Bringing "Pulp" Fiction to GAME ON!

It's no secret that I am an unabashed fan of Francesco Francavilla, almost as much as he is a fan of the Pulp era of storytelling.  Francavilla's love of the era is on display monthly with his covers to THE SHADOW and THE SPIDER for Dynamite Entertainment.

That love of pulp noir stories will be brought to GAME ON COMICS next month with the debut of Francavilla's THE BLACK BEETLE, a five-issue mini-series featuring his creator-owned character of the same name.  The character debuted roughly four years ago as a regular feature on Francavilla's PULP SUNDAY art blog (pulpsunday.blogspot.com).

 If you are a regular reader of DARK HORSE PRESENTS, then you are already familiar with Colt City's protector, but this new series is just that - a never-before seen adventure that evokes the best of the classic Hollywood cliffhangers (or, for the younger readers out there, Indiana Jones before Crystal Skull).

If you missed the BLACK BEETLE in DARK HORSE PRESENTS, don't worry.  In December a Zero issue of BLACK BEETLE is due, reprinting the three-part BLACK BEETLE: NIGHT SHIFT, followed in January with the debut of BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT.

Francavilla, who won the 2012 Eisner Award (think the Oscars of comics) for Best Cover Artist, brings the feel and look of the classic pre-comic heroes up to date, and makes it a compelling and thrilling action story.  Give us a call, or send us an email to reserve your copy of THE BLACK BEETLE today!

J. R.

Giving Relief at Game On!

This week's post was supposed to promote Francesco Francavilla's upcoming BLACK BEETLE series, but that will come later.  I'm sure he'd understand.

Starting today, GAME ON COMICS is taking donations to help those in need after the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast.

Disney (and former Marvel) Graphic Designer Rich Ginter has created ART FOR SANDY RELIEF (Links: Facebook - Twitter) to help families and First Responders in the hardest hit areas.  Many of Rich's comic creator friends and their fans have stepped up and donated several pieces of original art to auction for this cause (you still have time, by clicking here, to bid).  This gives fans a chance to help out a great cause, and own some wonderful art at the same time.

For the next two weeks (and longer if need be), every time you come in to the shop and make a purchase, you can round up your purchase total to the next dollar, or more, and those monies will be given to A4SR, currently dispersing those funds to the Tunnel to Towers foundation.  Our goal is to hit $100 before the next new comic book day, so stop by and help out!

Email or call us for details, and in advance, thanks for your help for this great cause!

J. R.

GAME ON! Halloween Comic Fest COSTUMES!

First, thank you to everyone who came and sampled the offerings for the inaugural Free Comic HALLOWEEN COMIC FEST for 2012!  Due to the storm, we made the comics available beginning last Saturday, and still have some left.  Many of the offerings are previews or new stories of previous publications, including the amazing COW BOY and AXE COP, so if you liked the free previews, let us know and we can order the original books!

We also want to thank the parents who brought their kids in costume to make our first Halloween so awesome.  Some of our junior cosplayers included:

Ali, A Buffalo Bill

Johan as Iron Man (aka "Tiny Stark")

Sara, as Minecraft's "Steve"

Ethan, aka "Link"

While the Buffalo Bill would be a good choice, based solely on the fact that it's a brave choice in the heart of Redskin country, our winner of the $10 GAME ON! Gift Certificate is...

TINY STARK!

(You have to admit, that goatee is a nice touch.)

Congrats to Johan and his folks, and thanks again to EVERYONE that came by.  See you next Halloween!  (Okay, hopefully before next year, but you know what I mean.)

IT'S "GAME ON" FOR MARVEL...NOW!

Remember the news that DC was changing the game and relaunching their iconic universe?  Well, that sense of excitement and anticipation is back, for MARVEL NOW!  While Marvel is not relaunching their universe, they are shaking things up a bit, all in the aftermath of their AVENGERS VS X-MEN event.

We won't spoil anything, but if you've been following AvX then you know how much has been stirred up, and even knowing everything from the first 11 issues, there's still so much left to discover.

And yet, this is also a prime opportunity for new fans to discover the dynamic MARVEL Universe that they may have only before known from the television shows or movies, such as the mega-blockbuster AVENGERS, just released on DVD.  If you only know these characters from the films, or you've just never gotten around to reading the AVENGERS or X-MEN titles, now is your chance to get in on a *new* ground floor!

