Marvel Comics July 2009 solicitations

Marvel has announced its offerings for this July. Here's what struck my eye. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.


OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #7
Written by VARIOUS
Continuing the chronicle of the Marvel Universe, starting with Spider-Man (from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 302 on), Iron Man (from IRON MAN #231 on) and the X-Men (from UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #6 on). Follow the history of the Marvel universe as it unfolds month by month with the All-New Official Index to the Marvel Universe. Each issue provides synopses for dozens of individual comics, including back-up strips, introducing you to the characters, teams, places and equipment that appeared within, providing vital information about first appearances, where they last showed up and where they appeared next!
64 PGS./Rated A …$3.99


ALL SELECT COMICS #1 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM & MICHAEL KUPPERMAN
Art by JAVIER PULIDO & MICHAEL KUPPERMAN
Cover by RUSS HEATH
Variant Cover by MARCOS MARTIN
Meet Blonde Phantom – she’s gorgeous, quick-witted, and hard-boiled. There was never a case that wasn’t open-and-shut for this gun-toting, two-fisted knockout of a P.I. But has she still got what it takes to bust a mystery wide open in the modern Marvel Universe? Marc Guggenheim (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and Javier Pulido (CAPTAIN AMERICA 65TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL) turn the classic Blonde Phantom into Marvel’s newest hero!
AND MORE! Writer/artist Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle) takes on Marvex, the Super-Robot, in a hilarious bonus special feature!!
48 PGS./New and Reprint/Rated A …$3.99


MARVEL 70TH ANNIVERSARY TPB
Written by BILL EVERETT, JOE SIMON, STAN LEE, LARRY LEIBER, STEVE DITKO, ROY THOMAS, BOB LAYTON, DAVID MICHELINIE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, FRANK MILLER, PETER DAVID, KURT BUSIEK, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS & ED BRUBAKER
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, JACK KIRBY, GENE COLAN, STEVE DITKO, JOHN ROMITA, NEAL ADAMS, JOHN ROMITA JR., JOHN BYRNE, FRANK MILLER, TODD MCFARLANE, ALEX ROSS, GEORGE PEREZ, MARK BAGLEY, JIM CHEUNG & STEVE EPTING
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Celebrate a senses-shattering 70 years of Marvel Comics with this fitting tribute to the storied history of the House of Ideas! This keepsake edition showcases the creative evolution of the Marvel Universe like never before by collecting some of the best stories from each of the past seven decades. With input from the True Believers themselves – the mighty Marvel fans – this is Marvel history as it was made! Collecting material from SUB-MARINER #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #2-3, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #2, TALES TO ASTONISH #13, AMAZING FANTASY #12; and FANTASTIC FOUR #13, STRANGE TALES #115, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50, AVENGERS #93, IRON MAN #128, UNCANNY X-MEN #132, DAREDEVIL #168, INCREDIBLE HULK #340, MARVELS #0, AVENGERS #4, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #13, NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 and CAPTAIN AMERICA #25.
344 PGS./Rated A …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3743-6


AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600
Written by DAN SLOTT, STAN LEE & THE REST OF SPIDEY’S WEB-HEADS
Pencils by JOHN ROMITA JR., MARCOS MARTIN, MARIO ALBERTI & MORE!
50/50 Wraparound Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by JOHN ROMITA SR.
Wraparound Variant Cover by JOE QUESADA
The greatest Marvel super hero of all celebrates his 600th issue with the biggest all-original issue of Amazing Spider-Man EVER! This one’s got it all! The return of Doctor Octopus, Daredevil, a wedding you never predicted, and the return of one of the most important people in Peter Parker’s life in a giant-sized lead story by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr. Doc’s back in town, but it’s only a prelude to darker days ahead as Spidey unknowingly prepares for a gauntlet he can’t even see coming.
On top of all that, witness the return of one of Spider-man’s creators, Smilin’ Stan Lee (along with Masticatin’ Marcos Martin) as he presents a story of unbridled passion, drama and angst as Spidey reflects over his many, many years of adventures.
But that ain’t all…as the rest of the Spidey Web-Heads bring you several short features showcasing some rarely explored aspects of both Spidey and Pete’s life, drawn by some of the greatest artists in comics. Plus, several other surprises and NO REPRINTS! 104 pages of goodness brought to you by some of the best creators that have ever worked on Spidey!
104 PGS./All-New/Rated A …$4.99


