If there’s one thread that connects the two titles being released from Archaia this week, it’s that both are entirely new takes on classic stories. In fact, that’s exactly what both of them are, so we’ll try not to repeat ourselves too much! Mild spoilers ho:

The Sigh

Though Marjane Satrapi is justly best known for her autobiography Persepolis, she hasn’t exactly sat on her hands and twiddled her thumbs for the past few years, because that would be physically impossible. Instead, she’s continued to explore many of the same themes and settings as her first graphic novel success in books like Chicken With Plums, and now the illustrated children’s book The Sigh. Read more...

Tags Archaia, Jim Henson's The Storyteller, Marjane Satrapi, The Sigh

The most surprising thing about writer Nate Cosby and artist Chris Eliopoulos’ new webcomic/graphic novel Cow Boy isn’t that it’s funny, or well written, or extremely well drawn. Nope, it’s how durn sad the whole thing is.

The set up – which you can get pretty easily from the title and any shot of the main, ten year old hero Boyd Linney – is that he’s like a Clint Eastwood style gunslinger, but really little and young. Could this be played for laughs? Sure, and it sometimes is, like when you get a look at what his gun can really do, or he tries to sit in a rocking chair all by himself. But Cosby instead mines Boyd for the heartache and pathos of being a kid. Read more...

Tags Archaia, Chris Eliopoulos, Cow Boy

I’m embarrassed it took me so long to fall in love with Mouse Guard… But like everybody else who has read David Peterson’s fantasy series, I have, and you will too if you pick up Mouse Guard: The Black Axe #3.

The idea is pretty simple: Mouse Guard is hard fantasy, but with animals instead of humans. And there’s some mysticism, but magic (other than the talking animals thing) is by the wayside, if there at all. Also? Though Peterson constantly creates adorable characters throughout, they are hard-core. Characters die, are maimed, and heartache happens non-stop. Basically, Mouse Guard is Game of Thrones, but with cute little animals.

Black Axe is (I believe) a stand-alone adventure following a member of the Mouse Guard – Celanawe – and his long lost relative Em, as they search for the fabled weapon of the title. Last issue, the duo (along with a very Han Solo-esque boat captain) were washed into the ocean. We pick right up, with Celanawe waking up on the beach of a strange land. Unlike the previous two issues, this time out we’re mostly dealing with talking and emotion, rather than action… But Peterson knows how to amp up the tension in scenes, as well as make you connect with characters who often look like tiny little fuzzballs. So you won’t even notice there’s less swordplay than usual… And don’t worry, there will be plenty more next month. Read more...

Tags Archaia, Mouse Guard, Mouse Guard: Black Axe

By Danica Davidson

Inspired by the movie Immortals, Archaia has created the graphic novel anthology Immortals: Gods and Heroes. The graphic novel is already out, and on November 11, the same day the movie is released, Archaia and Panelfly are bringing out Immortals: Gods and HeroesHD to your iPad and iPhone for a more behind-the-scenes experience. MTV Geek spoke with ten of the people who worked on the graphic novel, wanting to know what story they worked on, what their experience was like, and how they did their research. (you can check out all the latest news on Tarsem Singh's Immortals at MTV Movies)

Ben McCool
MTV Geek: How would you describe the story you worked on?
Ben McCool: Well, for starters, it's very gory. Quite fittingly, too, as the movie is an absolute bloodbath! My tale sees Prometheus, an all-powerful Titan, showcasing his hatred of humanity by torturing a group of hapless humans. None too impressed by this, Zeus decides to pay Prometheus a visit to discuss the grisly goings-on, and that's where things get REALLY heated. I had an absolute blast writing it, and Trevor Hairsine did a wonderful job bringing it all to life.

Read more...

Tags Archaia, Immortals, Immortals: Gods And Heroes, Movies

At New York Comic Con the One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek star discussed his new comic, Everlast, a part of Archaia's new mature readers Black Label imprint.
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Tags Archaia Black Label, Chad Michael Murray, Danijel Zezelj, Everlast, NYCC 2011, Robbi Rodriguez, Trevor Hairsine

The former Vogster producer and writer talks to MTV Geek about his post-apocalyptic comic book tie-in to the MMO Crimecraft.
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Tags Archaia Press, Ben Templesmith, Bleedout, Crimecraft, David Williams, Gary Erskine, Glenn Fabry, HOWARD CHAYKIN, Mike Kennedy, Nathan Fox, Sanford Greene, THQ, Trevor Hairsine, Vince Proce, Vogster, Zach Howard

Did you know that the 300th issue of The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury came out last year? If the title sounds a little unfamiliar, then it's because Miranda Mercury, the creation of writer Brandon Thomas and artist Lee Ferguson, hasn't really been around all that long. First, she knocked around as an idea for a sci-fi, space patrolling vigilante in the minds of Thomas and Ferguson, finally reaching the page at Archaia. The first volume of stories, The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury: Time Runs Out was just recently released, and we thought we'd pick Thomas' brain on the process of creating the character, why he and Ferguson chose to start the series at issue 294, and the challenges of reaching a broader audience with a black, female, science adventurer character.
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Tags Archaia, Brandon Thomas, Lee Ferguson, The Many Advenutres of Miranda Mercury

Archaia Comics jumped in the sack with comiXology a few weeks ago and kicked things off with a nice sale. Now, the publisher behind awesome titles such as Mouse Guard has added 14 new series’ to their digital line-up on comiXology (listed in the image above) and they‘re not done yet. Read more...

Tags Archaia Comics, Comic Books, ComiXology, days Missing, Digital Comics

Recently, we brought you news that Archaia would be making their first foray into prose with the July 25th publication of Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes. The book, penned by writer Andre E. C. Gaska, is an illustrated novel whose story weaves in and out of the events of the first PoTA story, with art by the luminaries such as Jim Steranko (who provides the book's cover), Joe Jusko, and Mark Texiera among others.

But enough about the book from us. Gaska, the writer behind Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier and consultant on Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Midnight Club series recently provided MTV Geek with some insight into the upcoming novel through a series of questions via e-mail. Read more...

Tags Andrew E.C. Gaska, Archaia, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes

The name of this new weekly column is "New Comics I'm Excited About!" because I just don't blog about comic books...I'm also a fan and go to the comic shop every week to pick up my stack.

Let's look at my pull list for this week...

PICK OF THE WEEK:

I chose Strange Adventures from Vertigo as my pick of the week not just because of the content, but the fact that I'd really like to see more anthologies like this and Dark Horse Presents on the stands. These books often serve not only as forums for familiar creators to let loose and try something new (Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's "Spaceman"), but edgy indie talents who deserve more exposure to get their work out there (Kevin Colden's “Postmodern Prometheus”). Books like Strange Adventures are the cauldrons from which we might all get those exciting new concepts, characters and talent fans are always requesting instead of the "same-old, same-old" -- too bad it's only a one-shot, and here's hoping DC puts out more of the same in the future. Read more...

Tags Archaia, DC Comics, Image, Marvel Comics, Vertigo