Comics News: Grab WATSON & HOLMES #1 - Black and White Edition for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

Missed C2E2? Dont worry there are still some copies of Watson and Holmes #1 - Black and White “etching” Walter Simonson cover! We want to celebrate our multiple Eisner and Glyph award nominations by having some copies available for Free Comic Book Day 2014!
The following stores will have a special limited amount of Watson and Holmes #1 to hand out on Free Comics Day:

 


New Dimension Comics- Pittsburgh, PA area- various locations 
Comics and More – Plymouth Meeting Mall, PA
Comics and More - King Of Prussia Mall, PA - Rick Leonardi Signing in afternoon- call for details
Little Shop of Comics -Scotch Plains, NJ
Clockworks Comics and Cards – Union, NJ
Jokers Child – Fair Lawn, NJ
JHU Comics Midtown-New York, NY
3rd Eye Comics - Annapolis MD
Flashback Comics- Woodbridge VA
Chicago Comics - Chicago, IL
Challengers Comics - Chicago, IL
Back To The Past - Redford, MI
Comics And Collectibles - Memphis,s TN
Titan Comics - Dallas, TX
Comics Ink - Culver City, CA
The Comic Bug - Manhattan Beach, CA
Golden Apple Comics - Los Angeles , CA
Mission Comics + Art - San Francisco CA
Excalibur Comics - Portland. OR

About Watson and Holmes: A Study In Black
Collecting the entire first arc of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson re-envisioning as African Americans living in New York City’s famous Harlem district. Watson, an Afghanistan war vet, works in an inner-city clinic; Holmes, a local P.I. who takes unusual cases. When one of them ends up in Watson’s emergency room, the unlikely duo strike up a partnership to find a missing girl. Watson & Holmes bump heads along the way as they enter a labyrinth of drugs, guns, gangs and a conspiracy that goes higher and deeper than they could have imagined. Containing epilogue issue #5 as well as chock full of extra material on the evolution of a new classic.

Visit www.newparadigmstudios.com for more information!
Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook...ParadigmStudios
Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NPStudios

About New Paradigm Studios:
We at New Paradigm Studios want to change the existing paradigms of comic book storytelling. To publish cutting edge stories that exceeds your expectations of written and visual narrative. We want to push the boundaries of art and publish stories that are true to their core values and do not play it “safe.” Prepare to break the norm in experiencing conventional storytelling, for the stories at New Paradigm Studios there are no limits. - See more at: http://herotaku.com/blog/1/entry-12016-watson-and-holmes-1-black-and-white-edition-being-handed-out-for-fcbd/#.U2RKsPldV8E

Comics News: Watson And Holmes TPB Hits Shelves

The game is afoot – in HarlemReinvented Sherlock Holmes Trade Paperback Hits Stores

(New Jersey- January 2nd, 2014) New Paradigm Studios announced today the release of their new trade Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black (ISBN 1939516013). The book is a reinterpretation of the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Series with an African American crime solving duo set in modern day Harlem. The trade paperback collects the first 5 issues and is available on Amazon, Comixology, and in local comic stores and contains a bonus cover gallery.

New Paradigm Studios CEO, Brandon Perlow explains, “ We started with amazing characters for sure, but it's what we did with them that makes it unique. One eye is always on continuity and the other gets to explore the topics that don't change with time. Evil, honor, and respect are timeless.”

What people are saying about Watson and Holmes:

“I would recommended this to any longtime Sherlock Holmes fan, who will recognize and appreciate the little nods to original continuity, but also to those readers who are not familiar with classic Holmes stories, but just like good crime fiction...5 Stars”- Chacebook

 “I do like this version of Sherlock Holmes very much, but I'm an easy sell when it comes some of my favorite characters.” Sheena McNeil- Sequential Tart

 About Watson and Holmes: A Study In Black

Collecting the entire first arc of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson re-envisioning as African Americans living in New York City's famous Harlem district. Watson, an Afghanistan war vet, works in an inner-city clinic; Holmes, a local P.I. who takes unusual cases. When one of them ends up in Watson's emergency room, the unlikely duo strike up a partnership to find a missing girl. Watson & Holmes bump heads along the way as they enter a labyrinth of drugs, guns, gangs and a conspiracy that goes higher and deeper than they could have imagined. Containing epilogue issue #5 as well as chock full of extra material on the evolution of a new classic.

Visit www.newparadigmstudios.com for more information!Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NewParadigmStudiosFollow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NPStudios

About New Paradigm Studios:

1st Impressions: WATSON AND HOLMES: A STUDY IN BLACK

WATSON AND HOLMES TPB #1: A Study In Black

Written by Karl Bollers
Art by Rick Leonardi, Larry Stroman, Paul Mendoza, GuruEFX, Archie Van Buren & Jay David Ramos

New Paradigm Studios

FLIPPING THROUGH:

 

                What starts with a baby found on the street leads to a murder mystery that has Jon Watson sucked into the world of detectives, drugs, snipers and more alongside private investigator Sherlock Holmes. And while this may sound like the normal Sherlock Holmes stories, this is a new take where Holmes and Watson are African American and living in New York City.

                What does Medical Intern Jon Watson do as he gets sucked into a case involving drugs, murder and more? Why does Holmes become obsessed with having all the answers? And what happens when what seems to be street drug dealers in New York City get targeted?

