New comics Sept. 22, 2009

Items of interest this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.

CHRONICLES OF CONAN TP VOL 18 More bronze-age barbarian fun from Dark Horse/Marvel.


BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #8 I've finally caught up on the Baltazar and Franco-scripted issues of this title and it's fun stuff! Very much in the Captain Marvel tradition, I think: humorous, whimsical, exciting and appropriate for children.


DC COMICS CLASSIC LIBRARY BATMAN A DEATH IN THE FAMILY I know this will make me sound like an old fart, but I think DC is playing a bit loose with the word "classic" on this one. Sure, it has some art by the great Jim Aparo, but this is pretty subpar Batfare. Basically, they killed off Robin (but not the real Robin) as a sales gimmick. Ho hum. A harbinger of many, many bad things to come from DC.


FLASH CHRONICLES TP VOL 1 Silver Age Flash tales in DC's affordable, color, chronological reprint series. If you don't already own the spendier Archives editions, this is a great way to collect these tales.


WEDNESDAY COMICS #12 DC's weekly anthology tabloid concludes! It was a cool experiment in format and storytelling. Some strips, obviously, were more original and successful than others, but I enjoyed the whole package. I hope it leads to more stand-alone superhero tales from high-caliber talent.


ASTONISHING X-MEN BY WHEDON & CASSADAY OMNIBUS All of the team's X-books in one gigantic tome.


FANTASTIC FOUR #571 The second issue by promising new creative team Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham. I really liked their first issue, particularly Hickman's writing. He has a good feel for the team's personalities and hints at some cool ideas in a plot involving Reed Richards' super-scientific quest to solve/fix literally "everything" in existence. If you like old school FF storytelling, it's worth checking out.

GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL 1 Another big whopper of a book. This one looks awesome, collecting all the earliest adventures of the Golden Age Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and more. Collects MARVEL COMICS #1 & MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #2-12.

BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #15 Getting a jump on Halloween. My son will like this.

Vintage movie magazine covers: Maureen O'Hara




Pop links: Ditko! Wally Wood! Sherlock Holmes!

Check out the Stalker, with art by Steve Ditko and Wally Wood!



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The first "Sherlock Holmes" film starring Robert Downey Jr. isn't even out yet, but Warner Bros. is already planning a sequel. This one will feature Bradd Pitt as Moriarty.

There have been rumours for a while that Pitt had been brought in to play Holmes' nefarious nemesis, Professor Moriarty, during additional shooting for the knockabout blockbuster, but while those rumours remain unconfirmed, it would appear that he is in talks to play the part in the sequel.

In fact, some insiders are telling The Hollywood Reporter that, if Moriarty does appear in Sherlock Holmes, that he's bathed in shadow and unrecognisable. But it makes sense for Warner Bros., Ritchie and producers Joel Silver and Susan Downey to build up to Moriarty in this way, a la Bond's Blofeld. And snagging Pitt to play him will be a major coup.


I'm not crazy about the casting of either role, actually. Why not a less handsome couple of real Brits in the role?

Marvel Comics December 2009 solicitations

Marvel Comics has announced its offerings for December 2009. Here are items that look interesting to me:


THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY
Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, covers by Olivier Coipel and Kirby.
The legend has come true! By the will of the gods, I am alive! I am invincible! I am ‹ THOR!!! And so began the very first epic tale of Marvel¹s most revered hero, the mighty Thor, whose legend would grow alongside the success of Marvel comics, making him the most exciting super hero of all time! Never has Thor been more sensational than during these early tales, crafted by Marvel¹s greatest, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Re-live classic Norse mythology in the mighty Marvel manner as well as Stan and Jack¹s stories of the Norse Gods and Thor before he came to Earth as Don Blake. Witness as these masters breathe life into the thunder god and some of Marvel¹s most enduring characters: Helmdall, Balder, Loki, Odin and Hela. Read these stories as never before with all-new, modern coloring and acover by current THOR artist Olivier Coipel. Collecting THOR: TALES OF ASGARD BY STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY #1-6.
256 pages, $29.99.


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 2 TPB
Written by Chris Claremont and Bill Mantlo, penciled by Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Bob Brown and Tony Dezuniga, cover by Dave Cockrum and Dean White.
Jean Grey falls from the heavens in order to save her teammates¹ lives -- to reemerge from the ashes as The Phoenix! And though they may have saved one of their own, the X-Men must next face a fight from within the family. The Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy drive the Children of Atom to the edge of disaster, pushing Storm into the depths of childhood horrors and testing the mettle of Colossus and Wolverine to their utmost. And then, with the X-Men at their seeming breaking point, comes the return of Magneto! Then it¹s off to the stars and to the Shi¹ar empire to meet the Starjammers, Lilandra, Deathbird, and the Imperial Guard! Also featuring the first appearance of Weapon Alpha, the cornerstone of both Alpha Flight and Wolverine¹s storied past in Weapon X, and a baseball game so wild it could only be the X-Men ­ this second volume of Uncanny Masterworks extends the legacy of Marvel's mutants! Collecting X-Men #101-110.
192 pages, $24.99.


