"Naruto: The Official Character Data Book" Now Available

VIZ MEDIA KICKS OFF 2012 NINJA STYLE WITH NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK

New Guide Offers Fans Essential NARUTO Character Info As Well As Never-Before-Revealed Data And Secrets

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, opens the new year with the latest addition to its extensive library of NARUTO titles. NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK is available now, offers essential information on key characters from the smash-hit action series, and includes 8 full-color pages. NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER BOOK is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will carry an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

A ninja knows all! And now you can too! Here's all the intel you need on who's who in NARUTO!.THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK gives you all you need stay the expert on all things NARUTO. Whether you're catching up, brushing up, or just getting started with the goings-on in ninja world, this handy, huge guide covers the whole story all the way to Volume 43 of the best-selling manga (graphic novel) series!

“NARUTO: THE OFFICIAL CHARACTER DATA BOOK is a treasure-trove of essential information that will be a must-read for both casual and die-hard NARUTO fans,” says Joel Enos, Editor. “Inside these pages, you'll find never-before revealed data, secrets, and even a few scandals involving your favorite, as well as most-hated, shinobi. And fans won’t want to miss a new manga tale from NARUTO creator Masashi Kishimoto that you can't find in English anywhere else!”

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens) and animated counterpart (NARUTO rated ‘T’ for teens, and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN rated ‘T+’ for older teens), depicting the adventures of ninja-in-training Uzumaki Naruto, is one of VIZ Media’s most successful properties and has captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America. The NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN animated series are co-productions of TV TOKYO, VIZ Media parent company Shueisha Inc., and Pierrot Co., Ltd.

More information on NARUTO is available at http://www.naruto.com/.

"Groo vs. Conan" Coming April 2012

CONAN/GROO CROSSOVER! TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

What was rumored as an April Fools’ joke has turned into a full-blown miniseries sure to bring laughs and excitement. Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce Groo vs. Conan!

It had to happen: The most heroic warrior in history meets the stupidest, as Robert E. Howard’s immortal Conan the Barbarian crosses swords with Sergio Aragonés’s Groo the Wanderer in Groo vs. Conan #1!

This four-issue miniseries was concocted by the Eisner Award–winning team of Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragonés, aided by master illustrator Thomas Yeates and master colorist Tom Luth. Will Conan annihilate Groo? Will Groo turn out to be the man who can defeat Conan? We’ll see.

Groo vs. Conan is on sale April 18, 2012!

Review: THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE (OGN)

THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
WRITER: Robert Venditti
ARTIST: Mike Huddleston
LETTERS: Sean Konot
ISBN: 978-1-60309-024-7; paperback
144pp, B&W, $14.95 U.S.

Rating: Young Adult (13+)

Robert Venditti is a comic book writer and graphic novelist best known for The Surrogates (2005-06), drawn by Brett Weldele. The miniseries, which was collected as a trade paperback, was adapted into a 2009 Bruce Willis movie, Surrogates.

Venditti’s new graphic novel is The Homeland Directive and is drawn by Mike Huddleston. A comic book artist, illustrator, and concept designer, Huddleston has drawn for DC Comics (Harley Quinn and Gen13) and created The Coffin with Phil Hester.

The central character of The Homeland Directive graphic novel is Dr. Laura Regan, a researcher for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) and one of the world’s foremost authorities on viral and bacteriological studies. She is one of the good people, but after her research partner is murdered, Laura finds herself accused of the crime and on the run. Unbeknownst to Laura, she is at the heart of a vast and deadly conspiracy, and a shadowy assassin, who uses several identities, is assigned to kill her.

Luckily, Laura gets her own shining knights in the form of three rogue federal agents: Nathan Pollack of the FBI, Gene Robillard of the U.S. Secret Service, and Theodore “Ted” Wychek of the Bureau of Consumer Advocacy (BOCA). Can Laura expose a sinister plot before law enforcement, deadly mercenaries, and a government team of cyber-detective eliminate her?

Even without the science fiction, futurist, and allegorical elements that he used in The Surrogates, Robert Venditti has written a riveting cautionary tale full of omens and portents about the day after tomorrow. The Homeland Directive is in the vein of classic conspiracy thriller movies (like The Parallax View), and is also a witty twist on the bodyguard story.

