Ones To Watch 22/07/2010

Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour

The series is about 23-year-old Canadian Scott Pilgrim, a slacker, hero, and part-time bassist who is living in Toronto and plays bass guitar in the band "Sex Bob-Omb." He falls in love with American delivery girl Ramona V. Flowers, but must defeat her seven "evil exes" in order to date her. By now most people have probably heard this has been adapted into a movie by Edgar Wright starring the ever-awkward Michael Cera and is bound to be one of the smash hits of the year.

The reason for the ones to watch article is to point readers in the direction of books that are either new or are easily accessible jumping on points. Now you might say that this is far from that. This is volume six in a series of books that has been running since 2004 so its not exactly new or easily accessible but it will be. This is because tomorrow you should go out and buy volumes one to six and you’ll read each and every single book one after another.

This is one of the best and most fun comic books out there written and drawn by Bryan Lee O'Malley this is a project of love and dedication and it really does show from the quality of the books.

True Blood Issue 1

Alan Ball’s hit HBO series, the sensually sizzling story of the lives and loves of vampires, mind readers ,and all manner of creatures, comes to IDW! Blood and sex mix on a hot rainy night at Merlotte's, when Sookie and her friends are trapped by a vengeful spirit who feeds on shame. People die and dirty secrets are revealed as Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette and are all coerced to dig deep and tell painful memories from their past—those things we all have locked within us that we never tell another living soul! Bon Temps, Louisiana has never been stranger, or more twisted, in a story co-plotted by TRUE BLOOD series creator Alan Ball, with a script by David Tischman (Bite Club) and Mariah Huehner, and lush art by David Messina (Star Trek: Countdown).

Spin off book’s rarely live up to the quality of the original pieces and are more aimed at completists than anything else. This though could be something different as one of the minds behind the TV series has helped with the plot of the story, which could lead into a close link between the two.

This could be a away for people who are curious about the show to be introduced to one of the best shows on television and as new creatures and characters are being introduced and expanded on in this comic fans of the show should definitely be keeping their eye on this series.

Avengers Sweepstakes!

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Who will be the latest member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes?

At the San Diego comic convention this coming Friday afternoon Marvel will be announcing the next member of the Avengers. To be in with a chance of winning a hardcover Avengers graphic novel (£25.99 value) simply tell us who you think is going to be the newest member!

I've started a new discussion entitled "Avengers Sweepstakes" on our Facebook page so simply write in their the character of your choice. It's one character per entry and one entry per person I'm afraid so have a good think about it! Search for "The Superfriends of Nostalgia & Comics" on Facebook and sure to join the group!

The entries close on Friday 23rd July at 12:01 AM and we'll announce who the winner is on the Saturday.it is first come, first serve when it comes to character choices and there can only be one winner! Rules and Restrictions apply (always wanted to say that!)

This is free so why the heck wouldn't you have a go?!

Ones To Watch 14/07/2010

Sweets Issue 1

A spree killer terrorizes New Orleans days before Hurricane Katrina makes landfall. Detective Curt Delatte just buried his only daughter, and he’s in no condition to work. But when the bodies pile up, he masks his grief and joins the hunt through the bowels of the Big Easy. It won’t be long until his city--and his evidence gets washed away.

CHAMBERLAIN, a native of southern Louisiana, makes his writing debut with this dark and gritty miniseries.

The Man With The Getaway Face

Darwyn Cooke's adaptation of The Hunter was one of the best-received and most popular graphic novels of 2009. A New York Times best-seller, it has appeared on over 50 "best of the year" lists.

The second book, The Outfit, will debut in the fall, but IDW and Darwyn are presenting the first chapter here as a stand-alone preview comic. Priced at only $2.00, this is a full, 24-page story that offers new readers a perfect introduction to Richard Stark's classic crime novel anti-hero, as well as a great story that stands alone. As an added bonus to readers, this preview is a whopping 8" x 12."

Ones to watch 08/07/2010

This week's ones to watch are:

Shadowland #1

Matt Murdock Dared Evil…and Lost! The battle for the soul of a hero begins! Pushed beyond his limits, Daredevil faces off for a final time against his deadliest foe--Bullseye-- in their most brutal battle ever with more than just Hell’s Kitchen is at stake. Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Punisher and more join forces to stop a war that is breaking out throughout New York, with Daredevil at the center. This event will change the streets of New York City—and the heroes that protect it—forever. Plus, a jaw-dropping final page that will have everyone talking for years to come!

