Marvel Comics August 2008 solicitations

Marvel has revealed its August 2008 offerings. There's not too much of interest to this aging Silver/Bronze Age fan, but here's what caught my eye. Click the title links to order books from Amazon.


TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY, ARCHIE GOODWIN, GARDNER F. FOX, MARV WOLFMAN, CHRIS CLAREMONT & DAVID KRAFT
Penciled by GENE COLAN, MIKE PLOOG & DON HECK
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & GENE COLAN
Dracula rises from the grave and steps into the Marvel Universe – facing a disembodied brain, a gigantic heart and a ghost with the nerve to steal Dracula's victims! The lord of vampires visits a horrible fate upon the daughter of a long-time enemy, but will his worst enemy prove to be his own daughter? Plus: voodoo, time travel and motorcycle gangs! The cosmic-powered Chimera and a Legion of Doom unlike any other! And who's the tough guy with the knives that snuffs out vampires' lives? BLADE! Can you dig it? Also featuring Werewolf by Night and Hannibal King, Vampire Detective! Collecting TOMB OF DRACULA #1-31, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15, GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS #1 and GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #2-4.
768 PGS./Rated T+ …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2778-9
TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC – VARIANT EDITION
768 PGS./Rated T+ …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3430-5


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS VOL. 3
Written by JOHN COMPTON, STOCKBRIDGE WINSLOW, RAY GILL & VARIOUS
Penciled by CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, PAUL GUSTAVSON, STEVE DAHLMAN, BEN THOMPSON, AL ANDERS, IRWIN HASEN & BOB OSKNER
Cover by ALEX SCHOMBURG
The wait is over, and the stage is set. It’s fire vs. water in the most famous battle of comics’ Golden Age! Breaking new ground like none other, MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS, the flagship title of Marvel’s earliest days, started a craze that defines super-hero comic books to this day. With hero pitted against hero in a fight to the finish, you’d better place those bets and settle into your seats. ’Cause it’s the final round of the Human Torch vs. the Sub-Mariner!
Headlined by the lavish, manic and truly amazing Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett and the high-flying Human Torch by Carl Burgos, MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS is a bona-fide treasure trove of Golden Age action and adventure. The awesome and idiosyncratic Steve Dahlman brings you Electro, the Marvel of the Age, the monster-stomping robot featured today in THE TWELVE, while Paul Gustavson’s Angel woos damsels in distress and battles the undead evils of the subterranean realm, and the jungle adventurer, Ka-Zar the Great, protects the Belgian Congo from the threats of the outside world.
Also featuring the wild Western tales of the Masked Raider, boy-adventurer Terry Vance and a host of four-color companions -- each painstakingly restored to provide you with the best experience of these truly classic tales.
Collecting MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #9-12.
272 PGS./Rated A …$59.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2472-6


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 10 HC
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA & GIL KANE
Cover by GIL KANE
Prepare yourself for a collection of no-holds-barred Spider-Man classics that defined comicdom’s favorite super hero unlike any other! Starting off with the return of one of Spidey’s oldest foes, Doctor Octopus, the two archenemies set into motion a gut-wrenching series of events leading to the death of Captain George Stacy. Ally to Spider-Man and father to Peter Parker’s ladylove, Gwen, Captain Stacy’s death marks Spidey for murder and pits the entire city against him. Now with hero, villain and even the man-on-the-street after him, there’s no moment for rest for the ol’ web-slinger as he wriggles his way through threats from the X-Men’s Iceman to the politicking Sam Bullit and former friend the Prowler. And it all leads into one of the landmark moments of Marvel history, the Comics Code defying “drug” issues. There’s no question Stan Lee’s Marvel Comics strove for a relevance that the competition could only dream of – and with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #96-98, that mission was placed front and center: Peter Parker’s best friend, Harry Osborn, was revealed to be a drug addict. Letting a battle with Spidey’s nemesis, the Green Goblin, take a back seat to the personal drama that scourged the real-life streets of the reader’s world, the Lee/Kane/Romita team set a new standard for the mainstream’s relevance. Stan Lee pens some of his greatest scripts, chock full of edge-of-your-seat drama and up-to-the-moment politics, while the incomparable artistic team-up of John Romita and Gil Kane launches into the most lavishly illustrated and panel-bursting artwork to ever grace the pages of a Marvel comic. There’s no denying it, True Believer, these are Masterworks one and all! Collecting THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #88-99.
256 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2932-5


