Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sensational Comics for February, 2011



Sensational Links:
Wonder Woman
THE ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4
Written by SHOLLY FISCH Art and cover by RICK BURCHETT & DAN DAVIS Here comes the bride! It’s Valentine’s Day and you’re invited to the wedding of…Batman and Wonder Woman?! On sale FEBRUARY 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
This looks nifty!
WONDER WOMAN #608
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI & PHIL HESTER Art and cover by DON KRAMER & JAY LEISTEN 1:10 Variant cover by ALEX GARNER

Flashes of a destroyed Themyscira haunt Diana all over again as an Amazon safe house is completely destroyed. The culprits? Cheetah and Silver Swan, who work for the mysterious Morrigan. How does Diana get out of this one? According to Cheetah, “You run…” Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers.

Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. On sale FEBRUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Phil Hester is a pretty good writer whose run I might have picked up in trade paperback, were he telling his own story. Instead, he's stuck doing the actual work after JMS dashed out some plots on a Post-It note for the other 2/3rds of his "twelve issue run." Maybe Hester can work in some of his unused Vampirella plans into this, or perhaps wait for Dynamite to give him a ring again?

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #1-2

Written by TONY BEDARD & MARV WOLFMAN Art by HOWARD PORTER & LIVESAY and ADRIANA MELO & NORMAN LEE Issue #1 wraparound cover by ED BENES Issue #1 1:10 Variant cover by RYAN SOOK Issue #2 cover by ED BENES The DC event of the year begins, coinciding with the release of the wildly anticipated DCU MMO! Get ready for the ride of a lifetime with this immense, 26-issue biweekly series!

In issue #1, Lex Luthor’s obsession with destroying Superman reaches fever pitch when he cuts the ultimate Devil’s deal with Brainiac...but with the shake of a hand, has Luthor consigned humanity to genocide?

In the startling second issue, The Lex Luthor of a post-apocalyptic future scrambles to escape Brainiac’s invasion of Earth, but he must gather an army to stop the invasion. Who will he recruit? And in the present, Brainiac’s first assault on Earth has begun, which recaps the incredibly rare DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #0!

Comic book legend Marv Wolfman joins fan-favorite writer Tony Bedard and artist Howard Porter to tell the ultimate DC Universe Super Hero tale of good versus evil!

Retailers please note: Issue #1 will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. Issue #1 on sale FEBRUARY 2 Issue #2 on sale FEBRUARY 16 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
I'm getting a Trinity flashback. The forgettable weekly series starring DC's big three that only seemed to exist because DC loves the publishing format? Except this is a video game adaptation running concurrently with two other bi-weekly series? Ouch.
JLA/THE 99 #5
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA & STUART MOORE Art by TOM DERENICK & DREW GERACI Cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA

The first-ever meeting between DC Comics’ JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and Teshkeel Comics’ the 99 continues as both super teams witness the experimental “City of Tomorrow” literally transformed from the world’s greatest hope into a deadly threat to world peace! As Dr. Ramzi’s dream of global harmony melts before their eyes, can the united 99 and JLA reverse the damage?

On sale FEBRUARY 23 • 5 of 6 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US
Another cover appearance by JMS Wonder Woman. Expect fewer of those in the relatively near future.
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #53
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM Art and cover by JERRY BINGHAM Indebted to a super-powered team called The Zhuguan, Bruce Wayne repays the life-altering favor they bestowed upon him by joining their ranks against their most deadly foe! Marc Guggenheim (JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA) and classic Batman artist Jerry Bingham (BATMAN: SON OF THE DEMON) present “Super-Powers” part 4 of 5!

