QUESTION of the WEEK: Where Did You Think of The Countdown?

de SOUZA ON GOLDEN & MODERN SHEENA
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
There's a fantastic collection of Sheena classic comics coming out soon from Devil's Due. Film, television and current Sheena scribe Steven de Souza is one of the forces behind this trade. A longtime fan of the Queen of the Jungle, de Souza first read her original adventures when he was eight years old. Now he's creating new adventures, and introducing a whole new generation to this heroine. He sees Sheena as a lot more than a female Tarzan. He regards her as "utterly confident, completely fearless, a noble savage and a true egalitarian."

SAMNEE'S GOT THE BLOOD OF DAREDEVIL & TARANTULA ON HIS MIND
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Artist Chris Samnee has gotten the chance to draw a variety of projects at both DC and Marvel Comics this past year. Marvel's Man Without Fear is one of Samnee's favorites, so he wasn't afraid to take on the world of Daredevil in the Blood of the Tarantula Annual.

GRAPHIC DEBATE WITH MARVEL & DC'S BEST BUTLERS
BY GRACE RANDOLPH

Now On FRIDAYS!
When it comes to cleaning house at the Big Two, there's no one better for the job than Alfred or Jarvis, but how will they both fair when Grace grills them?

SCHULTZ'S SERIAL SQUAD FLIES HIGH
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
One of the great finds for me this year at the Pittsburgh Comic Con was The Serial Squad. I'm a big fan of World War II era stories and this one, featuring serial heroes turned superheroes, was a lot of fun to read. It felt true to the time period, exciting, and, most importantly, fun. Paul E. Schultz has crafted quite an entertaining tale of a bygone time that I hope is but the first of many issues to come. He told us what it was like doing the time warp to the '40s with these heroes ....

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: POSTCARDS TRUE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED
BY CHRIS BECKETT
When Editor Jason Rodriguez stepped into an antique shop with his girlfriend, he had no way of knowing what was awaiting him. A year later, as editor, Rodriguez had compiled one of the coolest comic anthologies in recent memory – one where all the story seeds came from old postcards and the notes they carried. Click on in and discover the “true stories that never happened.”

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN # 1 SELLS OUT!
WHO'S READING IT?
Marvel Comics has announced that Invincible Iron Man # 1, which just hit stores this week, has sold out from Diamond. The publisher has no plans at this point to go back to press on the issue.

TOM DeFALCO'S AMERICAN DREAM
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Another MC-2 favorite, American Dream, is getting the chance to shine in a five-part limited series beginning this month. Tom DeFalco one of the people responsible for this red, white and blue heroine is scripting the series with artists Todd Nauck and Scott Koblish joining him. DeFalco said the MC-2 universe is "still the fun, all-ages action pack adventures one used to expect in typical Marvel comics." That's probably why all of the MC2 limited series seem to do so well ....

REBEKAH ISAACS GETS DRAFTED
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Artist Rebekah Isaacs has been Drafted into Mark Powers' war at Devil's Due and she couldn't be more thrilled. Drafted is different from other alien invasion type tales. Isaacs explained, "Drafted shows the invasion through the eyes of dozens of people just like you and me -- they're scared, they're confused, and they've got flaws a-plenty." Isaacs' a big sci-fi fan, so Drafted is a perfect fit.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMICS: SHE-HULK
BY LUKE FOSTER
Unless you've spent time as a reporter or felon, very few of you have much experience with the legal system outside of “Law & Order.” And if that's true, I know what you're thinking: “lawyer stuff is boring as crap.” Not so, I tell you. At least, not in the world of “She-Hulk.”

TRANSFORMERS' SHANE McCARTHY SEZ: "ALL HAIL MEGATRON"
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
For Transformers fans, it seems impossible to imagine a world where the Decepticons win and the Autobots are nowhere to be found. How could the evil triumph? What happens next? In the pages of Transformers: All Hail Megatron all those questions will be answered as writer Shane McCarthy is taking the robots in disguise places they've never been before. The stakes have been raised and McCarthy said this is a perfect starting place for new fans, and is completely in continuity.

SECRET INVASION SELL OUTS!
WHO'S READING IT?
Marvel's Secret Invasion isn't such a secret with readers, a bunch of its tie ins have sold out from Diamond and Marvel has no plans to go back to press on them at this point in time. What do PULSE readers think of this event so far?

A REVIEW OF IRON MAN PAST: TALES OF SUSPENSE # 74
BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG
Iron Man's doing well at the box office so far. For those just meeting shellhead for the first time in that film, we're presenting some classic Iron Man tales from times past to let you know, and remind long time fans, just why Tony Stark and his armored alter ego, deserve the accolades and praise. Up today is an outing from Tales of Suspense #74 (February, 1966) that has the Golden Avenger wondering "If This Guilt Be Mine!" after tragedies befall one of his trusted pals.

MAZE'S FUN WITH FREAK CENTRAL
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Mix Scooby Doo with Dirt and add in a little of The X-Files and you've got a good idea of what Brian Maze's Freak Central series is all about. Featuring the misadventures of a beautiful reporter and a monkeygoatboy, Freak Central investigates all sorts of odd occurrences. The pair are up against some killer puppets now. Maze tells us how they got into this predicament and what might be next for the pair ... if they survive.

