That impression gets put to the test when a murder is discovered and everyone — living and dead — is a suspect. With Wausau quarantined and under government surveillance after the revival and strange sightings of something otherworldly in the woods, isolation and fear will begin to take their toll on the close-knit town.

Seeley and Norton, who both hail from small towns, call REVIVAL a rural noir, and for writer Seeley, it gives him an opportunity to explore another facet of the horror genre.

“Revival is … rooted in psychological horror — the fear of what happens to us when we die, the fear of not being sure if we can trust those closest to us,” he said in an April Comics Bulletin interview.

The environment in REVIVAL is part of creating the tone of existential dread. Norton works with colorist Mark Englert to create barren winter landscapes, reinforcing the themes of life and death.

“I’m excited to try and create an environment for this mystery we’ve built,” said Norton. “Mark and I are working hard to set a mood that hopefully sets the reader on edge. I couldn’t be happier with how this is turning out.”

REVIVAL is a full-color, ongoing comic book series from Image Comics. Its first issue is available for pre-order in the May issue of Previews and will be in stores on July 11. REVIVAL #1 features two covers, one by Jenny Frison and one by Craig Thompson.

This is what happens when I get the wild idea to try to write and draw my own comic.  If you want to see much better art, be sure to check out my webcomic, Paris in the 20th Century with art by the amazing Keri Grassl.

The book begins with the habitually appalling images of blacks as ignorant “coons” in the earliest syndicated strips (Happy Hooligan, Moon Mullins, and The Katzenjammer Kids); continues with the almost-quaint colonialist images of the often-suppressed Tintin album Tintin in the Congo and such ambiguous figures as Mandrake the Magician’s “noble savage” assistant Lothar in the ’30s (not to mention Torchy Brown, the first syndicated black character), moving on to such oddities as the offensive Ebony character in Will Eisner’s otherwise classic The Spirit from the ’40s and ’50s.

The book then continues into the often earnest attempts at ’60s integration in such strips as Peanuts (and comic books such as the Fantastic Four), as well as the first wave of “black strips” like Wee Pals, juxtaposed with the shocking satire of underground comics such as R. Crumb’s incendiary Angefood McSpade. Also investigated is the increased use of blacks in super-hero comic books as well as syndicated strips. Black Images in the Comics wraps up from the ’80s to now, with the increased visibility of blacks, often in works actually produced by blacks, all the way to the South African strip Madam & Eve, Aaron McGruder’s pointed daily The Boondocks, and more — including over a dozen new entries added to the out-of-print hardcover edition.

Each strip, comic, or graphic novel is spotlighted via a compact but instructive 200-word essay and a representative illustration. The book is augmented by a context-setting introduction, an extensive source list and bibliography, and a foreword by Charles R. Johnson, the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation fellowship and winner of the National Book Award for his 1990 novel Middle Passage.

Interested in a 30 page preview? Check it out here.

There is also a video and slideshow preview.

The comic book, which explores its own unique storyline from the film, is set in Tokyo, Japan where the Crow returns in the guise of a foreign exchange student named Jamie Osterberg. When Haruko, the love of his life, is stolen away from him, Jamie must search for answers–ones that turn deadly, and transform him into the spirit of vengeance, the Crow! With a sword that seeks truth, the Crow hunts down those responsible for this crime, discovering a web of horror that may lead him to kill his one true love.

“I was thrilled to help bring James O’Barr’s The Crowto the screen, and am equally thrilled to rediscover the character in this new incarnation of The Crow for IDW—it’s as if he’s come back from the grave all over again,” said Shirley. “It feels like The Crow is taking me on the journey into some very dark realms. All I can do is come along and hope to survive the trip. It helps to have a great talent like Kevin Colden along.”

The first of the monthly five-issue series will be released in print and digital in July, with more series to follow.

But, in the biggest piece of news….plans have also been announced for The Crow original creator James O’Barr to return with his own new series.  No word yet on when the official announcement will be made, or when the book will ship, but smart money says Sand Diego Comic Con for the announcement and September or October for the release.

Stay tuned!

The Walking Dead: Escape is a Walking Dead inspired obstacle course where you get to experience the first days of the apocalypse.  This is going to be unlike anything  ever experienced at SDCC.  Is it too soon to cue the fat comic nerd jokes?

