#tko studios

[smashpages]

Out this week: Feeding Dangerously (TKO, $44.99):

Chef José Andrés runs the World Central Kitchen, which provides food to those in need following humanitarian, climate and community disasters. This graphic novel by Steve Orlando and Alberto Ponticelli tells their incredible story.

(Cover for the direct market edition, shown above, by Mike Mignola)

See what else is arriving in comic shops this week.

[allflooby]

Comics from Arcane for the week of May 3, 2023: Love Everlasting 7, Adventures of Superman Jon Kent 3, Shazam! 1, Star Signs 1, Parker Girls 7, FCBD Conan the Barbarian, FCBD Shadowman: Darque Legacy, Scarlet Witch 5, and The Witches of World War II TP.

[ahb-writes]

Comics Review: 'Sara'

Sara by Garth Ennis, Steve Epting, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Rob Steen

gender studies

military comics

snipers

social commentary

WWII

How else would comics enthusiasts immerse themselves in the pitiless grime of WWII sniper combat among incorrigible and faithless women up against the odds, if not through the phenomenal art of Epting and Breitweiser? The duo's familiar tour of environmental design and background art seeped in realistic textures, as well as characters with twitchy brow ridges and hard jawlines and faultless eye lines, pulls readers into the fragrant drama of a war that's scarcely begun, both historically and metaphorically.

SARA is an immersive read. Whatever the violent, vengeful, or petty reasons people sell themselves when they willingly enlist for active duty, few bear any practical or ethical sentiment in common with the cold, garish, human-shaped shadows that cloak the battlefield. Sara knows this. She's a defeatist veteran, she's the team's best sniper, and she's seen, heard, and experienced enough to know that all propaganda is fiction, that all wars end in death, and that the only friendships worth saving are those one sacrifices everything for.

Sara is the pessimist. Lydi is the ingenue. Mari is outwardly matter-of-fact but inwardly a humanist. Darya dreams of equality. Vera is a sadist. And 'Rina, the sergeant, is the pragmatist. Together, they've killed dozens upon dozens of German soldiers. They are mocked and they are feared. They are levied national awards and they are catcalled. And the war grinds on.

SARA burns into readers' memories a tale of survival made necessary by the egotistical and appalling, if inevitable whims of state violence. It's not simply staring down the barrel and pulling the trigger. It's reading the wind, identifying enemy formations, and relishing calm while everyone else panics out of habit. Sara impatiently deconstructs an enemy unit's command structure while napping aloft. Lydi enjoys the company of a team of canines, until she realizes they're trained to scamper under enemy tanks with mines strapped to their backs. Mari tells a young male officer that no, she doesn't want a poem he wrote just for her; she's changed her mind. "I don't suppose you've got any chocolate?" she asks. "I like chocolate. Chocolate I can definitely use."

SARA spies the feral beast in all, and gives them just enough room to run, whether in heart or mind or body, toward home or country or enemy fire.

Extraordinary artwork elevates an effectively written story. Sara doesn't care for her country, or even for her job; she's a survivor and a creature of survival. It doesn't matter if she captures an infantryman alive or snipes an enemy colonel from 700m away, the woman's cynicism carries the day. And framing it all, readers have compelling character art and complex, lived-in environments: massive, snow-covered trees; pitted tanks; pock-marked forests, cleared of vegetation; and messes of gray-brown fortifications, all crumbling. Epting's knack for carving unflinchingly realistic but not excessively melodramatic character dynamics is again perceptively complemented by Bretiweiser's choice of deeper or darker shades that match the comic's many burned-out buildings, muddy fox holes, and oil-lamp-lit cabins as much as the many exquisitely bright and chaotic flashes gunfire violence.

Well-written and evenly paced. Well-drawn and enthusiastically colored. Narratively speaking, SARA is a solid book. Literally speaking, not so much. The physical trade paperback is extraordinarily poorly assembled (e.g., weak glue binding, uneven signatures), and the whole thing falls apart after only one read-through. Hopefully, if this creative team reunites for another title, the publisher will opt for a different printer.

