Mission: Comics & Art

Disney and Lucasfilm Announce New STAR WARS Animated Series STAR WARS REBELS!

Ever since it was announced that season 5 of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS was going to be the last, fans across the universe have been wondering what’s next for STAR WARS on TV and in animation. Wonder no more my young padawans because Disney and Lucasfilm have officially announced their next animated series and it sounds amazing!

STAR WARS REBELS will take place in between STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH and STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE and is said to be hugely inspired by the art of Ralph McQuarrie who designed the original trilogy. This will be the first time audiences get to see this 20+ year time span in action but it’s still unknown exactly when the series will take place within those 20 years or what characters will be the main focus.

Fans of THE CLONE WARS can rest easy knowing that the supervising director of that series David Filoni and the bulk of the creative team are returning. And if that wasn’t enough, Filoni will be joined by the talented Greg Weisman (GARGOYLES) and Simon Kinberg (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) to make sure this show is beyond awesome. It is worth noting that Kinberg will also be writing one of the “standalone” films within the newly announced trilogy along with providing his talents as a consultant to J.J. Abrams for EPISODE VII. Basically, fans can relax.

Head on over the the Official Star Wars website for the official press release and a short video introducing the project. This is a truly exciting time for STAR WARS and animation fans alike!

STAR WARS REBELS will premiere as a one-hour special on Disney XD Fall 2014 followed by a full series run on the same network. More details as they surface.

Words by Jason Furie

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THE PRIVATE EYE Digital Comic Series is a Hidden Gem Worth Your Time and Money!

Like it or not, the comic book landscape is changing. Fading are the days of scrounging up loose change from underneath the couch cushions in order to buy the newest #1 comic book at your local store featuring a special hologram cover! Instead the trend seems to be moving toward accessibility and convenience when it comes to consuming your favorite comic book adventures. Enter the digital realm. It’s no secret that we are on the dawn of a battle between print media (comic book issues, trade paper backs) and digitally downloaded versions of those same books whether they are pirated off the interweb, purchased via online markets such as Comixology, or downloaded off independent websites. What is a comic book nerd to do with all these tug-of-war options? Well, if you were to ask comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan (SAGA), I think he would say to just try them all!

Vaughan along with artist Marcos Martin (DOCTOR STRANGE: THE OATH) and colorist Muntsa Vicente (ELLA MAGAZINE) have embarked on a journey together experimenting with a new way to distribute a comic story while at the same time treating audiences to a wonderful now comic series with stellar art and storytelling. The aforementioned project is called THE PRIVATE EYE and it is something that deserves our attention. The series will be available as a digital download only via the creators website Panel Syndicate and readers can pay whatever they think is fair to get the content. That’s right, you can pay nothing or anything to get access to these stories, but the future of the project depends on us nerds shelling out at least a few bucks to keep the series running. Sounds pretty great to me!

Check out this brief synopsis to see what the THE PRIVATE EYE is all about:

It’s a detective story set in 2076, when everyone in the United States has a secret identity. Our protagonist is a member of the paparazzi, outlaw private investigators who dig up the kind of personal dirt no longer readily available through search engines. It’s a mystery with lots of masks, but no superpowers. We know how the story ends, and we think it will take about 10 issues to get there.

The first issue of THE PRIVATE EYE was released in March 2013 and garnered enough success (and money) for the creators to continue their experiment and release #2 earlier this week. I have paid, downloaded, and read both issues so far and am enjoying the series very much. Vaughan is in top form here giving readers an interesting story full of mystery, action, and intrigue complimented by the beautiful art by Martin and Munsta. No one is slacking here. Since the creators are selling the series themselves, they are free to do whatever the hell they want. There are no ads and no filters for violence, sex, and language. It’s a wonderful thing really. I highly recommend you head on over to their site (right now!) and check this project out.

You can download issues #1 and #2 right now at Panel Syndicate.

Hopefully, with our forces combined, we will be seeing THE PRIVATE EYE #3 sometime next month so stay tuned to their website!

