FCBD Review: SKYWARD/MIDNIGHT TIGER

FCBD: SKYWARD/ MIDNIGHT TIGER
Skyward Story:

 Written by Jeremy Dale
Art by Jeremy Dale, James Rochelle & Hoyt Silva

Midnight Tiger Story:

Written by Ray-Anthony Height & Dewayne Feenstra
Arty by Ray-Anthony Height & Paul Little
Action Labs Entertainment

                Since today is Free Comic Book Day, I was able to get some great FCBD issues. Now, I am gonna just break these down a little different from the normal review because … well, they are special issues that give you a taste.  So, let us begin.

SKYWARD – Dale does some build up to his next story by giving us some history that connects both the Berserkers and Quinn to what will be coming next in the series. We get a bring history as one of the tribe leaders is about to pass away.

MIDNIGHT TIGER –We meet our hero, Gavin, just before he becomes Midnight Tiger. It ends up being an origin story about a teen who enjoys the world’s heroes but still not blind to the everyday struggles of life.

THE WRITING :

                Jeremy Dale brings his A-game as always with Skyward. The legend on how the Berserkers were split into four tribes was gripping and believable. And the narration on how this story was told was powerfully done by Dale.   The plot was good and it was great set up. And while no one really knows Quinn, Dale peaks your interests. And for those fans of Skyward already, you get a glimpse to the past of Quinn’s father.

                The Midnight Tiger side of things really gives a strong ending. We meet our main protagonist, Gavin, who is a hero fanboy.  Yet, for the first time since the first volume of New Warriors back in Marvel (at least with what I read), Height and Feenstra deliver a social conscious hero that remembers that there is more to the world than fighting super villains. That there is still crime on the streets and what are these heroes doing about it.  The dialogue is very authentic and relatable. Height and Feenstra pack action, social consciousness, drama and an origin all in one small story.

                

THE ART:
                Dale’s art is stellar with detailed lines and a great fusion between old school comic artists like Ron Frenz with some modern day sensibilities to make the art style all its own. With Rochelle’s colors and Silva’s color flats, we got a beautifully rendered story.

Height’s art will not be denied. The lines are nice and clean with great shading by Little. Height does good with giving us detail backgrounds and characters … as well as several homages to other more “known” heroes throughout the title. Yet, Height really shows off what he can do and Little just brings it all to life with his colors. A great origin story.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                We got a strong start with a legend told to us by a dying tribe leader. And then we got an origin story of a young hero that already knows there is more to life than fighting super villains. I REALLY enjoyed this issue.   Skyward’s story was good and Midnight Tiger’s was great. I am glad they put these two together for this.

                I give SKYWARD/MIDNIGHT TIGER FCBD ISSUE a whoppin’ 10 …. Out of 10. If you did not get it, RUN to you comic book story right now. 

Comics News: ASPEN COMICS Free Comic Book Day 2014 Events Schedule

Aspen Comics Free Comic Book Day 2014 Schedule of Events

Press Release

4 - 30 - 2014

Following consecutive weekends at WonderCon and Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, Aspen Comics will be kicking off the month of May with signing appearances in local comic stores across the nation for Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 3^rd, 2014.

The publisher will offer a FCBD Worlds of Aspen 2014 flip book featuring exclusive zero issue stores for upcoming series Damsels in Excess and The ZooHunters, as well as two pullout posters for titles Jirni and Lola XOXO.

Vince Hernandez’s Damsels features all the trappings of a fantastical land: kingdoms, magic, talking animals – but no men. With a ancient threat looming, the princesses of the Five Realms will find their differences threaten to tear them apart.

The ZooHunters, written and penciled by Peter Steigerwald (Lady Mechanika), is an intergalactic adventure about Abros, a ZooHunter – someone who captures animals across the galaxies for zoos on various planets – who gets to know his son Ty while training him to follow in his footsteps, all while trying to keep ahead of the forces that would impede them.

A list of Aspen’s Free Comic Book Day appearances are as follows:

4 Color Fantasies

805 Archibald Ave #120, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91701

Vince Hernandez (Damsels in Excess – Free Comic Book Day Book)

Frank Mastromauro (Shrugged)

Mark Roslan (BubbleGun)

David Wohl (Fathom)

Andrea Shea (Assistant Editor)

The Comic Bug

1807 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Peter Steigerwald (The Zoo Hunters – Free Comic Book Day Book)

Metropolis Comics

16509 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, CA 90706

Lori Hanson (Executive Assistant: Assassins)

Golden Age Collectibles at Pike's Place Market

1501 Pike Place Market Ste 401, Seattle, WA 98101

Siya Oum (Lola XOXO)

Rupp’s Comics

335 N Ohio Ave, Fremont, OH 43420

 

