Comic Book Journal

It’s has just now occurred to me, that out of all of my blogs so far I have never written a blog on manga. I confess that this particular subject matter is a bit out of my field of expertise I think with some exposure to the art and perhaps a lot of reading, I’ll get used to the genre. However, give me my classic pulp in the American style any day. One of the toughest things to get used to when dealing with manga, next to the unique art, is the panel layouts. Instead of reading them traditionally from left to right, the panels are positioned on the page so that they are read from top to bottom, left to right. Anyway, my search for the best manga has ended with a title voted on my readers as the best manga period. That title was published by Viz Communications, which is a major publisher of manga reprinted in English. Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida, spanned almost a decade and tells the story of an American soldier in Vietnam who guns down his army buddies, and has since only uttered the words, “Banana Fish.” While the intriguing concept and story delivers, the art is where I feel that the majority of manga titles fail. I think the lack of detail in panels, essentially kill the writer’s ability to tell the story aptly. If you’re interested in more information on the genre, and of course, I’ll keep you updated as well, feel free to check out Jason’s blog on 451 press, Anime Fans online. It’s here:http://www.animefansonline.com/. Also, I may do some more random reviews sometime soon so be sure to keep checking back.

I have a feeling will be one of the most underrated comics in history, precisely because it is the beginning the Ultimate line, seen by some as the trendy, pop culture play on the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s classic work.

“What’s wrong with the our Spider-Man?” many of the older crowd asserts.

But here’s the thing: when Mary Jane (seemingly) died in a plane crash and Peter Parker retreated to brooding angst, was that your Spider-Man? Or when Spider-Man himself died in “The Other”, reborn with Tony Stark’s Iron Spidey-suit?

The truth is, the mainstream Spider-Man wasn’t always up-to-par with his own comic book legacy. In fact, many times the shake-ups themselves seem to be pale attempts to gain notoriety.

Ultimate Spider-Man didn’t need to rely on shake-up’s or creative team upsets to tell a good story, all completely voice by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley’s record-making run, which ends with one hundred and eleven issues of USM worked on together. Bagley will be co-drawing issue #111 with his successor - Stuart Immonen.

Bagley will certainly be missed on the title - though Bendis contributed much through his ear for teen dialogue and head-turning characterizations of the entire Spider-Cast - it was Mark Bagley’s artwork which sealed the collaboration in stone. If you don’t believe, pick up the first collaboration and just see if you don’t cry when Uncle Ben dies.

Though the Ultimate Spider-Man Era continues - as does the book - even with Bagley’s departure, USM, and in fact, the entire Ultimate line, remain in question. Many wonder if, quite frankly, there needs to be an Ultimate line - after Civil War, the mainstream Marvel U looks a lot more like Ultimate with its use of government-sanctioned superheroes.

Fittingly, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley were the first and the last of the original Ultimate teams to break up. Humorously, the oft-delayed (but always worth it) Ultimates book, written by Civil War architect Mark Millar and star artist Bryan Hitch, has also put out 26 issues in the span of time Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley have done 111 issues together. (Millar and Hitch have been replaced by Heroes and Fallen Son writer Jeph Leob as well as not-seen-for-a-while Battle Chasers artist Joe Mandureira).

But it doesn’t seem like parting is such sweet sorrow for Bendis or Bagley - both of them will be collaborating yet again on the second arc of Mighty Avengers.

Just what’s in your library?

For the past three to four years, my own library has developed an ever-expanded graphic novels section.

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to be studying just how the library setting has impacted the comic book industry.

Consider this first part just a survey - a brief outline of the state of graphic novels in my local library - as well as anyone who cares to answer.

But not all libraries are created equal, so understanding just what kind of library helps us visualize where the graphic novel section fits in here.

Here’s my round of questions:

1) Is there a specific place for graphic novels in the library?

Yes - it’s actually located in the section of the non-fiction half of the library, around all the various superhero encyclopedias and comic collector books. There’s a sign on this column that reads “graphic novels” and shows a manga girl reading a book.

