Like Pete Sampras in the 1996 U.S. Open against Alex Corretja, I fought off illness and exhaustion to bring you this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast with Kyle Roberts. We talk about the excellent week DC Comics had, with new issues of Supergirl, Adventure Comics and Flash Rebirth, and about Spider-Man’s trip into the Gauntlet with Amazing Spider-Man 612. Check it out.

- Matt Price

Neil Kleid first came to my attention as the writer/artist of the Xeric-winning “Ninety Candles,” an innovative graphic novel in which each panel represented a year.   Here’s what I wrote about the book in early 2005, naming Ninety Candles one of the best graphic novels of the year:

Neil Kleid’s experimental “Ninety Candles” follows the life of cartoonist Kevin Hall, with one panel representing each year of Hall’s life. The book was done improvisationally, with no pre-existing script — each day represented in the book was created in a day.

Kleid has since created the Jewish gangster story “Brownsville,” coming to the iPhone via Panelfly, and one of the best graphic novels of 2009, “The Big Kahn.”   The following is a Q&A with Kleid about those projects.

Matt Price:  Tell me about the process of taking Brownsville to the iPhone. Was reformatting involved? Did you have involvement in the process?

Neil Kleid: Not really — basically, NBM Publishing handed off the files to the boys and girls at Panelfly and they went to town, making the classic mob drama available for your handheld electronical telephonic listening devices. Jake and I? We just watched with awe.

The process is definitely exciting. Each and every day another smart phone comes to market—be it iPhone, Pre, Droid or Blackberry—and the comic book industry is matching them stride for stride. The only thing, as a cartoonist or graphic novelist you really need to do is change your point of view, understand that this is the limitless new horizon and get on board.

MP:  What do you think makes a comic or graphic novel a good candidate for the iPhone?

NK: There are definitely certain comics/GNS more suited to a smart phone viewer than others. For instance, as a creator who has seen his work shrunk from standard 6×9 pages to digest I’ve noticed the benefits of having pages with fewer panels, lighter dialogue, stronger art. Taking a nine-panel Giffen grid down to an iPhone may not work as well as a four-panel manga (that is, unless you display the story panel by panel…!). Brighter art, easy to read panels, clear transitions —these are all elements needed for optimum smart phone reading.

That being said, I’m the dude that packs 6 panels on a page so maybe my book isn’t the optimum candidate, either. Looks pretty in yer hand-phone, though.

MP: Tell me about the series, for those who might be unfamiliar.

NK: BROWNSVILLE is the story of Murder Incorporated, the Jewish hit operation working out of East New York, under the thumb of Jewish gangster Louis Lepke Buchalter in the ‘20s and ‘30s. It’s a true story, following the intertwined lives of Allie “Tick Tock” Tannenbaum and Abe “Kid Twist” Reles as they immerse themselves in the gang-infested streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, work their way to the top and then rat everyone out. If you’re a sucker for a good mob movie, and you’d like to expand your Mafia horizons beyond Michael Corleone, “Goodfellas”, Lucky Luciano and the SOPRANOS, this is the book for you.

MP:  Can you tell me about your artist on Brownsville?

NK: Jake Allen is a prince among men—that is, if those men are all poor, underappreciated inkslingers devoted to the sequential arts and a slave to detail. The man’s work is so refined that he draws every building’s brick, every herringbone in your suit, every shadow, nook, cranny and dramatic detail in a story that asks a great deal from a first time graphic illustrator. And Jake? He delivers.

MP:  Of course, this year, your critically acclaimed The Big Kahn graphic novel hit the shelves.  Could you describe that for me?

NK: THE BIG KAHN is my second book for NBM Publishing, moving my Judeocentric writing arena to present day New Jersey, and in particular to the funeral of Rabi David Kahn, noted scholar, loving husband and father, pulpit Rabbi to a congregation for forty years. The only problem? Rabbi Kahn was never Jewish, rather an Irish con man who fell into a new life after falling in love, according to the “Rabbi’s” long-estranged, newly arrived brother Roy. The book explores the aftermath of the revelation, focusing in on the late Rabbi’s wife and children who are forced to examine their lives in the wake of the bombshell. It asks questions of faith, religion, legacy and lies, shining its light on a family secret so well-hidden even the family didn’t know about it until it was too late.

Inspired by the HBO series SIX FEET UNDER and sources like the novel “Matchstick Men” and THE STING, made relatable by the Bernie Madoff scandal and elements of AMC’s MAD MEN, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in the societal implications of a world where everyone lies. Everyone. Even we.

MP:  And tell me about the artist on The Big Kahn.

NK: The artist on KAHN is my pal Nicolas Cinquegrani, a talented Chilean illustration who came to my attention via the interweb and the pretty pictures he posts there that friends showed to me one night. I was blown away by Nico’s delicate yet grounded imagery, the subtle, stark appeal to his characters and the possibilities of that art applied to my stark tale of human failings. I don’t regret emailing him one bit. Not one bit.

