AIPT Comics

This is an extra-long episode with categories predetermined and agreed upon. Here are the nominees...Best comic to show a lapsed fanHouse of X / Powers of XBlack HammerHellblazerGreen LanternThe Immortal HulkMiddlewestBiggest DisappointmentFallen AngelsBatman: Damned2099Spider-Man by AbramsReturn of WolverineLast Knight On EarthInvisible KingdomBest Comics TrendTeam listed as Co-CreatorsSexploitation characters are now written by fabulous writers (Red Sonja, Deja Thoris)taken seriouslyMajor publishers embrace horror/genreGrand DesignALPHA / OMEGA issuesKitschy properties are being given fun and clever books (Six Million Dollar Man, Barbarella)Worst Comics TrendSolicitations Too Far OutToo Many Event Tie-InsConstant Re-SchedulingCreator’s rights in jeopardy (Watchmen)Political AvoidanceAn overabundance of Elseworld Batman stories (Last Knight on Earth, Bat-dad in King’s run, Curse of the White Knight)Biggest Surprise:DC Restructures into age bracket modelVertigo shutteredYoung Animal returnsDC Zoom and Ink a success!X-line complete relaunchMarvels are annotated and BACKConan under Marvel and in every bookBiggest SurpriseX-Men ImmortalityHot claws NO MOREWalking Dead ends abruptlyBlack Hammer & Justice LeagueDoomsday Clock finally completedBest PublisherMarvelDCImageVaultDark HorseBest #1John Constantine: HellblazerSilver Surfer: BlackCaptain Marvel #1ACTS OF EVIL: PUNISHER ANNUAL #1Best OngoingImmortal HulkJustice LeagueVenomThe DreamingThorBlack Hammer (+ various tie-ins)Gideon FallsBest EventWar of the RealmsHoX & PoXAbsolute CarnageLeviathanYear of the VillainBest RebootThe X-Men LineYoung JusticeDaredevilFantastic FourBatman/SupermanBuffyHellblazerMost Memorable Retcon (bad or good)Moira XWolverine and the Infinity StonesXavier and Magneto working togetherDoomsday ClockVenom creates children on purposeBest RomanceGambit and RogueKrakoa PolyamoryBatman and CatwomanSpider-Man and MJHarley and Poison IvyBetsy and Blob (X-Tremists)Best HeroVenomXavierMiles MoralesDora (The Dreaming)Doctor StrangeHum (Coda)Martian ManhunterBest in-comic TeamExcaliburMaraudersThe Marvelous X-MenYoung JusticeDoom PatrolBest VillainMister SinisterKnullMorbiusLeviathanLex LuthorBatman Who LaughsBest CostumeCaptain Britain (Betsy Braddock)Batman Who LaughsCaptain Kitty PrydeGreen Lantern Sojourner “Jo” MulleinSkulldigger and Skeleton BoyDark Captain MarvelBest Series DebutLittle BirdSilver Surfer: BlackSpider-Man: Life StoryThe Batman’s GraveFar SectorPeter CannonDieSandman Presents: Hellblazer

THE NEWS:FCBD 2020 titles get teasedWonder Woman #750 launching with over 20 coversSpider-Woman gets a new costumeMarvel Comics March 2020 solicitationsTRANSFORMERS vs. TERMINATOR in 2020 EventJonathan Hickman & Mike Huddleston's DECORUM #1 out in MarchBatman and Doomsday Clock EndTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveJoker: Killer Smile #2 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)The Low, Low Woods #1 (W: Carmen Maria Machado A: Dani, Tamra Bonvillain)ForrestWonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 (Daniel Warren Johnson)Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Tonci Zonjic)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: King Thor #4 (9.8)Fan: Basketful of Heads #3 (9.5) SEGMENT: 2020 Predictions - one good thing and one bad thing that will happen in comics or the comics industry next year and whyDave: X-Men will get an event and it’ll bleed into Marvel Studios hype / At least one major writer from DC will jump to MarvelForrest: Neil Gaiman will make a full-scale return to comics / More celebrity editorial linesTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Spider-Ham (W: Zeb Wells, A: Will Robson)Forrest: Incoming! #1JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Doctor Strange #1 (Phil Noto)Forrest: Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham (Wendell Dalit) INTERVIEW: The Low, Low Woods writer Carmen Maria Machado and artist Dani join us for an interview to talk horror, the new series, and Hill House Comics.  Can you tell us a little bit about how the creative team came together on the title?Did you learn anything when creating this series and its first issue?Why is the comic book medium right for this story?Dani, you're so good at making the somewhat ordinary interesting and scary (I'm thinking of the trash outside the house early in the book as the girls ride their bikes, or the girls trying to remember what happened and their heads are made up of hands, parrots, and other things), how do you approach something static and give it life?When it comes to character creation where do you start, Vee and Eldora feel so real!So Rob Reiner directed Sea Dogs (we see his name on the marquee outside the theater), which also happens to be the backup story in this first wave of Hill House Comics. Why Reiner?Carmen, I had to write this down, "babies were born with placentas black as soot...their mothers were birthing coal itself" god that is horrifying! When working in a visual medium do you need to strike a balance between prose style horror like this and visual horror?The use of color by Tamra Bonvillain is fabulous, what goes into creating a color palette for a series?I'm always curious, was there a working list of titles for Low, Low Woods?Who is on your mount rushmore of creators you'd like to work with?Joe Hill was on the podcast 7 or so weeks ago and I asked him to describe Low, Low Woods, and he said it's the perfect mix of david's, 50% david cronenberg and 50% david lynch. Would you agree, or maybe you'd have other directors in mind?Do you have any personal heroes in the creative arts?Favorite moment or issue in the series so far?Off Topic Top Shelf: Carmen and Dani give us their picks!

