The Battle Hymn Thread

[Christopher Burton]

Jonah's posted an eight-page preview of B. Clay Moore's Battle Hymn. Here's the link:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4722

Check it out, then come back here to discuss!

[halfmoth b.frey]

Howdy all! Brian Frey here with some more stuff to show. I recently finished the artwork for the 5th and final cover for Image Comics' BATTLE HYMN, which really will very likely definitely begin coming out this month, possibly:
http://homepage.mac.com/halfmoth/ForClay/forpress_BH5.jpg

And links to the other 4!
http://homepage.mac.com/halfmoth/ForClay/forpress_BH1.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/halfmoth/ForClay/forpress_BH2.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/halfmoth/ForClay/forpress_BH3.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/halfmoth/ForClay/forpress_BH4.jpg

Interior penciller Jeremy Haun and I collaborated on these, me getting his pencilled characters and then adding the rest. (I've got some "behind the scenes" imagery if anyone wants to see.) It's my old early-STARMAN Trade Cover Era (whoa, 10 years ago?!) mix of 3-D and Photoshop. I dig 'em.


"In the waning days of WWII..."
"...at the dawn of the Nuclear Age..."

Also, today sees the premiere of the BATTLE HYMN unofficial "trailer"! woo! Been wrestling with optimum compression (It's all about getting the best-looking results to your eyeballs!), and the best I can get this file down to -- today -- is 42MB. I'll see if I can get its filesize a leetle smaller...

But hey high-bandwidthers! Check out this 42MB chunk of fun:
http://halfmoth.com/BattleHymn/BHtrailer2.mov

I call it unofficial because I've borrowed for its soundtrack an iconic selection from Michael Giacchino's score for the videogame 'Medal of Honor' (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00003JAK8/qid=1107240296/sr=8-4/ref=pd_bbs_4/104-7975124-1329520?v=glance&s=music&n=507846). (I do own the CD the selection's off of!)

I've bought a lot of Giacchino's music, from the 'MoH' games to 'The Incredibles' score. He also scored 'Call of Duty, TV's 'Alias' and 'Lost', and I see in my Amazon search he's also just done the score for the new LucasArts game 'Mercenaries'. Give him a listen -- beyond what you'll hear in my "trailer"!

Maybe I should just call it a Fan Film... :)

--brian f.

[Jonah Weiland]

Beautiful stuff, Brian. I swear, I'd buy lithos of the cover to issue 1 and 2. Beautiful. Thanks for stopping by.

[Jonah Weiland]

Holy crap, that trailer is excellent. Thanks much for sharing. So many comic trailers, well, mostly suck, but this isn't one of those. Nicely done.

[Mike Bullock]

Very nice. That trailer is excellent. And was it just me, or is the old "Newsreel" voice narrating that first page?

I can't wait to get my hands on this book. Clay's shown me some stuff already and the more I see, the more anxious I get to hold it in my hands.

[halfmoth b.frey]

Thanks, Jonah and Mike! I appreciate it. (I'm working on a smaller filesize...) :) I've seen issue #1 and am really proud to be a part of this miniseries. Calling the "trailer" a FanFilm is the truth!

Beautiful stuff, Brian. I swear, I'd buy lithos of the cover to issue 1 and 2. Beautiful. Thanks for stopping by.

I'll get with Jeremy on that! I definitely want to make some nice prints. There IS some stuff already at CafePress:
BATTLE HYMN store (http://www.cafepress.com/bohomercantile/455408) woo!

--brian f.

[lboinyamouf4sho]

the book looks great and i plan on picking it up. my question is, is battlehymn supposed to be sort of like to captain america in wwII, what supreme powers is to squadron supreme?? that's the idea i'm getting with the simularity between the characters and all.

[CurryStick]

Hey, any idea how much longer until this book hits the shelves, it was supposed to ship in December.... and still no sign of it..

[halfmoth b.frey]

NEW 20MB DOWNLOAD! :D
http://halfmoth.com/BattleHymn/BHtrailer_20MB.mov

thank you

--brian f.

(CurryStick, I think it's Feb.23rd now... Maybe Clay can stop by and confirm.)

[lboinyamouf4sho]

Hey, any idea how much longer until this book hits the shelves, it was supposed to ship in December.... and still no sign of it..


yeah whats the deal, i ordered #5 from previews already but did #1 even come out yet??

[lboinyamouf4sho]

yeah whats the deal, i ordered #5 from previews already but did #1 even come out yet??


anyone????

[halfmoth b.frey]

Sorry, Mouf, I thought Clay might've answered by now. The best I can say is what I posted to CurryStick in the message just above yours:

(CurryStick, I think it's Feb.23rd now...

--brian f.

