Artwork

Upcoming: THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN by Gene Wolfe (Gollancz)

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On November 10th, 2016, Gollancz are publishing new editions of Gene Wolfe‘s classic Book of the New Sun series. The series has completely new covers, and is collected into two volumes — Shadow and Claw and Sword and Citadel. Here’s the synopsis for the first book:

An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory.

Severian, a torturer’s apprentice, is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners. Ordered to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner’s sword, Terminus Est, Severian must make his way across the perilous, ruined landscape of this far-future Urth. But is his finding of the mystical gem, the Claw of the Conciliator, merely an accident, or does Fate have a grander plans for Severian the torturer…?

Shadow & Claw collects The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator. Sword and Citadel collects The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch. Each of the four novels that makes up the series is available as an individual eBook, too (click on the titles).

I’ve never read the series, despite it being recommend to me on multiple occasions. Maybe these new editions will be a nice way for me and a number of other new readers to try the series.

Artwork: CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE MIGHTY AVENGERS #1 (Marvel)

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Hot on the heels of the identity of the new Captain America, there’s more on the way! Today, Marvel unveiled the cover for Captain America & The Mighty Avengers #1, a second series to feature Sam Wilson-as-Captain America. The series will be written by Al Ewing. The cover above and internal art for the book are by Luke Ross. The series will spin out of the upcoming Marvel Event (yup, another one), Avengers & X-Men: AXIS.

Sam Wilson has inherited his new patriotic moniker, but is he up to the task of leading a team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? The hero formerly known as Falcon has some new ideas for the rag-tag team of Mighty Avengers – but the events of AXIS may spell doom for the inexperienced leader. And not everyone on the team is happy with Sam’s new position as leader. Spider-Man is back, too – Amazing this time, NOT Superior. Luke Cage & Jessica Jones are still itching to give him some payback for trying to take their daughter to Child Services. And what is Luke Cage doing meeting with the head of the notorious Cortex corporation?

Here’s what Ewing had to say about the series, in an interview with Marvel.com:

“As for the mission statement – same as it’s ever been. Help those in need, however they need it. This is where all the work over the previous series pays off – the Gem theater is refurbished, the hotline is in place, the field team is on standby to take care of problems nobody else can handle. The Mighty Avengers are hitting the ground running.”

Cover Art: Constantine #15 (DC New 52)

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I haven’t been keeping up-to-date on single issues from any of DC Comics’ New 52 series for quite some time. I did, therefore, only just spot this piece, which graces the cover of Constantine #15. The artist is Juan E. Ferrevra. I particularly liked the silhouette effect.

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The issue is written by Ray Fawkes, and internal artwork is by ACO, Richard and Tanya Horie.

Here’s the synopsis:

John Constantine witnesses the horrifying reach of magic when he meets the world’s wealthiest mage – a woman who’s been draining all the good luck out of her home city of Hong Kong and benefiting from the suffering of millions.

Gail Simone Brings TOMB RAIDER to the UK

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I spotted this cover on Dark Horse Comics’ website, while looking for more info on Kim Newman & Maura McHugh’s upcoming Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland series. It caught my eye because a) it’s an eye-catching cover, b) it has Big Ben in it, and c) I was a big fan of the first couple of computer games in the Tomb Raider series, but I’ve not read any comics (or, for that matter, played any of the games for a decade).

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Tomb Raider #4 goes on sale on May 28th, 2014. Here are the issue’s details and synopsis…

Writer: Gail Simon | Pencils: Nicolás Daniel Selma | Inks: Juan Gedeon | Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Lara Croft is chased through the streets of London as she gets dangerously close to the truth! But it’s not her own safety that concerns her, but that of her friends, the surviving crew of the Endurance!

Upcoming: THE WITCHFINDER – THE MYSTERIES OF UNLAND (Dark Horse Comics)

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Here’s a brief preview of Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #1, written by Kim Newman & Maura McHugh, and to be published by Dark Horse Comics. Art duties will be handled by Tyler Crook and Dave Stewart.

The eponymous Witchfinder, Sir Edward Grey, was created by Mike Mignola as part of his Hellboy mythology (he first appeared in Hellboy: Wake the Devil). Since then, he has had a couple of mini-series.

