Tag Archives: zenescope

Review: Wonderland #37

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wonderland037That the world of Wonderland is intricately layered should not be confusing.  The series is after all based on the somewhat drug-fueled dreams of Lewis Carroll, and involved a land of whimsy and fantasy.  The modern adaptation of this featuring heroine Calie Liddle has vacillated between different inspirations, especially since the takeover of Wonderland by Calie, and the handover of the creative duties to a new creative team.  This essentially caused that it become a new series, one focused on pretty much anything, and one which has moved away from the madness inducing realm that it had started as.  Sometimes the focus on more of a sword and sorcery fantasy, and sometimes it is closer to Carroll.  The previous story arc involving the Squire and the En Passant was much more like the sword and sorcery inspiration, but the Carroll inspiration also usually remains.

This is the follow-up to the previous arc, and while it essentially continues the same story, it is evidently also somewhat different, and worthy enough to start its own story arc.  With the Squire implicated in the escape of the Terror, she decides to keep her silence.  Meanwhile other forces, these closer to the original source material, are at play in the effort to take out Calie from play.  The resulting confusion is one which no one can seem to figure out what is happening, and where the Cheshire and Calie cannot comprehend the actions of the Squire, who had apparently become their new ally.

If the series seems to be somewhat convoluted, it is because it is.  The story in this first issue of this new story arc continues what came before, but also throws it away.  The Terror was a villain that had to be dealt with, but his role seems to be relatively unimportant here.  Still this story deserves some benefit of the doubt.  After the series writer Erica J. Heflin has somewhat of a pattern by this point of creating a puzzle for herself to start with and then to sort through it carefully and meticulously by the end of a story arc to produce another stunning victory.  Such would seem to be the case here as all the pieces are in play for another amazing story, just that it is not clear how that will play out yet.

Story: Erica J. Heflin Art: Marc Rosete
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5  Overall: 8.5  Recommendation: Buy

We Talk About Wonderland with Manuel Preitano

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Manuel Preitano is relatively new to the medium of comic books but he has already turned some heads primarily with his work at Zenescope.  His work has particularly been noticed in the pages of Wonderland, the sometimes fantastical and sometimes maddening realm of dreams and nightmares.  He joined us to talk about the series and its inspiration.

Graphic Policy:  Grimm Fairy Tales features Calie Liddle as its main character, and unlike many other characters in comics it has looked at her evolution from a younger age to being older.  She has undergone various changes in her appearance, but when taking on the role of the White Queen she evidently changed again.  How do you draw her differently to reflect the fundamental change in the character?

Preitano_Wonderland_pinup1bwManuel Preitano:  I was lucky enough to approach the amazing world of Wonderland gradually: first with the five issues miniseries “Clash of Queens”, which focused on the four queens of Wonderland battling each other; then, the main series, with Wonderland #33-36, which was my first occasion to draw Calie. You’re right about Calie changing a lot, and I think that’s part of the fascination of Wonderland setting. Wonderland is an unstable world that changes the people who fall into it. If you remember, in the original Alice in Wonderland book Alice undergoes a size change as soon as she gets down the rabbit hole, so this is definitely part of the Wonderland mythos. What Calie keeps all the time is her humanity, so I tried to draw her as a human being who suddenly has to deal with a wider world than she ever imagined. I had the occasion to draw her in many outfits, and I really had fun making different versions of her White Queen attire. The winter one in my Wonderland #33-36 run was a special favorite!

GP:  Calie is the queen of a land of fantasy but also based in reality on Earth.  How do you depict the character artistically to make sure that both are believable while also being the same character?

MP:  It’s her continuously changing, but keeping her humanity at the same time. The script (written by Erica Jeanne Heflin) in Wonderland #33-36 made good use of this concept, I think. We had a good variety of real world scenes and fantasy ones. In Wonderland world she commands armies, she has great powers, she faces monsters and slays them with her sword… but in the real world problems are less direct, with the solutions coming from her relationships with other people. She has different approaches to different problems, and my approach as an artist tried to reflect that, with her body language, the way she poses and so on. I hope I did a good job!

GP:  How hard is it to draw Wonderland, the realm of madness?  Do you find yourself challenged to come up with increasingly weird things?  Or is it kind of liberating as you can do whatever you want?

man001MP:  I love to draw the contrast between the real world and Wonderland, as the former tries to explain everything with logic (and this reflects in the visuals) while the latter allows way more freedom and can really contain any setting you could imagine, ready to be drawn. It’s definitely liberating, yes! Erica had me draw some wonderful things (e.g. dragons, ghouls, pixies, etc.) in her story arc, and a big part of the story was set in a huge forest. I could work this contrast between real world cities and their geometrical shapes and fantasy woods with their organic, asymmetric designs. As a huge fan of Swamp Thing, I love drawing woods, swamps, and natural settings.

GP:  Wonderland has become a lot more oriented to big cats in recent issues, with the battle of cats occurring on numerous occasions?  Do you like drawing them?

