Review: The Horrors Of War On Full Display In Monstress #29

Monstress #29, available from Image Comics on July 22nd, recounts the siege Ravenna between the warring factions of humans and magical folk as the walls fall. Marjorie Liu’s story pulls no punches in portraying a grimy, violent battle where strategy wins the day but at a substantial cost.

Cover Art

Sana Takeda’s cover is beautiful enough and epic enough to be a movie poster. Kippa, the Arcanic fox girl, holds a powerful flashlight aloft to light the way for the coming battle. Takeda shrouds Kippa’s background with Maika’s dual personality, constantly fighting to resist Zinn’s possession. Symbolically, Kippa’s sword could also represent her desire to cleave Zinn from Maika rather than being forced to destroy her.

Writing

Liu’s story is heart-wrenching and difficult. Starting with the problematic part, Liu infuses so many individual characters with a battle happening on multiple fronts (five by my count) that it was difficult to keep track of who was where. Difficult but not impossible, and after various readings, you get a more definite sense of the battle flow and an appreciation for Liu’s strategy in weaving all the storylines together. And to Liu’s credit, the complexity adds a layer of realism that refuses to sugarcoat war as anything but messy and chaotic.

Heart-wrenching best describes the theme and tone of Liu’s story. Every leader is fighting what they believe to be a desperate and lost battle, and the carnage is not in any way sanitized. There’s a particular series of panels where individual soldiers prepare and most of their courage in battle, but their memory is immediately followed, but their depiction of death and mutilation. It’s a hammer blow statement on how bravado means nothing when half your limbs are blown off, and you’re just sitting there in shock, bleeding.

Pencils/inks

Takeda’s art is appropriately grim for the subject matter. The entire atmosphere of the book is covered in smokey greys to give the impression of dust and smoke. The only touches of brightness come from explosions of mortar shells and cannon fire. The art weighs on you oppressively. So much so that you can practically feel the need to cough and rub the sulfurous smoke from your eyes.

The most impactful element of Takeda’s art is the unapologetic carnage. There are no clean Hollywood style deaths in this battle. Soldiers and civilians die in clumsy and brutal ways; crushed under falling debris, burst apart by exploding munition, hacked limbless by an opponent’s blade. It’s shocking in its brutality without coming across as gratuitous. This is art that shows an ugly side of life and makes no apologies for doing so.

Coloring

Takeda’s coloring, especially in the use of greys, is well balanced. Every panel is viewed through the haze of girt and dirt created by the layers of dark colors but not so much as to overpower the drawings. The characters remain sharp as if viewing the battle through a dirty window. It’s a great example using color to create an atmosphere without taking away from the designs underneath.

Lettering

With so much haze, smoke, and shadow, Rus Wooton does a commendable job of using bold white lettering to make the sound effects stand out. The white is bold enough to be seen through the grime but no so bright as to become a distraction. It’s clean and clear lettering that punctuates the sound through the smoke while still fitting organically into the art.

Conclusion

Monstress #29, available from Image Comics on July 22nd, is a tough read for the sheer weight and brutality of the subject matter. However, it’s beautifully artistic in its execution. The story is complex and human, and the art is high quality for its fearless depiction of war.

[Update: The description of the cover art was corrected to reflect that Kippa is holding flashlight; not a sword.]

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Review: TRANSFORMERS #21 Is Unbalanced And Unfocused

Anthony Wendel

The rise of the Decepticons continues in Transformers #21 by Brian Ruckley, Bille Montwort, Blacky Shepherd, Joana LaFuente, John-Pual Bove, and Jake M. Wood but it feels uneven. The groundwork has been laid for the revolution everyone knows if coming. A major change needs to occur to truly get this series on track.

Summary

There are certain members of the Rise that if captured by Security Operations, would be bad news for both sides.

Writing

The issue opens well with Megatron stroking the fires of dissension. Pushing the entire planet closer to a civil war with the potential to rip the entire planet apart. This point has been made already, why must it be reiterated repeatedly? The fragile state of the society and the entire social structure of the planet have been laid out. Get on with it!

