Review: Earth 2 annual #1

I feel like this was an okay issue, but it really wasn't my cup of tea.

I'm not a regular reader of Earth 2, I did read the first few issues but after that I just dropped off the book. I picked up this issue, like many, for the introduction of Earth 2's new Batman but after reading was a bit disappointed.

If you're buying this just for batman I don't think it's worth your five dollars, the story focuses on a lot of characters from the main series, which I guess is what I should've expected. I feel like if you're interested in those characters, you should enjoy the issue, but I was never really too interested in the Earth 2 cast ( apart from Jay Garrick ).

I also wasn't too keen on the art in this. I remember seeing some of the pencilled pages of Batman a few months ago and how impressed I was but it just didn't seem as good to me when completed. I think it was just the pencils put together with the inks and colours that put me off, but the pencils are fine on their own.

My main problem is just that the cover is quite misleading. The cover is Earth 2's new Batman, he's the only character on that cover yet he only shows up for a few pages in this issue, I may have liked it more with a cover slightly more true to the story. However, this is a problem with a lot of comics so I can't just point it out for this one.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the story but it had it's moments, the Batman pages were actually alright, but there weren't many of them. I also feel that only the pencils out of all of the art were good.

Rating: 5/10

Review: X-Men #1

I have to admit, I've never been the biggest fan of the X-Men, I've tried getting into all of the new X- Books but none really managed to grip me. That was, until I read X-Men #1.

X-Men is the new series from Marvel with an all female core team of X-Men. I wasn't originally planning on getting this book but considering all the excitement and good comments surrounding it I decided I'd pick it up. Really pleased that I chose to pick it up because this was one of the best books of the month!

This issue was written by Brian Wood, and he's done a fantastic job with this issue! You jump straight into the action and I was hooked from page 1. It does help f you have some prior knowledge of who the characters are but it's pretty good for new readers to the X-men universe and is really enjoyable.

It does a good job of establishing who the characters are, what they're like and they're situations quickly and it moves at a fast pace. You see good examples of the team dynamic and how all these characters work together and it's got good writing throughout the whole issue!

Onto the art now! Oliver Coipel's art in this issue is just brilliant. It's amazing and just, overall, nice to look at! He's a good fit for this book and draws all of the characters and their surroundings perfectly! Him working with Inker Mark Morales and Colourist Laura Martin makes for a great art team, and I hope they stay with this series for a long time!

X-Men is an all around great series, it's well written and has some of the best art at Marvel right now.

Rating: 10/10!

Review: The Wake #1

I've never really read a book not part of mainstream DC Comics or Marvel, I've picked up a few Image titles but so far I've pretty much stuck to the mainstream of the Big Two, but I decided to give the Wake a shot because I'd heard a lot of excitement about it. I'm really glad I did!

One of the reasons I decided to pick up this first issue was Scott Snyder. You'll probably know him from his current run on Batman which has been pretty consistently great. I went into the book with pretty high expectations and I wasn't disappointed! Snyder's come up with an interesting premise for the series which really gripped me and I can't wait to read some more of it!

It's a really odd sort of  book but it really works well! There are a lot of interesting characters and it's really not what I'd expected! The story pretty much resolves around the sea, or specifically, what's underneath it. We get hints towards weird creatures and the first scene of the book takes place two hundred years after the main story and that aspect of the issue really grabs you.

Now onto the art. The artist for this series is Sean Gordon Murphy who you most likely know from his own series, Punk Rock Jesus. This is the first time I've seen his work and I was really impressed. There are some beautiful pages in this issue, specifically, the fourth page ( which I can't really describe without spoilers ) and pages thirteen to fourteen, set above Alaska's south slope. The entire issue has amazing art throughout but those three pages really stand out for me.

Another point on the art, the colours. The colourist for this series is Matt Hollingsworth, and he's one of the best parts of the current Hawkeye series from Marvel. Any book he seems to be on is improved by far with his colours and it was really amazing in this issue. Sean Gordon Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth are one of the best art teams in comics right now!

The Wake is a fascinating and intriguing comic with one of the greatest creative teams in comics! A real highlight in the comics world and a true must-read!

Rating: 10/10!

Review: Justice League of America #4

So far in JLA's run, I haven't really been keeping up with it, I'm not sure why but I haven't really managed to pick it up. I decided to pick up this issue backup, because I'd seen a lot of reviewers and writers for comic book websites talking about it and heard that it was a really interesting issue, and it certainly was!

I've really been enjoying a lot of Geoff Johns' work recently, and this issue was no exception. The premise of  this series is interesting, a really odd Justice League team that seem to be forced together, and the interactions between these members make for a really good read.

The story of this issue was great, I haven't been reading the last few issues but just jumping on here I still enjoyed it. I liked seeing Stargirl rebelling against Amanda Waller's orders and heading into the battle. And my final bit about the story, the ending. The ending is amazing, I really wasn't expecting it, I won't spoil it but I do recommend you pick up the issue as soon as possible before it sells out!

