New home for our blog!

by Rae

Our efforts to improve our online presence are continuing! One of the strongest elements of our web presence has always been the Proud Lion blog, where we are able to offer news, reviews, and announcements for our readers and customers. We are aware the blog has been quiet of late, largely due to time constraints and a lack of resources.

We will now be pushing the blog back to where we think it should be. The first major change will be integrating the new blog into our webstore, rather than a separate site. The previous blog hosted here will still be available for perusal, but will be largely used as an archive. All new content will now be located at the Blog section of proudlion.co.uk. If you follow us through RSS, you will need to update your feed readers.

The second change is an influx of new writers! In addition to Matt Puddy, who will continue to write comic reviews for us, we will be adding Ian Blakeman, Cyril Bunt, Becky Marsh, and Lewis White to our team of writers. Check out some great new content from our writers at the blog's new home!

Rae may be staring at screens a little too often these days.

The Lion's Share - The new lineup from Titan Comics

UK publisher Titan Comics have been quietly doing their thing in the comics market in recent years, producing new full colour Lenore comics from Roman Dirge and keeping the Tank Girl franchise alive with some interesting new ideas including last month's Solid State Tank Girl series.

In the coming months though, they are really ramping up their release schedule with both new titles and some great graphic novel reprints. We got to see a few of these at the Diamond UK Retailer Day at the MCM Expo last weekend, and I've picked a few of my favourites to show you.

If you'd like to pre-order any of these, please email me at shop@proudlion.co.uk

DEATH SENTENCE #1

"The best idea I've seen in years. Genuinely original."

Mark Millar, Kick-Ass

Writer(s): Monty Nero

Artist Name(s): Mike Dowling

Number of Issues/Volumes in Series: 6

Page Count: 32pp

Retail Price: £3.15

Street Date: October 9, 2013

What would you do with superpowers – and six months to live? 

That's the dilemma facing three people who've contracted the G+ Virus, through unprotected sex.

What can graphic designer Verity, failing indie guitarist Weasel and roguish media personality Monty do in the time they have left? Fade away – or go out in a blaze of glory? 

By turns funny, dark, sad and spectacular, Death Sentence is an emotional thrill ride through celebrity, loss, passion and creativity. It's the jaw-dropping next stage in superpowered storytelling! 

Packed with unforgettable shocks, quotable dialogue and the character finds of a generation, this is an unmissable debut by two striking and confident new voices!

THRUD THE BARBARIAN

The Eagle-Award-Winning Barbarian

comedy series is collected at last!

Writer(s):  Carl Critchlow
Artist Name(s): Carl Critchlow
Format: Hardcover Collection
Page Count: 144pp
Full Color, B&W, or partial color: FC
Retail Price: £14.99
Street Date: September 24, 2013

A hilarious, timeless parody of Conan The Barbarian and his musclebound ilk!

Thrud: big of muscle, tiny of head, which is fine for Thrud as you only need a big brain if you need to talk your way out of trouble. Instead, he lets his axe speak for him!

In the first collected volume of this hugely popular cult, er, hero, Thrud faces down the necromancer To-Me Ku-Pa (FWAP! THWOK!); protects his beer supplies from fierce Frost Giants (KRISH! KER-THUNK!); faces his arch-nemesis (THUNKTHUNKTHUNK!); assumes the stately role of the king he accidentally killed (GAK! POK!) and gets his pint spilled on a mission into the depths of a primeval jungle (ARRGGLE! SPLUTCH!) A hilarious, timeless parody of Conan The Barbarian and his musclebound ilk!

