take a look inside

Transcription

take a look inside

Brainchild StudioS/nYc
Summer 2010
THIS PORTFOLIO SHOWCASES OUR WORK FOR
THE CLIENTS HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.
c l i e n t
l i s t
DC COMICS
Graphitti Designs
Tachyon Publications
YOUNG MINDS INSPIRED
Carpenter’s Union—Local 1536
Summerstreet Press
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL
Public Interest Media Group
ENIGMA BOOKS
Language Publications Interactive
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BRAINCHILD STUDIOS/NYC
330 West 38th Street, Suite 904, New York, New York, 10018
p: 212.647.9278
e: [email protected]
w: brainchildstudiosnyc.com
DC COMICS
DC COMICS BRAND: A GRAPHIC HISTORY
DC Comics traces its heritage back to NEW FUN COMICS in 1935 but did
not begin branding itself until its 1940 publications. Presented in a simple
circle, DC’s initial mark on the comics read “A DC Publication.” The “DC”
referred to DETECTIVE COMICS, one of the oldest and most popular titles
published at the time.
Then, in 1972, a simple white circle with bold DC initials was introduced.
The company then modified the logo again in early 1974 to read “The
Line of DC Super-Stars.” From late 1975 through most of 1976, the logo
was moved to the center of the cover, anchoring a bar of information
above the logo. It then moved back to the left corner.
With Superman’s phenomenal success in the early 1940’s, and to enhance
potential sales of the other titles in the line, DC changed its mark to read
“A Superman DC Publication” with late 1941 releases.
In early 1976, a redesigned DC logo (referred to as the “Bullet”) was
created by noted graphic designer Milton Glaser. It employed evolving
elements of the past, while establishing a fresh interpretation for the
times. This “Bullet” was used up until 2005, becoming the single longestrunning logo in the company’s history.
By 1949, the various businesses that made up DC Comics were formalized
into National Comics, Inc., which was reflected in the logo’s new design
that read “Superman–National Comics”.
By 1970, DC made an attempt to capitalize further on the sales success of
character–driven titles. The previous NATIONAL mark was retired, replaced
with an image of the host title’s character in a circle and a simple “DC”
and title identification.
DC Comic’s current brand mark, the DC “Spin”,
introduced in the summer of 2005.
The current DC logo (referred to as the “Spin”), created by Josh Beatman
of Brainchild Studios/NYC, continues the evolution of the mark. Reflecting
DC’s expansion from comics publisher into larger forums for entertainment,
the DC logo echoes the company’s new momentum forward, while still
acknowledging DC’s rich history and the mark’s visual legacy.
THE DC “SPIN” FEATURED IN LOGOLOUNGE 5
Logolounge 5, Rockport Publisher’s best-selling hardcover series, collects 2,000 award-winning logotypes selected by an international panel
of judges from a pool of over 33,000 entries.
v
DC Comics
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Comic-Con International
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Vertigo Crime
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DC Comics
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5
DC Comics
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CRIME
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The packaging for the Ame-Comi Heroine Series, initially created for Batgirl
and Catwoman, has since been expanded to include a total of 29 different
PVC statues through 2011.
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DC Comics
DC Comics
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CRIME
The final Vertigo Crime brand mark along with “Chuck Chalk”.
Additional concept sketches can be seen on the following page.
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DC Comics
CRIME
The Vertigo Crime line hit stores in August 2009 with the release of Filthy Rich and
Dark Entries. Additional titles followed with an extensive line-up planned through 2010.
12 DC Comics
DC Comics
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DC Comics
DC Comics
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DC Comics
DC Comics
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DC Comics
DC Comics
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DC Comics
DC Comics
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DC Comics
DC Comics
23
INTRODUCTION
by Doug Braithwaite
Will Eisner Comic Industry Award • 2010
BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN
JIM KRUEGER
and
ALEX ROSS
Has it really been two years since this whole JUSTICE
thing started? It only seems like yesterday that I was
having a conversation with Alex on a cold September
night about the prospect of us working together on this.
STORY
JIM KRUEGER
ABSOLUTE JUSTICE
designed by Josh Beatman
and Curtis King
SCRIPT
DOUG BRAITHWAITE
and ALEX ROSS
J
ART
TODD KLEIN
LETTERING
ALEX ROSS
COVERS
JUSTICE VOLUME TWO
Published by DC Comics. Cover and compilation copyright © 2007 DC
Comics. All Rights Reserved. Originally published in single magazine form
in JUSTICE #5-8Copyright © 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All
characters, their distinctive likenesses and related elements featured in
this publication are trademarks of DC Comics. The stories, characters and
incidents featured in this publication are entirely fictional. DC Comics does
not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork.
Volume Two
DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
A Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
Printed in Canada. First Printing.
ISBN:
Cover by Alex Ross. Publication design by Brainchild Studios/NYC.
Dan DiDio Senior VP-Executive Editor • Joey Cavalieri Editor-original series • Michael Wright Associate Editor-original series
Anton Kawasaki Editor-collected edition • Robbin Brosterman Senior Art Director • Paul Levitz President & Publisher
Georg Brewer VP-Design & DC Direct Creative • Richard Bruning Senior VP-Creative Director • Patrick Caldon Executive
VP-Finance & Operations • Chris Caramalis VP-Finance • John Cunningham VP-Marketing • Terri Cunningham VP-Managing Editor
Stephanie Fierman Senior VP-Sales & Marketing • Alison Gill VP-Manufacturing • Hank Kanalz VP-General Manager, WildStorm
Jim Lee Editorial Director-WildStorm • Paula Lowitt Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs • MaryEllen McLaughlin
VP-Advertising & Custom Publishing • John Nee VP-Business Development • Gregory Noveck Senior VP-Creative Affairs
Cheryl Rubin Senior VP-Brand Management • Jeff Trojan VP-Business Development, DC Direct • Bob Wayne VP-Sales
THE WILL EISNER AWARDS
The WILL EISNER AWARDS, considered the “Oscars” of
the comic industry, honor its best and brightest each year
at a gala held in San Diego, California during Comic-Con
International, the largest comic book and popular culture
event in the Western Hemisphere.
THE ORIGINAL JUSTICE HARDCOVERS
& THE ABSOLUTE EDITION
Absolute Justice
Justice, a 3-volume hardcover series
was designed by Brainchild Studios/
NYC. These hardcover books were
later adapted to DC’s
Absolute format, where
additional never-before-seen materials were
added to produce the spectacular slipcased
edition. In April 2010, Absolute Justice was
nominated for BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN,
an extremely competitive category, amongst
the company of the industry’s most creative. The winning
announcement was made at Comic-Con International on
July 23, 2010.
The original cover to Justice #2
and several interior spreads.
24
DC Comics
WHAT HAS
COME BEFORE
FROM BRUCE WAYNE’S PRIVATE FILES
IN THE BATCOMPUTER
SUPERMAN
It Begins with a dream...or rather a nightmare.
T
The compulsion to draw stayed with me,
despite the obvious distractions of sports
and girls (and not necessarily in that order).
It sounds obsessive I know, but in my early
teens, it was quite usual for me to sit up
until 3am drawing stuff — most of it superheroes. My intention was to go to Art
College, but it didn’t work out that way
because a teacher happened to see some
of my superhero drawings in the back of
my schoolbook and he said the words that
probably got me where I am today: “You
know, you could do that for a living.” I had
never dreamt of that as an option for me,
as the comics I loved were produced in
America, which may as well have been
a million miles away as I had no way of
getting there. However, with help from the
same teacher, Steve Medway, I ended up
walking into the Marvel UK office in London
Yes they’re superheroes,
and yes, they have special powers,
but equally we can relate to them
because they’re just like people
we’ve known all our lives.
at the age of 15. Two years later after
attending classes at the London Cartoon
Centre, Marvel gave me my first paid work.
I’ve been in it for the long haul since then
and I have to thank goodness for some of
the older guys in the business, people like
the late, great Archie Goodwin and the
genius Al Williamson — both of whom had
faith in me at a time when my classic
style of drawing wasn’t so fashionable.
I suppose the result of that faith was when
Alex, someone who I had long admired,
asked me to pencil JUSTICE.
And you know, after 20 years in the business, I still get an enormous kick out of
drawing the characters I loved as a kid. It’s
the best job in the world as far as I’m concerned: it tests the skills I’ve been working
on virtually all my life, but it’s not just about
the art, it’s about the things these superheroes represent for all of us. Yes they’re
superheroes, and yes, they have special
powers, but equally we can relate to them
because they’re just like people we’ve
known all our lives. We know them, warts
and all, and we respond to them knowing
both sides of the coin. We have the writers
to thank for that relationship with the characters. I marvel that a writer of Jim’s talent
can make you empathize with them and
in the next breath make you think they’re
utter jerks. I love the fact that in the writing
the characters reflect the problems we all
have in relating to others, whether it is our
friends, family, colleagues or lovers. But
most of all I love the fact that they live the
. . . knowing that he would use his superb talent to bring the
pencils to life, in a way all his own, made me secure in the
knowledge that what we were producing would be something
we could all be proud of.
lives most of us never do: I don’t know
about you but being a super-fit specimen
will — for me anyway — continue to be a
fantasy, and in reality, very few of us have
the guts to take on the job of fighting the
bad guys. The one thing we may get the
chance to experience is to fly, free as a
bird, but even that will remain the dream
we dream only when we are asleep.
W
orking on JUSTICE has allowed
me to pay tribute to all those who
worked on the classic J.L.A. of my childhood and the story Jim and Alex have put
together is as gripping as they ever were to
me back then. Pencilling the great scripts
Jim has produced has probably been the
biggest challenge of my career so far —
I know I have never worked so hard in
my life. Then to hand on the work to Alex,
knowing that he would use his superb
talent to bring the pencils to life, in a way
all his own, made me secure in the knowledge that what we were producing would
be something we could all be proud of.
It’s great that the fans are excited by the
series. But they are not the only ones —
you wouldn’t believe the excitement
generated in our house every time a
package of Alex’s completed painted
artwork is delivered. And believe it or not,
as I’m writing this, I don’t know how this
whole story pans out. I haven’t seen the
final script — I didn’t want to. This way I
respond to the story as much as I did as a
kid. So, it’s still a dream — I just hope there’s
a seven year-old out there who is inspired
by JUSTICE to live his dream one day too.
DOUG BRAITHWAITE
November, 2006
Working on JUSTICE has allowed me
to pay tribute to all those who worked
on the classic J.L.A. of my childhood
and the story Jim and Alex have
put together is as gripping as they
ever were to me back then.
FROM BRUCE WAYNE’S PRIVATE
FILES IN THE BATCOMPUTER
POISON IVY
PAMELA ISLEY is insane, dangerously so. Due to this, she cannot be dealt
with by appealing solely to her mind. This is the mistake, I believe, of so many
modern psychological treatments. We are far more complex than any one
system of thought can claim to understand.
She became a criminal because of love, or what many mistake for it.
Isley came from a rich family and had what would be considered a normal
upbringing. In college, she majored in botany and fell in love with her
professor. Her teacher fooled her with promises of love and marriage,
and tricked her into stealing from a local museum’s new Egyptian exhibit.
