New releases 10/27/10

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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We can’t think of a better crossover event to give the Minimate treatment than the super-successful “Age of Apocalypse” storyline! This set from Diamond Select Toys includes Cyclops, Magneto, Rogue, and Sunfire.
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Billy the Kid's Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London #2

Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London #2
By: Eric Powell, Kyle Hotz, Dan Brown, Dave Stewart
Billy the Kid managed to make it nearly a full day in London without passing out drunk and being carted off to jail, which unfortunately wasn’t long enough to find Jack the Ripper, who is still on the loose. The remaining members of Fineas Sproule’s traveling spectacle of biological curiosities are on the case, but with “freaks” suspected of being behind the Ripper murders, none of them are safe. It’s up to a very hung–over Billy and conjoined twins Malcolm and Miles to break out of jail and find the real killer.

* Goon backup story by Eric Powell!

* Powell’s The Goon was named the #4 Essential Indie Comic by ugo.com!

From The Goon creator Eric Powell!
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Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek GN

Doctor Who: The Only Good Dalek GN
By Justin Richards and Mike Collins
Station 7 is where the Earth Forces send all the equipment captured in their unceasing war against the Daleks. It’s where Dalek technology is analyzed and examined. It’s where the Doctor and Amy have just arrived. But somehow the Daleks have found out about Station 7 – and there’s something there that they want back! With the Doctor increasingly worried about the direction the Station’s research is taking, the commander of Station 7 knows he has only one possible, desperate defense. Because the last terrible secret of Station 7 is that they don’t only store captured Dalek technology – it’s also a prison. And the only thing that might stop a Dalek is another Dalek! An epic, full-color graphic novel featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television
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Tunes Graphic History Of Rock N Roll GN

Tunes Graphic History Of Rock N Roll GN
By: Vincent Brunner, Scott Chantler
Full of colorful personalities from larger-than-life divas to modest men who made it big, the story of rock is compelling and diverse. From Elvis and Little Richard to the British Invasion in the 1960s and onward through grunge, this series of black-and-white graphic depictions ranges from hilariously personal to absolutely wild. Each strip is accompanied by humorous yet informative text recounting the early struggles, successes, and challenges of each band. Also included is a selective discography for each band or artist, highlighting their biggest hits or most memorable songs.
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Green Lantern Chronicles Vol. 03 TPB

Green Lantern Chronicles Vol. 03 TPB
By: John Broome, Gil KaneJoe Giella, Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Joe Giella
A new helping of chronologically collected GL tales from issues #10-14 of his Silver Age series, along with THE FLASH #131.

 

Included are the Emerald Gladiator’s first confrontation with the Guardians, an early team-up with The Flash, the origin of the GL oath and more.
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Green Lantern Golden Age 1/6 Scale Figure

Green Lantern Golden Age 1/6 Scale Figure
Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, was the first to discover the power of the green flame. Saved from death by a mysterious green metal lantern fashioned from a meteor, it flamed with power, fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Upon its instruction, Alan Scott formed a ring from the lantern’s metal, touching it to the lantern to charge it – and a new hero was born.

The figure features 28 points of articulation, is packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel and includes a display stand.

Limited Edition. Manufactured to order.
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Hellblazer City Of Demons #2 (of 5)

Hellblazer City Of Demons #2 (of 5)
By: Si Spencer, Sean Murphy
Don’t miss this stand-alone, 5-issue miniseries from writer Si Spencer (Torchwood) and red-hot artist Sean Murphy (JOE THE BARBARIAN) shipping twice in October!

Safe in sanctuary, Constantine is forced to relinquish the temptations of his hot and deviant nurse and limp back onto his beloved London streets only to find that things are changing fast in the City of Demons.

