Comic Book News
A Comics Odyssey - Issue #12
By Wayne Hall May 27, 2011, 6:36 GMT
The much-anticipated release of the second issue of Flash Gordon: Invasion Of The Red Sword, the second story arc in the comic book series released by Ardden Entertainment, took place this week.
A new comic dealing with zombies in a powerful way has now hit the stands, and I’ll review it in this column. But before I get to that, let’s check out the latest news in the comics universes from the scifipulse.net website:
Geoff Johns, Jim Lee Promise DC Comics ‘Bombshell’
With DC Comics in the middle of the “Flashpoint” event, are big changes coming?
Apparently so, with Co-Editor In Chief Jim Lee and Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns promising a major revelation on June 11 during a panel at the Hero Complex Festival, according to digitalspy.com.
The two told the Los Angeles Times that they will be “bringing bombshell announcements about the future of Superman and the entire DC Universe” to the event.
“It has been speculated that the announcement will involve the effects that the current ‘Flashpoint’ event will have on the DC Universe,” the site reported. “Creators have remained silent on the events of their titles following the conclusion of Johns and Andy Kubert‘s storyline.”
DC has also solicited the final issue of the core miniseries as its only release on August 31.
‘Flash Gordon: Invasion Of The Red Sword’ Released
The much-anticipated release of the second issue of Flash Gordon: Invasion Of The Red Sword, the second story arc in the comic book series released by Ardden Entertainment, took place this week.
Written by Brendan Deneen with art and cover by Eduardo Garcia, The Red Sword continues the fantastic storytelling, which Deneen started in the Mercy Wars story, which opened up the series back in 2009/10.
For those that haven’t picked up their copies yet, here is a story synopsis of the second issue of the series:
After the invasion of the Red Sword’s troops, our heroes are once again separated and on the run! Dale and Vultan race back to the Hawk Man city in an attempt to raise an army against the invading forces, while Flash, Dr. Zarkov, King Thun and Prince Barin find themselves face-to-face with none other than Ming the “Merciful,” who has a deadly quest in mind for himself and Flash!
New Atlas Comics!
The following comics are expected to arrive in your local comics store next week if they aren’t already there:
GRIM GHOST #2
Writer: Stephen Susco & Tony Isabella
Artist: Kelley Jones
Price: $2.99
Full Color, 22 Pages
Do you dare cross into the Fringe?! The war for an army of souls continues here, as Matthew Dunsinane (aka The Grim Ghost) battles his eternal enemy, Lord Braddock, for control over the most powerful soul the Fringe has seen in centuries. Join in now for the coolest supernatural action this side of heaven…or hell!
PHOENIX #2
Writers: Jim Krueger & Brendan Deneen
Artist: Dean Zachary
Price: $2.99
Full Color, 22 Pages
The resurrection continues! Ed Tyler has escaped his captors and returned to earth… but can the aliens be very far behind? Meanwhile, Ed’s girlfriend is having a hard time believing Ed’s story of alien abduction and experimentation… but the creatures that show up at her doorstep, hunting for Ed, may just be enough to convince her!
WULF #2
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Nat Jones
Price: $2.99
Full Color
After the shocking events of Wulf #1, Detective Sam Lomax finds himself lost in a strange world, battling against the barbarian know as Wulf (not to mention a crazy assortment of monsters)! Meanwhile, a dark evil presence haunts the streets of New York City.
Can Lomax and Wulf keep from killing each other long enough to save not one but two worlds?!
Zombies are really popular, and a new comic trade paperback is telling one of the most interesting and dynamic stories of the undead I’ve read in quite some time.
Quarantined is written by Michael Moreci (Image’s Hoax Hunters) with art from Monty Borror, colors from Lauren Anne Sharp, letters from Jim Campbell, and covers from Keith Burns (Highland Laddie, The Boys).
Here’s more information from the official press release: “Markosia Enterprises continues its strong tradition of thought-provoking horror with its latest release, Quarantined. Reminiscent of films such as The Thing and Dawn Of The Dead, Quarantined takes readers on horrific journey through a politically charged landscape. Centering on a group of survivors trapped in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula after a virus turns nearly every resident into a vicious killing machine, Quarantined examines the fragile bonds of society, and what happens when those bonds are severed.
“The characters in Quarantined, led by Henry Foreman, are forced to fight against the mayhem caused by the infected, as well as their growing paranoia of each other. After confronting a mysterious stranger, the survivors dig into the town’s secrets as they hatch their escape—yet none of them are prepared for what they discover.”
Quarantined is definitely worth the purchase and the read.
It’s high-octane horror that doesn’t lose sight of either character or plot, which some other zombie stories have done. We care about the people and their struggles against terrible odds. They don’t always win, and that makes the winning all the sweeter when it does take place.
One of the saddest parts of the book is when a mother has to face losing her son. It gripped me, and I was quickly turning the pages to see how that storyline turned out.
There’s lot of action and suspense. Things are clearly identified and revealed as they need to be when you move through the comic. It’s powerful storytelling at its best.
The script and dialogue are at the same time human and humane. The art fits the dark mood of the tale, and propels the plot along strongly.
I highly recommend this comic, particularly if you enjoy horror and/or zombie literature. And it only costs $19.99.
The cool thing is that Moreci and company already have a second chapter to this story in mind. I have to know what that is, so join me in picking up this book! I want to find out what happens next!
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.