Alex Konat (Fathom)

Westfield Comics

7475 Mineral Point Rd #22, Madison, WI 53717

Jordan Gunderson (Fathom Annual)

For more information please check www.aspencomics.com and the following official Aspen social media sites:

Facebook.com/aspencomics

Twitter.com/aspencomics

Instagram: aspencomics

Aspen MLT, Inc. is an entertainment publishing company founded in January 2003 by superstar comic artist Michael Turner. Priding itself on producing entertainment properties of the highest quality visual and storytelling elements Along with their own successful properties such as Fathom, Soulfire, Executive Assistant: Iris, Charismagic, Broken Pieces and more. Aspen also collaborates with the comic industry's most successful companies and endeavors including Marvel Comics and DC Entertainment. Aspen has collaborated with Marvel for various hit projects, including cover work for the best-selling events Civil War, World War Hulk, and Ultimatum. Aspen collaborated with DC Comics to provide covers for such best-selling titles as Superman/Batman: The Return of Supergirl, The Justice League of America, and Eisner-nominated covers for the critically acclaimed, best-selling Identity Crisis series. In 2006, Aspen joined forces with television giant NBC to create the online comic adaptations for the hit television series Heroes. In 2012, Aspen teamed up with Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment to produce the horror-adventure series Dead Man’s Run, as well as collaborating with director McG’s Wonderland Sound and Vision to produce the horror comic Haunted City. Aspen also produced the one-of-a-kind Anarchy digital graphic novel for the popular body spray company, Axe. Currently, Aspen recently celebrated their tenth anniversary in the industry with their successful and best-selling “10 for 10” initiative.

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: Action Lab Offerings For Free Comic Book Day

 

For immediate release
ACTION LAB HAS EVERYTHING YOU WANT FOR FCBD!

SKYWARD/MIDNIGHT TIGER, ZOMBIE TRAMP/EHMM THEORY among Silver level books, launches new series.

Pittsburgh P.A.- Action Lab Entertainment, The most exciting new comic book publisher to hit the scene is proud to announce their FREE COMIC BOOK DAY offerings for 2014. The company dedicated to world class, genre- bending entertainment will release two “Silver level” books for FCBD, SKYWARD /MIDNIGHT TIGER and from their Danger Zone imprint, ZOMBIE TRAMP / EHMM THEORY.  

Free Comic Book Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 at participating comic book shops.

SKYWARD, the runaway hit series by Writer /Artist Jeremy Dale (G.I.Joe, NFL RushZone) features the story of a young boy named Quinn, the son of a legendary warrior named Corin. Living in the Idyllic countryside with not a care in the world his life is turned upside down when an old friend of his father manages to track them down. Now, Quinn and his dog Jack are on the run, headlong against a threat more terrible and a world more fantastic than they ever imagined. Newsarama.com calls Skyward “well executed coming of age tale” and TMSmash.com calls Skyward “ A great read for EVERY age comics fan.”

Joining Skyward this year will be a brand new Action Lab Series, MIDNIGHT TIGER
Created by Artist/Writer Ray-Anthony Height (Spider-Girl, Power Man: Shadowlands) and Co-written by DeWayne Feenstra (The Adventures of Aero-Girl), Midnight Tiger stars high school senior Gavin Shaw, who after attempting to save the life of the gravely injured hero known as Lionsblood finds himself waking up in a hospital bed days later with amazing new super human abilities. The FCBD Book will, like last year’s MOLLY DANGER/PRINCELESS offering, lead into a four issue miniseries of the same name, launching in July.

For fans of the sexy and strange, the Action Lab Danger Zone imprint is also proud to announce their second FCBD offering ZOMBIE TRAMP/EHMM THEORY.

Called “one of the most original and fun zombie books to come out in the past several years“ by Aintitcool.com, ZOMBIE TRAMP is Dan Mendoza’s tale of a high priced Hollywood call girl named Janey who gets set up on a bad date by her transvestite Madame. Bitten by a zombie, Janey seeks out vengeance on those who wronged her. Cartoon grindhouse action abounds -- with voodoo queens, zombie convicts, and crooked LAPD!!  The FCBD Story will launch the third volume of the series co-written by Jason Martin (Night of the ‘80’s Undead) with new regular artist TMChu. Issue #1 will feature covers by Josh Howard (Dead@17), Jerry Gaylord (Fanboys vs. Zombies) and Jamal Igle (The Terminator: Enemy of my enemy).

