I realised I've never done this "let's copy and paste upcoming comic covers and talk about them and stuff" thing in DGR before...so let's start now with Marvel solicitations for products shipping in August. I only buy collected stuff so I won't talk about individual comics. I'm never going down that route again, folks!
The following books come under the "Oh, Hell, Yes!" category i.e. I've pretty much decided to buy these babies:
ELEKTRA BY FRANK MILLER OMNIBUS HC
Written by FRANK MILLER
Penciled by FRANK MILLER & BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Covers by FRANK MILLER & BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Good ninjas never die, let alone the baddest one of all! Fan-favorite Frank Miller ushers his awesome assassin through good and evil and life and death and rebirth and more! Who is the otherworldly entity in pursuit of the presidency? When has Elektra met her greatest triumphs and tragedies? Why did she die, and how did she return? Where do smarmy cyborgs and killer dwarves come from? And What If all this had never happened at all? Guest-starring Daredevil! Collecting ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN #1-8, ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #28 and WHAT IF? #35.384 PGS./
Explicit Content …$74.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2777-2
Trim size: oversized
I much prefer the cover art for the direct market version but I'd settle for this version if I can't get the other one. I'd gladly sell someone else's kidney to buy this bad mother. Miller & Sienkiewicz on Elektra. Sold! (gee, that second to last sentence just sounds wrong somehow)
TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY, ARCHIE GOODWIN, GARDNER F. FOX, MARV WOLFMAN, CHRIS CLAREMONT & DAVID KRAFT
Penciled by GENE COLAN, MIKE PLOOG & DON HECK
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & GENE COLAN
Dracula rises from the grave and steps into the Marvel Universe - facing a disembodied brain, a gigantic heart and a ghost with the nerve to steal Dracula's victims! The lord of vampires visits a horrible fate upon the daughter of a long-time enemy, but will his worst enemy prove to be his own daughter? Plus: voodoo, time travel and motorcycle gangs! The cosmic-powered Chimera and a Legion of Doom unlike any other! And who's the tough guy with the knives that snuffs out vampires' lives? BLADE! Can you dig it? Also featuring Werewolf by Night and Hannibal King, Vampire Detective! Collecting TOMB OF DRACULA #1-31, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15, GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS #1 and GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #2-4.768 PGS./Rated T+ …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2778-9
Trim size: oversized
Aw, man! I spent a lot of effort tracking down the MARVEL ESSENTIALS version of these books and now they go and ambush an Omnibus edition on me. Damn you, Marvel! Now I have to find someone to dump the b&w reprints on...or maybe just keep it for the kids. The ESSENTIALS edition had a few tits airbrushed out. I wonder if they did the same thing for the Omnibus? Are Americans more prudish today than in the '70s? Seriously? Tomb of Dracula was always meant for a "mature audience", wasn't it? So what's the problem?
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 2 HC
Written by SEAN MCKEEVER
Penciled by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA, VALENTINE DE LANDRO & DAVID HAHN
Cover by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA
This deluxe hardcover collects SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 2: THE NEW GIRL, SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 3: MY SECRET LIFE and SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 4: STILL FRIENDS, plus extras. In THE NEW GIRL, there's - well - a new girl at Midtown High. Her name's Gwen Stacy, and she has her sights set on Peter Parker! What's a lovesick Mary Jane to do? Plus: Mary Jane Watson wasn't always the girl she is today. How did she become the sort of person to push her problems away rather than face them? And how is it that Peter Parker, Spider-Man and Spidey's origin itself all play pivotal roles? See the birth of the greatest modern super hero like you've never seen it before! In MY SECRET LIFE, take a look at Mary Jane through the eyes of her supporting cast. What do they think of her, especially now that she's...changed? And what does this change mean for her relationship with Peter Parker? Plus: Gwen Stacy has a problem with Peter, and MJ has a secret. And in STILL FRIENDS, what's the story between Mary Jane and Peter in the aftermath of recent shocking revelations? Between Peter and Gwen? Between Liz and - Oh, who CARES?! Is that FIRESTAR?! What's the second most awesome redhead in the world got planned for Spidey this time? Well, we're sure not gonna tell you here! Collecting SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #6-20.368 PGS./All Ages …$39.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3083-3
Trim size: oversized
I know I'm not the target audience for this book but, damn!, I loved the first hardcover. Miyazawa's perfect for this kinda comic as well. Too bad not enough people are reading it.
