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An Intro from Ambush Bug
13th ANNUAL WIZARDWORLD FAN AWARDS
Bug’s Schwag Bag
News from Marvel
Humphrey Lee’s Report
News from DC
Bug reviews the ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2 DVD
In other news…
Sleazy G’s Report
Final thoughts
Hey folks, Ambush Bug here. Sometimes the @$$holes shove themselves away from their computers, put on some clothes, and venture out into the bright sunlight to get a look see at what’s going on in the world of comics. Welcome, Faithful Talkbackers, to another edition of SHOOT THE MESSENGER: @$$HOLES ABROAD!
It’s comic book convention season again, when the publishing companies go into overdrive pimping out the next hot comic, the pros come out to hobnob with the fans, and the fans line up to meet the folks who bring their four colored (and sometimes B&W) heroes to life. @$$holes Sleazy G,
Humphrey Lee,
and myself were fortunate enough to attend the 10th Annual WIZARDWORLD CHICAGO COMIC BOOK CONVENTION in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. We were present all three days, soaking in the sights, sounds, and smells that usually accompany these types of gatherings. Many a fanboy took iron to their best T-shirt to attend this mega-event. According to Wizard, this year’s con set a record attendance at 58,000 Wizardworlders. And some of them were chicks!!!
I wanted to start off with an apology. Due to some computer problems, this report was delayed. We know some of this stuff has already circulated on the internet. Hell, some of the shit was immediately broadcast as soon as it passed from the guests’ lips. In the past, the experience has always taken precedence over the news and this year is no different. Sleazy, Humphrey and I all had different experiences at the con and this report will not only sprinkle out the various bits of news that surfaced from the panels and the floor, but it will also serve as an experiential so you too can feel what the whole thing was like. Plenty of sites around that can parrot back bullet points and news bites, but as always, we like to do things a little different here at AICN Comics and we never have been very good at spoon-feeding, y’know?
The con also sported a nice roster of comic book pros as well as actors and actresses from various films and television shows from today and yesteryear. Writers like Keith Giffen, Paul Jenkins, Geoff Johns, and Jeph Loeb were there. Artists like Dave Dorman, John Romita Jr., Angel Medina, Geof Darrow, Jim Califore, Michael Turner were there as well. My arch-nemesis Lou Ferrigno (a tale best left told for that UNTOLD TALES OF THE @$$HOLES Column to surface one day) was there and gave me the evil eye as I walked past his booth. Roll call: Ray “Darth Maul” Park, Thomas “The Punisher” Jane (sporting a Mohawk), Wrestler Virgil, and Jaws from the Bond flicks (I saw him eating a big sammich and it made me both hungry and horrified at the same time).
I always get a bit giddy when I see all of these obscure and not-so-obscure stars gabbin’ it up with everyone and anyone. But nothing matches the unbridled exhilaration I experienced when I finally got to lay my eyes on comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt in the flesh. She was pretty tight lipped as to what her next blockbuster comic book project was going to be, no matter how hard I prodded. But I knew that Ms. DeWitt was carved from the craftiest of lumber and known to drop hints here and there to her scores of fans, so I decided to stick close—to keep my ears perked—to stay as frosty as Iceman’s taint and make it the goal for this year’s con to find out just what comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt had in store for us all.
On Friday night, the 13th Annual WIZARD WORLD FAN AWARDS were held.
And the winners were…
FAVORITE PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
FAVORITE ON-GOING SERIES: Astonishing X-Men
FAVORITE ONE-SHOT: Countdown to Infinite Crisis
FAVORITE MINI-SERIES: Villains United
COMICS’ GREATEST MOMENT: “No more mutants” (House of M)
FAVORITE WRITER: Geoff Johns (Flash, Green Lantern: Rebirth)
FAVORITE PENCILLER: John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Planetary)
FAVORITE INKER: Scott Williams (All-Star Batman and Robin)
FAVORITE PAINTER: Alex Ross (Justice)
FAVORITE COLORIST: Laura Martin (Astonishing X-Men)
FAVORITE LETTERER: Chris Eliopoulos (Ultimates 2)
FAVORITE EDITOR: Axel Alonso (Amazing Spider-Man)
FAVORITE BREAK-OUT TALENT: Allan Heinberg (Young Avengers)
FAVORITE COVER-ARTIST: James Jean (Fables)
FAVORITE HERO (MALE): Captain America (Marvel Comics)
FAVORITE HERO (FEMALE): Kitty Pryde (Marvel Comics)
FAVORITE VILLAIN: Winter Soldier (Marvel Comics)
FAVORITE SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Jessica Jones (Marvel Comics)
FAVORITE COMIC MERCHANDISE: Batman Black/White Mike Mignola Statue
FAVORITE ACTION FIGURE LINE: Marvel Legends (Toy Biz)
FAVORITE COMIC MOVIE PROJECT: Batman Begins (Warner Brothers and DC Comics)
FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW: Lost (ABC)
FAVORITE DVD RELEASE: Batman Begins (Warner Brothers Home Video and DC Comics)
FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: X-Men Legends II (Activision)
Sadly and surprisingly, comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt received no Wizard World Awards this year.
