Press Release
DC COMICS TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT COPIES OF SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL 2 TP
In SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL. 2 TP (NOV070244), several pages from SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND LOIS LANE #2 were accidentally swapped.
DC Comics will provide retailers with new, corrected copies of this title in quantities equal to their orders to date on the current printing. Retailers will not be billed for these new copies. DC asks retailers to please dispose of any copies of SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL 2 TP they currently have on their shelves, and to accept returned copies from their customers in exchange for corrected copies.
The SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL 2 TP new printing is scheduled to arrive in stores on April 2. To differentiate it from the original printing, the logo on this cover will be red and white instead of red and yellow, and will arrive in stores under the item code JAN088359.
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DC COMICS INCREASES PAGE COUNT FOR SALVATION RUN #7
SALVATION RUN #7, the finale to the explosive DCU miniseries, will arrive in stores as a 40-page issue, with a cover price of $3.50 U.S.
In this issue, written by Matthew Sturges with art and cover by Sean Chen & Walden Wong and a variant cover by Neal Adams, the ultimate game of survival between the DCU’s villains reaches its dramatic end! Who will live? Who will die? Will anybody make it home?
Also, please note that the SALVATION RUN #7 VARIANT COVER was left out of the Previews Order Form. Retailers may order the SALVATION RUN #7 VARIANT COVER under the new item code JAN088283.
SALVATION RUN #7 (MAR080141) is solicited in the March Previews and is scheduled to arrive in stores on May 7.
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UPDATE ON INSTORE DATE AND PRICE FOR FAKER TP
The FAKER TP (DEC070292), originally solicited to arrive in stores on March 26 with a cover price of $9.99, is now scheduled to arrive in stores on April 16 with a cover price of $14.99.
Because of this change, this item will be made returnable at a later date.
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UPDATE ON INSTORE DATE AND PRICE FOR TRIALS OF SHAZAM! #12
The page count on TRIALS OF SHAZAM! #12 (JAN080191) has been increased from 32 to 40. This issue, originally solicited to arrive in stores on March 26 with a cover price of $2.99, is now scheduled to arrive in stores on April 2 with a cover price of $3.50.
Geoff Johns on DCU #0 & the future of the DCU:
I really think #0’s going to have a strong tone and set the stage for where we’re going to take the DC Universe. For me, #0 is the next phase, and a really damn good one.
We worked really hard to design it as an entry point to the DC Universe for anybody. Even though we’ve got complexities and histories and tons of characters, DC Universe #0 is really an entry point for everybody. We’re trying to make it a place for current readers and older readers who maybe haven’t read comics in a while or readers new to the DC Universe – the book is designed as a springboard for all of this coming stuff. It gives a sense of where the characters are going, who they are, and what their journeys are going to be. And it’s drawn by some of the best guys in the business.
For me, #0 is putting the stake in the ground and saying, “Okay, we move forward from here.”
And I have to add that it’s really great to be back in the thick of it like this. Grant and I have been out of the center of it all for a while, and it’s really exciting to get back into the center. 52 was unconnected to other things, and after that, we took a year off from that kind of stuff, have done our own books, but now it’s all about getting back into the mix – into the center of it all again.
We’ve talked about Superman a lot, and the goal with Superman in 2008 is to take what we did with Green Lantern in 2007 to Superman. That’s the goal.
Between Green Lantern, Justice Society of America, Action Comics and the other books I’ve got brewing for ’08 and ’09…and working with Gary Frank, Ivan Reis, Dale Eaglesham, Scott Kolins, Ethan Van Sciver and another legend around the corner…I’m psyched to continue working for the company that made me fall in love with comics.
I believe in DC Comics. I believe in the characters and have since I first discovered this wonderful universe. I believe in where we’re going and what we’re fighting for. You know, we can’t take our readers for granted. We screw up, we lose. We gotta learn from our mistakes and the mistakes others make. We gotta fight hard to create better books every month that are worth your time. We love a good challenge so we’re happy to do that. It keeps us honest.
