Amazing Fantasy # 1000 - Gaiman, McNiven, Slott, Cheung et al

In October 2022, Marvel decided to commemorate their first superhero, Spider-Man, with Amazing Fantasy # 1000, a delightful anthology that reunites some of the most popular creative teams in today’s industry. As it happens with other anthologies, not every story is memorable and so there are quite a few that are below the standards that one would expect from such a special anniversary issue (of course, I’ll simply not talk about them because that would be a waste of time and space). So I'm going to focus on the ones that I think were outstanding both in terms of the writing and the artwork.

Steve McNiven

With a script by Dan Slott and art by Jim Cheung, “His Sinister 60th” is a clever wordplay between the Sinister Six, a famous group of supervillains, and the sinister 60 birthday. I have to say I absolutely loved the concept; the premise is pretty simple: Spider-Man continues to be Spider-Man no matter what and that means as time goes on and as he grows older he is still the superhero that we all know and love. But what happens when you are 60 years old and probably your body and your reflexes are not what they used to be? In this occasion we see that he can still fight against a villain but at the same time he's not as fast as he needs to be, and that's how he ends up being shot at by a criminal on the streets. With several bullet wounds, he is hospitalized. In the hospital we see an old Mary Jane Watson who goes to check up on him. It is quite endearing to see how much the people of New York love Spider-Man, as they send balloons, flowers and cards. Everyone wishes him well and so does Mary Jane Watson, because she understands that the man that she married is a superhero no matter how old he gets. The essence of the story is remaining true to your values and remaining faithful to yourself despite age. And I think that's just brilliant. I was very impressed with this one especially thanks to Cheung’s art, he’s one of my favorite artists, and of course he’s at the top of his game here, we have spectacular action scenes and also intimate moments between the characters. Truly outstanding art!

Jim Cheung

“Spider-Man vs. Conspiriton”, written by Armando Iannucci and penciled and inked by Ryan Stegman is included here because I wanted to mention some of the stories that I found interesting, sometimes mostly because when they were trying to be funny they were actually funny and made me laugh. That is the case with this one. Of course Stegman’s pages are also pretty good and I quite liked the idea of this really lame villain, Conspiriton, who makes everyone embrace their conspiracy theories regardless of how absurd they can be.

Rainbow Rowell writes and Olivier Coipel illustrates “The Kid's Got a Good Eye”. More a slice of life kind of a story; it takes place in what we might consider the first year of Spider-Man, when he is still finishing high school and trying to sell pictures to the Daily Bugle. Peter Parker also has an interest in taking photographies of daily life in New York and not just pictures of his costumed alter ego. However, editor J. Jonah Jameson doesn't care about anything except Spider-Man. Only Robbie Robertson pays attention to all those discarded pictures and decides that Peter Parker indeed has a good eye and there might be a future for him in photography. The artist is Olivier Coipel, one of my absolute favorites, and he sure does a magnificent job, his panels are full of movement, and also the charisma and charm of our young protagonist.

Jim Cheung

“Slaves of the Witch Queen” is written by Kurt Busiek, with pencils by Terry Dodson and inks by Rachel Dodson.  I had very high expectations for this one because the creative team was very promising: a writer that I respect and admire profoundly, whose works I have reviewed frequently here in the blog. In this case I have to say the story seems to be very irrelevant, although I understand that Busiek was trying to pay homage to the original Amazing Fantasy comic, which was an anthology with other stories besides Spider-Man. So I guess it's interesting as a comic book archeology, funny homage, but it doesn't really stand on its own as a Spider-Man story. At least the art is pretty good and the design of the Egyptian queen is imaginative.

Jim Cheung

Jonathan Hickman (plot) and Marco Checchetto (art) reflect on something that every Marvel fan is familiar by now: the multiverse. We see our Spider-Man interacting with Spider-Men from multiple universes and realities, he's asking why he always has such bad luck and seems like the other Spider-Men don't share this peculiar curse. It's quite short but it still shows some true elements about the character and reminds us also why we love Spider-Man so much. Checchetto’s art really stands out.

Jim Cheung

Another artist that I have always admired is Todd Nauck, because he was the main artist for Young Justice for almost 6 years, during Peter David’s now iconic run (now that's a comic I absolutely love and I really want to review it, but haven't had the chance yet). In “Along Came a Rhino”, Nauck’s pages are wonderful, the story by Michael Pasciullo is solid and entertaining. Todd Nauck has always been a unique artist, amazing at portraying young people and multiple superheroes, capable of combining a light-hearted approach wirth a more dramatic one.

