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Plans Revealed For Detective #19: What Would Have Been Issue 900 Of Detective Comics

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:44:17 +0000

The New 52 not only brought a whole new take on DC characters, but newly renumbered books. That’s not as big a deal for some comics, but it leaves longtime readers of Detective and Action Comics from reaching an unheard of #900 issue. DC will be marking what would have been a milestone achievements for both books this year by offering up special giant-sized stories. First up is Detective in April. Detective #19 will feature a celebration that is a little on the nose. The 80 page issue will feature Batman tackling the “Mystery of the 900.” Since #900 won’t be plastered on the cover, they’ll jam the big number in the story. Here’s the solicit info for the issue written by John Layman.

DETECTIVE COMICS #19

Written by JOHN LAYMAN
Art and fold-out cover by JASON FABOK
Backup story art by ANDY CLARKE
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
On sale APRIL 3 • 80 pg, FC, $7.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $8.99 US

• In a special oversized celebratory issue, Batman is challenged by the “Mystery of the 900!”

This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Plans Revealed For Detective #19: What Would Have Been Issue 900 Of Detective Comics

Chris Roberson To Write The Shadow Ongoing

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:47:24 +0000

Chris Roberson will be sticking with the pulp heroes beyond the pages of Masks. The writer of the well-received Dynamite crossover event, which we’ve been raving about, will be writing The Shadow ongoing series starting in April. Roberson pointed out the April solicitations for the series:

THE SHADOW #13
Chris Roberson (w)
Giovanni Timpanol (a)
Alex Ross, Paolo Rivera, Tim Bradstreet, Francesco Francavilla (c)
4 regular covers will be shipped in equal ratios
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
A grisly string of random murders has left the authorities baffled, but The Shadow believes there is method to the killer’s madness. At each crime scene, eyewitnesses have spotted the spectral figure of a woman in white. Is “The Light” behind the murders, or a victim’s lost spirit? The Shadow must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again!

When asked on Twitter if this would be longer than the upcoming “Light” arc, Roberson said he didn’t plan on going away anytime soon. This is great news for Shadow fans. Roberson has handled the cast of Masks well, but his Shadow writing stands out. The writer mentioned he particularly enjoyed writing the character in our interview last month (click here for that). It will be interesting to see what Roberson brings to his first arc. He has written a lot of great stories and comics, but I’ve been particularly impressed with Masks. Having Chris Roberson continue on with the pulp characters will be something you can’t miss. What do you think about the news? Will you be tuning in for The Shadow vs. The Light?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Chris Roberson To Write The Shadow Ongoing

Variant Covers Show An Evolving Ultron

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:00:51 +0000

The Age of Ultron is finally upon us as Marvel continues to release solicit info and covers for the highly anticipated series by Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch. The ten issue story will affect the entire Marvel Universe and have a major impact on characters moving forward. Several variant covers have been released showing off Ultron upgrading and evolving throughout the storyline. If you’re looking for a rainy day activity, you could make a flip book out of the covers to see Ultron upgrade his armor and weapon systems. What do you think about the changes?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Variant Covers Show An Evolving Ultron

Indie Spotlight: Yumi Sakugawa

Muy Mareado! — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:00:11 +0000

Welcome to Indie Spotlight! The independent scene is filled with many writers and artists alike and we here at Comic Book Therapy wanted to explore and reach reach out to these talented people to have the opportunity to learn about their works. For our first edition we present to you Yumi Sakugawa!

I am Yumi Sakugawa and I am a comic book artist and illustrator based in the Southern California. I am a regular comic / illustrator online contributor to Sadie Magazine and Wonderhowto.

Most recently, my comic zine “Mundane Fortunes for the Next Ten Billion Years and Other Stories” was selected as Notable Comics of 2012 by the Best American Comics anthology editors.

_____________________________________________________

Comic Book Therapy – Thank you very much for taking the time out to do this interview. How have you been doing?

Yumi Sakugawa – It is my pleasure! I’m finally fully recovered from a week-long cold so right now I am feeling pretty amazing.

CBT – You’re a self published comic book artist. How did you start?

