THE SPIRIT: NEW POSTER REVEALED

A brand new poster for Frank Miller's forthcoming movie adaptation of Will Eisner's classic comic book character has arrived online. Check it out by hitting the thumbnail. While nowhere near as inspiring as the other images that have surfaced from the film, this does take away a bit of the 'another Sin City' problems the film has had so far. The film looks awesome, like some kind of sick Dick Tracy movie put through Frank Miller's unique visual blender, but this poster doesn't really convey just how awesome the film is going to be.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN- THE MOST CONSISTENT COMIC AROUND?

The current run of Captain Britain and MI13 from Marvel Comics has just hit issue four, and it really does feel like the most consistently entertaining and well made comic on the scene at the moment. Paul Cornell weaves a script that is always gripping, funny and action packed and yet it still carries some dramatic weight. The art of Leonard Kirk and Jesse Delperdang is strong throughout. The joy of the book is that it can be enjoyed as a standalone title despite its involvement in the Secret Invasion storyline. It is most certainly part of that huge crossover event, but it can be read and understood on its own merits.

The invasion in these pages isn’t chock full of Marvel mainstays, but it is chock full of surprises and wit that can’t be ignored. The tone of the series is nigh on perfect for a modern Marvel title, and with such a strong creative team I really am excited to see where the series goes. I for one am hoping the title lasts long beyond the Secret Invasion storyline, and that Cornell stays involved in some fashion too.

MICHAEL TURNER R.I.P.

The world of comics has lost one of is contemporary guiding lights. Michael Turner, creator of FATHOM and KIANI and the man behind the Aspen company, sadly passed away after losing his battle against cancer. This is a time for the comics industry to put their differences aside and acknowledge the man and his work. We have lost an incredible talent and a much loved person, and the comics world seems a bit less fun now. Known the world over for his distinctive art style and unique character designs, Michael built a name for himself and his colleagues with his own property, the aquatic heroine Aspen, aka Fathom.

Speaking as a fan of his work and a retailer, I can vouch for the feeling whenever something new arrived with his art on it- there was an excitement that was shared by everyone, and we would all check it out before pointing it out to our customers. That’s how I’ll be remembering him- someone that brought some excitement back to the world of graphic storytelling.

Starstore would like to pass our sincere condolences to the friends, family and workmates of Mr Turner.

STARSTORE: OUR ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS

We all love graphic novels and the comics that they collect, but what are the biggies for the Starstore staff? Lets take a look at our favourites, and there may well be one or two surprises on the list amid the usual suspects. This heralds the start of some regular looks at our favourite trade paperbacks…

WATCHMEN

The graphic novel masterpiece. How could this not be on here? Utterly perfect in every possible way apart from the odd dodgy hairstyle. Zack Snyder better have done something incredible with the movie…

V FOR VENDETTA

V is one of the most compelling characters ever to appear in a comic series. His personality and quest are so timeless that it is easy to see why this has been a consistent seller for so long.

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN

The early 1990s were rocked with the death of the iconic superhero at the hands of the behemoth known as Doomsday, and even though he came back, things were never the same.

DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

A very low key book with a very moving story. Death, from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman universe, appears in this heart warming (and equally heartbreaking) tale of life and love.

PREACHER

All 9 graphic novels. You heard me. Preacher is about as badass as a comic series can possibly be, and the series has stood the test of time more than most titles.

SANDMAN

Likewise with this. The ten books may have dated in terms of artwork, but the twists of surreal plot are still every bit as compelling as anything Gaiman has written outside of comics. Genius.

TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE

Look, it’s a rule. You work in a comic shop, you love TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE. Strips done with action figures, satirising the comics scene and industry? Yes please. Just keep Tony Stark away from the beer.

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS

A stark and beautifully written piece of graphic novel art that shows another side to the character we know and love. The early years of the X-Men’s most mysterious ally.

