Catwoman #1 was one of DC's more controversial titles for the New 52, featuring a portrayal of Catwoman that has left some fans unhappy.

DC and series writer Winick, however, have responded in defense of the book, encouraging readers to stick with the title. To help assure fans of the positive direction of the title, DC has released an early preview of the second issue of the title to hopefully satisfy fan requests.

Here is the solicit for the issue:

Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH

She’s a thief who lives to steal just for the thrill of breaking the law. He’s The Dark Knight, obsessively driven to battle evil with every ounce of his strength. They should keep each other at arm’s length, but…they just can’t seem to help themselves!

Don’t miss this issue – things are gonna get messy!

Check after the cut for the preview of the issue.

Read more »

Wednesday marked the official end of the “New 52” – all of DC’s ongoing series (for now) have been released and, although some are better than others, overall the initiative has been a success. People are talking about DC in every corner of the internet and, with the exception of the crazies who are boycotting because Superman made a guttural noise, people are buying a ton of DC books. And how easy is it for us to forget that not even six months ago, people were calling DC a hopeless publisher, forever resigned to second place in market share.

The truth is that the comics industry is cyclical and constantly changing. This isn’t the first time that DC has been considered left for dead, and it certainly isn’t the first time a fresh perspective on their characters has been brought in to try and entice new readers. In the early 1980s, DC revamped one of its most iconic teams, The Teen Titans, by bringing in talent from the competition, creating new characters, adapting old ones, and giving others new costumes/names. Does this sound like a familiar strategy?

Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s time on The New Teen Titans is one of the truly great runs of the last thirty years. More than anything else, when you read one of their Titans stories, it is like being dropped into a fully formed world and being met by characters who not only exist to fight crime, but also live to hang out, to form couples, to truly love and, sometimes, truly dislike each other. Because of the complexity of the relationships, it may seem like a daunting task to drop into the work; but that is not true in the slightest. Their work is accessible and refined; a rare combination both then and now.

And now is the time where the possibly final piece of their Titans puzzle has been released, some 23 years after its beginnings. Call it the Chinese Democracy of the Wolfman/Perez Titans. Except that, unlike Chinese Democracy, people will love this and it will be celebrated as one of the best Titans stories of any time. Read below for why this book is well worth the cover price.

Read more »

Written and Illustrated by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccelato

The Fastest Man Alive returns to his own monthly series from the writer/artist team of Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato! The Flash knows he can't be everywhere at once, but what happens when he faces an all-new villain who really can! As if that's not bad enough, this villain is a close friend!

After years of focusing on mad science, super-power stunts, world-building, legacy-building, continuity-copping, and Rogues Rogues Rogues Rogues Rogues, The Flash finally makes steps back toward its center -- but the character at the center may not be who people want. So is it still worth it? After the jump, I'll tell you, whether you want me to or not.

Read more »

Written By Paul Jenkins and David Finch
Illustrated By David Finch

The Dark Knight struggles against a deadly – yet strangely familiar – foe in this phenomenal debut issue from superstar writer/artist David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY, ACTION COMICS)!

As a mysterious figure slinks through the halls of Arkham Asylum, Batman must fight his way through a gauntlet of psychos, and Bruce Wayne faces the unexpected legal ramifications of Batman Incorporated!

Batman is back again! It’s the fourth book coming out as part of the DCnU that gives Bruce Wayne a starring role, and this time it’s Batman: The Dark Knight from the creative team of Paul Jenkins and David Finch.

Now - I, like Matt, am not the biggest fan of the character, but let’s have a little fun and see how I took to this title. Check beyond the cut!

Read more »

Written by Tony Daniel
Illustrated by Philip Tan

Carter Hall's skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archaeologist who specializes in alien ruins – but will the doctor's latest discovery spread an alien plague through New York City? No matter the personal cost, Carter Hall must don his wings and become the new, savage Hawkman to survive! Witness the start of a new action series from writer Tony S. Daniel and artist Philip Tan that will take Hawkman where no hero has flown before!

Hawkman #1 soared into stores this week and I’m here to provide you my two or three cents regarding it. As a fan of Hawkman, I must say I am approaching this book as open as possible to a new or even familiar take, but really, I just want to see a good take!

One of my wishes at the beginning of the year was that DC give us a new Hawkman book, so does the book deliver? Hit the jump to find out!

Read more »

Written by Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver
Illustrated by Yildiray Cinar

Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond. These two high school students are worlds apart--and now they're drawn into a conspiracy of super-science that bonds them forever in a way they can't explain or control. The dark secrets of the murderous Dog Team and its Firestorm Protocol force them to put aside their differences to confront a threat so terrifying that it may lead to a new Cold War!

I can't say I'm a long time fan of the character of Firestorm, but I do have to say, I dug Stuart Moore and Jamal Igle's One Year Later stuff with Jason Rusch as the lead, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Rusch and the other Firestorm Ronnie Raymond. So I'm a person bordering on being a fan of the character.

