By Andrew A. Smith
Tribune Content Agency
Nov. 28, 2019 — ‘Tis the season of Thanksgiving, and as it happens, I do have a lot of people to thank. The public relations folks I deal with all the time are often unknown to the public, but they make my column, and the work of many another ink-stained wretch, orders of magnitude better. Let’s do some shout-outs:
Thanks to Anthony Blackwood of Marvel Comics. Anthony has emailed me more than 20 press releases in November alone, sending covers, information and videos about first issues, launch parties and other projects.
But what Anthony appears to be most enthusiastic about is Thor #1, coming Jan. 1. This new series picks up after the recent “War of the Realms” event, in which the Thunder God gets promoted to king of Asgard. Anthony has emailed eight times (so far) about the new series, including variant covers and a video trailer.
Now, I’ve read a lot of Thor comics, and all of the original myths in print, and it takes a lot to get me enthusiastic about the ol’ Odinson. But, by golly, Anthony managed to do it. “Now (Thor’s) sitting on his throne, kinda thinking about what happens tomorrow,” says new writer Donny Cates on the video. “Well, tomorrow is me, and (artist) Nic Klein. And tomorrow is gonna be real, real bad.”
OK, I’m in, Anthony. You can stop the hard sell.
See below for all the covers Anthony sent me.
Thanks also to Sara Ruiz Hannah, of DC’s young adults line of graphic novels. She’s the unspoken hero who arranged an interview with Meg Cabot about Black Canary: Ignite for a recent column. I expect Sara is going to line up some more interviews for me, because her recent press releases have alerted me to no less than 16 YA graphic novels in the pipeline for 2020!
Copyright DC Comics Inc.
Black Canary: Ignite is a new Young Adult graphic novel by Meg Cabot and Cara McGee, about a 13-year-old Dinah Lance just growing into her inherited super-power. Here is my interview with author Meg Cabot.
Thanks to the entire PR team at DC Comics, both at the publisher and at B/HI, especially Clark Bull, Adam Philips and Kelly Garnier. I count at least seven different people repping DC in my inbox, a group which sends me digital review copies (DRCs in PR-speak), solicitations, covers and more. But then, DC Comics is one of the Big Two comics publishers, and they have a lot to talk about.
Because of these fine folks, I jumped in early on DC’s new horror line, especially the delightful A Basketful of Heads. I know to keep an eye out for Superman #18, where the Man of Steel may (or may not) reveal his secret identity to the world. I know about the new lineup in Suicide Squad, the sequel to the hit DCeased (a zombie apocalypse miniseries), the all-star talent on Wonder Woman #750, and much, much more. As a result, I am kept up to date on DC Comics and can write about it knowledgeably.
Art by Ivan Reis, copyright DC Comics
The new Suicide Squad series has a new lineup. Harley Quinn predicts an early demise for most of them.
Thanks to Robert Pietranton of Warner Television, who informs me about the DC Universe shows Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn (debuting Nov. 29), Titans and Young Justice. Robert just sent me a pic of what we’ve all been eagerly expecting since Titans episode 1: the Nightwing outfit. It’s what Dick Grayson takes to wearing in the comics (and now on the show) after he quits being Robin. According to Robert’s information, we’ll see the costume on actor Brenton Thwaites before the end of Season 2.
Courtesy DCUniverse.com
The Dick Grayson of the Titans TV show will finally don this outfit and become Nightwing, as his comics counterpart did 35 years ago ago.
Thanks to Imogen Harris at Titan Comics in the UK. I hope Imogen has a lot of unlisted help, because she does a Herculean job keeping me happily buried in Titan lore. In recent emails, she’s alerted me to the arrival of an Adler series (starring “that woman” of Sherlock Holmes fame), the first collection of Blade Runner 2019, The Philosophy of Deadpool HC (seriously, can’t wait to read it), Robotech: Event Horizon, Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince (runner-up for the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award) and so much Thirteenth Doctor material that I don’t even mind the TV show’s lengthy hiatus.
Art by Andres Guinaldo, copyright Titan Comics
Blade Runner 2019 channels the flavor of the original movie. Here's my review.
Thanks to Rachel Kilbury at Dynamite Entertainment, which publishes a host of famous IPs, including James Bond, John Carter of Mars, Red Sonja and Vampirella. Like clockwork, Rachel turns up in my inbox on Fridays with DRCs, and Wednesdays with covers and previews. It’s nice to know you can count on some people in this inconstant world, and Rachel is one of those people.
Currently Rachel is making sure I’m an 007 expert, with Bond’s origin occurring in one title, and his current adventures in another. Meanwhile, Dejah Thoris (of Mars), Red Sonja and Vampirella keep turning up in the darnedest places, in addition to their own books. I’m immersed in Red Sonja & Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica, which was recently increased from six issues to 12.
Art by Fay Dalton, copyright Dynamite Entertainment
This is really happening.
Speaking of Betty & Veronica, thanks to Ron Cacace for keeping me in the loop on what’s happening in Riverdale — which, these days, is a lot. In addition to “classic” Archie titles, the publisher has expanded into horror (Vampironica Jughead: The Hunger), adaptations of its own TV properties (Riverdale, Katy Keene), crossovers (Archies Meet the B-52s, Archie vs. Predator II) and unclassifiable (Cosmo the Mighty Martian, Archie 1955).
