ZOOM SUIT #1

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/Zoom/01/t_Cover_A.jpg" width="165" height="250" align="right">Creator John Taddeo has provided Newsarama with an eight page preview of <b>Zoom Suit #1</b>, the first issue of a four issue miniseries debuting in April. The first issue is drawn by Billy Dallas Patton.

From the press release for the first issue:

In issue #1, an alien craft crash lands in Roswell, New Mexico, and the reports are heard around the world. Fast forward 60 years. The suit is stolen by turncoat NSA Agent Simon Bane. In a theft attempt reminiscent of DB Cooper, Simon leaps from an Army chopper at 8,000 feet and begins to don the Zoom Suit. However, he has made a deadly error: Aliens are small! The suit doesn’t fit! Simon and the suit fall helplessly to earth at terminal velocity. On Earth, thirteen year old Myles Mason is bummed about not being able to afford a Halloween costume, when suddenly, from the sky, alien armor crashes to Earth just a few feet behind him.

Zoom Suit is aimed at an 8 to 80 audience and looks to bring some fun back to comics. The first issue features a $2.95 cover price and contains 36 pages of story and art plus two full letters pages and ads parodying “old skool” ads seen in Marvel and DC comics for X-Ray specs, giant monsters, etc. The issue also contains many pop culture references and inside jokes as well as a secret code hidden throughout that will take fans on a mission outside the book, across the internet and into the middle of an alien conspiracy. Those that can decipher the code and solve the mystery will receive prizes such as DVDs and limited edition comics and trading cards.

The award-winning animated short Zoom Suit, created by John Taddeo, can be seen online at www.superverse.com

Click here (http://www.newsarama.com/general/Zoom/01/Zoom01Pre.htm) for the preview.

[sequart]

So far, I'm not impressed, but I'll give the first one a try... you've ALWAYS got to give the first one a try.

[xomanowarfan]

I've heard great things about the book. Especially the paper quality and printing.

[andy smith]

The article says it ships in April, but my lcs got in 5 or 6 of them a couple weeks ago.

[Blind Assassin]

a bunch or previews were sent out by the publisher.

Our shop got one or two as well to preview.

I haven't read it yet.

[MisterE]

Tech Jacket, meet Zoom Suit.

Zoom Suit, meet Tech Jacket.

FIGHT!

[Rubber Sled]

"Dangnabbit"...?

[Swift]

Looks an awful lot like the new blue beetle costume.

Which came first?

[Drewsander]

the way the story unfolded in the animation was ok (at least it unfoled well visually, i couldn't get sound!) but the plotting and dialogue in the book itself is weaker than weak green tea.

A disapointment considering the recent hype.

[Kevin]

ZOOM SUIT is not looking all that wonderful, guys. In fact, if ZOOM SUIT's publishers haven't been paying for the large banner ads on this very site, I think we wouldn't be discussing this title at all. I'm usually not one to trash a person's work, but I've seen enough of this ZOOM SUIT on Newsarama. Come on, Matt, do we really need SEVEN or more updates in the last three months? It's time to move on to stories about better comics. Too much hype over what clearly appears to be a subpar title.

-Kevin

[Kolimar]

Not bad. :)

[DerecDonovan]

Oh man this is gonna be soooooooo bad. I can't wait to watch this swirl down the bowl. I love the fact that the main character is so obviously cool, yet an outsider. This is comics at it's worst, a pure marketing vehicle for whatever badly made toy from taiwan. It should come polybagged with a happy meal.

[CylverSaber]

I read the first issue, it was pretty bad. But there was one good panel:

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/902/zoom7yd.jpg

[Imaginary]

Originally posted by Kevin
ZOOM SUIT is not looking all that wonderful, guys. In fact, if ZOOM SUIT's publishers haven't been paying for the large banner ads on this very site, I think we wouldn't be discussing this title at all. I'm usually not one to trash a person's work, but I've seen enough of this ZOOM SUIT on Newsarama. Come on, Matt, do we really need SEVEN or more updates in the last three months? It's time to move on to stories about better comics. Too much hype over what clearly appears to be a subpar title.

-Kevin

Thank You. I don't even know where to start. There is one thing you can say about the guys doing this book, they are excited about their product.

[MattBrady]

Originally posted by Kevin
In fact, if ZOOM SUIT's publishers haven't been paying for the large banner ads on this very site, I think we wouldn't be discussing this title at all. You'd think wrong, as advertising is not connected to editorial at Newsarama.

Originally posted by Kevin
I'm usually not one to trash a person's work, but I've seen enough of this ZOOM SUIT on Newsarama. Come on, Matt, do we really need SEVEN or more updates in the last three months? Since it's very easily checked, you've seen five press releases, that have been posted in the More News section, an interview with the artist, and this preview. We tend to post as many press releases as we can based on their merit, and each did report something unique about the comic (we've passed on other releases that we've judged to not have any news merit). The preview and the interview were the only articles in the center area of the front page. In terms of high visibility pieces, you're now talking about two things.

I'm not sure who's forcing you to read about things you clearly don't like, though...seems like a pointless way to spend your time.

MattB

[JustADude]

No offense, but the tone of this thread seems to be heading down the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" vein that this fine Internet is wonderfully infamous for.

Some of the worst movies of this year had the most press and advertising. Heck the last three Star Wars films were as bad a movies as I have seen, but they sure did spend that advertising buck. AND EVERY STATION Lucas bought ads for, either reviewed it, mentioned it, or played shows that did. Think THAT was a coincidene? Did you shut off your TV?

