JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT'S MUSIC BOX #1 - One could argue that there is an army of fans out there who'd love to get their hands on JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT's music box, but we'd never be crass enough to use that sort of euphemism. It cheapens us, and honestly, we can't afford to get any cheaper. This all-new ongoing horror anthology, which falls into kinda the same category as the classic 'Twilight Zone' and 'Outer Limits' television shows, Hewitt has enlisted master storyteller SCOTT LOBDELL (UNCANNY X-MEN) to help her tell the tales of a haunted music box and those it possesses. The first person to come across this mysterious artefact is a New York City forensic scientist who wishes nothing more than to stop crimes before they can happen. And guess what? His wish does indeed come true, but considering the source of the magic involved, it comes at an unspeakably horrifying price. Illustrated by MICHAEL GAYDOS (ALIAS, MANHUNTER), each issue in this series will also feature a 1:10 ratio photo cover of the lurvely Miss Love Hewitt herself.
just read this, there is potential for a great series ...... mysterious music box with unknown origins seemed to get into people's head when they possessed it ...... it's a stand-alone story each issue i think ...... waiting for the 2nd issue ......
SANDMAN: THE DREAM HUNTERS HC - First NEIL GAIMAN created 'The Sandman', an epic 80-issue comic telling the story of Dream, a being greater than a god who rules over the collective unconsciousness. Then Gaiman teamed with YO****AKA AMANO to create an illustrated prose novel of Dream set in feudal Japan. And now P. CRAIG RUSSELL has adapted that novel back into a comic, returning Sandman to his original medium once more. In an unexpected love connection, a young female fox falls in love with the monk whose shrine she steals food from, and sets out to win his heart while raiding his larder. So when she discovers that demons are plotting to kill her beloved, it's up to this vixen to outfox these malevolent oni. Collects together the four-part comic book adaptation.
i love this story! great adaptation though i have not read the novel itself, the art was great! wonder if this hc compilation has anything extra to buy it? (already have the four issues) ......
X-NECROSHA - Previously announced as 'X-Force/ New Mutants: Necrosha', the newly abbreviated 'X-Necrosha' is the beginning of the next big event to shake up the X-titles. Selene, the original Black Queen, has returned and she hungers once more for the souls of the living. Living mutants especially, which have become very scarce since the events of M-Day. Leading an army of reanimated corpses (something that seems to be in vogue in comics right now), Selene has set her sights on the mutant island of Utopia, looking to conquer it and turn it into her own personal buffet. It's up to the world's last remaining mutants to band together and drive back this legion of the undead. A one-shot prequel leading primarily into X-Force #21-25, but whose events will also impact New Mutants #6-8 and X-Men: Legacy #231-233.
there are so many x-crossovers and the stories are somewhat confusing i stopped after the messiah war ......
ASSAULT ON NEW OLYMPUS - Zeus is dead, and his wife Hera has taken his place as the leader of the Olympian Gods. Unfortunately that is not good news for the rest of the world as Hera seems to have gone mental some time in the past thousand years. It's up to her wicked stepson Hercules to stop her nefarious plan but he's not going to be able to do it alone. Luckily he's got a few friends in his corner: Spider-Man! Wolverine! Two out of three teams of Avengers! But will even they be enough to go up against an army of gods, led by Herc's half-brother Ares, the God of War himself? A one-shot leading into a four-issue story arc in the 'Incredible Hercules' monthly, by GREG PAK (WORLD WAR HULK), FRED VAN LENTE and RODNEY BUCHEMI.
BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN #1 - 'Iron Man II' looks to be one of the biggest films of 2010 and Marvel is already preparing themselves for when it hits. The film is set to introduce movie audiences to the soviet super-spy Black Widow, whose catsuit will be filled out onscreen by the hotsy-totsy SCARLETT JOHANNSON, and when viewers want to find out more about the character, Marvel want to be ready. That's why this week the life of Natalia Romanova is retold, from her childhood in Stalingrad to her secret missions in the Second World War to her new life as an Avenger. For an eighty-year-old woman she sure looks good in a skintight costume. A four-part mini-series by PAUL CORNELL, TOM RANEY and JOHN PAUL LEON (EARTH X).
CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE #1 - Her name is 'rella. Cinderella. Or just plain old Cindy to all her friends. But what her friends don't know is that she's also the best damn spy in Fabletown, able to ferret out any secrets you may want hidden, and doing the wettest of wetworks if the situation necessitates. And this situation just might, as supernatural artefacts from the Homelands are beginning to surface in the mundy's world, and the Fables are in danger of being found out by the world at large. And just what does Cindy's long-lost Fairy Godmother have to do with all this anyways? And just what the heck is going on at the Glass Slipper while Cinderella's traipsing around the world? Spies, scandals, and crystal shoes abound as CHRIS ROBERSON (HOUSE OF MYSTERY, JACK OF FABLES) and SHAWN MCMANUS (SANDMAN) unite for this 6-issue Bond/Bourne-esque mini-series which will feature gorgeous painted covers by CHRISSIE ZULLO.
CRIMINAL: THE DELUXE EDITION HC - Uber-scribe ED BRUBAKER has always been a crime writer at heart, even if his day job has been writing for the superhero set. So when Marvel Comics gave him a chance to write a crime comic under their Icon imprint, he took to it like a duck to moody, fog-shrouded water. Now the first thirteen issues are collected together in one deluxe hardcover volume along with a 'Criminal' short story, sketches, design work, and other behind-the-scenes material. Crime may not pay but it's certainly easy on the eye. Collects together Criminal #1-10 and Criminal II #1-3, by Brubaker and collaborative partner SEAN PHILLIPS (WILDCATS, INCOGNITO).
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #899 - Last month Marvel Comics jumped about 800 months into the future to celebrate Deadpool's 900th issue, and now that they've gotten there Marvel are in no hurry to go home again. So picking up (down?) from the 900th issue and working backwards we have a new, third Deadpool ongoing series, this one based on throwing Wade in with other Marvel superheroes and villains and watching just how long it takes before they want to kill him. In this first issue Wade is teamed up with the incorrigible demigod Hercules, theoretically to defeat the villain Arcade, but mainly to just have some beers and get loaded. When will people learn to not drink and crime-fight? By FRED VAN LENTE and DALIBOR TALAJIC. NOTE: From here on out we will be treating this as a separate comic to Deadpool. To ensure you do not miss an issue, please add 'Deadpool Team-Up' to your Standing/Mail Order.
DEATHLOK #1 - Marvel's cybernetic killing machine (or at least one of them; cybernetic killing machines turn up a lot in comics) returns this week in a new self-contained Marvel Knights mini-series. Lieutenant Mike Travers was one of America's finest soldiers until he exploded in the line of duty. Not one to let a steaming pile of soldier pieces go to waste, the American military took what's left of Travers, combined it with a bunch of cogs and sprockets (or so is my understanding of 21st century robotics), and created the killer cyborg Deathlok the Destroyer. But somewhere down deep, beneath the layers of Deathlok's coding and programming, the consciousness of Mike Travers just woke up. And if you wake up cranky normally, it's that much worse when you wake up and have access to several billion dollars of personal on-board munitions. A seven-part mini-series that makes Robocop look like a wind-up tin toy by CHARLIE HUSTON (MOON KNIGHT) and LAN MEDINA (FOOLKILLER).
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? VOLUME 1 HC - It's the novel by science fiction visionary PHILIP K. DICK that inspired RIDLEY SCOTT to direct his utterly brilliant 'Blade Runner' movie, and now you can read the original novel in a whole new way as TONY PARKER (WARHAMMER) and crew 'adapt' it to the comicky book medium. Collecting the first four issues of this 24-issue adaptation into this very nice deluxe hardcover, the folks at BOOM! Studios are transplanting the entire 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' novel into comics, mixing all-new panel-to-panel continuity with actual text from the novel itself. It's something that's not been attempted before, and so far, seems to be working a treat. For the many 'Blade Runner' fans out there that have not yet picked up the novel it was based on, here's your chance to see what the fuss is all about, and to check out what made it into the movie, what didn't, and what was changed… and trust us, the changes are legion. An absolute must for any science fiction fans out there.
DOOM PATROL #4 - And now we'll sing the Doom Song: doom, doom, doom, doomy-doom-doom, doominy-doominy-doom, doom, doomy… ah, you get the idea. The 'Blackest Night' has fallen upon our hapless Doom Patrol, but as their name suggests, they're used to this kinda thing anyway. Otherwise they'd be known as the Sunshine Brigade, and nobody wants that. While this whole 'Blackest Night' thingy rips through the DC Universe, the members of the Doom Patrol find out that their founder and leader, Niles Caulder, has been hiding a few things from his fellow heroes, secrets that could very well tear the newly-reformed team apart at the seams. And if that wasn't enough, you won't believe which former Doom Patrol members make a comeback as Black Lanterns! Written by KEITH GIFFEN (AMBUSH BUG) and illustrated by JUSTINIANO and friends, this here issue is the first of the new 'Lantern Ring' tie-ins. Each copy you purchase will come with a free Sinestro Corps Yellow Power Ring you can wear, thus striking fear into your enemies… or possibly envy, as they're gonna want one too. NOTE: The Sinestro Corps Yellow Lantern ring will be available while stocks last, so get your orders in fast!
ELECTROPOLIS TP - It could be said that 'Electropolis' is the very best series writer/artist DEAN MOTTER (MISTER X, TERMINAL CITY) has ever produced. Firmly entrenched in the world of 'Mister X', this absolutely wonderful series, which was originally published at Image Comics, follows the reprogrammed janitor robot Menlo Park, who's now working the streets of Electra City as a private investigator. It's been sixteen years since Menlo's human partner apparently suicided atop the world's tallest tower (conveniently located in Electra City), and Menlo's not thought too much about it since… until a femme fatale gives him some very interesting information about the cause of his partner's death. So now it's time to re-open the case, one that many, many people in Electra City would much rather prefer remain closed forever. Except maybe that bald guy over there in the trenchcoat and glasses. He seems somewhat… x-cited, doesn't he mister?
LOBO: HIGHWAY TO HELL #1 - What is good in life? Well, if you're Lobo (a.k.a. the Main Man, a.k.a. the Last Czarnian, a.k.a. 'that big fraggin' bastich'), life is filled with bounty hunting, picking fights, booze, ladies, and a damn fine stogie. And when you live that kind of life, you're bound to pick up an enemy or two along the way. Even if one of those enemies is The Enemy, with a capital 'e'. Oh yeah, it seems Satan himself (a.k.a. Beelzebub, a.k.a. the Fallen One, a.k.a. Ralph) has got himself a serious mad-on for Lobo, and he's gonna hit the Main Man right where it hurts - in his non-existent heart. But hey, any hit an enemy can do, Lobo can do bigger, better, and with more blood, so Lobo's taking the fight to Satan himself and heading down to Hell for a much-needed vacation. Metal icon/Anthrax guitarist SCOTT IAN teams up with comic book icon/amateur lion tamer SAM KIETH (THE MAXX) for this 2-issue Prestige Format mini-series that pits Lobo against demonic Chihuahuas, sets sail on the world's worst cruise ship, and is so fraggin' awesome the moon blows up.
MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #1 - The creative team behind Marvel's adaptation of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' return with their interpretation of the second Oz novel, a story far less well-known than the tale of Dorothy Gale. Tip is a young orphan who has been raised by the wicked witch Mombi. It's a hard life for Tip, mistreated as orphans in fiction usually are, so one night he sneaks away, accompanied by the enchanted stick-man Jack Pumpkinhead. Like many before them, Tip and Jack set out for the heart of Oz itself, the Emerald City, to start a new life. But despite how poorly she treated him, for some reason Mombi wants Tip back and she'll do anything in her power to bring her home. And when you're a wicked witch, you do have a lot of power. An eight-part mini-series by ERIC SHANOWER and SKOTTIE YOUNG, adapting the work of L. FRANK BAUM.
PSYLOCKE #1 - Back from the dead and settling in to a whole new body, the woman who is, at least in spirit if not according to fingerprints, Elizabeth Braddock walks again. Returning to Japan to bury her former body, Psylocke crosses paths with the ninja clan that transplanted her mind the first time, those many years ago. Nursing a grudge that moved bodies with her, Psylocke is ready to make those responsible pay. And if that means that she must single-handedly take on a whole ninja clan, then bring it on like Donkey Kong. A four-part mini-series by CHRISTOPHER YOST and HARVEY TOLIBAO.
STUMPTOWN #1 - Say hello to Dex. She's the proprietor of Stumptown Investigations, a pretty successful little private investigation agency which helps feed Dex's somewhat unlucky gambling addiction. See, Dex is in deep with the Confederated Tribes of the Wind Coast for $18,000, and she's flat broke and can see broken and/or missing digits in her immediate future. But her luck might be changing, as a big case has just dropped in her lap: Sue-Lynn, the head of the Wind Coast's casino operations, is willing to clear Dex's inconvenient debt if she can find her missing granddaughter. How hard could that be, right? GREG RUCKA (DETECTIVE COMICS, WHITEOUT) pens his first new creator-owned series since the Eisner Award-winning 'Queen & Country', and he's joined by artist MATTHEW SOUTHWORTH to bring this tale of money, greed, and bodies in automobile trunks.
THE BOYS VOLUME 1: THE NAME OF THE GAME LIMITED EDITION HC - They've been in the comicky book biz for five years now, so Dynamite Entertainment have decided to celebrate this occasion with the release of their best-selling title in a fancy-schmancy hardcover edition! So, what makes it both fancy and schmancy? Why, not only do you get the first six issues of the acclaimed 'The Boys' ongoing series by GARTH ENNIS and DARICK ROBERTSON, you get it all wrapped up in a limited edition hardcover tome (this edition will not be reprinted, EVER!), along with an introduction by writer/actor/director/Scotty SIMON PEGG, and more than 50 pages of never-before-printed bonus material. That's a whole lotta depravity, violence, bum jokes, and nekkidity for your dollar. And honestly, what more could you ask for?
THE GREAT TEN #1 - Straight outta the pages of '52' and 'Checkmate' comes an all-new 10-issue mini-series focusing on the People's Republic of China's premier super-functionary team, the Great Ten. At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the Great Ten face their greatest challenge as the gods of ancient China return to take back what was once theirs, thus destroying the country's current communist rule and tearing the country apart. But considering how bogged down the team has become in bureaucratic procedures and endless paperwork, perhaps it's about time something… unexpected happened to change the status quo? But what price, freedom? Especially when the Great Ten's actions (or inactions) may take the rest of our planet down with them? TONY BEDARD teams up with SCOTT MCDANIEL (NIGHTWING) to continue the adventures of Accomplished Perfect Physician, August General in Iron, Celestial Archer, Ghost Fox Killer, Immortal Man in Darkness, Mother of Champions, Seven Deadly Brothers, Shaolin Robot, Socialist Red Guardsman, and Thundermind, who are actually starting to sound more and more like card-carrying members of the Wu-Tang Clan.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ABSOLUTE JUSTICE HC - The Justice League of America has long worked hard to keep our planet safe from threats, both local and from outer space. Working together, they've saved us countless times from the so-called 'bad guys' and megalomaniacs who only want to rule (or outright destroy) the world. But what if those bad guys banded together and started to do more good for humanity than our heroes have ever done? Yup, Lex Luthor and his band of super-powered miscreants have decided that the only way to make the World's Greatest Superheroes obsolete is by beating them at their own game. Famine: gone. Disease: cured. War: over. The Homeless: sheltered. So, what are our 'heroes' supposed to do now that someone else has done their job for them? We hear McDonald's is hiring… Collecting the immensely popular 12-issue maxi-series into this much-deserved oversized Absolute format, it's by the team of ALEX ROSS (KINGDOM COME) and JIM KRUEGER (EARTH X), along with artist DOUG BRAITHWAITE (over whom Ross paints), and is set to include an all-new cover by Ross plus a sketchbook section which will include a heap of never-before-seen artwork and more!
AVENGERS/X-MEN: UTOPIA HC - The X-Men have relocated to San Francisco to make a fresh start in a city they haven't repeatedly led to violence, destruction and the edge of ruin. And for the most part, San Francisco has welcomed them with open arms. So… what could possibly go wrong? Two words: Norman Osborn. The head of H.A.M.M.E.R. isn't too keen to see the X-Men become a beloved San Francisco attraction like the Fisherman's Wharf or the Golden Gate Bridge, so he's deployed his Dark Avengers to turn the public against the mutant super-team. And if they're not enough, he's just putting the finishing touches on a second team complementary to his Avengers: a team of mutants of questionable ethics, a team of Dark X-Men. Collects together Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia, Uncanny X-Men #513-514, Dark Avengers #7-8, Dark X-Men: The Beginning #1-3, X-Men Legacy #226-227, Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus and Dark X-Men: The Confession, with contributions from MATT FRACTION, PAUL CORNELL, MARC SILVESTRI and TERRY DODSON.
BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL - The Man of Bronze returns to the DC Universe, and comes face-to-fist with the Dark Knight! This 56-page one-shot prologue to next year's 6-issue 'First Wave' mini-series reintroduces Doc Savage into a new pulp-influenced DC Universe where crime runs rampant, corruption runs deep, and even the heroes of this universe can't be trusted. And when Doc Savage connects a grisly murder in Gotham City with its new bat-shaped vigilante, he's off to bring this pointy-eared caped crusader to justice. If he can get past the Batman's twin .45 calibre pistols, that is. Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO (100 BULLETS) and illustrated by PHIL NOTO (CODENAME: KNOCKOUT), this one-shot prologue will come with a sketchbook showcasing character and costume designs by RAGS MORALES (IDENTITY CRISIS), who will be pencilling the upcoming mini-series.
BOOSTER GOLD #26 - So, what's blue and gold and red all over? This 'Blackest Night' tie-in issue, that's what! The very worst fears of Booster Gold have come to pass as his bestest buddy Ted Kord (the longtime Blue Beetle of yore and co-inventor of the classic 'Bwahahahaha!') has been resurrected as a Black Lantern and is all set on killing every living thing he can get his hands on. Good thing there's a new Blue Beetle on the block to help Booster take down his former partner in crime-fighting, but can even this technologically advanced version of the Blue Beetle armour be any good against the undead? Yeah, we're kinda betting on black this time 'round. By the team of DAN JURGENS (SUPERMAN), MATT STURGES (JACK OF FABLES), and MIKE NORTON (RUNAWAYS). NOTE: Each copy of this issue of 'Booster Gold' will come with a free Orange Lantern promotional ring. You must purchase the issue to obtain the ring.
DARK X-MEN #1 - Over half the team did a runner during the events of 'Utopia' but Norman Osborn still has the leash on four angry mutants and he's ready to sic them on anyone who gives him a funny look. Nate Grey, the former X-Man and current self-proclaimed shaman and guide of all mutantkind, has reappeared after several years thought dead, and Norman dislikes the idea of any sort of mutant rabble-rouser running free. So Osborn has dispatched Mystique, Dark Beast, Weapon Omega and Mimic to ensure that X-Man ends up just as dead as everyone believed him to be. A five-part mini-series by PAUL CORNELL and LEONARD KIRK, the team behind CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND THE MI:13.
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ZOMBIES: THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS SC - 'Twas the bite before Christmas, and all through the haunted house, not a creature was stirring... except for the undead fiends under your bed hungering for your brains and juicy, tender innards! This ghastly 128-page tome takes more than two dozen of your favourite Christmas carols and rends them limb from limb into more manageable bite-sized pieces, with new ghoulish renditions of 'I Saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus', 'Deck the Halls with Parts of Wally', 'We Three Spleens', the classic 'Silent Night, Holey Night', and many more terrible tunes to terrify your tots with. MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN and JEFF WEIGEL bring you the best Season's Beatings ever!
MODERN WARFARE 2: GHOST #1 - Spinning out of the latest instalment of the epic 'Call of Duty' video game franchise, this week begins the tale of Ghost, the mysterious soldier in the skull-faced balaclava. Charting his life from his earlier formative days to his years travelling the world as a mercenary, all the way up to his time featuring as a supporting character in a video game, it's all here. So if you want to know more about the events of the game, and aren't just there for the well-timed head-shots, get on board here for the six-part mini-series by DAVID LAPHAM and KEVIN WEST.
PUNISHERMAX #1 - Marvel's adult content version of the Punisher restarts this week, transforming from the former 'Frank Castle: Punisher' into the new 'PunisherMAX'. While that does sound a little too much like a new brand of energy drink, 'PunisherMAX' is instead setting out to do something fairly similar to what Ultimate comics has done, reinterpreting classic Marvel characters into a new continuity. Except this universe is going to be slightly less ultimate and a lot more bloodthirsty and vicious. The first character to join Frank in his own brutal continuity is Wilson Fisk, the mob enforcer who dreams of becoming the kingpin of crime and is going to use the Punisher to take down anyone in his way. And waiting in the wings is the world's finest hitman, the man known to the FBI only as Bullseye. A new ongoing series, replacing 'Frank Castle: Punisher', by JASON AARON (SCALPED, WOLVERINE: WEAPON X) and STEVE DILLON (PREACHER, PUNISHER: WELCOME BACK FRANK).
R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 - Vril Dox, super-jerk and leader of the Revolutionary Elite Brigade to Eradicate L.EG.I.O.N. Supremacy (colloquially known as the R.E.B.E.L.S. to everyone else) and his team of renegades are doing their very best to stop Starro the Conqueror and his starfish minions' rampage across the DC Universe, with limited success. And their mission is about to get six billion times harder as they're forced to confront a Black Lantern infestation in space! Now, that's a difficult enough job as it is, but these Black Lanterns are an even tougher breed, as most of them wanted Vril Dox dead when they were alive. It's not fun when your worst enemies are back from the dead (with stronger powers, to boot!) to kill you all over again. By scribe TONY BEDARD (UNCANNY X-MEN) and artist ANDY CLARKE (DETECTIVE COMICS). NOTE: Each copy of this issue of R.E.B.E.L.S. will come with a free Indigo Tribe promotional ring. You must purchase this issue to obtain the ring.
STRANGE #1 - Stephen Strange may no longer be the Sorcerer Supreme but he's still no slouch in the magic department. So when he saves a young woman from dying, she sees the chance to learn the arcane arts from a master of the field, and she isn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Whether he wants it or not, Stephen now has an apprentice and a new purpose: to guide her through the realms of magic and train her in what it takes to be a Sorcerer(ess) Supreme. Because, y'know, female apprentices have worked for him so well in the past. A four-part mini-series by MARK WAID (IRREDEEMABLE) and EMMA RIOS.