Here’s the synopsis for the first issue of this new series…

Edward Grey is sent to Hallam to investigate a mysterious death. Once there, he hears rumors about the mysterious Unland, the wetlands around the town, and the creatures that inhabit it. Grey’s skepticism vanishes when he encounters the monsters of Unland, and he realizes that Hallam is a place of secrets.

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Above is the artwork that will grace the second issue. And here is a preview of the first issue…

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Upcoming: THE MIRROR EMPIRE by Kameron Hurley (Angry Robot Books)

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I’m a little late to the party, here, seeing as nearly everyone has shared this cover (ever since it was unveiled on A Dribble of Ink). And, once you look at it, you can see why. The cover for Kameron Hurley’s upcoming fantasy novel THE MIRROR EMPIRE is pretty damned stunning…

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The piece is by Richard Anderson, who also did the US cover for Brian Staveley’s The Emperor’s Blades. (I must say, though, this one is much better.) The novel is due to be published by Angry Robot Books in September 2014. Here’s the synopsis…

On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past… while a world goes to war with itself.

In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose between the eradication of her father’s people or loyalty to her alien Empress.

Through tense alliances and devastating betrayal, the Dhai and their allies attempt to hold against a seemingly unstoppable force as enemy nations prepare for a coming together of worlds as old as the universe itself.

In the end, one world will rise – and many will perish.

Kameron Hurley is, of course, the award-winning author of God’s War, Infidel and Rapture. I’ve only read the first one, but it was damned good. The trilogy was published in the US by Night Shade Books, and Del Rey UK published the first book last year, and Infidel last month.

Also on CR: Guest Post by Kameron Hurley; Review of God’s War

Two Great New BATMAN Pieces by Lee Bermejo…

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Long time readers of the blog will know I’m a big fan of Lee Bermejo’s artwork. You can find loads of great examples over on his website. Today, I spotted two more in particular that caught my eye, and thought I’d share them on here.

The first is the brooding artwork for Secret Origins #2, a new series published by DC Comics:

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Secondly, we have a black-and-white piece of DC’s “Trinity” – Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman:

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Artwork: FAIREST #26 (Vertigo)

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A very quick and simple artwork post, because I saw it and it caught my eye. And because I love the series it is a part of. This issue is the conclusion to the current storyline (I’m waiting, as always, for the collected edition to read and review). The piece is by Adam Hughes:

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You can check out a preview of the issue on Comic Book Resources. Here’s the synopsis:

The epic conclusion is here! As all roads have led back to Fabletown, Cinderella leads the battle against the seemingly endless onslaught of mice/mundy hybrids! This one has it all: Blood! Guts! Romance! Swordplay! Magic! Mystery! Noble sacrifice! And… cheese? Read it before the clock strikes midnight!

Published by Vertigo Comics, the issue is written by Marc Andreyko, with art by Shawn McManus.

Artwork: Ian McDonald’s NECROVILLE (Audible)

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Ian McDonald is an author I have always wanted to read, but either never got around to, or I have just not had the chance to get hold of his books. This year, Audible are releasing new audio editions of a handful of his earlier novels (some of which have also been released as eBooks by Open Road Media). One novel of his in particular that I’ve been interested in is Necroville, which was released as an audiobook this week. And I just really liked that new cover (above), which has a certain Cinquo de Maio feel to it – alternatively spooky and groovy. It would make a great rock/metal album cover, too, I think. Here’s the synopsis…

In the Los Angeles ghetto of Necroville, the yearly celebration of the Night of the Dead – where the dead are resurrected through the miracle of nanotechnology and live their second lives as non-citizens – becomes a journey of discovery and revelation for five individuals on the run from their pasts.

With his customary flair for making the bizarre both credible and fascinating, McDonald tosses aside the line of demarcation between living and dead in a story that confronts the central quandary of human existence: the essence of non-being.

Necroville is published by Gollancz in paperback and eBook. In the US, it is Terminal Café for reasons that I cannot fathom.

Another Amazing CAPTAIN AMERICA Piece by Lee Bermejo… (Marvel)

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I’ve mentioned on the blog before how much I like Lee Bermejo’s artwork. Indeed, I’ve also shared a previous piece of his depicting Steve Rogers. Today, he unveiled another piece on his blog, which I am shamelessly re-posting on here. This time, it’s more of an action-shot, whereas the previous one I shared was more moody, and an after-the-battle and taking stock moment. He’s an incredibly talented fellow…

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