Comics blurbs for the week Options

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BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #1 – Fans of Terry McGinnis jumped for joy when the pre-‘New52’ ‘Batman Beyond’ ongoing series was announced, and then had it taken away from them after only eight issues, all thanks to a universe-wide reboot. But hey, nothing can keep a good Dark Knight down as a brand new ongoing series featuring the future Batman and his friends hits the shelves this week! Yeppers, this here all-new series by scribe ADAM BEECHEN and legendary Bat-artist NORM BREYFOGLE sees an onslaught of new Jokerz hitting Gotham City and Terry (along with mentor Bruce Wayne) have their hands full trying to keep Gotham safe. Lucky for them the new Justice League Beyond are in the neighbourhood!

RALPH WIGGUM COMICS #1 – A brand new comic book featuring future President Ralph Wiggum? That’s unpossible! Well, it was, until this week. Springfield’s most imaginative (read: loony) little boy is featured in this 32-page one-shot as CAROL LAY, MIKE KAZALEH, JASON HO, MIKE ROTE, SERGIO ARAGONES, and more take on the clueless kid and get him into more trouble than ever... as unpossible as that sounds. This one-shot will be released with three equal-distribution covers, each featuring a different word balloon on it. Go banana!

THE DARKNESS #100 – Just in time for ‘The Darkness II’ video game release comes the hundredth issue of the long-running Image Comics series! Jackie Estacado is going to have a bad day – he’s coming face-to-face with the source and power of his misery... the Darkness itself. And at the end of this miserable day, only one of them will walk away. Wanna take a guess who that’s gonna be? Scribe PHIL HESTER concludes his epic run on this series with this issue as he’s joined by series artist ROMANO MOLENAAR and cover artists TODD MCFARLANE, MICHAEL GOLDEN, JEREMY HAUN, and MICHAEL BROUSSARD.

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AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1 – Whoever said you can’t go back obviously wasn’t a Marvel Comics reader. This here brand new ongoing series (which spun out of the current ‘Uncanny X-Force’ series) takes us back to the future as we find the Amazing X-Men broken and beaten and the evil Weapon X large and in charge. Jean Grey and Sabretooth have pretty much accepted defeat, which is not going to do the rest of the world any good as Weapon X continues Apocalypse’s war on... well, everyone. By the team of DAVID LAPHAM and ROBERTO DE LA TORRE, and cover artist HUMBERTO RAMOS.

BLUE HC – Part science fiction, part autobiography, this is the story of three spotty teenagers who skip school only to end up investigating rumours of a dead body in their beach town. Kinda like ‘Stand By Me’ but with less railroad tracks. And Wil Wheaton. The debut graphic novel from Australian cartoonist PAT GRANT hits the reader hard, with themes of racism, immigration, and the fear of the unknown threaded throughout this 96-page hardcover tome. Beautiful to look at and potentially disturbing to read, this is an outstanding tale of how a single day can change someone’s life forever.

FAIREST #1 – Spinning out of the multi award-winning ‘Fables’ monthly from Vertigo comes an all-new ongoing series starring the female Fables in all their flawed perfection. The secret histories of characters like Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, the Snow Queen, Thumbelina, Snow White, Rose Red, and many others are revealed, and they’re not exactly the fairy tale you’d expect. The first 6-issue arc, written by BILL WILLINGHAM and pencilled by the wonderful PHIL JIMENEZ (WONDER WOMAN), follows the misadventures of Briar Rose after her abduction by the goblin army in ‘Fables #107’, so expect a fair amount of hijinks and possibly some questionable language. Good stuff, that. Uber-artist ADAM HUGHES will be providing the covers to this series (including a tres cool wraparound cover for this issue) and this series will feature rotating creative teams, with future story arcs by LAUREN BEUKES and INAKI MIRANDA, as well as SHAWN MCMANUS and CHRIS ROBERSON.

HELL YEAH! #1 – The final generation of heroes is here. Twenty years ago the first ever superheroes arrived without warning and without fanfare, forever changing our little blue marble of a planet. And now the new generation of heroes are left to fight in a world that’s evolved far beyond anything they’d ever dreamed. It’s tough being a superhero – it’s even tougher when your enemies have the power of gods. JOE KEATINGE and ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ (ELEPHANTMEN, POPGUN) bring a little ‘Kingdom Come’ to the Image Universe in this new ongoing series.

MARVEL’S AVENGERS PRELUDE: FURY’S BIG WEEK #1 – As the title (which has been changed three times so far) would suggest, this here 4-part mini-series serves as a prelude to the upcoming ‘Avengers’ live action flick. You may have heard of it. Also being released as an 8-parter through the Marvel Comics app (the first chapter’s free!), this mini by CHRISTOPHER YOST, ERIC PEARSON, and LUKE ROSS fills you in on everything you’ll need to know before sliding your bum into a cinema seat and chowing down on popcorn. What is the Avengers Initiative? What secrets does Nicky Fury keep from his agents? Where does he get those wonderful toys? And why are you asking so many questions. Please step over here, sir.

THE COMPLEAT TERMINAL CITY TP – If you are in any way shape or form a fan of the ‘BioShock’ video games, this wondrous 368-page tome is an absolute must-read. Originally published more than 15 years ago, Terminal City is a place where transistor-tube robots rub elbows with old-time gangsters and bright shiny technology casts a deep shadow on humanity. Once you start reading through this trade, you’ll see how much of it inspired the ‘BioShock’ series and just how much of the design work is mimicked. Very noir-ish and brilliantly retro-futurist, this tome collects the original ‘Terminal City’ 9-part mini-series as well as the 5-part sequel ‘Terminal City: Aerial Graffiti’ by the team of DEAN MOTTER (MISTER X, ELECTROPOLIS), MICHAEL LARK (DAREDEVIL), and cover artist MARK CHIARELLO.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1 – Who ever said there was only one? What if the research and development team that created the first atomic bomb was just a cover for something else? Something that you’d never believe, even if you saw it with your own eyes? What if the world’s greatest minds got together and tampered with the very fabric of reality? And what if... it all went horribly wrong? Welcome to the Manhattan Projects. Please leave your preconceptions of everything at the door as the team of JONATHAN HICKMAN and NICK PITARRA (THE RED WING) take you on a journey through modern history... but most definitely not a history taught anywhere in any school.

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AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 – We may have mentioned it in this here newsletter a few times, but there seems to be this live action ‘Avengers’ movie being released in a couple of months, and you know that the Mouse of Ideas is going to be all over it with tie-in action figures and statues and posters and new comic book series and lingerie and soft drinks and trading cards and... well, you get the idea. And this week we see the first of many new ‘Avengers’-related projects with this brand new monthly ongoing series by the team of BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and MARK BAGLEY, who worked on a title together called ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’, which was somewhat successful. Well, these two comicky book industry giants are reassembling the Avengers and sending them off to battle the brand new Zodiac, and it looks like the team may already be in over their heads as personalities clash, costumes change, and the heroes start to look suspiciously like their movie counterparts. Weird, that. This first issue will feature the obligatory Blank Variant as well as variant covers by ART ADAMS and MARC SILVERSTRI.

DC UNIVERSE BY ALAN MOORE HC – Pretty much the entire body of DC Universe superhero work by ALAN MOORE is collected in this neato-keen 464-page hardcover tome for those of you out there who may have missed some of his earliest works, including his work on the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. This collected edition is set to include ‘Action Comics #583’, ‘Batman Annual #11’, ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’, ‘DC Comics Presents #85’, ‘Detective Comics #549-550’, ‘Green Lantern #188’, ‘The Omega Men #26-27’, ‘Secret Origins #10’, ‘Superman #423’, ‘Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2 & #3’, ‘Superman Annual #11’, ‘Vigilante #17-18’, ‘Voodoo #1-4’, ‘Deathblow: By Blows #1-3’, and more. Joined by a host of the industry’s biggest artists, this here hardcover is the ultimate collection of Captain Loony Beard’s most requested comicky book stories.

