Walking Dead: Reedus Rides, New Heroes and Villains and (Spoilers) LIVES!

The mid-season finale is upon us, but even with the horde knocking on Alexandria’s front door fans have a lot more to look forward to from The Walking Dead. Still to come, new heroes and villains, Norman Reedus hits the road, and you know who totally hid under the you know what. 

New Fear The Walking Dead Trailer Keeps Fans In The Dark

Fans have been eager to hear more about the upcoming Fear The Walking Dead premiere, but the new trailer from AMC isn’t telling them more than they already knew.

The Walking Dead Companion Series Has Been Picked Up By AMC

It’s finally official, Walking Dead fans; the dead will be walking bicoastally. Months after its initial announcement, AMC has picked up the spin-off, committing to two seasons. Much like the series it is spawned from, the first year will test the waters with only six episodes. The second season is slated for a 2016 release.

Kirkman’s Outcast Get Series Order From Cinemax

Another drama from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is set to hit the small screen, as Cinemax has just given a series order for his newest comic, Outcast.

We first heard news at last year’s SDCC that Outcast had been picked up as a pilot by Cinemax, off of a script written by Kirkman himself. The script was developed internally by Fox International Channels, and then after a bit of a bidding war ended up with Cinemax. Apparently they liked what they have seen from the project so far, as 10 episodes have been ordered for the first season.

AMC Announces The Walking Dead Spin-off Series

Like buses, announcements in Hollywood tend to come in at least twos. Only last week, it was confirmed that AMC are prepping a prequel spin-off series of Breaking Bad focusing on Saul Goodman. Now AMC have announced what they are calling a ‘companion’ show to their ever popular and critically acclaimed series The Walking Dead.

Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman will serve as executive producer on the new series alongside Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert. Kirkman is clearly still in love with the project and stated, “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe.”

Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman

AMC President and General Manager Charlie Collier added, “Building on the success of the most popular show on television is literally a no-brainer. We look forward to working with Robert [Kirkman], Gale [Anne Hurd] and Dave [Alpert] again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.”

There have been no further plot details as of yet, but it looks likely that the series will focus on new characters not yet in the original show. Kirkman has already stated that, “The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”

While it is exciting to see that AMC are looking to expand the Walking Dead universe (set in in the UK perhaps? …Anyone?), is there any need? Do Kirkman and company have plans for the likes of Rick, Darryl, Michonne and the rest of the survivors, that leads to them to need look ahead to another story? At any rate, it looks as if we won’t be finding out anytime soon as the series is currently aiming for a 2015 release date.

In case you don’t remember, The Walking Dead returns with season 4 in the United States on the 13th of October and will be followed in the UK on the 18th of October but for now, you can check out this The Walking Dead season four teaser.

Will ‘The Walking Dead’ Live Forever?

Is anyone out there worried that the Walking Dead will end anytime soon? Well forget all of that because much like the Robert Kirkman comic series the show is based on, don’t expect to see the series going anywhere anytime soon. Especially since Breaking Bad will be ending with this next season. Most importantly this is according to a very reliable source, namely the CEO of AMC Josh Sapan. Check out the quote below from him via Superhero Hype:d

“We hope that zombies live forever and we’ve just begun to find out what the post-apocalyptic world is like,” said AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan (via The Hollywood Reporter), “so that we’ll be sitting here at the Barclays conference in 2022 discussing the fact that Walking Dead is not over.”

Honestly, like the comic book this show could go on forever. The comic book has very few characters left from the start of the series but keeps on introducing new and compelling characters and situations. The show has killed off almost as many characters so far as the comic, yet has remained fresh without following the comics page for page. At first I was Walking Dead purist, getting angered whenever a character was missing or a new one appeared that wasn’t in the comics. The first season followed the comic pretty well, but after a writer shake-up it’s pretty much had its own momentum. I then started to ask myself –“Why do I need it to be the same?”

I’ve finally come to grips that the show can be good on its own merit without having to mirror Kirkman’s comic world and it’s done just that by creating a rabid fan base of viewers who just can’t get enough of the show. It’s spawned its own fan favorite characters (Daryl) and made comic fan favorites (Andrea) effectively fan hated.