MARVEL is not only shaking up teams and characters, but creative teams as well, bringing different voices to familiar characters.  Also, Brian Michael Bendis, arguably *the* architect of the Marvel Universe these past few years, is stepping away from his brilliant run on the AVENGERS family of titles and allowing new teams, including Rick Remender, Jonathan Hickman and Kelly Sue DeConnick (who have more than proven themselves on books like Uncanny X-Force, Fantastic Four, and Captain Marvel).

So, to recap: NEW titles, CLASSIC characters, EXCITING adventures...  So what's in it for you?

On OCTOBER 10, for the whole day, GAME ON COMICS will be a headquarters for the MARVEL NOW relaunch, beginning with the release of UNCANNY AVENGERS #1!

We will open at 11am with plenty of copies of UNCANNY AVENGERS #1, including the sought-after Skottie Young variant, along with promotional materials, buttons, posters, and lots of information on the MARVEL NOW titles following UNCANNY AVENGERS.

We will also have special sales, and opportunities to win rare variant covers for UNCANNY AVENGERS and future MARVEL NOW number 1 issues!

Want to know what's NEXT for NOW?  Here you go:

October 10
 - UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 (By Rick Remender and John Cassaday): Captain America creates the ultimate super team with Avengers and X-Men working together...but will that destroy Professor Xavier's dream before it comes to fruition?
 - RED SHE HULK #1 (Aka Hulk #58, by Jeff Parker and Carlo Pagulayan): The Hulk universe shifts focus to...Betty Banner?  Yep, Thunderbolt Ross' little girl is now the strongest woman in the world, and THUNDERBOLTS scribe Jeff Parker is taking us along for the ride.

October 17
 - MARVEL NOW POINT ONE: This book will offer several short stories designed to introduce many of the new titles to readers, featuring...Nick Fury Jr?!

October 31
 - AVENGERS PLUS X-MEN #1: Another anthology, but unlike AvX VS which highlighted and expanded some of the biggest hero-fights in AvX, A-PLUS-X is the ultimate team-up book for your favorite Marvel heroes.  The first issue features Wolverine teaming up with...  Hulk?!

November 7
 - DEADPOOL #1 (Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, and Tony Moore): Daniel Way created a very memorable five-year run for everyone's favorite schizophrenic-mutant-assassin, and now the mantle falls to Duggan and comedian Posehn, and Moore, the artist and co-creator of WALKING DEAD.
 - IRON MAN #1 (Kieron Gillen and Greg Land): Gillen starts his run with a bang, with Tony Stark having to find a cure for the lethal Extremis virus and create a new suit before it's too late.

November 14
 - ALL NEW X-MEN #1 (Brian Bendis and Stuart Immonen): After events in AvX, Xavier's original five students are plucked from the past and thrust into the middle of a new conflict, and a world they fought to make better.
 - FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley): Fraction shifts from guiding one of Marvel's smartest minds in Tony Stark to its greatest families in the Fantastic Four, and he's bringing popular Spider-Man and Avengers artist Mark Bagley along to take us on a journey through the wonders of time...*and* space.
 - THOR GOD OF THUNDER #1 (Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic): Aaron, guiding the Jean Grey School in WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, takes THOR back to its medieval roots and introduces readers to...the GOD BUTCHER.
 - X-MEN LEGACY #1 (Si Spurrier and Tan Eng Huat): Legion returns following the events of AvX and fights to find his own place in the Universe.  Can he help make Xavier's dream a reality?
 - AVENGERS: ASSEMBLED #9 (Kelly Sue DeConnick and Stafano Caselli): DeConnick takes over the Avengers reins with the same dynamic storytelling that has made CAPTAIN MARVEL a hit after only a few issues.  ASSEMBLED features the movie cast in the traditional Marvel Universe, and starts off with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner competing to locate a missing scientist.

November 21
 - INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK #1 (Mark Waid and Leinel Yu): Not much needs to be said about this book. If you've been reading Waid's DAREDEVIL then you know what he brings to the table.  How about this: he's made HULK an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
 - CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 (Rick Remender and John Romita Jr): Remender has a reputation for offbeat stories, and he takes over CAPTAIN AMERICA with a bang: Cap is stranded on an inhospitable world with no way home and no allies.

November 28
 - FF #1 (Matt Fraction and Mike Allred): With the Fantastic Four off saving the universe, another four are called upon to keep things safe back on earth.  If you enjoyed Fraction's take on DEFENDERS, then this book is for you.

December 5
 - AVENGERS #1 (Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena): Avengers gets reborn with a truly massive lineup, including Cap, Wolverine, Hulk and Captain Marvel.

