Freak Comics

In light of Superman Returns hitting theaters in a few days, I thought it would be cool to present all of you with a host of videos related to the Man of Steel. These range from the bizarre to the main stream.

For the next 3 days I will be releasing a set of videos which pay homage to the Last Son of Krypton in one way or another.

To get things started, here are six Superman cartoons from the 40’s.

Superman

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Superman: The Mummy Strikes

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Superman: The Mechanical Monsters

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Superman: Electric Earthquake

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Superman: The Magnetic Telescope

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Superman: Eleventh Hour

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“The Galactic Bounty Hunters characters were created by Jack Kirby while he was working on Captain Victory in the early 1980s,” reveals Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “Rather than use the characters in Victory, though, he pulled them aside, intending to revisit them later. And from Jack’s notes and concepts, Lisa along with Steve Robertson, Mike Thibodeaux and Richard French fleshed out the characters and their story for this project.”

Jack’s daughter Lisa is taking her father’s creation and running with it as she co-writes the series with Steve Robertson with art by Mike Thibodeaux. Jack Kirby’s Galactic Bounty Hunters #1 is a double-sized 56-page issue kicking off the six issue mini-series featuring a new universe of adventure, mystery, and danger.

The King’s creation introduces the Berkleys, a typical suburban California family; typical until young Garrett Berkley discovers that his father’s science fiction writings are actually an autobiography. The revelation kicks off a series of events that forces Jack Berkley to put down his pen, reassemble his team, and become a Galactic Bounty Hunter once again.

Pick up a piece of history and pay tribute to one of the men who built the comic industry with Jack Kirby’s Galactic Bounty Hunters #1 as a new generation of creators, including Jack’s daughter Lisa, expand upon the foundation that the King has left behind.

JACK KIRBY’S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS #1 (MAY062015)
Written by LISA KIRBY & STEVE ROBERTSON
Penciled by MIKE THIBODEAUX
Cover by JACK KIRBY
56 PGS./Rated A …$3.99
FOC - 6/29, On Sale – 7/19/2006

Civil War has reached Professor Xavier’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters and the 198 have decided to take up arms against the Sentinels keeping watch over the remaining mutants in Civil War: X-Men #1.

Civil War: X-Men also sees the reunion of the surviving original X-Men as Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, and Beast try to quell the 198 insurrection.

X-Force fans rejoice as Domino, Caliban, and Shatterstar return to set the 198 revolt into motion. It’s up to the X-Men to keep the peace but what happens when Bishop chooses to side with the O*N*E* instead of his teammates? Will Bishop resort to violence against his friends in order to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the 198?

The X-Men have been spread thin following the Decimation of most of the world’s mutants and the tension has finally reached its breaking point in the pages of Civil War: X-Men #1. Witness Civil War from the X-corner of the Marvel Universe as the original X-Men go head-to head with Bishop (and some surprise cohorts) while the 198 and X-Force are caught in the middle

CIVIL WAR: X-MEN #1 (of 4) (MAY061962)
Written by DAVID HINE
Penciled by YANICK PAQUETTE
Cover by JUAN DOE
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC – 6/29, On Sale – 7/19/2006

A comatose girl. Supernatural criminals. Two cops on the edge. What do they all have in common?

Welcome to the world of THE CROSS BRONX, a brand-new four-issue miniseries by Michael Avon Oeming (co-creator of POWERS) and Ivan Brandon (NYC MECH) that seemlessly mixes police procedure and the supernatural.

The series, which marks Oeming’s first large-scale sequential work outside of POWERS in years, follows Detective Rapheal Aponte in the Bronx as he investigates a mysterious gang slaying that quickly brings him face to face with the supernatural in the form of a beautiful ghost named Santaria. Taking out her revenge on the city, Santaria challenges Aponte’s faith in the law as it clashes with his faith in God - or lack of it.

In the vein of “High Plains Drifter” and “Taxi Driver,” THE CROSS BRONX delves into two worlds; one is the dark side of the Supernatual and the other is the dark side of Crime Noir. Dodging bullets and curses, THE CROSS BRONX will take you down some very unexpected and dangerous streets of the real life Bronx.

