HEROES OF THE BEAST!

...Tough as nails and hellbent for leather. I wonder what present-day character in the WS Universe she may have inspired...

...I don't want to give too much away about Midnight Rider, but I will say she was fun to design, even with the difficulty involved in finding reference for her motorcycle.We round out our exclusive look at the heroes of Number of the Beast tomorrow with the debut of Johnny Ray-Gun!



Update 4/08/08


... Engine Joe's best pal next to Tumbleweed. Mago is the Paladins' resident spellcaster. He didn't sell his soul for magical power... he rented it out.

... Mago was the most difficult character to design out of the bunch we're highlighting. There are so many magical characters in comics that everything's been done before. I finally settled on his look because I happened to be re-reading Scorpio Rose by Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers and this inspired the idea of a sort of Romanian/Eastern European vibe. I know "mago" is an Italian word, but I think the look still suits the character.Come back to Newsarama on Monday for a look at the seventh hero, the Midnight Rider!

Update 4/04/08

...The Thrush's teen partner-in-crimefighting, still learning the ropes.

...Falconette is Robin to The Thrush's Batman, basically--a younger, spunkier winged wonder. I designed Thrush first, and just went with the same basic bird helmet look for Falconette.

Next up… the mysterious Mago!



Update 4/03/08

...Winged fury. She's not the first Thrush.

... The Thrush was one of those characters that I saw in my head while reading the script and was somehow able to quickly get her down on paper exactly as I visualized her. She was the third character I designed, right after Engine Joe and Aeronaut, and with her design I felt like I was on to something, really getting the retro feel.

Stay Tuned – tomorrow si the debut of Thrush’s sidekick, the Falconette!

Update 4/02/01

...Before there was HEMI, there was Engine Joe. He's the guy you call when you need a little roadside assistance.

...This guy was my favorite Number of the Beast character the instant I read his first appearance in the script. Engine Joe is supposed to look as if he's made from converted car parts, so I gathered up a bunch of 1950's Edsel reference photos and came up with what you see. He's very difficult to draw, but he's still the highlight of the book for me.


update 4/01/08

... The most solid, stand-up hero in the Paladins. He's the guy you want at your back in a big fight, mainly because he's virtually indestructible.

...Black Anvil is a super cool 70's style hero, but instead of giving him an iron afro as Scott suggested in the proposal, I went with a hairstyle that reinforced the anvil theme.

Come back tomorrow as we introduce you to Engine Joe!


Update 3/31/08

In the ashes of Revelations comes the forgotten heroes of the WildStorm Universe. It breaks wide open with the upcoming eight issue miniseries Number of the Beast. Written by Scott Beatty and illustrated by Chris Sprouse, the series follows a hereto unknown group of heroes known as the Paladins, who were an unrevealed until now.

The first issue of Number of the Beast hits shelves on April 9th.

...Aero-Nut and Jet-Jerk in just a few pages. You'd have to be arrogant and self-assured to strap a mini fighter jet to your back for a little solo-flying.

...He thinks he's cool, funny, and irresistible to the lady-superheroes, but he's just a type-A jerk! Design-wise, he was one of the harder characters to nail down, since there are already a few rocket-pack powered guys out there and I didn't want to make him too terribly similar to any of them. In the end, We settled on a sort of old-fashioned US Navy pilot flight helmet and flight suit look.

Ooooo thats Sprousey goodness!Newsarama is showing a series of stetches with commentary by creators Scott Beatty and Chris sprouse. Stay tuned on Monday for Day 2, and the hero known as the Black Anvil.

For more Sprousey goodness and NOTB pics check out his Blog!

http://www.sprousenet.blogspot.com/

EYE OF THE STORM EP 4!

Quatro! For Episode four I go over the June solicits for WildStorm and CMX, I give a review of Wildcat #1, and I do a Woman tribute for Woman's history(herstory) Month. No "Into The wild" for this episode, sorry couldn't get my notes together. Hope you enjoy and have a happy Easter! Peace!

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WHO IS CASEY BLUE?

Real aritcle

Who is Casey Blue?That’s a question many people have been asking. We can tell you this much – she’s a senior in high school, gets good grades and plays some sports. Sounds like a good kid, huh? But when the news comes in that she killed a stranger with her bare hands and (AND!?) she’s to play a pivotal role in preventing an alien invasion of earth… well, we need to know more!

