A short but sweet review of 'All-Star Western' #2 from the intriguingly-titled Comics Fondle

It's very short review of All-Star Western #2, but how could I not post a link to something called Comics Fondle? I mean, seriously.

Science Fiction.com weighs in on 'All-Star Western' #2

What does it tell you when even a science-fiction site singles out All-Star Western #2 for heartfelt praise? Go to Science Fiction.com for a detailed answer.

CraveOnline shows 'All-Star Western' #2 some serious love

CraveOnline really dug All-Star Western #2 — granting it an 8.6 out of a possible 10 for overall excellence — and who are we to argue with a capsule summation like this one: "Jonah Hex kicks all sorts of ass and kills a lotta bad guys in old-time Gotham City. What else do you need?" Well said! Go here for more.

'All-Star Western' #2 scores again and the El Diablo backup feature is the icing on the cake

All-Star Western #2 is reviewed over at A Comic Book Blog, which also wisely draws deserved attention to the mag's El Diablo backup feature, drawn by that incomparable Spaniard, Jordi Bernet, who has previously and memorably drawn Jonah Hex in the character's previous run. If you're a newcomer to Bernet's work, you're in for a treat, so head on over and get the full skinny!

It's "two-for-two" for 'All-Star Western' over at Comic Book Resources

All-Star Western #2 has hit the stores and the reviews are rolling in! Head over to Comic Book Resources for their look at the latest installment of Jonah Hex's exploits in the wild-and-woolly industrial age Gotham City, plus the first installment of the El Diablo backup feature, illustrated by the incredible Jordi Bernet.

'All-Star Western' #2 on sale today!

You've read all the hype, seen all the reviews, and (hopefully) read the first issue for yourself, thus finding out that All-Star Western is among the cream of the "New 52" crop, so you are no doubt rabid for the next installment of Jonah Hex's adventures in ye olde Gotham City. (I know I am, and I'm this site's administrator!) Well, the agonizing wait is over and All-Star Western #2 hits the shops today, so head on down to your favorite comics shop and be ready to fight tooth and nail for your copy. (The violence I saw at my favorite NYC comics retailer when issue one hit and there were not enough copies to meet consumer demand...I'm telling you, I'm scarred for life.)

Jimmy speaks out on 'All-Star Western' and upcoming cool projects over at io9

The always interesting i09 caught up with Jimmy Palmiotti at the New York Comic Con, stuck a microphone in his face, and what freely flowed from his febrile mind can be read on their site. Along with more insight into what's currently up with Jonah Hex and All-Star Western, you'll also get clued in on the upcoming The Ray from DC Comics, as well as Captain Brooklyn from Image and Queen Crab from Kickstarter. So act on your burgeoning intrigue and check it all out!

Amanda's trip to a galaxy far, far away

Let's face it: if you've been alive and old enough to be fully cognisant of what's been going on around you since May 25th, 1977, you know what an entertainment and cultural juggernaut the Star Wars franchise was and is. Even some thirty-four years after the release of the first movie, the Star Wars train just keeps on a-rollin' and one of the more interesting additions to the vast legion of books on the subject is Abrams ComicArts' Star Wars Art: Comics, a gorgeous hardcover compendium of artwork depicting the people, places, and neat stuff found in George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Loaded to the rafters with art by, among many others, Al Williamson, Howard Chaykin, Adam Hughes, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Dorman, and many more—as well as new work created exclusively for this book by over 20 renowned artists, John Cassaday, Sam Kieth, Mike Mignola, Paul Pope, Frank Quitely, Jim Steranko, and other comics superstars, it's an Imperial Star Destroyer's-worth of interpretations of that wildly diverse space-scape.

Oh, and did I mention that our girl Amanda Conner was asked to contribute?

Yes, A.C. whipped out her pencils — I wanted to see her etch it with a lightsaber, but such was not meant to be — and drew an evocative, silent two-page narrative that traces Princess Leia's fond memories of growing up on her cruelly destroyed homeworld of Alderaan, following her from childhood up through the tragedy, and onward to her now-legendary role as a hard-as-nails fighter for galactic freedom. It's powerful stuff, as you can see for yourself below:


Awesome, right? Go here for an illuminating review of the book, and if after reading that you somehow need more convincing that the book rules, check out this trailer (in which A.C.'s art shows up at the 4:20 mark!):



So, enough shilly-shallying! You know you want to have this bad boy on your coffee table, so click here to order.

(A brief aside from your humble administrator: When not blogging like a man obsessed, I collect and read a ton of books and many of the art volumes by Abrams ComicArts have a place of honor on my shelves. Abrams puts out a truly spectacular product that's everything the fan of a given book's subject of focus would possibly want to see in a printed edition, so if you see their brand on the spine you can be assured of the highest quality in printing, paper, overall package and content. I've had the opportunity to peruse Star Wars Art: Comics at length and it's friggin' stunning.)