HULK: HEART OF THE ATOM PREMIERE HC
Written by HARLAN ELLISON, ROY THOMAS, CHRIS CLAREMONT, ARCHIE GOODWIN, LEN WEIN, HERB TRIMPE, BILL MANTLO & PETER GILLIS
Penciled by HERB TRIMPE, SAL BUSCEMA & JOE STATON
Cover by HERB TRIMPE & DAVE COCKRUM
In the sub-atomic kingdom of K'ai, the Hulk gained Bruce Banner's brain, but lost his heart to the gorgeous green Grace: Jarella! After the sinister Psyklop gets their world in his hands, the atom-crossed couple seeks happiness on Earth, but the odds seem stacked against them in both dimensions! Will the Hulk save his emerald angel and her war-torn world? Can green hearts be broken? Find out in this saga that spans time, space, and [non]human emotion! Guest-starring Captain Marvel and the Avengers! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #140, #148, #156, #202-203, #205-207 and #246-248; and WHAT IF? #23.
240 PGS./All Ages …$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3087-1
Trim size: standard


TOMB OF DRACULA GENE COLAN POSTER
24x36 Color Poster…$7.99
Final Order Cut-Off 7/24, (On-Sale 8/20/08)

You can see Marvel's complete solicitations at Newsarama.

DC Comics August 2008 solicitations

DC Comics' listings of books and comics due out this August is out today. Here's what looks interesting to me. Click the title links to order books from Amazon.


HAWKMAN SPECIAL #1
WRITTEN by Jim Starlin
Art and cover by Jim Starlin & Al Milgrom
Spiraling out of the events of RANN/THANAGAR: HOLY WAR! Hawkman finds himself face to face with a force of unspeakable evil: Synnar. The things Hawkman will learn in the course of their confrontation may lead him to question his very existence!
On sale August 6 • 40 pg, FC, $3.50 US

Starlin and Milgrom--This will at least be fun to look at, even if I don't have the foggiest what's going on with "Holy War," yet another of DC's eternal cross-overing crossovers. In fact, I'm not sure exactly who Hawkman is these days, or how may Hawkmen there might be at the moment.


ALL STAR SUPERMAN #12
WRITTEN by Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quitely & Jamie Grant
Cover by Frank Quitely
The Man of Steel has faced twelve super-challenges. Now, as Lex Luthor’s brilliant, criminal machinations come together, what fate awaits the doomed Superman? This is the final, dramatic chapter of the incredible, award-winning 12-issue run of ALL STAR SUPERMAN by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant – don’t miss it!
On sale August 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Though Quitely's art is a bit stagnant for my tastes, it is nice to look at. And Morrison's take on the Super Mythos has been fun. It's very much a hip update of the Mort Weisinger era, but refreshingly free of post-modern irony and grim'n'grittiness.


SUPERMAN/BATMAN #51
Written by Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Art by Rafael Albuequerque
Cover by Ryan Sook
The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight are shocked to discover little versions of themselves fighting a threat in Metropolis. But where did these tiny heroes come from? As Superman and Batman search for answers, things get worse with the arrival of the Li’l League!
On sale August 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I've never read an issue of Superman/Batman. The artwork has always looked hideous to me and the stories didn't seem like much fun. It's certainly not the World's Finest of my youth. But this storyline looks like it might actually be fun in an off-the-wall Silver Age-ish way. I'll give it a skim when it hits the comic shop and pick it up if it looks any good.


THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #16
Written by Mark Waid
Art and cover by Scott Kolins
Superman and Catwoman – together at last?! This team clearly won’t be held together with super-glue!
On sale August 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

What is this? "Comics are fun" month at DC? This another story that looks like it may actually have a sense of humor to it.


THE SPIRIT #20
Written by Sergio Aragones & Mark Evanier
Art by Paul Smith & Walden Wong
Cover by Paul Smith
The Spirit swims with the dolphins – but murder follows him even among these peaceful creatures!
On sale August 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I worried, along with everyone else, when Darwyn Cooke left this title. Seeing his art on a monthly basis was a joy. But, you know what? As nice as his Spirit issues were to look at, the scripts of the issues that have followed Cooke's run are better. A lot better.

Cooke provided some great art and cool graphic storytelling techniques and did a wondrous job of updating the problematic Ebony White. But the ongoing storyline he imposed over his issues never gathered steam.

Aragones and Evanier, meanwhile, have produced some excellent done-in-one stories with tight plots and witty dialogue. Smith's pencils--though not as stylish as Cooke's--are excellent. I've always enjoyed his work.