Words by Jason Furie

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Marvel Studios Re-Acquires a Slew of Characters Including DAREDEVIL and GHOST RIDER

Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige has revealed this week through various sources and interviews that he (Marvel) has re-acquired a whole slew of important characters that could potentially be crafted into new movie franchises. Within the past year (some just this past week), Marvel has officially re-acquired the rights to DAREDEVIL, GHOST RIDER, THE PUNISHER, and BLADE. But just because these characters are once again owned by Marvel does not mean that we will be seeing film versions anytime soon. Check out what Feige had to say about the news;

“Whenever a character comes back to us, it’s usually because the other studios don’t want to make the movies anymore — and that usually means the [previous] movies may not have been particularly well received. They all have potential, but we’re not going to say, ‘We got it back — make it!’”

Considering Marvel’s recent track record, it’s safe to assume that all of these characters will be getting the re-boot treatment at some point in the near future even though it may not be as soon as some of us would like. Even still, this is pretty good news for fans.

Also, it has been rumored that Marvel has a lengthy lineup of fresh franchises in the works including treatments (and possibly completed scripts) for DOCTOR STRANGE, MS MARVEL, IRON FIST, BLACK PANTHER, POWER MAN (Luke Cage), and THE RUNAWAYS. No official announcements for these projects have been announced, but they are all worth keeping an eye on.

So while this news does not fully confirm any new film projects, it sure does boost the chances a lot. Stay tuned for more official details as they emerge.

Words by Jason Furie

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Free Comic Book Day 2013 is Upon Us!

Free Comic Book Day is the annual event that nerds across the globe look forward to each and every year. Not only is it a great way to get prospective readers into their local comic book shop, but it’s also a great opportunity to see what new and exciting books are out there featuring great stories and awesome art! Basically, Free Comic Book Day is the coolest day ever.

This year, Free Comic Book Day is on Saturday May 4th 2013 and will feature an insane amount of great free books for the general public to eagerly consume. As a general rule of thumb, comic book stores allow customers to choose 3 free books out of the wide variety available from an assortment of publishers.

For a complete list of Free Comic Book Day 2013 titles click HERE.

If you are in the San Francisco area and planning to head on over to MISSION: COMICS & ART (which you should!), you will have a whopping 33 comic books to chose from! Besides the free books, customers going to Mission: Comics & Art can expect a lot of 50 cent comic books, 20% off everything in the store (excluding gallery artwork), and a chance to win some cool prizes. Sounds like the place to go to me. Lucky for you, below is a list of what you can expect come May 4th.

BONGO FREE-FOR-ALL
(W/A/CA) Matt Groening
Bongo rings in another Free Comic Book Day with a comical cornucopia of four-color comics and games. First, Bart becomes a model citizen for a day…with disastrous results. Then, Jimbo and the gan… »
Publisher: BONGO COMICS

INFINITY
(W) Jonathan Hickman (A/CA) Jim Cheung
 »
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

ITS AN UGLY DOLL COMIC & OTHER STUFF
(W) David Horvath & Various (A) James Kolchaka & Various
Say, Friend. Do you need a hero? Then this comic isn’t for you. (Though being Ugly is a super power - “ugly” means unique!) Do you need a cookie? Then this is your book! … »
Publisher: VIZ LLC

KABOOM SUMMER BLAST (NET)
(W/A/CA) Various
An explosion of All-Ages awesomeness from KaBOOM! this Free Comic Book Day! Sure to be one of the most popular offerings this Free Comic Book Day, the KaBOOM! Summer Blast is 48 pages chock-full of… »
Publisher: BOOM ENTERTAINMENT

SESAME STREET & STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
(W) Georgia Ball, Jason M. Burns (A/CA) Amy Mebberson
On side one, Elmo, Cookie Monster, The Count and Super Grover teach you about the magic of reading comics! It’s GUARANTEED to chase the clouds away! On side two, join Strawberry Shortcake and frie… »
Publisher: APE ENTERTAINMENT

SPONGEBOB COMICS FREESTYLE FUNNIES
(W) Derek Drymon, Maris Wicks (A) Graham Annable & Various
United Plankton brings you a completely original collection of SpongeBob comics for FCBD 2013. In “Paint Misbehavin’” Squidward teaches SpongeBob and Patrick how to paint realistically—but how did… »
Publisher: UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES

SUPERMAN SPECIAL EDITION
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton #1 is a great jumping-on point for fans who can’t wait to see Warner Bros. Pictures’ Man of Steel major motion picture! This issue features the first chapter of th… »
Publisher: DC

THE SMURFS
(W/A) Peyo & Various (CA) Peyo
THE SMURFS return to Free Comic Book Day with two stories never-before-seen in the US! Gargamel has tormented the Smurfs time and time again, always vowing his revenge on the small creatures. But w… »
Publisher: NBM

WALKING DEAD SPECIAL (Net) (MR)
(W) Robert Kirkman (A/CA) Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn
This special Walking Dead issue contains a new Tyrese short story, who made his television debut in The Walking Dead Season 3! It also reprints short stories featuring Michonne, The Governor and Mo… »
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS

WORLD OF ARCHIE DIGEST
(W/A) Various (CA) TBD
Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead! The world’s most famous teenagers for over seven decades are all here in this FREE digest! Packed with non-stop laughs and gaffs that the Riverdale gang is known f… »
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS

APHRODITE IX #1
(W) Matt Hawkins (A) Stjepan Sejic
Aphrodite IX returns for Free Comic Book Day! This first free issue launches a new ongoing series of Top Cow’s fan favorite, memory challenged, green haired, questionably human heroine.&… »
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS

ATOMIC ROBO & FRIENDS
(W) Brian Clevinger (A/CA) Scott Wegener
Unanimously heralded by fans, creators, retailers and critics as the perfect first comic to give to a non-comic-reader. It’s a robotic experiment gone wrong, and only Atomic Robo’s brand of violent… »
Publisher: RED 5 COMICS

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE HULK AGENTS OF SMASH #1
(W/A/CA) TBD
It’s out action featuring the newest stars to be of Disney XD: Avengers and the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.! Featuring art pulled directly from the animated series, this sneak peek at the two… »
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS

DH STAR WARS CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT AVATAR
(W) Joshua Williamson & Various (A/CA) Ryan Hill & Various
All-ages adventure! Star Wars joins fan-favorite villains Darth Vader and Boba Fett! Then explore the upcoming Dark Horse series Captain Midnight, where the search for the missing superhero is on!… »
Publisher: DARK HORSE

TMNT NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES
(W/A) Various (CA) Dario Brizuela
Jumping from screen to page, it’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NEW ANIMATED ADVENTURES! This unique series captures the heart of the smash Nickelodeon television show with brand-new stories. Full o… »
Publisher: IDEA & DESIGN WORKS LLC

DC NATION SUPER SAMPLER #1
This super sampler is the perfect place to check out two sensational series from the DC Kids line, Beware The Batman and Teen Titans Go!, based on Warner Bros. Animation’s new animated series comin… »
Publisher: DC

HARBINGER WARS SPECIAL
(W) Joshua D. M. Dysart & Various (A) Clayton Henry & Various (CA) Clayton Crain
Everything you need to know about the Valiant Universe in 2013 happens right here this Free Comic Book Day! The critically acclaimed, best-selling comics launch of the decade throws it into high ge… »
Publisher: VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC

MASS EFFECT KILLJOYS RIPD
(W) Jeremy Barlow & Various (A/CA) Garry Brown & Various
Three blockbuster titles fill this FCBD offering! In R.I.P.D., a séance goes terribly wrong! Then, in Mass Effect, follow a flight-school grad as he breaks the rules to prove himself in space!… »
Publisher: DARK HORSE

MOLLY DANGER / PRINCELESS
(W) Jamal Igle, Jeremy Whitley (A) Jamal Igle & Various
Two complete stories! She’s Strong, She’s smart, and she’s incredibly brave. She’s the protector of Coopersville, the Princess of Finesse, the petite powerhouse known only as Molly Dange… »
Publisher: ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

RATED FREE FOR EVERYONE CROGAN ADV & MERMIN
(W) Chris Schweizer, Joey Weiser (A) Joey Weiser, Chris Schweizer
Oni Press: Rated Free for Everyone returns for 2013! Featuring two stories by two incredibly talented creators, a new Crogan’s Adventure by Chris Schweizer, and an introduction to Mermin, a new sto… »
Publisher: ONI PRESS INC.