❯ ❯ Comics Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[graphicpolicy]

TKO Studios partners with GlobalComix

TKO Studios partners with GlobalComix #comics #comicbooks #digitalcomics

GlobalComix has announced a partnership with TKO Studios, and is now featuring best-selling titles such as Sara, Sentient, Djeliya, The Banks, Lonesome Days, Savage Nights Vol. 1, Black Mass Rising, and The Forgotten Blade, and more on the platform! Since 2018, TKO Studios has published graphic novels by top creators. With 9 Amazon #1 bestsellers and dozens of titles, TKO’s goal is to widen out…

[victoriaorgana]

Check some amazing graphic novels that TKO Studios so generously sent me!

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Comics anon again,

Are there things outside of marvel/dc you'd recommend, or should I just be okay with mildly suffering for my own entertainment?

oh no no no if you only read Marvel and DC you'll be missing out on literally so much please read indie comics and graphic novels!!

check out Image Comics, Iron Circus, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, AfterShock, TKO Presents, Dynamite Entertainment, Vault Comics, Fantagraphics, Oni Press, Pantheon, Action Lab, and Mad Cave Studios just to get a SAMPLE of what's out there in the indie scene!

[is-jan-jan-is]

Best comics by publisher:

I am bored and autistic and gay and so I've compiled an objectively subjective list of the 'best' books from each publisher. You're welcome, America.

IDW-honestly the current Star Trek run is phenomenal and we all love TMNT but I gotta give it to Atomic Robo.

Scout-Metal Shark Bro is so good that it honestly skewed my expectations for the entire publisher. They truthfully have two solid lines and the rest is an odd marketing campaign. The Black Caravan stuff was fun, though.

Boom!-SIKTC is undeniably amazing and 'We Only Find Them When They're Dead' is objectively top tier but for me, it's all about Coda. The art, the writing, the straight dude getting dunked on by his orc paladin wife-perfection. The first issue of the continuation just dropped and reading it was like returning home.

Ahoy!-Penultiman is pretty good but I think 'The Wrong Earth' is clearly their best title.

Valiant-hear me out, hear me out. I've collected ALL of Valiant's reboot, 2012-present. Unfortunately I must report that peak Valiant is X-O Manowar: Retribution. 1993 was a good year for whacky sci-fi comics. There is a scene wherein Aric of Darcia proclaims:"he must be like those men who prefer other men. I do not understand these men; but damn, do they make the best wizards!" That's peak fiction.

Dark Horse-look Hellboy is great. It's so good that I almost gave it to Mike Mignolia just on merit and industry influence alone. Unfortunately, Jeff Lemire exists. Black Hammer is perfect in every way. MIND MGMT was a strong second.

Image-Astro City. The characters are deep, emotional beings. Their stories breathe in the most human way. Most other titles conflate grit with maturity while AC makes you feel without several arcs of trauma porn. Also, im happy to see creators who remember that comic books are the home of wackiness. Its a slice of life hero series-10/10. Also Alex Ross. This (image) was annoying to choose because-despite suffering the unforgivable scourge of Robert Kirkman- Image has so many other good titles. Bitch Planet, Savage Dragon and Spawn (obligatory, obvi), Rumble, Chew, Outer Darkness, Descender/Ascender, etc .. not to mention Radiant Black. I still want to give it to Saga. Due to all the confusion with inage/wildstorm/dc having some claim to Astro City I almost skipped it entirely which is a shame but, yeah-Astro City.

TKO Studios-honestly, I'm not sure that this company is still kickin'. They were a fun little experiment though, with several enjoyable titles. I can't say any of them really blew me away. But, if I had to pick a 'best' I'd give it to 'Sentient'. Jeff Lemire can do no wrong.

AWA-they're too new for a selection to have any real meaning but 'The Resistance' is pretty good. It's been a couple years and I hope they produce something else that's quality because E-Ratic was a pretty big let down.

D.C.-Crisis on Infinite Earths. It's a given. There is something to be said about the cultural impact of Crisis. Originally, 'crisis' stories were crossovers of varying stakes. The comic gods(Perez and Wolfman) changed the game with this one. Also,every Crisis story which follows was similarly silly and serious. The pseudo science wackiness and over the top theatrics gets me every time. No other comic company gets it right. D.C. has been getting progressively better and better these last couple years, especially now with the phenomenal 'Dawn of D.C.' stuff. But if I was stranded on an island and could only bring one D.C. title it would be Crisis. ('83 New Teen Titans is of course a strong second)

Oni Press- their Rick and Morty stuff was a guilty pleasure (because it's really quite good but that means I have to spend money on Rick and Morty) and 'The Sixth Gun' was well made. Regardless, their best title was clearly 'Pink Lemonade'. Its chaotic indie fun that doesn't make sense and doesn't have too.

