BC Refugees Blog

  Happy Holidays! to all the BC Refugees readers. Hope it’s a warm and relaxing break for you and family!

  ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK #1  (Boom! Studios, December 2014)  Writer: Christopher Sebela.  Artist: Diego Barreto.  Colorist: Marissa Louise.  Letterer: Ed Dukeshire.      Reading Boom!’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK brought back fond B-movie memories and made me want to watch John Carpenter’s classic film one more time.  Alas,  my only copy was a VHS tape that I sold many years ago!       What made Carpenter’s film so memorable was iconic character Snake Plissken, so aptly portrayed by actor Kurt Russell.  That signature eye patch, swagger, and take-no-shit attitude made a real impression, just like a writhing snake tattoo might.  The film had style in capital letters.           ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK the comic has that same style stamped all over it.  Writer Christopher Sebela seems to have studied the film very closely.  You will believe this is Snake Plissken. He talks and acts exactly the same.  Fans of the classic film will love this book.  Those who have heard of the legend of Snake

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Back in the 1980’s when the comics industry first began to experiment with different papers, DC Comic debuted the “prestige format”.  Prior to this, all comics were printed on cheap, pulpy, or composition paper (made of various grades of paper).  The DC prestige format printed its copies on a 1) heavier stock of paper, making it more durable and also 2) on paper that was whiter and less grainy than traditional, which made the colors more bright and vibrant.  DC only printed a select number of titles in their prestige format, usually charging a $1.00 more per copy than the standard comic. Now in the 21st Century, Valiant puts a new spin on the format with theier Valiant Prestige books. from the official press release . . . . . . As VALIANT NEXT readies for the launch of six epic new ongoing series and prestige format projects beginning with the release of THE VALIANT #1 (of 4) on December 10th , Valiant is proud to reveal the first look inside the all-new VALIANT PRES

EDITOR’S NOTES: I guess it was just a matter of time before some second tier publisher (after Marvel and DC) takes a cue from the Big Two and sets up their characters in alternate realities a la Elseworlds, What If, Next, New 52, etc.  I don’t know why it bothers me a bit - - as long as a good story is told it shouldn’t matter. Still, I’m hoping the other publishers don’t jump on the idea and start up their own imitations of regular characters from Dark Horse, Image, Boom, IDW, etc . . . . .      from the official press release . . . . . . Dynamite Takes Familiar Characters To Altered States In Upcoming One-Shot Comics Red Sonja, The Shadow, and More enter all-new adventures in Altered States December 19th - Mt. Laurel, NJ - Dynamite Entertainment is excited to announce the first wave of its all-new Altered States line where familiar characters from Dynamite's comics will appear in brand-new adventures unlike anything fans have seen before. Vampirella, Red Sonja, The Shadow, a

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Dynamite just added more titles to their generous Humble Bundle package just in time for Christmas.  A mere fifteen dollars (or more to get even more) donation to a worthy cause rewards you with a total value up to $600 in comics. from the official press release . . . . . . . . December 17, 2014 - Mt. Laurel, NJ - Following the launch of last week's Humble Dynamite MEGA Bundle with over ten thousand redemptions in the first twenty-four hours. Dynamite Entertainment is excited to announce the latest additions to its massive year-end promotion over on humblebundle.com/books. In addition to an array of comics ranging from Gail Simone's Red Sonja, Shaft #1 from David F. Walker, Uncanny by Andy Diggle and Aaron Campbell, and the hit debut issue of Bob's Burgers, fans can now read all six issues of The New York Time Bestselling series Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: War Cry, the complete Mercy Thompson Moon Called Vol. 2, the original Doodle Jump comic inspi

from the official press release . . . . . December 17, 2014, Mt. Laurel, NJ - Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce the full creative team for Project Superpowers: Blackcross , a supernatural thriller written by comic book luminary Warren Ellis.   Colton Worley, the fan-favorite Dynamite mainstay whose previous works include The Shadow Now and The Complete Dracula , will lend his atmospheric, hyper-realistic art style to the project.  The March 2015 debut of Blackcross will be supported by a generous helping of variant covers from industry superstars and previous Ellis collaborators, including Jae Lee, Tula Lotay, Declan Shalvey, Jason Howard, Gabriel Hardman, and interior artist Colton Worley himself.           In the all-new Project Superpowers series, Warren Ellis and Colton Worley take readers on a sinister journey away from the brightly clad heroes of the Golden Age, and into the small town of Blackcross, nestled in the Pacific Northwest.    All small towns have secret

  You can find the list and cover images here . . . . . http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/981 Nobody is likely to have all 50 comics unless of course, you are willing to pay for them. Most comic shops cherry pick this list and don’t take everything.  To make sure you get what you want  it’s advisable to request it from your local comic shop in advance to ensure you get a copy of the title you are most interested in. If I had to narrow it down to just five books, these would be my picks (in no particular order): BOOM 10 Year Anniversary Dark Circle Comics  (Archie Comics returns to super-heroes) Kodansha Comics Sampler  (publisher of the classic Attack On Titan) Legendary Comics Sampler Valiant 25th Anniversary Special

from the official press release . . . . . December 16, 2014, Mt. Laurel, NJ - Dynamite Entertainment proudly announces the first-ever confrontation between two of its premiere horror characters in Blood Queen Vs. Dracula , a four-part storyline scheduled for March 2015 release.   Written by Troy Brownfield and illustrated by Kewber Baal, the series will debut with captivating cover images courtesy of artists Jay Anacleto, Fabiano Neves, Ardian Syaf, and Lucio Parrillo.           "Having the Blood Queen face off with Dracula seems like the most natural thing in the world," says Troy Brownfield, who introduced the villainous Elizabeth Bathory in Dynamite's 2014 series, The Blood Queen .  "Considering that the historical personages that they're based upon come from the same area of the world, and that they've had a strong and occasionally linked profile in pop culture forever, it struck me as a pretty solid place to go.  It certainly doesn't hurt that I w

            Every so often, a new release comes out that catches everyone off guard.  Not many regular comics fans  pre-ordered a copy.  Comic shops didn’t order heavy, more likely they ordered light or not at all. Remember CHEW #1 from several years back?   I predict the combination of dynamic story and breath-taking art in SQUARRIORS is going to make it a sell-out once the word of mouth gets around.  What’s the best thing you can do with this information?  Get to your comic store tomorrow and pick up a copy.  Supporters of the Kickstarter fundraising campaign received an advance digital copy.  I’ve seen it and read it and it’s worth every penny.  Trust me on this one . . . . Pick it up!  SQUARRIORS #1 of 4  (Devil’s Due Entertainment, December 17, 2014 release date)  $4.99   44 pages  Creator/Writer/Layouts by Ash Maczko.  Art/Letters/Colors by Ashey Witter.          The book opens with a scene inside a 1986 Illinois bar (catch the double meaning on the illuminated sign) with v

from the official press release . . . . . A psychic dictator, an inhuman robot, a mad scientist, a murderous alien, and a super-powered terrorist are about to try and take over the world…and you’re going to be rooting for them every step of the way.                     Valiant is proud to present the first look inside IMPERIUM #1 – the FIRST ISSUE of the all-new VALIANT NEXT ongoing series from New York Times best-selling writer Joshua Dysart ( Harbinger , Unknown Soldier ) and superstar artist Doug Braithwaite ( Armor Hunters , Unity ).  The daring new superhero saga of the year starts here on February 4th as Toyo Harada rises from the ashes of the Harbinger Foundation to recruit a more explosive…more cunning…more ruthless army to remake the future of Earth in their own image.  This is IMPERIUM !           Toyo Harada is the most dangerous human being on the planet.  Imbued with incredible powers of the mind, he has spent his life guiding humanity from the shadows.  But to

  December 16, 2014, Mt. Laurel, NJ - Dynamite Entertainment proudly announces the March 2015 debut of Lady Rawhide / Lady Zorro #1, the first chapter of a four-part miniseries that will see two of the comic book industry's Western heroines cross paths for the first time. Written by Shannon Eric Denton and featuring interior artwork by Rey Villegas, Lady Rawhide / Lady Zorro #1 features cover artwork by acclaimed artist and Lady Rawhide co-creator, Mike Mayhew.           In Lady Rawhide / Lady Zorro #1, the two female vigilantes must live up to the legend of Zorro after the inspirational hero is murdered.   When brutal slavers descend upon a village and steal away all its adolescent girls, Lady Zorro and Lady Rawhide - who would sooner ride alone than ride together - must put aside their ideological and methodical differences to free the missing girls from a fate worse than death.           Writer Shannon Eric Denton says, "Women were a huge part in the settlement of th