“I’m very enthusiastic about CROSS BRONX,” says Oeming. “It is the first thing I’m co-writing as I’m also illustrating it, which has been a refreshing mix for me. I think any fan of POWERS or FELL will really dig what we’re doing with this book.”

Along with handling the art chores, Oeming is also co-writing the book with Ivan Brandon, one of the creators of the critically acclaimed NYC MECH. The two of them found common ground with THE CROSS BRONX.

“It should be clear by now that I’m a little obsessed with the intricacies of the street-level crime world,” explains Brandon. “And Mike’s fascination with the city itself, with the tiny details that make up an authentic Bronx environment, have made this a dream project across the board. Visually, this is Mike at his absolute peak. The level of craft he’s bringing to this really surpasses any of the work he’s done in comics at any point in his career. Every new page is darker and more phenomenal than the last. Writing for him on this could not be more daunting or more fulfilling.”

Guns will fire, people will die, prayers and curses will both be answered in THE CROSS BRONX.

THE CROSS BRONX is a four-issue full-color miniseries debuting in September. It is available for order in the July Previews catalog and is scheduled to be in-stores on September 13th.

Civil War has divided X-Factor in half with some supporting the Superhuman Registration Act and the other half wanting to take a stand against it in X-Factor #9. Now it’s up to Madrox to make a decision that will decide the future of X-Factor and whether it stands or falls apart.

You want more? How about a special guest appearance by the Astonishing X-Men? And how will X-Factor react upon learning the secret that Cyclops, Beast, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, and Wolverine have kept from them?

Still want even more? As if an escalating war and the most popular team in comics wasn’t enough, the person behind the House of M and the resulting Decimation of many of the world’s mutants has arrived in Mutant Town. And it falls to X-Factor to keep Quicksilver from turning the town upside down in X-Factor #9.

Quicksilver has resurfaced in Mutant Town offering former mutants the chance to regain their powers, but what happens when he gives the same offer to the depowered Rictor? Will he accept and if he does, what price will he have to pay?

You’ve got questions and X-Factor #9 has the answers. Do not miss the second part of the Civil War tie-in that has dangerous consequences for the future of X-Factor.

X-FACTOR #9 (MAY062009)
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by DENNIS CALERO
Cover by RYAN SOOK
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
FOC – 6/29, On Sale 7/19/2006

This fall award-winning writer Ed Brubaker, whose recent string of hits on Daredevil, Captain America and the X-Men have made him one of the hottest writers in comics, will join best-selling Marvel Zombies artist Sean Phillips for CRIMINAL, from Marvel’s ICON label.

“For about a year, Sean and I have been trying to find the right project to tackle next. One day I realized what it had to be: a crime book. A pure crime book. And it was like being called home,” says Brubaker. “The first book I made a name for myself on was Scene of the Crime, a mystery with Michael Lark and Sean Phillips. And while most of what I’ve done since has had an element of crime fiction to it, readers have always asked when I was going to get back to writing crime comics. So I figured now is that time.”

Why crime? “It’s an incredibly crowded comics market and my feeling is, we really don’t need another superhero comic, even a superhero comic with a twist. Marvel and DC have that ground more than covered at this point,” Brubaker says. “And recently, watching Warren Ellis have so much success with Fell, and seeing Robert Kirkman grow Walking Dead month after month, I thought, ‘Let’s take a chance and give retailers something different for their shelves.’ And let’s face it, everyone loves to read about crime.”

To introduce retailers and audiences to the world of CRIMINAL, Brubaker and Phillips felt drastic action was necessary. “When new books are announced, you get a cover and a few random pages from the first issue,” Brubaker says. “I wanted to do something that actually gave you an idea of what CRIMINAL was all about and how holding each issue in your hands was going to feel. So I thought, ‘What about a teaser, a movie trailer on paper?’ Then you’ve got something that not only gives a sample of the series, but also acts as an ad for it, and is a PDF that fans can pass around.”

