Comic Book Feeds

All-new Ultraman stories to arrive in 2020!

 

New York, NY – November 23, 2019 – Marvel Entertainment and Tsuburaya Productions are excited to announce a collaboration that will bring new Ultraman stories to comics and graphic novels! Unveiled at Tokyo Comic Con, this new collaboration will launch in 2020.

Ultraman has been a pop culture classic ever since its introduction in the 1960s, resulting in more than 50 years of stories told on screen and in the pages of manga and comics. Today, Ultraman continues to be a worldwide phenomenon, but fans will always remember the groundbreaking thrill and wonder of the first generation of Ultraman that started it all. Beginning next year, Marvel will expand that iconic era of the Ultras through the lens of Marvel’s art and storytelling.

“As one of the world’s most popular franchises, Ultraman has brought together some of the most passionate fandoms in pop culture today, and we can’t wait to bring his story to even more fans around the globe,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “Like Marvel, Ultraman captivated generations by telling spectacular stories grounded in the real world, and it continues to be a beloved classic through its television shows, movies, toys, games, comics, and more. We are so thrilled to introduce new chapters to the Ultraman Multiverse next year.”

“We are delighted to announce the partnership with Marvel, one of the leading entertainment companies that has produced fascinating characters and stories loved by fans across the globe for over 80 years,” said Tsuburaya Productions CEO Takayuki Tsukagoshi. “We can’t be more excited to explore and create new stories for the Ultraman franchise with Marvel and bringing them to both Marvel and Ultraman fans all around the world.”

Story and creative team details will be shared at a later date. Stay tuned at en.tsuburaya-prod.co.jp and Marvel.com for more information and updates!

RAVEN THE PIRATE PRINCESS YEAR 3 #9 (Digital Only)
Writer(s): Jeremy Whitley
Artist Name(s): Telenia Albuquerque (pencils), Xenia Pamfil (pencils), Pocket Owl (inks), JB Fuller (inks), Lexillo (colors), Valentina Pinto (colors)
Cover Artist(s): Telenia Albuquerque

Things are looking rough for our crew. With Ximena and company captured and Ananda back at the Heart of the Sea, everyone is in danger. And things will only get worse when our girls reach The Black Fort.

27 pgs./ T / FC                   $2.99

George Takei’s New York Times Bestseller They Called Us Enemy,
Sonic The Hedgehog™ and Creator-Owned Red Panda & Moon Bear
Lead IDW Initiative for Spanish Language Books

SAN DIEGO, CA (November 22, 2019) – During a keynote presentation at yesterday’s NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) opening ceremony, author, actor and activist George Takei announced that his New York Times bestselling graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy will be published in Spanish in North America as part of a new Spanish language initiative from IDW Publishing, a division of IDW Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: IDWM).

“It’s been my life’s mission to tell the story of the cruel and unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, and I’m so honored by the outpouring of support for my graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy,” said Takei. “Having made this powerful tool for reaching young readers, I am thrilled to make the story accessible to a community that right now—today—is facing attacks that are all too familiar. This edition is especially meaningful to me since I was raised in the Spanish-speaking community of East L.A., which welcomed my family after our years of imprisonment.”

They Called Us Enemy will join SEGA® ‘s popular Sonic The Hedgehog™ and Red Panda & Moon Bear by Cuban American cartoonist Jarod Roselló as the debut wave of translated graphic novel titles, slated for release in June 2020. The first comprehensive in-house Spanish language program from a major American graphic novel publisher, this initiative is especially fitting for IDW Publishing, a company headquartered in San Diego, CA, just miles from the U.S.-Mexico border—a crossroads of nations, languages and cultures.

“IDW is proud to announce our new publishing initiative that reflects the increasingly diverse makeup of American readers and expands the accessibility of graphic novel storytelling to Spanish-speaking communities throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s President, Publisher, and CCO. “Spanish is spoken by more than 40 million people in the United States, making it the second most spoken language in this country. We’re not only publishing for the readership that we have today, but also preparing for the growing readership of the next decade and beyond.”