THE NEWS:Marvel hosting midnight launch parties for new books‘The Pull List’ reveals March solicits early and Savage AvengersDC comments on removal of Batman: Golden Child ad from TwitterGrampa and Miller comment on Batman art use in Hong KongDC advertises Dark Knight with Joker/Trump imageJohn Ridley rumored to take over Batman at issue #100Christopher Priest says Damian Wayne was originally Deathstroke’s kidX-men 5-7 postponed, Abrams Spider-Man finale pushed back 11 weeksHeavy Metal names new CEOBernie Wrightson Frankenstein cover sells for 1.2 million, highest everTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveAnnihilation: Scourge - Beta Ray Bill #1 (W: Michael Moreci, A: Alberto Alburquerque)Batman: Curse of the White Knight #5 (W: Sean Murphy, Color: Matt Hollingsworth)ForrestThe Red Mother #1 (W: Jeremy Huan, A: Danny Luckert)Morbius #2 (W: Vita Ayala, A: Marcelo Ferreira)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Rai #2 (9.6)Fan: Punisher: Soviet #2 (9.5)Segment: TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 (W: Charles Soule, A: Will Sliney)Forrest: Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 (W: Hallum, Cates A: Shaw)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Suicide Squad #1 (Francesco Mattina)Forrest: Wonder Woman #83 (Jenny Frison)INTERVIEW: The Red Mother writer Jeremy Haun (The Beauty, The Realm) talks writing horror, his future projects in 2020, comics creator self-care, and more!Segment: Superfight: Jeremy and Dave determine who would win a staring contest: Samara from Ring vs. Candyman, vs. The Red Mother.Off topic top shelf: Jeremy Haun talks whiskey and his Patreon Comics and Cocktails.

THE NEWS:New dysfunctional X-Team announcedStrange Academy in the works for some timeVault introduces pay-what-you-want holiday sale this seasonDiamond Distributors dig into November sales figuresTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveExcalibur #3 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Justice League (2018) #37 (W: Scott Snyder, A: Jorge Jimenez)ChrisX-Men #3 (W. Jonathan Hickman, A: Leinil Francis Yu)Doctor Doom #3 (W: Christopher Cantwell, A: Salvador Larroca)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Die #10 (W: Kieron Gillen, A: Stephanie Hans)Fan: The Dreaming #16 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Marguerite Sauvage)Segment: Piracy NOW!TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Red Mother #1 (W: Jeremy Haun, A: Danny Luckert)Chris: X-Force #3 (W: Benjamin Percy, A: Joshua Cassara)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Undiscovered Country #2 (Francis Manapul)Chris: X-Force #3 (Dustin Weaver)Segment: Behind X-Men MondayOff topic top shelf: Chris - Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

