On Sale This Week (03/28)

ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL 5 TP NEW PRINTING
The Story: NOW INCLUDES THE EPIC X-MEN/ALPHA FLIGHT LIMITED SERIES! The X-Men face off with some of their greatest foes in this all-new edition – including the Juggernaut, Doctor Doom and the Hellfire Club’s newest recruits, the Hellions – and team up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, Power Pack and more! Featuring the first appearances of Forge and Nimrod, and a chapter from the legendary SECRET WARS II crossover! Plus: Parts I and II of Claremont and Windsor-Smith’s unforgettable epic, "Lifedeath." Collects UNCANNY X-MEN #180-198, X-MEN ANNUAL #8 and X-MEN/ALPHA FLIGHT #1-2.
632 PGS./ Rated T+…$16.99

Last printing pictured

Okay, this is an interesting book since it collects a bunch of X-Men comics AND the X-Men/Alpha Flight mini, but what I really want to know is WHERE THE HECK IS VOL.3's NEW PRINTING ? We got Volumes 2 and 4 a while back and now we get the fifth one, but Volume 3 is nowhere to be seen. For those of you who didn't know it yet, Marvel started putting out new printings of the first five Essential X-Men books. The main "raison d'être" of these new printings was to move the Annual issues from one volume to the other so that they are placed in chronological order of publication between the regular issues. They also added new content when they had enough space. If I remember correctly, the whole thing went something like this :

OP : Old Printing NP: New Printing
Volume 2 OP collects #120-145
Volume 2 NP collects #120-144 and Annuals #3-4

Volume 3 OP collects #145-161 and Annuals #3-5
Volume 3 NP IS NOT OUT YET

Volume 4 OP collects #162-179 and Annual #6
Volume 4 NP collects #162-179, Annual #7 and God Loves, Man Kills GN

Volume 5 OP collects #180-198 and Annual #7-8
Volume 5 NP collects #180-198, Annual #8 and X-Men/Alpha Flight

So if everything goes according to plan, the new printing of Volume 3 should collect issues #145-161, Annuals #5-6 (#6 being currently unavailable) and maybe a mini-series. I've been waiting for it ever since Volume 2 was reprinted a couple of years ago and sadly, it doesn't seem to be in Marvel's upcoming publishing schedule. As far as I know, they'll wait until they sell out of the book before going on with the new printing. Anyway, let's get back to this week's book.

The issues collected in Essential X-Men Vol.5 are not classics and are far from being the best the series has had. These are no "Dark Phoenix Saga" or "Days of Future Past", but they should please the X-Men's fans and appeal to anyone who's interested in Marvel's mutants, or in Canada's own super-hero team, Alpha Flight.

Confirmed : June's Essentials and Showcase Presents

Yesterday and today, DC and Marvel respectively announced their black and white reprints for June 2007. Not much surprises here since DC made public its summer publication schedule a while back and Marvel's books were on Amazon.com a few days ago. Anyway, June is shaping up the be a pretty solid month with interesting collections from each brand. Showcase Presents Batgirl alone makes it a month to look forward to. Add in a new Marvel Two-In-One and two heroes from space and you've got a great lineup.


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BATGIRL VOL. 1 TP
Written by John Broome and others
Art by Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane and others
Cover by Infantino & Murphy Anderson
In these fast-paced, fun stories collected from the pages of BATMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS and more, Batgirl learns from the Dynamic Duo what it takes to battle evil in the streets of Gotham City while taking on a string of unforgettable foes!
Advance-solicited; on sale July 11 • 552 pg, B&W, $16.99 US


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 1 TP
Written by Jack Miller and others
Art by Joe Certa and others
Cover by Certa
Collecting stories from the late 1950s starring this charter member of the Justice League of America! Adopting the Earthly identity of Police Detective John Jones, the super-hero known as the Martian Manhunter uses his incredible strength, shape-shifting abilities and other powers to combat crime!
Advance-solicited; on sale July 25 • 544 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 2
The Story: Cosmic calamities, espionage, black magic, time travel, alien gangsters and martial-arts madness: Benjamin J. Grimm can handle it all, but he won't have to face it alone! Stars old and new shine when the thunderous Thing joins them against many of the most magnificent menaces the Marvel Universe can offer! Invasions, impersonations, assassinations and transformations! Plus: when heroes play poker! Guest-starring Captain America, Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, the Black Panther, Moon Knight, Spider-Woman and more! Collecting MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #26-52 and ANNUAL #2-3.
568 PGS./Rated A …$16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2758-5
ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$16.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-1729-6)

