Comic Books

These aren't necessarily Halloween-specific, but mostly on theme or at least comic book adjacent

Another from The Long Halloween

Also Long Halloween

More Mignola-verse

Watchmen

Other random stuff in my folder

Here are some more Hellboy-themed wallpapers, I'll make a separate post later for some others

Every time she says or does something I get the feeling she lived her entire life in a Truman show populated by robots until aunt may pulled her out of it

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19078543

The story behind 1963, Alan Moore's tribute/commentary on Silver Age Marvel is a messy one. Back in 2010 Steve Bissette revealed that attempts to properly complete the series (with an annual to be drawn by Jim Lee) and/or collect what was published had failed:

He also stated that attempts to reprint and conclude the 1963 series have repeatedly failed over the last ten years, the most recent at Dynamite seemed almost to come to fruition, but did not, Alan Moore removing his blessing.

An Alex Ross illustration (now removed) would have formed the basis for the cover to the Dynamite hardcover.

As a result, it's been decided that a reprint will never happen. And copyright in the 1963 characters has been divided – Bissette's share forming the basis of his Tales Of The Uncanny project, now being published by About Comics, he's pulled copies of 1963 from his online store and he will no longer mention 1963 again.

When asked for comment, Rick Vietch told me "Nothing to add to Steve's statement except that I've instructed my immediate friends and family to pick up a baseball bat and bean me if I mention the idea of collecting 1963 ever again" and Nick Barrucci of Dynamite gave a similar "It's a situation that I feel is unfair to comment on. I respect all the creators involved, and somethings are best left not discussed in public."

And, in 2013, Bissette threw the towel in:

And as of January 2012, Alan made it abundantly clear nothing will ever be done with them, either, on his watch—so, party's over on that trio of works.

It sucks for our creative partners—Dave Gibbons, John Totleben, Chester Brown, and the colorists (Anthony Tollin) and respective letterers—and I'd be gobsmacked if Rick and Alan ever did anything with their part of it all, but that's their business, no longer any of mine (except where my clutch of properties come into play, which ipso facto defuses anything happening). If they ever do, nobody will be happier than me about it; no sour grapes there.

You see, I can't even really "license" those stories, much less issue a Creative Commons license—hence, my decision to announce anyone interested in doing so now has my blessings, as long as my © and ™ is applied, per our 1998 contractual agreement regarding the respective characters and two titles I do fully own.

There are a number of projects to create some kind of spin-off using the characters various artists own, most recently Don Simpson's 2023 announcement that he was creating a 1963 Annual. This is available to buy.

So, long story short (and ignoring the various recriminations), the only way you can read the comics is by buying the individual issues (as I did) or... the Internet Archive has them (for now).

Absolute Wonder Woman shakes things up in huge way, and there’s a lot to get used to right from the opening pages. A new origin story brings with it new mythology, a new guardian, and new abilities, and that’s just in the first issue. We’re here to break down all of the big changes and what they mean for the future, and to do that we’ll be getting into huge spoilers for Absolute Wonder Woman #1 from here on out, starting with when we first meet Diana and why that’s important.

...

We had a chance to speak with Thompson ahead of the big debut issue, and she also provided some context regarding Diana’s magical abilities and what she is and isn’t capable of.

“I will say that while the magic of Wonder Woman, I haven’t really seen people saying this, so I probably shouldn’t bring it up and raise this issue, but I was worried people would think she was just going to be so dramatically overpowered, but I would say there are limitations to the magic,” Thompson said. “She pays prices for that sometimes. It’s nothing unlimited. She’s also not a master magician. Like, she’s a witch, and she can do a lot of this stuff. She was raised in it, but she’s not, that’s not her primary skill set. Her primary skill set is still more Wonder Woman-based.”

“I would also say that there are a few things that we will reveal where Diana has some very distinct disadvantages that maybe the magic helps compensate for or whatever. So I think, don’t worry about her being too overpowered. Just be excited about how creative we’re going to be able to get with some of these solutions,” Thompson said.

Apart from the licensed comics like Plants Vs. Zombies and Call of Duty: Zombies and maybe also ZombieWorld with Mike Mignola I don't any other series in the genre.

