This week at your comic shop – 11/7/12

For the complete list of this week’s comics, click here.

Not sure where your local comic shop is? Try comicshoplocator.com!

(note: all information including ad copy is from the publisher)
If you can’t make it to the shop, just click on any of the images below to be taken to an online retailer. I don’t get any referrals for these sales, I’m just doing my bit to spread the word on some neat products.

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Doctor Who Tardis Collection

Doctor Who Tardis Collection
Join the eleventh Doctor on his adventures with Amy Pond in these six original stories based on the hit series, presented in a beautiful TARDIS-shaped box.

The Runaway Train: the Doctor and Amy chase an alien artifact in the Wild West. Ring of Steel: on Orkney they battle walking electricity pylons with powerful masters. The Jade Pyramid: in medieval Japan they encounter terrifying powerful mannequins. The Hounds of Artemis: in 1920s Smyrna they witness an ancient evil awakening. The Gemini Contagion: in the far future they’re caught up in a frightening virus outbreak. The Eye of the Jungle: with Rory they’re watched by an all-seeing Eye in the Amazon rainforest.
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Action Comics #14

Action Comics #14
By: Grant Morrison, Brad Walker, Rags Morales
Type: Comics
Genres: Superhero
Series: Action Comics
Publisher: DC Comics
Pub. Date: November 07, 2012
Availability: Pre-Order
UPC: 76194130637701411

Brainiac first warned of the Multitude, and now Superman comes face to face with them – on Mars!

Plus: In the backup story, what appointment is so important that Superman would drop everything to attend it?
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All About Bond HC

All About Bond HC
By: Terry O’Neill
This autumn James Bond celebrates his 50th anniversary as a celluloid hero, and All About Bond is a unique memoir that will delight, amuse, and inform Bond’s many fans.

All About Bond is packed with surprises, insights and candid memories, both personal and photographic from legendary names who cut their teeth and carved out careers in some of the most memorable scenes in movie history.

The humor, the drama, and the camaradarie, on set and off, is captured through the immortal lens of one of the world’s most legendary photographers.
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Defenders #12

Defenders #12
By: Matt Fraction, Jamie Mckelvie, Terry Dodson
Series finale! The end of the Defenders! All your questions answered! Everybody dies! Everything ends! So how do the good guys pull it off?
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Blade Runner 30th Anniversary Bd Book

Blade Runner 30th Anniversary Bd Book
‘The #1 Sci-Fi Film of all time’ marks it’s return post 10 month moratorium with an all new 3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD and UV 30th Anniversary commemorative gift set.

Revisit the illustrious Final Cut on Blu-ray, DVD and get a UV copy of the feature. Additionally, the gift set features an all new concept spinner car for your collection, action Lenticular and a 72 page art production book with never-before-seen Ridley sketches, poster art and photos from the set.

Special Features: 36 page Hard Cover book presentation with never-before-seen images from the set and scene sketches from Ridley Scott. · The commemorative gift set includes all 10+ hours of bonus content from the critically acclaimed Ultimate Collector’s Edition from 2007 plus a new, comprehensive photo gallery of newly discovered sketches from director Ridley Scott, photos from the set and more.

Content includes all five feature film versions – The Final Cut, ’92 Director’s Cut, Domestic and International Theatrical versions and the rare Work Print.
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Age Of Apocalypse #9

Age Of Apocalypse #9
By: David Lapham, Renato Arlem, Kris Anka
Jean Grey finds herself on the runÖ from Cyclops! Prophet’s final plan for human survival takes shape. A weapon that could kill Weapon X, a.k.a. the Overlord, is discovered!
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Detective Comics #14

Detective Comics #14
By: John Layman, Jason Fabok
When Bruce Wayne’s life is saved by The Penguin, what surprises are in store for The Dark Knight? And in the backup story, an intimate look at Gotham City’s most dangerous foes provides a hint of the maelstrom to come.

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Before Watchmen Rorschach Red By Pope T-Shirt

Before Watchmen Rorschach Red By Pope T-Shirt
Rorschach Red features the incredible design and art of Steranko screenprinted in color on a Deep Red, 100% cotton shirt.
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Doctor Who Castrovalva Action Figure Set

Doctor Who Castrovalva Action Figure Set
Imported from the UK!

The newly regenerated fifth Doctor escapes with his companions back to the TARDIS, suffering from post-regeneration trauma. He seeks sanctuary in the peaceful domain of Castrovalva, oly to discover that it’s a paradoxical trap set for him by the Master.

