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________________________________________________________________________ Visit Our Web Page! http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ / THE \ \C O M I C/ Issue #22 This publication is brought to you \B O O K/ August 14th, 1995 by the active participants of \N E T/ the international center for \ / comic book discussion, the Comic *E-Mag* Book Net. !!! Editors: Ryan Brewster Network Administration: Mike Imboden Mike Imboden Ed Dukeshire David Leblanc Bobb Waller Special thanks to our many contributors! Walter Tietjen ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] The Bullpen ........................... Ryan Brewster [2] Recent Reads & Random Thoughts ........ William Hughes [3] Comic Comments ........................ John Keady [4] CSNsider .............................. W. Batty & C. Biggers (Contributed by alert CBN participant David LeBlanc!) [5] Comicunications 2.3.................... Ryan Brewster [6] Special Explorers! Press release....... Explorer Press [7] Join in the fun! [8] BBSes Linked into CBN [9] E-Mag Info ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] The Bullpen by Ryan Brewster Hi all. You may notice that a few small things have changed since I have become editor of this fine e-publication, but these are all with the wise advice of the former editor Ed Dukeshire and my co-editor Mike Imboden. The first major change is that we will concentrate a tad more on getting you faithful readers _involved_ with the Comic Book Net. I am seriously looking into the possibility of bringing its message bases to our Web Site on the Internet [http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html] so that Internetters who don't know their way around local BBS's can join in the fun (see also the Join in the fun! notice near the end of this issue). The second is that we will be trying to swing our focus a little bit around to the Small Press publishers... with the distribution changes, we feel here at the Comic Book Net that some of the Small Press publishers aren't getting their fair shot at the "big-time"... and so beginning in a few issues will be a new column entitled Small Press Spotlight, which will spotlight a different small press publisher (hopefully) every week! If you are starting up a venture, be sure to let us know who you are and give us as much information about yourselves and your products by writing to ComicBkNet@aol.com or send us info through snail mail to Ryan Brewster, 84 Bunker Hill St, Lancaster, NH, 03584. Any small press publisher is applicable! And if you have a mailing list, be sure to add us to that list... press releases and solicitations are encouraged! We are currently setting up a special Small Press mail-order comics shop to simplify your access to Small Press titles... we will offer you _maximum_ discount and _minimal_ shipping costs, as this is a NON-PROFIT venture! This is not to say that we will be ignoring the more "mainstream" comics! We will still bring you all the news and reviews of the major players such as Acclaim, DC, Marvel, Malibu and Dark Horse (oh yeah... and Image too! <G>) as we always have. There has been a lot of activity in the Comic Book Net message bases this week... Mike Imboden (sysop of The Daily Planet BBS: 301-831-8057) has taken to writing a short daily "diary" entry which is very entertaining! He posts it just about every day in the Bullpen conference. He also recently posted a preview (in the CBN: Fanfic conference) of his upcoming comic book venture with artist/sysop Ed Dukeshire (sysop of The ArKHaM AsYLuM: 508-372-2258) Gunplay: The Coverup Agenda. Once the comic is completed, the pair will begin shopping it around to publishers. Looks great, guys! Jesse Willey recently posted the latest installment of the ongoing collaborative fanfic, Death-X-Blood-Force. The next author in line is Mike Imboden (yow, he's pretty busy!). CBN sysop and participant Benny Powell has had his What If...? story published by Marvel! Pick up What If...? #77 (check out William Hughes' Recent Reads & Random Thoughts this ish for a review!) and drop Benny a line in the Marvel Chat conference! Death-X-Blood-Force will end with issue #20, and a new collaborative fanfic will be introduced to the Fanfic conference, entitled The Ring. The Ring will be about a mysterious ring that imbues whoever wears it with whatever power he desires most! Each chapter will be written by different participants in the conference (anyone can sign up, just send me a message in the Fanfic conference!), and will begin with the character finding and losing the ring. IMPORTANT TO CANADIAN CBN MEMBERS: Unfortunately, Trading Post ][ could no longer afford the LD charges of bringing Comic Book Net in from the States. As such, the Dark Knight BBS (905-938-1670) is now polling in the messages from the U.S. for Canadian users. Due to this shift, some of your messages may not have gotten through correctly. If you don't receive a reply, please don't think CBNet has become unfriendly. Please repost your message, or jump in on new conversations. I appologize for this inconvenience. MANY thanks to Michael Cross, sysop of the Dark Knight, for picking this up!! From David LeBlanc comes disturbing news concerning our status on America Online. It seems that our e-mag is not being made available for download any longer because of a glitch in the AOL text viewer that doesn't allow the file to be read with the AOL software. Dave sent a message back to the Guy In Charge there as well as a more detailed message to AOL Member Services explaining that he wasn't allowed to upload files because *their* software couldn't read it while practically all other software text viewers can view the file with no problems. So our status there is iffy... Apologies for any inconvenience! *whew*. That about wraps up this week's news from CBN. Enjoy the mag! --Ryan Brewster, Editor ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2] Recent Reads & Random Thoughts, by Bill Hughes: [Bill Hughes posts these thread-starters in their various conferences (which I typed in all caps) each week!] SMALL PRESS: Bacchus #3: I think I'm finally starting to get into this Bacchus book. Yeah, I know, Campbell is the hip "small press" guy to be into, but unfortunately, I haven't found alot to be thrilled about in his work thus far. I don't care for his scratchy sketch-like art style, and the story, while promising, hasn't really fulfilled that promise in my mind just yet. That being said, I enjoyed this issue the most of the three so far. The art in the KING BACCHUS story is much better than that in IMMORTALITY ISN'T FOREVER, and some of the humour of the story is starting to come off. A bar that has seceded from England, now has troubles as one of the patrons attempts to secede from the rest of the pub! The government tries to think of something to tax, since Bacchus will not allow them to tax the beer. And, worst of all, King Bacchus has disappeared into a painting. Yeah, things are starting to get interesting in this book. I'm still not completely converted to the Eddie Campbell fanclub, but the book wins me over for it's originality if not it's actual artistic impression. Gideon Hawk #2 GIDEON HAWK, published by BIG SHOT COMICS, is a science fiction series about a mercenary by the same name as the series. It's typical stuff, nothing you haven't seen before in the likes of DREADSTAR or STAR WARS, complete with barfights in space cantinas, human-like androids, and laser blasters galore. Steve Brooks isn't doing anything original here, Gideon Hawk is a generic space hero who saves the girl and flies off in his space ship (the Maltese Falcon???) with his faithful robot sidekick. The artwork is okay, but hardly awe-inspiring, and certainly not at a level where you'd buy the book for the art alone. The long and the short of it is, there's nothing here that isn't being done elsewhere, and better. Strangehaven #1 STRANGEHAVEN is a new title that has a sort of "Twin Peaks" or "The Prisoner" feel to it. This is what some of the lettercol comments had to say about the book, and I'm inclined to agree. The main character, Alex Hunter, finds himself in a quaint little town called Strangehaven after having a bizzare-ish car accident. He was driving down the road, when suddenly a beautiful woman appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the road. He hit's her dead on, but when he awakens in town after being tended to by the local doctor, he is told that he hit a tree, their is no sign of any woman at the scene of the accident. Waiting for his car to be repaired, Alex finds that Strangehaven is a very friendly small town, and he quickly catches the eye of a local woman. However tempting it is to say, he decides he must leave once his car is repaired, and he does just that- except somehow he gets lost and finds himself back in Strangehaven again. The town also has a mysterious cult of some sort that feels slightly threatened by the town's newest arrival. Gary Spencer Millidge is the creative force behind this title, remember the name, I'm sure you'll hear it again. Millidge has a pleasing artistic style, and his story is compelling and has a mysterious-ness that will definitely interest fans of TWIN PEAKS, NORTHERN EXPOSURE, and THE PRISONER. Weirdfall #1 WEIRDFALL by Matt Howarth is... just plain weird. Howarth has created a world where the inhabitants must deal with a strange phenomenon called the Weirdfall, which takes all of Einstein's theories and throws them out the window. Although