Slave Labor Graphics has three graphic novel/comic book collections available from their popular Gargoyles comic book series (based, of course, on the Disney TV series Gargoyles). Clan Building Volume 1 collects issues #1 through #6 of the full-color Gargoyles comic. The plot directly follows the events of the original Gargoyles TV series, while ignoring the events of the later Gargoyles: Goliath Chronicles TV series [long story — ye Ed-otter]. It also features an introduction by Elfquest creator Wendi Pini. Clan Building Volume 2 collects issues #7 and #8 of the comic book series along with the not-yet-published issues #9 through #12. One of those issues, #10, was illustrated by Greg Guler, the original character designer of the TV series. Meanwhile there’s the spin-off comic book series Gargoyles: Bad Guys, now collected in a trade paperback edition that brings together the first four-issue mini-series as well as two un-published issues that complete the story. “Five of the toughest villains in the Gargoyles Universe: Hunter – member of a Scottish family of gargoyle-slayers; Dingo – Australian mercenary and charter member of the deadly Pack; Matrix – a nanotech hive-mind artificial intelligence that came very close to destroying the Earth; Yama – a Japanese gargoyle who betrayed his own clan, and Fang – the mutate who would be king. Take this quintet of felons and force them to work on the side of the angels. It may be hard to believe, but these Bad Guys are the best hope we’ve got!” Bad Guys features black & white art by fan-favorites Korine Charlebois and Stephanie Lostimolo. Both Clan Building and Bad Guys were written by Gargoyles series-creator Greg Weisman. You can see previews and order Gargoyles merchandise (like t-shirts and TV series DVD’s) at the Gargoyles Comics web site.
Comic Books
Peter Laird Speaks!
The June 2009 issue of Previews magalog featured an interview with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Peter Laird. Among other things, they asked him “What are you reading?”. Here’s what Peter had to say: “I don’t read many comics these days, but the two that stick out are Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai and Runners by Sean Wang. UsagiYojimbo has been around as long as the Turtles, and Stan Sakai has performed the admirable feat of doing it all himself for the last twenty-five years, and just getting better at it as he continues. I’d say Usagi Yojimbo is pretty much the gold standard for serious anthropomorphic comics. [Might have something to do with why it won the Ursa Major Award for Best Anthropomorphic Comic Book for five years running — Ye Ed-Otter] Runners is a much younger book — I think Sean Wang has only been doing it for the last decade or so — and it doesn’t come out on a regular basis. But when it does, I eagerly read it, as it combines great, detailed art with a very clever science fiction storyline. [Visit Sean’s web site to find out more.] At the risk of sounding self-serving, there’s another book (published by Mirage Studios) that, in my opinion, is worth checking out — Tales of the TMNT. It’s not a series with an ongoing continuity like my TMNT comic, but rather a more free-ranging exercise in which pretty much each issue is a single story. This series features a wide array of different artists and writers, some Mirage veterans, and others new to the business. It’s an exciting mix.” So says one of the originals, folks.
Digger the Gopher
In honor of the Daytona 500, Fox Sports and IDW Publishing recently teamed up to give everyone’s favorite animated NASCAR mascot his own full-color comic book mini-series. Digger and Friends #1 (by Jack Brigio and Diego Jourdan) finds the race-loving gopher, his family, and friends in high adventure at high speed… trying to out-race speeding tickets! You can find the comic book and a whole lot more Digger merchandise at the official NASCAR Store.
It’s a Blast from the Past! Run Away!!
About Comics brings us the first graphic-novel complilation of the original black & white Weasel Patrol comics by Ken Macklin and Lela Dowling. Premiering as a back-up comic in the science fiction comic Fusion (itself very popular with furry fans) back in the 1980’s, The Weasel Patrol follows the insane adventures of “Willie, Leroy, and the other genetically altered weasels who work as an amazingly incompetent yet surprisingly effective force against the criminal elements among us”. Eventually the weasels graduated to their own (short-lived) comic title, before they finally rode off forever into the universe. Now all of their original adventures (long and short tales, as it were) are collected here in one soft-cover book. Never forget: Protect! Serve! Run away!
Mice Templar: Destiny
Image Comics bring us a brand new story arc for Michael Avon Oeming’s popular mouse-knight series. Mice Templar: Destiny follows the adventures of the newly-knighted mouse Karic. With the Templar fallen and the natural world in the grip of tyrants and ever-increasing chaos, Karic is desperate to complete his training and save his family from slavery. This new full-color monthly series is brought to us by Michael Avon Oeming, Bryan Glass, and Victor Santos.
Bun Buns!
Radio Comix/Sin Factory have a new adults-only black & white release that we learned about on line: Bun Buns #1.
“They’re rascally, they’re raunchy — they’re rabbits! This all-new special from the Genus alumni features nothing but bunnies doing what they do best, and all focusing on the derriere! Sexy stories and art spotlighting bushels of backdoor action featuring straight couples, gay couples, and everything in-between.”
Bouncing buns of all persuasions by AnimeCat, Karno, Bellamy, Blackberry, Gibson, D.A.Q., Giles, Harlan-Stein, Howell, Palmer, Paperbag, Rosales, Smith, Williams, and XianJaguar, with a cover by Yamaneko-Ya. Ask your local comic dealer about it.
In Space, no one can hear you howl.
Werewolves on the Moon versus Vampires. Now tell us you don’t stand up and take notice of a title like that? Dark Horse Comics certainly hopes you do, as they present a brand-new full-color 3-issue miniseries by Matt and Shawn Fillbach, Dave Land, and Dan Jackson. A group of American werewolves (who aren’t such bad fellows, actually) sneak their way into the first permanent lunar colony… just as a group of nasty vampires are trying to take over! Now it’s an all-out monster battle on the moon, with ordinary humans caught in the middle. Of course, some of them are well-armed and in no mood to give up easily…
In case the younger furries missed it…
DC Super Friends issue #14 brings us a new adventure with the Super Pets (in full color of course). It’s written by Sholly Fisch, with pencils by none other than Scott Shaw! and Mike Kazaleh. When the Justice League is trapped in a paralyzing force-field created by the evil alien overlord known as Kanjar Ro, it’s up to Ch’p the squirrel Green Lantern and a cadre of super-pets — including Krypto the super-dog, Ace the bat-hound, Beppo the super-monkey, and more — to save the day.
Not to be outdone, Marvel Comics has brought us Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, a new 4-issue full-color comic miniseries by Chris Eliopoulos, Ig Guara, and Chris Sotomayor. Lockjaw, the magical transporting canine of The Inhumans, discovers the existence of power crystals that evil forces intend to use for galactic conquest. He gathers a group of well-know animals from Marvel Comics to help him retrieve the crystals first — among them Ka-Zar’s sabertooth cat Zabu; Lockheed, the alien dragon from various X-Men series; Throg; a frog who looks and acts like The Might Thor; and Redwing, Falcon’s hawk companion.
Re-Live the Turtles’ Early Days
Archie Comics has reprinted the first three full-color issues of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (written and drawn by Michael Dooney) in a new trade paperback. This is the comic based on the first TMNT animated TV series from the 1980’s — we know, we know, it’s hard to keep track of which is what in the Ninja Turtle universe! Just remember that this is the series where Master Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, mutated, rather than being Yoshi’s vengeful pet rat.
