By Todd Allen

The “real” January sales estimates are up.  Looks like my guesstimates weren’t all that far off, either.  This time out, I’ll be scrolling down the estimate list at Comics Chronicles.  That’s also where John Jackson Miller reminds us that January orders always suck, but that this January sucked considerably less than previous Januarys.  He’s got the overall orders only down 6.25% from December.  A glass half-full, perhaps, but there is some comfort to be taken in that it looks like the top line at DC might be stablizing a little more.

When I take my first glance at the charts, post-New 52, one of the first things I look at is where Detective Comics is.  I am truly disappointed this is the first month that the first issue didn’t show up in the top 300 as a re-order.  Such an unusual and good story.  But the positive sales trend continues.  Some cynics will say this is related to returnabilty accounting, but in January, Detective comics posted a nearly 10K sales jump but up to 99K (adjust for UK sales, etc, and it’s certainly well over 100K in sales).  It also passed Green Lantern, which had a slight decline, to become the #4 book by sales.  You don’t don’t get sales bump like that if you aren’t connecting with an audience and January is when all those reorders started effecting the regular orders.

DC controlled the top 10 entirely in January.  A bit of a rarity, but unless Winter Soldier #1 charts a little higher than I think it will (a solid book, btw), DC has a good shot to own the top 10 in February, too.  A few benchmarks for DC: best seller is still Justice League, stabilizing a bit at an estimated 138K.  The low point for the new 52 is the now-cancelled Blackhawk down at a bit over 12K.  Last non-cancelled 52 title is Captain Atom at 15,693.

Trying to pick up the Reorder Torch from Detective, we have Justice League #4 with 3,026 copies and Batman #4 with 2,829 copies.

Over at Marvel… well, Marvel’s $3.99 plan still has them winning the dollar battle, which is probably what Marvel Management cares about, but those individual title sales levels, much like the old grey mare, are NOT what they used to be.  Marvel’s top sellers and only issues estimated over 60K are two issues of Uncanny X-Men, both a hair over 63K.  No Avengers books over the 60K level?

Marvel’s top 10 titles, a few of them shipping twice a month (if you have to meet financial goals and can’t hike the price to $4.99, that means you need to ship more books), with Diamond ranks are:

1. Uncanny X-Men (11/12)
2. Wolverine and the X-Men (13)
3. Wolverine (14)
4. Avengers X-Sanction (15)
5. Amazing Spider-Man (17/20)
6. Avengers (18)
7. Scarlet Spider (21)
8. New Avengers (22)
9. Avenging Spider-Man (23)
10. X-Force (27/29)

Coincidentally, those are also all the titles estimated at 50K or higher.  These are extremely low numbers for Marvel best-sellers and all Marvel can do is wait for the next Event (Avengers Vs. X-Men) and the next big(-ish) launch in Avengers Assemble.  It seems like Marvel really has trained people to buy the Events and their top line is but a shadow without them.  The danger is more people getting tired of the Events, not finding enough titles that aren’t crossing over and deciding not to play.  DC would be wise to look at this situation as they start jumping back into events.

Marvel’s big #1 of the month was Scarlet Spider #1 at a bit over 53K.

There has been some talk recently of Marvel #2’s having extreme sales drops.  Let’s have a look at a couple Dec/January books.

Avengers X-Sanction: #1: 93,380 vs. #2: 58,578

Defenders: #1: 85,969 vs. #2: 38,935  – OK, IIRC Marvel shipped an extra 50% of Defenders #1, so it’s really #1:57,313 vs. #2: 38,935

Now, certainly you can run a company on books that sell in the 40K-60K range.  Marvel has bigger fiscal expectations, though, so AVX is looking more important all the time.

On a brighter note, their excellent Daredevil title looks to have picked up about 4500 copies in a Spidey-crossover.

On the indie side of the world, things are looking a little better.  The big story is Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips selling an estimated 20K copies of Fatale #1 over at Image, and with a second print on the way.  That’s a very healthy number for a non-licensed indie property.

The best selling indie was, of course, Walking Dead with 31,596.  Notable debut’s included Dynamite’s new Tarzan comic, “Lord of the Jungle” with 25,212 ($1 book), Danger Girl Revolver at IDW with 19,169, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic War at Dark Horse with 16,179, Transformers More Than Meets Eye at IDW with 15,340 and Peanuts from BOOM! with 11,994.

29 indie titles are estimated at 10K+.  It’s possible we’re seeing a little bit of migration to independent books as Marvel’s top sellers and DC’s mid- and bottom-list have shed readers.  The indie section does appear to creep slowly crawling up the list.

Well, here is a very worthy subject for an art book: Ramona Fradon, legendary Silver Age artist. Co-creator of Metamorpho and one of the defining artists on Aquaman, Fradon’s career covers everything from Super Friends to Brenda Starr. Now she’s the subject of a comprehensive art book from Dynamite that includes an interview conducted by Howard Chaykin. As you can see from the sample pages, it’s a treasure trove of archival material. Click for larger images.

Fradon is an icon to many, simply for being one of the few women creators of her era to forge a career in comics that lasted beyond a few years. As anyone who knows her and her work is aware, however, far from being a token or a novelty, she was just a hard-working freelancer. A very, very talented hard-working freelancer.

Long time fans of Metamorpho, Aquaman, Aqualad, Plastic Man, The Fantastic Four and Super Friends are quite familiar with the work of legendary artist, Ramona Fradon, but not until now will they know the whole story of Ramona’s incredible career in comics, as Dynamite Entertainment is pleased to announce the upcoming The Art of Ramona Fradon in stores on April 2012!

For the first time ever! The DEFINITIVE retrospective of Ramona Fradon’s career will be presented in The Art of Ramona Fradon. The Art of Ramona Fradon will be a hardcover book that highlights the magnificent career of the artistic legend, plus never-before-seen sketches.

Interviewed by legendary creator Howard Chaykin and featuring a forward by Walt Simonson, Fradon talks about her artistic career, accomplishments and creations from her early days at DC in the 1950’s to her later work on Marvel’s The Cat and Fantastic Four and DC’s Plastic Man, Freedom Fighters, Super Friends and more!

“I’ve never liked to see my work in print, but the way it’s presented in this book makes me feel proud,” says legendary artist Ramona Fradon. “The drawings are arranged so attractively on the pages that the not-so-good ones look good and the good ones look really good. It covers so much of my career that there are things I barely remember doing, starting with an unpublished story strip I practiced on before I got into comics. It’s nice to see I’ve improved since then.”

“In an era when 99.99 % of American comic books were produced by a male talent pool, and very few women worked in the field–mostly as writers, and mostly producing work of no particular interest or engagement,” says Howard Chaykin.  “The truest exception to this reality is Ramona Fradon, an original, not to say eccentric talent, whose approach to comics was so idiosyncratic as to make her stand out from her peers, men and women alike–and it should be noted that her work, as influential as it’s been over these many years, remains personal, individual and inimitable.”

