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Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Brett

Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Brett

Top Pick: Bitch Planet #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue was the best debut of 2014, mixing action, entertainment, and political/societal commentary wrapped up in a women’s prison exploitation story. The second issue has been one of my most anticipated reads since.

The Dying and The Dead #1 (Image Comics) – A new series from writer Jonathan Hickman is a western meets revenge story. The look fits his previous work, especially East of West. The first issue is more than enough to make me want to return for the second issue, especially knowing Hickman is a master at long storytelling.

Find #1 (Comixtribe) – This one shot is absolutely magical, evoking the wonderment I felt as a child. Just a perfect all-ages title and the best debut of 2015 so far.

Munchkin #1 (BOOM! Box/BOOM! Studios) – If you’ve ever played the game this comic is based off of, you’ll know why it’s on the list. It also doesn’t hurt there’s an exclusive card for the game available in each issue’s first printing.

Quantum and Woody Must Die #1 (Valiant) – Valiant consistently knocks it out of the park, and this first issue is the insanity I expected. Just pure action and humor as only Quantum and Woody can deliver.

Edward

Top Pick: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: The Jungle Book: Fall of the Wild #2 (Zenescope) – The first miniseries in this trilogy was a standout, the second less so. The first issue of this third series looks like it might recapture some of what made the first series so good.

Gotham Academy #4 (DC Comics) – This series was one of the biggest surprises of 2014 and although ostensibly aimed at teens, is an all-ages read, and should be on a lot more pull lists.

He-Man Eternity War #2 (DC Comics) – This series has been below most people’s radar, but this isn’t your childhood He-Man. The writers continue to use the traditional characters as a base for a new and exciting take on fantasy and sci-fi.

Inhuman #11 (Marvel) – Marvel’s focus on Inhumans in comics and on the big screen continues here. This series has been unexpectedly gripping with its diaspora theme and well written characters

Thor #4 (Marvel) – There are surely those that are still holding out for the return of male Thor (who has never really been gone yet), but the new direction in this series has been fun so far.

Matt

Top Pick: Batman #38 (DC Comics) – The “Endgame” arc in Batman has been stupendously creepy and expertly done thus far, and there is absolutely no reason to believe this next issue won’t be more of that. Snyder and Capullo understand the comics craft more than a lot of creative teams doing work today.

Bitch Planet #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue of Bitch Planet received loads of critical praise focused mainly on its elegant yet ridiculous take on feminism within the context of female prison exploitation fiction. A second issue to flesh out the characters and larger conflict comes highly anticipated.

Harley Quinn #14 (DC Comics) – The three issue arc focusing upon a team-up with Powergirl that just concluded in Harley Quinn dragged on for way too long despite all of the fun it brought to the table. A fresh storyline sounds great, which is what this issue promises: one about a new love interest for Harley, to boot.

Multiversity Guidebook #1 (DC Comics) – Despite what our esteemed editor in chief would have you believe, Multiversity kicks ass thanks to Grant Morrison’s expert knowledge of both DC Universe continuity and superhero worship. An expansive guide to the vast multiverse of DC from him, along with some bonus narrative, should be a real treat.

Sex Criminals #10 (Image Comics) – The delays for Sex Criminals have been absolutely brutal, but the end result of the effort put into each issue has been consistently fantastic. This issue marks the end of the second arc, leading into a third that will hopefully release on a reasonable schedule.

Nevada

Top Pick: Betty Page: Queen of Curves (Rizzoli) – This fabulous collection of Bunny Yeager’s photographs of the iconic Betty Page is a coffee table book for the ages. I love coffee, books, and Betty’s classic look on the cover–along with a leopard, no less, so this will have a place of honor in my living room.

Cisco Kid TP Vol. I 1951-1953 (Classic Comics Press) – I’m a fan of this golden era of Westerns and used to watch the Cisco Kid TV show featuring the excellent actor Leo Carillo as Pancho (Mr. Carillo had also worked as a cartoonist). Love the classic look of the drawings here and looking forward to more!