HEROIC: A WOMANTHOLOGY HC – Created entirely by more than 140 women of all experience levels, from young girls who love to create comics to comic book industry professionals, all the short stories collected in this 300-page oversized hardcover tome centre around one theme: heroic. With works by ANNE NOCENTI, BARBARA KESEL, GAIL SIMONE, CAMILLE D’ERRICO, MING DOYLE, COLLEEN DORAN, FIONA STAPLES, STEPHANIE BUSCEMA, and many more, this awesome hardcover will also feature professional how-to’s, a kids/teen section showcasing their works and giving tips, and a section dedicated to iconic female comic book creators of the past. Proceeds from this book will go towards the charities of GlobalGiving.org, so it’s definitely worth giving this book a shot.

SAGA #1 – It’s quite possibly the most anticipated comic book of the year, and this week it’s finally hitting the shelves. BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (Y: THE LAST MAN) returns to comics with artist FIONA STAPLES by his side to craft this unique new ongoing series that’s part fantasy, part sci-fi, and all awesome. Take ‘Star Wars’, combine it with ‘Game of Thrones’, and you might start getting an idea of what this new series is all about. See, new parents Marko and Alana are risking everything they have and are to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic battle. But they’re both in some pretty deep danger, and if they can’t get their lives straightened out their newborn baby will be the one paying for it with its tiny little life. Get in on the ground floor of what’s sure to be one of the most talked-about new series of the year.

SAUCER COUNTRY #1 – Meet Arcadia Alvarado. She’s the leading Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States. Oh, and she’s claiming to have been abducted by aliens. It’s tough enough she’s the Mexican-American Governor of New Mexico, what with immigration troubles, budget cuts, and her somewhat alcoholic ex-husband. And now that she’s chucking her hat into the presidential race during one of the country’s most volatile political climates ever, her claims of alien abduction just might get her to where she wants to be: in the White House, exposing the truth to the world... and maybe just saving it. This here new ongoing series by PAUL CORNELL (ACTION COMICS, DEMON KNIGHTS) and RYAN KELLY (NORTHLANDERS) will finally tell the truth...which is out there. Really, really out there man.








RAGEMOOR #1 – Welcome to Ragemoor. A living castle, sustained by the blood of pagans, home to the deadliest of monsters, summer getaway for members of the Westborough Baptist Church. This bloody fortress has a will of its own, the ability to shapeshift, and the power to add and remove rooms within itself, and it’s all protected by a bunch of lunatic apes. This brand new ongoing classic horror series can only be brought to life by the seriously disturbed team of JAN STRNAD and RICHARD CORBEN.

SUPERCROOKS #1 – When there are just too many supervillains in America to make any decent kind of a profit, what can you do? Easy – Euro trip! A group of superpowered bad guys have had enough – they’re constantly in competition with their fellow villains, constantly fighting for a share of the loot, and constantly being harassed by the cops and the superheroes, so they decide to head to Spain to pull off one last massive heist... and maybe check out some bullfighting and grab some sweet, sweet churros. A new 4-issue mini-series by the team of MARK MILLAR (KICK-a**) and LEINEL FRANCIS YU (SECRET INVASION).

THE ROCKETEER ADVENTURES II #1 – He’s back! The classic DAVE STEVENS character that spawned a (rather awesome) live action film and several comic book series returns for another 4-issue mini-series that sees some of the industry’s biggest names writing and drawing his all-new adventures. Look out for contributions from DARWYN COOKE, PETER DAVID, STAN SAKAI, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, ART ADAMS, KYLE BAKER, J. SCOTT CAMPBELL, PAUL DINI, MICHAEL GOLDEN, DAVE JOHNSON, WALT SIMONSON, MATT WAGNER, and many more. And like they did with the first series, a portion of the profits from this new mini will be donated to assist research into Hairy Cell Leukaemia. A worthy cause and awesome comics? Sold!








100 BADDEST MOTHER F****ERS IN COMICS SC – Hot on the heels of the uber-popular and instantly-sold-out ‘100 Sexiest Women in Comics’ book comes a 64-page tome that focuses on the toughest, baddest, meanest men and supermen in comics. These are the guys you wanna fight alongside with, not against, and they’re the reason you keep coming back to read their exploits each and every month. With take-no-guff guys like Wolverine, Batman, Luke Cage, Galactus, Hulk, and many more, this here handy-dandy guide to bad-assery will give you the lowdown in a fully illustrated full-coloured format.

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0 – It’s the biggest event/crossover/thingy the Mouse of Ideas has had since ‘Civil War’, and you just know this 13-part mini-series is going to have fanboy and fangirl tongues wagging over the results. Over the course of a year the World’s Mightiest Heroes square off against the World’s Most Hated Muties, as the return of the Phoenix Force puts everyone into a state of panic and rash decision-making. So yeah, we can expect a whole lot of collateral damage, a possible death or two, and the return of some underused characters that will most likely fade away into obscurity again after all this is said and done. BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and JASON AARON team up on writing chores for the series as FRANK CHO whips up some of his best-ever pencils for this 40-page prelude.

COVER GIRLS HC – He’s best known for his work on ‘Gotham City Sirens’ and the ridiculously controversial ‘Catwoman’ ongoing, but GUILLEM MARCH has been in the comic book industry for some time now and has racked (heh) up quite a portfolio, some of which makes it into this brand new 80-page hardcover tome. Featuring more than 100 full-colour images from his work on ‘Eros Magazine’ and ‘Playboy (Spain)’, much of this art hasn’t been seen outside of Europe and is most definitely for adults only.

THE NEW DEADWARDIANS #1 – Another zombie/vampire book? Yeppers, but this one’s just a tad different to what we’ve seen before. In post-Victorian nearly everyone in the upper classes has voluntarily become a vampire to escape the drudgery of the lower classes, which is pretty much made up entirely of zombies. And that’s when we meet Chief Inspector George Suttle, a detective who investigates murders in a world where everyone is already dead. So yeah, tough beat. DAN ABNETT and I.N.J. CULBARD (AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS) team up for this unique 8-issue Vertigo mini-series.

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ARCHIE MEETS KISS: THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION HC & TP – The biggest rock band in history meets the eternal teenager as the members of KISS invade Archie’s hometown of Riverdale. See, Riverdale has just experienced a flood of monster-related shenanigans and only KISS (with the help of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the Archies) can bring this monster madness to a halt. Collecting the entire four-part saga from ‘Archie #627-#630’ by ALEX SEGURA and DAN PARENT, this crazy crossover will be collected in an oversized Collector’s Edition hardcover and trade paperback.

AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 – Last week’s issue #0 gave everyone a taste of what’s to come, and what’s coming is a yearlong event that’ll blow your socks off, and more than likely blow a very large hole in your comic book budget. If you’ve ever wanted to see the likes of ‘Marvel vs. Street Fighter’ on the printed page, this is about as close as you’re going to get, albeit with far less Chun-Li. It seems that the Phoenix Force, that fiery galactic parrot of destruction, is heading back to Earth to choose a new host to bond with, and it’s pining for Hope Summers like she’s a fjord. On one side, the Avengers want to destroy the Phoenix Force for good. On the other, those damned dirty muties think it’s the salvation to their race. So each side does what they do best: scream at each other for an hour and a half (honestly, check out the covers to this issue!) and then bring the smackdown upon each other. BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, JASON AARON, and FRANK CHO get this party started and get some help from variant cover artists JOHN ROMITA JR. and RYAN STEGMAN. Oh, and don’t forget to look for the obligatory Blank Variant cover.

FANBOYS VS. ZOMBIES #1 – It was bound to happen. A flock of forever-moaning, always-drooling, gurgling and ravenous fiends has descended upon Comic-Con... oh, and there are some zombies about as well. A bunch of best buds find themselves trapped inside the biggest comic convention in America as thousands of guests and ticket holders transform into brain-eating undead monsters. Can their combined knowledge of video games, horror flicks, and comic books save the day? Or will these geeks end up as zombie chowder? SAM HUMPHRIES and JERRY GAYLORD take you on a journey of nerdtastic proportions that’s sure to be picked up as a film before you’re finished reading the first issue.