Revealed in DC Comics’ advance solicitations for May releases, Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow is a six-issue miniseries by writer B. Clay Moore and artist Carlo Barberi. Moore is a relative newcomer to DC Comics having only penned a few issues, but this debut with a new series marks a ringing endorsement for the Hawaiian Dick writer. We talked with Moore to find out.. well, more.

NRAMA: Casey Blue is a new name in comics. Who is she and what's the series about?

BCM: Casey Blue is an average teenage girl living a fairly average life. Mom and Dad at home, big brother living on his own in the city. She's an average volleyball player, relatively popular, but otherwise fairly average. And then she breaks into a complete stranger's apartment and beats them to death.

The book is about why this happened, why she had no control over it, and why it's just the first step in a much, much larger event. We follow Casey as she begins to unravel her role in events that will impact tomorrow. And, yes...BEYOND.

NRAMA: “Beyond Tomorrow,” if the title stands correctly. If you were to describe what the series is as a whole, what would you say?

BCM: I'd describe it as a mystery thriller evolving into a science fiction action adventure. Or something even more clever.

NRAMA: You’re been cleverly secretive about the series. But lets try to dig deeper, shall we? The series cover shows some a distinctly non-human being in the background. What's his story?

BCM: Good question. I'll just say that he's one of many. And that he's a problem.

NRAMA: The cover also hints at some other elements with the appearance of some masked special forces type people. What's their involvement?

BCM: The first people we meet in the book are those masked agents, at some date in the past. Hopefully the reader will wonder who they are, but it's all part of the unfolding mystery. I will say they're the catalysts to the events that envelope Casey (and perhaps others like her).

NRAMA: You're working with artist Carlo Barberi. What has the artwork been like coming in, and what's Carlo done to surprise you?

BCM: Carlo is fantastic. He works in a style that's quite a bit different from that of anyone I've worked with before, but there's a lot of substance behind the style. The guy can handle more than just pretty girls. His environments are great, and he understands comic book storytelling and framing action. It's been more fun than I imagined.

NRAMA: This is being put out by WildStorm’s “Signature Series” imprint --is this part of the WildStorm universe, or something separate?

BCM:I think this one will probably stand on its own, actually. There are some events that take place that impact, like...the future of the world. And those pesky Wildstorm heroes would probably want to be involved if they were around.

NRAMA: How did the idea for Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow and working with DC/WildStorm originate?

BCM: I'd been working with Wildstorm editor Ben Abernathy on another project when he approached me with some loose ideas for a book, and asked if I'd like to be involved. Working with Ben has been great so far, and I jumped at the idea. I took the basic threads he gave me and reworked them into what became Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow. Once we had a rough idea about the tone of the book, Ben realized Carlo was just wrapping up some Gen13 stuff, and approached him to see if he'd be into it. Luckily for us, he was.

Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow #1 (of #6) is scheduled to debut on May 21st, 2008. For more information, stay tuned to Newsarama.com.

PREVIEW TRIFECTA!

Ex Machina #35

Written by Brian K. Vaughan;

Art by Tony Harris and Jim Clark;

Cover by Harris

It's a little-known fact that NYC's first City Hall was built by African slaves — men and women whose spirits continue to haunt the administration of vigilante-turned-politician Mitchell Hundred. Wildstorm Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US Mature Readers On Sale March 19, 2008

The New Dynamix #2

Written by Allen Warner;

Art and Cover by J.J. Kirby;

Variant Cover by Jim Lee

Now that the Black Halo has once again taken up heroics, can he be persuaded to join Rocket and Sword in endorsement deals? Is that really what he came back for? No, he's left his desert townhouse to make a difference, and he starts by confronting his roommate, Gramalkin, who's been having visions about the end of the world. Halo and Rocket are heading to downtown San Francisco to see what there is to learn – and what the end of the world has to do with the missing WildStorm super-powered-beings Wildstorm 32pg. Color $2.99 US On Sale April 2, 2008

Midnighter #18

Written by Keith Giffen;

Art by Lee Garbett and Rick Burchett;

Cover by Garbett and Trevor Scott

Assassin8, the world's deadliest hitman and a genetic chameleon, has defeated the Midnighter and taken over his identity. Next stop: the Carrier and the rest of the Authority...and the actual target of his assignment. Wildstorm Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US On Sale April 2, 2008

EYE OF THE STORM EP 3!

Third times the charm! ... hopefully. I go over the Wondercon 08 news, the May solicits for both WildStorm and CMX. and introduce a new segment "Into The Wild" where I give an overview of certain WildStorm comics. No "Wildshots" segment in this one because I was already late for this episode and I didn't want to put it off any longer. And there is a little blooper reel at the end just to show how much I suck at pronoucing names. Thanks for listening and remember... Keep your eye on the Storm!