More insight on Jonah Hex and 'All-Star Western' over at USA Today

USA Today is running a look at All-Star Western in which our boys, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, elaborate further on what they're going for with the series and its take on Jonah Hex and the industrial age Gotham City environment he now finds himself in. There's plenty of intriguing insight to be had, so go here to read it all for yourself. And don't forget that All-Star Western #2 hits the shops on 10/26. Start camping out now!

Free 10-page preview of 'Book Smart' is available at Comixology

The first ten pages of the Palmiotti/Gray-written Book Smart can be read for free over at Comixology, so what are you waiting for? Click here and git ta readin'! Schnell!!!

Spunkybean raves about 'Book Smart'

Hailing it as "a beautiful gory display," Spunkybean's EJ Feddes gives the Palmiotti/Gray-scribed Book Smart a righteous rave review here. Check it out and then haul yourself to the nearest comics shop. And remember kiddies: when it comes to Book Smart (and other Paperfilms works, of course), "reading is fundamental!"

Time for some 'Random Acts of Violence'

RANDOM ACTS OF VIOLENCE: a heartwarming exploration of deep emotional introspection and Oscar Wilde-esque wit...Yeah, right!

If you, like several of the Paperfilms crew, came of age in the 1980's, you could not possibly have missed the whole "slasher movie" phenomenon — Jason, Freddy, Michael Meyers, and suchlike — a genre that enjoyed box office ubiquity from the beginning of the decade and went on to become a part of our American horror culture and pop culture in general. The slasher sub-genre's influence never died out and its modern descendants continue to delight audiences by giving its audience exactly what it wants: some crazed, sharp object-wielding madman, more often than not hulking and possessed of superhuman strength and nigh-invulnerability, reducing assorted folks to blood-spewing chutney.

Paperfilms' Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have scribed the contemporary slasher graphic novel Random Acts of Violence (that I admittedly have not yet read, therefore I can't chime in with my own armchair analysis) that receives considerable love from the folks over at Comics Forge, and what love it is! Read it for yourself here.

More Fun at the 2011 NY Comic Con

The following gallery of shots is from days 2-4 of last weekend's enormous NY Comic Con at Manhattan's Jacob Javits Center, and they show Jimmy and Amanda in the midst of meeting and greeting with the fans while absorbing the adulation of their public. Also, you get to see several instances of Amanda's celebrated drawing skills as demonstrated live, so check these out:

From Friday's "Comics, Hollywood-What Creators Need to Know" panel. (L-R) renowned television writer Jane Espenson, writer/photographer/marketer Buddy Scalera, lawyer Ken Levine, Jimy Palmiotti.

No lazy doodlin' there!

In progress: an A.C. Power Girl sketch.

An historical note: this is Greg Wright the editor who gave Amanda her fist job at Marvel back in the days. You have him to thank for introducing our girl to the majors.

A.C. sketches Kitty Pryde and Lockheed.

A fan cosplays the A.C. version of Terra.

A.C. draws Donna Troy.

Amanda Conner sketches Alice and the Cheshire Cat.

Jimmy Pamiotti sketches Frank Castle, aka the Punisher.

A.C. sketches Zatanna.

An A.C. sketch of Jimmy Olsen, as done for a fan.

The artist at work.

Cartooning chix on the loose: Amanda Conner and the legendary Mary Wilshire.

Taking a pause for the cause.

A.C. adds Power Girl to a fan's board of different characters drawn by different artists.

Amanda Conner sketches for her fans. Note the size of the line; that went on unabated for hours.

Catwoman in progress.

A.C. sketches Psylocke.

A.C. adds Power Girl to a fan's board of characters.

Model/Actress Zoe La Bella poses with the A.C.-drawn book cover that features her likeness and, er, cartoon "enhancements."

A.C. and Zoe La Bella.

A.C. sketches Poison Ivy for a fan.

Note how pleased the fan who commissioned the sketch is.

Three A.C. fans.

A certain resemblance to A.C.'s version of Catwoman is noted.

A.C. meets and greets.

Jimmy meets the media.

A selection of some of A.C.s prints.

Ya gotta love the '60's design aesthetic on the logo and its placement.

From start to finish: Amanda draws Power Girl for a longtime fan.

Voila! The finished piece.

Another ultra-pleased fan with his newly-minted piece of original art.

And the moment the Power Girl piece was done, it was time for a media interview. Ah, popularity...

With closing time on the show's final day fast approaching, A.C. sketches the Black Canary for a fan.

Note the white highlights around the Canary's gloves so the viewer can clearly see the black gloves as separate from the equally black suit.

The finished piece.

The finished piece and the happy fan: the perfect coda to an epic convention appearance.

A.C., Jimmy, and their old pal Joanne, as respectfully saluted by Jay while on the way out.