So don’t worry fans, if you keep on watching, AMC will keep on making them because let’s face it: All of the characters are expendable save for Rick Grimes, but even in the comics that may one day not be true anymore. You can get your next dose of the dead this October with 16 all new episodes.

The Walking Dead: A Double Review

3.12 – “Clear”

Clear was one of the best episodes of The Walking Dead I have seen in a long time. Can we say character development? This entire episode focused solely on Rick, Carl and Michonne. The unlikely trio head back to where the Grimes family used to live; where Rick was a sheriff and Carl was a child. The idea behind risking their lives was to gather guns, ammo and supplies from places that Rick remembers.

Almost immediately, they all realized that someone else had made a home out of the place, this is where we run into Morgan. Morgan, in case you don’t remember, was in season one and saved Rick’s life. Rick hid out with Morgan and his son and nursed to health before meeting up with the rest of the group. Morgan has gone a little bit crazy since then, which of course pulls at Rick’s heart strings, considering his own recent hallucinations. We learn that because Morgan could not kill his walker wife, she eventually attacked his son. Rick explains that Morgan has to come back from this… this horror of what he’s seen, what has changed, and what he has been through. He may be too far gone, though, there’s really no way of telling.

Carl and Michonne went to get a crib for little Judith, and made a stop in a tavern that contained a photo of his mom, dad, and himself back in the world. In this episode, we saw Michonne’s human side. Unlike her usual robotic demeanor, Michonne is buddy-buddy with Carl, and even saves his life. Carl says to his dad that she might be one of them, which indicates that she has gained his trust.

Source – https://grizzlybomb.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/5wpttbt.gif

Clear was an episode that looked like it was right out of season 1. Not only was it very focused, but it showed how small the world really is. Morgan was still around, and was the only human they ran into. It wasn’t shown so that we could see the group take guns from Rick’s old stomping grounds; it was made to show the humanity left in humans.

3.13 – “Arrow on the Doorpost”

It’s finally time for the face off! Rick and the Governor sit across from one another at a table to discuss what to do about their precarious situation. Philip seemed, once again, quite charming and relatable. He divulged information about his wife’s tragic death; the car accident after she’d called him at work, and he explained to Rick that he’s always wondered what she called for. It was a very thought-provoking story, because you always consider what the characters have been through since the apocalypse, but rarely think about who they were before hand. Philip was a broken man before zombies started taking over his land.

While Rick and the Governor were swapping stories and sipping whiskey, the rest of the group keeping watch decided to pair up. Oh, except for Andrea, who I could not possibly want to strangle any more than I already do. Daryl and Martinez kill through a line of walkers together, which was very impressive to watch. Daryl with his circus-like knife throwing skills, and Martinez with his baseball bat baton twirling act, was the coolest killing streak this episode. Hershel and Milton discuss the amputation of Hershel’s leg when he was bitten. When Milton asked to see his stump, Hershel replied by saying he should at least buy him a drink first. Laughter… something we hear very little of in this show. It was refreshing.

Over at the prison,  sure the Governor would kill them all. Merle tried to go help defend his brother and the rest, but it was Glenn and Maggie that put their foot (feet?) down and stopped him, followed by a gunshot from sweet little Beth to break up the fight.

Glenn and Maggie have a sweet discussion where they make up from the tension surrounding their visit from Woodbury. This is followed directly by one of the sexiest… no…. THE sexiest scene in the history of The Walking Dead. Maggie and Glenn got their freak on… and it was HOT. Glenn has been one of my favorite characters this season. Much of what takes up our daily lives, being it love, sex, lust, like, and romanticism, are lost in the post-apocalyptic world. It is so sweet to see a couple actually making it in such harsh conditions. In fact, it is a regular American love story.

