Emerald City Comicon announced the first celebrity guest for 2013 and it’s huge! Sir Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation and X-Men will appear at the Seattle con March 1-3, 2013. He will be appearing Saturday and Sunday only.
Emerald City Comicon shattered records with over 53,000 attendees at the Washington State Convention Center.
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola will be returning to ECCC in 2013.
Back to gushing about Sir Patrick Stewart…I love Captain Jean Luc Picard and no one else could have played Professor Xavier but I also remember him as Gurney Halleck in Dune. “Gurney Man” is one of my favorite characters in my all time favorite sci-fi book. Say what you will about David Lynch’s version but Stewart was perfection as the brave warrior for the Atreides.
Mary Tamm as Romana with K-9 in Doctor Who “The Ribos Operation” courtesy BBC.
The universe is little less bright because a beautiful star has gone out. Mary Tamm played the Time Lord Romana on Doctor Who. Tom Baker was my first Doctor. Romana was my first Who companion. Tamm appeared with Baker in six stories in the late 1970’s.
My first episode was The Pirate Planet. It was the second storyline in the ongoing Key to Time epic in which The White Guardian gave the Doctor a female Time Lord, Romana, to assist in his quest to find segments that would create the Key to Time and restore balance to the universe. I think my favorite episode with her was The Stones of Blood.
Mary Tamm died at age 62 after a battle with cancer. I will always have a special place in my geek heart for her as Romana, my first Doctor Who companion.
Marvel unveiled a brand new team with a classic brand name in a new animated series on Marvel.com. The All Winners Squad includes Avenger and Nanny Squirrel Girl joins Howard the Duck, Uniforn, Hypno Hustler and more cult favorite “winners” who save the day with comedy. Take a look at the pilot and learn some cinematic Marvel history from Howard!
For every great villain there’s a Paste Pot Pete! Enjoy. Do you have a favorite? I’m digging Hypno Hustler! By Editor
So many good comics this week I’m compelled to double down and make a top 10 week!
Batman Incorporated #3 courtesy DC Comics
Amazing Spider-Man #690 Love the new movie then grab this summer’s thriller in the comic shops. More than one Lizard is on the loose while Spidey tries to save the city from the mad Morbius. Reptiles, a vampire plus Madame Web, the Kingpin and Hobgoblin weave into the storyline as Marvel counts down to the miles 700th issue of Spidey!
Batman Inc #3 The Dark Knight is on the trail of the assassin after his son plus the New 52 return of Matches Malone! Never heard of this Gotham City mobster? He may be the key to solving the case. UPDATE: This book has been postponed due to the events in Colorado.
Manhattan Projects #5 This brilliant alternate history book challenges graphic storytelling and will challenge your mind. The mad scientists behind the think government tank look at the new future they created. Are we a better or worse word because of their breakthroughs?
Secret Avengers #29 courtesy Marvel.com
Secret Avengers #29 Hawkeye’s covert team may be blowing up and falling apart! A traitor, bitter rivalry and hidden romance threaten the squad. Hawkeye better get it together because the new Masters of Evil and an army of evil androids are ready to wipe them out!
Star Wars: Blood Ties: Boba Fett Is Dead #4 The mastermind behind Fett’s murder unleashes mercenaries to wipe out Boba’s child, ex-wife and family. But you can’t keep the galaxy’s most badass bounty hunter down. Revenge is going to be a blast in!
Star Wars: Darth Maul: Death Sentence #1 The red menace is back from dead with a new partner in crime. The horned Sith has a price on his head and he better hope the Jedi find him before the “others” hunting him do!
True Blood #3 Eric and Sookie on the trail of…Godric? An ancient vampire with chilling ties to Eric’s maker is deadly in Dallas. If the HBO series leaves you hungry for more…take a bite of this series!
Winter Soldier #8 Bucky vs. Black Widow! Have Marvel’s hottest couple turned against each other? Sexy, gritty, spy games heat up with old enemies coming out of cold targeting the Winter Soldier.
X-Treme X-Men #1 courtesy Marvel.com
Wolverine and the X-Men #14 Kitty Pryde on a date with Colossus? Are my favorite X-couple finally back together? Mutant romance goes cosmic as the Phoenix fueled Colossus woos Kitty. Plus the aftermath of last issue’s fateful clash between Gladiator and the Phoenix Five – what will this mean for the Shi’ar heir and Warbird?
