Michael D Hamersky On Comics: The Secret History - Book Fourteen: The Watchers     - Above Photo: The Front Cover from The Secret History - Book Fourteen: The Watchers - From Archaia Entertainment -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3336:

Tina and I have been reading this limited series since first being introduced to it at the 2010 Comic-Con International: San Diego (a.k.a. SDCC) at the Archaia Entertainment booth.

We have both blogged about this limited series, which is unusual, because we both have different 'taste's in our personal reading choices!

Here are the links to some of the earlier review blogs:  Books Ten & 11,  Book 12, and Book 13.

Our reviews consistently ranked the individual issues with the highest grade that we give, a NEAR MINT (NM) 9.4 on a possible 10.0 comic book grading scale. As part of a year-end review of 2010 on my own Facebook Fan Page, Michael D Hamersky On Comics, I posted that this was 'My Favorite Limited Series of 2010'!

So I'm glad that this Book Fourteen, which just came in the mail for possible review ended 'The Second Cycle' nicely. So nicely in fact, that I moved this up on my possible publications to review for this morning!

Here's what the publishers promo stated this issue was about:

"The hit French comic that gives historical fiction an occult bent continues! The Watchers. 1945. The two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seem to have put an end to the evil plots of William of Lecce. In liberated Paris, Daniel Rosenthal, a survivor of the death camps, learns how to live again. He owes his survival to a 'star', a strange tarot card given to him by the surrealist poet Robert Desnos in the Terezin concentration camp, who also told him about the mysterious cabaret, L'ARcane 17.  Daniel begins a descent into a world he did not know existed and into a story that the textbooks do not teach: the Secret History."

As seen in the above blurb, a LOT of ground is covered in this final issue of 'The Second Cycle'.  Which was a thrilling and fun read for me!  I grabbed it and settled in with it last night, before Tina was aware it had come in!  After being at a client's office on-site for ten hours yesterday, I needed something to 'wind down' with, and this was definitely it!

This issue had a lot more 'action' going on in it than earlier issues.  Which was good, because this was the 'final' book in 'The Second Cycle'.  I'm not for sure how many cycles there are in total for this concept... There are two pages at the front of each issue, outlining a 'timeline'.  I am however, pleased with the 'conclusion' of this 14 chapter limited series, and don't feel 'robbed' that there is more after this.  Indeed I am looking forward to seeing the other 'Cycles' as they are translated from the French version into this English language format!

I do want to state though, that this series is for 'Mature Readers', because at times, as in this issue, there is some nudity, graphic violence, and adult content.  However, I am reading this because I'm a 'history buff', and love how the creators of this series wove 'real history' into their 'series history'.

A great concept, well excecuted, and FUN to read!

The Secret History, Book Fourteen: The Watchers - For mature audiences. It went on sale: January 19th... Check it out TODAY at YOUR LCBS!

Retail Price $5.95   Page count: 48 pages

Format: perfect bound, 6.6255" x 10.25", full color

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Adult Content) 

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,187 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky 

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:   ComicBooksCircus.com 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!!  (Note:  I don't list my email address here, due to 'spambots' gathering it and 'spamming' me. 

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to have sent me a 'Friend Request'.

However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages in my network already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' for myself so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there. 

Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics: Poppie's Adventures - Serpents In Paradise     - Above Photo: Jack Hsu at the 2010 Long Beach Comic Con (LBCC). With the 'Poppie's Adventures: Serpents In Paradise - by Julie Yeh & Jack Hsu -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3335:

Tina and I met Jack Hsu in Artist's Alley at the recent 2010 Long Beach Comic Con, (a.k.a. LBCC).  Jack had a full table of a graphic novel that had just come in from the printers, which Tina immediately blogged about.  I soon followed.

After Tina had expressed her interest in reading that latest graphic novel, Jack pulled out a publication that had seen print a few years earlier.  It's taken until now to blog about, because we received so many publications for possible review at the LBCC, and other comic cons since then. As well as the dozens that have been sent in the mail for possible review also.

However, that is not to say that this isn't a good read.  Here's what the web site for Poppie's Adventures say about the book:

"Poppie's Adventures tracks the adventures of Poppie Field, a talented 17 year old young woman who decides to take some time off from her first year in college to experience the working world. She lands her first job as a writer with a travel magazine, and during her first assignment, she makes the acquaintance of Ham, a young Asian American photographer who will become her sidekick in all future stories.

In each issue of the series,Poppie and Ham will be sent to new exotic locales to cover travel stories.They will inadvertently become entangled in adventures involving some piece of history, geography, or culture unique to the country or location they are in.

