KC Carlson

by KC Carlson

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS

The Complete Voodoo Vol. 1

The Complete Voodoo (IDW/Yoe Books): One of the weirdest, coolest, cheesiest, most bizarre, goriest pre-Code comic books is being reprinted in its entirety. This over-the-top 20-issue comic series (some issues were apparently not horror comics) was originally printed in Canada and imported to the States — some people say in an attempt to avoid the probably deserved censorship. We do know that it features sexy Good Girl Art and old-skool horror by the master Matt Baker and his associates from the infamous art group The Iger Shop! This 200-plus page book is filled with lurid pulp-fiction comics like Zombie Bride, The Weird Dead, and The Crawling Horror. WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT APPROVED BY PARENTS, THE GOVERNMENT, or THE COMICS CODE! And here’s just some of the words that the Overstreet Price Guide used to describe these stories: severed heads, man stabbed in face, Nazi death camp story (flaying alive), zombies take over America, opium drug story, electric chair panels. So… not to be shelved with your Smurfs graphic albums, then… AND IF YOU LIKE CHEESY: Order now from Westfield and this book is guaranteed to be shipped directly TO YOU from the CHEESIEST STATE IN AMERICA!!! That’s our promise to you. 208-page 8.5” x 11 “ color hardcover. Available in November.

Dragonlance Classics Vol. 2

Dragonlance Classics Volume 2 (IDW): It’s like Dungeons & Dragons come to life! Well, not really because dragons are smelly and weird and it would probably be some sort of trademark violation anyway. Collects issues #9-16 of the DC comics based on the TSR novels. Features work by Dan Mishkin, Michael Collins, Jim Janes, and Dave Simons. 212-page 6.5” x 10.2” color softcover. Available in October.

EC Archives: Weird Science Volume 1

EC Archives: Weird Science Volume 1 (Dark Horse): If, for some reason, you were born in the Phantom Zone and don’t know anything at all about the legendary EC Comics Science Fiction line — this book would be the place to start! Collecting the first six issues of some of the most influential comic books ever published. (They even have a theme song by Oingo Boingo!… kinda sorta.) Amazing stories by Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Harry Harrison, Wally Wood, Jack Kamen, and Graham Ingles (with Marie Severin on re-colors!), as well as an introduction by George Lucas, who once wrote and directed a film about coming-of-age in Southern California. 216-page remastered 8 3/16” x 11” hardcover.

Ghosts and Girls of Fiction House

Ghosts and Girls of Fiction House (IDW/Yoe Books): As if we didn’t have enough odd Craig Yoe books this month… Fiction House was infamous for what anti-comics crusader Dr. Fredric Wertham called “headlight comics”, i.e., comics featuring the ample female bosom. This pre-Code publisher starred their buxom heroines in jungle comics, science fiction tales, and scary ghost stories. The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics series curates the sexiest and scariest of these poltergeist-infused Good Girl art comics in this pulse-pounding tome. Your hair will stand on end, and at the same time, your toes will curl! Featuring faithfully reprinted original art from the 1940s and 1950s by brilliant masters Matt Baker and Maurice Whitman, edited by comics historian and filmmaker Michael Price. Don’t get caught in the headlights! 152-page 8.5” x 11” color hardcover. Available in November.

Gil Kane’s Undersea Agent

Gil Kane’s Undersea Agent (IDW): Tower Comics’ Undersea Agent isn’t one of the better known series (or characters) from Tower. Today, it’s probably best known for the spectacular work of Gil Kane. He arrived by issue #3, provided some amazing artwork, and even got to script a bit. (Steve Skeates also wrote some stories with Kane.) Lt. David “Davy” Jones was the key character in the series, set in Undersea, an experimental domed city on the ocean floor. Jones battled underwater menaces with the aid of a super-suit (which his daughter Theresa occasionally donned, although I’m not clear if that happened in this incarnation of the character or not). Jones also gained magnetic powers during this run. While certainly not the best comic of this era, it wasn’t the worst either, and this remastered volume is a must for both Tower fans and Gil Kane collectors. Collects Undersea Agent #1-6. 72-page 7” x 11” color hardcover. Available in November.

Kid Eternity Deluxe Edition

Kid Eternity Deluxe Edition (DC Comics): Now in a Deluxe Hardcover Edition! Kid Eternity is a teenager with supernatural powers and the ability to bring back the dead — a gift from the powers above for being taken by death ahead of his time. Now the free-spirited kid is back as an agent of Chaos in a world that’s too ordered for his taste. Using magic to elevate humanity’s existence, he finds a path paved with demons, death, and madness! The old DC offices at 666 Fifth Ave in NYC were also filled with demons, death, and madness! Hmmm… Collects Kid Eternity #1-3 by Grant Morrison and Duncan Fegredo. 160-page 7.0625” x 10.875” color hardcover. Mature Readers. Available in December.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Nemo Trilogy Slipcase Edition

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Nemo Trilogy Slipcase Edition (Top Shelf/IDW): Collecting the three spinoff Nemo graphic novels (Heart of Ice, The Roses of Berlin, and River of Ghosts) from Alan Moore & Kevin O’Neil’s acclaimed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in a “magnificent slipcase gloriously illustrated by O’Neill”. 168-page slipcased color hardcover. Available in November.

