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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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What are your thoughts on Jekyll/Hyde and his archetype of the human periodically changing into a monster ?

Jekyll & Hyde was the 2nd horror story I read following Frankenstein, I got it off the same library and it always stuck very strongly with me even before I got into horror in general. I even dressed up as Jekyll/Hyde as a kid for a school fair by shredding a lab coat on one side and asking my sister to make-up claw gashes on my exposed arm and paint half of my face, although in hindsight I think I ended up looking more like Doctor Two-Face than Jekyll/Hyde, but I was 12 and didn't have any Victorian clothing to use so I had to make do. The first film project I tried doing at film school was intended to be a modern take on Jekyll & Hyde, and I didn't get much farther than a couple of discarded scripts

Much like Frankenstein, Mr Hyde as a character and a story is something that's kind of baked into everything I do artistically. And it's not just me, as even in pop culture itself, none of us can escape Mr Hyde. I would go so far as to argue Mr Hyde may be the single most significant character created by victorian fiction, if only by the sheer impact and legacy the character's had.

(Fan-art by guilhermefranco)

Part of what makes Mr Hyde such a powerful and lasting icon of pop culture is that the very premise of the book invites a personal reading that's gonna vary from person to person. Because everyone's familiar with the basic twist of the story, that it's a conflict of duality, of the good and evil sides, but everyone has a more personal idea of what those entail. Some people make the story more about class. A lot of readings laser-focus on sex and lust as the driving force, and there's also a lot of readings of Mr Hyde that tackle it to explore a more gendered perspective, and so forth.

I don't particularly take much notice of the Jekyll & Hyde adaptations partially because the novel's premise and themes have become baked so throughly into pop culture and explored in so many different and interesting ways, that I'm not particularly starving for good Jekyll & Hyde adaptations the way I am for Dracula and Frankenstein. The Fredric March film in particular is one that orbits my head less because of the film itself (although I do recommend it), but because of one specific scene, and that's when Jekyll first transforms into Hyde on screen.

Out of all the things they could have shown him doing right that second, they instead took the time to show him enjoying the rain.

Just Hyde taking off his hat and letting it all cascade on his face with this sheer enthusiasm like he's never been to the rain before, never enjoyed it before, and now that he's free from being Jekyll, he gets to enjoy life like he never has before. It's such an oddly humanizing moment to put amidst a horror movie, in the scene where you're ostensibly introducing the monster to the audience, and it makes such a stark contrast to the rest of the film where Hyde is completely irredeemable, but I think it's that contrast that makes the film's take on Hyde work so well even with it's diverging from the source material, even if I don't particularly like in general interpretations of Hyde that are focused on a sexual aspect.

Because one, it understands that Jekyll was fundamentally a self-serving coward and not a paragon of goodness, and two, it also understands one of the things that makes Hyde scary: He wants what all of us want, to live and be happy. He's happy when he leaves the lab and dances around in the rain like a giddy child, he's happy when he goes to places Jekyll couldn't dream of showing up, he's happy as a showgirl-abusing sexual predator. Hyde is all wants, all the time, and there's not that much difference between his wants, his domineering possessiveness, and the likes exhibited by Muriel's father and Jekyll's own within the very same film, which also works to emphasize one of the other ideas of the original story, that Edward Hyde doesn't come from nowhere. That no monster is closer to humanity than Mr Hyde, because he is us. He is the thing that Jekyll refused to take responsability for until it was too late.

(Art by LorenzoMastroianni)

While many of the ideas that defined Mr Hyde had already been explored in pop culture beforehand, Hyde popularized and redefined many of them in particular by modernizing the idea. He was the werewolf, the doppelganger, The Player On The Other Side, except he came from within. He was not transformed by circumstance, he made himself that way, and the elixir merely brought out something already inside his soul. To acknowledge that he's there is to acknowledge that he is you, and to not do that is to either lose to him, or perish. Hyde was there to address both the rot settling in Victorian society as well as grappling concerns over Darwinian heritage, of the realization that man has always had the beast inside of him (it's no accident that Hyde's main method of murder is by clubbing people to death with his cane like a caveman).

I've already argued on my post about Tarzan that the Wild Man archetype, beginning with Enkidu of The Epic of Gilgamesh, is the in-between man and beast, between superhero and monster, and that Mr Hyde is an essential component of the superhero's trajectory, as the creature split in between. That stories about dual personalities, doppelgangers, the duality of the soul, the hero with a day job and an after dark career, you can pinpoint Hyde as a turning point in how all of these solidified gradually in pop culture. And I've argued otherwise that The Punisher, for all that his image and narrative points otherwise, is ultimately just as much of a superhero as the rest of them, even if no one wants to admit it, drawing a parallel between The Punisher and Mr Hyde. And he's far from the only modern character that can invite this kind of parallel.

The idea of a regular person periodically or permanently transforming into, or revealing itself to be, something extraordinary and fantastic and scary, grappling with the divide it causes in their soul, and questions whether it's a new development or merely the truest parts of themselves coming to light at last, and the effects this transformation has for good and bad alike. The idea of a potent, dangerous, unpredictable enemy who ultimately is you, or at least a facet of you and what you can do. That these are bound to destroy each other if not reconciled with or overcome.

You know what are my thoughts on the archetype of "human periodically changing into a monster" are? Look around you and you're gonna see the myriad ways The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde's themes have manifested in the century and a half since the story's release. Why it shouldn't be any surprise whatsoever that Mr Hyde has become such an integral part of pop culture, in it's heroes and monsters alike. Why we can never escape Mr Hyde, just as Jekyll never could.

It is Nixon himself who represents that dark, venal and incurably violent side of the American character that almost every country in the world has learned to fear and despise. Our Barbie-doll president, with his Barbie-doll wife and his boxful of Barbie-doll children is also America's answer to the monstrous Mr. Hyde.

He speaks for the Werewolf in us; the bully, the predatory shyster who turns into something unspeakable, full of claws and bleeding string-warts on nights when the moon comes too close… - Hunter S. Thompson

There is a scene in the movie Pulp Fiction that explains almost every terrible thing happening in the news today. And it's not the scene where Ving Rhames shoots that guy's dick off. It's the part where the hit man played by John Travolta is talking about how somebody vandalized his car, and says this:

"Boy, I wish I could've caught him doing it. I'd have given anything to catch that asshole doing it. It'd been worth him doing it, just so I could've caught him doing it."

That last sentence is something everyone should understand about mankind. After all, the statement is completely illogical -- revenge is supposed to be about righting a wrong. But he wants to be wronged, specifically so he'll have an excuse to get revenge. We all do.

Why else would we love a good revenge movie? We sit in a theater and watch Liam Neeson's daughter get kidnapped. We're not sad about it, because we know he's a badass and he finally has permission to be awesome. Not a single person in that theater was rooting for it to all be an innocent misunderstanding. We wanted Liam to be wronged, because we wanted to see him kick ass. It's why so many people walk around with vigilante fantasies in their heads.

Long, long ago, the people in charge figured out that the easiest and most reliable way to bind a society together was by controlling and channeling our hate addiction. That's the reason why seeing hurricane wreckage on the news makes us mumble "That's sad" and maybe donate a few bucks to the Red Cross hurricane fund, while 9/11 sends us into a decade-long trillion-dollar rage that leaves the Middle East in flames.

The former was caused by wind; the latter was caused by monsters. The former makes us kind of bummed out; the latter gets us high.

It's easy to blame the news media for pumping us full of stories of mass shootings and kidnapped children, but that's stopping one step short of the answer: The media just gives us what we want. And what we want is to think we're beset on all sides by monsters.

The really popular stories will always feature monsters that are as different from us as possible. Think about Star Wars -- what real shithead has ever referred to himself as being on "the dark side"? In Harry Potter and countless fantasy universes, you have wizards working in "black magic" and the "dark arts." Can you imagine a scientist developing some technology for chemical weapons or invasive advertising openly thinking of what he does as "dark science"? Can you imagine a real world leader naming his headquarters "The Death Star" or "Mount Doom"?

Of course not. But we need to believe that evil people know they're evil, or else that would open the door to the fact that we might be evil without knowing it. I mean, sure, maybe we've bought chocolate that was made using child slaves or driven cars that poisoned the air, but we didn't do it to be evil -- we were simply doing whatever we felt like and ignoring the consequences. Not like Hitler and the bankers who ruined the economy and those people who burned the kittens -- they wake up every day intentionally dreaming up new evils to create. It's not like Hitler actually thought he was saving the world.

So no matter how many times you vote to cut food stamps and then use the money to buy a boat, you could still be way worse. You could, after all, be one of those murdering / lazy / ignorant / greedy / oppressive monsters that you know the world is full of, and that only your awesome moral code prevents you from turning into at any moment. And those monsters are out there.

They have to be. Because otherwise, we're the monsters - 5 Reasons Humanity Desperately Wants Monsters To Be Real, by Jason Pargin

(Two-Face sequence comes from the end of Batman Annual #14: Eye of the Beholder)

For good or bad, Hyde has become omnipresent. He's a part of our superheroes, he's a part of our supervillains, he's in our monsters. He lives and prattles in our ears, sometimes we need him to survive, and sometimes we become Hyde even when we don't need to, because our survival instincts or base cruelties or desperation brings out the worst in us. Sometimes we can beat him, and sometimes he's not that bad. Sometimes we do need to appease him and listen to what he says, about us and the world around us. And sometimes we need to do so specifically to prove him wrong and beat him again.

But he never, ever goes away, as he so accurately declares in the musical

Do you really think That I would ever let you go...

Do you think I'd ever set you free?

