Comics News: IDW and Tom Beland Unleash Chicacabra

IDW and Tom Beland Unleash Chicacabra

Chupacabras, Vejigantes, Fistfights, and Weed!
 

San Diego, CA (March 26, 2014) – Tom Beland, best known for his multiple Eisner-nominated seriesTrue Story, Swear to God, brings his unique storytelling to IDW this June in an all-new graphic novel series, Chicacabra.
 
Chicacabra is a story infused with the humanity for which Tom’s work is so rightly acclaimed, but this time, Tom has written and illustrated an all-new cast of very human characters in a more supernatural setting.
 
“Tom Beland’s work is the perfect mix of comic-book storytelling with expressive art, interesting characters, and a resonant, emotional core,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer-Editor-in-Chief, “and I couldn’t be happier to see him apply those skills in this new way on Chicacabra. Tom’s books have always been the kind of thing you want to hand someone, whether they’re new to comics or a veteran reader who thinks they’ve seen it all. There’s something for everyone in his work, and never more so than with Chicacabra, which pushes into the supernatural while still staying a fundamentally grounded, human tale.”
 
In Chicacabra, you would think being a young woman in high school would come with more than enough drama, but for Isabel Sanchez that is a mere drop in the bucket of her life. On the outside, Isabel looks and acts like your average Puerto Rican girl but after a family tragedy and then a mysterious incident she finds herself with a monster capable of great brutality living inside her. But is it her friend or foe?
 
Isabel will have to learn to life with a killing machine inside her and navigate high school in this first in a series of planned Chicacabra graphic novels. And heads will roll, to say the least!
 
"I think people will relate to Isabel. I think we all have a chupacabra in us in some way. There's fear, doubt, many things that you hold deep inside of yourself,” said Tom Beland, “This is about two souls working together in a relationship that could be damaging as well as healing. I love making it. To a degree it was as emotional as making TSSTG."
 
Chicacabra will be available in a regular edition and a special version with an alternate cover only available at the Puerto Rico Comic-Con, May 24-25 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center.
 
Chicacabra, a 200-page, black & white, $17.99 trade paperback, debuts in June 2014. Diamond Order Code APR140447, ISBN 978-1-63140-011-7

Comics News: The Dreamer Vol 3 Digital Collection to Hit in April

The Dreamer Vol 3: The Battle of Harlem Heights hits stores March 19th, 2014

Digital collection of The Dreamer catches up with print releases in April

(Columbus, OH-March 18, 2014) IDW announced today that the next release in the graphic novel series “The Dreamer” will hit stores March 19th, 2014. The Dreamer Vol 3: The Battle of Harlem Heights (ISBN 9781613778869) is the third and final book in the story arc The Consequence of Nathan Hale and will be available in comic book stores as well as book trade venues. The Dreamer has been nominated for numerous Harvey Awards and is a fan favorite among comic book and mainstream readers alike. The digital versions of all three books in the series will be available in the IDW and Comixology apps as well as iBooks, Kindle, Nook April 16th, 2014.  

Early reviews of The Dreamer Volume 3:

“The cliffhanger—involving Beatrice’s increasing distance from her friends and family as they worry about her health, mental confusion, and seemingly poor choices—is a nail-biter. “-Publishers Weekly

“The amount of emotion in this volume was palpable from the moment it began and Innes sucks readers in with it and its multi-layered story. Innes mixes history so well with her story that you would almost feel that it was fact. Kudos to her writing skill.”-Herotaku.com

“5 out of 5 stars.” -Jazmaonline.com

Book 4 in the series is planned for 2016.

About The Dreamer Volume 3:

Bea Whaley's vivid dreams about the American Revolution continue in this all-new graphic novel! In the 21st Century Bea's friends and family begin to suspect that something is wrong, but Bea knows she cannot tell them about her dreams. As tensions rise, she struggles to return to the 18th century, where her friends' lives are threatened by the ever growing war - and this time, she just might be too late to save them.

