Showcase Presents for December 2007

DC Comics finalized their fall publishing schedule by announcing their plans for December 2007 on Newsarama. Once again, I'm really pleased by the Showcase Presents offerings as both are new volumes of two great series.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: JONAH HEX VOL. 2
Writers: Michael Fleischer, John Albano and David Michelinie
Artists: George Moliterni, Bill Draut, Luis Dominguez, Ernie Chua, José Luis García-López, Oscar Novelle, Tony DeZuñiga, Romeo Tanghal, Vicente Alcazar, Danny Bulanadi, Rich Buckler, Dick Giordano and Val Mayerik
Collects: JONAH HEX #1-22 and stories from WEIRD WESTERN TALES #34-38
$16.99 U.S., 528 pages

Jonah Hex Vol.1 is without a doubt my favorite Showcase Presents thus far. The art is amazing and the western stories are some of the best the medium ever witnessed. If you haven't got it yet, be sure to buy it on your next visit to your LCS. Otherwise, don't forget to pre-order this book as I'm pretty sure it'll fly off the shelves.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: TEEN TITANS VOL. 2
Writers: Mike Friedrich, Bob Haney, Neal Adams, Steve Skeates, Marv Wolfman and Robert Kanigher
Artists: Gil Kane, Neal Adams, Nick Cardy, George Tuska, Carmine Infantino, Sal Amendola, Dick Dillin, Jim Aparo, Wallace Wood and Joe Giella
Collects: TEEN TITANS #19-36, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #83 and 94 and WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #205
$16.99 U.S., 520 pages

I've heard a lot of good things about this series but I've yet to read it. I probably won't pre-order the new volume, but I'll definitely give this series a try once I find a bit of breathing room in my readings.

Showcase Presents for November 2007

DC Comics is on a roll! After announcing their September and October collected editions schedules last week, they published their November one this morning. As usual, two Showcase Presents books are coming out that month, one of which I can't wait to get my hands on...

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Gerry Conway, David Kraft, Bob Rozakis and Paul Levitz
Artists: Pablo Marcos, Rich Buckler, Arvell Jones, Dick Ayers, Mike Vosburg, Ric Estrada, Bob Smith, Vince Colletta, Bob Layton, Joe Rubinstein, Bob McLeod, Jack Abel, Romeo Tanghal, Joe Orlando, Frank McLaughlin, Ernie Chua and others
Collects: THE SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #1-15, DC SPECIAL #27, DC SPECIAL SERIES #6, SUPER-TEAM FAMILYI #13 and 14, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #166-168 and a story from CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE #2
$16.99 U.S., 520 pages

Comment if you have read any of this before because all I know about this series is that it features a team of super-villains. And that's because I read it in the title. Clever, huh?


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUICIDE SQUAD VOL. 1 TP
Writers: John Ostrander, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Paul Kupperberg
Artists: Luke McDonnell, Keith Giffen, Erik Larsen, Dave Hunt, Karl Kesel, Bob Lewis, Al Gordon and Malcolm Jones III
Collects: SUICIDE SQUAD #1-18, the DOOM PATROL AND SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL, and a story from JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #13
$16.99 U.S., 528 pages

Now this is what I'm talking about. Since the start of the Showcase Presents line, I was hoping to see this kind of book published. It's from the 80's, has a great reputation amongst comics fandom and features the work of some of my favorite creators (Giffen, DeMatteis and Ostrander). November won't come fast enough...

Source : newsarama.com

Rumor Mill: Essentials for October 2007

Amazon.ca published a tentative list of Marvel trades for October 2007. Only one Essential is in it so far, but it's one I've been looking fowards to ever since the first volume of the series came out. As usual, this is to be taken with a grain of salt as nothing has been confirmed by Marvel yet.

Essential Moon Knight Vol.2

Black Spectre, Stained Glass Scarlet, the White Crusader, all pale before the light of the Moon Knight! The Fist of Khonshu dives headfirst into third world terrorism, costumed clownery and cold-blooded cultists with their hearts set on the blood of his long-time co-star, Werewolf by Night! Also guest-starring Daredevil, the Thing and Brother Voodoo! Plus Marc Spector's mercenary missions and the mysteries of the Moon God himself! Featuring behind-the-scenes secrets of Moon Knight's creation and supporting art by some of the industry's best, past and present! Collects Moon Knight #11-30.

