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Batman: The Battle For the Cowl
DC Comics hardback by Tony Daniel and Fabian Nicieza

The trouble with killing a character as iconic and popular as Bruce Wayne/Batman as happened during DC Comics' Final Crisis series is what happens next?

Is Batman's character so entwined with Bruce Wayne that nothing can replace him? Does the character return from the dead? Or can anyone fill the great man's shoes?

The Battle for the Cowl hardback collects the three issue series which dealt with these very questions as heroes and villains come to terms with the post-Batman Gotham.

Dick Grayson's Nightwing, Tim Drake's Red Robin and Damian Wayne's Robin face the onslaught of rampant villains taking advantage of chaos created by the power vacuum. Leading this onslaught is the Black Mask and an evil army recruited during an Arkham Asylum prison break.

But the real villain of the piece seems to be a new Batman who has abandoned Bruce Wayne's moral code and thinks nothing of killing villains and dishing out brutal justice.
The whole feature is set up to pave the way for a new Batman and sets the tone for a new caped crusader.

This is achieved with some style with cameos from many, if not all, Gotham favourites and you are left to conclude that Batman is the attitude and the outfit, not necessarily Bruce Wayne.

The Battle for the Cowl is published alongside a Companion paperback which compiles several one shot issues featuring Commissioner Gordon, the Network and the Riddler in their attempts to deal with the death of Batman. These are a real mixed bag.

OUR friends at Nostalgia and Comics are hosting a signing session by American cartoonist and underground comix artist Gilbert Shelton on Friday.

Knockabout Comics have just published The Fat Freddy's Cat Omnibus and they also have The Freak Brothers Omnibus available.

On Friday November 13th Nostalgia & Comics is proud to welcome Gilbert as a guest to sign both books between 4.00 & 5.30

Gilbert was born on May 31, 1940 in Houston, Texas. In the mid 60's he became art director for the Vulcan Gas Company, a rock music venue in Austin, Texas, where he created a number of posters in the style of contemporary California poster artists such as Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin.

After a year of this, he moved to San Francisco in the summer of 1968, hopeful that being closer to the action would enable him to do more poster work; as it turned out, he finally got his break in the alternative comix business. It was here in 1968 that he created

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (which is being made into a stop motion film), and a year later came the spin off series Fat Freddy's Cat. He has also contributed to Wonder Wart-Hog, Not Quite Dead, and is also well known in some circles for his cover art to The Grateful Dead's 1978 album Shakedown Street.

For further details call 0121 643 0143 or e-mail noscomic@noscomic.plus.com

Lorne Jackson caught up with comics legend Howard Chaykin in Birmingham last week. The following is his article from the Sunday Mercury.

SHAGGY is a half-and-half sort of guy.

The bottle of Stella he brandishes in his fist is half-drunk, for instance. Shaggy's half-drunk, too.

He is also 50 per cent screw-up; 50 per cent some sort of success.

Too much hardcore partying during his 40 years on this planet has undoubtedly been fun.

But it has taken its toll on the graphic designer.

AS someone became hooked on comics through his older brother's Tintin books, I have always adored the clean-line style, the detailed backgrounds, the boys own adventure stories and plots which don't talk down to the audience.

So I was delighted to see the poster advertising Garen Ewing's Rainbow Orchid at BICS and picked up a copy straight away.

This is set up as the first adventure for Julius Chancer, a young adventurer, antique hunter, and mystery solver who is joined by glamourous silent film star Lilly Lawrence on a quest to find a mythical flower.

The 1920s world of Julius Chancer is peopled by a range of larger than life characters from the evil corporate tyrant Grope, the sleazy reporter and gossip columnist Pickle, a bumbling Hollywood agent and, in the final scenes of volume one, a daredevil pilot who drops everything to save the day, in style.

It is truly great stuff. I am looking forward to volumes two, out in April and three to follow later in 2010

Garen, while signing books, helpfully explained that, while welcoming the comparison's with Herge's work, there is more to clear line comics than just Tintin and his website gives a few useful pointers.

