COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS: FOR SEPTEMBER ‘13 BOOKS


KC Carlson. Art by Keith Wilson.

KC Carlson. Art by Keith Wilson.


by KC Carlson

Justice League #23.4: Secret Society

Justice League #23.4: Secret Society


VILLAINS MONTH (DC Comics): I don’t normally talk much about “floppy” comics in this column, but a situation has arisen with some controversy surrounding September’s DC Comics Villains Month. The internet has been abuzz about this event, since DC is more or less replacing every regular monthly title with comics starring their villains. But instead of titling each issue with the name of the villain, they have tied each Villains Month book to one of their most popular titles. The end result is up to four weekly issues of their best sellers. (Example: The comic starring Darkseid is actually called Justice League #23.1: Darkseid, Lobo stars in Justice League #23.2: Lobo, characters from the recently cancelled Dial H are featured in Justice League #23.3: Dial E, and the Secret Society stars in Justice League #23.4: Secret Society.) There are four different issues of Justice League of America, Action Comics, Superman, Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman: The Dark Knight, Detective Comics, and Green Lantern. There are three issues of The Flash; two issues each of Justice League Dark, Aquaman, Earth 2, Wonder Woman, and Teen Titans; and single issues of Batman/Superman, Green Arrow and Swamp Thing — totaling guess how many issues? (Hint: It’s not 666.)

Additionally, most of these books will not be by the regular creative teams. (But a handful will, so read those individual issue descriptions carefully!) Also, each of these Villains Month covers will be potential speculator bait with newly designed 3-D lenticular covers. Due to these covers, the cover price of all Villains Month comics will be $3.99, and because of the expense of producing these covers (DC actually admits that they will lose money on these covers, even at $3.99), the print runs of the first printings of all of these 3-D cover titles have already been fixed — before fans and retailers have even had a chance to order them. Which could lead to wide-scale speculation, potential sell-outs, retailer allocations, or all three!

Uber-retailer Brian Hibbs has written an article explaining how difficult it will be for retailers to order these books. The bottom line is that no matter how they decide to proceed, it will most likely be wrong, although it’s impossible to predict how wrong, and in which direction. You can read the article here.

Also, late last week, DC announced that all the Villains Month issues will be collected into a massive 1,000-page-plus Omnibus to be published this December (the ultimate Christmas stocking stretcher!) similar to the previously published New 52 (first issue) Omnibus, and the New 52 Zero (issue) Omnibus. So no matter what happens, everybody will have a shot at getting these stories one way or another. (The press release did not mention if the special 3-D covers would be included in the Omnibus. I’m guessing no, due to the added expense and the special binding procedures required for such a large book.)

I have no idea how all this will ultimately shake out over the next few months.

This whole situation reminds me of one of DC’s old ad campaigns (and tag-lines) for one of their classic titles — Bat Lash. Allow me to paraphrase: “Villains Month. Will it save DC Comics — or RUIN it!?!”

Bat Lash #1

Bat Lash #1


Stay tuned.

Kings Watch #1

Kings Watch #1


Since we’re talking about regular comic books, Dynamite has a dynamite new concept beginning in September. Kings Watch is a new team book staring the classic King Features pulp fiction characters The Phantom, Flash Gordon, and Mandrake the Magician in all-new action by Jeff Parker and Marc Laming. Don’t miss Roger’s upcoming interview with Parker about this intriguing new series.

Also, horror fans should check out the many new offerings at Dark Horse this month. Pretty scary….

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS AND ANTHOLOGIES

Canteen Kate by Matt Baker

Canteen Kate by Matt Baker


Canteen Kate by Matt Baker (Canton Street Press): This one’s for the Matt Baker fans. By all reports, Canteen Kate was pretty much a by-the-numbers military humor comic made great by the artwork of now-cult artist Baker’s sexy tomboy depiction of the lead character. This collects Baker’s Canteen Kate stories from Anchors Andrews #1, Fightin’ Marines #2-9 and 15, and Canteen Kate #1-3, all published by St. John from 1951-53. Introduction is by Bob Burden (Flaming Carrot). 160-page color hardcover.

