FANTAGRAPHICS TO PUBLISH THE COMPLETE ZAP COMIX
JULY 23, 2011, SAN DIEGO, CA—Fantagraphics Books President and Co-Publisher Gary Groth announced today at Comic-Con International that the Seattle-based publisher has entered into an agreement to publish The Complete ZAP Comix in Fall of 2012.
ZAP remains the best-known and most influential underground comic of all-time, and in many ways is Ground Zero for the entire field of underground, alternative, literary and art comics that exists today. Created by Robert Crumb, it was one of the defining events in the counterculture of the 1960s and singlehandedly launched the “underground comix” era.
“ZAP took comics from children to adults, crushing The Comics Code Authority in the process,” proclaimed ZAP artist Victor Moscoso.
The Complete ZAP Comix will be published as a two-volume, slipcased hardcover set, printed slightly larger than the original comics, and shot from the original negatives to the comic books, ensuring the finest reproduction ever seen of the material. It will also include the rarely-seen ZAM, a one-shot mini-comic/jam spinoff of ZAP from 1974, as well as other supplementary features, interviews with the artists, and other surprises.
“ZAP may be the most significant series in the history of American comics,” said Fantagraphics President and Co- Publisher Gary Groth. “Its cultural preeminence is the result of artistic merit, not collectibility or economics and that sets it apart from most comics series that have achieved this level of public awareness or notoriety. The artists that Crumb invited into ZAP each proved to be a stylistic virtuoso with a unique point of view and an uncompromising vision. ZAP was the vanguard of a movement that segued into the alternative comics of the ’80s and the graphic novels of the ’00s. We couldn’t be prouder to collect this landmark series in its entirety in a beautifully packaged two-volume set.”
Originally printed by Beat writer Charles Plymell in an edition of around 3,500 copies, ZAP #1 was the first title published by the late Don Donahue under the Apex Novelties imprint, and was infamously sold on the streets of Haight-Ashbury out of a baby stroller pushed by Crumb’s ex-wife, Dana. Over time, the series’ 16 issues have sold millions of copies.
Although R. Crumb had initially created ZAP as a showcase for his own work, the success of the first issue led him to open up the pages of subsequent issues to several other artists. He invited his peers S. Clay Wilson, Robert Wil- liams, “Spain” Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton, Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin to join him, effectively creating an artists’ collective that has remained mostly constant in the subsequent decades; when Rick Griffin died in 1991, the artist Paul Mavrides was invited to join the group.
“Fantagraphics’ The Complete ZAP Comix, as designed by Victor Moscoso, will be a classy item for the bookshelves of underground comics fans — those who can afford it, that is,” said ZAP artist Gilbert Shelton. “I imagine most of the original readers wish they still had their copy of the first edition of ZAP # 1, which sells for over ten thousand dollars now, if in perfect condition. But part of the secret of the success of underground comix was that they werecheaply produced and turned yellow and fell apart quickly, and also that they were borrowed and never returned by one’s friends, thereby forcing you to buy another copy. This will not happen with the new collected edition, which will be produced under the most rigorous of quality control.”
“Much as the effect EC’s MAD had on the mid-20th Century, ZAP was equally influential and disruptive to cultural mores at the end of the 20th Century, but without the hindrance of the old comic book code that cramped graphic novel expression for 40 years,” said ZAP artist Robert Williams. “I’m very pleased that Fantagraphics will release this long-awaited compendium of ZAP Comix.”
“When Robert Crumb started ZAP in 1968, no one had any idea that it would still be alive 45 years later,” Shelton added. “This exercise in anarchy — there were never any rules, restrictions, or editorial policy — is still the flagship of the underground comics movement. I tried, and failed, to get my fellow ZAPsters to correct their spelling errors, but they would not be subjected to such editorial tyranny. I also wanted to let other artists into the group, but it was decided to restrict the number of contributors to seven. So be it. Spell free or die, I now say.”
Fantagraphics will be publishing the The Complete ZAP Comix in Fall of 2012.