A REVIEW OF IRON MAN PAST: TALES OF SUSPENSE # 43
BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG
Iron Man's doing well at the box office so far. For those just meeting shellhead for the first time in that film, we're presenting some classic Iron Man tales from times past to let you know, and remind long time fans, just why Tony Stark and his armored alter ego, deserve the accolades and praise. Up today is an adventure from Tales of Suspense #43 that takes the Golden Avenger to the center of the Earth with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

MARVEL MOVIE NEWS: AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR & MORE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
If this past weekend's taste of Iron Man has left you wanting more, worry not! Marvel announced some of its upcoming features through 2011 and Iron Man II was definitely on the list! Other heroes getting their own features included fellow Avengers Captain America and Thor. Speaking of one of Marvel's first teams, The Avengers should be ready for their close ups by July 2011.

REVIEW: IRON MAN GETS IT
BY GRACE RANDOLPH
Why can't it always be this simple? Trust the source material, reap the rewards. And hopefully this weekend's 200 million dollar worldwide box office gross for Iron Man will help Hollywood learn this lesson.

LEDBETTER'S TIME WITH CHECKER BOOKS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Checker Book Publishing has been involved in a lot of exciting comic book projects. They've reintroduced the masses to the works of Winsor McKay and Theodor Seuss Geisel. The adventures of Steve Canyon and comedy of B.C. have a home at Checker. Sci-fi thrillers and icons like X-Files and Star Trek are reprinted under their label. Among other projects, they've also have collected some of the CrossGen stories. There's always something different at Checker, which is why we thought now might be a good time to check in with editor Cammie Ledbetter about some of their recent and upcoming works that she's been involved with since joining the team.

GUEDES ON PENCILING SUPERMAN
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
After covering Superman for a few issues, and illustrating a story of two featuring the Man of Steel and his supporting players, artist Renato Guedes is joining writer James Robinson for a whole new adventure of Superman. Guedes is excited for this opportunity and told us what it was like working on this iconic hero.

WHO'S GOT A SECRET IN SECRET INVASION? – Episode #1 - The Good, The Bad, and The SKRULLY
BY BRUCE MaCINTOSH
Have you read the first issue of Marvel's big event, Secret Invasion, yet? I'll bet you were waiting to hear what your favorite writer-of-all-things-comics had to say first, right? Good call! Wait no longer, dear reader, because this relatively spoiler-free review is going to tell you everything you need to know about SI #1. No holds-barred: The Good, the Bad, and the Skrully!

IRON MAN # 1 AT BOX OFFICE
Who Saw It?!
Although some had their doubts if Robert Downey Jr. could pull off a convincing Tony Stark, his performance passed muster, as Iron Man ranked number one at the box office this past weekend. Multiple sources are reporting the film grossed over 100 million dollars domestically in its opening days.

THE SAFEST PLACE FOR RICHES & GRANT
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
A few weeks ago we got to talk to artist Tom Mandrake about his involvement in the original graphic novel, The Safest Place. Now, we've got writers Victor Riches and Steven Grant on hand to tell us more of war photographer Matthew Castle and his attempts to rescue a US millionaire's young daughter from kidnappers in a third-world country. Castle can't feel physical pain, but will that be enough to go up against impossible odds?

QUESTION of the WEEK: Where Are You Going Free Comic Book Day?

WALDEN WONG'S INKING ON SALVATION RUN
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
What happens when you take some of the worst villains in comic book history, and put them all on some distant planet to fend for themselves? Chaos, mayhem, murder and anything else that's both terrifying and disturbing! In the seven-part miniseries, Salvation Run, DC is reminding comic readers why we love those evil doers, by showing what happens when they have to get over their differences and work together to survive. Inker Walden Wong is getting the chance to lend his shades of black to some of the biggest and littlest villains of the DCU. He said it was after talking to editor Joey Cavalieri that he got the chance to ink this pivotal series.

TODD NAUCK'S AMERICAN DREAM
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
One of the MC2 favorites, American Dream is getting her own solo adventure in a five-part miniseries from writer Tom DeFalco. Penciler Todd Nauck said he was so excited about this project that he "couldn't wait to get the first plot!"

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: INDEPENDENT ANTHOLOGIES
BY CHRIS BECKETT
I love variety, experimentation, and the opportunity to see writers and artists working outside the confines of the typical and the mundane. The best places to find all this are within the pages of comic anthologies where some of the biggest names – Alan Moore, Brian Michael Bendis, John Cassaday, Paul Pope and others – got their starts. Click on in for a brief introduction – the first of seven parts spotlighting independent comic anthologies . . . for your consideration.

THE INKWELL AWARDS ROUNDTABLE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
There's a new awards show in town and it's designed to give credit where credit's due: to comic book inkers. The Inkwell Awards are crafted to "inform and educate" those in and around comics about what inkers actually do for the medium. A lot of thought and effort went into these awards and we've got most of the Award Committee on hand for a roundtable about these honors.

RANN/THANAGAR & JIM STARLIN'S HOLY WAR
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Forget the hundred year war, it's nothing compared to the strife between the residents of Rann and Thanagar. The battles between those planets make World Wars look like little lovers quarrels. But sending flowers the next day or calling, isn't going to be an easy fix for these groups. Jim Starlin, already responsible for the Death of the New Gods, explained what it's like tackling a whole different type of god in these pages for the Rann/Thanagar Holy War.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMICS: LOBO
BY LUKE FOSTER
Every once in a while, comic book readers want a little something other than the normal dialogue-heavy think-pieces comics are notorious for being and want to cut loose with a little mindless violence. Sure, books full of fight scenes are hard to come by these days, but there’s still the rare exception, like “Lobo.”