MP:  Yes! I love cats, and I love drawing cats. It always relaxes me when I have a whole Cheshire Cat sequence to draw. I’m very glad there were plenty of scenes with the character on the Wonderland related comics I worked on! Vincenzo Riccardi did a great job on Wonderland #32, where the story was really, really focused on cats!

RedRabbit_concept1GP:  Wonderland as a series seems to be venturing out from the original books and taking on the fantasy genre.  Do you have any particular inspirations when it comes to this genre?

MP:  I like to study many references before drawing something, and that’s really easy when you love the genre. They come from very different places: many French comics have visually astonishing settings, so I went through them. Among other things, video games are also a good source of inspiration, and I always try to make a mix of contemporary and old school fantasy when drawing Wonderland. Works like Sandman: Overture have been a great inspiration for the unusual settings of Wonderland, as well; I try to follow the flow, checking both classics and more modern fantasy works.

GP:  Are there any characters that stand out from a design standpoint in the Wonderland series?

MP:  I like the White Queen design a lot, but there are so many to choose from. It’s quite a colorful world when it comes to design, as many of the characters have a very distinct style. I have a soft spot for the Queen of Spades in terms of design, as she really represents the archetype of the evil queen, so I hope to see her again at some point!

GP:  The depiction of Violet as the Mad Hatter is kind of similar to that of Harley Quinn, which according to cosplayers is one of the most popular looks from comics.  Why do you think that the female jester image is so appealing?

Torment-Concept1MP:  It connects to that tradition of ambiguous, antihero characters, where you see they’re not completely evil (or they’re just crazy, so not intentionally doing evil), but they’re not good either. Harley Quinn is moved by her mad love for the Joker, and who hasn’t done crazy things for love (but not as crazy as Harley, one hopes)? Back to the Jester figure, in the Middle Ages and Renaissance there were licensed fools, people who were allowed to act crazy and criticize kings or nobles. They were allowed to tell the truth in a world dominated by strict rules and etiquette, so—no surprises here—the truth teller remains a popular figure today. Visually, characters like Mad Hatter Violet and Harley Quinn (referring to her original costume here) have a very solid look and color palette, immediately identifying them in this tradition, and this surely contributes to their popularity. I can pick a Harley Quinn costume out of a crowd of cosplayers, let’s say! The asymmetric design of Harley hints to her madness, so it’s like everything in her look talks about her inner life, which is very important in character design.

GP:  Are there any characters from the Carroll books that you would like to see introduced or reintroduced into the ongoing stories?

MP:  I love to draw monsters, so having the opportunity to draw the good ol’ Jabberwocky would be lot of fun to me!
I’ve been given the opportunity to design some creatures for the ongoing series, like Terror, the Red Rabbit, the Grinner and so on, so I’m eager to see what they’ll make me draw next time!
For the rest, Wonderland is a world with so many possibilities, so I would love to see new writers inventing new crazy concepts for the series, following Carroll’s concepts but adapting them to new times. Wouldn’t that be really fun to see? It’d be a lot of fun to draw!

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Archie2015_01-0Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Brett

Top Pick: Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess #1 (Action Lab Entertainment) – The excellent series Princeless gets its first spin-off series focused on Raven, the Pirate Princess. The fundamentals are here, this time looking at swashbuckling tales. Raven must seek revenge against her brothers who have stolen her rightful place out from under her.

Archie #1 (Archie Comics) – This is huge! Archie is kicking off a whole new era with Mark Waid and Fiona Staples at the helm. This is one folks will be talking about.

Invader Zim #1 (Oni Press) – Jhonen Vasquez’s creation is back in a new comic. This is one I’ve been waiting for ever since it was announced. It’s kind of hard to not like the cartoon it’s based on, and expect this to be a hit.

Star Wars: Lando #1 (Marvel) – Everyone’s favorite scoundrel is back and in his own mini-series. Marvel has been killing it when its come to their Star Wars comics, and I expect no difference here.

Transference #1 (Black Mask Studios) – This is an interesting time travel series that is a hell of a mind bender in the first issue alone. There’s subtle things throughout the first issue that makes it stand out from the other special teams as time travelers story. A solid first issue.

 

Alex

Top pick: The Fox #4 (Dark Circle Comics) – If you’re not reading The Fox, you’re missing out. Plain and simple, this is one of the best comics on  the rack every month.

Batman #42 (DC Comics) – Although I’m not a big fan (yet) of the Bat-bunny-mech suit, I’ve got more than enough faith to see how Snyder plays this out.

 

Edward

Top Pick: Wonderland #37 (Zenescope) – There has hardly been a misstep in this series since the change of direction under the new creative team.  The series never fails to impress and surprise and that will continue here with a new story.

Archie #1 (Archie Comics) – There is finally a lot of buzz for this publisher, and it comes in the form of a revamped Archie.  No one quite knows what that means yet, but we will know soon.

Bloodstrike #1 (Image Comics) – Rob Liefeld causes a riot any time he works on comics, as he has fans and others who are pretty much the opposite of fans.  This is his best setting though, with nothing to prove and his imagination to fuel him.  How will the new sci-fi series work out for him?

Civil War #1 (Marvel) – One of Marvel’s most contentious crossovers meets the Secret Wars world.  The mix is not an obvious one, but neither have a lot of crossovers that have involved strange mixes thus far.

