BOOM! Studios‘ journey into erotica continues this week with the second issue of Faithless. It is a story that combines self-discovery, sexual awakening and a touch of magic.
After the successful first issue, which is also sees a second printing this week, can the lure of Faithless keep the reader’s attention?
Faithless #2 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Writing/Story
The second issue of Faithless starts with a shock, just to get the heart beating. It also, within the first few pages, reminds the reader exactly what kind of comic you are reading. It has an element of supernatural horror mixed with the seductive nature of Faith’s new life.
After her first night with Poppy, Faith wakes up alone. She finds an invitation from Poppy to meet her at a late night, exclusive party but the note also invites Faith to indulge herself in Poppy’s apartment.
Brian Azzarello uses his central character to lead the reader around the world he has created. As Faith discovers the new, exclusive life that Poppy lives so too does the reader. But just as importantly, the reader is on hand to learn about Faith as she herself begins a journey of self-discovery.
Azzarello creates enough mystery in his narrative to keep the reader engrossed but not too much that you feel alienated from the situation. Faith is such a strong character, with a streak of confidence but also a vulnerability that comes from being out of her depth. She is a strong enough character to be able to carry the large new world Azzarello is introducing. A number of supporting characters pass through the narrative, each making their mark, but they all exist to further Faiths story.
Faithless #2 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Art
In all fairness, if the story in Faithless was not up to scratch, the artwork by Maria Llovet would be engrossing enough. She has a seductive style which makes each page so alluring; it pulls you in and squeezes you gently so that you forget the outside world. There is a fluidity to the images, flowing from panel to panel, page to page.
Llovet has a great understanding of the characters she is drawing. Her figure work is exceptional with facial work that exudes emotion. The attention to design and detail gives this comic a unique aesthetic not often seen in the American mainstream comics.
The lettering created by Andworld Design adopts the European feel produced by the art work. Irregular shaped speech balloons give the speech a naturalistic sensation and allow freer distribution of the text within the white space. This means that certain aspects of the speech can be emphasised or given emotional weight without an uncomfortable change to the style of the balloons.
Faithless #2 Credit: BOOM! Studios
Conclusion
Faithless is an adult comic for people with open minds. It is also one of the most intriguing, visually stimulating, and exciting comics on the shelf. The eroticism is evident throughout and Llovet’s artwork seduces the reader to the point of distraction. You get washed along with the story, sliding from one panel to the next with ease.
DC Comics has announced a new Ra’s al Ghul miniseries written and drawn by the legendary Bat-artist — and al Ghul co-creator — Neal Adams. The six issue Batman Vs. Ra’s al Ghul debuts in August as part of DC’s “Year of the Villain.”
According to DC’s description:
Adams shows a Gotham City under siege by terrorists, with Batman determined to find the source. But when Boston Brand, aka Deadman, tries to intervene, he discovers an even more disturbing and deadly truth: the terrorists are led by an inhuman monster! Ra’s al Ghul volunteers his own private security force to aid the GCPD, and now they are the saviors standing between nuclear terror and the townspeople!
But al Ghul’s true goal is hidden from everyone’s eyes. He will destroy the city and kill Batman—this time for good. Watching in horror is…Bruce Wayne?
Adams recently illustrated a League of Assassins story written by Christopher Priest, as part of Detective Comics #1000.
But wait, that’s not all the Adams Batman news. DC is also kicking off a new line of facsimile edition reprint titles (similar to Marvel’s True Believers) that will even feature the ads that appeared in the original comic. Their debut issue? None other than Batman #232, the debut of Ra’s al Ghul by Adams and Denny O’Neil.
Here’s the official solicitation info:
BATMAN #232 FACSIMILE EDITION
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL
Art by NEAL ADAMS and DICK GIORDANO
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
The story that introduced Ra’s al Ghul is reprinted in the first of DC’s new line of facsimile edition comics. In “Daughter of the Demon,” Ra’s reveals that he knows Batman’s secret identity—and that he needs the Caped Crusader’s help to save his daughter, Talia. It’s a tale that established Ra’s al Ghul as one of Batman’s most cunning and unpredictable foes!
ON SALE 08.21.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC
For those who missed the issue on its original printing, or are priced out of the back issue market, this seems like a great $4 expenditure. Both Batman Vs. Ra’s al Ghul and the Batman #232 reprint arrive in stores August 21.
Are you interested in Adams’s new take on Ra’s al Ghul? Have you enjoyed his recent Dark Knight stories, like Batman Odyssey? Leave us a comment!
