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10/25/15 @ 4:33 am EST
Writer and event architect Gail Simone has done up a commentary for the final issue of the Swords of Sorrow series:
Before I get into the meat of this issue, I just wanted to give some thanks to artist Sergio Davila, who did such an amazing job on this impossible assignment. He had to draw Mars and Shanghai and Mexican pyramids and Dracula and tanks and dinosaurs and dozens of female heroines and he just killed on it. It was a joy, no matter what I asked for, he threw himself into it. This issue, basically has everything but the kitchen sink, it’s an artist’s nightmare and he did such a beautiful job. Artists like this are what you dream of. Thank you, Sergio!
PAGE ONE: Okay, this is probably a little embarrassing, but Jane Porter’s goodbye letter to her husband, Tarzan, might be my favorite bit of writing in the whole series. When I was a kid, I read whatever fantasy novels came my way, and I managed to find a series of E.R.B. stuff, including Tarzan and John Carter, but also obscure stuff like the Mucker. I was wild for it. And I loved the stories that featured Jane and Korak.So that’s the message, if you make yourself enough of a pest, eventually someone asks you to write your childhood favorites.A big, noisy story like this, it’s difficult to get quiet moments. The interplay between the bombast and Jane’s sincere love for her husband moves me, I feel that in my own life when I’m at cons, sometimes. The crowds can be ferocious, love keeps me tranquil.
PAGE TWO: Pantha is one of the characters I would love to have spotlighted more, she’s a very interesting concept. I made it up to her by making her a key figure at a couple key spots in this finale. There weren’t a lot of characters like her when she was created.
PAGE THREE: I wanted my first big crossover that I was steering to end in one of those huge battles. I don’t think people would have blinked if they had been dudes, but it was a bit off-putting for some for us to end with a war with these characters. I get that, but for me, it was something I think we really wanted to see…that kind of mash-up that had never been attempted before with these characters. I love having Jennifer Blood and Irene Adler fighting on the same page.
PAGE FOUR: I didn’t care much for Purgatori when I first read her stories, they didn’t really speak to me and she should have been right up my alley. But I grew to really like her, and was kind of sad she didn’t have a redemption moment.
PAGE SEVEN: Same with the other Chaos ladies, I wasn’t a big fan, but grew to really like them.
PAGE EIGHT: PANTHA vs. BAD KITTY! See, I know, I’m a child. But I like this stuff, I was waiting for this panel since I took on the project.
PAGE ELEVEN: Of all the relationships in the book, the one I wrote with the most friction was Sonja and Dejah. I figured Sonja would hate Dejah’s guts (she doesn’t like royals). But something about them kept making me write how they learned from each other. Dejah sounds downright Hyrkanian here.
PAGE TWELVE: Another thing I had in mind since the start–Sonja and Dejah riding Nazi motorcycles. Comics, it is a fun business, you guys.Also, fun twist here at the bottom of the page.
PAGE THIRTEEN: The Green Hornet and Kato, that’s another series I want to write someday. When I was a kid, I could never figure out why the sidekicks were so much cooler than the mentors. I loved Robin more than Batman, Tonto more than the Ranger, and Kato…well, Kato was just the coolest of them all. This isn’t the Bruce Lee version, it’s Kevin Smith’s, but she was still a load of fun.
PAGE SEVENTEEN: Look. I just love giant superfast Barsoomian dog lizards, all right?
PAGE EIGHTEEN: And Jungle Girl comes back with friends. I love this page. One of the tricky things in plotting this is that the characters are already badasses, they are already veterans. Having Jungle Girl as more inexperienced allowed her to be a P.O.V. character, which Marguerite Bennett helped flesh out in the RED SONJA VS. JUNGLE GIRL mini.
PAGE NINETEEN: Don’t mess with Vampirella.
PAGE TWENTY: About TIME! Bye, Prince! I have read a few people who thought that was my voice coming out of Vampirella’s mouth. Nope. I like blogs. It’s pure Vampi, she’s got little use for people like the Prince.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE: I always wanted it to end with a cocktail party. This is probably the most clear bit of wish fulfillment for me. Wouldn’t you love to have a table at THAT party? Kato, Vampi, Dejah, Sonja, Miss Fury, Irene Adler, Jane Porter…I’d never want to leave.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO: And that’s that…thank you for reading the series!We got wonderful support from readers, critics and retailers, and a project like this was probably unthinkable even fifteen years ago.
I really am grateful we got to do it, and so grateful to the writers (the She-Vengers!) and artists who worked so hard to make it happen.
And a huge thank you to everyone at Dynamite, they threw themselves into this idea with some real courage.
THANK ALL YOU GUYS!
