Monday, June 21, 2010

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ryan Kinnaird Presents "Next Gen Warz"

NEXT GENERATION CONSOLE CONFLICT

NEXT GEN WARZ battles for your disposable income in September

Forget waiting in line for the next game system -- get in line for Ryan Kinnaird's NEXT GEN WARZ, a hilariously satirical take on anthropomorphic video game systems! The first issue of the miniseries from Image Comics will hit stands September 22.

"Next Gen Warz is a fun and satirical look at the world of video games," says Kinnaird. "From those who play them, to those who create them, and to those who make the machines the games are played on."

In NEXT GEN WARZ, writer/artist Kinnaird (X-Men: Phoenix - Legacy of Fire, PSM) pens a titillating comedic tale. A hardcore gamer replaces his broken console while it is in the repair shop. When he brings home his repaired console to meet his new console, the female-embodied video game consoles battle for supremacy. The greatest conflict for disposable income begins!

NEXT GEN WARZ #1 (of 2), a 32-page full-color comic book for $3.99, will be in stores on September 22, 2010.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

I Reads You Review: 20TH CENTURY BOYS, VOL. 8

Creators: Naoki Urasawa with Akemi Wegmüller (English adaptation)
Publishing Information: VIZ Media, paperback, 216 pages, $12.99 (US), $16.99 CAN, £8.99 UK
Ordering Numbers: ISBN: 978-1-4215-2343-9 (ISBN-13)

20th Century Boys, a science fiction adventure series from famed manga creator, Naoki Urasawa, began with Kenji Endo. A hardworking, honorable man that some considered a loser, Kenji ran the family business (a convenience store). Some people, including his big-mouthed mother, thought that he wasn’t doing that well at it. Kenji also took care of Kanna, the infant daughter his sister abandoned before she disappeared. Kenji may have considered himself a failed rock musician, but he turned out to be the most important man in the world. Someone from his past was behind the rise of a bizarre religious cult called the Friends that was planning millennial doom.

On December 31, 2000, Bloody New Year’s Eve brought the world to the brink of destruction. Fourteen years later, Neo Tokyo is a thriving multiethnic, metropolis that lives under the shadow of the worldwide cult of the Friends. Now, Kenji’s niece, Kanna, finds herself caught in another Friends’ plot.

In Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Vol. 8 (entitled Kenji’s Song), the narrative focuses on Koizumi Kyoko, a student at the high school Kanna’s attends. Because of her history project on Bloody New Year’s Eve, Koizumi has earned herself an extended stay at the surreal, hellish theme park/re-education camp, Friend Land. There she meets a former friend of Kenji’s, which leads her even deeper into the secrets of the Friends. Meanwhile, still more of the events of Bloody New Year’s Eve and an incident from Kenji’s youth are revealed in two separate flashbacks.

As is usual with a Naoki Urasawa manga, 20th Century Boys is an absolutely fantastic read. Once you start, you won’t want to stop. Naoki spins this narrative from the point of view of multiple protagonists and antagonists, which can sometimes be confusing. The suspense, action, and breakneck speed of the narrative, however, delivers such joys that the reader will work hard not to be confused by the menagerie of characters. This manga jumps off the page like a summer potboiler.

A+


Second Volume of "Liquid City" Due in September

LIQUID STATE

Image Comics to release second volume of critically acclaimed LIQUID CITY anthology in September

In September, you'll be able to explore the mutable landscapes of LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2, an anthology collecting work from celebrated Southeast Asian creators. Editor Sonny Liew promises unforgettable tales of cities and the people who live in them.

LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2 once again brings together creators from Southeast Asia to offer an amazing diversity of stories. From Lat's vignette of a soccer game in Malaysia, to Ivan Song's poignant near-future tale of childhood memories, to Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thahn Phong's account of his adventures in South Korea, this collection showcases an incredible variety of styles and genres. War, fantasy, drama, road trips and Robot Rabbits -- you'll find it all and more in LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2.

"The name itself -- LIQUID CITY -- is meant to suggest the fluidity and ever-changing nature of cities," relates Liew. "The second volume of LIQUID CITY features both established creators, as well as new voices, offering a fascinating glimpse of the exciting work in comics coming out of Southeast Asia."

LIQUID CITY, VOL. 2, a 312-page full-color trade paperback from Image Comics, will be on sale for $29.99 on September 29, 2010.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.


Your Friendly Neighborhood Booty Man

I read I've Moved Next Door To You (Yaoi)

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has updated it iPhone app).  This is a yaoi manga from 801 Media.