2) Just what kind of library is it?

Its a small town local library. Its very nice for a small town library - two floors, not including a basement/meeting area, as well as internet access and inter-library loan connections to other regional collections.

3) How would you rate the library itself?

8 out of 10. It doesn’t have the biggest CD collection, but the staff is helpful and the library is generally well-kept.

4) How would you rate the graphic novel section, if there is one?

Also 8 out of 10. It started out small, but its grown by at least several new titles per year. It can be pretty messy - don’t evn touch the Star Wars books, as kids have gone through them so much they verge on the brink of disintergration. But when you’ve worked children sections in a library like me, you learn to accept some rugrat messes here and there; on the plus side, some of the stacks are probably unreachable for kids at least until they hit middle-to-late middle school.

Well, those are my answers. What’s your take? Are graphic novels a rising force in the stacks or is mine just the exception to a very dull rule?

Wolverine and Sabertooth are finally going to end it, according to a Jeph Leob interview at IGN. The two long-time adversaries are going to fight their final battle on the pages of Wolverine’s self-titled book, and there many indications Sabertooth may finally meet his (well deserved if you ask me) end.

Said Leob in the interview, “Without spoiling anything, we want to let you guys know that this is the last fight these two characters are ever going to have.” Leob later added, “I think the question is if he doesn’t kill him, then why doesn’t he. I’ve written that story, I wrote about why the Batman doesn’t kill the Joker. This will be different.”

Still, its because of my respect for Jeph Leob - especially over the course of Heroes - that I question if this bout if really going to end the way we think its going to end. While Captain America and more recently Flash’s fate were foretold long before it happened, I wonder if Leob has something more unpredictable up his sleeve this time around.

“I could have dropped a book for a year and come back and not felt like I missed much of anything. Comics don’t have to be like that. I think stories right now are really compelling and totally unpredictable. Who would have thought Tony Stark would be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Civil War and Infinite Crisis were huge events which effected the comic book reader every bit as the non-comic book reader. But Sabertooth’s hypothetical death? Not that much eye-catching.

I think Wolverine’s fight with Saberooth is going to be one for the books, and by books, I mean Hellblazer. Its going to be one of those fights which leaves lasting scars on both characters. Jeph Leob has to know that. He also has to know that if he just killed Sabertooth, the character would be brought back from the grave within a year and the whole feud would start again.

No - if this is the last fight for Wolverine and Sabertooth, something has to change between both characters. Something which scares the prospect of revenge out of one or more feral mutants. Something big and something bloody.

I, or rather, my schedule, still isn’t up to 100 percent, so I had something a little different in mind for these week’s list - mixing some much needed research with the feature today.

Maybe you are a writer. Maybe you are an artist. Maybe you are both - in which case I’m very jealous. Here’s the hypothetical - you have a finished project, and you want to get it out to a major comic book publishers. Unfortunately, never mind the many, many, many hardships it took to get that project on paper - the journey to publication hasn’t even begun yet. Don’t get me wrong - submitting can be a both uplifting and humiliating process - but if you’re a first-timmer, please leave all your well-founded dreams of doing Daredevil or Detective Comics on the first try behind - comic book submissions aren’t quite that easy, as seen below.

10) DC Comics: The comic book juggernaut provides a Talent Search for sharp-eyed artists. If you are not of the artistic inclination, however, you’ll find absolutely nothing here for the writers. The website bluntly states the process is only able to review artists, not writers. Keep in mind these policies are in place for their acquisitions, including DC’s Vertigo and Wildstorm.

BOTTOM LINE: “At this time, DC Comics does not accept unsolicited artwork or writing submissions.” The unsolicited part does bring up the option of perhaps finding an agent to represent you, but please be wary. The comic book industry is plagued with scams and fradulent agents. Always ask agents of previous works. The best way to find agents is to read the acknowledgements section of the books you read, be it fantasy, graphic novels or just plain fiction. Though this process does add a whole new layer to the submission process, you might find a bold ally in getting published with the big boys.