Nos llamaron Enemigo (978-1-60309-483-2), the Spanish language translation of They Called Us Enemy, is Takei’s stunning graphic memoir, co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and illustrated by Harmony Becker. Revisiting Takei’s haunting childhood as one of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II, this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love is “a thought-provoking, critical look at the history of racism in American policies and culture” (Booklist). Nos llamaron Enemigo will be released on June 2, 2020.

“George Takei’s memoir, the story of his family being wrongly incarcerated by the American government during WWII, is an ideal title to spearhead this new Spanish language initiative,” said Justin Eisinger, co-author and IDW Editorial Director, Graphic Novels & Collections. “Beyond the scope of their imprisonment and personal struggles, They Called Us Enemy is a story of hope. In today’s climate, facing challenges and prejudice that are in some ways similar, we felt as many young readers as possible should have access to this story.”

Sonic the Hedgehog Volumen 1: ¡Consecuencias! (978-1-68405-749-8) is the Spanish language adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog Vol. 1: Fallout, the first volume in IDW’s wildly popular series based on SEGA’s global video game phenomenon. Sonic the Hedgehog has long been a favorite in Spanish-speaking communities worldwide, so the debut of the ¡Consecuencias! storyline, written by Ian Flynn and illustrated by Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Jennifer Hernandez, and Evan Stanley, promises to satisfy an eager Spanish-speaking audience in North America, arriving in stores on June 9, 2020.

“Comics are for everyone and Sonic resonates with readers worldwide,” said Michael Cisneros, Manager of Licensing at SEGA of America. “We could not be prouder that the comic series is being brought to the Spanish language markets as this is something our fans have been clamoring for since the first issue was released. The Spanish-speaking Sonic community are some of our most passionate supporters in the world and we are honored to be part of this new program.”

Panda Roja y Oso Lunar (978-1-60309-484-9), by Cuban American writer/artist and educational researcher Jarod Roselló, is the Spanish translation of Red Panda & Moon Bear, a whimsical and tender-hearted adventure of two brave siblings who battle supernatural threats to their vibrant Latinx neighborhood with the powers of science, magic, and some very special hoodies. Slated for release on June 16, 2020, Panda Roja y Oso Lunar will be an instant favorite for young readers, packed with Saturday-morning action and practically glowing with Caribbean sunshine.

“I’m really excited to have Red Panda & Moon Bear published in Spanish,” said Roselló. “As a Cuban American, I grew up surrounded by both English and Spanish, so it’s important to me that my book be accessible to readers of both languages. Red Panda & Moon Bear themselves are characters of the border, living and playing across languages, histories, and cultures. I’m so glad that this book will be doing the same.”

IDW Publishing’s Spanish language editions will be released in June 2020 and are now available for pre-order via booksellers and comic book specialty retailers.

COSMO THE MIGHTY MARTIAN #2 (of 5)

BRAND NEW SERIES! Our mighty hero Cosmo experiences a strange vision that could finally lead his team to victory against the vicious Venusian Queen Hesper… or spell peril for him and his friends!

Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Tracy Yardley, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
Cover: Tracy Yardley
Variant Covers: Mauro Fonseca, Diana Skelly
On Sale Date: 12/18
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Discover the Shocking Events of the Historic Buffy & Angel Series in December 2019
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LOS ANGELES, CA (November 22, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today unveiled a first look at HELLMOUTH #3, in partnership with 20th Century Fox. The five-issue series event from writers Jordie Bellaire (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Jeremy Lambert (Doom Patrol) and artist Eleonora Carlini (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers) brings Buffy and Angel face to face in the world-ending event hundreds of years in the making—the opening of the Hellmouth!

Angel and Buffy are on a mission to find the Mistress Drusilla and close the Hellmouth—but will they turn on one another first? And is Drusilla the true evil behind the Hellmouth, or is there another, even more powerful evil that they should be worried about? Spoiler alert: there is…

HELLMOUTH #3 features a main cover by fan-favorite artist Jenny Frison (Wonder Woman), along with a variant cover by artist Jakub Rebelka (Jim Henson’s Storyteller) that connects to ANGEL #7 and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #10.

HELLMOUTH is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora; Folklords by Matt Kindt and Matt Smith; and The Red Mother by Jeremy Haun and Danny Luckert. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy the Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David López; Angel from Bryan Edward Hill and Gleb Melnikov; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Daniele Di Nicuolo.