similar to our own Earth, on the Earth of Weirdfall an atomic bomb won't work. It should work, according to physics, but Weirdfall won't let it. At some point Weirdfall didn't exist on this world, because they have planes and bombs, and all sorts of devices that worked once, but don't any longer thanks to Weirdfall. This makes life especially hard for a small rebellion that's attempting to stop an alien race from taking over the planet. The aliens are called Head-riders, and they get that name because they sit on the heads of humans, burrow a hole into your skull, and then control your mind from then on. It's increasingly difficult for Murphy, the main revolutionary, to continue this battle against the Head-riders, when improbable things such as the Earth opening up and swallowing you whole happen in the middle of a battle, thanks to the Weirdfall. Anything that's improbable is now possible, in Weirdfall. The story is weird, but interesting. The artwork isn't as detailed as I would like, it's rather cartoony. The art's shortcomings are made up for by the actual story though, so I'll probably pick up the next issue. It's put out by ANTARTIC PRESS if you'd like to check it out. ACCLAIM CHAT: Magnus #57 I like the direction that Giffen is taking these characters in. I like the new attitude of Rai, and the new political structure of the world. Even the artwork seems better this issue. So what happens? It's announced that Magnus will be cancelled soon. Comic companies, ya gotta love them. Are sales still down on the Valiant line? Is anyone else out there still picking up any of these books? How about Magnus in particular? X-O Manowar #51 Sears takes over the writing this issue, and we get a slugfest that doesn't do alot to move the story along. I hope that the momentum this title picked up with BIRTHQUAKE isn't used up already. I didn't care much for the two 50th issues, and I don't see much substance in this one either, other than the art. That's three in a row. I hope this title gets back on track really quickly, otherwise I may be dropping another Valiant title soon. DARK HORSE CHAT: Dark Horse Presents #100 (1 of 5) DHP #100 (1) was kind of a disappointment for me. Maybe I just had too high expectations, after all the hype. Perhaps the huge list of talent on this project is responsible, I don't know. LANCE BLASTOFF! by Frank Miller, was okay, but I'm not really thrilled with dinosaur stories, although the last page was enjoyable, and the story's moral was a hoot. I only wish the rest of the pages did something for me other than lead up to the punch-line. HEARTBREAKERS by Anina Bennett, Paul Guinan and Todd Herman is continued from a storyline earlier in DHP's run, one that I did not read, so much of the political structure of this space drama was lost upon me. Since it played an important part of the story, I didn't get much enjoyment from this one. PEELING AN EATING A TANGERINE by Harvey Pekar and Joe Sacco is the sort of thing Chris Oarr would probably love, but unfortunately didn't do much for me at all. I have absolutely no idea what THE NINTH GLAND by Renee French was about, except I'm fairly sure acid had something to do with it. ABOARD THE DRINKING LEVIATHAN by Jon Lewis was probably my favorite strip in this issue, it's about the drinking habit's of a turtle, and what he likes to do when he gets loaded. I'm sure fans of Evan Dorkin's MILK AND CHEESE got a big kick out of THE DEVIL MADE THEM DO IT, but since I've never read it M&C before, this short introduction to the characters didn't do much for me either. Overall, I found this to be a disappointing issue. I usually think an anthology title is good if I enjoy at least three of the contributions to an issue. I'm being generous if I give this issue a 1 and 1/2. I hope the other four issue one hundreds fare better. DC COMICS CHAT: Black Lightning #8: Although the series will continue a bit longer, this was the last issue for me. Isabella, series creator leaves without any fanfare as of this issue. I'll try and think of it as a nice mini-series, it was fun while it lasted. (Feel the same way about the Alan Davis Clandestine) Anyone interested in reading an outstanding single issue, I suggest number five, probably the best of the short run. It crystalizes perfectly what a mistake it was to get rid of Isabella from a character he created. Egypt #2 of 7 Egypt is a tale of an abusive alcoholic who finds himself transported to ancient Egypt into a past incarnation of himself. Caught up in a web of deceit and betrayal, he quickly finds out that he was just as much an ass in his past life as he is in his present one. Peter Milligan never fails to deliver an interesting yet sometimes horrifying tale with strange twists and turns. This story is no different, and is sure to please fans of Vertigo. Golden Age TPB: I have finally read GOLDEN AGE. I remember hearing about it after it had been published originally, but at the time I wasn't too fond of DC's universe, much less all the continuity problems the line had. A book about the Golden Age seemed destined to give me a headache trying to sort it into continuity, so I passed. I first discovered James Robinson on Malibu's FIREARM title, and I absolutely loved it. I was upset when he cancelled the series, but I quickly got over it when STARMAN hit the shelves. Now knowing what a talent Robinson is, coupled with my new attitude for DC Comics, I really wanted to get my hands on GOLDEN AGE, but couldn't find it anywhere. Thank God for trade paperbacks! The tpb has just recently been released, and if you too missed out on GOLDEN AGE the first time around, I definitely recommend that you pick this up. No question about it, GOLDEN AGE deserves a place along side WATCHMEN, DARK KNIGHT, etcetera as one of the best examinations of the super-hero in comic books. This isn't just a nostalgic look back to the heroes of a by-gone time, this is a thoughtful, thought provoking story that questions what makes these heroes tick, in the same way that WATCHMEN did. The fact that the heroes in this story are well known and familiar to the reader at once, perhaps makes this even more powerful than WATCHMEN in some respects. So, anyone have any comments to make about this book? I'm eager to get into a discussion about it, I probably haven't been this hyped about a comic collection in a loooooong time. Drop me a line! Icon #29 ICON is one of the best titles from MILESTONE, one of the best imprints in comics. If you've never picked up an issue, I suggest to you give them a try. This issue: The Long Hot Summer continues. The issue centers mostly on Rocket, as she attempts to keep the riots in check. Also, has Buck Wild finally bought the farm? Nightwing #1 At last, a Nightwing series. It's been a long wait! This mini-series will deal with the only things that solo Dick Grayson stories have _ever_ dealt with. The death of his parents, and his identity crisis. (Sigh...) I had hoped to see something different for Grayson, like maybe have him settle in somewhere, Gotham or otherwise, and begin forging a new life for himself, but no such luck. Maybe this mini-series will put these issues to rest for the final time, so that the character of Dick Grayson can move on. Preacher #6 The trio of Jesse, Cassidy and Tulip begin their quest for God, only to be sidetracked by an old friend of Cass' who has taken up an odd hobby, that of being a serial killer. Preacher is quickly climbing to the top of my "read-first" pile of comics. And with cliff-hangers like the one in this issue, I'm sure it will continue to do so! Starman #11 James Robinson is without question one of the most talented writers in comics today, as anyone who has read his work on STARMAN, FIREARM, or the graphic novel GOLDEN AGE can attest. However I must admit that I find the issues that deal with the current Starman to be a bit slow-moving. It's the issues taken from Shade's journal that I find most appealing, my favorite issue to date is where Shade tells of one of his adventures in the early days of Opal City, taking on a circus hypnotist on behalf of a rich aristocrat. The current issue is a close second in my mind. Again, it's taken from the Shade's journal, only this time it deals with the original Starman, as well as the original Green Lantern, Flash, Hourman and Mid-Nite. A villian called the Rag-Doll has become Opal City's version of Charles Manson, inspiring his followers to commit the most heinous crimes. Starman cannot handle this situation alone, so he calls in his compatriots for assistance. As with most super-hero tales, the heroes win out in the end, and soon have the Rag Doll in their custody, when things fall off the beaten path (or what closest resembles the beaten path, this is Robinson, afterall.) At this point the RagDoll informs the heroes of his intentions to continue leading his murderous cult, whether it be from prison or not. He reminds them of loved ones in their lives that he is aware of, and makes some pointed threats. He tells them to make peace with their loved ones. How would you react? What would you do? What did these heroes do? The answer may suprise you... STARMAN #11 wins this month's MUST-BUY award. Static #27 The effects of the Long Hot Summer continue in STATIC as well, and puts our hero in the path of Pyre! How could Static possibly stand up to the meanest bastich Dakota has ever seen? You'd be suprised... MARVEL COMICS CHAT: Dr Strange #80 Man, I miss a couple issues of the new improved Doctor Strange, and what do I fine when I return? Yet _another_ new improved