The second half of the issue is where things go downhill. The capture of Quake and Rumble who are wanted for murder has been built up as being the turning point to start the war. This would have been a great trigger for writer Brian Ruckely to move forward with the civil war…if it happened four issues previously. The murder of Brainstorm which started the fall of society and the Rise of the Decepticons happened in the first issue. Resolve this plot point and move on. Also, while on the topic of bad ideas, why bring in Azimuth? For those who didn’t use the internet to find out who this character is, he’s the Transformer who turned into the wristwatch. With the hundreds of characters to use to tell stories, why use one no one has heard about?

Artwork

The pencils and inks are uneven as the story but it isn’t as much of a negative. The work by Bille Montwort and Blacky Shepherd has a more detailed look for the scenes in the city and more plain for the ones in the wasteland. This juxtaposition is noticeable but fits properly with the settings they are representing.

The colorwork by Joana Lafuente and Jon-Paul Bove offers a perfect level of detail between the wastelands and the city. When in the city, the color adds a level of sharpness and helps the characters to stand out against the dry atmosphere of the wasteland. There also is a nice level of shading and gradients to help as the transformation sequences occur in the same frame.

With the lettering by Jake M. Wood continues to showcase a fantastic ability to meld the sound effects with the scenery. Many times the words blend perfectly to the art adding to the experience instead of distracting from it. Wood could give pointers to others in the business with this continued level of quality.

Conclusion

Transformers #21 proves the plot point of the fugitives whose actions helped move the revolution forward has lost its power. It would be ill-advised if the next step was some kind of trial or anything else to extend this plot. Shift towards the civil war and don’t look back. The readers will thank you for it.

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Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: SINS RISING PRELUDE – Resurrecting an Old Character in the Best Way

David Weber

The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude, published by Marvel Comics this week, beautifully sets the stage for an old character in Spider-Man history to make a big return in the upcoming Sins Rising event. The story is gripping, incredibly well-drawn, and sure to captivate any fans of the web-slinger, new or old.

About the book:
Featuring writing from Nick Spencer, art from Guillermo Sanna, colors from Jordie Bellaire, and lettering from VC’s Joe Caramagna, The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude tells a story unlike most. The prelude focuses on Stan Carter, also known as the Sin-Eater, as his life story is told, and we discover why this deceased character is back once again. First featured in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #107 – #110, the Sin-Eater was responsible for the murder of Jean DeWolff, one of Peter Parker’s closest friends. The Sin-Eater then returned in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #134 – #136, which ended with his death. Now, the Sin-Eater has returned thanks to the help of Kindred — a malicious demon — and they both are sure to cause trouble for our favorite web-slinger.

“Sins Rising Prelude” Story

Surprisingly, this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man features the title character very lightly. Instead, the story revolves around a character that died in a 1988 story, and refreshes the reader’s memory of him, as well as introduce him to new readers. This includes talking about the origin of the Sin-Eater, the crimes he had previously committed that made him such a notable character, and how this deceased individual made his way back to the world of the living. Spencer tells a dark tale that sets the stage for the upcoming event.

The story of the Sins Rising Prelude is not entirely linear in nature. Interspersed with the main story that recaps the history of the Sin-Eater is a fictional television interview show. The appearance of this fictional show during the main story is at first confusing but comes together neatly with the rest of the tale in a moment that makes the reader appreciate the storytelling. At one point, the fictional television show makes mention of the death of a certain character right before she is introduced into the main story, which causes the reader to pause. The whole circumstance is confusing, but worth the experience of seeing the story come together near the end of the issue.

Art

The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude features astonishing pencils and inks from Guillermo Sanna that rely heavily on shadow to emphasize the faces of characters. This complements the dark tones of the story and gives an unbelievably cool look to the Sin-Eater, who has a very simple costume if it were nor for the shading of Sanna. The panel layout for a few scenes is also very peculiar for mainstream comic books, with some panels tilted on the page or borders being made out of slanted lines. This help attributes to the hectic nature of some scenes, and are a nice change of pace from typical paneling in mainstream comic books.

The colors of Jordie Bellaire do wonders for the tone of the Sins Rising Prelude. Most of the scenes are colored with a broad spectrum of color,s and then certain other scenes are overpowered with a specific tone. Whether it is a dark blue to depict the sad and empty mood of the scene or red to illustrate intense violence, the color does a fantastic job of working with the story through stark contrast.

