Friday, January 27, 2012

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Alan Davis

Click To Expand & Enlarge


Alan Davis is one of those rare artists who draws everybody beautifully and on model. He's one of those guys who can pretty much do no wrong, and yet never exploded in popularity or landed on much merchandising. So strange. Anyhow, here's far too little of the Martian Manhunter joining Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern ringing a seat for the Atom.

JLA 100 Project

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Atomic acCount for April, 2012



FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #8
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by ALBERTO PONTICELLI and WALDEN WONG
On sale APRIL 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Enter: The Spawn of Frankenstein! As Frankenstein and his estranged wife hunt their demonic offspring across Europe, the secrets that tore them apart are revealed. But when Frank finally comes face to face with his long lost son, the fallout may mean the end of S.H.A.D.E.!

THE INFINITE CRISIS OMNIBUS HC
Written by BILL WILLINGHAM, DAVE GIBBONS, GEOFF JOHNS, GREG RUCKA and JUDD WINICK
Art by JUSTINIANO, RON WAGNER, IVAN REIS, MARCO CAMPOS, JOE PRADO, MICHAEL BAIR, JACK JADSON, JOE BENNETT, RAGS MORALES, JESUS SAIZ, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, PHIL JIMENEZ, ANDY LANNING, CLIFF RICHARDS, DAVID LOPEZ, TOM DERENICK, KARL KERSCHL and others
Cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
On sale JUNE 27 • 1,152 pg, FC, $150.00 US

This incredible omnibus hardcover collects the many titles from the 2005 event that rocked the DC Universe, including DAY OF VENGEANCE #1-6, the DAY OF VENGEANCE INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL #1, RANN/THANAGAR WAR #1-6, RANN/THANAGAR WAR INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL #1, THE OMAC PROJECT #1-5, DC COUNTDOWN #1 and WONDER WOMAN #219.
OMAC robots are rampaging, magic is dying, villains are uniting, and a war is raging in space. And in the middle of it all, a critical moment has divided Earth’s three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. It’s the DCU’s darkest day, and long-lost heroes from the past have returned to make things right in the universe...at any cost
Was Ryan Choi in this at all? I know this was Breach's last appearance, so Captain Atom showed up.

DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES TP
Written by LEN WEIN • Art by SCOTT KOLINS, ANDY KUBERT, JOE KUBERT, GEORGE PEREZ, J.H. WILLIAMS III and others
Cover by ANDY KUBERT and JOE KUBERT
On sale MAY 9 • 336 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Acclaimed writer Len Wein chronicles the DC Universe’s epic history in this title spanning five generations of heroes starring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Justice League of America, The Teen Titans and more. Collecting the ten-issue miniseries!
All of the Atoms will appear here at some point. Yay. This will also have that one panel with all the Charlton heroes, even Peter Cannon.

Captain Atom
CAPTAIN ATOM #8
Written by J.T. KRUL
Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover by MIKE CHOI
On sale APRIL 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Ever since a tragic accident turned him into the überpowerful Captain Atom, Nathaniel Adam has wanted nothing more than to connect and relate to the people around him again. But coming face-to-face with a future version of himself is not what he had in mind! What is the meaning for this strange encounter? What impending doom is the future Captain Atom trying to avoid? And what exactly is the timestream?!

Hawkman
THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #8
Written by TONY S. DANIEL and JAMES BONNY
Art and cover by PHILIP TAN
On sale APRIL 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Hawkman has a violent encounter with a past adversary: the beautiful alien shapeshifter Askana, who once tried to kill him! But his time she needs his help, claiming that agents from her homeworld have tracked her to Earth to terminate her. How can Hawkman trust her – or help her?
So Hawkman is basically Wolverine now? Powerful weapons he doesn't remember receiving? New characters introduced from a mysterious unrevealed past? Swiping his three claws in the general vicinity of people without connecting in such a way as to garner parental disapproval? Askana = Mystique?

Micron
BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #3
Written by J.T. KRUL, ADAM BEECHEN, DEREK FRIDOLFS and DUSTIN NGUYEN
Art by HOWARD PORTER, NORM BREYFOGLE, DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Cover by HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
On sale APRIL 18 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

In the debut of SUPERMAN BEYOND, The Man of Tomorrow returns home to an unfamiliar City of Tomorrow patrolled by super-powered police officers. With most of his loved ones gone, he wonders if Superman has a place in this new world. But time and death hold no meaning for a foe who has set a plan in motion to destroy the Man of Steel once and for all!

In BATMAN BEYOND, Russian criminals have taken Mad Stan’s dog and Stan will stop at nothing to get them, even if it means blowing up all of Gotham City in the process. As if Terry doesn’t have enough to handle, his girlfriend comes to him with shocking news about her brother.

In JUSTICE LEAGUE BEYOND, the team works to break the brainwashing Micron underwent, while getting a valuable history lesson from Amanda Waller...but will it help them discover Kobra’s plot in time to save the world?
Everybody but the Atom is on this freakin' cover.

Little Links
The Atom


Captain Atom


Hawkman

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

2009 Covered: Justice League of America 21 by Matt Kindt

Click To Enlarge


Covered is a blog devoted to "artists re-interpreting comic book covers," typically through an indie aesthetic. Here, Harvey Award winning writer/artist Matt Kindt offers a new look at an old Mike Sekowsky piece. Justice League of America reintroduced the Justice Society of America after years in publishing limbo, including Golden Age Atom Al Pratt in his less interesting/creepy mask. Ray Palmer was on the original cover, but Kindt dropped him from his perch on Batman's shoulder. It goes without saying that I disapprove of the omission (and wish Kindt had at least kept the Cyclotron fin, or reversed to Pratt's "home invader" look...)

Friday, January 6, 2012

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by José Luis García-López

Click To Expand & Enlarge


To say José Luis García-López turned in a great looking piece is sort of like saying sugar is sweet. It's a given. Still, I really appreciate that he allowed Atom to go swimming in all that attention grabbing negative space!

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Martian Manhunter #1 (May, 1988)



Ravaged by a sentient virus contracted during a recent Justice League International mission, the Martian Manhunter sought help from Batman. However, J'Onn J'Onzz was pursued by a demonic vision, and fled to avoid imperiling his friend. Batman had briefly seen the pursuer, and rounded up the JLI for an intervention. Despite the Dark Knight's conviction that the creature was real, Booster Gold noted "The Manhunter's a telepath, right? Isn't it conceivable that his mind could project his own hallucinations outward-- so convincingly that Batman believed it was real?" Captain Atom continued, "Tell me something, Bats-- how do we go about finding a guy who can change shape, turn invisible-- and telepathically black out our minds, to boot?"

"If you're going to whine, Captain Atom-- you can just stay here!" Atom objected to the characterization, but joined Mr. Miracle, Blue Beetle, Red Rocket and the rest in trying to find the Manhunter from Mars...

"Fever Dream" was by J.M. DeMatteis and Mark Badger.