PinkKryptonite.com

AGGROgator: It's Grrrrrreat!

2008-05-11T15:40:10Z

When a story falls between the cracks, it ends up in the sewer and gets swallowed up by the Pink Kryptonite AGGROgator!

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BAM! ... Tony Z. just can't wait for an animated internet show about four women. Sadly, it's not Sex and the City: the Animated Series.

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BAM! ... Brendan Jones's fantastic web comic Breakfast of the Gods gets a shout-out and an in-depth review by Sean Kleefield's blog.

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BAM! ... X-Force: now with puppies!

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BAM! ... The Fortress of Fortitude has a great article up about creator's rights and how they relate to the corporate world of the Big Two.

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BAM! ... The ever lovin' blue-eyed Heidi MacDonald talks up the next generation of New York's School of Visual Arts and the interesting statistics about their comic art program.

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BAM! ... And finally, who wants some German sneakers?

There Goes The Neighborhood

2008-05-10T00:00:00Z

If you're a regular reader 'round these parts you've no doubt heard me proclaim the greatness that is Comic Foundry magazine. it's a well rounded magazine that is as much about superheros and tights as it is about Manga and indie books. The new issue will be out in June and while I'm still excited about it, the cover story is definitely NOT the reason I am.

Why an interview with G4's Blair Butler is a good thing is beyond me. She is the most boring and awkward personality on the network and it pains me to see her get all the comic related presentations. She's as wooden as Johnny is a homicidal maniac and she just sucks the life out of every interview she conducts.

While I'll be gladly waiting for the issue to arrive in my mailbox this June, i will most definitely be skipping that particular article.

Thursday Friday Review Sessions: Issue #10 (Bumpy Chin Edition)

2008-05-09T16:51:53Z

Your usual host for our Thursday morning quarterbacking is currently incapacitated (maybe if he had a Mac instead of Vista, ha!) so it's up to your intrepid sociopath to pumpkin bomb some reviews on your bad selves.

The name of the game this week is undoubtedly Secret Invasion. The first two issues have met with resounding success in the blogosphere and even satellite books such as New Avengers and Mighty Avengers are sharing in the basking warmth of those damn, dirty Skrulls. But let's not count out the Whedonverse as both Buffy and Angel: After the Fall have new issues out this week (from different publishers, strangely enough).

What's on deck this week?

1. Secret Invasion #2
2. Mighty Avengers #13
3. Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1
4. Buffy: Season Eight #14
5. Nova #13
6. X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead
7. Invincible Iron Man #1
8. The Boys #18
9. Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness
10. Angel: After the Fall #7
11. Logan #3
12. Cable #3
13. Midnighter #18

Did we make the right calls? Check out the reviews and let us know!

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Goblin's books ...
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Secret Invasion #2

Marvel's summer event continues on as we get some serious 70s fever. I'll go spoiler-lite in this review and just tell you that we do get an answer on just who some of those crash-landed heroes are. However, there is a sub-plot brewing that I am greatly in love in with. Bobbi Barton, otherwise known as ex-Avenger and ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Mockingbird, seems to know more than a Skrull should. She admits to a pretty crushing memory from her and ex-husband Hawkeye's past that only they could possibly know. The question now becomes is this Mockingbird a Skrull and their surveillance goes a lot deeper than we thought or was the Mockingbird that died in Avengers West Coast #100 really a Skrull which means the Invasion started a lot longer than we thought? I don't know about you, but either way I am greatly intrigued. Plus, as one of the few people who own the complete run of AWC, I am reveling in all this history from the bygone book.

No big reveals like last issue (or the recent Mighty and New Avengers books), but there is plot momentum. Just what the hell was up with Vision, exactly? How much do the Skrulls know about the heroes? The last page certainly changes the original impetus behind Secret Invasion and moves us into a new arena. An excellent idea in this day and age of decompression, but I'm just hoping that Bendis has enough juice to keep the momentum up given that we're only on the second issue. My only grievance is that it's changing too fast and that's not a terrible thing at all, really.

BUY IT

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X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead (One-Shot)

Do you read X-Factor? Well, why not? It's a great action noir title that not only ties into Marvel's ongoing stories (House of M, Messiah Complex, Civil War) but uses them to its advantage. The only problem with being tied into the tapestry of the Marvel universe is that sometimes the X-Factor specific and more personal stories can get caught up. Then when you have a side character on the periphery like Quicksilver, his story can get sidelined so much that they need to publish a separate one-shot to get him caught up. But good for us because we get even more Pietro-ness!