SUPERGOD #1 - In the world of 'Supergod', super-humans are the ultimate expression of the Messiah complex (no, not that X-crossover) and the world's scientists can build one from scratch, with abilities and powers far beyond those of mortal men. Too bad for us that those abilities were used against the human race and now we're an endangered species, all because we thought the very super-beings we had created would save us from ourselves. But they didn't, and more importantly, they never will. They don't care if you're in trouble. They don't care if countries are going to war. They don't care if humanity dies off. In fact, when you're a Supergod, why the flippin' smeg would you care about anything other than yourself? Only the madness known as WARREN ELLIS (THE AUTHORITY, BLACK SUMMER) and his companion-in-cuckoo GARRIE GASTONY can really answer those questions, with as much alcohol and violence as possible.
SUPERMAN: RED SON DELUXE EDITION HC - We all know his classic tale: sent to Earth in a rocket from the doomed planet Krypton, the infant Kal-El lands in 1950's Ukraine and is raised as the Champion of the common worker, who fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact. Wait, what the flippin' heck? Thanks to a small time difference the Man of Steel overshoots Kansas and ends up in Mother Russia, eventually becoming its champion and upsetting the balance of world power heavily in the favour of his communist superiors. But when super-genius Lex Luthor decides that this Superman's powers must be shared by everyone (especially himself), the United States finds itself the proud owner of a Bizarro clone of this Super-Commie. Throw in Soviet versions of Batman and Wonder Woman, and you've got yourself one of the very best 'Elseworlds' stories to ever see print. Written by MARK MILLAR (CIVIL WAR) and illustrated by DAVE JOHNSON (100 BULLETS) and KILIAN PLUNKETT (STAR WARS: SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE), this all-new 168-page hardcover printing of this amazingly good mini-series answers that long-held question: What If?... Superman Had Been raised in the Soviet Union instead of the United States? Well, we'd all be using the word 'comrade' a lot more, that's for sure.
S.W.O.R.D. #1 - Abigail Brand is no longer the head of the Earth's intergalactic defence network, having been demoted after the events in 'Astonishing X-Men'. Now Marvel's recurring governmental pain-in-the-jacksy, Henry Gyrich, has been appointed to the job and he's got a whole new plan for S.W.O.R.D. Under Gyrich's administration, S.W.O.R.D. is to purge the Earth of alien life-forms, by asking politely, or failing that, big dang laser guns. Will Abigail be comfortable as an agent enforcing Gyrich's xenophobic new policies, and will her boyfriend, the big blue hairball known as Beast, get tired of her whining about it all when she gets home from work? And when will somebody call Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones? They seem to be dapper hands at this sort of thing. A new ongoing series by KIERON GILLEN and STEVEN SANDERS.
THE AUTHORITY: THE LOST YEAR READER - The first two issues of GRANT MORRISON and GENE HA's stalled Authority project are reprinted in one volume this week, before being continued next week as 'Authority: The Lost Year' under the new creative team of KEITH GIFFEN and DARICK ROBERTSON, albeit under Morrison's supervision. In a world full of superheroes, the Authority were the best: they had saved the world countless times, ruled it once or twice, and travelled across the borders between dimensions more often than you've had hot dinners. But now they have arrived in a world where they, their world, and all their many feats are simply works of fiction. Trapped on an Earth were superheroes don't exist, the Authority discover that there are other ways to change the world than with over-the-top theatrics and running around in tights.
TRANSFORMERS: CONTINUUM ONE-SHOT - IDW Publishing's 'Transformers' series of mini-series finally become an ongoing series this month so, to bring you up to speed on all that has gone before, this week we receive the Continuum, a 32-page primer to everything that has transpired in their various 'Transformers' mini-series and one-shots that have come out so far. From their covert infiltration of the Earth in their first mini-series, all the way to the events of 'All Hail Megatron', where they gave up on subtlety entirely and just trashed the planet, it's all here. So, if you want to keep up with the giant transforming robots, this is the book for you.
WALL-E #0 - Those humans at BOOM! Studios have been releasing some pretty awesome Pixar Studios comics for some time now, with series based on 'Cars', 'The Incredibles', 'Toy Story' and 'Monsters Inc.' all becoming huge hits around the world with kids and adults alike. And now it's time for everyone's favourite 700-year-old solar-powered Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class (or WALL-E to his pals) to shine… or at least glisten somewhat, considering the mess that the Buy 'n Large megacorporation has left Earth in. Set before the events of the utterly brilliant 'WALL-E' film, we find our hardworking little robot… working not so hard, actually. See, WALL-E is far too busy investigating the endless piles of junk left behind by his human creators for cool knick-knacks and collectible plastic Lantern rings to do any actual work, so he's leaving all the hard slogging to the few remaining robots left on Earth. But when the other robots start breaking down, WALL-E must learn to adjust his priorities… or our Earth is doomed! Well, doomed even more than it is right now. Written by J. TORRES (TEEN TITANS: GO!) and illustrated by MORGAN LUTHI (SNOW), this all-new ongoing series will feature a 50/50 cover split by Luthi for each issue.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ADVENTURE COMICS #4 - Here's three major reasons you should not miss out on this issue: With each copy you nab of Adventure Comics #4, you get yourself a neato keen Blue Lantern Ring! The return of Superboy Prime to the DC Universe! If you've been reading the whole 'Blackest Night' event, then this issue is probably the most important of all the tie-ins released so far, so much so that scribe GEOFF JOHNS is calling it Blackest Night #5 ½, a story as important to 'Blackest Night' as 'Superman Beyond' was to 'Final Crisis'. And if that's not enough for you to pick this ish up, you're definitely gonna want to see the smackdown between Superboy Prime and the Black Lanterns, and this new undead threat to the DC Universe dishes out the pain to this alternate universe Boy of Steel. Oh, and there's apparently a Legion of Super Heroes back-up story in here somewheres as well. By the team of Johns, JERRY ORDWAY (SUPERMAN), FRANCIS MANAPUL, and CLAYTON HENRY. NOTE: Each copy of this issue of 'Adventure Comics' will come with a free Blue Lantern promotional ring. You must purchase the issue to obtain the ring.
BATMAN: THE BATTLE FOR THE COWL HC - Bruce Wayne is dead… long live the Batman! Ripped straight out of the shocking events of the 'Final Crisis' mini-series, the superhero world at large is mourning the passing of an icon, as the Dark Knight takes a dirt nap. And despite Gotham City having a multitude of protectors like the Huntress, the new Batwoman, Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman, will even they be enough to stem the tide of gang warfare as word slowly leaks out onto the streets that Gotham's Caped Crusader has bitten the dust? Which begs the question: who is man (or woman) enough to take up the cape and cowl of the Bat and continue his never-ending battle against the superstitious and cowardly criminal element of the DC Universe? Written and illustrated by TONY DANIEL, GUILLEM MARCH (GOTHAM CITY SIRENS), CHRISCROSS, and many more, this 160-page hardcover collects Batman: The Battle for the Cowl #1-3, 'Gotham Gazette: Batman - Dead?', and 'Gotham Gazette: Batman - Alive!'.
DARK REIGN: THE LIST - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ONE-SHOT - This week Norman Osborn moves on to the final item on his list for improving the world, and this one's a little bit personal. Spider-Man has been a rogue vigilante tormenting on the streets of New York for far too long, and Osborn has decided its time to stomp this spider flat. And the fact that he's been Osborn's arch-nemesis for almost as long is purely a coincidence. But since there's nobody else Osborn would trust with such an important splat duty, he's just going to have to pull on his costume and do the job himself. But which costume? A one-shot by DAN SLOTT (MIGHTY AVENGERS) and ADAM KUBERT (SUPERMAN: LAST SON), with The Pulse #5, the issue where Osborn was outed as the Green Goblin, as a back-up feature.
DOCTOR HORRIBLE ONE-SHOT - It wasn't enough for JOSS WHEDON to become the master of television, film, and comic books; last year he set out to conquer the interwebs as well. With 'Doctor Horrible's Singalong Blog', a series of three online episodes, Whedon told the tale of a mad scientist who aspired to be accepted as a super-villain, woo the girl of his dreams, and see the his arch-nemesis, the heroic Captain Hammer defeated in the most humiliating way. And it was all done to music. This week Dark Horse release a special one-shot comic that functions as a prequel to the webisodes, telling the tale of Doc Horrible back when he was just young Billy, a bright young thing who fell for the glitz and allure of professional super-villainy. But as this is only printed material, you will have to hum your own music. By series co-writer and Joss' brother ZACK WHEDON, with illustrations by JOELLE JONES.
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: 80-PAGE GIANT #1 - The younger members of the Justice Society of America take a time-out this week from fighting invading space zombies to explore their mansion home. Within its storied halls are sixty years worth of history and adventure, and its time for the new recruits to learn some of it. This jumbo-sized issue contains seven stories, one for each neophyte team member, as they explore the Society's secret history, and push further towards the secret that lies at the heart of the mansion. Kinda like a scary Tootsie Roll. By ZANDER CANNON, JAMES ROBINSON, JERRY ORDWAY, FREDDIE WILLIAMS II and many others.
KOOKABURRA K #1 - HUMBERTO RAMOS has been the artist for several popular series such as 'Impulse', and his creator-owned series 'Crimson' and 'Out There', but somewhere along the way he began to grow tired of working for the American comic industry and decided to try his hand at something a bit more international. Luckily there's a whole world of people out there who think that funny books are pretty cool, so Ramos quickly found demand for quirky stylised art. Now his first work for the French publisher SOLEIL is translated into English so Ramos' original fans can finally catch up on what they've been missing out on. The Earth has been destroyed by a mysterious force that is sweeping the galaxy, but a small band of survivors still survive, hiding inside the K, a rocket trying to outrun, or at least not be overtaken by, this destructive wave. Also onboard are a mysterious group of children, an ancient wizard, and what may very well be a ghost, all of whom are going to lead these survivors into even more adventures, whether they want it or not. A three-part mini-series written by CRISSE & HICKS, who are probably big in France.
REALM OF KINGS ONE-SHOT - The team of DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING, the writers who have almost single-handedly revived Marvel's space-based comics, begin here to lay the groundwork for their next major galactic crossover. At the conclusion of the 'War of Kings' saga, Black Bolt and Vulcan fought a battle so brutal that they ripped a hole through the universe itself. Now it's time for those left behind to stick their extraterrestrial heads through and see what's on the other side. Chances are it's not a universe of Care Bears and My Little Ponies. A one-shot with art by LEONARDO MANCO. Also be on the lookout this week for the accompanying mini-series to this one-shot as REALM OF KINGS: INHUMANS #1 is released. Queen Medusa has become leader of the Kree Empire after the death of her husband, Black Bolt, but the empire isn't taking change well. The populace are in turmoil, the nobility are ready to stage a coup, and then there's that gaping tear in reality spanning across the sky, which isn't helping calm people down. Medusa and the Inhuman royal family must regain control of their star-spanning empire and, if possible, do something about that great big hole in the sky. Unfortunately, that's going to take a lot more than sticky tape. A five-part mini-series by DAN ABNETT, ANDY LANNING and PABLO RAIMONDI.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: DC COMICS PRESENTS VOLUME 1 TP - Originally published from 1978 to 1986 and having an almost 100 issue run, this awesome anthology series was Superman's 'team-up' book, and featured some of the very coolest stories from that era, and also showcased the famous 'Whatever Happened To…' back-up feature that led to some of the most memorable DC stories ever told. This all-new 512-page tome reprints the first 26 issues of the series, and includes the Man of Steel teaming up with the Flash, Adam Strange, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Red Tornado, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman, Sergeant Rock, Hawkman, the Legion of Super Heroes, Firestorm, Superboy (wait, what?), and many, many more, and also includes the very first insert previewing the (then) upcoming 'New Teen Titans' series by MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PEREZ! And if all that team-up action ain't enough for you, all the 'Whatever Happened To' back-ups will also be included, and all this awesome geeky goodness will be by such legendary comicky book creators as LEN WEIN, PAUL LEVITZ, JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ, MURPHY ANDERSON, and many more.