I have already refered to my interview with Bryan Talbot which appeared in the Birmingham Post here. So I won't go over the same ground

One of the joys of reading Bryan Talbot's Grandville is spotting the little references hidden away inside.

Most obvious is the appearance of Tintin's sidekick Snowy, called Snowy Milou, after his name in French.

However I will never see the Herge version in the same light after seeing Grandville's tragic opium addict version of the character, picked on and preyed on by all, dreaming of a more noble existence and adventure.

Ahead of his appearance in Birmingham at BICS2009 there is an interview with Bryan Talbot in today's Birmingham Post.
He talks about his new book Grandville and the success of Alice in Sunderland.

BRITISH comic publishers and creators will be showing the public what the indigenous industry has to offer at the Think Tank in Birmingham next weekend.

As well as well known overseas guests like Howard Chaykin and Pasqual Ferry visitors to the show will be able to meet some of the top British creators working in comics today.

Those such as DC and Marvel Writer Andy Diggle, Hellboy artist Duncan Fegredo, the legendary Bryan Talbot, and a whole host of Independent creators and publishers at the cutting edge of UK Comics will be at hand to meet the fans and talk about new work in the pipeline.

New additions to the guest list include 2000ad superstar artist Clint Langley who will be signing copies of his acclaimed graphic novels "Volgan War" and "Slaine: Book Of Invasion" at the 2000ad booth.

Titan Books will also be appearing at the show to find new talent, and Editors will be conducting portfolio reviews on the Saturday joining DC Comics editor Michael Wright as they give up and coming artists the chance to receive feedback on the work and possibly a chance to land their first professional assignment in the industry.

"Many people out there think that British Comics are a thing of the past, but at BICS readers will discover, that it is anything but the truth, with publishers like Com.X, Markosia, and Insomnia innovating with fresh talent and ground breaking stories, expanding the medium in new directions and taking risks creatively," said show co- organiser Shane Chebsey

To find out more about BICS visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk

A curtain raiser to next month's BICS, the special Watchmen IMAX screening hosted by Dave Gibbons will be hard to top.

The artist was on sparkling form and, through the question and answer session, gave a genuine and, at times, detailed insight into his creation, his work with Alan Moore and his thoughts on the big screen version.

Dave has attended previous BICS here in Birmingham, but is unavailable on October 3 and 4 and so the Watchmen event was born.

One audience member asked about the latest editions of the graphic novel in which the cover has been switched from the iconic blood splattered smiley face to an ensemble picture of the Watchmen characters.

CELEBRITY comic fan Jonathan Ross is special guest of the Geek Syndicate on their latest podcast.

The Syndicate, David Monteith and Barry Nugent, allow the chat show host to indulge his love all things comic like never before.

In the hour long chat Rossy reveals why he would never own a comics shop again and why he is unable to attend comic conventions as much as he would like.

There's some talk about the adaptation of Mark Millar's Kick Ass that Jonathan's wife, Jane, is working on as well his view on comic to film adaptations.

Jonathan has his feet firmly placed  in the Marvel comics camp. He explains why and shares some of his favourite creations. He also tells a very interesting story about his encounter with Steve Dikto - for a BBC Four documentary..

He also gives a few details of the comic creation he is currently working on.

Geek Syndicate - Your podcast guide to the murky underbelly of geekdom

A JAPANESE manga artist, who honed her skills with the Birmingham comic community,
is making a welcome return to the second city for BICS 2009.

Tokyo born Michiru Morikawa, was a highly successful graduate of the Hi8us Stripsearch course winning an International Manga and Anime Festival award in 2005.

Now thanks to the Sasakawa Foundation, an organisation dedicated to encouraging cultural links between the UK and Japan, Michiru will be launching her new comic Buskers at the British International Comics Show at Millennium Point on October 3 and 4.