After years in the making, Marvel’s The Avengers has been released and continues to break record after record. William and Dane sit down to discuss the movie in our spoiler-free review.

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I wouldn’t describe Shooters as a comic that’s an easy read.

I don’t mean that in the sense that the words on the page are too difficult to read, or the panel structure is too complex or that it has narrative problems in any way. In fact that’s far from the truth. What I mean to say is this – the emotional content displayed throughout Shooters isn’t easy to handle.

And that’s a damn good thing.

As writer Eric Trautmann states in the opening pages of the graphic novel, the story and inspiration for Shooters comes from the death of his brother-in-law, who was working for a private military contractor. Needless to say, it’s a very personal story for Trautmann and one that I don’t imagine was easy to handle to to loosely adapt for a comic. Perhaps that’s the reason Trautmann brought in Brandon Jerwa to help with co-writing the book. Regardless of the reasoning, I think the team is able to pay respects to Trautmann’s brother-in-law, while creating a story that still has a good, stable, and emotional personal core.  Often, personal stories make for the best types of stories because of their relatable nature.

There are few stories in the comic industry that take real risk in crafting a narrative with a deep emotional core. Shooters is the exception to this rule, developing a tale that is absolutely chilling and powerful. The story becomes grounded in a reality that 21st century Americans know far too well – the Iraq War.

Yet the war and what happens is only a part of Chief Warrant Officer Terry Glass’s story. And what happens throughout the book is truly special because of how unique and personal the events seem.

While the story is strong on its own merits, Steve Lieber‘s gorgeous art provides a perfect partnership in crafting Trautmann and Jerwa’s script. The Eisner award-winning artist brings his all, providing incredibly detailed moments for the story. Fans of Lieber’s previous work won’t be disappointed.

Trautmann, Jerwa and Lieber are all at their best here, creating something that’s incredibly real. I keep coming back to the word real, but it’s a valid descriptor. I’ve felt that so much fiction written about the Iraq War plays on stereotypical beats and clichés seen in many other war stories, just repacked and reskinned for a more modern era.

Not this time. Not at all.

It’s a brutal story. It’s a sad story. It’s a powerful story.

But it feels raw and real. And that’s what really matters.

Shooters is a 144-page, black and white hardcover that will retail for $22.99. It releases tomorrow.

And I think it’s well worth your time and money.

For more information on Shooters, visit Steel River Security.

With William taking the week off, Dane brings in Justin Vactor to talk about Avengers vs X-Men, Swamp Thing and Animal Man.

You can stream the episode below or subscribe in iTunes.

No show notes this week, so let us know what you think in the comments!

William talks about his problems with Avengers vs X-Men #0 (and the Avengers line as a whole), while Dane discusses what isn’t working for him in Superman, but the two join together in a love fest over Avenging Spider-Man #5.

You can stream the episode after the jump or subscribe in iTunes.

Full show notes after the break.

Between the Panels: Issue #140 – Comic Discussion for March 28, 2012

Run time: 36:28

• Episode start
• Avengers vs X-Men #0 – 2:48
• Superman #7 – 18:07
• Avenging Spider-Man #5 – 26:16
• Closing Time – 34:21

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What did you think of the episode? Sound off in our comments below!

I’ve been excited for Shooters for a while now.

The story looks to be a compelling read: set in the early days of the Iraq War campaign, featuring a troubled protagonist dealing the real consequences of waging war, the book has been on my radar for quite some time now, but it doesn’t appear that others are paying attention.

Perhaps that’s the reason why the creative team of Eric Trautmann, Brandon Jerwa and drawn by Eisner Award-winning artist Steve Lieber, have launched an “unofficial” official site for Shooters, providing new content (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) leading up to the book’s release. It’s the perfect resource to get any and all the information needed before the April 18th release.

After the jump, we’ve got the official description for the book, but don’t linger here for long – head over to the site and do some digging for yourself. Shooters looks to be one of the year’s most talked about books and it’s worth it to be informed now, instead of later.

