Thought Bubble: Event Fatigue

DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths

The past few years have had comic book fans go through blockbuster after blockbuster event that change things in their respective universes forever. Of course, if I were to detail the big comic book events of the past decade this piece would be about thirty pages long. I’ll forego that and allow you to peruse the various comic book wikis out there. Instead I shall review the pros and cons of the “event” format and offer some suggestions for the publishers and readers going forward.

Pro: Events are cash cows for the publishers. If the publishers do well then the readers do well… isn’t that how capitalism works? Plus they get to sell tie-in merchandise, action figures, clothing and what we’re all really after: jewelry. Am I right?

Con: Price. Publishers can charge more for event books, since they are pitched as “must read” comics.

Pro: Dream Teams. You get to see a popular writer/artist work together on a dream project.

Con: Nightmare Teams. If the event book features an artist or writer who you don’t like, then you’re out of luck. The even may also involve characters you have no interest in as a result. If you do not like the direction they are going with the title or the universe you may be stuck. Slogging through bad stories just for some kind of resolution is not fun.

Pro: Holy Shit Moments. Events are usually pretty traumatic in the scope of things.  This “holy shit moment” can be an incredibly powerful incident that can change the entire dynamic of the story and even the universe.

Con: Holy Shit moments falling flat. Big moments meant to have impact and gravitas end up being pointless or just plain offensive. For instance the Blob eating the Wasp in Marvel’s Ultimatum; Totally unnecessary. Shock for the sake of shock which can ruin a good story.

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DC Comics looks to 2010

New formats, new stories, and the worst kept secret in comics.

The Return of Bruce Wayne

Caveman Batman Concept

At the end of Final Crisis, Bruce Wayne was believed dead. Well…  not so much dead as trapped back in time. The DC heroes all think Bruce Wayne is dead, except for Red Robin aka Tim Drake, but he has abandonment issues. DC has decided to take the Quantum Leap approach (or the Captain America: Reborn approach) and have Batman travel through time, back to the future. That’s right, you will get to see Bruce Wayne dressed as a caveman-Batman, pirate-Batman, pilgrim-Batman, and finally 1940’s classic Bob Kane Batman. I will say I am excited at the idea of seeing the long lost Legends of Batman toy line brought to life in comic form.

Honestly, Bruce Wayne could pop out of a cake in the horrible Teen Titans books and I would be just as entertained. Who’s writing this? Well the same man responsible for “killing” him: Grant Morrison. Art duties fall to Chris Sprouse (Midnighter, Tom Strong) so you know the art style will be dynamic. I’m also very happy  to see that Andy Kubert is on design for the various costumes. Based on the people involved, this could be an interested title.

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Art-O-Bot: Jason Edminston

The Art-O-Bot is back and it’s taking on one artist at a time.  Let’s start up the bot…

Jason Edmiston

Cereal Monsters by Jason Edmiston

We met Jason on the Sunday at FanExpo while we were waiting to interview a notable TV celebrity (rhymes with Lictor Vucas).  Afterwards, he shook our hands and told us we had a great interview.  Later that day while surfing artist alley we stumbled upon his table, which was riddled with fantastic art.  He promptly stood up and declared to his wife, “These were the guys I was telling you about.”  As it turns out, interviewers are very susceptible to flattery.  But this isn’t the reason we interviewed Jason.  We interviewed him because he is a fantastic illustrator, that and he emailed us about being featured on the Art-O-Bot.

Jason has been a commercial illustrator since the mid-90’s.  Creating work for advertising, editorial, packaging and publishing clients around the world.  Edmiston’s style is quite varied, featuring everything from realistic figures to exaggerated caricatures. Jason’s pop culture aesthetic has a heavy influence on his work, from retro styled advertisements and famous movie monsters to modern pulp heroes and comic book characters.

Now on to the goods.  Personally I would love nothing more then a series of commissions from Jason recreating famous comic book covers.

Be sure to check out more of Jason’s work at his official website.

Come back next time when we feature another talented local artist on the ART-O-BOT.

If you want to be featured in the bot email jeff@dorkshelf.com be sure to attach your link and any other facts you want us and the public to know.