In the end, the Governor gives Rick an ultimatum; Rick can hand over Michonne and he will agree to leave their whole group and the prison alone. Rick is given two days to come up with an answer. The way both groups reacted to the meeting in the end was an amazing way to finish off the episode. The Governor explains to Milton that they are still going to kill Rick’s group, which Milton explains will be a slaughter – but Rick is no fool. He tells the group that the Governor wants them all dead and wants to take over the prison and that they are going to war. Rick and Hershel have a heart to heart during which Hershel explains that Michonne has earned her keep and saved some of their lives by this point because Rick seems to be considering giving up Michonne.

This episode was absolutely brilliant! The face off had to happen sooner or later, and I am overjoyed that it happened this way. I love the double-sided betrayal. I honestly cannot say much more than I am way too excited to see what the final three episodes of the season bring.

I would rate these two episodes as one, because the first of the two was a focused episode involving only three members of the group. 5/5 is something I am encouraged to rarely, if ever, give. However, in light of Arrow on the Doorpost being the best episode of the show this season, 5/5 it is.

The Walking Dead: 3.11 – “I Ain’t a Judas”

Security is on lock down and the group is on edge after the attack by the Governor and his crew last week. Carl even told his father to take a rest and let Daryl and Hershel take over as leaders of the group. The prison is full of tension. I’m still not clear on how some things have settled. Merle is now just totally welcome by everyone but Glenn, pretty much. Michonne is also now completely welcome. Not just welcome… but participating and talking! In fact, Rick says that he is going to go to Woodbury to take care of the Governor, and is not only taking Carl with him because “he’s ready”, but also Michonne! Yes, the same Michonne who was going to be sent on her way after the group made it back to the prison after losing Daryl. I guess those two proved their worth when Phillip and his friends unleashed a truck full of walkers on to their property.

With Woodbury asking for citizens of the small town to join in an army to fight against Rick’s group, even teenagers with asthma, Andrea sees that her old buddies are in clear danger. She asked for Milton’s help covering for her so that she can make a trip out to the prison. When Milton tells the Governor what her plans are, he asks Milton to help her as she asked. Andrea makes a pet walker like Michonne had when she met her, by chopping his arms off kicking his teeth in. Tyreese and his group came across Andrea and Milton in the woods and Milton took them back to Woodbury where the Governor gave his sociopath welcome to the town. Tyreese and the group explained that they’d gone to the prison and encountered crazy Rick who kicked them out, and that they would join in their Woodbury army to earn their keep.

When Andrea gets to the prison, Rick does the coolest thing he’s done in episodes…. he throws her against the fence, frisks her, makes her get on the ground, takes her stuff from her, and treats her exactly how he should! Like a total outsider… because that is exactly what she has become.Carol is excited to see Andrea, but she seemed to be the only one. It was actually really cool because Andrea hadn’t been there for so many of the big events that defined the end of season 2 and the first half of season 3. She had no idea Shane was gone or how it happened, had no idea about Lori or little asskicker, and was shocked to see Hershel is now an amputee. I loved the reminder of those big events. This season has been so focused on Woodbury and the prison that I forgot how insanely dangerous it was for the group in older episodes, traveling from place to place, especially when the kids never stayed put! Now, both groups are in large secure places. They have come very far!

Andrea tries to explain to Rick and the group that they need to make peace with the Governor, and that there is more than enough room for them at Woodbury. Michonne gives her a reality check when she explains that the Governor sent Merle to kill her. Also, that he would have sent him to kill Andrea, had she gone with her. Andrea is sent with a car and a gun and one of the coolest things Carol has ever said; she tells Andrea to sleep with the Governor… to give him the best night of his life, and when his guard is down to kill him. Well, she says end this, but she means kill him.

Merle tries to bury the hatchet with Michonne. He tells her that the whole hunting her down thing was just business, and to let bygones be bygones. I have not made up my mind about whether or not I like Merle being in the group. What he did to Glenn was unforgivable, yet he really didn’t have a choice, or at least not a good one. The episode ends with Andrea arriving back to Woodbury to seduce the Governor. When he falls asleep, she stands up, grabs a knife, and goes to kill him… and then backs off.

