Vertigo Releases Details of Willingham's FABLES #100

Fables is one of my favorite comics.  I have read every issue of Fables as well as it's spin-offs, one shots, etc.  As you can imagine, I am very excited for the release of this very special issue for many reasons.  Frau Totenkinder  vs. Mister Dark.  Rose Red vs. Gepetto.  Ozma vs. Totenkinder.

Today, Vertigo has released some details on the big 100th anniversary issue of their long-running Fables series

In this fantastic 100-page issue, it's time to put an end to Mister Dark once and for all, and time for the Fables to return home to Fabletown. For that to happen, one of the Fables agrees to take on the Dark Man in single combat! It's big, it's epic, and if you live in New York City, you may want to take a quick vacation when this issue comes out, because things are going to get wrecked!

In addition to the larger-than-life main story, we have a FABLES prose story written by Mark Buckingham and illustrated by Bill Willingham! We have an All-Star Burning Questions section that will knock your socks off (seriously, innocent people are going to lose some socks here). We have a puppet theatre created by the unstoppably creative Mark Buckingham, a FABLES board game, sequential stories painted by Chrissie Zullo and Joao Ruas, and even more surprises in this square-bound behemoth celebrating this award-winning Vertigo series!

Also in this issue are:
• A set of do-it-yourself Fables puppet theater illustrated by Mark Buckingham
• A three-page story written by Willingham with art by Cinderella artist Chrissie Zullo
• A three-page story written by Willingham with art by Joao Ruas
• A two-page Fables board game, illustrated by Buckingham, with game rules by Willingham
• Four celebrity “Burning Questions” stories, all written by Willingham, featuring questions from some of your favorite actors who are also FABLES fans! These “Burning Questions” are illustrated by top-flight artists including Adam Hughes, J.H. Williams III and Dave Johnson.

Fables #100 is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 8!

via: Vertigo Comics

Darren Aronofsky to Direct Garth Ennis' PREACHER?

Darren Aronofsky is busy but very lucky man. It was reported yesterday that he is rumored to be in the hunt to direct the Superman reboot, now Newsarama is reporting that Darren Aronofsky may also be interested in directing Preacher and that it's likely he'll have to choose one project over the other, as both are slated to move into development soon.

Preacher, based on the Vertigo series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon that ran in the late '90's, tells the story of Texas reverend Jesse Custer who, after merging with the escaped offspring of a demon and an angel, find himself imbued with the word of God, the power to command anyone to do his bidding. Teamed with his ex girlfriend, Tulip O'Hare and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, Custer sets out across America to track down the almighty and force him to explain why he abandoned creation.

Preacher has been rumored for development almost as far back as the series' debut in 1995, but was most recently in development with Sam Mendes directing and a script in the works from John August. It is uncertain whether or not Aronofsky, if he took the project, would work from the same draft.

This is a tough call for me.  I think Aronofsky would do a great job as the director on the Superman reboot, but I am a huge fan of Ennis' Preacher and would love to see the story move forward as movie(s).  If I was God, I would choose Aronofsky to direct the Preacher.  It's a a unique story that needs someone with his film background (pi, Requiem for a Dream, Wrestler and The Fountain) to direct and shepherd through the process.  What do you think?

TV Series In The Works For Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’

Warner Bros. TV is in the early stages of developing a television series based on the popular Neil Gaiman comic book series Sandman.

WB is currently in the process of acquiring the television rights to Sandman from sister company DC Entertainment, which owns Vertigo, the imprint that published the comic book series from 1989 until 1996.

The company is also in talks with several writer-producers to adapt the award-winning series for television, apparently with Eric Kripke, creator of the CW television series Supernatural, at the top of their list of choices.

Sandman adaptations have been stuck in development hell over the past two decades with a movie version of the series planned in the early 1990s by frequent Gaiman collaborate Roger Avary, but that fell through. There had even been talks earlier this year of bringing the series to HBO, but that didn't work out either. Back in March, Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn, who adapted Gaiman's Stardust for the big screen, expressed interest in doing a Sandman cable TV series and even spoke with Gaiman about his ideas, but nothing ever came of it.

 Source: Geeks of Doom

Did Dan Didio Just Bitch Slap Vertigo Comics?

