Art by Anna Muckcracker Wieszczyk

Unless you've been completely avoiding every single news outlet in existence, you've heard of the current Occupy Wall Street movement that has been taken the world by storm. Incredibly controversial and assuredly historic, the movement sees thousands of people dubbing themselves "the 99%" protesting against social and economic inequality, as well as greed and corruption created by corporations that in turn influences our government.

With that in mind, Matt Pizzolo, DIY director and screenwriter and founder of Halo-8 Entertainment (the company that put out the Grant Morrison documentary and will be putting out the Warren Ellis one as well) has put together a project entitled Occupy Comics. The book, featuring tons of great artists and creators, hopes to be "a time capsule of the passions and emotions driving the movement," with all of the writers and artists working on the book donating 100% of their revenue to the occupiers.

To that end, Pizzolo and company have put together a Kickstarter in order to raise money for the production of book, as well as an "illustrated film" DVD. The Kickstarter will cover the costs of all the contributors (who are donating their share), and all further proceeds will be donated as well. Amongst the contributors is David Lloyd, artist of V For Vendetta, as well as everyone from Invincible's Ryan Ottley to Madman creator Mike Allred.

So, to put it bluntly: if the Occupy movement is one that you support, and you happen to be a comic fan, this is quite a way to show your support. The full roster of current participants so far is as follows:

Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)
Mike Allred (Madman)
Marc Andreyko (Manhunter)
Susie Cagle (Notes on Conflict, arrested at Occupy Oakland)
Mike Cavallaro (Parade (with fireworks), Life & Times of Savior 28)
Kevin Colden (I Rule the Night, Grimm's Fairy Tales)
Molly Crabapple (Dr. Sketchy's)
Tyler Crook (Petrograd, B.P.R.D.)
Vito Delsante (Superman, FCHS)
J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Spider-Man, Imaginalis)
Guy Denning (painter)
Eric Drooker (Flood!)
Troy Dye (Shrek, Puss in Boots, The Goblin Chronicles)
Joshua Dysart (Swamp Thing, The Unknown Soldier)
Zoetica Ebb (Biorequiem.com)
Joshua Hale Fialkov (I Vampire, Tumor)
Dan Goldman (Shooting War, 08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail)
Jenny "Devildoll" Gonzalez-Blitz (Coffin Factory art collective)
Brea Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Zane Grant (We Will Bury You, Suicide Girls)
Joe Harris (Ghost Projekt, Spontaneous)
Dean Haspiel (American Splendor)
Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory, Brutal)
Tom Kelesides (Shrek, Puss in Boots, The Goblin Chronicles)
Ales Kot (upcoming projects w/ Image Comics & DC Ent)
George Krstic (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Megas XLR)
Jonathan Swifty Lang (Feeding Ground)
Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn)
David Lloyd (V For Vendetta)
Patrick Meaney (Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods)
Mark L. Miller (Luna, Nanny & Hank)
Caleb Monroe (Batman: Fearless, Hunter's Fortune)
B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, Superman Confidential)
Jerem Morrow (Kingdom Suicide)
Amancay Nahuelpan-Bustamante (Hijos de P)
Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Batman: Gotham County Line)
Ryan Ottley (Invincible)
Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls)
Laurie Penny (Penny Red)
Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller)
Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan, The Boys)
Steve Rolston (Ghost Projekt, Queen & Country)
Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking)
Douglas Rushkoff (Testament, media theorist)
Mark Sable (Two Face: Year One, Rift Raiders, Unthinkable)
Salgood Sam (Dream Life, RevolveR One, Revolution on the Planet of the Apes)
Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Witchblade)
Simon Spurrier (2000 AD, X-Men: Curse of the Mutants)
Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Fell)
Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man)
Anna Wieszczyk (Godkiller, Lucid)
Ronald Wimberly (MF GRIMM: Sentences)

If you'd like to back this project, you can check it out on Kickstarter. There are plenty of rewards for those choosing to donate, and you can read further about the project and its goals on the Occupy Comics website.

Earlier this month, Marvel gave everyone a brief look at Chris Yost and Ryan Stegman's upcoming Scarlet Spider book in Marvel's Point One. Spinning out of the events of Spider-Island, the book sees Kaine taking over Ben Reilly's old role with one of Peter's new costumes. While the short preview left us wanting from the story, one thing was for sure -- visually, the book looked fantastic. As our reviewer wrote, "Stegman's style is kinetic, energetic and full of life; watching Scarlet Spider dish out some damage to a few stereotypical bank robbing villains is great, as Stegman really drives home the key parts of Scarlet Spider's somewhat unconventional movement."

Today, we are pleased to share with you a look at the first issue of Scarlet Spider with an unlettered preview, where the same still holds true. Stegman's visual component to Yost's written portion really brings the characters to life, fitting in fantastically for a Spider-title as he truly captures the motion in succinct pockets of life. From Kaine dodging hoards of bullets to his attack against villains, Stegman is absolutely killing it on the book already -- and we've only seen four pages!

We're still up in the air about a Scarlet Spider book, reserving final judgement for the title's actual release, but one thing is for sure: the book is worth it alone for Stegman's art. To see for yourself, check after the cut for an unlettered four-page preview as well as a variant cover.

Although, if we had to nit-pick, its worth noting that Kaine should've kept the beard. Who cares if it gets itchy under that mask? Beards are awesome.

Read more »

The folks at Columbia Pictures have done a great job of keeping the look of Rhys Ifans' Lizard under wraps for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man film by Marc Webb. However, yesterday, a stray Pez Dispenser concept that popped online gave fans a brief taste of what he would look like in the film (design spoiler at the link, for reference).