The lettering of VC’s Joe Caramagna works with all of the scenes in The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude with ease, to the point where it is barely noticeable, and you can experience the comic book as if the characters were speaking to you. The most remarkable aspect of the lettering was when certain characters’ names would be said, and the font would change and increase in size. Not an unusual technique, but all of the lettering paired nicely with everything else.

Conclusion

The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude is a fantastic way to bring back an old character. It brings the Sin-Eater back and introduces him to readers who were unfamiliar with the character. The story and art are thrilling, and the issue is sure to excite people for the upcoming event.

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Review: HELLIONS #2 – Who Are Krakoa’s Misfits?

Matthew Brake

Marvel Comics releases Hellions #2 on July 22. Writer Zeb Wells, artist Stephen Segovia, color artist David Curiel, and letterer VC’s Cory Petit continue to explore Krakoa’s misfits, those who’s inner demons and anti-social tendencies keep them from integrating smoothly into Krakoan society.

Writing

When the Hellions, led by Psylocke, are sent to demolish a cloning lab in the basement of the orphanage where Scott and Alex Summers were raised, they find more than they were bargaining for. They discover the degenerated clones of Sinister’s former Marauders team, led by a somehow alive Madelyne Pryor, Scott Summer’s ex-wife, and the Goblin Queen, who is controlling the Marauders. This is bad enough, but when Psylocke is injured, Wild Child senses a weakness in his alpha.

Madelyne Pryor’s appearance was teased waaaaayyyy back in the Dawn of X, so while Hickman and company keep teasing more and more plot threads, they should be given credit for following up on them, albeit in unexpected ways and places.

It’s also nice to see Psylocke’s arc carried over from Fallen Angels as her relationship with Sinister becomes more entrenched. While I’m sad to see any one of these X-titles end, I think Fallen Angel’s at least felt natural, and I’m glad to see Psylocke continue to be highlighted.

Havok also plays a central role in this book. There is a sense that he is out of place on this team and that he should be with a more traditionally heroic group of mutants, but Alex has had a rough publication history, one that has seen his character rise and fall. In some ways, this issue can be seen as addressing that, given his quest for redemption while also bringing him face to face with Pryor, with whom he has had one of his famous heel-turns in the past.

Art

For whatever reason, horror and zombies seem to be the theme of this week’s X-titles so far (between this one and Empyre: X-Men). Segovia does a good job forecasting the menace in this issue, mainly through Havok.

These panels, in particular, upped my interest in this issue. Havok is one of my favorite X-characters, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this series deals with his complex hero/villain history. Seeing this panel with Havok’s dark reflection in the glass created an anticipation on my part to see how his villainous turns would come back to haunt him in this issue (I was thinking about a more recent incident, like AXIS). This was a nice anticipation, however, of his reunion with Madelyne Pryor.

The above page wasn’t the only time Alex’s perspective was used to escalate the sense of dread. Before the reveal of the zombified/defective clone Marauders, Havok discovers a dreadful sight.

Using Havok for these reveals is a great choice, and Segovia does an excellent job with these reveals.

Coloring

Curiel’s colors are quite appropriate for a comic about a group of violent sociopathic mutants encountering a bunch of clone zombies. His use of browns, oranges, rusty reds, and sickly grayish greens captures the feel and flow of this issue.

As soon as the zombified clones appear, Curiel’s colors capture the look of their rot and decay by coloring it with a sickly green look with a grainy, speckled background.

Meanwhile, all of the violent scenes are drawn with lots of oranges and reds that not only accentuate the violence but also give them a very kinetic feel. Case in point…

By the way, does anyone really doubt that Psylocke will wipe the floor with this guy at the beginning of the next issue?

Lettering

Petit’s letters for this issue are nice in that they aren’t overwhelming. I’ve noted elsewhere that the dialogue-heavy nature of some of these X-titles is a little overwhelming, but this issue is pretty action and suspense heavy. The lettering serves to perfectly complement and works in tandem with the art, servicing the plot without becoming distracting. Petit gives some of the zombies their own unique font, but a lot of the lettering is pretty straightforward.

Oh, and there is this nice little sound effect between Greycrow and Empath.