Murder, mystery and a fair share of music make up the first issue of Killer Groove from AfterShock Comics. Due out on 29 May, the new series is ready to take you by the scruff of the neck and give you a good shaking.
From the writer of The Kitchen for DC-Comics, which is currently being adapted for the big screen by Andrea Berloff, Killer Groove gets beneath the underbelly of 1970’s L.A. life and focuses on desperate people in desperate situations.
Killer Groove #1 Credit AfterShock Comics
Writing/Story
Jonny plays guitar and works behind a bar. His life hasn’t turned out exactly as he hoped it would and his dreams of a musical career are slowly fading away. But fate has one more card to deal for Jonny and a chance meeting with the ruthless Ignatius puts Jonny on a whole new path.
Ollie Masters has written some outstanding crime stories, The Kitchen for DC and Snow Blind for BOOM! Studios for example, and Killer Grove starts off no different. He introduces a number of intriguing characters, seemingly unrelated, and then uses a series of events to slowly pull them together.
Just like any good noir mystery, the character interactions weave a tangled web, leading the reader from one scene to the next, constantly on the lookout for links and clues. Masters focuses on details within the characters’ lives but also gives the reader an overview of the way they live. By the end of this first issue, we are fully integrated into the character’s world.
Killer Groove #1 Credit AfterShock Comics
Art
The overall look of the comic is very ‘matter of fact’ with an attention to locale and design. The lighting used plays an important part in this, creating an aesthetic similar to the 1973 film version of The Long Goodbye. By deciding to move away from a stylised approach, like Titan Comics Triggerman or even Brubaker/Phillips’ Criminal series, Eoin Marron injects a sense of realism into the comic. Killer Groove’s style comes from the changing camera angles and attention to the characters.
The action is produced via clever compositions and changing panel layouts. For fast paced moments, Marron employs a high number of panels in a row. Each with a glimpse of the action, indicating the adrenaline rush and, in some cases, desperation felt by the characters. This approach has more in common with Japanese comics than its western peers. In fact, Marron uses a number of techniques common in Manga to tell the story; switching camera angles focusing on single characters instead of group shots; an increase in panels for short moments of action. The outcome of this is that the reader is provided with a lot more information in smaller, more focused panels, allowing the images to feed the mystery element of the comic, just like the classic Noir movies of the 1940’s.
Where the pencils and inks are the informative aspect of the narrative, the colors represent the atmosphere and emotion. Jordie Bellaire produces a sun bleached motif which runs through the comic giving it a worn out, almost tiring, feel. The backgrounds become blocks of color at pivotal moments to emphasis the foreground but also to enhance the emotional context. For example, the background in the bar changes to reflect Jonny’s mood as his day drags on.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou has a unique style for the lettering. Everything looks hand drawn giving the speech extra character with physical inflections beyond a simple bolding of text. The speech balloons are purposefully inconsistent with tails that lack a point. The has the effect of making each character seem abrupt and stand-offish. They have all built walls around themselves and, for whatever reason, don’t let anyone in.
Otsmane-Elhaou also injects the sound effects with some dynamism. The bright colors and the movement lines add an extra dimension, emphasising the onomatopoeic words. In turn they make the action lively and those panels stand out on the page. In most cases there is only one sound effect on a page and in that instance the panel with the sound effect becomes the focal point of the page with the narrative revolving around it.
Killer Groove #1 Credit AfterShock Comics
Conclusion
There are only a handful of good crime comics on the market, and a number of those employ a gimmick to make them stand out; such as last years’ successful series Abbott from BOOM! Studios which included a supernatural element. However, Killer Groove is a straight up, historical crime story which draws inspiration from cinema and literary classics. There is an element of Raymond Chandler and Mikey Spillane in these pages but also more modern influences like Brubaker and Max Allan Collins.
As first issues go, this has everything you want. It sets the tone, introduces the characters and lays the groundwork for the narrative to follow. There is plenty going on and Ollie Masters controls the pacing beautifully. With a striking visual and unique details in lettering and coloring, Killer Groove is a title to keep a close eye on.
Fans packed the main theater at the Orlando Convention Center on Friday, filling the room to near-capacity for a special Q&A session with David Tennant, one of the most revered actors in fandom.
Tennant is probably best known for his role as the Tenth Doctor in Seasons 2-4 of the revived Doctor Who. However, he’s made appearances in the Marvel’s Jessica Jones, the Harry Potter film franchise, the 2017 Ducktales reboot, and much more.
