Category: Comics

“Ultimo” Vol. 1 Signing with Stan Lee in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, May 29

from VIZ Media:

Ultimo co-creator Stan Lee will appear at Rock’n Comic-Con 2010 for an exclusive signing of Ultimo Vol. 1!

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet with the legendary comic book creator at the Pasadena Convention Center (300 East Green Street), Booth 402 from 2-3PM on Saturday May 29th!

Ultimo is created by the historic collaboration between Western comic legend Stan Lee and acclaimed Japanese manga creator Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King, etc). Created by the mysterious Dr. Dunstan (who has an uncanny resemblance to Stan Lee), mechanical dolls Ultimo (the ultimate embodiment of good) and Vice (the ultimate embodiment of evil) battle each other across 1,000 years to prove whether good or evil is the most powerful force of the universe!

Those who haven’t had the chance to check out Ultimo Vol. 1 yet will have the opportunity to purchase a copy at the show, at the cover price of $9.99 (no tax!). For more information on Rock’n Comic-Con 2010, please check out their website, at rockncomiccon.com.

The X-Files: 30 Days of Night

from Things from Another World:

When evidence of a possible cannibal killer in Wainright, Alaska, draws the attention of the FBI, Agents Mulder and Scully draw the less-than-glamorous assignment, but all is not as it seems once the agents are on the ground.

Not only has the long seasonal darkness begun to fall, but there’s something unnatural about a few of the locals, and what does a chilling, mysterious black ship have to do with the murders? Find out in X-Files 30 Days of Night.

Order Your Copy Today

VIZ Media Licenses “Kekkaishi” Anime Series to Adult Swim

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has licensed 52 episodes of the popular Shonen Sunday Kekkaishi anime series to Adult Swim for domestic broadcast. Kekkaishi will begin airing on May 29th.

Kekkaishi is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi” — barrier masters — to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!

“Kekkaishi spotlights compelling cool characters, in an intense yet fun-filled supernatural action adventure saga. It possesses all of the hallmarks of great anime!” says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. “We are very excited to add Kekkaishi to the Adult Swim anime lineup for U.S. fans to enjoy.”

For more information on Kekkaishi please visit ShonenSunday.com.

Shout! Factory: We’re MARVEL-ous — Thanks for Asking!

from Shout! Factory:

We’re excited to superhero proportions to announce that we’ve furthered our relationship with Marvel Animation. Not only do we have the Cartoon Network hit The Super Hero Squad Show coming to DVD on July 13, we’re also adding the Marvel Knights animation series. Marvel Knights takes popular stories by such authors as Joss Whedon, Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr., to name a few, and applies animation techniques to the comic book graphics, adding sound effects and voiceovers to bring the story to life. We’re launching with Astonishing X-Men: Gifted later this year and will follow with additional titles down the road, including Black Panther, Iron Man: Extremis, Spider-Woman and many more to be announced.

Keep up with the latest Shout! news throughout your day by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, visit our YouTube page for trailers, clips and music videos.

The Guild Comic #3

from The Guild:

The third and final issue of The Guild comic book is out today. As with the previous two issues, two versions of the cover art exist, one by series artist Jim Rugg and one by Juan Ferreyra. If you’d like to learn more about Jim Rugg, visit his website and check out this interview with him. Get issue #3 from your local comic book store or from online retailers such as Things From Another World.

And coinciding with the release of The Guild #3, issue #2 is now live in the iTunes Store. You can purchase issue #1 and issue #2 for 99 cents each, viewable on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Issue #3 should arrive to the iTunes store in about a month.

Again we’d like to state that the response to the comic has been amazing, proving once again that fans of The Guild are the best ever — thanks for all the support. Felicia has blogged about how rewarding (if difficult) it was to extend the world of The Guild into a new medium, and all the cast has been thrilled to be depicted as comic book characters. Join us in our forums to discuss the comic. And if you’re a Guildie who is new to comic books (many of you told us you were), we direct you again to this insightful “Making of” feature from Dark Horse Comics that shows issue #1 in various stages.

