As I’ve mentioned before, I had contributed to an anthology edited by A. David Lewis and Christine Hoff Kraemer titled “Graven Images – Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels” (as a continuation of the aforementioned panel discussion at Boston University. Looks like it’s out from Continuum Books and available at Amazon.

A couple of reviews for the book:

1. Gods in the panel by Rebecca Buchanan at Sequential Tart
2. Review of Graven Images at Eternal Haunted Summer by Phillip A Bernhardt-House

Money quote(s):

Witchblade #140, the first of the two-part story I co-wrote with Ron Marz (art by Stjepan Šejić) for Top Cow (as mentioned in this post earlier) is hitting the stores tomorrow (8th December). Already there are a few advance reviews out and looks like it’s getting some love around “teh interwebs”

It shall be available in comic book stores on Wed 8 December, 2010. So run out and grab a copy.

So without further ado, here are the reviews so far:

• Project Fanboy (rating : 4 out of 5 stars)
• Player Affinity (rating : 8.3/10)
• Line of Fire Reviews @ Comics Bulletin (rating: 4 out of 5 stars)
• Comic Vine (rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars)
• Comic Book Revolution (rating: 7 night girls out of 10)
• Graphic Policy (rating: 8.25/10)
• Newsarama Best Shots Rapid Reviews
• Broken Frontiers

Some nice blurbs from the reviews above

I found a review of the Moonstone PHANTOM CHRONICLES Vol. 2 (hardcover) on this blog. It is really a nice to note that the reviewer felt that my story “The Plague” felt “very much in the spirit of a Lee Falk story“. Thanks, David Z.

As I have mentioned before, The Phantom is a lifelong love affair for me and I really feel fortunate to have contributed to the anthology. To receive a compliment telling me that I have managed to capture even a fraction of the feel of Lee Falk’s stories alive, is just about the best feeling a “phan” can experience.

Money quote:

Also, a strong story by Saurav Mohapatra and CJ Henderson entitled The Plague ends on a nice note and feels very much in the spirit of a Lee Falk story, just told with a slightly different point of view. The Phantom has a rich history of publication, and I believe that Mohapatra is the first Indian author to make an imprint with the good ring of protection! Awesome.

You can find more about the PHANTOM CHRONICLES Vol 2 Anthology here.

The AMAZON Listing for the Hardcover version of the book

“Dude, I ain’t watching DANCES WITH THE SMURFS 3D!”

That was the reaction of a co-worker when I told him that James Cameron‘s AVATAR blew me away. He’s got a point there, while completely missing the point of the movie. AVATAR has a by the numbers / cookie cutter story similar to the New World or Dances with the wolves. But I think that is by design. The real star of the movie is the graphics — mindblowing graphics. Yet it could have become a soulless/senseless paen to imagery a la CITY OF LOST CHILDREN or MIRRORMASK, but AVATAR as a story has heart — lots of it. The cliches and tropes are salvaged by the smooth and seamless integration of the gorgeously imagined and rendered Alien landscapes (which are IMPORTANT and RELEVANT to the story/plot). It is realistic without crashing down into Uncanny Valley and balances the realism of simulation with appropriate does of suspension of disbelief and in some cases even sensory stimuli.

AVATAR reminded me of two most excellent Discovery channel documentaries titled FUTURE IS WILD and ALIEN PLANET I had seen earlier.

FUTURE IS WILD is an extrapolation of evolution on planet earth millions of years into the future and ALIEN PLANET is the imagined story of the first unmanned mission traversing space in search of extraterrestrial life (and finding it). Both were made with budgets that probably would not even render half a dozen giant mushrooms in the world of PANDORA. But they share a bond with Cameron’s AVATAR in being utterly imaginative about what alien flora and fauna (and even terrestrial ones in the future) may look like. While AVATAR has the luxury of dramatic hyperbole and poetic license, it uses them to build a vibrant vista rather than squander it on meaningless visual non sequitors.

To those few who are still debating whether or not to see AVATAR, my advice would be to go see it immediately (preferably in IMAX/3D). This might be something that’ll help you score some coolness cred with your grandchild when (s)he’s twiddling away on a full 3D holographic handheld with full haptic / synaptic interface powered by the latest Quantum computing chip.

“Y’know back in my day, we did it all with Mo-Cap and 280 mil dollars!”

Yup, it’s that kind of a landmark in motion picture history.

AVATAR HD Extended Trailer

FUTURE IS WILD

ALIEN PLANET

ComicsBulletin has posted a review of Mumbai Macguffin.

fun, like a summertime action flick.

A review of the India Authentic vol 2. is up at Beliefnet.com.

An excerpt from the review

What makes [INDIA AUTHENTIC] so effective and impressive is that these gods and near-immortals exhibit very human concerns. In fact, many of the stories allow the pictures to “breathe”–to dominate the space of the page–as the reader is exposed to the protagonists’ thoughts. Inner monologue is not something I commonly associate with sacred stories; we never get inside either Moses’ head as he leads Isaac up to the sacrifice or Jesus’ thoughts on Judas or Mary Magdelene. “India Authentic” takes readers inside the super-humans who still seem identifiably human-like.

Nevertheless, each story operates in a sort of god-logic (or, maybe more precisely, Hindu theo-logic), where devotion, will, or ethic leads to a transcendent resolution. These are not Aesop’s Fables with some simple moral to convey. Instead, “India Authentic” demonstrates universal themes refracted through Hinduism–both pictorial introductions and everyday reminders.

Full Review

Buy India Authentic @ Amazon.com :

(India Authentic Vol 1 – Book of Shiva)

(India Authentic Vol 2)

Bruce Logan has reviewed IA#8 Garuda at ComicsBulletin.com. Here is the link to the review
http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/120395662412156.htm

Reviewer gives it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

DEVI 17 Review has been posted at comicsbulletin.com (Formerly Silver Bullet Comic Books).

The reviewer gives it 4 out of 5 stars.