Marvel Comics March 2011 solicitations

Highlights from Marvel's March offerings

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: IRON FIST VOL. 1 HCWritten by ROY THOMAS, CHRIS CLAREMONT, LEN WEIN, DOUG MOENCH & TONY ISABELLA
Penciled by GIL KANE, JOHN BYRNE, LARRY HAMA, ARVELL JONES & PAT BRODERICK
Cover by GIL KANE
In 1974, nobody was kung-fu fighting like Marvel Comics, and at the forefront of the craze was Daniel Rand — the Iron Fist! A Himalayan expedition in search of the mystical mountain city of K’un-Lun left 9-year-old Daniel’s father murdered by his partner Harold Meachum and his mother dead. However, Daniel found the path to the K’un-Lun, and there he spent a decade training under its immortal inhabitants. After years of ceaseless tutelage, he became an unmatched master of martial arts and spiritual control; armed with the shattering power of the iron fist, he left immortality behind to set out into the Western world and avenge his parents’ deaths. Packed with wall-to-wall kung-fu action, Iron Fist runs a gauntlet through the Kara-Kai death cult and ninja adversaries, and into mystic dimensions where the battle must be fought with mind and spirit. But Iron Fist’s saga not only follows Daniel Rand’s quest for vengeance — it also introduces Marvel mainstays Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, guest stars the Marvel Bullpen, and brings together for the very first time the creative team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne! It’s the beginnings of a true comic-book classic that can only be called a MARVEL MASTERWORKS! Collecting MARVEL PREMIERE #15-25 and IRON FIST #1-2.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GOLDEN AGE
CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 5 HC
Written by STAN LEE & VARIOUS
Penciled by AL AVISON & DON RICO with JIMMY THOMPSON, CARL PFEUFER & VARIOUS
Cover by AL AVISON
The never-before-reprinted adventures of Captain America’s Golden Age exploits continue with four more amazing 64-page issues! There’s action aplenty with menacing monsters; sub-earth horrors; super villains out for revenge; and, of course, more than just a few of Cap’s World War II Axis enemies gettin’ a red-white-and-blue sock in the kisser! You’ll see Cap and Bucky grapple with Killer Kole, the reanimated murderer; battle the lovely and lethal Queen Medusa, ruler of towering sub-earth monster worms; go ten frames against the fifth column’s bowling alley of death; contend with the return of the super villains the Black Talon and the Black Toad; and fight crocodile-men. And in a special story written by Stan Lee, the dire threat of the Nazi is spelled out in no uncertain terms. To top it off, Cap’s tales are backed up by the Human Torch; the Sub-Mariner; Fighting Yank; and Roddy Colt, the war-bond-promoting boy hero also known as the Secret Stamp. Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #17-20.

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE AVENGERS VOL. 3 TPB
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by DON HECK
Cover by JACK KIRBY & DEAN WHITE
Man, Thor, Giant-Man and the Wasp with a trio of former super villains, readers thought he’d gone mad. As it turned out, the only thing crazy about the adventures of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was how insanely exciting the lineup of Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch became! With super-sized conflict within the team and colossal menaces without, the drama made every issue a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat extravaganza. Classic stories including battles with Kang the Conqueror, Doctor Doom, Power Man and the Enchantress, and Attuma will prove that the Avengers are the world’s preeminent heroes — while revelations like Captain America’s departure will test the team at its most fundamental level. But it won’t just be Cap’s Kooky Quartet against the world forever. In these pages, you’ll see also the return of Giant-Man and the Wasp, and Hank Pym’s transformation into Goliath! And with the first appearances of the Collector, the Swordsman and the Sons of the Serpent — not to mention the entrance of the Black Widow into the Avengers’ world — there’s no questioning this collection’s a MARVEL MASTERWORKS! Collecting AVENGERS #21-30.

DR. STRANGE: INTO THE DARK DIMENSION PREMIERE HC
Written by ROGER STERN
Penciled by PAUL SMITH, BRET BLEVINS & MARK BADGER
Covers by BRET BLEVINS & PAUL SMITH
Dr. Strange, the Master of the Mystic Arts, starts his day by curing a mystically cursed sword and ends it by overthrowing a dimensional dictator! The Sorcerer Supreme faces threats on cruise ships, military bases and alien planets — seeking
to restore the cosmic balance! And as the origins of the Dark Dimension stand revealed, Strange’s true love, Clea, heads the rebellion against her evil mother, Umar! Featuring the Black Knight and the Beyonder!
Collecting DR. STRANGE (1974) #68-74.

