THE JOY OF 'HEX': GET IT HERE

Abbracadabbling's second day of JONAH HEX continues! The film's already opened nationwide - and if you're feeling a bit ornery, it's probably just the thing for your Friday night.   Undecided? We've got the our synopsis of the new DC Entertainment flick here to help you make up your mind:                                               

Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone… and anything. Having survived death, Jonah’s violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the “other side.”                                                                                      

His only human connection is with Lilah (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah’s past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can’t refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah’s oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead.

Fandango is the official superhero cinema online ticket vendor of abbracadabbling. Before you mosey on down to your local cineplex, get your HEX in advance - here. 

Running Red: TRUE BLOOD SEASON 3 BEGINS WITH A BITE

In case you forgot -- because we did -- the much blood-lusted third season of HBO's TRUE BLOOD began last Sunday, June 13th - and the series kicked off Year Three with all the vampires, nudity, and campy dialogue that fans had been dying to see during the show's downtime.  Just like it did for season two, Sunday's premiere episode — titled “Bad Blood” — picked up just minutes after the events of last summer’s finale. But where True Blood takes us from here on out will be uncharted territory, even as the show - and its producer Alan Ball - continues to more or less follow the plot of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books.  With so many new characters teased at during the hiatus, True Blood will run quite thick this summer. For more True Blood - and the new IDW  comic book series tie-in beginning next month - check abbracadabbling [here] and HBO's website [here].

Panel Laughs: Laugh With ABBRACADABBLING... And WIN!

Don't play your cards too close to the chest, dabblers. Lay 'em all on the table by telling us which of our two day Panel Laughs is your favorite --  via comments or the always appropriate Back Issues! AND if you've got something extra special or plain superhero silly - let us know! If we use your submission in the next Panel Laughs, you'll win a a prize! Details coming up this week on abbracadabbling!

Batman's Card Game 

 [via]

Panel Laughs: ONE MORE DAY TO LAUGH YOUR COMICSBLOG A** OFF --- Tomorrow on Abbracadabbling

Pay absolutely no attention to the lies we dished earlier, dabblers. Panel Laughs has been way, way, way, way too much fun to disappear so quickly -- so we're gonna keep it around for one more day. Abbracadabbling tomorrow tackles PLNs (Panel Laugh Number, natch) #11 thru #20, and somewhere along there, the comicsblog will venture NSFW. Fair warning, and lots of f***-ing fun comin' atcha tomorrow -- we can't wait.  But while you are - get back at us with your vote for today's favorite Panel Laugh. How? Back Issues, baby. It's all about who's got Back, and we're sure you've got plenty -- to say, that is. Faves, raves, rants, or pants - it's all good.  And tomorrow, it's all Panel Laughs.

WARNING: Today's Comicsblog May Cause PANEL LAUGHING

Whatever we might have planned for today -- screw it!  We're turning comicsblog FUN-- ON! You'll chuckle, you'll wonder, you'll be amused. You'll think, you'll ponder, and surely grow enthused -- to Vote  - TODAY! (hurray!) - when Panel Laughs ends, for that favorite pic or panel, you must email to friends!

Oh, and that reminds us: Spontaneous Blog-rhyming - don't try it at home. Not even if you're supervised by an adult. Especially not then. Okay? Good. Panel Laughs x20 begins...NOW!

WE"RE CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF DC COMICS... ALL NEXT WEEK!

DC Comics has had their publishing pedal to the metal the past several weeks in honor  (and in preparation) of their 75th Anniversary --- and rightly so.  The company that introduced Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman, not to mention the actual concepts of superhero and comic book, celebrates three-quarters (!) of a century this year, and we promised them that we'd keep pace. Running at super speed is nothing new for your favorite comicsblog, but what we've been working on to share with all of you in the coming week most definitely will be! So stick around for a FULL 7 1/2 DAYS of abbracadabbling's Anniversary coverage of DC Comics' 75th!!