Scarlet #1

THE AWARD WINNING, BEST SELLING, POWERHOUSE CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND DAREDEVIL, HALO, AND THE AVENGERS UNLEASH THIR BOLDEST PROJECT YET! SCARLET! This is the comic experience of the year! The first creator owned series by one of the most successful teams in all of modern comics. Scarlet is the story of a woman pushed to the edge by all that is wrong with the world…A woman who decides to stand up and fight back…A woman who will not back down…A woman who discovers within herself the power to start a modern American revolution!! In the vein of Alias, Powers, and Jinx, Scarlet debuts a fascinating new comics character that, with every issue, reveals new things about herself against a completely original backdrop of intrigue and drama. Get in on the ground floor of the first creator owned series by Bendis since Powers, and the first creator owned series by Maleev…ever. (and, yes, the trademark obnoxious Bendis letter column will be here too)

Ones To Watch 20/05/2010

This week's ones to watch are:

The Avengers Issue 1

THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! There came a day! A day unlike any other...where two of Marvel's top creators teamed up for the very first time to create a bombastic new monthly Marvel comic that not only ushers in the Heroic Age of Marvel Comics but unleashes onto the world the most blockbuster Avengers team ever! Who will answer the call? And will they assemble just in time...because Kang the Conqueror is here from the future. And wait till you find out why…! Bonus back up feature: the oral history of the Avengers, part one. A brand new illustrated look at the Avengers in a way you have never seen before by series writer Brian Michael Bendis.

Zatanna Issue 1

At last – the Mistress of Magic in her own ongoing series! Zatanna Zatara has long made her home in San Francisco, but right under her nose a sinister threat has developed – a crime boss who dominates the criminal underworld with the dark powers of the magical underworld! The terrifying Brother Night is making his play for San Fran, and the police force – including hunky detective Dale Colton – turn to Zee for help. But Brother Night is a whole new kind of criminal and if Zatanna thinks she can backwards-talk him down, then she's in over her top-hatted head! Superstar writer Paul Dini (BATMAN: MAD LOVE) is paired with the gorgeous art of Stephane Roux (BIRDS OF PREY), making his anticipated DC debut on interior art! There's only one thing to say – T'NOD SSIM TI!

Ones To Watch 13/05/2010

This week's ones to watch are:

Batman: The Return Of Bruce Wayne Issue 1

The most anticipated series of 2010 is here! Superstar writer Grant Morrison tackles his most ambitious project to date with THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, a special six-part series that chronicles the return of the original man behind Batman's cape and cowl! Each issue spans a different era of time and features the dynamic artwork of one of today's artistic juggernauts, starting with Chris Sprouse (TOM STRONG) on the extra-sized issue #1 and Frazer Irving (SEVEN SOLDIERS: KLARION) on the 40-page issue #2!

Birds of Prey Issue 1

Soaring out of BRIGHTEST DAY, the Birds are back in town! Because you demanded it, fan-favorites Gail Simone (WONDER WOMAN, SECRET SIX) and Ed Benes (JUSTICE LEAGUE, GREEN LANTERN) reunite to reinvent the book where they made their explosive debut as a team. Oracle, Black Canary, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk all return to Gotham City where they belong – and they've brought a couple of new friends (or are they foes?) along with them!

Don't forget Birds of Prey issue 1 is one of our fantastic books of the month. So this means that it is 35% off for anyone but if you have a standing order with us it means you get this book at a whopping 50% off!

Ultimate Avengers 2 Issue 1

If you live in the UK you will have only just managed to get your hands on the final part of Millar’s Ultimate Avengers 1 due to problems with a certain volcano. And if you’re anything like me and a lot of people I’ve heard from you were generally under whelmed by the whole thing (Ultimate Avengers not the volcano!).

The second part of Millar’s ongoing run on the Ultimate Avengers is based around the Punisher’s role in the Ultimate Universe as part of Nick Fury’s black ops team and this introductory issue definitely seems to be an improvement on the first series. I’m feeling increasingly hopeful for this comic, Millar absolutely nails the Ultimate version of the Punisher; brutal, dry, unforgiving yet still human enough to take a beating realistically – Millar wants us to see his Punisher as a flawed person, not some superhero, and does so starting with a simple, effective, single page origin.

