Hotlinking Is A Minor Vexation

January 24th, 2012

One of the nice things about WordPress is that it provides a short list of recent incoming links from other blogs and sites. One of my peeves is hotlinking – the practice of a blogger or webmaster directly linking to an image on another website, with or without permission. Sure, even WordPress makes it easy to hotlink images, but does that make doing it right? If you can’t scan an appropriate image yourself, why not try contacting someone at the site where you have found an image and ask for permission to copy it with a simple right click? Or even just copy and give credit where credit is reasonably due? After all, some stranger is likely saving you the time of finding the image and scanning as well as any cost involved if printed matter is the source.

Please don’t hotlink to images you find on this site or you may find a surprise.

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Remembrance Of Things I Forgot

January 22nd, 2012

Designed by Mark Solan Design

Bob Smith
Terrace Books
272 pages
Price varies by retailer & format
ISBN-13: 978-0299283407

Review by Joe Palmer

This book came to my attention one day thanks to a Insight Books club newsletter about a sale and I decided to look around out of idle curiosity. I wasn’t in the mood for a new book until I came across the site’s description of it as a “screw ball sci-fi comedy where comic book dealer John Sherkston uses the time machine his physicist boyfriend, Taylor, has created for the U.S. government to go back in time to try to save their relationship” to be an intriguing premise. I’d been reading non fiction stuff like Karen Armstrong’s The Great Transformation and Jonathan Kirsch’s The Grand Inquisitor’s Manual for so long that  a book combining gay men, comics, and time travel with wacky hijinx sounded exactly like the antidote I needed. That the novel’s time travelling hero had such a hate on for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney made the story more appealing. Plus I fell under the hypnotic spell of those eyes on the cover. All that was left to do was click, pay, and wait for the package to arrive.

The day it arrived I eagerly ripped open the box and started to read. On a snowy day in 2006 John Sherkston, owner of Sherkston’s Comics in New York City, contemplates telling his boyfriend Taylor Esgard that he wants to end their 15 year relationship. That Taylor is consumed by his work for the Department of Defense as head of the Chronos Project to develop time travel is only salt in the gaping wound of Taylor’s egregiousness. John believes Taylor has become a gay Republican and is willfully working in conjunction with his boss, none other than Vice President Dick Cheney, who John can’t help but think has a secret agenda. I sure as hell thought the same during those eight years. And Smith does reveal he had an agenda for Cheney all along, one that Kang the Conqueror would smile on with approval. What the motive is remains unknown till later in the book. John has to deal with the fact that he’s been purposely sent back in time to the Reagan era, specifically June 12th, 1986 by the veep. John finds plenty to do in the past while keeping up hope that Taylor will rescue him. One moment he’s working up the nerve to attempt a pre-emptive plan to prevent Bush and Cheney from holding the two highest offices in the nation, and in the next he’s trying to figure out how to save his sister from commiting suicide. Of course he ends up trying to do both, and yes, hijinx both wacky and dire ensue when John enlists the much younger versions of yourself, referred to as Junior to avoid confusion, and your (not yet) boyfriend Taylor on a cross country drive. Now you’re wondering about sexual escapades between the little threesome, aren’t you? Junior does attempt to seduce John soon after their initial meeting and before John has worked up the courage to reveal his identity and time traveling trouble. After this awkward attempt, Smith leaves Junior and Taylor to flirt,leaving John to wistfully remember the Taylor he loves, and hook up off page while touching on issues of ageism in the gay community. And just never you mind that time travel quandary of keeping different versions of the same person from meeting to avoid some catastrophic occurrence. The book’s premise rests on the pair’s relationship enabling John to make self-discoveries by experiences that recall forgotten feelings and Smith accomplishes the feat in a manner keeping in tone with John’s character. That John and his small band are tracked and chased around the country by not one, but two Dick Cheney’s, one more dastardly than the other, and an encounter with a younger George W (Bible class, dinner, drinks, and sex, anyone?) is just icing on the cake for any American who lived through the Dubya and Dick years.

Comic book readers will appreciate that Smith is either a fan himself or did some homework. Several characters and specific issues are referenced by John, who also worked on creating Dark Cloud, his own superhero who’d come out of the closest, if either DC or Marvel had pursued John’s submission. Smith keeps the four color allusions in check so as not to overwhelm the story for non comics readers. Despite the incidental spandex attributes I couldn’t help but picture the story in graphic novel format blending adventure, comedy, and slice of life. I liked the novel enough though not as much as I’d wanted. Wit and subtlety are mostly put aside in exchange for a sledge hammer when expressing John’s thoughts and reactions to Bush and Cheney and what seemed to me numerous reminders of John’s feelings began to annoy in the same way Chris Claremont’s “I am Rogue! Here’s my history in a thought bubble!” expository style does. Your mileage may vary.