Today, the internet one-ups itself with full concept art popping up in its place, and we're going to share it with you now. However, we respect your right to privacy, so if you don't want to see the image yet, just don't click after the cut.

For those of you that do, the Lizard is just a click away.

Read more »

With Christmas and Hannukah around the car, we feel it is our duty to share with you the latest and greatest gifts available to you and yours.

We're all familiar with the modern day revolutionary invention, the Snuggie, right? When you want to keep warm but don't want to raise your heating bill, the easiest way to combat it is buy a blanket that you can wear like a cloak. Blankets are ok, but they can slip and slide, and when you need to reach for something your hands are trapped inside -- oh, the horror! So because we're a lazy and superstitious lot, we now have the Snuggie.

Of course, just getting a Snuggie isn't very "cool." No, for the comic fan in your life, there needs to be something extra if you want to get him or her to drape up in a walking sweat lodge. That's why CJI Collectibles, in their infinite wisdom, have designed a Snuggie Comfy Throw Blanket With Sleeves with your favorite superhero characters designed on them. There currently are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man designs available, and if that doesn't make foreplay more exciting, I don't know what will.

Take a look after the cut for more images of these fantastic creations, and "Marvel" at their actors ability to make the same face in three separate images (truly a super power in its own right).

(via source)

Read more »

Fear Agent is perhaps one of our favorite series here at Multiversity. The final issue earned nearly a perfect score when we reviewed it, and our own David Harper took it upon himself to write yet another article telling you why you need to read it just earlier today! It really is just that good that it warrants talking about so frequently, as the book is Remender's magnum opus without a doubt.

I think it's obvious that we want you to read Fear Agent, so if you haven't been reading it already in single issues, you're in luck -- we now know when the final volume is set to come out! We showed you Jerome Opena's gorgeous cover to the sixth volume of Fear Agent back in March, but thanks to the folks at iFanboy, we now know that the book is coming out in May of next year, which Amazon has since confirmed. Featuring interior art by series co-creator Tony Moore and Mike Hawthorne, as well as John Lucas on finishes and Lee Loughridge on colors, it is the perfect endcap to the epic sci-fi series.

The first five volumes are also all available in trade currently at your local retailer or Amazon.com, as well as a Tales Of The Fear Agent trade collecting back-ups and pin-ups from early issues of the series, so you have absolutely no excuse not to go get caught up if need be. For those of you who have caught up in trade, you can always go buy the single issues in stores now, or just get your pre-orders for the trade in ASAP. Heath Huston's final adventure awaits.

Earlier this month, I claimed to be somewhat of a "Magneto scholar." I don't implicitly know if I would stand by that statement in a court of law, but that silly comment allows me to segue into this week's Longbox Diving issue: Uncanny X-Men #200, "The Trial of Magneto!"

Click behind the cut for some thoughts on the issue. As a note, there are spoilers galore in this write-up, but the issue came out in 1985. Somehow, I think that if you haven't read it by now, you probably don't care about spoilers that are largely outdated.

Read more »

The world of comics is a big one, and there is whole lot of things out there that do not involve capes and spandex. That's where Off the Cape comes in, as we look at comics that are out of the realm of superheroes. For those that only or mostly read superhero books, this is a good resource for you to use to diversify.

This week, I'm going to take a look at a book I can't believe I haven't read yet: Fear Agent. This book comes from writer Rick Remender and a slew of artists that include Tony Moore, Jerome Opena, Kieron Dwyer and Mike Hawthorne, and it is blast of sci-fi awesomeness with one of the best leads in recent comic history. It's a damn good time and honestly one of my favorite comics ever after my first read, and you can find out why after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Christos Gage
Illustrated by Rebekah Isaacs

As Angel continues his quest to resurrect the dead by following leads he digs out of the Watcher’s Files, Faith has second thoughts about supporting his seemingly impossible venture. A new ally warns her to weigh the consequences—good and bad—of Angel’s endeavor. Meanwhile, amidst clubbing, mentoring, and slaying, Faith has her own concerns counseling a damaged and vengeance-seeking Slayer! There’s pressure from all sides. Can Faith handle it?

It’s been a few weeks, but I’m back with another installment of Buffyversity, and I brought Angel and Faith along with me! I didn’t particularly care for the previous issue, because it felt like it dragged, but another month another book! This book still gives me high hopes; check the cut for my thoughts!

Read more »

This week's Art of the Week doubles as a look at an assortment of amazing art from people like Sean Gordon Murphy, Rafael Albuquerque, Tradd Moore, Chris Weston and more, but it also is a "holy crap, how did we miss this?" news look at What Not, a new web art collective. This Comic Twart like joint features the likes of Amanda Conner, Jock, Duncan Fegredo, Becky Cloonan, Phil Noto and a slew of others putting together weekly themes and arting that up. It's one to look out for, if only for the sheer, crazy talent level there.

Our featured piece of the week comes from one of two Rafael Albuquerque Catwoman pieces from What Not, with this visual call out to the classic Le Chat Noir print being an absolutely stunning and clever piece from the hugely talented Albuquerque. It's a beautiful piece of art, and if it is a sign of what we can expect from What Not, color me excited.

Find the rest after the jump.

Read more »

It's been quite some time since we last saw Mouse Guard, with the last issue out back in May of this year and earning a 9.0 from MC Associate Editor David Harper. As he wrote in the introduction of his review, "David Petersen is one of the many writer-artist hyphenates that has made it big in the past few years, and with good reason. Mouse Guard tells classic adventure fantasy stories with an excellent (and familiar) twist as well as a superb sense of character, while bringing some absolutely incredible art as well. " All epic waits between issues aside (the series was originally solicited as a bi-monthly book), its certainly a title that is always worth the wait.

