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8 Awesome Things to Do At C2E2 2018

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Logan Dalton

From April 6 to April 8, 2018, Chicago will be the center of the pop culture universe thanks to the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which is held annually at McCormick Place right on Lake Michigan. C2E2 boasts of wide range of guests, who have worked in different mediums, including legendary comics creators, like Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, and Brian Michael Bendis; actors from your favorite cult and sci-fi shows like Alan Tudyk and Charlie Cox, big time novelists like Chicago native Veronica Roth and R.L. Stine, and even podcasters like the creators of The Adventure Zone. There’s really something for everyone at this con.

Graphic Policy will be attending C2E2 on Saturday and Sunday, but here’s a completely subjective rundown of eight of the coolest guests, exclusives, panels , screenings, and of course, after parties that will be going on all three days at the temporary mecca of fandom.

Friday

8. Have an IPA Courtesy of Valiant Comics

Valiant Comics, who has the third largest superhero universe after DC and Marvel, has teamed up with Pipeworks Brewing Company to create a special limited edition beer that will be sold on site at C2E2 as well as Pipeworks’ bottle shop and a few other stores in Illinois and New York. Last year’s beer was connected to the relaunch of Valiant flagship title, X-O Manowar, but this year, it’s named after Livewire, a member of the superhero team Unity. Going along with her name, Livewire has electricity-based powers, and so her beer: Livewire Raspberry IPA with Lime has a bit of tartness to go with its hoppy beer base.

I’m super into both sour beers and IPAs and look forward to relaxing with the Livewire Raspberry IPA after a long day of crowds and walking at C2E2. The drink pairs nicely with a copy of Shadowman #1, a relaunch of Valiant’s mystical themed superhero, which has an exclusive cover by its interior artist Stephen Segovia that is only available at the convention.

7. Enjoy An Evening with Podcast Royalty aka Travis and Friends

The McElroy Brothers (Travis, Justin, and Griffin) have established a veritable empire of podcasts since their advice show My Brother, My Brother, and Me premiered in 2010. Their shows include The Adventure Zone, a Dungeon and Dragons podcast featuring their father Clint, which is getting a graphic novel from First Second Books and Shmanners, an etiquette podcast co-hosted by Travis and his wife Teresa McElroy.

After the first day of C2E2, fans of these and other podcasts can kick back and relax at a special An Evening with Travis and Friends, which is basically the Avengers of current podcasts. The show features Travis McElroy, Teresa McElroy, and Symphony Sanders, who played librarian slaying and child soldier commanding Tamika Flynn on the uber popular Welcome to Nightvale. It should be fun time with plenty of surprises.

Saturday

6. Remember the Ultimate Universe at the Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis Panel

So, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar have definitely done a lot more comics than Ultimate Marvel ones, but I find it slightly hilarious that the original co-writers of Ultimate Fantastic Four are going to be teaming up for a “one on one” panel at 11 AM on the Main Stage at C2E2.

Both veteran creators are at turning points in their careers with Bendis signing an exclusive deal with DC Comics to write Action Comics and Superman as well as his creator owned Jinxworld books, like Powers, and his own special imprint. In contrast, Millar has disavowed the Big Two and sold his comics company, Millarworld, to Netflix where they will make shows and films based on his work. (Fingers crossed for a Starlight movie.)

It will be interesting to see two former Marvel architects talk about their new gigs, and hopefully there will be some good banter about how most of Bendis’ writing is like a stage play and most of Millar’s is a screenplay… (Alias and Old Man Logan are classics though.)

5. The #BlackComicsMonth Panel Comes to C2E2

When I went to New York Comic Con in 2015, the #BlackComicsMonth panel, hosted by Tee Franklin (Bingo Love) was one of the most inspirational parts of the con and was very hard to get into. What makes this panel so excellent is that Franklin chooses a range of comic book creators to speak from their own experience about important topics like diversity, living with a disability, mental health, and POC and LGBTQ representation.