I just got some pages in for a big project that’s coming up towards the end of ’08 that are just stunning. It comes down to being very content and satisfied, and striving to up my game further and make my comics better while working with the best artists in the business. I am constantly trying to see how I can improve. I’m trying new things like the trailer at the end of Green Lantern. I want to experiment with the fun of a monthly book beyond the 22-pages we’re given.
On Superman and the Legion:
I believe that Superman’s connection with the Legion makes both concepts stronger, which is why I’m doing the story in Action right now. Clark Kent didn’t have a group of friends when he was growing up in Smallville. Sure there was Lana, but he didn’t have a group of friends where he felt like he was one of them. He had great parents and wonderful people he knew, it was tough for him. But when the Legion showed up, and he went to the future with them as a kid…a lot of them were aliens who looked human that came to earth. Suddenly, Clark was just “one of the kids” after being so different. I think that helped him relate to other heroes.
Even though people really look up to him, he sees himself as part of the community. His experience with the Legion – being a member of a group of heroes – helped teach him a lot of that. And on the flipside, the Legion was built off of what Superman did – this alien who came to Earth, and the Earth giving something to him, and him wanting to give back to the Earth. It’s the same kind of thing – the Legion is stronger for having interacted with him. They helped to make Superman who he is, and as a result, they’re stronger.
On the Future:
Right now, I see myself staying on those books…I can’t say exactly for how long, but it will be at least through ’08, and probably into ’09. With Action Comics we have Brainiac this year to start. In Justice Society of America we have the conclusion to “Thy Kingdom Come” – the team’s about to go through some rough growing pains. You’ll see the “society” splintered by Gog, an attack on the Rock of Eternity gone horribly wrong and you’ll meet the Justice Society Infinity mid-year.
I’ll be moving on from Booster Gold after #11 (which is twelve issues including zero), to make way for two mini-series for this year – one being The Flash: Rogues Revenge with Scott Kolins. The other to be announced soon, but it’s the hardest thing I’ve had to tackle in my career – which means working on it is a joy while I drive myself to the edge of sanity
In a recent interview with Newsarama, Grant Morrison said:
"After that, there’s been some talk about doing three two-part All Star Superman specials with some unusual artists who’ve never drawn the character before. "
Chris Weston apparently would like a shot, and I think he'd be great for it, personally.
Be on the lookout for Age of TV Heroes book by George Khoury and Jason Hofius, due in November from Two Morrows Publishing. Featured on the cover: George Reeves as Superman; Adam West as Batman; Lynda Carter from Wonder Woman and Jackson Bostwick, from the 70s Captain Marvel series.
Since I went through my 5 favorite Superman covers from long history, I thought I'd add 5 more, this time featuring Superman in action. It's also fitting as today is Superman's birthday...
Action Comics #300
How will he get out of this one? Another good Silver Age Superman story!
Action Comics #419
I love the style of this cover..
Superman #242
Very epic!
Superman vs. Muhammad Ali
Classic!
Action Comics #648
George Perez, Superman AND multiple Brainiacs? Definite win here!
This weekend at DC's RRP meeting, it was officially announced that DC’s third weekly series, Trinity, will begin in June. The book's lead story, starring Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman will be written by Kurt Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley.
"The series will follow Countdown, but, as with Countdown and 52 which came before it, will be unrelated to the previous weekly series. That said, Trinity will be “apart,” that is, occurring in the DC Universe, but not tied to other events happening in the DCU."
You can catch DC Universe #0 (the bridge between Countdown to Final Crisis #1 & Final Crisis #1) which will sell for 50 cents (!) should be on sale at the end of April. Also,two new, 6 issue miniseries: Rann/Thanagar: Holy War (starting in May) and Reign in Hell, starting in June.
