1/02/09
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
As you'll probably notice, there's not a heck of a lot out there this month, since the publishers have taken a good portion of December off (just like many of us). Further mucking up the works are all the shipping delays that are cropping up about as fast as we can track them down (see the next item).
In any event, I just wanted to take a moment and wish all of my readers out there a Happy New Year, thanks for dropping by for a squint and my hope you'll continue to me for my monthly blatherings!
SHIPPING UPDATES (AND THERE'S LOTS
Most everything seems to be in a state of flux with all publishers as release dates are being thrown to the wind and it is almost impossible to keep up with all the changes (witness the Spirit Special listed in the DC section below). We'll try to hit the highlights, but no promises...
- According to Mike, Gemstone is at least 3 books behind in the EC reprint series with no word when they will catch up. They seem to be shipping the Disney books on time.
- Over at DC, many titles seem to be sliding a couple of weeks to nearly a month behind their original ship date, although they seem to be getting things under control.
- Marvel is having all sorts of problems and the suggested shipping dates according to Previews are being disregarded as soon as the books are ordered. As an example, the X-Men Omnibus, listed below, is now listed on the Marvel website as being available in March.
- And our favorite whipping boy, Powers: The Definitive Collection Vol. 2, which was due in 2007, has been pushed back once again and may see the light of day in January of 2009.
- We'll try to keep you updated amid all this chaos as we find out new information, but accurate sources for this information are rather few and far between.
- Word has also reached us that The Wolverton Bible volume from Fantagraphics has been delayed as well.
AC COMICS
Best of the West #70
Dick Ayers, Frank Bolle, John Severin and Will Elder and others bring you The Haunted Horseman, Redmask, Durango Kid, Black Diamond and Black Bull. The issue also features the new features, including Sheriff Sal, The Masked Ranger and The Cross-Draw Kid. 68 pages of all-out Western action for an SRP of $9.95.
Men of Mystery #78
More from Quality Comics this time around, with Manhunter, Jester, Dollman, Wildfire, T-Man and Quicksilver. Plus 3 never before reprinted stories featuring The Unknown, Red Torpedo and Marksman. All the stories are by some of the best artists from the Golden Age and the reproduction on all AC books is always excellent. SRP $9.95
DC
The Spirit Special #1, mentioned a couple of months back as being fast-tracked for shipment before the Frank Miller film hits theaters has been pushed back to January for reasons that only DC knows. The special will feature four Eisner stories in color with an SRP of $2.99.
Rumors floating about suggest that there will be a Swamp Thing: Dark Genesis hardback coming out sometime from DC. This title, if you recall, was the one used for the trade paperback edition of the Len Wein/Berni Wrightson stories that first introduced the character. More details as they surface...
DC Comics Classics Library: Superman-Kryptonite Nevermore!
Reprints Superman (first series) #233-238 and 240-242 by Denny O'Neil, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. To those of us who had read Superman for many years, the first issue that kicks off this collection was like a breath of fresh air. In the fan press, we learned the Mort Weisinger had retired and Julius Schwartz had taken over as editor of Superman and man, did he have a few tricks up his sleeve. Kryptonite was going away. Clark Kent was getting into television broadcasting. The stories would have a more dramatic turn. And Superman was going to be powered down.
One of the main problems that the DC universe has always had is that is has been necessary to cut back on Superman's powers. Originally, the character was conceived as being just a bit better than ordinary humans. He was able to leap long distances, an exploding shell could knock him out and he could run very fast, but couldn't do anything really dramatic like break the sound barrier or travel through time. Within a few years, however, Superman was gaining more and more power and Kryptonite had to be added to the mix for use as a handy plot device. Kryptonite wasn't enough, however, and by the late 60s, Superman was a god-like being who presented quite a writing challenge, as his chroniclers had to come up with bigger and greater menaces (or, stupid situations) in an attempt to keep the stories interesting. Eventually, Superman became buried under a huge supporting cast, conflicting continuity and an increasingly boring adventures.This volume reprints the 9 issues that made up this change in the Superman mythos and they are quite well done stories. Under Schwartz, Superman had sub-plots and an ongoing continuity that was unlike anything that DC had done at the time. All that had been mentioned in the fan press came to pass, along with a few other twists and turns. The Sand Creature is of particular interest, since he added some much needed drama to the strip, as Superman faced a menace, albeit a short-lived one, that really meant life or death (on a side note, this 9 issue storyline was condensed into a single special by Walt Simonson in the 80s). It's just unfortunate that the changes Schwartz began here disappeared within a very short amount of time.
