BOB LAYTON TO JOIN TEAM ZOOM SUIT AT MEGACON

Fans of comics are in for a treat this February 24-26 in Orlando, Florida as legendary artist and Future Comics founder, Bob Layton, will be attending MegaCon as a guest of Superverse and Team Zoom Suit. Layton, who is one of the “Armored Legends” artists who has provided an exclusive variant cover for the Zoom Suit comic series, will be on hand to sign autographs and answer fans’ questions.

Team Zoom Suit will be appearing at the three day convention at the Orange County Convention Center showcasing the animated film Zoom Suit and displaying the first issue of the April releasing comic series. Zoom Suit writer and director, John Taddeo, will be in appearance, along with the animation team of Jorge Palacios, Nakia Mann, Diana Striker, Mike Centowski, Booker Thompson, Derrick Dawson and Cameron Kirk. Comic book artist Billy Dallas Patton will also be appearing and signing autographs. An exclusive MetalFX Zoom Suit promo card set has been created to commemorate the event.

“Having Bob at MegaCon with us is great for the fans, including myself,” said Taddeo. “His career speaks for itself, but if I had to say one thing, it would be that his cover to Iron Man #118 back when I was a kid was the initial inspiration for the Zoom Suit story. It’s that same feeling that I’m hoping a new generation will get when they read the Zoom Suit comic.”

The award-winning animated short Zoom Suit, created by John Taddeo, can be seen online at www.superverse.com. The Zoom Suit comic book will be solicited under Superverse in the February edition of Previews for items shipping in April 2006 on page 313. It can be ordered using product code: FEB063259.

Masters Of Horror: Imprint" to be released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment

IDT ENTERTAINMENT’S
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES
EXCLUSIVE DVD RELEASE OF
TAKASHI MIIKE’S “IMPRINT”
FROM “MASTERS OF HORROR”

IDT Entertainment’s Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly announces the upcoming exclusive DVD release of Takashi Miike’s controversial film “Imprint” from the critically acclaimed MASTERS OF HORROR anthology series.

Premiering on the Showtime cable network in October 2005 to critical and public acclaim, each MASTERS OF HORROR film stands alone as an exercise in terror, written and directed with complete artistic freedom by the genre’s leading practitioners.

MASTERS OF HORROR is the ultimate director-driven project. “Imprint” is the only one from the thirteen episodes produced that will not air. “Like all the films in this groundbreaking series,” says executive producer John W. Hyde, ‘Imprint’ was made with no restrictions whatsoever on the filmmaker and we are honored to be able to bring Miike’s unadulterated vision to the fans.”

Miike observed: “To tell you the truth, I was not surprised to hear that ‘Imprint’ would not air. Through the experience of directing this episode, I have discovered that while humor can have its limits, fear has no limits. I could not suppress the volume of terror that this film conveys.”

Based on the terrifying novel “Bokkee Kyoutee” (Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., LTD) by Shimako Iwai, Takashi Miike’s “Imprint,” produced by Kadokawa Pictures USA and filmed at Kadokawa Pictures in Tokyo, Japan, is set amid the corpse-strewn riverbanks of 19th century Japan in this tale of an American journalist (Billy Drago, “The Untouchables” and “Demon Hunter”), hoping to find a love he left behind. The journalist’s hunt leads to a dark island where the only refuge is a brothel. Spending the night with a unique woman (Youki Kudoh, “Memoirs of a Geisha”), he learns the danger of dredging up old ghosts.

In the 10 years since his first feature film, the prolific Takashi Miike has earned worldwide acclaim, and with such box office hits as “The Great Yokai War” and “One Missed Call”, has become one of the few directors who can lure international audiences to Japanese films. In 2000, his “Audition” won the critics’ prize at the 29th Rotterdam International Film Festival and he received the “Movie Making Best of the ‘90s” title from the 10Th Japan Movie Professional Awards. In 2003, his “Gozu” was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. “Imprint” is Miike’s first English-language film.

Anchor Bay Entertainment will release “Imprint” on DVD in fall 2006. Anticipated bonus features include exclusive behind the scenes footage, trailers, stills and more. Kadokawa Herald Pictures in Tokyo, Japan is planning its world premiere and release soon thereafter.

