James Robinson Leaps into Writing Superman

After a lifetime of ambivalence to Superman, he has finally won me over. The seeds of my interest in Krypton's last son may have been planted in the late 1990s Superman cartoon but it wasn't until DC Comics started releasing comics like All Star Superman and Geoff Johns' current Action Comics run that I started to get hooked. When it was announced that Starman scribe James Robinson was going to take over the Superman title, I knew that this was the last nail in the coffin. I'd have to try out his run, as his work on Starman makes me try out any comic series he pens.

With issue #677, Robinson's work on Superman has bounded into stores and it reads like a solid start to a new run on the title. He just drops us, the readers, into the world of Superman, feeling no need to reintroduce who Superman is nor what classic Superman elements like the Daily Planet are. Instead, the story begins with character moments and proceeds to introduce a collection of new characters and provides plenty of action along the way.

One of the complaints that can be made against the issue is that even with all the action and lack of time wasted explaining a concept that most folks are familiar with these days, not a lot actually happens this issue. While I can see how this might frustrate some readers, I don't mind it one bit. Robinson built some of his strongest work out of a measured pacing that made room for really capturing the setting and giving characters moments to shine as people rather than as mere participants in battle royals. He has a knack for fleshing out the characters you read about and the worlds they inhabit to the point that you feel like you have been there and talk to the characters.

Measured pacing and life-like locations aren't the only signature Robinson tools that he has brought with him to Metropolis. He has also arrived with a love of the obscure corners of the DCU, great use of narrative captions, and an interest in the not-so-super-powered law enforcement that live in a super powered world. While I have enjoyed all the elements in Robinson's past work, it seems a little early to know if they will play out well in tales about the Man of Steel. I do know that I'll be reading to see if they do work out.

DC Comics has a preview of the issue available if you want to get an idea of what the issue is like.

-Nick

The Mad Magazine Exhibit

Few magazines have had a greater impact on contemporary society as MAD magazine. Its satirical off-kilter humor,
twisted characterizations, and dunce mascot Alfred E. Newman, helped define generation after generation of comedians,
cartoonist and comic readers. Yet, MAD's popularity was by know means met with open arms. From its inception in 1952
by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines, MAD was surrounded in controversy. Both parents and teachers
despised its cultural influence on youths, inevitably resulting in a senate sub-committee investigation on MAD's link to juvenile
delinquency. However, for over 50 years, MAD Magazine has risen above the hubbub and continues to be the best humor magazine on
shelf.

In celebration of MAD Magazine's lasting cultural impact, the St. Louis Artist Guild is displaying the
Mad Magazine Exhibit. The gallery features original MAD Magazine
art, printed samples and all sorts of other crazy stuff. The show runs from June 22 until September 6. Hours are from 1pm - 3pm and
admission is free.

The St. Louis Artists' Guild is located at:

2 Oak Knoll Park
Corner of Big Bend & Clayton Roads
Clayton, MO. 63105

Veeblefetzer!

-Jon

Final Crisis Marches On

Last week, everyone (including Jon and I) got whipped up into a frenzy over all the news and rumors surrounding DC Comics. This week, things have settled down a little and columnist (and comics writer) Steven Grant has taken everyone to task over all the excitement. Really, it is easy to get wrapped up in all the hubbub and forget about what is really important: the comics!

This week saw Final Crisis #2 battle for shelf space against an avalanche of Marvel titles, but it stands out over most of the comics that came out this week. I really loved the beginning and the end of the second installment in this super-epic, but the middle of the issue really had me exercising my noggin to follow what was going on. All this confusion, it turns out, is not just shared by Star Clipper's Jon and I but also with the heroes of the DCU. While some might not like that things are hard to follow, I kind of enjoy that I'm just as confused as characters like Dan Turpin or Batman at the events that unfold in these pages. Darkseid and his fellow evil New Gods have outlasted the death of the rest New Gods in an interesting way and just like DC's heroes; we are just beginning to make sense of what is starting to unfold.

While the pacing of the series may not be everyone's cup of tea, I really appreciate that author Grant Morrison is taking time to build up to the events that are about to unfold in the DC Universe. It may seem like Morrison is jumping around covering random corners of the DCU, but he is more establishing the various key players in this series. He offers up a story that features DC classics like Lex Luthor, Batman, and the Flash while also reintroducing forgot characters like Sunny Sumo, Anthro, and Libra. I personally enjoy seeing the surviving characters of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, like the previously mentioned Sumo and Turpin, playing important and sometimes surprising roles in the battle with that stories' greatest evil.

