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Mars Will Send No More

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Mars Will Send No More

Tag Archives: IDW Publishing

Skreeeeonk! Godzilla in Hell!

27 Sunday Jun 2021

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in dinosaur

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Godzilla, godzilla in hell, gojira, IDW Publishing, indie box, Indie Comics

In 2016, IDW answered my long-unheard prayers for a Godzilla story that cut out all the stupid human parts, made my favorite radioactive lizard the main character, and gave him the task for which he above all other creatures is best-suited: destroying the ever-loving shit out of everything in his path! The five issues of Godzilla in Hell are my favorite Godzilla story so far, beating the original 1970s Marvel stories I loved as a kid and topping the monumental, manga-style Dark Horse mini-series from 1988. Let’s take a look inside.

The first issue begins with Godzilla falling through a hole into the wastelands of Hell. It offers zero explanation about how or why this fate befell our hero, and that is a solid artistic choice. You are either all-aboard with this insane premise or not, and no amount of pseudoscience, mysticism, or tedious exposition will sway your opinion. So, why bother?

Each issue has its own creative team with its own visual style, and issue #2 is the only one that has narrative captions. Otherwise, the series has little use for text beyond monstrous screaming. I get the impression that each team received minimal instructions, something along the lines of “Godzilla encounters various horrors and monsters on his way to the end of the issue, where he will descend into the next level of Hell.” The plot is as simple and direct as Godzilla himself, who meets each foe head-on with primal ferocity and unbridled rage.

This is what Godzilla is all about to me. He’s a force of nature like a waterfall or a late-period John Coltrane improvisation. It never occurs to him to slow down, run away, or give up. And when he meets, in the third issue, a weird entity that attempts to convince him to join the forces of peace and submit to its will, Godzilla ain’t tryna to hear any of that bullshit. Peace is for beings of lesser fury.

Godzilla’s path, as he demonstrates with unrivaled brutality, is one of pure destruction. In some ways, his portrayal in this series reminds me of the unstoppable Itto Ogami in Lone Wolf and Cub. No matter what you throw at him, he’s on a mission of annihilation. Skreeeonnnnnkk!

Along the way, Godzilla murders every freakish monstrosity and classic kaiju Hell can throw at him. Yet his triumphs are short-lived. He is doomed at the end of each issue to go to another hellish level, like Dante’s Inferno but with way more ass-kicking.

In the final issue, the king of all monsters is eaten alive and completely destroyed by a swarm of flying scumbags who are little more than mouths and wings and hate. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but it is a pitch-perfect finale that expresses Godzilla’s true essence in a way no movie or comic book ever has, before or since. If you want the best Godzilla story ever, then the solution is simple: Go to Hell!

Collectors’ Guide: It’s hard to find the original single issues in print or TPB, but this five-issue series was collected along with two other mini-series in Godzilla: Unnatural Disasters, which is easy to find for about $20 on Amazon in TPB format or Kindle/Comixology format, and also at MyComicShop in TPB format.

teenage mutant ninja turtles 50 treasury edition

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in indie

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city at war, IDW Publishing, Mirage Studios, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, treasury edition

teenage mutant ninja turtles 50 treasury (2)

Okay, this was a cool idea: reprinting the original pencil art and layouts for the fiftieth issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. IDW has been printing over-sized “artists” version for a few years, volumes which feature original unfinished artwork.

But I must admit I would have preferred seeing the published art at this impressive size. The book rivals the old Marvel Treasury Editions in size, but it sort of feels like an “extras” DVD that came without the original movie. I sold it to a TMNT collector who could truly appreciate it. Here are some photos so you can peek inside.

teenage mutant ninja turtles 50 treasury (3)
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teenage mutant ninja turtles 50 treasury (12)

Rogue Trooper

26 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in science fiction, war

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

2000AD, black and white, Brett Ewins, Dave Gibbons, Gerry Finley-Day, IDW Publishing, Indie Comics, Major Magnam, Nu-Earth, Rogue Trooper, UK comics

2000ad 315-32_rogue_pinup

IDW began publishing a Rogue Trooper series this year. This character, like Judge Dredd, comes from the pages of UK comics magazine 2000AD. Co-created by Dave Gibbons, the original Rogue Trooper blended war comics with science-fiction. The G.I.’s of Rogue Trooper were not “Government Issue” but laboratory-spawned “Genetic Infantrymen” designed to withstand the harsh and toxic environments of an utterly poisoned Nu-Earth. Readers in the States may recognize Rogue Trooper from the video game of the same name, although the comics have never truly penetrated the mainstream here.

