“This Gravitar comic book is too hard to read.”
Just announced: a few other minis or whatever, plus Swamp Thing, a mini-series written by Swampy’s cocreator Len Wein and illustrated by Kelley Jones. It’s the same creative team as the Convergence: Swamp Thing mini-series from a couple of months ago, which…uh, well, didn’t really do much for me, but that’s more the result, I think, of Wein writing to editorial edict, having to tie othe story into a half-baked crossover event. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of Wein and Jones on a standalone series.
Okay, I’m looking forward to Gerry Conway on Firestorm, too, and, as a longtime fan of Sugar & Spike, and also as a longtime fan of outright evil, this update of Sugar & Spike as grown-up detectives just seems downright amazing. Especially given that Keith Giffen is at the helm. Good thing this is a mini-series because as an ongoing it would have the stink of death all over it, but I honestly can’t wait to see what’s going on here.
You know, if feels like as if a couple of my ideas from this post from a while back are coming to fruition, or at least close enough for horseshoes. …C’MON SOLO ALFRED COMIC.
In other weird-ass news, Dynamite’s made a deal with Atari to not only create new works based on its properties, but to reprint old Atari-related comics as well. While I’m sure most of you are looking forward to the deluxe hardcover treatment of the Yar’s Revenge cartridge pack-in comic that is surely coming, I’m more intrigued by the possibility of a fancypants edition of the old Atari Force series. Yes, at long last, Tempest and his power-mullet on high grade paper with computer coloring. Oh, and also one of most fun and beautifully-illustrated newsstand comics of the ’80s, featuring the work of Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Mike Baron and Eduardo Barreto, although good luck convincing anyone of that because it was named Atari Force, after all.
Part of me wants Conway and Garcia-Lopez to return and continue the story, but, well, “you can’t go home again, probably,” says the guy who was looking forward to the Swamp Thing comic just a few paragraphs ago. But boy, I sure did look forward to a new issue of Atari Force every month. That was one of my all-time favorites. …Ah, heck, I do want to see them back on the book. I can’t help it. We’re all fanboys about something.
Oh, and if you’re doing new graphic novels based on Atari properties, I volunteer to write this one.
So, hoo boy, how ’bout that Airboy thing, huh? I discussed the new Image series briefly on my site a little while back, and it seemed like most folks were into it, and then #2 came out and boy, did people turn on a dime. Twitter pal Charlotte took on the task of explaining just what went wrong and it’s definitely worth a read. And it’s good to see that the writer, James Robinson, released a heartfelt and thoughtful apology. A few folks have commented on Charlotte’s article not getting what the big deal is, not understanding that here, in what would ordinarily be the very future-sounding year of 2015, there are still human beings begging other human beings for the right to be treated as human beings, and maybe portrayals like in Airboy #2 aren’t helping the cause. A couple of the more egregious comments have been deleted since I last looked, thankfully.
Anyway, it’s certainly an unfortunate incident, but at least it’s resulted in good discussion such as Charlotte’s article. Hopefully some folks who need to will learn a little something from it.
Grant Morrison is the new editor of Heavy Metal, and blogging brother Tim O’Neil has just a few words about that particular development.
An Atari Force collection (or collections) will be welcome indeed, especially if they include the mini-comics that came packed in with certain games since those are where the series officially begins with the younger Martin Champion and company.
I wonder if they’ll reprint the Swordquest comics, too? The games were no damn good, but those comics looked gorgeous.
“C’MON SOLO ALFRED COMIC”
well, if they did one, it would only be a test for a movie version starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now lets get some affordable Sugar & Spike reprints!
I gotta disagree, Mike. Even with the constraints on the story due the tie-in I think Wein managed to shine through and I keep going back to look at Kelley’s artwork. just beautiful stuff. any idea where DC printed the justice league united 8 page preview with swampy in it? thanx
Swamp Mark,
The JLU preview was digital only. I wanted it for the Captain Carrot appearance but didn’t see it in any of the Convergence issues.
thanks tenzil
that’s what I was afraid of. maybe it’ll make it into the trade.
So people seriously looked at that Airboy comic and thought, “this character that sucks stranger’s dicks in a bar toilet isn’t being handled respectfully enough”?
No, that’s not what they thought. C’mon, dude, seriously.
“Sugar & Spike… Keith Giffen”
I remember him referencing them in AMBUSH BUG.
“Atari Force”
Lopez’ art on that really was GREAT.