THE UNIQUES OF COMICS: WITHERS & LOVE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
There aren't a lot of husband/wife comic book creative teams out there, but that didn't stop Adam Withers and Comfort Love from creating The Uniques. The family that comics together, stays together ... or something like that! Withers and Love have come up with a tale of heroes that follows "real time." If the series lasts thirty years, you'll see thirty years pass in the story as well. They're detailing the life and adventures of seven teenage heroes trying to make a difference in a world. Some are living up to a legacy, and some are just trying to create their own. But what sets this apart from the Teen Titans, New Mutants, Runaways or any other series featuring younger heroes trying to make their place in the world? For answers we turn to Withers and Love ....

A FLASH RETURNS IN DC UNIVERSE # 0
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO

STOP READING NOW if you don't want to be SPOILED

One of DC Comics most beloved speedsters is returning! Find out which speedster makes his reappearance in the pages of DC Universe # 0.

ALL'S FAIR IN THOM ZAHLER'S LOVE AND CAPES
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Trying to keep your identity secret from loved ones is tough, that's why Mark told his girlfriend Abby about his dual life as The Crusader in the pages of the romantic comedy, Love and Capes. Creator Thom Zahler said the series "follows that sitcom style of a real world where funny stuff happens." Love and Capes has garnered praise from notables in and around the comics industry. On Free Comic Book Day, Zahler will have an issue available for those interested in trying the series. Also, IDW Publishing will be releasing a trade collecting the first arc as well. For those who have heard a lot about the romantic comedy, but haven't checked it out yet, Zahler gives us some details on what makes Love and Capes soar above the crowd.

SADOWSKI'S A DRAW FOR AVENGERS/INVADERS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
It's going to be quite the culture shock for the Invaders when they are whisked from the past to the present Marvel Comics Universe. What will happen when those war torn heroes come face-to-face with the hard-nosed Avengers? In the pages of Avengers/Invaders from Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Stephen Sadowski, that's just one of the subjects being explored. Sadowski said he was "very excited" to become a part of this project. But just how does he regard these heroes? How did he get to know them?

JEN'S PITTSBURGH COMICON REPORT
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
When my time at the Pittsburgh Comicon is done, I always feel as if I've run a marathon. It's a good feeling to get home, but I'm tired and drained. Renee George put on a great show this year, with something for everyone. Even if you weren't a huge comic book fan, there's enough sci-fi, horror, manga and other things to tempt you.

LaPOINTE INKING THE TEEN TITANS' FIRST YEAR
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
The Teen Titans have been getting the Year One treatment in an imaginative limited series courtesy of writer Amy Wolfram and artists Karl Kerschl and Serge LaPointe. LaPointe said inking this project is a "labor of love." But how do you go from loving something to bringing it to life in sequential art? LaPointe told us how he landed this gig and got to know these terrific teens.

JURGENS' ARTISTIC LIFT WITH BOOSTER GOLD
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Not many people get the chance to go home again, but comic creator Dan Jurgens is getting just that opportunity monthly in the pages of Booster Gold. Jurgens is happy to be drawing on one of the character he helped introduce to the world of comics over twenty years ago. He told THE PULSE this is a series he "can't wait to start drawing" every month. Find out why ....

GRANT MORRISON: ROCK STAR
BY GRACE RANDOLPH
At the New York Comic-Con, Grace Randolph was able to track down Grant Morrison to ask him a few quick questions about some of his recent comics work.

CBLDF NEWS: CHARGES AGAINST GORDON LEE DISMISSED
Last week at the New York Comic-Con, Neil Gaiman announced the charges against comic book retailer Gordon Lee were dismissed. The CBLDF has issued more details about the decision of this three-year case...

JOSH MEDORS BENEFIT AT ECCC
It's scary enough being without health benefits with the everyday ordinary things that can happen in our lives, but being without those benefits and having cancer is horrific. Freelance comics creator Josh Medors is experiencing just that right now. Several of his friends and peers have decided to hold a charity auction for his benefit at this year's Emerald City Comic-Con. Find out how you can help too ....

RUSS MANNING SUBMISSIONS DUE
The Russ Manning Newcomer award started in 1982 and honors a comics newbie who "early in his or her career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics." Who do you think should win this year's award?

NYCC 08: STAN LEE MAKING ULTIMO MANGA
BY MICHAEL CLIMEK
VIZ Media & Stan Lee present a special Press-Only event containing announcements and info about Lee’s next big project, Ultimo with Japanese artist Hiroyuki Takei.

NYCC 08: MARVEL'S SECRET INVASION
BY MICHAEL CLIMEK
An extremely excited crowd gathered at the NYCC for Marvel’s Secret Invasion Panel. Before the panel started, Con volunteers handed out hundreds of Skrull masks and at one point just before the panel officially started the panelist asked all audience members to put on their Skrull masks. Looking at that many Skrulls was a truly eerie site.

NYCC 08: DC NATION
BY JON JOHNSON
Dan Didio opened up the DC Nation panel with near annoying excitement, expressing his enjoyment of having a great New York Convention again before introducing his fellow panelists: Bob Wayne, Jann Jones, Keith Giffen, Gail Simone, Jimmy Palmiotti, Sean McKeever, Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi and Ian Sattler.

GOLDEN'S SECRET SISTERHOOD
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Anyone who went to Catholic School knows how scary nuns can be. A lot of adults still shudder when thinking about the Sisters who taught them or scared the beejeebus out of them in church. Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski are taking advantage of the scariness of nuns by showing a darker reason for some of their attitudes in the pages of The Sisterhood. The pair are detailing a secret sect, The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, who house exorcised demons in their bodies until death, to prevent them from attacking other innocents. The problem is, if the Sisters don't die a natural death, the demons are freed to wreak havoc on others. Golden told us more about this intriguing concept for this three-part limited series ....

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Current DC Comics Series is your Favorite?