The main reason I decided to pick up this issue was because my favourite artist, Brett Booth, drew this issue. Anybody who reads this blog is aware that I'm a big fan of Brett and I enjoyed his art in this issue a lot. I don't think this is the best work he's done recently, but I'm bearing in mind that he drew this at the same time he was drawing Nightwing, so he'd be working extra to get this done.

One thing I love about the art is the fact that Brett Booth has been put with Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse for inks and colours, Rapmund and Dalhouse have worked on almost every book Brett Booth's pencilled in the New 52 and the three of them make a pretty good art team!

Now onto the back-up by Matt Kindt and Andres Guinaldo. I've never been a big Martian Manhunter fan so I was a bit hesitant about reading a story focused on him but I really enjoyed it. It focuses on J'onn J'onzz' fear of fire which is something I've never really understood before but the creators do a good job of explaining it. I'm looking forward to reading more of it!

Overall, this is an enjoyable and exciting issue with a great cliff-hanger ending. Pick it up before it's too late!

Rating: 8/10

Interview: Robert Venditti on taking over Green Lantern

Recently I caught up with new Green Lantern writer, Robert Venditti, to talk to him about taking over the title, what we can expect from his run and who we can expect to see. The interview is below!

Harry: Now, the topic of this interview is your upcoming run on Green Lantern, how do you feel to be taking over the title after Geoff John's nine year run? Is it a little intimidating or do you see it as a challenge?

Robert Venditti: It's a bit of both. Geoff Johns became synonymous with Green Lantern, and deservedly so. He made Green Lantern a household name. I try not to focus on things like that, though. All I can do is tell

Green Lantern #21

the kinds of stories I know how to tell the way I know how to tell them, and hope readers like them.

Harry: How closely do you work with the writers on the other four Green Lantern related books?

Robert Venditti: I'm co-plotting Green Lantern Corps with Van Jensen, so he and I talk pretty frequently. But then I've known Van for years, so talking through stories with eachother is something we do whether we're co-plotting or not. As for Justin Jordan and Charles Soule, we all get on the phone for conference calls, and I see them at conventions as well. So we have an open line of communication with eachother.

Harry: How much input did you have on the finale of Geoff John's run on the series? Did you get any say over what happened or did you just have to adapt your stories based on Geoff's plans?

Robert Venditti: It wouldn't be appropriate for me to try to inject myself into Geoff's story. He wrote the book on many of these characters- literally- and he more than earned his right to leave on his own terms. I was aware of how he was going to end his run on the series, though, so I knew before I started writing  what I'd need to introduce my plotlines in as seamless a way as possible.

Harry: With Green Lantern being mostly Space-based do you feel like your creativity can really run wild with all of the new species and alien villains you can create?

Robert Venditti: That's one of the really wonderful aspects of the series. I've never written anything this cosmic before, and knowing the entire universe was up for grabs was a big attraction for me. By the end of the first arc, we'll have gone places and seen things that I hope the readers will find exciting.

Harry: What can you tell us about the first big villain of your run, Relic?

Relic design, by Green Lantern artist, Billy Tan.

Robert Venditti: He's a huge threat to the Corps in many ways,  not the least of which is his chosen mission to rid the universe of Lanterns. He's big, he's strong,  and he's very old, and the knowledge he brings will present a challenge to Hal and the corps that they've never faced before.

Harry: With Green Lantern being one of the characters with the most history still left after Flashpoint, what stories do you think new readers will have to know before picking up your run, if any?

Robert Venditti: The run is meant to be a jumping-on point for readers, so I don't think you necessarily will have to read anything to understand the story. but Green Lantern does have a lot of continuity still in tact, and they're great stories. You really can't go wrong reading Geoff Johns' entire run. I'm certainly glad I did.

Harry: We've already seen in a preview that DC Comics posted on their blog we get to see Kyle Rayner, Kilowog and Larfleeze in the first issue of your run, along with Hal Jordan, but what other characters can we expect to see in your run?

Green Lantern #21 preview

Robert Venditti: Wow. That'd be a pretty long list. Some others who'll be appearing in the first few issues are Carol Ferris, John Stewart, Salaak, Voz and Graf Toren. But that's by no means everyone.

Harry: As I mentioned in the previous question, we've already seen stars of three of the four other Green Lantern related books are appearing in the first issue that you're writing. Do you think the books will be closely tied together now or after a few issues will they move away and into their own stories?

Robert Venditti: The intent is to have common threads running through all the books but to have each stand on their own as well. One of the great things about the Green Lantern family of titles is that, while they're all science fiction, each of them stands as it's own subgenre of sci-fi. I've spent a lot of time talking with Van, Justin and Charles, and they have really clear directions of how they'll be playing up the unique aspects of their respective titles.

Harry: Can we expect some new characters to appear?

Robert Venditti: Absolutely. Issue 21 has some new lanterns, as well as the first appearance of two new villains. One is Relic, and the other... readers will have to wait and see.

