Tag Archives: jim henson’s the storyteller: witches

Preview: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches HC

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches HC

Authors: S.M. Vidaurri, Kyla Vanderklugt, Matthew Dow Smith, and Jeff Stokely
Artists: S.M. Vidaurri, Kyla Vanderklugt, Matthew Dow Smith, and Jeff Stokely

Inspired by folklore from around the world and all told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved beloved television series, this hardcover collects the watercolor story of “The Magic Swan Goose and the Lord of the Forest” from S.M. Vidaurri (Iron: Or, the War After), Spera artist Kyla Vanderklugt’s haunting tale of the Snow Witch, Matthew Dow Smith’s tale of a man shipwrecked on an island of witches, and the unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives, adapted by Jeff Stokely (Six-Gun Gorilla). Features an all-new cover illustration by Sonny Liew (The Shadow Hero) and the never-before-seen, unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives.

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BOOM! Studios in May 2015

ARCADIA #1

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Alex Paknadel
Artist: Eric Scott Pfeiffer
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Matt Taylor
BOOM! 10 Years Incentive Cover: Frazer Irving
Incentive Cover: Eric Scott Pfeiffer

What’s to Love: Our long tradition of breaking new talent—like Rafael Albuquerque (The Savage Brothers, American Vampire), Emma Rios (Hexed, Pretty Deadly), and Declan Shalvey (28 Days Later, Moon Knight)—continues with the debut of Alex Paknadel and Eric Scott Pfeiffer, two new creators whose extensive world-building in the sci-fi thriller Arcadia evokes comparisons to epics like Game of Thrones, The Matrix, and Astro City.

What It Is: When 99% of humankind is wiped out by a pandemic, four billion people are “saved” by being digitized at the brink of death and uploaded into Arcadia, a utopian simulation in the cloud. But when Arcadia begins to rapidly deplete the energy resources upon which the handful of survivors in the real world (aka “The Meat”) depends, how long will The Meat be able—and willing—to help? Featuring the first of five connecting covers by Matt Taylor.

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OH, KILLSTRIKE #1 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Max Bemis
Artist: Logan Faerber
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Logan Faerber
BOOM! 10 Years Incentive Cover: Frazer Iving
Incentive Cover: Kris Anka

What’s to Love: Say Anything frontman Max Bemis writes a love letter to 1990s superhero comics in this tongue-in-cheek homage to the era, featuring the art stylings of Logan Faerber—reminiscent of works by Chip Zdarsky and Jeff Lemire. Much like Polarity, Oh, Killstrike is very personal to Bemis: It’s about a new dad who loves comics from his youth. Part twisted buddy comedy, part profound coming-of-age story, we could not stop smiling when reading Oh, Killstrike.

What It Is: Jared, a new father, fears parenthood. An old comics fan, he turns to them for comfort. But when he unwittingly lets loose his favorite character, Killstrike—a single-minded, vengeance-loving anti-hero—onto the world, Jared must find a way to send him back before he harms all the people he loves the most. But before that happens, Killstrike leads Jared on a quest of self-discovery to make him realize the kid who loved this character is not the man he has become.

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BRAVEST WARRIORS: TALES FROM THE HOLO JOHN #1

Retail Price: $4.99
Authors: John Omohundro, Paul Allor, Ryan Ferrier, Adam Smith, & Mad Rupert
Artists: Eryk Donovan, Adam Del Re, Jorge Corona, Hannah Christenson, & Mad Rupert
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Jonathan Brandon Sawyer
Incentive Cover: Artyom Trakhanov

What’s to Love: What do you get when you cross Star Trek’s Holodeck with the wacky irreverence of the Bravest Warriors? Why, the Holo John, of course, a restroom that can make your wildest (or lamest) fantasies happen! This oversized one-shot contains five short stories set in the lavish lavatory, including ones by Paul Allor (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); Mad Rupert (Adventure Time: Banana Guard); and John Omohundro, the voice of Danny on the Bravest Warriors animated series!

What It Is: What happens when you flush a pet fish down the Holo John? (Hint: It fantasizes it was a shark instead!) Or what if the Holo John gains sentience and “dreams of electric pee”? All that and more are covered in this collection of short stories about the Bravest Warriors’ out-of-this-world outhouse. Who knew they used their emotions-based powers in the loo, too?