TAHIR'S RAZA RAGES IN IRON MAN FILM
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Actor Faran Tahir used to play superheroes with his brothers when he was a little boy. Now he's "playing" for the opposition, as he takes on the role of Raza, Iron Man's nemesis in the upcoming film. In this PULSE exclusive, we got to learn a little more about the actor, the film and his views on good and evil.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMICS: HOWARD THE DUCK
BY LUKE FOSTER
As everybody knows by now, comics great Steve Gerber passed away in February. Gerber was a highly influential writer in the 1970s, a time in comics that, while many people acknowledge was influential, I don’t think many people realize just how much of an impact it had. Heck, the 1970s in comics is worth a whole other essay, but that’s neither here nor there right now. When Gerber died, I was thinking about what of his I've read, and was surprised and kind of embarrassed to realize I had only read like two things he wrote, one of which is the current Dr. Fate story in “Countdown to Mystery.” Upon discovering this, I decided to promptly rectify this matter, so I went on-line and ordered a copy of “The Essential Howard the Duck.”

MILLS' HARD BOILED FEMME NOIR TALE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Christopher Mills and Joe Staton's Femme Noir is a comic along the vein of the classic '30s/'40s hard-boiled detective/mystery type tales. Their enigmatic lead is a heroine, who might be compared to a female Spirit, Dick Tracy or mix of Katherine Hepburn and the Green Hornet, among other things. Femme Noir began as a webcomic in 2001, but some new adventures are going to be featured offline as Ape Entertainment offers up a four-part miniseries starting this summer. Mills told us what it was like taking her adventures in this direction ....

DEODATO JR.'S WEREWOLVES & MOON KNIGHT
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Mike Deodato Jr.'s working with a few things that go bump in the night in an extra-sized issue of Moon Knight, featuring the Fist of Konshu and the enigmatic Werewolf By Night. Deodato Jr. doesn't want to spoil the issue, but did give us a few teasers about his take on the heroes and love of drawing werewolves.

NICIEZA'S CONFIDENTIAL BATGIRL STORY
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Just because the series is titled "Batman Confidential" doesn't mean we can't get a great Batgirl story! Fabian Nicieza is doing a girls night out that pits Gotham's favorite daughter, very early in her career, against the Catwoman. Nicieza's got a lot in store for the hero.

NAUCK'S INSIDER INFORMATION ON THE WILDGUARD
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Todd Nauck's American Idol meets superheroes returns! The WildGuard are back for a whole new set of problems in the May debuting WildGuard: Insider limited series. Simon Cowell, er, I mean Todd Nauck tells us what makes these heroes shine, and how these issues are going to be a little different from what has come before.

2008 EISNER NOMINEES
See which of your favorites were nominated this year for an Eisner, and be sure to tell us who you think should win in each category.

PIEKOS A MARVEL AT LETTERING & CREATING COMICS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Nate Piekos gives us the ins and outs of lettering a million comics a month ... ok, not a million, but a lot! Along with making sure all the t's are crossed and i's are dotted, Piekos is also working on comics of his own. Today, we chat about all this and more ....

NITZ HABLO ESPANOL FOR THE BLUE BEETLE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Ever since his debut, the new Blue Beetle has been making a splash around the DCU. Jaime Reyes may just be a teenager, but he's already got an adult world of trouble, both in and out of costume with supervillains, family problems, and, girl troubles! But the Blue Beetle isn't having a problem inspiring comic creators to take a shot at the hero. In fact, scribe Jai Nitz couldn't wait to get his hands on the character, after a quick primer on what sets this bug apart from the swarm. For issue # 26, Nitz is writing the All-Spanish issue of the series. Those of you who don't speak the language can use the text at the end to make sense of it all, but for the Spanish speaking/reading fans of the character, this is quite a treat. Nitz said Dan Didio was one of the forces behind the issue ....

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Current Marvel Comics Series is your Favorite?

SORENSEN'S SLOWPOKE A QUICK HIT
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Jen Sorensen likes to poke fun at things -- politics, pop culture, really just anything and everything. That's just one of the inspirations behind her comic strip, Slowpoke. Sorensen went from publishing her random bits of inspiration in an indy comic book Slowpoke Comix to being a nationally syndicated cartoonist working on weekly strips. Now, her latest collection Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God ! is available for the masses and we've got some fast answers from Sorensen about her series.

FRIENDS OF LULU MOVE AWARDS TO MoCCA
The Friends of Lulu have decided to move their award ceremony from the San Diego Comic-Con to New York's MoCCA Art Festival. The organization is also opening the voting up to non-members as well ...

RICHARDS' DRAWING HUNTRESS YEAR ONE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
When thinking about how to illustrate the Huntress in the Ivory Madison penned Huntress: Year One, artist Cliff Richards said he was influenced by the way Rick Burchett drew the heroine in Cry For Blood. He learned a lot about the heroine to bring her to life in these pages. Richards told us, "This Huntress must look very different from the ones I was used to seeing in other books." But will his look be a hit with comic fans?

HENDRIX & McCULLOCH SETTING THE STAGE FOR STAGGER LEE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
I'm a child of the '70s and music is very important to my parents. When I was little, and gas wasn't an arm and a leg per gallon, the whole family would just take drives in the country, so mom and dad could listen to the "oldies" on the radio. So I'd heard the lyrical story of Stagger Lee many, many times. But it took the work of Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix to really give me an appreciation of the man behind the legend. I thoroughly enjoyed their original graphic novel, that weaved together the many different versions of what happened between Lee Sheldon and Bill Lyons. I was lucky enough to get both creators for some liner notes for their critically-acclaimed work.

