CORINNA BECHKO DOES COMMENTARY FOR ALIENS / VAMPIRELLA #109/04/15 @ 10:38 am EST
Source: Bleeding Cool | Categories: Dynamite | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentDynamite and Dark Horse have released the first issue of a new series combining two horror icons… Vampirella and Aliens. The series is written by Corinna Bechko, drawn by Javier Garcia-Miranda and has a cover by Gabriel Hardman. Here we have the writer’s commentary for the first issue by Bechko.
Page 1 – I figured everyone would be waiting for the two title characters to show up, and that would mean a lot of expectations about what would be in the first issue. So why not put a little mystery up front instead? It’s obvious that neither of these guys is Vampirella, so hopefully the reader is already asking questions and wants answers.
Page 2 – Aha! There’s the first half of our equation! It’s important that the introduction of our main monster be frightening, and that just what Javier delivers here. The mystery remains though. Where is the vampire?
Page 3 – Action! These people are fighting for their lives, and the battle is violent. If you’ve read this far you know that you’re in for some serious bloodshed.
Page 4 – A big reveal on the page turn, one that Javier and I discussed quite a bit. Here’s a vampire, but it’s not Vampirella. Suddenly, the fight seems a bit more fair. Well, for a moment anyway. Readers of Nancy Collin’s run on Vampirella will recognize this guy as a Nosferatu, which will hopefully make them ask even more questions. People who haven’t read those earlier comics won’t be lost though, since it’s clear that he’s a vampire of some sort, a point that will be very important later.
Page 5 & 6– Mars! Now we know where we are. And here’s our second important character. Javier did such a lovely job of introducing her in that close up.
Page 7 – Hmm, this base seems to have a human crew. Not a vampire in sight. I felt that it was important to have some characters that were recognizably not alien since our hero is a bit of a monster, and our villain is very much a monster.
Page 8 – After that lovely shot of Vampirella in her iconic outfit, Javier and I decided that she should wear something more practical when actually on Mars. She still totally, confidently owns it though.
Page 9 – Some more introductions, and a bit more information about what’s going on, including a hint about just how different Vampirella is from the humans that she’s been hired to help. One of the challenges of writing a miniseries is making sure that the stakes are established pretty quickly, but not swamping the first issue with a bunch of exposition at the expense of action and mystery. It’s a fine line sometimes.
Page 10 – The mystery deepens. I love how Javier handled that spooky second panel
.
Page 11 – Here’s a good example of how the art really has to carry the story in a comic. All the dialogue in the world couldn’t get across how weirded out Vampirella is by what she’s seeing in these catacombs.
Page 12 – Some very creepy stuff here, and now Vampirella gives voice to what’s worrying her. But the reader knows that she was concerned even before seeing these mummies. And that hopefully builds the tension better than a simple shock.
Page 13 – A bit more exposition, but coupled with something active. I feel like it’s important to never do a big info dump all at once. This is comics, after all. People want to see more than words on a page.
Page 14 – Here’s a bit of a trick. The reader already knows the horror that this page represents, but our characters don’t just yet. It took me a little while to figure out a way for the scene to retain tension and not bore the reader, since they know what to expect and are waiting for it now, but at the same time allow the characters to act naturally as they discover the facts for themselves. Hopefully it worked.
Page 15 – My solution was to inject a little levity while ramping up the threat. But none of that would have worked if Javier hadn’t done such a good job with the body language of the characters.
Page 16 – The trap is sprung and our title characters finally meet! I wanted Vampirella to do something heroic right away, so that the reader could see where she stood in relation to the humans. This will be important later on when things get a bit testier.
Page 17 – And… Now we see, right away, that even Vampirella isn’t up to this fight. These creatures are dangerous! The reader knows this, but I felt like it was important to reestablish the stakes, and at the same time do something unexpected. In a book like this everyone is waiting for the big fight. I figured if we got it out of the way in a hurry, and it went badly, everyone could sit back and relax into the story from here on out.
Page 18 – A dream sequence! Yes, everyone loves to pick on them, but I think they can work if they help the pacing and the mood. Plus, it gives Javier a chance to create a really disturbing page.