You’ll probably enjoy this novel if you liked Perry Moore’s Hero or Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible.

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GLAAD 2011 Comic Book Media Award Nominees

January 19th, 2012

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade by Allan Heinberg, Marvel
Batwoman by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman, DC Comics
Secret Six by Gail Simone, DC Comics
Veronica Presents: Kevin Keller by Dan Parent, Archie Comics
X-Factor by Peter David, Marvel Comics

A complete list of nominees in all categories may be found on GLAAD’s website. Best wishes to all the nominees for your commendable work.

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Elemental Micah #4

January 18th, 2012

Michael Georgiou

$2.99 from IndyPlanet
UK Residents see below

The last we saw of 17 year old Micah Sampson he’d discovered the guy of his dreams had spent some time literally up a tree and our lovelorn hero had begun to learn how to control his powers. He learns that there are limitations after turning his powers inward in an effort to heal his eyes. Georgiou leaves Micah and the reader in a cliffhanger ending with apparently terrible consequences. Issue four begins by recounting an incident in a series of tense and fear frought sequences involving covert ops that adversely affects the Sampson family, especially young Micah, as is shockingly revealed by his father, making for an equally gripping “Oh no! What’s next?” ending.  So much happens in this issue that I want to overlook that there is nary a mention of Micah’s literally bloody predicament from the previous installment. Georgiou cuts the story between events. The covert ops sequences take place ten years in the past and reveal Kevin, Micah’s adoptive father, to be an interogater well trained in torture techniques and he’s quite willing to use them in the service of his country. These scenes are quite gruesome, and Kevin might easily be viewed as a monster, however necessary a monster might be for national security, if it weren’t for the scenes in which a vulnerable, caring, and compassionate man are revealed.

The other half of this issue occurs in Micah’s present day. Georgiou certainly doesn’t go easy on Micah, as he puts him through an emotional wringer and squeezes just a little bit harder, almost as if with a bit of glee. Initially Micah shows a sense of compassion for Simon, whose formerly broken legs, now healed by one of Micah’s powers, are still stiffly encrusted in casts as he and Dana haul him wheelchair bound up a flight of stairs. It’s meant to be an awkward scene, and it gives best friend Dana a chance to smart off. Otherwise she’s her usual chipper, supportive, and gently chiding self. Well, mostly except for the end. I’ll get to that. That concern Micah displays quickly changes after Simon unintentionally outs Micah to his Aunt Sal, another member of his chosen family. Simon might be forgiven for this indiscretion considering he’s awestruck by Aunt Sal, a woman known to the rest of the world as Babs Sinner, burlesque dancer extraordinaire. As we might imagine her social circles to be a bit more diverse than the matron who reguarly hosts the vicar to dinner, Sal is hardly shocked and proves rather supportive by encouraging full parental disclosure, playing an ill at ease Micah off his nearly giddy father. You’d think he’d be relieved, but remember what I wrote about squeezing the character in an emotional wringer. Micah’s anger toward Simon turns to disappointment as he starts to realize the disparity between his perception of Simon as an object of romance and lust and the reality of Simon and his emotional baggage. It’s a poignant scene done with close ups of torsos and arms till the panels showing them part ways. But we’re not done. Despite good intentions of a fatherly tete a tete, Kevin pushes his emotionally fragile son off the figurative cliff. Most moody teens shout or sulk. Micah pounds his fists on the hood of his car and dear dad gets a face full of the whirlind Micah unleashed at the series beginning and can’t make disappear. There must be a metaphor between Micah’s feeling overwhelmed by his feelings, emotional baggage, and a car trunk. But we’ve all had to learn to deal with our emotions so as not to have tantrums, and that’s what Micah begins to do with coaching help from dear ol’ dad. The story could end in some bit of congratulatory mumbo jumbo. Instead Kevin is unknowingly observed doing something odd to his son, something that should set a good portion of the cast in an uproar.

Georgiou greatly expands the scope of Elemental Micah by recounting incidents from Kevin’s semi secretive interrogation backstory. He does a good job balancing the spy world and the slice of life feel ambience as Micah goes about everyday life while trying to deal with newly found powers. A good deal of Micah’s charm comes from this grounding in the mundane world. Being in charge of every aspect of making a comic isn’t an easy task and I both admire and envy anyone who does it, as I’ve my own secret aspirations. It’s also one thing to do a one off story and another to do a series. Having said that, Georgiou might consider enlisting a little help in maintaining a bit more internal story consistency. For example, I re-read issue 3 to refresh my memory before immediately reading the current one. Two lines of dialog between Micah and Dina on page 28 in #3 refer to Simon and Aunt Sal having met off panel. This contradicts the scene in issue 4. Micah’s bleeding incident at the end of #3 will be another inconsistent point if it isn’t addressed soon.

