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Gene Ha, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Rachel Ordway, Joshua “Sway” Swaby, and Gus Vazquez are coming to Baltimore Comic Con

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The 25th Anniversary of the Baltimore Comic-Con takes place at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on September 20-22, 2024. The Baltimore Comic-Con has announced comics guests Gene Ha, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Rachel Ordway, Joshua “Sway” Swaby, and Gus Vazquez to its 25th Anniversary event! Get tickets, further details, and more!

Four-time Eisner winner Gene Ha is known for his art on Fables and on Alan Moore’s Top 10. He currently writes and draws Mae from Oni Press. It’s the story of Mae Fortell, a girl who follows her long missing sister Abbie to a world of mad science and mystery. Gene lives outside Chicago in Berwyn, IL with his lovely wife Lisa. Learn more at https://www.geneha.com/.

Karl Kesel loves his job far more than he has any right to. Over the past 40 years (he can’t believe it, either!) he has written, inked, and occasionally penciled most of the major comic characters, including Superman, Superboy, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Captain America, although he has an inexplicable fondness for minor, obscure characters no one else remembers except Mark Waid. His biggest claim to fame (so far) is he created King Shark, immortalized in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad movie. Currently, Karl is focused on creator-owned comics like the impulsive, impertinent thief-pretending-to-be-a-hero Impossible Jones (with David Hahn), funded through Kickstarter. Karl lives in Portland, Oregon with his amazing wife Myrna, their two extremely exhausting children Isaac and Eliza, and Jazzy, a little dog with a very big heart. He really can’t complain about much.

Jerry Ordway got his first professional comics work in the summer of 1980. In the years since, he has written and drawn the adventures of countless iconic characters such as Superman, Captain Marvel, The Justice Society, All Star Squadron, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. As an inker, he worked on Crisis on Infinite Earths and Zero Hour for DC Comics. In the 1990’s, Jerry co-created and drew WildStar for Image Comics, and wrote and drew his own creation The Messenger. Also in the 1990’s, his award-winning hardcover graphic novel, The Power of Shazam, retold the origin of Captain Marvel, which spun into a long-running monthly series, featuring painted covers and writing by Jerry, with art by penciller Peter Krause and inker Mike Manley. In recent years, he has started self-publishing his comic property Proton, and this year, reunited with his All Star Squadron collaborator Roy Thomas for an 80th anniversary Captain America story for Marvel Comics.

Rachel Ordway is a freelance cartoonist and alum of the Savannah College Of Art & Design’s Sequential Art program (Atlanta campus). She enjoys drawing more than eating, which is sometimes a problem. In addition to various self-published comics, her work appears in the acclaimed anthologies Chainmail Bikini, Sweaty Palms (volume 1), and Dirty Diamonds (#8), as well as in the archives of Comic Book Resources’ sketch group “The Line It Is Drawn”.

Currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, Joshua “Sway” Swaby is a graduate of the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York City. Sway has provided cover artwork for Entertainment Weekly, DC Comics, Vault Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics. His art has brought to life many iconic properties, including Star Wars, Black Widow, Wonder Woman, Miles Morales, Thanos, Loki, and so many more. Sway’s dedication to his craft and dynamic presentation makes him an illustrator to watch for years.

Gus Vazquez is an illustrator who has worked in nearly every field, including comic books, trading cards, storyboarding for music videos, commercials, animation and film, logo design, character and toy design, and more. He started his career in comic books working as an assistant to comic book artists Adam Pollina on X-Force, and Kevin McGuire on Trinity Angels. He got his first solo gig at Marvel Comics drawing the covers and interiors for Sunfire and Big Hero 6, the series that introduced the characters featured in Disney’s Oscar winning Big Hero 6. He has worked on such Marvel titles as Deadpool, X-Force, Spider-Man, What If? Civil War, What If? Back in Black, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and more. For DC, he has worked on such titles as Green Lantern, JLA, Blue Beetle, and most recently on Flash, Suicide Squad, and Green Arrow. Gus was the artist on several issues of Claudio Sanchez’s (of rock music group Coheed and Cambria) The Amory Wars, and was instrumental in helping bring together the creative team of his friends, David Atchison (writer) and Tony Shasteen (illustrator), and his niece, film and TV actress Rosario Dawson on 12 Gauge’s The O.C.T. More recently, Gus has been working for DC Comics on The Sasquatch Detective, a backup story which can be found in the pages of Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, as well as DMC (Daryl Makes Comics) and on La Borinquena. He is also working on his creator-owned book, Fang.

