freakin sweet!

G'nort destined to live forever!!

2007-12-31T19:16:00.000-06:00

Thats right kids, everyones favorite alien dog Green Lantern is set to make his action figure daybute! DC Direct has plans to release an action figure line based on the classic 1980's Justice League International comics series. Scheduled for a december 2008 release, the line will include, G'NORT, Black Canary, Batman, and Ice. For more information check out Toyfare #126 page #48.

Adventures in comic shops!

2007-12-31T06:38:00.000-06:00

Yes I know its been a while, but tis the season for insane business. I just got back from Milwaukee, WI yesterday, spent a few days out there for a wedding. The adventure began again as I set out in a snow storm for a local comic shop. Collectors edge comics has four locations in Milwaukee, and I stopped by the north and south locations. Now don't get me wrong, i know there are other comic shops in Milwaukee, but i didn't have time to hit them all. Collectors edge is a very cool old school comic shop, with small locations and a lot of products. New book, toys, statues (I purchased 4 mini busts(Psylocke, Kitty Pride, Union Jack, and Green Lantern)), Trades..hundreds of trades! Not a lot of back issues but more than enough stuff to keep you occupied for a few hours of perusing. You can find out more about Collectors edge comics at there website at www.collectorsedgecomics.com

As I wrote this last section, i realized I have yet to mention my local comic shop. The source comics and games in Falcon Heights, MN. This shoppe has the most diverse collection of items you can find in one location. Comics, miniatures (fantasy and historical), paints, RPG books old and new covering nearly any game you can think of along with there own gaming room. Statues, toys, manga, novels, DVD's (anime, tv, movies), and a huge selection of master works, essentials, and other trades. They also have a nice collection of back issues including CGC graded books if your looking for some. Its a very nice atmosphere with a lot of friendly employees, if your in the twin cities you should stop by and check them out.
website: The source comics and games

10-21-07: Just made it home from a quick trip to Iowa, yes I know, why Iowa? Just visiting a friend of mine, we stopped by a local comic shop in Ames and Des Moines called Mayhem comics mayhemcomics. If you ever happen to be in the area you should stop in for a look. They have a great selection of comics, manga, anime, RPG products and miniatures. Plus the staff at both locations where great! Also wanted to mention Cup of Kryptonite, which is just up the road from the Des Moines airport. Its a cool little coffee house/comic store. Now I bet your wondering why I'm mentioning comic shops?! Well mainly it because both of these shops support small/indy press comics, so if you are looking to spread the word about your book, dont forget the local comic shops. Not just in your home town, but in any town you happen to be traveling in.

Online interview with Andrew Dabb

2007-04-09T20:25:00.000-05:00

By Rodney Ford 4-08-07

Devils Due has done an excellent job of bringing some of the coolest fantasy novels to a comic book and graphic novel formats. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Dragonlance chronicles. R.A. Salvatore’s Demon Wars and Forgotten Realms, specifically the legend of Drizzt, books 1-5.

Comic Addiction: First off I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me and our readers. Can you tell us how you became a comic book writer?

Andrew Dabb: No problem, Rod. As far as how I became a comic book writer, really I've just always loved the medium. Comics are the one place you can let you imagination run wild and tell all sorts of visual stories, from small character pieces to epic adventures. The possibilities are literally endless. That and I don't have the attention span to write novels.

CA: How did you end up working for Devils Due?

AD: The first books I did through Devil's due were MEGACITY909 and MU which were actually published by a Korean company called Studio Ice, and distributed by DDP in the U.S. Because of that connection, I got to know Josh Blaylock, Mark Powers, and the rest of the Devil's Due staff, which lead to them asking me to work on the Dungeons and Dragons license and, eventually, play around with GI Joe a bit too.

CA: You have written the scripts for quit a few comics that are based off of novels. Have you read the Dragonlance Chronicles or any of R.A. Salvatore's novels?

AD: Oh, yeah. I've been reading the Dragonlance and Drizzt novels since I was...man, in elementary school. I'm a huge fan of the books, which definitely helps in adapting them into comics.

CA: How do you go about making a comic book adaptation of a novel?

