It comes as little surprise that some of the best loved and oft re-visited works of literature are solidly based in the realms of fantasy. From A Midsummer’s Night Dream to Lord of the Rings there is something hugely appealing about taking our imaginations into the lands of vibrant, idyllic, fantasias. In this genre there is perhaps no creation as well known or as frequently re-interpreted as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (1898 edition) First published...

This week we’re going to take a look at a twin pack from the “Secret Wars” Marvel Universe line. This two-figure pack, (or as Hasbro likes to call it, this “twin pack”) is of Hawkeye & Piledriver. Im not going to bullshit you, I got this pack because I wanted a Hawkeye figure, I don’t really give a shit about Piledriver. It also comes with a reprint of Secret Wars #9, but neither Hawkeye nor Piledriver show up in that issue. Well, now on with the review. Please note this review is for both figures, so I will...

This Saturday, February 27th. will be the opening reception for the exhibition Curiouser and Curiouser: Inspired by Alice In Wonderland at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA. Over 40 artists from the worlds of illustration, comics, production design and more will have new pieces on display featuring their interpetations of characters and imagery from the classic book. Work used in the production of the upcoming Tim Burton Alice In Wonderland film will be seen as well. Please note that the film related work will be on display opening...

This pick of the week podcast is a hoot and a half as Sheldon and Dana talk you through the noteable comics from the week of February 17th. But where are our French Captain and our British Bobby? Well, I should probably tell you they have the Clam…that’s like the Clap but way worse. We’ll tell you more about the torrid affair that led to our boys’ ailment and try to fill the gaping hole in your hearts that in creates. This week, Sheldon talks all about the wonders of Vibranium and how the Marvel Universe is obsessed...

Hey Impactees! This past weekend Simon and I (Dana) took a trip to the 2010 Long Beach Comic Expo.  It was a smaller event but we found a lot of great people to talk to including site favorite J.T. Krul. The video below has part 1 of a 2 part interview I did with him about all of his upcoming projects. Press play to see us discuss J.T.’s upcoming work for DC comics, including this Wednesday’s Blackest Night: Green Arrow! Find out what other future classic DC comics J.T. has in the works and hear from the man himself...

The other day Me, and Dana went to the Long Beach Comic Expo. You may remember, in October, we did our 100 episode from there. Well this time around they had a one day event. So comic book fans, do you remember the days of San Diego Comic Con before the video games, Manga, Hollywood and the rest of the shit that has nothing to do with us die hard comic fans? Yeah remember those days when  you can walk around and see some of your favorite artists? Well the Long Beach Comic Expo was just like that. We got to see some of our...

Last month we started a new feature here at Comic Impact, The ComicImpact Store Spotlight. Every month we will turn our magnifying glass on a local store (local can mean local for you the comic fan as well!). We then contact the owner  and ask a few questions and even throw some pictures up on the site!! Sweet! Right? Well wait it gets better. We also decided that every POW(PICK OF THE WEEK)  for that month that we record that we will mention the store of that month.. for the entire month! Now here is the important part where...

We all know that I love Doctor Who right? After all, I have got Dana watching it now. Wondering what things will be like when Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor) takes over? Well check out this very trippy trailer that will come in front of Alice In Wonderland for are friends in the UK. So put on your 3-D glasses and enjoy the trip. I am a long time who fan (Tom Baker was my first Doctor), and I am still not 100% sure that Matt Smith will make a great doctor, and I have a feeling that this new season. They are trying too hard to get...

The mixing up of genres can be a tricky thing. If a creator is not extremely well-versed in what makes the cross-pollinating genres work (as well as what is cliche and makes them fail), things simply will not gel. Thankfully, first-time comics writer Matt Maxwell knows how to fuse these things properly, making his hybrid western / horror graphic novel Strangeways: Murder Moon the very entertaining read that it is. In Murder Moon, (self-published by Maxwell via Highway 62 press), ex-Civil War soldier Seth Collins is the survivor...

