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New World Order!

BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
edited July 2007 in Graphic Violence
The Order
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After the devastating events of Civil War, a new super hero team has been formed by Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man) in accordance with his Fifty-State Initiative. Rising superstar writer Matt Fraction and acclaimed artist Barry Kitson introduce THE ORDER; the premier team of Director Stark’s post-war agenda.

Based in Los Angeles, California’s THE ORDER is comprised of a carefully selected group of actors, athletes, and models imbued with incredible powers to become the First Super Hero Team of Tomorrow™. Don’t let the glamorous title fool you, THE ORDER will have to face a demanding boss in Stark and the challenge of being scrutinized celebrities while fending off villains who don’t realize that in Hollywood, the good guys always win!

Even if they manage to survive, there’s a catch: mandatory retirement after one year. Can these young super heroes wield such tremendous powers under even more tremendous pressure? And just what is Tony Stark’s mysterious agenda? Meet the men and women of THE ORDER — they’ve got a year to save the world and you better not get in their way!
Character Designs/Descriptions
urbane.jpg
So this is Mulholland. Her parents are famous, but dead, rock stars, and she spent a good part of her adolescence in foster homes and on the streets and beaches of L.A. It gives her a unique link to the city itself that that big-ass hammer of hers helps to unlock. For her queen-of-the-trash-heap look, we referred to Taiyo Matsumoto's BLACK AND WHITE. (Also? her placeholder name was the embarrassing URBANE, hence the name of the file. as this was my first superhero book, certain finer points-- names, storylines, powers, etc-- tended to go through a lot of workshopping. THIS IS NO WAY TO RUN A RAILROAD.)
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This is our field leader Henry Hellrung, or ANTHEM. We wanted the costumes to reflect the armor fashion of pro motocross athletes, but still have the elegant lines of a traditional superhero costume. Also you can see the remnants of the Champions "C" on his chest. Switching over to an O for "The Order" won't be too difficult-- we wanted to work the logo in as a design motif. Trying to nail his look, too-- classic Hollywood face. Cary Grant, you know? The whole team has an air of fabulousness to them, men and women alike.
Aralune_01.jpg
Yay Becky! This girl is a teen pop idol to millions of girls, and has the abilities to shift her shape into whatever she wants. I love that Barry draws her as this wide-eyed and smiling California blonde but then she warps into some of the most weirdly hideous comic book monsters you've ever seen. I tend to write her with a southern drawl, so in my head she's a Carolina blonde that went west and not a native valley girl. On the surface she's a robo-Britney-bot bimbo but, when you've got a character whose whole gimmick is to manipulate her surface, who can say what's really going on underneath? We call her Aralune.
Calamity_01.jpg
The one character whose name has always been in place and will always be in place-- "Calamity" James Wa was a college baseball sensation that lost his legs below the knees. That's not what makes him a hero, though-- after his injuries, he became an engineer that designed prosthetic lower-legs based on the design of a cheetah's, and gave extreme mobility back to thousands of amputees that though they'd never run again. He's the team speeder, with that lean runner's body and, hopefully, all the good jokes. I love speedster characters, and always wanted to write one. I think there's something fun, visually and narratively, about that power set. The stuff you can get away with... there's a reason why John Broome and Gardner Fox wrote such great FLASH comics.
Second_Quick_Sketch.jpg
Magdalena Marie is called Veda, although for like two minutes she was Madre and then I thought that, hey, maybe calling the Hispanic woman whose powers involve her birthing golems out of organic material all around her "Madre" is a little too on the nose. So Veda it is-- a kind of fabulous diva that's done loads of global charity work AND is like the biggest action star in the world. Since it's the California team, and they're L.A.-based-- at least at first-- we wanted everyone to have an "aspirational" look to them. That's the word ad agencies use to describe actors and actresses that look waaaay better than you and me ever could, but still aren't supermodels. "Aspirational." I hate advertising.
Supernaut_V2.jpg
Yay Supernaut! Playing around with the scale here, too. Supernaut's the giant robot guy on the team, obviously, piloted by a decorated War vet that became a paraplegic in a violent protest. AND he loves Black Sabbath, so it's all good. We wanted to infuse the flavor of some Japanese mecha design, just to get away from both the guy-dipped-in-metal school of Iron Man and the guy-in-box design of... oh, hell, what was his name. Red Rocket? Whatever. Boxy was bad. And it's fun to see Barry play around with a character like this.
Solicits
TheOrderpg00.jpgTHE CHAMPIONS #1
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils and Cover by BARRY KITSON
Variant Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
THE CHAMPIONS introduces the all-new and Los Angeles-based crown jewel in Tony Stark’s FIFTY-STATE INITIATIVE. A team of Stark-branded and created super heroes, these young actors, athletes and models are infused with tremendous powers and even more tremendous fame, reborn as the First Super Hero Team of Tomorrow™ -- THE CHAMPIONS. Here the same ol'-same ol' means hooking up at the Standard, drinks at SkyBar and a death-duel on Sunset Blvd. against some villain too stupid to realize that, in Hollywood, the good guys always win. The catch: you can be fired at any point along the way. And every inch of your life will be subjected to intense public scrutiny. And if you survive all that for a whole year, you'll face mandatory retirement. And there's no guarantee you'll live to see that retirement. If you had one year to save the world, what would you do?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
CHAMP002.jpg
THE ORDER #2
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils and Cover by BARRY KITSON
A team of long-dormant Soviet super-weapons is awake, angry and heading straight at the heart of Los Angeles ready to finish World War III! The front line of defense is a team that’s been together since just before nine this morning! The queen of PR starts her spin! A dead body hides more than just a murder mystery! AND AND AND -- a super-sex tape! What on earth could justify the use of that many exclamation points? Surely, it could only be the second sensational issue of the yet to be named new ongoing series written by Matt Fraction (IMMORTAL IRON FIST and PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL) and with art by the amazing Barry Kitson
(Legion of Super-Heroes, JLA: Year One).
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
ORDER003.jpg
THE ORDER #3
Written by MATT FRACTION
Pencils & Cover by BARRY KITSON
You are a member of the Order. You've been given extraordinary powers and a mandate to save the world. You've got one year. What do you do? "Calamity" James Wa was a baseball player with his whole future bright and perfect in front of him, when a drunk driver took it all away. What does HE do with extraordinary powers and a mandate to save the world? He goes looking for a little payback. Also: They're half zombie! Half hobo! ALL TERROR! The ZOBOS run roughshod on Rodeo Drive! Celebutantes and debutards beware–Botox is like ketchup to these flesh-eating, homeless weirdos, and they find your waxed and tanned skin DELICIOUS! Somebody call THE ORDER!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

