NEWS EDITION #11 - TRANSFORMERS SPLITS IN 2, IMAGE EXPANDS DIGITAL BOOKS, DC SELLS OUT ALL AND AVENGERS REASSEMBLE!!!

Ah. News this week. Yes. We are back in action. And there is much to tell this week. Enjoy.


TRANSFORMERS DEATH & REBORN . . .. INTO TWINS

   Top story this week is that Transformers is going through a lot of changes right now. Why? Cause at this moment, Transformers is dealing with two storylines under "Chaos." Recently started in issue 24 of IDW's ongoing series. The odd numbers will be telling the story called "Police Action", which was original titled "The Last Story on Earth" featuring Bumblebee, Prowl, Ultra Magnus & Spike Witwicky and it's first part started with Transformers #25. The even numbers has "Chaos" proper which features Optimus Prime, Rodimus and most of the other Autobots dealing with Galvatron's growing army. The storylines will reach it's opus and things will change.
   Originally, after Chaos, Transformers #125 was supposed to be the last Transformers issue of 2011. That is no longer the case as it, and the team of Simon Furman & Andrew Wildman is no longer going to be coming back. (Me: BOOO!) What is coming is surprising . . . and exciting for some as IDW announced the future of the Transformers franchise after Chaos.
  First, will be the Death of Optimus Prime one shot which will follow directly from the events of Chaos. Once the one shot is out, the Transformers title will be relaunched into 2 separate titles. The events of Chaos will set up the new series with Costa ending his run after Chaos.
John Barber, IDW editor stated this:

James is going to end up writing one of the ongoings. I'm going to be writing the other -- that was in place before I became editor.


   The Death of Optimus Prime one shot will be written by John Barber and James Roberts with art by Nick Roche. Following that, Barber and artist Andrew Griffith will work on the new ongoing Transformers: Robots in Disguise. On the flipside, Roberts and Roche will work on the other new ongoing, Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye. During both series, the non aligned Transformers will have to look at Cybertron and decide what side they are on. And the new era of Transformers is on the horizon in 2012 in IDW.


IMAGE COMICS SAME DAY DIGITAL EXPENSION

 Issued statement this past Monday by Image Comics announced that they will offer the majority of their line of books same day as print. The move will have Image Comics having most of their books on services such as ComiXology and Graphic.ly the same day as they come out. And while Image Comics have had  a few comics same to print, now they were going with the vast majority of their books. With the deals with both digital distributors, Image Comics will be available in multiple platforms, such as Androids, the NOOKcolor and Amazon Kindle

CEO of ComiXology,  David Steinberger commented on the move:

Image Comics was one of the first to publish a comic the same day digitally as print with Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, and that turned out great for all involved. With one of the most diverse selections, we are excited to power their digital initiatives as they publish more of their top comics digitally the same day as print.”

Here are the titles that will become digital:

 - Chew
 - The Infinite
 - Marksmen
 - The Last of the Greats
 - Severed
 - Moriarty
 - Pilot Season Books
 - SkullKickers
 - Red Guther
 - Red Spike
 - Vescell

Image Publisher, Eric Stephenson added:

For years, print comics have been dependent on a single distribution network, so it's interesting to be a position to utilize a variety of different digital platforms,” said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson in a press release. “As digital comics continue to become a greater concern, it's important to embrace as many different options as possible.”


The change is slated to take place this month.



AVENGERS NEW LINE UP REVEALED . . . IN TIME FOR THE RETURN OF THE DARK AVENGERS?! 

 Ah yes, some non X-related news. In the aftermath of fear itself, Captain America Steve Rogers decides to reshuffle the Avengers line up a bit. Brian Michael Bendis has hinted all summer that there would be a big roster change with the Avengers and it shall come to pass in this months Avengers #18. Captain America is hand picking this new roster. Feast your eyes the new Avengers line up:

Captain America : No brainer. After the events of Fear Itself and losing Bucky Barnes for a second time (and seemingly for good this time), Steve is back in the for front leading the Avengers directly and not through proxy with Maria Hill. Please note that Cap has been increasing his levels of badass steadily since Civil War. (No, I don't count his death and the good Captain was actually made enough to curse during Fear Itself #6.)

Iron Man: No brainer there. While Steve & Tony have not seen eye to eye on many things for a long time, they still respect each other and have been rebuilding their relationship since this Avengers volume started.

Hawkeye: Sporting a look that is more similar to his Ultimates counterpart, the archer is a main fixture to the team and is welcomed by most fans.

Protector: A carryover from the previous team, Noh-Varr has come a long way in his road to redemption. Yet, this is the same man that tortured some of the Runaways and Young Avengers during Civil War. How far has he really come. Especially with a certain new member on the team.

