‘A Star Wars Comic’ explores ‘small moments’ from the epic saga

Jim Mello, Alex Ray and Tony Ray bring their interpretations of various Star Wars characters to the web once a month in six finely crafted pages.

I came across the site “A Star Wars Comic” in my Tumblr feed recently, and at first thought that Lucasfilm or Marvel had started up some sort of webcomic project — but as it turns out, it’s actually a fan-made site featuring various comics that spotlight “the small moments, characters, and themes of a galaxy, far far away.” And it’s very impressive.

The comics — there are 19 of them right now, plus an annual — cut across the Star Wars mythos, featuring main characters like Luke and Rey, as well as lesser-explored characters like Mon Mothma, Plo Koon and even “Gonk” the power droid. All the comics are done by Jim Mello, Alex Ray and Tony Ray. Each story (except the annual) is six pages, so they’re very quick, in and out, looks at these characters, and they’re posted once a month on the 25th.

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‘Action 1000’ hardcover to include unpublished Siegel + Shuster story

Edited by Paul Levitz, ‘Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman’ will include essays and past ‘Action Comics’ stories, including one by Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster that was given to Marv Wolfman when he was a kid.

With plans for the 1,000th issue of Action Comics in place, DC Comics revealed more details about the hardcover collection they previously announced that will accompany the milestone issue.

Action Comics #1000: 80 Years of Superman, edited by former DC Publisher Paul Levitz, will feature several past Superman stories along with essays. The collection will also a never-before-published 12-page story from original Superman writer Jerry Siegel with art by the Joe Shuster Studio titled “Too Many Heroes.”

“The found Siegel and Shuster story is a true treasure with a fascinating backstory,” Levitz said. “Back when DC did regular tours of the New York office, it was common for fans to get original art that would have been otherwise disposed of as a tour souvenir. As a young fan on a tour Marv Wolfman found this Superman story and kept it all these years. It’s incredible to think that Marv not only rescued this unpublished story, he then went on to become one of DC’s most prolific writers, and shared the story with DC to publish as part of this special new collection.”

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Image Comics defies gravity in new comic ‘Skyward’

Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett team up for a new series about a world without gravity, which is set to launch this April.

Gravity is one of those things you take for granted — until it’s gone. In the new Image Comics series Skyward, writer Joe Henderson (showrunner of Fox’s TV adaptation of Lucifer) and artist Lee Garbett (Lucifer, Loki: Agent of Asgard) tell the story of an Earth where gravity is only a fraction of what we experience, and a young girl who stumbles onto a plot to bring it back.

Skyward is my all of my favorite things mashed together,” said Henderson. “It’s a coming-of-age story filled with action and humor, devastation and hope. It explores a world turned upside down, where anyone can leap tall buildings with a single bound — but if you jump too high, you die. And getting to see Lee Garbett bring it to glorious life is a dream come true.”

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An end, and a new beginning, for ‘Astro City’

With the final issue of the current volume due out in April, writer Kurt Busiek reveals the title’s future.

DC Comics’ solicitations for April 2018 reveal that the latest volume of Astro City, currently published as a part of their Vertigo imprint, will end with issue #52. But don’t panic: writer Kurt Busiek says Astro City will be back, as a graphic novel rather than a comic series.

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ECCC’s ‘Monsters & Dames’ art book returns this year

With a cover by the Allreds, the 2018 edition includes 88 pieces by Kyle Starks, Brett Blevins, Devin Lawson and more.

The Emerald City Comic Con’s annual Monsters & Dames art book has raised more than $100K for the Seattle Children’s Hospital since the convention first started publishing it in 2009. The charitable book returns at this year’s show, set for March 1-4, and they’ve got a pretty awesome line-up of artists slated for this edition.

With a Madman cover by Mike and Laura Allred, the book will include 88 pieces by Jim Mahfood, Cassie Kelly, Devin Lawson, Camilla d’Errico, Kyle Starks, Bret Blevins, Brian Denham and many more. Check out the full list on the ECCC website, and check out a few of the submissions below.

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Lost Kirby/Kane ‘Prisoner’ comic coming from Titan Comics

An unpublished Prisoner comic by Jack Kirby, Gil Kane and Steve Englehart accompanies a new comic series by Peter Milligan and Colin Lorimer.

Titan Comics announced last fall plans to publish a new comic based on the cult classic TV show The Prisoner, and now they’ve revealed more details about what they have planned for Number 6 next July.

First up is printing a “lost” Prisoner comic by Steve Englehart, Jack Kirby and Gil Kane. This special oversized collectors edition will contain the entire 17-page Kirby strip, the first six pages of which were inked and lettered by Mike Royer, as well as 18 pages of pencils drawn by legendary comic artist Kane. The comic was originally intended to be published by Marvel back in the 1970s; read more about it here.

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Dark Horse to adapt in-game novel from ‘Dragon Age’ video games

‘Hard in Hightown’ brings Varric Tethras’ classic story out of the game and into your hands as a hardcover in July.