9) Aspen MLT: Michael Turner’s company has seriously the best looking comics out there. Not only does he have a talent for drawing beautiful women - a linchpin in the comic biz - but he also draws everything else beautiful in my opinion. To slip into Aspen would be a comic book geek’s dream, as well as a huge asset on a professional resume - even if the invitation is only open to artist
.

BOTTOM LINE: While we writers have to sulk about in the corner once again, it’s a huge opportunities for artists regardless. The submissions page - at the bottom of company info - breaks guidelines down for pencillers, inkers and colorists. The instructions tell you exactly what they are looking. If you are artistically-inclined, this is a breakthrough position.

Marvel: The company does offer avenues for both writers and artists. It requires no more than 5 pages of sample artwork or an inquiry letters from writers. Keep in mind, however, you probably won’t get that winning pitch published here - at least not at first. If you do land a job here, as writer or artist, it will be on one of their pre-existing titles, which, let’s be honest, is a helluva breakthrough. But since the company doesn’t read unsoliticed writing materals, you might consider taking that dream project you’ve been penning for years somewhere else.

BOTTOM LINE: If you do send them either artwork and inquiry, read the directions. The instructions call for a self-addressed stamped envelope as well as a completed Marvel Idea Submission Form. This is standard procedure - so get used to it - to stop lawsuits from people who “claimed” to have written some idea they submitted to Marvel. I error on the side of Matt Albie from Studio 60 - if they would have written it, they would have written it. But if you don’t trust the people you’re sending it to - don’t send it to them, simple as that.

7)Dynamite Entertainment: I picked up their Battlestar Galactica/Lone Ranger flip book on Free Comic Book Day and I was deeply impressed. Plus, they also write “Army of Darkness” and “Red Sonja” - two of the hottest titles in the biz right now. For their part, they request an inquiry letter from writers (as well as samples from colorists, pencillers and painters), which is pretty much the same as Marvel’s submission process above, with one added bonus - they may request proposals after hiring. This is a major bonus over Marvel - you can not only get your foot in the door, but you can also get your dream project possibly published as well.

BOTTOM LINE: Given the number of steller licenses this company owns, it will need to prove its caliber in originals sooner or later. This creates a demand, and its a demand YOU, the creator, should certainly take advantage of.

6) Dimestore Productions - This company might not have much in the way of razzle and dazzle as the other companies listed above, but Dimestore offers creators a yearly contest known as Small Press Idol. The contest has competitors vying for a chance to publish a mini-series with the imprint after several rounds on public voting. Not only isn’t is it downright fun to see what other creative teams are doing, but it also offers a much-needed forum for feedback to creators. The judges all provide great critque of each Round - be it premise and cover art, character designs, sequentials or the ultimate Issue #0 sell-off. I don’t care what anyone says; that Simon Cowell has nothing on Roger Foucault!

BOTTOM LINE: There’s only so much your family and friends can tell you about your work. While Dimestore might not have the vast resources of other publisher, it does offer a way to refine your work over and over again, even if you don’t win the big prize. In addition, the company offers many other publishing opportunities year-long!

5) Image - The company revolutionized the comic book industry - showing a little guy (albiet comprised of the best of the best) could withstand direct competition with the big two. But that was the 90’s, and Image has fallen into uncertain times. Though core titles like Savage Dragon and Spawn still run strong, much of their original universe has been fractured, and the company is certainly looking for new creators to pick up the pace. BUT make sure you read the fine print before you submit. There’s a reason the submission guidelines read “WE DON’T PAY PAGE RATES.” This means they are not the ones paying you - like an agent, they take a flat fee from the sales, but unlike an agent, it is possible for the creators to endure losses just as well as profits.

