Nerdcenaries

May 17, 2012

Real Interviews: Mark Andrew Smith

Mark Andrew Smith has been all up in the comics scene for a while so when he announced a new project he’d big Kickstarting with James Stokoe of Orc Stain and Won Ton Soup fame, Nerdcenaries tossed Luke into the interview realm.

Your upcoming project with James Stokoe is called Sullivan’s Sluggers – what is the comic about?

Sullivan’s Sluggers is the story of a baseball team who get an invitation to play a game in a small town. Unknown to them, the town has a curse on it, and after the 7th inning streatch the townsfolk turn into flesh eating monsters. The Sluggers have to utilize all of their baseball skills to survive until morning.

You’ve done a few shorter stories in anthologies like Popgun along with continuing series such Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors and The New Brighton Archelogical Society – how is Sluggers going to be released?

Sullivan’s Sluggers will be a 200 page hardcover book.

A lot of your other work that I’ve read or heard about has been all ages – is there any age range for Sullivan because knowing Stokoe’s work he can do scary really well.

I think Sullivan’s is PG 13. It’s a jump going from all ages to Sullivan’s but I don’t think anyone will confuse Sullivan’s with an all ages book.

How did you end up coming up with the project – what was some of your inspirations as far as movies, comics, tv and all of that?

I’ve always been a baseball fan and a horror fan. In particular I’m a huge fan of ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘Dead Alive’ and just splatter horror as a genre.

You are going to be raising money for the project via Kickstarter – are there any specific reasons for starting the project this way?

I want to connect directly with readers, and set the foundation to do more books like that in the future. I see Kickstarter also as being a direct distribution chanel.

Are there any real cool incentives to look out for?

I always adhere to K.IS.S. or Keep it Simple Smitty. So we’re starting easy and to the point, but it would be great as the Kickstarter progresses to offer up other items.

Are there any artists who are currently out there that you would like to work with?

I would love to work with John Romita Jr.

What comics are you currently enjoying – either old or new?

I’ve read so much in the past year, that now I’m taking suggestions for new books to read

We’ll definitely be linking to the Kickstarter once it begins and readers, feel free to suggest books below! Personally I recommend the Rocketeer Adventures Vol 2 series.

You can follow Mark Andrew Smith on Tumblr and Twitter!
Edited to add Kickstarter!

Posted on May 17, 2012 in Real Interview and tagged baseball, comics, horror, interview, james stokoe, luke herr, mark andrew smith, sullivans sluggers.

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May 16, 2012

Marvel Solicit Overviews: August 2012

DEADPOOL #59
DANIEL WAY (w) • SALVA ESPIN (a)
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
• Part two of “Blacklisted!”
• The return of classic Deadpool Detractor, BLACK SWAN!
• Will the now-killable assassin get assassin’d?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

You’re seeing that right. They misspelled “supervillain” on the cover of a Marvel comic book. I cannot even. It’s like an issue of Criminal where the credits are “Script by Ed Bubarker, Pecnils by Shawn Philllips” or All Star Western having “Western” spelled wrong on the cover.

Avx: Vs #5 (of 6)
MATT FRACTION & JASON AARON (w)
Leinil Yu & JOHN ROMITA JR. (a)
COVER BY Leinil Yu
FIGHT POSTER VARIANT By JOHN ROMITA JR.
• The premier tie-in to AVENGERS VS. X-MEN marches on!
• BLACK PANTHER VS. STORM!
• ANGEL VS. HAWKEYE!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Kind of a small complaint here, but when you have a monster like John Romita Jr. doing art for your comic, and you decide to go with a cover from a guy who is decidedly not John Romita Jr.? That’s the kind of thing that, combined with the decision to publish a title called Avengers Versus X-Men: Versus, makes me doubt your grip on sanity.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #9 & 10 (of 12)
ISSUE #9 – JASON AARON (w) • ADAM KUBERT (a)
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant cover by RYAN STEGMAN
Avengers Team & X-Men Team Variants also available
KUBERT VARIANT also available
PROMO VARIANT also available
STEGMAN SKETCH VARIANT also available
• Their numbers dwindling, the Avengers stage a daring raid on the X-Men’s prison to rescue their
captive members-and you won’t believe where it is!
• Alliances begin to change as the nature of the Phoenix becomes apparent!
• And in the end, it all comes down to Spider-Man!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

ISSUE #10 – ED BRUBAKER (W) • OLIVIER COIPEL (A)
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant cover by NICK BRADSHAW also available
BRADSHAW SKETCH VARIANT also available
Avengers Team & X-Men Team Variants also available
PROMO VARIANT also available
• Time is running out as the Avengers are cornered in their last stronghold!
• But the stakes change when Hope and the Scarlet Witch join forces! Why?! How?!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$3.99 (EACH)

I get why “Why are the Scarlet Witch and Hope teaming up?” is being asked here, but “How?” just seems silly. Who will ask first? Will Scarlet Witch say yes? Will they take the Marvel Universe Tag Team Belt?

