The publisher revealed in a CBR interview that the team behind the 1986 “Bwahaha” relaunch of the world’s premier super team will reunite this fall for “Justice League 3000″ — an ongoing series chronicling future renditions of the DCU’s big guns.

The book will feature versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash as redesigned by artist Howard Porter, presumably taking the iconic heroes one millennium ahead of where we are now. And while the creative team on the book doubtlessly have comedy chops, touches from a militaristic Superman to a mace-wielding Wonder Woman hint that “Justice League 3000″ will take up the torch of the creators more serious adventure stories — of which many were included in their original JL run.

The post Justice League 3000 In the Works For This Fall appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Spinning out of Superior Spider-Man, Eisner Award-winning writers Mark Waid and James Robinson along with artist Gabriele Dell’otto take the world’s greatest super hero on a globetrotting adventure like never before in Spider-Man: Family Business, hitting stores worldwide in April 2014.

Someone has Spider-Man in their crosshairs and there’s only one person in the Marvel Universe who can save him…Peter Parker’s secret sister! As the web-slinger faces his darkest hour, will she end up becoming his greatest ally or the one who damns him? This all-new, fully painted, original graphic novel marks the second offering in Marvel’s all new original graphic novel line, featuring the world’s most popular super heroes brought to life by the best creators and debuts in a high-end, oversized format featuring sophisticated packaging and design.

Spider-Man’s life is full of deadly twists and turns, and when his greatest surprise is not only related to him but his sister, the webslinger’s world is turned upside down! Who is this mysterious member of the Parker family, and can she be the ally Spider-Man desperately needs while the Kingpin is organizing the greatest global crime syndicate in the history of the Marvel Universe?! Thrust from the comforts of New York City and into the terrors of international crime, Spider-Man faces one of his greatest challenges yet.

“This is a blast.” said Waid. “Adding new elements to the Spider-Man mythos, redefining the Kingpin, and doing it all in partnership with one of the medium’s best and most celebrated writers. What’s not to be excited about?”

Additionally, this original graphic novel will also include a code for a bonus digital edition of Spider-Man: Family Business, redeemable for reading via the Marvel Comics app and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop. This code is included at no extra charge, allowing fans to keep their copy of Spider-Man: Family Business safe on their bookshelves but still carry this adventure with them on the go to read anytime, anywhere! Spider-Man: Family Business features special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app – including cover recaps, behind the scenes features and more that add value to your reading experience at no additional cost.

Spider-Man: Family Business will be available April 2, 2014 in book stores, comic shops, the Marvel Comics app and online in the Marvel Digital Comics Shop.

The post New Spidey Graphic Novel In Spring 2014 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Today, DC announced that October will see the launch of “Superman/Wonder Woman” – a new monthly series starring the DC Universe’s latest power couple written by “Swamp Thing’s” Charles Soule and drawn by Daniel.

IGN also debuted a first image for the series trading on Jim Lee’s now famous cover showcasing the pair’s first kiss. Check it out below and stay tuned for more on “Superman/Wonder Woman.”

The post DC to Launch New Superman/Wonder Woman Series appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The series focuses on the ongoing saqa of Jax Teller’s struggle with remaining in or getting out of the legendary founding chapter of the Sons of Anarchy biker gang, the series will tell a standalone tale tied to the history of the club.

Check out the full solicitation below:

SONS OF ANARCHY #1 (of 6)
Author: Christopher Golden
Artist: Damian Couceiro
Cover Artist: R.M. Guéra

WHY WE LOVE IT: Sons of Anarchy has captivated the attention of the entire BOOM! team with its smart plotting, compelling characters, and modern vision of the outlaw genre. We love the show so much we couldn’t wait to help expand the world of SAMCRO.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Gun-smuggling outlaw bikers with complex pasts and gripping personalities. If you love “guys with guns” like we do, this is that genre at its most elevated.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT: With no one else to turn to, the daughter of an old SAMCRO member comes to Charming looking for help. The only people standing between Kendra and certain death are the Sons of Anarchy, and, for better or for worse, Sergeant-at-Arms Tig.

The post BOOM! Studios Gives the Details on SOA Series appeared first on Takes On Tech.

DC Comics’ highly trumpeted release of “Superman Unchained,” written by fan favorite Scott Snyder, coincides with the 75th anniversary of the superhero’s 1938 debut in “Action Comics #1.”

