The Bum’s Rush #59

WARNING! None of the news or rumors you see here in The Bum’s Rush should be considered FACT until it actually happens. It might never happen. How do you know I’m not just making all this crap up? I could, you know. You’ve been warned!


The Gathering Storm(watch)

In a recent interview writer Christos Gage revealed more information about his upcoming Wildstorm series, Stormwatch with artist Doug Mahnke. The series, part of the line-wide relaunch of Wildstorm titles coming later this year, will feature a new unit of Stormwatch called the P.H.D. (Post-Human Division), a group set up by Stormwatch director Jackson King as a pilot program for an initiative to place teams of specialists trained to deal with superhuman threats in all major cities. The initial team is started in order to develop new techniques for dealing with these threats, relying more on ingenuity than technology. The group will be made up of mostly new characters, plus a few familiar faces from the original series.

With this book and the Union Jack mini-series, Gage is sure to be one of this years most talked about writers. Add to that the amazing artwork of Mahnke and this book just adds more excitement to an already impressive line-up of books and creators. I’m betting that, come the end of the year, Wildstorm will be one of the hottest lines of comics in the industry.


Collect ‘Em All

Superstar artist Ed McGuinness has signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. His first project for the company will reunite him with his Superman/Batman collaborator, Jeph Loeb. So far Marvel has been tight-lipped in regards to what the book will be about.

Bryan Hitch, Adi Granov, Joe Madureira, J. Scott Campbell and now Ed McGuinness? Is it just me or is Marvel gathering up all of the slowest artists in the biz? Perhaps it’s all part of a larger plan to keep them all together, so that they can be studied to discover just what it is they do when they’re supposed to be drawing comics.


I Was Never Clear… Is John Carter the Princess?

John Carter, one of author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most famous creations, is returning to comics in August courtesy of IDW Publishing. The five-issue series by writer Dan Taylor and artist Ted McKeever will adapt A Princess of Mars, the first book in the Mars series.

Dead Is Dead… Like, Really Dead

It looks like Marvel’s mature readers imprint, MAX is showing signs of life… or rather, death… with the announcement of two new projects and the promise of more announcements to come.

First up is the return of Hellstorm: Son of Satan in a five-issue mini-series written by novelist Alexander Irvine, with art by Russell Braun. The series is not a revamp or reimagining of the Hellstorm character but will be relatively continuity free as Daimon Hellstrom investigates a series of gruesome murders in a demon-infested, post-Katrina New Orleans.

The other book announced for the line is Zombie by editor-turned-writer Mike Raicht and artist Kyle Hotz. The four-issue mini will start out with a bank robbery gone horribly wrong and spirals out of control as those inside the bank try to survive an onslaught of undead. Given my love for both zombies and the art of Kyle Hotz this is pretty much a guaranteed sale. I can’t imagine anyone more perfectly suited to this kind of book than Hotz.

And this isn’t exactly MAX news but as long as we’re on the subject of zombies, despite previous claims there will be a sequel to the surprise hit, Marvel Zombies. A release date for the book, however, depends largely on Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips schedules matching up.

Speaking of the Undead

Blade, the character that just won’t die, is returning yet again for a brand-new ongoing series written by current Wolverine scribe, Marc Guggenheim. An artist is yet to be announced. Yeah… I don’t know.

What’s With The ‘K’?

Marvel will be going back to the 1602 well once again with the release of a 1602: Fantastick Four mini-series. The book will follow the adventures of the four heroes who first appeared in Neil Gaiman’s 2003 series 1602. Previously I was never all that interested in the series, which features an alternate timeline where Marvel superheroes existed in the 17th century, or it’s spin-offs. But I have to admit, with Peter David writing and great art by Pascal Alixe, I’ll be hard pressed to pass this series up.

Ultimate Poacher

Greg Land was revealed as the artist for Marvel’s upcoming Ultimate Power series, which pits the Ultimate Universe against J. Michael Straczynski’s Squadron Supreme. Jeph Loeb, Brian Michael Bendis and Straczynski will each write three issues of the nine-issue series. Whoop-di-crap. Land hasn’t been that good an artist since his CrossGen days. Just look at the stuff he cranks out now. The guy is obviously just tracing pictures straight out of magazines! Whatever. Yay, comics. Bleh.

Wouldn’t ‘Stan Lee Fights…’ Be Cooler?

Stan Lee returns to writing Marvel Comics in September with five one-shots entitled Stan Lee Meets. The series, celebrating Stan’s 65th year at Marvel, will feature Stan Lee literally meeting some of his greatest creations, featuring art by some of the best in the biz –

Spiderman (art by Olivier Coipel)
The Thing (art by Lee Weeks)
Dr. Doom (art by Salvador Larroca)
Dr. Strange (art by Alan Davis)
Silver Surfer (art by Mike Wieringo)

Each book will also include back-up stories by more creators including Joss Whedon, Mike Gaydos, Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, Roy Thomas, Scott Kolins, Jeph Loeb and Paul Jenkins. The back-up stories will pay homage to Stan and his work, and explain what that work meant to the creators.

Like A Playboy Magazine Without the Naked Girls… What’s The Point?

Dynamite Entertainment has announced that Frank Cho will be co-writing a Red Sonja mini-series with Doug Murray, with art for the series by Homs. I’m confused. Is Frank Cho particularly well known for his writing skills? Cause I swear I thought he was known for drawing red-hot, Amazon-like women. That’s like asking a world-class chef to describe a first class meal instead of having him make it for you.

X-Asperation

Because there weren’t enough X-books already, Jake Parker and Roger Cruz bring you X-Men: First Class, a mini-series about the original five X-Men. Oh, goody. That’s fresh.

What About My Thing!

Dan Didio announced that the recently cancelled Manhunter series, written by Marc Andreyko, has been extended for another five issues. Didio credits an aggressive and organized fan-campaign for the reprieve. Hoping to drum up interest for the series, and give it a chance of continuing past the five-issue extension, Andreyko says that the new arc will tie into big things coming up in the DCU.

Okay, so where’s the Save My Thing campaign!?


If you know of any interesting news, rumors, lies, etc. about comics and think I should know about it too just email me at thesuperleezard@yahoo.com.

Read more dumb crap written by me at www.livejournal.com/users/superleezard.

My semi-daily webcomic, Der Wundervolle Bean, will be coming to an end soon. But you can still check it out here www.livejournal.com/users/der_magic_bean.



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