Check it out, DC Nation! Rising star Marco Rudy summoned up his inner Steranko and channeled it all into this fantastic double-page spread for the Shield #7. Awesomely inked by the Mighty Mick Gray and beautifully colored by the amazing Art Lyon, the powerful scene that the excellent Eric Trautmann wrote has been brought to life in a big, big way!
One word, people. One word. WOW!
We’ve gotten a kick reading the great work writers Eric Trautmann, Brandon Jerwa, John Rozum, Matthew Sturges and all involved have done in the pages of THE SHIELD and THE WEB – so what else is in store for the Red Circle heroes? And if, like me, you’ve been a fan of these characters for a long time, you also know that in previous incarnations these characters were in a little group called…well, I’ll leave it up to Red Circle Editor Rachel Gluckstern to do the heavy lifting on this post. Take it away, Rachel:
“Back when the Red Circle books launched, I said that these characters have such different agendas and personalities that it would take a damn good reason to get them all in a room together.
Well.
Intel says the passphrase is "Crusaders". But can they defeat the threat they've uncovered? Or will they destroy each other instead?”
Hey DC Nation!
You know by now I love me my Red Circle books, characters and creators alike. We've got top-notch talent producing top-notch work on every issue, and everyone is deserving of the highest of praises. One of our unsung heroes is cover artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau, a rising star here at DC Comics, whose amazing work has graced titles such as FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE and THE GREAT TEN, and who makes THE WEB one of the most striking books on the shelves, month after month.
The Web's an interesting hero -- cocky, arrogant, loaded with money, looks and charm, yet he's also a compassionate man who truly wants to do good and help people. But intentions and actions can be very different things, and so far, the Web has found his worst enemy is himself, as he keeps tripping himself up thanks to his absolute hubris. Drawing a character like that requires an unbelievable level of skill and nuance, and Stanley nails it every time. I get a loose sketch one day:
...and then a stunning, fully-painted, ready-to-print cover the very next day later.
ONE DAY, people. ONE DAY. I'm actually convinced Stanley's cloned himself many times over to keep up with all his art commitments as well as his fulltime job. And you all see it, don't you? The supreme self-confidence the Web has, the cavalier attitude he brings into his superheroic feats, his money and his contemporary edge, all captured perfectly by these covers. So here's a little gallery of some of my favorites so far. Hope you all enjoy!
Thanks, Stanley!
Oh, and Stanley just shot these sketch over. Huh.
Now what the heck is this for? I guess I'll find out tomorrow!
Not long ago, we announced that -- among a host of new stuff happening with the Red Circle characters -- acclaimed writer/artist Michael Avon Oeming would be taking a stab at the street-level avenger known as The Fox with writer Brandon Jerwa. We showed off a sketch, but now we have a finished page to make the work day go by a tad faster.
Can we say anymore? Well, I can't, but I'm sure Red Circle Editor Rachel Gluckstern has some things to share. Take it away, Rachel:
"2009 was the year of the Red Circle; 2010 is the year of the MIGHTY CRUSADERS! Starting today with the Shield #5, the Jaguar and the Comet will be revealed as they encounter our man at war, the Shield and the fiery fugitive Inferno! And above is Michael Avon Oeming's first page of art for the Fox co-feature, kicking off in March! This promises to be a banner year for our newest heroes, so stay tuned for more exciting news soon!"
DC Nation, it’s Go Time. The second wave of the Red Circle heroes is upon us! And with them, an array of talent so dizzying, you may need some Dramamine after this post! So hold on tight and read on!
It all begins in The Shield #5 when Marco Rudy brings the Jaguar to life as the Shield battles Nazi robots deep in the Brazilian jungle. Check out Marco’s amazing design as he showcases the feral side of this mysterious new hero! Will he help the Shield – or hurt him?
In this same issue, the Inferno co-feature gains its own strange encounter when the Comet comes face to face with our fiery man on the run! Duncan Rouleau came up with one stellar design for our cosmic character, and what Greg Scott does with it – well, you’ll just have to pick up the issue and see for yourself!
Next up is the rise of the Black Hood, found in the pages of the Web #5! Our killer guest team of new ACTION writer Marc Guggenheim and the aptly-named Talent Caldwell are exploring the impact of the Web’s unconventional approach to crime fighting and what that will mean for Mateo Burland. So far, the odds are against a happy ending!
And keep your eyes peeled for Mr. Justice floating through the Hangman co-feature in the Web #5! Once more, we turned to Duncan Rouleau to deliver a design, and he delivered strong! Just wait until you see how Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz have brought this spectral savior to life (as it were)!
(By the way, father/son writer team Michael and David Uslan wanted me to tell you all they’re working on a Mr. Justice co-feature with artist extraordinaire Justiniano, but I said it was too early to discuss that. So don’t say anything to them yet, ok?)
So that’s FOUR new characters popping up in the Shield and Web #5! And brought to you by extremely talented creators all, no less. And with JSA All-Stars writerMatt Sturges taking over the Web as of issue #6, can we even find room here for just one hero more?
Oh yes, we can.
