Contemporary Authors

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Groot ( originally published serially in Marvel Comics, 2016) Spotlight (Minneapolis, MN), 2018
• Judas Boom! Studios (Los Angeles, CA), 2018

1. Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot LCCN 2017931596 Type of material Book Personal name Loveness, Jeff, author. Main title Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot / Jeff Loveness, writer ; Brian Kesinger, artist. Edition Reinforced library bound edition. Published/Produced Minneapolis, Minnesota : Spotlight, a division of ABDO, 2018. ©2017 Description 6 volumes (unpaged) : chiefly color illustrations ; 27 cm ISBN 9781532140778 (# 1) 1532140770 (# 1) 9781532140785 (# 2) 1532140789 (# 2) 9781532140792 (# 3) 1532140797 (# 3) 9781532140808 (# 4) 1532140800 (# 4) 9781532140815 (# 5) 1532140819 (# 5) 9781532140822 (# 6) 1532140827 (# 6) CALL NUMBER Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms

• Jeff Loveness - https://www.jeffloveness.com/

  Jeff Loveness is a writer, actor and director. He currently writes for Rick and Morty. He has also written for Jimmy Kimmel Live, the upcoming TBS series, Miracle Workers, Marvel Comics, The Oscars, Emmys, Onion, New Yorker and White House Correspondents' Dinner.

  He has been nominated for an Emmy and won a Webby and WGA award, but truly, who cares? Why am I writing this in the 3rd person? No one is reading this far. Death is coming.

• Comic Black Book - http://comicblackbook.com/interview-jeff-loveness-writer-judas-boom-studios/

  INTERVIEW: Jeff Loveness, Writer of Judas by Boom! Studios
  Ian Alekzander
  BY IAN ALEKZANDER
  FEBRUARY 11, 2018

  First, how did the idea of telling a biblical story from the perspective of Judas come about? What interested you about that?

  I was raised deeply Christian, and the character of Judas always seemed so tragic to me. His fate was beyond him. Jesus prophesied about it. Satan entered him. Jesus even told him to do it quickly. He was supposed to play this pivotal, fateful role in the story, but it was thankless. Imagine being born to be the villain of history, and the most loving figure in the world, your friend, did nothing to stop it. The tragedy of Judas always stayed with me.

  Was it difficult to find an artist like Jakub Rebelka to do the art for Judas? The art is so fitting of the story you are trying to tell.

  Boom! had their eye on Jakub and I’m so thrilled we got him. His work has been transcendent. I just write a couple words and he does the rest. He’s a true master. From the beginning, he immediately knew the style and vibe I was going for. It’s been a thrill to see him unleash the story.

  Pitching this idea to Boom! Studios, were they supportive from the start or did you have to resort to some good ol’ fashion charm to get them on board?

  Yeah! I initially pitched them like… 8 ideas and Judas was the last one. I almost deleted it because I didn’t think anyone would do it. And to my great surprise, they were all in for Judas. I’ve been blown away by their support for creators and original ideas. Boom’s making great stuff right now.

  Next I’d like to discuss the actual story itself:

  There’s a panel you shared on your twitter account from the second issue where Lucifer says to Judas, “You and I, Judas… we know what it is like to look at the face of God… and be the only ones willing to see the lie. So I told the truth. ‘And there was war in heaven.'” Do you feel like you’re doing the same thing? Staring at the face of God and being one of the few who are willing to question him?

  Ha. I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not brave enough to stare at the face of God. But I do like inverting the perspectives of these stories. In the traditional vein, Judas is a vicious traitor and Satan is the great deceiver. Jesus is pure love and God is perfect.
  But when you flip it to Judas and Satan’s perspectives, maybe Judas is a man trapped within fate and Satan is a failed revolutionary with constant propaganda hurled against him. But then again… Satan loves bending the truth, so who knows?

  Now, Lucifer seems to be taking the Taylor Swift route and is working on building his own squad to help him. On another panel you shared, Lucifer speaks to Judas and he says, “They lied to you. They used you. But now we are here together. And they know not what they do.” Could this mean trouble for God? Is there a war in the horizon?

