MILESTONE will Unviel it's New Line-Up at NYCC

DC Comics' revived Milestone Comics is scheduled to "unveiled" at New York Comic Con, says DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee (via Publishers Weekly). The announcement will reportedly take place at October 5's "Robert Kirkman: The Walking Dead, Invincible and Beyond" panel, tying into word that Milestone will be featured in Kirkman's AMC docuseries The Secret History Of Comics.

Milestone's Denys Cowan and Reggie Hudlin are expected to be in attendance.

Originally founded back in 1992, Milestone began publishing comics in 1993 as an imprint of DC Comics. Although DC later integrated some of Milestone's characters into DC's core superhero line (including Static in the 2011 "New 52" relaunch), Milestone retained ownership of all its characters and had merely licensed usage of the characters and the content they produced in the 1990s to DC.

Milestone Media was reformed in January 2015 by Reginald Hudlin and two of its co-founders, Denys Cowan and Derek Dingle. Later that year at 2015's Comic-Con International: San Diego, DC announced it had reached a deal with the company to once again license the Milestone IP for usage as a comic book line and in other media.

"We couldn't be more proud and excited about the opportunity to bring the 'Dakota' Universe back to DC," said Lee in 2015. "This is a huge step forward for us in bringing readers a more diversified lineup as part of the new DC Universe, and we're anxiously looking foward to telling new stories that are socially and culturally impactful and representative of the world in which we live."

At the time, DC's plans were for a seperate line co-existing in the broader DC Multiverse but in a seperate dimension, 'Earth-M' (which Lee reconfirmed this month). There was a plan for titles including Static Shock, Icon, Rocket, and Xombi, with creators including Hudlin, Cowan, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ken Lashley, and Christopher Priest. In addition to reviving Milestone characters of the past, Milestone Media said they'll also be introducing new characters and including new creators in the mix.

In August 2017, Milestone Media was sued by Charlotte McDuffie, the widow of the late co-founder Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie is suing the company and its officers for "Breach of Fiduciary Duty," "Aiding and Abetting Breach of Fiduciary Duty," "Intentional Interference with Prospective Economic Relations," "Fraudulent Conveyance," "Civil Conspiracy To Commit Fraudulent Conveyance," and "Accounting."

Lenni Reviews: "Pathogen" by Jessica L. Webb

(Image Source)

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is recommended 18+

In this second entry into the Kate Morrison Mystery Series, Dr. Morrison is tapped to solve a mystery surrounding a deadly viral outbreak in a rich little town called Hidden Valley. Working with her girlfriend; Sargent Andy Wyles, Kate scrambles to simultaneously treat her patients, find out how to stop the virus, deal with demanding rich people, and navigate her new relationship with Andy.

This is not the type of book I usually pick up as medical thrillers just aren't my thing but this time I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. I found the collection of smart, capable people to be a relief. There are ill meaning characters and a pretty annoying bully but nobody working to solve this problem is grossly incompetent. Sometimes a stupid character will be used for plot purposes but not here.

Andy and Kate are a true power couple; quick thinking, intuitive, and well-developed but I do feel I would have needed to read the first book to get the full impact of what happens between them. This is especially evident in the ending (which I will not spoil) where the combined events and stresses of both books impact the ending. And as this is an LGBT novel, there is a little smut but the soul of this book is the medical mystery. It may not be my usual fare but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3.5 out of 5.

FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game NA Champion Crowned

Posted by Justin D Williams

This past weekend, fans of the FINAL FANTASY® Trading Card Game witnessed the crowning of the game’s first ever North American Champion. SQUARE ENIX® congratulates Joseph Leszczyski from Milwaukee, WI, the winner of the inaugural FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game (“FFTCG”) Opus Series North American Championship tournament 2017.
 
Leszczyski and the rest of the Top 4 finalists are invited to participate in the World Championship Finals in Japan this November.

FFTCG North American Championship Tournament 2017 Top 4 Winners

• Champion: Joseph Leszczyski
• Finalist: Nathan Perez
• Semi-Finalist: Arvin Bernardo
• Semi-Finalist: Devin Welzbacher
• Pictured below: Leszczyski and FINAL FANTASY Trading Card Game Producer, Taro Kageyama.

Lenni Reviews: "Taproot" by Keezy Young

(Image Source)

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review

Hamal works at a flower shop but the owner and customers think he's crazy because he can hear, see, and speak to ghosts. This ability is bitter sweet as the ghost, Blue is his best friend and Blue is in love with Hamal. But lately, Blue has been unexpectedly vanishing and all the ghosts are afraid of what's going on.

I am such a fan of all these calm, multi-cultural, creative, and beautiful graphic novels I'm seeing these days. The cool, soft color palette and relaxed writing make this story about an accidental necromancer an amazing and wonderful read. Even when dealing with death, reapers, and ghosts, Taproot never takes itself too seriously; remaining sweet and grounded the entire time. I was a little confused because the terms 'necromancer' and 'ghost hunter' are used interchangeably when I'd always believed them to be very different things. Perhaps if given more time to develop, we could get Hamal's powers clearly defined, learn where they came from, and get some backstory on the other ghosts around him. As it stands, this book was an overall pleasure. 4 out of 5.