Usagi Yojimbo #123

Just a reminder that Usagi Yojimbo #123 hits stands today. Here’s the issue synopsis and a 3-page preview of the story courtesy of CBR, entitled “The Death of Lord Hikiji!”

In “The Death of Lord Hikiji”, Usagi meets some old comrades from the days he served under Lord Mifune. It was Hikiji who killed their lord, and turned them all into ronin (masterless samurai). The group have been trying to avenge their lord, but, over the years, their numbers have dwindled. Now they have the perfect opportunity, and Usagi is pivotal for their plans.

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Boom: Mickey Mouse & Friends #296

Newsarama has a 14-page preview of Boom’s Mickey Mouse & Friends #296 for anyone who’s been curious as to what lays in store. I know I’ve been waiting for them to release more information on their first Donald, Scrooge & Mickey related issues so be sure to follow the jump for the pages.

MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #296
Author(s): Stefano Ambrosio
Artist(s): Lorenzo Pastrovicchio

First BOOM! Kids issue! One of the longest-lived, most-successful comic book series in the industry’s history comes to BOOM! and brings a little magic — presenting Wizards of Mickey! Student of the great wizard Grandalf, Mickey Mouse hails from the humble village of Miceland. Allying himself with Donald Duck (who has a pet dragon named Fafnir) and team mate Goofy, Mickey’s come to the great tournament to get his revenge on Peg Leg Pete, who has stolen the Rain Crystal from Miceland! Join Mickey Mouse and his friends on an epic tale of magic and wonder! Join BOOM! Kids for a whole new epoch in Disney publishing!

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Agents of Atlas Update

So what’s the status of our beloved Agents of Atlas at Marvel? Here’s the low down from Comic Book Resources, including this nice little excerpt:

The ‘Agents of Atlas’ back-up stories in ‘Incredible Hercules’ are scheduled to run till 2010. Fans don’t need to worry, though – Parker still has plenty of ‘Agents of Atlas’ stories to tell. ‘We have a whole game plan of Atlas appearances – yes they’ll be in Hercules because the plot with Venus dovetails into the mythology nicely. But we’re also coming out with a group of specials featuring the individual Agents. And after those conclude, the Agents will be involved in a major 2010 event.’

Any way we can keep Jeff Parker and the Agents of Atlas up and operating is fine by me, and I’ll definitely be picking up the mini-series’ to do what little I can to keep them around and flourishing until that 2010 event. It’ll give me a great excuse to finally check out Incredible Hercules as well!

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Batman & Kevin Conroy

Batman has had no greater voice than when voiced by actor Kevin Conroy. His voice is Batman’s own in my mind and I can think of no greater compliment to pay him after all these years. I was reminded of the quality of his performance once more while playing Batman: Arkham Asylum and fans will be able to experience his work on the Dark Knight once again in the upcoming animated direct-to-dvd feature Superman/Batman: Public Enemies later this month.

And the great thing is that he still genuinely appears to love voicing the character after 19 long years with the character:

QUESTION: Is there still a cool factor for you to be the voice of Batman?

KEVIN CONROY: Oh, yeah. It’s something that I’m reminded of a lot from people who enjoy the show. That’s a very cool thing. I don’t ever take for granted how cool a job it is and how lucky I am to have landed in it. It was the first animation job I ever auditioned for – and it just happened to all come together so well.

Head on over to Newsarama’s blog for the extended interview, and look for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies in stores September 29th.

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Blackest Night #6 or Ivan Reis Deserves the Spotlight!

What a great time to be a Green Lantern fan. Thanks for all your efforts folks!

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Alan Davis on Dark Reign: The List – X-Men

“It’s Coming…”

Well, here’s an issue I’m going to have to pick up! I have to admit that I know very little about the event at the moment but I can’t pass on the one-shot with that creative team. I’ve heard great things about Fraction’s writing and I’m always glad to get a good X-Men story.  And, hey, if nothing else, here’s my chance to see Davis & Farmer illustrating one of my favorite characters in Nightcrawler again!

Head on over to IGN for the Davis-Farmer cover and 5-page preview of Dark Reign: The List – X-Men

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‘Flash’ by Geoff Johns and Francis Manupal

Well, this is awesome news, if a little late on my part (which somehow seems appropriate given we’re talking about Barry Allen)! I’ve been up to my eyeballs in textbooks so pardon my enthusiasm upon finally hearing the news!

Remember how we announced that after the completion of THE FLASH: REBIRTH and BLACKEST NIGHT, writer Geoff Johns would be writing a new ongoing FLASH series? One thing we didn’t mention was the name of his artistic collaborator. Johns will be teaming up with none other than superstar artist Francis Manapul to chronicle the adventures of the Scarlet Speedster next year.

The pair knocked it out of the park with their amazing work on ADVENTURE COMICS, so having Johns and Manapul continue their magic partnership with one of the DCU’s most iconic characters was definitely a no-brainer. They finish up their run on ADVENTURE COMICS with January¹s #6 to get ready for FLASH #1, which kicks off the high-octane and mysterious storyline ‘The Dastardly Death of the Rogues!’

Add to the mix the news that Paul Levitz will be scripting the adventures of the Legion in Adventure Comics once more, that Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) is likely my ‘game of the year’ and I have to congratulate DC for really knocking it out of the park the last few months! Can’t wait for this, obviously, but in the meantime I better get back to the books…

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“9” In Theaters Tomorrow, 9-9-09

"The Spark of Life..."

Shane Acker, Tim Burton & Timur Bekmambatov’s apocalyptic CGI — stop motion inspired — animated film “9” finally hits theaters tomorrow and this is definitely one of the few films that I’m going to have to see in theaters this year for that larger-than-life effect. This one had me right from the get-go as it just drips creativity and originality. I’m also excited to just continue to sit back and marvel as animation continues to reach this whole new plateau in terms of technical and creative achievement.

Also, be sure to head over to Film in Focus for some very cool extras, including character/production art, interviews, games, and much more.

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Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Insomniac Games releases Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time this October, so it’s just around the corner, but it always feels like an eternity while waiting for this series so even tomorrow would seem like a heck of a long time. Add to that the return of Dr. Nefarious, one of the greatest video game villains of all time (what with all the “squishy” hate), and I’m that much more excited to…ahem…get cracking. There are a lot of games releasing in the Fall and Winter months so to make sure the game doesn’t fall under the radar several prominent gaming sites have featured in-depth articles highlighting a number of the games shiny new features, all while reminding fans why this is such a long-lived, beloved franchise.

Case in point, head on over to IGN for a video walk-through with Insomniac for a look at the free-roaming space exploration that is being introduced to give players that much more content to immerse themselves in as they try and solve the mysteries surrounding Clank’s disappearance in Tools of Destruction. These are fantastic games, so if you’re curious what they’re about, and/or enjoy fun in any degree, then pick up Tools of Destruction at the ‘Greatest Hits’ reduced price, immerse yourself in that great game, and wait…and wait…until October 27th finally hits! ; )

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