The Complete ZAP Comix
By: R. Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Robert Williams, Spain Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, & Paul Mavrides
Release Date: Fall 2012
Page Count: 800 PP
B & W + Full Color • Two-Volume, Slipcased Hardcover Set
---------------------------
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Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Complete Zap Comix Coming Fall 2012
Labels:
comics news,
Fantagraphics Books,
Gary Groth,
Gilbert Shelton,
Paul Mavrides,
Press Release,
R. Crumb,
Robert Williams,
S. Clay Wilson,
Spain Rodriguez,
Victor Moscoso
Announcing VIZManga.com
VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES VIZMANGA.COM
Extension of VIZ Media’s Digital Platform Expands Manga Audience to All Web Users in U.S. and Canada
San Francisco and San Diego, CA, July 22, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announced the launch of VIZManga.com at their 25th Anniversary Party in San Diego during the annual Comic-Con International convention. The website joins VIZ Media’s existing digital manga platform and launched with 40 series currently available on the VIZ MANGA App for iOS devices, including the wildly popular titles NARUTO, BLEACH, BLUE EXORCIST, OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB and VAMPIRE KNIGHT. With this expansion of the platform, fans can browse and access their digital manga from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ Manga Apps for the iPad™ and iPhone™/iPod™ touch. With one account, registered users will be able to view their purchases across even more devices than ever.
“Our digital publishing team wants manga to be available to as many fans as possible, no matter what device or digital experience people prefer,” said Brian Piech, Vice President, Digital Publishing. “Making our extensive library of the best titles direct from Japan available on VIZManga.com is a natural extension of our current VIZ MANGA apps available on all iOS devices. One purchase can now be read across multiple devices.”
VIZ Media’s digital manga platform allows for universal access for fans from their iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or now, VIZManga.com. Pricing for manga titles on the web will be identical to the VIZ MANGA app. The first chapter of all manga titles will be available as a free preview. Through July 31st, all Volume 1 manga titles will be 40% off.
The VIZ Media digital platform now has an online destination for reading manga on desktop/laptop computers and on Android-powered devices with built-in web browsers. The VIZ Manga App continues to be the top app for reading manga on iOS devices and features a rapidly growing library of the most popular manga series in the world, currently offering 40 series and over 300 volumes, with new additions and free Chapter 1 previews added weekly.
For more information, visit http://www.vizmanga.com/ or www.VIZ.com/apps.
Extension of VIZ Media’s Digital Platform Expands Manga Audience to All Web Users in U.S. and Canada
San Francisco and San Diego, CA, July 22, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announced the launch of VIZManga.com at their 25th Anniversary Party in San Diego during the annual Comic-Con International convention. The website joins VIZ Media’s existing digital manga platform and launched with 40 series currently available on the VIZ MANGA App for iOS devices, including the wildly popular titles NARUTO, BLEACH, BLUE EXORCIST, OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB and VAMPIRE KNIGHT. With this expansion of the platform, fans can browse and access their digital manga from VIZManga.com and through the VIZ Manga Apps for the iPad™ and iPhone™/iPod™ touch. With one account, registered users will be able to view their purchases across even more devices than ever.
“Our digital publishing team wants manga to be available to as many fans as possible, no matter what device or digital experience people prefer,” said Brian Piech, Vice President, Digital Publishing. “Making our extensive library of the best titles direct from Japan available on VIZManga.com is a natural extension of our current VIZ MANGA apps available on all iOS devices. One purchase can now be read across multiple devices.”
VIZ Media’s digital manga platform allows for universal access for fans from their iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or now, VIZManga.com. Pricing for manga titles on the web will be identical to the VIZ MANGA app. The first chapter of all manga titles will be available as a free preview. Through July 31st, all Volume 1 manga titles will be 40% off.
The VIZ Media digital platform now has an online destination for reading manga on desktop/laptop computers and on Android-powered devices with built-in web browsers. The VIZ Manga App continues to be the top app for reading manga on iOS devices and features a rapidly growing library of the most popular manga series in the world, currently offering 40 series and over 300 volumes, with new additions and free Chapter 1 previews added weekly.
For more information, visit http://www.vizmanga.com/ or www.VIZ.com/apps.
Labels:
Bleach,
comics news,
digital comics,
iPad,
iPhone,
manga,
manga news,
Naruto,
Press Release,
Vampire Knight,
VIZ Media
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Captain America: The First Avenger Reviewed
I saw Captain America: The First Avenger yesterday. It wasn't a dud like I worried. It was actually fun. I posted a review at Negromancer.
