THE TORMENTED

Fans of Ghostbusters and the paranormal will want to check out a new spooky comic book series, THE TORMENTED, that is debuting on March 19th as Amazon's Comixology Originals exclusive digital content. Writer, producer, and animator Chuck Austen and artist Patrick Olliffe craft a new 5-issue comic book series about Ryan Auster, a young man starring on a new ghost hunting reality TV show. THE TORMENTED also features colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Jodi Wynne, and edits by Greg Lockard. 

Ryan Auster is the son of legendary ghost hunters Vera and Adam Austerhölle, but this is a fact he doesn’t share willingly. Unlike his father, mother, and sister, Ryan never had “the gift” to “see” the paranormal, so they’d leave him behind whenever they went out to investigate. But Ryan was hiding his abilities, terrified of the consequences of his supposed “gift,” and the parents who gave them to him. Then, one life-altering night, his entire family is brutally murdered. Instantly orphaned, Ryan was raised by various foster families—many of whom faced horrible fates of their own. 

Now, as an adult, Ryan finds himself the charismatic host of a children’s online cooking show. But when that series suddenly ends, and his pushy producer discovers Ryan’s family history, Ryan is unexpectedly and unwillingly sold as the host of a brand-new ghost hunting reality TV series. Ryan desperately needs the money, but he knows that if he agrees to host “Restless Spirits,” and use his supernatural “gifts,” it will make him a beacon that draws—not only the beings that gruesomely butchered his family—but all the many horrors that hide in the darkness, marking him, and his newfound friends on the show, to suffer the same fate as his murdered family.

“Ryan Auster, our protagonist in THE TORMENTED, sees ghosts, but kept it from his ghost-hunting family because he feared his family more than the ghosts, and because he’s been hiding it his whole life, now in his twenties, he still hasn’t quite learned how to deal with the unexpected spirits, demons, and otherworldly creatures that are constantly invading his life," Chuck Austen communicated to ageekdaddy.com. "This series has been an absolute trip to create with Pat, and I hope readers have as much fun reading the story as we’ve had making it.”

Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of more than 3,000 digital books, magazines, comics, and more – all at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Kindle Unlimited gives customers access to more than 4 million digital titles, including thousands of audio books and comics, plus current magazines for just $11.99 a month with a free trial period at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a free trial at amazon.com/comixologyunlimited.

COMIXOLOGY ORIGINALS NOSTALGIA COMIC BOOK SERIES

Scott Hoffman (aka Babydaddy) of the multi-platinum selling band Scissor Sisters makes his comics writing debut with NOSTALGIA, a noir adventure about a futuristic rock star that takes cues from Hoffman's own life as a musician. NOSTALGIA features mesmerizing art by Danijel Žeželj, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Steve Wands, is designed by Rian Hughes and edited by Greg Lockard and Will Dennis. NOSTALGIA is a five-issue series that will be released weekly beginning on June 13, 2023 and is available from Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line.

NOSTALGIA takes place in a dark future that mirrors our current anxieties and divides, from politics, to climate change, and what our future world may look like. When a mysterious package with an image of a shell on it arrives at the unlisted address of Mr. Craig Mancini his interest is piqued. Mancini, also known as music performer Nostalgia, begins to reminisce about his past, ditches his tech and goes to meet the mysterious stranger behind the parcel. This encounter blows his mind and takes him down a path unraveling all that he knew to be true. 

The series explores what it means for artists to share themselves with the world. It’s also about how we look at our past and redefine our own stories, and how art is a way to transfer our lives and memories to other people. Most importantly, it examines the idea of fame, connection to the world, and where connecting to other people will ultimately take us, especially considering the dangers of being so connected and constantly inundated with the inner workings of other peoples’ lives. 

 “I culled a lot of ideas from my personal experience and the incredible 12 years I spent in the band Scissor Sisters (2024 brings the 20th anniversary of our first album!)," Scott Hoffman remarked to ageekdaddy.com. “I also studied writing at Columbia University and am a big reader and fan of comics. Part of my intention with NOSTALGIA is to bring back my own nostalgia for an era of comics that I feel close to, particularly the 90s subversive Vertigo days—edgy, somewhat literary, more adult.”

