Doom Patrol #1 by Darcy Van Poelgeest & Niko Henrichon launching in September!

Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol is my greatest influence in writing Geek-Girl and Cabra Cini, and I'm excited to have just learned The World's Strangest Heroes will be getting a new series in September, written by Darcy Van Poelgeest (Little Bird, Precious Metal) and illustrated by Niko Henrichon (Spectators, Pride of Baghdad).

The Doom Patrol are broke. Adopting a heroes-for-hire business model to stave off financial and emotional ruin, the team finds itself responding to a 'simple case' of a missing cat.

But when this case proves to be far from simple, the team find themselves pulled into a truly out-of-this-world situation!

And elsewhere, beyond the view of Robotman, Elasti-Girl, and Negative Man, and perhaps even beyond the veil of our reality, a ghost of the team’s past is preparing to cross into their world.

Doom Patrol #1 releases September 2nd.

Geek-Girl Vol.3: Team Geek-Girl TPB Out Now!

A great Jumping-On point for the series, the new Team Geek-Girl TPB collects Geek-Girl #5-#9 - the first five issues of Geek-Girl's New Direction. Here's the Press Release:

Geek-Girl joins a Super-Team – and things are gonna get weird!

Created and written by Sam Johnson (The Almighties, Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman) and illustrated by C Granda (Charmed, Grimm Fairy Tales) - Geek-Girl is a series featuring attractive, popular Maine college co-ed Ruby Kaye – a girl used to getting whatever she wants – who lands a pair of power-inducing super-tech glasses.

Since gaining her powers, Geek-Girl (a moniker jokily given to Ruby by her BFF Summer after Ruby’s initial difficulty handling her newfound super-strength led to some klutzy actions) has blossomed from a self-satisfying ‘It’-Girl to the heroine of her city of Maine – taking down major-threat super-villain Lightning Storm and playing an integral part in stemming the crime wave that sprung up in the wake of the damage Lightning Storm did to Maine’s law enforcement.

In the process of this, Geek-Girl has caught the eye of a certain Mr. Johnny Carlyle – a morally questionable entrepreneur who is looking to put together a Super-Team. Johnson fills us in: “Johnny showed up previously in the Geek-Girl series as a super-tech weapons dealer who was suspected of selling his wares indiscriminately – which earned him a dressing down from Maine’s First Lady of Super-Heroing, Neon Girl, during the crime wave that was going on there – which she believes he may have contributed to.

“Johnny then stepped up and hooked Geek-Girl and Neon Girl up with a mysterious telekinetic called Tyler, who helped them turn things around in their fight against crime… and led Johnny to coming up with the idea of creating a super-team – headed by Geek-Girl!”

Johnson continues, “In the new Geek-Girl TPB, Team Geek-Girl, Ruby Kaye is handed the keys to her new super-hero HQ just as her would-be team-mates make their way there on a plane – but there’s an ‘incident’ during their flight, and they may not all make it!”

Without spoiling things, Johnson says that now that Geek-Girl is an ongoing series, ‘the incident’ is just the beginning of the weirdness that will be coming Ruby’s way – influenced by one of the writer’s favorite comic runs – Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol. “I love how out-there that series is, and it helped inspire a number of weird and wonderful ideas that I’ve wanted to bring to my comics - and now that GG’s ongoing, I have the right venue for them. Get ready for The Hall of Diamonds; potential arch-nemesis Mean Girl; The Infinite: Limbo’s ‘crazy cousin’ dimension; Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman - and that’s just in this first arc alone. Things are gonna get weird and Ruby’s in for a wild ride.”

PREVIEW:

(right-click on images and 'open link in new tab' to enlarge)

Collecting Geek-Girl #5-#9 written by Johnson, illustrated by C Granda and colored by Chunlin Zhao, Geek-Girl Vol.3: Team Geek-Girl TPB is Out Now, published by Markosia, and available at www.geekgirlcomics.com and www.comixology.com



Praise for Geek-Girl:

“Grade A. Back and even better. Fans of indie superhero comic books will find a winner in Geek-Girl.” - Leroy Douresseaux, I Reads You.

“A great series to get into if you’re looking for something superhero related but original and interesting in its own right.” - Jay Brown, Comic Sleuth.

"A charming comic, the dialogue displays a witty back and forth that would make Kevin Smith proud." - Kris Bather, Broken Frontier.

“4.9 Geek-Heads out of 5. From the small conversations the characters have, to the dialogue that occurs during major fight scenes, readers are there, witnessing these events right before their eyes. These are characters readers will care about, and they’ll want to come back to see what happens next.” - Jose J. Becerra Jr., Anything Geek Culture.