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Doc Savage Double Novel Vol. 41

Doc Savage Double Novel Vol. 41
(W) Lester Dent, Martin Baker, William Bogart Doc Savage investigates a series of bizarre Hollywood murders surrounding ‘The Seven Agate Devils,’ strange Satanic statues left at the scene of each killing. Then, a rocket attack frees a deranged patient from Doc Savage’s ‘Crime College’ and the Man of Bronze journeys to Sleepy Hollow in search of ‘The Flying Goblin.’
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Blakes 7 Season 1 Audio CD Set

Blakes 7 Season 1 Audio CD Set
The galactic Federation, once a beacon of democracy and peace, has become a corrupt tyranny. Freedom and justice are things of the past. Roj Blake stood up for the ordinary people. When the establishment tried intimidation he laughed in their faces, when they tried to crush him he fought back. They framed him for crimes he didn’t commit and sentenced him to permanent exile on the notorious prison planet of Cygnus Alpha. The Federation thinks it has seen the last of Roj Blake. The Federation will wish it had. Three all-new audio adventures, set in the world of the BBC series, Blake’s 7, starring Derek Riddell, Colin Salmon, Carrie Dobro, Craig Kelly, and Daniela Nardini.
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Star Wars Super Shogun Stormtrooper Vinyl Figure

Star Wars Super Shogun Stormtrooper Vinyl Figure
Children growing up in the 70s and 80s had their lives touched by two pop culture phenomena: the Star Wars saga and Jumbo Machinder toys (marketed in the US as Shogun Warriors).

Acclaimed toy design firm Super7 has combined Star Wars characters with the Japanese Super Robot aesthetic to create a collectible that could only have been imagined in the past. The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands 24″ tall, and features free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist. Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the figure is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet.

The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster. As a special bonus, metallic foil stickers are included to allow fans the option to customize the torso with the character name in English or in Japanese. Collectors of both Japanese and Star Wars memorabilia are sure to be impressed with the care taken to fuse the disparate concepts into one unique entity.

Packaged in an illustrated gift box, each Stormtrooper is individually serial numbered as part of this one-time limited edition production run of only 1200 pieces.
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Doctor Who: Coming of the Terraphiles HC

Doctor Who: Coming of the Terraphiles HC
By: Michael Moorcock
Miggea – a world on the very edge of reality. The cusp between this universe and the next. A point where space-time has worn thin, and is in danger of collapsing. And the venue for the grand finals of the competition to win the fabled Arrow of Law. The Doctor and Amy have joined the Terraphiles – a group obsessed with all aspects of Earth’s history, and dedicated to re-enacting ancient sporting events. They are determined to win the Arrow. But just getting to Miggea proves tricky. Reality is collapsing, ships are disappearing, and Captain Cornelius and his pirates are looking for easy pickings. Even when they arrive, the Doctor and Amy’s troubles won’t be over. They have to find out who is so desperate to get the Arrow of Law that they will kill for it. And uncover the traitor on their own team. And win the contest fair and square. And, of course, they need to save the universe from total destruction.
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Thunderbolts #149

Thunderbolts #149
By: Jeff Parker, Declan Shalvey, Frank Martin
Luke Cage’s squad of fierce felons face the nature of true evil when they uncover secrets of the ancient order known as The Hand beneath Hell’s Kitchen! Will a group of people rarely known for doing the right thing choose a higher path-or will they add to the power of the ninja cult? Meanwhile, as Cage fights to help his friend Daredevil up on the streets, he realizes that he picked a bad time to trust his skeleton crew of criminal operatives on an unsupervised mission!

So come on, all you DD fans, pick up this issue and find out why Aint It Cool News raves: ‘very fun…I love this cast…this one is definitely going back on my pull list.’

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Secret Warriors Prem HC Vol. 04 Last Ride of The Howling Commandos

Secret Warriors Prem HC Vol. 04 Last Ride of The Howling Commandos
By: Jonathan Hickman, Alessandro Vitti, Jim Cheung
The glory days of WWII are revisited as you are invited to the reunion of Steve Rogers, Nick Fury and the remaining members of the US’s most elite Special Unit from the Greatest Generation! And in SIEGE: SECRET WARRIORS, Nick Fury’s plans are revealed!

Find out why ComicBookRecources.com raves that SECRET WARRIORS is ‘a surprisingly tense and engrossing black-ops story.’ Collecting SECRET WARRIORS #17-19 and SIEGE: SECRET WARRIORS.