COUNTDOWN # 4: "The Colossus of Metropolis"
BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG
Last week in Countdown #4, two superpowered women were fighting over the life of Jimmy Olsen, and the cub reporter found himself for one of the first times since the Countdown began, without his super-powers.

GRAZIANI'S CY-BOAR CONQUERS THE WEB
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Lou Graziani's webcomic Cy-Boar features the product of a secret government super soldier project on the run for his life, trying to find his place in a world that's probably terrified and freaked out by a half boar half cyborg creation. Graziani grew up as a fan of GI Joe, TMNT and Robotech , so all of those things went into the mix that became Cy-Boar.

BEATTY'S WILDSTORM REVELATIONS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Things of an almost Biblical nature seem to be unfolding in the WildStorm Universe, but are the events in Revelations set in stone? Only writer Scott Beatty knows for sure, and, although he didn't want to spoil too many details, we did get a few details about the potential destruction.

WHO'S GOT A SECRET IN SECRET INVASION? – Episode #0 - Prologue
BY BRUCE MaCINTOSH
Marvel's next highly-anticipated event, Secret Invasion finally kicked off this week, with the release of the first issue of that title. In this first Episode of Who's Got a Secret in Secret Invasion? We will look at which heroes have already been revealed to actually be Skrulls. Anyone could be a Skrull, so if you want to be prepared you'd better keep reading!

TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN OPERA HITS THE RIGHT NOTES
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Comic books have been mixed with a lot of different media lately, some seem like a natural team-up and some meet with a lot of raised eyebrows. Taking Shannon Wheeler's perennial favorite Too Much Coffee Man and giving it an opera twist is one of those eyebrow raising ones. However, this worked well for Wheeler the first year he attempted the opera, so he's doing it again. Friday the Too Much Coffee Man Opera the Refill made its debut. Today, we have Wheeler here for some questions.

JESSE BLAZE ROCKS THE CRADLE & COMICS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Most readers of THE PULSE came to know Jesse Blaze through his column, The Geek, which ran on this site a few years ago. But music fans outside of comics know Jesse Blaze as the son of Twisted Sister rocker, Dee Snider. Soon everyone in the world might potentially know Blaze if he wins MTV's newest reality series, Rock the Cradle. Blaze, who's working on a Deadpool story for Marvel Comics Presents and a Hulk one-shot, among other comic projects; was thrilled to get the chance to prove music runs in the family.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: NEXUS
BY CHRIS BECKETT
Baron. Rude. Civil Unrest. Nexus. Sundra. Tyrone. Leaky diapers. Fully painted artwork. And the return of . . . Kreed. It’s Nexus #100, and this one has it all. Come in and check it out. It’s the return of a classic you don’t want to miss.

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Comic From The '90s Do You Wish Was Never Cancelled?

JUDD WINICK TAKES ON THE TEEN TITANS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
This April Judd Winick is hoping to give comic fans a new reason to Remember the Titans! Taking the classic team from the Marv Wolfman/George Perez New Teen Titans era, Winick is forging a whole new era for the heroes that most modern comic fans grew up reading in the '80s. Nightwing, Donna Troy, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Changeling, Red Arrow and Flash reteam after a tragedy befalls a group of Titans that Cyborg was training. Most Titans fans can't wait to see the new series take form, so, to satisfy your curiosity, we've got Winick on hand to give us some inside information about these Titans getting Together!

TOM MANDRAKE'S SAFEST PLACE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
What would you do if you couldn't physically feel any pain? Would you take one death risk after another just to try to feel something? Or would you try to be a hero? How about something in-between? In a story penned by Victor Riches and Steven Grant, photographer Matthew Castle uses his abilities to help others ... for a price. He's currently working on the rescue of a kidnapped millionaire's daughter and artist Tom Mandrake is having a blast drawing these dangerous situations. Mandrake told us what it was like working with the grim situations encountered in the May debuting graphic novel, The Safest Place.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMICS: CHARLEY'S WAR
BY LUKE FOSTER
This being the week of April Fool's, I'm assuming a lot of people are going to be doing wacky, humor-themed columns this week. Since I at least attempt to do that every week already, I'm going to do something completely different and write seriously about a completely serious comic. If there ever comes a time when I stop reading comics, when all the graphic novels and cardboard boxes in my possession are gone for whatever reason, I will always look back on the hobby with fondness for at least one reason: without comics, I never would have read Charley’s War.

REST IN PEACE JIM MOONEY
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
We of THE PULSE were very sad to learn of the death of Golden and Silver Age comic book creator Jim Mooney. Mooney, who most people know for his work on Batman, Supergirl and Spider-Man died on March 30th after an extended illness. He was 89 years old.

WHO COUNTS IN THE COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL CRISIS #5: Metron Part II
BY BRUCE MaCINTOSH
In last week's Episode of Who Counts in Countdown to Final Crisis?, we introduced another of Jack Kirby's New Gods, Metron. While all the other New Gods have been dropping like flies for the last 11 months, Metron has been characteristically uninvolved: Watching from the sidelines, learning, calculating. Is he truly neutral in the conflicts between the New Gods of idyllic New Genesis and infernal Apokolips , or is he really like the Wizard of Oz – pulling levers and affecting the course of events until someone finally pulls back the curtain?

EISMA'S DRAWING A DUMMY'S GUIDE TO DANGER
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
You can't keep a good dummy down, even if it appears to be riddled with bullets! One of comics' favorite tommy gun wielding puppets, Mr. Bloomberg, returns for more thrills and chills in A Dummy's Guide To Danger: Lost At Sea. This ain't the Love Boat though, as artist Joe Eisma joins scribe Jason Burns to take Private Eye Alan Sirois on another deadly outting. Eisma said he was found on MySpace for this gig.

