Comic Book News

DC’s Justice League Takes Over The Cereal Aisle!

General Mills Partners with DC’s Custom Creative Studio + Advertising Team for New Cereal Box Artwork and Original Comics

DC Entertainment’s Custom Creative Studio + Advertising team is bringing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League to the cereal aisle through a new partnership with General Mills featuring six Big G cereals. The new promotion features an all-star line-up of comic talent, bringing Big G characters to life dressed as members of the Justice League on the cereal box covers, including:

–          Honey Nut Cheerios’ BuzzBee as BATMAN with art by Dave Johnson

–          Lucky Charms’ Lucky the Leprechaun as GREEN LANTERN with art by Joe Quinones

–          Cocoa Puffs’ Sonny the Bird as THE FLASH with art by Karl Kerscher

–          The Trix Rabbit as SUPERMAN with art by Amanda Conner

–          Multi Grain Cheerios featuring WONDER WOMAN on the cover with art by Neal Adams

–          Cinnamon Toast Crunch (available exclusively in Family Size)  featuring the Crazy Squares as AQUAMAN, CYBORG, and GREEN LANTERN with art by Tony Daniel

DC fans will want to collect all of the cereal boxes to piece together a Justice League five-part mural on the back of each box penciled by Ivan Reis with inks by Joe Prado and colors by Marcelo Maiolo. Plus, each box will include one of four original, custom comic books featuring DC’s Justice League characters. The four original, 24-page comics from DC’s Custom Creative Studio include:

–   SUPERMAN: POWER PLAY written by Tony Bedard, penciled by Jerry Ordway

–   BATMAN: DARK REFLECTIONS written by Fabian Nicieza, penciled by Rick Leonardi

–   WONDER WOMAN: TRUTH HURTS written by Ivan Cohen, penciled by June Brigman

–   AQUAMAN: ALIEN JUSTICE written by Tony Bedard, penciled by Tom Grummett

“We’re excited to bring DC’s Justice League to a broad new audience on the cereal aisle with Big G,” stated Kelly Li, DC Custom Creative + Advertising. “This is just another example of how our team can bring top notch comic talent together to tell original stories with DC characters and organically incorporate top tier brands like General Mills.”

DC’s promotion with General Mills is part of a larger, ongoing partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and is the latest innovative campaign from DC’s Custom Creative Studio, following last year’s KFC: THE COLONEL CORPS custom comic receiving critical acclaim and an Ad Age A-List & Creativity Award nomination. 

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: MILLENNIUM #1

Writer: Sylvain Runberg
Artist: Jose Homs
FC • 64pp • $5.99
On Sale: June 28, 2017

Facing prison time for libel, discredited journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired by a a reclusive industrialist to investigate an unresolved family disappearance. Aided by the mysterious computer hacker, Lisabeth Salander, the two soon discover a brutal trail of murder, deception and dark secrets. 

Titan Comics is pleased to share with you the first lettered pages from ANNO DRACULA #1 – an all-new comic mini-series based on the best selling ANNO DRACULA novels, written by creator Kim Newman with art by Paul McCaffrey (The Third Doctor). 

Take a bite out of this exciting new comic series on 22 March, 2017! 

The Anno Dracula series depict an alternate 19th-century history where the characters of Bram Stoker’s Dracula fail to prevent Count Dracula’s subjugation of Great Britain, creating a world where vampires are living amongst humans and a central part of society. 

Titan Comics’ brand-new Anno Dracula #1 comes with some spectacular variant covers to collect from top industry artists including; Paul McCaffrey, Tom Mandrake (The Mummy), Brian Williamson (The New Avengers), Jeff Zornow (Halloween), and Mike Collins (Batman) as well as a special Forbidden Planet / Jetpack Comics variant cover by Ben Oliver (Justice League, Batman/Superman). 
 

Anno Dracula #1 hits comic stores and digital platforms on March 22, 2017 and is available to order from January Diamond PREVIEWS now. 

ANNO DRACULA #1

Writer: Kim Newman 

Artist: Paul McCaffrey

Colorist: Kevin Enhart 

FC • 32pp • $3.99 On sale: March 22, 2017 
1895. Prince Dracula has ruled Great Britain for ten years, spreading vampirism through every level of society. On the eve of Dracula’s Jubilee, radical forces gather to oppose the tyrant. Kate Reed, vampire journalist and free-thinker, takes a seat on the revolutionary Council of Seven Days, though she learns that the anarchist group harbors a traitor in its midst. The Grey Men, Dracula’s dreaded secret police, have been ordered to quash all resistance to the rule of the arch-vampire. With intrigue on all sides, the scene is set for an explosive addition to the Anno Dracula series.