ESSENTIAL SILVER SURFER VOL. 2
The Story: After years of Earthbound exile, the Silver Surfer soars the seas of space once more and finds plenty of peril awaiting when the Elders of the Universe try something new: all-out war on Galactus! Plus: space piracy, intergalactic war, doppelgangers and the Surfer caught in an interstellar love triangle! Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, the Eternals, and Annihilation's Ronan and Super-Skrull! Plus: a rare glimpse of a path not traveled on an alternate Earth! Collecting SILVER SURFER (1982) #1, SILVER SURFER (1987) #1-18 and ANNUAL #1, and MARVEL FANFARE #51.
584 PGS./Rated T+ …$16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2700-3
ESSENTIAL SILVER SURFER VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$16.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-2008-4)

On Sale This Week (03/21)

Considering the book published this week, I'll take this opportunity to give a shout out to the guys over at Raging Bullets, one of the best comics podcasts out there. For those of you who don't know about it yet, Raging Bullets is a one of a kind show focusing on DC Comics publications. The hosts, Jim and Sean, offer great in-dept reviews of monthlies, trades and, you guessed it, Showcase Presents. I owe them a lot since the show helped me a great deal during my discovery of the DC universe. Those who listen to the show already know Sean is one of the biggest Hawkman fan alive, so I have no doubt he'll be enjoying this week new Showcase Presents volume. Without further ado, here's the book and don't forget to give Raging Bullets a listen !

SHOWCASE PRESENTS HAWKMAN VOL 1
Written by Gardner Fox and Bob Haney; Art by Joe Kubert, Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino and others; Cover by Joe Kubert

In this fantastic volume filled with over 500 pages of classic 1960s stories, Hawkman and Hawkgirl face menaces including the Shadow Thief and Matter Master, and team up with Adam Strange and Aquaman!

DC Universe | 560pg. | B&W | Softcover | $16.99 US

Haunted Tank Vol.1 First Look Review

Okay, so I have read the first 200 or so pages of this book and I have to get a couple of things off my chest. First of all, I freckin' love war comics. I always did and I always will. Comics capture the war genre perfectly and The Haunted Tank is no exception. This series follows the crew of a small M-3 as they go from mission to mission, gunning down planes, tanks and anything else from the axis with the help of their leader's namesake, the ghost of former war hero Jeb Stuart.

Sadly, this ghost concept is the main flaw of the book. Many of the stories I've read thus far rely too heavily on this plot device to solve whatever problem the Haunted Tank runs into. Every tale has the same frame. The crew goes on a mission and face incredible odds, only to see Jeb Stuart's ghost intervene and solve the whole thing. This makes the stories look very similar to one another, which can get boring, especially when you read a couple of tales back to back. It rapidly becomes repetitive and you find yourself wanting for changes in the storytelling.

Artwise, the book is simply stunning. Russ Heath and Joe Kubert both did a great job at recreating the war zone settings and both are incredible at drawing war machines. If the writing part of the book is not perfect, its art nearly is and I have nothing bad to say about it.

After having gotten through a third of the book, I've come to the conclusion that it is best when read in small chunks. By doing this, you can avoid getting burned out on the repetitive storytelling while still enjoying the good parts of these stories. And believe me, there's a lot to be enjoyed.

Grade Thus Far : B-

Rumor Mill : August Essentials

Marvel's collected editions for August 2007 are up on Amazon.ca. It definitely looks like the "2 Essentials a month" program is back on track. Yay !

ESSENTIAL DAZZLER VOL.1
Disco may be dead, but Marvel's dynamic diva never says "die!" Beginning as a co-star with the X-Men and Spider-Man, Alison Blaire moved into a world of villains new and old, facing gangsters, gods and Galactus without skipping a beat! Plus: the Inhumans, the Hellfire Club and Project: PEGASUS! World saving, space travel, intrigue and romance in the ultimate disco mix! Guest-starring most of Marvel's heroes, including Spider-Woman and She-Hulk! Collects Dazzler #1-21, Uncanny X-Men #130-131 and Amazing Spider-Man #203

X-Men + Disco + Marvel in the 70's = I'm so going to get this !

ESSENTIAL SPIDER-WOMAN VOL.2
The first part of Spider-Woman's career concludes as her collection of challenges and crises is completed! Some of Marvel's most stupendous scribes set the heroine against Morgan le Fay, the Viper, Gypsy Moth and other fearsome foes, forgotten or otherwise! Plus: the first appearances of X-Factor's Siryn and X-Force's Caliban! But after tearing through a gauntlet of magicians, mad scientists, murder and mystery, what final fate awaits the webbed wonder? Guest-starring Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men and the Werewolf! Collects Spider-Woman #26-50, Marvel Team-Up #97 and Uncanny X-Men #148

I don't think I'll get this one. I love the current Spider-Woman in New Avengers, but I have very little interest in her old ongoing series.