For the first time ever, the #BlackComicsMonth: Inclusion in Comics Panel is headed to the Midwest and will be held at 3 PM in Room S405A. The panelists include Franklin, Mikki Kendall (Swords of Sorrow), Shawn Pryor (Cash and Carrie), Matt Santori (Senior Editor of Comicosity), and in the past, there have been surprise guests like The Walking Dead actor and multimedia entrepreneur Chad Coleman. It should be an excellent discussion about real world issues and a nice break from the hyperbole and announcements of some of the other panels.

4. Catch the World Premiere of Daphne & Velma

Let’s be real, Daphne and Velma were easily the most competent and best members of the Scooby Doo gang. They finally get their own live action film in Daphne & Velma, which is having its world premiere at C2E2 before it is released straight to DVD and BluRay on May 22.

The movie is set at a super high tech STEM magnet school called Ridge Valley High where Internet friends Daphne and Velma get to be friends in real life and solve their first zombie themed mystery. Sarah Jeffery (Descendants, upcoming Charmed reboot) plays Daphne, and Sarah Gilman (Kroll Show) plays Velma. The film is produced by Ashley and Jennifer Tisdale’s Blondie Girl company and looks super adorable.

3. Party Hard at Geeks Out Snikt! Chicago

There are a lot of after parties to choose from at C2E2, but Snikt! Chicago is one of the best and not just because it’s Wolverine themed. Geeks Out is a super cool non-profit organization that founded FlameCon as the first LGBTQ comic book convention, and their goal is to foster LGBTQ awareness and representation at cons all across the country.

The party will be held at Mary’s Attic, the upstairs part of Hamburger Mary’s in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago starting at 9 PM. It will feature drag queens, gender clowns, circus arts, and of course, DJ Tony Breed to flood the dance floor. It’s a 21+ event, and cover is $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

Sunday

2. Be Enlightened at the Women of Marvel Panel

Even though it has taken them until 2019’s Captain Marvel to get a solo female superhero film off the ground, Marvel Comics boasts a fantastic range of female superheroes from Storm to Angela, Kitty Pryde to Jessica Jones. (Okay, those are some of my personal favorites.) The Women of Marvel celebrates their female comics creators as well as the characters on the comics page.

This year’s Women of Marvel panelists, include producer Judy Stephens (Marvel Becoming), editor Christina Harrington (Astonishing X-Men), colorist Rachelle Rosenberg (Iceman), artist Jen Bartel (America), and writer/artist Katie Cook (Secret Wars: Secret Love.) It will be held at 1:30 PM in Room S404. My fingers are crossed for more details about Bartel’s upcoming Storm solo book that she is working on with writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

1. Get All the Feels at the This Is Us Q and A

I feel like everyone in my office and family watches the NBC hit series This Is Us except me. The show follows the lives of three siblings, who were born on the same day as their father, Jack Pearson (Played by Milo Ventimiglia). It is fairly ambitious for a network TV show and has storylines set in 1980s Pittsburgh as well as modern day. In 2017, Sterling K. Brown won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his performance as Randall Pearson, Jack’s adopted son.

Sadly, Brown won’t be at C2E2, but his co-stars Milo Ventimiglia and Justin Hartley, who play Jack’s son Kevin are doing a panel at 1:30 PM on the Main Stage and can maybe tell everyone what was up with the whole Crockpot ordeal. These actors also have a history of appearing in superhero shows like Heroes and Smallville where Justin Hartley played Oliver Queen years before Arrow. Also, there better be at least one question about Ventimiglia’s rebellious bookworm character Jess from Gilmore Girls. #TeamJessForever

Conventions

A Relative Newbie Review: Hit-Girl #1

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Wesley Messer

Hit-Girl #1 2018 Cover Now it’s time to continue my journey into the Kick-Ass world with Hit-Girl #1. Now my first journey into Kick-Ass was pleasant so let’s see how this goes. I am a little familiar with Hit-Girl but that’s because of other snippets of Kick-Ass I’ve seen. Consider this another review for the new readers entering the Kick-Ass world. No real expectations going into this outside of I hope this turns out to be a good read. There’s only so much of an intro I can give for this one. It’s Kick-Ass, it’s a new #1 for Hit-Girl so enough hemming and hawing here. Let’s get into the grand Kick-Ass adventure once more with Hit-Girl #1. Will it be fun, will it be great, or will it be disappointing? Well only one way to find out as we get on with the show.

