We kick off the day with a special broadcast filled with news and previews of today’s events at the NY Comic Con. Press the button to plan your day, then check back throughout the weekend for audio and video New York Minutes direct from the con. Then watch The Daily Fix tonight here at ComicMix with full video coverage of Day One!
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In a bit of a strange coincidence, Vertigo has two new collections out this week that both prominently feature futuristic science and genetic manipulation. The books couldn’t be more different, though, with The Un-Men
Let’s look at [[[The Un-Men]]] first, if for no other reason than it being the better of the two books. Writer John Whalen takes the largely forgotten mutated monsters and carves a perfect little niche for them – Aberrance, a town of genetic weirdos.
Without ever becoming self-serious, the story explores the rift that’s formed between those in charge of Aberrance and the lower class of freaks. When one of the protesters turns up dead, a federal agent (an albino, which makes him the normal guy) steps in to investigate. Wackiness ensues.
While the murder mystery never takes on any import, the book sludges along with constant splashes of the bizarre and disgusting, each chapter managing to out-freak the last. It’s spiced with some catchy dialogue, such as, “Rome wasn’t sacked in a day.”
The big conclusion doesn’t make a whole lot of sense and the art is a bit too ordinary for the subject matter, but The Un-Men is still one of the most entertaining and creative new series from last year.
If you can make it there you can make it anywhere…
I hate Los Angeles.
I hate it here. I hate the food with its damn “tofu” slant. I hate the weather, always freaking sunny. I hate the girls (Asians girl exempt) and that ridiculous “Valley Girl” dialect. I hate the car culture, where what you drive defines you. I hate the stupid way they treat “stars” like these people walk on water. Listen, I enjoy Tom Cruise’s movies but unless Tom is writing me a check he and Katie can wait on line just like me at the airport. I hate gangs and would not shed a tear if they killed each other in a massive gang war.
But most of all, I hate the laid-back way they approach things in L.A.
Case in point, last week I had a severe migraine. I mean bad. I get them so bad sometimes that I go blind and my head feels like it will explode. Trust me, my description does not do the pain justice, let me put it this way, the only two times I have ever considered suicide is once when I was in such pain from a migraine and the other is when Bush won his second term. Anyway, I was sitting on my couch talking to Denys Cowan on the phone enjoying some all to brief relief from the pain when I heard my dogs barking from my backyard. I thought little of this as the barking could be from a number of reasons. Then the barking became crazed and I thought maybe there was a squirrel or something in my back yard then Mac (MY PIT BULL BOXER MIX) went ballistic! I asked Denys to hold on, then went outside to see what Mac and Dexter (my golden retriever) were losing their minds over. (more…)
Here are three more graphic novels for readers of varied ages, gathered together for no better reason than because I read them all recently:
Gumby Collected #1
By Bob Burden, Rick Geary, & Steve Oliff
Wildcard Ink, 2007, $12.95
Bob Burden’s connection with Gumby goes back twenty years, to the great [[[Summer Fun Special of 1988]]] (illustrated by Art Adams), and he’s pretty much the dream writer for a modern Gumby comic. (Although Steve Purcell, writer of the equally-great Gumby Winter Fun Special
But the idea that a big media creation – even an old and quirky one like Gumby – would actually end up being written by an oddball outsider like Burden, instead of some safe writer of corporate comics, is…well, it’s as unlikely as any Bob Burden story, which I guess makes it doubly appropriate.
This trade paperback – which has an ISBN and price only on the inside front cover, tucked away like an afterthought, so it may be difficult to track down – collects the first three issues of what is supposed to be an ongoing Gumby series. (It’s been late regularly, though, so it’s anybody’s guess how long it will continue. But this book came out, and that’s more 21st century Gumby comics than I ever would have expected to begin with.)
Yeah, so there’s this comic convention "thing" going on in Manhattan this weekend… or so we’re told.
Here’s where you can find the ComicMix crew throughout the weekend (when we’re not cavorting at the three-day party in our official "ComicMix HQ" conference room, of course):
The weekend kicks off with ComicMix Managing Editor Rick Marshall (who also likes to refer to himself in third-person while writing roundups) engaging in a thoughtful (only if he doesn’t open his mouth) discussion with a cadre of other InterWebs-based comics journalists at Friday’s "Choosing the News: The Changing Face of Online Journalism" panel:
It’s a fact – journalism has changed. With more outlets than ever, more demands from news sources, and comics increasingly covered by the mainstream, how do comics news sites navigate the uncharted waters? Join Matt Brady (Newsarama), Richard George (IGN), Rick Marshall (ComicMix), Brian Heater (Daily Cross Hatch) and others for this engaging discussion, moderated by The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald.
Friday, 2:00 -3:00 PM : Room 1E09
Later that day, ComicMix Editor-in-Chief Mike Gold and columnist Michael Davis will be among the panelists at this year’s "Black Panel – NYCC Style" discussion:
Witness true black power—the power of black content in the entertainment marketplace. This lively panel will look at how black content is influencing entertainment and discuss how to increase its output in the mainstream.
Friday, 7:30-8:30 PM : Room 1E12-13-14
This past week in comics wasn’t anything too special, with DC essentially laying an egg. Luckily a handful of independents rose to the occasion, and Marvel had some strong offerings, including a big surprise for best of the week. On that note…
Book of the Week: Ghost Rider #22
Jason Aaron continues the story of Johnny Blaze searching for answers from the angel who turned him into Ghost Rider, a quest that has led him onto a highway filled with evil, cannibalistic demons. It’s an epic fight, overloaded with crazy elements in the way of Quentin Tarantino (yet less self-obsessed).
