Play With Your Food With Chew and IDW Games!

Chew is invading your televisions AND tabletops come 2015. The Image comic, by John Layman and Rob Guillory, will become a “series of tabletop games” by IDW Games.

According to the IDW website:

"The CHEW game line will feature a smorgasbord of play options from board to card to dice games, each title being a stand-alone experience designed to whet fans’ appetites, whether they be a gaming novice or a connoisseur. IDW Games will be tapping top game designing talent to develop each game in the series, and Layman and Guillory will stay involved on the creative side to ensure the look and feel of each game is in line with the highly stylized, quirky world they’ve created."

“We’re looking forward to putting Tony Chu in all kinds of bad positions, and letting fans step in to save the day.” Says IDW Director of Business Development, Jerry Bennington. Any reader of Chew can only imagine what kind of crazy antics the games will portray.

IDW Games include IDW properties Kill Shakespeare, 30 Days of Night, The X-Files, and Tammany Hall- about immigrants new to New York. IDW also published a comic on the table top game that started it all : Dungeons and Dragons.

Although news is scarce right now, IDW Games promises “bite-sized teasers” in the months to come on their website, Facebook Page, and Twitter, @idwgames. Learn more about Chew  from Culture of Comics!

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 is the Best Selling Comic of the Past Ten Years

Diamond Comics Distributors released the sales figures for comics in the United States for May. The figures show that The Amazing Spider-Man #1, the issue that relaunches the classic title of Spider-Man, is the most sold issue in the country in the last ten years, both in product sold and in sales earned.

The Amazing Spider-Man # 1 cost US$ 5.99.

Initial orders were for 500 thousand copies, but the final quantity exceeded 600 thousand copies. The publisher took advantage of the opportunity to promote The Inhumans, reprinting the first issue of the new monthly series featuring the team.

The main story marks the return of Peter Parker as the arachnid hero after more than a year, the period in which the villain, Dr. Octopus, took on the identity of Spider-Man, better known as Superior Spider-Man.

With this, Marvel was the leader of the market with 41.15% of the moving value of the industry and 39.27% of all the copies sold were from Marvel. DC Comics was in second place with 27.24% and 23.65%, respectively. Image Comics follows, with 10.31% and 9.34%, then Dark Horse with 5.18% and 5.54%; IDW Publishing with 4.24% and 5.10%; and Dynamite Entertainment with 2.47% and 2.49 %.

This helps propel the growth of the North American comic book industry after repeated months it was stuck in stagnation.

In comparison with the month of March, 12.9% of magazines were sold, with a better taking of 18.27%. The growth maintains itself compared to April 2013 (7.32% and 17.18%) and shows a drop in this same period from last year, selling 5.61% less, principally due to the weak performance in the first months of 2014.

See below the ten best selling comics of April.

Position	Title	Publisher
1	The Amazing Spider-Man # 1	Marvel
2	Superior Spider-Man # 31	Marvel
3	Batman # 30	DC
4	Batman Eternal # 1	DC
5	Justice League # 29	DC
6	Batman Eternal # 2	DC
7	Hulk # 1	Marvel
8	Original Sin # 0	Marvel
9	Batman Eternal # 3	DC
10	Batman Eternal # 4	DC

Below, the best selling list for collections and graphic novels, where Image Comics dominates.

Position	Title	Publisher
1	Sex Criminals – Volume 1	Image
2	Saga – Volume 3	Image
3	East of West – Volume 2 – We are all one	Image
4	Saga – Volume 1	Image
5	Amazing Spider-Man – Family Business	Marvel
6	Guardians of the Galaxy – Volume 1 – Cosmic Avengers	Marvel
7	Batman – Death of the Family	DC
8	Saga – Volume 2	Image
9	Pretty Deadly – Volume 1	Image
10	The Walking Dead – Volume 1 – Days Gone Bye	Image

(Original Article: The Amazing Spider-Man # 1 é a revista de herói mais vendida dos últimos dez anos, written by Samir Naliato on May, 12, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission by UniversoHQ) 

 In comparison, DC Comic's Justice League #1 sold 360 thousand copies in 2011 and President Barack Obama's appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #583 sold 530,500 copies in 2009. Sales rarely break 200,000 copies, nowadays.