The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 25

The Chronicles of Conan Vol. 25


The Chronicles of Conan Volume 25 (Dark Horse): Subtitled “Exodus and Other Stories”. Collecting Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian #190-199, by Jim Owsley (aka Priest), Val Semeiks, John Buscema, Geof Isherwood, and others. Conan kills the king. I hate when that happens. Cover by Andy Kubert. 224-page color trade paperback. Available in November.

Deadshot: Beginnings

Deadshot: Beginnings


Deadshot: Beginnings (DC Comics): Since it’s Villains Month, why not take a look at the early stories of one of the best… er, worst. This collects Deadshot appearances from Batman #369, Detective Comics #474, and the Deadshot four-issue miniseries. Bob Greenberger will have more about this book soon, as he edited the mini as well as the character’s revival in Suicide Squad. 160-page color softcover.

Essential Thor Vol. 7

Essential Thor Vol. 7


Essential Thor Volume 7 (Marvel): Collecting Thor #248-271 and Annual #8, and featuring work by (deep breath)… Len Wein, David Anthony Kraft, Steve Englehart, Roger Stern, John and Sal Buscema, Pablo Marcos, Tony DeZuniga, and Walter Simonson. Featuring Sif, the Warriors Three, a missing Odin, Iron Man, a fight with Hercules (again?), Loki, Nick Fury, the now-hot Guardians of the Galaxy, and that cutie-pie Trogg! A big book for big stories! 504-page B&W softcover.

Haunted Horror

Haunted Horror


Haunted Horror (IDW/Yoe Books): Another volume in the Chilling Archives of Horror by archivist Craig Yoe, Haunted Horror presents even more banned comic book tales from the 1950s. These stories (which appear to not yet be determined) are being selected by top horror comic collectors based on factors including “best” or “least seen”. All will be gruesomely restored and will begin clawing away at your eyeballs in September. Cover by the underrated Lee Elias. 148-page color hardcover.

Inside MAD

Inside MAD


Inside MAD: The Usual Gang of Idiots Pick Their Favorite All-Time Spoofs (Time Home Entertainment): MAD’s Maddest surviving creators, along with celebrities who were often the butt of MAD’s parodies (including Weird Al Yankovic, Trey Parker, George Lucas, and the late Roger Ebert), have selected what they consider to be either MAD’s best or “worst” parodies ever. This book will present material from throughout MAD’s entire history, lavishly illustrated and annotated. I’m really looking forward to the discussion on the “covers that went more wrong than usual”. Plus, there’s a never-before-reprinted Alfred E. Neuman pop art poster! And an all-new fold-out poster, a specially commissioned look at the legendary MAD offices by Sergio Aragones! 256-page color and B&W hardcover. Available in October. “MAD Magazine is part of DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, though they frequently deny it.” Good plan.

I Spy: The Complete Gold Key Comics

I Spy: The Complete Gold Key Comics


I Spy: The Complete Gold Key Comics (Hermes Press): Collecting all six of the comic books based on the 1960s groundbreaking spy TV show starring Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. All the comics were written by the prolific Paul S. Newman. Al McWilliams drew the first five, and the last was drawn by Mike Roy. Also included will be essays about the comic creators and loads of never-before-seem publicity photos from the TV show. 192-page color hardcover.

Marada the She-Wolf

Marada the She-Wolf


Marada the She-Wolf (Titan Books): This collection by Chris Claremont and John Bolton has been resolicited for November release. If you want it, you must reorder now, as all previous orders have been canceled.

Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Strange Tales Vol. 6

Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Strange Tales Vol. 6



Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Strange Tales Volume 6 (Marvel): This new volume features dozens of tales from the original Strange Tales #49-#57. The artists are the thing here, and this book is packed with great ones, including Steve Ditko, Gray Morrow, Joe Orlando, Reed Crandall, Gene Colan, Paul Reinman, Joe Sinnott, Bob Powell, Jay Scott Pike (mmmm), Angelo Torres, cover artist Bill Everett, and more! And they’re all drawing aliens, astronauts, girls, gangsters, police, and poltergeists! Yipes, it must be the 1950s! (And monsters are right around the corner!) 248-page color hardcover, available with two different Masterworks cover designs.

PS ARTBOOKS

ACG Collected Works: Adventures Into the Unknown! Vol. 6

ACG Collected Works: Adventures Into the Unknown! Vol. 6


ACG Collected Works: Adventures Into the Unknown! Volume 6 (PS Artbooks): Collects issues #26-30 from December 1951 to April 1952 of the classic weird, mysterious, and spine-tingling series. 288-page color hardcover.

Roy Thomas Presents Dick Briefer's Frankenstein

Roy Thomas Presents Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein


Roy Thomas Presents Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein 1945-1946 (PS Artbooks): Collecting stories published between 1945 and December 1946. Briefer’s Frankenstein work is a unique classic, equally funny and scary. Some of these stories have been haphazardly reprinted over the years, but this series purports to collect all of them, and in the correct order, together at last! 288-page color hardcover.

NOTE: Many new Deluxe versions and TPB versions of previous PS Artbook collections are also available on the web site this month.

The Shadow: Hitler's Astrologer

The Shadow: Hitler’s Astrologer


The Shadow: Hitler’s Astrologer 25th Anniversary Edition (Dynamite): A missing piece of comics history by writer Denny O’Neil and artist Michael W. Kaluta. This was originally published by Marvel Comics as part of their Marvel Graphic Novel series. Even that was odd, since O’Neil and Kaluta had previously told their Shadow tales at DC Comics. (Those stories were only collected once, by DC, in hardcover, and now long out-of-print.) This story has been largely unavailable for the last two decades. Dynamite is rectifying that with a remastered edition of this “missing” tale, which unlike a couple of other Shadow incarnations, was actually set in 1941. Really good stuff! 64-page color hardcover.

Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years


Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years and Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC Comics): Paired hardcover anthologies of comic books’ greatest couple (New 52 not withstanding) with great rundowns of familiar and rare appearances. The Superman book features work by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring, Edmond Hamilton, Otto Binder, Curt Swan, Cary Bates, Doug Mahnke, Dave Gibbons, Joe Kelly, and Alan Moore and includes Superman stories from Action Comics #0, 1-2, 137, 242, 544, 775, and 900, Adventures of Superman #498, Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, Superman #11, 17, 53, 75, 76, 141, 149, 247, and 400, Superman Annual #11, and a 1940 story from Look Magazine!

Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years

Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years


The Lois Lane book features work by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Kurt Schaffenberger, John Byrne, Phil Jimenez, Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, and Greg Rucka and features Lois Lane stories reprinted from Action Comics #1-2, 6, 484, 600, and 662, Adventures of Superman #631, All-Star Superman #2-3, Man of Steel #2, Showcase #9, Superman #29, 33-34, 58, and 168, Superman 80-Page Giant 2011 #1, Superman: Lois Lane #1, Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #5, 16, 23, 42, and 106, and Wonder Woman #170! Artwork shown for both books is not the final cover art.

Superman Adventures: The Man of Steel

Superman Adventures: The Man of Steel


Superman Adventures: The Man of Steel (DC Comics): This may be my favorite Superman comic book ever, spun-off (sorta) from the great Batman comics, which were based on the popular animated TV shows, and edited by my buddy (and former assistant) Mike McAvennie. This features great issues from the series (issues #17, 18, 40, and 41) as well as seldom-seen stories from Superman/Batman Magazine (#1, 3, 5, and 7), by folks like Mark Millar, Dan Slott, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Dan Jurgens, Neil Volkes, Mike Parobeck, and Rick Burchett. Cover by Bruce Timm. 128-page color all-ages softcover!

