After escaping with one of the soul shards in issue #5, the Scarlet Witch found herself in the middle of a desert, blinded, and surrounded by bandits. Fortunately, Conan the Barbarian arrived on the scene just in time to save her. The newly formed team, despite being worlds apart, decided to track down the thieves and recover the all-important shard less the evil goddess Nyx finds it.
Story
Jim Zub, Mark Waid, and Al Ewing prove they’re masters at integrating disparate characters into one cohesive story. Wanda Maximoff and Conan share instant chemistry, which is largely due to their dark pasts. Readers can sympathize with each hero’s fight against the present evil forces while struggling to keep the trauma of their pasts at bay.
Hawkeye, Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon aren’t fairing much better in the Nightmare realm. They too must come face-to-face with the darkness. Unfortunately, Hawkeye’s darkness comes in the form of the monstrous Hulk, who in a fit of rage reminds everyone of his previous death at the archer’s hands. The story loops this scene into Wanda and Conan’s dreams, which effectively shows how the darkness of Nyx has infiltrated even the barbarian’s world.
Readers can look forward to further expansion upon the Conan mythos as he and Wanda search for the shard. The developing relationship between these two unlikely teammates leaves one coming back for more.
Art
The artwork in this issue is phenomenal. Sean Izaakse’s penciling helps Wanda blend right into Conan’s ancient culture; you would never know she wasn’t from his world. In addition, Jay David Ramos and Marcio Menyz’ coloring features stark contrasts in hues to show the many differences between their respective dimensions. VC’s Cory Petit’s ties all this together through the narration, situating it in key spots to draw the reader’s eye to areas of most significance.
Readers will also enjoy the covers. Yasmine Putri’s main cover focuses on Wanda and Conan’s intensity and chemistry by illustrating their fight with the bandits. Phil Noto’s variant edition shows Hypnos the god of sleep attacking both Wanda and Vision, emphasizing the forces of darkness trying to tear the Avengers’ relationships apart.
Conclusion
AVENGERS: NO ROAD HOME #6 introduces Conan in the smoothest way possible. Readers will appreciate the addition without feeling robbed of their Avengers story. Zub, Waid, and Ewing are expanding the heroes’ landscape in a remarkable way.
What did you think of the authors’ portrayal of Conan in this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
The Other Two is a new comedy on the home for funnies, Comedy Central, about two adult siblings dealing with the incredible rise to Internet fame by their teenage brother and Charlie Gruet makes it all look its best.
Connecticut-born Charlie Gruet grew up a film-fan and went straight into film school. Starting his career in 2002, Charlie’s seventeen years of experience have taken him through many genres and styles.
PopAxiom spoke with Charlie about becoming a cinematographer, Steven Seagal, his favorite cameras, and The Other Two.
Action!
Charlie’s parents included a businessman father and a paralegal mother. His only real connection to the artistic world “… an uncle in musical theatre.”
The allure of films and the arrival of new technology nudged the cinematographer-to-be on his artistic path “When I was in high school, it was the time when VHS machines were first becoming a regular thing. Some of my friends had camcorders.
Charlie and his friends confidently filmed away “We’d make our own stuff, a lot of spoofs, or little horror movies. We had a whole series called ‘The Weekend of Terror,’ and we’d make … Part 1 and Part 2 … we eventually got up to like 15 or 16.”
After high school, Charlie “… ent to film school at Ithaca College. Initially, I wanted to get into television and directing. After school, I moved to LA and worked in commercials. I worked in the grip department, the electrical department … basically worked in all departments to see what I liked.”
In the end, cinematography proved to be the perfect match “I gravitated towards the camera, and it just seemed to suit me. I always enjoyed visuals and storytelling, and the two go hand-in-hand.”
About trying different things “It’s a key thing, finding what you’re good at or what speaks to you the most and embracing that. It’s good to try all the different things. For three months I got into costumes and worked on that for commercials.”
World of Docs
In 2005, Charlie worked on a documentary called the Self-Made Man “It gave me my entryway into the documentary world. And then another film I did, Confessions of a Superhero … I got heavy into the documentary world.”
As someone who clearly likes to try different things, Charlie started looking outside the documentary world “I wanted to get into more scripted narrative.
It got started when Charlie “… met Ben Sinclair, co-creator of High Maintenance who asked ‘Would you like to shoot for it?’” High Maintenance quickly went from web series to now it’s third season at HBO.