THE AUTHORITY: THE LOST YEAR #3 - Picking up where Grant Morrison and Gene Ha left off a few years back, KEITH GIFFEN and DARICK ROBERTSON team up to tell the forgotten story of the Authority. The American Navy have discovered something impossibly large lying at the bottom of the ocean. It would seem to be a spaceship the size of a city but, of course, such things don't exist. And when the Navy explore the interior of the vessel they come across something else that shouldn't exist: superheroes. The Authority have broken through to the real world, where they are only known as fictional comic book characters, and are ready to remodel the planet through the healing power of violence. Their first stop: sort out the Middle East.
THE 'NAM VOLUME 1 TP - Initially solicited as a 'twelve-year limited series' but running for only seven (to roughly parallel America's involvement in the Vietnam War from 1966-1972), 'The 'Nam' followed Private First Class Edward Marks on his multiple tours of duty alongside his brothers-in-arms in the 23rd Infantry as they struggled to stay alive in a war they didn't understand and no longer cared about. Each issue of this incredible series was told in real time, with stories being set a month apart from each other, detailing battles and offensives that had happened two decades earlier in the real world. And despite the many restrictions that the Comics Code Authority placed on the title, to this day it still stands out as one of the most realistically produced war comic series of all time, winning the praise of veterans and critics worldwide. This 248-page trade paperback, the first in a series, reprints The 'Nam #1-10 and it's by Vietnam War veteran DOUG MURRAY and artist MICHAEL GOLDEN (UNCANNY X-MEN, NIGHTWING).
THE OUTSIDERS #24 - Spinning straight out of the recently finished 'Blackest Night: Titans' mini-series, this is the fight all Outsiders and Titans fans have been waiting for: Geo-Force versus the undead Black Lantern Terra! Yup, it's brother against zombie sister in a no-holds-barred, no-beg-your-pardons, super-powered smackdown that will end one of two ways: either dear old sis goes back to her grave, or big brother is gonna get his heart broken… and then ripped apart and consumed. Yummy. That's one way to get your iron intake for the day. By the team of PETER J. TOMASI and FERNANDO PASARIN. NOTE: Each copy of this issue of 'The Outsiders' will come with a free Star Sapphire promotional ring. You must purchase the issue to obtain the ring.
VICTORIAN UNDEAD #1 - Sherlock Holmes has made a career for himself by solving mysteries using the maxim that 'if you eliminate the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth'. So, when London is overrun with animated walking corpses hungering for brains, the only possible explanation is zombies. Or at least it would be, except that word isn't going to be in common parlance for another fifty years or so. But it's definitely an invasion of stinky brain-eaters and it's up to Holmes and his faithful offsider Watson to bring this undead infestation under control. A six-part mini-series by IAN EDGINTON and DAVIDE FABBRI.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
BLACKEST NIGHT #5 - Is it possible for the DC Universe to get darker? Oh, you betcha it is. The Lord of the Undead, also known as ye olde wrinkled Iron Maiden album cover homager Nekron, is back in the DC Universe in a huge way, and he's here for one thing only: the destruction of every form of life there is. Y'see, Nekron is the Big Bad, the leader of the Black Lanterns, and he's got a mad-on for anyone who's living, dead, or even undead. And the heroes of the DC Universe (well, those left alive that is…) are just starting to realise that Nekron doesn't just take your life away… he also takes your afterlife as well. Scribe GEOFF JOHNS (ADVENTURE COMICS, JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA) and artist IVAN REIS (SUPERMAN, INFINITE CRISIS) continue their incredible run on this universe-altering mini-series that's looking to have lasting effects on both the heroes and villains of the DC Universe for a long time to come.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA OMNIBUS HC - It's worse than that, he's dead Jim! Well, maybe for not much longer, but at the time, the death of Marvel's Sentinel of Liberty rocked both the heroes of the Marvel Universe and the fanboys/girls who read along to their very cores. Or as close to the core as you can get and still be slightly disdainful of death and its quasi-lasting effects on a comic book character. As we've seen in the recent 'Captain America: Reborn' mini and the upcoming 'Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield?' one-shot, it looks like the once-inanimate Steve Rogers will be returning to his beloved Marvel Universe, and what better way to celebrate the hasn't-happened-yet event than by reminding ourselves why he was replaced in the first place? This enormous 480-page oversized hardcover collects together Captain America #25-42, collecting the entire post-'Civil War' drama as the world got used to not having a Captain America around… until another bloke picked up his shield and ran with it. Scribe ED BRUBAKER (DAREDEVIL, GOTHAM CENTRAL) is joined by artists STEVE EPTING (AVENGERS), MIKE PERKINS, BUTCH GUICE, and ROBERTO DE LA TORRE to tell a tale of betrayal by one's friends, one's comrade-in-arms, and one's country.
DEADPOOL CLASSIC VOLUME 3 TP - He's funnier than a hundred mimes duct-taped together and fed to ravenous sharks, and all of a sudden (with a little help from a major motion picture he's recently co-starred in) he's the hottest comicky book character around, sporting no less than three ongoing titles and a garage-full of New Coke bottles. Money well spent, there. This new 280-page tome reprints even more of the Merc with a Mouth's early adventures as he battles his arch-enemy T-Ray (no, he didn't kill Steve Irwin), cuts a swathe through the Weapon X program, goes up against Bullseye (and lives to brag about it), goes up against Typhoid Mary (and lives to lie about it), and goes up against the Heroes Eventually Known as the Great Lakes Initiative (and lives to deny it). Collecting Deadpool #9-17 from his 1997 ongoing series, it's brought to you by JOE KELLY, AL MILGROM, ED MCGUINNESS (HULK), PETE WOODS (ROBIN), and WALTER MCDANIEL.
IMAGE UNITED #1 - Just the logistics behind this mini-series boggles the mind. For the first time ever, the heroes and creators of the Image Universe are uniting to take on the biggest threat their world has ever faced. All your favourite Image Comics heroes are here: 'Youngblood', 'Shadowhawk', 'Spawn', 'Savage Dragon', 'Witchblade', 'Ripclaw', and 'Barricade'. Wait, who was that last one? Well, whoever he is, he's stolen the Hulk's colour scheme and just become involved in the biggest smackdown the Image Universe has ever seen! Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN (WALKING DEAD) each page of this 6-issue mini-series will feature art from all the remaining original founders of Image Comics, including ERIK LARSEN, ROB LIEFELD, TODD MCFARLANE, WHILCE PORTACIO, MARC SILVESTRI, and JIM VALENTINO on each and every page as they collaborate to tell a huge story in a way that's never been attempted before in comics. And to top it all off for you fans out there, each issue of this mini-series will feature a cover by each of the artists involved, and as a bonus for the first issue, there will also be a variant JIM LEE (WILDC.A.T.S) cover, as well as a convention-styled 'Blank Cover' edition.
JERICHO: SEASON III #1 - It's not a lot of fun living in the former United States. Twenty three of its major cities are now nothing more than radioactive sludge, and the residents of Jericho, Kansas, are trying to make the best of their new lives in a post-apocalyptic Allied States of America. They've been through quite a bit, with the new Cheyenne army taking over and Jake Green and Robert Hawkins getting their hands on an undetonated bomb. And now the fun starts as the Cheyenne go up against the new Republic of Texas for ownership of the bomb, while both Jake and Robert try to hunt down a certain fella by the name of John Smith. Continuing from the second season cliffhanger, this all-new 6-issue mini-series continues the cult television series 'Jericho' and is brought to you by the writing team of DAN SHOTZ and ROBERT LEVINE (scribes of the JERICHO television series), and artist ALEJANDRO F. GIRALBO. NOTE: For the collectors out there, this first issue will be released with two equal-ratio covers, one a photo cover and the other by artist SCOTT WEST.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39 - The 'Blackest Night' event hits the Justice League of America, and it hits it hard. While the team is struggling to recover from Despero's seemingly unprovoked attack and the fact that seemingly all their old school pals are rising from their graves to eat their hearts, the very last thing they need to see if Doctor Light. No, not the female Doc who's a part of the Justice League, but the shambling reanimated corpse of Arthur Light, now a Black Lantern with an immense amount of power at his fingertips and an itch to use it on everyone in sight. New creative team JAMES ROBINSON (STARMAN, ACTION COMICS) and MARK BAGLEY (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN) take on the comicky world's premier super-team… and try to destroy it to bits from the get-go.
POWERS #1 - Y'know, if you were to say the title of this newly-restarted comic book in an Irish accent, you'd probably get into a fair bit of trouble, or have people looking at you in mild disgust. Either way, it's a win! And because BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (DARK AVENGERS, NEW AVANGERS, ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-WOMAN) apparently isn't writing enough monthlies to choke a hippopotamus, he's back with an all-new 'Powers' ongoing series, because someone, somewhere demanded it! Detective Christian Walker and Detective Enki Sunrise are back, investigating superpower-related murders and getting into the usual (or possibly more) amount of trouble. Unfortunately their kind of trouble usually wears a cape and tights, and more often than not underwear on the outside of said tights. Along with artist MICHAEL AVON OEMING (MICE TEMPLAR), this here is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers, but not so much for readers who have stuck with the series for a while now.
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING VOLUME 2 HC - Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the slimy water… This series is responsible for a few great things in comic book history: it was the first comic to abandon ye olde Comics Code Authority; it was certainly one of the very first comics specifically aimed at an adult audience; and it was the breakout book for some bearded weirdo named ALAN MOORE (WATCHMEN), who took the horror-based concept of the Swamp Thing and re-imagined/retooled it into something a little more macabre, and definitely a lot more environmental. This here all-new 224-page hardcover continues to collect these long-out-of-print issues of the classic 'Swamp Thing' series (specifically issues #28-34 and the second Annual) as Swampy finally lets go of his humanity after learning he's entirely made up of plant material, meets a hippie commune from outer space, and gets it on with his love Abigail Arcane, as only a plant-being and a human can. Joined by artists SHAWN MCMANUS, STEPHEN BISSETTE (HEAVY METAL), and JOHN TOTLEBEN.
SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #3 - You've seen how he came to our planet and was raised by a kindly couple, despite knowing his alien origins. You've read his early adventures in Smallville with Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and the Legion of Super Heroes. And now it's time for Clark Kent to step up into the big time as he waves buh-bye to Smallville and calls Metropolis home. But this isn't the Metropolis you read about these days: this is a city with no super-powered protector, a city in trouble and on the edge of sliding into darkness, not unlike a certain Gotham City. But lucky for Metropolis and her citizens, because there's a super man arriving on the next bus in from Smallville, and he's ready to use his ever-growing powers to help anyone in need. Well, he will, once he stops ogling Lois Lane. Close your mouth, Clark. Written by GEOFF JOHNS (BLACKEST NIGHT) and illustrated by the indecently talented GARY FRANK (MIDNIGHT NATION), this has easily been the most enjoyable Superman story we've read in a long, long time.
