This may sound a little disingenuous but I don’t read a lot of comic news. Don’t get me wrong, I’m at Bleeding Cool all the time and DCWomenKickingAss and The Nerdy Bird keep me pretty well informed, as well as getting bombarded on twitter constantly. But luckily maybe because of the glut of information out there I occasionally miss a story.
Take Mind Mgmt for example. I knew it was coming out. I was sent a preview copy from Dark Horse along with the nine thousand other books they put out every month, but I never got the chance to read it. I’m glad I didn’t. The digital version wouldn’t have done it justice.

It’s printed on paper. Not glossy magazine crap. Paper. Like you remember it, hell this book smells like a comic book. I hadn’t realized how much I missed that smell. As well as the paper being different the colors are on the muted side, think classic comics. This book has nostalgia written all over it.

The story however? No nostalgic super-hero tropes there. This is a sci-fi spy story that plays out like a film. We follow a down on her luck reporter Meru, investigating some very strange cases of amnesia. The things she will uncover will challenge maybe even shatter her view of the world.

This is Matt Kindt’s (The Secret History of The Giant Man, Revolver) first monthly comic and he’s pulling out all the stops. The story is intriguing and the art is awesome. But I think what really landed me were the layouts. Most pages were simple 3 by 3 panels pages some were border-less panels that bumped up against one another. In the margin of each page is an entry from a Mind Mgmt Field Guide. Without giving away the whole plot Matt is giving us a glimpse into where the book is going. I can’t wait to watch this story unfold.

In other Matt Kindt news, he’ll be writing DC’s Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. starting with issue #10, which hits the stands June 13. Brilliant writer/artist who has never handled a monthly before is now doing two? I wish him all the luck in the world and seeing as I’ve been on board with Frankenstein since the DC reboot I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out….

Bottom line? Buy Mind Mgmt #1. It’s a great book, probably one of this year’s best.

The Five-Dimensional Adventures of Dirk Davies

A webcomic at shiftylook.com, written by Ben McCool (Pigs, Memoir) and drawn by Dean Haspiel (The Alcoholic). How have I missed this? The strip was posted on April 10th 2012. I must be slipping. Two of my favorite creators busting out a new strip every three or so days,the last one was post on the 22nd of this month, and I’ve had no clue?

What’s it about? Well in Dirk Davies own words he’s a “Detective, Private Dick, Gumshoe” “Heck, pay me enough cash and y’can call me whatever y’want”. Well he’s getting paid so he’s on the case, chasing a time-traveling dimension-hopping killer. These strips look great and the story is well paced and well written. It’s definitely worth a look.

shiftylook.com/comics/dirkdavies/the-traveler/

As an added bonus, co-creator Dean Haspiel pens a blog about the strip. Anecdotes, inspirations and other musings tie in nicely with the strips. I wish the site was a little better set up though, I only found the blog by google-ing the name of the comic.

shiftylook.com/blogs/dirkdavies/

The site is owned by Namco Bandi Games Incorporated but this strip is owned by Cryptozoic Entertainment LLC. So what the plan is for this charator is anyone’s guess. Stick around What’cha Reading, I’ll be trying to get more info as soon as possible. Till then enjoy this sci-fi romp, looks like a lot of fun, hope it has a long run.

This is how it’s done? They just stop calling and then replace you? That is such bullshit.

danharmon:

Kids:

A few hours ago, I landed in Los Angeles, turned on my phone, and confirmed what you already know. Sony Pictures Television is replacing me as showrunner on Community, with two seasoned fellows that I’m sure are quite nice - actually, I have it on good authority they’re quite nice, because…

The Poe Twisted Anthology is “Fifteen original graphic works of humor and horror, inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe”.

