‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’: Opening Battle
In the future, Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Colossus, Bishop, and many more mutants face off against… well, watch and see.
Author: Glenn Hauman
Martha Thomases: Like A Virgin
I don’t like to brag, but over the weekend, I deflowered three virgins.
Oh, who am I kidding? I love to brag.
Lest you think my sex life is more interesting than it actually is, I mean the above statement metaphorically. As you know if your’e female, breaking in virgins isn’t really that entertaining. Instead, what I will now describe is how I took three friends to their first comic book convention.
Lucky for them, it was MoCCA.
Going to your first anything can be intimidating, even something as simple as a county fair or a school dance. Every event that has occurred more than once has a history. Often, there are traditions and customs with which you are unfamiliar. The way the media portrays comic book conventions, whether on Entourage or The Big Bang Theory or next year’s talk show wars, can be unnerving for newbies. Does one need to dress as a Stormtrooper? How do you know what you’re looking at?
At MoCCA, my friends didn’t have to figure it out. The tables were welcoming, with clear signage, lots of books on display, and friendly smiles by the creators (at least on Saturday, when I was there. The closest thing to cosplay was aggressive hipster-ism, which I noted primarily through the prominent number of heads adorned with hats.
Best of all, my friends didn’t require an undergraduate degree in graphic story-telling to be drawn to the books. Two of my friends are leftist political history junkies, and I soon lost track of them as they found book after book that intrigued them. My other friend, who shares my love of the obscure laugh, joined me in celebrating a new book from Shannon Wheeler and various other booths. There was one by a woman whom I think was named Stevie Wilson, who had a sign claiming her books were all about coffee, feminism and cats.
Everything I want in one place. I wish I could find her again. Stevie (if that is your name), please tell me how to buy your books.
I hope that, when my friends go home, they continue to be curious about graphic story-telling, and start to explore the kinds of books that appeal to them. I hope find more joy.
And next year, if they’re in New York at the right time, I hope they go to MoCCA with me again. Perhaps, for the occasion, we will all dress up like John Lewis.
Photo by KLGreenNYC 
Mix March Madness 2014 Championship: Paranatural vs. Grrl Power!
You’ve followed the contest for a month, and now… the grand finale!
Into the Final Mix March Madness 2014 Webcomics Tournament Thunderdome… it’s Paranatural vs. Grrl Power!
(To see the previous brackets, go back to Round 4.)
[socialpoll id=”2196107″]
As usual, we’re letting you support your favorite strips by paying for additional votes, with your money going to charity. Simply click on the Donate button below, and during checkout, click on “Which comic are you donating for?” and tell us who you’re voting for. For the final round, we’re raising the price a bit to 50¢ a vote, with a minimum of two votes purchased at a time. All proceeds from paid votes will go to the Hero Initiative, an organization that helps comic book creators in need. At the close of the round, we’ll add the paid votes to the totals and announce the winners who move on to the brackets. (And yes, your donations to Hero are tax deductible.)
So far, we’ve raised over $538 for creators in need, let’s see how far we can go!
Voting ends at midnight Eastern Time on Friday night! Good luck to everyone!
Death With Archie? Archie Andrews Dies In July
Archie Comics announced the unthinkable today: Legendary comic book character Archie Andrews will die to conclude the hit LIFE WITH ARCHIE comic series.
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- Walt Simonson
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- Tommy Lee Edwards
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- Jill Thompson
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- Cliff Chiang
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- Alex Ross
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- Ramon Perez
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- Mike Allred
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- Francesco Francavilla
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- Fiona Staples
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- Adam Hughes
The iconic comic book character, beloved by millions around the globe for over 70 years, will sacrifice himself heroically while saving the life of a friend in the pages of July’s LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, the final issue in the flash-forward series, which spotlights Archie’s adventures after high school and college.
“We’ve been building up to this moment since we launched LIFE WITH ARCHIE five years ago, and knew that any book that was telling the story of Archie’s life as an adult had to also show his final moment,” said Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “Archie has and always will represent the best in all of us—he’s a hero, good-hearted, humble and inherently honorable. This story is going to inspire a wide range of reactions because we all feel so close to Archie. Fans will laugh, cry, jump off the edge of their seats and hopefully understand why this comic will go down as one of the most important moments in Archie’s entire history. It’s the biggest story we’ve ever done, and we’re supremely proud of it.”
The story will be available in multiple formats, including an extra-large magazine-size LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, two comic-sized issues—LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 and #37—and a trade paperback collecting the entire story, written by regular LIFE WITH ARCHIE writer Paul Kupperberg, with art by Pat & Tim Kennedy and Fernando Ruiz.
While LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 shows readers Archie’s final moments, #37 leaps a year into the future, showcasing how the remaining members of the Riverdale gang—including Jughead, Betty & Veronica and Reggie—have honored the legacy of their dear friend. Both stories will be collected in the double-sized LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36 magazine and upcoming trade paperback.