Visit www.thedreamercomic.com for more information.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dreamer-Comic/146005828774488

Follow Creator Lora Innes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoraInnes

1st Impression: THE DREAMER (Vol 3.): The Battle of Harlem Heights

THE DREAMER (Vol 3.)
Written by Lora Innes
Art by Lora Innes & Julie Wright
IDW Publishing

FLIPPING THROUGH:

                We open to Alan, seemingly in his death bed, writes to Beatrice. As the letter goes on, we see the American Revolution take full hold. Meanwhile, Beatrice’s lives in both the American Revolution and in her real life. Beatrice gets “betrayed” by friends in the real world while her life in the American Revolution goes from bad to worse as she decides to help spy for the Colonists, much to the Warren’s dismay.  As her actions in the real world ended up affecting her in the Revolution, Beatrice is finding her self backed into a corner.

ART:

                Innes does a beautiful job giving us the American Revolution. She has a great sense of proportion and does a good job giving us some strong, classic panel work. Innes captures emotion very well while also providing some striking backgrounds.  Innes does well with angles with Wright giving some very vivid colors with great shading.  One of the best things that Innes does is that she is not afraid to give us the horrors of war without being too gory. Visually, Innes and Wright go all in with great angles, striking backgrounds and strong emotion that it captivates readers. Really great job.

WRITING:

                Innes writes a very passionate and emotional volume, full of intrigue and personal development. Our heroine might be going too far as we see Beatrice’s “fall” in the real world in order to help do her best for the Warrens in the American Revolution. Innes makes sure from the beginning of the trade to the end, there is nothing but a good amount of impact for each chapter.  There is solid dialogue that reflects both eras that really help bring readers in.

                The pacing of the third graphic novel was really good. Each chapter, Innes continues to build and build upon the events of before and raising the stakes in a very natural way. Everything escalates at a near perfect pace. While we got great characterizations from Beatrice, Alan and Joseph, this book gets some strong characterizations from Beatrice’s friends and family. The amount of emotion in this volume was palpable from the moment it began and Innes sucks readers in with it and its multi-layered story.  Innes mixes history so well with her story that you would almost feel that it was fact.  Kudos to her writing skill.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                Innes and Wright deliver a heart-felt, powerful story full of good visuals, strong emotion and wonderful story. The book reads well and it definitely took me by surprise. A great job by Innes and Wright.

RATING:
                I give The Dreamer Vol 3.  a solid 8.5 out of 10.

Comics News: THE DREAMER Returns This March From IDW

The Dreamer Volume 3 coming March 2014

     IDW announced  that the next release in the graphic novel series “The Dreamer” will hit stores in March 2014. The Dreamer Volume 3: The Battle of Harlem Heights(ISBN 9781613778869) is the third and final book in the story arc The Consequence of Nathan Hale and will be available in comic book stores as well as book trade venues. The Dreamer has been nominated for numerous Harvey Awards and is a fan favorite among comic book and mainstream readers alike. Print versions of books 1 and 2 are still available in both print and digital formats.

Innes explains “You don't need to be a history buff or comic book fan to love my book, The Dreamer. The reason the book resonates with readers is it's filled with romance, action and adventure that anyone can relate to. The fact that much of this actually happened is only backdrop to the story, but it makes it much richer.”

What others have said about The Dreamer:

“There is not a single misstep in the entire book. To say I’m hooked is a huge understatement. I’m buying this volume, the previous volume and will preorder the next volume.”  —FirstComicNews.com

“That this beautiful work is paired to a pitch-perfect story at once epic and intimate, both serious and playful, that straddles a teenage present and our nation’s most dramatic past is a testament to a creativity that knows no bounds.” —Michael Frost Beckner, producer of Spy Games

“The best books in life are the one you’re surprised by — the ones where you see the cover and think, “Huh. This looks cool.”…and then you don’t come up for air until you’ve read all the way through to the end. That’s what happened with Lora Innes’s The Dreamer.” —Fantasy Magazine

Book 4 in the series is planned for 2016.