  You’ll have to check out issue #3. Things do not go well for Jesus.

  I’ve read the Bible cover to cover, not because I am religious, but because I am on my own spiritual journey to try to understand the idea of God, godhood, and religion as a whole. And one thing that I noticed is that you helped me see the stories I read in the Bible from a different perspective and I will always be thankful for that. It’s a true testament, no pun intended, at how powerful the writing in Judas can be. During the course of issue #2, you visit the stories of people who also fell victim of God’s will. One of them is Lot’s wife and Lucifer goes on to say, “Lot’s wife. We never even knew her name. Just another refugee fleeing God’s genocide upon Sodom and Gomorrah. But she sinned. Because she looked. He punished her for witnessing his (God’s) crimes.” Why did you decide to explore the different points of view of these characters who are essentially villainized to the benefit of God’s story?

  Christians like to think of Hell as this place where evil people go… but I dunno. I’m sure there’d be billions of others who just didn’t call God the right name. Or maybe they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe they didn’t matter to God’s story. I’m sure even bad dudes like Pharaoh and Jezebel deserved to go, but still… weren’t they guided there a bit by God because he needed villains for his heroes? It was stuff I always thought about and I’m so glad people have responded to it well.

  The ending, Jeff Loveness, THE ENDING of the second issue, as the kids would say… had me shook. I know I am toeing the line of spoilers, but what can we expect from that reveal? Will this character join Lucifer and Judas?

  Oh you shall see. Jesus thought his pain was over, but it’s gonna get a lot worse than nails in a hand.

  What do you have in store for the future?

  I’m writing on a TV show called ‘Miracle Workers’ – check that out this Summer on TBS. I’m currently writing this in bed in the early afternoon… so… not much is in store for my future. I’ll probably be dead in 9 hours.

  So funny! Lastly, where can people find you on social media?

  Twitter: @JeffLoveness. Please haunt me with Russian bots.

  The Comic Black Book Discord community is made up of hundreds of nerds all over the world and they were excited to know you agreed to an interview. How about we do some fun questions?

  Dolame55 asks: How did you get into the comic book industry as you are an Emmy and WGA Award nominated writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live?

  I always loved comics growing up. They were my life-blood. I ran into a Marvel guy one time backstage (such a dumb Hollywood coincidence, I know) and I tried my best to make my case. Luckily, he was incredibly kind and I sent him some material- a Wes Anderson Spider-Man parody I had made years before. That video opened the door and let me submit some stuff to them. I’m deeply grateful for all the chance and happenstance there.

  Melinoe/ The Batgirl Fan asks: How does it feel to be an Emmy nominated creator?

  Constant imposter syndrome and deep insecurity about the future and all the forms it may take.

  Corrosive Rabbit asks: If not comic books, what else would you have done career wise?

  My whole plan was to be a high school history teacher. If you want to know about the French and Indian War. Let me know.

  Ninety9Lives asks: Name one moment in comics that makes you smile whenever you remember it.

  “WHAT OTHER LIES HAVE YOU TOLD?” from Astonishing X-Men, where Cyclops’ master strategy goes into effect and he busts out the optic blasts. It’s the best “To Me My X-Men” in history. Telepathy-strategy misdirects, killing yourself, reviving yourself, and then leading the charge from within the enemy base is such a great moment.
  Also All Star Superman 12: When Lex Luthor sees the way Superman sees and understands WHY he is so good. It is a devastatingly human moment in comic books

  The Flea asks: What would be your dream project? Or dream team for a project of yours?

  I want to keep writing my own original comics, but as far as dream projects… X-Men all the way. I want to do an Astonishing-style team book. Keep it lean. 6 members maybe. No huge crossovers. Just do a tight, fun X-Men run.

  Mentally scarring Robo Daddy asks: Do you prefer Silver Age or Modern Age superhero costumes?