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA TALES TO ASTONISH VOL. 3 HC
Written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, penciled Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan and Bob Forgione, cover by Kirby.
Another dramatic dose of monsters from the mind of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko¹s strange suspense thrillers from Tales to Astonish! There¹s more big monster rampages than you can shake a stick at with Trull the Inhuman -- a mechanical beast that would make a monster truck shudder­ the menace of Moomba, the Creature from Krogarr, the Gorilla-Man, the Abominable Snowman, and the first-ever appearance of Hank Pym, the man who would become Ant-Man! To top it off, there¹s Steve Ditko¹s suspenseful shorts that will take you to the farthest reaches of the universe and the darkest depths of the human soul. Each tightly-told tale is a lesson for mankind that will make you think twice before you turn out the light! These strange stories were the mortar in the foundation of the House of Ideas, where Stan Lee and his two greatest collaborators built the synergy and style that would turn the comics¹ world on its head. So sign up for your copy today, and experience the energy of their imaginations in its most raw form! Collecting Tales to Astonish #21-30.
272 pages, $59.99.


IRON MAN: IRON MONGER PREMIERE HC
Written by Denny O'Neil, penciled by Luke McDonnell, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema, Herb Trimpe and Mark Bright, covers by John Byrne and Bright.
He's lost his armor and his fortune, but not his nerve! Tony Stark's back on his feet after everything Obadiah Stane has thrown at him, but now the bilious billionaire is taking away Stark's friends...one of them forever! The enmity spanning more than thirty issues ends in a steel-plated slugfest from which only one can walk away! Plus: vision quests and extradimensional intrigue! Madame Masque and Thundersword! And the debut of the Scourge of the Underworld! Guest-starring the West Coast Avengers! Collecting Iron Man (1968) #193-200.
208 pages, $29.99.


BLACK WIDOW: WEB OF INTRIGUE PREMIERE HC
Written by George Perez, Ralph Macchio and Gerry Conway, penciled by Perez, Bob Layton, Paul Gulacy and George Freeman, covers by Perez.
It¹s been a long lively life for Natasha Romanova ­ in the Avengers, the Champions, S.H.I.E.L.D. and elsewhere ­ but could it end with her surrounded by international assassins? Old enemies and new are using her instructor, her mentor and her ex-husband against her ­ or so it seems ­ but who and what can be trusted in a spy¹s landscape of lies? Guest-starring Nick Fury, Jimmy Woo and other espionage experts! Collecting MARVEL FANFARE (1983) #10-13; BIZARRE ADVENTURES #25 and BLACK WIDOW: THE COLDEST WAR GN.
176 pages, $24.99.


WHAT IF? CLASSIC VOL. 6 TPB
Written by DANNY FINGEROTH, STEVEN GRANT, FRANK MILLER, ROGER STERN, ALAN ZELENETZ, JOHN BYRNE, BILL MANTLO, TOM DEFALCO, ALAN WEISS, DAVID ANTHONY KRAFT, DAVID MICHELINIE, RICH MARGOPOULOS, ALAN KUPPERBERG & MORE Penciled by MIKE VOSBURG, DON PERLIN, FRANK MILLER, STEVE DITKO, GREG LAROCQUE, JOHN BYRNE, ARVELL JONES, ALAN WEISS, PATY COCKRUM, DAN REED, ALAN KUPPERBERG & MORE Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Iron Man stuck in time and Dazzler stuck in space! Elektra lives, Yellowjacket dies! The FF if they never got powers and Nova if he never lost them! Mortals, mutants and monsters ‹ plus early yet brief resurrections of Phoenix and Captain Marvel, along with many other alternate oddities! All part of Marvel's sixth collection of quantum continuity! Secrets of past, future and sideways revealed! Featuring Howard the Duck, Obnoxio the Clown, Aunt May and more! Collecting WHAT IF? #33-38.
240 pages, $29.99.

DC Comics December 2009 solicitations

DC has announced its releases for December 2009. Here's what looks interesting to me:


BATMAN: UNSEEN #5
Written by Doug Moench
Art and cover by Kelley Jones

The evil of the Invisible Man ends here! In order to stop the unseen Dr. Glass from killing Bruce Wayne, Batman must use the invisibility serum on himself and battle the Invisible Man on his own terms. But will The Dark Knight succumb to the same madness as the Invisible Man? Seeing is believing, but you t believe your eyes!
On sale December 2 • 5 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US


THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #30
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art and cover by Jesus Saiz

No evil shall escape Fate! As a man who makes his own rules, headstrong Green Lantern Hal Jordan isn't a big believer in fate... But he'll have to put his trust in the Doctor if either man expects to overcome this threat! s another thriller from best-seller J. Michael Straczynski (Thor) and sensational artist Jesus Saiz!
On sale December 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US