“Don’t call it adaptation.” editor Enrica Jang admonishes us in the introduction. “Adaptations are a retelling… POE TWISTED is something different. A challenge to a new crop of writers and artists to be inspired by Poe rather than simply retell him.” She is right, these are NOT rehashes of Poe, they are instead stories that stand on their own. I’m not a Poe scholar or expert, just a fan of many of his stories, so one or two of the entries were from works I hadn’t read. Or hadn’t read recently enough.

Six stories done by some great writers and artists, Jason Ciaramella (The Cape), Andre Frattino (Pineapple Press, The Reaper of St. George Street), Benjamin Frazier (Azteca), Kyle Richey (Azteca), Jason Strutz (Order of the Dagonet), Enrica Jang (Azteca, Poe Twisted Anthology, Shakespeare Shaken). Out of all the stories The Tell Tale Cat and Doctor Canne and Doctor Bulle were my favorites but all six were really well done. All the stories are eight to ten pages interspersed with paintings, illustrations, and mock movie ads. It’s fun, funny, and scary, a beautiful piece of work. It was published in August 2011 but somehow I never saw it, I only became aware of it after contacting Enrica Jang about her new project Shakespeare Shaken.

Shakespeare Shaken is the same idea, original comics and art this time inspired by The Bard. The collection is slated for August 15, 2012. The stories will be released individually online and then the collected in a trade paper back, for sale on Amazon, B&N and their webstore. Visit www.facebook.com/ShakespeareShaken and click the photos section to see the progress.

I’m ordering my copy of Poe Twisted from my local comic shop but you can order it from Amazon here. Can’t wait to see what Red Stylo Media comes out with next!

Thirty-five tables, no big publishers. Creators, artists, writers, publishers, and about five comic book vendors.  One of those tables was filled with art from two sisters Claire and Paige Connelly, college students, Asbury Park locals and damn talented artists.

I bought “Valves” from Claire. She only printed thirty, I’m happy to have gotten one. It’s an eight page full color comic, self published – hell self printed. And it’s good. It’s the story of a trumpet player, living only to remember that feeling of being one with the music. It’s a poignant story, well told and illustrated with style. She’s got a career ahead of her if she keeps up this kind of work.

This article really isn’t a review though. I was just so impressed with these two girls I had to write about them. Their table was sitting between Erica Schultz (creator of M3 from Hound Comics) and syndicated cartoonist Will Wilson (OrdinaryBill.com). A table they almost didn’t get. See when they signed up for the convention they didn’t make the cut. Then at MOCCA they saw Asbury Park Comic Con promoter Cliff Galbraith (creator of Rat Bastard) they ran right up to him and asked why they had been refused. Cliff being the extremely cool guy he is said he’d look into it. Their persistence paid off. I watched with a smile as people like Jamal Igle and the guys from Megabrain Comics stopped by and perused their work.

I hope they had a great show. I hope they keep going, keep creating, keep working.

Here are their links, go check them out…
thinkillustration.tumblr.com
thinkillustrationpaige.tumblr.com

What do you say ladies? Back at Asbury Lanes in September?

Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park New Jersey. May 12, Comic Con. Thirty-five tables, no big publishers. Just a roomful of creators, artists, writers, and fans. In the midst of this is a table with two dudes and a book, not just any book, it was the launch of the full color print version of first issue. They were happy to give me the pitch:

“Deadhorse is the story of William Pike and the key to a fantastic box of unimaginable power. After William receives the key in a letter from his thought to be deceased father, he is pursued by a brutal industrialist and a relentless bounty hunter as he travels to the farthest reaches of Alaska in search of the truth.”

Eric Grissom and Phil Sloan are the guys behind the new series Deadhorse…

Written by Eric Grissom
Art and Cover by Phil Sloan
Colors by David Halvorson

…It’s a mystery, no its several mysteries. It’s a mystery layered in mysteries. And in the tradition of some of the great mysteries the story opens midstream and you just have to jump in and keep up.

The problem is William Pike isn’t a hero type. For one thing he’s agoraphobic and he’s totally grossed out by bugs. It seems that the question of what happened to his father and what this box is could be enough to drive him past his problems and into a new one, a life and death struggle for the truth. Can he hold on till he finds it?

