12/26/2010

Matt Fraction Talks Fear Itself

[From Bleeding Cool]
Well, the series will centre on Thor and Captain America, an Eden-like myth in Norse history revolving around the God Of Fear, the serpent cast out by Odin, killed his followers and churches and has hidden his existence. And Sin, the daughter of Red Skull, and now the new Red Skull, finds him.

A god that thrives on fear itself. And the more you fear him, the stronger he becomes, and he launches a war on earth, scaring everyone and turning each person into a weapon feeding Fear.
It’s designed to be modular. Like Civil War, you can just read the series and that’s fine, but you can spin off on tangents in other books if you wish.
[Listen to the interview at Word Balloon]

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 27th, 2010

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.

ITEM! Hope everyone had a Happy Holiday! We'll be open our regular hours on New Year's Eve and closed on New Year's Day.

ITEM! We're extending our Trade Paperback sale to New Year's Eve!

ITEM! DC Heroclix 75th Anniversary boosters will be back in stock this Wednesday! We're getting a bunch so if you want to lay your hands on another brick let us know.

ITEM! The rollbacks continue... This week we have Carnage #2 rolledback to $2.99!

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
Comics superstar David Finch takes full creative control (both writing and illustrating!) on this brand-new Batman monthly series! Joined by the best of the best - Scott Williams - on inks, this new series is sure to be on everyone's must-read pile! Delving into the more supernatural and esoteric areas of Gotham City, the 6-part storyline explores the horrific murder of one of Bruce Wayne's childhood friends...and the terrible ramifications the brutal crime has on Batman's life! 


SHIELD #5
"The Forgotten Machines of XXXXXX XXXXX"
The story that has taken the comic book world by storm marches on with an issue so secretive that we can't even reveal the full title! WHO IS THE NIGHT MACHINE?! Find your answer here from Jonathan Hickman (FANTASTIC FOUR) and Dustin Weaver (X-MEN). Every issue has sold out and gone into multiple printings. IT'S GOOD! WE PROMISE! Don't miss the sleeper hit of 2010!

TRUE BLOOD #6 (OF 6)
Sookie and Eric, Tara and Sam, Jason and Lafayette-they've all spilled their guts, revealing their deepest, darkest secrets-feeding the trickster spirit's need for shame; hoping he'll release them when they're finished. Now it's Bill's turn, and the 184-year old vampire's story of personal regret in post-civil war Louisiana is the most shameful of all!  But the sun is coming up, and it's up to Sookie to uncover the spirit's true intentions. Will she discover the monster's secret in time?  


WIDOWMAKER #2 (OF 4)
Who is hunting Marvel's super spies? Espionage agents around the world are being assassinated, their covers blown, and governments' intelligence & security capabilities devastated!  The person behind it: an all-new Ronin! The next two super-spies targeted for death: Black Widow and Mockingbird!  The wildcard determined to unmask the killer: Hawkeye! Let the game begin as Marvel's spy community collides with it's superhuman agents!

12/22/2010

David Aja's covers for Marvel's 5 Ronin

This looks great! Check out the other covers here.

Marvel's Fear Itself

Coming in April 2011, mounting paranoia and anger will force the Marvel Universe to face its biggest foe yet: Fear Itself.

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada along with VP – Executive Editors Tom Brevoort and Axel Alonso gathered at Midtown Comics on December 21 to address fans about their upcoming plans for 2011. After a week’s worth of teasers and speculation, the trio announced Fear Itself, a brand new mega comics event.
“It's undeniable that there's a certain something in the air right now,” said Quesada. “Tapping into that is what we do at Marvel and it brings out the best in our creators. But it's all through the eyes and stories of our heroes.”

Anchored by a seven-issue limited series, Fear Itself will involve the entire Marvel Universe—but who will be the eight most worthy?

Weaving this web of anguish and trepidation wills a superstar line-up of Marvel creators headlined by writer Matt Fraction and artist Stuart Immonen along with inker Wade Von Grawbadger and colorist Laura Martin on the core series.

“Like the best of all Marvel stuff, it’s something that speaks to the world we live in,” said Fraction of the story. “Everyone is afraid of something right now.”

In addition to the central limited series, Fear Itself will be supplemented by other event-specific limited series and specials as well as ancillary tie-ins in ongoing titles that will exist as their own standalone stories.

The action starts up in March 2011 with a prologue written by Ed Brubaker with art by Scot Eaton. Set during World War II, the story revolves around Captain America and the Invaders doing battle with the Red Skull. Deep in the history of the Marvel Universe, a secret lurks that unlocks the first key to Fear Itself.
“Fear, above all else, is a great motivator,” said Quesada. “There's no shortage of charlatans, tyrants or despots ready to stoke the flames. All they need is a spark.”

Fear Itself Press Conference | Marvel Heroes | Videos | Marvel.com

12/19/2010

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 20th, 2010

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.

GREEN LANTERN LARFLEEZE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL #1
It's BRIGHTEST (CHRISTMAS) DAY! What do you want for Christmas? Orange Lantern Larfleeze wants everything - including Santa Claus himself! And nothing, not even the heroes of the DC Universe can to stop the Orange Lantern from getting what he wants! Plus, you won't want to miss the strange holiday season shenanigans starring the rest of the Orange Lantern Corps! Superstar writer Geoff Johns and artist Brett Booth team up for an unbelievable sleigh ride adventure!

HAUNT #12
THE SENSES-SHATTERING SECOND STORY-ARC CONCLUDES!
Hurg and his secret organization have been dragged into the open and exposed.  Now is the time to strike! Haunt and the agency must act now - before he moves deeper underground.  He had Kurt killed, he set these events leading to the birth of Haunt into motion - and now it's time to pay for what he's done!

MICE TEMPLAR VOL 3 #1
THE AWARD WINNING SERIES CONTINUES! Karic has accomplished his goal - the rescue of his family from captivity-but their freedom has come with a terrible price. Karic now lies comatose, his spirit lost to a realm of nightmare, a portal to the Outer Darkness where ancient demons have been cursed. Yet Cassius risks all for the young mouse who restored his faith, even death at the blade of his old Templar rival Ronan. Meanwhile, the druids and the rat army unleash a new wave of tyranny in retaliation for Karic's audacious attack. Only the heroic Maeven archers can stand against the MORTAIR, the deadly sisterhood of rat assassins!A perfect starting point for new readers!

TANK GIRL BAD WIND RISING #1 Of (4)
A holiday. A hold-up. A murder. A car chase. A mound of dog poo. A very large vodka. A fistfight. A kick in the groin. An earthquake. A mutant surfer. A lorry heist. A thousand pairs of panties. A tiny moped. And a gang of killer kangeroos after Tank Girl's scalp. Don't miss this twisted action adventure!

12/18/2010

Godzilla: Monster World from IDW in March

San Diego, CA (December 15, 2010) –IDW Publishing and Toho Co., Ltd. are excited to announce the return to comics for the biggest star in motion pictures! Kicking off in March, Godzilla®: Monster World offers fans the world over the first ongoing comic series in years. GODZILLA® will be joined by many other monsters throughout the series, including Mothra™, King Ghidorah™, Rodan™ and more that have never before been featured in an American comic book series alongside King of the Monsters™.

“Godzilla has been gone from comics for too long” said Yukio Kotaki of Toho. “And to have it return with other monsters is simply very exciting.”

Bringing these fearsome creatures back to comics is a larger-than-life creative team, led by co-writers Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tracy Marsh. Artist Phil Hester (Kevin Smith’s The Green Hornet) will capture every monster moment. The series will feature not one but two painted covers, offered on a 50/50 basis: Eric Powell will provide a gatefold wraparound cover featuring many beloved Toho monsters, and fan-favorite artist Alex Ross contributed an imposing image of Godzilla®. Powell has also painted a separate incentive cover to herald the debut issue’s launch.

“To be able to launch a Godzilla series that features many fan-favorite Toho monsters never before seen in comics is gratifying enough,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer. “But to do it with the guiding hand and brush of Eric Powell -- as perfectly suited a creator as I could’ve hoped to come aboard here – along with Hester, Marsh, and Ross, is about as monstrous a line-up as I could’ve ever hoped for. What’s more, this is just the first series to come in the line. The next one out of the gates features multiple Eisner-nominees and winners handling the creative, so we’re well and truly just getting started here.”

In Godzilla®: Monster World, a full-scale apocalypse is brewing. The monsters are a force of nature whose attacks can be no more predicted or rationalized than a lightning strike. There will be no clean-cut heroes with perfectly chiseled chins and capes billowing in the wind; only ordinary human beings struggling desperately to survive in a world gone mad.

With an impressive cast of monsters both old and new, IDW’s series will treat fans to both familiar themes and original takes on the pop culture legends that have stomped, smashed, and fought their way across movie screens for over four decades.

Adding to great creators and a monster story, IDW is also offering killer retailer specials for Godzilla®: Monster World #1, including a one-of-a-kind, hand-drawn Eric Powell sketch cover. Plus, retailers will be eligible for their very own cover – featuring Godzilla stomping their comic store.

Godzilla®: Monster World #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in comic stores in March 2011.

12/17/2010

X-Men: Age of X Checklist


Here's a breakdown of the upcoming Age of X crossover.

The X-Men never existed. Mutants are on the verge of extinction. And a conspiracy threatens their brotherhood. Mutantkind makes their last stand. But who will survive...?
  • AGE OF X ALPHA #1 
  • X-MEN LEGACY #245 - PART ONE
  • NEW MUTANTS #22 - PART TWO
  • X-MEN LEGACY #246 - PART THREE
  • NEW MUTANTS #23 - PART FOUR
  • AGE OF X UNIVERSE #1
  • X-MEN LEGACY #247 - PART FIVE
  • NEW MUTANTS #24 - PART SIX
  • AGE OF X UNIVERSE #2
Look for a Launchpad package deal on this crossover to be announced soon...!

Batman Europa #3 Cover

[From The Source]

12/12/2010

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 13th, 2010

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.

ITEM! This Saturday, the 18th, we'll be having our fourth annual Christmas Party. Come on down @ 7 for some junk food, video games, and general nerdery!

ITEM! The rollbacks continue this week with Black Panther Man Without Fear #513, which is rolledback to $1.99!

BIRDS OF PREY #7
One of Oracle's fiercest enemies finds her alone and far from her allies and safe houses - and that's just the tip of the iceberg as Batman returns! Rising star artist Ardian Syaf (BRIGHEST DAY) makes his BIRDS OF PREY debut in a story you must not miss, which we're calling "The Death of Oracle"!

MOUSE GUARD BLACK GUARD #1
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.

NIGHTMARES & FAIRY TALES ANNABELLES STORY #1 Of (4)
Nightmares & Fairy Tales returns for a four issue series featuring the original creative team of Serena Valentino and FSc. Gwen and Annabelle venture off to find Morgan, a young woman who has been locked away in an asylum for many years for murders she did not commit. Soon, they find themselves in an abandoned town haunted by its own bloody past!

UNCANNY X-FORCE #3
"THE APOCAYLPSE SOLUTION," PART 3
Uncanny X-Force versus Apocalypse's Last Horsemen to the death!  With their target within striking distance the team separate in hopes that one of them might infiltrate the Akkaba stronghold and assassinate Apocalypse. However, breaking apart has left them vulnerable, and one member pays a heavy toll for the strategy. Will a member of the team die to stop Apocalypse? Or will the price be heavier still?

12/10/2010

X-men Destiny Teaser Trailer

[From GT]

You've Got One Chance

It's always nice to see something new and different in video games, something that doesn't fall neatly into an established genre. As the industry balloons to the size of Hollywood, and only "safe bets" are backed, indie and homebrew games have become the outlet for innovation.

Which brings us to One Chance by AwkwardSilenceGames. In One Chance you play a cancer researcher who has unwittingly insured the destruction of the human race. You are faced with various choices about how you deal with humanity's final days and as the game states, you only have one chance... There are no saves, no retries. You live with the consequences of your actions which makes for a surprisingly compelling experience.

Check it out at newgrounds.

12/08/2010

Dirk Gently Trailer

The first trailer for the upcoming British series Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Check it.

DC Heroclix 75th Map Previews

Wizkids has previews up of the maps that will be shipping in the Organized Play kits for next week's DC 75th Anniversary set. Check them out here.

Stalking Arkham City

Why does anyone ever try to get the jump on Batman? A Teaser from next year's Arkham City video game.

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-gb&from=sp&fg=shareEmbed&vid=c7f8a884-14d7-4e40-b54b-3ad531f70651" target="_new" title="Exclusive: Batman - Arkham City Teaser Trailer">Video: Exclusive: Batman - Arkham City Teaser Trailer</a>

12/03/2010

100+ Pages of an Unpublished Comic

[From Robot 6]

James Stokoe, creator of Orc Stain has released on his blog 102 pages of his (NSFW) unpublished Murder Bullets comic.

If you like what Stokoe has on offer here, you might wanna check out Orc Stain and his upcoming Sullivan's Sluggers GN (both from Image).

Marvel HeroClix: Giant-Sized X-Men


[Click the "heroclix" tag at the end of this post for more Heroclix news and previews!]

We've got the solicitations for the next Heroclix set and it's street date is currently set for 3.16.2011!
Marvel HeroClix: Giant-Sized X-Men features 67 new collectible HeroClix figures, with subthemes that include The Astonishing X-Men, The Brotherhood of Mutants, Nextwave, and the Hellions, plus larger-than-life Super Boosters containing iconic X-Men duo figures, the Horseman of the Apocalypse, and huge figures such as Nemesis, Onslaught, and the Sentinels! Each Brick of Marvel HeroClix: Giant-Sized X-Men contains eight traditional 5-figure booster packs and one Super Booster.
The Marvel HeroClix: Giant-Sized X-Men is too big to contain in a normal booster, so WizKids introduces the "Super Booster", containing figures unlike any done before for HeroClix! This new series consists of 67 new collectible HeroClix figures (55 in the regular booster, plus 12 in the Super Booster). Subthemes include: The Astonishing X-Men, The Brotherhood of Mutants, NextWave and Hellions. The Super Booster contains iconic X-Men duo figures, the Horseman of the Apocalypse, and huge figures such as Nemesis, Onslaught, and the Sentinels!