Doctor Strange! How many overhauls can a character get in one year, anyway? What's the record? The Vishanti are out, Gaian Aura magic is in. Gaian Aura magic is out, Syzygy is in. Sheesh, I can't keep up with all the changes that this character is going thru! I'm sick of trying. Someone let me know when the dust settles and the stories begin... until then, this one is off the pull-list. Excalibur #89 While it still isn't the Excalibur I once knew and loved under the brilliant Alan Davis, the last two issues have been an improvement over what we've seen in a long time in this book. Of course, it's not really dealing with the team so much as Wisdom and Kitty Pryde on a solo mission, doing there best Scully and Moulder impression. It's actually quite interesting, to see the X-Files motif brought to the world of mutants. I really enjoyed David William's pencils on this book as well. Now, if only Warren Ellis would "fix" Brian Braddock and Meggan, maybe this book could get on track altogether... Generation X #7 Roger Cruz is no Chris Bachalo, but if we can't have Chris, he's acceptable until he returns. What is becoming increasingly unacceptable however, is Lobdell's version of The White Queen in this title. She has been one of the coldest portrayed characters in the mutantverse for years, but here she's been softening up, with not alot of reason given for it. I saw a glimmer of the old Emma Frost last ish when she kicked Leech, but I see no reason for her to apologize to Banshee with absolutely no prodding whatsoever in this one. Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1 In these times of maximum clones and indentity crises, it's a refreshing change of pace to have this book available. Especially at the price! Ninety-nine cents! Yowza! No matter what theory you ascribe to in the other Spidey books, whether you believe Ben Reilly is the real Peter, or if you believe it's all an insidious plot by Norman Osbourne, there is something you can accept as a fundamental truth in this book. Whether he eventually marries Mary Jane or takes on the name of Ben Reilly and lives in exile... THIS IS PETER PARKER. This is SPIDER-MAN. And this isn't a nostalgic reaction here folks. The period covered in this title is before my time, Captain Stacey was dead by the time I started picking up Spidey. No, this is a reaction to the return of a character that shouldn't haven't been absent as long as he has been, seeing as he has had at least four monthly books for the last decade at least. Kurt Busiek hasn't forgotten who's Peter Parker, and he's doing a fine job of bringing him back to life in these pages. And while the artwork lacks the flash and muscle-bound monstrosities of modern day comics, Pat Olliffe has captured the look and feel of an era of comic books. Not only is his depiction of Peter Parker a throwback to the Ditko era, but the panel layouts and overall feel of the book is also very remeniscent of the Marvel Team-Ups of the late seventies/early eighties. As impossible as it sounds, Olliffe manages to combine the styles of both the sixties and seventies to give us this timeless look at Spider-Man. Self-contained stories of the one and only Spider-man, for less than a buck. Need I say more? What If...? #77: What if Legion had Killed Magneto? By CBN's own Benny Powell! Overall, it was a very entertaining look at another possible outcome of LEGIONQUEST. My only problem was one that I have with nine out of ten What Ifs, and that was the abridged feel that most of these stories tend to have. I know it's a tough proposition to re-write a story that took a few months of countless titles in one single issue. I think I'd like to see Marvel do something closer to DC'S ELSEWORLDS line, make WHAT IF into a longer, possibly graphic novel series. This would have been a much better story had it been given more detail that the format immediately makes impossible. Wolverine #92 Was it just me, or was the cover to this issue less than spectacular? Inside, the Adam Kubert artwork is much improved over the cover. Wolverine has never been one of my favorite X-titles, and the whole adamantium/claws fiasco didn't improve my impressions on the title either, but I'm finding myself becoming more interested as we move ever closer to the centennial issue. This was a good solid issue in which Hank McCoy, Xavier and the Hudsons do a few tests on Wolverine and come to some interesting conclusions about his mutant powers and his healing factor in particular. And, let's not forget to mention that Boomer actually looks like Boomer in this issue! X-Factor #114 First off, let me say that I love Mystique's new 'do. She's sported the same hairstyle for far too long, it was time for a change. This new team is has changed alot in just a few months, with Havok out of action, Guido in the hospital, and Rahne gone back to Moira. With new comers like Mystique, this could quickly turn into Freedom Force instead of X-Factor. I must admit I like the "Suicide Squad" direction that book seems to be going in, but I feel as though Havok and Polaris are losing their place in the team. How long before they are replaced as well? X-Force #45 Even though The Force has moved into the mansion, it looks like Jeph Loeb plans on giving the team there own identity, albeit slowly. Familiar characters such as Caliban and Warpath are getting facelifts, but I'm afraid I don't see much of a direction for the team just yet. Adam Polina's pencils work well on the book, my only complaint is the sudden regression of Boom-boom from buxom babe to teeny bopper. This issue, Caliban seeks revenge against the captive Sabretooth, and the team makes a startling discovery of yet another mutant thought to be long dead. Despite the lack of direction for the team, Loeb is making this a mildly interesting read. X-Man #7 Nate, the ever-flexing-his-thighs-boy, flies of to Paris with his companion Madelyne Pryor. Paris just happens to be the home of Selene, and she senses great power in her new domain... and it's Pryor? Ever since his arrival in this universe, his mere prescence has set the telepathic world on it's ear, but Selene isn't interested? Huh? Okay, Jeph Loeb has set up an interesting set of circumstances for Nate to deal with, Madelyne, Selene, etc. I just wish it was someone other than Sugarman slated as his nemesis. Yeesh, I _hate_ that character! Otherwise, this has been an interesting series thus far, I hope to see all this build up pay off soon though. X-Men #44 I really dug the cover to this issue for some reason. A very dramatic picture of Cyclops, destroying the cover logo. I'll take this over an enhanced cover any day. Yet another long-lost supporting character returns, with Callisto rescuing Peter after his return to Earth. Cyclops leads the remaing survivors of Avalon across the outback in search of the X-Men's old headquarters. One question though, if it was so blamed hot and unbearable, why did the Acolytes continue to wear that burdensome armor and shoulder pads? Shouldn't they have been stripped down to the neccesities just like Scott? Seems like Jean has returned to Earth this time without picking up any cosmic hitchhikers along the way. Pity, I thought we were close to seeing a return to Phoenix in power as well as in name. IMAGE COMICS CHAT: Gen 13 #3 I really liked the cover to this issue, has a real "Indiana Jones" flavor to it. It's nice to see that this team isn't going to be all costumes and heroic posturing as ninety percent of team books are these days. I like the idea of the kid's having a real reason for being together, a quest if you will. J. Scott Campbell's artwork is top-notch, other than the obsession with the overly long legs he gives most of the female characters. But since this is a medium of exaggerations, I guess I can forgive that. My one complaint with this issue is the completely hokey and unneeded back up feature. I'd rather have a few more pages of the actual story, wouldn't you? With all the paper cost dilemmas and price hikes, creators shouldn't be adding "fillers" to the comic. Still, I'm very pleased with the direction that GEN 13 has taken. It's also becoming a fast-favorite. Weapon Zero #T-3 This mini-series has it all. Great story, great art, suspenseful and action-packed. It's edge of you seat excitement, and sort of a cross of Star Wars, Aliens and super-heroes. I have a question for you regular Image readers though. From the occasional issue of WildC.A.T.s that I've read, I thought that the Image universe already had two alien races at war on Earth. Do they know about the T'srri and Batai? Are the Image books like WildC.A.T.s connected in the same "universe" as this story, or are they seperate? Despite my confusion over these trivial concerns, I'm really enjoying this story. Bill Hughes!! EMail Address: william.hughes@f748.n109.z1.fidonet.org ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3] Keady's Comic Comments! Keady's Comic Comments 8/4/95 - A new name for my reviews and a new rating system. From now on I'm going to put a letter grade at the end of my reviews. I thought the previous system was a bit too vague and didn't allow me to give a more accurate idea of what I thought about it. Here goes the Keady's Comic Comments for this week! Action Comics #714- The Joker makes an appearance as the sweltering summer in Metropolis continues! I liked this issue as it had the maniacal happy guy and it's the first time I've seen Supes and the Joker face off against each other. The art work was a little over the top which fit well with this issue. The Cat Grant