INCREDIBLE HULK #600
Written by JEPH LOEB
Penciled by ED MCGUINNESS
Cover by ALEX ROSS
50/50 Variant Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant Cover by TIM SALE
WHO IS THE RED HULK?!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN IS GOING TO TRY AND FIND OUT!
GREEN HULK! RED HULK! SPIDEY! SECRETS REVEALED!
A STORY SO BIG IT CAN BARELY BE CONTAINED IN THE INCREDIBLE 600TH ISSUE OF HULK! ALL THIS AND A STARTLING SURPRISE ENDING TO TOP ALL THE OTHER SHOCKING SURPRISES THIS HULK BOOK IS KNOWN FOR!
The chart-topping team of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness bring you a 600th-issue celebration guest starring your friendly Neighborhood Web-Head as the original Incredible series returns! Plus, back-up story by Fred Van Lente featuring the Savage She-Hulk! And representing the first issue of the Loeb/Sale HULK: GRAY series,
104 PGS./38 All-New Pages & Reprints/Rated A …$4.99


TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by MARV WOLFMAN, STEVE ENGLEHART & DAVID KRAFT
Penciled by GENE COLAN, TOM PALMER & VIRGILIO REDONDO
Covers by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY & GENE COLAN
Trap him in Hell or trap him in humanity, Dracula will fight to the finish, fang and claw! But after centuries of being haunted by his demonic daughter, the Transylvanian tyrant faces an even worse family skeleton: A son who's an absolute angel! Plus the menaces of Dr. Sun, Dr. Frost, and Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Strange! Guest-starring Blade, Hannibal King, and the Silver Surfer! Collecting TOMB OF DRACULA #32-70, GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #5 and DR. STRANGE #14.
808 PGS./Parental Advisory …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3576-0
TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC VARIANT COLAN COVER (DM ONLY)
808 PGS./Parental Advisory …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3577-7



MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA MENACE VOL. 1 HC
Written by STAN LEE & MORE
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, RUSS HEATH, JOE MANEELY, GENE COLAN, JOHN ROMITA, JOE SINNOTT, GEORGE TUSKA, WERNER ROTH, PAUL REINMAN, SHELDON MOLDOFF, JOHN FORTE, ROBERT Q. SALE, TONY DIPRETA, AL EADEH, BOB POWELL, JACK KATZ, SEYMOUR MOSKOWITZ & MORE
Cover by BILL EVERETT
In 1953 horror comics were king and Atlas editor-in-chief, Stan Lee, launched a new title to make a bid for the throne—and that title was MENACE! Backed by the best of the best in his art stable—Bill Everett, Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, Gene Colan, John Romita, Joe Sinnott, George Tuska—Stan’s new title became a high-water mark for pre-Code horror. Chock full of page after page of werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, ghouls, double-dealing women and stone-cold killers with a sense of morality as dark as the ink on the page, MENACE lived up to its name—and how! It also showed hints of the Mighty Marvel future to come with running editorial commentary by Stan, reader contests, and characters like the infamous Zombie by Stan and Bill Everett, who would become the Marvel Age’s own killer zombie, Simon Garth. MENACE is a must-have for all aficionados of comics’ rollicking pre-Code days and the perfect entry point for readers looking to take their first adventure into the Atlas Era! Collecting MENACE #1-11
304 PGS/All Ages …$59.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3509-8
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA MENACE VOL. 1 — VARIANT EDITION VOL. 126
304 PGS/All Ages …$59.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3510-4