FLEX MENTALLO: MAN OF MUSCLE MYSTERY – THE DELUXE EDITION HC – The cult classic mini-series from the minds and fingers of GRANT MORRISON and FRANK QUITELY is finally seeing a re-release after years of fans clamouring for it. Flex Mentallo, Man of Muscle Mystery, was once the Hero of the Beach, and of the Doom Patrol. But these days Flex is out of the game, focusing more on his pecs than fighting the lunatic fringe. But the sinister dealings of his former pal The Fact drags him back into the fight and puts him smack-bang in the middle of a conspiracy to end all conspiracies! This here 112-page oversized hardcover will collect all four issues of the brilliant mini-series and will also include a special sketch section and recoloured art.

JOE GOLEM & THE DROWNING CITY ILLUSTRATED NOVEL HC – The team that brought you the fantastic ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Baltimore’ novels are back with a brand new illustrated novel set in an alternate New York City. Fifty years after earthquakes left Lower Manhattan under more than thirty feet of water (hence the ‘Drowning City’), a former magician and his helpers find themselves on the run after a séance goes horribly wrong. Only Victorian detective Simon Hodge, and his sidekick Joe Golem, can crack this case! CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN and MIKE MIGNOLA team up yet again for what’s sure to be one of the most kick-a** releases of the year, and with over 100 new Mignola illustrations in this book, how can you possibly resist?

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: JIM APARO HC – The absolutely brilliant JIM APARO run on ‘The Brave and the Bold’ is collected in its entirety for the first time ever in this new 384-page hardcover. Featuring some of Batman’s all-time best team-ups with Robin, Green Arrow, Black Canary, the Teen Titans, Deadman, Wonder Woman, the Demon, the Joker, Aquaman, the Atom, and many more are collected here, all pencilled in the classic Aparo style which influenced an entire generation of artists. Collecting ‘The Brave and the Bold #98’ as well as issues #100-102 and #104-122, these is some of the very best old school Batman stories ever told.

SUPREME #63 – He’s baaaaaaaaack! The final ‘Supreme’ tale by ALAN MOORE can now be told, in all its superhuman glory. The adventures of Image Comics’ answer to Superman continue as he finds true love with Diana Dane and takes some time off for some sweet lovin’, but as ever his most hated nemesis Darius Dax is out to defeat him... and this time he’s actually a threat. Darius may have just found Supreme’s Achilles Heel, and you can just bet the end of this here new story arc is going to be bloody as hell. ERIK LARSEN and CORY HAMSCHER jump on board to bring to life this final tale of Supreme.

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ALABASTER WOLVES #1 – International Horror Guild Award-winning author CAITLIN R. KIERNAN returns to comics with one of her most enduring and popular creations in this here all-new 5-issue mini-series. Dancy Flammarion has spent most of her life fighting monsters, or at least, it’s all she can ever remembering doing. She’s cut a bloody swathe through the demonic underworld, and it seems nothing and no one can stop her. But for the first time in a long time, Dancy has found herself alone and without the usual aid she’s become accustomed to. And the wolves are closing in... STEVE LIEBER and GREG RUTH provide art and covers for this amazing-looking new mini.

AMERICA’S GOT POWERS #1 – Welcome to ‘America’s Got Powers’, the biggest television show on the planet where the chance to win fame and fortune all depend on the super powers you have and just how well you can use them. Kinda like a super-powered version of ‘Battle Royale’, but only slightly less disturbing. Or ‘The Running Man’, but without Ahnold. All you have to do to win in this reality game show is... to win. Losing is not an option. Which is something young Tommy Watt is about to discover as he see up close and personal just how far someone is willing to go to get what they want... and what they want are ratings. JONATHAN ROSS hooks up with BRYAN HITCH for this new 6-issue mini-series.

BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED #1 – Spinning directly out of the immensely popular ‘Batman: Arkham City’ video game (which will be seeing some sweet new DLC soon!), this new series explores the world behind the game in stories focusing on both the good guys and the bad, and how they affect the lives of those in Arkham City. This prequel to the game has been created alongside the game developers and closely follows the storyline and events that are seen throughout the game. First up: Catwoman and Two-Face. What led to the rivalry you see at the beginning of the game, and what does Hugo Strange have to do with either of them? Written by DEREK FRIDOLFS and illustrated by MIKE S. MILLER, this issue features previously online-only content as well as new material.

SECRET SERVICE #1 – Okay, this should sell you this new 7-issue series alone: MARK MILLAR (KICK a**) and DAVE GIBBONS (WATCHMEN). On the same book. At the same time. Together. Well, you get the idea. This new mini focuses on the men and women of America’s Secret Service, as their jobs seem more and more dispensable and their targets get closer and closer to home. Combine that with budget cuts and the blame game, and you’ve got a whole bunch of highly-trained people who are thoroughly ticked off. Probably not a lot of thinking ahead there.

THE SECRET #1 – A man gets shot in London; A law firm gets broken into in Washington; An accountant gives away the password to his computer; Combine all these seemingly random occurrences and you’ve just woken up something that’s been asleep for the last two decades. But what exactly do all these things have in common? And how can this information bring down two of the largest governments in the world? The answers will (eventually) be revealed in this ongoing series by JONATHAN HICKMAN and RYAN BODENHEIM.

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DIAL H #1 – Old school DC Comics readers tend to have a soft spot (well, they have many, but that’s beside the point) for the classic ‘Dial H for Hero’ series which saw the magical H Dial falling into random people’s hands and changing them into even more random heroes or villains. Awesome concept, but not always delivered well. But in the hands of award-winning novelist CHINA MIEVILLE (KING RAT, HELLBLAZER), this brand new ongoing series is looking to be pretty damned incredible. It’s simple really: what would you do if you stumbled across the H Dial, an unbelievably powerful artefact that allows you to become super-powered? And what would you do if you found out that using that device could very well end all life on the planet? Oh yeah... and what if you became addicted to it? Yep, looks like the Mayans were right after all. Penciller MATEUS SANTOLOUCO jumps on board for the ride along with cover artists BRIAN BOLLAND and DAVID FINCH.

EARTH TWO #1 – DC’s ‘Second Wave’ of titles hits this week, and chief among them is this here all-new ongoing series by JAMES ROBINSON (STARMAN) and Australia’s own NICOLA SCOTT (TEEN TITANS) which takes us to Earth 2, a world that’s eerily similar to the main DC Universe, but that’s only true on the surface of things. This world’s heroes aren’t the ones you’re expecting – the Man of Steel didn’t rocket to Earth from a doomed planet; the Dark Knight isn’t Bruce Wayne; and just who the heck is that wearing the Wonder Woman costume? And waitaminute... are those Parademons on the cover to issue #1? Hoo-boy...

EPIC KILL #1 – The President of the United States is putting out a call to every hitman, mercenary, and assassin in the world – there’s a job that needs doing and the pay is high. And the job itself? Why, to take out an eighteen-year-old super-assassin named Song who has vowed revenge on the man who killed her parents – the President himself. And she’s so damned good, she’ll be able to turn the tables on anyone who points a gun (or sword) at her and make sure that every kill in this new series is going to be freakin’ epic. Epically written and illustrated by the assumedly epic RAFFAELE IENCO.

HULK SMASH AVENGERS #1 – Didja like the new ‘Avengers’ movie? Were you also of the opinion that the Hulk was the best part of the film? Well, then you’re gonna love this here new 5-issue mini-series that sees Marvel’s Jade Giant smash his way through friend and foe alike! Set to be released weekly, this new mini by TOM DEFALCO and RON FRENZ (and with awesome covers by LEE WEEKS) follows the evolving relationship between ol’ Green Genes and his fellow heroes from his first appearance to modern day. With smackdowns between Hulk and Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, the Wasp, Thor, Black Widow, and many more, this is definitely the ‘Avengers’ tie-in series to read that’s not a tie-in series.

JUSTICE LEAGUE VOLUME 1: ORIGIN HC – The biggest-selling comic book of the last decade or so gets collected into a snazzy 176-page hardcover tome and plonks together the first six issues of DC’s new mega-series. Lobbing GEOFF JOHNS and JIM LEE at each other and finding out what happens was an absolute stroke of genius and has produced some of the most jaw-dropping art we’ve ever seen. It’s an all-new universe... an all-new team... but just how well do Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg actually get along? With all the mayhem and destruction in the series so far, we’re thinking not too well at all.