If all these characters have left you a bit overwhelmed, author Douglas Wolk has set up a blog to annotate the whole series, providing us readers with the scoop on all characters popping by in the pages of Final Crisis. I know that I'm going to be keeping my eye on this series and all its heroes as the summer rolls on. I'm really curious to see how DC moves from Jack Kirby's Fourth World to the Morrison guided Fifth.

-Nick

Postcard Diaries

Coming soon: Mark Mothersbaugh's Postcard Galleries 2008 Tour! If you liked what you saw of Beautiful Mutants in our gallery last year, you'll love Postcard Diaries. Postcard Diaries, a collection of artwork from prolific DEVO rocker Mark Mothersbaugh, will be on display in the Star Clipper gallery from August 1 to September 12, 2008.

On early tours with DEVO, Mark Mothersbaugh began illustrating on postcards to send to friends and family. Originally created as his personal diaries, the drawings evolved into an obsessive hobby which still yields new postcard-sized images daily. Thirty years later Postcard Diaries is an astonishing collection of Mark's private thoughts and distinctive imagery.

The 2008 Gallery Tour features high-resolution, limited edition digital prints of Mark's work. Each original Postcard Diary sketch is scanned and altered especially for the tour, often with the addition of text, digital effects, photos, etc. Each customized image is printed on quality archival Lysonic paper, embossed and signed by the artist.

Star Clipper is the region's premier independent retailer of graphic novels, comics, and designer toy collectibles. Our gallery is committed to promoting the work of emerging and exceptional artists, designers, and other creatives. Hope to see you at the show!!

Keep It Like A Secret

Can you name the two big things that have been missing from Marvel comics lately? It's pretty obvious if you think about it. No answer. Okay, let me help. The two things that have been missing from marvel lately are: one, Nick Fury, and two, big freakin' Cable guns! Thankfully, with the third installment of Marvel's summer crossover series Secret Invasion both are back with a vengeance.

Thus far, many Skrully secrets have been revealed, and without spoiling anything for those who are not caught up, I will say its been a blast to read through the mystery. Major factions of the Marvel Universe have been effected by the Skrull infiltration, including the Avengers, the Initiative, Fantastic Four and the Thunderbolts, which has dismantled teams and pitted hero against hero. Best of all, we've finally found out where the hell Nick Fury has been through all the messes of the Marvel U in the past couple of years.

However, for lite-comic readers, Secret Invasion suffers from its expansive scope. If you are not at least reading both Mighty Avengers and New Avengers you are definitely missing out on many of the best reveals of the series. I can't emphasis enough, if you've liked the main event, the tie-ins add much more to the story. Still, Secret Invasion #3 has offered the biggest cliff hanger yet, that being as to whether or not Tony Stark/Iron Man is a Skrull impostor. If he is, it will be one of biggest shocks in Marvel since the death of Captain America or the revealing of Spider-Man's identity (and hopefully Marvel will stick with it this time!).

I don't know about you, but I'm not buying Tony Stark is actually a Skrull. With the launch of the new Invincible Iron-Man series and his steadfast role in Civil War and World War Hulk, I don't think Marvel is going to want to taint one of their most misunderstood heroes at a time like this. But what do you think? Could he actually be a Skrull?

In this interview, Brian Micheal Bendis talks about everything Secret Invasion #3, and might help you decide about Mr. Tony Stark. So, unless you're a Skrull don't keep your opinion hush, hush.

-Jon

The Creative Void

Well it looks like the blank vinyl toys might have a run for their money. With it being an era where DIY art is very popular, we have been given new medium to try out. When blank vinyl toys first came out there was a huge uprising of crafters, artists, and designers letting their creativity expand with painting and sculpting vinyl. Now the very popular toy design company Shawnimals has teamed up with Squibbles Ink and designed the first 100% customizable designer plush platform. A lot like blank vinyl toys, Plush Forms have endless possibilities. The Plushforms # 1 design is based on Shawnimals very popular plush toy called the “Wee Ninja”. The size is approximately 9 inches tall by 9-inches wide and 3-inches deep. Other Plushforms to follow in a variety of fun and inspiring shapes and sizes. Out of the box the Plushform comes already sewn, stuffed, and primed ready to be painted, airbrushed, spray painted, drawn on, sewn onto, reworked, felted and even appliquéd. There might be even more methods not discovered yet. You can let your creativity take you wherever you want with these.