If you do, I'm sad to say It simply isn't so

You will never get away FROM MEEEEEE

(Art by Akreon on Artstation)

#tw: injury #tw: blood #tw: disfigurement #replies tag #dr jekyll and mr hyde #the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde #robert louis stevenson #two-face #batman #monster tag #universal monsters #horror tag

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tabloidtoc · 4 years

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Globe, December 28

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Farewell to 93 legends we loved and lost in 2020

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Steve Martin holds a green pepper on the NYC set of Only Murders in the Building, Derek Hough is light on his feet at the MTV Movie & TV Awards

Page 3: Julia Roberts looks scary skinny during a solo stroll in Hawaii, Chris Pratt hoists a hoverboard during an L.A. workout

Page 4: Troubled twosome Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are hoping to put their year from hell behind them by renewing their vows over the holidays in a desperate big to keep their love alive -- Ellen wants to prove her long-suffering wife comes first ahead of Ellen’s daytime talk show and her many celebrity friends and is going all out to show it -- penny-pincher Ellen opened her wallet as wide as her heart telling Portia she could spend whatever she wants on clothes, food, drinks, music and invite whoever she wants at the New Year’s vow ceremony on a Santa Barbara beach

Page 5: Obsessive Blake Shelton is so stressed over his upcoming wedding to Gwen Stefani he’s turning into the Groomzilla from hell -- he is sparing no expense and shelling out millions to redo his Oklahoma ranch to impress the couple’s Tinseltown friends but the mountain of stuff still to be done is driving him around the bend even though no one’s putting pressure on him but he’s obsessed with the wedding details and driving his staff crazy with his constant orders and revisions -- he’s building a chapel on the ranch and a lighted boat for a romantic wedding cruise on the lake and picking the style of the canopy for the banquet floor and re-landscaping the grounds and adding a color-themed garden

* Kenya Moore of Real Housewives of Atlanta reveals she went on a date with Kanye West but bolted when she caught him watching inappropriate flicks -- she described the outing with Kanye as a disaster date and they ended up going to his house where he left her alone, wandering around and when she followed the noises he was watching something on TV that he probably shouldn’t have been and that was her exit

Page 6: Matthew Perry was such a slave to his addiction his former galpal Kayti Edwards says he’d send her to score drugs while she was pregnant and Matthew insisted she was the perfect drug mule because he believed cops wouldn’t stop a gal in her condition Kayti claims in a shocking tell-all about her 2011 romance with Matthew -- she says his ravenous cravings for cocaine and heroin were so out of control that he once superglued his hands to his legs and he took up to 80 Vicodin pills daily -- Kayti claims she was trying to protect Matthew because she feared he’d end up wandering around the streets and being nabbed by cops or snapped by photogs but she was also getting paid big bucks like $3000 to $4000 a day

Page 7: Duchess Camilla’s taste for an early morning tipple has rubbed off on husband Prince Charles who is now so hooked on the sauce he starts the day guzzling a powerful gin martini with breakfast and now Charles’ alarmed staffers and pals are talking about an intervention to remind him not to go down the path that put his second wife in rehab -- Charles’ booze consumption has been off the charts for years but drinking first thing in the morning with his breakfast is a new low -- Charles laughs off suggestions he has a booze issue but one look at his bloodshot face tells the story

* Now that a COVID-19 vaccine’s been approved in Britain Queen Elizabeth says she’s going to get the shot but wait her turn instead of pulling royal rank but she and husband Prince Philip won’t wait long because at their ages they’re in the second group to get the vaccine which is health care workers and people over 80

Page 8: Helena Bonham Carter has a world-shakin’ suggestion for gals frustrated by the COVID-19 lockdown: get a vibrator -- she says women shouldn’t worry about snaring a beau during the pandemic but that’s easy for her to say because she’s currently cuddling with toyboy writer Rye Dag Holmboe

* George Clooney confesses wife Amal Clooney had him shaking in his boots when he popped the question and she didn’t answer -- he asked her out of the blue but instead of squealing yes immediately the brainy lawyer just stood there -- George says he was on his knee for like 20 minutes and finally said he was going to throw his hip out -- Amal finally agreed and the couple have three-year-old twins

* The nip/tuck freak daughter of Olivia Newton-John is being blasted as a hypocrite for coming out against the new COVID-19 vaccines -- Chloe Lattanzi claims she doesn’t trust doctors or the vaccine but critics note she had no problem shelling out an estimated $550,000 to plastic surgeons for nose jobs, super-sized boobs and ballooned lips

Page 9: Since his life-threatening health scare game show icon Pat Sajak’s been testy and snapping at contestants and crew members leaving insiders fearing he’s heading for a breakdown -- the once-cheery Wheel of Fortune host is a different man since recovering from emergency surgery for a blocked intestine and is having difficulty coping with the workload -- he just can’t keep up with the pace and he’s pushed to the very limit and can’t seem to function doing this job and it’s all spilling over and manifesting into these ugly outbursts which are shocking viewers -- he even glares at long-time help-mate Vanna White when he gets frustrated or forgetful and she is really too nice to complain about it but she’s definitely been taken aback by his behavior

Page 10: Proof UFOs are real -- new photos taken by Navy jets reveal we are not alone

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- WWE legend Ric Flair (picture), Real Housewives of Orange County’s Braunwyn Windham-Burke maintains she’s not attracted to men despite renewing her wedding vows with her husband of over two decades -- she says she is gay but she loves husband Sean Burke and they plan on staying married although they don’t sleep in the same bedroom and they are raising their kids together but he knows the girl she’s dating and he’s been given the thumbs-up to date too, Liam Payne believes he’s being haunted by spooks -- convinced spooky spirits were inhabiting his West London digs Liam moved but spooks popped up at the new pad and he thinks the new house is even more haunted than the old one, George Clooney handpicked an even better looking doppelganger to play his younger self in his new flick The Midnight Sky who is screen legend Gregory Peck’s grandson Ethan Peck -- George said it was tricky because people know what he looked like when he was 35 years old but he rejected the high-tech gizmos used to weirdly reverse Robert De Niro’s age in The Irishman but he did mix his voice with Ethan’s since his voice is pretty recognizable, Matthew McConaughey’s kids Levi and Vida used their phones to photograph him for his latest magazine covers because of quarantine they couldn’t do normal photoshoots so the kids became the photographers

Page 13: Tom Arnold dines out in Rome (picture), Aubrey O’Day (picture), Brooke Burke in Mexico (picture), pregnant Meghan Trainor was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and she’s healthy and her baby boy is healthy but she has to really pay attention to everything she eats

Page 14: Luke Evans denies hiding in the closet to advance his Hollywood career saying it was the last thing he had because everything else he’d given to the world and adding that he left home at 16 because he was gay and went into the world as a kid because he had to, Mindy Kaling managed to keep two pregnancies under cover and kept the kids’ middle names under wraps until now -- a fan wondered why Mindy who is of a Indian heritage gave her kids Caucasian names but their names are Katherine Swati and Spencer Avu

* Fashion Verdict -- Blanca Suarez 3/10, Olivia Palermo 1/10, Nicky Hilton 9/10, Bella Heathcote 2/10, Catt Sadler 8/10

Page 16: True Crime

Page 17: Martha Stewart confesses her painful divorce in 1990 was a terrible thing and she hasn’t talked to ex-husband Andrew Stewart since but she bounced back from the pain and her infamous prison stint because she’s very strong and motivated to get on with life -- still Martha admits being dumped by her husband for another woman after 29 years of marriage nearly did her in -- Martha also reveals serving five months in West Virginia in 2004 on a federal insider stock trading rap was a struggle but she got through it by working on her arts and crafts

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Don Lemon

* Dolly Parton pulled no punches when discussing her longtime romance with Carl Dean dishing she and her husband have been together for 57 years and married for 54 and she’s sick of him and she’s sure he’s sick of her -- the couple have rarely been seen in public together and she says their marriage succeeds because she stays gone and they’re not in each other’s faces all the time

* Miley Cyrus says she’s mastered the art of staying safe during lockdown love and it’s by having online sex -- she said the safest sex in these COVID-crazy times is the virtual kind and that’s where Miley has been hooking up

Page 21: Cover Story -- Thanks for the Memories -- tribute to the stars we loved and lost in 2020

Page 22: Alex Trebek

Page 23: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna, Kelly Preston

Page 24: Kirk Douglas, Sean Connery

Page 25: Olivia de Havilland, Chadwick Boseman

Page 26: Robert Conrad, Naya Rivera

Page 27: Regis Philbin

Page 28: Kenny Rogers, Roy Horn

Page 29: Eddie Van Halen, Little Richard

Page 36: Health Report -- eating bread can toast your brain

Page 38: Ghostbusters icon Dan Aykroyd has turned into a ghoulish recluse who rarely leaves his $25 million Martha’s Vineyard estate where he’s now eerily planning his own funeral -- the bizarre 68-year-old appears perfectly healthy yet he spooks around in his bed clothes muttering about who he wants to officiate at his memorial service and the goodies the chef should serve at the wake -- the curious thing is he appears to be in no danger of dropping dead anytime soon and he’s sturdy as a horse which is surprising given the cigars and the vodka and the big meals he enjoys -- Dan’s wife of 37 years Donna Dixon has gotten used to her husband’s ghoulish monologues

* Bob Dylan sold his extensive back catalog of more than 600 songs including Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door to Universal Music in a blockbuster deal topping $300 million

Page 40: Patrick Stewart confesses he’s been furious all his life and he’s still seeing a shrink to control his rage -- he reveals he’s burned with rage inside since childhood when he witnessed his dad’s violence against his mom and he had to suppress all that anger -- at age 14 he feared he’d explode and kill his headmaster when he caned him and later he worried he’d hurt his two children with first wife Sheila Falconer in a fit of fury and now at age 80 it’s still there so he sees a therapist every week

Page 44: Straight Talk -- The Weeknd has his nose out of joint because he wasn’t nominated for any Grammys this year and he claims he’s being snubbed because he’ll be starring on the February 7 Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys

Page 45: Jeffrey Epstein’s accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell is a paranoid mess losing her hair and wasting away in federal prison where she’s terrified shadowy forces have marked her for death -- the shrinking British socialite who denies recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s twisted lust is charged with sex trafficking minors as she rots in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial next year

Page 47: Bizarre But True

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martinacollenderplaywrightblog · 4 years

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Interview for The Arts Council. Martina Collender is a Stage Manager, Drama & Creative Writing Felicitator and primarily a Playwright. Beginning her career in playwriting with Red Kettle Theatre Company with Lover’s Dust under the direction of Ben Hennessey in 2013. Waterford Youth Arts have commissioned her to produce two plays yearly for their 9 to 14 year-old age group between the years 2011-2015. Waterford Youth Arts commissioned her to write One Hundred Thousand Breaths, which won Best New Play of 2016, and If The Lights Change both performed at Garter Lane Theatre under the direction of Liam Meagher. She has been commissioned to write again for Waterford Youth Arts this August 2020. She has been commissioned to write by Comeragh Wilds Festival, for Crotty The Highway Man, where she received a national positive review in the Irish Times by Paddy Woodworth. Rigout Productions have commissioned her to write Petticoat Loose under the direction of Joe Meagher. Imagine Arts Festival commission her yearly to write a youth theatre production which is performed during the festival and recently for a short adult play Melted Apple Tart. Her early work Two Sides to a Stone was accepted by Trinity Players and The New Theatre Dublin for rehearsed readings. She was awarded the Theatre Bursary Award from the Arts Council in 2017, which allowed her to focus on developing her craft and to be mentored by Jim Nolan in her new work Still, We Sing.

Facebook: Playwright Martina Collender

Twitter: @MartinaCollend1

What did you do with your Bursary award?

The Bursary allowed me to do two things: it gave me financial relief and allowed me time to focus solely on my craft. This was invaluable as it gave me the opportunity to practice as a real playwright, having time to research and work on developing each draft of the play. It also allowed me to work under the mentorship of Jim Nolan. Having someone with such expertise who also respected my work has given me a wealth of knowledge in the craft of playwriting.

What has receiving a Bursary award meant to you as an artist/for your career?

This Bursary has quite literally made my dream of moving from an emerging playwright to a professional one a reality. The confidence I got from receiving this grant was extraordinary and allowed me to follow through with my career with more confidence in my own abilities. By allowing me time to focus solely on my craft of playwriting, and under the mentorship of a professional playwright, I have learned so much and gained so much experience in my craft.

As an artist it changed my life as by being awarded it, it gave me the belief I was a real artist who deserved support and confidence in myself and my work.