MP: The Big Kahn touches on the themes of identity and reinvention.  What appeals to you about these themes?

NK: Who doesn’t know what it’s like to fight for a second chance? You say things, do things that mark you in a certain way and have to struggle to toss of the invisible brand. Classic journey of self-discovery and renewal for a character to go through, yes? They say better writers drop their character in unfamiliar territories, forcing them to find their way back, fight their way through to retribution. What better road for a Rabbi to walk than one paved with doubts, failings and accusations based on the sins of his father, sins that if never undertaken might have meant an entirely different life for his sons and daughter?

As it happens, during the time I was writing BIG KAHN I was going through a bit of an identity crisis myself. I’d moved to New York from Detroit, having left the isolated womb of my family home and the Jewish community surrounding it. Here I was, outside the ghetto and in the World, where anything could happen and I could be whoever I wanted. Unfortunately, several circumstances and scenarios brought me through trials of my own —professional, creative, financial, romantic — and the only comfort and grounding I could find was back in the ghetto, the protective womb of the Jewish community I was fighting to escape. I wanted to find out who I was — as a Jew, as an artist, as a writer, as a son, friend, brother, boyfriend, son of G-d — and this introspection and the questions that arose found their way into THE BIG KAHN,

MP: What other projects do you have in the works?

NK: Currently I’m in a gestating year, working on projects that won’t see the light of day for a while. Writing this, writing that and hoping it sticks somewhere… but the nice bit of news for 2010 is that I’m devoting myself back to my roots, the pencil, pen and ink I abandoned to script and plot.

This year, I’ll dive back into cartooning as I knock out a 4-page story for an unannounced Big Time anthology and then I’ll hunker down to work on my second drawn graphic novel (the first being 2003’s Xeric-award winning NINETY CANDLES) for a Big Time publisher. In and around those two projects, POP will finally see the light of day —it’s a five issue miniseries about tabloid Hollywood, celebutantes, publicists and the most evil woman in the world. I co-wrote it with Dan Taylor, it’s illustrated by Chris Moreno and it’s coming out from IDW Publishing in some form this year. I’m also toying with prose again, writing my second novel as I prepare to unleash my first, COFFIN, to the masses via print on demand delivery. So here’s hoping THAT doesn’t blow up in my face.

And, as always, working working working. Goonies never say die.

Award-winning graphic novelist Neil Kleid is taking his Jewish gangster graphic novel, “Brownsville,” to the iPhone.

“The process is definitely exciting,” Kleid said in a recent interview. “Each and every day another smart phone comes to market — be it iPhone, Pre, Droid or Blackberry — and the comic book industry is matching them stride for stride. The only thing, as a cartoonist or graphic novelist you really need to do is change your point of view, understand that this is the limitless new horizon and get on board.”

“Brownsville,” from publisher NBM, is the story of Murder, Incorporated, the Jewish hit operation of the 1920s and ’30s.

“It’s a true story, following the intertwined lives of Allie “Tick Tock” Tannenbaum and Abe “Kid Twist” Reles as they immerse themselves in the gang-infested streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, work their way to the top and then rat everyone out,” Kleid said. “If you’re a sucker for a good mob movie, and you’d like to expand your Mafia horizons beyond Michael Corleone, ‘Goodfellas,’ Lucky Luciano and ‘The Sopranos,’ this is the book for you.”

Jake Allen is the artist for “Brownsville.” The graphic novel can be downloaded via the iPhone app Panelfly, found online at www.panelfly.com.

Kleid’s second book for NBM is “The Big Kahn,” set in modern-day New Jersey, as, at the funeral of esteemed Rabbi David Kahn, his family discovers he was never Jewish, but an Irish con man.

“The book explores the aftermath of the revelation, focusing in on the late Rabbi’s wife and children who are forced to examine their lives in the wake of the bombshell,” Kleid said. “It asks questions of faith, religion, legacy and lies, shining its light on a family secret so well-hidden even the family didn’t know about it until it was too late.”

The artist of “The Big Kahn” is Nicolas Cinquegrani, a Chilean artist who Kleid found via the Internet.

“I was blown away by Nico’s delicate yet grounded imagery, the subtle, stark appeal to his characters and the possibilities of that art applied to my stark tale of human failings,” Kleid said. “I don’t regret e-mailing him one bit. Not one bit.”

Referencing the Bernie Madoff scandal, Kleid said “The Big Kahn” should be of interest to those interested in the societal implications of a world where everyone lies.

The theme of fighting for a second chance had parallels in Kleid’s own life, as while he was writing the book, he faced his own identity crisis.

“I’d moved to New York from Detroit, having left the isolated womb of my family home and the Jewish community surrounding it,” Kleid said. “Here I was, outside the ghetto and in the World, where anything could happen and I could be whoever I wanted. Unfortunately, several circumstances and scenarios brought me through trials of my own — professional, creative, financial, romantic — and the only comfort and grounding I could find was back in the ghetto, the protective womb of the Jewish community I was fighting to escape.