Marvel also included a free digital download code in the issue, as it is prone to do with its more pricier comics. The sales figures only represent Diamond Comics Distributors and do not account for digital sales. Issue two hits the stands this Wednesday.

Comics On The Small Screen

Television is changing its face and format. Many alternatives for TV already exist for TV appropriate content, like Netflix and Amazon, who are also developing original series like Bosch and The After. The video game platform Playstation, by Sony Entertainment, will be used to exhibit an adaptation of Powers, the comic series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.

Xbox will be used as an original content platform by Microsoft to enter in this new market. Xbox Entertainment Studios will adapt the romance comic, Gun Machine, by Warren Ellis, and Winterworld, by Chuck Dixon and Jorge Zaffino, by IDW, as a TV series. The new content will be distributed through the Xbox Originals program.

Aside from these two programs, another ten series are in development by Xbox Entertainment Studios.

Gun Machine will be executively produced by Warren Ellis, together with Brett Conrad, from The Killing and Sons of Anarchy. The story takes place in New York and follows a string of crimes involving a bizarre assassin.

In Winterworld, the world is frozen solid, stuck in an eternal winter, and the survivors organize themselves in tribes who are fighting over the little resources left over. The production team includes Ted Adams(CEO of IDW), David Ozer, Rick Jacobs, and Dave Alpert.

The other series in development include: Deadlands, based on an RPG by Shane Lacy Hensley; Extraordinary Believer, a product of the Robot Chicken team; Fearless is a project of an Australian producer, and a comedy, currently without a set title, from the comedy team JASH(founded by Sarah Silverman, Michael Cera, Tim an Eric, and Reggie Watts).

(Original article: Histórias de Warren Ellis e Chuck Dixon serão adaptadas para TV pela XBox Entertainment, by Sergio Codespoti, on April 29, 2014. Reprinted and translated with permission by UniversoHQ)

Television is still a big place to see comic book series adapted, but it is no longer the only venue. SyFy channel announced today at their close-up presentation they will be adapting four comic book programs for TV. Frank Miller’s Ronin (DC Comics miniseries, 1983) is being produced by Warner Horizon Television and DC Entertainment. The ronin is a samurai from the 13th century looking for his nemesis in today’s world. Pax Romana, a 2007 miniseries written by Jonathan Hickman for Image Comics has Stephen Scalia (Warehouse 13) and David Alpert (The Walking Dead), and Hickman acting as executive producers. It tells the story of a time traveling group that needs to go back in time to Ancient Rome to prevent a third World War. Clone, written by Juan Jose Ryp for Skybound Entertainment/Image Comics, will be produced by Alpert and Robert Kirkman(creator of The Walking Dead). It will be written by David Schulner (Dracula). Clone is about Luke Taylor, a doctor who just discovered he is part of a cloning project. Letter 44, by Alberto Alburquerque for Oni Press, will go into production by Universal Television and Universal Cable Productions with Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3) as writer, producer and director. Letter 44 is about a new president who is bequeathed a letter with information regarding aliens in an asteroid belt that NASA astronauts are currently investigating. Stay tuned to Culture of Comics for more information!

A New Animated Project to Chew On

Tony Chu in Chew #1 (Image Comics)

In 2009, a truly different comic book entered the scene, published by Image Comics. Written by John Layman with art by Rob Guillory, Chew tells the tale of Tony Chu- a cibopath- a person with the ability to see the past-depending on what he ate. Tony works for the American Food and Drug Administration in their ongoing war to rid the world of poultry meat. More FBI than FDA, Chew is a zany comedy with surprising links to the human condition. The series won two Eisner Awards (Best New Series; Best Continuing Series) and two Harvey Awards (Best New Series; Best New Talent) and multiple collected editions have appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

The series had a deal in 2011 to film a live-action pilot for Showtime but the series did not get picked up. Now, through Heavy Metal Entertainment, the ongoing comic series will have an animated adaption. Representing Heavy Metal is David Boxenbaum and Jeff Krelitz(Torchwood: Web of Lies; Peter Panzerfaust). Rob Guillory and John Layman are executive producers, with Layman the project’s scriptwriter. BBC exec Dan Tischler is also attached to the product. The animated project(not yet clarified as a movie or series) is projected for digital broadcast(perhaps through Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu) and DVD/Bluray release.