Gotham Academy #8 (DC Comics) – Olive returns to Gotham’s most interesting school.  A one issue break (plus the break for Convergence) means that she has been gone for a while, and it will be interesting to see what her return means for this series.

 

Elana

Constantine the Hellblazer #2 (DC Comics) – Funny, pretty, creepy, creative and hey everyone— it stars a bisexual character who’s not treated as a joke or fetishized!  More please!

Also props on the diverse creative team behind the comic, which may have something to do with the diversity inside the comic. PS, co-writer Ming Doyle was one of our podcast’s all time best guests. Go listen to her!

Gotham Academy #8 (DC Comics) – This book is one of the most creative things coming from DC. This issue is Olive’s mysterious Mother’s funeral. I’m gonna say it’s all Batman’s fault because he has a terrible track record with people with mental health issues.

Princeless: Raven, the Pirate Princess #1 (Action Lab Entertainment) – The name says it all. Charming, feminist, racially diverse. The number one book for kids of all ages including kids with mortgages. The new art is stronger then ever!

Storm TPB Vol. 2 (Marvel) – Storm’s first solo series was groundbreaking. If you like Storm at all, or just want to see more comics featuring women of color buy this! The story explores her personality, playing her off against some interesting foes and even more interesting friends. And the Gambit team-up is so much fun it’s criminal!

 

Paul

Top Pick: Age of Apocalypse #1 (Marvel) – I collected every issue of Age of Apocalypse when this storyline came out a million years ago.  This, to me, was one of the best X-Men runs ever released.  And I cannot wait to see the AoA region of Battleworld.  I know it won’t be exactly like the original run…but I am so excited to see these versions of the X-Men again.

Civil War #1 (Marvel) – Another storyline given a region in Battleworld, and I’m looking forward to it.  So much happened in the original run of Civil War, so I’m looking forward to reading a story where the war never ended; see what allegiances were formed, which fell apart…and who survives to see it end.

Runaways #2 (Marvel) – I really enjoyed the first issue of this series.  I’ve always enjoyed books focusing on the younger heroes of the MU (New Warriors, Young Avengers, Runaways), and I liked how this tie-in to Secret Wars took  some of my favourite heroes (Cloak and Dagger especially) and took them back to school, literally, to find their way in this new Battleworld.

 

Mr. H

Top Pick: Batman #42 – Capullo. Snyder. Every issue in this run has been white hot. I have no reason to believe the train will slow down. I don’t even want to buckle in!

Batman/ Superman #22 (DC Comics) – Gordon vs. Kent round 2. Can these two get on the same page so the World can have a Finest again?

Civil War #1 (Marvel Comics) – Where it all went wrong the first time, I’d like to see how they try to correct their mistakes or are they doomed to repeat themselves?

Spider-Man: Renew your Vows #2 (Marvel Comics) – This is the Spider-Man that I have waited for since the return of Norman Osborn wayyy back in the pages of Spider-Man #75. Last issue was very disappointing. I’m hoping Slott gives Peter the reunion with his daughter he deserves. Give him a happy ending for once!

TMNT Color Classics Series 3 #47 (IDW) – Classic Eastman/ Laird in color? Hell yeah. Loving this trip down memory lane!

 

Pharoah

Star Wars: Lando #1 (Marvel) – Definitely had my interest piqued when I saw it in Previews for this month’s solicitations. He is probably one of the coolest characters within the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and now he gets his own graphic treatment, the only thing I can say truly, it is about time!!!

1872 #1 (Marvel) – I love the exploration of alternate universes with familiar characters, and this is definitely one to watch out for, as they got the Avengers living in the Wild Wild West

Archie #1 (Archie) – When you have the top talents of Mark Waid of Empire fame and Fiona Staples of Saga fame, working on one of comics’ most iconic characters, it is more than worth a look.

Providence #2 (Avatar) – Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows, are reviving Lovecraft in the most exciting way possible, as he has made the mythology scary again for all of us. I have not loved a Moore series as much as I loved this one, definitely his best work yet.

Star Trek/Green Lantern #1 (DC Comics/IDW Publishing) – This team up has been creating a huge amount of buzz since it was first announced and as a fan of both franchises, it reminds me of the Batman/Spawn crossover.

Review: Coven #1

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coven001Grimm Fairy Tales has mostly stuck pretty close to the same formula throughout its entire run.  Although it has vastly modified its source material, it has mostly depended closely on fairy tales, myths and legends in order to tell its stories.  There have been a few diversions where the characters involved are more or less completely original, although that has been the exception.  One of those cases was one which was a bit of a non-starter for Zenescope, a series called Salem’s Daughter and which told the story of Anna Williams, a witch who sought out to help people despite being constantly threatened because of her powers.  Although set in a different time, the character was still identified as part of the Grimm Fairy Tales universe on multiple occasions.

