Saturday, 12th April

Thursday, 20th March

Sunday, 16th March

Couple of things to mention this week: From Wednesday 26th March the shop will be closed every Wednesday up to and including April 30th. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause, but it's to allow my annual holiday (to see the relatives in Oz no less!) and to give Tim a day off in the week.

Just saw the new Incredible Hulk trailer... not sure about this one as the cgi looks positively cgi-ish. Hulk doesn't look like Shrek this time but he does look like an action figure. Oh, well... Loads of goodies for sale next week. I guess one of the most interesting is likely to be Garth Ennis' new war series, War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle 1.

War is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle 1 COVER BY: JOHN CASSADAY WRITER: GARTH ENNIS PENCILS: HOWARD CHAYKIN INKS: HOWARD CHAYKIN LETTERED BY: TODD KLEIN Set against the grim backdrop of Word War I, mysterious aviator Karl Kaufmann arrives on the western front dressed outlandishly and at the controls of his own plane. Overconfident and full of romantic ideals, he has come to fight and kill the Hun. But soon Kaufmann confronts staggering loss and witnesses violence on a scale he has never imagined. In the process, he learns the harsh truth of conflict: war is hell. Written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Howard Chaykin. NB: Explicit Content Price: £3.25

Friday, 7th March

It's officially one year to go until the release of the much-anticipated WATCHMEN movie and to celebrate they've posted photos of the main characters for us to drool over. Check out http://rss.warnerbros.com/watchmen but be sure to have a box of tissues to hand (for the drool of course!).

Thursday, 6th March

Wednesday, 27th February

Loads of new Marvel product has shipped over the past couple of weeks - X-Force, Clandestine and the new X-Men cross-over, 'Divided We Stand', to name just a few - and it looks like there's even more to come! This week sees the arrival of Thor, Marvel Zombies 2 and the continuing story of the new Captain America! Looks like we can finally see the light at the end of the DC Countdown tunnel: with only a few weeks left it seems everything is going to kick off and that a new 'Crisis' is just around the corner... As for Indies...Umbrella Academy (just concluded) and World of Warcraft always sell strongly, and Dark Horse's Omnibus editions of Aliens, Predator, Buffy, Star Wars, Terminator and, soon, Indiana Jones provide great ways of getting a lot of good reading in an affordable way!   Two to check out this week: This from fan-favourite Mark Millar... KICK-ASS 1 The greatest super hero comic of all-time is finally here. WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE's team of MARK MILLAR (CIVIL WAR) and JOHN ROMITA JR. (WORLD WAR HULK) reunite for the best new book of the 21st century. Have you ever wanted to be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you--the comic that starts where other super hero books draw the line. KICK-ASS is realistic super heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot! COVER BY: JOHN ROMITA JR. WRITER: MARK MILLAR PENCILS: JOHN ROMITA JR. Explicit Content - $2.99   and this new title from Bone creator Jeff Smith...

Christmas and New Year Opening Times

Monday, 12th November

Sunday, 26th August

Tuesday, 14th August

Friday, 15th June

BATMAN'S NEW MOVIE DUDS REVEALED Warner Bros. has released the first image of the new Batman costume for The Dark Knight via Entertainment Weekly, and it’s got some definitely cool tweaks from the past. First up – obviously, it’s got that total body armor look – components, rather than one piece. The suit is made up of 200 individual pieces, according to EW - made of rubber, fiberglass, and nylon and metallic mesh. Probably the biggest change – the cowl is now separate from the neck and shoulders (which caused Batmen from Michael Keaton to George Clooney to swivel their entire head and shoulders when looking around), and is based on a motorcycle helmet. Designer Lindy Hemming also indicated that the cape will feature some new looks and technology in the film, while the razors on the costume’s forearms are detachable, and can be shot at people.

Sunday, 27th May

We are open this Bank Holiday Monday (28th) from 12 until 4pm.