Scott Hoffman (aka Babydaddy) is perhaps best known as the co-founder of the multi-platinum selling rock/disco/glam/pop band Scissor Sisters. Alongside Jason Sellards, aka Jake Shears, Scott co-wrote and produced the music, and from 2001-2012 the band toured worldwide, received (among others) an Ivor Novello and multiple Brit awards, garnered multiple top 10 singles and sold nearly 7 million albums worldwide. “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing,” one of their collaborations with Elton John, went to number one in 9 countries and was a top ten hit in many others. The band’s music was used in countless films and TV shows, and they wrote and recorded original songs for projects including the closing credits for the film “Party Monster” and a sequence in “Shrek: Forever After.” 

As a writer/producer, Scott has worked alongside Jason with artists such as Bryan Ferry and Kylie Minogue (their collaboration “I Believe in You” was a worldwide hit, debuting at number 2 in the UK charts). Since the band’s hiatus, Scott has been working for/with other artists including Demi Lovato, Melanie Martinez, Tinashe, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, additional work with Kylie Minogue, and FRENSHIP (whose “Capsize”, which he co-wrote, has earned over 550 million streams on Spotify alone). In addition, he has written original music for films including "Kill Your Friends" and has scored three major television shows including "The Great Indoors" for CBS and "Hoops" for Netflix. 

Danijel Žeželj is a graphic novelist, animator, illustrator and painter. He is the author of twenty five graphic novels and eight short animation movies. His work has been published by DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, Heavy Metal, Image, Glénat, Dargaud, Eris Edizioni, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, etc. Since 1997 he has created a series of multimedia performances merging live painting with live music. They premiered in Europe and the USA. In 2001 in Zagreb, Croatia he co-founded a publishing house and graphic workshop Petikat. He lives and works in Brooklyn and Zagreb. 

 Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Amazon Prime and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of more than 3,000 digital books, magazines, comics, and more – all at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month.

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Marvel Comics and Comixology Team Up to Debut Immortal Iron Fists

Marvel is partnering with comiXology, Amazon’s comic shopping & reading service, for a line of exclusive digital comics. These will be available for free to comiXology Unlimited subscribers and only available to purchase for non-subscribers through comiXology and Kindle. New users to comiXology’s popular subscription service can also access Immortal Iron Fists for free as part of their 30-day free trial. The comics will be part of the comiXology Originals line of exclusive digital content.

Marvel and comiXology’s team up kicks off with Immortal Iron Fists, a 6-issue bi-weekly series written by Kaare Andrews with art by Afu Chan.  A unique entry-point that’s perfect for new fans and longtime readers alike, Immortal Iron Fists tells the tale of Pei, a young female monk from K'un-Lun and the youngest person to ever bear the mark of the Iron Fist. While Pei tackles the trials of high school, Danny Rand, the Immortal Iron Fist, faces his greatest challenge yet: training the inexperienced Pei. All the while, a growing threat appears that will take more than one pair of Iron Fists to defeat!

Immortal Iron Fists is $2.99 per issue for non-comiXology Unlimited subscribers on comiXology and Kindle.  Additional exclusive series will be announced soon. The exclusive series will be new content in addition to the over 10,000 previously published Marvel Comics titles that comiXology Unlimited subscribers also currently have access to.

MARVEL COMIC BOOKS ADDED TO COMIXOLOGY UNLIMITED AND KINDLE UNLIMITED

Select Marvel Comics' titles are now available to read through ComiXology Unlimited, the online comic book shop's subscription program that provides users unlimited access to a catalog of comic book titles.  Fans of Marvel's superheroes can now read a variety of the publisher's bestselling single issues and story collections as part of their membership.  With the addition of this new content from Marvel, ComiXology Unlimited now offers access to over 10,000 digital edition comics, graphic novels, and manga publications for a $5.99 per month subscription fee. Titles can be read on mobile devices through the comiXology app for Fire, Android and iOS devices or on a PC over the web at comixology.com.

Some of the Marvel titles now available on ComiXology Unlimited include:

All-New Wolverine (2015-) #1-#10

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1.1: Learning To Crawl

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3: Spider-Verse

America (2017-) #1

Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?

