Classic Comics for Jan. 2007

[Slam_Bradley]

DC Solicits are out. Of interest to Classics fans...

BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD VOL. 2 TP
Written by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Roy Thomas and others
Art by Bob Kane, Carmine Infantino, Marshall Rogers and others
Cover by Alex Ross
The Dark Knight's career is chronicled in this unique anthology that reprints classic stories featuring unforgettable tales of the World's Greatest Detective. Witness the evolution of Batman in some of his most signifigant tales from the 1940s to the present.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 14 o 208 pg, FC, $19.99 US

JUSTICE SOCIETY VOL. 2 TP
Written by Paul Levitz
Art by Joe Staton, Bob Layton, Joe Giella and Dave Hunt
Cover by Brian Bolland
A new volume collecting classic Silver Age Justice Society adventures! This volume - featuring stories from ALL-STAR COMICS #68-74 and ADVENTURE COMICS #461-466 - includes the Justice Society's battles with the Psycho-Pirate, the immortal Vandal Savage, the Injustice Society and more.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 7 o 224 pg, FC, $14.99 US

SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL. 2 TP
Written by Jerry Siegel Art and cover by Joe Shuster
Continuing the series of Superman stories in chronological order! This volume features classic tales from ACTION COMICS #14-20 and SUPERMAN #2-3 (1939-1940) written and illustrated by Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in which the Man of Tomorrow battles crooked politicians and slumlords as he brings justice to the downtrodden masses.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 7 o 192 pg, FC, $14.99 US

SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES VOL. 5 HC
Written by Jerry Siegel, Sam Citron, Alvin Schwartz and others
Art by Joe Shuster, Ira Yarbrough, Ed Dobrotka and John Sikela
Cover by Joe Shuster
Don't miss this thrilling archive featuring some of Superman's earliest adventures by his creators, Siegel and Shuster! This volume includes ACTION COMICS #69-85, from 1944-1945.
Advance-solicited; on sale March 28 o 228 pg, FC, $49.99 US


And a couple for February.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN VOL. 2 TP
Written by John Broome and Gardner Fox
Art by Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino and others
Cover by Kane
Over 500 pages of black-and-white comics are included in this fast-paced collection that features the Emerald Warrior's battles with the beautiful Star Sapphire, would-be world conqueror Sonar, and the renegade Green Lantern known as Sinestro from GREEN LANTERN #18-37 and THE FLASH #143.
Advance-solicited; on sale February 28 o 552 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: AQUAMAN VOL. 1 TP
Written by Robert Bernstein and Jack Miller
Art by Ramona Fradon, Kurt Schaffenberger, Nick Cardy and others
Cover by Jim Aparo
Collecting classic tales of Aquaman from ADVENTURE COMICS #260-280, 282 and 284 and more! Over 500 pages highlighting classic tales of Aquaman, featuring the debuts of Mera and Aqualad!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 14 o 544 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

[dan bailey]

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: AQUAMAN VOL. 1 TP
Written by Robert Bernstein and Jack Miller
Art by Ramona Fradon, Kurt Schaffenberger, Nick Cardy and others
Cover by Jim Aparo
Collecting classic tales of Aquaman from ADVENTURE COMICS #260-280, 282 and 284 and more! Over 500 pages highlighting classic tales of Aquaman, featuring the debuts of Mera and Aqualad!
Advance-solicited; on sale February 14 o 544 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

Well, cool (not that the other volumes cited above aren't, of course)! DC is really doing this right.

[Lone Ranger]

DC Solicits are out. Of interest to Classics fans...

BATMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD VOL. 2 TP

Wait - I've already got this...

The thing is, it is a pretty lame early 90s collection of Catwoman/Penguin stories - obviously designed to cash in on the Batman Returns movie.

Now that I think about it, it's etitled The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol 2.

Now, I am confused - which ones are the greatest?