This week we’re looking at the Kryb Blackest Night figure, from the second wave of Blackest Night figures, by the good people over at DC Direct. Let me tell you something, this is one fucking creepy figure.. but that works, since Blackest Night is the biggest story in comics right now, because the dead are rising. Package Description Long thought to be a terrifying myth in many sectors of the universe, Kryb’s obsession with patricide and her quest to imprison “liberated” infants in the cage-like sac on...

Hey there ComicImpact readers. You may remember us mentioning a signing with the great Len Wein (Wolverine Creator) coming up at our current Store of the Month, Galaxy of Comics. Well, it was fantastic so we thought we would ask him a few questions about “Human Target” and his upcoming project “DC Universe Legacies”. So check out the video mini cast with the legendary Len Wein also make sure to subscribe to the podcast. As we have more great  interviews in the works for you, we’ll be talking to...

If you listened to the latest POW podcast that was posted the other day on this here very website, then you may be aware that I dashed off all of a sudden during a discussion on the latest issue of the highly praised Secret Six! Well, I dashed off for a purpose, to write this article, and not just on the latest single issue but the whole Blackest Night tie ins involving the Six. Now, I, like many other people, am currently wallowing in the bathhouse of awesomeness that is Gail Simone’s Secret Six over at DC. It is undoubtedly...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES EXECUTIVE TEAM DC Entertainment, founded in September 2009 to unleash the power of the DC Comics library of characters across all media platforms, has named its executive management team, including new co-publishers of DC Comics and a Chief Creative Officer, as well as heads of Sales/Marketing/Business Development and Finance/Administration. Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, made the announcement today. The new senior executive team includes Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, who have...

Simply Fantastic. That’s what I would be saying if Howard Chaykin would put just a little bit more action into this book.  I really feel like this is a hardboiled detective series and I’m starting to like it.  It’s so slow that it may turn people off, but the captions fit so nicely in parallel.  It’s a strong narrative voice.  If you aren’t reading this series, this may be a good place to jump on from. John McClane recently ascended to NYPD detective status, a Sergeant to be exact.  Together...

Hey guys and gals welcome to this weeks pick of the week podcast!  Join Simon, Rob and Dana as they talk about some of the weeks best and most intriguing comics.  This podcast will answer all the burning questions you didn’t even know you had. Dana has the pick this week, what book was a HIT with her? What book is Rob so passionate about it made him leave early so he could go write all about it? (I could tell you but it’s a SECRET.) And what book TRIPPED Simon out with it’s awesome art and moving storyline? Also...

Recently, Galaxy of Comics held a signing featuring Len Wein, creator of Wolverine and current writer for DC’s Human Target.  I started perousing the racks (while I was thinking about how bummed I was that I missed him) and came across a few Vertigo trades for Human Target.  The first thing I noticed was the difference between the VERTIGO, and DC Human Target.  This Human Target is very different from the current run, it’s darker, more of a mind bender, a great piece of fiction that will keep you wanting more. It’s...

Artist Dave McKean has found tremendous success and acclaim in a wide variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, book illustration, photography, filmmaking, music, and, of course, comics. Legendary amongst sequential art enthusiasts, his singular and recognizable style is found in many of the most highly acclaimed titles of the last 20 years including Violent Cases, Mr. Punch, Arkham Asylum, and The Sandman, as well as his own creation Cages. I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception for McKean’s newest...

With June vastly approaching and  Johnston’s Wolfman movie about to be out in theater’s we still have no word on who will be the man in the red, white, and blue . I thought I would take a few seconds to go over what we already know about our first Avenger. ****************************** Warning Possible Spoilers ******************************************* Casting: Captain America will definitely be played by an American actor, Johnston says he wants to discover a complete unknown and surround him with more prominent...

Ok it’s that time again, where we take a look at a figure and let you know if you need to buy it or leave it at the store. This week we’re going to look at the Wolverine Marvel Universe (X-Force ) figure. Package Description Claws are only part of what makes WOLVERINE so dangerous. He has already lived three lifetimes, kept young and healthy by the healing factor that prevents him from being killed or badly injured. During that time, he has fought in a dozen wars, and learned more ways to fight than any person before...