On Sale This Week (05/30)

Once again, there'll be nothing new on the racks this week as far as Essentials and Showcase Presents are concerned. I can't think of anything black and white to recommend, so read whatever you feel like!

Round of Reviews (Updated)

As usual, here's a couple of reviews found on the net in the recent days.

• Less than stellar review of The War That Time Forgot on Bookgasm.com
• A more favorable SP: The War That Time Forgot review from Silver Bullet Comics reviews.
• From the same website, a review of SP: Superman Vol.3
• Thoughts on Essential Wolverine Vol.1 by Doc Bleechen on the CGS forums
  

Showcase Presents for October 2007

There are weeks when there's so many announcements that I can't seem to keep up with them. Monday DC published their September solicitations, Tuesday Marvel published theirs and yesterday DC confirmed their collected editions for October. The Great Disaster Showcase Presents will officially be published, as will be a Metal Men one, though not much info was given on the latter.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE GREAT DISASTER FEATURING THE ATOMIC KNIGHTS TP
Writers: John Broome, Jack Kirby, Gerry Conway, David Michelinie, Cary Bates, Sheldon Mayer, David Kraft, Paul Levitz, Steve Skeates, Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Len Wein, Robin Snyder, Mike Bentley, George Kashdan, Wyatt Gwyon, Paul Kupperberg, Roger McKenzie, Jack Oleck and Elliott S. Maggin
Artists: Murphy Anderson, Jack Kirby, José Luis García-López, Walter Simonson, Pablo Marcos, Mike Nasser, Alex Saviuk, Vicitan, Bill Draut, Alfredo Alcala, Jack Sparling, Rich Buckler, Howard Chaykin, A.B. Magpali, Howard Bender, J.M. Matucenio, Steve Ditko, Buddy Generale, Paul Kirchner, Jeff Aclin, Frank Miller, Alex Niño, Curt Swan, Danny Bulanadi, Wallace Wood, D. Bruce Berry, Andy Mushynsky, Frank McLaughlin, Bob Layton, Bob Smith, Steve Mitchell, Bob Oksner, Terry Austin, Joe Rubinstein, Vince Colletta, Tex Blaisdell, Bob Wiacek, and Danny Bulanadi
Collects: FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL #1, HERCULES UNBOUND #1-10, SUPERMAN #295, DC COMICS PRESENTS #57, and stories from KAMANDI #43-46, STRANGE ADVENTURES #117, 120, 123, 126, 129, 132, 135, 138, 141, 144, 147, 150, 153, 156 and 160, WEIRD WAR TALES #22, 23, 30, 32, 40, 42-44, 46-49, 51-53, 64, 68, 69 and 123, HOUSE OF MYSTERY #318, HOUSE OF SECRETS #86, 95, and 97, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #215 and 221, and THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS #12.
$16.99 U.S., 576 pages

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: METAL MEN TP
Writers: Robert Kanigher and Bob Haney
Artists: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito and Ramona Fradon & Charles Paris
Collects: SHOWCASE #37-40, METAL MEN #1-15 and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #55
$16.99 U.S., 528 pages

Showcase Presents for September 2007

Back when the Showcase Presents line started, people were speculating on whether DC Comics were going to stick to collecting pre-1976 comics to avoid paying royalty fees to the creators of the original material. I didn't know much about the whole thing, but all this talk had me and many other fans worried. Well guys, worry no more...


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS VOL. 1
Written by Mike W. Barr and Marv Wolfman
Art by Jim Aparo, George Pérez, Bill Willingham and others
Cover by Aparo

In this hard-hitting, value-packed volume, witness Batman's formation of the original Outsiders! Metamorpho, Black Lightning, Katana, Halo and Geo-Force star in these stories from BATMAN & THE OUTSIDERS #1-19, BRAVE & BOLD #200 and NEW TEEN TITANS #16!

on sale September 12 o 552 pg, $16.99 US

I'm so getting this. I love Batman, I love 80's comics and all the talk about *spoiler* Batman leading the Outsiders once again *spoiler* has me very interested about that era's Outsiders.


