"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"-- International Trailer

New York Comic Con 2010 Preview

At the end of this week’s column, you’ll find a semi-review I did of the CrossGen comic TPB of Sigil vol 1 – but I honestly couldn’t find that much good or bad to say about it (mostly I was indifferent). So, I decided instead to use this week’s column to give a preview of the things I’m excited about New York Comic Con 2010.

I’ll be attending New York Comic Con (NYCC) as a reporter for http://www.njoe.com/, along with my kids (age 4 and 6) on Sunday, Oct. 10th. I’ve got a bunch of exhibitors I’m hoping to check out, my kids wish-list to try and fulfill (they’re looking for toys – characters from the Krypto cartoon from a few years ago; specifically Krypto and Batman’s dog Ace), one panel I plan to attend, and another that I’ll try to see.

On the Exhibitor front, there are some of the usual Star Wars suspects; Dark Horse comics, Del Rey, DK, Penguin, Her Universe and Titan - but most of the other major publishers will be there as well (EOS, TOR, Orbit). I'm planning on doing a series of articles next Friday; one here at F&SF Lovin' on any book news I find out, one at NJOE on any Star Wars news, and one at www.cosmicbooknews.com on any comic news. Aside from Star Wars comics at Dark Horse, I’m hoping to get some information on the resurrection of Dark Horse Presents (a comic I used to love) as well as news on Jim Shooter’s Gold Key Comics revivals (such as Solar and Magnus). Speaking of comics, Titan’s new The Clone Wars Magazine debuts this week – including a reprint of UK comics in each issue – and I’m hoping to pick up a copy at the convention, as well as talk to them about upcoming issues.

DK always has both fantastic kids related Star Wars books as well as more non-fiction oriented Guide books for adults. I’m going to try and ask about some of their upcoming titles (such as their Visual Dictionary of Characters and Mysteries of the Jedi), gush to anyone within earshot about Star Wars: Year by Year (review coming soon), and maybe pick up the Star Wars Blueprints: Rebel Edition while I’m there. Similarly, I’d like to ask Penguin about their upcoming Star Wars kids books (through their Grosset & Dunlap imprint) such as A Jedi Adventure in 3-D and Villains: A Pop-up Storybook.

At Her Universe, mostly I wanted my kids to meet Ashley Eckstein the voice behind Ahsoka in The Clone Wars series (the fact that Matt Lanter – voice of Anakin from the show – will also be there, makes me want to find a way to get these two together on the floor of the convention somehow).

Like many creators (artists and writers) Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (DnA) will be at NYCC, and I’m hoping to spend a little time going down artists alley to see Katie Cook (of The Clone Wars webcomic), Alex Irvine, Pablo Hidalgo, Jim Lee, Jan Duursema, Joe Schreiber – I’m not too sure which ones I’ll actually get to see, but I know the potential is there.

I also plan to stop by Atlas Comics (a revival of an old imprint, with some new scifi stories coming out) Boom! Studios/ POW Entertainment (Stan Lee’s new scifi comics), DC Comics (because my traitorous children prefer Superman and Batman over their father’s love of Marvel), Disney Publishing Worldwide (because we all love Disney), EOS and Tor Books (to see their upcoming scifi offerings), IDW Publishing (I still love the Transformers, and so does my youngest), Marvel Entertainment’s booth (they have a sampler comic as well as an Avengers ID my kids can get), Wizards of the Coast (D&D!) and I’ve got to drop by the guys at Midtown Comics, since that’s the store I shop in when I’m in NYC (plus they’re one of the likely places to find those Krypto toys).

Del Rey should be promoting a few books I’m already interested in, videogame tie-ins such as God of War 2 and Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect, but of course I’m hoping to find out more about any of their upcoming general science fiction books. Then there’s The Old Republic: Deceived by Paul Kemp – and maybe something about John Jackson Miller’s Knight Errant releasing early next year. Of course, one of Del Rey’s big events is the release of The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, which will be available at NYCC a few days before its official release, and the first 150 people who pre-order a copy receive a limited edition poster as well. Author J.W. Rinzler will be on-hand to sign the book, as well as to speak at a panel on the making of the book – one of the panels I hope to attend.