This new series is a combination of both inspirations.  The first part of the story deals with this same inspiration as was for the series of Salem’s Daughter as it shows a modern coven of witches in the Salem Woods, still targeted by witch hunters, though these witch hunters are a bit more refined than those in the past.  Out are pitchforks and in is full assault gear with state of the art weaponry.  While this serves as the introduction to the series, what follows is probably of note to many fans of the ongoing series, as it shows the return of Baba Yaga, a fan favorite who plays the anti-villain role, a female antagonist, who equally sometimes sides with the heroes when she doesn’t like what other villains are getting up to.  She leads the search for the abducted coven although she apparently isn’t aware of all of her actions as she seeks out help.

Grimm Fairy Tales has a tendency to get a bit bogged down in its main stories as it is so intricately woven together with its different inspirations.  This series on the other hand proves that there is a lot of hidden talent at this company, with the creative teams that it puts together to cover different concepts.  The result is this series which is a deviation from the usual Grimm Fairy Tales script, but a welcome one as it adds something extra to the universe which hasn’t been seen in some time, and manages to do so in an engaging way.

Story: Zach Calig Art: Diego Galindo
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.9 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Robyn Hood #12

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rh012Although this series is a fan favorite, it is also one which has often seemed to take the easy way out in terms of its story telling.  It often relies on a sequence of one liners and fairly generic supernatural bad guys.  Beneath it all are two main characters who have the potential to be a lot deeper but for whom that attention is rarely given.  It has happened a little bit as Robyn has opened up to her therapist, or as Marian has opened up to her girlfriend, but mostly this series has been one full of unrealized potential as it focuses more on the gore of the supernatural than it does on the characters themselves.  Although there have been glimpses before, the series has generally followed them with other poorer examples to follow, and the level of consistency in this series is thus hard to grasp, as it verges on something better, but never attains it.

If there is an issue where they might break from this trend, then this might be it.  Robyn and Marian are confronted at the beginning of the issue by the Rotter, the somewhat zombie like character that has been helping them out.  As they soon discover, his help was not completely altruistic, instead he is looking for help in return.  He has been cursed to live but to slowly rot away, and he simply wants the easy release of death after suffering for so long.  Instead of big scale, Robyn and Marian focus on small scale and it works well for them here as they are able to show their ingenuity as they hunt down reasons for what may have caused this curse.

What ends up following is what is by far the best issue in this series thus far.  Although there are still a few staples of what has made this series falter at times, they are mostly shuffled to the side as the first truly good story is told in this series, one which focuses on the characters first and the concept second, even when the concept is strong enough as well.  It may not have proven itself with just one issue, but the series seems to be on its way, a gamble from Zenescope which seems finally ready to pay off.

Story: Patrick Shand  Art: Roberta Ingranata
Story: 8.6  Art: 8.6  Overall:  8.6 Recommendation: Buy

 

 

Review: Grimm Tales of Terror #12

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tot012It is said that the best horrors contain elements of what is left unseen.  This horror which fills the mind with the thoughts of what could be there is often much scarier than to know what is there, as everyone’s personal bogeyman can be lurking around any corner when it is not shown, but the illusion is dropped when the true threat is revealed.  In the medium of comics this is often harder to realize.  Without camera tricks, lighting and sound effects, what can be off panel is just not as scary as maybe can lay at the end of a television or movie screen.

For most of its now 12 issues, this series has been one that has mirrored what was the early success of its predecessor, the main Grimm Fairy Tales story.  It took the format of showing someone is distress when series narrator Keres showed up and told them of a story where things had gone wrong for others.  This format has not been particularly heavily adhered to, but it is kind of the same thing here, with only a looser tie to this same story telling.  It tells the story of a mafioso who is in for a night in a gambling den, except that he has a dark past.  This is where the story diverges a little bit from this usual formula as the person learning the lesson is also the one that is involved with the main story featuring the horror element.  This story tells the tale of a man buried alive after crossing the mob, but one who fights back to find his family despite the odds.

Although it deviates a bit from the script, this issue ends up being one of the best so far in this series.  Instead of relying on shock value, the horror is played down where it needs to be and is mostly kept unseen.  At the same time, that both the narrator Keres and the one receiving her lesson are more present and related to the story makes this a bit better of a hook compared to others in the series.  Overall this is thus one of the best entries so far in the series, some of which had bit hits and others of which have been misses.

Story: Dan Wickline Art: Josh George and Ronilson Freire
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

Zenescope Launches Coven #1

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Zenescope Launches Coven #1Zenescope Entertainment, is planning in-store launch events for three of its brand new titles coming in July and August. The company will be holding the events at various comic book retail outlets throughout the country on July 1st, July 15th, and August 19th.

Zenescope will be giving away free comics and other prizes to event attendees as well as holding raffles for the chance to win limited edition canvas prints and other big prizes during each appearance. The first in-store launch event will be for Zenescope’s brand new Grimm Fairy Tales spinoff title, Coven, which will appear at nine separate comic book retail locations throughout the US on July 1st.

Coven tells the story of a powerful sorceress named Baba Yaga as she attempts to protect a young woman named Avril Williams from being hunted by a radical group of modern day witch hunters. The “New Crusaders” are sworn to eradicate witches throughout the world, but they want to take Avril Williams alive in order to use her immense and untapped power for their own devices.