Shooters is an original graphic novel, published by DC Comics’ imprint, Vertigo (home of such acclaimed graphic novels as Preacher, Transmetropolitan, Sandman, The Road to Perdition and many others).

The book follows the career of Terry Glass — a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Army, and a well-trained Special Forces operator — during the early days of America’s post-9/11 military actions in Iraq.

While in Iraq, Glass’ faces the creeping boredom of the infantryman, the adrenaline-charged terror of direct confrontation with the enemy, and finally, a shattering accident that leaves him both physically and emotionally scarred.

And that is merely the starting point of Glass’ journey.

There’s more than IEDs, enemy insurgents, and bullets to face. Recovering from terrible injuries, Glass faces his own private demons, the ruins of his marriage, and the moral uncertainties of life as a private military contractor.

Shooters is written by Eric Trautmann & Brandon Jerwa with art by Steve Lieber. Keep your eyes peeled to Steel River Security over the coming days and weeks for more information leading up to the book’s release.

You can stream the episode after the jump or subscribe in iTunes.

Full show notes after the break.

Between the Panels: Issue #139 – Comic Discussion for March 21, 2012

Run time: 41:23

• Episode start
• Rocketeer Adventures Vol. 2 #1 – 2:23
• Batman #7 – 10:42
• Heart #4 – 15:30
• The Walking Dead Season 2 Review – 28:26
• Closing Time – 40:15

Remember to join our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and visit Instock Trades to get your copy of Rocketeer Complete Collection Vol. 1!

Also, check our recap of Tuesday’s The Walking Dead conference call with show runner Glen Mazzara.

What did you think of the episode? Sound off in our comments below!

As part of end of season press, The Walking Dead‘s show runner Glen Mazzara sat down with journalists today to answer questions about the show. After the jump, we have a horde of details about the past, present and future of Rick and his group. Warning: there are spoilers for both Season Two of the television series and Robert Kirkman‘s comic, so proceed with caution.

The conference call got off to quick start after Mazzara thanked the group for joining him. Throughout the call, Mazzara stressed his desire to keep the show “grounded and real” along with looking to dive into the heart of Kirkman’s story. Here are some more of the interesting tidbits that the call revealed:

On Season 3 and the Prison: Mazzara stated the infamous prison storyline will be a “significant part” of both Season 3 and Season 4 of the show. He considers it to be a “major storyline,” but does not want to fall into the “claustrophobic” nature of the farm and plans to open things up a little bit more, including showing the Governor and his town of Woodbury. Mazzara also views the first two seasons as prologue and that Season 3 will be a “reset of sorts.” Production on the third season is well underway, as scripts for the first six episodes have been outlined and turned into AMC already, with outlines for episodes 7 and 8 currently being worked on. After the outlines are approved, all eight episodes will be written at once, instead of the normal way of breaking down episodes one by one. Shooting for Season 3 will begin in May.

On Michonne, her casting, and how she’ll play into the future of the show: Mazzara calls her a dynamic, important and kick-ass, lead character, who they are excited to introduce into the world. Actress Danai Gurira went through a normal casting process (unlike the Governor, who I’ll touch on in a minute), but Mazzara is looking forward to taking her and “fucking her up,” while having her carry lots of story. He also stressed that Michonne’s ‘theatricality’ will be real and grounded in order to fit in with the overall tone of the series.

On the casting for The Governor:  Actor David Morrissey owes a lot to Andrew Lincoln for his casting, as Mazzara said that Lincoln talked up Morrissey and the entire team was impressed with what he brought to the table. Morrissey was a name of a list of names that were considered for the role, but ultimately, he won out over everyone else.

On the departure of Frank Darabont: “We wouldn’t be here without Frank,” Mazzara said flat out. He also stated that the pacing issues that plagued the first half of Season 2 were a concern of Frank’s when the season started. Also, he debunked any rumor that audience reaction played a role in how the second half of the season, saying that when the show premiered last October, production was drawing to a close.