But the panel that I definitely plan on attending is Marvel’s The Next Big Thing. It’s here that I’m hoping to hear some information on the future of Marvel’s cosmic line of comic books, as well as what plans they might have for the revival of Crossgen. I’m a fan of what they’re currently doing with Avengers and Fantastic Four, and will certainly listen to their plans for X-Men and Spider-man – but having been introduced to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova through DnA’s work on various cosmic titles at Marvel, that’s what I’m really hoping to hear about. After the current miniseries The Thanos Imperative, other than another miniseries starring Guardians’ members Rocket and Groot, nothing else is known about what might be in store for these characters. I’m plugging for a Cosmic Avengers title personally, but any news would be welcome (I’d also like to hear about the cosmic characters being a part of the introduction of CrossGen into mainstream Marvel, but again – I’ll take any news).

Which brings me full circle to the announcement (at San Diego Comic Con) that Marvel will be doing something with the CrossGen comic properties Disney (which now owns Marvel) purchased some time ago. Since I was a fan of some of their titles (most especially Scion) this news gave me some incentive to seek out additional CrossGen comics I never got to read and see what they were like (see last week’s Negation for instance). CrossGen was a bit of a different type of comic company – branching out to cover non-superhero titles when Marvel and DC were focused only on that type of story. At CrossGen you got Fantasy, Steampunk, Kung-Fu, and Science Fiction titles like Sigil. This was one of the first titles CrossGen introduced, meant to be a cornerstone for the entire CrossGen universe, and this volume collects more than just the first story arc, it’s also a record of how this comic came to be – from plotting and art to the initial design and story concepts. How does it all work as a comic story?

Reading this book I got a strange sense of déjà-vu – at first I couldn’t place it, and then I realized Star Wars: Legacy is actually very similar to Sigil. Sam is Cade – a washed up pilot who’s given extra special powers (the Sigil - a design branded on him and marking him as a person of power) who doesn’t want the job and would rather turn his back on everyone – except his crew. Actually it’s also similar to Firefly, as a few newcomers join his crew – like the runaway wife (number 13, and all of the others are still alive) of a sultan type guy who leads one of the planets in this story as well as her bodyguard. Also, the ship’s holographic computer that has the personality of Sam’s dead partner/girlfriend… and I’m left wondering what’s really original here. Oh sure, this comic actually pre-dates Legacy and Firefly – but the real problem with this book is that there’s no great story to back it all up.

The sultan wants his wife back, the Reptilian race wants its revenge on Sam for the usual host of reasons, Sam wants to get his girlfriend back, they get a super-powerful new ship (why they couldn’t have started with this ship, I don’t know) they hop around a few planets, get into some trouble and beat up the bad-guys. Unfortunately, there’s not too much here to recommend. The art is pretty good, there’s some decently cool looking tech designs and alien creatures – but the problem is it’s rather forgettable. I’m a fan of a number of other CrossGen properties and I’ve read a fair share of duds as well from them. While I wouldn’t say Sigil is bad, it’s not up to the level of the best of what this CrossGen has to offer. If you’re looking for a semi-decent sci-fi read, this could suffice – but frankly there are a host of other better choices out there that I’d suggest before bothering with Sigil.

Ghosts

You should be in bed, but the baby didn't stop crying until two in the morning. It was just so much easier to grab the afghan that was carelessly thrown over the back of the couch, and curl up on the recliner and just sleep. The baby will probably be up in an hour anyway.

It's cold in the front room and that ratty old blanket doesn't offer much protection against the chill. Your sleep is fitful at best, but you just pull your meager covering up to your chin and try to cling to the brief moments of sleep you've managed to steal for the night.

