CD new releases of note

Oct. 11

John Cale, Tony Conrad, Angus Maclise, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela Day of Niagara: Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol. 1
John Coltrane One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note
Gang of Four Return the Gift
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto Getz & Gilberto #2
King Crimson 21st Century Guide to, Volume Two, 1981-2003
Paul Weller As Is Now
Robert Wyatt Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Oct. 18

Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Christmas Album
Funkadelic America Eats Its Young, Cosmic Slop, Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow, Funkadelic, Let's Take It to the Stage, Maggot Brain, Standing on the Verge of Getting It on and Tales of Kidd Funkadelic
Brian Wilson What I Really Want for Christmas
Young-Holt Unlimited The Definitive
VA The Great American Baseball Box
DVD Frank Zappa The Dub Room Special!

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Grand Comic Book Database.

Quick hits

Word is Mark Waid will return to writing The Flash once DC's whole awful Identity Crisis thingy is finally over. But who will be the Flash at that point?

The original lineup of R.E.M. reunited for a Georgia wedding.

Daniel Craig is the new James Bond.

Steve Allen sidekick comic Louis Nye has passed away.

Lots of bloopers and other extra features from the new Arrested Development season 2 DVD set are available here.

Today in exotica!

DVD new releases for Oct. 11

Arrested Development - Season Two

Soap - The Complete Fourth Season

South Park - The Complete Sixth Season

Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season


More upcoming DVDs.

Upcoming DC Comics collections

January

DC UNIVERSE: THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE TP
A collection of every DC Universe story penned by the writer, including:
* SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11: "For the Man Who Has Everything"
Art and cover: Dave Gibbons
* DETECTIVE COMICS #549: "Night Olympics" Part One
Art: Klaus Janson
* DETECTIVE COMICS #550: "Night Olympics" Part Two
Art: Klaus Janson
* GREEN LANTERN #188: "Mogo Doesn't Socialize"
Art: Dave Gibbons
* VIGILANTE #17: "Father's Day" Part One
Cover: Paris Cullins & Rick Magyar
Art: Jim Baikie
* VIGILANTE #18: "Father's Day" Part Two
Art and cover: Jim Baikie
* THE OMEGA MEN #26: "Brief Lives"
Art: Kevin O'Neill
* THE OMEGA MEN #27: "A Man's World"
Art: Paris Cullins & Rick Magyar
* DC COMICS PRESENTS #85: "The Jungle Line"
Art: Rick Veitch & Al Williamson
Cover: Rick Veitch
* TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #2: "Tygers"
Artist: Kevin O'Neill
* SUPERMAN #423: "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" Part One
Art: Curt Swan & George Pérez
Cover: Curt Swan & Murphy Anderson
* ACTION COMICS #583: "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" Part Two
Art: Curt Swan & Kurt Schaffenberger
Cover: Curt Swan & Murphy Anderson
* SECRET ORIGINS #10: "Footsteps"
Art: Joe Orlando
Cover: Jim Aparo
* TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #3: "In Blackest Night"
Art: Bill Willingham & Terry Austin
* BATMAN ANNUAL #11: "Mortal Clay"
Art: George Freeman
Cover: John Byrne
* BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
Art: Brian Bolland

BATMAN: HUSH RETURNS TP
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Artists: Al Barrionuevo, Lee Bermejo, Javier Pina, Francis Portela, Jimmy Palmiotti and Bit
Collects BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #50-55 and 66
208 pages, $12.99 US

FLASH: ROGUE WAR TP
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Howard Porter and Livesay
Collects THE FLASH 1/2, #212, 218, and 220-225
208 pages, $17.99

THE GOLDEN AGE FLASH ARCHIVES VOL. 2 HC
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artists: E.E. Hibbard, Hal Sharp and Sheldon Moldoff
Collects stories from FLASH COMICS #18-24 and ALL-FLASH #1 and 2
224 pages, $49.99

SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artists: J.H. Williams III, Simone Bianchi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook, Frazer Irving and Mick Gray
Collects SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY #0, SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: GUARDIAN #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA #1-2 and SEVEN SOLDIERS: KLARION THE WITCH BOY #1
224 pages, $14.99 US

