spoilers, obv.

COVER

I love this cover so much. Boy i sure wish they didn’t move that logo up to accommodate that IRON MAN 3 logo at the bottom. Also this was meant for february, but the hurricane issue pushed it. It was also at the printer abnormally long? i remember being surprised it didn’t come out last week or the week before even based on how long ago we sent it off. These vagaries vex me and illude my control. Anyway. So… yeah. okay, here we go.

IFC

I just wanted to see David draw Jarvis. Sorry!

1

So I had this idea, back when I wrote issue 6, i had this idea about a new way to… well. new ways. this whole book is a continuing experiment and experience in New Ways. and we are down in it now. But mostly? Mostly there is Jarvis.

2

Fun echoes of 8 here. Pull out your scissors and keep ‘em near…

3

The Work Wife. Ms. Wright (har har). Darlene Wright. Also, “Oh, Da.” was a Wacker bit. Credit where it’s due; the man’s a great editor and awesome at punch-up moments like that.

4

Isn’t there an apple store up there now?

5

People look at aja and think mazzuchelli and i get it (and so does he) but that’s like looking at a christmas tree covered with tinsel and saying “silver”

6

“Keep. Safe.”

Maybe one day I’ll post a photograph of the hawkguy timeline… maybe extras in the collection.

did you know matt hollingsworth does color test sketches?  never seen anything like it.he emailed ‘em out of the blue the other day and i think david and i had heart attacks. i want to run those too…

7

Been waiting a long time to finally get to write Bobbi; sorry it took so long. Also can we talk about how amazing that hair is? Also what time is it? When did he go to sleep? Snip snip.

8

hey look! action almost happens!

9

The Bronson Brothers are an invention of Mr. David Aja but I promise you they’ll be back.

Because you can’t spell BRONSON without a little B-R-O

10

Too on the nose? Eh, maybe. What can you do? Oh, aside from not write so on the fucking nose I mean. Once the book left the month I should’ve struck this. Ahh well.

11

Clint’s birthday is June 18th — Mark Gruenwald’s birthday. His address is DIPLOMAT HOTEL 3208 N. Sheffield, Chicago, IL, 60657. I used to live right next door. It’s not the Diplomat anymore. it was chicago’s last SRO joint. we used to call the neighborhood bums ‘diplomats.’  ”Barney Barton/ Rambling Brothers Circus/ No fixed address” is his emergency contact. I would like to believe that is Aja’s actual handwriting.

Since I already got asked about the poster… yknow what, no, you figure out what it means to you and there you go that’s what it means. But i’ll say this: they’re not gonna fuck. She doesn’t want to fuck him and he doesn’t want to fuck her. It’s not going to happen. They never daydream about it. They don’t wonder about it. They won’t idly pass the time thinking what if. There is nothing sexual in their relationship. Flirtatious? At times. Sexy, even? To a point, maaaybe? I don’t even want to play with will they or won’t they. Because they won’t. So I’ll say, again, unequivocally, as long as I’m on this book, it’s not in the cards even remotely for either of them. I am interested in a love between these two that has nothing to do with sex or physical/sexual attraction. The dog won’t die and they won’t fuck. The end.

i know this is the internet, and i know it’s tumblr, so it’s tough, but remove sex from LOLITA: what about the story of Humbert Humbert and Delores Haze might relate to Kate? 

12

This was originally scripted to be the old flying sky-cycle thing. I don’t mind the change, but I’m getting that fucker in this book somehow. Also: nothing is by accident.

14

I wish I could tell you all the Kate stuff, right now. Steve and I twittered about it a couple weeks back; I don’t think anybody noticed. Kate! Kate. She’s the best. 

(WRITTEN THE NEXT MORNING)

Oh hey look:

 there. kate plans.

15

my favorite thing about this monstrous and sad thing was noticing the stunning lack of fucks pizza dog gives.

16

The first act of self-preservation we’ve seen from Clint! Everything’s on the up-up-up for ol’ Hawkguy!

18

That thing you will learn about next issue. You’ll also learn all about our issue’s Mystery Fucker in great detail.

19

Not the first time you’ve seen that dog. Not the last time you’ll see that dog… 

If you’re reading solicits and shit you can start to see the shape of things; this is why I hate solicits and hate that you can read them this far out.

20

This was coming from the first issue; sorry. For what it’s worth, though? Grills’ dad wasn’t, but now we’ve got him, annnnd… And this story is just beginning.  And ending and we’re right in the middle all at once. Does it still work? I dunno. Is it sustainable? We’ll try our best. 