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Marvel Universe The End

Marvel Universe The End
By: Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin is back, and this time he destroys everything!

When the immortal Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten gains cosmic powers, his first act is to annihilate the Avengers and the X-Men! The universe is endangered, and Thanos and Dr. Doom may be the world’s best chance at survival! Featuring lead roles for Thor, Zeus, Captain Marvel, Dr. Strange, Namor and the Silver Surfer! And Thanos, more powerful than you’ve ever seen him!

This title collects
MARVEL UNIVERSE: THE END #1-6

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Secret Warriors #21

Secret Warriors #21
By: Jonathan Hickman, Mirko Colak, Jim Cheung
In ‘Night’ part two, predestined events come to pass as chaos reigns in the world of Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors!
Join us as all the pieces begin to fall into place and we get one month closer to the concluding story arc of Secret Warriors, the book that has IGN.com saying: ‘As crazy as the war between Leviathan, HYDRA and Fury has become, it’s as enjoyable and engrossing as ever…a consistently great series.’
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Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Prem HC Vol. 03

Fantastic Four By Jonathan Hickman Prem HC Vol. 03
By: Jonathan Hickman, Neil Edwards, Alan Davis
Faced with the death of imagination and growing pandemic of tomorrow fear, Reed Richards takes the future of discovery into his own hands. Think the world is a bad place, everything is going to hell, and the end times are surely around the corner? Try reading the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine.

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #579-582.

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Fantastic Four #584

Fantastic Four #584
By: Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting, Alan Davis
It’s the return of Galactus, a trip to Nu-World, the Old Kings of Atlantis and Namor, the all-new Yancy Street Gang, and the day the Thing becomes human again.

Join Jonathan Hickman and superstar artist Steve Epting in THREE, part 2: ‘Congratulations, Mr. Grimm…You’re Human Again.’

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Doomwar HC

Doomwar HC
By: Jonathan Maberry, Scot Eaton, John Romita Jr
Wakanda has been conquered, its Vibranium reserves plundered. Storm faces execution in the next 48 hours. And Dr. Doom stands triumphant. It will take the combined forces of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the two Black Panthers to stand against him.

A war has begun that will pit the world’s most relentless super-villain against a collection of the world’s most powerful super heroes — one that will span the globe, offering twists and turns and surprise players (hello, Deadpool!) that neither side will see coming.

Collecting DOOMWAR #1-6.
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Avengers #6

Avengers #6
By: Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr
The blockbuster Avengers book continues!!

Kang versus Ultron with Avengers from every era right in the middle. The end of this issue is a shocker that sets up one of the biggest new threats to the Marvel Universe!! Plus: another chapter in the oral history of the Avengers!

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Famous Monsters Of Filmland #252

Famous Monsters Of Filmland #252
By: Guy Davis
he revival of the No. 1 monster fan magazine continues with our Halloween issue, featuring a ‘then and now’ look at Hammer Films, with a special focus on the upcoming Let Me In!

Revisit Clive Barker’s Nightbreed! An in-depth analysis of the gloriously restored silent classic Metropolis! The heart-stopping work of Joe Hill! A peek behind the scenes of monster builders Moebius Models! The winners of the FM Beauty Contest held at our summer convention! All of this and more inside a cover by Eisner Award-winning artist Guy Davis, with the second in a series of incentive covers by the incredible William Stout!

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Amazing Spider-Man #646

Amazing Spider-Man #646
By: Mark Waid, Paul Azaceta, Marko Djurdjevic
THE HEARTBREAKING CONCLUSION OF ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES!

The odds are stacked against Spider-Man as he and Harry Osborn fight side-by-side in a battle to save Harry’s child. The people Peter Parker cares about most are in danger, and someone won’t live to tell the tale!

“Save everyone; never insist on resting!”
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Superman Earth One HC

Superman Earth One HC
By: J. Michael Straczynski, Shane Davis, Sandra Hope
Forget everything you know about The Man of Steel and brace yourself for a staggering new take on the world’s most popular super-hero.