Zenescope will also be hosting a second Launch Event on July 15th for its brand new sci-fi/horror title, Aliens vs. Zombies and a third on August 19th to celebrate the return of fan-favorite character, Liesel Van Helsing in Van Helsing vs. Dracula.

Coven Launch Locations

Wade’s Comic Madness – Levittown, Pennsylvania
Comic Collection – Feasterville, Pennsylvania
Uncanny! KoP (formerly Comics and More) – King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
New Wave Comics & Collectibles – Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
Superhero Beach – Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Superhero Hive – Jacksonville, Florida
Coliseum of Comics – Orlando, Florida
Coliseum of Comics – Kissimmee, Florida
Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, California

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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We Are RobinWednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Brett

Top Pick: Raputin #6 (Image Comics) – The end of the first story arc caught me off-guard as it left Rasputin dead from being shot. Fast forward 100 years, and the mad monk is now working as a political aide for a Presidential Candidate. Wait, what!? The first arc was solid, this second one starts off with a bang. If you missed that first arc, the trade paperback is out this week too!

Fight Club 2 #2 (Dark Horse Comics) – The first issue was fantastic, and this second one is a world wind in madness. Chuck Palahniuk continues Tyler Durden’s story, and so far it’s amazing.

Legacy of Luther Strode #2 (Image Comics) – Give me some of that good ole ultraviolence. The kung-fu action is over the top, and over the top bloody, and beyond entertaining too.

Material #2 (Image Comics) – Ales Kot’s first issue got me to think. I’m expecting more of the same for the second issue as things hopefully become clearer and the various stories begin to merge in some way. A comic that’s socially conscious and relevant.

Transformers: Windblade #4 (IDW Publishing) – A new lost colony has been found, and Starscream and Windblade vie to make them part of the new Transformers world. Who will win out, and who will gain influence? This series focuses on Windblade’s effort with absolutely beautiful art that makes it stand out from the other Transformers series.

 

Edward

Top Pick: Mulan Revelations #1 (Dark Horse Comics) – Although it comes off looking a bit like Image’s Lazarus, this futuristic dystopian cyberpunk uses an unlikely heroine for its lead as the actual historical character is transported through time to the future of China.

Batgirl #41 (DC Comics) – The new Batman didn’t really go over all that well as the story arc to follow after End Game, but Batgirl has been running as one of the best quality comics for a few months now.  What happens when the two meet?

Grimm Fairy Tales Presents the Little Mermaid #5 (Zenescope) – Although it has been a little up and down in terms of its story telling, this miniseries is likely to launch the Little Mermaid back into relevance as one of Grimm Fairy Tales main heroines.  What that means is decided here.

Jem and the Holograms #4 (IDW Publishing)  – The subject matter has not been very deep, but neither has there really been any misstep in this entire series thus far.  This is a series for those that can let their comics be fun and not only about superheroes.

MODOK Assassin #2 (Marvel) – The first issue of this series was unquestionably the biggest surprise of the Secret Wars tie-ins thus far and undoubtedly one of the most fun as well (and violent).  Whether it can carry on this momentum will be interesting to see.

 

Elana

Top Pick: Secret Six TP Vol. 2: Money for Murder (reissue) (DC Comics) – This TP contains the rightfully legendary panels in which Dick!Batman punches Catman saying “If you must know…I had a burrito!”

This is peak Gail Simone and it’s some of the best comics ever.

This TP is a reissue of “Unhinged” and some subsequent issues, which is really the 3rd volume of Gail Simone’s groundbreaking series in the 00s that started with Villains United. All if it is a must-read.

This series is about a team of bad men and bad women learning to take care of each other. If you like complex but funny characters, like your humor dark and enjoy laughing while you are being gutted by metal claws (metaphorically), your heat-strings played upon by deranged masked killers — and who doesn’t– then you need to buy this book to survive.

Top Pick: Fight Club 2 #2 (Dark Horse) – This series is smart and fun. If you loved Fight Club (like I do) and your the right kind of fan (you know, the good kind, that appreciates the story as an examination of the crisis of masculinity and as a queer text) then you need to be reading this series. It is a continuation of the original book taking place some years into the future and written by Palahniuk himself. The art is first-rate too.

Batgirl #41 (DC Comics) –  I was sure that we were about to get a new Oracle in the form of Frankie, Bab’s awesome coder roomate (who also uses crutches). But now I don’t know! Based on last night’s podcast where we interviewed writer Brenden Fletcher I’m now calling this issue Schrödinger’s Oracle. It may not happen. Open the box.

Kaptara #3 (Image Comics) – I’m just getting into this unprecedentedly creative space opera/comedy. Nothing else like it out there. The art style has a look thats somewhat psychedelic. Our lead character is a gay scientist of indian descent who drips sarcasm and insecurity and is a pleasure to read.

Material #2 (Image Comics) – Writer Ales Kot is doing something completely unique in comics. This book feels a bit like post modernist literary fiction. Except its a comic. And unlike literary fiction these days I actually enjoy it. A lot. Smart and political and worth your attention. He was our guest on the podcast a few weeks back. Have a listen.

