Tag Archives: william shakespeare

Celebrating Shakespeare Day, Joe Quesada and Amazing Comics Announce Undiscover’d, A New Line of Comic Books Based on the Plays of the Bard

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Undiscover’d

Timed to Shakespeare Day, legendary comic book writer, artist, and former Editor-in-Chief and Chief Creative Officer at Marvel Entertainment Joe Quesada has announced Undiscover’d, a new line of comic books co-created by Quesada and Charles Dorfman from Amazing Comics based on the timeless works of the Bard. Each title reimagines a specific Shakespeare play through a new genre and setting—while preserving the original character names and core themes. All stories will unfold in a version of our world—familiar, yet reimagined through the lens of genre, time, and imagination.

Disciple

Undiscover’d’s’ inaugural title, Disciple, will be a dramatic reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, co-written by Quesada and Charles Dorfman, the writer and director of Barbarians and producer of the Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter. Dorfman will be making his comics debut with the series illustrated by Quesada and inker Wade von Grawbadger, with colorist Richard Isanove and letterer Joe Caramagna. The comic was originally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2024.

Amazing Comics is a collaboration between Quesada, Mad Cave Studios, and European publishing house Dupuis. The three companies will work in tandem to publish and distribute titles on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Amazing Comics will feature comic books written by some of the biggest names in the entertainment and comic book industries, including: 

  • Derek Kolstad, the writer and creator of John Wick and Nobody;
  • J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5, co-writer of the TV series Sence8, screenwriter of Clint Eastwood’s Changeling and the MCU Thor film; 
  • Steven Paul Judd, the writer on Dark Winds and Echo television shows; 
  • Christopher Priest, legendary writer of Black Panther and Deadpool for Marvel Comics;
  • Garth Ennis, writer and co-creator of The Boys and Preacher comic books;
  • Ethan Sacks, writer of Star Wars for Marvel Comics and co-writer of the acclaimed Image Comics series A Haunted Girl; 
  • Charles Dorfman, writer and director of Barbarians, and producer of the Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter.

Upcoming Amazing Comics will be illustrated by all-star artists, including Quesada himself, as well as:

  • Esad Ribic, artist on Marvel’s Secret Wars, Silver Surfer: Requiem, X-Men and Thor for Marvel Comics;
  • Ryan Stegman, artist on Venom, The King in Black, X-Men, Vanish, and Missionary
  • Ronan Toulhoat, artist of the immensely popular European albums Daemon and Dog Head

Review: The Dreaming: Waking Hours #3

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The Dreaming: Waking Hours #3

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #3 continues to play a fantastic, two world balancing act as single mom/struggling academic Lindy tries to solve the Shakespeare authorship question in the Dreaming surrounded by different versions of the Bard of Avon while Ruin, Jophiel, and the sorceress Heather try to get her out of there. G. Willow Wilson, Nick Robles, and Mat Lopes take what were personally my favorite bits of Sandman (The Shakespeare appearances/historical flashbacks) and put their own compelling spin on it through the addition of their original creations, Lindy and Ruin, who is nightmare that doesn’t want to scare anyone and came to the waking world to be with the man he loves.

Depending on the setting (Shakespeare’s part of The Dreaming, Box of Nightmares, New Jersey), Nick Robles and Mat Lopes switch up their art style and color palette. This makes for engaging reading. These stylistic shifts also mirror plot points and how characters are feeling, especially in the Dreaming which can go from Lindy giving an earnest soliloquy about her decision process into becoming a single mom and struggles into academia to a laid back, double page spread of her enjoying a world that’s just different versions of Shakespeare hanging out, making out, and enjoying life. Lindy’s name drop of Aristophanes’ The Clouds in this scene isn’t just G. Willow Wilson flexing her literary knowledge, but acts as a kind of warning to our protagonist to not get caught up in the theoretical and lose sight of being reunited with her child and, ugh, her thesis in the Waking World.