But there's a weird feeling that keeps sleep at bay. Maybe you feel a tingle on your arm. A shiver down your spine. Turning over doesn't help; recliners are made for napping and this one is old enough to list to one side and trying to readjust your position only makes you more uncomfortable. You reluctantly allow your consciousness to return.

You sit for a minute in that half-sleep state that is so comforting before you have to look at the alarm clock and deal with the awareness that you have to get up in fifteen minutes. But the cold is biting, almost like you left a window open, and then you realize you feel a breeze across your face.

Damn. Left the window open after all.

You open your eyes, but instead of seeing the dim outline of the couch in front of you, you see see shadowy face, a silhouette really, hovering less than an inch from your own.

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of Halloween is ghosts.

Being an avid reader the word "ghost" comes up so often; a ghost of a chance or a ghost of a smile and whether you believe in them or not -- and I do -- the very idea of a wandering soul can't help elicit feelings of both excitement and dread.

And ghosts, regardless of the season, are hot these days.

A quick search of reality shows currently filming that feature our spectral friends includes Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel), Ghost Hunters (Syfy), Celebrity Ghost Stories (Bio),  Ghost Lab (Discovery), and Paranormal State (A&E), and there are easily twice as many shows of this nature that continue to air well past their cancellation date. Paranormal Activity 2 also makes its way to theaters this month for the ghost-hungry masses.

When you get right down to it, ghosts may be as prevalent in the culture as the debate over whether vampires should sparkle or not (NOT!).

I'd ask what gives, but I think I know why ghosts have captured popular interest so decidedly.

Almost everyone either has, or knows someone who has, a real-life ghost story. The story at the top of this post happened to my sister-in-law.

As much as I'm a believer, I'm also a bit of a skeptic. I think most ghost stories belong to the imagination of the person who relates the tale. How many stories have we heard that begin with I was sleeping and...? Who hasn't seen or heard something strange in the fugue state of sleep? Normally I'd brush off my sister-in-law's ghost story (not to be ungracious) but the ghost sightings in her house are pretty firmly established. Friends and family are declining invitations to stay over and maybe one or two people have left the house rather abruptly. I'm intrigued but not planning on visiting.

Ghosts are part of the supernatural world that we can actually attempt to grab hold of (metaphorically speaking) while vampires and werewolves are generally accepted as part of our folklore. Some overenthusiastic people might have fangs veneered to their teeth-- but we know they're faking it.

What I really love about all the shows that are on right now are the hoops our fearless ghost-hunters are jumping through in some vague hope of proving our dearly-departed are still hanging around. The knocks and screeches they catch on tape frequently sound like distant machinery that has been radically amplified. The voices they supposedly hear can easily be attributed to the power of suggestion.

But we still tune in.

Ghosts are also a reminder of history. In America it's not unusual to hear of stories surrounding the sites of great Civil War battles, while Britain has a 900-year-old history with the Tower of London.

Ultimately it's the stories themselves that are the draw-- more so than the spirits. Don't you think? Whether it's a more commonplace story like my sister-in-law's or one that's set in a place that steeped in national history, we want to know who these people might have been. Did they die a tragic death? Or do they just have unfinished business? The eerier the story, the better.

To tell the truth, I hope we never find a way to prove, or disprove, the existence of ghosts. Some things are better when they remain a mystery.

Mozilla Seabird Concept Smartphone

Assure that all smartphone is down rank certainly if, get see topmost world future this smartphone (if have produce true). Because, the Technology that apply full display has no the edge

Mozilla Seabird Concept Smartphone, features that include an 8MP camera, dual pico projectors, a 960 x 600 pixel screen, wireless charging and an embedded Bluetooth dongle. Dongle is also a headset with haptic clicking support and usable as some sort of remote for the device.

