Archive for the ‘virgin comics’ Category

Jul
29
2008

San Diego Comic-Con International

posted by Matt Knicl at 1:00 pm.

I made a promise I couldn’t keep. Covering Comic-Con by oneself is impossible. The convention center took days to explore, and each panel had a line so long, you would have had to be there an hour before hand to ensure attendance. I thought I’d have free time, but at night when I thought I’d post, I was occupied by parties.

San Diego Comic-Con International logo

As far as the Con went, I have mixed feelings. As a comic fan, everyone and everything you’d want to see would be there, and lines in teh comic book area wouldn’t be too horrible. But, the movie and TV and video game and toy stuff really stole comics’ limelight, and filled the con with tourists and kids who admittedly didn’t read. Harold & Kumar were there, for example, and their booth put Marvel’s to shame. But once I stayed out of the entertainment section and kept to the comics area, I had a good time meeting with publishers and creators.

The parties were by far the best part of the Con because I could meet and talk to people one on one. You’d turn around and Joss Whedon or Bruce Campbell would be chilling. I met Mark Waid, Stephen Baldwin, Bill Willingham, the heads of DC and Marvel, Keith Giffen, and Grant Morrison at these parties, and as a professional and a fan boy I had a great time just talking to people.

News: Read the rest of this entry »

Apr
22
2008

NYCC Reflections

posted by Matt Knicl at 11:54 pm.

nycc.gif

Hey kids! Sorry for not updating for a few days - the Convention was amazing! There was so much to see, so much to do - everything vaguely nerd was there - from Japanese designer toys to trading card games to comics. Walking around, there was so much going on you actually forget to eat and drink. You bump into famous people and realize they are human beings, or hear them speak and become more convinced they are a literary god. I’m still absorbing the events, but I’ll share with you some of the cool news I picked up. Read the rest of this entry »

Mar
26
2008

Stand-up Comics for Mar. 26, 2008

posted by Matt Knicl at 3:37 pm.

Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not? #1

Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not? #1 (Dynamite) - As much as I love Bruce Campbell, I think he needs less focus. What I mean is the rate he’s going, he’s going to turn into a Chuck Norris Hot Topic fad that will burn out and with him, all that he’s ever touched, sort of like Rouge only with a bigger chin. I say this because fans of Evil Dead are excited about this crossover because the characters Campbell played, Ash and Autolycus, the King of Thieves, will meet. For me, that’s not that exciting as Campbell tends to play characters the same sarcastic way, and two versions of himself will be like someone talking to a mirror, only the reflection has a goatee. I’m more excited about Sam Raimi’s characters interacting with each other. I grew up on Hercules and Xena, and became enamored with the Evil Dead series because it was the same sort of humor. This should be about Sam Raimi and his legacy, and not about how “Bruce Campbell” they can make a comic. Read the rest of this entry »

Mar
19
2008

The Megas #1

posted by Matt Knicl at 10:00 pm.

There are two important parts to any comic - the gimmick and the execution. The gimmick is what draws the reader in, the execution is how the story is written and illustrated. For The Megas, the gimmick is a world where America is a monarchy. Check. The execution was also good. Great art and a set up for a thrilling political murder mystery. Check. So then why does it appear that I have a problem with The Megas? Because the gimmick isn’t what they said it was.

megas.jpg

Now, don’t get me wrong - the book is still good. But this is definitely not an alternate America in a monarchy. Well it is, but it isn’t. Let me see if I can explain this…

You are lead to believe this world is an alternate America, where instead of democracy the founding fathers opted for democracy. Read the rest of this entry »

Feb
22
2008

SciFi’s Tin Man

posted by Matt Knicl at 10:47 pm.

Welcome to the O.Z. (Don’t call it that)

I know this miniseries came out awhile ago, but I just got to see the 6 hour show on DVR. I remember at the time the project created some buzz and the DI even covered it.

Tin Man Cast

Tin Man is the alternate, modernized version of of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz that aired on the Sci-Fi channel. Virgin Comics also did a comic prequel online. Of course, you don’t actually have to have read the original book or seen the Judy Garland film, because this series is so far off it becomes its own thing. Read the rest of this entry »

Feb
7
2008

Mike Carey on The Stranded

posted by Matt Knicl at 11:12 pm.

Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

The Stranded #1

Virgin Comics, a part of the epic Virgin Group, is relatively new to the comic scene, but in a short time they have established themselves among the industry with famous writers and innovative titles, such as their books rooted in Indian Mythology, like Ramayan 3392 AD, or Garth Ennis’ Dan Dare series.

Recently Virgin teamed up with the Sci-Fi Channel to produce new properties under a Virgin/Sci-Fi imprint. These titles will be comics as well as television series. The first of which is The Stranded, written by Mike Carey (Crossing Midnight, Lucifer, X-Men). Read the rest of this entry »

Dec
11
2007

Dan Dare

posted by Matt Knicl at 1:56 am.

Dan Dare Voyage to Venus Part 1

Credit: Titan Books

The Hero of a Nation

In November Virgin Comics released the first issue of Dan Dare, a new look at the future of one of Britain’s popular pulp heroes.

I talked about the series in The Buzz a few weeks ago.

While there have been a few comics that reinvented the mythology of space pilot Dan Dare and the evil Venusian villain The Mekon, this series doesn’t just grapple with the legacy of a pulp hero - it also comments on the nature of British popular culture. Read the rest of this entry »