What she stole was an urn containing ancient poisonous herbs. But the
herbs, intended to poison and kill Isley, instead mixed with her unique
physiology, changing her, transforming her, making her immune to all poisons.
Her sex appeal is now a weapon that she
uses against all men, usually through the
use of poisonous lipstick. My refusal to
be manipulated by her allure has only
caused her hatred of me to grow.
Her immunity to poison and her
wild femininity are not her only
weapons. In fact, these abilities
are nothing compared to her
intelligence and knowledge
of plant life. She commands
and is capable of manipulating the very life form
necessary for every
creature on Earth to
breathe. That alone
makes her one of the
most dangerous
beings alive.
he world’s vilest villains all wake
up from the same feverish glimpse
of a possible near-future: one where the
combined might of the fabled Justice
League of America is not enough to save
the world from total
disaster. Humanity
has relied too much
on its heroes, and has
become too weak to
defend itself. So now
the greatest criminal
minds on Earth have
decided that the only
way to save the world
is by taking down
the members of the
Justice League…one
by one.
identities of the heroes, and more of the
JLA falls by their hand. The Ultra-Humanite
makes the Martian Manhunter believe
he is being consumed by his greatest
weakness…fire. The Red Tornado finds
himself being taken over by an uncontrollable force that rips himself apart. Green
Lantern is transported far away via a
boom tube by Sinestro. Green Arrow
and Black Canary become victims of
Scarecrow and Clayface. The Cheetah
attacks Wonder Woman at a women’s
conference. The Toyman targets
Hawkman and Hawkwoman at the
museum they work in. Ray Palmer, the
Atom, is shot in the shoulder. The Flash
finds that he can’t stop running. And
Superman is overwhelmed by the
combined forces of Bizarro, Solomon
Grundy, Metallo and the Parasite.
The first hero to fall is
Aquaman, thanks to
the deadly Black Manta. Taken to the
villain group’s underwater base, the King
of the Seas is subject to experiments by
the alien Brainiac. Meanwhile, the villains
begin to change the world around them
in dramatic ways that the JLA couldn’t or
wouldn’t — as desert wastelands bloom
with life, people with disabilities walk again,
and world hunger has an end in sight.
And once the World’s Greatest Heroes are
defeated, the villains present their plan of
changing the world to the Earth’s population. Accusing the heroes of being absent
and unable to make the real changes
needed for a better society, the villains
build “perfect” cities without disease or
poverty, and invite the people who they’ve
cured to live in them. It’s looking like there’s
no hope left for the Justice League.
But the criminals’ deeds are not entirely
altruistic, as they discover the secret
But they’re not the only heroes left in the
world…
. . .Jor-El and his wife
Lara, sent their son
in an experimental
spacecraft to find
new life and safety
across the universe
on a small planet
known as Earth.
All our stories somehow involve the loss of parents at some point in our lives.
But SUPERMAN lost far more than that. He is the last surviving member of an alien
race from a planet called Krypton, a world he has learned collapsed at its core due
to its people’s abuses of its natural resources. Moments before its destruction,
Superman’s parents, Jor-El and his wife Lara, sent their son in an experimental
spacecraft to find new life and safety across the universe on a small planet known
as Earth. A childless couple, the Kents, found the crashed craft and child within.
They never reported the rocket or the orphan to the authorities, but instead,
believing their prayers for a child had been answered, raised the boy as their
own, naming him Clark Kent.
While he seems almost invulnerable by human standards, his major physiological
weakness, ironically, is the shattered remnants of his home planet, Krypton.
This Kryptonite, depending on quantity and exposure, will kill Superman.
Superman was adopted. Perhaps that is what has determined his course in this
world. This has formed his primary sense of hope, even after destruction. He
believes that this world can be changed to a better one. But this hope may be a
weakness to him just as Kryptonite is. He has taken a human disguise, operating
amongst us as a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis. That is how he
remains aware of world events and is able to be anywhere, almost at any time.
His alien-inherited physiology enables him to fly. All his senses are heightened to the
degree that they can be used offensively as well as defensively. And those bullets
he chooses not to outrace bounce off him. Not like us. Not like the people of Earth.
Still, he is similar to us in that Superman’s compassion is both a strength and weakness. There is not a day that he does not risk his very life, unheeding the cost, for
those who need him most. While his physiology makes him an alien, he is a human,
almost frustratingly so.
BIOGRAPHIES
JIM KRUEGER
was a creative director at Marvel Comics before eventually leaving to become a freelance
writer/property creator. Some of his comics work includes The Clock Maker and Micronauts for Image Comics,
The Matrix Comics for Burlyman Entertainment, and Foot Soldiers, Galactic and Star Wars for Dark Horse Comics.
Krueger has also collaborated with artist Alex Ross on numerous projects for Marvel, including Earth X, Universe X
and Paradise X. Besides writing for comics, Krueger is also a filmmaker who wrote, directed and produced the short
film They Might Be Dragons (which was awarded "Best Short Film" at The New York Independent Film Festival),
directed Eleven for RIPFEST 2006, and is preparing to direct his first feature. He has also just finished his first novel,
The Frankincense Monster and Other Haunted Christmas Stories. Krueger is president and publisher of his own
entertainment company, 26 Soldiers.
ALEX ROSS
studied illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, then honed his craft as a
storyboard artist before entering the comics field. His miniseries Marvels (Marvel Comics, 1993) created a wider
acceptance for painted comics. He moved on to produce the equally successful KINGDOM COME (DC Comics,
1996). Receiving critical acclaim and multiple awards for these best-selling works, Ross made a name as both an
artist and storyteller, dedicating himself to bold experiments within the comics medium. With a miniseries for Vertigo
(UNCLE SAM, 1997), several projects for Marvel Comics (Earth X, Universe X and Paradise X), and six oversized
graphic novels focusing on DC’s iconic characters (collected in THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER-HEROES), he
continues to bring comics to a broader audience. In 2003, Ross was the subject of a ten-year retrospective of his
work for DC Comics, Mythology (Pantheon Books), written and designed by Chip Kidd. He is currently continuing
work on the 12-part maxiseries JUSTICE for DC. Alex Ross lives in Illinois.
DOUG BRAITHWAITE
hails from London, England, and broke into the comics industry at the age
of only 17 when he did work for Marvel UK. Soon he was working for comics companies in America, where his first
assignment was pencilling an issue of DC Comics’ DOOM PATROL. From there, Braithwaite’s elegant pencilling
style has graced many of DC’s top-tier characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow,
and the JLA. He was also a penciller on Marvel’s Punisher series. His first collaboration with Jim Krueger and
Alex Ross was for Marvel’s Universe X and Paradise X, where he ended up pencilling nearly every Marvel
character. He continues to work on JUSTICE for DC.
USTICE starts with a dream, and
for me it has been a dream to work
on. And I suppose you could look at it as
something I have been practicing for my
whole life. I’m sure everyone reading this
has a memory of their first experience of
comic books. My own is when I was about
three or four years old. My dad would
take me with him when he went to the
newsagents to buy his newspaper. In the
corner of the shop was a spin rack filled
with comic books. That comic rack drew
me like a magnet, and one character in particular grabbed my attention. I’m not sure
whether it was the red and blue costume
or the flowing cape that attracted me,
or maybe it was the strange emblem on
his chest — the ‘S’ symbol on Superman
looked to me like two yellow fish swimming
round each other. I remember my dad looking over at me at the rack, then he let me
choose a comic, a choice based purely on
what I saw as I hadn’t yet been taught to
read. When we got home, I settled down
next to dad and he read the comic to me
— complete with all the sound effects!
I was transfixed — this was better than
all the other children’s stories read to me
so far in my short life! The strange thing is
I have no recollection of what issue it was
— the only thing I can remember was
the image of Superman flying through
outer space, towing a line of planets with
a gigantic chain.
After this early introduction to the world
of superheroes, I was obsessed with
attempting to draw them and, seeing my
interest, the teachers at my infant’s school
gave me a big canvas to work on — when
they allowed me to paint superheroes
all over one of the walls of the school!
I remember reading the Justice League of
America when I was about seven, and one
issue in particular made a huge impression
on me — issue #137, Superman versus
Shazam. The image on the cover of those
two going head to head, one of them gone
bad, was mind-blowing to me. It is still
amazing for me to realize, thirty-odd years
later, that I’m involved in creating similar
imagery in JUSTICE.
DAN DIDIO
Senior VP-Executive Editor
DAN RASPLER
Editor-original miniseries
PETER J. TOMASI
Assistant Editor-original miniseries
LILLIAN LASERSON
Senior VP & General Counsel
JIM LEE
Editorial Director-WildStorm
RICHARD BRUNING
Senior VP-Creative Director
PATRICK CALDON
Executive VP-Finance & Operations
Dedicated to
CHRISTOPHER REEVE
who makes us believe that a man can fly.
Mark Waid
HANK KANALZ
VP-General Manager, WildStorm
ROBBIN BROSTERMAN
Senior Art Director
GEORG BREWER
VP-Design & DC Direct Creative
KINGDOM
DOM COME
RICH JOHNSON
VP-Book Trade Sales
ANTON KAWASAKI
Editor-collected edition
PAUL LEVITZ
President & Publisher
KINGDOM COME
ALISON GILL
VP-Manufacturing
CHRIS CARAMALIS
VP-Finance
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAULA LOWITT
Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs
DAVID MCKILLIPS
VP-Advertising & Custom Publishing
JOHN NEE
VP-Business Development
GREGORY NOVECK
Senior VP-Creative Affairs
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
VP-Marketing
JEFF TROJAN
VP-Business Development, DC Direct
TERRI CUNNINGHAM
VP-Managing Editor
BOB WAYNE
VP-Sales
Published by DC Comics. Cover, introductions and compilation copyright © 2006 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.
Originally published in single magazine form in KINGDOM COME #1-4. Copyright © 1996 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters, their
distinctive likenesses and related elements featured in this publication are trademarks of DC Comics. The stories, characters and incidents
featured in this publication are entirely fictional. DC Comics does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork.
DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Printed in China. First Printing
Alex Ross
THE NEW BARDS: An Introduction by Elliot S. Maggin
222
223
224
225
241
259
267
277
293
301
307
326
328
334
336
338
339
340
ICONS OF VIRTUE by Alex Ross
CHAPTER ONE: Strange Visitor
CHAPTER TWO: Truth and Justice
CHAPTER THREE: Up in the Sky
CHAPTER FOUR: Never-Ending Battle
EPILOGUE: One Year Later…
MEMORIAL: Keys to Original Covers
FROM HERE TO KINGDOM COME: Mysteries Unveiled,
Secrets Revealed by Mark Waid
CHERYL RUBIN
Senior VP-Brand Management
STEPHANIE FIERMAN
Senior VP-Sales & Marketing
ISBN: 1-4012-0768-5.
ISBN 13: 978-1-4012-0768-7.
with Todd Klein
6
10
58
110
158
206
216
218
Slipcase and cover art by Alex Ross.
KINGDOM COME font created by Alex Ross & Todd Klein. Publication design by Brainchild Studios/NYC.
In Elseworlds, heros are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places —
some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist.
