Saturday, September 29, 2007

DECEMBER PREVIEWS - CONTINUED

Holy Crap, I know the Marvel Ultimate line is famous for lateness, but does anyone even remember when the first half of ULTIMATE IRON MAN came out? I guess Orson Scott Card is a busy man, lets just hope he used this time to actually finish all 4 issues before this was announced.
( Then again the full series was originally billed as a 6 issue that was later turned into 2, 5-parters, and now the second half is only 4)
Don’t get me wrong I thought this was a great comic, and I’m looking forward to the wrap-up, I just wish that Marvel and DC would wise up to how these lateness issues make the whole industry (and my livelihood) look like a joke.

Speaking of late titles ULTIMATES 3 is finally ready to start. The team for this book was announced more than a year and a half ago while we were still waiting for Ultimates 2 to finish up. The main reason for this was the idea of putting Joe Maduriera on the art chores. Anyone remember Battlechasers? The book it took Joe Mad 3 years to get 7 issues out. I notice this volume of Ultimates is listed as a 5 issue mini, rather than the 12-13 issue arcs the first 2 runs got. The next batch (volume 4) has already been announced with the art by Ed McGuinness, it might have been smarter to give us the more reliable McGuinness first and give Maduriera more time to catch up. The art is also a radical departure from the more realistic style used by Hitch, but both artists have a solid fan base so sales should be fairly consistent.
There is also the promise that this series will change the Ultimates Universe forever. Marvel seems serious about getting people on board for whatever is coming up because they are releasing a special FREE comic featuring art and info on all the Ultimate titles new and old that will be shipping during 2008. Simply titled ULTIMATE MARVEL it will be given to all regular members who order any Ultimate titles regularly.

Peter David returns to the Hulk in a special one-shot pitting him against that other big green monster, FIN FANG FOOM. Its 48 pages of mayhem with a bunch of classic slugfests as backup. (It doesn’t say how much of the 48 pages is new material but I’m expecting it to be the standard 21-22.) I’m kind of surprised they don’t have an artist listed. You think that would be the first order of business. Lets all hope for someone like Dale Keown and not Liefeld.

World War Hulk continues with WARBOUND, a 5 issue mini-series that features the monster squad the Hulk brought back with him from space, fighting against an old Hulk enemy in the New Mexico desert.



The latest fad seems to be to bring back old Golden Age characters and throw them together as a group. This was done well with the underrated Marvel series Agents of Atlas earlier this year. Now J. Michael Straczynski is putting together THE TWELVE, twelve individual characters from the glory days of Marvel back when they were known as Atlas Comics. This #0 issue is a preview for the upcoming regular series, and features the reprinted origins of 3 of these classic characters from the 40’s, along with preview art from Chris Weston.


Dynamite Entertainment is releasing their 40's revival series the same month, only theirs features story and some art by Alex Ross.
SUPERPOWERS #0 is a special 40 page preview issue to start of this amazing new series and as a bonus its only $1.00!! The book comes with 2 connecting covers that will be worth the price of the comics themselves.

The BADGER is back at last in, THE BADGER SAVES THE WORLD. Apparently our favourite crazy hero is up to his old tricks, kicking butt and saving Larry from the forces of evil. First Nexus and now Badger? its like Mike Baron is helping me celebrate my 20th year in the comics business by bringing back the 80's singlehandedly.

You'd think Branson was serious about getting into the comics business or something with some of the latest books listed from Virgin comics. November starts the revival of DAN DARE by Garth Ennis and now in December comes the 25cent preview issue of Jenna Jameson's SHADOW HUNTER#0. Although limited to mature sales only, I'm sure this one will be a quick seller at Christmastime.

Friday, September 28, 2007

DECEMBER PREVIEWS Part 1

Wow it hardly seems like a month since the last time I did this.

Dark Horse starts off with an end of the world superhero title that’s billed as a cross between Lord of the Rings and Watchmen. THE END LEAGUE, are Earths last hope to stave off the forces of evil by finding the lost artifact Thor’s Hammer. This looks like it could be good except that it is listed as an on-going title. I have trouble getting into any quest style book that doesn’t have an end in sight. If the heroes are searching for something, they either find it, or they don’t, end of story.


IT ATE BILLY ON CHRISTMAS is the simple story of a small girl who watches her young brother get eaten by a funny little monster, and starts looking for other "things" to feed it.
Written by Lenore creator Roman Dirge, this one-shot hardcover will make an ideal Christmas gift for any weird little kids (or parents) on your shopping list.