THUNDERBOLTS BY WARREN ELLIS VOL. 2: CAGED ANGELS PREMIERE HC
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by MIKE DEODATO
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
The Thunderbolts' wild ride continues as Thunderbolts Mountain is being used as temporary incarceration for captured superhuman combatants. With so many super-powered people in one place, how can things possibly go wrong? Collecting THUNDERBOLTS #116-121.144 PGS./
Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2635-5
Trim size: standard
I have the first volume and I loved it enough that I plan to get this one in hardcover as well. I think it's the only book by Warren Ellis that I've dropped money to own. Weird that.
CLANDESTINE: BLOOD RELATIVE PREMIERE HC
Written by ALAN DAVIS
Penciled by ALAN DAVIS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Alan Davis' freaky family returns! They've existed, hidden among mankind for centuries, a mysterious bloodline of superhumans, eternal and apart. And all they've desired is to be left alone, to pursue their individual interests in peace. But now, the existence of their hidden clan is threatened with exposure by the activities of one of their youngest siblings, Rory Destine, who aspires to be the costumed crimefighter called the Crimson Crusader! And now that the cat's been let out of the bag, who or what is going to come calling at the Destine family's Ravenscroft doorway? Collecting CLANDESTINE #1-5.120 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2740-6
Trim size: standard
Alan Davis, Yay! Truth be told I never heard about Clandestine until Marvel collected the team's old comics, slapped a hardcover around the pages, called it Clandestine Classic Premier HC and charged me over RM100 (USD$30) last month for the pleasure of owning a copy. I'm Marvel's biatch, what can I say?
FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: WALTER SIMONSON VOL. 2 TPB
Written by WALTER SIMONSON & DANNY FINGEROTH
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON & REX VALVE
Cover by WALTER SIMONSON
It's the past, it's the future, it's an alternate Earth - when it's down to fighting cyborg dictators and displaced dinosaurs, who has time to figure out where they are?! It's another Simonson odyssey for the Fantastic Four and company, plus personal crises for the Human Torch and Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura)! Guest-starring Spider-Man and Rusty Collins of X-Factor/New Mutants fame! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #342-346.120 PGS./
All Ages …$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3130-4
Simply because I loved Simonson's work when he was with Marvel and I loved his artwork. Plus, his and Byrne's run on the FF are the only ones I think are worth collecting in their entirety (besides Lee & Kirby's run of course but that goes without saying). Also, until recently I've always pronounced his name as 'SEE-MEN-SON' when it should be 'SY-MEN-SON', shouldn't it? Silly me.
*Also check out Simonson's run on THOR (also collected in 5 volumes of Marvel Visionaries, Walt Simonson: The Mighty Thor). Holy crud! That's some good writing!
The following are "Maybes":
HULK: HEART OF THE ATOM PREMIERE HC
Written by HARLAN ELLISON, ROY THOMAS, CHRIS CLAREMONT, ARCHIE GOODWIN, LEN WEIN, HERB TRIMPE, BILL MANTLO & PETER GILLIS
Penciled by HERB TRIMPE, SAL BUSCEMA & JOE STATON
Cover by HERB TRIMPE & DAVE COCKRUM
In the sub-atomic kingdom of K'ai, the Hulk gained Bruce Banner's brain, but lost his heart to the gorgeous green Grace: Jarella! After the sinister Psyklop gets their world in his hands, the atom-crossed couple seeks happiness on Earth, but the odds seem stacked against them in both dimensions! Will the Hulk save his emerald angel and her war-torn world? Can green hearts be broken? Find out in this saga that spans time, space, and [non]human emotion! Guest-starring Captain Marvel and the Avengers! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #140, #148, #156, #202-203, #205-207 and #246-248; and WHAT IF? #23.240 PGS./
All Ages …$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3087-1
Trim size: standard
With the Hulk movie coming, it's Hulk's turn to shine in the collected editions section of Marvel. Never been a big fan of Hulk but look at that writing credit: Ellison, Thomas, Claremont, Mantlo. Duuuuuuude!
