Culture

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....

by Jimmy Aquino, Comic News Insider, Special to The Beat

I sat down with old pal and amazing artist Francesco Francavilla on Sunday at HeroesCon. Always a great interview, Francesco and I talked about his recent work on Batman,  upcoming Captain America/Black Widow mini-series, The Black Beetle, cover work, Comic Twart, What Not, and his genuine love for cartooning. You can check out other great interviews I got at HeroesCon over at the Comic News Insider (my podcast) site! 

In just a few short weeks, SDCC-goers can enter to win a trip to New Zealand to live up a true Hobbit experience.

Whoosh! HeroesCon just raced on by! We arrived late on Thursday, hit BarCon and the rest was just WHOOSH! So much fun, we barely had time to type about it at all. That isn't to say there weren't some snafus—all on our own part—but they came and went so quickly.

Disclosure: Author Sean Howe interviewed me for this; and he interviewed everyone else. Coming from Harper in October:

Archer & Armstrong will be the latest Valiant book getting the revival treatment. The original A&A was a Barry Windsor-Smith book. It was also a book with a sense of humor about itself. An immortal of slovenly bent and an uptight martial artist. Yes, this was the comics version of a buddy movie.

Last weekend, the UK's first East London Comics Festival embarked on a one day extravaganza of some of the best art and comics east of the Atlantic Ocean. Illustrator, comic artist, and exhibitor Kyle Platts shares his experience behind the scenes.