Tag: Dark Horse Comics

Celebrating Dark Horse Comic’s Alien Anniversary Today With Two Releases!

Aliens-the-original-comic-series

It’s hard to believe nearly 30 years have passed since Dark Horse Comics first published a comic that’s a sequel to James Cameron‘s Aliens. Not only is this company acknowledging this fact with a deluxe hardcover release (now out) of Mark Verheiden and Mark A. Nelson‘s original six-issue Aliens black and white story. Technically, the celebration is in honour of the second movie’s release in 1986; the comic came out in ’88.

When I have the original comics carefully stored away and the portfolio which accompanies it (I got it autographed by Nelson years ago), I want to be careful with handling those. This bookshelf edition makes for a great copy to pull out and read from time to time. Rereading this comic even now still brings shivers down my spine!

Also hitting shelves this week is an all-new tale to continue the terror. More prey and intense action define Aliens: Defiance.

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The Vintage Tempest’s Emerald City Comic Con Journal 2016

Emerald City Comic Con

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

When Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) announced the addition of an extra day, I half expected the management would include some mainstream material for nerds to enjoy. What I heard instead was, “Why are the Seahawks important to such a comic-driven show?” A lot of people before the event said that and instead of the usual Friday to Sunday routine, I thought I’d look at what I could find to do at such an early start. It was mostly getting the key bits of shopping of items that I really wanted done and spend the rest of the days walking around and weighing in on if I really wanted that Jiji the cat music box from Kiki’s Delivery Service ar Kinokuniya’s table.

Thurs was not light on the people traffic at all. The venue was probably at two-thirds capacity for those who decided to visit that day. There was nothing of interest in the autograph / photo-ops floor except for those Seattle Seahawks fans wanting to meet Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner. I suspect they are nerds too and there was some interest. But as for how much, the majority has spoken online and at the show. I was keeping my ears tuned into what people were saying

ReedPOP, the parent organization, hosting the show had at the last minute offer a raffle to sell off their remaining Thurs tickets by asking if Jim Lee could attend this day and the lucky few spent time talking to him and getting their comics autographed. The marketing neglected to say that this contest was for USA residents only. Not everyone reads the terms of an agreement in any contest, and I did. Was I disappointed? No.

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A How to Train Your Dragon Franchise Series Update

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

dragonsracetotheedgeThe next batch of Dragons: Race to the Edge episodes is long overdue. Netflix is either waiting for the 2015 year to be over or there’s been a delay to get the product done. No official word is made and for followers of the How to Train Your Dragon series, all anyone knows are the episode titles for the next 13 episodes (see below).

When considering other DreamWorks properties have had their batch releases every 5-6 months (All Hail King Julien and The Adventures of Puss in Boots), to not hear of a date for Dragons is unusual. Race to the Edge released June 26, 2015 and based on dates of these other series later package releases, new episodes should have been at least out by November.

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[Editorial] First It Was Star Wars, and Now It’s Doctor Who Changing Ships …

Two grand comic book licenses are making a transition from one publishing company to another. On one side of the spectrum, most fans are lukewarm at the news of Star Wars moving from Dark Horse to Marvel Comics. On another front, most readers may well wonder about Doctor Who’s transition from IDW to Titan Comics.

Marvel's Star WarsTwo grand comic book licenses are making a transition from one publishing company to another. On one side of the spectrum, most fans are lukewarm at the news of Star Wars moving from Dark Horse to Marvel Comics. On another front, most readers may well wonder about Doctor Who’s transition from IDW to Titan Comics.

In the business perspective, the publishers are cordially appreciative of the time they had to grow the licensed property into new territory. But as for what will happen next, with a different publisher, what will become of both relicensed products is anybody’s guess. Perhaps readers should consider the following:

In a galaxy far, far, away, in a saga that Marvel Comics ran from ’77 to ’86, long-time fans will recall that the comic book had a few bright moments, namely issue #52, “To Take the Tarkin.” If Marvel Comics can recreate some of that magic, then the transition is in capable hands. Sadly, with the fact that thirty years have passed and that tastes have changed, not everyone is enthused. There are three generations of fans to satisfy. Dark Horse Comics had a great start with Dark Empire (1991). Tales of the Jedi was even better when it segued to look at the history of the original Sith Lords. For later titles, fans had to invest a fair bit of money in order to keep up with all the multiple titles.

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A Fun Look Back at Comic Book Films. Days of Future Past

“But it’s more about cross promotion and the product can be enjoyed more by spinning comic book films in new directions,” says Saunders.

Comic Book FilmComic book films are very often a tough sell in a mass market that’s picky about what they like seeing. While Hollywood sees the medium as a readymade—a product that comic book readers are familiar with—to attract new converts requires a product that has to be easily accessible, if not understandable.

“For example, Walking Dead, flies off the shelves like bats looking for human flesh,” says Steven Saunders, a comic book writer and columnist for the industry for five years, “and Robert Kirkman takes concepts that’s been overdone and he makes it interesting.”

But with the box office these days, originality only goes so far. Saunders used to write for All The Rage, a gossip column about the comic book industry on Comics Bulletin and he would rather go watch the movie than to follow 40 years of comic book continuity.

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