SIN CITY

Frank Miller’s definitive noir comics series, collected in graphic novel form. Rounded characters. Incredible artwork. Impeccable. What happened frank? How can you go from this to DK2?!

RIOT GRRLS

Jim Mahfood’s excellent take on the lives of a bunch of twentysomething slacker girls.

TANK GIRL

The reprints of her classic stories are a constantly popular line, and now that the new era Tank Girl is coming to trades with ‘The Gifting’ and so on, her popularity is on the rise again.

DORK TOWER

John Kovalic’s affectionate look at comics and game geeks remains to this day the most entertaining geek inside joke around. Come on, we all know an Igor. Some of us have to work with one!

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE

Alan Moore gets about a bit doesn’t he? Here’s another one from him. Pretty much the definitive Batman graphic novel story, up there with Arkham Asylum, Knightfall and A Death in The Family. Perfect.

More favourites coming soon, as well as some that we don’t like quite so much ;)

FATHOM RETURNS: FATHOM #0 REVIEW

Michael Turner’s aquatic strumpet returns to the comics field with this teaser for the new series from Turner’s Aspen company. The reader may feel a little short changed with this issue, as much of it has already been given away as part of this year’s Free Comic Book Day shenanigans a while back. Plus, it’s a bit light on content anyway. What there is though is decent, if not really that inspiring. There’s some nice setup material and the necessary exposition, but little else. The art, pencilled by Ale Garza and inked by Sal Regla, is very attractive, and fills the characters out a but more than Turner’s own comic book style does, which is cool to see, but it doesn’t stop the book looking a little like something Crossgen would have published (especially in the colour palette used). The script, by JT Krul, is serviceable but maybe a little flat in places, relying too much on monologues instead of dialogue, which makes the whole thing feel too much like an advert. I guess it is exactly that really, and its going to be interesting to see where this goes when the comics series starts for real. It looks great, but this issue is a bit of a let down, aside from the superb and rather eye catching cover featuring Aspen herself.

NECA UNVEIL NEW NINJA TURTLES RANGE

HEROES IN A HALF SHELL GO BACK TO BASICS


Cowab- okay, I won’t scream it from the rooftops, sorry! NECA have revealed the first images of their brand new officially licensed range of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES action figures. Following on from their recent regular release of standard packaging Turtles figures, NECA now offer up the range in brand new Tubular packaging, which, while they will be a nightmare for us to display in the store, will look fantastic on display at home. Due for release at the back end of May in the US (Meaning we won’t be that far behind that here in the UK), these editions of the figures will feature just the basic weapons for each character. To be honest, fans don’t want anything else do they? We want the Turtles as we remember them, Sais and Katanas and whatnot. Who gives a monkeys about masses of pointless additions? These stripped- down figures should be very popular with fans old and new, and despite their design leaning heavily towards their original comics incarntaions (remember Eastman and Laird’s ass kicking comics of the 1980s, before the TMNTs went kiddie friendly?), fans of the recent CG movie should love them too.

Images of the range have been posted over on the NECA website and are looking awesome. Seeing the Turtles all wearing red bandanas again is very cool indeed- back to their roots! Seeing the Turtles all wearing red bandanas again is very cool indeed- back to their roots! The original version of the green foursome were vicious ninja warriors who would hack, slash and mutilate their way through as many bad guys as possible. It is heartwarming to see them revisiting their days as insane mutant killers with a penchant for pizza and kicking vast quantities of rump.

SECRET INVASION – MARVEL COMICS UNIVERSE INFILTRATED!

Marvel’s latest universe-spanning crossover is set to be a doozy. The Skrulls have been a presence in the Marvel Universe for decades, and are well integrated into continuity, but they’ve never seemed that much of a threat to me. Granted they can shapeshift and are capable of extremely brutal acts of violence, but for the most part they just came across as a generic alien-of-the-issue bad guiys with bumpy chins and pointy green ears.