Print copies of HELLMOUTH #3 will be available for sale on December 11, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

For continuing news on HELLMOUTH and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    
      

DOCTOR TOMORROW #1 (of 5)
Written by ALEJANDRO ARBONA
Art by JIM TOWE
Cover A by KENNETH ROCAFORT
Cover B by STACEY LEE
Cover C by RAÚL ALLÉN
Preorder Edition Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
Wraparound Variant Cover by JIM TOWE

• Teen hothead and star athlete, Bart Simms, is about to meet the Valiant Universe’s greatest hero… himself!
• The can’t-miss superhero adventure of 2020 starts here!

On sale FEBRUARY 19 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

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BLOODSHOT #0
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by MARC LAMING
Cover A by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover B by RAMÓN F. BACHS
Cover C by FRANCIS PORTELA

• Artist Marc Laming unleashes eye-popping artwork as the truth behind Bloodshot’s mission is revealed!

On sale FEBRUARY 19 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

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QUANTUM & WOODY #2
Written by CHRISTOPHER HASTINGS
Art by RYAN BROWNE
Cover A by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Cover B by JOE QUINONES
Cover C by REILLY BROWN
Preorder Edition Cover by TODD NAUCK
1:20 “Extra Virgin” Variant Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA

• The world’s worst superheroes unleash brand-new superpowers!
• But can Woody’s new visions of the future be trusted when it leads the duo to face their arch-rival DOCTOR TOILET?!
• (No, they most certainly cannot.)

 
On sale FEBRUARY 26 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

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THE VISITOR #3 (of 6)
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by MJ KIM
Cover A by AMILCAR PINNA
Cover B by ALAN QUAH
Cover C by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Preorder Edition Cover by ADAM POLLINA

• The Visitor’s origin revealed!?
• As the unkillable assassin continues hunting his targets, the fate of the future begins to come into focus.

On sale FEBRUARY 19 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

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RAI #4
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by JUAN JOSÉ RYP
Cover A by KAEL NGU
Cover B by SIMON BISLEY
Cover C by ADAM POLLINA

• Rai’s quest to rid the world of his nemesis puts him on a collision course with one of his closest allies: The Eternal Warrior!

 
On sale FEBRUARY 12 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+
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BLOODSHOT #6
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by BRETT BOOTH
Cover A by DECLAN SHALVEY
Cover B by FRITZ CASS
Cover C by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
Preorder Cover by HARVEY TOLIBAO

• This issue will change Bloodshot forever, and you’ll never guess how it ends!

On sale FEBRUARY 22 | 32 pages, full color | $3.99 US | T+

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DOCTOR MIRAGE TPB
Written by MAGDALENE VISAGGIO
Art by NICK ROBLES
Cover by PHILIP TAN

• How do you solve the case of your own death?
• Paranormal detective Doctor Shan Fong Mirage had the ability to see and talk to the dead. Except the dead have gone silent, their spirits mysteriously vanished, including Hwen, her deceased husband. Now, Doctor Mirage must face the most challenging question of her life: Is she dead but doesn’t know it?
• From Eisner Award-nominated writer Magdalene “Mags” Visaggio (Eternity Girl) and artist Nick Robles (Euthanauts) comes a gripping supernatural mystery to penetrate the veil between here and the hereafter. Collecting the complete five-issue DOCTOR MIRAGE limited series.

 
On sale FEBRUARY 5 | 128 pages, full color | $14.99 US | T+ | TRADE PAPERBACK | ISBN:  978-1-68215-346-8

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X-O MANOWAR DELUXE EDITION BOOK 2 (Previously Solicited for February)
Written by MATT KINDT
Art by TREVOR HAIRSINE, JUAN JOSÉ RYP, and TOMÁS GIORELLO
Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

• From barbarian…to agent…to hero!
• New York Times bestselling writer Matt Kindt (HARBINGER WARS 2, Mind MGMT) and blockbuster artists Trevor Hairsine (ETERNITY), Juan José Ryp (BRITANNIA), and Tomás Giorello (NINJA-K) come together for a thrilling melee of blood and steely-eyed daring right here in a deluxe edition hardcover collecting the next epic chapter of the Eisner Award-nominated run of X-O MANOWAR!
• Collecting X-O MANOWAR (2017) #15-26 along with 20+ pages of rarely seen designs, process art, and behind-the-scenes extras in a must-own, oversized hardcover edition of the series CBR calls, “stunning”!

