Tag: alex paknadel

Preview Reviews for the Week of 10/28/20: Giga #1

Preview Reviews for the Week of 10/28/20: Giga #1

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.  This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.

Here at Pop Culture Squad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler.  We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues.  Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for this book.

This week we have a new series from Alex Paknadel and John Lê called Giga from Vault Comics.

You can find this book at your LCS on October 28, 2020.

Giga #1
Vault Comics
Written by Alex Paknadel
Art by John Lê
Colors by Rosh
Letters by Aditya Bidikar
Cover Art by Lê & Rosh

Original Solicitation:

Nobody knows why the skyscraper-sized mechs known as ‘Giga’ fought their bitter, centuries’ long war. All they know is that when the fighting finally stopped, the dormant Giga became humanity’s new habitat and new gods in one. When disgraced engineer Evan Calhoun finds an apparently murdered Giga, his society and the fascistic tech-centered religious order that controls it are rapidly thrown into chaos.

From writer Alex Paknadel and rising star John Lê comes another Vault & White Noise partnership about what happens after the mechs stop fighting.

PCS Review:

Alex Paknadel and John Lê have kicked off this highly anticipated book with a fabulous first issue. They have created a big vibrant would with a complex religious and political society that is easily accessible. The protagonist is sympathetic and engaging. The world of this book, set in the ruins of gigantic mech robots, translates well to the modern world in which we live in multiple ways. The pacing and dialogue are crisp and finely crafted.

The art by Lê and Rosh is dynamic and interesting. The panel layouts are keep the reader engaged in the action of exploring the world as the book moves through different settings. It is a really beautifully designed book that pays homage to sci-fi magazine stories of the early ’80s while firmly establishing a unique feel. Aditya Bidikar is an excellent letterer and uses some fun techniques to add a smoothness to the flow of the story.

This book exceeds the great expectations that I had for it. At the end of this book, I found myself craving more. It was not because I didn’t get enough in the issue, but because I am ready to find out more about this world and its characters. Don’t miss this one.

Spotlight Interview with Comics Writer Alex Paknadel

Spotlight Interview with Comics Writer Alex Paknadel

Alex Paknadel is a rising star in the field of comics writing. In 2019, he has completed his highly acclaimed first series with Vault Comics called Friendo. He has continued as the writer of the Lion Forge book Kino, which is set in the Catalyst Prime universe. He also wrote a four-part mini-series for Valiant called Incursion.

After breaking into the comics scene in 2015 with Arcadia from Boom! Studios, he has developed a reputation for thought-provoking storytelling. Often his topics cover deep socio-political subjects, but he can write a super-hero fight scene with the best of them. If you follow our Preview Reviews or Everything We Read columns, you will find Alex show up regularly there.

We caught up with Alex in Chicago at C2E2 in March, and this interview was captured then.

PopCultureSquad: Recently [in March 2019] there was an announcement that you and your White Noise studio mates [Dan Watters, Ram V, and Ryan O’Sullivan] have new books coming from Vault Comics. What can you tell us about that?

Alex Paknadel: We’ve re-upped with Vault for another tranche of books for 2019-2020. Dan Watters and I have started work on a book called Earthcrosser, which is being gorgeously illustrated by a brilliant Scottish artist named Pablo Clark. Ram and Ryan’s plans for 2020 are well-advanced too, so expect great things.

PCS: Ok, and you guys know what you are doing? You are excited about the new books?

AP: Yeah, we were able to get fantastic creative teams for the first wave of books, and we have managed to at least equal the quality of creative talent for this next set if not go beyond that.

We have been viewing Vault, and I hope they don’t get upset for me saying this but, as sort of an outlet for our “Boutique Books”. These are the ones where we take big risks.

PCS: Are they the ones that are most personal? Continue reading “Spotlight Interview with Comics Writer Alex Paknadel”

NEWS: DC to Eliminate Vertigo Imprint and Consolidate Under Three Age-Specific Labels

NEWS: DC to Eliminate Vertigo Imprint and Consolidate Under Three Age-Specific Labels

DC Comics announced today that they are eliminating the Vertigo imprint and reorganizing how they are labeling their books.  This news is not unexpected, but still is somewhat of an important event. Beginning in 2020, DC Comics books will be identified in one of three categories.

There will be the main DC label for standard DC super-hero books. The newly launched DC Ink and DC Zoom will be folded under a single DC Kids banner. The DC Black Label banner will remain and include all mature readers books aimed at readers 17 years old or older. This is a departure from the initial intent of the line that would be out-of-continuity boutique type books.

“We’re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material,” said DC Publisher Dan DiDio. Continue reading “NEWS: DC to Eliminate Vertigo Imprint and Consolidate Under Three Age-Specific Labels”

Preview Reviews for the week of 5/22/2019: Road of Bones #1 and Incursion #4

Preview Reviews for the week of 5/22/2019: Road of Bones #1 and Incursion #4

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.  This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.

A reminder for you. Here at PopCultureSquad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler.  We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues.  Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for these books.

This week we have TWO preview comics. The first is the debut of Road of Bones by Rich Douek and Alex Cormack, published by IDW. This is one of the books that we were eagerly anticipating and featured in our New Number Ones column for May.

The second book is the conclusion to Incursion by Alex Paknadel and Doug Braithwaite, published by Valiant. We have been excited about this story since the debut issue.

You can find Road of Bones and Incursion at your LCS or on Comixology on May 22, 2019.

Continue reading “Preview Reviews for the week of 5/22/2019: Road of Bones #1 and Incursion #4”

Preview Review for the week of 4/17/2019: Incursion #3

Preview Review for the week of 4/17/2019: Incursion #3

Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews.  This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.

A reminder for you. Here at PopCultureSquad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler.  We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues.  Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for these books.

This week’s preview comic is Incursion #3 from Alex Paknadel and Doug Braithwaite, published by Valiant Entertainment.  It is rare for us to preview a book in the middle of the run, but that might tell you how much we think of this series.

Continue reading “Preview Review for the week of 4/17/2019: Incursion #3”