Today the comics industry has lost a legend. Eugene “Gene” Colan passed away at the age of 84 on July 23rd due to complications from liver cancer.

He had quite the resume in his long career. He drew many books for both DC and Marvel. Captain America, Batman, Howard the Duck, Daredevil, Sub Mariner, he did it all. He had two massive comic runs in his career. He drew the entire 70 issue run of “Tomb of Dracula” in the 70’s and an almost interrupted (all but three issues) 81 issue run, from issues #20 to #100 on Daredevil.

Recently he won an Eisner award for Best Single Issue along with Ed Brubaker for their work on Captain America #601 proving he was still one of the best in the business. Here are a couple of quotes from the publishers of DC comics Jim Lee and Dan Didio on how they felt about Gene Colan:

“Gene Colan was one of the great draftsmen in the industry and his work is a fond part of some of my best comic book memories.” —Dan DiDio, Co-Publisher of DC Comics

“Gene Colan was like no other artist of his generation.  His ability to create dramatic, multi-valued tonal illustrations using straight India ink and board was unparalleled.  The comics industry has lost one of its true visionaries today.” —Jim Lee, artist and Co-Publisher of DC Comics

ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN #160 (monthly series, Marvel Comics, $3.99)
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? Brian Michael Bendis (writer); Mark Bagley, AndyLanning and Andrew Hennessy (artists).

Spoiler alert: They really did it. “They,” of course, are the folks behind the “Death of Spider-Man” story line in the Ultimate Comics version of the title. (For those who are unfamiliar with thedistinction … Marvel has Spider-Man comics in its “proper” universe, one in which Peter Parker is an adult; the “Ultimate” Peter Parker is a completely different continuity and universe, and is a teen.)

And before anyone gets too mad about me coming out and so blatantly saying that Ultimate Peter is dead … you couldn’t have missed this news unless you were living in a total vacuum. Besides, didn’t I already mention that the story line is called “Death of Spider-Man?”

Another side note: Both the monthly Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man titles have been running neck-and-neck in terms of quality in 2011. It’s as if the respective writers, Dan Slott and Brian Michael Bendis, are in competition with each other.

Bendis, in particular, has stepped up his “game” with this latest story line. In it, war has come to the Ultimate universe. Members ofthe “Ultimates” and “New Ultimates” teams are warring. (A mini-series written by Mark Millar actually tells most of this particular story.) Ultimate Spidey finds himself drawn into this conflict. When the Punisher attempts to assassinate Captain America, our hero rescues his would-be mentor and takes the bullet meant for him. It’s a terrible wound, but Spidey has no time to seek emergency medical treatment.

That’s because Green Goblin and his Sinister Six (which includes Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman and Vulture) have broken out from captivity. The revenge-minded villains know Spidey’s true identity, and are on their way to kill his loved ones and family.  They’ve already taken out Spidey’s allies Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake (akaHuman Torch and Iceman), and they mean business. So the last line of defense is an exhausted, possibly mortally wounded teen.

THE GOOD
Bendis really gets the voice of teens, and he writes one of the smartest, funniest versions of Spidey. (Though Slott’s more adult Peter Parker is also a joy to read these days.)

And what happens in this story line, particularly this issue, promisesto shake up this title, which is re-starting with a new Spider-Man character and a new No. 1 issue once it is all over. (Confusingly, there are two issues of a six-issues mini-series titled  “Ultimate Fallout,” that will cap the series. They take the place of the originally solicited Nos. 161 and 162 issues.)

This “finale” is pretty action-packed as well. Once Spidey dispatches the other Sinister Six members (with help from others, including Aunt May!), he battles to the death with his longtime arch-nemesis Norman Osborn. Neither of them pulls any punches either. Seriously, this is one brutal, shocking fight to the finish. You’ll feel exhausted just reading it.

THE BAD
Artist Mark Bagley has been with Bendis on the title through most of its 160 issues. Due to his competence and professionalism, the book always hit its monthly deadlines. It also had a consistent look each month. (That being said, I much preferred the issues drawn by Stuart Immomen, David Lafuente and Sara Pichelli, whose works is more dynamic and interesting.)

