Chris Roberson writes on the return of his Monkeybrain title, Edison Rex with a long delayed issues #17 which can be purchased here: Well, it’s been two years (!) since the last issue of Edison Rex was released, but the story isn’t over yet. Dennis and I have been busy with other projects, but we’ve […]
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The latest Hellboy spin-off will center on the cult-background of The Black Flame
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And so we wrap up this year’s with the last round of replies, and if one thing is clear it’s that a lot of people are looking forward to a new Star Wars movie. Once again, thanks to everyone who took the time from their busy schedules to respond. Previous parts can be read here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four.
Greg Pak, writer
2015 Projects: ACTION COMICS, BATMAN/SUPERMAN, STORM, and my new online store,gregpakshop.com, where you can buy signed copies of my books!
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Diversity. After the success of MS. MARVEL, there’s no going back. We’re going to continue seeing more and more diversity of casts and genres and art styles in mainstream and independent comics, and that’s a fantastic thing that’s healthy for the entire industry in every way.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Diversity. Not just among casts, genre, and art style, but among actual creators. I think there was a time not too long ago when I was the only person of color writing for the big two. That’s going to change. And we’re going to see more and more women writing and drawing, and comics will continue to tap into new audiences as a result, which will be better for the entire industry.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I got one of those fancy blenders, and it’s gonna be fruit smoothies 24/7, y’all.
Richard Starkings, writer/lettering guru
2015 Projects: ELEPHANTMEN — 60 issues and still counting! THE BEEF with Tyler Shainline and Shaky Kane! This years comicbookfonts.com New Year’s Day sale… we’ve been posting Lettering Q&A videos everyday on the Comicraft YOUTUBE channel
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY becoming such a huge hit.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Probably STAR WARS comics, toys and the movie!
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? THOUGHT BUBBLE 2015. Best comic festival IN THE GALAXY!
JIMMY PALMIOTTI
2015 Projects: Harley Quinn, The Con Job, Abbadon, G.I.Zombie.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014?
I think getting more women in the business and hearing from different voices with many different ethnic backgrounds as well as mainstream comics becoming more global. With this, I hope we get to a place where we look at the work with a better eye and less about the person that created it. I am hoping traditional superheroes mature a bit in the process.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015?
Hopefully it will be the direction of certain creators getting behind their own creations and the audiences out there supporting them. I also think IMAGE comics will finally beat out one of the big two companies and cause them to rethink they way they share profits and creator owned ideas.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? For me, the guilty pleasure I am now enjoying is moving a lot of what I do out of my house and into a studio surrounding and making our Paperfilms website the place to find my own future projects. That, and a couple of movies on my radar that are not franchises or part 30 of something that has already been beaten to death.
J.T. Yost, publisher/creator
2015 Projects: As a publisher (Birdcage Bottom Books):
- A collection of short stories by Dakota McFadzean (probably a risograph printing)
- “LOUD COMIX #5″ by Jamie Vayda (featuring stories written by various southern punk-rock musicians and other riff-raff)
- “On The Other Hand” anthology (comics drawn using the artist’s non-dominant hand)
- “Bottoms Up!” anthology (stories of hitting rock-bottom and recovery)
As a distributor:
Birdcage Bottom Books continues to expand its roster of indie-comic artists and micro-press publishers with a focus on limited-edition hand-made mini comics. Our mission is to make comics without barcodes easier to find and own while allowing comic artists to focus more time on creating and less on marketing & promotion.
As an artist:
Finishing up several short comics for various anthologies (including “Not My Small Diary #18 (pets)”) and hopefully working on finishing the final issue of my “Losers Weepers” series.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? I don’t know that it’s the biggest story, but I found it interesting that several of the larger indie-comics publishers (Fantagraphics, Last Gasp, Sparkplug, etc.) have turned to Kickstarter to help fund their publishing endeavors.
My own publishing company has used it for two anthologies (“Digestate: a food & eating themed anthology” and “Cringe: an anthology of embarrassment”) with great success. Kickstarter is a great way to reach a broader audience and offer additional incentives to “pre-order” a book.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? The success or failure of The Peanuts movie will probably make some headlines.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Visiting one of the “cat cafés” opening in NYC this year. My cats died a few years ago, and my wife is allergic (plus we have a chihuahua who hates cats). I actually don’t feel guilty about this at all, but there are some who would insist that I should be.