We Are Robin #1 (DC Comics) – I want to like this. The youth of Gotham unite and declare themselves Robin. That sounds like a sentiment I can get behind. I don’t know the creative team. Will have to check it out!

 

Johnny with Comixstravaganza Live

Top Pick: We Are Robin #1 (DC Comics) – I’ve never been a huge Batman fan, so I’ve never actively read or collected any bat titles. But this concept of the collective youth of Gotham adopting Robin as their symbol is intriguing. I’ll be picking this one up just to see how it is executed.

Ant-Man: Larger Than Life (Marvel) – I’m a little shocked that this book stars THE Ant-Man, Hank Pym instead of Scott Lang. As a long time Hank Pym fan, this has me hopeful about his character in the upcoming film and MCU as a whole, but more than that, could this be signaling a change in direction for Pym? Recent storylines suggest he sacrificed himself to stop Ultron in Rage of Ultron, but could this book be signaling a new return of Pym? Probably not, but I like to hold out hope.

Captain Midnight #24 (Dark Horse Comics) – It all ends here. This title has been for me the most satisfying monthly book over the last two years. Josh Williamson knows how to write these pulp-era characters, and this series has shown it in a big way!

Rasputin #6 (Image Comics) – Just when you though the story had ended, we jump forward 100 years to the present where the “Mad Monk” may still be alive? I’ve loved the way Alex Grecian portrayed Rasputin in a heroic way as a healer, and Rossmo’s art is absolutely gorgeous! If you missed issues 1-5 you can also pick up the collected TPB out this week too!

The Shadow #100 (Dynamite Entertainment) – My top pick! I got the preview copy last week and just fell over with the writing and art. This is an anthology issue with various creators, but most notable is Francesco Francavilla, and Howard Chaykin. I’ve always said Chaykin was born to draw the Phantom, but Francavilla’s work is unbelievable! He is definitely another artist who was born to draw The Shadow! I hope we see more Shadow from him soon!

 

Mr. H

Top Pick: We are Robin #1 (DC Comics) – Social Media Superheroes? This one sounds so intriguing just cannot pass up. A true team that is reflective of the world right outside our window.

Batgirl #41 (DC Comics) – The new Batman (Commissioner Gordon) encounters his (Batgirl) daughter. A can’t miss father/ daughter showdown!

Grayson #9 (DC Comics) – Dick Grayson: Secret Agent? Yes Please! DC Comics reimagining of one of it’s most beloved characters into a super spy continues after the long Convergence break. Plus adding Helena Bertenelli (Huntress) into the mix sounds fantastic!

Green Lantern: The Lost Army #1 (DC Comics) – Power Rings, survival journey and adventure along the way with everyone’s favorite cosmic cops? This one’s a no brainer. Can’t wait to see them light em’ up!

The Walking Dead #143 (Skybound/Image Comics) – It’s The Walking Dead. Can you ever get enough?

 

Paul

Top Pick: X-Men ’92 #1 (Marvel) – The X-Men from the 90s are back?? *Insert fanboy squeal here*  I might be getting ahead of myself, not knowing how Secret Wars will be portraying my merry mutants, but I am so excited to see this line up back, just as I remember they looked when I would walk into my comic shop all those years ago eager to read their latest adventure.  Here’s hoping myself and other fans are not disappointed.

E is for Extinction #1 (Marvel) – I’ve picked this title because I am a fan of all things X.  Secret Wars, to me, has not been the earth shattering event it was promoted to be.  But I am looking forward to a title devoted to the X-Men and what they’ve become in Battleworld.  I like the premise described as mutants really being ‘homo SUPERIOR’ and look forward to seeing a world where they are idolized and not feared.

Loki Agent of Asgard #15 (Marvel) – I have loved this book from day 1.  The journey of a twenty-something Loki, trying to escape his future self; finding a friend he actually cares about; finding himself doing the right thing (in his own special way) has been a Loki I easily got on board with.  Things are changing for him however, and I for one can’t wait to see how it all goes down.

 

Pharoah

Top Pick: X-Men ’92 #1 (Marvel) – Definitely had my interest piqued when I saw it in Previews for this month’s solicitations. We take nostalgic look at X-Men, from 23 years ago, with none other than JIM LEE returning for this series!!!!!

Evil Dead 2: Beyond Dead by Dawn #1 (Space Goat Productions) – Horror comics seem to be what is all the rage, and the fact they have this comic which picks up where the movies end, this sounds like it will be fun, if anything it gives the average Evil Dead fan something to look forward to before the new show premieres on Starz.

Fight Club 2 #2 (Dark Horse Comics) – Chuck Palahniuk continues Tyler Durden’s story in this new series from Dark Horse, the first issue did not disappoint, so  I am hoping Palaniuk has even more surprises in store in this issue.

Mulan Revelations #1 (Dark Horse) –  Another interesting reboot, to a well told legend, this time the guys at Dark Horse tackle Mulan , but in the same way the anime , 7 Samurai, reboots Akira Kurosawa ‘s classic film, hoping the execution lives to the promise.