[halfmoth b.frey]

http://halfmoth.com/BattleHymn/WedFeb23.gif

If you're starting a line outside your local comics shop, set up a webcam and post here! And bring deoderant, dude, really.

--brian f.

"Trailer":
http://halfmoth.com/BattleHymn/BHtrailer2.mov [42MB]
http://halfmoth.com/BattleHymn/BHtrailer_20MB.mov [uh, 20MB]
Shirts, caps, journals & postcards:
http://www.cafepress.com/bohomercantile/455408

[Cayman]

I picked up issue 1 today. It was quite entertaining, and I'm excited to read the next issue.

I was a bit put-off by the self-congratulatory back cover page. "we know it's rare for fans to feel motivated enough to step out of their comfort zones and try new things...slap them upside the head with a copy of this book. Who knows? They might discover they like variety." Hmm, what I read was basically Ultimate Supreme Invaders, not some new contribution to the medium. Small gripe though, the actual content of the book was quite pleasing, if familiar.

Cay

[thik_3rd]

Hmm, what I read was basically Ultimate Supreme Invaders, not some new contribution to the medium.

lol. well, thats one way to put it.
anyways, good issue.
i really dug the design on visio... cloud's artificial man.
and i liked how *union jack* (cant remember his naem here, the british clock guy) told churchill how is mission really went down.

[Brian Cronin]

I really, really liked it.

Top notch stuff.

However, Cay is probably accurate...it's not the most original of comics.

But it is well-written, well-drawn and well-told.

So I heartily recommend it!

-Brian

[Jonah Weiland]

My damned comic shop sold out. Not too happy about that! Think I'll make my way to Meltdown Thursday afternoon and pick up a copy there.

[lboinyamouf4sho]

damn my comic shop to hell for not carrying it. i wonder if there is a tpb in the future??

[Cayman]

lol. well, thats one way to put it.
anyways, good issue.
i really dug the design on visio... cloud's artificial man.
and i liked how *union jack* (cant remember his naem here, the british clock guy) told churchill how is mission really went down.

I think he was Mid-Nite Hour.

It works on a few levels, I guess.

Cay

[Jonah Weiland]

Well, I loved it. Nice pacing, beautiful art, great setup. I only wonder how they're going to fit the evolving story in to just five issues. Really great stuff. VERY satisfying read.

The Artificial Man kicks ass. Sure, he hasn't done anything yet, but his design is fantastic!

[lboinyamouf4sho]

i can't seem to get this book off my mind for some reason. i won't rest till i have issue #1

[Doug W]

Proud American? The Midnite Hour? Jonny Zip?... yeesh, even deliberatly corny names aren't this corny.

Anyway, I liked this first issue too. The story is good and well written and it does a good job of introducing all the characters.
But the real standout for me was the art, its just great.

OK now I have some spoilers and speculation so I'm going into spoiler space-
First I wonder what really happened durring Betty's first encounter with Quinn Rey, the Agents seem to think she had sex with him and she doesn't deny it, but... why would she have sex with a fish-man... who she just met? I see a few possibilities 1. they didn't really have sex and the agents are just being assholes, 2. Betty is the type of girl who does that sort of thing(i.e. she has serious problems), 3. Quinn Rey raped her and women were treated a little diffrently back then.

Next the Artificial Man looks more like a guy in a containment suit than a robot and Cloud strikes me as more of an occultist than an engineer... I bet theres a corpse or something under that suit.

That is all, I think. I wonder how many months late the second issue will be?

[KWAK!]

Quinn Ray reminds me waaaay too much of Abe Sapien from BPRD/Hellboy...

but overall a great book, I'll be picking up the next issue.

[EricExpress]

I'm pretty new to comics and one I picked up was "The Battle Hymn" by Image Comics and I really loved the first issue. I was wondering if anyone knew if the next issues were out or could inform me of when they would be out. I really wouldn't want to miss anything.

Also if you could suggest some comics to me that I might like that'd be cool. This is my first post. I'm a big fan of "Preacher" and I like "Supreme Power." I'm also a fan of stuff like "American Splendor" and "Ghost World."

Thanks!

[thik_3rd]

i was just about to ask when 2 dropped...
its not out yet so you havent missed it, and according to diamond it doesnt drop this week or next.

supreme power is one of my favorite series as well, actually, its my favorite hands down.
i also recommend captain america and the ultimates right now, each are roughly in the same vein as supreme power.

i'd also recommend stuff like cable/deadpool, astonishing x-men, ultimate x-men, rex mundi, marvel team-up, the goon, walking dead, and invincible, but theyre going off on more of a tangent.

[EricExpress]

Bump. When is the new issue coming out?

[thik_3rd]

http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=494

i dont think theres an official release date yet...

[EricExpress]

Thanks for the link. Looks good.

