HELLBOY CREATOR ILLUSTRATING FIRST NEW COMIC IN YEARS

For the first time in five years, the creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola, is both writing and illustrating a full length comic book. Titled Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, the one shot story is set following the events of B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, in which the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense managed to fight off the monsters on earth long enough for humanity to barely escape underground. This upcoming publication from Dark Horse Comics promises to start the next chapter in the Hellboy Universe of fantasy storytelling. 

The story is Mignola’s first full length comic book since Dark Horse Comics published Hellboy in Hell in 2016. In Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, Mignola reunites with award-winning colorist Dave Stewart, as well as letterer and longtime collaborator Clem Robbins. Dark Horse Comics is scheduled to release Sir Edward Grey: Acheron on December 1, 2021 featuring a main cover by Mignola and Stewart and a variant cover by acclaimed artist Ben Stenbeck and Stewart.

In Sir Edward Grey: Acheron, Hellboy is dead and gone and the B.P.R.D. are underground. So it turns to the ghost of a Victorian-era occult investigator named Edward Grey to return to Hell to confront a familiar foe and finish what needs to be done to truly save the world. This ghost is ready to bust some demons up to save the future of the Earth!

THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN Digital Pay-What-You-Want One Shot Comic Book

 

PANEL SYNDICATE, an online publisher of DRM-free pay-what-you-want webcomics, has released a digital one shot THE WALKING DEAD comic book.  IMAGE COMICS the publisher of the popular THE WALKING DEAD comic book series cut a deal with PANEL SYNDICATE to make this unique comic book a reality.  If IMAGE COMICS could sell a print version of PANEL SYNDICATE'S Eisner Award-winning sci-fi mystery story THE PRIVATE EYE than the digital publisher could create their own original THE WALKING DEAD story that could be distributed through its website panelsyndicate.com.

This 31 page story maintains the black and white coloring style of the print version of THE WALKING DEAD comic book series and is set in Barcelona, Spain just a few weeks after the beginning of the global zombie infestation.  THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN tells the story of an American who had planned on wandering through Europe on a backpack trip but instead finds himself trapped in a foreign land trying to survive this new plague hitting Spain as society collapses around him.  THE ALIEN includes a surprising twist at the end which connects it with one of the main characters in THE WALKING DEAD franchise.  Fans of THE WALKING DEAD will absolutely want to read THE ALIEN!

Credit: Panel Syndicate

THE ALIEN is available in the same format as the other titles available through PANEL SYNDICATE so it is priced as pay-what-you-want, which includes the option to obtain the digital comic for free, and can be downloaded as a DRM-free PDF, CBR, or CBZ to read.  Robert Kirkman, the creator of THE WALKING DEAD, has agreed to allow all proceeds from for THE ALIEN to go the creators of PANEL SYNDICATE, Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin, who are also the artists who put together this digital one-shot story.  So while you can select to pay nothing for this comic, paying something helps support this creative duo continue to promote interesting, original content by themselves and other artists like, THE PRIVATE EYE, BARRIER, and UNIVERSE! that is available on panelsyndicate.com.

Credit: Panel Syndicate

CLICK HERE to download THE WALKING DEAD: THE ALIEN.

So how did C-3PO get that red arm in The Force Awakens?

One of the few characters to appear in every movie of the Star Wars sage to date, C-3P0 -- the protocol droid who along with his astromech companion R2-D2 have become pop culture icons -- was showing some age in Episode VII: The Force Awakens having lost one of his limbs and featuring a bright red replacement to it in the film.  Director J.J. Abrams has mentioned in several interviews that this was meant to differentiate the appearance from Return of the Jedi as a visual tool showing numerous years had transpired between the events portrayed within the two films and many new adventures had taken place by the time The Force Awakens begins.  Of course most movie watchers probably figured that out just by seeing Han Solo and Leia Organa's grey hair.  That being said, C-3P0's red arm was a very noticeable element of the film for long-time Star Wars fans that was never explained in the new movie.

If you were irked by not knowing the back story behind C-3P0's new arm you won't have to wait much longer to find out all the details.  Marvel will have a special one-shot comic book issue arriving on store shelves Wednesday March 30, 2016 that promises to provide readers with the details of this The Force Awakens teaser.  Check out a preview of this upcoming comic book:



Star Wars: C-3P0 #1 will be 40 pages and retail for $4.99 (US).   The comic book was written by James Robinson with artwork by Tony Harris.  Originally slated to go on sale December 2, 2015 before The Force Awakens was released in theaters, approvals from LucasFilm delayed production until the current March release date.  Based upon the original release date of the comic book prior to The Force Awakens arriving at theaters and the awkwardness of the C-3P0 scene in the movie you just have to wonder if Disney orchestrated a tie-in between the publishing and film aspects of its corporate family that went awry which may make this an extra special collectible item to pick up.

So if you are curious about C-3P0's red arm the mystery will soon be revealed.  Stop by your local comic book store or download a digital edition through an online source such as Comixology on March 30.

Marvel Comic Book Tackles Bullying

 A few months ago Marvel Entertainment partnered with STOMP Out Bullying, a bullying and cyber-bullying prevention organization for kids and teens in the U.S. by highlighting that October is National Bullying Prevention Month through publishing variant covers for some of its popular comic book titles that addressed the topic.  Now Marvel is taking things up another notch by publishing in January a one-shot comic book dedicated to tackling the problem of bullying titled AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1.  The 40 page comic book will be specially priced at $1.99 and feature three separate stories with anti-bullying themes that will involve The Avengers, Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here's Marvel's press release for more information:

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are out to make bullying a thing of the past with AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1, an all-new one shot featuring some of the best and brightest talents in the comic industry as they stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

Arriving in January, this specially priced $1.99, 40 page one-shot contains three brand-new stories from top tier talents. Featuring fan-favorite Gerry Duggan (Deadpool, Nova, Hulk), rising star Sean Ryan (Uncanny X-Men/Nova/Iron Man: No End In Sight), Jeff Loveness, and Jody Houser making her Marvel writing debut, along with blockbuster artists Carlo Barberi (Thunderbolts), Tana Ford (New Warriors) Marcio Takara (Captain Marvel), and Gustavo Duarte.

From the streets of New York to the furthest corners of the cosmos, the heroes of the Marvel Universe are no strangers to bullying and the damage it can cause. Heck, half the time, bullying is why Marvel’s greatest super heroes chose to fight  evil in the first place! Now, Marvel’s diverse roster of super heroes are ready to stand up and help those who cannot help themselves. The Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Amazing Spider-Man are out to put a stop to bullies everywhere with these three bombastic, can’t miss stories!

“From Peter Parker, Midtown High’s only professional wallflower, to the ever-misunderstood Kamala Khan, Marvel has a proud history of working to raise awareness about bullying and representing its victims as much as possible,” says series editor Devin Lewis. “Bullying is a problem that can affect everyone in a community, and it’s up to that very community to come together to combat it, and, with this issue, Marvel’s Avengers, Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy are joining the fight! I know how comic books can help ease that feeling of isolation, and I couldn’t be more proud or excited about the talent we’ve pulled together for this project!”

Face front readers, as the Marvel Universe’s greatest heroes are ready to take on a real world problem more troublesome than any super villain. The best and brightest talent assemble this January for AVENGERS: NO MORE BULLYING #1!

I'll probably be picking this up for my son and daughter to use this as something we can read through together as a teachable moment to reinforce with them that they understand what bullying is and why it is wrong.  Look for it at your local comic book store in January 2015!

For more information about bullying visit www.stopbullying.gov