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN ARROW VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Jack Miller, France Herron, Gardner Fox, Bob Haney, Dave Wood, Dick Wood, Robert Bernstein, and John Broome
Artists: Jack Kirby, George Papp, Mike Sekowsky, Neal Adams, Lee Elias, Bernard Sachs, George Roussos and Jerry Ordway
Collects stories from ADVENTURE COMICS #250-269, WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #95-134, 136, 138 and 140, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #4 and THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #50, 71 and 85
528 pages, $16.99 US, black & white

SUPERMAN: SACRIFICE TP
Writers: Greg Rucka, Mark Verheiden and Gail Simone
Artists: Ed Benes, John Byrne, Karl Kerschl, Rags Morales, Tony Daniel, David Lopez, Ron Randall, Derec Donovan, Georges Jeanty, Tom Derenick, Tony Daniel, Alex Lei, Rob Lea, Mariah Benes, Nelson, Bit, Mark Propst, Dexter Vines, Rob Petrecca, Cam Smith, Sean Parsons and Marlo Alquiza
Collects SUPERMAN #218-220, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #642-643, ACTION COMICS #829 and WONDER WOMAN #219-220.
192 pages, $14.99 US

SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Jerry Siegel
Artist: Joe Shuster
Collects stories from ACTION COMICS #1-13, NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR COMICS #1 and SUPERMAN #1
208 pages, $14.99 US

TEEN TITANS/OUTSIDERS: THE INSIDERS TP
Writers: Geoff Johns and Judd Winick
Artists: Matthew Clark, Carlos D'Anda and Tony Daniel
Collects TEEN TITANS #24-26 and OUTSIDERS #24, 25 and 28
144 pages, $9.99 US

YEAR ONE: BATMAN/RA'S AL GHUL TP
Writer: Devin Grayson
Artists: Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
Collects YEAR ONE: BATMAN/RA'S AL GHUL #1-2
104 pages, $9.99 US

HELLBLAZER: STARING AT THE WALL TP
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Marcelo Frusin, Doug Alexander Gregory and Tim Bradstreet
Collects HELLBLAZER #187-193
168 pages, $14.99 US

LUCIFER VOL. 9: CRUX TP
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Marc Hempel, Ronald Wimberly and Michael Wm. Kaluta
Collects LUCIFER #55-61
168 pages, $14.99 US

CIPHER VOL. 2
Writer/artist: Minako Narita
192 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

LAND OF THE BLINDFOLDED VOL. 6
Writer & artist: Sakura Tsukuba
208 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE VOL. 2
Writer/artist: Arina Tanemura
176 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

KIKAIDER CODE 02 VOL. 2
Writer: Shotaro Ishinomori
Artist: Meimu
194 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

TENRYU: THE DRAGON CYCLE VOL. 4
Writer/artist: Sanami Matoh
224 pages, $9.99 U.S., black & white


February

BATMAN: WAR CRIMES TP
Writers: Bill Willingham, Anderson Gabrych, Devin Grayson and Will Pfeifer
Artists: Pete Woods, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Eddy Barrows, Ron Randall, Tom Derenick, Bit, Sandra Hope, James Jean, Jay Leisten and Ray Snyder
Collects BATMAN #643-644, DETECTIVE COMICS #809-810, and stories from BATMAN ALLIES SECRET FILES 2005 and BATMAN VILLAINS SECRET FILES 2005
128 pages, $12.99 US

DOOM PATROL ARCHIVES VOL. 3 HC
Writer: Arnold Drake
Artists: Bruno Premiani, Bob Brown and Brian Bolland
Collects DOOM PATROL #98-105 and CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #48
240 pages, $49.99 US

GREEN ARROW VOL. 6: MOVING TARGETS TP
Writer: Judd Winick
Artists: Phil Hester, Tom Fowler, Eric Battle, Tommy Castillo, Ande Parks, Rodney Ramos, Jack Purcell and James Jean
Collects GREEN ARROW #40-50
256 pages, $17.99 US

JLA: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP
Writers: Gardner Fox, Dennis O'Neil, Gerry Conway, Martin Pasko, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Joe Kelly
Artists: Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs, Dick Dillin, Joe Giella, Kevin Maguire, Terry Austin, Alex Ross, Howard Porter, John Dell, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen and George Pérez
Collects JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #19, 77, 122 and 166-168, JUSTICE LEAGUE #1, JLA SECRET FILES #1 and JLA #61
192 pages, $19.99 US