One of the problems with the issue is that it does take eight pages before the story actually gets going. Millar uses this opening to exaggerate his Punisher, really emphasizing the brutality and how much of a man on a mission he is. But this is something we’ve all seen before and it just feels like a waste of pages, making the issue seem less than it could have been and focusing more or less completely on Frank Castle / The Punisher. The audience may forget that this is a team book and if it continues some of the other characters may not get their fair share of the page count in the series.

The main reason I bought this book after the let-down of the first series is the art by the unbelievable Leinil Yu, one of only a handful of artists I follow since discovering his work in 2005 in the mini-series Silent Dragon.

I’ve always said that a perfect comic book is an equal mix of great art and great writing. No amount of brilliant writing can save a book if it is drawn terribly and vice versa. And although Millar’s writing is not perfect, Leinil Yu’s art is as close to perfect as you might get. The scratchy style that he excels at is inked and coloured in a way that makes me believe the stuff in Ultimate Avengers is as good as, if not better than his run on Secret Invasion. Yu certainly does not shy away from putting as much detail as possible in his work and he produces some of the best facial expressions in the comic art business.

Yu draws one of the best depictions of Frank Castle that we have seen on the shelf in a long time; cold, calculated, with the classic costume and big guns. To be honest with this character there’s little more you could actually ask for.

This is a good introductory issue and it does what it’s supposed to – which is make you want for more. Hopefully it’s a return to form for Millar and we may get some more of the Ultimate style writing we know and love him for. If things keep up like this then Millar will again be giving us the only Ultimates book on the shelves that’s really worth buying.

Ones To Watch 07/05/2010

This week's ones to watch are:

Brightest Day Issue 1
BRIGHTEST DAY continues, but in ways you can't possibly expect! What does BRIGHTEST DAY mean to the DC Universe? Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No, BRIGHTEST DAY means something else entirely, something we can't tell you...yet. But we can tell you our heroes will need to rise up more than ever to combat the forces of evil, and a select few will uncover a secret that binds them ALL.


Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine Issue 1
THE HEROIC AGE IS HERE! Spider-Man and Wolverine! Everyone’s favorite wise-cracking web-spinner and ferocious furball come together in their first major series ever! The super-star creative team of Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE: WEAPON X, PUNISHERMAX) and Adam Kubert (ULT. FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN) send Spidey and Wolvie to the edges of the Marvel Universe as they face such awful beings as The Czar, Big Murder and Doom the Living Planet! But who is the major Marvel villain pulling the strings? And can Spidey & Wolvie refrain from killing one another long enough to find out?

Don't forget because it's a bank holiday week this week the comics won't be going on sale until Friday morning!

This Just In!

We've also just found this first image of the Destroyer Armour knocking about on the internet!

Marvel Look Set To Nail Another One...

Oh my! The first image from Thor and it looks absolutely cracking. After seeing Ironman 2 last night and loving it this is another one we cannot wait for.

Ones To Watch 29/04/2010

The second lot of this week's ones to watch are:

Invincible Iron Man Issue 25
Double-sized issue! Co-released alongside this summer’s surefire blockbuster hit IRON MAN 2, this issue is the perfect jumping-on point for fans of the films and readers new and old alike! New year. New decade. New trade dress. New threats. New loves. New armor. New Tony Stark. New storyline: RESILIENT. Get onboard the Eisner-award winning INVINCIBLE IRON MAN here!
The Flash: Rebirth
Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, the writer/artist team behind the blockbuster GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH and THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR, create an explosive, jaw-dropping epic that reintroduces Barry Allen as The Flash in this hardcover collecting the fast-paced 6-issue miniseries. But how will this greatest of all Flashes find his place in the twenty-first century?

It's a huge week for both comics and graphic novels this week so make sure you come down and check out all the other great stuff!

Also don't forget on Saturday it's Free Comic Book Day so even more comics and those ones won't even cost you a penny!

Ones To Watch 27/04/2010

The first batch of this week's ones to watch are:

Blackest night Director's Cut
Prepare for the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience from the event of the century! With the creative minds behind BLACKEST NIGHT as your tour guides, you'll marvel at hidden Easter eggs and meanings throughout the series in our director's commentary section. Discover shocking scenes that were left on the cutting room floor including actual script pages that were never drawn. Be astonished at incredible never-before-seen designs from the best-selling event! Plus, many more exclusives that you'll witness within this mammoth special including an early look into BRIGHTEST DAY!