LGBT characters have progessed quite a lot in mainstream comics in the past two plus decades, at least in quantity if not quality which depends on one’s subjectivity. Villainous characters aside, one can argue that gay and lesbian characters display some trait of idealized beauty. Georgiou’s Micah may be the first character which isn’t idealized and even if he isn’t, Georgiou should be applauded for the choice to give Micah a broken nose, wild hair, thick glasses, a chubby belly, and awkward stance. If this were an American comic there might be emphasis on figuring out which niche he fits into within the gay world rather than discovering and figuring out himself.

On the art side, Georgiou’s lines seem more confident. The flashback scenes of Micah’s father as Agent Sampson have a feeling of grime and dirt, as well they shoud. Present day scenes stand out in marked constrast as clean, open and have a sense of light even at the darket moment of Kevin’s unnerving revelation.

Visit the Elemental Micah wesbite. UK readers can purchase directly from Georgiou.

Elemental Micah at Indy Planet for US readers or buy a copy for your Kindle.

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Stop SOPA

January 18th, 2012

Stop PIPA (Senate 968) & SOPA (HR 3261)

Imagine a world without craigslist, Wikipedia, Google, [your favorite sites here]…

News Corp, RIAA, MPAA, Nike, Sony, Comcast, VISA & others want to make that world your reality.

80 Members of Congress are in their sway, 30 against, the rest undecided or undeclared.

Please take a minute to tell your Members of Congress you oppose PIPA & SOPA

Click here fore more info and easy action items. Read a Comics Alliance op ed piece here.

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Gay Previews 3/12

January 17th, 2012

Kevin Keller has a secret admirer and I hope it doesn’t turn out to be a girl! Phil Jimenez fans can rejoice that he returns to art chores with Fairest #1 from Vertigo. Alpha Flight may be canceled (or just ended its 8 issue run as a mini, depending on how you look at it), but Northstar doesn’t disappear! Jean Paul and former New Mutant Karma move over to Astonishing X-Men for the start of Marjorie Liu’s run. The Runaways resurface in the pages of Avengers Academy and Daken says goodbye in his final issue. Chip Kidd’s Batman wet dream sees print! Free Comic Book Day won’t be here till the first week of May, but here’s a head up about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Howard Cruse title!

Thanks to Andy Mangels who compiled 1,001 lists back in the day for the Gayleague email list.

Names listed in bold are either family or LGBT friendly.

ABSTRACT STUDIOS

RACHEL RISING – THE SHADOW OF DEATH TP vol 1 $16.99 Page 232
Terry Moore
Rachel Beck wakes in a shallow grave and claws her way free as a mysterious woman watches from a bluff. With no memory of the night before, Rachel enlists the help of Aunt Johnny, the town mortician, to find her killer. But when repeated attacks send her to the morgue, Rachel’s ability to wake from death again and again prove to be a blessing and a curse, and the eerie town of Manson will never be the same! Collects issues #1-6.

AMAZE INK/ SLAVE LABOR

FLOUNDERING TIME GN $12.95 Page 236
Katy Weselcouch
Best friends Emma and Joey are in their senior year at a women’s college, navigating through their last days in the school’s isolated scene. Emma harbors a long standing crush on her transgender friend Elliott, while messy Joey works her way through stoic bad-girl types. They stumble through drunken parties, rock shows, and day trips, avoiding the looming questions of their “futures” in pursuit of misguided crushes and cool girl status.

ARCHIE

KEVIN KELLER #2 $2.99 Page 246
Dan Parent
“May I Have This Dance?” As newly appointed class president, Kevin is in charge of selecting the theme for Riverdale High’s prom. That’s easy compared to the decision of who Kevin will take to the dance! And if things weren’t complicated enough, Kevin has a secret admirer hoping to be Kevin’s date!

BOOM!

HELLRAISER ANNUAL #1 $4.99 Page 265
Clive Barker, various, and Janusz Ordon
The secrets of the Cenobite War revealed! The first year of Clive Barker’s long-awaited return to Hellraiser has been full of jaw-dropping events and new characters, forever changing the landscape of the classic horror universe. Now, only in this annual, learn the shocking secrets behind those seismic shocks to the Cenobites, the Cottons, and the hierarchy of Hell! This all new story will give clues to future storylines, so no Hellraiser fan can miss it!