NEXT ISSUE: Who the shit is that fuck?

NEW COMICS!

F4 5AU

A narrative aberration, if you will; a cul de sac, a tie in, to the ongoing AGE OF ULTRON event currently ripping through the Marvel Universe. On earth, a psycho robot ULTRON has TAKEN OVER and KILLED PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING. Word reaches the Fantastic Four in space…

A few things to note: this is BLEAK and hopefully if I did my job right HEAVY and SCARY. It is NOT for everyone, as my FANTASTIC FOUR has been. So head’s up there, moms n’ dads — maybe this one doesn’t go in the storytime pile. 

Second, the art is by ANDRÉ ARUAJO. Remember the name: André is going to be a SUPERSTAR. I couldn’t believe that I got to write for him, and I couldn’t believe how GOOD HE MAKES THIS BOOK. Hate me, hate my writing, hate FANTASTIC FOUR, but you will want to SEE THIS BOOK. 

FF #5

At long last, Medusa. What was up with her, end of last issue? What’s up with Old John Storm? Fat and full of love for the lore and history of FANTASTIC FOUR — also brings Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” into canonical continuity.

think this also means im 3 and 2 walkthroughs behind. ugh…!

HAWKEYE #1 FIFTH PRINTING

I am putting that here because those words have literally never been said before and I find it staggering every time I think about it. Thanks, y’all.

And over in the books-with-glue department:

Thor finds out where nightmares REALLY come from.

Attn. fans of The Mountain Goats: when you punish a person for dreaming his dreams don’t expect them to thank or forgive you. Hail Satan.

FROM PEOPLE THAT DO NOT LIVE IN MY HOME:

Warren Ellis’ autobiography is out

and Fantagraphics wins the MUST-HAVE trophy for the week by dealing this ferocious twofer:

Fantagraphics proudly presents Guy Peellaert’s long out of print 1960’s Pop-Art masterpiece The Adventures of Jodelle in a lush, oversized hardcover edition. A satirical spy adventure set in an eye-popping psychedelic ancient Rome of horsedrawn Cadillacs, billboards and vampires, Jodelle has been re-translated and re-colored and features a huge annotated bonus selection of never-beforeseen archival art and photographs

and

Originally serialized in Love and Rockets Vol. II but never completed until now, Julio’s Day is Gilbert Hernandez’s latest graphic novel, a masterpiece of elliptical, emotional storytelling that traces one life through a series of enthralling vignettes. While Julio’s Day has some elements in common with Hernandez’s Palomar cycle, this is very much a standalone story that will help cement his position as one of the strongest and most original cartoonists of our time.

All right so get out there and spend some fucking money.

COVER

What can you say? David Aja. David fucking Aja.

Also? While we’re here at the top, I want to thank team HAWKGUY for making room for the benefit issue last month, in spite of adding an entire OTHER issue to the schedule in November, and still getting an issue out in February. New Steve, Sana, David, Matt, Chris, Annie, Jesse, and Old Steve — thank you. I know it only matters to me, but it mattered to me. So yeah. You’re the best.

Did i do a walkthrough for that one? Shit.

IFC
Steve and Sana write the little recap blurbs. I am as entertained by them as you are when the issues come out.

1
DOOMED LOVE

this was originally the last page of the issue and we changed it in read through. I fought it and fought it but looked at it both ways and felt Steve was right. And I think the issue’s stronger for it. 

2
I literally just noticed that she’s wearing Louboutins. A motif amongst the ladies of HAWKGUY apparently.

3
Look at how her heel comes up out of her shoe. Jesus, david.

4
FINALLY! Finally finally. I’ve been waiting to write these girls for a while. We’ll have to wait for the meat of it all next month where they each take turns in the spotlight but… yeah. 

David apparently decided it was Retro Night at the Avengers Mansion — how great is that? 

They’re playing Blind Man’s Bluff. I spent a RIDICULOUS amount of time researching just WHICH card precisely each woman would bear. And now I’m talking about it because the only way people know how SMART YOU ARE and how much WORK YOU DO and how much H I D D E N  C U L T  S H I T you put in your stuff is if you TELL THEM ABOUT IT so you are TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

5
The second of the Fabulous Annie Wu pieces but the first one I knew I was writing, once the idea of the covers-as-Cherry’s-backstory came to me. TEEEEEEN RUNAWAAAAYYYY! 

Also — Annie draws a good Charger, huh?