You can place the Mozilla Seabird concept phone onto its dock and use the handset’s projectors to visualize both a huge diagonal screen and a virtual keyboard. Also, the device can created an IR touchpad area near it, allowing you to input text and commands through that. This is simply amazing stuff, especially with all that gesture control and 3D manipulation interface

Designers: Billy May

If you liked this smartphone, you would also be interested in:
www.concept-phones.com

Giveaway! 3 Signed Copies of "The Silent Army" by James Knapp

One of the best zombie-themed books to come out over the last year was State of Decay by James Knapp. Going beyond the normal zombie tropes, we were introduced to a world in which zombies (or "revivors" in this case) are a calculated creation, and a deliberate choice for those who wish to rise above their assigned station in life.

Building on the world created in "State of Decay," Knapp's newest book The Silent Army continues the story of his fascinating world and delves deeper into the ethical considerations of using the human body so callously-- and the unexpected emotional toll it takes on the revivors who were presumed to be unaware of their reanimated life.

Would you allow the military to reanimate your corpse, knowing it would commit atrocities, if it meant avoiding service in a brutal war during your lifetime?

What if your level of citizenship depended on your answer? To gain a chance at a better life, or feed your family, which would you choose then? Or would you choose neither, and accept a life of hardship and poverty?

What if you came face to face with your own death, and realized too late you had made the wrong decision?

Nico Wachalowski has awakened to realize an old friend has been controlling his thoughts and actions, and that this has been true since they served together in the war. Free of his influence but unable to know what memories may have been manipulated, Nico continues to share a tense alliance with him until a covert operation goes horribly wrong, and a weapon capable of destroying half the city ends up in the hands of Samuel Fawkes. Having gone underground following his discovery two years prior, Fawkes has used his time to amass a private army of revivors, and his forces are nearly in place. Armed with the weapons he has stolen, he is poised for a strike on the city that could kill tens of thousands. Pulled at from both sides, Nico must determine where Fawkes' army is located, where they will strike from, and how to prevent the attack before time runs out.

Faye Dasalia has gained the truth, but at the cost of her life. Faced with the fact that the final years of her life were a lie, and no longer hampered by human emotions, she has found a new purpose in Samuel Fawkes. To upset the current balance and prevent others from sharing her fate, however, Faye must commit acts that her living self could never have imagined even while on a collision course with the man she once loved.

Calliope Flax has returned from the battlefield a first-tier citizen, but quickly learns that without established wealth and connections the coveted status isn't everything it's marketted as. When she reconnects with Nico, she finds the events of two years back haven't ended, and that she can no longer ignore them. As she struggles to find her new place in society and prove her worth to Nico, she is pulled back into a struggle that threatens to cost her more than just her life.

Zoe Ott is trying to come to terms with sobriety when a personal tragedy turns her life completely upside-down. A mysterious new friend appears to try and help her understand and control her abilities, but the gifts that she comes bearing could come at a heavy price. She learns her visions are shared by thousands, and that the picture which has begun to emerge may be worse than she even imagined. As she becomes aware of how powerful she has the potential to be Zoe is called upon to choose a side, even if it means leaving everything she ever knew, including Nico, behind.


Courtesy of James Knapp I have 3 SIGNED copies of "The Silent Army" to offer for giveaway. Just add your information to the form below to enter (all information is guaranteed confidential and will be discarded once contest ends) and I will randomly pick THREE winners by Wednesday October 27th. No multiple entries please-- all multiple entries will be discarded. Open in the U.S. and Canada.

Good luck!

**Contest Closed**

256th SUPERMAN & KRYPTO

Free Badge-State in Malaysia Full Version

Assalammualaikum dan Salam 1 Malaysia.Ok guy's entri yang lepas berkenaan dengan Free Badge-State in Malaysia adalah sebenarnya satu ekspiremen untuk saya tengok bagaimanakah sambutan terhadap Badge tersebut. Melihat komen tersebut,saya amat gembira sekali kerana anda semua dapat menerima dan menggunakannya. 

baca selanjutnya