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: CAPTAIN CARROT VOL. 1
Written by Roy Thomas, E. Nelson Bridwell and others
Art by Mike Sekowsky, Scott Shaw, Alfredo Alcala and others
Cover by Shaw, Bob Smith & Ross Andru

Experience the adventures of Captain Carrot and his Zoo-Crew battle Frogzilla, the Armordillo, the alien Bunny from Beyond and many more in this volume collecting NEW TEEN TITANS #16 and CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE ZOO CREW #1-20!

on sale September 26 o 520 pg, $16.99 US

If any of you knows if this is any good, feel free to comment because I had never heard of this series before reading this solicitation.
source: dccomics.com

Upcoming Essentials

The Comic Geek Speak forums are always a great place to hang out and a wonderful resource for everything comics. Yesterday, one of the members of the boards posted a very interesting list of the upcoming Essentials books. Here it is for your own enjoyment.

Essential Spider-Woman, Vol. 2 (Marvel Essentials) by Michael Fleisher, J. M. DeMatteis, Chris Claremont, and Steve Leialoha (Paperback - Aug 8, 2007)

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

Essential Dazzler, Vol. 1 (Marvel Essentials) by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Marv Wolfman, and Tom DeFalco (Paperback - Aug 22, 2007)

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

Essential Daredevil Volume 4 TPB by Gerry Conway, Gary Friedrich, Steve Gerber, and Steve Englehart (Paperback - Sep 12, 2007)

Who else but Marvel would set up a robot from the future to play matchmaker for a femme fatale and the Man Without Fear? Mister Kline's android-laden efforts steer Daredevil and the Black Widow together for a trial whose tribulations could mean the end of the fabled Nelson and Murdock partnership! Then the redman and the lady in black relocate to the City of the Golden Gates, but that's not Cupid aiming at them: It's Hawkeye the Marksman! Plus sagas of savagery in South America, indestructible intrigue, and cosmic conflicts with both sides against the Earth! Also featuring the Purple Man, Electro, the Owl, the Gladiator and more from Daredevil's enclave of enemies! Guest-starring Spider-Man, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Avengers! Collecting Daredevil #75-101 and Avengers #111.

Essential Dr. Strange Volume 3 TPB (Essential) by Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner, Marv Wolfman, and Roy Thomas (Paperback - Sep 19, 2007)

After earning the title of Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange must defend his title, his life and his world against enemies old and new! Dormammu, Silver Dagger, Nightmare, Stygyro and more test Strange's sorcery and sanity! And after a civil war in the Dark Dimension, a summoning of sorcerers, a debacle with Dracula and the apparent annihilation of Earth, can the Master of Mystic Arts stand up to something...Stranger Yet? Guest-starring the Avengers, Blade the Vampire Hunter and Nighthawk of the Defenders! Collects Dr. Strange #1-29, Annual #1 and Tomb of Dracula #44-45.

Essential Punisher, Vol. 2 (Marvel Essentials) by Mike Baron, Roger Salick, Eliot R. Brown, and Ann Nocenti (Paperback - Sep 26, 2007)

Mobsters, terrorists, neo-Nazis, religious fanatics, armored killers, no one's too tough for the Punisher! Follow the trail of blood as Frank Castle's war on crime takes him across the country, south of the border, back to school and Down Under! Plus: The Man With Lots Of Guns vs. the Man Without Fear in a crossover with Daredevil! And who will live and die when the Punisher leads what might be the world's shortest-lived crime-fighting team against the Kingpin of Crime? With Typhoid Mary and a cameo by the X-Men! Collects Punisher #1-20, Annual #1 and Daredevil #257

Essential Moon Knight Volume 2 TPB by Doug Moench, Jack S. Harris, Steven Grant, and Alan Zelenetz (Paperback - Oct 24, 2007)

Black Spectre, Stained Glass Scarlet, the White Crusader, all pale before the light of the Moon Knight! The Fist of Khonshu dives headfirst into third world terrorism, costumed clownery and cold-blooded cultists with their hearts set on the blood of his long-time co-star, Werewolf by Night! Also guest-starring Daredevil, the Thing and Brother Voodoo! Plus Marc Spector's mercenary missions and the mysteries of the Moon God himself! Featuring behind-the-scenes secrets of Moon Knight's creation and supporting art by some of the industry's best, past and present! Collects Moon Knight #11-30.

A lot of great stuff coming out. Enjoy!!

