IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 27 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

NOV100391 AMAZING 3D COMICS HC $39.99

MAY110341 COBRA ONGOING #3 $3.99

APR110388 DANGER GIRL CAMPBELL SKETCHBOOK HC $19.99

MAY110337 DAVE STEVENS COMPLETE SKETCHBOOK COLL HC $50.00

MAY110422 DEATH VALLEY GN $17.99

MAY110396 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #7 $3.99

MAY110384 GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #5 $3.99

MAY110357 INFESTATION OUTBREAK #2 (OF 4) $3.99

MAY110414 IRON SIEGE TP $17.99

MAY110325 JOE HILL THE CAPE #1 (OF 4) $3.99

MAY110393 JOHN BYRNE NEXT MEN #8 $3.99

MAY110415 RIP KIRBY HC VOL 04 $49.99

APR110338 TRANSFORMERS HC COMPLETE ALL HAIL MEGATRON $75.00

MAY110355 TRANSFORMERS ONGOING TP VOL 03 $19.99

FEB110308 TRANSFORMERS PRIME TP VOL 02 $7.99

MAY110391 TRUE BLOOD TAINTED LOVE LEGACY ED #1 (MR) $4.99

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

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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

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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

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

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MAY111274 DANIEL X MANGA GN VOL 02 $12.99

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

MAY110921 DRACULA COMPANY OF MONSTERS #12 $3.99

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APR110746 HOPE FALL ULT ED TP $17.99

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APR110851 MYTH ADVENTURES O/T MUSES #1 $3.99

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JAN111148 QUEEN SONJA #18 $3.99

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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

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MAGAZINES
MAY111369 DISNEY PRESENTS PIRATES O/T CARIBBEAN STRANGER TIDES $4.99
MAY111349 FREAKY MONSTERS MAGAZINE #3 $9.95
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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