Billie Piper (Rose from Seasons 1 and 2 of Doctor Who) was also scheduled to appear. Unfortunately, as Tennant addressed, she was unable to make it at the last minute, citing “an unexected job situation.” Tennant read a message to fans from Piper, apologizing for the absence. “I’ll see you soon and I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Piper’s note insisted. “Kisses, peace, light, happiness, love always, Bille Rose Bad Wolf…and then a little emoji of a wolf.”
Tennant, of course, was plenty capable of taking on questions alone from members of the numerous fandoms he’s tapped into. During the 45-minute discussion, the actor commented on whether he’d ever return to Doctor Who, nerd culture’s mainstream appeal, and his fondness for a particular pair of leather pants.
While he avoided offering a yes or no, Tennant said he would be open to the idea of a multi-Doctor crossover episode, smiliar to The Five Doctors special from the classic series. While there’s no plans for an event at the moment Tennant says he “wouldn’t rule it out.” It could be a cagey way to dodge fans’ suspisions. However, Tennant seemed just as in the dark about the Tenth Doctor’s future as did his fans. So, like the actor himself, it’s probably best not to count on any major crossovers anytime soon.
Another fan asked about the increasing mainstream visibility of properties and genres that, just a few years ago, might have been considered only of interest to specific fandoms or subsets. “I love that so much,” he answered, suggesting that the mainstream embrace of everything from Doctor Who to Doctor Strange is a very positive development. Tennant points out that, as a young fan of Doctor Who, Marvel Comics, and other “nerd” properties, he would have loved for nerd culture to be more visible and accepted.
Perhaps the most off-the-wall question referenced Tennant’s role in 2011’s Fright Night remake. Specifically, the current whereabouts of the skin-tight leather pants the actor wore in the movie. “[The pants where] supple…supple leather,” Tennant joked. “Not a lot of air getting through.” Still, he did give the pants a positive review, describing them as “comfortable.”
“I’m gonna get that on a t-shirt.”
– David Tennant, after being described by a fan as a “multimedia actor”
This week is a conversation about the pros and cons of fandom in relationship to Game Of Thrones, War Of Realms, animated Batman: HUSH, and Robert Pattinson as Batman.
Listen to the podcast below:
About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast
Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Award-winning composer Miles Hankins has created music for some of Hollywood’s biggest hits including A Quiet Place and Marvel’s Fantastic Four. He was recently nominated for a Sports Emmy for Best Music Direction on HBO’s documentary film Being Serena. His latest work appears in Long Shot the romantic-comedy starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron as an unlikely pair that finds love amidst American politics.
Long Shot is the story of Charlotte Field (Theron), the U.S. Secretary of State who decides to run for President. Rogen plays Fred Flarsky, a suddenly unemployed journalist. Long ago, Charlotte was Fred’s babysitter, and the pair recognize each other at a fundraiser. Following that night, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter. From there on, love and wackiness ensue aplenty.
PopAxiom discusses b-movies, making music, and Long Shot with composer Miles Hankins.
First Shot
Miles was raised by artist parents, but, “None of them were particularly musical.” The composer is “…not quite sure where I got the bug.”
Early on, Miles sang in the choir and took violin lessons, which he credits as the start of his love for making music. “… that stuff all kind of started my curiosity in music.”
At nine years old, “We got a piano …” Miles took lessons. As he got older, the would-be composer “… studied jazz. I studied classical music. I also studied composition and music theory.”
Soon, Miles’ father presented the young musician with new tools made possible by technology. “My father bought me my first MIDI console and digital computer sequencer.” Today, that sort of tech is as common in film scoring as a microphone.
Film composers come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. Many start off wanting to be rock stars who discover a skill at composition. For Miles, there was only one goal: “The first job I ever wanted to have was a film composer.”
Miles reflects. “I think the first time I said I wanted to be anything was ‘I want to write music for movies.’”
Film Scoring
Miles was “raised” on “Classic Hollywood movies.”
“Long before I had any idea what was going in those scores compositionally, I was moved by the music. The one specific one I remember was Lawrence of Arabia.”
Miles declares, “It’s one of my favorite film scores.”
He continues taking us through his musical evolution. “I think from that moment on I was a student of film. I used to make home movies and try to score them myself on my MIDI keyboard. Or I would try to take existing music and edit it to work for the movie I was making.”
“It was always this duality of film and music evolving at the same time for me.”