Ryan Stegman

The best story of them all is “With Great Power”, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Steve McNiven. I bought this comic mainly because I knew that Gaiman was going to be involved in it. I would have still bought this if it only had this story; yes, it is that good! The concept here is incredibly creative but, of course, we’re talking about Neil Gaiman. In some ways I’d say it’s a fictional autobiography of the British author: we have Gaiman as a child reading the Spider-Man comic books that were printed in black and white in the UK at the time (to save money they decided to always go with black and white instead of having everything in color as the American publishers did). A young Gaiman is fascinated by this universe of superheroes and supervillains, and is captivated by this young hero who was barely a couple of years older than him. At some point fantasy and reality start to intermingle and so we see Gaiman having a conversations as a young boy with his hero, with Spider-Man, and he wishes he could be able to talk to him again in real life. Spider-Man promises him that in a few years they will have a good conversation. 

Olivier Coipel

Now it’s 40 years late, Neil Gaiman is a famous writer in New York and he's going to talk with Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man (Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created the most famous Marvel superhero in 1962). Gaiman sits down in a couch next to Spider-Man and tries to have that conversation he always dreamed about as a child. It’s just such an amazing moment because when he was writing Sandman a lot of it was about dreams, the capacity that one has to dream is what drives us further; and here when he is about to reach that dream, to talk to Spider-Man, he realizes that this Spider-Man doesn't seem to be that much interested in talking to him. Gaiman remembers then a story that was so fundamental and so game-changing for him, a classic Lee and Ditko story which has been referenced many times after it was published: “You were caught under some rubble, and the roof was caving in on you, but you pushed yourself up, and then you just kept going until you'd got the serum to aunt May, and then you still had to sell the photos... that story changed my life. It was the way you kept going, you said 'anyone can win a fight when the odds are easy. it's when the going's tough, when there seems to be no chance, that's when it counts'”. Neil Gaiman has also written stories that have changed my life and the lives of thousands of readers all over the world. What a wonderful tribute and what an amazing way to celebrate Spider-Man’s anniversary!

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En octubre del 2022, Marvel decidió conmemorar a su primer superhéroe, Spider-Man, con Amazing Fantasy # 1000, una deliciosa antología que reúne a algunos de los equipos creativos más populares de la industria actual. Como ocurre con otras antologías, no todas las historias son memorables, hay bastantes que están por debajo de los estándares que uno esperaría de un número de aniversario tan especial (por supuesto, simplemente no hablaré de ellas porque eso sería una pérdida de tiempo y espacio). Así que me voy a centrar en las que creo que fueron sobresalientes tanto en términos de escritura como de arte.

Olivier Coipel

Con guión de Dan Slott y arte de Jim Cheung, "Siniestros 60s", es un ingenioso juego de palabras entre Sinister Six, un famoso grupo de supervillanos, y el siniestro cumpleaños 60. Tengo que decir que me encantó el concepto; la premisa es bastante simple: Spider-Man sigue siendo Spider-Man pase lo que pase y eso significa que a medida que avanza el tiempo y envejece, él sigue siendo el superhéroe que todos conocemos y adoramos. Pero, ¿qué pasa cuando tienes 60 años y probablemente tu cuerpo y tus reflejos ya no son lo que eran? En esta ocasión vemos que todavía puede luchar contra un villano pero al mismo tiempo no es tan rápido como debería ser, y es así como termina siendo baleado por un criminal en la calle. Con varios impactos de bala, es hospitalizado. En el hospital vemos a una envejecida Mary Jane Watson que va a ver cómo está. Es bastante entrañable ver lo mucho que la gente de New York ama a Spider-Man, ya que le envían globos, flores y tarjetas. Todos le desean lo mejor y también Mary Jane Watson, porque ella entiende que el hombre con el que se casó es un superhéroe sin importar la edad que tenga. La esencia de la historia es permanecer fiel a tus valores y permanecer fiel a ti mismo a pesar de la edad. Y creo que eso es simplemente brillante. Quedé impresionado, especialmente gracias al arte de Cheung, uno de mis artistas favoritos y, por supuesto, está en la cúspide aquí, tenemos escenas de acción espectaculares y también momentos íntimos entre los personajes. El arte verdaderamente excepcional!

Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

“Spider-Man versus Conspiriton”, escrita por Armando Iannucci y dibujada a lápiz y entintada por Ryan Stegman, se incluye aquí porque quería mencionar algunas de las historias que me parecieron interesantes, a veces principalmente porque cuando intentaban ser graciosas lograron y me hicieron sonreír. Ese es el caso aquí. Por supuesto, las páginas de Stegman también son bastante buenas y me gustó bastante la idea de este villano realmente monse, Conspiriton, que hace que todos acepten sus teorías de conspiración sin importar cuán absurdas puedan ser.