IT CAME! #1

Writer(s): Dan Boultwood
Artist Name(s): Dan Boultwood
Number of Issues/Volumes in Series: 4
Page Count: 32pp
Retail Price: £3.15
Street Date: August 7, 2013

Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will love this hilarious B-movie romp, a knowing throwback to the heyday of low-budget SF cinema! In It Came!, Dan Boultwood has unearthed a lost classic from the forgotten Pinetree Studios. An enormous alien robot lays waste to the English countryside, annihilating bunting, villages, and diagonally-sliced sandwiches alike! Only the pipe-chomping space scientist Dr. Boy Bret and his assistant Doris Night stand a chance of stopping it from marching all the way to London!

CHRONOS COMMANDOS: DAWN PATROL #4

Writer(s): Stuart Jennett 

Artist Name(s): Stuart Jennett

Number of Issues/Volumes in Series: 5

Page Count: 32pp

Retail Price: £3.15

Street Date: July 3, 2013

When the Allies and Nazis develop time-diving technology that could see the course of World War II dertailed by creatures from the Cretaceous period, only the Sarge and his band of misfit soldiers can save the future - by saving history! Dinosaurs! Giant crocodiles! Time travel! Nazis! Albert Einstein with a machine gun!

Ben Fardon is gearing up for Galaxy Trucker!

Batman & Robin retitled (contains spoilers for Batman Incorporated #8)

DC ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES TITLE UPDATES FOR UPCOMING BATMAN AND ROBIN ISSUES

In light of SPOILER, BATMAN AND ROBIN #19 and 20 will arrive in stores with adjusted titles.

the death of Robin

•    BATMAN AND ROBIN #19 (FEB130150) will arrive in stores with the title BATMAN AND RED ROBIN.  This issue is on FOC on March 18 and is scheduled to arrive in stores on April 10.

•    BATMAN AND ROBIN #20 (MAR130200) will arrive in stores with the title BATMAN AND RED HOOD.  This issue is solicited in the March Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 8.

Upcoming issues will be listed as follows in solicitations:

•    BATMAN AND BATGIRL #21

•    BATMAN AND CATWOMAN #22

•    BATMAN AND NIGHTWING #23

Cover to Batman & Robin #18

FACT x IMPORTANCE = NEWS

Clear the decks! Prowling The Savannah is back after festive hibernations. Tomorrow we bring you the first in our new weekend column series from new contributor Kate Townshend. Then on Tuesday the long awaited Big Game Hunting gaming column begins with another new contributor. All very shiny!

But first, the news from this week has basically been eclipsed by the release yesterday of these two pictures...

Your thoughts?

Ben Fardon is loving the Oscar baiting films coming out right now, but is really looking forward to the 2011 blockbuster season!

Bite Sized Morsels - The Prowling The Savannah Digest

Here's what you might have missed last week:

The Watcher - Tron: Legacy, 23 Minute Preview

We kicked off the week with a look at the recent preview event for the forthcoming Tron: Legacy, which opens in cinema on 17th December 2010.

New Beginnings Double Bill - Detective Comics #871 & Batwoman #0

On Thursday, Matt took a look at two other titles from the Bat-family with new beginnings - the now sold out detective Comics #871 (second printings coming soon) and Batwoman #0, the teaser issue for the new ongoing series launching next year.

FACT x IMPORTANCE = NEWS

More news on Friday, including the controversy surrounding The Walking Dead, series two and the initial batch of titles announced for Free Comic Book Day.

Christmas Opening Times 2010

We also unveiled our opening times for the festive season...

Christmas Raffle!

...and announced the awesome Christmas raffle we're running this year! Stop by and grab a few tickets. Be lucky!

Stick around folks, we're just getting warmed up.

FACT x IMPORTANCE = NEWS

A little later than planned but here it is, the best in TV, film, gaming and comic book news from across sci-fi, fantasy and more.

RETURN OF THE STEWIE

Following on from our preview of the new Family Guy Star Wars spoof a few week ago, here's a new and somewhat funnier trailer.

RELENTLESS ONSLAUGHT

I have been reading comic since the Eighties, but it really kicked in to high gear in the Nineties when I found an American comic shop and some friends who also read US comics. One of the first storyarcs I read was the sprawling Onslaught saga that engulfed the entire Marvel Universe. You may complain about recent crossovers, but they have been a bargain compared to the financial commitment required to read the whole Onslaught story.