We Are Robin #1 (DC Comics) – From the DCYou reboot going on at DC, hundreds of teenagers all over Gotham, are adopting the ”R”, adding a new dimension to the Batman mythos.

We Talk About the Grimm Fairy Tales 10th Anniversary Special with Leonardo Paciarotti

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With over 60 issues already credited to his name, Leonardo Paciarotti could be considered to already be a comic book veteran.  Although he works for a variety of companies his focus has primarily been for Zenescope, and he joined us to talk a bit about Britney Waters and how to get the colors right inside a comic book.

red006Graphic Policy: We don’t often get to talk to colorists so this is pretty fun.  When we think about the great writers and illustrators several names come up, but are there legends of the coloring world that the random comic fan wouldn’t even know about?

Leonardo Paciarotti: For me it is a pleasure to accept this interview. Here we go!

Of course, yes. There are many legends of color in the comic which I follow in particular. Great colorists, from which I learned a lot would be; Dave Stewart (Conan), Laura Martin (Before Watchmen Dr. Manhattan), Giulia Brusco (Scalped) or the incredible Brad Anderson (Batman: Earth One). Other favorites that I follow closely are Tomeu Morey (very realistic, for me, the best), Marte Gracia (very spectacular, very showy) and Justin Ponsor.

I guess there are a lot more, but these are my favorite, and my recommendation.

GP:  Of course you also illustrate as well as to color, so are there any artists who stand out as having influenced either your style or your desire to be an artist?

LP:  Sure, besides being a colorist, I also draw. I am currently inking a collection in another publisher. Besides, I’m always drawing (since I was a child). Artists who influenced me could be; Gil Elvgren, Jack Vettriano, Alphonse Mucha, Drew Struzan, Joaquin Sorolla and of course, Norman Rockwell.

They are all fully pictorial in his style, and that’s what I try to represent in my coloring.

GP:  It strikes me as interesting that so many artists probably got into the medium through a love of superhero or related genres, but then end up for instance in burgeoning areas like with Zenescope and fairy tales.  Did you ever think that you would be so tied to one specific genre?  And how do you like working in stories focused around fairy tales?

red007LP:  I started on Zenescope but I also really like superheroes.  I worked on Batman two years ago at DC Comics and it was also a great experience. Currently in Wonderland or Grimm Fairy Tales, I feel great.

Actually, I’m always experimenting some variation on the technique of applying color to improve. I’m still in search a technique that identifies me 100%.

GP:  Are there challenges to coloring fairy tale stories in particular? And you have have a favorite fairy tale from your childhood that you have worked on or that you would like to work on?

LP:  Each issue is a challenge for me (sorry), EACH PAGE is a challenge for me!. I always try to improve my technique, always.

If I had to choose, I would like to work on Peter Pan and Cinderella (my favorite Fairy Tales from my childhood).

GP:  You have also worked on Wonderland, Grimm Fairy Tale’s realm of madness.  Are there extra challenges for coloring such an environment?

LP:  I think this question is answered with the answer above :)

If I had to add something more, would be that I love explosions, hahaha! Every time I have to color a explosion is a challenge to make it more “BOOOM” than the previous (dirt, fire, flying particles, dust, wind, etc.). Quite a challenge. XD

GP:  What is the process that you go through when you color an issue?

LP:  Usually I read the script first. After, I will look for all of the necessary references (or ask my editors).

Always, I work by scenes. For example, if there is a fighting, and if that fighting lasts 4 pages then I will work on those 4 pages at the same time, to keep the color narrative. The first step if the backgrounds. The environment, on top of the background, is what will give light and shade to the characters. It’s not the same for instance to paint a sunrise on the beach or to paint a dark cave. The light will influence differences in any character.

After, I will color the characters, the clothing, armor, etc, first, and last the hair, skin and faces.

Usually I do not limit myself in color palettes, but I have some colors assigned to hair, clothing, or items that should always have the same colors. Now I change the colors with the colors “bg/ambiance”. For example, if a person who is blonde, will not have the same hair color value and saturation at 1 a.m., that at 1 p.m. All this varies with walking.

red003GP:  It sometimes seems that certain panels are more alive with colors than others.  Is this a conscious decision to highlight certain scenes, or does it just evolve with the story telling?

LP:  Everything I do is always done consciously. Surely, if any action that needs to be highlighted, on the same page, I will highlight it by saturating the colors, creating an edge around the characters, or using complementary colors if it’s necessary.

Always, of course, keeping the story telling flowing.

GP:  In the case of Red Riding Hood/Britney Waters it would seem that by default that you are stuck using a lot of reds in the issue.  In a case like that does it become hard to sort out all of the different hues?  And is a character or group of character that is dependent on one color therefore harder to handle?

LP:  It could be a difficult task if you do not take control of all colors. I refer to a color file that I created, for the issue. Therefore, it is not a problem, it is about have a good organization.

For example, if they had 10 people in the same scene, and those 10 people were dressed in red, and were in a group, I’d take care of assigning a different red tone to each character.

If the characters were dressed in red and wearing the same clothes, there are other ways to separate them, like saturation and values, as I said earlier. (Even painting the ink line).