KITCHEN SINK PRESS: THE FIRST 25 YEARS TP $15.00 Page 271
Dave Schrieber, R Crumb, and various
A complete retrospective of pioneer independent publishing house Kitchen Sink Press, from its inception in 1969 through its silver anniversary in 1994. This full-color history is profusely illustrated with underground comix, graphic novels and offbeat merchandise, plus previously unpublished art by R. Crumb, Mark Schultz, Peter Poplaski, Frank Stack, Reed Waller, and others. Included are “sidebar” columns by Alan Moore, Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Stan Lee, Will Elder, Howard Cruse, Trina Robbins, Jay Lynch, Kevin Eastman, founder Denis Kitchen and other luminaries reflecting on the impact of this early and long-running alternative company. A must-have item for fans of Kitchen Sink, underground comix, and cartoon history.

PEANUTS #3 $3.99 Page 272
Charles Schulz, Vicki Scott, and various
From the newspaper strips to the animated specials, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang have held a special place in America’s heart since their first appearance in 1950. Let that young reader in your household discover these beloved characters like they were brand new! Peppermint Patty and Marcy join the series in “School Daze,” and Charlie Brown dons his Manager’s cap for another year of Spring Training. Includes classic Sunday strips from Charles Schulz and a special Linus “First Appearance” variant cover![BOOM's press release posted on CBR's Robot 6 blog lists Paige (Jane's World) Braddock as a contributor. ]

CBLDF

2012 CENSORED HOWARD CRUSE
Howard Cruse
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, in association with BOOM! Town presents The Censored Howard Cruse! He’s known for his gay comix, but that’s not all that’s been on Howard Cruse’s his mind! He’s also written and drawn about freedom of speech, civil rights, and drugs, as well as interesting uses for toothpaste. Now you can get a special sneak-peek at this summer’s upcoming graphic novel, The Other Sides of Howard Cruse — with just a few tastefully-placed black boxes! (You’ll have to get the OGN for the uncensored version.)

DARK HORSE
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 #7 $2.99 Page 41
Andrew Chambliss and Georges Jeanty
Still seeking normalcy in the midst of zompire-stricken San Francisco, Buffy contemplates a life-changing decision the likes of which few Slayers have ever faced. Meanwhile Spike rushes to the aid of Detective Dowling, who’s in over his head with his recent investigation into the undead bloodsuckers plaguing the city.

BTVS SEASON 8 HC VOL 1 LONG WAY HOME $29.99 pAGE 39
Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan Georges Jeanty, Paul Lee, and Cliff Richards
This deluxe, oversized hardcover edition contains the first two arcs of Season 8, plus two one-shots. After the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers–newly legion–have gotten organized, but it’s not long before new and old enemies begin popping up. Buffy, Xander, Willow, and a very different Dawn are introduced tothe season’s big bad, Twilight, and are only beginning to understand the incredible reach of this mysterious threat. Meanwhile, rebel Slayer Faith teams up with Giles to handle a menace on the other side of the Atlantic. It’s a dirty job, and Faith is just the girl to do it!

DARK HORSE PRESENTS #10 $7.99 Page 48
Brian Wood, Colin Lorimer, Carla Speed McNeil, Steve Niles, Evan Dorkin, Al Gordon, Steve Horton, Andrew Vachss, Neal Adams, M. J. Butler, Kristian Donaldson, Christopher Mitten, Thomas Yeates, Michael Dialynas, Geof Darrow, Mark Wheatley
Evan Dorkin is unleashed in House of Fun, and Steve Niles weaves another web of paranormal intrigue in Criminal Macabre: They Fight by Night. Three brothers in a grim, postwar England of the future are given experimental suits that could make them the saviors of mankind–that is, if they can ever get past their obsessions with film, violent video games, and porn in Colin Lorimer’s UXB! Brian Wood’s The Massive finishes up, Carla Speed McNeil begins an epic new arc of Finder: Third World, Al Gordon and Thomas Yeates’s centennial celebration of Tarzan concludes, and much more!

DC

BATGIRL #7 $2.99 Page 98
Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf
One dark, tragic night, The Joker shattered the life of Barbara Gordon in the landmark story Batman: The Killing Joke. In this issue, see a side of that story that has never before been told, as Batgirl faces the demons of her past! And if that’s not enough, a deadly new gentleman killer, Grotesque, stalks the streets of Gotham City!

BATMAN DEATH BY DESIGN DELUXE ED HC $24.99 Page 121
Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor
In this new, original graphic novel from superstar writer/designer Chip Kidd and artist Dave Taylor, Gotham City is undergoing one of the most expansive construction booms in its history. The most prestigious architects from across the globe have buildings in various phases of completion all over town. As chairman of the Gotham Landmarks Commission, Bruce Wayne has been a key part of this boom, which signals a golden age of architectural ingenuity for the city. And then, the explosions begin. All manner of design-related malfunctions – faulty crane calculations, sturdy materials suddenly collapsing, software glitches, walkways giving way and more – cause casualties across the city. This bizarre string of seemingly random catastrophes threatens to bring down the whole construction industry. Fingers are pointed as Batman must somehow solve the problem and find whoever is behind it all.