In the debut issue, Serpents in Paradise, Poppie and Ham are assigned to cover the Island of Hawaii.

While there, they happen upon an evil snake worshipping cult that seeks to introduce non-indigenous snake to Hawaii, and thus threatening to destroy its delicate ecological balance. It will be up to Poppie and Ham to stop them. In the story, the readers are introduced to the Kilauea Volcano of Hawaii, the legend of the volcano goddess Pele, and the ecology of the beautiful Hawaiian islands."

My thanks again to Jack Hsu for bringing both of his graphic novels to our attention at the LBCC!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,185 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky 

If I have it... You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:   ComicBooksCircus.com 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!!  (Note:  I don't list my email address here, due to 'spambots' gathering it and 'spamming' me. 

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to have sent me a 'Friend Request'.

However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages in my network already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' for myself so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there. 

Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics: John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles Preview Issue and #1 - #4 From Hurricane Entertainment!     -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3332:

As I stated back in Blog #3320, I have seen Tone Rodriguez at several comic cons during the last couple of years.

I also stated that I had not seen his comics works, although I knew that he had illustrated several comic book stories and series, as seen at this link to the Grand Comics Database.

So the last time I saw him at a comic con, the 2010 Long Beach Comic Con (LBCC) to be exact, I actually talked to him for the longest time ever, in between his illustrating commissions at his table in the Artists Alley of the LBCC.  He's always busy at comic con illustrating, as he has a large following!

That led to him showing me packages of the comic books and series that he had illustrated for.  I've already blogged about the 'Best Radioactive Man Event Ever' in Blog #3220, and today I'm going to blog about a series that I missed when it first came out...

'John Carpenter's Snake Plissken Chronicles' from Hurricane Entertainment / Crossgen.  The 'Special Preview' issue was published August of 2002, and the mini-series was published June 2003 to February 2004.

The 'Special Preview' issue had a color cover, but the interior pages were black and white.  The illustrated pages were actually the beginning pages for issue #1, but in B&W.  A 2 page background text article was also printed, telling of the concept of transforming the film series to comic book format.

Then villain concepts were shown, vehicles, and a pin-up gallery of 'Snake Plissken', whose likeness of course is based on actor Kurt Russell, who portrayed 'Snake' in the films.

This was a very good introduction to the then upcoming mini-series. Although I missed the entire comic book series back then, this 'Special Preview' had I seen it, would have led me to want to seek the mini-series out when it was published in the Spring of 2003.  That is definitely the 'purpose' of a 'Sneak Preview' comic book or mini-comic!

I read the full series & preview in order in the packet that Tone gave for review consideration. As stated above, the 1st issue took the B&W pages presented in the 'Special Preview' issue and presented them in color. The rest of the story was shown. Of course, since it was a mini-series, the last page of the story had the 'To Be Continued' box.

The next page had a one-page 'house ad' showing the 'Violent Messiahs' mini-series that had been created by the Writer and Artist of this Snake Plissken Chronicles series.  I haven't mentioned William O'Neill, who was the writer of both series. 

The following three pages were additional sketches  and text showing the concept art for this Snake Plissken Chronicles series, which was interesting reading. There was also a 3 page 'teaser' for another Hurricane Entertainment property, 'The Diplomats', that I won't go into.

So for a 1st Issue, this really got me wanting to read more!

Which I did!  Issue 2 continued the storyline in a fine manner, as did issues 3 & 4.  Yes, I may be a little 'prejudiced' in favor of the series due to the fact that I 'know' the penciller of this series a little.

Yet, I found the storyline, the pencils, the colors, and the 'xtras' included in this series to be all that I would want to follow another adventure of 'Snake Plissken' in a comic book format.  Plus 'Kurt Russell' himself was depicted very well as 'Snake Plissken' in this series.  I have see other series that didn't depict the actors that played main characters depicted as well as this one did. 

And yes, I did 'Like' the 'Snake Plissken' films that were on the 'Big Screen'. So I was already 'introduced' to the character via those films.

This comic book mini-series was a well produced one, and I'm sorry it took me this look to read it!  So I'm taking the time today to 'review blog it' here. 

Review Rating for this mini-series: 9.2 NEAR MINT MINUS (NM-) out of a possible 10.0 Comic Book Grading scale.

The reason for that is because of the multiple covers that the publisher had for this mini-series, which is a 'tactic' that I am not in favor of generally. There were 3 covers for issue #1, 2 covers for #2, 2 covers for #3, and 2 covers for #4.  However, that is just my POV on this 'gimmick', and may not be your POV.  I know of several persons who enjoy collecting multiple covers, so to each his own.  In today's economy, I do know that is a possible 'burden' to some, which is why I mention it here.  Especially for 'completists', which I once was...