About The Dreamer Volume 3:

Bea Whaley's vivid dreams about the American Revolution continue in this all-new graphic novel! In the 21st Century Bea's friends and family begin to suspect that something is wrong, but Bea knows she cannot tell them about her dreams. As tensions rise, she struggles to return to the 18th century, where her friends' lives are threatened by the ever growing war - and this time, she just might be too late to save them.

Visit www.thedreamercomic.com for more information.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dreamer-Comic/146005828774488

Follow Creator Lora Innes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoraInnes

Comic News: 9/11 Release of Obama “The Other Dead” #1 Cover Held Up By Customs

Fans and Media Watching Closely As This Story Unfolds

LOS ANGELES, CA--September 9, 2013—The Other Dead (IDW Publishing) comic’s creative team just received word that their book, slated to release on 9/11, is being held up in Customs “to spray for moths.” The timing is conspiracy theory-level suspicious, given the fact that the book’s one-in-10 variant cover by Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning artist Dave Dorman portrays President Obama wielding guns, just as the President is currently considering military action against Syria. “At first I thought Customs said they were spraying for Mothra, which was ironic since the books were being held up in Asia, and this is a sci-fi horror comic about deadly creatures,” quipped Dorman. “But the timing of this delay is suspect.”

Creators Joshua Ortega (Gears of War), Digger T. Mesch (Art Asylum, Mini Mates), Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heavy Metal) and IDW Publishing are left to wonder when the book will hit retail shelves.  The Other Dead is the first in the zombie genre to tell the tale of a zombie plague hitting the animal world, and the unexpected effect this has on the world.

                                                

The Other Dead creative team is continuing to monitor the situation and will update the media as they learn of the retail fate of The Other DeadIssue #1. For breaking news, please “Like” Facebook.com/TheOtherDead.

Early Praise for The Other Dead:

“How has this brilliant premise not been done yet? Just when we’re inundated with 'zombie this, zombie that,' Ortega, Digger, and Eastman come along with a rip-roaring adventure that provides the most unique spin on the zombie apocalypse in years.” 

--Cliff Bleszinski, Creator, Gears of War

"Gleefully gory and subversive with snark–the only problem with this book is that I didn't come up with the idea first!"

--Hugh Sterbakov, Emmy-nominated writer of Robot Chicken, Freshmen, and City Under the Moon

“The Other Dead finds space to be itself in a genre where most practitioners stick to the tried and true. Original and genuinely scary.”

-Mike Carey, Eisner Award-winning writer of Unwritten, Lucifer, and X-Men

Comics News: The Maxx Returns in IDW

Announced today at SDCC 2013, Sam Kieth and IDW Publishing will reprinted MONTHLY in a new, remastered version of the cult classic comic (and for a short time, an MTV animated show) The Maxx. The Remastered version will feature recolored pages and brand new, painted covers by Kieth each and every issue. Kieth also said that he is rescanning each panel, touching up artwork and will be recolored. Kieth even said that plenty of unused scenes, panels & art will all be added in to this new, remastered version of The Maxx. 

  Kieth stated that the reason why he's putting this out monthly is because it has been a significant amount of time since The Maxx was originally out and will allow readers to ease themselves back in. That being said, when questioned about doing BRAND NEW The Maxx series, Kieth firmly responded that that will not happen. 

Here is a quote from CBR's interview with Kieth:

I said all I had to say in the first run, unless I get hit by a brick tomorrow and suddenly want to draw new "Maxx" crap, decide to screw it up with a sequel. You can't go home. Why ruin it? Let it be what it is.
The Maxx # 1 (Remastered) will be hitting stores early 2014.

