Image Comics Announces Hardcover Collection of "The Wicked + the Divine"

FANS WILL WORSHIP THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, BOOK ONE

A deluxe hardcover edition hits stores this April

“...It’s that damn good.” —Kotaku

The New York Times bestselling hit series THE WICKED + THE DIVINE by writer Kieron Gillen, artist Jamie McKelvie, and colorist Matthew Wilson will be collected into a stunning deluxe hardcover edition, with must-have bonus material and extensive commentary, available this April.

"I have always had three grand ambitions. To go into Orbit. To fly through the air powered by my own strength. To have a fancy hardback of my comic book series," said Gillen. "Now one of my goals is complete. I am so proud."

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE is the Eisner-nominated, critically-acclaimed modern fantasy where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE Deluxe Hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-63215-728-7) collects the first two story arcs of the series—issues #1-11, plus commentary and bonus content—and hits comic book stores on Wednesday, April 6th, 2016 and bookstores on Tuesday, April 12th, 2016. It will be available for $44.99.

It can be ordered by retailers from Diamond Book Distributors with Diamond code FEB160652. It can be preordered now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, and Indigo.

Select praise for THE WICKED + THE DIVINE:

“The Wicked and The Divine is super-powers and stardom, with a pinch of American Gods and a dollop of Ziggy Stardust put through a philosophical meat grinder.” —Paste Magazine

“McKelvie and colorist Matthew Wilson create slick, glossy, hyper-real comics.” —Mental Floss

“The Wicked + The Divine is among the strongest Image debuts of recent memory. This book is absolutely worth checking out.” —IGN

“I never thought a comic book would make me feel sorry for Katy Perry. But The Wicked + The Divine generated some real empathy for someone whose music I can’t stand. It’s that damn good.” —Kotaku

“Thoroughly engaging puzzle of a plot, excellent character development and a brutal ability to follow through on promises made.” —Tor.com

“A beautiful conflation of superhero mythos and pop-star worship.” —Flavorwire

“The Wicked + The Divine is the best comic book you're probably not reading (yet)... For a book inspired by death, it's incredibly alive.” —Vice

“A stunning book.” —Blastr

“The Wicked + The Divine is about art, creativity and living to the fullest, but mainly about death.” —USA Today


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 5th, 2016 - Update #18

Support Leroy on Patreon.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  This blow-job fest passing as an article details Mark Rylance's non-campaign campaign for the best supporting actor Oscar, which he ultimately won.  I figure that he won because he is a good actor and he is white, because #OscarsSoWhite.

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COMICS - From YahooMovies:  Screenwriter Eric Heisserer is working on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's film adaptation of The Sandman comic book, which was published by DC Comics and written by Neil Gaiman.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  The author Pat Conroy has died, Friday, March 4, 2016, at the age of 70.  Some of Conroy's books were adapted in film, with "The Great Santini" and "The Prince of Tides" likely being the most memorable.

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POLITICS - From RollingStone: Matt Taibbi on how George W Bush led to Donald Trump.

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COMICS - From Variety:  Sony is working on a "Venom" spinoff.  I bet it's going to be R-rated.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  The rumored 23 Jump Street/Men in Black crossover is still being developed by Sony.

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POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:  Nine Republican congressman vote against naming a post office after Maya Angelou.  This isn't really a story since the measure passed anyway, so fuck 'em.

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CRIME - From YahooNews:  Colorado theater mass murder, James Holmes, got a prison beat down.

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STAR TREK - From Variety:  Rod Roddenberry, the son of "Star Trek" creator, Gene Roddenberry, has joined CBS' new Star Trek series as an executive producer.

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STAR WARS - From Variety:  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be digital April 1st and on Blu-ray on April 5th.

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COMICS - From Variety:  "Batman vs. Superman" is tracking to have a massive opening on March 25.

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MOVIES - From YahooMusic:  First trailer for new "Ghostbusters" trailer.

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COMICS - From WeGotThisCovered:  Early word on "Captain Ameria: Civil War."

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COMICS - From IGN:  FOX has announced the release dates for two superhero movies, although they did not announce the names of the most movies

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THEATER - From Deadline:  Mark Rylance just won a best supporting actor Oscar (for "Bridge of Spies").  Now, he has received an Olivier Award nomination, along with other Oscar favorites.  The Olivier Awards are given for London stage performance / live theatre.

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OSCARS - From Deadline:  Low ratings (relatively speaking) for Oscars hosted by Chris Rock - worst since 2008.  34.3 million people watched.   It's the best picture nominees.  Add Straight Outta Compton and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and millions more watch.  The year "12 Years a Slave" won best picture; 43.7 million people watched, which is the highest number this century.

From Deadline:  For those who missed it; here is a complete list of winners from the 2016/ 88th Oscars.

