I first found out about New-Gen when visiting Marvel Comics’ website a few weeks ago. Under their news section I found a press release for New-Gen, as well as the first three issues of the comic book in digital form. Although not an original concept of Marvel Comics, the New-Gen team of A.P.N.G. Enterprises, Inc. headed by Matonti brothers (Chris and J.D.) and Julia Coppola has successfully mustered the support of Marvel Comics to distribute their comics and lend a hand to this promising new venture.
New-Gen revolves around the concept of nanotechnology and its manipulation for both its potential good and evil ends. Pivoting upon the characters of Gabriel and Deadalus (a.k.a. Sly) the storyline of New-Gen focuses on a power struggle between the ideological uses and ultimate goals of using nanotechnology. Located in another dimension, tangential to Earth, the New-Gen world is one of utopian harmony and social balance. Having created a perfected form of nanotech the two scientists, Gabriel and Deadalus shape the world in which they live to create a new and better world.
Despite their initial commonalities as fellow scientists, Deadalus begins to have much more grandiose visions for not only their world, but for others as well. Juxtaposed to the stories initial portrayal of a utopian world, is the quickly realized schism between Gabriel and Deadalus, one in which Deadalus perceives nanotechnology as a tool for gaining power and where Gabriel sees it as a means of creating balance and order.
Part one, of the six issue comic book series, dives right into this clash between protagonist Gabriel and antagonist Deadalus. The storyline does a good job of establishing the present events of a battle between Gabriel and Deadalus, while also punctuating the battle with a brief back story of Gabriel and Deadalus’s past relationship. It is in this battle that the ideological differences between Gabriel and Deadalus are brought to the surface. The catalyst is Deadalus’s release of nanobots amongst the populous of New-Gen, infusing an entire generation of “New-Genians” with nanotech powers and physical transformations. As a result, Gabriel exiles Deadalus to another dimension and begins his work towards helping those affected by the nanobots, including Deadalus’s own daughter. Likewise, in an effort to protect his own children from the transformative effects of the nanobots, Gabriel sends his twin sons to Earth where they are raised by two sentient beings that have themselves been manifested out of the nanobots. Despite his good intentions in trying to protect his children, another rift soon arises between Gabriel and his wife Thea. Thea expresses her grief and regret at having been deprived of her only children by putting on a cold demeanor towards Gabriel and ultimately making his decision that much more painful.
Deadalus’s story continues in the underworld to which he has been banished by acquainting us with the barren environment in which he is now captive and the strange creatures that live there. Twisted with the rage of his exile and the deprivation of power to which he feels he is entitled, Deadalus soon realizes his ability to control the creatures that reside in the underworld and twist them to his will. Utilizing their ability to eat through the metal and rock of the underworld, Deadalus finds a way out of his underworld prison and into, what he eventually finds out to be, new and parallel dimensions.
In creating the 6 issue series, New-Gen creators A.P.N.G. Enterprises, Inc. solicited the help of debut artists Abdul H. Rashid as their pencilist and inker, Alexander Cutri as their colorist, and Matias Timarchi of Altercomics Studios as their letterer. As an artistic team, they have come together to create a beautifully rendered world that speaks not only to one’s imagination, but also to an emotional understanding of the story. Uniquely drawn in its somewhat cinema-graphic style, the artists of New-Gen have done well in their efforts to create motion within a motionless medium. Furthermore, the articulation of color serves well as a visual reminder to the seamless nuances of each panel. Likewise, facial expression and body language are conveyed meaningfully to depict a storyline that is rife with struggle. Working together for the first time, the artist of the New-Gen project have found a compelling voice through their collective talent, bringing to life a concept that seems to have no bounds. In all, the effect is one of vitality and great potential for future developments. Tending towards the optimistic side, this seems to be a very promising venture that A.P.N.G. has set off on. Counter to what I have read from some less hopeful readers, Marvel has taken a strong enough interest in New-Gen to distribute it nation-wide and based upon what I have seen of the subsequent issues, it is definitely not something to be pushed aside.