AD: First I re-read the novel, marking any bit of plot of dialogue that's important to the story, then I figure out how it'll all fit into three comic books (usually trying to squeeze in 100-200 novel pages per issue). Once that outline has been okayed, I start scripting. The real trick is just identifying what has to stay, what can go, and what can be shortened. With these comics, we're not trying to do a word-for-word adaptation, but rather sort of re-tell the stories in a very visual way. It's one thing to read about 2,000 dwarves fighting an evil army, it's another thing to actually see it. Allowing readers to do that is the comic book medium's biggest strength, and so that's what we're trying to play up.

CA: Did wizards of the coast or Devils Due have any guide lines you had to follow?

AD: Well, obviously there's a plot already in place, so I can't stray too far from the original novel. But beyond that, there are just a few basic things (number of pages, etc...) that I'm expected to stick to.

CA: You have worked with a variety of artists on these books, how closely do you work with the colorists, letterers, inkers and pencillers?

AD: I'm always available to answer questions, but I don't look over their shoulders too much. I'm a big believer in getting the right person for the job, and then letting them do the work. Besides, they already have to deal with the editor and Wizards of the Coast, who are much tougher bosses than I'll ever be.

CA: When writing the scripts do you leave any notes as to how a scene should look or do you leave that up to the penciller?

AD: I script out what I see in my head, but I'm not averse to the artists taking some liberties, especially in action sequences. I try to provide enough panel description that everyone knows what's going on, without drowning the artist in a lot of minutiae. I work with great people, and I trust them. So far it's worked out well.

CA: I know a lot of Dragonlance fans love the LEGENDS series above the
rest. Are there any plans for an adaptation of the trilogy?

AD: As far as I know nothing's set in stone. But as long as the adaptations
keep selling, I can't imagine Devil's Due will stop. And after
Chronicles, Legends is the next logical choice, so...

CA: The comic industry in general seems to be shifting there focus from artists to writers. What do you think of this trend?

AD: I think its fine, but not a major shift in the industry or anything. Creators have always ruled and right now, for whatever reason, you see more writers out there creating than artists (with some exceptions, like Darwyn Cooke). Mostly because writers can work on 3-4 books a month, while artists are pretty much limited to one. But I'm sure the pendulum will swing back eventually, that's just the nature of these things.

CA: Are there any comics you enjoy reading in your free time?

AD: Too many: Wake, Fables, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Punisher, Stray Bullets, Conan, Authority, Wild CATS, Deathblow, Wasteland, Hack/Slash, Hellblazer, GI Joe, Ultimates, Negative Burn, that's what I can remember off the top of my head. The true numbers is probably double or triple that.

CA: If you had a chance to write your favorite character or title what would it be?

AD: I don't really have a favorite character I'm longing to write. I like working on my own things above all else. But it would be fun to write for Spider-Man (obviously) or John Constantine. I also have a weird affection for the Wildstorm Universe; I'd like to play around in it one of these days.

CA: What personal projects are you working on? Can you tell us about the
DESCENT graphic novel?

AD: DESCENT is a story I've been working on with artist Erech Overaker for
about three years now. It's got creeping insanity, crazy homeless
people, eerie prophecies, and, of course, murder. Obviously it's a big
departure from elves and action figures, but it's good to stretch every
once in awhile.

CA: When will Descent be released and will DDP be publishing the book?

AD: We haven't decided on a publisher for DESCENT yet, but I'm expecting it
to be out around the end of the year.

CA: What else do you have coming out in 2007? From Devils Due or other projects?

AD: Hmm, let's see, there's quite a bit in the planning stages right now, but here's what I know for sure: A lot more Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, probably a GI Joe project later this year, more Atomika from Mercury Comics and I'm contributing a few short stories to Negative Burn as well. It should be a good year.

Online Interview with Mike Perkins

2007-04-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

Mike Perkins is a very well accomplished artist and inker, working on such books as Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Elektra, Captain America, and Union Jack to name just a few. So sit back and join me as I interview, in my opinion, one of the greatest artists in the comic book industry today.

Comic Addiction: To start off, who where your greatest comic book influences when you where a kid?

Mike Perkins: Artistically I’d definitely have to say the 2000ad artists – Mike McMahon, Dave Gibbons, Ian Gibson – but primarily Steve Dillon and Brian Bolland. We had the Marvel reprints over in the UK, which I had been reading from an early age and it was these that set me on the path to being a comic artist but I think I didn’t realize I could do that until Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe’s Captain Britain was specifically created for the British market. I was six at the time – and knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!

