It left me in wonder. I read it because it was called one of the Top 100 novels of the last century. Not graphic novels. Novels. I was curious how a graphic novel could end up on such a list. After reading it, I found out why. It is definitely one of the best stories I’ve read. It has so much literary merit that it required me to read pages multiple times, not only reading Moore’s fantastic writing but also paying attention to every panel’s artwork by Gibbons. Once I finished, I reread it immediately, in an attempt to discover the things I had missed on the first read, mostly how the characters’ pasts tied into their present.

Watchmen was originally published in 1986. A few years later, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons had a large falling out with DC Comics, resulting in no possibility for a prequel or sequel done by the original creative team.

As of last week, that’s changed. DC announced it will publish seven prequel series under the Before Watchmen banner. Before Watchmen is a prequel that will apparently illuminate more of the past stories of the characters in Watchmen. Among the creators involved are writers J. Michael Straczynski, Brian Azzarello, Darwyn Cooke, and Len Wein, and artists Lee Bermejo, J. G. Jones, Adam Hughes, Andy Kubert, Joe Kubert, and Amanda Conner.

Here are the titles coming out this summer:

• RORSCHACH – Writer: Azzarello. Artist: Bermejo
• MINUTEMEN – Writer/Artist: Cooke
• COMEDIAN – Writer: Azzarello. Artist: Jones
• DR. MANHATTAN – Writer: Straczynski. Artist: Hughes
• NITE OWL – Writer: Straczynski. Artists: Kubert
• OZYMANDIAS – Writer: Wein. Artist: Lee
• SILK SPECTRE – Writer: Cooke. Artist: Conner

That is one helluva line-up. I am particularly excited about Len Wein and Jae Lee on Ozymandias, J. Michael Straczynski and the Kubert family on Nite Owl, and Straczynski and Adam Hughes on Dr. Manhattan.

There are people out there who are not excited about this project though. It is controversial. Originally, Moore considered doing a prequel project like Before Watchmen but when he and DC Comics parted ways due to contractual and financial disagreement, it drove a wedge between them that has never been repaired. Some side with Moore, who doesn’t want to see other Watchmen work done if not under his control; some side with DC Comics, who paid Moore for his work in 1986 and legally own the rights to Watchmen.

Controversy aside, Before Watchmen will be the comic book event of the summer, especially with the talent gathered to write the seven titles.

The poll question is: Which Before Watchmen titles will you buy?

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for Game of Thrones #5. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin has been a bestseller now for more than a decade, and now with the HBO show, it continues to draw new readers into the fantasy genre. The comic book adaptation by Tommy Patterson and Daniel Abraham are doing the same thing, though in an entirely different medium, and their work is not going unnoticed. The first couple of issues sold out, leading to several new printings. And with Daniel handling the writing and the second season of the HBO show looming in April, I’m sure this comic book adaptation will continue on for many more months to come.

Why do I love this cover though? It captures the scene perfectly. Sansa is saddened at the loss of her direwolf Lady, already turning away from her father and sister. Arya is all sorts of angry, wanting to kill Sansa for lying. Typical siblings. Ned has nothing to say, knowing they were trapped by Cersei and uncertain if he can be the Hand of the King that Westeros needs. And all the while the king sits in the back, passive to what is occurring. The artist, Mike Miller, captured the mood of the scene and translated it into art, with Sansa torn between her old life on the right hand side of the image and what will be her new life on the left.

Here is a bit more about Game of Thrones #5:

Rating: Mature
Cover: Mike Miller
Writer: George R.R. Martin, Daniel Abraham
Artist: Tommy Patterson
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
Page Count: 32 pages

The Story: Storm clouds gather over Westeros in the fifth installment of Daniel Abraham’s gripping adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy masterpiece A Game of Thrones. A childish game gone horribly wrong pits Arya Stark against Prince Joffrey, with Sansa Stark in the middle. But behind youthful rivalries, cold-blooded political intrigue is at work as Queen Cersei uses all her wiles to blunt the influence of Eddard Stark, the Hand of the King. Meanwhile, Lady Catelyn has journeyed to King’s Landing with the blade used in the attempted assassination of her son Bran-evidence that will upset a precarious balance of power. And in Winterfell, a dying Bran takes a mystical journey . . . and faces a fateful choice.

Game of Thrones #5 is in fine comic book stores now!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

Random House has been publishing Ballantine trade paperback editions of the Garfield cartoons for over thirty years, now with more than 50 million copies in print. The first of the collections to be published digitally will be Davis’ first and second books, Garfield at Large and Garfield Gains Weight, as well as the newest collection, Garfield Brings Home the Bacon. Random House will continue to publish four Garfield eBook titles every month for the next 18 months, until the entire collection has been made available in the eBook format. Garfield has also been certified by the Guinness World Records as the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world with 200 million daily readers and more than 3.5 million fans on Facebook.

“Garfield says, ‘Why go for it when you can make it come to you?’ Very fitting in this case – wisecracks delivered right to your reading device via the Garfield comic strip books. It’s the ultimate in convenience. Garfield would definitely approve,” said Jim Davis.

