Scarlet Horizon Released!

Scarlet Horizon, the game where I work as background illustrator is now released

Hercules The Thracian Wars Review

Today I will review an issue from Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Radical Publishing. It was their first Hercules story arc and has been out for 2-3 years. The collected editions of 5 issues are available. I just got this issue at discount price. Warning: The review will contain spoilers as I breakdown the story’s important element and review the whole book.

Hercules

The Thracian Wars

Radical comics

Issue 5 of 5

Writer STEVE MOORE

Artist ADMIRA WIJAYA of IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS

Colorists IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS & SIXTH CREATION

Letterer TODD KLEIN

COVER A Clint Langley

COVER B Arthur Suydam

COVER C Stanley ‘Artgerm” Lau & Kunnka of IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS

Hercules logo and character designed by JIM STERANKO

Design by IMAGINARY FRIENDS STUDIOS

RADICAL PUBLISHING

Publisher/President BARRY LEVINE

Co-Publisher/Editor in Chief DAVID ELLIOT

CEO & Executive Vice President JESSE BERGER

VP Operations and Marketing GIANLUCA GLAZER

General Counsel MATTHEW BERGER

Director of Development JOHN ZOPFI

Director of Production TEDDY CABUGOS

Associate Art Director JEREMY BERGER

Associate Brand Manager NICK CABUGOS

Breakdown

Hercules, Tydeus, Autolycus, Amphiaraus, Iolaus, Atalanta and the others raid to the palace of Lord Cotys for vengeance. Atalanta battled Ergenia, daughter of Lord Cotys before Ergenia was killed by Hercules’s spear. Cotys fled through an underground tunnel full of traps. Hercules ‘s party best the traps and Tydeus behead Lord Cotys. They found Cotys’s treasure and were about to escape with it when they were surrounded by the army of Rhesus, thought to be dead. Rhesus let them go out of a life debt but the treasure must remain in the palace, which now belong to Rhesus. Hercules and the others were exiled from the country, and they make plan to go to Egypt.

Rating

What I like:

- Hercules character design.

That Nemean Lion head as hood is badass. Hercules stands out and easily recognizable among the other characters

- Dark, brutal and bloody

I knew Hercules from the myth was supposed to be brutal and bloodthirsty, not unlike Conan The Barbarian. He is often portrayed in popular media as a good hero. It’s nice to finally see a proper treatment.

- Character fanservice

Lots of character from mythology joined Hercules. Atalanta, the female champion who was only defeated by a trick, Iolaus, Hercules’s nephew. Autolycus, son of Hermes and master thief.

- Gorgeous artwork

Digitally painted, but with lively painterly look great detail. Great sense of motion and action. The colors are dark and subdued which fit the story’s dark and adult theme.

What I don’t like

- A bit too much on the realistic side

There’s no glamour or fantastic design in this Hercules book, at least in this final volume. It’s not God of War where everything is big and flashy. This Hercules seems like it’s rooted more on reality. The buildings are simple and realistically designed. The characters don’t really stand out except Hercules. They pretty much wear realistic historical clothing. It somewhat diminished a comic book feel where usually many things are exagerrated. However I feel it will make a good movie or TV series because of the realism and simplicity.

Trade Paperback: Buy or Not

This is my first Radical Hercules book and I really like it. The digitally painted artworks are gorgeous. It was the end of a story arc so I can’t say much about the story since I don’t understand anything. But if you like Hercules, want to see a dark and mature version instead of Disney and Kevin Sorbo, and don’t mind painterly artwork, especially if you’re a fan of Imaginary Friends Studios,  you should definitely pick it up.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 494 Breakdown and Review

Bought this comic at bargain for my reference collection. The condition is… well… you get what you pay for.

This post will be divided in two parts. In Breakdown I will talk about the summarized content of the book, so it will contain spoilers, and  in Review I will talk about my opinion about this issue.

Uncanny X-Men Issue 494

Messiah Complex Chapter Ten

Brubaker

Tan

cover

Prologue

After M-Day, mutantkind neared extinction. Once hailed as humanity’s replacement, it appeared mutans, now reduced to a few hundred, would fade into oblivion. But a new mutant baby has arrived, the first since M-Day, and with it, hope for mutantkind.

Previously in MESSIAH COMPLEX

Rogue mutant Cable has kidnapped the mutant baby. Fighting through evil geneticist Mr. Sinister’s Marauders, the mercenary Reavers and the X-Men black ops squad X-Force, Cable has made his way to allas, Texas. His destination? Mutant-inventor Forge’s workshop, where he plans to use Forge’s technology to fix his time-travel device and escape with the baby.

Meanwhile, Layla Miller and a duplicate of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, have jumped through time with the aid of Forge’s machinery. They’ve landed in a dystopian future where mutant persecution is rampant, and have since been imprisoned and branded, while still on the hunt for secrets o the baby’s future.

Back in the present, Cable reached Forge’s lab. To hishorror, he not only found Forge wounded and bleeding on the floor, but fell victim to Forge’s attacker – the X-Man Bishop.