This week sees the return of one of our favorite books, and we couldn't be more excited to share the love. That's why today, just for you, we have a preview of the upcoming issue straight from Archaia. The solicit information is as follows:

The new volume of the Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD series continues! On an unmapped island, Celanawe and Em discover the land of Ilder ruled by a ferret king. Shipwrecked and with no sign of their ship’s captain Conrad, they become the audience of Ilder’s imposing sovereign and hear of his hunger, his power and his fear—all while a mythic weapon dangles just out of reach preventing destiny from marching forward for the bloodline of Farrer, forger of the Black Axe.

Check after the cut for a seven-page preview of the upcoming issue, and be sure to look for it in your local shop today.

Read more »

If the name Sam Humphries sounds familiar to you, then congratulations, you have your finger on the pulse of what's hot in the comic community right now. If it doesn't, then shame on you! Humphries is the writer behind books such as BOOM! Studios' CBGB and Archaia's Fraggle Rock, but he recently made a massive splash in the comic community with the smash-hit self-published Our Love Is Real. Since then, we've been eagerly anticipating what was to come from him next, and soon learned from editor Alejandro Arbona that Humphries' next book would be entitled Sacrifice with artist Dalton Rose -- but nothing else from that point.

The grand announcement on the book will come Thursday, December 1st (and we will assuredly let you know more then), but over on Reddit, Sam Humphries hosted a creator AMA ("Ask Me Anything") to chat with fans about his current body of work and let slip a few details on the upcoming book. Sacrifice will be a six-issue self-published/distributed mini-series, with the first issue being released on December 14th. As far as the plot is concerned, Humphries mentions that it is "about time travel, the Aztecs, and Joy Division", which certainly makes the promo image tag-line abundantly clear.

Humphries goes on the elaborate a bit more about where Sacrifice came from:

SACRIFICE is the product of an eight-year (and counting) obsession with the Aztecs. I'm talking books, research, trips to the library, BBC docs, even an Aztec cooking class. The story itself has undergone many revisions...I wouldn't call it effortful, but it did take some work to "find" the story.

I have four other Aztec books I'd like to do, some of those ideas were faster than SACRIFICE, others (one in particular) much slower.

Humphries also notes that for those who wait for trade, you may be out of luck: given that Sacrifice is a self-published series entirely, it may never see trade simply because self-publishing can be expensive. If the book sounds intriguing to you, your best bet is to stay-tuned for further announcements on the title, at which point we will share with you how you can order yourself some physical copies of the book. Humphries also alludes on Reddit (but does not confirm, as far as I can see) that the series may also be available on ComiXology for those of you who prefer digital.

Either way, we can assure you that it is a book you're going to want to read. Aztecs, time travel and Joy Division! What more do you want?

We'll get you more information on the book as we see it, and be sure to follow Humphries on Twitter for more, because once they "unleash the promotional dogs of Hades, it will be all over (his) feed."

Click to embiggen

Last month, Brian Wood made note that he would be designing a variant cover for the final issue of DMZ, #72 (out next month), in addition to the regular cover by J.P. Leon. He urged fans that wanted the variant to ask their retailers early to order it, which we of course did, sight unseen.

Now we've seen it. Over the weekend, Wood posted the final variant cover on his tumblr, and it is gorgeous. Showing off the graphic design skills that made Wood famous in comics at the beginning of his career, it shows the final state of the DMZ after all of the events that have taken place over the past 71 issues of the book. It also features a nod/callback to a previous Wood cover for the book -- that of issue #3, which is easily one of the most iconic covers of the series (in our opinion, anyway).

Last issue saw the wrap-up for the longest running arc of the series, and the upcoming issue hops ten years into the future to find out the final fate of the city that homed the epic drama encompassed throughout the book. The solicit for the final issue is as follows:

DMZ #72
Written by BRIAN WOOD
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI
Cover by J.P. LEON
1:10 Variant cover by BRIAN WOOD
On sale DECEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
MATURE READERS • FINAL ISSUE

In a city that once seemed to be in a permanent state of war and despair, peace has reigned for a decade. What has become of the city that Matty Roth, Zee and so many others fought to preserve?

If you haven't asked your retailer to order a copy of the variant, you might want to call them right away. Either way, December 21st both can't come soon enough and will hopefully take a long time to get here, if only so we don't have to admit to ourselves that the series won't be coming out anymore.

Legendary comic scribe Peter David has been to plenty of conventions in his time and with such events and the advent of the internet as a mode of communication bridging the gap (literally and figuratively) between comic creator and comic fan, Mr. David has taken it upon himself to pioneer a movement to establish a code of conduct for such interactions.

Published to his blog two days ago, the "Fan/Pro Bill of Rights" is already making the rounds within the comic community as it raises points and sheds light on certain events that I'm sure most people would not readily admit to, and it does so with that signature David wit and charm too.

It begins as follows:

Preamble: We, the fans and pros of www.peterdavid.net, in order to form a more perfect union of fan/pro interaction, wish to let it be known that: with conventions and the Internet providing extensive opportunities for fan/pro interaction and; with new fans not quite understanding the “rules” and social mores and expectations of conventions and thus feeling uncomfortable or uncertain of what is expected of them and; partly in response to some conventions where fans in general and female fans in particular were targeted for harassment and abuse, and; in order to fill what is perceived as a needed guide for fans and pros to know and/or understand what to expect of each other in order to minimize or eliminate misunderstandings or ill-will; it is hereby resolved that this document will serve as an attempt to fill that need by spelling out the specifics of these matters to the best of our abilities. This is being done unilaterally by an assortment of fans and pros, and all the matters addressed within this document are drawn from genuine, real-life experiences of the participants (as hard as that may be to believe in some cases.) The rights set forth herein are not intended to represent the opinions or policies of any conventions or organizations, and may be considered by some to be merely guidelines. Nevertheless, it is our intent to present a series of simple, common sense, basic rights to which all fans and pros should be entitled.

