IDW from Diamond Distributors for March 16 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

JAN110507 CLASSIC JURASSIC PARK TP VOL 02 RAPTORS REVENGE $19.99

DEC100396 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #2 $3.99

JAN110546DRAGON AGE TP VOL 01 $19.99

JAN110496 GHOSTBUSTERS DISPLACED AGGRESSION #1 100 PENNY PRESS ED $1.00

JAN110492 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #1 100 PENNY PRESS ED $1.00

JAN110475 GI JOE INFESTATION #2 (OF 2) $3.99

JAN110514 SPIKE #6 (OF 8) $3.99

NOV100364 TRANSFORMERS 3 MOVIE PREQUEL FOUNDATION #2 (OF 4) $3.99

Dark Horse from Diamond Distributors for March 16 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUL100093 60TH ANNIV CLASSIC PEANUTS STATUE #5 SCHROEDER $49.95

JUL100094 CLASSIC UNCLE SCROOGE STATUE VOL 02 #5 MONEYBAGS $49.95

DEC108331 GANTZ TP VOL 04 NEW PTG (MR) $12.99

NOV100048 GANTZ TP VOL 16 (MR) $12.99

JAN110113 GUILD TINK ONE SHOT RON CHAN CVR $3.50

DEC108314 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $17.99

NOV100040 YOUR HIGHNESS TP $7.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 16 2011

IMAGE COMICS

NOV100497 ARTIFACTS #6 (OF 13) CVR A NOTO $3.99

NOV100498 ARTIFACTS #6 (OF 13) CVR B CHRISTOPHER $3.99

MAY100468 BAD DOG #4 (RES) (MR) $2.99

DEC100437 BOMB QUEEN VS HACK SLASH SPEC ONE-SHOT (MR) $3.50

JAN110598 CHEW SCRIPT BOOK (MR) $3.99

JAN110605 HACK SLASH ONGOING #2 ODONAGHUE CVR (MR) $3.50

JAN110604 HACK SLASH ONGOING #2 SEELEY CVR (MR) $3.50

DEC100484 MICE TEMPLAR VOL 3 #3 MICHAEL AVON OEMING CVR $2.99

DEC100485 MICE TEMPLAR VOL 3 #3 VICTOR SANTOS CVR $2.99

JAN110616 MORNING GLORIES #8 $2.99

JAN110661 TWILIGHT GUARDIAN #3 (OF 4) $3.99

JAN110629 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #11 (MR) $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for March 16 2011

COMICS

NOV101005 2000 AD PACK JAN 2011 $20.00

JAN111020 28 DAYS LATER #21 $3.99

JAN111023 AMORY WARS IN KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3 TP VOL 01 $14.99

JAN111022 AMORY WARS IN KEEPING SECRETS OF SILENT EARTH 3 TP VOL 02 $14.99

JAN110941 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #153 $2.99

JAN110947 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #189 $3.99

DEC101071 BRIAN & BOBBI GN $9.99

NOV101092 CHARMED #8 A CVR SEIDMAN $3.50

NOV101093 CHARMED #8 B CVR PHOTO $3.50

JAN111234 COWBOYS AND ALIENS IT BOOKS HC ED $24.99

JAN111053 DARKWING DUCK #10 $3.99

JAN111086 DEATH OF ZORRO #1 $3.99

DEC108145 DF FANTASTIC FOUR #587 CGC GRADED ED $89.99

DEC100943 DF GRIMM FAIRY TALES MYTHS #1 CAMPBELL REMARK CVR $69.99

DEC100949 DF JENNIFER BLOOD #1 EXC RED CVR PI

DEC100940 DF TRUE BLOOD #1 EXC TAINTED CVR $6.99

JAN111027 DO ANDROIDS DREAM DUST TO DUST TP VOL 02 $12.99

JAN110893 DOWNSIZED GN $6.95

AUG100734 EGG STORY (NEW PTG) $3.95

JAN111077 EXCALIBUR CANDLEWICK GN HC ED $21.99

JAN111076 EXCALIBUR CANDLEWICK GN SC ED $11.99

JAN110880 FRITZ LANGS M GN (O/A) $24.95

JAN110961 GRIM GHOST #1 $2.99

JAN110885 JOHNNY CASH I SEE A DARKNESS GN $17.95

JAN110948 JUGHEAD #206 $2.99

SEP100949 KATO ORIGINS WAY O/T NINJA #7 $3.99

JAN111287 KLASSIC KOMICS KLUB HC (O/A) (MR) $14.95

OCT101064 KOLCHAK NIGHT STALKER FILES #2 $3.50

DEC100964 KRAZY & IGNATZ TP 1919 1921 BENEVOLENT BRICK $24.99

OCT100941 LAST PHANTOM #5 $3.99

JAN111062 MICKEY MOUSE #306 $3.99

AUG100786 MINDFIELD #5 COVER A ALEX KONAT $2.99

AUG100787 MINDFIELD #5 COVER B PHIL NOTO $2.99

DEC101078 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION TP VOL 12 $9.99

