Berkeley, CA – 6 January 2011 – The future is now as Eisner and Harvey award-winnerJoe Keatinge and ELEPHANTMEN’s Andre Szymanowicz debut the last generation of superheroes in the new ongoing series HELL YEAH.
Twenty years ago, the world was rocked by the emergence of real-life superheroes. Sports and entertainment industries collapsed overnight as people run across the planet and punch through walls changed the word forever. A new global culture formed around these bigger-than-life beings and now the generation raised in its wake must fight to find a place in this brave new world! By pairing the energy and excitement of the original Image superheroes with modern, innovative storytelling, Keatinge and Szymanowicz have crafted a modern superhero epic that could only begin on Image’s 20th anniversary.
“HELL YEAH exists because Image Comics exists,” explained Keatinge. “I read superhero comics my whole life, but when Image Comics debuted, it made me realize all the rules and restrictions I saw in other superhero comics didn’t have to exist. Anything could happen. You could kill lead characters in first issues. Obliterate long-standing villains in a page turn. They could be in different tone than what’s normally presented by the diversity shown in anything from YOUNGBLOOD to CASUAL HEROES. They didn’t have to be noble, they didn’t have to maintain the same status quo. It was turned into a genre where the term ‘impossible’ didn’t exist. Due to all this my imagination went into over drive and after twenty years of percolating in my brain, HELL YEAH was born.”
“I’ve been having a ball drawing HELL YEAH and watching how these characters develop, and at the same time its just a great blend of mainstream and indie comics coming together,” added Szymanowicz. “On one hand they are just like how I was at this age: aimless, going to rock shows and trying to find someone to date. Then there’s the side of it where they are in this superhero world and can sorta kick somebody’s ass (or get their own handed to them) from time to time.”
HELL YEAH begins with Ben Day, a college student who finds out versions of himself are being murdered throughout the Multiverse. He must determine where his life diverged from his other selves and just why these crimes have taken the interest of even the world’s greatest super-celebrities. Keatinge and Szmanowicz build a sweeping world with a massive cast of characters, a world that threatens to destroy Ben’s very existence.
“Nothing excites me more than raw, undiluted creativity, and HELL YEAH delivers that in spades,” said Image Publisher Eric Stephenson. “Joe and Andre are dragging superheroes kicking, screaming and spitting blood into a brave new world where the impossible is possible, nothing is sacred and no one is safe. HELL YEAH, indeed.”
Berkeley, CA – 4 January 2011 – The New Year brings a slew of fresh starts and Witchblade bearer, Sara Pezzini, is no exception. Pezzini will start 2012 in Chicago with a new job and brand new life, thanks to the fresh ongoing creative team of Tim Seeley (HACK/SLASH) and Diego Bernard (The Man With No Name).
Sara Pezzini has always been a born and bred New York City detective, in addition to wielding the ancient Artifacts, the Witchblade. That all changes with WITCHBLADE #151, the first issue by Seeley and Bernard, which finds Pezzini living outside of the Big Apple for the first time in the series history and working as a private detective. The mystery of how and why Sara is in Chicago, as well as what else has changed about her situation, will drive the story and reader interest for the coming year. This issue kicks off the 5-part story arc, entitled “Unbalanced Pieces,” in which Sara must find a way to balance her new role in the Windy City.
“WITCHBLADE is a dream project or me: A great character, an epic art and editorial team, and an important legacy in the history of comic books!” said Seeley. “Top Cow is giving me an awesome opportunity to reintroduce Sara Pezzini to new fans, old readers, and to a whole new setting!”
WITCHBLADE #151 is the first issue in Top Cow’s REBIRTH, an initiative spinning out of the end of the ARTIFACTS event, which concludes in ARTIFACTS #13. REBIRTH will provide ground-level entry points for each of Top Cow’s Universe titles – WITCHBLADE, THE DARKNESS, and ARTIFACTS – and ushers in a bold new age of story-telling to coincide with Top Cow’s 20th Anniversary. In addition to containing the full first story by Seeley and Bernard, the issue will include a five page bridging sequence by Ron Marz (MAGDALENA) and John Tyler Christopher (ARTIFACTS) and an ongoing prose story backup feature by Seeley.
