FCBD: Action Lab Entertainment's Signings

Action Lab Entertainment is proudly presenting its first ever Free Comic Book Day books at retailers on Saturday, May 4th with two books.  In stores this Saturday you can pick up both our “Molly Danger/Princeless” book and our “NFL RushZone” book with a special preview of the upcoming “Skyward”.  We hope you’ll come out and get a taste of what Action Lab has to offer.

Of course, the most important element of Free Comic Book Day is our retailers.  So, Action Lab is going all out all across the country to support our retail partners as our creators will be signing at stores all across the country.  Want to see your favorite creator in action?  Check out where we’ll be signing:

Ultimate Comics - Chapel Hill, NC

-Jeremy Whitley (Princeless, NFL RushZone, Order of Dagonet, GlobWorld)

-Jason Strutz (Order of Dagonet, Ehmm Theory, GlobWorld)

-Brockton McKinney (Ehmm Theory)

-Larkin Ford (Ehmm Theory)

Challengers Comics and Conversation - Chicago, Il

-Jamal Igle (Molly Danger)

Comic Book Box - Rohnert Park, CA

-Emily C Martin (Princeless)

-Brett Grunig (Princeless)

-Kelly Lawrence (Princeless)

-Tony Guaraldi-Brown (The Final Plague)

Collectibles Etc - Lexington, KY

-Shawn Pryor (Exo-1 and the Rock Solid Steelbots)

-Martheus Wade (Jetta: Legends of the Toshigawa)

-Janet Stone-Wade (Jetta: Legends of the Toshigawa, Princeless: Short Stories)

-Tressa Bowling (Princeless:  Short Stories)

-Joe Grahn (Pirate Eye)

Vision of Comics and Cards

-Kevin Freeman (NFL RushZone, Subculture, GlobWorld)

Acme Comics - Greensboro, NC

-Jeremy Dale (Skyward)

Comic Ink - Dublin, CA

-Dave Dwonch (NFL RushZone, Ghost Town, Double Jumpers, Back in the Day)

-Bill Blankenship (Double Jumpers)

Pittsburgh Comics - Mcmurray, PA

-Chad Cicconi (Fracture, NFL RushZone)

Jetpack Comics - Rochester, NH

-Brandon Barrows (Jack Hammer)

Comicopolis - Santa Cruz, CA

-Johnnie JD Arnold (The Final Plague)

Comic Book University - Indianapolis, IN

-Jackie Crofts (Princeless: Tales of Girls Who Rock)

Comics and More - Plymouth Meeting, PA

-Laura Guzzo (Princeless Short Stories)

SLG Boutiki - San Jose, CA

-John “Super Ugly” Williams (Monsters are Just Like Us)

Cambridge Comic Arts Festival - Cambridge, Ontario

-Adriana Blake (Princeless: Tales of the Family Ashe)

First Look: Monkey Brain Comics on Sale 5/1/13

 

My first thought when seeing this was, "Shit! Skybreaker came out today!" I wish I had a review for you today, but it looks like it'll be tomorrow. My second thought was along the lines of how incredible both of these covers are. Skybreaker's is rad due to the gore and the fact that it leaves you questioning how that duel pistol holding man is alive, while Masks & Mobsters is just a stunning work of composition. The glass makes the two men on the hill the focal point of the piece, but they force your eye down into the liquid where we find a skull. Just a stunning visual metaphor. I'm getting both issues and I would recommend that you check them out after the jump, at the very least.

Review: The Colonized #2

I hear enough people a day complaining about change, the government hiding secrets, and rednecks trying to blow shit up it is ridiculous. I don’t need this from a comic too. The Colonized is a comic about how aliens come down from space and simultaneously zombies are flooding this small town.