The Walking Dead’s Steven Yuen (Glen) will voice Tony Chu and Felicia Day, creator of The Guild webisodes, his love interest: Amelia Mintz. Amelia is a Saboscrivner with the ability to convey tastes (good or bad) in her articles about cuisine. Other characters in the comic include Tony’s astronaut twin sister (who can see the future when she eats food (Cibovoyant)), his crooked chef brother, angsty teenage daughter, and chicken craving FDA partner. These characters should all follow the same adequate casting. The comic series is illustrated in a cartoony and the food powers are so creative and crazy that Chew is made for animation.

Amelia Mintz in Chew # 39 (Image Comics)

Check out collected editions of Chew at your local library or download Chew #1 for free at ComiXology.

(via Multiversity and The Hollywood Reporter)

Illegal Comic Books And Those Who Try To Save Them!

In Malaysia, the Home Ministry is going against the recent release of Ultraman the Ultra Power. The comic is said to contain content that is “detrimental to public order”. Although this only adds the the popularity and allure of the book, owning, reproducing, producing, selling, importing or distributing the book could land you in serious hot water. Ultraman is a popular Japanese property that has toys, TV shows and comics(manga) to its name. The country has a Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 with maximum punishments of $6,000 dollars or 3 years in Jail. Although less severe, comic books have a long history of banning and censorship in the United States.

The witch hunt started in the 50s and 60s after Fredric Wertham published his Seduction of the Innocent- branding comics as vehicles for violence and perversion. With the emergence of the Comics Code Authority soon after, any comic that was not comic code approved was deemed unsellable by many newsstands and stores. This is until ,in 1971, Marvel published their government sanctioned The Amazing Spider-Man 96-98, featuring a story about drug abuse. This was in strict violation of the code and the issues were published without the approval…but remained huge sellers. The comic code lost steam and influence, but only in 2010 when DC and Archie refused to be part of the Code did it cease to exist on the comic rack. To read all the Code’s rules and regulations(there are many) take a look at the ComicArtVille Library website.

http://cbldf.org/

In the US, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund works to help un-ban any challenged book, be it libraries, schools or groups that do not agree with the content. They are dedicated to “protecting the First Amendment(Freedom of Speech) rights of the comics medium. The non profit organization will even take legal action if necessary to support their fellow creators in the courtroom. Take a look at their list of Banned and Challenged Comics here.

Image Comics

Recently, issues of Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky and Saga by Brian K. Vaugan and Fiona Staples, both published by Image Comics, have been banned by Comixology for not agreeing with their decency policy. Groups like One Million Moms have called for boycotts and bannings of Archie Comic’s Kevin Keller series profiling a gay teenager. Comics encompass such a wide audience and subject matter that it is inevitable that not all will be willingly accepted by the masses.

The Turtles Make Their Renaissance: 30 Years and Counting

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

The first Ninja Turtle was sketched out by Kevin Eastman in 1983 in Northampton, Massachusetts. His friend, Peter Laird, liked the idea of “Ninja Turtle” and sketched another. In no time, the pair quickly created the four turtles: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael.

A few months later, using their tax returns, Eastman and Laird formed Mirage Studios and in March 1984 printed 3,000 copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- a dark and gritty black and white parody of Daredevil starring the four turtles, their rat Master Splinter(Daredevil’s Sensei was named “Stick”) battle Shredder and his Foot Clan(Daredevil: “The Hand”). Even the toxic spill that blinded Daredevil as a boy also washed into the sewers and mutated the four turtles and rat.

Mirage Studios

The issue was advertised in a comic trade journal and became a sweeping success. It was continued the following year with reprints and further issues released intermittently. In what became Volume One of the series, a portion of the work was done by the original creators, guest artists and close collaborators (of note: Ryan Brown and Jim Lawson) also helps contribute to the volume’s 62 issues, with various Micro Series, miniseries and specials. A companion anthology piece “Tales of the TMNT” added 7 tales to the mythos in the early years.