Film Fax #139 (Film Fax) – Any volume that contains news of Bela Lugosi and Bobby Rydell between the same two covers has me at first glance. Add to that the 1950’s robot history included here and Miss NASA 1960’s and I’m in retro pop-culture heaven!

New York Burlesque: Photos by Roy Kemp (Schiffer Publishing) – With today’s renaissance of burlesque as an art form from New Orleans to New York City, where this timely volume is set, Mr. Kemp’s photographs will provide a historical context that’s as informative as it is sexy and fun.

Sleepy Hollow #4 (Boom! Studios) – I’ve watched the show since the very beginning and am new to the comics, so I have bit of catching up to do here. As someone who loves an archaic turn of phrase and obscure expressions, Ichabod’s mid-eighteenth century lamentations on modern society make me swoon.

Picks of the Week

We Talk He-Man with Mark Roberts

Posted on January 26, 2015 by

Mark Roberts is fairly new in the comic book industry but has already worked as a colorist on numerous titles at both Dynamite and Zenescope. He has recently taken over coloring duties on He-Man with DC Comics, just as the series is launching into Eternity War. We got chance to talk with him about 80s cartoons, green skin and alien blood.

Graphic Policy: Were you a fan of the Masters of the Universe when you were younger?

Mark Roberts: Absolutely! I was a child of the 80’s, that Golden Age of toys and Saturday morning cartoons, and even with so much to choose from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was my favorite. I had a pretty sizable collection of action figures, the mini-comics, I can even remember having some of the books that came with a record that had voice-over and sound effects on it. Sadly, all that stuff got tossed in the garbage at some point, but I’ve been slowly rebuilding a collection.

GP: Do you have a favorite character? And do you have a favorite to color?

MR: As a kid I was all about He-Man. Now, I still dig He-Man, but I think She-Ra is just as cool. If I had to pick a favorite I think I’d have to say Sea Hawk. I just think he’s an interesting character who has a ton of potential for entertaining stories. I’d love to see him make an appearance in the DC title with an upgraded look. As for a favorite to color… it’s gotta be the transformation scenes. Whether it’s He-Man or She-Ra, I just love trying to capture that same effect and the excitement it made me feel watching it as a kid.

GP: The characters in this series were originally designed as toys and their color schemes are different than what you might necessarily expect in comics. Is it challenging to incorporate different coloring techniques for the same characters across different mediums?

MR: No, I don’t think so. The comic is quite different in tone from the cartoons and the toys and while Eternia and the characters who inhabit it can be quite colorful, it’s not really a challenge to make it work in a more serious context. I actually quite enjoy it.

GP: The colors in the first issue of Eternity War really popped off the page. How did you achieve this look?

MR: Thanks! Well, for this new arc of He-Man I really wanted to make things more alive and vivid. The previous arc, Blood of Grayskull, was a much more somber tale. We didn’t get to see a lot of characters, we spent a lot of time in barren terrain or dark forests and caves. Now we have this huge cast of colorful characters fighting massive, epic battles and I’m just trying to do it justice. Pop is going all out on his pages, the detail he’s putting in is mind blowing, and I want to make sure nothing gets lost in the colors.

GP: Some of the coloring is this issue also achieved a lot by omission, notably in the first pages with Hordak and the mostly pale blue background mixed with the red from the blood. How do you choose when not to add a lot of color, thus setting a different picture?

MR: It’s all about serving the story, creating mood or putting emphasis on a certain character or action. That’s really a big part of your job as a colorist, making those decisions. Sometimes the script might contain some color notes or the artist might request something, but for the most part it’s up to you to interpret the script and the line art and make color choices that complement everything and bring it all together.

GP: Teela is shown here with green skin, which is a fairly common skin color to show something being different or alien. Why do you think that this is so common in pop culture to show aliens in this color?