Comic News: IDW Goes All Out on SDCC 2013 Con Exclusives

San Diego, CA (July 2, 2013) - IDW Publishing is renowned for having great exclusives at San Diego Comic-Con International every year, but 2013 finds them taking it to the next level. See below for a complete list of SDCC exclusives, which promise to be the most sought after of the show!

Some of the items will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store beginning today, July 2nd. Fans that preorder will be able to pick up their books from the IDW booth (These items will be noted below with an *asterisk).

IDW's web store can be found here: IDW Con Exclusives

A limited edition product not available anywhere else, theARTIST'S EDITION: BEST OF EC COVERS PORTFOLIO will be on hand. Featuring eight amazing prints of class EC covers by such luminaries as Frank Frazetta, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman and more, this edition will be limited to 250 copies and priced at $50. It will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, and there is a limit of 3 to a customer.

Speaking of EC and Artist's Editions, an exclusive edition of the BEST OF EC ARTIST'S EDITION will be premiered at Comic-Con as well! Signed by the legendary Al Feldstein, numbered, and limited to 250 copies, this edition will feature a variant cover and be priced at $200. This title will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, and there is a limit of 3 to a customer.

That's not the only big Al Feldstein news at this show. Also debuting is, FELSTEIN: MAD LIFE & FANTASTIC ART.  IDW is celebrating the release of this beautiful book with a deluxe, slip-cased version, complete with hand sketches and signatures from Feldstein himself! It will be limited to 100 copies, and be priced at $150, will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, and there is a limit of 3 to a customer. This book is literally at the printer as this is being written, and will be dashed to the show for a last-minute release!

AND, there's another exclusive EC Artist's Edition this year! ARTIST'S EDITION: JACK DAVIS EC STORIES SIGNED & LIMITED is signed by Jack Davis himself and has a variant cover by the incomparable artist. This edition will be limited to 250 copies and priced at $200. It will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, and there is a limit of 3 to a customer.

A special convention exclusive edition of MARK SCHULTZ'S XENOZOIC TALES: ARTIST'S EDITION will also be available, featuring a variant cover by Mark Schultz! This edition is limited to just 250 copies, priced at $200, will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, and there is a limit of 3 to a customer.

For My Little Pony fans, IDW has a special surprise! An exclusive glitter variant cover of MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #9. But, here's the trick: it contains 8 pages of material that isn't in the regular edition, featuring the Equestrian Girls! Fans worldwide will be clamoring to get a copy of this, and the ONLY place to read this story is in this exclusive, and the ONLY place to get it is the IDW booth at SDCC! This item is limited to 1,000 copies, with a limit of 5 to a customer. **Note - Watch for the Diamond Comics variant, available to Comics Retailers at SDCC.

Another My Little Pony treat is the MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC VARIANT EDITION HC. This is the only way to get this material in a hardcover format! With a variant cover by fan-favorite J. Scott Campbell, this edition is limited to 500 copies, priced at $25, with a limit of 3 to a customer, and only available at the IDW booth.

Our good friends at Skelton Crew Studio have done it again, producing not one, but two newLocke & Key high-quality pewter key replicas! 100 copies of the LOCKE & KEY: SHADOW KEYand 100 copies of the LOCKE & KEY: MUSIC BOX KEY will be available for $25 each, only at IDW's booth, with a limit of 3 to a customer.

But wait, there's more!

• THE HOLLOWS VARIANT EDITION HC - Variant cover by Sam Kieth, limited to 200, priced at $25, only available at the IDW booth, limit of 3 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by Chris Ryall and Sam Kieth!
• WORLDS OF SAM KIETH VARIANT EDITION HC - Variant cover by Sam Kieth, limited to 200, priced at $50, it will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, limit of 3 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by Sam Kieth!
• THE ROCKETEER: HOLLYWOOD HORROR VARIANT EDITION HC - Variant cover by Walter Simonson, limited to 100, priced at $25, only available at the IDW booth, limit of 3 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by Walter Simonson andMark Waid!
• THE ROCKETEER/THE SPIRIT: PULP FRICTION #1 VARIANT - Variant cover byDarwyn Cooke, limited to 500, priced at $5, only available at the IDW booth, limit of 5 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by Mark Waid!
• X-FILES: SEASON 10 #1 VARIANT - Variant cover by Joe Corroney, limited to 500, priced at $10, only available at the IDW booth, limit of 5 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by X-Files creator Chris Carter, writer Joe Harris and artistJoe Corroney!
• TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: ARTOBIOGRAPHY VARIANT EDITION HC- Variant cover by Kevin Eastman, limited to 250, priced at $50, it will be available for pre-order from IDW's web store*, limit of 3 to a customer. Get it signed at the show by Kevin Eastman!