DOC SAVAGE: THE SILVER PYRAMID TP
Written by Dennis Neil
Art by Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert
Cover by Andy Kubert

Classic pulp fiction hero Doc Savage stars in this fast-paced tale featuring early work by comics superstars Adam Kubert and Andy Kubert, collected for the first time from the 1987 four-issue miniseries. Doc and his rugged band of assistants are introduced into the modern era as retired heroes and now, on the eve of an alien invasion triggered by a gang of would-be world conquerors, only Doc Savage s grown grandchild, Chip, can set things right. But is Chip, a self-professed pacifist, up to the task?
Advance-solicited; on sale January 13 • 128 pg, FC, $19.99 US


THE CREEPER BY STEVE DITKO HC
Written by Steve Ditko, Don Segall, Dennis Neil and Michael Fleischer
Art by Steve Ditko and others
Cover by Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, struck again in 1968 with the strange hero The Creeper. Now, for the first time, DC collects Ditko s Creeper epics from SHOWCASE #73, BEWARE THE CREEPER #1-6, 1ST ISSUE SPECIAL #7 and short stories from WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #249-255.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 24 • 256 pg, FC, $39.99 US


SUPERBOY: THE GREATEST TEAM-UPS EVER TOLD TP
Written by Bill Finger, Otto Binder, Jerry Siegel and others
Art by Curt Swan, Al Plastino, John Forte and others
Cover by Alan Davis

Superboy, the hero who would grow up to become Superman, battles evil alongside some of the world s greatest heroes in this new collection. Features content from ADVENTURE COMICS #216, 253, 271, 280, SUPERBOY #55, 63, 80, 171, 182 and NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY #13.
Advance-solicited; on sale January 20 • 168 pg, FC, $19.99 US


BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #12
Written by Landry Walker
Art and cover by Eric Jones

It s our very special Final Christmas issue! Batman must team up with Adam Strange in order to save Earth, Rann, the Universe and Christmas before reality as we know it is destroyed forever!
On sale December 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US


SUPER FRIENDS #22
Written by Sholly Fisch
Art by Dario Brizuela
Cover by J. Bone

It s the most wonderful time of the year, and the Super Friends want to grant everyone s holiday wishes! But the fiendish Mr. Memory may take away even their festive thoughts and leave no joy in the world!
On sale December 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

CD new releases Sept. 22, 2009: Monsters of Folk! Manassas! L.A. Nuggets! Pearl Jam! Yoko Ono! More!

New CDs of note this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.


Monsters Of Folk by Monsters of Folk


Pieces by Stephen Stills and Manassas


Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 by Various Artists


Backspacer by Pearl Jam


Wild Young Hearts by Noisettes


Story & Song From the Haunted Mansion by Disney


The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart/The Windmills Are Weakening by Bob Newhart


Between My Head and the Sky by Yoko Ono


Hard To Find Jukebox Classics: Fabulous Fifties Instrumentals & More by Various Artists


Hard To Find Jukebox Classics 1958: More Pop Gold by Various Artists

DVD new releases Sept. 22, 2009: Star Trek Blu-ray! 30 Rock! Castle! Wallace and Gromit! Terminator! SpongeBob! More!

New DVDs of interest this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.


Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection [Blu-ray]


Star Trek The Original Series: Season Two [Blu-ray]


30 Rock - Season Three


Castle: The Complete First Season


Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death


Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete Second Season


Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins


SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes


Zombies of the Stratosphere


The Haunted World of El Superbeasto

Upcoming DC Direct action figures and more

Here's a look at new stuff coming from DC Direct:


Poison Ivy 13" Deluxe Collector Figure


Uni-Formz Flash, Professor Zoom & Black Flash Variants


DCU Origins Series 01
Two-packs:
--Batman
--Nightwing
--Catwoman
--Joker


DC Chronicles Superman Statue


Heroes of the DC Universe 2: Joker Bust


Batman Black And White Statue (Frank Quitely Version)


Gotham City Stories Statue Part 02 - Catwoman

Vintage movie magazine covers: Marilyn Monroe




Pop links: Robotman! Beatles ARE bigger than Jesus! Hear Dylan's holiday album!

Read a golden age Robot Man story illustrated by the great Jimmy Thompson.



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John Lennon was right!



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Hear a complete preview of Bob Dylan's upcoming Christmas album:

Kirby family seeks rights to Marvel characters

Yes! The family of the late Jack Kirby is seeking rights to all the Marvel Comics characters he created and co-created. Good luck to 'em!

Heirs to the comic book artist Jack Kirby, a creator of characters and stories behind Marvel mainstays like “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four,” last week sent 45 notices of copyright termination to Marvel and Disney, as well as Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, and other companies that have been using the characters.

The notices expressed an intent to regain copyrights to some of Mr. Kirby’s creations as early as 2014, according to a statement disclosed on Sunday by Toberoff & Associates, a law firm in Los Angeles that helped win a court ruling last year returning a share of the copyright in Superman to heirs of one of the character’s creators, Jerome Siegel.