The executive producers of MASTERS OF HORROR are IDT Entertainment’s Morris Berger, Steve Brown, and John W. Hyde; Industry Entertainment’s Keith Addis and Andrew Deane; and Nice Guy Productions’ Mick Garris. Reunion Pictures’ Lisa Richardson and Tom Rowe are producers. Industry Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm and Ben Browning are co- producers on the series.

THE LOOKING GLASS WAR: HATTER M OFFICIALLY A HIT

Desperado Publishing has been informed by Diamond Comic Distributors that all copies of the Image Comics-released title The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 that the distributor had on hand have been sold. Series creator, Frank Beddor, has given the last of his personal copies to Diamond to fulfill recent reorders so the title has now officially and completely sold out of its print run of 9000.

“It’s a good day for a creator when his distributor sends a purchase order to buy up his own personal stash,” commented series writer, Frank Beddor.

“This is the type of problem a publisher hopes to have,” said Desperado Publishing publisher, Joe Pruett. “We believed that this book was really good and we hoped that others would feel the same way. Judging by the response it’s getting both from fans and from critics, I guess they do. And just wait until they see issue #2.”

Originally released on December 7, The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #1 tells the story of Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan, who after being shot through an exit portal into a world far different from his own, finds himself in Paris, France in the year 1859, shockingly separated from Princess Alyss of Wonderland. Pledged to protect the princess after the bloody coup that killed her parents at the start of the Looking Glass Wars, Hatter’s search for Alyss commences immediately and continues incessantly leaving the whispers and totems of myth in his non-stop wake. Put to rest any delusions or disinformation you may have of the tea guzzling madman of faux literary history and prepare to expand your consciousness as the saga of Hatter Madigan and his relentless search for Alyss, Wonderland’s lost princess, unfolds in this upcoming series.

The four issue mini-series features a story by Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier with full color art by Ben Templesmith. Beddor is the author of The Looking Glass Wars novels, currently only available in the UK, but soon to be released in the US through Penguin Young Readers Group, as well as producer of the hugely popular Hollywood film, There’s Something About Mary.

This sell out is due in part to the rave reviews the title has been receiving. Here are just a few of those comments:

“Comic readers are lucky to have this book…” – Brian Truitt, The Washington Examiner

“This is an excellent book filled with action, horror, and humor. Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier wrote a stunning story; Desperado Publishing has a franchise in the making here.” - John L. Daniels Jr., ComicCritique.com

“The story is at times sweet, raw, inventive and hilarious.” – Robert Taylor, HeroRealm.com
“Ben Templesmith rocks the house in Hatter M.” – Dexter K. Flowers, BrokenFrontier.com

“The writer masterfully intertwines pop culture with the macabre.” – Ariel Carmona, Jr., SilverBulletComicbooks.com

“This issue is creativity at its best. It is rare to read a comic like Hatter M. If you are tired of reading the same old superhero comics and want something new to try, then try Hatter M. Originality at its highest.” – Phillip Hayes, PaperbackReader.com

“It's a mad, mad world that everyone should be reading.” – Hilary Goldstein, IGN.com

“Frank Beddor and Liz Cavalier make literary magic with the precocious debut of Hatter M.” – Paul Dale Roberts, Jazmaonline.com

If demand warrants, a second printing of the first issue may become available in time for this year’s convention season.

There is still time to order copies of The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M #2. The order code to do so is: DEC051775.

To learn more about The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M and other Desperado Publishing series, log onto: www.desperadopublishing.com and www.lookingglasswars.com.