COVER B: TOM MANDRAKE (Order code: JAN171978)

COVER C: BRIAN WILLIAMSON (Order code: JAN171979)

COVER D: JEFF ZORNOW (Order code: JAN171980)

COVER E: MIKE COLLINS (Order code: JAN171981)

COVER: BEN OLIVER (FORBIDDEN PLANET / JETPACK COMICS VARIANT)

COVER: BEN OLIVER (“PHOENIX EVENT EXCLUSIVE” FORBIDDEN PLANET / JETPACK COMICS VARIANT) 

KAIJU EPIC! is the newest title from publisher Big Dog Ink, and a pet project for lead writer, Tom Hutchison. Kaiju Epic! is grounded in the campy, fun-loving genre of the giant monster, such as Godzilla or Gamera, but this particular story also adds a bit of “real” kaiju to the mix, as well as legends of the end of days from around the world. Readers will find monsters they may have heard of, like the Kraken or even Quetzalcoatl, roaming the pages of Kaiju Epic!, but there will also be all-new monsters created just for this series.
Kaiju Epic! will be a 5 volume series each with two separate stories. These stories will take place on opposite ends of the globe and give a real feeling of the end of the world, rather than the destruction of a specific city. Tom is joined by co-writer Kari Castor. Kari is known to BDI fans as one of the writers of the hit mini-series, Shahrazad. 

Kaiju Epic! is no standard comic book, either! This is a huge 48 page monster sized comic book!
Tom’s story takes place in both China and the South America, specifically the Gulf of Mexico, where Bermeja Island has reappeared in the Gulf after being lost for decades. In China, a dragon headed tower has been unearthed, and it carries with it a strange connection to Bermeja and the rock concert that is planned to take place there.
Kari’s story takes place in London, England and follows a group of friends who have a tendency to dabble in eco-politics and animal protection. But this group is forced to re-evaluate their stance when something from legends of old appears and begins to shake London to the ground!
The overarching story is based on the Hopi Indian’s stories of the cycles of man and the Purifier. These stories will blend with other cultures “end of days” myths and allow us to see mankind as a whole struggling with the kaiju destruction of the planet. Kaiju Epic! will also mix genre tropes along the way by taking giant monsters, ancient gods and rock & roll and tossing them into the story blender to create something that is unique, relatable and fun.
The Kickstarter campaign will launch February 18th, during the AZ Eventure Con in Phoenix Arizona. Exclusive covers will be available in limited editions, as well as digital editions and art prints.
Writers: Tom Hutchison

Artists: Renato Rei and CB Zane

Cover Artists: Renato Rei, CB Zane, Rob Duenas, Samantha Sawyer and Matt Frank.

Colors: Ceci de la Cruz

Letters: HDE

Logo: Kel Nuttall

BURBANK, Calif. (February 1, 2017) — Josie and the Pussycats add a little spice to the sweet classic pop song “Sugar, Sugar” with the performance of a newly recorded cover version airing during the Thursday, February 2, episode of The CW’s acclaimed new drama seriesRiverdale (9:00–10:00 p.m. ET/PT). Featuring lead vocals by series star Ashleigh Murray (Josie), the recording is a cover of the 2009 single “Candy Girl (Sugar Sugar)” by Inner Circle featuring Flo Rida, which was itself inspired by the iconic hit 1969 song “Sugar, Sugar.”

A video for the 2017 version of “Candy Girl (Sugar Sugar),” set during a Riverdale football pep rally and accompanied by a choreographed routine from the River Vixen cheerleading squad led by Cheryl Blossom, debuted online today, featuring additional footage not seen in the show.

In addition to the lead vocals by Ashleigh Murray, the new “Candy Girl (Sugar Sugar)” cover features backing vocals by guest stars Asha Bromfield (Melody) and Hayley Law (Valerie), who play the Pussycats, as well as series star Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl Blossom).

Executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said: “The hit song ‘Sugar, Sugar’ has always been a huge part of Archie’s history, so we knew we had to include it in Riverdale in some way. Since Archie’s just starting his musical journey when we meet him, we thought it would be a fun reinvention to have Josie and the Pussycats perform an updated version of ‘Sugar, Sugar’ — with an assist from Riverdale High’s cheerleaders and resident mean girl Cheryl Blossom.”

Series star Ashleigh Murray said: “As if stepping into the shoes of a fiery icon like Josie wasn’t enough, I was gifted the opportunity to reimagine and rock out on the classic ‘Sugar, Sugar.’ And boy, was it sweet.”

Originally performed by The Archies, a group of fictional teenager characters from the Archie Comics–inspired television series The Archie Show, the song stayed at #1 for four weeks on theBillboard 100 chart in 1969, topping songs by the Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, Elvis Presley and The Beatles, among others.