I’m sure he’ll be fine, right? After all, what is death on Krakoa?

Conclusion

Hellions #2 is a fine second issue of a series focusing on a darker, Sinister-influenced side of Krakoan life. Again, the X-titles keep surprising by their choice of casting for each book, but I think Psylocke and Havok are going to continue to be really strong characters in this series, in part because of how their more noble nature may clash with the darkness they find themselves surrounded by. It will also be interesting to see if Krakoa has a place for Madelyne Pryor in its future.

What did you think of Hellions #2? Tell us in the comments below!

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Announcement: “You Built A Time Machine… Out Of An Autobot?!”

Gabriel Hernandez

July 22, 2020

IDW Publishing has announced another unique crossover in it’s stable of properties. The Transformers will be teaming up with Marty McFly and Doc Brown in the crossover event, Transformers / Back to the Future! Written by Cavan Scott and drawn by Juan Samu, this is the first time these particular set of characters have been combined in a single book.

Says IDW of the storyline: “Marty McFly returns from the adventure of a lifetime to a new, better Hill Valley… that is, until Marty and his friend Doc Brown’s time machine attracts the attention of the Decepticons.” It’s a safe bet that some hilarious hi-jinks will be involved, instead of the straight Transformers action we’ve come to expect.

You can read all about it in the official IDW press release below and check out the cover for issue #1.

Do you think this will be another winning crossover title like Batman/TMNT? Tell us your predictions in the Comments section, and please share this post on social media using the links below.

Transformers / Back to the Future Comic Book Crossover Debuts from IDW Publishing

Join Marty McFly and the Autobots for the First-Ever Storyline Featuring Hasbro and NBCUniversal’s Newest Creation, Gigawatt!

In the debut issue, Marty McFly returns from the adventure of a lifetime to a new, better Hill Valley… that is, until Marty and his friend Doc Brown’s time machine attracts the attention of the Decepticons. With one small mistake, Marty finds himself once again thrust into action to unravel a Decepticon plot in the past, present, and future… now with the help of a new converting time machine, the Autobot called Gigawatt!

“When I was asked to write the official crossover comic, I could only shout ‘Great Scott’ and dive in,” says writer Cavan Scott. “It’s the perfect fit. Both Transformers and Back to the Future are packed with adventure, humor, and (most importantly) heart. Plus, it gave me a chance to play with multiple Transformers timelines, harkening back to some of my favorite Transformers storylines of the ‘80s, while also bringing in elements of all three Back to the Future movies. Look out for classic characters, both human and Cybertronian, and a few surprises along the way!”

Artist Juan Samu says, “All my life I have waited for this moment! This amazing project, apart from being an authentic journey through time for me, has brought out my inner child in every scene. The Autobots, Decepticons, Marty, and Doc are so iconic that I feel super-excited to be able to draw them! Thanks to IDW, NBC Universal, and Hasbro for giving us this opportunity!”

“Transformers and Back to the Future have quite a bit in common,” says John Barber, Editor-in-Chief of IDW Publishing. “They’ve both inspired multiple generations of fans, they are both — at their heart — about characters and change, and they both have at least one really cool car. We’re extremely excited at IDW to get to bring these two worlds together!”

Transformers / Back to the Future #1 will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, including Cover A by series artist Juan Samu, Cover B by Phil Murphy (Star Trek vs. Transformers), and two Retailer Incentive editions — one illustrated by Dan Schoening (Transformers / Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron) with the second featuring a photo of the hotly anticipated AUTOBOT GIGAWATT toy.

Timed perfectly with the announcement of the Transformers / Back to the Future miniseries, IDW Publishing is partnering with the Fleet Science Center of San Diego for “The Science of Back to the Future,” a discussion of science and science fiction hosted by Comic-Con International as part of their “Comic-Con@Home” programming schedule. Posting online on Thursday, 07/23/20, at 3:00pm, the panel will showcase Cavan Scott and Juan Samu as guests to discuss their work on the upcoming crossover, alongside panelists John Barber; Saura Naderi, Outreach Director at the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego; Dr. Lisa Will, Fleet Science Center Resident Astronomer; and moderator Andrea Decker.

For information on how to acquire copies of the Transformers / Back to the Future comic books, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.