I don't know how long this series will be published, but I intend to keep buying it while it's around.


DC COMICS GOES APE TP
Written by Otto Binder, John Broome, Gardner Fox and others
Art by Carmine Infantino, Wayne Boring, George Papp, Ross Andru, C.C. Beck, Jim Starlin and others
Cover by Arthur Adams
You’ll go bananas for this new title collecting simian stories from SUPERBOY #76, SUPERMAN #138, THE FLASH (VOL. 1) #127, DETECTIVE COMICS #339 and 482, HAWKMAN #16, WONDER WOMAN #170, STRANGE ADVENTURES #201, SHAZAM #9, SUPER FRIENDS #30 and THE FLASH (VOL. 2) #151!
Advance-solicited; on sale October 1 • 168 pg, FC, $19.99 US

It's taken a long, long time for DC to capitalize on the nostalgic affection we fans all seem to have for the Silver Age gorilla craze but, finally, here it is: a compilation of classic simian stories for us all to enjoy.


DC UNIVERSE ILLUSTRATED BY NEAL ADAMS VOL. 1 HC
Written by Robert Kanigher, Bob Haney, Gardner Fox, Neal Adams, Cary Bates, Len Wein and Howard Liss
Art by Neal Adams, Joe Kubert, Nick Cardy, Dick Dillin, Steve Harper and Vince Colletta
Cover by Neal Adams
At last, it’s here – the first of three hardcover volumes collecting nearly every DC Comics story and cover by Neal Adams not already collected in GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW, BATMAN or DEADMAN titles! Featuring rarely seen stories from OUR ARMY AT WAR #182, 183 and 186, STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES #134 and 144, DETECTIVE COMICS #369, TEEN TITANS #20-22, ACTION COMICS #425, SUPERMAN #254, WEIRD WAR TALES #12 and 13 and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale October 22 • 192 pg, FC, $39.99 US

This one's a no-brainer. What's not to be excited about? Except, perhaps, the possibility that Neal insisted on re-coloring these tales as he did with some of the hardcover collections of his Batman stuff. Those gaudy, computer colors overpowered the original artwork. But if this is good old flat color, I can't wait to see it.


THE NEW TEEN TITANS ARCHIVES VOL. 4 HC
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art and cover by George Pérez & Romeo Tanghal
The 1980s adventures continue in this final Archive edition, collecting NEW TEEN TITANS #21-27 and NEW TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1! Don’t miss the Titans’ struggle against the hordes of Brother Blood, Starfire’s confrontation with her evil sister and more! Retailers: Please see this month’s Order Form for a special Archives ordering incentive.
Advance-solicited; on sale October 29 • 224 pg, FC, $49.99 US

As I recall, this was the era when Wolfman and Perez pretty much peaked on this title, which was a favorite of mine and many other fans at the time. Boring cover on this Archive, though, eh?


THE PHANTOM STRANGER: THE HEART OF A STRANGER TP
Written by Paul Kupperberg, Mike W. Barr, Paul Levitz, Alan Moore and Dan Mishkin
Art by Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, Jim Aparo, Gene Colan, Joe Orlando and others
Cover by Mignola & Russell
The celebrated 1987 miniseries featuring art by Mike Mignola (Hellboy) is the centerpiece of this new collected edition, which also includes tales from SECRET ORIGINS #10!
Advance-solicited; on sale September 17 • 144 pg, FC, $19.99 US

I never read this mini, and don't even remember it being out. Lots of talented creators were involved. Was it a collection of anthology stories or what?


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: METAL MEN VOL. 2 TP
Written by Robert Kanigher and Bob Haney
Art and cover by Ross Andru, Mike Esposito, Gil Kane, Mike Sekowsky and George Roussos
Cover by Andru & Esposito
The Metal Men return in this SHOWCASE PRESENTS volume collecting their adventures from METAL MEN #16-36 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #66.
Advance-solicited; on sale September 17 • 528 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

More good, fun stuff.


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BLACKHAWK VOL. 1 TP
Written by Various
Art by Dick Dillin, Charles Cuidera and Sheldon Moldoff
Cover by Dillin
The 1950s adventures of The Blackhawks are collected for the first time in this new volume featuring stories from BLACKHAWK #108-127!
Advance-solicited; on sale October 1 • 512 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

These stories are from way before my comic-reading time and generally aren't held in high regard. But, hey, it's the sort of stuff Showcase was created for, and they may be fun to read. Plus, I'm all in favor of having more Dick Dillin artwork back in print.