Did this first issue from Simone, Van Sciver and Cinar take me the rest of the way?

Find out after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Ivan Reis

The superstar creators from BLACKEST NIGHT and BRIGHTEST DAY reunite to take AQUAMAN to amazing new depths!

Aquaman has renounced the throne of Atlantis – but the sea will not release Arthur Curry so easily. Now, from a forgotten corner of the ocean emerges… The Trench! A broken race of creatures that should not exist, an unspeakable need driving them, The Trench will be the most talked-about new characters in the DC Universe!

Watching my beloved Boston Red Sox unravel completely and destroy their season in a spectacular fashion was actually the second epic fail I witnessed on Wednesday. The first was Aquaman #1. I won't even try and sugar coat this, this review will be resoundingly negative.

If that's your sort of thing, click on down!

Read more »

Back in late August, budding superstar writer Nick Spencer spread some love to an upcoming Shadowline Comics title I'd never heard of: Enormous. He said keep an eye on it and to check out the website for it, and so I did (check their Facebook page too). What I found was not a lot as of yet, besides some teasers for the book from artist Mehdi Cheggour that were absolutely stunning. Curious for more, I asked Shadowline publisher Jim Valentino about it in an interview this month.

Nick Spencer recently hyped up an upcoming Shadowline book on Twitter – Enormous from Tim Daniel and Mehdi Cheggour. While this book doesn’t come out until 2012, what can you tell us about it, and do you think it could be your next big hit?

JV: Did he? Well, that was very nice of him! Will it be our next big hit? Man, I hope every book will be our next big hit! Here’s what I can tell you about it for now…it’s Tim Daniel’s freshman stint as a writer. Tim has been doing exceptional design work for me, Bendis and Kirkman for the last couple of years—now he’s stretching his wings as a writer. Mehdi is an exceptional artist already and I’ve been dying for a chance to work with him for a year or so now. I believe that he’s going to become HUGE! We’re planning on releasing the book for next year’s San Diego Con, it will be self-contained and will be a treasury size edition because, well, it’s Enormous!

Afterwards, I talked to the creative team, saw some of what we can expect, and I can safely say this: this is a book to watch out for. It's coming next July and is a book that everyone needs to keep an eye on, as people like Valentino and Spencer have made it apparent that this book is going to be a high quality one.

For those interested, take a look after the jump to hear from writer Tim Daniel the inception of the idea for Enormous, as well as a first look at what you can expect from the book for both art and plot. (And when we say "for those interested," we mean just click beyond the jump because you're going to want to read this.)

Read more »

To help top us off for this week's Marvel teasers (previously seen here, here and here), we now present what is probably the second to last teaser for the Point One series. The above teaser features a Spider-Man in a hoodie, one that assumedly connects to this teaser from August which recalls good ol' Ben Reilly, and for some reason features a Daredevil mask. So really, this could mean anything.

This particularly story will be written by Chris Yost, who wrote a Spider-Island tie-in with the Avengers one-shot (which featured the triumphant victory of Frog-Man), and artist Ryan Stegman, who is currently doing an absolutely bang-up job on the art for Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula. Look for the issue in November 2011, and expect it to probably belong in your collection if you're an avid Marvel-phile.

Page 12 versus Page 21

In this week's Mighty Thor #6, we were given the resolution of the first arc "The Galactus Seed" with a curious twist.

No, I'm not referring to the final page; I'm referring to Thor's inexplicable ability to grow a beard in what is discernibly a 24 hour period. Since there is no mention of "A Few Months Later" anywhere on the page (I looked - repeatedly), only "Later", we can't tell you exactly how much time took place. Still, the ability to grow a beard is easily the most impressive one in Thor's powerset, and given that "The Galactus Seed" takes place before Fear Itself,  I can only imagine that it will be the deus ex machina of Fear Itself that allows Thor to beat the Serpent.

So, super beard growing -- great new super power, or greatest new super power? As a beard sporter myself with an uncanny ability to grow it at magnificent speed, my hat is off to Marvel for recognizing this talent.

Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Illustrated by Moritat

Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Find out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)!

I have a confession to make: I never read any of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti's Jonah Hex series. Even though it was hugely acclaimed, I just never saw a jumping on point for me, so I never made the leap. Then, with the reboot coming and the book starting again as All-Star Western, I saw it as a good point for me to leap in besides one thing: the $3.99 price point.

Then Jeff Lemire told me, matter-of-factly, that their Jonah Hex was one of the best comics around. Period. So the decision was made, I'm in.

How was my first experience with their take on the character? Find out after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Mike Costa
Illustrated by Graham Nolan & Ken Lashley

Welcome to a world waging a new kind of war that’s faster and more brutal than ever before. It’s fought by those who would make the innocent their targets, using computers, smart weapons and laser-guided missiles. The new enemy is hard to find – and closer to home than we think.

