Comic Books

Yet another batch of Cuentos de Abuelito covers have materialized on the interwebs, including some of the oldest issues ever produced and most of which we're seeing on Crom for the first time! These covers come to us courtesy of a recent eBay listing by seller Mexmorabilia but they've already been scooped up...$900 US for the lot!And I quote: "19 issues of this very rare and hard to find mexican Conan series published from November 13 1952 to August 13 1953"...While I'm at it, here's some new La Reina de la Costa Negra cover scans as well, several of which are also making their first appearance on Crom! These particular covers were recent additions over on El Baul del Comic! Thanks El Baul!Once again, "Cuentos" was published by Corporacion Editorial Mexicana S.A (CEMSA) in 1952-53, "La Reina" by Editiones Mexicanas Asocidas (EMA) in 1958-59, and then again by JOMA in 1965-66. Related material can be found in a number of places around here for those interested!And here's some other little tidbits of interest, a random smattering of other "La Reina" material that I've come across of late that also hasn't been seen around here before... For good measure I leave you with this, A Cuentos/La Reina group shot courtesy of one Mikus and posted by Terry Allen over at the REH Comics yahoo group. Unfortunately this is as big as it gets, but it provides evidence that there's a lot more blond Conan to be seen!

Heroes are always 'on call,' right? We ask Kyle Higgins, James Tynion IV, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Layman, Jim McCann, Chris Burnham, Franco and Art Baltazar.

Tweet When the MoCCA Awards of Excellence were announced, an art exhibit of the winners was promised, and the opening is tonight. The winners turn out to have been pretty excellent, so I suspect this will be a fine showing. The Society of Illustrators is excited to announce the inaugural MoCCA Arts Festival Awards of Excellence.  This awards recognizes the most outstanding work on view at the festival.   This year’s winners are Kim Ku (Ghost Hotel), Andrea Tsurumi (Andrew Jackson Throws a Punch), Jane Mai (Sunday in the Park with Boys), Gregory Benton (B+F), Kenan Rubenstein (Last Train to Old Town), Nick Offerman, and Honorable Mention to Simon Arizpe (OHaBEAR).  Artists winning this award will have their work exhibited in the second floor MoCCA gallery at the Society of Illustrators from May 21 – July 6, 2013.  A Happy Hour and Opening Reception will take place on May 22nd from 6-10pm at the Society of Illustrators.    This year’s judges included Karen Berger, Gary Groth, Nora Krug, David Mazzucchelli, and Paul Pope.  All materials chosen in the jury’s initial survey will be acquired by Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library for a newly-established MoCCA Arts Festival collection, to be expanded annually. The Society of Illustrators is located at 128 East 63rd Street. #call_to_action h4{padding:0px 5px;} #social-essentials {margin: 0 0 10px 0;}

Posted On Today at 11:46:10 pm EDT by Nose Norton [Reply] [Quote] [New] No one ever lives happily ever after in superhero comics. Has anything crazy happened to Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts in the last 20 years? They're the only people I can think of who went on to better things when they went into limbo.

A month or so ago, Apple demanded that French comics distributor Izneo, backed by the major French comic publishing houses, remove over a thousand titles over content issues. Shortly afterwards, Brian K Vaughn stated the same had happened over Saga. It wasn’t true it seems, it was ComiXology trying to abide by Apple;’s guidelines. Saga was restored to the service, as were other titles such as Black Kiss II, Sex and Herogasm. Today, ComiXology have announced that 56 titles have been withdrawn from the ComiXology app on iOS devices in accordance with Apple guidelines. Including some that had recent been re-approved. They include manga titles such as Again Tomorrow, Image books such as Black Kiss II, Sex, Omaha The Cat Dancer, Angry Youth Comix, The Story Of O and The Boys: Herogasm. Saga, specifically the issue featuring ejaculating multiple penises in a small frame or two, is not included in the list. ComiXology make it easy for readers to order them off their website however instead – which can then be synched to someone’s iOS device. Which may mean a few more steps, but it does also mean that Apple don;t get their cut – and ComiXology and the publisher get a bigger one. And Black Kiss II, Sex And Herogasm Are Gone From ComiXology On iOS Again. But Saga Stays…