BATWING #7 $2.99 Page 94
Judd Winick and Ben Oliver
Batwing comes to Gotham City! Batwing and Batman race back to the city hoping to stop the killer Massacre from assassinating the last two members of Africa’s lost super-team, The Kingdom! Meanwhile, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin are already on the ground leading the search. Plus: The dark past of the Kingdom is revealed!

BATWOMAN #7 $2.99 Page 89
J H Williams III, W Haden Blackman, and Amy Reeder
Six lives on converging courses that will change them forever… Batwoman, in a hidden lair beneath Gotham Harbor, faces a horde of monsters inspired by urban legends led by Falchion, an evil mastermind. Jacob Kane waits in agony for some sign of life. Kate Kane tries to enjoy new romance as the werebeast Abbot begs for her help. Maro, an enigmatic wizard, evokes an evil that all children fear: their own reflections in a darkened mirror. Detective Maggie Sawyer is caught in a turf war between The Werebeast Cult and The Medusa Syndicate. DEO Agent Cameron Chase struggles with a new operative who refuses to be controlled. It’s all coming in “To Drown the World,” part 2.

CATWOMAN #7 $2.99 Page 100
Judd Winick and Guillem  March
In the wake of her run-in with Batman and the loss of someone very dear to her, Catwoman turns over a new leaf. With a new attitude, a new partner and a new game plan, she embarks on a new journey: She’s stealing hot cars. The competition isn’t too happy about it, and the Gotham PD are that much closer to nailing her. There’s only one way out: Drive really, really fast.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #7 $2.99 Page 120
Paul Levitz and Francis Portela
Marooned in a lake of fire, Element Lad, Chemical Kid and Sun Boy face an ecological disaster of 31st-century proportions! And Dragonwing’s got troubles of her own – with her sister’s claws at her throat! Meanwhile, at the edges of United Planets space, the Dominators haven’t forgotten their humiliation at the Legion’s hands…and the next stage of their plan is about to explode! [Levitz made Legion Academy students Power Boy and Gravity Kid a couple. Will they return from SP Duty on Takron-Galtos? Levitz is interviewed on CBR here but doesn't mention the characters. Plus, Vi and Ayla are a couple again.]

LEGION OF SUPER HEROES: WHEN EVIL CALLS TP $29.99 Page 134
Paul Levitz, Phil Jimenez, Yildiray Cinar, and Francis Portela
In these tales from LEegion of Super Heroes #11-16, Adventure #523-529 and Legion of Super Villains #1, the team uncovers a Durlan assassination plot and new Legionnaires learn the ropes at the Legion Academy. [Gravity kid and Power Boy are among the ensemble cast. See above.]

STORMWATCH #7 $2.99  Page 113
Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
They’ve come to steal Earth’s gravity! When a scientific experiment tears a hole in the barrier between dimensions, gravity miners from a forbidden universe invade our world! Can Stormwatch – with their ranks depleted after the cataclysmic events of last issue – find a way to repel alien excavators that shred our reality with every touch?

TEEN TITANS #7 $2.99 Page 118
Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth
Are the Teen Titans ready to stage an assault on N.O.W.H.E.R.E.? No way! But as Red Robin explains to the rest of his team, they’ll have to rally to save the Superboy from certain death. And through all of this, only Solstice learns a secret Red Robin has been hiding that could tear the team apart just as they have finally come together! [A gay member, Bunker, debuted in #3.]

VOODOO #7 $2.99 Page 115
Josh Williamson and Sam Basri
After returning to the Daemonites to hunt for answers, Voodoo learns that you should be careful what you wish for. Will the truth of the Daemonite Hybrids force Voodoo to turn on her masters, or will she finally succumb to her dark side? What happens when Voodoo learns about Grifter and Stormwatch? And more on the real Voodoo: Pris! [So where's the bisexuality Dan Didio mentioned in a piece with The Advocate?]

VERTIGO

AARON & AHMED TP $17.99 Page 144
Jay Cantor and James Romberger
“What causes terrorism?” After his fiancee dies on 9/11, this question plagues Aaron Goodman. It makes him give up his career as a doctor to become an interrogator at Guantanamo Bay. It leads him to meme theory, as he wonders if there could be a cold science behind the conversion of people into suicide bombers. And ultimately, it brings him to Ahmed, a Gitmo prisoner who promises the answers to all of Aaron’s questions, and in the process, he’ll take Aaron from Guantanamo Bay to the jihadist camps in Pakistan, back to Ground Zero in New York City. But where do Ahmed’s real loyalties lie? From where did that loyalty
spring? To answer that, Aaron will have to reexamine everything he believes and stare down one of the most compelling questions of the 21st century. MacArthur Prize fellow and novelist Jay Cantor (Krazy Kat, Great Neck) joins artist James Romberger (THE BRONX KILL) for this unforgettable and pressingly relevant graphic novel. [Romberger was also a friend of gay artist David Wojnarowicz. The pair collaborated on Wojnarowicz's autobio Seven Miles A Second for Vertigo.]