[Simon Garth]

I guess this lot as well then:


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 1
Featuring Marvel Boy, Human Torch, Captain America & Sub-Mariner
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, JOHN ROMITA, CARL BURGOS, RUSS HEATH & WAYNE BORING
Cover by CARL BURGOS
As the '50s dawned and the Atlas Era was born, the day of the Nazi-stomping super hero had passed, and in its place came a new style of hero reflective of the changing times. Heroes born of bizarre atomic science that battled otherworldly alien menaces, and patriotic poster boys that battled back the Communist hordes.
Marvel Boy: Rejecting the tyranny of Earth's governments, scientist Dr. Matthew Grayson built an experimental spacecraft and traveled to the planet Uranus with his infant son, Robert. In this incredible environment, young Robert developed marvelous powers of telepathy and superhuman strength, combined with a pair of amazing photonic wristbands. These astonishing powers made him Marvel Boy, cosmic protector of the solar system!
The Hero Revival: The year was 1953, and with fear of Communism clutching the nation's attention, Atlas Comics publisher Martin Goodman tapped Stan Lee - along with artists John Romita, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos and Russ Heath - to stage a revival of the most-famous super heroes of the era. Bursting onto the pages of YOUNG MEN, the Human Torch, Captain America and the Sub-Mariner made their explosive return to the comics scene!
The inaugural volume of a line collecting the exceptionally rare 1950s appearances of Captain America, the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, Marvel Boy, the Black Knight and more, ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 1 is just the first peek into a historical bridge between the Golden Age and the Marvel Age of Heroes no fan should be without!
Collecting MARVEL BOY #1-2, ASTONISHING #3-6 and YOUNG MEN #24-28.
304 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2408-X
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 1 - VARIANT EDTION VOL. 73
304 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2480-2
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK VOL. 1
Written by ROY THOMAS, MIKE FRIEDRICH, RON GOULART, GERRY CONWAY & TONY ISABELLA
Penciled by GIL KANE, JOHN BUSCEMA, TOM SUTTON, BOB BROWN & HERB TRIMPE
Cover by GIL KANE
As the 1970s dawned, Marvel Comics marched into a new era. An era whose heroes increasingly reflected the turmoil and social unrest of the time. And as Marvel's heroic pantheon evolved, a newly christened hero debuted to herald that new era: Adam Warlock!
Mixing super-hero action with equal parts social consciousness and allegory, writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, in some of the most accomplished work of his career, launched Warlock on a wild ride across the cosmos to Counter-Earth! Hastened by the High Evolutionary to be the savior of this parallel planet, Warlock, armed for the first time with his soul gem, must do battle with the evil Man-Beast for the very planet itself!
Featuring guest-appearances by Dr. Doom, Reed Richards and no less than the Incredible Hulk, this volume of never-before-collected stories is one you won't want to miss, and you can bet your pet rock on that!
Collecting MARVEL PREMIERE #1-2, WARLOCK #1-8 and INCREDIBLE HULK #176-178.
288 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2411-X
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK VOL. 1 - VARIANT EDTION VOL. 72
288 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2471-3


SPIDER-MAN: DEATH OF THE STACYS PREMIERE HC
Written by STAN LEE & GERRY CONWAY
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA SR. & GIL KANE
Cover by GIL KANE
Spider-Man's career has often been shaped by tragedy, but rarely as much as in the story of the Stacys! Two of Spider-Man's greatest enemies, Doc Ock and the Green Goblin, made comic-book history by killing the wall-crawler's police-officer mentor, Captain Stacy, and his first true love, Gwen - events that affect the Marvel Universe to this day! Guest-starring Iceman of the X-Men! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #88-92 and #121-122.
160 PGS./Rated A …$19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2504-3
Trim size: standard
SPIDER-MAN: DEATH OF THE STACYS PREMIERE HC - VARIANT EDITION VOL. 4
Cover by JOHN ROMITA SR.
160 PGS./Rated A …$19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2505-1