SHE-HULK VOL. 6: JADED TPB
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by SHAWN MOLL & VAL SEMEIKS
Cover by MIKE DEODATO
It's a new direction for the lean, green fighting machine as longtime INCREDIBLE HULK writer Peter David takes the helm. High-powered lawyer. Celebrity party girl. Super-strong Avenger. Jennifer Walters, alias She-Hulk, had it all. So why is she a bitter bounty hunter living in a trailer park? See how the mighty have fallen as the emerald adventuress carves out a new career on the margins of the Marvel Universe, where she's battling evil more to make a buck than to make a difference. Featuring the villainy of Hi-Lite, Absorbing Man, Titania and honest-to-gosh alien invaders, plus the puzzle of She-Hulk's new partner: a mystery woman named…Jennifer Walters? Be here now…or She-Hulk Smash! Collecting SHE-HULK #22-27.152 PGS./
Rated T+ …$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2563-1
I loved Slott's run on She-Hulk and while I admit Peter David has more hits than flops, I was a bit disappointed when I read that he was not going to write a 'funny' She-Hulk like what Slott did. Still, the man knows where his strength lies I suppose. If he can't do funny then it's better he doesn't. I'm playing a wait and see game on this title.
ESSENTIAL MAN-THING VOL. 2 TPB
Written by STEVE GERBER, MICHAEL FLEISHER, CHRIS CLAREMONT, DICKIE MCKENZIE, J.M. DEMATTEIS, ANNETTE KAWECKI & RALPH MACCHIO
Penciled by TONY DEZUNIGA, ALFREDO ALCALA, RICO RIVAL, JOHN BUSCEMA, JIM MOONEY, BOB WIACEK, DON PERLIN, LARRY HAMA, ED HANNIGAN, VAL MAYERIK, RON WILSON, MIKE PLOOG, JOHN BYRNE & GENE COLAN
Cover by BOB WIACEK
With Captain America, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Thing around, it's hard to stand out in a crowd - but somehow, the Man-Thing manages it! Citrusville, Florida, faces censorship, prejudice, psychosis and ghost pirates in stories as relevant today as they were more than twenty years ago! Sorcery, snowmen and super-soldier serums! Demons, dementia and D'Spayre await - but have no fear, because, well, if you do... Collecting MAN-THING (1974) #15-22 and (1979) #1-11, GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #3-5, MARVEL TEAM-UP #68, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #43, and DOCTOR STRANGE #41.536 PGS./
All Ages …$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3066-6
Heh..heh heh..heh heh..heh...he said Man-Thing. He said Essential Man-Thing! Hyuk Hyuk!
Poor man's Swamp Thing needs my love. I've gotta hunt down the first volume as well. Shouldn't be too hard. I don't think his book flies off the shelves that quick.
The following books come under the "Oh, Hell, Yes!" category i.e. I've pretty much decided to buy these babies:
ELEKTRA BY FRANK MILLER OMNIBUS HC
Written by FRANK MILLER
Penciled by FRANK MILLER & BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Covers by FRANK MILLER & BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Good ninjas never die, let alone the baddest one of all! Fan-favorite Frank Miller ushers his awesome assassin through good and evil and life and death and rebirth and more! Who is the otherworldly entity in pursuit of the presidency? When has Elektra met her greatest triumphs and tragedies? Why did she die, and how did she return? Where do smarmy cyborgs and killer dwarves come from? And What If all this had never happened at all? Guest-starring Daredevil! Collecting ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN #1-8, ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN, BIZARRE ADVENTURES #28 and WHAT IF? #35.384 PGS./
Explicit Content …$74.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2777-2
Trim size: oversized
I much prefer the cover art for the direct market version but I'd settle for this version if I can't get the other one. I'd gladly sell someone else's kidney to buy this bad mother. Miller & Sienkiewicz on Elektra. Sold! (gee, that second to last sentence just sounds wrong somehow)
TOMB OF DRACULA OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY, ARCHIE GOODWIN, GARDNER F. FOX, MARV WOLFMAN, CHRIS CLAREMONT & DAVID KRAFT
Penciled by GENE COLAN, MIKE PLOOG & DON HECK
Covers by JOHN BUSCEMA & GENE COLAN
Dracula rises from the grave and steps into the Marvel Universe - facing a disembodied brain, a gigantic heart and a ghost with the nerve to steal Dracula's victims! The lord of vampires visits a horrible fate upon the daughter of a long-time enemy, but will his worst enemy prove to be his own daughter? Plus: voodoo, time travel and motorcycle gangs! The cosmic-powered Chimera and a Legion of Doom unlike any other! And who's the tough guy with the knives that snuffs out vampires' lives? BLADE! Can you dig it? Also featuring Werewolf by Night and Hannibal King, Vampire Detective! Collecting TOMB OF DRACULA #1-31, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #15, GIANT-SIZE CHILLERS #1 and GIANT-SIZE DRACULA #2-4.768 PGS./Rated T+ …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2778-9
Trim size: oversized
Aw, man! I spent a lot of effort tracking down the MARVEL ESSENTIALS version of these books and now they go and ambush an Omnibus edition on me. Damn you, Marvel! Now I have to find someone to dump the b&w reprints on...or maybe just keep it for the kids. The ESSENTIALS edition had a few tits airbrushed out. I wonder if they did the same thing for the Omnibus? Are Americans more prudish today than in the '70s? Seriously? Tomb of Dracula was always meant for a "mature audience", wasn't it? So what's the problem?
