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06/20/16 @ 10:52 pm EST
Nancy Collins talks Army of Darkness: Furious Road #6, on sale in August from Dynamite. Cover by Gabriel Hardman.  BYRON BREWER: A rough and tumble tale of monsters and monstrosities draws to a close in August, Nancy, and its climax is … everybody kung fu fighting??!NANCY COLLINS: Yes, no tribute to grindhouse cinema of the 1970s is complete without guys in their pajamas kicking the snot out of everybody. BB: OK, we will start off this interview kind of sideways: What inspired this chop-socky ending for Furious Road #6?NC: Furious Road is my love letter to grindhouse cinema of the 1970s and 1980s post-apocalyptic exploitation films. And next to cheesy horror and sleazy biker films, one of the biggest box-office draws were martial arts movies, thanks to the popularity of Bruce Lee. Theaters and drive-ins in the 1970s and early 1980s were awash in hundreds of badly-dubbed, horribly edited, and weirdly compelling kung fu flicks—such as Drunken Master, Five Fingers of Death, Flying Guillotine—which gave action stars like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Maggie Cheung their start. This opened the door for different genres of Hong Kong cinema in this country, such as the Chinese Ghost Story and Mr. Vampire series, Jackie Chan’s kung-fu action-comedies, and ‘artier’ martial arts films such as Wo-Ping Yuen’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Stephen Chow’s post-modern action-comedies Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. And it can be argued that the original Evil Dead was, itself, influenced, in part, by some early HK horror flicks. BB: Wow, cool. … When this latest Army of Darkness limited series started out, you seemed to be more certain of the monsters’ “voices” than Ash’s. Since he is based on a living person from a movie franchise, is the comic book a difficult medium in which to present his quirky (for lack of a better term) dark humor?NC: Having to replicate an existing character and their distinct speech patterns can be daunting, especially one like Ash, whose ‘voice’ is set in stone in the minds of most fans. But once I got him talking, I didn’t really have trouble getting into his groove. I haven’t had a chance to see the new series yet, as I don’t have Starz. So I have no idea if he’s picked up new catch phrases or not over the last 25 years since we last saw him. BB: Speaking of dark humor, with some of the little bits you have done in this tale and previously in Vampirella, you are becoming known for your sense of the absurd. Have you always had that Poe/Vincent Price sense of the macabre about you, or is it something that developed over time writing monsters?NC: It’s fair to say I was a weird kid with a very early taste for the macabre. One of my favorite ‘picture’ books as a young child was a hardback edition of Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons. My grandfather was a huge Boris Karloff fan, and he passed that love of monster movies and ghoulish humor along by giving me a record of Karloff reading Mother Goose. BB: Mother Goose? Karloff?! Hoo-okay, and speaking of Karloff … the Frankenstein Monster has seemingly developed as a character over the course of co-starring in a number of these Dynamite tales. What’s your take on the classic creature?NC: Dynamite’s version of the Frankenstein’s Monster has him being a far more articulate and spiritual creature than most, which is closer to what you find in the original novel. I see ‘Michael’, as this variation is called, as a being who is trying to atone for his past sins by actively working against the forces of evil while trying to find inner peace and a place for himself in a world that, at best, fears him and, at worst, actively tries to destroy him. BB: Elephant in the room: We are reaching the final curtain of this book in August, so I must ask this: Obviously the title “Furious Road” reflects back on the Fast & Furious movies. What was your particular favorite homage to that franchise in this miniseries, and are you an F&F fan?NC: I’ve only seen the first of the Fast and Furious franchise, although I’ve seen clips and segments from some of the others. The first one was okay, but the series itself isn’t my cup of tea. I’ve also seen the original The Fast and the Furious, which was a 1950s film about drag-racing. I am more a fan of the Mad Max series, the original Death Race 2000, and movies like Cannonball! and Eat My Dust. BB: You have had some fantastic covers by Gabriel Hardman and interiors by Kewber Baal. If it had not been these gentlemen, is there another artist with whom you have worked, perhaps on a Dynamite book, you would have liked to seen illustrate Furious Road?NC: Kewber’s been great. But if not him, then probably Patrick Berkenkotter, who was my artist on my Vampirella run. It’s hard to imagine any other art on it but Kewber’s, though.