X-FACTOR: LIFE AND DEATH MATTERS premiere hc
Penciled by ARIEL OLIVETTI, DENNIS CALERO, RENATO ARLEM & ROY ALLAN MARTINEZ
Cover by RYAN SOOK
Jamie Madrox comes face-to-face with the thing that terrifies him the most: having to make a decision. The divisiveness of Civil War has spread to his own team: Half of them want to cooperate with the government; the other half wants to take a stand against it. It's Jamie's choice that may well decide whether X-Factor stays together or cracks apart. And matters aren't being helped by Quicksilver, who offers Rictor the opportunity to get his powers back -- but at what price? Plus: They've been a thorn in X-Factor's side since the beginning, and now things are coming to a head. X-Factor's newest assignment causes them to again cross paths with their arch rivals, Singularity Investigations. The result is revelations that strike to the very core of who and what Jamie Madrox is. Collecting X-FACTOR #7-12.
144 PGS./Rated T+ …$19 .99
ISBN: 0-7851-2623-6
Trimsize: Standard
X-Factor: The Longest Night Premiere HC still available!
$ 19.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-2351-2)


AVENGERS ASSEMBLE VOL. 4 HC
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Penciled by JERRY ORDWAY, STEVE EPTING, ALAN DAVIS, NORM BREYFOGLE, IAN CHURCHILL & JOHN ROMITA JR.
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
The Avengers embark on international adventure against a nation-sized knight and a city of Hulks! Then, it's off to small-town Centerville to face Salem's Seven and the Sons of the Serpent! Plus: A major Marvel crossover! Avengers in space, and inquiries answered by the man who knows Earth's Mightiest Heroes best! Collecting AVENGERS #35-40 and ANNUAL 2000-2001, AVENGERS: THE ULTRON IMPERATIVE, and MAXIMUM SECURITY #1-3 and DANGEROUS PLANET.
416 PGS./Rated T+ ...$34.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2347-4
Trim size: oversized
These AVENGERS ASSEMBLE HARDCOVERS STILL AVAILABLE!
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE VOL. 1...$29.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-1573-0)
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE VOL. 2...$29.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-1773-3)
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE VOL. 3...$34.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-2130-7)

[Simon Garth]

And these:

CHAMPIONS CLASSIC VOL. 2 TPB
Written by BILL MANTLO, JOHN BYRNE & JIM SHOOTER
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, BOB HALL & GEORGE TUSKA
Cover by ERNIE CHAN
Demon-gods, alien monsters and killer bees - it only goes to show that Angel, Iceman, Hercules, Black Widow and Ghost Rider did more before #17 than some teams get done by #50! The short-lived super-team squeezed multiple mayhem into mere months of masked marvelry! Featuring the Stranger and the Stilt-Man! Magneto and MODOK! The world reign of Doctor Doom! The Sentinels and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! Guest-starring Spider-Man and the Avengers! Plus: destined for the pages of Punisher War Journal...Rampage! Collecting CHAMPIONS #12-17, IRON MAN ANNUAL #4, AVENGERS #163, SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #14. and PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #17-18.
216 PGS./Rated A ...$19.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2098-X
CHAMPIONS CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$19.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-2097-1)


GHOST RIDER: ROAD TO DAMNATION TPB
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Penciled by CLAYON CRAIN
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Stunning art and a story that only Garth Ennis could tell! He's paying the price for his deal with the Devil - is the Ghost Rider condemned to ride the highways of Hell for all eternity? His saving grace could be in the form of an unlikely ally - an industrious angel with a deal that would free Ghost Rider once and for all! Collecting GHOST RIDER #1-6.
144 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$14.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2122-6

GHOST RIDER VOL. 1: VICIOUS CYCLE TPB
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by JAVIER SALTARES & MARK TEXEIRA
Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
Once upon a time, Johnny Blaze made a deal with the Devil - and to no one's surprise but his own, he got shafted. Now trapped in hell, with the Spirit of Vengeance bonded to his immortal soul and weighing him down, Johnny may have finally found a way out. But at what cost? From the depths of Hell to the glittering spires of Heaven, the Ghost Rider rides again, blazing new trails and dispensing fiery vengeance in his wake. The demonic team of Daniel Way, Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares reunite to put ol' Flamehead back in the saddle where he belongs. Ready or not, here he comes! Collecting GHOST RIDER #1-5.
120 PGS./Rated T+ ...$13.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2296-6