THE GOON #33 - Do your friends shun you like a plague-bearer? Does your family constantly tell you you're adopted? Does your partner sometimes look at you with mild disgust? Do you still watch reruns of 'Seinfeld'? Well, other than being French you must be one of the unfortunate outcasts of society who has never read an issue of 'The Goon', one of the most awesomest comics ever produced. This week's issue of 'The Goon' is a 'One-Shot Wonder', one of the many produced by Dark Horse Comics to allow readers to jump onto a title and check it out. And what an issue we have for you: The Goon goes to the dentist! He punches a sentient manatee! The dentist kicks him out! The Goon ponders eating a candy apple! Aliens show up! The cover of the issue has the words 'wiener' and 'poop potato' on it! Vaguely written and shakily illustrated by ERIC POWELL, this is a great chance to jump into this multi award-winning series that will have you crying with laughter and gnashing your teeth with anxiety. Sheer brilliance.
THOR: GIANT-SIZE FINALE (BY J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI) - Solicited almost six months ago under a different name, the final finale to the uber-popular J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (RISING STARS, BABYLON 5) 'Thor' run is finally here! Years worth of storylines and plotlines converge in this 64-page one-shot as Loki finally unveils his (her?) plans for the newly-relocated Asgardians, Doctor Doom sets his eyes above the horizon and looks greedily at Asgard itself, and poor Earth-born Bill (who has yet to decide on a suitable Asgardian name) helps Balder the Brave defend his home across the Rainbow Bridge… which isn't there anymore by the way, since Asgard is in our reality now. Confused? Don't be! We're sure it will all be explained by the end of this issue. By the team of Straczynski and artist MARKO DJURDJEVIC.
TICK: THE NEW SERIES #1 - Spooooooooon! The big blue defender of all things right and fluffy-like is back in an all-new ongoing series that'll have you reaching for the nearest baseball bat as a million zillion ninjas converge upon you. The Tick is all about Christmas, and having Arthur and the rest of his pals around during the silly season makes it even better, with much food, drink, and presents bandied about. But one of those presents is from a super-villain, and Tick has to figure out which one before things go kablooey! Written by BENITO CERENO and illustrated by LES MCCLAINE, it's nice to see the big blue lug back again.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #1 - After the pretty damn shocking events of Blackest Night #5, the entire superhero community of the DC Universe is all over the place, with no one able to effectively combat these new Black Lanterns, and resurrected heroes fearing they may fall under Nekron's control. But all that has to be put aside for the moment, as the Flashes (the once-dead Barry Allen and… well, the once-dead Wally West) run as fast as they can from pursuing Black Lantern rings, straight into the undead arms of their deceased Rogues Gallery. Oh yeah, it's gotta be a whole lotta fun having a bunch of rotting corpses after you while you run for your life and see the rebirth of your most hated enemy… the Reverse Flash. A three-issue mini-series by the team of GEOFF JOHNS and SCOTT KOLINS.
BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1 - She's a beacon for hope around the DC Universe, but as of late Diana has had it rough: her 'sister' Donna Troy has been infected by the Black Lanterns, the 'Blackest Night' has hit her super-powered friends rather hard, and the world still doesn't quite trust her since she snapped the neck of Maxwell Lord, the former benefactor of the Justice League. Oh, and speaking of which, he's back. Maxwell Lord, that is, as a heart-eating Black Lantern, and he's looking for a little payback from the Amazon who twisted his head around until he could see his own butt in greater detail. The War of Light is heating up peoples, and Wonder Woman is set to play a humongously major part in it, so get in on the ground floor with this first issue in a 3-ish mini-series by the team of GREG RUCKA (STUMPTOWN) and Australia's own NICOLA SCOTT (SECRET SIX), with covers by GREG HORN and variant covers by RYAN SOOK.
DARK AVENGERS ANNUAL #1 - Marvel Boy didn't last long with the Dark Avengers. While he is a nasty piece of work, being a brutal alien warrior who had intended to conquer the Earth and whatnot, even he wasn't prepared to be teamed up with actual psychopaths and loonies. So he did a runner in the night, dropping off the face of the Earth, figuratively if not even literally. But now, somehow, the Dark Avengers have found their AWOL team-mate and have decided its time to show Marvel Boy what they think of pikers. Here's a hint: they don't like them very much at all. Less than the French, even. By BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and CHRIS BACHELO.
FALL OF THE HULKS: ALPHA - There has been a noticeable surge in the number of gamma-irradiated muscle-men in the Marvel Universe recently and the biggest brains in the world are starting to feel insecure. That's why M.O.D.O.K., the Mad Thinker, the Leader, the Red Ghost and Doctor Doom have banded together to create the Intelligentsia, a gathering of the greatest evil minds in the world whose first item on the agenda is to bring the Hulk population back under control. Unable to stand against the Hulks themselves, the Intelligentsia plan instead to turn the Hulks against each other. And when half the Hulks can't wrap their heads around the difference between 'me' and 'I', pitting them against each other shouldn't prove too much of a challenge. A one-shot bookend issue by JEFF PARKER and PAUL PELLETIER, leading into the upcoming 'The Fall of the Hulks' crossover.
IRON MAN VS. WHIPLASH #1 - The countdown to 'Iron Man 2' continues (only five months to go!), so this week Marvel begin their second mini-series (after 'Black Widow: Deadly Origin') designed to increase the profile of the film's supporting characters within the Marvel Universe. Anton Vanko (played by MICKEY ROURKE in the upcoming film) has a vendetta against Tony Stark and he is going to make him pay. But how can one man take on a superhero in a state-of-the-art battle-suit? Maybe by fashioning his very own high-tech battle-suit. But Tony Stark has his patented repulsor beam technology; how can a man compete against that? Well, this battle-suit has whips! Yes people, it's the new modernized and updated Whiplash! A four-part mini-series by BRANNON BRAGA, MARC GUGGENHEIM and PHIL BRIONES.
J.S.A. ALL STARS #1 - Over the last few years, the Justice Society has gone on an enormous recruitment drive and now they are stuck with more members than they know what to do with. So this week DC Comics introduce a new proactive off-shoot team to keep the younger members occupied: the J.S.A. All Stars. While the Justice Society are busy training the next generation of superheroes, the All Stars are going to be out there in the field putting everything they've learnt into action. And for their first battle the All Stars cross paths with a classic J.S.A. villain who, for some reason, nobody seems to recall. So much for youth - their memories are already shot. A new ongoing series by MATTHEW STURGES and FREDDIE WILLIAMS II.
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: UNCANNY X-MEN VOLUME 1 TP - One of the smartest things the peoples over at Marvel Comics ever did was reformat and re-release their hard-to-find 'Marvel Masterworks' books in affordable trade paperbacks, especially as many of the older volumes have been out of print for years. This week sees the second generation of the Children of the Atom (or as we like to call 'em, those damn dirty muties) get their go as the classic CHRIS CLAREMONT/DAVE COCKRUM era of all-new, all-different X-antics gets reprinted. Collecting Giant-Size X-Men #1 and X-Men #94-100, this 192-page tome introduces the world to an international cast of genetic freaks like Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Banshee, Sunfire, and Warpath, as they single-handedly save the monthly 'Uncanny X-Men' title from cancellation and help build one of the biggest comic book franchises ever. And it all starts here folks, with the return of the Sentinels, an X-Man dies, the old guard faces off against the new, and the tragic sacrifice of Jean Grey unfolds. This is the very foundation of all things X-related in the Marvel Universe these days, and a great place to check out where all your favourite costumed mutants came from.
SIEGE: THE CABAL - He must have thought it was a good idea at the time. Norman Osborn had been named the head of an international peace-keeping organisation and he was going to need support. So his first action was to bring in his peers to assist him. Unfortunately Norman Osborn's peers were some of the most malevolent supervillains the world had ever seen. It was only a matter of time before the whole thing exploded in his face, and it looks like now the time has come for Norman to get his eyebrows singed. Doctor Doom has spent a year playing second fiddle to Osborn and has had just about enough of it. Doomy wants to be alpha villain again, which is going to require putting Osborn out of the picture for good. And meanwhile, in the background, Loki, god(dess) of mischief, giggles away like this was what (s)he wanted all along. A double-sized one-shot by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and MICHAEL LARK, leading into the forthcoming 'Siege' mini-series.
WHAT IF…? - SECRET INVASION - This year's round of 'What If…?' one-shots focus mainly on Marvel's previous events and crossovers, making these one-shots almost a crossover in themselves, but without all the inevitable tie-ins and twenty-third printings. First up we return to the 'Secret Invasion' and ask, what if the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe never found out about the secret Skrull infiltration of planet Earth? Or hey, what if Reed Richards died before he could escape from the Skrulls? Or better yet, what if the Skrulls had won? Yup, expect lots of questions to be (hopefully) answered as your favourite mega-events get rewritten by KEVIN GREVIUOX, CHRIS ACOSTA, and LARRY STROMAN (X-FACTOR), with LEINEL FRANCIS YU and GABRIELE DELL'OTTO on cover duties.
WOLVERINE: WEAPON X 100 PROJECT TP - Following on from the 'Ultimate Spider-Man' and 'Hulk' 100 Projects comes everyone's favourite hirsute tri-clawed metal-laced-skeleton mutant from the Great White North, that precocious and somewhat vicious little fella called Wolverine! This here 160-page softcover edition from 'The Hero Initiative' collects all 100+ covers to Wolverine: Weapon X #1 and is set to include contributions from such scribblers as J. SCOTT CAMPBELL (DANGER GIRL), JOHN CASSADAY (PLANETARY), FRANK CHO (MIGHTY AVENGERS), DALE KEOWN (INCREDIBLE HULK), NEAL ADAMS (BATMAN), ART ADAMS (ULTIMATE COMICS: ENEMY), TIM SALE (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN), MIKE DEODATO JR. (DARK AVENGERS), plus many, many more. More mutant madness than you can poke six claws at.
X-FORCE ANNUAL #1 - Wolverine has been dispatched to infiltrate a top secret Hydra base and bring out the one man whose brain may hold the cure to dwindling mutant population. And while Wolverine is pretty good at breaking into enemy bases and sneaking around without ever being seen, he's even better at running around slicing anyone he meets into little fleshy ribbons. Which strategy to use? Decisions, decisions. And then in a back-up story tying in to the current 'X-Necrosha' crossover, the zombie hordes are storming Utopia and there's only one man who can save the day. Unfortunately he's not available so they've got Deadpool instead. I'd start manning lifeboats if I were them. By ROBERT KIRKMAN, CRAIG KYLE, CHRISTOPHER YOST and JASON PEARSON.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ADVENTURE COMICS #5 - Well, Adventure Comics #4 was certainly the most… unique book we've read in a good long time, as Superboy Prime re-establishes himself back in the main DC Universe, but he's not the only one from his now-defunct alternate reality to make a comeback. We've already seen Black Lantern Earth-2 Superman and Black Lantern earth-2 Lois Lane running around making nuisances of themselves, but what about… Black Lantern Alexander Luthor? Yuppers, pretty much the smartest guy to ever live 9and die) is back, and this time he's got the might of the Black Lantern rings behind him. Just how far can this alternate reality Lex Luthor go with his newfound powers? Will he try to remake the universe again? Will he try to recreate his own long-lost universe? Will he be the one to finally figure out the technology behind those blasted Black Lantern rings? And while one Superboy is going up against one Luthor, another Superboy (Connor Kent) finally gets the guts up to go up against our own Lex Luthor. Oh yeah, it's father versus… well, clone really. So it's Lex versus a better-looking, more powerful version of himself. And Superman. Oh wow, that migraine just kicked in. By the team of GEOFF JOHNS (BLACKEST NIGHT) and JERRY ORDWAY (SUPERMAN).