Wolverine: He's Wolverine. And him being an Avenger is VERY different from him being an X-Man and writers have made that very clear now. He's still pulling triple duty with the New Avengers & his X-Men team. So, this team gives him something else that in many ways gives him some kind of purification from all his bloody business with Uncanny X-Force. Whoops I guess his pulling Quadro-duty.

Spiderwoman: Also on the previous line up, she has recently seen much character development since Avengers 12.1 issue as well as just starting a romance with teammate Hawkeye. Is Jessica Drew the rebound woman or is this gonna be something else? Little remembered fact, when Hawkeye first split from Mockingbird . ..  he was dating ANOTHER Spiderwoman, the new Madame Web Julia Carpenter. Makes you wonder right? Still, Jessica has been coming to her own here and Avengers gives her a new dimension. It helps that she's got her best friend joining the team but we'll get to her in a minute.

Spiderman: Many have argued but Spiderman and Avengers (and the New Avengers) really fits Peter extremely well. It gives him new friends who actually get a better understanding of him (especially now with Spider-Island). Peter has stood out as a great member of the team. What will this new line up bring out of him with Peter working directly with Steve Rogers? Time will tell.

Ms. Marvel: Carol's been doing great in the New Avengers, with her other BFF, Jessica Jones-Cage. Now, she is being put on the A-team. Is she pulling double duty? Who knows but with her interactions with Jessica Drew (other best friend aforementioned) have been entertaining . . . even warning Spiderwoman of her attraction to Hawkeye might not be the best for her. Carol has stood with these heroes on several occasions and has done well with each of them. Welcome back Carol.

Vision: Being with the Young Avengers and with the brain patterns of Iron Lad (aka a young pre-evil Kang the Conqueror) has made this Vision a bit different from his predecessor. Plus, his recent relationship with Stature has seemingly fizzed . .. by the guy who's brain he copied no less. What a reversal of fortune. As Vision comes back, this is a very different character who doesn't really know these characters like he used to. How will he fit and what will he do alongside the Avengers when the eventual return of Kang happens . . . after the Ultron War that has been hinted since the first storyline in this volume.

Black Panther: T'Challa . . . oh T'Challa. He's been getting a lot of attention from Marvel consistently for over a decade now and fans are eating it up. He's been doing well since taking over the Man Without Fear, recently redubbed The Most Dangerous Man Alive. And his marriage to Storm has been given a lot of positive fanfare (even though they've barely been together for over a year now). The recent popularity of Avengers: The Earth's Mightiest Heroes has only increased the former monarch's visibility and favor among fan. A brilliant tactician and inventor in his own mind, T'Challa will give Peter and Tony a fresh perspective on their ideas.


Which is good cause they are together just in time to see Norman Osborn regroup H.A.M.M.E.R. to begin a dangerous assault on the Avengers and New Avengers. And Norman will be back with a new set of Dark Avengers. No clues as to who they are yet but Bendis has been this since the beginning of the new New Avengers volume. How will the Avengers (& New Avengers) handle this new threat? It started with New Avengers 16.1 and continues. Welcome back Avengers!!


DC SELLS OUT ALL 52 #1s

 Short but sweet, DC Comics has sold out of every single issue of their new 52 #1s that came out last month and ALL are getting 2nd Printings. Heck, Justice League # 1 is selling so well, it is getting 4 printings . . . 4 printings. The 2nd printing of Justice League #1 just come out last week and the other two will be out within this month. Now, let's see how their #2s sell as stores have ordered large amounts of the second issues of the new series. Plus, Huntress #1 and Shade, the Changing Man # 1 miniseries will be debuting this month as well with ads for DC Comics still over the tv, papers and internet. Good job DC. Let's see you keep it up.


 VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Coming to you this month from IDW:





Just in time for Halloween.


_____

**************** PLEASE READ ALL THE INFO FIRST!! *****************

J1 Studios (www.j1studios.com) invites you to our mini convention! 

AN-EX 3


Friday, October 7th, 2011


5:00pm - 8:30pm


At: Hawthorne Recreation Center


1200 Carpenter Street


Philadelphia, PA.

- Bleach Movie 4: Hell Chapter will be in the Video Room
(movie starts @ 6PM).

- Yugi-Oh and J1 Studios' VTF fighting card game testing in the Card Gaming Room.

- $5 Mortal Kombat (2011) Tournament!
(It will be Tag teams matches w/ single elimination (tournament starts @ 6PM).
0
- There will be a FEW other games will be there TOO (Don't cry).

- Cosplay contest for prizes!

- $1 Raffle for secret prize!

- Artist Tables

- Dealer Tables

If you want to order a VENDOR TABLE, email me at j.richardson@j1studios.com. There are ONLY 6 available!

ADMISSION IS $2.00

SPREAD THE WORD!!!!




 __

That's all for this week. See you next week with more news. Keep Clashing!