Archive for the ‘Wildstorm’ Category
Or – “Named For The Roman God Martius, God Of War…”
Not to be confused with famed Martian general Marvin, whose computers are so complex and naughty… Traditionally, this month has signaled the beginning of the season of military campaigns, and also the time when college basketball generals lead their troops unto the field of battle. For me, working in small-market TV for as long as I did, it’s a month which signals mighty pains in the butt, which explains why this is technically the FEBRUARY edition of RFR. We apologize for the inconvenience… Better to just press on.
12 Comments »Or – “Something, Something, Something Daaaaarrrrk Siiiiide…”
Doesn’t that image look like the Emperor from Star Wars is using the Force to spy on the half-dressed secretary who lives next door?
No? Just me? Bygones…
The cover to issue #27, which is now cancelled.
Wildstorm has announced it will be canceling the World of Warcraft and Starcraft monthly comic books, and replacing them with original graphic novels.
“While WildStorm and Blizzard loved the stories being told in the regular monthly comic-book series, we decided that the graphic novel would be a more suitable medium for the tales we wanted to tell next,” said Hank Kanalz, VP & General Manager of Wildstorm. “The larger format will give our artists and storytellers more room to explore Blizzard’s rich, varied worlds and flesh out the characters that inhabit these places.”
The Warcraft series ended yesterday with the release of the World of Warcraft Special, while Starcraft ends with issue #7, that arrives in January 2010.
This is really interesting news, but one that doesn’t come as a huge surprise. From my reading of the first arc, the story didn’t follow the WoW universe too closely, and seem to throw in WoW references, names, and locations to create the ties between the video game and the comic book. Going the graphic novel route might bring more readers to each series, as gamers might be more likely to read a larger tome than a series of monthly comics. Still, the Wildstorm stories were much better than the manga stuff that came out of Japan.
Or – “I Decided To Trick Or Treat With My Kid Instead… Sorry.”
The MUSIC MEEEISSSSTERRRR! Sing the song that the world wants to heeeear! Man, I’ve had that stuck in my head for WEEKS, now. This particular RFR was meant to go up last week, just in time for the annual festival of half-price chocolate, but various things conspired to keep me from completing it until today. For those of you who can’t get enough comic review goodness, I’ve got the cowbell to slake your fever, and it’s time to ask ourselves, baby, what’s the word? In the words of the great philosopher Aloysius Bundy: “Let’s ROCK.”
8 Comments »Or – “A Long Wait Always Sets High Expectations…”
Earlier this year, in anticipation of this issue, I reread my issues of Planetary, and was surprised to remember that it debuted a full ten years ago last April. It started out very much as an artifact of its time, with similar themes to other stories: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Big Numbers, both likewise created in the 90’s, as well as echoes of the X-Files and even threads of Farmer’s Wold Newton family. Each issue was something unique and odd, and the book managed to create quite a following of fans, many of whom have angrily noted the increasingly long hiatus between issues. Jakita, Elijah and The Drummer have finally dealt with the Dowling faction, and now they have to deal with the fallout of their victory…
Or – “It’s Always Hard To Watch Your Little Girl Grow Up…”
The early issues of Astro City hold a very special place in my heart, containing as they do the first glimpses into the world of Astro City, the introductions of dozens of new characters, and an entirely new take on superheroes and comics history. Among these early stories came the tale of Astra, youngest member of the First Family, and how she broke away from her protective parents and had her first solo adventure. Now, Astra is ready to graduate college, and it’s astonishing how touching it is to see the character as a young adult…
Or – “Hey, Vent! You Ready To Move Out?”
When you read monthly comic books the way that I do, often times you get to the point where you feel like you know what’s coming, when every title feels like you’ve read it before. On the other hand, you have the odd experience where you read a title or issues that you KNOW you’ve read before, but you cannot for the life of you remember how it’s supposed to end. With over a hundred monthly titles coming out, sometimes you need to play catchup, you need to go where everybody knows your name to the land of the Rapid Fire Revieeeeewwww!
12 Comments »Or – “Most People Don’t Know That His Full Name Is Manuel Labór.”
So, I have completed my daily labors, overseeing the dozen fellers and gals what make up the current workgroup to call themselves Team RamRod (“See, you’re Arkot Ramathorn… Ram. And I’m Rodney Farva… Rod. Team RamRod!”) and I am preparing to have some spaghetti and hang out with friends, but first I wanted to catch up with some of the many titles that I’ve neglected over the busy last days of August…
RAPID-FIRE REVIEW TIME!
6 Comments »
DC Comics sent along the titles and cover images for issues expected to arrive from its Wildstorm imprint in November 2009.
Wildstorm has announced the latest in the zombie genre – Victorian Undead. And before you ask, yes, Sherlock Holmes is involved.
The setting? London, the year 1854. Gas lamps throw long shadows across closed storefronts; a horse-drawn carriage prattles down the cobblestone street, paying no mind to the feral children sleeping in the alley. The only sounds audible at this late-night hour are a bit of music rising from the pub on the corner and the low moan of a zombie shuffling over the sidewalk.
The six-issue mini-series will be written by Ian Edginton with art by Davide Fabbri.
Take the jump for a peak at the full cover and gruesome variant.
Or – “ALIENS! AH SEED ‘EM! THEY COME DOWN AN’ THEY GIMME SOME CHICLETS!!!”
Three decades after the inexplicable murder of their parents, two decades after the death of the Silver Agent, a decade after everything went horribly wrong, the Williams brothers continue their downward spiral. You can ask Frank Castle, folks, being obsessed with revenge really ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Now that it’s morning in America, can Charles and Royal Williams find the man who made them orphans? And what happens after?
Or – “The Evil Empire And The Cold Warrior…”
The 1980’s have dawned in Astro City, leaving Royal and Charles Williams further apart than ever. Charles has been recruited by E.A.G.L.E., while Royal finds himself on the run from both the authorities and the militant loonies of Pyramid, whose training facilities he barely escaped last issue. Both brothers now know the name of the man who killed their parents, but getting close to a high-ranking agent of Pyramid won’t be easy, especially with Royal questioning the entire plan…
Or – “Off To Meet My Doom, Mom! See You After School!”
Comic book publishing schedules puzzle me. The Twelve hasn’t come out in what seems like a year, while Agents of Atlas is apparently on a bi-weekly status, and Spider-Man is coming out every sixteen minutes or so. Wolverine alone accounts for half the forests destroyed in the United States every month. The major publishers can’t seem to decide whether it’s a market for the celebrity auteur writer, or whether it’s the characters who sell the books regardless of creator. When Wolverine #73 came out a few weeks ago (before the publication of #72) it occurred to me that the entire industry is run by the pointy-haired boss from Dilbert, and that I should really just relax.
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