It’s time once again for…
BUG’S SCHWAG BAG!
Where I look through the bag of goodies that I picked up at this year’s con. The bag o’ schwag was a little light this year, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t pick up anything cool. Haven’t been able to read much of the comics I got yet, but expect extended reviews of these books in upcoming columns. Here’s what I got.
One HUNTER-KILLER Scriptbook. Been searching for this since last year’s con. It’s Mark Waid’s how to break through into comics instructional manual. He pimped it at his writing seminar at last year’s con and I finally got a copy of it at the Top Cow booth this year.
The hottest chick at the con on Friday wasn’t even at the con at all. It was a tall businesswoman who walked past me and smiled on the walkway into the con. You could tell she had no interest in the con itself and was quite amused at all of the geekery. But who knows? Under that smart pants suit she was sporting, that svelte damsel could have been a secret she-devil with a sword.
I picked up RUNES OF RAGNAN #1 and DEATH COMES TO DILLINGER #1 & 2 from Silent Devil Productions.
I got a chance to chat with Buddy Scalera from After Hours Press about his recent 7 DAYS TO FAME miniseries. He seems like a great guy with a lot of enthusiasm about bringing unconventional and interesting stories to comics. I picked up MODEL OPERANDI and IMPOSSIBLE TALES there.
Picked up copies of the first two issues of a book called ARSINAL from Mighty Ink Comics.
The guy at the Yellow Nightmares Press booth sold me on the concept of WASTED MINUTE, a book about the day jobs super heroes have to endure while not fighting crime and saving the universe.
The folks at Ronin Studios signed my copy of CORRECTIVE MEASURES #1, which was mighty nice of them.
The hottest chick at the con on Saturday was a chunky but funky gal lurking about in the Artist’s Alley dressed as a devil. Although the porn stars were banned from the Alley this year, it was a welcome sight to see some sultry and sinful demoness representation.
Got a free issue of FINDER from Lightspeed Press. Indie Jones founder Lizzybeth used to pimp this book like it was her prize ho. I plan to dive into it and see what all the hubbub was about soon.
Always trying to look at things from an objective standpoint, I told the folks at Revelations Comics I’d gander at THE SAVED, a book they described as a look at religion from the religious left POV.
I bagged quite a few books from Moonstone books. Editor-in-chief Joe Gentile seemed like a great guy with a lot of great ideas for comic book properties both old and new. Expect an extended Moonstone look at THE PHANTOM in widevision, THE NIGHT DRIVER, PAT NOVAK FOR HIRE, CALL OF THE WILD, and LAI WAN: TALES OF THE DREAMWALKER soon.
Had a nice chat with Neil Cohn of Emaki Productions who is working on his PhD focusing on the psychology behind comics. Neil said that his EARLY WRITINGS ON VISUAL LANGUAGE book picks up where Scott McCloud’s UNDERSTANDING COMICS left off.
The hottest chick at the con on Sunday was a chick dressed as Power Girl at the beginning of the Artist’s Alley. She…uhm… really filled out the costume which coincidentally made my pants fill out a bit too. It did make me wonder, though, how that costume smelled because I saw her wearing it three days in a row.
Finally, I met a great group of guys at Element X Studios. These guys are a team of talented artists all working on their own projects at the moment. I picked up their Atomic artbook and a book called RUNNING ON EMPTY. Expect coverage in an upcoming Indie Jones article on this and all of the contents of my schwag bag in the regular AICN COMICS reviews column.
The hottest chick at the con on Friday wasn’t even at the con at all. It was a tall businesswoman who walked past me and smiled on the walkway into the con. You could tell she had no interest in the con itself and was quite amused at all of the geekery. But who knows? Under that smart pants suit she was sporting, that svelte damsel could have been a secret she-devil with a sword.
I picked up RUNES OF RAGNAN #1 and DEATH COMES TO DILLINGER #1 & 2 from Silent Devil Productions.
I got a chance to chat with Buddy Scalera from After Hours Press about his recent 7 DAYS TO FAME miniseries. He seems like a great guy with a lot of enthusiasm about bringing unconventional and interesting stories to comics. I picked up MODEL OPERANDI and IMPOSSIBLE TALES there.