“We are pleased to go digital with our extensive Garfield backlist now that there are quality color devices and EPUB3 files that make for a great reading experience. It is heartening to know that these classic books will now find a new generation of readers,” says Ryan Doherty, the editor of the collection for Ballantine Books.

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1. Who doesn’t love the original Robert E. Howard stories found in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian? Conan is one of the principle characters in fantasy literature, spanning decades and decades of readers, and immortalized in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, Conan the Barbarian. He’s also been featured in the comic book medium too over the last century, and more recently Dark Horse comics has done a great job of bringing more Conan stories to the world. Like King Conan.

Why do I love this cover though? It positively reeks of Conan. Dark. Gritty. An awful warrior’s visage to look upon. Conan is wielding two different weapons and they run with blood. His clothing is tattered. Conan undoubtedly has been on the road and seeking his fortune. The crows in the background are flying up toward Conan, as if he is above everything in the world. I also love the color scheme of the piece—creating a mood that is entirely the Cimmerian’s own.

Here is a bit more about King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1:

Writer: Tim Truman
Artist: Tomás Giorello
Colorist: José Villarrubia
Cover Artist: Andrew Robinson
Publication Date: January 25, 2012
Format: FC, 32 pages
Price: $3.50

The Story: First hailing Conan as a liberator after he annihilated Aquilonia’s foes on the battlefield, common folk and politicians alike now rally to unseat the Cimmerian from his stolen throne. Conspirators plot to kill King Conan and take the crown for themselves, but their schemes pale in comparison to a terror waiting quietly in the wings–Thoth-Amon, an enemy who has haunted Conan his whole adult life and whose wicked aspirations dwarf those of maneuvering politicians!

• Conan’s greatest foe returns!
• Based on Robert E. Howard’s first Conan story.

King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1 is in fine comic book stores now! Here is a seven-page excerpt!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for Amazing Spider-Man #678. I love future tales set in the Marvel universe. It’s always great fun to see my favorite characters in the future—where usually dystopian life is hard and death comes swiftly. My favorite, Days of Future Past, featured the X-Men. Now Spider-Man seems to be getting a quick, two-issue future story titled I Killed Tomorrow where New York has been destroyed and it’s the webslinger’s fault!

Why do I love this cover? It’s a simple piece that tells you a lot. Love how the Daily Bugle newspaper is drawn with the skyline of New York in the negative space. Love the rain pouring down, setting the miserable mood of the city. And I love Peter Parker’s hand reaching up, his Spider-Man costume shredded and bloodied, the superhero obviously reduced to crawling along the street.

Here is a bit more about Amazing Spider-Man #678:

Written by DAN SLOTT
Art by HUMBERTO RAMOS and VICTOR OLAZABA
Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO
Orig. Published: January 18, 2012
Imprint: MARVEL UNIVERSE
Rating: T+
Format: Comic
UPC: 5960604716-67811
Price: $3.99

The Story: New York City is destroyed because of Spider-Man! A glimpse of the future leaves Spider-Man with 12 hours to figure out how to stop it from happening.

Amazing Spider-Man #678 is in fine comic book stores now!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

According to our friends at Dark Horse, Jack the Ripper will be the next historical figure to get the horror mash-up treatment. The comic book publisher said yesterday that a movie based on Cole Haddon’s and M.S. Corley’s 2011 limited run comic series The Strange Case of Mr Hyde is on track to development. In a storyline reminiscent of The Silence of the Lambs, Scotland Yard investigator Thomas Adye is forced to seek the deranged insights of imprisoned madman Dr. Henry Jeckyll in order to stop a serial murderer on the prowl in Whitechapel.

In an interview with Newsarama, Haddon said that he had planned the story for movie adaptation from its earliest days, and that the comic book and script had been written about the same time. While further details about the movie are thin on the ground, The original four issues of the comic have been collected for a trade paperback release in February. Check out a preview at the publisher’s website.

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for Carnage, U.S.A. #2. Carnage has been around since March 1991, when the spawn of Venom’s symbiote attached itself to the serial killer Cletus Kasady. After many adventures, several supposed deaths, and a six-year hiatus, Carnage has returned, taking hostage an entire town and forcing the Avengers—Wolverine, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Captain America and The Thing—to confront him. It doesn’t go well for the Avengers, as you can imagine…

Why do I love this cover though? It’s the new play on old artwork. Artist Clayton Crain takes the propagandic image of Uncle Sam and twists it using evil Carnage. It’s a gorgeous rendition, with Carnage pointing at the comic book reader and saying, “We want you.” And in the midst of the United States Republican primaries and the upcoming Presidential election, this image becomes even more ironic in my opinion! Love it!

Here is a bit more about Carnage, U.S.A. #2:

Writer: Zeb Wells
Artist: Clayton Crain
In Stores: January 11, 2012
Format: Comic
UPC: 5960607699-00211
Price: $3.99

The Story: THE AVENGERS HAVE FALLEN TO CARNAGE! Only Spider-Man remains – but can he stop Carnage before the United States Government make a devil’s pact…with symbiotes?! Zeb Wells & Clayton Crain continue one town’s fight to survive madness in POPULATION: DIE!