Fans of the Dragon Age video game series know that the best supporting character in the game, the enterprising dwarf Varric Tethras, wields a mean writing pen in addition to his automatic crossbow. Dragon Age 2, for instance, details the creation of a book called Hard in Hightown as a side story, giving you the opportunity to collect chapters of the story as you play. Hard in Hightown features somewhat familiar-sounding characters and was a source of contention between Varric and other members of Hawke’s party.

Next July, Dark Horse plans to release a hardcover of Hard in Hightown, adapting that story into comic form. “Ghostwritten” by Mary Kirby, who wrote Varric for both Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition, the book will be illustrated by Stefano Martino, Álvaro Sarraseca, Andres Ponce, and German Ponce, with a painted cover by E.M. Gist.

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Chris Schweizer walks into Mordor with latest paper figure set

Download and print out Frodo, Gandalf, Sam and the rest of the Fellowship from J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic ‘Lord of the Rings,’ as imagined by Schweizer.

One of our favs, Chris Schweizer, is back with another papercraft set, this time featuring the iconic members of the fellowship who ventured out with Frodo to fight evil jewelry in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings novels.

After a simple download, you can print, cut and then display Frodo, Gandalf, Boromir and the rest on a table or shelf of your choice.

“With this set, I wanted to get away from the iconography created by the Jackson films, as a reminder that any adaptation or illustrations of a book are just interpretations and the only true canonical version is the one in your head,” Schweizer said.

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Allred, IDW celebrate 25 years of Madman with limited edition hardcover

‘Madman: Quarter Century Shindig’ will contain more than 450 pages of Frank Einstein’s adventures, hand-picked by creator Mike Allred.

IDW and Mike Allred are teaming up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Madman with a limited-edition hardcover hand-curated by the character’s creator.

Madman: Quarter Century Shindig is an oversize hardcover collection and is part of IDW Limited’s Artist Select series. It will include more than 450 pages of Madman adventures, all hand-picked by Allred and spanning the character’s history. IDW’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall’s interview with Allred will open the book.

“For over two decades now, Mike Allred’s art and storytelling have thrilled readers like myself,” said Ryall. “Really, it’s impossible not to look at a page of Mike’s art and not have it put a huge smile on your face. So IDW is very excited to be able to celebrate this anniversary of Mike’s work on Madman and offer up this amazing new collection.”

Madman, a.k.a. Frank Einstein, first appeared in Creatures of the Id back in 1990. Since then he’s appeared in comics published by several companies, including IDW, Image, Oni Press and Dark Horse, as well as Allred’s AAA Pop.

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Superman puts his pants back on for ‘Action’ #1000

Milestone issue will include new stories by Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Lee, Curt Swan, Marv Wolfman, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer, John Cassaday, Scott Snyder and more.

The world returns to sanity again in April with the landmark Action Comics #1000, which features a slew of creators telling tales about Superman and, more importantly, the return of his famous red trunks.

Debuting in Action Comics #1 way back in 1938, the red trunks helped Clark Kent’s alter-ego fight for truth, justice and the American way for almost a century — that is, until the launch of the New 52 in 2010. Dc co-publisher Jim Lee redesigned many DC characters at the time, including Superman — and the new, super-hip redesign had no room for outside undies or his classic red boots. The move was controversial, just like any change to the status quo in superhero comics, and eventually spawned petitions from fans to return to the classic look. Now it looks like those voices have finally been heard by DC.

Action Comics #1000 represents a watershed moment in the history of not just comic books, but entertainment, literature and pop culture,” said Lee. “There’s no better way to celebrate Superman’s enduring popularity than to give him a look that combines some new accents with the most iconic feature of his classic design.”

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‘The Woods,’ ‘Batwoman,’ ‘America’ among 2018 GLAAD Award nominees

DC Comics, Marvel, BOOM! Studios and Black Mask Studios all represented in the 10 nominees in the comic book category.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, have announced the nominees for their 2018 Media Awards, which recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives.

BOOM! Studios received four nominations, including one for last year’s winner, The Woods. They were followed by Marvel with three, DC Comics with two and Black Mask Studios with one. James Tynion IV, writer of The Woods, was involved with three of the books that received nominations.

The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 12 at The Beverly Hilton, and in New York on May 5 at the New York Hilton Midtown.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

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‘300’ prequel gets a release date

Frank Miller’s ‘Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander’ arrives from Dark Horse Comics in April.

Frank Miller’s prequel to his hit graphic novel, 300, will arrive in April from Dark Horse Comics.

Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander follows Persian King Xerxes as he sets out to conquer the world to avenge his father Darius’ defeat and create an empire unlike anything the world has ever seen — until the hardy Greeks produce a god king of their own, Alexander the Great. This five-issue series boasts issues with 30+ plus pages of story and features wrap-around covers in a deluxe collector format. Miller will write and draw it, while Alex Sinclair will provide colors.

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