SMALLVILE: SEASON 11 #1 – After ten seasons of the ‘Smallville’ television series, we’d thought we’d seen the end of the small screen adventures of the Man of Steel, but just like a certain vampire slayer and her crew, young Clark Kent’s first forays into the world of costumed heroism continue in this all-new ongoing series by BRYAN Q. MILLER and PERE PEREZ. Last we saw ol’ Clarky had donned the red and blue tights and was looking at a world in which Lex Luthor would become President of the United States. Where do we go from here? Pick up this 48-pager to find out!

THE SPIDER #1 – One of the very first costumed superheroes returns in a brand new ongoing series thanks to the folks at Dynamite Entertainment. The world knows Richard Wentworth as a decorated war hero and the son of a wealthy industrialist – but only a few people close to him know the truth. Sick and tired of seeing his city slide into violence and despair, Wentworth has transformed himself into The Spider, and using his wealth and access to cutting-edge technology, he decides to fight a one-man war on crime! DAVID LISS teams up with COLTON WORLEY to kick off this ongoing series, and issue #1 will see variant covers from JOHN CASSADAY, FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, and ALEX ROSS.

WORLD’S FINEST #1 – This week’s other big ‘Second Wave’ title from DC showcases the ongoing monthly adventures of Power Girl and the Huntress from Earth Two. Set in the main DC Universe, these two super-heroines originally came from Earth Two (where they were known as Superwoman and Robin) but somehow made their way over into the DC Universe. How did they end up in this ‘New52’ universe and why can’t they go back? The team of PAUL LEVITZ and GEORGE PEREZ will attempt to answer those questions for you, and probably come up with a hundred other ones while they’re at it. Issue #1 will feature a tres cool variant cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE.

X-O MANOWAR #1 – Everything old is new again! The Valiant Universe is back, and it’s bringing a whole bunch of much-loved Nineties comic book characters with it. And who better to kick off this new age of Valiant than the biggest, baddest Visigoth to ever wear a sentient suit of armour, the man known as X-O Manowar. Aric of Dacia, heir to the throne of the Visigoth people, has never known peace... and considering the age he lives in, he probably never will. But after a brutal battle with a mysterious enemy known as The Vine, Aric is transported to a world beyond his comprehension and the only way back home is to fight his way back. That is, if there’s a home left to get back to. ROBERT VENDITTI (THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE) and CARY NORD (CONAN) team up to tell the all-new brutal adventures of this armoured barbarian, along with variant cover artists DAVID AJA and JELENA DJURDJEVIC.

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can any kind souls please kindly private message me where in SG can I buy the X-O MANOWAR #1 comic?

or do I have to get it from ebay?

thanks

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Give me a couple weeks... I can sell you a signed copy.

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BATMAN INCORPORATED #1 – They’re baaaaaaaaack! The somewhat interrupted ‘Batman Incorporated’ series from GRANT MORRISON returns with an all-new #1 issue and the same mission statement: to make Batman a global crimefighter by bestowing the mantle of the Bat to those Bruce Wayne deems worthy. So now we’ve got a Batman in France, a Batman in Africa, a Batman in Australia, a Batman in Japan, a Batman... well, you get the idea. And while Bruce/Batman endeavours to keep all these Batmen under control and performing at peak efficiency, Leviathan (who you may remember from the last series and the recent one-shot) rears its ugly head again, as does the sinister... Goatboy! With CHRIS BURNHAM on board as penciller for this series, you can expect a variant cover by FRANK QUITELY and a Combo Pack version as well.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON EIGHT LIBRARY VOLUME 1 HC – When news broke that JOSS WHEDON would be continuing the slayerific adventures of Buffy in a monthly comic book series, fans of the much-missed television series went absolutely nuts. The ‘Season Eight’ series became the biggest-selling comic we’d ever stocked at the time, outselling any and all ‘X-Men’ and ‘Batman’ books on the shelves. And this here new oversized hardcover edition is just the thing for the serious Buffy fans out there as this 304-page tome collects the first two story arcs of the series, plus two one-shots. Co-written with BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (Y: THE LAST MAN) and pencilled by ANDY OWENS and GEORGES JEANTY, this is a brand new Buffy with a brand new mission featuring a brand new cast that surrounds the same old Scooby Gang. Excellent stuff.

YOUNGBLOOD #71 – It’s been 20 years since ‘Youngblood’ was unleashed upon an unsuspecting comicky book market as Image Comic’s first ever ongoing series, and it’s been through some ups and downs ever since: cancellations, lateness, Alan Moore, and a severe lack of feet. But hey, lack of quality and anything below the ankles has never stopped ROB LIEFELD before, so he’s bringing his baby back for a whole new generation of readers to scratch their noggins over. With the recent successful reboots/revamps of Liefeld’s other titles like ‘Glory’, ‘Prophet’, and ‘Avengelyne’, it looks like the Age of Extreme is about to start all over again, thanks to the new creative team of JOHN MCLAUGHLIN and JON MALIN. The government-funded super team returns with a brand new Shaft in charge, along with mainstays Vogue, Die Hard, Cougar, and Lady Photon. Badrock would be on the team as well, if not for a slight case of coma.











BATMAN VOLUME 1: THE COURT OF OWLS HC – While the announcement that DC Comics would be renewing/retooling/rejuvenating their entire comic book universe and start from scratch all over again was met with a fair amount of disdain and was deemed the end of all things, we did get some very good things out of the whole ‘New52’ malarkey – namely, one of the very best ‘Batman’ comic book runs of all time. Scribe SCOTT SNYDER (AMERICAN VAMPIRE, SEVERED) and artist GREG CAPULLO (SPAWN) have teamed up to make the Dark Knight and his fight against crime the absolute must-read book of the year. When Batman stumbles over a clandestine group of killers called the Court of Owls, he unwittingly sets off one of the most murderous killing sprees Gotham City has ever seen, and almost ends up getting killed himself. Just who are these ruthless killers, and what do they have to do with the founding fathers of Gotham? And can longtime ally Nightwing really be a cold-blooded murderer? Actually, yeah... he can.

DAN THE UNHARMABLE #1 – Meet Dan. He’s a private detective. He looks a bit like Frank Zappa. He’s one of the laziest bastards to ever grace this planet. Oh, and he’s nigh invulnerable. You can hit him with sticks; you can chuck him in the oven; you can throw him off a bridge; heck, you can shoot him point blank in the face and nothing will happen to him. Not a scratch. Which is why he gets hired to do the jobs no one else in their right mind will do, and as long as Dave gets paid and has enough money for some booze and a place to stay, life is good. But all that is about to change when Dave’s past life, before he became unharmable, comes back to haunt him in a big painful way. Looks like Dave is about to get more than just his feelings hurt. A new ongoing series by the team of DAVID LAPHAM (CROSSED) and RAFAEL ORTIZ.

FRANKENSTEIN: ALIVE, ALIVE! #1 – One of the most talented and acclaimed comic book artists of all time returns this week to deliver the best work of his career in this sequel to the classic Mary Shelley novel about a mad scientist and his cobbled-together creation. BERNIE WRIGHTSON continues to do what he does best, and that’s creating some of the darkest, moodiest, most intricate comic book pages ever produced, and this time ‘round he’s got horror scribe STEVE NILES (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) to help him along. Nearly three decades in the making, this incredible series will be scanned from the original pages to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the original art and will include supplemental materials like interviews, essays, and a serialization of the original prose story by Shelley.

HIGHER EARTH #1 – Space is dead. It costs far too much to go to other planets and make them habitable, and so our planet’s population grows and resources become scarcer. But hey, why go to all that bother when you can just shift to a parallel Earth that’s better than yours? That’s all Heidi, a girl born in garbage, and Rex, a rogue soldier, want for themselves, but to get to paradise they have to fight through an empire of a hundred different Earths across a hundred different timelines. And even if they do succeed, they still have to go up against the ultimate power of the Higher Earth. SAM HUMPHRIES (FANBOYS VS. ZOMBIES, THE ULTIMATES) and FRANCESCO BIAGINI unite to bring one of the most unique new ongoing series of late, and the first issue will also feature variant covers by FRAZER IRVING, JOE BENITEZ, PHIL NOTO, BEN OLIVER, and DAVID AJA.