My career has been enhanced hugely from this grant, because of this I will have my first full length professional play written and produced by the end of the year.

How would you describe your creative process?

Messy! A million thoughts and ideas I need to spend time untangling to get to the truth of the play. I talk to myself a lot to get the idea out and work best at night.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an emerging artist?

Go for grants with the Arts Council. It can be scary and you probably feel like you don’t deserve it, but you do! I applied with no expectation of receiving the award because I didn’t see myself as a “real” artist. But once you put yourself out there for grants you will be surprised how much other people value your work even if you’re battling with your confidence. Applying for this grant was the best possible thing I could have done, not only for my career but for my confidence.

What or who has influenced your practice the most?

Jim Nolan, who has been my mentor, has influenced my writing as I am a fan of his plays. Marina Carr also is a huge inspiration to me as well as Pat Kinevane; their work is a level of creativity I aspire too. I also believe theatre can give a voice to the voiceless, and am hugely influenced by producing plays that tell the stories of people that might not normally be told.

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snarkyperson · 5 years

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and then i could remember to breathe

I don’t like being depressed, or being melancholy, or spending too much time ruminating and stuck in my own head. But it freaks me out when I DON’T feel like that, because that’s how I’m used to feeling. That’s why I was in such a state yesterday. Last night I started to feel a little hysterical again and then I woke up at 10:00 and I was overtired like a toddler and basically having mental temper tantrums and then I slept again and now that I’m awake one more time I feel very introspective (not in a good way) and melancholy. My response when I realized?

“Ahh, there she is. Now we’re back to normal.”

I would like my normal to, you know, not be a default state of hating myself, but we play the cards we’re dealt, I guess.

Do you like Simon and Martina? I have been a die-hard fan for a lot of years, and last night I listened to their latest podcast, which is very good and you should listen to it. It’s about playfulness and being yourself and finding things that spark your joy. This should be inspirational, and in some of my moods it is. Last night, however, it sent me down the path of “I will never be my authentic self” and “No one will ever appreciate my weird as shit thoughts and putting them in the blog just makes people not want to read it” and “Nothing I do brings me joy because I am an empty husk of a human being” and then somehow THAT morphed into, “I should stop talking to my friends because I am too weird and depressed and my friends deserve someone who can bring them joy and good things.” So I went to bed convinced I would never talk to my friends anymore, even Vel and Amy, until I could be a better person. A different person.

I thought about that this morning when I woke up the first time. Are we ever really different, though? I mean, we’re always changing. Growing. Maturing. Our interests shift and maybe one year we like tunic shirts and the next we like fuzzy sweaters. We get obsessed with kdramas and then next year anime. Whatever it is. And we learn things. I hesitate to use myself as an example because of the year I’ve had, but when I look back over the span of my life dealing with mental illness (and yes, even this year), I have learned a lot and changed a lot and grown a lot. I don’t know if I’m a different person. I probably am in some ways.

You always want to strive to be a better person. You always want to grow. But I don’t know if it makes sense to live on a secluded island and cut off all your friends until you do.

I think I was feeling a little sensitive because Vel didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to me last night. But I mean, he probably needed a break from me. I can understand that. Maybe he had a bad day at work. Maybe it was completely benign and he just wanted to play some fucking Final Fantasy, Aaz. I think just with all the stuff going on I’m feeling tender.

At least this is all familiar. Back down my old familiar rabbit holes. Happy day.

I’m going to try to write in a bit because I had some pretty good ideas last night. Good ideas that, again, are coming from how I personally would react to a situation. That is starting to piss me off. But bear with me while I try to explain.

Tom Waits is one of my favorite musicians, and one of my favorite songs of his is Alice. It is -cough- entirely possible I named my Hawke in this last story Alice specifically because of that song. And it is also entirely possible that this protagonist is named Alice so that I could hopefully work it in somehow.

Before I continue, I renamed Ehlren Leo, because it’s easier to spell and not so outlandish and also is different enough from Leto (get it, get it?) that I won’t get a copyright strike.

So anyway, Leo is a musician and photographer. Photographer isn’t relevant to this, but anyway. He plays bass guitar and does some back-up vocals in a cover band. My idea is that Alice & co. go to see this band perform one day after Leo and Alice have been dancing around each other for a while, and in a move that shocks everybody, Leo takes main vocals in addition to bass and sings Alice, and he looks at her the entire time he sings it, and she is like HEART EYES MOTHERFUCKER.

Now, that’s not strictly a self insert. I think probably a lot of ladies would have that reaction, wouldn’t they?

The second idea though comes from personal experience. Thanks to my friend lithium, I am starting to have tremors in my hands. Most of the time I don’t really notice, but it is really jarring and apparent and difficult to deal with when I’m eating with a fork and usually makes me extremely angry in a way that is really disproportionate to how serious they are. It’s just the whole “god I have to take this fucking medication just to function and look what it’s doing to my body rar rar rar.”

So anyway, I mentioned Leo is a photographer. I was thinking, maybe he goes with Alice to the Art Institute because there are some really beautiful flower gardens nearby if I remember correctly. Or they go to the lake or something. Not important. What’s important is that they go, and she is going to sketch and he is going to photograph, but then his tremors start up and he can’t hold the camera steady and he starts having a fucking meltdown.

This is where I get stuck. Thinking from personal experience, nothing anyone can say makes me feel better when I’m having one of those meltdowns. I just have to have it and get it out of my system. However, this is both a romance novel and a chance for character growth, and I would LIKE it to work such that Alice is able to talk him off the ledge. He trusts her, and for someone with his kind of trauma, that is a really big fucking deal. Because he trusts her, I wonder if it is feasible that he would, I don’t know, actually listen to her when she tries to calm him down. I mean, it’s fiction. I’m probably overthinking it. But this goes back to that “I want to treat this carefully and realistically and with respect” thing.

My ideal ending to it is that Alice agrees to be his hands, and he actually lets her. She holds the camera up, and he puts his hands over hers to adjust the view, and they manage to successfully complete the shoot.

I can hear Amy already. Stop overanalyzing everything and just write it. However, I feel so under qualified to be tackling these kinds of intense issues. I have trauma and abuse in my past, but nothing like what Leo is dealing with. I want to do him justice. I don’t want it to be a typical romance novel where he is MAGICALLY HEALED because LOVE. But I do want him to have growth, and to realize he is finally in a healthy, trusting relationship, and to realize that maybe he can take down some of his walls and get some relief. Because he’s not alone anymore. He has Alice, and he has Cali, and he even in a lesser way has Liam and Zulah. He is building a little community where he can be safe. That makes a big difference in a sick person’s life.

Shit, I’m testament to that.

I say “so anyway” too much. Got to work on that.

Go listen to Alice. Seriously.

P.S. I’m not going to write about the scary thing anymore. I’m 95% convinced (now) that it was a dream.

#personal #mental illness #writing

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mtg-weekly-recap · 7 years

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MTG Weekly Tumblr Recap: May 01, 2017

Nahiri the Lithomancer, Sorin Markov and Ugin The Spirit Dragon, Cartoon style. | @pazmonx

This week’s edition of the Recap has dodged the Ban-hammer! Let’s take a look at all the different formats that have been affected by banned and restricted announcements, as well as the heavily symbolism-laden Magic Story and some nostalgic fan-art. Join us for more wrap-ups than an Anointed Procession in this issue of the Magic: the Gathering Weekly Tumblr Recap.

1. Emergency Banning In Standard

Saheeli’s Lament | @planeswalker-umbral

In one of the more bizarre banning and restricted events, the powerful two card combo of Saheeli Rai and Felidar Guardian were conspicuously unaffected by the announcement on Monday, April 24, despite the infinite loop being missed by Magic R&D, and therefore not attracting the suite of answers that cards like Heart of Kiran and other standard powerhouses now have to face with the release of Amonkhet.

This news (or more specifically the lack of news) set many tongues a wagging as the merits and demerits of Wizards declining to meddle in Standard versus getting down and curating the format, with debate raging as to how the current meta with two dominant decks appearing far more prevalent and leading to far less innovation than Smuggler’s Copter and Emrakul, the Promised End (which were sent to the naughty corner last January) ever did. Just as the hand-wringing and bemoaning three more months of a bland Standard reached it’s peak, Wednesday brought an addendum to Monday’s announcement, Felidar Guardian was hit with the ban-hammer. It is interesting that one of the main drivers for both the non-action on the Monday and further action on the Wednesday was the earliest release of the new set on the digital platform, MTGO. This allowed R&D to see what a potential new standard might look like, and whatever data they drew, they felt it was big enough and scary enough to make the call. So what does this mean for standard? Well, the upcoming pro-tour should provide some answers, and like with many recently shaken-up formats, aggressive decks should see good representation (and some success) while the brewmasters work behind the scenes. Rakdos and Jund discard/hellbent seem to blend the best of Amonkhet and Innistrad themes, as well as many recursive graveyard strategies. Amonkhet also brings with it lots of interesting control strategies the might make more of a splash as the format goes forward, now that a Turn 4 instant kill is no longer a spectre hanging over it.

— Liam W, @coincidencetheories

2. Bans and Unbans in Commander

Brewing when they unban a combo piece | @phyrexian-without-a-cause

Following the official B&R announcement from Wizards for Constructed formats came one from the MTG Commander Rules committee: Leovold, Emissary of Trest is banned and Protean Hulk is unbanned.

Those who have played with or against Leovold know how insanely powerful he is. With “wheel” effects like Windfall, Whispering Madness, Dark Deal, and Teferi’s Puzzle Box and plenty of control elements, Commander decks led by Leovold easily stripped apart opponents’ hands with efficiency and consistency, making him miserable to play against. It’s only been eight months since Leovold was printed in Conspiracy: Take the Crown, but it was enough to demonstrate his power. At the moment, Leovold, Emissary of Trest still holds its $50-price tag since it is a Legacy staple in many Sultai decks (Reid Duke took down GP Louisville this year with True-Name Nemesis Sultai, which ran two copies of Leovold in the main).

The announcement of Protean Hulk’s unbanning was by far the most surprising B&R change of the week. For those unfamiliar with Protean Hulk’s power level, Flash Hulk was a deck that won the third-ever Legacy GP back in 2007 whose main strategy involved Flashing in the Hulk on t2 or earlier with fast mana (yes, even t0), sac’ing it and tutoring up 4 Disciple of the Vault, 4 Phyrexian Marauder, and 4 Shifting Wall. The artifact creatures would die due to SBA and the Disciples would immediately dome your opponent for 32.

While Flash got banned in Legacy as a result of this deck, the combo dream never died: Protean Hulk returned to the limelight in 2015 when Lantern Control creator Zac Elsik among a dozen other players brought a Modern Hulk Combo deck to GP Pittsburgh. Here’s the basic strategy: after discarding Protean Hulk to a number of loot spells in the deck then reanimating it with and sac’ing it to Footsteps of the Goryo or Makeshift Mannequin, search out Viscera Seer and Body Double, copying the Protean Hulk that just went to your graveyard. Sac’ the Body Double with Viscera Seer’s ability to search out Reveillark and Mogg Fanatic, which you sac’ to ping your opponent for 1. From there, you sac’ the Reveillark to bring back Mogg Fanatic and Body Double, copying Reveillark. Because Reveillark and Body Double can continuously bring back each other, you can bring back Mogg Fanatic an arbitrary number of times until your opponent has been pinged to death.