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LANTERN CITY #1

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Paul Jenkins & Matthew Daley
Artist: Carlos Magno
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Benjamin Carré
Jackpot Variant Cover: Carlos Magno
BOOM! 10 Years Variant Cover: Ben Caldwell
Incentive Cover: Dave Dorman

What’s to Love: From the writings of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to comics like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Lady Mechanika, the detailed and imagination-fueled steampunk movement has excited fans worldwide. Set in an original, sprawling steampunk world, Lantern City explores everything we love about the genre and what it takes to change a person’s place in the world.

What It Is: Sander Jorve just wants to keep his wife and son safe. Living in the brutalized lower class of Lantern City means living in near constant darkness, the enormous walls of the city always looming overhead, while the upper class enjoys the elevated, interconnected towers and airships above. When Sander’s brother-in-law, the persuasive activist Kendal, convinces him to infiltrate the brutal ranks of the Guard, he’s set on a dangerous path that will test his abilities and beliefs, all in the name of making a difference for his family and his caste.

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UFOLOGY #2 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: James Tynion IV, Noah J.Yuenkel
Artist: Matthew Fox
Cover Artist: Matthew Fox

Following the disaster at the abandoned house, the bodies of Eustace and “the stranger” are examined while Becky lies in a hospital bed, wishing she could forget everything that happened. Malcolm knows there’s something bigger going on, though, and is eager to investigate.

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BILL & TED’S MOST TRIUMPHANT RETURN #3 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Brian Lynch
Artists: Jerry Gaylord
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Felipe Smith
Incentive Cover: Erica Henderson

As Bill & Ted bring popularity and happiness to the childhood of their future oh-so-evil arch-nemesis, De Nomolos, they may have accidentally changed more than just his taste in music. With the looming threat of an altered timeline ahead of them, it will take more than the intervention of Rufus or the Grim Reaper to bring excellence back to the universe! Featuring a prehistoric time-romping back-up story by Adam P. Knave & DJ Kirkbride (Amelia Cole) and Wook Jin Clark (Adventure Time: Flip Side).

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PAMIOTTI & BRADY’S THE BIG CON JOB #3 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Jimmy Palmiotti & Matt Brady
Artist: Dominike “Domo” Stanton
Cover Artist: Amanda Conner

The crew is picked, and now the con is on. Just when the team thinks nothing can go wrong, reality sets in and tosses a monkey wrench their way!

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HIT: 1957 #3 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Bryce Carlson
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Cover Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey

Slater and Haywood arrive in Las Vegas and meet with an old confidante within Domino’s ranks. As they stage an assault to save Bonnie, Sticky tracks down the Hollywood Hacker on his own in L.A.

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CLUSTER #4

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Ed Brisson
Artist: Damian Couceiro
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Damian Couceiro
Incentive Cover: Declan Shalvey

The clock is ticking! Mourning the death of crew mates and trying to stay ahead of the enemies on their trail, Samara and Grace will have to decide who to trust in order to get back to prison before their time runs out.

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CURB STOMP #4 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Ryan Ferrier
Artist: Devaki Neogi
Cover Artist: Devaki Neogi

It’s the final showdown! The battle for Old Beach is on as the cops, The Wrath, and The Fever go head-to-head. Betty and her crew might be outnumbered, but they’ll fight to the death to defend their town.

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GEORGE PÉREZ’S SIRENS #5 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: George Pérez
Artist: George Pérez
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: George Pérez
10-Copy Incentive Cover: George Pérez (Character Spotlight)
25-Copy Incentive Cover: George Pérez (Pencils Connecting)
50-Copy Incentive Cover: George Pérez (Pencils Connecting)

Trapped in a time paradox, the Sirens must face off against zombie versions of themselves and figure out a way to prevent the second destruction of Earth!

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DEEP STATE #6

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Justin Jordan
Artist: Ariela Kristantina
Cover Artist: Matt Taylor

Harrow and Branch come face-to-face with the most notorious—and completely unknown—killer in U.S. history when Control informs them that they not only know who killed John F. Kennedy, but that the assassin is still alive.

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ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK #6

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Diego Barreto
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Mike Henderson
Intermix Cover: Robert Sammelin
Incentive Cover: Darick Robertson

As clashing forces fight for control over the Trans-Siberian railway, Snake learns things have not changed much since his first time as a soldier. With the ever-watching eye of a masked stranger upon him, Snake will discover that the past is never too far behind him.