Between us and them stand the Blackhawks, an elite force of military specialists equipped with the latest in cutting-edge hardware and vehicles. Their mission: Kill the bad guys before they kill us.

Admittedly, the classic Blackhawks stories were always ones I wished I was more familiar with but was never motivated enough to track down and absorb. As a result, I found myself curious about this new beginning for the book, despite it being championed by a creative team I was unfamiliar with.

Click on down to find out how this new taste of an idea older than myself pleased my pallet.

Read more »

Written by Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Brett Booth

Tim Drake, Batman's former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers.

As Red Robin, he's going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world! They – along with a few other tortured teen heroes – will be the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Brett Booth (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

The Teen Titans, perhaps even more so than the Justice League, are DC’s flagship team. The sidekicks/legacy characters that have historically made up the Titans are some of most iconic in all of comics; Robin, Kid Flash, Cyborg, and Superboy are just some of the heroes that have made up the team in various incarnations.

Now the Titans, along with all their members minus Red Robin, are undergoing a near-complete reboot with this new series. Does the new direction put them towards some of the classic Titans runs of the past, or has the luster finally worn off this title?

Find out after the jump.

Read more »

Written by George Perez
Illustrated by Jesus Merino

The new adventures of Superman begin here! What is The Man of Steel’s startling new status quo? How does it affect Lois Lane and The Daily Planet? There’s no time for answers now, because Superman must stop a monstrous threat to Metropolis – one that he somehow is the cause of!

This week, the DCnU closes out its debut month with the first appearance of the current Superman. Sure, there was Action Comics a few weeks ago, but that was set in the past; this is Superman as he currently is! He is an established hero a few short years later, working for a newly conglomerate Daily Planet and still pining for Lois Lane. But does this translate into a worth jumping on point for the Man of Steel?

Check beyond the cut!

Read more »

Only two week's away now, AMC is ramping up their contributions to the Walking Dead Season 2 excitement train with new cast portraits and now a brand spaking new trailer for the upcoming season. While AMC has been putting out brief 15-30 second spots on their network (particularly during the airing of new episodes of Breaking Bad), the new trailer gives us a much better look at what to expect from the new season, with a lot of emphasis on the broken down highway scene we've seen teases of before (which will, most likely, be in the season premiere).

The new season begins October 16th (the last day of New York Comic Con!) at 9 PM EST, and like the premiere of the first season it has a 90-minute running time. This season will run twice as long as th efirst, clocking in at 13 episodes, and one can only imagine what horrors are in store for the characters.

Written by Ron Marz
Illustrated by Sami Basri

Who is Voodoo? Is she hero, villain – or both? Learn the truth about Priscilla Kitaen as she leaves a trail of violence across America. Discover the new DCU through her eyes, because the things she sees are not always what they seem…

After last week's controversial yet supposedly sexy comics, DC now has a book starring a biracial bisexual shape-changing anti-hero alien stripper. Why Voodoo of all characters from Wildstorm deserved an ongoing is beyond me, but let's talk about the book after the cut anyway.

Some spoilers are discussed, but nothing that should effectively hurt your enjoyment of the comic. Take that as you will.

Read more »

One of our favorite collaborative teams at MC is that of the Luna Brothers, who have brought us such titles as Ultra, Girls and the Sword. However, since the Sword wrapped up last year, the Luna brothers have been oddly quiet with their output and upcoming books, leaving us readers in the dark as to what they have planned next.

Now we know. Or, we half-know.

Joshua Luna will be writing and illustrating a new supernatural miniseries entitled Whispers. The book follows Sam Webber, a man with OCD who discovers he has the power to leave his body and wander around as a ghost, and will explore the concepts of free will and control. Sam will be joined in this title by his ex-girlfriend and eccentric neighbor, as well as a thug who "Sam uses as a chess piece in a very dangerous game that unravels as the story progresses." There will also be supernatural elements to the story that Luna doesn't want to discuss yet.

Luna notes that while he is typically known as the writer of the Luna brothers, he began his career as an illustrator and wanted the opportunity to return to that, adding that it feels like he's beginning his career all over again. However, the only major change to his work will be the fact that he's illustrating, and he believes that this will follow in the tradition of his previous work by telling a supernatural tale grounded in a very human one.

The book is set for a January 2012 release. For the full interview with Joshua Luna, check out Comic Book Resources.

Last week saw an uptick in controversy as DC published two comics featuring some less-than-flattering portrayals of women and sex in the comics to the point that they are alienating potential fans. It has been an ongoing issue in comics, and a reasonable one at that; certainly something that needs attention brought to it when fans are able to do so.

However, as Bleeding Cool pointed out last week, nobody seems to be focusing on the excessive amount of pointless violence. Not to compare apples to oranges too much here, but we're slowly reaching a point where violence is becoming common place, no matter how ridiculous it is, yet it is not discussed or valued on the same level -- which seems rather odd.