"This comic book is something special." - Donna-Lyn Washington, Review Fix.

Doom Patrol is coming back!

I'm very pleased to hear that one of my favorite comics and My Greatest Influence is returning on July 3rd!

Gerard Way's incarnation of the DP is getting a new series in DOOM PATROL: WEIGHT OF THE WORLDS; Way is going to be joined by Jeremy Lambert as co-writer, and a slew of artists will be illustrating the series, starting with James Harvey - to be followed by Doc Shaner, Nick Pitarra, Becky Cloonan (who was involved in Way's original Doom Patrol pitch) and more. Here's the blurb:

Gerard Way and the World’s Strangest Super Heroes return in an all-new series that takes them beyond the borders of time and space! The Doom Patrol will go on an epic road trip around the solar system, facing off against the unusual and bizarre including the fanatical fitness fiends of planet Orbius and the Marathon Eternal. Big changes are coming for these unusual heroes, including Robotman coming to terms with his new life as a human.

I've mentioned loads of times how Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol is the biggest influence on my work, but that influence hasn't been all that apparent in Geek-Girl - until now. With the series now ongoing, things are going to get weirder, beginning with the introduction of the morally-dubious Johnny Carlyle in Geek-Girl #3. Johnny's got an offer for Ruby Kaye in Geek-Girl #4 (out now) and that's gonna lead to weirdness, starting in the Extra-Sized Geek-Girl #5, coming to Kickstarter on May 29th - and Previewing in a brand new FREE Geek-Girl Digital Comic out on May 4th, Free Comic Book Day!

Celebrating all of this. I'm going to be running a Geek-Girl/Doom Patrol Viral Giveaway (that will include Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #1) in May - and if you're not already on the Geek-Girl Mailing List, you can join up to get News on both the Giveaway and the new Free Digital GG Comic - here! :)

Doom Patrol #5 Review

*No Spoilers*

It's been a wild ride so far in Gerard Way, Nick Derington and Tamra Bonvillain's Doom Patrol, and this is the issue where the team finally come together (kind of)...

Torminax and The Vectra are torturing and destroying Danny, and using him to produce meat. Now that his comicbook-creation-made-flesh Casey Brinke has got her head around the revelations of who she truly is, she and Danny are out to assemble the Doom Patrol and stop the bad guys, via Casey's ability to drive Danny (now an ambulance) through time!

If all of that sounds 'WTF' to you, you're probably new to the world of my greatest influence, the Grant Morrison-written era of the Doom Patrol, now retooled under DC's Young Animal imprint. For those who read Morrison's era, Doom Patrol #5 has several familiar gems, as robot-with-a-human-brain Cliff Steele and former fighter pilot-housing-radioactive-negative-energy-spirit Larry Trainor make their proper comeback this issue and are reunited with sentient former-transvestite-street-now-ambulance, Danny.

There's joy for long-term fans in the lines spouted by no-nonsense, sweary Cliff (as well as the flamboyant words of Danny) as he and Larry go full force against The Vectra, Casey's Dad Torminax and an evil version of Casey - Cliff and Larry aided by associates including their sometime team-mate, Flex Mentallo, 'Man of Muscle Mystery' - and Danny dispatches Casey through time to prevent things from ever getting to the state they're currently in - 'Dannyland' all but destroyed.

Pros and cons of the issue: the art's great and things are firing on all cylinders with the heroes' characters. The villains aren't as out-there as they could be and the time travel element is impossible to follow; Casey: "But Past-Me is sitting in a prison right now. If she dies, I'll cease to exist, and everyone in Dannyland we're here to rescue won't make it." Danny: "Don't worry about that. Just head into Past-Danny..." But it's all weird fun, there are also some nice interludes featuring feline DP-member-to-be Lotion (the team don't fully assemble this issue) and the team's former leader Niles Caulder, and the ending throws us a curveball tying back into the first issue that promises to take the weird up another notch.

Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol was my favorite comicbook of its time, and Gerard Way's Doom Patrol is my favorite comicbook out now. You can check out a 4-Page Preview of Doom Patrol #5 here!

Doom Patrol #5 Preview

It's been over 5 months since Doom Patrol's triumphant relaunch under Gerard Way's DC Young Animal imprint, and the current incarnation - written by Way, illustrated by Nick Derington & colored by Tamra Bonvillain - has recaptured the magic found in Grant Morrison and Richard Case's run, the greatest influence on my own work, as well as bringing something fresh. And now, with Doom Patrol #5, out March 22nd, the world's weirdest super-heroes finally come together as a team for the first time in the new series!