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INHUMANS VOL. 1 HC
Written by JACK KIRBY, STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, GERRY CONWAY & ARCHIE GOODWIN
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, NEAL ADAMS, MIKE SEKOWSKY & GENE COLAN
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
The uncanny Inhumans come to the MARVEL MASTERWORKS at last! In 1965, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave a strange family of outcasts their debut in the pages of Fantastic Four. Responding to their Shakespearean pathos and Kirby's out of this world character designs, the fans loved them—and wanted more! The mysterious origins of Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Triton, Karnak and the rest of their wondrous, secret world was initially revealed in a series of Thor features. But that only whetted reader's appetites—and so came their first headlining series in AMAZING ADVENTURES! Launched by writer/artist Jack Kirby, the new series took the Inhumans to their roots, defending their kingdom against the aggressions of mankind—especially against the ultimate threat of the Mandarin. Then a team with uncanny credentials, Roy Thomas and Neal Adams, took up the crown and sent the Inhumans on a mythical exodus into the world of man. It was a saga exploring the social issues of the era and, of course, topped of with a heavy dose of Inhuman action! Also featuring a rare Medusa and Black Bolt tale from MARVEL SUPER-HEROES and a trio of satirical tales from NOT BRAND ECHH by Stan, Jack and their blushing Bullpen! Collecting THOR #146-152, AMAZING ADVENTURES #1-10, THE AVENGERS #95 & MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #15 with bonus selections from NOT BRAND ECCH #6 & 12.
240 PGS/All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4141-9
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE INHUMANS VOL. 1 HC — VARIANT EDITION VOL. 125
240 PGS/All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4142-6


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE X-MEN VOL. 2 TPB
Written by STAN LEE & ROY THOMAS
Penciled by JACK KIRBY & WERNER ROTH with ALEX TOTH
Covers by JACK KIRBY & DEAN WHITE
The Children of the Atom are back in their classic adventures from the Silver Age! Launched by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the X-Men blended super-hero action, teen angst, and a metaphor for the turbulent social and racial issues of the ’60s into one potent package! After laying the foundation for what would become comics’ biggest franchise, Stan and Jack passed the headmaster’s role of the Xavier School to Roy Thomas and Werner Roth, who would come into their own while crafting the tales of Marvel’s merry mutants. Collected in this second amazing MASTERWORKS volume, you’ll find the first appearance of the unstoppable Juggernaut, the cosmic Stranger, the mutant Mimic, and in a classic three-part saga, the mutant-hunting robot Sentinels. And for good measure we’re topping it off with the return of Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil mutants and a two-part tale featuring Lucifer, the early nemesis of Professor X. They’re mutant milestones one and all! Collecting THE X-MEN #11-21.
240 PGS./All Ages …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3700-9
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE X-MEN VOL. 2 TPB — VARIANT EDITION VOL. 7 (DM ONLY)
240 PGS/All Ages …$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3701-6


MEPHISTO VS. PREMIERE HC
Written by AL MILGROM
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA
Covers by JOHN BOLTON & JOHN BUSCEMA
The Fantastic Four! X-Factor! The X-Men! The Avengers! What threat could menace all four major Marvel teams of the 1980s? Can you say...the Devil? Mephisto wants super-hero souls, and he's out to collect them all! With their worst nightmares AND their wildest dreams at his command, he's not getting cast out of THIS fight! How can he lose...when it's HIS series? Collecting MEPHISTO VS. THE FANTASTIC FOUR #1, MEPHISTO VS. THE X-FACTOR #2, MEPHISTO VS. THE X-MEN #3 and MEPHISTO VS. THE AVENGERS #4.
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3804-4
Trim size: standard
MEPHISTO VS. PREMIERE HC — VARIANT EDITION VOL. 32
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3778-8


ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 3 TPB
Written by MARK GRUENWALD, RALPH MACCHIO, MARV WOLFMAN, STEVEN GRANT, TOM DEFALCO, DAVID MICHELINIE, A. BRODSKY & ALAN KUPPERBERG
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, JOE SINNOTT, GEORGE PÉREZ, GENE DAY, CHIC STONE, JERRY BINGHAM, RON WILSON, PABLO MARCOS, MICHAEL NETZER, FRANK SPRINGER, ALAN KUPPERBERG, JIM CRAIG, BOB BUDIANSKY & BRUCE PATTERSON
Cover by BOB BUDIANSKY
Life's not one thing after another, it's the same THING over and over again! Join Benjamin J. Grimm, Quasar, Giant-Man, and FF members and X-Men alike against foes old and new, all-powerful and somewhat less powerful! With several sensational storylines in one volume, including Project: PEGASUS, the Beyonders and the Serpent Crown! Plus: the fate of the Hydro-Men! War in the Negative Zone! Time paradoxes, secrets of alien procreation, dinosaurs, disco, dementia and more! Guest-starring the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Inhumans, the Howling Commandos and others! Collecting MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #53-77 and ANNUAL #4-5.
592 PGS./All Ages …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3069-7


ESSENTIAL PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL. 4 TPB
Written by BILL MANTLO, ROGER STERN, AL MILGROM & BOB DENATALE
Penciled by AL MILGROM, RON FRENZ, GREG LAROCQUE, DAVE SIMONS, FRED HEMBECK, KERRY GAMMILL, SAL BUSCEMA & RON RANDALL
Cover by AL MILGROM
Dr. Octopus and the Owl, good guys can end up hurt...BAD! But Spider-Man's at his fighting best when things look worst — and with his heroine hospitalized, he's readier than ever to clean Doc Ock's clock! Back on her feet, the Cat convinces Spider-Man they can be a crimefighting couple — but are the likes of the Hobgoblin, the Fly, the Cobra and Mr. Hyde too much for her? Unexpectedly, Spider-Man's off to the end of the universe for the Secret Wars — but while the spider's away, the cat will...what? The Spidey/Cat relationship's meltdown begins here! Plus: the Kingpin AND the Blob! Journalistic jeopardy with J. Jonah Jameson! The Punisher gone madder than usual! Secrets from Aunt May's youth, with a rare flashback to Spidey's Uncle Ben! And, yes, the credits said Fred Hembeck! Guest-starring Cloak and Dagger! Also featuring the Fantastic Four and the Avengers! Collecting PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #75-96 and ANNUAL #4.
576 PGS./All Ages …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3071-0

Help Crawdaddy founder Paul Williams

Paul Williams, who essentially created rock journalism with the rock mag Crawdaddy! in 1966 could use help with medical bills following a recent bicycling accident that left him with a brain injury, Rolling Stone reports.

You can make donations here.

Pop links: Beatles! Kurtzman! Low-budget super-hero flicks revisited!

Visit the Beatles official site for a sneak preview of the packaging for the band's remastered CDs, due out in September.

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See a video for "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," a tune from Bob Dylan's new album.

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Potrzebie shares some of Harvey Kurtzman's pre-Mad "Silver Linings" comic strips.



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Oh geeze, Fred Hembeck is giving me no excuses not to watch comic book-related movies I've up to now managed to avoid watching. Hey Fred, I did once procure a bootleg copy of that 1994 Fantastic Four flick you just reviewed and I watched it. Well, part of it, anyway.