MR: Oh, jeez, I don’t know… The color green can have different meanings. It can represent nature, life and growth but it can also be associated with things like envy or sickness so I guess that makes it fairly versatile. In this particular case, though, I think the green serves as the opposite to the red of the Horde. Luke’s green lightsaber versus Vader’s red, if you will.

GP: About half way through this issue there is a beautiful splash page depicting some of the background of the characters. Does incorporating so many elements into one large panel pose different problems for adding the color?

MR: No, not really. Those pages were fun to do and not really that complicated. With all the images coming from a magical conjuring it was fairly simple to unify them through color and then separating the flashbacks from the here and now with color holds on the lines.

GP: What is your favorite part about working on He-Man?

MR: There’s nothing about it I don’t like. Just working on He-Man and getting to relive my childhood would be enough, but getting to work with Dan and Pop is awesome. I’m a big fan of both of these guys. I get excited every time I get a new script in and can’t wait to see what Pop does with it. Everyone at DC and Mattel have been amazing to work with and I gotta say, the fan support has been fantastic. This whole experience has been the highlight of my career so far and I look forward to each new issue!

Review: He-Man The Eternity War #1

Posted on December 25, 2014 by

The stories of He-Man at DC Comics have been surprisingly some of the best in the genre of sci-fi/fantasy in the past few years. Although it is expected that gems in this genre come from the independents, it is probably not expected that novel and inventive stories come out of either one of the main two publishers or from a franchise like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. While the stories have been somewhat innovative, with the introduction of the story in Eternity War, the story takes an unexpected and fascinating turn into something completely different. Instead of the universe as we know it, the story is thrown a few years into the future, with a story line that is somewhat different from the universe that we know.

Where this story excels in the telling of this story is in the reimagining of certain characters. They are not so far off of what we know, but still somewhat different. So while for instance Teela is here, she is also quite different from the Teela that we are accustomed to. The same goes for a number of characters, both heroes and villains alike, and it is in this familiarity where the story finds its gravity.

In terms of He-Man, this is not something that has really been seen before, almost being like a post-apocalyptic version of the He-Man universe. The mechanics behind the story are novel and the characters are used almost to their full potential. Those that consider He-Man to be not refined enough for their tastes will instead find a fusion of fantasy and sci-fi here that is as innovative as anything that exists on the market. This is just the first issue of a series focusing on this alternate reality for the characters, but all signs point to something fun and worthwhile in the end.

Story: Rob David and Dan Abnett Art: Pop Mhan
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.8 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Limited Edition Has the Power

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Brett

Just in time for fans’ holiday wish lists, Dark Horse and Mattel announce that the biggest art book of 2015 – The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – will receive a limited edition release.

Restricted to 4,000 copies, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Limited Edition comes packaged in a deluxe Castle Grayskull slipcase, with an exclusive foil embossed cover and portfolio print, coming in at just under 400 pages with commentary written by Tim & Steve Seeley.

In 1982, the world was introduced to He-Man® and Masters of the Universe®. What followed was a cultural sensation that changed the landscape of children’s entertainment forever! Join Mattel and Dark Horse in this comprehensive retrospective chronicling the decades-long epic journey of He-Man from toy, to television, to film, to a true pop culture phenomenon!

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe includes rarely seen images of concept sketches, prototypes, and more from Mattel’s archives. Featuring beautifully restored art from master illustrator Earl Norem—celebrated artist of the most memorable He-Man images, interviews with Dolph Lundgren, Paul Dini, Erika Scheimer, and many more!

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Limited Edition is on sale in comic shops April 15th and April 28th in bookstores.

We Talk He-Man With Rob David

Posted on December 22, 2014 by

Rob David is a relative newcomer to comics but not to He-Man. He has been familiar with the characters since they were a favorite of his as a child, and he has carried that interest over into a full-time job developing He-Man across various mediums. We got a chance to talk with him about the direction for the series, the Eternity War, and first kisses.

Graphic Policy: How did you get the chance to work on this title?

