Welcome one and all to this week's News Edition for the Week of 3/14/2012. Originally, I was gonna do a story on the Night of Owls Crossover but that story has been put on hold. You'll see. - EIC Frankie Rodriguez.
REEDERS DEPARTS, OTHER ARTISTS COME IN ON BATWOMAN & DETECTIVE
by Frankie Rodriguez
DC recently announced some changes to more of their books. First, Ed Benes, who has been the main penciller to Red Lanterns, will be filling in for Tony Daniel on art duties for four months while Daniel takes a break. One can assume that Red Lantern will then have a fill in artist then as well.
Yet, what is bigger is that Reeder has been taken off of Batwoman. Reeder, who is the rotating artist alongside JH Williams, was slated to be a regular artist on the book. Yet, many speculate that because of the shift of styles between Williams III and her sparked up an uproar from fans after one issue that DC decided a change. Trevor McCarty will be replacing Reeder as rotating artists with Williams III, who is also writing the book alongside W. Hayden Blackman.
The following are snippets from Reeder's blog:
A lot of you have heard by now that I will no longer be drawing Batwoman, starting with issue 9.
The info was announced by DC a couple nights ago, very soon after it became final. It's strange (though sort of cool) having you all on real-time with me here--I'm still in a little shock and my future is up in the air. My two-year contract with DC is up at the end of this month.
The jist of it, though, was that it was a bad situation, and kept getting worse and more intense until it became impossible. I am a long-term project kinda girl and I was so excited about being on Batwoman...I didn't want to let go of it and fought until it was over.
And while there are a lot of speculations as to what exactly happened, it does seem that DC is determined to make sure their books come out on time as promised by both Didio and Harris. McCarthy is slated to do 3 issues before JH Williams III returns in issue #12 on art duties.
VALIANT COMICS - 4 TITLES OF SUMMER OF VALIANT
by Frankie Rodriguez
Last week, we told you about the first 2 titles: X-O Manowar & Harbinger. Now, Valiant Comics has revealed the other 2 titles part of their relaunch, a new title being released each month starting in May. The 2 new titles are Bloodshot and Archer & Armstrong.
Bloodshot, as was told last week, is a story of a former assassin who was later captured and experimented on. He came to have nano-tech in his very blood that gave him super strength, regenative, enhanced speed and more. While we discussed the possible movie last week, we found out the new # 1 will debut in July with art by Arturo Lozzi & Manuel Garcia and written by Birds of Prey writer Duane Swierczynski.
And finally, the Summer of Valiant ends with the return of Archer & Armstrong; one is an 18 year old assassin sent to destroy evil and the other is a drunken old immortal. This reimagining of the classic duo has art by Clayton Cain and written by Fred Van Lente.It's first issue will come out in August.
And while there are other books waiting in the wings, these are the 4 that kick of Valiant's relaunch. All the titles will have pullbox variant and both X-O Manowar and Harbinger will have talking variant covers.
IMAGE CONTINUES ITS SELLING OUT RENAISSANCE
by Frankie Rodriguez
Image Comics has becoming the leading house of Independents. And it is not hard to see why. This is the home of such great properties like Spawn, Savage Dragon, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Prophet & more. And recently, since before the new year started, many of Image's brand new books have been selling out. How many? Well so far, Prophet# 21 & # 22, Thief of Thieves # 1, Glory # 22, Peter Panzerfaust # 1 and more have sold out over the course of the last several months. And now, even more Image titles have sold out, garnering second printings.
Peter Panzerfaust # 2 by Kurtis Wiebe and Tyler Jenkins, the book dealing with Peter Pan fighting in World War II, has sold out just like its first issue.
No Place Like Home # 1 featuring a new twist on the Wizard of Oz by Angelo Tirotto & Richard Jordon has sold out.
Hell Yeah # 1, written by current Glory scribe Joe Keatinge and art by Andre Szymanowicz, has sold out. (I know, I grabbed the last copy from my store.) Jonathan Hickman (most notably known for his current Fantastic Four run & Secret Warriors over in Marvel) released his new book,
The Manhattan Project # 1 and that was sold out as well. And finally, a book that hits store shelves today (Wednesday, March 14th)
Saga # 1 which features the return of Brian K. Vaughn into the comic book scene alongside artist Fiona Staples has ALREADY sold out. And each and every single one of these books will have second printings.
It seems we are getting a significant jump in the sale of Independent comics. What does this mean? Comic fans are trying stuff besides super hero books, looking for the next The Walking Dead. Will this happen? Only time will tell but with this kind of sales, it is very hopeful that 2012 will be the year of the independent books.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY . . .
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NEXT WEEK: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TYLER KIRKHAM!! BE THERE!!