CA: Growing up did you ever think you would actually be drawing for a company like Marvel?

MP: Definitely! I had long reaching plans ahead of me and working for Marvel has always been one of the goals of those plans.

CA: How did you get started working for Marvel Comics?

MP: Well, years before my American Marvel debut, I’d actually been working for Marvel UK on some of their juvenile line of comics – Wind in the Willows, Biker Mice from Mars – as well as having strips published in 2000ad. This led to work at Caliber, DC, Dark Horse, Games Workshop and eventually CrossGen. When CrossGen folded Marvel was kind enough to pick up my work visa requirements in order for me to stay in the States (I’d moved to Florida when I got the call from CrossGen). Then they got me working straight away on District X, The Elektra Movie Adaptation and Spellbinders.

CA: I noticed that you have done quit a few covers over the last few years, is there one in particular you like the most?

MP: I’d always love to do more cover work actually. There’s a challenge there to get across an entire story in one image but still design it visually. I’d say that my favorite run of covers would have to be on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang for CrossGen. It was set in the 60’s and I found that I could really play with those specific elements. I tried to utilize a similar design sense on the Union Jack covers.

CA: I first noticed your work on Captain America, your pencils and inks blew me away. Now I have to ask, how did you land a sweet gig like Cap?

MP: Sheer talent, my friend!!! Actually, I’d been helping Steve Epting out on the inks since issue 8 whilst penciling Spellbinders and the Cap editorial office were wondering if it was something I’d like to take over constantly. At the time I was coming to the end of the Spellbinders run and, as much as I love inking, I was really looking for my next penciling job. I mentioned this and they countered with the offer of me penciling and inking alternate arcs alongside Steve. I was defiantly up for that!!

CA: Ed Brubaker, in my opinion, is one of the best writers in comics. How did you like penciling for Ed?

MP: I whole-heartedly agree with your opinion. I’ve been following his writing since his Scene of the Crime series and had been aware of his work before then ( Deadenders, Lowlife) – so he’d been one of those writers on my list of “people I’d love to work with”. Ed’s scripts are very visual but he also leaves you enough wiggle room should you want to add beats to the story.

CA: Did he have a lot of direction for the layout of the books, or did he leave most of that up to you?

MP: Apart from the usual script direction I think we’re pretty much in tune with each other about the flow of the story. For me the whole thing about comics is how to get the storytelling across. The story is the most important thing and it’s my job to get the writers vision across in as clear a way as possible.

CA: Now I know you penciled and inked both story arcs on Captain America, how long did it take you to complete an issue?

MP: I’d say it usually takes me a month to pencil and ink a book but – as was the case with the Civil War tie-ins when I was also penciling Union Jack at the same time – sometimes less. I believe issue #23(the Winter Soldier and hologram Fury issue) was completed in three weeks – and, visually, that turned out to be one of my favorite issues!

CA: Do you prefer to do both pencils and inks or just pencils on a single book?

MP: Overall, I prefer to do both pencils and inks. For me it’s more of a singular vision – it’s almost exactly what I’ve seen in my mind’s eye when I’ve penciled and inked myself.

CA: With the recent events of Captain America #25, how do you think Cap's death will affect the series and the marvel universe as a whole?

MP: As shocking as the events in #25 were, speaking as a fan, the events in #26 are even more astounding. I was slack-jawed when I read the script and thrilled that I got to draw such an important scene. I think the reverberations of Cap’s death will be felt throughout the entire Marvel Universe for some time.

CA: Your work on Union jack is astounding, how did you end up working on the mini-series?

MP: Just after I’d accepted the Captain America alternate arcs I was at the Chicago convention and ended up talking to Andy Schmidt. I’d realized that I’d need something else to work on during the time I wasn’t doing the Cap arcs and seeing as Union Jack was involved in the recent Captain America run (albeit briefly at that time), I figured we could keep it in the same family of comics – and, this being just after the London bombings, I suggested a Union Jack story with him dealing with terrorism in his homeland. At that point Andy walked away. I really didn’t think the idea was that bad! But then he returned with a proposal along the same lines, written by Chris Gage. Enthused by this I put together a promo piece to accompany the pitch – and we got the commission.

CA: Chris Gage wrote an excellent story for this mini series, had you worked with him before this?