Josh Elder, writer and Comics Ambassador for the US State Department (Yes, that’s really a thing.)
2015 Projects: The trade paperback for Scribblenauts Unmasked by myself, Adam Archer, Ian Hering and Saida Temofonte (with edits by Alex Antone) drops in February from the fine folks at DC Comics. I’ve got a couple additional unannounced projects from DC on the docket in 2015, the relaunch of my Mail Oder Ninja series from Andrews McMeel Publishing and about a half-dozen personal projects that have been long in the works. I’m also continuing in my role as Executive Director of Reading With Pictures and Comics Ambassador for the US State Department to promote the use of comics in the classroom all around the world.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Amazon’s acquisition of comiXology. The world’s biggest and most influential e-retailer just bet big on comics. ComiXology itself is obviously the big winner here, but the Amazon acquisition is a clear sign that the big boys of digital content distribution think that comics could well be the next big thing. And that is very exciting indeed.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? I know of a certain something that, should it come to pass, would be a major contender for the top spot (How’s that for a tease?), but since I cannot yet speak of such matters, I’ll instead go with all the ch-ch-changes at DC Comics due to the Great Western Migration. Jobs will live, jobs will die and nothing will ever be the same again!
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Against all reason and better judgment, I am getting crazy excited for Star Wars. The movie, the comics, even that kooky, cross-guard lightsaber. I’ve been burned so many times before, yet I still think I’ll be waiting in line opening night to return to a galaxy far, far away…
2015 Projects: Revenger
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Conversation of gender around comics.
Guilty Pleasure: New Star Wars!
2015 Projects: The Late Child and Other Animals with Marguerite Van Cook, a graphic novel just out from Fantagraphics Books; plus I am currently working on the second issue of Post York for Uncivilized Books and also finishing my critical book about Jim Steranko.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The Jack Kirby estate’s settlement with Marvel Comics/Disney that ensures Kirby’s creative credit and gives the family substantial financial compensation.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? I’d like to think it would be an epiphany in America regarding the superior quality of Hugo Pratt’s work, due to IDW/EuroComics’ new Corto Maltese reprint series.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Now having the option to read a Marvel Comic or watch a Marvel movie without feeling like I am helping a corporation rip the Kirbys off.
Allison Baker & Chris Roberson
2015 Projects: Chris is busy scripting funny books like ALIENS and DOC SAVAGE (and a whole list of other projects he can’t talk about yet), while Allison is the Director of Operations for IDW.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Our perspective is a little skewed because of personal involvement, perhaps, but one of the most interesting things about comics in 2014 was more about the influence of comics on another medium than about comics as a medium in itself: namely, television. Comics being adapted into successful movies is nothing new, as a quick glance at the box office results for any recent year will attest. But successful television adaptations of comics have been pretty thin on the ground in the past, with occasional standouts. But the success of THE WALKING DEAD may have signaled a changing landscape. Marvel’s AGENTS OF SHIELD will soon be joined by an AGENT CARTER spinoff. And it was announced that DC’s ARROW will be joined by FIVE new series that will air on various networks based on their comics, including one that is near and dear to our hearts, Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright’s adaptation of Chris and Mike Allred’s iZOMBIE. Recently, Sony’s Playstation Network announced plans to adapt Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming’s POWERS. And there were probably more that we’re forgetting. In the short term, we’re sure that many of us hope that the increased exposure these kinds of adaptations bring will mean for increased sales for the titles that are being adapted themselves (that’s what WE’RE very much hoping for, anyway). But on another level, it might suggest that there is a far larger potential audience for the kinds of stories these comics are telling than the comics themselves are reaching.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? There were some really interesting trends the last couple of years, with independent publishers taking increasingly large market shares and retail sales in direct market shops rebounding, in addition to more and more creator-owned titles ending up on mainstream bestseller lists. We’re still in a transitionary period, with the ground continuing to shift underneath our feet, and the biggest story in comics next year could be what the landscape ends up looking like when the dust has settled.
