The video teaser is a neat idea, but it waits much too long to show any Iron Man, with only regular people (not Tony) on view until over halfway through. That’s not the biggest head-scratcher, though. Today, the company announced that the issue (and all of its six covers) had sold out and that “Marvel currently has no plans to go back to press” on the title. Why the heck not?

To be totally clear the existing topics and posts will not be moving to the new boards…. You will need to create new avatars and sig files. We know some of you are really fond of yours, but feel free to re-create or hey, see this as a challenge to be even cooler and wittier. Also your post count will be starting fresh.

Join dates will be reset, and there will be no private message or ignore functionality or chat or polls or “go to last post” function. Sounds like the only folks really gaining from this transition is tech support, since the new system is reported to be more stable. Instead of message board threads, the structure will be articles and comments. There will also be RSS feeds.

Also, they will be adding a lot more video game coverage, as well as other, not-yet-named subjects and “lots of video”. I’m not surprised — many companies see comic book venues not as a way to cover a medium but a way to reach the young adult male, and so they’re willing to branch out to other topics that demographic is interested in. But back to the remastering.

…there will definitely be a forum area, which includes Talk@, forums on DC and Marvel (as well as other publishers), a new forum on Manga and Anime, a place to write reviews, and about 5 other forums.

So, anyone think a lot of manga readers are going to start hanging out at Newsarama after this changeover? Several existing posters seemed interesting by that addition.

With the Speed Racer live-action movie imminent, the moment is right, it seems, for a relative deluge of Speed Racer comics and manga to hit the English-language market. Balanced precariously on the peak of a still-rising mountain of reprinted American Speed Racer comics from the 80s and various more recently licensed efforts comes the Mach Go Go Go boxset from Digital Manga Publishing (DMP), an unabridged reproduction of the original manga by series creator Tatsuo Yoshida in two hardcover volumes.

Speed Racer: Mach Go Go Go
Buy this book

Like Speed himself, Yoshida is better known for his contributions to anime. In 1962, he founded Tatsunoko Studios with his brothers and eventually produced a number of classic anime series including the internationally distributed Speed Racer and Gatchaman (aka Battle of the Planets/G-Force). With only this material to judge his relative acumen as a mangaka, an argument can be made that the relative paucity of content needed to fill a thirty-minute cartoon (as opposed to serial manga) better highlighted his strengths as an infectious stylist if not a particularly imaginative storyteller.

For the six remaining people in North America who do not know, Speed Racer is a young race car driver who, along with his family who double as a pit crew, races his car, the Mach 5, in a variety of dangerous and exotic locations for progressively ridiculous reasons. The opening story, “The Great Plan”, establishes most of the recurring cast as well as a good chunk of the plot formulas that harshly govern these early Speed Racer manga. The introduction of Racer X adds some much needed narrative tension in the second installment, but later stories don’t so much build on it as they do recycle its more successful moments over and over until diluted beyond recognition.

The work is always at its strongest (both, I suspect, then and now) in those moments when the otherwise nonsensical plot insists on some outlandish racing and, gratefully, they come early and often. The early races are more visceral as Yoshida features his racers on the Japanese terrain he would know best. As the locales become more and more exotic (deserts, oceans, etc.), the Mach 5 threatens to draw attention away from Speed as it becomes laden with ever-more-complex technology to adapt to these new terrains. As an artist, Yoshida seems more comfortable (or more interested) drawing the cars than he does the people that inhabit them. His character design shows a tremendous debt of influence to Osamu Tezuka without exhibiting the nuance of character development for which Tezuka is widely celebrated.

Whatever its limitations might be, the Mach Go Go Go collection was an enjoyable read. To their credit, DMP did an excellent job with the design of this project that adds value to the presentation with its obvious reverence for the source material. While Yoshida’s Speed Racer manga may never exceed the narrative sophistication of your average Golden Age superhero comic, it is as undiluted of a glimpse as one is likely to get at his original vision of hyperstylized cars and racing that went on to inspire millions around the globe. And that, as they say, is something you just don’t see everyday.

First, Paul Salvi sent this image. (Paul is currently illustrating Action, Ohio, written by Neil Kleid, in this month’s Zuda competition.) I love his slick line and polished look!

From left to right:
Oliver Queen, Green Arrow; Arthur Curry, Aquaman; Dick Grayson, Robin; Bruce Wayne, Batman; Clark Kent, Superman; Barry Allen, Flash; Hal Jordan, Green Lantern; Billy Batson, Captain Marvel; Barry Allen, Flash

(I’m glad he updated me, or I was going to guess Steve Trevor for the military man. Which isn’t in keeping with the rest. Paul would also like you to know that he hadn’t seen the previous entry when he did his multiple Flashes.)

