Month: July 2020

Skybound announces a ‘Summoners War’ prequel comic

Justin Jordan and Luca Claretti will bring the mobile game to comics.

Skybound has announced a prequel comic for the hit mobile video game, Summoners War, by the creative team of Justin Jordan and Luca Claretti.

“Summoners War is one of the world’s top mobile games thanks to its rabid fanbase, roaring esports community and a rich in-game universe, so we’re expanding the IP into new frontiers by partnering with Skybound Entertainment on our first official comic book series, Summoners War: Legacy,” said John Nam, VP of IP Strategy Department at Com2uS, who make the mobile game. “Our friends at Skybound are a powerhouse of imagination and a perfect partner for helping Com2uS grow Summoners War in new directions.”

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Terry Moore announces new graphic novel ‘Ever: The Way Out’

The creator of ‘Strangers in Paradise’ and ‘Echo’ reveals his latest project — and teaches you to draw noses — on YouTube.

Terry Moore, who recently wrapped up the Terry Moore-iverse miniseries Five Years, has announced his next project — a graphic novel called Ever: The Way Out. He revealed the new title at the beginning of a YouTube tutorial on “How to Draw Noses.”

Moore, who self-publishes his work under the Abstract Studios banner, said this project would be different from his previous titles, as he’s releasing it as a full graphic novel rather than as single issues.

The 72-page graphic novel is about a half-angel/half-human girl who is turning 18 and finds out she’s “the key to opening the pit of darkness where … all the sinful angels are kept,” Moore said.

Watch the video below:

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What Are You Reading? | Jimmy Olsen says goodbye, plus Empyre, Gunland and more

See what the Smash Pages crew has checked off their “to read” list lately.

Welcome to What Are You Reading?, our weekly look at what the Smash Pages crew has been reading lately.

Marvel and DC’s big summer events are in full swing this week, as we look at new issues of Death Metal and Empyre, plus the wrap-up of Jimmy Olsen’s maxi-series. Also, Gunland! Do you know about Gunland? Michael May makes his long-awaited return with a look at a wonderful comic about cowboys who ride dinosaurs.

Let us know what you read this week in the comments or on social media.

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Mail Call | BOOM! reveals plans for Power Rangers, Dune and more

See the latest news and announcements from DC, Marvel, BOOM!, Image and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently. Hit the links for more information.

BOOM! Studios has announced not just one but two different new series starring the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, both written by Ryan Parrott. The first, titled Mighty Morphin, will feature art by Marco Renna and the introduction of a mysterious Green Ranger:

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‘The Walking Dead’ will be re-released in full color

Dave McCaig will color the popular series that launched a media empire.

Skybound has announced plans to re-release the entire Walking Dead comics series in color, starting in October.

Colorist Dave McCaig has been tapped to apply his coloring skills to The Walking Dead Deluxe, adding a new dimension to the original story by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. McCaig tweeted that he’s already colored more than 2,000 pages.

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Rep. John Lewis, Civil Rights icon, passes away

Lewis told the story of the Civil Rights era in the graphic novel trilogy ‘March.’

John Lewis, the Civil Rights icon who marched for racial equality in the 1960s and served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987, passed away today at the age of 80. Lewis had been fighting stage IV pancreatic cancer since December.

The congressman from Georgia was one of the original Freedom Riders and stood against racism, desegregation and discrimination his entire life — both in the streets and then later in Congress.

He helped organize, and spoke at, the famous 1963 March on Washington, and was arrested, jailed and beaten for challenging Jim Crow laws throughout the South. He was the last surviving member of the “Big Six” Civil Rights leaders, a group that included Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young.

He was also an award-winning graphic novel writer.

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Keanu Reeves comes crashing into comics with ‘BRZRKR’

Reeves will team up with co-writer Matt Kindt and artist Alessandro Vitti for a 12-issue miniseries.

Actor Keanu Reeves of John Wick and Bill & Ted fame will make his comic co-writing debut on a new title from BOOM! Studios called BRZRKR.