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Review: EMPYRE: X-MEN #1 – Zombies Were An Interesting Choice…

Matthew Brake

This week, Marvel Comics released their X-Men tie-in to their big Empyre event with Empyre: X-Men #1. X-writers Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard are joined by artist Matteo Buffagni, color artist Nolan Woodard, and letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles. As the Avengers and Fantastic Four find themselves preoccupied with the Kree-Skrull armada led by Hulking and its attack on the Cotati people in Empyre #1, this issue reveals some of the fallout from that issue, as well as begins to address Krakoa’s relationship with “the Pretender,” the Scarlet Witch.

Writing

Hickman and Howard focus on the Scarlet Witch at the beginning of this issue, showing that she regrets being responsible for the decimation of the mutant population and now seeks to make up for and redeem those actions. When she tries to magically resuscitate the dead mutants of Genosha a month prior to the present, she accidentally unleashes a horde of 14 million zombie mutants. Wanda’s fate remains unknown (although she is alive in Strange Academy, so I’m sure she’s fine). In the present day, the Cotati prepare to invade Wakanda, using Genosha as a staging ground, where they come into contact with the mutant zombies. Meanwhile, Warren Worthington arrives with a team of X-Men to investigate problems with the Krakoan gateway on Genosha.

The X-titles continue to surprise me with how they mash-up their characters and address the various plot threads that have been laid down since House of X #1. Warren’s characterization here is great, and it’s cool to see him taking center stage in an X-book, even as he struggles with the new realities of Krakoan life. This is particularly evident when he is putting together a team to take to Krakoa and is made quite aware that this isn’t like the good old days in the X-Mansion when he has a heated exchange with Magneto about assembling the team of his choice. He also has a conversation with Xavier that may portend future conflicts of interest.

Hickman and Howard also use this opportunity to bring Scarlet Witch directly into the X-titles. Krakoan feelings about “the Pretender” have foreshadowed a future conflict with the Scarlet Witch for some time. It’s an interesting decision to use the Empyre tie-in to do this. I thought for sure the X-Men tie-in would focus on the Summers’ home on the moon (where the Cotati conflict began). Zombies were an interesting direction to take for this.

Also, Hordeculture shows up at the end! Remember them? No? See X-Men #3.

Art

Buffagni does a great job in this issue, and I can’t praise him enough for the ways that he is able to capture the subtlety of emotions on the Scarlet Witch’s face as she grieves her past sins and realizes her mistakes in trying to correct them.

That first image, when she has a quiet moment to herself on Genosha, captures Wanda’s complex feelings of grief, while in the following images, her expression moves seamlessly from surprise to terror. These last moments, juxtaposed with Cowles lettering, shift the tone from one of quiet contemplation and self-pity on Wanda’s part, to one of horror, as the words of the zombies are set against Wanda’s final cry and the close up of her eye.

Coloring

Woodard’s colors are very good at capturing the various settings. For instance, on Genosha, when the zombie horde attacks the Cotati, the colors are a bit muted and there are a lot of grays, browns, and brownish-reds.

Woodard’s colors definitely capture the violent, bloody, undead look of a zombie attack (albeit in a PG-13 way). He also creates a very cool juxtaposition between this scene and the following scene with his use of color.

This juxtaposition, however, isn’t only one of color palette. The last thing one of the zombies tells the Cotati in the previous scene is that some of the mutants were vegetarians, indicating that while the Cotati are plant-based entities, at least some of the zombies will have a taste for their plant flesh. This is a clever quip by the whole team, not only the writers, but even the lettering adds to this minor gag with the “crunch” sound effect.

Lettering

The lettering in this issue helps to capture most of the voices in a unique way, although while the zombies are given a unique voice, it would’ve been interesting if the Cotati had their own unique lettering to indicate their alien nature.

I do appreciate the lettering that Cowles gives to Scarlet Witch’s incantation.

It almost reminds me of Apocalypse’s new mutant name, or even the Krakoan dialect in general (with the dots).

Conclusion

As far as a tie-in goes, the storytelling choices in this issue are interesting. While the villain of Empyre is present, that event seems to serve merely as a pretext for Hickman, Howard, and co. to continue to explore plot threads from the X-title mega-story. In that sense, these mini-series (this one and the X-Men/FF series) do seem to be can’t-miss pieces of Hickman’s tale, paying off or addressing plot points he has laid down elsewhere.