Next, Jeff Hebert (creator of HeroMachine, and whom it turns out I went to college with) sent this along:

From left to right:
Oliver Queen, Green Arrow; Hal Jordan, Green Lantern; Querl Dox, Brainiac 5; Clark Kent, Superman; Bruce Wayne, Batman; Jason Todd, Robin (says Jeff, “emo style”); Wally West, Flash; John Stewart, Green Lantern

Hey, a Legionnaire! (Although should green men wear purple?) And what great character attitudes. I just adore Oliver’s vest and shirtsleeves in both of them.

Not to take anything away from the work of these fine gentlemen, but I’m hoping this inspires more of you to take part! You have over a week left before May 15.

I was going to go through and list, point by point, all the crap things I’ve been hearing about how some stores treated their FCBD event. In particular, if your treatment of customers on FCBD, a day specifically designed as customer outreach, causes you to lose those people as customers, you’re doing it wrong. But, instead, let me, yet again, go through and tell you what we did. Maybe we can lead by example.

I can’t believe (yes I can) a store actually closed on FCBD so employees could go see Iron Man. I mean, yes, it’s a great film, but geez! Here’s an example of only one of his good suggestions:

… encouraging extra sales on a day when you’re giving away hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars’ worth of product is a good idea, and not that hard to do. Even a small discount, like I noted, can help. In our case, the sales on graphic novels alone that day more than paid for what we spent on the FCBD books.

I like his conclusion, too:

Ultimately, the success of a store’s Free Comic Book Day is in treating the day like a special event to be enjoyed, and not just a burden to be endured, like I’ve heard about too many stores this year. Yeah, I know I grumble a bit about preparing for it here on my site, but it really is a fun, if enormously busy, day.

Plus, he and Randy Lander argue in the comments about whether a limit of three books per person is a good idea or not. (Randy thinks so, as a way of minimizing retailer cost.) I lean towards “not”, in most cases. With over 40 titles, many of which are aimed at similar audiences, allowing people to sample only 7.5% of the items seems to waste the potential of the event.

Even if you’re ONLY interested in manga, there were four specific titles aimed at you. Or only superheroes-with-movies, they had at least four as well. If you’re picking the best for the young ones, you can’t have Simpsons and Sonic and Disney and Kids Love Comics and Owly and Gumby… put half of those back. Such a small limit just results in unpleasant decisions, or keeping the focus on the properties who least need the help.

Plus, many of these books are aimed just as much at existing customers as new. I know stores want new faces to expand their customer base, but seeking the new while annoying the old isn’t much of a win.

That’s assuming a store carried all the titles, of course. If they only chose to stock the 15 or so that they wanted to support and thought they could sell related material for, then I can see having a smaller limit.

(Thanks to Ed, who made me realize that Iron Man combines the best parts of Batman and Superman — he’s got the astounding levels of power, but anyone can put on his suit of armor and be just as super. Plus, he avoids the childhood trauma issues and the split personality.)

So what should I read? I suspect my best choice will be the new Invincible Iron Man comic, which debuts tomorrow. I think writer Matt Fraction, based on his work on Casanova, is a great choice for that kind of thing. To attract that audience, there’s even a movie photo cover, among the six variants possible.

In the meantime, there are always the Masterworks. Those stories won’t be modern, certainly, but they’ll be the original character concepts. Good thing we already own them — the first volume is out of print, so it’s going for triple cover price. What clever timing. The Omnibus, also due tomorrow, is likely intended as a replacement.

At least the DVD-ROM archive is still available. Which would be the best issues for me to look up there? KC said something about playboy Tony being best in the 70s - true?

In that issue, I interviewed Todd Dezago about Perhapanauts and wrote a review of Batman: Death Mask #1 (previewed in the issue as well). This issue also covers Torchwood, the Nana movie, Iron Man, game show fandom, and a BUNCH of other topics. (Those were only the four I was most interested in.)

The best part about getting my comp copies is that I look forward to reading the magazine despite being a contributer. I mean, I’d be checking this out even if I wasn’t writing for them. It’s so attractive and modern in design, it immediately begs to be grabbed and flipped through.

The next issue, June’s, is due out on Wednesday. There, I am very proud of my article on josei manga as well as my review of Life Sucks. Look for the Speed Racer M on the cover. Check it out and let me know what you think!