POW! Entertainment procures the exclusive rights

Entertainment (PK: POWN), has announced that POW! Entertainment acquired the exclusive rights and ownership in perpetuity to the name “Stan Lee”, his likeness, brand and signature slogans “Stan Lee Presents”, Excelsior” and “Stan's Soap Box. POW! also acquired most of the intellectual properties created by Stan Lee during the period beginning after his tenure as Marvel's chief creative officer, editor in chief, and publisher and predate POW! Entertainment. The rights are in addition to new properties that are currently being developed by Stan Lee for other major entertainment conglomerates on behalf of POW! Entertainment.
The agreements gave POW! Entertainment the rights to licenses and receive royalties from Stan Lee's future and more recent creations that have been emerging in voluminous quantities since Stan Lee's negotiated release from Marvel. Marvel retains the exclusive rights to his former co-creations like Spider-man ®(a) , The Hulk ®(a) , Daredevil ®(a), X-men ®(a) , Fantastic Four ®(a) and other Stan Lee originals while at Marvel.
Stan Lee says, "Over the years, I fortunately managed to maintain the rights to my name and other signature slogans that I have developed. I am ever so pleased POW! Entertainment is both the custodian and manager of my current and future works. POW! not only has a strong business management team but also has maintained a creative artistic element among its officers and directors.”
POW!'s president, Gill Champion, says, "Although it is impossible to put a definitive number to the valuation of the “Stan Lee” brand, we feel this truly is one of the most valuable assets an entertainment company could have in its portfolio. I equate it to the likes of owning the rights to the name and marks of Walt Disney or Warner Brothers. Stan Lee has become a literary legend and his creative talents have produced some of the most successful franchises of all time. His name and marks are part and parcel to our culture and it is with great honor that we have added this treasure of good will to our portfolio and consolidated the Stan Lee Brand under POW!'s ownership. Inclusive of all Stan Lee's Future Projects this acquisition includes rights to the licensing royalties in Stan Lee's most current works with many of them already in various stages of development. It is my opinion, from what I have observed the best of Stan Lee is yet to come. It is POW! Entertainment's intention in the months, years and decades to come, to introduce to the world a plethora of perhaps the most unforgettable Stan Lee character franchises of all time”.
Arthur M. Lieberman, Esq., Chief Business Affairs and Director of POW! Entertainment. Mr. Lieberman is a seasoned entertainment attorney specializing in Intellectual Properties. In his over thirty-five years of experience, he has granted character rights to Universal Studios, Fox Studio's, Warner Bros. , Bantam Books, Ace Books, Marvel Comics, Mattel, and Hasbro among others. Arthur states, “From my years advising and working with top entertainment companies, I believe that the core foundation for any entertainment company should be firmly grounded in the ownership or control of top rate intellectual properties. The granting of the rights to the Stan Lee brands to POW! Entertainment, in my opinion gives the company an unprecedented foothold into the upper echelons of entertainment's elite as well as a firm advantage over competitors. Stan Lee has created many of the most successful contemporary intellectual properties known throughout the world today and his fan base extends globally and numbers the millions. We are sincerely appreciative of Stan Lee's contributions to the company and the public has so much to look forward to as “Stan Lee Presents” his new Superheroes and heroines through POW! Entertainment.
POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, Inc. was founded by world famous comicbook icon Stan Lee, together with Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman. POW's principals, combined, have over a hundred years experience creating, producing and licensing original intellectual properties. POW! will specialize in franchises for the entertainment industry, including animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, video games, merchandising, and related ancillary markets, all of which aid in the establishment of global franchises. POW! partners with studios and networks in creating new and exciting characters that will perpetuate the brands of both POW! and Stan Lee. In some cases, POW! creates "custom-tailored" properties for a specific star or director.
Stan Lee, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of POW!, is the creator and inventor of the modern superhero. A prolific author, Lee revolutionized the comic book industry by creating compelling characters who, despite extraordinary powers and talents, are none the less plagued by the same doubts and difficulties experienced by ordinary people. Some of his most enduring characters, like Spider-Man®(a), The Hulk®(a), and X-Men®(a), have been spun off into television programs and feature films that have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "will," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ZOOM SUIT COMIC FIRST TO FEATURE COVER TO COVER METALFX® ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Zoom Suit #1, solicited under Superverse in the February issue of Previews for items shipping in April 2006, has been sponsored by MetalFX® Technology and will feature their cutting edge MetalFX® inks process throughout the entire 36 story pages. The team up between Team Zoom Suit (USA), MetalFX® Technology (United Kingdom) and Datachrome Printers (Canada) marks the first “Cover to Cover” enhanced printing process.

MetalFX® Technology is a Universal Process and Spot Metallic Color System that allows millions of metallic colors to be printed utilizing a software-driven prepress process and adding a MetalFX® base ink to the usual CMYK mix. The process allows the alien created Zoom Suit to pop off the pages and give readers the impression that the suit is real.