G.I. Joe Nurse Action Girl

Doctor Who vintage paperbacks pt. 10







DC Comics July 2009 soliciations

DC has announced its releases for next July. Here's what looks interesting to me:


WEDNESDAY COMICS #1-4
In July, DC Comics gives a fresh twist to a grand comics tradition with WEDNESDAY COMICS, a new, weekly 12-issue series by some of the greatest names in comics today!
WEDNESDAY COMICS is unique in modern comics history: Reinventing the classic weekly newspaper comics section, it is a 16-page weekly that unfolds to a sprawling 28” x 20” tabloid-sized reading experience bursting with mind-blowing color, action and excitement, with each feature on its own 14” x 20” page.
Each page of WEDNESDAY COMICS spotlights the continuing adventures of DC heroes, including:
• BATMAN, WEDNESDAY COMICS’ weekly cover feature, by the Eisner Award-winning 100 BULLETS team of writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso
• ADAM STRANGE, by writer/artist Paul Pope (BATMAN: YEAR 100)
• METAMORPHO, written by New York Times best-selling writer Neil Gaiman with art by Eisner Award-winner Michael Allred (Madman)
• THE DEMON AND CATWOMAN, written by Walter Simonson (Thor, MANHUNTER) with art by famed DC cover artist Brian Stelfreeze
• DEADMAN, written by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck, art by Dave Bullock
• KAMANDI, written by Dave Gibbons (WATCHMEN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS) with art by Ryan Sook (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL)
• SUPERMAN, written by John Arcudi (The Mask) with art by Lee Bermejo (JOKER)
• WONDER WOMAN, written and illustrated by Ben Caldwell (Dare Detectives)
• GREEN LANTERN, written by Kurt Busiek (TRINITY, ASTRO CITY) with art by Joe Quiñones (TEEN TITANS GO!)
• TEEN TITANS, written by Eddie Berganza with art by Sean Galloway
• SUPERGIRL, written by Jimmy Palmiotti (JONAH HEX) with art by Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL)
• HAWKMAN, written and illustrated by Kyle Baker (PLASTIC MAN, Special Forces)
• SGT. ROCK, written by Adam Kubert (SUPERMAN: LAST SON), ilustrated by legendary comics artist Joe Kubert
• THE FLASH, written by Karl Kerschl (TEEN TITANS YEAR ONE, THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE) and Brenden Fletcher, illustrated by Karl Kerschl
• METAL MEN, written by Dan DiDio with art by Ian Churchill (SUPERGIRL)
WEDNESDAY COMICS will arrive in stores folded twice to 7” x 10”, with the first issue set to reach stores on July 8.
Issue #1 on sale July 8; Issue #2 on sale July 15; Issue #3 on sale July 22; Issue #4 on sale July 29 • 1-4 of 12 • 7” x 10”, 16 pg, FC, $3.99 US


THE SPIRIT #31
Written by Mike Ploog
Art by Mike Ploog & Dan Green
Cover by Nick Cardy
Commissioner Dolan's nephew Danny is in a whole heap of trouble, and it falls to The Spirit to rescue him – but to do so, he's got to contend with Danny's amnesia, a priceless stolen artifact, and the latest in The Spirit's run of femmes fatales, the deadly "Adios!" Don't miss Eisner colleague Mike Ploog's return to THE SPIRIT in this two-part story!
On sale July 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US


BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT ARCHIVES VOL. 6 HC
Written by Jack Schiff, Bill Finger and others
Art by Dick Sprang, Bob Kane, Jack Burnley,
Jerry Robinson and others
Cover by Dick Sprang
In this new hardcover collecting BATMAN #21-25 (1944), The Dynamic Duo face the evil of villains including The Penguin, The Ghost Gang, The Joker, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum and others, with the help of would-be detective Alfred.
Advance-solicited; on sale December 16 • 228 pg, FC, $59.99 US


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ECLIPSO TP
Written by Bob Haney
Art by Lee Elias, Alex Toth, Jack Sparling and Bernard Baily
Cover by Bernard Baily
One of the strangest comics villains ever stars in this volume collecting HOUSE OF SECRETS #61-80! On an expedition in the South Pacific, scientist Bruce Gordon’s dark side is unleashed after being exposed to a black diamond. Transformed into the powerful Eclipso, he embarked on an evil rampage as his good side attempted to reassert control.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 26 • 296 pg, B&W, $9.99 US


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE FLASH VOL. 3 TP
Written by John Broome, Gardner Fox and Robert Kanigher
Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Frank Giacoia and Murphy Anderson
Cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson
The Rogues take over in this new third volume collecting THE FLASH #141-161. Don’t miss the Scarlet Speedster’s epic battles with The Trickster, The Weather Wizard, The Mirror Master, Captain Cold and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale August 12 • 520 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

CD new releases April 21, 2009: Booker T., Pete Seeger, Bjork, Turtles, Julie London, more!

