Jim Zub's Blog, page 79
July 26, 2018
Arriving in October – WAYWARD #30!
WAYWARD #30
WRITER: JIM ZUB
ARTIST / COVER A: STEVEN CUMMINGS & TAMRA BONVILLAIN
COVER B: NOA IKEDA
OCTOBER 31 / 40 PAGES / FC / M / $4.99
SERIES FINALE
“BOUND TO FATE,” Conclusion
Fate burns as past and present clash in the final battle.
WAYWARD concludes with a special double-sized spectacular that includes an epic 30-page story, pin-ups, and more!
July 24, 2018
Champions #25 Arrives in October!
CHAMPIONS #25
JIM ZUB (W) • SEAN IZAAKSE & MAX DUNBAR (A)
COVER BY SEAN IZAAKSE
Marvel Battle Lines Variant Cover by KEUNWOO LEE
OVERSIZED 25TH ISSUE!
Celebrate 25 issues of Champions with the start of a brand-new story and a perfect jumping-on point! Swords and sorcery beckon as our heroes travel to Weirdworld, a place where dreams can come true, but nightmares are never far away! A quest begins and sacrifices will be made…
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
July 23, 2018
CHAMPIONS Go Sword & Sorcery For Our Upcoming Storyline Starting With Issue #25!
Marvel sent out a series of character teasers today…
…And then finished with a press release and cover image for CHAMPIONS #25, arriving in October!
CHANGE THE WORLD!?
Even the Weirdworld needs heroes!
New York, NY—July 23, 2018–This October, Jim Zub, Sean Izaakse, and Max Dunbar are taking the Champions on the ultimate quest—one that involves an adventure beyond what could ever be imagined! But as they travel through this twisted fantasy realm, one thing becomes clear: they may never be the same…
“With two of their teammates having vanished into Weirdworld, the rest of the Champions have no choice but to follow them into that ever-changing landscape,” tease SVP and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. “However, the changes this will put them through are both profound and unexpected—and will lead to something new on the horizon!”
“Everyone who knows me and my work knows that sword & sorcery is near and dear to my heart. It’s a potent vehicle for building stories of survival and heroism in worlds where life can end on the tip of a blade and creatures lurk in every shadow,” adds Zub. “The Champions fight for what’s right, no matter where they are…or who they are, and this upcoming weird and wonderful three-part story is going to show you how true that is.”
Join the quest and prepare for sacrifice, swords and sorcery as our heroes encounter the monsters and nightmares only found in Weirdworld! It all begins in CHAMPIONS #25, in comic shops this fall!
CHAMPIONS #25
Written by JIM ZUB
Art by SEAN IZAAKSE and MAX DUNBAR
Cover by SEAN IZAAKSE
On Sale 10/3/18
July 16, 2018
Champions #22 Reviews
• Black Nerd Problems: 8.5/10 “Champions continues to be a fun ride with a great cast of young heroes just trying to do the right thing and make a difference.”
• Bleeding Cool: 7.5/10 “another strong installment for Marvel’s crew of young heroes. The characters are engaging and endearing, the story is interesting once it gets rolling, and the artwork is solid.”
• Comic Book University: “A whole bunch of amazing stuff in here. So good.”
• Comic Book.com: 10/10 “This is truly a master class in orchestrating a team dynamic. At one point or another, nearly every member of the Champions is given a vital role, and they all have to depend on one another.”
• Comic Frontline: 9/10 “I think the best part of this issue is the emotional connections we finally get to form with this team, I feel like Viv and my emotions have been turned on.”
• Comic-Watch: 10/10 “a strong, well-written team book that is a worthy modern successor to past offerings like the original New Mutants and New Warriors and consistently leaves you wanting more. This book earns the highest of recommendations.”
• Geeked Out Nation: 8.6/10 ” This is one of the more engaging of the ongoing Marvel titles out there and delivers genuine storytelling.”
• Rogues Portal: “Zub in particular is adept at nailing the emotional stakes of his characters, no matter how big or small they may be, so who better than him to herd this group of emotional, hormonal teens?”
• Shoot The Breeze: 9.8/10 “Jim Zub continues to delight and entertain with Champions, taking advantage of every potential story-opportunity to grow the characters, ensuring a very rewarding experience for loyal readers!”
July 12, 2018
South African Radio Interview
Champions artist Sean Izaakse and I were guests at Radio 702 in Johannesburg talking to Azania Mosaka, one of the biggest talk radio hosts in South Africa. We chatted live on-air for a full hour about comics, storytelling, pop culture, and the Icon convention. You can listen to the full interview here:
Mystery In Madripoor #2 Reviews
• Adventures In Poor Taste: 9.5/10 “The combination of developed world-building, fantastic art, and witty dialogue makes for a solid issue in what’s proving to be a promising miniseries.”