In addition to the acclaimed regular LIFE WITH ARCHIE creative team, the two comic book issues—sold exclusively at comic shops in July—will feature a pantheon of artistic luminaries contributing covers to the historic issue, including Francesco Francavilla, Fiona Staples, Ramon Perez, Walt Simonson, Jill Thompson, Mike Allred, Cliff Chiang, Adam Hughes, Tommy Lee Edwards and Alex Ross.
No word yet as to whether Archie will be coming back in six months as a cyborg, an alien, a black man in a suit of armor, or a teenag– never mind.
How Will Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Change After Captain America 2?
If you were part of the audiences that drove Captain America: The Winter Soldier to a record breaking opening weekend, you’re probably asking how is this going to affect Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Marvel has provided us with more teasers…
Nothing will ever be the same for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the jaw dropping events of the blockbuster film Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, now in theaters! In the series’ latest episode “Turn, Turn, Turn,” airing Tuesday, April 8th at 8|7c on the ABC Network, Coulson and his team come face–to-face with the Clairvoyant and must deal with the greatest threat of all…one that will hit closer to home more than they’ve ever imagined.
Watch this all-new video today and go behind the scenes to learn how Captain America: The Winter Soldier will change the course of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons.
Final Four of Mix March Madness 2014 Webcomics Tournament! Vote now!
UPDATE 4/9: Round 6 has ended. Vote in the championship now!
UPDATE 4/5: After conversing with some of the contestants, we decided to extend voting til Tuesday, to give a fairer chance rather than run the thing on a quiet weekend. So you may still have time! Tell your friends!
It’s getting down to the wire! Round 5 is over, and we’ve raised another $42 for the Hero Initiative. Now we’re down to the Final Four! This round Mix March Madness 2014 Webcomics Tournament starts now, and lasts until Tuesday!
We’re down from over 300 nominees to four final contenders— Ava’s Demon, Paranatural, Grrl Power, and Monsterkind! Congratulations to the division winners! And now… the brackets.
[iframe_loader width=”474″ height=”550″ frameborder = “0” scrolling=’auto’ src=”http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?edit=1&tid=452430&tclass=”]
(To see the previous brackets, go back to Round 4.)
[socialpoll id=”2195427″]
As usual, we’re letting you support your favorite strips by paying for additional votes, with your money going to charity. Simply click on the Donate button below, and during checkout, click on “Which comic are you donating for?” and tell us who you’re voting for. We’re getting down to the wire, so we’re raising the price a bit to 25¢ a vote, with a minimum of four votes purchased at a time, split any way you want. All proceeds from paid votes will go to the Hero Initiative, an organization that helps comic book creators in need. At the close of the round, we’ll add the paid votes to the totals and announce the winners who move on to the brackets. (And yes, your donations to Hero are tax deductible.)
Again, voting ends at midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday night! Good luck to everyone!
Who Shot The Watcher? Take an Advanced Look at ORIGINAL SIN #1!
Today, Marvel presents a fuller look at beautifully rendered interior pages from ORIGINAL SIN #1 – the 8-part blockbuster event from writer Jason Aaron and artist Mike Deodato.
On the moon, the dead body of Uatu, The Watcher is discovered. His home destroyed. Looted of its valuable alien technology. His death sends shockwaves through the superhero community. The Watcher has borne witness to every event, every skeleton and every secret history of the Marvel Universe. Secrets that are now in the possession of the killer.
The manhunt is on as the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and everyone in between desperately search for the Watcher’s killer – but with the killer in possession of all the skeletons in their closets, are they ready for their sins to be revealed?
As they unearth the motive behind The Watcher’s murder, they’ll uncover a shocking truth that will shake the Marvel Universe to its core. What did The Watcher see that made him a target? And it’s only a matter of time before more bodies start popping up…
ComicMix Quick Picks: April 2, 2014
A Wednesday Window Closing Wrap-Up™ for y’all. Here we go:
- So, what did we miss yesterday in Internet April Fool wackiness? Bleeding Cool has a roundup.
- How does Seth Meyers really spend his late nights? Reading comics on Comixology, apparently.
- Coming soon to BBC America: The Real History of Science Fiction. I’ll believe it when I see it.
- Speaking of science fiction history, The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy text adventure game from Infocom has found its way online. You still have: no tea. But don’t panic.
- With con season starting up again, Allison Types has compiled a list of Comic Book Industry Pro Tips. Recommended.
- If you’re a parent, here are 8 Reasons To Let Your Kids Read Comics. Take that, Dr. Wertham!
- Mystery novelists are now doing crossovers. Just wait till Nick Fury shows up at the end to recruit them.
- And finally, Lorenzo Semple Jr., creator of the 60′s Batman TV series and writer of such films as Never Say Never Again, King Kong (1976), Papillion, Three Days of the Condor, and The Parallax View, passed away in his home in Los Angeles Friday of natural causes, a day after turning 91. Without him, Batman may not have even had a 30th anniversary and here we are now at 75 and counting. The New York Times has his obituary. Our condolences to his family and friends.
Anything else? Consider this an open thread.
(Poster art by Tom Whalen)