“I wanted to find out who I was — as a Jew, as an artist, as a writer, as a son, friend, brother, boyfriend, son of G-d — and this introspection and the questions that arose found their way into ‘The Big Kahn.’”

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Rob Vollmar passed on the following information about a free celebration of Alan Moore’s birthday on Wednesday in Norman.

- Matt Price

Atomik Pop! is hosting a Mooresday event at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, November 18th to celebrate the 56th birthday of acclaimed comics writer, Alan Moore. An author of hundreds of comic books and dozens of graphic novels like Watchmen and V for Vendetta, Moore fundamentally altered the comics landscape beginning in the 1980s with his literary approach to a medium once considered suitable for only children.

In celebration, Atomik Pop! will be offering a one-hour survey of Moore ’s life and career entitled “Northampton Calling” from local comics author and critic, Rob Vollmar. “Alan Moore is as fundamental to raising both the standard and profile of comics as an artform as was William Shakespeare to English theater,” Vollmar insists “and his contributions to the American cultural landscape of the late 20th century, despite his British citizenship, are nearly without peer.” Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about one of comics’ most important creators in addition to possibly taking home Moore-themed door prizes.

There is no charge for attendance and the event is open to the public. Atomik Pop!’s Norman branch is located at 918 West Main Street. For further information, please call 329-9695.

Two big Whedon-related announcements have come out today.

First, according to SciFi Wire, Joss Whedon’s “Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Eight” comics could be coming to the Web as motion comics webisodes.  For anyone who hasn’t yet read the comics, they are quite good. I’m not completely sold on motion comics as yet (I have, so far, always preferred the original comic), but it should be a good way to share “season eight” with those who might prefer it in this format.

In other Whedon family news, Zack Whedon, one of the writers of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” announced via Techland that he will be writing a new Terminator comic-book series for Dark Horse.

“I am not a big-time, famous dude and yet now I am choreographing action sequences set in a post-apocalyptic future overrun by evil cybernetic organisms hell bent on destroying the human race. How is that possible?! I’ll answer your question, Made-Up Person. It’s possible because in comics it doesn’t cost 150 million dollars to tell that story. They can put an idiot like me in charge!” Zack Whedon writes.

While it’s been a rough month for Whedonites with the cancellation of “Dollhouse,” maybe this will ease the sting somewhat.

- Matt Price

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review Dark X-Men 1, X-Force 21 and the Batman/Doc Savage one-shot on the NewsOK Comics podcast.

Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates is joined by two Supergirl superstars for “Supergirl” No. 50.  Artwork from the late Michael Turner will be the cover of “Supergirl” No. 50.  A back-up story will be written by “Supergirl” actress Helen Slater and Jake Black. 

As revealed in the Superman family solicitations at Newsarama.com, the issue is set for release on Feb. 17 and will run 56 pages for $4.99.   Joshua Middleton, the series’ regular artist, will provide a 1-in-10 variant cover for the issue.

It’s the second “Supergirl” news featuring Slater in recent weeks. The actress also provided the introduction to “Supergirl: Who Is Superwoman?,” the collection of “Supergirl” issues by Gates and artist Jamal Igle released this week.

- Matt Price

Marvel plans to introduce this monkey with guns, apparently drawn by Frank Cho, at Marvel.com on Monday.  In the announcement, Marvel asks, “Who is One of the Most Exciting New Characters of the Century?”  Since this was the art included, I guess they think it’s this guy.  Now, I don’t know if this works like “collector’s item first issue!” where if you have to TELL people it’s a collector’s item, then it’s probably not.  In any case, if you like Frank Cho or monkeys in a suit and tie, you may want to tune to Marvel.com on Monday and find out who this fella is.

Update: The character is named Hitman Monkey.  He’ll debut in a digital title this December and first appear in print in February’s “Deadpool” No. 20.

- Matt Price

There was some controversy over the new Captain America’s choice to carry a gun, back in Captain America #34.   Some retailers at the time expressed concern about it.  Now, Marvel’s released a provocative new promo, one in their series of promos with the title “What Price Victory?” promoting the upcoming Siege storyline.

Norman Osborn is being held at gunpoint by the new Captain America in the image.  Osborn has been responsible for a lot of the bad things that have happened to Marvel’s heroes in the past year, as Osborn himself was lionized following his part in stopping the Skrull invasion.   Siege looks to be a return to the classic Avengers lineup of Thor, Captain America and Iron Man.  But I wonder if New Cap’s use of a gun might play into his stepping aside from the Captain America role, allowing a return of Steve Rogers?

(Of course, in Reborn right now, Steve Rogers isn’t quite ready to take over anything – but we’ll see how that story progresses, as well!)

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

- Matt Price

I completely forgot about it being Friday the 13th today, but as such I can’t let the day pass without a few recommendations of creepy comics to read.