THING: LIBERTY LEGION PREMIERE HC
Written by ROY THOMAS
Penciled by JOHN BUSCEMA, SAL BUSCEMA, RICH BUCKLER, DICK AYERS, FRANK ROBBINS & DON HECK
Covers by JACK KIRBY Move over Invaders: It’s the Liberty Legion, America’s home-front super heroes of World War II! Miss America! The Whizzer! Thin Man! Red Raven! And more! But when things get tough, they may need some help from the future in the form of the Thing and the Fantastic Four! When Nazis threaten to rule the world, the heroes scramble to save the day! Featuring the villainy of the Red Skull, Brain Drain, U-Man and more! Collecting INVADERS (1975) #5-6, MARVEL PREMIERE #29-30, FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #11, and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #20 and ANNUAL #1

AVENGERS PRIME PREMIERE HC

Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by ALAN DAVIS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
They were friends, brothers and teammates through all of Marvel's greatest adventures, but recent events turned them into the bitterest of enemies. In the wake of the siege of Asgard, Thor, Iron Man and Steve Rogers are brought together on the same side once more — but these great heroes can’t truly trust each other yet. They better start soon, because something only the Big Three can handle is tearing their world apart. This all-new, grand and dangerous adventure — uniting comics legend Alan Davis with Avengers scribe Brian Bendis for the first time — will catapult our heroes into the explosive Heroic Age! Collecting AVENGERS PRIME #1-5.

THOR: FIRST THUNDER TPB
Written by BRYAN J.L. GLASS
Penciled by TAN ENG HUAT
Cover by JAY ANACLETO
Revealed for a new generation: the origin — and first year on Earth — of the God of Thunder! Who is the enigmatic Dr. Donald Blake? What is the secret that drives him to travel the world, seeking its challenges, and how does it connect him to the banished Prince of Asgard? Why has Thor been exiled to walk among mankind — and battle threats from beyond the stars? And before the entire saga is over, how will he react when confronted by the likes of Tony Stark, Reed Richards...and his devious brother, Loki? Witness the legend reborn with a modern touch by Harvey Award-winning writer Bryan J.L. Glass (The Mice Templar) and Eisner Award-winning artist Tan Eng Huat (SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME)! Collecting THOR: FIRST THUNDER #1-5.

THOR THE MIGHTY AVENGER VOL. 2 GN-TPB
Written by ROGER LANGRIDGE
Penciled by CHRIS SAMNEE
Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
Harvey Award-winner Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee continue their epic reimagining of the God of Thunder as Thor tests his might against the strange and powerful Sub-Mariner; uncovers the mystery of why he was thrown from Asgard, but has his efforts sidetracked by the awesome engine of destruction known as Fin Fang Foom; does battle with raging robots; and fights side-by-side with Iron Man, for the very first time! Pick up the book that ComicBook Resources.com says is “quite possibly the best new super-hero title of the year and is exactly what any lover of super heroes should be reading.” Plus: Relive classic early adventures of Thor from the inimitable team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! Collecting THOR THE MIGHTY AVENGER #5-8 and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #85-86.

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JONATHAN HICKMAN VOL. 3 TPB

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by NEIL EDWARDS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Jonathan Hickman ushers the Fantastic Four into the Heroic Age! Reed Richards assembles a band of genius youngsters to help him speed up progress in mankind’s pursuit of tomorrow. Susan Richards travels between the newly discovered Four Cities as Earth’s diplomat to civilizations rumored to soon be at war with each other. Johnny Storm takes Franklin on a trip to the toy store — and runs into its peculiar proprietors: the irrepressible Impossible Man and the villainous Arcade! And Ben gets an earful from Val and her Future Foundation: We have a cure, and it will work. In short, it’s just another day for Marvel’s First Family! Meanwhile, a most fantastic, multiverse-hopping adventure unfolds as Reed, Ben and — of all people, Doom — are called to the rescue of his father, Nathaniel, the victim of a dimension defying mass murderer that won’t be stopped! But what part will Val and Franklin play in this strange plot? Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #579-582


THING CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB
Written by JOHN BYRNE
Penciled by RON WILSON
Cover by RON WILSON
It’s Ben Grimm — the ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing— on his own for the first time, and he’s clobberin’ everything in sight! The Inhumans! Wonder Man! She-Hulk! Spider-Man! The Fantastic Four! The Yancy Street Gang! The Puppet Master! And the uncanny Goody Two-Shoes! Plus: The Thing proposes marriage, and it's not to Alicia Masters! Collecting THING(1983) #1-10.