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 2 HC
Written by SEAN MCKEEVER
Penciled by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA, VALENTINE DE LANDRO & DAVID HAHN
Cover by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA
This deluxe hardcover collects SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 2: THE NEW GIRL, SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 3: MY SECRET LIFE and SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE VOL. 4: STILL FRIENDS, plus extras. In THE NEW GIRL, there's - well - a new girl at Midtown High. Her name's Gwen Stacy, and she has her sights set on Peter Parker! What's a lovesick Mary Jane to do? Plus: Mary Jane Watson wasn't always the girl she is today. How did she become the sort of person to push her problems away rather than face them? And how is it that Peter Parker, Spider-Man and Spidey's origin itself all play pivotal roles? See the birth of the greatest modern super hero like you've never seen it before! In MY SECRET LIFE, take a look at Mary Jane through the eyes of her supporting cast. What do they think of her, especially now that she's...changed? And what does this change mean for her relationship with Peter Parker? Plus: Gwen Stacy has a problem with Peter, and MJ has a secret. And in STILL FRIENDS, what's the story between Mary Jane and Peter in the aftermath of recent shocking revelations? Between Peter and Gwen? Between Liz and - Oh, who CARES?! Is that FIRESTAR?! What's the second most awesome redhead in the world got planned for Spidey this time? Well, we're sure not gonna tell you here! Collecting SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #6-20.368 PGS./All Ages …$39.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3083-3
Trim size: oversized
I know I'm not the target audience for this book but, damn!, I loved the first hardcover. Miyazawa's perfect for this kinda comic as well. Too bad not enough people are reading it.
THUNDERBOLTS BY WARREN ELLIS VOL. 2: CAGED ANGELS PREMIERE HC
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Penciled by MIKE DEODATO
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
The Thunderbolts' wild ride continues as Thunderbolts Mountain is being used as temporary incarceration for captured superhuman combatants. With so many super-powered people in one place, how can things possibly go wrong? Collecting THUNDERBOLTS #116-121.144 PGS./
Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2635-5
Trim size: standard
I have the first volume and I loved it enough that I plan to get this one in hardcover as well. I think it's the only book by Warren Ellis that I've dropped money to own. Weird that.
CLANDESTINE: BLOOD RELATIVE PREMIERE HC
Written by ALAN DAVIS
Penciled by ALAN DAVIS
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
Alan Davis' freaky family returns! They've existed, hidden among mankind for centuries, a mysterious bloodline of superhumans, eternal and apart. And all they've desired is to be left alone, to pursue their individual interests in peace. But now, the existence of their hidden clan is threatened with exposure by the activities of one of their youngest siblings, Rory Destine, who aspires to be the costumed crimefighter called the Crimson Crusader! And now that the cat's been let out of the bag, who or what is going to come calling at the Destine family's Ravenscroft doorway? Collecting CLANDESTINE #1-5.120 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2740-6
Trim size: standard
Alan Davis, Yay! Truth be told I never heard about Clandestine until Marvel collected the team's old comics, slapped a hardcover around the pages, called it Clandestine Classic Premier HC and charged me over RM100 (USD$30) last month for the pleasure of owning a copy. I'm Marvel's biatch, what can I say?
FANTASTIC FOUR VISIONARIES: WALTER SIMONSON VOL. 2 TPB
Written by WALTER SIMONSON & DANNY FINGEROTH
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON & REX VALVE
Cover by WALTER SIMONSON
It's the past, it's the future, it's an alternate Earth - when it's down to fighting cyborg dictators and displaced dinosaurs, who has time to figure out where they are?! It's another Simonson odyssey for the Fantastic Four and company, plus personal crises for the Human Torch and Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura)! Guest-starring Spider-Man and Rusty Collins of X-Factor/New Mutants fame! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #342-346.120 PGS./
All Ages …$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3130-4
Simply because I loved Simonson's work when he was with Marvel and I loved his artwork. Plus, his and Byrne's run on the FF are the only ones I think are worth collecting in their entirety (besides Lee & Kirby's run of course but that goes without saying). Also, until recently I've always pronounced his name as 'SEE-MEN-SON' when it should be 'SY-MEN-SON', shouldn't it? Silly me.