1. Creepy

Might as well go with the comic that has “creepy” right there in the title.   The first Creepy Archive features stories by Archie Goodwin, art by Alex Toth and covers by Frank Frazetta!  That’s an all-star lineup.

2. Eerie

Creepy’s sister publication. The first Eerie Archive  does duplicate some of the stories from the second Creepy Archive, as Dark Horse presents the first five issues of Eerie as they were originally presented.  Covers by Frazetta and Gray Morrow.

3. Blackest Night
Odds are good you may already be reading this best-seller from DC Comics, but I’m enjoying it as the equivalent of a superhero zombie movie.

4. Essential Marvel Horror Vol. 2

This is likely to fall more along the lines of “goofy” than “scary.”  It’s a mix of characters including Brother Voodoo and Gabriel the Devil-Hunter from the 1970s Marvel line.  The mixture of one oddball thing after another makes this a fun one to pick up and read in short bursts.

5. House of Mystery

While the original “Showcase” edition is worth a look, I’ll recommend checking out the recent series by Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges.  Five characters trapped are trapped in a bar that appears to be in an otherworldly realm.  They are trying to find out why they are imprisoned, and along the way they tell their stories.  One of the best current series from Vertigo.

I’ve been thinking about the role of Batman’s sidekick lately.  I recently re-read some of the earlier Tim Drake Robin appearances, and was reminded how much I enjoyed that character at the time.   There are also some great Dick Grayson stories as Robin.   Damian Wayne as Robin co-stars in a top-selling book, and of course there’s something to be said for trailblazers Carrie Kelly and Stephanie Brown.  I’m less sure that anyone’s favorite Robin will be Jason Todd, but I guess anything is possible.   Share your vote in the poll below, and if you’d like, tell us why you voted for whom you voted in the comments!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Guy Ritchie left the “Sgt. Rock” project for another DC project, Lobo.  This cleared the way for “I Am Legend” director Francis Lawrence.  Joel Silver and Akiva Goldsman are set to direct.   The film, which has been in development for 20 years and at one time was to star Arnold Schwartzenegger, was to focus on the leader of Easy Company during World War II.

But scuttlebutt in the Reporter article is that WWII films don’t do big box-office, so the film will instead be set in the future.

I really can’t at this moment get excited about it.  I mean, we’ve had some pretty good Sgt. Rock comics lately, like Billy Tucci’s “Sgt. Rock: The Last Battalion” and “Sgt. Rock: The Prophecy” and “Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place.”

So naturally what you want to do with DC’s most realistic war character is take him and send him to the future.   Maybe they’ll come up with a great take, but at the moment my interest has waned.

- Matt Price

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price review X-Men vs Agents of Atlas 2, Haunt 2, Black Widow: Deadly Origin 1, Stumptown 1.

Marvel Comics’ Black Widow began as a Soviet spy, introduced as a foil for Iron Man in 1964’s “Tales of Suspense” No. 52. While her first few appearances saw her as an antagonist to Marvel heroes, she’s since joined with them, even leading the Avengers for a time.

The Black Widow, aka Natalia Romanova or Natasha Romanoff, will be played by Scarlett Johansson in next year’s film “Iron Man 2.” Marvel is doing its best to catch up readers on the character before the film, starting this week with the comic-book series “Black Widow: Deadly Origin.”

“Deadly Origin” is written by Paul Cornell, who wrote an acclaimed revamp of “Captain Britain” for Marvel Comics and is known for his work as a writer on the “Doctor Who” television series. The art is by Tom Raney.

“A hidden enemy is killing everyone our heroine, Natalia, has ever been close to: romantic partners, friends, people she was kind to in passing,” Cornell wrote on his blog at Paul Cornell.com. “The first issue has guest appearances by Wolverine, the Winter Soldier and Joe Stalin, flashbacks courtesy of John Paul Leon.”

Several of Black Widow’s earliest appearances, in “Tales of Suspense,” “Amazing Spider-Man” and “Daredevil,” as well as her own solo story in “Amazing Adventures,” are collected in the hardcover “Sting of the Black Widow.”

The Black Widow also pops up in two hardcover collections from Marvel slated to come out before “Iron Man 2.” The first, “Iron Man: Deadly Solutions,” collects the first seven issues of writer Kurt Busiek and artist Sean Chen’s work on the title in 1998.

“I’d assume the decision to reprint it has something to do with the second Iron Man movie coming out, and maybe the way my run has a fair amount in common with the movies — Pepper Potts as a major character, the goatee, the ‘smart’ house — or because they want Iron Man/Black Widow material out at the moment, and there’s not as much as people might think,” Busiek wrote at his Web site, Busiek.com.

Several of Black Widow’s solo appearances will be collected in the premiere hardcover “Black Widow: Web of Intrigue,” slated for a March 2010 release. This collection will include the George Perez-drawn Marvel Fanfare Nos. 10-13 from 1983, as well as Bizarre Adventures No. 25, and the graphic novel “Black Widow: The Coldest War.”

