10/31/08
SHIPPING SCHEDULE CHANGES
- Berni Wrightson's Frankenstein has been pushed back and then pushed back again. Barring anymore rescheduling, you may see it at the beginning of November.
- The Spirit Archives Vol. 25, originally due out last June is now out, according to my sources (this is the volume that will present the entire daily newspaper strip!).
- The Elektra by Frank Miller Omnibus that was due out in August should be out by the time you read this.
- And, what is probably the greatest feat of time-shifting ever seen, we've got Powers: The Definitive Collection Vol. 2 set for November, then re-scheduled to December and only missing, by a couple of months its original release date: December, 2007!
RANDOM BASHING
Well, it's finally happened. After being the lone holdout in the "how far ahead can we solicit books" extravaganza that has taken hold of DC and Dark Horse (the major offender up to now), Marvel has jumped on the bandwagon and, with the October issue of Previews, they are now ordering books that won't see release until February! Now, what I have yet to see answered to my satisfaction anywhere is just why the companies need this long lead time. Previews, in any given month, originally was set up to solicit titles that would come out 2 months ahead of time. Dark Horse soon pushed this envelope and DC followed soon after. And, like I said, i can't understand the "why" of it all. Are the books better because they were ordered way in advance? Does this long lead time make for timely shipments? I don't think so in either case and, considering DC's track record of late shipping for collected editions, I can't see any good that will ultimately come of this practice (as an example, I ordered The Spirit Archives #25 in April for release in June...and it finally arrived in October!). What I don't think the companies understand is that it is hard enough as a collector to remember what was ordered when. This is multiplied for a comic retailer, since it's really hard to create a buzz about books once Previews has gone off sale and comic fans don't have long memories. Why not just pause the reprint programs until everyone gets caught up and then start over in a logical manner? Probably because that would be asking too much...?
AC COMICS
Men of Mystery #76
Two tales of The Black Terror, The Hood, Flash Lighting, The Raven and Major Midnight make appearances this issue with art and story by Richard Hughes, Robert Turner, Sheldon Moldoff, Harry Lucey, Bob Fujitani, Ken Battefield, Ralph Mayo and Leonard Franks. SRP $9.95
DARK HORSE
The Complete Green Lama Vol. 2
Reprints ...well, once again Dark Horse has dropped the ball and failed to tell us what issues are included here, but, since they say this completes the Green Lama series, one may assume that it contains #5-8 with great art by Mac Raboy on the lead stories and other hands on the backup stories. I scanned through the first volume on one of my rare trips to Pulp Fiction and the reproduction is very good and, as advertised, they are reprinting the entire comics. On my quick glance through the book, I am astounded, as always, by the quality of Raboy's art and it is a shame that he is another forgotten artist. I'd take a squint if I were you! SRP $49.95
DC
DC has gotten into an annoying habit of inserting books into the schedule at the last minute and then expecting retailers to order them without customer feedback (which is really what Previews is all about). The latest book to get this rush job is The Spirit Special #1, which will feature 4 Eisner Spirit stories in glorious color for a mere $2.99. It's a shame the book won't get a lot of publicity, since this is the type of item they should have done when they started the Archives. It should be out sometime this month.
Camelot 3000 Deluxe Edition
This will reprint the Camelot 3000 maxi-series by Mike Barr and Brian Bolland in its entirety with some extra material. I dunno, but I read the series when it came out and re-read it when it came out in the trade edition and still don't quite know what to make of it. The artwork is beautiful, but the story seems to meander without successfully updating the Arthurian legends or showing how Arthur, and all he stood for, would really function in a world long beyond his time. Maybe I need to reread it again, but, I guess my final opinion would be "what's the point?" when all is said and done. I'll leave this one up to you. SRP $34.99
Jack Kirby's The Demon Omnibus
Reprints The Demon #1-16 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer. DC continues to bring out Kirby's 70s work in really nice editions and this is one of them. Springing back after the disappointment of the Fourth World cancellation, Kirby created a couple of series that are quite memorable and readable, with The Demon being one of them (Kamandi is the other). Wonderful art and story that not only charts original territory, but also gives nods to many classic horror stories. Definitely worth a major squint and placement up on your sagging bookshelf. Now, if only DC would go back in the vaults and give this same treatment to the Simon & Kirby Golden Age material! SRP $49.99
DC is also pushing the Watchmen film this month and you can now buy the graphic novel in 3 different editions ranging in price from $19.99 to $75.00. The reason I mention this is that I ran across a piece the other day that finally explains Alan Moore's animosity towards DC. Seems that in his youthful naivete, Moore signed a contract for Watchmen that would allow the rights to revert to him if DC ever let the book go out of print. Here, some 20 years later, the book has never been out of print, DC still owns the rights and Moore is left out in the cold.