Just so you know... :p

Sunday, 20th May

Is this the new face of The Joker? Ain't It Cool News are showing this image of Heath Ledger as The Joker. And you thought that The Scarecrow was dark and sinister. :p

Tuesday, 1st May

New opening (actually, closing) time.

With Dave and his girlfriend embarking on their Thelma and Louise trip across the USA for 3 months, I have decided to close the shop on Wednesdays until either he returns or I have found another staff member to cover for him! That's not to say that Adam (who works with us on Saturdays) or Tim (who's going to be helping out on Thursdays and occasional other days) won't be around to keep me company! :p

Hopefully not being open on Wednesdays won't cause too many problems, but please let me know if it does.

Derek

Saturday, 21st April

Watch out, puny humans! Will we like him when he's angry? The Illusionist's Edward Norton is going to be taking over Eric Bana's role as Dr. Bruce Banner in The Hulk sequel, The Incredible Hulk. According to Variety, "Marvel Studios, which has a $525 million credit facility obtained through Merrill Lynch, made The Incredible Hulk its second film under that arrangement, and seeks to make a sequel that is less self-serious and more in line with the comic series and TV show. The new pic begins with Banner on the run, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into a misunderstood green menace." The sequel is expected to be in theaters next June, but will begin filming this summer in Toronto. This time around, Louis Leterrier is directing, with Zach Penn scripting.

Thursday, 5th April

Easter Opening Hours

Good Friday: 12pm to 4pm

Easter Saturday: 10am to 5.30pm

Easter Sunday: CLOSED

Easter Monday: 12pm to 4pm

Wednesday, 14th February

Many thanks to all who attended our January sale - we had a blast and hope you did too! Look out for more exciting events in the coming year.

Monday, 15th January

Friday, 15th December

Christmas and New Year opening times:

Saturday 23rd December - 10am to 6pm

Sunday 24th December - 11am to 4pm

Christmas Day - Closed

Boxing Day - Closed

Wednesday 27th December - 11am to 5.30pm

Thursday 28th December - 11am to 5.30pm

Friday 29th December - 11am to 5.30pm

Saturday 30th December - 10am to 5.30pm

Sunday 31st December - 12pm to 4pm

New Year's Day - Closed

Tuesday 2nd January - 12pm to 4pm

(normal opening hours from 3rd January onwards)

Saturday, 18th November

Newsarama have recently posted some preview pages of Warren Ellis and Salvador Larroca's upcoming Marvel series, Newuniversal. Unless you're a diehard fan you're probably rolling your eyes, thinking, as I did, do we really need another series about second-rate superheroes in an 'alternate universe'? Do we want more low-quality filler? More importantly, are we prepared to waste our hard-earned money on something that will end up in the sale-bins (within a month - or less!) at 25p a copy?

Well, fear not. This actually looks good. Real good.

Check out this following link and see why Larroca is one of comicdom's best kept secrets:

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/NewUniverse/newuniversal/preview.html

Thursday, 2nd November

Phew! Looks like summer is finally over and comic-reading weather is upon us! Loads of great stuff in recent weeks: The Civil War titles go from strength to strength (when they come out!), Absolute Sandman is looking as great as we'd hoped, and the EC re-coloured printing of their classic horror and sci-fi stories have started to ship in lovely hardcover editions. Added to that Ultimate Spider-Man ans Incredible Hulk hit the 100-issue mark and the new JLA, Authority, WildCATS and Deathblow are beginning to pick up renewed interest...

Toys-wise, we have new action fugures for both Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts II, new mini-busts from Marvel and Gentle Giant and some great retro figures (Infinite Crisis/New Frontiers) from DC!

As far as collectible card games go there's the new World of Warcraft game that sold out on its day of release! We're due to get more in - wait for it - December...

'Til next time!