Picked up copies of the first two issues of a book called ARSINAL from Mighty Ink Comics.
The guy at the Yellow Nightmares Press booth sold me on the concept of WASTED MINUTE, a book about the day jobs super heroes have to endure while not fighting crime and saving the universe.
The folks at Ronin Studios signed my copy of CORRECTIVE MEASURES #1, which was mighty nice of them.
The hottest chick at the con on Saturday was a chunky but funky gal lurking about in the Artist’s Alley dressed as a devil. Although the porn stars were banned from the Alley this year, it was a welcome sight to see some sultry and sinful demoness representation.
Got a free issue of FINDER from Lightspeed Press. Indie Jones founder Lizzybeth used to pimp this book like it was her prize ho. I plan to dive into it and see what all the hubbub was about soon.
Always trying to look at things from an objective standpoint, I told the folks at Revelations Comics I’d gander at THE SAVED, a book they described as a look at religion from the religious left POV.
I bagged quite a few books from Moonstone books. Editor-in-chief Joe Gentile seemed like a great guy with a lot of great ideas for comic book properties both old and new. Expect an extended Moonstone look at THE PHANTOM in widevision, THE NIGHT DRIVER, PAT NOVAK FOR HIRE, CALL OF THE WILD, and LAI WAN: TALES OF THE DREAMWALKER soon.
Had a nice chat with Neil Cohn of Emaki Productions who is working on his PhD focusing on the psychology behind comics. Neil said that his EARLY WRITINGS ON VISUAL LANGUAGE book picks up where Scott McCloud’s UNDERSTANDING COMICS left off.
The hottest chick at the con on Sunday was a chick dressed as Power Girl at the beginning of the Artist’s Alley. She…uhm… really filled out the costume which coincidentally made my pants fill out a bit too. It did make me wonder, though, how that costume smelled because I saw her wearing it three days in a row.
Finally, I met a great group of guys at Element X Studios. These guys are a team of talented artists all working on their own projects at the moment. I picked up their Atomic artbook and a book called RUNNING ON EMPTY. Expect coverage in an upcoming Indie Jones article on this and all of the contents of my schwag bag in the regular AICN COMICS reviews column.
@ Brubaker + Fraction + IMMORTAL IRON FIST =@$$kicking. Nuff said.
@ Peter David’s 1603 set to feature Doom kidnapping Shakespeare and FF trying to get him back…ugh.
@ Bendis will be writing a follow-up to DISASSEMBLED/HOUSE OF M in NEW AVENGERS #26 when he brings back Hawkeye and Scarlett Witch. Expect the internet to heal from slitting in half shortly thereafter.
@ Lenil Yu is going to be the new penciler on NEW AVENGERS.
@ Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner will be doing ULTIMATE WOLVERINE, and Loeb says the back story for this Logan will be significantly different than that of the 616 Logan.
@ Another handful of “What If?” books are already on the way, folks, including books based on “Disassembled”, “The Other” and “Deadly Genesis”.
@ Been wondering what Ultimate Thanos is gonna look like? Not to worry—he’s gonna turn up in Mike Carey’s ULTIMATE FF.
@ A lot of Marvel folks still think crossing over SUPREME POWER and THE ULTIMATES is a fantastic idea. This is considerably more mind-blowing than the actual series will be. After this miniseries, expect members of both teams to be left behind in the wrong universes.
@ ULTIMATES 3 and 4 are clearly gonna have a much different approach and mood than what we’re used to so far. Worse? Better? Hard to say, but it’s gonna have Ultimate Venom, so make of that what you will…
@ There’s a new ILLUMINATI miniseries on the way, featuring your favorite heroes sitting around a table and talking about big events from Marvel’s past. Five issue mini from Brian Michael you-know-who.
@ Grant Morrison’s Marvel Boy will be showing up in CIVIL WAR: YOUNG AVENGERS/RUNAWAYS #2.
@ BLADE will get another shot at trying to make it to issue 12 soon.
@ Kaare Andrews’ new Marvel Knights project is called SPIDER-MAN: REIGN, looking into Spidey’s future.
@ New X-23 and WHITE TIGER books on the way.
@ The SPIDER-WOMAN ongoing has been postponed until CIVIL WAR is over.
@ Peter David has a five issue mini series coming out called WONDER MAN: MY FAIR SUPERVILLAIN where Simon Williams tries to rehabilitate a young female super villain. Art by Andrew Currie. Expect to see the Beast and Ms. Marvel show up.