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Joe Orlando, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, E. Nelson Bridwell, Otto Binder, Robert Kanigher, Jack Oleck, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, John Albano and Jack Miller
Artists: Joe Orlando, George Roussos, Lee Elias, Doug Wildey, Bernard Baily, Carmine Infantino, Mort Meskin, Neal Adams, Sid Greene, Jack Sparling, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, Bill Draut, Jim Mooney, Win Mortimer, Jerry Grandanetti, Gil Kane, Wallace Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Alex Toth, Wayne Howard, Al Williamson, John Celardo, Mike Peppe, Tony deZuniga, Leonard Starr, Tom Sutton, Ric Estrada, Ralph Reese, Frank Giacoia, Jim Aparo, Gray Morrow, Don Heck, Russ Heath, Jack Kirby, John Costanza and Nester Redondo
Collects HOUSE OF MYSTERY #174-194
552 pages, $16.99, black & white

SUPERMAN: MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVES VOL. 2 HC
Writers: Bill Finger, Jerry Coleman, Otto Binder, Robert Bernstein and Alvin Schwartz
Artists: Curt Swan, Stan Kaye, Wayne Boring, Al Plastino, Kurt Schaffenberger and John Sikela
Collecting stories from ACTION COMICS #248-254 and SUPERMAN #127-131
240 pages, $49.99 US

SUPERMAN: STRANGE ATTRACTORS TP
Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: John Byrne, Nelson, Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan
Collects ACTION COMICS #827, 828, and 830-832
112 pages, $12.99 US

TEEN TITANS/OUTSIDERS: THE DEATH AND RETURN OF DONNA TROY TP
Writers: Phil Jimenez and Judd Winick
Artists: José Luis García-López, Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Alé Garza, Trevor Scott, Lary Stucker, Marlo Alquiza, Andy Lanning, and Richard Friend
TITANS/YOUNG JUSTICE: GRADUATION DAY #1-3, TITANS/OUTSIDERS SECRET FILES #1 and DC SPECIAL: THE RETURN OF DONNA TROY #1-4
176 pages, $14.99 US

WONDER WOMAN: THE LAND OF THE DEAD TPWriter: Greg Rucka and Geoff Johns
Artists: Rags Morales, Drew Johnson, Justiniano and J.G. Jones
Collects WONDER WOMAN #214-217 and THE FLASH #219
128 pages, $12.99 US

CITY OF TOMORROW TP
Writer/artist: Howard Chaykin
Collects CITY OF TOMORROW #1-6
144 pages, $19.99

THE MAXX VOL. 6 TP
Writer/artist: Sam Kieth
Collects FRIENDS OF THE MAXX #1-3 and a story from THE MAXX 3-D (presented for the first time in 2-D)
160 pages, $19.99

KID ETERNITY TP
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Duncan Fegredo
Collects the miniseries KID ETERNITY #1-3
144 pages, $14.99 US

SWAMP THING VOL. 3: HEALING THE BREACH TP
Writer: Joshua Dysart
Artists: Enrique Breccia, Ronald Wimberly, Richard Corben and John Totleben
Collects SWAMP THING #15-20
144 pages, $17.99 US

THE DEVIL DOES EXIST VOL. 5
Writer/artist: Mitsuba Takanashi
192 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

FROM EROICA WITH LOVE VOL. 6
Writer/artists: Yasuko Aoike
208 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

GALS! VOL. 5
Writer/artist: Mihona Fujii
192 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

MUSASHI #9 VOL. 6
Writer/artist: Miyuki Takahashi
192 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

TENJHO TENGE VOL. 6
Writer/artist: Oh! great
208 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

TESTAROTHO VOL. 3
Writer/artist: Kei Sanbe
194 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

TOWER OF THE FUTURE VOL. 2
Writer/artist: Saki Hiwatari
176 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

THE YOUNG MAGICIAN VOL. 3
Writer/artist: Yuri Narushima
224 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

