Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 27 2011

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAY110042 STRANGE CASE OF MR HYDE #4 (OF 4) $3.50

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 27 2011

IMAGE COMICS

JAN110559 BOMB QUEEN ALL GIRL SPEC #1 (MR) $3.50

MAY110503 BUTCHER BAKER RIGHTEOUS MAKER #5 (MR) $2.99

MAY110513 INTREPIDS #5 $2.99

JAN110609 INVINCIBLE #81 $2.99

MAY110515 LAST MORTAL #3 (OF 4) (MR) $3.99

MAY110519 MISSION #6 $2.99

MAY110530 SKULLKICKERS #9 $2.99

MAY110533 UNDYING LOVE #4 (MR) $2.99

JUN110501 VAULT #1 (OF 3) $3.50

MAY110539 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #30 (MR) $2.99

Comics and Magazines from Diamond Distributors for July 27 2011

COMICS

APR110993 ANGELIC RUNES GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.95

MAY110822 ARCHIE #623 $2.99

MAY111176 ATOMIC ROBO TP VOL 05 DEADLY ART OF SCIENCE $19.95

MAY110827 B & V FRIENDS DOUBLE DIGEST #216 $3.99

MAY110907 BART SIMPSON COMICS #61 $2.99

APR111070 BOMBYCE NETWORK GN (MR) $19.95

JUN110891 CALIGULA #1 (OF 6) WONDERCON CVR (MR) $5.99

APR110745 CANCERTOWN AN INCONVENIENT TOOTH TP $19.99

MAR111364 CHARMED #12 A CVR SEIDMAN (MR) $3.50

MAR111365 CHARMED #12 B CVR PHOTO (MR) $3.50

JUN110878 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #1 (OF 7) C2E2 CVR (MR) $5.99

MAR110901 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #4 (OF 7) (MR) $3.99

JUN110879 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #4 (OF 7) AUXILIARY CVR (MR) $3.99

MAR110902 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #4 (OF 7) TORTURE CVR (MR) $3.99

MAR110903 CROSSED PSYCHOPATH #4 (OF 7) WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99

MAY111274 DANIEL X MANGA GN VOL 02 $12.99

MAR110861 DAYS MISSING HC VOL 02 KESTUS $24.95

APR111051 DEFIANCE GN $16.99

DEC100945 DF FANTASTIC FOUR #588 HICKMAN SGN ED PI

FEB111025 DF FEAR ITSELF #1 FRACTION SGN ED $16.99

FEB111026 DF FEAR ITSELF #1 FRACTION SGN ED 2 PK $36.99

APR111023 DF UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 MIDTOWN LTD CVR PLUS ED $14.99

APR111013 DF VAMPIRELLA #1 MIDTOWN EXC CVR $29.99

APR111026 DOG X CAT GN VOL 02 (A) $15.95

MAY110921 DRACULA COMPANY OF MONSTERS #12 $3.99

MAY110947 DUCKTALES #3 $3.99

APR110995 ENTANGLED CIRCUMSTANCES GN (MR) $12.95

MAY110854 EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT VIOLET #1 (OF 3) CVR A MHAN $2.99

MAY110855 EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT VIOLET #1 (OF 3) CVR B FRANCISCO $2.99

MAR110891 FATHOM VOL 4 #1 CVR A KONAT $2.99

MAR110892 FATHOM VOL 4 #1 CVR B LOPEZ $2.99

MAY111294 FLY #2 A CVR CONNER (MR) $2.99

MAY111295 FLY #2 B CVR ROBERTSON (MR) $2.99

MAY111296 FLY #2 C CVR ERIC J (MR) $2.99

MAY111297 FLY #2 D CVR GARZA (MR) $2.99

MAY110908 FUTURAMA COMICS #56 $2.99

MAY111284 GFT MYTHS & LEGENDS #7 $2.99

MAR111134 GIL JORDAN MURDER BY HIGH TIDE HC $18.99

MAY110776 GLAMOURPUSS #20 $3.00

APR110970 GREEN HORNET #17 $3.99

MAR110883 GRIM GHOST #3 $2.99

MAY110885 GURREN LAGANN GN VOL 06 (RES) $10.99

APR110746 HOPE FALL ULT ED TP $17.99

APR110997 I GIVE TO YOU GN (MR) $12.95

MAY111221 ICE #1 (OF 4) $1.00

MAY110925 INCORRUPTIBLE #20 $3.99

APR111130 JUDGE DEATH LIFE AND DEATH OF GN $23.99

MAY110828 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #172 $3.99

DEC100893 KEVIN SMITH KATO #11 $3.99

MAY110988 KIRBY GENESIS #2 $3.99

MAY110969 LA MANO DEL DESTINO #1 (OF 6) $3.50

JUN110977 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #3 FLIGHT CVR $9.99