A Rich Johnson rumor says that Dan Didio has decided to take Swamp Thing away from Vertigo to bring him back to the DC Universe.

Recently demoted DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio has decided that a new Swamp Thing title will be released under the DC banner, instead of a planned reboot from science fiction author China Mieville.

What's more, Johnston contends that the Didio proclamation extends to any of the Vertigo superheroes that originated in the DC Universe.

Many are outraged by this move, but it makes a lot of sense to gfest.  While Vertigo's roots are in edgier takes on classic DC superheroes, that's not what drives the Vertigo train today.  Today Vertigo is THE home for highly acclaimed original series like 100 Bullets, Preacher, Scalped, DMZ, Transmetropolitan and Y: The Last Man.

For years, Vertigo's flagship series was Hellblazer, but that's no longer the case.  Today, Fables rules the world of Vertigo. 

So mark it down, today gfest agreed with a Dan Didio decision.  We're as shocked as you are.

J.H. Williams Variant Cover American Vampire #4 is Beautiful

Gfest loves artist J.H. Williams III.  His art on Batman, Batwoman, Jonah Hex, Batman Beyond (upcoming), 7 Soldiers and many more has always been phenomenal.

Gfest was excited when Vertigo released J.H. Williams' variant cover to American Vampire #4, which arrives in stores on June 23.

The cover is gorgeous and we look forward to more art from J.H. Williams III in the very near future.

Vertigo Comics Fables TV Ad on BBC America

Gfest loves Bill Wilingham's Fables.  Gfest has read every single issue of all Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, Jack of Fables, Great Fables Crossover, Peter & Max, and Cinderella From Fabletown with Love.  When we stumbled upon this television ad for Fables it was extremely exciting.  Gfest had never seen a bona fide television commercial for a graphic novel.  Have you? 

Enjoy 30 seconds of Fables courtesy of BBC America.

Sadly, Vertigo Comics Kills the Unknown

Just a week after Vertigo Comics announced they would end ongoing series Air, another one bites the dust. This time it's Unknown Soldier. Shortly after Bleeding Cool's Rich Johnson speculated the series was on the chopping block, writer Joshua Dysart came clean on Twitter:

"The gig is, literally, up. Since Rich Johnson posted the news yesterday that Unknown Soldier will end with #25 I've been swamped with loving emails from readers. The outpouring of affection and praise has been amazing. Thank you. The book may not have moved "enough" of you to keep it alive, but it moved enough of you for me. Thank you. I promise the book will end in an awesome, natural way and that when read in trades, will feel like it was always meant to conclude this way. I've been preparing for this cancellation for a while and have had plenty of time to sing it out right. I actually really, really like the way the series is going to end and feel like it should end this way. Keep reading! Five more issues! For two years we executed a comic that flirted with both pulp nonsense & real-life genocidal truth. As far as I'm concerned, we won."

Gfest is saddened by the recently cancellation by Vertigo Comics.  Hopefully, this is not an ongoing practice and Vertigo is going to continue to release non traditional comic books that include gritty subject matter. 

NEW DC Variant Cover for Superman #700

Gfest announced yesterday that as part of a line-wide celebration of DC Comics’ 75th, they will be rolling out a number of special variant covers by some of the biggest names in the industry.  But these aren’t standard variants. No, these covers will take a classic image from DC’s illustrious history and present a new, re-imagined version by an all-star list of artists. Yesterday, DC unveiled a look at Mike Mingola’s take on the classic Detective Comics #168 cover.


Today DC unveiled the 75th anniversary variant cover to Superman #700.  The cover was recreated by by Eduardo Risso, the acclaimed artist of Vertigo’s 100 Bullets and Wednesday Comics “Batman” strip.  The original cover was featured on Superman #233 "Kryptonite Nevermore": and drawn by the comic book legend Neal Adams.

Cover for Grant Morrison's Joe the Barbarian #8 Revealed

The team of Grant Morrison and artist Sean Murphy are quickly approaching the end of their 8 issue adventure mini-series JOE THE BARBARIAN.


Vertigo Comics has released the cover to the final issue, and its a beauty.

Also...

Did you miss yesterday's Grant Morrison story about his strange picture in Panties?  Check it out HERE.