2015 Projects: GOTHAM ACADEMY (DC) SOUTHERN CROSS (IMAGE)
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Comics are for everyone! Diversity took the spotlight this year, diversity in creators, characters and fans. Yes there was a lot of ugly stuff, but I like to remember the positives and there was a lot of good discussions and progress made too. Publishers are paying more attention to how they are hiring and marketing, and who is reading. I love comics and looking back on this year it makes me really happy and proud to be a part of this community. Serious feels.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? Creator owned books are going to own 2015. Like how they owned 2014 except even more.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I am going to learn all the lyrics to Journey’s Separate Ways specifically to rock at karaoke.
Tom Hart, cartoonist, educator
2015 Projects: Rosalie Lightning, due hopefully in 2015, from St Martins Press
Continued running of The Sequential Artists Workshop with guest workshops in 2015 by Ed Piskor (Hip Hop Family Tree) and Aidan Koch (q, The Blonde Woman, etc.)
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Oversized archive books
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? The decline of ink as medium of choice
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? Reading Amanda Palmer’s book, the Art of Asking. That probably doesn’t count, does it?
Adam Koford, writer/cartoonist
2015 Projects: I just hit #2600 with the Laugh-Out-Loud Cats at HOBOTOPIA.com with no end in sight (though I am sending them underground for a while), and I wrote the Spider-Man Play Set for Disney Infinity 2.0.
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? The success of the Guardians of the Galaxy film and the subsequent ubiquitousness of Rocket and Groot.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? DC’s move west will be fun to watch.
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? My kids have got me hooked on HeroClix, so I’m a little too excited for the upcoming Spider-Man Symbiotes figures.
Alex Segura, writer/editor
2015 Projects: Writer of crime novels and comics, Archie Comics PR guy and Editor of Dark Circle Comics
What was the biggest story in comics in 2014? Comics are everywhere. It isn’t just movies – but TV, video games and more. Selfishly, I also felt like the ARCHIE #1 news caught a lot of people by surprise. I also feel like Image continues to defy preconceptions about what a “big publisher” is in comics, dovetailing nicely with what cable TV seems to be doing.
What will be the biggest story in comics in 2015? For me, it’s the launch of Archie’s superhero imprint, Dark Circle Comics with THE BLACK HOOD, THE FOX and THE SHIELD. Overall, I think it’ll be a continuation of what we’ve seen over the last few years – creators getting to tell their own, personal stories/creating their own characters as their livelihoods, as opposed to something done between work-for-hire gigs. I think you’ll also see that influencing how IP-owning companies approach their own characters and promote them. Los Bros Hernandez
What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2015? I don’t believe in guilty pleasure – but I’m always happy when there’s more Achewood!
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Dynamite Day concludes with the most excellent news that Chris Roberson and Bilquis Evely will be the new creative team for a Doc Savage series starting in December. With covers from John Cassaday and – of course – Alex Ross – the series will start off in 1939 and then slowly start moving towards the present day.
If you’ve spent more than five minutes on his Tumblr, you’ll know that Roberson is a very big Doc Savage fan indeed. He says of the project:
In the course of my comics career, I’ve been lucky enough to work on nearly every character and series that mattered the most to me growing up.
Doc Savage is one of the final characters left on my bucket list. Growing up in the 70s, it was impossible to miss the Doc Savage reprints in every bookstore and on every newsstand, with those striking covers. Doc quickly became and remained my absolute favorite of all of the pulp heroes, and the stories of Lester Dent were a huge influence on my own writings
A pulp character trained by scientists to be near-superhuman physically and mentally, Doc Savage first appeared in 1933, although his series didn’t last into the 1940s. This series will finally push beyond the original run and see what becomes of the character as he moves forwards into new decades, and new adventures.
Drawing the series will be Brazilian Bilquis Evely, whose work you can get a look at over on her DeviantArt page.
For more details on the book, CBR have an interview with Roberson about his plans for the series.
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Cinderella: Fables Are Forever Chris Roberson
Yay! More adventures in Cinderella's double life as one of Fabletown's spies! I love this other side to her!