Unfortunately, Bagley’s artistic and story telling skills seems to have waned during the time he spent at DC Comics, drawing its Justice League title. He’s never had the most distinctive style, but now his character faces all look the same (both male and female). His action scenes no longer have the zip and energy they once had. The ones here are a little cluttered and confusing. They’re not awful, but they’re certainly not his best work. The thick ink lines by Andy Lanning and Andrew Hennessy don’t really help much either.

THE UGLY
Super hero deaths have become too common place in the Marvel Universe, both in the “proper” and Ultimate ones. (The Fear Itself mini-series also recently featured a shocking hero death, apparently.)
In particular, the Ultimate lines have gone all “kill-y.” If this weren’t a major character, one with his own solo title, would we even care?

Also … no disrespect to Bagley, but his art sort of did the story a disservice. For example, I actually had to interpret and explain the final three panels of this issue to comic store employees. I’m pretty sure I’m right, but these are well-versed geeks who are getting confused.

IN CONCLUSION: Art quibbles aside, this has been one of the strongest story arcs in the book’s 10-year-plus history. It’s compelling, strong stuff that might just make you choke up a little. There’s a lot of heroism in play here. As well as the culmination of years’ worth of story lines. It’s a bittersweet but rewarding reading experience.

ALTERNATIVE CONTRIBUTOR COMMENTARY
Kill-tacular-tron here. Jerk-Bot has touched on all of the highs and lows of this final story arc for our favorite wallcrawler. I mostly just wanted to throw some speculation into the mix.

Similar to how Uncle Ben’s death inspired Peter to be Spider-Man, his death saving Aunt May and friends will inspire another to take his place. Who will it be? A lot of persons have speculated Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman. AKA Peter’s clone from around issue 100. That would make sense. After all, to be Spider-Man they’re going to need Spider powers. Which brings me to my main point… I get the feeling clones are going to be heavily involved in the start of the new series.

A quick trip through my back issue box helped me find some interesting stuff. So Doc Ock was one of the men responsible for the clones of Peter. As it turns out the CIA was funding Octavius to create these clones as a possible solution for the super soldier program. During this whole fiasco Gwen Stacy was brought back from the dead with the not-so-sweet alter ego Carnage. (That makes at least two Spider-Man characters to come back from the dead, the other being Norman Osborn.)

Jump forward to this week’s issue of Avengers vs. New Ultimates #5 to see an alternate Spider-Man leading a rebel uprising in Korea. This was all the under the master mind of Tony Stark’s brother, Gregory. While arguing with Nick Fury, Gregory says, “This is everything I grew him for.” Referring to the Korean (literally) version of Spider-Man. “Grew” is a very specific verb. Clone maybe? While I doubt he’ll take over for Parker, maybe there are more clones out there.

Well, this is food for thought at least while we wait until Bendis bestows upon us some more Spidey glory.

Jerk-Bot is the robotic nom de plume or Utah-based writer/reviewer
Jeff Michael Vice. He would like you to listen to him rant about
movies and other geeky stuff on both the Geek Show Podcast
(www.geekshowpodcast.com) and the Mediocre Show
(www.mediocreshow.com), as well as watch him review movies on the
Xfinity On-Demand program Big Movie Mouth-Off
(www.facebook.com/bigmoviemouthoff).

Hello and nice to see you all again! We’re going to start out this week once again with Wonderbot’s Picks of the Week, and then take a look at what is brand spanky new. Away we go!

Fables #106- This is probably my favorite comic books series ever. The artwork is great, and the writing is fantastic. The world that Bill Willingham has created will always keep you guessing what is going to happen next. Hus-bot is a big fan of “Fables” as well. In the last issue Bigby wolf and his father had a knock-down-drag-out fight. This issue we will be picking up the pieces and moving on from there. Also, the barrier Mister Dark out of Haven falls, leaving the kingdom entirely unprotected from him.

Spirit #15- ‘Dear Spirit: Won’t you please be my Valentine?’ No matter how The Spirit celebrates Valentine’s Day each year, he always receives a card from a mysterious admirer. But knowing his luck, this lovestruck lady is bound to turn bitter and a bit, well, fatale.