JAN111301 NEXUS #100 SPACE OPERA ACT 2 OF 4 (O/A) $4.99

JAN111304 NEXUS ORIGIN REMASTERED (O/A) $4.99

JAN111302 NEXUS SPACE OPERA ACTS 3 & 4 (O/A) $4.95

JAN110974 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99

JAN110975 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #1 (OF 5) GORE CVR (MR) $3.99

JAN110976 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #1 (OF 5) WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

DEC101173 OATMEAL 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH DOLPHIN SC $14.99

SEP100923 OZ WONDERLAND CHRONICLES JACK & CAT TALES #2 (OF 3) $3.99

OCT100755 PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR TP VOL 01 $6.95

JAN110958 PHOENIX #1 $2.99

OCT100749 PLANET OF THE LIVING DEAD #1 $3.50

DEC101022 POSSESSIONS GN VOL 02 GHOST TABLE $5.99

SEP100986 PS238 #49 $2.99

JAN111269 SEA GHOST #1 SEA GHOST I/T MACHINE $3.99

JAN111018 SIMPSONS COMICS #176 $2.99

JAN110953 SONIC UNIVERSE #26 $2.99

NOV100977 SPIDER #1 $2.99

NOV100978 SPIDER BURNING LEAD FOR THE WALKING DEAD GN $7.99

JAN111043 STAN LEE SOLDIER ZERO #6 $3.99

JAN111081 SUDDENLY SOMETHING HAPPENED GN (MR) $20.00

NOV100705 TIME LINCOLN CUBA COMMANDER ONE-SHOT $3.99

JAN111064 TOY STORY TOY OVERBOARD TP $9.99

DEC100860 VAMPIRELLA #4 $3.99

DEC100705 VESHA VALENTINE STORY GN $12.95

DEC100871 WARLORD OF MARS #5 $3.99

JUL100818 WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #5 (OF 6) (MR) $3.99

JUL100820 WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #5 (OF 6) BLOOD THIRST CVR (MR) $3.99

JUL100821 WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #5 (OF 6) PAINTED CVR (MR) $3.99

JUL100819 WOLFSKIN HUNDREDTH DREAM #5 (OF 6) WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

JAN110954 WORLD OF ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #5 $3.99

AUG101105 YO GABBA GABBA COMIC BOOK TIME HC $24.99

MAGAZINES
DEC101141 COMICS BUYERS GUIDE #1676 APR 2011 $5.99
DEC101153 DR WHO MAGAZINE #431 (NOTE PRICE) $8.99
DEC101166 HORRORHOUND #28 $6.99
DEC101031 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #307 $11.99
DEC101167 RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE #109 $9.95
DEC101181 SFX SPECIAL #48 VAMPIRES SPECIAL $17.99
NOV101179 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #19 PALPATINE $14.00
DEC101198 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #21 CLONE TROOPER $14.00
DEC101199 STAR WARS FIG COLL MAG #22 PADME AMIDALA $14.00
NOV101184 STAR WARS VEHICLES COLL MAG #63 SHUTTLE THETA $18.00

VIZ Media on the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

Official Statement From VIZ Media Regarding The Earthquake And Tsunami In Japan:

The terrible events in Japan affects us all at VIZ Media directly, personally and professionally. Our hearts go out to those affected by the tragedy and the ongoing crisis, and we hope for a quick recovery. We know the people of Japan will persevere & prevail.

Sincere thanks to all those who have inquired about our parent companies, Shogakukan, Shueisha and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions. Our colleagues in Tokyo are safe and the situation is stabilizing, though resuming normal day-to-day business activities may take a little while. On a company level, we will be coordinating activities with our parent companies to support the disaster victims.

The victims of this tragedy are in our thoughts, and our gratitude goes out to all of the heroic people around the world pulling together to help them.

Leroy Douresseaux on BATMAN: TIME AND THE BATMAN

BATMAN: TIME AND THE BATMAN

DC COMICS

WRITERS: Grant Morrison and Fabian Nicieza
ARTISTS: Tony S. Daniel, Cliff Richards, Andy Kubert, Frank Quitely, David Finch, Richard Friend, and Scott Kolins
COLORS: Ian Hannin, Alex Sinclair, Tony Aviña, Brand Anderson, and Peter Steigerwald
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher and Travis Lanham
COVER: David Finch and Scott Williams
EXTRAS ART: Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan, Dave Stewart, Shane Davis, Sandra Hope, Barbara Ciardo, Juan Doe, Dustin Nguyen, Guillem March, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Philip Tan
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2989-4; hardcover
128pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN

DC Comics recently published a hardcover comic book collection entitled Batman: Time and the Batman. It collects Batman issues 700 to 703 with some extras, including variant covers and a peak inside the Batcave rendered with 3-D modeling.