MOUSE GUARD / RUST FLIP BOOK
(W/A) David Peterson & Various (CA) Royden Lepp, David Peterson
For Free Comic Book Day, Archaia is proud to present a square flip book containing a collection of original short stories from some of its all-ages-friendly titles! In David Petersen’s Mouse Guard… »
Publisher: ARCHAIA ENTERTAINMENT LLC

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG MEGA MAN FLIPBOOK
(W) Ian Flynn (A) Ryan Jampole & Various (CA) Ben Bates
“Worlds Collide: PRELUDE” - It’s TWO free comic books in ONE! Just in time for the start of the epic Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man crossover event, “Worlds Collide,” comes a primer issue exclusiv… »
Publisher: ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS

STRANGERS #1
(W) Chris Roberson (A/CA) Scott Kowalchuck
“The last thing you want to see is my hands.” They’re called the Strangers. They’re deadly. Dangerous. And you’ll never see them unless they want you to. But now they’ve come up against something b… »
Publisher: ONI PRESS INC.

THE TICK
(W) Jeff McClelland (A) Pietro, Duane Redhead (CA) Duane Redhead
This FCBD, NEC Press offers fans—-both old and new!—-a FULL-COLOR 32-page comic book with an ALL-NEW FULL-LENGTH Tick story! Plus exciting all-new backup features as well. “A Day at the Beach” st… »
Publisher: NEW ENGLAND COMICS

TOP SHELF KIDS CLUB
(W/A) Andy Runton & Various (CA) Rob Harrell
Here at Top Shelf, we’re celebrating FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2013 with friends old and new — the latest lineup of the Top Shelf Kids Club! This FREE comic book contains not one, not two, but SIX diffe… »
Publisher: TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

VALIANT MASTERS SHOWCASE ED
(W) Jim Shooter & Various (A) Barry Windsor Smith & Various (CA) Barry Windsor Smith
This Free Comic Book Day, dive deep into the greatest stories of the original Valiant Universe — remastered and collected together for the first time anywhere! Relive the best-selling adventures o… »
Publisher: VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC

Wow that’s a lot of great stuff to choose from. I’d say now would be a great time to scour the list above and decide what your top 3 choices are going to be. Personally I am looking forward to the new MOUSE GUARD book, The SUPERMAN book (including a sneak peek of SUPERMAN UNCHAINED), and of course the new WALKING DEAD stories that will not be reprinted in any trade paper back.

You can head on over to the MISSION: COMICS & ART facebook event page to RSVP. Happy reading!

Words by Jason Furie

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First Look at Jamie Foxx as Electro in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

We have been getting a steady stream of quality information regarding THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 including an official plot synopsis and a great look at Spidey’s new an improved costume. But the one thing fans have been dying to see is what actor Jamie Foxx (DJANGO UNCHAINED) will look like as the main super villain Electro. Will he maintain the classic green and yellow colors form his most recognized costume? Would he be wearing a big ass yellow mask with lightening bolts jutting out? Is he going to don a tight spandex suit revealing the size of his electrically-charged nether region? The answer to all of these questions is a big fat NO! Is that necessarily a bad thing? I don’t think so. I always find it interesting to see how characters can be re-imagined on the big screen and Electro is no exception. Check out the images below courtesy of Splash News.

Alright so there is really little to no trace of the classic costume we all know and love. But be honest, that would look a bit goofy compared to to tone set for the franchise. And remember, these are not official studio images, but rather, set photos of makeup before any digital manipulation. Even still, I kind of dig this new look for our main baddie and appreciate the subtle (very subtle) lightening-boltesque pattern on his body and face. The lights beaming from inside his hoodie look pretty cool too. So all of that said, I will obviously reserve final judgement until I see this bad ass moving around and in action on the big screen. How did he get that way? How does he move/fight? What does he sound like? If one thing is for sure, it’s that my curiosity has been peaked and I can’t wait to see what this character has in store for us all.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 web slings into theaters May 2nd 2014.

Words by Jason Furie

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Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Project Gets a New Title and Synopsis

For those of you who didn’t know just yet, last August ABC greenlit a pilot episode for a new show based on the Agents of S.H.I.E.I.L.D. from the hit film Marvel’s THE AVENGERS (now ranked 3rd highest film of all time). Since then, details have been hush hush except for the fact that the series would be produced and co-written by Joss Whedon (FIREFLY) and that Clark Gregg (IRON MAN) would be reprising his role as the lovable Agent Phil Coulson. 

