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 th...

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 a...

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 ...

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, nestl...

  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.  I...

            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 As...

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 danger...

  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.       ...

TPB:  Spider-Man Reign Writer:  Kaare Andrews Artist: Kaare Andrews Price:  $14.99 On my first ever From The Booth show, Randal asked me if I had ever stopped collecting comics and if so, what comic got me collecting again.  My answer was yes I had and the comic that got me back in (along with a lot of other people, I imagine) was The Dark Knight Returns. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Our heroes are usually mortal and mortal beings age and become weak.  It’s an inevitability that we try to avoid in telling their stories.  Batman was 29 years old for several decades and Spider-man stopped aging around his 30 th birthday as well.  Spider-man: Reign is an attempt to look at what happens to Peter Parker years after he’s burned the costume in the trashcan for what should have been the final time.  In this future, a tyrannical government has overtaken New York City and Reign troops terrorize the populace.  Parker is now a se...

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This new four-part web comic begins today and runs every Wednesday. If you are a regular reader of Valiant titles, then this may have less value to you than a newcomer. If you are just beginning to explore the Valiant universe, you should consider this essential.  Why not follow it, since it’s free.  More details below, including a link to the IGN site . . . . from the official press release . . . . . . This December, a battle ten millennia in the making begins in THE VALIANT #1 by New York Times best-selling writers Jeff Lemire & Matt Kindt and Eisner Award-winning artist Paolo Rivera …but, first, meet the blockbuster heroes behind THE VALIANT in a new weekly webcomic exclusively at IGN !   Valiant is proud to announce IGN PRESENTS TALES OF THE VALIANT – an all-new, four-part webcomic counting down to the release of THE VALIANT #1 by New York Times best-selling writer Matt Kindt (THE VALIANT, RAI) and Harvey Award-nominated rising st...

  Upcoming book release scheduled for March 2015 . . . . . . . . . . DAY OF THE DESTROYERS: Jimmie Flint, Agent X-11 must save America Authors: Ron Fortier, Adam Lance Garcia, Gary Phillips, Paul Bishop, Eric Fein, Tommy Hancock, Aaron Shaps, & Joe Gentile.   Cover : Fernando Ferreiro 6” x 9”, sc, 276pgs, $13.95     ISBN: 978-1-936814-79-4(51395) Based on a real historical event during the Roosevelt administration. Guest starring pulp heroes The Green Lama , The Phantom Detective , and The Black Bat. Day of the Destroyers is an all-original linked prose anthology - each story is part of a larger arc wherein Jimmie Flint, Secret Agent X-11 of the Intelligence Service Command, battles to prevent the seditionist Medusa Council from engineering a bloody coup overthrowing our democracy. Agent X-11 fights across the country preventing an aerial assault on Chicago’s rail lines, destroying a secret factory of gas meant to enthrall millions in N...

EDITOR’S NOTE:  There has been a mountain of pre-publicity, including a ton of  stunning artwork, released in advance of Issue #1 of THE VALIANT coming in December.  You can tell it’s a book that the brain trust at Valiant Entertainment are excited to talk about, based on the press releases, blogs and interviews.  We anticipate THE VALIANT will be worth the hype, based on the creative team and what’s been revealed about the storyline so far.  BC REFUGEES was given an advance look at the first issue, and we encourage you to pick up a copy.  We’ll try to cover the high points for you without spoiling too much of the details . . . . . . . . Official Video Trailer for THE VALIANT #1 THE VALIANT #1 (of 4):  (Valiant Next, December 10, 2014 release date)  Written by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt.  Art by Paolo Rivera.  Covers by Rivera, Lemire & Kindt, and Francesco Francavilla.          What makes ...