What did you think of Empyre: X-Men #1? Tell us in the comments below!

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IDW Names New President. Publisher, and GM

Gabriel Hernandez

July 22, 2020

Immediately following the news that broke this morning of Chris Ryall’s departure, IDW Publishing has names his successors. Jerry Bennington and Jud Meyers will be the company’s new President and Publisher, respectively. Rebekah Cahalin has been promoted to General Manager and EVP of Operations, covering both IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment.

The speed with which the replacements are being announced is a strong indication that Ryall’s exit was known for some time to IDW’s leadership. Bennington, Meyers, and Cahalin are all veterans in their own right, so it appears the management restructure is in good hands. You can read the full details in IDW’s press release below.

Does this second announcement that closes the management void ease your concerns about IDW’s future? Let us know what you think in the Comments section. and please share this post on social media using the links below.

IDW Publishing Names Jerry Bennington As President,Jud Meyers As Publisher And Rebekah Cahalin As General Manager and Executive Vice President of Operations

SAN DIEGO, CA (July 22, 2020) –IDW Publishing, a subsidiary of IDW Media Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK: IDWM), has selected industry veterans Jerry Bennington and Jud Meyers as the company’s new President and Publisher, respectively. Rebekah Cahalin has been promoted to General Manager and EVP of Operations, covering both IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment.

“As IDW accelerates its growth trajectory as a fully integrated multi-media company, we are very fortunate to have Jerry Bennington and Jud Meyers to assume these key roles at IDW Publishing,” said Ezra Rosensaft, IDW’s CEO. Rosensaft was recently promoted from CFO to CEO of IDW Media Holdings, and came to IDW after nearly 15 years at HBO. “We are equally as fortunate to have Rebekah Cahalin step into the GM and EVP of Operations positions. All three executives are already valued and vital members of the IDW team as well as inspiring leaders. I have no doubt that they will accomplish great things in their new positions,” he added.

Bennington, who currently serves as IDW Publishing’s EVP of Product Management, brings more than 30 years of industry experience to his new role, He will be tasked with overseeing IDW Publishing’s strategic business units, integrating product cross-platform programs, establishing product growth initiatives with partners, broadening customer experiences to new platforms and expanding the company’s extensive IP portfolio. As EVP of Product Management, Bennington established new business units including IDW Limited and IDW Games, and he increased IDW Publishing’s stable of licensed IPs including the notable additions of Batman the Animated Series, Dragon Ball Z, Metal Gear Solid and Usagi Yojimbo. Prior to joining IDW Publishing, Bennington was the President of 3 Point Entertainment where he helped develop specialty licensed merchandise, and served as the VP of Marketing for The Upper Deck Company’s Upper Deck Games.

“As a long-standing member of the IDW team, I am thankful for the opportunity to build on Chris Ryall’s work leading the company to product excellence and providing our readers with richer, deeper, and more meaningful experiences,” said Bennington. “Collaborating with our valued customers and partners around the globe, we will achieve unparalleled quality and memorable stories and characters to be shared by family and friends.”

Meyers, who currently serves as IDW Publishing’s Sales Director, will oversee all aspects of production and publication in his new role as Publisher. He will continue IDW’s history of creating quality literature while expanding the company’s reach to new markets worldwide. Meyers started his career in the comic industry at Titan Publishing in London, England, where he helped launch and manage some of the most prestigious comic-book retail stores in the UK, including Forbidden Planet, Virgin Megastore and Meanwhile Comics. Later, he became owner and co-founder of several comic book stores in Los Angeles, and was the recipient of the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award. Meyers also served as the Director of Sales & Marketing at Humanoids Publishing where he helped launch three successful new book imprints and expanded the French publisher’s presence in the U.S. book market.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to step into this role and help continue IDW’s legacy of quality storytelling,” said Meyers, Publisher. “We have a wealth of talented creators and a brilliant editorial and production staff helping to shape our stories. In the coming months, we’re going to add to our family, and we will continue to deliver the greatest licensed content in comics, expanding and shaping the global reach of all of our licensors and their brands.”