For all its action movie/suspense thriller theatrics, The Homeland Directive is more than just eye-candy thrills. It certainly is addictive; I could only stop reading it once, and that was because I had an errand to do. It is a page-turner just as stimulating as a summer potboiler novel, but it is more than mere stimulation. The Homeland Directive is practically a screaming tract about the dangers of technology and about how personal privacy and national security are threats to one another. How do you balance the two? Can you balance the two? This graphic novel is not paranoid. It’s worried.

Artist Mike Huddleston does more than just tell the story. Combining graphic design, cut-and-paste, and drawing, Huddleston creates a world that seems disjointed, although it is one that is supposed to be more connected because of technology. The environments in this story are well lit, but there are shadowy plots and adversaries everywhere. Huddleston calms the story’s fast (even manic) pace and reveals what Venditti crafted underneath the fast-moving set pieces of this story: a cautionary tale about the ever-hungry, ever-expanding Big Brother.

The Homeland Directive is one of 2011’s best graphic novels.

A

Case Closed: Dueling Mothers

I read Case Closed, Vol. 41


I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has free comics).

Steve Scott Illustrates William Shatner for Wizard World New Orleans

Steve Scott Creates Shatner VIP Print for Wizard New Orleans-- Available to all!

New Orleans-- The Wizard World New Orleans convention is taking off like a ROCKET at the end of this month, with illustrator Steve Scott as the featured artist for the William Shatner VIP print--Showcasing an image of Mr. Shatner paying homage to his highly collectible cover recordings that we know and love!

Yes, he was Captain Kirk, yes he was one of the best things about "Boston Legal," yes he was fantastic on "Bleep, My Dad Says," yes, we only use Priceline because of him-- But how many of you also know that Shatner has released covers of many popular tunes, including "Rocket Man," AND "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"

This cool cat VIP litho is full color and measures 11x17. Limited to 500 copies, the print is available to Shatner VIP's. It is also available at Steve Scott's table in artist alley for $20. while supplies last.

This is a perfect time to pick one up--any which way you can--and have Shatner sign it at the show.

And while you are at it, get Steve Scott--responsible for the design, straight to pencils, inks and colors--to sign it too. It's a great opportunity to meet this talented artist if you haven't already:

Steve was recently honored to finish out the legendary "Batman" series at DC Comics, leading up to the New 52. Currently his work will be seen on upcoming special issues of "Captain Victory" for Dynamic Forces, as well as some exciting creator-owned projects.

Milestone works for Steve included "X-Men Forever" with writer Chris Claremont, an amazing Green Lantern special project at DC Comics, and "Batman Confidential"! Not to mention that Steve is also the ONLY artist tapped by DC Comics to do any work relating to "Batman Forever," depicting the now legendary turn of Heath Ledger as The Joker. (Look for Steve's work in the Blue-Ray disc release of the movie!)

Steve is indeed certainly no stranger to media tie-in's. His work has also often been seen on the television show Smallville. As well as doing some darn good likenessess for the last "Indiana Jones--Tomb of the Gods," comic book series for Dark Horse to coincide with the Harrison Ford movie! In fact, George Lucas liked Steve's work so much that he purchased most of the originals to keep for himself!

In other words, Steve Scott is busy making comics, in an industry he loves, which is a good thing for his ever growing number of fans.

Wizard World New Orleans takes place January 28th and 29th. Joining William Shatner and Steve Scott at the show will be such names as: Stan Lee, Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Renee Witterstaetter, James Leary, Michael Biehn, Arthur Suydam, Peter Mayhew, Erin Gray, Mary McDonnell, James Marsters, Adam Baldwin… and many more!

For more information on Steve Scott and his work, contact: evaink@aol.com; and visit our website at: http://www.evainkartitgroup.com/

For more information on Wizard World New Orleans, and how to become a "Shatner VIP," go to: http://www.wizardworldcomiccon/.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 11 2012

DC COMICS

NOV110221 ALL NEW BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #15 $2.99

OCT118155 ANIMAL MAN #1 4TH PTG $2.99

NOV110149 BATGIRL #5 $2.99

NOV110145 BATMAN AND ROBIN #5 $2.99

SEP110169 BATMAN THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS HC $22.99