The Plush Forms will be available June 27th, 2008 at Star Clipper Comics. I can’t wait to see what our customers will create.

-Erika

DC Shakeups

DC Comics have not been having a good last few weeks. There has been the controversy around Final Crisis, about which Jon has blogged. Meanwhile, writer Chuck Dixon was let go out of nowhere. The biggest rumor floating around has been that of the dismissal of DC Senior VP- Executive Editor Dan Didio. When comics scribe Warren Ellis sent out a cryptic e-mail about a big shake up on Friday June 20th, everyone suspected that we were going to hear about the end of the Didio era t DC. With Heroes Con in full swing this weekend, the world of internet comics reporters and bloggers were all a buzz. When news of a DC Comics’ shake-up finally hit the net, I don’t think it was what anyone expected. Senior Vice President of Business Development John Nee had resigned from DC.

I have to say that I’m surprised that was at the center of all that hype. While I remember John Nee’s name from the credits inside old Wildstorm comics, I don’t really know what he does at DC Comics currently. While this Beat posting on the subject sheds a little light on this, I still can’t help but scratch my head. With all the negative buzz surrounding DC lately, there has to be some sort of fallout in the DC editorial offices. I guess we will have to keep our eyes peeled and our ears open for any further developments.

-Nick

The Real Crisis

The beginning of DC's summer crossover event Final Crisis has unfortunately gotten off to a rocky start. Besides the negative critical response, the real "crisis" is the series' under-performing sales in comparison to Marvel's Secret Invasion. During the month of May, the second issues of Secret Invasion outsold the first issue of Final Crisis, something that simply should not have happened. Even though Secret Invasion 2 took a 25% drop in sales from issue 1, it still outsold the suffering Crisis debut. According to Diamond sales estimates, Secret Invasion 2 sold 200,344 units while Final Crisis 1 only sold 159,036 units. However, Final Crisis was the biggest selling DC book for the month of May.

There has been a lot of internet speculation as to why Final Crisis didn't have the blockbuster launch DC was expecting. One major factor that is likely plaguing the series is "Crisis" fatigue. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, Countdown to Final Crisis, and now Final Crisis, the "crisis" brand-name is really being put to the test, especially after the disappointing Countdown. What's more, readers are just not confident that this will actually be the Final of the crises. Should DC fans be expecting Finaler and Finalest Crisis next?

In other alarmingCrisis news, additional artist Carlos Pacheco will join J.G. Jones from issue 4 to the completion of the 7 part series, apparently to keep the series on schedule. This has raised concern from fans who worry the change in art might disfigure a consistent look for the event. It is yet to be seen how this will affect Crisis sales, but DC is going to need some luck to avoid anymore crisis for the series.

-Jon

You Will Like Him When He’s Funny

The Hulk seems to be pretty big these days. Granted, he has always been a huge monster towering over a Marvel Universe of puny humans, but his current popularity is monstrous as well. From the success of storylines Planet Hulk and World War Hulk to his new number 1 movie, people are interested in the Mean Green Machine. Those hulksters out there love to see Bruce Banner pushed to his boiling point and hulk out, but the best Hulk stories convey much more than that. A good Hulk story can present nice character moments and insight into the human psyche, while delivering all the smashing us comic readers crave.

Over the years, there have been tons of different interpretations of the Hulk from Mob strongman Grey Hulk to smart well-adjusted Hulk to the newest raging Red Hulk. Personally, I always dug adorable and stupid Hulk. From things like this classic Hulk Diary blog by comics blogger Kevin Church to the never to be released
Incorrigible Hulk, the antics of the Hulk can really crack me up. Now, this is the side of the character I would like to see more of. Whether be the Hulk flipping out and throwing tantrums like a 3 year old or him being confused by the smaller things in life like thunder; the Hulk is never better than when he’s showing off his underused comedic talents. Luckly, Jason Lutes posted this four page James Kochalka Hulk story from the Incredible Hulk 2001 Annual. If only Marvel would let the Hulk smash up the funny pages with more comics like these I would be set.

-Nick

P.S. This blog is a dedicated to Star Clipper Associate Brent.