Additional comic book mini-series have not been produced, and as a matter of fact, the whole 'Snake Plissken' additional adventures on film or TV have been in 'development hell' for years.  A shame actually...

At this point of time, I don't have a link as to where you can buy this mini-series or special preview, as the publisher has gone under.

If you are in the SoCal area, you could buy it from Tone Rodriguez himself at a comic con. 

Tone does not have a Facebook Fan Page for himself, otherwise I would point you to that site.

There is a Facebook 'author' page for Tone, but it does not have a link to communicate with him.

Tone Rodriguez does have a 'Facebook Member Profile Page', and he is not maxed out at this time with the 5,000 Facebook Friends 'Limit' like I am.  However, please be informed that as many comic books creators are, he is very busy creating, and doesn't have all the 'free time' needed to communicate promptly to 'Friends Requests' or wall posts.

I can usually 'see' where Tone will be exhibiting next by his posts on his Facebook Wall, but with 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan Pages 'Liked', I can't keep track of all of the comics creators I am 'Facebook Friends' with.  I do try to let my own Fan Page readers know of current events there, but my 'free time' is also limited at times during projects I am working on.

My Thanks again to Tone Rodriguez for bringing this mini-series to my attention at the recent 2010 LBCC!  I am appreciating more and more his versatility in different genres of comics.  This was quite different from his illustrated art in the Bongo Comics 'Best Radioactive Man Event Ever' trilogy!

~Michael D Hamersky

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,175 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... I would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky 

You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:   ComicBooksCircus.com 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!!  (Note:  I don't list my email address here, due to 'spambots' gathering it and 'spamming' me. 

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to have sent me a 'Friend Request'.

However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages in my network already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' for myself so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there. 

Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics: Atomman Limited Edition An Al Barrett Production!     -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3331:

I have been communicating with Al Barrett since June of 2010, when he brought his creation to my attention.

That creation would be Atomman, which he started back in 2005.

All of what I had seen of Atomman was online, posted on the Atomman FanClub Group page,  and on the Atomman Comics Profile Page that Al had started for this fictional character.

I told Al, (pictured at the top left of this blog), as I have told all creators since March of 2010, when so many .pdfs of comics and links to online comics or webcomics came in for me to read, that I no longer found it possible for me to read comics online when I am on my laptop or Droid.  I found myself overwhelmed with all the product that is online, and that I either am blogging / networking / publicizing for clients / or listing comics while online.  I found that I am still a 'tactile' reader for my 'pleasure' reading. 

Al understood the above and recently mailed me a newly reprinted / upgraded copy of Atomman #1 in a 'Limited Edition' from Quebec, Canada.

The following is what Al provided as the promo blurb for this first issue of the Atomman series:

The origin of Atomman: John Smith, an ordinary soldier is exposed to the radiations of an atomic explosion in a 1947 bomb test. He encounters the cavern of a guardian and travels through time. 

So what is 'My Take' on this first issue of the series?

I had already seen several samples of the artwork, due to my exposure of being introduced to the Atomman FanClub and the Atomman Comics profile as mentioned above.

Al states that his black & white comic book is Silver Age / Bronze Age 'like' in substance and style.

I found that the artwork was of this period, but with more of an 'Underground Comix' feel, one that is still being used today for some self published comics / mini-comics that have been sent in for possible review.

The comic book that I received from Al is a little larger in width & height than most comics I am sent. I actually have bagged it into a 'magazine' sized bag to protect it until it was time to review blog it here.

The storyline in issue #1 starts off feasibly, which I know something about, after visiting the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas over our recent Holidays Vacation trip.

Then it goes into an adventure / fantasy / sci-fi mode, which mixes well with the artwork style that is presented in this issue, and all the other artwork I've seen posted on the Facebook group page and profile page for Atomman.

There are 20 pages in this revised / updated first issue.  In black & white.  Which mixes well with this first issue's story taking place in 1947. 

There are at least ten issues so far in this series. The 2nd issue time jumps into the 1980's.

I'm pleased that Al sent me a hard copy to possibly review blog.  I now understand more of the 'approach' of what he is doing with this creation. For those of you that enjoy an independent style of artwork, which I consider to be in an 'underground comix' presentation / format, without the 'extreme language' that known for that genre, then you should take a closer look of what is already presented online, and then inquire as to where you could purchase copies. 

Review Rating for this Classic ReIssue Limited Edition: 8.25 VERY FINE / VERY FINE PLUS (VF/VF+) out of a possible 10.0 Comic Book Grading scale.