NOV110147 BATWOMAN #5 $2.99

NOV110224 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #66 $2.99

NOV110120 DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #21 $2.99

NOV110174 DEATHSTROKE #5 $2.99

NOV110170 DEMON KNIGHTS #5 $2.99

OCT110249 FLASH TP VOL 01 THE DASTARDLY DEATH OF THE ROGUES $14.99

NOV110167 FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #5 $2.99

NOV110154 GREEN LANTERN #5 $2.99

NOV110173 GRIFTER #5 $2.99

NOV110188 LEGION LOST #5 $2.99

NOV110123 MISTER TERRIFIC #5 $2.99

NOV110124 MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #4 (OF 6) $3.99

OCT110294 NORTHLANDERS #47 (MR) $2.99

SEP110226 PREACHER HC BOOK 06 (MR) $39.99

NOV110182 RAY #2 (OF 4) $2.99

NOV110169 RESURRECTION MAN #5 $2.99

OCT110295 SCALPED #55 (MR) $2.99

NOV110161 SHADE #4 (OF 12) $2.99

AUG110256 STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $59.99

NOV110175 SUICIDE SQUAD #5 $2.99

NOV110131 SUPERBOY #5 $2.99

NOV110238 UNWRITTEN #33 (MR) $2.99

OCT110301 UNWRITTEN TP VOL 05 ON TO GENESIS (MR) $14.99

OCT110271 YOUNG JUSTICE TP VOL 01 $12.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 11 2012

MARVEL COMICS

NOV110613 ALPHA FLIGHT BY PAK AND VAN LENTE PREM HC VOL 01 $19.99

NOV110527 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #677 $3.99

NOV110500 AVENGERS 1959 #5 (OF 5) $2.99

NOV110627 AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP VOL 02 $19.99

NOV110669 AVENGERS X-SANCTION BY LEINIL YU OVERSIZED POSTER $34.99

NOV110479 BATTLE SCARS #3 (OF 6) $2.99

NOV110538 BLACK PANTHER MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE #528 $2.99

JUN110712 BRILLIANT #2 (MR) $3.95

NOV110480 CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 $3.99

NOV110524 CARNAGE USA #2 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV110572 DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE #19 $2.99

NOV110612 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BATTLE OF TULL PREM HC $24.99

NOV110514 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER WAY STATION #2 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV110589 DEADPOOL #49 $2.99

NOV110647 ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO IN ONE TP VOL 04 $19.99

NOV110617 FEAR ITSELF AVENGERS PREM HC $24.99

NOV110622 FEAR ITSELF GHOST RIDER PREM HC $19.99

NOV110512 FORMIC WARS SILENT STRIKE #2 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV110621 GHOST RIDER BY DANIEL WAY ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP $34.99

NOV110548 GHOST RIDER CYCLE OF VENGEANCE #1 $5.99

NOV110620 GHOST RIDER OFF INDEX TO MARVEL UNIVERSE GN TP $19.99

NOV110477 INCREDIBLE HULK #4 $3.99

NOV110482 JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 $2.99

NOV110580 MAGNETO NOT A HERO #3 (OF 4) $2.99

AUG110686 MMW CAPTAIN MARVEL HC VOL 04 $59.99

AUG110687 MMW CAPTAIN MARVEL HC VOL 04 DM VAR ED 173 $59.99

NOV110638 MYSTIC TENTH APPRENTICE TP $14.99

NOV110495 NEW AVENGERS #20 $3.99

NOV110511 NORTHANGER ABBEY #3 (OF 5) $3.99

NOV110590 PUNISHERMAX #21 (MR) $3.99

NOV110519 SCARLET SPIDER #1 $3.99

NOV110497 SECRET AVENGERS #21 $3.99

NOV110639 SPIDER-MAN COMPLETE BEN REILLY EPIC TP BOOK 03 $39.99

NOV110605 SPIDER-MAN SPIDER-ISLAND HC $39.99

NOV110513 STAND NIGHT HAS COME #6 (OF 6) $3.99

NOV110558 SUPER HEROES #22 $2.99

NOV110517 ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #6 $3.99

NOV110566 WOLVERINE #300 $4.99

NOV110560 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #4 XREGG $3.99

NOV110625 WOLVERINE BEST THERE IS BROKEN QUARANTINE PREM HC $24.99

NOV110646 WOLVERINE BEST THERE IS CONTAGION TP $19.99

NOV110586 X-FACTOR #230 XREGG $2.99

AUG110684 X-MEN BY CLAREMONT AND LEE OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 $125.00

NOV110582 X-MEN LEGACY #260.1 $2.99