Red Leaf Comics Free Web Comics

Surprising Comics' Senior Editor John Michael Helmer recently started Red Leaf Comics, and his first free web comic, Northforce- Village Of The Dead, is up and running at his website. Check it out on his website at http://redleafcomics.com/

Steve Perry Story

The art is finished on the fantastic 7 page story the late, and much-missed Steve Perry wrote for me. This story will appear in Surprising Theater #4.

CFAR Preview

Here's a three page CFAR preview from the story that will appear in Surprising Theater #4. Paul Moore provided art for this story and T. Warren Montgomery lettered it, to go along with my script.

3 Page CFAR Preview

Here are the first three pages of the CFAR: The Clinic For Alien Research story that will appear in Surprising Theater #4, only from Surprising Comics. Click on images to enlarge. Plans are in the works to make CFAR a full length ongoing comic book.

My Letter Published By Dark Horse In Dr Solar #2

Here's a transcript of the letter I had published by Dark Horse Comics in Doctor Solar #2. It pertains to Doctor Solar 1, and could be taken as kind of a review of that issue, complete with spoilers.

Dear Dark Horse,
What a wonderful feeling to be able to read a brand-new comic book written by Jim Shooter that kicks off his being head writer in the launch of a new line of comic books! I have to start by thanking Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics for making this possible.
Now, regarding the first issue of the new Doctor Solar. One of my favorite things about Shooter's writing is that he creates magical moments in his stories. This issue was full of said moments. Solar creating a visual from his memories and displaying the event that changed him was fresh and historic. Seeing Leviathan throw what he believed to be the dead body of Doctor Solar into a dumpster was a nice touch. I've never seen a villain, or hero for that matter, dispose of a defeated adversary in such a manner before in a comic book. It made . . . sense.
It was nice to see Nuro in the first issue. It will be interesting to see what Shooter's up to with the evil genius. We already see him making some sort of grab for data relating to nuclear power. Can Nero be after the ultimate power in this day and age, the ability to make a nuclear bomb?
Gail Sanders made her historic first Dark Horse appearance, albeit a brief one. She's around long enough, though, for us to see her brilliance, as she "has theorized that consciousness exists in a quantum field generated by brain cells, and that the field may persist even after the brain is annihilated." Her theory aptly sets up the explanation of how Phillip Solar came back to life, strangely changed, after briefly dying following the nuclear accident he experienced, which was facilitated by Nuro's atomic spy.
In addition to the new versions of three storied Gold Key characters making their first Dark Horse appearances, we were also introduced to one Whitmore Pickeral. While it remains to be seen just what is the level of importance Pickeral brings to the new storyline, or perhaps even eventually to the other books in this new line, Shooter has obviously given him great potential, with Pickeral being able to create life with his own mind. I can't wait to see what develops here.
Now, enough about that Shooter guy. The Michael Komarck cover managed to capture the spirit of the issue. Dennis Calero is an outstanding selection as artist. He seemed to understand and deliver exactly what Shooter wanted out of each scene, and I really liked the way he gave Doctor Solar and some of the other characters a defined look, not overly muscle-bound like so many artists draw each of their characters. His colors were beautiful, keeping up with the quality of the other elements of the book. I sleep well at night knowing Shooter has an editor like Chris Warner on this book, and I'm pleased Blambot! is providing letters for Doctor Solar as well.
I'm expecting the Doctor Solar title to spearhead this new line of comics and infuse a significant shot of life into the comic book industry. Thanks again, Dark Horse, for making this all possible. Major props. The eyes of the industry are now on you.

A Doctor Solar Kind Of Week

It's been a Doctor Solar kind of week for me. More specifically, it's been a Doctor Solar kind of last couple of days.
Although it's hard to admit, until yesterday I'd never read any of the first ten issues of Valiant's Solar title, which was superbly written by Jim Shooter and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith. A week or so ago, however, I found a copy of Solar Alpha And Omega from Valiant, which reprints those historic first en Valiant issues. It arrived in the mail yesterday, and I immediately proceeded to read the first seven Valiant Solars. They were incredible! I still have three issues to read, and am greatly looking forward to doing so shortly.
Now, today, Doctor Solar #2 from Dark Horse Comics hit the stands, and I excitedly drove to the Atomic Comics Phoenix Metro location, picked up a copy, and right there in the store I turned to the letters page, and found my letter regarding Doctor Solar #1 had been printed! I rushed home and read the issue, which was, of course, written by Jim Shooter!
What a great and memorable week in comics it's been for me, indeed, thanks to Jim Shooter, Barry Windsor-Smith, and a certain Doctor in a red suit.

Stuart Berryhill And Mike Rickaby Page

Creator at large Mike Rickaby just sent me this page, starring John Michael Helmer's The Leaf. It's from a short story called "The Hoax" that I scripted for Surprising Theater #3. Stuart Berryhill pencilled it, and Mike Rickaby provided inks and letters.