Despite that, I still have a misplaced sense of affection towards Onslaught. A few years back, Marvel released Onslaught Reborn, which was a crushing disappointment. Now they're bringing the super villain back once again in the forthcoming Onslaught Unleashed. I have to hope this is better than the last one! The miniseries writer, Sean McKeever, spoke to Newsarama this week.

In other news, Marvel announced that the video game tie-in to the new Thor will be voiced by Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Thor and Loki respectively.

SHOOT THEM IN THE HEAD

Series one of AMC's The Walking Dead comes to an end this weekend but this week has been dogged by petty drama behind the scenes.

Deadline.com ran a story earlier this week saying that Frank Darabont has basically fired all of the writers from the first season and is planning to use only freelancers for season two.

Talking to TVGuide.com today, Robert Kirkman tried to clarify the situation, "It's kind of unfortunate that it's being reported that our writing staff has been fired because that's not the case. It makes Frank look bad. I don't think Frank wants it out there that he's just firing people off of a successful show seemingly for no reason."

Among the writers apparently let go is Chic Eglee, who was set to be the showrunner for series two if Darabont had left as originally planned. Eglee's previous credits include Dexter, Dark Angel and The Shield. "Chic didn't want to be second-in-command on a show when he's used to being a top dog," explained Kirkman. "And so he decided to go off and do something else, which is something that happens and is not a big deal."

AMC would only confirm that there will be some changes behind the scenes before pre-production begins on the second season.

THE JOKE"S ON YOU

Another production causing controversy was The Dark Knight Rises. Earlier this week it was reported that Chris Nolan would be using cutting room floor footage of Heath Ledger and CGI to put a Joker cameo into the third film. Today Hollywood Reporter carried a story quashing those rumours, after they spoke to Nolan and his wife/producer Emma Thomas at an awards season party for Inception. Which is a bit of a shame really, I think that's something I would've liked to see.

GOING FOR GOLD

Finally this week, Diamond have announced the Gold Sponsor Books for next year's Free Comic Book Day. Titles from Dark Horse, DC, Marvel, Image and others have been revealed - or in the case of DC, teased over at the Free Comic Book Day website. Free Comic Book Day 2011 will be on Saturday 7th May.

Ben Fardon loves Free Comic Book Day, but is struggling to find his Christmas spirit.

FACT x IMPORTANCE = NEWS

A much quieter week this week, but there are a few odd gems that stand out. Here it is, the best in TV, film, gaming and comic book news from across sci-fi, fantasy and more.

A STAKE THROUGH THE HEART

I'm sure you've heard about this already, but for the one person who just got back from Narnia, here it is again. Warner Brothers have decided to reboot Buffy The Vampire Slayer, WITHOUT the character's creator Joss Whedon.

Sadly the rights to Buffy reside with the director of the original 1992 film starring Kirsty Swanson. The studio has optioned the rights from Fran Rubel Kuzui, her husband Kaz Kuzui and Sandollar Productions. The reboot will be produced by Atlas Entertainment from script by Whit Anderson. Anderson is an actress turned screenwriter, so that'll be good (sarcasm mode off).

Kristin Dos Santos from E! Online emailed Joss Whedon for his reaction and received this beautiful (and paraphrased) email:

Kristin, I'm glad you asked for my thoughts on the announcement of Buffy the cinema film. This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths—just because they can't think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself.

I always hoped that Buffy would live on even after my death. But, you know, AFTER. I don't love the idea of my creation in other hands, but I'm also well aware that many more hands than mine went into making that show what it was. And there is no legal grounds for doing anything other than sighing audibly. I can't wish people who are passionate about my little myth ill. I can, however, take this time to announce that I'm making a Batman movie. Because there's a franchise that truly needs updating. So look for The Dark Knight Rises Way Earlier Than That Other One And Also More Cheaply And In Toronto, rebooting into a theater near you.