About The Other Two
Charlie’s journey through the comedy world next took him to an all too familiar and legendary, place Saturday Night Live “ … during Season 42, I met Chris Kelly, and Sarah Schneider were the head writers at SNL. I was working as the DP for one of the film units that do all the pre-taped stuff.”
Charlie shot the pilot for The Other Two which was picked up by Comedy Central because “It’s a really funny show. So much wonderful talent involved.”
The Other Two stars Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke and Charlie shares a bit of history with both “I worked with Drew … on a previous TV pilot project. And Heléne, I worked with her on High Maintenance.”
After surviving the rough-and-tumble world of documentary filmmaking, what’s it like shooting comfy, scripted comedy? “We had four-and-a-half days to shoot each episode.” Take a moment to let that sink in. “It’s pretty quick.”
To add to the challenge of such a fast-paced schedule, the production has about 20 million people to contend with at times “We shot on location in NY and that’s always challenging.”
New York plays a significant role in the show too “Most of what we wanted to do was make sure that the scope of the show seemed big and New York itself was a character.”
The Other Two is a comedy unafraid to be a little fantastical, because, after all, having a teenage brother who becomes famous makes life extra weird “In the pilot episode … Kerry’s in Columbus Circle when it breaks out into a musical for that scene … we wanted to make sure people knew where they were.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpuNdgC0vOw
Florida, Man
For readers who don’t know, PopAxiom is headquartered in a secret location hidden beneath Lake Okeechobee in Florida. So, naturally, we’re curious about a project Charlie worked on called Florida Girls “It’s a show on Pop TV coming out in April (2019). It’s a half-hour comedy created by Laura Chin, it’s semi-autobiographical about her life growing up in Clearwater, Florida.”
About Florida Girls, Charle adds “It’s kind of a raucous, raunchy comedy. So many funny jokes. These four young women trying to make a buck … one is trying to get her G.E.D.”
Though set in Florida, movie-magic happened behind the scenes “We filmed that in Georgia. We did do some filming in Florida to get some b-roll and exteriors.” And why? Because Georgia has excellent incentives for film shoots which bring a lot of business to local areas. Call your representatives, every state should do it, America is a beautiful place is all I’m saying.
Sur-Reality
During Charlie’s time in documentaries, he worked on Steven Seagal on the reality series Lawman, the reality show about the action star’s real life. What was that like for Charlie? “It was insane. Very unique job to say the least.”
Charlie adds more insight on working in reality TV “What I love about unscripted stuff is finding that beautiful light or composition in real-time. You have to be very adaptive.”
By contrast “In the scripted world, you can plan ahead, you can finesse things. You get to shape things, you get to create compositions that speak to the story more precisely.”
Photo: Chioke Nassor
Tech Talk
For cinematographers out there who’d like to pick another cinematographer’s brain, we here at PopAxiom did it for you “For The Other Two and Florida Girls, I used the Sony Venice which is their new 4k/6k camera. I love it. I find it really renders skin tons well. Also, the Alexa Mini is something I’ve been shooting with over the last five years. It’s small and compact.”
Of course, a camera must have a lens “I’m a really big fan of the Cooke S4 lenses. I find they have a tiny bit of softness and do well with people’s faces.”
Charlie declares “That combination. You can’t go wrong.”
How is his work as a cinematographer affected by the production and its leaders? “More and more, people are saying ‘this show needs to be 4k’ so you have to use either the Sony Venice, a RED or the Alexa LS.
However, every camera has strengths and weaknesses “The Alexa LS is their large sensor camera, and it’s kind of big and expensive, so it doesn’t work for a lot of budgets.
About 4k “… A lot of times they are requesting 4k to make it ‘future proof,’ but I don’t entirely think we need to be shooting everything in 4k right now.”
The argument can easily be made that nothing is “future proof” as technology continues to improve. The 4k of today will look silly to the 20k of tomorrow, but Charlie thinks people are “… scrambling for resolution for no reason.”
Continuing the tech talk, we go “Beyond camera, the lighting is changing so much these days. LEDs available to cinematographers are incredible.
Charlie explains further “There’s something called the Astera (X1, X2, X3, etc.), these battery operated LED lights that can do patterns, chase sequences, it can flicker anyway you want, choose colors; you can operate it from an iPad. You don’t need to lay cable and last for 16 hours on a charge. It’s making more things possible.
