Busy month:
THE NEW YORK FOURWritten by Brian Wood
Art and cover by Ryan Kelly
A new Minx graphic novel from acclaimed writer Brian Wood (DEMO, DMZ)!
Just starting her freshman year at NYU, Riley is about to find out what an adventure — and a mystery — living in New York City can be.
The ultimate insider’s guide to NYC is seen through the eyes of Brooklyn-born Riley. Raised by stuffy, literati parents, Riley’s a shy, straight-A student who convinces three other NYU brainiacs to join a research group for fast cash. What Riley doesn’t bank on is accidentally falling in love with a mysterious online guy known only as “sneakerfreak”
Advance-solicited; on sale July 23 • 176 pg, B&W, $9.99 USDMZ #32Written by Brian Wood
Art by Riccardo Burchielli
Cover by Wood
“Blood in the Game” Part 4. All hell breaks loose in the DMZ as an assassination attempt is made on Delgado during an impassioned speech. Before the dust even settles, officials from all sides try and spin the shooting in their favor — with even Matty Roth taking advantage of the situation.
On sale June 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERSDMZ VOL. 5: THE HIDDEN WAR TPWritten by Brian Wood
Cover by Wood
Art by Riccardo Burchielli, Danijel Zezelj, and Nathan Fox
Collecting issues #23-28 of the acclaimed series from writer Brian Wood (DEMO). The world and characters of the DMZ are expanded and enriched in this volume as Matty Roth turns his attention to several locals — a guerilla artist, a former ally who’s now worse off than a homeless person, the powerful head of an organization within the DMZ and more
Advance-solicited; on sale July 2 • 144 pg, FC, $12.99 US • MATURE READERSNORTHLANDERS #7Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
With the assistance of a small army, the battle for Sven’s birthright begins. Vastly outnumbered by Gorm’s forces, things begin to look bleak until some unforeseen allies help Sven’s cause. But will it be enough in the end?
On sale June 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS-
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So I ran this workshop called “Place In The Graphic Novel” today. I’ve spoken on a lot of panels at conventions before, but with those I really know what I was getting myself in to, who the audience would be, etc. With this thing, I had to create a one-time curriculum for a mystery audience. Were they writers? Artists? Comic book readers? Interested civilians? No idea. So I was a little worried and wrote out this whole plan and made a powerpoint presentation and brought supplies, thinking I might put these 20 people to work on some layouts or script outlines.
The crowd ended up being 50 people, which made a workshop impossible. So I powered through the slides, talked at length about all my books, mostly Local and the process behind that book, some general themes and considerations and tips about writing fiction deliberately set in non-fiction locales. It occurred to me, as I planned for this, that virtually everything I’ve written exists in a very specific place that is blended into the story to a degree that it couldn’t be easily swapped out. New York City especially: three Channel Zero books, three volumes of Couriers, Couscous Express, all of DMZ, some of Local, some of Demo, my Vampirella thing, most of my run on Generation X, Fight For Tomorrow, The New York Four. I think I might only be beat out by Will Eisner in this?
This workshop went well. The crowd ranged from kids going to Parsons to much older, established writers interested in working in the medium of comics. I spoke for the entire time, took a lot of questions, and had a blast overall. I might write this curriculum up as a column to run online somewhere.
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In stores this week: volume 4 of the collected editions (above) and also DMZ #29, part one of the six-part “Blood In The Game” story.