2000AD 314 - (20)

Our gallery today features parts one through four of the “Major Magnam” story – short enough that you can easily enjoy all of it, but long enough to give you a good idea of the vibe of this series. We also included some full-color covers from 2000AD featuring Rogue Trooper. Artist Brett Ewins, one of several to provide top-notch work on Rogue Trooper, dramatically illustrates this deliciously dark script by Gerry Finley-Day.

Collector’s Guide: You can enjoy the Rogue Trooper classics in two paperback volumes that, together, come to about 800 pages: Rogue Trooper Tales of Nu-Earth 1 and Tales of Nu-Earth 2. You can also enjoy the first issue free, courtesy of the BBC.








Lurid 1: F@#% This Morning, Too!

04 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in first issue, indie

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

first issue, IDW Publishing, Indie Comics, Lurid, strippers

Did you ever have one of those mornings when only the F word will do? Hey, strippers have those mornings, too! Sometimes you just wake up in a cheap hotel and can’t find what you’re looking for. Like, your rent money! F%#$!

The three-issue limited series Lurid is a quick read but a fun one. A dash of crime, a spoonful of storytelling from multiple perspectives, and a whole heap of boobies. In some ways, it reads like the racier stories from Love and Rockets. It’s a slice of indie goodness you may recall we previewed before. So fold up those dollar bills and get them on the table for the ladies of Lurid! Guaranteed to improve your f&#%-ing morning!

Collector’s Guide: From Lurid #1; IDW, 2002.



Preview of John Byrne’s Cold War from IDW!

08 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in crime, indie

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Cold War, IDW Publishing, Indie Comics, John Byrne

John Byrne rocked our worlds with the follow-up Next Men series recently at IDW, giving us a resolution to the greatest cliff hanger of all time at the end of Next Men #30 about 15 years ago. John, it was worth the wait! We’re looking forward to Aftermath also.

We were just corresponding with the good folks at IDW, and they sent us some images from the covers of John Byrne‘s next IDW project: Cold War. You can bet we already have our subscription on order! Here are the cover images we received, with permission to reprint them here from IDW.

Notice how John’s cooked up some alternate covers with a “propaganda poster” feel to them. IDW says there will be one for each issue of Cold War. Very cool!

Collector’s Guide:
– From Cold War #1-4; IDW, 2011.
– Reprinted in the Cold War TPB.



Nathan, I Don’t Want to Die Alone!

16 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in indie, science fiction, superhero

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, indie box, Indie Comics, John Byrne, Next Men

John Byrne is working on a new Next Men series now, published by IDW. It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Byrne wrote and drew what we consider his masterpiece: the original Next Men. Dig this seven-page irradiated love scene from issue #9. We didn’t know mutates did that! “Fascinating!”

Collector’s Guide:
– From Next Men #9; Dark Horse.
– Reprinted in Next Men TPB #2; Dark Horse, 1994.

IDW Reprints:
– Reprinted in Compleat Next Men TPB; IDW, 2008.
– Reprinted in Classic Next Men TPB; IDW, 2011.
– Reprinted in Next Men hardcover premiere edition; IDW, 2009.

Series continuation at IDW:
– Don’t miss the series continuation at IDW: Next Men; also in hardcover
– And the conclusion comes in Next Men: Aftermath!




Just Make Him Some Green and He’ll Be Happy!

09 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in crime, indie

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

IDW Publishing, Indie Comics, Lurid, pole dance, strippers, stripping

Lurid from IDW is a three-issue story about some strippers who get mixed up in drama and crime. Imagine that! It’s also got good humor and a great use of telling a story from multiple points of view. Plus, it has pole dancing. What else do you need?

Collector’s Guide: From Lurid; IDW, 2002.



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