Black Widow (2014-2015) #1-#12

Cable & Deadpool Vol. 1: If Looks Could Kill

Civil War

Elektra (2017-) #1

Fantastic Four Special 2005 #1

Gamora (2016-) #1-#3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers

Guardians of the Galaxy: New Guard Vol. 1: Emperor Quill

Invincible Iron Man (2008-2012) #1-#12

Iron Fist (2017-) #1

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal

Rocket Raccoon (2016-) #1-#2

Runaways Vol. 1: Pride and Joy

She-Hulk Vol. 3: Time Trials

Spider-Gwen Vol. 1: Greater Power

Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes

Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017-) #1

Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader

X-23 (2010-2012) #1-#16

X-Men Prime (2017) #1

ComiXology's parent company, Amazon, will also now be making Marvel selections available as well to Kindle Unlimited subscribers and Amazon Prime members.  Kindle Unlimited now offers over 1 million books, thousands of audiobooks and a selection of popular magazines accessible on Amazon's Kindle devices to subscribers for $9.99 per month.  Additionally Prime Reading offers Amazon Prime members in the United States a rotating selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, comic books, and children's books at no additional cost.

Kindle Unlimited subscribers now have access to 40 Marvel story collections with 20 of those available to U.S. Amazon Prime members as well.  These titles include:

Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1: Gifted

Spider-Man Vol. 1: Brand New Day

New Avengers Vol. 1: Breakout

Deadpool Vol. 1: Secret Invasion

Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes

Thor by J. Michael Straczynski Vol. 1

Captain America: Winter Soldier Vol. 1

Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon

Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat! Vol. 1: Hooked On A Feline

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1: The Parker Luck

Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story

Jessica Jones: Alias Vol. 1

Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1: Vader

Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther?

Daredevil by Mark Waid Vol. 1

Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More

Legendary Star-Lord Vol. 1: Face It, I Rule

“We are thrilled to have part of Marvel’s vast library of Super Heroes join comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited, and Prime Reading,” said comiXology CEO and Co-Founder David Steinberger in an announcement to A Geek Daddy. “With the addition of Marvel Comics this is a great opportunity to discover and explore the best that comics have to offer. And for those just starting out reading Marvel Comics, Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading are great places to begin.”

ComiXologyUnlimited and Kindle Unlimited both offer 30-day free trials.  For more information, please visit  comixology.com/unlimited or amazon.com/kindleunlimited.

 

SURGEON X

Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine over the last century saving millions of lives.  Overuse though is starting to have consequences as more and more bacteria are developing resistance to these drugs.  Image Comics' medical thriller SURGEON X portrays a future where antibiotics are no longer effective creating a deadly impact on society.  SURGEON X is the comic book writing debut of documentary, factual drama and animation filmmaker Sara Kenney (Angels & Ghosts) and features artwork from acclaimed artist John Watkiss who recently passed away last January.

It is the year 2036 and there are great futuristic advancements available in medicine and surgery, yet in this near-future reality what was once a simple treatable infection can now kill because antibiotics are no longer effective.  Rosa Scott, a brilliant and obsessive surgeon becomes Surgeon X, a vigilante doctor who uses experimental surgery and black market drugs to treat patients.  As Surgeon X, Rosa develops a godlike-complex, deciding who will live and who will die.  Risking everything to save lives, Rosa believes that to survive she must follow her own moral code which ultimately warps her Hippocratic Oath to suit her own decisions.  These actions though begin to endanger those closest to her that trying to protect led her down this slippery slope of ethical decisions in the first place.

If you missed the initial monthly issues at your local comic book shop now is your chance to catch up reading the first story arc of this series.  SURGEON X Volume 1: The Path of Most Resistance will be available everywhere books are sold as of May 2, 2017 both in print and digital editions.  The 208 page  graphic novel is a collection of issues #1 - #6 from the comic book.  This is John Watkiss' last published work and the graphic novel also features a gallery of his incredible charcoal development drawings used to set the tone and imagery for SURGEON X.

In addition to the graphic novel, Image Comics has also just published an all-new digital exclusive 10 page comic book called SURGEON X SPECIAL: Trial and Error that is available on Comixology for .99 cents.  This standalone story featuring art by Warren Pleece (Incognegro) set in Bristol, England in 2037 introduces readers to Rosa's cousin Sun Walker.  Rosa decides to help Sun, a chemical scientist with a risky plan that could either kill or cure a loved one.