Wednesday 18th October

Okay, I know this has nothing to do with comics -- or indeed comics-related movies -- but it is South Park and it does deal with a subject close to my heart... It's a link to the SP World of Warcraft episode ('Make love, not Warcraft') and for anyone addicted to this game it's probably the funniest thing you'll see all year. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBBbM2iFQ1g

Monday 11th October

Green Arrow Comes To Smallville! The US TV Guide's July 24 edition, now arriving in subscriber mailboxes with a nifty Tom Welling cover, has a BIG scoop -- that the DC Comics character of Oliver Queen, better known to fans as Green Arrow, will be making an appearance in Smallville for a story arc that will go for "at least seven episodes." "He will start to form the nascent Justice League," Smallville executive producer Alfred Gough tells TV Guide in this week's issue. "He's trying to find like-minded people with special powers and put a more formal structure in place." The article goes on to say that Clark will initially be wary of Green Arrow, much like he was when future characters such as the Flash or Aquaman showed up in previous seasons. "Ultimately Clark will see the value of what he is trying to do," Gough says. "But as he's gotten older, Clark has become more cautious. He will always be there to help out, but he doesn't want to be part of a formalized organization." Just as big as the announcement of the character is the casting - Justin Hartley, who played the role of AC/Aquaman in Millar & Gough's Aquaman pilot will be playing the role of Ollie. The article says that Hartley was quickly offered the Smallville gig. "What really appealed to us is that he has a great combination of sexiness and humor," Gough says.

Sunday 1st October (Wow, where did September go?!)

Robert Downey Jr to play Iron Man Downey will portray Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Using his intelligence and ingenuity, Stark instead builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to the U.S., he uncovers a plot with global implications and must don his armor and protect the world. The screenplay is written by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby. Filming is slated to begin in February, and the movie is scheduled for a May 2, 2008 opening. -- Newsarama Guess we'll have to wait and see if any of the 'Demon In A Bottle' storyline is covered...

Thursday 21st September

The Civil War continues!

Yep! This week sees the (delayed) release of Civil War 4; Civil War: X-Men 3 and various reprintings of previous hard-to-get CW back-issues. And for those wondering what the deal is with Thor, all I can say is that he's a... :-p   There's also an updated CW shipping-list available so that you can make sure that you don't miss any of these incredibly successful titles.

Friday 15th September

Many thanks to those who recently attended our annual sale: we cleared a load of stock, although you wouldn't know it by the looks of things now as we've recently purchased a large collection which more than fills any space we managed to create!

Be sure to call in and check out full runs of Walking Dead; Ultimates X-Men, Spider-Man, FF and various mini-series; Star Wars; Grendel(!); Daredevil; Hellblazer; Hellboy...loads of really nice books all looking for good homes!

Til (gulp!) next week...

Derek

Monday, 2nd May

Wednesday, 23rd March

Tuesday, 8th March

Tuesday, 8th February

Monday, 20th December

Monday, 29th November

Thursday, 21st October

Out this week!

Wonderland: Children of the Future Age by (W) Derek Watson and (A) Kit Wallis In a future torn apart by conventional, chemical and biological warfare, three teenagers struggle to retain their humanity and survive against seemingly overwhelming odds. Brought up in isolation by a father intent on protecting them from the hostile environment that threatens their very existence, they face a danger more horrifying than anything they have faced before: a flesh-deforming plague of epic proportions. When their father fails to return from a routine foraging mission, the teenagers find their lives thrown into turmoil and uncertainty by the alarming increase in attacks from cannibalistic, mutated humans. Although frightened to leave the relative security of their home and fully aware of the disturbing possibility that he may already be dead, the group risks everything to find their missing father. Our price £3.99 (RRP £5.65)

Well, you didn't think you were going to get away with me not mentioning my own comic did you? Heh! And, if you're around on Saturday (23rd October), pop in and get Kit to sign a copy for you!

Thursday, 7th October

CROSSGEN ASSETS GO FOR $1 MILLION

According to Noel Boeke, counsel for CrossGen in its bankruptcy proceedings, the former publisher’s assets were sold yesterday to Cal Publishing Inc.
According to Boeke, Cal Publishing, Inc. offered the high and best bid of $1 million for the assets of CrossGen and CrossGen IP and CrossGen technologies. The company is an indirect subsidiary of Disney, according to Boeke.
The next step in CrossGen’s proceedings comes Friday with a hearing at 2:00pm when the judge will consider whether or not to approve the sale. If the sale is approved, the deal with Cal Publishing must be closed, and afterwards, the bankruptcy trustee would distribute the money CrossGen’s creditors.