Friday, June 18, 2010

Skullkickers Coming from Image Comics

KICK TO THE SKULL

Image Comics revives fantasy-fueled action comedy with SKULLKICKERS

In September, Image Comics brings you fantasy as you like it -- hilarious and action packed -- with SKULLKICKERS, an all-new ongoing series. Written by Jim Zubkavich with art by Edwin Huang, Chris Stevens and Misty Coats, SKULLKICKERS promises to turn any fantasy motif on its head.

"I love sword and sorcery novels and role-playing games," says Zubkavich, "so I wanted to use those as a jumping off point and marry them with a slightly sarcastic self awareness of fantasy clichés. At its core, the book is about fun characters and wild adventure, with witty banter thrown in to keep it all clipping along at a healthy pace."

SKULLKICKERS is fantasy action-comedy. Two mercenaries are entangled in a high-class assassination plot and nothing -- not werewolves, skeletons or black magic -- will stop them from getting paid. If you love tabletop fantasy RPGs, buddy stories involving a big guy and a dwarf, or movies like ARMY OF DARKNESS, SKULLKICKERS is the book for you!

SKULLKICKERS #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in stores September 22, 2010. Readers can get a taste of Skullkickers in POPGUN, VOL. 2 (MAY082176) and POPGUN, VOL. 3 (JAN092368). Follow the Skullkickers blog at www.skullkickers.com.


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Archaia Press for September 2010

ARCHAIA ITEMS SHIPPING IN SEPTEMBER 2010

DAYS MISSING: KESTUS #1 (OF 5)
MOUSE GUARD: THE BLACK AXE #1 (OF 6)
FEEDING GROUND #1 (OF 6)
LUCID #2 (OF 4)
CRITICAL MILLENNIUM: THE DARK FRONTIER #4 (OF 4)
THE KILLER: MODUS VIVENDI #5 (OF 6)
THE SECRET HISTORY BOOK FOURTEEN
PRIMORDIA HC
OKKO VOL. 3: THE CYCLE OF AIR HC

OFFERING 1
DAYS MISSING: KESTUS #1 (of 5)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by David Marquez
Cover by Alex Ross

Archaia and Roddenberry Productions are proud to present the thrilling sequel to the critically acclaimed series DAYS MISSING. DAYS MISSING: KESTUS continues the saga of The Steward, a mysterious being whose ability to “fold” days of time has resulted in critical human events being absent from our historical record. Their existence is not remembered…but the occurrences of these days have forever changed the course of our evolution.

Since humanity’s birth, The Steward has stood as a guiding force for our species. But now, he is not alone! The emergence of the ancient being, Kestus, may put everything he knows in question, and the future of those he means to protect in jeopardy.

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

OFFERING 2
FEEDING GROUND #1 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 48 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Swifty Lang
Illustrated by Michael Lapinski
Cover by Michael Lapinski

This new series is ripped right out of the real-life drama unfolding on the Mexico-Arizona border. FEEDING GROUND reaches a large and diverse audience no matter tour personal POV on the issue. In this factious story, a famine caused by Blackwell Industries drives Diego Busqueda, a noble “coyote,” to lead a band of Mexican border crossers across the unforgiving Devil’s Highway, a desert cursed with blistering days and deadly nights. Back home, Diego’s daughter Flaca discovers that something hungrier prowls the factory fields. Stalked and persecuted, can the Busqueda family maintain their dreams of immigration or will the horrors of the desert tear them apart? Also included is 24 pages of bonus content in Spanish!

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

OFFERING 3
MOUSE GUARD: THE BLACK AXE #1 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.50 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 8” x 8”, full color
Written by David Petersen
Illustrated by David Petersen
Cover by David Petersen

The Eisner Award-winning MOUSE GUARD returns with THE BLACK AXE, a third volume to be told in six bi-monthly issues. Set in 1115, this prequel to MOUSE GUARD: FALL 1152 fulfills the promise the wise oldfur Celanawe made to Lieam the day his paw first touched the Black Axe: to tell the young warrior about the mouse who first wielded the deadly weapon. The arrival of distant kin takes Celanawe on an adventure that will carry him across the sea to uncharted waters and lands, all while unraveling the legend of Farrer, the blacksmith who forged the mythic Black Axe.