Hux is trying to live up to his father’s reign of being major. Randy Roy has taken the role of town idiot in this comic. He hates Hux and thinks his plan of making their small town have no carbon footprint is stupid. It is hard to get past Randy Roy and his gang of morons to enjoy this comic. Randy Roy somehow manages to blame every situation on Hux. Now he thinks Hux is in cahoots with the aliens. Hux defended the aliens when Randy Roy blamed them for the dead rising. As it so happens the aliens did raise the dead on accident. They simply wanted to examine a human before entering into earth.

Randy Roy has gone on his own now trying to shotgun all the zombies and aliens to hell. No one seems to be going ape shit which is exactly what I would be doing if zombies and aliens were in my town all in one night. Everyone is acting so calm and chooses to fight over whether the government is hiding secrets from us. WHO THE FUCK CARES? At this point I would be packing my bags and getting the hell out of town or at least googling how to survive an alien and zombie attack.

The aliens seem very suspicious when asked detailed questions of why they are coming to earth in the first place. Hux doesn’t seem too concerned though. He would rather hide the aliens and clear this whole mess up before the government gets involved. Little does Hux know that he is being watched by some government dude who decides to hide out under Hux’s barn till he can contact his authorities in order to prove his abilit3wies.

Randy Roy has gone off and done his own thing. He chooses to hunt down all the zombie animals. He also has plans to kill off the aliens and clear this whole problem with a couple of 10 gauges. That there dude is nuts.

I just don’t’ know where this comic is headed. I am confused on the concept they are trying to portray. Are they telling us that if we would just all worry about the environment we could avoid aliens crashing on our planet and bringing up aliens? I don’t know. I do enjoy the art in this series. It is very old school and totally reminds me of Tales from the Crypt. Honestly it is about the only thing I do enjoy about this series so far. I don’t want to be quick to judge a series, so I may give a few more goes at this comic.

Score: 2/5

Writer: Chris Ryall

Artist: Drew Moss

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Price: $3.99

Release Date: 5/1/13

Group Review: Ten Grand #1

This issue is kind of a big deal. It marks the return of Joe’s Comics and J. Michael Straczynski’s return to monthly comics, but without corporate interference. Several of us weighed in on it and gave it a score of: Buy, Borrow or Pass. Here’s the synopsis from Image and then the reviews!

From Image:  Joe Fitzgerald was a mob enforcer until the day he met Laura, who convinced him to leave that world behind. Before quitting, Joe agreed to one last job, little realizing that the man he'd been sent to kill was deeply involved in demonlogy. He survived Joe's attempt and came after him, fatally wounding Joe and killing Laura. As he lay dying, an angelic force (who may or may not be what she appears) pointed out that where she is going, he can't follow, and where he is going, he wouldn't want her to follow. But if he will agree to work for them as a different kind of enforcer, they will bring him to life and keep on bringing him to life every time he is killed in a righteous cause. The reward: for those five minutes of death, he will be with Laura again. Would you endure an eternity of pain and death, dying over and over, to be with the woman you love for just five minutes each time you died? Most people might say no. But Joe Fitzgerald isn't most people.

Dustin: Buy

I was genuinely surprised by this issue. At first it’s overly dramatic with the presentation of the main character and his business of taking cases that cops won’t. His exposition about why he asks for ten grand was not only pompous, but answers the question everyone was wondering about, “Why’s it called Ten Grand?” At the same time, it’s incredibly smart. Rather than answer the question over and over, JMS put it in a conversation in the first issue and with every following story arc he can remind/educate new readers.

The story is just a mixture of mobsters, angels and demons which is technically nothing new in comics. But when you take into account that this is JMS we’re talking about and that’s he’s unedited, it’s safe to say that this book is going to be good because he’s going to add the human condition to it. The main character Joe has to make up for all the bad he’s done, but in order to see his wife for five minutes he has to die a righteous death only to be brought back afterwards. It’s honestly heartbreaking regardless of how shitty Joe may have been in his past life.

My favorite scene was Joe’s meeting with the Angel. We learn that she holds all the power over him, but he rebels in his own little ways by making her take host in a stripper’s body. She screws with him, mentally and even a little physically and suddenly you don’t feel sorry that Joe put her in that situation because she’s an asshole. I was hesitant with this series since it was JMS’ big day out, but seeing is believing and I’m definitely a believer now.