The art goes from idyllic, even semi-utopian to intense and terrifying when Wilson, Robles, and Lopes check in on The Dreaming: Waking Hours‘ plotlines that don’t involve Lindy and the Shakespeares. Heather has the bright idea of sneaking Jophiel and Ruin through Faerie to get to the Dreaming, but as anyone who has read any classic fairy tales or Vertigo comics, this backfires on them thanks to her ineptitude with magic. (For example, Jophiel was originally summoned because of a spelling error.) In keeping with the Shakespearean theme, Nick Robles does a pure horror take on the mischievous Puck from A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Mat Lopes uses hot greens and blues to show how close they are to losing control over him. Getting back to the Dreaming isn’t so easy, and the method of their return is Wilson and Robles’ current hook for upcoming issues.

This is reinforced by a watercolor interlude set in the Box of Nightmares that connects directly to plot points in Sandman and gives a glimpse into how Daniel, Morpheus’ successor as Dream of the Endless, runs things. This sequence also features some of Nick Robles’ and Mat Lopes’ most gorgeous art that shows the dark and otherworldly nature of this region, and its rigidity compared to the light and airy cartooning in the other parts of the comic. It’s more Dave McKean than Bill Sienkiewicz, for sure, and re-establishes the seriousness of what Lindy, Heather, Jophiel, and Ruin are going up against.

Nick Robles using watercolors versus pen and ink also acts as a kind of visual metaphor for the theme of chaos versus order that undergirds The Dreaming: Waking Hours #3, and by extension, all human life. Most folks can’t plan out their entire lives or adhere rigidly to one role like some of the more compliant nightmares in The Dreaming. They are more like Lindy or Ruin, who have to deal with issues like an unexpected pregnancy, the terrible academic job market, or dealing with a job they don’t fit in at. (Being a nightmare in this case.) Robles’ art style matching the content and themes of The Dreaming: Waking Hours makes it even more compelling and adds depth to the main characters beyond G. Willow Wilson’s excellent, insightful dialogue. (I love her comparison of adjunct/visiting professor work to monastic life.)

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #3 features magic, even more chaos, surprise cameos, and a visually striking look at human problems through angels, anthropomorphic embodiments, witches, fairies, and dead authors. G. Willow Wilson, Nick Robles, and Mat Lopes have crafted both memorable characters and settings, and I care equally as much about Lindy, Ruin, Jophiel, and even Heather as I do about their take on the Shakespeare authorship question and additions to the Sandman mythos.

Story: G. Willow Wilson Art: Nick Robles
Colors: Mat Lopes Letters: Simon Bowland
Story: 8.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics/DC Black Label provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Diamond Select In Stores Now: Dark Tower, the Punisher and Will Shakespeare!

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It’s a post-Comic-Con week, and while fans are still buzzing about the upcoming Diamond Select Toys items they saw on display there, there are a ton of new DST items shipping to their local comic shop they can actually buy! From the Dark Knight to The Dark Tower, from mini-busts to Minimates, there’s something for every kind of collector at your local comic shop this week!

Batman Animated Series Riddler Resin Bust

A Diamond Select Toys release! Riddle me this, riddle me that – who’s the Bat-foe with the most stylish hat? Joining DST’s epic line of resin busts based on Batman: The Animated Series, this bust of Edward Nygma, a.k.a. the Riddler, captures him in his suited look from the early seasons of the show. Measuring approximately 6 inches tall, this bust is in scale to other pieces in the series, and sits atop a pedestal base inspired by Gotham’s art-deco architecture. Packaged in a numbered, full-color box with a numbered certificate of authenticity, this bust is limited to just 3,000 pieces. Sculpted by Varner Studios! (Item # FEB172600, SRP: $59.99)