The GoodLooks like we have a mystery on our hands. We caught a glimpse at the new Reverse Flash last issue. For some reason he's killing those touched by the Speed Force. From the little we see, it opens up the door for major problems for the Flash. Barry Allen is trying to get his life back in order after being presumed dead for a while. Even with all his speed, he might not be prepared for what he finds.Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul are reunited as the writers and art team on the book. As the story unfolds, you're going to want to pay close attention to every detail on each page. The two writers have been cryptic in interviews about the motives of this new Reverse Flash and it's a great feeling being able to read a comic and not being sure what's going to happen. Too often these days, the big stories get spoiled intentionally or unintentionally. It's not just about the Flash and the new threat in town. We're seeing more on the relationship between Barry and Patty but what about Iris? Whenever she shows up you can't help but feel the awkwardness. Manapul and Buccellato know how the unwind the story elements. There's a great variety in the pacing and seeing Barry actually slow down for certain things gives the book a unique feeling. Even the smallest appearances by other characters adds to the overall feel of the book in it not just being about Barry.Manapul's art combined with Buccellato's colors was missed the last couple issues. Seeing it all is like seeing an old friend. It hasn't been that long but the whole package of art, color and writing is what makes this book stand out from the others.We get some great set up in the first part of this new arc. It's clear that soe big things are coming.The BadIt's issues like this that make you long for the days when issues contained an extra couple pages. While this is a book about a speedster and even though Barry does do some things at normal speed, it almost feels like some minor things had to be sped up a little, like Barry finding out what the nature of Albert's device was.Gomez and Flash's interaction seemed a tad extreme. It's understandable why Gomez would react that way but having a conversation while fighting just felt a little weird.The VerdictWho is the Reverse Flash? What the heck does he want and why is he killing those touched by the Speed Force? That's the big question and you'll be glued to the pages as you try to figure out what he's all about. Buccellato and Manapul are back together after two issues and seeing the art, colors and writing reminds you why this is such a refreshing series. There is plenty that happens here but it feels a tiny bit short on action as it sets up the beginning of a new arc in a big way. With the new character and the tease at the end of this issue, it's going to be a long wait until next month's issue.

When the movie Constantine came out, I caught a lot of flak from my friends because I liked it. It wasn’t a great movie (or maybe not even good), but entertaining, and more importantly, it was a point of accessibility for the character of John Constantine. The Hellblazer comics were always a little too convoluted and back-issue heavy for readers to be able to jump into it. This is a shame, as its protagonist and world are very interesting. DC has even attempted to bring ol’ John into the fold in the New 52. The reason I bring this all up is because Ten Grand #1 takes the familiar theme, and character archetype, and makes it very accessible, and presents the finished product in a very attractive package. If Joe Fitzgerald had a favorite drink, it would be a “Constantini.”  J. Michael Straczynski’s story feels like the occult updated for the current generation. In this wonderful mixture of the Amazing artwork mystics and modern technology, smartphones are used as mediums for spirits, firewalls keep the monsters out, and the undead have their own search engine. The tradition story of loss and redemption feels unique thanks to the setting, and you have to see the art in this thing to believe it. Ben Templesmith’s artwork is deceptively complex, and viewing it as abstract (as I did for the first couple of pages) is a mistake. One a first view, the reader can think that the art is stylistically haphazard. Lines shift in thickness and length; proportions warp from panel to panel. Looking closer though, the reader begins to see the mastery Templesmith uses in building the characters and world on the page. He is selective of the details he highlights, making sure each line is worthy of being marked. If a line in on the page, look at it closely because it has to be there. It really is a beautiful book, and you owe it to yourself to go through it at least once and just focus on each panel as its own piece of art. It might not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw. Beyond the overall story being set up within Ten Grand #1’s pages, and the amazing artwork, the actual issue itself is damn near perfect for a “first of.” The world the story takes place in is fleshed-out nicely for the reader, and enough detail is given about it so that the suspension of belief isn’t a problem. There is ample characterization of the main character Joe Fitzgerald, and by the end the motivations are clear. An interesting antagonist is revealed, along with some back-story, and the end is not a cliffhanger that makes it difficult to wait for the next issue, but one that makes the waiting feel good in your soul, as you grasp from details not yet given.  The first issue of Ten Grand reads like a “How-To” for kicking off a new series. Some of the themes and characters will seem a bit familiar, but that isn’t a bad thing. They are quickly built upon so that the scaffolding doesn’t show. If I had to recommend one issue of one new series to pick up, it’s this one. Do yourself a favor and jump on board this thing while it’s still on the shelves. Ebay prices are way too high on excellent first issues to try and get this sucker later.