Publication of Trial and Error was subsidized by the Royal Society of Chemistry.  Join in a FACEBOOK LIVE conversation on Wednesday May 3, 2017 with SURGEON X author Sara Kenney, artist Warren Pleece and chemical scientist Dr. Jess Healy who is serving as a science advisor to the comic book series.  Kenney and Healy will discuss the scientific aspects portrayed in SURGEON X while Pleece will do some live sketching for the audience. The FACEBOOK LIVE event will be for a 1/2 hour beginning at 3pm (British time) and if my calculations are correct that would be 10 am (ET) here in the United States.

For more information about this sci-fi franchise, please visit surgeonx.co.uk

Buy tickets now to reserve your seats to see the DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 10 premiere on a movie screen

Tickets are now available for the Fathom Events presentation of BBC AMERICA’s Doctor Who: Season 10 Premiere playing in movie theaters nationwide for two nights only on Monday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. local time both days, following BBC AMERICA’s television premiere on Saturday, April 15 at 9/8c. Season 10 has actor Peter Capaldi returning as The Doctor, who will be joined by a brand new companion Bill (Pearl Mackie)and returning alien companion Nardole (Matt Lucas). Fantastic adventures and terrifying monsters await this team of heroes as they journey through space and time in the latest installment of the globally-renowned science fiction drama. Expect laughter, danger, and exhilarating escapades in this final season under the helm of lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat.



Tickets for Doctor Who: Season 10 Premiere can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 550 select movie theaters. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). With Hot Topic as the official retail partner of the Doctor Who: Season 10 Premiere cinema event, attendees can bring in their ticket stub or proof of purchase to Hot Topic retail locations for 25% off Doctor Who merchandise, valid March 10 – May 6, 2017. In addition, fans who purchase tickets through Atom Tickets will receive three free Doctor Who digital comic books by Titan Comics from ComiXology, delivered to purchasing email address on event date.

In addition to the feature content, audiences will enjoy the premiere episode of the Doctor Who spinoff series Class, featuring a guest appearance by the Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi, and the never-before-seen bonus feature Becoming the Companion, in which fans will travel with new companion Pearl Mackie from the London stage through the doors of the TARDIS to a once-in-a-lifetime role, or as Pearl says, “the most insane thing that's ever happened to me.” The bonus feature includes exclusive interviews with Pearl Mackie, Peter Capaldi, and Steven Moffat, and is narrated by Ingrid Oliver.



DOCTOR WHO is a British sci-fi television franchise that originally aired from 1963 - 1989 and was relaunched in 2005 with the current incarnation which is debuting its 10th season of episodes on April 15th.  The show, which has developed a global fan base, follows the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called The Doctor who explores the universe in a time-traveling vessel called the TARDIS which has the exterior of a blue British police box which were a common sight in Great Britain in 1963 when the series first aired.  The Doctor is often joined by a number of companions who assist him in preventing a variety of foes from harming people throughout time and space.  The series is seeing increased interest with American audiences with last year's viewership of its traditional Christmas Day special having a record viewership by U.S. and Canadian fans of the "Return of Doctor Mysterio" episode which featured a superhero themed adventure set in New York City.

For more information about the television series, visit bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who

DC Comics Teams Up with Kentucky Fried Chicken for a Second Colonel Sanders Comic Book Adventure

Last year Kentucky Fried Chicken partnered with DC Comics to promote their restaurant chain at 2015's New York Comic Con by distributing a free comic book featuring Colonel Sanders that was available as a one shot collectible print edition that could be picked up at the event and a digital download from the online store Comixology.com that was available for a limited time.  In "The Colonel of Two Worlds" which is a parody of a classic DC Comics' FLASH story, the Colonel Sanders of our planet faces off against an evil Colonel Sunder from an alternate dimension.  Well Harland Sanders hasn't seen the last of his evil doppelganger as Colonel Sunder is back in an all new comic book adventure just in time for 2016's San Diego Comic Con.

In "Colonel Corps," Harland Sanders blacks out and awakens to realize he can remember only one of his 11 secret ingredients for "finger lickin good chicken."  Suddenly Arla Sanders, a version of the Colonel from one of the multitude of alternate dimensions in the DC comics fictional multi-verse where in her world all the people are the reverse gender of those living in Harland's reality, warning him that someone has stolen the KFC recipe from the minds of all the Colonels that exist on all the variations of Earth and erased their memories off all but one ingredient just like him.  Harland Sanders joins with the female versions of himself and the Flash to search out enough Colonels with unique memories of different ingredients to put the recipe back together again.

