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Ed’s Dark Horse News from Emerald City Comicon & Picks for Feb, March & June

Dark Horse

I’ve been thinking about nothing but the 15th anniversary of Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) since last month and was very excited to see what Dark Horse Comics has plans on announcing this year. In addition to the artist and writer signings and giveaways at the show, there’s something always cool to be found when walking by! Had I gone to the main exhibit hall early in the morning, I might have walked away with a yellow tote bag, but alas, I was in another building awaiting photo ops with a few of this show’s entertainment guests.

Fortunately, I did not miss meeting artist Irene Koh (she’s illustrating the upcoming official Legend of Korra continuation due in shelves Jun 7) and writer Gene Luen Yang (Avatar: Last Airbender). I’ve been buying everything Avatar related this company puts out and plan on a huge binge-read. While waiting in line, I can only smile at how much of a strong fan base this series has, especially amongst the Asian community.

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Also, I got to see Mike Mignola again and learn he’s working on a new work. The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed is out and it takes place in the Hellboy universe. While the stories about the title character are finished, thankfully there’s more to enjoy in this realm from other perspectives. One hope I had is to see all the Hellboy stories packaged together in an omnibus collection; sadly the representative said there are no immediate plans. The collections we have now is it for those preferring the trade paperback route. My mix of one-shots and owning certain storylines sometimes gets me lost as to where each story fits in.

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Going Beyond the Brick with LEGO Batman

cym_yo1w8aqqn_z By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

I very rarely get excited about all the toys released along with an animated film. With How to Train Your Dragon, the variety of reptiles seen on-screen only salivated my appetite for owning a model of each because I love the designs. In the movie, LEGO Batman, I got giddy over the garage full of vehicles the caped crusader uses in his fight against crime and if only I had a couple of thousand dollars. Buying the bricks is not cheap because a lot of the money goes towards name brand recognition and licensing rights than manufacture. All reason went out the window when I saw Scutter, Batman’s mech change from robot mode to airplane.

Can I hope the model does the same? I’ll have to look at YouTube videos to find out, or just buy it. I caved and bought the set, not only because I liked the personality given to it, and enjoyed how the film gave to fans a perfect examination of two properties. Not only did it examine why the man behind the cowl is what he is but also it stayed true to what the brick represents. It’s become more than a kid’s construction toy and it helps creates a foundation to spur creativity.

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Comic Van Isle Comic Con to Patch Hole of Vancouver Island Fandom’s Sinking Ship

vicc By James Robert Shaw
(The Wind up Geek)

For anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest, it is common knowledge that Vancouver Island is one of the toughest places to host an event. The lethargy displayed by the fan community backed by decades of failed events, an unhealthy fan club scene and conventions that once shone only to dull and disappear is enough to make any organizer think twice.

But one has to admire the sheer bravery of any person who tries to create something wonderful for the local community. Three such people are Evan Hatch, Carson Upton, and Michael Lum creators of GottaCon, a gaming event that lasted a handful of years before closing. Replaced by LANtasy, both are proof that southern Vancouver Island isn’t big enough to support two such events.

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How to Train Your Dragon: Serpent’s Heir TPB Review

HTTYD Serpents Heir By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Mild spoiler alert

If I had to decide between which How to Train your Dragon (HTTYD) comic book series to follow, my vote is for Dark Horse Comics‘ official follow-up. Penned by Dean DeBlois, director and showrunner of DreamWorks’ series, and Richard Hamilton (Star Wars: Dark Times), I’m enjoying the continuing adventures which take place after the second movie as it puts Hiccup into new adventures before he can even get comfortable with his new crown.

The Serpent’s Heir begins with everyone from the village of Berk helping to rebuild. After a few mishaps, King Hiccup gets a visitor from another island tribe. Calder’s village is being racked with earthquakes and while he expected to meet Stoick the Vast, he only finds the boy king. This young leader certainly has learned a lot from his dad, and he knows never to turn his back to those in need. Both he and his Dragon Riders travel to the island of Nepenthe to assist and find treachery in the midst.

While this first graphic novel is an easy short read, I feel these trials are just one of many in a series of books to help cement Hiccup as King of the Archipelago. News about Stoick’s death has not spread far, but it soon will. Other Vikings will come to challenge Hiccup. Unlike other burly soldiers who are hard to push over, this matchstick shaped lad may seem easy to bend.

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Stop the Presses! He-Man and The Masters of the Universe is Coming …

This volume begins with “Day of the Comet,” where Rokkon (of a Rock people tribe) is seen whizzing through space to find the Planet of Eternia because he needs He-Man’s help to save his people and prevent another world from falling.

All the newspaper strips from 1986-91 of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (MotU) is getting printed by Dark Horse Comics into a hardcover book, and I will be there when it hits shelves Feb 1st! Amazon lists it for Feb 15th, but I’m not waiting that long. By the power of Grayskull, it shall be mine, and that’s not because I still enjoy the cartoon series. I heard of the strips, but my local paper did not print it.

The forward in this book explains how archivist Danielle Gelehrter became an enthusiast. The real search began when the strip’s primary writer Chris Weber and wife Karen Willson, who edited it, wanted to create an online archive of their work. After talking to Gelehrter, they were hard at work scanning all the material they had all through the night.

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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Last Crusade in “Raiders of the Lost Art”

vlcsnap-2017-01-25-21h32m03s640 By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Just when I thought DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is to air on Thursday, I realized today that it aired yesterday. I glad my PVR is on autopilot. Now that intro is said and done, I’m loving the latest episode, “Raiders of the Lost Art.”

George Lucas (nicely played by Matt Angel) is pivotal to this episode. When I first saw the episode title, I wondered if it would play and riff on another fond episode, Magnum P.I. “Legend of the Lost Art.” Fortunately, it was not. This Legends episode has its own charm by showing how much an impact this filmmaker had on Ray Palmer and Nate Heywood. They would not be who they are without Lucas. This episode is a love letter to this filmmaking genius and contained plenty of moments to inspire him to make those memorable moments in A New Hope.

As most fans can attest, Star Wars and Indiana Jones were huge influences to many a geek, A bit of reference is made to Hamlet and I had to chuckle at Howard the Duck. Well, if Lea Thompson is in the film, I’ll see it. When this series does not take itself too seriously and has the two nerds being goofy, the episodes shine.

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