Cahalin, IDW’s current General Manager | Head of Operations, joined IDW in 2009. She achieved a series of increasingly important positions within the company’s production, digital production and digital publishing teams highlighted by her work as Digital Publishing Director. In her new position, Cahalin will oversee and integrate all operations and business activities.

“I am so excited to work not only with the IDW Publishing team, but also everyone at IDW Entertainment,” said Cahalin. “This new role provides a tremendous opportunity to enhance our operational infrastructure to further drive company objectives, and make this a truly holistic environment.”

“I’ve been incredibly proud of the work the executive team and all of IDW has done in my time back with the company, and I wish them all the best with the exciting things the company has planned,” said outgoing President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Chris Ryall

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INTERVIEW: RemiTheSiren Discusses Role-Playing, Gaming, And Streaming

Ruben Diaz

July 22, 2020

The video game industry grows larger every minute thanks to streamer and Twitch ambassador RemiTheSiren whose mix of personality and creativity adds new dimensions to unexpected games.

YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming feature live streams from gamers who have mastered the art of playing games and saying interesting things at the same time. As a gamer, I can attest that it’s not easy to do either well, let alone both things at the same time. Many streamers focus on competitive shooters or hyper-popular MMOs (massively multiplayer online games). In Remi’s case, she entertains her growing number of followers (nearly 24,000 at the time of this writing) by adding role-playing to games like Grand Theft Auto V and others that don’t traditionally highlight the RPG aspects.

PopAxiom spoke with Remi about video games, streaming, and playing roles.

Welcome To The Water Temple

Remi’s personal history with gaming goes back a long time. “The first game I remember playing was Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I had to be four, maybe five … my parents had a Nintendo 64 ��”

Veterans of Ocarina will understand Remi’s next statement better than anyone. “I played it over and over until I could beat it. I remember getting stuck in the water temple for the longest time.”

For Remi, Ocarina of Time is “… one of my first and fondest memories of video games.”

Gamer To Streamer

Watching people play video games is a massive and growing industry, a by-product of the gargantuan gaming industry. “I watched people stream on Twitch for a long time but never thought it was something I would be able to do. But one day I was watching some people do GTA role-play and it was on a server I had already played on before. A bunch of people watched it, and I thought ‘Maybe I should just play on there since I’m already on there and whatever happens, happens.’”

What happened was a lot of new followers and an eventual career.

Remi started on Twitch, where she says that part of a successful stream requires “… making it an entertaining experience. Taking something that people have played 100 times but then putting your personality to it …”

Like any good gaming role-play, Remi’s process is a light character sketch with a lot of improv. “I attach a character and some ideas… ‘Do we want her to be evil? Or what would she do in this situation?’ We stick these ideas together and tell a story as we go along.”

For Remi, “… games, where the worlds feel alive, are awesome.”

Playing Roles

Role-playing games and video games were destined to unite. Today, you’ll find many games having “RPG elements.” Remi’s connection to role-play goes back as far as her love for video games. “I’ve always liked to role-play. I did it on my own when I was younger but didn’t quite play it up so much because I didn’t have an audience.”

Remi’s played D&D since high school, which also influenced her connection to playing characters. She tries to role-play whenever possible. “I saw GTA RP had a good role-playing thing going on, and I wanted to jump in on that. GTA is an accessible platform for a lot of people. So, it was nice to jump into something familiar to a lot of people and add an interesting twist.”

Remi’s audience is as inclusive as it gets, mostly due to her natural attitude. But creating a community that embraced everyone was also “… Something I wanted to do from the start. I wanted a place where people could talk about anything, whether it was exciting news about having a kid or something like losing their job or a loved one—a place where people could have a sense of community.

Remi’s driven by a desire to bring positivity into the world and help her fellow humans. “I’ve always had this idea that if I could help one person, then all of the work and all the hours … is worth it.”

Wrapping Up

Remi mentions other streamers who inspire her. “Devin Nash … he talks a lot about analytics and building your brand. Arcadum, I like people who are passionate about what they do. He’s one of those people. He loves Dungeons and Dragons … lives it and breathes it. I’m inspired by people who turn a passion into something that gives people a good time.”

