Author: Christopher Toia

Take Two Interactive announced recently that the first two packages of episodic content for their upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV would be exclusive to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console. Microsoft will pay a total of $50 million for this privilege.

Take Two plans to release GTA IV this fall for both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3.  With this move Microsoft hopes to attract the legions of GTA fans when they make their next-generation console decision.  The last game in the series, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sold 14 million copies on the Playstation 2 console.

Who knows, maybe this is the kind of thing Microsoft needs to stop the momentum of the Wii.

A book like this comes around and I am forced to wonder whether Image is making books especially for me. Sam Noir Samurai Detective is exactly what it sounds like a story about a hardboiled detective who kills ninja assassins with a katana.

The construction of the world is the most amazing part of Sam Noir. Eric A Anderson and Manny Trembley have a textbook noir cityscape narrowly separated from the rolling plains of classic samurai dramas. The first story in the collection goes seamlessly from fighting ninja in the snow to a small army of samurai clad in business suits on top of a skyscraper. The second story adds pirates and voodoo to the universe. If this isn’t going to sell you on this, I don’t know what will.

Volume One trade collects the original mini-series along with the Ronin Holiday mini-series. I think the original series is a lot stronger, focusing on more established noir and samurai conventions as opposed to the more outside the box second series. Not that I can’t find any of it enjoyable, but the story in the second one felt a little slapped together and devoid of any sort of real climactic battle. To introduce a character that can make zombies and then only make one of them is weak sauce, I was really excited to see Sam and Eddie tear through a ton of zombies but it was not to be.

Image has announced a third Sam Noir mini-series is coming and I await its arrival anxiously. They have a real hit on their hands, a universe capable of effortlessly encompassing a great deal of genre fiction.

Free Comic Book Day started with a bang at Jim Hanley’s Universe in New York City last night – or was it a howl?  Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Marvel Zombies, The Walking Dead) was on hand to launch his new book The Astounding Wolf-Man.  The signing is the first of a series of five appearances across the country this weekend to promote the new book.  “If giving the book away for free doesn’t work, I don’t know what will,” said Kirkman.

Kirkman described his new book as “An action-packed superhero romp.” The crowd that packed the aisles of Jim Hanley’s Universe were certainly eager to pick up the premier issue.  Now that he has a book on zombies and a book on werewolves Kirkman said, “I think I’d like to do mummies.”

With comic book properties especially hot right now Invincible has been optioned by Paramount.  “I’m working on a draft of the screenplay right now.  There’s no casting yet.  No director either,” said Kirkman.  For those with more of a zombie jones Kirkman said, ”There’s interest in a The Walking Dead movie.  My agent is listening to offers all the time.  We’re waiting for the right one to come along.”

We asked him why he thought zombies were so hot these days.  “People like zombie comics when they’re afraid.  The last surge in popularity of zombie comics was at the height of the Cold War.  Now the war on terror has the same atmosphere.  The media is full of fear,” said Kirkman.

As for what’s next, “The Walking Dead and Invincible are both going strong towards issue 50, that’s pretty exciting.  Marvel Zombies 2 is also about to get going,” said Kirkman.