This year’s confirmed guests for the show include: Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia), Marty Baumann (Pixar artist), John Beatty (Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars), Rose Besch (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), Russ Braun (The Boys), Brett Breeding (Superman), Tom Brevoort (coursey of Hero Initiative, FCBD 2023: Avengers/X-Men), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jim Calafiore (NED, Lord of the Pit), Richard Case (Doom Patrol), John Cassaday (X-Force), Castillo Studios, Keith Champagne (Stranger Things), Howard Chaykin (Time Squared), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Frank Cho (Harley Quinn), Michael Cho (Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories–Qui-Gon Jinn), Amy Chu (KISS: The End), Matthew Clark (Adventures of Superman, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Steve Conley (The Middle Age), Katie Cook (Nothing Special), Todd Dezago (The Perhapanauts), Scott Dunbier (Jim Lee’s X-Men Artist’s Edition, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Chris Eliopoulos (Ordinary People Change the World), Steve Epting (New Avengers), Trish Forstner (Feral), Franco (Teen Titans Go to the Library), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (DC Nation), Ron Garney (BZRKR), Mitch Gerads (Mister Miracle), Sanford Greene (Bitter Root), Gene Ha (Mae), Bob Hall (West Coast Avengers), Bo Hampton (Batman: Castle of the Bat), Scott Hanna (Amazing Spider-Man), Tony Harris (The Whistling Skull), Mike Hawthorne (Deadpool), Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black), Dan Jurgens (Action Comics), Jamal Igle (Superman), Klaus Janson (courtesy of Hero Initiative, Daredevil), Sandy Jarrell (Batman ’66), Joëlle Jones (Lady Killer), Chris Kemple (Artist Alley Comics), Karl Kesel (Impossible Jones), Tom King (Wonder Woman), Barry Kitson (Amazing Spider-Man), Emma Kubert (Inkblot), Jim Lee (Superman), Sam Maggs (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel), Shawn Martinbrough (Red Hood: The Hill), Mike McKone (Red Goblin), Bob McLeod (New Mutants), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), Adriana Melo (Action Comics), Al Milgrom (Spectacular Spider-Man), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Fabian Nicieza (courtesy of Hero Initiative, Deadpool), Tom Nguyen (The Switch), Jerome Opena (Uncanny X-Force), Dan Parent (Sabrina the Teenage Witch), Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax), Khoi Pham (Star Wars: Darth Vader), Nick Pitarra (Ax-Wielder Jon), Andy Price (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), Tom Raney (Green Lantern), Afua Richardson (Omni), Don Rosa (Uncle $crooge), Craig Rousseau (The Perhapanauts), Alex Saviuk (Web of Spider-Man), Alex Segura (Secret Identity, courtesy of Hero Initiative), Liam Sharp (X-O Manowar Unconquered), Geoff Shaw (God Country), Don Simpson (Megaton Man), Louise Simonson (The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special), Walter Simonson (Thor), Matt Slay (Equilibrium), Matt Slay (Equalibrium), John K. Snyder III (Suicide Squad), Mark Sparacio (Omega Paradox), Joe Staton (Dick Tracy), Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther), Joshua “Swayart” Swaby (Star Wars), Babs Tarr (Batgirl of Burnside), Zoe Thorogood (Hack/Slash: Back to School), Gus Vazquez (Sunfire and Big Hero Six), Jeremy Whitley (Navigating With You, courtesy of Mad Cave Studios), Matt Wieringo (Stargate Atlantis: Gateways), Stephanie Williams (Nubia: Queen of the Amazons), Marv Wolfman (What If…? Dark: Tomb of Dracula), Rich Woodall (Electric Black), David Yardin (Daredevil: Woman Without Fear), and Leinil Francis Yu (Wolverine).

Preview: The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

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The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

(W) Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kesel (A) Travis Moore, Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Jon Bogdanove, Butch Guice, Tom Grummett, and Doug Hazlewood
In Shops: Oct 31, 2023
SRP: $9.99

ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAMS RETURN FOR NEW STORIES STARRING SUPERBOY, STEEL, THE ERADICATOR AND CYBORG SUPERMAN! Superman returns! After the tragic events of more than 30 years ago, when Superman met his end at the hands of Doomsday, Metropolis mourned the loss of their greatest hero and soon turned their attention to the search for his successor. Four Supermen rose to the challenge: Superboy, Steel, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses, they fought in honor of the original Man of Steel. Little did they know, his return was just around the corner! To celebrate the Reign of the Supermen and Return of Superman, DC has brought back the original creative teams for new stories set in the wake of Superman’s death. It all begins with new Daily Planet editor-in-chief Lois Lane discovering Perry White’s journals from the time and the secrets he kept as he searched for who could be the next Superman. What could this discovery mean for our present? Find out in this special that’s sure to be a classic in the future!