Check out a Preview here!:

(right-click on images and 'open in new tab' to enlarge)

And join me back here on Sunday for my Review! :)

Doom Patrol #1 Review

*NO SPOILERS*

*

I have anticipated this comic release more than any other ever; Grant Morrison's take on Doom Patrol was one of my favorite runs on a comic, as well as being the greatest influence on my own work - its weirdness felt in almost all of my comics, including The Almighties, Geek-Girl, and Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman.

The new DP is the fourth attempt at relaunching the book successfully since the run that began written by Paul Kupperberg; which Morrison then came in and shook things up on, before handing (what was left of) the Doom Patrol to Rachel Pollack.

Though they had their moments (for me, most notably the Rita Farr-centric issue during Keith Giffen's run) - subsequent returns to the team just weren't out there enough, after what Morrison turned things into - and didn't sustain an audience.

Enter Gerard Way, whom also cites Morrison DP as a big influence (something evidenced in his Umbrella Academy mini-series)... and I had high hopes for this new incarnation.

I'm very pleased to say, it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's better than I'd hoped for.

Following an ambiguous and pleasingly weird opening page (including a bomb marked 'Grandma'), we enter the world of ambulance driver Casey Brinke. She and her medi-partner Sam are running red lights, bringing an old feller to the hospital.

Job done, it's break time - and while Casey plays an arcade game, Sam waxes lyrical on hidden universes and posits the idea of one being contained in his gyro (the book's regular cover has a peel-and-reveal gyro on it).

(right-click on image and 'open in new tab' to enlarge)

In another world, Doom Patrol's Main Man Cliff 'Robotman' Steele is on a mission, culminating in him pushing a button that blasts him out of said world and into Casey & Sam's.

I won't reveal too much more, so as to avoid spoilers...

That said, the feeling, reading this book, was akin to watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens - it feels like coming home. Way and Derrington's debut taps into previous incarnations, including the most recent one by Keith Giffen, Matthew Clark & Ron Randall, which reintroduced us to Danny - the sentient sometime street, sometime world; most recently island (discounting the New 52 incarnation) - who plays an integral part here.

Using a couple of different styles, Nick Derington does a nice job of illustrating the darker and more bizarre elements, alongside Casey Brinke's world (our entry point to the bizarreness of the Doom Patrol) and her wide-eyed disposition.

The Weird is back, but fresh at the same time - and I am so in for this ride...

* Cover featured may not accurately represent the gyro. ;)

Doom Patrol #1 Preview

The Grant Morrison era of Doom Patrol is one of my favorite comic runs ever, and the greatest influence on my own work. Gerard Way & Nick Derington's new incarnation - which also launches Way's DC Young Animal imprint - looks set to tap into that, as well bringing something fresh to the mix - and as a result I've never looked forward to a comic launch more.

Doom Patrol #1 is out on 14th Sept, and you can check out a Preview below (the text on page 2 is hard to make out, but this is how it was released)...

(right-click on images and 'open in new tab' to enlarge)

Look for my Review here on Wednesday!

Wonder Woman: Earth One & The Almighties on Comics Cavalcade

You can listen to Darrin Wright reviewing Grant Morrison & Yanick Paquette's Wonder Woman: Earth One and talking to The Almighties' co-creator Mike Gagnon and I about their book in the new Comics Cavalcade podcast here!

My Greatest Influence

There's been a big announcement: Gerard Way - writer of The Umbrella Academy and former frontman of My Chemical Romance - is getting his own line of comics at DC. The imprint, called Young Animal, will initially have four titles - all written and/or overseen by Way - Shade the Changing Girl, Mother Panic, Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye (you can find out more about them here); and the one I'm most excited for - a relaunched Doom Patrol.

I was introduced to the Doom Patrol with the launch of DC's Vertigo line when Rachel Pollack took over as writer; her first arc transitioning from Grant Morrison's run, with Richard Case continuing to illustrate, before the title became more Pollack's own style. There was plenty to like in Pollack's Doom Patrol, and it also turned me on to Morrison's - which became one of my favorite ever comic runs and, as it seems to be with Gerard Way, the biggest influence on my comics work.

Under writer Paul Kupperberg, the DP had become more like a Teen Titans/X-Men-type book than its original vision and gotten a lot less weird.

Grant Morrison came on board and re-imagined it - keeping the most recognizable of the Patrol, the world-weary robot-with-a-human-brain Cliff Steele; sidelining and de-superheroing Josh Clay, making him basically Niles Caulder(the Chief of the team)'s assistant; weirding up teen heroine Rhea Jones a.k.a. Lodestone - she came out of a coma faceless, running around naked (her modesty protected by her long, straggly red hair - overgrown due to the coma) - with a big eye below her head. He also took another DP stalwart, Larry Trainor a.k.a. Negative Man and merged him with doctor Eleanor Poole to form enigmatic hermaphrodite hero/ine Rebis, introduced Crazy Jane (a schizophrenic with multiple personalities - each with their own super power), and Dorothy Spinner, a simian-like young girl who could bring her imaginary friends to life.