THE NEWS:DC Social Media Ad Accused of Endorsing Political Change in China - ReportFormer MARVEL CCO Joe Quesada's New Title ConfirmedDark Horse Feb 2020 solicits, Bang #1, Hidden Society #1, Tomorrow #1New Mutants name drops upcoming X-men book Three Jokers artist says ending is the “gutsiest” thing DC has done with Batman in 80 yearsTom King makes a “controversial” statement about Batman on Twitter.Black Mask Returns in Feb 2020 solicitsTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveX-Force #2 (W: Benjamin Percy, A: Joshua Cassara)Venom #20 (W: Donny Cates, A: Iban Coello, Jose Carlos Silva)ForrestJohn Constantine: Hellblazer #1 (W: Si Spurrier, A: Aaron Campbell)New Mutants #2 (W: Hickman, Brisson A: Rod Reis)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Batman #84 (W: Tom King, A: Jorge Fornes) Forrest: Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble #2 (W: Mariko Tamaki, A: Gurihiru) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Annihilation: Scourge - Fantastic Four #1 (Josemaria Casanovas) Forrest: Buffy #10 (Rebelka) Segment: Interview Dan Slott, writer of Tony Stark Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and coming soon Iron Man 2020 I recently got the chance to read the Spider-Man Magazine (Spider-Man Radioactive) collection and you have two stories in there, one featuring Mirage and another featuring Mesmero, were those characters you wanted to write or did they ask you to use them?How do you go about generating new ideas or angles for storied characters like Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four? Do you have a strong memory of any particular story that made you think “I can’t believe nobody else has touched this?” Dawn of X has taken the world by storm and I have to ask, if you had a choice in a title/team would you take the job and what would it be?Is the current story “Point of Origin” a story you’ve had in your cap for years?At Fan EXPO Boston you showed me a few of the superhero designs for characters that defend Spyre, and now they’re out there. What’s it like creating a character that may (or may not depending on your story) last for decades in the Marvel universe?You’re working with Christos Gage again on Iron Man 2020, I’m always curious how two writers collaborate whether they split up pages, or one does dialogue and another plot, what is your working relationship like?Spider-Geddon, last year’s sequel to Spider-Verse, was drafted by Christos Gage from an unfinished script of yours and his. How much of that event’s DNA would you say is your original vision and how much is new?As the writer of FF, do series like FF: Grimm Noir need to be approved by you?If you had the opportunity to do the inverse of a Superior Spider-Man style story where a hero becomes a villain, which would it be?What is your workspace like? What time of day do you typically do your writing? Is there something on your desk that inspires your writing?Has social media changed the way you write or think about comics?Do you ever shift a story or idea after gauging feedback you might read on the internetLast but not least, is there anything you can tell us about Iron Man 2020? Off topic top shelf: Dan Slott talks Mandalorian, The Crown, Ducktales and streaming services.

THE NEWS:Marvel Comics has struck a partnership with Japanese media company Tsuburaya Productions to create new Ultraman comic books for American markets.Batman #85 - it will now include a two-page "prelude" of incoming writer James Tynion IV's runAfterShock Comics offers new commitment to comic shopsHARLEEN Finale Postponed 3 Weeks, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #2 Pushed Back 2 Weeks, DC Cancels Third DAMAGE Collection, BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #5 Coming a Week EarlyMarvel produces first Braille Comic Inspired by Football Player with Blindness,DC Rush-Solicits New BIRDS OF PREY GIANT TitleMarvel Quietly Cancels Loki seriesMarvel solicitations!TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveExcalibur (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Gwenpool Strikes Back! #4 (W: Leah Williams, A: David Baldeon)ForrestOlympia #1 (W: Curt Pires, A: Alex Diotto)He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1 (W: Tim Seely, A: Dan Fraga, Richard Friend)Trending now - 2099 Debuts. What brought the series back and do we need it? TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Basketful of Heads #2 (W: Joe Hill, A: Leomacs) Forrest: New Mutants #2JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: X-Force #2 (Gerardo Zaffino)Forrest: Supergirl Annual #2 (A: Jonathan Glapion Viktor Bogdanovic)Segment: Interview Tim Seeley and Dan Fraga (pencils) about HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE MULTIVERSE #1Superfight: Beast Man vs. Orko, beauty pageantOff topic top shelf: Watchmen and Social Media Algorithims - Tim Seeley, Dan Fraga