Artist Jim Lee dreamed up the concept in an effort to make his comic more cinematic. One side features a wide shot of Superman smashng up a space station as if panned out by a camera; the other is a jarring close-up of the caped hero in midpunch.

It took artist Jim Lee two days to pencil each side of the gatefold. At least part of that time was devoted to periodically standing on his chair and photographing the page with his iPhone because it was too large to see all the details up close.
Lee called the first side of the gatefold a ‘Where’s Waldo’ image since it’s so hard to spot Superman amid the giant space station.

“That came from just a simple desire to do something that I haven’t seen before in my 26 years of working in the business or my probably 45 years of looking at comics,” Lee, whose day job is DC’s co-publisher.

“I didn’t know what a can of worms I was opening up because it’s actually a very tough logistical production issue to do. I don’t think we’ll be doing it again, actually.”

The post Superman Unchained #1 Breaks Out With New Poster appeared first on Takes On Tech.

This September only, eager fans will be able to find the following titles with special “IDW GETS ANIMATED” variant covers. While the content of the books will be the same, these variant covers are going to be a vivid blast of cartoon madness:

• Black Dynamite #1 by Six Point Harness Studios
• Danger Girl: The Chase #1 by Loston Wallace
• Doctor Who #13 by Blair Shedd
• Ghostbusters #8 by Dan Schoening
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #194 by Jim Rugg
• Judge Dredd #11 by Phil Postma
• Popeye Classics #14 by Jack Mendelsohn
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Animated Adventures #3 by Tanya Roberts
• T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2 by The Sharp Brothers
• Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #21 by Andy Suriano
• The X-Files: Season 10 #4 by The Sharp Brothers

The post IDW to Feature Classic Cartoon Variant Covers appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The 2013 San Diego Comic-Con is just a little over a month away and Twentieth Century Fox Television has already announced what shows will be present. Here’s the full press release:

Twentieth Century Fox Television will once again dominate the San Diego Comic-Con convention, with stars and creators of eleven of its highly-coveted, fan favorite shows at the world famous gathering next month. In addition to exclusive sneak peeks of its programs and panel discussions with the stars and creators of its shows, the studio will rotate an incredible line-up of talent through the newly expanded two-story Fox booth on the convention center floor, for star-studded autograph signings and exciting booth activities including distribution of exclusive 2013 Fox Fanfare Poster Tubes, collectible mini-posters, premium giveaways, DVD sales, as well as Fox iPad App demos available for fan interaction.

Descriptions of panel sessions and screenings follow:

THURSDAY, JULY 18:

MURDER POLICE: From David Goodman (Family Guy) and Jason Ruiz, this new animated FOX series follows a dedicated, but inept detective, Manuel Sanchez, and his colleagues – some perverted, some corrupt, some just plain lazy – in a twisted city precinct. Panelists David Goodman, Jason Ruiz, Will Sasso (The Three Stooges, MADtv), Chi McBride (Golden Boy, Hawthorne, Human Target), Peter Atencio (Key and Peele), and Justina Machado (Welcome to the Family, Private Practice, Six Feet Under) will unveil a sneak peek at footage, followed by a fan Q&A session.

FRIDAY, JULY 19:

SLEEPY HOLLOW: Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Fringe, Spider Man 2) and Len Wiseman (Underworld, Total Recall) will unveil their highly-anticipated project with an exclusive, not-to-be-missed world premiere screening of the Pilot followed by a Q&A with fans featuring series lead Tom Mison (Parade’s End) and Nicole Beharie (42, Shame).

BONES: Creator and Executive Producer Hart Hanson, executive producer Stephen Nathan and David Boreanaz return to Comic-Con to discuss what’s in store for Booth and Brennan and screen a reel of never-before-seen footage from the upcoming season, followed by a Q&A panel discussion.

BOB’S BURGERS: Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Jim Dauterive and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal and Larry Murphy will be serving up hilarious never-before-seen footage followed by a Q&A panel discussion

BRICKLEBERRY: Creators and executive producers Waco O’Guin and Roger Black, executive producer Zac Moncrief, along with David Herman (Office Space), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Jerry Minor (Anchorman) and Natasha Leggero (Community, Burning Love) will abe on hand to premiere a hysterical episode from its second season followed by a Q&A panel discussion.