Kevin

source: Kevin from the CGS forums

On Sale This Week (05/23)

Oh the pain, the agony... There'll be no new Essential or Showcase Presents published this week! I know, I know, it's almost unbearable. The thought of sitting by yourself, stuck to reading - ughhhhh - current stuff. I can almost hear you asking me "David, please, tell us what we could read to make it stop?". Well guys, since I'm a such a nice guy here's what you can do. On Wednesday go to your local comics-shop, buy the current books you were planning to get and set aside $7 for the wonderful black and white magazine that is Back Issue from TwoMorrows Publishing. All kidding aside, Back Issue has been my favorite comics-related mag for a good while now. In fact it's been ever since TwoMorrows gave away issue #18 for free last year. Based on what I know about the upcoming issue, it'll stay that way for at least another month:

In Back Issue 22: “Dynamic Duos”! Two “Pro2Pro” interviews reunite Batman’s ALAN GRANT and NORM BREYFOGLE and Legion of Super-Heroes’ PAUL LEVITZ and KEITH GIFFEN, while “Backstage Pass” takes you to Dark Horse Comics, courtesy of your hosts, MIKE RICHARDSON and RANDY STRADLEY. Also: Robin’s history from sidekick to solo star; KEVIN EASTMAN and PETER LAIRD’s groundbreaking collaboration on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; and histories of the dynamite duos of Robin and Batgirl, Captain America and the Falcon, and Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Plus: a bonus “Scott and Zot!” interview with the influential SCOTT McCLOUD. With a breathtaking Breyfogle cover starring everyone’s favorite Boy Wonder! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

For those of you who had never heard about that mag before, it focuses on comics from the 70's onwards, which is absolutely perfect for the SP and Essentials readers. You can find in its pages in-dept articles about series of that era, interviews with or between high-profile creators and behind-the-scenes looks at you favorite comic-book runs. Honestly, Back Issue has constantly been one of the best comics magazines on the racks and is well worth the $7 it'll cost you. You can find more info on Back Issue Mag and other great TwoMorrows publications on the publisher's website.

Quick Look: Showcase Presents The Flash

I got my hands on the all-new Showcase Presents Flash book and, after verification, it does include Showcase Presents #4. For those of you who have never heard of it, this issue is considered by many to be the birth of the silver age of comics.

Even if the art seems so-so at times, as Chris from The ISB reported at the end of his weekly reviews, the book looks VERY interesting . So interesting in fact that my girlfriend took the time to flip through it and said it looked like fun, much more than any of my other Showcase books. Now, how could I argue against my girlfriends thrusty seal of approval?

I'm going to sink my teeth into this volume and get back to you for a more meaty review. Until then, here are some readers comments from the book's topic on the Marvel Masterworks message boards.

Various Reviews of Showcase Presents

Everybody loves Showcase Presents! Not convinced? Check out these reviews from all over the web...

Showcase Presents Jonah Hex on rpg.net

Showcase Presents Jonah Hex on sequart.com

Showcase Presents Superman Vol.1 on SilverBulletComicBooks.com

Showcase Presents Superman Vol.1 on revolutionsf.com

Quick reviews of various Showcase Presents books on FreakyTrigger.co.uk

Chris of the Invicible Super Blog posts, once again, about The War That Time Forgot

Rumor Mill : Showcase Presents The Great Disaster

The following was posted byTickTock1 on the DC Comics message boards and reported by HighlandRay on the Marvel Masterworks message boards. Thanks to both of them for the info!

Greetings from the UK!

I attended the Bristol Comic Book Convention this weekend where Bob Wayne was kind enough to point this out as one of the new Showcase titles set for late '07-early '08. The Great Disaster book will cover the tales of the Atomic Knights, the Hercules Unbound series as well as "other related stories". He seemed to smirk a bit as he said that, but it may have just been my imagination. As a graphic, he used one of the covers of the Hercules Unbound series.

I loved the Great disaster stories as a kid and will be looking forward to this. With all of the Atomic Knight stories and the Hercules Unbound together, that still leaves over a hundred pages available doesn't it? Maybe they'll slide in the original OMAC series as well. One can hope anyway.

On Sale This Week (05/16)

I've been waiting for this book for a long time.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE FLASH VOL. 1
Written by Robert Kanigher, John Broome and Gardner Fox; Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella and various; Cover by Infantino and Giella

Over 500 pages of classic adventures are included in this value-priced volume! The Fastest Man Alive stars in these fantastic tales from late 1950s and into the 1960s! This collection features The Flash in battle against the Mirror Master, the Trickster, Captain Cold and many other villains!