“I have known Ramona and loved her work forever. I started with Aquaman in the 1950s when I was a kid,” says Walt Simonson. “Ramona’s art wasn’t like anybody else’s work back then.  Her design of the human figure, her slightly abstract and expressive faces, her crisp line, and her clear storytelling stamped her work with an individuality that was instantly recognizable.”

“It is an honor that we are able to present the life and art of Ramona Fradon in The Art of Ramona Fradon,” adds Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.  “Ramona Fradon’s work has touched many creators, and I personally am a huge fan of her art.  Ramona’s conversation with Howard Chaykin about her life’s-work makes this book a must-read for any Ramona Fradon fan and any fan of comics history!”

Ramona Fradon is an American comic book and comic strip artist.  Her career began in 1950, when it was even more unusual for women to illustrate superhero comics.  Fradon entered cartooning just after graduating from the Art Students’ League. Comic-book letterer George Ward, a friend of her husband (New Yorker cartoonist Dana Fradon), asked her for samples of her artwork to pitch for job openings. She landed her first assignment on the DC Comics feature Shining Knight. Her first regular assignment was illustrating an Adventure Comics backup feature starring Aquaman, for which she co-created the sidekick Aqualad.

Following her time with Aquaman, and taking a break to raise her daughter, Fradon returned to co-create Metamorpho, drawing four issues of the series. Her other work includes Super Friends, Freedom Fighters, Plastic Man,  a variety of mystery stories, and an issue of The Fantastic Four!

In 1980, Dale Messick retired from drawing the newspaper strip Brenda Starr, and Fradon became the artist for it, until her own retirement in 1995. Fradon was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.

Join the conversation on Twitter with  #RamonaFradon and on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

By Todd Allen

You may have noticed the Warlord of Mars, Fall of Barsoom tpb was in stores today.  Maybe you’d like to read the first issue and see if you like it?

.

Got kids?  Nieces? Nephews?  Students?  Or just love reading something fun and not too heavy-handed?  Here are some new titles you might enjoy!

(But first, the serious boilerplate:)

So, here’s what caught my eye.  Please comment below, and please feel free to mention titles I may have marginalized or overlooked.  My tastes are eclectic, but there’s stuff which doesn’t interest me, or doesn’t evoke much of a response.  I respect everyone who manages to publish something, but with some 400 graphic novel titles a month, I have to be selective.

CAVEAT:  As I discovered while doing the publisher posts, that some titles have been canceled or postponed.  The titles below, the information is subject to change.  Some may already be out and on sale, some may be vaporous.  Covers and text are supplied by the publishers.

Oh, and the advisory:  I am employed as a bookseller.  Nothing I say here or anywhere else online has any connection to my employer.  I know my employer can take umbrage at any association people may make between my private and professional activities, so I’m careful to let Lions Mane Jellyfish be.

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Betty & Veronica: Best Friends Forever

Dan Parent

Trade paperback, $9.99

9781879794764, 1879794764

Author Bio: Dan Parent (born 1964 in St. Albans, Vermont) is an American comic book artist and writer best known for his work for Archie Comics. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, Parent began working for Archie immediately after graduation. His writing of the Love Showdown series from 1994 received widespread attention. Parent has also illustrated Felix the Cat, Barbie, Disney Adventures, and a wide variety of other titles.

Summary: Betty & Veronica’s very first full-length graphic novel story is another major step forward for the Archie book line! A follow-up to the successful full color Betty & Veronica: Storybook graphic novel collection of fun fairy-tale sendups—Best Friends Forever should continue to gain ground with girls in bookstores and libraries.

Features an engaging story celebrating the power of friendship featuring the most famous BFFs in all of comics in an all-out reality show friendship competition!

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Hades: Lord of the Dead

George O’Connor

Hardcover, $16.99

9781596437616, 1596437618

Author Bio: GEORGE O’CONNOR is the author of several picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Kapow!, Kersplash, and Sally and the Some-thing. He has written and illustrated multiple graphic novels for First Second.  He is also a lifelong mythology buff.

Summary: Volume 4 of Olympians, Hades: Lord of the Dead, tells the story of the great God of the Underworld, and one of the most famous of all Greek myths: Hades’ abduction of Persephone, and her mother, Demeter’s, revenge.

In OLYMPIANS, O’Connor draws from primary documents to reconstruct and retell classic Greek myths. But these stories aren’t sedate, scholarly works. They’re action-packed, fast-paced, high-drama adventures with monsters, romance, and not a few huge explosions. O’Connor’s vibrant, kinetic art brings ancient tales to undeniable life, in a perfect fusion of super-hero aesthetics and ancient Greek mythology.

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Dance Class 1: So You Think You Can Hip-Hop

Béka, Crip

ISBN:    1-59707-254-0
ISBN 13:    978-1-59707-254-0
Trade Cloth, $9.99

In this new dance based series, Julie, Lucy and Alia are BFF’s who share one passion: dance! Between programs in ballet and modern dance, they also slip in classes on many other styles including hip-hop, a class run by the hunk KT, who’s got all three competing for his attention. As they prepare for the ballet “Sleeping Beauty,” they’d love to see him play Prince Charming. Any of the millions of girls with a love for dance and taking classes will find this new gag-filled series irresistible!

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Strawberry Shortcake: Pineapple Predicament and Other Stories

Georgia Ball, Tanya Roberts, Amy Mebberson
ISBN:    1-936340-57-7
ISBN 13:    978-1-936340-57-6
Trade Paper, $6.99

Returning to comics after 25 years! This digest edition collects stories from the hit comic including- “The Pineapple Predicament”, “The Sour Truth” and more!
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My Best Friend’s a Booger

Tyler Kirkham, Rian Kirkham, John Starr

ISBN:    1-926914-36-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-926914-36-7
Trade Paper, $6.95

Who would have ever thought you could have a booger as your best friend? Well, if your imagination is anything like Skyler Grayson’’s, the possibilities are endless! At a time when Skyler is feeling really down and all alone, he finds his greatest friend in, you guessed it – a sneeze!