Note this as I said in the Kick-Ass review, I like Mark Millar’s writing but I am still hit or miss on him. Okay, let’s start into Hit-Girl #1.

Now if you are unfamiliar with Hit-Girl going into this #1, you’ll be okay for the most part. For the most part all you need to know is she’s a young lady who saves the day with extreme violence. I do know she once worked with her Dad a.k.a. Big Daddy but now he’s gone. She’s now on her own after the original Kick-Ass retired and looking for a new adventure. Onwards to Columbia thanks to request from a lady there and that sets us into the story. Which also ties into a hitman named Fabio Mendoza who’s on his way to jail until certain circumstances happen. I’m trying not to spoil but this story gets weird and fast. As I now get to explain more as to what works and what doesn’t work now that I’ve summed up certain beats of this comic. As wow, this book is strange to say the least.

This could be one of the more negative leaning reviews I have written in a long time.

Okay before we start, I’m relatively fair but if I lean more and more negative, you’ve rubbed me the wrong way. As a newish reader to Kick-Ass, this book goes all over the place for me. The hitman introduction was a great action movie spectacular setup. That’s a plus for this and the quick cuts to his gang work fairly well. It’s splashy with a sense of humor so I can appreciate that. You get to learn about the larger potential supporting cast along with the hitman so it works. I was invested at this point as I was intrigued as to what role this would play in the larger story. Then the larger story began and it went from interesting to, well here comes the comical ultra violence with little substance. Yes, I know Mark Millar and I know how he operates but this is middle of the road to borderline bad Millar. You’re all going to love the next bit of this after that sentence.

Hit-Girl #1 2018 Preview Page

Wow, this Hit-Girl review is leaning way more negative than I thought it would. Sometimes you just have to let the cards fall where they may.

First off as we’re catching up with Hit-Girl she’s actually pretty likable in a weird way. She’s lonely and she’s looking for a new sidekick to work with. She’s feeling a little lost so she’s fighting crime on auto pilot so to speak. I did like that aspect of it. She’s lost her partner in the original Kick-Ass so now she can’t find anyone to replace him. Oh she’s still the same extreme violence creates great results person but not everyone is the same way she is. When the adventure to Columbia gets set up is when the story takes a really odd turn. Any sort of heart in the story goes out the window into madness fuel on overdrive. Where the story had a good balance of heart and action then dives off the rails into sheer mayhem.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like my share of goofy mayhem. Yet this was tonal whiplash within one issue of a comic. Where Millar and Romita’s Kick-Ass #1 that was released had some semblance of soul, this loses that. Of course I see this is where Millar is going to cut loose with the crazy, but it didn’t jive with me. I will say though, there will be people who dig this and that’s cool. This just didn’t work for me in its entirety. I would say there’s half of a really solid story and the other half goes way into crazy town and doesn’t look back. Sometimes I am down for crazy but in this, the crazy didn’t entirely work for me story wise. Just soulless mayhem and madness.

Wow, now that last line there comes off quite harsh. Yikes. Yet, I think you all will find my thoughts on the art of Hit-Girl to be way more positive.

Now as much as I am harping on my severe dislike for aspects of this comic, Hit-Girl #1 is gorgeous. Ricardo Lopez Ortiz is such a fluid and smooth artist. There are parts of this comic that feel as though if it ends up being animated or even a live action movie, you could lift these panels and use them. Ortiz captures action, emotion, and lends great energy to the comic. The expressions are awesome despite any issues with the story I have, the emotions work well for this comic. Hit-Girl’s demented nature comes through with each smile that Ortiz gives her. Not many people could capture that level of fear and by golly Ortiz pulls that off. Now let’s talk about the rest of the art team as my goodness this book is beautiful in every facet.