Arla, Harland and the Flash visit a variety of realities in the DC multi-verse including Bizarro, Steampunk, and Teen Titans Go! worlds plus a dimension where the inhabitants are all animals and KFC is run by a charming yet cannibalistic chicken.  All these variations join together to create the Colonel Corps.  Together they put the KFC secret recipe back together and track down the perpetrators of this dastardly scheme  ... Colonel Sunders along with a new diabolical version of the Colonel with mind control powers who makes every member of the Colonel Corps face their most dreaded fear during the comic book's big confrontation segment.

This comic book works because it doesn't take itself more seriously than the promotional piece it is supposed to be.  Filled with tongue-in-cheek one liners and humorous imagery it really is a fun read.  The partnership with the DC Comics creative team provides the polish needed though to make the comic book an enjoyable gimmick rather than en eye rolling bad KFC ad.  I personally really liked the big battle scene in the comic book and the letter to the editor section at the end with Colonel Sanders answering questions from fans of "Colonel of Two Worlds" made me chuckle.  I'm also intrigued by the teaser in the Colonel's MailBucket section promoting a potential next installment in this comic book saga "The Chicken That Time Forgot" -- we'll have to keep an eye out for that!

If you are lucky enough to be going to Comic Con in San Diego this month keep an eye out for people passing these out at the exhibition hall.  For the rest of us, "Colonel Corps" is available to download for FREE on Comixology.  Just CLICK HERE to grab it for yourself to read.

Free Comic Book Promotes Debut of Netflix's "Jessica Jones" Television Series

Following the success of its television adaption of the comic book Daredevil, Netflix is giving another Marvel character a series.  Jessica Jones will premiere with 13 episodes on November 20, 2015.  To help promote the debut of this new series on Netflix, Marvel has released a FREE digital comic book on Comixology that people can download which provides an overview of the show's main character and how she will be portrayed on TV.

The premise of the show is that after a tragic ending to a short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her life as a private investigator who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.  In the show, she will be working out of Hell's Kitchen (Daredevil's stomping grounds) and working with Luke Cage (who is the lead character of Netflix's planned third television series focusing on the Marvel comic book universe which is set to be released in 2016).  Jessica Jones was originally the lead character in a 28-issue comic book series called Alias created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos that ran from 2001 to 2004. Alias won the Comic Buyers Guide award for "Favorite Comic Series" in 2003, and the Harvey Award for "Best New Series" in 2002.  It was also nominated for two Eisner Awards ( the Oscar of the comic book industry) in 2004 for "Best Continuing Series" and "Best Serialized Story."



Alias was produced by an imprint of Marvel called Max Comics that specialized in R-rated comic books that were filled with graphic violent scenes, mature themes and sexual context.  Jessica Jones is based off of the Alias comic book series and will present a darker and edgier version of the Marvel Universe than has previously been portray on television or in the movies.  Jessica Jones will feature Krysten Ritter as the title character, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and David Tennant as Zebediah Kilgrave.  Kilgrave who has the power to take over other people's thoughts and actions will be an overarching villain in the series and is tied to how Jessica Jones gave up her super hero identity of Jewel and why she now suffers from alcoholism and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

In the free comic book by Bendis and Gaydos -- the original creative team behind Alias -- Jessica Jones has been tasked to hunt down a dead beat dad and finds him laid up in a hospital bed after the thug has had a run in with Daredevil.  The way the private investigator handles the situation demonstrates that she clearly has no problem with a Hell's Kitchen style of justice approach to her job.  This comic book is a nice starting off point for beginning to view the Jessica Jones series when all the episodes become available for streaming on November 20th.  CLICK HERE to download the free comic book from Comixology.