Rainbow Rowell escribe y Olivier Coipel ilustra “El chiquillo tiene un buen ojo”. Es una aventura ambientada en lo cotidiano, transcurre en lo que podríamos considerar el primer año de Spider-Man, cuando todavía está terminando la secundaria y tratando de vender fotos al Daily Bugle. Peter Parker también tiene interés en tomar fotografías de la vida cotidiana en New York y no sólo fotos de su alter ego disfrazado. Sin embargo, al editor J. Jonah Jameson no le importa nada excepto Spider-Man. Sólo Robbie Robertson presta atención a todas esas fotografías desechadas y decide que Peter Parker tiene muy buen ojo y que podría haber un futuro para él en la fotografía. El artista es Olivier Coipel, uno de mis grandes favoritos, y vaya que hace un trabajo fenomenal, sus viñetas están llenas de movimiento, y también del carisma y encanto de nuestro joven protagonista.

Marco Checchetto

“Esclavos de la reina bruja” está escrita por Kurt Busiek, con lápices de Terry Dodson y tintas de Rachel Dodson. Tenía muy altas expectativas ya que el equipo creativo era muy prometedor: un escritor que respeto y admiro profundamente, cuyos trabajos he reseñado con frecuencia aquí en el blog. En este caso, tengo que decir que la historia parece muy irrelevante, aunque entiendo que Busiek estaba tratando de rendir homenaje al cómic original de Amazing Fantasy, que era una antología con otras historias además de Spider-Man. Así que supongo que es interesante como una arqueología de cómic, un homenaje chistoso, pero en realidad no se sostiene por sí sola como una historia de Spider-Man. Al menos el arte es bastante bueno y el diseño de la reina egipcia es imaginativo.

Todd Nauck

Jonathan Hickman (trama) y Marco Checchetto (arte) reflexionan sobre algo que todos los fanáticos de Marvel ya conocen: el multiverso. Vemos a nuestro Hombre Araña interactuando con Hombres Arañas de múltiples universos y realidades, él pregunta por qué siempre tiene tan mala suerte y parece que los otros Spider-Men no comparten esta peculiar maldición. Es bastante breve, pero aún así muestra algunos elementos verdaderos sobre el personaje y también nos recuerda por qué queremos tanto a Spider-Man. A destacar el arte de Checchetto.

Steve McNiven

Otro artista al que siempre he admirado es Todd Nauck, porque fue el dibujante principal de Young Justice durante casi 6 años, durante la ahora icónica etapa de Peter David (es un cómic que me encanta y tengo muchas ganas de reseñarlo, pero aún no he tenido la oportunidad). En “Vino el rinocerente”, las páginas de Nauck son maravillosas, la historia de Michael Pasciullo es sólida y entretenida. Todd Nauck siempre ha sido un artista único, asombroso al retratar a jóvenes y al presentar multitud de superhéroes, capaz de combinar un enfoque desenfadado con uno más dramático.

Steve McNiven

La mejor historia de todas es “Con gran poder”, escrita por Neil Gaiman e ilustrada por Steve McNiven. Compré este cómic principalmente porque sabía que Gaiman iba a estar involucrado en él. Igual lo hubiese comprado así viniera únicamente con esta historia; sí, es así de buena! El concepto aquí es increíblemente creativo pero, por supuesto, estamos hablando de Neil Gaiman. En cierto modo, diría que es una autobiografía ficticia del autor británico: tenemos a Gaiman de niño leyendo los cómics de Spider-Man que se imprimían en blanco y negro en el Reino Unido en ese momento (para ahorrar dinero, decidieron siempre imprimir en blanco y negro en lugar de tener todo en color como lo hacían las editoriales estadounidenses). Un joven Gaiman queda fascinado por este universo de superhéroes y supervillanos, y queda prendado de este joven héroe que apenas le lleva un par de años. En algún momento, la fantasía y la realidad comienzan a entremezclarse y vemos a Gaiman teniendo conversaciones cuando era niño con su héroe, con Spider-Man, y desea poder hablar con él nuevamente en la vida real. Spider-Man le promete que en unos años tendrán una buena conversación.

Steve McNiven

40 años más tarde, Neil Gaiman es un escritor famoso en New York y va a hablar con Steve Ditko, el co-creador de Spider-Man (Stan Lee y Steve Ditko crearon el superhéroe más famoso de Marvel en 1962). Gaiman se sienta en un sofá junto a Spider-Man e intenta tener esa conversación con la que siempre soñó cuando era niño. Es un momento increíble porque cuando él estaba escribiendo Sandman, gran parte de lo que se trataba era de los sueños, la capacidad que uno tiene para soñar es lo que nos impulsa hacia adelante; y aquí cuando está a punto de alcanzar ese sueño, hablar con Spider-Man, se da cuenta de que este Spider-Man no parece estar muy interesado en hablar con él. Gaiman recuerda entonces una historia que fue tan fundamental y tan revolucionaria para él, una historia clásica de Lee y Ditko a la que se ha hecho referencia muchas veces después de su publicación: "Quedaste atrapado bajo unos escombros y el techo se estaba derrumbando, pero te esforzaste, y luego seguiste adelante hasta que le conseguiste el suero a la tía May, y luego todavía tuviste que vender esas fotos... esa historia cambió mi vida. Fue la forma en la que seguiste adelante, dijiste 'cualquiera puede ganar una pelea cuando las probabilidades son fáciles. Es cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles, cuando parece que no hay posibilidad, ahí es cuando cuenta'”. Neil Gaiman también ha escrito historias que han cambiado mi vida y la de miles de lectores en todo el mundo. ¡Qué maravilloso tributo y qué forma tan asombrosa de celebrar el aniversario de Spider-Man!