subplot was pretty good and look foreward to seeing how this works out! B Robin #21- While this issue was pretty forgettable in terms of the baddies, the character developement continues to impress me. I'm still getting used to Weiringo's art here but I'm a patient guy! What was very interesting was the cover credits went to Weiringo when it was obvious to me that Tom Grummett did it and his initials appear on the cover. Ooooops :) B Guy Gardner #35- How long has Guy been stuck out in space?? Last issue, he had his typical short hair but one issue later, he has hair almost to his waist. I remember during Zero Hour his wisecrack to Aquaman about his long hair. I think a little payback may be in order! :) I liked the former Green Lanterns in this story. Not enough time has been spent in showing the effects of Hal Jordan's mad folly and this makes some attempt in doing that. Also the suprise villain at the end sets the stage for this book's part of Underworld Unleashed! B Catwoman #25- I haven't bought this book in a while but have been keeping up with the issues at my book store. I guess the main reason for not getting into this book is the priority of action over character development. I like Selina but still don't know that much about her. This issue is pretty much like the others though the interaction of Catwoman with Robin is rather funny! B- Nightwing #1- I forgot about this on my last review column! I really liked this issue. I've always thought Dick Grayson deserved his own story. The art work was rather unique in my view and worked quite well. The story itself was pretty good though I'll hold judgement til I've at least read the next couple of issues! B Keady's Comic Comments 8/11/95 - Flash #106- While the art work does little for me, the main reason I get this title is the fantastic stories that are told here. Seeing the character developement here makes me wish for the same on some of my other regular reads! B Primal Force #12- Two issues to go! The fight with the August becomes a mind game as the Leymen fight for their lives with some not making it. THis issue actually confused the hell out of me until I read it about two more times. This may be the main reason this title is heading into the sunset. No one wants to think this hard! :) C+ Superboy #20- Superboy & Green Lantern do the typical fight thing and then take on the Scavanger and the NEW Black Manta. This has an obvious Underworld Unleashed tie-in. A guest writer and art team doesn't hurt this title as it did in the past as a generally good story is told! B Superman: Man of Steel #49- Superman starts to have disturbing dreams of Krypton as we start to build toward the Trial of Superman. Meanwhile Kieth, attempting to be more like Perry White, takes his friends in search of Skyhook who has resurfaced! This issue once again shows the improvement the Superman line. A fun story combined with art from my current favorite artist Paul Pelletier! A- John Keady ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4] CSNsider #427, contributed by David LeBlanc This is the CSNsider from CSN #427, which will be in shops on 8/25/95. It is reproduced in its entirety with the expressed consent of the COMIC SHOP NEWS! Ooops--in a recent feature on the upcoming Sam & Max trade paperback from Marlowe & Co., we mistakenly gave fans the wrong price for the collection: the trade paperback is bargain-priced at $12.95, the hardcover at $22.50, and the signed limited edition at $50... The latest company to sign an exclusive distribution arrangement is Maximum Press, Rob Liefeld's publishing home for his non-Image ventures; Liefeld and Maximum have followed Image to Diamond Distributors. This distribution arrangement should not affect comic fans in any way... Nightwing earns his own ongoing series next year, according to Batman editor Denny O'Neil... SkyBox's second DC Villains series, Underworld, completes the card version of the Underworld Unleashed storyline that began in the first card series, Dark Judgment; look for it in October, only in comic and card shops... Fleer is preparing a Christmas 1995 Story Card series; each pack will feature a complete story in card form, with art by Greg Hildebrandt, David Delamare, Joe Boddy, and others... Negotiations are underway to bring the works of James Ellroy and John D. MacDonald to comics, although no deals have been finalized as of yet... Jim Lee has won the Italian International Comics and Cartooning Exhibition's Yellow Kid Award as best foreign penciller; past recipients include Lee Falk, Milo Manara, the Hernandez Bros, and Kent Williams... Mirage Comics, well known to fans as the original comic book home of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will cease publishing comics at the end of this year; they plan to license the Turtles out to other publishers, although they don't rule out the possibility that they might get back into comics again in the future... Alan Moore will try his hand at writing The Maxx later this year; his story will take place a while after the events of the current storyline... And speaking of writers, George Perez signs on as writer of Silver Surfer beginning with issue 111... So you thought Artemis was dead and gone? Think again! Word is that the replacement Wonder Woman will be back in action early next year, with William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato Jr. (who handled the creative honors in her Wonder Woman appearances) returning to direct her exploits... The Marvel Edge line gets its own quarterly title in early November with the release of Cutting Edge #1; the first issue features a Hulk story by William Messner-Loebs, Angel Medina, & Paul Pelletier... ClanDestine is coming to an end after the twelfth issue... The Black Canary and Oracle join forces in a miniseries beginning this November... Robert E. Howard's original bad girl, Red Sonja, returns in her own one-shot in early November, courtesy of Glenn Herdling, Ken Lashley, and Harry Candelario. CSN #427 features a cover article on Black September from Marvel and Malibu, plus more news and our exclusive complete September Checklist that still features every major publisher. The only way to get Comic Shop News is to visit a shop that carries CSN. The publication costs the shops just a dime each and is generally free to customers. If your shop doesn't carry CSN, nag 'em until they do. After all, isn't your business and satisfaction worth a dime a week? Visit our WWW site! http://www.actwin.com/csn Ward Batty wardo@netdepot.com Cliff Biggers cliffbig@netdepot.com (c)1995 CSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Transmitted by . . . 7777--------*David LeBlanc> ComicBkNet@AOL.COM david.leblanc@gaquatic.iii.net RIME->5179 FIDO 1:322/743.1 ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5] Comicunications, by Ryan Brewster ____Comic Book Net's Weekly News Journal____ "News & Views From The World's Greatest Industry" --------- Volume 2, Issue #3 ----- Saturday, August 12, 1995 ----------- COMIContents: 1. Industry News: * Explorers To Be Published in B&W * Marvel & DC Conspire Together * Broadway Comics Announces Plans * Stan Lee to Launch Excelsior Imprint (followup) * Tekno-Comix Announces Two-For-One Special * Culture Shock '95 Cancelled * Detective McGumm Makes Appearance in Burrito * Ed Dukeshire to Illustrate Fever #2 * James Hudnall Self-Publishes ESPers * Alan Moore's Lost Girls Returns In November * Ex-Wondey Returns in Miniseries * Big Plans for Sovereign Seven * Catfight and Hellina Cross Over * Super-Typewriter! 2. Editorial: Bad, BAD Girl! 3. Reviews: * Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway (GN) * The Tick (Animated Series Video, Vol. 1) * Ultraverse Year Zero: The Death of the Squad * Team Seven: Objective Hell * WildCATs (The Robinson Issues) 4. Comicunications' Top 5 Rated Comics! 5. Feature: A Sneak Peak at Lois & Clark, Season 3! 1. Industry News ------------------------------------------------------- Explorers To Be Published In B&W: 8/5/95 - Originally solicited in June's Previews as a color comic book, Explorers (published by Explorer Press) will be released in black and white. The format change is due to the low sales figures, and now makes the book returnable. Issue #1, scheduled to ship this month, has been described as "Jonny Quest, Doc Savage, X-Files and Challengers of the Unknown all rolled into one". The Explorers and Xenology tackle mysterious diseases, fantstic discoveries, mythological creatures, alien encounters and unexplained phenomena. Issue #2 was solicited this month, to ship in October, and will feature a cover by Mike Wieringo (hot artist of The Flash, Robin and the Rogue miniseries) and Terry Pepoy (Shadowhawk and X-Men). Preview graphics for the title will be available by August 14th on the World Wide Web at http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/Explorers.html Marvel & DC Conspire Together...: 8/4/95 - Inside sources of the Comics News hotline (1 900 420-NEWS, 95" a minute I think) continue to insist that an enormous across-the -entire-Marvel-and-DC-Universes crossover will occur in comics shipping in February from both companies. Such speculation could be due to the numerous planned crossovers: Darkseid/Galactus, Spider-Man/Batman, Fantastic Four/Superman, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer and Batman/Cap'n America. Virtually all of the books from both universes would be effected by the crossover, which is designed as an enormous attention- getting stunt to reverse the current fortunes for the direct comic