Samantha: Borrow

I was totally into this comic, but I have to admit that this first issue really just summed up the previews. I already knew every detail before and after reading it. Don’t get me wrong this story is incredibly creative and I think it may end up being one of my new favorites. I look forward to the story expanding more and wish I hadn’t read so much about it before. It would have been more of a shocker. That is why I choose to borrow. But without even reading the second issue it will be a big fat buy.

Ben Templesmith’s art is so gorgeous to look at. Not a lot of detail which fits this story line perfect. You aren’t searching for hidden messages or noticing flying birds in the background. It is all about the characters; especially the focus on Joe and his choices in life.

I am wondering what a “glorious death” means…? and obviously if Joe follows through with his word. The connection he has with Laura is sweet and in my twisted sick mind I like to reverse situations and ask if she would choose the same thing. It could be a cool illusion for the Devil to implant in Joe.  I think asking a lot of questions while reading is what separates an average comic and an insanely intense comic. The more we talk or think about an issue the more we will go back to it. The second issue should offer some great questions for its readers and open the relationship with Joe and the Devil to new heights.

Carl: Pass

Constantine rip-off. 1/5 for the art, which was interesting.

Steve: Buy

Little piece of advice for mobsters, police officers, hitmen, et al. Never say anything like, “I’ll stop ... right after this next job.” Just don’t fucking say it! It always winds up in tears, and that’s precisely what happens in Straczynski and Templesmith’s Ten Grand.

Even though I do feel like we’ve been here before, with comparisons to Constantine most likely unavoidable thanks to its “arcane detective” feel, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Straczynski does a pretty damn good job of meshing together elements from The Crow, Hellblazer and Lovecraft into a brooding little package. It may feel fairly routine so far, but I have to admit I’m a sucker for this stuff and am on-board with this story.

If you like Templesmith’s art (which you should), then you too are gonna have a good time with this book. His sketchy style fits perfectly into this story, going together with it like grime under fingernails. I love how he always drapes his pages and panels in a veil of haze - it makes the effect when a bright light (say, from angel wings or a magic bullet) pierces it all the more visually impressive: truly gorgeous stuff.

I’ve been looking forward to Ten Grand for a while now, and it didn’t disappoint; although, I can imagine some readers being miffed that this story feels like too much of an amalgam of others. Still, it’s worth your money, if for nothing else than the art.

Jordan: Borrow

Ten Grand #1 is a cool book that I feel like I’ve seen before; it has darkness of plot, edgy, sketchy art and a down on his luck chain-smoking badass. But that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable, quite the opposite actually. Ten grand will inevitable draw comparisons to titles like Hellblazer and characters in them like Hellboy and John Constantine, and that will be completely warranted. This is a paranormal detective story that relies on the always likable anti-hero archetype but the thing is, it does it well.

Joe Fitzgerald`s world of demons and angel is just well realized and unique enough to set it out from the others. Things like summoning an angel into the body of a stripper or scaring a bunch of hipsters half to death by inadvertently summoning an evil entity into a latte joint by googling with the angel alphabet are cool and clever. Also the set up for the villain and central villain is intriguing. I’ll be giving this one a second shot.

Sergio: Buy

What does it mean to die a "righteous" death? Would you be willing to die over and over again and spend what time you're not dying as miserable as can be just for five more minutes with the love of your life? Well if you're uncertain about making that commitment then I suggest you pick up J. Michael Straczynski's highly anticipated new title from Image Comics, Ten Grand.

I got married a little over a year ago so Ten Grand tugged on the heart strings a little. Being murdered by a demonologist, if that's what you can call him, and being given a deal that each time you die for a noble reason you can spend five more minutes with the person you love is highly unlikely but if there is someone special in your life it metaphorically puts things into a weird perspective. The relationship between Joe and Laura is a little cliché, guy leads rough life, meets beautiful girl who changes his life and asks him to walk away from it all, guy agrees but has to take one last job, during said job guy gets girl killed and is left to deal with the pain forever.