Hack/Slash #5– Hack/slash is another one of my favorite comics. Cassie Hack’s mother was a serial killer, and her father wasn’t the nicest of men either. After witnessing her mother commit a heinous murder, Cassie vows to become the killer of killers. Kinda like a chick Dexter, only hotter, and dealing with way more supernatural stuff. In this issue the skull-faced mystery woman Fantomah comes to Cassie and Vlad for help. But, what could a super powerful goddess, known for her horrible (yet creative) methods of tormenting evil doers, need with a teenage girl and a mutant with a machete?

That’s what I’ll be reading this week!

Dc is also continuing with their “Flashpoint” limited series, and the titles out this week include:

Flashpoint Kid Flash Lost Starring Bart Allen #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint Lois Lane And The Resistance #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint The Outsider #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint The Reverse Flash One Shot

There is also a new comic from IDW out this week that seems promising…

Infestation Outbreak #1 (of 4) — The zombie threat is over, but at great cost to CVO, who must pick up the pieces, rebuild the team, and figure out what lasting repercussions there are in a world where magic was forever changed. And a threat from beyond also brings in other familiar faces from across IDW’s developing universe!

Marvel also has a few second and third printings out this week. In case you missed them the first (or second) time around, the titles Marvel is reprinting this week are:

Fear Itself #2

Journey into Mystery #622 and 623

Mighty Thor #2

Moon Knight #1

Venom #1

If there happens to be any other title you’re looking for that wasn’t included on this list, click HERE for the full list provided by Previews World. Happy reading!

Tomorrow our favorite web head will meet his untimely demise… supposedly. It certainly seems as though he’ll die, but until I see it in print I don’t know that I believe they’ll murder their cash cow. Marvel sent over this press release:

THE  “ULTIMATE” SUPER HERO DEATH

Peter Parker Dies In Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 In Stores Wednesday

New York, NY—June 21, 2011— PETER PARKER HAS SPUN HIS LAST WEB.  In the storyline that has garnered the attention of fans and media worldwide, Marvel revealed that Peter Parker meets his tragic end in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160, hitting stores tomorrow (Wednesday, June 22^nd). Concluding the critically-acclaimed, sold-out “Death of Spider-Man” story arc, the death of Peter Parker signals a major change for the Ultimate Comics Universe and sets the stage for the upcoming debut of an all-new Spider-Man.

“10 years ago, Brian Bendis and Mark Millar changed the way people saw super heroes with the birth of the Ultimate Universe. With ‘Death of Spider-Man’ the two have done it again, creating a story just as big, and something that would really resonate with fans.” said Mark Paniccia, Marvel Senior Editor.  “But Peter’s death doesn’t signal the end of their larger plan—it’s the start of one of the most ambitious stories you’ve ever read in comics.”

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 debuted in 2000 and is widely considered one of the most important comics of the century. The progenitor of the Ultimate Comics Universe, in which Marvel’s greatest characters and stories were reinterpreted for modern audiences, Ultimate Spider-Man set records for trade paperback sales and its version of Spider-Man remains one of the most popular of all-time.

“We’ve never seen a world without Spider-Man, a world without Peter Parker, so his death is a significant event for the Ultimate Comics Universe and we’re going to see how quickly it changes everything. Readers are in for something very new…and surprising because everything that happens in Ultimate Spider-Man #160 and Ultimate Comics Fallout sets the stage for even bigger stories,” explained Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor In Chief.

The story continues in July’s Ultimate Comics Fallout, picking up right after the death of Spider-Man and showing just what happens to the world without Peter Parker. New alliances! New enemies! Fans can’t afford to miss the dynamic debut of the new Spider-Man in the pages of Ultimate Comics Fallout—and you won’t believe who’s under the mask!

Like most Marvel fans, I’ll be picking up my issue tomorrow to see just how this all goes down. After the last issue, the deck is certainly stacked against Spider-Man.

