Leave Your Spandex @t the Door: Early Bird Reviews 12.04.06 & Indy News

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Welcome to the 13th installment of the new Leave Your Spandex @t the Door! Wednesday is Comic Book Day in the U.S., and LYS@D is here again with this week’s Early Bird Reviews, so you can catch up on what rocks and what flops this week before you head to your local LCS! I’d like to thank Travelling Man Manchester for providing me with the advance look copies for review!

This week: Manolis at his most generous, with nary an F in sight! Naked headless girls, naked wolf-wrestling arabs, almost-naked crazy reality-altering brits, naked teenage wounds and naked steel Sentinels,,,

American Virgin #2
DC Comics / Vertigo
Writer: Steve Seagle
Artist: Becky Cloonan

Review content: So, what’s going on here? Adam, the poster boy for abstinence and the love-of-god is doing the rounds, preaching against the bad touch and waiting for the wedding night. And then Steve Seagle comes upon his way and decides to write a book about him, the American Virgin. But Steve needs a spin, something to set interesting events in motion. And so, Adam’s longtime girlfriend. The only woman he has vowed before God to know intimately (and not before the vows are exchanged, mind you) turns up dead, decapitated while on a humanitarian mission in Africa.

That was the wtf finale of the first issue. And this issue ends on a similar note, which will make you stand up and mutter ‘f*ck’.

Seagle is clearly having fun taking a determined, opinionated youth and putting his faith and beliefs to the test. So, just as last issue Adam was kidnapped and given a stripper, this issue he discovers the joy of porn magazines (which he proceeds to use as a conduit to the afterlife, interestingly enough) and comes in contact with the African rural society which is devoid of sexual taboos.

I had some complaints about the way Becky Cloonan’s art looked coloured last issue. I understand now that it was only the initial ‘shock’ of transition. In this issue, Becky gets grittier with her lines, just as the good catholic boy’s world takes the plunge into sin. I’m revoking my last review and declaring that Cloonan’s work has never looked more impressive and dynamic! It’s a shame she’s only in for the opening arc though.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the next Vertigo headliner! They could rename it “V the last Virgin” and cash in big in the box office!

Score: A

Fables #48
DC Comics / Vertigo
Writer: Bill Willingham
Artist: Mark Buckingham

Review content: With this and the next issue Bigby Wolf (under Big Bad Wolf in the wikipedia entry), Snowwhite and their family finally make their triumphant return! As much as I enjoy each and every issue of Fables, I had sorely missed these fables, and their replacements in Fabletown aren’t nearly as addictive.

The issue’s narrative is split between two stories: in the first, Mowgli has travelled to Russia, tracking down Bigby’s moves; to get the infohe needs, he will need to return to his roots and fight the wild wolf pack leader to the death; great naked-man-on-wolf action in this issue, for the dedicated bestiality fanbase of the book (well, Bigby IS a hot piece of wolf ass, what can I say except WOOF! ). In the second intertwined story, we catch up to the other residents wolves and are reintroduced to Snowwhite and Bigby’s children who have now grown into healthy 5-year olds; the cub-pack is simply adorable, as they look, move, sound and react like actual kids, something we don’t see often in comics unfortunately.

Score: B

New X-Men #25
Marvel
Writer: Craig Kyle and Chris Yost
Artist: Paco Medina

Review content: Every artist eventually in their career goes through a turning point, where they finally start to realise their potential. I’ve been annoyed by Paco Medina’s choppy, sloppy-eyed, expressionless portrayals of the characters since he first started on this and other books. Wait, wait, there’s some appraisal coming up.

In this issue, he’s a revelation! Fluid linework, stylised character portrayals, real raw emotion, and one of the best takes on Colossus I’ve seen. Today Paco Medina has lost a critic and gained a fan.

On the story front, Reverend Stryker is up to a lot of mischief as he continues to target the remaining kids for extermination. In this issue another main character dies, in a very shocking and unexpected way. Yost and Kyle have decided to go all Sienkiewicz on these once-carefree new mutants and make fighters (or dare-I-say, X-Men) out of these kids. And after the last-page shocking comeback of a MAJOR X-Men villain we haven’t seen for two decades, matters can only escalate!

Score: B

Uncanny X-Men #472
Marvel
Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist: Chris Bachalo

Review content: Before you read this review, take a look at the Grade in the end.
“¦
Yup, it’s not a typo, not a ruse, not April Fool’s. And, unlike my good mate Vassilis Sakkos’ accusation, I’m not doing it out of pity because of recent news. Claremont has actually produced a thoroughly enjoyable Uncanny X-Men issue.

Is it the triumphant return of Chris Bachalo after the atrocious Tan run? Bachalo’s art is more refined now than previous issues, more close to his original Uncanny X-men run with Seagle than the dreadful attempts at manga during the recent AOA mini.

Is it the villainy of Jamie Braddock? Here’s a villain Claremont still writes with splendour, with a lunacy that would make Morrison envious. Plus, he is simply delicious the way he is drawn here, with intense sex lines, wearing only low-riding boxer shorts and a top hat.

