Posted at 9:15 p.m. - Monday, December 1

Courtesy of my friends at Dreamland Comics in Schaumburg, IL comes this week's new releases!  Of note this week: Marvel Comics' Skrull Invasion comes to its conclusion in Secret Invasion #8; DC Comics young readers line gets a great new title with Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1; and Lucy Lawless alter-ego Xena joins Ashley Williams of the Evil Dead series to battle deadites throughout some literary classics in  Xena Vs.Army of Darkness: What Again? #2 (see image) ; and much, much more!

Get over to your local comic shop and try one of these great titles (or any of the others listed below) this week!

MARVEL
Amazing Spider-Man #579
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Laughing Corpse #3
Cable #9
Criminal Vol 2 #7
Enders Shadow Battle School #1 
Eternals #6
Hulk #8 Buscema Variant ($2.99) Limited Quantity
Hulk Family Green Genes #1
Immortal Iron Fist #20
Iron Man Hulk Fury One-Shot
Lords of Avalon Knights of Darkness #1
Marvel Illustrated Kidnapped #2
Marvel Spotlight Secret Invasion Aftermath
Marvel Zombies 3 #3
Marvels Eye of the Camera #1
Moon Knight Silent Knight #1
New Avengers #47
New Exiles #15
NYX No Way Home #4
Punisher Max X-Mas Special 
Secret Invasion #8
Secret Invasion: Front Line #5
She-Hulk Cosmic Collision
Weapon X First Class #2
What If? House of M
Wolverine Power Pack #2
Wolverine Manifest Destiny #2
X-Infernus #1
X-Men Manifest Destiny #4
X-Men Noir #1

DC
Batman #682
El Diablo #4
Jonah Hex #38
Justice Society of America #21
Sgt Rock the Lost Battalion #2
Superman Supergirl: Maelstrom #3
Terra #3
Terror Titans #3
Trinity #27
Vixen Return of the Lion #3

DC/VERTIGO
Army@Love Art of War #5
Haunted Tank #1
Sandman Dream Hunters #2

DC/WILDSTORM
Authority #5
Chuck #6

OTHER PUBLISHERS
Army of Darkness Vs. Xena: What Again? #2
Astounding Wolf-Man #10
Boys #25
Broken Trinity Witchblade
Charlatan Ball #5
Criminal Macabre Cell Block 666 #2
Darkness #72 (Now Re-number to original series)
Doctor Who Forgotten #4
Dreamer #2
Dreamland Chronicles IDW #6
Hack Slash The Series #18 
Hellboy The Wild Hunt #1
I Hate Gallant Girl #2
Jingle Bell: Santa Claus Vs. Frankenstein 
Jungle Girl Season 2 #2
Knights of the Dinner Table #145
Kull #2
Magicman Archives Vol 1
Modern Masters Vol 19 Mike Ploog
Necronomicon #3
Noble Causes #38
Pirat Tales Legend of Cat O Nine Tales #2
Proof Vol 2
PS238 Vol 6
Risers
Scream Queen
Shadow Double Novel Vol 23
Sir Apropos Of Nothing #2
Solomon Kane #3
Speed Racer Next Generation Birthright #2
Sword #13
Tales From the Crypt #9
Transformers Animated Arrival #5
Transformers Best of UK Time Wars #5
Wizard Project Superpowers #1/2
Youngblood #6
Zero G #3

ALL-AGES
Archie Double Digest #194
Betty #177
Jughead #192
Looney Tunes #169
Supergirl Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1
Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #5

MAGAZINES
Alter Ego #82
Lost Offical Magazine #20
Scrye #128
Spider-Man Magazine #4
Torchwood Magazine #10
Torchwood Magazine #11

