Oklahomans react to new Ultimate Spider-Man
The new Spider-Man will be featured in "Ultimate Comics Spider-Man" No. 1, on sale in September.
Marvel Comics introduced a new Spider-Man in the pages of “Ultimate Fallout” No. 4, which went on sale Wednesday.
Peter Parker died in the pages of “Ultimate Spider-Man” No. 160, in June. His replacement has a new suit and a different background.
Norman’s Atomik Pop to close
Norman’s Atomik Pop, 918 W Main, closes Saturday after 27 years in business.
The store, previously known as Planet Comics and Southside Comics, reached new heights in popularity during the manga boom of the 2000s. But manager Bart Bush said via facebook that the economy, changes in consumer buying habits and overall rising expenses have led to the need to close the store. The Atomik Pop in Oklahoma City, 7884 S. Western, will remain open.
Full disclosure note: I am one of the owners of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, and so a lot of people would consider me to be in competition with Atomik Pop. I’ve never felt that way. I’ve always felt that Bart and his group were almost like teammates trying to raise the tide of comics in Norman with us. I’ve been deeply saddened by the store’s impending closure. There are few people in the state – heck, probably in the world – with the knowledge of Golden Age comics, early comics retail and comic book history like Bart, who opened the first comic shop in the state back in 1974. Atomik Pop owner Steve Richter also deserves credit for his years of making Atomik Pop a go-to destination store.
I told Bart personally, but I’ll also say publicly – the city will be worse off without Atomik Pop, which provided many fans their first comic-book exposure via its high-traffic location across from Norman High School. I even give Bart credit for my Jim Starlin fandom, as I’m pretty sure it was him who sold me on “Silver Surfer” back in the early 1990s. (I didn’t confirm this with him, so it could be faulty memory talking.)
My best wishes to the employees and customers of Atomik Pop. It’s always sad to see a favorite location close, and I encourage everyone to cherish their memories of it. I know that I will.
- Matt Price
Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld’s Hawk and Dove gets second-issue solicitation
DC Comics has announced the solicitation information for the second issue of “Hawk and Dove,” written by University of Oklahoma graduate Sterling Gates, and drawn by Image Comics founder Rob Liefeld.
DC describes the issue as follows:
Hawk and Dove continue their investigation of the enigmatic Alexander Quirk! Who is he? What does he want? A secret laboratory might hold the answers, but it might also spell the end for Hawk and Dove! To top things off, the monster watching our heroes from the shadows finally makes his move – and he’s got a terrifying new partner!
The $2.99 issue is set for release on Oct. 5.
You can find out more about Gates’ plan for the series in his interview with Newsarama’s excellent reporter Vaneta Rogers.
“I’m no longer doing long arcs anymore, where you pick up a comic and find out it’s the third part of a five-issue story,” Gates said. “I’m trying to take into account new readers and doing semi-standalone stories in each issue, and each issue will be a piece of a larger puzzle I’m crafting.”
Sounds like a way to keep new and old fans satisfied with a comic book series! The first issue is set to release Sept. 7 as part of the first wave of DC’s “The New 52″ relaunch.
- Matt Price
Oklahoma creators among Harvey Award nominees
Oklahoma City artist Eric Sandhop illustrated this page from "Popgun" Vol. 4.
Three comic-book creators with Oklahoma ties are among the nominees for the Harvey Awards, comic-book awards selected exclusively by comic-book creators.
The awards will be presented as part of the 2011 Baltimore Comic-Con on Aug. 20 in Baltimore, Md.
(more…)
Oklahoma’s Sterling Gates returns with “Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost” #1
Tulsa-born Sterling Gates has his first comic-book release since the end of his acclaimed “Supergirl” run today, with the release of “Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost” No. 1, the first in a three-part limited series. The series has ties to DC’s “Flashpoint,” the large summer event written by Geoff Johns.
“KID FLASH LOST is a FLASHPOINT mystery, as Bart and the mysterious character known as Hot Pursuit try to unravel what has happened when the world they wake up in is not their own. Bart will deal with many of the character threads set up in Geoff Johns’ “Road to Flashpoint” storyarc even as he confronts the greatest danger the 31st century has ever seen,” Gates said at DC Comics’ Source blog.
“Kid Flash Lost” is one of 16 “Flashpoint” miniseries. The first issue of each is shipping with a promotional button featuring the series’ logo.
The issue is illustrated by Oliver Nome and Trevor Scott.