  I lean 90’s because I’m an idiot and that’s what I grew up with. 90’s X-Men rule, but on the whole I prefer Silver Age. There’s so much artistry and atomic-age pop myth within them. Superman should have those red trunks forever. I’m so glad they’re back.

  Alenight The Reigning Good Boy asks: Would you be interested in writing Cyclops again in the future?
  Always. He’s my absolute favorite super hero… maybe even fictional character. He’s so relatable to me. He’s full of failure and doubt and repression… but occasionally he bursts through those moments and tries to become his best self. He’s constantly messing up. What a dude. It’s a running joke over at Marvel that I always try to slip him into scripts, even if he has NO place being there. (My “Inhuman Error” Saga, Groot, Nova… all that.) I got to write him straight up in “Life After Logan” – and it actually made me weep. So hopefully that opportunity arises again.
  —

  You can get Judas today on Comixology and the official Boom! Studios website:
  Boom! Studios
  Comixology

  Judas #3 comes out February 14 2018 at your Local Comic Book Store.

• Paste - https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/09/exclusive-booms-judas-miniseries-explores-the-afte.html

  Exclusive: BOOM!’s Judas Miniseries Explores the Aftermath of History's Greatest Blasphemer
  Creators Jeff Loveness & Jakub Rebelka Put Judas Iscariot Through Hell & Back in “Bible Fan Fiction"
  By Sean Edgar | September 13, 2017 | 11:30am
  COMICS FEATURES JEFF LOVENESS
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  Exclusive: BOOM!’s Judas Miniseries Explores the Aftermath of History's Greatest Blasphemer
  Taken on purely literary merits, the Christian Bible flaunts a staggering number of complex characters worthy of further exploration. Ironically, though, the most intriguing figures often fail the moral doctrine of their source material. Need proof? Phillip Pullman unpacked the deception of Eve in his lauded fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials, Henry Rollins played a modern-day Cain in the 2015 horror flick He Never Died and Satan has continually snagged starring roles ranging from John Milton’s narrative poetry to primetime cop dramas on Fox—much to the chagrin of old conservative dudes calling themselves a million moms.

  What makes these archetypal sinners so worthy of our fascination? They’re certainly more relatable, but they also tend to offer a more layered look into morality—spectrums of bittersweet grey more than binary black and white. And Judas Iscariot embraces that ambiguity more than any of his nefarious peers. The apostle is largely condemned for betraying Jesus Christ to the Romans, but without the Judas kiss—predicted by Christ at the Last Supper—the crucifixion and moral salvation of humanity within the Christian faith could never have occurred. Whether Judas is religion’s biggest narc or a celestial domino is a question that remains even after non-canonical gospels have suggested the latter.

  Exclusively announced today, writer Jeff Loveness and artist Jakub Rebelka will tackle that question in a gorgeous four-issue comic miniseries published by BOOM! Studios, set to start this December. The period piece picks right up where the Good Book left off, witnessing the titular character wake up in Hell after committing suicide. The project offers a new direction for Loveness, who honed his writing chops in comedy institutions including The Onion and Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as Marvel superheroe titles like Nova and Groot. Polish artist Rebelka recently wrapped the reality-bending odyssey Namesake with writer Steve Orlando, merging chiseled figures against striking, surrealist world-building.

  Paste exchanged emails with the pair to discover more about this ambitious project and its origins.
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  Judas_001_Main_PROMO.jpg
  Judas #1 Cover Art by Jakub Rebelka
  Paste: After reading the first script, Jeff, this is a very informed sequel to the Christian Gospels. What’s your history with the religion? Was there any inciting factor to publish this story, or has it been percolating for a while?

  Jeff Loveness: I was raised in a very Christian home, so it was a huge part of my life growing up. But growing up, I always felt sorry for Judas. We’re supposed to look at him as this grand villain or ultimate traitor…but his role in the story seemed so predetermined and beyond him. Satan “entered” him. Jesus straight up told him to do it. Judas was trapped in this story, unable to be anything else.

