A Comics Odyssey -- Issue #7

By Wayne Hall Apr 22, 2011, 3:37 GMT

Before the first issue is done, Alan finds himself caught between two rival factions with unclear motives -- though one appears poised to save him while the other is looking to kill him.

A Comics Odyssey – Issue 7
 
Comics remain collectible, and comic-related movies continue to do well, so let’s get into this week’s “comics in the headlines” items, all taken from the recently revamped scifipulse.net website: 
 
‘X-Men’ #1 Bought for $200,000
 
A copy of Marvel’s X-Men #1 was purchased for $200,000 (£123,184) in a private sale, according to digitalspy.com.
The book came out in 1963 and was written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby. Of course, the comic followed a group of young mutants–the original lineup of the Angel, Iceman, the Beast, Cyclops and Marvel Girl, all of whom were being tutored by Professor X in his private school. It also featured the first appearance of Magneto, long the main villain to fight the team.

IDW Says ‘Star Trek’ Comics License Still With Them

Eagle-eyed fans of Star Trek have noticed that the last two months, IDW Publishing has not solicited any new comics based on the franchise. That’s caused some on the Internet to wonder if IDW had lost the license.

It didn’t take long for IDW Publishing Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall to respond to those rumors. He sent the following to TrekWeb.com:
“Sometimes the licenses take small breaks, but there’s definitely more Star Trek coming, including something that should take everyone by surprise. First up, we’ll have a new Trek project launching in September.”
 
‘Thor,’ ‘Cap’ Movie Sequels Already Confirmed
 
It should come as no surprise that both ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ are going to spawn sequels.

“Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige has confirmed that sequels to upcoming superhero blockbusters Thor and Captain America will be produced,” the digitalspy site reported. “Speaking to D23 Magazine, Feige said that the storyline for the Captain America follow-up will take the action away from the World War II setting and into the present day.”

“Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own,” Feige said.
 
The Comic Of The Week
 
‘Malignant Man’ from BOOM! Studios is my book of the week. It has a lot of creative firepower behind it, including James Wan, who directed and produced ‘Saw,’ and Michael Alan Nelson, who developed ’28 Days Later.’ Art is provided by Piotr Kowalski—this is his first English-language comic.
 
Here’s the basic storyline for the series: “A terminally ill man discovers what he thought was cancer is actually something far different—and potentially more lethal.”
 
This is the kind of title that BOOM! does very well—bringing in people from other entertainment venues so they can breathe life into a variety of comics. In fact, this is Wan’s first comic.
 
During a recent interview with CBR.com, Wan said, “The most important thing for me is the story, regardless of the genre. I love finding new ways to break a familiar story. I'm a big fan of taking things that are established, but mess with it completely. As an audience/reader, you go into these stories with certain expectations, but then these conventions are flipped and subverted. This is the process that makes it fun for me."
 
So just who is Alan Gates, the main character?
 
"Alan was sort of a middle management kind of guy … bright, but not overly ambitious, never got into trouble, paid his taxes on time, even dated every now and then. He was about as vanilla as you can get for someone who spent his adolescence in foster care," said Nelson. "But his childhood is something that he doesn't remember so he has no idea where he grew up, who took care of him, or if he ever had parents or any childhood friends to speak of. That part of his life is a mystery."
 
Before the first issue is done, Alan finds himself caught between two rival factions with unclear motives -- though one appears poised to save him while the other is looking to kill him.
 
The art is spooky and moody, and the pacing matches that feel. Very nice for a darker comic like this one.
 
I recommend this comic if you’re in the mood for a comic that will leave you wondering just what’s going on as well as caring about what will happen to the title’s characters.
 
Wayne Hall is co-editor and a news writer for SciFiPulse.Net. He also serves as a host for the SFP-Now podcast and also the Wayne’s Comics podcast. You can check both of them out at http://www.sfp-now.com.