FABLES #1 $2.99 Page 140
Bill Willingham and Phil Jimenez
New York Times best-selling, award-winning creator Bill Willingham presents a new series starring the female FABLES. Balancing horror, humor and adventure, Fairest explores the secret histories of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, The Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red and others. The first 6 issue arc follows the misadventures of Briar Rose after she is stolen away by the goblin army in Fables  #107. Fan-favorite artist Phil Jimenez returns to Vertigo to pencil the opening storyline. Award-winning cover artist Adam Hughes  provides covers, starting with a wraparound cover on issue #1.

IZOMBIE #23 $2.99 Page 145
Chris Roberson and Michael Allred
Once upon a time, Gwen’s biggest concerns were finding a brain to snack on and worrying whether her boyfriend would find out she was a zombie. Now, with undead secret agents and monster hunters teaming up to stop a mad scientist from bringing about the end of the world, and her friends stuck right in the middle of it, Gwen has bigger problems on her hands. But can a girl help save the world without losing everything in the world she loves? [Scott/ Spot, the were-terrier, has come out and has been dating. See the interview with writer Chris Roberson and sample pages here. ]

D.E.

THE BOYS #64 $3.99 Page 284
Garth Ennis and Russ Braun
Still reeling from the events of last issue, Hughie follows his boss to Washington DC, where the US military struggles to throw a ring of steel around the Capitol. Meanwhile, MM’s research finally bears fruit, but with all Hell breaking loose will his discoveries come too late? Billy Butcher goes off to meet his destiny, in the penultimate part of Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men.

KIRBY GENESIS – DRAGONSBANE #3 $3.99 Page 290
Robert Rodi and Alex Ross
Spinning out of KIRBY: GENESIS, Sigurd Dragonsbane and his band of champions explore the astonishing Mythlands, where the heroes and legends of every cultural tradition now reside. But there’s someone terrifying waiting for them in the dark, dank forests of Eastern European folklore… and if she has her way, their journey might end right there! Plus: The mysterious meaning of the Soothsayer’s prophecies — revealed!

DIGITAL MANGA DISTRIBUTION

As odd as it sounds, this publisher which always has at least one yaoi title, if not more, doesn’t have a one to offer this month. What the heck?!

EUREKA PRODUCTIONS

GRAPHIC CLASSICS OSCAR WILDE (Vol 16) $11.95 Page 302
This copy is taken from Amazon: “Graphic Classics: Oscar Wilde features “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Wilde’s tale of narcissism and horror, adapted for comics by Alex Burrows and illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. Plus the comic satire “The Canterville Ghost” by Antonella Caputo and Nick Miller, “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime” by Rich Rainey and Stan Shaw, and an adaptation of Wilde’s exotic play “Salome”, illustrated by Molly Kiely.”

FANTAGRAPHICS

LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES SC VOL 4 Page 301 $14.99
Los Bros. Hernandez
Jaime’s “The Love Bunglers” reaches its stunning conclusion, and we flash back to teenage Maggie. Gilbert gives us some dangerously sexy vampires and a surprising and complex all dialogue story with Fritz.

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Fun Home

FUN HOME TP $13.95 Page 308
Alison Bechdel
Alison Bechdel Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the “Fun Home.” It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. Soon after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve. This groundbreaking, genre-busting, best-selling graphic narrative has established her as one of America’s most gifted and extraordinary memoirists.

IDW

DOROTHY OF OZ PREQUEL #1 $3.99 Page 166
Denton Tipton, Blair shedd, and Eric Shanower
Based on the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz! Building on the world created in the celebrated children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum, Dorothy of Oz will tell the tale of the titular hero’s return to the Land of Oz. But first read here about what events transpired to necessitate Dorothy’s return, and witness the rise of the Jester!

TRUE BLOOD FRENCH QUARTER Vol 3 $24.99 Page 167
Mariah Huehner, David Tischman, David Messina, and Claudia Balboni
In this sequel to the first NYT best-selling TRUE BLOOD miniseries, “All Together Now,” mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse is in New Orleans, helping Vampire Sherriff Eric Northman track down an insane killer named Guerra. Bill Compton’s in town, too, making sure Eric doesn’t get fresh with Sookie, and investigating a local Hep-D outbreak that may be connected to Guerra’s latest victims. Meanwhile, back in Bon Temps, why is Pam hanging out at Merlotte’s–and what does she want with Lafayette? Based on the HBO mega-hit created by Alan Ball.

