MichaelDoran
11-05-2002, 05:12 AM
ITEM! It looks like Hal Jordan is doing to die again … well, his title is anyway. In issue #804 of Comic Shop News (in stores 11/13), the weekly comics magazine will report The Spectre will end its run with issue #27, this according to writer J.M. DeMatteis.
“I haven’t written the final issue yet and I’m still pondering how to handle it,” DeMatteis tells Comic Shop Newsarama. “Issue #26 is, in many ways, a great final issue for the Spectre, the cosmic Spirit of Redemption...but there’s not enough resolution for Hal Jordan, the man (and his niece, Helen, who’s been so important to the book) - so that’s what I’ll be aiming for, character-wise, in the last one. A nice story focusing on Hal. Of course, by the time I actually write it, that could change (these stories have a habit of writing themselves.)
“The upcoming JLA/Spectre: Soul War also works quite nicely as a closing door for this part of Hal’s life.” [more on that later].
Don’t look for a big change in the Hal Jordan Spectre in the final issue. “One thing DC has asked is that Hal’s status quo remain the same...so, yes, he will be available to ‘do his Spectre thing’ in other books,” added DeMatteis. “And given the history of Hal and the Spectre, I’m sure that, after some time off, he’ll find his way back into his own title again.”
Look for more information from DeMatteis in CSN #804.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Dark_Horse/kiss.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Dark_Horse/kiss_t.jpg" width="125" height="188" border="0" alt="KISS #7 - Mr. Speed by Scott Kolins" align="right"></a> ITEM! Legendary rock band KISS has signed with a new producer … of their comic book that is. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie tells us as of issue #7 of the DHC KISS series, writer Scott Lobdell takes over as regular series writer, replacing departing writer Joe Casey and joining regular series artist Mel Rubi.
According to Allie, Lobdell takes over with issue #7 a one-shot featuring a new villain designed by Scott (The Flash) Kolins, who will also provide the cover. Issue #8 will then begin a new three-part story arc.
“Joe [Casey] just wanted to move on,” said Allie. “He did the two story arcs (six issues) he wanted to do, got to hang with Gene [Simmons], and figured that was it. I sort of panicked, and mentioned it to Scott, and he gave me his pitch for a whole new direction on the book. It was great, so I got him on the phone with Gene and Paul, and he had the job.”
Lobdell tells Newsarama he’ll begin his run with a first for the series, the Scott Kolins-designed character in issue #7 is a character based on a KISS song title, “Mr. Speed”.
“He is a young inner city super-speedster...but his super power comes at a horrible price!” said Lobdell. “And we're treating this episode as a ‘pilot’ for a spin-off of the ‘KISSverse’. The first of its kind.”
Lobdell then went on to describe his plans for the series and how it will change under his direction.
“The first six issues have sort of worked as comics for KISS fans who are familiar with the twenty plus year history of KISS. The first two story lines had them referencing events from long ago in their past - one arc referring to the Phantom movie from the late seventies. We want to ‘contemporize’ the series. Let both KISS fans and comics fans and pop culture fans in on the ground floor. We want to give the whole series a sense of discovery and newness and now that the early Fantastic Fours did when Stan and Jack were laying the groundwork of the Marvel Universe way back when.
”They'll be more Challengers Of The Unknown, more Fantastic Four - in that they are going to be seeking out ‘strange new worlds, new lives, new civilizations’. The series is going to be about them discovering alternate realities, new superheroes and super-threats. Each new arc is going to help lay the foundation for a KISSverse.
”No offense to the Marvels or DCs of the world, but how many times can Doctor Octopus or Lex Luthor leap out of closet and shout, ‘This time you are done for?!’ The fun part about KISS - from here on in - is that our characters are constantly going to be facing new threats and uncovering new exciting scenarios for the first time!”
The writer said the make up of the team/group lends itself to the exploration of any number of different comic book genres.
Explained Lobdell, ”You have the explorer genre (like, say the FF), the superhero team genre (like, say The Avengers or JLA), the horror genre through ‘The Demon’ character (think Vertigo on one hand, Ghost Rider on the other), the man vs. nature stories (like early Hulk or Wolverine) of the ‘Beast King’, the new age mystical elements (think of a modern day Dr. Strange) through the ‘Star Child’ character... and finally, the space opera/sci-fi venues (think Star Trek or Silver Surfer) through the ‘Celestial’ character!”