In 1987, the property was optioned to Playmates Toys for a toy line. They wanted to test the characters with a five episode miniseries, making the characters much more kid friendly with phrases like “Cowabunga”, “Turtle Power” and “Heroes in a Half Shell”. Much more comedy than grit, the Fred Wolf show was very different from the ongoing, mature, black and white comic that was simultaneously being published. The show lasted ten seasons and had 193 episodes and a wildly popular, and collectible, action figure line.

Archie Comics/Mirage Studios

Archie Comics published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures to market comics to a younger audience, spanning 72 issues from 1988 to 1995, using cues from the animated series and toy line. Adventures featured an expanded cast and more global mindset. Stories were written by Steve Murphy (under a pen name “ Dean Clarrain”) and penciled by Chris Allen. During this period three major motion pictures were released with puppetry from Jim Henson Studios(and music from Vanilla Ice).

After Volume 1 ended, Volume 2 quickly came to pass. Written and illustrated by Jim Lawson, the full color series lasted 13 issues and was a direct continuation of the series.

In 1996, Image Comics launched a 23 issue Volume 3, taking the property to new and strange places (Donatello became a cyborg). It was written by Gary Carlson and illustrated by Frank Fosco, with covers by one of the Image founders, Erik Larsen(Savage Dragon). The volume was later said to be “outside of continuity”. 1997 saw an ill fated live action show by Saban, those responsible for Power Rangers. The Next Mutation saw the controversial inclusion of a female turtle, Venus de Milo. The show lasted one season. The property’s popularity was waning. Kevin Eastman sold his ownership to Laird and Mirage in 2000.

In 2001, Peter Laird and Jim Lawson returned to continue the original continuity of the Turtles. Now in their 30s (yet still titled TMNT), the turtles faced new and old enemies and challenges. Tales of the TMNT was also revived in 2004 to try and fill the missing history gaps.

In 2003, Laird partnered with Lloyd Goldfine and 4Kids Entertainment to produce a new animated series, heavily based on the comic series. Playmates once again saturated the toy aisles with Turtles Products and Dreamwave Productions released a short lived, 7 issue comic book based on the show, written by Peter David and art by LeSean. The show lasted various incarnations until 2009 with seven seasons, ending during the Ninja Turtles’ 25th anniversary with a TV movie crossing over the Mirage comic book, the 4Kids cartoon and the original cartoon.

4 Kids/Mirage Studios

In 2007, Kevin Monroe directed a CGI movie with voice talents of Chris Evans(Casey Jones), Sarah Michelle Gellar(April O’Neil) and Patrick Stewart as the movie’s antagonist. Mirage released the comic book tie-ins.

Peter Laird sold the Ninja Turtle rights to Viacom/Nickelodeon in October 2009. Tales of the TMNT concluded with issue 70 and Volume 4 was paused indefinitely. Peter/Mirage was given permission to publish 18 issues a year about the Turtles if they so chose. In any event, IDW Publishing was rewarded the comic license. Kevin Eastman returned to oversee the property with Editor Bobby Curnow and writer Tom Waltz and art by Dan Duncan, Ben Bates, Ross Campbell, Andy Kuhn and Mateus Santolouco. The new series premiered in 2011 and took inspiration from all incarnations of the Turtles lore. Micro series, miniseries and annuals help booster the rapidly expanding new world for the heroes in a half shell.

IDW Publishing

In the same vein, Nickelodeon premiered its new CGI series in 2012 which also honors its roots. The creator of the show, Ciro Nieli, grew up with the original series. Throwbacks and references are littered throughout the series, now in the middle of its second series, with characters being reimaged and updated to fit the new tone. Cory Feldman, the voice of Donatello in the first live action movie, returns in season two to voice the evil turtle, Slash. Rob Paulsen-Raphael in the original series- now voices Donatello. Jason Biggs (American Pie), Greg Cipes (Teen Titans), and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) round out the green cast. IDW Publishing has their own monthly Adventures series telling stories inspired by the cartoon and Playmates is, again, churning out the toys.