Brockton McKinney’s EHMM THEORY has been called “A heavy hitter in an already blood-and-guts saturated market, while carving its own niche one issue at a time” by Fangoria Magazine. EHHM THEORY tells the story of Gabriel Ehmm, a normal guy who has awoken to a world where zombie ‘little people’ rise from graves, someone calling himself Saint Peter offers bargains, and his pet kitten can now talk. Connected by blood and straddling the afterlife, Gabe and Mr. Whispers (the aforementioned talking cat) begin a universe-spanning adventure in the first issue of this mind-bending and genre-blending new series.

THE FCBD Story is a great primer for the launch of EHMM Theory Volume 2, set for a June release.

FCBD 2014 marks the largest ever FCBD event with 60 books to choose from. The comics include incredible titles from forty publishers featuring fan-favorite and new comic book characters that encourage readers to explore the fun and excitement that comics have to offer.

Chosen by retailers on the FCBD Committee, there’s a free comic book for everyone’s taste!

A complete listing of all sixty FCBD titles, including the twelve Gold and forty-eight Silver comic books, can be found in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWS catalog, on sale at all comic book shops December 31, 2013 or by visiting the comics section of the Free Comic Book Day website at http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992.

ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT- Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business.  Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment.  Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis.  Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCELESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle's MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gale Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as EHMM THEORY and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO PLUSHY GANGSTA.

Action Lab roars into FCBD!

Link to cover art: For immediate release ACTION LAB ROARS INTO FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2014! Company announces Midnight Tiger/SKYWARD, ZOMBIE TRAMP/EHMM THEORY Silver level books. Pittsburgh P.A.- Action Lab Entertainment, The most exciting new comic book publisher to hit the scene is proud to announce their FREE COMIC BOOK DAY offerings for 2014. The company, dedicated to world class, genre- bending entertainment will release two “Silver level” books for FCBD, MIDNIGHT TIGER/ SKYWARD and from their Danger Zone imprint, ZOMBIE TRAMP/EHMM THEORY.  Free Comic Book Day, scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 at participating comic book shops. Created by Artist/Writer Ray-Anthony Height (Spider-Girl, Power Man: Shadowlands) and Co-written by DeWayne Feenstra (The Adventures of Aero-Girl), Midnight Tiger stars high school senior Gavin Shaw, who after attempting to save the life of the gravely injured hero known as Lionsblood finds himself waking up in a hospital bed days later with amazing new super human abilities. The FCBD Book will, like last year’s MOLLY DANGER/PRINCLESS offering, lead into a four issue miniseries of the same name, shipping in May 2014. Joining Height will be SKYWARD, the runaway hit series by Writer /Artist Jeremy Dale (G.I.Joe, NFL RushZone), The story of a young boy named Quinn, The son of a legendary warrior named Corin. Living in the Idyllic countryside with not a care in the world his life is turned upside down when an old friend of his father manages to track them down. Now, Quinn and his dog Jack are on the run, headlong against a threat more terrible and a world more fantastic than they ever imagined. If you like your comics on the risqué side, Action Lab is also proud to announce their second FCBD offering ZOMBIE TRAMP/EHMM THEORY. Brockton McKinney’s EHMM THEORY has been called “ A heavy hitter in an already blood-and-guts saturated market, while carving its own niche one issue at a time.” By Fangoria Magazine. The story of Gabriel Ehmm, a normal guy who has awoken to a world where zombie ‘little people’ rise from graves, someone calling himself Saint Peter offers bargains, and his pet kitten can now talk. Connected by blood and straddling the afterlife, Gabe and Mr. Whispers (the aforementioned talking cat) begin a universe-spanning adventure in the first issue of this mind-bending and genre-blending new series. Ehmm Theory shares it’s space with ZOMBIE TRAMP, Dan Mendoza’s tale of a high priced Hollywood call girl, Janey, gets set up on a bad date by her transvestite Madame. Bitten by a zombie, Janey seeks out vengeance on those who wronged her. Cartoon grindhouse action abounds -- with voodoo queens, zombie convicts, and crooked LAPD!! FCBD 2014 marks the largest ever FCBD event with 60 books to choose from. The comics include incredible titles from forty publishers featuring fan-favorite, and new comic book characters that encourage readers to explore the fun and excitement that comics have to offer. Chosen by retailers on the FCBD Committee, there’s a free comic book for everyone’s taste from the Silver Sponsors: from Sonic the Hedgehog and Teen Titans Go! to Scratch 9, Rocket Raccoon, The Smurfs, Grimm Fairy Tales and more! A complete listing of all sixty FCBD titles, including the twelve Gold and forty-eight Silver comic books, can be found in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWS catalog, on sale at all comic book shops December 31, 2013 or by visiting the comics section of the Free Comic Book Day website. ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT- Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business.  Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment.  Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis.  Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCLESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle's MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gale Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as EHMM THEORY and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO, PLUSHY GANGSTA.