WANNA READ SOMETHING REALLY SCARY?
It’s that time of year when the days get shorter; the nights get colder and houses are adorned with a festival of pumpkins and fake headstones. Lots of people rent the obligatory scary movie in anticipation of Halloween. This year we suggest curling up in front of the fire awaiting the inevitable ring of the doorbell with a horrifying tale in comic or graphic novel form.Check out our Halloween themed displays near the front of the store where you can find something appropriate for every age. Here’s a couple quick suggestions:
Bongo Comics has put out their annual Simpsons Treehouse of Horror #14. This year features some modern masters of horror comics Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and Glenn Fabry (Preacher) concocting a dread-filled tale of woe when a freak solar eclipse leads to an onslaught of vampire attacks in fictional town of Springfield; then Love and Rockets co-creator Gilbert Hernandez re-invents one of his favorite cult films, Frankenstein Conquers the World, featuring Homer Simpson as a
BUFFY #19 RELEASE UPDATED...AGAIN
- We just received an update on the lateness of Buffy Season 8 #19 from Dark Horse and thought we’d share it with the comic’s rabid fans:
- “The new release date will be November 26th. Due to the unfortunate nature of Joss Whedon’s extremely packed schedule, the issue ran much later than expected. The good news however, is that we will be returning the Buffy release date, to the first week of each month in short order.Issue #20 will have an on-sale date now of Dec 17th, while issue #21 will land on Jan 7th - thereby reestablishing Buffy release dates at the first of each month. In addition issue #20 is a one-shot and will land perfectly in time for last minute holiday shoppers by arriving one week before Christmas. Now who said Santa doesn’t have a soft spot for Vampires?”
NEW RELEASES FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2008
Highlights this week: We’ll be spotlighting different Halloween related titles until the end of the month and this week’s is the most unusual but also the most fun: Superman and Batman VS Vampires and Werewolves #1 (of 6) come on, you know you want to read it; the final part of A New Way of Dying concludes in Amazing Spider-Man #573 with a little help from Stephen Colbert, who also stars this week in Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #3; the New Krypton storyline begins in this week’s Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #1; Batman RIP continues this week in Batman and the Outsiders #12 and Robin #179; George Perez and Geoff Johns finally let us savor Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #2 (of 5); Also, we’ve got Final Crisis: Rogue’s Revenge #3 (of 3); Secret Invasion is a little bit better represented this week with Secret Invasion: Front Line #4 (of 5); Mighty Avengers #19; Guardians of the Galaxy #6, and Iron Man Director of SHIELD #34; J. Scott Campbell provides a beautiful cover image of Storm to X-Men: Worlds Apart #1 (of 4); the Ghostbusters return in a new miniseries from IDW The Other Side #1 (of 4) and a new manga graphic novel; Udon finally gives us the all-new Street Fighter II: Turbo #1; Devil’s Due begins their timely and also all-new Halloween: The First Death of Laurie Strode #1 (of 3); Zenescope brings us a new take on Re-Animator with the Chronicles of Dr. Herbert West #1 (of 6); the penultimate collection of Will Eisner’s iconic hero in The Spirit Archives Volume 25 hardcover and Aspen releases their first Soulfire comic since the untimely passing of it’s creator Michael Turner with Soulfire: Shadow Magic #0 (of 3)
Novelties this week: The Batman: Long Halloween Action Figure Collectors Set; Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs Assortment 200804; Marvel Minimates Iron Man Movie Assortment; Halo 3 Master Chief 12 Inch Action Figure; and the Umbrella Academy Umbrella (NOT a PROP!)
RARE X-MEN APPEARANCES NOW COLLECTED
It seems hard to believe these days but back in the 70’s there was a time period where there weren’t ANY new X-Men comics being published. The title was in reprints from issue #67 - 93. BUT the various X-Men DID make appearances in other Marvel Comics. Continuing the story of Marvel’s original mutant adventurers after their untimely cancellation, the new Marvel Masterworks X-Men Vol 7 hardcover brings you the rarest X-Men appearances collected together for the first time. Pushed undercover by mutant paranoia run amok, the Beast
MY NAME IS BRUCE -UPDATED-
Recently we mentioned in promoting the Dark Horse comic based on the new Bruce Campbell film My Name Is Bruce that there would be a special screening of the film, and an appearance by the film’s star, in Madison on December 3, but the venue had not yet been announced. We are happy to announce that the chosen venue is
STEVE RUDE MEETS HIS FANS
On Saturday, October 4 Westfield Comics hosted Madison native and Nexus co-creator Steve Rude where he was greeting by his fans. Rude answered the question more than a few times about when the next issue of Nexus would be shipping by indicating that the next issue will be resolicited soon and will be a single book that will contain the last two parts of the current Space Opera storyline originally scheduled for issues #101 and 102. A good time was had by all and Rude stayed well after our usual store hours to make sure that every book was signed and every commissioned piece was completed before leaving. A surprise guest appeared partly through the day when Comics Buyers Guide Senior Editor Maggie Thompson arrived to take pictures and interview Rude. Thompson indicated that the pictures and article would run in a near future issue of Comics Buyers Guide.