Starting in March, Inferno will go on a four-issue hiatus from the Shield, and in its place will be running the origin story of the FOX! Brought to you by Inferno writer Brandon Jerwa and POWERS artist Michael Avon Oeming! Follow Paul Patten Jr. on his journey to unravel the decades-long mystery behind his father’s death, as he learns secrets of the Tokyo underworld and the mysterious ways of the Kitsune spirit. It all kicks off in the Shield #7 along with a brand-new mission in the lead feature! Don’t believe us? Check out Michael’s amazing designs below!
So that’s the state of the Red Circle as we go into 2010. New characters, new stories and new talent are all rounding out the latest corner of the DC Universe. Make it your New Year’s resolution to try out a new book – you won’t be disappointed by the level of quality and excitement everyone’s bringing to these titles!
Interesting fact about Lt. Joe Higgins, a.k.a. the Shield: he does not consider himself a hero, let alone a super one. For Lt. Higgins, the experimental warsuit he wears saved his life and enables him to continue doing his duty. It's his honor to serve his country and uphold its ideals, and even if the style of his uniform has changed, his commitment to it has never wavered. Higgins doesn't think of himself as a hero, he thinks of himself as a solider of the United States Armed Forces, now and until the day he lays down his arms.
Today, Lt. Joe Higgins will complete his first mission, aided by former Marine Lance Corporal David Reid now known as Magog. For both of them, their commitment to upholding the virtues of their country is paramount, and their sense of duty remains strong, just like their real-life brothers and sisters in arms. So before heading off to your comics store, join all of us
here at DC in thanking the true heroes today for their service and sacrifice. To all members of the U.S. Military, past and present, we salute you.
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• Over the weekend, the 2009 Harvey Award winners were announced at the Baltimore Comic-Con. Congrats to all the winners, with a special pat on the back for Grant Morrison, who won for Best Writer for his work on ALL STAR SUPERMAN, which also won as Best Continuing or Limited Series.
• The team at IGN continues their BLACKEST NIGHT coverage, with a preview of the final issue of BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN.
• Speaking of BLACKEST NIGHT, NEWSARAMA's Vaneta Rogers sits down to chat with BLACKEST NIGHT artist Ivan Reis about his work on the series.
• And, in case you missed it over the weekend, at the DC NATION panel in Baltimore it was announced that Matthew Sturges will be stepping in as the new regular writer on THE WEB, replacing Angela Robinson after a one-issue cameo by Marc Guggenheim. Check back Friday for more on the new team.
But that's not all the news we have percolating in Baltimore, folks. Check back here around 9pm EST tonight for some major news that'll make coming to work tomorrow that much easier.
Last week, we showed off some of the pages from the first issue of THE SHIELD, and now we have a look at THE WEB #1, featuring the main WEB feature, written by Angela Robinson with art by Roger Robinson and Hilary Barta. The issue also has a HANGMAN co-feature, from writer John Rozum and the REIGN IN HELL art team of Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz.
Spinning out of August's "Red Circle" one-shots from writer J. Michael Stracynski comes this new ongoing series starring selfish rich-boy hero the Web, a man who has only recently come to understand the burden of true heroism. He's fighting crime on his own terms, and for his first mission he's hunting down the men responsible for killing his own brother. Talk about kicking things off on a personal note.
Plus, the Hangman stars in his own co-feature with a touch of urban noir, as the hooded vigilante haunts the streets of San Francisco and struggles to discover the true meaning of his supernatural powers. What? Words aren't enough? Well, we have some pictures below. Surely that'll entice you, no?
THE WEB #1 hits 9/23.
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Spinning out directly from last month's "Red Circle" event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski, we've got a first look at THE SHIELD #1, the debut issue of the new ongoing series chronicling the patriotic hero's exploits. Along for the ride is an INFERNO co-feature. The main story, written by Eric Trautmann with art by Marco Rudy takes Lt. Joe Higgins -- a.k.a. the Shield -- into the hot spots across the globe where civilians fear to tread. His first mission finds him in Bialya, the nation destroyed by Black Adam in the pages of 52. There's something lurking in the mountains beyond militia activity, and it's up to the Shield to investigate.
Meanwhile, in the INFERNO co-feature by writer Brandon Jerwa and artist Greg Scott, we meet Inferno -- but who is he? And why are the Dark Men after him?
THE SHIELD #1 hits 9/9.
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Well, it's Friday, and I've managed to finagle the day off. But fear not -- we've got our regularly scheduled "From the Editors" post right here. This time, it's Editor Rachel Gluckstern giving us more info on the upcoming THE SHIELD ongoing series. Take it away, Rachel:
With the Red Circle event now underway, I just have to share some art from the amazing team on the monthly Shield book. From Francis Manapul's amazing cover to the dream art team of Marco Rudy and Mick Gray, everyone's pulled out all the stops to live up to Eric Trautmann's impressive first script.
The Shield #1 goes on sale 9/9, leading the way for the Red Circle monthlies and featuring Inferno by Brandon Jerwa and Greg Scott. But how can you resist such a perfect team of talent and characters? Look for the Shield #1 in September!