New releases of note this week. Click the links to order discounted CDs from Amazon.


Potato Hole by Booker T.


The Bright Mississippi by Allen Toussaint


Viper of Melody by Wayne Hancock


Holy Tweet by Terry Adams


Rainbow Race / Now / Young Vs. Old by Pete Seeger


Voltaic by Bjork


Save the Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits by The Turtles


Four Classics LPs- Blossom Dearie/Blossom Plays For Dancing/Give Him The Ooh-La-La/Once Upon A Summertime by Blossom Dearie


American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1-5 by Pete Seeger


Live at Sugar Hill, San Francisco by Carmen McRae


The Little Red Box of Protest Songs by Various Artists


Julie Is Her Name by Julie London

DVD new releases April 21, 2009: Caprica, The Wrestler, Frost/Nixon, Blu-ray X-men, more!

Noteworthy releases this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.


Caprica


The Wrestler


Frost/Nixon


X-Men Trilogy (X-Men / X2: X-Men United / X-Men: The Last Stand) [Blu-ray]


Hawaii Five-O: Sixth Season


Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy

Pop links: Hogarth's Tarzan! More Toth! Rare Ketchum! 1964 ska documentary!

See a selection of Burne Hogarth-illustrated Tarzan strips at Golden Age Comic Book Stories.



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More Alex Toth from Fortress of Fortitude!



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Those Fabulous Fifties presents a selection of rare Hank Ketchum cartoons.



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YouTube: "This is Ska," a cool documentary from 1964.

Help restore Len Wein's comics collection

Veteran comic book writer Len Wein, the co-creator or Wolverine, Swamp Thing and other creators, lost most of his belongings in a a devastating house fire a few weeks back. Among the things he lost were copies of all the comics he worked on--shelves and shelves of bound volumes.

Thankfully, Len's pal and fellow comics scribe Mark Evanier is providing us all with a way to help Len out. Check out Mark's "Let's Rebuild Len Wein's Comic Book Collection Page" to get involved. At the site, you can peruse a list of what Len lost and learn how to donate a replacement.

Way to go Mark!

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June 2009 comics solications: more good stuff

We've looked at what's coming out from DC and Marvel Comics in June. Here are some other upcoming releases of note. Click the title links to order discounted books from Amazon.



BUCK ROGERS #1
(W) Scott Beatty (A) Carlos Rafael (C) John Cassaday, Alex Ross
The future begins now! Join us as we present pop culture's first hero - Buck Rogers! The first man out of time... the first man to be taken from his present and thrown into the future... the inspiration for countless heroes, and it all begins here! From the thrilling adventure presented in Dynamite's introductory issue #0 last month, the creative team of writer Scott Beatty, artist Carlos Rafael and 50/50 cover artists Alex Ross and John Cassaday (Cassaday serves as the regular cover artist for the series) present this all-new issue #1! In the tradition of modern stories for iconic legendary heroes, Buck Rogers is the next BIG hit series from Dynamite! Join us for an all-new presentation of this classic sci-fi hero as the future truly begins now! Hey, we could tell you more, but that would ruin the surprise of the comic adventure!