All ages

OFFERING 4
LUCID #2 (of 4)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 24 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Michael McMillian
Illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk
Cover by Anna Wieszczyk

Things are heating up at the House at Dupont Circle. What is the Prophecy of the Pendragon? What Occult weapon threatens the fate the United States... for the second time? And what exactly is an Astral Amplifier?! LUCID #2 takes you one more giant leap into the strange world of Matthew Dee as the novice Combat Mage races against the clock to prevent President’s Day from becoming a National Day of Mourning!

Written by “True Blood” actor Michael McMillian and illustrated by newcomer Anna Wieszczyk, LUCID is Archaia’s first title published in association with Zachary Quinto (“Heroes,” “Star Trek”) and his production company, Before the Door Pictures.

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

OFFERING 5
CRITICAL MILLENNIUM #4 (of 4)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 40 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Andrew E. C. Gaska
Illustrated by Daniel Dussault
Cover by Daniel Dussault

The dramatic conclusion to the first miniseries! The gravitic drive vessel Black Rabbit is on the pad for its earthborn launch to new worlds! Prime Minister Blacklytter bans public transmission of the lift off! The Wraith infiltrates the launch bay with the intent of hijacking the starship! Young John Adams makes a stand for his beliefs, and pays the ultimate price! Disaster strikes New Bombay, heralding the end of Hope itself! Angel Rei stares long and hard into a bottle of sleeping pills! Countess Watwani races to stop her husband from committing genocide! All this, and Coney, Eryc and Pandita find their flight out-system blocked by a police force! As all points converge, will Thomm finally realize his grandparents’ dream of a new beginning for mankind, and a future amongst the stars?

Mature Readers (Contains Adult Content)

OFFERING 6
THE KILLER: MODUS VIVENDI #5 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 32 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Matz
Illustrated by Luc Jacamon
Cover by Luc Jacamon

In Venezuela, our Killer has made a pact with the Cubans, leading a campaign of assassinations against a military junta. It’s a crusade of sorts, and well out of character for a stonehearted executioner. So has the Killer finally woken to the world, to a cause? Or, as his buddy Mariano suggests, is his heart just being manipulated by the bewitching Cuban officer, Katia?

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence and Adult Content)

OFFERING 7
THE SECRET HISTORY BOOK FOURTEEN
Retail Price: $5.95 U.S.
Page Count: 48 pages
Format: perfect bound, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Jean-Pierre Pécau
Illustrated by Igor Kordey
Colors by Leonard O’Grady
Cover by Manchu & Olivier Vatine

The Watchers. 1945. The two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seem to have put an end to the evil plots of William of Lecce. In liberated Paris, Daniel Rosenthal, a survivor of the death camps, learns how to live again. He owes his survival to a “star,” a strange tarot card given to him by the surrealist poet Robert Desnos in the Terezín concentration camp, who also told him about the mysterious cabaret, L’Arcane 17. Daniel begins a descent into a world he did not know existed and into a story that the textbooks do not teach: the secret history.

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)

OFFERING 8
PRIMORDIA Collected Hardcover Edition
Retail Price: $19.95 U.S.
Page Count: 128 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by John R. Fultz
Illustrated by Roel Wielinga
Colors by Joel Jason O’Chua
Cover by Roel Wielinga

A pair of human infants are abandoned in the depths of an ancient forest and adopted by the strange creatures called Woodfolk. Driniel (Moon) is the night-wanderer, dancing with the Darkling spirits of the deep groves, summoning demons for his arcane pleasures. Alleyar (Sun) is the flame of valor, rising to esteem in the ranks of the Woodfolk hunters and taming a fierce beast with his sorcery. The Woodking's daughter, Princess Vega, must choose between her twin lovers as they are exiled into the savage world of Man. More than human, less than gods, these misfit brothers will change the worlds of Gods and Mortals forever as they uncover the secrets of their own past and parentage.

Mature Readers (series contains Mild Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)

OFFERING 9
OKKO VOL. 3: THE CYCLE OF AIR Collected Hardcover Edition
Retail Price: $19.95 U.S.
Page Count: 108 pages
Format: hardcover with dust jacket, 6.875” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Hub
Illustrated by Hub

It is the Spring of 1110 in the official calendar of the Pajan Empire. Okko is called upon to assist the daughter of Lady Mayudama, who has retreated into a profound silence. The best doctors have been unable to provide even a diagnosis of her condition. Okko may prove to be her last resort. But a strange force that has been prowling around the region for over a week has also arranged a meeting with the ronin for a duel of incomparable violence... Collects all four issues of Okko: The Cycle of Air miniseries.

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content)