GRAPHIC NOVELS
1000 Record Covers
1000 Tattoos
Astonishing X-Men Vol 2 HC
Becoming Batman Possibility of a Superhero 
Caliber Vol 1 First Canon Of Justice 
Cleburne 
Complete Terry & The Pirates Vol 5 HC
Creepy Archives Vol 2 
Daredevil Miller Janson Vol 2 
Daredevil Yellow Premier HC
Doc Savage Double Novel Vol 19
Doctor Who Classics Vol 2 
Fall of Cthulhu Vol 3
Genext
Godland Vol. 4 
Hercules Vol 1 Thracian Wars 
Infinity Crusade Vol 1 
Invincible Iron Man Vol 1 HC
Mice Templar Vol 1 The Prophecy HC
New Exiles Vol 2 Awakening 
Project Superpowers Vol 1 HC
Showcase Presents Supergirl Vol 2
Spirit Vol 1 
Star Trek Assignment Earth 
Superman Batman Vol 4 Vengeance
Teen Titans On the Clock 
Wasteland Vol 3 Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos 

MANGA
Bleach Posterzine #1
Dragon Drive Vol 11
Eyeshield 21 Vol 23
Gaba Kawa
Honey & Clover Vol 4
Hoshin Engi Vol 10
King of Hell Vol 21
Mamotte Shugogetten Vol 1
Monochrome Factor Vol 4
Mushishi Vol 6
Suzuka Vol 10
Toto Vol 3
Two Flowers for the Dragon Vol 3

Posted at 7:15 p.m. - Tuesday, November 11

Earlier today I posted a REDEYE EXCLUSIVE COMIC STRIP (Hey Newsarama!  You guys know what 'exclusive' means, right?) featuring the Savage Dragon congratulating President-Elect Barack Obama.  The strip was created by Erik Larsen on what was a killer deadline (thanks Erik!) and will be included in Savage Dragon #145.  So now I present to you, the COVER to that issue, due out in February 2009!

Posted at 1:20 p.m. - Friday, October 31

Local publisher Avatar Press had a presence at the Windy City Comic Con and I managed to get David Marks to get on camera and talk about what the indie publisher has been doing and what the future will bring (Lord knows my future will involve lots of stomach crunches):

Check back later today for a Geek To Me podcast from Windy City Comic Con!

Posted at 12:15 p.m. - Monday, October 27

Loaded Bible: the Trade Paperback

Here's an awesome 'trailer' to the trade paperback of the 'Loaded Bible' miniseries by local comic creator Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and a host of artists.  Now, if you've never read any of the Loaded Bible books, the series is about a desolate future where vampire rule the world and the Vatican has 'resurrected' the Savior by cloning him.  The set up leads to having the Son of God fighting vampires in a 'Mad Max' type setting that reads much better than you would expect.  Really, the concept sounds silly, but it actually works!

Ask your local comic retailer to get you a copy and see for yourself!  Also, check back this week to see my interview with Tim Seeley where he talks to me about Hack/Slash the comic book and the upcoming film adaptation.

Posted at 8:20 a.m. - Thursday, October 23

[Sabrina 'Ultragirl' Mancini, image courtesy of Alan Evans]

The world of web comics can be just as competitive as print comics, in fact it's even more so.  The 'internets' are simply flooded with web comics of all genres, each with varying degrees of quality.  What sets the good ones from the not-so-good is art, writing and the frequency the web comic is updated.  (That last one is a make-or-break for many fledgling titles.)

Having said all that, I introduce you to Rival Angels, a web comic by Alan Evans and...well, why don't I let Alan tell you what he, and Rival Angels, are all about:

"My name is Alan Evans, hailing from Milwaukee, WI and the creator of the #1 wrestling webcomic, Rival Angels.  I've been a fan of wrestling and comics for my entire life.  I was routinely punished in kindergarten for putting classmates in hammerlocks and then drawing it out in marker, glue and sparkly dust. The rumors that I was thrown out of the Taskmasters training school for repeatedly asking him to mimic wrestling moves is completely exaggerated. After 30 years, I wised up and started doing Rival Angels combining Wrestling with Reality TV. The cute girls don't hurt either. Through a combination of grit and imac, I'm able to write, draw, color and letter the webcomic myself and update Rival Angels three times a week. "

In my opinion, it's that very combination of 'grit and iMac' that make Rival Angels a Comic You Should Read.  And the best part?  It's FREE!