It's a lengthy piece, but it's well worth the read. Be sure to take some time out of your day and read up on the rest of it on Peter David's blog.

On the fourth and fifth episodes this week, the guys get into three big reviews, including the biggest of the week. They talk about:

- Secret Avengers #19 from Warren Ellis and Michael Lark
- Invincible #85 from Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker
- Fantastic Four #600 from Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Carmine di Giandomenico, Ming Doyle, Leinil Yu and Farel Dalrymple

These might be the last episodes for a while, so savor them while you can!


This video features reviews of Secret Avengers and Invincible


This video features the Fantastic Four #600 review

Yesterday we shared a preview of the upcoming "Madman 20th Anniversary Special," a collection of new stories from a dream team of creators (like the 1992 USA basketball team, not the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles) about our favorite man from Snap City. Mike Allred's creation has a long legacy of awesomeness, and with his anniversary coming out Image Comics is pulling out all of the stops with this book. It features contributions from creators like Los Bros Hernandez, Darwyn Cooke, Frank Quitely, Paul Pope, Frank Frazetta, Moebius and any number of others, plus an all-new Allred joint.

On top of that, yesterday artist Michel Fiffe shared the story of how he became a fan of Madman and how he came to get the job of creating a pin-up of epic proportions with the help of Mike and Laura Allred. This piece will go into the 20th Anniversary Special and highlights an enormous cast of independent comic characters, ranging from Hellboy and The Goon to Emi Lenox from Emitown and Newman Xeno. It's an amazing work and worth the price of admission in its own right, if only because it's the only place you can see Spawn and Scott Pilgrim play Galaga.

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 »

Before the DCnU reared its head in our lives, the adventures of The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves were some of our favorites. Featuring reinvigorated new-reader friendly versions of old Tower Comics characters that were acquired by DC Comics, each issue saw Nick Spencer re-introducing these old heroes for a new generation of readers, keeping them in their own corner of the DCU, related to the grand picture by name only. The first three issues of the book earned increasingly higher ratings at this site, and the book is the only DC title to ever end up with a Multiversity pull quote on the cover.

If it's not clear, let me spell it out quite plainly: we love THUNDER Agents.

This week sees the return of the THUNDER Agents in the form of a five-issue mini, and we couldn't be more excited for it. The two arcs we got in the first volume were great and contained a rotating art team, featuring CAFU and Bit (the current art team of DC's Grifter book), Chriscross, Howard Chaykin, George Perez, Ryan Sook, Dan Panosian, Nick Dragotta and Mike Grell, with covers by Frank Quitely, Darwyn Cooke, Gary Frank, Chris Sprouse, Ethan Van Sciver, Francis Manapul, John Cassaday and Fiona Staples. With our new volume, we have issues illustrated by Wes Craig, Jerry Ordway, Walter Simonson and Sam Kieth, with covers by Andy Kubert, Frazer Irving, Dustin Nguyen and Rafael Alubquerque, with one art team yet to be revealed. What more could you want?

If the new volume is half as new reader friendly as the first, then there's no reason not to check out this week's issue. THUNDER Agents v2 #1 is in stores tomorrow, with art by Wes Craig and a cover by Andy Kubert. The trade collection of the first ten-issue series will be in stores as well (which you can pre-order here on Amazon if you are so inclined). Check after the cut for a five-page preview.

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 »

We've been tracking the presence of the Mysterious Hooded Woman who appeared at the end of Flashpoint and then proceeded to appear in the first issue of every DCnU title released (and maybe in the second issue of Batman). Because she doesn't have a name, we took to calling her Carol. It only seemed appropriate.

Now, in the latest edition of our popular Carol Watch series, it appears that she will be making an appearance in this Wednesday's Tiny Titans #45. The Tiny Titans don't have any better clue who she is, but Cyborg acutely points out what most DC fans were thinking. What is continuity, anyway?

Is a Tiny Titans reboot hiding around the corner? Will Carol reveal a secret truth that will change Tiny Titans forever? No, probably not, but that's ok. Tiny Titans is still a hilarious comic month after month, so it'll be worth reading either way.

This week brings the release of a new Joe Casey-penned, Andy Suriano-illustrated Image Comics graphic novel titled Doc Bizarre, M.D. Here's a quick synopsis of the plot:

From monsters crippled with pneumonia or demons suffering from incontinence, only one man claims to possess the skills and the training to cure what ails them? DOC BIZARRE, M.D.! He'll make globe hopping house calls for sick creepers, medically challenged myths and ghouls at death's door!

We've already reviewed it very positively and we want to be sure that don't miss it when you hit up your local shop on Wednesday. This book combines the typical mad genius writing gifts of Casey with Suriano's "Silver-Age blender" talents into a rather delightful little package, and can be enjoyed by all in this Christmas (or any) season.

To further entice you, we've got a ten page lettered preview of Doc Bizarre, M.D. after the jump straight from Andy Suriano himself. If you dig it, make sure to pick it up this week!

