BC Refugees Blog

30 DAYS OF NIGHT #1 of 6 (IDW Publishing, December 20, 2017 release date) Writer: Steve Niles.  Artist: Piotr Kowalski.  Colorist: Brad Simpson.  Letters: Tom B. Long.          Back in 2002, the original 30 DAYS OF NIGHT helped launch the careers of writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith. The successful 3-issue mini-series spawned several sequels as well as a movie adaptation. Upon its’ 15th anniversary Niles returns to re-tell the story, this time with 6 monthly issues and a new artist. Templesmith returns just to contribute a cover, but it’s one of his absolute best covers ever.         The story centers on a vampire infestation of a small Alaskan town.  Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost community in North America, with temperatures averaging below zero and a good part of the year spent living in 24-hour darkness. The sun never rises between November 18 - January24 every year. That makes it ideal for sunlight-sensitive vampires to have an extended vacation.      Issue ...

NINJA-K #2 (Valiant Entertainment, December 20 release date) Writer: Christos Gage.  Main Story Art: Tomas Giorello with Roberto de la Torre (pages 1-5).  Colors: Diego Rodriquez.  Backup story art: Ariel Olivetti.  Letters: A Larger World Studios.          You should be reading this book, especially if you like action adventure, ninjas, mystery and characters that will remind you of the best aspects of James Bond.  If you haven’t picked up Issue #1 yet, here’s a quick re-cap to help catch you up . . . . .       Colin King a.k.a. Ninja-K is the current agent for MI6 as well as a freelance mercenary/assassin.  Past agents of the Ninja program are being killed, most recently Ninja-D (from the 1950’s), and King is seeking answers to help end the murders.      I love the way this story is being told, both for Gage’s character insights and dynamic dialogue, the mystery elements of his tale - - and for Giorello’s expressive art style.  This book is a pure joy to read.      The story ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s a quick update from one of the publishers to watch in 2017 and beyond. At least somebody in the comics marketplace is trying to make books affordable. Glad to learn that Alterna had a good year.  I’ve found that the newsprint used today is better quality than the books of the 1970’s and ’80’s before every publisher went to heavier, cleaner stock.  You can still order these February release books now through your local comic shop. Why not give an Alterna title or two a try?  I have, and you can look for my writing about their books in early 2018. Happy Holidays! . . . . . . .       A few words from founder & publisher, Peter Simeti:   "In 2017, the average price of a comic book ranged between $2.99 to $5.99 -- so I'm happy to see that our $1.50 newsprint line has allowed you to enjoy our titles no matter what kind of budget you're on. There's plenty more to come in 2018 as well, with 15 (mayb...

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you want a copy of the first printing and didn’t pre-order, I suggest you contact your local comic shop asap to find out if they ordered any shelf copies.  Good luck.  Or, if you have deep pockets you can make a bid for the second printing on auction. As of his writing there are currently 4 bids in, with the highest bidder at $99.99.  Or, just wait until January 31st - - if that’s your strategy why not pre-order that 3rd printing and guarantee your copy.  Your local comic shop will appreciate your foresight . . . . . BREAKING NEWS: Valiant's QUANTUM AND WOODY! #1 is So Sold Out, It's Going Straight to a Third Printing on January 31st! Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to Auction the Rarest Second Printing of All Time in Support of First Amendment Valiant is proud to announce that  QUANTUM AND WOODY! (2017) #1  – the  FIRST ISSUE  of the  ALL-NEW  and  UNPREDICTABLE ONGOING SERIES  from rising star  Daniel Kibblesmith  ( The Late Night With Stephen Colbert ) and ...

from the IDW press release . . . Bring home the ultimate gift for the  Hellboy  fan in your life (yourself included) this year with the newly released  Hellboy in Hell Artist’s Edition . The award-winning format offers readers a captivating way to experience their favorite comics. Scanned from the original artwork at high-resolution color, the Artist’s Edition offers a unique look inside the artist’s process. This Artist’s Edition features the first five issues of  Hellboy   in   Hell  as well as a wealth of historic supplementary material: the first three  Hellboy  stories—the two initial four-pagers, produced for promotional purposes, and the 10-page story from  John Byrne ’s  Next Men  #21—plus “The Corpse,” and two other tales selected by Mignola for inclusion. All but three pages of  Mike Mignola ’s  Hellboy  Artist’s Edition have been shot from the original art and showcases Mignola’s gorgeous work as closely as possible ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s an update on FULL BLEED VOL 1, fresh off the Kickstarter campaign, from braintrust Dirk Wood at IDW Publishing. It’s great to see our comics passion get a literary treatment in a premium hardcover package.  You can still pre-order a copy. See the link below . . . . https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/41834867/full-bleed-the-comics-and-culture-quarterly/posts/2072396?ref=backer_project_update   To say I was happy to see a box of Full Bleed Vol. 1 show up at the office today...is a bit of an understatement. As good as we knew it was going to be.....It's better!  Here are a few snapshots of the book, just so you guys all know it exists! We remain on track for a mid-January release, just waiting for pins, prints and assorted goodies. But Full Bleed is a go! Here are a few snapshots of the book below, just to wet your whistle.  Tell your friends! More copies of Vol. 1 are still available, just hit that pre-order button at the top of Kickstarter page!  Viva ...

  EDITOR’S NOTE: Every year I use the This Is Horror Awards to make up my list of books to look for. It ranks among the seminal sources for information on modern horror in all it’s forms and manifestations. For a short time, nominations are open to the public.  Here’s your opportunity to help your favorite work gain some recognition.  I’m going to participate, and I’ll share my nominations on this blog once I finalize them. . . . . . . . Public nominations are now open for the seventh annual This Is Horror Awards. Here are the categories: Novel of the Year Novella of the Year Short Story Collection of the Year Anthology of the Year Fiction Magazine of the Year Publisher of the Year Fiction Podcast of the Year Nonfiction Podcast of the Year Readers can e-mail in their nominations for each category. Taking into consideration the nominations for each category This Is Horror will then draw up a shortlist. We invite you to include one sentence as to why the nomination is awa...

from the official Valiant Entertainment press release Valiant is proud to announce the all-new  SHADOWMAN #1  – the  FIRST ISSUE  of  A POWERFUL NEW ONGOING SERIES  from superstar writer  Andy Diggle  ( Green Arrow: Year One ,  Daredevil ) and powerhouse artist  Stephen Segovia  ( Action Comics )! In the epic tradition of  X-O MANOWAR  and  BLOODSHOT REBORN , a staggering new beginning for Valiant’s supernatural icon starts here on  March 28th  with  PART ONE  of  “FEAR OF THE DARK”  – a tense and gripping three-issue introduction pushing Jack Boniface to the farthest edge of fear itself…and into a startling, adrenaline-fueled fight for survival as Shadowman takes command of the birthright he was born to uphold!  “It’s a story about stepping out of the shadows and embracing the light. Trying to move on from your own mistakes and be a better man. Of course, it's not easy,” said writer Andy Diggle. “As Shadowman, Jack will never fully be able to escape his ow...