LOCAS: A LOVE & ROCKETS BOOK HC VOL 1
by Xaime Hernandez 8.5 x 11, 712 pages, BW, $49.95
One of the most humane, graceful and imaginatively inexhaustible artists in American popular culture, Jaime Hernandez has created in Locas one of the great American novels of the last 30 years, graphic or otherwise. Created over 15 years from 1981 to 1996 in the pages of the legendary comic book series Love and Rockets, Locas tells the story of Maggie Chascarrillo, a bisexual, Mexican-American woman attempting to define herself in a community rife with class, race and gender issues. Maggie's story begins in the early-1980s Southern California rock scene, when it was shifting from the excesses of the 1970s to the gritty basics of punk and new wave. Hardcore punk rock came to the fore, and the teenaged Maggie finds herself drawn to the anarchy, energy and diversity of the scene, which in Jaime's hands becomes a very real, habitable place populated with authentic human beings rather than stereotypes. She quickly befriends Hopey Glass, a feisty anti-authoritarian punkette who quickly becomes Maggie's on-again, off-again lover and a constant presence in her life throughout the book.

LOCAS HC VOL 2 MAGGIE HOPEY & RAY
by Xaime Hernandez
This second, doorstop-sized omnibus volume of "Locas" tales by Jaime Hernandez - collecting over a dozen years' worth of stories from the award-winning Love & Rockets comics - picks up shortly after Maggie and Hopey's long-awaited reunion at the end of the Locas hardcover. Even though her love life remains as chaotic as ever, Hopey takes her first few steps toward responsible adulthood with a real job (as a teacher), while a depressed, divorced Maggie ends up as the manager of a fleabag apartment building, where she continues to wrestle with the demons of her past - most prominently in the stunning centerpiece of the volume, the graphic novel-length "Ghost of Hoppers," with its hallucinatory dream finale. On the "guy" side Ray, still carrying a major torch for Maggie, falls in with the "Frogmouth," the volatile bombshell (arguably the sexiest woman Jaime has ever drawn, which is saying something) whose ties to local thugs cause some hairy moments indeed. Of course, Maggie, Hopey, and Ray's paths continue to intersect in Jaime's increasingly complex, always richly imagined world, along with those of characters both old (Izzy Ortiz, Penny Century) and new (the jockette Angel, the mysterious superheroine Alarma).


I SHALL DESTROY ALL THE CIVILIZED PLANETS TP VOL 1
by Fletcher Hanks; Edited by Paul Karasik
Welcome to the bizarre world of Fletcher Hanks, Super Wizard of the inkwell. Fletcher Hanks worked for only a few years in the earliest days of the comic book industry (1939-1941). Because he worked in a gutter medium for second-rate publishers on third-rate characters his work has been largely forgotten. But among aficionados he is legendary. Hanks drew in a variety of genres depicting science-fiction saviors, white women of the jungle, and he-man loggers. Cartoonist Paul Karasik (co-adapter of Paul Auster's City of Glass and co-author of The Ride Together, a Memoir of Autism in the Family) has spent years tracking down these obscure and hard to find stories buried in the back of long-forgotten comic book titles. Karasik has also uncovered a dark secret: why Hanks disappeared from the comics scene. This book collects 15 of his best stories in one volume followed by an Afterword which solves the mystery of "Whatever Happened to Fletcher Hanks," the mysterious cartoonist who created a hailstorm of tales of brutal retribution... and then mysteriously vanished.