The Manhattan Projects - Jonathan Hickman & Nick Pitarra

In the 40s, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized the “Manhattan Project”, an ultra-secret government initiative that had one goal: the invention and eventual deployment of the first nuclear bomb. Writer Jonathan Hickman expands this premise by asking himself one very interesting question: what if instead of one project (the atomic bomb) there were many other top secret projects being developed simultaneously?

And that is how “The Manhattan Projects” -note the plural- begins, deeply entrenched in conspiracy theories and revolutionary science. Of course, Hickman’s imagination surpasses the limits of historical correctness, but that’s alright, because this isn’t a documentary but rather a thought-provoking and beguiling work of fiction.

In real life, Doctor J. Robert Oppenheimer was in charge of the scientific aspects of the Manhattan Project. In Hickman’s new series, Oppenheimer is a rather psychotic scientist with a multiple personality disorder; although quite fond of cannibalism, he’s not the only crazy scientist here. Albert Einstein has been caged for so long in government facilities that he no longer communicates with his peers, and his dependence on whisky has increased considerably. Feynman, on the other hand, is presented like an egocentric, narcissistic and conniving man. 

It doesn’t matter if Hickman is changing the history and turning some of the most respected geniuses of the 20th century into a motley crew of misfits. What matters is that, somehow, we feel transported to a world that could have been, to a reality in which Oppenheimer, Einstein and Feynman are forced to work together. And having so many geniuses in the same room can only produce the wildest inventions ever. 

As the first trials of nuclear devices are carried out in the desert of New Mexico, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies and is replaced by freemason Harry Truman. Nevertheless, the body of the president is quickly sent to the laboratories of the Manhattan Project and his consciousness is transferred into a series of recording devices and magnetophonic tapes, and thus the first Artificial Intelligence is born… decades before the computer age.

Time and time again The Manhattan Projects reminds us of true historical facts while reinventing them constantly, in very imaginative and entertaining ways. This is surely Jonathan Hickman’s most ambitious series to date, and he has succeeded in exploring science fiction beyond the usual zone of comfort of more mainstream writers. He has also recreated the American fear of communism, and it’s clear that the Soviet Union and the Empire of Japan are enemies. But they are the least of their worries, as something menacing arrives from outer space.

Oppenheimer in his youth / Oppenheimer en su juventud

I must say I particularly enjoyed the references to past extraterrestrial visits which took place in Roswell and Tunguska (and we also have evidence that scientist Enrico Fermi is an alien disguised as a human being). There’s a violent encounter between Oppenheimer and an insectoid alien, who ends up being devoured by the scientist. Von Braun, one of the most respected Nazi scientists hasn’t finished his interplanetary rocket, so Feynman helps Einstein and together they reactivate an inter-dimensional portal that leads them to the insectoid planet. Only Earth’s brightest intellects can figure out how to destroy an entire alien species in a matter of minutes… and they succeed spectacularly. There are advanced civilizations in countless alien worlds in the Milky Way, and for a group of paranoid and neurotic scientists, they all pose a threat. So it’s great to see the most brilliant minds of the 20th century working together to find a solution for a problem that is as huge as the galaxy. And this is only the beginning. 

Definitely this is one of Image’s best ongoing titles right now and also my favorite Hickman’s work. The artist is Nick Pitarra, who had already worked with the writer in Image’s miniseries “Red Wing”. Nick has exceled in creating a unique look for all the protagonists, and he has found the way to highlight the physical traits of real people (Roosevelt, Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman, etc.) without turning them into exact replicas… we can instantly recognize them but we also perceive them through the artist’s sensibility. I detect a certain stylistic similitude with Chris Burnham, and that makes Nick’s art even more appealing to the eye.
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt

En los años 40, el presidente Franklin Delano Roosevelt autorizó el "Proyecto Manhattan", una iniciativa ultra-secreta del gobierno con una sola meta: inventar y luego probar la primera bomba nuclear. El escritor Jonathan Hickman expande esta premisa haciéndose a sí mismo una muy interesante pregunta: ¿qué hubiese sucedido si en lugar de un proyecto (la bomba atómica) se hubiesen desarrollado simultáneamente muchos otros proyectos secretos? 