All in all, this is a great sequence that deserves a good, long squint and should be up on your sagging bookshelf. SRP $39.99
NOTE: DC is promising that this is the first of a new series of hardcovers that will collect memorable tales in their entirety, but long, continued stories was the exception and not the rule for DC back in the Silver Age. Also, you may want to check the contents of any of these books closely, since you may already have the stories they will present in another form.
Batman: The Strange Deaths of Batman
Since Batman is supposedly dead in the DC Universe (even though we really know he's not, because when DC suggested the story to Warner, Warner squashed the idea like a cockroach on the kitchen floor), here's a collection for the death-worshippers among you to celebrate the Dark Knight's demise. Reprints Detective Comics #347, World's Finest #184 and 269, The Brave And The Bold #115, Batman #291-294, Batman Chronicles #8 and Nightwing #52 by Gardner Fox, Gerry Conway, Carmine Infantino, Jim Aparo, Curt Swan and a host of others. Great morbid fun that can be easily overlooked! SRP $19.99
Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery Vol. 3
Reprints House of Mystery #212-226 by a whole bunch of writers and a whole bunch of artists. Well, all I can say is that if you have been following this reprint series for the art, you can stop now. By the time these books came out, DC had put their lower tier books into the hands of artists from the Phillipines and, except for the occasional Wrightson covers, they provide all the art. Seems that in the 70s, all the comic companies, in an effort to cut costs, turned to the comic industry that had existed for many years in the Phillipines. As I understand it, the artists signed worked for a lower page rate than their American counterparts and they were all incredibly fast: with many of them able to turn out the equivalent of 2 or more books per month. Since DC tended to work from full scripts, most of the DC titles that feature Phillipine work from this period are full pencils and inks. The Marvel method kept most of the penciling and layout in the US with the inking done in the Phillipines (although many of the artists moved to the US during this period). Names you might recognize: Alfredo Alcala, Tony Dezuniga and Ernie Chua (Chan) to name a few. More info, and some history, can be found at The Phillipine Comics Art Museum. The results here are mixed and, although a familiar name pops up in the credits from the time when they were learning the craft, best to pass on this one. I also assume that only the new material from the 100 Page Spectacular issues will be here. For the completeist. SRP $16.99
FANTAGRAPHICS
Supermen! the First Wave of Comic-Book Heroes (1939-41)
A whopping 22 stories are scheduled to be reprinted in this 176 page trade paperback, that focuses on the early attempts to cash in on the success of Superman, including the 1939 Will Eisner creation, Wonder Man. Artists include Basil Wolverton, Jack Kirby, Jack Cole, Fletcher Hanks, Lou Fine and many, many more. Should be worth a squint and possible inclusion on the sagging bookshelf. SRP $24.99
Boody: the Bizarre Comics of Boody Rogers
A Craig Yoe edited anthology that focuses on the strange, and nearly impressionistic, comics created by Boody Rogers in the 20s-early 50s. Rogers has often been compared to Fletcher Hanks and Basil Wolverton for his skewed vision. Here's a chance to see his work up close and personal. Worth a squint, but Rogers is not going to be to everyone's taste. SRP $19.99
GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
A Romano Scarpa Story in Uncle Scrooge #386, an overpriced leatherbound monstrosity in the EC side of things and the first volume of The Complete Don Rosa is still listed as a January release over at Amazon .com, but didn't make it into Previews-sadness does not even begin to describe how I feel....