From EOnline:  Will Smith has nothing to say about the dig Chris Rock took at him during the Oscars ceremony.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  The second official trailer for "Ice Age: Collision Course."

Camila Mendes is "Veronica Lodge" in New Live-Action Archie Series, "Riverdale"

Rounding out a week of major casting news for The CW's 'Riverdale' live-action pilot based on the Archie Comics characters comes the announcement that Camila Mendes has been cast as Riverdale's top socialite, Veronica Lodge.

The Veronica casting follows a week of major casting news for the Riverdale gang consisting of Archie (KJ Apa), Josie (Ashleigh Murray), Fred Andrews (Luke Perry), Jughead (Cole Sprouse), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), and Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch).

In the exclusive announcement, Deadline described Mendes's Veronica as a silver-tongued high school sophomore who returns to Riverdale from New York, eager to reinvent herself after a scandal involving her father.

Expect additional “Riverdale” news in the coming weeks.

The one-hour drama will be written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Brothers Studios and Berlanti Productions and has been described as a subversive take on the classic Archie mythos. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schecter, Jon Goldwater, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa serve as executive producers.

The live-action series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. The show will focus on the eternal love triangle of Archie Andrews, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and rich socialite Veronica Lodge, and will include the entire cast of characters from the comic books—including Archie’s rival, Reggie Mantle, and his slacker best friend, Jughead Jones.

Popular gay character Kevin Keller will also play a pivotal role. In addition to the core cast, “Riverdale” will introduce other characters from Archie Comics’ expansive library, including Josie and the Pussycats.

For more information about “Riverdale”, visit the official Archie Comics website.

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Image Comics Announces CHEW's Finale in the "Poyo" Trilogy

DEMON CHICKEN POYO ACHIEVES A BRUTAL FINALE

New York Times bestselling creative team John Layman and Rob Guillory will unleash the final one-shot chronicling the action-packed exploits of the beloved homicidal cybernetic kung-fu rooster this April.

Poyo, the secret agent; Poyo, the warrior chicken—and now: Poyo, the demon chicken.

The final episode of the groundbreaking and historic Poyo trilogy: DEMON CHICKEN POYO. Hell wants him. Heaven won’t take him. Earth needs him. That was also the tagline for that godawful Constantine movie. But Poyo is so badass, he stole it from Keanu Reeves!

“Several years ago Rob Guillory and I changed the face of comics, and indeed all pop culture, with the release of Secret Agent Poyo,” said Layman. “They said it could not be done, but we followed that up with an even more vital, timely and sense-shattering sequel, Warrior Chicken Poyo. And here, we’ve done the unthinkable, as we’ve outdone ourselves YET AGAIN with our greatest triumph yet, Demon Chicken Poyo.”

“We expect this book to shake the very foundations of the comics industry, with a comic so astonishing and impossibly amazing that the world will be forever altered,” Layman added. “Religions will be formed around this comic. Monuments will be built. This is the seminal comic for the 21st Century, and quite likely the new millennium. The wise consumer will buy multiple copies, and the canny retailer will stock their store shelves with this comic, and nothing else."

CHEW: DEMON CHICKEN POYO #1 Cover A by Rob Guillory (Diamond code: FEB160499) hits stores Wednesday, April 20th. CHEW: DEMON CHICKEN POYO #1 Cover B sketch variant (Diamond code: FEB160500) will also be available Wednesday, April 20th, 2016. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, March 28th, 2016.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Image Comics Announce Second "Lazarus" Hardcover Collection

LAZARUS RISES UP FOR ITS SECOND DELUXE HARDCOVER COLLECTION

Collects the third and fourth story arcs, plus bonus material

“Lazarus is an absolutely tremendous book…”—Multiversity

The New York Times bestselling and multiple-Eisner-winning creative team of Greg Rucka (BLACK MAGICK) and Michael Lark (Daredevil) will release the second prestige hardcover in their ongoing critically acclaimed dystopian series LAZARUS this May. This collects LAZARUS issues #10-21, and includes extensive backmatter exploring the Lazarus world as well as behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of the book.

In LAZARUS: THE SECOND COLLECTION, sixteen Families have gathered together in the exclusive luxury confines of Triton One to resolve the emerging conflict between Carlyle and Hock, and they’ve brought their Lazari with them. Deception and war go hand in hand, culminating in a final revelation that will truly change everything for Forever Carlyle.

LAZARUS: THE SECOND COLLECTION HC (ISBN: 9781632157225) hits comic book stores Wednesday, May 18th and bookstores Tuesday, May 24th, and will be available for $39.99. It can be ordered by retailers with Diamond code FEB160687. It can be preordered now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indiebound.