“It’s pretty sick looking,” enthused Zoom Suit creator and writer, John Taddeo. “It’s like High Def or 3D. In full metal, the suit is really jumping off the page, and to offer it throughout the entire book without raising the cover price is a huge win for everyone. I’d like to thank my trade partners for their help. This wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of Datachrome and MetalFX® Technology.”

With over 250,000 comics and animation fans having already viewed the award-winning animated film Zoom Suit, a built in audience is expected for the debut of the comic book mini-series in April 2006. The first issue of the four issue mini-series is written by Zoom Suit creator, John Taddeo, with art by Billy Dallas Patton (X-Men Unlimited) and covers by Patton, Billy Tucci and Bob Layton. Additionally, a series of retailer incentives feature artwork by “Armored Legend” pencilers Gene Colan, Bart Sears, Jim Starlin and Bob Layton.

In issue #1, an alien craft crash lands in Roswell, New Mexico, and the reports are heard around the world. Fast forward 60 years. The suit is stolen by turncoat NSA Agent Simon Bane. In a theft attempt reminiscent of DB Cooper, Simon leaps from an Army chopper at 8,000 feet and begins to don the Zoom Suit. However, he has made a deadly error: Aliens are small! The suit doesn’t fit! Simon and the suit fall helplessly to earth at terminal velocity. On Earth, thirteen year old Myles Mason is bummed about not being able to afford a Halloween costume, when suddenly, from the sky, alien armor crashes to Earth just a few feet behind him.

Zoom Suit is aimed at an 8 to 80 audience and looks to bring some fun back to comics. The first issue features a $2.95 cover price and contains 36 pages of story and art plus two full letters pages and ads parodying “old skool” ads seen in Marvel and DC comics for X-Ray specs, giant monsters, etc. The issue also contains many pop culture references and inside jokes as well as a secret code hidden throughout that will take fans on a mission outside the book, across the internet and into the middle of an alien conspiracy. Those that can decipher the code and solve the mystery will receive prizes such as DVDs and limited edition comics and trading cards.

TITAN BOOKS TO REVEAL X-PLOSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES HISTORY OF THE X-MEN

Mutant mania is at an all-time high with the X-Men’s eagerly anticipated return to the big screen in May 2006 with X-Men 3, starring Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, and Ian McKellan!

Titan Books, the leading publisher of books on film, TV, and popular culture, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the worldwide license for an in-depth history of the mighty mutants in comics. Comics Creators on X-Men (May 2006; 1-84576-173-1) by industry insider Tom DeFalco will offer a definitive analysis of the X-Men’s comics career, featuring interviews with every major talent involved, including original co-creator Stan Lee, fan-favorite Chris Claremont, superstar artists John Byrne and Alan Davis, as well as recent writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar.

Packed with exclusive sketches, script pages, rare and classic covers, and essential background information on the X-Men’s labyrinthine history and vast cast of characters, this book promises to be the kind of resource no X-Men or comics fan can do without.

For the uninitiated, the X-Men characters exist in a futuristic version of our current world, a near future in which humanity feels threatened by the grave challenge of mutation. Gifted with an array of incredible powers, they have fought to break down the barriers of fear and hate between human-kind and mutant-kind for over fifty years (and in three blockbuster films!).

The title expands Titan’s popular Comics Creators series by DeFalco, which already includes Comics Creators on Spider-man and Comics Creators on Fantastic Four.

Marvel Knights Finds a New Mission!

Eight years after its inception, Marvel Knights is re-inventing itself while seeing a return to its roots! Originally meant to shine a light on Marvel’s darker corners and forgotten characters, Knights lead the first wave of Marvel’s renaissance. Now, as Marvel and the rest of the comic book industry continues to see business grow, Marvel Knights has redefined its mission, and plans to unveil upcoming series that will set the industry ablaze once again!

The proud “father” of Marvel Knights, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, is thrilled with the continued success and future of the imprint he helped shape. “Marvel Knights is the showcase for ‘evergreen events’ -- self-contained limited series that think outside the box, that challenge readers to re-think their favorite Marvel characters and re-evaluate the legends that surround them. In other words, Marvel Knights will be a place for top talent to work without constraints, and deliver the kind of product fans deserve!”