Y este es el inicio de "Los Proyectos Manhattan", enraizados profundamente en teorías conspiratorias y ciencia revolucionaria. Por supuesto, la imaginación de Hickman sobrepasa los límites de la precisión histórica, pero no hay problema, porque esto no es un documental sino un cautivador trabajo de ficción que nos invita a reflexionar.

En la vida real, el doctor J. Robert Oppenheimer estaba a cargo de los aspectos científicos del Proyecto Manhattan. En la nueva serie de Hickman, Oppenheimer es más bien un científico psicótico con un desorden de personalidad múltiple; aunque es muy adepto al canibalismo no es el único científico loco. Albert Einstein ha estado enjaulado por tanto tiempo en las instalaciones del gobierno que ya no se comunica con sus colegas, y su dependencia al whisky ha aumentado considerablemente. Feynman, por otro lado, es presentado como un sujeto taimado, narcisista y egocéntrico.

Einstein drinking whisky in the presence of Feynman /
Einstein tomando whisky en presencia de Feynman

No importa si Hickman está cambiando la historia y convirtiendo a algunos de los más respetados genios del siglo XX en una patrulla de desadaptados. Lo que importa es que, de algún modo, nos sentimos transportados a un mundo que pudo haber sido, a una realidad en la que Oppenheimer, Einstein y Feynman son obligados a trabajar juntos. Y tener a tantos genios en la misma habitación sólo puede dar como resultado los más locos inventos. 

Cuando son realizadas las primeras pruebas con artefactos nucleares en el desierto de Nuevo México, el presidente Franklin Delano Roosevelt muere y es reemplazado por el masón Harry Truman. No obstante, el cuerpo del presidente es rápidamente enviado a los laboratorios del Proyecto Manhattan y su conciencia es transferida a una serie de aparatos de grabación y cintas magnetofónicas, y de este modo nace la primera inteligencia artificial... décadas antes que la primera computadora. 

Destroying an alien world / destruyendo un mundo alienígena

Una y otra vez, "The Manhattan Projects" nos recuerda hechos históricos reales mientras que los reinventa constantemente, de manera muy imaginativa y entretenida. Sin duda, esta es la serie más ambiciosa de Jonathan Hickman y ha tenido éxito en explorar la ciencia ficción más allá de la cómoda zona de escritores más conservadores. También ha recreado el miedo norteamericano hacia el comunismo, y es evidente que la Unión Soviética y el Imperio de Japón son enemigos. Pero ellos son la menor de las preocupaciones, y es que algo amenazador llega desde el espacio exterior.

Debo decir que disfruté en particular con las referencias a visitas extraterrestres pasadas que tuvieron lugar en Roswell y Tunguska (y también tenemos evidencia de que el científico Enrico Fermi es un alien disfrazado de ser humano). Hay un violento encuentro entre Oppenheimer y un alienígena insectoide, que termina siendo devorado por el científico. Von Braun, uno de los científicos nazis más respetados no ha terminado su cohete interplanetario, así que Feynman ayuda a Einstein y juntos reactivan un portal inter-dimensional que los lleva al planeta insectoide. Sólo los más brillantes intelectos de la Tierra pueden idear la forma de destruir a toda una especie alienígena en cuestión de minutos... y tienen un éxito espectacular. Hay civilizaciones avanzadas e incontables mundos en la Vía Láctea, y para un grupo de científicos neuróticos y paranoicos, todos representan una amenaza. Así que es grandioso ver a las mentes más brillantes del siglo XX trabajando al unísono para encontrar una solución a un problema tan gigantesco como la galaxia. Y esto es sólo el comienzo.

Definitivamente, este es uno de los mejores títulos actuales de Image, y también mi obra favorita de Hickman. El artista es Nick Pitarra, quien ya había trabajado con el escritor en la miniserie de Image “Red Wing”. Nick se ha superado a sí mismo creando un diseño único para todos los protagonistas, y ha encontrado la forma de resaltar los rasgos físicos de personas reales (Roosevelt, Einstein, Oppenheimer, Feynman, etc.) sin convertirlos en réplicas exactas... podemos reconocerlos instantáneamente pero también los percibimos a través de la sensibilidad del artista. Detecto una cierta similitud estilística con Chris Burnham, y eso hace que el arte de Nick sea incluso más atractivo para la vista.