Harry: With such a vast variety of characters in the Green Lantern universe, do you feel like you

Green Lantern #21 preview

have a good choice for characters to use in stories? 

Robert Venditti: It's an incredibly diverse cast, which does give you a wealth of plotlines and character arcs. But it can also be daunting, because each of the characters has it's own chain of continuity that you have to try and pin down before you write them. Suffice to say, I'm still learning.

Harry: What have you found to be the most enjoyable part of writing this series so far?

Robert Venditti: I could tell you, but not without a significant amount of spoilers. By October we will have made some important status quo changes for the main Green Lantern title, and across some of the other titles as well. All the teams are working really hard to keep readers surprised and entertained.

Robert Venditti's first Green Lantern issue ( #21 ) is released on June 5th.

You can also catch him on his twitter and his website .

James Robinson confirms he's NOT writing Namor

A few days ago James Robinson tweeted and then delete the following:

Following that, many comic sites reported on this and it spread that Robinson could be writing a new Namor book at Marvel, I chose not to report on this because I wasn't really too sure if this was a serious statement or not. Although, let's just keep in mind that James Robinson announced his departure from Earth 2 over Twitter...

Just a few minutes ago James Robinson tweeted:

Hey, and for the record I am not writing Namor.That was a joke between friends meant to be a DM.
— JamesDRobinson (@JamesDRobinson) May 30, 2013

So, it seems Robinson isn't writing Namor after all, although that would make a good series, hopefully one day.

DC Comics release eight new Superman Unchained variants

Today DC Comics have ( through USA Today ) released eight new variant covers for the upcoming Scott Snyder and Jim Lee series, Superman Unchained. Each cover is based on a different era of Superman's history with each by a different artist, and they're all pretty good. Look out for the Mullet of Steel by Dan Jurgens!

Here are the eight covers, which I think I've organised chronologically, the best I could anyway...

1930s Superman by Bruce Timm

Golden age Superman by Dave Johnson

Silver age Superman by Garcia Lopez with Trish Mulvihill

Bronze age Superman by Neil Adams and Alex Sinclair

Superman Reborn by Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund and Alex Sinclair

Modern age Superman by Jerry Ordway with Alex Sinclair

Superman VS Lex Luthor by Lee Bermejo 

New 52 Superman by Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse

That last one's my favourite!

DC Comics release Superman's 75th anniversary logo

Today DC Comics released the official logo for Superman's 75th anniversary. You can expect this to be on pretty much all of the Superman related merchandise from DC, if not, we know it will be on the comic covers at least, similar to the way Marvel used the logo for Spider-Man's 50th.

Here's the logo, a silhouetted version of  Jim Lee's Superman from the double page ads for the New 52 from the start of the relaunch:

 It's also been announced that Zack Snyder will be making a 2 minute animated short about Superman, also involved in the short film are Geoff Johns, Bruce Timm and lots more.

Comics Catch-up: Avenging Spider-Man #21 ( What you need to know )

Welcome to Comics Catch-up! This feature is where I help to get you up to speed for some of the biggest books out this week. This edition, Avenging Spider-Man! Here's what you need to know before reading #21...

Avenging Spider-Man 21

I'm sure you all already know what's going on with Spider-Man's head right now, but just in case, Doctor Octopus is inside Peter Parker/Spider-Man's head. Basically, Doc Ock is now Spider-Man. Ock has been collecting members of the Sinister Six, he currently is holding Sandman and Electro and is now after the Chameleon. There are a few problems here though, since the Chameleon is being held by S.H.I.E.L.D., in their Helicarrier, a mile above the earth. Oh, and the Chameleon is being targeted the KGB and wanted dead. Not too hard to get to him then....

After taking out an A.I.M. cell, Ock is taken aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier by Nick Fury Jr. , where he meets Agent Coulson, Hawkeye and Black Widow who, after Spider-Man's recent "odd" behaviour ( and by odd I mean killing one of his enemies and brutalising many other ), aren't too happy to see him on the helicarrier.

Ock sent his Spider-bots throughout the entire helicarrier and tired to track down what he was looking for, The Chameleon.

Then, everything went wrong. Otto had turned off all of the helicarrier's power ( But kept it in the air ), this allowed a group of armed attackers to board the ship and kill a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. As well as this, the Chameleon escaped from his cell, murdered his guard and stole the face of his doctor. The two attackers attempted to kill Spider-Man while he was overcome with guilt but he managed to escape, while trying to track down the Chameleon, Spider-Man ended up coming into contact with Bruce Banner A.K.A. the not very happy Hulk.

So Spider-Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury Jr., Agent Phil Coulson, Maria Hill and the surviving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are trapped on a powerless helicarrier a mile above the Earth with a group of trained and armed killers coming after them. Oh, and one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies is walking around the helicarrier wearing the face of his murdered doctor. Not much to worry about then...

Avenging Spider-Man #21 is released today, Wednesday the 29th of May, written by Chris Yost with interior pencils by Marco Checchetto.