The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite

Sometimes, I wish I could wait to buy comics until the trades come out. Nothing against individual comic issues, but often it's nice to have a series in one complete volume, instead of scattered throughout your room like me. With the release of The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite graphic novel, I really wish I could have waited. Besides the fact that it would be nice to have all the issues in one book, the extras included in this collection make it particularly enticing. The graphic novel for My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way and Artist Gabriel Ba's cult hit The Umbrella Academy includes an introduction from Grant Morrison, preliminary sketches and designs by Way, Ba and cover artist James Jean, and two short stories containing the much sought-after Free Comic Book Day issue.

Many comic readers held off on reading Umbrella Academy because of suspicions of Way's ability to write a good tale. It's true that often times when a rock star embarks on other endeavors it can lead to disaster, but this is definitely not the case. In fact, having met Way when he was shopping at Star Clipper while on tour with MCR, he is perhaps more a comic fan than even a rock star. We talked comics and music for a good 20 minutes and I was quite impressed.

The real complement though should be focused on the excellence of Way and Ba's Umbrella Academy comic. Telling the story of a dysfunctional family of super-heroes who reunited after the death of their mentor, Apocalypse Suite was a surprise hit of 2007. I personally think it had some of the most fun and exciting new characters I've seen in a comic in quite some time. In particular, the character design of Vanya/ The White Violin, who is literally a deadly musical instrument herself, is one of the coolest characters ever. Plus, her James Jean cover was my favorite cover of 2007:



I assure you If you pick up the trade it will leave you salivating for more Umbrella Academy.

-Jon

It’s sunny, but it’s still Gloomy

With the growing fame of the ever so popular Gloomy Bear, I have decided to give a little more in detail on him. This is for those you out there who kept asking yourself, “What the heck is this adorable bear doing with blood all over his face”? Well, let me explain it to you.


Gloomy’s story starts with a young boy named Pity, who finds the little tiny baby cub Gloomy Bear left in a box. Pity decides to take Gloomy Bear home regardless of knowing that cubs are still wild animals. Soon after he brings Gloomy home, the cub grows into a bear. Gloomy starts to become violent towards Pity, even though he is Gloomy’s “owner.” It is a known fact that bears are not domesticated animals by nature. As a result Pity is scratched and hurt by Gloomy all the time, hence the blood on Gloomy’s claws and mouth.

Gloomy bear’s creator, Mori Chack, created the character as his way of contradicting the image of wild animals projected by companies like Disney and Sanrio. They take creatures, never capable of domestication in real life, and turn them into beasts tamed by men and given cute personas. The thing is, Chack’s Gloomy Bear is still adorable and everyone should own at least one. I don’t really know if Chack expected the fan craze to develop around Gloomy like it did, but either way I doubt he is complaining. Gloomy is now a household name for young adults around the world. I hope you the next time you come in to Star Clipper Comics, you’ll feel a little more comfortable with a giant pink bear covered in blood.

-Erika

The Beginning of the End For Godland

With the last year of Image Comics’ cosmic super-hero comic Godland announced to kick off with July’s issue #25, the series has been getting a lot of press. These interviews with writer Joe Casey and artist Tom Scioli have me really excited about a comic that is at the top of my list. The post-modern science fiction tale of epic proportions has always had a hard time finding its audience and that is a real shame. A lack of growth in sales brought Casey and Scioli to finishing the series on their own terms before it meets a more untimely end (or not depending on which creators interview you read).

Since the series’ early days, it has battled negative opinions on its Jack Kirby-style art as well as its classic cosmic epic style stories. Those that are caught up in such superficial concerns are missing out on one of the most exciting comics on the shelves today. One of my friends was hung up on the Kirby-style art leaving him resistive to trying out the series. Only on my constant recommendation did he try the book out. After giving the series a legitimate shot, he fell in love with the both bombastic, and self-conscious dialogue as well as the series fantastic and exciting plots.

I do think it is true that to fall in love with Godland, you have to love crazy sci-fi adventures and super-hero tales that are fun, grandiose, and larger than life itself. If such Earth shattering fun is not your cup of tea, than I warn you stay away from Godland, friend. However, if energy-enthroned space lords of the cosmos like those shown leave you with no choice than to confirm their radness then, quickly, check out Godland and be prepared for a comic that will make the very universe quake.