FANTASTIC FOUR: EXTENDED FAMILY TPB
Written by STAN LEE, ROY THOMAS, JOHN BYRNE, STEVE ENGLEHART, WALTER SIMONSON, TOM DEFALCO, DWAYNE MCDUFFIE, CARLOS PACHECO, RAFAEL MARIN & JEPH LOEB
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JOHN BUSCEMA, RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BYRNE, ART ADAMS, PAUL PELLETIER & STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STEVE EPTING
For decades, Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing have stood together as comics’ first family of super heroes! But even a family of heroes needs help, and the FF have often bolstered their ranks with friends and allies from throughout the Marvel Universe! Crystal! Medusa! Luke Cage! She-Hulk! Ms. Marvel! Spider-Man! Wolverine! Hulk! Ghost Rider! Ant-Man! Black Panther! Storm! Namorita! Witness the debuts
of the Fantastic Four’s fill-in members! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #1, #81, #132, #168, #265, #307, #347, #384 and #544; and FANTASTIC FOUR (1998) #42.

ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 6 TPB
Written by VARIOUS
Penciled by VARIOUS
Cover by GIL KANE
Captain America and the Falcon continue their partnership against some of their greatest foes (the Red Skull, Arnim Zola the Bio-Fanatic and the Corporation) and some of their most bizarre (the Swine, Doughboy and the Vamp/Animus)! Featuring guest appearances by the Hulk, Nick Fury and Sharon Carter! Plus: the debuts of the Constrictor and the Super-Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! And the origin of Steve Rogers! Collecting CAPTAIN AMERICA #206-230 and ANNUAL #4, and INCREDIBLE HULK #232.

Brian Wilson and family perform Silent Night



New comics Dec. 22, 2010

Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 7 (Archive Editions)
Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 7 (Archive Editions)

Gulliver's Travels
Gulliver's Travels IDW Publishing

Jeffrey Jones: A Life in Art
Jeffrey Jones: A Life in Art

Marvel Universe Vs. the Punisher
Marvel Universe Vs. the Punisher

Spider-Man: The Real Clone Saga
Spider-Man: The Real Clone Saga

Thor Vs. Seth, the Serpent God (Thor (Graphic Novels))
Thor Vs. Seth, the Serpent God (Thor (Graphic Novels))

X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain
X-Men Noir: Mark of Cain

Art of Vampirella HC
Art of Vampirella HC

 Vampirella Archives Volume 1 HC
Vampirella Archives Volume 1 HC

DC's Young Justice 'toon debuts as weekly series Jan. 7

After a preview in November, DC's latest superhero cartoon will air Fridays weekly at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Here's a description:

"In Young Justice, being a teenager means proving yourself over and over -- to peers, parents, teachers, mentors and, ultimately, to yourself. But what if you're not just a normal teenager? What if you're a teenage super hero? How much harder will it be to prove yourself in a world of super powers, super villains and super secrets? Are you ready to come of age in such a world? Are you ready for life or death rites of passage? Are you ready to join the ranks of the great heroes and prove you're worthy of the Justice League? That's exactly what the members of Young Justice -- Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis -- will found out ... whether they have what it takes to be a proven hero."

Abbey Road crossing given historical status

The famed intersection outside Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles where photographed for the cover of their final album has been named a British Heritage Site.

DC Comics March 2011 solicitations

Highlights from DC's March offerings:

SUGAR AND SPIKE ARCHIVES VOL. 1
Written by SHELDON MAYER
Art and cover by SHELDON MAYER
DC’s cult favorite comic about a pair of precocious babies is collected at last in this volume.
Hot-tempered Sugar Plumm and shy Cecil “Spike” Wilson may be toddlers, but they know more about getting into trouble than most grown-ups. And while they can understand each other perfectly, all their parents seem to hear when they speak is “Glx sptzl glaah!”
Now, DC Comics collects their classic series for the first time, starting with issues #1-10, in this hardcover showcasing stories and art by the talented Sheldon Mayer, inspired by the hijinks of his own children.
ADVANCE SOLICITED • On sale AUGUST 31 240 pg, FC

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN VOL. 5

Written by DENNIS O’NEIL and ELLIOT S. MAGGIN
Art by NEAL ADAMS, DICK GIORDANO, MIKE GRELL, VINCE COLLETTA and others
Cover by NEAL ADAMS
Green Lantern’s SHOWCASE PRESENTS series continues with issues #76-100, including the famed stories that teamed Green Lantern with Green Arrow, in which the two heroes face issues of the day including women’s rights, political corruption, religious intolerance and more — all while battling evil. This volume also includes adventures from GL’s 1976 relaunch, collected here for the first time!
On sale APRIL 20 • 496 pgs