PUSSY OUT! Like a boss.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this ‘I Ain’t a Judas’. I love the introduction of Andrea to her old group. I hope it makes her remember how awesome she used to be, and I hope she feels terrible for being nothing more than the Governor’s little trollop. I think that Carol’s character is finally proving worthy of the show. These past few episodes, she has made herself useful. Carl is ready for the outside world, I agree with that. However, I am concerned for Rick being ready for the outside world. He left the gates of the prison because he saw a ghost…. and then admitted that he knew it wasn’t real and that it was a ghost. What happens if he ghost of Lori shows up while they are fighting a herd of walkers, and Rick just wanders off? I can only imagine that Andrea doesn’t kill her psychotic, tyrant boyfriend, or we wouldn’t have the remarkable battle that is sure to come!

I am excited to see what happens. I really enjoyed this episode, but I feel like too many things aren’t being talked about. How is it suddenly okay with Hershel and the rest to see Rick leading a group out into the open? How is it alright with Rick that Michonne not only stick around, but has his back? And how the hell do they go from letting Daryl go so that they can stay away from Merle, to giving Merle a key to the gate and a gun?! They are clearly setting a lot up, but they’re also letting a lot go.

3/5 Grizzlies.

Comic Rack! Details On The New JLA, Thanos Rises & Constantine Dies?

Welcome to Comic Rack! My pick of the top five comic news stories in no particular order…

Geoff Johns Finally Spills The Beans About The New JLA

It’s been a fairly well established trope that DC likes to have multiple Justice League titles running at the same time, because let’s face it, superhero teams are money makers. It’s a pretty simple formula, you grab a couple of heroes, announce they’re on a team together or tease a new team and who the possible members could be, and rake in the cash as people buy your book to find out. Marvel did the same thing with the new Thunderbolts not too long ago. “Why is Punisher a Thunderbolt?”, isn’t damn near the same question as “Why is Catwoman in the JLA?”, and the answer to both is always, “Buy the book and see!”

Does that sound cynical? Perhaps it is, but I can’t help but feel cynical when it comes to groups of superheroes banded together eclectically for reasons X, Y and Z. Yes, Mr. Johns I’m sure you have a wonderful story to tell, and there’s a specific reason for each one of them and blah blah blah. Listen, we know you were pitched the idea by DC execs and made lemonade out of lemons for yourself. Good on you. Let’s just stop all the arbitrary team making for the sake of team making, okay Comics Industry? Thanks.

Find out more here.

Francesco Francavilla Joins Fraction’s Hawkeye

Easily one of the best new series Marvel is putting out right now, Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkguy Hawkeye has continued to wow me since the first issue with its enjoyable and down to earth look at the mainstay Avenger. Not to be forgotten is Javier Pulido’s issues that contribute greatly to the overall aesthetic of the series that follows Clint Barton when he’s not being the superhero Avenger everyone is used to. Francavilla joins as Hawkeye embarks on a brand new story line, which serves as a great jumping on point for readers, and faces Hakeye against his deadliest opponent yet.

[box_light]“On Hawkeye we’ve been blessed with not only one of the biggest writers in comics with Matt Fraction, but also some of the best artists like David Aja, Javier Pulido and now Francesco Francavilla,” said Stephen Wacker, Senior Editor, Marvel Entertainment. “Though he’s only on the series for issues #10 & #12, Francesco is going to leave his mark on Clint with some of the most beautiful art you’ll see all year!”[/box_light]

The story starts in April with Hawkeye #10!

Thanos Rising Will Be Jason Aaron’s Next Big Book

Mark my words, in the next coming years, Thanos is gonna get huge. The guy’s long been held back by the stigma of being a thinly veiled rip-off of Darkseid, but let’s face the facts: The guy showed up in the movies first. Nowadays, that’s all that really matters with major audiences. The movies are almost more canon than the comics for the average fan, and the introduction of Thanos at the (post credits) end of last years The Avengers, is gonna cement him as the go-to face of evil for future comics movie watchers. In a way this could be construed as a pre-emptive strike to get existing and new Marvel readers re-acquainted with Thanos. In the movies we know all about the Cosmic Cube but the Infinity Gauntlet was only hinted at, and understood by those already in the know. This new series by Jason Aaron (whose work on Scalped I really need to catch up on) will introduce everyone who’s unfamiliar to Thanos in a way that will get them pumped to see him depicted as the Big Bad on the silver screen. When The Avengers 2 ( or Guardians of the Galaxy depending on where he appears) c firstomes out in theaters, trust me, you’ll be hearing about Thanos everywhere.