Captain America: Who Won't Wield The Shield?
Steve Rogers has returned! In fact he was in such a hurry that he actually came back before the story was done! But, whatever, I'm sure no one even noticed. Anyway, Bucky Barnes is the current Captain America, and has come into his own in the role in a story Captain America editor Tom Brevoort calls "the greatest single marriage of words and pictures in the history of the English language. Suck it, rest of literature!" But will Bucky go back to being the Winter Soldier? Are there others in line? Who cares?! All we're interested in is who WON'T be holding that Vibranium laced hunk of junk and what major new Marvel event comic it leads into. Who won't wield the shield? It could be not YOU!!! (Featuring a special appearance by everybody's favorite underused character, Deadpool! At last, Deadpool! In a comic!)

Nemesis Issue 1

Mark Millar comes out with yet another creator owned series, this time with regular collaborator, Steve McNiven. This new book is based around the idea of what if someone like Batman was the bad guy? Extreme intelligence, multiple forms of combat training and close to unlimited resources but with a severe disregard for human life.

When I first read about Nemesis months before it’s release I have to be honest and say that I was very excited and I looked forward to seeing how Millar unleashed his brand new character upon the world. Yet it feels as though this first issue has fallen short at the first hurdle. I expected a subtle, intelligent, lone character avoiding the normal clichés of villainy to be something comic book readers aren’t used to – a realistic villain. If Kick-Ass was Millar’s attempt at bringing superheroes into the real world this should have been his attempt at real world supervillains. What we get in this introductory issue is something quite the opposite of that.

Nemesis the character is very over the top and behaves more like another over the top Bond villain rather than the Batman of villainy we were promised; boasting of his conquests, mocking his victim and having his henchmen refer to him as master. And not only is Nemesis a cliché-ridden character but so is his new victim; the hero cop from Washington D.C. – Chief Morrow.

Morrow’s way too cocky for his own good and completely unrealistic, going from being undercover and gunning down a room full of hostage takers to wearing his tuxedo and talking about having dinner in two frames. It’s difficult to believe in either of the main characters of Nemesis, and even harder to like them.

One of the things Millar does to hide the fact the lack of originality of Nemesis is to fill the book with over the top swearing and violence. He mistakes this as something to make a book appeal to an older audience rather than another tool, which should be used to tell a good story.

The best thing about Nemesis as both a character and a book is that while he may act like any other villain his intentions are a bit more unusual. Instead of a megalomaniac hell-bent on world domination or destruction, all he wants is to kill famous cops to prove he is better than them. This is the one part of the story that you can actually engage with, as you want to see if Nemesis can take down Morrow and exactly how he is going to do it.

Steve McNiven’s artwork is not what we have become accustomed too. The fantastic stuff he did in both Civil War and Wolverine: Old Man Logan had the brilliant Dexter Vines doing the inking. In Nemesis McNiven has no inker and the colours are laid on straight over his pencils. This is much like Ron Garney’s style yet it does not feel as good as that, it just looks like McNiven isn’t putting as much detail into Nemesis as he could be and the colour palette seems too washed out.

Nemesis is another fantastic concept from Millar. It’s just a shame the execution in this first issue just isn’t as original as he wants to be. It’s certainly a book worth picking up to give a try but everything relies on the second issue and the direction it takes. Introductory issues are always tough especially for creator owned comics and if Millar can step it up a notch with issue number two then I’m sure this middle of the road book can be turned into something fantastic.

No New Comics 22/04/2010

We are really sorry to inform you but there will be no new comics this week. This is due to there being no planes in the sky because of the volcanic activity in Iceland.

Please don't use this as an excuse not to come in though. Why not try something completely new that you wouldn't try if you were spending your money on your comics? Our staff are more than friendly and knowledgeable enough to recommend you something worth your time and money.

Please check the blog and twitter feed as we are trying to sort something special out for Thursday!

Ones To Watch 15/04/2010

This week's ones to watch are:

Brightest Day Issue 0The biggest event in comics continues as BRIGHTEST DAY burns back the BLACKEST NIGHT from the writing team behind GREEN LANTERN and GREEN LANTERN CORPS – Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi! And don't miss the exciting DC Comics debut of red hot cover artist David Finch (New Avengers, Ultimatum)! The effects that the already classic BLACKEST NIGHT will have on the DC Universe will be felt for years to come and this issue not only sets the stage for the new ongoing biweekly DC Universe book BRIGHTEST DAY, but also the next exciting era of the DC Universe!


