The Graphic Novel Archive Blog

ICv2 reports - site excerpt follows: Twelve Gates Productions, which describes itself as “a cutting-edge Christian Entertainment Company,” is preparing to launch a series of graphic novels under the general title Armageddon Now that will present a bold, searing vision of the Biblical Apocalypse. The founding partners of Twelve Gates include businessman Mike Gadd, comic artist Rob Liefeld, and Phil Hotsenpiller, a teaching pastor at the Yorba Linda Friends Mega Church. Liefeld is drawing all of the Apocalypse Now graphic novels which Hotsenpiller is writing.

Visit ICv2 for the full story.

Newsarama recently interviewed Hope Larson, discussing her new graphic novel, Chiggers. Site excerpt follows:

Hope Larson’s evocative work on her first two graphic novels, Salamander Dream and Gray Horses, earned her a 2007 Special Recognition Eisner Award. Now, Larson is poised to reach a new and wide audience with Chiggers, a new original graphic novel from Simon & Shuster about two girls forming a unique friendship at summer camp. We called Larson up to find out what readers can expect from this story, and how she drew from her own experiences to tell this tale.

Visit Newsarama for the full interview.

Checker Book Publishing Group has recently announced a new comic strip collection featuring popular strip Beetle Bailey, collecting material (both dailys and Sundays) published from 1950 ’till 1952. Press snippet follows:

The comic strip about the lazy private who was stationed in Camp Swampy went on to become the third most widely distributed comic strip in history. The comic strip brought Mort Walker fame. He was given the Reuben Award For Beetle Bailey in 1953. Walker continues to draw the Beetle Bailey strips for today’s readers.

Read on for the full PR. (more…)

Comiclist.com has posted Top Shelf’s product line-up for the spring and summer of 2008, including a new printing for The Surrogates 1.0 - the basis for the upcoming motion picture.

Visit ComicList.com for the full story.

IDW has scheduled a number of new collections based on Transformers series originally published by the now defunct Dreamwave.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye volumes 1 and 2, collecting the hard-to-find reference series, are currently scheduled for September and December 2008, respectively.

Also scheduled: Transformers: Armada volume 1, set for October 2008.

Thanks to TFW2005 for the info.

As reported by Comic Book Resources:

Two hotly anticipated Devil’s Due collections will hit stores on March 19. The first ever HACK/SLASH OMNIBUS and newly collected VOLTRON OMNIBUS bind more than two trade paperbacks apiece together with previously unreleased artwork and bonus content.

As announced via Valiant Entertainment’s website:

Comics legend and co-architect of the original Valiant Comics universe, Bob Layton, has written a new X-O Manowar story for the upcoming Valiant hardcover collection, X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH. The deluxe hardcover by Valiant Entertainment collects the full X-O Manowar origin story (X-O Manowar #0-6) for the first time ever, and includes an all-new “The Rise of Lydia” story by Bob Layton that further details the events of X-O Manowar #1.

Visit Valiant for the full press release.

Checker has released three new Crossgen collections - full PR (with images and links) to follow:

Attention Fans

Checker Book Publishing Group has three new Crossgen titles on the way

Dayton, Ohio - Checker Book Publishing Group is pleased to announce three new Crossgen books began being shipped by Diamond Comic Distributors the week of February 4th . These books continue the fan favorite series. The following books are in this shipment.

Negation Hounded, Vol. 3
Many years from now, conquest-hungry Charon rules the Negation Empire, where mercy is weakness at best and treason at worst. Kidnapped from Earth by Charon’s alter-egos, the Lawbringers, a small band of survivors have escaped his prison. Much like those of the dead rejected by Charon’s namesake in the Greek myth, they seem doomed to wander until they find a way home to cross over, in this case returning to earth. A few among their number are touched by the gods - Sigil bearers. The escapees banded together with the last known survivors from earth, the suddenly superhuman Australians and the Atlanteans. Can they master their new powers in time to aid the rescue mission and daring attack of the Imperial Palace on the Negation Throneworld? Will the hero, Kaine, be able to use Komptin and escape the legendary place of punishment, Karakorum, before the remainder of humanity on earth shares his fate?