Art by Francesco Frankavilla, copyright Archie Comics
After the success of Archie 1941 (which set the characters in a realistic wartime setting), Archie Comics is continuing with Archie in a realistic 1955 setting.
Thanks to Amy Huey, Megan Connor & Co. at Dark Horse. I’ve been receiving solicitations from Amy since forever, while Megan and her team (I think that’s Anthony Mauro and Kate Jay, but I don’t want to leave anyone out) keep dishing the news to me on the regular.
Just the other day I was thrilled to find out about Hazel and Cha-Cha Save Christmas, a one-shot using Umbrella Academy characters. You remember this duo, right? They’re the time-traveling assassins with the animal masks that stole the show when Academy aired on Netflix. How they will apply their distinctly not-joyous skills to holiday joy, I have no idea.
I’m also following the new Mask series — you remember the Jim Carrey movie, right? — and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, which DH is adapting. And so is Starz! Going back and forth from the comics to the TV show keeps reminding me how much I want to re-read the novel, but there are only so many hours in the day.
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards, copyright Dark Horse
Yes, I'm curious how they do that, too.
Speaking of Dark Horse, thanks to David Hyde of Superfan Promotions, who seems to have the Hellboy account, separate from DH PR. David has been a regular in my inbox since his days at DC Comics, and while I’ve never met him, I’m always glad to see his name in my email. Besides, how else am I going to find out about Hellboy, Abe Sapien, B.P.R.D., Witchfinder, Lord Baltimore and the other denizens populating artist/writer Mike Mignola’s brain? Not to mention Ahoy Comics, Humanoids, ComiXology Originals, and whatever other accounts David has.
I don’t know how big Superfan Productions is, but it’s also the home of Pamela Mullin Horvath and Hanna Bahedry. Pamela also used to work at DC Comics, and I’ve been getting emails from her since before she added “Horvath” to the end of her name. And Hanna just did me a solid the other day, when I missed the download window on Chasing Echoes, a Humanoids graphic novel I intend to review next week. Thanks again for the DRC, Hanna!
Art by George Schall, copyright Humanoids Inc.
Chasing Echoes follows a family in search of a Polish flour mill stolen from their ancestors by the Nazis during World War II. Here's my review.
Thanks also to Gregg Katzman and Emily Hecht, who steer the marketing for Valiant. As a result, I probably know more about Doctor Mirage, Doctor Tomorrow, Harbingers, Livewire, Punk Mambo, Shadowman and X-O Manowar than I could possibly learn on my own.
But topping the Valiant heap lately have been Rai, the Bloodshot of 4002, and Bloodshot, the uh, Bloodshot of today. A new Rai series recently launched, complete with its own theme song from heavy metal band A Sound of Thunder (search “Break Free” by Sound of Thunder on YouTube). And, of course, Bloodshot is getting his own movie, starring Vin Diesel, in 2020 — which has a trailer that makes excellent use of Johnny Cash’s “Memories Are Made of This” (search “Bloodshot” on YouTube).
Thanks to Keith Davidsen for all the IDW info. IDW publishes a lot of ‘80s IPs (G.I. Joe, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) plus a variety of other titles too wide to list here. My current focus is on George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy, a graphic novel which just received a Spanish-language version.
Art by Harmony Becker, copyright IDW
Let me quote from the press release: "In a stunning graphic memoir, actor/author/activist George Takei revisits his haunting childhood in American concentration camps, as one of 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II."
Finally, thanks to Andrew Fitzgerald and Kat Salazar for apprising me of the ineffable awesomeness of Image Comics. Image’s line is so eclectic that the only thing most titles have in common is high quality and/or superstar creators. Shall I praise Scott Snyder’s Undiscovered County? Should I fanboy over Greg Rucka’s Lazarus” Shall I philosophize about Jonathan Hickman’s East of West? Nay, nay — that would insult the other fine books by omission. And the only way I could know about all of the Image books, short of entering bankruptcy at the comics shop, is Andrew and Kat hitting me up with the deets.
Art by Chris Samnee, copyright Image Comics
Here's the latest book from Image, by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Chris Samnee (Daredevil). Image has a murderer's row of talent on their eclectic line of books.
I have lots more to say, but the bottom of the page is coming up fast. The danger with a column like this is leaving someone deserving out, which I have almost surely done. From them, I beg forgiveness.
In the meantime, thanks to all the hard-working, behind-the scenes PR people everywhere. It’s a dirty job … and I couldn’t do my dirty job if it weren't for you!
Find Captain Comics by email (capncomics@aol.com), on his website (captaincomics.ning.com), on Facebook (Andrew Alan Smith) or on Twitter (@CaptainComics).
Copyright Marvel Comics
Thor #1 has multiple covers, including this one by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau.
Copyright Marvel Comics
Thor #1 by Ron Lim.
Copyright Marvel Comics
Thor #1 by John Buscema.
Copyright Marvel Comics
Thor #1 by Woo Dae Shim.
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