Comics Catch-Up: Zenescope

Another post in which I catch up with a selection of releases from a specific publisher. Zenescope produce some of the more interesting comic adaptations and twists on fairy tales and folklore. They don’t always work perfectly, but some of these series have really grown into their own, offering up some intriguing interpretations. I’m also particularly intrigued by the start of the “new” Grimm Universe, as laid out in the Annual and Angel #1. Things look like they are about to get really interesting for Zenescope’s titles…

Reviewed: Call of Wonderland #2, Grimm Fairy Tales #74, GFT: Angel, GFT: Annual 2012, GFT: Myths & Legends #17, Jungle Books #3, Waking Dead: Dream’s End #2

Upcoming: “Marvel NOW!”

So, right off the bat, I think that’s an awful title for a new comics initiative. Especially with the capitalised “NOW!”. Just wanted to get that out there. [If you are familiar with The Gutters online comic-commentary website, then you’ll see how this announcement almost writes its own humour…]

The most popular characters. The most acclaimed creators. The most ambitious stories. This is Marvel NOW!

Marvel doubles-down on the cringe-worthy PR-speak with:

“ushering in a new era for comics and the perfect jumping on point for new readers. The biggest creators bring you the biggest characters in the biggest stories… and it’s happening NOW!”

So, now that I’ve got some snark out of the way (there’s more to come), what is this actually all about? This Fall, Marvel comics are heading in an “exciting all-new direction”, as the publisher releases “all-new ongoing series, each beginning with issue #1!” I had to chuckle at the “each beginning with issue #1”, given that that is usually where new things start…

Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine and more will all see new Marvel NOW! series, apparently marking the “culmination of Marvel ReEvolution”, the “groundbreaking new initiative to evolve the comic book experience through innovation.”

Guest Post: “Influences & Inspirations” by Guy Adams

In this week’s guest post, author Guy Adams talks about the influences and inspirations for his latest novel (published today), Hands of the Ripper.

Influences and Inspirations:

HANDS OF THE RIPPER by Guy Adams

A writer trying to define his inspirations should be rather like a curry discussing the heritage of a particular onion. We’re influenced by everything and sometimes catching any single thread is impossible.

That said, it would be hard to write a novelization of a movie (however bold) without being inspired by it and Hands of the Ripper, while it may stand on its own two legs as a novel, will always be an adaptation of the 1971 picture from Hammer Films. On the surface I seem to have changed a great deal (it’s set in the present day for goodness sake), but you would be surprised by how faithful it is to the spirit of the original, no doubt through fear of antagonizing said spirit and causing a murderous rampage.

Music: “Living Things” by Linkin Park

Ho-hum, a long-time fan grumbles

I originally had very high hopes for Living Things. I had even been prepared to write a long review, believing this may be the return of the band that dominated my stereo, and later MP3 player, for most of the early 2000s. Sadly, this album is, effectively, the Linkin Park equivalent of elevator music.

Most-Anticipated Novels – July 2012

It’s been a while since I wrote a post highlighting a given month’s most-anticipated releases. But, given that this year is shaping up to be a real monster for new fiction, and because it’s just impossible to read everything, I thought it would be a good idea to give a hat-tip to those books I’m most looking forward to reading. I’ve stuck with UK release schedules for the most part, but a couple are US releases or books already available across the pond.

I’ve been lucky enough to get a fair few of these titles already (and have managed to read three in advance of their releases), so I have included links to my reviews where relevant, rather than exhaustive comments on those titles.

So, without further ado, here are my picks for July 2012…

“Before Watchmen” First Phase (DC)

Reviewed by Abhinav Jain

My prior experience with Watchmen is limited to the 2009 film adaptation. I remember that it was an extremely weird experience, as I had no prior familiarity with it and I was rather confused for the whole of it. My friends helped fill in a few blanks later during dinner and then that was that. As you can no doubt tell, I was not motivated to go pick up Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel and read the source material.

Recently, however, I’ve been getting back into comics after a rather long break, and when I heard that DC was planning a prequel phase, the Before Watchmen series, I was mildly curious. I like the idea of prequels, especially for things like these. To give but one example, Tolkien’s Silmarillion is one of my favourite novels ever; although it is almost entirely prequel stories set in Middle-Earth and in Valinor and our heroes of the original trilogy barely feature in it.

So when the Before Watchmen comics started releasing last month, I picked them up one by one: the first issues of Minutemen, Silk Spectre, Comedian and Nite Owl. I still somewhat prevaricated on this, and didn’t read them right away as I had some other reading commitments to get out of the way first.

Catching up with MARK CHARAN NEWTON

Mark Charan Newton’s Nights of Villjamur was one of the first books I received unsolicited from a publisher, and I really enjoyed it. The sequels, City of Ruin and The Book of Transformations just got better and better. Now, with the final book in the series – The Broken Isles – hitting shelves, I thought I’d send Mark a few questions to see what’s been going on since I first interviewed him, back in February 2011.

Legends of the Red Sun #1-3 2012 Edition Covers

Comics Catch-Up: Boom Studios

In this first Comics Catch-Up, I take a quick look at two titles from Boom Studios, both science-fiction, and both early in their respective runs. Higher Earth and The Hypernaturals both have pretty intriguing premises, and should appeal to fans of science fiction (comics, TV, movies and novels). I enjoyed both of them, but they were not perfect.

Reviewed: Higher Earth #2, Hypernaturals #0-1

“The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor” by Robert Kirkman & Jay Bonansinga (Tor)

Reviewed by Bane of Kings

Set in the world created by Robert Kirkman, this is the start of a standalone trilogy with new characters and new storylines.In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople’s amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted “Villain of the Year” by Wizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series. Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.

I should probably start this review off by clarifying that I haven’t seen The Walking Dead on TV, nor have I read the graphic novels. However, if The Rise of the Governor is anything to go by, I will be checking them out for sure, even if I have had my eye on them for a while now.

“Angel of Fire” by Will King (Black Library)

King’s return to Warhammer 40,000

At the dawn of the forty-first millennium, Lord Commander Macharius and his forces embark upon the re-conquest of over a thousand worlds. A man of steel and fire, Macharius is the only one with the will to lead the massed armies of the Imperium to victory. As the crusade rolls onwards, it reaches the world of Karsk. In the city of Irongrad, the Imperial forces face the crusade’s end, unless Macharius and his army can defeat the dreaded Angel of Fire.

This is the first Warhammer 40,000 novel from King in quite some time – he took a hiatus from writing Black Library fiction, but has since returned with this and the Tyrion & Teclis series. Angel of Fire is a very good military sci-fi story. It’s not perfect, but it offers an alternative vision of a great Imperial hero that I hadn’t expected.