That's generally always been the case; gratuitous violence is usually considered fairly common place in media (Michael Bay does have a career, after all), whereas people often have more issues with sexuality (or swears/inappropriate language). I mean, it's not like comics are stranger to excess violence, especially in super hero comics.

The question then becomes -- at what point are things going too far?

Let's talk a bit about this after the cut.

Read more »

One of the more fascinating elements of the DCnU is the appearance of a brand new character, a mysterious hooded woman who randomly appeared in Flashpoint #5 and sneakily appeared in Justice League #1. Fans everywhere have been speculating her purpose, who she is and why she's hiding out in the DCnU with all of the various characters and inhabitants of the world.

Only problem is - she doesn't have a name. And typing "Mysterious Hooded Woman" a million times is tedious.

We're going to call her Carol.

Welcome to Carol Watch! Every week, we'll be keeping our eyes open to find Carol hiding out in the various DCnU titles. With Week 1, we have 13 titles and 13 appearances of Carol, bringing her grand total to 15. What is her purpose? Why is she here? We don't know, but we'll be watching.

Check after the cut to see Carol's appearances in this week's DCnU offering, and be sure to tell your friends that her name is Carol, because.

Be sure to check out the first week's Carol Watch, the second week, and the third.

Read more »

DC has gotten a fair amount of flack for not being as diverse as they could, with many of the same characters largely staying the same and some going through upsetting changes.

But quietly, in George Perez and Jesus Merino's book Superman, something noteworthy happened. Morgan Edge, a longtime supporting character and sometimes adversary of the Man of Steel was reintroduced, is now his boss, and he's...Black? Hey, looks like he's been racebooted as well as rebooted!

It only remains to be seen if his old boss Darkseid will come calling though. But until then, this is a pretty awesome development.

A few days ago, Matt Fraction mentioned on Twitter that he would be writing an upcoming non-fiction comic with artist Nathan Fox for an upcoming issue of GQ. The comic's subject? The capture and killing of 9/11 terrorist Osama Bin Laden. The comic will reportedly run five pages, and will in fact feature the capture/killing sequence, according to Fraction.

Outside of the Twitter mentioning, though, we can find no confirmation of the story, nor have we found any other site mentioning the story (at least, not from a few Google searches). The absence of anyone else reporting the news does make me suspect to the information, but despite Fraction's frequent oddball humor on his Twitter account there is no inherent reason not to believe the successful creator's claims. So until we see additional confirmation, take all of this with a grain of salt.

That being said, a Matt Fraction/Nathan Fox comic should be pretty awesome, all said and done.

Every once in a while on Twitter, a creator gives fans some serious gold on books that they are working on. Today it was Marvel Architect and budding god-like figure (beard and all) Jason Aaron as he answered pretty much any question he got from followers about his upcoming run on "Wolverine and the X-Men." That book comes next month with art from Chris Bachalo and, in my eyes, is the most exciting new X-Men book in...well, probably since Chris Claremont and Jim Lee launched X-Men in 1991.

True story.

He revealed a ton of cool things on Twitter, as he talked about cast members that will appear (Doop! Beast is confirmed!), ones that won't (Maggott...), his plans for already known cast members, and a whole lot more.

Find them out after the jump.

Read more »

In addition to the two previous Point One teasers, Marvel has offered up the above teaser for their Point One one-shot, this time offering up a glimpse for Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson's upcoming Defenders book. While previously announced (both in news form and again in solicits for December), the teaser adds up a new element - Nick Fury and Ant-Man (Eric O' Grady, assumedly) are also part of the group.

As additional confirmation of this, Matt Fraction tweeted, "heyyy it's our DEFENDERS lineup. mostly. ish." So take that for what you will.

For the full press release, please check behind the cut.

Read more »

In addition to the re-released Officer Downe we discussed yesterday, Joe Casey has a second upcoming graphic novel from Image Comics with Doc Bizarre, MD.

Doc Bizarre, MD tells the story of the titular character has he travels the world healing the sick and taking care of all sorts of supernatural ailments. What seems to be similar to Image/Skybound's book Witch Doctor, Doc Bizarre sees Casey once again collaborating with Charlatan Ball artist, the talented Andy Suriano.

The book is slated for 72 pages at $12.99 (compare to Officer Downe's 96 pages at the same price) and an October release. For the full press release, please check behind the cut.

Read more »

IDW Publishing Press Release

IDW Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of the new ongoing series, GHOSTBUSTERS. Through IDW’s partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products, the famous foursome are back in business starting this September. Celebrating the debut of this series, readers are encouraged to look for the nine unique covers created for select retailers throughout North America.

Similar to IDW’s hugely successful Godzilla retailer exclusive cover promotion, comic retailers were offered the opportunity to take part in the special “Be a Ghostbuster” promotion, resulting in nine different covers. Selected by participating retailers, nine people are featured on the unique covers of issue #1 as individual Ghostbusters, drawn from photo reference by the talented Alan Robinson (Phoenix Without Ashes, Weekly World News.) These original covers are only available in the nine comic stores that supported the program.