SATURDAY, JULY 20:

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: For the first time ever, the hit sitcom visits Comic-Con to kick off its final season with an exclusive look at the show and a panel featuring Josh Radnor (Happythankyoumoreplease), Jason Segel (The Muppets), Cobie Smulders (The Avengers), Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) and Alyson Hannigan (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and executive producers Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Pamela Fryman.

FUTURAMA: We’re dooooooooomed! An epic panel for the ages will celebrate Futurama’s latest and greatest final season. On hand will be most or all of Futurama’s legendary voice cast, comprised of Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, David Herman, Phil LaMarr, and Lauren Tom, performing never-before-heard scenes from the upcoming “Last Episode Ever”. Plus: Executive Producer David X. Cohen, Creator Matt Groening, and a cartooning showdown to the death! (Note: actual death not guaranteed.)

THE SIMPSONS: Celebrate The Simpsons’ 25th year on the air with Creator Matt Groening, Executive Producer Al Jean, Supervising Director Mike Anderson, Consulting Producer David Silverman, never-before seen footage from guest director Guillermo del Toro and musical guests “We Put The Spring In Springfield”!

FAMILY GUY: The Griffins are back at Comic-Con for another raucous panel and a sneak peek at season 12 featuring Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Alex Borstein (madTV, Shameless) and executive producer Rich Appel (The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show) plus other surprise guests.

AMERICAN DAD: Join us for an exclusive look at the new season, the world premiere of a song from the never-before-seen Christmas episode featuring the return of Krampus and a Q&A with fans featuring Wendy Schaal, Rachael MacFarlane, Scott Grimes (ER, Band of Brothers), Dee Bradley Baker (Phineas and Ferb, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and more.

SUNDAY, JULY 21:

SONS OF ANARCHY: Get an inside look into the world of FX’s highest-rated series ever, with creator Kurt Sutter (The Shield) and stars Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Ron Perlman, Maggie Siff, Kim Coates, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Theo Rossi, Dayton Callie and Jimmy Smits.

The post Twentieth Century Fox Television Announces SDCC Line-Up appeared first on Takes On Tech.

David Gonzalez found the comic book while demolishing a wall inside a fixer-upper house in the small town of Hoffman. The book was tucked into a pile of newspapers that had been used as insulation in the 75-year-old structure.

He might have gotten even more money for the book except for the fact that he tore the cover when he grabbed it during an argument with his wife’s aunt. The rip, which Stephen Fishler of auction house Comic Connect called a “$75,000 tear,” caused the book to be rated just 1.5 on a 10-point scale established for collectors by the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC).

By contrast, a near-perfect copy of Action Comics #1 owned by actor Nicolas Cage, which received a 9.0 CGC rating, sold for $2.16 million in 2011. Approximately 100 copies of the book are known to exist.

Fishler described the winning bidder, who was not named, as a “hardcore, Golden Age comic book collector” who beat out 50 other bids.

The post Action Comics #1 Superman Fetches $175K at Auction appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Aguirre-Sacasa, currently a writer-producer on the TV series “Glee” and the writer who crafted the recent four-part “Archie Meets Glee” crossover, was inspired to pen the story after seeing Francavilla’s striking cover image. In the new comic, Sabrina the Teenage Witch inadvertently brings about the zombie apocalypse with a spell-gone-wrong, and the gang has to deal with the fallout while she attempts to restore order to Riverdale.

With credits involving teens, horror and comics, Aguirre-Sacasa brings a unique set of credentials to the project. In addition to his “Glee” duties, he wrote the script for the remake of “Carrie” that’s set for release in October, and his Marvel Comics writing credits include a comic book adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Stand.”

The post See Zombies Invade Riverdale appeared first on Takes On Tech.

To celebrate this Marvel Team-Up, Marvel has pored through the vaults and selected the best images for artists Leo Castellani, Christopher Jones and Adam DeKracker to bring you a set of covers that will be forever in your collection, included in the variants are:

ALL NEW X-MEN #17
AVENGERS #21
AVENGERS A.I. #4
CAPTAIN AMERICA #12
DAREDEVIL #31
FANTASTIC FOUR #13
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #7
HAWKEYE #15
INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #14
INFINITY #3
IRON MAN #17
MARVEL UNIVERSE: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1
MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
NEW AVENGERS #11
NOVA #8
SECRET AVENGERS #10
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #14
UNCANNY AVENGERS #12
WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #36
X-MEN #5

“Working with the folks at The LEGO Group to do these homage covers is an absolute blast! As soon as we came up with the concept of doing the covers, I couldn’t wait to get an idea off the ground that really does justice to both the Marvel heroes and the LEGO brand,” explained David Gabriel, SVP of Sales, Print & Digital.