Other new titles coming soon include:
 - THUNDERBOLTS #1 (Daniel Way and Steve Dillon bring us a new team, including Punisher, Red Hulk, Elektra, and Deadpool, so if you loved Way's DEADPOOL, you'll want this book!
 - AVENGERS ARENA #1 (Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker combine AVENGERS ACADEMY with HUNGER GAMES).
 - CABLE & THE X-FORCE #1 (Dennis Hopeless and Salvador Larocca bring the big guy back!)
 - UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 (Sam Humphries and Ron Garney relaunch the mutant black ops team with Psylocke in charge).   

Intrigued? So are we! Now, to guarantee yourself copies of these and other NOW titles, send us an email (info@, dave@, or jr@ gameoncomics dot com) or use our handy form at http://gameoncomics.com/Loyalty-Membership.html to get signed up!  Only members are guaranteed copies, plus special incentives and rewards.  We look forward to experiencing these relaunches with you, and look forward to helping you jump on board.

Thanks!

Your GAME ON! Gang: Louis, Dave, J.R., and Giahn

Introducing GAME ON's "Local Creator Showcase!"

CREATORS!

Do you live just a short distance away from our store in Vienna?  Want some help getting your comics or books out to the right audience?  Well, we love helping get new voices out there to just the right new fans, so if you want to be a part of our new LOCAL CREATOR SHOWCASE, here's what you need to know:

• If you are willing to drive to our location for a three-plus hour signing, then you're "local!"
• All creators are welcome - writers, artists, colorists, if you've created a book, LET US KNOW!
• If you are currently trying to get a publisher, but you have some sort of printed material, feel free to send us a copy, in care of J. R.  This can be posters, postcards, copies of a comic, what have you.  Just send an email to JR (at) gameoncomics (dot) com and let's get rolling.
• We don't charge to sell your books, but we do sell on a consignment basis.  When you email to let us know you're interested in having us sell your products, let us know your costs, and we will work something out.

So, it's that easy, and hopefully we can help you get more people reading your stories!  Just drop me an email and guarantee yourself a slot our growing list of local talent!

For September, we were proud to offer Pennsylvania creative duo Paul (@pabba) and Tara Abbamondi (@Tarabba) and their new graphic novel THE STOLEN LOVELIGHT.  We sold out of our initial allotment, but will have more copies in soon.  October's Showcase is:

Jamie Cosley's CODY THE CAVALIER

CODY is an all-ages humor book by Richmond, VA based Jamie Cosley, who has been self-publishing CODY online for two years.  We have signed copies of Jamie's book which was a special printing for the Baltimore Comic Con.

Jamie is a great guy, and we would love to have all of our young Game On Gang to try out this funny comic.  The humor is geared to 8-12 year-olds, but elicits groans and giggles for us old folks, too.

For more on Jamie, check out his twitter feed or his website.


Thanks for everyone's support, and we wish all of you new creators all the best in getting your creative voice heard.

-J. R. (jr at gameoncomics dot com)

Pre-Order Review: BIG FOOT BOY Vol 1: INTO THE WOODS

Coming next month, just in time for Halloween, is BIG FOOT BOY VOLUME 1: INTO THE WOODS.  This latest all-ages graphic novel from J. Torres, author of POWER LUNCH and JINX, features the art of Faith Erin Hicks, most recently of FRIENDS WITH BOYS.

BIG FOOT BOY follows young Rufus as he is dropped off at his grandmother's for a week's vacation.  Bored and wanting to do something as his grandmother falls asleep while watching her stories, Rufus follows a young girl into the woods behind his grandmother's home.  When he gets lost, the young girl turns out to be a neighbor and helps him find his way home.  The next day, he follows her again, and instead of getting lost, Rufus finds a mysterious totem.

What happens next transforms Rufus' boring visit with his grandmother into a wild adventure that he will not only never forget, but take with him for the rest of his life.

Torres' pedigree when it comes to creating all-ages material is well documented, having created stories for boys and girls of all ages.  He seems to have no trouble writing stories both for and about kids, and each character has a unique voice - something that many writers of all-ages material struggle with.  Having written comics for Avatar and Batman, Torres is also no stranger to writing adventure that is thrilling enough for a young reader, without being overwhelming for the younger readers, yet not underwhelming for older ones.

Hicks' art style is reminiscent of the Scott Pilgrim books, and her layout style is clean.  The art perfectly compliments Torres' story, and the characters have a brightness and humor that is natural and unforced, also something difficult to convey for the intended audience.  Hicks does a nice job of presenting animal characters without falling into a common trap of making them over-cute or over-anthropomorphised.  This talent enhances the believability of the book, whereas sometimes when you have talking animals in a story they break the reading flow.  This is not a problem for BIG FOOT BOY, and helps reinforce the story and adventure.

