Howard Chaykin & The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #3!
The Shadow: Midnight in Moscow #3 cover (without the trade dress) by Howard Chaykin!
Category: Comics
Jason Aaron & Ron Garney: Men of Wrath
I’m a huge fan of crime stories.
If the yarn’s a good one I don’t care if the medium is a novel, a comic book, a movie or television. Men of Wrath, the five issue crime comic mini-series by Jason Aaron and Ron Garney looks like it will be a good ‘un.
Men of Wrath follows a hitman named Ira Wrath and as Jason Aaron lays it out…
He’s a bad guy. He’s an older guy who’s reaching the end of his life, which consists pretty much of killing people for money and living alone in an empty house which doesn’t have much furniture. For him it’s clearly not about the money. There’s something else going on.
“Men of Wrath” is about a family history. So each issue opens with flashbacks to different generations of the Rath family. We kind of start to see how the cycle of violence begins and gets perpetuated and passed down from generation to generation of this family and kind of culminates in Ira as the worst of the bunch.
So it’s pretty clear from his opening scene, which kind of punches of you in the face and tells you that he is not a nice man. It’s a story of how this cycle of violence has led to this one sad and very scary man.
Dave Richards at CBR.com conducted an excellent interview with Jason Aaron and Ron Garney about Men of Wrath. One word of caution before you click over – Aaron warns us that Wrath is not a nice man and in the opening sequence does something that punches the reader in the face — I felt clobbered. This is not a comic for kids or some adults but if you like crime comics, you’ll probably look forward to the ride.
Sherwood Texas: a “Biker Epic… Through a Quentin Tarantino Lens.”
If Sherwood Texas isn’t on your comic pull list, it should be.
Created by writer Shane Berryhill with art by Daniel Hilyard and characters designed by Andrew Robinson, Sherwood Texas is a modern day retelling of Robin Hood as a “biker epic… through a Quentin Tarantino lens.”
If that’s not enough to get you on board (and it should be) perhaps the one buck price tag for the first issue will get you to take a look. After that Berryhill’s story and Hilyard’s art should keep you coming back for more.
Still not sold? Then check out CBR’s interview with Shane Berryhill and Andrew Robinson [and much larger versions of the art above plus more art from the series]!
Next stop… Sherwood Texas.
10 Strange Stories About Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra.
Whether you love Sinatra, hate him or fall somewhere between, you’ve got to admit he lived an interesting life. Sinatra was a recording star, a movie star, the leader of the Rat Pack, a Vegas headliner, who hung with stars, politicians, and mafiosos.
Did you know that Frank Sinatra was once arrested for “seduction and adultry,” hated Marlon Brando, that his friendship with the Kennedy’s got him in hot water with the mafia, his son was kidnapped and had to loan the kidnappers gas money, or that Frank Sinatra’s friendship with Joe DiMaggio soured when Sinatra introduced (DiMaggio’s wife) Marilyn Monroe to the Kennedy’s… and DiMaggio blamed them for Monroe’s death?
Check out 10 Strange Stories About Frank Sinatra and you’ll learn all the details… and more!
Source: Listverse.
Steranko Shadow Cover Pencil Painting – The One That Got Away!
Yesterday’s Steranko paperback cover was such a hit that I thought we’d follow up today with one of Steranko’s Shadow covers.
Back in the early 80’s when I was collecting original art, Steranko sold off the detailed pencil drawings he used in creating the Shadow covers. Steranko called them pencil paintings. They were beautiful.
I was still in college and $225 was a ton of money, but I purchased one. It was the pencil painting to cover #8 shown above. Sadly, I don’t have a copy of the pencils to share, but looking at the cover, you can imagine Steranko’s beautiful art.
When I was heading into my college senior internship, I decided to sell off my art collection. I was going to be teaching full time (but with no pay – internship, remember) and the money from the art sale would make things more manageable.
The Steranko piece is one of those that I have missed most over the years.
Steranko Paperback Book Covers!
Steranko is known for his groundbreaking work in comics. We shouldn’t forget the stellar paperback covers he also created.
Kevin Mellon’s Jack Carter is a (Shotgun) Blast!
Kevin Mellon created this cool piece. Sly as Jack Carter. Kevin said he gave Carter the shotgun as a nod to the original “Get Carter” starring Michael Caine.
Well played, Kevin. Well played.
Jason Latour Interview!
Did you know while we were all at HeroesCon 2014, that the uber-talented Jason Latour was the subject of the CBR Sunday Conversation?
He was.
What are you waiting for? Click over!
Z-View: HeroesCon 2014
That’s the self-titled Corduroy Mafia at Heroes Con 2104. From left to right we have John Nacinovich, Jeff Streeter, me, John Beatty, Brian Jones and Royce Thrower.. How we gave ourselves the name Corduroy Mafia is a tale for another time. Instead I present my HeroesCon 2014 summary.
The Drive Up:
Doralya and I left Thursday afternoon. We drove halfway up and spent the night in Savannah at a Fairfield Inn. We got up early the next morning and finished our trip to Charlotte in plenty of time to get to the show.
The Convention Hotel:
We used to stay at the Weston, but for the last two years (and the foreseeable future) our con hotel is the Hampton Inn Charlotte – Uptown. What a great hotel! It’s super-clean with the friendliest staff I’ve ever seen. Free shuttle service and free breakfast made the stay even better.