My experience elsewhere was much better. First, I accidentally opened up Velocity Comics. (I still say, teasingly, if you’re not open yet, you should lock the front door.) They had a nice display, a reasonable limit of 3 books per person, helpful staff, a decent selection of only the books they wanted to support, and a 20% off sale. I chose the three titles I was most looking forward to that I didn’t already have.

(more…)

I realized, watching this story of a self-obsessed super-rich genius, that the problem with most superheroes is that they’re completely egotistical. Most can do things no one else can, so there’s some justification for it, but all believe that they’re above the law and a force unto themselves. Iron Man brings that superhuman approach down to the realistic level, because its lead character has always been that way, and so there’s much less distinction between the two “identities”.

Who else but Robert Downey, Jr. could play Tony Stark? His charm stays the right side of obnoxious, you believe him as a hard-living playboy, and his self-possession is very sexy. (The mustache and goatee are elegantly devilish, and the man is incredibly good-looking.) He’s also excellent at the humor that makes this so entertaining — when he, surprised in a compromising situation by Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), says something to the effect of “Let’s be honest, this isn’t the worst thing you’ve caught me doing,” it’s hilarious (and the mind reels). Some of my favorite bits were during the test sequences, when he keeps smashing himself into the walls.

The special effects are astounding, and this is the first film (yes, even counting Superman) to perfectly capture what must be the sheer exhilaration of self-powered flight. I did have some quibbles — that must be amazingly padded armor, to have him take some of those crashes without breaking any bones. And I couldn’t believe that no one ever made him go see a proper doctor, or that everyone was so blase’ that he now effectively had a nuclear reactor implanted in his chest. But my “wait a minute” moments were quickly superseded by the sheer wonder at what I was seeing.

Yes, there are only two women in the film (not counting a brief but funny early scene that’s there just to show how much of a hound dog Stark is), the loyal assistant and the pushy reporter (Leslie Bibb). Both are well-trodden paths, both bring little new to the screen (except, apparently, a new fashion trend for 7! inch heels). Both at least contribute some small necessity to the plot, even if too often they’re simple devices. Unfortunately, that’s also part of the genre.

I also wasn’t impressed by Rhodey, played by Terrence Howard. I know stiff and official was part of the character, but I didn’t get much sense of any person beyond that, although he was pretty to look at. Jeff Bridges, as Obidiah Stane (whom I’d never heard of before) had this bushy beard balancing out a huge bald cranium! Apparently he is from the comics and that is a faithful look to the character. It’s definitely distinctive, and Bridges is excellent as well. I did love that director Jon Favreau also played Hogan the chauffeur, in a couple of brief scenes. And I liked the agent I’m going to call Jasper, who sets up the potential of the Marvel universe but doesn’t get in the way.

At the end of the movie, as the credits rolled, I immediately wanted more. (First truly surprising ending in a LONG while, although perfectly in keeping with the character.) I was immensely curious to see what happened next. Since that’s not possible, I’m going to see it again tomorrow. At that point, I’ll probably think more closely about the politics — right now, I’m left with the idea that making weapons is bad only if the bad guys buy them when you don’t want them to. The message is muddled, but that’s not really the focus. It’s one guy’s coming-of-age (at a welcome middle age) story, without much consideration to the bigger picture, although it’s definitely more powerful for the setting to be of today, with Middle Eastern warlords hiding in caves.

Mostly, I liked that, while there was plenty of action, the character and his motivations and growth came first. The story had a definite emotional arc, which made the movie even more satisfying. And they did a great job keeping the focus on the man inside the suit. Surprisingly, Tony Stark has replaced Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in my affections.

Oh, there’s one more reason why I liked it: it seemed so modern and real. As I left the theater, I got into my electrically powered Prius with its display screen and back-up camera. I picked up my smartphone, which gives me internet access anywhere, and I felt a certain kinship with a superhero who talks on his cellphone while ducking fighter jets.

Ahem, I am rambling. Today’s about the local comic shop. Many have creator appearances or special sales. Find your local participating store here.

I wanted to point out a couple of the free comics I’ve already had the pleasure of reading. There’s a new Love and Capes #7, which is already the highlight of my day. It introduces Microdot, a shrinking superheroine with purple hair, but that’s just a cameo. The real story is about how Mark is trying to propose to Abby but isn’t sure of the right way to go about it. Getting advice from his and her friends and family is a great way to introduce the characters to new readers, plus it’s very entertaining.

Love and Capes issues always make me go “eeeeeee” with happiness after reading them. They’re terrific with their blend of romance, superheroes, and comedy.