SUPERMAN Vs AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1976) NM ...NOW ON SALE @ PRESENT MAGIC COMICS! [UPDATED]

You can probably tell by our embarrassing lack of new posts that your buddies here at the Home Office have had quite the week, can't you? (You can, huh? Drats!) Well, we weren't planning on keeping it a secret, anyway; seriously, how could we? We've spent our waking weekday hours inside the Present Magic Comics Shop on eBay - which, as dabblers know, is the place where abbracadabbling makes magic happen! 

Here's just a few of the amazing new items currently posted:

• GREEN LANTERN #47 (1966) 1st Dr. Polaris HIGH GRADE 9.0
• SUPERMAN Vs AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1976) DC/Marvel - NM
•  LEGION OF SUPERHEROE​S #1 Paul LEVITZ SIGNED w/COA - NM

[UPDATE 13 JUNE 2010
Strike the Paul Levitz signed Legion of Superheroes #1, dabblers! We're pleased as punch to report that the very collectible comic has found a new home. An abbracadabbling congratulatory shout-out to Kevin from Tampa, Florida - thanks, dude!]

Did we mention that our Blackest Night action figures from DC Direct are also on sale? Check 'em out here:

• Blackest Night INDIGO-1 + BOODIKA Lantern MOC - Sale!
• Blackest Night BLACK LANTERN Lot of 3 MOC Figures -NEW! 

The store's packed with so many incredible comics collectibles, we'd never believe it if it wasn't ours. But it is - and because we're the boss, we're gonna get your Saturday off to a great start! abbracadabbling is stoked to offer all dabblers who follow our daily blog an additional 10% off the sale price of one item at the Present Magic Comics Shop -- just be sure to mention this sweet little dealeo at your time of checkout and we'll have ya covered! 

So take a few and go strolling where the prices are low and it doesn't take magic to get a great deal -- the Present Magic Comics Shop, on eBay.  Members, sign in to eBay [here] and visitors to the Comics Shop, welcome. Please enter [here]. Thanks, dabblers!

10% abbracadabbling discount good thru 15 June 2o10

The ISSUE Is...TITANS: VILLAINS Part III Online --- TOMORROW!

Due to a spontaneous decision at the highest echelon, abbracadabbling's The ISSUE Is... will be rescheduling Part III of our Titans: Villains For Hire online comics presentation from today until tomorrow, in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. Check down the comicsblog for Part I and Part II of the very controversial storyline, then get back with us tomorrow for all the  Part III action. We'll see ya soon, dabblers!

Get Ready For EXPLORING GRANT MORRISON --- Coming Soon To ABBRACADABBLING!

DC's Wartime Titles Return to the Comic Book Battlefield In September

You're looking at our fave Darwyn Cooke's brilliant cover art for the first issue of WEIRD WAR TALES, one of five Silver and Bronze Age war comics that DC will be resurrecting this September. Making their plans known on their blog just in time for Memorial Day, DC will be also reviving OUR FIGHTING FORCES, OUR ARMY AT WAR, STAR-SPANGLED WAR STORIES, and G.I. COMBAT -- each as special over-sized one-shot from a host of top-pool talent. While none may have been as popular as , say, DC's SGT ROCK, the famous WWII-era character did make his first appearance in GI Combat #68 (1959), and it was Our Army At War that both launched the character into popularity and eventually was retitled as the Sgt Rock solo series.  Soldier over to DC's Source for the skinny on each book's creative team, and be sure to scout out our fellow blogger Star-Studded War Comics [here] for an in-depth look at this patriotic and often gritty genre of comics most of us know little about.

REMEMBER OUR HEROES .......Abbracadabbling MEMORIAL DAY

The Original ATOM Is An Abbracadabbler....Are YOU???

Abbracadabbling: Hiatus No More!

