Back when we looked at Black Science Volume 1, I noted that Rick Remender seemed to choose drowning as a method of death in a few books. At the time He had done it recently in Uncanny X-Force as well. So during Rick Remender’s AMA 2 weeks ago, I decided to ask him about it. I didn’t think I’d get a response with how popular Remender is, but I guess I got my question in early enough: ...
At this point in my life, I’m perfectly fine with divergences among adaptations of media. Gone are the days where I demanded TV shows and books to be perfect copies of the original material. Each medium has something they do very well - for example, superhero costumes tend to work better with the suspension of disbelief of the comics medium than it does in live action - hence the X-Men costume changes for the movies. So nowadays, when I experience an adaptation, I like to enjoy it on its own as well as take note of how the property had to be adapted for the new medium. ...
Deadly Class is a very interesting story for someone like me to read. As was played for laughs in the 2012 adaptation of 21 Jump Street, the dynamics of high school cliques have changed from when Rick Remender was in high school. The TV shows and movies I grew up watching spoke to Gen X and the Boomers about how stratified school was and the tensions in finding your group. Remender ratchets this up way past 11 with Marcus ending up in a school for the children of assassins and crime families. There are literally deadly consequences to the choices of who to befriend and who to snub; what teens felt was real transmuted into reality. By the time I was in high school, 9 years after Remender, most of the rigidity of cliques had faded and even nerdom was not the curse it had been before Bill Gates and Steve Jobs became some of the richest men in America. In fact, in my high school, one of the top cheerleaders was also in my AP classes. ...
I’m working my way through the second Deadly Class hardcover in order to write a feature for this site and I have some plans to do some comparisons between the comic and the TV Show. In the meanwhile, I noticed that Image and SyFy (where the live action show is airing) have teamed up to make motion comics of the issues. The comics appear to be mostly voiced by the cast of the TV show. The “animation” reminds me of the same work that was done for the motion comic of Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men. What’s interesting is how the media landscape has changed. Essentially, through these motion comics (available for free on Youtube) Image is giving away the comic (and then some - since it’s animated and voiced), but it’s doing so as a promo for the live action TV show. Boy have the economics of comics and TV changed! Here are the first three episodes: ...
We don’t often consider single issues here at Comic POW! We prefer to look at story arcs and completed series to get a better feel for what the author and artist were trying to accomplish. However, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some comics’ first issues to predict where we think it might be going and see how that compares with where the series actually goes. This series is called “At the Beginning” and it’ll usually be for series right as they are starting up. ...
I mentioned last November that I was excited about the upcoming release of Black Science. Although I didn’t like Uncanny Avengers, I think that was more a casualty of being a flagship title that had to bear the burden of the whole Avengers vs X-Men storyline. I thought Remender had done an amazing job with Uncanny X-Force where he was allowed to do whatever he wanted because it was a title outside the constant event cycle (even thought it ended up affecting the other X-Men titles). I am happy to report that Black Science does not disappoint. At the time at which I’m writing this (a couple weeks before it’s published), I have finished reading the first six issues - which will make up the first trade
While I was on vacation last week Image Comics announced a boatload of new series coming out soon. Here they are: The Fade Out I’m not a huge fan of Ed Brubaker, but I do respect his work on Fatale. It’s going to be ending after its 24th issue and Brubaker will be working with Sean Phillips (who he also worked on Fatale with) on The Fade Out. Here’s how Brubaker describes it: The Fade Out is my ultimate noir story. It’s a brutal crime story set in late ’40s Hollywood, and all spinning around the mysterious death of an up-and-coming starlet. For people who’ve been waiting for us to return to Criminal, this will be exactly what they’re looking for, but on a much more epic scale—going from studio backlots to the debauchery of the rich and famous, and even stretching back to the horrors of World War Two. I am a fan of noir, but what’s really exciting about this announcement is how it’s shaking up the industry. Phillips and Brubaker will have full creative control and ownership of their projects at Image for the next five years. Image Comics was founded because of the Big Two having ownership of characters created while working for them. But this is an even further move. I think this new move is motivated by Thrillbent and Panel Syndicate proving that the Internet is finally coming through on its promise of no longer needing a publisher. So if publishers want to stay in business, they need to provide something above and beyond what creators can get doing it on their own. It’s an exciting shakeup that could lead to even more creative works in a space that really needs it.
I loved Rick Remender’s run on Uncanny X-Force and I enjoyed his run on Venom. He has a new series coming out 27 November that looks creepy and amazing! I can’t wait to read it! Here’s Image’s Press release: Prepare yourselves: writer Rick Remender, artist Matteo Scalera, and colorist Dean White are ready to unleash BLACK SCIENCE #1 on the world. Grant McKay, former member of the Anarchistic Order of Scientists, has deciphered Black Science and punched through the barriers of reality. Now, trapped in an infinite ocean of alien worlds, Grant must find a way to get his team home safe and intact. ...
AvX: Consequences #1 I decided to combine both Uncanny Avengers #1 and AvX: Consequences #1 because they both are dealing with the aftermath of Avengers vs X-Men. These aftermath type books aren’t anything new for Marvel. At the very least they did the same thing with Fear Itself. After the main book they had Fear Itself:Consequences or some similar mini-series where they dealt with the aftermath. And Uncanny Avengers, itself, kinda swings directly out of the events of Avengers vs X-Men. It has a team of Avengers teaming up with a team of X-Men in order to show the world that they can all work together. ...
[caption id=“attachment_470” align=“alignleft” width=“197” caption=“FF #14”] [/caption] FF #14 - This issue continues where the last one left off with the kids, Doom, and Grey Reed facing off against The Celestials. It also indirectly leads right into Fantastic Four #602. Astonishing X-Men Vol 3 #46 - The issue wavers in quality, but continues to tell a promising story. Batman: The Dark Knight Vol 2 #5 - I really came close to hating this story. It’s once again using a similar plot as a Batman issue from the same month and not doing it in a compelling way Justice League Vol 2 #5 - It’s still a middle-of-the-road book. I’m awaiting the end of this story arc. X-Men Legacy #261 - this issue does what I wish the Cyclops books (Uncanny, X-Me, etc) would do - advance the characters lives, emotions, etc in addition to having some action elements [caption id=“attachment_471” align=“alignright” width=“197” caption=“Secret Avengers #21.1”] [/caption] ...