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Special Thanks to Ragingbullets and Red_lantern

BATMAN: DEATH MASK SERIES NOW PRICED AT JUST $2.99!

Press Release

DC Comics announces that the cover price on the BATMAN: DEATH MASK miniseries has been lowered to just $2.99 per issue!

BATMAN: DEATH MASK is written and illustrated by Yoshinori Natsume, acclaimed creator of Toguri, who makes his American comics debut with this original Batman manga tale.

In BATMAN: DEATH MASK #1, there’s a new serial killer in Gotham, one who may have ties to the training Bruce Wayne acquired as a young man in Japan. Does the murderer know that Bruce Wayne is the Batman?

And in BATMAN: DEATH MASK #2, Bruce Wayne must confront his past and examine how the time he spent training to become Batman affected him — and whether those experiences led to the killer now rampaging through Gotham City’s underworld. (This black-and-white miniseries no longer will be in Prestige Format, and will be saddle stitched instead of squarebound.)

BATMAN: DEATH MASK #1 (FEB080205) is solicited in the February Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on April 9 with a cover price of $2.99 U.S.

BATMAN: DEATH MASK #2 (MAR080156) is solicited in the March Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 7 with a cover price of $2.99 U.S.

THE DRIZZLE

THE DRIZZLE: This is my monthly column, where I just give my musings of the Wildstorm titles I read. Things I like, don't like or just what I'm thinking as I read them. they will be from the month before because I get my book from DCBS monthly. So this will be about the WIldstorm books that were released in February. in the order that I read them.

WildStorm Revelations 3 & 4

• Issue #3, cover. apparently Batman and Wonder Woman like to dine at the Chick N' Go.
• Nemesis restarts the clock on feminism.
• One... two more importantly three! Hitler's words.
• I forgot that "Ajita" was pregers.
• Nemesis grazes on wings till her side salad is rustled up.
• Supa-Fly-Girl
• Emoticon get a new... emoticon? and yes... she did.
• I feel Savants displeasure with the abundance of food metaphors.
• A collector of books, Bibliophile. You're welcome.
• DOODY!
• Lorna Doone?
• May he rest in peace instead of pieces.
• Nemesis' preoccupation
• Backlash has been a bad girl.
• Issue #4, the art in this issue reminded me of the A-ha -"Take on me" video.
• The things girls keep in their purses.
• Glop?
• Savant's au natural is ALL-NATURAL!
• She slices, she dices...
• Turtle soup.
• Half eatened haggis.
• Haggis-breath.

Authority: Prime #5

• ah the subsequent superhero team up.
• Bendix's theories at practice.
• Rose savoring her gun
• You are a leather queen, Midnighter. There I said it for Cannon.
• Rose is Rose
• I know that look too
• Bushido is given arthritis

Deathblow #9

• Either the best comic I read or the worst... I don't know... I don't know.
• AAAH*
• RRRRRR*
• GLAAAGHH*
• Kill the bitches. Literally
• GRAAAAGGHH*
• COGGH*
• HAHGAGAH*
• GAGAGAGA*
• BLAAAGGGH*
• NRRRR*, Fantasizing about Linda Tripp is sick, very
• OH*
• WHRUU*
• Gunny-rats
• An old yeller moment, nice
• So wait... Deathblow made Ultimate Marvel? Nice

Midnighter #16

• The Frank Quietly-esque art of Lee Garbett. Buenvenito.
• Midnighter, the creepy uncle.
• So... is that the Engineer they're talking to?
• Midnighter and his trusty sidekick Kid Mindy.
• Henry the eighth, Wow I'm sad that I just got that.
• Truce?
• Somewhere slightly to the left of reality.

Gen13 #17

• Pigeon butcher of the urals.
• Grunganov
• A fabric with metallic threads, Lame' . You're welcome
• Teenagers are so two demensional
• In chaos we trust.
• The professor hangs aound

WEATHER UPDATE

Sorry for the lateness. I wanted this to be a bi-weekly podcast, but certain important "life events" came into play and I got delayed. I got most of episode 3 in the bag. I do a new "Wildshots"( my review segment), a new segment called "Into The Wild" where I go over certain WildStorm comics(this week WS: Armageddon), a new "Forecast" (which was just WS news before but now I have combined my predictions and the "Almanac"[WS Solicits] to it. that way it is less cut up). Hopefully see it up by Friday or Saturday. After that I'm going to try to get them up every other Saturday. Peace.