IDW
The Complete Terry and the Pirates Vol. 6
This sixth volume, reprinting strips from 1945-46, brings to an end Milton Caniff's tenure on the strip he created and, also, this particular reprint series. During these final years, Caniff brought back many of the strips characters for a final visit and the strip ends in a very touching fashion as Terry Lee, now all grown up, gives a kiss to his lady love and...well, that would be telling. You'll have pick up the book to see how it all ends. And, while you're at it, you should also pick up the previous 5 volumes in the series, since they definitely belong up on your sagging bookshelf. SRP $49.99
Rumor of the month for IDW says that IDW is thinking about changing the size of the Dick Tracy series to the larger size used by the Terry series. While my aching eyeballs would appreciate the larger size on the Sundays, I'm not sure whether I'll like having the earlier volumes in one size and the newer ones in a larger format. A minor quibble, to be sure, but only a quibble a long-time book collector would understand...
MANUSCRIPT PRESS
Comics Revue #274
Sixty-four pages of comic strip reprints, including anything from Gasoline Alley to Tarzan. Beyond Mars is featured on the cover this month. Well worth a squint and a great place to start exploring the world of comic strips. SRP $6.95
MARVEL
Marvel Masterworks: The Human Torch Vol. 2
Reprints Strange Tales #118-134 by Lee, Ayers, Powell, Burgos and Kirby. These were fun stories, although Johnny Storm probably fought some of the lamest villains next to Daredevil. The Human Torch stories in Strange Tales were a sort of counterpoint to Spider-Man. While Peter Parker's adventures showed the Marvel version of what it was like to be a teen in the 60, he was a social outcast who's life was filled with angst and worry. Johnny Storm, on the other hand, was a teen idol who never seemed to have any worries except his battles with the bad guys. A good read and it even includes the story where Johnny and Ben meet The Beatles...sort of (*chuckle*). Combined with the first volume, this will get you all the Human Torch stories, but, if color isn't that important to you, you can pick up the Essentials volume and get all the stories at a fraction of the price. SRP $54.99
The X-Men Omnibus Vol. 1
Reprints The X-Men #1-31 by Lee, Thomas, Kirby, Toth, Roth and Sparling with a host of inkers. Not quite sure what to say about this one. Marvel in the 60s had a number of teenage series, such as the Human Torch (see above) and Spider-Man. With the X-Men, Kirby and Lee attempted to take the alienation theme one step further and make the entire group mutants, who couldn't fit in either as heroes or in their secret identities. These main themes of The X-Men (alienation, prejudice, teen angst and the feeling of not fitting in) were never fully realized during their first run and didn't see complete fruition until Claremont took over the re-boot in the 70s. Kirby apparently understood how to keep the tension in the book, as the early adventures showed the team to be successful in their adventures, but still outcasts due to their being mutants. With #11, his output dwindled when he began doing only layouts for the book. While the concept was fresh at the time, it eventually wound up going nowhere, since Lee alone, or Roy Thomas, couldn't figure out what to do with the book. For those of you who want to see where the current X-books got their start thematically, this one is for you, but considering the cost, you'd be just as well served by picking up the Essentials volumes. Overall, the X-Men just seem to wander here and there and, since you can read these seminal tales in a much cheaper form in the Essential series, I'd suggest you give this one a pass. SRP $99.99
Marvel is apparently trying to cash in on Alan Moore's name by releasing a Captain Britain by Alan Moore & Alan Davis Onmibus. I won't bore you with details, but Moore's contribution to this volume are quite slight and the few stories he did write were done for Marvel's British line and just don't measure up. Spend your money elsewhere!
Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Vol. 0
This volume is bit of an oddity, since it attempts to document Byrne's work on the Fantastic Four, and Fantastic Four tie-ins, before he took over the full writing and penciling of the book in the 80s. Why is this odd? Well, some of the work looks like Byrne, but some of the FF stories are inked by Joe Sinnott during the period when he was under orders to keep the look of the consistent regardless of who was doing the penciling. So, this is a real mixed bag with stories from Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-In-One and Fantastic Four. Some good some stories and some that are reprinted from mid-continuity. Give it a squint and then decide. SRP $24.99
TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Apparently taking a break and a long winter's nap.
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