ITEM! Look for the toy-to-comic connection to continue in 2003, with writer Fabian Nicieza the latest to latest to get caught up in the craze. Nicieza tells Newsarama he’s neck-deep in an ambitious comics project that for the moment must remain nameless…
“The biggest chunk of work I'm involved in isn't even intended for distribution in the comics shops,” he recently told us. “I'm writing a 35-part custom comics program for a major toy company for their worldwide major boys vehicle release throughout 2003. Almost 300 pages of comic material aimed for kids ages 4-7. Possibly bigger than just about any custom comics program done in the history of comics. It's also generating CG-animated episodes for video retail sales and probable network pick up next year.”
Look for more information when it’s available.
ITEM! Let’s see, we work alongside <a href="http://www.moviepoopshoot.com" target="_blank">www.moviepoopshoot.com</a> here on the View Askew network of websites and Jimmy Palmiotti occasionally works with us interviewing artists in his State of the Art interviews. So what happens when Moviepoopshoot interviews Jimmy Palmiotti? We plug it of course/
You can read the <a href=http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/interviews/8.html>in-depth interview</a> by click on the link…
ITEM! Remember that clever animated Aquaman song parody from a few months back, set to the tune of Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)?” Its creator Dominic Nunziato has been creating new ones over the last few months, starring the likes of Wonder Woman and Batman. His latest edition is a new parody starring Hal Jordan, sung to the tune of <a href=http://www.spoil-sports.com/GreenLantern.htm>“That’s Life”</a> , perhaps most famously performed by Frank Sinatra. Check it out by clicking on the link…
ITEM! Penny Farthing Press has announced the signing of author Barbara Hambly to write The Invisible Labyrinth, a 64-page one-shot for The Victorian focusing on the villainous character Claude Ballaré and slated for a 2003 release.
According to PFP, “Best known for her elaborate settings and bewitching descriptions, the author brings her perspective as a successful novelist to The Victorian's world. The Invisible Labyrinth will give readers Hambly's signature combination of mystery and historical accuracy along with a touch of fantasy.”
“Barbara’s a beautiful writer,” PFP Editor-in-Chief Marlaine Maddux explained. “She has a passion for her subject matter that shines in every syllable. She was our first choice on this project.”
Hambly's career includes titles as Beauty and the Beast, The Benjamin January Mysteries, Knight of the Demon Queen, Magic Time, Star Trek: Ishmael, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi and The Windrose Chronicles.
The Invisible Labyrinth will mark the first in a string of The Victorian one-shots intended to give readers more insight into the series' elaborate world. Each one-shot will feature a unique creative team that will take The Victorian in new directions.
“We’re very excited about our upcoming projects associated with The Victorian title,” Maddux said. “We want to expand the fictional world of the main story line and show readers how certain characters came to be.”
Though creative teams have not been named for additional The Victorian one-shots, pre-production will begin on the projects in 2003.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1_t.jpg" width="175" alt="Superman: Last Stand On Krypton" height="127" border="0" hspace="1" align="right"></a> ITEM! DC has provided Newsarama a couple of preview pages for a pair of January-shipping projects, Steve Gerber and Doug Wheatley’s 64-page Prestige one-shot, Superman: Last Stand On Krypton and issue #1 of J.M. DeMatteis and Daryl Banks’ two-issue Prestige limited series, JLA/The Spectre: Soul War.
Superman: Last Stand On Krypton is a sequel to Gerber and Wheatley’s 2000 two-issue series Superman: Last Son of Earth.
“Last Son of Earth was an Elseworlds story that essentially turned the Superman legend on its head,” Gerber recently told Newsarama. “The infant son of astronomer Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha, was rocketed to Krypton when an asteroid collided with Earth.
“On Krypton, the child was adopted by Jor-El and Lara. He became the Green Lantern of Krypton's galactic sector, saved that planet from exploding, and unearthed the ruins of its ancient civilization, the culture that preceded the establishment of the Clone Banks - what we refer to as the ‘Silver Age’ Krypton.
“Ultimately, he returned to a devastated Earth, where he prevented Luthor from installing himself as dictator in Metropolis. At the conclusion of the story, Kal-El chose to give up his power ring and remain on his homeworld, where he could put his knowledge of Kryptonian science to work on reclaiming the planet. Back on Krypton, Jor-El and Lara became the leaders of a movement to restore the lost glory of Krypton's culture.”