Batwing coming to All Star Western in June

Did you hear? The star of All-Star Western, the past-based Jonah Hex, is travelling to present day Gotham City! The Civil war veteran turned Bounty Hunter usually based in the past of Gotham City is in the modern version of the city and he'll be running into somebody he doesn't seem too happy to meet...

The cover to All-Star Western #21, image originally from Comic Book Resources.

That's right! Time travelling Jonah Hex will be taking on the new Batwing, Luke fox. the current Batwing series is being written by the same double team who are on All-Star Western, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, they're also the first writers to write this new Batwing.

All-Star Western #21 is released on Wednesday 26th of June, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray with interior art by Moritat.

DC release first look at the first Green Lantern issue post-Johns

DC Comics have posted a preview of Green Lantern #21 on their blog, the first issue of the main series for around nine years to not have writer Geoff Johns involved with it. This issue is written by Robert Venditti ( X-O Manowar ) with pencils by Billy Tan. Here are the unlettered pages that DC put up on their blog.



"For SPARTA!"

I quite like these pages, although we don't learn much about the writing we can see the art's pretty good. My only problem is that Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner don't appear to actually be wearing their rings, which is pretty important for members of their corps.

You can check out DC's original post here.

Preview for Hawkeye 11, "Pizza is my buisness", released.

When I first started reading Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye series ( with Matt Hollingsworth on colours ) I'd already seen endless good reviews and I'd never actually heard of anybody who hadn't liked it. This along with all the scans and pages posted on comic sites convinced me to go and buy my first issue of the series, issue 9. I've now decided to be a regular reader and I'm going back and getting all the issues I've missed. It's one of the best books out there at the moment, seriously, it's a charming and witty series with great writing and amazing art.

Hawkeye #8, Maybe it's the hat? Or the hair?



Cheer up, Pizza Dog.

Now, before I started reading this series one thing really jumped out at me from the articles I'd read on it. Pizza Dog. In case you don't know, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton saved a pizza-loving dog from the tracksuit mafia. Really, A superhero who owns a dog who loves pizza. Take that, Green Arrow!


Anyway, what I'm building to here is, this issue is completely focused on Pizza Dog. A whole 20 page comic focused on Hawkeye's pizza-eating dog who's investigating a murder. Wow. Just...Wow.

Here's a few preview pages ( originally from Comic Book Resources . Head over to their preview for the last page )

 

 

 

Hawkeye #11, "Pizza is my business", by Matt Fraction, David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth is released on June 26th. It's the craziest and greatest idea for a comic ever.

Booster Gold to star in new Ongoing Series... Possibly

Someone seems Happy...

Last night the "Greenest night" celebration took place in Los Angeles to celebrate Geoff John's nine year run on Green Lantern coming to an end. Of course, you'd think this would be all Green Lantern focused, but an interesting piece of news has spun out of it...

According to people at the event DC Comics will be releasing a new Booster Gold series sometime soon!

Considering the time traveller's rather mysterious disappearance at the end of Justice League International there's some big potential for the character there. He also showed up for a few issues of All Star Western along with Jonah Hex ( the star of that book ).

Personally, I've never been a huge Booster Gold fan. In fact, he's sort of a joke between me and my dad, but I'm sure if DC are willing to put him on his own ongoing it should be interesting.

I'm not sure if this technically counts as a rumour, since there's been no official word from DC, so I'm obviously not certain about this.

Review: Teen Titans #20

I wasn't extremely keen on this issue. I didn't hate it, it just didn't seem to be very appealing and wasn't particularly enjoyable.

This issue was basically Trigon explaining His and Raven's entire history, which, even though it was a good origin, I think could've been told better. The characters Trigon was explaining his story to were his sons, who I'm sure would already know the story, right? I think it could've worked better if Raven was explaining to the Teen Titans after last issue's battle as they obviously wouldn't know the story.

Another thing I wasn't keen on was some of Eddy Barrows' art. Particularly the faces. I loved his work on Nightwing but I feel like it's really stepped down on this book, his landscapes and full body or team shots are great but a lot of the faces just look odd.

This series seems to be at quite a dull level every month, and I really hope it steps up for the next arc, about Kid Flash's origin. The only thing really keeping me from dropping this book is my loyalty to the characters, with a lot of my favourites in this series I don't really want to drop it. It's a shame because Teen Titans' first arc was one of my favourite stories in the New 52, but I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much since then.

Rating: 4/10.

(Despite my bad review, the book got a 3 and not a 1 because the colours were good, some of Eddy Barrows' art was good and I like the characters)

Review: The Green Team: Teen Trillionares #1

I have to admit that when DC first announced the Green Team (along with The Movement) I was a little hesitant. DC basically marketed it as one of two books about the politics of the DC Universe, which I don't think was quite a fair description since this book is a lot more interesting than "a book about the politics of the DC Universe" makes it seem.