More In Focus
However, don’t get all this love for LEDs all wrong “There’s still the need for the big, hard lights through windows and stuff like that. But I’m encountering so many different options in shoots where we’re on a fifth-floor stairway or the apartment’s too small to fit a generator. No problem. I’ll tape this LED light to the wall.”
The flexibility of the tech gives cinematographer more tools at their fingertips “You’re able to say, how does it look with lavender, or cyan, you can scroll through these colors. You see so much more color work today because of that.”
We can’t thank science enough “Technology has allowed so many more people to be creative. We’re a visual, creative society.”
Wrapping Up
Getting into the final act, Charlie shares some love with cinematographers who inspire him “I love Roger Deakins. There are so many masters out there if I could do anything I’d try to emulate them. Emmanuel Lubezki, I love his style. Maryse Alberti, Ellen Kuras.”
But Charlie isn’t done “In the TV world, Christian Sprenger, he shot Atlanta and GLOW, his work is incredible.”
Like a cinematographer version of the six-million dollar man “If I could take a pinch of all that and make a master-DNA for myself.”
What’s next for Charlie? “A couple commercial projects and then going back into production for the next season of The Other Two.”
Thanks to Charlie Gruet and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
Longtime Marvel Comics inker Joe Sinnott has formally retired from comics work after 69 years, according to his son Mark’s Facebook announcement. This news coincides with the publication of Sinnott’s final Amazing Spider-ManSunday newspaper comic strip.
In Mark Sinnott’s words:
“My dad, Joltin’ Joe wants to thank all the fans for their support of the Spidey strip through the years. Now at 92, and working for Marvel for 69 years, Joe can finally say that he is ‘officially’ retired! What a great run, dad. We need to thank the following creators for their work on the Spidey strip during Joe’s incredible 27 year run on the strip: Stan Lee and Roy Thomas, who made this all possible. Letterers Stan Sakai and Janice Chiang, Pencilers Larry Lieber, Ron Frenz, Paul Ryan, Sal Buscema, Fred Kida, and for the past 22 years Alex Saviuk. Also a huge thanks to the inkers that ‘filled in’ for Joe from time to time: Jim Amash, Terry Austin, Bob Wiacek, Mark Sinnott, Belinda Sinnott, Tim Estiloz and Jim Tournas. Thanks for making Spidey look good all these years Dad. I love you, Mark (your son and biggest fan).”
Joe Sinnott is a name familiar to any longtime Marvel fans. He was there from the beginning, working on monsters, science fiction, and horror when the company was called Atlas Comics. Sinnott’s best known early Marvel work is probably Fantastic Four #5 from 1962, the first appearance of Doctor Doom (even though inkers weren’t always credited at the time). Later in the 1960s, Sinnott became Jack Kirby’s regular inker on what many consider the high point of Fantastic Four.
His inks could also be seen adorning the pencils of John Buscema, John Romita, Jim Steranko, and many more into the 1970s and 80s.
Sinnott has been recognized with multiple Inkwell Awards, and was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2013. He retired from regular Marvel work back in 1992, but continued on the Spider-Man strip. Photos from Sinnott’s legendary career can be found on his Facebook page.
Are you a longtime Marvel fan, or a reader who’s discovered Sinnott’s work through reprints? Any favorites to call out? Leave us a comment!
Religion, gender politics and Corporate Rule form the basis for Dark Horse Comics new title Invisible Kingdom. It combines the spirit of a larger than life sci-fi adventure story with a personal journey of discovery. Vast colorful vista’s and a variety of alien races fill the pages ready to transfix the reader.
Following on from her success at the Big Two Publishers, G Willow Wilson unleashes a new creator owned comic into the market. It combines elements of Firefly and Saga with rebellious characters desperate to survive in a world fuelled by hate and fear.
Invisible Kingdom #1 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Writing/Story
High above the planet Qari Captain Grix has a problem. Her ship is carrying precious cargo for the Lux corporation but it is losing power. She has to force a landing, save her crew, and keep the cargo intact.
Meanwhile Vess seeks the Invisible Kingdom. Blindfolded and alone, the Roolian has to walk barefoot through the Capital City of Duni to reach the Monastery of Renunciation. Her faith is strong but not everyone she meets has the same respect for others as she does.
G Willow Wilson provides a juxtaposition between her two central characters in this opening issue of Invisible Kingdom. The first character the reader meets is a bold, forthright space captain in the vain of Han Solo from Star Wars or Alana from Saga. Captain Grix is shown to be pragmatic and protective of her crew. She is also rebellious towards the Lux Corporation despite working for them.
