a byte of sci fi

Star Wars: Purge – The Hidden Blade

Due out April 7th from Dark Horse

On a remote world, Darth Vader chafes at the assignment given to him by the Emperor: guarding an Imperial manufacturing facility from the anti-Imperial natives. Vader feels the duty is beneath him-until he learns that a Jedi Master and his Padawan are in league with the natives!

Now the game is afoot, and Vader is on the trail of his favorite prey. No ambush, no local monstrous lizards, will deter him his pursuit. Woe be to the Jedi when Vader catches up with them! This issue follows events in Revenge of the Sith!

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Phillip K Dicks Electric Ant #1 (of 5)

Due out April 7th from Marvel Comics

FROM THE MIND OF LEGENDARY SCI-FI AUTHOR PHILIP K. DICK!

Garson Poole had a pretty great life: good job, nice apartment, a sexy, flirtatious assistant. And then he wakes up in a hospital room when the doctors inform him that he’s been in a car accident and they can’t treat him. Because he’s a robot. Specifically, Garson is an Electric Ant, a human-like robot created and programmed to serve a specific function. But what is Garson’s function? How will his friends and co-workers treat him, knowing that he’s a machine, and not a person? And how much of his world is real, and how much of it is part of his programming?

Written by Kabuki scribe David Mack and illustrated by Pascal Alixe.

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Word broke yesterday that Joss Whedon is in the lead for consideration as the director for the upcoming Avengers movie.  Several sources confirmed that this is no April Fools joke and the creator of such beloved shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly is currently in talks to take the director’s chair on the upcoming movie set to start filming in 2011 or 2012.  Whedon has written or co-written several motion picture screen plays including the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, Toy Story and Titan A.E..  He directed Firefly’s jump to the big screen, Serenity, and was signed to write and direct the Wonder Woman movie, but that never came about . . . Sam Worthington, who’s Clash of the Titans hits theaters today, continues to stay busy with big screen projects.  He has confirmed in a conversation with MTV that he will star in the upcoming Dan Dare movie, based on the British Buck Rogers-style comic strip.  He will also be working on another big screen adaption of a comic, The Last Days of American Crime.

Phantom/Captain Action #1

Due out March 31st from Moonstone

Together again for the first time! The Phantom and Captain Action were forever united in the 1960s when the original Captain Action toy was released with a Phantom costume, allowing Cap to transform into the Ghost Who Walks.

Now, for the first time, the two timeless titans collide in the first concussive crossover ever created. When an international intelligence cartel makes a surgical strike for global control, UN committee member Diana Palmer-Walker and her legendary husband are all that stands in their way, but when the Ghost Who Walks goes missing, the only one Diana can turn to is none other than – Captain Action! Don’t miss history in the making!

Governator #1

Due out March 31st from Antarctic Press

Fear him now, understand him later! Bursting out of the pages of President Evil comes a machine sent back in time to terminate Gray Davis and become Governor of Kaleefornia…

Because no puny specials about the President of the United States fighting zombies could be enough to contain the glorious, high-octane (but emissions-compliant) powerhouse that is the Governator. Zombie hordes? Pah!

When the President can deal with rolling blackouts, tree-hugging environmentalists, annual wildfires, Hollywood-based lobbyists AND zombie hordes, THEN maybe he’ll start approaching the musclebound magnificence that is the Governator!

‘That Governator is out there. It can’t be bargained with, it can’t be reasoned with, and it will not stop, ever…until his term is over.’