Best-selling, Hugo Award-winning writer J. Michael Straczynski (BRAVE AND THE BOLD, THOR, BABYLON 5) and red-hot rising star artist Shane Davis (GREEN LANTERN, SUPERMAN/BATMAN) team up for this exciting launch of the EARTH ONE graphic novel series. Set in an all-new continuity re-imagining DC’s top heroes, EARTH ONE is a wave of original, standalone graphic novels produced by the top writers and artists in the industry. The groundbreaking new line rockets into effect right here with the super-hero who started it all — Superman!

What would happen if the origin of the Man of Tomorrow were introduced today for the very first time? Return to bucolic Smallville and experience the journey of Earth’s favorite adopted son as he grows from boy to Superman as you’ve never seen before!
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Justice Society Of America #44

Justice Society Of America #44
By: Marc Guggenheim, Scott Kolins, Shane Davis, Sandra Hope
With this all-new creative team comes all-new terror! The United States is attacked by a lone mysterious warrior who’s escaped from a super-secret government holding tank! The Justice Society races to Washington, D.C. to neutralize the threat and find themselves at the heart of a catastrophe that will redefine justice, the society AND America!

Don’t miss this stunning start to the run from Marc Guggenheim (Amazing Spider-Man, Wolverine) and Scott Kolins (FLASH, SOLOMON GRUNDY) as they take on the new adventures of the JSA!

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Beasts of Burden/Hellboy

Beasts of Burden/Hellboy
By: Mike Mignola, Evan Dorkin, Jill Thompson
he paranormal activity in the outwardly charming town of Burden Hill has gone from bad to worse, as seen in Dorkin and Thompson’s hardcover graphic novel Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites. Now the occult–investigating team of dogs (and one cat) need some serious help. Contact with the Wise Dog Society has broken off, leaving the team on its own, as a series of unexplained animal slayings have begun to occur. But magic can work in surprising ways, and help is brought to the team with the unexpected arrival of the World’s Greatest Paranormal Detective.

Evan Dorkin (Milk and Cheese, Bizarro World) and Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Magic Trixie) join forces with Mike Mignola (Hellboy, B.P.R.D., Witchfinder, Baltimore) in an amazing one–shot bringing their supernatural worlds together!

Mike Mignola’s Hellboy joins the animals’ of Burden Hill!

New releases 3/31/10

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.

Doctor Who Tenth Doctor's Coat Replica

Based on the 10th incarnation of The Doctor (played by David Tennant), this designer-quality coat is bound to be your favorite everyday garment! The replica trench coat, officially licensed by BBC Worldwide and available in a very limited run, features high-quality wool-blend fabric, deep blue lining (color-matched to the costume coat), double-breasted buttoning, detailed stitching on the back, two inside chest pockets, outside welt pockets with flaps, and a Doctor Who woven label. Order your time-travel gear today!

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Tokidoki X Marvel Thor Blk T-Shirt

Simone Legno’s world of tokidoki collides with Marvel Comics on these stylish t-shirts that feature cute versions of the Human Torch, Thor, and Wolverine!
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Iron Man 2 Whiplash Bobble Head

This summer Robert Downey, Jr. suits up again as Marvel’s armored hero in Iron Man 2, and his opponent in the big-screen blockbuster is Mickey Rourke as the diabolical Whiplash.

This 7″ tall bobble head recreates the insane Eastern bloc villain with a detailed facial sculpt based on the actor’s appearance, and this bobblehead comes with his trademark energy whips.

Editorial – Scare the whole family with this officially licensed Iron Man 2 Whiplash Bobble Head! Sure to keep even the sturdiest child on edge for days.

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Solomon Kane Official Movie Mag

Go behind the scenes of the epic movie, Solomon Kane, with this Official Movie Souvenir Magazine that brings you exclusive interviews, stunning artwork and storyboards, set secrets, and the history of Robert E. Howard’s puritan adventurer and fantasy hero.

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X-Men Second Coming

Part of X-Men: Second Coming! MANY WILL BE WOUNDED. SEVERAL WILL DIE. The climax of four years of X-Men stories is the X-Event of 2010!What started in HOUSE OF M with the Decimation of mutantkind and erupted with the first new mutant birth in MESSIAH COMPLEX finishes here.