Maybe that's what this guy Taddeo is doing. It's a comic book, this is a comic book website. But I would seriously doubt that Matt gives preferential treatment to ad buyers. He seems to post most of the press releases and preview images that are sent his way, regardless of who's buying what. And they appear on almost every other site I visit as well.

Now, if I followed the pattern KEVIN set, perhaps I would think him one of those Trolls, stalking the internet with the sole purpose of stirring things up at various sites, a prickly burr lodged somewhere sunlight deficient, causing him to act the role of doof and accusing Matt of unethical behavior when you have no proof otherwise.

Mr. Brady seems straight up. Don't come back if you think him fraudulent in his coverage. Y'know, that whole "change the channel" philosophy everyone is so fond of?

Now, as for Zoom Suit, here's a critique of the book.

I don't like it. Won't buy it. I read the preview at my comic book store and thought it simple and derivative. The dialogue reads like a 8th grade attempt at Tarantino-like pop culture references. And like an 8th grader (or any amatuer writer) they do it about three times more than palatable.

Although the Metal Ink printing was a nice touch.

[atomika]

Lets please give them a shot and see before you guys pile
on with all the usual jaded online bashing.

I wish them well.
Indy publishing is no duck walk.

Hang in there guys."

Oh yeah' Don't mess with Matt Brady he's a very cool dude.

Warmest regards

Sal Abbinanti

Atomika-Artist
www.mercurycomics.com

[Ray Dillon]

Awesome work, BDP!

[Purduckin']

Just wanted to say I am going to be giving it a shot.

Though the dialogue may seem painful at times, this had a very infectious, innocent, silver-age feel to it that I find refreshing with the darkening of all my favorite mainstream superheroes currently.

This book boasts some very energetic, kinetic art and a general sense of FUN that I haven't seen in many comics lately. Granted, this is just what I take from the preview pages, but as I said, I am at least game for #1. If I like what I read, I'm in for #2 and so on.

Don't judge a book before reading it. Imagine if a movie producer had made a judgment on The Lord of the Rings script based on the first few pages of the book: "A bunch of midget people walking around their town, and about fifty paragraphs to describe the damn grass? This will never be profitable".

[Jacentury]

I have read a preview edition of the book and I really enjoyed it. The book is a lot of fun and it contains plenty of "in gags" that would appeal to most comic book fans.

I did a great interview with writer/ creator John Taddeo over at Broken Frontier (http://brokenfrontier.com/columns/details.php?id=379).

Have a read to get some more insight into the book and where it is going.

[Mike S Miller]

Art looks good, Billy!

[Jed Saxon]

I read the first issue and well it was not Bill-Jemas-bad but still not good. It was entertaining and taking itself not serious although the humor seemed forced.
The art was quite good but this metalic-foil-gimmick on every page was quite annoying (after the gimmick cover we give you the gimmick comic).

But that Bill Tucci cover was very nice.

[CitC]

this had a very infectious, innocent, silver-age feel to it that I find refreshing with the darkening of all my favorite mainstream superheroes currently.

I believe that this was exactly the feel Taddeo was going for. He is excited about his book and his film and he is promoting the heck out of it.

When you speak to him he comes accross as a guy that has loved comics all of his life. I think he is trying to share that with the rest of us.

And, I may be wrong but I think Zoom came before the new Beatle.

comicsintheclassroom.net/ (http://comicsintheclassroom.net/)

http://comicsintheclassroom.net/citcpics/citc_banner_600x120.jpg

[s*p rules]

Hmmm, what would be harder to find - a pack of 13 yr olds who still actually take dressing up for Halloween seriously, or a 13yr old who is going to cry because he doesn't have a costume???

Best of luck on this book, but I think the writer needs to do some research before he writes about that age group. Speaking as a father who has been around enough trick or treating teenagers, you get laughed AT if you're 13 and still wearing a superhero costume (not to mention a power ranger!). In fact, you get ripped on pretty good if your costume is any more detailed than a football jersey or a friday the 13th mask. It's just about the free candy at that age.

Now, if he would have had them at age 25 and walking around a comic convention...

[jonjesper]

Yesterday I checked the mail and found a cardboard mailer addressed to me...
It was a special cover by Bart Sears of Zoom Suit #1 signed by John and came with a COA hand numbered for people that signed up via the Valiant Message Boards. A large poster was also enclosed! There were over 700 of these copies mailed out and they paid all the expenses including the $3+ to ship.
I found that link and that message board thanks to Newsarama. The same day I received a fantastic looking envelope with collector cards for Zoom Suit also.

Thank you John for making my day and thanks for giving it your all to make comics fun again! I will support the book and wish all creators had the gusto you do!

[CMARTIN]

I got one of the free issues mailed to me as well. The comic itself has extremely high production values, and it is being marketed brilliantly. I'm going to support it.

[IMJ]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of issue 1. It's a quality package. This book really recaptures the fun of something such as Spider-Man and puts it in an Iron Man power class.

Taddeo's use of pop culture Easter Eggs just adds to the package along with the super attractive appearence of the book itself. IMO, this is no gimmick, it's the real thing (and from an independent nonetheless).

Normally I'm not a fan of the super manga stylized art, but here, in this context it fits and really tells the story. I can definately stick with something like this and I'm eager to see how the story unfolds.

It isn't rocket science, it isn't an examination on culture and it I don't think it's about making money (it truly appears to be too much of a labor of love). It's simply fun as hell..... well.... honestly guys, it's more fun than I've had in comics in a LONG time.

I'm giving it a shot....