For those who couldn’t be there here a variety of pictures from the Steve Rude appearance:
WHO AND WHAT IS PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL?
- IDW Publishing is releasing a unique venture in the history of comics publishing: a pair of graphic biographies featuring the Presidential candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties.
- Presidential Material: Barack Obama and Presidential Material: John McCain take advantage of one of the true American art forms, the comic book, to explore the histories of both nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties. These biographies are carefully researched and realistically drawn depictions of the two men vying for what is arguably the most important job in the world: the Presidency of the United States of America. Thetitles will be available while supplies last as separate books as well as together in a softcover flipbook.
- Whitney Matheson blogger extraordinare for USA Today’s Pop Candy site who knows more than a little about good comics states after getting an advance look at the two books “I admit, when I heard IDW was publishing comic-book biographics of Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, I rolled my eyes.
- Sure, biographical comics have been done well before, but these seemed like a rushed idea. I read many more bad comics than good ones, and the concept sounded like another way to capitalize off the headlines.
- Here’s the surprise, though: Presidential Material: Barack Obama and John McCain are actually pretty compelling reads. They’re well-researched, appropriate for all ages and include information that may be new and useful to voters.”
NEW RELEASES FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008
Highlights this week: October’s counting down to Halloween so naturally we get treated to Marvel Zombies 3 #1 (of 4); the Brainiac storyline reaches its conclusion in Action Comics #870; Batman RIP continues in Detective Comics #849; the popular video game Gears of War becomes a Wildstorm comic; Secret Six #2 finally ships; Avengers Invaders #5 (of 12); the Stephen King double header of Dark Tower: Treachery #2 (of 6) and The Stand: Captain Trips #2 (of 6); Marvel begins adapting Orson Scott Cards’ Enders Game in Battle School #1 (of 5); a Serenity: Better Days softcover collection; creators Ernie Colón and Sid Jacobson all-new follow-up to their 9/11 Report Commission Report from 2006 titled After 9/11: America’s War on Terror; IDW’s Presidential Material one-shots for candidates Barack Obama and John McCain; the all-new Owly Collection Volume 5: Tiny Tales; and there’s always plenty more to choose from if those aren’t your style!
Novelties this week: Marvel Select Incredible Hulk Action Figure; Secret Files Series 3: Batman Rogues Gallery 2 Action Figures; the Barack Obama 6 Inch Action Figure ; the Star Wars Clone Wars Galactic Heroes Action Figures Assortment 200802 and Marvel Bronze Age Heroes 16 oz Glass Assortment 4 (Doctor Strange; Captain Marvel; Master of Kung Fu; X-Men; Thor and Hulk)
BUFFY #19 DELAYED UNTIL NOVEMBER
It was announced this past week by Dark Horse Comics that Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight #19 would be delayed until mid-November. Dark Horse has listed the new release date as November 12 on their website but our distributor has the date as November 19. Needless to say we will keep you informed. This is the first time that this top-selling title has been delayed by more than a week and although no official explanation has been given one has to look no further than creator Joss Whedon’s involvement with the new FOX television show Dollhouse, debuting in January, to realize that his hands are probably pretty full right now. Also, the editor of the Buffy comic Scott Allie hinted at the end of the issue #18 letters column that
ROBERT KIRKMAN GUARANTEES ON-TIME IN 2009
Starting this January, Robert Kirkman gives his books published by Image Comics the one thing fans have demanded for years - guaranteed ship dates. In a recent interview Kirkman said “That’s right, kids, this time it’s for real! Every single one of my Image titles - Walking Dead, Invincible, Astounding Wolf-Man and Brit - will now be guaranteed to ship by their solicited date. This isn’t an empty promise and I’ve taken that extra step of hiring