Underground Toys’ celebrates Peter Davison’s debut episode of Doctor Who as the Doctor with ‘Castrovalva’ Collector’s Set that comes with a Post-Regeneration Fifth Doctor Action Figure, a Shrunken Figure Accessory, and the Master’s TARDIS.
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Arrow T-Shirt

Arrow T-Shirt
Green Arrrow celebrates his TV debut on the new Arrow T-Shirt. Features the silhouetted Emerald Archer screenprinted in color on a Deep Forest, 100% cotton shirt. Check out the show and the great new shirt today. NOW AVAILABLE for sale in Canada and U.K.
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Uncanny X-Force #33

Uncanny X-Force #33
By: Rick Remender, Phil Noto, Jerome Opena
FINAL EXECUTION races to its thrilling conclusion! X-Force brings the attack to the Brotherhood, but there is dissension in the ranks. Genesis faces the truth about Apocalypse and his destiny!
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Doctor Who Companion Chron Project Nirvana Audio CD

Doctor Who Companion Chron Project Nirvana Audio CD
A new adventure with the Seventh Doctor, as told by his companion, Aristedes. The place is Easterm Europe.

The year is 2015. The TARDIS lands in mid-air, and Captain Lysandra Aristedes is dropped into a daring mission in her own past. There are enemies and creatures out there in the night, and the Doctor is waiting at the rendezvous point.

Because this is all part of his bigger picture. And Aristedes is going to learn something about herself.
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Marvel Classic Characters Series 2 #4: Silver Surfer

Marvel Classic Characters Series 2 #4: Silver Surfer
The fourth release in this second series is the herald of mighty Galactus: Silver Surfer.

One of the greatest moments in the “Marvel Age” of comics was the introduction of Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four #48 in 1966, created by Jack Kirby with an assist from writer/editor Stan Lee.

Silver Surfer features a rough surface texture, visible seam lines, and other slightly distressed aspects, such as paint application. Sculpted by Yoe! Studio.
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Animal Man #14

Animal Man #14
By: Jeff Lemire, Steve Pugh
‘ROTWORLD: THE RED KINGDOM’ part two!

How did The Rot infect the DC Universe? Guest star John Constantine is here to tell you the hideous truth! The Red Kingdom faces an all-out attack by an army of the Rot, led by Felix Faust!

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New Crusaders Rise Of The Heroes #3

New Crusaders Rise Of The Heroes #3
By: Ian Flynn, Ben Bates
‘Legacies,’ Part 1.

The days of being ordinary teens are over: it’s time for them to become the New Crusaders! But the over-confidence of Shield and his charges could spell doom for the fledgling team. Who remains standing at the end of the day? The Red Circle Universe’s greatest heroes begin their journey in this pulse-pounding issue!

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Doctor Who Lost Stories Rosemariners Audio CD

Doctor Who Lost Stories Rosemariners Audio CD
A new adventure in time and space for the Second Doctor, told by his companions Jamie and Zoe.

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves on an almost deserted space lab. Years of research are coming to an end and only distinguished xeno-botantist Professor Arnold Biggs remains on board. But is there more to the closure than meets the eye? For the operation is being supervised by the Rosemariners of the planet Rosa Damascena.

Their terrifying Commander, Rugosa, seems to have something to hide. Who is he? What do the Rosemariners want with the scientists? And what is the secret of Rosedream?
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Planet of the Apes Cataclysm #3

Planet of the Apes Cataclysm #3
By: Corinna Bechko, Damian Couceiro, Alex Ross
Running out of options, Cornelius, Prisca and the others try to find shelter before the fragments of the moon set off an even greater calamity: the destruction of the dam, and the only thing keeping Ape City away from the devastating waters… Don’t forget to ask your retailer about the rare Alex Ross Black and White CGC 9.8 Near Mint variant!
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Avengers #33

Avengers #33
By: Brian Michael Bendis, Mike Mayhew, Brandon Peterson
Two classic Avengers return for the first time in years to celebrate the end of an era! But does this modern world really need the Avengers? A giant status quo shift is on the horizon. Watch as the Avengers come to terms with themselves as a team and a family.

PLUS: Hydra with alien tech? Uh oh!
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Time Tunnel Hist Of Television Series SC

Time Tunnel Hist Of Television Series SC
By: Martin Grams Jr, Usamaru Furuya
The Time Tunnel was by no means a superb product of Friday night entertainment. If the plot holes were not as large as the tunnel itself, viewers noticed the same props from Allen’s other television programs popping up on the show. This book documents the entire history of the program, the origin and conception of the series, why it never ran a second season, almost 200 never-before-published behind-the-scenes photographs, and a detailed episode guide.
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Swamp Thing #14

Swamp Thing #14
By: Scott Snyder, Yanick Paquette
‘ROTWORLD: THE GREEN KINGDOM’ continues! Swamp Thing must travel the rivers of Rotworld on his way to Gotham City! True terror awaits our hero on the undead waters!