As I mentioned on Monday, the closing scene of Inherit the Wind sets up the story for this one (although we start with a flashback, so it doesn't appear right away.)
The person who killed Kadabra is an old, old nemesis of Cindy's--one she thought she buried a long, long time ago. We start in the USSR, in the early 80s. Lots of sexy ladies in hot tubs. That was the last time Cindy met her old advesary.
Remember how I said we were going back to Oz? Meet Dorothy Gale, mercenary. We get some good backstory on her, too.
With Mr. Kadabra's death, many old secrets and enemies are coming home to roost, with issues involving the other Fable communities around the world. I like the backstory that flushes out these characters that don't quite fit into the main Fables narrative. I also love the deeper look at the international Fable politics.
PLUS! Anansi! ANANSI! What a wonderful surprise to see him turn up as a character.
I hope we see much more of Cinderella's adventures, as she really does open up the the Fables universe.
Plus, she knows how to fight.
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This week saw a number of big comic releases from Marvel and DC, but who cares when this was the week My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1 came out? PONIES, you guys! Ponies all over the place.
This week I’ll be reviewing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1, Hellblazer #297, Gambit #6 and Masks #1
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the unexpected mass-market hit cartoon series which came out of nowhere to hit every demographic. The series grew such a strong fanbase, in fact, that pre-orders for this spin-off comic series went ballistic, and Katie Cook and Andy Price were left with a smash hit before anybody read a word or saw a single hoof. Issue #1 of IDW’s series doesn’t pay much lip service to new fans, instead asking them to immediately catch up on a fast-paced opening story which races around a large cast of diverse and well-characterised ponies at breakneck speed. Jokes and puns and visual gags fly out from all angles, with almost every one landing. And amazingly, the creative team manage to make the book accessible without pausing to explain anything about the world the characters live in.
Cook is primarily a great humorist, and her voice for the book is immediately charming and entertaining. Whilst it’s hard for this “no-ny” (I knew nothing of the series before reading this book) to know how well she matches or moves away from the voice of the cartoon, I was pretty struck by Cook’s ability to string along an endless succession of gags whilst retaining exposition and story. She’s matched by lovely art from Andy Price, who refuses to draw stock figures from the cartoon and instead invests his own sense of life into the various galloping protagonists. His use of layout is rather spectacular, with thought given to how the panels stand alongside each other and progress the story. This isn’t spectacle for the sake of spectacle, but rather an intelligent use of page space and structure.
A lot of people were very very upset when DC recently announced the cancellation of Hellblazer, but let’s celebrate what we have left – three more issues – rather than mourn a book we might not actually read. Hellblazer has been in the hands of creative team Peter Milligan, Giuseppi Camuncoli and Brian Buccellato for a while now, although this issue is finished by Stefano Landini. The most recent issue concludes the ‘Curse of the Constantines’ storyline, which seems to finish off a number of Milligan’s dangling plot threads regarding Constantine’s family, especially his sister. Being from Liverpool himself, Milligan has proven to be one of the best Constantine writers since also-Scouse Mike Carey, with both being able to effortlessly write lines for the character which are both authentic and very, very funny.
With this being the last of a five-issue storyline, Camuncoli’s art is flagging a little here. Although he takes care to distinctively shape the big moments and standout sequences, some of the pages feature scratchier art which Buccellato can’t do much with. The story here does feature a little bit of a Milligan anticlimax, something the writer sometimes falls prey to. Whilst Constantine’s plan to save the day is funny, it is very slight indeed, and requires a leap of characterisation for the Eva Brady character. Regardless, the grasp on dialogue is spot-on and more than enough to carry the day here, setting Constantine up for a final storyline which gives him a fresh break from the past, and leaves the future unpredictable and exciting for the character.