book market. Dan Jurgens will be drawing a commemorative poster with many characters from both universes. During the crossover, the titles of all the comics of both universes will be renamed, as the X-Men comics were for their popular Age of Apocalype crossover. Strangely, there will be no "official" announcement, but the event will be featured in the companies' solicitation catalogs in a few months. DC's Maureen McTigue told the telephone news service point blank that she knew nothing of the rumor, but did confirm the Green Lantern/ Silvers Surfer one-shot, which will be written by Ron Marz, with art by Darryl Banks and Terry Austin. Dan Danko Leaves Malibu: 8/11/95 - According to Tom Mason, Dan Danko - Ultraverse editor and creator of the popular UV villain Lord Pumpkin - has left the company to spend the next 6 months in the south of France! Broadway Comics Announces Plans: 8/4/95 - In both Overstreet's FAN (#3) and on the World Wide Web (http://comics.net/www/broadway), Jim Shooter has announced his plans for launching his new comic book publishing company, Broadway Comics. Jim Shooter will act as Editor-in-Chief. Janet Jackson, Paulline Weiss and Joe James will be Executive Editors. Debbie Fix will be Managing Editor. J. Winston Fowlkes will be President and Chief Operating Officer. Barbara Morcerf will be Publisher. J. Clark Smith will be the Director of Sales & Marketing. Their first three company-owned titles will be called Powers That Be, Electropolis and Shadow State. There will also be a creator-owned title called The Tale of the Flea, by Alan Weiss, JG Jones and Charles Yoakum. Some or all of these titles are tentatively scheduled for launch in November '95. The following is an excerpt from Broadway's newsletter, a sneak peak at some of the features to be found in those and other comics coming from Broadway: Star-Seed--Dad was the alien Paul Gauguin. Mom is an exceptional Earth woman, who, twenty years ago, bore him a son. Xolus Cor is the Star-Seed and his hybrid nature has given him tremendous strength. He has also inherited some of his father's technology, which is good, because he's going to need all the help he can get to find his missing father. It's tough coming of age on a planet as savage as Earth--especially when you're truly one of a kind. Till Death Do Us Part--It's the ultimate love/hate relationship--he's using the incredible super powers he wished for-and got-to pillage and plunder. She's using the incredible powers he wished on her--that she never wanted--to stop him. But they are in love...or, at least, they have the major hots for each other. It's just that their little lovers' spats are threatening to flatten St. Louis. Knights on Broadway--Twelve-year-old genius Tammy is convinced that she is the reincarnation of Morgan Le Fey back to redeem herself. She is also convinced that the end of the world is nigh. With science as her sorcery she empowers five knights and equips them with super energy armor. If King Arthur ever shows up, fine. Till then, though, she and her ultra action force will kick butt as necessary. It's frequently necessary. Spire--The Hunchback of Hell's Kitchen...the Phantom of the Rooftops...a fearsome, freakish figure prowls the towers and tenements of Manhattan's West Side. He was born in the Ukraine, a disfigured child, cast out and shunned. Something made him strong--the radiation from the abandoned nuke plant? It doesn't matter. He means no harm--but woe betide any fool who is cruel to a child in his sight...and from the spires of the city, his baleful yellow eyes see far. Fatale--Thirteen men run the world. They and all who serve them are out to get the woman called Fatale. But men are easy marks for her because, with a touch, she can steal their strength, their brains, and their talent. She's not worried about them so much...it's the woman they work for that scares her. She can be a real monster. The Hell I Am--Where is Hell? Below? In some strange astral realm? No. It's inside Malachy Reilly. And he's not happy about it. When he finds the Old Gentleman responsiblexwellxlet's just say there'll be the Devil to pay. Technomancers--Right now the electric underground is creating our future--the New Age of Technology. A wild bunch of geniuses is speeding down the infobahn. But there's a killer on the road, his brain squirming like a cybertoad--a techno-anarchist out to crash the System. Fighting with science, cunning and combat hardware, the Technomancers seek a solution to human dissolution. You can get on the Broadway Comics mailing list (there is a newsletter available) by writing a post-card with your name & address to Broadway Comics Marketing Operations, P.O. Box 741, Ingomar, PA 15127. You can write to them on the internet at broadway@comics.net. Stan Lee to Launch Excelsior Imprint (followup): 8/8/95 - Stan Lee announced in an August 8th apperance at CompuServe's Auditorium that his Excelsior Comics imprint for Marvel Comics will be launched sometime next year. Online he made the following statement: "Promise: One cover per mag-- readable stories-- real heroes-- dastardly villains-- lots of action--and hopefully you'll be able to even understand what's going on without reading 100 previous issues!" He has created 4 new characters for the line and will be writing Hellion himself for the imprint. The other three titles will be called Vandal, Zarlock and Omega. Stan said "Each one [will be] totally different with unusual, untypical art and stories." Tekno-Comix Announce Two-for-one Special: 8/11/95 - Every Tekno-Comix title shipping in November will be polybagged with a different Tekno-Comix back-issue. (i.e- someone buying Leonard Nimoy's Primortals could get, say, Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero, the Newmatic Man #2 for FREE!) The books will be packaged at random, so two copies of the same issue may not both contain the same back-issue. Additionally, 1 out of every 10 of the back issues will bear a gold-plated signature from one of the creators of either Leonard Nimoy, Neil Gaiman or Majel Barrett Roddenberry. Culture Shock '95 Cancelled: 8/4/95 - In a letter dated August 4th, Fred Greenberg (President of Great Eastern Conventions, Inc) announced that, in place of the Culture Shock convention that was planned for September 1995, a Comic Book Spectacular will be held on the weekend of September 8-10. The location (The Javits Convention Center) was not changed, but the room was changed to 1D, a much smaller space than was needed for Culture Shock. The Culture Shock show has been changed to 1996, as many exhibitors "liked the idea, but wanted more lead time" (Fred Greenberg). Confirmed guests to New York City's Comic Book Spectacular include Jae Lee, Bill Tucci, Joe Quesada, Jimmy Palmiotti, Mike Kaluta, Steve Skroce, Steve Lieber, Tom Grindberg, Tom Kidd, Scott Lobdell, Mark McKenna, Jim Balent, James Fry, Conzalo Mayo, Jim Calafiore, Kevin Nowlan, Ron Garney, Ray Lago, Ron Goulart, Eric Shanower, Jim Gurney (Dinotopia), Adam Kubert (tent.), Fauve, Michael Avon Oeming, Malcolm Davis, John Czop, Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, Joel Gross, Irwin Hasen, Jordan Raskin, Bob Wiacek, Scott Hanna, Will Murray, Mitch Waxman, Dick Ayers, Rick Bryant, Roy Richardson, Tom Taggart, David DeVries, and Eric Kollin. Detective McGumm Makes an Appearance in Burrito: 8/11/95 - Detective McGumm, the super-sleuth with a bullet hole in his head (last seen in Wiindows #13 by Leon and Drury) will be featured in Accent! Press' Burrito, Jack of All Trades to ship (I believe) in November. Other independent creators will be jamming with Burrito creator Carlos Saldana in the issue as well. Every issue of Burrito is a different, self-contained story, so hopping in now is no sweat. Accent! Press can be reached at PO Box 30476, Los Angeles, CA, 90030-0476. Ed Dukeshire to Illustrate Tale in Fever #2: 8/6/95 - Active Comic Book Net participant and ArKHaM AsYLuM sysop (508-372-2258) Ed Dukeshire will provide the art to a short story in Wonder Comix's FEVER #2. He will be both pencilling and inking the artwork in the comic that will ship in December of 1995. Issue #1 of Fever shipped this month. James Hudnall Self-Publishes ESPers: 8/4/95 - James Hundall's ESPers, a miniseries published by Eclipse in 1986 with art by David Lloyd, will be making a comeback in January "or so". James Hudnall (Who created Hardcase and Solution for Malibu, and wrote Hardcase, Solution and Ultraverse: Year Zero - the Death of The Squad for the Ultraverse line) will be self-publishing the new comic book. A look at his new Crime comic from Calibur can be found in an upcoming issue of Calibur's anthology, Negative Burn. Alan Moore's Lost Girls Returns in November: 8/6/95 - The first volume of the new Lost Girls (formerly of Taboo fame) quarterly series will ship in November from Kitchen Sink. It will reprint previously published material with new material appearing once the reprints run out. Ex-Wondey Returns in Miniseries: 8/1/95 - Artemis, the "Bad Girl" who replaced Princess Diane as Wonder Woman for a few issues last year, will be returning from the dead in an upcoming miniseries. William Messner-Loebs, who wrote Wonder Woman during the aforementioned story arc, will be writing the miniseries, called Requiem. Requiem, which will be illustrated by Mike Deodato's studio, will be "A 'Bad Girl' book with good art, by a strong writer, with an X-Files slant". As with Spectre and Starman, the story will be within the continuity of the DC Universe, but will have a "Vertigo Feel" to it. If response to the miniseries is strong enough, a continuous series is likely. Big Plans For Sovereign Seven: 8/1/95 - Sovereign Seven's second major story arc will introduce the young groups first major super-villain. They will also eventually visit Gotham City. Chris Claremont, who owns the title yet has been given leave to incorporate it within DC Universe continuity, says he plas to "start the same roller coaster ride I started at another company."