Arriesgarse a salir de los comics de superhéroes sin ayuda, puede llevarte a búsquedas interminables. O bien por series mediocres o si tienes mucha suerte, con una joya underground. Y sin llegar a ser lo segundo, Dead@17 resultó una más que agradable sorpresa en varios sentidos. Josh Howard es el creador, escritor, dibujante, colorista, editor, etc., detrás de este universo que fue creciendo de una historia simple y casi de serie B, hasta tener una personalidad propia y atrapante. Tanto que ha dado el gran salto desde la casi ignota Viper Comics hasta una de las grandes de la industria como Image.

No pienso hacer una revisión por cada serie de D@17, pues sería por lo menos dividir el trabajo en 5 partes, sino mostrar como ha evolucionado el argumento y las posibilidades a las que puede estar apuntando. Howard, como dije antes, empieza la serie con poco. Una historia algo trillada, con tintes de Buffy y pizcas de Hack/Slash. Nara Kilday es el personaje central y a los 17 años es brutalmente asesinada. Sin embargo, es resucitada a los pocos días mientras su ciudad y amigos son amenazados por un ataque de zombies y demonios. Como es de esperarse, hay bastante acción y violencia sin diálogos del otro mundo. Sin embargo, poco a poco a esta mezcla ya conocida, van agregándose elementos de misterio y no diré de religión, pero sí de partes de mitos judeo-cristianos, como ángeles caídos, entre otros.


De esta manera, nuestro personaje deja de ser una adolescente típica de una película slasher o de zombies, para pasar a ser una pieza vital de un conflicto entre el Infierno y el Cielo. Claro, esto tampoco es inventar la pólvora. Pero el mérito de Josh es cómo usa estos lugares comunes y en especial a sus personajes y los giros que puede dar a sus argumentos. Para el tercer volumen por ejemplo, se sienten ciertas reminiscencias con La Profecía 3 y de repente entra en escena el último bastión de resistencia humana ante la llegada del Demonio. El último volumen publicado (aunque no completo), en donde debuta Asia Black como el nuevo personaje central – que significa que muere y resucita – será el punto de partida de estos nuevos pilares de D@17 para cuando llegue a Image. Tanto Nara como Asia ahora enfrentando a los demonios y por otro lado, este 13er hermano, uno de los ángeles que cayeron y han declarado la guerra a Dios.

Sobre el arte de Howard se puede decir mucho dependiendo si te gusta o no. Los puntos en contra puede ser la sobre utilización de moldes. Sus personajes femeninos son muy similares entre sí y los masculinos aunque son menos homogéneos, tampoco abundan en los detalles. Tampoco es pródigo en grandes paneles y escenarios, pero también es necesario recordar que el buen Josh trabaja casi solo. Lo bueno es que su arte es muy dinámico lo que ayuda a que la historia también sea fluida.


Como fanático de Hack/Slash, esta historia me encantó. Como fanático de comics en general, admito que la historia es muy buena y entretenida. Tiene bastante acción, mucho de ciencia ficción y una dosis de melodrama sin llegar a ser edulcorante. Así que si se animan a probar algo independiente y refrescantemente nuevo, Dead@17 definitivamente merece la pena.


Historia: 8/10
Arte: 6.5/10
BZ rating: 7/10

Here are the 2009 Eisner nominees:










Best Short Story

• "Actual Size" by Chris Ware, in Kramers Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)
• "Chechen War, Chechen Women," by Joe Sacco, in I Live Here (Pantheon)
• "Freaks," by Laura Park, in Superior Showcase #3 (AdHouse)
• "Glenn Ganges in 'Pulverize,'" by Kevin Huizenga, in Ganges #2 (Fantagraphics)
• "Murder He Wrote," by Ian Boothby, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy, in The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror #14 (Bongo)

Best Continuing Series

• All Star Superman. by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
• Fables,  by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy, and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
• Naoki Urasawa's Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
• Thor, by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and various (Marvel)
• Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series

• Groo: Hell on Earth, by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier (Dark Horse)
• Hellboy: The Crooked Man, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
• Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
• Omega the Unknown, by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel)
• The Twelve, by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston (Marvel)