On sale FEBRUARY 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
So this thing is still going on, presumably with the retro JLofA back-ups. The art inside wasn't as bad as the covers, but still a far cry from Bingham's best.
SUPERMAN #708
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI & CHRIS ROBERSON Art by EDDY BARROWS & J.P. MAYER Cover by JOHN CASSADAY 1:10 Variant cover by TREVOR HAIRSINE

Superman meets the new Wonder Woman for the first time! But why can’t he shake the feeling that he already knows her? The Man of Steel will have to figure that out later, as the two heroes have their hands full defending Omaha, Nebraska from the evil Keres, a supernatural force determined to rid the town (and the world!) of all Amazons – and they’re not too crazy about Kryptonians, either.Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers.

Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. On sale FEBRUARY 9 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US
Gee, this cover looks familiar. Seems JMS was blowing deadlines like crazy for his overhyped, rightly criticized pretentious new directions. Now he's dumped all his monthly work to write one Superman graphic novel, and hired guns get to slog through his boring new directions based on "story notes." What a turd.
DC COMICS PRESENTS: WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by ERIK LUKE Art by YANICK PAQUETTE, BOB MCLEOD and DOUG HAZLEWOOD Cover by ADAM HUGHES

Superman and Batman guest-star in these tales pulled from WONDER WOMAN #139-142, featuring art by Yanick Paquette (BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT). But is even this “World’s Finest” team enough to save Wonder Woman from the manipulations of the villainous Oblivion!

On sale FEBRUARY 9 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US On sale FEBRUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Eric Luke fell right off the map after this run, huh? I wasn't as bad as Byrne's, but he hasn't exactly been missed. I cannot for the life of me remember what this story was about, other than it continued Diana's chaste one-way affair with Superman. Ugh.
The Art of Vintage DC Comics: 100 Postcards
For more than 70 years, DC Comics has been entertaining children and adults alike. Here, for the first time, is the chronological account of the adventures of both the characters and the company that created them. The DC Chronicle Year by Year traces DC's fascinating story: the company's beginnings as National Allied Publications in the 1934, and its subsequent change to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1937. The book details all the major DC publishing landmarks and more, displayed clearly, month by month.

Highlighting the debuts of Superman and Batman, the geniuses that invented them, and the real-life events-like the Vietnam War, the atom bomb, the Space Race-that shaped the atmosphere of the times, DC Chronicle Year by Year follows the characters' foray into the real world through TV series and blockbuster movies.

Features original cover art by well-known DC artist Ryan Sook and a foreword by Paul Levitz, who was president of DC Comics from 2002 - 2009.
DC Comics Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, these 100 all-different postcards feature the incredible art of DC's comic book covers from the 1930s through the 1980s.
DC Comics Final Crisis [Audio CD]
The novelization of the superhero event starring Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the heroes and villains of the DC Comics Universe Victorious at long last against his enemies on the world of New Genesis, Darkseid has unleashed the forces of Apokolips on Earth. With the secret of the Anti- Life Equation at his command, Darkseid now possesses the ability to eradicate all free will from humanity-and usher in an end to the age of super heroes. Facing an ever growing army of mindless slaves and corrupted heroes, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the remnants of the Justice League of America find themselves consumed by the ever spreading darkness. They remain humanity's only hope-the only light that will not be extinguished in the world's darkest hour.

Copyright (p) & © 2010 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters, their distinctive likenesses, and related elements are trademarks of DC Comics.
MSRP: $19.99
All these 75th anniversary items they've been leaving Wonder Woman off of, but here she is on the adaptation of a mini-series she had little to do in. Artemis
YOUNG JUSTICE #1
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO Art and cover by MIKE NORTON

Based on the highly anticipated, all-new hit animated show from Warner Bros. debuting in January on Cartoon Network! It’s moving-in day for Superboy and Miss Martian as they choose their rooms at their new headquarters! But the Boy of Steel is haunted by the Cave’s memories and strange visions of his past…

On sale FEBRUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
I realize this is really the second issue, but why bother with a #0 scheme if your #1 is going to carry such a weak cover? Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark)
RED ROBIN #20
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA Art and cover by MARCUS TO & RAY MCCARTHY

Red Robin finally combines forces with his former teammates in a 2-issue crossover with TEEN TITANS that kicks off right here! Is there even enough room for Tim Drake and Damian Wayne – the new Robin – on one team? Meanwhile, Catman and the Calculator have their own agendas for this highly anticipated reunion! Don’t miss the pulse-pounding second part in this month’s TEEN TITANS #92!