SCOOBY-DOO VOL. 5: SURF'S UP! DIGEST
Writers: Chris Duffy, Joe Edkin, Terrance Griep, Paul S. Newman, John Rozum and Rurik Taylor
Artists: John Delaney, Vincent Deporter, Don Perlin, Joe Staton, Dave Cooper, Dan Davis, Andrew Pepoy and Mike DeCarlo
Collects SCOOBY-DOO #21-25
112 pages, $6.99

SCOOBY-DOO VOL.6: SPACE FRIGHT!
Writers: Chris Duffy, Joe Edkin, Terrance Griep, John Rozum, Chuck Kim and Rurik Taylor
Artists: John Delaney, Vincent Deporter, Don Perlin, Andrew Pepoy, Joe Staton, Dave Hunt and Stephen DeStefano
112 pages, $6.99 US

ELFQUEST: GRAND QUEST VOL. 13 DIGEST
Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini
Artists: Wendy Pini and John Byrne
Collects stories from Elfquest Vol. 2 #1-4
224 pages, $9.99 US, black & white

THE WILL EISNER COMPANION SC
Writers: N.C. Christopher Couch and Stephen Weiner
Artist: Will Eisner
176 pages, $12.99, black & white

Dark Horse Comics Solicitations for January 2006

13TH SON: WORSE THING WAITING #4
Written and art by Kelley Jones.
It's an all-out war at the Monsters' Graveyard as the 13th Son faces off against thousands of horrifying creatures in this fateful fourth issue of Kelley Jones' latest horror masterwork!
With every corpse he adds to the pile of dead monsters he's hunted, the 13th Son is one step closer to achieving his goal of making way for the ultimate monster, his very own 13th Son, to walk the Earth. But the hunter is now the hunted, as the Earth's remaining monsters converge for a surprise attack to stop the Son and seek revenge for the legions of monsters he's killed along the way. Get ready for the biggest all-monster war ever depicted on the pages of a comic book.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

THE ART OF USAGI YOJIMBO TPB
Written and art by Stan Sakai.
In the tradition of the celebrated collections The Art of Sin City and The Art of Hellboy, Dark Horse is proud to showcase the work of multi award-winning creator Stan Sakai in The Art of Usagi Yojimbo, offered in a softcover format for the first time. The sold-out hardcover edition, timed to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the creation of Sakai's signature character, Usagi Yojimbo, was met with an overwhelming response from thousands of fans around the world. This softcover edition will be printed on the same high-quality paper stock and will feature scores of never-before-seen pieces, a long out-of-print twelve-page primer illustrating how Stan creates each of his Usagi stories, forty-eight full-color pages of Stan's beautiful painted artwork, and more. Additionally, some of the biggest names in comics pay tribute to their favorite rabbit ronin in a fantastic gallery section, with pinups by Frank Miller, Geof Darrow, Jeff Smith, Sergio Aragonés and Matt Wagner among others.
200 pages, black and white, 9 inches by 12 inches, $29.95, in stores on Feb. 22.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #109
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
"Shortcut," part 3 of 5. Drugged and helpless, Manji's unconscious body is a bloody plaything in the hands of two demented medical examiners! Working for Habaki Kagimura, Burando and Mozen are determined to tap into the secrets of the kessen-chu, the mystical bloodworms that heal Manji's wounds and grant him near-immortality. As Mozen decides to take a direct, heavy-handed approach, the competitive, backstabbing Burando waits gleefully in the wings with katana and scalpel at the ready. Horror, politics, and squabbling surgeons, as Hiroaki Samura takes his award-winning samurai epic down a disturbing, gory pathway.
32 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 11.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL VOLUME 15: TRICKSTER TPB
Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.
Kidnapped and bound by three Itto-ryü warriors, Rin is unable to warn her bodyguard Manji, the immortal swordsman, that he's heading into a trap. To make matters worse, the Itto-ryü possess a large dose of kessen-satsu, the only poison known to damage Manji's blood and severely cripple his regenerative abilities. And is Mugai-ryü assassin Giichi following Manji in order to help rescue Rin ... or will he just stick around long enough to finish off any survivors?
224 pages, black and white, 5 3/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches, $16.95, in stores on Feb. 15.