Best New Series

• Air, by. G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)
• Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
• Invincible Iron Man, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
• Madame Xanadu, by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend (Vertigo/DC)
• Unknown Soldier, by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids

• Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic Graphix)
• Cowa! by Akira Toriyama  (Viz)
• Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)
• Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)
• Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens

• Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children's Books)
• Crogan's Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)
• The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)
• Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
• Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Best Humor Publication

• Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition No. Zero, by Douglas Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby)
• Chumble Spuzz, by Ethan Nicolle (SLG)
• Herbie Archives, by "Shane O'Shea" (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)
• Petey and Pussy, by John Kerschbaum (Fantagraphics)
• Wondermark: Beards of Our Forefathers, by David Malki (Dark Horse)

Best Anthology

• An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, vol. 2, edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
• Best American Comics 2008, edited by Lynda Barry (Houghton Mifflin)
• Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
• Kramers Ergot 7, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)
• MySpace Dark Horse Presents, edited by Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic

• Bodyworld, by Dash Shaw,
  www.dashshaw.com
• Finder, by Carla Speed McNeil,
  www.shadowlinecomics.com/webcomics/#/finder/
• The Lady's Murder, by Eliza Frye,
  theladysmurder.elizafrye.com
• Speak No Evil, by Elan Trinidad,
  www.theoryofeverythingcomics.com/SNE/ | Mirror Site
• Vs. by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari,
  www.smithmag.net/nextdoorneighbor/2008/12/08/story-18/

Best Reality-Based Work

• Alan's War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
• Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, by Frederik Peeters (Houghton Mifflin)
• Fishtown, by Kevin Colden (IDW)
• A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child, by Rick Geary (NBM)
• What It Is, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—New

• Alan's War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
• Paul Goes Fishing, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)
• Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)
• Three Shadows, by Cyril Pedrosa (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• Berlin Book 2: City of Smoke, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Hellboy Library Edition, vols. 1 and 2, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
• Sam & Max Surfin' the Highway anniversary edition HC, by Steve Purcell (Telltale Games)
• Skyscrapers of the Midwest, by Joshua W. Cotter (AdHouse)
• The Umbrella Academy, vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite deluxe edition, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

• The Complete Little Orphan Annie, by Harold Gray (IDW)
• Explainers, by Jules Feiffer (Fantagraphics)
• Little Nemo in Slumberland, Many More Splendid Sundays, by Winsor McCay (Sunday Press Books)
• Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles, (IDW)
• Willie & Joe, by Bill Mauldin (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

• Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)
• Creepy Archives, by various (Dark Horse)
• Elektra Omnibus, by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel)
• Good-Bye, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Herbie Archives, by "Shane O'Shea" (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

• Alan's War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)
• Gus and His Gang, by Chris Blain (First Second)
• The Last Musketeer, by Jason (Fantagraphics)
• The Rabbi's Cat 2, by Joann Sfar (Pantheon)
• Tamara Drewe, by Posy Simmonds (Mariner/Houghton Mifflin)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan

• Cat Eyed Boy, by Kazuo Umezu (Viz)
• Dororo, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)
• Naoki Urasawa's Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
• The Quest for the Missing Girl, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
• Solanin, by Inio Asano (Viz)

Best Writer

• Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)
• J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)
• Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)
• Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
• Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist

• Ricky Geary, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child (NBM); J. Edgar Hoover (Hill & Wang)
• Emmanuel Guibert, Alan's War (First Second)
• Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second)
• Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)
• Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Acme)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

• Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
• Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
• Mark Morales, Thor (Marvel)
• Guy Davis, BPRD (Dark Horse)
• Amy Reeder Hadley/Richard Friend, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
• Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

• Lynda Barry, What It Is (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Eddie Campbell, The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard (First Second)
• Enrico Casarosa, The Venice Chronicles (Ateliér Fio/AdHouse)
• Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)
• Jill Thompson, Magic Trixie,  Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (HarperCollins Children's Books)

Best Cover Artist

• Gabriel Bá, Casanova (Image); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
• Jo Chen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity (Dark Horse); Runaways (Marvel)
• Amy Reeder Hadley, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)
• James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)
• Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Grendel: Behold the Devil (Dark Horse)

