Dead Space Liberation a top seller for Titan Books

Titan Books new graphic novel, Dead Space: Liberation hit The New York Times Best-Sellers List at Number 3 in the Hardcover Graphic Books category this week.

Following the events of the smash video game hit Dead Space 2, the new adventure by Ian Edginton and Christopher Shy, a prequel to the Dead Space 3 video game launched last month,  follows Earthgov Sergeant John Carver, whose wife and son are attacked by fanatics trying to liberate the Marker site where she works. Racing to solve the clues his wife left behind, Carver teams up with Ellie Langford, survivor of an earlier Necromorph outbreak on the Sprawl, and EarthGov Captain Robert Norton.

Together they unlock deep secrets about the Markers in an epic adventure that will determine the fate of mankind.

The title is the third release in the Dead Space saga, and Titan have also re-released both Dead Space and Dead Space - Salvage in new editions.

• New York Times Graphic Novel Bestsellers: March 3 2013

Fishy Fun: Comic Characters sunk to new depths!

Here's a daft but fun item for comic and fish lovers: Custom Fishbowls.

This new, small British operation will take your suggestion for whatever kind of fish bowl or theme of a fishbowl you want and make it - and throw in some fish, too.

One customer asked them to use a Minnie the Minx figure... And this is the result.

It was clearly a commission close to the team's heart, stirring childhood memories of spending pocket money on a pack of Merlin Premier League football stickers, getting a sherbert Dib Dab and buying a copy of the Beano.

"The iconic black and white stripes still evoke childhood memories of reading about Dennis the Menace, Rodger the Dodger and all the gang," says creator Joshua. "So here's Minnie the Minx, the ultimate tomboy, finally caged ready for your goldfish to swim around.

"The Bash Street Kids would be bowled over!"

• If you are interested in purchasing a unique, custom fishbowl, then check out the Custom Fish Bowls Etsy shop or follow them on Twitter. You can also find them on Facebook - although there's not much to see there - or check out their photo gallery on this Tumblr Blog. If you have any requests, suggestions or want to ask us something drop them an email at customfishbowls@hotmail.co.uk

Future to launch official Pokemon Magazine

Future are gearing up for their launch of the Official Pokemon Magazine, with Issue 1 set to go on sale on 20th March.

With entertainment content including video games, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, a TV series broadcast on CITV, movies and toys, Pokémon is one of the most popular global children’s entertainment properties in the UK.

One of several 'evergreen' franchises, frequently 'reinventing' itself to gain new followers (Lego, Transformers, Doctor Who, Power Rangers could also be considered such), the Official Pokémon Magazine is the latest print launch from Future and will tap into the global Pokémon phenomenon.

Future say the magazine will be a one-stop shop for everything Pokémon, providing UK fans with the ultimate guide to all the latest Pokémon video game, TV series, film and Pokémon Trading Card Game information.

Each magazine will also feature activities, puzzles and competitions, and each issue will come with a Pokémon-themed cover mounted gift.

Priced at £3.99 the Official Pokémon Magazine will have a print frequency of 13 issues per year and will sit within Future’s Entertainment Group which comprises film and video game titles, including Official Nintendo Magazine and its related properties. The magazine will be edited by Editor-in-Chief, Chandra Nair.

Lee Nutter, Group Publisher for Future’s Entertainment Group, says: “It is absolutely fantastic for Future to partner with an international brand as renowned as Pokémon and to be provided with the opportunity to bring the official magazine to the UK market. Pokémon has never been bigger and more relevant than it is today and the magazine will serve as the voice for its UK audience.”

Heather Dalgleish, Director of Publishing at The Pokémon Company International, says: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with leading publisher, Future. Their extensive reach in the market ensures that the Official Pokémon Magazine can be enjoyed by Pokémon fans across the United Kingdom.”

 

Art Competition: Win a copy of Modesty Blaise - The Girl in the Iron Mask

The next volume of Titan Books long-running and hugely-popular Modesty Blaise collections goes on sale on 22nd March 2013 - and we're running a competition to win a copy.

Modesty Blaise is glamorous, intelligent, rich and very, very cool. She's been called the female James Bond but she's much more interesting than that. Modesty started life in 1963 as a strip in the London Evening Standard. The first of the novels followed three years later.

Modesty Blaise: The Girl in the Iron Mask by the popular and sadly missed British crime writer Peter O’Donnell features three stories, drawn by Enric Badia Romero: ‘Fiona’, ‘Walkabout’ and ‘The Girl In The Iron Mask’. Willie’s admirer Fiona returns, Modesty faces the outback alone and an iron mask could mark her end in this latest gripping volume.

Each story is introduced by Blaise archivist Lawrence Blackmore.

With thanks to Titan Books, we have a copy of this latest volume to give away, so we're throwing out a challenge to our artist readers - send us your drawing of Modesty Blaise and we'll choose what we think to be the very best.

• Entries by email only to to johnfreeman6-mb@yahoo.co.uk, to arrive mo later than 12 noon GMT on 22nd March 2013, please. We plan to publish a gallery of the best entries and entry to the competition assumes you give us permission to do this. Good luck!