My child is the target audience for BIG FOOT BOY, but it is so well presented that parents will enjoy it as much, if not more.  Like with POWER LUNCH, BIG FOOT BOY is labeled as "Volume 1," which is good to hear, because even though the story "ends," you really don't want it to end.  That's a testament to Torres' storytelling skill: he writes tight, concise stories that leave you feeling satisfied, but absolutely wanting to read the next volume.

Here's hoping Torres and Hicks don't leave us waiting too long.

BIG FOOT BOY VOLUME 1: INTO THE WOODS is due in September from Kids Can Press by J. Torres (@jtorrescomics) and Faith Erin Hicks (@faitherinhicks).  It is $9.95 for a 100-page book.  Email or call us at GAME ON! to order your copy today!

- J. R.

New Comics 7-25-12

All Star Western #11

Amazing Spider-Man #690

American Vampire #29

Angel & Faith #12

Aquaman #11

Astonishing X-Men #52

Avengers #28

Avengers Vs X-Men #3 3d Ptg

Axe Cop: President Of The World #1

Batman Incorporated #3

Batman The Dark Knight #11

Before Watchmen: Comedian #2

Bionic Man (Kevin Smith) #11

BPRD: Hell On Earth – Exorcism #2 (L)

Captain America #15

Captain America And Iron Man #634

Critter (Ongoing) #2

Crossed Badlands #10

Dark Avengers #178

Dark Shadows #6

Deadpool #58

Debris #1

Dejah Thoris & White Apes Of Mars #4

Dr Who Magazine #448

Elephantmen #41

Everybody Loves Tank Girl #1

Exile: Planet Of The Apes #4 (L)

FF #20

Flash #11

Fury Of Firestorm The Nuclear Men #11

Gearhearts Steampunk Glamor Revue #3

Godzilla Ongoing #3

Goon #40

Graveyard Of Empires #4

Green Lantern #11

Green Lantern New Guardians #11

Grim Leaper #3

Grimm Fairy Tales #75

Grimm Fairy Tales: Bad Girls #1

Grimm Fairy Tales: Jungle Book #4

Grimm Fairy Tales: Swimsuit Special 2012

Grimm Fairy Tales: Wonderland Annual 2012

Haunt #25

Hawken #5

Hellraiser #16

Higher Earth #2 2nd Ptg

Hit-Girl #2

I, Vampire #11

Incredible Hulk #11

Irresistible #1

John Carter: Gods Of Mars #5 (L)

Justice League Dark #11

Lord Of The Jungle #6

Manhattan Projects #5

Mass Effect: Homeworlds #3

Mighty 7 (Stan Lee) #3

Mighty Thor #17

National Comics: Eternity #1

New Deadwardians #5

Nowhere Man #4 (L)

Planet Of The Apes #16

Previews / Marvel Previews August 2012

Resident Alien #3 (L)

Savage Hawkman #11

Secret Avengers #29

Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow #15

Soulfire: Grace #1

Soulfire: Power #1

Spaceman #8

Star Wars: Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead #4 (L)

Star Wars: Darth Maul: Death Sentence #1

Super Dinosaur #12

Superman #11

Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose #75

Teen Titans #11

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ongoing #12

TMNT Micro Series #6 Casey Jones

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #7

Trio #3

True Blood Ongoing #3

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #13

Uncanny X-Force #28

Venom #21

Victorian Secret: Girls Of Summer #1

Voodoo #11

Winter Soldier #8

Witchblade #158

Witchblade / Red Sonja #5

Wolverine And The X-Men #14

Wonderland (GFT) #1

X-Men Legacy #270

X-Treme X-Men #1

ALL AGES COMICS AND BOOKS

Archie #635

Archie & Friends Double Digest #18

Bart Simpson Comics #73

DC Comics Pres: Wonder Woman Advs #1

Mad Presents Batman #1

Marvel Universe Ultimate Spider-Man #4

Rust HC Vol 01

Superman Family Adventures #3

COLLECTIONS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, & TRADEBACKS

Avengers West Coast TP: Family Ties

Daredevil By Mark Waid TP Vol 01

Dynamite Art Of Alex Ross HC

MMW Fantastic Four TP Vol 08

Red Hulk TP Haunted

Scalped TP Vol 09 Knuckle Up

Thor: Deviants Saga TP

Ultimate Comics Hawkeye By Hickman TP

Underwater Welder GN

X-Men/Steve Rogers: Escape/Negative Zone Tp

NEW ACTION FIGURES:  Justice League Wave 1: Aquaman, Green Lantern