Tag Archives: bill morrison

Review: Dead Vengeance #1

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dv1It’s 1940, and a phony body on exhibit in a carnival sideshow suddenly springs to life and shambles away. Not so phony after all, he is John Doe, radio commentator and archenemy of Detroit’s notorious Purple Gang! But why did he disappear in 1930, and why did the mayor, the mob, and the cops all want him dead?

The story of Dead Vengeance is positioned almost as a murder mystery, with the newly awakened John Doe trying to find out how he ended up as a dead body in a carnival side show, and why; who was he before he “died,” and what nefarious scheme could have taken him away from his previous life. Further more, what does he do now he’s awake, and no longer dead?

Dead Vengeance is, apparently, ideal for fans of The Goon, but as I have never read that comic series I can’t truthfully tell you whether that’s true. What I can tell you, though, is that Dead Vengeance #1 is awesome.

Bill Morrison handles both the writing and penciling here, and is joined by Keith Champagne and Carlos Badilla who provide inks and colours respectively. As a creative team they work together very well, giving us a comic that’s very easy on the eyes as you read it. The art style feels like an updated version of a crime comic produced in the late 40’s to early 50’s, but with enough of a modern flavour to feel fresh and exciting to today’s audiences. 

Dead Vengeance #1 isn’t exactly laugh out loud funny, but that being said there were several moments where I found myself chortling at a panel, smirking at a conversation held between characters or having a smile at something fairly simple as I read trough this issue; despite the dark subject matter this Dead Vengeance is a surprisingly fun comic, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are some scenes during this comic where it feels very much as if Bill Morrison is poking fun at established tropes, and what would usually be seen as a deus ex machina type coincidence can and should be laughed at in many ways because of how the characters react to those situations. It’s a nice tongue in cheek take on what could easily have been enough to turn some readers away from the comic.

Dead Vengeance may not sound like it’ll be up your alley, and maybe it isn’t but if nothing else you should still flick through the pages when you go to your comics retailer; who knows, maybe you’ll be intrigued. This concept – that of a (possible) murder victim solving their own murder – is one that may not be entirely original, it is presented here with a fresh take and enough humour to make it worth adding to your pull list. 

Story: Bill Morrison Art: Bill Morrison, Keith Champagne, Carlos Badilla
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Mars Attacks #1 Sells Out in a Big Way!

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[Mars Attacks The Holidays Cover]IDW Publishing has announced that Mars Attacks #1 has sold out of its “substantial” first printing.  The first issue is by John Layman and John McCrea. The first issue was pretty ambitious sporting 56 covers and a deluxe box set had a 57th cover.  That’s nearly 55,000 issues gone. IDW says there’s likely less than 1,000 copies of the “classic card cover” floating about.

IDW is taking the opportunity to announce Mars Attacks The Holidays. Coming out in October, this new one-shot is being created as a unique, off-the-wall take on Mars Attacks and will see Topps’ vicious Martian invaders reigning chaos upon beloved holiday icons the world over. The comic features four stories by Dean Haspiel, Fred Hembeck, Ian Boothby, and Bill Morrison, and is 48 full-color pages.

Mars Attacks #1 is a full-color, 32-page comic that is in stores now. Diamond order code: APR120315 and Mars Attacks The Holidays is a full-color, 48-page comic that will be in stores October 24, 2012.

Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 Coming in March!

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Official Press Release

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES Vol. 2 #1 Coming in March!

IDW to release second all-new anthology of Dave Stevens’ beloved character

[Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 Cover]San Diego, CA (January 24, 2012) – The second all-new, all-fantastic Rocketeer Adventures series launches into stores in March! Each extra-long issue—boasting 25 pages of story and art— will feature covers by Darwyn Cooke and Dave Stevens. The first issue’s line-up includes Peter David, Marc Guggenheim, Sandy Plunkett, Stan Sakai, and Bill Sienkiewicz, with Arthur Adams supplying a pin-up.

“The Rocketeer takes us back to another time,” said series editor Scott Dunbier, “one stuffed to the brim with heroism and thrilling adventures. Some might call these stories old-fashioned—and what’s wrong with that?”

Other contributors to the series include Kyle Baker, J. Scott Campbell, Eric Canete, Paul Dini, Michael Golden, Dave Johnson, David Lapham, John Paul Leon, Bill Morrison, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Tom Taylor, Matt Wagner, Colin Wilson, and more. Rocketeer Adventures is in the current issue of Diamond Previews.

As with the first series, a portion of the profits from Rocketeer Adventures will be donated to the Hairy Cell Leukemia research. Dave Stevens, the creator of The Rocketeer, died of the disease in 2008 at the age of 52.