“The success of the ‘Be a Ghostbuster’ promotion was really the cherry on top of what turned out to be a fantastic launch to a new ongoing series,” said editor Tom Waltz. “Fans, old and new alike, have been filling up the many Ghostbusters-related forums and websites with proof that they are as excited as we are for a Ghostbusters ongoing series at last. The creative team has put together an awesome first issue very faithful to the flavor of the original movie. Great writing, great artwork, and 100% content -- I can’t wait to get it in readers’ hands!”

For the full press release, check behind the cut

Read more »

Image Press Release

In November, a giant-sized helping of ELEPHANTMEN, Richard Starkings' increasingly popular ongoing science fiction series, will be available from Image Comics. GIANT-SIZE ELEPHANTMEN #1 will collect the entire sold out Man Or Elephantman story arc, which was previewed in the back of THE WALKING DEAD #86. GIANT-SIZE ELEPHANTMEN #1 will include MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN #1, ELEPHANTMEN #31, and ELEPHANTMEN #32.

Plus, it will all be wrapped up by a beautiful tri-fold cover by J. Scott Campbell and Nei Ruffino, as well as a variant cover by regular series artist Axel Medellin. New readers who were intrigued by the flip issue that ran in THE WALKING DEAD #86 are invited to find out what everyone has been talking about in GIANT-SIZE ELEPHANTMEN #1!

Starkings, ELEPHANTMEN writer and creator said, "Axel Medellin's art went from strength to strength in the course of MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN, so I'm happy readers who missed out on the original issues get a chance to catch up on the story in time for Axel's triumphant return, after a three issue break, on ELEPHANTMEN #36 which is entitled The Day After Yesterday. It locks into the Man And Elephantman storyline and starts a series of events which will lead to the death of one of our major characters!"

For the full press release, check behind the cut

Read more »

Image Press Release

It's old school American horror versus comic book horror hunter in this year's HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011! Two of horror comics' biggest stars, Cassie Hack and Vlad, will soon come face to face with Victor Crowley of writer/director Adam Green's cult favorite HATCHET series of films.

GUARDING THE GLOBE writer Benito Cereno has teamed up with star-in-the-making Ariel Zucker-Brull for the 48 page HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2011 -- a momentous mash-up!

"As a guy who spends a lot of time researching horror movies, believe me when I say the world needed Hatchet," said Seeley. "So, from the moment I saw the movie, I was looking for a way to have Cas and Vlad meet Victor."

In the Louisiana Bayou, the murderous ghost of Victor Crowley is maiming tourists in creatively horrible ways. But in his blind murderous rampage, he may have created something worse than himself! Now, Cassie and Vlad are back in New Orleans, and it won't be long before baseball bat meets hatchet and deformed mutant meets deformed mutant!

For the full press release, check behind the cut

Read more »

Dark Horse Press Release

As part of the Marvel Syrocos program that debuted at San Diego Comic-Con International in July, it is announced today that Dark Horse will be releasing another exclusive Spider-Man statue for New York Comic Con!

New York Comic Con attendees will have a very significant opportunity to acquire a special statue released just for the show. Much like the previously released and long-sold-out SDCC exclusive, a very limited number of this statuette is being offered. It is packaged in the same litho-printed tin box that is the hallmark of the Dark Horse Syrocos, and is destined to be a bona fide hot item, both at the show and far beyond the exhibit hall. It will be sold at the normal retail price of $49.99, with a limit of four per customer.

“We wanted to evoke New York with our very special exclusive Spider-Man,” said Dark Horse’s VP of Product Development, David Scroggy. “Unfortunately, space constraints made a rooftop water tower or fire escape impossible, but we still hope fans can sense the city in this piece.”

The Marvel Syrocos program kicked off earlier this month with two alternating series: Classic Marvel Characters and the Fantastic Four. This new line will be deliberately different than the common modern Marvel collectible sculpture, with features like a rougher surface texture, visible seam lines, and other slightly distressed aspects, such as the method of paint application.

These special New York Comic Con exclusives will be available at four p.m. on Thursday, October 13. Don’t miss your chance to own one of these fantastic statues!

Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrated by Mark Bagley

The first creator-owned book by ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN co-creators Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, BRILLIANT tells the story of a handful of college-age geniuses who challenge each other to solve the mystery of superpowers. Can the best and brightest change science fiction into science fact? And if so, how will the world at large react? BRILLIANT is a thriller of the highest order. It is a story of how true power can either destroy or protect the strongest of friendships. It is the story of how the world will react when our true potential is finally unlocked. This fast-talking, whip-smart new series will thrill fans of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, POWERS and SCARLET. The first award-winning collection of Bendis and Bagley’s ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN has sold well over one million copies.

You know, when you think about it, is there a duo of creators who have earned more trust than these two? Bendis and Bagley put together one of the all-time historic runs on a comic with their efforts on Ultimate Spider-Man, and now they're back with their first creator-owned collaboration.