Leave me to my pain! Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

To read the full article and email, head to E! Online.

Just to make you laugh even more, Kirsty Swanson has expressed interest in reprising the role.

Former Buffy and Angel stars documented many of their reactions on Twitter. Eliza Dusku had this to say, "Joss made the "Buffster" & w/out him... I just don't trust the girl. Or the world."

Here, here.

Finally, over on the set of Bones, creator Hart Hanson tweeted this picture of him and David Boreanaz saying, "I just informed DB that they are remaking Buffy."

WHO'S THAT COMING DOWN THE CHIMNEY?

Last Friday saw Children in Need bring us our first glimpse of A Christmas Carol, the festive episode of Doctor Who.

‎"Amy and Rory are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way The Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser, in a festive edition of the time-travelling adventure, written by Steven Moffat. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?

Amy Pond is played by Karen Gillan, Rory Williams by Arthur Darvill, The Doctor by Matt Smith and Kazran Sardick by Michael Gambon."

A Christmas Carol will transmit on December 25th, in both the UK and the USA. This will be the first time the Christmas special has been seen on the same day on both sides of the Atlantic. Great news!

JUST WHY?

To being our wrap up for this week, SFX have the first set photos from the filming of Ghost Rider 2 - though I'm struggling to care.

GOING BATTY

Following up on our early review of Batman, Inc. - Grant Morrison spoke to Comic Book Resources about the future of the new title.

GHOSTLY BOOCHIES

Kevin Smith finishes his run on Green Hornet this week. He also spoke to Comic Book Resources - all the cool kids are doing it.

Speaking of Kevin Smith, here's the teaser poster for his new, independent horror film. Something different from the Bluntman. I have high hopes. See you next week.

Ben Fardon hasn't written the word "Snoogans" in years. Thankfully, that is now remedied.

FACT x IMPORTANCE = NEWS

OK, time for the new (and hopefully weekly) Friday genre news round up. The best in TV, film, gaming and comic book news from across sci-fi, fantasy and more.

LUKE... I KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING FOR CHRISTMAS, LUKE... I'VE FELT YOUR PRESENTS...

They always say, start with a joke. So here's the trailer for Family Guy's Return Of The Jedi spoof. Hopefully this will be funnier than the last one. I saw some of it at the New York Comic Con and it was really good. Check out who is playing Admiral Ackbar...

YOU DO TOO MUCH; YOU'RE NOT SUPERMAN, YOU KNOW

And so to the biggest news from Marvel this week. They are (yawn) killing off a character. Aren't we all sick of the revolving door of death in comics? Well, the small silver lining to the cloud is that it's Ultimate Spider-Man; since the recent to re-energise the Ultimate universe, they are taking bigger risks with all the characters - so I'll certainly give this a look. Marvel.com have the full story here.

RING IN THE CHANGES

DC have a few big things going on this week. First up, you surely can't have failed to see this...

Staying with Green Lantern, DC released this teaser image this week:

And finally they announced that Doomsday was coming back, starting with the Steel one-shot in January. Marvel responded with a humourous Doop teaser.

3:10 TO PLUTO

Details of Jon Favreau's new film are started to appear this week. First the poster and now the trailer:

It's a superb trailer and a great cast. I didn't much care for the comic it was based on - mainly because the art work was really flat. Favs seems to have found the heart of the concept and really made something quite fun. Cowboys And Aliens is out next year.

QUOTH THE RAVEN, `NEVERMORE.'

Finally, A Game Of Thrones fans finally got their first look at the forthcoming HBO TV series this week. EW.com had ten photos on their website, with more and a set report if you pick up the latest issue.

Ben Fardon used to hate Westerns. That changed almost ten years ago now. Damn you Joss Whedon.