DC Comics June 2010 solicitations

Highlights:

SUPERMAN #700
On sale JUNE 23 • 56 pg, FC $4.99 US
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, JAMES ROBINSON & DAN JURGENS • Art by EDDY BARROWS, BENARD CHANG, DAN JURGENS & J.P. MAYER • Cover by GARY FRANK • 1:25 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant cover by Eduardo Risso • 1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant black and white cover by Eduardo Risso
DC Comics proudly presents the 700th issue of SUPERMAN, a 56-page extravaganza full of tales celebrating the Man of Steel’s past, present and future! First up is a story by the man who actually killed Superman, Dan Jurgens! Then, James Robinson brings his epic run on the title to a close with a touching story featuring art by Benard Chang that brings Superman back to Earth after his time on New Krypton. Finally, we preview the exciting new SUPERMAN ongoing creative team as J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows provide a story that sets the stage for an explosive, all-new direction for The Man of Steel! (Seriously! Wait till you read this!)
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

BATMAN #700
On sale JUNE 9 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US
Written by GRANT MORRISON • Art by TONY DANIEL, ANDY KUBERT & FRANK QUITELY
Cover by DAVID FINCH • 1:25 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant cover by MIKE MIGNOLA
1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant black and white cover by MIKE MIGNOLA
Grant Morrison returns to BATMAN with this oversized special! And he’s brought an all-star roster of artists along with him including Andy Kubert, Tony Daniel and Frank Quitely to celebrate this milestone 700th issue featuring stories spotlighting each of the Batmen from different eras – Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. You won’t want to miss this blockbuster story that paves the way for the return of Bruce Wayne and sports mind-boggling covers by superstars David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY) and Mike Mignola (BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, Hellboy)!

WONDER WOMAN #600
On sale JUNE 30 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, GEOFF JOHNS, GAIL SIMONE & others Art by GEORGE PÉREZ, PHIL JIMENEZ, JOE MADUREIRA & others • Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ
1:25 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant cover by ADAM HUGHES • 1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant black and white cover by ADAM HUGHES
You’re invited to the gala celebration featuring WONDER WOMAN talent from the past and present to commemorate this landmark issue! Renumbered to reflect Wonder Woman’s starring role in 600 issues, this book features the industry’s top talent – including Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Gail Simone, Joe Madureira and more! Plus, readers won’t want to miss a chance to check out the exciting, all-new direction for the Wonder Woman universe as new ongoing writer J. Michael Straczynski (SUPERMAN, BRAVE AND THE BOLD, Amazing Spider-Man) provides a story of his own!

BATMAN BEYOND #1
On sale JUNE 30 • 1 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by ADAM BEECHEN • Art by RYAN BENJAMIN • Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
1:25 variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Terry McGinnis – the Batman of the future – and an elderly Bruce Wayne – the original Batman – are the sworn protectors of Neo-Gotham. But when someone targets The Dark Knight’s old foes, the new Batman must begin a case that reaches back into Bruce Wayne’s past and puts Terry’s future directly in danger!
Don’t miss the long-awaited return of the popular Batman Beyond franchise in this 6-issue adventure from Emmy Award-nominated animation writer Adam Beechen (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) and artist Ryan Benjamin (BATMAN & THE OUTSIDERS). And be sure to check out the SUPERMAN/BATMAN ANNUAL #4 from writer Paul Levitz and artist Renato Guedes starring the Batman Beyond characters!

DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY: THE BATMAN ANNUALS VOL. 2 HC
On sale AUGUST 25 • 336 pg, FC, $39.99 US
Writer/Artists: Various • Cover by DICK SPRANG
Batman’s 80-Page Giant Annuals issues #4-7 are collected in this volume including “The Secret Marriage of Batman and Batwoman,” “The Phantom of the Batcave,” “The First Batman,” plus appearances by Giant Batman, Rip Van Batman, Zebra Batman, Merman Batman and more.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VOL. 3 TP
On sale JULY 21 • 496 pg, B&W, $19.99 US
Written by ROBERT KANIGHER • Art and cover by JOE KUBERT
War is hell — and no one knows that better than Sgt. Rock and Easy Company. Collecting stories from OUR ARMY AT WAR #149-163, 165-172 and 174-180.

SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI FACSIMILE EDITION HC
Advance-solicited • On sale November 10 • Facsimile edition: 80 pg, 10” x 13.25”, FC, $39.99 US
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL & NEAL ADAMS • Art by NEAL ADAMS, DICK GIORDANO & TERRY AUSTIN
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
The legendary science fiction epic that brought together The Man of Steel and The Greatest is back in two spectacular hardcover editions!
In 1978, an alien race called the Scrubb demands that Earth’s greatest champion battle their world’s own greatest fighter. Both Superman and Muhammad Ali step forward — and to determine who is truly Earth’s greatest fighter, Superman temporarily loses his powers and faces Ali in the ring. Ultimately, the duo must work together to defeat the Scrubb, with Ali taking on their champion while Superman battles their space-armada.
The facsimile edition hardcover reprints this hard–to–find title at its original size of approximately 10” wide by 13.25” high!


SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI DELUXE EDITION HC
Advance-solicited • On sale November 10 • Deluxe edition: 96 pg, 7.0625” x 10.875”, FC, $19.99 US
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL & NEAL ADAMS • Art by NEAL ADAMS, DICK GIORDANO & TERRY AUSTIN
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
The legendary science fiction epic that brought together The Man of Steel and The Greatest is back in two spectacular hardcover editions!
In 1978, an alien race called the Scrubb demands that Earth’s greatest champion battle their world’s own greatest fighter. Both Superman and Muhammad Ali step forward — and to determine who is truly Earth’s greatest fighter, Superman temporarily loses his powers and faces Ali in the ring. Ultimately, the duo must work together to defeat the Scrubb, with Ali taking on their champion while Superman battles their space-armada.
The deluxe edition hardcover is printed at 7.0625” x 10.875” and features a new cover by Neal Adams, previously unpublished artwork and more!

SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI STATUE
BASED ON THE ART OF NEAL ADAMS • SCULPTED BY JACK MATHEWS
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”
It’s the Man of Steel versus the man known as “The Greatest of All Time” in this statue that features Superman taking on Muhammad Ali.
Based on the cover art of the original 1978 tabloid version of the book “All-New Collectors' Edition: Superman vs. Muhammad Ali,” this classic scene of the two greats squaring off against one another is available in 3-D form for the first time.
The release of this statue coincides with the reprinting of the story in two hardcover editions. (See page 102 for more information on the books.) All three products are officially licensed by Muhammad Ali Enterprises.
This hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue includes a logo base, measures approximately 9.25” high x 9.625” wide x 6.5” deep and is packaged in a 4-color box with a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity.

UK hero Marvelman returns via Marvel Comics

Years of legal headaches over the character are apparently resolved. From the press release:

Marvel is proud to announce the return of Marvelman to shelves everywhere with the release of Marvelman Classic Primer #1 in June! Who is the mysterious Marvelman? And just why is he one of the most enduring super heroes of all time? The answers arrives in this commemorative one-shot featuring interviews with creator Mick Anglo, superstar Neil Gaiman and more who contributed to this character’s history over the years! Plus, get all-new pin ups of key Marvelman characters by superstar artists Mike Perkins, Doug Braithwaite, Miguel Angel Sepulveda, Jae Lee, Khoi Pham and Ben Oliver! This landmark issue features two covers—one with the timeless art of Mick Anglo and another with the now-iconic rendition of Marvelman by Marvel Editor-In-Chief—and superstar artist—Joe Quesada!

Then, in July, thrill to the debut of Marvelman Family’s Finest #1, a new ongoing series reprinting Marvelman’s greatest adventures for the first time in the US! Plus, no comics fan can miss Marvelman Classic Vol.1 Premiere HC, reprinting Marvelman’s earliest adventures in chronological order!

Now’s your chance to learn just why Marvelman is one of the most important characters in comic book history—it all begins in Marvelman Classic Primer #1, this June!

CD new releases March 23, 2010: She & Him, Goldfrapp, Elvis Presley On Stage, The Who Greatest Hits Live, The Bird and Bee, Chuck Berry, Paul Revere and the Raiders, 13th Floor Elevators

DVD new releases March 23, 2010: Blind Side, Mad Men Season 3, T.A.M.I. Show, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Men Who Stare at Goats, Days of Heaven,

Human Torch cast as Captain America

This screws up an FF/Captain America movie crossover:

Chris Evans will play Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America.

...Evans played Johnny Storm, the flame-covered superhero known as the Human Torch in Fox's "Fantastic Four" movies.