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DAY MEN #8

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Matt Gagnon & Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Brian Stelfreeze
Cover Artist: Brian Stelfreeze

The fallout from the Justice by Day battle reaches its climax as the Virgo and Ramses families fight for their survival against the Scourge.

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HEXED #10

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Dan Mora
Cover Artist: Dan Mora

Just as Lucifer went through her recent mysterious transformation, this special flashback issue takes a look at how the Harlot went from being human to becoming the Keeper of Secrets.

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ROBOCOP #11

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Joshua Williamson & Dennis Culver
Artist: Alejandro Aragón
Cover Artist: Carlos Magno

The final battle for Detroit rages on the steps of OCP headquarters. Death on all sides grows in numbers every second. With Killian making his way to the Old Man, Lewis and RoboCop must come together one last time to see this war to its end.

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DEAD LETTERS #11

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Christopher Sebela
Artist: Chris Visions
Cover Artist: Chris Visions

The Gang War between Ma and Jones has devolved into chaos between the boroughs and established factions. As each side threatens to wipe out the other, the very fabric of “Here” is imploding. God is shutting down the experiment.

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BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #12

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Eric Powell
Artist: Brian Churilla
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Brian Churilla
Incentive Cover: Nick Robles

Lo Pan’s revenge against Jack Burton in the Hell of No Return is almost complete, but Egg and Wang are coming back to Chinatown, and they’re bringing Jack’s soul with them!

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SONS OF ANARCHY #21

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Ryan Ferrier
Artist: Matías Bergara
Cover Artist: Toni Infante

Tensions escalate as disgraced ex-prospect Dillon frames the Mayans for vandalizing the SAMCRO clubhouse and kidnapping Lyla.

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SUICIDE RISK #25

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Mike Carey
Artist: Elena Casagrande
Cover Artist: Elena Casagrande

Final issue! Leo must decide between his old life and his new life as the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. Does he save his real family, or the ones they forced him to love? Does it make a difference?

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ADVENTURE TIME: MARCELINE GONE ADRIFT #5 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Meredith Gran
Artist: Carey Pietsch
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Reimena Yee
Subscription Variant Cover: Kevin Stanton
Variant Cover: Liz Fleming

As Marceline and Princess Bubblegum try to get back to Ooo, Finn has to figure out how to deal with the Suspencer when he can’t get close to him! Meanwhile, Cinnamon Bun is taking advantage of his new abilities to the extreme.

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BEE AND PUPPYCAT #12

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Patrick Seery
Artists: Megan Brennan
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Flynn Nicholls
Subscription Variant Cover: Drew Green

Bee wants to get an awesome present for Deckard, but she’s totally broke. Luckily PuppyCat is on the case and gets her a mission…doing yardwork?

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REGULAR SHOW #23

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Mad Rupert
Artist: Allison Strejlau
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Andy Hirsch
Subscription Variant Cover: Andrew Stewart

Rigby and Hi-Five Ghost find cryptic information about the strange movie from Rigby’s childhood on a message board, leading them to believe it was about dinosaur aliens!

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PEANUTS #28

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Charles M. Schulz, Jeff Dyer, Various
Artists: Charles M. Schulz, Scott Jeralds, Various
Cover Artist: Charles M. Schulz

With the arrival of an eclipse, Linus prepares the gang for the worst. Using Charlie Brown’s perfectly round head as a placeholder for the sun, he must do all he can to keep them from staring into the upcoming rays. “Sunny Disposition” and more adventures are in store in this brand-new issue!

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BRAVEST WARRIORS #32

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Kate Leth
Artist: Ian McGinty
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Ian McGinty
Subscription Variant Cover: Victoria Elliott

Bugcat’s evil plan comes to fruition as he transforms into a monstrous beast to stop the Bravest Warriors and ruin summer camp forever! The Bravest Warriors are going to have to team up with the campers to defeat Bugcat, but do these kids have what it takes?

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ADVENTURE TIME #40

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Christopher Hastings, Henry Leo & Matt Fraction
Artist: Zachary Sterling
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Paul Pope
Subscription Variant Cover: Lauren Dawson
Variant Cover: Simon Leclerc

It’s a special interactive, one-shot issue! Magic Man plans to use the reader to help beat Finn and Jake, but can our heroes turn the tables? Features a special short written by debut writer Henry Leo and Matt Fraction (Hawkeye)!