X-Treme X-Men #1Captain (Wolverine with a stache!) Howlett, Kid Nightcrawler, Emmeline Frost and Dazzler? Greg Pak sends a mutated team of teams across the multiverse but will everyone come back from the mission?
The Dark Knight Rises one sheet courtesy Warner Brothers
The Dark Knight Rises is the finale of Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale’s Batman trilogy. The executive producer of the franchise talked with my friend Elisa Jaffe on 570 KVI Seattle Smart Talk Mornings. Michael Uslan says “I am walking in a dream!”
Uslan’s lifelong love of Batman is because “his greatest superpower is his humanity and that’s why I identified with him,” and calls the new film “the greatest superhero movie ever.”
Uslan reveals how he finally launched the Batman franchise, his geeky collection, teaching comics in college and his encounter with Adam West and more in The Boy Who Loved Batman.
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #3 courtesy IDW Publishing
How to make the Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 comic book crossover even more geektastic? Jelly babies!
The creative team behind IDW Publishing’s clever mashup gives old school fans a flashback with the fourth Doctor (and my first*) Tom Baker in an encounter with Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty.
Issue #3 takes us right into the action as the eleventh Doctor is on the bridge of the Enterprise with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and crew. The Enterprise is on the run from an armada of Borg cubes and Cybermen warships. What Picard sees being transmitted from the lead Borg cube is bizarre behavior even for the alien assimilators.
Peering into the Starfleet database reveals images of Cybermen and a curly haired man sporting a hat and scarf! The current Doctor’s violent reaction to the images triggers a flashback and away we go. Captain James T. Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy and Mr. Scott are on an away mission where the humans seem zombified, robot warriors attack and a friendly stranger in hat, scarf and offering jelly babies saves the day. The writing and art style change to reflect the flashback feel of the tale within a tale. The trip back shows that the Cybermen have been in the Trek universe for a long time and hints at the origin of the Borg/Cybermen alliance that’s threatening the Federation now.
The writers succeed again at capturing the spirit of the classic characters and how they would act and interact. I have to thank the writers for making me remember the Cybermen’s weakness. How could I have forgotten?
Back to the future present the Time Lord is puzzled that he keeps remembering things he didn’t remember like when he recognized Worf as a Klington even though he’d never encountered one before…or did he? As Picard grows suspicious of the eleventh Doctor’s story he calls on an ancient ally to help determine the truth.
I’m excited to see that encounter next issue! *To be even more specific – my first Doctor Who episode was The Pirate Planet!
Rex Velvet is the self-proclaimed Seattle super villain! Imagine the child with DNA from Lex Luthor, The Riddler and Norman Osborn with Harley Quinn as his mad mommy and you have Rex. The media savvy villain has been outdone by a kid!
A 12-year-old has foiled Rex’s latest scheme. Velvet “kidnapped” the Seattle Seahawk mascot but Colby the secret agent cracked the case and has his fantasy fulfilled thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Molly Shen of KOMO 4 News has the story.
You can help Wish families take flights, join KOMO 4 on Thursday, Aug. 2 for our annual Make Wishes Soar: KOMO 4 Wishes in Flight Mileage Drive. You’ll be able to donate your air miles to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Avengers vs. X-Men #8 The Phoenix Five alliance is fracturing. An insane Namor is invading Wakanda to wipe out the Avengers. The Phoenix Force feeds on passion and the secret between Namor and Emma could lead to a cosmic level heartbreaking confrontation.
Captain Marvel #1 Fan favorite Carol Danvers is sporting a new name, new costume and new mission. Captain America guest stars as Ms. Marvel gets a well deserved promotion and new series.
Danger Girl/G.I. Joe #1 Two of the world’s most exciting covert teams together in a new series from IDW. The Girls and the Joes face COBRA, ninjas, and counterspies.
Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimiliation2 #3The Time Lord and Captain Picard face an unholy alliance of the Borg and Cybermen. How did these evil forces join forces?
X-Men #32 This has become my favorite X-book with an old school vibe that will remind you of the classic Chris Claremont/Paul Smith era. Storm’s elite team have disovered a new race of mutants. Why is keeping this secret from Cyclops and Wolverine?