THE NEWS:Daredevil adds second artist to publish twice monthlyNew series from AHOYLemire finishes new OGNDCeased unkillables sequel comingTask Force XChristos Gage and Todd Nauck Debut New Gwen Stacy OriginBendis Compares Leviathan to MagnetoTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveGideon Falls #18 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)Morbius #1 (W: Vita Ayala, Art: Marcelo Ferreira)ForrestFamily Tree #1 (W: Lemire, A: Phil Hester)The Dollhouse Family #1 (W: Mike Carey, A: Peter Gross, Vince Locke)Comics Check-in - Dawn of X, the first 6 are here!RankingForrestNew MutantsExcaliburMaraudersX-MenX-ForceFallen AngelsDave ExcaliburMaraudersX-ForceNew MutantsFallen AngelsX-MenTOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Excalibur #2 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Forrest: Olympia #1 (W: Curt and Tony Pires, A: Alex Diotto)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Gwenpool Strikes Back #4 (Terry Dodson)Forrest: The Witcher Omnibus - Mike MignolaSegment: Interview -  M.R. Carey and artist Peter Gross to talk about their upcoming Hill House Comics title, THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY #1. Questions: There’s a rich tapestry of story and character as soon as you open the book. What is your process like creating this world of characters?There’s a layering of the story here, from the cutting between time to the dollhouse itself, what went into building this world, where do you start?Is there a lot of detail the reader will never see that helps you create? Peter, the different periods of time require you to draw very different clothing among other things. Is there any approach you take to differentiate the periods?If you don’t mind my asking, what prompted you to address domestic abuse in this story?Can you talk a bit about your workspaces?There seems to be a source of ancient and maybe even alien evil at work here. I can’t help but think of the monster It, and its origin, is there any connection there?Joe Hill was on the show 2 weeks ago and described The Dollhouse Family as “intelligent British horror” and said it was specifically like a kind of horror film from the early 70s that is scary but intelligently written like the Wicker Man. Would you liken it to Wicker Man, or any other horror be it movie or novel?Superfight: The kid from the Omen vs. Carrie - who wins a marathon?Off topic top shelf: Mike and Peter give us their go-to entertainment lately

THE NEWS:DC shutters Vertigo earlyDC War Giant and Teen Titans Go postponed indefinitelyFolklords #1 gets 3rd printingAbrams’ Spider-Man significantly delayedUNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 is Image's Second-Biggest Selling Launch in a Decade, Going Back for 2nd PrintingCHEW's John Layman Returns with 'Butterfly Effect Noir' SeriesOctober Sales ReportMcFarlane Partners with CGC for mail in signing of Spawn 300 - $89TOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveSwimming in Darkness (W/A: Lucas Harari, Translator David Homel)Addams Family: The Bodies #1 (W: Zoe Quinn, A: Philip Murphy)ForrestSpider-Man and Venom: Double Trouble #1 (W: Tamaki, A: Gurihiru)New Mutants #1 (W: Hickman, Brisson A: Rod Reis)Trending Now - BOOM! Studios series keep getting third printings...before they even come out. HUH!? Something is Killing the Children, Once & Future, and now Folklords.TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: Morbius #1 (W: Vita Ayala, A: Marcelo Ferreira)Forrest: The Batman’s Grave #2 (W: Warren Ellis, A: Bryan Hitch)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Morbius #1 (Kyle Hotz)Forrest: War Children #1 Second Printing (Bill Sienkiewicz)Segment: Interview - Matt Kindt and Eric Harburn about Folklords, a new series about a young village boy who's plagued by visions of a modern, tech-based world and on his 18th birthday, sets out on a forbidden quest to find the legendary Folklords for answers, starting a chain of events that will change the very fabric of his existence from BOOM! Studios.Questions:When you turned 18, what was the quest you gave yourself?Fantasy can get however big or small depending on your take, can you talk about your process of coming up with the world we are introduced to in Folklords?Do you ever struggle with readers, or even yourself, comparing your work to what has come before, for instance, I ponder how Narnia may have influenced your narrative?There is a great moment where we hear all these quest ideas, and I have to ask, were there any that didn’t make the cut?I’ve heard said fantasy is largely about power be it monarchs, military might, or magic, would you agree and is that something you explore in this series?Information warfare seems to be a constant threat these days, and the themes like forbidden knowledge and finding your own journey or quest are aspects of Folklrods, what inspired this focus in the series?Of the five issues is any single issue your favorite?Does Folklords share some themes or DNA with your previous books like Ether, Dept. H, etc or did it feel entirely new to draft?Superfight: Worst Boss: Gollum vs. Wicked Witch of the WestOff topic top shelf: Matt Kindt - boardgames - Wingspan