MP: I’d read, and really enjoyed, the Deadshot mini and, at that time, I think that was one of the only things that Chris had done which was out there. To me it was one of my deepest ambitions to work on a Union Jack comic so when I’d read the pitch and proposal – swiftly followed by the first script - I was more enthused than ever.

CA: What was your favorite thing about doing Union Jack?

MP: Like I said, I was working on the Civil War Cap issues at the same time and those issues are overflowing with emotional resonance and deep characterization so, to be simultaneously working on an all out action series was fantastic. The fact that the characters all had their own voices and agendas was a bonus. I also had the opportunity to redesign a few of the heroes and villains involved – such as Sabra, The Arabian Knight and Zaran and Machete. That’s always fun. And then there’s that iconic Union Jack costume!

CA: Are there any plans for another mini or ongoing series?

MP: I’d love to do another mini alongside Chris but the sales didn’t set the charts alight. The trade collection hits the stands in July so, should it sell in vast amounts, we may get the chance.

CA: I'd like to change gears a bit and talk about your inking. I noticed that you inked issue #2 of X-men: Deadly Genesis with Scott Hanna. How does one share inking duties on a book?

MP: I believe Marvel was looking for an inker for Trevor Hairsine and they asked me to do a couple of pages. Those two pages are the reason I got credited on issue 2.

CA: We've talked a lot about your work at Marvel, but you have done inking with a few different companies; DC, Crossgen, Top Cow. You have inked a lot of artists work, are some easier to ink than others?

MP: I don’t think that “easier” is the appropriate description. There are different approaches to different pencillers. If you compare a Rick Leonardi to a Phil Winslade then you’re going to get a diversity of style but that’s not to say that one is easier than the other.

CA: Whose pencils did you enjoy inking the most?

MP: That’s a tough one – because, when I get the chance, I love inking other pencillers. Rick Leonardi was a joy to ink. His work is so free and fluid. I’d been a big fan of George Perez from an early age so it’s always a pleasure to ink his pencils. If I had to choose I’d say it has to be Butch Guice. Everything is there in his pencils but you get a sense that you can also add to them when you pick up that brush. There’s such a sense of place and a level of professionalism to his work that it’s hard not to love inking those pages. I also have to say this because he sits next to me in the studio and I don’t want any thrown object hitting the side of my head!

CA: What are you working on now and what do you have coming out in 2007?

MP: I’ve currently got the script to Cap#28 waiting patiently for me to finish the penciling and inking on the Annihilation Conquest Prologue. I’m also working on another five issue series with Chris Gage which hasn’t been announced yet – so I’ll leave that to Marvel. As well as all that I’m also wrapping up the inks over Butch on the Mandalay volumes for Humanoids.

CA: One final question Mike, what title would you most like to pencil for? (Favorite character or title)

MP: Strangely enough, I’d love to illustrate a Deathlok book. Seriously! I think that everyone who’s reading this should write to Marvel and tell them to put me on a Deathlok book!!

I'd like to thank Mike for taking the time to do this interview with me and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Be sure to stop by Mikes web site at www.mikeperkinsart.com and feel free an leave me acomment or two. this interview will also be posted at comicaddiction.com

Online Interview with Mark A. Robinson

2007-03-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

Synopsis:
The life of Thomas Arashikage has taken him down paths that have allied him with both G.I. Joe AND Cobra. Now he's away from both sides of the war, and getting into trouble all his own! Storm Shadow returns in his own monthly title written by his creator Larry Hama!

As the release of G.I. Joe: Storm Shadow #1 quickly approaches, I have been lucky enough to interview the creative team behind it. After a brief interview with Larry Hama, the creator and writer, I had a chance to speak with Mark A. Robinson. Mark is a very talented penciller whose works include Codename Knockout, from Vertigo (DC comics), New Mutants (marvel comics) and most recently BloodRayne (Digital Webbing).

Comic Addiction: How did you get the opportunity to pencil the upcoming Storm Shadow series?

Mark Robinson: I was just finishing up some work for TopCow when I was contacted by Susan Bishop from Devil’s Due via a message board account. It was pretty sudden.
We chatted. She asked if I wanted to draw ninjas. I said “hell yeah.” Case
closed.

CA: Did you know anything about Storm Shadow before this?