Page 19 – 20 – Another place where fans of Alien will be way ahead, and that’s okay. This is a downbeat, threat-is-past moment, except that it hopefully feels very tense because everyone reading knows what’s coming. In the scripting stage, I had forgotten to specify that there should be dead “husks” on the ground near the group, but Javier and I talked about it when he was doing layouts and so they were included after all. It’s really helpful when writers and artists can collaborate like that, and it makes for a better book.
Page 21 – Unlike film, comics don’t have sound to clue you into the mood and to ratchet the tension, but they do have their own language of color that can sometimes work in the same way. As this scene progresses we know something is horribly wrong, and the shift from cool colors to warm ones telegraphs the fact that things are about to go to hell, exactly as a soundtrack would.
Page 22 – The chestburster scene in Alien scared me to death when I was a kid, so of course I’m happy that I got to write my own version here. Javier gave it great impact, and I love how you can compare the teeth on Vampirella and on the chestburster. So pointy, so wicked! Traditionally, a lot of Vampirella art is about looking at her chest, so I’m pleased that Javier and I found a new reason for that to be the focal point of a splash page.
For more information on Aliens / Vampirella #1, click here.
SINISTER FORCES AT PLAY IN YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 'UNCANNY VALLEY' #204/19/24 @ 7:23 pm EST
Source: BOOM! Studios | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at UNCANNY VALLEY #2, the next issue of a brand new original series by fan-favorite writer Tony Fleecs ( Stray Dogs), acclaimed illustrator Dave Wachter ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and letterer Pat Brosseau. Join in on the wild ride of cartoon mayhem, family drama, and deadly secrets in UNCANNY VALLEY, available May 2024! As the mystery of Oliver’s origins continues to unfold, the literal cartoonish realism of his existence has to somehow be connected to his mother’s family history. And with his uncanny powers setting him apart from the other kids, what will Oliver do to make his own way in the world? Especially considering that there are sinister forces at play, watching from beyond our world… UNCANNY VALLEY #2 features covers by Dave Wachter and Tony Fleecs, along with Jorge Corona ( Middlewest) & Sarah Stern, and Flaviano ( Grim). UNCANNY VALLEY is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine. UNCANNY VALLEY #2 will be available in comic shops May 15, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play. Uncanny Valley #2 A Main: MAR240084 Uncanny Valley #2 B Variant: MAR240085 Uncanny Valley #2 C 1:10 INCV: MAR240086 Uncanny Valley #2 D 1:25 INCV: MAR240087        
Source: Hollywood Reporter | Categories: Disney | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment Action scribes Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec are going to Disneyland.The prolific team behind Amazon’s high-profile spy series Citadel and showrunners on Netflix’s adaptation of Cowboy Bebop have been tapped to write Disney’s live-action adaptation of Space Mountain.Jonathan Eirich from Rideback, the banner that is behind Netflix’s hit live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series, is producing the feature, which has been in development for several years, along with Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell of Safehouse Pictures. Harold was the project’s previous writer. Rideback’s Ryan Halprin is exec producing.The ride has no overarching theme nor memorable characters seen in such rides as Pirates of the Caribbean. In fact, Space Mountain in Disneyland has been turned into Hyperspace Mountain and given a Star Wars makeover on occasion. As such, the story is being created whole cloth with the ride acting as inspiration.Plot details are being kept in the hair-sweeping rush of the dark void as Appelbaum and Nemec build out the story. (via THR)
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment Joe Manganiello has come aboard to produce and star in Mountain Man, a zombie thriller set to enter production later this year, which will launch sales via Film Bridge International at Cannes. An adaptation of the popular book series of the same name from Keith C. Blackmore, Mountain Man tells the story of Gus, a lonely post-apocalyptic survivor facing isolation and the ever-present specter of a zombie attack, who struggles with alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts until he discovers another survivor, a captivating woman who poses another threat altogether. John Lee (A24’s False Positive) will direct from a script by Matt Deller, with Nick and Joe Manganiello’s 3:59 producing alongside Danny Chan ( Barbarian). (via Deadline)
Source: Deadline | Categories: Alien | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment Foundation star Sandra Yi Sencindiver has joined FX and Noah Hawley’s Alien series which is filming in Thailand. Exec-produced by Ridley Scott, the prequel series will be set towards the end of this century (franchise watchers estimate the date to be a few years before Prometheus, and some thirty years before Scott’s film). It’ll be the first project in the franchise to take place on Earth and has been reported to deal with the emergence of the story’s infamous Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race between corporations to create new android life. The series will star Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, Timothy Olyphant, David Rysdahl, Babou Cessay, Erana James, Lily Newmark and Adrian Edmonson. Deadline is reporting that Sencindiver appears in multiple episodes and will play a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. There is reportedly scope for the character to grow in future series.