On sale FEBRUARY 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Do I detect the faint aroma of cameo?
TEEN TITANS #92
Written by J.T. KRUL Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT & DOUG HAZLEWOOD

In part 2 of the action-packed RED ROBIN/TEEN TITANS crossover, all the players are finally together, but the secrets they’re about to learn may be too much for the team to handle. When all is said and done, which Robin will remain with the team as a full-fledged Titan? Continued from this month’s RED ROBIN #20!
On sale FEBRUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Indeed! And not only in Red Robin!
OUTSIDERS #37

Written by DAN DIDIO Art by KEITH GIFFEN & MICK GRAY Cover by PHILIP TAN

“Reign of Doomsday” roars on from the pages of January’s STEEL #1! In Markovia, the Eradicator struggles in battle against the murder-machine known as Doomsday! It’s a fight to the death with the lives of Geo-Force, Katana, the Looker, Halo and the Olympian all hanging in the balance! Don’t miss this brutal chapter as the “Reign of Doomsday” storyline stomps toward an explosive summer event! Meanwhile, under arrest by the U.S. government, Black Lightning and his Outsiders team find their backs against the wall as they’re forced to choose between a lifetime of imprisonment or leading an invasion of their former home base in Markovia!

On sale FEBRUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Only the Steel special was mentioned, but note Cassie to the bottom left of the cover. I guess WONDER GIRL #1
 will be a stealth tie-in...
TINY TITANS #37
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR It’s a Shazam Family super special! Mary Batson makes her way to the tree house for a Pet Club meeting with her adorable talking tiger! That’s right! A big, talking tiger named Tawky Tawny who wears a suit and tie and a pair of glasses! Guest-starring Freddie, Hoppy and Billy, too!

On sale FEBRUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Wonder Girl (Donna Troy)
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #53
Written by JAMES ROBINSON Art by BRETT BOOTH & NORM RAPMUND Cover by BRETT BOOTH 1:10 Variant cover by DAVID MACK

“The Rise of Eclipso” begins here as the dark energies that have surrounded Earth are harnessed once more to usher in the great Lord of Darkness! And it looks like the corruption of all mankind starts with the members of the Justice League! When things go dark, which teammate poses the greatest threat to mankind – Obsidian or Jade?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. On sale FEBRUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
I'm a fan of Eclipso, especially in bare-chested "God of Vengeance" mode, but I have 0 confidence in this creative team pulling off that level of darkness or scheming. I-Ching
BATMAN #707
Written by TONY DANIEL Art and cover by TONY DANIEL

Batman uncovers the secrets of Gotham City’s founding fathers and the secrets hidden within the city’s foundation. In a captivating turn of events, The Dark Knight finds that he alone holds the key to stopping the cataclysmic events that loom over Gotham. Don’t miss this stunning finale guest-starring I-Ching and Peacock, a spectacular new heroine from the Far East!

On sale FEBRUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Oh hell-- I dropped this listing, only to see I-Ching return for the big bow.

Backlist
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
Behind the amazing tales of legendary super heroes is the equally amazing story of the company that told them. So many heroes, so many stories to tell--stories of DC Comics' 75 years of challenges, creativity and triumph. This DC Comics Original Documentary is both a compelling insider's tale and a celebration seen through the inkwell of those who created and lived it, balanced with insights from key historians and filled with interviews, archival footage and a dazzling parade of riveting and splashy DC covers. From the bans to the breakthroughs, from humble pulp beginnings to the literary rise of the graphic novel, the story holds a mirror to an ever-evolving enterprise and the society reflected in its comic book pages. It's an American story.
I haven't seen this yet. Thoughts?

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