The Flash Issue 1
A BRIGHTEST DAY tie-in! Get in on the ground floor of DC's next epic in the making! The Flash races out of BLACKEST NIGHT and into his own monthly title as the all-new adventures of The Fastest Man Alive start with "Case One: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues!" Barry Allen runs back to his life in Central City, but when one of the Rogues turns up murdered under mysterious circumstances, it's up to The Flash to not only solve this bizarre crime, but protect those that are still targeted by the elusive killer. Plus, don't miss a peek into the future of the Flash universe in this special, extra-sized starting point issue!


Don't forget as well Flash is at a super discount at the store for this week only!

Pixels by Patrick Jean

Check out this fantastic video of 8-Bit game characters laying siege to New York City.

Get Some!

As it's Hot Toys the store might not be able to get this in but revel in it's beauty anyway.


Via www.hypebeast.com

FCBD Drawing Competition

Choose your favourite character from anything be it a superhero, movie character, cartoon character or so on. Then draw that character as a member of any of the Emotion Corps from DC’s recent event “Blackest Night”. These include:

Green Lantern – Will
Red Lantern – Rage
Blue Lantern – Hope
Indigo Lantern – Compassion
Violet Lantern – Love
Yellow Lantern – Fear
Orange Lantern – Avarice (Greed)
Black Lantern – Death

For example how about our Marvel Corps? This would include the following:

Green Lantern – Daredevil
Red Lantern – Wolverine
Blue Lantern – Captain America
Indigo Lantern – Charles Xavier
Violet Lantern – Cyclops
Yellow Lantern – Phobos
Orange Lantern – Dr. Doom
Black Lantern – Sabretooth

Also we found online someone’s idea for a Muppets Corps!

Red = Animal
Orange = Miss Piggy
Yellow = Sam The Eagle
Green = Kermit
Blue = Fozzie Bear
Indigo = Big Bird
Violet = Elmo

You will however get extra points if you draw a member of staff as somebody out of one of the Corps and you will get a lot of extra points if you draw all of the members of staff!

If you can’t think of a reason and just want to draw someone in a cool costume go ahead! It is a drawing competition after all.

Some examples we have found out and about on the net include this Yellow Lantern Corps Darth Vader!

The 2010 Eisner Award Nominees

Best Short Story

* "Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin, in From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium (Fantagraphics/Aben maler)
* "Gentleman John," by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch Tiger)
* "How and Why to Bale Hay," by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
* "Hurricane," interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited (Norton)
* "Urgent Request," by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The Eternal Smile (First Second)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

* Brave & the Bold #28: "Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line," by J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
* Captain America #601: "Red, White, and Blue-Blood," by Ed Brubaker and Gene Colan (Marvel)
* Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
* The Unwritten #5: "How the Whale Became," by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
* Usagi Yojimbo #123: "The Death of Lord Hikiji" by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Continuing Series

* Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
* Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
* Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
* The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
* The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)

Best Limited Series or Story Arc

* Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
* Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
* Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
* Wolverine #66-72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: "Old Man Logan," by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best New Series

* Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
* Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony Parker (BOOM!)
* Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
* Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
* The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids

* Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka (Knopf)
* The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis (Bloomsbury)
* Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
* The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and Skottie Young (Marvel)

Best Publication for Teens

* Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
* Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
* A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank House)
* Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
* I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image)

Best Humor Publication

* Drinky Crow's Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
* Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
* Little Lulu, vols. 19-21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark Horse Books)
* The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge (BOOM Kids!)
* Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee O'Malley (Oni)

Best Anthology

* Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
* Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
* Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
* Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe Keatinge (Image)
* Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford (Villard)
* What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger)

Best Digital Comic

* Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl,
www.abominable.cc
* Bayou, by Jeremy Love,
http://zudacomics.com/bayou
* The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark,
www.gunsofshadowvalley.com
* Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber,
www.act-i-vate.com/67.comic
* Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart,
www.sintitulocomic.com/

Best Reality-Based Work

* A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
* The Impostor's Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
* Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
* The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
* Stitches, by David Small (Norton)