Writer Devin K. Grayson wrote a Marvel Knights miniseries starring the Black Widow in 1999, with a sequel, co-written by Greg Rucka (“Whiteout”) in 2001. In 2006, sci-fi novelist Richard K. Morgan wrote a Black Widow miniseries titled “Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her.”

Speaking at Comic-Con International in San Diego this summer, Johansson played close to the vest with how the Black Widow character would develop in the “Iron Man 2” film.

“We don’t know necessarily whether the character is villainous,” Johansson said. “She does have a dark past, and I think that she is very seductive and distracting and … we’re not sure exactly where she’s coming from and what her intentions are necessarily.”

Though “Iron Man 2” won’t focus exclusively on the Black Widow character, there’s a good chance the character could return in more Marvel films.

“I would love to see the character come back and, as I was saying, kind of reveal more about herself,” Johansson said.

Until then, Marvel fans can discover more about the character through the pages of Marvel’s comic books.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

According to MTV’s Splash Page blog, Tulsa author S.E. Hinton will bring several projects to comic books, from Bluewater Productions.

The first project will adapt Hinton’s young adult novel “Taming of the Star Runner.”  That series is planned for early 2010.

According to the Splash Page, Hinton’s children’s book “The Puppy Sister” is set to be adapted, and Hinton

S.E. Hinton

plans to create an entirely new title for Bluewater.  Don Smith, CW Cooke, Guilherme Rafid and Yasir Fajardo will collaborate on Hinton’s projects, according to the blog.

“I grew up reading S.E. Hinton’s books, so to bring these to a graphic novel format is a dream come true for me,” said Bluewater publisher Darren G. Davis at MTV Splash Page. “The best part is getting to work with Hinton one on one. We have talked about the new title, which is on the lines of her iconic work ‘The Outsiders.’”

Hinton is one of Oklahoma’s best-known authors. It’ll be interesting to see the local response to comics based on her work.

- Matt Price

Vampires are as hot as ever in popular fiction, with movies such as “Twilight” and shows such as “The Vampire Diaries.” Vampires have been big in comics, too, and none more so than Dracula.

While the word “vampire” dates from the 1700s, the 1897 novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker popularized the vampire. The book’s main character could have been partly based on former Transylvanian governor Vlad the Impaler.

IDW Publishing has created a new version of Stoker’s book (now in public domain) illustrated by Eisner-winning artist Ben Templesmith. Templesmith, who with Steve Niles created “30 Days of Night,” provides full-color illustrations for all 27 chapters of the novel.

Multiple movies have made Dracula the world’s most famous vampire. The 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi is a horror classic selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Longtime “Dracula” fan Mike Mignola (“Hellboy”) brought his take on Dracula to Topps Comics in the 1990s, with an adaptation of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” the film by Francis Ford Coppola. Mignola also was an illustrator for the film.

The most famous adaptation of Dracula in comics is the long-running “The Tomb of Dracula” series. Gene Colan was the artist for the series’ entire run, beginning in 1972. Marv Wolfman took over as writer with issue No. 7 and stayed on through the series’ conclusion in 1979.

This series introduced Blade the vampire hunter and is one of the longest-running horror series in Marvel Comics’ history. The entire run of “Tomb of Dracula” as well as the stories from “Dracula Lives” and the black-and-white “Tomb of Dracula” magazine have been reprinted by Marvel as “The Essential Tomb of Dracula” Vols. 1-4.

DC Comics also has its version of Dracula, which faced off against Batman in the story “Batman/Dracula: Red Rain,” by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones. “Red Rain” along with the two sequels, “Batman: Bloodstorm” and “Batman: Crimson Mist,” are collected in the “Batman: Vampire” trade paperback.

In “Red Rain,” Dracula comes to Gotham City. When Batman tries to stop him, he himself is bitten, becoming a vampire.

The silliest version of a comic-book Dracula came from Dell Comics in the 1960s. In 1962, Dell adapted the Lugosi feature into a comic book, but four years later, perhaps inspired by the “Batman” TV show, Dell made Dracula into a superhero.

This Dracula was a descendant of the original Dracula, who conducts medical experiments on bats, according to Don Markstein’s “Toonopedia.” When he accidentally ingests his own chemical, he gains the power of turning himself into a bat and vows to fight crime and injustice.

Columnist Chris Sims at comicsalliance.com describes the ridiculousness of the series.

“Once in America, he sets up a ‘Dracula Cave,’ adopts the secret identity of — wait for it — Al U. Card, dedicates himself to battling the rampant scourge of zeppelin crime (which actually does sound awesome, but trust us, it’s not) and even manages to rustle up a sidekick, Fleeta, whose name is short for ‘fleidermaus,’” Sims writes. “Unsurprisingly, it lasted for only three issues before it was given the ax, though his series went for another three issues of reprints that gave the world a second chance at his mind-numbing adventures. They probably shouldn’t have bothered.”