Executive Editor and Marvel Knights’ “god-father” Axel Alonso sheds light on this new development. “These stand alone stories won’t just challenge readers to re-think their favorite Marvel legends. Oftentimes, we’ll focus on characters that are off the beaten path—boiling these archetypes down to their cores. We want to build on the tradition of limited series like Ennis and Crain’s GHOST RIDER, Frank Cho’s SHANNA, THE SHE-DEVIL and Rodi and Ribic’s LOKI -- each of which offered very distinct visions for Marvel characters, and each of which -- judging by sales numbers -- were embraced by fandom.”

The mini-series that will define Marvel Knights for the future include the upcoming FURY: PEACEMAKER (Issue #1 - DEC051990) by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson, the previously announced SILVER SURFER: REQUEIM by J. Michael Straczynski & Esad Ribic (set for early 2007), and the follow-up to the red-hot GHOST RIDER mini-series SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE by Garth Ennis & Clayton Crain. Also slated for Knight-hood is a chilling tale of Peter Parker’s future entitled THE SPIDER by Kaare Andrews. Look for these and more throughout 2006 and into 2007!

As for the on-going series that currently call Knights their home, they are moving under the Marvel Universe banner. It is important to note that this does not affect these books ratings, creative teams, or story content. The books affected will change with the issues indicated below:

BLACK PANTHER #14 (JAN062011), the first issue of the “Bride of the Panther” arc, which will see the union of Black Panther and the X-Men’s Storm.

DAREDEVIL #82 (DEC051984), which finds Daredevil’s fate at the mercy of some of his most feared villains, and masterfully crafted by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark!

MOON KNIGHT #1, a new on-going which re-establishes the wildly popular, and unpredictable, character back in the Marvel Universe by crime-fiction author Charlie Huston and David (New Avengers) Finch

SQUADRON SUPREME #1 (JAN062014), will relaunch in March as the team is formed and stands as their Universe’s last line of defense—if they don’t kill each other or their own world first!

The ongoing WOLVERINE series will also change as of issue #42, when Logan welcomes aboard a new creative team and enters the brewing CIVIL WAR

Two books will also see a name change due to their move to the Marvel Universe.
MARVEL KNIGHTS FOUR will become FOUR with issue 28 (JAN0620090).
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN becomes SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN with issue 23 (DEC051976), as Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Angel Medina take the helm of that title

2006 is the year to watch for the Marvel Universe, and Marvel Knights is no exception. Look for more ground-breaking, buzz-worthy series as the year progresses!

The HORESMEN Ride Again – and Get a New Look Courtesy of a re-vamped Salvador Larocca!!

Mutantkind has been Decimated to the verge of extinction and finds itself in need of a savior. Beginning in X-Men #182, the world must brace themselves for the return of APOCALYPSE! And to help readers brace themselves, Marvel is pleased to offer, at no extra charge, 5 additional pages of backup stories featuring the Horsemen.

Fans know that wherever Apocalypse goes, his Horsemen are sure to follow! Historically, his Horsemen have been mutants willing to make a deal with the devil, and this time his chosen Horsemen will cut the X-Men deeper than ever before! This time, the X-Men will find those they once called friends and teammates on Apocalypse’s side.

Sunfire has already been revealed as a new Horsemen, but for a MAJOR hint as to who will be the Horseman Death, check out this unseen cover to X-Men #185.

And Apocalypse isn’t the only one who’s changed. Superstar X-artist Salvador Larocca has adopted a jaw-dropping new style, just in time for a revamped Apocalypse and four brand-new Horsemen.

“Salva—already an amazing artist—has succeeded in taking his art style to the next level,” says editor Mike Marts. “His change in style adds new layers of excitement and energy to the pages. Readers are going to love this.”

X-Men #182 kicks off the five-part “Blood of Apocalypse” storyline where each issue will feature a bonus five page back-up story, at no extra cost, explaining why each of Apocalypse’s Horsemen made their deal with the devil.

Be sure to pick up X-Men #182 for the beginning of a huge turning point in X-Men history where destruction and betrayal ensure that only the fittest will survive.