AVENGERS #29
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W)
WALTER SIMONSON (A)
COVER BY MIKE DEODATO
AVX TIE-IN!
• The Avengers versus the unbelievable might of the X-Men!
• The special issue of Avengers is the flip side to Wolverine and the X-Men #12.
• Witness a very surprising tie-in experience like you’ve never seen before!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

Speaking of dumb cover choices, here you have a comic with art by WALTER MOTHERLOVING SIMONSON, and you go with Mike Deodato instead? That’s like forgoing a nice burger so you can have a salad composed entirely of cyanide and poop.

NEW AVENGERS #29
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (W)
MIKE DEODATO (A)
COVER BY RON GARNEY
• AVX TIE-IN!
• They gather to stop the horrors of the Marvel universe before they happen…
…but the secret group known as the illuminati failed to stop the Phoenix time and time again.
• They come together one last time…but will it be enough?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

So apparently the Illuminati are actually going to do something beside blast Bruce Banner’s ass into space for once?

UNCANNY X-MEN #17
KIERON GILLEN (w) • DANIEL ACUÑA (a/C)
AVX TIE-IN!
• The climactic end to the X-Men’s greatest stand against Sinister!
• The culmination of everything Sinister has planned since Uncanny #1!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Yes, the culmination of Sinister’s long, involved plan… to get a hype-ass firebird to complete his ensemble for the pimpingest photo opportunity of the Marvel Universe. Honestly, I would frame this above my fireplace, if I had a fireplace.

WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #15
JASON AARON (w) • JORGE MOLINA (a)
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
AVX TIE-IN!
• Logan leads his own team of classic X-Men into battle!
• The Jean Grey School sees its first graduate!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

So Professor is trying to beat Logan at his own game here, what with being in both the Illuminati and this Wolverine and the X-Men team?

AVENGERS ACADEMY #34 & 35
CHRISTOS GAGE (w) • TOM GRUMMETT (a)
CoverS by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
• AvX fall-out: Avengers Academy is closed…indefinitely!
• Alchemist, a.k.a. wunderkind industrialist Jeremy Briggs, offers the students a chance to
be normal again! But is there a catch? And who will accept his deal?
• Years of plot threads explode as your favorite Avengers Academy characters face their
ultimate challenges in parts 1 & 2 of “Final Exam”!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T …$2.99 (EACH)

I’m not sure if this is being cancelled or what, but it seems like it is, and I’m not entirely happy about that.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #6
Brian Michael Bendis (w) • Mark Bagley (a/C)
• Thanos is claiming Earth as his own!
• The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up to bring the
Mad Titan some cosmically-charged pain!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Has Mark Bagley ever been anything better than “decidedly mediocre”?

Secret Avengers #30
RICK REMENDER (w) • MATTEO SCALERA (A)
Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
• High-spy-adventure! Hawkeye, Venom and Ant-Man must defeat an
army of villains to grab Max Fury!
• Secrets! The truth behind the Shadow Council’s ultimate plot!
• Finally! The new Masters of Evil strike!
• Paranoia! Black Widow knows who the traitor is, but can she get to her
teammates in time to save them from his schemes?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Is that Arcade as a bartender? That’s pretty cool. And that’s Bi-Beast back there. Also, I hope they’re not referring to the Nick Fury from the Fury MAX series, and are instead talking about yet another illegitimate son of the original Nick Fury. I hope there’s eventually a sort of Fury Corps made up of the sons of Nick Fury, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers style.

DARK AVENGERS #179
JEFF PARKER (w) • DECLAN SHALVEY & KEV WALKER (a) Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
THE DARK AVENGERS AND THE THUNDERBOLTS ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE – THROUGH TIME!
• Can history’s most Wanted villains save Luke Cage from his future?!
• Jeff Parker, Declan Shalvey and Kev Walker unite for an epic tale of one man’s destiny!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Jesus E. Neuman, JTC. It looks like you slapped a bunch of greyscaled out screenshots from a Marvel v. Capcom game into the background there. And that metal video pose the kid is in isn’t helping.