In our lone Marvel entry this week, Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente say goodbye to a god in Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1. The Lion of Olympus is dead—again—and all his friends come to mourn his passing. Fellow princes Thor and Namor speak at an informal gathering, along with Bruce Banner, who admits to barely having known Herc. They all recall whimsical adventures they shared with The Prince of Power—except for Banner, his was a little more serious, but still kinda funny. Of course, the men are topped by Black Widow, Namora and Alflyse, who step forward to describe wholly different “adventures” they shared with Hercules. Very detailed descriptions we’re informed. Ahem. And that’s all before Amadeus Cho delivers his own choice, poignant words of eulogy. There is another, not completely unforeseen, development here, one that leads the characters of Incredible Hercules in an entirely new direction. And then there’s the Agents of Atlas backup. In this story, the newly-crowned Goddess of Love, Venus, and Namora are called to dispose of Hercules’ estate. Apparently, even the most simple-minded immortals can figure out ways to make fortunes without trying. The two women move about the world, informing everyone that ever personally knew Hercules of his death. Writer Paul Tobin handles this story with great sensitivity and polish, while Reilly Brown supplies some very good art. -SC

See also Sam Christopher’s Reviews of Brave and the Bold #32, Supergirl #31 and Superman 80-Page Giant #1

The enduring franchise around the character Vampirella will continue as Dynamite Entertainment has announced that they have acquired the rights for the series from Harris Comics.  The female vampire from the planet of Draculon (created by Forrest J Ackerman) first appeared in her self-titled black and white magazine produced by Warren Publishing in 1969.  Harris Comics continued the series in the 1990’s when they acquired the rights from the then defunct Warren.  Harris’ last publication of the title was issued in 2007.  Dynamite Entertainment did not provide any specifics on their plans for the character in their press release, but they will most likely use her to take advantage of the current vampire craze stretching across books, movies, and television . . . A Batman Beyond comic book, based on the futuristic animated series that aired from 1999 to 2001 and spawned 52 episodes, will be hitting the stands in the coming months.  It will be produced by writer Adam Beechen and artist Ryan Benjamin and will continue the adventures of the future Bruce Wayne and his successor Terry McGinnis . . . IDW’s Death Ship four issue mini-series will expand upon Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel and give us a more detailed account of the Count’s journey by ship from Transylvania to England.  Gary Gerani (creator and co-screenwriter for Pumpkinhead) will pen the series and Stuart Sayger will provide the artwork.  The series hits the stand in May.

Nemesis #1 (Marvel)

Due out March 24th

CIVIL WAR? Nothing. KICK-ASS? A warmup.

What if the smartest, toughest costumed bad ass in the world was totally evil? Meet Nemesis. He’s systematically been destroying the lives of every police chief in Asia, and he’s now set his sights on Washington, DC.

Between you and me, the police don’t have a chance. Do not miss the book that EVERYONE will be talking about by the creative team that made CIVIL WAR the biggest book of the decade.

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Spinning out of the Justice League of America: Cry for Justice miniseries we have the Justice League: Rise and Fall Special in which the arguments over Oliver Queen’s decision to unilaterally mete out justice to Prometheus really begin. In the aftermath of Prometheus’ devastating attack on Star City the heroes split between aiding the survivors and hunting down the “master criminal” (he surfs the Web, for God’s sake, that’s his “superpower”) responsible. Wally West and Dick Grayson track down Razer, who’s basically a mob enforcer with a thin coating of butter—I think his superpower is if he’s sautéed with some Chanterelles and Wood Ears he’s delicious. Dick here makes a very poignant observation and asks what must be a very important and worrisome question for him, especially right now. “Oldsters” Barry Allen and Hal Jordan go after The Shade, who shows them—for reasons of his own, no doubt—the evidence of Ollie’s transgression. I had a little problem with the quick conclusion drawn by Barry. As a police scientist, he should know better than anyone how evidence can be manipulated and Shade tells the heroes point-blank they aren’t the first ones on the scene, and that the murder scene has been tampered with. I know they’re showing a little more of the friction between the heroes now, and that Barry doesn’t like Oliver in the first place, but his rush to judgment just rang false with me here. Hal’s reaction, however, was perfect, and GA’s refusal to apologize was spot-on for the character. JT Krull tells the story, while the trio of Diogenes Neves, Fabrizio Fiorentino, and Mike Mayhew work well together to provide the illustrations.  - SC

See Also Sam Christopher’s Review of Green Arrow #31 and Titans #23

The Guild #1 (Dark Horse)

Due out March 24th

Internet phenomenon The Guild comes to comics, courtesy of series creator, writer, and star Felicia Day (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog)!