Massive/Whatnot Inc: these guys are really new, started 2022 I think. Not really sold on them yet but one of their first titles, quested, was lots of fun. Pretty small selection so far but what they do have is quality. 'Best book' goes to Plot Holes. Not only did Sean Murphy give us the most tolerable Bruce Wayne, he also gave us this creative joyride. It's equal parts wacky and sincere and best of all, it's in the Murphy style. Even though its early on in the run it's one of those titles you look forward to. throughout the month.

Marvel-Marvel peaked in 1999 with Earth X. Don't get me wrong, I love a great deal of Marvel books. Al Ewing's Ultimates (NOT Bendis) was great. Personally, my favorite Avengers story was the Celestial Madonna saga of the sixties, but Waid's run was great(obvi) and Hickman's was too. Hickman's Xmen stuff...also happened. Cates and Jason aaron had good Thor runs. The first and last of Aaron's avenger arcs were great. Peter David's many 'Spider' runs were fun and Dan Slott sure does exist. The Sam Wilson cap runs were all phenomenal, especially the Symbol of Truth run-and Kelly Thompson's run on Carol was one of the best ever. Good Marvel books have been dwindling lately but Jed McKay's 'Avengers' is honestly one of the best books out there. Unfortunately, none of that good stuff comes close to Earth X. The prose, the thorough examination of human nature, the Alex Ross of it all. Earth X was an ode to Marvel lore which read better than most of Marvel history. 'Nuff said.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2003 - Number 43 - Bubbles - "TKO (Knock You Out)"

Formed in a dance studio in the late 1990s and pushed by the Ace of Bass production axis, Bubbles are a girl group who would have been familiar to Swedes in 2003. They'd had several top 10 hits starting in 2000 as well as managing to get a song on the soundtrack for Ice Age.

When I say girl group here, I mean children. When they met and formed the band they would not yet have been teenagers. There are actually five members of Bubbles in total. The reason that only three members are on the stage at Melodifestivalen is that two members of Bubbles, Jenny Andersén and Hannah Steffenburg were still only 15 and Melfest, like Eurovision itself, has a 16-year old minimum age limit.

2003 also happened to be the first year of Junior Eurovision, but Bubbles were probably already too big for that (as well as just turning 16) - even if the main consumers of their music were young teenagers and children themselves. Melodifestivalen was their push into the grown-up music world.

TKO (Knock You Out), aptly, feels like a work-out song. A strong beat and lots of encouragement to dance or possibly spar. It's an out and out girl bop. There's a gap for a dance break which they don't really take full advantage of, however there's no doubting their qualities as singers and performers. For a trio of 16 year olds, their confidence and stage presence is incredibly assured. Caroline Ljungström, and Patricia and Sandra Joxelius are pitch perfect even while performing some of the more vigorous choreography to be seen on the Melfest stage this year. You can tell they've actually been doing this for at least three years already.

The song was written by a few people including Paul Rein, former Melfest competitor and Swedish star of the 1980s alongside Fredrik Lenander, producer and Eurodance purveyor from the 1990s. There is pop pedigree throughout this.

That this is their first Melfest is therefore only down to their ages. They're the perfect pop product whom their managers and promoters were no doubt hoping would go on to much bigger things. (i.e. Eurovision). It didn't happen. They finished third in their heat, then went into what was an absolutely stacked Viewer's Choice final. They managed to get second in that, once again scraping through. In the final, they finished 9th out of the 10 songs but sadly didn't get a single televote point.

It did, however, score them another top 10 hit in the Swedish charts. They continued to other successes and for a time changed their name to Bless to avoid a copyright/brand-confusion situation internationally. Eventually their output stopped. A planned album and single didn't emerge and Caroline left to go solo. By 2009 the band had split, although all the messaging was directed through their record label and management.