Read more »

Do you love Mike Allred's Madman? Of course you do. Everyone does. Madman is one of the most influential independent comic book characters of our time (if not the most). First appearing in Creatures of the Id in October, 1990 for Caliber Press, Madman grew to prominence on Tundra Comics before moving to Dark Horse and eventually resting at Image. With spin-offs, crossovers and specials galore, Madman and his musical odyssey through comics have been some of the most entertaining in the medium for the past 20 years.

In celebration of Madman's 20th anniversary, Mike Allred and Image comics are releasing a massive oversized (11 x 17!) hardcover in the tradition of Gargantua and Atomica, collecting various Madman comics by tons of your favorite creators, such as Peter Bagge, Kyle Baker, Philip Bond, Peter Milligan, Darwyn Cooke, Dave Cooper, Dean Haspiel, Los Bros Hernandez, Erik Larsen, David Mack, Pat McKeown, Bernie Mireault, Michael Avon Oeming, Paul Pope, Eric Powell, Frank Quitely, Steven T. Seagle & Teddy Kristiansen, Jeff Smith, Jay Stephens, Craig Thompson, Matt Wagner, Joe Quinones, and Maris Wicks, as well as pin-ups by some of the most famous comic creators like Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby, Alex Toth, Moebius, Frank Miller, and Dave Stevens.

The book will also feature a brand new Madman comic by creator Mike Allred, in which Frank goes on his own retrospective trip through time, reflecting on his past. "In my new story I was inspired to take Frank "Madman" Einstein on an adventure that took him on retrospective time trip, an inter-dimentional detour, a jungle excursion, and a kind of faux-family therapy exchange. I pulled out all stops," Allred says in the press release from Image. "We're making sure that everyone will be getting some serious bang for their buck!"

The book will retail for $100 in stores, but can be pre-ordered on Amazon right now for almost half-off. If anyone on your Christmas shopping list is a Madman fan, this will assuredly make a great gift, so get buying.

For an eight-page preview as well as the press release from Image, check after the cut.

Read more »

It has been a long time since we heard word on Thief of Thieves (we had assumed Image was bringing it to NYCC), but now that the book has finally been solicited for February 8th, 2012, we finally have a new look at the first issue of this series.

The idea behind the series is fairly simple: after the success of his work on the Walking Dead, Kirkman wanted to bring the writer's room idea (something being utilized in the Buffy comics at Dark Horse) to Image for a brand new series. Bringing in Nick Spencer for the initial arc with Shawn Martinbrough on art, the book follows Conrad Paulson, a master thief on one final job as he readies himself for a new life. As far as new books for 2012 go, this is one you are assuredly going to want to pre-order.

We were given a very brief look at the book, and it looks fantastic so far, with Spencer very much channeling Kirkman in his writing. The last preview we gave you featured Conrad on the job with fantastic work from Martinbrough, and today's new three-page preview shows how Conrad meets his partner in crime, Celia.

Check after the cut for the three-page preview and the solicit information.

(via source)

Read more »

Marvel released an Avengers promo a few months ago showcasing the cast of the film in various action ready poses, but one thing was fairly obvious from the image -- while the men all had rather triumphant and powerful poses showing off their muscles, abilities and powers, the one lone female of the group was showing off more of her curves than her strength. It's a fairly commonplace tactic these days in posters really, because man curves don't sell as well as female ones, but it still left a rather sour taste in some.

With that in mind, artist Kevin Bolk decided to assemble his own version of the Avengers promo, mixing things up a bit and asking the question, "Just how well could the Hulk's butt sell people on seeing the Avengers film?" The answer is pretty obvious: immensely.

One can only hope that this means the Hulk's rumored strip-tease sequence is kept in the final cut of the film.

(via source)

Has the DCnU got you down? Are you not a fan of the way the characters were reinvented? Well, the good news is is that while DC has been recreating their characters and books for you in a comic book store, creators all over the internet are offering up their own reinventions of the various characters of the DCnU for you to love and enjoy (for free, no less!).

Enter: Yale Stewart, a gifted young artist who we met at NYCC. In the tradition of classic newspaper strips, Yale has decided to offer up his own reinvention of the characters, taking them back further than the DCnU has and enrolling the heroes at Schwartz Elementary. It's kind of like Tiny Titans if the characters weren't all friends, but with two entries into the series online right now, Yale's humor shines through quite well and things bode quite well for the strip. If you're even remotely a fan of DC comics, you're going to want to bookmark this right away.

The comic will be updated every Saturday at LittleLeagueComic.tumblr.com, but with Yale's Watterson-esque style, it is one that is sure to entertain. Be sure to look for more of Yale's work on Deviant Art, as well as his upcoming book Gifted and a back-up piece in an upcoming issue of Luther Strode!

On the second and third parts of this week's 4 Color News and Brews, the guys get all up in the business of this week's comics as they talk reviews, and Brandon throws down his Rage Kill of the Week. They look at:

- Scalped #54 from Jason Aaron and RM Guera
- Captain America and Bucky #624 from Ed Brubaker, Marc Andreyko and Chris Samnee
- Astonishing X-Men #44 from Greg Pak and Mike McKone
- The Flash #3 from Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
- Wolverine and the X-Men #2 from Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo

Enjoy, and look for two more segments tomorrow. You can even catch them early on our YouTube page.


Video features reviews of Scalped, Captain America and Bucky and Astonishing X-Men


Video features reviews of The Flash and Wolverine and the X-Men

It was around this time last year that we were bidding adieu to The Walking Dead for a year. However, the success of last season has birthed a much longer second season, and thus we only have to wait two and a half(ish) months for a few more new episodes (six to be exact). So what better way to send us into the hiatus than with the show finally achieving an attribute that the comic has done so well for so long.

Click on down to find out what that is.