August comic books / Cómics de agosto

August sure was a good month for comic books. Morning Glories # 11 continued the tradition of digging into the past lives of the main characters, this time it was the turn of Ike, the wealthy and selfish kid that has quickly turned into of my favorite characters. Severed # 1 was a very pleasant surprise, can’t wait for the next issues. Red Wing # 2 was so much better than the first issue, why did Jonathan Hickman decided to start with such an uninspiring first issue? But if I had to choose a favorite that’d be Kick Ass 2 # 3, it made me laugh, it shocked me, so much happened here, this is the antithesis of decompression. Hero Comics 2011 and Caligula # 3 were very good, I’ll try to review them in individual posts. And, of course, Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker # 2 was everything I could hope for from such a creative team as the one formed by Ennis and Robertson. So without further ado here you have my comic books from August (and in no particular order):

ARMY OF DARKNESS #1
By James Kuhoric & Sanford Greene The Army of Darkness ongoing series is here and the first story arc features the crossover no one ever expected to see: Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator! Ash Vs. West! Winner takes all! Following the exciting conclusion of Shop 'Til You Drop (Dead), this first issue finds Ash committed to Arkham Asylum. It's here that he runs afoul of a rather ghoulish and creepy Herbert West... and the battle of the century begins! Featuring covers by (and shipping in equal increments): J.G. Jones (Wanted), Sanford Greene, Gabriel Dell'Otto (Secret War), and Nick Bradshaw. And, as if that weren't enough, there will a 1-in-25 cover by Nick Bradshaw featuring an 'homage' to classic slasher monster films, inserted in orders shipped! Also available Signed by artist Sanford Green! For the 'discriminating collector,' Dynamite presents a High End Limited Edition with a new 'Boomstick Foil' cover by Sanford Greene!

ARMY OF DARKNESS #2
By James Kuhoric, Sanford Greene, & Scott Kester Locked in an insane asylum, surrounded by re-animated abominations, and low on gas, Ash leads a misfit band of wannabe heroes into the depths of a Deadite-infested madhouse. Facing an entire wing of undead inmates, Ash must uncover the Necronomicon and send the evil spirits back before the gateway to the Old Ones is opened, ushering in the destruction of the human race! Its Cthulhu meets 'Chin-Fu' as everyone's favorite one-handed, wisecracking anti-hero discovers that there are worse things than Deadites detailed in the blood-soaked pages of the Book of the Dead! Can Ash uncover the book and save the day before the 'Chosen One' flies over the cuckoo's nest?!

ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #1
by James Kuhoric & Fernando Blanco Fresh from the Marvel Zombies vs. AOD crossover! ... well, not 'minty' fresh, but fresh enough from his appearance in the universe of the Marvel Zombies, our un-intrepid hero has returned to his own world ... but what a world it's become! Evil Ash and his Deadite hordes rule the land, and everywhere Ash turns is filled with mutants and monsters! Can Ashley J. Williams gather his 'chosen' and take down the Deadite hordes and restore order to the world? Read on, and find out! The action and post-apocalyptic excitement is once again brought to you by the creative team of writer James Kuhoric and artist Fernando Blanco, and features a stunning painted cover from Arthur (Savage Tales, Marvel Zombies) Suydam and an alternate cover by Fabiano Neves!

ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #2 
by James Kuhoric & Fernando Blanco Dynamite proudly presents the return of Ash and the Army of Darkness! Continuing the undead action and excitement from issue #1 (following the crossover of 2007, Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness), Ash continues to explore the Deadite-infested wastes of Detroit as he attempts to wrestle control of the world back from Evil Ash and his Deadite minions! Featuring another stunning script by James Kuhoric, awesome art by Fernando Blanco, and sure-to-be coveted covers by Arthur Suydam (75%) and a vicious variant chance cover by Fabiano (Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness) Neves, this is destined to be the most talked about AOD series yet! Also available in a special Foil Cov

BOYS #10 (M)
Hughie has pieced together the mysterious death of a young man, and a super-human is to blame... but is apprehension of the culprit going to be possible? Can a murderer who wears a cape be punished?

BOYS #12 (M)
The plot thickens as Little Nina's backers are revealed, and the Boys dig deeper into the mystery of the exploding supes. Hughie learns the delicate art of prisoner interrogation, and Vas lets slip the secret of the Black Skull Vodka in 'Glorious Five Year Plan,' Part Two!

BOYS BUTCHER BAKER CANDLESTICKMAKER #2 (MR)
(W) Garth Ennis (A/C) Darick Robertson 1982: on the desolate Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, young Royal Marine Billy Butcher finds his calling. But no one can stay at war forever, and trouble comes when he indulges his love of conflict in civilian life. Butcher's life seems locked on a grim course- but help may be at hand from a rather unexpected source... MATURE THEMES

