Archive for April, 2012

Brian Wood’s New Comic Series–The Massive–Begins in June

Check out Brian Wood's new series, The Massive, at TFAW.com. With Brian Wood’s critically acclaimed series–DMZ and Northlanders–nearing their finales, the multiple Eisner and Harvey-Award nominated creator is embarking on his next story, The Massive.

At the end of the world, the story begins. In a post-war, post-crash, post-disaster, post-everything world, the Kapital scours the earth’s oceans for its mysteriously missing sistership, The Massive. Captain Callum Israel and his crew will come up against pirates, rebels, murderers, and thieves as they struggle to remain noble toward their cause. How can you help save a planet that’s already doomed?

We’re really jazzed about Wood’s newest endeavor, so we’ve included the first issue in this month’s Featured Discounts, saving you 35% off the cover price thru 4/30! Check this one out!

ORDER THE MASSIVE #1 TODAY!

SIGN UP FOR A MASSIVE SERIES SUBSCRIPTION

Have you reading DMZ or Northlanders? Are you psyched for Wood’s new series? Let us know below.

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March Product Review Contest

As part of our monthly Product Review Contest, we’ve picked three reviews and are awarding $25 gift certificates to the people who posted them.

Rory from Indiana is the first of this month’s winners. He wrote an outstanding review for Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven HC last month and really went into detail on why it’s so great:

Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven is an excellent graphic novel. [Writer Liam] Sharp’s original setting and characters capture feelings of claustrophobia and utter helplessness in a way that truly honors the memory of the first film.

The writing is very well done but what really made the book for me is the artwork. The angles, character models, and the use of color as a narrative device for transition are all done beautifully in a dark and cramped environment. The alien creature itself is one of the best designs for this franchise that I’ve seen.

The Panel of its introduction deserves a frame and a place on the wall. I have read a lot of Aliens comics published by Dark Horse and this is without question one of the best. Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven was my first exposure to Liam Sharp’s work and it has me compelled to keep an eye out for more.

Next up is Nora from Malaysia, who wrote a review for Alan Davis’ X-Men Fall of the Mutants HC (which is 20% off at the time I’m writing this article):

This book brings back my childhood memories when comic-books surprise you since we don’t have big solicitation catalogs back then. It collects three sets of stories (X-Men, X-Factor & New Mutants and some tie-ins) that are linked throughout the Marvel Universe. In brief, The X-Factor portion sets Apocalypse as the Big Bad, X-Men fights for their lives, win some, lose some, and the New Mutants lost a dear friend. I can say, some historic moments are collected and presented here that still have some ramification until now.

Finally, David from Utah dropped to let us know what he thought about the John Carter of Mars: Weird Worlds TPB. Here’s what he had to say:

Better than the originals. I own the originals, and it is nice to have them all as one complete set. Plus the paper quality is better and so is the color. They did a nice job putting this collection together. Just wish they used the same artist every time, still it is nice to see the different interpretations. I think the story interpretation held up well.

We want to thank everyone again for sharing their product reviews last month. You guys really do a lot to help other customers each time you submit a review. Thanks for your efforts! You don’t have to like the product to snag a winning review, so feel free to rant or gush.

So submit your reviews and help your fellow collectors, and us, sort out the “HOT” from the “NOT”! Who knows, you may be one of next month’s winners.

HOW TO SUBMIT A PRODUCT REVIEW:
It’s simple! Just visit any product page and look for this:

Click on it and our product review form will appear in a popup. Just fill out the pertinent information and submit your review, and you’re done! We’ll take a look at your review and get it up on the product page soon thereafter!

There’s also a really easy way for you to call up everything you’ve ever ordered from us and review it. Simply log in to your account and go into the Order History Section. Next to each item, you’ll see a “Review it!” link.

Questions? Comments? Let us know below!

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Comic Book Reviews: Avengers vs. X-Men, Batman & More

Watch Video Reviews of This Week’s Comics!

We’re back for another great edition of our weekly comic book reviews. This week we reviewed Avengers vs. X-Men #2, Batman #8 (the prelude to the upcoming Night of the Owls crossover!), the Wolverine and The X-Men Vol. 1 HC, and the Marvel X-23 Bishoujo Statue .

Check out the video, below. SPOILER ALERT! We try not to go into too much detail in our reviews, but occasionally a spoiler slips through!

Batman Night of the Owls

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We’ve made it simple to share this video on Facebook and other social media outlets with the social networking buttons near the title. If you wouldn’t mind doing us a solid and sharing this video with your friends, we’d be eternally grateful. What should we review next week? Post your comments below and we’ll see what we can do!