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GIANT DAYS #3 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: John Allison
Artist: Lissa Treiman
Cover Artist: Lissa Treiman

Following a night of “mild abandon,” Esther finds herself singled out by the vile collegiate man-site “Laddzone.” When the university authorities are less than helpful, she vows to take down this cyber institution!

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HELP US! GREAT WARRIOR #4 (of 8)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Madeleine Flores
Artist: Madeleine Flores
Cover Artist: Victoria Elliot

The evil demon has got his filthy claws into the world, and it’s up to Great Warrior to stop him. But what happens when her greatest secret is revealed?

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MUNCHKIN #5

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Tom Siddell
Artist: Ian McGinty
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Ian McGinty
Variant Cover: Paul Maybury

THE FUTURE! Everyone lives underground now. The shadowy government decides to send someone back in time to rectify past mistakes. The time traveller runs into other time travellers, including a cyborg hunter sent to “terminate” a military leader, two high school kids on an Excellent Adventure, a crazy doctor and a young man who seem to be travelling back to the past/future, and Jeanne Claude Van Damme as TIMECOP from the movie TIMECOP. Turns out the future was messed up by all these conflicting time-travelling jerks.

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LUMBERJANES #14

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters
Artist: Brooke Allen
Cover Artists:
Main Cover: Brooke Allen
Variant Cover: Joy Ang

When a freak snow storm hits the camp, Jen gets lost! It’s up to Rosie and the girls to find their Roanoke cabin leader. As they search, Jen comes across the path of a mysterious taxidermist who rides a moose. What the junk is she up to?

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MOUSE GUARD: LEGENDS OF THE GUARD VOL. 3 #3 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Authors: David Petersen, Ramon K. Perez, Jake Parker, Eric Talbot
Artists: David Petersen, Ramon K. Perez, Jake Parker, Eric Talbot
Cover Artist: David Petersen

The mice at the June Alley Inn continue to tell their stories in an attempt to clear their tabs. Featuring inventive mice, haunting cicadas, and other stories from Ramón K Pérez (Hawkeye), Jake Parker (Rocket Raccoon), and Eric Talbot (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

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HALOGEN #3 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Josh Tierney
Artist: Afu Chan
Cover Artist: Afu Chan

In a shocking display, Det takes down Hale so that she, Rell, and Mason can reach the HaloGen ship and escape. As they make their way back to Cityship Q, Rell has to figure out what to do with Det.

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PLUNDER #4 (of 4)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Swifty Lang
Artist: Skuds McKinley
Cover Artist: Skuds McKinley

Final issue! Bahdoon is quickly running out of time. Will he choose his own survival over stopping the monster?

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FEATHERS #5 (of 6)

Retail Price: $3.99
Author: Jorge Corona
Artist: Jorge Corona
Cover Artist: Jorge Corona

Feeling alone and betrayed by Bianca and Gabriel, Poe finds a humbled and apologetic Z, who tells him that all the Mice have been taken by the Scarf Man.

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CLIVE BARKER’S NIGHTBREED VOL. 1 TP

Retail Price: $14.99
Authors: Clive Barker, Marc Andreyko
Artist: Piotr Kowalski
Cover Artist: Riley Rossmo

What’s to Love: Before Fables, before Once Upon a Time, Clive Barker created a secret city of monsters that live among us. Don’t worry if you’ve never seen the film: Clive Barker and writer Marc Andreyko (Batwoman, Manhunter), along with Piotr Kowalski’s gorgeous art (Dark Tower, Sex), have crafted a story for horror fans new and old.

What It Is: With Clive Barker’s vision for Nightbreed finally released—Nightbreed: The Director’s Cut—this series gives readers the untold histories throughout time for the monsters of Midian that fans have been craving. The Nightbreed is a secret society of monsters and misfits that hide away from humans, but have been a part of this world since time immemorial. Explore both the past and the present of this clandestine tribe, unleashing new secrets and horrors as they fight to coexist with mankind. Collects issues #1-4.

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THE WOODS VOL. 2 TP

Retail Price: $14.99
Author: James Tynion IV
Artist: Michael Dialynas
Cover Artist: Michael Dialynas

On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers, and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace, finding themselves countless light years away in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. One year prior, the school held its first rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” on a night that would prove fateful to both the students and faculty, as their lives crossed paths in an almost premonitory way, seeding the various horrors to come. Created and written by James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal) and illustrated by Michael Dialynas (Amala’s Blade), “The Swarm” collects the critically acclaimed second arc (issues #5-8) of the best-selling series.