Find out more here.

Constantine’s Death Teased In The Second To Last Hellblazer Ever

Hellblazer is a book near and dear to my heart. It’s one of the earliest series I ever remember buying, as many trades I could find, and reading in a flurry. Constantine is a fascinating character in every conceivable way, and my love for him knows no bounds. It saddened me pretty greatly to find out that Hellblazer will be ending soon, and while I’m wary of the New 52’s Constantine title starting relatively soon, I’m at least thankful I’ll still get to enjoy a title with my favorite con artist/magician in it as lead. The thing here is, what if John Constantine dies? What if somehow, someway, the New 52 Constantine isn’t actually Constantine? I’m not saying they’re going off on a ridiculous Superior Spider-Man style death switch… Although I suppose that would be technically interesting.

Anyhow, I’m getting ahead of myself. What I mean to say is that this is probably like any other comics death in that it’s more metaphorical than literal. Sure the cover of this penultimate issue shows Constantine leaning up against a grave that may or may not be his, and if the log line for the issue is to be believed then it is, but this is the comics world. We all know he’s not staying dead. I’m hoping that what they’ll do is have this be his actual, final, meaningful death, and have this New 52 Constantine comic retroactively take place loosely within the timeline of his Hellblazer run. In between fighting off lonely ghosts and The Devil and lung cancer. Somewhere in there.

Find out more here.  

Kirkman & Ottley Celebrate Invincible #100

Oh, Invincible. You’re a book that just won’t quit. From being a great mash up of Spider-Man and Superman, to becoming a genuinely awesome superhero comic on its own, to launching an entirely new superhero universe, you’re the little book that could. I’d say that of the big Kirkman two, while The Walking Dead is consistently the most gripping, Invincible is by far more entertaining. I’m a sucker for big bloody action set pieces, and ginormous feats of ridiculous strength, and will generally take that over intense, seething, paranoid human drama any day of the week. While all the mainstream attention has been on The Walking Dead lately, I feel that Invincible has gone by the wayside a bit. It makes sense, Kirkman is focusing on his cash cow, and If I was in the same place I would probably do the same. I can’t blame him for putting more focus into TWD when it’s clearly made him a very rich, famous man. Which is great, because any guy who can make a comic like Battle Pope and still have a successful career just proves what a great country America is.

So if you’re over in the Sherman Oaks area of California on February 2nd, I highly implore you to grab a copy of Battle Pope, stroll on over to Earth-2 Comics and get it signed by Kirkman. Hopefully he’ll chuckle and be reminded of his roots, rather than have you dragged away by his money dogs who live and breath money and eat money, and kill you with money poisoning. Which is a real disease I just made up.

Find out more here.

That’s all for this week’s edition! We’ll see you next time at the Comic Rack!

Comic Rack: Spider-Man Ends, Greg Rucka Speaks, and Kirkman & Moore Reach a Settlement

Welcome to Comic Rack! My pick of the top five comic news stories in no particular order…

Boom Studio’s & Paul Jenkins Teaser

Boom studios is one of the many indie comics studios that has found a niche audience with their select few titles of popularity. Arguably their most popular was Mark Waid’s Irredeemable, but they’re also known for their Hellraiser, Planet Of The Apes, and Adventure Time comics. Personally I really loved Irredeemable, and thought it was a great book, even if it’s ending was the same ending from All Star Superman #10. But that’s such a brilliant ending I’ll take it again anyway. When it comes to Boom Studios, there’s not much they do make that I can say anything negatively about, so the fact that Paul Jenkins is working on a project with them, is something I’m looking forward to upon announcement alone. So here comes the teaser for the project, whatever it may be:

via [BloodyDisgusting]