With New-Gen’s imaginative and engaging storyline, it is a refreshing and optimistic view of the future. Such refreshing reminders of hope and non-apocalyptic scenarios are seldom seen in the realm of comic books anymore. Instead of reinforcing pervading feelings of helplessness about the future, New-Gen walks a different line by infusing discussions of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, ethics, and cutting edge technology (nanotechnology) into its overall concept to make for a more positive view of our future world. However, this does not go to say that the creators of New-Gen are oblivious to the realities currently facing humanity, on the contrary they seem to be embracing those realities by presenting them to a younger audience, in a medium they can relate to, and giving them the hope needed to make the necessary changes for the future. Fusing entertainment and socially important issues into a cohesive mix, New-Gen has the potential to be a catalyst for change and the bulwark upon which a new generation of socially conscious individuals can be borne.
Sounds like new-gen is on damage control alert. Don't be fooled by this corporate crap. This company sounds like a scam. The contest winners were surpose to be picked this summer. At comic con. Instead they will be announced during the fall.
I'm beginning to think everything related to New Gen is fishy, including the article above which we were approached to publish here on the site.
"Iceman," I tried to contact you to learn more from what you call corporate crap, but you left no real email I could reach you from. If you want to denounce something, sometimes you have to leave a real trace so that the press people investigating the story can contact you. Otherwise, your claim is not better than the "Gosh this comics is great" comments above.
If anyone knows more about New Gen, I'd like to them to contact me at The Bin, and let me know.
Aside from the above two commnets look at what readers are saying about new gen.The Marvel site comments are brutal.
What happened to the draw your fate contest winner. They were supposed to announce the winner at comic con san diego july 24-28. This shows a lack of integrity. Why do they feel the need to shove their bussiness plan in our face? Sounds to me like A.P.N.G. wants to take advantage of the comic book industry for nothing more than their own personal gain.
We comic book readers need to stop big companies from taking over our passion for good comic book stories and replacing it with bastardized bull crap that has put this country in the worst economic disaster in the history of the United States.
Chris and JD Matonti are movie producers what qualifies them as comic book guros?
Again "Iceman" your words have no value if you can't back them up with someplace where we as the press - neutral and not a party to this whole thing - can investigate.
It's easy to make accusations, but if we can't reach you because you use a bogus contact email, then what you say has no value and is simply attacking a company, for all it's worth. Be a man and contact me directly and tell me what you know about New-Gen, and I as a reporter, will investigate the other side of the story and make a fair assessment of the situation for all of The Comic Book Bin's readers.
Remember that here at The Bin, we don't tolerate gossips, personal attacks and similar actions. If you really have something to say, do it professionally or contact me directly. But I will not tolerate any further attacks on New Gen from you, until you can prove your identity and allow us to get the real dope on this story. This is not Newsarama...
Herve' I 'll tell you what... take down my commets... do your investigation. If you feel my accusations are accurate then allow my post to stand with out contradiction. If you feel I am wrong in my assumptions then by all means do not put them back up.
As far as personal attacking someone I have not. I am simple defending the industry that I have enjoyed since a child. If standing up for something you have a passion for is being mistreated them I am guilty.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but the only personal attack was made by you toward me.
I have nothing against a.p.n.g. but I will not stand by and watch corporate america take control and commercialize the last bit of american folk lure we have. I have made this conclusion after looking into press releases and quoted statements made by a.p.n.g.
So with that said I urge you to do your investigation to help uncover whats really happening.
1-You can't say a company is a scam because they were late in picking out winners for a prize. For example, we have an Alan Moore DVD competition right now. If we extend it by a week, will that make us evil corporate fools? There are many reasons why a company extends a deadline. Inferring evil motives when that happens is not the way to go.
2-The industry of your childhood belongs to everybody. Anyone can publish a comic book if they wish to. There are no rules about who can do what. It's a free market and there are not rules about creation and art. The beauty of the market is that companies with shady business plans and exit strategies - read my series of articles on business plans - will be eliminated through market corrections, when their plans are not sound. In New-Gen's plan is bogus, then they won't be here for long.