Newsarama has DC's complete solicitations here.

Pop links

Deal alert: Amazon is offering 50 percent off selected TV on DVD sets, including "Firefly," "The Simpsons," "Arrested Development" and more.

--------

Hey, Rick over at the cool, very specialized Comic Book Letterhead Museum needs letter column artwork for Marvel's Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos. If you have a scan, please send it his way.

(I have to admit that I'm a little annoyed at Rick, as I'd been planning to do a big post, or series of posts, spotlighting letter column art from various comics. But his blog beat me to the punch. On the bright side, it has saved me a lot of time and work...)

---------

If I'm ever in Emeryville, Calif., I need to go to this store.



--------

Finalists for The New Yorker's caption-a-cartoon contest are in, and they didn't pick my idea, which played off the Jack Kirby roots of Harry Bliss' drawing.



That's not too surprising. And neither is the fact that none of the entries they did choose are funny. That's usually the case with this contest: Entrants tend to go with obvious descriptions of what's going on in the pictures instead letting their imaginations roam. But, if the results fail to amuse, they sure provide renewed appreciation for how difficult cartooning is.

I posted a second Marvel Comics-themed idea here.

-------

This cracks me up.

New Bond book covers

Here's a complete look at the new book covers artist Michael Gilette has done for Penguin's James Bond titles.

CD new releases May 20, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Buy New: $9.99

Anywhere I Lay My Head Scarlett Johansson
Buy New: $12.99

Made in Dakar Orchestra Baobab
Buy New: $13.99

DVD new releases May 20, 2008

The Muppet Show - The Complete Third Season
Buy New: $25.99

Square Pegs - The Complete Series
Buy New: $24.99

James Stewart - The Western Collection
Buy New: $29.99

Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. The Fourth Season
Buy New: $27.99

Route 66 Complete First Season
Buy New: $34.99

John McLaughlin
Buy New: $23.39

New Brian Wilson album detailed

Here's press release info on Brian Wilson's upcoming studio album.

BRIAN WILSON RETURNS TO CAPITOL RECORDS / EMI, HIS ORIGINAL LABEL HOME

NEW STUDIO ALBUM, ‘THAT LUCKY OLD SUN,’ TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2 ON CD, DELUXE CD/DVD, LIMITED EDITION VINYL & DIGITALLY

Today, Wilson announces his return to Capitol Records / EMI, his original label home. Wilson’s new studio recording, That Lucky Old Sun, will be released by Capitol/EMI on CD, CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl and digitally on September 2 (September 1 internationally).

Brian Wilson’s return to Capitol Records / EMI, where The Beach Boys caught their first hit wave with the 1962 classic, “Surfin’ Safari/409,” is a triumphant homecoming for one of the world’s most gifted and beloved musical talents.

“I’m thrilled to be back home with Capitol, and I’m looking forward to sharing That Lucky Old Sun with everyone,” says Brian Wilson. “This music is really special to me.”

"We are delighted to be working with Brian Wilson for his new album, That Lucky Old Sun,” says Guy Hands, Executive Chairman of EMI Music. “We all remember the feeling we got when we first heard The Beach Boys’ music. My particular favorite classic is 'Surfer Girl.' It always reminds me of driving an open top car down the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to Malibu. Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world and we are very proud to be representing him.”

A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun shimmers with sun-dappled choruses and arrangements that swell and swirl as if carried by the Pacific tides. One of the songs, “Midnight’s Another Day,” has been described by MOJO magazine as “glorious.” The album is narrated in transitional interludes spoken by Wilson as ‘That Lucky Old Sun,’ the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album’s musical story.

Last summer, Wilson found himself singing the 1949 classic song, “That Lucky Old Sun,” which became the inspiration for a unique approach to what would become his next studio release. He bought Louis Armstrong’s version of the track and was inspired to collaborate lyrically with his band mate Scott Bennett, and with Van Dyke Parks, his old ‘sidekick,’ to create vibrant spoken narratives. Wilson debuted That Lucky Old Sun at London’s Royal Festival Hall in September 2007 in a series of six sold-out and critically-acclaimed concert performances celebrating the theatre’s restoration.

Wilson describes That Lucky Old Sun as an “interwoven series of ‘rounds’ with interspersed spoken word,” and as an autobiographical travelogue of sorts. The new studio album is produced by Wilson and was created with his acclaimed band at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where he first recorded in 1962.