DC COMICS PRESENTS: NIGHT FORCE #1
Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art by GENE COLAN & BOB SMITH
Cover by GENE COLAN & DICK GIORDANO
The acclaimed creative team behind Tomb of Dracula reunited in 1982 for DC’s NIGHT FORCE! Now, DC reprints issues #1-4 of this cult favorite series that taps into the lore of Dracula. The series begins as the mysterious sorcerer Baron Winter assembles a team to take on an occult evil. But can the granddaughter of Dracula’s greatest foe, a powerful parapsychologist and a timelost warrior from the court of King David tackle these threats?
On sale MARCH 23 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

OUR ARMY AT WAR

Written by DARWYN COOKE, B. CLAY MOORE, MATT STURGES and others
Art by DARWYN COOKE, PHIL WINSLADE, JUSTINIANO and others
Cover by DARWYN COOKE
Collecting 2010’s five unforgettable one-shots that took a modern look at warfare courtesy of some of today’s top comic talents. Includes G.I. COMBAT #1 featuring The Haunted Tank, OUR ARMY AT WAR #1 starring Sgt. Rock, WEIRD WAR TALES #1, OUR FIGHTING FORCES #1 spotlighting The Losers, and STAR-SPANGLED WAR STORIES #1 focusing on French Resistance icon Mademoiselle Marie!
On sale APRIL 6 • 128 pg, FC

OTHER LIVES
Written by PETER BAGGE
Art and cover by PETER BAGGE
“This is prime Bagge that will surprise readers with its artistic maturity and a plot that is in no way predictable.” — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“I can count on one hand the number of comic artists whose work is as strong . . . maybe on two or three fingers.” — ROBERT CRUMB
Meet three certified geeks: a self-loathing journalist who has a seemingly normal girlfriend, a conspiracy theorist who still lives with his mother and an unemployed gamer who lives in his car. While the past unites this group of neurotic thirty-somethings, the future will hit them harder than a (insert your favorite gaming metaphor here) when their all-too-real fantasy existence threatens to destroy them in OTHER LIVES, an original graphic novel from award-winning creator Peter Bagge (Hate). Zelig meets Dr. Strangelove by way of The Big Bang Theory in this hilarious and heartless exploration of identity - both real and created.
On sale APRIL 27 • 136 pg, FC, MATURE READERS

Fouth Asterix film goes into production

Will any of these things ever be released in the states? From Variety:

"Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia is the fourth installment in Gaul's biggest French-language franchise of the last decade, both at home and abroad.

The movie adapts Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's "Asterix in Britain," published in 1966, in which Asterix crosses the channel to help British second-cousin Anticlimax face down Julius Caesar and invading Romans.

Gerard Depardieu will reprise his role as Obelix. Fabrice Luchini ("Potiche") will play Caesar. Remaining key cast has yet to be announced.

Stunt actor falls during performance of Spidey musical

The problems keep piling up for "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark":

Theatergoers...said they saw either the actor playing the title character or his stunt double fall about 8 to 10 feet during the closing minutes of the show, and that some equipment fell into the audience when this occurred.

A police spokesman confirmed that a male actor was injured at about 10:42 p.m. and taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. No other information was immediately available.

Journalista blogger laid off

Sad news: Dirk Deppey, writer of the long-running Journalista blog from Fantagraphics has been laid off.  Dirk has helped shape coverage of comics news and criticism online. Here's hoping he finds a new -- and good -- gig soon.

New Robert E. Howard series from Dark Horse out tomorrow

From the release:

Continuing our tradition of bringing Robert E. Howard's incomparable characters to life, Dark Horse is proud to present the inaugural issue of Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword!

Each eighty--page, perfect--bound issue will showcase the exploits of Howard's heroes in new comic adventures and restored reprints of classic tales, and include a wide range of bonus material too! Some of these characters have never before appeared in comics--you'll see them here first, folks! Featuring the work of industry legends and today's top talent and hottest rising stars, this is a can't--miss series for fans of action--packed adventure comics!

* Featured in this issue: Paul Tobin (Spider--Man & the Secret Wars), Wellinton Alves (Nova), Marc Andreyko (Manhunter), Robert Atkins (G.I. Joe), Tim Bradstreet (Punisher), Barry Windsor Smith (Conan), and more!

* Inaugural issue of a brand--new anthology series!

* Includes Roy Thomas, Tim Conrad, and Barry Windsor--Smith's acclaimed Savage Sword of Conan epic, "Worms of the Earth," recolored and reprinted in its entirety!

New PJ Harvey video