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How to Draw Your Own Graphic Novel

by Frank Lee

Library Set ISBN: 9781448866021  $151.50

Library bindings: $25.25   Paperback bindings: $12.30

Readers who love to get sucked into the fantastic world of a really good graphic novel will be thrilled to learn they can actually create their very own. The many steps in creating a vibrant graphic novel are thoroughly explained in this wonderful series. Readers are introduced to the basics of graphic novels and the elements that go into making a great one from characters to plot to designing the perfect, eye-catching cover. Step-by-step instructions explain how to draw the most amazing hero and most evil villain. Wonderful explanatory illustrations accompany the text.
—–
Penciling, Inking, and Coloring Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6435-6
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6435-5
Price:    $25.25
—–
Creating the Cover for Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6457-7
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6457-7
Price:    $12.30
—–
Penciling, Inking, and Coloring Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6455-0
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6455-3
Price:    $12.30
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Creating the Cover for Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6436-4
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6436-2
Price:    $25.25
—–
Telling the Story in Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6434-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6434-8
Price:    $25.25
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Drawing Action in Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6477-1
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6477-5
Price:    $25.25
—–
Telling the Story in Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6453-4
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6453-9
Price:    $12.30
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Drawing Action in Your Graphic Novel
ISBN:    1-4488-6451-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-4488-6451-5
Price:    $12.30
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Everyday Life in Ancient China

Kirsten C. Holm

Paperback Book  $10.60

ISBN: 978-1-4488-6395-2

Life in Ancient China was vastly different from life in the heavily-populated, industrialized China of today. Most of the people in Ancient China farmed and worked the land for food. This fascinating volume gives readers a glimpse into the daily activities of a farmer in Ancient China, while accessible language also supplies information about the government, education, technology, and culture of this rich civilization.

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Silver Dragon Presents: Tales of Adventure – Real Pirates

Joe Brusha

ISBN:    0-9830404-2-7
ISBN 13:    978-0-9830404-2-2
Trade Paper, $9.99

Far off lands, exotic and mysterious places, adventure on the high seas…these are things that capture the imagination, and are everyday occurrences in the life of a pirate. The first book in Silver Dragon’’s Tales of Adventure series explores the exciting and danger-filled lives of the pirates that have sailed and terrorized the seven seas. Black Beard, Henry Morgan, and Captain Kidd are just a few of the real-life pirates that are featured in this groundbreaking, all-ages graphic novel.
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Richie Rich Digest, Volume 1

Buddy Scalera, Iwan Nazif

ISBN:    1-936340-58-5
ISBN 13:    978-1-936340-58-3

Trade Paper, $6.99

A mix of James Bond and Indiana Jones with the bank account of Donald Trump, Richie Rich is an altruistic adventurer who travels the world helping the less fortunate. After 20 years away from comics, Richie Rich returns with all new adventures!

WELCOME TO RICH RESCUE:
Richie arrives at the newly-constructed, cutting-edge tech RICH RESCUE operations building! After a brief tour with Professor Keenbean, a distress call sends the team into action!

THE BOON UNDER THE BAY:
After learning of a long lost pirate’s treasure buried deep beneath the waters of the pacific south coast, Richie and the gang investigate, only to learn that there are other interested parties privy to the prizes. Facing off with an enemy known as The Googol, as well as the villain’s army of modern day pirates (complete with a highly advanced octopus submarine that they can not only pilot, but use as a weapon), the team will have to retrieve the treasure and best the bad guys, all before they run out of oxygen!

OF DEMISE AND MEN (Sid Jacobson):
A classic adventure from Richie Rich creator Sid Jacobson! A day of excitement at the Funland Amusement Park takes a turn when Richie’s cousin Reggie is kidnapped! Can Richie and the gang thwart the kidnappers, or will these dastardly villains make off with a million dollars?

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Blackbeard: Legend of the Pyrate King

Mario Guevara, Greg Hale, Jamie Nash, Eduardo Sanchez, Robert Place Napton

ISBN:    1-60690-083-8
ISBN 13:    978-1-60690-083-3

Trade Cloth, $29.99

Producers Eduardo (writer of The Blair Witch Project) Sanchez and Gregg (Producer of The Blair Witch Project) Hale are joined by Robert Napton and Jamie Nash to present the ultimate adventure tale of a bygone age, when pyrates ruled the waters! Beginning with his childhood through to his bitter end, Blackbeard’s legacy has never been explored as deeply and illustrated as beautifully by Mario Guevara than now!
Also contains biographical information on Blackbeard and a complete cover gallery.

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The Dare Detectives, Volume 1: The Snowpea Plot

Ben Caldwell

ISBN:    1-936393-41-7
ISBN 13:    978-1-936393-41-1
Trade Cloth, $24.95

Reformed crook Maria Dare has assembled a team of misfits to crack the world’s weirdest cases! They have brains … they have guts … but they don’t have a clue! And in their first adventure. The Dare Detectives are finished! Rent’s due and their license is suspended, but Dare’s going-out-of-business festivities are interrupted by Madame Bleu – whose abominable snowmen pets are on a chef-stealing, radio-robbing, snowpea-swiping crime wave! Dare races against the clock to hunt down Madame Bleu with the help of corrupt cops and Chinatown’s old crime boss. But can these bunglers really prevent the most audacious – and inexplicably convoluted – crime of the century?
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Billy Fog, Volume 1: The Gift of Trouble Sight

Guillaume Bianco
ISBN:    1-936393-39-5
ISBN 13:    978-1-936393-39-8
Trade Cloth, $24.95

Like some other kids his age, Billy Fog has to wear glasses. But Billy has the gift of Trouble Sight, so when he takes his glasses off, he sees all the things that other kids can’t—ghosts and ghouls, vampires and monsters, a world of darkness and danger and above all the thing that kids aren’t supposed to see: death. Is Trouble Sight a gift, then, or a curse? A new kind of graphic novel—part storybook, part fable, part gazetteer and bestiary of the horrible and fantastic, inspired by the likes of Tim Burton and Lemony Snicket.

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Spera, Volume 1

Josh Tierney, Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei Lin Lim, Emily Carroll, Olivier Pichard, Afu Chan

ISBN:    1-936393-30-1
ISBN 13:    978-1-936393-30-5
Trade Cloth, $19.95

Lono’s life as a princess consisted of sitting, reading, and dreaming—until the day Pira, princess of a neighboring kingdom, arrived with news of a waking nightmare! With the help of Pira’s best friend—a fire spirit in the form of a dog named Yonder—the princesses now find themselves in a race against evil. The goal: Spera, a magical realm of which the princesses had only ever heard the tallest tales. The prize: their very lives!
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Fraggle Rock Classics, Volume 1

Stan Kay, Marie Severin, Jake Myler, Rebecca Taylor

ISBN:    1-936393-22-0
ISBN 13:    978-1-936393-22-0
Trade Paper, $9.95

Archaia Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company are proud to present a new reprinting of the original Fraggle Rock comic book series, which first debuted in 1985. Look back into the history of your favorite Fraggles with stories such as “The Magic Time Machine,” “The Trouble With Being #1,” “The Monster That Could Be Anything” and “The Doozer Who Wanted to Be a Fraggle.” Digitally remastered and beautifully bound in softcover for a new generation of Fraggle Rock fans, this series will make you want to dance your cares away—’80s style!
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The Dark Crystal

Brian Holguin, Alex Sheikman, Brian Froud,Lisa Henson

ISBN:    1-936393-00-X
ISBN 13:    978-1-936393-00-8
Trade Cloth, $19.95

Part one of a three-part graphic novel series delving into the origins of the Skeksis, Mystics, Gelflings, the world of Thra and the Dark Crystal itself. Spanning a time period from thousands of years ago to right up to the start of the original film, this graphic novel epic will tell the definitive origin of Dark Crystal, under the supervision of The Jim Henson Company and The Dark Crystal concept designer Brian Froud.