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #10
Kelly Sue Deconnick (w)
Terry Dodson (a/C)
• BOSTON! Prepare to have your sox knocked off!
• A 50-ft tall red-headed madwoman versus an army of privatized mecha-police! Care to guess who’s caught in between?
• Spider-Man and Daring Damsel Carol Danvers, the new Captain Marvel!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #11
Zeb Wells (w)
Stefano Caselli (a)
Cover by Chris Samnee
• Special 50TH Anniversary Story!
• Spider-Man teams up with the hero he admires most – May Parker!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

I’m just going to leave this here.

SPIDER-MEN #4 (of 5)
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (w) • SARA PICHELLI (a)
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
DEODATO VARIANT ALSO AVAILIBLE
PICHELLI VARIANT ALSO AVAILIBLE
• Can the Spider-Men stop Mysterio?
• Peter Parker comes face-to-face with the family he never had!
• ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MOMENTS IN THE LIVES OF BOTH SPIDER-MEN!!!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Mysterio is pretty cool. That is literally all I have to say about this.

SCARLET SPIDER #8
CHRISTOPHER YOST (w)
KHOI PHAM (a)
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
“THE SECOND MASTER” PART TWO OF THREE
• Texas Twister! Shooting Star! Red Wolf! Firebird! Living Lightning! The Southwest’s greatest heroes the RANGERS are in Houston to take down the Scarlet Spider!
• Has Scarlet Spider gone from Houston’s newest hero to Houston’s most wanted?
• The mystery of ROXXON deepens… what has Roxxon found in the Gulf of Mexico?
HINT: It ain’t oil!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Oh cool, those guys are back.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #691
DAN SLOTT (w)
GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (a/C)
LIZARD VARIANT ALSO available
• “No Turning Back” comes to an epic conclusion as only one man on Earth has a chance of helping Spider-Man stop the Lizard. And his name is Curt Connors.
• Plus a shocking development that will set things in motion… for AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700!
• Be sure to pick this issue up fast, because you can bet it’s going to be VERY important later.
You’ve been warned!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #692
DAN SLOTT (w) • HUMBERTO RAMOS (a/C)
Spider-Man Decades variant covers by Marcos Martin• Special 50TH Anniversary Issue!
• Join us for a once in a lifetime event: the one, true 50th Anniversary Issue of the Amazing Spider-Man.
• A special over-sized issue harkening back to the legend the legend that started it all! Get ready for an all-new tale about a different kind of power and responsibility…
• Plus original stories by Dean Haspiel, Joshua Hale Fialkov & Nuno Plati!
64 PGS. all-new content/Rated T …$5.99

So Spidey’s having his 50th birthday, and they’re doing new issues of some old Spider-Man series, as well as the above special anniversary issue.

VENOM #22
RICK REMENDER (w) • DECLAN SHALVEY (a)
Cover BY TONY MOORE
VARIANT COVER BY MICHAEL DEL MUNDO
THE SAVAGE SIX TOOK THEIR SHOT – NOW VENOM TAKES HIS!
• With his darkest secrets exposed to those he loves, Flash Thompson has one name on his hit list: Jack O’Lantern!
• Series co-creator Rick Remender takes his final bow while Declan Shalvey (DARK AVENGERS) joins the book for Flash Thompson’s defining hour as a hero!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

So Remender is leaving Venom to make way for Cullen Bunn. Cool.

VENOM #23
CULLEN BUNN (w) • THONY SILAS (a)
Cover by PATCH ZIRCHER
VARIANT COVER by HUMBERTO RAMOS
A NEW ERA OF SYMBIOTE-SUPER HEROICS BEGINS!
• The Avengers task Venom with bringing in Damion Hellstrom – but who are THE MONSTERS OF EVIL?!
• Rising star Cullen Bunn (WOLVERINE) teams with the Spider-verse’s newest young gun, Thony Silas (ENDS OF THE EARTH) for a new dawn in the life of Flash Thompson!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

I really like this cover. That whole thing with the pentagram on the side, the cultists down there, it just looks cool.

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #13
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (w) • DAVID MARQUEZ (a)
Cover by JORGE MOLINA
GRANOV VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
• DIVIDED WE FALL!!!
• Guest starring CAPTAIN AMERICA
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

So is this supposed to be making up for some design elements that are on the side when the final cover goes to print, because the shield thing seems really off-center.