As you might have noticed this book definitely struck a chord with me. I love a mystery and the fish out of water story is a favorite of mine. Couple that with the easy, cartoony, but somehow still detailed style of the art and this book is a must buy. I’m hoping to read and review issue 2 before it’s release on June 13th.

So where can you get this book? As I said the release of issue 1 was May 12th so get going! First go here, www.liberdistro.com. Or call your local comic shop and ask them to go and get it for you. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Oh here’s a pic of the guys at Asbury Park Comic Con

After you’ve bought the book, read it, and loved it, find them on twitter (Eric @egrissom Deadhorse @deadhorsecomic) or facebook and tell them!

So on April 14th a good friend posted a link on my facebook page to a comic series over at Hound Comics called M3. The book is co-created and written by Erica Schultz (digital artist and letterer Neal Adams’ “Blood”, colorist and digital artist on “Batman Odyssey) with pencils, ink, and colors by Vicente Alcazar (Jonah Hex, Eerie and a ton of others).

Machiavella Maria Marcona (M3). Hit woman? Victim? Avenging angel?

Issue 1, titled “Beginnings” is just that, we meet Maria in full swing and get her back story through flashback and narration by Maria as well as FBI Analyst Chris Morris. Morris is interrogating a woman he’s sure is a killer but even though he’s caught her, can he hold her?

This issue not only gives us her story but shows us her motivations very early on. That’s not to say the book is a give away, it’s an engaging, suspense filled story of a woman on a mission and we get to come along for the ride. It’s an espionage thriller that relies heavily on plot instead of violence. Now lets be clear, people die. They die in many varied and interesting ways, but Erica steers clear of the gratuitous violence we’ve come to expect in this kind of comic. M3 is a different kind of killer. How different? We find out more about that in issue 2.

You’re seeing this art right???

Issue #2 – “Conflict”

“Conflict… It’s at the heart of everything”

This issue puts us right in the middle of M3′s internal struggle, her need for answers to the mystery in her past coupled with her need to fulfill her mission. This mission also shows us another of M3′s diverse array of kill tactics. Then we also get a glimpse into the world of “Agent” Morris and the ramifications of his hunt for M3.

When I started issue one I thought, ok this is great but can this kind a of a story stay interesting? Issue 2 sucked me right in. It’s another really well written issue. We get another disturbing piece of Maria’s past, a piece that almost blows her current mission. And then just when you think the story is winding down another mystery pops up. This may sound silly but I wish this were a television series, I just don’t think a comic book will reach enough people and this book should reach more people.

Issue 3 – “Money”

Money is the first issue to deal almost totally in the here and now, with only one minor flashback. Our heroine is looking for her next assignment which leads her into a precarious situation resulting in a wonderful cliffhanger. Meanwhile Agent Morris can’t find anyone to back him up in his investigation. Will he give up or does he have a personal reason that precludes him ever letting this go?

I can’t get enough of this book! I emailed Erica Schultz and asked what the length of this series will be. We can expect a trade that will collect the first six issues, and then two or possibly three more arcs. So hopefully we have at least twelve to eighteen more issues!

So what have we got? A engrossing story with interesting characters and amazing artwork. Machiavella Maria Marcona is a new type of heroine. M3′s tough, beautiful, intriguing. She inhabits a world within our own, a world we fantasize about being a part of, doing the things we wish we could do. This series rocks.

Several issues are available digitally through Hound Comics’ store. But if you’re a print junkie like me you’ll be glad to know that issue 1 hits comic shops nationwide on May 30th!

This coming weekend (May 12th to be exact) is the first Asbury Park Comic Con! I’ll be heading there to see what’s what. And I just found out tonight that Erica Schultz will be there representing Hound Comics! I’m sure to come back with lots of good stuff to tell you guys about the future of this series… Stay tuned!

