ifanboy | DC Comics

(EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’ ABOUT) DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, MONDAY EVENING (ET) EDITION

Earlier today, we announced that all the books in the first two weeks of release from DC Comics-The New 52. As we ready for the week two books to hit stores, here are some of the press highlights from the past few days.

USA TODAY ran an exclusive preview of FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. and interviewed the series’ writer, Jeff Lemire (who also writes ANIMAL MAN). "I want to get deeper into his origin and see what makes this monster basically want to protect humanity,” Lemire said of Frankenstein.

IFANBOY published their exclusive preview of GRIFTER #1. “It’s Grifter from day one, from square one,” series writer Nathan Edmonson teased to them. “It’s not a Grifter you’ve seen before. It’s not a story you’re familiar with.”

IGN debuted the first six pages of RED LANTERNS #1, by Peter Millian and Ed Benes.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES had the first look at BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray.

COMPLEX interviewed Scott Snyder about the two series he’s writing, BATMAN and SWAMP THING. “It’s a big epic, ambitious story about Bruce Wayne and the way he thinks of Gotham as his friend and this kind of ancient evil under Gotham that exists, or may exist, that he has somehow overlooked as Batman,” Snyder said of BATMAN. “So it has to do with the history of the Wayne family and the Grayson family, and there will be big revelations about this enemy from the past, and this enemy is going to bring all the weight of history against the Bat family and try to crush them.”

IO9 posted quick reviews of each of the first week’s worth of releases from DC Comics-The New 52. They also dubbed ANIMAL MAN as the best book thus far. “One of the reasons Animal Man #1 works so well is that Lemire plops the reader right down into his daily routine...and then drops the horror in the final act,” wrote Cyriaque Lamar. “Gold stars for the creative team.”

To be continued …

(EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’ ABOUT) DC COMICS-THE NEW 52, TUESDAY AFTERNOON (ET) EDITION

This afternoon, we’re going to take a look at what the comic book trade press is saying about JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 and The New 52 – including their interviews with some of the talented people behind the launch.

* ICV2 featured a three-part piece on The New 52 – featuring interviews with DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, conducted in advance of San Diego Comic-Con. Said DiDio: “Our numbers are up in the mass market over-all in conjunction with graphic novel sales.” Check them out here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three.

* COMIC BOOK RESOURCES showcased a Comic-Con video interview with BATWING and CATWOMAN writer Judd Winick, who discusses his extensive research for the BATWING book and the timeless appeal of CATWOMAN. Also featured is an interview with writer Paul Jenkins about redefining Deadman in DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS.

* Newsarama offered a comprehensive primer on The New 52 as whole, and also served up some interviews with the writers behind the various series – including writer J.T. Krul (Captain Atom) and Paul Cornell (DEMON KNIGHTS).

* Over at iFanboy, Ron Richards and Conor Kilpatrick each listed their top five (and bonus five) picks for the most anticipated New 52 titles – with JUSTICE LEAGUE topping both lists.

* Comic Vine offered their own perspectives and interpretations of the new Batgirl pages that debuted in the NY Post, while writer Scott Lobdell (TEEN TITANS, SUPERBOY) provided some insider insights on the launch.

* ComicBook.com listed the five things they love most about The New 52 – including greater ethnic diversity, more women, day-and-date digital releases and DC’s confidence in the launch.

* DreadCentral.com picked up The Source’s preview of The New 52’s ANIMAL MAN, with extensive art. Also included was a full breakdown of New 52 titles that may be of interest to horror fans.

There’s more rolling in by the minute, and we’re expecting even more once JUSTICE LEAGUE hits the shelves. Stay tuned.

Everybody’s Talking about (the Already Sold out!) Issue 881 of DETECTIVE COMICS

If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the final issue of Scott Snyder’s run on DETECTIVE COMICS with artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla, well, you’re not the only one. Issue 881 is one of the best reviewed issues in recent memory.