Comic Book Diner, the Kids Love Comics! offering, has a selection of kid-friendly stories featuring Roboy Red, Patrick the Wolf Boy, Buzzboy, and others, plus drawing tips and a recommended reading list from a variety of publishers. The layout is fantastic, very inviting (although I was a little dismayed they used the first paragraph of my Amelia Rules! review without credit in the Reading List section).

Today, I’m looking forward to finding copies of the IGNATZ book, a new Amelia Rules!, and Owly and Friends. Jughead visiting the Geppi Entertainment Museum in the Archie Comics giveaway might be fun, too.

If you were wondering where the formerly ubiquitous online participant has been, well, he’s got more important things (like a new baby) taking up his attention. As he says,

I’ve sort of accidentally purged negativity and antithesis from my daily life

I can’t argue with that choice, and in fact, I’m quite in sympathy to wanting to spend more time with friends and family off-line. It’ll be interesting to see what other topics pop up in this column.

The credit list itself gives a good reason why I’m not trying it:

Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza; Art by Mark Bagley and Art Thibert, Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens, Tom Derenick and Wayne Faucher and Mike Norton and Jerry Ordway

How can you get a decent story out of all that? Superhero comics used to promote their “universes” as a unique selling point, and I suppose they still are… but to the mature reader, they seem less a positive and more of a stumbling block.

Update: I had it wrong. As commenters pointed out, the multiple creators are because of the multi-story anthology format of the title. In the comments, Kurt Busiek lays out the planned structure. Thanks for the correction. And I admit, I’m now more interested than before.

In February, Warner Bros. announced that Season 5 of Nip/Tuck would be released on May 20. Later that month, a correction stated that the announcement was “premature”, and no release date was set.

(In that promo image, Julian McMahon (on the right) reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of a 70s-era Stan Lee, with the glasses and leather blazer. You may also know him as Dr. Doom.)

Now, the company has released the season digitally. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available. (No word on whether the DVD set is still coming or plans for Seasons 3 or 4.) “Get it digitally before you can get it anywhere else.” says the press release. The 14 episodes can be bought as a set for $27.86 (iTunes) or $22.29 (Amazon, Windows only) or for $1.99 each (either site). For comparison, at the time of writing, Amazon has the four previous seasons at $20.99, a substantial discount from the list price of $59.98.

I don’t personally care for this approach, because I like my DVDs. I can watch and rewatch them easily on any TV in my house, instead of worrying about computer connections and hard-drive storage space. Paying for online content doesn’t make me feel like I “own” anything. (And that’s the way the studio wants it, I think.) I also can’t resell it if I want to clean house or make a little extra money. (A growing concern in today’s economy.) It probably saves the studio a good amount, though, what with not having the costs of physical production. On their investors conference call, the figures discussed were that WB gets a 60-70% margin on digital instead of 20-30% on physical media.

Mix up the following to make breading:

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/8 cup (1/2 ounce) Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• pinch ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut them in half, and flatten them to about 1/2 inch thick. (Or use chicken tenders.)

Dip the chicken into olive oil, then the crumb mixture. Put in a shallow baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. That’s it! Delicious with a green salad and a side dish (I chose corn in butter sauce). Best of all, it uses items I always have in the house, so it’s great for last-minute dinner.

The Special actually shipped January 23, but that’s not unusual, for comics to be off a week or so. #14 came out February 13, but #15 shipped April 2. Ok, so that’s still in the same week as a March date, let’s let that slide.

Now, it’s May, and there’s been no sight of #16, which was due in April. Image’s site currently says it’s due May 7 (still with the caption “Now Monthly!”), which puts the series about a month behind. Issue #17 was solicited for May 14, with issue #18 planned for June 18.

At the beginning of April, Paul Grist mentioned that #15 was delayed a couple of weeks due to “a hold up at the printers for some reason”. Later in that same thread, he mentions #16 had been at the printer since the beginning of the same month, saying “I thought it would have been out by now.” Me too.

Update: I have been chastised by someone nicer than I am that for not contacting Image and/or Grist for their side of the story. While he’s right, that would have been courteous, that’s not my point. The fact is, Grist had a horrible track record, he and his publisher made promises that things had changed, and for whatever reason, that promise wasn’t kept. Those are the facts.

The reason behind the delay may satisfy some curiosity, and some fans may want to judge whether or not the delay was Grist’s “fault”, but I’m not one of them. At this point, I don’t care. I’m raising the subject ultimately to provide yet another piece of evidence why reading collections is more satisfying for the reader. Or this reader, anyway.