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Shadow #7

Shadow #7
By: Victor Gischler, Jack Herbert, Alex Ross
The Shadow is known for the mystic power which allows him to cloud men’s minds and read their hearts. But what happens when this power fails him? After the Shadow fails to stop a routine mugging, he travels to the Far East with his pilot and sidekick WWI ace Miles Crofton. In Nepal, he hopes to reconnect with his old masters and to consult with them about what could be amiss with his powers. Instead, he finds opium smugglers. As always, The Shadow faces danger Ö but he must also look within himself.
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Earth 2 #6

Earth 2 #6
By: James Robinson, Nicola Scott, Ivan Reis
The Green vs. The Grey! Who will decide the fate of this dying Earth: Green Lantern or Grundy? Will the new wonders of Earth band together to form the first super team since the death of the Trinity? Does super-genius Sloan really know what’s best for this world?

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Iron Man #1

Iron Man #1
By: Kieron Gillen, Greg Land
Tony Stark-Iron Man: Technological visionary, wealthy playboy, unparalleled engineer, and armored Avenger. His greatest invention becomes his greatest mistake. Iron Man must act fast and Tony Stark must build faster! The lethal techno virus Extremis is out in the wild and out for grabs to the highest bidder! It’s up to Tony Stark to contain it and that means creating a new suit of armor NOW!
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Blast Off!: Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns, and Rarities From the Golden Age of Space Toys TPB

Blast Off!: Rockets, Robots, Ray Guns, and Rarities From the Golden Age of Space Toys TPB
By: S. Mark Young, Steve Duin, Mike Richardson
Back in print in softcover, Blast Off! chronicles the golden era of space toys, featuring hundreds of color photos of these beautiful and sometimes bizarre playthings, plus prototypes, original packaging and instructions, catalogs, advertisements, vintage comic-strip and pulp-magazine art, and more from every corner of the globe. An essential resource for the collector or anyone with an eye for pop culture and the love of fun!

* The definitive examination of vintage space toys.

* Introduction by Harlan Ellison.

* Now in paperback!
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Green Lantern #14

Green Lantern #14
By: Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke
‘Rise of the Third Army’ continues! The Justice League comes after the new Green Lantern, demanding answers about the missing Hal Jordan! The Green Lantern Corps makes a disturbing discovery about the Guardians!
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New Avengers #32

New Avengers #32
By: Brian Michael Bendis, Carlos Pacheco, Mike Deodato
END TIMES CONTINUES!

The New Avengers are thrown into disarray as one of their deadliest enemies has returned. Many hard and permanent choices need to be made in this final arc of the New Avengers saga.

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Quick review-Earth-2 #1

By James Robinson and Nicola Scott

The second wave of DC’s New 52 started this week with World’s Finest and Earth-2, both establishing the multiverse that DC has promised since Infinite Crisis back in 2005. I did enjoy the Golden Age which established an alternate version of the DCU in the 1940’s and bled into Starman and the JSA comics that arrived much later. I’m also a big fan of Robinson’s Starman, but not so much of his Justice League or Superman work that came afterwards. As such, I was not sure what to expect with this issue but what I got is… strange.

Earth-2 opens with a fight for survival against a horde of parademons from Apokalypse (Darkseid’s homeworld). This is also how the New 52 Justice League of America reboot started, so I was kind of confused. In Earth-2, it appears that only three superheroes are left standing; Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, along with Supergirl and Robin as back-up. The parademons appear to be unstoppable and the massive towers that control Darkseid’s armies are replaced as quickly as they are taken down.

Luckily Batman has a cunning plan (like Blackadder) and assaults a tower while the Robin provides covering fire from the Batwing and Superman battles a wave of parademons alongside Wonder Woman. Where’s Supergirl? Guarding a series of nuclear missile sites set to fire should the heroes fail. Batman introduces a virus to the tower and the control signal to the parademons is halted, but not before Wonder Woman and Superman are killed by Steppenwolf. Batman also dies in the tower’s explosion. Supergirl and Robin fly into a weird portal into the pages of World’s Finest and… that’s about it.

Yes, the first issue of a new series introduces and kills its main cast then shunts the supporting characters over into another comic.

Al Pratt (the Atom of the JSA) also has a brief cameo as a Sergeant guarding one of the nuclear missile sites. Not much development is given to him other than the fact that he is short and cranky yet beloved his soldiers. Then he gets killed too.

Five years later, the focus shifts to Alan Scott (also known as the first Green Lantern in the pre-New 52 universe) who is a sort of sleazy corporate suit and Jay Garrick who is a cloying loser who helps his ex-girlfriend Joan pack for her trip to a new life on the other side of the country.