Last Stand picks up the story 11 years later and deals with Kal-El's return to his adoptive planet, where Jor-El and Lara's "restorationist" movement has brought Kryptonian society to the brink of civil war.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1a_t.jpg" width="125" alt="Superman: Last Stand On Krypton" height="187" border="0" align="left"></a>“It also features a new version of General Zod, an utterly insane Luthor, a little homage to the Jerry Siegel-Curt Swan ‘Death of Superman’ story, a Phantom Zone projector and a stampede of Kryptonian ‘Thought-Beasts’," said Gerber. “You may even see a Balloonie or two.”
Gerber said these three stories aren’t just an exploration of an alternate reality shaped around the Superman mythos…
“How to say this without frightening people away?” asked the writer. “The entire Last Son series, and particularly this third installment, is about the perverse human (and Kryptonian) instinct to destroy whatever is kindest to us. Unfortunately, I can't be more specific than that without giving away some of the story's most dramatic moments.”
JLA/The Spectre: Soul War reunites the JLA with their estranged ex-teammate Hal Jordan, but according to DC, “in a most unexpected way!”
”The Spectre and the JLA form an uneasy alliance when the minds of psychics across the country are hijacked by an entity called the Trans - a devastating alien menace that threatens the fabric of reality itself!” reads DC’s description of the project.
“Our heroes discover that the only way to defeat such an overwhelmingly powerful opponent is...to become one! The League is compelled to combine forces with the former Green Lantern…in spite of Batman’s objections. But the question now is: Can the JLA be trusted with the awesome power of the Spectre?”
“Soul War is a bittersweet reteaming of old friends that changes the relationship of Hal and the JLA for good!”
<p align="center">
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" hspace="1" border="0" alt="JLA/The Spectre: Soul War"></a><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1a_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" hspace="1" border="0" alt="JLA/The Spectre: Soul War"></a>
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/Micro_4_02_COL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/Micro_4_02_COL_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" border="0" alt="MICONAUTS #4 by E.J. Su" align="right"></a> ITEM! Late last week Image Comics and Devil’s Due announced a few changes to its Micronauts ongoing series (which goes monthly with issue #5), changes that include a brand new regular writer in one Dan (Obergeist, JSA: The Liberty Files) Jolley.
First off, the publisher announced artist E.J. (Techjacket) Su will be filling in as penciler on Micronauts #4-5, following penciler Eric Wolfe Hanson's departure from the title. After Su's two-issue stint, Micronauts #6-7 will be drawn by Italian artist Stephano Caselli.
"E.J., for the first time, is injecting a bit of the manga element of the Japanese-based Micronauts into the comics, and it's looking really sharp," said Devil's Due's Josh Blaylock. "Hi-Fi Color is meshing so well with him, too, and I think people are really going to dig his stint on this book."
Blaylock also noted Su's and Caselli's guest-spots on Micronauts were scheduled to give artist Steve Kurth time to complete the upcoming Karza mini-series with writer Jim Krueger while also getting a solid head start on penciling Micronauts #8.
"Steve's really one of the most reliable artists I've ever worked with, and on top of that, he's the biggest Micronauts geek I know," Blaylock added. "With Karza, he's building on what he learned on GI JOE, but with much more freedom than the style of that book allowed. People are really going to be surprised by his work on Karza, and by the time he starts on Micronauts, this boy's going to be red hot!"
In addition to the artistic changes Blaylock also revealed when the series goes monthly it’ll begin gearing up for the storyline Image says fans have been clamoring for since the series' debut: Baron Karza's invasion of Earth. But before that though, writer Scott Wherle will leave the title with issue #7, making room for Jolley's debut with #6.
In addition to Micronauts, as previously announced Jolley will also write the second four-issue arc for GI JOE Frontline (issues #5-8) and is also preparing to take on Devil’s Due’s upcoming Voltron series.
"Dan just knocked it out of the park with the script he turned in for GI JOE Frontline #5 and then did it again when we asked him for an outline of the first Voltron arc," Blaylock explained. "He's quickly becoming one of our main go-to guys, but Micronauts fans definitely aren't going to be disappointed. Overall, I'm really excited about this whole direction - the book is going monthly, the characters are finally together as a team and we're ready to amp up the action with the upcoming ‘Invasion’ storyline!"