  And then upon betraying Jesus, he feels immediate guilt and kills himself. The remorse of Judas always felt so tragic to me. No one cared about the turmoil he was going through. Nobody ever thought about the immense, cosmic burden placed upon this ordinary man. The fulcrum of the story hinged on him… but if he played his part, he’d be hated for the rest of history. The story was rigged against him from the beginning.
  I wanted to see what happened next. Judas waking up in Hell is such a striking image to me. At first, he feels immense guilt and dread, but that turns to hopeless rage toward Jesus, who knew all of this would happen—and let it happen anyway.
  So, basically, it’s a sci-fi comic about Judas Iscariot journeying through life and death, grappling with his place in “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and fighting for something between revenge and redemption.
  Think of it as a mix of the New Testament, Sandman, What Dreams May Come and Dante’s Inferno.

  Paste: Looking through your portfolio, Jakub, there’s certainly a regal state to your figures that recalls Renaissance-era Christian iconography. Are you going to employ a more traditional aesthetic here, or innovate in a different direction?

  Jakub Rebelka: I don’t want to be too traditional, but since we are working on a comic book, it has a language with its own rules. But yes, medieval Christian art was always a huge inspiration for me, especially the art of Matthias Grünewald, creator of the most stirring crucifixion in the history of art. I was also inspired by the visions of Hell by Hieronymus Bosch. I am trying to incorporate some of those elements into the world-building of Judas.

  Paste: What materials are you using? Digital verses traditional? Is there any color palette you’re emphasizing?

  Rebelka: My art is always a mix between traditional and digital, with different proportions of both according to what the image requires. Photoshop is like an art supply shop full of tools. I do most of my work in Photoshop, preparing pages, gutters, layouts, sketches and, later on, most of the colors. It also allows me to apply changes quickly.

  Painting and drawing traditionally allow me to do things that are difficult to achieve in Photoshop. For example, I can make things by accident—I can splash paint all over the page and discover interesting things there. I also work on line art traditionally—it’s just faster for me.
  For the color palette, I am using a lot of earth colors for this book, plus blue, turquoise, dark grey—cold colors—to illustrate Hell.
  Paste: Jeff, this is a vastly different direction from your comedy writing or superhero books. Stylistically, are you drawing inspiration from John Milton or the Bible’s numerous authors? Is it a different set of writing muscles to flex?

  Loveness: Yeah, I’ve written for Jimmy Kimmel, Marvel, award shows like the Emmys and Oscars, The Onion, sitcoms and my own original comics before, but this is a pretty big departure. It’s scary, but I think that’s important. It’s always fun to write something you’re nervous about. It makes you jump a little farther and try a little harder. It’s a completely different style of writing, but then again, 16 years of Sunday School and goatee’d youth pastor classes at Bible Camp are finally coming in handy.

  Stylistically, I’m trying to pool the deep imagery of Christian myth: Everything from Renaissance paintings to Dante to this insane Pilgrim’s Progress cartoon I saw when I was eight at Bible Camp. It’s a rich tapestry, and I really want to dive in with Jakub, blow it out, and run wild with it. The Bible has crazy stuff. Those alien spaceship/UFOs from the Book of Ezekiel are wild, man. That creature in Revelations that is all eyes and just hangs out with God all day? I want one of those.

  Paste: One of your notes from the script says, “Let’s unleash Christian myth to its full potential.” This line seems especially relevant to the character of Judas. How much are you digging into books outside of the canonical Bible, like the Apocrypha or the gnostic Gospel of Judas, which posits that Judas was working under instruction from Christ? If so, what are the most intriguing aspects of those works for you?

  Loveness: I’m mainly sticking with the canonical Gospels as the baseline, and exploring from there. Everyone knows this story, so the exciting thing is to flip it on its head and give it a fresh perspective. This is an original story—picking up right at the conventional end of Judas’ story in the Bible.