The Terminator: The Burning Earth

The Terminator: The Burning Earth


The Terminator: The Burning Earth (Dark Horse): This is important for being Alex Ross’ first published work. I did not know that. You learn something new every day… I can’t tell you much about the actual story, other than it’s written by Ron Fortier, and it’s a prequel to the original blockbuster film. This new edition features a new cover painting by Ross and a foreword by Brandon Graham (Prophet). 136-page color softcover. Available in November.

Vertigo Visions: Frank Quitely

Vertigo Visions: Frank Quitely


Vertigo Visions: Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC Comics): And now for something a little bit more modern. Frank Quitely (not his real name) draws everything here, which is written by writer-folks like Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis, and others. Includes Flinch #12, Heartthrobs #2, Gangland #1, The Invisibles #1, The Sandman: Endless Nights, Strange Adventures #1, Transmetropolitan #31, Weird War Tales #3, and work from The Big Books of Conspiracies, Death, Freaks, Hoaxes, Little Criminals, Losers, Martyrs, and Weirdos. Wouldn’t that last one be a great law firm name? 144-page color hardcover for Mature Readers.

Violent Cases

Violent Cases


Violent Cases (Dark Horse): A new hardcover reprinting this award-winning classic early (1987) graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. It’s a story about stories. Now with all-new colors and material by McKean. It was McKean’s first published work in comics (which seems to be a sub-theme of the month) and was originally printed in black and white at 48 pages. Introductions by Alan Moore, Paul Gravett, and Gaiman. 64-page color hardcover.

Young Marvel

Young Marvel


Young Marvel: Little X-Men, Little Avengers, Big Trouble (Marvel): This new collection technically doesn’t fit into my self-imposed time parameter for inclusion in this column, but this seems the month for lots of exceptions… plus it’s so darn CUTE! This collects bunches of previous baby-fied Marvel one-shots, including A-Babies vs. X-Babies #1, Wolverine #102.5, Pint-Sized X-Babies: Murderama, and X-Babies Reborn, but more importantly, it also features a gallery of Skottie Young’s adorable variant Marvel NOW covers — which you may have never seen! This is an excellent book for grownup Marvel fans to share with their tiny, potential Marvel fans, er… their kids! Other creators represented in this volume include Gurihiru, Mark Buckingham, Dan Slott, Ruben Diaz, and JJ Kirby, with a cover by Skottie Young. 208-page color ultwah-cute softcover.

NOW IN SOFTCOVER

Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Archives Vol. 2

Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Archives Vol. 2


Magnus, Robot Fighter 4000 A.D. Archives Volume 2 (Dark Horse): Collecting issues #8-14 of this classic series written and drawn by Russ Manning. Also features a foreword by Steve Rude, who also knows about battling robots in a sci-fi setting! 208-page color trade paperback. Available in November.

Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish Vol. 1


Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Tales to Astonish Volume 1 (Marvel): It’s the softcover reprint of this volume, featuring the first round of Marvel Monsters (at least in this title) by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Joe Sinnott, John Buscema, Al Williamson, Jack Davis, Dick Ayres, Matt Baker, Doug Wildly, and more, all written by Stan Lee and his brother Larry Lieber. Those two must have been fun growing up! Cover by Kirby and Michael Kelleher, or the original old-school scroll-y Masterworks cover design is also available.

THIS MONTH IN CLASSIC COMIC STRIP COLLECTIONS

The Epic Chronicles of Hagar the Horrible Vol. 5

The Epic Chronicles of Hagar the Horrible Vol. 5


The Epic Chronicles of Hagar the Horrible Volume 5: 1979-1980 (Titan Books): Collecting the adventures of the world’s most famous fictional Viking that had his own daily comic strip by Dik Browne! Collects every daily strip from January 1, 1979, to June 30, 1980, in one volume. 248-page B&W hardcover.