Child stars grow up and often decide that now they get to make decisions for themselves - they want to do something completely different. What exactly happened doesn't appear to have emerged into the public sphere and barring Caroline, nothing has been heard from any of the members since.

[librarycomic]

Sara by Garth Ennis (writer) and Steve Epting (artist). TKO Studios, 2018. Frankly I'm not sure what the ISBN is as my copy didn't have one, but I'm going with 9781732748538. 147pp.  Contains #1-6. https://www.powells.com/book/-9781732748538?partnerid=34778&p_bt

The book follows a group of Soviet female snipers in the winter on the Eastern Front during WWII.  At the center of it all is Sara, a loner motivated by revenge and the group's deadliest shot. She lurks in trees as Nazi troops walk under her hiding spots. She and the other troops barely notice as prisoners are brutally interrogated in their camp. Of particular interest to all is a high ranking target, a Nazi Colonel new to the area.

Both Ennis and Epting have great talent for creating moments of epic, character driven violence, and this graphic novel certainly has some of that. It's also offers a great sense of time and place, and many quiet moments (before all hell breaks loose again). Worth noting: Elizabeth Breitweiser's colors tie everything together beautifully, and I particularly like the way she adds blood to the snow.

I'm making the questionable call to give this to my young nephew, who loves reading graphic novels about war (and only graphic novels about war). I want him to read at least a few books that have strong female characters, and this one shows that violence is far from the fun and games approach of most action movies.

[nolongermint]

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! All but 2 of these are at different publishers. Some of these are farther along than others, I’m not really working on all of these every month, I’m not stretched that thin 😅 Marvel Comics BOOM!Studios Image Comics IDW Publishing DC Comics Dark Horse Comics TKO Studios Bad Idea — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/XsO7S5H

[smashpages]

Out this week: The Witches of World War II (TKO, $16.99):

In this graphic novel by Paul Cornell and Valeria Burzo, a group of occultists enlisted by the allies attempt to go behind enemy lines to capture Rudolf Hess, second in command to Adolf Hitler. 

See what else is arriving in comic shops this week.

[novumtimes]

John Cena announces pending retirement from WWE competition in 2025

You won’t be seeing John Cena in the ring for much longer. The pro wrestling icon announced his impending retirement from WWE Saturday, making a surprise appearance at the promotion’s “Money in the Bank” event in Toronto. “The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 elimination chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, Wrestlemania 2025 will be the last Wrestlemania I compete in,” Cena said to the live audience in a video the WWE posted to social media. “I want to say thank you.” John Cena announces his retirement during Money in the Bank at Scotiabank Arena on July 6, 2024. WWE / Getty Images “Thank you Cena!” The crowd chanted in response. The Massachusetts native also expressed his excitement over Netflix’s multi-billion dollar deal acquiring the rights to WWE Raw in January. “Raw makes history next year when it moves to Netflix. I’ve never been a part of Raw on Netflix. That is history, that is a first, and I will be there,” Cena said. Cena shed more light on his retirement in a post-show press conference, assuring that he would remain a part of the WWE even though his career as a performer was coming to an end — and promising “a long list of dates” between January and September. “People say they’re walking away, and two years later they come back. I want to set the record straight right now, I’m done. This is it,” Cena said in the press conference. “If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we’re going to do it as big as we can and we’re fighting everybody and we hope you come enjoy the fun.” When asked about his feelings regarding Vince McMahon, the former WWE CEO and founder who stepped down in January amid allegations of sexual assault, Cena declined to give his opinion, saying instead the WWE was “in good hands” with parent company TKO Group Holdings. In an interview with Howard Stern in February, Cena said that he was a big advocate of accountability, but would remain a support system for McMahon for now. “I’ve openly said, I love the guy, I have a great relationship with the guy, and that’s that,” Cena said to Stern. The 47-year-old won 16 world championships over his nearly 20 years in the WWE, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Kurt Angle, Triple H and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson. Outside of the ring, Cena released a studio rap album in 2005 and has appeared in several movies and television shows. As his acting career began to flourish with starring roles in projects such as “Bumblebee,” “F9: The Fast Saga,” and “The Suicide Squad,” his appearances in the ring diminished.  “There were many before me, there will be many after. I guess what I have left to do is say my thank yous before that chapter closes,” Cena said. Rishikesh Rajagopalan Rishi Rajagopalan is a social media associate producer and content writer for CBS News. Source link via The Novum Times