ZombieWorld could be a fun read, though.

New list is up! Some good stuff for me this week it looks like,

Termite Mound #1 - I'll look at it if my shop has it, looks weird, I know nothing but the cover.

DC Horror Presents #1 - Not huge on the whole DC verse but do love horror, may look at this too.

From The DC Vault Death In The Family Robin Lives #4 - I do like Batman though sometimes!

Creepshow Volume 3 #2 - Creepshow is what Epitaphs of the Abyss wishes it could be. I wish they'd just make it an ongoing rather than seasonal but as long as they keep making them with some regularity I won't complain.

Moon Is Following Us #2 - #1 was interesting, seems to be about basically a kid who got Matrixed into their own dreams and can't get out, and the parents have to enter the kid's dreamworld and adventure-to-rescue.

Nullhunter #1- "NULLHUNTER is a kinetic cyberpunk retelling of the Labors of Hercules." Huh, neat, I'll bite.

Universal Monsters Frankenstein #3 - I love the old Universal films, and this comic has been doing them justice.

That's it for me, what's on your lists this week?

YESSSS! It's coming!!

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18912860

There are many reasons that American comics readers should know Garth Ennis, from his long run on Marvel’s The Punisher to his iconic Vertigo Comics series Preacher, to his more recently adapted hit The Boys. However, those who know Ennis best know him also as a writer of war comics, such as War Stories his Battlefields series at Dynamite Entertainment, or his graphic novel Sara at TKO Studios. He’s even infused that influence into his work at Marvel on characters like Nick Fury, most recently in the Vietnam War-set Marvel MAX series Get Fury, co-starring a pre-Punisher-transformation Frank Castle.

More recently, Ennis’ talents as a teller of war tales have served him well while writing stories appearing in British comics anthologies Battle Action and 2000 AD from Rebellion Publishing. In Battle Action, Ennis revived the character Johnny Red, a British fighter pilot leading a Russian Squadron during World War II, leading into the story of Johnny’s final flight. In 2000 AD, Ennis is penning stories featuring Rogue Trooper, the next 2000 AD character set to appear in a film, blending the genre line between war stories and sci-fi.

ComicBook had the opportunity to ask Ennis questions about transitioning from American comics to these storied British magazines, including what he has in store for this year’s 2000 AD Christmas issue. Here’s what he had to say:

After many years working with US-based publishers, you’ve been doing work for Rebellion for a while now. How has your experience working with Rebellion and on anthologies rather than ~20-page American monthly serials been? Has there been an re-adjustment period at all?

Garth Ennis: Not really, stories are stories. So long as there are competent people at editorial I’m happy to work for anyone, and Oliver Pickles and Matt Smith are among the best I’ve worked with.

I do enjoy the shorter episodes on Battle Action and 2000 AD– less space means more focus, and it’s nice to exercise that particular muscle again. That doesn’t mean I don’t write with the eventual collection in mind- that’s how stories like Rogue Trooper and Johnny Red are going to exist long-term, after all- but there’s still a particular pleasure to be found writing one-offs like Dredger, Hellman, or Strontium Dog/Robo Hunter.

You’ve been writing Rogue Trooper stories in 2000 AD and Johnny Red stories in Battle Action. Both fall into the “war comics” genre, of which you’re considered a master by many, but Rogue and Johnny are very different beasts, the former being sci-fi, and the latter rooted in real history. Have you found they offer unique storytelling opportunities or challenges compared to your other work in the genre? Is there any thematic commonality between them?

Not much beyond the fact that they’re both war stories. Johnny Red has its roots in actual history, as you say, whereas Rogue Trooper is out-and-out science fiction. The latter takes care of itself, with the broad parameters of the strip having been laid down a good forty years ago.

With Johnny Red the hyperbole of ’70s comics means the story is one step removed from my usual war stories; things like Sara or The Stringbags don’t ask the reader to believe in anything that didn’t happen. But there was never an Englishman in command of a Russian fighter squadron, and even if there was, someone with Johnny Redburn’s attitude would have been shot dead by the Soviet authorities inside a couple of weeks.