SILVER SURFER: PARABLE HC – Earlier this year we lost one of the industry’s most talented artists when MOEBIUS passed away, but with the help of the Mouse of Ideas, his mark on comics will never go away. Originally solicited to be released a few months back, Marvel have repackaged his most famous foray into American comics, the classic Silver Surfer story ‘Parable’. The Surfer is living on Earth as an outcast and is shunned by everyone, which is pretty much the way he likes it. But that all changes when Galactus arrives on the scene and decides he wants to be worshipped like a god. You know, that old chestnut. But as humanity spirals down into oblivion due to greed and selfishness, what can a former Galactic Guardian do to save the human race that hates him? Written by STAN ‘THE MAN’ LEE, this new 168-pahe hardcover tome collects ‘Silver Surfer (Epic) #1-2’ and ‘Silver Surfer: The Enslavers’.










BATMAN ANNUAL #1 – Good evening Mister Freeze... ice to meet you. We glimpsed him in last week’s issue of ‘Red Hood and the Outlaws’, but this week we get to see the ‘New52’ version of Victor Fries, or as everyone else in the world knows him, Mister Freeze. Seems ol’ Vic has gotten himself into some deep trouble with the Court of Owls and may have even been helping them along in their plan to take over Gotham City. But who can Freeze turn to when the Court of Owls wants him dead and Batman wants to beat the snow out of him? By the team of SCOTT SNYDER and JASON FABOK.

BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN DELUXE EDITION HC – We’ve been eagerly awaiting this new original graphic novel from CHIP KIDD (COMPLETE HISTORY OF BATMAN) and DAVE TAYLOR (BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST) for months now, knowing that this will definitely be one of the best graphic novels released this year. How could it not be, with talent like this on board? Set during a massive construction boom in Gotham City, many of the world’s most prestigious architects have made their way to Gotham to oversee their building designs as they progress. But when a series of explosions rock the city it signals the beginning of a mad scheme to bring the entire city to its knees, and to destroy its Dark Knight protector. An absolute must-have for fans of the Bat.

SPAWN COMPENDIUM VOLUME 1 TP – Way back in 1992 a little independent comic book publisher called Image Comics became the darling of the industry when pretty much every single title they released so gazillions of copies and made some comicky book creators into industry legends. With more than 1 ½ million copies of ‘Spawn #1’ sold, this dark and brooding series from TODD MCFARLANE (SPIDER-MAN) became an instant hit and outsold just about every comic book series on the shelves at the time. And now you can relive the magic all over again with this here massive 984-page black and white tome that collects the first 49 issues of the series in a nice oversized phone book-type book. It’s all here, folks – death, a deal with the devil, rebirth, a power countdown meter, shoelaces in the face, GREG CAPULLO (BATMAN), TONY DANIEL (DETECTIVE COMICS), ALAN MOORE (WATCHMEN), FRANK MILLER (SIN CITY), and GRANT MORRISON (NEW X-MEN), and it’s far cheaper than hunting down all those individual issues... if you can even find ‘em!

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/DOCTOR WHO: ASSIMILATION #1 – Nearly five decades and 1,500 episodes in the making, two of the biggest science fiction television shows of all time finally decide to hold hands and go off on adventures together. When the Federation’s most insane enemy strikes up an unholy alliance with the Doctor’s most persistent thorns in his side, the result understandably ends up being horrific on a galactic scale. Spanning the ends of space and time, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew team up with the Doctor and his companions to take on the double-headed evil for the fate of space, time, and space-time itself! Written by SCOTT TIPTON and DAVE TIPTON (STAR TREK: INFESTATION) and illustrated by J.K. WOODWARD (FALLEN ANGEL), this here 4-issue mini-series will make your screams of joy echo through space.

THE RAVAGERS #1 – Spinning out of ‘The Culling’ mini-event that’s been running through the ‘Teen Titans’, ‘Legion Lost’, and ‘Superboy’ titles comes this here brand new ongoing series that features some of the freakiest and geekiest heroes of the new DC Universe on the run from Rose Wilson and the new version of ex-WildC.A.T.s. guy Warblade. Join Fairchild, Thunder, Lightning, Ridge, Beast Boy, and Terra as they try to stay alive long enough to kill the people that are trying to stop them from staying alive. Yes... that makes sense... we think. By the team of HOWARD MACKIE and IAN CHURCHILL.









BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN #1 – There’s been a whole lotta hubbub by fans and comic book creators alike over these ‘Watchmen’ prelude minis, but while everyone seems to have an opinion about them there’s one thing for damn sure: we’re all curious as hell as to how DC Comics are going to pull this off without it feeling like yet another cash-in event. This series of six different mini-series focusing on the members of the Watchmen takes us back before the original graphic novel and delves deep into the mysteries and histories of these classic costumed loonies. First up, it’s the DARWYN COOKE (DC: THE NEW FRONTIER, RICHARD STARK’S PARKER)-penned and pencilled ‘Minutemen’ mini which hearkens back to the somewhat more innocent days of the superhero biz where truth, justice, and the American way actually had a ring of truth to it. This issue will also kick off the new ‘Crimson Corsair’ back-up story that will run across the entire line of ‘Before Watchmen’ books, and which we’re sure will send Alan Moore into a beardy/frothy spasm of rage.

CREATOR-OWNED HEROES #1 – What you read is what you get – all-new comicky book stories entirely owned by their creators, all told in a monthly 40-page anthology-styled series. First up is ‘American Muscle’ by STEVE NILES (30 DAYS OF NIGHT) and KEVIN MELLON which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where technology barely exists and no one can actually remember why the world ended the way it did. All they know is that the entire planet is a wasteland, but the myth of a paradise city sends them across America to either a better life or a horrible death. Also in this issue is the first chapter to ‘Trigger Girl 6’ by JIMMY PALMIOTTI, JUSTIN GRAY, and PHIL NOTO (DANGER GIRL), a sci-fi story that sees a deadly assassin completing a mission the first five Trigger Girls couldn’t do: assassinate the President! So yeah, not the most upbeat of reads, but damn it this looks cool!

DARK AVENGERS #175 – These aren’t your daddy’s Thunderbolts... well, technically they are, but now they go under a different name and have a slightly different line-up. Justice (like lightning!) takes on a new meaning in this series that continues the numbering of ‘Thunderbolts’ but changes title to an Avengers-by-association book to maybe keep the title alive for another year. This new team of the Dark Scarlet Witch, Dark Spider-Man, Trickshot, Ragnarok, Skaar, and Luke Cage take on a mission none of the other Avengers teams can handle, so there’s a really good chance it will involve buckets of blood and a fair amount of property damage. By the team of JEFF PARKER and DECLAN SHALVEY.

EARTH TWO #2 – DC Comics continue their controversial comics this week with the second issue of this utterly gorgeous-looking new ongoing by JAMES ROBINSON (STARMAN) and Australia’s very own NICOLA SCOTT. It’s been all over the news over the last week or two that DC were going to reintroduce an established male character back into one of their universes with a slight change in sexual preference – and all signs are pointing it’s Earth Two’s Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Yes indeed, if you’ve got yourself a copy of issue #1 in this series you might wanna keep a hold of it as it’s Alan’s first appearance in this ‘New52’ reality and where there’s controversy, there’s always lots of demand and little supply. Oh, and the Earth Two Flash turns up, as does Mister Terrific, and... Apokolips? Yikes.

HARBINGER #1 – The Valiant Universe continues to return from the grave (for Zod only knows how long) with its second ongoing series, ‘Harbinger’. Peter Stenchek is an out-of-work teenager with not a lot going on in his life – no job prospects, no real relationships, no future – until he wakes up one day to find that he’s a harbinger, a psionic-powered superhuman who has the potential to reshape the course of human history. All of a sudden it’s Miller time, right? Well, not so much as a man named Toyo Harada, another powerful harbinger, takes Peter under his wing and begins to teach him the ways of the force, which in this case means ‘take what you want when you want it’. How long will it take these two powerhouses to try and destroy each other? We’re thinking six issues, tops. By the team of JOSHUA DYSART and KHARI EVANS, and cover artists MICO SUAYAN and JELENA DJURDJEVIC.