B. CLAY MOORE GOES BEYOND TOMORROW WITH "CASEY BLUE"

***spoilers ahead***

catch the article here

In the spirit of Edward Stratemeyer’s 1930 creation Nancy Drew and more recent incarnations like Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, J.J. Abrams’ Sydney Bristow and Rob Thomas’ Veronica Mars, grown men writing about teenage wonder girls (super-powered or otherwise) righting the wrong-doers of justice has become an entertainment industry norm. That’s why B. Clay Moore (“Hawaiian Dick”) says writing the titular character in Wildstorm’s upcoming “Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow” miniseries is “no big deal.”

Illustrated by Carlo Barberi (“Gen 13”), Casey Blue – in case you missed the May solicitations – is an average high school senior except, of course, until she suddenly kills a stranger with her bare hands and learns that she will play a pivotal role in preventing a full-scale invasion of Earth.

“I suppose I’m stretching back to my high school years to some degree,” B. Clay Moore told CBR News. “I hung out with girls like Casey in high school, and when you get right down to it, the gulf between guys and girls isn’t as great as people want to make it. People are always trying to figure out the opposite sex, but there are more similarities than differences. I think most of the differences are related to circumstance, so you put yourself into the head of a high school girl, just as you’d put yourself into the head of a man flying around in his underwear punching holes in mountains.

“And if you’re a method writer, you put yourself into her clothes and prance around in front of a mirror. I’ve never done that, but J. Torres tells me it works, and he’s written Wonder Girl, so....”

Moore was actually pitched the story concept by Wildstorm editor Ben Abernathy, who in turn asked the writer to pitch it back to the DC Comics imprint. “Ben called and gave me a few loose ideas and asked if I’d be interested in pitching a book along those lines,” explained Moore. “I’d never really written anything starring a female protagonist before, aside from a three-issue ‘Vampi’ mini I did a few years ago, and certainly nothing with a teenage girl in the lead, so that was a draw.

“I decided to start from the perspective of a normal kid who gets thrown into a completely unbelievable situation, and build a fairly complex, time-bending mystery around her. Ben and I bounced things around for a while, but this was one of the quickest pitch to writing experiences I’ve ever had.”

And while he didn’t want to reveal too much of the “fairly complex, time-bending mystery,” Moore did deliver on a few spoilers. “Casey is going about her normal business when she virtually blanks out, and ends up attacking and murdering a complete stranger. Once she realizes what she’s done, she, you know, becomes concerned. This is definitely not behavior her parents would approve of,” teased Moore. “As similar incidents occur, she begins to realize there are people out there who are more aware of what’s happening than she is, and she tries to piece things together as she deals with them. Now and then we see glimpses of events around the world that might indicate she’s not entirely alone with her problems.”

As for his leading lady, Moore says outside of the killing and the whole humanity’s only salvation thing, she perfectly normal. “She’s a decent student, with a best friend she hangs with now and then,” explained Moore. “She plays volleyball, but has never been more than an average player. And she lives at home with mom and dad in the suburbs. Her older brother lives in his own apartment in the city. She’s perhaps a little brighter than average, with a decent sense of humor.

“But once she’s thrust into this situation, she has no choice but to pursue it. Sure, what’s happening seems unreal, but since it’s actually happening, she learns quickly to accept the unacceptable and just deal.”

Moore confirmed that plans are that the “Beyond Tomorrow” six-issue miniseries is the first of many for our young Miss Blue. “This is very much the first step in a much larger story,” said Moore. “This is the series in which Casey gets her bearings and sets the course for her own future. This is the prelude, more than anything.”

That being said, Moore added that “Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow” ends as a new beginning of sorts. “Casey’s changed over the course of this first book, and she realizes she has a very important quest to follow,” said Moore.

Moore continues to work on his two Image Comics books “Hawaiian Dick” and “’76” and an upcoming creator-owned project with artist Tony Harris (“Ex Machina”). “I also just wrapped up ‘Superman Confidential’ and ‘JSA Classified,’ and I’m talking about more stuff at DC. And I just dug into a graphic novel that artist Eric Kim and I are doing at Oni called ‘Billy Smoke.’ I’m always busy,” said Moore, who also mentioned that while the option expired with New Line Cinema for a “Hawaiian Dick” movie, there are things happening with the project. “But more on that down the road,” he said.

“Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow” #1, with art by Carlo Barberi is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 21.