MR: Sure. I watched GI Joe as a kid every day. I’m a fan of the Cold Slither
Army.

CA: Did you change your drawing style at all for this series?

MR: No. I got a lot tighter than I’ve done before. I think I actually went back
to a “style” that I was tinkering with before TopCow- That I was putting
down on a creator owned project called COCKFIGHT. (Shameless self plug)

CA: Along with pencils, did you do the inking for this book?

MR: Nope. I couldn’t ink my way out of a paper bag. This is all going to digital
colors…Hence the need for tighter pencils.

CA: What was it like penciling Larry Hama’s script?

MR: Larry’s old school with his scripts…There’s not a lot of direct panel to
panel description which gives me a lot of visual freedom of movement. I love
that. I would suspect most artists would these days- I have seen scripts
that basically gives a panel to panel description of the art taking place on
the page. Panel placement, character descriptions, the whole nine…Not a lot
of creative freedom at all. Takes the fun out of it at times, so Larry keeps it loose. Loose is good.

CA: Did he give you a lot of direction or where you free to layout the issue as you wanted too?

MR: There was give and take. Everyone pitched in. Sometimes Larry would be very
specific on the action on the page. Sometimes I would put forth some things that I felt worked for the scene. It’s a collaborative effort all around.

CA: How many issues will you be penciling?

MR: Every one…Until I’m dead or they find someone better…no seriously. We have a
6 issue run planned as of now. This is my longest streak on a book to date. It should
be a challenge…Commitments are nice.

CA: What did you enjoy most about working on this issue?

MR: The ethnic diversity of the cast and the locales are nice changes. I’m real
big on bringing more ethnically diverse books into the mix, main stream…whatever. It’s nice to have a main character embody that. Thomas is an interesting character brewing with a lot of internal conflict. Larry is doing a great job of showing everyone that.

CA: Along with Storm Shadow, what else do you have coming out in 2007?

MR: I have some BloodRayne coming out this year (BLOODRAYNE PLAGUE OF
DREAMS from Digital Webbing Presents). Actually next week! Go get it!
Besides that- I’m all about Devil’s Due and you’ll be seeing a lot of Storm
Shadow.

CA: One final question Mark, What title would you most like to pencil for? (Favorite character or title)

MR: Nightwing. Hands down. I have an obligation to my peeps at my local comic
shop to make that happen. I also love to take a run at John Constantine.

Online Interview with Larry Hama

2007-03-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

With the upcoming release of GIJOE – Storm Shadow #01 from Devils Due publishing, I had the pleasure of interviewing Larry Hama about this book.

Rodney Ford: As a bit of back ground info, Storm Shadows first appearance was in GIJOE #21(marvel comics 1982), “silent interlude”. Can you tell us a bit about how Storm Shadow came into being the assassin we all know and love?

Larry Hama: I got to the end of ARAH #21 and got the idea to use him matching hexagrams bit. I didn't even really know what the connection was between the two characters at the time. But that was the first link. Hexagram 65 of the I Ching (chi chi,) is called "After Completion." It connotes the instability of perfection because the trigram K'an (water) strives to move downwards, while the trigram Li (fire) pushes upwards. I actually chose that hexagram because the symmetry made it easier to remember, but the meaning turned out to be synchronistically apt. Jung would have been amused.

RF: Did you ever think Storm Shadow would be as popular as he has been for the last 25 years?

LH: I didn't think ninjas would ever catch on. But then, I worked on one of the first US Nintendo print ad campaigns for Dentsu Y&R and I remember thinking that such a weird product name would never catch on in America.

RF: Storm Shadow is one of the most recognizable and popular characters throughout all of the Gijoe franchise. What do you think makes him such an appealing character?

LH: His story is about the power of redemption. He masters arcane arts and disciplines and is a loyal and good friend to Snake-Eyes, but he is torn apart by envy and pride. Somehow, he finds the strength to get it all back together. Okay, he's got cool ninja outfit and neat weapons and kicks major butt, but I think his back-story is a major appeal to
those who actually read the comic continuity. I really can't say about the animated material, since I have not really seen more than an episode or two.

RF: Tommy has gone threw a lot of changes in the last few years. Will this story focus on his inner war as opposed to his war with Cobra and the Joes?