Don't let that sway your opinion from the book because it’s so much deeper than what I just described. Joe has made a deal with a stripper, I mean angel, and now every time he dies what she describes as a righteous death he can spend five more minutes with Laura, the catch? He has to experience each excruciating death and will continue to do so until they feel he has done enough good to make up for all the bad. Without diving too deep into the story let me point out that this love story turns into a revenge story about half way through this issue and really opens up the story which will make you want the second issue right away.

Ben Templesmith's art took a little getting used to initially but once the story opened up and you realize that it's about a guy who lives a miserable life and has been murdered by demonologist then the art is a perfect match. Plenty of dark undertones with images that can be best described as high definition sketches create a creepy, dark world that is Joe Fitzgerald's life.

Well everyone had a little bit of everything to say about it, so you might just have to go with what strikes you the most.

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist: Ben Templesmith

Publisher: Joe’s Comics and Image Comics

Price: $2.99

Release Date: 5/1/13

Review: Shadowman #0

Zero issues are actually a lie if you think about it. While this issue can in fact be read without reading any of the other issues, the other issues are what make this issue so damn good. If you don’t know what Darque becomes it’s hard to appreciate where he came from. Even still, this issue serves two purposes: The first is to give new readers a chance to jump on to the series and the second is to treat current readers to a different look at the story, and what a story it is!

It begins in the year 1812 in Louisiana. Master Darque has just witnessed the birth of his two albino twin children: One boy and one girl. The daughter Sandria narrates our story as she talks about her father and brother Nicodemo. Their father raises them practicing magic and while Sandy is content with being as normal of a kid as she can, Nicky desperately wants to please his father. One day he asks Sandy to study and she ignores him; he lashes out and kills her rabbit while still in her hands. She runs for their father and when she comes back Nicky has tried to recreate the rabbit, but it’s a distorted creature at best. Their father sends them away while he deals with the rabbit and when he talks to them again he tells them about a place that they can travel to learn and practice magic. From that day forward he begins grooming them to help him reach Lyceum.

As Sandy and Nicky grow older and their freaky twin connection grows, they eventually grow… too close. Like Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch close if you know what I mean. No lines are crossed in this issue, but we can see it as the reader and so does the father.

I always find the villains side of the story to be very interesting. A lot of the times they end up a being the product of the “nature vs nurture” argument and Darque is a great example of it. He’s literally raised learning dark magic and taught nothing else of the world. Not morals, not even love really. Sure he loves his sister, but you can re-read the previous paragraph to figure out why that’s not so hot either.

The narration from Sandy is perfect for the story. She’s the right voice as she’s very innocent and almost naive in a sense. She can tell what her brother’s capable of, but ignores it due to his love for her. Jordan’s dialog is fitting of the story and he manages to tell the entire story in the confines of the house and the front yard. It’s pretty amazing to hold the readers interest with only a couple of settings, but granted the passing of time helps for sure.

I really couldn’t tell you when the art shifts in this book, but there are four different artists on the issue. Perhaps I was so emerged within the story that I couldn’t be bothered to notice. While there isn’t a ton of action, there is plenty to enjoy visually like an exploding rabbit… and then that same rabbit in a bloody grotesque form. Again, the scenes don’t really move around so I have to give the art team a lot of credit as well for keeping the story visually interesting as much as the writing kept the narrative interesting.

This zero issue might be a bit of a lie and really could have easily been the next issue in the ongoing numbering, but it works either way. I thought it kicked a lot of ass and showed off the range Justin Jordan has as a writer. Now that he’s solo on the series, I’m actually looking forward to seeing what he can do that’s outside of his norm and I think this is a prime example of it. If you’re new to Shadowman then this is a great issue to jump on board with.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Justin Jordan

Artist: Roberto De La Torre and Mico Suayan with Lewis LaRosa and Neil Edwards

Publisher: Valiant Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: 5/1/13

Review: Abe Sapien #2

Abe, who removed himself from the services of the B.P.R.D., continues on his quest to seek out his origin.  Taking such a reclusive stance doesn’t come easy for a being with a monstrous visage.  Add to that the onslaught of creatures turning the Earth into a d.m.z., and one would see why his quest is so dangerous.