There is also a gallery of Batman illustrations, a portfolio of sorts entitled “Creatures of the Night: A Batman Gallery.” I won’t say that this gallery is worth the cost of the book, but it is worth at least a quarter of this book’s cover price. There are two hot pieces from Dustin Nguyen and a striking piece by Guillem March, among others.

Batman: Time and the Batman is essentially a bridge story arc that connects Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne to one another. In the opening chapter, “Time and the Batman,” the three Batmen: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne fight the past, present, and future. Batman’s most dangerous adversary, the Joker, and a few others use the Maybe Machine, the invention of Professor Carter Nichols, to raise hell in Gotham City across decades.

Next, in a missing chapter of R.I.P., Batman faces Darkseid and trap that will have him doubting his own mind and perceptions and also lost in time. Finally, in “The Great Escape,” the new Batman and Robin face the Gateway Genius and Damian is confronted by how little he knows about his father. It is a sentimental and highly-enjoyable story from the underrated Fabian Nicieza and artist Cliff Richards.

I recently saw an article that began by describing Grant Morrison as a god to fans, and yes, I’m tired of hearing about fanboy gods. Still, there is reason to love some Grant Morrison because his current run on Batman has been so much fun to read. Let’s face it, pretty much every Batman comic book since Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns has lived in the shadow of (ominous music) The Dark Knight Returns.

To me, at least, Grant Morrison’s Batman is more Dennis O’Neil than it is Frank Miller, but what defines Morrison’s Batman is what defines most of his work, imagination. From page to page, the reader never really knows what to expect and from panel to panel the reader never knows what will come out of the characters’ mouths. After 70 years, Batman can be forgiven for suffering from sameness. In Morrison’s hands, Batman is fresh and bouncy. I swear that when I read this I sometimes think that the whole Batman universe is brand new.

Now, this doesn’t always work that way. “R.I.P. – The Missing Chapter” is a rambling mess; it’s the kind of nonsensical, tie-in comic that is the poster child for why crossover events have been done to death. On the other hand, “Time and the Batman,” the opening story, is sparkly and energetic. The story dances across the pages, as Morrison takes us from one Batman to the next (including Batman Beyond).

Most of this book is good, and although the “missing” chapter of R.I.P. is a true blue misfire, Batman: Time and the Batman is a Grant Morrison Batman book to have.

B+

Rosario+Vampire Bites iPad

ROSARIO+VAMPIRE MANGA SERIES LAUNCHES FOR THE iPad AS VIZ MEDIA CONTINUES SPECIAL DIGITAL OFFERS FOR MARCH MANGA MADNESS

Special Monthly Promotion Makes All Volume 1 Titles Available For Only $0.99; New Series Complements Latest Updates To 6 Other Popular Manga Titles

VIZ Media continues to celebrate March Manga Madness with another round of new updates to the VIZ MANGA APP for the Apple® iPad™ mobile device. Today the company debuts the sexy action series ROSARIO+VAMPIRE and continues a special March-only promotion that makes all Volume 1 manga titles available for only $0.99 (instead of $4.99).

The VIZ MANGA APP is the ideal destination for iPad users to download best-loved manga (graphic novel) series. By the end of March, over 100 volumes will be available for download. Users are also encouraged to enter to win a $50 iTunes gift card by taking the VIZ Manga App survey.

ROSARIO+VAMPIRE (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) was written and created by Akihisa Ikeda and has become a best-selling fan favorite. All-around average teenager Tsukune can't get accepted to any high school save one...but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn't appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can't wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec'--are those her teeth around his neck too...? Tsukune's going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn't between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

The latest updates for March also feature additions to 6 other popular VIZ Media series currently available. More special offers will be announced throughout the month of March and users should check the App frequently for new announcements.

Seventeen series are now available on the VIZ Manga App; additional new manga volumes available this week include:

DEATH NOTE Vol. 8
DRAGON BALL Vol. 15
NARUTO Vol. 16
ONE PIECE Vol. 16
OURON HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB Vol. 4
RUROUNI KENSHIN Vol. 8

The VIZ MANGA APP is free through the iTunes Store and manga volumes are generally available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the application for $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) per volume. The platform is the leading application to read Japanese manga on the iPad, with a downloadable library of the most popular manga series in the world. Readers are encouraged to check the app regularly, as new additions to the store and free Chapter 1 previews of other forthcoming manga series for the iPad are featured.

For more information on the VIZ MANGA APP, please visit www.VIZ.com/apps/.