See what salvages this comic is the overall art team of the book. Sunny Gho‘s coloring for example is absolutely perfect in working with Ortiz’s art. The story is so over the top and the coloring is bright, jaw dropping, and also brutal as needed. The opening where our hitman is introduced has this great flash effect that works nicely. Add in the letters by Milena Mikulic adding the flashing and clicks of all the cameras and it all gels together. With cool lettering and design, hyper stylized art, and beautiful coloring, this is what helps Hit-Girl #1 immensely.

Time to conclude this Hit-Girl #1 adventure. Boy oh boy, this was one wild ride.

Yeah, I can fully say outside of the art team, Hit-Girl #1 is not my cup of tea. Now if you’re more invested in Kick-Ass, you may love Hit-Girl #1. If you’re new to the world, this won’t sway you one way or the other. While Kick-Ass #1 did well in introducing the world, Hit-Girl #1 didn’t do any of that well. Hit-Girl #1 is lots of splash and dazzle with no substance.

Story: Mark Millar Art: Ricardo Lopez Ortiz
Color: Sunny Gho, Lettering and Production: Melina Mikulic
Story: 6.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Around the Tubes

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Graphic Policy Team

The weekend is almost here! It’s just a break before more conventions next week! What geeky things will you all be doing? Sound off in the comments below!

Around the Tubes

ICv2 – Wizard World Sales Drop Nearly 50% – That’s not good.

The Outhouse – The Batman Director Matt Reeves Clarifies Statements Regarding Film’s Standing In DCEU – So reporting was wrong?

The Hollywood Reporter – Behind Netflix’s Bold Bet on Comics King Mark Millar – Get the behind the scenes info.

Around the Tubes Reviews

Talking Comics – Secret Empire #9

Around the Tubes

Netflix Buys Millarworld

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Brett

In a pretty big shake up and announcement int he comic world, Netflix has announced that it has purches Mark Millar‘s Millarworld. Millar runs the publisher with his wife Lucy Millar.

Netflix and Millar will bring Milalrworld’s portfolio franchises to life through films, series, and kids’ shows exclusively through Netflix. Millarworld will also continue to create and publish new stories and character franchises under the Netflix label.

This is the first ever acquisition of its type for Netflix. It’s part of the company’s progression to work directly with creators and acquire intellectual property and ownership of the stories the platform creates and delivers.

Millarworld since its founding has created eighteen published worlds of which three have led on to films that have grossed nearly $1 billion at the global box office.

Next up for Millarworld is Kingsman: The Golden Circle which opens in theaters September 22, 2017.

Review: Huck #6

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Logan Dalton

In the final issue of Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque’s feel good Americana-meets-Cold War era mad scientists tale Huck, there is plenty of punching and hugging as Huck and his mom fight the cyborg creations of Professor Orlov and try to make it back home. The plot sounds like the plot of a cheesy mid-1980s movie, but Millar makes sure the story doesn’t get too dragged down in spycraft and science fiction as he and Albuquerque focus on how Huck is still a good person even though he was originally created to be a bloodhound for a Soviet Union. Albuquerque’s art shows the larger than life nature of both Huck and his mom’s in a riveting hand to hand fight scene ending in a Superman-worthy feat of strength while he and colorist Dave McCaig set Huck #6 apart from most end of arc superhero stories with a beautiful epilogue showing Huck’s return to doing daily good deeds. It’s safe to say that he has a lot to catch up on after last issue’s backstory explosion.

Huck #6 is an example of Rafael Albuquerque’s versatility as an artist. His heavy inked style can work for horror stories like American Vampire along with science fiction stories like and a genre “Venn Diagram” comic like Huck. (Not to mention his less heavy inks on Blue Beetle back in the mid-2000s.) Albuquerque’s art is close to painting in this comic, but with much more motion and articulation. You can feel the strength behind each punch that Huck throws, and McCaig pours on a conflagration of orange and yellows to show the inhuman beams that Huck’s “brother” pelts him with. But the amount of punishment that Huck takes adds to the feeling of catharsis when he and his mom get the upper hand against their attackers as Albuquerque shows his face wrinkle in anger before cutting to him grabbing his opponent’s fist. Huck is the actual, nicest guy on Earth, but when you mess with his mom, it’s going to be trouble.

Millar and Albuquerque making Orlov’s goons robots reminds me a lot of the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Justice League cartoons in the late 1990s and early 2000s when the writers and animators would make the bad guys robots to let high powered characters, like Wolverine or Superman, get to let loose without killing. And this is what Huck and his mom do throughout the issue finding the better way to defeat their enemies without going Punisher or Zod neck snap on them. The way that they eventually deal with Orlov is a quite clever use of Huck’s mother’s abilities as she has the more subtle power of persuading people by touching them versus Huck’s feats of strength and tracking ability.

But honestly, the best part of Huck #6 isn’t the final showdown between the heroes and villains even though Albuquerque zooming out and using an entire page to show Huck throwing a lamp post down a crowded highway is pretty spectacular or its cryptic final page cliffhanger. No, what makes Huck a solid comic is its inspirational protagonist, who doesn’t just make speeches about helping people, but does it without pomp and circumstance even though he does have a bit of media attention after one of his neighbors leaked the news about his powers. And the final pages of the issue is Huck just helping people out in various ways between panels of his smiling face and honest eyes. (McCaig gives them a beautiful shade of blue.) It’s a sweet conclusion without being saccharine and a wonderful bookend to his actions in Huck #1.

Huck #6 boasts rich, textured art and colors from Rafael Albuquerque and Dave McCaig and will probably make you smile. (Unless you’re an incurable cynic.) It is up there with Starlight as Mark Millar’s best work in his post-Marvel era, and I look forward to the day it’s made into a film starring Channing Tatum.

Story: Mark Millar Art: Rafael Albuquerque Colors: Dave McCaig Letters: Nate Piekos
Story: 7.5 Art: 9 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for reivew

Review: Starlight #1

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Brett

Forty years ago, Duke McQueen was the space hero who saved the universe. But then he came back home, got married, had kids, and grew old. Now his children have left and his wife has passed away, leaving him alone with nothing except his memories…until a call comes from a distant world asking him back for his final and greatest adventure.

We’ve been fed the anticipation, but with Starlight #1, not only does prolific writer Mark Millar launch a new series, but also his Millarworld Universe. Starlight’s first issue is interesting, in that it’s very familiar (Millar’s take on the classic character Flash Gordon), but also something new, what happens when this version of Gordon returns to Earth.

Both parts are excellent, really excellent. The flashbacks to Duke McQueen’s space-fairing ways is fun pulp entertainment, clearly inspired by comics of bygone years. It’s fun, entertaining, and got me wanting more. The innocence of it is great and in stark contrast to Millar’s much more adult and pretty violent work. For as much fun as it was to read that pulpy adventure, what really dragged me in was Duke McQueen now. What would the life of a man who had so much adventure be like? Would anyone believe him? That gets answered here. And with it comes a lot of heart. Much of the comic reminded me of the opening of UP, one that tears at heart strings and gets you to choke up a little. It was difficult for me to not read it and feel very bummed for him. This is the hero after his adventuring is over and people think it’s all made up.

There’s that mix of old and new that makes the comic work and work really well. I went in expecting either Millar’s homage to the adventure comics of the past, or an updated take full of excessive violence. While I found a bit of the first, and none of the second, I was surprised at how much of a focus of it was on McQueen and his family.

Adding to Millar’s excellent writing is Goran Parlov’s art which is able to not only convey the exciting pulpy action, but also the quieter, sadder moments. It’s a talent to do the two. Parlov’s style too has a retro quality about it, matching up the series itself.

Starlight blew me away. It’s a fantastic first issue and a toned down Millar that delivers some fun action along with a heartfelt touch.

Story: Mark Millar Art: Goran Parlov
Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Starlight: a Swashbuckling Space Adventure

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Brett

So much for retirement! This March, meet Duke McQueen, a man who has long since settled down and left his days of saving the Universe and operating as the space hero everyone depended on—at least that’s what he thought. His wife long passed and his kids off embarking on their own adventures, Duke lives a quiet, solitary life until he receives an unexpected call from a distant world, calling him to action one last time.

This March begins an all new ongoing series with Starlight #1, Mark Millar and Goran Parlov‘s much-anticipated first salvo in an intergalactic adventure that will have fans leaning in as they read.

Starlight kicks off the inter-linked Millarworld Universe titles that will launch out of Kick-Ass 3‘s conclusion.

In a release, Millar said:

Plain and simple, this is the book that starts it all and you’re getting on the ground floor here for a three years plan I have featuring nine or ten titles with the biggest artists in the comic-book industry. Goran has been my favourite artist for the last couple of years and getting to work with him on a project that’s so pivotal to my plans, the beginning of what I hope is something enormous, is really exciting to me.

For Starlight #1, Millar was inspired by the old science-fiction serials from the ’40s and ’50s, and he has long wondered what would happen next in them.

One day they’d come back to Earth and settle down and have kids and that’s exactly what Starlight is… the story of a space-hero who returned and nothing exciting ever happened to him again until he reached retirement age and he had this call back to the stars. I’ve always been a fan of old gunslinger stories… the idea of this man who had been famous for his excellence getting one last chance to show what he can do. Applying that myth to a space-hero, to an iconic sci-fi character, seemed really interesting to me and the character is so warm and likeable as well as gruff and, I suppose, bad-ass that he really just wrote himself. Goran and I are very proud of this book.

Starlight arrives in stores on 3/5 and is available for $2.99.

Starlight with Cover A by John Cassaday can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code JAN140531, while Cover B by series artist Goran Parlov can be pre-ordered using Diamond Code JAN140532.

Millar and McNiven’s Nemesis Returns in 2013

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Brett

Millarworld Ltd., have announced that they will reschedule the release of Nemesis Returns, by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. From the release explaining the rescheduling:

Both Millar and McNiven are committed to ensuring the new series hits a regular schedule and with the new launch date, fans worldwide can expect an experience like they never thought possible! In order to help facilitate the timeliness of the Nemesis Returns, Steve has teamed up with two exciting new talents and opened a new studio endeavor, Carbon Sun Studios.

“Nemesis means a lot to me and I want it to be the best of my stuff out there,” said McNiven. “I want it done right, and we’ll make sure Nemesis gets his due.”

Millar adds, “Did I mention that the series opens with a car driving out of an airplane and landing in a swimming pool?”

Nemesis Returns is a follow-up to Millar and McNiven’s 2009-2010 series Nemesis.

NEMESIS RETURNS #1
Written by MARK MILLAR
Art & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
ON SALE THIS JANUARY

Mark Millar Talks Digital Downloads, We Say, You’re Doing it Wrong

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Brett

Image via Wikipedia

Over at his Millarworld website, Mark Millar has been discussing the breakdown of digital sales, mentioning it’s not quite as lucrative as you’d think. His breakdown of sales goes as this:

1/ Apple take 30% right off the bat.
2/ In the case of Wanted, Comixology then splits 50/50 with the publisher.
3/ Then the publisher pays the agent and creative team out of the remaining cash depending on their deal.

But, to this we’re going to say “you’re doing it wrong!” Massive Sqwertz shows how this is just a bad business model and there’s very simple set ups a comic book creator can do to to make a “do it yourself” digital service.

On top of that, you’re able to gather the data the buyers give when purchasing your items allowing you the company or creator to properly follow up with upsells. It’s a crazy concept I know, but it works for political fundraising. You don’t see us using iTunes to move items, there’s numerous options.

It’s the publishers that Millar should be directing his questions towards. That’s a shitty deal he describes, and the publishers should be leveraging better deals with the digital services. In fact the companies themselves should be selling items without iTunes or the various other apps as middle men instead pushing for a common standard for digital comics to be used by all companies.

This would force those digital readers to focus on the experience and finding another way to make money other than on the backs of the talent.

Congrats, I just saved you 65% of the money that shouldn’t be given up in the first place and you’ve now gained invaluable data as to actual sales and more importantly, who’s purchasing. You’re welcome, I’ll expect my thank you checks in the mail.