Star Trek: The Newspaper Strips Vol. 2

Star Trek: The Newspaper Strips Vol. 2


Star Trek: The Newspaper Strips Volume 2: 1981-1983 (IDW/LoAC): Collecting the second half of the classic Star Trek daily newspaper strip from 1981-83. Our resident Trek expert Robert (Bob) Greenberger (he has his own planet; it’s also named Bob) will warp in any day now with more detailed details, including the incredible list of creators who worked on the strip. 232-page B&W & color hardcover from our pals at The Library of American Comics.

Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Strips

Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Strips


Wallace and Gromit: The Complete Newspaper Strips Collection (Titan Books): The daily adventures of Wallace and Gromit have been appearing in full color in the UK newspaper The Sun since 2010 — and now they can be on your bookshelf! The full-color comic strip consists of weekly self-contained stories of the quintessentially British inventor Wallace and his ever-helpful canine companion Gromit as the two race from one adventure to another with gusto, extreme silliness, and more puns than you can shake a stick at. (Sounds exactly like having dinner with Roger Ash!) This volume contains the first 52 weeks of the strip (from May 2010 to May 2011) as well as a foreword by creator Nick Park. The strip itself is by Steve White, Mychailo Kazybird, John Burns, and others. 136-page color hardcover, and highly recommended. All together, everybody: Cheeeese, Gromit!

BIG Books

The Colossal Conan

The Colossal Conan


The Colossal Conan (Dark Horse): Collecting Dark Horse’s Conan comic from #0 to #50 by a Who’s Who of Barbarianism (Yes, it’s a word!) including Kurt Busiek, Timothy Truman, Mike Mignola, Cary Nord, Tomás Giorello, Eric Powell, Rafael Kayanan, Leinil Francis Yu, Joseph Linsner, Ladrönn, Tony Harris, and many, many others. Mark Schultz provides the cover, and there’s a introduction by Busiek and an afterward from Timothy Truman. 1,264-page color hardcover weapon. (Do not drop. Floor (or foot) will break.) Available in November.

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Vol. 2

Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Vol. 2


Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Volume 2 (Marvel): The first volume wasn’t big enough to complete Byrne’s run on FF, so here’s Volume Two to complete the story. Collects Fantastic Four #261-295 and Annual #18 & 19, as well as Alpha Flight (1983) #4, Thing #10 and #19, and Avengers Annual #14 with material from Secret Wars II #2, What If? (1977) #36, What The-?! #2 and #10, Thing #7, Fantastic Four Roast, and Fantastic Four Special Edition #1. Plus, the very special, first-time-ever reprinting of the legendary (and unfinished) “Last Galactus Story” from Epic Illustrated #26-34. Besides hugely huge amounts of John Byrne work, Mark Gruenwald, Roger Stern, Mark Bright, Jerry Ordway, and Ron Wilson also contribute to this volume. There are two different Byrne covers available, one of which is Direct Market only. 1,224-page color hardcover, which is larger than some dogs. Available in December.

Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2

Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 2


BACK IN PRINT! Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 2 (New Printing) (Marvel): Collecting the Stan & Jack FF #31-60, plus Annual #2-4, plus essays, bonus features, and original lettercols. ‘Nuff Said. 832-page color hardcover.

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 2

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 2


The Sandman Omnibus Volume 2 (Vertigo/DC Comics): Collecting the “back nine” of Neil Gamain’s almost indescribably good Sandman run (issues #38-75), plus stories from Vertigo Jam #1 and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #3. Featuring artwork by Jill Thompson, Marc Hemple, Michael Zulli, and others, with covers by Dave McKean. 1,040-page color hardcover.

