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Preview: Black Tape #2

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Black Tape #2

Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Dalibor Talajić
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover A: Dan Panosian — Diamond Code: JAN231351
Cover B: Joe Quesada — Diamond Code: JAN231352
Cover C: Chris Ferguson — Diamond Code: JAN231353
Cover D: Walt Simonson — Diamond Code: JAN231354
Cover E: Dan Panosian — Diamond Code: DEC228014

Jack King was a rock’n’roll god who projected a stage persona on par with the devil. After Jack dies on stage, his widow, Cindy, grapples with grief and struggles to protect his legacy, unaware that she is being surrounded by dark forces that covet the master tapes to Jack’s final, unreleased album – a heavy metal masterpiece that just might open a doorway to hell.

Black Tape #2

Preview: Black Tape #2

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Black Tape #2

Writer: Dan Panosian
Artist: Dalibor Talajić
Colorist: Ive Svorcina
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover A: Dan Panosian — Diamond Code: JAN231351
Cover B: Joe Quesada — Diamond Code: JAN231352
Cover C: Chris Ferguson — Diamond Code: JAN231353
Cover D: Walt Simonson — Diamond Code: JAN231354
Cover E: Dan Panosian — Diamond Code: DEC228014

Jack King was a rock’n’roll god who projected a stage persona on par with the devil. After Jack dies on stage, his widow, Cindy, grapples with grief and struggles to protect his legacy, unaware that she is being surrounded by dark forces that covet the master tapes to Jack’s final, unreleased album – a heavy metal masterpiece that just might open a doorway to hell.

Black Tape #2

AWA reveals Joe Quesada and Chris Ferguson variant covers for Black Tape

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Rock’n’Roll will never die, but it often kills a few folks along the way. AWA Studios has previously announced Black Tape, an all-new original mystery comic series that tells the fictional story of a miscreant and rock idol named Jack King, who drops dead under mysterious circumstances in the middle of a sold-out show. Penned by award-winning comic creator Dan Panosian and illustrated by acclaimed international artist Dalibor Talajić, Black Tape highlights the best of horror, heavy metal, and 1960s Los Angeles all while attempting to uncover what really happened to the rock’n’roll legend.

AWA Studios is adding to the Black Tape playlist with two new variant covers unveiled ahead of the series’ February 1 debut: an homage to heavy metal legend Mötley Crüe drawn by Chris Ferguson for Issue #4 and a new addition drawn by legendary comic editor Joe Quesada for Issue #2. 

The Mötley Crüe variant completes Black Tape’s set of variant covers inspired by iconic Rock N’ Roll albums. Previously revealed covers were inspired by AC/DC’s Back in Black, Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality, and Motörhead’s Motörhead. Quesada’s variant cover brings him together again with AWA Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Axel Alonso, who he previously worked with during his time at Marvel. 

Black Tape is written by Dan Panosian, illustrated by Dalibor Talajić, colored by Ive Svorcina, and lettered by Steve Wands. Issue #1 will be available February 1, 2023, 

The Miracleman Omnibus, the Definitive Collection returns with a new printing

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Last month, Marvel honored the 40th anniversary of Miracleman’s transformative reinvention with the brand-new Miracleman Omnibus! This long-awaited omnibus collected the influential work on the character from all of its legendary creators such as Alan Davis, Garry Leach, John Totleben, and more. A hit with fans, this extraordinary omnibus will return with a second printing this March.

This new printing will give readers another chance to witness Miracleman’s incredible origins, his most breathtaking feats, and the relevant and dramatic struggles of his alter-ego, freelance reporter Michael Moran, who must reconcile his life as the lesser half of a god—all depicted in glorious Omnibus format! Considered one of the medium’s greatest masterpieces, Miracleman’s adventures launched a new wave of comic book storytelling, and its extraordinary impact on the Super Hero genre is still felt to this day.

Middle-aged reporter Michael Moran always knew he was meant for something more. When an unexpected series of events leads him to reclaim his destiny, Miracleman is reborn. But Miracleman’s return threatens unravel Moran’s life. Their connections to Dr. Emil Gargunza and Project Zarathustra bring with them disturbing revelations and trigger the return of a childhood friend who, beneath his sinister smile, has become something terrifying. Pushing the concept of the Super Hero to its logical conclusion, Miracleman is nothing short of a revelation. This first-ever Omnibus edition, complete with a massive trove of covers, original artwork and rare features, includes:

  • Material from Warrior (1982) #1-18, #20-21
  • Miracleman (1985) #1, #3, #6-16
  • Marvelman Special (1984) #1
  • Material from A1 (1989) #1
  • All-New Miracleman Annual (2014) #1

Check out the cover by comics great Alan Davis, and don’t miss your chance to experience the series that transformed the Super Hero and stands as one of the most influential works in the comic book art form this March.