Dark Horse announced today that the two titles released for free comic book day will be available for download at Dark Horse Digital for the rest of the month of May. No software to download, view them right in your browser.

Great for any of you who missed out on some really solid stories as well as a exclusive Alabaster story “Shelter” told across both issues. The Star Wars/Serenity book is rated 12+ and the Buffy/Guild book is rated 14+ but neither one is really graphic or overly scary. If you’ve been out of comics a while, have never read one, or just really love these specific characters go check these books out. I think they were the best books this years free comic book day had to offer.

Here’s the press release from Dark Horse:

DARK HORSE FREE COMIC BOOK DAY COMICS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FOR LIMITED TIME!

MAY 7, MILWAUKIE, OR—If you missed out on picking up your Free Comic Book Day comics at your local comic-book store, you can get them from Dark Horse Digital for a limited time!

Both Star Wars/Serenity and Buffy/The Guild will be available for free download on Dark Horse Digital starting today and running through the end of May.

Dark Horse Digital is available through all modern web browsers and features cloud storage in both the Android (beta) and iOS apps.

Make sure to check out these awesome titles from Dark Horse and support Free Comic Book Day! Free Comic Book Day has happened the first Saturday in May every year since 2002—ten years in the running!

For more information on Free Comic Book Day, visit FreeComicBookDay.com.

To find and support your local comic shop, visit ComicShopLocator.com.

About Dark Horse Digital

Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has grown to become the third-largest comics publisher in the United States and is acclaimed internationally for the quality and diversity of its line. In 2011, the company that revolutionized the comic industry proudly presented its groundbreaking digital-publishing program, Dark Horse Digital.

Dark Horse Digital offers its most popular titles at an unprecedented value, while providing the highest-quality reading experience possible. Single-issue comics are priced as low as just $0.99, and there is also an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues. Additionally, DH Digital’s “bundles” group together story arcs spanning multiple issues into affordable packages, allowing readers to get all the issues that comprise a complete narrative, starting at just $3.99 and up. And through cloud-based technology, Digital Store purchases can be read and enjoyed on your laptop, desktop, mobile browser, and Dark Horse Bookshelf app, available now on iTunes.

To get started, simply log on to Digital.DarkHorse.com or download the app to create an account, and begin building your collection today.

Less than one month. I’ve talked about this title before. I had been given a preview copy. It rocked. But it only showed half the story. This time I got to read all of issue one and I’m happy to say that the well written tightly plotted book I saw in February is definitely there for all thirty two pages.

Written by David Dwonch (Gnome, Space-Time Condominium, Back in the Day)
Art by Bill Blankenship (crazymarycomic.com)

From actionlabcomics.com: “After Jason and his team of programmers get stuck in their virtual reality game, Dungeon Lords, they must find a way back to the real world. Unbeknownst to them, the fantasy characters they inhabit have taken control of their bodies… and now wizards and warriors run free in Las Vegas!”

Just imagine you and your team have been beta testing this new completely immersive video game experience. You’re all enjoying yourselves, fighting, slaying, casting spells when the unexpected happens you’re all stuck in the game. To make matters worse your bodies at home aren’t just sitting there waiting for you. Nope the personalities that usually inhabit your game characters are now in the real world, who knows what havoc they’ll wreak.

Jason, Maxine, Andrew, and Milo don’t seem to be your normal geeks. And the situation they’re in is anything but normal. This is a gender-bending, role reversing look at people in an extraordinary situation. I don’t know what Dave Dwonch has in store for these guys but I’m sure it’s going to be insane. Bill Blankenship’s worlds, both real and in game, are rich and detailed. His characters are sharp and defined, really top notch work.

This four issue mini series is definitely worth a look but be warned read issue one, you’ll want the rest!

$3.99, Full color, 28 page comic book. #1 (of 4)  Suggested for Mature Readers. (Order Code MAR120710)