COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS FOR JUNE 2014: PART 2 (OF 1)

Jedi Master KC Carlson

Jedi Master KC Carlson


by KC Carlson

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS

Archie Archives Volume 10

Archie Archives Volume 10


Archie Archives Volume 10 (Dark Horse): Vintage Archie stories from 1948! By then Archie appeared in three different comic books, headlined a radio show, and had a newspaper strip — not bad for a kid who’s been in high school for over 70 years! Collecting Archie Comics #32-34 and Archie stories from Pep Comics #67-69 and Laugh Comics #27-28. Featuring work by Bill Vigoda, Irv Novick, Joe Edwards, Bill Woggon, and others. 264-page color hardcover. Available in August.

Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years


Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years and The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC Comics): Two big anniversary collections spotlight the best stories of a classic hero and his malevolent adversary. This amazing Batman best-of collection includes stories from Detective Comics #27, 83, 211, 216, 327, 359, 395, 442, 474, 574, 633, 711, 757, 821, Batman #1, 49, 181, 497, Batman #2 (the New 52), World’s Finest Comics #94, DC Special Series #21, and Batman Special #1! Written by Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton, John Broome, Dennis O’Neil, Archie Goodwin, Steve Englehart, Mike W. Barr, Doug Moench, Greg Rucka, Chuck Dixon, Paul Dini, Scott Snyder, and others. Art by Bob Kane, Dick Sprang, Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Alex Toth, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller, Michael Golden, Alan Davis, Jim Aparo, J.H. Williams III, Greg Capullo, and others. Cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams. 384-page hardcover. Available in July.

The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years

The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years


Meanwhile, the Clown Prince of Crime stars in The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years, featuring stories from Batman #1, 5, 25, 32, 85, 163, 251, 427, Batman #15 (the New 52), Detective Comics #64, 168, 180, 475, 476, 726, 741, 826, Detective Comics #1 (the New 52), World’s Finest Comics #61, Superman #9, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #66. Written by Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil, Steve Englehart, John Byrne, J.M. DeMatteis, Chuck Dixon, Greg Rucka, Paul Dini, Tony S. Daniels, Scott Snyder, and others. Art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Jack Burnley, Dick Sprang, Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, John Byrne, Jim Aparo, Joe Staton, Brian Stelfreeze, Tony S. Daniel, Greg Capullo, and others. Cover by Brian Bolland. 384-page hardcover Available in July. Bob Greenberger will be taking a detailed look at this Joker volume soon, right here at the Westfield blog.

Bomb Run and Other Stories

Bomb Run and Other Stories


Bomb Run and Other Stories (Fantagraphics): Harvey Kurtzman, John Severin, and Will Elder teamed to create 34 dramatic, emotional, and now historical war stories in just under three years. All of them are collected in this book. Featuring stories from the Roman Empire and the American Revolutionary War up through World War II and the Korean War. 264-page B&W 7.25” x 10.25” hardcover. Also available is The E.C. Comics Slipcase, a boxed set of the first four of Fantagraphics’s E.C. collections: Corpse on the Imjin! (Kurtzman); Came the Dawn (Wood); 50 Girls 50 (Williamson); and ‘Tain’t the Meat… It’s the Humanity! (Davis). Most volumes feature stories by Al Feldstein.

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 16

Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 16


Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Volume 16 (Marvel Comics): Writer Roy Thomas teams with George Pérez, John Buscema, Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Rich Bucker for a great run of cosmic stories featuring Galactus, the High Evolutionary, and the impossible return of an improbable guest star. Plus, time-traveling to meet the Invaders, Luke Cage joins the FF, and the Crusader crusades! And the Hulk vs. the Thing, who then team to take on the FF! Holy macaroni! Collects Fantastic Four (1961) #164-175 and FF Annual #11, plus Marvel Two-In-One #20 and Annual #1 and Marvel Treasury Edition #11. 328-page color hardcover. Variant “classic” cover available. Available in September.

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC STRIP COLLECTIONS

Girl Genius: Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne and the Sleeping City

Girl Genius: Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne and the Sleeping City


Girl Genius: Volume 13: Agatha Heterodyne and the Sleeping City (Airship Entertainment): The latest in Phil and Kaja Foglio’s sprawling saga of adventure, romance, and Mad Science! Agatha and her friends try to save her town from the vast armies of the Wulfenbach Empire in the latest volume of the Hugo Award-winning series! Available in both softcover and hardcover editions; all previous volumes are also available. 160-page hard or softcover.