Also, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions below. 🙂

–The Guild management

Q: Just 3 issues, is that all?
For now, yes. Dark Horse Comics has been a great partner, Felicia enjoyed writing the comic and the reviews from critics and fans was very positive. If you would like to see more, the number one thing you can do is purchase the comics in print and via iTunes, because that speaks the loudest in terms of a business decision to produce more comics of The Guild. In addition, you can contact Dark Horse and Felicia (via The Guild contact form) and let us know you want more of The Guild in comic form.

Q: Can I get the comics outside the US?
It depends. We know that in the UK it’s available (check Forbidden Planet). Some online retailers in the US do have international shipping options.

Q: Will these 3 issues be compiled and released in graphic novel form?
There are no plans to at this time, but it might be a possibility in the future.

Q: Will the comic app work on my (Android/PC/non-iPhone-iPad-iPod) hardware or on another comic book reader?
No, it’s an app for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch only. If you’d like to encourage Dark Horse Comics to develop for other platforms, we suggest writing them via their contact form.

Apocalyptic Prophecy and Frenetic Action Reach a Stunning Climax in the Final Chapter of “20th Century Boys” Film Trilogy

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, concludes the epic sci-fi film trilogy based on Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga, 20th Century Boys, with the release of the final film, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption, on DVD on June 1st. The film, which will be distributed by VIZ Media in North America, will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN.

VIZ Pictures celebrates the release with a film screening of 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption for one-night-only at VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on Thursday, May 20th at 7:00pm. VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and is located at 1746 Post St., in the heart of the city’s Japan-town. Tickets to attend the movie-only are: $10.00; or attend the film and take home the brand new DVD, a 20th Century Boys poster, and more for only $25.00. Trailers and more details are available at: vizcinema.com.

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and presented in partnership with Nippon Television, the 20th Century Boys saga begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write “The Book of Prophecy.” In the book, they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to take over the world and bring about Doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being led by a man only known as “Friend” has emerged and gained strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur, mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji.

In the final film, the year is Friend Era Year 3 (2017 A.D.) and the World President, Friend, rules humanity. After a deadly virus ravages Tokyo, a wall is built around the city and inhabitants’ lives have been severely restricted. Friend tells everyone that on August 20th, aliens will destroy mankind and only those who believe in him will be saved. But a movement to stop Friend is in motion. Is protagonist Kenji really still alive? What is Friend’s plan for August 20th? Will the mystery behind the true identity of Friend be uncovered? All of the prophecies, schemes and plans will be finally revealed in the saga’s exciting concluding chapter.

“Fateful prophecies reach an exciting climax in the final chapter of the 20th Century Boys saga,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Our film screening on May 20th at VIZ Cinema will give fans a special opportunity to catch all the frenetic action on the big screen, and we invite audiences to explore all of the 20th Century Boys films as well as the manga series that inspired them. There is also a brief recap of previous stories on the very beginning of the movie, so people who haven’t watched Chapters 1 and 2 can catch up on the story.”

The 20th Century Boys trilogy is based on the critically-acclaimed manga series created by Naoki Urasawa (also published by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens) and was a national phenomenon in Japan, selling over 24 million copies.

For more information on 20th Century Boys or other VIZ Pictures titles, please visit viz-pictures.com.

A Love of Books and Reading Inspires a Girl to Stand Against Censorship in New Manga Series “Library Wars: Love & War”

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings a new literary manga adventure to North American readers with the release of Library Wars: Love & War on June 1st. The series, with story and art by Kiiro Yumi and based on the original concept by Hiro Arikawa, will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated “T+” for Older Teens and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the near future, the federal government creates a special committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. But the libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves — the Library Defense Forces!

In the opening volume, Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the LDF ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore when she was younger. But now that she’s finally a recruit, she’s finding her dream job to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially since her hard-hearted drill instructor seems to have it in for her!

“Manga lovers will root for the cute librarians in this fun new series that also addresses some important issues like liberty, freedom of speech and censorship,” says Candice Uyloan, Director, Consumer Marketing, VIZ Media. “Library Wars is based on a collection of novels also written by Hiro Arikawa that were extremely popular in Japan, selling more than one million copies. Fans will definitely want to add this adventure to their summer reading lists!”