BOTTOM LINE: Don’t let this deter you from submitting to Image - it’s a huge opportunity. But conceptualize a marketing plan before you submit. Don’t just assume “It’s their job to sell this” - because its also your job if you want to make any money - especially with some responsibility for losses. Another comic company I explored - Too Hip Gotta Go Comics - runs by a similar system and explains it better than I ever could. Consider them in the same vein as Image - there are advantages and disadvantages to each company. Give both a good thought if you chose this route.

4) Antarctic Press - This company’s Free Comic Book Offering was called Pirates vs. Ninjas. Did you hear me? Pirates and Ninjas! Brilliant! That’s not all that’s brillant about this company. Though best known for more manga/anime style ventures such as “Gold Digger” and “Ninja High School”, the submissions page of this comic publisher contains a State of the Industry address at the bottom which YOU MUST READ if you want to work in comics.

BOTTOM LINE: Never submit to a comic publisher unless you know the general look of their line. Antarctic Press has a very colorful adventure feel to it, but the honesty of the submission guide combined with the loose and fun feel of their publishing line creates a very inviting atmosphere. They accept both inquiries for writers and artists.

3) Arcana Studios: Some publishers have submissions down to an art form, or at least, an on-site Internet form. Expediancy is something one must consider in comic book submission. After all, why send a comic submission out for three days through the mail, plus postage, when you can send it for free through the wonders of the Internet. Arcana, the publishers of “100 Girls”, “Starkweather” and “Dragon’s Lair”, makes it pretty easy to send your work - provided its completed with at least 5 pages of art.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely one to consider. They have a strong line, and their titles span a wide range of weird and wild, and they’ve risen to top ranks of new comic book publishers because of this. There are a couple of things, however. First off, there are some holes in their website - including dead links and spelling/grammar errors - which are worrisome to the eye. Secondly, the submissions guideline seems more promise than pitch. It doesn’t read with the honesty of Too Hip Gotta Go or Antarctic - and while I’m sure they intend to deliver on their word - its just a bit odd when the publisher is selling to the creator and not the other way around.

2) Ape Entertainment: We’re down to the last two, and both publishers have one thing in common: versatility. Ape Entertainment offers quite a lot outside of the gorilla marketing (yes, that’s a pun, not a mispelling) assoicated with Silver Age Comics. Their titles span from classic pulp (Black Coat) to modern day everymen (Bizarre New World) and an indie terror (Horrorwind). The publisher wants both artists and writers, but is only accepted completed creative teams for the latter. Still, the sheer variety of their submission guide is a comic book creator’s dream.

BOTTOM LINE: They’re pretty much looking for something of everything. Unlike most companies, they accept all genres and all age-groups. In fact, not only do they consider comic book publications, but also role playing games. And they can be reached by web-link (preferred), e-mail and snail mail. Their submission guidelines are very thorough and very clear - they even explain what artistic position fill easier than others. Ape Entertainment also alternates between the role of publisher and packager. They are more on the market for one-shots and mini-series, so this might not be the place for that magnum opus ongoing you’ve been penning for so long. Still, it should rank high on any submission list regardless.

1) Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse is proving to be a giant in the industry, and stable one that. Those are two qualities usually mutually exclusive with here-today, gone-tomorrow status of comic book companies - one company I reviewed on Free Comic Book Day just wanted to last six months in the industry! Dark Horse got its start the same way Dynamite - by picking up licenses such as Star Wars, Aliens/Predator and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But Dark Horse Comics would proved its own versatility in later years with in-house hits like “Hellboy”, “Sin City” and most recently “City of Others”. What amazes me is, for as long as I’ve been a comic book fan, Dark Horse Comics has always been open to submissions. The merit of a company company is often judged in how it treats its submissions, and Dark Horse certainly stands above them all.

BOTTOM LINE: There of good to go around. Dark Horse is among the only companies I’ve encountered which still ask for a full script - giving writers a change to strut their stuff with some page length. The company looks for sequential quality over pin-up power for artists, though it accepts submissions of both. And all submissions must include - you guessed it - a Submissions agreement. Did I mention they have page rates - although unknown at this time - a huge bonus over Image!