Friday, 27th August

We are open this Bank Holiday Monday, 12 pm to 4pm!

Friday, 23rd July

SINGER TO DIRECT WARNER BROS. SUPERMAN

Trading allegiances for at least one film, Variety reports that on Friday, X-Men director Bryan Singer signed with Warner Brothers to both develop and direct the Superman film.
According to the report, Singer will work with Michael Dogherty and Dan Harris to develop the film, which is slated to begin production in late 2004 in Australia. The deal with Warner Brothers makes it look unlikely that Singer will return to direct X-Men 3. The other project that Singer was reportedly set to develop and direct, a remake of Logan’s Run may still be on the table, though the trade reported the film may fall now to Constantine director Francis Lawrence.
The studio has also shelved JJ Abrams’ version of the script.
Prior to Singer, Charlie’s Angels director McG was attached to the film, though he left the picture after a disagreement with the studio over location and budget.
Variety also reports that Singer will bring a new take to the franchise for the film, most likely scrapping the original treatment’s focus on Superman’s battle with Luthor, and a mysterious visitor from Krypton who has come to earth to hunt Superman.
Singer told Variety: "My interest in Superman dates back many, many years," Singer said. "In fact, it was the Richard Donner classic film that was my day-to-day inspiration in shaping the X-Men universe for the screen. I feel that Superman has been late in his return and it is time for him to fly again."

Monday, 7th June

DC SIGNS JOSH MIDDLETON TO 2-YEAR DEAL!

Acclaimed artist Joshua Middleton, best known for his work on NYX and Meridian, has signed a 2-year exclusive agreement with DC Comics.

"In the short time that I've gotten to know the folks at DC, I have been nothing but pleased at the professionalism and good sense they have demonstrated, " says Middleton. “Straightaway we were on the same page, and crafting a long-term relationship was extremely easy due to my confidence in DC's vision and their understanding of my work and goals as an artist. It is genuinely inspiring to feel so embraced, and I can hardly put into words how excited I am to put pencil to paper in such a well-rounded and creatively rewarding atmosphere. Without wasting a second, DC has managed to put together a wonderful project that affords me the ability to complete art of the utmost quality by playing to my strengths, but at the same time will challenge me to new artistic heights. It will be bigger, better, and more fantastic than anything I've ever done, and I hope readers will be surprised and excited by it. I certainly am! "

"We're ecstatic to have Josh come on board with DC," says Dan DiDio, DC's VP - Editorial. " And we are anxious to see him apply his unique style and vision to our top characters. "

DC will announce Middleton's upcoming projects at a later date.

Monday, 25th May

MARVEL ANNOUNCES BIG PLANS AT WIZARD WORLD, PHILLY!

Dan Buckley, Joe Quesada, CB Cebulski, and Tom Brevoort were in attendance at Marvel's Cup 'o' Joe panel at Wizard World Philadelphia. Several exclusives were announced: Brian Michael Bendis, J. Michael Straczynski, Greg Land, & Steve Epting; new projects were announced including Ultimate Elektra, and some rumors were confirmed including both a Dr. Strange and Black Widow limited series. Joe Quesada announced some exclusives to Marvel. Writer Brian Michael Bendis is exclusive to Marvel for "work for hire." Also exclusive is writer J. Michael Straczynski is exclusive to Marvel for "work for hire." Straczynski is working on several projects for Marvel including a spin off for the Supreme Powers series starring Dr. Spectrum. Dr. Spectrum is also being co-written by Samm (Sara) Barnes and drawn by (Cla$$war's) Travel Foreman. The panel also confirmed that Straczynski is working on a Doctor Strange limited series, but teased they would save confirmation of the artist till SDCC or Wiz World Chicago.