6
Her name is NOT really Cherry. Keep reading.

Also I love Pizza Dog giving her the gas-face.

7
I’m SURE we got the russian wrong. I hope we didn’t but i’m sure we did. eh. i’m okay with the tracksuits having a typo in the name of their own titty bar.

8
The Fabulous Annie Wu put goldfish in Cherry’s shoes, y’all. 

9
Kate’s new ride. Of COURSE it’s a new Beetle. Though actually it’s only new for a little while — but more about that later.

10
Kind of a master-class in color right here from Matt Hollingsworth. We debated whether or not the sfx OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ would be across the frames but they didn’t play; rest assured, OONTZ OONTZ shows up as a sound effect in FF #5.

11
My script for this page:

— as FROM INSIDE that KO’D TRACKSUIT comes falling backwards though the door.

 The STRIPPERS scream — the PATRONS look like deer trapped in bad metaphors. PANIC sweeps the crowd. The TRACKSUITS all LOOK AT CAMERA (?) or at least AT CLINT and push their sleeves up, coming AT HIM/US… 

(It’s a SHITTY STRIP CLUB. A little stage. A pole, A wall of mirrors. Low to NO LIGHT. A BAR. A back office.)

CLINT weaponizes the entire place. EVERYTHING that can be turned into a weapon will be and he uses it to take out TRACKSUIT after TRACKSUIT. Bottles. Drink trays. Chairs, tables. CLINT goes through one after the next, not going to make the same mistakes he made in ISSUE SIX. Think of The Bride’s raid on the House of Blue Leaves. 

At PAGE’S END, as everyone is running OUT through the door CLINT kicked that guy through — CHERRY sneaks IN, coat gone, looking like one of the fleeing, screaming, dancers.

which i add just to illustrate a little bit how the partnership works. Because — because how could you WRITE that layout? Why would you try? You can’t, so don’t. 

Cherry slipping in moves to the next page, making 12 very much HER story, where as 11 is all Clint. A nice touch. David has an almost holistic way of attacking the page. Page-as-stanza. Scenes will have their own design sense, their own flow. it makes adjustments difficult on the other side, which is why it takes so much to get to this point, why there’s so much back and forth from script to thumbnail to sketch to lettering to finishes.

12
My question: did Cherry throw the shoe that hit the guy on page 11, panel 9? It’s the girl on stage’s shoes, right? The one is at the bottom of 11, then the other hits the wall here…?

Well, after the Pizza Dog solo issue, we’ll do a STRIPPER SHOE issue and answer ALL of these pressing questions and more.

Also: KING OF ALL TRACKSUITS!

13
The plot sickens!

14
Yes I know what’s in the safe. Yes I know when Clint will know what’s in the safe. Yes I know when you’ll know what’s in the safe.  No I’m not telling you.

15
I guess the callback is funny, but I really didn’t mean for it to be a callback — it’s that both times we’ve seen clint pull the “i’m an avenger” card he’s been beating the hell out of somebody. So they ask if he’s Iron fist, the punching avenger.

Boy, if we ever restart Iron Fist we’re gonna call it IRON FIST THE PUNCHING AVENGER

16
I love these first eight panels. Not that the last three are tough shakes either, but.

Also, the mugshots are a Steve McQueen ref. on David’s part. 

Also also, you actually get to SEE Clint’s Avengers application next issue.

17
She said don’t touch her comics, Clint. Jeez.

18
One of those things where I wrote it and just trusted the Fabulous Annie Wu to be, well, Fabulous, and good lord did she deliver. Even the logo looks like one of those old Dick Giardano romance comics… 

Annie, you’re the best. Come back any time.

19
MEANWHILE IN A CRIME COMIC: look at that lineup of people. 

KOAT dropping “bro” as a sign of respect to the gathered room made me giggle like a crazy person at the crazy circus.

20
I could write a ongoing book about Kingpin and Mr. Negative. Hm.

Also how  great is it seeing Aja’s Typhoid Mary?

Also here Sana jumps off our Crazy Train and we welcome the Believable Tom Brennan as our assistant editor. Sana, again, thank you for everything. You’re the best.

Next: GIRLS.

F4 and FF walkthroughs coming to the mattasticfour blog over the next little bit.

i posted that thing this afternoon, went out and got my shot, came home, got the kids, had dinner and blah blah blah and finally came home and checked and 741 people have noted (is that what you call it? noted? liked or reblogged? whatever the what) the Annie Wu HAWKEYE image? SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE?

to quote the bard, THAT SHIT IS BANANAS