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FAIRY QUEST VOL. 2: OUTCASTS TP

Retail Price: $14.99
Authors: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Humberto Ramos
Cover Artist: Humberto Ramos

What’s to Love: We all grew up reading fairy tales. We all love fairy tales! But if you enjoy your fairy tales with a twist like Fables, Fairest, or Once Upon a Time, Fairy Quest is the perfect series for you. Plus, Paul Jenkins (Wolverine: Origin) and Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man) have already made the fans their co-publishers with a successful Kickstarter.

What It Is: The adventures of Red and Mister Woof have only just begun. In Fablewood, all of the stories that have ever been told live side-by-side. But it is an evil place, overseen by the awful Mister Grimm and his cadre of Think Police. Red and Woof want to escape to a world where their friendship isn’t prohibited, but nothing can prepare them for what lies ahead in the Dark Forest.

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GARFIELD VOL 6 TP

Retail Price: $13.99
Author: Mark Evanier & Scott Nickel
Artists: Andy Hirsch & Various
Cover Artist: Andy Hirsch

It’s more all-new Garfield stories, including Garfield in a televised race, Nermal entering a beauty pageant, and Liz meeting a Scary Sorceress! Collects Garfield #21-24.

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THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL VOL. 1 TP

Retail Price: $14.99
Author: Frank Gibson
Artists: Tyson Hesse
Cover Artist: Zachary Sterling

What’s to Love: Based on the award-winning animated series, The Amazing World of Gumball features a wacky cast of characters and a ton of heart, so we were delighted to bring Gumball Watterson and the town of Elmore to comics for the first time.

What It Is: Gumball Watterson thinks he’s the coolest kid in school, his little sister Anais begs to differ, and Darwin just wants to stay out of trouble! Anything can happen in the crazy town of Elmore, and Gumball is the master of causing all sorts of trouble with his crazy schemes. Collects issues #1-4, including the Free Comic Book Day story.

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ADVENTURE TIME: SUGARY SHORTS VOL. 2 HC

Retail Price: $24.99
Author: Roger Langridge, Noelle Stevenson & Various
Artists: Frazer Irving, Roger Langridge, Dustin Nguyen, Noelle Stevenson & Various
Cover Artist: Cover Design by Jillian Crab

A collection of shorts featuring Finn, Jake, and the rest of the citizens of Ooo from the pages of Adventure Time #16-18, Adventure Time: 2013 Spoooktacular, Adventure Time: 2013 Summer Special, and Adventure Time: 2013 Annual.

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JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER: WITCHES HC

Retail Price: $24.99
Authors: S.M. Vidaurri, Kyla Vanderklugt, Matthew Dow Smith & Jeff Stokely
Artists: S.M. Vidaurri, Kyla Vanderklugt, Matthew Dow Smith & Jeff Stokely
Cover Artist: Sonny Liew

What’s to Love: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller television show delighted fans for generations, and we’re honored to be able to collect new stories in the spirit of the beloved series. We’ve collected the four tales of wonder and witchcraft from Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches in a beautiful hardcover that will delight fans of all ages.

What It Is: Inspired by folklore from around the world and all told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved beloved television series, this hardcover collects the watercolor story of “The Magic Swan Goose and the Lord of the Forest” from S.M. Vidaurri (Iron: Or, the War After), Spera artist Kyla Vanderklugt’s haunting tale of the snow witch, Matthew Dow Smith’s tale of a man shipwrecked on an island of witches, and the unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives, adapted by Jeff Stokely (Six-Gun Gorilla). Features an all-new cover illustration by Sonny Liew (The Shadow Hero) and the never-before-seen, unproduced The Storyteller teleplay from The Jim Henson Company Archives.

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Preview: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller Witches #4 (of 4)

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller Witches #4 (of 4)

Imprint: Archaia

Author: Anthony Mighella
Adapted by: Jeff Stokely
Artist: Jeff Stokely

In this final stand-alone issue, Harvey Award-nominated artist Jeff Stokely (Six-Gun Gorilla) adapts an unproduced teleplay by writers of the The Storyteller television show Susan Kodicek, Anne Mountfield, and Academy Award winner Anthony Minghella that weaves together the legend of the Russian witch, Baba Yaga.