It seems that my opinion of them is about to change with this forthcoming crossover. Commencing this month with Secret Invasion 1, Mighty Avengers 12 and New Avengers 40, it looks set to send some considerable chaos out across all of Marveldom, and will do so in a rather exciting and original way. The Marvel Universe has been infiltrated by the shapeshifting aliens, who have worked their way into all the major parts of major characters’ lives and homes. Every superpowered organization has been affected, and it is going to leave the heroes wondering exactly who they can trust in the battle against this secret invasion.

Marvel have released an animated webisode trailer for the crossover, which gives you a taste of the paranoia and action to come…

I must say I’m into the whole idea of alien infiltration like this in comics. Instead of a whacking great battle from the start, there’s going to be some genuine drama and mystery before the chaos kicks off, and that can only be a good thing in an age where many superhero titles are beginning to stagnate again. This is one crossover to get genuinely excited about. Now then DC, when’s your next ‘Crisis’ eh?

PVP CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY- AND RIGHTLY SO!

Glorious webcomic/comic book series PVP (Player Vs Player) is celebrating its tenth anniversary in May with a special release from Image. The continuing misadventures of Brent, Cole, Francis, Jade and Skull are something we enjoy greatly here, and it's cool that a webcomic has been able to cross that great divide into print without disappearing completely. PVP does have its detractors, but they can whinge all they want, as PVP has earned its decade of success, and I sincerely hope therwill be years more of it to come. The geekery involved in the strip is spomething wonderful, and while the stories may sometimes teeter on the edge of being soap operas with chuckles, the characters save it from becoming too twee. Scott Jurtz is an incredibly talented man, and in bringing us PVP he has created essentially the comic book and video game version of Dilbert. The tenth anniversary will be celebrated with a special all-colour issue from the title's print home, Image Comics.

JANUARY 2008- BOLDLY GOING STRONG

Hey there folks, I hope your collective 2008s are going swimmingly thus far. Following the annual Christmas insanity, we’ve been working on improving the store layout for you guys. Over the festive period we identified a number of areas in the store that would benefit from being rearranged and reworked, so that’s exactly what we’ve done! The store is now split into two ‘halves’, namely a merchandise side and a printed material side. Check out the work so far:

It’s far from finished, but we’re working hard to ensure the place is easy to get around and its easier to find the cool stuff you want.

2 0 0 8

So what do we have to look forward to in 2008? There’s going to be a ton more to check out from us online for a start, but I’ll leave you in suspense for now on that score. What I will tell you is that as of now, there are a bunch of cool features being worked on by our infamous/illustrious staff that you’ll be able to check out soon.

There’s a mass of movies and TV to look forward to despite the writers strike (But hey, there’s an actor’s guild strike planned too). Personally, I’m looking forward to two movies in particular, even more than Iron Man and the new Indiana Jones (both of which, incidentally, have me stoked). Those films are JJ Abram’s apocalyptic CLOVERFIELD and the long, LONG awaited final part of Dario Argento’s ‘Tears’ trilogy, namely MOTHER OF TEARS. I’m so excited about the prospect of Cloverfield. I just wish we didn’t have to wait until the start of February to see it!

Speaking of JJ Abrams, have you seen the teaser for his STAR TREK reboot? It shows mercifully little, and for once we have a teaser that actually TEASES the audience. I do love the ‘Under Construction text at the end. I think his version of Star Trek is going to kick all kinds of ass, even if the diehards are still arguing about the cast and the plot. Come on, FIRST CONTACT was a time travel story, and that was incredible. THE VOYAGE HOME was too! I can’t wait to get hold of a model of the new version of the Enterprise.

Then there’s the whole Doctor Who universe continuing to take over out TV screens, with the new DW series on the way as well as the now-playing second series of TORCHWOOD, which is shaping up to be even better than the first!