[graphicpolicy]

Review: Redfork

Redfork is a #horror story with depth. If you haven't gotten it, check out #comic shops now! #comics #comicbooks

After a run-in with the law, ex-con Noah returns to his coal-mining hometown to find it in economic decline and riddled with drug abuse. But, there’s something far more sinister in the coal mines than the evil corporation exploiting the town and its people. Story: Alex PaknadelArt: Nil VendrellColor: Giulia BruscoLetterer: Ryan Ferrier Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit…

[emilylovesbooks]

Sentient by Jeff Lemire

Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel

Targeted Age Group: high school age

Summary: When all the adults on a ships crew are killed, the children are left in the care of the AI onboard. The AI seems to show more and more human behavior throughout the book, repeating phrases the kids' parents used and seeming to show feelings for them.

Why I chose this book: I found this book by looking up award winning YA graphic novels, and this one was the 2021 winner of the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for teens. I chose this book particularly because it deals with artificial intelligence, a topic which I find quite interesting and that I have done several other projects about.

Evaluation:

This is the first true graphic novel that I have read (not counting Dog Man or Diary of a Wimpy Kid), so the style and language of a graphic novel was something new for me. There were times when I read the text out of order since I am not used to comic books and my eyes did not know where to go. Interestingly, I found myself spending very little time looking at the pictures as I was just going from one text box to the next. This is not a judgement on the pictures, but simply me not being used to spending time looking at pictures while I read.

The setting of this book is a ship on a mission to a colony outside of Earth, after something happened to mankind home planet. The setting is similar to many other science fiction books -- a ship in the middle of nowhere (in space) with little to no contact with Earth or other humans. While it is not necessarily a "realistic" setting, it is still believable, especially considering how common the "leaving earth in search of a new planet to colonize" is such a common trope in science fiction literature (in fact, this is the second book I have reviewed for this class that was about that).

There are a lot of detailed illustration in this book, since it is a graphic novel. There are even more illustrations than there are in a childrens picture book, since the pictures are so important in telling the story. There are many panels where words are not necessary, as the picture can show what is happening and what the reader needs to know. Since I am not used to graphic novels, I had to occasionally go back and look at an image that didn't have text to figure out what is going on in the next panel that includes text.

Citation: Lemire, J. (2022). Sentient. TKO Studios.

[levisgeekstuff]

Sara

Deze maand verschijnt bij Dark Dragon Books het 3e en laatste deel van 'Sara'. Nee, geen stripbewerking van de telenovelle met Veerle Baetens, wel een ernstige en sfeervolle oorlogsstrip van Garth Ennis en Epting. Het verhaal volgt een team Russische vrouwelijke sluipschutters tijdens de gruwelen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. 👉

Strak verhaal, sublieme tekeningen

Garth Ennis, bekend van oa. 'Preacher' staat bekend om zijn rauwe, ongefilterde verhalen. Met 'Sara' gaat hij een stap verder, maar niet op de manier die je zou verwachten. Ennis brengt hier een meer ingetogen, persoonlijk verhaal. Steve Epting, die we kennen van 'Death of Captain America', brengt het verhaal tot leven met zijn typische gedetailleerde en emotioneel geladen tekeningen. Zijn werk vangt zowel de schoonheid als de brutaliteit van de oorlog, en versterkt het verhaal van Ennis.

Diepgang en discussie

Deze strip, die oorspronkelijk verscheen bij TKO Studios, snijdt thema's aan zoals verzet, menselijkheid en opoffering. Het verkent wat het betekent om te vechten tegen alle verwachtingen in en benadrukt de kracht van vrouwelijke helden in de oorlog. Ennis en Epting duiken diep in de psyche van hun personages, en bieden een genuanceerde kijk op gender en oorlog.

Verdict

'Sara' is een must-read voor al wie eens wat diepers wil dat de doorsnee superhelden comic. Garth Ennis en Steve Epting leveren een krachtig, hartverscheurend verhaal dat de kracht van vrouwelijke soldaten in de schijnwerpers zet. Bonuspunten voor het dossier aan het eind van deel 1 met info over gebeurtenissen waarop dit verhaal is gebaseerd.