Additional preview image of Su’s first issue can he found at <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com" target="_blank">www.imagecomics.com</a>
Got a tip for the next Omnibus? Emails us at <a href=mailto:seennheardarama@aol.com>Omnibus Tips</a>
“I haven’t written the final issue yet and I’m still pondering how to handle it,” DeMatteis tells Comic Shop Newsarama. “Issue #26 is, in many ways, a great final issue for the Spectre, the cosmic Spirit of Redemption...but there’s not enough resolution for Hal Jordan, the man (and his niece, Helen, who’s been so important to the book) - so that’s what I’ll be aiming for, character-wise, in the last one. A nice story focusing on Hal. Of course, by the time I actually write it, that could change (these stories have a habit of writing themselves.)
“The upcoming JLA/Spectre: Soul War also works quite nicely as a closing door for this part of Hal’s life.” [more on that later].
Don’t look for a big change in the Hal Jordan Spectre in the final issue. “One thing DC has asked is that Hal’s status quo remain the same...so, yes, he will be available to ‘do his Spectre thing’ in other books,” added DeMatteis. “And given the history of Hal and the Spectre, I’m sure that, after some time off, he’ll find his way back into his own title again.”
Look for more information from DeMatteis in CSN #804.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Dark_Horse/kiss.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Dark_Horse/kiss_t.jpg" width="125" height="188" border="0" alt="KISS #7 - Mr. Speed by Scott Kolins" align="right"></a> ITEM! Legendary rock band KISS has signed with a new producer … of their comic book that is. Dark Horse editor Scott Allie tells us as of issue #7 of the DHC KISS series, writer Scott Lobdell takes over as regular series writer, replacing departing writer Joe Casey and joining regular series artist Mel Rubi.
According to Allie, Lobdell takes over with issue #7 a one-shot featuring a new villain designed by Scott (The Flash) Kolins, who will also provide the cover. Issue #8 will then begin a new three-part story arc.
“Joe [Casey] just wanted to move on,” said Allie. “He did the two story arcs (six issues) he wanted to do, got to hang with Gene [Simmons], and figured that was it. I sort of panicked, and mentioned it to Scott, and he gave me his pitch for a whole new direction on the book. It was great, so I got him on the phone with Gene and Paul, and he had the job.”
Lobdell tells Newsarama he’ll begin his run with a first for the series, the Scott Kolins-designed character in issue #7 is a character based on a KISS song title, “Mr. Speed”.
“He is a young inner city super-speedster...but his super power comes at a horrible price!” said Lobdell. “And we're treating this episode as a ‘pilot’ for a spin-off of the ‘KISSverse’. The first of its kind.”
Lobdell then went on to describe his plans for the series and how it will change under his direction.
“The first six issues have sort of worked as comics for KISS fans who are familiar with the twenty plus year history of KISS. The first two story lines had them referencing events from long ago in their past - one arc referring to the Phantom movie from the late seventies. We want to ‘contemporize’ the series. Let both KISS fans and comics fans and pop culture fans in on the ground floor. We want to give the whole series a sense of discovery and newness and now that the early Fantastic Fours did when Stan and Jack were laying the groundwork of the Marvel Universe way back when.
”They'll be more Challengers Of The Unknown, more Fantastic Four - in that they are going to be seeking out ‘strange new worlds, new lives, new civilizations’. The series is going to be about them discovering alternate realities, new superheroes and super-threats. Each new arc is going to help lay the foundation for a KISSverse.
”No offense to the Marvels or DCs of the world, but how many times can Doctor Octopus or Lex Luthor leap out of closet and shout, ‘This time you are done for?!’ The fun part about KISS - from here on in - is that our characters are constantly going to be facing new threats and uncovering new exciting scenarios for the first time!”
The writer said the make up of the team/group lends itself to the exploration of any number of different comic book genres.
Explained Lobdell, ”You have the explorer genre (like, say the FF), the superhero team genre (like, say The Avengers or JLA), the horror genre through ‘The Demon’ character (think Vertigo on one hand, Ghost Rider on the other), the man vs. nature stories (like early Hulk or Wolverine) of the ‘Beast King’, the new age mystical elements (think of a modern day Dr. Strange) through the ‘Star Child’ character... and finally, the space opera/sci-fi venues (think Star Trek or Silver Surfer) through the ‘Celestial’ character!”