Is it the promise of Claremont breaking a year-long tradition and actually wrapping up a loose thread? In this case, the explanation behind Betsy’s death and revival.

It certainly isn’t the forced interludes featuring Val Cooper and the Sentinel ONE cardboard soldiers. I can’t wait to see that little ill-conceived Decimation plot die a painful angsty death.

Score: B

X-Men: the 198 #4
Marvel
Writer: David Hine
Artist: Jim Muniz

Review content: Things escalate in the 198 camp (isn’t it 197 camp after last issue?), as Erg spreads rumours that dear departed Jazz was killed by the electronic branding tags the government issued the 198. Mr M’s messianic involvement will lead to a mass exodus-liberation of the protected 198 and trouble to the x-men and the (again, much-hated and one-dimensional) Sentinel ONE squad.

David Hine has written better stories than this (by far), and the odd Portacio-school by way of Tom Derenick art style of Jim Muniz really isn’t suited for this action book. This is the more lackluster of the Decimation series that have in general proven surprisingly clever.

Score: D

PRESS RELEASES

DARK HORSE COMICS

Highlights from Dark Horse for July 2006

DARK HORSE COMICS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS!

THE ESCAPISTS #1

The Escapist returns in a story written by Brian K. Vaughan!

CONAN AND THE SONGS OF THE DEAD #1

Joe R. Lansdale reunites with artist Timothy Truman, to tell the grittiest, roughest, downright meanest Conan story ever seen in comics.

SCARLET TRACES: THE GREAT GAME #1

Ian Edginton and D’Israeli return for the sequel to the best comic book of all time, Scarlet Traces.

MAIL VOLUME 1

Dark Horse introduces the U.S. market to one of the hottest up-and-coming new artists in Japan, Housui Yamazaki.

Plus, don’t forget to check out the rest of our July 2006 line-up for more adventures from your favorite characters and products every collector will want to see.

2006 COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL CONTEST

Dark Horse Comics announces the 2006 Comic-Con International: San Diego
Contest, designed to bring a Dark Horse fan to the largest comic
convention in North America, July 20-23 at the San Diego Convention
Center. Comic-Con International is the largest gathering of comic book
publishers, creators, and professionals of any event of its kind in the
world. The convention also features several other aspects of pop
culture, including film and television screenings, and autograph
sessions with media stars.

Dark Horse will select a Grand Prize winner to receive an
all-expenses
paid trip to Comic-Con International 2006. Simply register to win at
darkhorse.com and maybe you’ll be heading to San Diego in July!

Grand Prize (1):
– Roundtrip airfare for two.
– Lodging for three days and two nights (July 21-23).
– $500 in spending money.
– 2 passes to the convention (July 21-23).
– “VIP” pass to all Dark Horse Comics-related events.

Runners-up (5):
– Dark Horse Comics Prize Package full of comics, paperbacks, and other
items.

The fine print:
No purchase necessary. One online entry per person (one e-mail address
per person/address). You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
Contest entries only accepted from people living in the domestic United
States and must be submitted by Midnight (PDT), May 31, 2006 to be
eligible. Winners will be drawn randomly from all applicable entries
and notified by June 2, 2006. Entry constitutes agreement by winners to
be publicized and permission to use each winner’s name for the purposes
of promotion of the Contest without further compensation. Contest void
where prohibited. Odds of winning dependent on number of entrants.

BOOM STUDIOS!

ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 sells out at Boom! Studios

Fan-favorite horror anthology experienced a near-instant sell-through

The latest installment in the zombie horror franchise from Wizard Magazine’s Best New Publisher Boom! Studios – ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 – has sold out at the publisher level. Featuring work from Annhiliation and ” 52″ writer Keith Giffen, as well as screenwriters Andrew Cosby, John (Blue Beetle) Rogers, and Johanna Stokes, with a contribution from novelist Jim Pascoe, ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD was gone in record time.

“We’ve never gotten a single reorder this big, and it just blew through all our copies, plain and simple,” Boom! Studios publisher Ross Richie said. “Since January, we’ve experienced a surge in reorder activity and I think it’s caught up to our present releases, and as such we kind of have a geometric progression. This latest reorder came in quick, fast, and furious, and made short work of our overprint bigger and faster than any other book we’ve put out. I hope that retailers take note of the fan interest in our horror anthologies, and get in some advance reorders for CTHULHU TALES #1, which will no doubt continue to get this kind of response.”

Unlike previous Boom! Studios releases that sold gradually over a series of months – like the recent sold-out GIANT MONSTER – ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 received a complete and total sell out instantly. This is the second in a series of recent sell-outs for Boom! Studios, that sees an uptick in their order activity.