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #14
SAM HUMPHRIES (w) • BILLY TAN (a)
Cover by MICHAEL KOMARCK
• Someone is working behind the scenes to divide the country, but who?!
• Ultimate Cap, Ultimate Iron Man, and Ultimate Thor finally reunited! ULTIMATES ASSEMBLE!
• A crisis in the United States forces the Ultimates into action!
• DIVIDED WE FALL continues to rock the Ultimate Universe!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Ultimates remains a rock-stupid name for a team, and a terrible name for a universe.

ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #15
BRIAN WOOD (w) • PACO MEDINA (a)
Cover by PHIL NOTO
• DIVIDED WE FALL concludes with a startling ending that sends us into the next exciting chapter!
• A mutant refugee from one of the camps joins up, but where do their loyalties lie?
• The war for mutant liberation starts here!
• Guest-starring Nick Fury!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Seriously, either crop the art, or include the sidebar or whatever is causing the cover to shift to the right, it’s really distracting.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #16
ED BRUBAKER & CULLEN BUNN (w) • SCOT EATON (a)
cover by STEVE EPTING
• Discordian cells attack American interests all over the world!
• Shock journalist Reed Braxton is turning the public against the Sentinel of Liberty.
• But if Reed Braxton is dead, who the heck is that on LIVE television?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

It’s pretty funny that they capitalized the LIVE, just to make that little joke that much worse.

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND IRON MAN #635
CULLEN BUNN (w)
BARRY KITSON (a)
Cover by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY• Kashmir Vennema has stolen a wealth of dangerous secrets…and she’s prepared to sell them
to the highest bidder.
• Among the secrets she’s stolen: complete specs on Iron Man’s armor!
• Nothing says Madripoor in the summer like technological meltdowns, A.I.M., and M.O.D.O.K.
32 PGS./Rated T …$2.99

CAPTAIN AMERICA AND NAMOR #635.1
CULLEN BUNN (w)
WILL CONRAD (a)
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
• Captain America and Namor battle the Thule Society during WWII!
• The Thule unleash the Kraken–a weapon of Atlantean origin and ungodly power.
• Namor encounters a clandestine society. But are they friend or foe?
32 PGS./Rated T …$2.99

No, no, no, you’re supposed to RELEASE the Kraken, not unleash it!

WINTER SOLDIER #9
ED BRUBAKER (w) • MICHAEL LARK (a)
Cover by STEVE EPTING
• Black Widow’s past has caught up to her! Can Bucky save her? And what happens if he can’t?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

OK, I’m pretty sure Bucky and Black Widow aren’t supposed to have the same hair.

HULK #56
JEFF PARKER (w)
DALE EAGLESHAM (a/C)
• THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER OF MAYAN RULE!!!
• Guest starring ALPHA FLIGHT and MACHINE MAN
• The MAYAN GODS continue to remake Earth in their own image!
• Will RED HULK’S power be used to end the world?
• Guest starring ALPHA FLIGHT, MACHINE MAN and the SHE-HULKS!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

HULK #57
JEFF PARKER (w)
DALE EAGLESHAM (a/C)
• The stunning conclusion to MAYAN RULE!!!
• What horrible fate awaits the human race?
• IS THIS THE END OF RED HULK???
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

I hope not, because Jeff Parker is awesome.

So they’re not doing nearly as much for Thor’s 50th besides the Mystery/New Mutants special.

DEFENDERS #9
MATT FRACTION (w)
JAMIE McKELVIE (a)
Cover by TERRY DODSON
• The Concordance Engine unleashed!
• The Defenders…. lost in infinite space-time without a map!
• What alternate universe will they find first? And who is waiting for them?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

That’s a really nice cover, even if half the bodies are blanked out.

INFERNAL MAN-THING #3 (of 3)
STEVE GERBER (w)
KEVIN NOWLAN (a)
Cover by ART ADAMS
• The startling conclusion of Steve Gerber’s last MAN-THING epic!!!
• Also featuring a classic MAN-THING story from SAVAGE TALES!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

That cover is beautiful.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #522
MATT FRACTION (w)
SALVADOR LARROCA (a/C)
• THE FUTURE for Tony Stark is here now
• You think YOUR boss is bad? Try working for THE MANDARIN…
• The new IRON MAN vs RESCUE…?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #523
MATT FRACTION (w)
SALVADOR LARROCA (a/C)
• What does THE FUTURE hold for TONY STARK?
• What is the stunning truth behind the Mandarin’s mission?
• How can our heroes stop the Mandarin’s plans?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

CAPTAIN MARVEL #2
KELLY SUE DECONNICK (w) • DEXTER SOY (a)
Cover by Ed McGuinessIS
• Captain Marvel can’t walk away from a challenge from her past!! Who’s the better pilot?
• Introducing the THE BANSHEE SQUADRON!
• Avenger Time Travel Protocols: Engage!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

CAPTAIN MARVEL #3
KELLY SUE DECONNICK (w) • DEXTER SOY (a)
Cover by Ed McGuinessIS
• FIREFIGHT IN THE SKY!!!
• What are THE PROWLERS and where has Captain Marvel seen them before?
• Secret NASA training program: the Mercury 13
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Firefight in the sky! I can go twice as high! Take a look, it’s in a book! Gravity’s rainbooooow!