The LEGO variant covers complement the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes construction toy collection, which brings the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel’s universe to the world of LEGO build-and-play adventure.

The post Marvel Announces Lego Variant Covers appeared first on Takes On Tech.

While not much is said about the villain, his Villains Month spotlight – and the sketch – reveals that we’ll be getting some backstory on the character, showing his evolution and motivation into the world-stealer we know.

Bob Harras noted on the Source, “We already know that Brainiac has been collecting worlds. But why does he do what he does? Surely this psychopath must have motives beyond just trying to save the civilizations being threatened by the 5th dimension – but what are they? What will happen when a new superhero discovers the truth? And how will her startling revelation impact the rest of the DC Universe?”

The post Brainiac Re-Enters the New 52 In Time for Villains Month appeared first on Takes On Tech.

DC Comics’

An official statement from DC details the new pricing structure.

“Digital comics is still a very young business and as such we are constantly evaluating the best business models and pricing strategies,” said a DC Entertainment spokesperson. “Moving forward, all same-day digital books released on May 1 or later will drop in price by $1 two months after the initial release date. We will continue to offer an extensive back catalog of titles at a discounted rate, and all of our digital-first titles are available for $.99 per weekly issue. Even with this change, our digital pricing model continues to remain one of the most consumer friendly with respect to our competitors.”

While the parity pricing timeline may prove frustrating to fans used to the previous structure, it’s worth noting that DC did maintain its strategy for more than two years after the launch of the New 52 and is still implementing a discount unlike many of its closest competitors, including Marvel, which doesn’t systematically discount its digital titles.

The post DC Changes Pricing on Digital Comics appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Marvel

Earth has been marked as an “Avengers World”, protected by Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and more from the deadliest threats facing humanity. A powerful and destructive race is on a collision course with Earth and the only thing in their path is the Avengers. But even Earth’s Mightiest Heroes realize the one hope of defeating this dire threat is to unite every great hero across the cosmos…because only with a united Avengers Universe is there any chance of survival!

With our heroes at the other end of the universe, who is left to protect Earth? Enter Thanos, the galaxy’s most ruthless threat and an unparalleled force of brutality who brings order to the chaos of life through murder. The greatest threat to the Mad Titan’s work—and perhaps the universe’s greatest hope—is something he created leaving no world safe. Earth’s last hope may lie in the hands of a man who can level cities with a single whisper – Black Bolt, king of the Inhumans. But can the fearsome leader of a race hated and feared by his world,  lead his people against Thanos? If they fall, so does the Earth—and the entire universe with it.

Every issue of Infinity includes a code for a free digital copy of that same comic on the Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, each issue of Infinity features special augmented reality content available exclusive through the Marvel AR app – including cover recaps, behind the scenes features and more at no additional cost.

The post Capt. America Leads the Way on Infinity #2 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

DC Comics

Originally published in 1996 as a four-issue miniseries, the anthology was the brainchild DC’s Vice President of Art Direction & Design Mark Chiarello, then a Batman Group editor, who sought out such top creators as Bruce Timm, Joe Kubert, Bill Sienkiewicz, Neil Gaiman, Ted McKeever and Katsuhiro Otomo to offer their own interpretations of the Dark Knight — in black and white.

The concept was revived in 2000 as a series of backup features in Batman: Gotham Knights, featuring contributions by the likes of Alex Ross, Paul Dini, Warren Ellis, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Paul Pope, Steve Rude, Harlan Ellison, Paul Grist, Darwyn Cooke, Jill Thompson and Mike Mignola. That title ended in 2006, but several Batman: Black and White have since been adapted as motion comics by Warner Premiere and DC Entertainment, and inspired numerous statues released by DC Direct.

September’s Batman: Black and White #1 will feature stories by Chip Kidd and Michael Cho, Neal Adams, Joe Quinones and Maris Wicks, John Arcudi and Sean Murphy, and Howard Mackie and Chris Samnee. Priced at $4.99, the 48-page first issue is scheduled to arrive Sept. 4.