As a note, immense spoilers for the episode will be discussed. Seriously, if you haven't watched it, do NOT click down (or, for that matter, go to the show's website at the moment.)

Read more »

This week's edition of Multiversity Casting Couch finds us leaping into one of my all-time favorite books and a frequent subject of adaptation chatter: Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y the Last Man.

This series has went through a lot of brief trysts with Hollywood types, as Vaughan himself wrote a well-received script for a film, Disturbia director DJ Caruso frequently is attached to it in some way, shape or form (Shia not necessarily included) and the book itself has made cameos in anything from Chuck to Lost and beyond.

The reason why? This book would absolutely rock in movie form - preferably a few movies - if done right. How could they do it right? Well, they could start by listening to us. For picks from myself, Matthew Meylikhov and guest writer Jessica Graham, check after the jump.

Read more »

On the first part of maybe the last 4 Color in a while, Brandon introduces the new drinking game and David suffers because of said game. David also shares his Scarf Job of the Week and the guys talk Aquaman.

Check it!

Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Mikel Janin

What is Madame Xanadu’s plan? And why is she urging Shade the Changing Man to recruit a killer? One by one, our anti-hero misfits are drawn inexplicably to each other… While John Constantine aids Zatanna in escaping a town destroyed by magic, June Moon seeks help from Deadman. But in the end, will any of it be enough to escape the dark clutches of the insane and powerful Enchantress?

Deadman! Zatanna! John Constantine! Shade the Changing Man! A whole bunch of other characters you probably have never heard of! Their first adventure together continues in only an adventure that they can undertake! Will they survive, or will they lose their battle against…whatever it is they’re facing? Will they look good doing it? This and more in this review of Justice League Dark!

Check the cut for more!

Read more »

Want to keep up with the ever-advancing continuity porn of the DC and Marvel universes, but simply don't have the time or money to buy every ongoing? We're here to help. The Weekend Week In Review aims to give you ((usually) very) brief synopses of what happened in a select few of DC and Marvel's titles — with a helping of sarcastic commentary — so that when some nasty old writer wants to punish you by heavily referencing a title you didn't pick up, you won't be left in the dark. Of course, that means that spoilers are in abundance after the cut, but I figure that you could figure that out.

Read more »

If you read the site at all, you should know that this is a popular book among everyone here. We ran an Off the Cape on the book some time ago, and we recently started a feature called Haunted Trails, dedicated exclusively to discussing The Sixth Gun and what it’s all about. We even cast them in our Multiversity Casting Couch feature a couple weeks back! As you can tell, we all really love The Sixth Gun. If somehow, for some reason, you read those, and are still not convinced, or even worse, didn’t read those, here’s yet another opportunity to talk about how great this series really is.

Read on for more!

Read more »

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Illustrated by Francis Manapul

If the Fastest Man Alive is going to capture Mob Rule, he must first tap into his new amped-up super brain to save the citizens of Central City from the EMP that has blacked out the city. Witness a spectacular sequence of out-of-control cars, trains and even airplanes that must be stopped from destroying the city!

It is with the greatest respect that I have to tell all my MC cohorts that they are wrong. While Fantastic Four #600 was a great read, it wasn't the best comic released this week.

This was. Keep reading after the jump for the reasons why.

Read more »

Written and illustrated by Evan Dorkin

A carton of hate. A wedge of spite. A comic book of idiotic genius. The Eisner Award-winning dairy duo returns in this deluxe hardcover collecting every single stupid Milk and Cheese comic ever made from 1989 to 2010, along with a sh*t-ton of supplemental awesomeness. This has everything you need! Don't judge it-love it! Or else!

Click after the jump to see maybe the shortest review I can possibly do without EIC Matt emailing me a computer virus.

Read more »

Written and illustrated by Liam Sharp

Beneath the ice of Jupiter's moon, life teems in lightless oceans. But more spectacular discoveries elsewhere in the cosmos have left Europa's research facilities underfunded and ignored, a lonely wayside with an orbital station and a decaying space elevator. When one of the elevators stops midway, the rescue team discovers a deadly cargo that threatens life on Europa and on Earth.

Liam Sharp: purveyor of technological terror, barbarian blood and guts, and a 3-AM-dark sense of humor for ages. Years in the making (due to some unexplained delay), Sharp's Aliens graphic novel is finally here, and the question on the mind of anyone who's familiar with either creator or franchise: how sick is this gonna be? Find out after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Joe Casey

Doc Bizarre, M.D.
Illustrated by Andy Suriano

From monsters crippled with pneumonia or demons suffering from incontinence, only one man claims to possess the skills and the training to cure what ails them? DOC BIZARRE, M.D.! He'll make globe hopping house calls for sick creepers, medically challenged myths and ghouls at death's door!

Haunt #19
Illustrated by Nathan Fox

AN ALL-NEW CREATIVE TEAM KICKS OFF WITH A BOLD NEW DIRECTION! Brothers Daniel and Kurt Killgore have shared an ominous power, but things begin to unravel - for both of them - when a past tragedy comes back to haunt them. All-new action! All-new enemies! The new nightmare begins...NOW!

Vengeance #5
Illustrated by Nick Dragotta

History, destiny, and tragedy collide, as young Johann Schmidt reaches his apotheosis and the Third Reich climbs to the regrettable heights of its terrible power. A tremendous evil is unleashed on the world, and humanity will never be the same for it again.

Joe Casey Overload. More after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino

Across the country, bodies litter the streets as the Queen of Blood builds her army. A weakened Andrew must seek the aid of an old ally, but the game of death has a new wild card who may help Andrew tip the balance of power – or decapitate him.

