Forever New!

I've been MIA from this site for a while now. Yes, mainly it's because I had a daughter. As time consuming as being a first time dad is, I want to take some time to devote to the site again. So in the meantime this was a project I did for my Brother's birthday. His all time favorite book was New Mutants and I wanted to draw every single New Mutant from the 100 original issues. I think the most time I spent was deciding where to put each character and what outfit they would wear. Let me tell you; this was the 80s and early 90s sooo some of these outfits were a bit outrageous. I even kept some of the Rob Liefeld outfits and the classic Liefeld guns that he gave Cable. Anyway.....here is my project step by step:

1) Pencils

To be honest, the first step was the actual sketch that I didn't want to bore you with. So I drew these rough pencils and then scanned them to my PC.

2) Inks

Using different kinds of sizes of inks I went over my Pencils using Photoshop. I created a different layer for this process which made it easier to work with.

3) Colors

This step was just coloring the drawing only using one tone per figure. This again is another layer.

4) Background and Secondary Colors

The background I did on a separate paper and using another layer I created a secondary colors and third colors for shading effects.

5) Final Inks

After all the colors are intact, I inked over the outlines again and added details. For a final piece that I call Forever New

**I made five copies of this picture in 8X16 poster size. Three are gone, so if you are interested it in one just email me at omar@aboutheroes.com and I'll be happy to send you one. **

Because you demanded it!!! Manga Reviews Are Back!

Berserk vols. 29 & 30
Story & Art: Kentaro Miura
Translation: Duane Johnson
Publisher: Dark Horse

Alright, we know that it has been a while since we have done manga reviews. Having a kid kind of puts a damper on things. But, we are all back and doing one of our favorite things; reviewing manga. So the first book on the list is one of my all time favorite books! I have stated before that every time I get a new volume of Berserk, I put everything else I’m doing down and read non-stop. So, my daughter was lucky that a new volume didn’t come out the day she was born. . On to the review: Guts and the gang have finally arrived at the port city of Vritannis. We finally get to see the Farnese’s family and the reason why she probably turned out the way she did. While Schirerke and Isidro are fighting some pirate slaves, Farnese’s brother has arranged for a ship to help the group out of the city, but he wants his sister to marry his friend. Now it’s up to Guts to get her back, but just when you think that everything will get back to normal (well, as normal as this book could ever get); Serpico steps in and starts fighting Guts. Of course it wouldn’t be Berserk without the occasional demon popping their head in during a party. I found volume 29 something different than the norm; it was very dialogue heavy. I never have a problem with too many words in comics, specially the way comics are published these days, but for some reason the scenes with Farnese’s brother and her father just didn’t click with me. Seriously it’s not enough to take away from the terrific story that Miura is building here. I’m still at the edge of my seat and we need a breather every once in a while. I mean, he can’t be killing demons all the time right? B

Blade of the Immortal vols. 20 & 21
Story & Art: Hiroaki Samura
Translation: Dana Lewis
Lettering: Tomoko Saito
Publisher: Dark Horse

Two of my favorite series in one review! I can’t believe I have been reading this book for 15 years. I’ve been buying them since they came out in comic book format. I have to say the translation technique is still unique compared to other manga released these days. It is still printed from left to right, and has a price tag that some may consider high for a manga. The thing you have to remember is that much work goes into the translation of this manga. Each panel has to be cut and re-pasted on the new pages in order to capture the real essence of Samura’s art style. The sound effects have to be as close to the original as they can make it, because sometimes the sounds are part of the art style. To put it bluntly; it’s worth the price of admission. It’s been a long time since I read the last volume of Blade of the Immortal, almost a year to be exact. Be that as it may, it still feels like I just read volumes 18 and 19 yesterday. It seems like Rin and Manji have been apart for years and it starting to feel like Rin will never get her revenge on Itto Ryu. Finally, after five volumes Manji and Rin are back together again and as they stated are completely invincible. Watching Rin and Doa sneak in to the underground prison was really nerve racking. The scene where Manji explains where he was hiding the hairpin was pure genius. The artwork is excellent as always and has more diverse locales now that the action has taken a step back. Samura’s art always has been one of the best amongst the seinen category. There is a huge glossary for terms used in volumes 1 through 19 that help remembering names and places. These two volumes are a grand pay off for a storyline that has been setting up for 6 volumes. Long time fans of the series will be glad to see Manji get those shackles off and cut loose again! A

Takeru: Opera Susanoh Sword of The Devil volume 2
Story: Kazuki Nakashima
Art: Karakarakemuri
Translation: Stephen Paul
Adaptation: Tim Beedle
Publisher: Tokyopop