Also, I can’t believe they didn’t use that #3 solicit to say something about “Captain Marvel reveals a secret — and it’s a BOMBSHELL!”

DAREDEVIL #16 & 17
MARK WAID (w) • CHRIS SAMNEE (#16 A/C)
• Nelson/Murdock no more! Foggy’s discovered a secret Matt’s been keeping–and he doesn’t take it well!
• And a last page shock that will have Daredevil fans buzzing!
• Series Stalwarts Mark Waid and Chris Samnee bring you a turning point in the lives of Marvel’s
most famous legal team!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Does Marvel not know what “stalwart” means? Nobody’s been on the art for Daredevil long enough to be considered a “stalwart”. Also, it was just revealed that Mike Allred is doing art in some capacity for #17. HOT DAMN.

FANTASTIC FOUR #609
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • RYAN STEGMAN (a/C)
• The Defenders from the Future hope to set out on the adventure of a lifetime, and only the Fantastic Four can help them get there.
32 PGS./Rated T …$2.99

FF #21
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • NICK DRAGOTTA (a)
Cover by MIKE CHOI
• In a move that surprises everyone, Black Bolt and the Inhumans return to Earth.
What does this mean for Marvel’s first family?
32 PGS./Rated T …$2.99

Heh, more like Bonan the Infuser.

HAWKEYE #1
MATT FRACTION (w) • DAVID AJA (a&C)
Variant cover by Adi Granov
• The breakout star of this summer’s blockbuster AVENGERS film and self-made hero Hawkeye fights for justice!
• With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he’s out to prove himself as one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!
• Matt Fraction & David Aja (IMMORTAL IRON FIST) reunite to tell the on-going tales of the Arrow-Avenger!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Is there some sort of OTB for comics? Because I really want to bet on the over/under before this gets cancelled.

THE PUNISHER #14
GREG RUCKA (w)
Mico Suayan (a)
Cover by Mico Suayan
• Cole surrenders…to becoming a Punisher.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME HERE!”

SPACE PUNISHER #2 (of 4)
FRANK TIERI (w)
MARK TEXERIA (a/C)
THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE!
• PUNISHER V.S. THE HULK IN SPACE!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

“THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE!” I kind of respect this now. But why does Space Punisher have a cape? And why does Space Hulk have 4 arms?

DAREDEVIL ANNUAL #1
ALAN DAVIS (w) • ALAN DAVIS (a/c)
VARIANT COVER BY ALAN DAVIS
Marvel Tales by Alan Davis Part 2
• The return of a menace from the past sets Daredevil, Doctor Strange and the ClanDestine on a collision course!
• Continues in this month’s Wolverine Annual #1!
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

WOLVERINE ANNUAL #1
ALAN DAVIS (w) • ALAN DAVIS (a/c)
VARIANT COVER BY ALAN DAVIS
Marvel Tales by Alan Davis Part 3
• A debt owed to a dead man causes Wolverine to seek the truth
behind the mystery of the rogue member of the ClanDestine family
called Vincent!
• The finale to the tale started in FF Annual #33 and DD Annual #1!
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

A debt owed to a dead man causes Wolverine to seek the truth
behind the mystery of the rogue member of the ClanDestine family
called Vincent!

Okay, there’s definitely at least one thing wrong with the way this sentence is structured. Is the ClanDestine family called Vincent? Lemme try it out:

A debt owed to a dead man causes Wolverine to seek the truth behind Vincent — the rogue member of the ClanDestine family!

Marvel Universe
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #5
JACOB SEMAHN & TY TEMPLETON (w)
NUNO PLATI & TY TEMPLETON (a)
• The best new show on television! Live on paper!
• It’s a sticky situation when Spidey has to save the New York Marathon from the TRAPSTER!
• Then! The WRECKER is wrecking everything! Including Peter Parker’s grade in science class!
32 PGS./All Ages …$2.99

Heh, Semahn. Sounds like semen.