tl;dr A promising new series written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Barry Kitson.

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Posts

  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    This is going to be so good

    Reading the character descriptions only makes more excited

    Balefuego on
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  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Everything I've read by Fraction has been great, and I have no reason to suspect this will be any different. Having Barry Kitson pencilling's the icing on the cake. I really want this series to succeed too, if only to show that yes, you can still make interesting, viable new characters. When's the first issue go on sale?

    Munch on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    Sometime in July

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  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I don't like Calamity or Anthem, but that's based solely on what little is given. Still, speedster with a sense of humor isn't really new ground.

    Like girl with hammer, though.

    Hooraydiation on
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  • ReignerReigner Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    This is gonna be bought so hard. Little girls with Giant hammers, Golem Birthing, and a staple wise-cracking speedster. This will be awesome.

    Goddammit monies, why must you leave my hands so quickly.

    Reigner on
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  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Little girl with giant hammer is such cliche anime territory.

    I will be waiting for your impressions before I buy.

    Blackjack on
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  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Blackjack wrote: »
    Little girl with giant hammer is such cliche anime territory.

    I will be waiting for your impressions before I buy.

    What's an anime?

    It's really not the same when the girl isn't really that little and it's a sledgehammer that'll probably hurt people for real.

    Hooraydiation on
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  • delphinusdelphinus Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Blackjack wrote: »
    Little girl with giant hammer is such cliche anime territory.

    I will be waiting for your impressions before I buy.


    same thoughts here. im not really impressed. i like the idea of the 1 year retirement, but the other stuff ive seen too much of lately.

    delphinus on
  • ReignerReigner Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    So, is Anthem's powerset just the standard fly and punch shit hard set?

    His visual style is already the most boring for the group, hopefully his powerset doesn't elicit the same reaction.

    Reigner on
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  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited June 2007
    Ahahahaha. Dude. Trust me - of all the things that influence Matt - spaghetti westerns, the Pixies, the oeuvre of Burt Reynolds - anime and videogames come in dead last, or very nearly. He's basically the anti-PA reader.

    Jacobkosh on
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  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    Reigner wrote: »
    So, is Anthem's powerset just the standard fly and punch shit hard set?

    His visual style is already the most boring for the group, hopefully his powerset doesn't elicit the same reaction.
    We really have no idea.

    Although the second issue's cover seems like he'll have energy/sound/telekenetic powers.

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  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I can't believe I'm the first to call Skrull! I am with the "wait and see" group, for a variety of reasons.

    Fencingsax on
  • Caveman PawsCaveman Paws Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm "wait and see" with a heavy dash of "expecting this to suck." That cover for issue #3... are those robot-zombies doing something "sexual" with the blonde and brunette women they are grabbing? From behind?

    The ladies faces have that shocked/pornstar "OH" look going on...

    Maybe I just have a dirty,dirty mind.

    Caveman Paws on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    I honestly don't see how people think it's going to suck. I haven't seen Matt Fraction write a single bad book.

    Iron Fist? Matt. Punisher War Journal? Matt. Cassanova? Matt.

    Blankspace on
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  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm "wait and see" with a heavy dash of "expecting this to suck." That cover for issue #3... are those robot-zombies doing something "sexual" with the blonde and brunette women they are grabbing? From behind?

    The ladies faces have that shocked/pornstar "OH" look going on...

    Maybe I just have a dirty,dirty mind.

    Endowing your robot zombies with fully functional penises shows an astonishing lack of foresight on the part of any mad inventor.

