League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III Century #2 1969

Dark Horse

Given that pretty much all of the Spartans died at the Battle of Thermopylae — which was sort of the point — people have been speculating for years about how Frank Miller would wring a sequel out of his hit Dark Horse graphic novel and movie 300. Today, at Comic-Con, the answer came out. The sequel, XERXES, will actually take place at exactly the same time on another battlefield of the same war. 300’s director Zach Snyder revealed he is already working on a film script based on Miller’s upcoming graphic novel.

Meanwhile, Dark Horse released a never-before-seen clip from the in-progress animated movie based on Eric Powell’s THE GOON. The clip, which is several minutes long and contains a complete comedic scene, can be seen here. The movie’s producers are still seeking a studio to support the project.

Image

At the Image panel, it was announced that Marc Guggenheim is starting a new imprint, Collider Entertainment, for comics written by Hollywood scriptwriters without intending them to become movies. For extra novelty value, the projects are supposed to be original, and not repurposed spec scripts as is often the case. The first two comics from this line will be UTOPIAN, written by Guggenheim and his wife Tara Butters, a scriptwriter for REAPER, about a world in which heroes have become obsolete. The second, by Erich and John Hoeber, the screenwriters of the upcoming comics movie RED, is called THE MISSION, and is about a man commanded by possibly divine voices to kill people.

It was also announced that the upcomingWalking Dead television show based on Robert Kirkman’s hit Image comic will feature writing from none other than Kirkman himself.

Top Shelf

A sequel was announced for Jeffrey Brown’s cult classic giant-robots parody, THE INCREDIBLE CHANGE-BOTS. THE INCREDIBLE CHANGE-BOTS TWO will come out from Top Shelf and feature an amnesiac villain and lots of intentionally disposable new characters.

Also, art was revealed for the much anticipated LEAGUES OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Vol.3: CENTURY #2 1969 from Kevin O’Neill and Alan Moore.

Fantagraphics

Fantagraphics has announced it will be publishing Floyd Gottfredson’s classic Mickey Mouse comic strips in full.

IDW

IDW has announced a new ROCKETEER anthology, featuring comics from big-name creators including Darwyn Cook, Bill Willingham, Kurt Busiek, and Mike Mignola among many, many others.

Kate Fitzsimons writes for Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly Comics Week, and her personal comics and geek culture blog geekiferous.com.

For those who love GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (and who doesn’t), Rocket Raccoon and Groot are getting their own four-issue miniseries this January entitled (wait for it)… ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will be writing it with art from Timothy Green. Mike Mignola will provide the cover art for issue 1. How the team will manage dialogue for a comic that gives second billing to a character who can only say “I am Groot” is open for speculation.

Mark Waid will be reimagining Captain America’s return from the ice for a modern era with a five-issue miniseries CAPTAIN AMERICA: MAN OUT OF TIME with Arthur Molina, beginning this November.

Joss Whedon is not only directing THE AVENGERS, he’s writing the entire script.

Also, in a move that has surprised no one who uses Google or has watched anything Joss Whedon has made in the past eight years, Nathan Fillion has been confirmed as playing the role of Ant Man. Or maybe Joss was joking.

DC

First off, Batclan news. Grant Morrison will be following his THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE miniseries with a one-shot entitled BATMAN: THE RETURN. Following this, he will be writing a Batman-centric team book called BATMAN Inc. Morrison told the audience at today’s DC panel that the book will be about “What happens when Bruce is more in the equation and what he does with the Batman idea and turns it into a franchise”

Turns it into a franchise? That sounds, er, interesting.

Paul Cornell, late of the award-winning CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND M13 series, will be writing KNIGHT & SQUIRE, a new ongoing series about Batman and Robin’s British counterparts.

Paul Dini will be writing a long story arc on STREETS OF GOTHAM, entitled “House of Hush”, in which an older villain wants to kill Bruce for being a Wayne, not for being Batman. The storyline will explore the Wayne family backstory of the generations before Bruce, and will be quite long, beginning soon and extending into December or January.

According to Vertigo editor Shelly Bond, John Constantine will be walking down the aisle in a super-sized HELLBLAZER #275. Whether the commitment-phobic magus will actually end up married or not, of course, is unconfirmed.

Also, Executive Editor Karen Berger confirmed that all Vertigo characters originating in the DCU would be returning to that division from Vertigo, including Swamp Thing and Madame Xanadu. Speculation — and Previews — suggests that John Constantine will not be joining them.

The cast of the upcoming Young Justice animated series has been revealed! The main cast will be Jesse McCartney as Robin/Dick Grayson, Danica McKellar as Miss Martian, Kari Peyton as Aqualad, Jason Spizak as Kid Flash/Wally West (confirming once and for all that it is not set in the same universe as JLU), Nolan North as Superboy/Connor Kent  and Stephani Lemelin as Artemis. Adult mentor superheroes will appear in the cartoon and include Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Rob Lowe as Captain Marvel, Phil LaMarr as Aquaman, and Alan Tudyk as Green Arrow.

NOT FROM COMIC CON (But still interesting)

Rehearsals — and wire-flying lessons — have started up for actors on the delayed and beleaguered Spider-Man musical, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. It could begin previews as early as October.

Kate Fitzsimons writes for Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly Comics Week, and her personal comics and geek culture blog geekiferous.com.

Axe Cop, the off the wall webcomic about an axe-wielding cop, written by five year old Malachai Nicolle and illustrated by his adult brother Ethan Nicolle, is coming to Dark Horse in a collected edition this December. It will be followed by a three-part full-color miniseries in the spring of 2011.

WITCHFINDER, the comic series by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, with art by John Severin, returns in a five part miniseries, WITCHFINDER: LOST AND GONE FOREVER, this February.

Web series The Guild returns to Dark Horse with a new five-part miniseries written by series creator Felicia Day and co-star Jeff Lewis.

Dark Horse has unveiled METALOCALYPSE/DETHKLOK, a new comic from the people who brought you Adult Swim’s hit show Metalocalypse. Like Metalocalypse, the Dethklok miniseries features the over-the-top adventures of Dethklok, the world’s most popular – and most dysfunctional – imaginary Death Metal supergroup. To quote the press release

After a series of sponsorship deals goes sour, Dethklok launches a new business venture—a line of frozen meals called HypothermiFoods—in hopes of reclaiming their metal throne.

The comic is written by Jeremy Barlow and illustrated by Lucas Marangon, based on story ideas from the show’s creators, Brendon Small and Jon Schnepp, and comes out this October 6.

The second and final volume of Janet and Alex Evanovich’s TROUBLEMAKER comes out on November 3.

As long predicted by the internet, Dark Horse is bringing out a prequel tie-in miniseries to much anticipated child vampire thriller Let Me In entitled LET ME IN: CROSSROADS, written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Patric Reynolds.

Milo Manara, Italy’s ero-comics superstar most recently in the US comics press for his X-Women one-shot with Chris Claremont, has inked a deal with Dark Horse to bring out a nine-volume collection of his works. The Manara Library will feature works unavailable in English for over 20 years in a brand new translation from Kim Thompson.

Dark Horse will also be bringing out a new comic, MASS EFFECT: EVOLUTION, based on the popular video game series Mass Effect. The book will be written by Mac Walters, the lead writer of the Mass Effect games and comics veteran John Jackson Miller with Omar Francia as artist.

Kate Fitzsimons writes for Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly Comics Week, and her personal comics and geek culture blog geekiferous.com.

A fortnight.

And as of today we have exactly ONE PRESS RELEASE FROM A COMIC BOOK PUBLISHER IN OUR IN-BOX.

While that can be explained by sheer dread and ennui, a quick check with fellow journos confirmed that we weren’t just being snubbed…all those “Steve Guttenberg and Mason Reese are available to talk about their new project, ‘Desperate for Attention,’” haven’t been received either.

WTF?

People, if you expect me to sit at the computer for 20 hours a day posting all your shit next week….you have another think coming! PLAN AHEAD.

Related:

Michael Cavna has a list of 10 Comic-Con sites you should be checking. While we’re miffed he DID NOT INCLUDE THE BEAT, it is otherwise a good list. We’d also like to shout out the San Diego Comic Con Unofficial Blog for including a list of off-site events. Of which there are A LOT.

Aaaand we’ll have PLENTY to blog about tomorrow when the official schedule for Thursday is released, although Geoff Boucher spoils things a bit.

This Thursday, the first-day schedule for Comic-Con International will be announced, but already all over Los Angeles, studio insiders are playing a game of “show me yours and I’ll show you mine” with their programming plans for film and television. One of the interesting tidbits we keep hearing about is the rumor that Entertainment Weekly is hosting a two-man panel that must come close to the elusive state known as Nerdvana: J. J. Abrams and Joss Whedon!

Oh man, Nerdvana! It’s like…a double rainbow or something.

Is there NOTHING comics related that can break through the news cycle for Comic-Con? ONI! Can’t you release a panel of SCOTT PILGRIM a day for two weeks, whetting our appetites or something?

The pundit/cartoonist turns 50.

If you have some news for HeroesCon, send it to us and we’ll post it Thursday. Send it to the usual place.

• Today we’re moving offices at Publishers Weekly, a move which has necessitated yet another spin round what to keep and what to toss, especially as we’re going to a much smaller space. And let me tell you, as time goes by, those darned periodicals become less and less appealing. In fact, in conversation after conversation over the weekend, the utter disposability of the 32-page format was discussed. Despite the $3.99 a pop price tag. And how sometimes you can’t give those things away, even after you paid $3.99 for them.

• Much of the weekend was spent at the wedding of Michelle Gomes and Nathan Cosby. The bride is formerly of Virgin Comics and now the Food Network. The groom is an associate editor at Marvel Comics. Aside from the great beauty of the bride and the idyllic — but blazing hot — seaside setting, the most notable aspect of the affair was a Bollywood style dance performed by the groomsmen – Dennis Calero, Fred Van Lente, Mark Paniccia, Tim Dillon, and Arune Singh. A new standard for all comic book weddings has been set. Congratulations to the happy couple!