If you were on the fence about the upcoming Dante’s Inferno, the good folks at Electronic Arts and Visceral Games have just dropped the playable demo onto the hungry masses. You won’t be able to play the full game until February 9, 2010, but we’ve given the game the Quarter Up! so you can decide whether it’s worth spending the hours downloading the massive demo or not.
For Xbox 360 players, Dante’s Inferno is being called the God of War alternative for good reason. See if Dante’s hellish adventure will satiate your desire for demon slaying and gratuitous nudity. Can this holy warrior give the God-slaying Kratos a run for his money?
You might be surprised. We certainly were. Quarter Up!
Tiny French Developer Arkedo Games brings JUMP! to the Xbox Live Arcade. If extremely polished platform games are up your bag, Arkedo’s retro throwback might be worth your 240 MSP…which is basically 3 bucks. Having reservations on the your next impulse buy? Come sit down and watch as we play through the game for our first time in our video Play Peek.
 
Playboy has always been a supporter of comics with a mature sensibility and visionary content, especially DC/Vertigo Comics. They’ve published articles in the past about Arkham Asylum, and Harvey Pekar’s The Quitter. This week on their Playboy.com site, they preview the first two graphic novels that will launch the Vertigo Crime imprint: Filthy Rich by Brian Azzarello and Victor Santos and Dark Entries, a Hellblazer story by Ian Rankin and Werther Dell’Edera. Art for both graphic novels will be in black, white, and gray with covers done by Lee Bermejo (Joker).
Check both of them out: here
And if that wasn’t cool enough (which it should be) Playboy is also showing a 6-page interpretation of a scene in Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Inglorious Basterds with art by the wonderful R.M. Guera who is also the artist for Vertigo’s Scalped series created by Jason Aaron. Let’s just say it’s bloody good. Read the comic: here
Big props for Playboy, who has always had good writing in their magazine, realizing a potential crossover in readership with Vertigo Comics. We only get a taste of what will surely be some of our favorite reads this year, but it’s enough to quell the hunger–for now.
The following preview pages appeared in New Avengers #55.
“SHOCK AND AWE,” PART 1 Moon Knight is back in the Big Apple and looking to pick a fight with the man who chased him out of town in the first place: Norman Osborn. Freed of his demons and armed with an arsenal of incredible new weapons, Moon Knight is finally the hero he always aspired to be – taking out criminals with massive flair and throwing down the gauntlet to his old nemesis. Is Osborn ready for Round Two? Parental Advisory …$3.99
Click on the right side of the image to view next page (or left for previous).
Written by Bill Willingham; Art by Jim Fern and Craig T. Hamilton; Cover by Joao Ruas
Meet Dunster Happ, the most important Fable you never knew. If our friends in exile at The Farm knew even a fragment of what humble Dunster knew, they’d be in a lot less trouble right now. Mr. Happ’s just one of a cast of thousands in this issue where we explore Mister Dark’s past and how he ended up in that magical box in that faraway fortress so that two hard-luck mercenaries could come along one day and set him free. Featuring the guest art team of Jim Fern (CROSSING MIDNIGHT) and Craig T. Hamilton.
* Vertigo
* 32pg.
* Color
* $2.99 US
* Mature Readers
On Sale July 15, 2009
     
DC has posted a mini-preview of Scalped #30 on the Vertigo blog:
Written by Jason Aaron; Art by R.M. Guéra; Cover by Jock
It’s the start of a pivotal new arc! In part 1 of “The Gnawing,” the already strung-out and paranoid Dash Bad Horse feels the noose tighten around his neck even more as Chief Red Crow begins to search for the undercover FBI agent in his midst. Meanwhile, the death of another character sets the reservation on the road to all-out war.
Thanks to AICN for the heads up!
After being tied up for what seemed like a millennium in legal shenanigans, Fist of the North Star: The Movie finally returns to DVD! Brought to you by Discotek Media, the Fist re-release includes the classic Streamline English dub track, but lacks the alternate Japanese ending (bummer). That notwithstanding, Fist of the North Star is a must buy for any classic anime heads or new anime lovers with a bit of taste.
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COMICS FOR FREE COMIC BOOK DAY MAY 2:
