• The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Image Comics defend your freedom of speech with the Liberty Comics: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Benefit Book, a 32-page one-shot anthology with proceeds benefiting the CBLDF. Writers involved in the project include

Over 80 of the best creators from every style and genre have contributed over 50 stories to this anthology featuring tales inspired by the songs of multi-platinum recording artist, Tori Amos. Featuring an introduction by Neil Gaiman and an extensive roster of talent, Comic Book Tattoo encapsulates the breadth, depth, and beauty of modern comics in this coffee table format book.Full list of contributors include:

• The final seasons of the WB Kids series Teen Titans and The Batman were both released on DVD recently. Both series lasted five seasons and coincidently had lots of guest stars in their final seasons. The Teen Titans became a global team when fighting the Brother of Evil and The Batman saw appearances by Superman, The Flash and Green Arrow as they saw the need to team up and form the Justice League.
• Following is the complete listings of final season episodes for both shows:

Highlights this week include: Conan The Cimmerian #1 (Don’t forget to check out a Worlds of Westfield Timothy Truman exclusive interview here); the Howard the Duck Omnibus finally ships; Batgirl is back in her own six-issue mini-series; the recent acclaimed storyline Superman & The Legion of Super-Heroes is collected into a hardcover; a new edition of Matt Wagner’s Batman: Faces softcover; the first five issues plus extras are collected in the Angel: After the Fall Vol 1 hardcover; the first issue of the Spike: After The Fall #1 (of 4) mini-series; the future-pulp Elephantmen: War Toys softcover; the Method Man graphic novel with stunning art by Sanford Greene!

Toy & Novelty highlights this week include: Halo Series 2 Action Figure; Hellboy 2 Golden Army Series 1 Action Figures ; Star Wars Mighty Muggs 6 Inch Figure Revised Assortments, Star Wars X-Wing Fighter Easykit Model!

Whether you’re a fan looking for something new to try, or an industry professional who’d like to see what your peers are up to, take a look at the 2008 Harvey Awards Nominees.

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT

Complete Peanuts, Fantagraphics Books
Complete Terry and the Pirates, IDW
EC Archives, Gemstone
Popeye, Fantagraphics Books
Walt and Skeezix, Drawn & Quarterly

Having been dubbed the Summer of the Super Hero Movie, the summer ain’t over yet! The Dark Knight, the sequel to the hugely successful Batman Begins, which reinvented the Batman movie franchise in 2005, opens in theatres on Friday, July 18.

• The new movie has brought back the same creative talent as it’s predecessor and added a few new characters to amp up the mayhem.

• The Dark Knight opens with

Warner Home Video has finally released the short lived Birds of Prey TV series on DVD. From the creators of the CW hit Smallville, Birds of the Prey was produced in 2002 for the now defunct WB, but had only 13 episodes before cancellation.

Just because your favorite television program is canceled by a clueless televison executive doesn’t mean that the show is dead anymore. The second of four all-new direct-to-DVD adventures featuring the Futurama crew, The Beast with a Billion Backs picks up where its predecessor, Bender’s Big Score, left off

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• Please note: Due to the extended Independence Day Weekend new product normally being released on Wednesday, July 9 will instead be released on Thursday, July 10!
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• Highlights This Week: Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return to Marvel with the all-new Captain America: White #0; the first three issues of the sold out Hulk #1 -3 are collected in the Hulk: Red Hulk Must Have; Joss Whedon’s run on Runaways (#25 - 30) is collected in the Runaways: Dead End Kids Hardcover; Secret Invasion #4 (of 8); Ultimate Origins #2 (of 5); the all-new animated Batman: Gotham Knight DVD; Booster Gold #1,000,000; Final Crisis Requiem #1; New York Four (a new MINX title by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly); the infrequently shipping Berlin #16; the penultimate Bone Vol 8 Treasure Hunters Color Edition Hardcover AND Softcover; BPRD: The Warning #1 (of 5); the new issue of Comic foundry Magazine; The Goon #26 (with a special Eric Powell variant cover); the all-new Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods #1 (of 4); Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is now a graphic novel; TWO new Transformers titles from IDW: Transformers: All Hail Megatron #1 and Transformers Movie Prequel: Saga of Allspark #1, and finally Toyfare Magazine #133 (with a Skrull on the cover!)

Highlights for toys: Green Lantern Series 3 Action Figure and the Marvel Heroclix Fantastic Four Starter Set

When the movie HELLBOY, based on the Dark Horse Comic created by Mike Mignola, was released to theatres in the Spring of 2004 the movie was a surprise success. Since then, the film’s director Guillermo del Toro has joined Hollywood’s A-list of directors due to the success of his film Pan’s Labyrinth. Now, on Friday, July 11 HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY is being released to theatres. The sequel, also directed by del Toro and co-written by Mignola, involves an ancient war between humans and mythical creatures culminating in the creation of a crown that gives it’s wearer complete control over an unstoppable clockwork army.

As always, bring in your ticket stub to HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY and receive…