Comics

After a few weeks of buzz and speculation -- or merely simple detective work based on the very final sounding August DC solicits -- it's been announced:DC is revamping its entire line this September with new versions of classic characters and 50 new #1 titles, USA Today reports.

The 2011 Reuben Awards for the best in cartooning and related fields were presented at the annual National Cartoonists Society meeting on Saturday. Richard Thompson beat out Glen Keane and Stephan Pastis for THE Reuben as cartoonist of the year. Jill Thompson won the Comic Book category for BEASTS OF BURDEN, and Joyce Farmer won the graphic novel category for SPECIAL EXITS, while Jeff Parker and Steve Kelley's DUSTIN won for best comic strip.

Ah... Memorial Day approaches, and with it, summer vacation. Day after day of nothing which must be done, but full of possibilities! Maybe an escape to the air-conditioned refuge of your local library. Perhaps a day spent on the porch, sipping something cold and sinful (I prefer Brown Cows, served in a large ice tea glass). Or maybe hiding away up in a hayloft, or deep in a cool root cellar, where no one can find you. Whatever your preference, there's nothing like a good book to make you forget the world around you. Below are some suggestions for your summer reading pleasures. (And if you need a nap to avoid the afternoon heat, give your kids something to read. It'll keep them quiet long enough for you to recharge your batteries.)

On Friday, May 25, 1984, in a small town of 1200 people, in a small grocery store on the highway not too far from cornfields, at the golden age of 14, I became a comic book collector. What set me on this path that has led me >choke< 27 years later to be a comics missionary, spreading the four-color gospel far and wide? Well, I blame Morgan Freeman and Jim Shooter.

Once again, BookExpo America, “the leading North American publishing event” took place at the Javits Center in New York City. Just like various comic cons, attendees and journalists love to analyze the zeitgeists floating around the exhibition hall, while others prefer to ignore the elephants in the room. So, following in the grand tradition of industry analysts and bloggers (beware the Camel’s nose!), I will give you my opinions at what I experienced this year.

Marvel editor Steve Wacker was tweeting some art earlier in the day, including rather nice page by Emma Rios on the Cloak & Dagger Spider-Island tie-in. Clickee for largee!

Back when they were signing and selling licensed comics, Tokyopop put out some World of Warcraft manga-sized graphic novels. Unlike other material lost in the diaspora of the company (which is officially closing down next week) these comics are still owned by Blizzard, and are being released digitally by Cryptozoic, the newish entertainment company headed up by Cory Jones, formerly of Blizzard, and John Nee, formerly of DC. Two Warcraft GNs and one Starcraft GN are available on Cryptozoic's app for free for right now.

With all the talk about comics and racial stereotypes, this show running at NYU sounds like a must see. MARVELS AND MONSTERS looks at images of Asians in comics from the stereotyping of World War II through to the 80s. Curator Jeff Yang has some installation in progress photos on his Facebook Page. Sadly we missed the opening talk and reception last night but it looks to be a very comprehensive show, looking at different stereotypical roles including The Alien, the Kamikaze, the Brute, the Lotus Blossom, the Guru, the Brain, the Temptress, and the Manipulator. How well we know all those. The show runs until August 19th. Deets below:

iFanboy's Conor Kilpatrick has seen the fabled Wonder Woman Pilot and....

There wasn’t a whole lot about the pilot that I didn’t like.

Comics and the iPad were made for each other. The screen, although slightly smaller than a comic page, works nicely to display comics. Panels look great on it's glossy screen, even with the backlight turned down. Even the iPad with the smallest capacity can hold 20 longboxes worth of comics, no problem, and that's just what I can carry with me. Comics folks are classically unwilling to accept change (why do you think no one ever dies in comics?) but it's time. Comics are going digital and we should embrace that, so here's a quick look at some of the best digital comics readers for the iPad.

Fox has been holding back on the January Jones/White Queen lingerie shots for X-MEN: FIRST CLASS but The Hollywood Reporter is delivering with some shots in era-appropriate (and now fetishized) garb.

Nothing much goes on at the third day of the BookExpo America -- it's generally a chance just to run around and talk to the people you missed the first two days, although most people have already gone back to the office. We'll have a full write-up tomorrow both here and at PW, but in the meantime, a couple of photos.