CALIGULA #3 (OF 6) WRAP CVR (MR)
(W) David Lapham (A) German Nobile David (Crossed) Lapham unveils a new tale of ancient Rome and the most feared emperor of all time. The one name that still speaks volumes of how absolute power can corrupt - Caligula. Things in Rome are reaching the breaking point. Caligula's madness is becoming apparent to some. He must go. However successfully acting on it is a very different matter. Virgin blood ceremonies, gladiator fights rigged for added brutality, and dinner parties where guests are randomly slaughtered - is there a limit to Caligula's depravity? Can Felix keep his focus and sanity in the face of so much misery and horro? A modern master of horror, Lapham digs deep into the world of Rome 37 AD and offers a unique epic of sin. Joined by new talent German Nobile who promises to serve up fully-painted pages dripping with blood, this all-new, full-color series will be six issues of evil that will make any Crossed fan smile with glee. For in the age of Caligula, all roads lead to Hell. Caligula #3 is available with a Regular cover by Jacen Burrows, a Wraparound cover by series artist German Nobile, and a special rare Golden retriever incentive.

HERO COMICS 2011 (ONE SHOT)
Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, John Layman, Richard Starkings, Steven Perry, Ralph Reese (w)  Mike Dringenberg, Sam Kieth, Rob Guillory, Chris Ivy, Stephen R. Bissette, Ralph Reese (a)  J. Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes Hero Comics 2011 reunites the original Sandman creative team for the first time in more than 20 years! Gaiman, Kieth, Dringenberg, together again at last! This is BIG! This is THE BEATLES getting back together for one final album-this is an event that is not to be missed! But that's not all, we also have an exclusive CHEW short story by John Layman and Rob Guillory! Chew was one of the most honored and acclaimed books last year, taking the comics world by storm. Its meteoric rise included an Eisner Award for best new series of the year! Plus, we've got a beauty of an ELEPHANTMAN story by Richard Starkings and Dougie Braithwaite! Special bonus-Sam Kieth brings you a behind-the-scenes mini-memoir of how this Sandman-alum project came to be. Plus true-to-life experiences from comics creators who have personally benefitted from the Hero Initiative!

KICK-ASS 2 #3 (MR)
Written by MARK MILLAR Pencils & Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. The sequel to the New York Times best-selling comic - which spawned the hit movie - continues! By putting on his now-famous green costume and dishing out his own brand of vigilante justice on street thugs and mob bosses alike, high school loser Dave Lizewski changed the world. Now, after a successful first mission with his new team of self-proclaimed 'super heroes'-?JUSTICE FOREVER - Dave and his crew start to understand what living in this new world really means. Plus, the return of Kick-Ass' arch-nemesis THE RED MIST, and things come to a head for HIT-GIRL! 32 PGS./Mature

MORNING GLORIES #11 (MR)
story NICK SPENCER art JOE EISMA cover RODIN ESQUEJO  He's the Glory everyone loves to hate: This issue, learn all the secrets behind Manhattan's most devious young socialite!

PUNISHER #1
Written by GREG RUCKA Penciled by MARCO CHECCHETTO Cover by BRYAN HITCH Variant Cover by SAL BUSCEMA Variant Cover by NEAL ADAMS Blank cover also available TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK. For Frank Castle death comes easy...life is where things gets complicated. Fully loaded with the Eisner winning writer Greg Rucka (Batwoman, Queen and Country, WOLVERINE) and neo-superstar artist Marco Checchetto (Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil), the BIGGEST GUN of all returns with blood on his hands and vengeance in his eyes. As New York City's body counts continue to rise, the city's streets are teeming with more methodical criminals than ever and a police force doing it's best to keep its head above water. The Punisher has returned to serve his own brand of justice with everything's he's got... but can he survive the darkness stored in his own arsenal? Plus bonus pages exploring some of the new personalities in Frank's life...and how closely intertwined living is with dying. 40 PGS./Parental Advisory

RED WING #2 (OF 4)
story JONATHAN HICKMAN, A PLUS! PROJECT art & cover NICK PITARRA & RACHELLE ROSENBERG  'LEARNING TO FLY' Lost in time -- deep in enemy history --  the Captain of the First Wing must find a way home so that he can begin the space-time program that will one day save his future.   

SEVERED #1 (MR)
story SCOTT SNYDER & SCOTT TUFT art / cover ATTILA FUTAKI  'NOTHING WASTED,' Part One 1916. A man haunts the roads; a man with sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh. When 12-year-old Jack Garron runs away from home, he'll see how quickly the American Dream becomes a nightmare. Be there at the beginning of the series that everyone will be talking about!  From Eisner-nominated writer SCOTT SNYDER (American Vampire, Detective Comics), SCOTT TUFT and ATTILA FUTAKI (NYT Best-Selling-Artist: Percy Jackson) comes the most terrifying horror series of 2011--SEVERED.

VAMPIRELLA #8 
(W) Eric Trautmann (A) Fabiano Neves (C) Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic (25%), Paul Renaud (25%), Ale Garza (25%), Fabiano Neves (25%) A lonely stretch of highway. A tiny town in the middle of nowhere. A trio of vicious creatures on a mission of murder and destruction. And all that stands in their way is Vampirella. It's a road-trip through death and horror, as Vampirella, still dealing with the aftermath of her first adventure, faces a threat that may finally be her match.