Witness:

IGN gave the issue a 9.5 and noted, “When all is said and done, this creative team has delivered one of the greatest Batman epics I've ever read.”

Josh Flanagan from iFANBOY declared issue #881 his Pick of the Week.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES called the run “historic.”

COMIC VINE awarded the issue a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars and called the issue “amazing.”

And here’s what NEWSARAMA had to say… “Detective Comics #881 represents the culmination of the single greatest run of Detective Comics in decades. Perhaps of all time.”

The issue went on sale yesterday and, like 880 before it, is already sold out. If you see a copy at your local comic book store, don’t hesitate. Just pick it up.

Tags:

Batman, comic book resources, comic vine, detective comics, francesco francavilla, ifanboy, IGN, jock, Newsarama, scott snyder

iFANBOY announces MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #1

Today, iFANBOY announced MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #1. Read the solicitation text below and check out iFANBOY to see Aaron Lopresti’s cover art.

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #1

Written by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE and MATT KINDT

Art by AARON LOPRESTI, KEVIN MAGUIRE, MATT RYAN and SCOTT KOLINS

Cover by AARON LOPRESTI

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 1 of 6, 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

The adventures of Garbage Man and Tanga from WEIRD WORLDS continue – and now, these offbeat heroes are joined by the Robotman, who has a disturbing knack for self-destruction!

Tags:

aaron lopresti, ifanboy, kevin maguire, Matt Kindt, Matt Ryan, My Greatest Adventure, scott kolins

Ivan Brandon’s Five Favorite War Stories

Much of the creative process involves drawing inspiration from previous art. iFANBOY caught up with MEN OF WAR writer Ivan Brandon for a list of his top five war stories. Check out the full list over at iFANBOY to learn what stories sparked Ivan’s interest and you’ll also get an exclusive look at the logo for MEN OF WAR.

Tags:

ifanboy, ivan brandon, Men of War

FLASHPOINT FRIDAY: England’s Secret Weapon?

The Amazons have taken over the United Kingdom and declared it as New Themyscira. While their land is being used to prepare for war against the Atlanteans, where are the surviving people of England to turn? As a rebel group called The Resistance forms, they’ll seek out The Canterbury Cricket for aid. But who is this mysterious creature and can he really be trusted?

“Who is— WHAT is THE CANTERBURY CRICKET? Like many legends, his story centers around a struggle between good and evil... and the paths presented after tragic events alter a man both inside and out! Suffice it to say, the Cricket’s Canterbury tale will serve to remind us all: it’s never good to judge a book by its cover! (Although this comic happens to have an AWESOME cover by Rags Morales with Nei Ruffino!)," Mike Carlin told us.

FLASHPOINT: THE CANTERBURY CRICKET is written by Mike Carlin, features art by Rags Morales and Rick Bryant and lands in stores on Wednesday. For more from Mike Carlin and to view exclusive preview pages, head over to iFANBOY.

Tags:

canterbury cricket, Flashpoint: The Canterbury Cricket, ifanboy, mike carlin, nei ruffino, New Themyscira, rags morales, rick bryant

“So much for Gotham being a one-horse town.” – Justin Gray

Gotham City has always been a cesspool of criminals and trouble-makers – even back in the days of the Wild West. In ALL-STAR WESTERN #1, Jonah Hex is enlisted to help the Gotham Police Department solve the mystery of a vicious serial killer. “So much for Gotham being a one-horse town. Look at that dazzling city in the late 1800’s meticulously researched and brought to life by Moritat. Hex fans, you can relax. We’re not going to abandon seventy issues of dedication and love for the ugly bounty hunter,” co-writer Justin Gray told us about the image above.

This weekend, attendees of the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo saw some teaser images from this project, as well as a number of the first issues coming in September. Over the course of the day, we’ll be showing and linking to some other teaser art we premiered in case you were not able to make it to the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo.

In the meantime, head over to iFANBOY for another sneak peek at ALL-STAR WESTERN #1, written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with art and a cover by Moritat.