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The story’s starting to click with people:
…considering how far it’s come in just four issues—from “hmm, this might be sort of entertaining but right now it’s not,” to “this is getting better and who the hell is this artist again, he’s great” to where it stands now as “holy shit, this is pretty fan-fucking-tastic” and “what do you know, there’s nobody in it who’s nice, or honest, or really just altogether decent.” It’s just selfish, murderous, foul-mouthed Vikings with fucked up religious beliefs, fucked up familial bonds and fucked up ideas on how to get what they want. No spandex, no cheeseball mysticism, no speechifying, no political yammerings, no attempts to showcase some knee-jerk heroism… Hell, if this keeps up, it’ll be feeding the sick and clothing the hungry when everybody is finishing up their shift at the manufacturing plant come 2013. link
This series is turning out to be like a savage cross between Rambo, Conan, and Die Hard but at a satisfying slow crawl. I’m intrigued at Brian Wood’s pacing and patience in Northlanders compared to the frenetic, almost rhythmic ride that dominates his much recommended body of work. He’s making us wait and get inside Sven’s head and the few emotions he chooses to show, and that uncertainty keeps me waiting in line for more. link
As a person who has been interested in Vikings for many years, this book has been of great interest to me, and continues to impress me with the use of real culture and real political situations to establish one heckuva story. Keep it up, Brian! link
Issue one was good enough, issue two a bit better. But now? Now, this is a book I need to read. It took a bit of doing to get there, but now I can feel all the characters. Soon, comes the time for swift and awesome vengeance. I bet it’s going to be awesome. link
Northlanders continues to be a highly enjoyable comic, with Wood’s script really hitting its stride here as Sven’s story escalates from its self-serving initial goals to the brutal consequences of his one-man campaign. It’s good stuff, and as always, Davide Gianfelice’s art is gorgeous. link
…four issues in, I find the title growing on me as I slowly acclimate myself to its unique approach. Northlanders is beginning to feel like a pulpy piece of genre-fiction, not unlike a Quentin Tarantino movie. It sensationalizes everything it does- modern vernacular included- and to this regard, it works wel …When you look at the book in this manner, it comes off as somewhat revolutionary in that the whole sword-and-sandals genre has never really been presented in this, filthy, grimy sort of way. link
…I enjoyed the introspective tone of Sven in this issue; he’s starting to fully comprehend that his actions have an effect on those around him, which can sometimes be tragic. The little details in Wood’s script shine here. Case in point, “whatever the afterlife, Norse or Muslim, or even that of the White Christ.” In the hands of a lesser writer that last bit would have simply referred to “Christians” and not have been terribly distinct. But our man Brian Wood understands the subtle nuances of word choice that make his language use rich and unique. Sven himself is a wonderful protagonist because he isn’t simply a mindless brawler; he’s a warrior with the soul of a poet. Grade A. link
As many have already pointed out, this book is starting to get really good. I’m now glad that Wood is giving each story eight issues (or maybe the next stories will be different, can’t remember). The art’s fantastic, and works wonders with the setting. Plus, by all accounts, we NEEDED an ongoing Viking book, we just didn’t know it until now. link
It’s a typically gorgeous-looking comic, as Gianfelice does a wonderful job with winter in the Orkneys and gives us a taste of the Mediterranean world as well, with a flashback to Sven and his woman. The story zips along, with more death and tragedy, and this issue, like the others in this series so far, is excellent. It’s rapidly becoming one of my favorites. link
This is the classic “from bad to worse” part of the story, but Brian Wood pulls it off well. The best quality of this vikings series is how Wood gives depth to his characters and doesn’t let any of them fall too far into stereotypical roles of heroes and villains. Life is complicated, especially for blood-hungry Scandinavians. link
Brian Wood’s Northlanders is really, really good. It just works… there’s something very powerful about the story. There is something tragic and beautiful about fighting for a losing fight. There’s something even more beautiful about knowing its a losing fight and choosing to join it despite yourself. link
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The Return of Demo
Us Talking About It At Wondercon
Promo Images
There will be much more info to come over the course of the spring and summer. I’m still at Wondercon, getting some writing done before I head over for the final day of the show. I’ll just say that making more Demo (and re-releasing the existing Demo collection) at a publisher like Vertigo is such a perfect alignment of the stars, I can’t wait to get started.
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Twenty-Five Must-See Series:
#5. DMZ by Brian Wood, illustrated by Riccardo Burchielli (Vertigo). Wood’s captivating series takes place in a not-so-distant, nightmarish future, where the United States has become a war zone. Matty, a journalist, embeds himself in Manhattan — the DMZ — and tries to stay alive. DMZ combines the thrill of a summer blockbuster with the dire realities of war and dose of social/political commentary.