The post Batman Black and White Returns in September appeared first on Takes On Tech.

DC Entertainment

While digital titles that have continued the story lines of the “Smallville” TV show have sold well, DC’s most current success story is a book based on the recently launched fighting game “Injustice: Gods Among Us” that features DC’s more iconic heroes and super villains from Superman to the Joker. Book adaptation bowed in January but generated more downloads in April, signaling its longevity.

Last year, DC saw digital sales increase by 125% over 2011, according of the company. Digital also hasn’t shown any signs of cannibalizing traditional print sales, which are also up by double digits over 2011. This year, digital grew by 35% in the first quarter, compared to the same period in 2012. Overall, more than 1 million digital comics are downloaded monthly, including back catalog, same-day-digital and digital first titles.

“This is not an insignificant business,” said DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson. “This is still a pretty nascent business for us. It was nonexistent three years ago. But the growth we’re seeing is astonishing and we haven’t looked back.” The goal now is to “look for innovation in ways that are organic to the storytelling and not gimmicky. It’s about giving the readers more control of the reading experience while letting the comics stay true to being comics.”

“Batman: Arkham Origins” will be the first title to receive the “DC2 Multiverse” update that will add action sounds and soundtrack, as well as give readers the chance to determine the fate of each storyline and character, including Batman and super-foe Black Mask, with multiple options and end results available in each chapter.

“Arkham Origins” is based on the videogame from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment of the same name. Game bows Oct. 25. DC’s inaugural digital-first title was “Batman: Arkham Unhinged,” also based on the videogame universe.

Digital-first title “Batman ‘66,” based on the popular 1960s TV show will be the first title to feature the “DC2” enhancements, with panels featuring multi-dimensional artwork and sequences like characters appearing from the sides of the screen.

DC’s digital books are available on all comiXology platforms, Amazon’s Kindle Store, Apple’s iBookstore and the Nook Store. Pricing for the new enhanced digital editions have yet to be revealed but are likely to be higher than the current 99 cents charged per issue.

The post DC Digital Comics Get New Features appeared first on Takes On Tech.

One is the Alex De Campi school of digital comics, adopted by Thrillbent and Marvel Infinity, laying new panels on top of old ones to create new panel-to-panel storytelling experience. But this will also involve sound and music.

Another is from the Steve Jackson school, called DC² Multiverse allowing readers to change the direction of stories in the direction they choose.

“Our approach follows three basic innovations,” Nelson said. Starting with their “First-Class Content,” Nelson said they’ve had incredible, rapid growth since their first digital offerings in 2010.

“It was a bit of an experimental phase, so we could see what reader response was.” Nelson said DC Comics “changes the game” when they launched their same-day-digital program with the launch of The New 52, offering all new titles digitally the day they were released in print. Digital-first titles were the next step, and they now have one running every day of the week, including partnerships with Warner Bros. Interactive and Warner Bros. TV for titles based on games and television shows

The first books to be published as DC²  titles in this manner are Batman ’66 and Batman: Arkham Origins, that latter of which which be created in the DC² Multiverse style

The post DC Debuts DC Squared Digital Initiative – Digital Comics that Are for Digital from the Start appeared first on Takes On Tech.

“September has always been a big month for us and we look for an opportunity every year in September to do something big that really redefines the line and invites anyone who hasn’t been following comics to step right in,” DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee said in a press release. “We launched the New 52 with all-new continuity and new costumes, Zero Month was all about origins of our heroes, and now the villains are taking over. One of the strengths of the DC Universe has been the strength of the rogues gallery. Often times they’re as famous – if not more infamous – than our heroes.”

All of the Villains Month covers will feature a “3D motion image” on the front and back covers as well.

“It’s called a 3D motion cover and it’s essentially artwork that’s been separated onto different layers, so when you hold the cover, which is a premium stock cover, and you slightly rotate the comic book left or right or up and down, the images move a bit,” Lee added.

“It’s an incredible 3D effect that shows depth of field on the covers,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio in the same release. “It’s the full cover stock, so it’s not anything that’s been glued on. More importantly, it’s actually pliable and soft to the touch – it’s a brand new technology and we’re going to be the first ones debuting in this fashion.”

The post DC to Devote A Month to Villains appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Marvel Comics

Upon use of the Marvel AR app, a video interview with Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort is shown, revealing the first symbol as a stand-in for Luke Cage, retired Avenger.