JLA/Avengers
Presents the entire 4 issue crossover in a trade paperback format and finally at an affordable price (unlike the hardcover version). Busiek writes and Perez draws. Worth a squint and, from what I understand, the story is fairly well done. SRP $19.99
Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock Vol. 2
Reprints Our Army at War #118-148 by Kanigher, Kubert, Heath and Grandenetti. World War II didn't end in comics until the late 70s and the Sgt. Rock series was the grittier and more realistic in approach than Marvel's Sgt. Fury series. Rock and the Easy Company slogged through dark and forbidding landscapes, often unshaven and covered in dirt, and basically made war something that nobody would want to take part in. If you haven't tired of war stories, this one is worth a squint and possible inclusion up on your sagging bookshelf. SRP $16.99
FANTAGRAPHICS
Blazing Combat
Reprints the entire 4 issue magazine series that was published by Warren in 1965 and 1966 by Archie Goodwin and a host of artists. Blazing Combat was a sort of sequel to the EC's Frontline Combat in that it featured short war stories set in various eras. Many of the EC alums did the art, including Wally Wood, John Severin, Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, Joe Orlando and Frank Frazetta (on covers), with Alex Toth, Gene Colan, Russ Heath and others hopping aboard for the run of the book. The stories do not hold up as well as those created by Kurtzman in the 50s, since Goodwin's view of war, and the people caught up in the events, has a distinct anti-war stance (it was the 60s, after all). The mock heroics of Marvel and DC aren't here, but they are replaced by a rather cynical tone; Goodwin was not a researcher, or writer/editor, with a vision that could equal Kurtzman's. Kurtzman understood that while war itself may be either good or bad, it may, at times, be the only option. The people fighting in a war cannot be classified as either good or bad simply because a particular conflict may be considered right or correct. Kurtzman's characters were either good or bad simply because they were human. The people involved in any conflict cannot be villified for being on a particular side: each side may feel their view of the conflict is just as right, and just as righteous, as the viewpoint of the people fighting on the other side (and before I get mail, I want to go on record that I am, by nature, opposed to war, feel that there are some wars that must be fought, but that the war in Iraq is not one of them). In other words, Kurtzman realized that the people actually involved in any war were doing what they perceived to be their job, something Goodwin did not seem to understand, since he seems to equate all warriors as bad people because they are involved in warfare. The Vietnam stories in particular were so negative that many newsstands refused to carry the title and this along with other factors, helped it to an early demise. The art, however, is, in nearly every case, just drop dead gorgeous and is the reason I suggest you squint at this one and consider adding it to your sagging bookshelf. As a record of its time, Blazing Combat would make an interesting addition to anyone's collection, particularly if displayed alongside EC's Frontline Combat. Fantagraphics claims that the book is being shot from the original negatives and will also include interviews with both Warren and Goodwin. SRP $22.99
Sam's Strip: The Comic About Comics
This collection nearly slipped under the radar. Back in 1961, Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas created a wonderful fantasy strip where the main characters, Sam and his assistant, who knew they were in a comic strip and were visited by a continual stream of visitors, who were characters in other comic strips. The strip never gained a large following, however, and only ran from October 1961 to June 1963. The book here will collect the entire strip, along with articles about the creators and unpublished art and photos. Definitely worth a squint (particularly if you know comic strips) and deserving of a place up on your sagging bookshelf. SRP $19.99
GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