SKETCHBOOK: Norman McCay
The Spectre
The League
A Silent Cavalry
Titans
Wild Cards
A New Breed
GENESIS: Developmental Art by Alex Ross
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM: An Annotated Guide
GALLERY
EVOLUTION: The Development of the Orion Pages
TESTAMENTS: A Checklist of Kingdom Come Appearances
DC DIRECT GALLERY
GENERATIONS: A Kingdom Come Genealogy
CURTAIN CALL: The Kingdom Come Cast
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & BIOGRAPHIES
WITNESS TO THE END by Clark Norman Ross
DC COMICS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK
I BELIEVE IN SUPERMAN. FOR REAL.
I REALLY BELIEVE IN WONDER WOMAN, SO HELP ME.
I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS. I BELIEVE THAT MEN
HAVE WALKED ON THE MOON. I BELIEVE THAT
EVERY PASSOVER ELIJAH THE PROPHET COMES OVER
FOR A SIP OF WINE.
THE NEW BARDS
AN INTRODUCTION
\bºy Elliot S. Maggin
I
n the waning moments of
the twentieth century, the
super-hero is Everyman.
Look at the way we live: traveling
over the Earth at astounding
speeds with unimaginable ease;
communicating instantly at
will with people in the farthest
corners of the globe; engineering
economies, driving environmental forces, working wonders.
If a person from only a hundred
years or so in the past could
look in on our lives, that person
would suppose that we were
not mortals, but gods. He would
be bowled over by what the
most ordinary among us could
do with a car or light switch or
an automatic teller machine.
This is the way many of us have
always looked upon our superheroes — as though they were
gods. Our person from a lost
century would be wrong about
us, of course, but no more wrong
than we are about our heroes.
6
A B S O L U T E
In the story that you hold in
your hands, Mark Waid and
Alex Ross tell us that our proper
WE HAVE
AN OBLIGATION
TO UNDERSTAND
THE
RAMIFICATIONS
OF THE THINGS
WE DO,
AND TO CHOOSE
TO DO THEM
— OR NOT —
WITH OUR EYES
OPEN. THAT IS
WHAT
KINGDOM COME
IS ABOUT.
response to the inexorable
march of progress that has
brought us to this place and
K I N G D O M
time in the history of civilization
is to find a way to confront it
responsibly. Not modestly. Not
unself-consciously. Not with faith
in a power greater than ours to
descend from the sky and set
things right despite our best
efforts to screw up. We have an
obligation to know who we are
and where we are and what we
can do. We have an obligation to
understand the ramifications of
the things we do, and to choose
to do them — or not — with our
eyes open.
That is what KINGDOM COME
is about.
As I write this, I am completing
a novel — about a hundred
thousand words, one strung after
the other without pictures other
than the occasional free-standing
illustration by Alex Ross —
called KINGDOM COME. It is an
elaboration in prose of the story
that follows. In order to write
it I, like Mark and Alex, have to
believe in heroes. I do. I believe
in Superman. For real. I really
believe in Wonder Woman, so
help me. I believe in Santa Claus.
I believe that men have walked
on the moon. I believe that every
Passover Elijah the prophet comes
over for a sip of wine. I believe in
metaphors. Metaphors are real.
That is why the Scriptures are
composed not only of the
proverbs and prophecies that
Pastor McCay, in the pages that
follow, spouts in involuntary
reflex; but that is why those
Scriptures surround and
embrace those pronouncements
in stories — the allegories and
metaphors — that teach us our
values. Here before you is a clash
of good against evil, of course, but
more than that. There are clashes
of judgment, clashes among
different interpretations of what
is good and of what is justice, and
clashes over who is to suffer the
wages of the evil born of our best
intentions. This is a love story.
This is a story of hatred and rage.
This is the Iliad. This is a story
of how we — we ourselves; you
and I — choose to use whatever
special powers
and abilities we
have, when even
those powers and
abilities are only
a little bit beyond
those of mortal
men. This is a
story about truth
obscured, justice
deferred and the
American way
distorted in the
hands of petty
semanticists.
Super-hero stories — whether
their vehicle is through comic
books or otherwise — are today
the most coherent manifestation
of the popular unconscious.
They’re stories not about gods,
but about the way humans wish
themselves to be; ought, in fact,
to be. They’re the successors to
the stories that once came from
the hoedown and the campfire
and the wandering bard. We —
all of us — come up with these
stories all the time around dorms
and carpools and along cafeteria
lines at work and at school.
Here’s one:
I have a friend named Jeph.
You know Jeph. I was maybe
nineteen or twenty and he was
C O M E
Bard and I had maybe a dozen
little germs of ideas packed under
my scalp. I’d try this one on him.
I’d toss him that one. I’d pitch him
another one. Some of them he
liked; some of them he didn’t.
Some of them inspired ideas of
the Bard’s own; some of them
made him snort or snore. By the
end of a couple of hours — they
were a loud,
intense couple of hours,
as hours I
spent with
the Bard of
Bards always
would be
— I was
emotionally
exhausted
and still he
wanted to
hear more.
So I dredged
up this idea
about what
might happen if the Guardians
came calling on Superman with
the tiniest little criticism of how
he was going
about his job.
Now you’re talking
resh stuff, the old
man let me know.
He got excited.
He yanked people
in the from the
hall and made
me repeat the
idea for them.
maybe twelve or thirteen and I
was a student at this college and
Jeph’s stepdad was a big muckamuck at the college and stepdad
and I made friends. I went over to
stepdad’s house for dinner one
day and Jeph and I got to talking
there about our common ground:
our mutual love for super-heroes
and their stories. We came up
with a nifty story over mom and
stepdad’s dinner table. See, I’d
just sold my first
comic-book
script, a Green
Arrow story called
“What Can One
Man Do?” and I
had a problem.
I had a meeting
soon with Julius
Schwartz, the
Bard of Bards, to
see whether I was
a one-trick pony
or I could do this
sort of thing
again. I had to come up with a
hit-it-outta-the-park idea for a
Superman story or else spend
the next three years in law
school. I guess I told Jeph a few
of my ideas and I guess Jeph told
me a few of his. And Jeph came
up with this thing he called “Why
Must There Be a Superman?” It
was about the Guardians of the
Universe planting a new idea in
Big Blue’s head. The idea was
that maybe, in his zeal to preserve
life and ease the path of the
human race, Superman was
keeping ordinary everyday good
humans from growing on their
own. Maybe he was killing the
butterfly by helping it out of the
chrysalis. Not for sure, but just
maybe. That was Jeph’s idea.
So I went to Gotham to see the
A B S O L U T E
K I N G D O M
SO I WENT
TO GOTHAM
TO SEE THE
BARD AND I
HAD MAYBE A
DOZEN LITTLE
GERMS OF
IDEAS PACKED
UNDER MY
SCALP.
I called the story
“Must There Be
a Superman?” and
Saint Curt and Murphy drew it
and it made me happy and I put
the words in Superman’s mouth
pretty much steadily for the next
fifteen years and never went to
law school. And I swear I did not
have a clue where the idea had
come from. Who knows where
ideas come from anyway? I didn’t
remember — still don’t remember, in fact, but I believe Jeph —
until Jeph told me about his con-
7
C O M E
8
SUPERMAN
To get to the personal roots of the character, I wanted to illustrate the farmer’s son, revisited in
his later years, after he had removed himself from the super-hero business for a time. His gray
temples extend into his beard and long hair, betraying a sense of his surrendering to his age.
While I played up the carpenter role as well for its obvious symbolism, the bare-armed,
workman look for Superman is one of his earliest, coming partly from the 1942
George Lowther novel and many pre-costume drawings by Shuster.
A B S O L U T E
tribution years later. Like twenty
or so years later.
Jeph has never
suffered, I don’t
believe, for my
inconsiderable
oversight, and in
fact has always
been my friend.
He’s done well,
too. With his
buddy Matthew
he wrote the first
great super-hero
movie of the
modern period,
Commando with
Arnold Schwarzenegger, and lots
of other great stuff. And one day
later on I was editor of Jeph’s first
comic-book series of his own,
an eight-issue masterpiece with
Tim Sale called CHALLENGERS OF
THE UNKNOWN. Now he writes
for Hollywood and he writes for
DC and Marvel and he’s happy
and he’s still my friend, and now
I get to make this right too.
T
oday there
are new
bards and new
stories. Not long
ago Mark and Alex
went to Gotham to
see Dan Raspler —
who, it seems to
me, was just a
smart, ambitious
kid last time I saw
him and then
became a big
muckamuck like
Jeph’s stepdad —
to sell Dan on an idea about what
the world would be like if all the
super-heroes were to retire and
their children, grandchildren and
successors generally turn out
to be schmucks.
The theme of “Must There Be a
Superman?,” that icon of another
life, is the theme the new bards of
KINGDOM COME continue. Maybe
complete. It is about the time
K I N G D O M
in the lives of Superman, Captain
Marvel, Wonder Woman, Batman
and the others, when they learn
that they are not
gods. And it is
about the time in
their lives when
finally they learn
that despite their
limitations they
must be potent
and responsible
anyway. Now is
the time in the life
of the human race
when all of us need
to learn these same
things. That is why
this story, despite its garish primary-colored clothing,
is an important one.
The heroes of fable and fact to
whose virtue we all aspire are not
only colorful people leading vivid
lives; they traditionally understand
the value of human life in all its
places and conditions. But real-life
heroes, unlike many of the icons
we have created, also understand
human dignity and human
immortality, and these are
concepts that are lacking in, for
example, Superman’s education.
Heroes especially need to understand the value of the things of a
life: its artifacts, its ideas, its loves.
It is the markers you leave along
that road that define you. It is the
trees a man plants, the children he
raises and the stories he tells that
signify his life. It is the palaces a
people build, the heritage they
inspire, the art they create that
makes their civilization. I’ve been
trying to tell Superman for years
that he mustn’t just save lives, he
has to spit-polish the real estate
too. He’s never understood that.
He never got it until Mark and
Alex told him. They got through
to him, finally, and for that I’m
proud of them.
IF WE WERE TO PEEK IN ON THE LIVES
OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH
IN GENERATIONS TO COME,
SURELY WE WOULD THINK WE WERE
GAZING UPON OLYMPUS.
the metahuman race.
It is the source
of conflict
throughout
the story. And
the story’s
synthesis is
the realization
that this
distinction
is false. As
clearly as
another hero,
Mahatma Gandhi, asserted that
he is a Hindu as well as a Muslim
— as well as a Christian, a Jew or
a Buddhist if that becomes
appropriate — so do we learn
here that the most ordinary
among us are heroes, and the
most colorful and vivid among
us are quite ordinary and flawed.
It is a conclusion to which our
new bards lead us as elegantly
and precisely as Socrates led
us through an argument or
Pythagoras led us through a
geometric proof.
E
ven super-heroes need to
grow. We know that now.
When you read KINGDOM COME,
you will too.
