A Comics Odyssey - Issue #18

By Wayne Hall Jul 7, 2011, 20:49 GMT

DC Comics continues to make headlines with their September relaunch. That�'s one of this week�fs headlines, all taken from the scifipulse.net website: 

More On DC�'s �eNew 52� Comics

DC Comics continues to make big headlines with what is basically a company-wide relaunch of their comics.

According to digitalspy.com, DC�'s senior vice president of sales Bob Wayne recently revealed several new details in a statement released following the company�fs recent Retailer Roadshow.

�"This is an epic and ambitious initiative that ushers in a new generation of comics for DC Comics and will set the tone for storylines and characters for years to come, �he said the statement. �

With all the titles starting at #1, our creative teams have the ability to take a more modern approach, not only with each character, but with how the characters interact with one another and the universe as a whole, and focus on the earlier part of the careers of each of our iconic characters.

The New 52 will provide DC Entertainment an opportunity to aggressively reach the widest possible audience worldwide through captivating stories and an accessible entry point.�

One question fans have been asking is, Is �eThe New 52� officially a reboot of the entire comics line, or if certain parts of character histories will remain intact?
�This is not a reboot,� Wayne said. �It�'s a launch. This is a new beginning that builds off the best of the past.

�For the stories launching in September we have carefully hand-selected the most powerful and pertinent moments in these characters�f lives and stories to remain in the mythology and lore.

�And then we�'ve asked the best creators in the industry to modernize, update and enhance the books with new and exciting tales.�
The DC relaunch officially gets underway on August 31 with the final issue of �Flashpoint� and the appearance of the new �Justice League� series by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee.

Jimmy Carr To Make Comic Book Debut In �CLiNT�

Popular British comedian Jimmy Carr will soon be making the transition from comedy writer to comic book writer for the popular British anthology magazine CLiNT, which is edited by comic book supremo Mark Millar.

Carr has written a comic strip titled Beat My Score - tackling the contentious issue of school shootings around the world.

�We�'ve been incredibly lucky with CLiNT in this first nine months,� said Millar. �We just got nominated for a big award before we�'ve even reached our first birthday and the talent lineup has been unmatchable.

�We�'ve had people as diverse as Victoria Coren, Ian Rankin, Jonathan Ross and Frankie Boyle in here, and now we�'ve got Jimmy Carr doing comic books. It�'s crazy. What�fs nice is that he rose to the occasion and gave us maybe my favourite story in the comic so far.�

He added: �It's such a beautifully simple idea I sent it to my agents and suggested they set the movie up. I couldn�'t be happier with it.�

According to Digital Spy Beat My Score features manga-style illustrations from Japanese artist Ryusuke Hamamoto, has also been described as �ga nihilistic satirical sideswipe at the glamorisation of violence�h.

Review: Vic Boone #1.

If you like a little fun sprinkled in with your spy and sci-fi story, this is the comic for you!

Here�'s the book�'s description: �Former daredevil Vic Boone is a private investigator in a world etched by the science fiction of drive-in movies and early Hollywood. It�'s a landscape of robots, ray guns, and regular Joes. But whether his client is a beautiful socialite or a brain that wouldn�ft die, Boone is out to get the job done no matter how bizarre.�h

�Adventure� is a word rarely used in comics today. It implies experiencing the fantastic with a sense of enjoyment. I�'m happy to say that Vic Boone is �adventure� in the purest sense of the word. I enjoyed every single panel.

Boone is himself a colorful character, a PI who investigates the unusual in a similarly strange setting. He�'s hard-boiled, he�'s down-to-earth, and he�'s just what people need to solve their problems in such a crazy environment. Created by Shawn Aldridge, Boone is a welcome change to the usual superhero comics are often centered around.

He�'s surrounded by fleshed-out characters who cover the entire spectrum, from the Raygun Radicals with their caped leader, who are comical in their inability to get anything done right, to the �real� woman in need of help and comfort, of course!
The art by Geoffo and the Aldridge�'s colors give the comic a mysterious and yet playful feel to the story.

If you enjoy variety as much as I do and like a book that delivers on all cylinders, pick up Vic Boone! You�'ll be glad you did!

I had the chance to interview Shawn Aldridge, the character�'s creator, during a recent Wayne�'s Comics podcast, and I�'m sure you�fll enjoy our discussion. Click on the player below:

Wayne Hall contributes to the Smallscreen, Film and Graphic Novels/Comic Book sections of the Monsters And Critics.com website. He writes recaps for Fox�'s �Bones,� Syfy�fs �Warehouse 13� and the BBC�'s �Doctor Who.� He is co-editor and a news writer for SciFiPulse.Net. He also serves as a host for the �SFP-Now� weekly podcast and produces and stars in the �Wayne�'s Comics� weekly podcast. You can check both of them out at http://www.sfp-now.com.