Marvel Universe AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES #5
CHRISTOPHER YOST &
HOWARD CHAYKIN (w)
CHRIS JONES & TODD NAUCK (a)
Cover by Khoi Pham
• Disney XD’s SMASH hit leaps off of the TV and into your hands!
• The Avengers may have met their match when they go toe-to-toe with the Serpent Society!
• THEN! It’s an international incident as Captain America takes on the scourge of France, Batroc the Leaper!
32 PGS./All Ages …$2.99

Huh. Howard Chaykin, the man behind Black Kiss and American Flagg! is doing a kid’s cartoon tie-in comic.

X-MEN LEGACY #272
Christos Gage (w)
Rafa Sandoval (a)
cover by MARK BROOKS
• Trapped in another world and in the clutches of the terrifying Swarm, Rogue struggles to stay alive long enough to find a way home!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

AGE OF APOCALYPSE #6
DAVE LAPHAM (w)
Renato Arlem (a)
Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
• The lady Penance rises, promising salvation for all who follow her!
• A reincarnated Alpha mutant returns!
• Can the X-Terminated trust their leader?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

FIRST X-MEN #1 (of 5)
NEAL ADAMS & CHRISTOS GAGE (w)
NEAL ADAMS (a/C)
MODERN ARTIST VARIANT by RYAN STEGMAN also available
NEAL ADAMS VARIANT also available
NEAL ADAMS SKETCH VARIANT also available
• X-Men legend Neal Adams returns to Marvel’s Mutants!
• The secret history of the X-Men…BEFORE Xavier’s team!
• Starring Wolverine & Sabretooth!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Wow. And I thought Batman: Odyssey was the strangest Adams would go. Look at those claws. Look at that face. This shit will be cray.

GAMBIT #1 & 2
James Asmus (w)
Clay Mann (a/C)
Variant Cover by TBD
• ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES!
• When Marvel’s premiere thief sets his sights on his biggest score yet, he may just end up over his head. It’s going to take more than just playing cards and southern charm to get out of this one!
•BONUS! Bella Donna is NOT in this issue!
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T+ …$2.99 (EACH)

Let’s see, who’s Bella Donna? Huh. Guess that’s for the best.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #53
Written by Marjorie Liu
Penciled by Mike Perkins
Cover by DUSTIN WEAVER
• After the explosive ending of the last issue, the team is on the run!
• Northstar accepts a deadly assignment…what is life like for the one who gets left behind?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

How would they be able to fit a bomb in, since there’s no real way to cut through his adamantium skeleton?

X-MEN #33 & 34
Brian Wood (w)
Issue #33 – David Lopez (a)
Issue #34 – ROLAND BOSCHI (a)
Covers by Jorge Molina
• The history of the Proto Mutants is revealed!
• Mr. Grey makes his move against the X-Men…and it’s not what any of them are expecting!
• Colossus makes a decision that could endanger the entire team.
• Storm’s field agents are kidnapped and a weapon of the X-Men’s making goes missing
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T …$3.99 (EACH)

UNCANNY X-FORCE #29 & 30
RICK REMENDER (w)
Issue #29 – Julian Totino Tedesco (a)
Issue #30 – DAVID WILLIAMS (a)
Cover by JEROME OPEñA
• It’s all built to this: “Final Execution” enters its last act!
• The new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants makes their move!
• Fantomex’s deceptions come back to haunt the team!
32 PGS./ (EACH) Parental Advisory …$3.99 (EACH)

And there’s more of that Loeb/Bianchi Wolverine stuff.

DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1-4 (of 4)
CULLEN BUNN (w) • DALIBOR TALAJIC (a)
CoverS by KAARE ANDREWS
• What if everthing you thought was funny about Deadpool…was actually just disturbing?
• What if he decided to kill everyone and everything that makes up the Marvel Universe?
• What if he actually pulled it off? Would that be FUN for you?
• The Merc with a Mouth takes a turn for the twisted in a weekly horror comic like no other…
32 PGS. (EACH)/Parental Advisory …$2.99 (EACH)

This is more likely to be a miss than a hit, but daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn, those covers. I especially love the second one, where he seems to be trying a more Dave Johnson thing, but god, that fourth one with the Sienckiewicz influence is just POW.

Posted on May 16, 2012 in Solicit Overviews and tagged niel jacoby, NielJ.