While I doubt anyone will run this 5-color combo in Commander, the unbanning of Protean Hulk has got the community brewing up what creatures they can tutor up and combo off within their current decks’ respective color identities. Within an hour of the announcement, Protean Hulk shot up from below 4.00 USD to over 21.00 USD, with many eager EDH players scrambling to get their copies. My brother and I jumped on the opportunity and bought 5 copies within minutes of the announcement: I snagged two MP copies off eBay for five bucks total, whereas my brother bought three LP copies from his LGS down in San Diego, CA for about three bucks each. We’ll definitely be looking into making a profit when we sell some of them but not all of them—my brother plans to slot a copy of Protean Hulk into his Rashmi Elves deck and sac’ing to either Birthing Pod, Eldritch Evolution, or Natural Order, fetching six mana dorks and Dryad Arbor and swinging in for a buttload of damage, especially with Concordant Crossroads or Akroma’s Memorial in play. Can’t wait to lose to him like that…

— Vincent B, @the-burnished-hart

3. Legacy and Vintage Bans and Restrictions

Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus Always to Tyrants) | by @phyrexian-without-a-cause

The most recent B&R announcement has brought with it the end of an era. In Legacy, the linchpin card of the Miracles deck Sensei’s Divining Top has finally been struck down, taking the most prevalent deck, in terms of overall appearances in major tournaments, in the format with it. The reactions to the ban have, oddly enough, been pretty reasonable. Even some popular Miracles players like Joe Lossett have been pretty quick to say that they understand and they saw this coming for a long time. The ban also makes Legacy event coverage a lot easier to do, now that commentators no longer have to try to make activating Top seem exciting. This just goes to show that if you make a road sign and put it at WotC Headquarters, you can achieve anything (please don’t actually make a big road sign and put it out front of Wizards Headquarters).

In the world of Vintage, Wizards has gone after Monastery Mentor decks and slapped Gitaxian Probe and Gush with a Restricted status. Much like with Legacy Miracles, Mentor decks in Vintage have been running rampant and the bans of these “free” draw spells are meant to weaken this Vintage powerhouse. Not much has been said about how these restrictions are being taken, but most people seem to be in agreement with Wizards, or are saying that Mentor itself should have been the one to be restricted, based on the power level of the card. Nevertheless, this seems to be a positive change for the format.

These announcements have made people in the respective formats, or even outside of them that are interested in them, start experimenting to find the next powerhouse. In terms of how formats are taking their bans/restrictions, Legacy and Vintage seem to be taking their hits well, and, much like what Wizards hopes will happen whenever they make these announcements, the player-base seems to be growing and evolving with these new changes, producing more diverse environments for the people that make these formats their homes. One can only hope that these times of prosperity last, as this writer is trying to buy in to Legacy himself, and is excited at the prospect of jumping in to such a, seemingly, welcoming format.

— Colin M, @delver-of-seacrest

4. Magic Story Recap

The Hand that Moves - Ken Troop

Decision Paralysis | Original art by Vincent Proce

The plot of this weeks Magic Story, The Hand that Moves can be told simply, Nissa takes Kefnet’s Trial of Knowledge. But it’s the details contained within that are the meat of this tale. Firstly, Nissa finds her way to the temple of Kefnet merely seeking answers to the perplexing questions that surround the entire city of Naktamun and the influence of Bolas. The Vizier of Kefnet tries to ward her away, but her resistance to his clumsy attempts at mind magic as well as her quite remarkable status as an outsider to the usual warrior-caste system allows her to keep him off balance enough to attempt the trial in order to interrogate the God himself. The first bombshell that hits is Nissa’s first vision is of an Angel, who appears to be none other than Emrakul herself. Now there is obviously much illusion and subterfuge within these trials so there is no clear inference as to whether this appearance is Nissa’s fear, or even something more sinister, considering in The Promised End Nissa appeared most affected by the influence of Emrakul, as well as Nissa’s formative years on Zendikar where the Goddess Emeria was revered even among her people. Who does this version of Emrakul represent, or is she not even part of the test and something Nissa had latent inside her since Innistrad? Equally as strange is the affirmation that the Angel brings: “I can do anything I want. Anything at all. Remember that.” Visions and symbolism follows, with very physical sensations and in the middle of it Nissa begins to study the leylines and see the fabric of the trial, behind the sights, sounds and sensations. The Test seems to fight against her, the closer she pries behind the curtain. Images that seem to be Bolas’s influence across the multi-verse appear, followed by further reminder that the five gods were part of a pantheon of eight. Three figures that might represent the missing deities scurry to escape the protection of the Hekma. A focus on the mining and collection of a strange, blue mineral. A series of images of decay and destruction that if they don’t related directly to the Gatewatch certainly follow their way around the color wheel, then more imagery of the approach of the second sun that is most definitely not a second sun, and then -

Emrakul returns

The angel that is Emrakul that might not be Emrakul ask Nissa if she would be a pawn or a queen in the game. Nissa sees the trap that no matter her power if she falls for this choice she would only ever be a piece to be manipulated. The phrase “Be the hand that moves” echoes again from the Chess game Jace and ‘Emrakul’ played during The Promised End. Kefnet arrives full of pomp and circumstance demanding to know who was interfering in the Trial, scattering Nissa’s mental defences as Kefnet read her intentions. He declares that knowledge is not a gift to be given but a prize to be earned, and is about to dissolve Nissa’s mind, when “Emrakul”s advice stirs her to action, and she observes that Kefnet’s being is made up of leylines, something she has more than a little familiarity with, as well as noticing that there are several lines that are very off kilter. With a clumsy yet precise manipulation of those wayward leylines, Nissa is able to deflect the God enough that his attention wavered and she became to him merely an initiate who had passed his trial. Presumably the cartouche was waiting for her in the gift shop on the way out…

— Liam, @coincidencetheories

5. Fan-arts…

The Smallwatch | Original art by @erybiadraws

This weeks seems there’s been an interesting and wonderful trend towards the nostalgic, as we have been graced with many a fan-art of characters from our near, and sometimes not-so-near past. @alexgilbertart starts us off with the secretly unraveling Jace, Unraveller of Secrets from Innistrad. Another Innistradi visitor to be featured this week was @azami ‘s study of the studious soratami Tamiyo, the Moon Sage

Stretching further back in the mists of time, @pandoraeve brings us the foremost Praetor Elesh Norn as she dodges the blue shells in a Mario Kart, and @erybiadraws shows us the undulating Ulamog in its full glory.

Finally, a couple of sketches from @dancing-sword, including Garruk giving Chandra animal handling advice, and a drawing of the Tarkirs planeswalking power-couple, Narset and Sarkhan

— Liam W, @coincidencetheories

6.Vanilla Matters.

Murganda Petroglyphs | Original MTG art by Scott Altmann

The concept of ‘Vanilla’ in Magic is supposedly a simple one. A Vanilla Creature is simply on with no rules text (flavor text is allowed. Vanilla is a flavor, after all). Simply a creature type, a mana cost, power, and of course toughness. No effects on entering or leaving the battlefield, no activated abilities, and no keyword. Nothing. Mons Goblin Raiders, Grizzly Bears, Savannah Lions. The building blocks of a set, and usually filler cards for your limited or standard deck. But two topics have shone the spotlight on the humble Vanilla Creature this week, as @markrosewater ‘s Blogatog has been inundated with requests that if or when we travel to Murganda, we continue in the tradition of Murganda Petroglyphs from Future SIght block and have Vanilla Matters cards, or cards that bolster creatures without abilities. The trouble with this, as Mark Rosewater reiterates, is that the creatures themselves can’t grant their fellow vanilla creatures abilities, and there are only so many bonuses you can give to vanilla creatures before you’re giving them abilities, which make them no longer vanilla creatures which means they lose their abilities which means they are once again vanilla and oh no I’ve gone cross eyed. So MaRo has advised us all not to set our hopes too high on a visit to Murganda featuring Vanilla matters, especially as Murganda is already carrying the baggage of being the Dinosaur plane as well as somehow home to the Mimeoplasm. But that doesn’t mean that Murganda Petroglyphs itself can’t see a reprint…

Dovetailing with the discussion on Vanilla Matters was a check in with a recurring favorite of Blogatog readers, the Vanilla Mythic, which is precisely what it says on the box, a vanilla creature, at mythic rarity, that obviously has been subject to much speculation. Mark confirmed in a blog post that the mythic is doing just fine, and that we will see it later this year This has led to new speculation as to just what a Vanilla Mythic might need to be, to justify it’s rarity, starting with @sarkhan-volkswagen and continuing on in the various reblogs and replies.

…and finally: Friday Nights

Noted Magic content creators Loading Ready Run released a new episode of Friday Nights this week, as just in time for Amonkhet’s release. Friday Nights is a series following the group’s misadventures into the world of Magic, which has been running since 2012. This month’s episode is notable for callbacks not only to the eternal conundrum of the proper creature type of the multi-headed Nessian Asp, but also to the fearsome reputation of Kathleen’s Cat deck which first made it’s appearance in the groups short, ‘It’s Magic’ which reflected their rediscovery of the game, way back in 2010.

Thank you again for reading this week’s issue of the MTG Weekly Tumblr Recap. Hope to see you next week!

Interested in contributing to the Recap? Want to keep track of notable posts and trends throughout the MTG community on a given week? Or write a short blurb on a specific topic? Do you just want to make us aware of one specific topic or post? Please PM our main editor @the-burnished-hart or any of our staff writers

#mtg #mtg weekly tumblr recap #weekly tumblr recap #mtgwtr #legacy #commander #edh #standard #banned and restricted #fanart #amonkhet #mtgakh #vintage #modern

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aion-rsa · 8 years

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Image Comics Solicitations for June 2017

Image Comics has released solicitation information and images for new books and products shipping in June 2017. When you’re through checking out these solicitations for new Image releases, be sure to visit CBR’s Image Comics forum to discuss these titles and products with fellow readers and fans.

Image Comics Solicitations – Last Six Months

Product shipping February 2017

Product shipping January 2017

Product shipping November 2016

Product shipping October 2016

Product shipping September 2016

Product shipping August 2016

CROSSWIND #1 – GEM OF THE MONTH

STORY: GAIL SIMONE • ART / COVER: CAT STAGGS

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Fan-favorite creators GAIL SIMONE and CAT STAGGS make their stunning Image debut with this mind-bending new ongoing series!

A slick and ruthless Chicago hitman. A smart but downtrodden Seattle housewife. When an inexplicable event strikes these two random strangers, their bodies, souls, and lives are switched to potentially deadly effect. It’s Freaky Friday meets Goodfellas!

THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1 – GEM OF THE MONTH

STORY / ART / COVER: HOWARD CHAYKIN

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

An America sundered. An America enraged. An America terrified. An America shattered by greed and racism, violence and fear, nihilism and tragedy…and that’s when everything really goes to hell.

SAVAGE DRAGON #225 – 25th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!

STORY / ART / COVERS A & C: ERIK LARSEN

COVER B: Frank Fosco

JUNE 21 / 100 PAGES / FC / M / $9.99

“THE MERGING OF MULTIPLE EARTHS,” Conclusion

Giant-sized 25th anniversary special! Savage Dragon is restored to his former glory as he bulks up to take on Darklord in a final battle! Mr. Glum’s devious plot to merge the multi-verse comes to its cataclysmic conclusion! Savage Dragon and Malcolm Dragon join forces to save Angel Murphy and the very earth itself!

SAVAGE DRAGON: WARFARE TP

STORY / ART / COVER: ERIK LARSEN

JUNE 14 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $19.99

Spawn, Ant, and Malcolm Dragon face their greatest challenge—ever! Battle Girl fights for her life in Dimension-X. Savage Dragon is released from jail. And Mr. Glum goes on trial.

Collects SAVAGE DRAGON #217-222

KILL THE MINOTAUR #1

STORY: CHRIS PASETTO & CHRISTIAN CANTAMESSA • ART / COVER: LUKAS KETNER & JEAN-FRANCOIS BEAULIEU

JUNE 14 / 40 PAGES/ FC / M / $3.99

Athens lost the war to Crete. Now, they pay tribute to King Minos by sacrificing their best citizens to his unearthly labyrinth. Conspirators believe Theseus can be the hero they need to end the mad king’s bloody reign…but no one on this world has ever encountered anything like the savage minotaur.

CHRIS PASETTO, CHRISTIAN CANTAMESSA (Red Dead Redemption) and LUKAS KETNER (WITCH DOCTOR) reinvent the most fearsome beast of all with this horrific tale of heroism. Each issue features 30 pages of story!

SEPTEMBER MOURNING, VOL. 1

STORY: MARIAH McCOURT, EMILY LAZAR • ART: SUMEYYE KESGIN

COVER: MARC SILVESTRI

JUNE 14 / 48 PAGES / FC / T+ / $4.99

SERIES PREMIERE

September Mourning has no past that she can remember, only a strange and shadowy present filled with the voices of the dead. Turned into a unique hybrid by the former Reaper of the lonely, injured, and abused, September Mourning is the only human/reaper to exist. Tasked with reaping the souls of the “worthless” by her mysterious tattoo, September hides and protects them until she can help them realize the last thing they had left undone in life. Whether it’s aiding souls to expose abusers, find lost loves, or settle old debts, in each case September is guided by voice of the Skullfly, which only she can hear.

SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER! #1 (OF 5)

STORY: JODY LEHEUP & SEBASTIAN GIRNER • ART: NIL VENDRELL & MIKE SPICER

COVER A: ANDREW ROBINSON • COVER B: TOM FOWLER • COVER C: ANDY SURIANO

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

SERIES PREMIERE

After being betrayed by the bears that raised him, the legendary Shirtless Bear-Fighter wanders the forest he’s sworn to protect, fistfighting bears, eating flapjacks, and being the angriest man the world has ever known! When wild-eyed, super-strong bears attack the citizens of Major City, Shirtless ventures into the human world to do what he does best…PUNCH THOSE BEARS IN THE FACE! But all is not as it seems. Someone is manipulating Shirtless…and only by confronting the demons of his past can Shirtless hope to save his future!

A heart-filled, hilarious, tall tale for the ages… you don’t want to miss SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER!

WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #1 (OF 4)

STORY: STEVE NILES • ART / COVER A: ALISON SAMPSON, Stéphane PAITREAU, JORDIE BELLAIRE, ADITYA BIDIKAR

COVER B: MINGJUE HELEN CHEN

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

SERIES PREMIERE

An American family traveling on vacation finds themselves stranded in a small town with a sinister secret.

BITCH PLANET: TRIPLE FEATURE #1

STORY: CHERYL LYNN EATON, ANDREW AYDIN & CONLEY LYONS • ART: MARIA FRÖHLICH, JOANNA ESTEP

COVER: VALENTINE DE LANDRO

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

DECONNICK & DE LANDRO PRESENT: THE TRIPLE FEATURE!

Ripped directly from the world of BITCH PLANET, a crack team of creators spin three teeth-clenching tales of rage, revolution, and ridicule.

PLUS: Essays, letter column, and more!

100% Grade A satire. Accept no substitutes.

BLACK MAGICK #6

STORY: GREG RUCKA • ART / COVER A: NICOLA SCOTT

COVER B: LIAM SHARPE

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC

What the hell is the deal with Rowan Black, anyway? For that matter, just how many “real” witches are there? What is the bond that ties Rowan and Alex together? Is the series really coming back, or is this just the creative team messing with your heads?

Yes, it’s true—the critically acclaimed series returns with a standalone story detailing how Rowan was awakened to her family’s legacy…and the enormous cost of being its inheritor.

BULLETPROOF COFFIN: THE THOUSAND YARD STARE (ONE-SHOT)

STORY: MISTER DAVID HINE • ART / COVER: SHAKY KANE

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

The long-awaited sequel to THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN!

When indie publisher Image Nation hires Shaky Kane to write and draw his own comic book, the artist finally finds himself free from the tedium of visualizing the geriatric ramblings of washed-up hack, David Hine. See the awful consequences as jealous rivalry leads to a bloody showdown on the convention floor.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY #7

STORY: RICK REMENDER • ART / COVER B: JAMES HARREN & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH

COVER A: JEROME OPEÑA & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

NEW ARTIST

Now suffering from the aftermath of the sentient swamp, The Mosak follow Adam to Jevalia’s childhood home to discover a trampled paradise, the bled souls of its heroes, and a fetid industry thirsting for more.

SEVEN TO ETERNITY is proud to welcome superstar JAMES HARREN as a special guest artist to unveil the heights of heroism in a world awash with corruption.

SHUTTER #29

STORY: JOE KEATINGE • ART / COVER: LEILA DEL DUCA & OWEN GIENI

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC • “CODA OBSCURA, PART ONE: WHAT YEARS MAY COME”

SHUTTER returns and begins to say goodbye with a look at what the future holds for absolutely everyone readers met along the way.

SOUTHERN CROSS #13

STORY / COVER: BECKY CLOONAN • ART: ANDY BELANGER & LEE LOUGHRIDGE

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC • “THE CRYPT DIMENSION,” Part One

The SOUTHERN CROSS rises from the methane sea of Titan for its third terrifying season! Retired detective Hazel Conroy and her unlikely crew of misfits, mutants, and liars board the cursed spaceship for what might be their final adventure. Surprising, smart, and delightfully scary, SOUTHERN CROSS is the most fun you can have without getting killed by aliens.

SUN BAKERY #5

STORY / ART / COVER: COREY LEWIS

JUNE 28 / 48 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99

NEW STORY ARC • “SOUL OF SHARKNIFE,” Part One

Great jumping-on point! Two new series kick off in SUN BAKERY #5: “SOUL OF SHARKNIFE,” the long-awaited return of indie comics superhero Sharknife in a brand-new adventure, and “FREEZE,” a fantastical breakdancing battle. “BAT RIDER” continues his supernatural skateboarding adventure, and more micro comics abound in SUN BAKERY #5.

WAYWARD #21

STORY: JIM ZUB • ART / COVER A: STEVEN CUMMINGS & TAMRA BONVILLAIN

COVER B: HICHAM HABCHI

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

NEW STORY ARC • “TETHERED SOULS,” Part One

Nikaido’s powers are growing, and he’s not the only one…

WAYWARD unleashes myth into the modern world. It’s the perfect time to get on board and see what all the excitement is about!

BIRTHRIGHT #25

STORY: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON • ART / COVER: ANDREI BRESSAN & ADRIANO LUAS

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99

END OF STORY ARC

For 25 issues, the Rhodes family has seen it all—the return of their lost son Mikey, his transformation into a hero of legend, and the existence of mages and horrific monsters on Earth. But nothing can prepare them for what happens in this anniversary 25th issue!

BLACK CLOUD #3

STORY: JASON LATOUR & IVAN BRANDON • ART / COVER: GREG HINKLE & MATT WILSON

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

What’s worse, a memory or a bad dream? Zelda is stuck in one and running from the other.

THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS #7

STORY: JONATHAN HICKMAN • ART / COVER: TOMM COKER

JUNE 14 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“The Scales”

Accounts are balanced and old grudges are settled. Revenge is the order of the day.

CANNIBAL #6

STORY: BRIAN BUCCELLATO & JENNIFER YOUNG • ART / COVER: MATÍAS BERGARA

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Grady and Louise must deal with the ramifications of Danny’s escape from prison as Cash comes to grips with Jolene’s fate.

COPPERHEAD #14

STORY: JAY FAERBER • ART: DREW MOSS & RON RILEY

COVER: SCOTT GODLEWSKI & RON RILEY

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

Clara has a violent encounter with the mayor’s killer—while a new threat closes in on Copperhead.

DEADLY CLASS #30

STORY: RICK REMENDER • ART / COVER A: WES CRAIG & JORDAN BOYD

COVER B: STEPHANE ROUX

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

A gnarly party gets ruined.

THE DYING AND THE DEAD #5 (OF 10)

STORY: JONATHAN HICKMAN • ART / COVER: RYAN BODENHEIM

JUNE 28 / 40 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

“TO STEAL AN EMPIRE”

When you’ve had everything taken from you, does it matter if they take a little more?

ECLIPSE #8

STORY: ZACK KAPLAN • ART / COVER: GIOVANNI TIMPANO

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

As the sun sets on the second arc, secrets are revealed about the mysterious men who don’t burn in deadly sunlight. But as Cielo infiltrates her father’s company for answers and Bax tries to escape a war zone full of armed soldiers, both must decide which side they’re truly on.

ELEPHANTMEN #78

STORY: RICHARD STARKINGS • ART: AXEL MEDELLIN

COVER: BOO COOK

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“EXTINCTION”

Hip Flask and Farrell follow a lead out into the desert and face the grim reality of life for Elephantmen in 2260.

ETERNAL EMPIRE #2

STORY: JONATHAN LUNA & SARAH VAUGHN • ART / COVER: JONATHAN LUNA

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

The Eternal Empress has waged war against the countries of Saia for over 100 years, and now her sights are set on the last country standing. Within the brutal Empire’s workforce, a young man receives strange visions that give him the courage to escape his fate…or run straight toward it.

EXTREMITY #4

STORY/ART/COVER: DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON • COLOR: MIKE SPICER

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

As Thea’s guerilla warfare against the Paznina intensifies, her father comes face-to-face with the man who killed his wife.