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss some of the best bets for Halloween, including Tomb of Dracula, Batman: The Long Halloween, and Angel: Frankenstein.

World’s Finest #1, kicking off a miniseries teaming Superman and Batman family characters, is in stores today, written by Tulsa native Sterling Gates.

At DC Comics’ official “Source” blog, Gates is called a “writer to watch.”

“Gates has made a name for himself for his tight plotting and knack for strong and precise characterization,” blogger Alex Segura writes.

Meanwhile, at Newsarama, Vaneta Rogers has an extended Q&A with Gates about the series.

“The Batman universe is so full of change right now. So is the Superman universe,” Gates tells Newsarama. “Bruce Wayne is dead and Superman has left the planet Earth to be with his own people on New Krypton. The world is suddenly without its two greatest heroes. To me, that makes it a very exciting time for the DC Universe. You’re seeing new and different characters come to the forefront and stepping up to fill the void left with Superman and Batman gone.”

Gates talked to Nerdage back in September about the project:

“Each issue focuses on a different Batman-Universe hero and villain teaming up with a different Superman-Universe hero and villain,” Gates said. “So, you’re getting four great characters coming into conflict, and you just have to sit back and watch the fireworks.”

Gates said ” World’s Finest” also has some of his “all-time favorite villains.”

“Catwoman’s in there, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Kryptonite Man, Toyman,” he said. “It’s gonna take all of these heroes working together to rein these supervillains in!”

- Matt Price

With today’s announcement of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being purchased by Nickelodeon, let’s find out who the favorite Turtle of Nerdage readers is.

Matt Price and Kyle Roberts provide comic-book reviews for Incredible Hulk 602, Supergirl 46 and Justice League 38 in this week’s NewsOK Comics Podcast. It’s Hulk vs. Wolverine: The Next Generation in “Incredible Hulk” No. 602. The Hunt for Reactron ends in Supergirl 46. And James Robinson (”Starman”) begins his run on “Justice League of America” in issue No. 38.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, created in the 1980s by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, have been bought by Nickelodeon for approximately $60 million.  Nickelodeon plans to develop a new CG animated series with the Turtles, and a new feature film is in the works with Paramount.

Nickelodeon is part of MTV Networks, which is a division of Viacom Inc.  The rights to the Turtles had been owned by The Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.

Nick now owns global intellectual property rights to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  While the release doesn’t specifically indicate comics, global intellectual property rights would tend to include comic books.

The new animated series is expected to debut in 2012, as is the new motion picture.  Merchandising rights go along with this deal, and Nickelodeon announced it planned to continue to work with longtime Turtles license-holder Playmates Toys.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares a comedic sensibility with the Nickelodeon DNA, with added layers of action and fantasy that have kept this property an evergreen favorite with multiple generations of audiences,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, in a news release. “We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to be able to focus on this property and creatively re-introduce it to a new generation of kids.”

Paramount noted the Turtles could provide the studio a superhero franchise.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a property that maintains a very passionate global fan base, is rich with opportunity for a tentpole movie, and is exactly the right property for us to work together with Nickelodeon,” said Adam Goodman, President, Paramount Pictures.

Is this insurance for Paramount to grab some of the superhero audience after its deal with Marvel expires? Maybe.  If so, $60 million could be seen as a bargain in a few years.

UPDATE: Peter Laird explains on his blog that while he hadn’t been actively seeking a buyer for the Turtles, this opportunity came along, and “the stars lined up.”

“I know that many fans are concerned with how the TMNT will be treated now that they have a new owner,” Laird writes.  “I am also concerned, but I have faith that the new owner will treat the property with due respect and make the most of it. And the simple fact is — I didn’t have it in me any more, and the property DESERVED a new owner. Now it has one, with powerful roots in the entertainment business. I am actually quite excited to see where they take TMNT.”

- Matt Price

Here’s an excerpt from the interview; click here for the entire thing, which is well-worth reading.

The Beat: Directing? Why directing? How long has this been going on? Was this your childhood goal?

John Cassaday: Directing has always been half the dream for me, the other half being comics. Friends I had growing up would tell you exactly that. I always knew what I wanted, which was to be a visual storyteller…to tell those stories the way that I saw them… I believe there’s a tangible cross-section of thought here. When I read a comic script, I often see the scenes behind a camera—the shots, the movements and sound, the actors… At times, I’ve read screenplays and see the comic page. These things blend in my mind, so I do my best to shape them into what is needed. I believe in cinematic storytelling, whether it’s on a comic page or on film.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Cassaday brings as a director, though I’ll miss his comic work.  However, he says in the interview he won’t give it up completely, so I imagine we’ll still see covers and occasional interiors on projects from Marvel and Dynamite.

Let’s hope Marvel will reprint Cassaday’s currently out-of-print “Captain America” to fill some of the demand for Cassaday sequential art over the next couple of years.