NPR interviews, previews She & Him

Listen to an interview and the entire new album by the delightful duo of M. Ward and Zooey DeSchanel here.

New Doctor Who season 5 trailer

Cool! Peter Pan/Power Records store display

I'm a longtime Power Records fan (had most of their DC and Marvel Comics-based albums), but have never seen this:

New BBC series places Sherlock Holmes in modern day

Not terribly excited by this prospect, although the casting of Martin Freeman (excellent in the British version of "The Office") bodes well.

The new show, Sherlock, will star Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson will be played by Martin Freeman.

The series, which began filming this month, has been written by Steven Moffat, the writer of Doctor Who and the actor and novelist Mark Gatiss, star of The League of Gentlemen.

Batmania fanzine cover!

And our last (for now, anyway) cover from Biljo White's famed Batman zine of the 1960s.

Farewell Charlie Gillett

Man, this has turned into the obit blog this week. Today I learned that influential BBC disk jockey Charlie Gillett has passed away.

I do a lot of listening to the Beeb online and always enjoyed Gillett's shows, which incorporated lots of world music, along with British and American pop,rock and soul sounds. He was one of those legendary Beeb djs, like the late John Peel and the troubled, missing-in-action Andy Kershaw, who helped shape tastes and consistently introduced his audiences to new sounds.

Unlike most American djs -- held hostage by narrow, commercially-minded play lists -- these guys broke new acts and helped boost the careers of deserving, little-heard musicians. I don't know that there's anyone around to fill their shoes, even on the BBC.

Along with his incredibly important work as a broadcaster, Gillett also was the author of "The Sound of the City," a must-read history of American rock'n'soul.

I'll miss him and I'm sure thousands more will too.

Batmania fanzine cover!

Here's another cover from Biljo White's 1960s Batman fanzine.

Fess Parker dies

Oh man, it's a tough day for pop culture fans. First Alex Chilton, now Fess Parker.

I was too young (actually, not yet born) for the big 1950s Davy Crockett craze, but grew up watching Fess on "Daniel Boone." I had a fringed jacket, cap, musket, the whole works. I burst into tears when it left the airwaves.

In more recent years, Fess opened his own winery. I highly recommend the Parker Station pinot noir.

So long Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton -- power pop pioneer, teen-aged vocalist of the Box Tops, leader of Big Star and the subject of a pretty damned good Replacements tune -- is dead at the too-young age of 59.

He'll be missed. Here he is singing one of my favorite Big Star tunes:

Batmania fanzine cover!

Found a few cover scans of Biljo White's 1960s Batman fanzine. Here's the first.

Netflix Box annoyance: A nearly complete fifth season of Weeds

So, I've got one of those Netflix boxes where you can stream movies and TV shows to your TV. Mostly, it's pretty awesome. The offerings grow by the day and it's super convenient when you're in the mood to watch something between DVD shipments.

But here's the annoying thing: Often with TV series, the Box will leave out an episode here or there, saying that it's not available via streaming. I'm not sure what the point is. So you'll have to rent the DVD to see those eps? How does this pencil out to Netflix's or the movie/TV studio's benefit? I don't get it.

But it is obnoxious when you get all excited about watching the latest season of "Weeds" on the box and learn that the opening episode is only available on disk.

I'm looking forward to the day when everything's on the box and DVDs are a remnant of the past.

Rollng Stone looks at lost Hendrix

This is one of those rare issues of Rolling Stone I'll likely bother reading. Mostly, the mag just makes me feel old and annoyed (and annoyed because it makes me feel old), but this examination of "lost" Hendrix music seems like it's probably worth a browse.

Speaking with Hendrix’s longtime engineer Eddie Kramer, as well as bassist Billy Cox and former assistant engineer Tommy Erdelyi (better known as Tommy Ramone), David Fricke explores Hendrix’s high hopes for Electric Lady and his anticipated fourth studio album. In an interview just days before his death, the guitarist had said he was thinking “this era of music — sparked off by the Beatles — had come to an end. Something new has got to come, and Jimi Hendrix will be there.”

Dark Horse Comics June 2010 solicitations: Flash Gordon Comics Archives, Mighty Sampson, Buffy, Peanuts, Donald Duck and more!

