In October 2015 Dark Horse announced a new series Cryptocracy from Van Jensen and Pete Woods. The series is a deep exploration into the secret society behind every major conspiracy in history, and why they’re suddenly being killed. The comic was originally slated for May 2016, but now has a release date of late June and as we get closer to release Dark Horse is ramping up its promotion. Check two new teasers.
It has been two years since Dynamite celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Six Million Dollar Man with the continuation of the NBC television show in the Season Six comic book miniseries. Now, Dynamite announces the return of Steve Austin in an all-new series, The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man, written by Van Jensen in his first-ever project for Dynamite! Ron Salas joins Jensen on art.
The year is 1979. Iran has seized American hostages. Columbian drug cartels run rampant. And Le Chic’s “Freak Out” dominates the charts. Amid this deeply troubled world, Steve Austin – everyone’s favorite Six Million Dollar Man – is America’s best hope in its fight against innumerable enemies. When Steve discovers disturbing secrets in OSI’s past, he uses his cybernetic upgrades to rebel against the agency… but he’ll face plenty of threats, like an enemy cyborg, lasers, and ninjas!Van Jensen is a comic book writer, best known for his work on The Green Lantern Corps and The Flash for DC Comics. A former newspaper crime reporter and magazine editor, he broke into comics as the writer of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer, which was named one of YALSA’s Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. He also has written The Leg: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna’s Disembodied Limb, Cryptocracy, and Two Dead.
Look for the first issue of The Six Million Dollar Man: Fall of Man on sale July 13th, featuring story by Van Jensen, and art by Ron Salas.
In October 2015 Dark Horse announced a new series Cryptocracy from Van Jensen and Pete Woods. The series is a deep exploration into the secret society behind every major conspiracy in history, and why they’re suddenly being killed. The comic was originally slated for May 2016, but now has a release date of late June.
With a profile in this month’s Previews, the marketing is kicking up for what’s sure to be a buzzed about comic when released.
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and the Vampire Zoo
Van Jensen (w) • Dusty Higgins (a & c)
Venture back into the world of the acclaimed Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer in this brand-new adventure from creators Dusty Higgins (Knights of the Living Dead, Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape) and Van Jensen (The Flash, Green Lantern Corps). Pinocchio and his band of slayers are battling the undead across Italy when they come across a zoo and decide to take a break from the hunt. But the animals of this zoo have been infected by the vampiric curse. Now, the gang has to fight its way through hyenas, bats and one damn mean vampire gorilla to survive!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and the Vampire Zoo
Van Jensen (w) • Dusty Higgins (a & c)
Venture back into the world of the acclaimed Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer in this brand-new adventure from creators Dusty Higgins (Knights of the Living Dead, Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape) and Van Jensen (The Flash, Green Lantern Corps). Pinocchio and his band of slayers are battling the undead across Italy when they come across a zoo and decide to take a break from the hunt. But the animals of this zoo have been infected by the vampiric curse. Now, the gang has to fight its way through hyenas, bats and one damn mean vampire gorilla to survive!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Zoom’s plan to destroy the image of the Flash before killing him continues. A large portion of Central City is trapped beneath a dome of the Flash’s own energy and it is up to him to find a way to get everyone out alive.
The story again builds on Zoom’s plan to kill the Flash by destroying his reputation. By having the Flash be the power source for the dome, he hopes that he can turn the city against him. It works too. Captain Frye of the police force instantly sees him as an enemy. But, it does not make much sense. The entire story is full of leaps of logic that take away from the narrative. The captain blames the Flash for the dome, even though, he witnessed the Flash trigger a trap that was plainly set for him by the villains. Even after saving people, the Captain still believes he cannot be trusted for no sound reason. The twist ending also leads to a leap of logic which makes the entire story before it pointless. The final reveal could have happened the exact same way without the dome ever being a part of Zoom’s master plan. On the more positive side, Wally West’s growth as a heroic figure continues to be the most interesting part of this comic. As all of the adults around him continue to lose their cool, he is the only one able to stay calm and find a solution to their predicament.
The artwork is strong throughout. The dome creates a background of scarlet and lightning which adds a layer of tension and movement to almost every panel. Facial expressions are well portrayed and match very well the large scope of feelings being presented by the characters. The panel layouts are also visually striking and add a sense of chaos to the rapid movements of the Flash and Zoom.