This crew, and the bizarre threats they faced, captured my imagination like nothing else ever has, and its bizarreness has influenced some of my work - notably in The Almighties villain, masked eccentric pseudo-Nazi White Out - who will be returning in my Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman mini-series late this year.

Cabra wouldn't exist without Pollack, Case & Morrisons' Doom Patrols, either, and I even homage/recreate panels from Pollack & Case's first issue in her mini-series, in pages illustrated by R.D. Ricci.

Doom Patrol #64

(right-click on images and 'open in new tab' to enlarge)

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #2

Another of my creations who wouldn't exist without the inspiration of the DP is villain Mr. Mash-Up, who can tap into people's minds and transform the vessel he houses into clones of whomever they most fear/hate - before transferring his consciousness into the clone and releasing it, shedding his skin, to reign torture on their lives.

Mr. Mash-Up has made a number of appearances - in IF-X, Pandemonium Spotlight, Geek-Girl #0, the free Cabra Cini digital comic Dark New Year - and will be returning in the Geek-Girl mini-series, also slated for release late this year.

But back to Gerard Way's Doom Patrol. This appears to be an incarnation evolved from a mooted DP pitch Way made with artist Becky Cloonan that he was at the time unable to follow through with due to how busy he was with My Chemical Romance. But with the band now retired, Way has teamed with artist Nick Derington to bring the book to life!

Gerard Way & Nick Derington

The blurb from DC reads, "This September, in the spirit of Grant Morrison's legendary run on the series, along with other classic incarnations of the characters, writer Gerard Way and artist Nick Derington will put their unique stamp on the world's strangest heroes taking on the universe's strangest villains." Judging by his Twitter feed, Way is very excited to bring us this book, and it's something I can't wait for!

For updates on it, a good place to go is http://mygreatestadventure80.blogspot.co.uk - and I don't imagine this will be the last I'll be posting about Way & Derington's Doom Patrol here... ;)

Snake Oil Comics podcast

You can listen to me talking about my Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman and The Almighties - along with Jonathan Hickman's Avengers and Grant Morrison on the latest episode of the Snake Oil Comics podcast here!

Interview with Make Mine Marvel

I recently did a live interview with Make Mine Marvel Facebook Group and some of their members. Here's the edited version... ;)

Shaun Chillz Murdock (Make Mine Marvel): Seems odd saying Welcome Sam, as ya such a familiar face to us all. But welcome on and thanks for taking time to chat with us!!!

Josh Miller (Make Mine Marvel): Howdy, Sam my man.

Shaun Chillz Murdock: So Sam what was it about comics that made you want to be a comic writer?

Sam Johnson: I was into comics as a kid, then as many do, left 'em at some point in my teen years... What Rob Liefeld was bringing to New Mutants caught my eye one day; and this was around the time I was deciding what I wanted to do, which was always gonna be writing-based...

Some Image studios ran Talent Search contests when I was back into comics, I entered them and decided this is what I wanna do.

Josh Miller: So you are clearly a Dead pool fan, what about that character draws you to him?

Sam Johnson: He's nuts, he's funny, dark, has depth, works in a grey area. What other supertype has voices in their head? COME ON! And it's 'Deadpool,' Josh, come on, let's get it right.

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM:) Ignore Josh, he's still trying to figure out how to use a touch screen phone lol

Josh Miller (MMM): it separates the words on its own!!

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): Speaking of Deadpool, I heard you had some scripts for the Deadpool Team-Up series??? Can ya tell us about that??

Josh Miller (MMM): I know you love dead pool, is there any other character you have submitted work for?

Sam Johnson: I haven't submitted anything for Wade, I have a pitch written and I'm waiting for the right time to hopefully happen. I'd need to be much higher profile than I currently am to be a realistic consideration, but I've got series in the works, which is what I need to have to achieve that (as opposed to stuff in anthologies and one-shots, which is what I've had so far).

Jake Zimmanck: What up home boy...my usual question, you like Batman???

Sam Johnson: I quite like Batman, Jake, but I've never connected with DC the way I do with Marvel--except with Doom Patrol. Grant Morrison's weirdness on Doom Patrol is my biggest inspiration, that affects most of my creations to varying levels; the biggest one being the series I'm currently trying out an artist for. Peter David and Bendy [Brian Michael Bendis] are also influences on that.