Check it out @ www.RivalAngels.com!

Posted at 11:05 p.m. - Monday, October 20

Courtesy of my friends at Dreamland Comics in Schaumburg, IL comes this week's new releases!  Of note this week: The penultimate chapter in the Skrull Invasion of the Marvel U with Secret Invasion #7;  DC Comics answers with the latest chapter of their 'epic of the year' with Final Crisis #4;The New Krypton story arc kicks off in the Superman titles with New Krypton Special #1; yours truly makes his comic book writing debut in Xena/Army of Darkness (Series Two) #1; and much, much more!  Get over to your local comic shop and try one of these great titles (or any of the others listed below) this week!

Posted at 11:55 a.m. - Thursday, October 16

Local publisher Moonstone Books has just announced their latest titles featuring classic heroes The Phantom and The Spider:

[Phantom Cover Art by Sy Barry, courtesy Moonstone Books]

The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #1

“END WAR” Part 1 (of 3)

Story: Mike Bullock, David Michelinie

Art: Silvestre Szilagyi

Colors: Bob Pedroza

Covers: Sy Barry, Joe Corroney, Vivek Goel

32pgs, color, $3.99 

It’s time for a new beginning… a new focus…a new direction…and new issues more often!

Welcome aboard story consultant (Iron Man writer) David Michelinie!

Join us for stories torn from today’s headlines of modern day Africa-told in a fashion true to the earlier/darker days of the Phantom strip! 

In your face, edgier stories like you’ve never seen before in the pages of Phantom comics!

In this issue:  A UN peace-keeping mission in Northern Africa takes an explosive turn for the worst. The Phantom soon discovers this is just the opening shot in a war to end all wars waged by an army who lusts for their own martyrdom.

And for the first time EVER, the legendary Phantom artist Sy Barry has provided a new cover for an American Phantom comic!

[The Spider, cover image courtesy of Moonstone Books]

The Spider: Judgement Knight

Story: Norvell W. Page, Howard Hopkins

Art: Gary Carbon

7” x 10”, 72pgs, squarebound, $9.95

10 digit: 1-933076-50-x

13 digit: 978-1-933076-50-8

If you like your justice served ice cold, baby, The SPIDER is it!

The body count is high as the most ruthless crime fighter of all time stars in his very own wide-vision graphic novel! No one comes close to how deliciously deadly The Spider dispatches justice. The criminals are not left behind for the police; they are not rehabilitated. They are no longer a burden on society, as The Spider just mows them down with extreme prejudice!

A murderous ghost of crime terrorizes New York City, dealing gruesome agonized death to any who stand in the way of his quest for power.

The city reeling, threatened with wholesale murder, The Spider finds himself wounded and caught in a desperate battle within America’s very symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. At stake, the fate of millions and the life of the woman he loves—Nita van Sloan!

Painted in gorgeous noir b/w!

************************************************

If you're a fan of the classic pulp heroes, you can not only get your fix, but support a local publisher too!

Be sure to visit your local comic shop and order these books!

Posted at 10:25 a.m. - Friday, October 17

Way cool news on the comic book convention front, as finally the local comic scene is going to get the spotlight in a convention FOR Chicago folks BY Chicago folks!  The good folks from the Windy City Comic Con sent me the following press release:

Comic Book Fandom Returns to Sweet Home Chicago.

Over a decade ago, Chicago was home to one if the best comic book
conventions in the world. To the dismay of thousands of fans, there has not
been a proper comic book convention in the city, for far too long. Now
Chicago will once again have a Comic Book convention to call its own. On
Saturday Oct. 25th, more than fifty comic book professionals, publishers and
vendors will be gathered together for the first ever Windy City Comicon.

The guest list includes top industry talent like Gene Ha, Don Kramer,
Skottie Young, Mike Norton, Jeffrey Brown, Jeff Lemire, Tim Seeley, Will
Pfeifer and dozens more. Comic book publishers Avatar Press, Olympian
Publishing, Short Pants Press, and Moonstone Books will also exhibit a wide
variety of new titles and upcoming projects.