Negation Hounded, Vol. 3
Writer, Tony Bedard, Illustrator, Paul Pelletier
$17.95, ISBN-10 1-933160-63-2, ISBN-13 978-1-933160-63-4, 172 pages, full color, glossy paper stock

Sigil V. 6 Planetary Union
As repairs to the Bitterluck continue at the edge of a black hole, Sam and Roiya Avatar fight off stellar junkyard dogs. Meanwhile the traitor, Sultan Ronolo has been awoken from stasis on the lizard ship and is about to get his comeuppance. General Tchlusarud has survived the sigil’s power and the Saurians have a new, merciless king, willing to sacrifice his own citizens to his cause. Somewhere in deep space, a member of Sam’s crew betrays him.
Having been bestowed the Sigil, Samandahl Rey has now become the main weapon of the five worlds of the Planetary Union, but like the two halves of the Sigil, light and dark, there is both good and evil in this bequest. The dark Negation Universe is just waiting for an opportunity to break through into the light. Tactically speaking, what do you do if you want to invade a civilization?

Sigil V. 6 Planetary Union
Writer, Chuck Dixon; Illustrator, Scott Eaton
$17.95, ISBN-10 1-933160-67-5, ISBN-13 978-1-933160-67-2, 172 pages, full color, glossy paper stock

Sojourn Volume 6 - The Berzerker’s Tale
Volume 6 continues with Arwyn and company arriving in Skarnheim, home of the Iskani race of ice trolls. Tragedy has struck the Iskani, the murder of an entire village by an evil long-forgotten. The tale of the berzerkers unfolds as Arwyn, Gareth and Cassidy follow Gustavus and his men into the hills to find and kill the last of them. Meanwhile, Mordath has hired a bounty hunter to track Arwyn, with orders to kill.

Arwyn and her companions must face this powerful beast in the wilds of Skarnheim, but will the company be successful? Will Arwyn, the hope of the five kingdoms, survive unscathed? Will the last fragment of Ayden’s arrow be found and Mordath destroyed for good before he has a chance to become totally human again?

Sojourn Volume 6 - The Berzerker’s Tale
Writer, Ian Edginton, Illustrator, Greg Land
$17.95, ISBN-10: 1-933160-72-1, ISBN-13 978-1-933160-72-6, 172 pages, full color, glossy paper stock

Checker Book Publishing Group was established in 2000 to bring the absolute best of dormant, unpublished, and under-published serial comics and cartooning back to print. A private concern, Checker compiles complete, durable and affordable cartoon trade books for sale to such comic shops, bookstores and libraries as may require them for resale or public archiving. Checker Book Publishing Group is located in Dayton, Ohio.

For more information concerning this and other Checker titles, feel free to drop by our website at: www.checkerbpg.com.

Update: Though headlined as an OGN on Oni’s website, this graphic novel appears to be a collected edition, likely collecting the four-issue Jumper: Jumpscars comic book series. A content preview is available via Comic Book Resources.

As mentioned on Oni’s official website, an original graphic novel based on the upcoming science fiction film, Jumper - starring Hayden Christiansen and Samuel L. Jackson - is scheduled for a February 2008 release. Site excerpt follows:

JUMPER tells the story of David Rice, a young man who discovers he has the ability to teleport himself distances both near and far with nothing more than a thought. David’s powers aren’t just a blessing though–they also happen to put him in the sights of the Paladins, an ancient order dedicated to eliminating the genetic aberrations they deem too dangerous to exist in our world. JUMPSCARS looks back over twenty years as a new Paladin must deal with the perils of the job while honing her skills under one of the Paladins’ top operatives–the mysterious Roland (portrayed in the film by Samuel L. Jackson).

Visit Onipress.com for the full press release.

Checker’s Mark Thompson has provided an open letter to the comic community, explaining the delay behind Little Nemo in Slumberland Volume 2.

Yeah, delays are rarely a good thing, but this particular re-scheduling bodes well for McCay fans. Read on for Checker’s explanation.

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