B.P.R.D.: THE BLACK FLAME #6
Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Guy Davis, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.
The frog plague explodes as the Black Flame's plan comes to a blazing conclusion. The B.P.R.D., shattered by recent events, marshals its remaining forces, and Liz Sherman puts together all the bits of information she's gathered from dreams and visions to play her apocalyptic role.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

CONAN #24
Written by Kurt Busiek, art by Cary Nord, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Tony Harris.
Eisner-award-nominated artist Cary Nord and Eisner-Award-winning colorist Dave Stewart return to Conan to launch a brand-new story arc by Kurt Busiek building up to the adaptation of Robert E. Howard's original Conan yarn, "The Hall of the Dead." Fresh from his triumphs in the City of Thieves with a willing, wanton wench at his side, Conan's out for the good life‹drinking, debauchery, and a nighttime looting spree so unrestrained that even the crowned heads of Zamora are displeased. All this attention-getting sets a rogue as wily as Conan on his tail, and if that wasn't enough, the Cimmerian's ways might just place him on the business end of an entire army.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 18.

CONAN AND THE DEMONS OF KHITAI #4
Written by Akira Yoshia, art by Paul Lee, cover by Pat Lee.
The ultimate battle begins as King Conan crosses blades with the demonic swordsman who has been terrorizing the kingdom of Khitai from his haunted monastery. While these two warriors engage in mortal combat, an even greater evil reveals itself, a darkness that threatens to consume first the Far East, and then the world, unless Conan can make the necessary sacrifice to end its reign of misery. Superstar artist Pat Lee provides the cover for this final installment of the tale that explores King Conan's travels to the exotic eastern lands of Khitai.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 4.

EDEN: IT'S AN ENDLESS WORLD! VOLUME 2 TPB
Written and art by Hiroki Endo.
Graphic, cyberpunk, and philosophical, Eden is a place where endearing heroes face a constant struggle for survival and violent surprises wait around every corner! After a large portion of humanity is wiped out by a brutal, new virus, an organization known as the Propator seeks to wrest control of the world from the United Nations. Elijah, a young survivor with immunity to the virus, crosses paths with a group of supposed freedom fighters. His companion, an artificially intelligent combat robot named Cherubim, is appropriated and reprogrammed, and Elijah is pulled into a world of relentless peril and intrigue! Cybernetic enhancements! Extreme violence! This breathtaking ride is just getting started.
208 pages, black and white, 5 inches by 7 inches, $12.95, in stores on Feb. 1.

EMILY THE STRANGE #3: THE DARK ISSUE
Written and art by Cosmic Debris.
In the third issue of Dark Horse's hottest new series, Emily ushers readers through 48 pages of weird, kooky, and hilarious stories all focused on the dark. To most people, journeying to the dark side might seem like a bad thing. But to Emily, the dark side is the perfect place to go on all sorts of wild adventures with her posse of black kitties. Join Emily, Mystery, Sabbath, Nee Chee, and Miles as they journey to the dark side of the moon, meet photogenic monsters in the dark room, and explain exactly why there are some very good reasons to be afraid of the dark.
48 pages, black and white with red, $7.95, in stores on March 22.

THE GOON VOLUME 4: VIRTUE AND THE GRIM CONSEQUENCES THEREOF TPB
Written and art by Eric Powell.
Giant man-eating eyeballs from another dimension, mad scientists, rampaging killer robots, and the Ghost of Christmas Past‹nothing out of the ordinary in the world of the Goon. Come take a traipse down Lonely Street with Goon and his pals as they defend their burg from all manner of monstrous disasters and ghouls in The Goon: Virtue and the Grim Consequences Thereof. This volume collects five magically dark and delightfully hilarious tales of chaos and daring-do, following the exploits of the man known only as The Goon as he fights his way through a horde of killer robots and even creatures from another dimension to help save his sometimes friend and ally Dr. Hieronymous Alloy from a mysterious disease. But there are plenty of bumps along the way, ultimately landing the Goon in Cade's Island Penitentiary, proving once more that no good deed goes unpunished. Collecting issues #9-#13 of the bimonthly Goon series.
144 pages, 7 inches by 10 inches, $16.95, in stores on Feb. 8.