Source: Marvel | Categories: Venom | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentMaximum Carnage. Absolute Carnage. King in Black. Every few years, the wild symbiote corner of the Marvel Universe erupts in a saga oozing with violence, drama, and insanity that only Venom and his kind can deliver. This August, the next milestone symbiote event arrives in Al Ewing and Iban Coello’s VENOM WAR. A master at planning out epic storylines, Ewing has been laying the foundation for VENOM WAR since the very beginning of his current run of Venom. Limitless in scope, the series has followed Eddie Brock and his son, Dylan, on separate journeys as the symbiote heroes. But after both have terrifying glimpses of the future, they realize only one of them can be Venom. Their father and son feud will become everyone’s problem as past and present symbiote characters alike are forced to take a side! LAST VENOM STANDING! The Venom Symbiote has bonded with both Eddie Brock and his son Dylan at different points. Now both Brocks are going head-to-head, determined to be the one, true Venom! Father versus son in a showdown of showdowns that threatens to tear the world asunder! From heavyweight talent champions Ewing and Coello comes a Battle for the ‘Biote like you’ve never seen! "This is what we've been building to since the start of this wild and way-out symbiote odyssey - the fateful confrontation between father and son!” Ewing explained. “Where better to have it than inside the squared circle? And who better to bring this all-action epic to the page with than my old buddy Iban Coello? I'm tellin' ya, goo believer -- this is vehemently varied Venom violence like never viewed, and only one host can wear the symbiote when the dust settles! Who's it gonna be?" Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for more VENOM WAR news, including tie-in series announcements.  ‘TRANSFORMERS ONE’: PARAMOUNT REVEALS NEW RELEASE DATE AS OFFICIAL TRAILER LAUNCHES FROM SPACE04/18/24 @ 5:32 pm EST
Source: Hollywood Reporter | Categories: Transformers | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment Paramount and Hasbro’s animated Transformers One is pushing back its release in theaters by one week in order to take advantage of Imax screens and to provide some breathing room from the competition.The film will now open Sept. 20, 2024, instead of Sept. 13. That gives it two weeks of distance from Sony’s Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.Paramount revealed the date change as it launched a new trailer for Transformers One from nowhere other than space — a first for Hollywood, according to the studio. The launch kicked off at 6 a.m. PT with a livestreamed countdown showing the journey into space. After one hour, the craft reached its peak at 125,000 feet above the Earth, revealing the trailer with a custom introduction video from voice stars Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. The star-studded voice cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm. (via THR) Trailer: https://youtu.be/u1rqoa8x7g4
Source: Marvel | Categories: Blood Hunt | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentOn May 18, the next Marvel Comics crossover epic begins! From Avengers and Moon Knight scribe Jed MacKay and acclaimed X-Men artists Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia comes the bloodiest event in Marvel history--BLOOD HUNT! The saga kicks off when eternal night washes over Earth, and vampires, united by a single vision for the first time in millennia, emerge from the shadows. To keep them at bay, a new world order may need to be put in place… Today, fans can get a peek at the final issue of the main series, on sale in July. In BLOOD HUNT #5, Doctor Strange is presented with a dread bargain to gain a chance to save the world. The Avengers ride into a battle they cannot win. The dead battle the undead across the globe. Will it be enough? Will the world be saved, and how will it be changed if it is? Featuring a dramatic shift for the future of the Marvel Universe! Check out the BLOOD HUNT #5 cover and pick up the debut issue on May 1. 