@ Awright, look, the single best piece of Marvel news all weekend? Hands down? RETURN OF THE NO-PRIZE! Hot damn! Sharpen those pencils, kiddies, and get to work! They’re gonna email you instead of mailing you the blank envelope like in the old days, but still…for those of us who never got a chance at one of these, a kickass development.
@ Quesada was tight-lipped regarding any upcoming projects from comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt.
So another Wizard World has come and gone, this time in the Windy City of Chicago, and good old Humphrey Lee here had the benefit and privilege of attending it for the second time in as many years. And while one of the big appeals of the con is obviously the big "news" updates from the Big Two and yadda yadda, I'm actually here more to talk about the con itself. Y'know, stuff like what it's like to actually attend one, some advice for those of you who hope to one day go to one of these bigger events, and, y'know, just general ramblings about some of the shit that pisses me off about them.
First off, I really have to warn you, while it does seem exciting to go out and see all the huge panels Marvel and DC are holding and trying to catch some tidbits, honestly they're never really worth it. Most of the times they're just repeating stuff that they already talked about at another con and the question and answer bullshit they do after rarely bears any fruit either. It's just a bunch of "Wait and see" or "We can't get into that yet" or the ever friendly "We're sure you'll be pleasantly surprised". You know what? I don't give a shit about surprises. I just want some goddamn quality books. All these panels really do is build up more hype that really never lives up to anything in the end. If you want to see a good panel, go to writer’s panels. Go see Peter David, or that mad bastard Paul Jenkins, and just listen to great storytellers give their point of view on things. Or go out and check the Vertigo panel. That's always a blast and a great showcase for great books.
As for tips on being on the con floor, my biggest piece of advice is simply "wait." If you're going to be there a couple days and have a nice list of purchases to make, just give it time. Get a layout of the floor, scout out whatever everyone has and what the price comparisons are, and just lay low for a bit. I mean, occasionally you'll hit gold right off the bat and find the perfect deal on what you're looking for, but most of the time it's a good bet to just wait for the con to get towards its end and see that the guy who had whatever trade or figure you were looking to get at 30% off on Friday has raised that to 50% off by Sunday because they just don't want to haul it back home (because inherently we're all lazy bastards).
When it comes to waiting in line, beware the asshole who decided he needed to bring three dozen or so books to get signed by the artist, writer, whoever. It's one thing to appreciate the writer and bring a handful of your favorite comics or trades up to get them signed out of sentimental value, but when you bring up an entire fucking run of ALIAS, while the party at hand might genuinely appreciate your love and enthusiasm for their work, their signing hand and the line of people behind them who have to wait an extra ten minutes while they sign all your shit do not appreciate it as much. Especially since 90% of the fucking time you're only doing it to turn around and Ebay them for some supposedly extra bank (which is bullshit, we all know comics stopped being worth anything when they stopped making holofoil-diecut covers).
And for you aspiring writers, publishers, and inkers (I guess, sure) just a little tip from me to you: Please don't fucking yell at me to come check out your book. Look, I know you mean well, I know you want to make it big and are enthusiastic about the little mini-comic you put together, but just let the book do the talking. Shouting at me from ten feet away to "Come check out this awesome book! Hey! Woo!! Look at me!!!" is just going to prompt me to raise the volume on my iPod. Make a nice display, organize your books and set up your booth nicely, maybe even throw up some interesting posters or backdrops to give me a hint as to what your book may be about or at least make me think you look professional enough to come speak with. And offer cheap (or free) sketches. That's a nice way to show that extra bit of dedication to your craft and give that extra bit of a professional vibe without coming off like that guy who stops by the local Denny's every night because he's practically stalking a waitress there. Trust me, that scenario always ends in tears.
And lastly, I have to say, I've seen a lot of books at these things, but NICKELPLATE is honestly the comic book equivalent of SNAKES OF A PLANE. No one reading this will have a clue of what I'm talking about, but for three dollars it was unintentionally the most entertaining comic I've bought all year. Expect more on this comic later.
Final piece of advice: Just have fun with it, you bastards.
@ Not much new in this year’s Vertigo panel. Mainly a catch-up of projects announced or delayed from last year.
@ The one big announcement is that LOCAL and DMZ writer Brian Wood will be doing a Viking book called NORTHLANDERS.
@ Another new ongoing, SCALPED by Jason Aaron, is a crime drama set on a Native American reservation.
@ There’s a possible ongoing with The Ten, the Chinese supergroup Grant Morrison developed for 52. Not sure on that one, but if it’s true, it could turn out to be quite interesting.
@ Morrison is also trying to work Bat-Mite into his run on BATMAN.
@ Around issue #30 of 52, we get to see just what Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake did during their year off. Morrison is working on this section of the story.