Stuff on the way

Other goodies I’m looking forward to getting in? let’s see… Just in time for the new RAMBO movie, Sideshow are bringing the original FIRST BLOOD 12” doll back out, and about time too. The premium format Rambo figures always looked awesome, even if the holographic packages were so…hypnotic. The Sideshow guys and gals have also unveiled something pretty damn spectacular in the shape of the STAR WARS: DUEL OF THE FATES Diorama, taken from the final moments of The Phantom Menace. Now, I Know all about the feelings towards that film, but you can’t deny that the last 20 minutes were incredible. Featuring Obi Wan, Qui-Gon and Darth maul locked in their saber duel, this diorama is going to be stunning.

While on the subject of Star Wars, there’s a cool 12” of Luke from Ep4 - Luke Skywalker - Episode IV on the way too, just as he appears in the iconic ‘Twin Suns’ shot at the start of the movie. Another Marvel Premium format figure has been unveiled too, namely the Red Skull, who, as we all now know, was the one behind Captain America’s death (God I’m worried about Bucky taking on Cap’s title- that’s gonna be really hard for Marvel to pull off well).

I suppose the other big thing right now would be Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem. Now, it is no secret that I am, lets say, not a fan of this crossover franchise, but a bunch of my colleagues are, and the Sideshow diorama depicting the Predalien Hybrid diving at the Predator looks like a superb piece of work indeed. Also check out the Predalien Maquette Now, if only they would hire a writer for the next one. You know, someone who can provide an actual script? At least the movie LOOKS cool. I’m with the crowd wanting an actual AVP movie with no humans in it, and no dialogue. A lack of dialogue (just alien screams etc) would be much more believable than the cookie cutter schlock Hollywood are content to churn out over and over.

Anyway, I’m gonna go dribble about Cloverfield in a corner for a while.

Expect a much more active presence here from now on!

Peace and starcharts

Life in the geek lane...

By Andrew Hawnt

It may come as no surprise that my day usually starts much in the same way as Dante’s in Clerks. In fact, that whole film (and its wonderful sequel) pretty much sum up my whole life, apart from the fact I’ve never painted Rosario Dawson’s toenails in the back of a fast food joint. Ah well, life can be cruel.

The shutters come up, the lights go on, we set up the front of the store (as our store in the Meadowhall Centre is open fronted. Come visit us- 38-39 The Lanes, Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield), warm up the computer, and set upon a new day like a pack of wolves. Okay, maybe not wolves. Maybe a pack of comic geeks whose caffeine fix is yet to kick in for the day.

Okay, so I am pretty much the epitomy of the archetypal comic shop employee- balding, late twenties, wearing a Judge Dredd t-shirt, jeans and army boots. My head is full of X-men and my innards are full of Dr Pepper. I can reel off a bunch of Doctor Who trivia, but I can’t remember my National Insurance number (I know it has some numbers and some letters in it, but it doesn’t fly a spaceship so I pay no attention). Why am I telling you this? Well, because I love what I do, and stressful as it gets, I’m still enjoying bringing you cool stuff after seven years of working with comics and toys, and even in my most jaded moments I get excited when something great comes out.

Me and this place go back much further than my employment here. I was a regular customer here from the age of 12 and always wanted to work here. The place has changed a hell of a lot since then (it is now bigger, has a completely different stock and a completely different cast of demented characters erm, staff), but some things stay the same, namely the enthusiasm the guys (and both gals) that work here have for the goodies we have on offer. Another thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that we are, in effect, our own target audience.

The day continues. Deliveries arrive and are checked off. Goodies are priced and displayed. Our ever growing clan of regulars pop in to say hi and pick up their comics. We talk folks through new stuff as well as the classics. Kids come in with their parents and want to know about Doctor Who. The staff pint at me and I spent ten minutes telling them about Sontarans or the Melkur or some such gubbins. Orders are made. The phone rings. Orders are packed up. Our Manga crowd come in to adnmire Rich’s hair and ask about the latest Yaoi. Repeat until hometime.