 
On sale FEBRUARY 19 | 304 pages, full color | $49.99 US | T+ | HARDCOVER | ISBN: 978-1-68215-348-2   

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA (1/12/2019) – Coffin Comics announced today that Lady Death Rules! Volume 02 hit comic book store shelves nationwide on November 20, 2019.

Lady Death awakes from a 20-year, spell-induced slumber and finds herself in the fiery pits of Hell! From there, things get complicated! In this second volume of the “Fiend Favorite” series, experience Lady Death fully realized! Featuring the alluring and cruel diva of death as only creator Brian Pulido can deliver. Chock full of sex, violence, and very, very bad behavior. If you want unapologetic, heavy metal inspired stories that kick your ass, this is your book!

Collects Lady Death: Oblivion Kiss #1 (chapter 4), Merciless Onslaught #1 (chapter 5), Lady Death: Unholy Ruin #1 (chapter 6) & Lady Death: Apocalyptic Abyss #1 (chapter 7).

Lady Death Rules! Volume 02 Trade Paperback, a full color 192 page square bound prestige format book, will be available for sale at local comic shops for $19.99.

Lady Death Rules! Volume 02 Hardcover, a full color 192 page square bound prestige format book, will be available for sale at local comic shops for $34.99.

Make sure to order Lady Death Rules! Volume 02 at your local comic shop or directly from Coffin Comics at www.LadyDeathStore.com

Discover One Token To Rule All the Babies in Their First Graphic Novel in November 2019

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LOS ANGELES, CA (November 22, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at the first-ever Rugrats original graphic novel RUGRATS: THE LAST TOKEN, about the babies’ journey to save the arcade from certain doom with the treasured last token, from writer Pranas T. Naujokaitis (Adventure Time) and artist Maurizia Rubino (Steven Universe). Join the Rugrats as they set off on a magical quest to battle monsters, hordes, and the pernicious influence of greed in the most epic adventure of all time, in stores November 2019.

Stu and Drew have taken the babies to the local arcade for a relaxing day of pizza and games but one does not simply walk into the Wizard Rat Pizza Parlor Fun Time. When the arcade’s token stock goes down to one, a frenzy breaks loose and darkness descends upon the arcade floor. Every child seeks the precious golden coin for their own game with no thought to the needs of all the children of Fun Time. It is up to Tommy, son of Stu, and his noble fellowship of Rugrats to guard the one token across the treacherous game room floor to the fabled volcano arcade machine, told to yield a stream of tokens if you win, in order to save the day.

RUGRATS: THE LAST TOKEN, featuring a cover by Chrystin Garland (Steven Universe), is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers, including licensed series such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Regular Show, Ben 10, and Over The Garden Wall, along with original series like Just Beyond: The Scare School by R.L. Stine and Kelly & Nichole Matthews, Hex Vet by Sam Davies, RuinWorld by Derek Laufman, and Pandora’s Legacy by Kara Leopard, Kelly & Nichole Matthews.

Print copies of RUGRATS: THE LAST TOKEN will be available on November 27, 2019 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the one nearest you), December 3, 2019 at bookstores, or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

For breaking news on RUGRATS and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

         

         

         

         

         

NIGHTWING UNLEASHED!

NIGHTWING SUPERSUIT COSTUME OFFICIALLY UNVEILED TO PRESS DURING SPECIAL EVENT

SEASON 2 FINALE OF TITANS AIRS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
EXCLUSIVELY ON DC UNIVERSE

November 21, 2019 (BURBANK, Calif.) – The highly anticipated Nightwing supersuit was officially unveiled today during a special press event.  On hand to unveil the suit was executive producer and showrunner Greg Walker and specialty costume designer Laura Jean Shannon.