THE FEW #6 (OF 6)

STORY: SEAN LEWIS • ART / COVER: HAYDEN SHERMAN

JUNE 21 / 56 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99

MINISERIES FINALE

The critically acclaimed maxiseries comes to its massive end! Edan’s secret is out. With no family, no allies, and no country, she is left to do the one thing the desperate have available to them: lash out. As she sets her sights on the Palace and the government she fought so hard for, Peter and Davey question how much someone has to do to make you trust them again…

GOD COUNTRY #6

STORY: DONNY CATES • ART: GEOFF SHAW, JASON WORDIE & JOHN J. HILL

COVER A: GEOFF SHAW • COVER B: GERARDO ZAFFINO

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

MINISERIES FINALE

Our story comes to an earth-shattering conclusion as Valofax meets its maker, Roy learns what it means to be a father, and Emmett Quinlan confronts God in the dying Kingdom of Always…

GREEN VALLEY #9 (OF 9)

STORY: MAX LANDIS • ART / COVER: GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, CLIFF RATHBURN & JEAN-FRANCOIS BEAULIEU

JUNE 14 / 48 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

MINISERIES FINALE • GIANT-SIZED final issue!

The knights of Kelodia were once the finest in the land, until they faced the wizard of Green Valley. Now, their epic, time-bending quest comes to a close in this extra-sized issue, and history will never be the same again.

GRRL SCOUTS: MAGIC SOCKS #2 (OF 6)

STORY / ART / COVER A: JIM MAHFOOD • COLORS: JUSTIN STEWART

COVER B: BILL SIENKIEWICZ

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Things heat up as the origins of the mysterious Magic Socks are revealed! After betraying Gwen and Rita, Daphne engages in an epic battle against her little cousin Josie. This second issue is stuffed to the gills with an action-packed story, bonus art, soundtrack, and sketchbook. Plus, a variant cover by the legendary BILL SIENKIEWICZ! Pure fun! Pure flavor!

HADRIAN’S WALL #8 (of 8)

STORY: KYLE HIGGINS & ALEC SIEGEL • ART / COVER: ROD REIS

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

MINISERIES FINALE • FINAL ISSUE!

In their final moments together, will Simon and Annabelle be able to move past their pain? Or will they both die alone?

HEAD LOPPER #6

STORY / ART / COVER A: ANDREW MACLEAN • COLORS: JORDIE BELLAIRE

COVER B: BENJAMIN MARRA

JUNE 21 / 48 PAGES / FC / T+ / $5.99

“QUEST FOR THE CRYSTAL EYES”

The search for the Crystal Eyes begins. Norgal and Agatha try one door, Zhaania and Xho another. What terrors lie in wait beyond? What traps are set for springing? Only Ulrich the Twice Damned knows for certain. The way forward is unclear but our heroes press on into the strange.

HORIZON #12

STORY: BRANDON THOMAS • ART: JUAN GEDEON & MIKE SPICER

COVER: JASON HOWARD

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

END OF STORY ARC

Zhia Malen came to Earth to make sure humanity would never endanger her planet. Now, she’s on the verge of landing her most lethal attack yet… Plus, a revelation that will have you rushing to reread the previous 11 issues!

I HATE FAIRYLAND #13

STORY: SKOTTIE YOUNG • ART: SKOTTIE YOUNG & DEAN RANKINE

COVER A: SKOTTIE YOUNG • COVER B (F**K FAIRYLAND VARIANT): SKOTTIE YOUNG

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“LARRY’S LIFE”

Find out what Larry’s life could have been like if he had never met Gert.

IMAGE+ #15

JUNE 28 / 64 PAGES / FC / $1.99

IMAGE+ features in-depth interviews with creators, extended previews of upcoming titles, insightful essays, spotlights on comic shops, and everything fans want to know about what’s coming soon from Image Comics. In addition, every issue features a chapter of the ongoing THE WALKING DEAD story “HERE’S NEGAN!” revealing the origin of the fan-favorite villain, created by the New York Times bestselling team of ROBERT KIRKMAN & CHARLIE ADLARD! IMAGE+, the Magazine of the Year in the 2016 Diamond Gem Awards, is where to go when you want to know what’s new and hot at Image Comics.

INJECTION #14

STORY: WARREN ELLIS • ART / COVER A & B: DECLAN SHALVEY & JORDIE BELLAIRE

JUNE 21 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“Something lies beneath the henge and the megaliths and the moor, and the storm may wake it.”

INVINCIBLE #137

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN • ART / COVER: RYAN OTTLEY & NATHAN FAIRBAIRN

JUNE 21 / 24 PAGES / FC/ M / $2.99

“THE END OF ALL THINGS,” Part Five

This issue has everything! Mark and Eve in peril! Allen’s fleet chased by Thragg’s forces! Terra learning to use her powers! Robot doing something (else) evil! Did we mention Tether Tyrant? All this and Debbie Grayson momming the hell out of the cover!

KILL OR BE KILLED #10

STORY: ED BRUBAKER • ART: SEAN PHILLIPS & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

COVER: SEAN PHILLIPS

JUNE 28 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

As his life spins out of control, Dylan and his demon come face-to-face once again.

LOW #19

STORY: RICK REMENDER • ART / COVER: GREG TOCCHINI & DAVE MCCAIG

COVER B: STEPHANE ROUX

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC • “OUTER ASPECTS OF INNER ATTITUDES,” Conclusion

Death comes to the drowning city as Tajo and her crew fight to inspire the citizens of Salus to not go gentle into that good night.

MAGDALENA, VOL. 4 #4

STORY: TINI HOWARD & RYAN CADY • ART / COVER: CHRISTIAN DIBARI

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

That which should be bound has been freed, and that which needs to fight has been detained. Demons may have us in numbers, but God’s on our side. Our first testament ends here.

MANIFEST DESTINY #30

STORY: CHRIS DINGESS • ART / COVER: MATTHEW ROBERTS & OWEN GIENI

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

END OF STORY ARC

Sacagawea the warrior. Sacagawea the mother.

MIRROR #9

STORY / ART: EMMA RÍOS & HWEI LIM

COVER: HWEI LIM

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

Meetings and reunions link the uncertain fates of the Irzah animals to the destiny of Tekton Ninua.

THE OLD GUARD #5

STORY: GREG RUCKA • ART/COVER: LEANDRO FERNÁNDEZ

JUNE 21 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC • “PART FIVE”

Conclusion. The Old Guard falls. Literally.

THE OLD GUARD will return in 2018!

OUTCAST #29

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN • ART / COVER: PAUL AZACETA & ELIZABETH BREITWEISER

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

“UNWELCOMED”

There are certain places Outcasts just should not go. Kyle and his father have taken a huge risk.

PAKLIS #2

STORY: DUSTIN WEAVER & D.J. BRYANT • ART / COVER: DUSTIN WEAVER

JUNE 28 / 56 PAGES / FC / T+ / $5.99

A spy becomes involved with the subject of his surveillance in this issue’s short story, “An Empty Shell in the Ocean.” Then Tara heads deeper into the Shadow Zone where she battles Nerial pilots in a deadly dogfight and discovers an unbelievable binary planetary system while on her search for Amnia in “Amnia Cycle,” Part Two. And we learn just how big the galaxy is in “Sagittarius A*,” Part Three.

PAPER GIRLS #15

STORY: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN • ART: CLIFF CHIANG & MATT WILSON

COVER: CLIFF CHIANG

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $2.99

END OF STORY ARC • EXPLOSIVE END OF A STORY ARC!

It’s the end of an era as KJ, Mac, Tiffany, and Erin must do the unthinkable to escape our prehistoric past. 24 pages of story on the best paper in comics, and still only $2.99!

PLANETOID PRAXIS #5 (OF 6)

STORY / ART / COVER: KEN GARING

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Unrest in the settlement culminates in an attack on Heliocor…with lethal results!

PLASTIC #3 (OF 5)

STORY: DOUG WAGNER • ART: DANIEL HILLYARD & LAURA MARTIN

COVER A: ANDREW ROBINSON • COVER B: DANIEL HILLYARD

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

With a new girl along for the ride (who, surprisingly, is an actual living, breathing person), Edwyn continues his head-chopping rampage to save the love of his life…but the Dixie Mafia have some rather devious plans of their own.

REDNECK #3

STORY: DONNY CATES • ART/COVER: LISANDRO ESTHERREN & DEE CUNNIFFE

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

What lurks in the attic of the Bowman house? With everything going to hell for his family, Bartlett must confront the one sonuvabitch that puts fear in other vampires. And what exactly do the Bowman boys have planned for Father Landry?

REGRESSION #2

STORY: CULLEN BUNN • ART/COVER: DANNY LUCKERT & MARIE ENGER

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / $3.99

Adrian’s descent into madness and horror continues! In an attempt to rid himself of terrifying waking nightmares, Adrian agreed to undergo past life regression therapy. Now it seems that something sinister has followed Adrian back from a past life into this one!

RENATO JONES: SEASON TWO #2 (OF 5)

STORY / ART / COVER: KAARE KYLE ANDREWS

JUNE 7 / 48 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“THE FREELANCER,” Part Two

The government is burning. Corruption has taken power. Billionaires rule the world. And only one freelancer has the tools them make them “CHOKE ON THI$!”

Don’t miss part two of the largest audience to witness a comic book, period!

ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN #3

STORY / ART / COVER: KYLE STARKS

JUNE 7 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

Well, it looks like our train-jumping hobo boys have finally seen where the wheel meets the ground. This issue, we learn about the difference between bums and hobos, why Jackson is so good at fighting, and what the Literal Devil wants with our Hobo Hero. Also, yeah, as always, there’s fighting. HOBO FIGHTING.

ROSE #3

STORY: MEREDITH FINCH • ART/COVER A: IG GUARA

COVER B: JOYCE CHIN

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99

Desperate for allies, Rose and Ila look for help in the most unlikely of places. Rose confronts the truth about—and feels the burden of—her magical abilities. Can she really be some kind of savior? Meanwhile, Thorne makes a heartbreaking discovery about his own role in the future of the land.

ROYAL CITY #4

STORY / ART / COVER: JEFF LEMIRE

JUNE 21/ 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

It all falls down. The delicate balancing act that has been keeping the fragile lives of each Pike family member aloft comes crashing down. And with his past finally catching up to him, Pat’s sins are revealed, but it may be too late to make amends. The penultimate chapter of ROYAL CITY’s first storyline delivers shocking twists and heartbreaking truths.

SAGA #44

ART / COVER: FIONA STAPLES • STORY: BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

Hazel and her family search for elusive treasure: affordable healthcare.

SAMARITAN #2

STORY: MATT HAWKINS • ART / COVER: ATILIO ROJO

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

Sam kidnaps the CEO of Northlock Industries, a massive military industrial complex company that’s linked to the president, and begins her plan to take him down. She comes to terms with the fact that it may very well be a suicide mission.

SEX CRIMINALS #20

STORY: MATT FRACTION • ART / COVER: CHIP ZDARSKY

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

All good things, like sex, crime, and this arc of SEX CRIMINALS, come to an end. And this one ends with CHARACTERS doing THINGS and making CHOICES that CHANGE EVERYTHING! In terms of, y’know, the SEX CRIMINALS comic book. Everything’s still the same over in, like, Batman or whatever.