  I went through the Gospel of Judas for research and curiosity, but the Gnostic Gospels aren’t as widely read and don’t have the sheer cultural entrenchment that… y’know… the Gospel of John would have. People aren’t really holding signs for Judas 3:16 at football games. I think it’s more effective to come at it from the source everyone knows, and subvert it from there.

  Paste: One of the main environments here is Hell. What are your favorite takes on the locale and are there any specific atmosphere beats you focused on for your own interpretation?

  Rebelka: Jeff had the idea of avoiding the common visions of Hell, with all the fire and sulfur clouds. I also didn’t want to do the opposite thing, making hell look like Hoth, although it was tempting. Hell for Judas will be a hollow, empty, sad place with lost souls and demons doomed in shadows.

  Paste: There’s a thematic line that crosses from Lucifer, Adam, Eve and Judas, exploring the threshold between critical thinking and heresy. Do you think these characters got a bad shake? Is Judas more sympathetic than antagonistic?

  Loveness: He can be both, which is exciting to me. He can be a tragic anti-hero, like Magneto or Heathcliff. In comic book talk, the Bible has a pretty impressive “Rogue’s Gallery.” But when you look closely at those characters, maybe they were more sympathetic than portrayed. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God. Goliath was just fighting on his side of the war. Lot’s wife just looked at something. And Satan… we’ll go pretty deep into that. I have ruined many a Tinder date by giving my opinions on the literary richness of Satan in the Bible. At least I found an outlet for it here. I love Satan. Please use that out of context.

  I am not a theologian or scholar or religious person at all, but on a narrative level, I love the idea that all these people were trapped in the same story. Even Jesus in Gethsemane felt trapped. He didn’t want to go through with it, but there’s something beyond us, driving us toward this bitter, broken, awful, amazing grace. There’s something so depressing and possibly affirming about that. I go back and forth on it.
  Paste: Extrapolations of biblical characters—especially Jesus—can be met with controversy, à la The Last Temptation of Christ. Are you expecting any pushback over your interpretations? How would you advise readers to approach this material?

  Loveness: Ha. Well, hopefully my mom won’t kick me out of the family. But I guess I’ll leave that up to her. She’s the one I’m most concerned about.

  I’m not too worried. This is not a “religious” book, but I think this story lines up well with Christian doctrine—and challenges it. The essence of Christianity is compassion. We need to love our enemies and forgive, so shouldn’t we therefore extend that compassion to Judas? Who was there to forgive him?
  If you’re not religious, I’d say approach this story as a fun exploration of a character you’ve always heard about. If you are religious, look at this as a thought-exercise…and a story within the margins of the Bible. Some fun Bible fan-fiction. I always wondered what happened to Judas. Maybe this is it. The Gospels create such a beautiful, striking story. They’re the bedrock of Western storytelling. So it’s been a lot of fun to turn it on its head and give a literal Devil’s advocate approach to the same story.
  Paste: If this were an ongoing, are there any other characters/environments you think deserve further exploration? How would you visualize heaven past clouds, wings, halos and harps?

  Rebelka: I once worked on a visualization of Purgatory. It was a swampy place, an endless city built from waste with confused people living in its muck. Heaven is a difficult one. In my opinion, most artists fail to create an interesting vision of this “place.” The only portrayal of Heaven I’ve seen that was convincing is the one from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. I think when you show what Heaven or God looks like, you make it physical and it loses its magic and power. Working on my idea of the Garden of Eden would be awesome, though.

• Comicon - http://www.comicon.com/2017/12/13/journey-through-hell-with-a-notorious-traitor-jeff-loveness-and-jakub-rebelka-on-judas/

  Journey Through Hell With A Notorious Traitor – Jeff Loveness And Jakub Rebelka On Judas
  by Hannah Means Shannon
  Today, the first issue of a challenging new miniseries arrives from Boom! Studios, taking on the subject of Western religious tradition’s most notorious traitor, Judas. Written by Jeff Loveness (Nova) and drawn by Jakub Rebelka (Namesake), the series is lettered by Colin Bell, and sits pretty well alongside comics explorations of Biblical religious themes found in the irreverent Preacher and the sweeping epic, The Goddamned.