Track list:
1. That Lucky Old Sun
2. Morning Beat
3. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
4. Good Kind Of Love
5. Forever My Surfer Girl
6. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
7. Live Let Live
8. Mexican Girl
9. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
10. California Role
11. That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
12. Oxygen
13. Can’t Wait Too Long (vocal excerpt)
14. Midnight’s Another Day
15. Going Home
16. Southern California

Pop links

NPR marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' Apple Records.

"As far as I can tell, the idea behind Apple was a tax dodge," music journalist Douglas Wolk says. "The top tax rate in England at that time was enormous. And John Lennon said something to the effect of, 'We talked to our accountants. We realized we could either give the money to the government or we could put it into a business.'"

The band's advisers reportedly recommended Beatles greeting cards or investing in real estate. The Beatles rejected those ideas. Just three months after it launched, Apple Records released its first single, "Hey Jude."

--------

Comics historian Mark Evanier notes the passing of classic Mad Magazine artist Will Elder.

Elder drew many of the most memorable stories in the comic book issues of Mad, including classic parodies of Archie, Wonder Woman, The Shadow, Mandrake the Magician and many more. When Kurtzman quit in a financial dispute, Elder went right along with him, working on virtually everything Harvey did after that. The path went from a fancier version of Mad for Hugh Hefner called Trump to a cheaper, self-published version of Mad called Humbug to an even cheaper publication called Help! Eventually, Kurtzman and Elder put most of their energy into what was at the time, the most expensive-to-produce (per page) comic strip/book ever, "Little Annie Fanny" for Playboy.

Meanwhile, Golden Age Comic Book Stories presents on of Elder's wonderful Mad parodies: Pt. 1, Pt. 2.

And here is The New York Times obituary for Elder.

Lost clues: There's No Place Like Home pt. 1, ep. 12, season 4

Episode summary:

In flash forwards, we see how the Oceanic 6--Jack, Kate, Aaron, Sayid, Hurley and Sun were welcomed back into the outside world.

An elaborate back story has been concocted to explain their survival--and the absence of all others on the plane. Supposedly, the plane crashed in the ocean and these survivors ended up on an island and were eventually rescued.

We don't know who developed this story, but the Oceanic 6 are standing by it as the official account.

We see that Hurley continues to be haunted by the island and the mysterious numbers. Jack meets Claire's mother and learns the truth: He is Claire's half-brother. Sayid is reunited with Nadia. Kate poses as Aaron's real mother. And Sun, using the huge settlement all the survivors have received from the airline, buys a controlling share in her father's business, a fact that he's not happy about.

Back in island time, the mercenaries are back. They make their way to the Orchid station, where Ben, Locke and Hurley are headed to "move" the island. Ben gives himself up, but he has a plan to escape. Meanwhile, Locke sneaks into the station.

Using the locator device Frank dropped, Jack and Kate make their to the helicopter. On the way, they encounter Sawyer, Aaron and Miles. Sawyer explains that Claire has disappeared into the jungle. Kate takes Aaron back to the beach and Miles goes with her. Jack and Sawyer continue their search for the helicopter and encounter Frank, who has been handcuffed to a passenger seat of the vehicle. He tells them the mercenaries intend to kill everyone and take Ben.

Meanwhile, Sayid arrives back on the island in a raft. He and Kate rush off to follow Jack and Sawyer and Faraday starts shuttling people--six at a time--to the freighter.



Jin, Sun and Aaron are on the first load and, once on board, reunite with Desmond and discover that Michael is back. They also learn that there's a huge supply of explosives triggered to destroy the ship.



In the jungle, Sayid and Kate are captured by the Others before they can find Jack and Sawyer.

Questions/clues/observations

* Who rigged the explosives on the freighter? Widmore? The Others?

* How will Ben escape?

* How is it that the Oceanic 6 are rescued and nobody else? Who created the cover story?

* How exactly can/will Locke move the island? And how will this help anyone escape from the mercenaries?

* Is Paik Industries--Sun's father's business--involved somehow with Widmore? Does Sun realize this, and is this why she's become involved in it? Does she somehow hope to get to Widmore?

* Why can't/won't the Oceanic 6 reveal what's really happened? Would it endanger those who have been left behind? Do they fear that no one would believe them? (And why would anyone? It's the craziest-ass yarn ever).



Also see:

Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse revealed

Check out a trailer and pics from Joss Whedon's upcoming Fox TV series "Dollhouse," starring Eliza Dushku, here.