Hiro Arikawa won the 10th Dengeki Novel Prize for her work Shio no Machi: Wish on My Precious in 2003 and debuted with the same novel in 2004. Arikawa is probably best known for the Library Wars series and also her trilogy about Japan’s military Self Defense Forces, Jieitai Sanbusaku (The SDF Trilogy), which consists of In the Sky, The Bottom of the Sea, and City of Salt.

Kiiro Yumi won the 42nd LaLa magazine Manga Grand Prix Fresh Debut award for her manga Little Billy’s Depression. Her latest series, Library Wars: Love & War is currently featured in Japan’s LaLa magazine.

For more information on this title and other shojo titles from VIZ Media, please visit shojobeat.com.

It’s time to… HERO UP and Win!

from Vivendi Entertainment Canada:

What happens when Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Wolverine, and some of the best known heroes in the Marvel Universe get together? You get The Super Hero Squad Show, the greatest (and coolest) heroes on the planet uniting together to face the world’s most notorious villains — the biggest, most family-friendly Super Hero team-up in TV and DVD history. It’s no small job protecting Super Hero City from the wild, weird (& even wacky) villainy of VillainVille’s infamous baddies… but the Super Hero Squad is always up for the job. These brave heroes totally deliver the action — but with plenty of humour on the side.

The celebrate the highly anticipated release of The Super Hero Squad Show, Vivendi Entertainment Canada and Teletoon are teaming up to give away a grand-prize trip for two to Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Beginning May 4, fans are invited to enter online at teletoon.com for their chance to win daily prize-packs containing Hasbro Super Hero Squad action figures and Marvel Animation DVDs. The on-air promotion dubbed “Marvel May-hem” will run for two weeks leading up to the ultimate fan experience, a grand-prize trip to Comic-Con!

This is the first time the “Squaddies” have been available on DVD! Each DVD contains five episodes from Season One of The Super Hero Squad Show. Bonus features include a Stan Lee interview, Marvel Animation’s sneak-peek of the new series The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and a first look at a new Super Hero Squad online game.

Order now at Amazon.ca:
The Super Hero Squad Show, Volume 1 — Hero Up, Squaddies!
The Super Hero Squad Show, Volume 2 — Titanic Team Ups

“Vampire Knight” Animated Series Premieres Online at VIZAnime.com

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, beckons fans to sink their teeth into the gothic romance of the animated series Vampire Knight, launching online today on VIZAnime.com.

VIZ Anime is the official online home to some of VIZ Media’s best-loved animated series and a burgeoning social network for fans to connect and form an interactive community. Over 400 episodes are currently available and new content is added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: VIZAnime.com.

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the mysterious Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy’s dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy’s secret. Yuki believes that vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas…

“With its cast of edgy and engaging characters combined with a dark sexy storyline, Vampire Knight is destined to be one of the most exciting anime releases of 2010,” says Brian Ige, Director of Sales, Home Entertainment. “Fans can also look forward to the release of Vampire Knight on DVD, under the Shojo Beat imprint, on July 20th. Stay tuned for more details coming soon on some hot VIZ Media anime summer releases!”

Vampire Knight (rated “T+” for Older Teens) is based on the best-selling manga series created by Matsuri Hino, who burst onto the scene in Japan with her debut title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream is Over) in LaLa DX magazine. With the success of subsequent series such as Captive Hearts and Meru Puri (both published domestically by VIZ Media), Hino has firmly established herself as a major force in the world of shojo manga. Vampire Knight is currently serialized in LaLa magazine in Japan.

For more information on the Vampire Knight manga and to read free previews online please visit shojobeat.com. For more information on other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit VIZAnime.com.

True Blood: New ongoing monthly comic book series from IDW!

from Things from Another World:

Have you been watching True Blood on HBO? Well, about a gajillion other people are, and if you’re among them, you’ll be psyched about the new True Blood comic book series from the folks at IDW. Blood and sex mix on a hot rainy night at Merlotte’s, when Sookie and her friends are trapped by a vengeful spirit who feeds on shame.

