Comics

Wonder Woman prepares to face off against antagonist the First Born in issue No. 21, by comic writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang. Hero Complex readers can get an exclusive first look at the first four pages of the comic, which hits stores Wednesday. Issue No. 21, “Flesh & Stone,” picks up after Wonder Woman’s battle with Artemis in No. 20 — a battle that left Diana reeling and London in ruins. Now, Wonder Woman must withstand an all-out attack from antagonist the First Born. Click through the gallery above or use the links below to preview the comic. Cover | Variant cover | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 Wonder Woman has undergone one of the most dramatic makeovers in DC’s “New 52″ relaunched titles. Since the reboot, Diana has discovered that she was not molded from clay by Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons; instead, […]

Where haven’t you seen Marilyn Monroe, star of such classics as 1953′s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and 1959′s “Some Like It Hot”? Her early death at age 36 launched an entire industry of memorabilia — her image can be found on plates, T-shirts, posters, paintings and more. She was even the subject of a short-lived Broadway musical. And the iconic sex symbol now has her own comic book. “Tribute: Marilyn Monroe,” written by Dina Gachman with art by Nathan Girten and cover by Rob Aragon, is part of the “Tribute” comic book series from Bluewater Productions, which brings the lives of classic entertainers to graphic life. Something of a primer in all things Marilyn, “Tribute” explores Monroe’s tumultuous life through her own words, those of her husbands, including baseball giant Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, and others who knew her, […]

When Superman first leaped onto the scene 75 years ago in “Action Comics” No. 1, he was the only game in town. The now-iconic character was the world’s first comic book superhero, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster when they were still high school students in Cleveland in the early 1930s. Superman eventually landed his own comic title, movie serial, TV series, Broadway musical and several blockbuster movies, including this weekend’s “Man of Steel,” which stars Henry Cavill as Supes. In the comics, the cape-wearing, crime-fighting Kryptonian paved the way for the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man. From 1938’s “Action Comics” No. 1 to 2013’s “Superman Unchained” No. 1, here are 10 covers that tell the story of a constant but changing superhero. Click through the gallery above for a look at the covers, courtesy of […]

Respected Italian comic book artist Francesco Francavilla will team with writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa on the new zombies-invade-Riverdale series “Afterlife With Archie” — Francavilla’s cover for the first issue, due out in October, can be seen here in its exclusive debut. The Eisner Award-winning artist (“Batman,” “Black Beetle”) will provide interiors for the title as well. Aguirre-Sacasa, currently a writer-producer on the TV series “Glee” and the writer who crafted the recent four-part “Archie Meets Glee” crossover, was inspired to pen the story after seeing Francavilla’s striking cover image. In the new comic, Sabrina the Teenage Witch inadvertently brings about the zombie apocalypse with a spell-gone-wrong, and the gang has to deal with the fallout while she attempts to restore order to Riverdale. With credits involving teens, horror and comics, Aguirre-Sacasa brings a unique set of credentials to the project. In addition […]

It comes as no surprise that Joss Whedon, who created one of fandom’s most beloved superheroines in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” thinks Hollywood should make more movies about female superheroes. Whedon is credited with writing strong women in genres where female characters often fall victim to cliched, two-dimensional portrayals. With so many comic book heroes dominating the multiplex, “The Avengers” director is upset at the scarcity of women in leading roles. “Toymakers will tell you they won’t sell enough, and movie people will point to the two terrible superheroine movies that were made and say, ‘You see? It can’t be done,’ Whedon told the Daily Beast this week. “It’s stupid, and I’m hoping ‘The Hunger Games’ will lead to a paradigm shift. It’s frustrating to me that I don’t see anybody developing one of these movies. … My daughter watched […]

With director Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” still a week away from the multiplex — and expectation for the Christopher Nolan-produced Superman reboot sky-high — the question has been hanging heavy on fans’ minds: Will a Nolan-style Batman join Snyder’s version of the Last Son of Krypton onscreen for the long-rumored “Justice League” movie? Hero Complex posed this query to both filmmakers earlier this week in search of answers during interviews for a profile of Snyder that will appear in the Los Angeles Times Sunday, June 16. In his tchotchke-filled office on the Warner Bros. lot, Snyder confirmed that the seed for “Justice League” — a DC Comics equivalent of Marvel’s “The Avengers” that features a superhero A-list including Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman — has indeed been planted within “Man of Steel.” “Do the DC characters exist in the […]

A little over a year ago, cartoonists Kevin Cannon and Zander Cannon separately finished their latest graphic novels, “Crater XV” and “Heck,” knowing that their publisher Top Shelf wouldn’t be able to release either until mid-2013. So the two Cannons — who aren’t related, though they’ve shared a studio and a graphic design business in Minnesota since 2004 — decided to partner with Top Shelf on something new. Taking advantage of Top Shelf’s then-new digital publishing initiative and mobile apps, the Cannons created Double Barrel, a downloadable monthly magazine, through which they could serialize their books and add bonus material, re-imagining the form and spirit of the adventure comics they grew up with, in a new era. Now those graphic novels are finally coming out in their originally intended forms, as standalone books from Top Shelf, releasing this month. Kevin […]

“Pacific Rim” opens in theaters July 12 with its tale of an invading alien species of kaiju and the massive Jaegers developed by man to save life on the planet from the beastly threat. For those looking for a comprehensive grounding in the universe of the film before it opens, a new prequel graphic novel has arrived. “Produced” by the film’s director, Guillermo del Toro, and written by co-screenwriter Travis Beacham (“Clash of the Titans”), the “Pacific Rim” graphic novel features pencils by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet , Chris Batista, Geoff Shaw and Pericles Junior; inks by Junior, Steve Bird, Matt Banning and Mark McKenna; and a painted cover by Alex Ross. Beacham recently spoke to Hero Complex about the genesis of the Legendary comic tie-in, out Wednesday, its relationship to the film and working with Del Toro. HC: The […]

Which Justice League enemy is big enough and bad enough to seize and rename DC Comics’ flagship series? Darkseid is. The stone-cold cosmic conqueror’s star turn comes in DC’s New 52 Villains Month this September, when evildoers will rule in the DCU, with a different one temporarily taking over each title – and getting a 3-D motion cover. Hero Complex offers readers a look at the covers for the four wicked Justice League re-titles and an exclusive interview with “Justice League: Darkseid” writer Greg Pak about what to expect from that great gray terror. See the “Darkseid” cover in action here. Villains Month is the kickoff of the New 52’s first universe-spanning event, “Forever Evil,” which will be anchored by a miniseries bearing that name from regular “Justice League of America” creative team Geoff Johns and David Finch. It all […]

Find the best and the brightest of the comic book world right here, before the books hit the shelves. Thumb through the gallery above, and click on thumbnails below for larger images. We’ll update the post throughout the month so check back to see this growing gallery of covers and pages from upcoming releases from top publishers. To see more art from recent releases, check out our comic book news section and archive of comics-art galleries. Follow us on Twitter: @LATHeroComplex RECENT AND RELATED Marquez: X-Men, Spider-Man 3-D graphic novel Orson Scott Card: Stoking Superman fan rage ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’: Watch exclusive clip ‘Spider-Man’: Dan Slott talks Peter Parker’s fate Peter Dinklage joins ‘X-Men’ film cast: As Puck? ‘X-Men Legacy’: Simon Spurrier’s task is Legion Avengers vs. X-Men: The fate of Professor X Robin killed? Grant Morrison speaks out Jeff Lemire on superhero inspiration ‘X-Men’ superhero proposes to his boyfriend