  While those comparisons were originally made in press releases, reading the first issue convinces you that the association is apt, since the big questions that emerge as universal themes in Biblical stories meet a modern day quest for meaning in all of these comics. Judas isn’t by any means a straightforward account of the turncoat disciple found in the Gospels, but rather an imaginative journey through the Hell that Judas inhabits in search of redemption and greater understanding. How “free” was Judas in his decision-making? If he hadn’t made the choices he made, would the crucifixion have even taken place?

  Both Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka join us here today on Comicon.com in this double interview, and we certainly have some questions for them.

  Hannah Means-Shannon: How did you formulate your conception of Hell for this particular story? Was it more influenced by religious tradition, literary tradition, visual arts?
  Jeff Loveness: A mix of all 3. Christianity’s been around a long time and it’s had its hand in every style of art-form. I wanted to write a story that combined many of those elements. Everything from the Gospel story to Renaissance paintings that fill up an entire wall in a museum, or ceiling in a basilica. The Bible is the bedrock of Western storytelling, so it’s been such a fun experience to invert it all and make a tragic hero out of the traitor we’re all supposed to despise.

  HMS: This question of free will is a tricky one, as I’m sure you’re aware. Knowing you would have to take that on to tell the story of Judas reflecting on his deeds, what were some of the thornier questions or avenues you faced as a writer?

  JL: Oh, I’m mainly concerned with how my very religious mom is going to take all this. The rest is fine.

  To answer your question, it has been tricky and challenging and thought-provoking to write a more…negative portrayal of Christ. He knew Judas was going to do this, but he also didn’t stop him. He knew his friend was going to burn forever for something he was destined to do… and Jesus let it happen. To put it bluntly, Jesus kinda screwed Judas over. Maybe that’s not a sin…. but it’s not cool. It’s weird to write a guilty Jesus.

  HMS:The question that Judas, and the reader, may be facing in the comic is whether God casts people aside when he has no further use for them, as you mentioned previously. I can hear a kind of parallelism there with the role of a storyteller. We have our heroes, our villains, our dramatic events, but characters are often tossed aside, forgotten as the focus shifts. Does this story, remembering Judas, right a storytelling wrong for you?

  JL: Wow. I hadn’t thought of it that way. That’s an interesting take, and I think I agree with you. You often feel connection with your characters and sometimes you feel somewhat cruel when you kill them off or make them make terrible decisions. Sometimes we lose characters or we decide when we end their stories…but maybe there’s more to their story than we know. I think that’s the beauty of comic book storytelling, especially from DC and Marvel. There are SO many twists you can put on a character that another writer might not have thought of. Guys like Superman and Batman are so adaptable. There’s such a creative beauty in that.

  Digression aside, I don’t know if Judas rights a wrong… but the comic examines the fact that maybe we shouldn’t write people off or banish them before their story is done. Judge not…and all that.

  HMS: What do you feel makes this particular story universal for readers regardless of their personal faith or belief system?

  JL: I think we’ve all felt like we’ve dug ourselves into a hole sometimes. Whether it’s from our own actions, the actions of others, or our own depressions and hang-ups, we’re just not good enough to escape ourselves. But maybe, if we give ourselves a chance, we can walk out of despair, and find something close to grace. I wanted to take THE most maligned character in the Western tradition, and give him that chance. I feel I relate to Judas a lot. More than many Bible characters…and I hope readers do, too.

  HMS: Jakub, You mention in the press release for Judas that you grew up somewhere with many churches. What kind of religious iconography or traditional art has most affected your art style? I noticed on Namesake, which was a beautiful book, an almost stained glass or mosaic look to your artwork, so I do see an interesting development that you are now working on Judas.