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Treasure Chest

ISBN:    1-4507-2379-9
ISBN 13:    978-1-4507-2379-4
Trade Paper, $15.99

Bluewater brings back the classic comic book series that started in 1946. Its inspirational stories of sports and folk heroes, saints, school kids, history, science and similar topics were drawn by artists that included such prominent figures as EC’s Reed Crandall, Graham Ingels and Joe Orlando, Marvel Comics’ Joe Sinnott, and DC Comics’ Murphy Anderson and Jim Mooney. Other features included literary adaptations and such typical comics fare as funny animal humor strips.

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The Flying Beaver Brothers and the Fishy Business

Maxwell Eaton

978-0-375-86448-3  , Trade Paperback, $6.99

978-0-375-96448-0  Library Binding, $12.99

The Flying Beaver Brothers are back, and this time they’re hot on the trail of another eco-villain: Fish Stix  Environmental Manufacturing. When Fish Stix sets up shop, most of the islanders are thrilled. After all, Fish Stix are the most popular, best-selling sticks around AND they’re good for the environment! But this eco-friendly facade is just a cover for a nefarious plot involving dirty money, fish who walk on dry land, and a great big smoking volcano. It’s up to the dauntless beaver brothers to set things right—and they better do it fast or the island’s forests are history! Now if only Bub can stop napping and they can all make enough pancakes to save the day. . . .

This second installment to Max Eaton’s new graphic series ups the ante in terms of both action and humor. The Flying Beaver Brothers are poised to take off as beloved comicbook heros.

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Ralph Filmore: Paranormal Investigator

ISBN:    1-926914-31-7
ISBN 13:    978-1-926914-31-2
Trade Paper, $14.95

Vampires, Aliens, Ghosts and Zombies… BEWARE! There’s a new hero in town and his name is Ralph Filmore! Ralph Filmore is just your average, everyday 13-year-old Paranormal Investigator. He may be the youngest, and possibly the world’s greatest paranormal private eye. Ralph hunts down and challenges all things strange and bizarre on a daily basis. He unwittingly solves “out of this world” mysteries (literally). But he’s still the shortest kid in the 8th grade, still gets picked on by bullies, and still has to be in bed by 9 PM. More often than not, Ralph’s serious obsession for paranormal phenomena gets him into heaps of trouble. With his best friends and partners in slime, Booker and Tav, his trusty robotic supercomputer Z, and his ghostly canine companion Specter, Ralph protects the people of Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats.

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How the Elephant Got His Trunk: The Graphic Novel

Rudyard Kipling, Pedro Rodríguez, B. A. Hoena

ISBN:    1-4342-3880-6
ISBN 13:    978-1-4342-3880-1

Trade Paper, $4.95

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First Base Blues

Anita Yasuda, Steve Harpster

ISBN:    1-4342-3863-6
ISBN 13:    978-1-4342-3863-4

Trade Paper, $5.95

By Todd Allen

One of the questions you ask when you hear about a new Shadow comic is “what kind of take are they doing?”  Another is “how serious will it be?”  And then there’s “how faithful is it to the source material?”  As it happens, I’ve had a chance to read the script for The Shadow #1.  I can’t speak to Aaron Campbell’s art — I haven’t seen that yet.  I can, however, tell you what the tone and the take are going to be.

Since The Shadow is a property that dates back to the early 1930s and has it’s share of die hard fans and purists, let me be upfront on my bonafides.  I’m a casual Shadow reader.  I’ve read somewhere between 10 and 20 of the original pulp novels.  I’ve heard several of the radio shows.  I’ve read… call it 70% of the comics since DC’s ’70s revival.  I’m probably going to lose a trivia contest badly, but I’m familiar with the character in a few different flavors.

The flavor here is a _slight_ modification of the original pulp.  The Shadow is one of those characters where the collective memory is a little different than the source material.  In the original pulps, The Shadow would occasionally indulge in some hypnosis, but most of the supernatural elements were around his edges.  He might have had paranormal abilities, he might not have.   Some of the villains most definitely were supernatural in nature and those weirder capers seem to color the memory.

Ennis is bringing that mystic edge to the surface in a way I don’t recall from the pulps I’ve read.  Without getting into spoilers, he knows a little bit more about the future and it doesn’t appear to be deductive or inductive reasoning.  You also see… another use for that famous girasol ring.

The Ennis Shadow might be a little more aloof than the pulp version and certainly likes messing with people.  Which is not to say the original didn’t, but there might be a hair more attitude here.  Then again, Ennis always has had a good time with the Magnificent Bastard trope and it has it’s place with the character.

In terms of cast of characters, Shrevy and Margo Lane pop up in issue one.  Harry Vincent is name-checked.  So, the Shadow’s operatives appear to be live and well.  Margo Lane, who was written into the pulps after being introduced as the girlfriend on the radio show seems to have a… complicated relationship with The Shadow in the version.  The Shadow appears as Lamont Cranston… although the many identities of the Shadow may not be something you want to get anywhere near in a first issue.  (For those not familiar with the character, the Shadow had more identities than Moon Knight and Lamont Cranston was a borrowed identity in the pulps, if not the radio show.)

As to the script, itself, The Shadow #1 is setting the table.  We see the Shadow in action, we meet some of the main characters.  We get ready to start a quest.  Yellow peril was a staple of the Shadow pulp novels and the Japanese army, or at least part of their Intelligence division is being set up as the villains here… assuming all is as it seems, which may not be the case.  The Japanese are looking for something that could shift the balance of power.  In his guise as Lamont Cranston, he’s offering assistance in retrieving it.  As to what the object is, that’s a mystery.  As to where, most likely in the Far East.

Over the years, Ennis has done a number of military comics about the World War II period.  Since this is a period piece, the comic opens with the Japanese invasion of Nanking, which has come to be known as “The Nanking Massacre” or “The Rape of Nanking.”  As I said, I haven’t seen the art and I don’t know what approach Campbell will be taking, but the first 5 pages of the comic could well be R-rated and should be disturbing even if illustrated in a more PG-13 fashion.  While the pulp novels were definitely a creature of their time period, adding a little historical context to the piece is a good framing technique.  This likely won’t endear Ennis to Japanese nationalists, but it’s a way of establishing “it would be really bad if these guys got a <insert McGuffin here>” without dropping into full-on Fu Manchu Yellow Peril mode.

I liked it well enough as a more mystical take on the character.   The meat of this issue is The Shadow’s transition between the roles he plays.  The cloaked vigilante in the beginning.  The millionaire playboy in the middle.  The chessmen/taskmaster at the end.  Other then the ’80s run of Moon Knight, I’m not sure there been a character with such distinct masks they take on and where you’re not entirely sure who the real person is.  Ennis clearly gets the notion of The Shadow playing his roles.