-Nick

Hulk Busting

The new Incredible Hulk film is going to suffer criticisms from two unfair factors: one, its link to the 2003 Ang Lee Hulk, and two, comparisons to this summer's blockbuster hit Iron Man. This is unfortunate for Ed Norton's interpretation of the Hulk, because absent from these ties, it would be considered an overall good summer popcorn flick. However, the Incredible Hulk can't escape that it's a follow up to a lackluster debut, no matter how hard Marvel Studios tries to distance themselves from that failure. Though there are no returning actors and the overall cast and story are much better, many filmgoers and comic fans won't see the Incredible Hulk simply because of its connection to the "first" film. For those who do see the new big green meanie, its already been unanimously decided that "Hulk is not as good as Iron Man." Again, this is unfair because setting such lofty expectations for Hulk is just unrealistic. Iron Man seemed to hit the right note with just about everybody, from its amazing special effects, conscious updating of the terrorist origin story, and uncanny portrayal of Tony Star by Robert Downy Jr.

Though the Incredible Hulk is not a perfect film by any means, it should be judged on its own strengths and weaknesses. On the outside, the Incredible Hulk is both a good chase movie and monster movie. Bruce Banner is always on the run, and his monstrous transformations that aid in his escape can be down right terrifying. Yet, the heart of the Incredible Hulk is a psychological drama, much like Ang Lee's original effort. Even with the promise of more Hulk smashing, this analytical approach is something audience are going to have to accept to appreciate the Hulk. Bruce Banner's greatest enemy will always be his own anger, no matter how much having two giant monsters fight appeals to the masses.

What can be said about the added action is that in this Hulk film it actually pays off. Director Louis Leterrier avoided the multi-screen comic editing, subtracted constant CGI henchmen and added an obvious villain, and subsequently made his action sequence count in a way that didn't stagnate the story like the 2003 film. Where the film suffers is in the development of Tim Roth's villian the Abomination. The causal viewer might enjoy the fight, but there is no reason for them to care about the stakes involved, due to the lack of establishment.

Still, the Incredible Hulk is infinitely better than its predecessor, and actually warrants continuing the franchise. Plus, there are plenty of fanboy easter eggs and upcoming movie tie-ins to keep the biggest hulksters raging for more.

See it if you don't want to make me angry.

-Jon

Welcome to Ninjatown!

Star Clipper saw the return of the Wee Ninja, Pocket Ninja, Son of Mustachio, and Pocket Stache with a May restock of incredibly cute Shawnimals. Hopefully these plushes, from toy designer Shawn Smith, were a pleasant sight on the shelves because these characters are going to be around more in the future. Later this month, Wee Ninja and the rest of the residents of Ninjatown are moving from the 3-D realm to the 2-D comic’s page in Ninjatown: The Adventures of Wee Ninja.



The creative team of Art Baltazar and Franco (the folks behind DC Comics’ Tiny Titans and Patrick the Wolf Boy), will bring Smith’s creations to 4-color life in the one-shot comic to be released by Devil’s Due Publishing. If their work on Tiny Titans is any indication of what is to befall Ninjatown, there should be tons of all-ages fun that is so sweet that any diabetic will immediately go into shock if they even glance at a page of the comic. I think that this interview with Baltazar at Comic Book Resources with preview pages of the one-shot comic are dangerous enough.

-Nick

Let’s Put the X in -Files

I want to believe that the new X-Files movie is going to be a fun piece of nostalgia to one of my all-time favorite shows. Rumors of its existence have been popping in and out of my radar since the series ended in 2001. All of a sudden its release is closing in on us. The key elements are there to provide us with the movie we want to see. The cast and the creative team are both present. So we know we’re in trusted hands. It’s been promised that the story will not be a continuation of the show’s
sometimes muddy and dead end filled mythology, but more like the ‘monster of the week’ episodes. This is good to know, because those were a lot of my favorite episodes. Unfortunately, there is going to be a lot of competition this summer for a movie whose audience may have lost touch or simply forgotten about its greatness. Hopefully, Mulder and Scully don’t
get lost in the shuffle of blockbusters and make believers out of us all again.