- Matt Price

Writer Andy Diggle (”Losers”) and artist Roberto De La Torre have a sellout on their hands with “Daredevil” No. 501, in which Matt Murdock accepts leadership of the murderous Hand ninjas.

This second printing features De La Torre’s interior artwork on the cover and will go on sale Nov. 25. Individual retail stores may still have first printings available.

- Matt Price

Deadpool celebrates an anniversary in “Deadpool” 900, and Magneto is back in Uncanny X-Men 516. Two Super-stories take place this week in “Action Comics” 882 and Adventure Comics 3. Matt Price and Kyle Roberts provide reviews in the NewsOK Comics Podcast.

WORD BALLOONS

The comics antihero Spawn is returning as the villain of the Image Comics crossover “Image United,” it was announced at the Baltimore comic-book retailer summit.

“Image United” brings together six of the seven founders of Image Comics for a crossover to be written by the newest Image Comics partner, Robert Kirkman.

Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman

Spawn, created by Todd McFarlane, launched with sales of 1.7 million in 1992. Al Simmons was a murdered CIA agent who made a deal with the devil to return to Earth to be with his wife. Simmons was returned, but it was five years later, and his wife had remarried. Simmons wielded supernatural powers as a result of his resurrection; the comic book series was about the battle between good and evil waged over Simmons.

In the 2008 “Endgame” story line in the “Spawn” title, Simmons died, and a new character, Jim Downing, took up the mantle of Spawn. Now, the original Spawn character, Al Simmons, returns as the villain of “Image United.” The first issue of “Image United” is scheduled to go on sale in November.

Rob Liefeld, one of the Image founders working on “Image United,” wrote on Twitter that “the original Spawn returns to destroy the Image Universe.”

In addition to Liefeld and McFarlane, the Image founders working on “Image United” are Marc Silvestri, Eric Larsen, Jim Valentino and Whilce Portacio.

McFarlane and Kirkman also are working on “Haunt,” a new horror series featuring brothers who become bonded by a mystical force.

“Haunt” sold out from the distributor less than 24 hours after its release Oct. 7. A second printing is set for release Nov. 4. Individual comic-book stores may have copies of the issue.

Ryan Ottley and Greg Capullo round out the creative team on “Haunt.”

Kirkman has written some of Image’s biggest hits of recent years in the superhero tale “Invincible” and the zombie thriller “The Walking Dead.”

“Haunt” features a downtrodden priest who hears confession from his espionage agent brother. Neither is happy with the other, or, seemingly, their lives. Through the course of the first issue, they discover they’re going to have to work together, like it or not.

Will the return of the Image Comics creators mark a return to the high-flying sales of Image Comics of the 1990s?

Those numbers are unlikely, but it is clear that some excitement is brewing over these new projects.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman ]]> http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/10/16/excitement-brewing-over-return-of-image-comics-founders/feed/ 1 http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/10/14/its-twins-archie-602-preview/ http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2009/10/14/its-twins-archie-602-preview/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:13:41 +0000 nerdblog http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/?p=5477

Check out the preview of Archie #602, in which Archie and Veronica have twins!  This continues the “Archie Marries Veronica” story that started in “Archie” #600.

Click past the cut for the full solicitation info.

ARCHIE #602

THE ARCHIE STORY OF THE CENTURY CONTINUES AS ARCHIE AND VERONICA WELCOME NOT ONE BUT TWO BLESSED EVENTS!!!!

“Archie Marries Veronica Part 3: It’s Twins!”: Okay everyone – pick yourselves up off the floor! We know many of you are still lying there from the events of the previous two issues, which hurtled readers into Archie’s future. Well, now that you’ve witnessed the engagement and wedding of Archie and Veronica, prepare for the most major event yet: Archie and Veronica are having a baby! Strike that, they’re having babies… TWINS! And now… you can fall to the floor again! Of course, you haven’t had a taste of parenthood until you’ve seen it done Archie-style! Who will the happy couple pick to be godparents? Can Archie get through Lamaze class without causing a commotion? Never mind that – can he make it through the actual birth without full-scale panic? Mixed in with the patented Archie humor is the poignancy of parents sharing the milestones of childhood, like baby’s first words and first steps. And wait until you see how the proud new grandparents react! It’s the thrilling conclusion to the biggest Archie Comics story since the famous “Love Showdown”… but it may be only the beginning! This landmark tale is written by acclaimed superhero movie producer Michael Uslan and rendered by legendary Archie Comics artist Stan Goldberg. You are cordially invited to witness the Archie story of the century, so RSVP by ordering your copy today!

SCRIPT: Michael Uslan

ART: Stan Goldberg

Shipping Date: October 14th, 2009

On Sale at Comic Shops: October 21st, 2009

Newsstands: November 4th, 2009

32-page, full color comic

$2.50 US

Congratulations to former Oklahoma resident David Gallaher, whose “High Moon” was named Best Online Comics Work at this weekend’s Harvey Awards in Baltimore.