Colonel Sanders Featured In Free Comic Book From Kentucky Fried Chicken

Demonstrating that geek is the new chic, Kentucky Fried Chicken has partnered with DC Comics to promote their restaurant chain at this week's 2015 New York Comic Con event by distributing a special one shot collectible comic book featuring Colonel Sanders.  In "The Colonel of Two Worlds" which is a parody of a classic FLASH story, the Colonel Sanders of our planet faces off against an evil Colonel Sanders from an alternate dimension.  When the evil doppelganger dressed in black attempts to both set up a criminal empire and market inferior fried chicken to KFC's, Colonel Sanders enlists the help of superheroes The Green Lantern and The Flash to help save the day and restore his tarnished image.  It's a comic book face off between a good and evil Colonel Sanders!  Who will prevail?  You'll have to read the comic book to find out!

Kentucky Fried Chicken will be distributing print editions of "The Colonel of Two Worlds" for free to attendees at New York Comic Con from October 8 through the 11th.  Can't make it to New York City?  Beginning October 8th, you can also view a free digital version of the comic book on the KFC website or download it via Comixology.

Yes this comic book is going to be cheesy but you have to give KFC some credit for being original and creative in marketing themselves to fans of the comic book culture.  Take a few moments to not take life too seriously and enjoy the geeky side of life by flipping through the pages of "The Colonel of Two Worlds."  I'm sure it will probably put a smile on your face.  Hmmm....I wonder if this comic book will be finger lickin good?!

Get a Bundle of Transformers Comic Books on Humble

Fans of the Transformers movies, cartoons, and toys won't want to miss the newest Humble Bundle that is available for a limited time.  HumbleBundle.com allows consumers to purchase a bundle of video games or publications for any price they choose with that money being split three ways as designated by the buyer amongst a designated charity, the publisher, and the website.  The benefits of the bundle are normally increased if a person spends at least the average price of everyone purchasing bundles.  Often times there is also an upper tier with more perks if someone spends beyond a certain amount of money on the bundle.  In this case the Humble Bundle is a collection of Transformers comic books from publisher IDW.

The Transformers bundle lets people pay whatever amount they choose to receive 67 digital comic books from IDW.  You could pay $5, $10, $25, $50 whatever you'd like to purchase this comic book bundle and designate from that sum how much IDW receives, how much of a tip to give Humble for its serve, and how much to donate to in this case the Hasbro Children's Fund.  So if someone were to purchase the bundle for $15 they could designate $5 to each or could give $10 to Hasbro Children's Fund with $2.50 each going to the other two.  You get the gist. It is hoped people will appreciate getting a good deal and at the same time also be generous enough to support the charities using the Bundle as a fundraiser.

For the whatever you want to pay route, this Humble Bundle has 6 graphic novels that compile the first 29 issues of the Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye serial plus the individual issues issue for 34-37 of the comic book series.  If you spend the average amount people are paying for the bundle, which was $10.88 at the time of this post, you would also get 6 more graphic novels that compile that compile the first 28 issues of the serial Transformers:  Robots in Disguise and a seventh graphic novel Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1 which compiles the first  6 issues of that serial.  Plus if someone spends the average + $5 they have as a bonus included into the bundle the graphic novel Transformers: Dark Cybetron Volume 2 and the individual issues of Transformers: Robots in Disguise 33 and 34.  So for approximately $15, a someone can pick up 112 digital comic books estimated to be worth $155. If you go to Amazon.com for example, Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1 for Kindle is priced at $7.99 and the digital edition on Comixology is the same price.  So this Humble Bundle is not a darn bad deal I do say so myself.

Money spent on this Humble Bundle also supports The Hasbro Children’s Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to empower childhood by bringing “the sparkle of Hope, the joy of Play and the power of Service” into the lives of the children across the globe. Working with strategic charitable partners, the grants made through the Hasbro Children’s Fund support programs that deliver; stability for children in crisis; pediatric physical and mental health services; hunger security; educational programs; quality out of school time programming and programs that empower youth through service.  To learn more about these programs and how they are making a difference for children worldwide, please visit www.hasbro.org.

These digital comic books are DRM-free which means that they aren't tied to a particular website or computer program to be able to read.  Download them onto whatever device you want and read them at your convenience where and when you want.  I've heard that accessing these comics works great from a PC or laptop but some people have had difficulties with them on smart phones and tablets.  Here's a hint, for smart phones and tablets download an app called Bluefire Reader that is meant to optimize reading ebooks and you should be in good shape with those devices too.