Yumi – After I graduated from UCLA, I spent a year teaching English in Japan… because that’s what you do when you have just graduated from college with an art major and you have no idea what you’re going to do with yourself. During that time, a fellow English-teaching American artist friend and I spontaneously decided to sign up for a small booth at the bi-annual Tokyo Design Festa, a giant arts and craft convention that happens in Tokyo every May and November. I didn’t have any art on hand and I definitely did not want to show up as a first-time exhibitor empty-handed–so I furiously whipped up my first self-published 30-page comic zine “Milk and Moo” just in time for the event. Note to new artists, there is nothing like a convention deadline to really force yourself to kick your own butt to get something done.

This was back in 2008, and I had no idea that a zine culture even existed. When I moved back to Los Angeles, I made serendipitous connections with fellow artists in 2010 who introduced me to the zine scene and really got me hooked to showing comic zines at zine conventions.

CBT – What projects have you completed? Currently working on?

Yumi – I’ve self-published about eight comic zines in the last four years, ranging from illustrated guides on meditation to short comic story collections. My most recent self-published comic zine was a 50-page autobiographical diary comic of my travels in Paris and Rome.

Things I’m currently working on? I’ll definitely be releasing more self-published comics about meditation and mindfulness (people seem to really like those), and more short comic story collections. And since the world always needs more self-love and creative inspiration, I’m thinking of releasing a comic zine that deals specifically with self-love and staying inspired as an artist.

I’m also working on a longer fictional comic project right now, longer than anything I have ever made. It’s kind of a secret so either a lot of people will get to read it once it’s done or I won’t finish it and no one will ever know about it. Hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.

CBT – How long have you been in the art world? What inspired you to pick up the pencil/pen and create?

Yumi – I honestly don’t know what counts as being in the art world! I was in my first group art show in 2008 that wasn’t an art school student campus gallery show, so maybe since then? As for what inspired me to pick up the pencil / pen and create, I’ve always been drawing and doodling since I was a small kid, and drawing is the perfect medium to express yourself when you’re a really painfully shy kid and you’re trrified of talking to people.

CBT – As an artist, conventions and other means of showcasing are pretty important to promote your work. Have you attended conventions?

Yumi – Yes! I’ve attended maybe 6 different comic and zine conventions in the last few years and I really love the convention scene. For 2013, I’m really excited that I will be tabling away from the West Coast for the first time ever–at the Brooklyn Zine Fest in April and at the Toronto Comics and Arts Festival in May. Come visit my table if you think you’ll be going to either of those events!

I always make the coolest new friends and discover amazing new artists at every convention event. Seriously, I feel like there is a significantly lower percentage of douchey, pretentious creative types in the zine scene compared to other creative scenes or maybe I have just been really lucky with the people I’ve met. That, and I love having the opportunity to share my work with new people and connect in real-time with people who have seen my work previously on the internet or elsewhere.

If you are just starting out as a comic book artist, then I really recommend signing up for a table or a booth at a comic convention. Even if you don’t sell that many comics in the beginning, you get so much from the whole experience.

CBT – What is your best Convention memory?

Yumi – I think my best convention memory is the first comic and zine convention I’ve ever attended in 2010. I was crammed in one car with three other zine friends and left at 3 in the morning from Los Angeles to arrive just in time in Sacramento at around 10 A.M. to table at Indy Euphoria. I was only there for one day and I hitched a ride back to Los Angeles with another friend that same night. That convention memory is particularly special to me because that was the first time I had the chance to meet Dylan Williams, the late founder of Sparkplug Comic Books. It was at the convention when he actually bought copies of my first comic zine from me to distribute through Sparkplug and as a total newbie, I was so blown away by the possibility that complete strangers would really take a genuine interest in reading my comics. I feel so fortunate to have met him at that time and one more time before his unfortunate passing in 2011.

CBT – Things can be a bit difficult getting into the comic business. What encourages you to continue?

Yumi – I honestly don’t think much about the difficulty of getting into the comic business. Not because I naively think it won’t be difficult for me or anything like that, more so because I’m much more preoccupied on a narcissistic, mundane level with the daily difficulty of motivating myself every single day to find the time and the inspiration to move forward with my comic projects, regardless of busyness or creative blocks.

What keeps me going? Fan mail from an eleven-year-old girl. Complete strangers from countries I’ve never visited ordering my zines online. Seeing my self-published comics on display in my favorite independent bookstores. Kind messages from strangers. The painstakingly slow progress I make as an artist with every new project I finish. Being held accountable to my inner eleven-year-old who always dreamed of becoming a cartoonist.

CBT – Have you done work for other publishers?

Yumi – I’m actually working on something with another comic publisher. I can’t disclose too much information for the moment and more details will be revealed later in 2013. Stay tuned!

CBT – What do you enjoy most about doing comics?

Yumi – I think comics is the best creative medium for me to fully and honestly express myself as an artist and as a human being. Growing up, I was always torn between wanting to become a writer and wanting to become an artist; thankfully with comics, you can do both things at the same time.

CBT – With the year of rebirths and reboots, do you feel it contributes well to the comic business or takes the interest away from longtime readers?

Yumi – I’m the worst person to ask this question. I haven’t actually read any rebirth or reboot comic storylines.

CBT – Who is your favorite comic book artist? Favorite title or series that features his/her art?

Yumi – What a difficult question! I have many favorite comic book artists that changes with what I am interested in at the moment, but I always find myself revisiting again and again “Skim” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki and written by Mariko Tamaki. Coming-of-age stories with interesting female teenage protagonists are my personal catnip.

CBT – What comic book character would you find easy to relate to?

Yumi – This is a Japanese manga character, but I can relate too well with Maruko from the shoujo manga series “Chibi Maruko-Chan.” She’s lazy and disorganized, and prone to retreating to her own imaginary world a lot, just like me. (I can’t relate, however, to her immense dislike of nattou)

As for an American comic book character, this may be an extreme cliche answer but I think Charlie Brown and I would have had a lot of great coffee hang-outs. I was a pretty melancholy kid prone to over-nostalgizing my own childhood experiences in my head as they were happening in real time.

CBT – What would you consider your greatest piece to date?

Yumi – I don’t know if this would be my greatest, but I will always have a huge fondness for my first self-published comic story “Milk and Moo.” There is a wonderful magic that comes out of having no idea what you’re doing but somehow getting it done anyway.

CBT – For those who want to have a start in illustration, what advice would you share with them?

Yumi – Give the world as many opportunities as possible to see your artwork. Have a regularly updated art blog. Show your work at shows. Exhibit at conventions. Meet other artists. Make friends with artists whose skills and work ethic intimidate the shit out of you. Being an artist can be a lonely business, so find a community of artists you can join or make your own community. Find excuses to get your illustration out there, whether it’s volunteering to illustrate for a someone’s music event flyer or challenging yourself to publishing a weekly web comic with a friend.

In the beginning, all of this may seem like shooting darts in the dark. It is all worth it for the momentum that you create for yourself that will carry you over to your next great opportunity.

CBT – Thank you very much! Is there anything you’d like for us to be on the lookout for?

Yumi – Since so many people have asked about this, I will be releasing a limited artist booklet print of my emo-comic “I Think I Am In Friend-Love with You” sometime this month (January). If you are looking for the perfect not-so-subtle gift to give to your friend-crush for Valentine’s Day, this is it.

>Click Images for Bigger Versions<

Check out the sites below to see more of Yumi’s work and updates on her projects!

Bigcartel: yumisakugawa

Facebook: www.facebook.com/yumiverse

Flickr: yumisakugawa

Twitter: @yumisakugawa

Tumblr sketch blog: acrosstheyumiverse

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Hey writers and artists!! As the continuing interest in independent works grows, we want to reach out to the indie community and highlight those who dedicate their time and effort to a passion for their work. Tell us YOUR story! If you know someone that you would like to be featured in this section let us know!

To be featured in Indie Spotlight, please complete the following steps:

Contact us at: dezdewberry@comicbooktherapy.com (Please put “Indie Spotlight” in the subject line)
Provide a short bio and 5-10 pictures if you’re an artist
Sit down, relax and get ready to be contacted back!