IRON MAN: ARMOR WARS TPB
Written by DAVID MICHELINIE & BOB LAYTON
Penciled by MARK BRIGHT & BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH
Cover by MARK BRIGHT
"How many? How many have drawn blood with my sword?" Millionaire industrialist Tony Stark is an inventive genius who has dedicated all of his enormous financial and intellectual resources to a single guiding principle: the creation of technology for the betterment of humanity. Stark's greatest creation is a modern-day miracle: a suit of form-fitting, strength-enhancing, steel-mesh armor he dons to become the living symbol of his ideals, the Invincible Iron Man! But when Stark discovers that the same technology he used to create the Iron Man armor - technology so secret he didn't even dare patent it - is now in the hands of several deadly super-villains, he feels responsible for the evil they have done with the high-tech tools he unwittingly provided. In the face of objections from his government, friends, colleagues and fellow super heroes, Stark swears to use the power of Iron Man to bring the evil to an end - and to take back what's his. The Beatle, Stilt Man, the Controller, Stingray, the Mandroids, the Guardsmen and Firepower don't know it yet, but they've got a problem. The world's most powerful force for good isn't playing by the rules anymore. And he's coming for them. Collecting IRON MAN #225-232.
208 PGS./Rated A …$24.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2506-X


NEW MUTANTS CLASSIC VOL. 2 TPB
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by SAL BUSCEMA & BOB MCLEOD
Cover by TOM MANDRAKE
Nova Roma, a city on the move - back several thousand years! In their earliest adventure abroad, the New Mutants discover a long-forgotten colony of the Roman Empire and an enemy they won't soon forget: Selene the Black Queen! Then, Magma and Magik join the team just in time for war with the White Queen! Featuring the future Warpath and the original Hellions, harbingers of horror and heroism for years to come! Collecting NEW MUTANTS #8-17.
240 PGS./Rated A ...$24.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2195-1
NEW MUTANTS CLASSIC VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$24.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-2194-3)


ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL. 2 TPB
Written by LOUISE SIMONSON, WALTER SIMONSON, JO DUFFY & TOM DEFALCO
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON, JUNE BRIGMAN, STEVE LIGHTLE, TERRY SHOEMAKER, SAL BUSCEMA & TOM GRINDBERG
Cover by WALTER SIMONSON
Iceman gets too frozen, the Beast gets too bestial and the Angel gets a REALLY sharp new set of wings as the original X-Men face mutant-haters and hate-filled mutants who agree on one thing: They want X-Factor dead! Apocalypse first gathers his horrendous Horsemen, and Caliban makes the transition from tracker to Hellhound! Infectia, Orphan-Maker and the Alliance of Evil! Plus: For fans of the current X-Factor, witness Quicksilver's earlier descent into dementia and the first appearance of Rictor! Featuring Thor, Freedom Force and more! Collecting X-FACTOR #17-35 and ANNUAL #2, and THOR #378.
512 PGS./Rated A …$16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2099-8
ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$16.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-1886-1)

ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER VOL. 2 TPB
Written by GERRY CONWAY, DON GLUT, JIM SHOOTER, ROGER MCKENZIE, DON PERLIN, JIM STARLIN & MICHAEL FLEISHER
Penciled by GIL KANE, SAM GRAINGER, DON HECK, DON PERLIN, TOM SUTTON, STEVE LEIALOHA & CARMINE INFANTINO
Cover by DON PERLIN
Demons, vampires, cults, actors - nothing's too intense for the Sizzling Cyclist of the Seventies! After mowing down a mob of motorcycling miscreants, the Ghost Rider faces what waits in the Wild West of the Phantom Rider and the Two-Gun Kid! Plus: See Johnny Blaze and Zarathos separated for the first time! Guest-starring Doctor Strange, Professor X and more! Collecting GHOST RIDER #21-50.
568 PGS./Rated T+ …$16.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2164-1
ESSENTIAL GHOST RIDER VOL. 1 TPB STILL AVAILABLE!
$16.99 (ISBN: 0-7851-1838-1)

[scratchie]

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK VOL. 1

A.K.A. "Adam Warlock, Space Christ". Interesting for completists, I suppose, but you could almost certainly get the original issues cheaper than this hardcover. I sort of thought the Masterworks series only made sense if it featured issues that couldn't be bought separately for less than the cover price of the Masterworks book.

