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Announcements from Diamond, Marvel, Action Lab, and Valiant Comics at the C2E2 Diamond Retailers Breakfast, including Civil War 2: Amazing Spider-Man #1, 300,000 in sales for Black Panther #1, and a major new female character for Valiant.

With great comics comes great responsibility — that’s something that we believe the Legion of Superheroes’ Arm-Fall-Off-Boy perfectly encapsulates. The character created by Gerard Jones, Ty Templeton, and Curt Swan inspires us to write these great pieces as he forces the staff here at The Beat Manor to keep reading until our arms fall off! How many characters have the ability to use their own limbs as instruments of destruction? Arm-Fall-Off-Boy A.K.A. Floyd Belkin’s visit to the mansion came at an important time in comics history as Marvel is now on the very edge of Secret Wars and DC is in the midst of Convergence. The rejected Legionnaire had some opinions on each that enlightened The Beat staff towards forming some new conceptions about these titles that we will share with the general public below. Our time with Belkin was limited, but he shared all the Superman and Legion anecdotes that we could handle in the span of just one afternoon. Without further ado we would like to present our picks straight from Belkin and The Beat Manor for your reading pleasure!

Alex and Floyd’s picks:

Avengers #44 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Mike Deodato

New Avengers #33 Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Kev Walker

Belkin advised us that Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers saga was one of the deepest and most bold comics events ever, with over 77 issues devoted to the lead-up into the Secret Wars, he told us that there was much ‘proverbial crap’ to hit the fan. We feel obligated to post anything the esteemed hero mentioned, but these pair of issues surely look interesting. How is Hickman and company going to blow up the Marvel Universe and create Battleworld? Bear in mind that this is comics, so it probably is going to be fun but not make any sense.

The Multiversity #2 Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Ivan Reis

Floyd expressed some interest in taking a break from the big events and talking up DC’s huge Multiversity event for a short while. This saga is bringing some brand new heroes together for the first direct follow-up to the Multiversity labeled as The Multiversity #2, but how or why would the installment could it be labeled as such with a new selection of characters being introduced? One of the highlights of our afternoon with Belkin was a spirited debate between team Beat on whether Morrison could even follow-up Multiversity! When one Beat staffer mentioned that he or she (I will not disclose their identity) didn’t like Brazilian artist Ivan Reis, they were given a stern talking to — they insulted one of Belko’s favorites!

Kyle’s Pick:

Convergence: Shazam #1

Writer: Jeff Parker, Artist: Doc Shaner, Colors: Jordie Bellaire

Holy F*ck TPB

ACTION LAB – DANGER ZONE

(W) Nick Marino (A/CA) Daniel Arruda Massa

Though we haven’t been able to talk much more about it since the first issue came out in print, Holy F*ck has been a fun ride that makes you feel dirty in the best way possible. A collected edition is the best way to read this:

Sister Maria has recruited two horny drug-fueled weirdos to stop the apocalypse. Their names? Jesus and Satan. Can these biblical frenemies help this nun with a gun defeat an army of pissed off mythological gods?

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Heidi’s Pick:

Super Mutant Magic Academy

Jillian Tamaki

DRAWN & QUARTERLY

 Lacking arms makes it hard to hold a book, so I don’t know where Floyd stands on graphic novels, but anyone with two hands would enjoy this. I know we’ve been Tamaki-crazy here at Stately Beat Manor, but SMMA, based on the long running webcomic, is a limber, darkly humorous take on the much-trodden “superpowered teens in school” genre, as teens learn that magic powers don’t help where self-esteem, misplaced love and growing up are concerned. As they do.

 

 The complete Johnny Nemo

 Peter Milligan and Brett Ewins

Tian Comics

Okay technically this is a relisting, but why not take some time to honor the legacy of the late Brett Ewins, with this ode to Newave haircuts, private eyes and goofball futurism that never goes out of style. Milligan and Ewins in peak form.

Is the Beat obsessed with The View liking comics? Why, yes, because it represents the farthest encroachment of comics culture into the fortress of coffee klatch culture. Of course with Whoopi Goldberg on board, it’s not that hard as she’s the ultimate undercover nerd mole. A longtime comics fan, if she’s not awkwardly plugging Lady Thor, she’s showing off Vamplets, including plush toys and Action Labs comics, as the above photo, supplied by Action Labs, reveals. The incident took place on August 6th during the “Whoopi’s favorite things” segment, as she called Vamplets “A little creepy, but so fun and sweet”. Artwork from the Vamplets’ graphic album, “The Nightmare Nursery: Volume one”, was also featured.

Now if we can just get Jenny McCarthy to speculate on who should play Aquaman. 

Vamplets was created by Gayle Middleton, who was also behind Hasbro’s redesigns of My little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop. The series centers around teenager Destiny Harper who is transported to Gloomvania where she must fight the cute invasion of the l’il Vamplets.

The Nightmare Nursery: Volume One is adapted by writer Dave Dwonch and artists Amanda Coronado and Bill Blankenship.