Main Sketch Goal of the Show:
My main sketch goal was to meet (for the first time) and get a sketch from Hoyt Silva. I’m happy to report that Hoyt is as nice as he is talented — yeah, he’s really that friendly! Hoyt and I discussed a couple of possible Stallone characters and decided on Jack Carter. Hoyt said he could make that happen and is doing the piece as a take home commission.
Books signed:
- My original Berni Wrightson’s Frankenstein (personalized to Doralya)
- The Package pin-ups by Andrew Maclean and Robert Wilson IV
- Scout: The Four Monsters by Timothy Truman
- Crimeland by Rafael Albuqerque
- Black Beetle: No Way Out by Franchesco Francavilla
- The Goon: Nothin’ But Misery by Eric Powell
- The Fifth Beatle by Andrew Robinson
Sketches:
- Jamie Cosley: Rocky (surprise gift from Little John and Patricia)
- Andy Fish: Lords of Flatbush
- Corin Howell: Lords of Flatbush
- Dave Wachter (mini-head sketch): Rhinestone
- Derrick Fish: Expendables
- Drew Moss: Get Carter
- Hoyt Silva: Get Carter
- Joel Carroll: Get Carter
- Kevin Mellon: Get Carter
- Mike Torrance: Jack Carter / Gravedigger plus several sketch cards
Panels, Drink and Draw and HeroesCon Art Auction:
- The Inkwell Awards (and keeping with tradition, LittleJohn312 and Patricia joined Doralya and I — or did we join them?) were fun. It is always great to see deserving artists receive recognition.
- Doralya, Little John, Patricia and I attended the Drink and Draw. It’s a tradition that continued again this year!
- For the first time I ever, I missed the HeroesCon Auction. I had a bad cold/flu bug the week before HeroesCon and was still feeling worn down. Since we had the rest of our vacation ahead of us, I decided to pace myself at Heroes and sadly missed the auction.
Meals:
The biggest surprise is that we only ate at Fuel once. It was good to keep that tradition alive, but not over do it. The best meal we had was at Fujo Bistro — we will definitely hit that place again next year! Buffalo Wild Wings also got our business. Sadly we did not make it to Mert’s.
In closing:
HeroesCon this year was huge. The wider aisles made movement easier. There were also additional sections this year with chairs and tables for con guests to sit, eat and visit. The bigger painting area was also a plus.
Seeing old friends and meeting new ones is always a fun part of the show. I won’t try to list them all because invariably I would leave some out.
This year I was able to talk Doralya into coming into the show on Saturday. We walked the floor and met a lot of artists (new and old friends). Doralya’s highlight was meeting Berni Wrightson! She has always loved his work and he personalized my copy of Frankenstein to her!
Thanks to Shelton and his crew for another great HeroesCon — see everyone next year!
HeroesCon 2014!
If all went as planned, Doralya and I will be arriving in Charlotte today for our annual trip to HeroesCon. It’ll be nice to get away for a “long” weekend… especially since I’ll be spending it at Heroes. There’s always plenty to do. Look at the guest list and schedule of events and you can see I’m not kidding.
Hope to see you there, but if you can’t make the show, don’t worry, I’ll post a full report later in the week.
[And Chris, remember: No parties!]
Talking “Mercenary Seas” with Matthew Reynolds
If you’re a fan of The Mercenary Sea you’ll want to check out this interview with artist Matthew Reynolds. If you’re not a fan, check out the interview and maybe you’ll become one.
Source: Comics Trades.
John Paul Leon’s Tribute to Alex Toth
The piece above was created by John Paul Leon as a tribute to the legendary Alex Toth. It deserves to be seen at a much bigger size and thanks to the fine folks at The Bristol Board, it can.
Z-View: The Mercenary Sea #4 by Symons and Reynolds
The Mercenary Sea is an on-going series created by Kel Symons & Matthew Reynolds published by Image.
Writer: Kel Symons
Art and Colors: Matthew Reynolds
MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN” Stranded in a Chinese fishing village, Jack and company must rescue the British spy “Top Hat,” who’s been captured by Japanese soldiers.
*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***
The Good
- I like the cover.
- I like how Reynolds used color and outline for Evelyn’s hair.
- “I wouldn’t bet on that.”
- Four issues in and this really feels like an old time serial. Well played, Symons and Reynolds.
The Bad:
- What happens when you appear to have the upper-hand and get overconfident. “Whoever you are, you’re out of ammo.” Yeah, that may be true, but…
- When shrapnel makes a mess of your insides.
The Ugly:
- Not a thing with this issue!
The Mercenary Sea should appeal to all who old time action and adventure.
Rating:
Z-View: The Crow Pestilence #3
The Crow: Pestilence #3 is published by IDW.
Writer: Frank Bill
Artist: Drew Moss
Colorist: Oliver Lee Arce
Cover Shown: James O’Barr
Salvador heads to the Midwest to search for the men who murdered his family, only to find them involved in trafficking drugs…and humans. As The Crow watches, guiding him, he begins to exact his revenge. But why is one of the gang members speaking with the police?
.
The Good
- J. O’Barr‘s cover.
- Frank Bill throws in a surprise on the last page that really sets up the next issue.
- Drew Moss’ art.
The Bad:
- Some people will be put off by the violence and profanity.
- Bill fleshes out the supporting cast but I want to see more of Salvador [The Crow].
The Ugly:
- The Crow is a violent comic but this issue is especially rough.
The Crow: Pestilence #3 is a comic for mature audiences due to violence and language.
Rating: 3 out of 5
“Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” – Trailer 2
The second trailer for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is live!