If you, or someone you know, are a Transformers fan or a connoiseur of comic books this is a Humble Bundle not to pass up.  Don't wait though as this offer is gone as of March 11 - as you can tell by the clock clicking down on the offer's web page.

Marvel Republishes Dark Horse's Star Wars Comic Books on Comixology

There is a lot of hype this week about Marvel's first new Star Wars comic book series since it stopped publishing a monthly serial in 1987 that is debuting on January 14th, but with a little less fanfare Comixology recently began selling digital editions of previous stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

Dark Horse Comics which published Star Wars titles from 1991 - 2014 and lost its license for the franchise this year is having their work redistributed now through Marvel.  The Dark Horse Star Wars titles have now been re-branded "Marvel"  logo and a "Legends" banner which differentiates these non-canon titles versus the brand new comic books from Marvel debuting this year which are considered part of the official extended Star Wars story under Disney's new franchise management plan.  Now consumers can purchase the original Marvel Star Wars comic book series (1977-1987), the Dark Horse publications, and the new original series Marvel is now creating in digital format from the Comixology website.  Previously the older publications had been available through Dark Horse's own online marketplace www.digital.darkhorse.com.

People who have purchased Star Wars comic books in a digital format from Dark Horse in the past can still access those titles through their website or mobile apps but can't purchase any additional Star Wars publications from them since their license ended at the end of the year.  If you bought Star Wars digital comic books from Dark Horse in their end of the year fire sale right before they lost the license in December 2014, don't despair because you can still access them (I flipped through a few of mine online today with no problem) and you still got a good deal.  I purchased "Han Solo at Stars End" for .99 cents from Dark Horse in December and it is now being sold for $4.99 on Comixology and I purchased "Star Wars: A Long Time Ago Volume 3" for $4.99 and it is now being sold for $19.99.  Since I tend to read my digital comic books on my iPhone and iPad, I actually prefer the Dark Horse app because it provides a better ios user experience than Comixology does since it was bought by Amazon.com and limited its interface with Apple devices to support its new parent company's Kindle devices.


If you didn't pick up the Dark Horse titles last year though, they haven't vanished and are still being published just by a different company through a different website.  Marvel also has a good relationship with having its new titles available digitally through Comixology so you now will be able to pick out the new stories featuring the Star Wars universe as they come out along with the Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spiderman, the X-man and other superhero titles available via the site.

VIKINGS RAID CABLE TV HOPING FOR A SECOND SEASON OF HIGH RATINGS FOR THE HISTORY CHANNEL

The History Channel's VIKINGS are back for a second season of of brawling and pillaging.  Season 2 starts Thursday, February 27th and the show that raided other networks viewers during its first season by gaining an average viewership of 5 million U.S. households per episode is hoping to build on its popularity in 2014.  VIKINGS airs at 10pm EST.

I hadn't started watching the show when it first aired because I thought it was going to be a documentary on the Vikings, but caught an episode while flipping channels one night and became hooked on the show.  It is more drama than documentary with action scenes and plots that are reminiscent of Games of Thrones but without the fantasy elements of the HBO series.  

VIKINGS while not entirely historically accurate is inspired by true tales of the raiding, trading and exploring of medieval Scandinavian Norsemen.  The show is based on the exploits of a legendary Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok and his family.  In Season 1, Ragnar builds a new longship that can travel further across the sea than any Viking ship beforehand.  He uses this ship to raid unexplored North East England returning to Scandinavia with enough loot and influence to overturn his local village ruler and take charge himself.  As the new village leader, Ragnar pledges his loyalty to the Norse King and is sent as an emissary negotiate a solution to a land dispute with a neighboring kingdom.

Season 2 begins with negotiations in the land dispute faltering leading to war, disease ravaging the village Ragnor left behind where his wife and children are residing, and a princess seducing the Viking chieftan becoming pregnant with his child. So what will befall Ragnar Lothbrok, his crew and his family?  I don't know, we'll all have to tune in this season on the History Channel to find out.