H.G. WELLS' THE WAR OF THE WORLDS HC
Written by Ian Edginton, art by D'Israeli.
Dark Horse Comics presents Ian Edginton and D'Israeli's adaptation of the most famous science fiction novel of all time, The War of the Worlds. In the closing years of the nineteenth century, the genteel tranquility of Victorian England is shattered by the arrival of an invasion force from the red planet‹Mars! Methodical and merciless, the Martians are intent on nothing less than the conquest and subjugation of the human race. Told from the point of view of an ordinary man caught up in the carnage and chaos, we witness firsthand how the then-greatest empire in the world is brought to its knees by the Martians' cool alien intellect and the implacable heat ray.
72 pages, 7 inches by 10 inches, $14.95, in stores on March 22.

KONG: 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD MOVIE ADAPTATION #2
Written by Christian Gossett, art by Dustin Weaver.
Filmmaker Carl Denham and his crew battle against a growing onslaught of terrors from a world long thought lost in their desperate but determined mission to rescue actress Ann Darrow from the dark heart of the Island of the Skull. Little do they know that nothing they face, be it savage islanders or bloodthirsty dinosaurs, will prepare them for the revelation of the mighty wonder in whose clutches Ann truly remains, King Kong. Based on motion picture by Peter Jackson, this three-issue comics adaptation captures all of the action, all of the romance, and all of the terror of the 8th Wonder of the World.
40 pages, $3.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

LITTLE LULU: LATE FOR SCHOOL TPB
Written by John Stanley, art by Stanley and Irving Tripp.
Long hailed as one of the best (and funniest) comic books ever published, Little Lulu is once again a reading staple for kids of all ages thanks to these new collections of the classic material. Whether she's spinning the tallest tale of her life to sooth the savage neighbor tot Alvin, hatching schemes to invite both friends and enemies to her birthday party, or winning prizes in a ski-jump contest she hasn't even entered, Little Lulu's adorable antics will leave you breathless with laughing and eager to keep reading.
200 pages, black and white, 6 inches by 9 inches, $9.95, in stores on Feb. 8.

MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST #9
By Brian K. Vaughan, Howard Chaykin, Stuart Moore, Jason Alexander, Jed Dougherty, Phil Winslade and more, cover by Brian Bolland.
For the first time in the illustrious illustrated history of Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, the mysterious Luna Moth takes center stage! Kicking it off is a stunning image of our heroine by regular cover artist Brian Bolland.
Writer Brian K. Vaughan returns with the second installment of their ongoing feature "The Escapists." This chapter also introduces rising star Jason Alexander as a new regular contributor to the feature. Next, Luna Moth takes her faithful readers on a mind-bending tour of "The Library of Consciousness" as curated by the good Messrs. Howard Chaykin and hot new artist Jed Dougherty. Decades worth of Luna Moth incarnations materialize and battle over a malicious sprite, but why? Also in this issue, Stuart Moore and Phil Winslade present their own version of the Adams/O'Neil "relevant comics" of the 1970s with "Union City Blues." Fitting neatly into the Sunshine Comics era of the Escapist series, our blue-suited hero appears in this story of Nixon, unions, and a thinly disguised gonzo journalist.
80 pages, $8.95, in stores on Jan. 11.

NEXUS ARCHIVES VOLUME 2 HC
Written by Mike Baron, art by Steve Rude.
In this second volume of the acclaimed and multiple Eisner Award-winning series, reluctant vigilante Nexus,AKA Horatio Hellpop, sets out with the gregarious warrior Judah Maccabee for a drinking man's tour of the galaxy. They are soon waylaid when Judah, well past the legal blood-alcohol limit for operating a spacecraft, gets the pair sucked into a black hole! But instead of meeting their untimely end, they meet the Badger?! Meanwhile, back on the moon Ylum, the plot thickens with mysterious ruins, a coerced presidential election, and Ursula X. X. Imada's relentless espionage. The last thing this refugee population needs while Nexus is out of commission is the reappearance of mass murderer Claudius the Slaver, and guess who's coming for dinner Collects issues #5 and #6 of Nexus Volume 2 from Capital Comics and issues #7 through #11 of Nexus Volume 2 from First Comics.
216 pages, 7 inches by 10 1/2 inches, $49.95, in stores on Feb. 22.

