Scott Wegener Commission

The Boston Comic-con was on Sunday and, as usual, it was a fun time. The guests of honor were Bernie Wrightson (Swamp Thing fame) and Peter Laird (TMNT fame). But there were plenty of other artists there, including one of my new favorites Scott Wegener.

I was able to get this great commission of Supergirl, striking a heroic and friendly pose with Wegener's signature character, Atomic Robo. What a fun commission ... my first 2 character commission with Kara.

I briefly talked about Atomic Robo on this blog before. It is a great comic produced by Red 5 comics, written by Brian Clevinger, and primarily drawn by Wegener.

Robo is a sentient robot brought to life by Nikola Tesla in the 20's and granted citizenship by the US government during WW2. The stories in the first mini-series ranged from some World War 2 combat missions, to the Korean War, to stranger adventures involving walking pyramids and giant ants, etc.

Robo works with 'Action Scientists' and they are called in to face these crazy threats. The first mini-series was great fun and reminded me of times when comics did not need an undercurrent of grimness. The adventures are fun with outright humor. It has a feel of Indiana Jones and early sci-fi. The comic was good enough to be nominated for an Eisner Award last year for 'Best Limited Series'.

The second mini-series is titled 'Dogs of War' and takes place again in WW2, as Robo helps the army stop some experimental German walking tanks.

Clevinger's plots are great and his dialogue is right on the money. When it needs to be serious, it is serious. You can't have a beachhead invasion be all fun and games. But when it needs some humor, that's there too.

Wegener has a pretty distinct style; I get a hint of early Ted McKeever sometimes.

Robo is one of the titles I just really look forward to each month. The first mini was collected in a trade and available on-line. As for the 'Dogs of War', I highly recommend it. Definitely look for it in your local comic book store or ask for it if you don't see it. It is really a wonderful comic.

And I just love that commission. It is a really nice addition to my collection.

Grass Roots Support for Supergirl #34

The cover of Sleeper #1, the masterful super-hero noir by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips seems a strange sight on a Supergirl blog. But Supergirl #34 is coming out tomorrow and I am asking people to talk it up if it lives up to expectations, if it is as great as Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle promise it will be.

DC is doing there part with a lot of buzz including a nice interview from Gates and Igle discussing all the things we have heard about this issue (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090830-Supergirl34.html) as well as preview pages of the issue on Newsarama later today! Hooray to DC for plugging the book so much!

I put Sleeper up today to remind everyone that fans talking about the book and plugging it is as valid as a media push.

I almost didn't get Sleeper. I almost missed out on one of my absolute favorite titles from the last 5 years. The only reason I bought it was because I was lucky enough to be in my comic book store and overheard a couple of guys talking about how great it was. I knew and enjoyed Phillips from his Hellblazer run, but I had never really heard of Ed Brubaker before.

Anyways, these guys talked so highly of the series that I went out and bought the issues and then Sleeper: Season Two. If I hadn't heard them, I may not have. And then I would not have learned that Brubaker is so phenomenal and might not have bought his stellar runs of Captain America and Daredevil (2 characters I have never purchased regularly before). It led to Iron Fist and Criminal and other books of his.

Word of mouth is powerful.



In much the same way, I almost missed Matt Fraction's trippy and innovative Casanova. I was in my comic store when a store worker who I had befriended in that customer/cashier sort of way strongly recommended I buy the issue. He was so enamored of the book that he said if I read it and didn't like it, I could return it. That's how sure he was about the greatness of the book. And he was right.

This also tipped me off to Matt Fraction, which led me to Iron Fist and now Iron Man, 2 characters I also never read before.




As for me, I did my part talking up Atomic Robo (wittily written by Brian Clevinger and distinctly drawn by Soctt Wegener) at my store and spreading the word about how great and fun that series is. It is well worth reading!

Anyways ... word of mouth is powerful.

So if we Kara fans read Supergirl #34 and think that it is great (something I think is going to be true based on everything I have read about it and what Gates and Igle have leaked), we should talk it up. Whether it be grass roots in a brick and mortar comic store, or on the web ... spread the word!

It is a good time to be a Supergirl fan!