While you are waiting for Season 2 to begin, check out this FREE comic book by Zenescope on Comixology: www.comixology.com/Vikings . The saga of the History Channel's VIKINGS begins with this thrilling prequel to Season 1.  Join Ragnar and Rollo as they bravely fight for their father in his final battle.  This battle plants the seeds for the brothers' epic rivalry and introduces a fierce shieldmaiden destined to change their lives forever.  You can also currently watch all of Season 1's episode on the Vikings section of the History Channel website if you need to catch up with the show before watching the Season 2 premiere. I encourage you to check out Season 2 of the Vikings...that's what I'll be watching Thursday night after I've put the kids to bed for the night.

MAN OF STEEL DAY is on WEDNESDAY!!!

UPDATE (6/13/2013):  I had a fun trip with my kids to enjoy MAN OF STEEL DAY at the local comic book store.  We picked up the FREE Superman comic book and some other movie swag plus bought the new Superman Unchained comic and Star Wars #6 for me and an Ice Age one for my son and a My Little Pony for my daughter.  Than we read our comics while enjoying some Superman Ice Cream on the back porch. 

ORIGINAL POST:

Stop by your local comic book store this Wednesday (June 12, 2013) and you can pick up a FREE Superman issue!  To promote the release of the new Superman movie that opens at theaters next weekend, DC Entertainment has declared June 12 as MAN OF STEEL DAY.

People who stop by participating retailers on June 12^th will receive a complimentary comic book; ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly.   The free comic promotion is provided through the generous sponsorship of SEARS.  In addition to the FREE comic book, Warner Brothers will be providing promotional posters and bags for the movie to encourage people to hit theaters starting on Friday to see the new MAN OF STEEL film.  Some comic book stores will also be holding other promotional tie-ins and contests to reward fans who stop in on Wednesday for MAN OF STEEL DAY.  

For those readers who don’t normally frequent comic book shops, Wednesdays are the day of the week when retailers stock new issues on their shelves.  June 12 will feature a brand new Superman title hitting shelves for sale as DC debuts a new series called SUPERMAN UNCHAINED by bestselling comic creators Jim Lee and Scott Snyder.  In addition to SUPERMAN UNCHAINED having extra value in being the very first issue in a new series, the comic will also have a bonus two-sided poster (11”x18”) that can be easily removed for display.

Can’t make it to the comic book store on Wednesday? DC Entertainment has also teamed up with SEARS to make ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION available for FREE via online outlets such as  Comixology, iBook/iTunes, and Kindle).  Additionally, they will be having a .99 cent per issue MAN OF STEEL DAY sale making hundreds of Superman comics available all day on these online platforms at this special reduced pricing.

If you can’t wait until Wednesday, here’s a little secret for you … you can download ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 SPECIAL EDITION as of today (June 9) on the DC Comics web portal for FREE:   http://www.readdcentertainment.com/free-comics or Comixology! I just downloaded it on Comixology right before posting this blog entry.  Beware there it is also posted at its regular price of on the digital store at $1.99 so you have to look for the FREE version. It also appears to still be $1.99 on iTunes and Kindle right now so if you utilize those platforms you may have to wait a few more days to download it.  The ALL STAR SUPERMAN series focuses on the classic aspects of the Superman mythos starting with his daring rescue of a doomed group of astronauts on the surface of the sun.  All the solar radiation affects Superman in a way no one would have predicted-well no one that is except for Lex Luthor!  ALL STAR SUPERMAN is an award-winning twelve-issue series and this FREE comic is the first one in the story arc.  If you like the first issue, but may not want to buy the rest of the issues, here’s a hint for you too: they made the series into an animated movie and you can stream it on Netflix.  I haven’t seen it yet but have added it to my Instant Queue to watch it online.  Note it is rated PG and recommended for a viewing audience of 12+ - also some of the reviews note that while it is a nice film to watch it is missing some elements from the comic books and not as good as actually reading the print series.

This week should be a great time to be a Superman fan! Enjoy MAN OF STEEL DAY on June 12^th and the movie starting on June 14^th.  I’ve picked up some Superman Ice Cream (peanut allergy safe – that was a superman task in itself) and will be enjoying that with my kids before we take a trip to the local comic book store. So we’re making a fun day out of the whole promotion!  If you have younger kids like me you may also want to check with your local library to see if they are hosting an event on Saturday, June 15.  1,000 libraries across the country will be hosting MAN OF STEEL events courtesy of Random House Publishing.  Children (note the word children) will receive FREE buttons, book marks, and Superman comic books at these library events.