SHELTERED # 1 Review

Reviewing SHELTERED # 1 by Ed Brisson and Johnnie Christmas for Image Comics. Brought to us by Castle Geek and Comicx Hub.

Here's the synopsis for the title: A PRE-APOCALYPTIC TALE OF SURVIVAL AT ANY COST.The men and women of Safe Haven have been preparing for any-and-all end of world scenarios for years. However, their bunkers, weapons and training can't save them from the one threat they never could have expected: Their own children.

My initial thoughts? Oh god its THE WALKING DEAD minus the zombies and with preppers as protagonists. I was partly right but I was partly wrong as well as SHELTERED is a different beast altogether.

Brisson has a winner here in this new psychological horror title as it tackles something that's rarely been focused on in other media; the days counting to the apocalypse. That and then intermingle some as-yet-seen subplot of betrayal and you get heavy drama. 

My gripe here with SHELTERED # 1 is the fact that the pacing crawls for the first half. We barely get any action here. Sure, it was scripted to flesh out the various characters for the book but it could have been done without inducing yawns (personal best was six yawns in a span of 7 pages). The moment trouble rears it's ugly head however, I had to sit up and absorb all the dialogue and imagery from this book. 

I have the same comment for the art by Johnnie Christmas. It's beautiful and suited for the book's overall theme but there are just some panels and pages which comes off as horrible. One page for example draws Vic in a really odd angle which makes her look like a disfigure cat. :( Still, when Mr. Christmas does good, he can make you go "wow". 

SHELTERED is definitely off to a good start. If the creators could make some small alterations, I would most definitely pick this up monthly and review the heck out of it. 

VERDICT: 8.5/10

SHELTERED # 1 is still available in all Castle Geek branches and online thru Comicx Hub (click HERE to order). 

Castle Geek Gives Away Free Comics Monthly to Pull List Members

Starting this July and will last the entire month, Castle Geek – the fastest growing comics, toys and collectibles shop is launching their PULL LIST SERVICE. Comic fans in the metro can expect tons of discounts and incentives from the comic retailer that will be available in their branches in Glorietta, The Collective and soon at V-Mall Greenhills.

“Having the PULL LIST SERVICE helps us to forecast the number of copies that each title our customers would require, through this we are able to achieve publisher incentives including the coveted variant covers everyone desires. In turn we are able to channel these perks to our customers through discounts and freebies” says Lawrence Sol Cruz, Operation Head for CASTLE GEEK.

PULL LIST SERVICE members of the shop are entitled to 15% discount on all their comic titles and other perks that cover Merchandise, Graphic Novels and even a free comic monthly.

To learn more about the PULL LIST SERVICE that’s happening next month, visit the CASTLE GEEK Facebook Fan page at https://www.facebook.com/CastleGeek and check out the event section.

CASTLE GEEK is located at the following locations:

CASTLE GEEK The Collective
The Collective
Malugay St., San Antonio Village
Makati City
+63926 324 6515

CASTLE GEEK Glorietta
3F New Glorietta Wing
Glorietta 2, Ayala Center
Makati City
+63917 597 0798

CASTLE GEEK Greenhills
3F Unit V309 V-Mall
Greenhills Shopping Center
San Juan

East of West # 2 Spoilers

In Jonathan Hickman's and Nick Dragotta's East of West # 2 we finally find out what's the central driving force for the Horseman Death leaving a path of death in this post-Apocalyptic world.

Spoilers after the cut...

When Death catches up with his next target, Andrew Archibald Chamberlain, the Chief of Staff for the Black Tower, he gets a shock of his life.

Oh and looks like they have her wife hidden somewhere in what used to be China.

What I'm Getting at Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Setting the Record

It's Free Comic Book Day today (May 4) and just so you guys know I'll be visiting National Book Store over at Quezon Avenue to cover and join Comicx Hub and Castle Geek as they try to set the record for the most number of artists in attendance for an FCBD event.

Again, I'd like to invite you guys to pay your local comic stores a visit today (except for Comic Quest because I think they're selling the supposedly 'FREE' comics). Ehem, ehem, do visit SETTING THE RECORD first though.

So going back here are the lists of comics that I'm going to hunt down today when I visit:

The Walking Dead Minimates Wave 4 Preview

Here's a quick look at the fourth batch of The Walking Dead Minimates from Art Asylum and Diamond Select Toys based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore.

Here's the breakdown:

• The Governor and Gabe
• Michonne w/ poncho and Bruce
• Prison Lori w/ baby and Shoulder Zombie
• Alice with Shoulder Zombie. 

The cool thing here is that it's the Prison Lori and Alice figures that will be exclusively sold at LCS.

More Than 4.6 Million Comic Books Ordered for Free Comic Book Day

Comic book specialty retailers worldwide expect record attendance at this year’s Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) and have also pushed their ordering to record levels—with more than 4.6 million free comic books to be available the day of the event, May 4, 2013.

Nearly 2,000 retail accounts have signed up this year as participating stores for Free Comic Book Day—also a record number of participating stores—and expectations are high.

“FCBD is the day after the opening of the Marvel’s Iron Man 3 film, and thousands of comic book shops across North America and around the world will look to share the magic of comic books with their communities,” said FCBD spokesperson Leslie Bowser. “It’s really a wonderful time for comic shops as they are clearly energized from a full year of strong sales and will look to continue that positive trend going forward in 2013.”

My Five Comic Book Couples for 2012-2013

Valentine's is just around the corner (edit: it's actually today) and I wanted to make it an extra special post for this month of love. So here are my top five comic book couples gather from comic books that were published in 2012 all the way to the present.