In addition to all these exclusives, IDW will be debuting advance copies of two highly anticipated books! SUPERMAN: THE SILVER AGE NEWSPAPER DAILIES, VOL. 1 (100 copies available, priced at $50, only available in the booth) and BERKELEYWORKS: THE ART OF BERKELEY BREATHED: FROM BLOOM COUNTY AND BEYOND (100 copies available, priced at $50, only available in the booth) will be seen for the first time anywhere! Get these books signed at the IDW booth by Dean Mullaney and Berkeley Breathed!

Once again, IDW is proud to have Ashley Wood and ThreeA as a part of their booth with exclusives in tow! Ash's MACHINE SABBATH VARIANT EDITION HC (250 copies available, priced at $25, only available in the booth) and GLITTER SAUSAGE VARIANT EDITION SC (500 copies available, priced at $25, only available in the booth) promise to be exciting additions to the Ashley Wood library.

But Ash is bringing a lot more than that! For a complete list of what ThreeA has in store for SDCC this year, visit their production blog here:  http://www.threeaonline.com/blog/

IDW Limited will of course be well represented in the booth as well, bringing their incredible assortment of small-run merchandise. For a complete rundown on IDW Limited's amazing items, go here: http://www.idwlimited.com

Providing an exclusive suitable for each and every fan in the building, the IDW Booth promises to be the place to be at this year's Comic-Con International!

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books. IDW can also be found at http://www.facebook.com/#!/idwpublishing andhttp://tumblr.idwpublishing.com/ and on Twitter at @idwpublishing. 

Laid Back Comics: X-Files Season 10 #1

I got blood on my poster

Do you hear that, just in the behind you always seem to be moving when you try to look? A hint of a whisper in your ear or perhaps a whistle of a familiar tune floating in the air?  That was the feeling I got when I first heard the X-Files was coming back, well not to TV or movies this time we are heading back to comics with IDW’s X-Files Season 10. One has to wonder if this new series was something that would be like the other ‘season’ books like Buffy and Smallville where it just continues the story. From the looks like with some of some big plot points mentioned it looks like we are going that way.

Now some time has passed since we last saw our two heroes of Mulder and Scully who have now gone into protection with name and career changes, one of which might get a chuckle from Mulder fans alike. But, a lot of this issue is here to here for the fans to reconnect to these characters and world while giving a new threat to them as well. The way the threat is introduced is through the age old method of hacking into the FBI files and those possible that of the X-Files as well. Of course this leads to some strange group now targeting the former FBI agents and they are offering up a very creep mind controlling powers while they are at it.

The concept of TV shows turned to comics is not a new one, but the idea to continue the show after it has gone off the air is still a little new. And for such one can easily look to the ones currently offered to come to a quick idea on whether it is good or bad depending on the series, in the case of the X-Files here, it is a good one. Joe Harris and Chris Carter have in one issue put together the start of a story that already feels like early X-Flies, while keeping the shows later season stories in place. It is tense, suspenseful, and has a good mystery that I loved the X-Files for. Though at the same time going with something in this story so soon from the start does forget that many of the X-Files cases often ended with logical explanations to them, here it looks like it might be leaning towards the outer worldly. But, just like a good X-Files episode things may not be what they appear which will get me ready to come back next issue.

