Author: JK Parkin

DC Black Label announces new high fantasy series, ‘The Last God’

Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Riccardo Federici, Dean White and Tom Napolitano tell the story of ‘a cross-generational quest to kill an evil tyrant king.’

Epic fantasy and horror will collide in a new series from DC Black Label — The Last God, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Riccardo Federici, Dean White and Tom Napolitano.

According to the press release, the story “will follow a cross-generational quest to kill an evil tyrant king—also known as the Last God—as he seeks to destroy the land of Cain Anuun.”

“This is a terrifying horror story told in a stunning epic-fantasy world,” Johnson said. “Set in two different generations, it follows a mighty fellowship of heroes that travels beyond the borders of creation to kill a god, and the next generation, who learn their predecessors aren’t the heroes the world believes them to be.”

Continue reading “DC Black Label announces new high fantasy series, ‘The Last God’”

Adidas + Marvel team for Spider-Man inspired shoes

With great sneakers come great responsibility.

Adidas and Marvel have teamed up with the Utah Jazz player and major Spider-fan Donovan Mitchell for a line of shoes inspired by the various suits worn by Spider-Man.

The “D.O.N. Issue #1” line kicks off with the traditional red-and-blue suit getting a sneaker makeover, while the Iron Spider, Stealth and of course Symbiote suits also get some love.

The “D.O.N.” in the name stands for “Determination Over Negativity.” “Determination Over Negativity is a belief that anything is possible no matter who you are or where you come from,” said Mitchell . “I wanted this sneaker to be a symbol of that – for the kid who believes they can do anything.”

Mitchell, whose nickname is “Spida,” also appears in an ad for Spider-Man: Far from Home. “It made up a lot of movies I watched as a kid,” Mitchell said back in November after the death of Stan Lee, about the influence Lee and Spider-Man had on him. “It was pretty special for me to take that Spider-Man name and kind of run with it. It is an honor. He has done so much for the community and for us as kids growing up. [Lee’s] made an everlasting impact due to the comics, the movies, the ideas. He never stopped, and I think that is one thing that you can attest to his work ethic. I kind of put that into my work ethic. There’s always something, you always have to do more, he never stopped, and that was very impressive.

Continue reading “Adidas + Marvel team for Spider-Man inspired shoes”

News of a ‘Spider-Man’ miniseries by JJ + Henry Abrams sparks mixed reactions

Fans and pros had many opinions on Marvel’s newest Spidey series.

Marvel teased and then announced last week that filmmaker JJ Abrams and his son Henry will write a new miniseries simply titled Spider-Man. The comic will feature artwork by Sara Pichelli and Dave Stewart, with covers by Olivier Coipel.

The quick version:

  • Marvel began hyping the series with a series of teasers on Twitter that counted down to the day it would be announced, starting with a stylized “4” that looked like Spider-Man’s webs.
  • The announcement was made via a New York Times interview with JJ and Henry Abrams.
  • Reactions were, to put it lightly, mixed. Many fans expressed their disappointment with the overall announcement, as many were hoping the teasers were referring to a comic book adaptation of the script for the unmade Spider-Man 4 by Sam Raimi. Many comic creators criticized the fact that the inexperienced Henry Abrams seems to be getting a big break into comics simply because of who his father is.

So what’s this all about? Let’s break it down …

Continue reading “News of a ‘Spider-Man’ miniseries by JJ + Henry Abrams sparks mixed reactions”

Joe Hill to oversee pop-up imprint at DC

Hill House Comics brings new work from Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Kelley Jones and more.

Locke & Key co-creator Joe Hill is making a big return to comics with House Hill Comics, a pop-up imprint from DC. House Hill Comics will launch with five miniseries this fall, according to Entertainment Weekly.

“I’ve always been a comic book writer first,” Hill told EW. “When I started writing comics, I felt almost instantly that I had discovered my element. It was the version of writing I liked best. I felt, when I worked in comics, that my strengths were amplified, and the stuff I struggled with as a writer almost completely vanished. Working on Locke & Key was one of the most satisfying creative experiences of my life. But it’s tremendously exciting to get back into it: scripting again, working with artists, working with other writers. Working in comics is the closest you can get as a storyteller to feeling like what it must be like to be in the Rolling Stones.”

Continue reading “Joe Hill to oversee pop-up imprint at DC”

‘Fairlady’ pays tribute to a classic 80s cartoon

Latest issue of the high-fantasy procedural features a fun homage to a Steve Gerber co-creation.

Fairlady, the Image Comics title by Brian Schirmer and Claudia Balboni, promised “a complete 30-page story” every issue when it debuted, and three issues in, it has not disappointed. Issue #3, which came out last week, delivered not only another enjoyable story, but also paid homage to a cartoon with a strong comic book pedigree from the 1980s.

Probably best described as a fantasy detective comic, the “Fairlady” in the title is Jenner Faulds, a specially licensed private investigator who also works security for a local wizard. The “done in one” story in issue #3 revolves around a barbarian who winds up dead on the first page, a barbarian who hired Jenner for a job. It of course gets more complicated from there, and that’s where the fun starts.