X-MEN #182 (DEC052049)
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Pencils & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$2.50
FOC – 1/19, On Sale – 2/8/2006

X-MEN #183 (DEC052050)
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Pencils & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$2.50
FOC – 2/2, On Sale – 2/22/2006


X-MEN: APOCALYPSE/DRACULA #1 (of 4) (DEC052053)
Written by FRANK TIERI
Penciled by CLAYTON HENRY
Cover by JAE LEE
32 PGS./T+ SUGGESTED FOR TEENS AND UP ...$2.99
FOC – 1/26, On Sale – 2/25/2006

YOU’RE GROUNDED ON FEBUARY 7, 2006!

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AND
CARSEY-WERNER PRESENT
GROUNDED FOR LIFE - SEASON ONE

All 20 Uncut Episodes Available On DVD
For The First Time Ever

Troy MI – On February 7, IDT Entertainment’s Anchor Bay Entertainment and Carsey-Werner will release Grounded For Life - Season One, a skewed look at the traditional family sitcom, where the parents are as clueless as the kids. This is a comedy where the parents aren’t Ozzie and Harriet and the children don’t behave like the Brady Bunch! All 20 episodes will be included in a four-disc DVD collection with a suggested retail price of $39.98. Pre-order date is January 10, 2006.

From the same company that brought you such award winning hits as 3rd Rock, Roseanne, The Cosby Show and That '70s Show, Grounded For Life ran from 2001-2005 (two seasons on Fox and three more on The WB). The program has a loyal fan base of young viewers who love the hip humor and cast that includes Donal Logue (The Tao of Steve), Megyn Price (Mystery, Alaska), Kevin Corrigan (Living in Oblivion), Lynsey Bartilson, Jake Burbage, Griffin Frazen and Richard Riehle (Office Space).

Sean (Logue) and Claudia Finnerty (Price) are in their early thirties and trying to raise a family of three in pleasant suburbia, while still holding on to their own youthful and wild ways. The Finnerty clan finds little help in the struggle for the good life from Sean’s curmudgeonly father, Walter, (Riehle) and lazy brother, Eddie (Corrigan), both of whom create chaos at every turn. Grounded For Life – Season One uniquely explores the complications and comedy encountered when Generation-X tries to grow-up.

Season One Bonus Features:

Meet The Finnertys: Interview with Donal Logue.

Claudia - Not the Sitcom Mom: Interview with Megyn Price.

Life with Lily: Interview with Lynsey Bartilson.

Bloopers: An outrageous collection of outtakes.

Audio Commentaries: The cast and show creators (Mike Schiff and Bill Martin) discuss the evolution of the series

"Albert" brings super-physics and otherworldly sciences to the superhero genre

The end is near for one of the world's greatest scientific minds, but he isn't going without a fight. Albert's accomplishments in the world of physics are astonishing and varied, but the old professor knows he's got much more to give. And so begins his race against the clock to complete his greatest equation, a formula that will bend time and allow him to live well past his allotted years. Albert's obsession with controlling time will prevent his passing…but at what cost?

"Albert" is the latest exciting offering in Narwain's growing line of superhero titles. Writer Luca Tiraboschi and artist Massimo Noè, well known in Italy for their horror comic "Goccianera" bring this tale of super science to life.

"Superheroes, what a passion! The pleasure and the excitement coming from so many years of reading and collecting comics were the inspiration for 'Albert,'" said Tiraboschi, who earned acclaim as the author of the thriller novel "L'Ospedale Delle Bambole" ("The Dolls' Hospital").

"The story lets me map fascinating physical-mathematical theories onto familiar comics concepts. Mixing science and occult the book's hero will go to the limit if reality and beyond," said Tiraboschi. "This is my first foray into the superhero genre and I'm as excited as I was reading those tales as a boy. "

"Albert" will be published as four, 32 page, black and white issues, each with a retail price of $2.99 US ($3.48 Canadian). Look for "Albert" #1 in the February Diamond Previews catalog, available soon at your local comics shop!

New Team of Aguirre-Sacasa and Medina Make Spidey Sensational

Spider-Man will be sensationalized once again as Marvel Knights Spider-Man is undergoing a name change to Sensational Spider-Man starting with issue #23.

The title will become Sensational Spider-Man just in time for the addition of the new creative team of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Angel Medina. Aguirre-Sacasa and Medina plan to show just how sensational Spidey can be in their first arc “Feral,” which finds Spider-Man’s animalistic foes, including the Lizard, Man-Wolf, and the Black Cat becoming more bestial than ever before.