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New Hit-Girl Series From Mark Millar Debuts This June

Hit Girl gets her own series this June. Order issue #1 at TFAW.com today! This June, Hit-Girl spins off into her own five-issue blood-soaked series by the sales-busting creative team of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

This story takes place between Kick-Ass Volumes 1 and 2, as Mindy McCready tries to settle into life as a regular schoolgirl, but wants nothing more than to be dispensing hot justice to the scum of New York City.

Her mother and stepfather think she’s doing homework, but in reality she’s taken Kick-Ass on as her sidekick and is training him up to punch, shoot, and stab . . . just like Daddy would have wanted.

ORDER HIT-GIRL #1 TODAY!

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Have you been waiting for this moment since you finished the first issue of Kick-Ass? Are you excited for this new ongoing series? Let us know below.

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Robert Venditti Takes Us Inside Valiant’s New X-O Manowar

X-O Manowar ComicsWhat would it be like to be a man from the 5th Century–in control of technology that far outstrips anything the 21st Century has ever seen? That’s the question put forth by X-O Manowar, an original comic book series from Valiant Entertainment.

Originally debuting in 1992 from Valiant Comics, X-O Manowar focused on Aric of Dacia, a man at war against the ancient Roman Empire. When he’s kidnapped by aliens and held prisoner, Aric fights his way free, discovers a suit of X-O Manowar-class armor, and returns to Earth–only to discover that 16 centuries have passed in his absence. Without family or friends–and possessing the most advanced technology known to man–Aric must find his place in the world.

Sound interesting? You’re in luck: 10 years after the second X-O Manowar series concluded, Valiant Entertainment is relaunching their major superhero titles this spring and summer, starting with X-O Manowar–with New York Times-bestselling author Robert Venditti and famed artist Cary Nord!

We had a chance to ask Venditti some questions about his involvement in the series and what he’s most looking forward to–read on, below. Plus, enjoy a six-page preview of X-O Manowar #1, out May 2.

Enter our X-O Manowar Contest now to win one of 10 QR Voice Variant Cover Editions of X-O Manowar #1 signed by Robert Venditti!

TFAW.com: How did you become involved with Valiant Entertainment, and X-O Manowar?

X-O Manowar #1 Page 1Robert Venditti: Warren Simons, Executive Editor at Valiant, reached out to me last June. He told me about Valiant’s plans to relaunch their line, and I was immediately interested. He sent me a bunch of material on Valiant’s characters–and I did some researching on my own–and X-O Manowar resonated with me. There were a lot of Valiant characters, both heroes and villains, that I was interested in, but I had to start somewhere!

TFAW.com: What attracted you to this story?

RV: So many things. There’s such a strong core concept driving the book, and the blend of historical fiction and science fiction isn’t something you see very often in comics. I also liked the idea of writing for a shared universe. Most of my work to date has been creator-owned, so taking on a new challenge like this will allow me to try a different style of writing.

TFAW.com: Were you familiar with the original series at all?

RV: I wasn’t overly familiar with the character, but that speaks more to my inexperience with comics in general. I didn’t start reading comics until around 2000, so beyond general pop culture awareness, I wasn’t really aware of any of the established universes or characters. I’ve done my homework now, though. I wouldn’t take on a project like this without having a solid understanding of the character’s history.

TFAW.com: How have you updated X-O Manowar, if at all?

X-O Manowar #1 Page 2RV: We’ve used the original Valiant run as the basis for our story, but we’ve expanded on it and added to it in ways that will hopefully let the series resonate both with longtime fans and readers who are new to the character. We spent a lot of time fleshing out The Vine, the alien race who abducts Aric from his own time and is ultimately responsible for him coming into possession of the X-O Manowar armor. We’ve also added some new abilities to the armor, including one that will be the key to the first year of the series.

TFAW.com: The original premise was of a primitive man who ends up wielding extremely advanced technology. What are the most intriguing wrinkles of that scenario to you?

RV: Aric is at the same time the world’s most primitive and most technologically advanced person. It’s a wonderful dichotomy, and it lends itself to all kinds of storytelling possibilities.

TFAW.com: What do you think are the key traits of our hero, Aric of Dacia?

RV: He’s a skilled warrior and a born leader, but his battle prowess and charisma have not yet been tempered by experience. So while he has the best intentions, things don’t always turn out the way he’d hoped. A Visigoth by birth, he also grew up in a time when his people didn’t have a homeland to call their own.