1. Superman and Wonder Woman...

I can already here the Lois-Superman fanboys screaming No the way Darth Vader screamed in Episode III. But I'm putting my money in this pairing for a number of reasons. One is that they're almost on the same power level. Wonder Woman can bench press a car, Superman can do that and more. Bullets bounce off of them. Secondly if you've been following the comic books closely you'll know that they learn from each other which is something that a couple should always do. Thirdly, it just makes sense that their real world counterparts are also dating...

Toyfair 2013: Invincible Minimates Boxset Coming Soon

The DST Booth at the recently concluded Toyfair 2013 showed a promising surprise for fans of the long running Image Comics series Invincible with a teaser for their upcoming Invincible minimates boxset.

photo credit: Comicslliance

This upcoming set will feature the following characters (all created by Robert Kirkman no less):

The Walking Dead Minimates Soon to Bust Out with Prison Figs

The third wave of "The Walking Dead" minimates will draw inspiration from prison or more specifically the prison arc from the comic book. 

The set will include the following characters:

The Walking Dead Minimates Amazon.Com Exclusive Set

Amazon.com is jumping on "The Walking Dead" bandwagon with the release of new images for an upcoming exclusive set featuring two zombies, Michonne and Rick Grimes.

Diamond Select Toys brings us more Walking Dead Minimates. The first series of Walking Dead Minimates has been selling out in stores on both sides of the Atlantic, leading to a worldwide zombie shortage! In order to alleviate this shortage, Diamond Select Toys and Amazon.com have teamed up to offer an exclusive four-pack of Minimates, taken straight from the hit comic book series by Robert Kirkman. The set includes two new zombies, a Roamer and a Lurker, plus all-new versions of Michonne (with angry expression) and Rick Grimes (in prison garb, with battle damage). Each Minimate stands 2 inches tall with 14 points of articulation, and features interchangeable and removable parts. The set also includes Rick’s shotgun and pistol and Michonne’s sword, and will be available on Amazon.com in mid-December.

Four Excellent Covers for The Walking Dead Season 3

Ah yes, The Walking Dead season 3...

Sorry for the ugly mess of a picture. I can't seem to configure my blog's space.

Who Died in The Walking Dead # 100

I've always stated for the record that I'm not a big fan of The Walking Dead but I really had to try out the #100 issue mainly because, well, its the 100th issue.

The Walking Dead # 100 Teases a Lucille

Image reveals a new teaser in line with the impending release of "The Walking Dead # 100" and it has a name. A female name in fact.

THE WALKING DEAD #100
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
cover a CHARLIE ADLARD
cover b MARC SILVESTRI
cover c FRANK QUITELY
cover d TODD McFARLANE
cover e SEAN PHILLIPS
cover f BRYAN HITCH
cover g RYAN OTTLEY
cover h CHARLIE ADLARD WRAP-AROUND
JULY 11
40 PAGES / BW / M
$3.99
“SOMETHING TO FEAR” CONTINUES!
This extra-sized chapter contains one of the darkest moments in Rick Grimes’ life, and one of the most violent and brutal things to happen within the pages of this series. 100 issues later, this series remains just as relentless as the debut issue. Do not miss the monumental 100th issue of THE WALKING DEAD!

Walking Dead Minimates Wave 1 Up for Pre-Order

Art Asylum has announced that The Walking Dead minimates wave 1 is now officially up for pre-order on the Diamond Select website.

If you live under a rock then you probably don't know this great title which was created by Robert Kirkman and stars the lead character Rick Grimes.

You saw a sneak peek of them at last month’s New York Toy Fair, but now the barn doors have been opened wide! Diamond Comics Distributors has opened up pre-orders for Diamond Select Toys’ first wave of Minimates based on the comic book The Walking Dead. Standing 2 inches tall, each 2-inch mini-figure sports 14 points of articulation and comes with interchangeable parts and accessories, including weapons for the human characters and body parts for the zombies. The first assortment of two-packs, due at comic shops and specialty stores in September, includes:

- Rick with Roamer Zombie
- Herd Zombie Two-Pack
- Dale with Roamer Zombie
- Winter Coat Dale with Roamer Zombie (Rare variant)

Walking Dead Minimates Soon to be Released

Art Asylum and CBR has shared some general details through a press release for a "Walking Dead" minimates set from the book of the same title written by Image Comics writer Robert Kirkman.

I guess I'm a happy fanboy right now with this news especially since the first figures they would be releasing including lead character Rick Grimes (during his cowboy/ police days) Here's the official Press Release wired through CBR:

Robert Kirkman, creator and writer of Image/Skybound's hit comic, "The Walking Dead," and writer/Executive Producer on the international hit television show based upon it, joins forces with Maryland-based Diamond Select Toys, who will handle the toy license. DST has a 13-year-long history of producing quality toys and collectibles, many based on established comic book and horror properties.

Skybound is Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics, where Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard continue to produce the top-selling graphic novels in the country with "The Walking Dead." They topped the New York Times' bestseller list and captured four of the top ten spots for 2011 with "The Walking Dead." The AMC TV show based upon the survival drama comic garnered the highest ratings of any drama in the history of basic cable television in the United States with over 11 million people watching the season two premiere last October. As the first TV drama to be launched around the world simultaneously, "The Walking Dead" is in 120 countries, translated into 33 languages and is in 250 million households. Diamond Select is happy to be able to bring the book's well-developed characters and gruesome zombies to three-dimensional life as a line of Minimates and figural banks.