The second central character is Vess. By contrasting their stories, Vess appears timid and unsure of herself. She is searching for something, possibly escaping from who she is, and religion is where she has turned. Wilson uses her journey to the monastery to highlight the bigotry of the Duni world, not only in the advertising nightmare of the streets but also within the monastery itself. Vess is a member of a race, the Roolians, who are outcasts and treated badly by others. Their sexuality is a focal point and something for others to ridicule.
Wilson sets up a world rife with hatred and lacking understanding. The racism is evident in much of Vess’ story and no-where is a safe haven for her. Meanwhile, with Grix, Wilson is illustrating another problem within her world: corporate rule. She shows that Lux is more interested in its cargo, and saving money, than it is in its workers. Both of these are real world problems that readers will be able to identify with and only a fine veil separates Wilson’s Invisible Kingdom from the real world.
Invisible Kingdom #1 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Art
The only way to describe Christian Ward’s artwork for Invisible Kingdom is stunning. His use of color to define depth and the application of soft, almost none existent, outlines create an out of this world atmosphere for the characters to inhabit. There is an obvious alien-ness to the space setting making the reader feel an outsider. The cityscape however is inspired by the gaudy corporate visions employed by the likes of Blade Runner, but with less of the industrial influence. Duni is all bright lights and neon colors, covering up the bleak, murky attitudes of the inhabitants.
The colors used by Ward often contradict the narrative by Wilson. Everything has a garish brightness to it even in the worst situations. Only when the characters reach an area of desolation does the color drain from the page to be replaced with a worn, wash of browns and greys. This illustrates for the reader a transitional stage for the characters: in Vess’ case when she leaves the city and enters the monastery.
Although the color work is impressive, the design work is by far the most stunning element of the comic. Ward has created some outstanding visuals which he frames on the pages in a spectacular fashion. There is a fine purpose to the layouts which is as important to the story as Wilson’s script. The alien architecture is a constant reminder that there is more to the story than is shown directly on the pages. It is both impressive and oppressive; again this reflects the attitudes of the populace within the story.
Invisible Kingdom #1 Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Conclusion
Rife with adventure and social commentary, Invisible Kingdom is an impressive start to a new sci-fi saga. It sets up several characters and a whole world for them to play in. The creative team work together to produce a substantial opening that both looks impressive and engages the reader in the story.
Karen Berger has a reputation for delivering high standard, genre challenging books and the Berger Books range of comics from Dark Horse Comics is living up to that reputation. Invisible Kingdom is another addition to the catalogue and falls squarely under the ‘must read’ heading.
More than 30 years after the classic Batman: Year One, Frank Miller is exploring the same timeframe for the Man of Steel. DC Comics announced that Miller and artist John Romita Jr will tell the tale of Superman: Year One beginning this June. The three issue series, part of the Black Label line, will first be released in an oversized comic format like Batman: Damned in June, August, and October. A collected edition will then follow in November.
Here’s DC’s official description of the book:
Superman: Year One is a coming-of-age story for the future Man of Steel, featuring a young alien-boy just trying to find his place in a new world. Faced with the need to hide his heritage and powers in order to survive, Clark will find his humanity through the grounding of the Kent family and the relationships that will define the man he will become. Told by two of the most revered voices in comics, Superman: Year One is more than a superhero story – it’s about the choices made by Clark Kent on his path to becoming a legend. It’s a testament to the importance of choosing to become a hero.
Clark Kent’s early years are well-trodden ground for DC, from John Byrne’s 1980s Man of Steel to Superman Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Gary Franks. This version, though, will be out of regular continuity, like the Superman: Earth One graphic novels.
While the Superman: Year One news seems to suggest that rumors of Black Label’s impending demise were false, we have yet to see some of the titles mentioned in the original announcement. Batman: Last Knight on Earth by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will be out in May, while Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Wonder Woman: Diana’s Daughter, and The Other History of the DC Universe remain MIA.
Superman: Year One #1 will be out June 19.
Are you looking forward to Frank Miller’s take on Superman? Let us know in the comments!
Going to the Chapel is an upcoming action romcom comic from Action Lab: Danger Zone, one that’s pitched as “Die Hard at a wedding, or Dog Day Afternoon meets the Runaway Bride.”