X-O Manowar #1 Page 3They were a nomadic culture, forced to get by on what they could scratch together from within the boundaries of the Roman Empire. Take a character with that type of background and give him command of the most powerful weapon in the universe, and you have a recipe for telling exciting, action-packed stories. You also have an opportunity to see Cary Nord draw some really incredible scenes.

TFAW.com: Will X-O Manowar be encountering any of Valiant’s other heroes soon?

RV: Absolutely. One of the big attractions of writing a project like this is you have access to a huge catalog of characters. A big part of my initial pitch focused on the ways X-O Manowar can interact with the rest of the universe.

TFAW.com: What’s the atmosphere like at Valiant Entertainment right now?

RV: There’s so much energy at the home office. You can feel the enthusiasm of the staff. Everyone is genuinely proud of the books, and it’s reflected in the effort they’re putting into getting the word out.

TFAW.com: What are you most looking forward to with this project?

RV: Working with the writers and artists from Valiant’s other titles to build the new universe. The team they’ve assembled is so rich in talent and experience, and I look forward to talking through ideas with them. It isn’t often that you get the chance to not only relaunch a character, but also help shape an entire universe, and I’m not taking anything for granted.

X-O Manowar #1 Page 4X-O Manowar #1 Page 5X-O Manowar #1 Page 6

We want to thank Robert for giving us the inside scoop on X-O Manowar! You can pre-order X-O Manowar #1 and #2 from us today and save 20%. Plus, save 35% on Harbinger #1, Valiant’s second series relaunch, by Joshua Dysart and Khari Evans!

Make sure to enter our X-O Manowar Contest to win one of 10 QR Voice Variant Cover Editions of #1 signed by Robert Venditti!

PRE-ORDER X-O MANOWAR

ENTER OUR VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT CONTEST

Are you excited for the return of X-O Manowar? Post your comments below!

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Comic Book Reviews: Age of Apocalypse, Archie Meets KISS & More

Watch Video Reviews of This Week’s Comics!

Hope you’re ready for another great edition of our weekly comic book reviews. This week we reviewed Age of Apocalypse #2, Action Comics #8, the Archie Meets KISS HC, and the Serenity – Malcolm Reynolds Metal Plated Pistol Replica.

Check out the video, below. SPOILER ALERT! We try not to go into too much detail in our reviews, but occasionally a spoiler slips through!

Age of Apocalypse

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Please share this video on Facebook and any other social media outlet of your choosing. What should we review next week? Post your comments below!

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ECCC ’12: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato Flash Interview

Watch Our Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato Interview on YouTube!

We had a great time at Emerald City Comicon this year, in large part to our awesome signings with Chris Roberson, Rich Ellis, and Grace Allison for Memorial, and our The Flash signing with Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato (pronounced “BOOCH-a-lot-o”). We had a chance to interview Francis and Brian about how they feel Flash has changed since DC’s New 52, what they enjoy most about the book, and what’s coming up in The Flash #8.

SPOILER ALERT! They had some very interesting tidbits about the Speed Force and another upcoming character, but they were spoilery!

Flash Comics

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As you can see from our past video reviews, DC’s New 52 The Flash is one of our favorite series. Do you agree? Post your comments below!

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ECCC ’12: TFAW Interviews Memorial’s Chris Roberson & Rich Ellis

Watch Our Chris Roberson/Rich Ellis Interview on YouTube!

Hey everyone! We’re back from and excellent time at ECCC 2012, and we’ve got some interviews to share with you! Enter TFAW booth #512 for a very special interview with Chris Roberson and Rich Ellis, the writer and artist behind IDW Publishing’s Memorial series.

If you haven’t checked Memorial out yet, here’s a brief recap: a young woman, later known as Em, wakes up in the hospital with no memory of her past or identity. A year later, she stumbles into the wondrous–and hidden–world of Everland, where people (some strangely familiar) and their memories are captured for an unknown purpose. With nothing but a talking cat to guide her, she finds herself targeted by living statues, an evil ventriloquist’s doll, and the mysterious Court of Shadows.

Watch the video below to get the inside scoop from Roberson (Cinderella: Fables Are Forever, iZombie) and Ellis as they give us the background behind Memorial, talk about their influences, and serve us the scoop on Memorial #5!

Memorial

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We want to thank Chris Roberson, Rich Ellis, and Grace Allison for a great signing at ECCC! Next up: we have an interview with The Flash‘s Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato.

Have you picked up Memorial yet? Who do you think Em really is? Post your comments below!

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