The ZOMBIE TALES series was launched in June of 2005 with ZOMBIE TALES #1, and followed up by the sequel, ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1. Last fall saw the release of a two issue mini-series under the ZOMBIE TALES banner, DEATH VALLEY, which was a quick success. ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1 is the latest in the series. A horror anthology, ZOMBIE TALES publishes the best of established comic book writers as well as Hollywood talent, featuring stories from Mark Waid and Keith Giffen, with screenwriters Andrew Cosby, John Rogers, and Johanna Stokes. WAR OF THE WORLDS: SECOND WAVE writer Michael Alan Nelson contributes, and the latest writer to join the crew is Jim Pascoe, author of the novels FIVE SHOTS AND A FUNERAL and BY THE BALLS. Each issue features a cover from Eisner Award-winning cover artist Dave Johnson. Veteran comic book illustrators like Keith Giffen, Ron Lim, Lee Moder, Andy Kuhn, FALLEN ANGEL superstar J.K. Woodward, THE GRIMOIRE artist Tom Fowler, SMOKE AND GUNS Fabio Moon, MEGATON MAN Don Simpson, I LUV HALLOWEEN Benjamin Roman, BATMAN: RUN RIDDLER RUN Mark Badger, and HERO SQUARED Joe Abraham have all contributed stories.

Published as double-sized 48 page “prestige format “ comic books with high quality, high-gloss paper and squarebound binding, ZOMBIE TALES upholds the Boom! Studios commitment of creating high production values to showcase the work of the best creators in the field.

“We’re also down to our last few copies of ZOMBIE TALES #1 and ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1,” Richie said. “So if you enjoyed ZOMBIE TALES: THE DEAD #1, we’ve got a few left for retailers to reorder. ZOMBIE TALES #1 Convention Sketch Cover, limited to 500 copies, is nearly all gone.”

Since being awarded BEST NEW PUBLISHER by Wizard Magazine and nominated for the same award by DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS for 2005, Boom! Studios has seen an uptick in sell-through and initial orders. Selling through most of its outstanding backlist, Boom! Studios is having a record year.

ZOMBIE TALES #1 Diamond Order Code FEB052584 $6.99
ZOMBIE TALES #1: CONVENTION SKETCH COVER Diamond Order Code OCT052862 $9.99
ZOMBIE TALES: OBLIVION #1 Diamond Order Code JUN052859 $6.99

GIANT MONSTER #1 and #2 sells out at Boom! Studios

New publisher experiences total sell-out

GIANT MONSTER, the two issue mini-series published by Wizard’s Best New Publisher Boom! Studios has sold out of all of its initial print run. Written by horror legend Steve Niles with art by THE NAIL team of Nat Jones and Jay Fotos, GIANT MONSTER ended up on a slew of internet columnist and blogger “Best of 2005″ lists.

“I’m actually a bit shocked,” Boom! Studios publisher Ross Richie remarked. “I made a pretty healthy overprint on both comics, and never really expected to sell out, much less sell out so soon. It’s really encouraging!”

A flurry of reorder activity has seen both issues of the mini-series sell out at the publisher level. As a result, orders are being allocated, and some retailers might not receive all the copies of this comic that they expected to.

Launched in October of 2005, Giant Monster focuses on astronaut Don Maggert, whose first solo manned space flight has him disappear in the grip of an intergalactic horror. Returning to earth, he’s been transformed into something that will throw the entire planet into peril… Meanwhile, the world’s only hope seems to rest in… a buried Nazi robot? Will Maggert’s wife be able to talk him out of his massive rampage?

Published in two installments of double-sized 48 page “prestige format” comic books with high quality, high-gloss paper and squarebound binding, GIANT MONSTER upheld the longstanding Boom! Studios tradition of creating high production values to showcase the work of the best creators in the field.

“We’re also down to our last few copies of the RUN PUNY HUMANS cover for GIANT MONSTER #1,” Richie said. “Limited to 500 copies only, and each one signed by Steve Niles and Eisner Award-winning 100 BULLETS cover artist Dave Johnson. I expect those to be the next ones to go, they won’t be lasting long.”

Since being awarded BEST NEW PUBLISHER by Wizard Magazine and nominated for the same award by DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS for 2005, Boom! Studios has seen an uptick in sell-through and initial orders. Selling most of its outstanding backlist now, Boom! Studios is having a record year.

Giant Monster #1: Run Puny Humans alternate cover Diamond Code: JAN062929

ABOUT BOOM STUDIOS
Founded in 2005 by Ross Richie, Boom! Studios is a unique new publishing house specializing in high profile projects from some of the industry’s biggest names. Publishing humor with Hero Squared and What Were They Thinking, venturing into horror with Zombie Tales, Jenny Finn, and Giant Monster, and showcasing thrillers with “10” and adventure with X Isle and Talent, Boom! Studios continues to be on the leading edge of comic and graphic novel publishing.
For more information on Boom! Studios, check out the official website at
http://www.boom-studios.com/

Aaaaand that’s a wrap for this week! I’m waiting your comments and feedback through email to Manolis@gmail.com. If you self-publish your own comics or represent an indy comics company, add me to your press release list, and I will run your news in this space every week.

Manolis Vamvounis
a.k.a. Dr. Dooplove

ah, the good old Dr Manolis, the original comics Greek. He's been at this for sometime. he was there when the Comics Nexus was founded, he even gave it its name, he even used to run it for a couple of years. he's been writing about comics, geeking out incessantly and interviewing busier people than himself for over ten years now and has no intention of stopping anytime soon.