• Caped-Joel: “In terms of character depth and complexity this might be the best of the Hunt For Wolverine mini-series.”
• Comic Book University: “This is awesome…I love that Zub has respect for the Kitty Pryde & Wolverine mini-series.”
• Fortress Of Solitude: 7.5/10 “I’m really liking the anime-style art this book is using. It fits the story and setting really well.”
• Heroes At The Summit: “the world building taking place in this title is masterful. The art is so important to show the heartbeat of a location and showing off the many layers of Madripoor gives the book a deeper meaning.”
• Keeping Up With The X-Men: “It very much feels like when Patch wandered the streets of Madripoor hiding in plain sight.”
July 11, 2018
Infinity Countdown: Champions #2 Reviews
• Bleeding Cool: 8/10 “a surprisingly intense story that challenges its protagonists and shows them how small they are in this dangerous universe.”
• Caped-Joel: 8/10 “I honestly wish more tie-in stories were written like this.”
• Comic Book.com: 8/10 “The crime-fighting teens face off against their biggest opponent yet — literally — and prove that with teamwork, anything is possible. This issue has tremendous amounts of heart”
• Comic Book University: “This is such a brilliantly done comic book.”
• Fortress of Solitude: 8.5/10 “One of the most surprising tie-ins for Infinity Countdown…I’m really looking forward to it.”
• Heroes At The Summit: “This story takes a toll on each member of this team and I am very excited to see how that is addressed in Champions #22 and beyond. The story deserves a high recommendation and the art an even higher one.”
• League of Comic Geeks: 8/10 “The Champions versus Thanos and the Chitauri. Can it get much better than this?”
• Shoot The Breeze: 9.9/10 “equally enthralling and enjoyable, providing more character development for not only Nova, but also Ironheart as well.”
Talking to the Writer Experience
I spoke to the gang at the Writer Experience about the creative process, collaborating with artists, working with editors, pitching, and more! Give it a listen.
June 29, 2018
The Toronto Star Talks About Canadian Superheroes
Raju Mudhar at the Toronto Star put together a pretty extensive article about Canadian superheroes as part of their Canada Day coverage and Snowguard is front and center. Check it out!
June 28, 2018
This Weekend: Zub at ICON in Johannesburg
This weekend is the 26th anniversary of the ICON – Comics and Gaming Convention in Johannesburg, South Africa and I will be there! Sean Izaakse (the amazing artist I’ve collaborated with on Pathfinder, Thunderbolts, Uncanny Avengers, and Champions) and I will be at the show signing and sketching for fans.
In addition, I’ll be on several panels throughout the weekend:
Friday, June 29th
Noon-1pm JIM ZUB – LESSONS IN SELF PUBLISHING
Over the past 17 years, Jim Zub has worked on a diverse array of publishing, movie and video game clients. He also juggles his time between being a freelance writer and being a program coordinator for an award-winning animation program for a college in his home town of Toronto.
In this informative and entertaining panel, Jim will take us on his journey from getting his first work in the comic book industry, the lessons in self-publishing game, through to present day where, partnered with Sean Izaakse, Jim is hitting it out of the park with Marvel’s Champions. And, if we’re lucky, Jim may talk about the insane Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons cross-over!
Saturday, June 30th
10am-11am CHAMPIONS – WITH JIM ZUB & SEAN IZAAKSE
In the aftermath of Civil War II, six adolescent heroes; Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan), Viv Vision, the Totally Awesome Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Nova (Sam Alexander), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), and the time-traveling teen incarnation of Cyclops sought to change the face of superheroics in the Marvel Universe. They did so by forming the Champions, a team dedicated to not just fighting super criminals, but making the world a better place.
Jim Zub and Sean Izaakse took over the creative duties of the Champions title with issue #19, and ushered in a new era that welcomed new members and brought new challenges. Join us as we discuss how the dynamic creative duo brought their own energy and ideas to this hit Marvel series!
2pm-3pm CHARACTER CREATION – FROM AN IDEA TO REALITY
Sean Izaakse and Jim Zub have been credited with taking Marvel’s Champions comic to another level with their fantastic stories and artwork. The two have also worked on creating new characters within the title – and we want to know how they did it!
In this panel, Sean and Jim will take suggestions from the audience and, by the end of the session, come up with a new super hero concept – one that ICON has big plans for over the next year! Come join us for what promises to be an amazing and fun session!
Sunday July 1st
10am-11am JIM ZUB & RAYMOND E. FEIST – VILLAINS!
Often, a story is only as good as the antagonist – a great villain can make or break a story. So what is it that makes a ‘great’ villain? What do writers think about when it comes to avoid key bad guy tropes? How do you make a villain truly special?
Comic book creator Jim Zub and fantasy legend Raymond E. Feist take the stage to discuss what it takes to make a villain truly epic – and answer your questions!
