COLD WAR IS COOL IN PIGS

McCool, Cosby & Tamura Set to Activate KGB Cuban Sleeper Cell in September

Berkeley, CA – 15 June 2011 – When the second generation of a loyal KGB sleeper cell is given the signal, they must finish the mission that they have been raised their entire lives to complete: overthrow The United States of America, no matter what it takes. Writers Ben McCool (CHOKER, MEMOIR) and Nate Cosby (Jim Henson’s Storyteller) are the creative minds behind this new ongoing series from Image Comics, a character-driven modern espionage thriller entitled PIGS.

The two co-creators enlisted the stylish and gritty storytelling talents of newcomer artist Breno Tamura to deftly handle interiors and an all-star cast to create cover art. Jock (The Losers), Francesco Francavilla (Detective Comics) and Amanda Conner (THE PRO, Power Girl) have already turned out powerful images for the first three covers, and Ben Templesmith (CHOKER, FELL), Humberto Ramos (Crimson, Amazing Spiderman) and Becky Cloonan (Demo, American Virgin) have signed on to contribute cover art as well.

“PIGS is as much a study of these very unique characters as it is a fast-paced, action-packed story of espionage,” explained McCool. “Sure, the Pigs are terrorists, and their mission is set to leave a trail of devastation in their wake. But what if not every member of the group has the same agenda? Is it possible that there’s a sleeper within the sleeper cell…?”

“Our goal is to make the reader uncomfortable,” added Cosby. “The ‘heroes’ in PIGS are terrorists that’ve been trained their entire lives to annihilate your way of life and kill you if necessary. But at the same time, these characters have souls, unique personalities, senses of humor. The book is about the practical application of terrorism, and what it takes for a person to dedicate their life to destruction.”

The five young anti-heroes in PIGS are a band of communist operatives who intend to finish what the previous generation began after the Bay of Pigs invasion. While they may find themselves on the road to successfully completing their potentially catastrophic suicide mission, for the first time in their lives they have also come face-to-face with the reality of the country that they have been trained to hate. The characters of PIGS are human weapons who must decide how or if they can pull the trigger when their moment comes at last.

PIGS #1 (JUL110432), a 32-page full blown, full color espionage comic book for $2.99, is available to order in the July edition of Diamond Previews catalog, and will be at a comic store near you on September 14, 2011.

I love a good Cold War story. I read Tom Clancy and John Le’Carre novels growing up and studied Post-War Europe and Communism in college so I’m pretty intriuged by this book and really dig the idea of looking at things from agents point of view. Being raised in America and turning on them can’t be easy. We’ve had a taste of this kind of thing in books by Tom Clancy (Teeth Of The Tiger) and even Chuck Palahniuk (Pygmy) and just in countless video games this year we are having wars in America so its no surprise that a comic will be breaching this territory but I think it will be able to flesh out the story in a more interesting and detailed way. However, the “sleeper agent with sleeper cell” turns me off a little. Seems like a plot point over done a lot to me but it could turn out interestingly enough. Guess we will find out come September.

The road to Ghostbusters 3 continues to be a rollercoaster ride. The latest news comes directly from Sony at the Licensing International Expo. In the Licensing Trade magazine was the following spread:

The blurb of interest reads as follows:

“…plus Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has a licensing program targeting the Ghostbusters core fan base of the relaunch of the movie franchise in 2013.”

What does this mean? Sony is still invested in making some money out of the Ghostbusters franchise. This isn’t a green light for the third movie, but it does mean they are pushing forward with it. The term “relaunch” is kind of interesting. Does this mean if Bill doesn’t hop on board they just move on with a whole new crew? Or am I looking into things too far? Sound off below!

Via: Toys and Gadgets

After director Darren Aronosky left the project, there has been a lot of concern and speculation over who may take over for directing the next Wolverine-centric film. All that speculation may be coming to an end as Deadline is reporting that final negotiations have begun to have James Mangold helm the film:

James Mangold is 20th Century Fox’s and star Hugh Jackman’s choice to direct The Wolverine, ending one of the most competitive contests among directors for a major studio film. Negotiations are about to get underway, but I’m told that Mangold will take the helming job on the sequel to the X-Men spinoff film, a post that became vacant when Darren Aronofsky dropped out of the film in March.

Mangold has directed some pretty solid films as of late including 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line and more recently, Knight and Day – which wasn’t a great movie, but had some pretty fun action in it. Honesly, I really enjoyed 3:10 to Yuma and Walk the Line, so perhaps I should be more excited about him taking over directing duties for this film but my heart was so set on Aronofsky directing a Wolverine movie that any director may just seem sub-par to me. I’m willing to give another Wolverine movie a shot as I didn’t think X-Men Origins: Wolverine was complete shit, but I of course have my reservations as I’m not completely convinced that the only reason Aronofsky left the project was because of the time it was going to take him away from his family for . . .

How do you feel about Mangold taking over the directing seat for the next Wolverine film? Are you even that excited for another Wolverine film, especially with Aronofsky gone? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

JK Rowling certainly has a way of getting people of all ages excited about the prospect of more visits to the world of Harry Potter.

Well, Bloomsbury Press announced a countdown… to an announcement. As I write this, we’re just over 6 days away from her major Potter Universe announcement. Youtube even set up a special countdown page for it.

Some speculation revolves around another book. The theme of the countdown is “The Owls are Gathering” and as we all know the owls are the messengers that bring letters to new students of Hogwarts. Other rumours have swirled that JK Rowling has been hinting at a new series of books featuring a muggle child of Dudley Dursely who gets a letter to Hogwarts.

Still other speculation seems to lead to the idea that this announcement is tied to the launch of a brand new website called Pottermore. It could contain literally anything.

What I do know for sure is that JK Rowling will make an announcement, and whatever she announces is sure to delight and thrill Harry Potter fans the world over.

Our newest guest contributor, Wall-D, is here with a new weekly, geeky dating advice column for BSR!

“Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot.” These are the first words Mary Jane Watson ever said to Peter Parker. Peter just stares back, dazed and speechless. And who can blame him? Here’s a guy who has spent the last four years as “Midtown High’s only professional wallflower,” getting kicked around by Flash Thompson and laughed at by Liz Allen, and now the most attractive redhead Steve Ditko ever put to paper just comes out and declares herself his reward, less than a panel after seeing him for the first time. It’s enough to pop anyone’s word bubble.

As astonishingly unlikely as this moment might seem, every man who grew up a geek believes deep in his heart that it’s coming for him. We’re told as much our entire lives. “Just get through high school,” they say. “When you grow up, you’re going to be smart and successful, and girls will be falling all over you.”

Geek media does all it can to reinforce this fantasy. Peter Parker, the nebbishy teen with a heart of gold, dates whip-smart blonde bombshell Gwen Stacy and then trades up (via bridge tragedy) for supermodel/actress Mary Jane Watson. Clark Kent, the awkward farm boy who never quite fit in, ends up with Lois Lane, the coolest girl in Metropolis. Sure, those characters are superheroes, but every geek sees himself in them, and it’s a key component of the story that Lois and MJ are each in love with the man, not the costume.

It’s not just comics. On Star Trek, tortured straight-arrow Odo managed to seduce galactic badass Kira Nerys with just a little help from the holo-suite, and even Data got it on with Tasha Yar before she died. More recently, Judd Apatow has built a movie empire on a foundation of unattractive underachievers landing dream-women. Woody Allen did it a generation earlier.

Wherever geeks turn, there is someone they trust or something they worship telling them that if they just hold on long enough, they will land the girl of their dreams. And eventually, we believe it.

We believe it because we’re told it so often, and we believe it because we have to. It is belief in this fantasy that keeps us going through rejection after rejection from girls who aren’t interested, and through being called “fatass” or “faggot” by the guys they do date. It is belief in this fantasy that propels us through the twin hells of middle school and high school without losing our sanity. It is belief in this fantasy that separates geeks who go to college from the geeks who shot up Columbine.

Here’s the really surprising thing: it’s not a lie. At some point, for many of us, the fantasy comes true. Nerds really do go on to successful careers. Geeks really can outgrow their awkwardness. Years of enduring torment from small-minded bullies often does force weaklings to develop a keen wit. Growing up on the wrong end of the social structure engenders kindness and understanding. Burying oneself in escapist media leads to an appreciation for art and culture. And eventually, more often than not, enough of these factors come together to form an adult man who is pretty solid dating material.

At the same time, women start to see nerds in a different light. They get tired of dating men who don’t treat them well, and they’re willing to overlook a little awkwardness if it means dating a nice guy. Adults tend to value a stable personality and a decent sense of humor more than raw good looks or an air of rebellion.

On top of that, society has been doing all it can to improve a geek’s chances. America’s biggest movies are torn from the pages of comic books. Lovable television characters like Chuck Bartowsky, Seth Cohen, and that Leonard guy on Big Bang Theory have turned gentle dweebs into desirable heartthrobs. Even big screen action movies feature Jake Gyllenhal and Shia LaBouf in roles that used to go to Arnold Swartzenneger and Sylvester Stallone.

All of this adds up to a world where most nerds, sooner or later, will face a real-life jackpot moment.

And then what? Millions of nerds have pored over Spider-Man comics, indulging in the wish-fulfillment fantasies of saving the day and (more importantly) getting the girl. The Ditko panel depicted above boils all that down to one shining moment, a holy grail at the end of our long arduous quest. It appears to be a victory for Peter, and we cheer him on. But has any one of us really considered what it’s like to be in his shoes? As reassuring as it is to read the story, can any of us even contemplate what it’s like to live inside the panel? Is that dazed look on Peter’s face the result of elation, or paralyzing fear?

The paradox of growing up geek is that we spend our entire lives believing the fantasy that we’ll one day hit the jackpot, but nothing prepares us for the eventuality of it actually happening. To us, landing the girl of our dreams is as strange and fantastic as developing the proportional strength of a spider, or being beamed on board the Enterprise. And as much fun as all of those things seem in a story, facing them in reality would be absolutely terrifying.

This is why nerds are terrible at handling adult relationships. We have no idea how to use these strange new powers of attraction we’ve developed. And there are giant obstacles in our way: a lack of confidence born of years of rejection, a dearth of dating experience, too little actual sexual experience combined with too much exposure to pornography, and no conception of our own identity as a boyfriend or partner. A nerd’s first stab at a real relationship will inevitably go something like this:

The challenge we face, then, is to learn how to use our newfound powers and dodge these obstacles. Like this:

How do we get from swinging directly into walls to deftly catapulting ourselves between moving semi-trucks? At this point, your guess is as good as mine, but sooner or later, we’re going to have to figure it out. If we truly are living in the Age of the Nerd, we’ll need to successfully reproduce if we want to keep it going.

So I figured, why not turn to the internet? It’s never failed me before! (Still waiting on that check, Nigerian prince.) Over the coming months, I’ll be blogging about my experiences in dating as a geek. Along the way, I’ll be looking for stories from other nerds facing similar problems. If we’re very lucky, we can apply some of the lessons learned from growing up in pop-obsessed isolation to the now very real challenge of finding someone to love.

Follow along, and maybe together we can figure out how to hit the jackpot and come out alive.

Wall-D is a Utah native and a lifelong geek, who somehow, despite these facts, has recently found some success in the dating game. This column is part of his effort to not screw it up. His favorite comics include Fables, Criminal, and anything by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

Captain America is a rather ubiquitous figure these days, even though Captain America: The First Avenger doesn’t open in movie theaters until July 22.  Directed by Joe Johnston, the film stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers (a.k.a. Captain America) and Hugo Weaving as his nemesis The Red Skull.

Yesterday, Big Shiny Robot! shared the information that the classic Captain America costume appears in the film, and today Playbill brings us the news that composers Alan Menken and David Zippel have written a song for the highly anticipated Marvel film.

The composers have also written for Broadway, which may draw some vague comparisons between the song for Captain America and the music for another production based on a Marvel supehero:  Spider-Man:  Turn Off the Dark. However, this is just one song for a film as opposed to a train wreck of a bloated and controversial Broadway musical.

This is also not Captain America’s first brush with Broadway.  In 1985, a $4 million musical was announced but never actually materialized.  The plot focused on the hero’s mid-life crisis and the rescue of his girlfriend from terrorists. I’m not sure where his “very special friend” would have fit into the plot, but a casting call searching for girls aged 10-14 can be seen in the picture below:

The song Menken and Zippel penned for Captain America is called “The Star-Spangled Man (With a Plan)” and will be hear during a movie montage.  Ah, the movie montage.  These tend to either be long and boring or incredibly entertaining, so let’s just hope it’s the latter.

In the Playbill article, Zippel explains that the song takes place in the film before Steve Rogers becomes Captain America.  He appears at war bond presentations throughout the country.

Alan Menken is perhaps best known for his work on Disney films.  He and Zippel received an Academy Award for their song “Go the Distance” from Hercules.  Menken also won Academy Awards for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Pocahontas.  His most recent projects include adapting the film Newsies for Broadway, composing the music for last year’s Tangled, and working on Broadway productions of Aladdin and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  These follow a pattern of Disney animated films turned into musicals for the stage.

In addition to Hercules, David Zippel has worked on the Disney films Mulan and Tarzan and wrote the lyrics for the Tony Award-winning musical City of Angels. It was his first full-length musical and his most successful.

Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters next month.

Did anybody else know that Robin Williams named his daughter after Princess Zelda? I sure didn’t until I saw this commercial and went to find out more on the internet! Apparently, Willaims’ son Zachary suggested the name to his father (who loved the idea) and it stuck since they were both huge Legend of Zelda fans. Even cooler – she is a gamer herself and has fond memories of playing the Legend of Zelda games. Her favorite in the series is Majora’s Mask.

Watch the new commercial from Robin and Zelda Williams for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D here:

While there is a veritable f—ton of books from Image Comics coming in September, I thought I’d point out a few that interest me. Cory Walker is returning to Invincible! Ryan Ottley has been on the book long enough that I consider the “world” of Invincible more his than Walker’s, but it’ll still be nice to see the original creative team back together. Also of note is a new book by Jay Faerber, who is a writer I always enjoy. You’ve got your Witchblade anniversary issue, as well. While I’m not into the character, I know there are plenty who are, so that’s for you. The new Robert Kirkman/Rob Liefeld book The Infinite is apparently available in regular and extra crispy deluxe editions. I won’t question that decision, because I know someone’s going to buy it. At any rate, take an hour or so to pore over this massive cache of comic craziness, and if you see anything you like, tell your friendly neighborhood comic shop to order them. And tell ‘im Shaz-Bot sent you!

WITCHBLADE #150
END OF AN ERA!
WITCHBLADE reaches its momentous one hundred-fiftieth issue! The series reaches another landmark as longtime writer RON MARZ and artist STJEPAN SEJIC put a final stamp on the series they helped define for the modern reader with their final issue. Sara Pezzini has long walked the thin line between being the bearer of the Witchblade and a detective for the New York Police Department. Now as Internal Affairs closes in on her, she may be forced to choose between her two lives.
story RON MARZ
art STJEPAN SEJIC
cover A STJEPAN SEJIC
cover B MICHAEL BROUSSARD
cover C MIKE CHOI
cover D MICHAEL TURNER

SEPTEMBER 28
48 PAGES / FC / T
$4.99

NEAR DEATH #1
story  JAY FAERBER
art SIMONE GUGLIELMINI
cover  TOMM COKER

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

Markham is a professional killer who has a near death experience during a botched mission. Determined to avoid ever returning to the Hell he glimpsed, Markham dedicates himself to balancing the scales. He’s going to save a life for every life he’s taken. And he’s taken a lot of lives…

A new ongoing crime series for fans of Criminal and the novels of Lee Child and Robert Crais.

PIGS #1
story NATE COSBY & BEN McCOOL
art BRENO TEMURA
cover JOCK

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

ISSUE ONE: HELLO, CRUEL WORLD
A KGB sleeper cell has been in Cuba since 1962. And now they’re coming to kill you. NATE COSBY (MARVEL), BEN McCOOL (CHOKER, MEMOIR) and hotshot newcomer artist BRENO TEMURA present PIGS, an ongoing series set to join Image’s elite ranks. Terrorists have descended on America, assigned to destroy everything in their path…but why, and why now?

HAUNT #19
story JOE CASEY
art / cover NATHAN FOX

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

AN ALL-NEW CREATIVE TEAM KICKS OFF WITH A BOLD NEW DIRECTION!

Brothers Daniel and Kurt Killgore have shared an ominous power, but things begin to unravel – for both of them – when a past tragedy comes back to haunt them.  All-new action! All-new enemies!  The new nightmare begins…NOW!

27: SECOND SET #1 (of 4)
story CHARLES SOULE
art RENZO PODESTA
cover SCOTT FORBES

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$3.99

The next, new reader-friendly chapter in the 27 saga begins HERE. Almost a year after the events of 27: FIRST SET, Will Garland, down-on-his-luck rock star, is desperate to recapture his lost fame. How far will he go, and will he encounter more cosmic craziness and intense action on the way? Answers: very far indeed, and absolutely. But on the plus side – groupies!

TEEN WOLF: BITE ME #1 (of 3)
story DAVID TISCHMAN
art / cover STEPHEN MOONEY

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.99

Scott McCall’s life is a living nightmare.  Sure, he’s co-captain of the Beacon Hills High Lacrosse Team and he’s got a hot new girlfriend named Allison who adores him – but Scott was bitten by a werewolf.  And every time he gets excited, the claws come out.  And the hair. And the fangs.  Which might be okay, except Allison’s father leads a specially trained group of Hunters who want him dead.  Scott’s managed to keep his secret safe, but what happens when he can’t reverse the process?

In this original comic book story based on MTV’s new hit series, Scott’s stuck – and nothing can change him back.  Will he stay a Werewolf forever?  The horror begins here.

ARTIFACTS #13 (of 13)
story RON MARZ
art DALE KEOWN & SUNNY GHO
cover A DALE KEOWN
cover B JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
cover C JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

OCTOBER 5
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$3.99
THE DECISION!
It all comes down to this! The Survivor’s plan has come to fruition. All thirteen Artifacts and their bearers are in their fated place. The stakes are simple – the very fate of the Top Cow Universe. And the only question that remains is, will either Jackie Estacado or Sara Pezzini doom the world as Tom Judge predicted? Legendary special guest artist DALE KEOWN (THE DARKNESS/PITT, Hulk) joins Top Cow Universe architect RON MARZ to bring fans an event conclusion they will never forget!

PLUS: Each issue will also feature an Artifacts: Origin story written by RON MARZ and drawn by a guest superstar artist.

’68: JUNGLE JIM (one-shot)
story MARK KIDWELL
art NATE VAN DYKE & JAY FOTOS
cover A NATE VAN DYKE
cover B NAT JONES & JAY FOTOS

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$3.99

Vietnam, 1968: Behind enemy lines, a soldier stands alone. A one-man army…armored against the risen, hungry dead under burlap, bamboo and Army green. Armored against the living with a Bowie knife and a mobile arsenal.

If you got left behind…he’ll find you. If you’re the enemy…you’ll never see him coming. If you’re a zombie…he’ll kill you again.

Sometimes, to slay monsters…you have to become one yourself.

Jungle Jim is a stand-alone one-shot comic story set in the grim world of ’68. Meshing smoothly with the ongoing military horror series, Jungle Jim is a savage new slant on the Vietnam/Zombie apocalypse scripted by MARK KIDWELL with stunning artwork by NATE VAN DYKE and JAY FOTOS.

THE BIG LIE #1
story RICK VEITCH
art RICK VEITCH & GARY ERSKINE
cover THOMAS YEATES

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

A lab tech travels back in time to the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 to try and get her husband out of the world trade center before it falls, but will the facts convince him before it’s too late?  A riveting tale of 9/11 by award winning master storyteller RICK VEITCH that exposes “The Big Lie!”

DEADLANDS: HOPELESS ROADS (ONE-SHOT)
story STEVE NILES
art / cover FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
based on the game DEADLANDS from PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

Visionary Comics and Pinnacle Entertainment bring the weird Western world of Deadlands to comics!  When evil takes over a sleepy western town it will take a heartless father to save the souls of the innocent in the final of four one-shots by masters of horror and noire, Steve Niles and Francesco Francavilla. Backup series also wraps up the origin of Billy the Kid in the world of Deadlands! Do not miss this!

PILOT SEASON: DECLASSIFIED 2011
story TOP COW’S FINEST
art / cover TOP COW’S FINEST

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T
$1.00

TAKE CONTROL!
After five years, the annual Pilot Season has become a comics institution and a unique engine for debuting new ideas and properties into comics! Get your first look at this year’s competition, which begins in October, including the list of creative teams, this year’s concepts, and an early look at the art from each book. You’ll also get an early look at upcoming series from previous winners like GENIUS and 39 MINUTES. We can’t tell you much more, because it’s still Top Secret, but we will give you this hint: 8. 4. 2.

LOVESTRUCK OGN
story DENNIS HOPELESS
art KEVIN MELLON
cover ERIK JONES

SEPTEMBER 7
192 PAGES / BW / T+
STANDARD SIZE
$16.99

It’s a love story, but not like you think.  There’s no boy meets girl or star-crossed soul mates.  Love is a billion-dollar industry.  Cupid’s the megalomaniac CEO.  And Kali Monroe gets paid to break your heart.  Love is all around us.  These are the pricks who control it.

BLUE ESTATE, VOL. 1 TP
story VIKTOR KALVACHEV & ANDREW OSBORNE
art VIKTOR KALVACHEV, TOBY CYPRESS, NATHAN FOX and ROBERT VALLEY
cover VIKTOR KALVACHEV

SEPTEMBER 14
120 PAGES / FC / M
STANDARD SIZE
$12.99

It all starts with a low-rent private eye trying (and failing) to escape the long shadow of his respected cop father.  But a chance encounter with a B-list action star on the mean streets of Hollywood drags the wannabe gumshoe into a world of strippers, mobsters…and the wildest (and only!) case of his career!  See who lives, who dies, and who gets the Tiger Blood knocked outta them in the first four issues of the fast, funny smash hit new crime series from Image Comics!

Collects BLUE ESTATE #1-4

“One of the best new series this year!”
— PopMatters

“Blue Estate is one of the best new series I’ve read in 2011 and that’s not something I say lightly.”
— Ranting & Raving

CARBON GREY, VOL. 1: SISTERS AT WAR TP
story HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS, PAUL GARDNER & MIKE KENNEDY
art / cover HOANG NGUYEN, KHARI EVANS & KINSUN LOH

SEPTEMBER 14
96 PAGES / FC / T+
STANDARD SIZE
$9.99

To a noble family twins are born; Mathilde and Giselle, the Sisters Grey. For centuries the Greys have protected the Kaiser, ruler of Mitteleuropa – but this is a different time. At the dawn of the industrial age a great war rages. When the Kaiser is found dead Giselle is accused of his murder. Pursued by her sisters and hunted by the enemy Giselle must unravel the prophecy of the Carbon Grey before history itself is rewritten. ‘Sisters at War’ includes all three issues of the sold-out first arc plus deleted scenes, concept art and additional new content.

THE DARKNESS COMPENDIUM, VOL. 2 TP
story JENKINS, MARZ, HESTER, TIERI, LAPHAM, & FIALKOV
art KEOWN, BROUSSARD, PORTACIO, LUCAS, MONTIEL, & DENHAM
cover BROUSSARD

SEPTEMBER 28
1280 PAGES / FC / T+
STANDARD SIZE
$59.99

The twisted journey of Jackie Estacado, bearer of The Darkness, an elemental force that allows those who wield it access to an otherworldly dimension and control over the demons who dwell there, continues! Follow Jackie as he returns from Hell itself to seek revenge against the Franchetti mob family, rises to Don, becomes a Kingpin, and falls from grace in these stories by Top Cow’s Finest.

Collects THE DARKNESS vol. 2 #1-24, THE DARKNESS vol. 3 #1-10, THE DARKNESS #75-89 & more!

ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 4: QUESTIONABLE THINGS TP
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art MORITAT, AXEL MEDELLIN & MARIAN CHURCHLAND
cover BOO COOK

SEPTEMBER 21
312 PAGES / FC / M
OVERSIZED
$24.99

A MAPPO sleeper cell has been reactivating Elephantmen, affecting not only the lives of Hip Flask and Ebony Hide but Vanity Case, Miki, Sahara and LAPD Lieutenant Blackthorne as well.

Collects ELEPHANTMEN #24-30

GREEN WAKE, VOL. 1 TP
story KURTIS J. WIEBE
art / cover RILEY ROSSMO

SEPTEMBER 21
136 PAGES / FC / M
STANDARD SIZE
$16.99

“Green Wake is the strongest debut of 2011.” – CBR

The highly acclaimed, repeat sellout series from writer KURTIS J. WIEBE and artist RILEY ROSSMO is a riveting tale of loss and horror. In the forgotten town of Green Wake, a string of grisly mutilations leads Morley Mack on the trail of a young woman named Ariel, who is the prime suspect. But when a stranger with startling connections to Ariel arrives under mysterious circumstances, Morley unravels a dark plot with a surprising link to his past.

Collects GREEN WAKE #1-5

MORIARTY, VOL. 1 TP
story DANIEL COREY
art / cover  ANTHONY DIECIDUE

SEPTEMBER 7
128 PAGES / FC / T
STANDARD SIZE
$14.99

“THE DARK CHAMBER” Part One
It is the dawn of World War I, and Sherlock Holmes has been dead for 20 years. Holmes’ enemy — Professor James Moriarty — is a lost man. MI5 blackmails Moriarty into finding Holmes’ long-lost brother, Mycroft, but what at first appears to be a routine case leads to a web of intrigue that involves a psychic box and its creator, a woman from Moriarty’s past, and a new villain that threatens to be greater than Moriarty ever was!

Collects MORIARTY #1-4

SAVAGE DRAGON: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT TP
story / art / cover ERIK LARSEN

SEPTEMBER 7
128 PAGES / FC / T
STANDARD SIZE
$16.99
Following the devastating conclusion of Emperor Dragon Malcolm and Angel Dragon have to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Introducing new villains Cutthroat Kid, Thunder-Head and Warren Terror as well as returning favorites Mr. Glum, the Absorbanoids and Monster Rex! Featuring a new Mighty Man, the Golden Age Daredevil and a cast of thousands! Comes with our highest possible recommendation!

Collects SAVAGE DRAGON #169-174

SPAWN: ORIGINS, VOL. 12 TP
story TODD McFARLANE & BRIAN HOLGUIN
art GREG CAPULLO, DANNY MIKI, TODD McFARLANE & CHANCE WOLF
cover CLAYTON CRAIN

SEPTEMBER 14
152 PAGES / FC / T+
STANDARD SIZE
$14.99

The Freak returns with an agenda of his own and Sam and Twitch are caught in the middle. Will Spawn come to their aid or will his apathy be the end of the detectives? Throw Wolfram the Vampire and the Heap in the mix and who knows what’ll happen! Relive the excitement of one of the best-selling independent comics of all time and grow your SPAWN: ORIGINS collection!

SPAWN: ORIGINS BOOK 4 HC
story TODD McFARLANE & ALAN MOORE
art GREG CAPULLO, TODD McFARLANE, TONY DANIEL & KEVIN CONRAD
cover GREG CAPULLO

SEPTEMBER 7
325 PAGES / FC / T+
OVERSIZED
$29.99

Revisit epic battles and relive the introduction of many new characters into the Spawn universe such as the Tiffany, Cy-gor, the Curse and Tremor. Includes the classic “Christmas” issue as well as the double-sized issue 50!

Extra features include color and b/w cover gallery and behind-the-scenes art. All this and more in an oversized, hardcover format complete with a wraparound painted cover by master SPAWN artist GREG CAPULLO. Grow your family of SPAWN: ORIGINS collection of books with this latest stellar addition.

Collects SPAWN #38-50

TWILIGHT GUARDIAN TP
story TROY HICKMAN
art SID KOTIAN, BILL FARMER & REZA
cover KEU CHA

SEPTEMBER 14
160 PAGES / FC / T+
STANDARD SIZE
$19.99

PILOT SEASON WINNER!
The entire tale of a lone, dedicated hero patrolling her nine block suburban neighborhood that captured the imaginations of fans during 2008’s Pilot Season and after heated voting emerged as one of the winning titles is finally collected! Creator and writer TROY HICKMAN (COMMON GROUNDS) along with artist SID KOTIAN (EAT THE DEAD) delves into Twilight Guardian’s past, her motivations for crime-fighting, and even give her an arch-nemesis in the terrifying Dusk Devil!

Collects TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1-#4 along with the original PILOT SEASON: TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #1 with a cover gallery, behind-the-scenes insights and more!

ULTRA: SEVEN DAYS DELUXE HC
story JOSHUA LUNA
art / cover  JONATHAN LUNA

SEPTEMBER 14
248 PAGES / FC / T+
OVERSIZED
$74.99 / S&N LTD ED $99.99

This edition collects the complete run of ULTRA: SEVEN DAYS in an oversized hardcover and slipcase format. In Spring City, where superheroes blur the line between law enforcement and celebrity, Pearl Penalosa, AKA Ultra, is a workaholic. At the prestigious agency, Heroine Inc., she has earned a legion of fans, a nomination for “Best Heroine of the Year,” and a perfect life. Well…almost perfect.  A chance encounter with a mysterious fortune teller prophesizes true love for Pearl within seven days. Limited signed and numbered edition includes an exclusive print.

LIMITED TO INITIAL ORDERS. THESE EDITIONS WILL NEVER BE PRINTED AGAIN!

Collects ULTRA: SEVEN DAYS #1-8

UNDYING LOVE, VOL. 1 TP
story / art / cover TOMM COKER & DANIEL FREEDMAN

SEPTEMBER 21
102 PAGES / FC / M
STANDARD SIZE
$14.99

A tale of horror-action, equal parts vampire mythology and Chinese folklore, set in modern day Hong Kong. Ex-soldier John Sargent has fallen for a beautiful Chinese woman named Mei. The only thing keeping the star-crossed lovers apart: she’s a vampire. To free Mei from the curse, Sargent sets out to destroy the vampire that made her. The only problem: Mei was turned by one of the most powerful vampires in history…

Collects UNDYING LOVE #1-4

THE WALKING DEAD 2012 CALENDAR
art & cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 7
26 PAGES / FC / T+
$14.99

13 of the most heart-stopping images from comics’ premiere horror series!

THE WALKING DEAD LOGO T-SHIRT

SEPTEMBER 21
S-XL $24.99
XXL $27.99

Show off your love for THE WALKING DEAD!

50 GIRLS 50 #4 (of 4)
story FRANK CHO & DOUG MURRAY
art AXEL MEDELLIN
cover FRANK CHO

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

THE END IS HERE!

FRANK CHO (X-MEN: SCHISM), DOUG MURRAY (THE ‘NAM) and AXEL MEDELLIN (ELEPHANTMEN) bring the first chapter of the of the ESS Savannah saga to its epic conclusion as the crew unknowingly has a traitor within their ranks. Has their entire universe-spanning search for home been planned since the beginning? It’s looking like it and what results isn’t pretty.

ALL NIGHTER  #4 (of 5)
story DAVID HAHN
art / cover DAVID HAHN

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / BW / T
$2.99

“STEALING SCENES,” Part Four
In this penultimate issue, the gang throws a wild Halloween party at the diner, which will turn out to be the last event there for any of them.  After Kit reveals to Martha the truth behind her mother’s death, Martha vanishes and a police investigation begins.

AVENGELYNE #3
story ROB LIEFELD & MARK POULTON
art OWEN GIENI
cover A ROB LIEFELD
cover B OWEN GIENI

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

“DEVIL IN THE FLESH,” Conclusion
The thrilling conclusion to the first story arc! Has Hell found its new second in command? As Avengelyne battles the serial killer Torment, the Red Dragon shows his true form in battle against Passover!

BOMB QUEEN VII: QUEEN’S WORLD #2 (of 4)
story / art / cover JIMMIE ROBINSON

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / M
$3.50

Bomb Queen brings her reign of horror on the new world order and only one person can stop her: ShadowHawk! But these aren’t your classic heroes and villains. This is world domination 2.0 fought on a global scale in the ultimate battle of good versus evil. Don’t miss out!

‘BREED III #5 (of 6)
story / art / cover JIM STARLIN

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

“INVASION!”
‘Breed swam all over Elsewhere, hunting for Raymond, Zoe and Pat, the Prodigal.  But is Pat really the savior everyone’s been waiting for? Plus Ray gets very unexpected allies in his battle against the Fathers.

BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER #7
story JOE CASEY
art / cover MIKE HUDDLESTON

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

And, lo, a day of reckoning shall arrive. On that fateful day, mountains will crumble, seas will boil, Hell will freeze… and the collision course between Butcher Baker, Arnie B. Willard and Jihad Jones reaches its apocalyptic zenith! All this, and Tyler too!

BUTCHER BAKER BLOWS UP YOUR BRAIN BETTER THAN DYNAMITE!

CHEW #22
story JOHN LAYMAN
art / covers ROB GUILLORY

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

“MAJOR LEAGUE CHEW,” Part Two
Two captives. Two kidnappers.

DAOMU #7
story KENNEDY XU & COLIN JOHNSON
art / cover KEN CHOU

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

Sean is lured back into the fold with a trip into the legendary sunken tomb of Cang Hai Wang. Against his better judgment, Sean must collaborate with Coral and hopefully get a crucial piece of the puzzle concerning his mysterious past…

‘

ELEPHANTMEN #36
story RICHARD STARKINGS
art AXEL MEDLLIN
cover  MORITAT & AXEL MEDLLIN

SEPTEMBER 21
40 PAGES / FC / M
$3.99

“THE KILLING SEASON,” Part One
Hip’s remark “Seems like the Elephantmen are in season,” continues to ring true.

EPOCH #2 (of 5)
story KEVIN McCARTHY
art PAOLO PANTALENA & JORGE FARES
cover PAOLO PANTALENA & PAOLO BARBIERI

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / FC / M
$3.99

MURDER MEETS MAYHEM!
Down the rabbit hole. Spiraling into the shadowy world of the Supernatural, Detective Jonah Wright races to solve the murder of his partner, the Archangel Michael. For the first time in millennia, the Supernatural Council will enact Epoch, an ancient fighting tournament that will determine Michael’s successor. But how will Jonah, a mere human, beat the dirty politics and ancient customs of his Supernatural ancestry? Well, if you can’t beat ’em…

GLADSTONE’S SCHOOL FOR WORLD CONQUERORS #5
story MARK ANDREW SMITH
art / cover ARMAND VILLAVERT

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / E
$2.99

After finding old comic books in which the hero beats their parents again and again, the Gladstone’s cadets band together to go head to head against the old superhero in an effort to restore their parents’ villainous honor! Then things go horribly wrong…

GØDLAND #36
story JOE CASEY
art / cover TOM SCIOLI

SEPTEMBER 28
48 PAGES / FC / T+
$3.99

BOOK THIRTY-SIX: GOTTERDAMMERAGNAHABHARATA
The universe performs the ultimate act of self-love, so make sure you’re there to rub one out with Adam Archer and the rest of his cosmic crew! You got questions? This issue’s got all the answers!

DOUBLE-SIZED ISSUE! OVER 40 PAGES OF STORY!

AD COPY: YOU GOTTA LOSE YOUR MIND IN GØDLAND RØCK CITY!

GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES #4 (of 4)
story MARK SABLE
art / cover  PAUL AZACETA

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

MINISERIES CONCLUSION!
The shocking cause of the zombie outbreak in Afghanistan is finally revealed. The only way for our uneasy alliance of Marines and Taliban have is to turn the zombies against their creators.  Find out who – if anyone – will survive The Graveyard of Empires.

HACK/SLASH #8
story TIM SEELEY
art DANIEL LEISTER
cover A DANIEL LEISTER & RACHELLE ROSENBERG
cover B  ERIK JONES

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES/ FC / T+
$3.50

“FAME MONSTER,” Conclusion
Cassie and Vlad have been split up, as the killer stalks sextape star/wanna-be rocker, Anna Pouperheus backstage.  But, The Neflords are seconds away from taking over NYC. What to save?! Celebrity culture will be skewered…literally. Also, Pooch and Cat Curio team up! “FAME MONSTER” concludes with a scream!

THE INFINITE #2
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover ROB LIEFELD

incentive covers
1:25 ROB LIEFELD
1:50 ROB LIEFELD & TODD McFARLANE

SEE ORDER FORM FOR MORE DETAILS!

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

Bowen’s mission has begun. The Infinite are on the move and their attempt to take over the world is underway. He must now train his younger self, Bo for the coming war… but is he ready? Could Bowen be leading himself to his own death?

THE INFINITE #2 DELUXE EDITION
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover ROB LIEFELD

SEPTEMBER 14
48 PAGES / FC / T
$5.99

This Deluxe Edition of THE INFINITE #2 comes loaded with mountains of behind the scenes sketches and illustrations by ROB LIEFELD and piles of notes and script pages by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Much like your favorite extras-filled DVDs, this version will give you a glimpse behind the curtain to see all the usually unseen work that goes into the creation of a comic book.

INVINCIBLE #86
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CORY WALKER

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

CORY WALKER RETURNS TO INVINCIBLE!
Allen thinks he’s doing what’s right – what must be done, but could he be wrong? Nolan and Young Omni-Man must do whatever it takes to prevent him from completing his mission, could this be the end of Allen The Alien?

THE LI’L DEPRESSED BOY #7
story S. STEVEN STRUBLE
art SINA GRACE
cover STEVE ROLSTON

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

“WE DIDN’T COME HERE TO ROCK”
Having driven hundreds of miles enduring everything that could go wrong, The Li’l Depressed Boy arrives at his intended destination: A concert by Arizona’s ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD. It’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right? Featuring a cover by GHOST PROJEKT artist and second best mustache in comics, STEVE ROLSTON.

MAGDALENA #9
story RON MARZ
art / cover NELSON BLAKE II, DAVID MARQUEZ, SAL REGLA & DAVE McCAIG

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.99

BACK MONTHLY!
After a sabbatical, the fan favorite team of RON MARZ (ARTIFACTS, WITCHBLADE), NELSON BLAKE II (PILOT SEASON: MURDERER) and DAVID MARQUEZ (Secret Warriors, Days Missing) return with a monthly MAGDALENA series. Once more under the employ of the Catholic Church, Patience, the current Magdalena and her mentor, Knight of Malta Kristof, are called on to find a piece of the One True Cross.

MARKSMEN #3 (of 6)
script DAVID BAXTER
art JAVIER ARANDA, GARRY LEACH & JESSICA KHOLINNE
cover TOMM COKER

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

New San Diego is betrayed and its heart is torn in two.  Drake and the Marksman scramble to face the assault on more than one front, but the Trojan Horse has already bolted.

MORNING GLORIES #13
story NICK SPENCER
art JOE EISMA
cover RODIN ESQUEJO

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PGS / FC / M
$2.99

P.E.

“MORNING GLORIES is a miraculous title…, Nick Spencer has found the perfect balance between mystery and character and delivers a riveting comic that also has believable characters with realistic motivations.”
Benjamin Birdie, CBR.com

MYSTERIOUS WAYS #3 (of 6)
story JASON RUBIN
art / cover TYLER KIRKHAM

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / M
$3.99

THIS KILLER JUST SAVED YOUR LIFE…
The pieces are starting to come together for Sam, the alcoholic ex-cop turned serial killer suspect… literally. The pieces of silver in Sam’s pocket are starting to form a picture, but if Sam is going to escape Agent Zassel he will need to make a leap of faith. Video game industry titan JASON RUBIN (THE IRON SAINT, Crash Bandicoot) teams with TYLER KIRKHAM (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) to bring a dark, action-packed supernatural thriller that will have you questioning everything you believe.

RED SPIKE #5 (of 5)
story JEFF CAHN
art MARK TEXEIRA, SALVADOR NAVARRO & IFANSYAH NOOR
cover MARK TEXEIRA

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

MINISERIES CONCLUSION
After the casualties mount up Coughlin vies for control of Red Spike. If he does, Moyer will be court-martialed. Matt Cutler is the golden ticket each side needs to win. Power breeds arrogance and often times, relinquishing that power is the most difficult part of having had it in the first place. Will Moyer’s stand be enough to protect his program? Will Matt stand with his Mentor? Or is Red Spike destined to be torn down by its own favored son? Find out in this thrilling climax of RED SPIKE’s first mission.

THE RED WING #3 (of 4)
story JONATHAN HICKMAN
art / cover NICK PITARRA & RACHELLE ROSENBERG

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.50

“HARMONICS”
The shocking enemy revealed as the final conflict for dominion of all space-time begins.

It’s World War 4D! Don’t miss it!

REED GUNTHER #4
story SHANE HOUGHTON
art / cover CHRIS HOUGHTON

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / E
$2.99

“REED GUNTHER IN FISH OUT OF SLAUGHTER!”
Reed and his trusty steed Sterling must fight their way through the wild, wild… East? The out-of-place cowboy searches New York City for the monster-creating Idol and his missing friends while being pursued by the President’s best monster-fighting government agent!

SAMURAI’S BLOOD #4 (of 6)
story OWEN WISEMAN
art NAM KIM, MATTHEW DALTON & SAKTI YUMONO
cover JO CHEN

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

Tensions rise as Katashi’s impatience and lack of foresight create greater obstacles for freeing Mayuko. But when the proud samurai Tokugawa Daigan desires a battle with Katashi in the arena, Jun makes a decision that puts both Katashi and Mayuko at risk.

SAVAGE DRAGON #176
story / art / cover ERIK LARSEN

SEPTEMBER 28
48 PAGES / FC / T+
$4.99

OVERLORD TRIUMPHANT
It’s Malcolm Dragon vs. his father’s greatest foe! But what chance does a high school freshman have against Chicago’s notorious crime boss? And if that isn’t enough – an alien invasion is on its way! And Angel Dragon has problems of her own!

SCREAMLAND #4
story HAROLD SIPE & CHRISTOPHER SEBELA
art LEE LESLIE
cover HECTOR CASANOVA

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

“DEATH OF THE PARTY,” Part Four
Time is running out to find Invisible Man’s murderer and there’s just one name left on the list of suspects: Robrain. Hitting the road to track him down, Carl and Travis will wade into an ocean of secrets, including one so huge it threatens to break up their bromance for good.

SEVERED #2
story SCOTT SNYDER & SCOTT TUFT
art / cover ATTILA FUTAKI

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

“NEW SKIN”
Jack learns the road is full of swindlers. And in Chicago, the most devious one awaits him: a travelling-salesman with shark-like-teeth who craves the flesh of the innocent.
SCOTT SNYDER (American Vampire, Detective Comics), SCOTT TUFT and ATTILA FUTAKI (Percy Jackson) are back with 2011’s most terrifying horror series. SEVERED.

SHINKU #4
story RON MARZ
art / cover LEE MODER, MATTHEW WAITE & MICHAEL ATIYEH

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

“THRONE OF BLOOD,” Part Four
As Shinku closes in upon an ultimate weapon to destroy the vampire clan, the vampires close in on her and her allies. There will be blood! But whose? The sellout monthly series from Ron Marz and Lee Moder races toward the climax of its first story arc!

SKULLKICKERS #11
story JIM ZUB
art EDWIN HUANG & MISTY COATS
cover SAEJIN OH

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / T
$2.99

“FIVE FUNERALS AND A BUCKET OF BLOOD,” Part Five of Five
-oblem with solicitations, right? You have to make people believe in the book, your dependability and tap into their excitement for comics in 50 words or less. It’s tough, especially when so much gets hyped to a ludicrous “Nothing will ever be the same” level, leaving them nowhere els-

SPAWN #211
story WILL CARLTON
art SZYMON KUDRANSKI & TODD MCFARLANE
cover SZYMON KUDRANSKI

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

“VIOLATION OF TRUST,” Part One
Jim discovers the shocking truth about the Clown’s origins and motivations, prompting a violent showdown that’s been building since issue 185: JIM vs. CLOWN!

THE VAULT #2 (of 3)
story SAM SARKAR
art  GARRIE GASTONNY & SAKTI YUWONO
cover GARRIE GASTONNY & BAGUS HUTOMO

AUGUST 31
32 PAGES / FC / T
$3.50

A small team of treasure hunters struggles to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the Graveyard of the North Atlantic..  Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature’s fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash from the Vault.

VESCELL #2
story ENRIQUE CARRION
art / cover JOHN UPCHURCH

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / FC / M
$2.99

Braving dangerous damsels and vengeful villains. Agent Mauricio “moo” Barrino’s intriguing cases leave him stuck between the most dangerous sibling rivalry, and an artificial intelligence who wants a baby.

THE WALKING DEAD #89
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

He has gone too far.

THE WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #36
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 7
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

Marriage proposal.

THE WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #37
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 14
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

The ninth month begins…

THE WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #38
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

Preparation for war.

THE WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #39
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN

SEPTEMBER 28
32 PAGES / BW / M
$2.99

BIRTH.

WITCH DOCTOR #4 (of 4)
story BRANDON SEIFERT
art / cover LUKAS KETNER

SEPTEMBER 21
32 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99

It’s Dr. Morrow’s toughest challenge yet: a magical malpractice hearing!  Mystics Without Borders wants answers.  Why did the case of the “Patient from the Black Lagoon” go so wrong?  What’s the biological secret of the Deep Ones, and their connection to the ‘Great Old Infections’?  And how do you fight an epidemic that’s turning people into fish-people?  Find out, in the finale of the debut miniseries from Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Originals line!

“WITCH DOCTOR has the potential to be the next great horror story in the comic industry.” – Bloody Disgusting

If you’ve checked Steam today you may have noticed a weird absence of new releases from EA. Reddit Gaming and a few other sites have mentioned that EA is not going to release titles through Steam anymore. With no official word from the guys at EA we are left to mainly speculation. This does, however,  raise a great many questions. If they’re leaving Steam why are their titles still available on Amazon, Direct 2 Drive, and other download services? If this were simply about pushing their customers to Origin wouldn’t they leave the other services behind as well? What break down in negotiation lead EA to pull products specifically from Steam, and why would you pull from one of if not the biggest digital distribution source for PC gaming?

Steam has a huge following of loyal gamers, how is this going to effect sales of major EA titles on the PC side? The die hards will download BF3 through Origin, that’s their game and they have to play it. But with a noticeable absence of Battlefield, Mass Effect 3, The Old Republic, and other future titles will the PC sales for those titles suffer?  Games like Alice, that appeal mainly to the die-hard gamer and not as much casual seem to be the ones that will suffer the most.

This seems to me to be as big as releasing an album strictly on Amazon MP3, or a Universal Records based site simply to avoid iTunes.  You may not like iTunes, but your album is all but required to be on their service to be purchased by the masses.   I think EA is taking a huge gamble in leaving behind a wide audience for a smaller one.  What casual gamer or even hobbyist is going to download yet another piece of software to play a title, when there are thousands on their existing distribution source. What about the guys that look for weekend sales, or wait for all their community friends to jump on before they grab it? Did the developers have any say in this change, or is this strictly an EA based move.  Did Dice, BioWare, Spicy Horse, or anyone else being published by EA get input into the matter or did they make an executive decision.  There are a lot of questions to this change to be answered by EA, and hopefully we’ll here from them soon.

Currently the only title that we can confirm is no longer available that was previously is Crysis 2. If they’re leaving Steam behind why are their older titles still on the market? This may just be a glitch in the system but the vibe seems more serious than that.

I’m not sure if EA is necessarily shooting themselves in the foot on this one.  Steam is a huge power, but EA may be able to overcome that. I don’t understand would they risk it when they have guaranteed sales through Steam.  We’ll let you know if EA makes any official announcement, or responds to our questions about the change.

What do you readers think?  Does downloading Origin seem like an unnecessary hassle, or is it an easy change for you?

Comment Below.

Of all the Green Lantern origins I planned to do for GL month, this is the one I’ve looked forward to the most. When this character debuted, he was the center of one of the first big internet fan outbursts. While I would have to agree that the circumstances behind this characters debut could have been handled better, ultimately it was worth it. I had been out of comics for a while, and hearing about this guy got me excited. I mean, a brand new yet familiar character that I could get in on the ground floor with? That’s a no brainer. While his early adventures are a bit clunky, he remains one of my favorite characters. Don’t think that my affection for the guy means I’m going to pull any punches with the comedy though. Without further ado, let’s delve into the Secret Origin of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner!

Kyle’s debut starts with a “SKRASSH” as he’s thrown through a shop window on Rodeo Drive! Yup, we’re joining the nascent Lantern on his first mission, and if his internal monologue is any indication, he has no clue what he’s doing. We find Kyle battling an armored foe called “Ohm”, you know like the electrical unit? Three guesses as to what his power is. GL hasn’t really got a handle on what exactly a Lantern ring can do, but as we’ll see, it’s not like he was given an instruction manual. Still, being rather brave (possibly stupid), Kyle leaps at his foe, and he’s met with a fisttodaface!

Yes folks, he got hit so hard that he flashbacked!

And so, we’re taken back to the previous night where a Nine Inch Nails be-shirted Kyle (he’s so edgy and 90’s!) knocks on the door of his ex-girlfriend Alex. He begs her to let him in, espousing about his boundless charm. She, not being stupid, isn’t buying it. She reminds him (and tells us) that Kyle is a bit of a slacker with no sense of responsibility. For whatever reason (plot), she lets him in, and as she shuts the door, Kyle puts the ring on and tries to surprise Alex…

"I've told you Kyle, I'm just not into the cosplay thing!"

Alex is pretty unimpressed, telling Kyle that this is the dumbest stunt he’s ever pulled.  Kyle pleads his case, explaining that yeah, it’s ludicrous and nigh-impossible for him to just end up with  a genuine GL ring, but that is indeed the case. To convince her, he recounts his origin, which takes all of one panel, so uncomplicated it is. Being believable is another story, however.

“No Alex, I only has a couple of drinks. Why do you ask?”

So after that quick recap, Kyle goes on to say he doesn’t know what the heck is happening, but he had to tell somebody. Alex pretty much tells Kyle that he’s a dumbass for not making the connection to Green Lantern. Kyle is still playing the idiot, so Alex explains that it’s the same costume and everything, while also establishing her profession as a photojournalist. It seems she got some pictures of Hal Jordan right before he went nuts and killed a bunch of his fellow Lanterns, but it really turned out he was just possessed, and the Lanterns weren’t quite dead, and, that’s really another story. So let’s just put it out of our minds, shall we?

Anyway, Kyle finally puts two and two together. He wonders if he can fly like Hal did, and lo and behold, just by thinking about it he starts to levitate above the couch. He takes off the ring, seeing as he really doesn’t know how to use it. Alex asks what’s he going to do with it. Kyle thinks the answer is obvious: he’s going to be a hero! Alex scoffs at that, because Kyle can’t even get steady work in his day job of Freelance Artist. If nothing else, Kyle is supremely confident. He lays out his master plan to Alex. They’ll move to New York, Kyle will do the hero thing, and she’ll take pictures. It can’t miss! Alex is really uncertain, but eventually she comes to a decision…

Cute as a puppy, that Kyle. Drools about as much, too!

Cut to the next morning, Alex whisks Kyle off the couch (good for her) and tells him to hurry up and get dressed. Apparently, some whackjob is tearing up Rodeo in an armored suit. Managing to avoid police cordons, Alex sets out to take pictures of the fracas. Kyle suggests that he should ring up some heroics, but she tells him to stay put. Well, she actually tells him not to do anything stupid like he usually does. Kyle assures her he’s all about responsibility now. That lasts for say, three seconds or so…

Admit it, if you had the ring, would you just sit back and relax?

Admittedly, when Kyle jumps into battle, he looks sufficiently impressive, but seeing that all he knows how to do is fly, it really quickly becomes apparent that he’s fighting a losing battle. In fact, when he confronts Ohm, Kyle tries to intimidate him instead of making a giant green boxing glove or something. Ohm instantly sees through the false bravado and start beating the bejeezus out of our hero’s emerald derriere. We’ve finally come full circle, and Kyle to his credit, keeps coming back up to the plate, but Ohm easily counters Kyle’s clumsy attempts at fisticuffs. Alex decides that her would-be boyfriend needs some coaching, so she tells him to you know, defend himself instead of getting trounced repeatedly. Kyle does what he can, managing to make his first ring construct, but Ohm is still pretty unimpressed.

"Just ask Vic Mackey!"

Ohm’s electrical assault continues and Kyle manages to eat a few thousand volts. At this point, Kyle has about had it, and gets a bit cocky. Normally, you’d think this would spell doom for the rookie hero, but it works for him, thankfully.

"I mean come on, 15 minutes is probably all I'm going to get anyway!"

This really turns the tide of battle. Having knocked Ohm down, Kyle uses the ring to laser cut the suit open with little effort. While fearlessness and honesty are the main requirements for a Green Lantern, Kyle proves that a quick, creative mind and supreme confidence have their uses as well. When Ohm is out of the suit, he’s laid out with one punch from Kyle’s mighty energy-infused fist. The battle over, Alex is snapping pictures and asks if Kyle is all right. Kyle, still coming off the high of the battle, feels pretty great actually. Before they can say too much more, a crowd gathers to thank their hero. It’s pretty clear that he’s being mistaken for Hal. Kyle lays it on a bit thick for the masses…

"Now if you'll excuse me, there's a kitten in a tree I have to save!"

Alex pulls Kyle away before his head gets any bigger, and later that night, they discuss the day’s events. After a while, the conversation comes to Kyle’s look. Kyle contends he likes the costume, but Alex explains that if they want to do this right, Kyle needs his own identity as a Green Lantern. They don’t want him to continually be confused with Hal, because honestly, who wants that? Kyle thinks about it for a while, using his skills as a graphic designer to come up with something that is quintessentially 90’s, but is still somehow endearing, crab mask and all.

"Like, Hal's never going to come back and you won't be overshadowed due to a sense of nostalgia, I mean, for isntance."

And so, a hero is born! True, it’s not the best start a hero ever had, but considering that the Guardian gave him the ring pretty much threw him into the deep end of the pool, he did pretty well. As his career would go on, he’d unfortunately lose Alex, but that’s a can of worms I wont be opening here. Kyle went on to have a great run as the only Green Lantern, eventually resurrecting the entire Green Lantern Corps and paving the way for Hal Jordan’s return. He gets poo-pooed on more than he should, but in my opinion, he eventually became a better Lantern than Hal. While he hasn’t been as much of a headliner since Hal’s return to prominence, the fact that he’ll be leading his own team in the DC relaunch gives me hope for Kyle’s future.

This story was originally published in Green Lantern Vol. 3 #51. It was reprinted in the Green Lantern: New Dawn trade paperback and is also available digitally.

Ah, but that’s not all! Lantern month isn’t over! I wanted to make sure all of Earth’s GLs were covered, but we still have two more columns to go, and over 100 prominent Lanterns and their respective villains that I could cover! That’s where you come in! Do you have a favorite GL that you’d like to see featured on Secret Origins? Let us know in the comments!