Spy Comics Presents ... The Invincibles #4 - Now Online!

DFG Comics is pleased to announce that Spy Comics Presents ... The Invincibles #4 (Fall 2008 issue) is now online. The issue features Part IV of "Battle of the Invincibles" with story and art by Dan Graves and colours by Flora Lovartalot. This is the penultimate chapter of the current story arc which features the build up to the final battle between Sir Julius Smithers and his Invincibles team and Captain Nepto and his renegade Invincibles. Don't miss it! The issue can be view by clicking here.

Spy Comics Presents the Invincibles #2 -- Page 3 Now ONLINE!

DFG Comics is proud to release a preview of the third page of Spy Comics Presents the Invincibles #3. We have recently previewed pages 1 & 2 as well as the pencil artwork for the cover. This will be the last preview before the issue is released. Pages 4, 5 & 6 are nearly completed and the entire issue will be posted on our ONLINE Publications site soon. The current page features an interchange between the Governor General, Sir Julius Smithers (formerly the Spymaster) and Nitro: The Man with the TNT Punch (Stefan Ladley). Smithers is currently trying to restart the super-team "The Invincibles" to take on a group of renegade heroes led by Captain Nepto (David Anderson). In this interchange, Smithers is berating Ladley for missing the state funeral of Prime Minister Randy Anderson who was assassinated by Nepto and his crew (Randy Anderson is also the half-brother of David Anderson, and the reformed villain known as the Sea Serpent).

Watch for the return of another character from the early days of DFG in the upcoming pages of the issue!

The Many Faces of Chief Smith -- Panoramic Poster!

DFG Comics has released a retrospective of the career of Chief Augustus Smith in the form of a panoramic poster entitled The Many Faces of Chief Smith. Since his first appearance in the very first DFG comic, Spy Comics Vol. 1, #1, in 1981, Chief Smith has been one of the most important supporting characters in the DFG universe. As DFG executive Darryl Andrews noted, "In the DFG universe everyone ages naturally, there's none of this 'slowed time' crap that you encounter in our competitors' publications. That's why we've seen Chief Smith go through the aging process over the years and his appearance has changed. We all get older and we all look different as the years go by."

Chief Smith has gone through many changes in his life since his first appearance. Perhaps the most traumatic event in his life was the death of his daughter Sarah at the hands of Capt. Nepto's foe, the Unknown Strangler, back in Spy Comics Vol. 2, #3 (Jan/Feb 1985). Her death left Smith a grimmer and more driven figure, as he was now all alone in the world with the exception of his younger brother, Sgt. John Smith, also of the Carnage City Police Force.

Smith retired from the force in 1996 (as seen in Spy '96 #3, Mar. 1996) handing over the reigns to his former Chief Inspector, Shamus McMullen. However, after Julius Smithers became Governor General, Smith was pressed back into active service as the director of the national Security and Intelligence Service (and also serves presently as tactical advisor to the Invincibles). He remains, even at his advanced age, a crucial character in the DFG universe.

The character of Chief Augustus Smith is based on his real-life namesake who now serves as a security advisor to the management of DFG Publications.

The poster features art from throughout the publishing history of DFG Comics by DFG artists Darryl Andrews, Dan Graves, Frank Daniels, and comic book legend Todd Abbot.

For a closer view of the poster, click on the image, above.

Spy Comics Vol. 4, No. 2 advance preview is now online!

By Bob Barnes
DFG ONLINE Staff Reporter

DFG Comics has posted an advance preview of Spy Comics (vol. 4) #2. DFG President and Co-Publisher, who is writing and drawing the company's flagship title had this to say: "We're pleased to offer this preview to our faithful fans. We realize that we had fallen behind schedule and are doing everything in our power to get things back on track." It had been suggested that delays are the result of various legal proceedings against the company by disgruntled former staffers. When asked about his rumour, Mr. Graves said, "There is nothing farther from the truth. The demands of writing/drawing/editing a title AND captaining Canada's preeminent comic book publisher sometimes come into conflict. I have also been hard at work on a couple of other creative projects including writing and drawing some pieces for the upcoming Spy Classics origin issue as well as having recently completed Retro-Spy #2. I'm afraid that I'm a hands-on publisher who is involved in the creative process as well as all the administrative and executive duties. My time get spread pretty thin." When asked if this is why co-publisher Darryl Andrews is listed as "co-plotter" for Spy #2, Mr. Graves resonded, "No, not at all. You see, Darryl was originally scheduled to write and draw the second issue but other creative responsibilites in the company kept him busy. I actually had issues three and four nearly completed, and we were waiting for number 2. When it became clear that Darryl couldn't do it, I decided to pick it up and run with his plot outline and basic script adding several elements of my own." Mr. Andrews is currently working on several projects including a New Captain Nepto title, as well as some stories for Retro-Spy, and of course, some material for the eagerly anticipated Spy Classic origin issue, which will also feature work by the controversial superstar, Todd Abbot.

Spy #2 opens with Captain Nepto and his renegade heroes responding the developments of Spy #1 (in which Sir Julius Smithers, formerly the Spymaster, and now Governor General) has reconstituted the Invincibles super-team to respond to the actions of Nepto and his renegades. Nepto and co. had allegedly assassinated the prime minister, Randy Anderson. Anderson, Nepto's half-brother and former supervillain the Sea Serpent, had reformed in the mid-nineties and subsequently led a neo-conservative party to electoral victory last year. After the assassination, Sir Julius, as head of state, dissolved parliament and assumed executive control to deal with the crisis. Spy #2 will also feature the funeral of prime minister Anderson.

Spy #2 is expected to be available sometime this month, with issues #3 & 4 to follow in April and May.

Click here to view the advance preview, or click on our "ONLINE Publications" in the right-hand column of this page.