IMAGE/ TOP COW

INVINCIBLE #91 $2.99 Page 211
Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley
The new Invincible will not back down, will not give in, and he is not going to play nice. What happens when Mark Grayson isn’t happy with his replacement? All this and… What exactly happened between Robot and Monster Girl in the Flaxan Dimension. [Kirkman revealed Invincible's best friend is gay.]

LIL DEPRESSED BOY #12 $2.99 Page 212
S Steven Struble and Sina Grace
“Brand New Shoes” The Li’l Depressed Boy may have met a new crush… but does he have the guts to ask if the spark is mutual? It all begins with a question.

WALKING DEAD #95 $2.99 Page 220
Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard
“A Larger World” continues! Rick and his group are welcomed into a new community, led by a new charismatic leader. Rick has experienced this before. Is this the beginning of a new era of peace for Rick and the others… or is this man every bit as dangerous as The Governor?[Likewise late in finding out that cast members Aaron and Eric are gay. Until they're dead, that is.]
MARVEL

ASTONISHING X-MEN #48 $3.99 Page 50
Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins
Best-Selling Author Marjorie Liu And Mike Perkins. The X-Men Return To New York City, But It’s Not A Social Call. Don’t Miss The First Chapter Of What Will Be The Most Controversial Story Of 2012! [Northstar and Karma will be a double LGBT addition to this X team.]

AVENGERS ACADEMY #27 $2.99 Page 14
Christos Gage and Karl Moline
Guest-Starring The Runaways! Giant-Man And Victor…Reptil And Chase…Lightspeed And Karolina…What Are The Connections That Make These Combustible Crews Collide? [Stryker is gay.]

AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE HC $34.99 Page 71
Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung, oliver Coipel, and Alan Davis
The Young Avengers return in an epic saga by series creators Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. When Wiccan’s reality-altering powers begin to rival those of the Scarlet Witch, the young hero sets out on a quest to find her that spans the Marvel Universe and pits Wiccan against both the Avengers and the Young Avengers. But will Wiccan’s desire to solve the mystery of his parentage be his salvation or his undoing? With three words, the Scarlet Witch changed the world forever…and now with her return, nothing will ever be the same for the Marvel Universe. This self-contained Marvel event reintroduces and redefines the Young Avengers and the Scarlet Witch for the Heroic Age, and is essential reading for any Avengers fan.

AVENGERS: HAWKEYE SOLO TP $26.99 Page 74
Jen Van Meter, Jim McCann, Roger Robinson and Clayton Henry
The arrowed Avenger returns! When a stranger lies dead at the Avengers’ doorstep, Hawkeye won’t let his world be implicated in a grisly murder. But what seems to be a simple killing gives way to a gruesome conspiracy — one Hawkeye can’t walk away from — and one that involves…the Trapster?! Jen Van Meter ?and Roger Robinson bring Hawkeye with a vengeance! Plus: Hank Pym and the?students of Avengers Academy leave the school behind for a mystery too fantastic to believe! Collecting Avengers: Solo #1-5.

DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #22 & 23 $2.99 Page 58
Rob Williams and Allesandro Vitti
Daken’s Terminal Disease Is In Its Final Stages. What Choices Will He Makes When Finally Faced With Death? Will He Die Here And What Will His Final Actions Be?  The Final Confrontation Between Daken And His Father, Wolverine.[The end of the solo Daken series. Who knows when and where he'll return?]

THOR: THE DEVIANTS SAGA #5 $3.99 Page 30
Robert Rodi and Stephen Segovia
The Unbinding Stone…Unbound! Thor Vs. The Collapse Of Space And Time! The Hidden Quest Of The Eternals Revealed!

X-FACTOR #233 $2.99 Page 58
Peter David  and Leonard Kirk
Havok And Polaris Take The Reins Of X-Factor Investigations! Featuring The Return Of X-Factor Foe The Isolationist.[Peter David confirmed long standing fan speculation that there is a romantic side to Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship in X-Factor #44, published in 2009 despite the discrepancy in numbering.]

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Pylothia

January 14th, 2012

Art by Gianluca Gugliotta

Py’lothia is a Cepniac’n, an alien race existing in the Ninth Dimension in which every female can absorb energy and every male can manipulate and expel it. Py’lothia is an exception to Cepniac’n biology as sie was born bigender/ intersexed and doesn’t want to choose. The decision created friction at home and within the larger community to the degree that Py’lothia was given by hir parents to the Kryl. The space-faring and conquering race strongly suspected hir great power and kept hir in solitary confinement until Mr Terrific, newly freed himself after being taken prisoner after arrival, frees Py’lothia. Sie resists Mr Terrific’s attempts to persuade hir of hir untapped power (“You don’t know what it’s like hating yourself. Thinking you deserve to die, because you’ve discovered something about yourself you can’t stand.”); hir power being the only hope they have of survival against a Kryl mothership bent on their total elimination. Py’lothia finally starts to believe in Mr Terrific’s words and in deus ex machina style single handedly saves them.  Upon their farewell, Py’lothia reveals sie will return to Cepniac’n to reach out to others who were similarly made into outcasts, and then turn to fighting the oppressive Kryl. The name Py’lothia is also the Cepniac’n word for harmony.