Gates, who graduated from the University of Oklahoma, has also written “Green Lantern Corps” for the publisher, and co-wrote the 2010 miniseries “War of the Supermen,” which spun out of DC’s Free Comic Book Day issue.
In September, he’ll write “Hawk and Dove” as part of DC’s relaunch of its line. That book will be illustrated by Rob Liefeld (“Youngblood”).
- Matt Price
“Green Lantern” celebration set at Toy & Action Figure Museum
Green Lantern toys are on display at the Toy & Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley.
Green Lantern, an intergalactic peace officer who stars in comic books from DC Comics, has probably his highest profile ever this month.
Ryan Reynolds will star as Hal Jordan, Earth’s defender in the Green Lantern Corps, in the movie “Green Lantern” opening Friday, June 17.
The Toy & Action Figure Museum, 111 S Chickasaw St. in Pauls Valley, is celebrating the release with a weekend-long event starting Saturday, June 11.
Artist Rob Liefeld joins writer Sterling Gates for “Hawk and Dove” relaunch
University of Oklahoma graduate and former “Supergirl” writer Sterling Gates is joined by Rob Liefeld, one of the most popular artists of the 1990s, for the “Hawk and Dove” relaunch from DC Comics in September.
The project was announced today on DC Comics’ Source blog.
Here’s how DC Comics describes the project:
It’s up to the living avatars of war and peace to root out the hidden forces who look to plunge the country into a deadly civil war in HAWK AND DOVE #1.
DC Comics publisher Jim Lee talked to io9.com about the book.
“A lot of people still have fond memories of Rob Liefeld’s run on Hawk & Dove, and it felt real fitting to bring him back,” Lee said. “The guy has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for what he does, and we really expect Hawk & Dove to benefit from that energy. He and Sterling have really brought the momentum that you need to launch a book.”
Gates was born in Tulsa and attended college in Norman. For me, it’s an especially exciting day for his next major project announcement, because today is the 13th anniversary of Speeding Bullet Comics, the store that my wife and I own and that Gates worked at in college.
Gates’ run on”Supergirl,” much of it with artist Jamal Igle, was a well-reviewed fan favorite. In 2010, with co-writer James Robinson, he wrote DC Comics’ Free Comic Book Day title, “War of the Supermen” #0, and the miniseries that followed.
Gates took to twitter to express his excitement over the “Hawk and Dove” announcement.
“Seriously, I’m CRAZY psyched to be working with @Robertliefeld!! His X-Force & New Mutants work shaped much of my comics-reading childhood,” he tweeted.
Liefeld worked on the late 1980s “Hawk and Dove” miniseries written by Barbara and Karl Kesel.
He was a popular Marvel artist on “New Mutants” and “X-Force” before co-founding Image Comics, where he created “Youngblood” and dozens of other characters and titles.
- Matt Price
Retailers react to planned Valiant Comics relaunch
Valiant Entertainment, publishers of characters including “Archer and Armstrong” and “X-O Manowar,” have announced plans to return with print and digital comics in 2012. Oklahoma comic-book retailers say it could be a tough road ahead for the publisher, which in its previous incarnation sold millions of comic books.
“On Stranger Tides” author Tim Powers visits SoonerCon
“On Stranger Tides” author Tim Powers will visit Oklahoma City this weekend as part of SoonerCon 20 at the Sheraton Hotel, 1 N Broadway Ave., from Friday through Sunday.
With the theme of “Heroes & Villains,” guests include Powers, local horror host John “Count Gregore” Ferguson, native Oklahoman and star of SyFy’s SFX series “Face Off” Tate Steinsiek and award-winning illustrator Darrell K. Sweet.
Downtown Oklahoma City welcomes SoonerCon
SoonerCon, Oklahoma’s longest running scifi/fantasy/pop culture event, will be held Friday through Sunday in the downtown Oklahoma City Sheraton, 1 North Broadway Ave.
This year’s convention will include a larger exhibit hall and more than 100 guests and performers. Headliners include Tim Powers, World Fantasy Award winning author of “On Stranger Tides,” which was the basis of the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie; science-fiction/fantasy cover artist for the Wheel of Time series Darrell K. Sweet; and Tate Steinsiek from the Syfy series “Faceoff.”
Other highlights include a zombie walk, costume contest, video game tournaments, the largest science fiction/fantasy themed art show in the region, a writers workshop, and the Saturday night zombie prom.
For more information, visit www.soonercon.com or call 310-9255.
- Matt Price