04/18/24 @ 5:32 pm EST
Paramount and Hasbro’s animated Transformers One is pushing back its release in theaters by one week in order to take advantage of Imax screens and to provide some breathing room from the competition.The film will now open Sept. 20, 2024, instead of Sept. 13. That gives it two weeks of distance from Sony’s Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.Paramount revealed the date change as it launched a new trailer for Transformers One from nowhere other than space — a first for Hollywood, according to the studio. The launch kicked off at 6 a.m. PT with a livestreamed countdown showing the journey into space. After one hour, the craft reached its peak at 125,000 feet above the Earth, revealing the trailer with a custom introduction video from voice stars Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. The star-studded voice cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm. (via THR) Trailer: https://youtu.be/u1rqoa8x7g4 04/18/24 @ 5:33 pm EST
On May 18, the next Marvel Comics crossover epic begins! From Avengers and Moon Knight scribe Jed MacKay and acclaimed X-Men artists Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia comes the bloodiest event in Marvel history--BLOOD HUNT! The saga kicks off when eternal night washes over Earth, and vampires, united by a single vision for the first time in millennia, emerge from the shadows. To keep them at bay, a new world order may need to be put in place… Today, fans can get a peek at the final issue of the main series, on sale in July. In BLOOD HUNT #5, Doctor Strange is presented with a dread bargain to gain a chance to save the world. The Avengers ride into a battle they cannot win. The dead battle the undead across the globe. Will it be enough? Will the world be saved, and how will it be changed if it is? Featuring a dramatic shift for the future of the Marvel Universe! Check out the BLOOD HUNT #5 cover and pick up the debut issue on May 1. 
04/18/24 @ 11:37 am EST
Top Cow is reimagining the hit supernatural thriller series Witchblade. The new series, coming July 2024, will be penned by NYT Best-Selling Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. Together, they will reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s die-hard fans with a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.Marguerite Bennett, who has been focused on writing for the upcoming Butterfly TV Series and Ark: The Animated Series, says, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.” 
In Witchblade #1, New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini's life was forever fractured by her father's murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it? Through last year’s Witchblade Complete Collection Kickstarter, the world received a glimpse of Marc Silvestri’s Witchblade Armor redesign. But, a whole new universe has been created by Giuseppe Cafaro, who states, “The Witchbladeuniverse is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac!”Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”Witchblade #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. The Final Order Cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, June 24th, 2024. 
- Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
- Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
- Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
- Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
- Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
- Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
- Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
- Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W) Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play. ... 04/18/24 @ 11:27 am EST
The bestselling creators behind the three-time Hugo Award nominated, two-time British Fantasy Award winning series Die—Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Immortal X-men) and Stephanie Hans (Secret Wars 1602: Witch Hunter Angela, Black Bolt)—will reteam for their first ever original graphic novel collaboration to be titled, We Called Them Giants. This epic, post-apocalyptic story is scheduled to hit shelves in November from Image Comics. Gillen and Hans first made waves with their breakout hit dark fantasy Die in 2018. Die quickly caught reader attention and the series skyrocketed to the top of the sales charts and launched Hans’ career into superstardom. It went on to appear on many Best of the Year lists, including that of Tor.com, and snagged multiple award nominations and wins. "After we finished Die, we knew we wanted to do something completely different. Rather than a sprawling ongoing, do something smaller, intimate, self-contained and really pure,” said Gillen. “So, in the middle of the covid lockdowns, I was left alone with my cats, staring at them, and them staring at me, and thinking about the miracle of relationships between beings of completely different kinds of intelligences, and the wonder of the jump across that gap. The image of the feral girl in the devastation and the giants came quickly after that, and we were away. People will fall in love and have their hearts broken—the full Hans/Gillen experience. Despite the post-apocalypse setting the story has an almost weird-fable kind of vibe, and ends up basically as a conversation between The Walking Dead and The Iron Giant. Basically, We Called Them Giants is the story of communication across a chasm at the end of the world. Folks have seen what Stephanie does on a month-by-month rush on an ongoing comic. Here, it's a thrill to see her luxuriate—creating this single long story, and being able to shape the whole thing into a poignant, romantic, devastating single canvas." We Called Them Giants follows main character Lori, who wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She’s thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when… They arrive. Hans added: “As an Artist, it is always a joy to work on new challenges, especially when it is with such a great Writer. Kieron wrote an emotional story in which he let me go wild on designs. It’s a new, beautiful end of the world tale, a little bit epic, a bit nostalgic and a bit contemplative. It’s nothing like we did before. In all the best ways.” We Called Them Giants promises readers the poignant, romantic, and devastating story of a young girl who wakes up to find her world has turned upside down. "This book is nothing short of incredible," said Eric Stephenson, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer at Image Comics. "Kieron and Stephanie had already established themselves as one of comics’ premier creative teams, but they’re operating at a whole other level with We Called Them Giants." We Called Them Giants hardcover (ISBN: 978-1534387072) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, October 30 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, November 12. We Called Them Giants will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.     