YOU SHALL DIE BY YOUR OWN EVIL CREATION TP VOL 2
by Fletcher Hanks; Edited by Paul Karasik
Fletcher Hanks was the first great comic book auteur. That is, he wrote, penciled, inked, and lettered all of his own stories. He completed an astonishing 48 stories in three years from 1939-1941. As a one-man-cartooning-band, his work packs the wallop of a unique and unified artistic vision. He was a true comics visionary. In the earliest days of the comic book, before censorship, it was "anything goes!" - and in the tales of Fletcher Hanks, anything went! The superhero Stardust gazes down at evil-doers from space and doles out ice cold slabs of poetic justice with his wizardry. A villain out to kidnap all the heads of state gets turned into a giant head, himself...no body, just a head! The jungle protectress, Fantomah, looks like Jean Harlow in a skin-tight black negligee. But when she sees an evil scientist drugging gorillas to become slaves, her head transforms into a flaming skull and she tosses the villain to the gorillas who proceed to graphically tear the guy limb from ragged limb. Although the early comic books were meant for the kiddies, today's mature readers are stunned by their pop surrealism and outright violent mayhem. The first volume of Fletcher Hanks stories, I Shall Destroy All Civilized Planets! (now in its fourth printing) was an Eisner Award-winning smash hit and a staple on "Best of the Year" lists. Comics fans were thrilled to come upon a cartoonist of this caliber whom they had never heard of before. Non comics fans who read about the book in The Believer and other journals were stunned to discover an Outsider Artist in comic book form. Edited by cartoonist Paul Karasik, this second volume You Shall Die By Your Own Evil Creation, collects all of the rest of Hanks comic book work. That's right... ALL! The 31 tales in this book (more than TWICE as many as in the first), when combined with the first volume, will comprise The Complete Fletcher Hanks!


MAGIC TRIXIE GN VOL 3 MAGIC TRIXIE & THE DRAGON
(W/A) Jill Thompson
She's smart. She's sassy. And she has a big problem! When Magic Trixie sees dragons at the circus, she wants a dragon of her own. So where's a young witch to turn? Magic, of course! Jill Thompson brings her dazzling talents to this graphic novel series, and has created a brilliant, laugh-out-loud confection in adorable young Trixie. Magic Trixie and her monster friends will win over kids with their hilarious hijinks!


CAPTAIN CANUCK HC VOL 1
Richard Comely (w) * George Freeman (a & c)
Canada's first superhero returns! Captain Canuck has influenced Canadian cartoonists for more than 30 years, and now the best-selling opus returns with the first of two beautiful hardcover editions. Volume 1 collects issues #4-10. HC * FC * $24.99 * 152 Pages


DOCTOR WHO AUTOPIA (ONE SHOT)
John Ostrander (w) * Kelly Yates (a) * Yates, photo (c)
An All-American creative team tackles the celebrated Doctor in this special standalone tale. John Ostrander (Star Wars: Legacy) writes and Kelly Yates (Doctor Who: The Forgotten) illustrates an adventure where the Doctor and his companion Donna arrive on a utopian planet where robots do all the manual labor. But things aren't quite what they seem... 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. FC * 32 pages


NEXUS AS IT HAPPENED TP VOL 1
(W) Mike Baron (A) Steve Rude
On the distant moon of Ylum, an enigmatic man is plagued by nightmares. He is forced to dream of the past. He dreams of real-life butchers and tyrants, and what they have done. And then he finds them, and kills them. The year is 2841, and this man is Nexus, a godlike figure who acts as judge, jury, and executioner for the vile criminals who appear in his dreams. He claims to kill in self-defense, but why? Where do the visions come from, and where did he get his powers? Though a hero to many, does he have any real moral code? Collecting Nexus Volume 1 #1-3 and Volume 2 #1-4 from Capital Comics. A multiple Eisner Award-winning series that defined the careers of creators Steve Rude and Mike Baron, Nexus is a modern classic not to be missed! SC, 6x9, 216pgs, B&W SRP: $9.99


MODESTY BLAISE TP VOL 16 SCARLET MAIDEN
(W) Peter O'Donnell (A) Neville Colvin
Adventurer, spy, smuggler, racketeer and all-round bad girl, Modesty Blaise is as stylish as she is smart, as lethal and beautiful as a Japanese fighting sword! This volume features three classic hard-to-find stories: "The Scarlet Maiden," "The Moonman," and "A Few Flowers for the Colonel." This volume features new story introductions by creator Peter O'Donnell, and an article with ultra rare strips that have not been seen in over twenty years. SC, 104pgs

G.I. Joe Action Sailor


Doctor Who vintage paperbacks pt. 9