This is roughly what I was expecting from Ennis.  In a way, this is a good middle point for his writing catalog.  Historical WWII-ish setting.  Extremely proficient gun-toting vigilante.  A little magic.  A couple punchlines.  If you’re a purist from the camp that likes the Shadow to be just a man and grounded in illusion and misdirection, you might have a quibble with the magic, but it worked for me.  The biggest danger is with some of the tone transitions between scenes and some of the purple flavored dialogue that comes with the pulp tradition.  Tonally, this goes from war atrocities to a superhero-ish shoot out to Hammett/Thin Man banter to a mean spirited hybrid of Batman and Doctor Strange. The tonal transitions, apart from the opening sequence, are functions of the Shadow’s various identities, but there’s a danger of camp when rushing headlong into it in a 22 page first chapter.  We’ll see how many more of the identities come into play.

All and all, a promising start for something that’s putting a little bit of Ennis’s writer’s personality into a classic character.  We’ll see how it looks when drawn up.  The comment section seemed to like Aaron Campbell when the announcement was made.

Not your usual Holmes and Watson

The past year has seen an unusually large number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, both in comics and on the screen, but not all Holmeses are created equal. Last night, British viewers got to see the last episode of Season 2 of the BBC’s wildly popular series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (we Americans will get it this spring), and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadowsstarring Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law is still doing well in theaters a month after it opened. So if you’re in a Holmesian mood and wondering what to read next, here’s run down on the Holmes adaptations which have come out or had new installments in the past year. Varying from inspiredly odd to unreadably awful, don’t go to the comic store without reading this first!

First, for the sake of context, let’s start with the live action adaptations.

Not Jam Watson, despite appearances.

Sherlock(BBC television series), created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat

Variation on the theme: The characters are transplanted to modern Britain. Holmes is still in his early 30’s and a bit emotionally immature, as well as possibly Aspergers. Watson is highly capable and dangerous, but obfuscates cuddly harmlessness. Sherlock and Mycroft have Mommy issues.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Very, very close and more equal than usual. Not only do they work cases together, they sit around their apartment joking and watching ridiculous television during down time. And apparently in the second season, John is officially Sherlock’s partner in the detecting business, providing publicity through his blog.

Typical case: What do these mysterious symbols terrorizing a young woman mean? Could it be an international crime ring?

Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 1 for performance, 7 for setup. In person, Moriarty is a brilliant but murderous lunatic who can’t keep his accent straight and just really, really wants to destroy Sherlock Holmes.

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 6. Sherlock rarely expresses emotions beyond anger, boredom or excitement over a case – these, however, are done with an eccentric dramatic flair. He does let down his guard around John when they’re goofing around together.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 5, About on par with Doyle’s work, except for a certain crime lord going to ridiculous lengths to destroy Sherlock.

Verdict: If you’re okay with a slightly gorier modern sensibility and you’re not looking for costume drama, watch this!

Sherlock Holmes with copious explosions

Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Variation on the theme: Sherlock Holmes is an enormous ham, a complete brat, usually on drugs and an emotional mess, practically chewing on the scenery with his histrionic emoting. He’s also extremely charming and genuinely socially capable when he feels like it. This is the kind of Sherlock Holmes who gets into bareknuckle boxing matches and bad drag pretty much for the hell of it. Watson is rakish, capable and dangerous and he makes absolutely no secret of it.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Holmes and Watson are friends, but are having relationship problems. Holmes is wildly emotionally dependant on Watson and is coping very badly with Watson’s new marriage. Watson is getting a bit tired of Holmes’s brattiness and is happy to move out and marry Mary, though he still cares about Holmes and enjoys their cases together. The word partner does not come up – they are Holmes’s cases, Watson is just an extremely useful and beloved friend who helps out.

Typical case: Someone evil wants to Take Over Britain! Scooby doo plot ensues.

Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 9, Moriarty and Lord Blackwood are both genuinely terrifying and capable of outsmarting Sherlock on several occasions.

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 10, Wacky Bohemian. Prone to extravagant (if deeply weird) displays of emotion.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 10, a villain wants to blow up Parliament and declare himself the Witch King of Britain. Wait what?

Verdict: A humorous take on Holmes, heavy on explosions and Holmes/Watson banter. The least heartbreaking Reichenbach Falls story ever. If you want Wacky Bohemian Holmes with bonus cross-dressing, this is the Holmes for you.

And now for the comics:

Do not tell me this man is not Sherlock Holmes

Ruse: The Victorian Guide to Murder by Mark Waid and Mirco Pierfederici, published by Marvel

Variation on the theme: “Holmes” is named Simon Archard, and is more rich and famous for his successes than in Conan Doyle, but otherwise he’s Holmes. “Watson” is a woman named Emma Bishop.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Emma Bishop considers herself Archard’s partner, although she does recieve a paycheck, and she’s not shy about giving him a piece of her mind when he gets a little too outrageous, or keeps her out of the loop. Archard frequently reminds her that he could hire someone else for her job. But he also trusts Emma implicitly to drive a runaway carriage, win in a fist fight he drops her into and keep up with his spur of the moment schemes and improvisations, and eventually he refers to her as his partner.

Typical case: Lightbourne (apparently a combo of Moriarty and Charles Augustus Milverton) has set out to blackmail pretty much the entire upper class, including the heir to the throne, in order to secretly control the WORLD! Or possibly just win India in a bet.

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 4. Cranky banter and shouting at villains.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 9. Betting India

Verdict: Good solid fun and worth a read. The original incarnation of this comic, which came out from Crossgen, is even better, if slightly weirder. Emma has secret magical powers in it. The most truly Holmesian of all the Holmes comics listed, even if Holmes is called Simon Archard.

The one with the eyepatch is Watson and the puppy is Holmes, yes.

Sherlock Holmes (manga)by Toya Ataka, available onJmanga.com

Variation on theme: Holmes is has magical powers that assist his detection. Also, he’s naive, adorable and about 14. Watson is an adult with an eyepatch and is slyly world weary.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Watson is Holmes’s amused but caring mentor figure, young Sherlock looks up to him.

Typical case: Someone murdered an operatic soprano using magic while she was onstage in the middle of an opera.

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 8. Cheerful but eerie child.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 7. Small scale murder, but using magic.

Verdict: An amusing but deeply odd read. 

Let me guess, you like jam?

Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Draculaby Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri, published by DC Comics

Variation on the theme: Sherlock Holmes fights the undead, as well as solving crimes. Watson appears to be a fat old buffer, twenty to thirty years older than Holmes, and not terribly bright.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Holmes and Watson seem fond of each other, but Watson’s contribution to casework consists of occasionally saying things like ”By Jove!” Aside from minor medical skill, he resembles Kate Beaton’s Jam Watson.

