Comics Given Book(ish) Covers

Beaucoup Kevin has mocked up some excellent would be text novel style covers for a handful of fan favorite comics. Check them out here!

Comics News and Links for 11.22.08

Event Peter Sanderson at Publisher’s Weekly reports on a event at Manhattan’s 92nd Street Y celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Sandman. It was interesting to read what Neil Gaiman had to say about the creative process that led to the series’ creation, and he also teases a bit about his upcoming Batman story “What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” and mentions a couple Sandman projecgts he didn’t get to do and would still like to.

Event The Miami Herald discusses the prominent presence of comics and graphic novels at this year’s Miami Book Fair International.

Publishing Rick Ross has launched a comics web anthology called Agitainment Comics

New Comic Book Day Only book I’ve got coming this week is Captain Britain and MI:13. How about you?

Comics Links: The World Has Changed Edition 11.5.08

- Politics The election ended lat night with Obama becoming the new President Elect, but hopefuly doesn’t mean its too late for me to make one last election related link to Matt Fraction and Warren Ellis discussing which candidate comic character would vote for over at MTV’s Splase Page.

- Industry SLG Publishing has anounced the December 5 opening of Boutiki, their new “art gallery and pop culture boutique,” located in San Jose.

- Lists Amazon.com has released their Best of 2008 lists, including two lists covering the ten best “comics & graphic novels” as chosen by their editors and their readers respectively. I am again somewhat shamed by the fact that I have read none of editor’s choices. Where was I this year?

- Interviews Art Spiegelman discusses Breakdowns with the National Post.

- Interviews The two Watchmen creators each have seperate interviews up today. Dave Gibbons is over at New York Magazine, while Alan Moore can be found at Last Hours.

- Interviews The infamous Rob Liefeld discusses his latest project, Armageddon Now: World War 3, with Comic Book Resources.

Matt Fraction On the Stump For Uncanny X-Men

Matt Fraction has been making the rounds, doing interviews pertaining to his work on Uncanny X-Men as of late. Today he has an interview up over at IGN Comics, yesterday Newsarama had one, a little less recently he was on Comic Book Resources’ X-Position Column, and he did a more general interview over at Geeks of Doom.

Fraction is one of the most important creators in mainstream comics right now and he’s one of the few writers, up there with Grant Morrison, who’s interviews I find to be almost as interesting as their work, so go ahead and click any or all of those links. They’re definitely worth the read.

DC Cancels Three Bat-Family Books

Newsarama is reporting that DC Comics will be ending the current runs of Nightwing, Robin, and Birds of Prey with their February issues.

I would think this has something to do with the ending of the “Batman R.I.P” event, which writer Grant Morrison has promised will see someone other than Bruce Wayne taking the mantle of Batman. With Dick Grayson, the current Nightwing, and Tim Drake, the current Robin, being among the top prospective candidates to don the cowl, there could be quite a bit of changing tights going on among Batman’s supporting cast, including Wayne’s son Damian and, former Robin, Jason Todd.

With the cancellation of Catwoman in August, this leaves only the two core Batman books, Batman and Detective Comics, plus Batman and Outsiders (if anyone really counts that) on the publishing schedule as far as core DC Universe Batman books go, but I would be surprised if we didn’t see a massive relaunch next year after we figure out who the new Batman is, as well as potentially the new Nightwing and Robin.

Election Day Comics Links

- Politics Newsarama asks the question “should comics and politics mix?” Its kind of a silly question for anyone who doesn’t still refer to comics as “funny books,” but it seems appropriate for today.

- Lists Publisher’s Weekly has released there “Best Books of the Year” lists, including a list for graphic novels. I feel somewhat ashamed that I haven’t read anything on their list.

- Industry The Bookreporter.com network is launching a Graphic Novel Reporter newsletter in November and is now accepting sign ups.

- Interviews Fearnet has an interview with Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 artist Georges Jeanty. On a related note, I’m currently reading through Jeanty’s previous collaboration with John Ridley, The American Way. Its an excellent miniseries and Jeanty is quickly becomping on of my favorite artist, choosing bright, dynamic artwork over the far too photoreferenced realism that is saturating mainstream comics today.

- Lists UGO lists the top 50 WTF moments in comics.

- Almost Comics Max Allan Collins is working on film adaptations of the two prose novel sequels to his comic series Road to Perdition, which was previously made into an (excellent) film.

- Weird Japanese man petitions to be allowed to legally marry a manga character.

- Merch How would you like to own your own Owl Ship?

The “Gigantic” (Sarcastic Pun) Shopping List For 11.5.08

Light week for me, consisting of but two books. Still, they’re two books I’m very much looking forward to:

Gigantic #1: Rick Remender, Eric Nguyen, Matthew Wilson. Dark Horse Comics. $2.99

I loved Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen’s post-apocalyptic meditation on religion/awesome sci-fi horror comic Strange Girl, so I’ve been looking forward to this new mini-series since I first cought wind of it. It is described as a “twist on The Truman Show” involving a giant alien superhero dropped on Earth that comments on our consumer-driven lifestyles. How can it possibly be bad? You can check out a preview for yourself at Dark Horse’s website.

Invinvible Iron Man #7 Matt Fraction, Salvador Larocca. Marvel Comics. $2.99.

Matt Fraction really won me over with his portrayal of Tony Stark in the last issue, creating a “Franklin D. Roosevelt” image to perfectly counterbalance the “George Washington” image that Steve Rogers was given in the pages of Civil War. They each represent the best aspects of different sides of the American Spirit. Now, if only they could replace Salvador Larocca on art. Why is Tony Stark being played by Burt Reynolds in this book? Check out a preview at Marvel.com.

That’s it for me. What are you buying?

Ben Templesmith working on new book about American presidents.

Art by Ben Templesmith

Ben Templesmith, writer and artist of Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse and Welcome to Hoxford, is working on a book about Presidents of the United States, with a focus placed on some of their weirder habits. Ought to be an interesting read when it arrives. (link via Blog@Newsarama)

Alex Robinson’s “Defense of the West Gate”

Written and drawn by Alex Robinson

Alex Robinson, creator of Box Office Poison, Tricked, and Too Cool to be Forgotten, has an excellent short comic up on the Top Shelf Comix website. Go check it out!

Orphan Works Bill dies in Congress

Wired is reporting that the Orphan Works Bill has died in congress. Hoorays all around. (link via Journalista!)