EVOLUTION
A CHECKLIST OF KINGDOM COME APPEARANCES
— Elliot S! Maggin
Where the Wind Hits Heavy
New Year’s, 1997
In KINGDOM COME, Mark and
Alex draw a dichotomy between
the human race and what we call
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORION PAGES
Each page of KINGDOM COME went through various stages of production
and development. The first stage (not pictured here) was the preliminary
outline. This summarized an entire sequence from the story. Consulting
with the editors, Dan Raspler and Peter Tomasi, Mark then wrote a detailed
script which paced the story by breaking down the
contents of each page. The dialogue and the setup
for each and every panel were presented in text for
Alex to then visually represent.
The KINGDOM COME series proved to be so popular that it spawned a novelization (and an audio book of
said novel), numerous items of merchandise, and a semi-sequel in 1999 that actually took place in current-day
DC continuity, planting the seeds for KINGDOM COME’s possible future. Not only that, but a number of other
creators were so inspired that they introduced, into their own books, characters, concepts and/or designs that
first appeared in the KINGDOM COME miniseries.
A partial list of the most notable K.C.-related appearances, references and merchandise follows.
(For DC Direct product, see pages 334-335).
1997 FALL
JLA ANNUAL #1 — The Brain Trust makes a
current day appearance in a backup story.
1998 JANUARY
TEEN TITANS #15 — Roy Harper, Arsenal,
adopts a “Red Arrow”-inspired costume.
FEBRUARY
NEW YEAR’S EVIL: GOG #1 — The first
appearance and origin of Gog (whom we learn
raises Magog from childhood) is explored in a
one-shot written as part of a “5th-Week” event
in DC Comics’ publishing schedule focusing
on villains.
MARCH
Kingdom Come (Warner/Aspect) — a 352-page
novelization is released written by Elliot S.
Maggin, which is an adaptation of KINGDOM
COME by Mark Waid & Alex Ross.
Kingdom Come: Audio Dramatization (Time
Warner Audio Books) — an audio version of the
above book adapted by John Whitman.
Approximately three hours in length and
featuring a full-cast recording, this audio
dramatization also featured guest voices such
as Mark Waid, KINGDOM COME’s editor and
assistant editor Dan Raspler and Peter Tomasi,
novelization editor Charles Kochman, Batman
editor/writer Dennis O’Neil, Executive Editor
Mike Carlin, and other members of DC’s staff.
Superman’s design was certainly the starting point
of the entire series’ look. If I wasn’t as inspired by his
appearance, the rest of the characters would have
held no interest for me. Fortunately DC allowed me
to hark back to the classic Shuster-style broad body
and bone structure with the wide head, short hair
(a big request at the time) and a constant squint.
I was heavily influenced by the Fleischer cartoon
features based on Joe Shuster’s designs, with his
old-fashioned “S” logo on a black shield. This same
look can be found in a few other places in the early
comics themselves and always stood out to me as a
dramatic way to go with the design. The stylistic
change I brought to the letter is meant to show the
passage of time. As it has changed since 1938, it could
further transform into the simplest graphic possible.
226
26
DC Comics
A B S O L U T E
K I N G D O M
C O M E
In the earliest visual concepts for this project I was
aiming in the Frank Miller/DARK KNIGHT RETURNS
direction, where Superman hadn’t aged in 20 years.
As others had pointed out to me, my drawings
already gave him a time-worn, weathered look. It
occurred to me that it better suited the character to
experience as many of the humbling aspects of
humanity as he could, and aging naturally would
offset his more godlike attributes. My version of
Superman was the most satisfying visual and
emotional accomplishment of KINGDOM COME
to me, as he stands out as the most compelling
figure I’ve ever illustrated.
A B S O L U T E
K I N G D O M
C O M E
OCTOBER
JLA ANNUAL #2 — Magog makes a very
brief cameo appearance.
227
More thumbnails showing an early sequence in the book.
Before producing full-size artwork, Alex drew
small thumbnail roughs which allowed him to
work out compositional problems. This provided an
opportunity for all involved to check the pacing of
the story prior to producing the actual finished art.
NOVEMBER
SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #1,000,000
— The Metal Men combine to form Alloy.
THUMBNAIL ROUGH
(actual size: 3 1/8”x 4 15/16”)
DECEMBER
THE FLASH #143 — The Kingdom Come Kid
Flash (Iris West) makes a modern-day
in-continuity appearance.
Make no mistake.
This is not, in its strictest
sense,“director’s cut”
material. These aren’t
rediscovered “missing
pages” that somehow
got lost behind Alex’s
filing cabinet on
Tuesday. They do,
however, comprise a
sequence Alex had
envisioned painting
from very early on: Orion
on Apokolips, having
usurped his father
Darkseid’s throne.
1999 FEBRUARY
JLA/TITANS #3 — Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg,
adopts his Kingdom Come “Robotman” look
in this story.
THE KINGDOM #1 — The first issue of a
multiple-part “5th-week event” of one-shots,
featuring a storyline set in present-day
continuity. The villainous Gog threatens to
annihilate Superman by killing him over
and over again as he works his way back
through time.
THE KINGDOM: KID FLASH #1
THE KINGDOM: NIGHTSTAR #1
THE KINGDOM: OFFSPRING #1 —
Plastic Man’s son is introduced as the title hero.
THE KINGDOM: PLANET KRYPON #1
THE KINGDOM: SON OF THE BAT #1
THE KINGDOM #2 — The concept of
“Hypertime” is introduced.
But what to make of this after-the-fact sequence? We didn’t even know where to put it within the narrative
until using Orion suggested Orion’s brother-of-sorts, Mr. Miracle, Super-Escape Artist. How could we use
him? Well...who better to design an inescapable gulag? Would Superman think of that? Not necessarily...
but Orion would suggest it if Superman were to come to Apokolips asking to use the planet as a prison,
a dumping ground. Still, the Last Son of Krypton would never suggest uprooting natives from their homeworld. However, given where we were in the story just before gulag construction began, Superman would
absolutely consult with Orion, the ultimate Dog of War. In fact, their conversation would allow us a chance
to touch upon something missing from our original series: Superman’s inability to comprehend the dark
potential of his own power...
APRIL
THE FLASH 80-PAGE GIANT #2 — The Kingdom
Come Kid Flash is featured in a solo story.
K I N G D O M
C O M E
Once all notes, modifications, and approvals were
An example of one of the
received, the thumbnail images were transferred onto
many photo references used
oversize boards that eventually became the finished
by the artist.
artwork. Copies
of the pencilled art
were made in order for Peter Tomasi to
map out the placement of the word
balloons. (Note the differences between
the script and the art, which necessitated
a reorganization of the placement of the
word balloons within the various panels.)
The balloon placements were then sent
to Todd Klein, the letterer, so he could
create and letter the word balloons
from the script. In most cases, lettering
is done directly on the art board. For
KINGDOM COME, as with most painted
books, the finished lettering was placed
on acetate overlays.
Alex then rendered the images with
gouache paints. First, he did a monochromatic black & white stage to fully
detail all the forms, and then he
transparently layered over the color .
Some opaque
painting and airbrushed lighting
effects were also
used. The lettering and painted
art were then
combined and
sent to the
separator to
produce the
finished comic
page.
Alex never lost the
desire to paint this
image, not even after
(striking though it might be) we could find no room for it within the strict page count of the original monthly
series. The elbow room of an expanded collected edition, however, gave Alex the opportunity to indulge
himself — and you.
MARCH
THE FLASH #146 — The Kingdom Come
Kid Flash returns for the “Chain Lightning”
storyline, and stays until issue #149.
SUPERBOY #60 — Gog makes a cameo appearance in the beginning of a multipart storyline
where Superboy explores Hypertime.
WONDER WOMAN #142 — Wonder Woman’s
Kingdom Come “eagle armor” is shown on
display in her Wonder Dome. She continues
to wear the armor in battle on occasion.
A B S O L U T E
will surely stride the Earth as
titans in those days, wearing
our own features and our own
shortcomings. They are our
messengers to that resplendent
future. And they will bring with
them into their time whatever
values and iconography that we
have to offer them today. Here
in the pages that follow is an
admirable start. To cite the
sentiment of another old friend
whom I miss (And if you travel
west anytime, Alan, come find
me, will you?): This is an imaginary
story…aren’t they all?
C O M E
TESTAMENTS
1996 SUMMER
Kingdom Come Extra — A limited-edition
trading card set is released by Fleer/SkyBox.
Kingdom Come T-Shirt I — A T-shirt from
Graphitti Designs featuring an original
illustration by Alex Ross is released (see
pages 324-325).
I
f we were to peek in on the
lives of the people of the
Earth in generations to come,
surely we would think we were
gazing upon Olympus. And of
course, again, we would be wrong.
They are our children, our grandchildren and our successors who
— Mark Waid
23
20
A B S O L U T E
K I N G D O M
C O M E
PENCIL ARTWORK
(actual size: 11 1/8” x 17 1/2”)
FINISHED PAINTED ART
(the finished version of this page
can be found on page 105)
A B S O L U T E
K I N G D O M
C O M E
21
28
DC Comics
DC Comics
29
THIS IS WHERE THE ACTION IS!
COMICS TODA
THIS IS WHERE
THE ACTION IS!
HARD WIRED FOR YOUR BRAND
DC COMICS
DC COMICS
TEEN/YOUNG
ADULT GROUP
30 million readers get into comics every month
PLUGGED IN TO POPULAR CULTURE
Comics are the driving force behind major
trends in film, TV, publishing, music, technology,
fashion, gaming and all other forms of popular
entertainment
DEEP ENGAGEMENT FOR KIDS,
TEENS AND ADULTS
There are 12 million DC Comics readers across
3 key audience segments
CONTINUE
DC COMICS I KIDS I TEEN/YA I ADULT I DIGITAL I MARKETING/PROMOTION I RATES, DATES & SPECS I CUSTOM PUBLISHING I CONTACT
DC COMICS
DIGITAL
DC COMICS
DIGITAL
When their passions prompt them to
head online, our tribe-wired 18-34 year
old males head straight for DC Comics.
dccomics.com
At dccomics.com, they indulge themselves
in all things DC, from profiles of the
week’s “hot list” to previews of upcoming
issues and series premieres to the latest
in pop culture news – news that they seek
out and actually use!
TEEN/YOUNG
ADULT GROUP
(INCLUDING MAD)
Connect with
5.3 million
teen/young
adults in
the pages
of these
action-packed
publications
created
especially for
this elusive
audience.
Exciting and
diverse DC
editorial content, written and drawn
by the most creative talents in comics
today, captures the imagination of
readers better than any other medium
and is totally in sync with today’s
demanding audience.
DC COMICS TEEN/YOUNG
ADULT GROUP DYNAMICS
Entertainment Enthusiasts
• 35% attend movies opening weekend
• 42% have seen 6 or more movies
in the past 90 days
They Got Game
90% play video games
45% play online games
21% bought 6 or more video games
in the last 12 months
•
•
•
Connected to Community
65% own cell phones
65% love playing sports
•
•
Majorly into Music
64% own an MP3 player
42% download music
•
•
The Stats
Network Rate Base . . . . . . . . . . . .2,000,000
Network Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,386,000
Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Monthly
Number of Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-45
DC Composition . . . .78% male, 22% female
Median Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Median HHI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42,000
Newsstand Sales . . . . . . .98% DC, 48% MAD
Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . .2% DC, 52% MAD
On Top of the Trends
49% like to keep up with the
latest fashions
•
SOURCES:
Simmons Teen Study Spring 2007;
MRI Prototype, Spring 2007
DC COMICS
DIGITAL
Zuda, DC’s latest imprint, is a
bold new stage in the evolution of
webcomics – original comics created
especially for the web.
