Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Every month, I go through Diamond's Previews to figure out what I want. From now until, I will blog about what I see that catches my attention. Keep in mind that most of my comic buying consist of #1s, collected editions (hardcovers or TPBs), or OGN (original graphic novels). I buy #1s to see if it's something that I will get later in a collected edition

This is the Rest of Previews (not Dark Horse, DC, Image, Marvel) Edition.

page 186: Echo #18 (Abstract)
Terry Moore won me over with Strangers in Paradise and he kept the ball rolling with his Marvel books and now with Echo.

page 188: The Black Coat: Or Give Me Death... #3 (Ape)
Writer Ben Lichus is a local, so my local comic book store carries Black Coat. Even if they didn't support it and even if Ben wasn't local, I'd be interested in this Revolutionary War "super" hero tale.

page 202: Fearless Dawn #1 (Asylum)
Fearless Dawn is one of the many features from the Bomb mini series (and now TPB). I've been following Steve Mannion's career for years and still anxiously await everything that he does.

page 228: The Incredibles: City of Incredibles TP (Boom!)
I hate ... hate ... HATE the Boom! collections. They are too small to be regular size, but not small enough to be digest. However, I love the Incredibles and my kids do as well.

page 229: The Mupper Show: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson TP (Boom!)
see the previous comment.

page 241: Buck Rogers #6 (Dynamite)
Dynamite won me over with the #0 issue of this series. I anxiously await the collected edition.

page 246: The Talisman: The Road of Trials #1 (Del Rey)
The Talisman is one of my favorite King books. I'll be checking out this first issue to see if this series will be worth getting in collected format later.

page 255: Bloodrayne: Revenge of the Butcheress (Digital Webbing)
I buy all Digital Webbing books and you should too as some of the best new talent in the industry comes from Digital Webbing.

page 271: Grimjack: The Manx Cat #4
I already own the ComicMix version of this series, but I'll buy it again when IDW collects it so that it matches my other Grimjack trades. I love Tim Truman and I love his work with Ostrander on Grimjack. That's all it takes for me. I think the greatest strength of Grimjack is that Cynosure can be used to tell a story in any genre.

That's it for me and Previews this month. Catch me next month.


Friday, September 11, 2009

Previews Blogging: September Edition (Dark Horse, DC, Image)

Every month, I go through Diamond's Previews to figure out what I want. From now until, I will blog about what I see that catches my attention. Keep in mind that most of my comic buying consist of #1s, collected editions (hardcovers or TPBs), or OGN (original graphic novels). I buy #1s to see if it's something that I will get later in a collected edition

This is the Dark Horse, DC and Image Edition.

DARK HORSE
page 26: Age of Reptiles : The Journey #1 (of 4)
If you are a dinosaur fan, then this comic is a must. Delgado draws dinosaurs like few others. There are 2 other Age of Reptiles collections and I recommend them highly. My only regrets are that 1) they are hard to find and 2) they are not available in hardcover. I would love to see this series collected with the other 2 series into one large hardcover colelction.


page 28: Conan the Cimmerian #16

New Conan. Tim Truman. Nuff said. I'm getting it... in hardcover format.

page 29: The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives Vol 1
I'm a huge Conan mark. You can convince me with very little effort to buy anything Conan and this is no different. This BWS Conan is the format it deserves.

page 37: Hellboy : The Wild Hunt #8 (of 8)
I read all Hellboy series and some of the ancillary series. However, it will be a long time before I get to this series as I'm reading Hellboy in the new hardcover editions. That's fine with me as they are well worth the wait.


DC COMICS

page 72: Batman and Robin #6
Frank Quitely and Morrison sold me on this series, so I'm along for the ride when the entire run is collected.

page 73: Detective Comics #859
Williams has created and absolutely amazing look for Kate Kane, Batwoman and having read the first issue of this new run on Detective, I'm happily waiting for the collected edition.

page 89: Warlord #8
I'm a sucker for sword and sorcery, so I anxiously await the collected edition for this new Warlord series. Add artist Chad Hardin into the mix with writing and art by Mike Grell and this is definitely on my buy list.

page 108: World of Warcraft #25
The Simonsons working together on a sword and sorcery fantasy book. Sign me up.

Page 121: Unwritten #7
Anxiously waiting for the first TPB. I was sold after the first issue.


IMAGE
page 136-141: Image United #1 (of 6)
Anyone who was a fan of early Image is on board for this series. Now, I'm not a fan of all of early Image. I'm not a fan of crossovers, but I'm vaguely interested in this series.

page 151: Chew Vol 1: Taster's Choice TP
Absolutely can not wait to read this. How can you not love a detective that solves crime by eating parts of the victim. It's sick and twisted and so full of potential. Would prefer a hardcover, but will take what I can get.

page 154: The Walking Dead Book 4 HC
I sat down and rewad books 1 and 2 in a book store. I'm very interested in re-reading those as well as 3 and 4, so it's time to start my Walking Dead collection. If you like zombies and aren't reading this, then you should be. This is one of the best titles that Image produces (alongside Invincible).

page 156: Bomb Queen VI #3 (of 4)
Bomb Queen is a guilty pleasure that just doesn't take itself too seriously. In the wrong hands, this book could be very bad, but Jimmie Robinson walks the fine line between farce and self-parody.

page 158: Elephantmen #23
Elephantmen is the best pure sci-fi comics on the shelf. It's beautifully produced with high production and design values. The hardcovers some of the best looking on the shelves.

page 160: Invincible #68

I collect this only in hardcover format, but Invincible is one of the best and most pure fun superhero concepts being published.

page 162: The Mice Templar : Destiny
I'm a sucker even for sword and sorcery featuring mice as the lead characters.

page 163: Savage Dragon #154
This is one of very few comic book that I continue to collect in single format. Savage Dragon is pure fun and it's always great to see Larsen do his thing. After 150+ issues, I still can not predict where Larsen is headed, but I thoroughly enjoy the ride.

page 165: Underground #3 (of 5)
Jeff Parker is an great storyteller when writing and drawing (see his self-published Interman). He's been doing a lot more writing lately (see Agents of Atlas from Marvel) and it's been all very enjoyable. Steve Lieber is one of my favorite artists.