  Jakub Rebelka: Yes I was born and live in Poland–we have a lot of churches here. I suspect sacred art can have huge impact on small kid–brutal scenes of hell, people on fire. Especially the medieval period, artists like Matthias Grunewald, Hans Memling and Bosch were always very inspiring for me, along with the art of my father, Dominik. When I was a kid he was painting crucifixions with dark figures and a lot of gold. Later on, I was under the huge influence of German “new objectivity” painters Otto Dix and George Grosz. Recently, I have discovered the intense art of Richard Dadd and it was a huge inspiration for me working on Judas.

  HMS: What made you want to work on a story about Judas in Hell? What about that appealed to you conceptually, or as an artist?

  JR: I just loved Jeff’s idea of giving Judas a chance by telling the story of the most hated character in Bible and showing his better side.

  HMS: How do you depict an emotional journey like this? Is the focus more on settings and unusual locations, or more on the emotions, facial expressions, and body language of Judas to explore his psychology?

  JR: I think in my case it is mostly colour. I wanted this book to be more painted to give the atmosphere of a dream. I use outlines for characters but backgrounds are more painted. We see Judas in many different locations and times, he is in black everything else is changing. Its Judas’ journey.

  HMS: What sort of color palettes did you initial conceive of for the project, and how did that change or evolve in the finished version?

  JR: I did the concept for hell in cold blue and Boom! Studios liked that idea. So we built the rest of the color settings around that colour choice. We didn’t want to go full rainbow with Judas, so there is always a leading colour for each location.

  Thanks very much indeed to both Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka for taking part in this interview in the midst of their busy lives!

  Judas #1 (of 4) hits comic shelves today, December 13th, 2017, from Boom Studios.

9/29/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
Judas
Publishers Weekly.
265.21 (May 21, 2018): p58.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Judas
Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka. Boom! Studios, $14.99 trade paper (112p) ISBN 9781-68415-221-6
Christianity's archvillain is given a fresh and possibly controversial examination in this thought-provoking
visual tour de force. After Judas Iscariot kills himself following his betrayal of Jesus Christ, his soul is
relegated to the realm of the damned, where he begins contemplating his fate and culpability. Realizing
Christ's godhood-derived omniscience, Judas questions whether Jesus was fully aware, as he founded his
ministry, that Judas would be destined as the traitor in the Savior's story. ("I tried so hard ... to believe. To be
good. I never had a chance.") Judas's doubts are compounded when the unnamed Lucifer takes him on a
guided tour through the all-star history of biblical villainy. Was Judas precast to sell Jesus out, his actions
led by a "redeemer" who was nothing more than a fraud? As the story unfolds, the answers are provided in a
tapestry of well-conceived panel compositions and rich colors, which evoke stained-glass scriptures, from
fantasy illustrator Rebelka. The introspective script by Loveness (Nova) both entertains and prompts readers
to approach Judas from an unexpected, sympathetic angle. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Judas." Publishers Weekly, 21 May 2018, p. 58. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541012634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8974dbe7.
Accessed 29 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541012634
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Groot
Peter Blenski
Booklist.
112.16 (Apr. 15, 2016): p42.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
* Groot. By Jeff Loveness. Illus. by Brian Kesinger. 2016. 136p. Marvel, $24.99 (9780785195528). 741.5.
Gr. 9-12.
Everyone's two favorite members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon and Groot, have set out
on a road trip to Earth. But when Rocket is captured by pirates, Groot forms his own ragtag group of heroes
to save the day and rescue his friend. It will surprise no one that this book is full of great laughs, but what
makes it stand out is its generous warmth. From helping an omniscient being discover the bright side of the
universe (specifically, the Marvel universe) to learning that mistakes sometimes "put us exactly where we
need to be," Groot balances perfectly between comic relief and amazing insight. Ending with an origin story
that will make even the hardest comic book nerd tear up, this story manages to concisely speak volumes
about a character that we previously knew little about. Kesinger's art has the pleasant, welcoming look of a
Disney cartoon, featuring thick-outlined, softly exaggerated figures on vivid, colorful backgrounds with
swooping, thrilling action, the expressiveness of which contributes to the overall humor and sentiment of
the story. Fans of the hit Guardians of the Galaxy movie will be a natural fit, but this charming story should
find an appreciative audience among comics fans of all stripes. Groot may be short on words, but he's big
on heart.--Peter Blenski
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Blenski, Peter. "Groot." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2016, p. 42. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A451632254/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a54380bd.
Accessed 29 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A451632254