JUN110978 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #4 AUXILIARY CVR $3.99

MAY111191 LENORE VOLUME II #3 $3.99

APR110996 LIAR IN LOVE GN (MR) $12.95

MAY111195 LOEG III CENTURY #2 1969 (MR) $9.95

MAR111150 MARTIAN CHRONICLES GN $17.95

APR111071 METAL HURLANT COLLECTION HC VOL 02 (MR) $29.95

APR111134 MOON GIRL #3 (OF 5) $3.50

APR110851 MYTH ADVENTURES O/T MUSES #1 $3.99

MAY111150 NANCY DREW NEW CASE FILES VOL 03 TOGETHER W/T HARDY BOYS $7.99

MAY111126 NEGIMA GN VOL 30 (MR) $10.99

JUN110880 NIGHT O/T LIVING DEAD DEATH VALLEY #1 (OF 5) WONDERCON CVR $5.99

APR111132 NIKOLAI DANTE TOO COOL TO KILL TP $23.99

APR111052 OLYMPIANS GN VOL 03 THE HERA GODDESS AND HER GLORY $9.99

MAR110885 PHOENIX #3 $2.99

MAY110930 PLANET OF THE APES #4 $3.99

JAN111148 QUEEN SONJA #18 $3.99

APR110978 RED SONJA TP VOL 08 BLOOD DYNASTY (PP #959) $19.99

MAY110806 RICHIE RICH #3 (OF 4) $3.95

MAY111282 SALEM GFT DREAM EATER ONE SHOT $3.99

MAY111283 SALEM GFT DREAM EATER ONE SHOT $3.99

FEB110891 SEEDS GN $10.99

MAR111133 SIBYL ANNE VS RATTICUS HC $16.99

MAY110910 SIMPSONS CLASSICS #29 $3.99

MAY111158 SIXTH GUN #13 $3.99

MAY111148 SMURFS GN VOL 07 THE ASTRO SMURF $5.99

MAY111149 SMURFS HC VOL 07 THE ASTRO SMURF $10.99

MAR111152 SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES GN $15.95

MAR111151 SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES HC $30.00

MAR110898 SOULFIRE VOL 3 #2 CVR A FABOK $2.99

MAR110899 SOULFIRE VOL 3 #2 CVR B LOPEZ $2.99

MAY111155 SPONTANEOUS #1 REG ED $3.99

MAY111156 SPONTANEOUS #2 $3.99

MAY110938 STAN LEE TRAVELER #9 $3.99

MAY111224 SUPER ACTION MAN LOUDMOUTH #1 (MR) $2.99

MAY110960 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #69 (MR) $2.95

APR110922 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE TP VOL 09 PX LTD ED (MR) $34.99

MAY111001 TERMINATOR ROBOCOP KILL HUMAN #1 $3.99

FEB111047 THE RAVEN HC (MR) $22.99

APR110998 THIS NIGHTS EVERYTHING GN (MR) $12.95

MAY110798 TIME LINCOLN TP VOL 01 FATE OF THE UNION $19.95

APR110994 TONIGHTS TAKE OUT NIGHT GN (MR) $12.95

APR111110 TREASURY 20TH CENTURY MURDER HC VOL 04 SACCO & VANZETTI $15.99

APR111206 TWIN SPICA GN VOL 08 $10.95

MAY111009 VAMPIRELLA SCARLET LEGION #3 $3.99

MAY110992 WARLORD OF MARS FALL OF BARSOOM #1 $3.99

APR110855 WRATH OF THE TITANS REVENGE OF MEDUSA #3 (MR) $3.99

MAGAZINES
MAY111369 DISNEY PRESENTS PIRATES O/T CARIBBEAN STRANGER TIDES $4.99
MAY111349 FREAKY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #3 $9.95
MAY111308 HI FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE QUARTERLY #20 $6.95
MAR111430 HOBBY JAPAN #90 JUNE 2011 $24.25
MAY111376 LOCUS #606 $6.95
JAN111457 MEGAMI APR 2011 $20.60
FEB111302 MEGAMI MAY 2011 $20.60
JAN111458 NEWTYPE APR 2011 $16.00
FEB111303 NEWTYPE MAY 2011 $16.00
MAR111440 SFX #210 $9.99

Leroy Douresseaux on RAGE #2

RAGE #2 (OF 3)
DARK HORSE BOOKS

SCRIPT: Arvid Nelson
PENCILS: Andrea Mutti
INKS: Pierluigi Baldassini
COLORS: Michael Atiyeh
LETTERS: Michael Heisler
COVER: Glenn Fabry
32pp, Color, $3.50

“After the Impact” Part 2 of 3

Rage, the upcoming first-person shooter game from id Software, is also a comic book. Dark Horse Comics is publishing the three-issue comic book miniseries, also entitled Rage, based on the game from the developers of Doom and Quake. Written by Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi) and drawn by Andrea Mutti, “After the Impact,” is an original tale and an introduction to the world of Rage.