Our engaging online environments are
robust with content of intense value to our readership. With more than 17 million
page views per month (and 1 million uniques), we’ve got your target audience
clearly in our sights.
zudacomics.com
Every month, zudacomics.com
showcases the work of 10 new
comics hopefuls – and invites
our community of fans to weigh
in with their votes and help
select the winner of a DC
Comics contract! It’s a perfect
combination of user generated content, social networking
and integrated sponsorship opportunities.
DCCOMICS.COM and
ZUDACOMICS.COM STATS
•
•
•
•
•
DC COMICS
CUSTOM
PUBLISHING
17.7 million average monthly page views
1.04 million average monthly uniques
98% of users view 1-10 pages per visit
79% of users view 1-5 pages per visit
Users spend an average of 7 minutes on
site per visit
DC COMICS
CUSTOM
PUBLISHING
DC Comics is the only significant comic book
publisher with in-house editorial, creative and
project management staff dedicated to custom
crafting solutions designed to connect with your
target across a range of media and help achieve
your marketing objectives.
We work wonders.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DC COMICS ADVERTISING & CUSTOM SOLUTIONS MEDIA KIT—2009
A 47-page, 9-section electronic document (PDF) used by DC’s Sales team to sell advertisement
space across both the print and web environments, as well as promote DC’s Custom Solutions
capabilities. Several examples may be seen on the following page.
30
DC Comics
Custom Comic Books,
Magazines & Inserts
Digitally Animated Comics
Websites, Sitelets & Widgets
Podcasts, Audio & Video
Broadcast & Online Animation
Print Ads & Advertorials
In-School Programs
Sweepstakes & Contests
Grassroots Marketing Events
Branded Marketing Materials
Enhanced Media Buys
DC COMICS
CONTACT
JASON STROOT
National Sales Director - Advertising & Custom Publishing
T: 212.636.5764 F: 212.636.5976
E: [email protected]
JOHN DiCOSTANZA
Regional Sales Manager - Advertising & Custom Publishing
T: 212.636.5522 F: 212.636.5976
KRIS LONGO
Regional Sales Manager - Advertising & Custom Publishing
T: 212.636.5533 F: 212.636.5976
DC COMICS & MAD MAGAZINE
1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Visit us: http://www.dccomics.com
HOWARD BERMAN
West Coast Account Manager
T: 805.413.1024 F: 805.413.1025 C: 818.355.5315
THE BERMAN GROUP INC.
3717 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 115
Westlake Village, CA 91362
STEVE NEWMAN
Midwest Account Manager
T: 312.494.1919 ext: 302 F: 312.494.1912
NEWCO MEDIA
500 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2010
Chicago, IL 60611
DC Comics
31
ON THE
VERTIGO
VOICES
LEDGE
BRIAN WOOD
5
M Z34 DM Z3
2 DM Z33 D
Z31 DM Z3
M
D
0
Z3
M
D
Z 28 M Z29
KRISTIAN DONALDSON (guest artist):
“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead
“Rebel Yell” – Billy Idol
“Scenario” – A Tribe Called Quest
“Las Cruces Jail” – Two Gallants
“Astro Zombies” – The Misfits
(Drink – GUINNESS)
JOHN PAUL LEON (cover artist):
“Twice As Hard,” “Seeing Things” – Black
Crowes
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
–The Band
“Brownsville Girl,” “When I Paint My
“Masterpiece” – Bob Dylan
JARED K. FLETCHER (letterer):
“Boychuker” – Rocket from the Crypt
“Protect Ya Neck” – Wu-Tang Clan
“Barroom Hero” – Dropkick Murphys
“Russian Roulette” – The Spunks
“Ain’t No Fun” – Snoop Dogg
(if it’s that kinda party, i’ll be swillin’
o.g. coors tallboyz!!!!!)
WILL DENNIS (editor, enabler):
“Rocks Off” – Rolling Stones (from the
original get silly drunk record EXILE ON
MAIN ST.)
“Streams of Whiskey” – Pogues (please
play this at my funeral)
“Wasted” – Circle Jerks (’nuff said)
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” – GnR (’cuz who
doesn’t want to hear this song
at some point in the night?)
“If Only You Were Lonely” – The
Replacements (best drunken band ever)
What Would Matty Play? Who knows. I like to
kick the poor guy when he’s down, which is
basically all the time, so I’m going to say he
has crap taste in music and probably has
Candlebox on his iPod. (DMZ trivia moment –
the logo on Matty’s baseball cap is that of
Riccardo Burchielli’s heavy metal band).
I
tread carefully down the hallway on unfamiliar legs and into the
bar where a thousand scents assault me. She is there, waiting, and
I feel my skin flush. Her permanent scowl: what tender smiles lie
beneath it, waiting to be teased out by a lover’s grace?
I can feel my human blood boiling. I could tell Harry the truth. I could
tell him that my scales are harder than any diamond, that my teeth can
saw through steel, that with a single breath I could reduce his entire bar
to a smoking charnel house. But I do not say these things for fear of being
banned. If I were never to see her again, how long before I went mad?
Ann Preston. Pirate Queen. My secret love.
Does she even know my name? Not my true name, certainly, but the
one I use here. Does she know it?
I took a human shape out of mere curiosity. A knight came
to slay me, as they sometimes do. After I took his swordarm out of its socket, I said that I might free him if
he relieved my boredom with a good story. He had
a smashing one, he said; he’d heard it at a secret
place, a tavern where stories act as currency.
And it was a good story, at that. But I ate the flesh
from his bones anyway.
I was not looking for love when I stole his form. Had I
been, I would certainly have been more selective.
So when I first came to the House of Mystery, it
was in a rather plain visage. I listened to a few
stories and drank a sampling of bubbling
brews. Charming, yes, but nothing I hadn’t seen
before. I shrugged and stood to leave.
And then I saw her.
As my eyes swelled at the sight of Ann Preston,
I became suddenly aware of my newfound
humanness. I felt my soft skin prickle. Heat (of a
kind with which I was wholly unfamiliar) raced up my neck, my ears
and cheeks. With horror, I realized that human flesh is inseparable
from human desire. All my life until that moment, the only things
I’d piquantly desired were pure blood and a glittering hoard.
But these things were now ash compared to the tender grace of Ann
Preston, as she bludgeoned a misbehaving patron into submission with
her elegant fists.
Now, years later, I sit at the bar with a studied nonchalance, trying not
to look too hard or too long at her.
“Evening,” says Harry, the bartender. He has kind eyes and a strong face.
He is inescapably handsome. Had it been his visage I’d stolen, perhaps I
would have found the nerve to speak to Ann long before now.
“I understand,” I mumble, looking down into my beer. I look up at him
and I say with no artifice, “But a man can dream, can’t he?”
For the briefest instant, Harry recoils, seeing something in my eyes that
he does not like. Let us be honest – he sees something that terrifies
him. He sees through these soft, moist human eyes into the soul
behind and he shudders.
I don’t think he understands what he’s seen. The moment
ends, and he regains his composure admirably.
“Seriously,” says Harry. “You’re a nice guy. A girl like
Ann would eat you alive.”
He reaches over the bar and pats me on the
shoulder, sliding another beer in front of
me. “On the house,” he says.
Perhaps someday this charade will
become too much for me. Perhaps I
will summon every shred of magic in
my fiery being and take Ann by force,
tearing her by sheer will from the confines
of this place. I will bring her back to my den,
and I will make her love me. I will pull her skin
against my glowing scales, and she will fear me,
at least. I could do it. If I had to, I could.
Perhaps someday, but not today. I finish my drink, wave to Harry, and
head for the exit. When I reach the door, she is standing there, so close!
My heart leaps in my chest – if I reached out my hand I could touch her,
tangle my fingers in her hair.
“Good night, Ann,” I say, tipping my hat. She glares at me, glares past me,
and grunts. The sound, surely, of angels in their heavenly bowers.
Then she looks away abruptly, and I can sense that I am gone from her
thoughts in an instant.
Perhaps someday. But not today, my love.
He follows my gaze. “Can I offer you some advice, friend?” he says
kindly. I nod uncomfortably, feeling that I will not appreciate his advice.
“I don’t think she’s the one for you,” he says, a look of – my God, is it
pity ? – peeking from his eyes. “Ann is beautiful, and she’s a good
person, but . . .” He pauses, looking for the word that will not offend.
“She’s . . . hard. Do you get what I mean?”
Discuss HOUSE OF MYSTERY online at
the official site of Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham:
clockworkstorybook.net
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR'S WORKS AND EVERYTHING VERTIGO, HEAD TO VERTIGOCOMICS.COM
VERTIGO
VOICES
Concerning the Next 75 Issues of FABLES
T
he war against the evil empire is won. The Adversary has been
stripped of power. The dead have been buried. Most of the
flying carpets have been rolled up, put back in their cases,
and are on their way back to Baghdad. The guns, large and small, have
all been locked away.
And if the swords have not exactly been beaten into ploughshares,
at least they’ve been sheathed and stored, in hopes that they won’t be
needed again for a long time to come.
Welcome to post-war Fabletown, where the most oft-asked
question, from fictional Fables cast member and actual reader alike, is:
Where do we go from here?
That’s a good question, to which I’ll
try to perform a bit of deft verbal
ju-jitsu by providing a reasonably
satisfying answer, without actually
revealing any secrets.
An Editorial by
BILL
LEDGE
WILLINGHAM
Consider this: Karen Berger is
the executive editor at
VERTIGO. Karen’s first job
at DC was editing the
long-running horror/suspense
anthology, HOUSE OF MYSTERY. Neil Gaiman’s
SANDMAN– also edited by Karen Berger – featured the
House prominently, along with its memorably gruesome
caretaker, Cain. This year, HOUSE OF MYSTERY returns.
Then FABLES has never been just about war and danger and thrilling acts
of shocking violence. We’ll continue to explore the personal lives of our
beloved cast of characters. What ever became of that possible spark of
something between Boy Blue and Rose Red? How are Bigby and Snow
getting along? When will Riding Hood finally catch her Fly? And who’s
recently caught the eye of dashing Sinbad?
People want to know why we are reviving HOUSE OF
MYSTERY. We tell them that it’s because HOUSE OF
MYSTERY is a magic name: It evokes the unknown and
the uncanny without effort. It’s a book with endless
possibilities, a veritable storytelling machine. We tell
them these things, because we can’t tell them the real
reason: that Karen Berger forces us to write it at
knifepoint, and that she is a terrifying and violent
person. And that she is watching us all the time.
In short, since I seem to be running out of space, FABLES will carry on,
as it has done, with all of the romance and adventure that you’ve come
to expect, and a few surprises that no one could expect. If you’re
already a reader of FABLES, thank you. We’ve still got a ways to
go together. If not, I hope you’ll
consider picking FABLES up. The
entire story, from issue one on,
is still in print and waiting
patiently for you to wake it from
its enchanted sleep this time, not
with a kiss, but with a simple turn
of the page.