There’s also a larger-than-life quality to the original strip, with people and aircraft able to do things they simply couldn’t have. What I find interesting is that the old Johnny Red stories got so much right, in terms of setting and events, and finding ways of making the unreal a little more believable in that context is one of the things that keeps me engaged.

...

Your current Rogue Trooper story in 2000 AD, “When a GI Dies,” follows your previous story with Patrick Goddard, “Blighty Valley.” What can readers expect from this new Rogue story, and are there any thematic connections between this and last year’s story?

It’s much more specific to the original Rogue Trooper strip, rather than the notion of considering conflict in a wider sense that you saw in “Blighty Valley.” The new one looks at the origins of the Genetic Infantry regiment, their engineering- including the biochips and the implications thereof- and the people on Milli-Com who sent them into combat. It also considers the Dolls, and what they were left with once the dust had settled on the Quartz Zone massacre.

...

We’ve also just found out that you’re working with Henry Flint on a Strontium Dog story this Christmas. Can you offer any hints as to what that’s about?”

“Doghouse Roses” sees a pair of mutant civilians from Milton Keynes visiting the base of the Search/Destroy Agency, intent on making a fly-on-the-wall documentary about their Strontium Dog heroes. You’ll see all the old favourites- Johnny & Wulf, obviously, but also Middenface, the Torso from Newcastle, Evans the Fist, Spud Murphy, the Stixes and more- but from a point of view that may seem a little unfamiliar.

There’ll also be some odd goings-on in the showers, a CUR prisoner we’d all like to see the back of, and a brief discussion on the future of the ancient English county of Durham. Oh my poor heartses, etc etc.

And Henry is, of course, knocking it out of the park.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/26874209

Woah! Holy 🦇 💩! Huge!

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/26873896

Thoughts on Taylor and Redondo Run?

What are other’s thoughts on this recently completed run? Overall, I enjoyed it, especially the art, even though it had somewhat of a lull before the last arc. Still, it should go down as one of the better superhero runs and it’s the only time I have pulled Nightwing since the 90s Dixon and McDaniels run.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18872061

Two of weekly sci-fi anthology 2000 AD's most famous creations unite for the first time later this month in a new one-off strip from The Boys and Preacher co-creator Garth Ennis. Robo-Hunter Vs Strontium Dog, which will be published in October 30's 2000 AD Prog 2406, is a fast and funny tale that finds bounty hunter Johnny Alpha take on a job that will throw him into conflict – and perhaps an alliance – with Robo-Hunter Sam Slade.

Both characters were originally created by John Wagner (who also devised 2000 AD's most famous star, Judge Dredd, alongside artist Carlos Ezquerra) in 1978, in the very early days of the comic's run. Slade, particularly, holds a special place in Ennis's heart, as he explains to Newsarama in an exclusive interview, which also includes a first look at some of artist Henry Flint's unlettered pages from the new story.

...

These characters share some similarities – they're both guns for hire, in a sense – but they also have some pretty stark differences in tone. So how do they get on?

What makes them similar comes from their roots – along with Dredd, they form the trio of all-time great 2000 AD characters created by John Wagner, and as such are born of the American pulp fiction/tough guy tradition that John loves so much. Really they're variations on that particular theme – the gunslinger, the private eye, the cop. That's why they work so well together (in terms of the narrative, not practical cooperation).

...

Both Johnny and Sam debuted in 1978, making them two very long-running characters! What do you think has made them so enduring

See above. Their pulp origins notwithstanding, John put enough original ideas into both characters that readers were constantly curious about them, we were always left wanting more. Their personalities, settings, supporting casts, technology and so on were endlessly intriguing, and their individual motivation meant we'd be getting plenty more – Johnny keeps on hunting bad guys because he doesn't know what else to do with his life, Sam will always take on another job because he's desperate for cash (even when he did eventually make his fortune and quit, bloody Hoagy and Stogie could be relied upon to ruin everything for him).

...

2000 AD Prog 2406 is published by Rebellion on October 30. The bumper-sized issue also includes new episodes of Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, The Out, Azimuth, and Brink.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18831293

At the Lucasfilm Publishing: Star Wars: Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away panel at New York Comic Con, attendees learned about an all-new ongoing Star Wars comic series coming this March from Marvel Comics as part of their next phase of Star Wars comics, Star Wars: Jedi Knights from Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov.