Find out my thoughts on this book after the jump.

Read more »

Today, Marvel have released more information about their new, upcoming flagship X-Men book, Wolverine and The X-Men, including the above teaser confirming that not only is Wolverine's side of the X-Men Divide going back to the X-Men's traditional home of Westchester, but they are, in fact, rebuilding the X-Men's old base of operation and slapping a familiar name onto it. Not content to relive the past completely, Wolverine will be stepping forward as Headmaster of the newly christened Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. While some of these ideas seem familiar, Jason Aaron's implementation of them seems dead set to provide some awesome times in that particular book next month!

Click below for two more teaser images for the book!

Read more »

Written and Illustrated by Frank Miller

In HOLY TERROR, join The Fixer, a brand new, hard-edged hero as he battles terror. The graphic novel is a no-holds-barred action thriller told in Miller’s trademark high-contrast, black-and-white visual style, which seizes the political zeitgeist by the throat and doesn’t let go until the last page.

Frank Miller, famed author of Sin City and 300, is back with his latest entry into the world of comics -- and one that has been at least a decade in the making. Now with it's release on the ten year anniversary 9/11, does the book strike the appropriate chord, or is it closer to other less-than-appropriate comics released this month?

Let's talk about it after the cut.

Read more »

Written by Christos Gage
Illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs

Following some bad—many would say unforgivable—choices as Twilight, Angel needed to hide away and wallow in his guilt. But with a little TLC—courtesy of his only remaining ally, Faith, Angel is back to fighting the good fight and taking demons down one by one. With the Watcher files at their disposal, Angel comes up with the ultimate plan for redemption.

It’s been a month, and they’re back! Buffy’s ex and bff are continuing their adventures in Jolly Old England, living at Giles’ estate and…trying to bring him back to life? Hey, there have been worse plots to guide stories. And with a writer like Christos Gage and an artist like Rebekah Isaacs, this book made it to my Budget List yesterday! But was it worthy of being part of that almighty list?

Check the cut for the review!

Note: There are some SPOILERS discussed.

Read more »

Back in 2008, Marvel released a brand new maxi-series from some very NOT brand new characters. Under the masterful pens of J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston, twelve heroes not seen since before Timely Comics became Marvel Comics were given new life in the modern Marvel Universe though a World War II Nazi SNAFU. The book was poised to become one of the most memorable of this era of the Marvel Universe.

And then...nothing.

Issues 1-8 came out in relatively short order before the book dropped off the face of the Earth in the wake of JMS and Weston's simultaneous but unrelated success within the film industry, and its been almost three years since issue 9 was supposed to land. With no definitive release date for the last four issues and nothing but empty solicits and a throwaway one-shot or two to go on, this "should have been game changing" mini-series could well be on its way to the 25 cent bin, never to be seen or heard from again.

Click on down to find out just how much of a tragedy that would be.

Read more »

In honor of their recently published solicits, Marvel has put out a new press release in honor of their unsilhoutted cover of Wolverine and the X-Men to compliment yesterday's Uncanny X-Men reveal. While we do know some of Wolverine's team (starring Beast, Kitty Pryde and Lockheed, Kid Omega, Iceman and Oya), the cover also reveals what appear to be multiple Nightcrawlers and a few unknowns to boot.

While we don't exactly know how Wolverine will be leaving the X-Men and how he will be choosing his new friends, last week's release of Schism #4 did finally show the actual schism between Cyclops and Wolverine, with a promise of a rather epic throwdown in the final issue. Between that and the Regenesis one-shot, I would assume all answers will be revealed.

For the full press release as well as the cover to the second issue, please check behind the cut.

Read more »

Ok, so we're assuming a bit with the title, but we're probably not far off.

Yesterday's new Point One teaser from Marvel featured Loeb and McGuinness on what is ostensibly some kind of Nova reboot (despite the character's death in Thanos Imperative), and today's teaser gives us the promised Brian Bendis and Bryan Hitch team-up for the upcoming Ultron War story in the Avengers.

The story was originally teased in The Avengers #12.1, in which the Avengers accidentally set the Ultron War in motion (first seen in the first arc of the new adjectiveless Avengers arc) while searching for the body of a fallen Space Knight against the Intelligencia.

Now, amidst all the upcoming "Everyone Vs. The Avengers" stories that Bendis is planning to launch post-Fear Itself (with the Revengers and the return of HAMMER), it looks like Bendis and Hitch are teaming up to tease us about the upcoming Ultron War in Point One. What exactly will come out of this one-shot issue is yet to be determined, but it is assumedly worth investing in for anyone following the ongoing saga of the Avengers in the Marvel U.

While some of the DCnU 52 have already seen second printings, DC has now announced in a press release that all 52 of their new titles have sold out of their initial orders.