Why May, traditionally for springtime, bunnies, and flowers? Because the publisher has two graphic novels featuring the creatures coming out this month: Joann Sfar’s Little Vampire and Life Sucks by Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria, and Warren Pleece. They’re very different in mood, style, and audience, though. Little Vampire contains three whimsical-with-edge stories for all ages, while Life Sucks is aimed more at the post-college, “what am I doing with my life?” crowd.

Life Sucks
Buy this book

The high concept of Life Sucks is Clerks with vampires. Dave’s a member of the undead whose life has changed not a bit. He’s working at a convenience store for the vampire who turned him because his master needed a night manager. He’s got a crush on goth girl Rosa, but another vampire’s in his way.

It’s a well-observed, sometimes wryly funny coming-of-age story with an abrupt conclusion that doesn’t fully explore the big plot events that happen shortly before the end. (Maybe they’re planning a sequel?) It’s still worth reading, though, for the sharp character sketches during the dialogue-driven scenes, and the concepts, rethinking the traditional seductive creature of the night, are amusing.

So, let’s talk vampires!

My favorite vampire comic is Spike: Shadow Puppets. It’s completely an in-joke for fans of the Buffyverse, but it gave me such pleasure to read. Runner-up: First Second’s Vampire Loves, because disaffected young adults redone as mythical creatures who still have the same problems of finding love and purpose is genius.

My favorite vampire film is The Lost Boys, because it’s not about the gore, it’s about the mystique and the appeal of being different and distant and powerful.

My favorite vampire show is Angel, due to the amazing character transformation Wesley goes through over the course of the series. Upon rewatching recently, it held up much better than Buffy for me. And it made me cry.

What are yours?

David is a wiz with Legos. Not quite what I was envisioning, but cute nonetheless. I’m still looking for entries, and the deadline is May 15. If no one else enters by then, David, the cash prize is yours.

Little Vampire
Buy this book

They’re as straightforward as their titles suggest, with charm that permeates situations any kid can relate to. In the first, the Little Vampire wants to go to school, so his ghost and monster friends make it possible. He’s sad because there aren’t any other kids around, only an odd-looking demon dog named Phantomato (because he’s red).

Through an entertaining set of circumstances, Little Vampire makes a human friend, and the two pass notes, learn together, and play. Each twist is surprising but plausible… once you accept monster logic. There’s always another imaginative revelation on the next page, sometimes touching depth or even a message.

Joann Sfar’s environments are incredibly entertaining in the way he’s clearly thought about the many baroque details that enliven the setting. The lead characters are drawn simply, mainly circles, which keep them accessible. They look as though anyone could draw them, but few have Sfar’s deceptively invisible skill.

The second story tackles bullying. The answers aren’t the usual pathetic ones; instead, the kids fantasize about violence, as children do, for a permanent solution to the problem. The actual resolution is much more inspirational and weird, based on confidence-building and reached after consulting with a cat-rabbi who lives in a painting. Lots of monkeys are also involved.

The third story begins with dogs seeking sanctuary in the monsters’ haunted house. They’ve escaped from the secret lab of a bad guy who experiments on them. In trying to find them good homes, Little Vampire spends more time with Michael’s grandparents, who are nicely comforting.

Overall, the tales are simple but with bite underneath, which makes them wonderful to share among different generations. This book is recommended, especially for fans of Scary Godmother. For additional vampire stories by Sfar aimed at an older audience, check out Vampire Loves. Preview pages are available at the publisher’s website. (A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the publisher.)

Since this is #1, the cryptozoology characters are reintroduced in unique fashion. First, ghost Molly welcomes us in and catches us up. The team plus Karl the Mothman have been traveling through time, and Karl’s people aren’t too pleased about it. That leads to a creatively told section that’s made up of both insight and hints. Instead of giving each character an origin flashback, we get glimpses into their possible futures, which show what each dreams/fears.

I love seeing Arisa’s leadership. She always seems very human, trying to figure out what’s best for her and her team, but she’s still someone who comes through in times of trouble and can always be relied upon to protect her people. She’s a real hero, but not a cardboard one, and still sympathetic.

New in this series are short backup stories by different artists. In this issue, Dave Tata and Bob Almond illustrate a piece about Choopie in church. Also included are the pencils for Art Adams’ alternate cover and a pinup by Matt Wieringo featuring a giant shark.

If you enjoy this, look for the Annual and the collections of the first two series. The website has character profiles for more on specific team members. A five-page preview is available online. A complimentary copy for this review was provided by the creators, whom I’m proud to consider friends.