PROPHECY #1 – The first ever company-wide crossover for Dynamite Entertainment begins this week with the first of a 7-issue mini-series that will cross time, space, and possibly space-time. In 2012 it’s been said by the Mayans that the world will end and the universe will see a rebirth. Now most sane people have discounted this as inaccurate reporting, doom-saying, and utter nonsense, but in the Dynamite Universe, nonsense reigns supreme. Vampirella, along with Red Sonja, Kulan Gath, Dracula, the Re-Animator, Alan Quartermain, Athena, Dorian Gray, Purgatory, Pantha, and many more will have to choose sides in a war that will bring on the end of days, a catastrophic event that only one side will win. RON MARZ and WALTER GEOVANNI team up for this 7-issue self-contained mini-series that will not spill over into any other titles – yep, you only need to buy this mini-series to read the whole shebang, which is a refreshing change of pace that a couple of other publishers out there could take note of.

SPAWN #220 – Oh wow, has it really been twenty years since ‘Spawn’ burst onto the comicky book scene and sold gazillions of copies? Seems every man and his dog has a copy of ‘Spawn #1’ sitting around somewhere. Well, to celebrate two decades of shoelace-faced green gooey goodness, baseball fury TODD MCFARLANE has jumped back onto the book that made him a millionaire as series writer and inker as the latest Spawn, Jim Downing, finally starts to get a grasp on his murky past and starts to realise just who he was and what he did to become the Hellspawn. Old enemies return, new dangers emerge, and multiple covers will be revealed as the series takes on a darker tone (as unbelievable as that may sound) and will feature homage covers by McFarlane and CHRIS GIARRUSSO, as well as a limited edition (2,500 copies) collector’s special edition by series artist SZYMON KUDRANSKI.

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BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE #1 – The ‘Before Watchmen’ controversy continues this week as the second of seven eventual mini-series starts up and focuses on the only female presence in the Watchmen, the a**-kicking Silk Spectre. Take a look behind the mask and see if someone can live up to their parent’s expectations, especially when said parent was considered one of the greatest heroes of all time. How does a child grow up ‘normal’ when all she sees around her is spandexed gods and goddesses? The answer is... you don’t. DARWYN COOKE (BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN) and AMANDA CONNER (POWER GIRL) reveal just what it’s like to grow up in the shadow of a superheroic colossus while the team of LEN WEIN and JOHN HIGGINS continue the new ‘Crimson Corsair’ backup strip.

FLESK PRIME HC – Take five exceptional artists in the field of comicky books – CRAIG ELLIOTT (GIRLS & FLOWERS), GARY GIANNI (MONSTERMEN), PETAR MESELDZIJA (TARZAN), MARK SCHULTZ (XENOZOIC TALES), and WILLIAM STOUT (HEAVY METAL) – and put the best of their best art together into an oversized 64-page hardcover tome, and you’ve got yourself one of the coolest art books on the shelves today. Handpicked by the artists themselves, these artworks have been reproduced directly from the original works and will give you an insight into how the artists work and what influences drive them to create. Limited to only 2,000 copies worldwide, this book will only be available through comic book stores, so don’t bother heading to Borders to grab one... if you can still find a Borders that is.

KISS #1 – They’re the rock ‘n roll band that will never die, probably because they’re Knights in Satan’s Service or something equally silly, but at the end of the day when you want the best, you get the best... a new KISS ongoing comic book series! Set during the 1920’s, four ordinary fellahs in Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will be felt across time and space and marketing possibilities and comeback concerts and old age as CHRIS RYALL and JAMAL IGLE take their kabuki makeup and run... as well as they can in platform boots.

SPIDER-MEN #1 – Peter Parker turns 50 this year, but he’s still looking pretty spry for an old white guy. And to help celebrate this momentous event, the folks at Marvel Comics are going back on their promise that the regular Marvel Universe and Ultimate Marvel Universe would never cross over with this here new 5-issue mini-series that sees the regular Marvel Universe Spider-Man team up with the Ultimate Marvel Universe Spider-Man. BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and SARA PICHELLI, the team that rebooted the ‘Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man’ title and introduced us to Miles Morales, the new Ultimate Spidey, are back to bring Peter Parker and Miles Morales together to fight the goldfish bowl-headed Mysterio and jump back and forth between universes. Which could end up being weird, especially as in the Ultimate Universe Peter is dead. We’re putting bets down on whether Aunt May has a heart attack or not the first time she sees Peter Parker web-slinging again on the nightly news. The first issue of this mini (which is already going into a second printing!) will feature variant covers by Pichelli and HUMBERTO RAMOS.

THE MASSIVE #1 – Despite having all of his ongoing series at DC Comics cancelled, scribe BRIAN WOOD (NOERTHLANDERS, DEMO) is pretty much flipping the bird at DiDio and company by unleashing his most ambitious new series to date, the post-apocalyptic ‘Waterworld’ tale of ‘The Massive’. Pencilled by the uber-talented KRISTIAN DONALDSON (SUPERMARKET, DMZ) this all-new ongoing series sees Callum Israel and his shipmates on the Kapital surviving in a world where environmental disasters have wreaked havoc on the planet’s fragile ecosystem as they ply the oceans around the world looking for their sister ship The Massive. Throw in pirates, thieves, murderers, and desperate people just trying to survive, and you’ve got a pretty damned cool premise for an intriguing new series. Alas, no Jeanne Tripplehorne though.









BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL #1 – The first two ‘Before Watchmen’ issues (featuring the Minutemen and Silk Spectre) have been met with critical acclaim, mush to the surprise of online trolls around the world, but that may all change with this week’s ‘Nite Owl’ mini. Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (THOR) and illustrated by ANDY KUBERT, this new 4-issue mini showcases the modern Nite Owl and the impact the original version had on his life. This issue also continues the ‘Crimson Corsair’ back-up story and will feature variant covers by KEVIN NOWLAN and JIM LEE.

DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI’S DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN – THE ARTIST’S EDITION HC – It’s considered the best Daredevil story ever, although we’re sure ‘Man without Fear’ fans will disagree. This here 200-page mega-oversized Artist’s Edition of ‘Born Again’ features two comic book creators at the height of their creativity – FRANK MILLER and DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI – who you’ll also remember from ‘Batman: Year One’, kick so much a** with this storyline that it changed the comic book industry forever and cemented them as industry legends. Collecting the complete issues of Daredevil #227, #228, #229, #230, #231, #232, and #233 (as well as covers and extra material), each page in this edition was personally scanned by Mazzucchelli from his own original art and is the closest thing a fan can ever get to holding the original art in their hands.

GAME OF THRONES VOLUME 1 TP – It’s probably the hottest television show on right now, which in turn is making the original novels popular, which in turn is seeing a rather awesome graphic novel adaptation which in turn... erm... what were we saying again? Hmmm... anyways, this week sees the new ‘Game of Thrones’ trade paperback hit the shelves, collecting the first six issues of the eventual 24-issue adaptation of the original book in the brilliant ‘A Song of Fire and Ice’ series. Adapted by acclaimed novelist DANIEL ABRAHAM and illustrated by the indecently talented TOMMY PATTERSON, this 176-page tome will introduce you to a harsh world of intrigue and magic, and is just the beginning of one of the most epic fantasy tales ever written. A great jumping-on point for new readers and something a little different for longtime fans.

HIT-GIRL #1 – The littlest mass murderer around is back in her very own 5-issue mini-series that takes places between the two ‘Kick-a**’ graphic novels. Mindy McReady is trying to settle into a life as a regular school girl, but she’d rather be dispensing razor-sharp bloody justice to the scumbags of New York City. Her mom and new step-father think she’s doing homework, but they’d probably have seizures if they knew that she’s really out on the town training Kick-a** to... err, kick more a**... and fighting her way through more criminals than you can poke a samurai sword at. You know, just like Big Daddy would have wanted. By the team of MARK MILLAR and JOHN ROMITA JR.