This is one of my favorite chapters for a couple of reasons, and as usual it boils down to the fighting and the cliffhanger. Last episode, Gail was the one in peril, not Captain America. The time bomb planted in her plane could go off at any time! Can Captain America fight off the Scarab’s goons in time to warn her? Well, probably, but who cares? The brawl has an extra air of urgency to it, and it’s choreographed really well. It’s also a tiny bit slapstick-y, what with the guy getting slammed onto the rolling dolly, but again, who cares? This isn’t the type of movie you watch to painstakingly analyze every moment. You pop it on, maybe turn down the lights and become a kid again for 15 minutes. Let’s do that now, and together let’s watch Chapter 9 of Captain America: Triple Tragedy!

This week’s supplement is yet another chapter poster. I really like these, even though they are all similar aside from the screen inset and the chapter title. I hope you all like them too! Until next week, Keep your flag waving and your spirits high!

With last year’s Batman XXX: A Porn Parody, it was proven that you can titillate and entertain, while being extremely faithful to source material. Since the success of that movie, there has been a veritable explosion (no pun intended) of Superhero porn parodies. Some have been better than others (not that I’d know), but with the upcoming Spider-Man XXX, hopes are high for another faithful adaptation due to the direction of Axel Braun, he who helmed last year’s Batman. The people at Vivid entertainment were kind enough to send along a rough cut of the opening credits and the official poster for the film. Electro aside, it’s pretty faithful to the Raimi movies.

Well, faithful in style, at least. I’m really surprised that they’d include the Black Widow and not the Black Cat. Well, if nothing else, Spider-Man will be sure to shoot a sticky substance from his body, and there’ll probably be some web-slinging too. What do you all think of Superhero porn? Is it sexy, or just silly?

Hello again everyone! I’m back to talk comics with you. For the time being, until I really get into the swing of things, I’m going to be talking about comics that I read and am excited to see out this week, and also talking about some of the new comics out this week.

There’s no better way to start this than to just jump right in, so without further adieu, I give you my comic picks for the week!

Batgirl #22- Stephanie Brown has been one of my favorite incarnations of Batgirl from the start. She’s funny, cute, and smart but at her core, she’s kind of a ditzy blonde. She’s constantly trying to prove herself, and that’s one of the things I love about her character. Also, the interactions between her and Damian, are some of the funniest dialogue I’ve ever read. This month, Stephanie goes to London on a top-secret assignment. When the Greenwhich Mean is stolen, it’s up to Batgirl and Squire to save the U.K.!

Cinderella Fables Are Forever #5 (of 6)- Cinderella, Prince Charming’s third wife, (yup, THAT Cinderella) is an assassin and spy when she’s not running her shoe store, The Glass Slipper. In this issue, Cinderella and Ivan Durack have tracked her longtime nemesis from Switzerland to the Deadly Desert of Oz. Cinderella barely survived her last encounter with her nemesis, which begs the question; Will Cinderella survive until the end of this series?

Dr. Who #6- Welcome to Multiworld! A fluctuating rift complex filled with every historical location possible! Be a cowboy! A Roman! A knight! But when a crash-landing Sontaran survey vessel merges the rifts, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory each find themselves in different worlds-and in peril! And where did the Sontarans go?

Grimm Fairy Tales Myths and Legends #6- The Dream Eater continues its path of destruction tearing through the Grimm Fairy Tale universe and has now turned its attention to one of the most evil beings in all existence, Baba Yaga. Now Baba Yaga must join forces with her archenemy, the guardian of Earth, Samantha, to put a stop to the Dream Eater once and for all.

Supergirl #65- Lois Lane contacts Supergirl about a series of mysterious disappearances on a college campus. When the girls discover the truth about who is behind the kidnappings, it puts Supergirl in the path of one of DCU’s greatest villains.

Tiny Titans #41- Tiny Titans is one of my most beloved comic book series ever. It’s great for kids and adults alike. Art Baltazar, co-writer and artist of TT, is a great guy. I met him at NYCC last year, and he did a Ms. Marvel sketch for me in crayon, for free. He’s a full time art teacher, and he writes and draws TT in his “spare time”. This month is the all Flash issue. This issue also introduces Jessie Quick and features Inertia and Mas y Menos.