The series is written by Ringo Award-nominated David Pepose (Spencer & Locke), drawn by Gavin Guidry (The Death Defying), colored by Liz Kramer, and lettered by Ariana Maher. The covers are by Maan House and Gavin Guidry, with a special convention-exclusive variant by Lisa Sterle.
About the series: Emily Anderson’s big day had become the wedding from hell — and that was before the bank robbers showed up. What do a conflicted bride, her dysfunctional family, a gang of Elvis-themed crooks, and one relentless sheriff have in common? They’re all about to discover love is the ultimate hostage situation. Fans of Sex Criminals, Jessica Jones, and 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank will say “I do” to GOING TO THE CHAPEL, available in comic shops and on digital devices Fall 2019!
We’ve had the pleasure of reading the first issue, and it’s well worth a spot on your pull list. It feels like something out of a Tarantino film, especially in the isolated, Western setting. David Pepose has proven his ability to tell an emotionally rich story and deliver gut punches with Spencer & Locke, and Chapel looks like it’ll be another action-packed roller coaster ride. (Click here to read our recent interview with Pepose and Jorge Santiago, Jr. about the upcoming Spencer & Locke 2.)
What Pepose and Guidry have to say about the series:
“Dating back to my catastrophic turn as best man for my oldest friend’s wedding, GOING TO THE CHAPEL has been an irreverent passion project long in the making,” said series writer David Pepose. “Think Die Hard at a wedding — or Dog Day Afternoon meets The Runaway Bride. With our unique mashup of action, humor, romance, and heart — not to mention our sprawling, diverse, and downright dysfunctional cast — fans of romcoms and thrillers alike are going to find lots to love about our offbeat and eclectic series.”
“GOING TO THE CHAPEL offered some really exciting challenges for me as an artist, including a solid, singular setting and a huge cast to play with,” added series artist Gavin Guidry. “Between the moments of action and comedy, our whole cast of characters were a blast for me to work with, and because our book touches upon so many different tastes and genres, I’m excited for folks to have a chance to read it.”
Get your first look at Going to the Chapel below:
Maan House CoverGavin Guidry CoverLisa Sterle Convention-Exclusive Cover (Available at ECCC and C2E2)
Follow GOING TO THE CHAPEL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on how, when, and where to get your hands on the book!
About the Creators: A former crime and politics reporter, David Pepose is the Ringo Award-nominated writer of SPENCER & LOCKE, SPENCER & LOCKE 2 and GRAND THEFT ASTRO. He has also worked for numerous entertainment companies around the country, including CBS, Netflix, Universal Studios and DC Comics. A St. Louis native and a former New York City transplant, Pepose now resides in sunny Los Angeles, where he is developing several properties for TV, film, and comics. Follow him on Twitter at @Peposed.
A New Orleans native, Gavin Guidry has drawn several self-published titles including THE DEATH DEFYING and THE NIGHT DRIVER, as well as a historical graphic novel, THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS, for the State of Louisiana’s Museum Systems. He also worked as a background assistant on Volume 2 of HEARTTHROB with Oni Press. Guidry currently lives outside of New Orleans with his wife and two children. Follow him on Twitter at @gavinguidry.
Elizabeth Kramer is a designer by day and artist by night. GOING TO THE CHAPEL is her debut as a comic colorist. A native of Tolland, Connecticut, she is a graduate from the Hartford School of Design with a BFA in illustration with a minor in visual communication design, and she is self-taught in the art of making comics. When not working the daily grind in Crown Point, Indiana, Kramer can be found working on her webcomic THREADER, participating in zines and anthologies. Follow her on Twitter at @lizkreates.
Ariana Maher is a comic book letterer who works with both independent imprints such as LittleFoolery and publishers such as Image Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and Skybound. Recent projects include NANCY DREW, JAMES BOND 007, RINGSIDE, SFEER THEORY, FLAVOR, and OUTPOST ZERO. She tends to be wandering around comic book conventions in the Pacific Northwest. Follow her on Twitter at @CommentAiry.
About Action Lab Entertainment: Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business. Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment. Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis. Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCELESS, MIRACULOUS (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle’s MOLLY DANGER, Artist/Writer Katie Cook’s GRONK and Gayle Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as Charles Band’s PUPPET MASTER and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, VAMPBLADE and ITTY BITTY BUNNIES IN RAINBOW PIXIE CANDY LAND, and socially relevant titles including SOUTHERN DOG, KINGDOM BUM and M Goodwin’s TOMBOY.