Ah, Gemstoneland. Where the Rosa Pin-up in Uncle Scrooge #384 is supposed to make me run out an buy the issue. This, and another leatherbound monstrosity are the bad. But, there is a gem among all the dross...to whit:
Walt Disney Treasures Vol. 3: Mickey Mouse In Death Valley
To celebrate Mickey's 80th birthday, this volume will reprint the very first Mickey Mouse strip done by Floyd Gottfredson, "Mickey Mouse in Death Valley," which comes from way back in 1930 and, I believe, hasn't seen print in some 30 years. Also, a 1960 Mickey adventure by Romano Scarpa, "Chirikawa Necklace," which has never been reprinted in the US. Editorial features and behind the scenes art round out the book (and I've finally figured out why these "Treasures" books have such ugly covers...they are trying to mimic the look of the DVD collections...sheesh!)SRP $16.99
MANUSCRIPT PRESS
Comics Revue #272
Sixty-four pages of comic strip reprints, including anything from Gasoline Alley to Tarzan. Gasoline Alley 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 Invincible Iron Man Vol. 5
Reprints Iron Man #2-13 by Archie Goodwin, Johnny Craig and George Tuska. With Goodwin at the helm, Iron Man became more about action and less about soap opera. Craig's pencils and inks are adequate and, I'm guessing due to deadline problems, George Tuska was brought on board as penciller with #5 and Craig dropped back to supplying the inking. Craig did his best work as both a writer and artist for EC. Although his Marvel work is good, it seems to be an uncomfortable fit-it is professional, but lacks intensity and detail, almost as if he was not really in touch with the characters he was drawing. Tuska brings a more dynamic feel to the strip and the combination of Tuska and Craig works quite well. Overall, the stories are good, but they aren't top of the heap and there is an Essentials volume that covers these issues. So if you aren't that concerned about color, I'd suggest you save some bucks and got with the cheaper version. SRP $54.99
Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age All-Winners Vol. 3
Reprints All-Winners Comics #9-14 by a whole bunch of people, including Carl Pfeufer, Don Rico and covers are by Alex Schomburg. The origin of Golden Age comic titles can be found the in pulp magazines that preceded them. Action, Detective, Marvel Mystery: all were, at first, indicative of the type of stories one could expect from them and, by and large, were anthologies. Later titles took a more superlative approach and readers soon found World's Finest, All Star, and All Winners on the news stands of the time. Timely's All-Winners certainly lived up to its name. In a quarterly format, readers got Captain America, the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner (plus some B characters). Unlike DC's All Star, which first introduced the concept of a super-team with the Justice Society, these were all solo stories (the All-Winners Squad didn't appear until the last two issues of the title). This is great war time stuff, with all the stories featuring the Timely characters doing their best to fight the Axis! Worth a squint. SRP $59.99
Essential Hulk Vol. 5
Reprints The Incredible Hulk #171-200 and Annual #5 by a whole bunch of writers and a shorter numbers of artists. The longer the Hulk existed in the Marvel universe, the farther away the writers and editors seemed to stray from the original concept. I enjoy "Hulk Smash!" as much as the next person, but it was the original duality of the character (Jekyll and Hyde) that attracted me to the strip. Artwise, Trimpe is here (my favorite artist next to Kirby on the Hulk) and there are some later issues that are pencilled by Sal Buscema with finishes and inks by Joe Staton which are extremely well done. Give it half a squint! SRP $16.99
PURE IMAGINATION
Nothing listed for this month.
TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
The Age of TV Heroes
A 192 page hardcover book that covers live-action super-hero television programs from The Adventures of Superman to Smallville and everything in-between. InterviewS with the actors, writers, producers, crew and just about anybody else they could find! SRP $39.95
Back Issue #31
An overview and tribute to the career of the late Steve Gerber that explores both his comic's career, but also this work in the field of animation. SRP $6.95
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