MARVEL EPIC COLLECTIONS Moon Knight Epic Collection: Shadows of the Moon Moon Knight Epic Collection: Shadows of the Moon (Marvel): Volume #2 in the Moon Knight Epic Collections. One of comic’s best runs is collected here — one that’s seldom remembered (or maybe never seen in the first place!). Writer Doug Moench clicked with artist Bill Sienkiewicz in a huge way and never looked back! If you’re one of those people who wonder “What’s the big deal about Moon Knight, anyway?” — well, all the answers you need are right here! If he’s not battling ghosts, werewolves, and things that go crazy in the night, Moony (okay, maybe we won’t call him that…) is taking on one of the strangest rogues’ gallery in all of comics — from Arsenal, the one-man army, to the nun with a crossbow known as Stained Glass Scarlet. The Jester is no joke, for either Moon Knight or Daredevil. Then there’s Morpheus, who’s guaranteed to give you sleepless nights. But the old foes are the worst: enemies like Midnight Man and Bushman, who have returned to plague Marc Spector. Or is he Steven Grant? Jake Lockley? As always with Moon Knight, the multiple-personality voices inside his head can be as destructive as the lunatics trying to kill him! Also features work by Denys Cowan, Greg LaRocque, Jack Harris, and Alan Zelenetz. Collects Moon Knight (1980) #5-23. 512-page remastered color softcover. Cover by Sienkiewicz. Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Freedom Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Freedom (Marvel): Volume #3 in the Silver Surfer Epic Collections. After being Marvel’s favorite guest-star from the 60s and 70s, the sentinel of the spaceways soars again in his own long-running series! After years trapped on Earth, the Silver Surfer finally breaks free of Galactus’s barrier and returns to the stars. His full Power Cosmic restored, he heads for Zenn-La. But the old saying holds true: You can’t go home again. While the age-old war between the Kree and the Skrulls heats up once again, the Elders of the Universe target Galactus. But love is the greatest force of all. Will Surfer find it with his old flame, Shalla-Bal? With Galactus’s herald Nova? Or with the Celestial Madonna, Mantis? Silver bald guys get all the chicks! Plus: the origin of Galactus and more — including John Byrne’s great (and sadly unfinished) Surfer serial from Epic Illustrated. Writers include Stan Lee, Steve Englehart, Byrne, and Mark Gruenwald. Art by Marshall Rogers, Joe Staton, Jack Kirby, John Buscema, and Byrne again. Cover by Rogers. Collects Silver Surfer (1982) #1, Silver Surfer (1987) #1-14, Super-Villain Classics, and material from Epic Illustrated #1 and Marvel Fanfare (1982) #51. 488-page remastered color softcover. Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 2 Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Volume 2 (Marvel): The dark times continue! As the Empire strengthens its grip in the wake of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the remaining Jedi are marked for death. Jedi Master K’kruhk faces a battle for his life — one with deadly parallels for Bomo Greenbark and the crew of the smuggler vessel Uhumele. Meanwhile, Master Dass Jennir is down to his last credit and faces a stark choice: compromise his ideals or starve. Being a Jedi may make him an outlaw, but does being an outlaw mean he’s no longer a Jedi? (Is this one of those Jedi Mind Tricks thingies?) Darth Vader doesn’t care: He’s on Dass’s trail either way — and so is the dread assassin Falco Sang. Written by Randy Stradley. Penciled by Dave Ross and Douglas Wheatley. Cover by Dave Wilkins. Collects Star Wars: Dark Times #6-17, Star Wars: Dark Times — Blue Harvest #0, and Star Wars: Dark Times — Out of the Wilderness #1-5 — all previously published by Dark Horse Comics. 440-page remastered color softcover.

Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Volume 10

Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Volume 10 (Marvel): Steve Gerber debuts on DD! While not as weird as his Howard the Duck or Man-Thing, Gerber’s Daredevil is not to be missed. Especially as he’s paired with Gene Colan’s amazing art (at least for a couple of issues). Now operating out of San Francisco (hmm… he must like that town…), Daredevil continues his partnership with the Black Widow as they confront villains as weird as Haight-Ashbury. (Which is not really that weird. Who writes this stuff?) The Dark Messiah and Angar the Screamer lead the charge, until Stilt-Man arrives to strut his way across the Golden Gate! (He actually doesn’t “strut”, but that would be interesting to see — especially with all that water!) There’s also a crossover adventure with the Avengers and X-Men, a Spider-Man team-up, and a fight with Kraven the Hunter that turns decidedly cosmic. And the appearance of nobody’s favorite character: Moondragon — who mistakes DD for a thrall of Thanos. (Because they act so much alike! Sheesh!) Plus the original Captain Marvel! (Okay, he’s cool! And not dead yet!) Written by Steve Gerber with Gerry Conway, Chris Claremont, and Steve Englehart. Penciled by Gene Colan and Don Heck with Rich Buckler, Syd Shores, Bob Brown, and Jim Starlin. Collects Daredevil (1964) #97-107 and Avengers (1963) #111. 264-page remastered color hardcover. Rich Buckler’s cover artwork is available in two differently-designed dust jackets. Choose your favorite: original or new Coke!