About Long Shot
Rogen and Theron are big stars, and the premiere for Long Shot was equally big. “Boyz II Men sang live at the premiere.”
Miles adds, “It was a great time. The audience really enjoyed it.”
Long Shot is a rom-com, but something more. “It’s a movie that has a great balance of so many ingredients. It’s funny, it’s touching, there’s romance.”
When it came to the score, Miles and co-composer Marco Beltrami, “had a lot of fun…About half the music is songs and half is our score. It’s a pretty good balance.”
Long Shot is more diverse than the typical romantic comedy. “The music took a few different shapes. There’s a side to this movie that’s kind of an intimate, sweet love story, so we wrote a very simple theme that we played on acoustic guitar. Then there’s this whole other side to the story that’s about American politics and sort of traditional, cinematically, that we touched on. It allowed us to go big and broad, a lot of orchestral music, we had a 70-piece orchestra and some very beautiful, sweeping melodies, very patriotic. Then there’s also this hilarious sort of action scenes where we did more of an electronic hybrid score.”
About the process for Long Shot: “When you’re scoring a romantic comedy, you don’t think that you’re going to flex all these muscles. But Long Shot has those extra dimensions.”
Monster Wolf
As a sucker for a good b-movie, it brought me joy to see a few on Miles’ filmography, including Monster Wolf. “When I first moved to L.A. I did a bunch of these b-movies for the SyFy Channel.” Indeed, Monster Wolf premiered as part of the network’s 31 Days of Halloween in 2010.
In the age of content, there are still cult classics that connect with people. “I did about five of those movies in a year. I still get emails from people telling me how much they love the scores. I think it’s so great those movies found an audience.”
About making scores for films like Monster Wolf or House of Bones: “There’s a lot of restrictions mostly because there’s no budget on a film like that.”
Making Music
“I also worked on A Quiet Place with Marco, and the concept for that score is totally different from something like Long Shot or Being Serena.”
So, how does Miles begin the process of connecting with the material? “It comes down to what the film requires, which has a lot to do with the director’s vision.”
Miles jokingly adds, “I wish I could say that it gets easier the more you do it, but every project is almost like a completely new frontier. It’s always a challenge of trying to figure out this new puzzle.”
As a bit of advice for the up-and-coming composers, Miles thinks, “Endurance,” is key. “It can be a long process, and there are a lot of changes along the way. The edits can change so many times, and every time you have to re-conceptualize what you’ve done.”
Wrapping Up
Miles’ musical DNA, the subconscious flow of inspiration throughout his life, begins with jazz. “Most of my early musical heroes were all the great jazz artists like John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans. Later, I fell in love with a lot of European and Russian composers.”
When it comes to film, Miles says, “… John Williams remains as one of the finest examples of what music can do in terms of enhancing the storytelling in a film. Everyone knows him for his iconic pieces, but what often gets overlooked is what he does under a dialogue scene or in an intimate, quiet moment. It’s astonishing.”
Miles’ road to the Long Shot intersected with that of John Williams. “I was fortunate to work with John. When I first came to L.A. I worked as a score reader for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and so I got to work with him on some of his Hollywood Bowl concerts.”
What was that like? “I was a geek in a candy store.”
Miles is working on something new but, “I can’t talk about it, but it’s coming out later this year, and it’s a wild and crazy project.” He adds, “I’m in talks with HBO about another series. A lot of stuff in the pipeline.”
There’s a lot of content to score and for Miles, that means, “I haven’t had a day off in like three years so if I can squeeze a little vacation time in that’s not a bad thing.”
Long Shot fired into theaters on May 3rd, 2019.
Thanks to Miles Hankins and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
ORPHAN AGE #3 hits your local comic book store on June 12, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page preview of the issue written by Ted Anderson with art by Nuno Plati.
About the 32-page issue: Lessons on the highway. “The civilized thing.” Lies and misdirection. The wild child. Learning and teaching. What world are you living in? Which animal dies?
Anderson has previously worked on MOTH & WHISPER, My Little Pony, and Adventure Time. You will recognize Plati’s artwork from Alpha: Big Time and Marvel Girl. ORPHAN AGE #3 is lettered by Marshall Dillon, with colors by Joao Lemos.
Check out the ORPHAN AGE #3 preview below:
Do you have ORPHAN AGE on your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts on the series and AfterShock Comics.
Runaways #21 hits your local comic book store on May 22, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a four-page preview of the issue written by Rainbow Rowell and art by Andrés Genolet.