DANTE'S INFERNO #1 - Ah, true love. Is there nowhere one will go to attain (or in this case, reattain) it? This all-new 6-issue mini-series serves as a prequel to next year's highly-anticipated 'Dante's Inferno' video game (which can be drooled over here: http://www.dantesinferno.com/home.action), where Dante Alighieri is re-imagined as a holy warrior who has returned from the Crusades to find his beloved Beatrice murdered, and her soul taken by Lucifer himself to the deepest, most vile corner of Hell. Now, only Dante himself can break open the gates to Hell and rescue his fiancée… but is he strong enough, or pure enough, to take on the might of Lucifer and his endless hordes of deadly misshapen creatures? Only the team of CHRISTOS GAGE (X-MEN/SPIDER-MAN) and DIEGO LATORRE can answer that question.
DAYTRIPPER #1 - Twin brothers FABIO MOON and GABRIEL BA grew up together in Sao Paulo, Brazil, drawing and making their own comics. Over the years they got pretty good at it which is why, in the last few years, they have both managed to crack the American comic book industry. Moon has been the artist on Casanova and B.P.R.D. 1947, while Ba has been responsible for the visuals on the hugely successful Umbrella Academy series. And now, once more, their powers are combining to write and illustrate a new ten part mini-series for Vertigo comics. Set in their native Brazil, the series follows a young obituary writer, living in the shadow of his hugely successful novelist father, as he searches for meaning in a life that revolves around death. Joined by his best friend, the man sets out to travel across the country, find his estranged father and, while he's at it, discover the meaning of life itself.
NATION X #1 - The X-Men have created Utopia, their own nation off the coast of San Francisco. Now the mutants of the world are all migrating there, hoping to make better lives for themselves away from the common man, who is always bugging them at parties to turn their drink into ice or teleport the hostesses' clothes off. This four part anthology follows individual mutants as they settle into their new homeland, some far more smoothly than others. This first issue catches up with Wolverine, Colossus and Nightcrawler, with contributions from SIMON SPURRIER, SCOTT SNYDER, DAVID LOPEZ, and more.
NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #3 - Clint Barton has been captured by Norman Osborn and, when you're a superhero, that's probably the worst possible place for you to be. The only people who can possibly save him are his team-mates, the New Avengers. Unfortunately the team's heavy hitters, Spidey, Cap and Wolvie, are all a bit busy in their own comics right now and it's up to the ladies of the New Avengers to save the day. Spider-Woman, Ms Marvel, Mockingbird, and …and is that Jewel? Has Jessica Jones finally fallen off the wagon and back into her cheesy 80s superhero costume? Only BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and MIKE MAYHEW know the answer, but you can find out on Thursday.
R.E.B.E.L.S. #11 - Say hello to the newest Sinestro Corps member… Vril Dox? What the freakin' hey? Is it really that good an idea to give a super-genius like Vril one of the most powerful weapons in the whole universe? Apparently not, as the new Black Lanterns on the block, the tragic Harbinger and the not-quite-aptly-named Stealth, try to rip him to shreds before he can figure out how to use the damn ring. Oh yeah, it's an intergalactic three-way smackdown between Vril, Harbinger, and Stealth that'll have one of them in pieces by the end of this issue. And no, we're not telling you which one. Nertz to you. By the team of TONY BEDARD (UNCANNY X-MEN) and CLAUDE ST. AUBIN (GREEN LANTERN: CIRCLE OF FIRE).
SPIDER-MAN AND THE SECRET WARS #1 - One of the most memorable crossovers to ever hit the Marvel Universe was the original 'Secret Wars', a 12-part maxi-series which saw Marvel's heroes and villains transported a million miles away to a 'Battleworld' by the omniscient Beyonder to fight for their lives. Now, nearly a quarter of a decade later, we revisit this event as it's retold from a certain friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man's point of view. This here new 4-issue mini-series takes some of the lesser-delved-into moments from the fan-favourite event and expands upon them. For example: how did ten Marvel superheroes end up buried alive under one hundred and fifty billion tonnes of rock? What could possibly have gone so wrong to put them in that unenviable position? Why did the X-Men stay apart from all the other heroes? Why did Ben Grimm decide to stay behind and explore the galaxy? And why, dear Zod why, did the Beyonder wear flared slacks? All these questions, and possibly a couple more, will be answered by PAUL TOBIN and PATRICK SCHERBERGER.
THE BOYS: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION VOLUME 2 HC - For reasons unknown (yeah, right…) the folks at DC Comics gave this title the boot, thus allowing the fine folks at Dynamite Entertainment to continue the sordid over-the-top violence-laden adventures of 'The Boys', a group of boys (and a girl) whose job it is to keep the superheroes out there in line, using as much finger-cracking, leg-breaking, ball-smashing, name-calling fun as possible. And while there have been trade paperback and hardcover collections of the series thus far, nothing even comes close to this limited edition uber-oversized slipcased hardcover book that collects issues #15 to #30 of this brilliantly violent ongoing series. But wait, that's not all! This hardcover also comes with a bonus section that will include a complete cover gallery (with every variant cover included as well!), a sketchbook section, and a heap of unpublished and never-before-seen goodies from the team of GARTH ENNIS (PREACHER) and DARICK ROBERTSON (TRANSMETROPOLITAN). NOTE: Like the first volume in this series, this hardcover is a limited edition and will only be available for a very short time. Once the print run of this book has sold out, it's gone for good!
WHAT IF…? - WORLD WAR HULK - So, y'know, what if ol' Green Genes had his way during the whole 'World War Hulk' malarky? Huh? Just how different would the Marvel Universe be these days? That's the question (oh, and one other) that's answered in this new 48-page one-shot. Yup, the first half of this gamma-irradiated read ponders a possible reality where Hulk pretty much wiped the planet with the Illuminati, thus leaving our feeble planet without its mightiest heroes. Other than the Hulk, who benefits? Well, let's just say they're green-skinned as well… The second half of this one-shot sees our resident God of Thunder taking a more proactive role during the 'World War Hulk' saga, and shows just how much of a difference a Norse God could have made to this planet-wide battle. Oh yeah, it's definitely hammer time. By the team of MIKE RAICHT (EXILES ANNUAL) and LUCIO PARRILLO (RED SONJA), with MICHAEL GALLAGHER (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) and SPAZ! (MUTIES) on the back-up tale.
X-NECROSHA: THE GATHERING ONE-SHOT - The Black Queen has returned, leading a massive army of undead mutants. But, with this many mindless drones bumbling around and trying to eat each others' brains, you've got to have a few zombie wranglers. That is why Selene has built herself an inner circle of villains to manage her undead horde. This special one-shot looks back at the Black Queen's recruitment drive, as she brought together Wither, Mortis, Eli Bard, and fan-favourite Blink, who was also dead but possibly less dead than the rest of the zombie army, to serve as generals in her latest attempt to destroy the world. Written by CRAIG KYLE and CHRISTOPHER YOST, with art by LEONARDO MANCO, KALMAN ANDRASOFSKY and more.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ANGEL: A HOLE IN THE WORLD #1 - IDW Publishing continue their adaptations of classic 'Angel' episodes, with this five-part mini-series which translate the fifth season episodes 'A Hole in the World' and 'Shells' into comic book form. An ancient sarcophagus has come to Angel Investigations and during their studies Fred has been struck down by a mysterious millennia-old malady. Now the team have to scramble to save Fred's life but they may discover that the cure could do more damage than the illness ever could, while the illness may lead to Fred just getting a sassy new makeover. By SCOTT TIPTON and ELENA CASAGRANDE.
BATMAN: 80-PAGE GIANT #1 - Like the song says… 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!' But hey, this is just ridiculous! The biggest blizzard any Gothamite can remember has just hit Batman's home town and all the heroes in town are flat out trying to help as many people as they can as water pipes burst, heating fails, and several people get the sniffles. But when the Bat's away the criminal element will play, so the slightly less wholesome citizens of Gotham City put on their scarfs and mittens (well, except for Mister Freeze… he's sweating it out in lycra shorts) and head out into the cold to cause as much mischief as possible. That'll teach everyone to dream of a white Christmas. It's 80 big, big pages of all-new Bat-tales by some of the hottest up-and-comers in the industry, including IVORY MADISON, DAVID TISCHMAN, CHRIS SAMNEE, and SALEEM CRAWFORD, who get a helping hand from some old timers like STEVE NILES (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) and SI SPURRIER.
CHIMICHANGA #1 - Lovable weirdo/drunk ERIC POWELL has made a name for himself as the creator of the darkly hilarious series 'The Goon' but now, after becoming a father, Powell has decided it's time to create something slightly more kid-friendly. The key word there? 'Slightly'. It's still in the same vein as Powell's other work, but children can read it without ending up scarred for life. Unless they get a really bad paper cut. Chimichanga is a three-part miniseries about a young bearded girl growing up in a travelling freak-show, who gets lost in the woods and is rescued by a creature even more freakish and bizarre than the people she lives with. Yes, that's right: it's a kid-friendly freak-a-palooza!
COMPLETE ALICE IN WONDERLAND #1 - After the success of 'The Complete Dracula', Dynamite adapt another classic novel with LEWIS CARROLL's beloved kid's book/acid trip, 'Alice in Wonderland'. On a hot summer's day, young Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a weird and surreal world where nothing is what it seems. There she meets a bloodthirsty monarch, a tardy rabbit, and an eccentric milliner who, despite what Tim Burton would have you believe, looks nothing like Johnny Depp. A four-part mini-series adapted by LEAH MOORE & JOHN REPPION (SHERLOCK HOLMES) and ERICA AWANO.
FROM THE PAGES OF BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA: HARKER GN - It's been six months since the gruesome death of Dracula (y'know, that Lord of Vampires guy) in Transylvania, but it seems his legacy is destined to (un)live on, no matter what. A ghostly vision has informed the Harkers that their work is far from done, as the last surviving Bride of Dracula is making her way to London to exact revenge for her master's death. And if that's not enough to send a chill up a spine, how about finding out that the Bride is also planning on using Mina's unborn child as a new host for Draculas spirit? Oh yeah, that sucks. Featuring introductions from DACRE STOKER, IAN HOLT, and LESLIE S. KLINGER (the author of 'The Annotated Dracula'), this new 128-page tome is the only graphical sequel to the classic 'Dracula' novel to ever be endorsed by the Stoker estate.