... Chris Claremont played a major part in bringing Marvel's X-Men comic into the popularity it enjoys today. Catfight and Hellina Crossover: 8/1/95 - Lightning Comics' Bad Girl Hellina will team up with Insomnia Press' (a Lightning Comics imprint) Bad Girl Gatfight to battle the Prince of Somnia. Catfight first appeared in Fury of Hellina #1. In the crossover, the two heroines must challenge & defeat the Prince of Somnia and his horde of evil Odiums, or be forever trapped in his nightmare realm. A pin-up gallery will be included in the crossover, with a nude-cover version being solicited as well. Both versions will ship in October. Super-Typewriter!: 8/4/95 - Alert Comic Book Netter Joe Littrel found an interesting bit of news off the AP wire... The Royal Typewriter used by Jerry Siegel (co-creator of Superman) to write his early Superman stories is for sale for $65,000 from Robert Roter of Beverly Hills, CA. The comic dealer says the asking price would make the typewriter the most valuable in the world. 2. Editorial --------------------------------------------------------- Bad, BAD Girl! Until recently, I have been a strong advocate for the torching and complete distruction of all Bad Girl comics. I had felt that the books alienated a possible consumer base of female readers, and that the whole idea was just plain _stupid_. And, if done in the spirit that some of them have been, it can be. However, think for a moment of some of the male supervillains and superheroes we read about every month. Their muscles bulging, they often walk about topless and most of them sleep naked. Many of these masculine characters actually walk about in the buff! Have we complained about this? No, we've simply disregarded it... Seems the girls would have all the "gorgeous hunks" they wanted if they decided to pick up an issue or two of almost any given popular comic book. But now that companies have begun to cast _females_ in the lead parts, and the villains roles, they have treated them with the same lack of modesty that they have for men for so long. Equal treatment, right? Apparantly, females don't _want_ to be treated fairly. One hears many females b----ing about a given "Bad Girl's" immodest costume, but how many guys have complained about the main villain in Ultraverse's Hardcase comic book, Rex Mundi? The guy _NEVER_ wears clothes!! At least the women wear a few strands of thread... So really, the Bad Girl, when done right, could be a wonderful thing for feminist activism. So many now are being done simply to exploit the market... but if a male can hold the lead role in an anti-hero comic book, can't a female? EQUAL RIGHTS!!!! >;) --Ry, editor of this one AND the Comic Book Net one. *whew* 3. Reviews --------------(SPOILER WARNING)------------------------------ All Comics mailed to Comicunications for the purpose of being reviewed WILL be reviewed. Reviews are the sole opinion of Ryan Brewster and, in fact, DO reflect the opinion of this newsletter!! >;) Comics for review: Ryan Brewster c/o Comicunications 84 Bunker Hill St. Lancaster, NH 03584 --- SAM & MAX: SURFIN' THE HIGHWAY by Steve Purcell Marlowe & Company, 632 Broadway, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10012 Ldenault@aol.com (editor Lawrence Denault) Trade Paper-Back collection, distributed through bookstores (as well as comic stores, I believe). Released to general public in October. 130 B&W pgs, 32 Color pgs. (Being a TPB Collection, and being the odd nature that it is, I decided to forgo the usual grading system. It wouldn't do it justice.) OVERALL AVERAGE: 98% (HOLY $#!+!!!) This hilarious trip from the off-beat imagination of Steve Purcell is a MUST read! Never having encountered Sam & Max, the Freelance Detectives, I was somewhat skeptical when I taked a quick glance at the "cute", disproportionately exhaggerated cartoon art, but was _hooked_ after a few short minutes of reading. And this TPB collection is the perfect way to be introduced to the zany antics of the two most, uhm, unique detectives to grace the comics medium. The Collected Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway reprints all the Sam & Max material by the inimitable Steve Purcell, including the wacky, sometimes demented "activity pages". This comic had me laughing so hard, I had was afraid of floating off into the air like the stuffy bankers in Mary Poppins. It's an out- rageous work of comic genious which isn't afraid to mock itself. You owe it to yourself to put up the paltry dozen-or-so bucks and have a good laugh. The stories relate the (mis?)adventures of the two very adorably rendered "Freelance Detectives", Sam (who is an anthropomorphized dog) and Max (an anthropomorphized - what's today's word, children? - rabbit who made a face as a kid... and it froze.<grin>). Once Sam beats Max to the phone, they recieve their mission instructions from the "commissioner", and at once, they're off to solve the problems that plague the everyday world (like gigantic roaches, manatee-nappers and time-travelling alien conquerers). A simple discription wouldn't do the comic justice. Just read it. You'll see what I mean. :) --- THE TICK: THE ANIMATED SERIES Fox Kids Video - Foxvideo Movie Club, PO Box 27, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55440-9175 (another change in the grading system, cuz it's a cartoon. <G>) Episodes reviewed: Season One, eps 1 & 2 OVERALL AVERAGE: 88.5% (Very Good) OVERALL STORY: 92/100 pts. (Excellent) Plot: 32/40 pts. Humor/One-Liners 30/30 pts. Pacing: 30/30 pts. OVERALL ANIMATION: 85/100 pts. (Good) Ingenuity: 40/40 pts. Animation Quality: 25/30 pts. Art Quality: 20/30 pts. The Tick animated series is a riot. Though the animation & art are somewhat average (that is to say, mediocre), the hilarious one-liners and ingenious innovations make it a cartoon no comic book fan should miss. The Tick is purely parody. The scary thing about the show is that it sometimes is, in fact, _believable_. While certainly the situations and the characters are insanely absurd, there is a certain logic to the show. Mainly, that logic is due to the treatment of the superheroes in The City. When you have _that_ many superheroes in one city, they are _bound_ to run into one another, sometime or another. The cartoon of The Tick completely annihilates the Super-Hero genre... and any Super-Hero fan would enjoy every minute of it. The first episode, The Idea Men, is the better of the two. The Idea Men are a group of men who decided that they'd get together, get a lot of money illegally, and then they wouldn't have to work any more. In the Tick's own words, "Not FAIR!!". They rob a bank and threaten to destroy a major dam that, if destroyed, would unleash enough water to destroy the city. While the plot is simple, it is present.. The first half of the episode, which very quickly relates the Tick's arrival to The City, is hilarious. And the race to get to the bad guys that occurs whenever an alarm sounds inevitably ends the careers of more than a few of The City's superheroes.... but not to worry. The City is not low on Men In Tights. The second episode, Chairface Chippendale, is nearly as funny as the first. The Tick and Arthur (who's an accountant who can fly like a, uhm, moth..) discover that The City's biggest crime boss Chairface Chippendale is throwing himself a spectacular birthday party and all of The City's most nefarious evil-doers will be ther... The Tick, Arthur and American Maid (a parody of the "grim 'n gritty" super-heroine) infiltrate the event and find themselves at the mercy of Chairface. Both of the episodes are hilarious, and definitely warrent multiple viewings, as many of the more humorous subtleties could be missed the first time 'round. --- Ultraverse Year Zero: The Death of The Squad by James Hudnall and George Dove Malibu Comics, 26707 Agoura Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302 Issues Reviewed: 1-4 (all) 32 pgs, Full Color, Glossy Format ($2.95?? Why??) OVERALL AVERAGE: 87% (Very Good) OVERALL STORY: 92/100 pts. (Excellent) Plot: 40/40 pts. Dialogue: 16/20 pts. Characterization: 18/20 pts. Pacing: 8/10 pts. Direction: 5/05 pts. Subplots: 5/05 pts. OVERALL ART: 82/100 pts. (Pretty Good) Individuality: 30/40 pts. Backgrounds: 15/20 pts. Panel Layout: 9/10 pts. Expression: 8/10 pts. Inking: 10/10 pts. Coloring: 10/10 pts. (Shading, if in B&W) Ultraverse Year Zero: The Death Of the Squad relates the events that took place leading up to Hardcase #1. Before Prime #1 or Ultraverse #0, this comic miniseries delves into the past of the Ultraverse. Or, at least, the REAL Ultraverse (this Black September thing has me scared $#!