• The Nightwing suit, designed by Shannon with the support of her team and built by Creative Character Engineering, will make its debut during the season 2 finale episode ofTitans and marks the first live-action portrayal of the Nightwing character.
• Supersuit costumes for season 2 characters Jason Todd Robin, Wonder Girl, Aqualad, Hawk, Dove, Ravager and Deathstroke were also on display at the event.  All suits designed by Shannon with the support of her team and built by Creative Character Engineering.
• Following the unveiling, Walker and Shannon participated in a Q&A alongside creative members of the costume team.
• The season 2 finale of Titans airs Friday, November 29 exclusively on DC Universe.  All season 1 episodes are available now for streaming.

Titans is produced by Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The series was developed by Akiva Goldsman & Geoff Johns & Greg Berlanti, based on characters from DC. Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, Greg Walker and Sarah Schechter are the executive producers.

Title: Cat & Cat #1 “Girl Meets Cat”
Publisher: Papercutz
Writers: Christophe Cazenove & Herve Richez
Artist: Yrgane Ramon
Translator: Joe Johnson
Letterer: Wilson Ramos Jr.
Price: $ 9.99 US, $ 12.99 Can
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Website: www.papercutz.com
Comments: Sushi the cat has many moods. She also has an attitude. The little girl who is this cat’s master is called Cat. Cat and Sushi do have fun playing together. They have so many mini adventures.
Sushi is like most cats. She rules the household.
This book does give you a fun insight into the life of a cat and a cat’s owners.
The book does start to drag on a little about half way through it.
There is a EnCATopedia to explain cat behavior and it does not cover everything. Plus Sushi seems to be out of the book at times.
The cat does seem docile until you get a better look at its behavior and you see yes it is calm before the storm.
This is a fun book about a family with a cat who is crazy and either laid back or hyper. Cat does have a cat and it is such fun to follow along on their adventures.

A gaming compatriot of mine has started up a new blog Neo-York Chronicles where he's detailing his vision of a cyberpunk future New York. It's good stuff. You should check it out and add it to your blog rolls!

This post is a follow to a couple of previous posts during Exalted's Creation into a D&D setting.


The cosmos had not been constructed to parse the deaths of one of its creator Titans nor were the spiritual algorithms of reincarnation equipped to handle such complex beings. When the Titanomachy led to the exactly this outcome, Oblivion, a plane of negative energy, was manifest.

Theories differ as to the nature of this negative energy plane. Some believe it was formed by the collapse of the abliving yet undying souls of the slain Titans under their own gravity. Others hold that this collapse merely created a whole in the fabric of the cosmos allowing access to pre-existing Oblivion. Either way, the Underworld, a dark shadow of Creation, was generated on this puncture's event horizon.

The pull of Oblivion drew dead souls to it and kept them from the stream of Lethe, cosmic reincarnation function, creating ghosts and other undead for the first time. These creatures of Oblivion began to plague the mortal world. Most fearful of all of these are the Deathlords, powerful souls granted power by the Neverborn, the undead Titans, to serve as their agents in Creation, to prosecute their war against the living world.

The Deathlords often rule Shadowfells, places where the Underworld bleeds over into Creation, with their puissant soldiers, Deathknights. Thirteen Deathlords are believed to exist. Known Deathlords include Mask of Winters, Dowager of the Irreverent Vulgate in Unrent Veils, the Whispered One of the Rotted Tower, and The Count of Ravenloft. The last has the distinction of being the only lord to have a Deathknight rebel against him, the Knight of the Black Rose.

This post is a follow to a couple of previous posts during Exalted's Creation into a D&D setting.


The Dragonborn, Princes of the Earth, rulers of Creation for over a millennia, are the descendants of the elders of dragonkind. Gaea, the Titan of Earth, was mother to The Dragon Ao [1], whose nature warred against itself until he split into Tiamat and Bahamut. The two represented the forces of chaos and order. The first progeny of Tiamat were the elders of the chromatic dragons, while Bahamut's children were the metallic dragons.

The elder dragons, both metallic and chromatic, bore human children, who carried a portion of draconic power. Those who carried the most draconic power were transformed by it and were able to take on the form of a humanoid dragon [2]. Those with a weaker, but still potent connection, became sorcerers. The Dragonborn and their sorcerer kin were the soldiers of the gods in the Titanomachy. This estranged the chromatic Dragonborn from their grandmother, Tiamat, who sided with the Titans and was imprisoned in Hell with them following their defeat [3].