Overall, The Flash #45 is a letdown that does not build on the story of the last few issues. The ending panel makes the entire Zoom arc so far irrelevant and over complicated. What could have been a fun action survival story turns into a waste of time as the narrative shift makes the entire affair seem pointless.
Story: Van Jensen Art: Brett Booth, Vicente Cifuentes, Ale Garza
Story: 6 Art: 7.5 Overall: 6.75 Recommendation: Pass
In 2016, fan-favorite Green Lantern Corps and The Flash scribe Van Jensen brings a new lineup of creator-driven original series to Dark Horse Comics—and you won’t believe what he plans to tackle first.
They were the gunmen on the grassy knoll.
They conducted the Philadelphia Experiment.
They found the ship that crashed in Roswell—and its pilots.
They allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor. They faked the moon landing.
For ages, they have worked in the shadows, controlling the fate of the world. But now, they are being hunted.
In Cryptocracy, Jensen teams with Action Comics artist Pete Woods for a deep exploration into the secret society behind every major conspiracy in history—and why they’re suddenly being killed. Coming May 2016, the series combines Jensen’s profound story with Woods’s dynamic art for a story that shouldn’t be missed.
Then, in September 2016, Jensen gets back to his roots as a crime reporter for Two Dead, a collaboration with legendary March artist Nate Powell.
On a snowy New Year’s Day, 1947, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Police Chief O. N. Martin gunned down his lieutenant, Jack Deubler, and then killed himself. The threads of crime, conspiracy, violence, racism, and madness that led to this tragic true-crime case of murder-suicide are retraced in Two Dead, which follows in the footsteps of true-crime epics such as Green River Killer.
Look forward to seeing these new stories in 2016!
Professor Zoom continues his plan to destroy the image of The Flash so completely, that when he finally does kill him, no one will remember his name and the great evil Zoom believes he will become will be erased from history. Barry is now forced to do everything in his power to save his father as Zoom’s grip on his life continues to tighten.
A large part of the Flash’s identity is based on the idea of family and this arc in no different. While Henry Allen sits a captive of Zoom, Barry rushes to save the father he never truly knew, in the hope of recreating the family he never truly had. At the same time, Barry finds himself trying to create another family where he is a father figure to a young Wally West, hoping to help him avoid the trauma he experienced growing up without a father. This is the heart of the issue and it is done very well. There is a sense of love between these three characters, making every move by Zoom and his allies to crush the Flash feel even more impactful. Ironically enough though, the most mature out of the three is Wally West, as he must be leveled headed to help Barry from being too irrational about how to save his father.
Although, the issue does falter in terms of the execution of Zoom’s plan. The story essentially boils down to framing the Flash for an unforgivable crime but, they attempt to do this by incriminating him in broad daylight with the entire city watching. It is hard to believe all of Central City would fail to notice that the villains are not the cause of everything when they are screaming in the middle of downtown.
The art is also a mixed bag of quality. This all stems from the design choice to make every single panel angled as if the page is shattered glass. It works very well during the action scenes when the Flash is moving. The style creates a great sense of chaotic motion which is what one would expect when moving as quickly as the fastest man alive. The problem is, these same angled panels do not work in the slower, more conversation driven scenes. They lead to a lot of wasted blank space on the page and, many times, do not fit the mood of the scene occurring on them.
Overall, this is a fine buildup issue that has enough interesting parts to make the coming finale a worthwhile read.
Story: Robert Venditti, Van Jensen Art: Brett Booth
Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read
Last week, DC Comics gave provided us with a first look at Lights Out – this October’s epic crossover event that will change the Green Lantern universe forever.
Green Lantern Corps writer Van Jensen spoke a bit about the villainous mastermind behind it all, Relic:
It’s not that he is just a bad person who wants to kill and destroy. He has a true purpose that he’s working for, and that purpose just happens to put him at odds with the Green Lanterns.
As for the impact of “Lights Out”? It’s a crossover that’s “a completely redefining story.” It totally changes the paradigm of what the Green Lanterns are all about.
Check out some of Bernard Chang’s interior art for Green Lantern Corps #24, the second chapter of Lights Out, which lands in stores on October 9.
Did you go to the comic shop yesterday? Get anything?
Around the Tubes
The Fialkov – The Story… – Josh Fialkov explains why he left Green and Red Lantern.
CBR – Venditti, Jensen & Soule Replace Fialkov On “Green Lantern” Titles – But some good replacements.
Kotaku – The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Is The Worst Game I’ve Played This Year – That sucks…
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