The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

Preview: The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

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The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

(W) Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kesel (A) Travis Moore, Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, Jon Bogdanove, Butch Guice, Tom Grummett, and Doug Hazlewood
In Shops: Oct 31, 2023
SRP: $9.99

ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAMS RETURN FOR NEW STORIES STARRING SUPERBOY, STEEL, THE ERADICATOR AND CYBORG SUPERMAN! Superman returns! After the tragic events of more than 30 years ago, when Superman met his end at the hands of Doomsday, Metropolis mourned the loss of their greatest hero and soon turned their attention to the search for his successor. Four Supermen rose to the challenge: Superboy, Steel, Eradicator, and Cyborg Superman. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses, they fought in honor of the original Man of Steel. Little did they know, his return was just around the corner! To celebrate the Reign of the Supermen and Return of Superman, DC has brought back the original creative teams for new stories set in the wake of Superman’s death. It all begins with new Daily Planet editor-in-chief Lois Lane discovering Perry White’s journals from the time and the secrets he kept as he searched for who could be the next Superman. What could this discovery mean for our present? Find out in this special that’s sure to be a classic in the future!

The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1

Preview: The New Golden Age: Special Edition #1

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The New Golden Age: Special Edition #1

(W) Geoff Johns (A) Steve Lieber, Jerry Ordway, Diego Olortegui (CA) Mikel Janin
In Shops: Oct 03, 2023
SRP: $4.99

From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.

The New Golden Age: Special Edition #1

Dark Horse reveals The Complete Norse Mythology

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Neil Gaiman’s 2017 bestselling book, Norse Mythology, has been adapted into an 18-issue comic series spanning three separate hardcover volumes. Now, Dark Horse Books will collect the entire series for the first time into one oversized, deluxe collection! The Complete Norse Mythology will include Volumes 1-3 of the comic series, adapted by P. Craig Russell, the Eisner award-winning writer, illustrator, and Hall of Fame Inductee who has adapted Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Only the End of the World Again, Coraline, and others.

Each short story in the series features art by different artists, including: Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, Jerry Ordway, David Rubín, Piotr Kowalski, Jill Thompson, Matt Horak, Mark Buckingham, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Sandy Jarrell, Galen Showman, and Colleen Doran. Dave Stewart and Lovern Kindzierski provide colors, with Galen Showman lettering. This deluxe edition also features cover art by David Mack, a sketchbook section, and a cover gallery.

In Norse Mythology Volume 1, learn about the creation of the Nine Worlds to the epic origin and adventures of Thor, Odin, and Loki.

In Volume 2, explore the origins of poetry—good and bad—in this tale of malicious dwarfs, suspicious giants, and the wise god Kvasir, whose eventual fate leads to the creation of a powerful mead that many will fight and die for.

And in Volume 3, various Norse myths are brought to life, including a wild quest where Thor and Tyr face a multiheaded giantess, fire-breathing sea serpents, and more bizarre mythological creatures; the journey of Odin to the end of the world, and finally we reach the end of the world Ragnarok: the final destiny of the gods. 

The Compete Norse Mythology HC (448 pages, 8 x 12.1875”) arrives in bookstores November 21, 2023 and into comic shops November 22, 2023. It is now available to pre-order for $124.99 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and indie bookstore.

Jerry Ordway celebrates the original comic adaptation of Return of the Jedi with Classic Trade Dress Variant Covers

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Marvel and Star Wars’ decades-long history of comics storytelling will be spotlighted in a unique way this summer with a new line of Classic Trade Dress Variant Covers.

It’s been 46 years since Marvel’s initial venture into a galaxy far, far away with the publication of the official comic adaptation of 1977’s Star Wars, now known as A New Hope. Hitting stands over a month before the film’s May theatrical release, the first-ever Star Wars comic series was a mega success, and Marvel continued the tradition of comics adaptations with the subsequent films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, artist Jerry Ordway pays tribute to legendary artist Bill Sienkiewicz’s iconic covers for 1983’s Star Wars: Return of the Jedi comic series with these new Classic Trade Dress Variant Covers. Teaming up with colorist Nolan Woodward, who limited himself to only colors that were available at the time of the original comic adaptation of Return of the Jedi, Ordway has put a modern twist on Sienkiewicz’s exemplary style, resulting in eye-catching visions of characters new and old! 

This vintage-style artwork will grace the covers of all four Star Wars comic series that are currently bridging the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi: Star Wars, Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters. The covers showcase some of the exciting cast shakeups in the titles as they brace themselves for the upcoming crossover event, Dark Droids, including Khel Tenna and Boba Fett joining the crew in Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #36 and Luke Skywalker teaming up with Doctor Aphra in Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34.