Art Baltazar and Franco are two fantastic writers who you probably know form books like Tiny Titans or Superman Family Adventures, or maybe their own comics series, Aw Yeah Comics. The majority of their work is for All ages books, which are funny and great, but I wasn't sure if they'd manage to transfer their excellent writing to a mainstream DC book (Rated T for Teen, rather than All ages) but I think it has. They've come up with interesting characters and an intriguing plot, and it's exceeded my expectations.

Another thing that was said about this book, which is pretty obvious from it's title, is that the main characters are really rich teenagers, I could see this as being a little bit tiring and getting old for a whole series but they've managed to build in villains and a very interesting twist for one member of the Green Team, which I don't want to spoil, but trust me, it's great.

Something that I wasn't very excited about for this book was Ig Guara's art, I first saw his work on issues 8 and 9 of Teen Titans and I really disliked his art there. I've realised now that this was just because the colours didn't work with his pencils but I think in this series the whole art team works together perfectly.

One of my favourite things about this issue is that it doesn't have to rely on big guest stars to carry it like so many other books at the moment do. It got by just on the story and art and it feels like it's in it's own little corner of the DC Universe, which I really like.

Overall, this is a fascinating and fun book that's very different from anything else DC's putting out at the moment, definitely worth picking up!

Rating: 10/10

New Full trailer for "The Wolverine" released

Today a new trailer for the upcoming Marvel and Fox film "The Wolverine". The new trailer contains footage not shown in the last trailer and shows major X-Men characters such as Jean Grey and one of Wolverine's enemies, Silver Samurai.

Here's the trailer:

Pretty good, right?

The Wolverine is released on July 26th and stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan. It is directed by James Mangold.

Interview: Brett Booth on leaving Nightwing, JLA and the Future!

This is my second interview with Brett Booth, but this is a little shorter than the first as he was very busy drawing Justice League of America. But, anyway, enjoy!

The cover to Nightwing #21,
Booth's final issue

Harry: Brett, thanks for doing a second interview on this blog, It's nice to have you back on!

Brett Booth: How can you type so much so fast?!?!?!? I'll have to be quick, need to get this page done ASAP!

Harry: Straight to the questions on a recent piece of news, your departure, from your current series, Nightwing.

 

I'll just say that I'm definitely going to miss you on the series, how does it feel for you to be leaving after such a short time?

Brett: Unfinished. Things just didn't aline quite right but that's comics, always changing! I do hope to get another chance at some point.

Harry: Do you think you'll miss the book, considering the whole mythos writer Kyle Higgins is building up for the city of Chicago?

Brett: I don't really know... I haven't had much breathing room to really think lately. I will miss drawing Nightwing, he's one of my favorites!

Harry: One of the most important questions, what did you enjoy most from drawing this series?

Brett: Drawing Nightwing dancing over the city...( and the @$$ shots;P) It's different from say Spiderman, NW has a different kind of grace.

Harry: What can you tell us about your final issue of the series?

Brett: DONUTS!!!! And maybe coffee...

Harry: Onto some questions about a book you'll be drawing in the next two months, Justice League of America.

 

We've talked before about the differences between drawing team books and drawing solo books, but are there any certain types of practice you have to do before returning to a team book?

Brett: No, since it's only been a few months since my last team book, it wasn't hard to switch back into it. It was just a tad difficult because of all the new costumes I'm not used to.... especially Seve Trevors, David went crazy with that one!

Interiors of Nightwing #20
by Booth.

Harry: With such a diverse group of characters, how do you make the individual aspects of each character stand out?

Brett: The stand out more easily BECAUSE they are diverse character wise. Hawkman, is the tough guy. Martian Manhunter the stoic father figure, Catwoman is the naughty badgirl ect. Once you zero in on that they are pretty easy to get ahold of;)

Harry: You've drawn a JLA book before, but with a very different team to the current incarnation, does it feel odd drawing a series with the same name of one you've drawn before but with very different characters?

Brett: Not really, teams change all the time. It's fun to get a chance to draw so much of the DC Universe New and Old!

Harry: What's it like to be working with one of DC's top writers, Geoff Johns?

Brett: I'm a huge fan of his, he world builds so well! He's also incredibly nice and helpful. I would love to do a regular book with him at some point!

Harry: Do you feel like you have more control over characters in a series less mainstream rather than one DC is shining their spotlight on?

Brett: As the artist, my control is limited to the look, but as I'm also one of the designers I can get away with tweeks.. I'm only helping out for a few issues so I'm trying to stick to what's already there or what will be there Trinity War wise;)

JLA interiors by Booth, images
from Comic Book Resources

Harry: Are you aloud to tease anything about your issues of JLA?

Brett: I believe the it's the first appearance of a character and watch the jet in that double page spread;) Also, lots of Catwoman and a Bigfoot!

Harry: After Nightwing and JLA I assume you'll be moving onto another series, presumably for DC Comics again, any clues to what that could be?