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May 16, 2012

Pitch: Cable Messiah

The other night before I went to the Adam WarRock show with my friends, I swore that that I could make an interesting pitch for any character as either a series, miniseries or even a villain of the week thing. Beast Boy came up (team up with Animal Man and Vixen for people connected to the Red, the Red Teamm fighting an alien planet’s Red connected heroes/villains), Vandal Savage (go into how he turned evil, have him go on a crazy 60′s drug trip where he ends up seeing everyone he ever new including other versions of himself that drives him insane) and even Kiteman (Kiteman vs Hawkman, Kiteman creates this giant floating wall of killer kites and death traps – make it insane and stupid and brilliant and have Savage Hawkman just attack it) and then they did brought up Cable. (Technically Cable happened before Kiteman but who cares).

Cable stumped me for a while. I mean the entire idea of the character really keeps coming back to the fact that he is trying to change the future – which he has done a lot and then he is an over the top 90′s character – the poster boy for it. Why is his name Cable? And yet despite Cable’s gruff demeanor he hangs out with Deadpool and keeps doing crazy stuff and he keeps traveling through time.

So what if his time travel didn’t work. What if Cable came from a reality set in the future – but the past reality that he ends up in is a whole different timeline and he can’t return home. Cable does what he is supposed to stop the future plague – but his world is still screwed. He can’t even return home and he really has nothing to do – he saved humanity from the big threat. So he goes Booster Gold.

Cable is a man with digital archives of everything that happened in a similar timeline. He is sort of a cyborg. He is a bit insane but deep down he wants to save the world. – so he creates this giant plan to save the world and then he goes to win big in Vegas.

After a few minutes cheating and then investing money (this is back in the 80s) the now infinitely rich Cable works to just make life better while relaxing. He becomes a celebrity, he helps mutants financially becoming the public face of the pro-mutant and human agenda. Professor Xavier never needs to form the X-men – Cable is there. When Magneto threatens to kill all humans, Cable talks things out with the militant anti-human/mutant parties and the world improves. Supergenius mutants create clean burning energy. What Galactus comes, Cable already made the technology to turn cosmic energy into something that Galactus can harness to feed his hunger. When the Skrulls and Kree come to fight, Earth is ready and they negotiate a treaty with Cable heading the table. When Thanos stops by, Cable kills him knowing there is no real reasoning with a dude who wants to bang Death. Cable becomes the immortal messiah of the world – sent to prevent destruction, who ends up improving the world instead.

Totally different take on the character and it is something I’d check out.

Posted on May 16, 2012 in Pitch Week and tagged cable, character, comics, luke herr, marvel, pitch.

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May 15, 2012

DC Solicit Overviews for August 2012

Let’s do this.

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Posted on May 15, 2012 in Solicit Overviews, Uncategorized and tagged niel jacoby.

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May 9, 2012

Lady Action Stars on the Rise

Woah, woooah, did you guys know that The Avengers came out this last weekend? Of course you did. Which is why writing about anything that doesn’t involve the film wouldn’t be topical.

But I refuse to actually talk about the film, so let’s talk about Black Widow instead, and what her role means in the trending of female action heroes on the silver screen.

No wait, hear me out.

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Posted on May 9, 2012 in General and tagged Action movies, avengers, Black Widow, sexism.

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May 6, 2012

FCBD Rundown/Capsule reviews

Note: not all the FCBD releases can be covered here, as my shop had a 5-item limit. I will be including things I bought/won. My local shop usually has good FCBD promotions, they usually have a sale, a giveaway thing, free Heroclix/buttons/candy/Lantern rings/etc. I was kind of in a rush this year, so I didn’t really get a chance to search well.

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Posted on May 6, 2012 in Uncategorized.

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May 5, 2012

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY SOCIALFIST GIVEAWAY!

Socialfist (Basic) is free to download today on Free Comic Book Day! There is a Google Docs link here! As of 2 AM it is only in CBZ format, may be buggy. Leave a comment if it is. I’ll also be posting a PDF later!

The basic version now costs $2

But wait, you want to get the bonus version?

Shit son that is a Paypal button! $5 gets you the CBZ bonus edition! And that is unlimited downloads! (And you will get the PDF when I figure that out!) The bonus edition includes over 15 pages of original content, commentary, bonus art and more!

Posted on May 5, 2012 in News.