HOWEVER, just because Dark Horse is the No. 1 Best Bet for Comic Creators, there are some disadvantages to these publishers just like all the rest of the list. The biggest disadvantage for Dark Horse is time. First off, they only accept snail mail. Secondly, due to the huge volumes of submissions they receive (don’t blame them, comes with the territory), they only send responses to people they wish to hire. But just look at their New Recruits Program - they’ve just narrowed down their 2005 list to 20 (admittedly the list was in thousands) and their 2004 New Recruit winner is just now going to the printer.

BOTTOM BOTTOM LINE: Patience is a virture, and Dark Horse is worth the wait, but if your project could be in limbo for a very very very long time!

Spider-Man 3 opens at midnight tonight . . . errr . . . early tomorrow morning I guess. Anyway, here everything I’ve learned about the sequel and its franchise future.

There are at least three villains. Obviously, Peter’s conflict with Harry Osborn comes to a head as he takes on the mantle of the Green Goblin - I believe he’s just called the Goblin in this, and thank goodness they did away with the Power Rangers mask! I hope they use the Harry-centered Spectacular Spider-Man #200 as the basis for this confrontation!

There’s also Flint Marko, or as we know him, the Sandman, played by Thomas Hayden Church. Sandman is somehow connected to the murder of Uncle Ben, with some indication that he might even be the one responsible for Uncle Ben’s death. But unlike other such movie recons (such as Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman), Sandman seems to be portrayed with a great deal more humanity and family life in the movie. This isn’t totally unreasonable - in the comics, Sandman turned a new life as an associate of international do-gooder Silver Sable. Though complications due to a battle with Venom (perhaps prudent here as well) lead an unstable Sandman to burn many of these bridges, Sandman put himself back together (no pun intended) and remains one of Spider-Man’s only enemies to denounce extreme violence.

Venom is definitely a major figure in the movie. At first, speculation from the trailers amounted to Venom only having a cameo role - right the film’s credit. This is definitely not the case, as later versions show Venom actually in combat with Spider-Man. It’s interesting that Sam Raimi actually detest Venom at first, given his horror background, but was implored by Avi Arad to include Venom given the latter’s fanfare. This is probably because Raimi has more a traditional fandom for Spider-Man, and I think it will be interesting to see Raimi try to incorporate the Todd McFarlane-invented Venom into that fandom.

I said at least three villains. There were rumors Mysterio might appear, voiced by Bruce Campbell - I can’t imagine how fishbowl head is gonna appear in this film - but I’ve been wrong before.

Gwen Stacy, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is a major character in the film, as is her father, Captain Stacy, played by James Cromwell. Gwen and Peter seem to be involved following the disintergration of his relationship with Mary Jane during the symbiote subplot. Gwen’s fate, though known by many in comics, is still a mystery in the movie, as rumors persist she might appear in the fourth film.

And yes, finally, they are planning a fourth film. Given the expected box office numbers, Sony and Avi Arad insist there is a fourth film in the works, even though Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst (i.e. most of the people who made the first Spider-Man films good) are ambigious about continuing the franchise, having just made three major Marvel movies. It seems Sony is hellbent on making a third, even if these three leave the fold altogether (Raimi might involved in the Hobbit, Maguire has spoke against making an immediate fourth flick, and Dunst doesn’t want to return if Raimi isn’t attached), Sony will probably make a Spider-Man 4 . . . for better or worse.

In case you forgot - which I did until someone mentioned it yesterday - Saturday is Free Comic Book Day.

No, I’m not kidding. This isn’t some piece of comic book fanspeak or obscure lexicon. Free Comic Book Day is what it says it is - walk into a comic store and get free comics!

What comics you get depends a variety of factors, including the size and resouces of your local store, and whether they receive Gold or Silver sponsor comics.