THE NEWS:YONDU is 'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN Meets THE NICE GUYS in Space'JOE BENNETT No Longer Drawing IMMORTAL HULK #28...is doing Shazam...DRAMADC owning leaks, showing off Dan Didio’s Ultimate TimelineTom King Predicts anger and tears at final Batman issuesFinal two issues of The Beauty pulled by Image, no resolicitTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveHellboy and The B.P.R.D.: Long Night at Goloski Station #1 (W: Mike Mignola, A: Matt Smith)Joker: Killer Smile #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)ForrestExcalibur #1 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To)Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Death of Superman #1 (W: Jeff Loveness, A: Brad Walker)Trending Now - Marvel Comics keeps teasing covers and details of books a month or more beyond what we know from solicits!TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Dave: The Infected: King Shazam #1 (W: Sina Grace, A: Joe Bennett)Undiscovered Country #1 (Snyder, Soule, Camuncoli)Forrest: Strange Skies Over East Berlin #2 (W: Jeff Loveness, A: Lisandro Estherren)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Grendel: Devil's Odyssey #2 (Gabriel Ba)Forrest: New Mutants #1 (Bob McLeod Hidden Gem) Segment: Dawn of X check-in?ExcaliburMaraudersX-MenNovember releases ($39):New Mutants #1 11/6/2019X-Force #1 11/6/2019X-men #2 11/13/2019Fallen Angels #1 11/13/2019Marauders #2 11/20/2019Excalibur #2 11/20/2019New Mutants #2 11/27/2019X-Force #2 11/27/2019Fallen Angels #2 11/27/2019Off topic top shelf: Dave - Castle Rock season 2

THE NEWS:London MCM Comic Con - X-Men February 2020 news, Wolverine pages on AIPT, Giant-Sized X-Men, Franklin Richards’ own book…Aphra relaunching in 2020JORGE JIMENEZ Exiting JUSTICE LEAGUE With SCOTT SNYDER, Something 'Bigger' ComingTom King and Clay Mann’s Batman/Catwoman #1 delayed past January2019 RINGO AWARD WinnersFull Marvel solicitations revealedSpider-Man Noir out in MarchDoomsday Clock FINISHEDTOP BOOKS OF LAST WEEK:DaveAmazing Mary Jane (2019) #1 (W: Leah Williams, A: Carlos Gomez)King Thor #2 (W: Jason Aaron, A: Asad Ribic)All in all this book feels incredibly important even though it takes place in the far future and there isn't a single Marvel hero outside Thor to be seen. That's saying something!ForrestMarauders #1 (W: Gerry Dugan A: Matteo Lolli)Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle (See Credits)ComicBookRoundUpCritic: Martian Manhunter #9 (9.4)Fan: Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4 (9.2)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK:Joker: Killer Smile #1 (W: Jeff Lemire, A: Andrea Sorrentino)Forrest: Excalibur #1 (W: Tini Howard, A: Marcus To) JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.:Dave: Venom #19 (Kyle Hotz)Forrest: Silver Surfer: Black #5 (Cian Tormey)Segment: Interview with Joe Hill to talk Basketful of Heads and Hill House Comics LeomacsBasketful of Heads opens on September 1983, is that year and month significant to you or the story?The character acting in this story is exceptional as it tells us so much about every character. How much detail goes into detailing a facial expression, or body language in your script?There’s a good mix of wholesome summertime Americana against a seedy, gross underbelly in Basketful, how did you go about crafting the tone and do other books in the Hill House line explore similar balances?Reading the first issue I felt like there are details everywhere to pick on. It feels dense, like the American flag covering the heads in on the opening page and in the sampler, or information that is weaved into dialogue, is there an art to placing details to be picked up on later?How important are your surroundings when you write? Can you tell us about the music, movies, or other books that inspired the tone or visuals of Basketful and the line in general?I don’t want to spoil anything, but could one expect Hill House Comics to continue the shared universe theme we saw in NOS4A2?Do you think about which of your books will last in the public consciousness? Word association (word that comes to mind when I read the title):THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY from Mike Carey (LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER, The Girl with All the Gifts) and Peter Gross (LUCIFER, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, THE UNWRITTEN)THE LOW, LOW WOODS by Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) and Dani (2000 AD, Coffin Bound, Deep Roots)DAPHNE BYRNE by Laura Marks (TV writer and producer, playwright of Bethany) and Kelley Jones (SWAMP THING, DEADMAN, THE SANDMAN)PLUNGE by Hill and Stuart ImmonenBasketful of Heads and Leomacs