The first thing I remember noticing about volume 1 was that for some reason I had a hard time reading the title. Was it Takeru Opera Sword or Opera Susanoh? I guess I should have known I was going to have a hard time following the title. I was really excited because it was based on the play written by the same guy that did Gurren Lagann. The plot was easy enough to follow; three guys named Takeru, (Kumazo the dumb brawny type, Oguna the silent-dark emo type, and care free Izumo) who by fate end up traveling together in search of the mystical sword of Susanoh. Weird enough the sword was inside of Yamato all along. Now they must come to the realization that the three queens have turned on them and are sneaking the Amamikado into the palace. While the story is just okay and reminds me of Saiyuki you do get caught up in the action because the art is easy on the eyes. The fight sequences are easy to follow and even though the main characters are pretty boys, they all have their unique style that sets them apart. The second volume read better than the first, but I think that’s because the main players are coming together. If fantasy adventure is your kind of book than look no further. B-

X-men: Misfits volume 1
Story: Raina Telgemeier & Dave Roman
Art: Anzu
Letterer: Michaelis/Carpelis Design
Publisher: Del Rey

Assuming you have been visiting the website or listened to the podcast in the last four years, you know I am as big an X-men fan as they come. Recently you’ve heard me gripe about the quality of the X-titles these days. I wanted to branch out and read something different featuring my favorite heroes….something like Ultimate X-men but with a twist. So what happens when two of my favorite genres (manga and American comics) collide? Should be gold right? Well, not exactly, but I did enjoy more than I ever thought I would. What I ended up reading was a story of a girl that didn’t fit in because she was a mutant and about love and school and who you can and can’t trust. Sure it sounds like your typical shojo manga, but it does have the X-men thrown in there. Kitty Pryde always seemed like an anime character to me. A 15 year old girl trying to cope with the fact that she is a mutant finds a place she belongs at the Xavier institute. Here we see classic characters given a make-over that almost makes them unrecognizable like Forge who know looks like a tanned Greek God and Beast who looks like a mixture of Totoro and a Pokémon. The story is entertaining enough to keep me reading and having cameos by popular characters really pushes me to want to check out the next volume, although I don’t know how I feel about Colossus given that tin man look. As far as the art is concerned….well it’s really nothing to write home about. It’s your standard pretty boy Shojo manga art and unfortunately Anzu does nothing special to make this particular work stand out. It’s a unique take on the X-men and I guess that’s what I was looking for. So it’s safe to say I was satisfied with the overall product. B

Zone-00 volume 1
Story & Art: Kiyo Qyo
Translation: Nan Rymer
Adaptation: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
Publisher: Tokyopop

From the artist of Trinity Blood comes Zone -00! I have to admit that I never got around to reading Trinity Blood; I know that’s really blasphemous. I’m not really sure why I didn’t, because I enjoyed the anime so much. Having read Zone, I am definitely going back and picking up Trinity Blood. The story is really straightforward. We have demons that coexist with humans, but a new drug is making demon’s go back to their old way. So a Saburo Kujo, who unleashes a demon from within and Ango Shima; an exorcist team up to go up against this conflict. While we have seen this plot over and over again, I have to say Qyo’s art is what really carries this story. The character designs are amazing. They look like they come from a Persona (Shin Megami Tensei) videogame or a fighting game. She really knows how to draw some drop-dead gorgeous women, which usually comes with pretty boys. And even though this book has its share of pretty boys, there are some manly men in here too; with rippling muscles too! I really didn’t think I would enjoy this book, but the art really made it an easy and fun read. B-

I’d also like to take this time to bring up some bad news. Usui Yoshito creator of Crayon Shin-chan passed away this past weekend. His book was one of the most hilarious comic I have ever read. Very controversial, but damn funny…he will be missed.

Episode 126 - When Wolverine Doesn't Pull Out

This ep we talk about Blackest Night, Dark Reign, Captain America, recent movies, comic video games and MORE!

Episode 126 -When Wolverine Doesn't Pull Out

Boston will be the Zombie-Zion...

Boston PD Win! When the zombies come, Boston will be the safest, most well-informed place on earth.

Too Good NOT to Blog About...

So this is not a blog. It isn't personal, it's About Heroes and thus, about comics and movies and anything in the nerd medium. That being said, I have to tell this story because I think it's hilarious and illustrates how awesome my nerd-life is. As some of you might know from listening to the podcasts, I'm conducting an experiment where I'm having my girlfriend read comics to see if she enjoys them on some level, and it turns out she kinda is. So after giving her Ultimates Vol. 1 to read, She's moved on to Vol. 2. Now here's the thing. I had Vol. 1 in TPB format, but I only had the individual issues of Vol. 2. So I gave here the bagged and boarded issues and lightly urged her to be careful with them, just cuz they'd been perfectly perserved thus far and wanted to keep the streak going. I've since ditched the "collector mentality" and am content to just read and enjoy comics, however I do try to preserve them in bags and boards just to keep 'em around longer.