We’ll see some of the old villains return,
grudges firmly in hand and heart, to exact
whatever revenges they think are due them.
Wicked Hansel was last seen somewhere in South America, with a
couple of bullets shot into his kneecaps. The Snow Queen is fast asleep
in the thorn-covered Imperial City, but if our love of fairy tales has
taught us anything, it’s that enchanted sleepers eventually wake up.
And what of Baba Yaga, imprisoned for years in one of the Business
Office’s back rooms? I suspect we’re going to see her again soon.
And there will be new villains. We’ve seen some of the dangers that
a tiny place like Fabletown needs to keep locked up. What sort of
terrible powers might a vast empire have kept locked away? And what
happens now, when there’s no one in charge to keep them imprisoned?
People ask us, “Why should we read the book?” and we tell
them it’s because HOUSE OF MYSTERY has a story that
twists and bends, always going someplace unexpected. We
tell them it’s because they’ll wonder what’s happening to
those five people and hope with them for escape. We tell
them that every month will be a new adventure, something you’ll want to come back for, again and again.
And then, under our breath, we whisper, urgently,
“because she’ll kill you if you don’t.”
NEXT: Part 2 of “The Dark Ages”
—Matthew Sturges & Bill Willingham
BILL WILLINGHAM‘S BIO
DC Comics
(TRADE PAPERBACK)
Sample the premiere issues of seven
different Vertigo series for under $5!
Dip into the critically acclaimed
ARMY@LOVE, CROSSING MIDNIGHT,
DMZ, THE EXTERMINATORS, JACK OF
FABLES, LOVELESS and SCALPED, with
stories by some of comics’ brightest,
including Brian Wood, Bill Willingham,
Brian Azzarello as well a preview of the
upcoming Vertigo monthly, AIR.
www.vertigocomics.com
NEWS + INTERVIEWS + SNEAK PEEKS + DESKTOPS + MUCH, MUCH MORE
FABLES #73
New storyline. With the Arabian Fables, Animal Fables and
giants from the Cloud Kingdoms on their side, Fabletown
officially declares war against the Homelands, and —
culminating in the oversized issue #75 — Fabletown will be
forever changed. By Willingham, Buckingham & Leialoha.
Cover by James Jean.
BILL WILLINGHAM has been writing, and sometimes drawing, comics for more
than twenty years. In that time, he’s created many critically acclaimed comic
book series, including Elementals, Coventry, PROPOSITION PLAYER, HOUSE OF
MYSTERY, FABLES and JACK OF FABLES. His work has been nominated and has
won many awards, including the Eisner, Harvey and Ignatz awards and the
International Horror Guild award. He lives somewhere near a good poker room
and can be found online at clockworkstorybook.net.
Final issue. Surrounded by the fallout of the kami war, Kai, Toshi and
Aratsu fight their final battle, but how many of their allies will die before
they’re done? By Carey, Fern & Villarrubia. Cover by J.H. Williams III.
07.08
HIT LIST
100 BULLETS #91 • JACK OF FABLES #23 • SCALPED #17
HELLBLAZER #244 • THE EXTERMINATORS #29 • DMZ #31
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #8 • NORTHLANDERS #6
YOUNG LIARS #3 • THE UN-MEN #10 • FABLES VOL. 10: THE
GOOD PRINCE • AMERICAN SPLENDOR: SEASON TWO #2
GRAPHIC COLLECTIONS
LOVELESS VOL. 3: BLACKWATER FALLS
Blackwater Falls’ mysterious secret is revealed, as Ruth
confronts her tragic past. Plus, if the good citizens of
Blackwater thought things were bad before, they only get
worse once the Federal Army takes control. By Azzarello,
Zezelj and Dell’Edera. Cover by Marcelo Frusin.
ABSOLUTE SANDMAN VOL. 3
NEW ONGOING
Writer Matthew Sturges (JACK OF
FABLES) and artist Luca Rossi follow
the lives of those trapped in the HOUSE
OF MYSTERY. Each issue in the first
storyline also includes a short tale
written by Bill Willingham (FABLES)
and illustrated by a host of comics’
brightest talent. Also featuring a
variant cover by Bernie Wrightson.
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #19
The third volume collecting Neil Gaiman's award-winning
series in DC’s Absolute format. Featuring issues 40 – 56 and more stories, along
with remastered coloring and never-before-collected bonus features.
HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1
AND FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF ALL YOUR FAVORITE SERIES:
www.vertigobooks.com
IN STORES
05.07.08
Karen Berger, Senior VP-Executive Editor • Paul Levitz, President & Publisher • Georg Brewer, VP-Design & DC Direct
Creative • Richard Bruning, Senior VP-Creative Director • Patrick Caldon, Executive VP-Finance & Operations • Chris
Caramalis, VP-Finance • John Cunningham, VP-Marketing • Terri Cunningham, VP-Managing Editor • Alison Gill,
VP-Manufacturing • David Hyde, VP-Publicity • Hank Kanalz, VP-General Manager, WildStorm • Jim Lee, Editorial DirectorWildStorm • Paula Lowitt, Senior VP-Business & Legal Affairs • MaryEllen McLaughlin, VP-Advertising & Custom Publishing
John Nee, Senior VP-Business Development • Gregory Noveck, Senior VP-Creative Affairs • Sue Pohja, VP-Book Trade Sales
Steve Rotterdam, Senior VP-Sales & Marketing • Cheryl Rubin, Senior VP-Brand Management • Jeff Trojan, VP-Business
Development, DC Direct • Bob Wayne, VP-Sales
Pitch me a monthly series,
my editor Will Dennis told
me. But something different, break out of your box.
And so I did. The first line
of the NORTHLANDERS proposal was: “A nihilistic
crime saga set in A.D. 870, when much of England
was under Viking rule.”
I’ve always loved Vikings. As a kid they were these
badasses in fur and horns, watched over by scary
gods of thunder and death, lissome shield maidens
at their sides, all stalking the frozen northlands.
All pretty great stuff to a 12-year-old, but I knew I
needed to do something more, that it needed the
maturity and sophistication Vertigo is known for.
I began to read, dozens of books. I went to Iceland. I
went back and looked at photo albums from my
many trips to Scotland – Orkney especially, the
setting for the first NORTHLANDERS story arc. I set
aside the mythology and the fairy tales, focusing
mostly on history and day-to-day life. What I found
most interesting was how the world was at the start
of the Viking Age, coming up on the first thousand
years of European history. Why the Vikings had to do
what they did, and how, in a relatively short (and
incredibly violent) time, pulled Europe out of its dark
ages and changed the world, albeit by sword-point.
We went through many drafts of that pitch. It’s more
than just a gritty crime story now, and I changed the
date to 980. It’s become a series about millennial
fears, clash of cultures and the death of the pagan
way of life and the relentless march of progress.
About one man, a stubborn Norse warrior in massive
denial about who he is, reconnecting with the
remote lands he grew up in.
And, since this is a book about Vikings, there’s a lot of
sex and a lot of death – desperate men locked in
shield walls fighting for their land and their lives yard
by blood-soaked yard.
I broke out of my box, sure enough. But I’m still writing about the ideas I always do: identity, location,
politics, war, people in love and lives in flux. It’s just
set a thousand years in the past and with a lot more
swords. I think the 12-year-old me would approve.
—Brian Wood
DON’T MISS THE FREE PREVIEW IN Y #59!
NORTHLANDERS #1
(NEW ONGOING)
Italian artist Davide Gianfelice
joins superstar writer Brian Wood
(DMZ). The exiled Sven has launched
a one-man siege to wrest the
lordship of his homeland from his
corrupt uncle, all as he becomes
reacquainted with the culture he
was so eager to leave behind.
Cover by Massimo Carnevale with
a variant by Adam Kubert.
BY
BRIAN WOOD
HOT LIST
SCALPED #12
Stand-alone story featuring guest art by John
Paul Leon. Spend a night with Dash Bad Horse as
he lays out his dreams, fears, and secrets… as well
as his plan for staying alive. By Aaron & Leon.
Cover by Dave Johnson.
“…THE MOST COMPELLING CHARACTER WORK
AND CRIME WRITING I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.”
—Ed Brubaker
THE EXTERMINATORS #20
Stand-alone story featuring original series
artist Tony Moore! Stretch and Henry battle an
infestation on a cruise ship, where skull-busting
butterflies have overrun a dungeon catering to
its passengers’ twisted fantasies. By Oliver,
Moore & Lucas. Cover by Philip Bond.
FABLES STATUE:
SHERE KHAN & ROSE RED
Designed by Mark Buckingham, this fabulously
sculpted FABLES statue of Shere Khan and Rose Red
is the perfect companion piece to the BIGBY WOLF
& SNOW WHITE STATUE!
12.07
LOVELESS #21 • UN-MEN #5 • AMERICAN VIRGIN #22
JACK OF FABLES #18 • CROSSING MIDNIGHT #14
DMZ #26 • FABLES#68 • FAKER #6 • HELLBLAZER #239
HIT LIST ARMY@LOVE #10 • THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #3
GRAPHIC COLLECTIONS
HELLBLAZER: BLOODLINES
Collecting two pivotal storylines and a one-shot from
acclaimed writer Garth Ennis, featuring a very special
Constantine Christmas and a prelude to the final showdown
between John and the First of the Fallen. By Ennis, Simpson,
Dillon, Barreiro and DeMulder. Cover by Glenn Fabry.
IN STORES
12.05.07
• Steve Rotterdam, Senior VP-Sales & Marketing • Cheryl Rubin, Senior VP-Brand Management • Jeff Trojan, VP-Business
Other equally unsung heroes include Jose Marz̃an, Jr.
(who’s inked every single panel of all sixty issues, and
brought a real unifying style to wonderful guest
artists like Goran Parlov, Goran Sudz̃uka, and Paul
Chadwick), colorists Pamela Rambo and all of the
fine folks at Zylonol, extraordinary cover artists J.G.
Jones, Aaron Weisenfeld, and Massimo Carnevale
(who truly slaved over the heartbreaking final cover
image), letterer Clem Robins (the first man to make
my goofy dialogue sound naturalistic), and endlessly
patient editors Casey Seijas and Will Dennis, who
kept us on the path.
I know this sounds like an acceptance speech for an
award I haven’t won, but I think our finale speaks for
itself, so I’d rather use my Vertigo-issued 370 final
words to thank the people in my life who made this
story possible, and in true Y fashion, they’re all
women except for one lonely dude: Ruthless, Mom,
Molly, Mary (both of you), Catherine, Heather,
Brooke, Nelita, Beth, Ciba, Alice, Carolyn, Ali, Devin,
Lara, Diana, Gigi, Kendra, Kate, MacKenzie, Samantha,
Case, Lucy, and at last, David.
Finally, thanks to all of you for making Y such an
illogical success in even more countries than Yorick
visited during his quest, and in literally more
languages than this ugly American knew existed
(seriously, how well can my lame pop-culture
references translate into Indonesian?).
—Brian K. Vaughan
Y: THE LAST MAN #60
Over five years in the making,
one of Vertigo’s most beloved
and memorable series comes
to a close in a very special
56-page issue. By Vaughan,
Guerra & Marz̃an. Cover by
Massimo Carnevale.