Retail Price (Not Shown - Is Canadian) Page count: 20 pages

Format: saddle bound, 7.25" x 11.0", color front cover and back, b&w interior

1st Issue (at least, and what is on the webpages) - General Audiences.

Here is the link to Atomman's Profile Page on Facebook.

Here is the Facebook Group Page for Atomman's FanClub, which I suggest YOU take a look at for more details and photos of some of the pages of the series that has been published so far.  You can inquire of what the back issues would cost, plus the shipping to your country from Al Barrett directly there.

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,170 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... We would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky 

You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:   ComicBooksCircus.com 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!!  (Note:  I don't list my email address here, due to 'spambots' gathering it and 'spamming' me. 

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to have sent me a 'Friend Request'.

However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages in my network already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' for myself so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there. 

Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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Michael D Hamersky On Comics: Cyclops Book 1 of 8  From Archaia Entertainment!     -

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3330:

Today's blog is on a series that Archaia Entertainment is publishing that was originally published in France.

The orginal work is by the same creative team that was behind 'The Killer: Modus Vivendi' series that I've been blogging about.

The following is what Archaia provides as the promo blurb for this series:

From the creative team behind The Killer comes a new series originally published in France about controversial private armies for hire and the pervasiveness of the media.

2054. Douglas Pistoia is looking for work, but only a private security firm, Multicorps Security, has offered him a job. Soon after he signs up, the UN decides to outsource its peacekeeping missions, and Multicorps wins the first bid, propelling Douglas into a war that is not his own, a highly sophisticated war broadcast worldwide by the soldiers themselves, thanks to the micro-cameras in their helmets. They are called the Cyclops. Douglas plays the game, and slowly emerges as both a unit leader and a media celebrity. But how far will he go in exploring the boundaries between war and peacekeeping, news and entertainment?

So what is 'My Take' on this first issue of the series?

I was already used to the art style that is in this new series, because of reading the earlier translated series I mentioned above, (The Killer: Modus Vivendi).

Thus I was able to concentrate more on the storyline in this first issue.

The storyline in this first issue is heavy with dialogue, which is good, because there are minimal captions as to what is taking place.  The reader is gently eased into the series, and I found it intriguing as to wondering where the storyline was going.

The colors that are used in the panels are mostly darker, which adds to the suspense.  The better paper that the first issue is printed on brings out the colors and meshes well with the artwork.

This is a good start for what is being considered as a 'Sci-Fi thriller'.  I'm looking forward to see what boundaries between war and peacekeeping will be brought up in this series.

The first issue for this series is a good start to jump on board for this series, instead of waiting months down the road for a TPB.

Cyclops - #1 of 8  went on sale: December 22nd at your LCBS - Check it out!

Review Rating: 9.0 VERY FINE / NEAR MINT  (VF/NM) out of a possible 10.0 Comic Book Grading scale.

Retail Price $3.95 Page count: 32 pages

Format: saddle bound, 6.625" x 10.25", full color

Mature Readers (series contains Nudity, Graphic Violence and Adult Content).

Here is the link to Archaia so that YOU can purchase either the single volumes or the collected works so far, if YOUR LCBS doesn't have them in stock.

Here is the Facebook Fan Page for Archaia Entertainment, which I suggest YOU 'like' also to keep up with what this publisher is presenting next.

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  We currently have over 2,165 'Followers'!  Thanks to ALL of YOU that have already clicked that button!  And for those of YOU that haven't yet... We would appreciate it if YOU would!!!

~ Michael D Hamersky  & Tina LoSasso

Note: Our online 'Local' Comic Book Shop (LCBS), carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items. Possibly even copies of the item that was reviewed here today...!

You can find it 'Under The Big Top Of Comics' at:  

http://www.ComicBooksCircus.com/ 

Web Page Note:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards.  Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the other browsers serve the page up differently, sorry about that!

The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer.

NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

Comics Creators: If you are breaking into, or already work in the comic book industry or other pop culture productions, you are welcome to email or mail us press releases, news items, and updates that you feel would be of interest to our blog readers. Including YOUR own works!

To mail printed items to us for possible review, send to:

Make It So Marketing Inc., PO Box 130653, Carlsbad, CA 92013

 Also, if you are a Facebook member, I would have liked you to send me a 'Friend Request'. However, I have reached the maximum limit of 5,000 Facebook Friends and Fan pages already, so I've added a New 'Facebook Fan Page' so that even more of YOU can 'Like' what I am doing, and be interactive with me and others there.  Here is the link to that 'Facebook Fan Page': Michael D Hamersky On Comics! Please click the 'Like' button on that page! 

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