Rage takes place on an Earth that was struck by Asteroid 99942 – codename: Apophis – on April 13, 2037. Five billion people die within 24 hours, but a tiny fraction of the population survived devastation by living in burrowing cryo arks. They emerged to find Earth a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. It is 2095, and Dr. Elizabeth Cadence is revived. Now, she is the scientist determined to discover the full extent of the Authority’s deceptions.

In Rage #2, Elizabeth believes that the radiation from Apophis is not the cause of the mutation that has turned survivors into mindless, bloodthirsty marauders. She confronts her old colleague Dr. Antonin Kvasir, a fellow survivor who is also working for the Authority, but whatever he knows, he is afraid to discuss for fear of being murdered. Meanwhile, Elizabeth discovers just how much of a bastard Authority officer, Colonel James Casey, is.

I’m not sure if Rage the comic book will make anyone want to play Rage the came, but if they read Rage, they’ll be getting a good read. The streamlined script by Arvid Nelson offers deft characterization and engaging conflict. The excellent art by Andrea Mutti is ideally fit for science fiction comics and has a graphic style that captures this story’s grittiness. I don’t know about the game, but the comic book is certainly good.

A-

http://www.rage.com/

Arata of Two Worlds - Both with Problems

I read Arata: The Legend, Vol. 6

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Leroy Douresseaux on CONAN: Island of No Return #2

CONAN: ISLAND OF NO RETURN #2 (OF 2)
DARK HORSE COMICS

WRITER: Ron Marz
PENCILS: Bart Sears
INKS: Randy Elliot
COLORS: Mark Roberts
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
COVER: Stjepan Sejic
32pp, Color, $3.50

What do I hate about Conan: Island of No Return? I hate that it’s over. I also love Stjepan Sejic’s cover, which reminds me of the covers for The Savage Sword of Conan, one of my all time favorite comic books,

Conan: Island of No Return is a two-issue miniseries that, according to Dark Horse Comics, will act as an interlude to the main series, Conan: Road of Kings. Island of No Return follows Conan and half-sisters/thieves, Brenna and Venya, to a remote island that is supposedly home to the fabled treasure hoard of late Prince Mikkinos.

As Conan: Island of No Return #2 begins, Conan and the sisters learn that they aren’t the only ones on the island looking for treasure. As the stakes rise, Conan begins to wonder how much not to trust the sisters. If he thinks they’re dangerous, wait until he meets the thing guarding the treasure.

[This comic book includes an episode of “The Adventures of Two-Gun Bob” by Jim and Ruth Keegan.]

THE LOWDOWN: Because the second issue was very enjoyable to read, I can stand by what I said about the first issue of Conan: Island of No Return. Ron Marz has written a fast moving tale that has some of the best things that make Conan great – sword-fighting, sorcery, monsters, lost treasure, and treacherous gorgeous women.

Bart Sears, whose art I enjoyed in the first issue, actually improves. His sinewy pencils capture the sharp edges in both plot and character motivation, but in this issue, the compositions are more robust. They capture Conan’s brawny physique and cat-like grace and give power to the fight scenes. The inking by Randy Elliot, which seemed too heavy over Sears’ pencils in the first issue, actually improves and embellishes the best aspects of the art. I was not really crazy about the colors, but now the colors make this book sparkle and bring to life the ruins, rubble, and caverns that are the setting for this tale.

A

EC Comics Library Moves to Fantagraphics

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE EC COMICS LIBRARY

Fantagraphics Books President and Co-Publisher Gary Groth announced today at Comic-Con International that it has entered into a publishing agreement with William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. to publish the EC Comics Library, be- ginning in Summer 2012. The announcement teams two of the most storied comics publishers in history and aims to reintroduce the timeless work of EC to contemporary readers.

Fantagraphics will re-package the EC Comics (with the exception of MAD, which is now owned by DC Comics/Time Warner) in a series of handsome hardcovers devoted to specific artists and writers. While virtually all previous EC collections have been published by comic book title, Fantagraphics will collect the comics by artist, allowing fans to finally own single-volume tomes collecting the work of their favorite creators.