Typical case: Dracula will give Britain bubonic plague if he is not allowed to take over the nation.

Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: N/A

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 3, Very restrained, but recognizably human Holmes.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 9, Dracula wants to take over Britain!

Verdict: Not awful, but not worth buying.

I was not making the stalker thing up.

Sherlock Holmes: Year Oneby Scott Beatty and Daniel Indro, published by Dynamite Entertainment

Variation on theme: Sherlock Holmes and Watson are younger and meet in an entirely different way. Holmes has all the personality of a rock. Watson apparently was a cavalry soldier in Afghanistan, instead of a military doctor, and does anachronistic CSI work for the police. No actual detecting gets done, but there are fights. Many, many fights.

Holmes/Watson relationship: Watson meets Holmes by chance, is impressed by his detective skills and… decides to stalk him. Holmes is uninterested in Watson

Typical case: A serial killer is basing his crimes on the Emperors of Rome.

Bad CSI villain to Napoleon of Crime Moriarty villain scale: 2, Math professor with a stupid, nonsensical plan to take over England.

Human robot to wacky bohemian scale of Holmes emoting: 7, Shouty Holmes hits people he gets in arguments with.

Christmas goose to exploding parliament scale of outrageous: 8, a mansion is staffed entirely by criminals.

Verdict: Run, do not walk, in the opposite direction.  Almost as awful as the Syfy original movie in which Sherlock’s real name is inexplicably Robert.

The dangers of media adaptation.

By Todd Allen

The rumor that’s been making the rounds is true: Garth Ennis is the writer when Dynamite launches their ongoing revival of the classic pulp franchise, The Shadow.  Joining him as the artist is Aaron Campbell, who’s been doing Green Hornet: Year One and Dark Shadows for Dynamite.

It looks like this will be be set in 1938, not a modern update.  It isn’t completely clear what kind of a take on the Shadow Ennis and Campbell will be doing.  There have been several different takes on the Shadow over the years.  In the original pulp stories, he was a guns-a-blazing vigilante with some mysticism surrounding his origins.  Plenty of horror (reoccurring voodoo villains, for instance) and mild science fiction in that version.  Then you have the long-running radio version where the guns were gone, but the Shadow had the (vaguely hypnotic) ability to cloud men’s minds so they couldn’t see him and would only hear his disembodied voice.  There were more spy-fi-ish paperback novels in the 1960s.  Howard Chaykin revived it in the 80s replacing the mystic elements with cybernetic body parts, taking it in more of a science fiction direction.  Andy Helfer and Bill Sienkiewicz/Kyle Baker took this science fiction version and veered off in an increasingly satirical/absurdist direction.

It doesn’t appear from looking at the press release, that this will be a satirical take on the character, and the Campbell quote (see below) makes me think this isn’t the Chaykin take on the character, either.  If this is the classic version, as established in the pulps, Ennis ought to be a pretty good fit.  Think Punisher Max as a period piece with a little bit of magic popping up around the edges.  We could very well be in for a merging of the action and horror styles Ennis has done in the past.

Press release and cover art follow:

THE SHADOW #1 ONGOING SERIES BY GARTH ENNIS!

IN STORES APRIL 2012!!!

January 16th, 2012, Runnemede, NJ – Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?  The Shadow knows!  The Shadowreturns to comic stores written by the man born to write him – Garth Ennis. The artist joining Garth will be Aaron Campbell. Featuring covers by fan favorite artists Alex Ross, Howard Chaykin, Jae Lee and John Cassaday. The Shadow #1 his stores in April 2012!

In the first issue of the ONGOING SERIES, it’s 1938 and The Shadow returns in a tale of blazing action and deadly intrigue, as a night of carnage on the New York waterfront plunges the mysterious vigilante into a conspiracy involving the fate of the world itself. As storm clouds gather across the globe, American Military Intelligence meets with a certain Lamont Cranston, determined to beat a host of spies and assassins to the greatest prize of all… but what that might be, only the Shadow knows.  Be sure to get The Shadow #1 in April 2012!

“The Shadow is probably the last established character I like that I haven’t gotten around to writing yet, certainly on this side of the Atlantic,” says writer Garth Ennis. “It makes a kind of bloody, bullet-riddled sense: I always had a feeling our paths would cross sooner or later.”

“The Shadow is an awesome character in an awesome time,” adds artist Aaron Campbell.  “I mean what’s not to like?  You have the old school mystique of eastern mysticism wrapped up with a badass gunslinger!”

“Garth is a writer who was born to write The Shadow,” states Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.  “Not since Howard Chaykin’s acclaimed mini-series have I been this excited for a Shadow series.  Garth will take The Shadow to a new level, and Aaron will compliment his scripts well.  I cannot wait for fans to see Garth’s take on the character!”

Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for his immensely successful revival of Marvel Comics’ Punisher franchise and the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon.

His work is characterized by extreme violence, black humor, profanity, an interest in male friendship, an antagonistic relationship with organized religion, and irreverence towards superheroes. Frequent artistic collaborators include Steve Dillon, Glenn Fabry, Carlos Ezquerra and John McCrea.  Garth Ennis’ current work includes Dynamite’s hit series The Boys.

The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a “wealthy, young man about town” with psychic powers. One of the most famous pulp heroes of the 20th century, The Shadow has also been featured in comic books, comic strips and at least five motion pictures.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #TheShadowKnows and on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at http://twitter.com/DynamiteComicsTo find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

By Todd Allen

You may recall that Dynamite laid hands on the comic book license for The Shadow, a little while back.  Come to find out, they also laid hands on the reprint rights for the previous Shadow comics.  You know how Dark Horse reprints Marvel Star Wars and Conan comics?  Dynamite’s going to be doing something similar with DC Shadow comics, and they’re starting out with Howard Chaykin’s “Blood and Judgement” reboot of the franchise from the mid-80s.

“He’s back… and God help the guilty” was the promotional tagline when this came out, with Chaykin upping the sex and violence levels on the venerable pulp character and swapping out the Shadow’s mystic origins for a science fiction and cybernetics.  This was a fairly hot book when it came out and went on to spawn a regular series written by Andy Helfer with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, Kyle Baker and Marshall Rogers.

Besides the Chaykin version and the Helfer & company sequel (which was abruptly cancelled on a cliffhanger as Conde Nast disliked the satirical tone Helfer had taken with his version — hey Nick, could we finally get the ending to that?), Dynamite also has access to other DC material like the Michael William Kaluta 70s run and the later Dark Horse material.  As the saying goes, “if sales warrant.”

You get plenty of Famous Comic Creator blurbs about Blood and Judgement in the press release, which follows:

THE SHADOW: BLOOD & JUDGMENT TPB, COLLECTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 20 YEARS!!!

HOWARD CHAYKIN’S MASTERPIECE WILL BE BACK IN PRINT!