X-Files: I Want To Believe July 25th, 2009



-Erika

The Girl Who "Knows Stuff" is Back

For fans of X-Factor's Layla Miller, you won't have to wait much longer to find out what happened to everyones favorite girl who "knows stuff." Shipping August 20 is theX-Factor Special: Layla Miller, explaining what happened to X-Factor's resident cool kid after she purposely allows herself to get abandoned in Bishop's turbulent timeline. Writer Peter David picks up Layla's story "a few months" after her future time crisis in Messiah CompleX. Interestingly, Layla's presence in the future directly interacts with the Summers Rebellion, a much talked about X story-line that has never fully been flesh out in any X book.

What is known about the Summers Rebellion is that in Bishop's alternate timeline someone named "Summers," presumably related to Cyclops, unites the humans and mutant to rise up against the renegade Sentinels, and subsequently frees the mutants. David hints the characters that have also been mentioned to have something to do with the Summers Rebellion, possibly Forge and Gambit known as Genesis and the Witness in Bishops timeline, might also have a role in the Layla Miller one-shot.

It has not been made clear yet as to whether Layla is going to make it make to her normal timeline, but I actually think David could write a pretty awesome X-Factor book leaving her in the future for a while and expanding her Summers Rebellion role beyond a one-shot. Either way, X-Fans in general are x-cited about the Layla Miller issue, with David even stating, "I think the first five pages is the best opening sequence I've ever written for any comic book, ever." More to come when I "know more stuff" about Layla Miller's return.

-Jon

H.P. I’m in Lovecraft

In the first installment of Max’s 3 part limited series H.P. Lovecraft's Haunts of Horror, Richard Corben brings us his adaptation of
some of Lovecraft’s short stories and poems. We get “Dagon,” “The Scar,” and “A Memory” illustrated in fitting black and white with the original Lovecraft source materials included. Corben does a good job of showing the kind of unexplainable horrors that Lovecraft wrote about. In “Dagon,” we witness a man’s journey into madness after coming across a civilization of aquatic mutants and their god. “The Scar,” adapted from Lovecraft’s “Recognition,” is an imaginative take on simple two stanza poem. “A Memory,” is a chilling tale of a family curse.

The Haunts of Horror stories run like old EC horror comics. You have your eerie introduction; your peak, and ending all in short 10 minutes. Sometimes its gratifying to not have to wait weeks for the conclusion to a story.

You can check out Haunts of Horror and other Richard Corben works HERE

-Erika

Comics can be Deadly

In 2005, twelve Danish editorial cartoons, featuring the Islamic prophet Muhammad, started a huge international controversy. These twelve images, including one where Muhammad wears a bomb shaped turban, offended the Danish Muslim community with their content. The cartoons reached international status when some of them were reprinted in newspapers in over fifty countries and sparked large scale protests worldwide. While some of the protests were peaceful demonstrations, others turned violent resulting in fatalities and the burning of several Danish Embassies around the globe. These events captured the attention of American media for a while; making headlines and triggering heated debates about freedom of speech and religious tolerance. Now the cartoons might have vanished from the headlines of major media, the fallout of these cartoons and their ongoing reprinting has continued all the way into 2008.

I was quite surprised when I read this recent AP article related to the Danish cartoons. On June 2nd, a suicide car bombing on the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan killed six people. According to the article, “…an Internet posting Thursday purportedly by al-Qaida claimed responsibility and threatened more attacks.” The article goes on to say that, “The statement said Monday's attack was carried out to fulfill Osama bin Laden's promise to exact revenge for the reprinting in Danish newspapers of a cartoon of Islam's Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban.”

These events completely amaze me on so many levels. What is especially shocking to me is how an episode that occurred two years ago continues to play out with such dire consequences. It incident also illustrates how real life events continue to unfold after the have stopped being a hot headline and a vogue topic of media conversations. If you are interested in following this events as they unfold further by checking out “Your Danish Cartoon Hanover Update” at comics’ news site Comics Reporter. Here is a link to the latest update .

-Nick

Black Hole…the Movie?

You’re probably thinking “Why would they remake that lame 70s sci-fi dreck?”, but this is no remake. It’s Hollywood’s current second favorite pastime, the graphic novel adaptation. Yes, the great Black Hole by Charles Burns is next on the list. Before you get worried, fear not. David Fincher is set to direct, while the screenplay will be
penned by none other than Neil Gaiman. These two names are sure to make your inner movie and comic nerd happy. Fincher, who adapted Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club for the screen, is someone who will definitely give the source material the care a masterpiece such as Black Hole deserves.