“During his tenure with the New Avengers, Luke Cage kind of came to be the moral center of the group, of the team,” Brevoort said in the AR video. “While he’s now retired from being an active Avenger because of the need to raise his daughter in a safer environment, the call to arms and the catastrophe that is ‘Infinity’ forces him to get back up off the bench and pull together a bunch of other characters, a bunch of other heroes in the absence of the Avengers to be the Avengers when no one else can, and Luke’s the one character who’s got the gravitas and the wherewithal to be able to make this happen.

Judging from the teaser, this week will bring the reveal of five more members of the “Mighty” substitute Avengers — and from Brevoort’s comments, presumably those who may not currently be part of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The post Marvel Teases “Mighty” Team for Infinity appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Madefire has announced an expansion to the line with several new titles in development with a diverse group of creators:

•     Visionary creators Liam Sharp and Bill Sienkiewicz tackle Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s greatest creation—Sherlock Holmes! Taking the classic tale, The Greek Interpreter, the duo will create the definitive digital reading experience for the celebrated consulting detective.
•     Ground-breaking author Ricardo Pinto and renowned artist Adrian Smith tackle the epic War in Heaven, a modern retelling of the classic Paradise Lost. Massive in scope and incredible in execution—a motion book epic in every sense of the word.
•     The lost pulp classic Mono: Prospero Rising makes its way to the Madefire platform courtesy of author Anthony Brock and legendary artist Gary Gianni. A giant-sized adventure for the ape-human hybrid!

In addition to this trio of new titles, Madefire’s six “on-going” series will continue to roll out with new episodes of Mono, Captain Stone is Missing…, and Treatment arriving in the coming weeks. As these new epics continue we’re excited to be introducing a new generation to benchmark digital editions of the classics!

The post Madefire to Expand Motion Book Line appeared first on Takes On Tech.

IDW Limited

“The new Mars Attacks comic has been an absolute blast!” says IDW Limited director Jerry Bennington. “And when we started designs for the limited edition, we wanted to make sure we celebrated not just the IDW comic, but the roots of the series as well. To us, that meant we had to do sketch cards, and we had to do them right.”

Working closely with Topps, IDW Limited has selected a wide variety of top creative talent to provide original, hand-illustrated as well as hand-painted sketch-card art for this special edition. Ranging in diverse style and background, the group assembled for this book is unrivaled in experience and talent. Each participant brings a unique view and twist to the Mars Attacks universe.

The roster of artists selected for the first volume includes:

Jason Adams
Ted Dastick
Alex Deligiannis
Charles Hall
Dan Duncan
Dan Harding
Gary Kezele
Miran Kim
Apricot Mantle
Chris Mason
John McCrea
Nar!
Sean Pence
Tim Proctor
Eric Talbot
Chris Uminga
George Webber
Jeff Zapata

The book will be released in both Red and Blue Label offerings, with each edition being signed by the creative team of John Layman and John McCrea, housed in a custom-built tray case and paired with hand-drawn cards. Red Label books (250 total) will include one sketch card, while each Blue Label edition (50 total) will be packaged with a four-card puzzle-set.

The post IDW Limited Announces Mars Attacks Limited-Edition Book appeared first on Takes On Tech.

DC Entertainment

The mark will adorn many of the various initiatives and projects involving Superman over the next year, starting with DC Comics’ launch of writer Scott Snyder and artist Jim Lee’s new Superman Unchained series on June 12.

The first issue of Unchained will have a series of variant covers inspired by each era of the character, from the 1930s to today.

“Superman is undeniably the greatest superhero in the world and likely the most influential comic-book character of all time,” said Diane Nelson, president of DC Entertainment, in a statement. “In addition to being an enduring presence in pop culture for the last 75 years, he continues to be a commanding global icon. DC Entertainment and all of Warner Bros. look forward to celebrating this important, year-long anniversary for Superman.”

The post Superman Gets New Logo for 75th Anniversary appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The event generated an estimated $2.2 million in free publicity for the industry as the event was covered by more than 240 TV news shows, over 460 news outlets, and more than 720 online sources.  The event was also big on social media generating 66,000 tweets as the hashtags #FCBD and #FreeComicBook Day took the #1 and #2 spots on Twtter on May 4th between 9am and 4pm.