CHAPTER TEN:

Ed Brubaker: Writer

Billy Tan: Penciller

Danny Miki with Allen Martinez: Inkers

Frank D’Amarta: Colorist

Joe Caramagna: Letterer

Will Panzo: Assistant Editor

Nick Lowe: Editor

Alex Alonso: Executive Editor

Joe Quesada: Editor in Chief

Dan Buckley: Publisher

Cover A by: Finch, Keith

Cover B by: Simones Bianchi and Peruzzi

Breakdown

Eagle Plaza

Dallas, Texas

Baby, you ain't kiddin'

Cable was unconscious. Bishop prepared to kill the baby when Gambit and The Marauders arrived. They defeated Bishop, took the baby and depart before the X-Men arrived.

Sheepshead Bay, New York.

Mutant Relocation Camp,

80 years from now

the future is always dark

Jamie finally found Layla, both are branded and locked in the camp with the other mutants. Layla introduced Jamie with young Bishop

Eagle Plaza

Present Day

The X-Men arrived and Bishop told his version of the story. Cyclops ordered Wolverine to take the X-Force and go with Bishop. James Proudstar tried to talk Hepzibah from going but she won’t have it.

The Xavier Institute

The triplets tried to track the baby with Cerebra but something’s jamming the signal. Emma Frost ordered them to lock onto the mutant’s kidnapping the baby instead

The Outskirt of Dallas

Cable returned to his hidden jet, as he regret his inability to protect the baby. He contacted Professor Xavier for help.

End

The Review

Well what can I say… I know the general idea of Messiah Complex Story Arc and the background in the first page of the book should provide enough explanation, but other than that, I know nothing. So I can’t really review the story here.

All I can say about the story from what I’ve read in this one volume.it is compelling enough to make me want to know about the baby and what’s his connection to Cable and Bishop.

So instead let’s talk about the art. All the characters are gorgeously drawn and the lineart is. The action scenes while short, was great and exciting. Gambit, my favorite,  is cool as always.

The coloring is great but the color choice makes all scenes feel cold, except in the dystopian future scene where everything is hot but even then the warmth of the skin is rather muted.

My Rating

Art: 5/5

Gorgeous, and the drawback is personal preference so I’m not going to deduct any points

Content: 4/5

Not much happened here. The actions are short and nothing really explain. It seems like a finishing to the last chapter and bridge to the next chapter. Points up for making me curious for the story.

Messiah Complex Trade Paperback: Buy or Not

As this issue is part of Messiah Complex storyline, we have to talk about the collection.It’s kinda hard to decide from just one volume preview, but from what I’ve read it seems interesting enough. So  if you like House of M and want to know what happened next, like the art, a fan of the writer and the artist,  and have extra money,  I’ll say Buy.

Other than that, you may want to try something else.

I  myself haven’t bough it. Interested in the storyline and the art, but no munny, hehe ^^

Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee

O_____________O just found out about this while browsing for Jim Lee’s artbook. Is this his first art book? Because I’ve been hanging out in art book stores and never saw any art book featuring Jim Lee.

WAAAAANT!!!!

Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee [Hardcover]
by Jim Lee and Bill Baker
The book will include an exclusive interview with Jim Lee, a tour of his studio and hundreds of full-colour illustrations and pencils spanning his entire career. Plus an all-new cover by Lee and an exclusive, all-new eight-page comic strip, written by Paul Levitz (Legion of Super-Heroes) with art by Lee.

Here’s some preview images. Description and images from amazon.com

The book will be released at October 26, 2010
Available for preorder in amazon for $26.37, list price at $39.95

I first knew Jim Lee’s name from Batman: Hush, but has been hooked by his art from the 90s X-men. Only at that time I didn’t know his name because his version of X-Men’s books were never published in my country. You can only find the imported books in hobby shops. I only knew the arts from pin ups with no signature, printed to accompany the 90s X-Men TV series synopsis on kid’s tabloids.
I lost contact with american comic book after elementary school, and only interested to read again when Batman: Hush, with Jim Lee’s art, was published here. Definitely will purchase this when it come out.

The Art of Drew Stuzan

Drew Stuzan’s artbook is coming out in September

The Art of Drew Stuzan

Here’s the news http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45397
Preorder price on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1848566190?ie=UTF8&tag=aiitcone-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1848566190

Vote for Conan cover Frank Frazetta tribute contest

Voting for Conan cover Frank Frazetta tribute contest is now open here

Frank Frazetta Tribute contest

My entry for Frank Frazetta tribute contest in CGHub. Initially a Conan cover contest.

Frank Frazetta Tribute contest entry

Clear version can be seen in CGHub forum here

Artworks for Gamexeon

Melvin by pegahoul

One of character designs I created for “Necrophobia” flash game by http://gxgs.gamexeon.com/

Artwork copyright Gamexeon.

Execution – Palace of Ascension

Palace of Ascension

One of concept art of my personal project, Execution

Image copyright mine. No unauthorised use allowed

Crystal Cave

Crystal Cave by pegahoul

One of the background arts I made for Zenith Chronicles by Mango Drop Games http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mango-Drop-Games/324649710972?v=wall

The game currently in development.

Art copyright Mango Drop Games, LLC

For commission inquiries, please contact me at pegahoul@yahoo.com