Detroit Metal City vs. God

I read Detroit Metal City, Vol. 9

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

More DWI Hijinks

OK.  Abbeville, Louisiana - last weekend (around June 4th).  52-year-old Gregory Menard attempts to pass several vehicles in a curve "clearly marked as a no passing zone."  Menard's vehicle slammed head on into a car driven by 23-year-old Emily Landry of Lafayette.

Menard sustained moderate injuries in the crash, but a passenger in his vehicle, Gregory's brother, 55-year-old Kenneth Menard of Abbeville, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.  Kenneth was pronounced dead at the scene.

From The Advertiser:  Trooper Stephen Hammons, a public affairs officer for the Louisiana State Police, said in a news release Menard was suspected of being impaired and was placed under arrest for DWI 4th offense, passing in a no-passing zone, vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injury.

4th offensive DWI.  Hmmm.  I wonder if Gregory Menard had to inform his neighbors of his presence in the neighborhood?

Warner Bros. Wants You to Join the Green Lantern Corps

Secret Locales Illuminated by “Green Lantern” Symbol Will Recruit Fans in 11 North American Cities to Join the Corps

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In celebration of the June 17th theatrical release and big-screen debut of the popular superhero “Green Lantern,” Warner Bros. Pictures will electrify 11 North American cities on Monday, June 13, encouraging people to Join the (Green Lantern) Corps. Markets include: Los Angeles, New York City, Vancouver, San Diego, Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City, Sacramento, St. Louis, and New Orleans, where the film was shot.

To Join the Corps, fans will be invited to decipher local clues leading them to a secret location where the “Green Lantern” symbol will be projected from dusk until midnight. Those attending the events, sponsored by Kodak, will have the chance to win fantastic prizes, including an opportunity to be among the first to see the film at local preview screenings, limited edition T-shirts, light-up “Green Lantern” rings, “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights” Blu-ray combo packs and more. And some people who are photographed with the projected symbol behind them will have their photos posted on the movie Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/greenlanternmovie. Select markets will also give people the chance to record the “Green Lantern” oath which will be added to the Infinite Oath app on the movie website: http://www.greenlantern.com/.

“Green Lantern” opens in theaters nationwide in 3D and 2D on Friday, June 17, 2011. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action.


ABOUT “GREEN LANTERN”
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Bringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell. Campbell directed the film from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The film also stars Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins. “Green Lantern” was produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti. Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas served as executive producers, with Lucienne Papon and Geoff Johns co-producing.

One Piece Paramount War

I read One Piece, Vol. 57

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Leroy Douresseaux on STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC - The Lost Suns #1

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC – THE LOST SUNS #1 (OF 5)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

[Visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

SCRIPT: Alexander Freed
PENCIL ROUGHS: Dave Ross
PENCIL FINISHES: George Freeman
INKS: Mark McKenna
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Benjamin Carré
32pp, Color, $3.50

I love me some Star Wars, especially the original trilogy of films. To a lesser extent, I enjoy the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I try to read Star Wars comic books whenever I get a chance, so I decided to try the latest new Star Wars comic book series.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns is a new Star Wars comic book from Dark Horse Comics. This new series is based upon the LucasArts online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, which was developed by BioWare. Dark Horse has published two previous series set in the Star Wars: The Old Republic time period, but, according to them, this one is set concurrent with the game.

In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Old Republic is a time 1000 to 25000 years before the Battle of Yavin (abbreviated at BBY). The Battle of Yavin was the climactic battle in Stars Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, in which the Rebel Alliance attacks the Death Star and Luke Skywalker destroys the monstrous station.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns #1 is set in 3632 BBY and focuses on Theron Shan, a Republic spy working for the Republic Strategic Information Service. Theron’s superior sends him on a mission to find Ngani Zho, the great Jedi who may have information important to the Republic. Theron has strong ties to the long-missing Jedi. Zho trained Theron’s mother, Satele Shan, known as the “Guardian of the Republic.” Theron isn’t the only one looking for Zho. Darth Mekhis, an old enemy of Satele, wants the information Zho may have.