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DEMO
Written by Brian Wood
Art and cover by Becky Cloonan
The Eisner-nominated and critically acclaimed series of self-contained short stories by writer Brian Wood (DMZ, NORTHLANDERS) and artist Becky Cloonan (AMERICAN VIRGIN) arrives in a new edition. Twelve stories of conflicted teens grappling with love, loss, and the joy of finding your own way in life make DEMO a graphic novel not to be missed.
“More human than mainstream comics dare to be.” - Variety
“Touching…breathes with a sense of space and life rarely seen.” - Entertainment Weekly
“The fantastic throws the routine into relief.” - The Village Voice
“Lacking recurring characters, DEMO altogether is less reminiscent of other comics series than of a thematic rather than continuous-narrative novel, such as John Horne Burns’ The Gallery (1947). High praise, maybe, but deserving.” - Booklist, starred review
(On sale June 25 328 pg, B&W, $19.99)
DMZ #31
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Riccardo Burchielli
Cover by Wood
“Blood in the Game” Part 3. As the pro-Delgado movement expands, the P.R. firms of both the United States and of the FSA attempt to get the revolutionary on their sides. But Delgado has plans of his own.
(On sale May 14, 32 pg, color, $2.99)
NORTHLANDERS #6
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
With a cooler head on his shoulders, Sven begins to build an alliance with neighboring settlements against the ruthless Lord Gorm. As the fight escalates, the Saxons arrive, but which side will they fight for?
(On sale May 7, 32 pg, color, $2.99)
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I’ll be
there next week, with a table in artist’s alley, # AA4. Also:
Friday:
6:00-7:00
Spotlight on Brian Wood - One of the hottest writers in comics right now, WonderCon special guest Brian Wood talks about his comics work, past, present, and future. Brian’s edgy, provocative series include VERTIGO’s
DMZ and
Northlanders. Room 232/234
Saturday:
3:30-4:30
Brian Wood/Becky Cloonan— Join Brian Wood (
DMZ, Northlanders) and Becky Cloonan (
American Virgin, East Coast Rising) for an informal chat and Q&A session about their current works as well as their co-created series
DEMO. Brian and Becky will have an exclusive announcement to make during this panel! Room 232/234 5:00-6:00
VERTIGO: Edgy and Evocative— With books like
Fables,
DMZ,
American Virgin,
Northlanders and more, VERTIGO continues the critical success of its monthly books with even more surprises up its sleeve in 2008! Come hear Bob Schreck, group editor—VERTIGO, Becky Cloonan (
American Virgin), Steve Leialoha (
Fables), Bill Willingham (
Fables, Jack of Fables), and Brian Wood (
DMZ, Northlanders), discuss their books and find out why VERTIGO is THE imprint for discerning readers.
Room 104 —
BRIAN WOOD ANNOUNCES “PUBLIC DOMAIN” RIGHTS REVERSION AND FREE DOWNLOAD
Press Release
Brian Wood announces the immediate and full reversion of publishing and other media rights for the Channel Zero designbook Public Domain.
First published in 2002 by AIT/Planet Lar, Public Domain is a collection of extras generated in 1996-98 during the creation of Wood’s first graphic novel Channel Zero. Consisting of unused pages, character designs, short stories, photography, and illustration, Public Domain is 145 pages of black and white artwork that is now available as a free PDF download here: www.brianwood.com/downloads
“This book is low res, rough and grainy, created mostly with ink, a photocopier, and a glue stick”, Brian Wood said. “I love it, it’s a look back to my time in art school before I owned a computer and I made mini comics and zines by hand. I’m a big process junkie so I was happy to assemble this material in the first place, and even happier now to make it widely available online.”
Channel Zero and Channel Zero: Jennie One (with artist Becky Cloonan) is still in print and orderable via your local comic book shop and through online shops.
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Here’s Diamond Distributor’s end-of-year Top 100 sales charts for graphic novels in 2007. These sales represent a smallish portion of total sales, typically only North American comic book shop accounts, so keep that in mind:
#36 - DMZ Vol. 2: BODY OF A JOURNALIST
#64 - DMZ Vol. 1: ON THE GROUND
#88 - DMZ Vol. 3: PUBLIC WORKS
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