Best Coloring

• Steve Hamaker, Bone: Ghost Circles, Bone: Treasure Hunters (Scholastic Graphix)
• Trish Mulvihill, Joker (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)
• Val Staples, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
• Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Body Bags (Image); Captain America: White (Marvel)
• Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)

Best Lettering

• Farel Dalrymple, Omega: The Unknown (Marvel)
• Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! (Renaissance)
• Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)
• Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)
• Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

• Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland (www.comicbookresources.com)
• The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael (www.comicsreporter.com)
• Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)

Best Comics-Related Book

• Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, by Todd DePastino (Norton)
• Brush with Passion: The Art and Life of Dave Stevens, edited by Arnie and Cathy Fenner (Underwood)
• Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second)
• Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier (Abrams)
• The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, by David Hajdu (Picador/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

Best Publication Design

• Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! designed by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)
• Comic Book Tattoo, designed by Tom Muller, art direction by Rantz Hoseley (Image)
• Hellboy Library Editions, designed by Cary Grazzini and Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)
• What It Is, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Willie and Joe, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

LOS ANGELES, Calif., December 29, 2008 – Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today it will launch the Let Us Win YOU Over initiative in February 2009 that will see the publisher distribute thousands of free comics a month to new readers through participating retailers across the United States and Canada.

Over the course of the yearlong promotion, Top Cow will send 200 free comics each to 25 comic book stores per month (a total of 5,000 free comics per month). Each month, a different set of stores, each month a different free comic. The stores will be spread out geographically and demographically.

Combined with the books it plans to give away during Free Comic Book Day on May 2, 2009 and the many books Top Cow gives away at various conventions across the country, the publisher stands to give away up to 200,000 free comics during the year.

Top Cow’s goal with the Let Us Win YOU Over initiative is threefold: to invite new readers to give Top Cow comics a try and win them over to their line of titles; to generate buzz and excitement for fans and the retailers they support; and to pump some much-needed energy into an industry not immune to the current economic crisis.

“We feel strongly that Top Cow titles are the best they’ve ever been and it’s important for to invite readers and retailers to discover why,” explained Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik. “While our competitors are straining the wallet of the average fan, Top Cow is making it easy to try new comics.”

So as to not slight existing readers who are already buying Top Cow titles, the publisher will also ship each participating store exclusive Customer Appreciation covers for each subscriber of that month’s free comic. It will be limited exclusively to the subscriber fans at the participating stores for that month.

Top Cow initially opened the Let Us Win YOU Over program to members of the comics retailer group, ComicsPRO, because of the organization’s commitment to banding together to ensure a strong and healthy retailer community.“ComicsPRO retailers are eager to support this innovative promotion, with the hope of proving that new ideas can lead to new readers for quality titles,” said ComicsPRO President Joe Field. “Our mutual goals with this program are to expose thousands of new eyes to Top Cow's singular brand of comics and to lead more readers to enjoying Top Cow comics and buying them from ComicsPRO member stores.”

“Our stores always looks for great ways to promote comics and connect readers to new stories they might not have given a second thought to before in the past,” said Michael Malve, owner of Arizona-based chain Atomic Comics and a member of ComicsPRO. “So when we heard of this very progressive marketing idea that Top Cow was coming up with, well, let’s just say we were one of the first to dive in.”

“We at Atomic Comics have worked hand in hand with many publishers over our 22 years in the business,” Malve added. “And in that time, Top Cow has been one of the easiest to work with. They have always made themselves available to retailers and listened to our concerns, as most recently noted in their $2.99 in 2009 announcement. I really look forward to this promotion and I hope other retailers embrace and take full advantage of a great opportunity that Top Cow is offering us with their Let us Win YOU Over campaign.”

Retailers who are not members of ComicsPRO and are interested in participating will be able to sign up through their Diamond Comics Distributors customer service representative in the next several weeks.

I'll choose these titles:

The Darkness

















Hack/Slash: The Series




The Walking Dead

And suddenly I've realized that I've passed the 100 000 points and I find it completely stunning. I don't know if that's a good thing, because I really, really like the Vine, or a bad thing, because it means I spent too much time reading comics and editing he he he :P
Anyway, let's hope I could stay a little more here to reach another 100 000 xDD