WALKING DEAD #88 (MR)
story ROBERT KIRKMAN art / cover CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN  Every day, it becomes a little bit easier.

ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1
Writer: Matt Wagner Penciller/Inker: Esteve Polls Covers: Matt Wagner The one and only Matt (MAGE, GRENDEL) Wagner returns to conclude his epic story of Zorro! We return to the story as Alejeandro de la Vega finds out that his son, Don Diego, is pulling double-duty as Zorro. How will this affect Zorro's continuing crusade against the alcalde of Los Angeles, Luis Quintero? Find out in ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1!

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Agosto fue un buen mes para los cómics. Morning Glories # 11 continuó la tradición de escarbar en el pasado de los personajes principales, esta vez fue el turno de Ike, el acaudalado y egoísta chaval que rápidamente se ha convertido en uno de mis personajes predilectos. Severed # 1 fue una sorpresa sumamente agradable, no puedo esperar a leer las próximas entregas. Red Wing # 2 estuvo mucho mejor que el primer número, ¿por qué Jonathan Hickman habrá decidido empezar la miniserie de manera tan débil? Aunque si tuviera que elegir a mi favorito sería Kick Ass 2 # 3, que me hizo reír y me impresionó bastante, pasaron tantas cosas en este ejemplar que se convierte en la antítesis de la descompresión. Hero Comics 2011 y Caligula # 3 fueron muy buenos, y trataré de revisarlos individualmente. Y, por supuesto, Butcher Baker Candlestickmaker # 2 fue todo lo que podría esperar de un equipo tan creativo como el formado por Ennis y Robertson. Así que, sin mayores preámbulos, aquí están mis cómics de agosto: 

ARMY OF DARKNESS #1
El ejército de la oscuridad se enfrentará al Re-Animador.

ARMY OF DARKNESS #2
¿Cómo enfrentarse a las abominaciones reanimadas?

ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #1
El mundo ha cambiado. ¿Podrá ASH encontrar a los ‘elegidos’?

ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #2  
Es hora de luchar por el control de un mundo peligroso.

My layouts / mis bocetos

BOYS #10 (M)
Un súper-humano es culpable de la muerte de un joven. ¿Pero será posible capturar a un sujeto con tantos poderes? 

BOYS #12 (M)  
El misterio del “supes” explosivo aumenta. Mientras, el delicado arte de interrogar prisioneros pasa a ser algo fundamental.

BOYS BUTCHER BAKER CANDLESTICKMAKER #2 (MR) 
1982: en las desoladas islas del Atlántico Sur, el joven marine Billy encuentra su vocación. Pero nadie puede estar en guerra para siempre.

CALIGULA #3 (OF 6) WRAP CVR (MR) 
La locura de Calígula es evidente para algunos. Y debe terminar. ¿Pero qué se puede hacer contra el césar? Ceremonias con sangre de vírgenes, luchas de gladiadores y cenas en los que los invitados son asesinados al azar. ¿Hay límite a la depravación de Calígula? ¿Podrá Félix conservar la cordura ante tanta miseria y horror?

HERO COMICS 2011 (ONE SHOT)  
Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth & Mike Dringenberg. El equipo creativo original de SANDMAN reunido por primera vez en más de veinte años.

KICK-ASS 2 #3 (MR)
Al usar un traje verde y luchar contra el crimen, KICK-ASS cambió el mundo. Ahora, después de una primera misión exitosa con su nuevo equipo, Dave intentará comprender qué es lo que significa vivir en este mundo.

MORNING GLORIES #11 (MR)
Él es la gloria que todos odian. ¿Cuáles son los siniestros secretos del chico más adinerado e insoportable de todo Manhattan?

PUNISHER #1 
Para Frank la muerte llega fácil... la vida es lo complicado. Frank regresa con sangre en sus manos y venganza en su mirada

RED WING #2 (OF 4) 
Perdido en el tiempo, el capitán del Primer Ala debe encontrar un camino a casa para iniciar el programa que salvará el futuro.

SEVERED #1 (MR) 
En 1916, un hombre acecha los caminos, hambriento de carne. Cuando Jack, un chaval de doce años, escapa de casa descubrirá qué tan rápido el sueño americano se convierte en una pesadilla. 

VAMPIRELLA #8 
Una carretera. Un pequeño pueblo en medio de la nada. Un trío de viciosas criaturas en una misión de asesinato y destrucción.

WALKING DEAD #88
Cada día es más fácil.

ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1 
Alejandro de la Vega descubre que su hijo, Don Diego, es el nuevo Zorro. ¿Cómo afectará este descubrimiento al Zorro original?