So… a strange comic.

Batman attacks an Apokalyptian Control Tower with covering fore from Robin

The artwork by Scott is great in the action sequences. There was a lot of build-up to this series focusing on the redesigns of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman and they all look fantastic on the page. But… they’re already dead first month in! I’m thinking that the ‘real’ leading cast will slowly be revealed as Alan Scott becomes Green Lantern and Garrick takes on the mantle of the Flash, but they are already so unappealing that I’m not sure that I’ll stick around to see.

Earth-2 is a bold attempt on DC’s part to recapture some of its lost potential from the pre-Crisis world prior to 1985. The Justice Society of America was the first superhero team of DC Comics, uniting the biggest names in their publishing world under one title. Revived in the pages of Flash’s monthly book, the JSA were re-introduced as older heroes from a parallel world. This concept was further developed in Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway’s amazing All-Star Squadron comic that spawned several spin-offs ranging from Infinity Inc. to Young All-Stars.

Of course that all came to a sad end when the Multiple Earths were blended into one.

The All-Star Squadron

Along with Geoff Johns, James Robinson is responsible for bringing back interest in the JSA so I am sure that, given time, he will have similar success with Earth-2.

However, I was very let-down with this issue as it killed off all of the interesting characters and tied into another comic for the continuing story of Robin and Supergirl! The narration is also very clunky and the dialog uninspired (‘Die, human!’).

For the start of the second wave of the New 52, this does not fill me with hope.

I want OMAC back, a much more fun and innovative comic.

Welcome to Earth 2

A new title joining DC’s New 52 will arrive in just two months. Not just another monthly book, Earth 2 will establish another reality parallel to the established universe (which is still unclear on a few things). Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other familiar characters exist on this other Earth, but with key differences.

Previously, Earth-2 in the DC Universe was a reality in which the superheroes fought in WWII and aged, had families, etc. The Batman of Earth-2 was an older married man with a daughter, Robin wore a redesigned costume and Power Girl was Superman’s cousin. After the Crisis of 1985, these continuities merged, causing inconsistencies that writers struggled valiantly to resolve. When the Multiverse came back into existence at the close of the year-long comic 52, the possibilities for other realities opened up. Finally those story opportunities are being explored in a new comic by James ‘Starman’ Robinson.

If this all looks familiar, it’s because Geoff Johns attempted something similar back in 2008 in the Justice Society of America monthly series. Likely it was put on the back burner due to the massive shake-up of continuity and DC Entertainment’s formation.

The parallel reality will be explored in a set of new books:

EARTH 2 – Writer: James Robinson. Artist: Nicola Scott. The greatest heroes on a parallel Earth, the Justice Society combats threats that will set them on a collision course with other worlds.

WORLDS’ FINEST – Writer: Paul Levitz. Artists: George Perez and Kevin Maguire. Stranded on our world from a parallel reality, Huntress and Power Girl struggle to find their way back to Earth 2. Perez and Maguire will be the artists on alternating story arcs.

Designs by Jim Lee for Wonder Woman and Batman have surfaced along with a new female Robin by Kevin Maguire along with a few snippets of information, reproduced here from CBR:

“I’m excited and eager to let people know all the facts about the new EARTH 2 comic, but for now I have to remain vague,” teased Robinson. “Earth 2 is a world that’s very like our own, but at the same time vastly different. It has known great conflict and danger…a dark menace defeated but at a great cost both to the Earth and to its superheroes of that time. Now, in the present as new menaces emerge to attack the Earth, so new heroes must emerge too, learning to work as a team (or perhaps Society is a better word) while facing these new threats head-on. Who are these heroes? Will their powers include speed, bestial fury, and maybe even green light? Wait and see.”

“Due the events that open the saga of EARTH 2, Wonder Woman is already the last Amazon of this world and she is determined to avenge her sisters…at whatever cost,” Robinson told DC’s blog, The Source. Series editor Pat McCallum weighs in as well, hinting at Earth 2 being a rather violent place, saying, “It’s one of the mysteries we’ll be getting into with the series. While there will be recognizable faces and settings on EARTH 2, don’t for a moment think you’re on familiar ground. Do that, and you let your guard down…and then you’ll end up like the rest of the Amazons.”

“Who will Batman kill to save his own daughter?” series editor Pat McCallum told the blog. “Right out of the gate that should tell you we’re dealing with a different kind of Dark Knight here. More ruthless, dangerous…the costume is familiar and yeah, there is a Wayne under the mask, but we’re looking at a man desperate to save the only family he has left. ‘Earth’ 2 is about to become a very bad place to be a bad guy.”

More as it comes…