• Before that, there was a lot more packing and purging and trips to the storage unit — Bob Morales, you are a friend forever — and prior to that, BEA.

• I wanted to get more of my BEA thoughts down here before they faded away entirely. Our early morning panel on big name authors in graphic novels went very well and was well attended. Moderator Rich Johnson made sure the audience participated, as well. I think I would characterize this year’s show, comics-wise, anyway, as “all eyes on Evanovich” as the 100,000 first printing for the new Janet Evanovich graphic novel is a huge leap for Dark Horse. On the no-brainer side, if only 10 percent of her regular readers pick up the book, it will do just fine. On the scary side, most of her readers are women middle-aged and above — a category not well served by the comics industry at this point. I know at least one man reads Evanovich, but it’s still a big gamble that everyone is watching closely. On the plus side, Dark Horse’s Dirk Wood described orders thus far as “shockingly good.” On the minus side, the Barnaby books aren’t among Evanovich’s best selling series. But on the double plus side, she’s sold 90 million books in the US, and Dark Horse’s main marketing effort is to showcase the book outside the comics market.

• Why are there so many wacky people at BEA? I’m serious. I’m used to the zanies at comic-cons, but at Book Expo they take on a whole new flavor. For one thing, once people see you have a Publishers Weekly badge, they think you know how to get their book published, and you have to listen to some spiel about a puppy that can smell things, without being rude, and that gets old fast. Also, so new agey! While I was innocently trying to get a beer at the Wiley booth with Steve Saffel, we were accosted by some guy who wanted to heal us with the light, which somehow necessitated painful squeezes to the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. (And yes, just to show I’m as new agey as the next nutter, I know that is a powerful nexus of nerves for the whole body, so thanks a lot, buddy!)

• Even with all that, people are still wondering when Book Expo will become a more public event. It’s no secret that the publishing industry is in flux, and the book show is seen as being “troubled.” While there was definitely a lot of business going on for those who were smart enough to do it, some think that BEA could take a page from the Comic-Con playbook, at least as far as translating the excitement of readers and reading into the show. Reading books is exciting and fires the imagination. Selling books is not as interesting. Perhaps this evolution is already happening in some ways. I saw a lot more long lines for just about anyone signing a book, even authors who weren’t “fan favorites,” so people seem to want to get in on whatever action there is.

Along those same lines, the Abrams booth was by far the most imaginative with this giant typewriter setup. I’m not saying that BEA should become E3 with exploding helicopters and EEE-cup babes. But once again, the literary medium is the most imaginative, intellectual and passionate medium of them all — there’s no reason why it can’t be presented in a clever, thought-provoking way.

The 2011 show will be three days instead of two because many foreign buyers thought the two-day format was just too short. That may be true but I noticed that at 4:30 pm on Thursday, the last day of the show, the floor was still packed and buzzing, whereas on a three-day show, by 2 o’clock the place is a ghost town. I understand the foreign issues but keeping that excitement going should be one of the main concern of the show runners.

Okay, now, people…this is your chance! Only wear a costume that really fits you! And guys…please wear a support garment.

For those of you who read this blog just to follow along with Future Mr. Beat, aka Ben McCool, this week kicks off the CHOKER Tour which he and Ben Templesmith will be embarking on, ranging over 10 states. (we think Templesmith has an Alaskan stop in there somewhere, as well..) This week, there will be signings in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and The Beat will be along for at least part of all three so stop by and say hi if you see us.

It looks like we’ll also be attending the Emerald City Con, as well, which has us SUPER PSYCHED, because a) it’s known as one of the best mid-sized cons in the US and this year’s show looks great and b) we’ve never ever been to Seattle. COFFEE!!!

We now resume your regularly scheduled programming.

FAVORITE INKER (RETRO)
TERRY AUSTIN (winner-tie)
JOE SINNOTT (winner-tie)
Tom Palmer (runner-up)

FAVORITE INKER (MODERN)
DANNY MIKI (winner)
Norm Rapmund (runner-up)

FAVORITE FINISHER/EMBELLISHER (RETRO)
TOM PALMER (winner)
Joe Sinnott (runner-up)

FAVORITE FINISHER/EMBELLISHER (MODERN)
KEVIN NOWLAN (winner)
Norm Rapmund (runner-up)

MOST-ADAPTABLE INKER
DANNY MIKI (winner)
Tom Palmer (runner-up)

MOST PROLIFIC INKER
DANNY MIKI (winner)
Joe Sinnott (runner-up)

PROPS AWARD
DANNY MIKI (winner)
Mark Irwin (runner-up)

THE CALL OF DUTY AWARD
BOB ALMOND (winner)
Tim Townsend (runner-up)

MVP AWARD
DANNY MIKI (winner)
Tim Townsend (runner-up)

THE JOE SINNOTT AWARD
JOE SINNOTT (winner)
Al Williamson (runner-up)

Congrats to Eric and Rhea!

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