Praise for LAZARUS:

"Rucka and Lark have started us on a journey that'll ask the hard questions about what it means to be human while forcing us to take a long, hard look at the world we live in." —IGN

"This book is an intense look at family, prosperity, and Waste." —Culture Mass

"Mixes political issues, social issues, science fiction and criminal intrigue into one pot… This is worth checking out." —ComicList

“This is a comic that above all else grapples with what is perhaps the ultimate question of speculative fiction, and certainly one of the oldest—what if we didn’t need to die?”—Nerdspan


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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2016 Wizard World Las Vegas Announces New Artist Alley Guests

Pasqual Ferry, Peter David, John McCrea, J.M. DeMatteis Headline Artist Alley At Wizard World Las Vegas, March 18-20

Bob Camp, Jorge Molina, Tom Cook, Michael Golden, Arthur Suydam, Phil Ortiz Also Among Superstar Artists And Writers At Las Vegas Convention Center

LAS VEGAS – Eisner Award winners Peter David (“The Incredible Hulk,” “Wolverine”) and J.M. DeMatteis (“Spider-Man,” “Moonshadow”), as well as standouts John McCrea ("Hitman," "Transmetropolitan"), Bob Camp (“Ren and Stimpy”), Jorge Molina (“X-Men,” “Captain America”), Pasqual Ferry ("Wolverine," "X-Men"), Miguel Sepulveda (“Green Lantern,” “Red Lanterns”), Tom Cook (“He-Man,” “Superfriends”), Michael Golden (“Batman,” “Spider-Man”), Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies” “Army of Darkness”) and Phil Ortiz (“The Simpsons,” “Muppet Babies”) are among the leading comics artists and writers scheduled to attend Wizard World Las Vegas, March 18-20. It is the second visit to the Las Vegas Convention Center for Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and the fourth event on the 2016 Wizard World comic con calendar.

Other superstars in Artist Alley in Las Vegas include James Robinson (“Scarlet Witch,” “Fantastic Four”), Victor Dandridge (“Vantage: Inhouse”), Jeff Greenwalt (“Rabbit Ears”), Dr. Travis Langley (“Batman and Psychology”), Greg Luzniak (“Marvel Comics”), Des Taylor ("DESPOP," "Titan Comics"), Sean Hoade (“Zombie School Confidential”), Tim Lundmark (“Hell Has Become Our Home”), Brockton McKinney (“GingerDead Man”), Stephanie Miller (“Read to Your Pets”), Magen Mitchell (“Obake Style”) and many others.

Top celebrities attending the event include Matt Smith (“The Crown”) and Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jewel Staite (“Firefly,” “Stargate: Atlantis”), WWE® Diva Paige™, Mark Pellegrino (“Supernatural,” “Lost”), Elizabeth Henstridge and Brett Dalton (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Sean Maguire (“Once Upon a Time”), WWE® Diva Paige™, Michael Rooker ( Guardians of the Galaxy, “The Walking Dead”), Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Spin City”), John Schneider (“Smallville,” “Dukes of Hazzard”), Eddie McClintock (“Warehouse 13,” “Bones”), Jason Mewes (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks), Ian Ziering (Sharknado ), Charles Martinet (voice actor: “Super Mario”), Amber Benson (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and more.

Wizard World comic con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Las Vegas show hours are Friday, March 18, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, March 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wizard World Las Vegas is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday night.

For more on the 2016 Wizard World Las Vegas, visit http://wizd.me/LasVegasPR.


About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store ( www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com ), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The 2016 Wizard World comic con schedule is available at: www.wizardworld.com/wizcon.html.

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Madelaine Patsch is "Cheryl Blossom" in Live Action Archie Series, "Riverdale"

Hot on the heels of the casting of Archie (KJ Apa), Josie (Ashleigh Murray), Fred Andrews (Luke Perry), Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) in The CW's 'Riverdale' pilot, comes the news that Madelaine Petsch (The Curse of Sleeping Beauty) has been cast as the fiery redhead Cheryl Blossom.

In the exclusive announcement, Deadline described Petsch's Cheryl as rich, entitled and never accountable. A manipulative mean girl who kills with kindness, she recently lost her twin brother in a mysterious accident.

Madelaine is repped by Global Artists Agency and Fran Blain & Associates.

Expect additional “Riverdale” casting news in the coming weeks.

The one-hour drama will be written by Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Warner Brothers Studios and Berlanti Productions and has been described as a subversive take on the classic Archie mythos. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schecter, Jon Goldwater, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa serve as executive producers.

The live-action series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring small-town life and the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade. The show will focus on the eternal love triangle of Archie Andrews, girl-next-door Betty Cooper, and rich socialite Veronica Lodge, and will include the entire cast of characters from the comic books—including Archie’s rival, Reggie Mantle, and his slacker best friend, Jughead Jones.

Popular gay character Kevin Keller will also play a pivotal role. In addition to the core cast, “Riverdale” will introduce other characters from Archie Comics’ expansive library, including Josie and the Pussycats.

For more information about “Riverdale”, visit the official Archie Comics website.

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