ROCKETEER ADVENTURES VOL. 2 #1 ($3.99, 32 pages; full color) will be available in March 2012. Diamond order code: JAN12 0408.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to sign up for updates and learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

The Infestation Spreads Again

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Official Press Release

The Infestation Spreads Again

Epic crossover event returns with bigger threats, more franchises

IDW’s second ground-breaking multi-title event kicks off in January 2012

[Infestation 2 Cover]San Diego, CA (October 12, 2011) – IDW’s ground-breaking, multi-universe event returns in January with INFESTATION 2. As with the blockbuster original, this epic invasion will spread throughout the IDW-verse and into many fan-favorite titles. With INFESTATION 2, tentacled Lovecraftian “Old Ones” reach across time and space and threaten to destroy everyone everywhere and everywhen.

“Last year, we were just figuring out how to do a monstrous event for the first time,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. “This year, we’re going to build on the monstrous part, both in terms of story, titles affected and the threat itself. So people can expect a bigger event here, with lots of legs. Well, tentacles, anyway. We’ve got great creators and a very exciting plan to give people more of what they liked the first time, with some crazy twists and new properties affected, too.”

Coming in January, the kick off issue, INFESTATION 2 #1, will be written by best-selling novelist and comic-book writer Duane Swierczynski and feature art by INFESTATION/INFESTATION: OUTBREAK artist David Messina. This gripping issue sets the stage for Lovecraft’s “Old Ones” to break through time and space and invade many titles, including TRANSFORMERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and a special fifth-week one-shot, INFESTATION: TEAM-UP, featuring Bat Boy and GROOM LAKE’s grey alien Archibald in February. Then in March, the Infestation spreads even further, infecting TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and G.I. JOE. In April, vampires battle zombies in 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: INFESTATION, followed by the stunning closing issue, INFESTATION 2 #2.

Joining Swierczynski and Messina on covers for INFESTATION 2 #1 and #2 will be Alex Garner and Livio Ramondelli. INFESTATION 2 #1 will also feature unique temporary tattoos.

In February, writer Chuck Dixon and artist Guido Guidi will return to the often-requested “Hearts of Steel” timeline for the bi-weekly INFESTATION 2: TRANSFORMERS #1 and #2. Plus, Dungeons & Dragons novelist Paul Krill will introduce a brand-new campaign setting to IDW with INFESTATION 2: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: EBERRON #1 and #2. INFESTATION 2: TEAM-UP will be written by Chris Ryall and illustrated by his WEEKLY WORLD NEWS partner Alan Robinson, and feature covers by Eric Powell and The Simpsons’s Bill Morrison.

In March, Tristan Jones and Mark Torres pair up for INFESTATION 2: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 and #2, while Mike Raicht and Valentine de Landro present INFESTATION 2: G.I. JOE #1 and #2. INFESTATION 2 architect Duane Swierczynski and artist Stuart Sayger will explore the effect of Lovecraft demons on vampires in the INFESTATION 2: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT one-shot.

As a special bonus for fans, every issue of the INFESTATION 2 event will feature a connected cover by artist Livio Ramondelli, and IDW will be producing special incentive temporary tattoos with each issue, too.

Stay tuned to IDWPublishing.com as more creative teams for this epic crossover event are announced. Plus, readers can get a sneak peek at INFESTATION 2 by asking their local retailer about the INFESTATION 2 ashcan, coming in late November and featuring interviews, artwork and information about this momentous event.

INFESTATION 2 #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on January 25, 2012.

INFESTATION 2: TRANSFORMERS #1 and #2 will be in stores on February 1 and 15, 2012, respectively.

INFESTATION 2: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: EBERRON #1 and #2 will be in stores on February 8 and 22, 2012, respectively.

INFESTATION 2: TEAM-UP will be in stores on February 29, 2012.

INFESTATION 2: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 and #2 will be in stores on March 7 and 21, 2012, respectively.

INFESTATION 2: G.I. JOE #1 and #2 will be in stores on March 14 and 28, 2012, respectively.

INFESTATION 2: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT will be in stores on April 4, 2012.

INFESTATION 2 #2 will be available in stores on April 11, 2012.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Renowned for its diverse catalog of licensed and independent titles, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including: Hasbro’s The TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE, Paramount’s Star Trek; HBO’s True Blood; the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO; Toho’s Godzilla; and comics and trade collections based on novels by worldwide bestselling author, James Patterson. IDW is also home to the Library of American Comics imprint, which publishes classic comic reprints; Yoe! Books, a partnership with Yoe! Studio.

IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

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