Thought Bubble: Meditations on Comics

The Thought Bubble is a place where Jeff shares his random thoughts and observations on comics and the comic book industry.

Zombie Comics

You, Me and Zombie

Is this genre is dead? Pun intended.

The only zombie book I look forward to is The Walking Dead, and its not even really a zombie book. I am hoping that a little book from local talent Agnes Garbowska called You, Me and Zombie gets picked up. Seriously Boom get on this book! A while back Frank Cho did a zombie book that sadly was banned… Due to some zombie on cow love there will be no reprint. Writers are constantly bringing new and exciting ideas to the genre, or barring that Bill Murray cameos.

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Jeff: Back from the Dead

Fear this!

I am not dead. I actually just joined the Sinestro Corps and have been battling the Black Lanterns in a far off sector.

But in all seriousness, to avoid getting into the heavy details and making this post uber-bloggy, I will summarize by saying that my day job has been deliciously kicking my ass. However, the craziness is over and I shall get things back on track. I want to thank Will, Joel, Lucas and Raj for keeping us posted on the upcoming Thor and Green Lantern films and various comic related things.

So with that I’ll recap some things I’ve taken note of these past months I have been away: Read the rest of this entry »

Art-O-Bot: Perkins, Yu, Lee

Welcome to this week’s Art-O-Bot!

Let’s not delay: Spin up the machine!

Alex Perkins

This guy is of my recent convention finds.  Alex drew an incredible Wolverine for me in one of my sketchbooks, I just had to see what else he could do.  My very first commissioned piece was drawn by Alex; it was  a re-creation of a Civil War cover (issue #3 The Return of Thor), and it was absolutely amazing.  While he has yet to do any professional comic work, this graphic designer by day is certainly someone to watch out for.  Commission a piece from Alex and you will not regret it, the results will be fantastic.  Check out Alex Perkins’ Official Site to see more of his work.

Leinil Francis Yu

Here is the thing about today’s modern books: It is very difficult to get them out on time.  Not to point fingers, but the major culprit behind these delays is usually the artist.  Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk is a famous example of such delays, but in this case it was not the fault of the artist, one Leinil Francis Yu. The delay was not surprisingly caused by the very busy writer, Damon Lindelof.  Once scripts arrived, they came to the desk of easily the one of the fastest artists in the business, and the subsequent Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk issues were released fairly quickly.

Now speedy work doesn’t mean that Yu loses quality.  A perfect example of this was the 2008 summer blockbuster Secret Invasion, which saw him take on the art chores for the uber-title.  Prior to Invasion, you name the writer and Yu probably teamed up with them.  His work has also adapted and changed over the years, however he has really hit his stride in the past few years.  No news yet on any of his upcoming projects, but there is always his cover and variant cover art to tide you over in the mean time.  Check out Leinil Francis Yu’s DeviantArt Page for a sampling of his work.

Jim Lee

Seriously, does this man require an introduction?  Founder of Image Comics.  Founder of Wildstorm.  Lead character designer on the upcoming DC Universe Online role-playing game. The incomparable Jim Lee: the quality of work that emerges from this man’s hands is nothing short of remarkable.  The Absolute Editions of Batman: Hush and Superman: For Tomorrow are the best ways to see some his excellent current work on display.  You can of course rummage through the back issues of X-Men or WildC.A.T.s to see how far Lee’s work has come along.  Check out his Jim Lee’s deviantArt Page, where his personal art is frequently updated.  Also be sure to check out the Gelatometti Blog, where Lee and other incredibly talented artists share their thoughts and incredible talent.

That’s it for this week.  If you are an artist or know a talented artist with an upcoming project and would like to be featured, make sure you email me at  jeff@dorkshelf.com.

Art-O-Bot roll out!

Jeff’s Pulls for the Week of August 12

This week is a big week with the launch of Marvel’s Ultimate Comics and of course the second issue of the book I am sure you are all reading; Blackest Night.  If you guys see any books you think I’m missing from my pull list or want to post your own list email me at jeff@dorkshelf.com.  Let us know what you think about the books on this week’s pull list, leave a comment.