Cover art by Tula Lotay, Emanuela Lupacchino
04/23/24 @ 5:33 pm EST
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Famke Janssen isn't expecting another X-Men rebirth. The Boy Kills World star played the telepathic mutant Jean Grey / Phoenix in five X-Men movies between 2000 and 2014, including cameos in The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Sophie Turner took over the role as young Jean in two prequels, 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019's X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the latter marking the final film in the Fox franchise following Disney's purchase of 21st Century Fox. But — like a phoenix — the X-Verse has slowly risen from the ashes in the MCU. Hugh Jackman will soon return as Logan in Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine. With the just-released trailer revealing multiversal cameos of actors and characters from past X-Men movies, could Janssen's Jean Grey make her first appearance in more than a decade? "I don't know. I mean, I didn't expect to come back after dying as Jean Grey," Janssen told ComicBook ahead of her new movie, the bloody action-thriller Boy Kills World. "I came back as the Phoenix [in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand], and I came back in flashback scenes in The Wolverine, and then in Days of Future Past." Jean's post-X2 returns "were all surprises that I never anticipated," Janssen added. As for yet another unanticipated return in July's Deadpool & Wolverine, she said: "I don't know. I doubt it, but you never know." ... 04/23/24 @ 5:13 pm EST
The trailer for Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut thriller Blink Twice has hit the internet. Written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum, the film stars (Channing Tatum), Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Christian Slater, Kyle MacLachlan and Geena Davis. Producers are Bruce Cohen, Tiffany Persons, Garret Levitz and Kravitz. Tech billionaire Slater King (Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Ackie) at his fundraising gala, and sparks fly. He invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. It’s paradise. Wild nights blend into sun-soaked days and everyone’s having a great time. No one wants this trip to end, but as strange things start to happen, Frida begins to question her reality. There is something wrong with this place. She’ll have to uncover the truth if she wants to make it out of this party alive. (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/aMcmfonGWY4 04/23/24 @ 5:38 pm EST
 BOOM! Studios, together with leading toy and game company Hasbro, today announced the FINAL issue in the eight-year comic book saga… MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: DARKEST HOUR #1. It all ends here! With the Morphin Grid in peril, the people of Earth are left without the Power Rangers to protect them. The ultimate battle against Dark Specter will play out with unexpected consequences, while an unlikely group of rogues, villains, and Rangers make strange company… But even if they win… can they rebuild everything they’ve lost? Fan favorite Rangers writer Melissa Flores (Spider-Gwen: Smash), acclaimed artist Simona Di Gianfelice (Firefly: Return to the Earth That Was), and acclaimed colorist Raúl Angulo, weave together a story that fans have been waiting nearly a decade for… delivering an unforgettable finale that everything has been building to! “After nearly two years, the Darkest Hour comes to a close. This event has been one of the biggest tasks of my career, but I've enjoyed every single, heart-wrenching minute. Although I put our poor Rangers through the ringer, I hope the ending is as satisfying for the reader as it was for me to write it!" said series scribe Melissa Flores. “I’m really excited to tell this incredible adventure together with Melissa. So far she has kept us in suspense and now she's ready to surprise us again! Get ready to dive into this final chapter of Darkest Hour! GO GO!" said veteran Power Rangers artist Simona Di Gianfelice. This epic, oversized issue will feature a main cover by the iconic Taurin Clarke, alongside a new Dark Grid variant by Björn Barends, Helmet variant by Goñi Montes, and a top secret Spoiler variant by Santa Fung, among many others. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 A Main: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 B Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 C Dark Grid Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 D Helmet Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 E Spoiler Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 F Foil Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 G 1:5 INCV: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 H 1:10 INCV: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 I 1:25 INCV: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 J FOC Reveal Variant: TK Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1 K Unlockable Variant: TK MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: DARKEST HOUR #1 will be available in comic shops July 31, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play. Ahead of this milestone issue, fans can pick up the final issue of the main series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #122, a week earlier on July 24, 2024. Additionally, fans can look forward to many exciting POWER RANGERS announcements from BOOM! Studios in the coming months, including exciting plans for San Diego Comic-Con. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: DARKEST HOUR is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzon; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine.    
