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The Oconocon, the premier Comics event of Wisconsin and it’s coming up soon! The Oconocon is May 4^th at The Olympia Resort & Convention Center 1350 Royale Mile Road, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. Oconomowoc, WI is located right in between Milwaukee and Madison. The Resort is conveniently situated less than 2 miles off of Interstate 94.

Some of the guests are: Jim Krueger (Justice, Project: Superpowers), Sean McKeever (Teen Titans, Countdown), John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: KOTOR), Mark Stegbauer (Femme Noir, The Four Uncles of the Apocolypse), Worth Gowell (Kid Houdini), Matt Anderson (White Picket Fences), Micah Farritor (White Picket Fences), Andy Brase (Kull, Incredible Hulk), Josh Elder (The Batman Strikes!), Rich Koslowski (Marvel Comics Presents), Russell Lissau (The Batman Strikes!), Tom Nguyen (Batman, Green Lantern Corps), Ande Parks (Green Arrow, Superman Confidential)… plus many, many more… check out the complete list here!

The architect and driving force behind the Oconocon is Joshua Goes. I have had the pleasure of knowing Josh for a year or two now. Recently I was able to get a few words out of him about the Oconocon, his life and how he uses his powers of geekdom for good!

Check out below for Josh’s interview, an insight into setting up a convention and monkeybread sweet deals on airline to and from comic conventions!

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Awakening #5 (of 10) (Archaia Studios Press - Tapalansky / Eckman-Lawn / Mauer)

Answers satisfy questions but not always those who ask them. The truth about Cline Pharmaceuticals and its hand in the horrific events taking place within Park Falls is revealed, but will the answers clarify the mystery or deepen it? As Derrick and Daniel struggle with this information, Sandra follows another line of thinking by visiting someone she’s not seen in many years…

Awakening still continues to be one of the best thriller / horror books on the market. This month due to some technical issues, issue #4 and #5 come out together. While it might have been a tough wait, the upside is getting to follow the steps of ex-officer Peters’ investigation in quick succession.

One of the many things I want to congratulate the Awakening team on is that there has yet to be an issue that seems “filler”. Even in the best of series, sometimes has lag-points… that has yet to happen in Park Falls. Not only does the overall plot move forward as to where the disease has come from and the characters are dealing with the evolving behaviors of the zombies, but through some flashbacks we start to see the background on Derrick and what has brought him to this place in his life, both emotionally and circumstantially.

Unfortunately for fans, Awakening is going into hiatus until about August, but there is something to keep our appetite wet… the Awakening hardcover, combining issues #1-5, comes out in June!  Watch for it!

Issue Grade: A

Series Grade: A

Another set of images from Greg Horn and Marvel about this week’s Invasion

• Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel’s series-changing story arc “Batman: R.I.P.” starts in Batman #676.  They promise this will be big and lasting.
• You would think after last year’s World War: Hulk run, Marvel might have slowed down the Green Goliath’s publicity machine, nope… not with a major movie coming out this Summer.  Hulk fans have quite a few choices coming in the next few months: Hulk Versus Hercules: When Titans Clash, King-Sized Hulk #1, Giant-Sized Hulk #1.
• For those readers that are more classically minded (sci-fi that is), Bluewater Production continue it’s adaptations of films from the master special effects man himself with Ray Harryhausen Presents Flying Saucers Vs. The Earth
• Speaking of movie tie-ins, Marvel isn’t just pimping the Hulk… Iron Man has quite a few books coming out too: Iron Man: Legacy of Doom, Iron Man: Viva Las Vagas (written by Jon Favreau) and a second monthly Iron Man book, Invincible Iron Man.
• If you have been waiting for more Hong Kong Cavalier action, wait no more! Moonstone is releasing a 2-issue series Buckaroo Bonzai: The Prequel
• The big DC event that is coming up is Final Crisis, along with four mini-series, a Final Crisis Sketch book and it all starts in a 50 cent issue DC Universe: Zero.
• IDW continues their interpretive genius with an adaptation of Mack Bolan’s The Executioner in The Executioner: The Devil’s Tools.
• Boom! Studios is reviving an old game classic from the 80’s and 90’s with Blood Bowl: Killer Contract.  Blood Bowl was the original fantasy football league… with dwarves, elves and ogres.
• Marvel 1985, written by Mark Millar and Tommy Lee Edwards will take a different twist on Secret Wars and what happens when the Marvel Universe and our world collide.
• DC/Wildstorm: DreamWar will see the heroes of the DCU and Wildstorm Universe collide as they try to save both universes in this 6-part series (this is not related to Final Crisis)
• Dynamite brings even more Ash goodness with Army of Darkness / Xena: Why Not?
• Marvel is trying to bring back some of their espionage fans with Captain Britain & MI:13, which is directly to the Secret Invasion.
• DC is bringing forth two new Batman projects.  Batman: Death Mask, an original Batman tale in manga style, prestige format.  And Batman: Gotham After Midnight, a more horroresque Scarecrow story written by the man himself, Steve Niles .
• The soon-to-be-classic dark future horror / sci-fi tale Pogrom is out from Devil’s Due
• The Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs is a 4-issue series from Wildstorm that will be connecting the original Lost Boys movie with the sequel The Lost Boys: The Tribe.
• Mummy fans will get an eyeful with IDW’s The Mummy: The Rise and Fall of Xango’s Ax, this could be the beginning of a whole run of Mummy-related comics from IDW.
• NewUniversal fans will be excited (I am!) that Warren Ellis and Steve Kurth return to write a 6-part limited series NewUniversal: Shockfront
• A less-publicized project coming up from DC is The War that Time Forgot, placing many of DC’s “soldier” characters from many different times together on a dinosaur  riddled “land-o-the-Lost”-ish island by an unseen force.
• Legion Studios will blowing away all the horror fans out there with Wizard exclusive book Fallen Daughters, watch for that at Wizard World Chicago… it should rock!