Chronicling the hilarious on- and offline lives of a group of Internet role-playing gamers, the Knights of Good, The Guild has become a cult hit and is the winner of numerous awards from SXSW, YouTube, Yahoo, and the Streamys. Now Day brings the wit and heart of the show to this three-issue miniseries. In this origin tale of the Knights of Good, we learn about Cyd’s life before joining the guild, how she became Codex, and how she began to meet the other players who would eventually become her teammates. This storyline fills in details never before revealed on the web show, making it a delightful new chapter for existing fans as well as a perfect jumping-on point for new fans!

* The Guild is “perhaps the smartest (and definitely the funniest) webisodic series of the year.”
-The Los Angeles Times

* The web series is the winner of three 2009 Streamy Awards: Best Comedy Web Series, Best Ensemble, and Best Actress for Felicia Day.

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Sam Christopher recently read the latest collection of short stories from Australian author David Scholes titled Essential Reading in Science Fiction.  Click on over to see what he thought of that book.  Also in Sam’s comic book reviews, he looked at two titles that have recently revived some well known characters from the Golden Age of the Pulp magazines.  He also shared his thoughts on Superman’s recent exploits in The Last Stand of Krypton and Action Comics.  Check out his reviews and feel free to share your thoughts as well.

Army Of Darkness Omnibus Vol. 01 TPB (D.E.)

Due out on or about March 17th

Continuing the all-new line of MASSIVE Dynamite Omnibus Editions! Designed for reading (or, in this case, DEVOURING) a HUGE chunk of awesome Dynamite Comics in one sitting! This time around, Dynamite presents the first 18 issues of the acclaimed Army of Darkness series in one massive omnibus! Featuring the movie adaptation based on the screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi, and illustrated by John Bolton, as well as the first four story arcs from the ongoing series — Ashes to Ashes, Shop till You Drop (Dead), Ash vs. Re-Animator, Old School, and the shorts stories presented in Tales of the Army of Darkness! Featuring the work of Also includes a complete cover gallery!

X-23 #1 (Marvel)

Due out on or about March 17th

X-23 has spent her short life being used by those in power, from the military to the X-Men. But when she is forced to confront a being who can control her life with nothing but a thought, will X-23 finally learn how to fight — not for others, but herself? Guest-starring NYX!

By John J. Joex

The third issue of Jericho Season 3: Civil Wars is here at last and delivers yet another excellent installment in the series. Hawkins and Jake break into a military prison to free John Smith who they hope can help in the impending conflict with the ASA. Meanwhile, in Jericho, Eric and Mary prepare for their wedding as he uncle Emmett arrives form the east and berates the townspeople for accepting the presence of the ASA. I have to say that this book has really exceeded my expectations so far and has done a magnificent job of carrying on the feel of the television series. As each segment plays out, I can just see and feel the original actors leaping off the page. In fact, this issue really made me regret once again that CBS cancelled the show because the hour long format would have allowed them to expand on the stories relegated to only 22 pages in the comic book. Still, the writers make the most of those pages and cram in a ton of story while also succeeding in not making us feel they are throwing too much at us at once (like what we saw with the second season because they were trying to get too much into only seven episodes). And Alejandro F. Giralbo’s artwork continues to excel as well. He does a fantastic job of capturing not just the likeness of the original actors but also the mannerisms of the characters they portrayed. I just can’t say enough good about this series and if you are a Jericho fan who has not started following it yet, it’s time to jump on board. You can read my detailed synopsis of this issue, along with issues 1 and 2 at our Jericho Season 3 page at Axiom’s Edge. And the next issue should be making its way to the stands sometime in May so stay tuned.

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