Rob David: I’m Head Writer and Lead Creative on “Masters of the Universe,” for Playground Productions, Mattel’s new Entertainment Studio, led by Dave Voss. Mattel recruited me to write, develop and supervise new stories for He-Man across the entertainment spectrum — film, television, and in this case, comics!

Working with DC on these books has been extremely rewarding, not just because I’m a big fan of comics, but because the guys at DC Entertainment are incredibly talented, dedicated and great partners.

GP: Were you a fan of the characters as a child?

RD: Big fan. For me it started with the original mini-comics that came with the first figures. Just crazy stuff going on in those books. A wild mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy; wizards and robots and skull-faced warlords. And at the center of it all was this relatable barbarian with a magic sword just trying to do right in the world. I got sucked in.

GP: The last story arc saw the reintroduction of She-Ra. Are there any more forgotten fan favourites on the way?

RD: Oh yeah, She-Ra was just the beginning!

GP: He-Man has traditionally been aimed at a younger readership, but the new series has story arcs that are definitely not just for kids. How do you find the balance between the history of the characters versus what you want to write?

RD: I try to remember that He-Man and Skeletor are icons. There’s a reason they’ve been around for thirty years. You have to respect the core concepts no matter what. Otherwise, why not just write something new?

But at the same time, we can’t stay stuck in the past. He-Man has to be able to surprise us. So I’m always looking for ways to recapture that feeling we had as kids, when we first met the characters and didn’t know what to expect. Make the story relevant to kids, adults, everybody, today — and not just nostalgic.

With the new comics, the readership is older, they’re mostly adult fans who grew up with He-Man. So it’s fun to take a more hard-hitting look at the mythos. Push the stakes, drama and characterization. The universe of Masters has always been rich; with these new comics we’ve really been able to dive in deep.

GP: In the most recent issue, young Prince Adam and Teela are shown sharing their first kiss. Is the dynamic between these two important to the series?

RD: Yeah, to the series and the whole franchise! Adam and Teela grew up together. They’re not just love interests, they’re best friends, soul mates. Their bond is at the heart of the whole story.

That first kiss is a real marker in time for Adam, too. Soon after, he’d face off against Skeletor and Hordak and endless wars. But that first kiss is a moment of innocence and optimism that he’s really been fighting to protect and preserve all his life.

GP: He-Man has traditionally fought against a select group of foes who have not changed much in their character’s past, but the most recent issue shows the introduction of a new threat. Do you think expanding the character’s enemies is important?

RD: Critically! A hero is only as great as his villain! You have to throw new enemies into the mix all the time and dial up the threat level of the classic foes. When it comes to He-Man, the past is never finished with him, and the future is full of grisly surprises.

GP: What should we expect to see in store for He-Man and his allies in coming months?

RD: Coming up this Christmas is the launch of the brand new maxi-series, “He-Man: the Eternity War,” which I developed and Dan Abnett, co-creator of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” is scripting.

This is the big one. The ultimate battle for the Power of Grayskull. It’s a massive, cross-over event for “Masters of the Universe.” All the different clans and empires face off. The Horde, the evil forces of Skeletor, the Masters of the Universe, the Snake Men and more.

The scale of the “Eternity War” is just massive. You’ll see just how powerful Castle Grayskull is, and why it must be kept out of enemy hands at all costs.

It’s also an emotional journey for Adam, Adora, Teela — and even, in the end, Skeletor himself.

Pop Mhan and Mark Roberts are the artists on the book, penciler and colorist, and they’re giving the series a dynamic IMAX feel.

Everybody at DC Comics and Playground Productions really hope you like “He-Man: the Eternity War.” Let us know what you think!

Review: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #19

Posted on November 26, 2014 by

It is almost by accident that I find myself reading this series on a monthly basis. I was mostly drawn in the previous month by the conclusion of the story which introduced She-Ra into the ongoing series. I was curious about the character after finding myself a passive fan in the 1980s, when the She-Ra television show was all that was on television in the mornings. Surprisingly though, I found a comic series not really based in what I thought would be something more aimed at a younger audience that might enjoy the toys, and instead was a fairly sophisticated comic aimed at an older readership, and one willing and able to compete with other series with a similar theme and setting.