Issue #17 Topps Comics

Next point though is why you read through the book and begin to smile that this is the X-Files, that can also be a bit of a draw back as well. This is a book made for fans, anyone who may not be familiar with the series or maybe the few who fell out before the last few seasons will be lost when trying to read the book. 

The art work and color done was something I was pleasantly surprised with, other comics of this nature tend

to be more photo-realistic, they try very hard to make sure they look as close to the actors as possible, but often come off stiff and awkward. Here Michael Walsh sets up something that is more organic feeling, yes you can easily recognize the characters still, but there is more freedom of the world and how each one moves and acts. If there is any fault it is when the color turns to day time when everything is bright, it just seems overly so, but when the scenes go to night, it were a lot of the feeling of the show returns and helps in the drama of the scene and cliffhanger.

The return of the X-Files is something I welcome and IDW has put together a solid book that is made for fans of the show missing it and wanting to return to it. I missed the X-Files, glad it is back.

OVERALL 7.5 out of 10

Bryan "BAC" Clendening writes for The Broken Infinite and comic book corrspondent on Nerd to the Third Power Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BAClend

G.I. Joe (Vol 3) # 1 Review

G.I. JOE # 1

Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Steve Kurth, Allen Martinez & Joana Lafuente
IDW Publishing


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            It’s a new status quo for GI Joe as the General Joe has taken GI Joe to the public. Duke is helping General Joe run the show now … with the soldiers being public heroes for the country. While we get a few protests of the new status quo, Joe reminds Duke that they, as hero, can turn any circumstance to their advantage and since Cobra likes to slither in the dark, they will use the light. This gets a little crazy as GI Joe is getting merchandised, Shipwreak having to wear his icon gear and their missions are being chronicled by an ROTC  by the codename of Hashtag.

            This is after we open and then continue with a group of Joes on a mission state side. Where it turns out to be a trap and the Joes are split up with Duke being captured by a very familiar Cobra operative.


ART:

            I want to point out that I was first introduced to Kurth’s pencils back when he was an artist for Marvel on X-Men Legacy. His pencils were pretty good. I enjoyed them but they  seemed to be missing a little extra “umph.” Well … that is NOT the case here. Kurth’s pencils are dynamic. Everyone looks distinct. Alongside Martinez’s inks, we are seeing some great work from Kurth here. This team really makes each Joe stand out. It is detailed. The moments look dynamic. Really kinetic work from Kurth & Martinez.

            The designs for the new Doc and Hashtag are fitting. The weapons and armor look good. The backgrounds are solid. The coloring by Joana Lafuente is good but there are a few panels that I thought would be better if they looked a bit darker. Still, a great job but the art team of the new GI Joe title.


WRITING:

            Van Lente gives us a great look into the new premise of GI Joe. They are not only soldiers, but public figures. And while their real names are not disclosed to the public, GI Joe will be a more public group of protectors. And that does not agree with all of the Joes. The characterizations of the cast we first meet are all interesting. No one feels under developed here … save for Roadblock . Still, we get a strong look at how GI Joe now operates.

            The pacing of the issue was really good as nothing felt slow and transitioned well. And the plot of Cobra taking over a town in the Midwest and luring out GI Joe is definitely a great one. It uses the new status quo against our heroes right out the gate and alongside the whiny of some of the other Joes that disapprove, Van Lente shows that this status quo will not be an easy one. This sets up story potentials on both sides of the conflict as well as professionally and personally for the Joes. I already feel that this run of GI Joe will be special.


OVERALL IMPRESSION:

            GI Joe # 1 settles in a nice opening for the new status quo for the Joes as public figures as well as soldiers. We have a diverse cast that deals with real life political issues as well as continue to show Cobra as a creditable threat. The art is solid and the writing is superb. I am looking forward to more of this series.


RATING:

            I give GI Joe # 1 an 8 out of  10. Strong beginning. Could be a little better but still a good read.