Best Adaptation from Another Work

* The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
* Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
* Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill & Wang)
* Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
* West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)

Best Graphic Album-New

* Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
* A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
* My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
* Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album-Reprint

* Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite (DC)
* A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
* Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
* Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
* Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories, 1996-2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Strips

* Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
* Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW)
* The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley's Cartoons 1913-1940, edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
* Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
* Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937-1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
* Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt McDougall, and W. W. Denslow (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project-Comic Books

* The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
* Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
* Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
* The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
* The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics, edited by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

* My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric Lemerier (First Second)
* Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and Fabrice Parme (First Second)
* West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi (Fantagraphics)
* Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Asia

* The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second)
* A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
* Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
* Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ Media)
* Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer

* Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel) Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
* Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth, Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
* James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
* Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
* Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist

* Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
* R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
* David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
* Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
* Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka (VIZ Media)

Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction

* Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
* Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
* David Small, Stitches (Norton)
* Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

* Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11-15: "Exodus Noir" (Vertigo/DC)
* Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
* Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
* J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
* Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

* É Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
* Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
* Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
* Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the Dragon (HarperCollins Children's Books)
* Carol Tyler, You'll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man (Fantagraphics)

Best Cover Artist

* John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
* Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
* Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later (BOOM!)
* Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project Superpowers (Dynamite)
* J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)

Best Coloring

* Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets Ready (Toon)
* Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
* David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
* Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
* Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Luna Park (Vertigo)

Best Lettering

* Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams ComicArts)
* David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
* Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
* Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine (Fantagraphics)
* Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

* Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
* ComicsAlliance, edited by Laura Hudson www.comicsalliance.com
* Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
* The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
* The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
(www.comicsreporter.com)

Best Comics-Related Book

* Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
* The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
* The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams ComicArts)
* Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash (Abrams ComicArts)
* Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US)

Best Publication Design

* Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
* The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
* Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
* Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark Horse Books)
* Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
* Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts)

Ones To Watch 08/04/2010

This week's Ones to watch are:

Spider-Man: Fever Issue 1
One of comics' most innovative and original voices, Brendan McCarthy, brings SPIDER-MAN: FEVER -- a truly unique and surreal story evoking the classic Silver-Age psychedelia of Steve Ditko's Dr Strange. In FEVER, Spider-Man is abducted by a depraved tribe of spider-demons to a bizarre dimension, where he is to be eaten alive. Dr. Strange goes on a perilous occult quest to rescue his friend -- and tangles with some very peculiar characters along the way...




Turf Issue 1
A four-issue hard boiled noir crime thriller with girls, guns, fangs and aliens.

New York, 1929. The height of prohibition. The cops turn a blind eye while the mobs run the city, dealing in guns, girls and illegal liquor. But the arrival of the mysterious Dragonmir Family from Eastern Europe with more of a taste for blood then booze co-incides with a series of brutal attacks on the gangsters themselves. As the gangs fall before the fangs, only handful of mobsters survive. But an unlikely alliance formed between tough guy Eddie Falco and a character from a LONG way from New York City – a long way from Earth in fact - offers the humans a glimmer of hope. As the strong willed young reporter Susie Dale from the Gotham Herald tries to survive in the middle of the maelstrom, and an ancient prophecy unfolds, no one can guess who’s going to win the battle for this particular slice of Turf.

Ones To Watch

Today the blog starts a new weekly feature originally entitled "Ones to watch". Each week we'll post up a couple of books that the guys at the shop think you should definitely be checking out. These will always be new books or jumping on points for existing books so everything makes sense.

So without further ado this week's Ones to watch come from Marvel Comics and Image Comics.

FCBD Post Number One

Expect quite a few posts in the next few weeks to do with Free Comic Book Day. This is the first of many...

A Book Everyone (Old Enough) Should Be Buying!

A book everyone of a certain age should be picking up tomorrow to give a go? Nemesis. Written by Mark Millar with art by Steve McNiven jump on the next book we expect big things from. If you liked Kick-Ass we think you'll love this! Don't be surprised if it is full of bad language and ultra-violence though!

Joining The Revolution!

Nostalgia & Comics have finally jumped on the bandwagon and joined Twitter. The word is they will be posting up important news, very mini reviews and pictures among other things. Please follow them and let all your comic loving friends know!