Tags:

All-Star Western, Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, ifanboy, jimmy palmiotti, jonah hex, justin gray, moritat

FLASHPOINT TUESDAY

(FLASHPOINT #3 variant cover by Ivan Reis and George Perez)

Regular readers of THE SOURCE have most likely noticed the absence of FLASHPOINT FRIDAYS over the course of the past two weeks, as we unveiled titles from the upcoming launch of the new DC Universe. Not to worry, FLASHPOINT FRIDAY returns this Friday as a regular, weekly feature on the blog and today we’ll have a special Tuesday edition, including previews of several of this Wednesday’s FLASHPOINT releases.

And if you haven’t already picked up some of the recently released FLASHPOINT mini series and are curious to get a sneak peek at them, check out these exclusive previews: Newsarama showed a first look at BOOSTER GOLD #45 and FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD #1. MTV Geek previewed FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE AND THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER, along with an interview with Jimmy Palmiotti. Wired’s GEEKDAD debuted pages from FLASHPOINT: EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1, and iFANBOY had a sneak peek at FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN & THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1.

And if you’re a digital reader, be sure to check out FLASHPOINT #1, now available as a digital comic, and find out for yourself why BLASTR calls the FLASHPOINT series, “shocking and compelling,” and “one of the best event series in recent memory.”

Tags:

BLASTR, booster gold, Digital Comics, flashpoint, Flashpoint: Citizen Cold, flashpoint: deathstroke and the curse of the ravager, Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman, flashpoint: frankenstein & the creatures of the unknown, Geekdad, George Perez, ifanboy, ivan reis, MTV Geek, Newsarama, Wired

Critical acclaim for XOMBI, plus some brand new Frazer Irving art

The cover for July's XOMBI #5 by Frazer Irving

The first issue of John Rozum and Frazer Irving’s XOMBI arrived to a lot of great reviews from the comics press. What did the critics have to say about XOMBI #1?

Here’s a sampling...

"I haven't read a book this intriguingly and engagingly weird since I first dropped into Grant Morrison's THE INVISIBLES."

-Ain't It Cool News

“We're getting into Grant Morrison-esque avant-garde weirdness here, and somehow, the nanite-injected, super-powered, and immortal David Kim is the calm epicenter at the eye of this weirdness, and the reader's doorway into the world. I love it."

-Newsarama

“The team-up of John Rozum and Frazer Irving, for this book, makes it a must read. It's a refreshing break from all the super-hero books swarming the shelves, and it will captivate you from the get-go.”

-Comic Vine

“The story that Rozum has begun to craft is intriguing, and should engage readers old and new alike ... Everything has a sense of the surreal, and Irving's knack for creating disturbing facial imagery is put to great use.”

-IGN

"Irving can draw the dark and gloomy, but more importantly the crazy and fantastic. So when a Rustling Husk shows up out of nowhere, it's creepy and surprising, and his depiction of Mr. Hyde is gruesome. But at the same time, Irving's people are rooted firmly in reality, looking remarkably life-like. I think that's a perfect touch for "Xombi," since it makes the nastiness rising up around them feel that much more dangerous."

-Comic Book Resources

"Xombi is away to the races with a first issue that's gorgeous, gripping and something different to everything else in my weekly stack."

-iFanboy

"Rozum does a great job at reintroducing the character to both new and old audiences, and Irving’s artwork is amazing ... a great starting point."

-Platform Nation

"I’m going to recommend picking up Xombi #1. The groundwork is firmly in place for an adventure and some solid storytelling. I believe wrier John Rozum and artist Frazer Irving will take us readers on a great ride."

-ScienceFiction.com

"We could have a real winner on our hands."

-Comics Bulletin

It’s not too late to jump on board – XOMBI #2 hits stands later this month.

We have an extra treat for Frazer Irving fans here: his variant cover to BATMAN INC. #6, on sale in May!