The GB Pull List – Hellblazer 26th August 2020

The Geeky Brummie Pull List with Hellblazer.

It’s Wednesday so that means a whole load of new comics arriving in stores and online. My pick of the week is John Constantine: Hellblazer which is simply one of the best comics out there right now. We also have the new issues of Billionaire Island from Ahoy Comic and X-Men from Marvel. I’ve also highlighted a group of other comics of interest and you can see preview pages from those on our Twitter feed today. The Meanwhile section also continues this week with more comics related news.

Now on with the comics…

Title: John Constantine: Hellblazer

Issue: 9

Publisher: DC Black Label

The British royal family has always had an interest in breeding the world’s finest racehorses. When one disgraced royal cooks up a scheme to re-create the most magical of all horses, it’s up to John Constantine to stop him from unleashing a bloodthirsty horror!

Since his reintroduction as part of The Sandman Universe range, John Constantine has never been better. In just a few short months this book has established itself as one of the best comics on the market. Simon Spurrier, Aaron Campbell and Matias Bergara have done an incredible job of making John relevant again. I cannot praise this title enough.  Therefore it was very sad to learn that DC were cancelling this book from issue 12. This is a huge mistake and I urge you all to get onboard the #SaveHellblazer campaign. Please take a moment to sign the change.org campaign created by Andrew Tan and let DC know we want this magnificent comic to continue.

Sign the #SaveHellblazer petition here – Persuade DC Comics to continue the John Constantine: Hellblazer series

Title: Billionaire Island

Issue: 5

Publisher: Ahoy Comics

From the Publisher:

‘By far the most intelligent, jaw-dropping, razor sharp, impeccably-timed comic you’ll read this week or possibly ever’ (comicbook.com) barrels toward a devastating climax! Whether you’re building a playground for billionaires or creating a chemical that might destroy half the population, you never know what might be your undoing… Every AHOY comic also features extra prose stories and illustrations.

After what seemed like months between issue 1 and 2, here we are only one issue away from the conclusion of Billionaire Island. I hope that people have pestered their local comic shops for this title and for more from the Ahoy Comics stable. This is a book that I think people will realise is more significant than they first thought as time passes. It has a lot to say and has been saying in a way that I hope makes people question how the world is today. Wealth and influence are such a big part of how our lives are managed and this timely satire is, as Nick Cave once said, kicking against the pr*cks. Highly recommended.

 

Title: X-Men

Issue: 11

Publisher: Marvel Comics

From the Publisher:

THE TREES ARE KILLING THE CHILDREN!

EMPYRE TIE-IN

There is a lot to like about this current run of X-Men books, headed by Jonathan Hickman. Bringing back some of my favourite characters like original New Mutants, The Starjammers, the Brood and delving into the deep and rich history of the title is great for a long time fan like myself. This issue ties in to the ongoing Empyre storyline whilst also setting up X of Swords which sounds like it could get a wee bit confusing, but if anyone can handle it it’s Hickman.

Other comics to look out for this week –

 

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Welcome to the FanDome

Last weekend saw 24 hours of DC focused content take to the internet as DC Comics and Warner Bros. unveiled their DC FanDome event.

ABOUT DC FANDOME

The first of its kind, 24-hour global event, DC FanDome celebrates the incredible DC Multiverse in a massive, fan-first experience. This virtual event will allow fans on all seven continents to interact with DC’s Super Heroes and Super-Villains like never before.

The unprecedented gathering will offer attendees an inside look at past, present and future DC content through panels, behind-the-scenes access, user generated experiences, big reveals and exclusives from across the DC landscape, including the brand’s biggest films, live-action and animated TV series, games and comics!

It was an interesting event to watch, the focus was clearly on the film and TV side of things with very little coverage of the history of the comics and their creators. Jim Lee had a hand in the development of the event and the realisation of the FanDome: Hall of Heroes itself, and it’s surprising he wasn’t used to announce more comic related news.

What was very clear in the event was how much DC have focussed on THE MULTIVERSE. After failing to pull together a shared universe in the same way as Marvel, DC appear to have latched on to the idea of mostly separate, unconnected films and TV shows. They can explain this away by saying it’s all part of the DC Multiverse, so we can have a Ben Affleck Batman at the same time as a Robert Patterson one. It’s a bold move and one that could work, although it runs the risk of confusing fans and audiences who have gotten used to the Marvel approach. As DC have a history of expanding and then collapsing their Multiverses on a regular basis, how this all plays out in the coming years will be interesting.