You can find them at www.twitter.com/nostalgiacomics

Choker Issue 1

Choker - a detective story in a very Blade Runner-esque setting with plenty of science fiction, horror and some very, very dark comedy thrown in for good measure. What we see in this issue is the story of an ex-cop turned private detective living a life he’s not particularly happy with being offered one more chance to get back to the job he thinks he deserves.

McCool’s foul language and disgusting descriptions do not hide the fact that he’s an excellent writer. With writing that flows effortlessly and pushes the story forwards at a perfect pace his dialogue could compete with the likes of Brian Michael Bendis. Choker will no doubt draw comparisons with Fell due to the art and McCool’s style of writing but it’s funnier, darker and (hopefully) comes out on time and doesn’t just disappear from the face of the Earth. Yes, McCool might write like Ellis but more the on-form Ellis Planetary, Desolation Jones, Fell and so on not the stuff that generally just pours out of that big brain of his that Avatar put into print. A name like Ellis’ is a license to print money in the comic book industry and if Ben carries on like this he could be on track to building the same sort of reputation.



The second Ben on Choker is a certain well-known artist by the name of Mr. Ben Templesmith. Now if you like his style, then you’ll struggle to find a piece of work that isn’t incredible. With Choker each panel looks like one of his signature covers and would look fantastic framed on anybody’s wall. Using a mix of vivid colours in addition to his usual dark palette he brings Shotgun City and its characters to life, and sets the tone of the book perfectly.

This first issue is a must buy, a great introduction for what will hopefully be just the first of many Choker tales. McCool has a bright future ahead of him and Templesmith continues on track with the brilliant career he has carved himself out as one of the industry’s leading artists in the alternative sector.

Siege: Embedded Issue 2

Siege is Marvel’s big event for this year. Not being content with being the most powerful man on Earth the book is centered on Norman Osbourne and his invasion of Asgard using all of the super villains and HAMMER agents at his disposal.

The first part of Siege: Embedded accompanied the opening issue of the main Siege title fairly well. Apart from a couple of timeline discrepancies (which all comic readers should be used to by now) it filled in a couple of gaps but it also left a lot of questions unanswered. People hoped that would change with the series as it moved on to the next issue but that just isn’t the case.

This issue is just twenty pages of Urich and Will, the two journalists this book is based around, continuing on their journey and interviewing members of the public about the ongoing events in the Marvel universe and that’s about it. In between a lot of dialogue we get a couple of scenes with the outspoken newsreader who’s now in the employ of Norman Osbourne thrown in for what feels like no reason whatsoever.

Virtually nothing at all happens in this issue, which just seems to be plodding along at a stupidly slow pace. One action set piece in the middle of the issue is used to break up the monotony but all that does is break the flow and interrupts the story. The one thing Reed does do really well is the way he writes Volstagg – the roundest of all Asgardians is portrayed as an innocent child seeing the World for the very first time and it helps you emphasise with him just that little bit even though he’s responsible for the death of thousands.

Volstagg might be written well, but everything else in the book comes off so flat and uninteresting that there’s just no connection to the story. By the end, you just don’t care that its obviously all going to end terribly for all involved.

Samnee’s art is not bad but it’s nothing amazing and it is a shame that it can’t save this book from being mediocre at best – an extra, unnecessary tie-in. If the events occurring in this story are important enough then they should be in the main Siege book, possibly even as a back up story. Siege: Embedded is a nothing book, not required to enjoy the main Siege storyline and is only of any interest for absolute completists.

Catch Up On The Old Stuff!

The store has not only had a huge delivery of Essentials and Showcases


but the back issue section keeps growing and growing!


Check back often as we will be uploading images of some of the choice pieces that have been coming into the shop.

So now is the time to start catching up on some of the more classic and hard to get hold of stories. It's up to you how you decide to do it!

Scalped 34

Scalped is the fantastic creator owned series written by Jason Aaron with the majority being drawn by R.M. Guera. The book is based mainly around the exploits of an undercover FBI agent operating within a Native American reservation.

The final issue of the five-part “The Gnawing” arc is exactly the way you expect one of the best books on the market to finish its best story to date. The issue starts as it means to go on - answering questions and leaving a bloody trail in its wake. The beating on the very first page is nothing compared to what we see later on in the issue and as usual Aaron uses the violence to drive his story forwards rather than to just fill his page count.

A true sign of Aaron’s writing skill is how readers have learnt to love Dash Bad Horse, Scalped’s main protagonist no matter what his actions. His actions in this issue, though more brutal than usual, are going to re-affirm most people’s feelings about him. This is due to the fact that much like another character Aaron is writing at the moment his reasons could be seen as just and fair.