In addition to the demons, there are evil gun-toting nurses on motorcycles and a still-living cannibal slowly feasting on a deputy. Aaron slowly pulls all of these elements together, leaving off just as they’re all about to literally collide. Oh, and did I mention it also has the line of the week? "The day I can’t catch a dead horse… is the day I give up and rot."
Lastly, I have to give a ton of credit to Roland Boschi for his art. It’s kinetic and loose in the way of Leinil Yu, though not as busy. Combined with Dan Brown’s colors, it makes for some of the best superhero art on the rack.
Runners Up:
X-Factor #30
In the previous run of this series, one thing David did exceptionally well was crafting great stories without ever bringing in stock villains. Here, he brings in a stock villain but does it in keeping with the series’ tone. Beyond that, the last page is one of the best I’ve ever seen, with an emotional stomach punch that humanizes one of the Purifiers and a true "Hey, May!" cliffhanger.
Fear Agent #20 — The best of a good crop of small-press titles. I’ve always heard this series praised for its goofy sci-fi plots and fun elements, but this issue is one long emotional swan dive that’s surprisingly touching. Rick Remender intertwines his characters’ harsh pasts with their bleak futures to explain their confused ambitions. A very small story in the grand scheme of things, but a very well done one at that.
It happens every few years, just like the Olympics or locusts: People lucky enough to live in democracies hold an election.
Sometimes they’re voting for a President or a Congressman, and sometimes they’re voting for a mayor or dogcatcher. People in comics vote, too, and their choices are often as stupid as ours.
That’s why, with primaries on the horizon and campaigns dominating the headlines, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most notable attempts (successful or otherwise) at obtaining political office in the comics world… in typical ComicMix Six fashion.
*Sigh* If only it were that easy to ret-con a disappointing election in the real world…
6. Myra Fermin, Mayor of Hub City (DC): In the most corrupt city in the DC Universe, Myra ran on a platform promising to clean up the mess. And she won, because there had to be a reason she couldn’t sleep with the Question.
5. Gary "The Smiler" Callahan, President (Vertigo): This mayoral candidate gave Spider Jerusalem a lot to write about in Transmetropolitan. At first, Spider liked him more than his predecessor, "The Beast." And then, Spider learned the truth. Basically, The Smiler was sort of like Rudy Giuliani, but without the combover.
Anybody know anything about this little get-together of a few comic book fans that’s supposed to happen in New York at some point soon?
No? Me neither.
Luckily for you, there are a few people who are paying very close attention (bordering on obsessive, in some cases) to all of the New York Comic Con hub-bubbery. Sure, you can check the official NYCC website, but where’s the fun in that?
If you really want to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous lists of events, Heidi MacDonald over at The Beat is compiling an impressive list of everything that’s anything related to the New York Con. Not only will you be able to stay up-todate with all of the latest NYCC happenings, but you can also witness her descent into madness. Big convention chaos will do that to the best of ’em, I guess.
Once you get tired of watching Heidi’s sanity slip-slide away, check out the YouTube profile of ItsJustsomeRandomGuy, the creator of those "Marvel vs. DC" videos that have managed to meme themselves around the comics scene in recent years. The popular online filmmaker was commissioned to do some NYCC-themed shorts for the show, and has his very own panel on Saturday. (Also, I think he stole my "Thorbuster Iron Man" action figure, as it disappeared a few months back… right about the time he posted <a href=”
Video #3.) I’m watching you, mister.
Finally, keep an eye here on ComicMix tomorrow for a comprehensive list of all the places you’ll be able to find our news team, comics creators and assorted ComicMix roadies throughout the show.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re about to read our special ComicMix report on the Star Trek panel and Q&A at this year’s Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank, CA. If you’d like to know more about the convention, we also have a general roundup of the Sci-Fi Summit and a special report on the James Marsters panel and Q&A session with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor. -RM]
Last Sunday, Sci-Fi Summit attendees were treated to one half of the writing team behind the upcoming Star Trek film and the recent live-action Transformers movie, as writer Roberto Orci kicked off the grand finale of the show. After the writer apologized for the absence of Alex Kurtzman, his associate of 17 years, the fans were treated to a screening of the Star Trek trailer and some photos that Orci took on set.
Orci’s slideshow also failed to reveal any spoilers, with the possible exception of a photo of an inedible-looking craft service table marked “Romulan’s Only,” confirming the appearance of the alien race in the film
Orci also hinted that there are Star Trek references in both of his previous films, The Island and Transformers, and there will be more references in Transformers 2. He also confirmed that the writing team did a polish on the script for Watchmen.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re about to read our special ComicMix report on the James Marsters panel and Q&A session at this year’s Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank, CA. If you’d like to know more about the convention, we also have a general roundup of the Sci-Fi Summit and a special report on the Star Trek panel and Q&A session, featuring "A Tale of Two Spocks." -RM]
Saturday at last weekend’s Sci-Fi Summit featured an appearance by popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor James Marsters (Spike), who also appears as Braniac on the television series Smallville, and is featured in a recurring role on the hit series Torchwood. Marsters will also be playing the role of villain Piccolo in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the anime classic Dragonball.
“From my side, it was kind of a letdown, really. There were a lot of smart people on that show and really good questions being asked by the audience, but I felt like nobody really talked about anything interesting," said Marsters. "We didn’t say anything or bring anything nearly dangerous. I felt like we weren’t trying to prove something anymore, but trying to protect something — and I thought that was total bull. I left the stage thinking, ‘We didn’t get it, we didn’t give it to them. The audience was ready and we weren’t.’”
“She discovers he’s a vampire, is disgusted by it and kicks him out forever,” the actor explained. He went on to explain that later a monster would appear, and thinking that he could win her back by being the hero, Spike hunts the monster. However, once he gets into the fight, the monster grows to six times its original size and Spike runs away in fear. (more…)
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