Visions of his past plague him, as they do every character with no sense of personal history seeking answers for his past.

No real action takes place in issue two, as it was also absent in issue one, but one interesting turn happens.  Abe finds solace in a church serving a small town affected by the monsters and their transformations.

When the townspeople get upset by Abe’s presence, they react unfavorably.  The issue turns into a look at society’s instability in the face of trauma.

Not much of this story arc has been too captivating.

Score: 3/5

Writers: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie

Artist: Sebastián Fiumara

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $3.50

Release Date: 5/1/13

FCBD: Boom and Kaboom Happenings

Every comic book fan's favorite of the day is almost here...Free Comic Book Day will be held this Saturday, May 4th across North America and around the world. BOOM! Studios is proud to participate both as a Gold Sponsor with the KaBOOM! SUMMER BLAST comic and a variety of creator signings.

The KaBOOM! SUMMER BLAST Free Comic Book Day edition is an explosion of all-ages awesomeness with sample stories from popular series including ADVENTURE TIME, PEANUTS, GARFIELD, and ICE AGE. As if that wasn't enough, the KaBOOM! SUMMER BLAST is the first place for fans to discover two brand new all-ages series! The 48-page anthology book features the debut of a new 6-page HEROBEAR AND THE KID story by creator Mike Kunkel and a 4-page short story starring the fan-favorite REGULAR SHOW characters by Brian Butler. This a free comic for every member of the family!

Max Bemis, creator of BOOM!'s latest breakout original hit series POLARITY, leads the charge with two signings in Southern California. The Say Anything front man will be signing at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles from 12-2pm. Golden Apple is located at 7018 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038 where both POLARITY #1 and #2 will be available for purchase at the event. Later that day, Max will also be signing at Beach Ball Comics in Anaheim beginning at 4pm. Beach Ball Comics will also have copies of POLARITY #1 and #2 available for purchase and is located at 3024 W Ball Rd., Anaheim, CA 92804.

Some other current BOOM! Studios and KaBOOM! creators participating in signings include:

Eric Esquivel (FREELANCERS) appearing at Jesse James Comics in Glendale, AZ and Samurai Comics East in Mesa, AZ.

Chris and Shane Houghton (ADVENTURE TIME, PEANUTS, FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES) appearing at Metropolis Comics in Bellflower, CA.

Kassandra Heller (ADVENTURE TIME) appearing at Metropolis Comics in Bellflower, CA.

Vicki Scott, Alexis Fajardo, Justin Thompson (PEANUTS) appearing at Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff in Concord, CA.

Mike Kunkel (HEROBEAR AND THE KID) appearing at Collector's Paradise in Pasadena, CA.

Jerry and Penny Gaylord (FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES, ADVENTURE TIME) appearing at Third Eye Comics in Annapolis, MD.

Danielle Corsetto (ADVENTURE TIME VOL 1 PLAYING WITH FIRE OGN) appearing at Beyond Comics in Frederick, MD.

Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb (ADVENTURE TIME) appearing at New England Comics in Brookline, MA.

Matt Talbot (ADVENTURE TIME) appearing at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, NH.

Brian Stelfreeze (DAY MEN) appearing at Heroes Aren't Hard To Find in Charlotte, NC.

Tommy Lee Edwards (SUICIDE RISK) appearing at Ultimate Comics in Durham, NC.

JJ Harrison (ADVENTURE TIME) appearing at Dragon's Keep in Provo, UT.

Plus BOOM! Studios will be set up at 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA with a great selection of KaBOOM! titles including ADVENTURE TIME, PEANUTS, GARFIELD, and much more. Check with stores for details and signing times! Head to freecomicbookday.com for more information on the event, participating stores, free comics available, and creator signing details.