Dark Shadows: The Complete Newspaper Dailies & Sundays

Dark Shadows: The Complete Newspaper Dailies & Sundays


Dark Shadows: The Complete Newspaper Dailies & Sundays (Hermes Press): Based on the hugely popular Dark Shadows gothic soap opera, this is a collection of all the original newspaper strips — both dailies and Sundays — which originally ran 1971-72, while the show was on TV. The Sunday strips are presented in their original half-page format and are in color. The book also features several supplemental materials, including an essay by noted Dark Shadows scholar Dr. Jeffrey Thompson. 244-page partial color, oversize (11” x 8.5”) hardcover.

The Phantom: The Complete Sundays Volume 2

The Phantom: The Complete Sundays Volume 2


The Phantom: The Complete Sundays Volume 2 (Hermes Press) is being resolicited for June 2014 release. Previous orders have been canceled. Please reorder if you still want this 176-page hardcover collection of Phantom Sundays from 1942-43.

Prince Valiant Volume 9: 1953-1954

Prince Valiant Volume 9: 1953-1954


Prince Valiant Volume 9: 1953-1954 (Fantagraphics): Continuing this classic series by Hal Foster, based on the Knights of the Round Table. Arn becomes a warrior, Merlin is bewitched by Nimue, and Tillicum and Boltar have a son named Hatha –- the first interracial baby “born” in comics. The pages in this series are reproduced for the first time from Foster’s personal set of color engraver’s proofs, making this the most impeccably produced Prince Valiant series ever. Introduction by Mark Schultz, with an article on the 1954 Prince Valiant film by Foster scholar Brian M. Kane. 112-page color oversize (10.25” x 14”) hardcover. Available in July.

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan: The Sunday Comics Volume 2: 1934-1936

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan: The Sunday Comics Volume 2: 1934-1936


Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan: The Sunday Comics Volume 2: 1934-1936 (Dark Horse): Collecting over 100 expertly restored Sunday strips from September 1934 to September 1936, all by Hal Foster and all on archive-quality paper and in gorgeous color. 120-page color oversize (15” x 20”) hardcover. Available in August.

Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips Volume 3: 1971-1974

Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips Volume 3: 1971-1974


Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips Volume 3: 1971-1974 (IDW/LoAC): The third of a four-volume series collecting the entire run of the Tarzan newspaper strip by Russ Manning. It presents the final two complete daily storylines (August 2, 1971, through July 29, 1972), plus four extended Sunday adventures, from January 24, 1971, through March 17, 1974. Featuring Tarzan and Korak at the Earth’s core. 296-page B&W oversize (11” x 8.5”) hardcover. Available in July.

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Volume 5: “Outwits The Phantom Blot”

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Volume 5: “Outwits The Phantom Blot”


Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Volume 5: “Outwits The Phantom Blot” (Fantagraphics): Iconic villains galore in this new volume of great Mickey Mouse stories by the master, Floyd Gottfredson. The Phantom Blot makes his dastardly debut, plus Mickey battles “Mighty Whalehunter” Pegleg Pete on the high seas and encounters a powerful genie! As well, more than 30 pages of scholarly articles and dips into the Disney Vault! Fantagraphics’ masterful restoration of this classic material gets all the blots out — except the important ones! 288-page B&W 10.5” x 8.75” hardcover.

NOW IN SOFTCOVER

Cinder & Ashe

Cinder & Ashe


Cinder & Ashe (DC Comics): Collecting the cult classic miniseries by Gerry Conway and José Luis García-López, whose artwork is a feast for the eyes. Bob Greenberger has a full review coming to the blog soon! Reprints all four issues. 128-page color softcover.

The Complete ElfQuest Volume 1

The Complete ElfQuest Volume 1


The Complete ElfQuest Volume 1 (Dark Horse): Back in print in a huge — and affordable — format. Collecting the first twenty issues of the original B&W ElfQuest series by Richard and Wendy Pini — indy comics’ original epic quest! 720-page B&W softcover. Available in August.

Harlan Ellison’s 7 Against Chaos

Harlan Ellison’s 7 Against Chaos


Harlan Ellison’s 7 Against Chaos (DC Comics): This New York Times bestseller is now available (in July) in paperback. Written by Harlan Ellison, illustrated by Concrete creator Paul Chadwick, and colored by Ken Steacy. 208-page color softcover.