Another image from Greg Horn and Marvel about the upcoming Invasion

The Misadventures of Clark and Jefferson #4 (of 4) (Ape Entertainment - Carvajal / Borstel)

It’s the final battle between the gang and the creatures from the sky as the fight continues on and off the spaceship

So it all comes to a head now. All differences are put aside, whether it is race or occupation, as this becomes a battle of human versus alien. This final issue puts a cap on what has been a fantastic ride of a series.

For those of you that haven’t been paying attention to some of the indy gold that is out there. The Misadventures of Clark and Jefferson is a “buddy cop” story between a sheriff and his myopic wise-crackin’ deputy. In their travels, what they uncover is a savage, reptilian alien race who are looking for food. And then it’s the good old west versus alien technology.

This issue finds our heroes in the belly of the mother ship, freeing prisoners and trying to stop “the creatures from the sky” for good. This series, including this issue, has been characterized by great character arch-types and fantastic, fun writing. The banter between characters is worthy of either a Bruce Campbell or Bruce Willis type. The art throughout the series has been been great, nice crisp lines that allows both wonderful frame shots and action sequences. If you’ve been picking up the series you know you can’t miss the final issue and if you haven’t… either ask you local comic shop about back ordering or pick up the trade.

Issue Grade: A-

Series Grade: A

Awakening #4 (Archaia Studio Press - Tapalanksy / Eckman-Lawn / Maurer)

Answers satisfy questions but not always those who ask them. The truth about Cline Pharmaceuticals and its hand in the horrific events taking place within Park Falls is revealed, but will the answers clarify the mystery or deepen it? As Derrick and Daniel struggle with this information, Sandra follows another line of thinking by visiting someone she’s not seen in many years…

Awakening defines intelligent horror.  This creative team takes your nerves and your brain on a roller coaster ride.  New allies join our protagonist and fallen officer Derrick Peters in his redeeming quest to unravel what is happening around him in the small town of Park Falls.  Nick Tapalansky is nothing less than genius in how he arranges the narrative to uncover just enough to make us want to turn the page, allowing the reader the same point of view as the characters.

But it is just not the story itself that makes Awakening a fantastic horror book, the art by Alex Eckman-Lawn amplifies the overall feeling.  Imagine the setting if you were trying to uncover a zombie mystery in a town perpetually filled with fog and plot-twists… now amp it up to eleven on the “spooky” setting and you have the environment that Alex’s art brings.  In short, this book rocks!  In the independent comic realms right now, there are several really good horror books out there, but Awakening is not one to miss!

Issue Grade: A

Series Grade: A

Another image from Greg Horn and Marvel about the upcoming Invasion

It would seem that the Skrulls have invaded the ranks of the bad guys too!

Afterburn #2 (of 4) (Red 5 - Chitwood / Ens / Nichols)

One year after a solar superflare wiped out the Eastern Hemisphere, Jake and his companions find their fortune by illegally raiding the devastated wasteland of it’s remain treasures. And they’re willing to face mutated survivors, ferocious animals and rival treasure hunters to do so. Their latest job takes them to the post-apocalyptic remains of Hong Kong. A Chinese survivor living in America has hired them to recover a mysterious case. Unfortunately, just getting there is proving a challenge in itself…

No two ways about it, Afterburn is a fun read. Straight out action at it’s finest. Soldiers of fortune in a burnt out world fighting mutants, mobsters and ninjas! Come on, what’s not to like? The characters are over-dramatic action heroes, the plot is at a constant sprint pace and the art is competent.

Honestly, if you are looking for the scientific realistic take on the end of the world, well then this might not be your best case scenario. But if you are looking for an enjoyable property, that could easily be turned into a TV series, role playing game or a movie starring Will Smith, Afterburn is for you!

Issue Grade: B+