James Asmus‘ Gambit series has been growing in confidence after a strong opening issue turned into a slightly wobbly first storyline. Each issue of the book has featured some kind of heist, and it’s to Asmus’ credit that heist 6 feels just as unpredictable as heist 1. We’re now in the middle of a storyline where the thief finds himself forced to steal from Pete Wisdom and the British MI13 team (although only Faiza Hussain also appears in the storyline so far). Asmus does light-hearted thrills nicely, although the artwork here seems to be a classic case of a Marvel title getting rushed by scheduling. Diogenes Neves is capable of better work when he isn’t under the pressure he seems to be under here, and indeed he shares art duties here with Al Barrionuevo after only one issue by himself.
It’s a shame that Marvel have recently taken to battering their artists with tighter and tighter deadlines, as it’s led to a rise of fill-ins and rushed pages. There’s a splash page here where we see the insides of MI13′s armoury, a page which was clearly intended to be filled with detail and exciting. However, it looks bare, with a few guns and bits of scrap metal lying around. Give Neves time to draw this page, I bet he’d have made it something exciting to look at. Without that time, his page does a disservice to Asmus’ story.
However, Asmus does seem to be rapidly building his world for the book, with a rising cast and some nice character moments for the main character. He doesn’t write anyone as an idiot in order to make somebody else look good – Pete Wisdom, Faiza Hussain, Gambit and Cich are all juggled nicely between each other here. The Gambit character has also benefited hugely from the retooling Asmus has given him, with a better direction, personality and motivation than he’s had in a decade. The best sequences in the issue are the ones with Gambit in them, as the focus, and that’s because Asmus has done such a great job of making the character exciting to be with again.
It appears that the pre-sales for Dynamite’s team-up book Masks have been stonking, and a massive success for the company. Written by Chris Roberson and with this first issue painted by Alex Ross, the series teams up Zorro, The Spider, The Shadow and The Green Hornet for a pulp nostalgia trip. Being somewhat unfamiliar with all the characters, this first issue left me a little confused, but with a sense that Roberson is heading somewhere good. Green Hornet provides the perspective for readers, as we follow him interact with first The Shadow, and then the rest of the heroes. I’m not entirely certain what Zorro’s role in the book is at present – he might have appeared, but I really can’t tell if that was him or not. The introduction of The Spider is also blatantly tacked on, albeit in a hilariously camp manner that I couldn’t help but enjoy. Roberson seems to be having a lot of fun here, and Ross is clearly having a ball.
Roberson allows for the reader to view the story as a camp homage just as much as he writes a pulp narrative, here, balancing the two different styles neatly. The story is simultaneously involving and completely ridiculous nonsense, but in the most enjoyable manner possible. He also makes sure to write for Ross, whose painted pages are far less static than you might expect. The fight scene towards the end is a particularly well-done sequence from the pair, while the conversation sequences aren’t overshadowed by dead-eyed staring from everybody involved – as can be the case for painted work. Ross reminds that he’s an excellent storyteller as well as painter with this issue, and it’ll be interesting to see how the story progresses beyond here. It’s a qualified success, in that it’ll play far better to fans who already love and know the characters than it will bring in and keep new readers.
– As a final note! Let’s take a moment to praise letterer Cory Petit, who is currently working on X-Men Legacy. This is a book with a myriad things happening in the word balloons, and Petit’s ability to juggle it all is pretty incredible. It’s probably one of the most demanding comics I’ve seen, and he manages to take everything Si Spurrier throws at him — and make it work.
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By Steve Morris
SDCC only finishes once Heidi finds out where in Stately Beat Manor I’m currently hiding (under the rug? down the stairs? behind the curtain?), and throws me out once and for all. With that in mind, Chris Roberson and Allison Baker’s digital publishing company Monkeybrain Comics had a big panel at the event, which saw some new titles announced.
Amongst them were books by Joe Keatinge and Joshua Williamson, as well as an anthology title edited by Chris Schweitzer. Here’s the full list of titles announced, to go alongside the five books already released by the fledgling company:
WANDER, by Kevin Church and Grace Allison
A fantastical story about a woman from Earth who ends up in a magical, fantasy world.
MASKS AND MOBSTERS, by Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson
A 1930s/40s crime story about the mob, unsurprisingly, as they find their business interrupted by the birth of the superhero.
INTERGALACTIC, by Joe Keatinge and Ken Garing
A ‘realist’ space story which explores what would’ve happened if humanity had kept pushing for space exploration. There are no aliens in the book – this is about a family who try to keep themselves alive in the depths of lawless outer space.
KONQUEROR, by Chris Schweitzer and Audrey Morris
This sounds like the book we all wanted Amethyst to be. Silly sci-fi, but with politics mixed into it. And also, according to Schweitzer, there is a character called Princess Thunderpunch, so she sounds lovely.
ROUNDUP, edited by Chris Schweitzer
The anthology title I touched on above. This will feature a number of creators like Kevin Church, Stan Lynde and Matt Kindt, all writing western-themed stories which last around 8-12 pages.
DREAMSEQUENCER: SPIRIT OF THE LAW, by Brandon Seifert and Michael Montena
This is also an anthology of sorts, but really just a chance for Seifert and Montena to do stories about whatever they want, with no real theme interlinking them. Just whatever takes their interest.
AWESOME ADVENTURES, by Chris Roberson and Thomas N. Perkins IV
A family of explorers go out and have weird adventures – a little like the Fantastic Four, perhaps, just by means of simple comparison.
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What have Image got to offer us? Y’know, on top of EVERYTHING ELSE they’ve been offering us this year? Here’s a look at the books announced tonight at their SDCC panel. I’ll throw some pictures at the bottom, but let’s just try and get a hang on just what’s being announced! They are announcing TONNES OF COMICS. I’ll re-update this with new pictures and info as soon as possible, folks.
So far we have:
Non-Humans - Whilce Portacio and Glen Brunswick
Nowhere Men – Eric Stephenson
Satellite Sam - Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin.
A murder mystery set in the world of children’s television.
Pretty Deadly - KellySue DeConnick and Emma Rios
A spaghetti western in classic style
Multiple Warheads – Brandon Graham
Saviour - James Robinson and J. Bone
About an alien invasion of earth by shapeshifters, and a stoner’s attempts to stop them
Sex - Joe Casey and Piotr Kowalski
The Bounce – Joe Casey and David Messina
Lazarus – Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
Gritty sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian future
Reign – Chris Roberson and Paul Mayberry
Oliver – Darick Robertson and Gary Whitta
Point of Impact – Jay Faerber
Great Pacific – Joe Harris
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Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I won’t be writing a Fairest arc after all. It was decided my services were no longer required.
— Chris Roberson (@chris_roberson) April 20, 2012
Unsurprisingly, after his public statement on not working with DC over their ethical practices towards creators yesterday, it turns out Chris Roberson’s arc on FAIREST, the Fables spin-off, will not get written.
Roberson had been slated to write a a story for FAIREST that would have been drawn by Shawn McManus, his Cinderella collaborator.
Really no surprise here…I doubt Roberson was surprised either.
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JacketFlap tags: Cinderalla, Chris Roberson, Graphic Novel, Adult, Fables, Add a tag
Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love Chris Roberson
Here we go! This is the first Fables-verse story where Bill Willingham doesn't get top billing. In fact, he's not even on the cover. He's listed as a consultant on the title page...
Long-term fans of the series know that Cinderella appears as a flaky socialite, but is really one of Fabletown's top spies. Sometime after the war, before Fabletown is destroyed, Cinderella is sent on a mission to see who is smuggling guns into the Homelands and smuggling magic items into Mundy.
She has to team up with Aladdin and face some demons from her past...
Meanwhile, there's her cover life back in Fabletown, as the owner of a shoe store that she's too busy jetting around the world to actually work in. Crispin, her poor abused employee has some own ideas up his sleeves about what type of shoes they should be selling...
Very fun. I liked the adventure of it-- I fun spy story with some fun twists. I also liked the world of Ultima Thule (think East of the Sun, West of the Moon). The art was a little weird-- for the most part, it looked like most of the Fables art, but the Beast was a little off as was Cinderella in profile. BUT! I did like all the pink and how it was used to outline certain frames and panels.
And, of course we get more Frau Tottenkinder-- just what types of favors is she asking of Cinderella and will we ever find out?
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We all know Roberson’s Doc Savage is going to crossover with JMS’ Twilight Zone book at Dynamite. Those two are dying to work together.