I have never played a Star Wars video game, and I’m only vaguely familiar with the whole “Old Republic” universe within a universe. Still, I enjoyed the first issue of The Lost Suns. I guess that having Alexander Freed, a senior writer of The Old Republic online game, writing The Lost Suns is supposed to be a good thing, and it is, for the most. After squeezing what amounts to a book’s worth of backstory into the first five pages, Freed manages to establish the main players, conflicts, and goal in the remaining 17 pages in a way that makes me want to come back for the second issue. Also, the art looks good, although the visual storytelling is stronger than it is pretty.

I imagine that everyone who reads Star Wars comic books will want to at least try Star Wars: The Old Republic – The Lost Suns.

"Vampire Hunter D" Manga Debuts on iPad

Digital Manga Publishing brings Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D Manga to ComiXology

DMP’s flagship manga title makes its debut on the iPad.

Kansas City, MO /NY, NY/ Gardena, CA (June 8, 2011) – Digital Manga Publishing, one of the manga industry’s most unique and creative publishers is proud to announce the partnership with comiXology, the leading distributor of digital comics, to digitally release their flagship manga title Vampire Hunter D to the comiXology storefront for the iOS, Android and Web. Volumes 1-3 will make its debut, while volumes 4-5 will be available in the following weeks.

Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D print edition manga was launched in 2007 by Digital Manga Publishing, adapting the well renowned series of prose novel series, which began in the 80’s. Kikuchi mixed elements of gothic horror, science fiction and romance with the classic Western to produce a wholly original, post-apocalyptic vision of the distant future, where humanity is ruled by vampires and tormented by a host of creatures including demons, werewolves and mutants, as well as half-human, half-vampire ‘dhampirs’ like the series’ namesake, D.

“Manga has been in the brick and mortar comic book shops for several decades and Digital Manga Publishing would like to carry on that tradition to the digital frontier,” said Fred Lui, VP-Production of Digital Manga. ”We are partnering with comiXology because of the ubiquitous platform that they have built and the amazing reading experience they are able to provide.”

The Vampire Hunter D manga and novels have an international fan base, having sold more than 17 million copies around the world. The property has also been adapted into two anime movies, an audio drama, and a video game. The entry of the Vampire Hunter D manga into the digital edition arena will prove to be equally successful, especially with the reading experience when delivered through comiXology’s Comic App.

“The addition of Digital Manga’s Vampire Hunter D with it’s rich story telling is a great addition to our platform,’ said David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology. “The manga looks especially vibrant in our Guided View format on the iPad and we look forward to adding more of Digital Manga’s titles to our platform in the coming months.”

Through this partnership Digital Manga Publishing will be releasing more of their acclaimed titles through comiXology platform.

All volumes of Vampire Hunter D will be available on the comiXology platform for $9.99 each with 20 pages of the first volume can be read for free. You can find their dedicated web storefront at http://comics.comixology.com/dmp and all purchases are buy once, read anywhere.


About comiXology
Since 2007 comiXology has been developing the technological infrastructure to bring comics into the digital mainstream and expose new audiences to the rich history and culture of the industry. Through partnerships with top comic book publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, BOOM! Studios and Image Comics as well as their own mobile and web apps which hosts over 9,000 digital titles, comiXology has become a leader in digital comic book proliferation. Also focused on creating strong ties with retail stores through its technology solutions, comiXology continues to transform the previously fragmented comic ecosystem into a vibrant and cohesive marketplace. http://www.comixology.com/

About Digital Manga Publishing
Located in Gardena, CA, Digital Manga Publishing is one of the industry’s most unconventional and innovative companies, specializing in building corporate and cultural bridges from Japan to the Western Hemisphere - specifically through the licensing, importation and localization of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comic books) and related merchandise for the North American mainstream and subculture markets. In this capacity, Digital Manga Inc. serves as a catalyst for the expansion of Japanese pop culture institutions into global arenas. The company’s diverse manga imprint line includes high profile manga/anime titles such as Vampire Hunter D; popular romance titles–Only the Ring Finger Knows; classic iconic titles–Speed Racer Mach GoGoGo; and award nominated titles–Itazura Na Kiss (Young Adult Library Service Assoc.) and Antique Bakery (Eisner Award). Digital Manga Publishing also caters to the young audience with a vast array of educational and instructional line of books with their Edu-Manga series and Let’s Draw Manga series.