So yeah, not a whole lot to go on there at all. But hell, Jenkins has done incredible work on Hellblazer,  Wolverine: Origin, and my personal favorite, The Sentry. Not that I like who The Sentry became, but that first 6 issues that introduced us to the character were so creatively meta, well written, and emotional that I still love it greatly, even if The Sentry turned into a whiny crybaby Mary Sue piece of shit. To this day I still think that story of The Sentry could be adapted into one of the best original superhero movies ever made, if you just changed it to an original superhero, and make it a bunch of Marvel analogues, ala Planetary, or The Authority. It’d be a great story about superheroes, rather than just being about superheroes.

As for the teaser? Is it a comic about death? Maybe. I know I’ll be looking forward to hearing just what the hell it is.

Greg Rucka Tells It Like It Is

Greg Rucka, probably most famously known for his Batman related work, and his New Krypton storyline for the Old DCU, has been pretty vocal lately with his dislike of the way creator relations are currently being handled by BOTH of the big two, voicing his displeasure in a revealing quote over at [ComicsAlliance].

Rucka said that he’s “reached the end of my Work For Hire rope,” adding that “I have spent a lot of my comics career in service of other masters, and I’ve had enough of that for now. I’m sick to death of the way the Big Two treat people.”

He goes on to add some more details about the mistreatment he’s received from both camps, expressing his displeasure pretty pointedly. As a comics fan, it’s hard to disagree with him, because the points he makes are so prevalent, especially with DC. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories over the years about the way writers are treated like meat into a grinder, especially since there’s so many that are chomping at the bit to break into any sort of comics writing mold. The most obvious and glaring point is that the companies keep trying to compete with each other, and play catch up, rather than strive to innovate or go their own way. The most obvious example is the whole Marvel NOW! thing, which is so blatantly a transparent lift of the concept of New 52, it’s maddening. At least with DC, it made sense, because they had a bowl of spaghetti for continuity, but Marvel seems to be doing this purely for marketing reasons, rather than anything creative.

An industry that only looks to constantly play catch up, is inevitably going to stagnate. As innovation dwindles, and brilliant books that try things differently go by the wayside, you’re in danger of having an industry bubble burst. I don’t mean to go all “THE SKY IS FALLING” on anybody, but I’ve found that generally being a pessimist about these kind of things doesn’t hurt. Expect a kick in the balls, and if you get slapped in the face, you win, I always say. Hopefully, Rucka’s words will wake up some abject comics executive, who’ll help creative minds establish their work in a way that’s beneficial to everyone, rather than threaten them with losing their job to 10 more hungry writers, who’ll work for scraps off the DC table.

Brian Wood’s New Original Title From Image Comics!

Brian Wood is a curious writer for me, personally. First off, the guy has written some of my most favorite comics of all time. Issue #10 of his masterpiece, Local, brought me to tears, and touched me in ways I can barely explain to most people. His other work, is all of differing quality and style, from his massive work on DMZ, to the shockingly different tone of his work on Northlanders, the guy undoubtedly has range.

However, he’s a guy who I’ve met in real life, more than once, both times I went to Comic-Con. It’s one thing to meet someone who’s obviously stressed and trying to cope with the zoo that is CCI, and it’s another to meet a guy who clearly doesn’t really like his fans. I remember being in line, and watching the guy be kind of openly rude to multiple people, begrudgingly signing things, and just generally seeming like he didn’t want to be there. I’d like to think I’m a very understanding person, and I get that after a while it’d be very difficult to be super enthusiastic for each fan you come across when your main prerogative is just getting back to your hotel room and getting some sleep. But it’s another thing when you’re there first thing in the morning, and still have attitude. I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt though, and came back next year, to get him to sign my copy of The New York Four (which is great mind you), only to see him acting the same way again. It was disheartening to say the least.