Muy Mareado!, Indie Spotlight: Yumi Sakugawa

IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:49:50 +0000

Star Trek fans have been hoping for Klingons to appear on film for a while. JJ Abrams had the Klingons appear in his first film, but it was in a deleted scene from the 2009 reboot. More recently the alien race were teased in a skit featuring the director for the MTV Movie Awards last year. Star Trek Into Darkness is still shrouded in mystery, but many reports, rumors, and quick shots in the trailers have been circulating saying the sequel will indeed mark the Klingons return.

IDW is releasing a comic book prequel for Star Trek Into Darkness, called Countdown to Darkness, written by Mike Johnson with a story by Roberto Orci. It is an official prequel comic to the movie and works to bridge the gap between the first film and the second. The cover to #4, the final in the miniseries, shows a Klingon warrior with the much debated helmet. The comic comes out in April and the film in May. Could it be setting the Klingons up for a big role for Into Darkness? Time will tell. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Blast From The Past: Marvel Bringing Back The Gold Foil Cover For Age Of Ultron

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:27:21 +0000

Age of Ultron has been years in the making, and this summer the highly anticipated book from Brian Bendis and Bryan Hitch will finally take the Marvel Universe by storm. Marvel unveiled a new preview of the book with a gold foil cover and two pages of massive destruction. The announcement features a paragraph of story teasing, but the second paragraph hits you in the face with the full force of the 1990s! Marvel is putting out a gold foil cover for Age of Ultron. DC put out die cut covers with Death of the Family and now they are gearing up for gatefold covers for what they’re calling “Holy $h!*” month. With Marvel rolling out he gold foil, could we be seeing some hologram cards soon?

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at the explosive first issue of Age Of Ultron #1! This March, enter the darkest days of the Marvel Universe as it’s heroes fight for from the blockbuster creative team of Brian Michael Bendis (All New X-Men, Avengers VS. X-Men) and Bryan Hitch (Ultimates, Fantastic Four). Evil has triumphed over good and leading this new age is none other than Ultron, the deadly sentient robot created by founding Avenger Hank Pym who turned on his creator to achieve his twisted objective…the utter destruction of humanity. Now, it’s up to the few remaining heroes to band together and find any way to topple their new monarch. Can Wolverine, Emma Frost, Invisible Woman, Taskmaster, Beast, She-Hulk, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, and Moon Knight turn the tide?

With the robotic revolution in full force, no fan can miss how Age of Ultron will ultimately change the Marvel Universe leaving no hero or villain unscathed! So what are you waiting for? Head on over to your local comic shop and reserve a copy of Age of Ultron #1, featuring a unique cover with foil treatment and design at no extra cost. Fans have been demanding to know more about Age of Ultron since Free Comic Book Day last year, and come March- some of those questions and more (including an ending nobody will see coming) will be answered in Age of Ultron!

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Blast From The Past: Marvel Bringing Back The Gold Foil Cover For Age Of Ultron

Advance Review: Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth #1

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:29:26 +0000

This series, a collision of comedy, sex, and violence, follows the misadventures of America’s most dysfunctional family as they go head-to-severed head with an Oprah-loving ax murderer, a cult-crazy soap opera star, and a neo-Nazi prison gang.
First issue: Todd wants desperately to make friends, but every kid he approaches winds up decapitated. Or worse. Meanwhile, Todd’s mother is on a mission to get even with her husband who she believes is having an affair.

Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth is a new four issue series with a story by M.K. Perker and Ken Kristensen. The issue is written by Kristensen with art and letters from Perker. Cemal Soyleyen joins the duo by providing colors. Todd is an odd new book, but is it worth checking out?

A new family is moving into their new home when Todd, the ugliest kid on Earth, comes over to try and make friends with the nice little Korean girl. Todd frightens most other children his age because he walks around with a giant paper bag covering his face. But Todd is a nice, sweet kid who just wants to make a friend. That’s hard to do when Mike, the neighborhood bully, and his gang roll up on the scene to harass Todd and cause him to get into trouble. Mike is the little devil that bullies everyone but uses his silver tongue to talk his way into the good graces of the adults. Back at home Todd has to deal with his drunken father and inattentive mother. While watching the news, the family learns of an axe murderer on the loose who targets children. While the news report tells parents to keep their children inside, Todd’s mom wants him to take out the trash…in the rain…with an axe murderer in the area. You might be able to guess what happens. That sets off the comedy of misunderstanding that ensues.