January 13th, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – Written and illustrated by legendary and award-winning comic book creator Howard Chaykin, The Shadow: Blood & Judgment TPB is collected for the first time since 1991!!!  Chaykin’s dynamic, visceral style added a new dimension to The Shadow of the 1980’s!

The laugh had vanished…the mocking, sinister laugh that signaled doom for the petty souls whose wrongdoing stained the world.  It was gone, lost in the night that echoed it.  Now, one by one, his friends and operatives are being ruthlessly murdered.  Someone is trying to draw him out.  Thirty-five years later, it is time for him to return.  The laugh is here again.

“THE SHADOW: BLOOD AND JUDGMENT was the first job I produced after moving to California–a new state, a new studio and a new lifestyle,” says acclaimed writer/artist Howard Chaykin.  “I loved doing this book, and learned an awful lot about what it took to revive and recreate moribund characters in the process.”

“I can’t begin to describe how important Howard Chaykin’s The Shadow: Blood and Judgment was to me,” states Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.  “In the 80’s, it helped change the face of comics.  It is a privilege that Dynamite is able to put one of the finest comics ever created back in print!

The Shadow is back.  God help the guilty.  Be sure to get The Shadow: Blood & Judgment TPB in April 2012!

Here’s what the comic industries have to say about Howard Chaykin’s The Shadow: Blood & Judgment!”Not since Walter Gibson has anyone been better suited to The Shadow than Howard Chaykin.”

- Mark Waid

“This is my all-time favorite Howard Chaykin comic book. This is him at the tip-tip-top of his game and, yeah I’ll say it, the best Shadow story ever published!”

- Brian Michael Bendis

“IT’S TIME TO GET OFFENDED AGAIN. Welcome back, Mr. Cranston. Welcome back, Mr. Chaykin… we need you both now more than ever. Who knew that underneath all the cocaine, black marble, and rayon that the Eighties had a heart of pulp? As always, Chaykin — and the Shadow — knows…”

-Matt Fraction

“Chaykin at his ballsiest and most dynamic. This is how the Shadow should be done.”

- Jason Aaron

“Chaykin’s Shadow is a modern legend at his best.”

- Rick Remender

“Sharply written, uber-stylish and dead sexy. Yes, Chaykin made The Shadow sexy!”

- John Cassaday

“Howard Chaykin was one of the few who dared to make mainstream comics different back in the eighties; it was guys like him, Alan Moore and Frank Miller who made sure there’d be no going back. Howard’s work on The Shadow is amongst his very best: razor-sharp character work, sizzling dialogue and an unsurpassed sense of layout and design.”

- Garth Ennis

“The reintroduction of The Shadow in the 1980s in Howard Chaykin’s mini-series was one of the most striking comics of the era.  A bold, violent, and modern vision combined with the original caped hero archetype captivated me as a reader.”

- Alex Ross

“A comically insolent and graphically innovative re-invention of the grandfather of the superhero.”

-Warren Ellis

“There are many reasons to consider Howard Chaykin a comic visionary. This is one of them.”

- Brian Azzarello

“The iconic 80s miniseries is back.  Some creators use noir themes and images as though they’re throwing them into a shopping basket.  Chaykin makes them look as though they didn’t even exist until he came along.”

- Mike Carey

“Who knows how to write and draw great suspense, action, and characters that literally pop off the page?  THE CHAYKIN KNOWS — HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

- Peter J. Tomasi

“Sex, money, intrigue, betrayal, revenge. This is Chaykin. Try to keep up.”

- Andy Diggle

“Bloody, brutal, vital and violent, with a striking sense of energy and a huge amount of style on every kinetic page. Howard Chaykin transference of The Shadow from its pulp roots to the comic book gold rush era of 1987 is a gem. It’s good to see it back in print.”

- Rob Williams

“My favorite comic growing up in the eighties was THE SHADOW. Howard Chaykin’s Shadow was a breath of fresh air to me and I gobbled up every frame of that miniseries. Chaykin didn’t go onto the regular series when it launched, leaving me to look around for other comics Chaykin had done.”

- Aintitcoolnews.com

The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a “wealthy, young man about town” with psychic powers. One of the most famous pulp heroes of the 20th century, The Shadow has been featured in comic books, comic strips, television, video games, and at least five motion pictures.

Howard Chaykin began working for Marvel Comics in the early 1970s drawing-one off stories for publications such as Marvel Spotlight. He created a short-lived sword and sorcery title, Ironwolf. In 1976, Chaykin landed the job of drawing the Marvel Comics adaptation of Star Wars that proved a great success and also got him work doing illustrations for the numerous tie-in projects. Chaykin produced a number of projects for the Heavy Metal and Star Reach anthology magazines including the space opera hero Cody Starbuck that revealed an interest in sexually explicit material as well as graphic violence.
In 1982 Chaykin launched American Flagg! for First Comics, writing and drawing the first twelve issues exclusively. The series was a massive critical and popular success, winning a number of awards. In 1985 Chaykin also wrote and drew a re-launch of The Shadow for DC Comics and produced Time2, a quasi-spin-off to American Flagg! that allowed him to indulge his love of Jazz and New York. The mini-series based on Blackhawk of 1987 was another chance to indulge in the 1930s mileu as as provide a witty recasting of a defunct DC character.

Some of Chaykin’s recent comics work includes: the graphic novel Mighty Love, the mini-series Challengers of the Unknown and City of Tomorrow, as well as a one-off issue of Solo, all published by DC Comics. Chaykin has also been active in television since the 1980s, acting as Executive Script Consultant for The Flash and Viper, and has most recently acted as head writer on Mutant X.

Howard had recently written and illustrated The Avengers: 1959 for Marvel!

Join the conversation on Twitter with #TheShadowKnows

And on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

For art and more information, please visit:

www.dynamite.net

About Dynamite Entertainment:

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s PROJECT SUPERPOWERS – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. Several of their titles have also hit The New York Times Best-Sellers list: The Boys, Vampirella Archives, Robert Jordan’s New Spring and Wheel of Time graphic novels. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.

Dynamite has some new books on the way, including THE BIONIC WOMAN, by Paul Tobin and Leno Carvalho with Paul Renaud on covers.

Today it’s MERCILESS: THE RISE OF MING #1, which is written by Scott Beatty and drawn by Ron Adrian, with Alex Ross covers. This is a spin-off prequel of FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST (a title that just begs for spin-offs called Flash Gordon: Weltschmerz, Flash Gordon: Der Zauberberg and so on.) The book debuts in April, and the team waxed enthusiastic about it:

“In most heroic fiction, we (the readers, that is) never really question why the villains do very bad things. It’s always just assumed that evil is as evil does,” says writer Scott Beatty. “Ming is one of the great antagonists of science fiction. In many ways, he’s archetypal and the model for all intergalactic despots to follow. But he’s not just Ming. Everybody knows he’s Ming the MERCILESS. And he’s successful at being just that. Ming has a plan. For EVERYTHING. Readers of FLASH GORDON can think of MERCILESS: THE RISE OF MING as “required reading” for the series’ central conflict. It’s a primer that reveals not just who Ming the Merciless is–well before he ruled all of Mongo–but just what he did to get there… and WHY he did it.”