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May 5, 2012

Real Interviews: King Oblivion, PhD

Greetings Dr. King Oblivion of the International Society of Supervillains and the recently released Supervillain Handbook!
Salutations, whelp.
Now what do you have a Ph.D. in? Or your doctorate in?
Nefarious sciences. My thesis was on turning people into gelatin. I could demonstrate on you if you want. Or don’t.
Do you mean like horse gelatin or edible stuff?
It’s made of people, so people gelatin. You could eat it if you want, I guess. I never have. I’m not one of those Venom types.
Are you one of those Lecter types who would trick people into eating themselves or family members?
Cannibalism is not in my oeuvre. I just test and jellify. What happens after that is none of my business.
Now you came out with the second edition of the Supervillain Handbook – what is that about?
It’s the ultimate expert guide to professional super-evil. You could not find a better instructor for world domination than me. But be warned: Do not step on my toes. I will make you a statue.
But don’t you need to also deal with Tumblrs now? I mean there are a few out there on being villains – for free!
If you want to take advice for your villainy career from someone who’s giving it away for free on Tumblr, that is your call. But you can be pretty well assured you will be crushed.
Now are you a pro-snake-hybrid-henchmen or against them?
Snake hybrid henchmen are a reasonable selection, as long as they fit your gimmick. Are you yourself reptilian, or have geckos for feet, or a name like The Turtle (because you encase people in shells)? Then go for it.
But why go with the gimmick – it makes you easier to catch! If you are the Snake Lord and the rare anaconda goes missing, you are going to be the main suspect!
Supervillains have gimmicks. That is the way it is. Dare you question my authority, you little zit?
But what about Evil Superman, not Bizzaro, but one from some alternate world where he is evil! Where do you get a gimmick from that?
Ultraman, you mean? He’s an evil Superman. Where do you not see the gimmick in that?
But in his own reality – there is no Superman. How can your theme be entirely based on being the evil version of someone who is nonexistant? I mean you can’t have Good …Stalin unless there is an evil Stalin that is the norm.
But he is the norm, in the universe where things happen, the one we’re in. Who told you you could think of alternate universes as anything but places where gimmicks come from? You are running headlong into thinking that will get you tied up in a sawmill, peon.
Okay. I am reaching a touchy spot apparently.
There is an order. Some may have the power to upset it (what’s up, Beyonder) but you do not.
But what about an alternate version of me that is more powerful than you that is aware of this situation right now?
Mwahahahahahahahaha! How naive.
But the very idea of a multiverse points that reality has no standard order so in infinite numbers of universes, both you and I are meeting our doom!
Let me clue you in to something, fool: There isn’t an infinite number of universes. There are only the universes we need to enact our plans. We bend them to our whims, and forget about them when they don’t apply to us. You’re not thinking like a fictional character at all.
But… how does that make you feel?
I only have one emotion: Pain. Inflicting it. On you.
Well, thank you for taking the time to not crush me like the meaningless insect that I am. Is there anything else that you would like to promote?
You can follow me on Twitter, if you wish to be warned of your impending demise, @KingOblivionPhd.
Thank you very much Dr. King and have a wonderful evening!
Bad day to you, Paul. It’s Paul, right? It’s Paul.

Posted on May 5, 2012 in Real Interview and tagged interview, king oblivion, supervillain handbook.

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May 5, 2012

Better Comic Movies: Atom Smasher

When the atomic bomb has destroyed the world – the atomic man will be our hero! ATOM SMASHER!

I am mentally picturing this movie as a sort of a retro-futurist Doc Savage-y piece. The world got bombed to hell with atomic power – but it was the retro ideal of atomics so instead of killing things, they just got big and mutated. Society really segmented itself into tribes (as opposed to the greater societies of the Fallout setting). There was no government plan for this scenario and so we have these people going native more or less 100 years after the bombs fell (somewhere after 2000). They worship fading images of gods – the men in suites are the angels so the priests wear things similar to suits and they have this weird society that isn’t right.
A member of one of these tribes ends up getting exiled and wanders into a nuclear plant where the computer intelligence mixed with the radiation grants him powers – as opposed to a god or a magic spell and with this knowledge and power he becomes the Atom Smasher.
Through his access of the information lay lines (satellites that are still running and beaming him signals, he discovers that the hyper evolved apes who are fewer in number but are strong are planning to attack and kill the human tribe and it is up to Atom Smash to stop them. This I guess is sort of like Kamandi/OMAC vs Gorilla Grodd or the Ultra-Humanite but I think doing this with a straight and earnest face would be a cool thing to do and Atom Smasher is a character who never really “got made.” He’s originally a descendent of the Atom, he grows big and he is Jewish is not much of a characterization so I think tossing this magi-techno hero into this destroyed world would be fun.

Posted on May 5, 2012 in Better Comic Movies.

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May 2, 2012