After being severely screwed up both mentally and physically by the Terrigen Mists being embedded in his body, Pietro had his ass handed to him but the currently temporally lost Layla Miller. Ending up in a New York jail, Pietro starts talking to ghosts and hallucinations before spotting a woman being thrown off an apartment building. As his father, sister, wife, daughter and Layla Miller demean, encourage, love and prod Pietro he finally just breaks out of his funk and regains his speed powers. After a quick jump off of Mt. Everest and a landing in the north Pacific, it seems we have a fully regained Quicksilver back. He's now not so crazy and a lot less evil. While I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline with a darker Pietro, I'm happy to see him back to his former self. If you've read X-Factor at all in the past year and half, this is definitely a must buy book as it closes the chapter on an important chapter of Quicksilver. If you haven't bought X-Factor before and don't plan on it (which you certainly should), this book is going to be very confusing to you, even if it does start a new status quo for a classic Marvel character. Averaging the two, let's give the book a rating of ...

READ IT

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Cable #3

And with this I am done. I am officially dropping Cable as an ongoing. The book has no real purpose since it's been removed from the timeline and we know the whole "Divided We Stand" storyline ends when the X-Men regroup in Uncanny X-Men #500. But instead we get to watch Cable and Bishop fight over an infant in the future. First of all, just how big is Cable or how small is that child? It's not a Barbie doll. You shouldn't be able to palm an entire infant in one hand. And why is this dystopian future so clean? Olivetti is a good artist, but he needs to work on a book like Iron Man where there's a lot of clean, cool futuretech, not a wasteland motif. Then there's some stuff about the rich running the slums, some vigilante police force, yadda yadda, nothing we haven't see a dozen times. This book started out with promise, but as it's been neutered by upcoming solicitations and is hamstrung by a slow plot and the wrong artist there's little left to enjoy anymore. If you're still getting this book, please tell me why. I realize ti sells well but I'm betting that's a hand off from the better than expected "Messiah Complex" storyline. As it progress I see it falling down the charts until it hits cancellation inside of two years, if that.

On a happier note, I realized when I got home I had snagged the Skrull variant cover. The wee infant is all green and bumpy-chinned. I'm sure it won't be firing up the back market charts, but it's kind of cute.

SKIP IT

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The Invincible Iron Man #1

While it seems obvious at first why Marvel would want to launch a second ongoing Iron Man title right now, there are a few questions to ask first. Iron Man's main title isn't firing up the Diamond 300 list, but that may be because of the excellent but decidedly low key storyline the Knauf's are writing right now. There is not much action as it's become almost an espionage book focusing on Stark's title of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. It' a great read, but not what some people want from an Iron Man book. Int hat sense, a new ongoing tying Stark into the Marvel universe proper and ramping up the action makes sense. But if the main book doesn't sell well enough, can a second survive let alone flourish?

Matt Fraction and Salvador Larrocca do make an interesting opening gambit here. They bridge the gap between comics and movies and move Tony into a hero again. He isn't fighting a giant robot (yet), but the villains are definitely tech based and War machine thinks a baddie has created an Iron Man-esque armor. Tony concurs when he sees what the "suicide bombers" really did. The art is duly techy and I'd basically follow Larrocca just about anywhere. being a first issue, most of this is set-up (such as reintroducing Pepper Potts) but it's fairly seamless. If you've been reading Iron Man for years some of it will be obvious, but it's designed to hook new readers from the movie. Compared to other outreach books, Fraction does a hell of a job making it unobtrusive. And I am in love with how Fraction calls it "The Iron Man." It makes it a distinct presence apart from Stark.

The only real problem here is I'm afraid to make an investment if the book will be dead in a year or two. I don't know if sales can support it (comic movies rarely make any sort of real spike in monthly sales and only a moderate one in graphic novels and trade paperbacks) and I don't want to spend my money on a book that acts like an ongoing but gets canceled with issue #13. It's a promising start, but let's see if it goes somewhere.

I got the cover with the Robert Downey Jr. photo wraparound. If anyone else got the issue, which of the six covers did you get?

READ IT

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Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1 (of 4)

It's an Iron Man two-fer!

This Marvel Knights limited series (MK being a prestige imprint for big name creators and set outside the bounds of standard Marvel continuity) is written by Iron Man movie director Jon Favreau and current Iron Man designer Adi Granov. We know Granov can do some mean interiors so long as it isn't a monthly book (see the "Extremis" storyline in the latest Iron Man reboot), so his work is as gorgeous as ever. The unproven aspect comes in Favreau who has written for film before, but never comics. So far he's prven that he can do both.