Newsarama announced the new Superman writer suceeding Busiek after April's #675 will be James Robinson. You can read more on this here, it seems the Starman Omnibus will be due in May.
New segment! Every Thursday I'll post my top 5 covers of a comic subject. Since this year is the 70th anniversary of Superman, I thought I'd try to pick my favorite covers from his long history. Here's the first 5:
Superman # 233 
I've always loved this cover! This is from the era where Superman was to be "de-powered" by having all Kryptonite on Earth turned into ordinary lead.
Superman #670
The new Superman family, nuff said.
Crisis on Infinite Earths #7
One of the most iconic covers in comics history, this issue is where the original Supergirl died sacrificing herself for her cousin.
Superman [vol.1] Annual #10
An awesome story showing once and for all the Pre-Crisis Superman really was the greatest of all time!
Superman #347
When I first saw this I thought "An enemy Superman can't touch? This has to be good..."
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and variant cover by Renato Guedes & Wilson Magalhaés
Cover by Alex Ross
It's an oversized spectacular blowout action anniversary issue, as Kurt Busiek, gearing up for his insanely huge next project, brings his Superman run to a close! A three-way battle between Superman, Paragon and the forces of Daxam! The Earth-shattering threat of the all-new Galactic Golem! This one's got it all, including a painted cover by new series cover artist Alex Ross and a variant by Renato Guedes.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Renato Guedes & Wilson Magalhaés). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale April 16 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
World War II is over. The Cold War has begun. The Age of the Superhero is in decline. But where are the heroes of tomorrow? From the perspective of those brave individuals who made it happen: encounter Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, who survived the anti-hero sentiment of the Cold War, as well as eager newcomers like test pilot Hal Jordan and scientist Barry Allen, poised to become the next generation of crime fighters. All leading to the mounting threat of an alien presence on Earth, where dozens of characters from the '40s, '50s and '60s eras of DC Comics team up to defeat it.
Justice League: The New Frontier, rated PG-13 for violent content/images, is scheduled for release on February 26, 2008. The next release in the series will be Batman: Gotham Knight.
I have a small (2,500) comic book collection and about 50 trade paperbacks, graphic novels and the like. I was reading this thread today which made me think: Which collected trades should I get? Here's a ongoing list of stuff I wanna get:
Marvel:
*Planet Hulk Omnibus (Though I'm only missing the last chapter from the story)
DC:
*Heroes - The Graphic Novel (for my girl, she loves that show...)
*New Teen Titans - The Judas Contract TPB
*Batman - Knightsend (Got the Knightfall TPB way back in '93... wonder if it's still in print?)
*Superman - Return of Superman (just to complete the Death of/World Without a Superman TPBs)
*Crisis On Infinite Earths (to help with a future project of mine)
*The Legion of Super-Heroes - An Eye For An Eye TPB (Kinda symbolic for me...)
*Superman - Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow? (best Superman story EVER)
DC/Vertigo:
*Death:The High Cost of Living TPB
*V For Vendetta
*The Witching Hour
*Y The Last Man vol. 1-9
I saw this coming from a mile away, and if this keeps up there will be another comics implosion, similar to the DC Implosion of 1978 & the time right after Superman died. I was surprised back when I first saw it on the news, so the following Saturday I go to my lcs & they had 1 copy left, the only sold-out book in the store... they're just building for the movie which should be out sometime in 2009.
First, some Smallville news..
Helen Slater may appear on the next season of Smallville when it premieres in September. Check out this interview for more. She's also pitching a Supergirl story idea to DC comics. Look for Dean Cain, the former star of Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of Superman from the 90s to show up as well.
2) Justice League movie before Superman Returns sequel?
Some sources claim that the 'Justice League' film is more of a priority for WB than the sequel to 'Superman,' so don’t be surprised if you see Brandon Routh in 'Justice League' first. And here's a last bit of news... the biggest rumor is that one of the superheroes in 'Justice League' wouldn’t see a sequel. Yup, WB is planning a death.