Perker and Kristensen have a truly unique story on their hands. This odd, politically incorrect, and wacky story features a cast of messed up characters and humor that should hook any reader. While it’s hard to say there’s anything quite like Todd, the nearest compression would be something along the lines of The Maxx and The Oblongs. The art is absolutely amazing. Perker along with Soyleyen’s colors make a beautiful book. I mean this as a huge compliment, but it looks similar to what you would see in a children’s book. You have some cartoony looking art with bright and vivid colors. The backgrounds are fantastic and the characters are slightly exaggerated in their face, size, and features.

Bottom Line: Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth is a fantastic book like no other. This oddball story features slightly risqué humor with fantastic art. Perker and Kristense have a lot to live up to with the remaining three issues. If it’s anything like the first issue, we’re in for a great ride 5/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Advance Review: Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth #1

J. Scott Campbell Covers “No Turning Back” In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #688!

Agent Burgos — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:18:01 +0000

Marvel is proud to present your first look at fan favorite artist J. Scott Campbell’s variant cover to Amazing Spider-Man #688, kicking off “No Turning Back” this June! Someone has tampered with the grave of Billy Connors and it’s up to Spider-Man to hunt down one of his greatest foes: The Lizard! But Spider-Man will have his hands full when he takes on Curt Connors, AND Morbius the Living Vampire! Can Spidey handle both of these monsters before it turns into an all-out brawl? The superstar creative team of Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli bring you high stakes action and drama like no other in Amazing Spider-Man #688, swinging into comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Digital Comics Shop this June.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #688 (APR120615)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #688 CAMPBELL LIZARD VARIANT (APR120616)
Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Variant Cover by J SCOTT CAMPBELL
FOC – 6/4/12, On-Sale – 6/27/12

Agent Burgos, J. Scott Campbell Covers “No Turning Back” In AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #688!

Marc Silvestri’s AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 Variant Cover

Agent Burgos — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:23:48 +0000

Marvel Unveils Marc Silvestri’s AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 Variant Cover

This is pretty epic:

Marvel is proud to present your first look at acclaimed artist Marc Silvestri’s explosive variant cover for Avengers Assemble #1! Follow the adventures of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in this perfect jumping-on point featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Black Widow & Hawkeye! The all-new Zodiac are plotting to take down the Marvel Universe, but who are they? And when you see who’s pulling the strings – no fan is going to want to play catch-up on this series.

So be sure to pick up Avengers Assemble #1, hitting comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this March!

Join the conversation on Twitter with #Avengers.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 (JAN120638)
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 SILVESTRI VARIANT (JAN120640)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art by Cover by MARK BAGLEY
Variant Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC – 2/13/12, ON SALE – 3/14/12

Agent Burgos, Marc Silvestri’s AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 Variant Cover

ComicBookTherapy Cover Exclusive: Orchid #6

Agent Burgos — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:10:09 +0000

Wow! I got an email from Dark Horse Comics, (thank you Aub “The Living Legend“) where they were asking me if I was interested in running the cover to Orchid #6. My jaw dropped. Yeah I was very stoked because we were picked to debut this cover EXCLUSIVELY here on our website. It’s a pretty cool feeling I might add.

All of us here at Comic Book Therapy are fans of Dark Horse Comics, and I know that we all love Rage Against The Machine also, and RATM is not RATM without Tom Morello, and Tom Morello is the writer of Orchid… see what I did there? Oh yeah, but all jokes aside let me show you what im talking about:

Pretty cool right? In case you dont know about Orchid, here is the premise:

When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Welcome to the world of Orchid.

ORCHID #6

Tom Morello (W), Scott Hepburn (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Massimo Carnevale (Cover)

On sale Apr 11
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing

With the rebel leader’s imminent execution forcing their hand, Orchid and Simon—with a few new allies in tow—must act now or see one of their last symbols of hope destroyed. But attempting to liberate anyone from dictator Tomo Wolfe’s clutches may be the bold act that gets them all killed.

• Each issue accompanied by an original song by Tom Morello.

• Read the next chapter of the successful new series with a first-issue sellout!

Follow @TheAgentBurgos

Agent Burgos, ComicBookTherapy Cover Exclusive: Orchid #6