SEX CRIMINALS #20 XXX JOE QUINONES VARIANT

STORY: MATT FRACTION • ART: CHIP ZDARSKY

COVER: JOE QUINONES

JUNE 21 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $4.69

JOE QUINONES. XXX Variant. Artiste of Howard the Duck. GOD if only there was some way to turn that title into something dirty.

SONS OF THE DEVIL #13

STORY: BRIAN BUCCELLATO • ART / COVER: TONI INFANTE

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“THE NINE”

Travis must decide how far he is willing to go to save his siblings, Melissa, and his newborn son!

SPAWN #275

STORY: TODD McFARLANE • ART: SZYMON KUDRANSKI

COVER A: HICHAM HIBACHI • COVER B: B&W Variant of Cover A

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $2.99

SAM AND TWITCH ARE BACK!!!

STRAY BULLETS: SUNSHINE & ROSES #25

STORY / ART / COVER: DAVID LAPHAM

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / BW / M / $3.99

An unholy (and objectively quite icky) union leads to a massacre in a small town.

THEY’RE NOT LIKE US #18

STORY: ERIC STEPHENSON • ART: SIMON GANE & JORDIE BELLAIRE

COVER: SIMON GANE & FONOGRAFIKS

JUNE 28 / 24 PAGES / FC / M / $2.99

SERIES FINALE

Syd makes a decision with life-altering implications for everyone.

THINK TANK: ANIMAL #4

STORY: MATT HAWKINS • ART / COVER: RAHSAN EKEDAL

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / FC / T+ / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

Will WWIII start over the Russian-Estonian invasion? The incumbent president is caught in a scandal, and it looks like a religious ideologue will win the White House. How does Turkey play into the future of NATO’s plans? This could be the most prescient and frightening issue of THINK TANK so far!

THROWAWAYS #9

STORY: CAITLIN KITTREDGE • ART / COVER: STEVEN SANDERS

JUNE 14 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

END OF STORY ARC

Just as Abby, Grant, and Dean think they may have figured out Ostrander’s plan for her new crop of Alpha subjects, Dean is taken out of the equation. Grant is sidelined by Ostrander’s most powerful Alpha, and Abby and Kimiko are left to face Ostrander’s ally, Senator Ben Stark, on their own.

UNDERWINTER #4

STORY / ART / COVER : RAY FAWKES

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / M / $3.99

“SYMPHONY,” Part Four

To the sound of their own shattering souls, the quartet arm themselves for battle against an incomprehensibly evil foe.

THE WALKING DEAD #168

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN • ART: CHARLIE ADLARD, STEFANO GAUDIANO & CLIFF RATHBURN

COVER: CHARLIE ADLARD & DAVE STEWART

JUNE 7 / 32 PAGES / BW / M / $2.99

“THE ROAD’S END”

Nothing is more damaging than misplaced trust.

YOUNGBLOOD #2

STORY: CHAD BOWERS • ART / COVER A: JIM TOWE

COVER B: ROB LIEFELD • COVER C: CANAAN WHITE

JUNE 28 / 32 PAGES / FC / T / $3.99

“YOUNGBLOOD REBORN,” Part Two

The ‘Blood is back, baby! But for how long? Shaft arrives in Baltimore with a warning for the team of rookie heroes calling themselves “Youngblood,” but will it fall on deaf ears? Meanwhile, President Die Hard meets with the architects of the popular Help! app and struggles with just how far he’s willing to go to protect the country. All this, plus Badrock keeping secrets? Seriously, Badrock…already? What the hell, dude, it’s only the second issue?

ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN COMPLETE COLLECTION HC

STORY: ROBERT KIRKMAN • ART/COVER: JASON HOWARD

JUNE 28 / 656 PAGES / FC / T+ / $54.99

For the first time ever, the complete ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN is collected in one volume!

When Gary Hampton is mauled and left for dead, his life takes a drastic turn! When the moon is full, he transforms into a beast of the night—a werewolf! But this curse will not be used for evil. Witness the birth of the world’s most unlikely new superhero—The Astounding Wolf-Man!

Collects ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #1-25 and INVINCIBLE #57.

LOOSE ENDS TP

STORY: JASON LATOUR • ART / COVER: CHRIS BRUNNER & RICO RENZI

JUNE 28 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

No one seemed to notice Sonny Gibson as he stepped back into “The Hideaway,” a dusty little honky-tonk nestled off the Carolina highway. But before the night was over, Sonny would be on the run—from the law, from criminals, and even from himself. LOOSE ENDS is a gritty, slow-cooked, Southern crime romance that follows a winding trail down Tobacco Road, through the war-torn streets of Baghdad, and into the bright lights and bloody gutters of South Florida.

From JASON LATOUR, co-creator of Eisner-winning SOUTHERN BASTARDS and the writer of Spider-Gwen, CHRIS BRUNNER (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight), and RICO RENZI (Spider-Gwen, Squirrel Girl).

Collects LOOSE ENDS #1-4.

TOKYO GHOST DELUXE EDITION HC

STORY: RICK REMENDER • ART / COVER: SEAN GORDON MURPHY & MATT HOLLINGSWORTH

JULY 5 / 272 PAGES / FC / M / $39.99 / 8” x 12”

ADVANCE SOLICIT

The Isles of Los Angeles 2089: Humanity is addicted to technology. Getting a virtual buzz is the only thing left to live for, and gangsters run it all. And who do these gangsters turn to when they need their rule enforced? Constables Led Dent and Debbie Decay are about to be given a job that will force them out of the familiar squalor of LA and into the last tech-less country on Earth: The Garden Nation of Tokyo.

Presenting the full run of the smash hit TOKYO GHOST by RICK REMENDER & SEAN GORDON MURPHY in this oversized hardcover, packed with extra content, variants, designs, sketches, and bonus materials!

Collects TOKYO GHOST #1-10.

CHEW SMORGASBORD EDITION, VOL. 3 HC

STORY: JOHN LAYMAN • ART / COVER: ROB GUILLORY

JUNE 28 / 640 PAGES / FC / M / $100.00

Presenting the third and final CHEW Smorgasbord, a massive, deluxe hardcover featuring the final 20 issues of the New York Times bestselling, Harvey and multiple Eisner Award-winning series about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants. Enemies are confronted, mysteries are solved, and the body count rises so very, very high.

Collects CHEW #41-60 in addition to the blockbuster one-shots featuring everybody’s favorite homicidal rooster, WARRIOR CHICKEN POYO, DEMON CHICKEN POYO, and the dual crossover event, CHEW/REVIVAL and REVIVAL/CHEW.

CHEW SMORGASBORD EDITION VOL 3 HC Signed & Numbered

JUNE 28 / 640 PAGES / FC / M / $150.00

DESCENDER, VOL. 4: ORBITAL MECHANICS TP

STORY: JEFF LEMIRE • ART / COVER: DUSTIN NGUYEN

JUNE 21 / 120 PAGES / FC / T+ / $14.99

Tim-21, Telsa, and Quon finally escape the Machine Moon and head out on a quest to find the ancient robot who may hold the key to the Harvesters. Meanwhile Andy and his ragtag team close in on Tim, but their fragile alliance is shattered by Driller’s revelations.

A new chapter of the heartfelt sci-fi epic by superstar creators JEFF LEMIRE & DUSTIN NGUYEN begins here.

Collects DESCENDER #17-21

DRIFTER VOL. 4: REMAINS TP

STORY: IVAN BRANDON • ART / COVER: NIC KLEIN

JUNE 14 / 120 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

Ghost Town is destroyed. The planet Ouro is coming apart at the seams. But even with the world breaking around him, Abram Pollux can only think of revenge on the man named Bell Emmerich.

IVAN BRANDON & NIC KLEIN are proud to present the final chapter in their brooding sci-fi epic. All mysteries will be solved. All questions answered. All scores settled.

Collects DRIFTER #15-19

EAST OF WEST, VOL. 7 TP

STORY: JONATHAN HICKMAN • ART / COVER: NICK DRAGOTTA

JUNE 28 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

The final year of the apocalypse begins! Armies rage! Nations at War! A family fights to be reunited.

Collects EAST OF WEST #30-34

MONSTRESS, VOL. 2 TP

STORY: MARJORIE LIU • ART / COVER: SANA TAKEDA

JUNE 21 / 144 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

The Eisner-nominated MONSTRESS is back!

Maika, Kippa, and Ren journey to Thyria in search of answers to her past…and discover a terrible new threat.

Collects MONSTRESS #7-12

OCTOPUS PIE, VOL. 5 TP

STORY / ART / COVER: MEREDITH GRAN

JUNE 28 / 312 PAGES / FC / T+ / $19.99

As they watch the days of their youth roll by, Brooklynites Eve, Hanna, and friends must confront the truth about themselves—whether they’re ready to or not. The award-winning webcomic series comes to a close in this final laugh-filled, heartrending installment.

POP GUN WAR, VOL. 2: CHAIN LETTER TP

STORY / ART / COVER: FAREL DALRYMPLE

JUNE 14 / 176 PAGES / FC / T+ / $17.99

Stuck in a small town with a broken-down van, Emily goes on a walk. After following some shady characters through subterranean tunnels, she discovers three video monitors showing stories from a magical present, dreamy past, and strange future.

In this long-awaited sequel to the award-winning and critically acclaimed graphic novel POP GUN WAR: GIFT, author and creator of The Wrenchies, FAREL DALRYMPLE, revisits his world of surreal urban fantasy.

POSTAL, VOL. 5 TP

STORY: BRYAN HILL • ART / COVER: ISAAC GOODHART

JUNE 28 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

FBI Agent Chris Bremble comes face to face with Isaac Shiffron, the sociopath who gave birth to Eden, and to find the truth of the past, Bremble will have to endure Isaac’s madness. Laura puts Mark in charge of Eden to see if her son has the ability to lead a town full of criminals who don’t trust or believe in him. His mother, Maggie, and Molly all have a vision for what Mark should be…but which path will he choose?

Collects POSTAL #17-20.

SHE WOLF, VOL. 2 TP

STORY / ART / COVER: RICH TOMMASO

JUNE 14 / 96 PAGES / FC / M / $12.99

The second series of this surreal teenage tragedy veers away from season one’s main character, Gabrielle, and focuses on her younger sibling Lizzie, who becomes jaded, rebellious, and downright homicidal after her “sweet” sixteenth birthday. Not only is it her turn to come to terms with her werewolf curse, but she also learns that she has been possessed by a powerful demon.

Collects SHE WOLF #5-8.

SPREAD, VOL. 4 TP

STORY: JUSTIN JORDAN • ART / COVER: JOHN BIVENS, FELIPE SOBREIRO

COVER: KYLE STRAHM, FELIPE SOBREIRO

JUNE 21 / 128 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

Ravello, gifted with terrible new abilities by the Spread, has returned to, organize the raiders of the Quarantine Zone into something the world has never seen. No and company are pushed to the limit in the penultimate volume of the SPREAD saga.