LH: Intrinsically, it will be all about his inner war, but not overtly. I really hate stories where characters sit around and talk about how they feel. I think we should get that information from the action of the story. This is not radio drama.

RF: How did the Storm Shadow ongoing series come about? Did Devils Due approach you to write the series?

LH: Yep. Mike O'Sullivan e-mailed me.

RF: Can you give us any details about the series? Will there be any guest appearances?

LH: Ah, those are surprises.

RF: Have you worked with DDP before? How has your experience been working with there incarnation of GIJOE and subsequent characters?

LH: I've done one four issue arc of one series, a four issue limited series and a short story. But I haven't really worked with the new incarnations and the newer characters. I feel more comfortable in my own turf.

RF: What do you think of Mark Robinson Pencils? Do you feel his style compliments your writing?

LH: Difficult to say at this point. I only have a few pages to judge from and some of them are not in order. It’s impossible to judge continuity without the whole thing there, "After Completion," you know. But from what I have seen, his drawing is very solid, and his acting has some cool subtlety to it that is a welcome relief from the usual snarling
and teeth-grinding.

RF: If I where to ask you why I should pick up this book, what would your response be?

LH: You put me in a difficult position. I always felt that blatant self-promotion was, well, unseemly. Whatever I do at any time is always my best shot within the real world parameters of the job. I only had a week to write and draw #21, but I gave it all I had. When I have more time to do a job, I tend to get carried away on the research. I am most comfortable with writing and drawing. I'm NOT a good salesman. A cobbler should stick to his last. I would say, please try this book. You might like it.

RF: Do you have anything else in the works with Devils Due?

LH: No, but I have some episodes of Robot boy coming up on Cartoon Network next season and five graphic history novels from Osprey. Also a video game for Curious/Game Lab that I have been working on for a year, and a new secret project with Pepe Moreno.

Online Interview with Adam DeKraker

2007-03-02T19:41:00.000-06:00

By Rodney Ford

As a follow up to my review of Star Wars - Legacy #8, I’m proud to share with all of you my interview with Adam DeKraker. Adam was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding his work on this issue and what projects he has worked on in the past. He is a very talented penciller and Inker, having done work for DC comics, Marvel comics, Topps, Upper deck Entertainment, and Nickelodeon Magazine to name just a few.

RF: How did you get the opportunity to pencil a Star Wars book?

DeKraker: I just kept bugging the editor, Randy Stradley, whom I'd met at a convention a couple years back. Just kept sending him the stuff I was working on and let him know I'd be eager to give it a go at Dark Horse. Luckily, the project that opened up was this cool Star Wars gig.

RF: I noticed that there was no inker listed on this book. Did you ink this issue or did colorist Ronda Pattison?

DeKraker: This book was "shot from pencils," something that's becoming more common these days as technology has advanced. I scanned in my finished pencils, which, unlike a traditional comic’s page destined for inks, included some gray tones and shading. I fiddled with the pages a bit using Photoshop on the computer, and then sent the files off to Dark Horse. After that, Ronda did all the coloring magic. There is no proper "inker" on a book shot from pencils, but I think it's fair to say that ideally both the penciller and the colorist put in a little extra work to mind the gap, and "complete" the art, by keeping the penciled work more precise than it may have to be if an inker is working over it, or choosing which lines to darken to make them look black like ink.

More and more books are being shot from pencils these days, with pretty mixed results. The end result can look more painterly with a talented colorist on hand, which can be nice, or the whole thing can just look washed out and unfinished. Unfortunately, I think the latter tends to be more common. Skipping the inker saves on time and money for a publisher though, so it's becoming something you see more often.

Luckily for me, Dark Horse did a nice job on this. It's the first time I've worked on something where I knew there wouldn't be an inker and I was pretty nervous about how it'd look in the end. But, I think Ronda did some nice work here.

I still prefer an inked book, generally, but I do look forward to playing around like this again.

RF: What did you enjoy most about working on this issue?

DeKraker: Well, it was my first chance to do work shot just from pencils, so it
was fun to see how that turned out in the end. Having been nervous
about it initially, it made seeing the end result more rewarding.

Beyond that, getting the chance to work on something John Ostrander had
written was quite an honor. And to have it be Star Wars to boot, an
honor, and a bit intimidating!

RF: When you got the script for this issue how did you go about laying out the issue? Or did John already have notes regarding how he wanted it to look?