So last night at 1:30, I get a call from Danielle (my aforementioned girlfriend). I already had a pretty lengthy conversation with her earlier and thus couldn't imagine what she could be calling about. I pick up the phone and the first thing she says is "I did something bad." And not in a cutesy way. Like, she really did something bad. My thoughts start racing. What did she do? Did she break my Wii that I've lent to her? Did she hook up with some guy? WHAT DID SHE DO!? I (as calmly as I can) ask "What did you do?" and she responds "....I bent one of your comics." I immediately sigh a sigh of relief, laugh, and apologize for apparently being a tyrant about these comic books and their care, because she felt legitimately bad and thought it was a huge deal. I assure her it's fine (but can't help but ask her not to do it again if she can help it) and hang up the phone. Hilarious. At least in my opinion. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that little nugget of nerd awkwardness from my life. If you didn't, our money back guarantee stands and you can receive a full refund of the cost of this article. Later kiddies!

Justin Quizon's '9' Review!

What did I tell you, kiddies? The bear-trap with Pocky worked like a charm! Justin Quizon's back, and this time, he's reviewing the new post-apocalyptic CG epic titled '9' for us!

Visually, this a stunning film.

The character designs, the directing, the action scenes, the world building....all of this is wonderful.

The voice acting is quite good too, thanks to it's strong voice cast.

The main problem with the film is the script.

Now, I find it confusing with some of the reaction I've heard with this movie, where it's a nearly violent hatred with the script because I didn't find the script inslutingly bad. Inslutingly bad scripts this year? Try out Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe, Angels and Demons, X-Men Origins: Wolverine etc. THESE movies had scripts so bad that I wanted to scream at the screenwriters.

No, the problem with 9's script is that it's just, well, things just happen. There's really no build up in this flick.

The films done almost entirely with exposition, using elements from other sci-fi fantasty films we've already seen. With it's quick run time, the film didn't get to breath. The movie is set piece, after set piece after set piece.

The characters don't interact as much as we would like them too, but then I think they interact enough so that we at least get to know them (UNLIKE fucking Transformers 2)

But the movie doesn't bombared me with inslutingly bad jokes, any bad character logics (when something happens to one of the characters, the other characters REACT to what happened and feel for them realisticly) or WTF? sloppy screenwritting that left me scratching.

I will tell you this...if I was, hmmm, say 8-10 years old, and I saw this movie (be it in theater or on cable) trust me, THIS MOVIE WOULD HAVE BLOWN MY MIND.

It would have been a movie that me and my fellow movie nerd films would discuss 15 years later ("Dude, remember that freaky movie about the dolls fighting evil robots?" "You mean 9?" "YEAH! 9! I loved that movie when I was a kid!")

This is this generations The Dark Crystal, a visually amazing movie that older film fans will find the flaws, but a younger generation is going to see it and fall in love with.

And maybe thats were I want to be right now, a young kid who just wants to enjoy a movie.

Well there you have it kiddies! Our catch-and-release program with the little fella is working out quite nicely! Of course we had to let him go again because our word is our bond and he DID review the movie, but set your mind at ease. We will surely exploit his vices again soon in the future and you will read another (forced) review. This I am sure of. Until next time!

Damn You, Batman!

Damn You, Batman from Those Aren't Muskets! on Vimeo.

More Marvel / Disney Shenanigans

Compliments of all the folks at CollegeHumor.com

The Real Death of Superman...

Pretty good. Much love for SMBC comics.

WCAH Episode 14: A Kidney Stone To The FACE!!!

Happy Labor Day, Kiddies! In this episode, the West Coast crew read some listener (love?) mail and finally address the Disney / Marvel deal. The conversation eventually breaks down in to general disarray and comics in general, just the way you like it.

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 14

Also, check out Aria and Debra, the first 2 official "AboutFans" in their own comics blog, Girls Dig Comics Too. But only if you promise to not like them more than us.

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.

WCAH Episode #13: At The Movies; The Power Rangers Movie

In this episode, it's the return of "At the Movies With About Heroes!" The West Coast crew make a listener's dream come true at the cost of their sanity by watching the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie from 1995. Grab your copy or obtain a copy by some means (we won't tell) and jump in with us. IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!!!

West
Coast About Heroes - Episode 13

We have a twitter account! For more frequent comic-oriented updates, follow us: TWEET. Also, feel free to email us: aboutheroes 'AT' gmail.com.

Disney / Marvel Shenanigans

Yeah yeah, we know, the whole thing went down yesterday and we didn't make a peep, shaddap about it! The West Coast Crew is gonna do a whole podcast on it soon. For now, enjoy:

P.S. We've had the latest Podcast locked and loaded since early last week, we've just had technical problems uploading it. Expect to see it floating through your itunes soon (God Willing!).