3-I need to reiterate that I am completely neutral on this. Except for informing The Bin's public, I have nothing to gain in all of this.
4-The accusations you made on New-Gen were vague and without solid arguments or examples. Too many people keep complaining about publisher A and publisher B in this industry and my job is clear out all the bogus claims from real one - whether it's a creator, a reader, saying something is wrong with a company, or whether a publisher is trying to sell me his kool aid in press releases or personal interviews. At The Bin, we're face with the need to be objective and clear the crap from the truth all the time, and we've done so many times, and called the bs from people who deserved to be denounced. However, we can't responsibly denounce without a solid case.
Hence that's why I asked you to provide your contact identity and email so I could get your side of the story by asking you directly - getting the real dirt from you - as opposed to just going in by hints. So far, I still don't know from your comments alone, what's the problem with New Gen. If I can't tell, from your messages, without having to check Marvel's message boards, then it means that one of us is failing in his communications' efforts. I believe in due process.
5-I have to point out that your stance on corporate America is biased. Comics are a business, and last time I checked, one of the largest media conglomerate in the US controlled one of the major publisher. An entire industry has been created out of derivative products from comics with major interests from a lot of people who have nothing to do with comics. But again, you can't just say that the participation of all these parties is evil because they are not about comics.
Comic book publishing as it stands, is not about fine arts. It's a business. Those comics that you cherish as a kid were made by people with clear business interests. I would say get over it.
6-I am not threatened by APNG. These guys are too small to make a difference. If they were such a threat, I would have received press releases from them when they were coming out. Marvel is very proactive in letting us know what they are up to. They never told me about New-gen. If it weren't for that article above, I would have never heard from them. If I don't know about them - and it's my job to do so, chances are most of the industry and readers don't really care. It may sound brutal to the New Gen's folks, but perhaps they should be reading the many articles I've written about sales, business plans and public relations at The Bin. Their message is not coming out and to be a threat to anyone, they need better communications.
7-About personal attack. Personal attacks is making an unproven remark on a company or someone without any proof, back up, argument and so on. It's like saying "worse comics ever." When I asked you to please come forward twice, I made it clear that I without a full contact info - a way - I, an independent reporter - can figure out what you're trying to say - and no you don't have to worry, I would not let the folks from New Gen know you're email - Only I and the editors at The Bin have access to that - Unless you can be reached, your words have no weight. That's not a personal attack. That's telling you that I'd like to find out more about New Gen from your perspective, but you're not helping me. As a reporter, I don't smell a story yet. Just another reader saying something like "worse comic ever" and not backing it up with a real contact.
When I post here, under my name, I'm taking responsibility for my words. I'm not asking you your name, but frankly I can't write a story out of comments like worse comics ever.
When you say that New gen cheats or whatever, it is the genre of attacks that we don't tolerate here, unless they are backed. That type of comments is very popular on most comic book forums, but not here. The same standards that govern the staff of the Bin, governs our readers. If you are gonna make an attack, back it up. I have severely criticized many publishers in the past. Many were pissed off about my comments and told me about it. However, the attacks were never meant to say they were an evil business, but to shed light on a very specific practice or action they did. It's never a free for all. And usually, I'm dead right about my criticisms, which are meant to encourage them to correct a problem, not drive them out of business.
When I criticize Marvel.com's privacy policy, I want them to improve it for their customers. I don't want to stop Marvel.com from making money.
When you say that New gen is in this for their own personal gain - ahem, what publisher isn't? - you give me nothing concrete to work on. No clear systemic problem from their practices. No clear example of how they took advantage of their customers. And since I couldn't even reach you, how the hell was I supposed to even take this seriously and investigate? Again, if the press doesn't smell a story, and you won't make yourself available to back up your claims, there isn't much that you can expect us to do to investigate your claims. I won't go to Marvel's message boards, because I assume - I assume - I assume - that I already know what I'll read over there - flame wars and unsubstantiated attacks.
That's all I have to say - and probably said too much about an issue that frankly is not news.
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