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Review: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #4

witches 004 aFor a series that is focused on fairy tales dealing with witches, it makes sense that at some point it would have to include Baba Yaga, here drawn from an unused teleplay for the original television series.  While there are other witches who are more famous in fairy tales, many of them are not named specifically, and so Baba Yaga as a name is distinctive enough to merit some attention.  The story follows a fairly common theme among fairy tales, the death of a mother and her replacement with a mean step-mother and her mean daughters. The young girl acting as the protagonist is forced into a life of servitude, which is made all the worst when she is sent to the dark forest to live.

In the folklore tradition of Baba Yaga there is not one common narrative as there is with for instance Cinderella or Snow White, instead the witch is more like a legend or superstition in her portrayal, and often even a cautionary tale of what happens to children that do not behave.  Here though she is put into a story which captures a lot of the commonalities of fairy tales, even when they are not from a specific story dealing with Baba Yaga.  This makes the story seem a bit artificial at times, and this is even more evident, as the titular Storyteller is shown in this issue far more than in previous issues, and his presence seems almost like it is necessary to advance the plot. Equally though by pulling from stock material for fairy tales, it does allow the main character to display some redeeming qualities, notably when she is challenged to riddles which she quickly deciphers.

The end result for this issue and this series is a little bit of a disappointment.  While the series is quaint and interesting when approached from a certain angle, it also never really managed to reach the level that it could have or should have.  The collected edition might be a nice addition to a child’s library, but from an adult point of view, most of the fairy tales in this four part series missed the mark.  This fourth and final issue was probably the second best of the four, but as it is still only about average, it is indicative of the problems that this series faced.

Story: Anthony Mighella Art: Jeff Stokely
Story: 7.4 Art: 7.4 Overall: 7.4 Recommendation: Pass

BOOM! Studios and Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

 

Preview: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #3 (of 4)

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #3 (of 4)

Imprint: Archaia

Author: Matthew Dow Smith
Artist: Matthew Dow Smith

Matthew Dow Smith (X-Files, Hellboy) tells the epic Irish folktale of “The Phantom Isle.” When a young man shipwrecks on a mysterious island ruled by a council of witches, he has the choice of freedom or staying on the isle where he does not age. The lure of immortality is hard to resist, but it comes with a price he may not be willing to pay.

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Review: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #3

StorytellerWitches03_coverSo far in this miniseries, the connections to the titular storyteller have been almost absent, save for a single non sequitur page in the first issue.  For the first time in this four part series the concept of storytelling is first introduced.  A lone fisherman is marooned off of the coast of Ireland and ends up on an island inhabited by witches.  The witches enlist his aid as they prove to be mostly benevolent, providing him with an extended life.  In exchange he is required to keep the witches’ city alive with his tales, the tales of fantasy providing the wonder upon which the buildings are created.

Although the story fits better in the overall concept of the series than the first issue, it still suffers from a medium trying to describe itself.  Sometimes such works can be of a good calibre, but all too often they become too self-referential as movies describe movies, music describes music or poems describe poems.  That is the case here, the story at its heart is still fairly basic with the character not really fully developed, and so there is little to get behind as there was in the second issue.  Instead much of the story here deals with telling the reader how important story tellers are, which is perhaps a good message, but also in the end self-serving.

Judged against the merits of the other issues so far in this series, this one lands squarely in the middle.  It wasn’t as off-topic as the first, nor was it as beautiful as the second.  Instead it ends up being a serviceable attempt, though it comes up short in the end.  In terms of the overall series, it is likely that it will be collected into a trade paperback at some point, and that being the case, this issue will fit in well, but as a stand-alone issue it still really isn’t worth going out of the way for.

Story and Art: Matthew Dow Smith
Story: 7.2 Art: 7.2 Overall: 7.2 Recommendation: Pass

BOOM! studios and Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

Preview: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #2 (of 4)

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #2 (of 4)

Imprint: Archaia

Writer: Kyla Vanderklugt
Artist: Kyla Vanderklugt

Kyla Vanderklugt, artist of Spera and Archaia’s 2014 Free Comic Book Day Labyrinth story, tells the beautiful Japanese tale of “The Snow Witch” in a gorgeous horizontal format stand-alone issue. When an old woodcutter and his young apprentice are caught in a blizzard, a mysterious woman dressed in white appears and freezes the woodcutter to death before eating his soul. She spares the apprentice if he vows never to tell of what he has seen, but keeping his word may not be so easy when he falls in love.