Batman Classic TV Series Shakespeare Bust Vinyl Bank

A Diamond Select Toys release! Quick, to the Bat-poles! Okay, so you haven’t installed those Bat-poles yet, but if you keep your spare change in this vinyl bank, you’ll save up for them in no time! Based on the bust of Shakespeare that unlocked the moving bookcase in the Batman Classic TV Series, this 20-inch tall vinyl bank features a working neck hinge, so you can tilt the head back to reveal a dial and button, as well as a real, working coin slot! With a coin access door hidden in the base, no one will suspect that this realistically painted bust is secretly a bank, or that you’re secretly Batman. Packaged in a full-color box. Sculpted by Paul Harding! (Item # JUN162388, SRP: $85.00)

Caddyshack Vinimates Gopher Vinyl Figure

A Diamond Select Toys release!  Fore! Get ready for another round of Caddyshack Vinimates, based on the classic golf comedy! This nearly 4-inch vinyl figure of the Gopher is sculpted in the Minimates block-figure style, and features an articulated neck for further posing options. It comes packaged in a full-color window box. (Item # FEB172607, SRP: $9.99)

Dark Tower Movie Minimates Series 1 Box Set

A Diamond Select Toys Release! The epic novels by Stephen King are now an epic feature film, and DST is epically excited about it! This all-new box set of four Minimates mini-figures features four characters from the upcoming film – Jake, the Gunslinger, the Man in Black and a Tracker – each with up to 14 points of articulation and fully interchangeable parts and accessories. All four figures come packaged on a full-color blister card. (Item # APR172628, SRP: $24.99)

Marvel Gallery Gwenpool PVC Diorama

A Diamond Select Toys Release! When Gwenpool takes a selfie, it’s time to practice your selfie-defense! Coming from a world where everyone in the Marvel Universe is just a comic book character, Gwen Poole is a rookie mercenary on the rise, and she feels no guilt when her targets are fictional! This 9-inch sculpture, the first merchandise ever made of the hot new character, is made out of PVC plastic and features detailed sculpting and paint, atop a circular Gwenpool logo base. In scale to all Gallery and Femme Fatales PVC figures, Gwenpool comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Alejandro Pereira! (Item # DEC162562, SRP: $45.00)

Marvel Gallery Jean Grey PVC Diorama

A Diamond Select Toys Release! The Phoenix rises! The popular Marvel Gallery line of PVC dioramas continues with the first member of the Uncanny X-Men, the telepathic/telekinetic host of the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey! Standing approximately 10 inches tall, this diorama shows a happy Jean Grey in her classic green costume, hovering over a fiery Phoenix symbol! This PVC figure features detailed sculpting and paint applications, and comes packaged in a full-color window box. Sculpted by Alejandro Pereira! (Item # FEB172612, SRP: $45.00

Marvel Milestones Armored Thor Resin Statue

A Diamond Select Toys Release! Prepare for the coming of the Odinson! The God of Thunder heralds the return of the Marvel Milestones line of statues, wearing his full armor as seen in Walt Simonson’s issues of the Marvel comic. Swinging his hammer Mjolnir, Thor hovers above the ground, ready to repel any horde that would lay waste to his beloved Asgard! Measuring approximately 18 inches tall, this statue’s production run is limited to only 1,000 pieces, and comes packaged with a certificate of authenticity in a full-color box. Sculpted by Phil Ramirez! (Item #JAN172646, SRP: $225.00)

Marvel Retro Cloth Punisher Action Figure Gift Set

A Diamond Select Toys release! Is the Marvel Retro line ready for…The Punisher?! Never released in the classic Mego toy line of yester-year, violent vigilante The Punisher is the latest Marvel character to get the 8-inch Retro action figure treatment from DST! This gift set features one classically-styled white-gloved Punisher figure, in a vintage-style box, plus two additional heads and outfits: a bandaged head with a trenchcoat and bullet-proof vest, and the civilian streetwear of veteran Frank Castle! With interchangeable heads, hands, costumes and accessories, you can display your Punisher however you want! Packaged in a full-color gift tray! Designed and sculpted by EMCE Toys! (Item# DEC162577, SRP: $80.00)

 

 

 

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