Brett: 'll be doing a 5-6 issue arc on another book then I should be hitting a regular series book again... I don't want to ruin the surprise!

Harry: Thanks again, Brett! Nice to get the chance to interview you again! Good luck on your future projects!

Brett: Thanks!!!!!


Brett's final issue of Nightwing comes out on the 12th of June and his two issue run on Justice League of America begins on May 29, starting with #4.

You can follow him on twitter, @Demonpuppy and check out his blog: "Demonpuppy's Wicked Awesome art blog". You can read my first interview with Brett here! 

Brett Booth to leave Nightwing after #21

It was announced today that artist, Brett Booth, would be leaving his current series, Nightwing.

Brett Booth only started pencilling this series last month with #19 and is leaving after his third issue, #21. He'll be filling in for issues #4 and #5 of Justice League of America instead of regular artist, David Finch.

Anyone reading this series will know that Brett Booth has been doing an absolutely stellar job on the art and is an amazing fit for the book and anybody reading this blog will know that I have a pretty solid opinion that he's one of the best artists in comics at the moment. If you want any evidence that he's great for Nightwing, well,  just see the pictures scattered around this post. Yeah.

After his final issue of Nightwing and his two issues of Justice League of America, Booth will be moving onto a new project.

Personally, I'll miss him when he leaves the series, as I did when he left Teen Titans. Actually, I was tempted to name this post "NOOOOOOOOO!" but I don't think that'd be very professional...

I've interviewed Brett Booth on this blog before, if you want to check that out, here it is! http://crimsonsquirecomics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/interview-brett-booth-on-comics.html






 

Full Cinematic trailer released for Batman: Arkham Origins

Today the full cinematic trailer for the new Batman game, Batman: Arkham Origins, was released to the internet. The almost five-minute long trailer is completely made up of Cinematic footage with no gameplay, Personally, I love this trailer and the footage it shows but it would be good to see some gameplay soon, since, let's be honest, the game won't all look like this.

Anyway, enough talk, here's the trailer!

Pretty cool, right? The characters we see in the trailer are ( in order ) Black Mask's henchmen, Batman, Deathstroke, Deadshot (I'm pretty sure) and Black Mask.

This is the first Arkham game not made by Rocksteady studios and their role is replaced by WB Games Montreal, who have done a pretty good job on the cinematics. It's also the first game in the series that allows you to roam the streets of Gotham city, whereas the previous game were set within Arkham  facilities.

It's been said that Kevin Conroy is returning for the game, even though previously he'd claimed he wasn't involved, but Batman doesn't speak in the whole trailer, so I'm not completely sure.

Batman: Arkham Origins is released on the 25th of October this year and if you pre-order now from Amazon you get a playable Deathstroke DLC for every console the game is playable on (except the WiiU) with unique weapons and challenge maps and two costumes for the character.

Review: Supergirl #20

I'm not sure why I haven't been reading Supergirl for a while, I think I just ran out of time with all of the books coming out each month, but I'm very glad that I decided to pick it up today.

This was a really enjoyable issue,  it had a great mix of Humour and action and was a great read. I haven't been reading the last few issues but I didn't feel lost just picking it back up here, and I still enjoyed the story.

The dialogue between Supergirl and Powergirl was really fun to read and I enjoyed Kara's remarks about Powergirl's new outfit. And reading Sanctuary (Kara's automated home) try to be as polite as possible while trying to destroy one of the two Karas was great! I really enjoyed how Micheal Allan Nelson wrote this issue, overall!

Mahmud Asrar's art seems to be getting more enjoyable the more I look at it, I wasn't keen on it in the first few issues of this series but the more I've seen of his work in the book along with the sketches he's posted online have changed how I think about his art, and I think it was really good in this issue.

I only have two problems with this issue, the first, there's a scene in the issue where Powergirl has to fly from the seafloor into the air, this takes up "a mile of the ocean", which is treated as a danger to Supergirl, I'm not sure if it'd have a huge affect on her Kryptonian body, so it didn't seem like a huge threat while reading it. I am not, however, an expert on Kryptonian biology so I don't know if that's a huge problem with the issue.

The second is just that I've never been very keen on Powergirl's original outfit, it's a bit ridiculous sometimes, but I guess that's something editorial requested and there isn't much that the immediate creative team can do about that.

All around, this was an enjoyable and fun issue, and is definitely worth picking up!

Rating: 8/10!

Review: Age of Ultron #8

Cover to Age of Ultron #8

You may remember that my review of the last issue of this series wasn't very positive, I found it a bit dull and was annoyed that they'd just erased most of the story and a lot of the characters I was looking forward to seeing more of in this series. I think this issue was quite a big improvement.

Although you don't get to see the heroes of the old universe again, I do think they did a good job of making you care about the characters in the alternate universe, and I actually enjoyed seeing the changes between the old universe and this one, and it was interesting to see what the Marvel Universe turned out like without Hank Pym, one of the founding avengers and the creaor of Ultron.