DeKraker: Generally, the layouts were up to me. Certain sequences or panels had specific directions, but I'd say the majority of the "visual storytelling" decisions were left to me. John's script was very detailed in terms of what he wanted to make sure was on the page, and he had the script broken down into panels, but after making sure those
elements were there and that it was hitting the same beats, the actual layouts were pretty much up to me.

RF: Are you going to be doing any more issues of Legacy?

DeKraker: If they'll have me back, I'd love to! I hope so. We'll see.

RF: So I read some where that you also do inking. Do you have any inking projects in the works?

DeKraker: No straight inking projects in the pipeline right now. I've been doing a fair amount of inking over my own work on various little projects lately, like some Upper Deck trading cards and some special promotional projects at DC, as well as some pin ups that'll be popping up here and there, but it's been awhile since I inked another artist. Inking someone else can be a nice break from working in your own style, allowing you to stretch a bit. It seems Nickelodeon Magazine often reprints some of the stuff I do for them, so you can always keep an eye out for some of that.

RF: What are you working on now and what do you have coming out in 2007?

DeKraker: I've been doing a lot of strange little side projects lately. Like over at DC, I worked on the adaptation for the new Court TV series Til Death Do Us Part, starring John Waters as the Groom Reaper (crazy, right??), and illustrating all the photos for a Daily Planet newspaper for a Con Edison promotion. Collections of my work on Birds of Prey and Super girl & the Legion of Super-Heroes are hitting the stands in the coming months, and there are various pinups and trading cards and things that'll be popping up here and there. I've got another project I'm working on, but not prepared to announce.

RF: One final question Adam, What title would you most like to pencil for? (Favorite character or title)

DeKraker: I really am a big super hero fan, so all the usual suspects, I suppose. At some point, working on the JLA is my dream, but right now I really enjoy the more second tier characters at both companies. I think I'd do a great job on Robin at DC. There's a ton of weird characters I'd just get a kick out of working on, like Ragman, the Creeper, Iron Fist, or Animal Man. I'd kill to work on a project with a film noir vibe.

There are certainly some writers I'd jump at the chance to work on. I'd love to do something with Brian Bendis or Peter David.

_____________________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed this interview, please feel free to visit my comic space page for updates on upcoming interviews and reviews. Once again I’d like to thank Adam for taking the time to do this interview with me and I look forward to seeing what else he can bring to the comic world in the future.

Don’t forget to stop by Adam’s web site at adamdekraker.com

Greenlantern # 16

2007-03-02T19:36:00.000-06:00

Review by Rodney Ford

“Wanted: Hal Jordan (chapter three)”

Writer: Geoff Johns

Penciller: Ivan Reis

Inker: Oclair Albert

Colorist: Moose Baumann

Letterer: Rob Leigh

Cover: Ethan Van Sciver

Assistant Editor: Elisabeth V. Gehalein

Editor: Peter Tomasi

“Pilot Hal Jordan was chosen to represent an intergalactic police force created by the oldest beings in existence -- The guardians of the universe. Protecting earth and all of space sector 2814 from every extraterrestrial threat imaginable. Hal Jordan shines his light proudly as the GREEN LANTERN!”

Characters: Global Guardians, Rocket Reds, Green Lantern, Sentinel, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Vixen, Black Lightning, Hawk Girl, Black Canary, Arsenal, Red Tornado, Captain Jillian “Cow Girl” Pearlman

Green lantern….. Just reading the title brings out the kid in me, and this issue doesn’t disappoint. Chapter three continues the “Wanted: Hal Jordan” story line, written by Geoff Johns. Once again Johns continues to seamlessly tie multiple characters into a free flowing and compelling story.

This issue continues with Hal trying to escape the faceless hunters and the Rocket Reds, as he tries to find Cow Girl, the justice league arrives to put a lid on the situation. The JLA engages the Rocket Reds as Hal explains what’s been going on. Sentinel confronts Hal, refusing to let him pass until he explains his actions. I won’t go into this much more, but I do want to point out how nicely Johns writes the interactive dialog between the JLA and Hal. This Reveals Wonder Woman’s light hearted attitude since Infinite Crisis and Hal’s guilt over cow girl getting shot down, as he puts it "she would be in this mess if I'd played it safe.”