Today, the Dragonborn rule a vast Empire (though less vast than it was in the past). They are organized into Great Houses, one for each of the types of metallic and chromatic dragons.


1 D&D sources report this name as "Io." This seems better to me.
2 I figure these Dragonborn would have a human/mostly human form as well as the draconid form.
3 D&D tradition places her on the first layer of Hell.

Reading Korg 70,000 B.C. for an upcoming podcast reminded me of this post from 2015.


Or maybe forward to a remote future? Whichever, it's a time where prehistoric humans do battle with monsters--both known to history and unknown--and with incursion of aliens or ultraterrestrials, part Kirby and part von Däniken. The actions of the aliens create sores in the skin of reality where the normal laws are warped and disrupted.

Some humans have benefited (or so they believe) from alien technology and even interbreeding. They view themselves as superior to the others and hunt them for slaves--or worse. But humans have allies, too: the gregarious Small-Folk (Halflings, pakuni, homo florensis), the hardy and aloof Stone Folk (dwarves, T'lan Imass, Neanderthals). And then there are the spirits, made stronger since the aliens rent holes in reality, with whom the shamans intercede through the use of sacred, hallucinogenic technologies--their "passkeys" into the operating system of the universe.



Inspirations:
Comics: Devil Dinosaur, Tor, Tragg and the Sky-Gods, Henga (Yor), Turok, anything New Gods by Kirby or Morrison (for the "magic as technology" aspect).
Fiction: Karl Edward Wagner's Kane stories (mainly the implied pseudo-scientific background), Manly Wade Wellman's Hok, Roadside Picnic (the portrayal of zones and alien artifacts)
"Nonfiction": alien abduction stuff and forteana, "forbidden history" stuff, Chariots of the Gods.

Some thoughts on social media by Jack Shear reminded me of this old post, with Jack suggesting replacing elements of the Exalted setting with rough analogs from D&Ds implied setting. As most things D&Dish do, this inevitably got my thinking about the planes and how one could break the Great Wheel in Exaltedish pieces. 5e's cosmology even starts doing some of the work.

Yu-Shan: Exalted's Heaven, a continent-sized city. Much of it would resemble part's of D&D's Mount Celestia, but some of it's nation-sized parks would be like The Beastlands. The Celestial Bureaucracy would have elements of Mechanus (including Modrons and Inevitables).

The Wyld: The Chaos outside and encrouching on Creation. Pure Chaos is probably not something worth getting into (maybe it's like the D&D Far Realm?), but the middlemarches are like D&D's Limbo and home to Slaadi. Maybe there is an area of Pandemonium, too. We might as well call the bordermarches the Feywild, but they also include elements of Arborea the "deeper" you get.

The Underworld: This occupies the position in relation to the Prime Material Plane/Creation as the Shadowfell, but they term should be applied to the areas Exalted calls Shadowlands, where the Underworld and the Prime overlap. The Underworld proper should get a lot of Hades/Grey Wastes stuff, and beneath it is Oblivion, the Negative Energy Plane.

Malfeas: The prison of the Yozi's (the Primordials betrayed by the gods) would by the repository of much of the Lower Planes stuff: the Abyss, Carceri, and the Nine Hells. The Law and Chaos division of these worlds in D&D terms would be a hindrance to making them more like Exalted, so maybe that's dropped, or maybe demons and devils are different factions of Yozi.

Autochthonia: The world within the body of the Primordial Autochthon. Mechanus is a better name for this god and this place anyway, so whatever Mechanus stuff wasn't shunted to Yu-Shan should be here. Also, some of the old quasi- and para-elemental planes would be the elemental "reserviors" of this world (Smoke, Radiance, Lightning, Mineral, etc.)

A new episode of the Bronze Age Book Club podcast is available! Check it out here on on your podcast app of choice.


Listen to "Episode 9: DEFENDERS #34" on Spreaker.

