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#NYCC14 Dark Horse Builds Characters

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Aub Driver, the kickass Dark Horse publicist by day/metalhead by night moderated a damn fine panel of talent that included  Donny Cates and Eliot Rahal of Buzzkill and The Paybacks(2015), Brian Wood of The Massive, Fred Van Lente of Action Philosophers, Brain Boy, and The Resurrectionists, Gail Simone of Leaving Megalopolis,  Jim Calafiore, Raphael Albuquerque and a few others.

Leaving Megalopolis, was kickstarted almost three years ago, came from being on secret six over at DC. Kickstarter looked appealing, Gail was into it, with several ideas but Megalopolis really stuck. Showcased six pages of no dialogue that steps up the devastation wrought by the superheroes gone rogue.

Fred Van Lente’s “Resurrectionists” brought up the art team. You can summon and take command of your past lives. It’s the story of tomb robbers who have been trying the same heist for the last 3000 years. It’s a collection of characters trying to steal their souls back. The artwork is incredible, although dark. A lot of historical research went into the book.

Rafael Albuquerque takes the stage to talk “Eight.” The story of a time traveler who lives in the near future, who’s offered a suicidal mission to travel in time to the meld. A place where anything in the world that’s ever existed can exist. The protagonist is lost in this world, the art is incredible, the colors are minimal but incredibly effective.

Brian Wood takes the stage to talk “Rebels.” Showed off Tula Lotay’s cover for the first time and it looks fantastic. “Rebels” is monthly starting in April. It’s a historical fiction book about the American revolution. It’s about the culture of the colonial period and it’s intended to be wide ranging. The first arc deals with the Green Mountain Boys, the first militia in America. Follows a young guy who lives through the war with his wife, the art is incredibly detailed with rich blacks. “The Massive” is coming to an end after about thirty issues.

Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander talk “Concrete Park.” Pitched as Australia in space. The reckless youth have been exported to a uninhabited planet where they are forced to mine for resources. It focuses on ideas of race, difference, and rebellion. They are happy to build worlds and tell stories with Dark Horse.

Mind MGMT master Matt Kindt couldn’t make it, but Aub briefly talked about Matt’s newest series “Past Aways” and the rerelease of “Pistol Whip.”

Donny Cates takes the stage to talk about “Ghost Fleet” his new series that starts next month. It’s a big fleet of big rig trucks that transport secret items across the country. It’s a lot of big truck action, the book starts in 1812 and goes all the way into the future. It’s supernatural with a hint of crazy assassins.

Elliot Rayhold took the stage to talk about “The Paybacks.” It’s a crazy big ongoing  set in the “Buzzkill” universe. What if you can’t afford to be a superhero? What if someone out there could give you a loan to become a superhero, and what would happen if you can’t pay back the debt? The Paybacks are C and D level superheroes who have defaulted on their loans and now have to repossess other superheroes. They have an insane assortment of characters to populate their universe. It comes out next September.

“Fight Club 2” was briefly teased for May.

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‘The Toxic Avenger’ Returns with Cover Artwork for First Issue of New Comic Book Series [Exclusive]

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With a remake on the way and a new 4K restoration of the original classic now streaming, it’s a good time to be a fan of Troma’s The Toxic Avenger. Additionally, Matt Bors — the founder of The Nib and a political cartoonist who has twice been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist —and acclaimed artist Fred Harper (Snelson) are collaborating on an all-new 5-issue comic book series starring the satirical superhero of the Troma Films cult classic films!

TOXIC AVENGER #1 will land in stores on October 9, 2024.

While you wait, you can exclusively check out the issue #1 cover art from Fred Harper below, along with a set of emojis designed by Harper for the extremely online teens of Tromaville.

“The Toxic Avenger delivers what Troma fans want,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “The series has violent action, gross mutations, bursting pustules, eye-popping visuals, and trenchant humor.” 

“If there was ever a superhuman hero for these toxic, miserable times, Toxie is the one!” said Lloyd Kaufman. “Only AHOY Comics and Bors & Harper could pull this off…er…mop this up! Toxie and the Troma Team can’t wait ‘til you read -no, experience – the art and stories that the Toxic Avenger Comic Book will explode in your brain, your soul, and your heart. Above all, remember – Toxie loves you and so do I.”

This series will combine elements of the original films with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and characters in familiar ways, updated to tell a story of environmental devastation, corporate control, and social media mutation,” said Bors.The Toxic Avenger is first and foremost an environmental satire, one about a small town and its unremarkable people trapped and transformed by circumstances they don’t control. The story Fred Harper and I are telling is about people frustrated by authorities telling them not to worry about their life, that things are fine, even as their dog mutates in front of their eyes. And at its core it is about a powerless boy, Melvin, who finds out he can be incredibly strong, hideously mutated, well-admired, and incredibly heroic… but still ultimately powerless over human behavior.”

In The Toxic Avengerteenager Melvin Junko helps run his parent’s junkyard in Tromaville, a small town in New Jersey where nothing much ever happens — until an ill-timed train derailment of toxic waste transforms Melvin into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength: the Toxic Avenger!

Under a media blackout imposed by Biohazard Solutions (BS) and their PR-spewing Chairwoman Lindsay Flick, Melvin emerges as a hero fighting against BS and the mutated threats that keep popping up around Tromaville.

Eventually Melvin uncovers a vast conspiracy more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined — but he knows if everyone is simply made aware of the crisis, they’ll act to stop it. Right?

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