Yup, just as Stormin' Norman Osborne told ya, abbracadabbling is back after a short hiatus! Who knew we'd be gone? Not us, seriously;  the downtime was every bit unexpected and, in retrospect, most definitely needed.  Normie's the guy who gave us the vacation inclination, but since he also took his own advice and flew off to Oklahoma, we haven't been able thank him in person. Norm, we appreciate the words of wisdom. Just remember: it's all about moderation, dude.

Vacations are great (unless you're Norman), but there's no shortage of work once you're back. Good thing we love dabbling like we do, and we'll be doing a lot of it:  gigs of news, info, and just plain awesome to catch-up on and comicsblog  (if we can), and literally tons - tons - of new ideas and other wickedly cool stuff to bring ya over the next several days and well into the future.  Like what, you ask? In less time than it takes to say Viminarama, we'll begin Exploring Grant Morrison. It's gonna be one helluva trip-ass ongoing adventure, and you're all invited -- if you dare!  Or you can stick around and watch us navigate a mountain of Marvel movie news, or see if you can guess what Today's Top 5 Comics for Folks Who Don't Read Them are before we list 'em on the comicsblog.  Topping off all those goodies  is the return of all the comicsblog posts you've grown to know, love, and bookmark. And, we'll be sharing with all of you the reason for our break, too. 

So stay where you are or don't go far...abbracadabbling is back, and we're awesome. 

Superman: Up, Up, And Away We Go

Keep it real, and keep it in your pants. More comicsblog craziness tomorrow on abbracadabbling.

Sunday 7: The Real Battle Begins As BATMAN 3 Gets Official Release Date

Chalk one up for the DC Comics team as Superhero Cinema continues its headlong march towards war.  There's little doubt that the box office war between the two comic book super-giants will see its first major conflict in 2011, when Warner Bros' Green Lantern opens against Marvel Studio's Thor. But the decisive battle - at least for the immediate future - will be waged the following summer, now that Warner Bros has announced that Christopher Nolan's sequel to The Dark Knight, the untitled Batman 3, has been scheduled for release on 20 July 2012.

Joss Whedon's appointment as director of The Avengers two weeks back has been Tinseltown's hottest topic; that probably won't change, but the focus of the discussion will: Nolan's new Batman opens two months after The Avengers debuts on 04 May.  Batman 3 is Warner/DC's heavy-hitter, and The Avengers is the culmination of Marvel's film five-year slate -- the contest is clear and the news, reviews, rants, and raves of industry and fan alike will myriad and merciless.   

Films are often judged on the merits of their directors, and directors on their last projects. Nolan will have The Dark Knight's chart-topping performance, Heath Ledger's Emmy Award, and the momentum of this summer's Inception - which may also score a nod or two from the Academy - behind him. He'll also have DC Comics' soon to be announced film slate, his and David Goyer's involvement with revamping the Superman franchise,  and those all-important decisions as to who the next Bat-villains will be to generate further buzz.  

Whedon, however, won't really have a 'last' project, considering The Avengers marks only the second feature film he'll have directed.  Nevertheless, beginning with the US premiere of Iron Man 2 on 07 May and then Thor and First Avenger: Captain America following in 2011, Whedon's tentpole project will be cast as a holy grail in the minds of the film going public.  He'll have nearly a two-year head start over the next Dark Knight, and the challenge to keep up is one the Caped Crusader will need to meet -- and beat.

And that's really the question: can Nolan's next Batman be better than his last? The comicsblogosphere is aflurry with that posit, yet not one site that we're aware of has dared to answer the query, however rhetorical it may currently be.  

So abbracadabbling will.  Stay with us...!

CoMicsMerchant: Four Ways To Celebrate STAR WARS and Still Look Better Than A Wookie

Confession time on the comicsblog....Not one of us here at the Home Office has finished Joe Schrieber's brilliant Star Wars: Death Troopers,  but from the way we blogged about it at Halloween, you'd think we would have, wouldn't you? The book's a horrific mash-up of Star Wars and zombies - two of our favorite things, by dabble - but the scribe eventually overwhelmed each of us with his Awesome. We've been too scared to read the last few chapters - it all seemed so real.

But a new year has arrived and by golly, we've got to grow a pair -- even Raley, the next door neighbor chic. (The way that girl wrestles, she probably already has a pair - but you didn't hear that from us.)  Okay, okay, we're joshin'.  We're just playing;  those nuts and bolts that we need to finish up were grown weeks back so we'd be in proper form to look cool in Shanty Shawn's latest -- The Imperial Undead Star Wars T-Shirt.   (Dude must be reading the same book we are!)

Seriously, peeps: Greedo geeks and fans of the undead will both be happy to have that tee hanging in the closet. It's a guaranteed chick magnet -- and it was, like, born to worn by people reading Death Troopers.  Girls like literary guys - you know we're right! Better get reading - and grab yourself that tee while you're at it. You'll be out $24 once you rendezvous at Red Bubble [here].

 

Of course, big spenders like The Dabbler don't settle for just a t-shirt, however cool it may be.  He goes for the 'complete look' - and these funky-fresh Star Wars LEGO watches will tell every dabbler that you know what time it is. That's what we're sayin'! The Star Wars shop has LEGO's latest in larger-size for adults and in kid-size for the, well, younger folk.   The adult watches sport a nearly 1.5-inch bezel and adjustable band that will never need to be re-sized; the LEGO-pieced band allows you to just snap in some extra pieces or remove as needed to fit! Both lines of the sweet timepieces feature quartz movement, mineral crystal glass, and water resistant to 50 meters. And, of course, they each come packed with a LEGO Star Wars mini-figure! For an easy $30, you can find a variety of 'em [here].

If you've ever tried on a tee-shirt in the dark, chances are it'll be on backwards  because that's just the kinda s*$! that happens to guys like us.  So don't even go there; illuminate with a Star Wars Remote Controlled Lightsaber Wall Light before you even slip the tee over your head.  That's common sense, though the Lightsaber Wall Light is most certainly not.  But it is primo mood lighting, guys, and it's remote controlled.   And it's a lightsaber. What we're saying it that it cuts through the dark as quickly as it cuts through your next potential sexual experience  - and with 7 different color effects you can change at the push of a button, how can you possibly go wrong? It's due out this fall, and you can pre-order this $25 puppy [here].

Now that you're feeling the full power of the Force with your new shirt, new watch, and a well-lighted home with Lightsaber Wall Lights on each wall, you're no padewan, that's for sure. In fact, you're all set  to head off to one of the largest official Star Wars fan events ever -- the Star Wars Celebration V, 12-15 August  2010 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.  

Star Wars Celebration V will be the first  event co-produced by both LucasFilm and the Reed Pop Group, which is responsible for the successful New York Comic Con and the new Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Celebration events bring together the best of the Star Wars universe under one roof for three days of programming fun including cast and crew celebrities, fan-run events, costumes, music, live entertainment, screenings, autographs, collectibles, panels and sneak peaks into the future of Star Wars.

If you haven't heard about LusasFilm's national and international Star Wars 'parties,' don't feel too bad; they're new to us, too.  Considering that this year's event will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of our fave SW flick - The Empire Strikes Back - as well as the hit  animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Orlando's looking like the place to be in August. 

The way we figure,  too many nasty Wookies at the party means an easy (but stealthy) commandeering of the nearest Imperial shuttle craft and then its just a quick jaunt over to Disney World.  Chances are excellent, though, you'll have a blast. Tickets have been on sale for a few months, but sell-out shouldn't be a problem. Use the Force and find your way [here] for tickets and all the info to plan the best summer getaway you'll find in this - or any -galaxy.

Abbracadabbling BLOG SNEAKING - The Blog With Magic Inside - Coming Soon!