Grand Theft Auto is the most well-known game Remi plays, but she also streams “… Paths of Exile. I have a Dragon Age series play-through. We’re on series two now. That’s interesting because all of the games tie into each other.”

However, the streamer shares an emerging technology that has her excited. “Something I’ve been getting into is virtual reality role-play. It takes a little getting used to moving around in the VR world, but it’s crazy being there. It makes you feel like you’re in this other world, which has been super helpful with everything going on with the virus that you are with these other people.”

Remi beams when she talks about the people involved in VR. “The community right now is so dedicated to it, and is constantly making maps and new character models. There’s a lot of passion for the people who are there.”

Final Fantasy VII recently received a pretty and polished remake, and so have many other classic games. What game would Remi want to receive a makeover? “I would love it if they remastered [Legend of Zelda] Majora’s Mask. I remember my first time playing through it, the way you uncover the story in that game, and the side quests for getting masks and more of the story. I would love to see a remastered version.”

Remi’s stream is active with videos and discussions. What’s coming next from the streamer? “The biggest thing to keep an eye on for my channel is the VR RP. Watching the characters come to life in front of you; it’s so crazy. When other people reach out to you, you can almost feel the touch.”

Follow Remi on Twitch or on Twitter

Thanks to RemiTheSiren and Impact24 PR
for making this interview possible.

Want to read more interviews? CLICK HERE.

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How One Family’s Life Just Got More Complicated In DRYAD #4

Cat Wyatt

DRYAD #4 (available August 12^th from Oni Press) continues the tale of one family and how complex their life has suddenly become. In a world that merges fantasy and science fiction, that is truly a talent worth bragging about.

A whole new world is about to be found in Dryad #4.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Every family has its secrets. For some, it’s merely an embarrassing moment. For others? It’s a secret that can (and will) change the lives of the entire family. The latter is the case for the Glass family.

In a world full of technology and magic, Morgan and Yale ran from their lives to start a new one. The reason why has yet to be made clear — other than the fact that they wanted more for their twin children, that is.

Now the secret they have kept all these years has been blown out into the open, with no time for explanations to be given. The twins have been thrown from their quiet world and into the deep end, and they are going to need an anchor, and soon.

Dryad #4 continues from this point, with the family reaching a city bursting with technology, color, and life. It’s also full to the brim of danger, if the implications behind the flight of the Glass family is any indication.

The Writing

Dryad #4 is an action-packed issue, one that continues to keep the family far too busy to have a vital conversation. It’s effectively keeping the children – and the readers – stuck in a loop of awe and suspense.

Kurtis Wiebe is the creator and lead writer for this series. He’s created this wonderful world, where pockets of serenity exist alongside cities too full of lights and motion. It’s an impressive feat, made all the more surprising by the infusion of fantasy and science fiction elements.

Then there’s the family drama, of course. It’s always been a strong undertone of the series, yet felt significantly stronger in this issue. While no answers have been provided yet, there’s this feeling of rising urgency while reading this issue. Like the twins are becoming increasingly desperate to understand why their world has been so thoroughly shaken apart.

Meanwhile, the parents are also seeking their own understanding. Though in their case, they’re trying to understand the who and why of it all. Who brought them back into this life, and why? It’s a mess they can’t hope to survive without those answers.

The Art

The artwork within Dryad #4 is vibrant, bold, and suiting a world full of technology. From the first glimpse of this city, it’s clear that this is a work polar opposite to what we’ve seen in the rest of the series thus far.

Justin Osterling was the lead artist, creating the characters and world they live in. The flight sequence was especially well done, as were all of the reactions that followed. The sense of movement helped to enhance that scene, as well as many others.

The colors were provided by Francesco Segala, who use bold backdrops and pops of color to tell a story. It was effective and compelling. It was always clear what was the most important element in any one scene, and it added to the impact.

Meanwhile, Jim Campbell was the letterer for this issue, and he did a great job. Both with the dialogue and with the sound effects (which there was no shortage of). The combination resulted in an issue that flowed seamlessly from panel to panel.

In Conclusion

Dryad #4 was another visually compelling addition to this story, one where a family risks being torn apart by secrets. Yet it all feels like something worse is looming on the horizon – perhaps the person who orchestrated this whole thing?

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