For those who haven’t read Black Hole, it tells the story of a group of teenagers living in a small suburb outside of Seattle in the 60’s. You begin to find out that something is happening in this town. The young start becoming infected with this thing they call the “‘teen plague’ or ‘the bug’. You follow main characters Chris and Keith while they adapt and change as they lose friends, lovers, and themselves into the Black Hole.

- Erika

Comic Salute to Steve Gerber

Before writer Steve Gerber passed away on February 10, 2008 he was working on DC's Countdown to Mystery - Doctor Fate story line. Unfortunately, he still was one issue away from completing the mini-series when he died. Instead of letting his last work go unfinished, common to many of Gerber's projects like the original Omega the Unknown, writers Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Mark Evanier, and Adam Beechen finished the Doctor Fate story in Countdown to Mystery #8 as a special salute to Steve Gerber. Each writer concludes the story in their own unique way, especially Beechen who ends it with Doctor Fate walking around Vegas in the nude. Yet, I think Gail Simone best sums up what Gerber gave to comic writing in this paraphrased letter:

"Steve's stories said: It's okay to be odd. Embrace being different. Ignore expectations. Fight when called for, laugh in adversity. Perfection is dull and overrated, and heroism is almost never about hitting people. Sometimes, heroism is about merely staying alive when staying alive seems damn near impossible."

Steve Gerber's Blog remains active and comments on his Countdown to Mystery story are still being posted there. Since Steve is no longer with us, make sure to post your comments on his final work before the site is closed for good.

-Jon

Final Fantasy Moogles

Kupo, Kupo! It feels like a moogle cave here at Star Clipper with all our new 15" Moogle plush toys from Final Fantasy XI.

So, what's a Moogle anyway. Moogles are one of the recurring races, like chocobos, that tie all the Final Fantasy video games together. These cute little critters have white fur, purple wings and a colored "pom-pom" sticking out the top of their heads, and their name in japanese comes from the fusion of the words mole and bat. Moogles first appeared in Final Fantasy III for the Super Famicom, which was not released outside of Japan, and had their first American role in Final Fantasy VI as one of the major playable characters named Mog.

Mog is one of my all time favorite Final Fantasy characters, in part because of his awesome character bio, which describes him as "Human-loving, fast-talking, street-smart, SLAM-dancing... Moogle..." Here is the orginal Yoshitaka Amano character design.



Pick up a Moogle and you can slam dance all the way home!


-Jon

Tokyopop Shakes Things Up

Comics’ news lately has been filled with stories about manga publisher Tokyopop. From the controversy surrounding their Pilot Manga contract to their recently announced restructuring, there has been a lot of things to talk about. Most of these recent tales of publishing woes have been covered fairly well by places like Comics Reporter or the Beat.

Selfishly, when I first read about the restructuring and the resultant reduction in Tokyopop releases by as much as 50%, my first thought was one of fear for the future of my favorite manga series, the under performing Beck Mongolian Chop Squad, rather than all the people that have lost their jobs. 39 people in total have lost their jobs in the restructuring including several editors and layout artists. This number of laid off employees does not include the number of freelancers that will no longer be picking up work due to the cut book releases.

It was not until this morning that I was struck with how this effects Tokyopop’s OEL program. Many North American comic creators, including two of my favorites Becky Cloonan and Brandon Graham, have books that were a part of that program; one where the works copyright is tied up with both the creator and Tokyopop. This copyright situation may make it difficult for series that are pulled from the publishing schedule to ever see release if Tokyopop no longer has any interest in printing them. Cartoonist Ross Campbell already has a zombie trilogy that is dead in the water due to a parting of ways between him and Tokyopop. Due to the nature of the original agreement between them, he cannot continue the story, the Abandoned, through another publisher. It may be that series like East Coast Rising or King City never have a printed conclusion if Tokyopop chooses not to release them. We’ll see as Tokyopop continues to roll out their books for the year which ones will see print and which will stay unreleased.

-Nick

A Dash of PAPRIKA

Satoshi Kon’s : Paprika

With the film's somewhat recent US release (2007) and it lying around my house for a few months I decided to finally watch it and… wow!