So, that’s what I’m reading this week. In addition to what I like there are also a number of DC’s “Flashpoint” limited series coming out. This list includes the following:

Flashpoint: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint: Grodd of War #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom starring Heatwave #1 (of 3)

Flashpoint Wonder Woman And The Furies #1 (of 3)

In other limited series news, Marvel is also launching an eight part series about everyone’s favorite Canadian Super Hero team, Alpha Flight!

Alpha Flight #1 (of 8)- Alpha Flight has long been the protector of an entire nation…but what happens when that nation needs to be protected from itself? Sasquatch, Snowbird, Northstar and Aurora have been joined by their revived allies Guardian, Vindicator, Shaman, and Marrina as the paragons and protectors of an entire nation. But as FEAR ITSELF takes over, their own country turns on the Flight and brands them traitors for the shocking actions of one of their closest allies. As the borders close and an entire nation hunts them down, will the newly reunited Alpha Flight survive?

In addition to all of these comics, the 14th trade paperback of “The Walking Dead” is also out this week, so make sure you pick it up, because you know you’ll have it read within an hour.

To see all of the comic books out this week, click HERE for the full list from Previews World.

The headline pretty much says it all. So far, in every promotional picture, trailer, piece of art, and whatever else have you that we’ve seen for Captain America: The First Avenger has had Chris Evans in a militarized version of the familiar Cap costume, reminisceint of his duds from The Ultimates. However, thanks to the intrepid work of Bleeding Cool, we now know that won’t be the only Cap costume in the flick.

It seems at one point in the film, Cap show up in an outfit resembling the one we know from the comics at a USO show. This actually makes a lot of sense to me. I’m sure Uncle Sam wants to show off their new “Super Soldier” to boost morale for both the troops and the general populace, but you can’t rightly show him cracking Nazi skulls in front of an audience, so I bet that’s where this “sanitized” version of the Star-Spangled Avenger comes from. Yeah, the costume looks a little cheesy, but honestly, I think it’s meant to. And hey, at least we didn’t get this monstrosity…

Any costume where you have visible panty lines is a mistake, end of story.

Well, you know the old saying, “If you don’t see a body, they’re probably not dead!”. In the case of Black Bolt, it’s more welcome than other resurrections. ‘Ol Blackagar Boltagon (really, that’s his full name) has always resonated and reverberated with me. He’s the definition of the strong, silent type, because even a whisper from the guy can shatter a mountain. All the more appropriate that the preview pages for the upcoming FF #3 heralding his return are devoid of dialogue. So, sit back, enjoy the purty pictures and await the bold return of the leader of the Inhumans!

BLACK BOLT RETURNS IN FF#6!

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at FF #6, from Marvel Architect Jonathan Hickman and artist Greg Tocchini! King Black Bolt makes his triumphant return to the Marvel Universe as the War Of The Four Cities continues! But what are the circumstances surrounding his mysterious return, and how will it turn the tides of the FF’s intense battle? Will someone stand in the way of King Black Bolt’s return to the throne? Cover your ears as the King of the Inhumans makes his vicious return to royalty, only in July’s FF #6!

FF #6 (MAY110658)
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Pencils by GREG TOCCHINI
Cover by MARK BAGLEY
Rated T+…$2.99
FOC—6/20/11, On Sale—7/27/11

So last week’s cliffhanger was one of those slow build ups where the suspense mounts until there’s literally an explosion of excitement. This time it didn’t ring true for me, as we clearly see FauxCap fiddling with the door before the factory goes up in flames. If you didn’t think he’d find his way out, I have some land in Florida I’d like to sell you. Actually, even though Cap gets out of this scrap, what about the bad guys that he just had one of his trademark brawls with? It’s the heat of the moment, Cap is trying to save his own skin, so I don’t think the thugs are going to make it. Normally the heroes take the bad guys to justice, but if this is the way Cap operates, the Scarab better watch out! And on that note, let’s watch this week’s ominous-sounding chapter: Cremation in the Clouds!

This week’s supplement is pretty much nothing more than a glorified screenshot, but it does look rather nice, and has a good resolution to it. I promise next week I’ll have another chapter poster! Until then, Thumbs up, soldier!

Cap comes out of the closet after mopping up a bad guy!