American Carnage #5 hits your local comic book store on March 20, but thanks to DC Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview to share with you.
The book is written by Bryan Hill, with art by Leandro Fernandez. Dean White worked on colors, Pat Brosseau lettered the issue, and Ben Oliver worked on the cover. Hill has worked on Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, and several books over at Top Cow. Fernández is an Argentinian comic book artist, best known for his work on The Old Guard (which is being adapted by Netflix, starring Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne). American Carnage from Hill and Fernandez follows a biracial former FBI agent as he goes deep undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group in Los Angeles.
About the issue: Wynn Morgan’s business rivals get wind of Agent Sheila Curry’s off-the-books investigation into the white nationalist leader, but things don’t go well at all when they try to make an illegal quid pro quo with the vengeful FBI agent. Meanwhile, Richard closes in on the murderer of Agent Watson, with help from the unlikeliest of allies.
Check out the preview below:
How long before American Carnage gets picked up as a television series or a film? Comment below with your thoughts.
The Lollipop Kids #4 hits your local comic book store on March 27, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview to share with you.
The 32-page book is written by Adam and Aidan Glass, with art by Diego Yapur. DC Alonso worked on colors, Sal Cipriano lettered the issue, and Robert Hack worked on the cover. Adam Glass has worked on Rough Riders, The Normals, and Teen Titans. You would recognize Yapur’s work from The NightProjectionist and Priest: Purgatory. The Lollipop Kids is an epic tale of the nightmares that haunt Central Park after dark.
About the issue: Nick discovers that his missing sister is not only NOT missing, but she’s also the LEADER of the Lollipop Kids. The last thing Mia wants is her little brother in the park tonight, and she orders him to go home immediately. Nick has survived a few monster clashes and wants in, but Mia has no time for this and has him locked him up in the brig until they can lock up all the monsters again…but does one of the most infamous monsters of all time await their emergence from the prison?
Check out the preview below:
Are you reading The Lollipop Kids? Comment below with your thoughts.
There’s a reason vampires have been the monster-of-choice in popular fiction. These bloodthirsty creatures of the night are a great device for storytellers to write topics that are current yet unfamiliar to its audience. In True Blood, vampires are seen as an “other” that struggle to have equal rights in society. The Strain deals with the outbreak of a vampiric plague that creates a city-wide pandemic, resulting in panic and chaos. In Dark Red – the forthcoming book from AfterShock Comics – vampires help shed light on both the literal and allegorical isolation of Middle America from the rest of the country.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
Charles “Chip” Ipswich isn’t one of those coastal elites with a liberal arts degree and a job at a social media start-up who knows where all the best brunch places are. No, Chip is one of the “forgotten men.” He lives in a rural area in the middle of the country where Jesus still has a place at the dinner table and where factories ship jobs to Calcutta. Chip is also a vampire. Stuck working the last shift at a gas station, Chip is lonely and bored… and then his dull, bleak life is turned upside down when she comes to town. Tim Seeley (Brilliant Trash) and Corin Howell bring you a contemporary and horrifying tale of vampirism in the heart of America — one that’ll make you jump right out of your boots.
“It’s a story influenced by current events,” Seeley said about Dark Red, “but told with a down-on-his-luck vampire and a cast of some of the best characters I’ve ever managed to make up. And there’s a lot of my own life in here too. I love to write some good old fashioned honesty next to some decapitations and eviscerations.”
Writing
Seeley does a great job at setting the tone of Dark Red right from the get go. He takes us down the dark highway and into Nowhere, USA, with stereotypical characters that normally wouldn’t make it past the first few pages of a story. In the middle of it all is vampire protagonist Chip Ipswich, who doesn’t rip open the throat of a local drunk when confronted. Rather, he uses his power of persuasion to remain unassuming, to continue his humdrum existence in rural America.
The dialogue is easy to absorb. The interaction between Chip and the drunkards, followed by the gas station manager, are somewhat comical. Politics are briefly touched on, which is something you can expect more of, as made apparent by the cover art.
As the first issue concludes, Seeley delivers a more heavy handed op-ed between Chip and Evie – his obsessive, voluntary source of sustenance. They delve into an intriguing back-and-forth as to why Chip chooses to reside where he does, and his stance on his city-dwelling counterparts. This concludes just in time for some good old fashioned blood and gore, followed by an abrupt yet satisfying set up for what’s to come.