"Marvel's first series focusing on the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy will be brought to you by Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and acclaimed Star Wars comics writer Marc Guggenheim (Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca, Star Wars: Yoda) and drawn by rising star artist Madibek Musabekov (Star Wars, X-Men Red). "Taking place before The Phantom Menace, STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS stars the Jedi Order as fans came to know it during the Prequel Trilogy including legendary characters like Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and many more. In addition to featuring iconic and fan-favorite Jedi, the series will introduce all new Jedi characters that served the Republic during this pivotal era. Each issue will spotlight a different Jedi duo on a different mission throughout the galaxy, but an overarching threat binds them together. Who is the mysterious new villain targeting Qui-Gon Jinn for death and how will it force the Jedi Order to evolve for a new age? Marc and Madibek deliver a blockbuster first issue with a cliffhanger that kicks off one action-packed issue after another featuring your favorite Jedi," Editor Mark Paniccia teased. "You've literally never seen so much lightsaber action in a comic book!"

Hmm🤔, what do others think of this? I have enjoyed Ultimate Spider-Man and Black Panther but not sure about this.

What does it take to build a new universe? The answer to that question is larger than we can afford to get into here, but we're pretty sure that "a person with experience" couldn't hurt. That certainly seems to be the case for Aspen Comics, who are launching their connected comic-book universe Ekos under the guiding hand of David Maisel, the originator of a small project you may now know as... the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Of course, you may already remember this story from when Popverse reported it mid-September. Ekos, you'll recall, is based on the creations of late comic artist Michael Turner, who was famous not just for his Big Two work but also for his creator-owned offerings, comics that attracted the likes of Geoff Johns before Turner's tragic passing. Now, Maisel is using his universe-building experience to link Turner's creations in a way they never were.

But before that comic, and the universe therein, hits shelves, Maisel sat down with Popverse to discuss his involvement with the project. We got into what excites him the most about Ekos and learned some of his history at Marvel, without which the MCU would not exist as we know it today. But don't let us take up more of your time - here's what Maisel himself had to say.

...

I've collected Michael Turner art. I was huge Marvel fan and had a huge Marvel collection even before I went there. But I started collecting Michael Turner original art back in 2008, the year Iron Man came out, at Comic-Con. And I got to know his two best friends. Michael passed that year and he left his comic book company and his art to his two best friends who run Aspen now. James Cameron had the rights for all the entertainment stuff then, so I was just a collector.

But in 2018, the rights expired. James Cameron got busy on Avatar, and they asked me if I wanted to step in his shoes. And I was like, 'Of course.' I mean, it would be so great to bring the beauty of Michael Turner's line work and Peter Steigerwald's colors as the visual DNA of a new cinematic universe. Then I needed to come up with the idea for the universe, because Michael had Fathom - which is the number one comic in the world in 1998, crazy for an independent comic to beat Marvel and DC - but that was set to the present day, Soulfire was 200 years in the future, and Ekos was on another planet. Michael passed away before he could bring the characters together.

So over COVID, I finally came up with the idea that I thought was creatively unique and relevant for today's age, which is what's going to be in Ekos Volume One, which is of all of these characters together on this planet, in the same time zone.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18759057

Thankfully, there are new projects on the horizon, including a new comic book series which sounds like it's set to be a sure-fire hit with fans.

It's set to bring fan-favourite characters back to the fray. Almost a decade since the Star Wars universe burst onto the comic book scene, some of its most well-loved series, such as Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader, have come to an end.

With such important series finding their conclusions, fans have been speculating as to what they can expect next from Marvel Comics.

Luckily, the future is looking bright.

Last week saw Marvel Comics announce that an upcoming one-shot story was set to release in January 2025.

Titled Star Wars: A New Legacy, it will be the brainchild of many veteran writers and will also welcome back some much-loved characters such as Doctor Aphra and Beilert Valance.

“This is the monumental moment we’ve been waiting for: celebrating a decade of the re-union of Marvel Comics and Star Wars,” editor Mark Paniccia exclaimed.