In the end, everything is a challenge, and I really enjoy it.

Best greetings, and thank you very much for the interview.  :)

We Talk About the Grimm Fairy Tales 10th Anniversary Special with Jeff Massey

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Although relatively new to the medium of comics as a writer, Jeff Massey already has an impressive list of writing credits to his name.  He has been responsible for most of the Oz offshoot of Grimm Fairy Tales at Zenescope, and recently had the chance to writer the 10th Anniversary special featuring Britney Waters.  We got a chance to talk to him about the special and what to look forward to at Zenescope.

red004Graphic Policy:  Britney Waters is technically the oldest of the Grimm Fairy Tales characters but she has never made it higher than the secondary role except for the occasional miniseries or story arc.  Do you think that she is ready to break through as a character and maybe some day get her own ongoing series?

Jeff Massey:  Absolutely!  I’d love to see her in the spotlight more often. Brit has lots of fun narrative potential in her internal conflict (psychoanalytic intellect/feral rage) and external hybridity (beauty/beast), and werewolves are just fucking awesome in general, so it’s about time she got more attention. Pat (Shand) and I have talked about a possible team-up with Brit and Robyn, and I have ideas for building Red’s rogues gallery / support team that I think would give her storyline legs.  My pitch: “It’s like Kolchak the Night Stalker meets Karen Sisko meets Moonlighting”: who wouldn’t like a dose of that werewolfy goodness every month?

GP:  This special is a strange opportunity to both look forward and to look back to the beginning of the company’s amazing run on Grimm Fairy Tales.  How did you manage to find the balance between the two?

JM:  In the one-shot, Brit is in transition—between her old life in (evil) Hibocorp and the start of her new life as a “solo” hero—so I think her current narrative reflects the general awareness of the past and future that Zenescope is celebrating.  But “balance” is a good term to keep in mind with Brit and her own transitions!

GP:  I think it is fair enough to say that wolves are often associated with masculine features and also therefore also masculine heroes.  How do you approach the character as what is pretty much the most feminine wolf character in comics?

JM:  Werewolves have been traditionally male, certainly—there are maybe three pre-modern female werewolves in literature—but I loved Wolfsbane back in the old New Mutants series, and when Ginger Snaps hit theaters I realized how much fun werewolves running against gendered expectations could be.  And Terry Pratchett’s Angua is amazing.  So I think Brit should deal with the typically “male” difficulties of lycanthropy—uncontrolled rage, unruly hair, unexpected public nekkidness—but her reactions to these difficulties will likely be unconventional.

GP:  Is it harder to approach a female character as a male writer?

red001JM:  I don’t know: I’ve never been female, so I don’t know how women feel about writing women.  But I do run some ideas past my wife, just in case. But really, I’ve mostly written women and wolves so far at Zenescope (my first assignment was a Toto back-up story, then Dorothy, and now Brit), so it’s hard to make the comparison, I suppose.

GP:  Werewolves are also a pretty common topic these days in popular culture.  How do you approach the story to give a fresh take on it?

JM:  I spent a few years researching werewolves in popular culture as part of my doctoral studies—my dissertation was on medieval lycanthropy—and I’ve been the vice-president of MEARCSTAPA (a society for the study of literary monstrosity), so I know my monster history.  As you say, there are lots of werewolves out nowadays, but I still think there are different werewolf traditions (mechanics of change, psyches, demeanors) that haven’t been tapped yet.  And there’s always a fresh take to reflect our changing culture.  Have you seen Wolfcop?  Awesomesauce!

GP:  The setting for the 10th anniversary special is in Los Angeles.  Is there any particular reason that this setting was chosen?  And are there any difficulties in writing a story based there?

JM:  Joe and Ralph chose the location; I’m not sure what their reasoning may have been, but I like the idea of spatially distancing Brit from Robyn.  The two are besties, sort of, but also very different people, and their geographies reflect that.  Like me and Pat: he lives in CA and writes about Robyn in NYC; I live in NY and write about Red in LA.  It’s all pretty Freaky Friday.  And LA is so…sunny.  It should yield some nice gothic juxtaposition: dark monster themes in Sunnydale.  Oh, wait.  Now I get it!

GP:  The Master of the Hunt is making his debut in this issue.  Is he possibly going to become Britney’s main nemesis?

JM:  I loved creating Rikk.  He’s terribly self-righteous, and I think that makes him a great villain-who-thinks-he’s-a-hero.  If I have my way, he’ll be back.  But I also think previous writers, like Pat Shand, have given Brit a great foil in Ivory.  Ideally, I’d like to see Brit get a rogues gallery of her own, maybe have some two-on-one villain action.  Who says you only get one arch-nemesis?  Plenty of time to make enemies!

GP:  What can we look forward to seeing in the remainder of the 10th anniversary specials?  And will you be involved with any more?

JM:  Honestly, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens as much as the next guy—this was my one anniversary project for Zenescope.  But (my wife and co-writer) Kristin and I are currently wrapping up scripts for Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen, so if you haven’t checked out the high fantasy shenanigans in the Realm of Hope yet, take a look!

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