@ Writer Geoff Johns revealed that former Batgirl Cassandra Cain will be joining Teen Titans East in an upcoming storyline.
@ Marv Wolfman and Dan Jurgens are going to be returning Dick Grayson to glory in NIGHTWING. The run has been extended from one arc to an as yet to be determined number of issues.
@ CONNOR HAWKE has a new miniseries coming up.
@ Howard Chaykin will be doing a GUY GARDNER miniseries.
@ Black Alice, the witchy teen from BIRDS OF PREY, will have her own one-shot in January.
@ Expect to see the return of Scott Free, Big Barda, Little Barda, the Suicide Squad, and Waverider in 52, but don’t expect to see comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt in those pages.
On Saturday, the ‘Holes split up and I found myself attending the premiere of ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2. I’m not a big fan of Marvel’s ULTIMATE Universe. I always found the concept to be pretty one note. Basically, the whole thing is Marvel heaping its top talent together to hip up stories that were told before for the kiddies. Name an Ultimate story and I’ll tell you where to find it in its original and, most of the time, more entertaining form. Sure there are details that these “creators” have added to the mix, but the basics are always there and the most notable stories and characters have all been done before. To me, it’s pointless. It’s a PSYCHO remake. It’s Christina Aguilera singing an Aretha Franklin song. It’s an America version of Japanese Horror. All the work has already been done, now it’s just put together in a prettier and hipper package. Thanks, but no thanks.
But a free movie is a free movie. Now, I haven’t read ULTIMATES since the first series and I don’t know how accurate it is to the comic (word around the con was that it wasn’t accurate at all). I know that the first ULTIMATES series had some pretty dark stuff with a rapist Hulk, an abusive Giant Man, an alcoholic Iron Man, and a brutal Captain America. These aren’t the best themes to transfer into a cartoon that (let’s face it) more than likely fall into the collective brain pans of children (the fact that there were a few sitting at the screening proves it). Watered down variations of these themes were present in ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2. Iron Man enjoys the sauce, but is never pictured as drunk. Cap is hardcore, but not as brutal as he is in the comic. Hulk’s not a rapist, but he does represent Banner’s repression. And Giant Man’s abusive tendencies have been minimalized to an inferiority complex. These are not the squeaky cleaners that tool around the “real” Marvel U. They’re somewhere in between that and the Ultimate U., which in the end makes it all the more frustrating that this is categorized as an ULTIMATE cartoon and not just a regular one.
The story is set mostly in Wakanda as the aliens that the Ultimates thought they took care of last time return. The Black Panther is introduced. The whole scenario where the heroes fight then team up is utilized for the millionth time. The best parts of this movie happen in the beginning and the end. The beginning does a nice job of introducing the threat and the main players. Nice action sequences and some pretty sharp lines help make the characters memorable and immediately clued me in to whose problems and conflicts are whose. The end resolves that threat effectively enough with some thrilling and heroic moments by the entire cast. The middle, though, is the cartoon equivalent of a snail riding a turtle.
The look of ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2 was surprisingly lacking in vitality. There were a few cool designs of Wakanda, but the aliens and their WAR OF THE WORLDS rip-off spaceships were less than enthralling or imaginative. I guess I’ve been spoiled with the amazing stylization from the BATMAN and even the JUSTICE LEAGUE cartoons. It’s too bad the people behind this film couldn’t have come up with a new animation style. Instead, we get cells that aren’t much better than past X-MEN or SPIDER-MAN & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS cartoons. In the end, I found myself disappointed that I wasted two hours of my con experience watching a cartoon movie that lacked originality, style, and substance. A few cool action scenes and a couple of cool lines does not a movie save.
To top it all off, comic book superstar Joyce DeWitt had nothing to do with the making of this film. And that’s too bad…because if she did, it would have been the tits.
@ Great news for all of you who have made the DARKNESS/PITT crossover announced four years ago “long-anticipated”: Dale Keown is almost done with the second issue! Not to worry, though—Top Cow promises not to solicit until it’s completed, so expect that book some time in 2011.
@ I admit I scoffed a little when I heard ONI was gonna put out a MY NAME IS EARL comic book—I’m not convinced turning TV shows into comics will work successfully. But then I heard about ONI’s other new title, and found myself rethinking things. STEPHEN COLBERT’S ALPHA SQUAD 7: LADY NOCTURNE: A TEK JANSEN ADVENTURE? Solar Plexus! Sounds like a great idea, and since Colbert is actually a huge comics,, fantasy and gaming geek I’m hoping this one turns out well.
@ Paul Dini has a new book coming in March from Top Cow called MADAME MIRAGE with art by newcomer Kenneth Rocafort.