The original “Sugar, Sugar” was written by Andy Kim and Jeff Barry, and featured lead vocals by Ron Dante. The Inner Circle featuring Flo Rida version was written by Andy Kim, Jeff Barry, Bernard Harvey, Ian Lewis, Roger Lewis and Tamar Dillard.

Based on the characters from Archie Comics and produced by Berlanti Productions (The Flash, Supergirl, Blindspot, Everwood) in association with Warner Bros. Television, Riverdale is a bold, one-hour drama that offers a subversive take on the surreality of small-town life. The series stars are KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Marisol Nichols, Madelaine Petsch, Ashleigh Murray, with Mädchen Amick and Luke Perry. Greg Berlanti, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater are the executive producers.

On February 15, THE WILD STORM, DC’s newest pop-up imprint curated by Warren Ellis, will debut with it’s flagship title of the same name. The series will be written by Ellis with art by Jon Davis-Hunt

‘INJUSTICE 2’ PREQUEL COMIC BOOK SERIES SET TO LAUNCH APRIL 11

DC Taps Critically Acclaimed Artist Bruno Redondo to Spearhead Digital First Comic and Adds Artist to Growing Talent Roster

DC Entertainment revealed today all-new details for the highly anticipated INJUSTICE 2 comic book series inspired by the upcoming videogame. Set to make its digital debut on April 11, Injustice fans can dive into the earth-shattering universe before the game launch via the prequel comic, which will debut new chapters every week. DC also announced that fan favorite artist Bruno Redondo will join series writer Tom Taylor as the book’s lead artist.

Redondo previously worked with Taylor on the hugely successful Injustice: Gods Among Us comic book series in 2013 and has recently reached an agreement with DC to create comic book content solely for the company’s DC and Vertigo imprints.   

“Returning to INJUSTICE and working with Tom again feels like a homecoming,” said Redondo. “Much of the work I’m most proud of is what Tom and I did during the first comic and it feels great to come back. Tom is one of my favorite writers and one that I enjoy working with the most. We have a similar understanding of the characters, the drama and the humor, which I think helped make the first series so successful. Working in the Injustice universe allows us to do so many things we’re unable to do in any other comic and I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store for INJUSTICE 2.”

“I am so excited to continue working with Bruno Redondo. He’s a good friend and an incredible talent,” said Taylor. “I think Bruno ‘gets’ me as well as any artist ever has. We compliment each other well, and Bruno lifts INJUSTICE up with every stroke of his pen. As a former theatre director and performer, my main focus is always on how well our characters ‘act’ on the page. Bruno brings so much emotion to the page, nailing the low points and the high. His characters breathe, and he’s just as comfortable delivering big action and shocks as he is with my ridiculous humor.”

In addition to interiors, Redondo will also provide cover artwork for the series including one of the first covers revealed today by DC. Other artists tapped to contribute to INJUSTICE 2 include Juan Albarran (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US), Daniel Sempere (ARROW:  THE DARK ARCHER), Mike Miller (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US) and many more to be announced.

The prequel comic book storyline will look to bridge the gap between the first Injusticevideogame and the upcoming Injustice 2 game that debuts in May 2017. Taylor previously noted, “Our overarching goal is to tell one complete story between the comics and the games. There are a lot less ‘Gods Among Us’ in INJUSTICE 2 than when we started our story, but we hope to join Batman and the world’s finest Super Heroes in cleaning up the mess an evil Superman and his regime left behind.”

Following the digital launch, DC will also offer the INJUSTICE 2 comic as a twice-monthly print periodical beginning in May.

About Injustice 2 Video Game

The Injustice 2 videogame is the super-powered sequel to the hit game Injustice: Gods Among Us. The newest game in development from the award-winning NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment features a massive roster of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains and allows players to build and power up the ultimate version of their favorite DC characters. Injustice 2 will be available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One on May 16, 2017.

January 5, 2017) Get a kung-fu grip on yourself as Geof Darrow’s blood-spattered killing machine the Shaolin Cowboy returns this April in a new four-issue mini-series to be published by Dark Horse Comics. The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign? will be written and illustrated by Darrow, who has won the Inkpot Award and won (and lost) multiple Eisner Awards, and colored by the Eisner Award-winning Dave Stewart. The first issue will have a main cover by Darrow and Stewart and a variant cover by the award-winning Frank Miller, Darrow’s co-contributor on Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty. In The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign?, the titular hero of the series finds that his road to hell is paved not with good intentions but old nemeses hell bent on bloody revenge.

“To say that Geof Darrow is unique is a bit of an understatement. I think he’s just plain brilliant.”—Mike Mignola