Two artists were announced as exclusive to Marvel. Steve Epting and Greg Land. Epting had spent the last few years working with CrossGeneration Comics on its titles Crux and El Cazador. Land had formerly been exclusive to CrossGeneration Comics and was working on their Sojourn series. The artist has been doing cover work for both Marvel and Top Cow. Marvel would not specify which projects he's working on ... yet. Quesada would not reveal what either artist is working on, but did say, "It will be more than just covers." At the panel a few other projects were confirmed.

• There is going to be a new Black Panther series, but it won't be by Christopher Priest. Details should be in Wizard soon of the new creative team.
• Quesada skirted the question raised about if Marvel were flooding the market with Spider-Girls with Amazing Fantasy and S-G's own series by saying, "The cover of Amazing Fantasy features a girl with a spider on her chest, but that doesn't mean she's a Spider-Girl."
• Garth Ennis is working on a series featuring a character similar to Punisher, but Quesada wouldn't say which character ... yet.
• There will be a change in the Avenger's line up - look for more details of that in the Wiz Philly Avengers Panel con report.
• There will be at least a six issue Ghost Rider series in the first quarter of 2005 - no details on a creative team, but if it is received well it could go beyond six issues.
• There will be a Black Widow series making its debut in September of 2004. It will be written by award-winning writer Richard K. Morgan and feature art by Bill Sienkiewicz.
• NYX's X23 will be featured in her own series written by her creator Craig Kyle.
• Also announced was an Ultimate Elektra limited series from writer Mike Carey and artist Salvador Larroca.

Monday, 17th May

ONAMI & IDW TEAM FOR METAL GEAR SOLID COMIC SERIES

Perhaps the biggest videogame player in terms of ongoing story and fanbase will move to comics in September with IDW’s release of Metal Gear Solid. Owned by Konami and created by Hideo Kojima, the Metal Gear Solid titles are perhaps one of the most successful brands in videogames.

The franchise began in 1987, with the release of Metal Gear, which debuted the FOXHOUND agent, Solid Snake, and sent him on a mission full of double-dealings and conspiracies. This was followed in 1990 with Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake in 1990, and Metal Gear Solid in 1998.
The franchise leapt into phenomenal success territory with the release of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty in 2001 for PS2. The most recent release in the series is The Twin Snakes for Nintendo’s Gamecube, with Metal Gear Solid 3 in development and slated for a November release, positioning it to be one of the holiday season's biggest games.

For many observers, moving the franchise to comics was only a matter of time, considering the large fanbase for the game inside the comic book industry, as well as Kojima’s occasional shout out to comic book creators whose work he enjoys; not to mention the MGS2 "Instruction Manga" in the MGS2 instruction book that shipped with the game.

For the IDW comic, Ashley Wood and Kris Oprisko will be the artist and writer, respectively, on the September-debuting series.

Monday, 3rd May

This from the 'Lying In The Gutters' rumour site...

'CROSSED OFF

CrossGen's quitlist gets bigger and bigger.

Everyone knows Greg Land left on Tuesday. But he's not alone.
Matt Ryan quit to accompany Greg onto whatever his next project is, as has Tom Ryder.

Epting, Pelletier and Cheung will finish their current assignments -- if they're paid -- and then they're gone as well.
This means the only inhouse pencilers left will be Perkins, Cariello and Moline.

Randy Martin in production quit after getting in a shouting match with Mark Alessi that got quite... heated. Laura Martin quit her freelance colouring assignment on "The War." She's apparently still owed money as well.

The last couple of staff checks were still not paid in full. And one of the reasons they got what they did was that CrossGen found a few unpaid invoices against Diamond. And even though the staff numbers are dropping, they are not falling quicky enough to match the lack of books at the company now. People like Tom Ryder, Larry Molinar, Sumi Pak, and Dave Meikis have been mentioned as names for the chop.

I am still being told that in a few weeks there will be news that will turn this company around. But I've been told that for nine months now.'

Wednesday 28th April

DC ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN PUBLISHING RIGHTS FOR 2000AD MATERIAL

DC today announced that it has acquired the North American publishing rights to all existing and future comic material from the UK’s Rebellion, publisher of 2000AD as well as Judge Dredd Megazine and others.

“There’s been a level of respect for what 2000 AD has accomplished over the years for a long, long time within DC,” DC’s VP of Sales & Marketing Bob Wayne told Newsarama. “To some extent, seeing people’s work in 2000AD is one of the things that helped bring about the British Invasion of comics, as 2000AD and the other publications that grew up after it gave a lot of people their first prominence in comics.”

The new arrangement came about as a result of ongoing conversations between DC and Rebellion which began shortly after they purchased 2000AD and its character library in 2000. “Various ideas were exchanged, which led us to this,” Wayne said. “There’s not really any one starting point, where you can say DC discovered 2000AD in a reverse Christopher Columbus type of thing.”

The relationship grants DC access to the full library of 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine material, including well-known (but rarely seen in the US) works by Garth Ennis, Simon Bisley, Frank Quitely, Mark Millar, Chris Weston, Sean Phillips, Glenn Fabry, and others.
The relationship calls for a schedule that breaks down to having DC publish three volumes of Rebellion material a month. “We’re going to start with two a month, for the first four months, which will be September through December, and then we’re going to go to three books a month starting in January, and there may be a couple of special books here or there,” said Georg Brewer, VP — Design & Retail Product Development. “At least that’s our plan going out the door. We’re going to start the launch with a reissue of our Batman/Judge Dredd Files, which collects those team-ups. That will be in regular comics format in terms of trim size. The 2000AD material will be in trim size similar to the Humanoids books…7 3/8 by 10 and 3/16th inches.”

The new volumes will carry a “2000AD” trade dress on the front, while the spine will have a shared branding of 2000AD/DC Comics, according to Brewer, whose department will be handling the cover design. “It’s very exciting to be given an opportunity to work on such a wide variety of material, as we’ve been exposed to so many, especially in the editorial design side – it’s a new flavor – it’s a new challenge creatively to design and position this so that it will appeal to the widest possible market.”

Multi-volume stories will be consecutively numbered, but Wayne said, there will be no effort madder to number the entire libraries of some character’s stories, such as Judge Dredd, where a “Volume 1 of 76” may drive readers away, rather than attract them.
Covers for the new volumes, according to Brewer, will be pulled from existing material. “The conversation has come up, but given that they have such a wide selection of cover material available, we’ll probably, from the outset, just be picking up existing covers and reformatting them.”

Likewise, stories will be reproduced in their original format, which means volumes will be published in a variety of both black and white and color. “We’ve no plans to go in and color any of the material that was originally presented in black and white – we don’t want to change the original vision,” Wayne said.

The full September ship list stands as: The Batman/Judge Dredd Files, written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, with art by Simon Bisley, Carl Critchlow, Dermot Power, Glenn Fabry, Jim Murray, and Jason Brashill; and Sinister Dexter: Gunshark Vacation, written by Dan Abnett, with art by David Millgate, Anthony Williams, Charles Gillespie, Simon Davis, and Henry Flint.

Monday 19th April

HELLBOY, PUNISHER BOX OFFICE WATCH

In its opening weekend, Lions Gate’s The Punisher brought in $13,834,527, according to industry estimates. The film was seen on 2,649 screens. While The Punisher’s take was roughly half that of the weekend’s #1 movie, KillBill vol. 2, the film’s estimated cost of production was only $33 million, with a marketing budget of an estimated $20 million. That’s not to say The Punisher is a roaring success, however, it’s the first of the Marvel film properties in the Artisan/Lion’s Gate deal which were designed specifically to be cranked out quickly at a low cost, therefore maximizing the potential for both Lion’s Gate and Marvel pulling down some cash. In short, The Punisher’s box office was not a giant leap, but the film doesn’t have a mountain to climb to break even.

The other comic book film in the top ten. Hellboy ranked at #4 for the weekend, it’s third weekend in wide release, bringing in $5,652,030, for a total gross to date of $50,308,617. Another film with a somewhat modest budget, Hellboy’s estimated production costs were $66 million, with an estimated $25 million in marketing, according to www.boxofficemojo.com . So – at $50 million and change, Hellboy is closing in on 2/3rds of breaking even. Hellboy lead Ron Perleman has unofficially announced that a sequel is in the works.

Monday 12th April

MARVEL's ICON IMPRINT LAUNCHES THIS JULY WITH KABUKI AND POWERS!

Marvel Comics announces the launch of ICON, a new publishing imprint that will produce projects utilizing properties outside of the Marvel Universe.

ICON will launch with two titles fans are already familiar with: Brian Bendis' "Powers" and David Mack's "Kabuki."

Marvel is not new to publishing licensed properties. It has had a successful history with such classic licenses as GI Joe and Transformers. However, Marvel, which works with the top talent in the comic industry, has long been considering ways to offer its creators a home not just for their Marvel projects, but for their other work. The new ICON imprint has been created with a mandate to pursue both these creator and licensed projects, while maintaining the highest level of talent and the brands that readers have come to expect from Marvel.

Dan Buckley, Publisher, said, "We had been considering this kind of imprint for a while before talking to Brian and David. But once we did, everything fell into place. Starting with Brian and David on Power's and Kabuki really sets the standard for the whole line. We are very excited about this initiative, and are thrilled that Powers and Kabuki are launching it."

Bendis offered, "We have always said that we have benefited so much from the generations of comic creators before us who worked so hard to pave the way for creator rights. We have had it so good and we are stunned that we get to help take it to the next level... Marvels first true creator-owned imprint."

Said David Mack regarding Marvel Comics' Editor-in-Chief , Publisher and President of Publishing, "Bravo to Joe, Dan and Gui for making this happen!"

Monday 5th April

HELLBOY REVIEW
by Newsarama's Michael San Giacomo

Hellboy, the latest Hollywood venture in the world of comic books, is one heck of a good film. Not necessarily a perfect film, but solid, fun, and well…one heck of a good film. Action, amazing special effects, believable characters and even touches of appropriate humor make Hellboy an early winner in the upcoming spate of comic-book-inspired flicks. Director Guillermo del Toro (Blade II) took a chance with a lesser-known hero from a lesser-known comic company. But Hellboy, created by artist Mike Mignola, has been a solid producer for Dark Horse Comics for more than a decade. Fans will be happy to know that the movie stays close to Mignola’s vision – very close. Some of the scenes, and even characters, such as Ivan in the Russian cemetery, look like they were pulled off the page by del Toro. And the clockworks under Rasputin’s mausoleum…it’s like they stuffed a camera in Mignola’s ear and filmed – it’s that dead on perfect.
Hellboy, played perfectly by Ron Perlman, is a demon born in hell. He was brought to Earth in the closing months of World War II by Nazi scientists working with the not-quite-dead-yet Russian mastermind Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden). Through the timely intervention of occult scientist Dr. Bruttenholm(John Hurt) and a team of disbelieving U.S. soldiers in a terrific action sequence, the infant demon was wrested from the bad guys. Luring the baby Hellboy with candy, Broome took custody of the little guy (and again – the image of baby Hellboy and the the soldiers from the Hellboy comics was picture perfect replicated in the movie) and raised him in a loving home. His life was as normal as can be expected for a huge, super-strong, red-skinned behemoth with horns and a tail, that, and he was the key agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development, which was under Bruttenholm's guidance...
To everyone’s credit, Hellboy is totally believable. He does not evoke overt sympathy, but identification. He’s just a big lug trying to make it in a world way too small for him. To fit in, he even grinds his horns down to a nub to make them less noticeable. At first sighting in the film, he’s a touch Wolverine-esque, perhaps a little brusquer than you might expect. But throughout his interactions with Agent Myers and Bruttenholm (whom he calls “father” and shows true affection for), as well as his wisecracks, Perleman brings the humanity of the demonspawn to the forefront, making him as sympathetic as a full-on human.

Monday 29th March

Andy Smith sues CrossGen

Former CrossGen staffer Andy Smith has filed suit against the publisher for monies owed him, according to a story published at Broken Frontier. The case is still ongoing and Smith had his first day in Small Claims Court earlier this week.

Smith told Broken Frontier:"I don’t want to see CGE go down, I don’t want to see the doors close. I just want to see Mark Alessi out of there because I believe he’s the one that ran the place into the ground. He loves to spew that CGE is in the shape it’s in because of other people, but, in my view, it’s not because of other people. He didn’t listen to anybody. The most he knew about comics when he opened the doors was what he knew as a fanboy that read comics. That’s it. That’s what he knew. If it was me, I’d have hired people that knew the business, which he did, but then I’d listen to them, but he didn’t listen to them. So the company is in the position that it’s in now, money-wise, because of him and nobody else.”

“ All people who remained after the layoffs had their salaries cut. I was switched from penciling back to inking, even though I'd been promised a new book to pencil, and had $27,000 cut from my yearly salary. We were all told that absolutely everybody in the building took a pay cut. I think Mark referred to it as 'sharing the pain' in one meeting. But I've since learned for a fact that wasn’t true. At least one creator didn't take any pay cut, and some administrative people actually received raises."

Wednesday, 24th March

Newsarama reports the following...

ULTIMATES v.2 LAUNCH CANCELLED - VOL #2 TO BEGIN LATER IN YEAR

Marvel has announced that it has offically pulled Ultimates off of its schedule, following the release of #13 later this month.
All orders placed by retailers for #1 have been cancelled by Marvel. When v.2 #1 is resolicited, all retailers will need to place new orders.
The chronically late book started as a monthly, and then moved to bi-monthly, and then an occasional book. Despite its irregular schedule though, the series enjoyed both huge numbers and critical acclaim- when it did come out, and did not seem to suffer, sales-wise, from chronic lateness, as many pundits felt that it would.

As reported by Newsarama, in late February, writer Mark Millar had told attendees at a signing at Forbidden Planet in London that the first issue of the second volume of the series (originally due to ship in April) was being moved back to allow Marvel to collect enough material to keep the book on a regular schedule.

Most recently, at WizardWorld LA, Editor in Chief Joe Quesada said that he was going to make sure that Ultimates was on a monthly schedule.

On his messageboard, Millar stated that the goal is to have six issues of the new volume completed before the new #1 is solicited.

Marvel's press release reads: CREATING THE ULTIMATE(S) EXPERIENCE

Marvel & the creators behind the best-selling Ultimates series have refocused and retooled the first issue of ULTIMATES VOLUME 2,#1 to make it bigger, badder, bolder and, most importantly, regular! To accomplish these goals, the brash series has been removed from the schedule, with all original orders cancelled. The blockbuster title will be resolicited at a later date, when it can be guaranteed to ship monthly.

"Marvel did exactly what we wanted them to. Like everyone else, I've been frustrated by the long delays between issues and so I asked them to stockpile six issues to guarantee this book went out monthly again," said Mark Millar. " Volume two is very much a sequel and so this seems like the logical place to have the gap. I'd rather see delays between volumes than issues and it's great Marvel getting behind us like this."

Offered artist Bryan Hitch, " With Marvel's continued and unprecedented support, they are allowing us to step back and stockpile a whole arc before release which is just fantastic. That's not to say we are resting on our laurels here, we have realistic, workable schedules and are 100% committed to giving the fans the best we can, every single month!"

Marvel staff has been supportive of the creators and their unprecedented stance. As Publisher Dan Buckley said, "Look, this title is a home run whenever it comes out. But it's got to come out for six months in a row - a complete story, shipping on time. By working together, we now feel comfortable saying we're giving the fans the best possible reading experience."

Marvel Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada, offered, "Timing aside, just wait 'til you see what these guys have cooking. The book will look amazing if this comes off as planned, and you can absolutely believe we're going to want to get this into the hands of the fans as soon as possible, because I want the book myself!"