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Review: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #2

StorytellerWitches02_coverFairy tales can sometimes be a challenging source to draw upon.  While many famous story tales have an obvious moral or theme, some of the more obscure fairy tales have a theme or moral which is either hard to comprehend or outright inappropriate by modern standards.  This was in part what caused the first issue in this miniseries to be a bit of a misfire, as the choice of fairy tale was not a good match for an engaging story.  Part of that is because of the nature of this miniseries, as it identifies itself as focusing on fairy tales that deal with witches, and so in addition to finding new fairy tales to highlight that it also has a thematic challenge of finding the right material.  For the second entry into this series, the writer has gone a bit further afield and turned to Japanese fairy tales, though with an evidently better result.

Japanese fairy tales are a bit of a mystery to me.  My only exposure to them is from a collection of them that my wife downloaded to her e-reader.  As opposed to the more familiar European stories, these stories have a different presentation, and their resolution often results in more questions than answers.  That is the case here with the snow witch, a story about a wood gatherer in the mountains of Japan who meets the snow witch, and she changes his life in an unforeseen way.  While anything like morality is very ambiguous in this story, it is still well interpreted to this medium, and the writer (who is also the artist) does a good job at making the characters approachable and immediately likeable.  Though they only share a few panels, the romance between the wood-cutter and wife is evident, and it made the scenes between them touching.

As this series stands, there is still almost nothing here to tie this into Jim Henson, only using the franchise name as a boost to sell some extra issues about fairy tales.  The first issue didn’t do the man much justice, but the second issue at least captures the quality if not the content that he would be known for.  This second issue does redeem the series though, and with this more successful adaptation it makes me wonder what the series might hold for its remaining two issues.

Story and Art: Kyla Vanderklugt 
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

BOOM! studios and Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.  

Around the Tubes

The weekend is almost here! I’m spending it geeking with some friends. Hope everyone else has fun!

Around the Tubes

Kotaku – No, THIS Is Almost Every Sci-Fi Starship Ever, In One Giant Chart – That’s a lot of ships.

The Beat – Jeremy Atkins ankles comics for beer – Congrats!

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

The Comics Journal – The Auteur Vol. 1: President’s Day

Comic Vine – Batman Eternal #24

The Spire – Batman: Futures End #1

Talking Comics – Daredevil #8

Comic Vine – Deadly Class #7

Talking Comics – Jim Henson’s Storyteller: The Witches #1

Comic Vine – The Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: The Conquerors of the Counter-World #1

CBR – The Multiversity: The Society of Super-Heroes: The Conquerors of the Counter-World #1

Comic Vine – Uncanny X-Men #26

Comic Vine – The Wicked + The Divine #4

Shadowhak’s Shade – Witchblade Vol. 1

Review: Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Witches #1

StorytellerWitches01_coverABefore delving into this new BOOM! Studios miniseries, it is maybe worth recapping the background of the Storyteller. This idea started as a television series in the 1980s, and it examined a number of lesser known fairy tales. In true Jim Henson style, the storytelling was a mixture or puppet and live actors, with the storyteller and his dog being the only common characters throughout. It had high production values, including the usual amazing puppetry, but it was only produced for one season. Jim Henson holds a special place in the hearts and minds of children of the 70s and 80s. In an era which was before the advent of CGI, his vision, talent and artistry made helped make movies like Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and even The Empire Strikes Back into what they were.

This series seems interested in capturing the current popularity in fairy tales, and to be fair it does so in a novel way. It is evident that the writer/illustrator has put forth a lot of effort to make sure that this is a beautiful piece of work, even as it highlights a lesser known tale titled the Magic Swan Goose and the Lord of the Forest. The only major problem which comes up here is the association with Henson. A Henson fan picking up this book without looking first inside will likely be a little disappointed in the end product. The Henson name here is one attached to the series which BOOM! has the rights to produce. Aside from one splash page near the beginning of the issue, nothing at all has anything to do with Henson.

As a standalone this issue is a bit more literal, in the sense that nothing out of the ordinary is being done with fairy tales here. This is not Fables or Zenescope where fairy tales form the basis for modern characters but rather just a relatively straight telling of an obscure fairy tale. The end presentation is fine, and even beautiful in places, but with the more traditional aspect of fairy tales being presented here, it is likely that children would be better recipients of this story than adults, especially so that it is lighter on text as well.

Story and Art: S.M. Vidaurri
Story: 5.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass

BOOM! Studios/Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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