DC

COUNTDOWN ARENA is a 4-issue weekly event that pits superheroes from around the multiverse against each other. Ever wonder who was stronger, Red Son Superman or Dark Side Superman? Who will win out between Vampire Batman and his Gotham by Gaslight counterpart? This series could be huge fun for fans who’ve read all the various Elseworlds books that will be referenced, but highly confusing to those who haven’t. Even the instigator of the whole thing, Monarch is the former Capt. Atom and should not be confused with the previous Monarch who turned out to be Hawk. ( makes my head hurt to think of it)I’m not even sure of this guy’s motivation for the whole thing. He professes to be raising an army to battle the Monitors, but only seems interested in the most vicious of the alternate heroes. Still, 4 issues of super people waling on each other sounds like Contest of Champions all over again.

More Countdown action as the hunt for Ray Palmer takes Donna, Kyle and friends to the worlds of RED SON and SUPERWOMAN/BATWOMAN. I’m not sure what else I can say about these, other than they are the last of the series, and I still have no idea what makes Ray Palmer so important to the whole future of the multiverse in the first place. They seem like nothing more than an excuse to review scattered elseworlds stories that now find themselves part of continuity thanks to Infinite Crisis and 52. If it turns out Ray Palmer was the real Monarch all this time I won’t be the least surprised.

Western comics have made a real comeback with Loveless and Jonah Hex selling strong several paperbacks into their runs. So it’s no surprise to see another great character get his own title even if only a mini-series. BAT LASH has appeared a couple times already in Jonah’s book but here he’s on his own. The real beauty of this series is that its being co-written by Sergio Aragones (Groo) who I was not even aware helped create Bat Lash almost 40 years ago!! Even better, classic western artist John Severin is doing the art for the book with covers by Walt Simonson. I like the idea of this book so much that it will be my push book of the month. Add this title to your reserve list by the first of December and get the first issue FREE with the option to take it off your list at any time. <<< Remember that you have until OCTOBER 1st to add CRIME BIBLE featuring the Question to your list for the same deal. And the push book for November is the Grendel series BEHOLD THE DEVIL by Matt Wagner.>>>

It’s like the 60’s all over again as Jim Shooter returns to the LEGION OF SUPERHEROES in issue #37. Its been more than 40 years since then 14 year old Shooter created such classic characters as Karate Kid, Princess Projectra and the Fatal Five. Does he still have the magic? Or will this read as outdated as the stuff Stan Lee has written in the last few years. A lot of Legion fans will be returning to find out. Me, I’ll just be happy once Supergirls name is off the covers.
The Vertigo end of the catalog will seem a little empty without Y-the Last Man but NORTHLANDERS looks like a great replacement. Writer Brian Wood has delivered some solid hits already like Demo and DMZ, but now he's entering a whole new era, 1000 A.D. to be precise. Sven is a viking prince returning from exile in Constantinople, to recover his enheritance, but stays to fight for his family and friends who've been enslaved by his uncle.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

NOVEMBER PREVIEWS -CONTINUED

I can't believe its taken me a more than a week to get back to this. But here's the Marvel end of the books due out in November. Not a lot of new series from Marvel either, although a 1/2 dozen or so regular titles have annuals coming out.


The Annihilation contines with Conquest #1 as the heroes who've been introduced in the various mini-sereies come together to battle the cosmic threat of Annihilation.

Marvel can't finish one Ultimates crossover ,- Ultimate Power is running months behind, when here they come with another. Ultimate Origins will apparently explain the huge connection between all the powered characters of the Ultimates universe. Bendis writes the 6- issue story, and I would assume he's had this planned for sometime, but if it turns out they are all Skrulls I'll scream.

Captain Marvel #1 finally reintroduces the classic character back into the Marvel universe. He returned in the late pages of Civil War ( in maybe 2 panels) and hasn't been used since. Lets hope this 5-issue mini-series was worth the wait.




From the I can't believe it files comes Return to the House of M:Avengers. Set as a prelude to events that happened in the House of M series, I have to wonder, Why Now? Wouldn't it have made more sense to release this, oh maybe 2 years ago, when it was relevent.



Silver Surfer: In Thy Name begins a new 4 issue mini-series featuring galactic terrors and demonic beasts.



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