Py’lothia first and probably only appearance is in Mr Terrific #5.

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Diary Of A Catering Whore

January 13th, 2012

Sean Seamus McWhinny
Northwest Press
$9.99 Digital Only Edition

Review by Joe Palmer

Do you like the idea of easy money? Student loans looming high? Does the prospect of smelling like fast food overcome your fear of mountainous debt?  Are you a masochist, feeling desperate, or simply delusional? Can you grovel on command? Are you versed in or willing to learn the art of illusion even if you may lose your own grasp on reality? Congratulations! If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you too can rub elbows with the rich and famous as a catering whore! Better yet – spare yourself giref and humiliation by reading McWhinny’s misadventures and musings in his humorous compilation Diary of a Catering Whore.

American poet, writer and satirist Dorothy Parker wrote “Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words”. McWhinny displays ample talent in both wit and wisecracking, two requisite tools anyone who wants to make it in — or out of alive — food service must have. By the time I’d finished panel two of opening strip Űbercool I knew I’d be in sympatico with the entire book. The hip hop jelly doughnut rapper two panels later was met with a not very ladylike snort as memories of my own days as a catering whore (we were simply cater waiters though I admit to whoring for shifts) came rushing back. McWhinny’s catering experiences are a great deal more interesting than mine were and his accounts are hilarious because they’re the kind of incidents that you wouldn’t have the unfortunate luck of happening to you because it wouldn’t ever happen during the course of a mundane work day. The humor in Catering Whore darts and dashes between farce, screwball, slapstick, and satire, though if anyone lampooned herein improves their lot it would be McWhinny by virtue of having drawn and written the strips. Many of the numerous incidents I found particularly funny were catering related, though anyone should appreciate the absurdity of the situations.  I’ll never look at Olympia Dukakis without thinking of her depiction here and the Spam Ambassador piece highlighting an annual party thrown by Spam heir and gay ambassador James Hormel will color my reading of an advance copy of his “Fit to Serve” book I’ve received. The clever dialog and comedic set up throughout the collection leads me to wonder if McWhinny isn’t a David Sedaris in the making for the gay niche of indy comics.

Mchwinny’s art is crisp, open and wonderfully cartoony with the right amount of detail to create a believable stage to place his characters’ antics without visual distraction. Facial expressions are distilled to essential lines and adeptly conveyed to accentuate character traits, individual moments, and to emphasize punch lines. Kudos on making it look so easy! At first I thought I had a small quibble with an occasional rough spot with lettering until I realized the screen resolution I was reading in was 177 percent. The art and lettering are just right at 100 percent so don’t make this mistake. Bigger is not always better, boys!

You can download a preview of Diary of a Catering Whore from iTunes here, be teased a little here and purchase a copy here.

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New Comics From Boy Meets Hero Creators!

January 12th, 2012
New comics from Avery & Garcia at Boy Meets Hero Comics!
From Chayne Avery and Russell Garcia, the creators of the webcomic and graphic novel “Boy Meets Hero” comes a funny new series, “Zane & Tyler”! Available as a digital comic and in print too.
Zane and Tyler are best friends… actually, they’re insanely great friends. They live together, work together, hang out together, do everything together. Well… almost everything! Chuckle at Zane and Tyler’s geeky hijinks while searching for love, comics, and trouble… especially trouble! (Suggested for mature readers.)
Also available now in print and digital formats is “Blue Comet and Fusion: Titanna Strikes!”, the 32 page follow up to “Boy Meets Hero”. This is a “special edition” version of the three-part digital comic that was originally released in 2008, now featuring newly enhanced art and colors.
What happens when a 50 ft. tall super villainess attacks beautiful Golden Bay City and then ensnares all the male superheroes in her deadly gaze? Well it’s up to Blue Comet and Fusion, the city’s famed gay heroes and power-couple, to save the day!
Visit the Boy Meets Hero website for more details and links to buy the comics!

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Kirby Has Comics

January 4th, 2012

Indy comics Rob Kirby storyteller and editor (Boy Trouble, Curbside, Three) has started to add comics to his website. First up are a little, somewhat embellished story about a recent vacation incident and Ginger the Wonder Dog, with a promise of more goodness to come. Go read them here. Thanks to Tom Spurgeon and his Comics Reporter.

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