That's it for me and Dark Horse, DC, and Image Previews this month. Catch me on Tuesday with my picks form the rest of Previews.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Previews Blogging: September Edition (Marvel)

Every month, I go through Diamond's Previews to figure out what I want. From now until, I will blog about what I see that catches my attention. Keep in mind that most of my comic buying consist of #1s, collected editions (hardcovers or TPBs), or OGN (original graphic novels). I buy #1s to see if it's something that I will get later in a collected edition

This is the Marvel Edition.

page 5: Captain Reborn #5 (of 5)
Brubaker's run on Cap is on of the very few books that I continued to get in singles. I've switched to the collected editions shortly before issue 600, so I'm patiently waiting to read Reborn after I re-read the entire Brubaker Cap series.

page 8: The Stand: Soul Survivor #2 (of 5)
The Stand is on of my all time favorite Stephen King books. I've already read the first series (in collected form), I'm waiting to read the second series (in collected form), so I'll patiently wait to read this version (in collected form).

page 9: The Marvelous Land of Oz #1 (of 8)
Just finished reading the Wonderful Wizard of Oz hardcover and I anxiously await the hardcover version of this. I'm skipping the first issue as I know that I will be buying this in hardcover format.

page 14: SOLEIL
Sky Doll: Doll's Factory #1 (of 2)

Kookaburra K #1 (of 3)

I love Marvel's Soleil imprint. I read the first Sky Doll series so I don't need anything other than that to sell me on the next series. Kookaburra is Humerto Ramos. Give me Ramos on anything that's not a superhero title and I'm likely to buy it.

page 15: Ultimate Comics Avengers #4
Read the first issue. Loved it. Waiting for the collected edition.

page 17: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man#4
Read the first issue. Loved it. Waiting for the collected edition. Ultimate Spider-Man has been my lone Spider-Man purchase for years and even with this reboot is remains my lone Spider-Man purchase.

page 18: Amazing Spider-Man #611
Remember what I just said. This issue changes that. Deadpool written by Joe Casey in a Spider-Man book drawn by Eric Canete! If this was Spidey all the time, I'd read Amazing more often.

page 31: Fantastic Four #573
I love the concept of the FF, however, I haven't followed the FF since Ringo and Waid. I try a new issue with every new creative team and I've very much looking forward to Hickman's FF. If Alan Davis was the interior artist, I've be sold.

page 34: Incredible Hulk #604 Son of Hulk #17

Skaar and Sakar are the stars of these titles. How can you go wrong with Hulk as Conan the Barbarian?

page 59: Astonishing X-Men #32
The only X-Men title that I follow. I like to think of this as the modern X-Men without all the crossovers.

page 77: Incognito
I enjoy Brubaker and Phillips as a team. Put them on any thing and I'm there.
page 78: Powers #1
I'm starting over with Powers. I haven't followed it since it left Image. If it's as good as I remember, then I will start new when this collection is published.

page 79: Powers Encylcopedia Vol 1
I'm a sucker for this type of stuff and since I'm a lapsed Powers reader it makes since for me to read this.


and now we enter the bread and butter of my Marvel purchases ... the collected editions!
page 88: The Stand : American Nightmares
I simply can't wait to read more of the Stand in comic format. There is no doubt that this will be on my reading list as soon as it arrives.

page 95: Runaways : Homeschooling Premeire HC
I've been sold on the Runaways since I read the very first volume a few months ago. I'm still catching up, but by November I should be ready to read this next volume in the saga.

page 96: Avengers: The Korvac Saga Premeire HC
I've always been a huge Avengers fan and the Korvac Saga is a classic Avengers tale that I've glad to see collected.

That's it for me and Marvel Previews this month. Catch me on Friday with my Dark Horse, DC, and Image picks.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Fantastic Four #306 Commission

FF #306 is the first comic I ever purchased. I've looked for the cover or even an interior page of the original art for years. Thus far, I've only found one page and it is owned by someone on the same quest as I am.

Finally, I resolved just to recreate the cover.

I contacted Drew Moss to work on this commission. I wanted him to give me his interpretation of the cover. The idea is to do a complete recreation of the cover with Drew doing pencils, Stacie Ponder on inks, and me doing lettering and colors.



Here you see Drew layouts for the cover. He's changed all the poses to make them more close-up and more dramatic. I'm really digging Diablo's pose.

However, there are some minor changes that were made in the pencils.


Before we get to the pencils let's take a look at the head shots for the corner box. Drew pencilled the heads for the corner box on a separate sheet of paper. These are actually quite small (The Thing's head is about 1 in x 1 in).

I will be digitally inking these. Drew's knowledge of the FF shows here with Reed smoking a pipe. No Marvel character smokes at all any more, but Reed did at one point.



Here are the finished pencils by Drew. The only real change is Sue engulfed in flames replaces the golden transmuted Crystal.

I'm not sure why the original cover used Crystal rather than Sue. In the story, Crystal is taken out first (after signaling for the FF) and first battle although 1 panel longer than Sue's is less visual.

Far be it from me to question the great Buscema, but for this recreation, we went for the classic four members of the FF.

Now that I've scanned all the images, I can get to work on laying out the cover and mailing Stacie the pencils to ink.


Stay tuned for more at a later date.