3) The Cimmarean is Back
Conan the Cimmerian #1, the first issue of an all new series will launch in May 2008. The new series will be written by current Conan writer Tim Truman, illustrated by Tomas Giorello, with covers by Cary Nord.
4) Free Comic Book Day 2008
FCBD 2008 will fall on Saturday, May 3rd. Watch future posts for more info as its available!
Countdown (the next weekly comic after 52) starts coming out in a couple of weeks - Paul Dini at its head with assorted other writers and artists - and here's its blurb:
The event of the year is here! This brand-new, year-long weekly series features a cast of hundreds where anything goes! With head writer Paul Dini and a rotating team of some of the industry's best writers and artists, COUNTDOWN will serve as the backbone of the DCU in 2007.
When a character dies in COUNTDOWN 51, it sets off an unexpected ripple that will touch virtually every character in the DC Universe.
The COUNTDOWN is on…so begins the end!
Its DVD Tuesday... Superman Returns is now available, in 3 different flavors: Full/Widescreen, Special Edition & Deluxe Edition! If you haven't seen the movie yet, go out and grab a copy. Also, the Ultimate Edition (with over 20 hours of bonus features) contains all Superman movies to date, including Superman II: The Richard Donner cut (which is definitely a must-watch/buy!) The Donner cut can also be purchased separately. And lastly, Superman Returns is available for just about every console in the land.
I want to thank everyone who emailed me about your LCS (local comic shops), this list is getting so huge! I also want to thank everyone who still go to the blogs on a daily basis, I am working on a lot of cool stuff coming up, and its just been a tough year but thats no excuse for me not to give you an update of whats been going on. In the coming week(s) there will be new material up and I hope you all continue with me as you have for this long (December 13th will be the 2 year anniversary so theres gonna be a lot going on around then!)
Justice #1 Sells Out @ DC
JUSTICE #1, the debut issue of the new blockbuster maxiseries by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite, has sold out at DC Comics. The issue arrived in stores on August 3.
"This is the best reaction I've had to any work of mine in the last ten years," says Ross. "I'd like to think I'm giving people what they want from me, and hopefully the sales show that. The first issue is really just a way to start us getting into much more cliffhanger-like moments of this war we're setting."
JUSTICE #2 is scheduled for an October 19 release.
-Jim Lee will be at Midtown Comics October 14th for a signing session. Check the link for more info.
- Fox Home Video is releasing Elektra: Director's Cut DVD, which will be in stores October 18.
Released in theaters last February, Elektra grossed $24.4 million at the box office, though it fared better with its initial release on DVD.
Elektra will air on Cinemax in November. For more movie & tv news, check out the Comics Universe Blog.
-DC Comics is releasing 2 Showcase Editions with over 500 pages of classic Superman & Green Lantern stories from the silver age for only $9.99!
DC Comics has lowered prices on the first two SHOWCASE collected
editions, originally solicited at $16.99 each in the July Previews (Volume XV
#7), the SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN VOL. 1 TP and the SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN LANTERN VOL. 1 TP are scheduled to arrive in stores on September 14.
"This special offer combines unbeatable value with some of the greatest
stories of the Silver Age," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales.
"Retailers should take advantage of the new pricing to put more copies
of each title in the hands of their customers."
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN VOL. 1 TP collects stories from SUPERMAN #122-133 and ACTION COMICS #241-257, written by Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger and others, with art by Curt Swan, Dick Sprang and others.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN VOL. 1 TP collects stories from SHOWCASE #22-24 and GREEN LANTERN #1-17, written by John Broome and Gardner Fox with art by Gil Kane, Joe Giella and Murphy Anderson.
