EXTREME RETURNS!

[leafinsectman (Dan)]

I think I have either #0 or #1 of Coven, I gotta dig it out. Ian Churchill is the man! I also love how he morphed his style as of late.

[David]

The 1990s were a heady time for comics, and Rob Liefeld was at the center of it all. From New Mutants to X-Force and co-founding Image Comics, Liefeld became one of the key faces of comics at the time – with a little help from Levis and Spike Lee. Riding on the wave of his success, Liefeld expanded his scope to an entire line of comics called Extreme Studios. Over the course of eight years, a few name changes and a split from Image to become its own company, Liefeld’s comics became a signature part of the psyche of any comic fan in the 90s. In recent years we’ve seen characters return here and there with new stories and Liefeld himself return to Image, but beginning this January Image is once again going Extreme.

Announced at New York Comic Con earlier this year, the revival of Extreme Studios was a labor of love for Liefeld as well as Image publisher Eric Stephenson, who worked side-by-side with Liefeld in the 90s. Together, they enlisted an eclectic talent pool ranging from indie artist Ross Campbell to Black Swan screenwriter John McLaughlin to bring Extreme back to life, and previews have shown they’re not adverse to taking chances. Bringing back Youngblood, Prophet, Glory, Supreme and Bloodstrike is no easy task, but beginning in January readers well get to judge for themselves.

Read the interview here.

[Franky THE DILDONATER]

Why is Prophet starting at 21?

[David]

Why is Prophet starting at 21?

Because that's how old the person should be now that thought the book was the shit back then.

[evaD]

Because that's how old the person should be now that thought the book was the shit back then.

Or it could that there have been 20 issues previously published. Either way.

[VinceB]

Because that's how old the person should be now that thought the book was the shit back then.

 

[David]

Or it could that there have been 20 issues previously published. Either way.

I thought there were only about 18 (or 19 counting a 0 issue) issues published.  Unless they're counting crossover titles.  Vince'll know...

Speak of the devil!  Lookit you, so young at heart.

[evaD]

I thought there were only about 18 (or 19 counting a 0 issue) issues published.  Unless they're counting crossover titles.  Vince'll know...

Speak of the devil!  Lookit you, so young at heart.

0-10 for the 1993 series, 1-8 for the 1995 series, and 1 issue in 2000. There appears to have been a one shot in 2007 as well. That's from My Comic Shop.

[David]

0-10 for the 1993 series, 1-8 for the 1995 series, and 1 issue in 2000. There appears to have been a one shot in 2007 as well. That's from My Comic Shop.

I barely skimmed the article, but the cover shown has a 20 on it.

(and for the record, I know it's because they're continuing the numbering)

[evaD]

I barely skimmed the article, but the cover shown has a 20 on it.

(and for the record, I know it's because they're continuing the numbering)

I'm not sure Franky did, though. Or maybe he was kidding around too. Too much jocularity. 

 

[Dave Wyndorf]

I just got a reading copy of Supreme:The Story of the Year in the mail today.   Perfect timing.  Alan Moore and Rick Veitch......

 

Bean

Fucking awesome story!And Veitch's art! I got another copy as well. I read my first one to pieces. (literally)

[Franky THE DILDONATER]

I barely skimmed the article, but the cover shown has a 20 on it.

(and for the record, I know it's because they're continuing the numbering)

I think that 20 is for 20 years. Under it, it says 1992 - 2012

If their continuing the numbering, are they continuing the continuity? Cuz it looks so different from what I remember ... maybe I should actually read the article...

[evaD]

I think that 20 is for 20 years. Under it, it says 1992 - 2012

If their continuing the numbering, are they continuing the continuity? Cuz it looks so different from what I remember ... maybe I should actually read the article...

All the titles are continuing the numbering. I know in Supreme's case Larsen is finishing the Moore stuff and then going off in his own direction. It seems like continuity will remain but be loose in some cases and be pretty much ignored in others.

[Andrew]

I think that I bought that book from Rob at Wizard World Chicago (it was called Bloodsport or something).  Wasn't the plot someting along the lines of a reality show where all of the Youngbloods have a fight to the death Battle Royal to see who the last surviving members for the team were gonna' be? 

Did that ever finish?

That's the one - Rob's best work since he stopped being inked (for me his peak was Youngblood #1-3).