[thik_3rd]

*still waiting*

[lboinyamouf4sho]

is it possible to order anything earlier than issue 5 from previews??

[Apathy Boy]

The delays on this book are inexcusable. According to the original solicitations (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=4683), issue #5 was supposed to come out on April 6. We're at the end of the month and we don't even have issue #2 in sight yet.

The first issue was good, but not so good that I'm willing to wait this long for the next one.

[thik_3rd]

issue 2 drops tomorrow.

[CurryStick]

Sweet and only 4 months late!

[lboinyamouf4sho]

issue 2 drops tomorrow.



did anyone pick it up??

[thik_3rd]

yeah i did. artificial man is bad ass! just wait til you read it.


SPOILERS


the ending has some shadowy government types discussing the individual members expendability.

[lboinyamouf4sho]

yeah i did. artificial man is bad ass! just wait til you read it.


SPOILERS


the ending has some shadowy government types discussing the individual members expendability.


lucky bastard

[lboinyamouf4sho]

i actually came across a copy of #2, it's pretty damned interesting

[jordanlund]

I must admit, I'm drawn to retro style stories and grabbed Battlehymn #1 the day it came out. It's kind of cool to see that it's being listed now in a list of "Top 25" small press and indie books, along with "Walking Dead" and Hellboy.

I'd be itching to mention what happens in #3, but it's such a huge spoiler, I don't want to mess it up for anyone.

[thik_3rd]

yeah i am. is it 4 issues or 5? i was originally under the impression it was 5, but the end of 3 said something like "to be concluded". great read by the way.

[Greg T]

Yeah, that was a misprint. It's five issues. I came on board lettering the book with issue 3 and will letter 4 and 5 and reletter the first 2 issues for the trade so there's some cohesion there.

That said, I love this book. Great story, great art. What's not to like.

[siuntres]

There's a Free B Clay Moore mp3 interview I did last night, with plenty of Battle Hymn talk, as well as Clay's other titles.

www.wordballoon.com

[lboinyamouf4sho]

i was trying to follow it but the only issue i could find was #2, now that i know there will be a trade i'll wait for that. i loved #2 btw

[-Dutch_Master-]

yeah i really love this book, its definitely following the vein that interests me more and more in comic heroes, the more realistic side of the charachters. sex, booze, etc.....things the big boys dont hit on alot in the kiddie books. i loved issue 3 as well, what an awesome little bit o sabotage. and the artificial man is just to cool, like when he just went up to the nazis and started roasting them in number 2 heheh

im just bummed this is only a mini series, hopefully it will garner enough support to do another one with the remaining charachters

[lboinyamouf4sho]

any chance the trade will be on time??

[GeorgeG]

I'm STILL waiting for Battle Hymn # 4. Is there any news on this? Did Diamond cancel it yet?

[Greg T]

Battle Hymn 4 should be out next week with #5 following later this month.

[lboinyamouf4sho]

what issue are they on as of now??

[thik_3rd]

the series is wrapped up. issue 5 came out a while back.

[lboinyamouf4sho]

the series is wrapped up. issue 5 came out a while back.



when is the trade due?? i ordered the trade and it was supposed to be out in october i think.

[buytradestuff]

So it seems as though the trade is available now, with another great cover. I bought all of the originals as they came out, but didn't get a chance to read them until recently.

I haave to say, this was one of my favorite reads in a long time. It was an engaging homage to the Golden Age without being hokey. It clearly had its roots in well-told stories (that I must admit to being only tangentially aware of), but by issue 2, we were being taken off in a new direction and a world all our own.

Are there any plans for a second series? Any clues as to what we could expect?

[lboinyamouf4sho]

So it seems as though the trade is available now, with another great cover. I bought all of the originals as they came out, but didn't get a chance to read them until recently.

I haave to say, this was one of my favorite reads in a long time. It was an engaging homage to the Golden Age without being hokey. It clearly had its roots in well-told stories (that I must admit to being only tangentially aware of), but by issue 2, we were being taken off in a new direction and a world all our own.

Are there any plans for a second series? Any clues as to what we could expect?


i liked it too, but would've liked a little more action.

[B Clay Moore]

Thanks to all of you who stuck with us through the delays, and who picked up the trade.

We delayed the trade primarily because of all the delays with the regular book (many of which were out of our hands), but I'm glad it's all out there for people to check out.

There's a piece on today's CBR about our next book, THE LEADING MAN, from Oni Press, which we're finishing well ahead of time to assure we don't see any more lateness.

-BCM

[Jonah Weiland]

For those of you who missed the link to the article on The Leading Man, it can be found here:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7041

[lboinyamouf4sho]

For those of you who missed the link to the article on The Leading Man, it can be found here:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7041


looks good but xpensive. i'm just a poor mexican $2.99 a book is normaly my budget.