There are three ways to participate in this epic adventure. Participants can be a Survivor and race through the zombie infested evacuation zone; a Walker who becomes one of the undead, embracing the inevitable; or a Spectator who watches the apocalypse from sidelines at the Escape Party.

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown - Chronicle Books - $14.95

In Darth Vader and Son, Jeffrey Brown takes many of the experiences of fatherhood and places them in the context of the Star Wars universe. He imagines how life would have been different if a flawed, yet loving Darth Vader had been given the opportunity to raise Luke Skywalker, often with hilarious results.

The other ting I was impressed by was the confidence Brown exhibits in his art. This is the strongest art I have seen from Brown. People who only have seen Brown’s art in his auto-bio comics may be surprised at the skill he demonstrates in this book. Not only are the pencils strong, but the coloring is strong as well – much stronger than the coloring in either of his Incredible Change Bots books.

Darth Vader and Son is not a story as much as it is a series of single page snapshots. Some are funny because of the relationship between father and son. Some are funny because of the relationship between Luke and Darth. And some are just plain funny. Overall the book is sure to bring smiles to the faces of fathers and sons alike. If you are looking for a good gift for Father’s Day (June 17th) this is a great idea.

Collecting all four issues of the miniseries and the one shot special The Fall of Red Sarah into a collectible hardcover format. There will also be an exclusive link inside to a DIGITAL EPILOGUE to be released upon the 2012 Presidential election results.

Is hte world ready for a return of the Barbarian President? We will find out in September!

A wonderful short film by Toniko Pantoja.

Just because.

Retired assassin Alan Fisher and his ballerina companion must escape a ruthless sniper who stalks them through the streets of Milan. To survive and protect the love of his life, Alan will unravel the tapestry of the past he’s kept hidden and discover the killer’s impossible identity.

There is a strong vein of the Bourne Identity running through the first issue of Dancer. Alan Fisher is deceptively cool and calm on the outside. But inside he hides a dark and bloody past. His wide-eyed companion, Quinn, is drug along in disbelief that the man she loves is capable of such violent acts. As much as she loves him and has to trust him, the revelation of his past makes her frightened of him. It is a compelling set-up and one that has produced some fantastic stores – the aforementioned Bourne books as well as Leon the Profession immediately come to mind.

However, what those stories are able to do quickly is give the reader or viewer someone to empathize with immediately. Either the confused and amnesic Jason Bourne, or the young Mathilda. Edmondson does not do that in this first issue. He is relying on the situation to be compelling without allowing us to get too attached to the characters. Hopefully there will be more reasons for us to care about the safety and well-being of the two protagonists as the series continues.

The art by Nic Klein is tricky. He employs two different inking styles on his figures creating a slightly disjointed effect. Alan (as well as most of the other males in the book) are heavily inked, giving their faces deep shadows and making their bodies sink in to the night background. However, the female characters (Quinn in particular) are lightly inked and are colored in smoother tones. This gives them the appearance of moving on a slightly different plane than the men.

That is not to say that i do not like the art in the book. Klein adds levels of depth and intrigue to the story be creating a setting that feels natural for a spy/assassin story. His Europe is dar, gritty, and the kind of place where hired killers roam the rooftops.

While Dancer is not the out of the park success I had expected given the strength of Who is Jake Ellis, it is an interesting premise full of potential. I will be back for the second issue to see where Edmondson takes us.

When vicious masses of undead monsters have taken over the planet, desperate humans cling to hope while warring factions of uniquely sinister zombies conspire against each other. Deadworld is a zombie tale unlike any other and a horrific and thrilling world that is decades in the making and unique unto itself.

“It seems like everything with Deadworld over the years is culminating towards this storyline, yet at the same time, it is an opportunity to introduce new readers to the Deadworld saga. That’s why I’m so excited about this series, as it accomplishes both” said co-creator Reed.

Deadworld has seen a number of different formats and volumes over the years, but Reed’s collaboration with artist Sami Makkonen, Deadworld: War of the Dead will be hitting comic shop shelves weekly in every one of August’s five weeks!

Five issues of grim and terrifying zombie action in one month? What could be better?

How about five issues of Deadworld in horrifying, skull-crushing full-color! For the first time!

As a bonus, IDW is offering Deadworld Classic Volume 1 and Volume 2 as well as the hit Deadworld: Last Siesta TPB!