ITEM! Look for the toy-to-comic connection to continue in 2003, with writer Fabian Nicieza the latest to latest to get caught up in the craze. Nicieza tells Newsarama he’s neck-deep in an ambitious comics project that for the moment must remain nameless…
“The biggest chunk of work I'm involved in isn't even intended for distribution in the comics shops,” he recently told us. “I'm writing a 35-part custom comics program for a major toy company for their worldwide major boys vehicle release throughout 2003. Almost 300 pages of comic material aimed for kids ages 4-7. Possibly bigger than just about any custom comics program done in the history of comics. It's also generating CG-animated episodes for video retail sales and probable network pick up next year.”
Look for more information when it’s available.
ITEM! Let’s see, we work alongside <a href="http://www.moviepoopshoot.com" target="_blank">www.moviepoopshoot.com</a> here on the View Askew network of websites and Jimmy Palmiotti occasionally works with us interviewing artists in his State of the Art interviews. So what happens when Moviepoopshoot interviews Jimmy Palmiotti? We plug it of course/
You can read the <a href=http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/interviews/8.html>in-depth interview</a> by click on the link…
ITEM! Remember that clever animated Aquaman song parody from a few months back, set to the tune of Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)?” Its creator Dominic Nunziato has been creating new ones over the last few months, starring the likes of Wonder Woman and Batman. His latest edition is a new parody starring Hal Jordan, sung to the tune of <a href=http://www.spoil-sports.com/GreenLantern.htm>“That’s Life”</a> , perhaps most famously performed by Frank Sinatra. Check it out by clicking on the link…
ITEM! Penny Farthing Press has announced the signing of author Barbara Hambly to write The Invisible Labyrinth, a 64-page one-shot for The Victorian focusing on the villainous character Claude Ballaré and slated for a 2003 release.
According to PFP, “Best known for her elaborate settings and bewitching descriptions, the author brings her perspective as a successful novelist to The Victorian's world. The Invisible Labyrinth will give readers Hambly's signature combination of mystery and historical accuracy along with a touch of fantasy.”
“Barbara’s a beautiful writer,” PFP Editor-in-Chief Marlaine Maddux explained. “She has a passion for her subject matter that shines in every syllable. She was our first choice on this project.”
Hambly's career includes titles as Beauty and the Beast, The Benjamin January Mysteries, Knight of the Demon Queen, Magic Time, Star Trek: Ishmael, Star Wars: Children of the Jedi and The Windrose Chronicles.
The Invisible Labyrinth will mark the first in a string of The Victorian one-shots intended to give readers more insight into the series' elaborate world. Each one-shot will feature a unique creative team that will take The Victorian in new directions.
“We’re very excited about our upcoming projects associated with The Victorian title,” Maddux said. “We want to expand the fictional world of the main story line and show readers how certain characters came to be.”
Though creative teams have not been named for additional The Victorian one-shots, pre-production will begin on the projects in 2003.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1_t.jpg" width="175" alt="Superman: Last Stand On Krypton" height="127" border="0" hspace="1" align="right"></a> ITEM! DC has provided Newsarama a couple of preview pages for a pair of January-shipping projects, Steve Gerber and Doug Wheatley’s 64-page Prestige one-shot, Superman: Last Stand On Krypton and issue #1 of J.M. DeMatteis and Daryl Banks’ two-issue Prestige limited series, JLA/The Spectre: Soul War.
Superman: Last Stand On Krypton is a sequel to Gerber and Wheatley’s 2000 two-issue series Superman: Last Son of Earth.
“Last Son of Earth was an Elseworlds story that essentially turned the Superman legend on its head,” Gerber recently told Newsarama. “The infant son of astronomer Jonathan Kent and his wife Martha, was rocketed to Krypton when an asteroid collided with Earth.
“On Krypton, the child was adopted by Jor-El and Lara. He became the Green Lantern of Krypton's galactic sector, saved that planet from exploding, and unearthed the ruins of its ancient civilization, the culture that preceded the establishment of the Clone Banks - what we refer to as the ‘Silver Age’ Krypton.
“Ultimately, he returned to a devastated Earth, where he prevented Luthor from installing himself as dictator in Metropolis. At the conclusion of the story, Kal-El chose to give up his power ring and remain on his homeworld, where he could put his knowledge of Kryptonian science to work on reclaiming the planet. Back on Krypton, Jor-El and Lara became the leaders of a movement to restore the lost glory of Krypton's culture.”
