Comics

Cowboy Ninja Viking #1

The title and premise of this series is ridiculous yet completely fascinating. It’s still very ludicrous, but something about the writing and the art make for an original story that the world of comics has never seen. I should give the history on the success of the book, although… you’re bound to hear the tale upon picking it up from any comic retailer. The spiel goes like this, the series was only to be four issues long, but due to its sales it was given an on-going status. So why is this book so good?

For starters it’s about a man who has distinct personalities living in his head. One as you may come to suspect is a Cowboy. Another is a Ninja and the last is… you guessed it, a Viking. The man’s name is Duncan and he has little to no clue what’s happening in his head. Dr. Ghislain, who is owed a favor by every person of power in the United States, experimented on Duncan due to his “triplet” personality.

Archaia News – Roddenberry’s Days Missing Vol 2

Los Angeles, CA (June 24, 2010) – As a result of the overwhelming fan support and the multitude of “must buy” reviews for the first DAYS MISSING miniseries, Archaia Entertainment and Roddenberry Productions proudly announced the details of the highly anticipated second series in this sci-fi franchise. 
 
Back by popular demand, fan-favorite and Eisner Award-nominated author Phil Hester (Firebreather, The Darkness, Green Arrow) returns to write all five issues in this continuing epic. Soon-to-be-known-by-the-world artist David Marquez (Archaia and Fantasy Prone’s Syndrome: The Graphic Novel) will join Hester on the miniseries. In addition, five amazing artists will lend their talents to create the covers, with the mega-rockstar Alex Ross (Kingdom Come) illustrating the cover for issue one.

Hastings Stores to stock Comics Nationally

Who says that comics are dead?! It was revealed this week that Hastings Media stores will be carrying comic books. That’s to say that they’ll be carrying weekly comic releases, making Hastings the largest national comic chain! Good news for the creators, as their royalties are sure to increase! Aside from “singles,” the chain will also be carrying trade paper backs, hardcovers, manga and… BACK ISSUES?! That’s right, that most definitely makes them a comic book shop. 

Also emerging from the deal is the first Hastings exclusive variant coming from Top Cow Comics. The variant is for Artifacts #1 and ships in July, possibly giving a rough estimate of when the chain will begin carrying comics.

How to Survive Comic Con International

With Comic Con just under a month away, we here at PAC have put together a weekly series of “pro tips”, if you will, on the dos, the don’ts and the musts of Comic Con. This year’s Con looks to be the biggest one yet, and we all know each year ushers in “fresh fish” side by side with the veterans. If you’re not careful, you could be eaten alive and miss out on seeing your favorite celebrities or on getting the tons of free crap.

We’ll not only have our survival guide articles leading up Comic Con International, but also coverage during the Con itself, including a gallery of attendees in full Cosplay outfits, the booth babes, and the random giant Picachus.

DC goes Digital – Partners with Comixology and PSP

Well it’s about time! DC Comics has finally caught up with the likes of: IDW, Red 5, Boom!, Image, Dark Horse, Disney and Marvel! Most of the books will be priced from .99 to 2.99 per an issue which breaks from the standard 1.99 that most other companies use. Perhaps the 2.99 price is being used to hook more readers as DC has slowly but surely, bumped nearly all of it’s cover prices to 3.99. Personally it seems that a digital vs print war is inevitable now that all the major players have joined. The biggest problem with digital is that there still isn’t a universal format allowing you to use the content from device to device.To mark the occasion DC is giving a free preview of Superman #700 that’s out on comic shelves today. Other titles to be found include: Batman Hush, Batman/Superman, Planetary and basically a slew of hits.

Here’s the full press release from DC’s blog.

7Psychopaths #2

They say to kill a manic you need at least seven psychopaths and a whole lot of luck. At least that’s what Colonel Thompson and Professor Goldschmidt believe as they continue their hunt for a team do just that… kill a manic. Once acquired, the team can end the second World War by assassinating Hitler.

November 7th, Colonel Thompson receives a call informing him that a solider that was horribly burned while fighting Nazis in Berlin is in custody. They bring him in due to the fact that he has a habit of being a fire bug and has trouble adapting to civilized life (being horrible burned will do that). But before Thompson and The Professor can add him to the team he catches fire to the truck that delivers him. Shorty after that Smith, the brilliant mathematician that enjoys electroshock shows up and tells the Colonel that he has Churchill’s approve to go on with the mission. With the team now at seven, the rigorous airborne trainings begins.

The Phantom Unmasked #1

There is something intriguing about the Phantom as a character. You’d think that a man dress up in purple that shoots up entire groups of criminals would be ridiculous. Perhaps it’s the lore or the legacy of the character that makes him timeless and his stories endless. Since the Phantom’s return at Moonstone the character has had an on-going series along with several minis.

The story of Unmasked, although about the Phantom, doesn’t follow him. Instead the story opens up with Laughton Brice being offered a job by one of the richest men in the country. Ms. Brice has had a rough life and is recovering from a betrayal that left her life in shambles. The rich man is Desmond Melchizedek and he’s dying, but like all rich men he wants reassurance that there’s an afterlife. He’s hired Ms. Brice to find that evidence. A seemingly impossible task, but she’s been given an endless expense account and a large sum of money to start with a promise of more when she’s done.