Collects SPREAD #18-21.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, VOL. 5: IMPERIAL PHASE (I) TP

STORY: KIERON GILLEN • ART: JAMIE McKELVIE, Matt Wilson & KEVIN WADA

COVER: JAMIE McKELVIE & Matt Wilson

JUNE 7 / 144 PAGES / FC / M / $14.99

The gods are free to do whatever they want. Inevitably, they do.

Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #23-28, including the critically lauded KEVIN WADA magazine issue.

SUNSTONE 18-MONTH CALENDAR

ART: Stjepan Sejic

JUNE 7 / 20 PAGES / FC / M / $24.99

Calendar based on the New York Times bestselling erotic romantic comedy graphic novel. Show off your love for SUNSTONE with original, never-before scenes from the comic, as drawn by artist Stjepan Sejic.

11×22, spiral bound, July 2017 – December 2018

GOD COUNTRY T-SHIRT

$24.99 • unisex ringspun cotton.

Want to rep Emmett Quinlan, Valofax, and the Lone Star State? look no further than our brand new exclusive GOD COUNTRY tee!

Available now, in sizes SM-4XL!

THE WALKING DEAD TV NEGAN COLLECTIBLE ACTION FIGURE

Solid Case Pack Information: Standard 8-pack case. Refer to individual item code above when ordering. Call your local retailer for pricing.

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA SCOTT RYDER COLLECTIBLE ACTION FIGURE

Solid Case Pack Information: Standard 8-pack case. Refer to individual item code above when ordering. Call your local retailer for pricing.

GEARS OF WAR 4 MARCUS FENIX COLLECTIBLE ACTION FIGURE

Solid Case Pack Information: Standard 8-pack case. Refer to individual item code above when ordering. Call your local retailer for pricing.

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velvetstar01 · 2 years

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#scary story time with liam #scary story time with liam fan-art #sstwl #sstwl fan-art #design sstwl #design sstwl fan-art #mari #mari design #mari fan-art #john matthews #john matthews design #john matthews fan-art #hospital setting #traditional art #colored pencil #colored pencil art #fan-art

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gokinjeespot · 8 years

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off the rack #1149

Monday, January 30, 2017

It's the Chinese Year of the Rooster folks and there's a cock in the White House. We are living in interesting times indeed. I am trying my best not to get riled up by the d-bag but it's difficult. The empathy I feel for others means I cannot ignore the affect the changes have on everybody. I just hope we all get through these difficult times relatively unscathed.

I'm going to have a fun Sunday on February 5. I'll be at the Walkley Arena for the Capital Trade Show where my partner Chris and I will be flogging old comic books. Then it's Super Bowl 51 with two gun slinging quarterbacks. I am cheering for a high scoring affair.

Civil War II: The Oath #1 - Nick Spencer (writer) Rod Reis, Raffaele Ienco, Szymon Kudranski & Dono Sanchez-Almara (art) VC's Chris Eliopoulos (letters). Didn't see that coming. While it makes sense to appoint Captain America as the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (again) the surprise is that I don't think it's Steve Rogers under the mask. I don't particularly like the new political landscape that the Marvel U is headed towards but it does make for some easy enemies for the good guys to fight with. Nick put in a lot of rah, rah patriotism in this book so it was a tough slog trying to get through it but the payoff at the end is worth it.

Kamandi Challenge #1 - Part One: Dan Didio (writer) Keith Giffen (pencils) Scott Koblish (inks) Hi-Fi (colours) Clem Robins (letters) Part Two: Dan Abnett (writer) Dale Eaglesham (art) Hi-Fi (colours) Clem Robins (letters). He's the last boy on Earth and he's going on a wild adventure to find his parents. One of Jack Kirby's creations is getting a round robin of comic book creators to excite fans like never before. Each part of the story will be done by a different team that will end with a cliffhanger that the next team must find a way to resolve. I have a nagging feeling that this stunt has been done before but I can't remember when so I'm going to tag along to see who does what. I'm not a fan of Kamandi but I want to see who all are going to be involved on the creative side.

Loose Ends #1 - Jason Latour (writer) Chris Brunner (art) Rico Renzi (colours). The cover says that this 4-issue mini is a southern crime romance. They got that right. We're looking at a trailer dwelling war vet whose friend gets him mixed up in running drugs. You can expect that the vet and the friend get into a heap of trouble and they do. I like how Sonny and Rej each wind up where they do at the end of this first issue so you bet I'm going to keep reading. Not much romance so far but I'm sure Jason will get to that.

Star Wars #27 - Jason Aaron (writer) Salvador Larroca (art) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Yay Yoda. Root for him I will.

Batgirl #7 - Hope Larson (writer) Chris Wildgoose (art) Mat Lopes (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). Part 1 of "Son of Penguin" introduces Ethan Cobblepot and I don't care if there is no reference to him anywhere else in the DCU because he's going to be a great adversary for Barbara Gordon. I like how Chris draws her older than Rafael Albuquerque did. This is going to be fun.

Briggs Land #6 - Brian Wood (writer) Mack Chater (art) Lee Loughridge & Jeremy Colwell (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). I really like Grace Briggs. The risks that she is taking will hopefully keep her people safe. Brian has crafted a story fit for cable TV.

Totally Awesome Hulk #15 - Greg Pak (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Nolan Woodward (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Greg continues to feature heroes of the Asian persuasion in this story about Amadeus hanging out with Jake Oh, Kamala Khan, Cindy Moon, Shang-Chi, and Jimmy Woo. It does play on some stereotypes but I think it's okay because they're true for these guys.

Odyssey of the Amazons #1 - Kevin Grevioux (writer) Ryan Benjamin (pencils) Richard Friend (inks) Tony Washington & Tony Avina (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). This 6-issue mini has a lot of women but not a wonder one in sight. Kevin features Diana's sister Amazons in a tale worthy of Homer. If you like classic sword and sorcery, you'll like this.

Dead Inside #2 - John Arcudi (writer) Tony Fejzula (art) Andre May (colours) Joe Sabino (letters). The plot thickens like congealed blood and murder suspects start to emerge. Linda has plenty to deal with inside the prison but she's surprised when she gets home after work by a sight I did not expect to see. This mystery is crazy good.

Inhumans vs. X-Men #3 - Charles Soule & Jeff Lemire (writer) Javier Garron (art) Andres Mossa & Jay David Ramos (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). There are three more issue to this mini but it seems to me that Charles and Jeff have already come up with a solution to the Terrigen cloud that would end the war. The mutant Forge has built a machine that can collect the Terrigen gas and compress it into a solid in this issue. Wouldn't that solve the problem of the gas killing the mutants? Works for me.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #6 - Joshua Williamson (writer) Howard Porter (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). All is well that ends well. Both teams join forces to defeat Eclipso and Max Lord is at the mercy of Amanda Waller. Batman sees the light and gathers another team together to fight evil forces. Get ready for a new Justice League of America #1 hitting the racks on February 22. DC is sure spreading Bats pretty thin these days.

Skybourne #3 - Frank Cho (writer & artist) Marcio Menyz (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). The identity of the bad guy was a nice surprise. I like Frank's comic books because they're simple stories about good versus evil that are beautifully drawn.

Hulk #2 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Nico Leon & Dalibor Talajic (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Waiting for Jennifer to Hulk out is one of the things I like about the new book. She has a lot more self control than I have. The scary thing about the eventuality of her losing control is that this new Hulk will be an uncontrollable creature of rage but we'll have to wait and see what happens. Until then I'm enjoying Jen's life so far.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #13 - Robert Venditti (writer) V Ken Marion (pencils) Paul Neary & Dexter Vines (inks) Alex Sollazzo (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Now that the planet Xudar has been saved, what now? It's time for a bedtime story that's what. This is a nice interlude issue before we launch into the next story. I've been enjoying this team book now that my loyalty to the Avengers has waned. We'll see if Robert can keep me hooked with his next adventure.

Saga #42 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fiona Staples (art) Fonografiks (letters). And fade to black. No, really. It's hiatus time again but this issue didn't leaving me screaming profanities about the long wait until the next issue hits the racks. There is a new character introduced who I will be very interested to find out more about.

Doctor Strange #16 - Jason Aaron (writer) Chris Bachalo with Cory Smith (art) Al Vey, John Livesay, Victor Olazaba, & Tim Townsend (inks) Antonio Fabela & Java Tartaglia with Chris Bachalo (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Dormammu is finally going to get his chance to kill Doctor Strange after he has been weakened by his fight with the Empirikul. Jason does find a neat way to save Stephen however. The next bit of nastiness involves someone close to the Doc. Oboy.

Wonder Woman #15 - Greg Rucka (writer) Liam Sharp (art) Laura Martin (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Part 1 of "The Truth" finds Diana in a mental hospital. How she got there has yet to be explained but I'm sure I can handle it.

Punisher #8 - Becky Cloonan (writer) Laura Braga with Iolanda Zanfardino (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). That little old lady toting the double barrelled shotgun from last issue is named Ethel. She looks scary but she's not what you think. The change in art took some getting used to but it isn't bad enough to make me bench this book. I do have a couple of complaints though. If you're going to call a motorcycle a Harley, don't show what looks like a BMW logo on the gas tank. Also, draw the bad guy from the chest up when Frank says that he opened up his guts, not a full body shot that clearly shows an abdomen without any wounds at all. I don't know if the art had to be rushed after Steve Dillon passed away unexpectedly but that's just shoddy editing.

Action Comics #972 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Stephen Segovia (pencils) Art Thibert (inks) Ulises Arreola (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Trust Dan to come up with a non-violent way to stop Lex from being executed by the bad guys. It also served to show what possible futures are in store for this new Superman. DC has managed to revive my interest in this iconic character.

Daredevil #16 - Charles Soule (writer) Goran Sudzuka (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). We find out why Daredevil put out a hit on himself to lure out Bullseye. There's some soul searching this issue which leads into the next storyline. I liked how Charles sets it up.

Detective Comics #949 - James Tynion IV & Marguerite Bennett (writers) Ben Oliver & Szymon Kudranski (art) Ben Oliver, Gabe Eltaeb & Hi-Fi (colours) Marilyn Patrizio (letters). The finale of "Batwoman Begins" is a very good prelude to Batwoman's solo book which hits the racks on February 15. It looks like James and Marguerite are going to have a Raymond Reddington and Agent Keen thing going on between Kate and her dad. That's got me interested.

Infamous Iron Man #4 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Brian must have a thing for mother and son stories. He did it in International Iron Man where he introduced Tony's biological mother. Now he's showing us Victor's mom. I really do believe that Doom has reformed and I hope he stays a good guy.

Spider-Man/Deadpool: Monsters Unleashed - Joshua Corin (writer) Tigh Walker (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The boys save Toronto eh.

Thanos #3 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Mike Deodato (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's the Imperial Guard of the Shi'ar versus Thanos. A perfect opportunity to give a history lesson on the life of the Mad Titan.

Spider-Woman #15 - Dennis Hopeless (writer) Veronica Fish (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Jessica subdues the new Porcupine and finds out who put the hit out on her friend Roger. Now she's gunning for the Hobgoblin but he's protected by an army of super villains. I hope little Gerry doesn't become an orphan.

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