Day: July 22, 2020

The Justice League at 60, Part One: Eight Eras

With the team’s first appearance arriving in December of 1959, Tom Bondurant looks back at the different eras that have defined the Justice League over the last 60 years.

The Justice League of America debuted on Dec. 29, 1959, in the pages of February-March 1960’s The Brave and the Bold #28. Therefore, since we’re in their 60th anniversary year, and since the feature is going through yet another transition, it’s a good time for a retrospective. This is an overview, so subsequent posts will examine each League era in more detail.

Although the JLA wasn’t the first all-star super-team – the Justice Society of America turns 80 on Nov. 22, 2020 – it casts a very long shadow over those which followed. Everyone from the Avengers to the Zoo Crew compares and contrasts with the League in one way or another. Indeed, there may not have been a Marvel Comics if (as the legend goes) its publisher hadn’t wanted a series to capitalize on the popularity of Justice League of America. Nevertheless, those groups’ successes have turned the League into something of a default. The Teen Titans are younger, the Justice Society is older, the X-Men are persecuted, the Defenders are ad hoc, etc. Over the years the League has tried its own various tweaks in attempts to stay relevant; but ultimately it’s reverted to the mean – a group of the “World’s Greatest Super-Heroes,” matched against comparable threats.

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Humanoids releases Jodorowsky + Mœbius ‘Metabarons’ story

Just in time for Comic-Con, check out a rarely seen story — and also take advantage of a great Humble Bundle.

Humanoids has released a hard-to-find Metabarons short story by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius on ComiXology this week, just in time for ComicCon@Home. You can purchase it for 99 cents.

“2020 is the 40th anniversary of The Incal,” said Humanoids Publisher Mark Waid. “With ComicCon@Home happening this week, we wanted to celebrate this anniversary by making this rare short story by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius available widely. This story plants the seeds for the great saga that would be told in The Metabarons. It is, as always, a great joy to see these two masters collaborate.”

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IDW promotes three following Ryall’s departure

Jerry Bennington, Jud Meyers and Rebekah Cahalin all move into new roles at the company.

In the wake of yesterday’s announcement that Chris Ryall is leaving IDW to pursue a new publishing venture, IDW has announced a new president and a new publisher, as well as one more promotion.

Ryall served as president, publisher and chief creative officer of IDW up until yesterday, but today’s announcement notes that the president and publisher roles will no longer fall under one person.

Jerry Bennington, who currently serves as IDW Publishing’s EVP of product management, has been named president of IDW. Jud Meyers, who is currently IDW Publishing’s sales director, will move into the publisher position. A new chief creative officer has not been named.

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‘Werewolf by Night’ will howl again in October

Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas will help tell the story of a new Native American werewolf.

As announced earlier this year, Taboo of the music group The Black Eyed Peas and his writing partner Benjamin Jackendoff will write a new Werewolf by Night miniseries for Marvel. Scott Eaton will join the duo for the tale of a new Werewolf by Night — a young Native American named Jake, who lives in Arizona.

“We’re going through a Native lens because of my Native American heritage,” Taboo told Comicbook.com. “I always liked storytelling from a native perspective. Although I was born in the city of Los Angeles, recently I’ve been really connected to the Indian country or to native communities to be able to be a service and help native youth, inspire them, especially when it comes to health and wellness, and arts and music. So we built our partnership knowing that when we create, we create through a native lens…”

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comiXology Originals, Kodansha to release ‘Shaman King’ digitally

The entire saga — including three volumes never released in English — will hit comiXology on July 28.

Kodansha and comiXology originals announced this week that Hiroyuki Takei’s shonen manga Shaman Kings will arrive on the platform in its entirety on July 28.

“It’s been over 10 years since I’ve completed Shaman King. But finally –– at last –– I can deliver the true ending to the story to the fans in America,” said Shaman King creator Hiroyuki Takei in the press release. “It’s a message from my heart, and I think it’s a particularly important one in this day and age. I hope that it’ll reach the hearts of many comrades.”

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2020 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award winners announced

The Hero Initiative, creators4comics, the Comicbook United Fund and Binc will all be honored later this week.

The Hero Initiative, creators4comics, the Comicbook United Fund and Binc have been named the recipients of the 2020 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. Named for Beany and Cecil creator Bob Clampett, the award is given out annually as part of the Eisner Award ceremony each July.

The Hero Initiative received the award for its ongoing charity efforts; the organization has been helping comic creators in need for more than 20 years.

“Hero Initiative is honored to receive the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award for 2020. Now more than ever, organizations such as Hero Initiative, which helps comic book creators in medical and financial need, are desperately needed,” Jim McLauchlin, on behalf of the Hero Initiative, said in a statement. “We continue to focus on this mission, and continually build for the future. Hero Initiative would not exist without the widespread support and assistance of creators, fans, and publishers all over the world. We share this award with them. We are grateful, humbled, and very appreciative of the recognition.”

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‘Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood’ creeps in from Ahoy just in time for Halloween

Paul Cornell, Russ Braun and Dean Motter will contribute to the anthology title’s first issue.

The follow-up to Ahoy Comics’ horror title Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Terror gets a slight title tweak that can’t bode well for anyone — Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood will arrive from the publisher in October.

The series is the third one invoking the name of the 19th century horror master.

“Since Edgar Allan Poe is dead, we get to make any arbitrary decision we want and there’s not a thing he can do about it,” said Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer in Ahoy’s July newsletter. “So sometimes we just make a senseless power move out of sheer contempt for the great writer and his memory. Plus, we get to start again at #1, which should attract all of the most devoted comics collectors of 1991. Everybody wins! Except Poe.”

In the first issue, Paul Cornell and Russ Braun retell Poe’s “Black Cat” — but with a dog, while Dean Motter “settles the science vs. religion debate once and for all.”

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