People die and dirty secrets are revealed as Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette are all coerced to dig deep and tell painful memories from their pasts — those things we all have locked within us that we never tell another living soul!

Bon Temps, Louisiana has never been stranger, or more twisted, in a story co-plotted by True Blood series creator Alan Ball, with a script by David Tischman (Bite Club) and Mariah Huehner, and lush art by David Messina (Star Trek: Countdown).

If you’d like to start a True Blood Series Subscription with the first issue, you’ll want to do so before May 31. If you aren’t familiar with our subscription service, we invite you to learn more about subscriptions at TFAW.

Pre-order Your Copy of True Blood #1 Today

Start a True Blood Series Subscription

Things from Another World: All In-Stock Orders Ship with Two Free Comics!

from Things from Another World:

This Saturday marks the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day, and we couldn’t be more excited to get you some free books! All in-stock orders placed this weekend will get two (2) free comics included in the shipment.

That’s not the only exciting thing starting Saturday! You’ll also save 20% off most in-stock products all month long. That’s right, we’ve doubled our normal in-stock discount this May, and that means one of two things a) more money in your pocket or b) more comics in your collection. 😉

Free Comics and 20% off most in-stock products starting 12:01 AM (PST) on Saturday, May 1. Quantities are limited for these free FCBD comics, which will be included with in-stock orders while supplies last* (we’ve likely got enough to go through early next week), so make sure you get to TFAW this weekend to get your free comics and save 20% off your in-stock order.

Find Out How to Get Free Comics This Weekend!

Save 20% Off Most In-Stock Products May 1 – May 31

*Sorry, we cannot take requests for specific FCBD titles.

An Extraordinary View of the Future Shines in “Saturn Apartments” Manga Series from VIZ Media

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the newest title from its partnership with Japan’s IKKI magazine to domestic audiences with the release of Saturn Apartments on May 8th. Created by Hisae Iwaoka, the manga series will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint, is rated “T” for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.

Far in the future, humankind has evacuated Earth in order to preserve it. Humans now reside in a gigantic structure that forms a ring around the earth, 35,000 kilometers up in the sky. The society of the Ring System is strictly stratified: the higher the floor, the greater the status. Mitsu, the lowly son of a window washer, has just graduated. Five years after his father disappears and is assumed dead, Mitsu takes on his father’s occupation. As he struggles with the transition to working life, Mitsu’s job treats him to an outsider’s view into the living-room dioramas of the Saturn Apartments.

“Saturn Apartments delivers a brilliant vision of a future where Earth is just beyond the grasp of humanity,” says Daniel Gillespie, Editor, VIZ Media. “As Mitsu endeavors to become an adult, he treats us to touching insights on working life, dreams and ambitions, class tension, the value of community and family, and the perplexing loneliness that occurs when people are forced to live on top of one another. It’s a poignant metaphor for urban life, drawn with stunning intricacy and irresistible cuteness.”

Hisae Iwaoka is the creator of several one-shot manga, including Hana Boro (Flower Cookies) and Shiroi Kumo (White Clouds), both of which were serialized in IKKI magazine. Saturn Apartments is her most recent series. A noted artist and illustrator, her installations also have been displayed internationally in the group show “Tokyo Girls Bravo,” which was curated by famed artist Takashi Murakami.

Saturn Apartments is the latest series to be published as part of VIZ Media’s partnership with Japan’s IKKI magazine, bringing a diverse collection of exceptional manga series to audiences in North America. From action to comedy to drama, slice-of-life stories to surrealist fantasies, the uniting themes these works share are an uncommon emphasis on creative quality and on pushing the boundaries of the manga norm. Saturn Apartments is also featured online at SIGIKKI.com, the groundbreaking web destination for a broad range of unique manga designed for mature audiences.

For more information on other VIZ Signature titles and to check out a sneak peek of chapters one through eight of Saturn Apartments, please visit SigIKKI.com.