The Free Comic Book Day event continues to grow as the message gets out to more and more people.  Numerous retailers say that this year’s event was the most successful FCBD ever, yielding strong sales as well lots of consumer goodwill.

More than 40 comic book publishers provided the 52 free comics that provided the major attraction for this year’s event.  The next Free Comic Book Day, which is set for May 3, 2014, promises to be even more exciting as this industry-wide event continues to pick up steam.

The post New Attendance Record for Free Comic Book Day appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Superior Spider-man Vol. 1 – My Own Worst Enemy (Marvel)
Writer: Dan Slott, Artist: Ryan Stegman/ Giuseppe Camuncoli

Collecting issues 1-5 of the new ongoing Spider-man series, Dan Slott breaks new ground with one of Marvel’s (and indeed, the general public’s) favorite superheroes.  The fresh take on Spider-man offers a unique perspective on Peter’s life and relationships as only Otto Octavius could provide.

Avenging Spider-man #21 (Marvel)
Writer: Christopher Yost, Artist: Marco Checcetto/ Paolo Rivera

Tying up the Chameleon-themed two-parter, superstar writer Chris Yost put’s Slott’s re-imagined Spidey to work on the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier, along with the helicarrier’s newest tenant, the Hulk.

Venom #35 (Marvel)
Writer: Cullen Bunn, Artist: Declan Shalvey

Originated by writer Rick Remender, the series tells the story of a Venom symbiote given to paraplegic soldier Flash Thompson, and his exploits as a government agent. Though he’s handed off writing duties to Cullen Bunn, the series hasn’t suffered for it, and this week’s adventure of the current Venom teaming up with the original, Eddie Brock, promises some pretty imteresting moments.

Adventure Time Annual #1 (KaBOOM!)
Writer: Various, Artist: Various

In this edition of Ryan North’s Adventure Time plenty of contributors are jumping in to try their hand at writing Finn & Jake, like Roger Langridge, Dustin Nguyen, and Derek Fridolfs. With an all-star lineup like that, the annual is sure to knock you off your feet, and, hopefully, into the land of Ooo.

Chew #34 (Image)
Writer: John Layman, Artist: Rob Guillory

Chew is one of the funniest, most grisly, and damned original comics on the market today. Featuring characters who all have superhuman food-related powers and a storyline that hinges on the black market chicken business, Chew’s twisted humor and distinct art style have put it head and shoulders above almost every other Image title being published right now.

Futurama #67 (Bongo)
Writer: Ian Boothby, Artist: James Lloyd

With a story about a time-traveling Zoidberg,this issue may be les interesting to some fans, but hey, it’s still Futurama right?

The post New Comics Releases for May 29 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Initially modelled on Pulp Fiction, Sinister Dexter is a science-fiction gangster comic starring two hit men of “gun sharks” following the minutia  of their lives, written by Dan Abnett and drawn by Andy Clarke.

The post IDW To Re-Publish Sinister Dexter appeared first on Takes On Tech.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that while demolishing a wall, David Gonzalez struck gold amid newspapers from the 1930s that had been used for insulation: a copy of 1938′s Action Comics #1, featuring the debut of Superman.

He says he knew immediately the comic was valuable, but he had no idea how much it was actually worth. He’ll know for sure in another 20 days, when an online auction ends for the CGC-graded 1.5 copy. The top bid is a $113,111; Gonzalez will receive about half of the final sale price.

Unfortunately for the father of four, that figure would be significantly higher if not for the actions of one of his in-laws. It seems his wife’s over-eager aunt snatched the comic, and when Gonzalez went to grab it, the back cover was ripped, resulting in what has been called  “a $75,000 tear.” Without the rip, the comic would have been graded 3.0.

Even with that extra damage, the discovery of a copy of Action Comics #1 in that condition — the auction listing says it “boasts bright, sparkling colors and sturdy off-white pages” –  is almost unimaginable.

“This is like a virgin comic in this instance,” ComicConnect’s Vincent Zurzolo says. “It’s so hard for anyone to fathom that, in this day and age, you could still discover a comic book that nobody has known about because this book was in a wall of a house for more than 70 years. It’s pretty miraculous that it even survived and it’s only had one owner.”

About 100 copies of Action Comics #1 are thought to exist, but relative few are in decent condition. A near-mint copy owned by Nicolas Cage sold at auction in 2011 for a record $2.16 million.