I was still unsure, but I was curious enough to pick up issue #19 to see if what was going on here was something worth reading, and based off of this issue it is. In this issue is the introduction to the next broad story arc involving the character, and one tying much more closely into his own past, both a past that he knows and one that he does not. As a child the impetuous Adam was not given much credit, and is used as a pawn by his uncle in an attempt at regicide, though he eventually finds through his own bloodline that he possesses a power which he never knew. Throughout the story a more realistic approach to storytelling is used, and the character is shown to be a pawn of forces far beyond those of his uncle. Additionally, a lot of background I added which acts as too strengthen both the characters of Adam and Teela.

Any readers hesitant to pick up this series as I was, as He-Man is a thing of a childish past, might want to reconsider. The series is in solid creative hands, and does not dwell too much on that which came before in previous incarnations, instead focusing on creating its own mythos and delivering solid stories. In terms of mixtures of fantasy and science-fiction one usually expects to find these at the independents, but really DC has a similar property on its hands which gets little attention, but is deserving.

Story: Rob David Art: Tom Derenick
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

SDCC 2014: Dark Horse to Publish the Art of He-Man and The Masters of the Universe!

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Brett

Announced at San Diego Comic-Con, Dark Horse and Mattel are teaming up to deliver the biggest art book of 2015 – The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!

Made in close cooperation with Mattel and He-Man historians, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe collects over 30 years of behind-the-scenes material, lore, and classic imagery!

In 1982, the world was introduced to He-Man and Masters of the Universe. What followed was a cultural sensation that changed the landscape of children’s entertainment forever! Join Mattel and Dark Horse in this comprehensive retrospective chronicling the decades-long epic journey of He-Man® from toy, to television, to film, to a true pop culture phenomenon!

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe includes rarely seen images of concept sketches, prototypes, and more from Mattel’s archives. Featuring beautifully restored art from master illustrator Earl Norem—celebrated artist of the most memorable He-Man® images!

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe arrives in comic shops on April 1, 2015 and in bookstores April 14, 2015. Preorder your copy today!

Toy Stories – April 30th 2014

Posted on April 30, 2014 by

Prepare for Titanfall indeed. Leading up to the figures debut at Thailand Toy Expo, threezero brings a us a sneak-peek of their latest offering: Titanfall: Atlas

……..MECH!

Smokey

This is not a statue or small scale figure, this beast is nearly 21″ tall and articulated. The 6″ scale pilot will also be on display, but in a unpainted form. No word yet on a price point, but I’m thinking EXPENSIVE.

Mattel Toy Collector also dropped the word on some of their SDCC exclusives. First up is a Masters of the Universe Filmation coloured Hordak from She-Ra, a figure long requested by fans. The figure includes interchangeable arms, snap-on claw, staff and Imp sidekick. Pre-order or buy at the show and you’ll also get a bagged bonus item, the “Imp as a Treasure Chest” figure.

SDCC will also be the place to finally pick up a Doomsday in containment suit from the now dead DCU Classics series. Coming in at over 9″ tall, this figure is scaled far better than the “Unleased Doomsday” from earlier in DCU Classics series. Doomsday comes packed in a special window box that will pay homage to Superman: The Man of Steel #18.

Doom doom doom doom doom, doom doom do DOOM

Both figures will available for pre-order June 24, 2014 at MattyCollector.com for pick up at SDCC. For those of us unable to attend the show, the figures will be available for purchase at MattyCollector.com on August 5, 2014.

Do You Enjoy Gladiators? How About He-man?

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Brett

Opening yesterday and running through January 29th, those in the Los Angeles can check out Under the Influence: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe presented by Gallery 1988 and Mattel. The exhibit features 100 artists reinterpreting the 1980’s toy and cartoon property.

The gallery is located at 7020 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 6pm.