288 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2411-X
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK VOL. 1 - VARIANT EDTION VOL. 72
288 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 0-7851-2471-3

Speaking of which, it appears that Marvel has raised the price for the "non-variant" (silver-covered) Masterworks editions. Yeah! Stick it to the fans again, Marvel! We love it!

[Reptisaurus!]

Wait - I've already got this...

The thing is, it is a pretty lame early 90s collection of Catwoman/Penguin stories - obviously designed to cash in on the Batman Returns movie.

Now that I think about it, it's etitled The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol 2.

Now, I am confused - which ones are the greatest?

The NEW Greatest stories aren't quite so blatant a cash-grab. ALthough teh Justice League volume might as well have been called "The Greatest Justice League Stories ever told that sort of tie into Identity Crisis," and the Green Lantern volume was "The Greatest Hal Jordan and another Green Lantern team-up stories Ever told."

[Reptisaurus!]

In other news: Marvel trades cost way too much. The Champions are still horrible.

[Mike Kuypers]

Now that I think about it, it's etitled The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol 2.

Now, I am confused - which ones are the greatest?

Wait until DC puts out a third volume. Then they can be labeled Great, Greater and Greatest.

[MDG]

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 1
Featuring Marvel Boy, Human Torch, Captain America & Sub-Mariner
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, JOHN ROMITA, CARL BURGOS, RUSS HEATH & WAYNE BORING

Wayne Boring did work for Atlas in the 50s? I'm shocked! I thought he didn't do anything but Superman until DC gave him the boot.

MDG

[Kurt Busiek]

Wayne Boring did work for Atlas in the 50s? I'm shocked! I thought he didn't do anything but Superman until DC gave him the boot.

He did a 4-page Marvel Boy story in ASTONISHING #4, inked by Bill Everett -- maybe he ghosted it for Bill, or something.

I'm betting that's the one they're printing, though.

kdb

[MWGallaher]

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: ATLAS ERA HEROES VOL. 1
Featuring Marvel Boy, Human Torch, Captain America & Sub-Mariner
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by BILL EVERETT, JOHN ROMITA, CARL BURGOS, RUSS HEATH & WAYNE BORING
Cover by CARL BURGOS
As the '50s dawned and the Atlas Era was born, the day of the Nazi-stomping super hero had passed, and in its place came a new style of hero reflective of the changing times. Heroes born of bizarre atomic science that battled otherworldly alien menaces, and patriotic poster boys that battled back the Communist hordes.

And thus the future looks even brighter for the possibility of a Venus collection! I've been betting it would happen in the next few years, and now I'm more confident than ever. I hope, for my sake, that if/when that collection comes, it's in a Venus-exclusive package, not as volume 3 or so of this series, but however it comes, it will be appreciated.

[Ryan K]

I'm very happy to see DC's doing another Superman Chronicles edition.

And I'm very pleased about the new Showcase Presents Volumes. For whatever reason I prefer the superhero ones and its noce to see DC announcing a couple volume #2's lately.

I'm skipping Essential X-Factor Vol. 2, but I'll pick up Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 2 at some point (I'm not rushing to the store or anything).

I'll probably pick up Justice Society Vol. 2 eventually as well, but I haven't had a chance to pick up Vol. 1 yet.

[Reptisaurus!]

And thus the future looks even brighter for the possibility of a Venus collection! I've been betting it would happen in the next few years, and now I'm more confident than ever. I hope, for my sake, that if/when that collection comes, it's in a Venus-exclusive package, not as volume 3 or so of this series, but however it comes, it will be appreciated.

That would be neat. I've seen covers and they're quite... *coughcough* intriguing.

[MDG]

That would be neat. I've seen covers and they're quite... *coughcough* intriguing.

Well, that comment sent me to the GCD.

I noticed the same thing with these as when I looked up Breifer's Frankenstein a couple days ago--They start out light and humourous, then become truly horrific in the 50s. At least EC changed the names of their books!

MDG