... 04/23/24 @ 11:12 am EST
Blue Beetle has grown to be a beloved character in the modern DC Universe, with the Jaime Reyes incarnation of the hero starring in a number of comics and his own self-titled movie last year. As DC's new July 2024 solicitations reveal, Jaime's next foray will be into the world of graphic novels. The solicits include the first look and details surrounding This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story, a new standalone graphic novel centered on Jaime. Scheduled to be released on October 1st, This Land Is Our Land: A Blue Beetle Story hails from writer Julio Anta (Home) and Jacoby Salcedo (It's Only Teenage Wasteland). (via ComicBook.com) Per the DC solicit: "Jaime Reyes is an ordinary high school student in El Paso, Texas, with a deep love for his family, culture, and home, and loves nothing more than his neighborhood’s spontaneous gatherings that go late into the night. But lately, he’s begun to realize that he and his border community are being used as pawns in an increasingly toxic immigration debate. The last few months have seen armed troops deployed along the U.S. and Mexico border, manufactured crackdowns at official border crossings, and a mounting resentment among a group of disaffected and reactionary youth. Jaime’s problems get even more complicated when he finds an odd bug-like artifact while stargazing. He starts feeling a little different—like there’s another voice in his head pushing him toward his most base instincts. And to make matters worse, he’s been having surreal dreams that show him that the true threat El Paso faces isn’t “illegal aliens” but actual aliens known as the Reach. In fact, according to his dreams, Jaime is meant to pave the way for the Reach’s impending invasion!" 
... 04/23/24 @ 10:58 am EST
Jennifer Lopez is the savior of the future in the Brad Peyton-directed sci-fi Netflix film, Atlas–and a full trailer has dropped for the film. Written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite, Lopez stars alongside Sterling K. Brown, Simu Liu, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, and Mark Strong. The film follows Atlas Shepherd (Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it. Atlas debuts on Netflix May 24. (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/Jokpt_LJpbw 04/22/24 @ 10:10 pm EST
The Bluey-mania continues.The series’ first special, titled “The Sign,” made its Disney+ debut on April 14. After seven days of viewing, the episode drove 10.4M views globally, according to the streamer.In fact, the company says that’s the largest seven-day premiere audience for any Disney Junior episode — and any episode of Bluey — ever on Disney+.Disney+ rarely releases viewership figures, and this is the first time the streamer has done so for Bluey. However, the company did reveal Monday that it is consistently among the top five series on Disney+ by monthly views. (via Deadline) 04/22/24 @ 10:05 pm EST
Multiple Eisner, Shuster, and Harvey award winning writer/artist Chip Zdarsky (Batman, Newburn) will kick off a new story arc to the Eisner Award winning series Public Domain this July. This new chapter in the beloved comic book series will begin with issue #6 and hit shelves from Image Comics. “Public Domain is the most personal work of mine to date, so I’m incredibly happy to be putting more issues of it out into the world again," said Zdarsky. "I’m writing, drawing, coloring, lettering and desigining every element of the book, so it’s as pure a form of 'Chip Zdarsky' as there can be! Is that a good thing? I’ll let history judge." Zdarsky will also be teaming with fan-favorite artist Rachael Stott (Fantastic Four, Dr. Who) and stellar colorist Eren Angiolini (Justice League: Last Ride) to bring fans the in-universe comic book at the center of the Public Domain—The Domain—this July as well for double the Public Domain impact. In Public Domain #6, Dallas Comics is up and running! But can Syd put aside his feelings and make a Domain comic for a new generation before Jerry Jasper and Singular Comics beat him to it? And who is the mysterious British hunk, Carter Dusk? Nobody knows, but it’s his first appearance, so you better buy this issue and get it graded just in case! Public Domain follows Syd Dallas, the legendary comic book artist responsible for pop culture’s greatest hero: The Domain! But his sons Miles and David have a complicated relationship with both the creation and their creator. Can they come together and create a comic worthy of Syd’s legacy? This thought provoking series shines a light on the all-too-common battle between creators and corporations in a world where the billion-dollar creations dominate the cultural landscape. Public Domain #6 (Lunar Code 0524IM245) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 3. The Domain #1 will be available at comic book shops the following week, on Wednesday, July 10: Cover A by Stott - Lunar Code 0524IM229 Cover B by Angiolini - Lunar Code 0524IM230 Both Public Domain and The Domain will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.     
... 04/22/24 @ 1:05 pm EST
The bickering duo of Marvel are at it again: The trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine dropped today, and finds Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine doing what they do best. “Hi peanut,” Deadpool says to a drowning-his-sorrows Wolverine. “I’m going to need you to come with me right now.” The trailer contains enough quips, fights, insults and R-rated verbiage to satisfy a universe, Marvel or otherwise. It's alll set to the tune of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer.” (via Deadline) Trailer: https://youtu.be/cen0rBKLuYE 04/22/24 @ 12:55 pm EST
 Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products invite fans to pounce into the big new companion comic book series for the smash-hit ThunderCats mythos, as Cheetara rockets into her own title led by the stellar Soo Lee (Carmilla: The First Vampire).
In a historic first for the franchise, the fierce feline warrior famous for her lightning-fast speed is being showcased in a multi-issue story of her own. Writer/artist Soo Lee is joined by rising artist Domenico Carbone on ThunderCats: Cheetara, with the first issue releasing this July!