INCORRUPTIBLE #1 - We've been hearing for the last year that 'MARK WAID is evil', but now he'd have us believe that maybe he isn't so bad after all. His series 'Irredeemable' has followed the story of one of the Earth's mightiest heroes who turned upon all that he once loved and set about destroying the world. This week he begins a second series to serve as a counterpoint, as a hardened criminal decides to stand up to the man who is devastating the world. Max Damage had been a successful villain for many years but had recently started to grow tired of his career choice. All he needed was a push to try something new. Instead of just a little push though, he got a ground-heaving cataclysm as the former hero The Plutonian decimated his hometown. And so now Max Danger is starting a new life for himself as Max Daring: superhero. A new ongoing series with art by NEIL EDWARDS.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE: FOOL'S GOLD #1 - Space… the final frontier. These are the… err… stationary adventures of the crew of the… umm, Deep Space Nine. Its ongoing mission: to stop thieving aliens from taking off with anything that's not bolted down and to fire weapons indiscriminately in their general direction whenever possible. Yep, Captain Sisko and his brave crew are back after a several-year hiatus for more adventures and mind games than you can poke a Romulan at, as Major Kira and Constable Odo do what they do best - try to contain all the mayhem and havoc by fighting fire with fire. Or laser with laser. Whatever. By the writing team of SCOTT & DANIEL TIPTON and artist FABIO MANTOVANI, and featuring a 50/50 cover split by DAVID MESSINA and THE SHARP BROTHERS.
STAR WARS: THE THRAWN TRILOGY HC - Originally a series of novels by TIMOTHY ZAHN which were then translated over into comic book form by the likes of MIKE BARON, TERRY DODSON, and FRED BLANCHARD, this much-hullabalooed 'Star Wars' series is set five years after the destruction of the second Death Star and follows the adventures of Luke Skywalker as he tries to re-establish the Jedi Knights in the galaxy once again. Things, and people, have moved on since the Emperor's death: Han Solo and Princess Leia have married (wait, does that make Han a prince?), the New Republic has been formed, and it is being sorely tested by outside forces. But little do our heroes know that Admiral Thrawn, the last of the Emperor's warlords, is back from his exile in the Outer Rim, and he's ready to tear down this upstart Republic before it's barely begun. Collecting 'Star Wars: Heir to the Empire', 'Star Wars: Dark Force Rising', and 'Star Wars: The Last Command' into one handy-dandy volume.
THE ROCKETEER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION HC - If you ever want to see one of the most faithful comic-to-movie translations of all time, then you need to watch 'The Rocketeer' immediately. From the costume designs to the characters to the art deco feel of the era, it's easily one of the very coolest comic book movies ever made, certainly standing out in 1991, just a few years after the 'Batman' movie phenomenon. Now fans of the movie and the comics can rejoice as this week finally sees the release of the complete adventures of The Rocketeer in this 144-page hardcover. Collecting the initial 'The Rocketeer' series and the follow-up 'The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure' by the recently departed artist extraordinaire DAVE STEVENS, both series have been completely remastered and recoloured by LAURA MARTIN, Dave's personal choice to recolour the issues. With high-flying action, adventure, and a sense of wonder rarely found in comics anymore, this tome is an absolute must for your ever-expanding library.
TRANSFORMERS: BUMBLEBEE #1 - He's one of world's most beloved Transformers, even if Michael Bay won't let him talk in the movies. This week, Bumblebee, the gun-toting Volkswagen (at least in classic continuity), gets his own miniseries spinning off from the events of the 'Transformers' ongoing series. In the wake of the events of the new Transformers #1, Bumblebee has been given command of his own squad of Autobots. His subordinates are having a hard time taking their new leader seriously however, as he barely comes up to their hubcaps. But when the squad is given a mission of vital importance they must learn quickly how to work together and listen to what the little yellow guy says. A four-part mini-series by ZANDER CANNON and the curiously named CHEE.
WORLD OF WARCRAFT SPECIAL #1 - For the past two years, there has only been one 'World of Warcraft' comic; a dilemma considering that the whole game is based on two warring factions. But come January the comic is splitting into two separate titles: 'World of Wacraft: Alliance', and 'World of Warcraft: Horde', and this special one-shot is where the split begins. Algalon the Observer is a mysterious extraterrestrial presence that has come to Azeroth to study the people of the planet and decide whether or not it is time to annihilate the population of the planet and start again afresh. It is up to representatives of the two factions to prove to it that this world is not beyond saving, even though everyone on it just fights, grinds and dances on letterboxes. By MIKE COSTA and POP MHAN.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ANGEL ANNUAL #1 - 'Angel' fans had better make sure they add this special issue to their order as it won't be put aside under the regular monthly code on their Standing Order. This 48-page must-have issue that takes us back to the recently-finished 'Angel: After the Fall' series. When Los Angeles went to Hell (literally!), so did thousands of screenwriters, one of whom wrote a movie based on Angel's experiences there. Check out this adaptation of Angel's travails, Hollywood-style, in 'Angel: The Last Angel in Hell - The Official Movie Adaptation', starring, err… well, Angel. And the guys. Written by regular writer BRIAN LYNCH with art by STEPHEN MOONEY this issue boasts two separate 'movie-art' covers.
ANGELUS #1 - Top Cow's angelic horde is back in an all-new 6-part mini-series written by RON MARZ with art by 'The Darkness' artist STJEPAN SEJIC. Following from the recent 'War of the Witchblades' event (yeah, we know it sounds like something the WWE cooked up) Danielle Baptiste returns home to New Orleans to come to grips with her new role as the Angelus, the human bearer of the primal force of Light. To complicate matters she must sort out her undefined relationship with Finch while maintaining control of the Angelus host, some of whom covet her power. All this and she's got to find some clothes that don't rip apart at the drop of a hat. Dodgy stitching in the Top Cow Universe, y'know.
AVENGERS: THE INITITIATIVE #31 - Tying in to Marvel's latest SIEGE event, we see months of story threads finally weave together as Norman Osborn offers Taskmaster a seat at the Cabal's table, the Avengers Resistance uncovers a horrifying secret, and members of the Initiative are called up for an assault on an enemy of incalculable power! Well, mostly incalculable. We're pretty sure Reed Richards could calculate it with a compass and a lock of MacGuyver's hair. Be here for the beginning of Marvel's latest event that has been seven years in the making! Make sure you add SIEGE to your Standing/Mail Order - you have been warned!
BLACKEST NIGHT: J.S.A. #1 - Darkness continues to fall on the DC Universe… and we want more. This week Justice Society fans get their turn in this latest 3-part mini-series written by current 'Justice League of America' scribe JAMES ROBINSON and rising star artist EDDY BARROWS (BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN). The original mystery men of yesterday are back and they seek the hearts of their new counterparts! It's Mr. Terrific vs. Mr. Terrific, Doctor Midnite vs. Doctor Midnite, and Sand vs. Wesley Dodds! This'll be a slugfest that longtime DC fans won't wanna miss!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN - WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD? - It all ends here folks...or wait… could it be a new beginning for our Star Spangled Avenger? Writer ED BRUBAKER has been building to this issue for over four years now and finally, the decision is being made as to who will sling Cap's shield around the Marvel Universe. This controversial issue (which is shipping before the final issue of the 'Captain America: Reborn' mini-series ships - nice going you lunkheads) finds Steve Rogers returned to the Marvel Universe, but Bucky Barnes is the current Captain America and has come into his own in the role. Will there be (or can there be) two Captain Americas? Will Bucky go back to being the Winter Soldier? Will the real Red Skull please stand up? And if necessary, can these two work out some sort of sharing system for the shield? Y'know, maybe Steve gets it on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and alternating Sundays? Decisions, decisions, decisions....
HELLBOY: THE BRIDE OF HELL ONE SHOT - Guess who's back?...MIKE MIGNOLA, the creator of HELLBOY and all things B.P.R.D. reunites with comic legend artist RICHARD CORBEN (DEN) to pen an all-new 32-page Hellboy one-shot adventure. This time Hellboy is tracking down a kidnapped 19 year-old girl and when the trail leads him to a remote clearing in France (Ah-hah! Vindication!) where she's about to be offered to a demon named Asmodeus... of course mayhem ensues! Mignola delivers a vintage tale full of ghosts, demonic revenge, lost love… and King Solomon.? Unbelievably, things just got even weirder.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
MASS EFFECT: REDEMPTION #1 - Bridging the gap between the original 'Mass Effect' game and the sequel scheduled to hit shelves somewhere in the next month or so, comes this four part miniseries by the lead writer of Mass Effect 2, MAC WALTERS. Commander Shepard, the hero of the first game, has disappeared in mysterious circumstances out in the wild and lawless Terminus region of space. It is up to one of his sidekicks from the first game, the extraterrestrial archaeologist Liara T'Soni, to track down and rescue Shepard, otherwise Mass Effect 2 is going to be short one protagonist. Co-written by JOHN JACKSON MILLER (STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC), with art by OMAR FRANCIA (STAR WARS: LEGACY).
SIEGE #1 - According to BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, this story has been stewing for seven years now. After all that, let's just hope that it hasn't been overcooked. Norman Osborn, the head of American superhuman security, has decided that he doesn't approve of the foreign deities living in a floating city above Ohio and has declared war on Asgard. Leading an army of America's state-funded superheroes, Osborn intends to kick these gods back into mythology. But many of the Earth's mightiest heroes don't work for Osborn and it might this might be just the occasion to bring them all together again. Marvel's new Heroic Age begins here, in a four part miniseries with art by OLIVIER COIPEL.
SIEGE: EMBEDDED #1 - As Norman Osborn has risen to power he has manipulated the media masterfully, playing them like a fiddle. But recently a few strings have snapped on the fiddle and the world has started to see the cracks in Osborn's facade. And now, as Osborn declares war on Asgard, reporters like Ben Urich are determined to make sure the world finally sees what a true monster Osborn is, even without his big green mask. A four part miniseries by BRIAN REED and CHRIS SAMNEE.
SUICIDE SQUAD #67 and WEIRD WESTERN TALES #71 - The Blackest Night continues this week, reanimating two long-dead comic books for one month only. The first one-shot catches up with the Suicide Squad, an organisation known for the short life expectancy of its members, as they are attacked by their fallen comrades and discover that there may well be more deceased team members than living ones. By JOHN OSTRANDER, GAIL SIMONE and J. CALAFIORE. Meanwhile, the second of the two comics brings back all of DC's classic Western heroes, including Jonah Hex, Scalphunter and Batlash, as they join the battle against the living. By DAN DIDIO and RENATO ARLEM.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ALIEN VS PREDATOR: THREE WORLD WAR #1 - After years of hunting pretty much every other creature in the universe, the Predator clans have run out of prey and are now turning upon each other. The Predator clans are waging war across the cosmos and one of the clans has a heck of an advantage: they've found a way to command and control the other intergalactic menace, the Aliens. Against those sorts of odds, even Predators are open to a bit of co-operation. And that's where humanity come in, having to team up with the lesser of two evils, that being the evil that doesn't keep acid-spewing xenomorphs as pets. A six part miniseries, picking up plotlines from both the Aliens and the Predator comics, by RANDY STRADLEY and RICK LEONARDI.
CONAN THE CIMMERIAN: WEIGHT OF THE CROWN ONE-SHOT - Dark Horse continue their One-Shot Wonders, a series of self-contained stories to try and lure people to comics that they've never read before. And, for this week's Conan one-shot, they've brought on a pretty high-profile creator to sweeten the deal even more. DARICK ROBERTSON (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, THE BOYS), takes on double duty, both writing and illustrating a tale of young Conan as he joins a band of marauding barbarians led by the 'Mad King of Gaul'. Quickly the barbarians realise that they may be better off with Conan in charge than a guy who has the word 'mad' in his name, and Conan gets swept up into a brutal struggle for power.