Leroy Douresseaux on CITIZEN REX HC
CITIZEN REX
DARK HORSE COMICS
WRITER: Mario Hernandez
ARTIST: Gilbert Hernandez
PIN-UP: Jaime Hernandez
EXTRA ART: Mario Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez
ISBN: 978-1-59582-556-8; hardcover
144pp, B&W, $19.99 U.S., $21.99 CAN
I love Love and Rockets and its creators, Los Bros., Gilbert Hernandez and his brother, Jaime Hernandez. There is a third brother, Mario Hernandez, who created Love and Rockets with his better known brothers, but who doesn’t produce comix as much as Beto and Xaime do.
Citizen Rex was a six-issue miniseries from Mario and Gilbert Hernandez published by Dark Horse Comics in 2009. The recently released Citizen Rex HC collects the original six issues with new text material from Mario and sketchbook drawings from both Mario and Gilbert. There is also frontispiece art by Jaime.
Citizen Rex revolves around two characters. The first is Sergio Bauntin, a gossip blogger also known as “Bloggo.” Sergio writes a web column titled, “The 3 O’Clock” that debunks urban legends and also takes shots at the elite.
The second primary character is CTZ-RX-1, who is also called “Citizen Rex” or just Rex. Rex is the most famous life-like robot in the world. 20 years before this story is set, Rex was involved in a scandalous affair with socialite, Renata Skink. This affair is what brought Rex’s popularity down and led to his deactivation.
Now, Rex is back, but why no one seems to know. Maybe, his return is tied to the simmering robot rights movement. Perhaps, it involves the recent activities of his creator, robot developer, GRA. Whatever the reason, Sergio is drawn into a conspiracy that involves his father, his uncles, his aunts, and even Renata Skink’s daughter, Sigi. There are also plenty of powerful people, including scientists and criminals, that don’t want the truth coming out regarding their dark past and their darker plans for the future.
Practically all of Gilbert Hernandez’s comix, from his soap operatic, generations-spanning, Luba stories to his quirky B-movie-style, science fiction and weird fiction tales. When Mario acts as Gilbert’s collaborator, specifically as the writer, the two create comix that are like Gilbert’s, but are more linear in the storytelling. The Mario-Gilbert stories are less nonsensical, but are no less inventive and imaginative.
Citizen Rex is set in a bizarre, sexy future, but that world is familiar in terms of people’s desires, political machinations, and corporate crimes. The characters, large or small, are as interesting as they are quirky, and Gilbert’s ability to make each character unique gives each character a sense of individuality.
As a work of science fiction, Citizen Rex is both thoughtful and plausible. It makes salient points about the conflict between humans and advancing technology and also what it means to be human. In fact, Citizen Rex does that better than science fiction movies about artificial intelligence that only pretend to be thoughtful, but are really all about action scenes and set pieces.
Of course, Citizen Rex has plenty of melodrama, and there are indeed several big action set pieces. At the heart of this book, however, is the theme of the inscrutable nature of humans and, in this case, robots.
The Citizen Rex HC sketchbook material and extras are generous and extensive, so readers will get a detailed look at the behind-the-scenes creation of this graphic novel. Apparently Neil Gaiman, as guest editor, selected this to be in Houghton Mifflin’s Best American Comics 2010. Citizen Rex deserves inclusion; it is one of the really quality science fiction comic books of this new century.
A-
DARK HORSE COMICS
WRITER: Mario Hernandez
ARTIST: Gilbert Hernandez
PIN-UP: Jaime Hernandez
EXTRA ART: Mario Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez
ISBN: 978-1-59582-556-8; hardcover
144pp, B&W, $19.99 U.S., $21.99 CAN
I love Love and Rockets and its creators, Los Bros., Gilbert Hernandez and his brother, Jaime Hernandez. There is a third brother, Mario Hernandez, who created Love and Rockets with his better known brothers, but who doesn’t produce comix as much as Beto and Xaime do.
Citizen Rex was a six-issue miniseries from Mario and Gilbert Hernandez published by Dark Horse Comics in 2009. The recently released Citizen Rex HC collects the original six issues with new text material from Mario and sketchbook drawings from both Mario and Gilbert. There is also frontispiece art by Jaime.
Citizen Rex revolves around two characters. The first is Sergio Bauntin, a gossip blogger also known as “Bloggo.” Sergio writes a web column titled, “The 3 O’Clock” that debunks urban legends and also takes shots at the elite.