Miracleman Omnibus

NYCC 2022: Joe Quesada returns, Icon vs. Hardware, John Ridley, and more!

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DC‘s Jim Lee & Friends panel at New York Comic Con was full of news and reveals from amazing talent.

Marc Silvestri Talks About Batman’s Ultimate Team-Up

Lee’s longtime creative colleague Marc Silvestri was also on hand to share new art and conversation about his “buddy cop horror story”, Batman/The Joker: The Deady Duo. Silvestri talked to Lee and fans about the early days of pitching and planning the series, how his approach has evolved as both writer and artist from the start until now, why the relationship between Batman and The Joker has captivated fans for so long, and more details about what fans can expect when this seven issue limited series launches November 1, 2022.

Oscar Award-Winning Writer John Ridley – All In On DC

DC is fortunate to have an Academy Award-winning screenwriter on hand that treats his comic writing projects with the same care and commitment that he has with movies like 12 Years A Slave, Five Days At Memorial, American Crime, and his other movie projects. Writer John Ridley joined the panel to talk with Jim about his body of work, past and present. Ridley chatted with Lee and the audience about the current and future trajectory of Jace Fox since his move from Gotham to New York (and a sidekick?) in I Am Batman, and how the most recent story arc leads into his upcoming limited series G.C.P.D.: The Blue Wall, debuting October 18, 2022. John also discussed how he landed the job of telling the story of The Penguin, as part of DC’s Batman: One Bad Day event, revealing exclusive first look art from the one-shot ahead of its October 18 release.

Spencer Ackerman – “Building The Wall” in A New DC Black Label Series

For many, the 1990s was a comic book “renaissance,” with the birth of Lee’s own Wildstorm comics, DC’s then-unimaginable Death of Superman, and the creation of Milestone Comics. November’s DC 90’s Rewind event includes the launch of a new WildC.A.T.s. ongoing series, and a new DC Black Label limited series, Waller vs. WildStorm. Co-writer and noted national security journalist Spencer Ackerman appeared on the panel to talk about his first work for DC and how he, co-writer Evan Narcisse and artist Eric Battle plan to merge the DC and Wildstorm universes and show how Amanda Waller rose to power to become one of the most ruthless and unyielding characters in the DCU. Waller vs. Wildstorm debuts November 15, 2022.

Nikolas Draper-Ivey and Vita Ayala Return Static to Dakota in 2023

One of the brightest lights of Milestone Media’s reuniting with DC was Static: Season One, and breakout artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey, who joined the panel to talk a little about the reception that he, writer Vita Ayala and co-artist ChrisCross received after relaunching Milestone’s flagship super hero for a new generation. Fans got to see some of Draper-Ivey’s incredible art, as he spoke about taking on the new challenge of both co-writer (with Ayala) and artist for the six-issue sequel to Static: Season One, Static: Shadows of Dakota, debuting on February 7, 2023.

Early Look at New Titles Celebrating Milestone’s 30th Anniversary in 2023

Lee’s chat with Draper-Ivey led to more Milestone news, as he shared early reveals of two titles that will be part of the celebration of this groundbreaking imprint’s 30th anniversary next year. Cover art was revealed for Icon vs. Hardware, a five-issue limited series launching on February 14, 2023. Spinning out of the epilogue of the Milestones In History anthology, this series is co-written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills, and pits two of Milestone’s core super heroes against each other for the future of Dakota, as Hardware discovers a time machine and puts it to work altering the history of the world.

Fans also got the first look at the main (by Denys Cowan) and variant (by Nikolas Draper-Ivey) covers for a Milestone 30th Anniversary Special, scheduled for a February 21, 2023 release. This commemorative one-shot will feature stories celebrating the breadth and depth of the Dakotaverse, with contributions from Eisner award winner Chuck Brown, Stephanie Williams, Denys Cowan, Nikolas Draper Ivey, Yasmin Flores Montanez and others. The Draper-Ivey variant cover spotlights the story he’s writing and drawing, a team up between an adult version of Static and Batman Beyond.