In the epic crossover SECOND COMING, Cyclops’ faith pays off when Cable returns to the present with Hope, the girl he believes to be the mutant messiah. But will she be the savior or destroyer of mutantkind? We may never know, as she is the target of an initiative for mutant eradication unlike anything they X-Men have ever experienced. Many will be wounded. Several will die. Is Hope worth it?

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Iron Man: Extremis HC

BACK IN PRINT!

It’s the beginning of a new era for Iron Man! Renowned scribe Warren Ellis joins forces with acclaimed illustrator Adi Granov to redefine the armored avenger’s world for the 21st century – a landscape of terrifying new technologies that threaten to overwhelm fragile mankind!What is Extremis, who has unleashed it, and what does its emergence portend for the world? Plus: this new edition comes packed with extras, including armor designs, page layouts, issue scripts and more!

This title collects
Collecting Iron Man (2005) #1-6

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99 Classic Movies for People in a Hurry

99 Classic Movies for People in a Hurry compresses 99 of the worlds most famous movies – in just four squares! In a remarkable way, riotously entertaining texts and spot on illustrations let’s you, so to speak, get the picture, summarizing all the must-see classics. Get the low down on: Citizen Kane, Psycho, The Seventh Seal, Gone With the Wind, Dirty Dancing, Jaws, Bagdad Café, Rocky, Yojimbo, The Guns of Navarone, Jailhouse Rock, The Big Blue, Rebel Without a Cause, Taxi Driver, The Shawshank Redemption, The Misfits, among many others.
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My Life with Charlie Brown

While best known as the creator of Peanuts, Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000) was also a thoughtful and precise prose writer who knew how to explain his craft in clear and engaging ways. My Life with Charlie Brown brings together his major prose writings, many published here for the first time.Schulz’s autobiographical articles, book introductions, magazine pieces, lectures, and commentary elucidate his life and his art, and clarify themes of modern life, philosophy, and religion that are interwoven into his beloved, groundbreaking comic strip. Edited and with an introduction by comics scholar M. Thomas Inge, this volume will serve as the touchstone for Schulz’s thoughts and convictions and as a wide-ranging, unique autobiography in the absence of a traditional, extended memoir.

Inge and the Schulz estate have chosen a number of illustrations to include. With the approval and cooperation of the Schulz family, Inge draws on the cartoonist’s entire archives, papers, and correspondence to allow Schulz full voice to speak his mind. The project includes his comics criticism, his introductions to Peanuts volumes, his essays about philanthropy, his commentary on Christianity, his newspaper articles about the creation of his characters, and more. My Life with Charlie Brown will reveal new dimensions of this legendary cartoonist.

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Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 02 (of 6) HC

Influential sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s award-winning Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? has been called ‘a masterpiece ahead of its time, even today’ and served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford. A ground-breaking maxi-series experiment taking the full text of Dick’s novel and bringing it to comics, DADOES? is illustrated by acclaimed artist Tony Parker!This title collects

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP #5-8

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Creeper By Steve Ditko HC

Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man, struck again in 1968 with the strange hero The Creeper. Now, for the first time, DC collects Ditko’s Creeper epics from SHOWCASE #73, BEWARE THE CREEPER #1-6, 1ST ISSUE SPECIAL #7 and short stories from WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #249-255.

This title collects

SHOWCASE #73, BEWARE THE CREEPER #1-6, 1ST ISSUE SPECIAL #7 and short stories from WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #249-255

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The Lord of the Rings (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (1978)

Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson’s live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien’s trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo’s inheritance of “the One Ring” of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf’s triumph over the evil army of orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Rosenman’s accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi’s animation creates and sustains. Bakshi’s lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with “rotoscoped” (i.e., meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. –Jeff Shannon

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War Of The Worlds War Machines Attack Se Model Kit