DOC SAVAGE: THE SILVER PYRAMID TP - Before he makes his long-awaited return to comics in Brian Azzarello's First Wave, one of Doc Savage's older funny book adventures returns to print this week with the tale of the Silver Pyramid. Pulp hero Savage has retired after a lifetime of fantastic globe-trotting adventures to drink lots of cups of tea and talk about the weather. But, when an alien invasion begins, Savage must leap from his armchair, cast off his fluffy slippers, and save the world once more. Collects together the four-part 1987 miniseries by DENNY O'NEAL with art by two young up-and-comers, ADAM & ANDY KUBERT.
HUMAN TARGET: CHANCE MEETINGS TP - Christopher Chance has made a nice little life for himself with a career somewhere between celebrity impersonator and bodyguard. Chance hires himself out to people whose lives are in danger, to impersonate the client and eliminate the threats to their safety. But, when one of his cases goes bad, Chance finds himself caught in the middle of a gang war and being pursued by an unstoppable assassin. Due to make its debut later this year as a new television series, Vertigo this week collects their original four-part miniseries along with its follow-up graphic novel, Human Target: Final Cut, all by PETER MILLIGAN, with art from EDVIN BIUKOVIC and JAVIER PULIDO.
NO HERO TP - What would you do to become a superhero? What price would you pay to become exceptional? How much do you want to be able to confidently wear tights in public? Those are the questions that WARREN ELLIS asks in No Hero, the latest of his superhero deconstructions for Avatar Comics. Carrick Masterson exists somewhere between Professor X and Timothy Leary, a brilliant scientist who back in the tie-dyed sixties developed a drug that not only gave the consumer fabulous hallucinations but also granted them super-powers. Suddenly counter-culture had more power than counter-terrorism. Now, forty years later, a young man has come to San Francisco, home of Masterson and his superhero team, the Front Line, to audition for just one tab of this very special formula. But that tab may be the catalyst to bring down Masterson's whole empire. Collects together the eight part miniseries with art by JUAN JOSE RYP.
ULTIMATUM TP - Ten years ago Marvel created their 'Ultimate' line of comics with the intention of modernising their classic characters in a world not bogged down with forty years of continuity and, for a time, it worked. But, over the last decade, the Ultimate universe has come to be bogged down by its own mire of continuity, and Ultimatum is Marvel's excuse to, if not wipe the slate clean, at least sponge it down a bit. A series of natural disasters are sweeping the globe: earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. The world's superheroes are having to band together to help save the day but, when it comes to events like these, it's a bit hard to know what to punch. Luckily for the heroes then that these disasters may not be as natural as they first seem. Collects together the five part miniseries by JEPH LOEB and DAVID FINCH.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
HULK #19 and INCREDIBLE HULK #606 - The Fall of the Hulks picks up from the two prologue issues this week as nefarious forces attempt to turn the world's gamma-irradiated population against themselves. In Hulk #19, the Red Hulk finds himself face-to-face-to-face-to-face-to-face with the Fantastic Four, and quickly goes fist-to-face with them instead. Meanwhile, in Incredible Hulk #606, Bruce Banner finds himself pitted against famed villain, despot and superhero punching bag, Doctor Doom. Hulk #19 is by JEPH LOEB and ED MCGUINNESS, while GREG PAK and PAUL PELLETIER are the team on Incredible Hulk #606.
JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 - Back before he became famous for telling epic superhero adventures for some of comicdom's biggest characters, GRANT MORRISON (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, BATMAN AND ROBIN) was just a mad writer in a sharp suit adapting his drug-fueled alien abduction stories to comics for DC's mature readers label, Vertigo. Since his enormous success, Morrison doesn't do so much work for Vertigo anymore but this week he's coming back home for a new mini-series about the challenges of growing up. Joe is a lonely young boy, picked on at school, taking care of his single mother at home, and struggling to live with diabetes. But then one day, after too much sugar or not enough, Joe finds himself lost inside a mighty fantasy kingdom populated by races that look a heck of a lot like the toys he owns. Has he travelled into another world, or is he just going into shock alone on his bedroom floor? Or could it be both? An eight part mini-series with art by SEAN MURPHY.
PHANTOM STRANGER #42 and STARMAN #81 - It's week three of the Blackest Night's month of raising dead comic book series from the grave and this week we have a couple of real fan favourites lurching onto the shelves. Firstly, in Phantom Stranger #42, the aforementioned Stranger must join forces with Deadman to take on (or at least attempt to take on) the incredibly powerful Black Lantern Spectre. Meanwhile, JAMES ROBINSON returns to the comic that made him famous for one issue only, as the dead from his epic 80-issue run rise to plague Opal City. But, if the world no longer has a Starman, who is left to protect the city? Phantom Stranger #42 is by PETER J. TOMASI and ARDIAN SYAF, while Starman #81 is by Robinson and FERNANDO DAGINO.
ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS GN - From MAX BROOKS, the writer of the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, comes a collection charting various historical zombie uprisings and what it took to put them back down again. From the African savannahs, to ancient Rome, to one of the less-known voyages of Sir Francis Drake, all of history's greatest zombie attacks are recorded, with each drooling mouth and desiccated limb lovingly rendered by a team of top artists.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
ALADDIN: LEGACY OF THE LOST #1 - He's always been a bit of a scamp, but Aladdin's past is about to catch up with him in the worst possible way. The legendary Arabian character of myth is back in this all-new 3-issue mini-series from the nice folks at Radical Publishing, who you may recall have had recent hits with their 'Hercules' and 'F.V.Z.A.' titles), as an evil wizard tracks down the Dreaming Jewel, which will give him the power to steal the magic of the Djinn. Unfortunately for Aladdin, the key element to finding this mysterious Dreaming Jewel is in his blood… literally. IAN EDGINTON teams up with series illustrators PATRICK REILLY and STJEPAN SEJIC (THE DARKNESS) for this rather awesome-looking adventure which will hopefully feature a severe lack of Robin Williams-inspired shenanigans.
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 - It's a bird… it's a plane… it's… Buffy Summers? What the flipetty flip is going on here? Having recently gone up against Twilight's army (the big bad guy of the Buffy Universe, not those lame-ass sparkly 'vampires'), it seems Buffy has gone and gotten herself some new powers and abilities: you know the kind beyond those of mortal man and the like. But as these things usually go, there's always a high price for this kind of power, and it looks like Buffy and her Slayer army are about to find out what it is. Award-winning scribe BRAD MELTZER (IDENTITY CRISIS) and series artist GEORGES JEANTY collaborate to bring you the biggest Buffy story of all time, as the identity of Twilight is finally revealed in this 5-part storyline.
DEMO VOLUME II #1 - The uber-team of BRIAN WOOD and BECKY CLOONAN return to their classic indie comic series Demo for six more self-contained tales about life and loss in the Twenty-First Century. In the first issue we meet up with a tormented young woman, plagued with visions of someone falling to their death. She sets out on a journey across America to find this person, save their life and, at the same time, possibly save her own. That's a nice, convenient kinda package right there, isn't it?
IRON MAN BOOKS - Four times the power! Four times the action! And hopefully, four times the alcohol! With a certain fillum being released later this year, those boffins at Marvel have decided it's high time you paid more attention to their heavy metal hero with four new Iron Man-related releases hitting the shelves this week. In INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #23 ol' Tony's all kerfuffled as the Ghost moves in for the kill and Doctor Strange invades that famous Stark brain, while over in the INDOMITABLE IRON MAN: BLACK & WHITE ONE-SHOT we get 48 pages of pulpy goodness as the armoured one goes up against a robotic world conqueror, the Titanium Man, and even himself, as some of Marvel's hottest up-and-coming talents take a crack at the Avenger. And if that's not enough for you, check out this week's IRON MAN: TALES OF THE GOLDEN AVENGER trade paperback which collects some of the most popular young reader Iron Man tales out there, all culled from his recently rebooted Marvel Adventures series, and the IRON MAN MAGAZINE: SPECIAL EDITION which reprints some of the most memorable Iron Man stories of all time, and will also include a heap of extras like posters, activities, and games for the littlies.
MARVEL HEARTBREAKERS #1 - A Halloween-themed special? Any comic book company can do that. But a Valentine's Day-themed comic? That's a bit of a harder sell. The Mouse of Ideas take up the challenge this week with a special 40-page one-shot containing four tales of love, lust, and ladies in lycra. In this issue Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy compete for the attention of Peter Parker, Dazzler finds herself torn between love and life on the stage, and the girls of NextWave are faced with the ghosts of boyfriends past. With contributions from KATHRYN IMMONEN, RICK SPEARS, LARA WEST, and JAMES CALLAHAN.
MILESTONE FOREVER #1 - It's been 16 years since Milestone Media first launched its own line of comic books, a superhero universe created with the ulterior motive of including more minority representation in comics. Unfortunately, as the '90's comic book bubble burst, splattering everyone with unwanted holographic variant covers, Milestone dropped out of the comic book industry, although they did make an impact here and there in the video game and animation arenas. Recently though, the Milestone characters have gotten a new lease on life, popping up in the main DC Universe, rubbing shoulders with superhero legends like Superman and Wonder Woman. But why have the heroes moved universes and what has happened to their home? Is the Milestone Universe forever gone? Milestone editor-in-chief DWAYNE MCDUFFIE is here to tell you, in this two-part mini-series, with art by Milestone artists JOHN PAUL LEON (EARTH X), M.D. BRIGHT, and others.
REALM OF KINGS: SON OF HULK #1 - The battle for the 'Realm of Kings' escalates this week with another faction being brought into the war. Hiro-Kala, the second son of the Incredible Hulk (just how many illegitimate children does this guy have, anyhow?) has been abducted by mysterious forces and dragged off into the Microverse. Let's hope that the kidnappers know what they're getting themselves in for though, as Hiro-Kala has been going through a "conquering" phase recently and the Microverse looks like a fantastic place to build a new empire. A four-part mini-series by SCOTT REED and MIGUEL MUNERA.
THE QUESTION #37 - This week sees the last of DC's eight cancelled comics to be resurrected by the power of the 'Blackest Night' event. Renee Montoya was depressed and almost suicidal when the ailing Vic Sage took her under his wing and gave her purpose, training her to take over his role as the Question after he died. It was good timing really, because he dropped off the twig shortly afterwards. Now, after a year as the Question, Renee unexpectedly finds herself up against her former teacher, as the 'Blackest Night' brings the original Question back from the grave. Yuppers, it's Question versus Question with nary an answer to be had. A one-shot by GREG RUCKA and the artist of the original 'The Question' series, DENYS COWAN.
ULTIMATE COMICS: X #1 - In the wake of the Ultimatum Wave, the Ultimate Universe has been changed forever, killing off some characters, breaking up others, and just generally trying to tidy up the world's tangled continuity. Another less noticeable side-effect of the Wave however has been that Marvel is using this as an opportunity to break away from replicating classic Marvel stories and characters and to instead make the universe more unique. So of course their first step is to create a character with big metal claws that comes out of his hands. A bi-monthly series by JEPH LOEB and ART ADAMS.
__________________
My Collection Blog - http://www.ultimate-collector.blogspot.com
Channels
TECH GUIDES