ART:

                I can say with no uncertainty that this book is some of Leonardi’s best work in his entire career. And considering Leonardi has drawn the X-Men in the past, that is saying a whole lot. There is a good amount of detail. The backgrounds and characters are detailed with thicker inks and some darker colors and tones. Yet, it works as the colors are very reminiscent of many of the color techniques used in the Milestone Media books from the 90s … and it works EXTREMELY well for this book. Leonardi pours his all in each page of the main story while Stroman does the same with the epilogue. The panel composition is great with some strong, dynamic panel work that pops out on you.

                Leonardi and Stroman do not have any problem showing you the grittiness of New York City but also its beauty as it captures it very well with different panels throughout the entire trade. Overall, this art team blew away with great visuals.

WRITING:

                Bollers gives us some solid writing for this new incarnation of Sherlock Holmes. While Holmes retains his sophistication and intellect from the novels, Bollers definitely blends him well within the confines of 21^st Century New York City. Bollers makes sure that Holmes and Watson really fit into their roles in New York City through their actions, the way they talk and more. Watson was given added depth by becoming a newly single father and does a great job of updating his military history to reflect recent events.

                There were a lot of characters that the duo meet but Bollers does a good job of making the two the driving force of the book while making the other characters they meet along the way interesting; such as Watson’s soon to be ex wife, the drug dealing Junior or, my personal favorite, Holmes’ brother, “Mike.”

                Bollers does a great job of providing great dialogue, good motivations and strong characterizations of people throughout the story. Each chapter felt like an episode of a 40 minute tv show more than a comic but it really works here. The dialogue was very real and I do like that there was a resolution but enough plot threads left over to do more with it. The pacing for the book was exquisite. And there is a real authenticity for this murder/mystery urban drama that just shines through as you read. Bollers is proving himself a master with this first trade.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                This book left a strong impression. Great story. Beautiful, strong all. Rich colors. It really sucks you into the atmosphere and characters. This is a book you definitely don’t want to sleep on. Definitely one of the best comics I have read all year.

RATING:

                I give Watson and Holmes: A Study In Black trade paperback a 10 Out of 10! READ IT NOW!!

THE FUTURE OF WALL CRAWLING: MEET MIGUEL O'HARA

Special Segment by Hector Ramirez


Hey there Clashers, your Friendly Neighborhood Clasher here. It’s about time we swing into the world of Spiderman and take a look at the future.

      Throughout the history of media the future has been a very popular theme with books like 1984, movies like Back to the Future, and TV shows like The Jetsons, it seems like we as a people just can’t help but to ponder what this unknown time holds for us. Marvel is no exception to this curiosity with their 2099 line in the 90’s, where heroic mantles are taken up by new avatars in the future where the heroic age is no more.
Imagine if you will a world where the police only protect you if you pay your monthly protection bill. Where the heroes are gone except in memory. With Thor back in Asgard and being worshipped as a full blown deity. A future where corporations rule all, and mold their great minds from childhood.

One of those great minds is Miguel O’Hara; brought up by Alchemax to be one of their greatest scientists. Miguel was working on a way to rewrite DNA and was getting very far with his research but was sick of his boss’s vindictive ways so was ready to quit. Not wanting to lose his greatest employee, the CEO of Alchemax injected Miguel with a drug that grafts to a person’s DNA so they can never be over their addiction. And what do you know Alchemax holds exclusive patent on this drug and as long as he stays with them Miguel gets a free steady supply. Miguel attempts to use his research to rewrite his own DNA with an untainted sample of his DNA. Unfortunately, Miguel had a lab partner who was not content with living in his shadow. In his jealousy, Miguel’s lab partner replaces his DNA sample with a spider DNA sample they were working with turning Miguel into a new Spiderman.

Miguel wasn’t exactly thrilled to have his DNA grafted with that of a spider; especially with the police force in Alchemax’s pocket and chasing down the “mysterious spider-powered intruder” but as he runs home he sees this as an opportunity to get back at the tyrant running Alchemax. Dawning an old day of the dead costume he got in Mexico, Miguel starts publicly attacking Alchemax as well as trying to bring them down from the inside. While attempting to escape the police Miguel sees how people outside of the corporate bubble still need heroes and takes it upon himself to be one.

Miguel O’Hara is definitely his own Spiderman. Because of the way he was raised, first by his hot headed father then by his cold hearted boss, he himself can be both hot heated and coldhearted at times. He’s nowhere near as free-spirited as Peter nor does he know much about a nurturing loving upbringing. On the same token however Miguel was living in the lap of luxury since he was 10 years old. The futuristic New York definitely adds a new dynamic to both the story and the characters themselves. The living conditions of the poor side of the city has people doing the craziest things to survive. One man calling himself the Vulture uses a flight harness similar to that of his namesake to protect the people under his watch. Seems heroic but any who dare threaten his followers…. Are killed and eaten. Miguel at one point teams up with the Vulture to protect innocent people but after finding out about his….”special diet” Miguel ends up at odds with the cannibal. Another interesting dynamic is the use of technology. Being set in the future gives it a certain science fiction element. At some point Miguel winds up in a virtual reality program trying to save his brother from a living virus.

Besides names and powers, Spidey 2099 is in no way like Peter Parker; comparing them would barely make sense. If you blurred out titles and Spiderman from th books you would never think to link the two. The variety is in my opinion a good thing so your not jut reading about a knock-off Peter Parker. Im glad they also made Miles Morales his own Spiderman as well but that’s a segment for another month in this year long web of celebration so until next time friends, keep clashing.