"Judas." Publishers Weekly, 21 May 2018, p. 58. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541012634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 29 Sept. 2018. Blenski, Peter. "Groot." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2016, p. 42. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A451632254/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 29 Sept. 2018.

• AV Club
  https://www.avclub.com/judas-gives-the-biblical-betrayer-a-striking-redemption-1824095302
  Word count: 639

  REVIEWS
  Judas gives the biblical betrayer a striking redemption story
  Image: Boom! Studios

  Oliver Sava
  3/28/18 6:00amFiled to: COMICS PANEL
  43
  4
  If God is all-powerful, why did He create a world where people suffer? It’s one of the most commonly asked questions by challengers of Christianity, and Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka tackle it head-on in Judas (Boom! Studios), a four-issue miniseries exploring the relationship between Jesus Christ and his duplicitous disciple. The book wraps up just in time for Easter, and the creative team delivers a heartfelt exploration of faith, friendship, and forgiveness that turns Judas Iscariot into the savior of not only the Messiah, but all the damned souls of Hell. Artists have been fascinated by Judas’ plight for centuries, and Loveness and Rebelka put their own spin on the character by focusing on what happens after he hangs himself for betraying his friend. This act lands him in hell, where he joins other Bible villains like Moses’ Pharaoh, Goliath, and Jezebel, but instead of an afterlife of torment, Judas evolves into a saintly figure of the underworld.

  Lead
  COMICS
  Judas
  B+
  STORY
  Jeff Loveness

  ART
  Jakub Rebelka

  LETTERS
  Colin Bell

  PUBLISHER
  Boom! Studios

  In a twist that will piss off a lot of die-hard Christians, Judas also sends Jesus Christ to hell after he is crucified, where he loses his divine strength and is overtaken by the sins he died to absolve. The first two issues are a fairly standard recap of Bible events with some added fantasy elements, but once Judas and Jesus reunite, the narrative becomes deeper, stranger, and more provocative. At the core of this relationship is Judas’ resentment that Jesus knew about his inevitable betrayal and never tried to stop it, and Loveness brings up some very interesting points about predestination, Godly action, and trying to understand the motivations of a supreme Creator.

  Image: Boom! Studios
  Loveness uses scripture as the starting point, and he folds in Bible verses that inform the action as well as the emotional content. Demon descriptions are pulled from the book of Revelations, Judas recalls his mother singing Psalm 23 to him as a child, and in one of the most powerful moments of the story, a verse from the book of John is printed in white text on a two-page spread of solid black. Lettering plays an important role in the storytelling, and Colin Bell uses various typefaces for different effects. When Jesus is stripped of his power, the red text of his dialogue fades to black, and the clean round borders of his word balloons become wavering lines to reflect this major change.

  Image: Boom! Studios
  The thick inks and vibrant coloring of Rebelka’s artwork are reminiscent of stained glass, making him an ideal artist for a story rooted in Christian mythology. Judas has a black halo around his head, a simple graphic element that foreshadows where he’ll end up by the story’s conclusions while also separating him from traditional saintly imagery. Red and blue contrast is an integral visual element, and the landscape of hell is a chilly blue that is cut by the blood red of sin. This color contrast is used to devastating effect when Jesus is forced to endure the sins of all mankind, a sequence that dramatically changes the layout and rendering for a barrage of abstract visuals that accentuate the horror of Lucifer’s domain. As terrifying as it all is, there’s no shortage of beauty in Judas, and when Jesus eventually breaks free for his resurrection, Rebelka depicts his ascent with radiant imagery that illuminates a new path for the titular hero.

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