J.G. JONES' FINAL CRISIS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
To draw the Final Crisis, DC Comics turned to J.G. Jones. Although Jones hasn't done interiors since his days with Wanted, he was anxious to work with Grant Morrison on this saga. Jones is both penciling and inking his work. Alex Sinclair who colored the covers of 52, is lending his palette to these pages as well. Jones said he's "really happy to be in a position to leave a permanent mark on the comic landscape."

SIEGELS' GET SOME SUPERMAN RIGHTS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Jerry Siegel's heirs have rights to Superman -- at least some of them! In a ruling this past Wednesday, United States District Judge Stephen G. Larson ruled the heirs of Jerry Siegel: his wife Joanne Siegel and daughter Laura Siegel Larson, regain "the copyright in the Superman material that was published in Action Comics, Vol. 1."

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Comic From The '80s Do You Wish Was Never Cancelled?

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: THE PROCESS
BY CHRIS BECKETT
Joe Infurnari is the artist for Oni’s Borrowed Time, written by Neal Shaffer. With that book, he showed that he is an accomplished comic artist. But online, Infurnari is experimenting with style, pushing himself to evolve as an artist while pushing the boundaries of comic storytelling. His webcomic, The Process, is an entertaining experiment that is well worth checking out. Click on in and find out more about this intriguing artist.

REMEMBERING WES ALEXANDER
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
I am very sad to report the passing of my friend cartoonist and comics creator, Wes Alexander. Wes was most famous for his work on the syndicated comic strip, Stormfield. He loved the medium of comics and will be sorely missed.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMIC: THE MASK
BY LUKE FOSTER
For many of you -- and by “many of you” I mean “me” -- your first exposure to “The Mask” was the 1995 movie starring Jim Carrey at the height of his career. But while he hasn’t been heard from in a while (The Mask, I mean, not Jim Carrey), in the 1990s it was a mainstay of Dark Horse Comics’ publishing stable. While “The Mask” had a fairly decent-sized run, I’m focusing on the first two trade paperbacks here, “The Mask” and “The Mask Returns.” John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke wrote and illustrated both, and they are, as my roommate says, “the good sh*t."

ADAM ARCHER'S SPOOKS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Adam Archer is no stranger to the world of horror. For WildStorm, he illustrated eight issues of Friday the 13th. Now, he's working with Ryan Schifrin and Larry Hama on the Devil's Due's supernatural thriller and chiller, SPOOKS. He told THE PULSE "classic movie monsters" were a strong influence on how he illustrated these characters both in and out of the Department of Supernatural Defense's group.

OLIVETTI'S TIME WITH CABLE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Artist Ariel Olivetti has gone from illustrating The Punisher, one tough as nails vigilante, to Cable, one tough as nails mutant. Cable's currently the caretaker for the infant from Messiah Complex, a child Cable believe to be the savior of the mutant race. Unfortuantely for the baby and her bodyguard, Bishop believes just the opposite and is hot on their trail. The Blonde's novelist Duane Swierczynski is working with Olivetti on this whole new chapter in Cable's life. Although a man of few words, Olivetti tells us what it's like bringing this hero's mission to life.

COUNTDOWN # 6: "No Man Is An Island"
BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG
Last week in Countdown #6, the Great Disaster has struck, and Buddy Blank watches as "The Island of Doctor Moreau" is played out around the globe. As humans become more animalistic, animals acquire human qualities, and have their own savagery accentuated. That might seem strange to us all now, but it was stark cold reality to the last boy on earth, Kamandi.

ROUSSEAU'S PERHAPANAUTS RETURN
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Todd Dezago and Craid Rousseau's The Perhapanuats ongoing begins this April from Image Comics. We already got to talk with Dezago about these imaginative agents of BEDLAM, all of whom would fit right in at any Halloween bash -- no costume required. Now we've got Rousseau here to give us some details on creating a whole new kind of monster mash.

WHO COUNTS IN THE COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL CRISIS #6: Metron
BY BRUCE MaCINTOSH
As we learned in the last two weeks' Episodes featuring the Jack Kirby Fourth World characters Himon and Dubbilex, the events of Countdown to Final Crisis have closely paralleled those in another DC limited series, Death of the New Gods. Both comics have teased readers with possible clues to the lingering questions about who has been killing all the New Gods and who will be the last New God standing? As Jim Starlin's limited series winds down, there aren't many left: What part in the death of the New Gods was played by the ultimate voyeur, Metron?

PROCOPIO LEAVES HIS MARK ON ZORRO
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Bringing the Tales of Zorro prose stories to life with pin-ups was artist Ruben Procopio. Procopio, a sculptor, painter, animator, storyboarder, designer, and so much more; is also a lifelong Zorro fan. He welcomed the chance to leave his mark on the world of Zorro.

MARVEL'S SKRULL OF THE DAY!
That Eye-Patch is hiding a lot more than a missing eye ...

THE ECHO OF TERRY MOORE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
After the end of perennial favorite slice of life with a twist series Strangers in Paradise, creator Terry Moore thought long and hard about what he wanted to do for his next independent project. He wanted something different from SiP, but he's not in entirely foreign waters with Echo. Moore's sticking to some familiar territory with his leads in Echo. He has two strong women bonded together and a man caught up in the mix. But those are about all the similarities to Francine, Katchoo and David of SiP. He told THE PULSE, "I want to tell a story about good people that will scare you. I'm going through a mischievous phase." Moore's not reinventing the thriller wheel, he's just having a great time giving it a spin in the pages of Echo.