As for things you can’t learn from the teaser, CRIMINAL will tread the line between comics like Fell and Sin City and TV series like The Sopranos, Thief and The Shield. “The main cast of the book, they’re criminals. But I wanted to do something different with it here. I wanted to write a book that explored the clichés of the crime genre and turned them inside out. I wanted to have characters totally unlike the ones you’re used to seeing in crime stories.”

Take the first character we meet: Leo. “He’s not a tough guy,” Brubaker laughs. “Not at all. He just doesn’t want to go to prison. He plays it smart, and tries to avoid violence. But because of the world he lives in, that’s not always possible. That kind of character is incredibly rare in crime fiction, I think, that person concerned with the consequences of their actions. And because of that, Leo’s story is ultimately about a man’s struggle with the violence inside himself.”

What else can readers look forward to in CRIMINAL? Brubaker promises every kind of crime story under the sun. “One of my intentions with this series was to create a book that could handle any and every story I wanted to tell. The cast of the book is a loose knit gang of crooks – a pickpocket, a hit-man, and a crooked cop, for starters – who each take center stage at different times. This way I can do a heist story, follow that with a revenge drama, and then a prison breakout, all while using the same characters. And as each story unfolds, the mysterious past that connects these characters is revealed, so readers can watch the puzzle of their twisted history being put together.”

To that end, each issue of CRIMINAL will feature a main story continuing from issue to issue, a self-contained back-up story, and articles by Brubaker and other writers about crime books, movies and comics. “I wanted to do something to make the monthly issues really special, so I’m going to cram them from cover to cover with content. CRIMINAL is going to be well worth the cover price.”

As for launching the book from Marvel’s exclusive ICON line, Brubaker could not be more pleased. “It’s no secret how happy I’ve been at Marvel. Since I’ve come there, my career has exploded. So the fact that they were generous enough to give me a chance at true creator-ownership from the biggest publisher in comics is just overwhelming. I intend to repay this generosity by making sure that CRIMINAL is the best damn comic I’ve ever done.”

“If you’re a fan of my past work, or only recently discovered me through my Marvel comics, and if you dug Sean’s art in MARVEL ZOMBIES, I hope you’ll give us a chance to blow you away with CRIMINAL. I’ve been giving my all to my superhero work, but with a straight crime book, I have to say, there are places I can go that heroes can’t follow, a few aces up my sleeve I can hardly wait to put into play. Fall can’t come quickly enough.”

Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, CCO, and the human lightening rod for controversy Joe Quesada has started his very own blog on Marvel.com, appropriately titled Cup of Blog. Learn about the daily life of Marvel’s driving force from what he eats for breakfast to what superhero he would like to see dead next.

Read Joe’s first blog entry.

Joining the likes of other Marvel.com bloggers like Executive Editor Tom Brevoort (Civil War, New Avengers) and the X-bloggers Nick Lowe and Sean Ryan, Joe Quesada’s Cup of Blog will be your number one destination for all things JQ. Check back early and often because you never know when Joe will be unveiling new art or making an earth-shattering announcement.

Have something to say to Joe, about his blog, comics, or the New York Mets? Well now you the fan can be heard as Marvel.com provides each and every fan the opportunity to respond to each of Joe’s blog entries.

Be sure to check back all next week as Joe gives his thoughts and updates on Marvel’s big creative summit taking place all next week. And always remember to start your day off right with a Cup of Blog.

J. Michael Straczynski and Gary Frank’s re-envisioning of the Squadron Supreme continues as the US government controlled super-team embarks on a deadly mission to the Middle East in Squadron Supreme #5. But will the mere presence of the Squadron Supreme cause more problems than it solves?

In a perfect jumping on point for new readers, Squadron Supreme #5 ups the action to the highest degree as the government continues to use the team on foreign soil. This time, the team is off to the Middle East to save countless innocent lives, but will their intervention cause long-term consequences for the region?

Now is the time to join the ranks of the readers of the Supremeverse as Squadron Supreme and the entire Ultimate Universe will be crossing over late this year in the pages of Ultimate Power by the stellar creative team of J. Michael Strazynski, Brian Michael Bendis, Jeph Loeb, and super-star artist Greg Land.