As we come towards the conclusion of DC’s epic Blackest Night story we are all excited and looking ahead to the follow up, Brightest Day.  Before the days of the color war and eventually Blackest Night, these stories were quite contained within the Green lantern titles, never really effecting the outside world. Geoff Johns took a great risk and allowed the rich history of the lanterns to bleed into other titles changing the course of a lot of key books.  At first i was a little concerned.  Having read some Green Lantern,...

Do you play HeroClix? Or do you just buy them to have on your desk ?  Well if your a fan of DC’s Blackest Night then you’ll be happy to know that HeroCLix will be releasing figures of the temporary emergency lanterns. Included in this set are: Wonder Woman - The Star Sapphire (Love)Though Wonder Woman has proven herself a hero time and again in battle, the message she always seeks to spread in the mortal world is one of peace, equality, and love. During the Blackest Night, Wonder Woman’s earlier death and resurrection...

Is Aquaman coming back for Brightest Day?  I am not sure but I can tell you that I love the cover to the second issue of Brightest Day, Mr DC Comics  him self  Geoff Johns had this to say about  Brightest Day “Brightest Day’ is about second chances. I think it’s been obvious from day one that there are major plans for the heroes and villains from Aquaman to take center stage in the DC Universe, among many others, post-Blackest Night. ‘Brightest Day’ is not a banner or a vague catch-all direction for the DC Universe,...

According to Boom Studios, Incorruptible #2 (Mark Waid, Jean Diaz) has completely sold out sending the superhero series into its 2nd printing.  Incorruptible is the story of a supervillain named Max Damage and depicts his struggle to break free of the forces of evil holding onto him. Fans should keep in mind, while Diamond Comic Distributors is completely sold out, first printings of Incorruptible #2 may still be found at your local comic shop.  Comic Impact would like to remind you not to kill each other over them. Diamond...

This coming Saturday, February 13, Gallery Nucleus will be holding a special book signing with the legendary Barron Storey and Kent Williams. The event will be to celebrate the re-release of Storey’s long out of print (and extremely hard to find) The Marat/Sade Journals along with Williams’ most recent collection Kent Williams, Amalgam: Paintings and Drawings, 1992-2007. Barron Storey began his art career in the 1960’s and his work has included a dozen covers for Time magazine, and the first ever official large scale painting...

Welcome to the Pick Of The Week podcast everyone, for the first month of the second month of 2010 (get your head around that one why don’t you..). You’ll be joined by Simon, Sheldon, Rob and Dana this week for the usual round of weekly goodies and badies in the comic world.  Simon has the pick this time, as Rob had it last week, and let me tell you, if you think you knew Simon.. think again when he reveals his pick!! This episode features the milestone of a third week of more theories being thrown around about the...

I want to tell you a story of something that recently IMPACTed my life. And by impacted I mean slapped me in the face with amazing! I just found out that there is a new animated Batman film in the works and the news gets better from there.  The name of the film slated for release sometime this year (maybe in time for San Diego Comic Con?) is Batman:Under the Red Hood or Batman: Under the Hood depending on who you ask.  At any rate it tells the story of the Red Hood as told by Judd Winick in the comics starting with Batman...

In 1994 Brian Michael  Bendis, a guy most people had never heard of, sat down to write a book that would later be published in a hardcover about the thickness of a Sin City paperback.  If you look on Bendis’ twitter account, you will see very clearly “Successful writer, not successful artist.” I think that for a fan of Bendis, this book is a sentimental look back at what the writer would become. The web goes deep, but not too deep.  This isn’t Kaiser Sose, but it’s on that level.  We follow a...

I feel sorry for all you Avengers fans, who thought your wallet’s/purse’s could take a breather at the news of all Avengers titles being put to rest, and there just being a solo Avengers main title come the aftermath of Siege. Because our pals at Marvel have decided that just one Avenger’s book won’t be enough, so they’ve given us (rightly or wrongly) a new one! SECRET AVENGERS. Written by Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Criminal), and with art by Mike Deodato (Dark Avengers). Expect the first issue...

Here’s a little news that pushes all my buttons and makes me smile. Sandman writer Neil Gaiman has announced at the SFX Weekender (Sussex, UK) that he has written a story for the next but one season of British cult TV series Doctor Who. Gaiman is not only a well established comic writer but has had adaptations of his comic books Stardust and Coraline make it to the big screen. Now writing for the 11th Doctor, played by Mat Smith, his story will not air until 2011. Gaiman was quoted as saying, “As anyone who’s...

Alhambra, California. Located not far from Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, Alhambra is a small, but thriving city proud of its large Asian and Hispanic population. Main Street here has seen a true rebirth in recent years as a wealth of new businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues has turned a once neglected stretch of road into one that teems with life on any given evening. Yes, Alhambra is a city on the rise. Or at least it was, until the tragic events of Saturday, February 6, 2010 when it found itself victim to...

So it’s friday and it’s time for a new Figure Friday, so this week we are going  to take a look at a Green Lantern John Stewart figure from Blackest Night. So far these toys  have not been the best around, but yet I have been loving the DC  Comic’s Blackest Night story. To be honest I know that DC Direct’s figures are not the best figures to play with, they’re more figures that are there to sit nicely on your  shelf. Now on with the review. Package Description Currently the only Green Lantern...

One of the features we do here at Comic Impact is the cosplay girl (NO anime, manga, role-playing games just comics) of the month, that’s  right hot girls dressing up like your favorite super- hero characters. This month we’re privileged to have Roxanna. 1-What is your name? Roxanna Meta 2-How old are you? 24 3-Do you read comics and if so, what are your favorite titles? I do! In true girlie fashion, I’m a sucker for Amanda Conner’s art, so I’m loving Powergirl right now. I’m also enjoying the new...

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we should pause to recognize that love can, in fact, live beyond the grave, although in a somewhat bloodier fashion. Need proof? Then head down to Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA this weekend for the opening of their new show “Zombies In Love”. Over two dozen artists from the worlds of comics, film design, illustration and special effects will give their take on rotted romance in what is guaranteed to be the coolest thing going down in L.A. this weekend. Featured...

This week’s pick of the week drops in the hands of one Rob Andrews, so follow us on the podcast as Rob, Simon, Sheldon (reborn!) and Dana guide you through a very meaty and exciting week of cool comics. On this week’s podcast, you can expect some more theories being thrown around, especially when it comes down to Blackest Night action, and future Avengers action. Expect some of the comics talked about this week to surprise some of the Comic Impact staff, as some books have had a real switch up in art teams and stories,...

Have you seen the new Marvel ‘I am an Avenger’  promo ad? This week we have Bucky Cap and Spider-Woman (Come on you know Bendis loves her). I am sure we’ll see an Iron Man and Thor sometime in the future.  This is all part of Marvel’s The Heroic Age. Brian Michael Bendis will team up with John Romita Jr for Avengers #1, which will hit  your local comic book store sometime in May. Yet the question is as to who would you, the comic book reader, like to see as part of this new Avenger team? I know I...

Our good friends over at Galaxy of Comics just send us this info. Looks like it will be an amazing week of fun over there. Also, a great introduction to this months  “Store of the Month.” For Immediate Release Galaxy of Comics (http://galaxyofcomics.com) announces its “Second Annual Grand Opening Sale.” An in store party celebrating the first year in business will be held on the 6th, from 7pm – 12am, another way to show appreciation to their customers. Ending the week will be a signing on February 10th from...

If you’re been up all night and are addicted to Comic Impact, you by now of course have listened to out first ever “Book of the Month” podcast, for the month of January.   The gang talked about Fables Volume 1 and we had an awesome time. If you haven’t been stalking this site as you should, you can listen to that podcast now. Now would be good. Let me know when you’re done. Finished? Great. Now that you enjoyed the hell out of that one I’m glad to announce that I, Dana, Matt Fraction fan extraordinaire...

It’s the start of a new year, which means it’s the start of a new feature here at ComicImpact.com. Janurary 2010 welcomes the start of the new ‘Book Of The Month’ podcast for the site! On the 1st day of every given month, we will deliver a new Book Of The Month podcast. This is where each of us podcasters here on the site, take turns picking a TPB for us each to all read once a month, and we review it for you. To start the new year off, Janurary’s book is picked by Rob, and he’s chosen the Fables...