OH MY GODDESS! VOLUME 2 TPB
Now that Keiichi and the goddess in his life are the hot item on campus, they find themselves constantly putting out fires! First, to raise money for the N.I.T. Motor Club, they get roped into posing nude together for a life drawing class‹even though, as Keiichi's sister correctly guesses, they haven't even kissed yet! Then his buddies in the club stake Bell-chan as the wager in a funnybike race, but Keiichi has trouble seeing the humor when it starts coming apart at high speed! After all this, Keiichi just wants to relax and watch some home video ... except this video introduces (literally) a second goddess into his life‹Belldandy's "sophisticated" older sister, Urd!
192 pages, black and white, 5 inches by 7 inches, $10.95, in stores on Feb. 8.

PREDATOR: FOREVER MIDNIGHT NOVEL
Written by John Shirley.
The year is 2117,A.D. Humanity has seized the stars, using reverse-engineered alien technology to explore the far reaches of space. For a hundred years the Predators, sadistic extraterrestrial hunters, have been a dim memory. For a hundred years, we've been safe. That ends now. Cast in daylight for years at a time, the almost eternally lit jungle planet known as Midnight is the home to more than a thousand colonists, explorers building a haven on a new world. But the settlers aren't alone. The Predators have been on this planet all along. When the ravenous creatures attack an arriving spacecraft and capture the settlers as both slaves and prey for their hunt, terraforming the planet takes a back seat to a new fight for survival.
250 pages, $6.99, in stores on Feb. 8.

REVELATIONS #6
Written by Paul Jenkins, art and cover by Humberto Ramos, colored by Leonardo Olea. Detective Charlie Northern's investigation into the suspicious death of the Pope's successor comes to its shocking conclusion, rocking Northern's faith, and lack thereof, to its very core. The dark rituals of a blasphemous cult operating beneath the Vatican are brought into the light, and Cardinal Toscianni's role in these events, which have threatened the heart of the Church, proves to be anything but expected. Learn how and why one unexplained death set off a string of homicides leading straight to Northern in this surprising final installment to Jenkins and Ramos' superlative occult murder mystery.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOLUME 10 TPB
Written by Kazuo Koike, art by Goseki Kojima.
It's the final volume of Samurai Executioner, and like the previous nine volumes, the last is a combination of life's varying tides of good fortune and ill circumstance. The woman who once stole the weapons of samurai cops is becoming a cop herself. It's a story of gender struggles in a time long past. All the while, criminals keep losing their heads to Asa the decapitator. But one criminal might leave something behind that could hurt our favorite protagonist.
224 pages, black and white, 4 inches by 6 inches, $9.95, in stores on March 22.

SCARY BOOK VOLUME 1: SHADOWS TPB
Written and art by Umezu Kazuo.
The spine-chilling influence of Japanese horror cinema has taken hold in Western audiences with hit films like The Ring that are based on Japanese films adapted from classic manga stories. And the master of horror manga is Umezu Kazuo‹known as the "Stephen King of Japan," with several of his stories being adapted to film‹and Dark Horse Manga is proud to bring his Scary Book horror anthology to Western readers for the first time. This first volume, Reflections, presents two feature-length tales of terror. In "Mirror," a narcissistic girl's reflection begins to take mean-spirited command of her life; and in "Demon's Revenge," a sadistic samurai master bent on seeking retribution for his son's injuries finds the tables of vengeance turned against him. Find out what Japanese readers have known for many years: you haven't been scared until you've been scared by Umezu Kazuo.
232 pages, black and white, 5 inches by 7 inches, $14.95, in stores on Feb. 8.

SPACE PINCHY: SURROUNDED BY ROBOTS!
Written and art by Tony Takezaki.
The crazy, sexy, and relentless Space Pinchy is back! The last of the Pinch tribe, Pinchy travels through the stars in search of treasures left behind by her ancestors, and it's never an easy hunt. But one thing is for certain, it's always hilarious. From the crazy manga mind of Tony Takezaki, Space Pinchy is a frenetic series of sexy high jinks, rendered in beautiful, 3D, curvy color. Join Pinchy and her naughty alien companion, Audrey Q as they somehow escape the most dire and ridiculous consquences Takezaki can think up!
52 pages, 3.99, in stores on Jan. 18.