Small Correction: His series lasted all the way to 1949, although it dropped gradually from monthly to quarterly by the end.
What is it with hero books being so retro these days by these publishers . Have an imagination outside te-imagined Golden Age or Silver Age/ like characters,,,. Doc Savage? The Shadow? Black Beetle (yeah know thats new -the idea isn’t) Captain Midnight? in 2013? Also the cheap Alan Moore wannabe books- Sidekick, etc…Its like the imagination has disappeared.
And it’s dorky.
Deviant Art link for artist goes to Roberson’s interview, instead.
My response is exactly the opposite of johnrobiethecat above. I’m glad to see Doc Savage will be back soon and joining the Dynamite stable with other pulp heroes. I appreciate that Dark Horse and Dynamite, and to a lesser extent IDW, have been working with these classic concepts (and newer concepts with pulp roots like The Black Beetle). They have a much smaller audience than in their prime, for sure, but they’re great fun when done well. Nice to see a talented guy like Roberson involved.
I’m looking forward to this. As far as originality goes, it’s all in the execution for me.
I’m sure all 4000 fans of Doc Savage will be thrilled about this.
I like Chris Roberson a lot, but for most readers that won’t be enough to try Doc Savage for the umpteenth time.
“I’m sure all 4000 fans of Doc Savage will be thrilled about this.”
I’m sure all 4,000 Batman fans were thrilled (or not) when DARK KNIGHT RETURNS debuted. Most people can’t seem to remember when a character as famous as Batman was NOT a top-selling title.
What difference does it make if there aren’t many Doc Savage fans? A book like this might make some new ones. If it doesn’t, it’ll be canceled.
I can’t understand how everyone complains that there are too many Batman and X-Men titles every month, and then throws their hands up in frustration when a non Bat-title appears.
Doc Savage isn’t an original character. People who are looking for original characters and ideas shouldn’t be reading superhero comics, perhaps, but how important should name recognition be? The number of fans who have fond memories of Doc Savage and are interested in reading comics stories about him is probably too small to guarantee that the series will be profitable.
It’s too easy to think that Dynamite will use virtually any existing character with measurable name recognition over an original one, because the idea of spending money on promoting the original character and its creators is too painful to contemplate.
SRS
“It’s too easy to think that Dynamite will use virtually any existing character with measurable name recognition over an original one, because the idea of spending money on promoting the original character and its creators is too painful to contemplate.”
Well said, and good points by the others.
I see why tcompanies like Dtynamite, Boom, Valiant & Dark Horse are seriously embracing superheroes big-time this year. ( Add to that, a lot of that talent is traveling out trying tother places)If well done with integrity, it has a good shot to beat Image in that corner of market share. Superherores are notl there is to pursue in the medium but its pretty clear a good superhero yarn suits the form and can make dent in the readership if done well with some sort of integrity and snap . Image really just can’t make a good superhero book. They sucked at it from 1992 to present day,the founders realizing they are just average in the scheme of things when Marvel & DC aren’t around and fading out into the shadowlands of comics-or just embracing horror. That’s why Image is disowning superheroes now and finding noir and sci-fi in everything they can to look like the HBO of comics . Keeping Invincible on as the Zombie guy’s vanity book while Savage Dragon tanks big time after staying on the stage much too long.
It’s actually hard to do superheroes well .But mining Capt Midnight? Doc Savage? I see why some readers (those who can even remember that era or seing it on a documentary) are fond of those times but they are clearly too dated to work like James Bond or Batman does today. The characters were not designed or reshaped to live past the 30′s , 40′s & 50′s…Thinking that giving it a reboot with modern techniques and themes will make it interesting again like Batman is is just self delusion and indulgence. Refitting characters like that has just been a sad trend for many years, sometimes they just have a sack on their head or just a deviant in a colored cape.. If you make your character goofy and Charlton-like from the start, its throw-away and lacks mystery to the reader.Its OK to be inspired by that time or repurpose it but make it a bit more natural. It seems like a cheap Charlton or Timely Comics era character is all they can think of.Just be original and go for it. This stuff is wasting paper and pixels.