On Lori: Mazzara was asked about the character’s “annoyingness” and he responded saying they do not want to provide any “false beats” for the character. “We want her to be realistic and compelling.” Mazzara also stated that Lori’s reaction scene at the end of Season 2 was all shot in one take and that character is a “control freak. She tried to control Rick and it backfired.” She is now horrified by her role in the events and that she now has “a lot going on” and is “fucked up” because of the events.

On T-Dog: Mazzara admits that the character has “been off to the side” but had to be in order for Rick to develop. However, he has plans to “develop the character in a significant way” in Season 3.

On Carl and places he shouldn’t be: “He’s a kid. He’s going to be mischievous. He’s bored and he wants to give his parents the slip. That’s real to me.”

On characters old and new: There are plans to bring in Tyreese along with returning to Morgan and Dwyane. Mazzara also wants to continue to bring in new and original characters.

With Season 3, the human threat will increase, but the zombies are still here. However, there will be more of a balance between the two.

Some other facts of note included the admission that set leaks have become a problem. This was something that Mazzara has never had to deal with, but referenced a high-popularity show like Lost as an example of how they were looking to contain spoilers better in the future. “No one cared about it [spoilers] on Crash.” Mazzara also stated that part of the shootout in the episode ‘Triggerfinger’ was influenced by a similar situation in The Wire.

Merle’s return is “on the horizon. We’re figuring out what to do with him,” said Mazzara.

Any possibility of Stephen King and Joe Hill writing an episode is dead. “That was Frank’s connection. I haven’t approached them.”

All in all, Mazzara made it clear that the show will be getting closer to the heart of Kirkman’s work, while staying true to the tone set forth by the show thus far. It sounds like Mazzara and the rest of the writing and production team have learned from this season and are really looking to apply those lessons moving forward.

Look for our reaction about Season 2 later this week, but until then, what did you think of Season 2 of the show and what excites you about the future of the show? Sound off in our comments below.

You can stream the episode after the jump or subscribe in iTunes.

Full show notes after the break.

Between the Panels: Issue #138 – Comic Discussion for March 14, 2012

Run time: 24:20

• Episode start
• Avengers Assemble #1 – 2:31
• Saga #1 – 9:32
• Fantastic Four #604 – 16:15
• Closing Time – 22:53

Remember to join our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and visit Instock Trades to get your copy of Jonathan Hickman’s first volume of Fantastic Four.

What did you think of the episode? Sound off in our comments below!

With Dane still on tour, Justin Vactor is again sitting shotgun for this week’s reviews. Listen as William and Justin talk about Aquaman, Marvel’s revolving door policy on artists, and our love for Wolverine and the X-Men.

You can stream the episode after the jump or subscribe in iTunes.

Full show notes after the break.

Between the Panels: Issue #137 – Comic Discussion for Feb 22, 2012

Run time: 28:12

• Episode start
• Aquaman #6 – 2:16
• Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #7 – 8:32
• Wolverine and the X-Men #7 – 17:21
• Closing Time – 26:00

Follow Justin Vactor on Twitter and make sure you listen to Comics of Doom if you are not already.

Remember to join our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and visit Instock Trades to get your copy of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man.

What did you think of the episode? Sound off in our comments below!

With Dane starting his east coast tour, William welcomes Justin Vactor back to the show to talk about all about X-Men, Rick Remender, Amazing Spider-Man and much more.

You can stream the episode after the jump or subscribe in iTunes.

Full show notes after the break.

Between the Panels: Issue #136 – Comic Discussion for Feb 8, 2012

Run time: 36:10

• Episode start
• The Amazing Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers, and Venom) – 3:07
• Amazing Spider-Man – 16:57
• Irredeemable and Incorruptible - 31:49
• Closing Time – 31:49

Check out Dane’s tour dates to see if he’ll be playing in a town near you!

Also, follow Justin Vactor on Twitter and make sure you listen to Comics of Doom if you are not already.

Remember to join our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and visit Instock Trades to get your copy of Spider-Island!

What did you think of the episode? Sound off in our comments below!