“It pleases me greatly to be in partnership with such an influential company as Fantagraphics,” said Cathy Gaines Mifsud, President of William M. Gaines Agent, Inc. “It’s a pleasure to be working with a company that shares similar values, yet retains unique and distinct creativity. I trust them fully to carry on the iconic EC brand.”

Entertaining Comics may have been the greatest mainstream publisher in comics history, with an attention to quality and consistency that has never been rivaled. Under the stewardship of William Gaines (who took over the company from his father, Max Gaines, in 1947), EC’s “New Trend” line employed a Murderer’s Row of writers and artists including Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, Jack Davis, Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Reed Crandall, Will Elder, Frank Frazetta, Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen, Bernard Krigstein, John Severin, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, and many others.

“EC was the most consistently literate and quality-minded publisher in the history of mainstream comics,” said Groth. “Editors Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman were aware that comics was an artistic medium in a way that few editors did, and publisher Bill Gaines was unique in taking a hands-on approach to his comics line, choosing his editors wisely, giving them such editorial freedom and latitude, and taking such personal pride —and responsibility— in his comics. This was simply unheard of in mainstream comics; if more publishers had had Gaines’ integrity, the history of comics would’ve been vastly different.”

Like most of its contemporaries, EC specialized in genre fiction, specifically horror, crime, science-fiction, war, and satire, with several titles that seeped into the public consciousness long after their demise, including Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, Weird Science, and of course MAD. Unlike most of its contemporaries, Gaines and his staff took great pride in crafting socially aware works that transcended their genres. “At a time when comics were consid- ered sub-literate junk by the reading public, Gaines and the EC creators were impressing people like Ray Bradbury with the aesthetic possibilities of the medium. That was no mean feat,” Groth added.

The first four books in the series will be:

• “Corpse on the Imjin” and Other Stories by Harvey Kurtzman. This will reprint all the war stories Kurtzman wrote and drew himself in Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat, including all 23 of his covers — each a masterpiece in its own right. This volume will also include all the war stories that Kurtzman wrote and laid out but were drawn by artists who weren’t regularly featured in his war books: Gene Colan, Joe Kubert, Alex Toth, Dave Berg, Ric Estrada, Russ Heath, and others. (The regulars were Jack Davis, John Severin, Wally Wood, and George Evans, each of whom will later be the subject of their own war comics collections). Kurtzman’s war comics are still considered to be the gold standard for the genre, with a devotion not only to historical accuracy but also to resisting any impulse to glamorize wartime; a WWII veteran himself, Kurtzman’s humanistic approach was in stark contrast to the simp- leminded, jingoistic efforts of EC’s rival publishers, and paved the way for other popular media to depict the true face of war.

• “Came the Dawn” and Other Stories by Wally Wood: Though often remembered for his science-fiction work, Wood’s heavy, noirish brushstrokes were perfectly suited for EC’s rough-hewn suspense stories in (the appropriately titled) Shock SuspenStories and this volume will collect them all for the first time.

• Jack Davis’s horror stories (exact title t.b.a.): Jack Davis’s gift for caricature has made him an icon in the advertis- ing world and helped define MAD magazine, but he was also one of the most versatile cartoonists of his generation; after “Ghastly” Graham Ingels, Davis was EC’s most prolific horror artist, appearing in all three of EC’s horror titles — Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror, and Crypt of Terror. This will collect the entirety of Davis’s horror work, all of which was written by Al Feldstein.

• Al Williamson’s science-fiction stories (exact title t.b.a.): EC published two SF comics — Weird Fantasy and Weird Science — and Williamson was one of the stars, with an illustrative style that carried on the tradition of the great adventure comic strips like Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon. This volume will compile all 174 pages of Williamson’s SF stories.

“EC featured many of the best artists working at the time — innovators like Kurtzman, Bernie Krigstein, and Johnny Craig, illustrators like Al Williamson and Jack Kamen, and renaissance cartoonists like Wally Wood, Will Elder, and Jack Davis,” said Groth. “Many of these artists did the best work of their careers for EC, and that is directly attributable to the creative environment Gaines created.”

Fantagraphics will be publishing four EC collections a year, beginning in Summer 2012.

“Came the Dawn” and Other Stories
By: Wally Wood, Al Feldstein, et al.
Release Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60699-546-4
Black & White • Hardcover • 7” x 10”

“Corpse on the Imjin” and Other Stories
By: Harvey Kurtzman et al.
Release Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60699-545-7
Black & White • Hardcover • 7” x 10”

*The EC Comics bullet logo is a trademark of William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.
**Images © 2011 William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.