Highlights:



60TH ANNIVERSARY CLASSIC PEANUTS #2: SNOOPY

Welcome to what promises to be a yearlong celebration of Charles Schulz's masterpiece, Peanuts! PeanutsÊpremiered on October 2, 1950, in eight newspapers. As we all know, it grew to become probably the most popular comic strip ever.

In an unprecedented move, United Media is letting Dark Horse go back to the original look of the characters from 1950, which was considerably different than today's look, and sculpt statues in a special sixtieth anniversary limited-edition series of the five main characters. Sculpted by Yoe! Studio. Snoopy is a rare opportunity to secure a genuine collector's item.

Limited to 950 numbered pieces, packaged in its own tin box, with a pin-back button and a character booklet, $49.95, in stores on July 7.


CLASSIC UNCLE SCROOGE SERIES 2 #2: DONALD DUCK "SQUARE EGG"

One of our best-received Syroco-style statuette series ever has been of the characters from Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge stories.

We are going forward with a new series, based on specific cover images by Barks, and our second statue is inspired by one of the most famous stories, "Lost in the Andes," which originally appeared in Four Color Comics #223, published in April 1949. This is one of the best-loved stories in the entire Ducks canon.

The Uncle Scrooge series depicts the characters as they were originally presented in the comics. Sculpted by Yoe! Studio.

Limited to 950 numbered pieces, packaged in a full-color, litho-printed tin box, with a character booklet and a vintage-style pin-back button, $49.95, in stores on August 18.


BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MUGS

Buffy and the gang are back. This time they make an appearance on two sure-to-be-coveted eleven-ounce mugs. Both mugs feature classic Season 8 Buffy-comic cover art. You, too, can be a supernatural sleuth, or just drink coffee like one!

Buffy Art Mug, $12.99, in stores on August 18.
Buffy, Willow, and Xander Mug, $12.99, in stores on August 18.


FLASH GORDON COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES VOLUME 1

By Paul Norris, Jack Lehti, Frank Thorne and others.

Flash Gordon's classic era in comic books returns in a new archival collection from Dark Horse! Join the handsome and fearless Flash, his clever and capable companion Dale Arden, and eccentric scientist Dr. Zarkov as they face peril and danger in the wild landscapes of the planet Mongo and go head to head with the villainous despot Ming the Merciless! This archival collection, reprinting seven complete comics originally published from 1947 through 1953, makes a fine addition to any comics library. Ray guns, spaceships, and Silver Age storytelling -- it's all here and it's all action!

312 pages, $49.99, in stores on August 25.


LITTLE LULU VOLUME 24: THE SPACE DOLLY AND OTHER STORIES

Written by John Stanley, art by Stanley and Irving Tripp.

There's hilarity on every page as Tubby swoons over brand-new character Fifi (a little girl with a French accent and a missing piggybank), Iggy teaches Annie's doll to fly, Alvin makes a new friend, the fellers misunderstand tea parties, a sandcastle contest determines who gets a kiss from Gloria, and Lulu accidentally makes a farce of Father's Day. These stories and more prove time and again that Little Lulu is the funniest funny book of all!

The Space Dolly collects Marge's Little Lulu #118 through #123 in all their original full-color glory.

200 pages, $14.99, in stores on August 25.


MIGHTY SAMSON ARCHIVES VOLUME 1

Written by Otto Binder, art by Frank Thorne and Jack Sparling.

In a radioactive, nuclear-ravaged future, Samson is born into a tribe of peaceful yet desperate people struggling to survive in the desolate city of N'Yark. Surrounded by hungry, wild creatures -- creatively mutated and brought to life by Thorne and subsequent artists -- and the more savage, selfish remnants of humanity, life is precarious at best for the tribe until Samson displays amazing powers. Discovering that young Samson is a mutant himself, his mother trains Samson to value life, and on her deathbed Samson vows "to protect the weak from the powerful, the good from the evil!"

This volume reprints the first seven comic books from the original 1960s Mighty Samson series, with playful and imaginative artwork by Frank Thorne seen in the first five issues!

200 pages, $49.99, in stores on August 25.

Rose McGowan joins Conan cast

The actress was set to play Red Sonja in her own flick, but that's been "delayed." In the meantime she'll portray a "an evil half-human/half-witch" opposite Jason Momoa in a new Conan film. The cast also includes Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang, Bob Sapp, Leo Howard, Ron Perlman and Said Taghmaoui.

Today's odd couple

Phil and Iggy at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.