Well it looks like things are moving along smoothly because the show is officially titled “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and even has a lengthy plot synopsis to clear up just what it’s all about.

Joss Whedon shows us not all heroes are super with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Fresh from his role in the summer’s box office smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) returns to the worldwide law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D. He puts together a small, highly trained, team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown. That team consists of straight arrow Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), an expert in combat and espionage; pilot and martial artist Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen); and brilliant if socially awkward scientists Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). They’ll be joined by civilian new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet).

Prepare for an epic adventure that showcases the hope and wonder of the human spirit. This is a world of Super Heroes, aliens and the unusual – of action, spectacle and world spanning stories. The show will speak to the human condition through the lens of our very human, non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D agents – that together we are greater than we are apart, and that we can make a difference in the world.

Executive Produced and co-written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”) and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville,” “Lost,” “Heroes”) comes Marvel’s first live-action TV series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Sounds interesting enough to me. While I am a fan of the superhero genre because of…well, superheros, it will be interesting to see a series based in Marvel’s universe without focusing on the heroes themselves. I get the feeling this show is trying to redefine just what a hero is while at the same time giving audiences bite sized tastes of the Marvel Universe in-between big blockbuster releases such as CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and THOR: THE DARK WORLD. In any case, I believe this is a pretty interesting project and I hope it gets picked up for a full season run from ABC or any other network for that matter.

Marvel’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot is due out sometime in the second half of 2013.

Words by Jason Furie

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Dark Horse Comics to adapt George Lucas’ Original STAR WARS Script

While it is still unclear as to what will happen to the STAR WARS comic book franchise now that Disney bought the rights, Dark Horse Comics is still going strong releasing stellar STAR WARS books while they still can. The latest project is arguably one of the most interesting in recent memory. Dark Horse will be putting out an 8-part mini series faithfully adapting by George Lucas’ original script for the first STAR WARS film titled “THE STAR WARS”. There are a crap ton of differences between that script and what audiences actually saw in STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE. The official press release explains what this project is all about best;

It’s no April Fools’ prank! Dark Horse is honored to announce a dream project: working with J.W. Rinzler, executive editor at LucasBooks, and artist Mike Mayhew (Avengers) to adapt the rough-draft original screenplay which spawned the biggest franchise in film history!

Three years before his 1977 film, George Lucas put down on paper his first story set in a galaxy far, far away—a tale of fantastic adventures, daring escapes, “lazer swords,” romance, and monsters. A story of Jedi Annikin Starkiller and General Luke Skywalker, an alien named Han Solo, and evil Sith Knights. The screenplay was titled The Star Wars!

“I’m not sure where I first read about The Star Wars—it was years and years ago—but the idea of Luke Skywalker being an older Jedi General, and Han Solo being a six-foot-tall lizard, turned my Star Wars fan brain on its side,” said longtime Star Wars editor Randy Stradley. “I always assumed this would be one of those stories that would be ‘lost to history,’ so getting to work on bringing it to life is kinda like a dream come true.”

“While researching in the Lucasfilm Archives I’ve found many treasures—but one which truly astounded me was George’s rough draft for The Star Wars. His first complete imaginings were hallucinating to read—mind blowing,” said writer J.W. Rinzler. “While working with George on another book project, I once asked if we could adapt his rough draft. He was hesitant. Years later, with Dark Horse’s invaluable help, we showed him a few drawn and colored pages of what it might look like. He gave us the okay.”

Originally conceived in 1974, The Star Wars has been the subject of rumor and legend in the fan community throughout the history of the galaxy far, far away. Now, Lucas has seen fit to grant Dark Horse the right to adapt this fabled story into an eight-issue comic series launching in September!

Well there you have it folks. It looks like this project is really happening even though a small part of my nerd brain still expects this to be some sort of April Fool’s joke. Numerous sources are saying that this project is real and fans really have something to look forward to tiding them over before STAR WARS EPISODE VII hit’s theaters in 2015.

The 8-part THE STAR WARS series is due out sometime in September 2013.

Words by Jason Furie

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