Action Comics, Batgirl and Justice League are currently in their third printings, with Batman joining the 200,000+ orders club after last week's release (which we can't help but feel like we might have helped with). Justice League will be entering it's fourth printing soon, which assumedly makes it the single most successful comic of 2011.

Meanwhile, titles Aquaman, Batman and Robin, Batman: The Dark Knight, Detective Comics, the Flash, Green Lantern and Superman have all sold more than 100,000 copies in retailer orders so far, with Aquaman, Superman, Batman: The Dark Knight and the Flash only coming out today.

Congratulations to DC in a successful relaunch. It will be interesting to see how orders for October and other upcoming months through the end of the year look, at which point we'll be able to decide if this was the result of a successful press blitz or if DC has really created legions of new comic fans. However, I think we can all agree that anything that gets kids into comic stores is good for business.

For the press release, please check after the cut.

Read more »

Hopefully more than a few of you remember a one-shot comic from Image last year starring the talents of Joe Casey and Chris Burnham, but for those of you who don't, here's the gist of it: Officer Downe told the story of a bad ass cop who shot first, asked questions never and tore straight chaos through a double-sized issue from Image and Man of Action Studios. It was an insanely fun comic and is perhaps one of the best showcases of Chris Burnham's art you'll find in any comic (even above and beyond his Batman Inc. work).

Now, just in time for the holidays, Casey and Burnham are collaborating again for a deluxe oversized hardcover version of the Officer Downe comic, entitled The BIGGER, BETTER, BASTARD! Edition. Featuring bonus pages with more over-the-top sex and violence that made the original one shot so damn great, it's perfect for those of you who never got the opportunity to buy the sold-out original offering. Think about it as similar to Vertigo's recent WE3 Deluxe re-release, just with less animals and more violence.

The new version of the book will be 96 pages at $12.99 (as opposed to 48 for $4.99 originally). It is certainly one of those comics that you should own one way or another, so we certainly recommend investing in the hardcover collection. At the very least you can buy it, read it and then begin debating the eternal question: who would win in a fight, Axe Cop or Officer Downe?

For the full Image press release, check after the cut

Read more »

This week marks the last week of DC's epic rebootlaunch, and in honor of that I tried desperately to pick a book to discuss that someway would be reflective of the endeavor in a true off the cape fashion -- but to make a long story short, I failed. I also thought that maybe I could write about the book I was currently reading, but somehow I didn't think people would respect an article that begins with "I'm less than halfway through The Incal right now, but it's really good! Seriously!"

This is where today's topic came from. Last week (for some, if not all) marked the release of Craig Thompson's highly anticipated and quite massive tome, Habibi. Thompson is a creator everyone should know by now for his seminal work Blankets, which was one of the first comics discussed in this column and one of the few comics that actively transcends that barrier between comic fan and non-comic fan in catching the attention of readers. Thinking about this (since I did not finish Habibi yet) while looking at my bookshelf, it occurred to me -- instead of one book, why not discuss a few books just as essential?

Click after the cut for a short list of graphic novels that I believe are required reading for anyone who owns a comic book collection.

Read more »

On the last part of this week's show, Brandon and David get heated talking about some books featuring three very prominently (and underdressed) characters. They include:

- Supergirl #1 from Mike Johnson, Michael Green and Mahmud Asrar
- Catwoman #1 from Judd Winick and Guillem March
- Nightwing #1 from Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows

Check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments. And by all means people, drink a beer!

Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino

For hundreds of years, vampire Andrew Stanton kept mankind safe from the horrors of the supernatural world, thanks to a truce he made with his ex-lover Mary, the Queen of the Damned. But now that truce has reached a bloody end and Andrew must do everything in his power to stop Mary and her dark forces from going on a killing spree – and she plans to start with the heroes of the DCU!

My sleeper pick of the month for the DCnU relaunch is here. How does it fare? Does Josh Fialkov bring his A game? Who is Andrea Sorrentino and is he good at this whole art thing? Can I get past the whole vampire thing?

Find out after the jump, and thanks to Josh for letting us look at this book early.

Read more »

It's incredible to think of a writer of Eisner and Harvey Award nominated works as someone who could be underrated, but if you could use that for anyone, I'd use it for Joshua Hale Fialkov. The guy has been putting out quality work for years, with his books "Tumor" and "Echoes" earning him a ton of praise in recent years. But with a high profile DCnU launch title in "I, Vampire" coming this week (see our review in an hour) as well as a new Image book in "Last of the Greats" coming in October, it's clear that his star is one on the rise.

Today on Multiversity Comics Presents, we talk with Fialkov about working in comics, how he scored a gig on a DCnU book, what we can expect from it and "Greats," what the future holds for him, and a whole lot more. Check it out after the jump, and thanks a ton to Josh for talking with us.

Read more »

X-Men Destiny, the new role-playing videogame written by Mike Carey, hits stores today. As part of the excitement, Activision has released a new trailer for the game to celebrate it's launch. We get some X-action, some Brotherhood action, and now you get to choose: which path will you follow? And what do you plan to do about those sentinels?