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMIC: PVP
BY LUKE FOSTER
Okay kids, we're back in America. Let's pick things up with a look at a funny comic that has conquered both print and the Internet, “PVP.” “PVP” is a daily Internet comic strip written and drawn by Scott Kurtz about the adventures of the staff of PVP, a video game magazine. The main characters are Cole Richards, the founder of the magazine and everyone’s boss; Brent Sienna, Cole’s best friend, an art snob and Macintosh aficionado; Jade Fontaine, Brent’s girlfriend, the magazine’s head writer, and the gang’s den mother; Francis Ottoman, the stereotypical power gamer who also runs tech support at the magazine; and Skull, a troll with the innocence of a child who is the heart and soul of the magazine.

DEFALCO REFS SPIDER-GIRL'S BOUT WITH ARANA
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Girls, you're both pretty! Ok that might not solve things when Spider-Girl and Arana meet in issue # 19 of Mayday Parker's ongoing series, but I hate to see a fight. Well, sometimes I like a fight and writer Tom DeFalco and the solicits teased there's quite the smack down coming. Find out why these two spider gals are mixing it up and what other MC2 goodness is on the horizon in this PULSE piece.

GRAPHIC DEBATE WITH JONATHAN & MARTHA KENT
BY GRACE RANDOLPH

Now On FRIDAYS!
If a baby fell from the sky in a rocket, what would you do? Probably report it to the authorities. But thankfully, Jonathan and Martha Kent took that baby and raised it as their own. Showing the positive side of kidnapping, the Kents made Superman what he is today and – based on what we all saw from “Superman: Red Son” – they were the right couple for the job. Let’s bring ‘em out here! Please welcome Jonathan and Martha Kent!

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Comic From The '70s Do You Wish Was Never Cancelled?

MOTTER'S MR. X RETURNS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
It's been almost 25 years since Dean Motter's noir sci-fi series Mister X made its debut from Vortex. Motter was a graphic designer in the music industry at the time, so elements from there influenced how he introduced the world of Mister X to independent comics. The series featured art by tons of comic notables now, but who weren't as well known in the '80s like Neil Gaiman, the Hernandez Brothers, Seth, Bill Sienciewicz, and Dave McKean, to name a few. Motter had a nice run on the series, but then, due to commitments in his "day job," had to leave Mister X and the City of Dreams. He returned to the characters, and some of his other creations in the pages of the Electropolis series and the two Terminal City mini-series. Now, though, there's more Mister X on the horizon. Dark Horse is releasing a handsome hardcover edition collecting 384 pages of material from the original series and Motter's gearing up for an all-new Mister X saga to begin this fall. We recently got the chance to talk to Motter about the character's inception, and he mentioned, among other things, the Dominic Fortune tale he's working on for Marvel.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: COLD HEAT
BY CHRIS BECKETT
When I came home from the MoCCA art festival last year, one of the books I brought with me was Cold Heat, and when I finally got to read these first four issues, it was the book that impressed me the most from my NYC trip. Amazing and surreal, BJ (Ben Jones) and Frank Santoro set the bar high and manage to reach new heights with Cold Heat. You need to check this out; it’s like nothing else on the comic racks.

FINK'S MINI COMIX & BOOGILY HEADS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Gus Fink had a plan: create some sculptures and original, imaginative works, sell them on eBay, and hope someone big notices. His plan worked like a charm. Soon Fink had four companies interested in mass producing his freaky Boogily Heads. Fink, who comic fans might know for his collaboration with Chris Reilly on The Trouble With Igor, picked Rocket USA as the new home for his fractured fairy tale meets monster mash type creatures. He wants these toys and bobble heads to stand out from the pack, so he's including original mini comix with each figure or plush. Comic collectors, who aren't into toys, can get the minis in a series of foil packs as well. Fink's excited to share his eclectic works with the masses and told us what it was like getting this kind of opportunity.

MARVEL'S SKRULL OF THE DAY!
Maybe this is the reason he's seemingly had an identity crisis for several years ...

HAGLER'S BRILLIANT BOY WHO MADE SILENCE
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Josh Hagler and The Boy Who Made Silence are making the move from self-publishing to the small press, by joining the Markosia family of titles. Hagler's crafted a very moving tale of a deaf boy, who creates a type of silence around him, that speaks volumes to those within its range. Although is boy may be silent, Hagler wasn't shy about sharing some details about this dramatic story.

COUNTDOWN # 7: "A Justice League of Their Own"
BY "FREE" STEVE CHUNG
Last week in Countdown #7, the Challengers (including Mary Marvel & Karate Kid) discovered that things have changed at the Hall of Justice. In light of these startling events, we present the Silver Age Origin of the Justice League. Just how did the Justice League come together? What was the menace which posed such a threat to this gathering of heroes? Where the heck did it come from? What made this group decide to continue as a team? Why don't I continue with the review?

MARVEL IN JUNE
MARVEL COMICS has released a list of products shipping this June. Which ones will be on top of your list of must have items, True Believers? Why?

JURY FINDS GEORGE GUILTY OF MURDER
Pittsburgh Comic-Con co-founder Michael George has been found guilty of the "execution style" murder of his wife Barbara, seventeen years ago in their Clinton Michigan comic book store, according to the Detroit News.

CHRISTOPHER JONES & THE BATMAN STRIKES
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
The Batman Strikes! the comic based on the award-winning animated series, had a slew of different writers script adventures of this incarnation of the Dark Knight. However, recently, one artist has been the true constant, Christopher Jones. Jones, who penciled a portion of the Justice League Unlimited series as well, is mostly a self-taught artist. He's having a blast working with some of Gotham City's most famous and infamous sons and daughters. He told THE PULSE even though the television series is ending, the comic lives on!

