Fighting the Ogre

A pic from Drew's 4e D&D game. The heroes were fighting an ogre pulling a cart full of explosives while town burned around them. Brutal fight with Jagger Killmane dishing out some serious damage and taking the majority of the abuse.

MJ Comics?

So, two of the Launchpad guys (Jim and Mike) were hanging out the other night and we were speculating as to how many Michael Jackson comics there would be solicited in the next month's Previews. Bluewater has already announced one. Both of us guessed around 3 to 4, naming the companies we figured would likely to try to cash in (Bluewater was a given). Thoughts?

Btw, the above doesn't look like any iteration of Michael Jackson's face I recall. Perhaps its some idealized chimerical version. Like putting slim, relatively healthy Elvis into the sweaty white jumpsuit.

MONDAY TELEMETRY For June 29th, 2009

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 in the coming week.

Happy Fourth of July! Have fun, be safe. Want to let you all know that this one holiday, thanks to it falling on a Saturday, that will not affect the shipping of that week's comics. New comics on the following week will be available on Wednesday as normal.


NOTABLE RELEASES THIS WEEK (click on images for larger version)

BATMAN & ROBIN #2
"Batman Reborn" continues with the reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)!

In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don't make as good a team as Batman had hoped!

Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father.

Check out a short preview at IGN.


CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #1
Following the events of Captain America #600, Steve Rogers' closest friends and allies may have found a way to bring back the original Captain America. Or is what they found something more sinister? The Red Skull's greatest plan to destroy Captain America has been in motion and its completion is almost at hand. Will Captain America be lost forever or will he be REBORN?

Check out the LA Times preview.




DEADPOOL: MERC WITH A MOUTH #1
"HEAD TRIP," Part 1 (of 6)-It's the Merc with two mouths! Deadpool travels to the Savage Land to retrieve what might be the deadliest bio-weapon the universe has ever seen. What is this deadly object? Well, Deadpool's employer is being a little vague about that. Let's just say when the secret is finally revealed, it's enough to throw even the Merc with two Mouths for a loop...Oh hell, we can't keep a secret, it's the severed-but-still-hungry head of the Marvel Zombies Deadpool! To save the universe, Deadpool must team up with himself to dodge Hydra operatives, dinosaurs, cavemen and zombie cavemen as he attempts to take his not-so-precious cargo back where it came from: the Marvel Zombies Universe.


JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #1
What brings a team together? Justice! Batman and Martian Manhunter have been slaughtered. But he's not the only hero to fall at the hands of villains. The murder has to stop, and it's time to take the fight to the bad guys! Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Supergirl, Atom, Shazam, Congorilla and Starman unite in a cry for justice!

This 6-part miniseries from James Robinson (STARMAN, SUPERMAN) and rising star artist Mauro Cascioli (TRIALS OF SHAZAM) pushes our heroes to the brink and beyond as evil can no longer be tolerated to win. But when Prometheus plans his revenge on not only the heroes, but on the very places they call home, will this new team be ready to pay the cost for the justice they seek? This time it's personal - and it'll only get more bloody before it's over!

Check out the preview at Newsarama.

STAR WARS INVASION #1
A new series comes to Dark Horse's Star Wars line! After its special sixteen-page May preview on starwars.com, Star Wars: Invasion continues in print!

This series is set twenty-five years after the Battle of Yavin. The Jedi, and the galaxy, are facing their first real threat since the Sith were defeated: an invasion of hostile warriors called the Yuuzhan Vong.

The forces of the New Republic and the fledgling New Jedi Order stand ready to face the invaders, but they've never seen anything like the Yuuzhan Vong! Luke Skywalker is about to discover that it's not his galaxy anymore.

Check out the lead-in and preview at starwars.com.

New Comics In Stock 07-01-09

AGENTS OF ATLAS #7 DKR
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #8
ASTONISHING TALES #6
ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #17
AUTHORITY #12
BATMAN #687
BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #31
BOYS #32 (MR)
BOYS TP VOL 04 WE GOTTA GO NOW (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26 CHEN CVR
CABLE #16
CAPTAIN AMERICA POSTER BOOK
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #1 (OF 5)
CROSSED #6 (OF 9) (MR)
CROSSED #6 (OF 9) WRAP CVR (MR)
DAREDEVIL NOIR #4 (OF 4)
DEAD ROMEO #4 (OF 6)
DEAD RUN #2
DEADPOOL MERC WITH A MOUTH #1
DESTROYER #4 (OF 5) (MR)
EXILES #4
FANTASTIC FOUR #568
GEARS OF WAR #8 (MR)
GHOSTBUSTERS BRUSHED LOGO BLK T/S MED (C: 0-1-3)
GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME GN
GOLD DIGGER #108
GOLD DIGGER PEEBO TALES SPECIAL #5
GOLD DIGGER TECH MANUAL #5
GOLD DIGGER TIFFANY & CHARLOTTE 2ND SEMESTER #1 (OF 4)
GREEK STREET #1 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #38 (BLACKEST NIGHT)
GREEN LANTERN RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS HC
IRREDEEMABLE #4
JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #1 (OF 7) CVR A
JUSTICE LEAGUE CRY FOR JUSTICE #1 (OF 7) CVR B
KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #152
LOCKE & KEY HEAD GAMES #6
LOONEY TUNES #176
MARVEL DIVAS #1 (OF 4)
MIGHTY #6
PROMO POSTER COVER GIRLS DCU WONDER WOMAN STATUE (NET)
SAVAGE DRAGON #150 (NOTE PRICE)
SCOURGE OF GODS FALL #1 (OF 3) (MR) (C: 1-0-0)
SECRET SIX #11
SOLOMON GRUNDY #5 (OF 7)
SOULFIRE #10 MICHAEL TURNER CVR (RES)
SPAWN #193
SPAWN ENDGAME TP VOL 01
STAR WARS INVASION #1 (OF 5) (C: 1-0-0)
STEPHEN COLBERTS TEK JANSEN #5 (OF 5) (RES)
TOY STORY MYSTERIOUS STRANGER #2 (OF 4) (C: 0-0-1)
UNCANNY X-MEN #513 DAX
USA COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
WAR OF KINGS #5 (OF 6)
WARHAMMER 40K HORUS HERESY FALLEN ANGELS MMPB (C: 0-1-2)
WARLORD #3
WITCHBLADE #128 SEJIC CVR A
WOLVERINE #72 2ND PTG MCNIVEN VAR
WRITING FOR COMICS & GN WITH PETER DAVID REVISED ED (C: 0-1-

Elegy Agitato

Sometimes the best indication that a writer knows his craft is his ability to bring a new reader up to speed without clumsy exposition or those little editors notes in boxes. I haven't been following DCs big events and continuity for a while now. Missed out on Batwoman's first go around as well. Despite this the first issue of Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics (#854 but it feels all new) brought me up to its break neck pace with ease.

Character dynamics are established elegantly and I was able to infer all I needed to know about the ongoing plot of the Crime Bible.

I knew I had to read this because I've always liked JH Willaims III's work. He not only does not disappoint but renews my belief that the guy is one of the best in the business today. This is simply the best looking book this year. I enjoyed Batman & Robin #1, and Winnick's first issue on Batman, but this, this is a great comic. Check it out.