"Diversity and quality is what we were looking for in our guest list. We
couldn't be happier on both accounts." commented show co-promoter Brion
Salazar. All of the guests are excited to finally have a traditional comic
show right here in the city.²

Additionally, comic book retailers from around the area will offers
thousands of back-issues, collectibles, toys, games, statues and apparel,
all at discounted prices.

Starting at noon on the day of the show, free seminars will be offered,
presented by comic book professionals teaching the craft of creating comics.

Tournaments and pick-up games for Magic: The Gathering and HeroClix players,
will be offered throughout the day. There is room for over a hundred gamers
to match wits and compete for Limited Edition prizes.

The Hero Initiative, a not-for-profit organization, will have guest signings
and exclusive products with all proceeds going to help veteran creators in
need. Also, a special Heroclix tournament option offers a fun and easy way
to help The Siegel and Shuster Society¹s efforts to save the home of
Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.

The Center on Halsted will be the home for the 2008 Windy City Comicon on
Saturday October 25th, from 10:00am to 6:00pm. This brand new community
center is in the heart of Chicago's North Side, blocks from Wrigley Field.

"The Center has everything we were looking for in a venue.² said show
co-promoter Christopher Neseman. ³Attendees are steps away from an endless
variety of eateries, shopping and entertainment when the convention
concludes. We¹re excited to show why we feel Chicago is the greatest city in
the world."

Tickets are still available and only $5.00. Free gift packs for the first
500 attendees.

To purchase tickets, see a complete list of guests, exhibitors and
retailers, or find additional information on the show, visit the Windy City
Comicon website at www.windycitycomicon.com.

***************************************************************************
This promises to be a top-notch event with great talent and it deserves the full support that the local fanboy and fangirl community can give!  I know I'll be there and I hope to see you there as well!

Posted at 8:55 p.m. - Tuesday, September 30

Today's Profile in Comics is on local publisher Moonstone Books.  I've met Moonstone Books Editor Joe Gentile on several occasions and have always been impressed with drive and determination to create quality comics that he and his staff bring to the company.  I asked Joe to give me a little history on Moonstone Books:

"Moonstone was founded about 13 years ago out of Chicago, and since then, [we] have been publishing fine and distinct comic books, graphic novels, and prose...books that are meant to be read.

[Hear, hear!]

Moonstone publishes new adventures of many recognizable characters: The Phantom, Buckaroo Banzai, Captain Action, Zorro, Sherlock Holmes, Kolchak the Night Stalker, The Spider, and more!"

I asked what were some cool things Moonstone had coming up and Joe offered that they would be releasing 'Wyatt Earp: The Justice Riders, An original graphic novel that teams up western legends Wyatt Earp, The Cisco Kid, Geronimo, Belle Starr, and Annie Oakley!  (Available mid October!)

[Also you have] The Avenger Chronicles; For the first time in 40 years! New prose adventures of one of the greatest pulp action characters of all time!  The man with the expressionless mold-able face and the shock white hair is back!  Thrilling tales by: Robert Randisi, Tom DeFalco, Ron Goulart, Will Murray, Mel Odom, James Reasoner, and more!

And what intrigued me most was Sherlock Holmes & Kolchak: "Cry of Thunder".  Uniting fiction's greatest detective with the character that inspired The X-Files, Joe describes the book as 'a 3 issue color comic book series...its a mystery that's solved by two investigators 100 years apart from each other!' (Due out in November.)

This just goes to show that characters, talent and innovation aren't restricted to those East Coast comic companies.  The Windy City has plenty of great comic book creators here as well!

You can learn more about Moonstone Books and ever pre-order their titles by visiting their web site!

Posted at 11:30 a.m. - Monday, September 29

Howdy pardners!  The cowpokes over at Moonstone Books are havin' a good, ol' fashioned hoedown where you'll get to meet some of the talented folks who write and draw them-there picture books.

Get yer best hat, put on yer spurs, and mosey on over to Amazing Fantasy Books in Frankfort, on Friday October 10th and tell 'em the Comic Book Kid sent ya'!