+less....). The story is an excellent one, and really sets the scene by inter- twining real world events such as the LA riots. That sort of thing really gives the reader a sense of when it's taking place. While anyone familiar with the Ultraverse already knows the ending to the miniseries, the first three issues almost make you forget that. The characterization is better than average, and I began to feel even worse about the Squad's final fate. So the story is very good. The art is pretty normal, enhanced by Jeff Whiting's excellent inking and Malibu's marvelous (no pun in- tended. Really...) coloring facilities. I would recommend the comic to anyone interested in the REAL Ultraverse, and anyone who enjoys UV already and is curious about its history. It's a good way to be introduced to a great universe of comics. I don't know what Black September's going to turn the UV into, but I'm not too comfortable about what I'm hearing. At least it should establish a sense of order to the universe... many of the UV titles had gone to a miniseries format, which really makes the Ultraverse hard to follow... so I _am_ in favor of the UV getting a _slight_ revamp, but I am _not_ in favor of it getting revamped _without_ the _founding fathers_. The Larry Niven UV Bible has taken a back seat, I can almost guarantee that.. --- Team Seven: Objective Hell by Chuck Dixon and Chris Warner Image Comics: WildStorm Comics, 7910 Ivanhoe Ave. Ste., 438 La Jolla, CA 92037 OVERALL AVERAGE: 87.5% (Very Good) OVERALL STORY: 90/100 pts. (Very Good/Excellent) Plot: 38/40 pts. Dialogue: 20/20 pts. Characterization: 12/20 pts. Pacing: 10/10 pts. Direction: 5/05 pts. Subplots: 5/05 pts. OVERALL ART: 85/100 pts. (Good) Individuality: 32/40 pts. Backgrounds: 17/20 pts. Panel Layout: 10/10 pts. Expression: 9/10 pts. Inking: 7/10 pts. Coloring: 10/10 pts. (Shading, if in B&W) Chuck Dixon spins a very good tale... and if you are a fan of the WildStorm sub-universe of Image's comics, you really ought to check these books out. Team 7: Objective Hell is the second violent, grim-n-gritty miniseries about WildStorm's pre-history. Well, not pre-history exactly, but as Ultraverse Year Zero - the Death of the Squad relates a new tale of long-past events, so Team 7: Objective Hell provides the WildStorm sub-universe with some excellent background. As I mentioned, it is very grim-n-gritty... very _violent_. Not really a FUN book to read, but it is EXCITING. It's a quick read, lots of action. Lots of explosions... I'd give a kid a copy of Gen 13 before I'd give him this. The plot centers around the team which the WildStorm universe spun off of... which had been mentioned often in the comics, but never really explored in as much detail as the last two miniseries have. The team in this comic includes Deathblow, Grifter (when he was being called "Deadeye"), and BackLash, as well as 5 others who I wasn't familir with before the miniseries. The art is, as the story, very grim & gritty. Pretty dark, a lot of black ink was used up by this creative team.. The coloring is excellent, though the inking was pretty mediocre. The mini sort of sacrificed a bit of characterization for all its action... it should appeal to the MTV crowd, and those with intense interest in the WildStorm universe. It's a good way to be _introduced_ to the universe, too. --- WildCATs by James Robinson and Travis Charest Image Comics: WildStorm Comics, 7910 Ivanhoe Ave. Ste., 438 La Jolla, CA 92037 Issues Reviewed: 16-20 32 Full Color pgs, glossy format OVERALL AVERAGE: 89.5% (Very Good) OVERALL STORY: 94/100 pts. (Excellent) Plot: 39/40 pts. Dialogue: 18/20 pts. Characterization: 17/20 pts. Pacing: 10/10 pts. Direction: 5/05 pts. Subplots: 5/05 pts. OVERALL ART: 85/100 pts. (Good) Individuality: 35/40 pts. Backgrounds: 12/20 pts. Panel Layout: 10/10 pts. Expression: 8/10 pts. Inking: 10/10 pts. Coloring: 10/10 pts. (Shading, if in B&W) These issues of WildCATs are the best the team has had thus far, which is not meant as an insult to its creator Jim Lee... The book has lost a step in terms of artistic value, but the excellent work of James Robinson more than made up for the lacking art... Travis Charest is a talented artist, granted. I would like to see him put a little more effort into his backgrounds, but he draws very strong figures, and his art is very dynamic. The stories told in the issues are cleverly told, and lead easily from one issue to the next. The characterization is better than average, but I would have liked to have seen more attention paid to the team itself rather than its adversaries. More often than not, I often felt myself _rooting_ for the WildCATs' foes! WildCATS #20 was the weakest of the issues, though that was probably due to the WildStorm Rising crossover that was ravaging the universe at the time. WildCATs #16 was the strongest, and contained excellent character tension and characterization. The dialog and pacing continue to be some of James Robinson's better abilities. These issues of WildCATs are the best yet, and though Robinson's departure is saddening, I do look forward to comics master Alan Moore's take on the team. The WildCATs have always been one of the better teams to come out of Image, but I never felt that they had really been used to their full potential. This comic should appeal strongly to X-Men fans and "the superhero crowd". It is very mainstream, would probably appeal to most any comic fan. 4. Comicunications' Top 5 Rated Comics --------------------------------- [This will eventually become a top-10 list, but I have not yet reviewed enough titles for a top-10 list to be very practical. Rankings are determined by scores I gave the comics when I reviewed them in recent issues of Comicunications. Comics become ineligible after 2 months from the review date] Rank Title/Issues Score Formerly ------------------------------------------------------------------------ #1 Collected Sam & Max: Surfin' the Highway 98 - #2. Static #'s 23-26 (Milestone Comics) 96.5 1 #3. Bone #'s 18-20 (Cartoon Books) 95.5 2 #4. Norm Breyfogle's Metaphysique #'s 1-3 (Bravura) 93.5 3 #5. Impulse #'s 1-5 (DC Comics) 92.5 4 5. Feature ------------------------------------------------------------ A Sneak Peak at Season Three of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman [Many thanks to the FOLCs - that's Fans Of Lois & Clark - of the LoisCla Internet listserv for their informative postings!] Editor's note - In order to bring you these *SPOILERS* so early, much of this information has not been verified. I apologize in advance if any of these tips are proved false. :S Season three of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman promises to take Hollywood's hottest couple into a new direction. Though Executive Producer Robert Singer is keeping a tight lid on Lois' answer to Clark's season-ending-cliffhanger proposal, things look promising for the dynamic pair's budding romance. Both Robert Singer and L&C star Dean Cain have stated that the relationship will become the main interest in the new season, establishing a continuity between the episodes. While the relationship has been kept in "gridlock" for the majority of the show's run, new episodes will pick up the relationship where the old one left off and develop it further. Robert Singer has mentioned many "obstacles" that must be over- come in Lois Lane and Clark Kent's unique relationship, and wedding bells likely will not be ringing _this_ season. However, the two are expected to consummate their relationship over the course of the season. In the third season, Lois will _discover_ Clark as Superman, rather than him revealing his secret to her. While she will be angry at Clark at first, she will eventually decide that she loves him even more as Superman, and in fact I have heard that a dream sequence involving "super-babies" has been filmed! :) While the love interest angle will come into the spotlight, some returning villain guest-stars from last season will include John Shea (who played Lex Luthor in many episodes in the first season and in episode #13 of the second season, The Phoenix, airdate: 2/12/95), Tempus, and Raquel Welch (Diane Stryde in season 2's 14th episode, "Top Copy", airdate: 2/19/95). There is also a new reporter who filmed a few scenes in a blue shirt... Episode #1 of Season Three will be entitled "We Have A Lot To Talk About", and is tentatively scheduled to air on September 17th. It was written by John McNamara. It continues from And The Answer Is..., the cliffhanging final episode of Season Two. Lois & Clark are seen kissing passionately with Clark's shirt undone, and his "S" exposed. [Editor's note - some of these scenes could have been filmed with the intent of being "dream sequences", so some of these revelations may hold no bearing on the actual continuity of the show - Smilin' Ry] Lois knows that he is Superman early on in the episode and figures it out for herself. Lois is disappointed in Clark at the beginning of the episode, but becomes "one mighty pissed off woman" by the episode's concluding clarinet solo [My speculation there, about the clarinet. <g>]. Somewhere, the episode takes an "unexpected plot twist" and there's a scene with Martha (Clark's mom) & Lois talking in Lois' apartment. Lois is wearing a robe, and Martha proves to her that "some things are as we want them". Lois' answer to Clark will be revealed by the end of the episode, and the villains of the episode will be Intergang's Bill Church, Sr. and Jr., played by Peter Boyle and Bill Campbell respectively. Episode Two will be entitled Ordinary People, and is (again, tentatively) scheduled for September 24th. It was written by Euginie Ross-Leming and Brad Buckner. It takes place on a tropical island with palm leaves where L&C take their "unofficial honeymoon" (uh... does that maybe give away the answer, Rob??) and track down a culprit at the same time. They try to prove that they can have a normal relationship despite Clark's super-human abilities, but they break into their first fight of the season which leaves Lois crying in Clark's lap. The episode also features a decapitated head with no blood and David Leisure as a guest star. Episode #3 is entitled Contact and contains a scene with Clark jumping out of a helicopter after Lois falls out, and changes into Supes in mid-air. Clark's folks will appear sometime in the episode, and he is seen wearing brown bermuda shorts as he stands on a ladder carrying a cellular phone. Well, that's all the hot tips I can scrounge up for now! The rest will have to wait until you tune in to ABC (or is that DBC with Disney's new acquisition..?