Bendis has come up with interesting consequences of Hank Pym dying years ago, including the most of Avengers and X-Men being completely different to their regular counterparts, and the personalities of some so different they feel like completely new characters. He wrote the tension of the heroes of this universe when  they found out that there were alternate versions of Wolverine and Sue Storm really well and seeing the team argue and fight about the alternate heroes was actually quite a good read.

The art in this issue by Brandon Peterson is brilliant, I wasn't keen on the series' art change at first because I loved Bryan Hitch's work on the first issues of the series, but Peterson has done a great job on the issue, and   the page showing (SPOILERS) the Helicarrier crashing into the city below was amazing.

I had two problems with this issue, first off, there was no appearance of Ultron in this issue, which is always a bit disappointing when buying a series called "Age of Ultron", hopefully the character is back in a big way in the final two issues of the series. The second is that I think there was a lot of unused opportunities to show what became of a lot of the other heroes in this universe, such as Spider-Man or Hawkeye, instead it focused on a group of Avengers and X-Men (along with the Thing, Ben Grimm).

Overall, an interesting issue, but I think it could've used the idea of this alternate timeline more to show different characters.

Rating: 7/10

Dan Didio and Ethan Van Sciver's... Bat-Cow?!

Recently DC Comics announced that after the main series ends in July, Batman, Incorporated will get a One-Shot "Special" and today we got some... interesting news on one of the stories in it. Dan Didio and Ethan Van Sciver will be doing a story for the Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham creation, BAT-COW! (Yes, Batcow! Bat Cow!)

You heard me right, Bruce!

Dan Didio, writer of the story and co-publisher of DC Comics posted this on facebook,

"Happy to announce that Ethan Daniel Van Sciver and I will be doing the first Bat Cow solo story in the just announced Batman Incorporated Special coming this August! We plan to milk this for all its worth. :)."

Personally, I think this is great news! Now excuse me while I sit and count down the days to this happening...

(SPOILERS) the beginnings of something unexpected in today's Batman #20?

Spoilers

Something very unexpected happened today's Batman #20 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.

So,Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox are trapped by Clayface in pretty much a rubbish tip for the Batman, Incorporated robot prototypes and are about to be crushed and incinerated. How do they escape with their lives, by using this...

From Batman #20

Yes, this is what seems to be a prototype for the suit used in the Batman Beyond animated series and comics! Not quite what I expected to see today, but it's a great little teaser!

Now, I'm not a huge Batman Beyond fan but even I was excited by this.

Don't forget to pick up Batman #20 written by Scott Snyder with pencils by Greg Capullo and inks by Danny Miki, on shelves today!

Interview: Ryan Stegman talks Superior Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Scarlet Spider and more!

 
Harry: First off, Thanks for doing this interview, Ryan!

I'm going to start off with a few questions about one of the books you used to draw, Scarlet Spider!

How much of a say did you get in what the character was like,  considering Kaine was changed in a big way from his former villain identity?

Scarlet Spider by Ryan Stegman

Ryan Stegman: Hm...Most of that stuff was Yost. I got to re-design the character's costume and I made the decision to maintain his bulk, so to speak. I wanted him to look more intimidating than Peter. I do think I suggested we cut his hair and get rid of the beard so that he was more identifiable to the reader. But I think I may have suggested that and Yost said, "Oh yeah, I already planned on that." We were really on the same wavelength with everything.

Harry: Even though you don't draw the book any more, you're the cover artist on the series. Do you ever enjoy this more than interiors? Considering you still get to draw the character but you don't have to do as much for the deadline.

Ryan Stegman: No! I don't have anything against covers. I enjoy doing a few of those a month. But I'd lose my mind doing just covers. I like to tell stories. And I like to tell stories panel-to-panel. You can tell a story on a cover, sure, but you only get one image and story is generally subordinated to other aspects like design and making it "pop" of the shelves. 

I am currently in a week where I'm just trying to pump out four different covers and it's really tough because I like to think about a cover for a few days before doing it. Just marinate on it while doing other pages. Maybe I'll think about it when I go for a run, or something will come out of nowhere and hit you. But when you have to do a bunch of covers in a row you don't get that time to conceive and it makes it really, really hard.

Harry: Did drawing Kaine give you more experience for drawing web-slingers when it came to drawing Superior Spider-Man?

Ryan Stegman: Absolutely. I mean, I've kind of always drawn web-slingers in my spare time. But yeah, I really got to learn how to sequence action with Spider-characters throughout that book.

Fantastic Four by Stegman

Harry: You also had a run on Fantastic Four before it's renumbering, do you take a different approach to drawing team books than you do solo books?

Ryan Stegman: Yes. It's much harder! I really think about composition when I'm drawing on interior pages. And the more characters you have the more unruly the composition gets. Because there are so many variables that are difficult to control. So the planning stage takes longer. It all takes longer! 

Harry: Do you prefer any aspects of either type of book? For example, drawing backgrounds, there being less to draw in team books.