Blackest Night #2

Ok, so last issue I stood up and applauded after finishing the book, leaving me with incredibly high hopes for issue #2.  I wish nothing more than to have my mouth on the floor, eager to see what happens on the next page.  It’s still early in the series, so there’s still time to jump on board with this book. Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are back at it and on time.  Heroes are dropping like flies, and long dead characters have risen from the grave! This is the book to read this summer.  Pick this book up.

Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1

Alright, I know I always boast about the simplicity of Marvel’s Ultimate universe.  How you don’t have to worry about 60 plus years of back story and continuity; anyone can jump right in.  Well if you didn’t read any of the Ultimate universe books before, now is the perfect time for you to jump on.

This is a complete relaunch the Ultimate universe, following the events of Ultimatum some of the more known Marvel characters are dead.  New artists are coming on board, and the writers that started the original Ultimate universe are back as well.  This issue teams Brian Michael Bendis with David Lafuente (Runaways) tasked with art duties.  Bendis has yet to take to make a mistake with Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe, if any good can come out of <cite>Ultimatum</cite>, Bendis is the man to do it.

Ultimate Comics: Avengers #1

It goes without saying that Mark Millar wrote of the best Ultimates stories.  Now he’s back; and he brings with him the new-to-Marvel artist Carlos Pacheco (Justice Society of America, Superman/Batman). This has me really excited, as Millar has a chance to make some sense of the mess that was Ultimatum.  Pacheco’s art is fluid and classic, a perfect fit for this relaunch.  Where does this story start?  It’s said to involve Red Skull and a new Avengers team lineup.  This is the first issue, and I want to start off at the beginning.

That’s this weeks pull list.  Email me with your lists at jeff@dorkshelf.com.

Until next week, enjoy!

Art-O-Bot: Klein, Henrichon, Macdonald

Welcome to the Art-O-Bot long weekend edition!  This week I’ll be taking a look at some really talented artists whose work may be flying under your radar.

Andy MacDonald

I first saw Andy MacDonald’s art in the pages of NYC MECH. It was here that I quickly discovered how incredible this man’s talents are.  The structure of the book and the dynamic designs of the characters compelled me to buy every issue.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the comic anthology 24/7 featured even more of MacDonald’s art.  His most recent works have teamed him with the incredible colourist Nick Filardi on Punisher: War Journal #26, and most recently Marvel Comics 70th Anniversary: Miss America.  I assure you that you will not be disappointed when you check out Andy MacDonald’s Blog.  His sketch list at conventions fills up quickly, so line up early.

Niko Henrichon

Pride of Baghdad was the world’s first exposure to this insanely talented Toronto artist.  More recently Marvel has had him creating covers for various projects; my personal favorite is a book by Ivan Brandon featuring Machine Man.  I hope to see more from this guy in the future.  Check Niko Henrichon’s Official Site and if you see him at a con, go pick up some of his original art.

Nic Klein

I will admit I had heard very little of Nic Klein before reading Viking.  He and Ivan Brandon have created not only a uniquely sized book that demands you to pick it up, but also a new genre.  What I do know is that his art is fantastic!  It won’t be too long before he is on a monthly title.  Check out Nic Klein’s Blog and make sure you pick up Viking.

That’s it for this week if you have any artist you would like featured on the Art-O-Bot please email jeff@dorkshelf.com

Until next time.

Jeff’s Pulls for the Week of July 29

Welcome back to the pull list, let’s get down to it!

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 (of 3)

This issue wraps up our introdcution to the big players in the Blackest Night event.  Again, this issue features various artist depicting the various Lanterns of the emotional spectrum. Pick it up to give you some background for Blackest Night, and to complete the panoramic cover when you lay the three issues next to eachother.

Fantastic Four #569

Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch return to make the world’s most unrelatable family a fun and exciting book you actually care to read.  Issue #569 is inching us ever closer to the end of their run on this book.  Tears will flow from my eyes when Millar and Hitch leave Fantastic Four

Justice League Of America #35

I won’t lie to you, this is strictly a collection title.  I’m getting this book for the sake of maintaining continuity in my collection.  I can’t wait for Mark Bagley to come on board JLA and see him draw some of DC’s big guns.