STAR WARS: EMPIRE VOLUME 5 TPB
By Jeremy Barlow, Ron Marz, Brandon Badeaux, Jeff Johnson, Joe Corroney, Adriana Melo, Nicloa Scott and Michael Atiyeh.
Luke Skywalker fights side-by-side with a shipwrecked veteran from the Clone Wars, Han Solo's flirtations with an old flame land him in the fire, and BoShek (the galaxy's second-coolest smuggler) attracts a whole lotta blaster fire from Rebels and Imperials alike in this collection featuring some of the most unexpected stories in the era of the Empire! Whether it's BoShek transporting an innocent-enough looking girl, Han making a supply run for the resource-strapped Alliance, or Luke flying escort for a Rebel Intelligence team on a supposedly deserted planet, these adventures may start as routine missions, but their endings are anything but predictable.
120 pages, 7 inches by 10 inches, $14.95, in stores on Feb. 22.

STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #1
Written by John Jackson Miller, art by Brian Ching, colored by Michael Atiyeh, cover by Travis Charest.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Dark Horse is completely relaunching its Star Wars publishing line. This series is the first of many new titles to come. On the planet Taris, a young Padawan named Zayne has been framed for a heinous and brutal crime against the Jedi order. Suddenly a wanted fugitive and on the run from his Jedi Masters, Zayne is forced to ally himself with the under-city's criminals, con artists, and petty thieves he'd previously vowed to bring to justice. Staying alive is the first order of business and if he's ever to clear his name, Zayne must make this new alliance work ... providing he survives the experience.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

TARZAN: THE JOE KUBERT YEARS VOLUME 2 HC
Written and art by Joe Kubert.
A stunning, five-part adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Return of Tarzan highlights this archival collection, which reprints Joe Kubert's Tarzan comics, issues 215 through 224. With color restoration based off of Tatjana Wood's original colors, this beautiful hardcover is a must-have for fans of pulse-pounding adventure tales and students of the graphic narrative. Writing, drawing, and editing a monthly Tarzan comic-book series in the 1970s, Joe Kubert was able to illustrate the adventures of his childhood hero and produce some of the most engaging pages of his career. Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Volume 2, also includes "Death is My Brother," "The Renegades," "The Black Queen," and other dynamic stories inspired by Burroughs' classic books. Reprinting Tarzan issues #215-#224 (originally published by DC Comics).
208 pages, $49.95, in stores on Feb. 22.

TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOLUME 8: SILENT RUIN TPB
Written by Yasuhiro Nightow.
Okay, now this is just getting scary. Knives has imprisoned Vash, and now he's going around gathering plants. By plants, I don't mean green things growing out of the ground, but instead those angelic, humanoid, powerful plant-beings that make it possible for humans to live on the planet Gunsmoke. Vash and Knives are themselves a form of plant, and have the same power, but what will Knives do with this huge power supply? Meanwhile, things are looking pretty tough for Wolfwood. And speaking of Nick, this volume contains a special spin-off chapter based on our favorite preacher-slash-gunslinger. Learn a little more about the man in the suit with the confessional helmet.
224 pages, black and white, 5 inches by 7 inches, $9.95, in stores on Feb. 1.

USAGI YOJIMBO #90
Written and art by Stan Sakai.
Stan Sakai digs into a ghost story in this issue of Usagi Yojimbo! Shortly after escaping their enslavement at the territory's edge, Usagi and the Geishu bodyguard Tomoe return to Lord Noriyuki's castle only to be greeted by a savage murder. The victim was a member of a trade delegation sent by Lord Kojima, and all evidence implicates a maid who died ten years ago! Unless Tomoe and the long-eared ronin can solve this mystery, treaty negotiations will dissolve completely ... and another throat may be clawed out. What is the dark story behind the ghost of Geishu Castle? The hauntings begin in this first half of a two-part story, "The Ghost in the Well."
24 pages, black and white, $2.99, in stores on Jan. 25.

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Grand Comic Book Database.

Quick hits

Dial B gets demonic.

"Swingers" star/director Jon Favreau has been tapped to direct the long-anticipated "John Carter: Warlord of Mars" film.

Some info on the upcoming "Star Wars" TV series (plural).

Check out animator Tex Avery's classic "Red Hot Riding Hood."

Warner Bros. is set to do a big-money adaptation of Frank Miller's "300" comic.

From last Friday, Mike Sterling with everything you need to know about The Joker.