Be sure to pick up Squadron Supreme #5 because from the looks of these preview pages, the Squadron just may be the most powerful team ever assembled in comics. Watch out Ultimate Universe!

SQUADRON SUPREME #5 (MAY061998)

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

Pencils & Cover by GARY FRANK

32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

FOC – 6/22, On Sale – 7/12/2006

The long-running Spider-Girl series has finally reached its end, but not before going out with a bang in a 100th issue spectacular. Spider-Girl #100 is a 104-page wrap-up of the adventures of the original Spider-Man’s daughter in the MC2 Universe.

What will be Spider-Girl’s final fate? Is this destined to be Spider-Girl’s last story? If Hobgoblin, the Scriers, and Black Tarantula have anything to say about it, this will be the last anyone sees of Mayday Parker. But when Spider-Man joins the fray to help his daughter, can he help stem the tide and defeat this collection of villains?

Spider-Girl #100 is loaded with tons of features, enough for a hero’s sendoff. Not only will it feature the death of a hero and the final fate of Normie Osborn and the Venom Symbiote, but be sure to check out the special features, including a cover gallery, Spider-Girl’s rogues gallery, and two classic Spider-Girl stories.

The little-comic-that-could is finally coming to a close so be sure to pick up the last issue of Spider-Girl for the finale to Mayday’s toughest challenge yet.

SPIDER-GIRL #100 (MAY061947)
Written by TOM DEFALCO
Pencils & Cover by RON FRENZ
104 PGS./All Ages …$3.99
FOC – 6/22, On Sale – 7/12/2006

Way back when the Omac Project was in full swing I was still living in Southern Illinois. That’s when I only had one comic book shop to choose from. It’s run by an old fart that’s never had a social life outside of pickup matches of D&D, yet somehow he manages to maintain an ignorance of mainstream and indie titles alike. You ask the guy what he would recommend and he comes back with a resounding “Beat’s me”.

And then there’s his snarky little piece of crap underling that works at the shop. This little jerk has driven away plenty of business for the place with his elitist attitude and unasked for commentary one what you’re purchasing. A couple of examples:

Example 1: My friend Bill is pretty picky about what he wants to buy and usually asks more than his fair share of questions at the point of purchase. Bill also happens to have taken a shine to the art of Alex Ross, and especially the Justice series. Well the Jerk kid at the shop on more than one occasion has laid in to Bill for being an Alex Ross fan, stating that Justice is taking too long to come out and Alex Ross really isn’t all that great.

Example 2: My other friend Darrel is black. I’m white. When going to the comic shop with Darrel I would see the demeanor in this kid (and the owner) on more than one occasion change quite rapidly. The kid would usually get very quiet and skittish. Once he started talking very loudly about someone in his college that was racist and was making it known very loudly that he himself is not… he was doing this in such a manner that only a racist in denial can.

But horrible commentary and a poor selection wasn’t the only downfall of the crappy comic shop. they also failed on more than once occasion to keep the shelves stocked. One time in-particular was during the Marvel Zombies series. The comic shop failed to mention that they would be getting a late delivery (Thursday rather than Wednesday). I found out on Wednesday after driving 20 minutes to get there (Southern Illinois is horribly rural). I went back on Thursday afternoon and they were mysteriously sold out of Issue #1.

The most frustrating of all occurrences, however, was the sell out of Omac Project #3 which tells you at the end of the issue to read the Sacrifice crossover. At the time I wasn’t buying any Superman or Wonder Woman comics and thus completely overlooked the Sacrifice series. It wasn’t until much later when I was able to track down and issue of Omac Project #3 that I found out about the Sacrifice series and realized that I had missed a huge story arc.

Thankfully the awesome comic shop nearby my house just had a huge 50% off all back issues sale and I was able to buy the entire sacrifice series. Sure I could have picked up the trade paperback, but it’s just not the same as owning the individual issues.

Moments ago I finished reading Sacrifice and tomorrow I will be reviewing the series in it’s entirety as well as breaking down each issue. Better late than never!

Update:
I have decided to forgo the review of this series. I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to this, however I have more important articles on the way. Things have been hectic around here for the past couple of weeks, but I’m getting back on track and the new articles should begin shortly.