War Of The Worlds War Machines Attack Se Model Kit is an Urban Collector pre-order. The battle for Earth from George Pal’s 1953 film The War of the Worlds is chronicled in this amazing diorama model kit that recreates a scene from the film. The kit comes two War Machines, two Sherman tanks, a desert-style display base, and death ray. Lenses and death ray parts cast in clear plastic, not colored. The Martian war machines are made using the same computer model used for the 1/48-scale models, based on the original Paramount prop blueprints. This special edition kit comes with chrome copper-style plated finish. Some assembly required.
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Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross

Alex Ross opens his private sketchbooks to reveal his astonishing pencil and ink drawings of DC Comics characters, nearly all of them appearing in print here for the first time.Thousands of fans from around the world have trilled to Alex’s fully rendered photo-realistic painting of their favorite heroes, but as they may not realize, all of those works start as pencil on paper, and the origins of the finished images are rarely seen. Until now.

From deleted scenes and altered panels for the epic Kingdom Come saga to proposals for revamping such classic properties as Batgirl, Captain Marvel, and an imagined son of Batman named Batboy, to unused alternate comic book cover ideas for the monthly Superman and Batman comics of 2008-2009, there is much to surprise and delight anyone who thought they already know all of Alex’s DC Comics work.

Illuminating everything is Alex’s own commentary, written expressly for this book, explaining his though processes and stylistic approaches for the various riffs and reimaginings of characters we thought we knew everything about but whose possibilities we didn’t fully understand.

As a record of a pivotal era in comics history, Rough Justice is a must for Alex’s legion of fans, as well as anyone interested in masterly comic book imagination and illustration.

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Fantastic Four #577

By: Jonathan Hickman, Dale Eaglesham, Alan Davis
On the Blue Area of the Moon, the Fantastic Four discover that the history of the Inhumans runs much deeper, and richer, than previously believed. It’s big adventure on a cosmic scale, its Prime Elements part three: Universal Inhumans!
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Dark Wolverine #84

By: Daniel Way & Marjorie Liu, Guisseppe Cammuncoli, Salvador Larroca
PART 2 OF 3-Daken has been given glimpses of the life he could have-as well as the lives he might destroy-and the time for a choice is finally at hand. Will he become a force for good…or reign as a king in Hell?_____________________________________________

Captain America: Winter Soldier Ultimate Collection

A midnight call to duty brings Captain America aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D Heli-carrier to identify the corpse of his most feared adversary: the Red Skull! The shocking murder of Cap’s oldest enemy may not be the end of the Skull’s plans, however, because whoever shot the Skull has stolen his final project: an unfinished Cosmic Cube with the potential power to alter reality itself. Adding to the imminent danger, a cadre of the Skull’s followers has already set in motion a plan to ignite bombs in the hearts of Paris, London and Manhattan – causing untold death and destruction.

Racing against these bombs’ rapidly ticking clocks, the Star-Spangled Avenger must not only solve the mystery of his nemesis’ murder, but find the Cube before it can be used in the Red Skull’s malevolent plot against the United States! Then, the questions plaguing Captain America’s dreams and memories have been answered in the most brutal way possible.

And in the wake of this brutality, General Lukin makes his first all-out assault – tearing open old wounds and threatening to make new scars that will never heal!

This title collects
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1-9 and #11-14

New Fantastic Four creative team debuts

After the much bally-hooed team of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch departs, how do you follow that run?

The recent announcement that Jonathan Hickman (The Nightly News, Secret Warriors) was taking over the writing chores got me very excited. As a precursor, his Dark Reign: Fantastic Four series has been a perfect indicator of how he will approach Marvel’s first family. The addition of former JSA artist Dale Eaglesham is a major bonus and will bring back a kind of dynamic approach to the series that was sacrificed in order to meet the ‘wide screen’ cinematic approach that Hitch brought. I have nothing against Hitch as a designer and artist, but his FF run has mainly lacked a certain level of humanity that I associate with this title.

The Fantastic Four (by Dale Eaglesham)

The new creative team will debut next month, and previews of the new series are starting to pop up in the back of select Marvel titles. The creators met with ComicBookResources.com to talk about what readers can expect when they take over the reigns of ‘the world’s comic book magazine.’