The post Price Rises on Auction for Copy of Action Comics #1 appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Fans who go to a local comic shop will receive a free copy of All-Star Superman #1 Special Edition, reprinting the first chapter of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s seminal Superman tale. Shops will also have posters and Man of Steel-branded bags to promote the movie.

The post June 12, 2013 Is Man of Steel Day appeared first on Takes On Tech.

If you’ve already plowed through the thousands of comics available in Marvel Unlimited, then fret not, Marvelites! They add new books into the collection every week to keep you up to your neck in digitized comics. Now, you can expect an array of new issues every Monday, along with a sneak peek of what’s to come the following week.

Recent Additions
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #698
ASTONISHING X-MEN (2004) #56
AVENGERS (2010) #34
CAPTAIN AMERICA (2012) #1
IRON MAN (2012) #2
MINIMUM CARNAGE: OMEGA (2012) #1
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN (2011) #17

Added from the Archives
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #395
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #396
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #397
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #398
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #399
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #400
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #401
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #402
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #403
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #404
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #405
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #406
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #407
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #409
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #410
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #411
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #412
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #414
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #416
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #417
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #420
AVENGERS (1963) #316
AVENGERS (1963) #317
AVENGERS (1963) #318
AVENGERS (1963) #341
AVENGERS (1963) #342
AVENGERS (1963) #352
AVENGERS (1963) #353
AVENGERS (1963) #354
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #311
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #318
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #319
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #320
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #326
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #328
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #332
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #333
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #334
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #335
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #336
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #337
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #338
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #339
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #340
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #341
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #342
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #343
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #344
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #345
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #346
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #347
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #348
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #349
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #350
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #355

The post This Week’s Marvel Unlimited Releases appeared first on Takes On Tech.

A Superman action figure, with spit curl, S-shield and a super-sized midriff in the witty style of British animation studio Aardman (Wallace and Gromit), will be one of four DC Collectibles products available exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con July 18-21.

Standing more than 6 inches tall, the Aardman Superman is priced at $24.95 and comes packaged with a cookie, which would explain the tummy bulge under that trademark “S.”

For the kids who enjoy the Super Best Friends Forever shorts on Cartoon Network’s DC Nation animation block, there’s a three-pack ($49.95) designed by Lauren Faust of the three popular superheroines, Supergirl, Batgirl and Wonder Girl.

The post DC Reveals Comic-Con Toy Selections appeared first on Takes On Tech.

Debuting in 1992, Brigade was a spinoff of the bestselling Youngblood, featuring a rogue mercenary team led by Battlestone. Following the initial miniseries, it continued as an ongoing for 24 issues, ending in 1995. The property was last resurrected in 2010 as “a complete re-imagining of the original smash series” by the original team of Liefeld and Marat Mychaels, but only one issue was released.

On the Kickstarter page, Liefeld writes that, “The cast and concept of Brigade have been radically updated and re-imagined and I’d like everyone to get a copy for free! [...] A FREE comic breaks through all barriers and crosses all ages, a free comic provides a risk-free experience that can create a doorway into a new world of imagination and wonder. Brigade with its fresh, bold direction and characters will provide a dynamic comic book experience for readers old and new.”

Pledge incentives include an Extreme Swag Bag, signed variant covers, a signed hardcover collection and a signed screenplay. The campaign ends June 15. Top Cow’s Cyber Force campaign raised $117,135, exceeding its goal by more than $42,000.

The post Rob Liefield Uses Kickstarter for Brigade Relaunch appeared first on Takes On Tech.

• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #23: Miles Morales dumps his outfit in the trash can in the Ultimate version of “Spider-Man No More!”
• Avengers: Enemy Within #1: The Avengers’ past foes seem to be appearing all over Manhattan, but are they real or figments of Captain Marvel’s suddenly reality-altering imagination?
• Iron Man #10: The truth about Las Vegas, Area 51 and Tony Stark’s origin revealed. If they’re all connected, I… I don’t know how I’d feel about that
• Other releases: Age of Ultron #8, Cable and X-Force #8, FF #7, Gambit #12, Nova#4, Thunderbolts #9, Wolverine and the X-Men #29, Wolverine Max #7, X-Factor #256.

The post What’s Happening in This Week’s Marvel Releases appeared first on Takes On Tech.