Carnage, U.S.A. #2 is in fine comic book stores now!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for Action Comics #5. I have been immensely enjoying several titles from the DC Comics relaunch five months ago. Action Comics is one of them. Put writer Grant Morrison on a book and I am reading it. So far he’s done a brilliant job with this current incarnation of the Man of Steel and how he arrives to be the superhero we all know and love.

Why do I love this cover though? The story of Kal-El’s rocket departure from the exploding Krypton is one of the most important in Superman’s life, a scene that that has been done numerous times over the last seventy-four years. In this cover, great artist Andy Kubert tackles the iconic moment that changed Kal-El’s life forever, capturing the power of the dying planet, creating a simple but cool looking spaceship, and putting the baby right in the middle of it. I especially like the positioning of Kal-El’s baby blanket, the “S” shield, and how the baby’s hands are up as if he is taking flight already. It’s a solid cover by Kubert and highlights one of the most important moments in comic book history.

Here is a bit more about Action Comics #5:

Written by GRANT MORRISON; Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH; Art by ANDY KUBERT and JESSE DELPERDANG; Backup story art by CHRISCROSS; Cover by ANDY KUBERT and JOE PRADO; Variant cover by RAGS MORALES; 1:200 B&W Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT

The Story: As the assault from an alien threat takes a turn for the worse for Metropolis, keys facts about Superman’s past are brought to light for the first time! And how can certain elements from The Man of Steel’s future help to prevent the theft of the millennium? Don’t miss this awesome issue from series writer Grant Morrison and the guest art team of Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang!

DC Universe | 40pg. | Color | $3.99 US

On Sale January 4, 2012

Action Comics #5 is in fine comic book stores now!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

Every week, I’ll be bringing you a comic book cover that I feel eclipses others out there—to the point I might just have to own it!

The BadAss Comic Book Cover for this week is for The Incredible Hulk #3. When I read that Marc Silvestri, one of my favorite artists, would be taking over the pencil duties on a Hulk title, I was excited. Silvestri’s style is so dynamic and, given his elevated status as a great penciller, he usually only works with great writers. That meant the book would be worth checking out.

Then I discovered that Bruce Banner and his Hulk alter ego would be split. Even more intriguing!

Why do I love this cover though? The power of the characters and their relationship to one another. The Hulk is an icon but so is Bruce Banner. Since the two have been split apart and their animosities for one another clear, I knew when Banner and Hulk were featured in the same panel that the shit would be hitting the proverbial fan. It does in this cover. Silvestri features a powerful Hulk, gripping a beaten Banner, the scene filled with rage and pain. Banner’s broken glasses in the foreground correlate to the scientist’s broken form, giving the whole cover an eerie reality.

Here is a bit more about The Incredible Hulk #3:

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Marc Silvestri
Orig. Published: December 21, 2011
Imprint: MARVEL UNIVERSE
Format: Comic
UPC: 5960607292-00311
Price: $3.99

The Story: Experience the explosive finale to Jason Aaron and Marc Silvestri’s first arc of INCREDIBLE HULK! It’s all come down to this – Banner’s genetically altered, gamma irradiated beasts vs. the Jade Giant. Three monsters enter, and only one side can emerge victorious. With a powerhouse army at Banner’s disposal, Hulk must seek out Amanda Von Doom for help! But in doing so – his destiny will be forever changed. No fan can miss out on the Earth shattering conclusion of Asunder in INCREDIBLE HULK #3!

The Incredible Hulk #3 is in fine comic book stores now!

More next Saturday! In the meantime, go visit your local comic book store…

Last night, I watched the first seven minutes of The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final installment of the Christopher Nolan Batman films. I was immediately reminded how powerful a storyteller Christopher Nolan is. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are two of my favorite movies of all time, so to watch the opening scene from the 2012 movie gave me goosebumps and made me all the more excited.

Today, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have released the first full-length trailer for The Dark Knight Rises. To watch the new trailer, click HERE!

It opens up more questions than answers though. There is the obvious literary nod to our current “We are the 99%” Occupy movements, something that Nolan must have tapped into long before Occupy Wall Street actually began. I love how Tom Hardy portrays and voices Bane, and Anne Hathaway, in her one scene in the trailer, absolutely nails the sexuality and raw anger of Catwoman. But will this movie have a story that is as grandiose as the previous two films? That’s the question.

As of right now, I have to put my trust in Christopher Nolan. He hasn’t let me down yet. From his work on Batman, to The Prestige, and to last year’s Inception, the man can do no wrong in my opinion. Therefore I am giddy to watch more of his work and The Dark Knight Rises.

The poster above is also a piece of artwork. Love how Bane is pictured but, more importantly, how Batman’s mask is broken. It alludes to the breaking of the Bat we saw in the comic books and how Gotham’s villains are responding to the Caped Crusader. Just a gorgeous poster.

Summer 2012 can’t get here fast enough!