Our Land of Azurth 5e campaign continued last night with the party meeting with the former mayor, Gladhand in an underground hideout. Gladhand wants their help ousting the new mayor who has apparently becoming something of a despot. Gladhand claims to have a stash of gold he can use to hire mercenaries, but he needs the party to get it for him.

He had entrusted the money to the Sly Took, a member of the Raccoon Folk Thieves Guild and operator of a vault where people can keep valuables they want to stay hidden. The vault is protected by a cadre of elite rat folk mercenaries and apparently some vicious weasels--and has very high security.

The party is unsure whether they should help Gladhand or not. While the current mayor was supported by another adventuring party who the group feels has stolen their thunder, they know Gladhand to be something of a crook, and the vault sounds pretty difficult to get into. Ultimately, the greedier members of the party carry the day, and they at least agree to look into the job.

Waylon uses some underworld contacts to inquire about stashing some money and potentially some magic items in the vault. He uses this visit to case the joint as well as he can. Security is indeed high, with traps, arcane locks, and requirements for 3 magic key charms for each one.

Unsure of how best to approach things, the party contemplates a frontal assault, while acknowledging this seems like a bad idea...

TO BE CONTINUED

I came upon this post when searching for another one. I had forgotten some of these (this post was original presented in 2011), so it seemed worth a revisit... 

Here are a few minority religious groups seen at least as bit odd (if not outright dangerous) by the majority of the City's citizens:


The Abattoir Cult: Secret followers of the sinister and bloody-handed Lord of the Cleaver. A liturgical text (anthropodermically bound) honoring this obscure eikone is known to exist in a private collection in New Lludd. His cult tends to crop up in districts devoted to meatpacking or slaughter pens and is associated with the emergence of serial killers.

The Temple of Father Eliah Exalted: This Old Time Religion sect preaches racial and gender equality, chastity--and the godhood of its prophet, Father Eliah Exalted. The Temple owns a number of groceries, gas stations, hotels, and other business. These are ostensibly held by acolytes but seem mainly to enrich the Father. The Temple is politically active and the Father’s support can sway elections. Many are suspicious that Exalted’s powers of oratory and occasional miracles suggest that he is one of the Gifted or perhaps a secret thaumaturgist, but proof has been hard to come by.

Serpent-spotters: An informal collection of people forgotten by society--mostly poor and elderly spinsters and widowers--who are convinced that the monster that appeared in the Eldritch River 30 years ago, and supposedly delivered secret prophecies to City fathers, will return, heralding the apocalypse. On days individually chosen they hold vigil in Eldside Park. They hope to be present at the time of the serpent’s return so it will reward their faith with a ride on his back to a watery Paradise.

The Electrovangelic Church of the Machine Messiah: A worldwide movement dedicated to building the perfect construct to manifest the Messiah and usher in a new age of mechanical spiritual perfection.

The Followers of the Rabbit: Not an organized religion, but instead a collection of superstitions and cautionary urban legends forming a secret liturgy for some folk working along the boardwalk of Lapin Isle. They hope to placate the godling of the island, the dark personification of the rabbit in the moon--the man in the rabbit suit that is not a man.

Roger Langridge is Harvey and Eisner award winning comics writer and artist from New Zealand who tends to work in a quirky cartoon sort of vein (though he has written Thor and did a sort of surreal strip in Judge Dredd Magazine called Straightjacket Fits). Here are a couple of his works I've read that I would recommend:

Criminy
Written by Ryan Ferrier with art by Langridge tells the story of the Criminy family who looks sort of like Bosko (and sort of like the Animaniacs) who get into a series of fantastic adventures after their are forced to flee their island home by invading pirates. Criminy is aimed at younger readers (though might be more intense in places that strictly kiddie comics), but enjoyable by older ones, too.

Popeye vol. 1
IDW's 2012 Popeye series was written by Langridge with art by several different artists who do pitch perfect renditions of the Thimble Theatre characters to match the stories recalling the classic Dell Comics of Sagendorf. There were 3 volumes, all now available in hardcopy or on Kindle/Comixoloyu.

I'm not sure what iteration of Popeye this is from, but it suggests Popeye lives in a pretty small town:



Here's one definitely from the Sagendorf comics. At least Wimpy owns his on home in this version: