May is international comic book month!

May is international comic book month!

The 20th Annual FestComix will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from May 1st-4th.

Thursday will have panels about Marvel and DC, held by their foreign distributor, Panini Comics. Jheremy Raapack will talk about his work on Injustice for DC Digital. Translated manga and independent comics will also be discussed.

Friday : Joshua Dysart (Harbinger) will talk about reintroducing the Valiant Universe together with Brazilian distributor HQM. Shawn Martinbrough will talk about his work on Thief of Thieves. Cartoonists and editors will discuss the zombie invasion in comics. There will be a special panel preparing Brazilian national comics for international markets.

Saturday: Cartoonists talk about their favorite childhood heroes, Panini announces more Manga titles, and artists and writers talk about their work on Disney Comics. Jim Krueger ( Justice, Project Superheroes, Buffy)  will chat about his acclaimed work with Marvel, DC, and Dynamite.

Sunday, the festival will close with a celebration of Batman and Superman’s 75th, a round table talk with Will Conrad, Joe Bennet, Daniel HDR, and Marcelo Mailo about producing good artwork. Editor Sidney Gusman will talk about Graphics MSP with its creators Vitor Cagaggi, Danio Beyruth, and Gustavo Duarte. Jim Kreuger returns to talk about the Golden Age in the super hero world.

Also this weekend, in the United States, is the twelfth annual Free Comic Book Day. With involvement by practically all the major comic book companies in the business, each provides comic book stores across America with a free sample comic (often new stories). Some libraries also participate in FCBD, encouraging young readers. The program is all about outreach. It is aimed to introduce new readers; they even have a comic book explanation guide for those new to the comic book world. FCBD also strives to invite back readers who may have stopped collecting comics for one reason or another. It is also a thank you to current comic books readers.

The day also coincides with major motion picture releases based on comics. The first Free Comic Book Day followed the release of the first Spider-Man back in 2002. X2, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Iron Man, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers, and Iron Man 3 all invited excited moviegoers to check out their local comic store on opening weekend to experience a piece of the magic that inspired these larger than life films. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens May 2nd.

Click here to see the 57 free comics offered this year. Many shops have limits on the amount of comics you can take. Most shops also have great sales and special offers to commemorate the important weekend. DC Comics made a map to track where their creators will be appearing on Saturday. Don’t know where your nearest comic shop is? Check out Comic Shop Locator.

Not to be left in the dust, France is celebrating their Bande dessinée this month. Why just one day? France is trying out 48 hours (2 days) of the BD. The website have yet divulge what comics will be available but will be offering 100,000 BD. The event will take place May 16 and 17. French publishers Casterman, Dargaud, Dupuis, Fluide Glacial, Wide Angle, Jungle, The Lombard and Urban Comics are all involved. 

Caliber Comics Returns!

The publisher Caliber Comics, who had ceased production in 2001, will return to publish comics.

The new Caliber is the result of a partnership between the publisher’s founder, Garry Reed, and Eric Reichert, of Eagle One Media. Together, they will create Caliber Entertainment.

Created in 1989, the original Caliber published various comics from writers who were starting their careers, like Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Allred, Vince Locke and David Mack. Some of the published titles include Jinx, Kabuki, Mr. Monster, World of H.P. Lovecraft, War of the Worlds, among others.

During its 12 years, Caliber Comics released 1,400 magazines.

The new company will also handle Transfuzion Publishing’s catalog:one of Reed’s companies that published hardcover books and graphic novels like Vietnam Journal by Don Lomax.

The publisher didn’t release which would be its first titles, but they informed that they will publish hardcover books that will be released this year. According to Reed, monthly magazines, in comic book format, are not in the immediate plants at Caliber. For him, the floppies represent a difficult market and it would be necessary to partner up with an established company to take care of distribution and press.


(Original article: Caliber Comics voltará a publicar quadrinhos,written by Sérgio Codespoti on February 20, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission from UniversoHQ.)

With alumni like Michael Allred(FF, X-Statix, and next month's Silver Surfer), Brian Michael Bendis(All New/ Uncanny X-Men,(New) Avengers, Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man), David Mack(Kabuki, Daredevil), Vince Locke(A History of Violence), and Ed Brubaker(Catwoman, Gotham Central, Captain America and Fatale)- Caliber has an eye for up and coming talent. With Valiant's recent relaunch and the companies like IDW  also focusing on publishing collections and entertainment ventures- Caliber is ready to try the new market. It is exciting to see the possibilities of Dreamworld and  Saint Germaine(Transfuzion's release with Image Comics). The comic world is huge on reinterpreting classics and hopefully, 12 years later, Caliber Entertainment can reach  the whole new audience of today. 

Make Mine Valiant!

Valiant Entertainment is the little engine that could. Founded by Marvel alumni Jim Shooter and Bob Layton in 1989, the line enjoyed early success. Originally called Voyager Communications, their comics division was called Valiant Comics. They purchased rights for Gold Key/Western character catalog: Magnus-Robot Fighter, Turok-Dinosaur Hunter(the character now sold to Dynamite Comics with his first issue coming out this month) and Solar- Man of the Atom- tweaking and updating the characters to the new generation. Along with these licensed characters, they created their own and quickly populated their newly created universe. The first titles were Harbinger- a group of renegade teenagers on the run from an evil cooperation focused on harnessing mental powers, X-O Manowar-a Visigoth who was abducted by aliens and bonded to an alien uniform. Skip a few centuries and he is a very powerful fish out of water in the 20th century, Shadowman-a New Orleans boy becoming a superhero fueled on the darkness of the underworld, and Rai- the Japanese spirit guardian.

The original Valiant Universe, image credit: Valiant Comics Database

Valiant had a company wide crossover, Unity, which, well, united the line. Lasting 18 issues, including a free promotional first issue. The crossover launched Eternal Warrior- with a self explanatory title- and the fun duo Archer & Armstrong. Ninjack the ninja, Bloodshot the cyborg arsenal,and other accepts of their ever expanding universe.They had their own future timeline (4000 AD) and all together 22 titles were published.


Sold to Acclaim in 1996, the video game developers rebooted the line and added prolific writers to tell the new tales. Warren Ellis wrote Solar. Kurt Busiek wrote Ninjak. Mark Waid opened X-O Manowar. Garth Ennis wrote an arc of Shadowman. New series like Troublemakers, Trinity Angels and Quantam and Woody were introduced. Shadowman, Turok and Armorines translated well to the video game market. In 1999, Unity 2000 saw the return of Jim Shooter to the line, adding an alternate universe filled with his ideas and takes on the characters. The crossover was canceled after 3 issues effectively ending the line and the acclaim universe saga. The Gold Key characters were sold off. Jim Shooter oversaw  Dark Horse Comics’ handling of the Gold Key Characters even returning to write them once more.The characters now reside with Dynamite Entertainment.

In 2005 the Valiant/Acclaim original characters were auctioned off to Valiant Entertainment, owned by Dinesh Shamdasani and Jason Kothari. They published some collected reprints in the interim. In 2011, former Marvel CEO Peter Cuneo joined as Chairman. Warren Simons followed as Executive Editor. And the Summer of Valiant 2012 was their reintroduction. Month after month, these classic characters debuted in their own titles: X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot and Archer & Armstrong. The reviews were in and Valiant became synonymous with good writing and great focused characters. Shadowman followed and 2013 brought Quantam & Woody and Eternal Warrior. The year ended with the start of their own Unity series- written by Matt Kindt. Valiant is going strong, winning various awards and appearing on many best of the year reviews. Valiant even helped design the official USA luge uniforms for the Sochi Olympics. They have had successful translations in France, Brazil, Spain and most recently Mexico.

Valiant Entertainment 

They are not slowing down. This week Valiant launched the Valiant First initiative. Starting in May with Rai, they will launch a new series every month. Shamdasani calls the initiative “It’s a chance to jump into the Valiant Universe every month.” Editor Simons reflects on the unique business model: “Just care about every individual issue, care about every page, care about every panel. We want to make sure everything goes out the door with an amazing amount of love in it. We never want to just be mailing in an arc, or even an issue. We’re really trying to focus on consistently putting out great books, every month, with every issue. You won’t always hit the mark you want to, but I like to think that we do more often than not. That’s really the goal we’re trying for here, and I think it’s what the market and the fans have really responded to.”

Valiant Entertainment 

Big things are happening in the universe:Eternal Warrior is currently leading into the 4001 A.D. timeline, Harbinger promises the “Death of a Renegade”, Archer and Armstrong are crossing over with Bloodshot and the H.A.R.D. Corps in Mission: Improbable and Shadowman will have his own miniseries, the ominous ” End Times”. Armor Hunters is coming affecting X-O Manowar, Bloodshot and Harbinger specifically- the story line will develop over 18 issues.

In May, X-O Manowar will be the first series to reach the monumental 25 issues. The 25th issue will feature 48 pages including the start of Armor Wars, an origin story penned by series scribe Robert Venditti and other stories by Peter Milligan, Bryan Hitch, Justin Jordan, Rafer Roberts and other special guests. Keep in mind chief creative officer at Marvel, Joe Quesada got his start writing X-O and other Valiant characters.

I leave you with a quote by Shamdasani:



” We don’t publish anywhere near the quantity of the books Marvel and DC publish. We’re not trying to publish the most books. We’re not trying to publish even the biggest-selling books. We’re trying to publish the best books. It was so motivating for us to hear that our fans were more excited to read our books than anything else anyone was publishing. That’s what we want to do in a broader way.”

Valiant Entertainment

Culture of Comics' Top 10 Recommendation for People Who Don’t Read Comics(Part 2 of 2)

Yesterday I outlined half of my picks for great comics for non-comics readers. But if you ask 5 people for their picks, you will receive 5 different recommendations. The diversity of comics is great and every genre has their own audience. Poke around. Movie tastes and television habits can translate to a comic book series that is right for you.
Without further ado... here are the remaining 5(ish) picks!

6.All New X-Men(Marvel)

Marvel

The X-Men are one of the most complex and convoluted cast of characters in comics. How many times has Jean Grey died? Which villain turned hero and vice-versa? The X-Men started out with a 5 member team in much simpler times. Marvel’s golden writer, Brian Michael Bendis (Powers, New Avengers, Daredevil, Ultimate Spider-Man) finally has his hands on the X-Men. He brings back these 5 founding members, straight from the past, to catch up on the times and history and witness the changes right along with the readers. The book is fun, fast paced and a breath of fresh air.

7.Mind the Gap(Image)

Image

Mind the Gap started with a mysterious death of the protagonist. The whodunit unfolds in crazy ways that examines all aspects of someone’s life. Families and friends are left to grieve and place blame and try to move on…or investigate the unclear cause of death. Clues and red herrings litter each and every issue that make the series so addicting and compelling to read. Jim McCann is the writer and Rodin Esquejo and Sonia Oback handle the art and colors, respectively and they create a truly beautiful comic, from art to story. This is the type of comic you would want to watch weekly on prime time.

8.Life With Archie(Archie)

Archie 

This is the first time I actually sat down and read an Archie comic…and the second time the redhead appears on this list. This comic is for the twenty something. It’s for those just out of college who are trying to juggle new careers and new relationships. It’s for newlyweds and newly singles and those who hate returning to their hometown. It can be depressing at times but the good and positive always shine through. The book is split into two full sized stories, each existing in their own universe(depending which girl Archie married). I found the stories adult but not mature, serious in content but still in the cartoonish style. The series is written by Paul Kupperberg. 

9.Saga(Image)

Image

Critically acclaimed writer Brian K Vaughan(Y the Last Man, Runaways, Ex Machina) joined with artist Fiona Staples to produce a cosmic space soap opera. Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Romeo and Juliet all thrown into a blender challenges issues of love, family, war and (alien) race. The creators churn out 6 monthly issues and then take a short break to get ahead of the process and recharge their batteries- ensuring that no issue feels stale and uninspired. The title characters live this “saga”starting literally with the birth of their baby, to being chased down by waring factions, making choices that question love and family and morals that are quite universal. The comic is for mature audiences as it can be graphic at times, but aside from the controversy, it is a study on the human condition.

10.Valiant Comics

Valiant Entertainment 

I wanted to represent this up and coming publisher but could not settle on a series. I hold them all to the equally high caliber. They have a little bit of everything, and what they do, they do well. Unity is a team up book. X-O Manowar is an action adventure bridging the ancient Visigoths to space age technology. Harbinger is a team book with teenage mutants running around. Bloodshot and the HARD Corps is a heavy action book, a la Punisher. Archer & Armstrong and Quantum & Woody are fun buddy romps with a lot of laughs. Shadowman is a horror mystery. The  line, history and recent developments will be explained in a post shortly.


Do you have a series, past or present, that you recommend to anyone that will listen? Why is it so special? 

Best news of the week- 1/19-1/25

*DC Comics released their April Solicitations. With that comes the news that six titles are ending. Nothing new with the revolving door that has been the New52's out with the old, in with more new number 1's. Among the cancelled are four of the original titles (Nightwing, Teen Titans, Stormwatch, and Suicide Squad), Superman Unchained, as well as the phased out Justice League of America(Upgrading to Justice League United).
*Batman takes over with a weekly series that is planned to run for 52 weeks. Batman Eternal is set to be written by Kyle Higgins(Nightwing), Scott Snyder(Batman, Superman Unchained), Tim Seeley(Hack/Slash), Ray Fawkes(Constantine, Justice League Dark), James Tynion IV(Red Hood and the Outlaws, Talon), and a brief stint with John Layman(Chew, Planetary).
 *World's Finest also confirmed the all ages Beware the Batman comic is ending its run prematurely with issue 6. Cartoon Network has yet to announce when the animated series is returning.

Valiant Entertainment

*DC quietly released a direct to video animated special this past Tuesday in an exclusive deal with Target stores. Director Giancarlo Volpe (Green Lantern the Animated Series) returns to lead a medley of voice talent and superheroes in this 55 minute movie, updated from a classic Superfriends episode. Read Volpe's interview with comicbook.com here!

*"Anyone can be killed" is something any comic book fan would roll their eyes at. But, Valiant Entertainment is promising "dead is dead" in their two year old universe. A main character of their team book Harbinger is going to bite the bullet. Read more at USA Today. 

*Astute Ninja Turtles fans have found what could be the first picture portraying how the turtles will appear in the new film (directed be Jonathan Liebesman with Megan Fox as April O' Neil). This Michelangelo children's costume has pants, sunglasses, tattoos and dog tags. 

Aniplex/Cartoon Network

IDW/ Cartoon Network

 *The Powerpuff Girls returned to TV this week for a special which aired Monday on Cartoon Network. IDW got some flack for an upcoming variant cover which "sexualized" the young superheroes and Cartoon Network quickly pulled the plug on the cover. Meanwhile, the brand already had success with a more grown up appearance overseas with their Powerpuff Girls Z anime.