BATMAN: EARTH ONE HC – We’ve already seen an ‘Earth One’ Man of Steel (who went along to become the biggest-selling graphic novel of 2010) so it was pretty much inevitable that we’d see the Dark Knight of this here reality sometime soon. As in this week. The team of GEOFF JOHNS and GARY FRANK (SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN, SHAZAM!) reteam to tell the tale of a young Bruce Wayne and the tragic set of circumstances that turn him into a vengeful force against crime in this new 144-page hardcover graphic novel. And just like the previous edition, you can just jump right into this book without knowing a thing about the biggest comic book character in the world. You know, just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 75 years or so.

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #1 – Because no animated series from the Eighties can ever die, everyone’s favourite loincloth-clad muscle-head from Eternia and his pals are back in this new 6-issue mini-series. Prince Adam returns to take up the mantle of He-Man as that cackling maniac Skeletor strikes with yet another plan to rule Eternia, and then, the universe! Can He-Man and the Masters of the Universe kick his bony butt all over again? Only JAMES ROBINSON and PHILIP TAN can answer that question... and lucky for them they have six issues to do so.

HERO WORSHIP #1 – The biggest superhero movie writer out there right now is taking a crack at comics with this here brand new 6-issue mini-series about the ultimate superhero celebrity, the indestructible powerhouse called Zenith and the rabid fans that worship him. ZAK PENN, the guy who wrote the AVENGERS and X-MEN 2 movies, is joined by SCOTT MURPHY (lead writer of the excellent STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated series) and penciller MICHAEL DIPASCALE to show just how far a legion of fans will go to see their favourite superhero in action. But when one fan’s obsession leads him to getting powers of his own, will he want the ultimate team-up or look for the obligatory smackdown?

MIKE NORTON’S BATTLEPUG VOLUME 1 HC – The epic tale of blood and drool begins right here folks as the gloriously brilliant online ‘Battle Pug’ series by MIKE NORTON (RUNAWAYS, YOUNG JUSTICE) finally sees print in this here 72-page hardcover from Dark Horse Comics. Collecting the first year’s worth of the webcomic, join Molly and her dogs Mingo and Colfax as they recount the legend of ‘The Warrior and the Battlepug’ – a tale of a fearless (and possibly brainless) barbarian, his trusty and freakishly large pug, and evil, evil baby harp seals. Cute and fluffy they are most definitely not.








BLOODSHOT #1 – The return of the Valiant Universe continues as once-familiar characters (well, familiar if you read comics in the Nineties) are reborn, rebooted, and restarted in brand new ongoing series. This week we see the return of Valiant’s very own one man army, Bloodshot. Angelo Mortalli is Bloodshot, and his brother is trapped behind enemy lines on the verge of – wait, that’s not right. Raymond Garrison is Bloodshot, a retired soldier who’s thrust back into battle to help one of his oldest – wait, that’s not right either. You are Bloodshot. A perfect killing machine that uses cutting-edge technology to take on (and take out) enemies of the state. A walking computer bank of dirty secrets that could tip the balance of peace on its ear and set the world to war. And guess what... you’ve just been captured by the enemy. Scribe DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI (IMMORTAL IRON FIST, BIRDS OF PREY) and artists MANUEL GARCIA (CHECKMATE) and ARTURO LOZZI (IMMORTAL WEAPONS) bring back the deadliest weapon known to (and made by) man in this here all-new ongoing series.

PUNK ROCK JESUS #1 – Welcome to the hottest reality show ever – J2, the television series starring a clone of Jesus Christ. Set in America in the very near future, religious zealots either love or hate the show, angry politicians worry about its influence on the youth of a nation, and members of the scientific community worry about the ramifications of cloning a human being... especially since he’s supposed to be the son of god. And how will all of this affect a young girl who’s been selected to be the mother of the new messiah? SEAN MURPHY (JOE THE BARBARIAN) writes and draws this here 6-issue black and white mini-series that will see the supposed former carpenter turn into a very, very angry young man.

RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE SCORE HC – It’s simple, really: DARWYN COOKE plus Richard Stark equals sheer, unadulterated awesome. If you haven’t been reading Cooke’s adaptations of Stark’s Parker novels, then you need to get you head out of your butt and pick up the two already-released editions (‘The Hunter’ and ‘The Outfit’) and/or the utterly gorgeous oversized Martini Edition that combines both volumes. They’re some of the very best comic books on the shelves today and it’s no wonder that Cooke has won multiple industry awards for them. This third volume adapts the hugely popular ‘The Score’ novel from 1964 and sees Parker in the middle of a plot with a dozen partners to pull of what just might end up being the ultimate heist – robbing an entire town. As usual, everything goes just fine until it doesn’t, and you can be sure that the bullets will fly, the punches will connect, and Parker will get the damn job done.

SPACE PUNISHER #1 – Okay, seriously: It’s the Punisher. In space. And he’s got a ponytail. FRANK TIERI (MARVEL VS. CAPCOM, THE PUNISHER: NOIR) and MARK TEXEIRA (THE PUNISHER: WAR JOURNAL, GHOST RIDER) join forces to bring Frank Castle to a place where he can shoot as many people and aliens as he wants, and nobody will hear them scream. From intergalactic mob bosses to alien Brood queens, this one’s got it all. And did we mention the ponytail?

THE CROW #1 – Well of course he’s back. That’s what the Crow is all about. Overseen by creator JAMES O’BARR, this all-new ongoing series by JOHN SHIRLEY and KEVIN COLDEN sees the Crow reborn in Tokyo, reanimating the corpse of Jamie Osterberg, and American studying in Japan and deeply in love with his girlfriend Yumi... until she’s taken away from him. It’s time for the Crow to do what it does best: make the wrong right and doing it in the most dramatic way possible. This initial issue will feature covers by ASHLEY WOOD, KYLE HOTZ, and O’Barr.

THE WALKING DEAD #100 – A zombie comic book reaching 100 issues? Seriously, whoda thunk it? This week sees the ROBERT KIRKMAN juggernaut reach a century of printed material as pretty much the entirety of Image Comics helps him celebrate this momentous landmark. The ‘Something to Fear’ storyline continues as we plunge into one of Rick’s darkest moments and witness one of the most brutal and violent things to occur in the entire run of this series. Pencilled by longtime artist CHARLIE ADLARD, this here anniversary issue will feature no less than ten covers (fifteen if you count the online-only and convention variants) from artists such as TODD MCFARLANE, MARC SILVESTRI, FRANK QUITELY, SEAN PHILLIPS and RYAN OTTLEY, as well as a chromium edition and a super-duper-nigh-impossible-to-get 1-in-200 black and white edition. Best of luck getting them all.






BLACKSAD: A SILENT HELL HC – One of the most popular and just plain bloody awesome anthropomorphic comic book series ever is back that sees Detective John Blacksad on a new case that takes him to 1950’s New Orleans, a city that’s filled with hot smokin’ jazz and cold blooded murder. See, John’s been hired to find a celebrated pianist that’s up and disappeared, but with Blacksad’s luck you just know he’s gonna have a tough time of it, especially in the midst of drugs, voodoo, and a cadre of killers out to stop him. By the award-winning team of JUAN DIAZ CANALES and JUANJO GUARNIDO.

CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 – Carol Danvers has been flying around the Marvel Universe with the Marvel name attached to her for so time now, but she’s never had a military rank before. And considering the general feeling of putting women in the frontline of battle, it’s certainly going to be interesting to see the former Ms. Marvel head out on her own and kick all sorts of intergalactic a**. From ace pilot to mighty Avenger to a new name, a new costume, and all the power in the universe... all she needs now is Captain America getting all up in her business. A brand new ongoing series by KELLY SUE DECONNICK and DEXTER SOY, with covers by ED MCGUINNES and ADI GRANOV.

DANGER GIRL/G.I. JOE #1 – The two most covert action teams on the planet collide in this here new 4-issue mini-series by ANDY HARTNELL and JOHN ROYCE, with J. SCOTT CAMPBELL on cover duty. See, the Danger Girls and G.I. Joe are so super duper secret, they’ve actually never even heard of each other, but one tiny misstep brings the teams together for the obligatory misunderstanding fight, eventual team-up, and smackdown with Cobra. And hey, when you’ve got hot girls, ninjas, and weapons galore being thrown about, how can you go wrong?