*Also check out Simonson's run on THOR (also collected in 5 volumes of Marvel Visionaries, Walt Simonson: The Mighty Thor). Holy crud! That's some good writing!
The following are "Maybes":
HULK: HEART OF THE ATOM PREMIERE HC
Written by HARLAN ELLISON, ROY THOMAS, CHRIS CLAREMONT, ARCHIE GOODWIN, LEN WEIN, HERB TRIMPE, BILL MANTLO & PETER GILLIS
Penciled by HERB TRIMPE, SAL BUSCEMA & JOE STATON
Cover by HERB TRIMPE & DAVE COCKRUM
In the sub-atomic kingdom of K'ai, the Hulk gained Bruce Banner's brain, but lost his heart to the gorgeous green Grace: Jarella! After the sinister Psyklop gets their world in his hands, the atom-crossed couple seeks happiness on Earth, but the odds seem stacked against them in both dimensions! Will the Hulk save his emerald angel and her war-torn world? Can green hearts be broken? Find out in this saga that spans time, space, and [non]human emotion! Guest-starring Captain Marvel and the Avengers! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #140, #148, #156, #202-203, #205-207 and #246-248; and WHAT IF? #23.240 PGS./
All Ages …$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3087-1
Trim size: standard
With the Hulk movie coming, it's Hulk's turn to shine in the collected editions section of Marvel. Never been a big fan of Hulk but look at that writing credit: Ellison, Thomas, Claremont, Mantlo. Duuuuuuude!
SHE-HULK VOL. 6: JADED TPB
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by SHAWN MOLL & VAL SEMEIKS
Cover by MIKE DEODATO
It's a new direction for the lean, green fighting machine as longtime INCREDIBLE HULK writer Peter David takes the helm. High-powered lawyer. Celebrity party girl. Super-strong Avenger. Jennifer Walters, alias She-Hulk, had it all. So why is she a bitter bounty hunter living in a trailer park? See how the mighty have fallen as the emerald adventuress carves out a new career on the margins of the Marvel Universe, where she's battling evil more to make a buck than to make a difference. Featuring the villainy of Hi-Lite, Absorbing Man, Titania and honest-to-gosh alien invaders, plus the puzzle of She-Hulk's new partner: a mystery woman named…Jennifer Walters? Be here now…or She-Hulk Smash! Collecting SHE-HULK #22-27.152 PGS./
Rated T+ …$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2563-1
I loved Slott's run on She-Hulk and while I admit Peter David has more hits than flops, I was a bit disappointed when I read that he was not going to write a 'funny' She-Hulk like what Slott did. Still, the man knows where his strength lies I suppose. If he can't do funny then it's better he doesn't. I'm playing a wait and see game on this title.
ESSENTIAL MAN-THING VOL. 2 TPB
Written by STEVE GERBER, MICHAEL FLEISHER, CHRIS CLAREMONT, DICKIE MCKENZIE, J.M. DEMATTEIS, ANNETTE KAWECKI & RALPH MACCHIO
Penciled by TONY DEZUNIGA, ALFREDO ALCALA, RICO RIVAL, JOHN BUSCEMA, JIM MOONEY, BOB WIACEK, DON PERLIN, LARRY HAMA, ED HANNIGAN, VAL MAYERIK, RON WILSON, MIKE PLOOG, JOHN BYRNE & GENE COLAN
Cover by BOB WIACEK
With Captain America, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Thing around, it's hard to stand out in a crowd - but somehow, the Man-Thing manages it! Citrusville, Florida, faces censorship, prejudice, psychosis and ghost pirates in stories as relevant today as they were more than twenty years ago! Sorcery, snowmen and super-soldier serums! Demons, dementia and D'Spayre await - but have no fear, because, well, if you do... Collecting MAN-THING (1974) #15-22 and (1979) #1-11, GIANT-SIZE MAN-THING #3-5, MARVEL TEAM-UP #68, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #43, and DOCTOR STRANGE #41.536 PGS./
All Ages …$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3066-6
Heh..heh heh..heh heh..heh...he said Man-Thing. He said Essential Man-Thing! Hyuk Hyuk!
Poor man's Swamp Thing needs my love. I've gotta hunt down the first volume as well. Shouldn't be too hard. I don't think his book flies off the shelves that quick.
1 comment:
Wow, if you've never read Elektra: Assassin you are in for a treat, brother.
Sienkiewicz is brilliant.
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