New Avengers #55 (Dark Reign)

Bendis is back with Stuart Immonen on art duty. All the revelations about the new Dr. Voodoo and the team starting a new story arc, makes this an excellent opportunity for new readers to jump into this series.  New Avengers is a book that has not let me down, and I’m happy to collect it.

Rapture #3 (of 6)

The Oeming/Soma duo return with one of the more dynamic books in my collection.  Thankfully this story keeps your eyes moving and your heart strings plucked at just the right moments.  You’re invested in the characters and it’s like you’re right there in the book.  If you dig this book, write to the letter to Dark Horse and let these guys know we need more stuff from Oeming and Soma.

Ultimatum #5 (of 5)

Finally, holy shit… it ends!  This horrible ending to what could have been an excellent story is upon us; and it’s mostly random nonsense.  With practically half the characters dead, Marvel’s Ultimate Universe as we know it is over.  This allows the new creative teams to pick up the scraps of this mess, and hopefully start anew.  The art has been pretty good, but this is certainly not one for the kids.  That’s right, no more Jeff Loeb in the Ultimate Universe after this.

Jeff’s Pulls for the Week of July 23

This week’s pull list is brought to you by the upcoming nerd mecca that is the San Diego Comic Con.  Enjoy the books!

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2 (of 3)

Tales of the Corps is a tie-in book that helps explain the dynamics of the different color spectrum Lantern Corps’.  Various writers and artists worked on this book, and while it’s not a requirement for the Blackest Night event as a whole, it does help you learn more about various characters in the Green Lantern universe.

Dark Wolverine #76 (Dark Reign)

So Wolverine’s son is running amok; in the last issue he picked a fight with Bullseye, now the repercussions of that fight have brought the Fantastic Four into the fold.  Proving that while Wolverine may not be the lead character in this book, they’re certainly keeping things interesting.

Green Lantern #44 (Blackest Night)

Hal Jordan and Barry Allen (The Flash) investigate the coming of the Blackest Night, with help from a long lost friend.  Blackest Night is a Green Lantern event that encompasses the whole DC universe.  Reading the Green Lantern series is a must for people following the events of Blackest Night.

Incredible Hulk #600

I want you to pick up this issue for one reason and one reason only.  This is a book where you see what a truly talented inker can do.  Dexter Vines usually inks Ed McGuinness’ work, the two are icons of the industry and really show off what a creative duo can do.  Dexter has been working with Steve McNiven on Old Man Logan and I’m assuming he was unable to meet the deadline for The Hulk as a result.  So they brought in another inker.  Judging from the six preview pages I’ve seen, Vines’ absence really hurts this book.  Again pick it up to keep as an example of what a talented inker does for their artist.

Power Girl #3

Justin Grey and Jimmy Palmiotti are back and bringing their talents to Power Girl.  This book is fun and dynamic and drawn by the insanely talented Amanda Conner.  I encourage you to pick this up and share it with your friends kids and girlfriends or boyfriends, everyone can enjoy Power Girl’s ridiculous cleavage.

Mouse Guard Vol. 2 – Winter 1152

Back to books for everyone, David Peterson’s brings his epic tale of mice to shelves in this second hardcover volume.  The art is absolutely stunning and the book is new reader friendly.  My wife is looking forward to this book more then I am.  I enjoy picking up a book we can both enjoy. This does however mean I do have to buy two copies, your welcome Mr. Peterson

New Avengers Prem HC Power Vol. 10

With all the books I have bought with the name Bendis on them, I am certain I’ve put at least one of his kids through college.  I love when he writes dynamic team books and I also enjoy the format of a hardcover book.  This means the book can travel, plus you can display the dust jacket as art!  Marvel knows how to get these books out on time and looking fantastic.

Jeff’s Pulls for the Week of July 8

As a collector the last few weeks have been insane, I’ve been overwhelmed with titles recently.  Now you die hard fans are scoffing at my plight, but to be honest, having to read this many books is an overload for my brain, not to mention the financial impact this repeated pull list overload has had.  That’s why weeks such as this are a thankful reprieve.