An admitted newcomer to the FF, Hickman has already shown that he has a handle on what makes the team tick in his Dark Reign mini-series. A talented writer from the independent market, Marvel is very lucky to have him on board. I’m still very surprised that he is even interested in this series and look forward to what he will bring to the title.

“To me, ‘Fantastic Four’ is obviously about the family structure, but more importantly it’s about wild, chaotic, fantastic ideas, as opposed to how things work in a functional world,” Hickman continued. “The physics of something isn’t the heart of the book. That’s not what I think we need to get back too.”

“And what you ought to expect out of me when it comes to ‘Fantastic Four’ stories is the old stuff with a new twist on it,” Hickman continued. “Not a reimagining, because that’s a terrible word for this, but kind of a distilling of everything down to it’s essence and then a spinning of it off into a new direction. In that new direction we’re still going to have a semblance of all things that you’re familiar with but we’re going to be doing it in a totally different way. It’s a from the ground up kind of rebirth, at least that’s the way I envision it.”

Dale Eaglesham’s approach to the series artistically sounds very much in keeping with how former Marvel Bullpenner John Buscema tackled the series. The preview images are less glossy and stylized as the team has appeared over the past year and look more like a superheroic team. I understand that this is a matter of taste, but the FF is one of the easiest titlers to get wrong as far as tone and style go. Even the best artist can mis-step and force the characters into a look that just doesn’t fit. Eaglesham seems to ‘get’ this idea and has streamlined yet modernized the team. As a side-note this could be the first time in ages that Sue Storm does not look like some kind of FHM cover girl. Eaglesham has returned a kind of dignity to her beauty that has been absent for a very long time.

“I feel Reed is going to become more intimidating and forceful and less the nerdy professor. I want villains to be afraid of him physically as well as of his mind,” Eaglesham continued. “That is not to say I want to wash the humor or any goofiness out of Reed or his relationships, far from it. I want to maintain that, but add to it the imposing presence of a brilliant scientist and powerful superhero.”

As one might have guessed from the above description, when it comes to drawing, Reed Richards is Eaglesham’s favorite member of the Fantastic Four, with The Thing being a close second. “My focus is on Reed and I am really looking forward to sculpting his personality, his intellectual intensity and his warm role of doting father. His powers are not ray blasts, but are very physical (and thus visually spectacular) displays,” the artist remarked. “I am going to enjoy adding a heroic stature to this almost comical power of his. This combination will be a lot of fun to explore.”

Eaglesham also has a clear vision on which qualities he’d like to capture and bring forward in the other “Fantastic Four” characters. “Johnny, the man of action, the adventurer, the risk taker and absolute warrior — he likes to have fun, but don’t be fooled by that; he is a real Sir Lancelot. Ben, the lovable curmudgeon, is the kind of character I love to work with. Honest and direct, he gets to say what everyone else is only thinking, and he does it without any malice (unless you happen to be Dr. Doom or a zombie from the Negative Zone). He should be in politics — imagine the fireworks!” Eaglesham said. “I intend to put a bit of steel into Reed and Sue and make them formidable superheroes, but it won’t affect their warmth as people. Valeria is a strange little creature. A toddling two-year-old, but possessing incredible intelligence, the possibilities for visual incongruity are endless. I see Franklin as a quiet kid, not quite brooding, but with a shadow of inquisitive seriousness about the brow.”

It’s not just the classic characters that make “Fantastic Four” such an appealing assignment for Eaglesham. The artist also loves the fact the FF’s primary role in the Marvel U is exploration. “That they can go anywhere opens up the book to science fantasy, science fiction and adventure, and I am a big proponent of that in comics,” Eaglesham stated. “Not only do I thoroughly enjoy transporting readers to new and incredible realities, but I live for that kind of material.”

As many readers of my blog may recall the Fantastic Four is one of my all-time favorite monthly titles. A combination of all the great concepts that make comics so exciting and unique along with that quintissential touch of the origins of Marvel Comics makes the series so important to me.

The new team debuts with issue 570 due out in August.