... 04/18/24 @ 11:20 am EST
Following Krakoa’s fall, it’s a dangerous time to be a mutant in the Marvel Universe. Luckily, Cyclops will step up to lead a formidable new team in Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman’s X-MEN #1. Today, fans can see three new variant covers for the debut issue! In MacKay and Stegman’s X-MEN, mutant business is Cyclops’ business as the first X-Man makes it his mission to keep hope alive for the species—by any means necessary! Cyclops’ group includes some of his most trusted soldiers like Psylocke, Magik, and Beast, the brightest of the next generation including Kid Omega and Temper, along with powerhouses like Magneto and Juggernaut. Raising a flag of defiance at their new base in Alaska, everyone in the world will soon know that if they want to go after mutantkind, they’ll have to go through them first! X-MEN, the first of three flagship titles set in the X-Men’s From the Ashes era, will have new variant covers including a group shot by celebrated X-Men artist Tony Daniel, a character spotlight by J. Scott Campbell that will also be available as a virgin variant cover, and a hidden gem piece by the legendary George Pérez, whose iconic depiction of Beast during his time with the Avengers inspired Stegman’s own take on the character! Check out the covers and preorder X-MEN #1 at your local comic ship today!   
04/17/24 @ 10:24 pm EST
Following blockbuster series launches—ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER, and ULTIMATE X-MEN—the highly anticipated next title in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe arrives this June: ULTIMATES! Directly spinning out of Jonathan Hickman’s foundation for the new Ultimate line, ULTIMATES will be written by Deniz Camp, known for his thought-provoking and socially relevant work on titles like Children of the Vault and 20th Century Men, and drawn by rising superstar Juan Frigeri, known for his acclaimed work on Invincible Iron Man. The series will introduce the all-new super hero team that will usher in the next wave of bold storytelling within the new Ultimate Universe. Months ago, Tony Stark sent Peter Parker a radioactive spider to set him back on the course to become Spider-Man. Since then, Iron Lad (Stark), Captain America, Doom, Thor, and Sif have begun to do the same for other lost heroes, building a network of super-powered heroes hungry for change… Over two years, they must band together to destroy the Maker’s Council and restore freedom and free will to a world ruled from the shadows. Fans can see their opening efforts in the all-new ULTIMATES #1 trailer, featuring never-before-seen artwork from both ULTIMATES #1 and FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2024: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1. "The new Ultimates line is the most exciting super hero comics event in years, and it’s humbling to be a part of it!" Camp shared. “We are reinventing these classic characters and archetypes to be as surprising and vital as when they were first introduced. Our Ultimates is an evolution not just of the Avengers, but of the whole super hero team concept; from the grand and operatic to the small and personal, THE ULTIMATES will feel like no Avengers or Ultimates comic ever before! That's our ambition, anyway; tune in to find out if we succeed.“ In 2002, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s mega influential ULTIMATES series revolutionized the super hero epic, and its impact is still felt today! Now, 20 years later, Camp and Frigeri return the ULTIMATES to greatness with a modern take for a new world and a new generation of readers! The time has come for an ULTIMATE plan of action! Check out the trailer and preorder ULTIMATES #1 at your local comic shop today! 
... 04/17/24 @ 10:18 pm EST
New York Times bestselling writer C.S. Pacat and lauded artist Johanna the Mad return to the high stakes world of Fence with FENCE CHALLENGERS: LONG SHOT, the next chapter in the Fence saga. The Kings Row fencers are fresh off of Halverton Training Camp and ready for State Championships, bringing with them the burden and blessing of a brand-new reputation as the underdog champions. As attraction rises between Nicholas and Seiji, the team will face old training rivals in their first match, but MacRob has a secret strategy that turns the tide… “The State championship begins! Everything the boys of Fence have fought for is on the line. Get ready for some epic showdowns–this is my favorite volume yet!” said bestselling author C.S. Pacat. “Kings Row heads on to a new challenge and they will need a lot more than just skill!” said series artist Johanna the Mad. “I hope readers enjoy diving into this new chapter as much as we do creating it!” FENCE CHALLENGERS: LONG SHOT #1 will be available in comic shops July 24, 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. FENCE CHALLENGERS: LONG SHOT is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning BOOM! Box imprint, home to groundbreaking original series such as Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen, and ND Stevenson; Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote; Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, and Max Sarin; Mamo by Sas Milledge; Save Yourself! by Bones Leopard and Kelly and Nichole Matthews; Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy and Kaitlyn Musto; The Last Witch by Conor McCreery and V.V. Glass; Ghosted in LA by Sina Grace and Siobhan Keenan; The Avant-Guards by Carly Usdin and Noah Hayes; Fence by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad; Goldie Vance by Hope Larson and Brittney Williams; Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle; Getting Dizzy by Shea Fontana and Celia Moscote; and the educational series Seen: True Stories of Marginalized Trailblazers.     
