In what I'm now calling BOOM! Wednesday (you'll see why a little later), BOOM! Studios announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Avatar Press to distribute their graphic novels to the book trade. This agreement will see BOOM! distributing Avatar in the United States via BOOM!’s existing relationship with Simon & Schuster and Canadian distribution through BOOM!’s existing relationship with HarperCollins Canada.

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Link: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118010712.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564

According to Variety Warren Ellis and artist Juan Jose Ryp's Avatar book Black Summer is set to get the big screen treatment with Ryne Pearson director of Knowing set to direct.

The premise behind the story is a pretty cool one, the story starts with a renegade member of superhero team the Seven Guns killing the president of the good ol' US of A and some of his aids. The rest of the story then deals with how we got this point in the form of flashbacks and the repurcussions of his actions.

I haven't actually read this one yet but as I've been on a bit of a Warren Ellis revival lately I think I'll pick it up, if you want to read-along-with-Bones you can find it here. Whilst we're talking of Warren Ellis projects I believe that his G I Joe animated web series G I Joe: Resolute comes out on dvd and blu ray tomorrow in the states. Well worth your hard earned dollars as it's the G I Joe you always wanted but never thought you'd get, totally badass.

Link: http://www.avatarpress.com/

About three years ago I discovered Preacher by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon and since then I have been forever changed. Melodramatic? Yes, very much so. Any less true? No way. Preacher started me looking at comics other than those that contained capes and tights, and I've never looked back. I still pick up all my superhero stuff but now I love to search out stories that have nothing to do with all that and simply lose myself in a well crafted genre story, the more messed up, the better. Which brings us back to Garth Ennis and his new offering from Avatar Press; Crossed.

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Link: http://www.freakangels.com/

Anyone that has been reading the Sidekick Comics blogs will know that I'm not one for getting on my soapbox and going all militant on your asses...until now. Freak Angels, published by Avatar Press, written by Warren Ellis, with art duties handled by Paul Duffield is a steam punk-esque story, set in a dystopian future and even better than that, it's free to view on the web. The story is now on episode 34 but has just been released as a collected edition available in stores now.

I started reading this series online and was enjoying it greatly but with all my other comics to read and the podcast to work on, it fell (as many things do) by the wayside. I do however support this project 100% and will be ordering the collected edition this week and I urge you fellow sidekicks to do the same, you'll get a great story with fine art and you could be helping to save and move the comic industry in a new and exciting direction.

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