“I guess I’m in the writing room,” Reeves told USA Today’s Brian Truitt. He said he’s having Skype sessions with his co-writer, Matt Kindt, fairly regularly as he also works on the fourth Matrix film.

Kindt and Reeves are joined on the 12-issue series by artist Alessandro Vitti, colorist Bill Crabtree and letterer Clem Robins.

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Cates + Shaw reteam for ‘Crossover’

The upcoming Image Comics title declares, “Superheroes aren’t myths….they’re viruses…and they’re spreading…”

Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw, who previously worked together on God Country, will reunite for a new Image Comics titled Crossover. They’ll be joined by Dee Cunniffe and John J. Hill.

“Superheroes aren’t myths….they’re viruses…and they’re spreading…” Cates posted on Twitter, then called it “An Anti-Event for the ages…”

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Comics Lowdown | BOOM! asks for CBLDF’s FCBD anthology to be destroyed

Plus: News on 2019 comics sales, Joe Sacco, Cavan Scott, Grant Morrison, Mexican horror comics and more.

Following the controversy that has come to light recently about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and its former executive director, BOOM! Studios has asked for a Free Comic Book Day anthology they organized for the CBLDF to be destroyed, according to a report by Newsarama’s Chris Arrant.

A CBLDF Free Comic Book Day anthology has been assembled by numerous publishers over the years, and then published by the CBLDF for the annual event. This year’s event, of course, was cancelled in May due to the pandemic, but the comics are still being distributed to comic shops to be given out from July through September.

“In light of recent events surrounding the CBLDF, Boom! Studios asked that this year’s planned FCBD issue from the CBLDF not be distributed,” BOOM! told Newsarama. “Unfortunately, the issue was shipped out to retailers early in error (without being billed). We’ve requested the CBLDF and Diamond to ask retailers to destroy the copies they received, and a destruction notice should be sent to retailers shortly.”

CBLDF president Christina Merkler told the outlet that they respect BOOM!’s wishes and will leave it up to retailers whether they want to distribute the free comic.

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Archie announces ‘Madam Satan’ for October

Eliot Rahal, Julius Ohta, Matt Herms and Jack Morelli delve into the world of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ in this Archie Horror one-shot.

A key character from Archie’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Netflix series will headline her own one-shot later this year, as Eliot Rahal, Julius Ohta, Matt Herms and Jack Morelli bring Madam Satan to her own comic.

“We wanted to make sure that our first new title for the direct market this Fall was something retailers would be excited to present to customers old and new,” said Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura. “Playing in the world of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina felt like a surefire bet, and pairing two rising stars like Eliot and Julius ensures that readers get an essential and engaging story. We know fans are clamoring for more Archie Horror and this one-shot is just the beginning of new stories we can tell going forward.”

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Coffee, ghosts + romance: Christmas + Luiz team for ‘Crema’

The graphic novel by Johnnie Christmas, Dante Luiz and Ryan Ferrier arrives from comiXology Originals next week.

ComiXology Originals will drop another new graphic next week titled Crema. The digital release is by the creative team of Johnnie Christmas (Tartarus), Hugo-Award finalist Dante Luiz and letterer Ryan Ferrier.

“I wrote most of it in coffee shops around Vancouver, pounding copious amounts of caffeine and listening to hours of cafe talk,” Christmas said. “Dante’s art is beautiful. We were going for magical realism and fabulism in the modern context, utilizing color shifts in places to further heighten romance and ghostly terror.”

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‘American Vampire 1976’ wraps up the series this fall

Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s former Vertigo title returns for its last ride in October.

Skinner Sweet, the lovable, deadly star of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s long-running, Esiner-winning American Vampire, will take one more ride in October.

The former Vertigo series will find new life this fall as a nine-issue miniseries, American Vampire 1976, under DC’s Black Label banner.

“Scott, Rafael, and I, we cut our teeth together on American Vampire 10 years ago,” said Executive Editor Mark Doyle. “Returning to finish the story we started a decade ago is a thrill. Working on American Vampire 1976 has been so creepy and cool, especially because the parallels between ’70s paranoia and today are really chilling.”

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