I'll be honest, this was the dead last book I expected to enjoy in the DCnU. When it was announced, nothing about it seemed appealing. I mean, vampire love stories aren't exactly hip amongst those that are not soccer moms these days, and every bit of the pre-release information on this one left a sour taste in my mouth. However, out of respect for Fialkov's previous work I read an advanced copy of the first issue, then a friend's copy of issue two, then went back to buy 1 & 2 and picked up #3 on the day of release. Forget what you've heard, this book ain't your mama's vampires, and it sure as hell is no tween dream.

Click on down to find out why.

Read more »

Written by Jason Aaron
Illustrated by Chris Bachalo

Wolverine and his X-Men have very little chance of surviving the new Hellfire Club. And that’s without another classic villain (the villain of the most important X-Story ever) returning!

Here it is, gang. Wolverine and the X-Men #2, or as I like to call it, "the most on-the-nose titled comic on the stands today." And before you start throwing stars, understand that I don’t mean that as a bad thing. In fact, I don’t mean it as a bad thing at all. I just feel a little sorry for Cyclops. I mean, how come Uncanny X-Men isn’t called Cyclops and the X-Men?

Know what I’m sayin’? No? Okay, let's figure it out after the jump.

Read more »

Written by Matt Fraction
Illustrated by Pasqual Ferry

Who is Tanarus, and why is he the new God of Thunder?

Who is Tanarus and why is he the new God of Thunder indeed? Introduced earlier this month in Fear Itself 7.2, this issue marks the first adventure of one of the Marvel Universe's more interesting new additions and it does a considerable (and unexpected) amount of curtain pulling as the new status quo for Marvel's "main" Thor book is laid bare.

Click on down to find out just how questionable of a move that was.

Read more »

Written by James Robinson
Illustrated by Cully Hamner

After surviving a brutal attack in Opal City, the Shade must leave his beloved home in search of answers. His first stop is Hamburg, Germany, where the violent, invulnerable private investigator Von Hammer has the first piece of the puzzle. But to reach the detective, the Shade must duel with darkness against French shadow villain Bete Noir. The menace and mystery are just beginning in this second part of the Shade's global odyssey!

I need to apologize to anyone who read my review of The Shade #1. I let my (self-coined) nerd-rage get the best of me, and the continuity issues within the comic became the focus of my review, instead of the at-times beautiful artwork and the story. And, to be honest, if I wasn’t focusing on showing restraint, this review could have been a lot of the same, with Bobo Bennetti suddenly being a young man and whatnot. But, I’m taking this one-day at a time, and I promise to not let this get stuck in my craw too badly.

So, leaving all issues involving looking backwards at the Starman series behind, what do I think about The Shade #2? Click the jump to find out just how far I can go before breaking my word.

Read more »

Written by Tony Bedard
Illustrated by Tyler Kirkham and Harvey Tolibao

Lanterns united! Green, yellow, red, blue – soldiers from every Lantern Corps stand shoulder-to-shoulder against an unthinkable enemy: the Guardians of Oa! It’s the New Guardians vs. old in a battle that will forever change Kyle Rayner’s standing in the Green Lantern Corps! Plus: If the lone Orange Lantern ring is with Kyle Rayner, then what happened to its owner, Larfleeze? Finally, the answer revealed!

Did you read last issue? Last issue was ridiculous! I mean that in the best way possible, too. It ended in the only way that it could, with Kyle wearing all the bling like the gangster that he is. There would a lot of twists and turns in this book, check beyond the cut to see if it soared like a White Lantern, or crashed and burned like Silver Age Hal Jordan! There is a light spoiler warning involved. You are warned.

Read more »

After a quick bit of world travelling last week, I returned home to find that several of my favorite Marvel books were on their way into non-existence, including the fantastic Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive by novelist turned comic scribe David Liss. Liss' grasp on street level, noir-esque storytelling is very close to unparalleled these days as he weaves classic storytelling tropes into very modern action oriented plots. However, before Black Panther (and the equally fantastic Mystery Men mini-series), Mr. Liss made his comic book debut on a largely overlooked one-shot commemorating Marvel's 70th anniversary. What I did not know when I first read it was that Liss' piloting of The Phantom Reporter in this one-shot return of Daring Mystery Comics was very much a declaration of sorts for what was to come from him and given my love of all of his work since, I decided to go back and take a look at this forgotten modern-day classic.

Click on down for more!

Read more »

Written by Jonathan Hickman
Illustrated by Steve Epting, Carmine di Giandomenico, Ming Doyle, Leinil Francis Yu and Farel Dalrymple

"FOREVER" Part One THIS IS IT! The 50th anniversary issue of the Fantastic Four! This month we begin the 5-part conclusion to the story that began over 30 issues ago. Joins us for the epic celebration of Marvel's First Family with 96 pages of all-new content written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Steve Epting, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Leinil Yu and Farel Dalrymple.

Instead of talking about the thing that we all knew was going to happen in this issue and embracing spoilers, I'm going to spend this review explaining to you, our faithful readers, how this is completely worth every penny of that $7.99 cover price.

Find out how after the jump, and beware mighty spoilers.

Read more »

Greetings one and all and welcome to Haunted Trails, Multiversity's very own behind the scenes column for Oni Press' smash hit, The Sixth Gun! For over a year now, The Sixth Gun has treated readers to one of the most intelligently written, impeccably drawn and generally breathtaking serial comic books of the last ten years. Starting with the monumental final chapter of the latest arc, writer Cullen Bunn and I will sit down each month to dig deeper into each issue of the series, providing behind the scenes insight into the creation of the book and speculating different ways it could progress down its dark path. If ever you wanted more insight and goodness when putting down an issue of the book, this is officially the place to find it!