All personal experiences aside, the man undeniably is a genius and makes great comics, even if he is a bit of a douche. So of course, I’m totally stoked to see he’s working on a sci-fi title dealing with superpowers. The concept of an athlete discovering their superpowers live on television is A-1 dynamite. A stepping stone that could lead to excellence. It’s the sort of thing where I have to separate Brian Wood the man and Brian Wood the writer, and just take his work at face value for the brilliance it is. You can read more about the actual book here.

The Amazing Spider-Man Ends!

via [ComicsAliiance]

Those of you familiar with me here at GB, know I’m not the biggest Spider-Man fan in the world. I’ve said before time and time again, he’s my least favorite superhero, out of the big ones. Something about him I just can’t relate to, even when I was a teen struggling with… helping my weird Aunt, or responsibility, or some other boring shit.

Dammit, sorry. I promised myself I would try to stay as positive as possible for this part of the article.

Unlike some other people, of course. They see this as an attempt to revise, erase, and forget the legacy and history of their superheroes in favor of a cash grab. But that’s what the movies are for. I see this as a welcome change to the entirely shitty status quo that is Spider-Man.

I remember way back when Spider-Man was 3 different books a month and they decided to cancel the other 2. This of course meant Amazing came out 3 weeks in a row every month. Which forced Dan Slott to write weird, lame stories that amounted to mostly useless filler at best, and at worst, horrible retcon filled bullshit like the fallout from One More Day. Then they started introducing stupid villains like Mr. Negative and Anti-Venom, which the mere thought of, to me, screams UNCREATIVE.

I know, they’ll just print another Spider-Man title, and the re-numbering means nothing, and it’ll just be the same book with a different name, maybe with some new gimmicky team attached, or something or other. I don’t know, and I don’t care. It’s all pointless really, and in the meantime, i’ll just try to pretend like this is the end.

Shit. I failed at being positive didn’t I? Oh well.

[Supascoot here. My opinion varies greatly from Cheesebadger’s. Spider-Man is my favorite (Marvel) hero. I don’t like the end of Amazing, and some of the rumors about Spidey’s direction afterwards (Spidey with Doc Ock Arms… Seriously) aren’t filling me with confidence. I would be more upset, but Marvel already punched my love of Spidey history right in the balls with One More Day. So… whatever. Back to you, Cheese.]

Kirkman and Moore Lawsuits Arrive At Mutual Satisfaction

When I first heard about this, I was pretty shocked to hear about it. It seemed like something out of a bad made for TV movie:

Two buddies make a project together. Project gets big. One buddy gets all the credits, lets the fame change him. Leaves previous buddy by the wayside. Previous buddy asks for due credit and compensation, but is unable to reach his old buddy, as he’s now a megalomaniac monster, drunk on his own fame and power. Lawsuits are made, friendships ruined forever. Tragedy. Roll credits.

Which is more or less the situation with Kirkman and Moore, from my point of view anyway. It seems history has a way of repeating itself, what with this happening between Siegel, Shuster, and DC, or arguably even Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. When it comes to partner projects, it’s hard to tell if even your best friends since childhood, (literally in Kirkman/Moore’s case) can be trusted. Unlike those previous examples however, both Moore and Kirkman came to a resolution that seems to be good for all parties involved. I know I’m not privy to many of the personal details but having suffered from the fallout that can come from collaborating with friends on projects and watching those projects fall through, along with the friendships, this story hit a nerve for me. I’m glad they came to an agreement, but I can’t help believe it was at the cost of their friendship. Potentially anyway, but lord knows neither man will actually actively comment on their personal lives in this manner, because who else but me would care?

Tony Moore cares…

Regardless of how I feel personally on the matter, it’s good to know that credit is given where it is due, and all of the other particulars could be put by the wayside. Unfortunately, The Walking Dead is still a terrible TV show, and I’ve never looked to a new season of a show with regretful disdain more than the upcoming third season. I fully expect it to be shit, especially in contrast to the perpetually great comic book. Hopefully this sort of thing won’t happen again, and the comic won’t be affected in any way, because it’s still my #1 read at the top of my pull list every month, for 4 years straight.

You can read more about the actual details of the lawsuit and the settlement here.

That’s it for this edition of Comic Rack. We’ll see you next week.