Culture

This isn't really a huge news item but it's nice to see the leading cultural blog Boing Boing add an official comics reviews column and for added good news, it's by Brian Heater, Daily Cross Hatch founder, so the reviews cover stuff like Katie Skelly, Joseph Remnant and Zak Sally. Monthly isn't frequent enough but its a start.

It's the particle that created mass! It also invented brunch.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy one! Easy on the BBQ.

Here in the world of what is laughably called "pop culture journalism" we're all used to a certain breathless acceptance in talent interviews. Staying competitive means getting exclusives and getting exclusives means playing ball. Tough questions are rarely asked, and confrontation is the greatest sin of all. So when you read Watching Watchmen: A Classic Comic’s Classless Return at the Daily Beast, you have to either wince or gasp as things spin out of control.

Yes, there is. And Power Man is on the cover.

Those guys at Marvel are crafty. They've been scheming their way out of bad trends for years now. First it was showing you could successfully raise prices on your bestselling titles (though the gleam may be coming off that one). Then when things started tanking hard, they manufactured AVX and structured it in such a way that it guaranteed huge numbers and hype. Credit where credit is due, AVX _has_ taken off since then, but Marvel's structure built in a failsafe for it. And now, their latest construction: The Neverending Relaunch.

Three new titles. A relaunch/reboot/facelift/makeover for the Marvel Universe. Hickman. Bendis. Remender. Wolverine, Spider-Man, Hulk, Cable and.... Jean Grey? We're going to have to really get in-depth with these new Marvel titles, you guys.

Marvel is going all cosmic in the movie world, and Thanos, a character created by Jim Starlin, is at the heart of it. The evidence is unavoidable. First it was the Thanos cameo at the end of the Avengers—supposedly thrown in because director Joss Whedon was a fan of the character and a cosmic storyline is integral to keeping him on board for Avengers 2.

In case reading the list wasn't enough, you can now listen to The Hottest Graphic Novels of 2012 panel from BEA.

The winners of a swell comics library grant were announced at ALA.

While inside Comic-Con is a white hot cauldron of nerd-fun, outside on the city streets of San Diego, it's a rolling circus, from those late night cosplay trips to Ralphs to the parades winding down Fifth Street town, to the many parties and themed restaurants. Here's a list we've been provided of local establishments that will be having con-themed events or decor or menu items, from Hulk pizza to Batman sushi.

By Todd Allen Valiant does like their teasers, and the latest batch does give us a clue as to the tone of Archer & Armstrong....