Issue #17, from start to finish, is completely indicative of everything that makes the book so fantastic. It occurred to me multiple times while speaking with Cullen that there really is no perfect place to begin this column due to the equilibrium established by the series up until this point. We have just enough unanswered questions and just enough of a basis of plot to really start peeking around corners and unfolding a few mysteries with the series, and thats exactly what we've done.

Click on down for our exclusive behind the scenes look at Issue #17 and be sure to come back next month for more!

NOTE: Spoilers for The Sixth Gun #17 are discussed.

Read more »

This February, Image Comics will be throwing the mother of all birthday parties with Image Comics Expo, a monumental three day convention-style event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the company and creator owned comics in all of their forms. On hand for the event will be Image mainstays Robert Kirkman, Eric Larson, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino with Rob Liefeld and Whilce Portacio on hand as guests of honor. Other guests include more modern marvels Jonathan Hickman, Brian K. Vaughan, Ryan Ottley and Jay Faerber amongst many more!

Running through the weekend of February 24th, 25th and 26th at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, CA, Image Expo is the first convention seen in many years focusing entirely on the output of one company. However, given all the quality work Image has been responsible for both lately and over the last 20 years, good money says this one will be worth the wait.

Click on down for the full event press release and stay tuned to Image Comics and Multversity for ticketing information sometime in the near future!

Read more »

Written by Mike Mignola
Illustrated by Tyler Crook

While Johann is locked in spectral combat with the spirit of a possessed prisoner of Russia's Special Sciences Service, Kate learns about the deserted town of Rampayedik and its mysterious zombie looters.

Two Multiversity writers, David Harper and Brian Salvatore, take a look at the latest offering from Mike Mignola and Tyler Crook and, well, agree on just about everything. Hit the jump for more.

Read more »

Recently, a teaser came out for Mike Mignola's B.P.R.D. saying "It's all going to hell in 2012!" Quickly, my excitement level thought "hey! Maybe another title is going to be added to the Mignolaverse? Sadly, my conjecture was incorrect, but the new is great in its own right!

Dark Horse was just teasing the arrival of the five B.P.R.D. minis in 2012 along with their creative teams, all of whom are immensely talented. While standard names like Mignola, John Arcudi and Tyler Crook are there, we also get more from exciting up-and-comer James Harren, Jason Latour and Max Fiumara's first runs at the series, and some more Mignola world work by Cameron Stewart.

Basically, it's an incredible assortment of top talent, and something that will make 2012 one of the biggest years yet for the series. Check out the teams below, and get excited folks!

- February - B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Long Death - written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by James Harren
- March - B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Pickens County Horror - written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Jason Latour, cover by Becky Cloonan
- May - B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Transformation of J. H. O'Donnell - written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, art by Max Fiumara, cover by Becky Cloonan
- May - B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Devil's Engine - written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Tyler Crook, covers by Duncan Fegredo
- June - B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth­: Exorcism - written by Mike Mignola and Cameron Stewart, art by Stewart, covers by Viktor Kalvachev

"Heyyyy...I'm on TV."

It appears the world's most marketable superhero might be making his way to the small screen, as the Syfy Network has ordered a pilot script of a TV version of the one and only Booster Gold.

While this by no means says that a show will in fact happen, it is a step in the right direction that could perhaps mean this idea becoming a reality.

The project is being spearheaded by producer Greg Berlanti (No Ordinary Family, Green Lantern), a man whose credits are as spotty as Booster's superheroics resume, and Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe). The latter is set to pen the script and to executive produce.

No clue as to whether or not this Booster will be associated with the one from the tenth season of Smallville, but I hope I'm not the only one saying "good god I hope not."

The idea of Booster Gold is actually, in my mind, one of the most attractive and interesting TV adaptation prospects out there in superhero comics, and if done well it could be flat out awesome. Of course, Booster could look like his Smallville self and Skeets could be a toaster, so odds are it will either be great or terrible. Let's hope for the former.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

According to Bleeding Cool, the Doctor Strange: The Oath team of Brian K. Vaughan (comic writing god) and Marcos Martin (comic art god) are going to be pairing up for a creator-owned book some time in the very near future. Really, there isn't a whole lot to go on - most of the article is a blend of hearsay, rumors and, well...just straight up no information - but this idea is so tasty that we can't resist reporting it.

I mean come on, they made Doctor Strange and the Night Nurse an incredibly engrossing duo. Imagine what they could do with their own material? I'll buy ten, please.

On the fifth and sixth parts of this week's 4 Color News and Brews, the guys continue their epic return with more reviews, including:

- X-Factor #227 from Peter David and Leonard Kirk
- The Walking Dead #91 from Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
- Thunderbolts #165 from Jeff Parker and Kev Walker
- Mudman #1 from Paul Grist
- Justice League #3 from Geoff Johns and Jim Lee

Of course, they also announce the potential hiatus they are going into (and the reason why) and come up with the most logical analogue to what Justice League is accomplishing right now. After a few beers, of course! Dibs!


This video features reviews of X-Factor, The Walking Dead and Thunderbolts


This video features reviews of Mudman #1 and Justice League #3

A couple weeks ago, Top Shelf digitally stealth re-released Jeff Lemire's first graphic novel, Lost Dogs, with a physical edition to come next year. I say stealth re-released mainly because I completely missed it until last week, at which point I felt an official site announcement might be a bit too late to "matter." However, just because it was too "late" to report it doesn't mean there isn't still a reason to write about it, right?

Hop after the cut for some thoughts on Lemire's first comic work.

Read more »