(Note: this post contains minor spoilers for issue #3 of Fairlady)

Continue reading “‘Fairlady’ pays tribute to a classic 80s cartoon”

Help pick AHOY’s next title in ‘Steel Cage’ throwdown

Buy the one-shot this week to get a taste of three potential titles, then crush the dreams of two hopefuls by picking your favorite.

AHOY Comics is ready to rumble, and they want you to help choose the winner of their Steel Cage comics competition.

This Wednesday, Steel Cage arrives in stores, featuring three stories by very un-jobberlike creative teams. But only one of these stories can go on to lose the Money in the Bank briefcase to Brock Lesnar, who wasn’t even in the match win their very own title. You can vote for your choice at https://comicsahoy.com/vote.

“Steel Cage just might be the greatest moment of fan participation since fans called a 1-900 number and voted for a teenage sidekick to die,” AHOY Publisher Hart Seely said.

Continue reading “Help pick AHOY’s next title in ‘Steel Cage’ throwdown”

Canadian creators unite for new ‘Alpha Flight’

A one-shot featuring three stories about the Canadian super team arrives in September.

Marvel is all about the one-shot specials in September, as they continue to celebrate their 80th birthday with special projects. You’ve got Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz doing New Mutants; Erik Larsen, Gerry Conway and Mark Bagley on Amazing Spider-Man; Roger Stern returning to Avengers; and, heck, you’ve even got Obnoxious the Clown in a Crazy one-shot.

But wait — there’s more! Also announced for September is a one-shot featuring a whole bunch of Canadian creators tackling Canada’s No. 1 team, Alpha Flight. Jim Zub, Scott Hepburn, Jed MacKay and more will contribute to Alpha Flight: True North.

Continue reading “Canadian creators unite for new ‘Alpha Flight’”

DC announces new YA/DC Kids projects at ALA

New titles for 2020 and 2021 announced at the American Library Association’s annual convention.

Although they may be dropping the DC Ink and DC Zoom (the latter is still a better name than DC Kids) brands, DC has announced a slew of new projects and updates for their young readers line at the American Library Association’s annual convention this weekend.

Of note in this latest list are several new Teen Titans Go! books; with the comic cancelled as of September, it’s good to see that the young reader-friendly material based on the show will continue. You’ve also got new material by Jeffrey Brown, Art Baltazar and Franco, Louise Simonson, Mariko Tamaki and Leila del Duca. And finally, John Constantine, of all characters, will finally make the leap into a YA title, courtesy of Ryan North and Derek Charm.

Check out the full list below.

Continue reading “DC announces new YA/DC Kids projects at ALA”

Of course Shannon Wheeler is working on a Mueller Report adaptation

“It’s the Mueller Report… with pictures… and funny.”

I’d be very disappointed if Shannon Wheeler, creator of Sh*t My President Says, wasn’t working on a comic book adaptation of the Mueller Report.

“It’s the Mueller Report… with pictures… and funny,” Wheeler said in the press release.

Wheeler will once again work with his Oil & Water collaborator Steve Duin to adapt the more than 400-page legal document assembled by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III on his investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 U.S. election. IDW promises they’ll produce “a comprehensive, understandable and readable graphic novel version of the book every patriot needs.”

Continue reading “Of course Shannon Wheeler is working on a Mueller Report adaptation”

DC rebrands its publishing; Vertigo to go away at end of the year

Black Label will survive as Vertigo, DC Ink and DC Zoom all get the axe.

Rumors of Vertigo’s demise have proven to be true, as DC Comics has announced a rebranding of its content into three age-specific labels: DC Kids, DC and DC Black Label. The Vertigo imprint will be “sunset” at the end of the year, along with the DC Zoom and DC Ink labels.

“We’re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material,” said DC Publisher Dan DiDio in a press release. “That kind of material is now mainstream across all genres, so we thought it was the right time to bring greater clarity to the DC brand and reinforce our commitment to storytelling for all of our fans in every age group. This new system will replace the age ratings we currently use on our material.”

Continue reading “DC rebrands its publishing; Vertigo to go away at end of the year”

‘Perry Bible Fellowship’ gets an ‘Almanack’ for its birthday

Nicholas Gurewitch’s strip gets a fancy collection in November.

The Perry Bible Fellowship turns 10 this year, and fans of the alt.newspaper-turned-webcomic strip are getting a gift, as Dark Horse puts together an “Almanack” of Nicholas Gurewitch‘s creation.

Continue reading “‘Perry Bible Fellowship’ gets an ‘Almanack’ for its birthday”

Larsen, Conway, Bagley return to ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ for Marvel’s 80th

Dream team of Spider-Man creators brings decades of experience working on the character.

The guest list for Marvel’s 80th anniversary blowout continues to grow, as the publisher has announced Savage Dragon creator and Image Comics co-founder Erik Larsen will return to do an Amazing Spider-Man one-shot in September. He’ll be joined by two other creators known for their work in the character – Gerry Conway and Mark Bagley.

Continue reading “Larsen, Conway, Bagley return to ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ for Marvel’s 80th”