It is never dull here. There is a bit of a preconception that comic shops are a tad dreary, that many of them consist of large fellows comparing BO and talking about the merits of Shazam’s little cape. Not here! Oh dearie me no. This is a hive of activity populated by some of the most unique characters you’ll come across. And Rich’s hair. There’s always something new on the shelves, and usually there’s a member of staff who is more than happy to chat endlessly about any item you wish to know more about.

As I mentioned, the store is in a shopping centre. There’s a multiplex upstairs from us, and thus there is a regular pilgrimage down to our hallowed ground after folks check out the latest blockbusters, which is always cool as there’s nothing quite like seeing that sparkle in people’s eyes when they’ve just had their asses kicked in front of a giant screen. Most notably of late that has happened with TRANSFORMERS, where people have dived down here afterwards for posters and stuff and have been bursting with glee at the giant robot action.

People do tend to use us as a sounding board for things they want to check out, be it movies, merchandise, anime, manga, whatever. Man, that’s what we’re here for, to answer questions just like that. Occasionally we do get the odd dumb question (‘Do you sell comics here?’ being a particular doozy we’ve been asked a couple of times), but for those with real questions we’re more than happy to try and help. Hell, we love this stuff. Who wouldn’t want to talk about it?

Its cool that we all have our own particular niche in the store, subjects we know the most about, which lead to us being dubbed ‘the gamer’ or whatever. I’m the Doctor Who/Horror movies/Classic SF/books/Indie comics guy, for example.

Being in a shopping centre also has another advantage. We’re open til 9pm on weeknights, 7pm on Saturdays and 5pm on Sundays. Plenty of time to get in and check out the latest releases or to come chat about Witchblade’s slinky costume, or whether Gabrielle in Xena was cuter with long or short hair. Around the Christmas period we’re even open til 10pm, and of course you can find us all over the internet. We’re only human, despite the rumours of various cybernetic augmentation, and we do get tired and stressed, but we’re here to get cool stuff into your hands until we drop. Which happens, but meh, what a way to go.

Now that the blog is up and running, I’ll be offering a regular glimpse into the caffeinated, busy world of a comic shop employee. I promise you we are for the most part sane, but I do keep seeing people’s words in floating speech bubbles…

*twitch*

Andy

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN: Remembering a REAL comics event

By Andrew Hawnt



We just got some of the DEATH OF SUPERMAN box sets back in, with a Superman figure, a Doomsday figure and the graphic novel itself all boxed up together, and it brought back some cool memories. Now, I was maybe 15 at the time of its original publication, spread over various Superman comics and a JLA title if I remember rightly, and it was huge for a while there.

I don't remember that many superhero comic events that made it onto the international news. I mean, recently the Civil War storyline from Marvel got into the headlines when Spidey revealed his identity to the world, but other than that I can't really remember much having such a big impact.

Superman is THE definitive superhero, there's no doubts about that. Thus his death was all the more shocking. This invincible big-blue-boy scout had become a global icon during his decades of adventures, to the point where a world without Superman seemed, well, weird. His death was far from pretty. In fact it was downright brutal. Doomsday was an absolute beast, relentless, merciless and seemingly unstoppable. Right from those first frames when all you see is his clawed fist beating against that metal door, you know he means business.

The story is breathless, a massive chase across America as various heroes trail Doomsday and attempt to stop him, with catastrophic results. Naturally the finale took place on the streets of Metropolis, with Supes and Doomsday slugging it out until one of them would inevitably fall. The story, and naturally the graphic novel, has a rather sudden ending, but it is that aprupt and terrible moment where he falls still in Lois Lane's arms that breaks the heart upon first reading it. That last double-page spread where Superman lays dead in the rubble is a fine moment of comic perfection.