Gold sponsors include a bevy of mainstream picks. I mean, can you get more mainstream than Archie, Spider-Man and Mickey Mouse? There might also include a Transformers movie prequel, Dynamite’s Lone Ranger and Battlestar Galactica, as well as Robert Kirkman’s plain cool Image title Astounding Wolfman.

Silver sponsors seem to represent a larger mixture of industry leaders as well as rising forces in the indie world. In addition to selections from Marvel, DC and Wizard Entertainment, there will also be comic represented by Virgin, Digital Webbing, Comic Genesis, Ape Entertainment, Devil’s Due, Fantagraphics, Boom! Studios and Antarctic Press. The latter’s entry is called “Pirates vs. Ninjas” . . . how much more awesome can you get!

The comic industry implosion in the early 90’s - the end result of No. 6 in “Top 10 Accidental Comic Book Discoveries” - left comic book retailers struggling to find a way to reach the public. Free Comic Book Day was one such attempt, and it has, on the whole, been successful, especially in garnering mainstream media attention as well as large crowds to the comic book shop!

Check it out this Saturday, May 5th.

Time for the Oscars of comics, better known as the Eisners, which makes more sense to me. I mean, I know who Will Eisner is, but I’m still not sure who the hell this Oscar guy is.

The nominees for the 2007 Eisner Awards have been announced. This is actually something I kind of participated, blissfully hoping for a nod myself, from my webcomic “Hector!” and its first year of operation.

It was a long shot . . . a HUGE long shot . . . but I actually did send something out, so it was kind of cool regardless of the lackluster results. But more on that later.

There’s quite a few things of interest in each category, but here are just a few of the highlights:

Stan Lee is up for an Eisner in “Best Short Story” for an entry entitled “Spider-Man Meets Stan Lee”. If I was in Spider-Man’s position, I’d punch Stan Lee in the mouth. Hard.

Will Eisner’s own creation “The Spirit” is back in the Eisners now for “Best Single Issue or One-Shot”. The nomination goes to issue #1 of Darwyn Cooke and Jeph Leob’s “Batman/The Spirit #1″. Though it was among one of the first Spirit comics not written by Will Eisner, the cover was downright hilarious and well-worth the price of admission!

Two of my favorite titles are up for Eisners in the “Best Continuing Series” category - Grant Morrison’s “All-Star Superman” and Allan Heinberg’s “Young Avengers”. If you’re a comic book fan, you owe it to yourself to pick at least one issue of these books up - I think “All-Star Superman” is already out on hardcover as well.

The “Limited Series” category seems a tight race between Paul Pope’s “Batman: Year 100″ and “Through the Looking Glass: Hatter M” by Frank Beddor, Liz Cavalier and Ben Templesmith - both extremely popular series which have sold out almost instantly every time they touched a store front.

“The Long Ranger” is actually up for an Eisner in “Best New Series” - I had heard about this book, but I didn’t know it was actually out. The Long Ranger will need all his six-shooters to make it past the considerable competition though - among them Ed Brubaker’s much-talked-about series “Criminal”.

I got beat by the best in the Digital Comics category. I was so worried I’d be out-done by a bevy of video game comics yet again. “Girl Genius” is great, and one I should probably start including on the Wrap-Up.

The Best Writer competion looks to be mostly a competition between Brubaker and Morrison - those two have contributed so much to the comic book industry lately, its hard to see one of them not going home with something. Besides, Bill Willingham hasn’t stepped out from under the shadow of Fables nearly enough, even with Shadowpact.

I’d really like to see Ben Templesmith (”Fell”, “Hatter M”) win Best Painter, but he’s in for one helluva a fight - Jill Thomspon of “Scary Godmother” fame is among the competition.

John Cassaday of “Astonishing X-Men” seems a shoe-in for Best Cover Artist, but I don’t know, I’ve seen amazing things from Conan’s Tony Harris.

You can see all the rest of the entries here. I’ve done my part