This story starts out with a beautiful woman named Paprika entering the dreams a troubled police inspector who keeps having the same nightmare night after night about a case that he has never been able to solve. After having so many restless nights he decides to visit the Foundation for Psychiatric Research, which fails to secure a device they've invented, the D.C. Mini, which allows researchers to watch his dreams as well as other patients. The thieves use the device to enter people’s minds, when awake, and distract them with their own dreams and those of others. Main characters Chiba, Tokita, and Shima members of the F.P. research center - assisted by the police inspector and by Paprika must try to find the thief as they ward off the thief's attacks on their own psyches. Dreams and reality merge, while characters question the limits of science and the wisdom of Big Brother.

I would defiantly have to praise this film for its uniqueness, beautiful animation, interesting characters, and childish wonder approach. Being a huge fan of other technology fearing anime such as Serial Experiments: Lain, Paprika wasn’t a far stretch for me. After finally watching and thinking about it non-stop I feel like this very clever little film deserves a chance from everyone.

Other things to check out by Satoshi Kon: Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, and he also did a 7 episode series called Paranoia Agent, which aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

- Erika

The Rundown on Final Crisis

After a lot of build up and hype, the first issue of DC Comics' big 2008 crossover, Final Crisis, has finally arrived. While not normally an event comics reader, this series with its promise of appearances of Jack Kirby's DC characters and the writing of Grant Morrison had me really excited. With the comic now in hand and read, it begs the question, “Does it live up to all the hype and my own expectations?'

I wish that I could answer with an unequivocal, “yes.” The series' first installment does deliver a storyline, epic in scale, that touches on all aspects of the DCU from the cosmic to the street to heroic to the villainous. The comic features appearances by some great lesser seen characters like the “Terrible” Dan Turpin and Anthro, the First Boy, as well as genius villain pairings like that of Doctor Light and Mirror Master. The art for the series is also great, providing the comic a look that is at the pinnacle of the DC house style of the last few years.

With all these great factors going for it, the issue still lacks something. It could be the absence of surprise found some of its key plot elements. The New Gods dying has been the focus of not one but two series of late (Death of the New Gods and Countdown to Final Crisis). This really helped pull the dramatic rug out from under the discovery of New Genesis' greatest warrior taking his final breaths in a common dumpster. The weight of the story also seems hampered by the totally low key death of a major DC character that you could miss if you aren't watching your panels close enough. These two are but examples of lackluster story elements that plague the book.

In all fairness, I feel like a lot of the story telling is hurt by decisions to have key story elements appear in other DC comics before Final Crisis. We have seen series arch villain Libra solicit the other super criminals of the DCU into joining his cause in issues of series like Justice League of America. The growing individuality of the Monitors was an element of the year long Countdown to Final Crisis. Choosing to play these stories, and others, out in other books in the DC line has deprived them of the freshness needed to truly engage the reader.

These faults aside, I am still excited to read about the impending “Day That Evil Won.” Some storylines that are showcased in this inaugural issue have some real potential. I definitely feel like the stakes in the miniseries event are greater than those of Marvel's summer blockbuster, Secret Invasion. DC's heroes face the challenge of their comic line's greatest evil while Marvel's face off against each other and religious fanatics. I really hope that this issue will be looked back upon for laying the ground work for a great modern epic rather than its shaky positioning in DC's recent publishing scheme when the series has wrapped.
Until then, I will have to take enjoyment form the little things like creepy anti-life filled children and Anthro battling stone age Vandal Savage.

You can see what DC Editor Ian Sattler and miniseries artist JG Jones have to say about the first issue href=”http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16611”>here.

-Nick

Simply Boo-tiful

It seems as though James Kochalka has really done it this time. Comic book artist, musician and down right awesome dude has just put out his newest release Johnny Boo: the best little ghost in the world. Johnny Boo is the best little ghost in the whole world, because he's got Boo Power. This means that he can go "BOO"
really loudly. His pet ghost, Squiggle, has Squiggle Power, which means that he can fly and do really fast loop-the-loops. Together they have the world's greatest ghost adventures! Until the giant pink and yellow Ice Cream Monster bumbles into their lives, they go into a mad panic... and who knows what they might discover next.

Johnny Boo: the best little ghost in the world is the first of a two book series filled with the same bold artwork, funny characters, and hilarious adventures Kochalka usually imagines up, but even through you can read along with a youngster he still manages to include the crude jokes and slapstick humor for his regular fan-base. I recommend this book to any parent who wants to start the graphic novel appreciation at a young age.

-Erika