About the issue: Chase is proud to be the Runaways’ handyman, co-breadwinner, steadfast supporter…well, their dad? But Chase is headed for DISASTER. Hold on to your hearts, Stein-iacs! Plus: Find out what threat has Karolina rainbow-ing out this issue.
The rest of the creative team includes Chris O’Halloran on colors, Joe Caramagna’s letter work, and Kris Anka’s cover art. Nick Lowe and Kathleen Wisneski are the editorial team in charge of the issue. Runaways was created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.
Check out the Runaways #21 below:
Whoa, Karolina!
Do you have Runaways on your pull list? Comment below with your thoughts.
DC Comics announced a new WILDCATS series Thursday morning, with writer Warren Ellis and artist Ramon Villalobos. The six-issue miniseries launches August 28, take a look at the main cover (above) and variant cover below.
According to DC Comics, WILDCATS from Ellis and Villalobos will build on Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt’s 24-issue series THE WILD STORM, which kicked off in 2016.
“The first line I wrote down for WILDCATS was: ‘Saving the human race from the human race,’” says Ellis. “It’s a team made up of people who have seen the worst in everybody and everything, and yet still put themselves in frankly absurd amounts of jeopardy just so tomorrow might be a little bit better. And it’s a short series, so I might just kill them all. Come and see what happens. The art is great.”
“Warren has created something truly spectacular with the relaunch of the WildStorm universe over the past two years,” says DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee. “There are few visionaries in our business and few still who can elevate mythos with such vitality and spectacle. Paired with Ramon’s extraordinary artwork, I’m thrilled for fans to check this out come August.”
About the series: From the pages of THE WILD STORM, the piratical covert team are here to stop humanity from destroying itself. The black-ops team featuring Grifter, Savant, John Colt, and Adrianna Tereshkova have discovered that the secret space program Skywatch has been performing medical experiments on abducted innocents for decades. And now one of those experiments is about to explode—revealing a new threat and level of danger that no one could have prepared for. The covert team may have thought the world was strange before, but they had no idea—and now the stakes might just be too high.
“From the jump, WILDCATS has always represented to me the most modern and cutting-edge approach to superhero comics,” says Villalobos. “I’m excited for the opportunity to draw fun and fashionable comics for the coolest and smartest audiences in comics. WILDCATS has a heritage of genius creators who have worked on these characters, so it’s pretty cool to be able to awkwardly put my name among theirs.”
Are you excited for WILDCATS #1? Comment below with your thoughts.
Spencer & Locke 2 #2 takes the fan-favorite series to places its never gone before, and leaves you genuinely terrified for whatever is coming next.
Detective Locke is put on trial as Roach Riley continues his murderous rampage. The series is by David Pepose and Jorge Santiago, Jr., with colors by Jasen Smith and letters by Colin Bell.
The Spencer & Locke saga is really hitting its stride. The creative team has found a solid groove, and this issue feels totally “in the pocket,” to steal a musical term. The voice and aesthetic are consistently interesting, thrilling, and unique. Santiago’s art and Smith’s color palette deserve special note. It’s simply magical the way these two are able to capture the gritty yet playful essence of this world. This is especially apparent in the intense opening pages of issue two, which you can see at the bottom of this review.
Because we’re in a groove, and we’ve established a bond with these characters, now the team is really starting to turn up the heat. Issue two raises the stakes to new heights, and has more “OH SHIT” moments than you can count. Pepose and Santiago have us in the palm of their hands, and now they’re taking the story to some seriously dark places. It’s terrifying (but also thrilling).
This series is (unfortunately) only four issues long, and it isn’t wasting any time. It’s rocketing through at breakneck speed, throwing all sorts of action and twists your way every page. These guys know how to keep their reader engaged. You won’t be able to put this book down, and because it’s so masterfully paced, you’ll be done before you know it. But then the real joy begins: you get to read it a SECOND time, and really take your time to absorb the nuance and art.
Spencer & Locke is a series with layers, and those layers get peeled back more and more with each issue. Trauma is still the central theme, but the further we go, the more we see different angles on that theme. There are discussions about parenthood, and justice, and what makes someone “good.” There’s a special place on bookshelves for stories like this that makes you think deep while also entertaining the hell out of you.
Make sure Spencer & Locke 2 is on your subscription list at your local comic shop. You don’t want to be missing out on this classic-in-the-making.
Take an early look at this preview of SPENCER & LOCKE 2 #2:
