By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Many announcements and bombs happened over the July 18th to 22nd weekend at SDCC2018. Some of the news that happened divided a community and my thought is simply on whether Guardians of the Galaxy even continue after what happened? Only time and executive decisions can tell.
Many movie trailers were released to show what’s coming and while most of them look fantastic. Out of all of them, the second instalment of Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla: King of the Monsters stands out the most, and I’m not necessarily picking favourites. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is my second and Glass rounds out my top three. Excluded is what’s coming on television.
The following is a greatest hits package of what to look for at comic shops or video stores in the coming months.
- From Full Moon Features, they are launching their own comic book label! First up is Dollman kills the Full Moon Universe! This diminutive cop is on a mission, and the first issue only teases at his agenda. This six-issue series is written by Shawn Gabborin (Puppet Master: Curtain Call) and Brockton McKinney (Gingerdead Man: Baking Bad). Contributing cover artists include Tony Moore (The Walking Dead), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), and Robert Hack (Sabrina).
- Set to release this fall is Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal. This graphic novel will explore the unknown mythology of the group. At SDCC2018, Amuse Group USA revealed the first of four variant covers, created by GMB Chomichuk. This band has a devoted fan base and for those who happen to be in Tokyo October 23, fans can delight in their next show.
- Dr. Horrible is coming back! Joss Whedon confirmed a comic book will be released November 14th by Dark Horse Comics. The work will feature art by José Maria Beroy (Versus) and Sara Soler (Red & Blue) with colors by Dan Jackson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The cover art will be produced by Fábio Moon (Two Brothers) and a variant offered by Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle).
- Due to hit shelves, early October is Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy. Nearly 400 Illustrations and photos in the career of this creator/artist can be found in this work which Dark Horse Comics is releasing. He is known for his contributions to the Final Fantasy series and he is the creator of Vampire Hunter D!
- Invader Zim is returning! The comic book series has been going strong since 2015, and for those craving further animated adventures, Jhonen Vasquez and Nickelodeon revealed a one-off is in the works. It’s believed this will broadcast on television.
- William Gibson’s unproduced Alien 3 script is being brought to life by artist Johnnie Christmas and colourist Tamra Bonvillain. While Gibson was a contributor in the early phase of the writing for Alien 3, ultimately most of his concepts never made it into the final film. As the father of the cyberpunk genre with titles like Neuromancer, Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive, Dark Horse is thrilled to see Gibson’s vision fully realized for the first time!
- Video game fans will get an all-new tale set in Blizzard’s Diablo universe. Titan Comics is publishing this four-part series. Here, scholars and crusaders are wanting answers to the origins of their species and why was this fate cast upon them. Man and demon might have been one and the same a millennia ago. Those who played the game will know some history. This tale written by Marv Wolfman (Blade, Crisis On Infinite Earths) and illustrated by Piotr Kowalski (Wolfenstein) will tie it all altogether.
- Burnaby’s Arcana Studio will soon be releasing Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness, the final chapter of the trilogy. This for kids product has been a pet project of this comic book and media company to introduce youths to the madness that is Lovecraft. The graphic novels are available and its different from the cinematic version. Shout! Factory is handling distribution of this title in North America.