Check out the comic for yourself at http://www.zudacomics.com/high_moon or in the recent print collection.

The Beat has the full list of winners.

- Matt Price

Related posts:

Oklahoma among inspirations for High Moon series.

High Moon continues on Zuda.

Last month, when Archie married Veronica in “Archie” comics No. 601, Oklahomans reacted, many with fervor, to the announcement.

Jeff Cook of Seminole e-mailed: “I’m 59 years old and read Archie’s comics for years and years. There is no way Archie should marry the self-absorbed Veronica. Reggie and Veronica are made for each other, and Archie and Betty are soul mates. Betty is far from the dumb blond, she is wife material; Veronica is more Paris Hilton.”

Cook and the other Oklahomans who wrote in favor of Betty will get their wish. In “Archie” No. 603, set for release in November, Archie proposes to Betty, The New York Times reported.

Wait, does this make Archie a two-timing lout? Surely bigamy is illegal in Riverdale.

It’s all part of the plan. According to the Times, writer Michael Uslan was inspired by the film “Sliding Doors,” the song “Both Sides Now” and Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” to explore two possible futures for the Riverdale teens.

In issue No. 600, Archie took a stroll on Memory Lane to the future. This is a story setup usually used to go back into the past, to relive stories of Little Archie. This time, Archie walked the other direction and came to a fork in the road. He walked ahead into the future in which he married Veronica, had twins and worked for her father.

In issue No. 602, set for release Oct 21, Archie will go for a stroll and again encounter that fork in the road, allowing him to explore another possible future.

“The classic Archie-Betty-Veronica love triangle is representative of the question of what will bring us joy in life: fiscal security or someone who is actually nice to us,” said Rob Vollmar, a comic-book writer and retailer.

“It does have sort of an existential core to it, where a man is able to explore his possible future. Personally, I’ve been pulling for Betty the whole time.”

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

More about Archie Comics: http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/category/archie-comics/

Things get spooky this October week in comics, as Haunt #1 comes out from Image and DC brings forth Batman Unseen #1. Meanwhile, the X-Men face off with the Agents of Atlas in the first part of a two-issue miniseries. Kyle Roberts and Matt Price discuss these comics in this week’s NewsOK Comics podcast.

A dream team of Image Comics creators come together for “Haunt,” and at least after the first issue, it feels like a solid blend of all of their styles into a book that feels very much like a hit Image Comic.  (And I mean that in the context of what that meant in say, 1992, though today it takes a lot fewer copies sold to qualify as a hit.)

Robert Kirkman has written some of Image’s biggest hits of recent years in “Invincible” and “The Walking Dead,” and was also named an Image Comics partner, the first time that had happened since the founding of Image.

The co-creator of “Haunt,” and the series inker, is Todd McFarlane, who launched “Spawn” in 1992 to the tune of 1.7 million copies sold.  “Haunt” feels like a book from the mind of the “Spawn” creator, but fine-tuned a bit, given how much more common horror and hyperviolent comics have become.

Greg Capullo, who drew many issues of “Spawn” and may have become an even better McFarlane than McFarlane himself, is providing layouts here, and I think that helps with both the horror elements and harking back to that 1990s comic-book heyday.

Ryan Ottley, who draws “Invincible,” is the penciller here, and while his style is different working with McFarlane and Capullo, what he’s put on the page here is high-quality work that mixes interestingly with the other creators’ visions.

The colors are by FCO Plascenca, who has also worked on “Invincible.”

“Haunt” features a downtrodden priest who hears confession from his black-ops brother.  Neither are happy with one another, or, seemingly, their lives.  Through the course of the issue, they discover they’re going to have to work together, like it or not.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Daniel is a priest who curses, smokes, even visits prostitutes. Daniel and Kurt, his black-ops brother, have had a falling out at some time in the past, but Daniel still hears Kurt’s confessions of killings and violence, so no other priest will have to do so.

While on a mission, Kurt’s supposed to rescue a scientist – but he finds the scientist has done unapproved human experimentation on prisoners, including children.  Kurt shoots the scientist and breaks the prisoners out.   Not long after, he’s kidnapped by a mysterious group looking for a notebook, who torture and kill him.

At Kurt’s funeral, Daniel finds himself haunted by Kurt, who asks him to check on Amanda, Kurt’s wife.  Daniel isn’t sure if he’s being haunted, or hallucinating, but goes to check on Amanda, with whom he has a tense reunion.  Obviously something has happened in the past to cause these two discomfort around each other.

When two men break into the apartment intent on violent action, Daniel and Kurt somehow merge, into a superstrong masked being.   It’s a strong start for Kirkman and McFarlane, who have managed to write an entertaining and intriguing start to the series.  Despite some elements that may be considered cliched, “Haunt” for the most part works, especially for those who enjoy action with a taste for both the supernatural and superheroic. Fans of Kirkman and McFarlane – of whom there are plenty – will find something to like here.

- Matt Price