... 04/17/24 @ 3:35 pm EST
Comedy Central has handed a 10-episode order to Golden Axe, a new animated series based on the popular Sega video game. Produced by CBS Studios in association with Sony Pictures Television and Original Film, Golden Axe voice cast is led by Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest), Lisa Gilroy (Jury Duty), Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) and Carl Tart (Grand Crew).Described as a hilarious and loving homage to Sega’s 1989 video game series, Golden Axe, from exec producers Mike McMahon and Joe Chandler, follows veteran warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they once again battle to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder who just won’t seem to stay dead. Fortunately, this time they have the inexperienced and underprepared Hampton Squib on their side.McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Chandler (American Dad!) will co-write the first episode and executive produce the series, with Chandler serving as showrunner. (via Deadline) 04/17/24 @ 3:23 pm EST
This summer, Werewolf By Night embarks on new adventures so violent and bloody, it can only be told in Marvel’s new Red Band format! WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, Jack Russell’s new solo ongoing series, will be written by Jason Loo, writer of the upcoming Werewolf By Night: Blood Hunt one-shot, and drawn by artist Sergio Dávila, known for his bold work on titles like Venom and Thor. Marvel’s premier horror icon will undergo a startling transformation during Blood Hunt that will cause his upcoming battles and hunts to be too graphic for some readers. Labeled with a Parental Advisory and polybagged to keep those weak of heart from experiencing its intensity, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT will mark a new chapter in the character’s 50-year storytelling history as Jack gets his claws, fangs, and fur blood-soaked like never before! FULL MOON RISE – WEREWOLF KILL! Jack Russell has been trying to live a simple life – but in the deadly and dramatic wake of the Blood Hunt, his life is about to be turned upside down in ways he never imagined! With new enemies hoping to extract a (literal) pound of flesh and Jack unsure if he can be trusted around old allies and a lost love, the original WEREWOLF BY NIGHT is in for the fight of his life…and he’s in it alone! “I give Jack Russell a taste of the life he wants before the Blood Hunt event rips it away and leaves blood on his hands,” Loo shared. “His new journey is to find redemption while figuring out his new lycanthropic transformation. No one is safe when the full moon is out. But luckily, Elsa Bloodstone is around to keep him in check.” “Our team is delivering a very metal, monster comic and we’re not holding back,” Loo continued. “I’m both shocked and impressed at myself for conjuring up these gruesome scenes from the dark recesses of my mind, then seeing them come to life with every gory detail thanks to penciler Sergio Dávila and inker JP Mayer, as our editors keep giving us the thumbs up of approval. This is literally our smash room in a Red Band comic.” “This has been a great experience,” Dávila added. “Jason Loo is writing a very wild Werewolf By Night and I’m having a lot of fun with the character. I’ve always enjoyed taking characters to the extreme and Werewolf By Night is someone very much tormented by his inner self, so this is a book full of intense action and lots of blood!” Check out E.M. Gist’s cover and preorder WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #1 at your local comic shop today! 
... 04/17/24 @ 3:18 pm EST
Krakoa may fall, but the world is still mutantkind’s for the taking in NYX! Announced last week, the new series set in the upcoming From the Ashes era will explore how mutants navigate returning to the big city. Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and drawn by Francesco Mortarino, NYX won’t shy away from reflecting the harsh realities of life as a mix of iconic and fan-favorite mutants reenter a world filled with bigotry, mistrust, and misinformation. Without the X-Men’s guidance and Krakoa’s protection, they’ll shut out the noise and overcome the hate by doing what they do best—EVOLVING. But if you can count on anything, it’s that mutants are never all in agreement, and some are having a really hard time letting Krakoa go… Today, fans can see a new assortment of variant covers for the debut issue! Brought to you by acclaimed artists Rogê Antônio, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, and Todd Nauck, the three new pieces spotlight Laura Kinney, AKA Wolverine, who made her comic book debut in the groundbreaking original NYX series as X-23. Throughout the new series, watch her do what she does best as she hunts down violent anti-mutant oppressors in the darkest corners of the city! Check out all three new covers now and preorder NYX #1 at your local comic shop today!   
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