DC IN JUNE
DC COMICS has released a list of products shipping in June. Which ones will be on top of your list of must have items? Why?

ZIRCHER & THOR"S AGE OF THUNDER
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Many people have illustrated an adventure or two of Odin's favorite son, Thor. The character has been a Marvel Comics Icon for four decades. Artist Patrick Zircher was thrilled to get the chance to have what he described as "a fling" with Thor on the Matt Fraction penned tale, Thor: Ages of Thunder # 1. Zircher said he "unabashedly loves Thor!" But will readers love his take on the Thunder God?

WHO COUNTS IN THE COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL CRISIS #7: DUBBILEX & CADMUS LABS
BY BRUCE MaCINTOSH
It's no secret that many of the characters appearing in Countdown to Final Crisis were originally created back in the early 1970s by Jack Kirby in his original and short-lived Fourth World titles. This week we will be focusing on another odd Kirby concept – Dubbilex – a DNAlien created by Cadmus Labs. Who is this wacky cloning experiment who made horns cool years before anyone had ever heard of Hellboy? Speaking of frightening creatures, you might want to stop here if you are opposed to the idea of cloning… or aliens… or of cloning aliens.

HERNANDEZ'S INCREDIBLE COCUYO PLANS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
The original Cocuyo got his costumed butt kicked by a pair of rogues over sixteen years ago. His wife wasn't thrilled with his double life, so she laid down the law: be a hero or be a husband. He chose to go with the family. His son grew up hearing about Cocuyo as a cautionary tale, but it didn't sink in. Instead of being afraid to don the costume, he embraced what he thought was his legacy and took to the streets of Sprawl City, a place that's eerily similar to Buffy Summers' Sunnydale, meaning a lot of bad things seem drawn to the city. But can teenage Mark Morales survive and thrive, when his adult father got clobbered so badly in the role? Will he truly be The Incredible Cocuyo or a flop? Alex Hernandez, who's creating the entire online strip in MS Paint, holds Morales' fate in his hands. He's got big plans for the series ....

NICIEZA'S CAPTAIN ACTION PLANS
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Captain Action fans, the wait is almost over! The character returns in a comic series returns from Moonstone Books, Fabian Nicieza and Mark Sparacio this summer. When we last spoke with Nicieza, after it was announced in June of 2007, he was reticent with details about the new comic, but now, almost a year later, we were able to get some information from the scribe.

MARVEL'S SKRULL OF THE DAY! Even Villains Can Be Skrully
Well ... if a villain turns out to be a skrull, is that really a bad thing? I mean, sure we're shocked when one of our favorite colorful heroes turns out to be a green, powerful alien trying to take over the planet, but is it really that bad when an evil villain is a skrull? Is there truly a difference? Ah, well, on to today's Skrull ...

QUESTION of the WEEK: What Comic From The '60s Do You Wish Was Still Published Now?

SEAN WANG'S RUNNERS RETURN
BY JENNIFER "Run, Run, Run" CONTINO
Mix the aliens from Star Wars, with the crew from Firefly, and the action-adventure of Indiana Jones and you might have some idea of what sets Sean Wang's smugglers in Runners apart from the rest! After self-publishing the sci-fi dramedy for a few years, Wang's Runners is joining the line-up of Archaia Studios Press. A new adventure, Runners: The Big Snow Job # 1 is due in stores this Summer. We've got Wang here now to talk about Roka Nostaco and the crew of the Khoruysa Brimia.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: SHANOWER'S AGE OF BRONZE
BY CHRIS BECKETT
Eric Shanower has taken on the daunting task of fully researching the many tales that have sprouted up around the Trojan War and blending them into one single comic narrative. Almost halfway through, this important piece of comic literature, Age of Bronze, is a book well worth checking out.

BUCK ROGERS RETURNS TO COMICS AT DYNAMITE
Dynamite Entertainment announced today that classic sci-fi hero, Buck Rogers would be returning to comic books. Dynamite noted that both Alex Ross and John Cassaday would be involved in the return.

SABLES CYBORG HITS IN MAY
BY JENNIFER "We Can Rebuild Him" CONTINO
An evil from Victor Stone's past is coming back to haunt him in the pages of the six-part Cyborg limited series making its debut this May from DC Comics. Writer Mark Sable told us he considers Cyborg to be the "first African-American superhero who was not a stereotype." Sable said this story began as a two-issue Titans pitch, but grew into some more. He teased the villain is someone DC fans have seen before ... any guesses?

MAKE WITH THE FUNNY COMIC: ASTERIX
BY LUKE FOSTER
Our world tour concludes in France, with a look at ancient Europe's best-known representative, “Asterix.” “Asterix” is arguably the most famous French comic out there. It has spawned TV shows, movies, and all sorts of tie-in merchandise. Even if you haven't read the comic, or seen any of the TV shows or movies based on it, there's a good chance that anyone who's taken a basic French class in school (like me) at least heard the comic mentioned then.

THE TRIO OF TOMO: KRUEGER, BANCROFT & CORLEY
BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
The Eighth Grade is challenging enough for a teenager, without throwing in other dimensional creatures attacking you on a regular basis. However, Hana Otame is caretaker to the Sword of the Spirit, and, unfortunately, with that responsibility comes conflict. But she's not alone in her quest to get through school without losing life or limb. Hana has the raccoon warrior Tomo on her side and we've got most of the Tomo creative team: Jim Krueger, Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley here to tell us about this enchanted adventure.