<g>) every Sunday night at 8:00pm! (Did that sound like a plug? It was. <eg>) ________________________________________________________________________ Comicunications is TM and Copyright (c) 1995 Ryan Brewster. Distribute only in entirety. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [6] Explorers! Press Release: Transmitted by Terry Collins, author of Explorers! from Explorer Press: EXPLORERS #2 from Explorer Press by Terry Collins and Bill Neville The second issue of this critically acclaimed adventure series finds the Xenology, Inc. team of Dr. Alexander Hunt and family in Nevada, where they must solve the mystery of why the secret underground government installation known as "The Cellar" has gone off-line...and find out who--or what--has escaped into the casinos and neon of nearby Las Vegas. Find out why retailers are already calling Explorers "a hot series with something for everyone." Special Guest Cover by Mike (Flash, Robin) Wieringo and Andrew (Shadowhawk, X-Men) Pepoy. 32 pages. Bi-monthly. $2.95. Shipping in October, so reserve a copy now.. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [7] Join in the fun! You too can enjoy the intelligent conversations and informative threads that occupy the conferences of the Comic Book Net every day! However, many people who read this e-mag aren't familiar with the Local BBS echo-mail system.... Bulletin Board Systems are scattered everywhere across the USofA, and many of them are free! Chances are, if you have a modem you have the accompanying communications software. Using the Terminal Emulation software that came with your modem, you can dial up one of the many systems linked into CBN (see the listings down a few paragraphs). Most of the boards offer all the message echoes in the Comic Book Network... there are message bases devoted to all the bigger comics publishers, as well as big Small Press and Independent message bases, not to mention sections for general (doesn't even have to be about comics!) conversation. If you are worried about long distance charges, worry no longer! Most if not all the BBS's offer a mail service from which you can download a .QWK packet of recent e-mail to read offline with a program called an offline mail reader. You can read & write messages at your leisure, and then upload your own messages & replies the next time you call your local BBS. There are many .QWK packet readers out there, for every type of computer system. They all give you a better explaination in their documentation than I can. These programs are available all over the Internet and are downloadable from most BBS's. These "mail runs" (dialing up, downloading the mail packet and uploading replies) generally take less than 5 minutes to accomplish, and at the average after-5pm/weekends/holidays long distance phone rates, that is LESS THAN 75"! See? Even less expensive than many of the commercial information services available! :) So what else can you find on free BBS systems? Theres plenty of files for specific types of computers. Some systems also offer other types of message networks ranging from general topics to specific themes like sci-fi, role playing, games, music, etc. And, let's not forget online games. Join into the many different multiplayer games, each system sports different challenges. There's nothing like becoming the most powerful being in a online adventure! And when you _do_ log on, leave a message in The Bullpen conference to ALL, and introduce yourself to us! You're guaranteed to get plenty of replies and all the help you need to join in the fun! Best, --Ry, the editor, with assists from Ed Dukeshire. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8] Bulletin Boards linked into the ComicBook Network! +----------------------------+ | The ComicBook Network !! | A message network devoted to Comic +----------------------------+ Fans, Collectors, and Professionals! ---- ---------- ------------- - Over 20 message echoes for your reading enjoyment! - Marvel Comics - DC Comics - Image Comics - Acclaim Comics - Dark Horse Comics - Small Press - Independents - Manga Comics - Comic Issues - Writers/Artists - Toys and Collectables - Cards - Back Issue Bin - Video Games - Bullpen - Fanboy - Animation - TV/Movies - Role Playing Games - Splash Page - SciFi - News, info, reviews, and general conversation with other comic book fans and professionals. - Log onto the systems, check it out and participate. We'd love to have you aboard! - Here's a quick rundown of free access BBSes already linked in! Most offer a QWK/Bluewave door to pack mail and read offline. City St BBS Number City St BBS Number ------------- -- ------------ ------------- -- ------------ Russelville AR 501-968-3910 Hector AR 501-284-5503 Lakeside CA 619-561-2961 Victorville CA 619-955-6445 Destin FL 904-654-9385 Ft. Walton FL 904-244-7434 Eustis FL 904-357-0355 Jacksonville FL 904-363-6347 Melbourne FL 407-253-0782 Melbourne FL 407-253-8754 Tavares FL 904-343-7272 Davenport IA 319-359-4449 Davenport IA 319-381-2906 Palatine IL 708-776-2395 Indianapolis IN 317-856-9020 La Porte IN 219-325-3655 Acushnet MA 508-995-0085 Agawam MA 413-789-6533 Freetown MA 508-763-2027 Haverhill MA 508-372-2258 New Bedford MA 508-984-1212 New Bedford MA 508-984-5321 New Bedford MA 508-994-4687 Rochester MA 508-763-5579 Shrewsbury MA 508-753-3767 S. Dartmouth MA 508-979-8930 Worcester MA 508-791-1281 Worcester MA 508-798-5647 Bishopville MD 410-352-5754 Frederick MD 301-831-8057 Frederick MD 301-698-5194 Gaithersburg MD 301-601-9731 Gaithersburg MD 301-977-0791 Mount Rainier MD 301-779-9381 Walkersville MD 301-898-4088 Dearborn Hgts MI 313-565-8464 Kalamazoo MI 616-349-9438 Durham NC 919-286-4542 Durham NC 919-286-7738 Raliegh NC 919-833-3412 Raliegh NC 919-790-3599 Hillsdale NJ 201-722-1495 Park Ridge NJ 201-307-9225 Saddle Brook NJ 201-368-1866 Astoria NY 718-204-0159 Poughkeepsie NY 914-485-5463 Saugerties NY 914-247-9601 Spring Valley NY 914-426-3029 West Islip NY 516-422-4225 Collinsville OK 918-371-0980 Oklahoma City OK 405-672-0615 Oklahoma City OK 405-728-7960 Cottage Grove OR 503-942-4561 Brookhaven PA 610-872-0916 Eddystone PA 610-872-2830 Philadelphia PA 215-535-3055 Union City TN 901-885-9647 Dallas TX 214-680-2755 Garland TX 214-494-3702 Grand Prairie TX 214-641-1136 Houston TX 713-568-0825 Irving TX 214-790-6472 Killeen TX 817-699-2254 Missouri City TX 713-835-0965 Odessa TX 915-530-2712 Waxahachie TX 214-938-7115 Arlington VA 703-415-0134 Burlington VT 802-860-2948 Burlington VT 802-863-1591 Williston VT 802-864-7021 Longview WA 206-577-7358 Gananoque ONT 613-382-1788 Niagara Fall ONT 905-371-0736 St.Catharine ONT 905-938-1670 St.Catharine ONT 905-988-9698 Tecumseh ONT 519-979-4251 Mexico City MEX 525-264-2994 - If you have access to internet mail, you can receive a complete listing of bbs systems linked in. Address your message to ComicBkNet@AOL.COM - Weekly "Comic Book Electronic Magazine" available on all above systems. Also available on AOL - GOTO: SCIENCE FICTION and select Science Fiction Libraries from the main menu. The files are in: ANIME, COMICS, OTHER. If you don't have an account on AOL, check the CompuServe and GEnie libraries, they're uploaded there as well. - Sysops: FREQ the latest information packet using the Magic Filename COMICS from these Fidonet systems; 1:19/37 in AR, 1:324/134 in MA, 1:109/748 in MD, 1:2201/66 in MI ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [9] E-Mag Info Comic Book E-Mag is published weekly by the many participants of The Comic Book Network. This is a compilation of articles and columns which were originally posted in the network's conferences or written specifically for this electronic magazine. All text contained within are copyrighted to the originating author(s). Freely distributable for noncommerical purposes only. THE CBN WEB PAGE ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as an annotated index of back issues. You'll also find important information on how to join the conversation in the Comic Book Net, an archive of Comic Book Net fanfic, and other neat features! The URL address is: http://www.cris.com/~Xenozoid/ComicBkNet.html LOCATING THE ISSUES ------------------- The latest issue is always available from all the systems linked into The Comic Book Network. Issues may be obtained through several online pay services as well (ie; AOL, CompuServe, GEnie). All back issues should be available at the above sites, as well as our World Wide Web page. SUBMISSIONS ----------- Submissions are encouraged. Please address submissions to the internet address: ComicBkNet@aol.com or send directly to one of the Network Administration Team members: Mike Imboden, Ed Dukeshire, David Leblanc, Walter Tietjen, Bobb Waller. SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive these issues automatically through your internet account, please address a message to Xenozoid@cris.com to be placed on the subscription list. ________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - End of Issue #22... see ya next week!