NOT THE ISRAEL MY PARENTS PROMISED ME GN – Award winning (and sorely missed) writer/artist HARVEY PEKAR’s final memoir is finally seeing print as he recounts the entire history of the Jewish peoples to explain how he lost his faith in the state of Israel. Originally a staunch supporter of the Jewish state, Harvey began to question the motives of its inhabitants and rulers, and put forth more and more confronting questions that his parents just couldn’t answer. Blending Harvey’s gradual disaffection with the modern state of Israel and a pretty comprehensive history of the Jews from biblical times to present, Pekar and artist J.T. WALDMAN deliver a very thought-provoking look at the mythologies and realities of the Jewish homeland.






A ONCE CROWDED SKY HC – The superheroes of Arcadia City are doing their best to destroy the world’s supervillains one at a time and trying to make the planet a safer place to be. It’s the usual meet/fight/defeat grind until they are forced to give up all their incredible powers to save the world, instantly transforming them from mighty and marvellous to the mundane and miniscule. This here 320-page novel tells the tale of how these once-magical figures are learning to live without their powers, except for one particular guy, the Soldier of Freedom, who’s having a pretty hard time letting go. But when a new mega-threat rises and the world is endangered once again, the former superhero jumps at the chance to relive his past, but this time without his vaunted powers. A thought-provoking new novel by TOM KING and featuring illustrations by TOM FOWLER.

AXE COP: PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD #1 – Finally, the denizens of planet Earth have come to their senses and appointed Axe Cop as the President of the World. He and his crime-fighting pals have eradicated bad guys from the face of the planet and now... well, they’re bored. So what is an Axe Cop to do when there’s no one left to fight? Why, head into outer space and find a whole new bunch of bad guys to defeat! Written by 8-year-old MALACHAI NICOLLE and illustrated by his 31-year-old brother ETHAN NICOLLE, this web-series-turned-comic-book-series is absolutely hilarious, utterly magical, and brilliantly imagined.

NATIONAL COMICS: ETERNITY – Looks like the folks at DC Comics just can’t help themselves when it comes to rebooting/renewing/reinventing their heroes and villains, and starting this week we’re looking at a brand new series of one-shots titled ‘National Comics’ (which just happened to be the name of the company before it was changed over to DC Comics). First out of the ranks is Kid Eternity, who’s being re-imagined by JEFF LEMIRE (SWEET TOOTH, ANIMAL MAN) and CULLY HAMNER (RED). Introverted and somewhat nerdy medical examiner Kid Eternity is in a bit of strife – see, he’s got 24 hours to solve a deadly crime, or something very unpleasant is going to happen to him. He’s not sure what, but he knows it’s going to hurt. A lot. For a really long time.

SERGIO ARAGONES’ GROO THE WANDERER: THE ARTIST’S EDITION HC – Longtime MAD magazine artist SERGIO ARAGONES is an industry legend who’s done it all over the last 50 years of his career, and this week the folks at IDW are celebrating his genius by releasing an Artist’s Edition of his most popular and funniest creation – Groo the Wanderer. The stupid, but good-hearted barbarian and his loyal dog Rufferto had their own ongoing series through Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics for more than a decade and travelled their world bringing disaster to those they met. Also, there was usually a fair amount of cheese dip involved, but that’s another story altogether. This here 144-page uber-oversized deluxe edition will reprint the classic 4-part ‘The Wager of the Gods’ storyline from ‘Groo the Wanderer’ #96-99 in all its original glory. Scanned directly from the original pages in their original size, this is as close as anyone’s going to get to owning any original artwork from Sergio, as he almost never sells his work. Incredibly detailed and hilariously funny, this is easily one of the very best (and sure to be one of the most-asked-after) Artist’s Editions ever released. Printed in very limited numbers, these won’t last long, folks. Grab one while you can!

X-TREME X-MEN #1 – They’re so extreme they don’t even need to spell correctly! Spinning out of the monthly ‘Astonishing X-Men’ series comes this all-new ongoing series of damn dirty muties who are travelling the multiverse ‘Exiles’-style, and they’re all somewhat familiar-looking. The main players are Captain James Howlett (Wolverine from Earth-1610), Kid Nightcrawler (one of the many Bamf creatures), and Emmeline Frost (the White Queen from Earth-818). Together they’re Quantum Leaping across the multitude of Marvel Universes trying to get back home... but with an almost endless run of realities to jump into, they may not survive long enough to see their loved ones ever again. By the team of GREG PAK (WORLD WAR HULK) and STEPHEN SEGOVIA.








BEFORE WATCHMEN: DOCTOR MANHATTAN #1 – The ‘Before Watchmen’ shenanigans continue this week, and despite the fact that this series of mini-series is dividing fandom right down the middle (and putting Alan Moore’s beard in a twirl), these stories have been some of the most enjoyable reads of the year so far. And it’s about to get a whole lot better. J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (BABYLON 5, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, MIGHTY THOR) teams up with ADAM HUGHES (WONDER WOMAN, POWER GIRL) to tell the tale of Doctor Jonathan Osterman, the nuclear physicist who is imbued with godlike powers after an experiment goes haywire. But Jon was a man before he became the ultimate nuclear deterrent, and this 4-issue mini-series will reveal just what kind of a man he really was. Also... freakin’ interior artwork from freakin’ Adam freakin’ Hughes! Four issues of gorgeous artwork from AH! is most definitely worth the cover price alone.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SPIKE #1 – Now that all of JOSS WHEDON’s Buffy-related characters have come over to Dark Horse Comics, it’s high time that everyone’s favourite Billy Idol mimicking bloodsucker got his own mini-series, and this week, thanks to the team of VICTOR GISCHLER and PAUL LEE, we get what could possibly be the bestest Spike story ever – ‘cause in space no one can hear you suck. Wait... that didn’t sound the way we wanted it to. Anyways, Spike isn’t the man he used to be. He’s fallen in love with the Slayer, regained his soul, and managed to become the master of a steampunk spaceship full of loyal oversized alien cockroaches. Yeah, you read that right. So now Spike’s on a journey to the dark side of the moon (the actual moon, not the alternative soundtrack to ‘The Wizard of Oz’) where he’s going to run into demons, witches, and more magic than you can shake a wand at. So yeah, an average day for our favourite smarmy bloodsucker.

INVISIBLES OMNIBUS HC – One thousand five hundred and thirty six pages of... wow. The entirety of the Eisner Award-winning GRANT MORRISON epic ‘The Invisibles’ is collected together for the first time ever in one humungous hardcover tome, and that’s all you really need to know about it. No questions asked. No second thoughts. All the adventures of the secret organization who battle the physical and psychic oppression of the human race by the interdimensional alien gods of the Archons of the Outer Church can now be yours in this massive backbreaking book which collects ‘The Invisibles #1-25’, ‘The Invisibles Volume II #1-22’, ‘The Invisibles Volume III #12-1’ and stories from ‘Absolute Vertigo #1’ and ‘Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1’. And with artists like JILL THOMPSON, CHRIS WESTON, PHIL JIMENEZ, TOMMY LEE EDWARDS, MARK BUCKINGHAM, MICHAEL LARK, MARC HEMPEL, IVAN REIS, SEAN PHILLIPS, and FRANK QUITELY in this book, how can you possibly pass it up?

THE ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM #1 – The Rocketeer turns 30 this year, and to help celebrate this wonderful occasion the folks at IDW Publishing are giddy with delight in releasing the first entirely new full-length Rocketeer series in decades! And hey, when you have a creative team like MARK WAID (DAREDEVIL) and CHRIS SAMNEE (SERENITY, CHECKMATE) on a series, it’s pretty much a given you’re gonna pick this up. When a ship docks in the Los Angeles harbour from a far-off exotic locale with a big and mysterious cargo (that seems to be alive!), our hero Cliff Secord straps on his rocket-powered backpack and flies to the rescue. Oh, and it seems Cliff’s got himself a new love interest... which is news to Betty!

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