Ryan Stegman: I think I prefer doing a single character book because I can really connect with one character. The best example that I can give is that when I did my first issue of Amazing Spider-Man, 665, I felt like I connected immediately. I knew exactly what to do with the character. All my focus was on him. 

In Fantastic Four I felt like I really started to get it in my 3rd issue. Because I had all these little scenes with each character and we had to give each one their own emotional weight. So when I finally figured it out, my run on the book was essentially done!

Amazing Spider-Man 665 interiors
by Stegman

Harry: Onto your current project, Superior Spider-Man, which I'm really loving by the way!

This is obviously quite a controversial book, with one of Peter Parker's deadliest villains, Doctor Octopus, taking control of Spider-Man's body and taking on the role. Do you ever find negative comments distracting or unnerving or do you find it easy to carry on making the book and ignore them?

Ryan Stegman: Well, I only really get down when I read negative comments about my side of the book, meaning the art. Because I read the scripts. I read the book. I've read Dan's run on the book. I KNOW, in my mind, that it's a great story. So it's almost like an outsider looking in. I read negative comments about the story and just have a different opinion.

But when it's my art, that is harder for me to be objective about. Because I can't say definitively that what I do is good or great. That's for others to judge. So if somebody hates it I take it into account. Possibly to a fault! 

Harry: Are there any specific changes you make to drawing Spider-Man between Peter Parker and Otto Octavius?

Ryan Stegman: Only in his mannerisms and facial expressions. I draw Ock/Peter exactly as I would Peter just with arched eyebrows or maniacal smiles etc. 

Superior Spider-Man by Stegman

Harry: Do you prefer drawing the Superior costume or Peter Parker's costume?

Ryan Stegman: Both are cool. The Superior costume isn't different enough for me to really have much of an opinion. I will say that we did away with the webbing on the triceps that Parker had and that makes it way easier to draw!

Harry: On this series, there is a team of rotating artists, consisting of you, Guiseppe Camuncolli and Humberto Ramos. Are there ever times when you think "I would've loved to draw that issue" etc.?

Ryan Stegman: Well I'd love to draw every issue! But no, I am a huge fan of both artists and I love seeing how they do their issues. I'm really happy with the issues I got to do.

Harry: How is it decided which artist draws which issue?

Ryan Stegman: That's a question for Wacker! But I think he does a good job with that. He knows what our strengths are.

Harry: The writer of the series, Dan Slott, obviously starts setting up major storylines a long time before they happen. Does he usually tell you the things he's leading up to so you know a long time in advance?

Ryan Stegman: Yes. I'd like to take a journey through Dan's mind someday. It would be fascinating and terrifying. Dan will call me on the phone and just machine gun idea after idea and it's amazing. I could listen to him ramble on about this stuff all day. But yeah, I probably know what the plans are for the next two years or so right now.

Harry: (SPOILERS AHEAD) Now, the most recent issue of the series was #9, this was probably one of the biggest issues in the series and involved Otto Octavius erasing Peter Parker once and for all. Obviously this will have a major impact on the series, how do you think it'll change the tone of the book?

Ryan Stegman: Well, I drew the next issue so I don't want to give too much away. But you can rest assured that Ock is going to spread his wings and really be himself.

Inside the head of Peter Parker and Otto Octavius

Harry: This issue was mostly set inside Peter Parker/Otto Octavius' head. Was it fun to get to draw in such an odd setting?

Ryan Stegman: Oh yeah. It was awesome. I love drawing stuff that isn't real. Anything that will let me be imaginative and go nuts. And that was definitely an issue where I got to do that.

Harry: Will this change the way Otto acts in the series?

                                                                                Ryan Stegman: He will be more Ock-y than ever!

Harry: Onto some questions about a recent piece of news for the book, the return of Spider-Man 2099. Was it fun to draw such a classic character or was it a little bit intimidating?

Spider-Man 2099 convention sketch by Stegman.

Ryan Stegman: Well, if I was going to be intimidated by anything it'd be drawing Amazing Spider-Man. So no, this is just fun! I love his costume. And I just can't wait to get into the story and draw him in action. It's gonna be too much fun.

Harry: What can you tease about his upcoming appearance?

Ryan Stegman: Really, all I can say is that I hope we can bring him back right. I hope that it is so well received that we see a lot more of the character in the coming years.

Harry: One last Superior related question, is there anything you can tease for the series?

Ryan Stegman: No! Haha. Everything is under lock and key!

Harry: And just one general question. If you could draw any character or series from any publisher, who/what would you choose?

Ryan Stegman: My own characters! I love to create. Spider-Man is the gold standard at the big 2 for me. It's what I always wanted. Beyond that, the only thing that's really left is my own characters. In a perfect world I'd somehow alternate between Spider-Man and my own characters!

Harry: Thanks again, Ryan!

Ryan Stegman is one of three rotating artists on Superior Spider-Man, issue #9 is on sale now!

You can also catch him on his twitter page.