Art:
Corin Howell’s illustrations in Dark Red are exaggerated, giving a cartoony style to his characters eyes and facial features. The few bloody sequences feel restrained and lacking in the shock and gore department, which takes away from the edge of the book. There are some highlights towards the end, when Chip gets in a fight with three “deep thralls.” Howell showcases expressions of rage and malice on the characters’ faces that are more in tune with the genre.
The colors by Mark Englert work well. He has a pretty diverse pallet to light the characters during different times of the day. In contrast with the title, the reds were a little too bright, particularly in the bloody panels. Overall, the artists behind the first issue of Dark Red don’t take as many risks as they could with their artwork and coloring.
The letters by Marshal Dillon start off feeling a bit fabricated, particularly with the drunken side characters. Much like the pencils, the captions started off as too bold and cartoony. Thankfully, it levels off about a third of the way through, with interesting styles that convey pain and rage.
The cover artwork by Aaron Campbell is the saving grace for this book. It showcases a more jagged, erratic style, with splotchy and minimal coloring. In my opinion, Campbell’s art works well to offset Seeley’s tone in the dialogue.
Conclusion:
Overall, the first issue of Dark Red is a satisfying introduction to this vampire story. It has something to say about the political divide the country is facing. It’s not an explosive start by any means. However, it hides just enough in its dark crevices that you just might want to sink your teeth into.
Dark Red #1 will be released March 20 in comic book stores and digitally. Check out some preview artwork from AfterShock Comics below:
In a surprise announcement, DC Comics and Dark Horse have revealed a new Black Hammer/Justice League crossover series by Jeff Lemire and Michael Walsh. We’ve seen other crossovers in recent years like Batman/TMNT and Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica; what makes this one different is that many of the main Black Hammer characters are avatars of Silver Age DC heroes.
All we know about the premise at this time is that a stranger arrives simultaneously in both Metropolis and on the Black Hammer Farm, leading to a warping of both worlds — oh, and Starro is somehow involved.
“The joy of Black Hammer, for me, and I presume many of its fans, is to read superhero comics that are character driven without endless tie-ins and events. So, I don’t want Black Hammer to become that. But this was an excellent opportunity to tell a really fun story and, hopefully, to bring Black Hammer to a bunch of new readers. I have too many stories of my own that I still want to tell.”
He also addressed how this would affect both BH and Justice League:
“Obviously, I want [Black Hammer] to continue to grow and evolve autonomously. But that doesn’t mean that this is just a throwaway ‘imaginary story’ either. It will have an emotional impact on both sets of characters, and there is one other aspect that will have a more lasting effect, but I can’t spoil that here.”
MILWAUKIE, Ore. and BURBANK, Calif. (March 13, 2019)—Dark Horse Comics and DC Publishing present the ultimate superhero crossover event of 2019 in Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice! Black Hammer co-creator Jeff Lemire (Essex County, Descender, Green Arrow, Sweet Tooth) and artist Michael Walsh (Spider-Man, Star Wars) join forces to bring the heroes of Metropolis to the Black Hammer Farm! Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice #1 features covers by Michael Walsh, Andrea Sorrentino with colors by Dave Stewart, Yanick Paquette with colors by Dave Stewart, Yuko Shimizu, and Jeff Lemire with colors by Dave Stewart.
“Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice is a project that I still can’t believe is actually real, even though I’ve written the whole series already,” explained Black Hammer co-creator Jeff Lemire. “Everyone who knows me and knows Black Hammer is aware of my love of the DC Universe. Getting this great opportunity to work with an artist like Michael Walsh to bring the Black Hammer and DC universes together for a special story was just too much fun. I’m incredibly excited about the story and think fans of both universes will enjoy reading it as much as Michael and I enjoyed creating it.”
In Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice, a strange man arrives simultaneously on the Black Hammer Farm and in Metropolis. Both worlds are warped as Starro attacks! Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, and more crossover with Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, and the rest of the Black Hammer gang!
The first issue of Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice (of five) goes on sale July 10, 2019, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.”
Have you been keeping up with both of these series? Are you excited to see them cross over? Leave us a comment!
Hawkeye, Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon aren’t fairing much better in the Nightmare realm. They too must come face-to-face with the darkness. Unfortunately, Hawkeye’s darkness comes in the form of the monstrous Hulk, who in a fit of rage reminds everyone of his previous death at the archer’s hands. The story loops this scene into Wanda and Conan’s dreams, which effectively shows how the darkness of Nyx has infiltrated even the barbarian’s world.