@Rich Harvey,
Boy, you added a lot to my post that’s not in there. My comments have nothing to do with Batman or any other facet of the comics business. It has to do with Doc Savage.
In the time I’ve been a comics fan since the late 1970′s, Doc Savage has been tried and tried again, and again, and again. Each time it sticks around for a little bit, and gets cancelled due to poor sales. This is the second try on Doc just in the 7 years my store has been open. DC Comics, the #2 (sometimes #1) comics publisher tried last time, with big name creators, and Doc STILL couldn’t find a lasting audience.
So, I don’t hold out much hope for Doc Savage Comics Revival #x to do any better.
Like I said above, I like Chris Roberson’s writing. I’ll give Doc a shot as a reader, but I’m gonna order light on #1 and have a quick trigger finger for later issues.
Because past performance sometimes DOES indicate future outcome.
I won’t argue that Doc Savage has a record of success as a comics property, but this is just wrong:
“This is the second try on Doc just in the 7 years my store has been open. DC Comics, the #2 (sometimes #1) comics publisher tried last time, with big name creators, and Doc STILL couldn’t find a lasting audience.”
Are Paul Malmont and Howard Porter big name creators? Porter is closer, but to me he is a negative rather than positive. They did the opening arc (1-4) and then the book lacked a regular writer or artist until it was canceled with number 17. The book was also perceived as mediocre to poor in quality until J.G. Jones improved it just before the First Wave line died.
DC failed with Doc, but they also mismanaged the book and First Wave as a whole.
An addendum in case Brian J. was referring to the main FIRST WAVE series without Doc’s name in the title (since it did have more prominent creators). You might remember FIRST WAVE was badly delayed and poorly received. It was supposed to introduce the characters but fell way behind the spinoff books. The release schedule for FIRST WAVE:
6 First Wave March 2011
5 First Wave January 2011
4 First Wave November 2010
3 First Wave September 2010
2 First Wave June 2010
1 First Wave May 2010
The entire line was canceled about the time #6 was released.
Brian, as a comics fan since the late 1970′s, you know that most comic books PERIOD stick around for a little bit and then are cancelled due to weak sales. If you go back and look at previous series, the ol’ guy hasn’t fared that poorly. His previous DC run lasted, what, almost three years? I think he then had a slew of minis launched through Innovation and then Dark Horse. Sure, there are long periods of inactivity, but he IS a licensed character, not a comic IP, so I’m pretty sure that is a determining factor in both publishing regularity as well as profitability.
Can’t add much to this conversation but interesting to read, I’d rather read reprints of original Doc Savage on nice paper with crisp color than the 5th re-imagining of it.
I think of these type of books as the gatekeepers indulgence, Hopefully judging by the store closings I’ve seen, retailers realize that they have less times at bat than the publishers who indulge themselves . If they under order or not order another book called Doc Savage or Captain Midnight , its a good thing because it’s devoid of creative imagination. Re-imagining old material and characters with new techniques with a modern twist is pretty cliche and a oft-used fallback for publishing gatekeepers to explain average sales while still getting some slim margin. “The kids don’t get Doc Savage these days” or the father of the kids, or the grandfather of the kids…Just don’t order these books, it’s creative bankruptcy.
Add to that, single issues that don’t sell are also free ads for the trades or digital which the retailer of that store may not get a cut of while amazon, digital and online ordering are the mix. One 7×10 book on a rack is like a little poster for Dynamite for 3 months. If it sells, great,…if not they have someone showing their sizable ad in a live store for a Doc Savage fix down the line (being the most recent in the que) Retailers surely must notice that. Publishers usually can count on at least breaking even and getting profit somewhere while the same set of stores play their free art galleries. That must suck. Be interesting to see how the retailers see that side of things. Being the street ad booths of comics. I would be picky ordering too.
“I’d rather read reprints of original Doc Savage on nice paper with crisp color than the 5th re-imagining of it.”
As a brief aside, and specific to Doc Savage, which originals are you referencing? I could be mistaken (God knows I usually am…), but I don’t think Doc started making regular comic appearances until the 1970s, with the bulk of them from the mid-Eighties on….