Marvel Masterworks: The Champions Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: The Champions Volume 1 (Marvel): This massive Masterworks collects the Champions’ complete adventures in a single volume. Join the Black Widow, Hercules, Ghost Rider, Iceman, and Angel as they form an all-new super-team: the Champions! Their struggles will reveal the origin of the man who created the Black Widow; pit them against the combined might of Magneto and Doctor Doom; unleash the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man on Los Angeles; team them with the Stranger in the fight for an Infinity Gem; and bring fan-favorite artist John Byrne aboard for some of his greatest early work, including stories featuring the Sentinels and Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Collects Champions #1-17, Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers (1963) #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, and Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #17-18. I love these done-in-one Masterworks! And I love this material. I was so frustrated when the series was originally cancelled, because it was better than some of the other books from around that time. A cult classic lives on! Bob “Robert” Greenberger will have even more about the Champs, very soon, right here at the Westfield Blog. Written by Tony Isabella and Bill Mantlo with Chris Claremont and Jim Shooter. Penciled by George Tuska and John Byrne with Bob Hall, Don Heck, and Sal Buscema. Cover by Gil Kane. 432-page remastered color hardcover. The dust jacket is available with two different designs, for your collecting enjoyment. Choose wisely, grasshopper.

The Phantom Stranger

The Phantom Stranger (DC Comics): Mr. Bob “Bob” Greenberger is also writing about this book, which is filled with enigmatic stories about Mr. Stranger written by his close, personal friend Paul Kupperberg. This was a very cool era for Mr. Stranger (only his close, personal friends can call him Phantom) as the series attracted some great (and now very famous) artist friends like Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, José Luis García-López, Andy Kubert, and more. Collects The Phantom Stranger #1-4, stories from Action Comics Weekly #610, 613-614, 617, 623, 631-634, 636, 641, Secret Origins #10 (Four origins for the price of one!), and DC Comics Presents #72. 256-page color softcover. Available in November.

Robin Vol. 1: Reborn

Robin Volume 1: Reborn (DC Comics): This collects the awesome early solo stories of the Tim Drake Robin (back when his continuity wasn’t so complicated!), including his first two miniseries. I was never the biggest Batman fan, but these Robin stories — mostly by Chuck Dixon (one of the most underrated writers in comics?) and Tom Lyle — kept me coming back month after month! In this volume, we see Tim figure out Bruce Wayne’s secret, and then his early encounters with both Lady Shiva and The Joker. Also features work by Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle, and others. Collects Batman #455-457, Robin (1991) #1-5, and Robin II (1991) #1-4. (And here’s some odd trivia for you… They won’t be in this collection, but I assembled the letter columns — for Denny O’Neil — for the Batman issues here, back when I first worked at DC.) 296-page color softcover. Available in November.

Star Trek: Gold Key Archives Volume 4

Star Trek: Gold Key Archives Volume 4 (IDW): Boldly going… where it all started! The earliest Star Trek comics, first published in the 1960s by Gold Key. Fully remastered with new colors, volume 4 collects issues #19–24, including the stories “The Haunted Asteroid”, “A World Gone Mad”, “The Mummies of Heitus VII”, “Siege in Superspace”, “Child’s Play”, and “The Trial of Captain Kirk”. Featuring work by Arnold Drake, John David Warner, Gerry Boudreau, Alberto Giolitti, and Sal Trapan. Cover by Michael Stribling. Do not feed the Tribbles. 164-page 6.5” x 10.2” color hardcover. Available in October.

Superman Adventures Vol. 1

Superman Adventures Volume 1 (DC Comics): The comics based on the animated Batman show got most of the attention (and rightly so!), but these tales based on the animated Superman show are equally as charming, lighthearted, and excellent for Superman fans of all ages. And look who’s responsible for bringing them to you: Paul Dini, Scott McCloud, Rick Burchett, Bret Blevins, Mike Manley, Terry Austin, and with a cover by Bruce Timm! In this book alone, Superman must stop the nefarious Lex Luthor, Metallo, Brainaic, Live Wire, Mr. Mxyzptlk, General Zod, Toyman, and more! Collects Superman Adventures #1-10. 240-page color softcover. Available in November.

NEXT WEEK: More books, but much bigger! Plus, newspaper strip collections, artist’s editions, and the first wave of holiday gift books. Dear Santa, please send money… and bigger bookshelves!

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KC CARLSON: If this read like it was written by somebody who was asleep this week — it probably was! Why aren’t you asleep when you read it? (Much better that way…)

Angar the Screamer in his pre-Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. days.

WESTFIELD COMICS is not responsible for the stupid things that KC says. Especially that thing that really irritated you. Like Presidential candidates. Pick one — they’re like weeds!