Source: Top Cow | Categories: Witchblade | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment Top Cow is reimagining the hit supernatural thriller series Witchblade. The new series, coming July 2024, will be penned by NYT Best-Selling Marguerite Bennett ( Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. Together, they will reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s die-hard fans with a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.Marguerite Bennett, who has been focused on writing for the upcoming Butterfly TV Series and Ark: The Animated Series, says, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”  In Witchblade #1, New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini's life was forever fractured by her father's murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it? Through last year’s Witchblade Complete Collection Kickstarter, the world received a glimpse of Marc Silvestri’s Witchblade Armor redesign. But, a whole new universe has been created by Giuseppe Cafaro, who states, “The Witchbladeuniverse is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac!”Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.” Witchblade #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. The Final Order Cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, June 24th, 2024.  - Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color) - Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color) - Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover - Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color) - Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color) - Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color) - Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color) - Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W) Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Source: Image Comics | Categories: Image | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThe bestselling creators behind the three-time Hugo Award nominated, two-time British Fantasy Award winning series Die—Kieron Gillen ( The Wicked + The Divine, Immortal X-men) and Stephanie Hans ( Secret Wars 1602: Witch Hunter Angela, Black Bolt)—will reteam for their first ever original graphic novel collaboration to be titled, We Called Them Giants. This epic, post-apocalyptic story is scheduled to hit shelves in November from Image Comics. Gillen and Hans first made waves with their breakout hit dark fantasy Die in 2018. Die quickly caught reader attention and the series skyrocketed to the top of the sales charts and launched Hans’ career into superstardom. It went on to appear on many Best of the Year lists, including that of Tor.com, and snagged multiple award nominations and wins. "After we finished Die, we knew we wanted to do something completely different. Rather than a sprawling ongoing, do something smaller, intimate, self-contained and really pure,” said Gillen. “So, in the middle of the covid lockdowns, I was left alone with my cats, staring at them, and them staring at me, and thinking about the miracle of relationships between beings of completely different kinds of intelligences, and the wonder of the jump across that gap. The image of the feral girl in the devastation and the giants came quickly after that, and we were away. People will fall in love and have their hearts broken—the full Hans/Gillen experience. Despite the post-apocalypse setting the story has an almost weird-fable kind of vibe, and ends up basically as a conversation between The Walking Dead and The Iron Giant. Basically, We Called Them Giants is the story of communication across a chasm at the end of the world. Folks have seen what Stephanie does on a month-by-month rush on an ongoing comic. Here, it's a thrill to see her luxuriate—creating this single long story, and being able to shape the whole thing into a poignant, romantic, devastating single canvas." We Called Them Giants follows main character Lori, who wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She’s thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when… They arrive. Hans added: “As an Artist, it is always a joy to work on new challenges, especially when it is with such a great Writer. Kieron wrote an emotional story in which he let me go wild on designs. It’s a new, beautiful end of the world tale, a little bit epic, a bit nostalgic and a bit contemplative. It’s nothing like we did before. In all the best ways.” We Called Them Giants promises readers the poignant, romantic, and devastating story of a young girl who wakes up to find her world has turned upside down. "This book is nothing short of incredible," said Eric Stephenson, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer at Image Comics. "Kieron and Stephanie had already established themselves as one of comics’ premier creative teams, but they’re operating at a whole other level with We Called Them Giants." We Called Them Giants hardcover (ISBN: 978-1534387072) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, October 30 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo, and Waterstones on Tuesday, November 12. We Called Them Giants will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.     
Source: Marvel | Categories: X-Men | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentFollowing Krakoa’s fall, it’s a dangerous time to be a mutant in the Marvel Universe. Luckily, Cyclops will step up to lead a formidable new team in Jed MacKay and Ryan Stegman’s X-MEN #1. Today, fans can see three new variant covers for the debut issue! In MacKay and Stegman’s X-MEN, mutant business is Cyclops’ business as the first X-Man makes it his mission to keep hope alive for the species—by any means necessary! Cyclops’ group includes some of his most trusted soldiers like Psylocke, Magik, and Beast, the brightest of the next generation including Kid Omega and Temper, along with powerhouses like Magneto and Juggernaut. Raising a flag of defiance at their new base in Alaska, everyone in the world will soon know that if they want to go after mutantkind, they’ll have to go through them first! X-MEN, the first of three flagship titles set in the X-Men’s From the Ashes era, will have new variant covers including a group shot by celebrated X-Men artist Tony Daniel, a character spotlight by J. Scott Campbell that will also be available as a virgin variant cover, and a hidden gem piece by the legendary George Pérez, whose iconic depiction of Beast during his time with the Avengers inspired Stegman’s own take on the character! Check out the covers and preorder X-MEN #1 at your local comic ship today!    |