For more information about Digital Manga Publishing, visit http://www.digitalmanga.com/, as well as:

http://www.emanga.com/
http://twitter.com/digitalmanga
http://www.youtube.com/user/junemanga
http://www.youtube.com/user/801media
http://www.youtube.com/user/digitalmanga
http://www.facebook.com/DigitalMangaInc

Leroy Douresseaux on "BATMAN/PLANETARY DELUXE"

BATMAN/PLANETARY DELUXE
DC COMICS

WRITER: Warren Ellis
ARTIST: John Cassaday
COLORIST: David Baron
LETTERS: Comicraft’s Wes Abbott
ISBN: 978-1-4012-3184-2; hardcover
96pp, Color, $22.99 U.S., $25.99 CAN

One of my favorite comic books is back in print, and it’s better than just being back in print. It has come back to life in a hardcover edition with a sweet extra – the original script. I love this comic book. It is eternally awesome.

Published in 2003, Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth #1 was a one-shot pitting the stars of the Wildstorm Productions comic book, Planetary, against the Dark Knight himself, Batman. This 48-page, prestige format comic book was written by Warren Ellis and drawn by John Cassaday, the creators of Planetary.

DC Comics recently reprinted this comic book in a hardcover edition entitled, Batman/Planetary Deluxe. This new edition even includes Warren Ellis’ script for the original comic book.

For those who don’t already know, Planetary was superhero comic book published by DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint. The series was previewed in the summer of 1998 as a backup feature, and the regular series began in early 1999, running for 27 issues before ending in 2009. The comic book focused on an organization called Planetary which sought to discover the secret history of the world. The stories focused on Planetary’s field team: a kind of superwoman named Jakita Wagner, a scruffy young man named Drummer who could detect and manipulate information streams, and Elijah Snow, a man dressed in a white suit and who could create intense cold and extract heat.

In Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth, Planetary travels to Gotham City, the world’s most dangerous city, to capture a serial killer named John Black. On Planetary’s Earth, there is no Batman to protect Gotham. Jakita, Drummer, and Snow find Black in Gotham’s infamous Crime Alley, but they also discover Black’s amazing power. He can rewrite reality.

The first time Black’s power activates, he and Planetary are in a new Gotham City, and this one has a Batman. And this Caped Crusader is not happy to see the Planetary trio. Every time Black rewrites reality, however, Gotham changes, and so does The Batman. The only things about Batman that don’t change are his relentlessness and his desire to bring Black to justice and keep him out of Planetary’s hands.

Truthfully, Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth is not an exceptional Planetary comic book, nor is it an exceptional Batman comic book. It is simply an exceptional and wonderful comic book that puts Planetary and Batman together. It is one of those comic books that is so fun to read and is still enjoyable after repeated readings.

Its strength lies in the talents and skills of its creators. Warren Ellis’ script offers the imagination, inventiveness, and snappy dialogue with sparkling wit that is often evident in his comics. John Cassaday’s beautiful, photorealistic art takes on a dream-like quality here, especially as he offers interpretations of various incarnations of Batman (including Batman creator Bob Kane’s, Adam West’s campy Batman of the 1960s television series, and Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Batman). David Baron’s evocative coloring subtly and delicately shifts in order to appropriate the right mood and look depending on what a moment in the story requires.

Simple and clean, Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth was that thing that is now rare: a self-contained gem – the comic book that offers complete entertainment in one small package. Now, it is back in the more permanent edition that it deserves – with Ellis’ blueprint/script. Batman/Planetary Deluxe is the book you didn’t know you had to have, and it is worth every penny.

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