Check out all four now and pick them at your local comic shop this July! 

Preview: Justice Society of America #3

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Justice Society of America #3

Story: Geoff Johns
Art: Jerry Ordway, Mikel Janín

Huntress’s journey to save the Justice Society of America lands her smack dab in the middle of the 1940s at the birth of the team! Can Huntress and the present-day JSA work together long enough to figure out how to stop the strike on the ’40s team?!

Justice Society of America #3

Justice Society of America #2 is a bit too insider baseball

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Justice Society of America #2

When it came to DC and Marvel growing up, I was mostly a Marvel person. I’d hop into DC during major events or changes but it was a world I generally wasn’t too familiar with. Especially after so many events, the continuity and history of characters to me was a bit confusing and a hurdle to get into. In recent years, I find the stories DC puts out to fall into those that respect and celebrate the past but forge a new path that are easy to get into or ones that go deep into continuity and history. Those latter stories are ones where much of the appreciation comes from the deep history of the characters and if you don’t know that, you feel like you’re missing out on a lot. Justice Society of America #2 is the latter unfortunately, a literal ride through history.

On its surface, Justice Society of America #2 is a simple story. Huntress, the leader of a future JSA travels back in time to find Doctor Fate to prevent tragedy. Writer Geoff Johns can’t keep it that focused though. Instead, Justice Society of America #2 features Huntress being ripped through time meeting various Doctor Fates in different eras. And, unless you really know those versions or eras, it feels like a big shrug of the shoulders. It feels like the meat of the comic relies on knowledge of who these characters and versions are.

There is something to the art featuring the talents of Mikel Janín, Jerry Ordway, and Scott Kolins, color by Jordie Bellaire and John Kalisz, and lettering by Rob Leigh. The different eras each bring a different style and look and all together, it’s the most entertaining aspect of the comic. While some of the characters are “the same,” there’s subtle differences in their look and style capturing each era.

Justice Society of America #2 follows a pattern of Johns’ recent work where the whole tends to be stronger than the individual part. While this issue doesn’t excite, it has references DC fans will appreciate, you just need to know the history. Hopefully, it all comes together eventually in a way everyone can enjoy it, but as is, this is for the diehard fans.

Story: Geoff Johns Art: Mikel Janín, Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins
Color: Jordie Bellaire, John Kalisz Letterer: Rob Leigh
Story: 6.75 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Pass

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Justice Society of America #1

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Justice Society of America #1

When it comes to its classic heroes like the JSA, from an outsider, it feels like their use has been a bit lacking. They show up with major events being key players but beyond that where they sit in DC history is a bit unclear. Justice Society of America #1 might clear some of that up? It’s kind of hard to tell with this debut from writer Geoff Johns who’s carving out his own corner of the DC Universe.

Justice Society of America #1 takes us through time kicking things off with a 57 year span of events teasing out events that have happened leading up to the current time. The death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, the birth of Helena Wayne, it all centers the story around Batman and Catwoman’s progeny, The Huntress.

In her modern time, she’s assembled a new JSA full of “reformed” villains and Wonder Girl, creating the dysfunction you’d expect. Their current focus is the disappearance of Doctor Fate, a mystery sort of answered leading up to the comics’ shocking moments that really sets things in motion.

Justice Society of America #1 is an interesting start that plays out like Johns’ recent efforts with DC. Doomsday Clock, Three Jokers, Flashpoint Beyond, they all center around a mystery and then playing with DC’s classic heroes. Johns shows he knows his DC history and has no problem with mixing things up in controversial ways and here it feels no different. Where it goes should be interesting with the muddled status the classic JSA characters have in the current DC continuity. What will change? What will be different? All of these series feel like pieces of a grander puzzle and story Johns is putting together.

The art by Mikel Janin is solid to look at delivering moments that are action packed and emotional. With Jordie Bellaire on color and Rob Leigh‘s lettering, the visuals at time really pop. It’s the rabbit hole moment later in the comic where things really stand out. The art stands out as the hits begin to come and the initial villain is revealed and dismantles the JSA in an interesting fashion. The sequence is inspired, coming out of nowhere to deliver a real surprise all around. The comic goes from 0 to 60 at this point in every way and the art stands out.

Justice Society of America #1 is an intriguing start of a comic. The latter half is excellent with a surprising sequence that sets things in motion. The first issue kicks off a mystery that has potential, but like a lot of Johns’ recent work, we’ll have to see where it takes us.

Story: Geoff Johns Art: Mikel Janin
Colors: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Rob Leigh
Guest art: Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins, Steve Lieber, Brandon Peterson
Guest color: John Kalisz, Jordan Boyd, Brandon Peterson
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.15 Overall: 7.9 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

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