Jake Zimmanck: Is it Deadpool being as crazy as you that drew you to him??

Sam Johnson: Lol, Jake, there's some similarity but not too much, I hope.

Tara Palin: I have a question, what do you expect from, if ever it happens, the Deadpool film?

Sam Johnson: If they go with this script they keep on about, I expect great things. Whether Ryan Reynolds' opening for his new movie is gonna be another spanner in the works with it, though, I don't know...

Dionisis Tavakis: I think with the right script Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the role.

Sam Johnson: I'm down with that, and I dig his enthusiasm for the character.

Jake Zimmanck: Ugh, why am the only one that hates Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool?

Tara Palin: I love Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool but he needs the costume. Deadpool is not a looker so I can't take him seriously.

Sam Johnson: No, well if they go with what Reynolds has been saying, it'll be the Wade we know and love, scars an' all.

Shaun Chillz Murdock(MMM): Better be!!!! The [X-Men] Origins [Wolverine] nonsense was a joke.

Sam Johnson: I think pretty much everyone feels that, Shaun, I'm sure Reynolds included.

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): I know cause I'm cool lol, but tell us a bit about your own stuff!! Loved Almighties by the way. Classic humour very much suited for the merc with a mouth (you listening Marvel!!!!)

Sam Johnson: The Almighties was a lot of fun and we're working on two new Almighties one-shots, and speaking of Deadpool, one of these will see the introduction of my DP-parodying character Wayne Winston.

Tara Palin: I like Geek-Girl, it [the mini-series] will be worth the wait. When you created her, who or what was you inspiration, because she is pretty fit?

Sam Johnson: Yes, she is pretty fit, Tara. GG was one of a bunch of ideas of mine for an Image 'Who Wants to Create a Super-heroine' contest, I think it was as simple as thinking up concepts for that.

Josh Miller (MMM): Have you got any feedback from writers and artists about your work?

Sam Johnson: Yeah, Mike Carey dug Geek-Girl, Troy Hickman dug The Almighties... I'm a bit of a reviews whore, so it's generally more reviews than feedback, as such, Josh. The Almighties went down very well.

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): Mike is great!!! Looking forward to picking up his novels. And that's good to hear, man.

Josh Miller (MmM): When will we see more of your work?!?

Sam Johnson: Almighties Origins should be the next thing, it may just be a little free download but it'll also set up the new Almighties #1. Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman has her own mini-series in the works, having appeared in a bunch of anthologies. If you're not familiar with her, you can read her debut free here.

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): Any idea on [Almighties Origins'] release date? Any plans to parody any other characters?

Sam Johnson: Late 2013. The new Almighties #1 will actually be moving on from 'parody' to 'comedy', though. The main reason Diamond didn't go for the first one is that parody books are a tough market, and I want the new #1 in Previews and in comic shops.

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): You still reading comics?? What's your favorite run at the moment?

Sam Johnson: Deadpool. I didn't care for the Dead Presidents arc, but since #7, writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan have found their 'Pool-voice, and Mike Hawthorne was a good addition to the art crew. Also, Thunderbolts. I've been impressed with both of new writer Charles Soule's issues so far!

Shaun Chillz Murdock (MMM): Agreed, same here, man!! Dead Presidents was ok. Been great chatting with ya. Ya know ya always welcome sharing any links etc here. Always grateful for the news on your Marvel NOW! [Facebook] page.

Sam Johnson: Cheers. Thanks for having me and to everyone for stopping by.

Josh Miller (MMM): I enjoyed the dead presidents lol but have a good one, Sam.

Sam Johnson: Cheers. Peace, out!

Jake Zimmanck: Thanks again, Sambo, you're the man, I appreciate all of your promo skillz. Much love, bro.

The Abnormals

I've been invited by fellow Brit/comics creator Grant Springford to join a bunch of other British writers and artists in contributing to his new Abnormals anthology.


Springford and I share Grant Morrison's bizarre run on superhero/misfits Doom Patrol as one of our big influences--evident in The Abnormals--and the story I'll be working on will star The Ab's resident demon, Nasty--whom Springford describes as Howard the Duck meets Wolverine--a ferocious fighter with poisonous claws and the ability to vomit acid (nice) among his powers; and will take place in Springford's weird Subterranea, that exists beneath London.


Graham Pierce, creator of the acclaimed Sgt. Mike Battle, will be handling the art, and the story will be one of a bunch of strips spotlighting the team's members.

If you're not familiar with The Abnormals and would like to check them out, you can get in on the ground floor of their universe with The Abnormals Special--out now and available at the Abnormals website!