Aaron’s ability to blur the lines between heroes and villains in Scalped, coupled with an awareness of exactly how and when to use a twist in the means that this culmination of 34 issues sees every plot twist and brilliant piece of careful characterisation come together perfectly.

R.M. Guera’s art gets better and better, ideally suited to the story and the dark colours from Giulia Brusco only help to cement the tone of this great book. Guera truly brings the brutality of both Red Crow and Dash to life, the ability to draw Dash at his scariest and yet being able to make him look calmer than we have seen him in a long time is truly an impressive thing to do.

All in all this is another brilliant issue of Scalped cementing it’s place at the top of the buy pile. There are six collections available and all are essential catching up. We are apparently at the mid-point with this series and this is certainly a book you do not want to miss as it reaches the build up to what we know will be a ridiculously good and bloody finale.

The Most Important Thing You Will See Today!

Ladies and gentlemen I give you the newest trailer for 'Iron Man 2".

Kick Ass

Ladies and gentlemen the store has now taken delivery of the new Kick Ass hardcover collection published by Marvel comics' Icon imprint. Written by Mark Millar and drawn by the incredible John Romita Jr. The book is soon to be released as a major motion picture so pick yours up now for only £14.99. Get it before it sells out!

Detective Comics Issue 861

A change in direction for the covers of this book could fool you into believing that it is no longer based on Batwoman at all but back to being about the Batman himself. Now this is not the case but Batman does feature in this arc heavily and has his fare share of the page count in what used to be another of his very own books.

The arc is based around a new villain inventively named ‘The Cutter”. Not only is the name not particularly original but his methods have also been seen before a fair few times. Now do not let this put you off the book as we know that most things have been seen before and it just relies on how well they are done and in all honesty in this issue the staple villain is done justice. The issue is divided between both the Batman’s investigation into a missing girl and Batwoman’s investigation into recent murders of college students. After the first six pages starring Batman and with no explanation and no exposition we jump straight into Batwoman’s story of her taking on the previously mentioned perp. The writing can seem a little obvious; as we soon make assumptions that these investigations will be linked further down the line somewhere but Rucka does not give everything away straight off the bat.

Now normally reviews full of spoilers are bad reviews but what you’re about to read should not be seen as a spoiler. The Batman scenes are a flashback and this can be seen as a clever move on by Rucka and also a fairly useful storytelling device but the weakest part of this is figuring out that they actually are flashbacks. Although this could be a move Rucka makes on purpose but if not then you have to be a Batman buff to figure it all out. The only two clues are the fact Batman is wearing his old costume and a reference to Jim Gordon as being captain and not commissioner.

Crime fiction comic books are Rucka’s bread and butter and there is a reason for this, its because he is good at them (just check out his new series Stumptown from Oni press). Detective Comics should be a crime story above all else as there are enough books on the shelf that concentrate on the action side of Batman’s adventures and not enough on the crime solving anymore. The fact that this book is now more about Batwoman than Batman does not make the story any less great.

Jocks art and panel layout is as usual flawless. Bringing with him the a-game pencils and practices shown to us with his last work for DC, the fantastic Green Arrow: Year One. An incredible centre page double page splash is really the jewel in the crown for this issue of Detective Comics and could be one of the finest things Jock has drawn. People are going to compare the art in this to J H Williams previous run on Detective and that is the wrong thing to do. Not many people in the industry are on par with Williams (hence the reason he takes so long to draw anything) and Jock brings his own dark and heavily inked style to this book, which it suits perfectly.

Overall it will be interesting to see if the flashbacks are the big twist in the or whether we were supposed to work that out from the start. Either way it will be interesting to see if Rucka can continue making this one of the best Batman books on the shelf and whether he can side step the clichés and give us a surprise twist with the next part of this story. This is a perfect jumping on issue as after this arc Batwoman begins her very own ongoing series written by Greg Rucka.

Welcome back Frank

Ladies (what few of you there are!) and gentlemen I am happy to inform you that the blog doth return! It has been left to rot and fester for five months now and there is no surprise to find that is when I started my second job. I have now however got time to carry on with this and it is full steam ahead. Check back often for reviews and there will be some very cool things coming up in the next few weeks!