The Toledo Mud Hens Will Be Wearing Chewbacca Jersey's This Weekend

If you don't know May 4th is Star Wars day and if you can't make the leap in logic just say "May the 4th" over and over and maybe someone will tell you or it will just make sense. The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team and will be sporting the above jersey (yes that's real!) this weekend and then auctioning them off to a bunch of suckers Star Wars fans to raise money for the Spina Bifida Association of Northwest Ohio. At least you suckers fans will be supporting a good cause right?

Via Nerdist

Teaser Trailer for Lego Marvel Super Heroes Teases Galactus, but Not My Interest

Have you ever played on of these Lego games? They achievements are bullshit! You'd think just playing the game that you'd naturally earn 33% to 50% of them on the first play through like most fucking games, but no, they give you like 12% of the achievements just for playing and the rest you have to earn through multiple play-throughs. Sorry, but it's not worth it. Also Captain America's head is stupid and so is Iron Man's... enjoy the trailer.

Clear A Spot On Your Shelf Mass Effanatics, Dark Horse Has A Turian Cruiser For You

I don't know what they actually call Mass Effect fans, but Mass Effanatic looks good on paper! One of the cornerstones of both Dark Horse’s publishing and product line in recent years, has been the massive video game franchise, Mass Effect.

To date, Dark Horse Deluxe has released four different ships, as well as limited edition variant, and high end editions. Up next is the Turian cruiser, which bears some slight resemblance to the Normandy, due to the cooperative effort between the Turians and the human race in the Alliance ship’s construction. This race in Mass Effect, are members of the Citadel Council, well known for their military role, and their contribution of starships to the Citadel Fleet.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support gamers have given our Mass Effect ship replica series," Dark Horse's David Scroggy remarked, " and look forward to continuing the line with this latest release. We have been working directly with the Mass Effect game design team, interfacing with them to obtain the exact 3D design specs that ensure accuracy of detail.”

Each Turian Cruiser Replica package will contain an insert card, with a unique code, that will enhance the Mass Effect game experience for individual consumers.

Look for this exciting new release in Diamond’s Previews catalog shortly, with a release date set for November 6, with a retail price tag of $34.99!

Superman: Unbound - A Moment Between Lois and Clark

I tried writing Clark and Lois, but it doesn't sound right. I blame the 90's TV show for it, but Lois and Clark is how it goes now. Anyways, we have one more clip from the animated film, along with an interview with Matt Bomer and Stana Katic about their roles as Superman and Lois respectably. Check out all three after the jump. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QUc5bQz3VE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBbOBvBOEBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lVyUn2Lbk

Stana Katic Discusses Voicing Lois Lane in Superman: Unbound

Here is not one, but four short interview segments with Castle star Stana Katic discussing her role as Lois Lane in the upcoming release of Superman: Unbound. All four are after the jump and be sure to check out the John Noble (Fringe) interview segments about voicing Brainiac. The animated film releases on May 8th on Blu-ray and DVD so check it out then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry1t6e953XU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19QdN5tZTPg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTfmT7DF0a4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0sgMe0CtCs

Episode 79: Two Hours Of You Trying Learn What A Girlfriend Is

This week we hit you with our usual entertainment news starting with our thoughts on Futurama's second demise... or is it the third? We take a stab at that TMNT bullshit one more time before swearing off of it until moving images arrive somewhere on the internet and then move into our first impressions about that Thor 2 trailer that hit the netwebsinterness. On the comic side we give you the skinny on the Man of God Kickstarter, DC's Trinity Wars expansion, Cyborg Superman... wait what? And of course we touch on that new Halo: Initiation series that Dark Horse announced at c2e2. Dustin reminds you why Mind MGMT is one of the best series being published along with his declining love towards Five Weapons. While Kevin hits you with not one, but two snikting issues of Wolverine's new series. CBMFP is GO! ThoraCosplay