This week brings me just one book; one amazing book to cap off the DC Comics event The Blackest Night.

The most incredible thing Geoff Johns does is makes you care about a character whom you had little or no concern for in the past.  Who the hell is William Hand? The character who at first appeared to be a joke at first; something to scoff at, is now a force to be reckoned with. Blackest Night is a true gateway event, this is a great jumping on point for those who have up until now not been too keen on the DC Universe.  I got our very own Will enthused about Green Lantern with another Geoff Johns title, Green Lantern: Rebirth, and up until that point he had made fun of Green Lantern to no end.  Now who posts all the Green Lantern stories on the site?  Will.  If Johns can make a fan out of Will, he can do it for you too.

Green Lantern #43 is wonderfully shocking.  It reminds me that books in the DC Universe can still deliver awesome single issue stories.  In these tough economic times we are all trying to pinch pennies, but I almost would have traded my entire run of Venture Bros. on DVD for this book;  It’s that frakking good.

Why should you tell your friends to try this book?  Green Lantern fans, you already know this is going to be great.  DC has been building toward this story for a long time, it’s a company wide crossover event; It’s going to affect the entire DC Universe.  Plus the art is great, and the writing is spectacular.  For those new to the DC Universe, pick up Green Lantern #43, and next week pick up Blackest Night #1.  You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll understand why so many people have been raving about what DC has been doing lately.

GREEN LANTERN #43 (BLACKEST NIGHT)

Art-O-Bot: McNiven, Donovan, Templeton

Welcome back to the one and only Art-O-Bot, the column designed to bring you a taste of what is out there in the world of comic book art.  This week we’re featuring two veterans of the industry and a good friend from South of the border.  Art-O-Bot; transform and roll out!

Steve McNiven

A while back a company called CrossGen was producing a whole slew of talent;  One of those talents was Steve McNiven.  McNiven’s art shot to popularity with Marvel Comics 2006 event Civil War, but his other titles included Fantastic Four and New Avengers.   Most recently McNiven worked on Wolverine: Old Man Logan, a story that takes us to a future where Wolverine is a shell of his former furious self.  Old Man Logan also reunites Steve with fan favorite uber-writer Mark Millar.  The conclusion of this story is coming out in a giant one-shot in the middle of August, I eagerly await Steve’s next project.

In the meantime you can check out Steve’s art at his official blog or head on over to the forums at Jinxworld to see more.

Ty Templeton

It’s the 1990’s, Marvel and DC have just crossed over and they announced a series of books to cash in on the success of the crossover.  Enter Amalgam Comics and the book everyone was waiting for: Dark Claw Adventures, written by Ty Templeton.  Dark Claw combined the characters of Wolverine and Batman, how frakkin’ cool is that? Beyond Dark Claw, Ty’s list of credits as both writer and artist is quite vast.

Templeton is a local Toronto talent and that’s why we’re featuring him on Art-O-Bot, but we must mention his great work at Canada’s own Max the Mutt.  It’s one thing to inspire people by the books you help create, but Ty goes a step further and actually teaches aspiring artists and story tellers how to create in his Comic Illustration and Art course at Max the Mutt; one of the premiere animation and art schools in the world.

Check out Ty Templeton’s Official Site

Derec Donovan

So I picked up a book a few months back, it was called Youngblood.  Now  I know what your thinking… “What the hell is wrong with you Jeff, why would you pick up a Rob Liefeld book?“.  Stop there dear reader, I can assure you that the new guard at Image Comics take what Liefeld started and make it so much better.  Derec is one of the hidden gems of the industry, his style is dynamic and full of energy.  He’s not just one of the guys who achieved the impossible by making Youngblood good, he’s also done work for DC and some incredible independent work.  Grab a commission or sketchbook if you see Derec at a con, they are well worth your hard earned dollars.

Make sure to check out Derec’s Official Site as well as his deviantArt page.

That’s it for this week, we’ll return next time with even more talent to share with the world. Art-O-Bot out!