Special Guest Joe Quesada Reveals Details on His Return to DC

Even though Jim likes to keep his panel lineup secret to surprise people with big news, he always keeps an ace-in-the-hole extra secret to really catch the audiences off guard. Today was no exception, as artist and former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada took the stage.

Quesada left Marvel earlier this year to pursue his own personal projects and he’s clearly starting off with a bang, as he announced that he’d be designing covers for DC titles in 2023, exclusively revealing his variant cover art for Batman #131 (January 3, 2023), and Batman #132 (February 7, 2023).

Underrated: Battlepug Volume One

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This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Battlepug: Volume One

Disclaimer: Somehow I managed to delete, and save the deletion, of almost the entire text of this column. It is currently about ten minutes before it’s due to go live… 

After a visit to the thrift store the other day I found the first volume of Mike Norton‘s Battlepug. Joining Norton for the comic is colourist Allen Passalaqu and letter Chris Crank. The story itself is a blend between homage and parody to Conan and He-Man in a world where sword and sorcery is the name of the game in a world where giant cuddly and innocent looking (mostly) animals represent a rather unconventionally large threat. With the first volume taking on a story-within-a-story set up, the framing is of a fairly stereotypical fantasy woman telling a bed time story to her two talking pugs. 

It’s the story within, that bed time story, that holds the origin of the Battlepug as a lone survivor of a village grows to become the Conan figure in all his brutal glory. The book, a slightly oversized hardcover that cost me $6, is presented almost like a children’s book – and because this isn’t a book for kids, that only adds to the brilliance of its presentation. Battlepug is one of those rare stories that is able to both poke fun at and show respect to its genre while exposing the tropes and criticisms that audiences level at classical fantasy. And it does all this with utter seriousness as a giant pug slurps and snorts through the pages.

Although there is a very cohesive and well told story here, there are also brilliant little moments every few pages; jokes in dialogue and imagery, nods of the head to other things the reader should be all too aware of, and things that may not necessarily be on their radar (I’m sure I missed a lot, honestly). There’s a much deeper story for you to unpack upon the second or third reading, and it never gets old. Or it hasn’t for me.

Norton’s story is utterly fantastic. It’s funny, it’s remarkably well written, and it deserves so much more than the hastily rewritten column that it is getting. It is beyond an Underrated gem, and it’s one that I have every intention of revisiting very soon, and in more detail, when I find the second volume.

Join us next week when we look at something else that is, for whatever reason, Underrated.

Joe Quesada Announces his Exit from Marvel

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Joe Quesada

In posts on social media, Marvel‘s executive and former editor-in-chief Joe Quesada announced his departure from the company. He took on a leadership role in August 2000 making his run one of the longer ones at the company. The move is effective June 1.

In the announcement Quesada mentioned writing and directing a short indie film as well as a future project with Marvel and other “insanely cool projects” of his own.

Quesada began his relationship with Marvel in 1991 in What The!? #13 and then Sleepwalker #12 in 1992. His first official run was X-Factor #87-90 as artist.

He went on to become the editor-in-chief of the Marvel Knights line which was a more mature take on Marvel’s classic characters. The success there saw him become the editor-in-chief until 2011 where he saw the relaunch of the Avengers and Fantastic Four during “Heroes Reborn”, Grant Morrison’s run on X-Men, Civil War, and so much more.

He became a regular at conventions with his Cup ‘o Joe panels and use of the internet to interact with fans.

His impact on the company can’t be measured having overseen a major relaunch of the brand that lead to its dominance not just in comics but also theaters.

You can read his full statement below:

Hey there, True Believer!

Got a sec? I have something I’d like to share with you.

When I first jumped into the world of comics, my goal was to create my own characters, stories, and universes. Then, one day Marvel made me an offer that changed the trajectory of my life. But lately, I’ve found myself thinking more and more of my favorite stanza from T.S. Eliot’s Little Gidding, “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”

That’s why it’s both exciting and bittersweet that after discussions with both my family and my family at Marvel, after two plus decades (has it really been that long?), the time has come for me to move on. As you can imagine, my love for the company, its characters, and all my coworkers runs deep, but I have an exciting new chapter that’s about to begin, so the time feels right.