Abbracadabbling Goes North To STUMPTOWN Sunday; Check Out Some PAUL POPE

So life happened, and our Office trip up the 1-5 to Portland's Stumptown Comics Fest has been postponed until tomorrow. We're bummed we missed Brian Michael Bendis' Teaching Comics presentation - The Dabbler would consider it a privilege and an honor to take the comics writing class  he teaches up North - but there's plenty of other awesome to be found at the 'Fest tomorrow, too.  If you've haven't hit Portland's grand finale to Comic Book Month, get in gear and never fear, because our crew will see you there. 

Meantime, needless for us to say, we won't be on the comicsblog tomorrow; instead, we'll be feasting on all the awesome eye candy 'Fest has to offer -- especially the visual delish served up by the Con's headlining special guest, Paul Pope. 

We've even whipped up a small appetizer of the DJ and artist extraordinaire's pop art masterpieces to show ya what you'll be missing - if for some reason we don't see you there. Geography is no excuse, dabblers; same goes for failing to check some of the hot spots on the world-wide where you can scope even more of Pope's fine art.  Sweet linkages are below...!

Conflict

Steel Jeeg 

SHAKEDOWN

Spider-Man

Batman: Year 100 (overlay)

Batman: Year 100, Issue #1

Paul Pope w/Jose Villarrubia (DC Comics)

We scored our Pope art from the following sites, so check 'em out:  Paul Pope's blog [here]; Hollywood Comics [here]; and Paul Pope's Flickr [here].  Thinking about some new reading material? Paul's Batman: Year 100 would be our recommendation. The story and art rock, dabblers - and even better, you can buy it from us and support your fave comicsblog in the process! Spend that cash here: [Batman Year 100]. 

SAVE THE DATE: Free Comic Book Day Is Just One WEEK Away!

DARK HORSE COMICS Schedule @ Stumptown Comics Fest This Weekend

Earlier this month we abbracadabbled on and on about Portland's Stumptown Comics Fest, the unconventional comic book convention that wraps up the city's certified Comic Book Month.   I guess we've been busy blogging or whatnot, because the con weekend's almost here. Stumptown kicks off this Saturday, 24 April, at 10am for a two day affair, bringing along some of comics' best in the process. Can anyone say, 'Paul Pope?'

In the nick of time, Portland's own Dark Horse Comics announced their convention events and professionals' signing schedule today. Check it out below, and visit Dark Horse's homepage [here] for even more Stumptown  fun.

Dark Horse Comics - Schedule of Events - Stumptown Comics Fest

Saturday, April 24th:

12:00pm – 1:00pm -- The Book of Grickle creator Graham Annable 

2:00pm – 3:00pm -- Too Much Coffee Man creator Shannon Wheeler
(The first ten people in line will receive a free copy of Postage Stamp Funnies!)

 3:00pm – 4:00pm -- Creepy and Supersized artist Lukas Ketner
(The first ten people in line will receive a free copy of MySpace Dark Horse Presents Vol. 3!)
4:00pm – 5:00pm -- Portfolio Reviews with Dark Horse Editors

Sunday, April 25th:

12:00pm – 1:00pm -- Star Wars and Supersized artist Ron Chan

(The first twenty-five people in line will receive a free copy of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #42!)
1:00pm – 2:00pm -- Dr. Horrible and Troublemaker artist Joëlle Jones
3:00pm – 4:00pm -- Finder creator Carla Speed McNeil
4:00pm – 5:00pm -- Achewood creator Chris Onstad
5:00pm – 6:00pm -- Portfolio Reviews with Dark Horse Editors

Stumptown Comics Fest  (Click to enlarge)

We'll be in Portland on Saturday, and we hope to see you there. Be sure to come up and say say Hi (especially to Raley - she loves mixin' it up with the dabblers and she'll probably even buy you a drink. She's kind of a drinker...). For more information about the Stumptown Comics festival, please visit stumptowncomics.com