Nickelodeon

That brings us to 2014: The 30th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. How to celebrate? IDW has a wide range of reprints in production-ranging from hardcover collections of original Eastman and Laird issues to reprinted floppies for the first time in color (In the Mirage “universe” all four turtles have red masks). IDW recently announced they will publish the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th Anniversary Special in May. The cover is a collaboration between original creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, marking one of the first times the two have reunited since the split. The 48 page special is a reunion of many of the special creators who brought life to the license. Kevin Eastman will tell a story from the Early days; “Dean Clarrain”/Steve Murphy and Chris Allen will tell another Archie Adventure tale; Gary Carlson and Frank Fosco look back on the Image Volume 3; Jim Lawson will tell a story set around Volume 4; and the original IDW artist Dan Duncan returns with scribe Tom Waltz to round out the special. Pin Ups are also promised but kept under wraps.

IDW/Viacom

 If that isn't the best way to honor the long legacy, you can always watch Meghan Fox as April O’Neil in the next Ninja Turtles movie by Paramount Pictures. The Jonathan Liebesman directed movie (with involvement by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes company) is in theaters August 8th.

Viacom/Paramount Pictures

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. 

President's Day meets New Comic Day

Type in President in the search bar at ComicVine Comics database. Lex Luthor with 2730 issues is the first result. He was president off and on in many of DC's universes. George W Bush is listed in 195 issues. His father: 107 comics. Bill Clinton? 196. Comic book cameos can add value to a comic or horribly date a comic. It can make a comic seem current, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. It can also put a huge spin on "alternate realities". Comic Books can make presidents larger than life. Superheroes, barbarians, zombie hunters or just interacting with the heroes we long to believe in. Here is a sampling of Barack Obama's 244 appearances. Read about other presidential cameos here!

Image Comic's Savage Dragon started the craze. In issue 137, by creator Erik Larsen the politically minded green man-dragon meets and endorses Obama. The issue kicked off the election season coming out September 2008.

Image Comics

Blue Water Comics, famous for publishing biographies in comics for various icons/pop culture personalities started the craze by publishing "Presidential Material" special editions for the incumbents: John McCain and Barack Obama.

Blue Water Comics

They have not stopped with lucrative series, showcasing his "Political Power", his wife, First Family: The Obamas, and even his dog, Bo.

Blue Water Comics

When Obama won the presidency in November 2008, the comic book industry was quick to cash in. 2009 became the year of Obama. Spider-Man had an important meeting with Obama in January 2009's Amazing Spider-Man 583, becoming one of the best selling American comics of the year.

Marvel Comics

He met with Green Goblin turned Iron Patriot in Thunderbolts 128-129(Marvel) and handled the Youngblood team in issue 8(Image Comics).

Obama and Norman Osborn, Thunderbolts. Image from Green Goblin Hangout

Image

Then...the job description got a little weird.  I will let the images speak for themselves.

Drafted: One Hundred Days(Devils Due) 2009

President Evil(Antarctic Press) 2009

Barack the Barbarian(Devils Due Press) 2009, Yes, that IS Sarah Palin

2010 saw Mister President visit Riverdale to hang out with Archie and Veronica. He teamed up with Harry Potter, Invincible and Walking Dead's Rick in an ongoing editorial Guarding the Globe. And he..."met" Bomb Queen in the "Oh-BOMB-ah!" four act story.

Archie 616 (Archie Comics) 2010

Guarding the Globe 1(Image Comics) 2010

Veronica 199(Archie Comics) 2010

Bomb Queen 3(Image Comics) 2010

Obama helped save America from Godzilla in 2011 and advised Cyborg in the Flashpoint miniseries.

Flashpoint 4(DC Comics) 2011, image from Everyday is Like a Wednesday 

Godzilla:Kingdom of Monsters 1(IDW) 2011 courtesy of  Bloody Disgusting

One of 2012's best graphic novels was Fantographics' Barack Hussein Obama written and illustrated by Steven Weissman. Marketed as "A book about you, your country, your family and your president."

Barack Hussein Obama (Fantographics Books) 2012 

This year started off with Skyman and The Other Dead premiers both debuting with Obama on the cover,

Skyman 1(Dark Horse Comics) 2014

The Other Dead 1(IDW) 2014

Will the President have a career in comics? It is doubtful. When the new presidential hopefuls are announced be prepared to see comics take sides in new and sometimes unsettling ways.