Last Stand picks up the story 11 years later and deals with Kal-El's return to his adoptive planet, where Jor-El and Lara's "restorationist" movement has brought Kryptonian society to the brink of civil war.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/SMLSK1a_t.jpg" width="125" alt="Superman: Last Stand On Krypton" height="187" border="0" align="left"></a>“It also features a new version of General Zod, an utterly insane Luthor, a little homage to the Jerry Siegel-Curt Swan ‘Death of Superman’ story, a Phantom Zone projector and a stampede of Kryptonian ‘Thought-Beasts’," said Gerber. “You may even see a Balloonie or two.”
Gerber said these three stories aren’t just an exploration of an alternate reality shaped around the Superman mythos…
“How to say this without frightening people away?” asked the writer. “The entire Last Son series, and particularly this third installment, is about the perverse human (and Kryptonian) instinct to destroy whatever is kindest to us. Unfortunately, I can't be more specific than that without giving away some of the story's most dramatic moments.”
JLA/The Spectre: Soul War reunites the JLA with their estranged ex-teammate Hal Jordan, but according to DC, “in a most unexpected way!”
”The Spectre and the JLA form an uneasy alliance when the minds of psychics across the country are hijacked by an entity called the Trans - a devastating alien menace that threatens the fabric of reality itself!” reads DC’s description of the project.
“Our heroes discover that the only way to defeat such an overwhelmingly powerful opponent is...to become one! The League is compelled to combine forces with the former Green Lantern…in spite of Batman’s objections. But the question now is: Can the JLA be trusted with the awesome power of the Spectre?”
“Soul War is a bittersweet reteaming of old friends that changes the relationship of Hal and the JLA for good!”
<p align="center">
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" hspace="1" border="0" alt="JLA/The Spectre: Soul War"></a><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1a.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/JLASpectre-Soulwar1a_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" hspace="1" border="0" alt="JLA/The Spectre: Soul War"></a>
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/Micro_4_02_COL.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/Image/Micro_4_02_COL_t.jpg" width="125" height="190" border="0" alt="MICONAUTS #4 by E.J. Su" align="right"></a> ITEM! Late last week Image Comics and Devil’s Due announced a few changes to its Micronauts ongoing series (which goes monthly with issue #5), changes that include a brand new regular writer in one Dan (Obergeist, JSA: The Liberty Files) Jolley.
First off, the publisher announced artist E.J. (Techjacket) Su will be filling in as penciler on Micronauts #4-5, following penciler Eric Wolfe Hanson's departure from the title. After Su's two-issue stint, Micronauts #6-7 will be drawn by Italian artist Stephano Caselli.
"E.J., for the first time, is injecting a bit of the manga element of the Japanese-based Micronauts into the comics, and it's looking really sharp," said Devil's Due's Josh Blaylock. "Hi-Fi Color is meshing so well with him, too, and I think people are really going to dig his stint on this book."
Blaylock also noted Su's and Caselli's guest-spots on Micronauts were scheduled to give artist Steve Kurth time to complete the upcoming Karza mini-series with writer Jim Krueger while also getting a solid head start on penciling Micronauts #8.
"Steve's really one of the most reliable artists I've ever worked with, and on top of that, he's the biggest Micronauts geek I know," Blaylock added. "With Karza, he's building on what he learned on GI JOE, but with much more freedom than the style of that book allowed. People are really going to be surprised by his work on Karza, and by the time he starts on Micronauts, this boy's going to be red hot!"
In addition to the artistic changes Blaylock also revealed when the series goes monthly it’ll begin gearing up for the storyline Image says fans have been clamoring for since the series' debut: Baron Karza's invasion of Earth. But before that though, writer Scott Wherle will leave the title with issue #7, making room for Jolley's debut with #6.
In addition to Micronauts, as previously announced Jolley will also write the second four-issue arc for GI JOE Frontline (issues #5-8) and is also preparing to take on Devil’s Due’s upcoming Voltron series.
"Dan just knocked it out of the park with the script he turned in for GI JOE Frontline #5 and then did it again when we asked him for an outline of the first Voltron arc," Blaylock explained. "He's quickly becoming one of our main go-to guys, but Micronauts fans definitely aren't going to be disappointed. Overall, I'm really excited about this whole direction - the book is going monthly, the characters are finally together as a team and we're ready to amp up the action with the upcoming ‘Invasion’ storyline!"
Additional preview image of Su’s first issue can he found at <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com" target="_blank">www.imagecomics.com</a>
Got a tip for the next Omnibus? Emails us at <a href=mailto:seennheardarama@aol.com>Omnibus Tips</a>