DC Universe 512pg. B&W Softcover $16.99 US

The Flash has always been one of my favorite characters of the DCU and I've always wanted to learn more about his past history. This, my friends, is the perfect opportunity to do so. I've been looking at this series' covers from that era to pump me up for this book and man, I couldn't be more excited than I am right now! I would've liked to have more info on the content of this volume to know if we'll be able to witness the birth of the silver age, but I guess we'll have to wait until wednesday to see what we'll sink our teeth into.

Essential OHOTMU Deluxe Edition Vol.1 Review

Content
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition #1-7
480 pages
$16.99

Writers
Mark Gruenwald
Peter Sanderson

Artists
Various

Overall Review

The concept of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is a fairly simple one to grasp. The brainchild of Jim Shooter and the late great Mark Gruenwald, this series catalogued alphabetically most of Marvel's characters, teams, organizations, places and weapons. Each item had an illustrated entry dedicated to it reporting its caracteristics, origin and history. The end result is almost 500 pages of some of the most wonderful resources material you'll ever find regarding the Marvel Universe.

Now, I won't lie to you. I haven't read this book from cover to cover. Unlike your typical Essential, OHOTMU Vol.1 is more of an encyclopedia and it is meant to be read as such, picking it up once in a while to answer some question or to learn more about the MU. Ever wondered how Cyclops' visor worked? Always wanted to learn more about the Atlanteans? Just open the book, find the entry of the item and there you have it! Sure the info is dated, but it is perfect for any Essential reader since it covers pretty much everything published so far in that format.

If I haven't read every single entry yet, I did read each of Mr. Gruenwald's text-pieces which can be found at the beginning and end of each issue. They give us a behind-the-scene look at the making of such a project and show the incredible amount of work those guys put into it. Without these texts, the book would've still been useful as reference material, but would've been a lot less entertaining and fun to read.

As far as the production quality goes, Essential OHOTMU Vol.1 is just great. First of all, it boast a brand new trade dress, one without the usual black "Essential" stripe on the left side of the front cover. This makes the wraparound, recolored cover look amazing. Inside, everything is crystal clear and the book is very easy to read despite the somewhat small font type used. With such a text heavy volume, it was absolutely necessary that the guys at Marvel did a good job on reproduction. Once again, they did not disappoint.

Overall, I'd say the Essential OHOTMU series is a worthy investment for any hardcore Marvel fan. It's a handy reference when exploring the silver and bronze ages of Marvel history and makes a great companion for any Essential fan wanting to learn more about the characters and events he reads about. Otherwise, it may not be worth it to get the whole series since most of the info is already easily and freely available on the net.

Grade : B

source : www.comicbookdb.com

Want Some Reviews?

Here's a bunch of reviews I found on the web in the last couple weeks. Since I can't seem to find the time post some of my own, I thought you'd appreciate. And yes, I'm a Rack Raids regular reader...

Essential Captain America Vol.3 on Rack Raids

Essential Ghost Rider Vol.2 on Rack Raids

Essential Man-Thing Vol.1 on Rack Raids

Essential Man-Thing and Showcase Presents Unkonwn Soldier by the Austin Chronicle

Showcase Presents Aquaman Vol.1 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents The Brave and The Bold Vol.1 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol.2 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents Hawkman Vol.1 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents House of Mystery Vol.2 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents Justice League of America Vol.2 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents Legion of Super-Heroes Vol.1 on Rack Raids

Showcase Presents Shazam Vol.1 on Rack Raids

And finally, why you need to buy Showcase Presents The War That Time Forgot according to BeaucoupKevin

On Sale This Week (05/09)

This week, Marvel's Essential Fantastic Four series starts a new era of FF history as the all-star team of Lee and Kirby part ways. The following stories are still worth a read, especially considering the new penciller is the great John Buscema. Not the best FF tales, but very strong ones nonetheless.

ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 6 TP
The Story: From the Monster from the Lost Lagoon to the Overmind from beyond the stars, menaces from across time and space converge on Earth's most fabulous foursome! A space angel of death! Future warrior women! The horrors of the 1950s! Plus: Doctor Doom, Diablo and Dragon Man! Guest-starring the Inhumans! Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #111-137.
592 PGS./All Ages …$16.99