On Sale This Week (03/14)

Once again, don't expect any Showcase or Essential to show up at your local comics shop this week because there won't be any. For the second time in less than a month, DC and Marvel give us readers a week to catch up on some old stuff. Not a bad thing for me considering it'll give me time to write new reviews.

Essential Moon Knight Vol.1 Review

Content
Werewolf By Night #32-33 (August 1975 - September 1975)
Marvel Spotlight #28-29 (June 1976 - August 1976)
Marvel Two-In-One #52 (June 1979)
The Spectacular Spider-Man #22-23 (September 1978 - October 1978)
Moon Knight #1-10 (November 1980 - August 1981)
536 pages
$16.99

Writers
Steven Grant
Bill Mantlo
Doug Moench

Artists
Gene Colan
Jim Craig
Jim Mooney
Don Perlin
Keith Pollard
Bill Sienkiewicz
Mike Zeck

Overall Review

Former mercenary Marc Spector lives an unsual kind of life. By day, he switches between his three personalities : himself, Jake Lockley a cab driver and Steven Grant a playboy millionaire. By night, all three blend into the mysterious Moon Knight. Not unlike its star character, Essential Moon Knight blends many genres, from straightforward super hero to horror. The end result is a thing of its own...

The book starts off with a couple of generic super hero tales, beginning with Moon Knight's first appearance in Werewolf By Night #32. Honestly, these first few stories aren't something to write home about. Most of them use standard team-up plots in which Moon Knight could be replaced by any other Marvel hero. Don't get me wrong, these issues are not bad. In fact they're pretty entertaining reads. But they're nothing like what comes later in the book.

The fun really starts when Moon Knight moves to The Hulk! magazine, starring in its very own feature. No more team-ups, only Marc Spector, his many alter-egos and his supporting cast. Being free of the comics code authority, Doug Moench crafts darker stories, much more horror oriented than what came before. The arrival of Bill Sienkiewicz on art, also has much to do with the switch of mood in Moon Knight's adventures. The man can draw dark and gritty stuff like no other and his work is one of the highlights of this collection. I don't think these issues would be as good as they are without Mr. Sienkiewicz amazing art. All those changes bring out the best of the character and offer some truly great stories, the two-parts "Night Born Ten Years Gone" being one of the best. After his magazine run, Moon Knight moves on to its own ongoing series without missing a single beat. The creative team keeps on going strong until the end of this volume, which leaves the reader wanting more.

Essential Moon Knight should appeal to both super hero fans and horror fans as the book blends both genres perfectly. Even if the book started off pretty weak, it got better and better, leaving me eagerly waiting for a second volume once I turned the last page.

Grade : B+

source : www.comicbookdb.com

Home Sweet Home

I'm finally back from a week long trip at my parents'. I've had a great time, but I haven't done that much reading so it'll probably be a day or two before I post new reviews here. I guess that's one of the hassle of being a slow reader. Now that I'm thinking about it, if any of you would like to voice your opinion on a Showcase or Essential book, just send me a review at blackandwhitewonder@gmail.com and I'll happily post it here with credits and all. You can also use this address to send news, related links or comments, all of which would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise I'll be back tomorrow with some thoughts on Moon Knight !

Upcoming Showcase Presents Schedule

Here's a roundup of the upcoming Showcase Presents books (confirmed by DC Comics)

June
The Atom Vol.1 (June 13th)
Batman Vol.2 (June 27th)

July
Batgirl Vol.1 (July 11th)
Martian Manhunter Vol.1 (July 25th)

August
Adam Strange Vol.1 (August 8th)
Wonder Woman Vol.1 (August 22nd)

September
Batman and The Outsiders Vol. 1 (September 12th)
Captain Carrot Vol.1(September 26th)

October
The Great Disaster Featuring The Atomic Knights Vol.1 (TBD)
Metal Men Vol.1 (TBD)

November
Secret Society of Super-Villains Vol.1 (TBD)
Suicide Squad Vol.1 (TBD)

On Sale This Week (03/07)

I'm currently on vacation so this post will be pretty short. I'll be back with regular coverage on Saturday March 10th.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL 2
Written and illustrated by Various; Cover by Nick Cardy

Do you dare to enter the House of Mystery? This value-priced collection includes stories from HOUSE OF MYSTERY #195-211. These fantastic black-and-white tales of mystery and suspence from the 1970s feature thrilling stories with surprise twist endings that will keep readers on the edges of their seats!

ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 3 TP NEW PTG
The Story: This volume collects perhaps the greatest of the legendary Fantastic Four stories – including the first-ever appearances of the Black Panther, the Inhumans, the Negative Zone, and the Silver Surfer and Galactus. Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #41-63 and ANNUAL #3-4.
520 PGS./All Ages …$16.99