“It’s thrilling to be writing Spider-Man when so many exciting things are happening to him and the entire Marvel Universe,” says writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. “It is both challenging and exciting to be aligning Sensational Spider-Man back with the other Spider-Man titles as well as the Marvel Universe. It also helps that Angel Medina’s art is nothing short of sensational.”

Matt Yocum of ComicCritique.com says,” Renowned playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has nailed the tone of what a Marvel book should be.” More of the same can be expected when he takes over everybody’s favorite wall-crawler.

Spider-Man is going to have to be more than just amazing and spectacular to quell the strange transformations that are undergoing his deadly, long-time foes. He’s going to have to be sensational.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE: VALENTINO RETURNS TO SHADOWHAWK!

After several years’ absence from creative duties, Image Comics co-founder Jim Valentino is taking the creative helm of the Image flagship title SHADOWHAWK. Created by Valentino in 1992, SHADOWHAWK was one of the main titles responsible for the Image Comics explosion. With Valentino once more taking the reins, SHADOWHAWK is jutting off in a startling new direction and poised to reclaim its stake as one of Image's premiere superhero titles.

The move begins in SHADOWHAWK #9, kicking off the first of the 4-part storyline "Rise." Valentino pencils the issue, then raises the stakes in SHADOWHAWK #10, where he takes over both writing and art duties. "Rise felt like the perfect place to jump back into SHADOWHAWK," Valentino said. "The story shows a changing of the guard. A death in the family. A crisis of faith. Everything changes for Eddie Collins when he loses more than his helmet as a new ShadowHawk comes takes over the mantle."

Valentino continues, "Eddie Collins is the current embodiment of ShadowHawk, one in a long line of heroes dating back 5,000 years. Throughout his time as ShadowHawk, Eddie has been a little too lax about his role. He's done a little too much listening to others about what they think he should do and, as a result, hasn't learned the full consequences that come with being a hero. "Rise" is going to change all of that. Reality is going to hit him right between the eyes and change everything in his world. In other words, he's going to grow up, and he's going to do it the hard way. When Eddie became ShadowHawk, he was still a boy. By the end of "Rise," he will need to become a man."

"I'm really enjoying the opportunity to get back into the creative nitty-gritty," Valentino concludes. "I've got a lot of affection for this character, and I've really enjoyed seeing what other creators have done with him, but when this story came up, I knew it was time for me to get back into the driver's seat and lead the character into a whole new era. So far it's been a blast!

"SHADOWHAWK #9 (NOV051758) is solicited in this month's Previews for titles shipping in February. SHADOWHAWK #10 (DEC051781) will be in shipping in March.

Who could stay sane after winning the lotto? A dog named "Bluff", that's who.

Who could stay sane after winning the lotto? A dog named "Bluff", that's who.

Continuing the drive to produce a truly diverse line of comics Narwain is very pleased to present our most unique offering yet, the charming tale of a dog named "Bluff".

You'd think life would be perfect after winning a huge fortune in the lottery, but one New England family learns the hard lesson that money doesn't always happiness. Rich beyond their dreams, they neglect the things that are truly important, including the loyal family dog named "Bluff".
Accompanied only by his friend and confidant, a tiny flea that lives in his fur, Bluff sets out on a hilarious and poetic journey, hoping to find the answers that money can't buy.

The creative team of writer Giovanni Masi and illustrator Yoshiko Watanabe, well known for their work in animation, bring their whimsical sensibilities to this new release. Both Masi and Watanabe are veteran animators. Masi wrote the 3D short film "Stressz", while Watanabe has worked on "Simba" and "La Gabbianella e il Gatto".

"We're really thrilled that Narwain has given us this opportunity to reach an American audience and we hope that readers will give us a chance," said Masi. "We love American books, especially cartoon-style works like Jeff Smith's 'Bone'. If you like all charming, all-ages books like that one then you'll like 'Bluff' as well."

"Bluff" will be published as three, 32 page, full color issues, each with a retail price of $3.99. Look for "Bluff" #1 in the February Diamond Previews catalogs, available at your local comics shop!