On the other side of this issue you have Amon Sur attacking Edwards Air force base. I thought this guy was intense when Kyle Rayner took him on before becoming Ion, but I have a feeling Hal is going to have quit a fight on his hand next issue. What I find most interesting is that GL has is own prison where a few of his resent enemies are being held. I look forward to seeing the final show down.

Now I just want to say that I have been reading comics since the late 70’s and I’m happy to see the quality of artwork and printing improve as much as it has in the last 10-15 years. Ivan Reis has done a wonderful job of penciling on this entire run, especially on the full page spreads. I really enjoyed green lanterns constructs; the giant hawk taking on the Rocket Reds was outstanding.

The only complaint I had with this issue was with the inks. For the most part I like the inks, but on some of the panels they seem to dominate the pencils. Now the issue does appear to take place as the sun is setting, which may be what Reis and Albert where trying to pull off in this issue. Over all this is another great issue of Green Lantern and is a definite must have. If you haven’t read issues #14 and # 15 go pick them up, this story arc is worth reading.

Star Wars - Legacy # 8

2007-03-02T19:24:00.000-06:00

Review by Rodney Ford

“ALLIES”

Writer: John Ostrander

Penciller: Adam Dekraker

Colorist: Ronda Pattison

Letterer: Michael Heisler

Cover: Colin Wilson

Assistant Editor: Dave Marshall

Editor: Randy Stradley

“After the death of Emperor Palpatine, the defeated Imperial forces pulled back to the planet Bastion and called a truce with the new republic. For decades, peace flourished, until an invasion of extra-galactic aliens called the Yuuzhan Vong killed trillions and devastated worlds. A galactic Alliance of remaining systems, Jedi, and the Imperial remnant finally defeated the invaders.

Peace was restored, but decades later the Imperial remnant once more proclaimed itself an Empire-- with a more benign Emperor on the throne. A century passed, and a new breed of sith, numbering more than two and lead by Darth Krayt, emerged to join the newly reforged Empire. Together they manufactured an incident that sundered the Galactic Alliance and began a brutal war. Now, the Empire is poised to regain control of the galaxy. Yet the intention of it’s sith allies remain shrouded…”

Characters: Emperor Roan Fel, Darth Krayt, Imperial Knights

If you haven’t picked up an issue of this series, now is a good jumping on point. Especially since Dark Horse is releasing a trade of the first six issues coming in April (Star Wars: Legacy Volume 1—Broken *Collects issues #1-3 and #5-7 of the Legacy ongoing series.). This issue focuses on a back story of Emperor Roan Fel and his dealings with the sith Lord Darth Krayt. Let me take a minute to explain a bit about Legacy and where it falls in the star wars time line.

Legacy takes place approximately 130 years after the battle of Yavin (the end of episode IV). The story centers on Luke Skywalker's descendant, Cade Skywalker, who’s father along with nearly all the Jedi on Ossus are wiped out by the Sith. The story moves forward seven years and Cade is a bounty hunter, hunting down renegade Jedi. Did I get your attention? Good, now there’s a lot more to Cades story so go out and pick up the trade or the individual issues if you can find them.

Now let’s get back on topic, this issue sheds some more light on what happened just prior to the attack on the Jedi Temple on Ossus. The story revolves around Emperor Fel and a couple of his Grand Admirals. Admiral Veed strikes a deal with lady Maladi, to kill the emperor so he can take the throne. Needless to say there’s a lot of double dealing and miss trust to go around. I liked this story, but I think it could have been better if they had lengthened the story out one or two more issues. Obviously this would take away from the main plot line of the series but it is interesting to see how everything started.

I’d like to talk about the artist that penciled this issue, Adam Dekraker. His style stays on track with the rest of the star wars legacy books. I like the way most of his characters come off looking truly evil or at least menacing. The panels are well laid out, giving this book a lot more depth. I also need to note the colorist, Ronda Pattison. As it turns out Adam finished the pencils and Ronda worked her coloring magic to complete this issue, with out an inker.

But that is a tale for another article, which I will be posting here later this week. Adam has been nice enough to answer a few questions about his past present and future work in the comic industry. I’ll post a link on my comic space page when the article is ready to go. Until then I hope you like my review, feel free to stop by my page or just drop me an email. (www.comicspace.com/greenloontern)

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