“Scott [Beatty] has taken the groundwork laid by Eric [Trautmann] and Alex [Ross] in Flash Gordon and gone back in time to tell the tale of the Rise of Ming,” states Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “This is the direct precursor to the story in Flash Gordon and presents the definitive origin of the universe’s most merciless dictator.”



Here’s BIONIC WOMAN stuff:

Although you’d think he was busy enough drawing THE WALKING DEAD every month, artist Charlie Adlard occasionally has time to toss off something like CURSE OF THE WENDIGO (reviewed here) a horror comic written by French screenwriter Mathieu Missoffe and released in France in 2009. The story is set in World War I and finds French and German soldiers teaming up to fight a greater horror.

An American edition is out today from Dynamite, and here’s a preview:

By Todd Allen

Curse of the Wendigo is a graphic album coming out tomorrow from Dynamite written by Mathieu Missoffe and drawn by Charlie Adlard.  Missoffe is a French screenwriter who moonlights in comics (an increasingly American thing to be doing, it would seem).  Adlard is probably most familiar to comics audience as the artist on Walking Dead.  As you might guess from the phrase “graphic album,” Curse of the Wendigo was originally published in France by Soliel in 2009.  Yes, the same Soliel that Marvel was publishing translations of a few years back.

Wendigo falls broadly into the category of the historical horror novel.  I was reminded a little of F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep while I was reading it.  Set in the trenches of France during World War I, something is killing soldiers and leaving a lot of blood lying around.  And… well, there’s “Wendigo” in the title, so you can probably guess where we’re going.

Wendigos aren’t the most common monster.  Oh, sure, you’ve got Marvel’s version that pops up from time to time in the Hulk, but the cannibalistic monster from Algonquin Indian mythology’s last mass media appearance was probably the 1999 film Ravenous.  The wendigo in Curse of the Wendigo is reasonably close to the classical myth and, in a nice touch, there’s a sub-plot involving two psychiatrists debating the validity of the “Windigo Psychosis,” a mental disorder that drives people to cannibalism.  The setting and time period are used to good effect, both for mood and adding a bit more realism around the edges of the story.

This is a tight, slightly claustrophobic tale.  Atmosphere frequently makes or breaks horror stories and the atmosphere works here.  You’d expect that from Adlard, given his time on Walking Dead, but the color adds depth the environment that you don’t get in the zombie tales.  As with classic horror tradition, you get a couple good twists on the way out to shake things up.  Better, the twists are still in a straight line for the book’s internal logic.  Shocks alternate between gore and psychological implications of what’s happening.

You might have a short pause that this is a thin book.  This is not a 5-minute, decompressed storytelling read.  Coming from the European tradition, rather than the Japanese, these are reasonably dense, high panel count pages.  Curse of the Wendigo is what I’d call a plot-driven project and the narrative stays on path.  The end product feels about the same as a film, story-wise.

Recommended for fans of horror and horror movies.  Bonus points if you like period pieces with your horror (The Keep, American Vampire, etc.)

Here’s a peek at the cover to issue #7 of Dynamite’s Patricia Briggs adaptation by Jenny Frison.

PATRICIA BRIGGS’ ALPHA & OMEGA: CRY WOLF #7
32 pages FC  •  $3.99  •  Teen +
Written by PATRICIA BRIGGS & DAVID LAWRENCE 
Art by TODD HERMAN
Cover by JENNY FRISON
Even an Alpha wolf can die at the hands of powerful witchcraft.  And if the evil Mariposa is too much for a wolf as powerful as Charles what hope is there for the inexperienced and unsure Omega wolf Anna? Worse still, the dark magic that has overwhelmed Charles may even give the witch sway over his father, ruler of all the werewolves of North America.  If she can control him, what hope remains for the wolves…or anybody?

Dynamite has provided us with the cover to the third part of their Charlaine Harris adaptation, by Benoit Springer.
 

CHARLAINE HARRIS’ GRAVE SIGHT PART 3 (OF 3)
64 pages FC  •  $7.99  •  Teen +
Written by CHARLAINE HARRIS, WILLIAM HARMS
Art by DENIS MEDRI
Cover by BENOIT SPRINGER
Harper Connelly finds dead people for a living, but not everyone appreciates her special gift. In the stunning conclusion to this three-part series, Harper’s step-brother, Tolliver Lang, finds himself in trouble with the law while Harper struggles to clear his name. And then there’s the matter of a mysterious killer who seems to follow in Harper’s wake…

Like the novels, the comics adaptation of WHEEL OF TIME rolls on and on. Here’s a first look at the cover to issue #23 by Andie Tong.

ROBERT JORDAN’S WHEEL OF TIME: THE EYE OF THE WORLD #23
32 pages FC  •  $3.99  •  Teen +
Written by ROBERT JORDAN, CHUCK DIXON
Art and cover by ANDIE TONG
Hard traveling on the Caemlyn Road becomes a little bit easier for Rand and Mat after they’re inspired to travel as gleemen.  Their journey takes them to the village of Four Kings – and right back into danger.  In a world of treachery anyone can be your enemy!  Will it be the thieves or the Darkfriends that catch them first?

Here’s a peek at the first collection of the comics adaptation of GAME OF THRONES, courtesy of Dynamite. The cover is by Tommy Patterson & Sail.

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S A GAME OF THRONES: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: VOL. 1 HARDCOVER
176 pages FC  •  $25.00  •  Mature   •  (C:0-1-2)
Written by GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
Adapted by DANIEL ABRAHAM
Art by TOMMY PATTERSON
Cover by TOMMY PATTERSON & SAIL
You’ve read the books. You’ve watched the hit series on HBO. Now acclaimed novelist Daniel Abraham and illustrator Tommy Patterson bring George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy masterwork A Game of Thrones to majestic new life in the pages of this full-color graphic novel, comprising of the initial six issues of the twenty-four issue graphic series—the first volume in what is sure to be one of the most coveted collaborations of the year. Within these pages, many of Martin’s most iconic characters gain a whole new life, springing from the page in rich color and glorious detail.
 
“A Game of Thrones #1 was everything I could ever want in an adaptation…and more.” – Geeks of Doom
 
“The art is wonderful to look at with all the detail contained in each panel, and I’m willing to give this series more of my time. I think fans of the book and television series will enjoy this condensed read.” – Major Spoilers
 
“If you are a fan of the novel, this will be a fun graphic adaptation with nice line-work.” – Weekly Comic Book Review
 
“With so much excitement to come in the series, now is a perfect time to pick up A Game of Thrones.” – Broken Frontier