Marvel Masterworks: Human Torch Volume 1

Marvel Masterworks: Human Torch Volume 1


Marvel Masterworks: Human Torch Volume 1 (Marvel Comics): Love goofy old Silver Age Marvel stories? Then this is the book for you. Back in the 1960s, the Human Torch was spun-off from Fantastic Four into his own series in the pages of Strange Tales. Here we saw Johnny Storm on his own (Mostly. The Thing and Spidey would drop by occasionally.) just being a typical girl-crazy, hot-roddin’ teenager who occasionally had to fight supervillains. Sure, he battled a few good ones, including Namor and a Captain America impostor, but generally he was stuck with losers like the Wizard, the Living Bomb, and the now-classic Paste-Pot Pete! Featuring the work of Stan Lee, Larry Leiber, Jerry Siegel, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayres, and others, who should have known better. Collects the HT stories from Strange Tales (1951) #101-117 and Annual #2. 280-page color softcover.

Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster


Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (St. Martins Press): This biography of the creators of Superman by Brad Ricca is now available in paperback. 448-page softcover.

BOOKS ABOUT COMICS

Annotated Sandman Volume 3

Annotated Sandman Volume 3


Annotated Sandman Volume 3 (DC Comics) is being resolicited for October 2014 release. Previous orders have been canceled. Please reorder if you still want this 250-page B&W hardcover reprint of Sandman #40-55 (plus extras), fully annotated by Leslie Klinger.

Heroes of the Comics: Portraits of the Pioneering Legends of Comic Books

Heroes of the Comics: Portraits of the Pioneering Legends of Comic Books


Heroes of the Comics: Portraits of the Pioneering Legends of Comic Books (Fantagraphics): Fascinating artist Drew Friedman takes his gift for caricature and applies it to the first generation of noted comic book people — not just artists and writers, but also notorious publishers, editors, and at least one “crusading psychiatrist”! They’re all here: Lee, Kurtzman, Eisner, Drucker, Jaffee, Davis, Elder, Gaines, Barks, Crumb, Wood, Wolverton, Frazetta, Siegel & Shuster, Kirby, Cole, Ditko, Werthem… and more. Over 80 portraits, each accompanied by a short essay by Friedman (who grew up knowing many of these men). This may end up being the most fascinating “history” of early comic book people on your bookshelf. Introduction by Al Jaffee. 160-page color 9” x 12” hardcover.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified Slipcase

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified Slipcase


Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified Slipcase (Marvel Comics): Reveals all the secrets of Marvel’s new action show. Including, hopefully, the secrets the show hasn’t gotten around to revealing yet. It’s an exclusive behind-the-scenes book featuring the cast, creators, and crew — offering an insider’s look into the show by revealing never-before-shared details from the first season. 240-page color oversize (landscape format) slipcased hardcover — the same format as all the other movie slipcases. Available in July.

The Overstreet Comics Price Guide

The Overstreet Comics Price Guide


The Overstreet Comics Price Guide (Gemstone): Often called the “bible” of the comic book industry, which is odd, because most other bibles aren’t just long lists of titles, numbers, and prices. As most fans know, there’s always a great deal of discussion about the covers of the book. (For decades there has been a choice of covers.) This year, the 75th Anniversary of Batman is celebrated with a wonderful painted cover by J.G Jones, based on the work of J.C. Leyendecker, who was Norman Rockwell’s predecessor as cover artist for the Saturday Evening Post. Appropriately, Jones’ Batman cover makes it appear that DC Comics had been publishing the Saturday Evening Post all along. The other cover features Vampirella by J. Scott Campbell. She’s celebrating both her 45th Anniversary (good thing for fanboys she doesn’t age) and her new publishing gig at Dynamite. As always, there will be both hardcover and softcover versions featuring each cover, although the print runs for the hardcovers will be close to the pre-order, so if you really, really want a hardcover, you better pre-order now! 1,168 B&W pages, with some color. Available in July.

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Cartoon Network: Super Secret Crisis War

Cartoon Network: Super Secret Crisis War


KC CARLSON SEZ: These won’t be collected for months, but check out some new fun comics premiering soon: Cartoon Network: Super Secret Crisis War #1 (of 6) from IDW teams the Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, Samurai Jack, Dexter, and others to battle the League of Extraordinary Villains! (I would have called it The Battle of the Cartoon Network Stars, but that would have only pointed out how ancient I really am) . . . and Tiny Titans: Return to the Treehouse #1 (of 6) which rectifies DC Comics’ horrible mistake of canceling this wonderfully quirky all-ages title by Art Baltazar and Franco. More fun than any 52 other DC titles!

WESTFIELD COMICS is not responsible for the stupid things that KC says. Especially that thing that really irritated you.

 

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