“Midnight Marauders” is not just the title A Tribe Called Quest’s dopest album. It’s also the title of LeSean’s upcoming art book, Midnight Marauder volume 2. Here’s the info straight from the publisher’s site:

“Artist LeSean Thomas ( Co-Director/Supervising Character Designer of Peabody Award Winning “The Boondocks” Animated Series / Cartoon Network’s Ben10: Alien Force animated series) returns with his highly anticipated MIDNIGHT MARAUDER: THE ART OF LESEAN THOMAS VOLUME 2, a second collection of illustrations, conceptual designs and tutorial anecdotes. Featuring visual ranges from American animation and anime-influenced stylings to edgy, urban-driven aesthetics, it’s a visual tour de force of unique and dynamic work from one of today’s top American contemporary character artists.”

He sent over a preview for us to check out and I can verify that it looks great. We’ve got four pages and the cover linked below. Check those out, and then go to his site and order it. If you can’t wait until July, hop over to his DeviantArt page and check that out, too. He’s got storyboards, Boondocks art, and a ton of sketches.

Look for more with LeSean on PCS soon.

Also: Pulse columnist Luke Foster examines the UK comic series Sinister Dexter.

IDW’s doing a Doctor Who comic based on the current series starring David Tennant, which means we’ll get Freema Agyeman’s Martha character too.

Axel Alonso talks Astonsihing X-Men.

Vertigo will publish a new Unknown Soldier mini-series, this one set in Uganda.

CBR reports that Cyborg will lead an east coast branch of the Teen Titans in a one-shot that could lead to an ongoing. (Note: Writer Judd Winick, in the Newsarama interview at the link, does not confirm the Titans East lineup.)

A report on The Antidote Trust panel.

Terrence Howard and other cast and crew members of Iron Man give audio interviews.

Another report on the Boondocks Season 2 panel.

Rosario Dawson video interview.

From the DC Countdown panel: DC executive editor Dan Didio, when asked to what extent Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad are involved in the mega-series, said that “The Suicide Squad are key players in the DCU.” Also, Countdown will address Firestorm’s time on Apokolips.

Vertigo had a panel about the upcoming series of comics based on the classic sci-fi novel I Am Legend, to coincide with the forthcoming Will Smith film. Producer Jada Pinkett Smith is providing support on the project (along with producer Akiva Goldsman).

From the DC/Brave New World panel: Dwayne McDuffie on his run on JLofA: “I don’t wanna give away roster stuff, because you buy it to find out who’s on the team, and if I tell you won’t buy it … and they’ll fire me. We’re doing the Injustice League, and there are gonna be a couple of additions.”

From the J. Michael Straczynski panel, via CBR: “A Supreme Power fan asked JMS why Blur is the only sane, halfway normal character in the comic. JMS said he ‘just is’ as he wanted an African American character that wasn’t a cliché or stereotype, simply a good man trying to do his best.”

From the X-Men panel: Axel Alonso on Bishop: “I love Bishop. He’s huge for me. If you’re a Bishop fan, this is a good time.”

From the Christos Gage panel, via Newsarama: “When asked about the future of Stormwatch PHD, both Gage and moderator, Wildstorm Editor Ben Abernathy dodged the specifically saying that the series will continue for the foreseeable future, with Gage saying that he would be writing at Wildstorm in the future, and Abernathy adding that there has long been a Stormwatch presence in the Wildstorm Universe, and that will continue. ‘But nothing should be read into that,’ Abernathy concluded.”

From the Archaia panel, via their press release as posted on Pulse: “From writer Brandon Thomas (Fantastic Four Tales, Spider-Man Unlimited, Robin (forthcoming)) and artist Lee Ferguson (Marvel Comics’ Heroes 9/11) comes THE MANY ADVENTURES OF MIRANDA MERCURY. She’s the greatest adventurer in this, or any other galaxy, the kind of old-fashioned, classic science-fiction heroine that can successfully defeat The Time Raiders of Xaxium, brave the wonders of The Glass Planet, survive The Perils of Yor, and battle The Infinity Class to a veritable standstill! All while facing the one enemy that perhaps even she cannot defeat, a microscopic poison rushing through her veins, courtesy of her greatest adversary, Cyrus Vega. With only one year left to live, Miranda Mercury will have her morality tested and values shaken to see her life’s mission completed. Release date: Feb 2008. All-ages.”

And finally, Tom Spurgeon gives Yours Truly a shout-out.

Other items from this weekend:
Dawud Anyabwile was in the audience at the Black Panel. Here’s an interview with him from this past spring.

John Singleton may end up directing Black Panther before Luke Cage.

Look for my interviews from San Diego in the coming weeks.

The video interview that includes confirmation of this news will be posted here soon, so stay tuned.

“It was obvious that Aaron would not be able to meet his original six-month target of returning ‘The Boondocks’ to newspapers,” stated Universal President, Lee Salem. “His Sunday strips needed to be in by mid-September to meet newspapers’ deadlines of publishing ‘The Boondocks’ by the end of October. We had to consider the newspapers currently running ‘The Boondocks’ reruns and expecting its return. It was unfair to keep them guessing any longer.” Salem further stated that there are no plans to bump up the release of the Nate Creekmore comic strip, Maintaining, which is still scheduled for a January 2007 release.