The second primary character is CTZ-RX-1, who is also called “Citizen Rex” or just Rex. Rex is the most famous life-like robot in the world. 20 years before this story is set, Rex was involved in a scandalous affair with socialite, Renata Skink. This affair is what brought Rex’s popularity down and led to his deactivation.
Now, Rex is back, but why no one seems to know. Maybe, his return is tied to the simmering robot rights movement. Perhaps, it involves the recent activities of his creator, robot developer, GRA. Whatever the reason, Sergio is drawn into a conspiracy that involves his father, his uncles, his aunts, and even Renata Skink’s daughter, Sigi. There are also plenty of powerful people, including scientists and criminals, that don’t want the truth coming out regarding their dark past and their darker plans for the future.
Practically all of Gilbert Hernandez’s comix, from his soap operatic, generations-spanning, Luba stories to his quirky B-movie-style, science fiction and weird fiction tales. When Mario acts as Gilbert’s collaborator, specifically as the writer, the two create comix that are like Gilbert’s, but are more linear in the storytelling. The Mario-Gilbert stories are less nonsensical, but are no less inventive and imaginative.
Citizen Rex is set in a bizarre, sexy future, but that world is familiar in terms of people’s desires, political machinations, and corporate crimes. The characters, large or small, are as interesting as they are quirky, and Gilbert’s ability to make each character unique gives each character a sense of individuality.
As a work of science fiction, Citizen Rex is both thoughtful and plausible. It makes salient points about the conflict between humans and advancing technology and also what it means to be human. In fact, Citizen Rex does that better than science fiction movies about artificial intelligence that only pretend to be thoughtful, but are really all about action scenes and set pieces.
Of course, Citizen Rex has plenty of melodrama, and there are indeed several big action set pieces. At the heart of this book, however, is the theme of the inscrutable nature of humans and, in this case, robots.
The Citizen Rex HC sketchbook material and extras are generous and extensive, so readers will get a detailed look at the behind-the-scenes creation of this graphic novel. Apparently Neil Gaiman, as guest editor, selected this to be in Houghton Mifflin’s Best American Comics 2010. Citizen Rex deserves inclusion; it is one of the really quality science fiction comic books of this new century.
A-
Friday, July 22, 2011
Digital Manga Launches Project-H (H as in Hentai)
Project-H Launches in August!
Gardena, CA (July 20, 2011) - Digital Manga inc. is proud to announce the launch of our latest imprint: PROJECT-H!
Project-H is a special publishing imprint, http://www.projecth-books.com/, powered by 801 Media. The titles are explicit Seinen Hentai manga with the age rating M 18+. The first three titles to be released are Riosuke Yasui’s Shocking Pink! (Aug 24th), Hiroshi Itaba’s Three P (Oct 20th), and KUON Michiyoshi’s Embrace and Bloom (Nov23rd)!
Pre-orders for the two books are available now through Akadot Retail, akadot.com, and for wholesale through Digital Manga Direct , http://www.dmd-sales.com/
SHOCKING PINK! written and illustrated by Riosuke Yasui - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: August 24, 2011*Available for Pre-order Now!
When a girl claiming to be the descendent of Lui Bei, the founding emperor of the Shu Han state of the ancient Three Kingdoms of China, approaches you because your name is almost identical to said emperor's chancellor and prize strategist, what is a boy to do? Especially when she is very attractive and really, really, really wants you to become her royal strategist as she carves out her destiny? Join in the romp of course, and enjoy the delights offered along the way!
THREE P written and illustrated by Hiroshi Itaba - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: October 20, 2011 *Available for Pre-order TBA
Come and check out the 3 sizzling hot college co-eds: Reika, Sara and Mizume. Reika – she looks conservative, like a girl next door, but watch out! She’s the wild one! She always gets what she wants! Sara – men just don’t know how to say “no” to her pretty cute face! And Mizume – is the beautiful one and she plays hard-to-get with men. These gal pals have no secrets from each other! They talk about their boyfriend problems, sex problems and compare notes! What would you do if you found out that your boyfriend is cheating on you? Would you be mad or would ask them if you can join them for a threesome? They’ll show you how to have fun! This oneshot contains 9 short stories of these 3 co-eds having lots of naughty sex!
EMBRACE & BLOOM written and illustrated by Kuon Michiyoshi - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: November 23, 2011 *Available for Pre-order TBA
This anthology features works about hot & steamy sexcapade of nine delicious young ladies who aim to please and be pleased. Lots of erotic scenes to get your senses tickled! Come and check out which one of the nine you like the best!
*Pre-orders available through Digital Manga Direct, DMI’s Publisher’s Direct program. Please visit our website at http://www.dmd-sales.com/ to make an account and an order.
Follow us on twitter @projectHbooks
Find us on Facebook: PROJECT-H BOOKS
Contact us at: contact@projecth-books.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 preparation of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comic books) and related merchandise for the North American mainstream and subculture markets. In this capacity, DMI serves as a catalyst for the expansion of Japanese pop culture institutions into global arenas. The company's imprint line includes DMP: its mainstream imprint, DMP PLATINUM: its classic manga imprint, JUNE´: its boys love imprint, 801 MEDIA: its adult boys love imprint, DokiDoki: its exclusive co-publishing imprint with Shinshokan Publishing, Project-H: its Seinen Hentai manga imprint powered by 801 Media, and DMG: its own digital distribution initiative.
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
Gardena, CA (July 20, 2011) - Digital Manga inc. is proud to announce the launch of our latest imprint: PROJECT-H!
Project-H is a special publishing imprint, http://www.projecth-books.com/, powered by 801 Media. The titles are explicit Seinen Hentai manga with the age rating M 18+. The first three titles to be released are Riosuke Yasui’s Shocking Pink! (Aug 24th), Hiroshi Itaba’s Three P (Oct 20th), and KUON Michiyoshi’s Embrace and Bloom (Nov23rd)!
Pre-orders for the two books are available now through Akadot Retail, akadot.com, and for wholesale through Digital Manga Direct , http://www.dmd-sales.com/
SHOCKING PINK! written and illustrated by Riosuke Yasui - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: August 24, 2011*Available for Pre-order Now!
When a girl claiming to be the descendent of Lui Bei, the founding emperor of the Shu Han state of the ancient Three Kingdoms of China, approaches you because your name is almost identical to said emperor's chancellor and prize strategist, what is a boy to do? Especially when she is very attractive and really, really, really wants you to become her royal strategist as she carves out her destiny? Join in the romp of course, and enjoy the delights offered along the way!
THREE P written and illustrated by Hiroshi Itaba - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: October 20, 2011 *Available for Pre-order TBA
Come and check out the 3 sizzling hot college co-eds: Reika, Sara and Mizume. Reika – she looks conservative, like a girl next door, but watch out! She’s the wild one! She always gets what she wants! Sara – men just don’t know how to say “no” to her pretty cute face! And Mizume – is the beautiful one and she plays hard-to-get with men. These gal pals have no secrets from each other! They talk about their boyfriend problems, sex problems and compare notes! What would you do if you found out that your boyfriend is cheating on you? Would you be mad or would ask them if you can join them for a threesome? They’ll show you how to have fun! This oneshot contains 9 short stories of these 3 co-eds having lots of naughty sex!
EMBRACE & BLOOM written and illustrated by Kuon Michiyoshi - Rated M (Ages 18+), 5″ x 7.2″, MSRP: $17.95 US, $19.99 CAD, Available: November 23, 2011 *Available for Pre-order TBA
This anthology features works about hot & steamy sexcapade of nine delicious young ladies who aim to please and be pleased. Lots of erotic scenes to get your senses tickled! Come and check out which one of the nine you like the best!
*Pre-orders available through Digital Manga Direct, DMI’s Publisher’s Direct program. Please visit our website at http://www.dmd-sales.com/ to make an account and an order.
Follow us on twitter @projectHbooks
Find us on Facebook: PROJECT-H BOOKS
Contact us at: contact@projecth-books.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 preparation of anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comic books) and related merchandise for the North American mainstream and subculture markets. In this capacity, DMI serves as a catalyst for the expansion of Japanese pop culture institutions into global arenas. The company's imprint line includes DMP: its mainstream imprint, DMP PLATINUM: its classic manga imprint, JUNE´: its boys love imprint, 801 MEDIA: its adult boys love imprint, DokiDoki: its exclusive co-publishing imprint with Shinshokan Publishing, Project-H: its Seinen Hentai manga imprint powered by 801 Media, and DMG: its own digital distribution initiative.
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
Labels:
Adult Entertainment,
comics news,
Digital Manga Publishing,
manga,
manga news,
Press Release
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Reviewed
I reviewed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 over at Negromancer. Go. Read. Enjoy.
Leroy Douresseaux on RED SPIKE #3
RED SPIKE #3 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS/BENAROYA PUBLISHING
CREATORS: Michael Benaroya and Jeff Cahn
SCRIPT: Jeff Cahn
ARTISTS: Salvador Navarro and Mark Texeira
COLORS: Ifansyah Noor of Imaginary Friends Studios
LETTERS: John Aitken
COVER: Mark Texeira
28pp, Color, $2.99
My introduction to the comic books of Benaroya Publishing continues with Red Spike, created by Michael Benaroya and Jeff Cahn. Red Spike, a science fiction and action comic book miniseries, follows a group of people involved with Red Spike, a black ops program. Red Spike is a system that exposes young men to chemicals and brain surgery that turns them into super-soldiers. It’s an interesting concept.
As Red Spike #3 begins, readers get back story on the good-boy super-soldier, Matt Cutler. Colonel Moyer, who controls Red Spike, sends Matt on a mission to bring in Greg Dane, who entered the program with Cutler. Dane has gone rogue and is determined not to be brought back to Red Spike. Meanwhile, Dr. Margaret Downey, a scientist in the program, begins to investigate why Greg rebelled.
While it seems to borrow from other comic books and even movies, Red Spike has the kind of rock solid plotting found in tightly-written, big-budget action movies. Red Spike has elements of Captain American and the Jason Bourne films, but it most reminds me of Universal Soldier, the 1992 Van Damme film. Like the Van Damme films from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Red Spike is violent and testosterone-filled, but with a humanist lead character who fights because he must. This comic book would be nothing but a hoary cliché, if not for the storytelling. Jeff Cahn’s scriptwriting is patient, and that shows in a well-thought out plot and script.
The art by Salvador Navarro and Mark Texeira (I’m not sure who does what) is acceptable in that it tells the story. Other than that, it is mediocre – stiff figure drawing, unimaginative compositions, and bland page design. I found the story quite likeable, but the uninspired art put a damper on my enjoyment.
B
IMAGE COMICS/BENAROYA PUBLISHING
CREATORS: Michael Benaroya and Jeff Cahn
SCRIPT: Jeff Cahn
ARTISTS: Salvador Navarro and Mark Texeira
COLORS: Ifansyah Noor of Imaginary Friends Studios
LETTERS: John Aitken
COVER: Mark Texeira
28pp, Color, $2.99
My introduction to the comic books of Benaroya Publishing continues with Red Spike, created by Michael Benaroya and Jeff Cahn. Red Spike, a science fiction and action comic book miniseries, follows a group of people involved with Red Spike, a black ops program. Red Spike is a system that exposes young men to chemicals and brain surgery that turns them into super-soldiers. It’s an interesting concept.
As Red Spike #3 begins, readers get back story on the good-boy super-soldier, Matt Cutler. Colonel Moyer, who controls Red Spike, sends Matt on a mission to bring in Greg Dane, who entered the program with Cutler. Dane has gone rogue and is determined not to be brought back to Red Spike. Meanwhile, Dr. Margaret Downey, a scientist in the program, begins to investigate why Greg rebelled.
While it seems to borrow from other comic books and even movies, Red Spike has the kind of rock solid plotting found in tightly-written, big-budget action movies. Red Spike has elements of Captain American and the Jason Bourne films, but it most reminds me of Universal Soldier, the 1992 Van Damme film. Like the Van Damme films from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, Red Spike is violent and testosterone-filled, but with a humanist lead character who fights because he must. This comic book would be nothing but a hoary cliché, if not for the storytelling. Jeff Cahn’s scriptwriting is patient, and that shows in a well-thought out plot and script.
The art by Salvador Navarro and Mark Texeira (I’m not sure who does what) is acceptable in that it tells the story. Other than that, it is mediocre – stiff figure drawing, unimaginative compositions, and bland page design. I found the story quite likeable, but the uninspired art put a damper on my enjoyment.
B
Labels:
Benaroya Publishing,
Ifansyah Noor,
Imaginary Friends Studios,
Jeff Cahn,
Mark Texeira,
Michael Benaroya,
Review,
Salvador Navarro
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