    Hooraydiation on
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  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm not expecting it to suck, but I do doubt that it'll be to my tastes.

    I'm also strangely annoyed by big hammer girl's lack of a uniform.

    I mean, I'm all for uncostumed heroes. But when everyone else on the team has one...

    Blackjack on
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  • CrimsondudeCrimsondude Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    She's Marvel's Cory Kennedy.

    Crimsondude on
  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    I am really looking forward to this, and Marvel's done pretty well at launching new series with more obscure/new characters lately, so I have pretty high hopes that it'll do somewhat well.

    DJ Eebs on
  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm really excited about the idea of having a revolving cast for some reason. For me that's one of the book's best selling points. Being such a fringe title with all new characters, Fraction will be free to drop, kill, or change characters at any moment, and that kind of uncertainty's really neat to me.

    Munch on
  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Munch wrote: »
    I'm really excited about the idea of having a revolving cast for some reason. For me that's one of the book's best selling points. Being such a fringe title with all new characters, Fraction will be free to drop, kill, or change characters at any moment, and that kind of uncertainty's really neat to me.

    That's kind of what X-Force/X-Statix was.

    Hooraydiation on
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  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I've always meant to go back and get the trades of that. Maybe I finally will.

    Munch on
  • Caveman PawsCaveman Paws Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I like the ideas behind this book (revolving cast, normal people being chosen to become superheroes,etc) but the look of the characters has, initially, made me leary. It has an origional and fun idea behind it but I worry that the execution will leave something to be desired.

    Caveman Paws on
  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I like the ideas behind this book (revolving cast, normal people being chosen to become superheroes,etc) but the look of the characters has, initially, made me leary. It has an origional and fun idea behind it but I worry that the execution will leave something to be desired.

    Have you read anything by Matt Fraction before?

    Balefuego on
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  • HooraydiationHooraydiation Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Munch wrote: »
    I've always meant to go back and get the trades of that. Maybe I finally will.

    Do it now, because life is short!

    Hooraydiation on
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  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2007
    I honestly don't see how people think it's going to suck. I haven't seen Matt Fraction write a single bad book.

    Iron Fist? Matt. Punisher War Journal? Matt. Cassanova? Matt.

    i actually don't like cassanova much. i picked up the first two or three issues and thought it was mostly boring

    Servo on
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  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Balefuego wrote: »
    I like the ideas behind this book (revolving cast, normal people being chosen to become superheroes,etc) but the look of the characters has, initially, made me leary. It has an origional and fun idea behind it but I worry that the execution will leave something to be desired.

    Have you read anything by Matt Fraction before?
    This could go the way of either The Losers or The Initiative. The fact that it's Fraction gives hope, but at this point I don't really trust authors to be too consistent.

    Fencingsax on
  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2007
    in fact, the only one of his books i really like is iron fist, and that shit's cut with fifty percent brubaker


    edit- wait, last of the independents fucking kicked ass too. i'm pretty sure there's more behind him than just war journal and cassanova, i just can't remember what

    Servo on
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  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Well but what you said helps my point.

    The Initiative is written by a talented guy in Slott.

    The Losers... not so much.

    Balefuego on
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  • ServoServo Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited June 2007
    i assume we're not talking about andy diggle's losers here

    because if you are, you're all getting banned

    Servo on
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  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2007
    No, I think they mean The Loners.


    That's their name, right?

    Blankspace on
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  • BalefuegoBalefuego Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Er yeah, The Loners.

    I typed while reading Sax's post. So clearly its his mistake.

    Balefuego on
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  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited June 2007
    Servo wrote: »
    edit- wait, last of the independents fucking kicked ass too. i'm pretty sure there's more behind him than just war journal and cassanova, i just can't remember what

    Lemme see, there was Rex Mantooth: Kung Fu Gorilla, The Five Fists of Science, and that 30 Days of Night spinoff about Juarez. And some columns for CBR.

    Jacobkosh on
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  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    edited June 2007
    The Sensational Spider-Man annual he did just recently was fantastic.

    DJ Eebs on
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I'm tired, all right? Also, I like the Loners. Initiative, not so much.

    Fencingsax on
  • FuruFuru Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Oh for the love of

    If the reason you're not going to pick up a comic by a proven great writer is because one of the characters "looks too anime-y" despite the fact that they don't look anime-y at all then you probably deserve to miss out.

    Furu on
  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Servo wrote: »
    i assume we're not talking about andy diggle's losers here

    because if you are, you're all getting banned

    Andy Diggle's The Losers could be made into the best videogame ever.

    Mai-Kero on
  • MunchMunch Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    Only if they included the mind bullets scene.

    Munch on
  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited June 2007
    It really was glorious.

    Mai-Kero on
  • Bloods EndBloods End Blade of Tyshalle Punch dimensionRegistered User regular
    edited June 2007
    I bet Kiston just used a note book filled with unused Legion of Superheroes designs for these characters.

    Bloods End on
  • BlankspaceBlankspace __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2007
    Blankspace wrote: »
    HEADS UP, Big ole preview of The Order.
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    Holy crap, Pepper is freaking the hell out of me.

    Blankspace on
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