Of course, it was inevitable that Superman would return, and his death gave way to the WORLD WITHOUT A SUPERMAN storyline, which in turn led into REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN, in which four possible new incarnations of Superman arrive on the scene. Now, this particular storyline was very continuity heavy and suffered a little from overdoing the geek factor, but it wasn't without its merits. I do like the fact that it is actually Pa Kent that lures Kal El back from the other side, in a weird netherworld while his frail old body lies on an operating table following a heart attack.

Superman's return is suitably glorious, even with the new, longer hairstyle he came back with, and it was essentially back to business, kicking the collective asses of evildoers everywhere.

What followed that? Sadly I lost some interest in Big Blue after that, but there's definitely a mass of cool material out there that even the painfully mediocre SUPERMAN RETURNS movie couldn't tarnish too much. Frankly I would rather have seen Kevin Smith's fanboy extravaganza SUPERMAN REBORN on the screen (go find the script, its awesome. Just don't mention giant spiders to Kevin if you ever run into him).

Thankfully we have been left with a wealth of amazing comic adventures for the iconic superhero, and whenever we need reminding what a real comics event is like, we could all do worse than checking out THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN.

Andy

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN graphic novel is available at our website over at Starstore dot com!

WATCHMEN: The Ultimate Graphic Novel? The Ultimate comic book movie?

By Andrew Hawnt

There are always good sellers, titles that will stand the test of time and the fickle fancies of passing trends, titles that become a standard and essential purchase for any collection. Then there the precious few that transcend this tiny scene and reach out to the masses on a whole different level. Maus, Road to Perdition, Sandman and so on.

But there is one title that is a true masterpiece, a book respected far an wide outside the comics community as well as within it, and that, dearreader, is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's immortal tale Watchmen.

It'd be easy for a fanboy such as myself to warble on about it being awesome, but the book's pedigree speaks for itself: Voted one of TIME magazine's 100 Best Novels, winner of the prestigious HUGO award, and described as Entertainment Weekly as 'A masterwork representing the apex of artistry', amongst other such comments from sources the world over.

The thing is, the damn book lives up to the hype in every way. No, seriously, it is frankly ridiculous how good Watchmen is. Each page seeps class. The story is impeccable, and the art, while very much of its time, is outstanding. A complex, engrossing tale of ageing superheroes brought back together when one of their number is murdered, it turned the genre on its head and things have literally never been the same since the original 12 issue run of the series.

I would urge anyone who hasn't read it yet to do so before the film is completed (as much as I'm looking forward to Zack Snyder's adaptation, it must be experienced in its original form first to fully appreciate its beauty).

It spawned one of the most unique and gritty vigilante characters in decades in the shape of the relentless and near-psychotic Rorschach (aka the gangly, monotone-voiced Walter Kovacs), and boasts some of the most memorable scenes in modern age comics history. It cemented Alan Moore as a comics genius, and immortalised the art of Dave Gibbons for generations to come.

Which poses a slight problem. With something so beloved by so many people, the movie may well be fighting a losing battle even before the cameras have started rolling. The story has been around in one form or another for twenty years now and is so ingrained in fan's heads that any deviation will cause an outcry. On the other hand, there are millions of people who have never even heard of it, and if the movie doesn't amaze them, then they'll wonder what the fuss was about in the first place (*cough*LXG*cough*). Watchmen is sacred, and rightly so, as it is truly a fascinating and addictive book.

The casting for the movie is shaping up nicely though, I must say. The names already released are inspired, and Zack Snyder knows what he's doing, or at least I hope he does! I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. This is a big deal. Batman and Superman and X-men and Spider-Man movies can come and go as they have such a lengthy history of stories and characters. Watchmen was a one-off, a single moment of near perfection that has resonated in the comics industry for two decades, and I pray that the film people do it justice. I doubt it will ever be the Watchmen movie the fans want to see, but even something close would be very, very special indeed.

The legendary WATCHMEN graphic novel is available at Starstore dot com!