NEXT MONTH IN DMZ #36
Bio-weapons,Abu Ghraib,“we don’t torture”... a mini global war on terror playing
out over a couple square blocks in Staten Island. Next arc in DMZ:“War Powers”
– Parco Delgado’s back, and so is Riccardo, as the DMZ goes sovereign. Now,
who needs a beer?
BRIAN
WOOD
BRIAN
K. VAUGHAN
HOT LIST
PRIDE OF BAGHDAD
(SOFTCOVER)
In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped
from the Baghdad Zoo during a bombing raid.
Hungry but finally free, the four roamed the
decimated streets in a desperate struggle for
their lives. By mutiple Eisner-winning writer Brian
K. Vaughan with art and cover by Niko Henrichon.
“…DESTINED TO CEMENT THE REPUTATION
OF BRIAN K. VAUGHAN AS ONE OF THE
BEST WRITERS TO GRACE THE MEDIUM.”
—VARIETY
2006
HARVEY AWARD
WINNER
BEST GRAPHIC
NOVEL
NORTHLANDERS #2
Left for dead and with an army out for his head, Sven finds a
strange half-wild girl who might be the lifesaver he needs —
if she doesn't kill him herself! By Wood & Gianfelice. Cover
by Massimo Carnevale with a special variant by Andy Kubert.
EL DIABLO (TRADE PAPERBACK)
Sheriff Moses Stone is running from his past, and from
something even worse: the legendary El Diablo, a relentless gunman who has
unearthed the skeletons in his closet. By Eisner Award-winning writer Brian
Azzarello (100 BULLETS), and artist Danijel Zezelj (LOVELESS). Cover by Tim Sale.
01.08
HIT LIST
Yeah, especially David.
The years I’ve been fortunate enough to spend with
these characters—and their stupid monkey—have
been the greatest adventure of my life, and I’m
forever grateful to everyone who helped this boy
survive the journey.
32
VERTIGO: FIRST CUT
We omit that the House is alive, and that it has tried to
kill us. We avoid all mention of the dreams, or the things
that come to whisper to us late at night.
We cautiously admit to the so-called “inset stories,”
those tales told by the patrons at this bar, and we
describe how they are illustrated by various comics luminaries like Jill Thompson and Bernie Wrightson. We most
certainly do not tell anyone that Thompson and
Wrightson are at this moment being held in cages deep
beneath the earth, moments from death.
WILLINGHAM
HOT LIST
We can say this: HOUSE OF MYSTERY is a story about five
people from different worlds who are trapped in a house
that has gone missing. These five people have turned the
house into a bar and grill that serves more brands of beer
than you can count to a unique collection of patrons.
And it’s the truth – but not the whole truth.
In the next 75 (or so) issues of
FABLES, we will first explore some of
the unforeseen and unexpected costs
of effectively destroying an empire
that spanned more than two hundred
worlds. When you cut off the head
of an animal, the body dies with it.
But when you chop off the head of a
political structure, what’s left over
becomes a bunch of separate bodies,
each of which is chaotic, potentially
dangerous, and always unpredictable.
I suspect that in future issues some of
that new danger will be turned towards
Fabletown and our surviving friends who
live there. If the repercussions of losing a
war are unthinkable, the repercussions of
winning one can be nearly as bad.
LEDGE
MATTHEW STURGES
& BILL
Fiber used in this product line meets the
sourcing requirements of the SFI program.
www.sfiprogram.org
VERTIGO
VOICES
E DITOR IAL
Printed on
recycled paper
BRIAN WOOD:
“What’s It All About” – Reducer SF (kind
of frat-posing-as-punk shit, but great
sing-along material, and since it’s a song
about striking out with women at a bar,
it’s a totem of sorts to play at the start
of a night)
“Re-Ignition” – Bad Brains (I would find
little wrong with playing nothing BUT
Bad Brains all night long at a party, but
maybe that explains why no one ever
comes to mine)
“Anything, Anything” – Buckcherry (ok,
it’s a cover and Dramarama’s version
wins in all other situations, but the
speed and ferocity of Buckcherry’s
makes that beer disappear. Another
bad-luck-in-love song)*
“Brave Captain” – FIREHOSE (SST – best
record label ever?)
“Peace of Mind” – Boston (for those final
moments stumbling over empty cups at
the end of the night)
* “Wrong” – Archers of Loaf, spiritual
substitute to be played if/when too
many people make fun of you for
Buckcherry.
ON THE
EDITOR IAL BY
And while I’m happy to hog most of the credit, our
book has always belonged to a large family of creators,
particularly our “patriarch” and my partner-in-crime,
Pia Guerra, the World’s Smartest Artist and one of the
best graphic actors in the history of the medium.
All Rights Reserved. All characters featured in this issue, the distinctive likenesses thereof and related elements are trademarks of Harvey Pekar. VERTIGO is a trademark of DC Comics. The stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this magazine are entirely fictional. DC
Comics does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork. Printed in Canada. DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
JEROMY COX (colorist):
“Where Is My Mind” – Pixies
“I Don’t Want To Hear It” – Minor Threat
“The Choice Is Yours” – Black Sheep
“Add It Up” – Violent Femmes
“Party At Ground Zero” – Fishbone
ON THE
Fiber used in this product line meets the
sourcing requirements of the SFI program.
www.sfiprogram.org
RICCARDO BURCHIELLI (cocreator, artist):
“Hit the Light” – Metallica (because
I’m a fucking fat thrasher! – the party
begins)
“Ace of Spades” – Motorhead (because
Lemmy is the father of all of us – the
party rocks!)
“Cowboys from Hell” – Pantera (Because
they are the most powerful metal band
in history – we’re drinking hard)
“Creep” – Stone Temple Pilots (because I’m
half the man I used to be–I’m becoming
to be too much drunk)
“Little Wing” – Jimmy Hendrix (because
during the night there is a time for love)
“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” – Otis
Redding (because now I want to be
calm, baby)
Skin of Scales,
Heart of Flame – a Tale from
the HOUSE OF MYSTERY
Love or hate it, the upcoming final issue of Y: THE
LAST MAN ends the
series exactly the way
this impoverished, couchsurfing, 20-something boy set out to end it when he
nervously pitched the laughable concept to Karen
Berger and Heidi MacDonald…two women without
whose trust and vision this series never would have
seen the light of day.
ON THE LEDGE PAGE
A monthly page appearing in Vertigo comics used to highlight a specific book
release as well as what else is hot across the complete line of titles.
Printed on
recycled paper
So in the spirit of the vibe, I asked my collaborators on DMZ to supply me with their ultimate DMZ House Party playlists, or, in the words of
editor Will Dennis, the “top 5 beer drinking/house party/shout along/get fucked up/DMZ rock out mix tape songs... not the sappy ass love songs
that you put on a mix tape for a girl. I’m talking TAKE ME DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL kinda shit here.” You heard the man. Boys?
VERTIGO VOICES PAGE
A monthly page appearing in Vertigo comics used to highlight the exceptional
talents that contribute to DC Comics’ popular mature readers imprint.
All Rights Reserved. All characters featured in this issue, the distinctive likenesses thereof and related elements are trademarks of Harvey Pekar. VERTIGO is a trademark of DC Comics. The stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this magazine are entirely fictional. DC Comics does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories or artwork. Printed in Canada. DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company
T
his month, the war in DMZ comes to Staten Island. That “forgotten borough” is one of the most frequently requested locations I am asked
about, in interviews or in person, when people want to know their status in the fictional DMZ world (the others are Hell’s Kitchen, Queens,
and Roosevelt Island – I’ll try to get to everything, eventually). My own personal experience with Staten Island, aside from listening to
old Wu-Tang cassettes, is limited to visiting twice, once to scout locations for an ex-girlfriend’s film, and going to a college house party in
St. George. It’s obvious which one I chose to draw upon for DMZ.
E DITOR IAL
E D I TB O
Y RIAL BY
100 BULLETS #87 • AMERICAN VIRGIN #23 • SCALPED #13
CROSSING MIDNIGHT #15 • THE EXTERMINATORS #25
FABLES #69 • JACK OF FABLES #19 • HELLBLAZER #240
TESTAMENT #22 • THE UN-MEN #6 • ARMY@LOVE #11
THE VINYL UNDERGROUND #4 • DMZ #27
GRAPHIC COLLECTIONS
FIGHT FOR TOMORROW
Kung fu brawler, Cedric Zhang was raised to fight in
competitions. Now, he must re-enter the violent NYC
underworld to solve a girl’s disappearance. A long
out-of-print action tale by superstar writer Brian Wood
(DMZ) with art by Denys Cowan & Kent Williams.
Cover by Jo Chen.
DOOM PATROL VOL. 6: PLANET LOVE
Finishing legendary writer’s Grant Morrison (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN)
fractured remake of the 1960s misfit super-team as the Doom Patrol fulfill their
bizarre destinies. With art by Case, Woch and others. Cover by Brian Bolland.
IN STORES
01.02.08
• Steve Rotterdam, Senior VP-Sales & Marketing • Cheryl Rubin, Senior VP-Brand Management • Jeff Trojan, VP-Business
DC Comics
33
BATMAN BEGINS 400
Concept sketches along with the final paint scheme (above) for
the Batman Begins 400 event car. It was later announced that the
custom design would be applied to Mark Martin’s Ford Taurus and
sponsored by Pfizer.
34
DC Comics
DC Comics
35
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This program contains three activities in science, with extension
activities in visual arts, geography, and language arts. These
subjects are presented in creative ways that highlight the magic
of discovery. Each activity also contains a take-home component
to involve family members. The program also includes a colorful
wall poster for your classroom.
WHO SHOULD
USE THIS PROGRAM?
This cross-curriculum program can be used with
students in grades 1-3.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
¥ This teacher’s guide
¥Three student reproducibles on science, with
extension activities in visual arts, geography, and
language arts, each with take-home components
¥ A colorful dinosaur wall poster
¥A reply card for your important feedback
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
¥ To capitalize on students’ natural interest in
dinosaurs to help them develop a deeper
appreciation for the past
¥To improve student skills in science, visual arts,
geography, language arts
HOW TO USE THIS
TEACHER’S GUIDE
You and your students don’t have to be familiar with I DIG toys
in order to use these activities. Make as many photocopies of these
copyrighted materials as you need to and share with colleagues.
These materials will help open students’ eyes to the wonder of
discovery, while helping you to achieve your curriculum goals.
Photocopy each of the three activity masters and
distribute a set to each of your students. Also photocopy the I DIG Dinosaurs fact sheet and distribute
it to each student.
Sincerely,
HOW TO USE THE WALL
POSTER
Joel Ehrlich
President and former teacher
is the only company developing free, creative and
innovative classroom materials that is owned and directed
by award-winning former teachers. All YMI teaching materials are
pre-certified and approved by our exclusive Educational Advisory
Board. E-mail us at [email protected] or visit our
Web site at www.ymiteacher.com to send feedback and download
more free programs.
Display the wall poster in a prominent place
in your classroom. Review the five
dinosaurs shown by comparing the
bones to the way the dinosaurs
looked when they lived.
Then, use the fun facts
to have students
think about their
own bodies.