The GoodWe've seen Ben Grimm given a once-a-year cure from being the Thing. It's once again time for his transformation and it's Ben's wish to return to a certain point in the past to visit Yancy Street. Seeing his adventure and the reason for his visit is fascinating to see as it unfolds.It's not often we get to see Ben in his human form and it is a glorious site. He is more than just a hero made of rocks. Of course the fact that he's in Yancy Street's past is a kick as well.While this is happening, we start to see the seeds being planted for the team's next visit which might change what we know about a certain character, in a big way.As a fan of Mark Bagley, it's always great to see what he does each issue. Seeing his version of Yancy Street in the past is pretty cool. You have to love his rendition of Ben Grimm as well. The BadThe story was enjoyable but just seemed to be lacking a little something. Ben has a reason in mind for visiting the past. You have to assume he didn't make it clear to Reed and the others what his actual intentions were. It does say something about Ben in the way things turned out. It just felt like his once-a-year transformation happened too quickly and didn't even last an entire issue.It might be nitpicking but the fact that a year has passed in comics since Ben's last transformation is a little unsettling. Yes it's been a while (in our time) but the passing of time in comics, even at a slower pace, shouldn't be addressed. Comic characters remain ageless in a sense due to this and it allows for more stories. Maybe it's time to allow characters like Franklin and Valeria to age another year but looking at the big picture, it's not something I really want to think about.The VerdictThe idea of the Thing returning to human form once a year is a neat idea. Unfortunately that time feels as if it's come too quickly and passes by even quicker. The action in this story passed by way too fast and it feels like it was just setting things up for the possible big implications hinted at for the next issue. Ben Grimm in Yancy Street was cool but with his 'mission' changing, it just felt like an average story instead of being allowed to have story elements fleshed out. I just wanted more from the issue. But we do have a pretty big twist possibly coming next issue.

Bleeding Cool has been running a number of stories of people walking from DC Comics citing editorial interference over the past few months. But this is something different. Pete Woods writes on Facebook (and then emailed to me several times when I checked my mail when I got to Phoenix); I was kinda reserved about this last week and mentioned it in a thread, but this is more of an official thing. I’m currently halfway through drawing issue 6 of VIBE which will be my final issue. The next major project I do will not be a DC project. With all the sensationalism that goes on these days I feel I should make several things clear. First- I LOVE working on VIBE and hate to leave it. It’s a fantastic book and exactly what fans always say they want. Sterling Gates is doing a kick-ass job and there’s plenty more fun in the future of the character. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE- if you haven’t tried VIBE then give it a shot. It’s fantastic. Even without me drawing it Second- DC Editorial is not a pack of megalomaniacal egotists out to dictate their sexist, violent, high-collared view of what the DCU should be. They are in fact a group of dedicated professionals working hard to bring you the freshest, most exciting comics they possibly can. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with these people and I hope that I can again in the future. They have been my family and I love them. Third- I am leaving VIBE of my own volition. No big, mean editor fired me. They didn’t ignore my service of over a decade because they’re heartless and cruel. DC has been good to me and committed to keeping me employed. They are good people. I am leaving VIBE because I was presented with an opportunity from another publisher to help launch a property that I have loved since I was a kid. It was an opportunity that presents itself once or twice in a lifetime and I simply could not turn it down. I am sorry to those who might feel let down by me leaving VIBE. As I said it was not an easy decision to make. Brian Cunningham is a great editor and I’m sure whoever he gets to take my place will make you a happy camper. If you stuck through all that then thank you. I hate seeing all the bashing DC Vibe #7 was solicited with the following; JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA’S VIBE #7 Written by STERLING GATES Art by PETE WOODS and SEAN PARSONS Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND On sale AUGUST 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T Afraid that A.R.G.U.S. has been lying to him, Vibe goes on the run! But he doesn’t get very far before a new villain with ties to his past threatens to turn his future upside down! In other mismatches of credits, it seems that the solicited creative team of Geoff Johns, Paul Pelletier and Sean Parson was on the cover of today’s Aquaman rather than the replacement team of John Ostrander, Manuel Garcia and Sandra Hope… Pete Woods Leaves The Justice League’s Vibe After Issue Six – But He Wants You To Know It’s Nothing To Do With DC Comics, Who Are Great

Must. Not. Giggle.These are a bit like Cheese Zombies. I wouldn't mind giving this a try.XKCD's "Time" cartoon is still going.Wouldn't it be nice if this panned out? But we've dreamed of cheap, environmentally safe fuel forever. I don't see it happening.I love history. How filing was done in the seventeenth century.Oooh, the One Ring actually exists!Around the Corner, a nine and a half minute video that explains how differential gears work.Carole Ann Ford looks back at Doctor Who.Shedding Light on the Black Death... a re-examination of the plague that killed millions based on a new graveyard discovery.Now that it's well past, I find it easier to read this first-person account of the Boston Marathon bombing.