The new season of Justice League Unlimited is now underway, with 2 new episodes tonight. Here's how the network describes "Chaos at the Earth's Core" (Originally titled "Heart of Stone")
Supergirl, Stargirl and Green Lantern go to Skartaris, the fantastic, hidden world at the Earth's core, to help free it from the rule of a brutal dictator.
Here's how the network describes the second episode of the night, "To Another Shore" (Originally titled "Elegy")
Wonder Woman stumbles onto a plot to steal the powers hidden inside the 3000-year-old, frozen remains of the legendary hero, the Viking Prince.
Teen Titans season 5 also begins tonight, here's how the network describes "Homecoming Part 1"
When Beast Boy's former team The Doom Patrol is in trouble, the Titans must embark on a daring mission to save them. Beast Boy explains that this can only mean one thing: the Doom Patrol's greatest foes are back. The Brotherhood of Evil has returned.
In Other News:
-Kids' WB!'s new series, Loonatics Unleashed, was the No. 1 show last Saturday to help the network win the Kids 2-11 ratings. Note the difference in character design after a heavy net protest last spring that deemed the characters "too edgy" & "scary" for younger viewers.
-Superman Returns could turn out to be the most expensive movie ever made. According to News.com: "The revisioned Superman tale, filming at Sydney's Fox Studios, could well be the most expensive film of all time ... director Bryan Singer acknowledged its budget is approaching $326 million -- that would top 'Titanic's $250 million and 'Waterworld's $225 million." (please note was calculated in Australian dollars - the exchange rate from au to us is .77 to 1.00)
-Also, check out the first & only Superman historical documentary out there, "In A Single Bound" created by filmmaker Ross Marroso. Head over to supermandoc.com to download or pre-order the DVD.
-The Fantastic Four DVD is expected to hit shelves Dec. 6, a week earlier than projected. The movie will be available in VHS, DVD and UMD & special features include:
- Cast commentary
- 3 deleted scenes
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes look with the cast
- Making of the movie
- Fox Movie Channel programs on F4 casting and filming
- Two music videos and film soundtrack ad
- First look at X-Men 3
In other Fantastic Four news, Marvel Enterprises has signed a deal with France's Antefilms Productions to produce an animated TV series based the Fantastic Four comic book characters. The deal is expected to be announced at the MIPCOM international TV sales convention in Cannes. The trade says the companies would produce 26 half-hour episodes targeted for premiere in the United States and other countries in late 2006.
-SIN CITY: RECUT & EXTENDED
Sin City: Recut & Extended is due to hit stores on December 13th. Retailing for a reported $39.99, the new cut of the film will include the original theatrical release as well as the 147 minute extended cut.
Extras include:
- commentary track with director Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
- commentary track with Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
- commentary track featuring Austin, TX crowd reaction
- 15 Minute Film School featurette
- Movie in High-Speed Green Screen feature
- 17 un-interupted minutes of Tarantino's segment
- footage from the Sin City cast/crew party.
- 10 minute Cooking School with Robert Rodriquez.
The package will also include a copy of the first Sin City graphic novel, “The Hard Goodbye.”
Shazam/Superman is finally nearing a release date & I couldn't be more excited. This is suposed to be the story of when Superman & Captain Marvel first met... written by Judd Winick & art and cover by Josh Middleton, this book, if successful, could possibly lead to a new Marvel Family book.
Here's the official solicitation:
Witness the first meeting of The Last Son of Krypton and Earth's Mightiest Mortal in this thrilling 4-issue miniseries written by Judd Winick (SUPERMAN: "Lightning Strikes," OUTSIDERS) with art by Josh Middleton (Nyx, New Mutants)! While Superman must stop members of a cult from stealing an ancient artifact from the Metropolis Natural History Museum, Captain Marvel must defeat giant robots rampaging through Fawcett City. When the same cult attempts to steal an artifact from a Fawcett City Museum, Superman drops by to lend a hand, and teams up with Captain Marvel against an all-new threat!
40 pages, $3.50 US 4 issues. On sale September 7th.