YOUNG MINDS INSPIRED
36
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Only you can help Rodney and Fender find—and save—
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Show your parents how you helped save Bigweld.
Rodney
In the film Robots, robots rock! They have exciting adventures and lots of laughs, too.
Let’s add some more. Fill in the blanks with your own wacky words to make this crazy
mixed-up tale even crazier! Ask your parents for their silly words, too.
They were ______________________ apart. So Rodney saved the ____________________.
(verb with an “ing”)
(noun)
He helped the ‘bots put themselves back together. He helped one with a missing
Young Minds Inspired
ROBOT
CITY
ROBOTS
on DVD is
available everywhere beginning
Sept. 27, 2005.
2
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Ratchet
Bigweld got his _______________________________
(noun)
back and Rodney was a __________________________!
(noun)
©2005 YMI, Inc.
Bigweld
ROBOTS
on DVD is
available everywhere beginning
Sept. 27, 2005.
©2005 YMI, Inc.
3
4’ 3”
9
MASTER
11
38
4’ 4”
_________________________ and another with his spare __________________________.
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(plural noun)
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When all the ‘bots were _______________________________, they saved Robot City.
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R
REPROD
4’ 6”
The Nuts and Bolts of
Silly Storytelling
REPRODUCIBLE MASTER
REPRODUC
4’ 7”
The inventor Bigweld usually says, “Let’s get to
inventin’!” But now he’s in trouble. He’s needs to get
away from the evil Ratchet.
Fender
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REPRODUCIBLE MASTE
Don’t miss
4’ 9”
AND
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4’ 11”
IT’S AN EYE THING
2 MAKING
THE MOVES
1
IDE
GU
TEACHER’S
THE YMI TEACHING KIT
A typical kit consists of a teacher’s guide, usually in the form of a 9 x 12 folder, reproducible masters for
distribution to students and additional supporting materials (mini-magazine and growth chart in this case).
4’ 2”
4’ 1”
Available on DVD
September 27, 2005
Another FREE Program from
a including
confetti, sequins,
CREATIVE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE SELF-ESTEEM
WHILE IMPROVING READING READINESS AND MATH SKILLS
color and decorate
rials provided.
them complete
g in the blanks
children have
t activity.
®
DEAR EDUCATOR,
Comic-Con International began in
1970 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in
San Diego, CA with a total attendance of 145. 40 years later
this block-buster, 4 day event that originally showcased
comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television has
expanded to include a larger range of pop culture elements,
such as horror, anime, manga, animation, toys, collectible
card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels.
The convention is the largest in
the Western Hemisphere, and
second largest in the World
after Angoulême International
Comics Festival in France, filling
to capacity the San Diego
Convention Center with over
125,000 attendees last year.
Help your students get a great start to the school year with this free I’m Special teaching program. Award-winning curriculum
specialists Young Minds Inspired (YMI) and Warner Bros. have teamed up to bring you this exciting learning guide, full of
lessons to nurture students’ self-esteem and encourage imagination and creativity, all while supporting important readiness
skills. In addition, each lesson promotes extended learning in a specific area, such as movement, block play,
art and circle time.
E ACTIVITY
s children
mples by telling
ial because she
w the school
he children are
Leading the way in the I’m Special program is Krypto, the main character in Cartoon Network’s
animated series, Krypto, the Superdog. Krypto hails from the planet Krypton. Along with his best pal
Kevin and a host of other heroic animals, Krypto battles the forces threatening the people and animals of
Metropolis. Special, smart, brave and strong, Krypto is just what every preschooler wants to be!
Reproducible
Master
The activities in the I’m Special program reinforce the message that each student is special in his ority
her
Activ 3
own way. And, you can reward students with their own I’m Special stickers for a job well done.
Viewing the program is not necessary to complete the activities,
however, students who have seen the program may want to
share Krypto’s many adventures. Krypto, the Superdog is on
Monday-Friday at 2:30 p.m. E/P, on Cartoon Network.
Kevin
The materials in this kit are copyrighted, however, you
may make additional copies for students and share the
materials with other teachers. You can also download
copies at www.ymiteacher.com
S NEXT?
WHAT HAPPEN
Activity
2d
in nee
Kev
Krypto and
and a place.
ose a helper
your help. Cho
tivity 3
WHAT
Krypto’s
Rocket Ship
Krypt
HAPPE
o and
Kevin
Sincerely,
TM
Joel Ehrlich,
President and former teacher
Reproducible
Master
I CAN BE SPECIAL LIKE KRYPTO
Activity 1
Krypto uses his special powers toPla
helpces
out. You can help out, too!
IF I HAD SUPE
rs
Helpe
R POWERS
Ac
Streaky
NS NEX
T?
need yo
ur help.
Choose
a helpe
r
Helpers
TM
The Dog Star
ol
TM
e trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.
© 2005 YMI, Inc.
Reprod
ucible
Maste
r
and a
place.
Places
Patr
KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters
and
elements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.
YMI is the only company developing FREE, creative and innovative classroom materials that is owned
and directed by award-winning former teachers. All YMI materials are pre-certified and approved by our
exclusive Educational Advisory Board. E-mail us at [email protected] or visit our Web site at
www.ymiteacher.com to send feedback and download more free programs.
Reproducible
Master
Krypto’s
Doghouse
Krypto
Rocket ’s
Ship
Strea
ky TM
The Do
g Star TM
Patrol
Guardian,
nts practiced
ial program, stude them tell
of the I’m Spec
telling. Have
In this activity
eading skill of story
.
the important pre-r that is on the back of this paper
story
you about their
Dear Parent or
Here’s how
I help!
Dear Parent or
Krypto
’s
Doghou
se
Watch
Watch
Guardian,
on Carto
Monday-Friday on Network,
at 2:30 p.m.
DearWatch
rk,
Your
Pa
onisNetwo
child
renE/P.
on Carto
t ing
parti
or Gu
p.m.
cipat
in ard
a uniqu
day at 2:30
ian, e
ay-Fries
Mondthem
from Carto
Comic-Con International’s
brand mark.
E/P.
on Network’s anim I’m Special teaching unit. Activ
this act
Inc.
many areasIn
ated series
© 2005 YMI,
the progr
, inclu
DC Comics. •
Be, Kryp
a special
helperities
at inhome
like
© 2005Krypto.
ty of the
dingivireadi
to, the Supe
the
rdog,and elements are trademarks of and am use characters
impo
I’mness,
rtant preng readi
Sp mathemat
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Krypto, theonyou
KRYPTO THE social-emo
-reading ecial pro
Super
abo
Cartoon
Network,
doguthails
nt in
skill of sto gram, students tional growth, creativity and
the from
the plane
andMonday-Friday
story
at 2:30ir p.m.
E/P.
strong, Krypto
t Kryptonryt
imagination.
practiced
that is on
and
elling
has. an
is just what
Haamaz
ing array of super
every child
thewant
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m tell
powers. Special,
sk to
of be!
In this activity
this pap
smart, brave
students drew them
er.
Waselve
tch s
the super power
with a super powe
you would like
r. Have them tell
to have!
you abouarettrademarks
KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters and elements
and © 2005 DC Comics. • © 2005 YMI, Inc.
their ofdraw
ing. Then share
on Ca
rto
Monda
y-Frida on Network,
y at 2:3
0 p.m
. E/P
.
KRYPTO IS
SPECIAL, SMART, BRAVE
AND STRONG!
KRYPTO THE
SUPERDOG and
all related characters
and elements
are trademark
s of and © 2005
DC Comics. •
© 2005 YMI,
Inc.
KRYPTO
THE SUPE
RDOG
and all
related
characters
and elem
ents
are trade
marks
of and
© 2005
DC Comi
cs.
Catch
• © 2005
YMI, Inc.
TM
KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG and all related characters and
elements are trademarks of and © 2005 DC Comics.
© 2005 YMI, Inc.
40
Young Minds Inspired
on Cartoon Network,
Monday-Friday
at 2:30 p.m. E/P.
2009 (volunteer)
2006
COMIC-CON EVENT SHIRTS
Designed by Brainchild Studios
and produced through Graphitti
Designs, the event shirt has
consistently sold out since
2001, making it the most
prized souvenir of the show.
2009
2008
42
Comic-Con International
2005
ENIGMA BOOKS
44
Enigma Books
Enigma Books
45
46
Enigma Books
Enigma Books
47
48
Enigma Books
Enigma Books
49
50
Enigma Books
Enigma Books
51
52
Enigma Books
Enigma Books
53
54 Enigma Books
Enigma Books
55
Brainchild Studios’ diversity is evident by our body of work. We understand
that each client comes with their own unique set of problems, and that
there are no standard solutions that work for everyone. We are at our best
when working with clients that share our goals, to produce intelligent,
thoughtful and exciting work that meets and exceeds expectations. This is
paramount to us and what we strive for with each and every project.
BRAINCHILD STUDIOS/NYC
330 West 38th Street, Suite 904, New York, New York, 10018
p: 212.647.9278
e: [email protected]
w: brainchildstudiosnyc.com
This publication is intended purely for non-profit reference purposes.
All contents are copyright their respective owners.
BRIAN WOOD
M Z35
3 DM Z34 D
3
Z
M
D
2
3
Z
DM Z31 DM
es to Staten Island. That “forgotten borough” is one of the most frequently requested locations I am asked
n, when people want to know their status in the fictional DMZ world (the others are Hell’s Kitchen, Queens,
o get to everything, eventually). My own personal experience with Staten Island, aside from listening to
siting twice, once to scout locations for an ex-girlfriend’s film, and going to a college house party in
se to draw upon for DMZ.
collaborators on DMZ to supply me with their ultimate DMZ House Party playlists, or, in the words of
king/house party/shout along/get fucked up/DMZ rock out mix tape songs... not the sappy ass love songs
m talking TAKE ME DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL kinda shit here.” You heard the man. Boys?
st):
y
e
e
JEROMY COX (colorist):
“Where Is My Mind” – Pixies
“I Don’t Want To Hear It” – Minor Threat
“The Choice Is Yours” – Black Sheep
“Add It Up” – Violent Femmes
“Party At Ground Zero” – Fishbone
se
and
e I’m
ming
e
ove)
s
WILL DENNIS (editor, enabler):
“Rocks Off” – Rolling Stones (from the
BRIAN WOOD:
“What’s It All About” – Reducer SF (kind
of frat-posing-as-punk shit, but great
sing-along material, and since it’s a song
about striking out with women at a bar,
it’s a totem of sorts to play at the start
of a night)
“Re-Ignition” – Bad Brains (I would find
little wrong with playing nothing BUT
Bad Brains all night long at a party, but
maybe that explains why no one ever
comes to mine)
“Anything, Anything” – Buckcherry (ok,
it’s a cover and Dramarama’s version
wins in all other situations, but the
speed and ferocity of Buckcherry’s
makes that beer disappear. Another
bad-luck-in-love song)*
“Brave Captain” – FIREHOSE (SST – best
record label ever?)
“Peace of Mind” – Boston (for those final
moments stumbling over empty cups at
the end of the night)
* “Wrong” – Archers of Loaf, spiritual
substitute to be played if/when too
many people make fun of you for
Buckcherry.

take a look inside

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