We’re issuing the ultimate challenge to Oklahoma comic creators … we’ll give you 20 minutes. Kill off a character right before our very eyes!

Artists will be completing a 4-panel story live at Speeding Bullet, starting at 5 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 28.

Official Death Rules: Artists will have 20 minutes to sketch, pencil, color (whatever they wish to do!) a 4-panel story in our store. They must kill off a character (original or otherwise) in the strip. Artists may enter the contest with concepts or thumbnails, but all art included in the final product must be completed during the 20-minute competition. Artists will bring their own paper and supplies. The winner of our duel will be determined based on stunning use of creativity, humor, and artistic talent under pressure. Tragic irony is also a plus!

After the Duel, fans will be able to get comics signed and talk to these local creators about their upcoming work.

For more information, see the facebook event page here.

1. “Detective Comics 871-881″
The new Batman, Dick Grayson, is put to the test as a series of brutal murders puts him up against one of Gotham City’s oldest evils.

In the second story, “Hungry City,” the corpse of a killer whale is found in an upscale Gotham City bank, sparking a deadly new mystery.
By Scott Snyder, Jock & Franco Francavilla.

2. “Criminal: The Last of the Innocent”
This is among Brubaker’s best books, a mixture of noir and nostalgia that’s part twisted take on “Archie”-style characters, part dark secrets and murder. By Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips.

3. “The Red Wing”
Jonathan Hickman (”Fantastic Four”) writes a story of fighter pilots in the future who fight their battles not only in the air, but also through time. By Jonathan Hickman & Nick Pitarra.

4. “Action Comics”
A young, brash Superman goes about his business in work boots and blue jeans, rustling up corporate criminals and raising the ire of everyone from the police and military to Lex Luthor, a brash industrialist who doesn’t much cotton to the idea of a superhuman. By Grant Morrison & Rags Morales.

5. “Daredevil”
Writer Waid and co. brought Daredevil back to his swashbuckling past in the 2011 relaunch of “Daredevil,” also showing the keen legal mind of Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who is Daredevil. By Mark Waid, Pablo Rivera & Marcos Martin.

6. “Who Is Jake Ellis?”
This miniseries features former spy Jon Moore, now a mercenary. He’s able to escape capture in part because of the voice in his head — the voice of Jake Ellis. But who is Jake Ellis? He’s a man only Jon can see, providing information on safe escapes and possible threats. By Nathan Edmondson & Tonci Zonjic.

7. “The Rocketeer Adventures”
Dave Stevens created the Rocketeer in the early 1980s, a tribute to the serials of the 1930s and 1940s as pilot Cliff Secord finds a jet pack that allows him to race through the air. Stevens died in 2008, but IDW brought back his character The Rocketeer in 2011, with an anthology series that in part benefits hairy cell leukemia research. By various.

8. “Animal Man”
One of the breakout hits of the New 52, “Animal Man” channels Grant Morrison’s take on the character, so readers of the 1980s Buddy Baker will find much to enjoy. The art’s a little different from the DC norm, but conveys the story’s mix of domesticity and dread. By Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman & Dan Green.

9. “The Sixth Gun”
An Oni Press Western with supernatural horror elements, “The Sixth Gun” follows the path of six cursed guns during the darkest days of the Civil War. By Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt.

10. “American Vampire”
“American Vampire” follows the exploits of a new breed of vampire that has the ability to feed in the sun. The 1880s outlaw Skinner Sweet and 1920s actress Pearl Jones make their way to Las Vegas circa 1935; later the series follows Pearl and her husband into the World War II era. By Scott Snyder & Rafael Albuquerque.

For a more in-depth look at these awesome series of 2011, check out the full article on Matt’s Nerdage blog. Or come to Speeding Bullet and pick these gems up!

1. “Love and Rockets: New Stories Vol. 4″
Following up on the storylines started in Vol. 3, the Brothers Hernandez, specifically Jamie, deliver one of the high points of their career. By Jamie & Gilbert Hernandez.

2. “Habibi”
Long-awaited graphic novel “Habibi” is a timeless, “Arabian Nights”-styled tale that follows the lives of two orphaned slaves. Exotic and lush, yet heartbreaking at times, it is an exploration of the Islamic culture by one of comics’ most deft craftsmen. By Craig Thompson.

3. “Hark! A Vagrant”
Kate Beaton takes a humorous trip through history and literature with witty, absurd humor featuring characters from Napoleon to Nancy Drew in this collection of comic strips. By Kate Beaton.

4. “Return to Perdition”
Vietnam veteran Michael Satariano Jr. attempts to get revenge for the mob hits on his parents. Working with a black ops program, Michael finds himself caught up in intrigue on all sides, and becomes even more conflicted once he enters a romance with a mobster’s niece. By Max Allan Collins & Terry Beatty.

5. “Big Questions”
This existentialist graphic novel follows a flock of birds dealing with a newcomer. Massive, bizarre and thought-provoking. By Anders Nilsen.

6. “Daytripper”
Originally released as 10 individual issues, each issue follows a day in the life of Bras de Olivias Dominguez, with each ending the same — he dies. The following story picks up at a different point in Bras’ life, unconnected to his previous death. By Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba.

7. “Feynman”
This graphic novel recounts the life and career of noted physicist Richard P. Feynman in a funny and educational book. By Jim Ottaviani & Leland Myrick.

8. “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story”
Jeff Jensen writes a true-crime story of the killer who plagued Oregon. Jensen’s father was the lead detective on the case, and the book also looks at the impact the case had on the family. Art by Jonathan Case.

9. “The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists”
It’s an alternate history of Canadian cartooning, centered on a fictional cartoon society in the city of Dominion, which served as a gathering place for artists. By Seth.

10. “Troop 142″
A webcomic story of a summer at a boys’ scout camp, it explores the cruelty of childhood, and the veneer of civility we paste on top of such conflicts as adults. By Mike Dawson.

For a more in-depth look at these awesome graphic novels of 2011, check out the full article on Matt’s Nerdage blog. Or come to Speeding Bullet and pick these gems up!

Artist Mario Wytch will be at Speeding Bullet from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 to premiere the new issue of FUBAR as part of a national signing tour! This anthology chronicles a zombie outbreak in the middle of World War II.

FUBAR 2: DAY OF THE DEAD
The graphic novel anthology “Fubar 2: Empire of the Rising Dead” will debut at Speeding Bullet Comics before its national release as part of a signing tour featuring artists across the country. Oklahoma’s own Mario Wytch will sign copies of “Fubar,” as well as his work in other comics, including “Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch” and the Speeding Bullet-published “OK24.”

Here’s a description of the war/horror anthology: The indie smash hit is back with its second stand-alone volume. From the harbors of Hawaii to the streets of Tokyo, this zombie-smashing epic, FUBAR II: Empire of the Rising Dead follows a full-blown zombie outbreak in the middle of the Pacific theater of World War II as the allies come face to face with the walking dead … again!