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? 

Culture of Comics' Top 10 Recommendation for People Who Don’t Read Comics(Part 1 of 2)

Bleeding Cool’s Erik Grove published a great(and self explanatory) article: Essential 8 Comics For Reaching Comic Book Curious. I agreed with many of the choices but there are also many omissions. The comic book community has been revitalized lately. New companies are popping up and old ones are always in the process of reinventing themselves and staying on the forefront of art and story. New creators, the world over, are getting their chance to really craft their own stories and take their characters to new levels. Here is a list, in no particular order, of not your average comic books that can interest just about anybody. Tune in for part two tomorrow!




1.Afterlife with Archie(Archie)

Archie Comics

The most surprising release of last year was Francesco Francavilla and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s unique take on the Americana classic. The Archie property, forever stuck between Betty and Veronica, is now stuck in a horrific nightmare…the living dead are taking over Riverdale. Not like any classic Archie story and very different from the other popular zombie comic, Afterlife with Archie is a love letter to pulp classics that the genre was built on.The art is vibrant and dark and the action is suspenseful- it will leave you waiting for the next issue. Follow the twitter here and be on the look out for the first collected edition in April.



2.Daredevil(Marvel)

Marvel Comics

“Better than the Ben Affleck movie” isn’t saying much…but Mark Waid’s Daredevil, ending this month with issue 36 with a relaunch already in the works, is a different take on the character, much more based in reality. With his identity recently exposed, the character faces discrimination, social injustice, super villains and his business partner’s cancer. The art style. created by Paolo Rivera and continued by Chris Samnee, is different, with Daredevil’s super senses demonstrated in new and visually exciting ways. Classic villains and superheroes appear regularly but this solo series(Daredevil’s third volume) is really a tale of growth and struggle.




3. Morning Glories(Image)

Image Comics

One part Degrassi, one part Battle Royale and two parts Lost. Morning Glories is an addicting tale. Nick Spencer(writer), Joe Eisma(art) and Rodin Esquejo(covers) have teamed up to produce a very, very complex and compelling tale…broken into “seasons”. The story covers gifted students in a mysterious(oftentimes deadly) academy. Every issue offers a piece of the puzzle and more information about the wide cast of characters that the reader grows to care for. Like Lost, every answer leads to ten more questions but the comic delivers a wide range of emotions and the art and characters are very lifelike.




4. Invincible(Image)

Image Comics

Robert Kirkman,the creator of Walking Dead, wanted to tell a different kind of superhero story-one with consequences. Invincible is a teen superhero with newly acquired superpowers( inherited from his alien father). The series shows the characters growth- from his first team up, first girlfriend to eventually college and his first in space mission. The characters are never reset. Everything in the series counts and nothing gets ignored. The team (Cory Walker illustrated the first arc, then Ryan Ottley took over for the duration. All issues have been written by Kirkman)has worked on the series for over 100 issues and they know how to juggle the characters and the conflicts. The property was granted various miniseries and just rewarded a second ongoing: Invincible Universe. Find some collected volumes(all named after 80s sitcoms) at your local library.




5.Fables(Vertigo)

Vertigo

“Legends in Exile” –fairy tale characters live in New York- the big ones live upstate. Snow White is sleeping with the Big Bad Wolf(who has a human form). Cinderella is a super spy and Goldilocks is a serial killer. And just wait til you see the mouth on Pinocchio. Created by Bill Willingham and interiors by Mark Buckingham. The majority of the eye catching covers were by artist James Jean(replaced by Joao Ruas). The fable world has a rich history and multiple spin off series, mini series and over sized graphic novels and prose. Try out the first story arc for a detective story, but don’t worry Willingham knows how to turn things on their head before they get stale. The series just got their own video game by Telltale Games and it is rumored that ABC’s Once Upon A Time. Recently, Willingham announced an end is in sight and issue 150 will be its last.

Tune in tomorrow for the last 5 on the list! All comics can be found at a local comic book store or online at Comixology. Fables, Morning Glories, Daredevil and Invincible have already gotten international reprints in a variety of languages. To read these comics at no risk: visit your local library to order a copy of a collected edition!