Weekend Reading: Spider-Man, Cyberforce, and Norm Breyfogle

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Image Comics,

This is the week where the comics industry slows down for a couple of days as everyone saves their big news for Comic Con International in San Diego. That gets going on Wednesday evening - Preview Night - and you can expect the announcements to start flying faster than anyone can cut and paste a press release, and everyone's abuzz with their favorite version of the four Spider-Man movies.

For now, though, the internets still have some things to read:

A weather-battered Beau Smith looks at Spider-Man.

Longbox Graveyard also has a look at Spider-Man, of the Steve Ditko era.

Hero Complex reports the return of Marc Silvestri’s Cyberforce, with the words “Kickstarter” and “free” as part of the launch equation.

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Norm Breyfogle: Batman Beyond Unlimited

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,

I’ve loved Norm Breyfogle’s art ever since I first saw it years ago when he was drawing Batman.

Later on, I got to meet him when he was drawing Prime for Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse (he designed the character and I was lucky enough to be around to see all his sketches).

Still later, I got to work with him directly when he did some character designs for a superhero project that Chris Ulm and I were pitching around.

Now, after some time working for Archie Comics, Norm is back on Batman in the newly relaunched Batman Beyond Unlimited title from DC, edited by another pal Jim Chadwick.

The first issue goes on sale in February, and Norm posted an interior page from it on Facebook (you can see it over there on your right).

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R.I.P. Miss Grundy

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

Miss Geraldine Grundy, a longterm resident in the alternative magazine universe of Riverdale, has died following an illness that spread over several issues.

Born with a congenital condition that made her look old beyond her years, the spinster Grundy arrived in Riverdale in 1942 where she taught high school English and other subjects.

Originally quite a party gal favoring red dresses with plunging necklines, she may have toned down her lifestyle after being tricked into a date with one of her students, the mischievous Archie Andrews.

Her later years were devoted to her students and the school.

She will long be remembered for her shapeless, Amish-style retro clothing, her love of roller derby and the LPGA tour, which she reportedly followed when school was out.

Miss Grundy's passing is the first significant death in Riverdale that anyone can remember, although several residents have gone missing for a number of years. They are, however, expected to show up for the funeral.

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Weekend Reading: DC Comics And Warner Bros.

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics,

So did you hear the big news? Marvel’s moving to a new office building in Manhattan!

Not to be outdone, Warner Bros. decided to shake things up with a large scale corporate shift. This interview with Diane Nelson from Comic Book Resources actually sheds very little light on the nuts and bolts of it.

And the lack of real answers has caused Tom Spurgeon to raise some questions he’d like to see answered about the situation forward-going.

Naturally, and because I sometimes can’t keep my mouth shut, I have my own take on the matter.

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Weekend Reading: Breyfogle, Batman, Whedon & Wild Cards

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Interviews, Reviews, Television, Independent,

Welcome to the back to school edition of Weekend Reading. Here are a few things better than homework, unless your homework includes classes at MoCCA.

Everything’s Archie: Norm Breyfogle is interviewed by Matthew Price over at NewsOK. The subject? Archie and the gang at Riverdale.

George R.R. Martin: You know what’s coming up in November, back in print after a decade? Wild Cards 1, expanded with new stuff.

Witchblade: Author Paul Bishop has a favorite Forgotten Book. It’s the Witchblade tie-in novels based on the short-lived TV series with Yancy Butler that was based on the Top Cow comic book without Yancy Butler.

Batman Under the Red Hood: SF Signal has a review of the just-released DVD.

Donald E. Westlake: Whether writing under his own name or his many pseudonyms, Westlake is one of my favorite crime-and-caper writers.

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Weekend Reading: Breyfogle, Ellis, Craven, and Spider-Man Sings!

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Independent, Marvel Comics,

I can’t believe the Spider-Man musical will hit Broadway on December 21. Are there really enough little old ladies who want to take the bus in from Long Island on a Wednesday afternoon to see an all-singing, all-dancing super-hero? That’s quite a bit different from Starlight Express and Cats, right? My prediction: It’ll close before the Tonys are announced, but then a touring version will criss-cross America for years with Jake Lloyd, Mischa Barton, Gabe Kaplan and Angela Lansbury in key roles.

Now let’s see what else is going on:

Scott Pilgrim I: Over at John Scalzi’s Whatever, guest blogger John Anderson bows down before the triumph that is Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

Scott Pilgrim II: The Early Word takes a look at how a comic book movie adaptation might help sales of said comic and then delivers a slap to the way DC Comics handles itself. “However, those intrigued by the Green Lantern movie are unlikely to be engaged by the continuity-heavy, you-must-buy-every-single-collection tale like Blackest Night. The folks buying Blackest Night? They are already Green Lantern comics fans.”

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