Millar wrote it as OTT as Youngblood's ever been; Wolvie and Cyke blowing Seahawk and Battlestone in a spa, clones of Malcolm X and MLK in jetpacks stealing a strand of Supreme's pubic hair, Stan Lee as a Superhero Porno shop owner. It's great.

It was originally a multi-issue series, then after the second issue was delayed, Rob said it would now be condensed into a two-parter.

He had received the whole script at the start of the project, and the book was "at print".

Issue two has never been released.

[RobCVela]

Okay, So Youngblood is back with #71 and art is by John Malin & Rob Liefeld. Normally I would be giddy, but with the Infinite fallout, if its not DC I have little faith on if and when it will come out. 

[evaD]

Okay, So Youngblood is back with #71 and art is by John Malin & Rob Liefeld. Normally I would be giddy, but with the Infinite fallout, if its not DC I have little faith on if and when it will come out. 

Prophet's been on time so far.

[Adam O. Pruett]

Okay, So Youngblood is back with #71 and art is by John Malin & Rob Liefeld. Normally I would be giddy, but with the Infinite fallout, if its not DC I have little faith on if and when it will come out. 

Prophet's been on time so far.

I'm not certain, but I doubt that Prophet's timeliness has any bearing on the schedules of any other Extreme books.

That said -- I think having Jon Malin helping with the art duties is a great way of ensuring that Youngblood will be on a more dependable schedule than it might if Rob was flying solo (especially given all the other work he has on his plate).

[evaD]

I'm not certain, but I doubt that Prophet's timeliness has any bearing on the schedules of any other Extreme books.

That said -- I think having Jon Malin helping with the art duties is a great way of ensuring that Youngblood will be on a more dependable schedule than it might if Rob was flying solo (especially given all the other work he has on his plate).

You're right that it doesn't have any bearing on timeliness when looking at the two different creative teams. However, historically, all Extreme studio books had a problem with lateness. Rob is aware of this and based on things he's said in interviews, is trying to correct this. Also, they've given themselves some lead time and I think he said books wouldn't be solicited until a few were finished.

[Adam O. Pruett]

You're right that it doesn't have any bearing on timeliness when looking at the two different creative teams. However, historically, all Extreme studio books had a problem with lateness.

Without trying to underplay the HUGE lateness problems various Extreme titles have indeed had in the past-- I don't know that it was "all" of them. Not trying to argue here, just saying that I legitimately don't know. Because that encompasses a LOT of books and relaunches and different incarnations of various series from several publishers.

The point I was more driving at was that the new Extreme titles are being produced pretty much as though the writers/artists involved were handling their own creator-owned titles, and that's a far cry from working on staff for an imprint in a physical studio. The increased commingling and cross-pollination between creators and titles that comes with working in a studio can also mean that any problems which affect the studio as a whole can affect more than one title. And I don't think there's any chance of that happening here.

Also, for what it's worth, I know Larsen is something like four issues ahead on Supreme. So, yeah, it seems like everyone is making their best efforts to be as timely as can be.

[evaD]

Without trying to underplay the HUGE lateness problems various Extreme titles have indeed had in the past-- I don't know that it was "all" of them. Not trying to argue here, just saying that I legitimately don't know. Because that encompasses a LOT of books and relaunches and different incarnations of various series from several publishers.

It's cool, no argument here. I wasn't being literal, I just meant the imprint suffered from serious serial lateness. I'm sure it wasn't every title, every time. But I'd be willing to bet on just about every title suffering late shipping at some point. I know the Alan Moore Supreme titles had some serious lateness toward the end. And that wasn't because of the creators. 

The point I was more driving at was that the new Extreme titles are being produced pretty much as though the writers/artists involved were handling their own creator-owned titles, and that's a far cry from working on staff for an imprint in a physical studio. The increased commingling and cross-pollination between creators and titles that comes with working in a studio can also mean that any problems which affect the studio as a whole can affect more than one title. And I don't think there's any chance of that happening here.

Also, for what it's worth, I know Larsen is something like four issues ahead on Supreme. So, yeah, it seems like everyone is making their best efforts to be as timely as can be.

I think in the past a lot of the lateness was occurring after the books were created. I mean you had Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse on Supreme and that shipped late. Both guys are more than capable of getting work done on time. So the connection to lateness lies with how much Liefeld is involved in the production schedule. I think he stated that the current launch plan was to solicit when several issues were already in the can. The announcement was over the summer sometime, and books are coming out this spring. My point was that at least the first few issues of each title should ship on time.