Visit your local game shops to grab Destiny today, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.

Buying comics can be an expensive hobby. A lot of fans simply can't afford everything they're interested in, due to rising prices and the over-saturation of the market with superhero titles.

That's why we're here. Every week, the Multiversity staff is asked "What would you buy this week if you couldn't go over $20?" and shares their reasons why, in order to help others who might have similar tastes make their own decisions in buying comics on a budget.

Follow the cut to see everyone's picks for the week.

Read more »

Marvel Press Release

"POINT ONE is a massive one-shot of 64 all-new pages of story by the top creators in the business, setting the stage for the biggest stories coming in 2012. It is the starting point to what’s in store for the world’s most iconic characters and startling events. POINT ONE serves as the launch pad for dynamic new series, the return of fan-demanded characters, and a shocking teaser that will have everyone talking. See how all it comes together in one gigantic epic!” – Tom Brevoort, Senior Vice President, Executive Editor

POINT ONE #1 (SEP110496)
Written by JEPH LOEB, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, MATT FRACTION, ED BRUBAKER, FRED VAN LENTE, CHRIS YOST, DAVID LAPHAM & MORE
Art by ED MCGUINNESS, BRYAN HITCH, TERRY DODSON, SALVADOR LARROCA, RYAN STEGMAN, JAVIER PULIDO, ROBERTO DE LA TORRE & MORE
FOC – 10/17/11, ON SALE – 11/2/11

Image Press Release

Earlier this year, best selling author Robert Kirkman (THE WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE, THE INFINITE) and artist Jason Howard (ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN) created an energetic all ages hit comic starring a boy genius and a genetically modified Tyrannosaurus Rex that was met with multiple sell outs and critical acclaim. Now Image Comics is now collecting the adventures of Derek Dynamo, Super Dinosaur, and their friends into one action-packed book of awesomeness!

SUPER DINOSAUR, VOL. 1 TP will be on sale in late November, in time for holiday gift shopping. It will include all the single issues through #5, as well as the SUPER DINOSAUR ORIGIN SPECIAL #1, for only $9.99.

"Since becoming a parent, I wanted to create a comic book that parents can read with their kids or that kids can pick up and read on their own," said Kirkman. "We also wanted to create a comic that's appropriate for younger kids but doesn't talk down to them, so it will interest older readers as well!"

For the full press release, please check behind the cut

Read more »

We figure it might help to let you guys know what's coming out this week in comics, so welcome to our weekly feature! Our reviews come out Thursday (with perhaps some advances for tomorrow if you're lucky), so be sure to look over this list to get a preview of what we may or may not be reviewing tomorrow. We've added all of our own personal recommendations into this list as well, so be on the look out for bolded titles. Whenever you see one of those, it means we think you should be reading it. So keep your eyes open!

Comic list provided by NewburyComics.com

Read more »

The upcoming animated film from DC (which also happens to be the last script of the late/great Dwayne McDuffie) Justice League: Doom has finally gotten it's full voice cast, which includes an all-star and familiar line-up to the DCU.

Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy will reprise their roles as Superman and Batman respectively, and Nathan Fillion will once again voice Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. Additionally, Michael Rosenbaum (aka Lex Luthor from Smallville) will voice the Flash, Carl Lumbly will voice Martian Manunter, Susan Eisenberg will voice Wonder Woman, and Bumper Robinson will voice Cyborg.

The movie is set for 2012 DVD/Blu-ray release, and is based on JLA: Tower of Babel by Mark Waid, in which Batman's contingency plans for what to do in case any JLA member goes rogue are stolen and put to use by supervillains. The film will be produced by Bruce Timm, and will be directed by Lauren Montgomery. A trailer will premiere at NYCC in October, and will also be included on the Batman: Year One DVD release.

(via source)

Marvel Press Release

This November, history is made with Uncanny X-Men #1! From the superstar creative team of Kieron Gillen and Carlos Pacheco, new leadership rises with a renewed, refocused, and re-imagined group of Uncanny mutants. With covers by Pacheco – no fan can miss this bold new era of mutantkind as X-Men: Regenesis continues in Uncanny X-Men #1!

What team will you choose? Join the conversation on Twitter with #XMenRegenesis.

Read more »

The second to last adventure of the Eleventh Doctor is upon us before he returns to Lake Silencio to meet with the Impossible Adventure. Or -- well, something along those lines, anyway. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's the Doctor. He's always fine!

But until we figure out how he dies and all that good stuff, let's talk about the return of Craig after the cut.

Read more »

Things get controversial up in the 4 Color Man Cave, as Brandon and Dave drink beer and talk about two big (and talked about) books from this past week of the DCnU). They are:

- Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort
- Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

What are their thoughts? Does Brandon rage because of the sexist treatment of Starfire? Does David care at all about Wonder Woman given his distaste for the character? Find out below!