BC Refugees Blog

  As I wrote in my last AVENGERS VERSUS X-MEN review . . . . . What has characterized the AVENGERS VS. X-MEN saga and the majority of the many cross-over titles has been a consistent high quality in both story and art, with only a few exceptions. Those cross-over titles, while connected to the main issue, seemed to focus on entertaining but non-essential sidelights that could be enjoyed solely on their own. A reader could also concentrate on the main title only and not need to read any of the other books in order to understand the main story. In past reviews, I have ranked and rated those sidelight books in order to point a reader towards those most deserving of their time and money. Despite my previous confession of being ready for this epic to finally end I sincerely enjoyed every single one of the cross-over books reviewed here. In short, if you want some good reading pick up these books. THE NEW AVENGERS #30  (November 2012)  Brian Michael Bendis, writer.  ...

  WARNING:  THIS ARTICLE GUARANTEED TO CONTAIN SPOILERS. . . . . . . If you are  following these books, then you already have an idea about what is going to happen.  With the advent of the penultimate issue in the mini-series it becomes extremely difficult to write about this storyline without revealing some of the key events.  I doubt very much that at this point some readers are still contemplating whether to jump in.  However,  if you have decided to wait it out and read AVENGERS VERSUS X-MEN after it concludes, then read no further than the next two paragraphs. What has characterized the AVENGERS VS. X-MEN saga and the majority of the many cross-over titles has been a consistent high quality in both story and art, with only a few exceptions.  Those cross-over titles, while connected to the main issue, seemed to focus on entertaining but non-essential sidelights that could be enjoyed solely on their own.  A reader could also concentra...

  I don’t think I would post something like this for the Big Two companies because they have tons of money to spend on advertising.  But, then again nobody else would dare do something like this  - -  just our friendly, independent outlet for the best in creator-owned properties, alternative goodies, and loads of kid-friendly reading material = TOP SHELF.   I’m not even upset that I just bought a copy of THE UNDERWATER WELDER at full price from the Top Shelf booth at Baltimore Comic Con.  Glad to do it!  Heck,  I later had that copy autographed by Jeff Lemire.   So, even before I can post my review of this great new work I suggest you take advantage of this and pick up a copy for yourself at a bargain price.  I’ll be looking over their lists carefully in the coming days.  I know for sure I will pick up another copy of  BB WOLF (because I’m pretty sure I’m never going to see the one I loaned out two years ago!)  as ...

  NOTE:  While Peter Tomasi had agreed in advance to an interview, there was no set time scheduled. So, right after the Baltimore Comic Con opened up on Saturday (September 08)  I went straight to his booth on the convention floor.  I was surprised to see a line already there, including another reporter waiting to begin an interview with him.  So, I introduced myself and said that I would return in approximately 45 minutes.  When I got back, there was still a line (but not as long as before) and it moved quickly. When I told Peter about the line and how glad I was to not have to wait too long to meet him, he made a funny comment to me:  “When you’re an artist here the problem is nobody wants to come at you too much because you’re not going to give them anything, like sketches.  Nobody comes up for commission stuff and asks me - - - "can you write me a page?” .  Peter Tomasi seems like an easy-going, down-to-earth guy who engages in conversat...

  It was another great day today (September 9) at the Baltimore Comic-Con. The highlights for me were the informative panels, followed by what bits and pieces I caught of the Costume Competition  (now a three-hour event).  I scored some more bargain reading and picked up an autograph from Jeff Lemire in my copy of THE UNDERWATER WELDER .    Here is a very brief summary of some of today’s events that I attended.  I plan to do some write-ups over the next several days and weeks. . . . . . . . . . FUTURE APPROACHES TO TEACHING COMICS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM - - - If you read our blog on a regular basis then you are probably already aware that I’m an advocate for using comics as a teaching tool.  I was absolutely blown away by how Dr. John Weaver, is using THE WATCHMEN in great detail in his Advanced English classes.    at left, Tom Brevoort shares editing tips MARVEL BOOT CAMP SEMINAR   - - - This was a ticketed event,...

A great first day at the Baltimore Comic Con! - - long and exhausting but still a great and exciting day! I took in a lot of panels and events and plan to write about them in more detail in the coming days. Here are the Top Three Highlights of the day for me - - - I don't want to rank them because all three were special . . . . . . . . 1). An interview with writer Peter Tomasi. it was great to speak to a creator one-on-one and get their feedback. A great down-to-earth guy. 2). The panel with Garth Ennis. He has a large loyal following and now I know why. Despite the grim nature of most of his work he remains an honest and independent thinker who would never lie or mislead his audience. His sincerity comes across. 3). The Stan Lee - John Romita panel - - a trip down memory lane. Good stuff. I also heard the inspiring story behind the Cul de Sac fund-raising effort, the history of the British Invasion, comics style; the Future of Valiant; and scored some reading material at a ...

Baltimore Comic-Con 2012 Panel Schedule Announced!   . . . taken from the official press release . . . . . . . The key to getting the most out of the various events during the Baltimore Comic-Con would be to carefully plan your day ahead of time.  To help with that, courtesy of the Con publicity department, here is the schedule.  I made a few notes on sessions that I am planning to attend/particpate in. Hope to see you there! . . . . pghhead                                                       Saturday, September 8 Room 301 11:00-12:00 - Kickstarter project management So, you got funding for your comic...now what? Join Mervyn and Jon of Paperlab Studios as they discuss the thrills, perils, and pi...

  . . . .  from the official press release . . . . . . The British Embassy Joins Forces with the Baltimore Comic-Con to Celebrate 'The British Invasion' BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - September 6, 2012 - Ever wondered where the genius behind many of the favourite comic books in the 1980s came from? Captain America and many other of your favourite comic books were actually enhanced by 'The British Invasion' of the comic book world. The British Embassy in Washington will be celebrating this theme at Baltimore Comic-Con, this weekend, showcasing what is great about the comic book, science-fiction, and creative industries in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The team from the British Embassy will be exhibiting in the lobby of the Baltimore Comic-Con, and its booth will feature images of characters portrayed during the long history of creativity in the UK - from the early days of Doctor Who to the present, to Game of Thrones and British contributions to American creative art...

  from the official press release . . . . . . . .  . Baltimore Comic-Con Adds Jimmy Cheung and Paul Pope BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 25, 2012 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of artists Jimmy Cheung and Paul Pope to the sensational line-up of creators for this year's show, taking place on September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Avengers vs. X-Men Poster by Jimmy Cheung Joining the British Invasion of comic creators in Baltimore (including Brian Bolland, Barry Kitson, and Mark Buckingham), artist Jimmy Cheung began his career in the mid-1990s at Marvel Comics working on such titles as X-Force , Force Works , and Spider-Man Unlimited . In 2000, he left Marvel to join the team at CrossGen Comics, helming the art duties on one of their flagship titles, Scion . In 2005, Cheung returned to Marvel and became one of their "Young Guns," a group of artists that, according to Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, had the qualit...

    from the official ComiXology press release . . . . . . The Great ComiXology Call For Creator Info Begins! ComiXology Seeks Info From Creators 26 Week initiative Launches at Baltimore Comic Con 2012 September 5 th , 2012 - New York, NY - ComiXology, the revolutionary digital comics platform with over 75 million comic and graphic novel downloads to date, continues their digital charge with a virtual “call” to all professional comic creators everywhere! This weekend at the 13 th annual Baltimore Comic Con comiXology is launching a twenty-six week initiative to gather creator photos and info to complete the comiXology database of nearly 6,000 professional comic creators whose work is featured on the platform. During each of the next twenty-six weeks, comiXology will focus on creators with last names that start with each letter in the alphabet — with week one starting with letter “A” and ending with the letter “Z” Professional comic creators with books on the comiXology...

from the official press release . . . . . . . . . . John Romita Sr. Joins Stan Lee for Panel at the Baltimore Comic-Con Limited edition print available for purchase by VIP and VIP GOLD Ticket Holders BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - September 3, 2012 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is proud to announce that John Romita Sr.will join Stan Lee for his panel, to be held Saturday afternoon, September 8th at 4:30pm. John is appearing on behalf of the Hero Initiative. Best known for his work at Marvel Comics on the Amazing Spider-Man , John began working for the company at Atlas Comics in the 1950s on war, romance, horror, and other genres. He freelanced at DC Comics in the mid-1950s on romance titles and cover art, eventually leaving to work as a commercial artist before being lured back to Marvel full time where he spent time working on Daredevil, Fantastic Four , and eventually his long run on Amazing Spider-Man, defining for many the look of the Spider-Man characters. In addition, Stan Lee Collectible...

from the official press release . . . . Brandon Peterson Comes to Baltimore! BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - September 1, 2012 - "Marvel Remastered" will debut at the Baltimore Comic-Con, September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. This beautiful, full color, oversized 48-page hardcover features the Marvel Comics artwork of Brandon "Brando" Peterson collected over his long comics career. The artist gives insight into his techniques, and each piece of artwork has been remastered to make every piece a new revelation. Limited copies will be available at the artist's table. Brandon Peterson has been a professional illustrator for over 20 years, working primarily as a penciller and inker, but often as a colorist, writer, editor, and art director. He is currently working at Marvel Comics, as the artist onbooks like AvX, Avengers, The Ultimates, Ultimate Vision, Ultimate Extinction, Ultimate X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, X-Men , and Uncanny X-Men . Brandon was also VP...

from the official press release . . . . . . Baltimore Comic-Con Signals Batman Creators to This Year's Show BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 28, 2012 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is excited to welcome the creators of DC Comics' Batman-line to this year's show!  Neal Adams ( Batman: Odyssey ), Greg Capullo ( Batman ), David Finch ( Batman: The Dark Knight ), Scott Snyder ( Batman ), and Peter Tomasi ( Batman and Robin ) will all attend the 13 th annual show, taking place the weekend of September 8-9, 2012. Neal Adams is no stranger to the world of Batman at DC Comics. His work on such DC Comics characters as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and Green Arrow redefined an era of comics, bringing a photorealistic feel to the pages of their respective books. In April of this year, Adams wrapped up writing and drawing the 7-issue second volume of Batman: Odyssey , a self-contained story following up on the first volume that takes place outside of DC's New 52 continuity. Greg Ca...

  from the official Baltimore Comic Con press release.  More great reasons to be there! Marvel Boot Camp Seminar Benefits the Hero Initiative at the Baltimore Comic-Con BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 30, 2012 - To benefit the Hero Initiative ( heroinitiative.org ), Marvel Comics presents the Marvel Boot Camp Seminar at the Baltimore Comic-Con on Sunday, September 9 from 12:00-2:00. Tickets for this special event are $10, with the entire cost of the ticket going directly to the Hero Initiative and seating is limited. Tickets will be available at the Hero Initiative Booth throughout the show prior to the seminar. If any tickets are still available, they will be sold at the door of the seminar. What is the Marvel Boot Camp? Marvel SVP-Executive Editor Tom Brevoort gives a training lecture to the Marvel editorial staff explaining how Marvel editors think about the business of storytelling. For the FIRST TIME, Brevoort is sharing that lecture with the public. There will also be i...

  This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, September 8th. This event gets better every year!  I’m really looking forward to Baltimore Comic-Con.  During the week I’ll be spot-lighting some of the highlights of this year’s convention.  Hoping to persuade you to join me there - - hint, hint.  . . . . from the official press release: Stan Lee Extends his Baltimore Visit to Sunday! BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - August 31, 2012 - The Baltimore Comic-Con is ecstatic to announce that Stan Lee has extended his time at the Con to include Sunday until 4pm! With 1 week to go, and more news breaking every day about the Baltimore Comic-Con and surrounding events, NOW is the time to purchase your tickets. By purchasing your tickets online, you avoid the ticket booth lines at the Convention Center. In addition...