Hopefully the second part of FanDome which is scheduled as a one-day video on demand experience entitled DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse, for September 12th, will see more major comic related announcements.

Of the panels and sessions revealed during the event here are the my personal highlights –

Milestone Comics Resurrected

With the success of the Wonder Comics imprint over the last few years it was good to see DC resurrect the Milestone Comics imprint. but the team, who specialise in stories outside of the usual white, straight world, are back in a big way next year. The Milestone Comics line at DC will launch in February 2021, beginning with a Static Shock comic that will be published as a digital-first series. A Static Shock graphic novel written by Reggie Hudlin with art by Kyle Baker with follow shortly after. Later in the year Milestone Comics co-founder Denys Cowan is illustrating a team-up series titled Icon & Rocket, also written by Hudlin. Ahead of the February relaunch, DC will release digital editions of the original Milestone comics, starting in September with the release of Milestone Returns No. 0, an all-new primer intended to introduce the universe to new readers.

Zack Snyder Goes On and On

Justice League wasn’t the great DC hero crossover film we all wanted. The ingredients were there but too many cooks meant the final dish just didn’t work out. After many years of campaigning from fans, Zach Snyder is almost ready to give us his original vision for Justice League. In the US this will be going out as four 1 hour episodes on HBO Max, the new home of much of DC’s film and TV content. It’s not known right now how it will play outside the US, but expect news soon. Strangely this teaser played in 4:3 format which is a strange choice for content not premiering on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. You may also notice the soundtrack harks back to Snyders earlier DC adaptation of Watchmen. I’m curious how this will all play out and I’m hoping this makes for a better watch than the original.

 

James Gunn Slays The Suicide Squad

James Gunn, along with Taika Waititi, injected a much needed dose of fun into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His early indie film work is also filled with wonderful character based tales. After the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 debacle, which saw Gunn leave the MCU for a while, DC snapped him up to direct the sequel to one of their lesser hits, Suicide Squad. This was a match made in heaven. Gunn loves an underdog and in this reboot/sequel he has plundered the DC archives to bring us a Task Force X team which is filled with incredible characters.

Part of the joy of the Suicide Squad is knowing some won’t make it out alive and here Gunn is going to make that a traumatic experience.  His cast of eclectic Z list heroes and villains is filled with fan favourite character actors including his old pals Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion. This movie looks great fun and if  Taika Waititi isn’t playing King Shark I’ll expect the explosive device in my neck to go off on the films release in 2021.

The Vengeance of The Batman

While Ben Affleck was confirmed to be returning as Batman in the new Flash film, director Matt Reeves revealed the first look at his version of The Batman. Filming was suspended earlier this year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic with only 25% of filming completed. Whilst not an origin story, this film takes place during Bruce Wayne’s early years as the Dark Knight. I’m not a huge fan of the Nolan trilogy of Batman films, but this short teaser has me interested in the vision Reeves is bringing to the screen. Robert Patterson looks great as the lead character and I can’t wait to see Andy Serkis, who is heard here, on screen as Alfred Pennyworth.

 

 

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Your Local Comics Shops

Comic shops are open but things will be quite different for a while yet. Until things settle down I’ll continue to keep this section as a list of comic stores around the UK you can support.

So let your local comic shop know you are here for them. Contact them to pre-order titles, new collections or back issues from them and arrange either to collect or have your comics mailed out to you.

Here are a few of the great comic shops in the UK so get in touch and see how you can order comics and continue to support their stores –

FORBIDDEN PLANET INTERNATIONAL (VARIOUS) – includes Worlds Apart Birmingham

Stores reopened 15th June 2020 – please check with store for any changes to opening times and services.

Follow the stores social media pages for updates!

Our Stores

FORBIDDEN PLANET (VARIOUS) – includes Birmingham Megastore

All stores are now open. Check their website for more information –

https://forbiddenplanet.com/stores/

GOSH! COMICS (LONDON)

Store is now open again. Check their website for more information –

https://goshlondon.com/the-gosh-blog/the-gosh-authority-130620-reopening-news/ and https://twitter.com/GoshComics

OK COMICS (LEEDS)

OK Comics is now open. Follow the stores social media pages and website for updates!

http://www.okcomics.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/OKComics

PAGE 45 (NOTTINGHAM)

Page 45 reopened this week. Check their website for more information –

http://www.page45.com/ and https://twitter.com/PageFortyFive

TRAVELLING MAN (VARIOUS)

Travelling Man has opened its doors again . Check their website and social media for more information –

https://travellingman.com/ and https://twitter.com/TravellingManUK

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