Before the founding of Third Earth, before the destruction of Thundera, Cheetara was a young woman with secrets. Now, for the first time, these secrets will be revealed. Wrapped in a stifling life of Thunderian nobility, she seeks to find her place in an unsure universe, and to understand why she's experiencing alarming visions of both the ancient past and the near future...
"There are some very cool things about Cheetara that have been overlooked in the original cartoon, things that I really want to make the center of her story," said writer Soo Lee. "She's also iconic and very strong, it makes sense she gets her own series. It's a look into one of the most important supporting characters.
  The new era of ThunderCats comics have been blazing up the charts, with fans hotly anticipating each new issue in the flagship series by Declan Shalvey and Drew Moss. For the new series spotlighting Cheetara, Soo Lee has been following the title and collaborating with Shalvey, alongside some binging of the original show and fandom resources to guide her own tales. All that said, this is a separate series that fans can jump right into and not worry about tight chronology with the preceding ongoing.
Lee also contributes a stunning cover to the series in her style. She's joined by superstar Sozomaika, Lesley "Leirix" Li, Rebeca Puebla, and Edwin Galmon.
No matter how fast Cheetara can run, she can never outrun her own past!    
THUNDERCATS: CHEETARA #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ May 2024 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in July 2024. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more! ... 04/22/24 @ 12:50 pm EST
Dynamite and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products are excited to announce sugar, spice, and everything nice! Three of the most powerful superheroes are back together for new comic stories starting this summer from a team of superstar creators in Kelly Thompson and Paulina Ganucheau!
Professor Utonium added a little extra to that famous recipe, when some Chemical X was thrown into the concoction. And lo, The Powerpuff Girls were born! Since that day, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting evil in all its forms. Their awesome powers and teamwork tirelessly defend their idyllic city from the likes of petty criminals, marauding monsters, and diabolical super-villains alike.
They're sweet, they're petite, and they can't be beat! Eisner Award-winner Kelly Thompson is one of the biggest names in comics and she's the perfect match for this trio of fearless heroes. She is known for DC's critically acclaimed Birds of Prey, acclaimed runs on Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, and contributions to both Spider-Man and X-Men. Thompson has also knocked it out of the park on other franchises from television and animation like Jem and the Holograms and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Taking the reins on artwork, Paulina Ganucheau is acclaimed for her brilliant "Adventures of Young Diana" feature in issues of DC's Wonder Woman. She's also contributed to titles like My Little Pony, Zodiac Starforce, and Rainbow Brite. The duo's shared grasp on superheroics and balancing their storytelling for diverse ages fits the Powerpuff Girls to a tee — topped off only by their passions for the franchise!
"I have to say, I am a very big fan of The Powerpuff Girls," said writer Kelly Thompson. "So much so that when I was young — just out of art school — I even wrote a few short stories and began to storyboard them in hopes I could get a job on the show! So this just feels… exactly right. I was over the moon to get the offer."
Artist Paulina Ganucheau added, "I grew up obsessed with them. Had my own PPG OC and everything. I was on a Powerpuff Girls oekaki board way back in the day where all we did was draw in that style. I remember calling into Cartoon Network for PPG merch giveaways even. So yeah, safe to say: very exciting!"
Editor Nate Cosby added, "I was like, y’know who’d write an unbelievably awesome Powerpuff Girls story? Probably Kelly “Eisner-Freaking-Award-Winner” Thompson. And then I was like, y’know what artist’d blow people’s minds drawing The Powerpuff Girls? Probably Paulina “Eventually-Will-Be-An-Eisner-Winner-Too” Ganucheau. And after seeing what KT/PG have cooked up, I can confirm that my “probably’s” have turned into “definitely’s.""
In talking about the series, Thompson made sure to emphasize that just like the show, this comic is aimed at both younger and older audiences. The comic is aiming to capture a magic mix of heart and fun, with clever self-awareness that makes it rewarding for everyone. While artistically, the show's iconic designs and popping colors translate perfectly to the comics page. Uniquely rare today in comics, stories will be done in one so fans can pick up any issue and enjoy!
Fans can of course look forward to seeing plenty of the titular super-trio, as well as their father Professor Utonium, the Mayor of Townsville, Miss Keane, and iconic villains like Mojo Jojo, HIM, Fuzzy Lumpkins, Sedusa, the Rowdyruff Boys, and perhaps even more as the series goes on!
Ganucheau delivers the lead cover, an eye-catching vision of the girls taking on several of their infamous foes. Thompson's Birds of Prey and Hawkeye collaborator Leonardo Romero contributes a cover. Two more from Karen S. Darboe and Nicoletta Baldari round out the colorful classics on the first issue.
Dynamite has even more surprises in store for this series that fans will not want to miss!
  
POWERPUFF GIRLS #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ May 2024 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in July 2024. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more! ... |
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