In August of 2000, Marvel took a shot on me, entrusted me with the keys to the Universe, and has been my biggest supporter ever since. During that time, I’ve had the great fortune to stand on the shoulders of giants, none broader than those of my predecessors and mentors, the best editorial team in the business, my coworking family, and the most talented creators on earth who put their trust in me, especially in the early days when it looked like I was selling tickets on the Titanic. Thank you ALL for sharing your talents and pouring your heart and soul into every project. It’s been an honor working with you, and I hope we get to do it all again.

Now, this doesn’t mean you’re getting rid of me that easily. I won’t ever be too far away, cheering my Marvel family on and contributing from time to time, including something I’m thrilled about for later this year. I also have several insanely cool projects of my own that you’ll be hearing about in the coming months, including a short indie film I’m writing and directing. Stay tuned!

It’s been one hell of a ride, and I’m proud to have been a part of Marvel’s rags to riches story and satisfied that I accomplished the job I was hired to do twenty-two years ago (seriously, where did the time go?). But none of this happens without one very important person.

YOU!

My family and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Without your love and support, we wouldn’t have been able to go on this crazy adventure, and I hope you join us on our next one.

I promise you it’s going to be AMAZING!

See ya in the funnybooks!

JQ

Marvel Has Plans to Celebrate 40 Years of Miracleman

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Miracleman teaser

Though Miracleman first appeared as Marvelman in 1954, 2022 marks 40 years since the character’s revival in 1982 by writer Alan Moore and artist Garry Leach in the anthology comic Warrior. Marvel has some plans to celebrate as the character’s return was teased in the final page of this week’s Timeless.

Timeless is this year’s one-shot teasing what we can expect from Marvel in 2022 with the return of Miracleman being a big surprise that was kept under wraps.

Marvel announced in 2009 that they had purchased the rights to Marvelman though the publisher’s use of the character has been one of stops and starts since.

In June 2010, Marvel published a Marvelman Classic Primer one-shot and in July 2010 began an ongoing series reprinting material followed by hardcovers. But, there were issues behind the scenes we’ve been told that things were still up in the air and complicated.

In 2013 Marvel announced they had “solidified” their rights to Miracleman and Neil Gaiman would finish his run that had begun 25 years earlier. A “lost” story by Grant Morrison and drawn by Joe Quesada was eventually released with a new story by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred. For the most part, the releases were reprints of older material. New material was announced to be released in 2017 but was canceled due to legal hurdles which were then supposedly resolved with a publication that was supposed to begin in 2019 that including Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham‘s work.

Now, it looks like we’ll finally be getting that and possibly more. The fact this tease was within a Marvel comic as part of the story and not an ad indicates this will tie into the proper Marvel comic universe. In a recent calendar released to stores, Marvel further teased the 40th anniversary of Miracleman’s return.

What does 2022 have for us as far as this character? Could the teased “Judgement” event that involves the Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals have something to do with it? We’ll find out soon enough!

Preview: Marvel’s Voices: Community #1

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Marvel’s Voices: Community #1

(W) Daniel Jose Older, More (A) Enid Balam, More (CA) Joe Quesada
RATED T+
In Shops: Dec 08, 2021
SRP: $9.99

COME JOIN THE FESTIVITIES AS MARVEL CELEBRATES THE MIGHTY LATIN-X HEROES AND CREATORS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!
Spider-Man! White Tiger! Ghost Rider! And so many more heroes get their moment in the sun as new and fan-favorite creators continue to expand the world outside your window in MARVEL’S VOICES: COMUNIDADES (Community)! Featuring an introduction by renowned scholar Frederick Luis Aldama! PLUS, an all-new hero takes the stage in a whirlwind adventure you won’t want to miss.

Marvel's Voices: Community #1

Preview: Marvel’s Voices: Community #1

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Marvel’s Voices: Community #1

(W) Daniel Jose Older, More (A) Enid Balam, More (CA) Joe Quesada
RATED T+
In Shops: Dec 08, 2021
SRP: $9.99

COME JOIN THE FESTIVITIES AS MARVEL CELEBRATES THE MIGHTY LATIN-X HEROES AND CREATORS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!
Spider-Man! White Tiger! Ghost Rider! And so many more heroes get their moment in the sun as new and fan-favorite creators continue to expand the world outside your window in MARVEL’S VOICES: COMUNIDADES (Community)! Featuring an introduction by renowned scholar Frederick Luis Aldama! PLUS, an all-new hero takes the stage in a whirlwind adventure you won’t want to miss.

Marvel's Voices: Community #1
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