BOOKS ABOUT COMICS

Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics & Scraps by Art Spiegelman

Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics & Scraps by Art Spiegelman


Co-Mix: Retrospective of Comics, Graphic, and Scraps by Art Spiegelman (Drawn & Quarterly): Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning holocaust memoir Maus established the graphic novel as a legitimate form and inspired countless cartoonists, while his shorter works have enormously expanded the expressive range of comics. This new book is a comprehensive career overview, starting from Spiegelman’s earliest self-published comics and lavishly reproducing graphics from a host of publications both obscure and famous, as well as magazine design, bubble gum cards, lithography, modern dance, and most recently stained glass. Fans of Maus should not miss this eclectic career collection of work by Spiegelman. 136-page color hardcover.

Marvel Chronicle: Year by Year

Marvel Chronicle: Year by Year


Marvel Chronicle: Year by Year HC (Updated Edition) (DK): I happen to really like the concept of these kinds of books, featuring the history of Marvel (going way back to the Golden Age days of Timely Comics), broken down year-by-year and month-by-month. Of course, nothing is really in-depth, but it’s always fascinating to see (for instance) what was going on in other comics during the month when the FF were battling Galactus. If they stay true to the original version of the book (now fully updated to the present with an additional 32 pages), then much of the book will be written by actual “Marvel guys”, including Tom Brevoort, Tom DeFalco, and Peter Sanderson. Brandon Peterson is providing new artwork for the cover and slipcase, and prints of that artwork (in both color and B&W) will be included with the book. 384-page color oversized (10” x12”) slipcased hardcover.

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story


Marvel Comics: The Untold Story SC (Harper Perennial): The softcover version of this history of Marvel Comics as told by the people who worked there. I found the book to be interesting yet not error-free and unfortunately focused more on the business side of the company than the creative. And while there are a lot of interesting stories here, not everyone was interviewed, so it’s not the whole picture of the oft-secretive company. (Although I doubt that we’ll ever see that.) As they say, your mileage may vary. 496-page softcover.

Thor Epic Collection

Thor Epic Collection


ODDS AND ENDS: Marvel is offering up a new softcover version of their classic Avengers: Kree/Skrull War — one of the Marvel Universe’s first major events! It’s by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and Sal and John Buscema. It’s essential Marvel reading! . . . A couple of interesting Thor collections this month, gearing up for the next big Marvel Studios movie. Thor Epic Collection: War of the Pantheons is Volume 16 of the new Thor Epic Collection line. (Don’t worry, the first 15 volumes haven’t been published yet.) It collects Thor #383-400, primarily by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz . . . Thor by Walter Simonson Volume 2 is the softcover version of Simonson’s legendary run on the title from Thor #346-355 . . . The Walking Dead 100 Project is a fundraising project for the Hero Initiative (co-sponsored by Image) and features 100 artists donating artwork featuring their versions of Walking Dead characters and elements. It’s a great organization to support, and these projects are always lots of fun. . . . Kyle Baker returns to comics in Dark Horse’s The Fifth Beatle. His contribution pays loving homage to the 1960s Beatles cartoons in a special feature of this graphic novel about Beatles manager Brian Epstein, written by Vivek J. Tiwary and drawn by Andrew C. Robinson. The project ties into the Beatles 50th Anniversary in America in 2014, and there are several special limited and collector sets also available with various features . . . Fairy Tale, from First Second, is a hardcover storybook collection of 17 different classic fairy tales adapted into comic book form by 17 different artists including Bobby London, Gilbert Hernandez, Jamie Hernandez, Ramona Fradon, Raina Telgemeier, David Mazzucchelli, Craig Thompson, and others. Roger will be interviewing editor Chris Duffy very soon for the blog . . . Disturbing Trend of the Month: Afterlife With Archie #1: The first zombie Archie ongoing comic book series by writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee Meets Archie) and artists Francesco Francavilla and Jack Morelli. It comes with three different variant covers. (Although I have to admit to being amused by Andrew Pepoy’s sexy/scary/funny variant.) My god, Jughead already eats anything in the “normal” comics . . .

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KC CARLSON: Snarky about comics since, oh… about 1974.

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