Since Marvel Knights can be a world unto itself, we get an amalgam of different Tony Starks into this one. Best description I can give is movie Tony Stark before the last scene (before the credits). Iron Man is not known to be Stark and he likes it that way. After an interesting ride on Stark Air (and an interesting spin on a now-common idea which I wonder if it will pay off), Tony is in Vegas and acting his playboy self. Mining obscure continuity, Elsa Bloodstone has sent in a giant golden dragon she uncovered in Asia that is being set up as both a corporate icon akin to the MGM Grand lion and evil (huh, corporate icons being evil? That's crazy!). This may seem like a slim plotline (though there is this business with a whle bunch of lizards swarming the Strip), it is actually worth it to pick this up. The characterization is spot on and it's the little moments that really propel the book. You know those tattoos mean something, but what? And just what the hell is up with that dragon?

This was sort of a question mark for me, until I read it. Favreau must love this character because he's got his number to a T. If I wasn't enjoying the Knauf's story so much I would say that Favreau deserves a spot on the main book. It's also interesting to note that this book shipped days after the movie opened and we've not seen page one of the supposed Ultimate X-Men storyline written by Bryan Singer. Guess it'll come out after the Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk / Young Avengers vol. 2 crossover.

The best part may be the house ad for the main Iron Man book with the tagline, "The world's toughest job needs more than a ma of steel - Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D." Fantastic, I love it.

BUY IT

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Nova #13

This was going to be an interesting issue regardless of what actually happened in it. This is the first issue since the end of "Annhilation: Conquest" and also the first where it isn't leading into or out of an event book. While the issue obviously spins out of "A:C," it very much is its own story here. You don't need to have read anything else to fully understand what's going on here and it actually makes the issue a great jumping on point for people to try this book out. So if you've had any interest in Nova, #13 would be a good place to start.

As for what goes down, Richard is trying to save an alien planet from destrction at the hands of Galactus. Boring, right? Well, not really. Abnett and Lanning spin the concept some and do not have Nova try to stop Galactus. He knows the Big G is way too powerful for him, so instead he focuses his efforts on simply saving the people on the planet. This may not be such a revelatory idea as "Civil War" or the original "Thunderbolts" book, but it's a tweak on the standard Galactus story. From the get-go, Nova admits he can't hope to stop the World Devourer so why should he bother? He'd much rather save lives by getting people off planet so they can make a new home. It's a great idea and while it wouldn't make for a full story arc, things change enough in the end to keep the story going. Plus, next month - Nova vs. Silver Surfer! The Worldmind and Nova Force vs. The Power Cosmic! Should be a fun ride.

READ IT

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Thunderbolts: Reason in Madness (One-Shot)

Thunderbolts is an incredibly frustrating book. On the one hand, it's an excellent concept (both the original and this new Initiative version), but it's prone to too many pitfalls.The latest being the fact that it never comes out. I don't know if Warren Ellis hasn't written scripts or if Mike Deodato is behind on pencils, but the book never comes out. It's unfortunate because Marvel hyped it up pretty high. But instead of letting it fall to the wayside, we do get several one-shots written by CHristos Gage and that's not something to complain about.

The newest one focuses on Venom and Norman Osborn. Now, given my chosen moniker, it's a safe bet that I'm a Norman fan. But this new Venom never really got under my skin. I didn't like Mark Millar's story in MK Spider-Man where Mac Gargan got the symbiote and I never warmed to him in Thunderbolts either ... until now. This book has made me interested in Venom because he's no loner a one-trick villain. It's not just about killing and eating like he has been in other books (Namor, I'm looking at you). We started to see some of the dichotomy in the last few Ellis penned books and I assume he was moving into exploring him more, but God knows when that'll happen. At least Ellis neer wasted time on Penance.

This book has some old Masters of Evil (though I'm loathe to call Boomerang master of anything besides goofy costumes) trying to recruit their old friend mac to double-cross Norman. Gargan plays it smarter than I would have given him credit for and actually comes out ahead in the end. Seeing his internal struggle against the symbiote and the fear that he's going to lose soon makes him infinitely more interesting. Add to this the fact that he actually played the Masters of Evil AND Norman Osborn - and won! - and we have a character on the rise here. Norman gets his time to shine as well and I loved seeing his bloodlust come out without the Goblin persona. Don't get me wrong, I love the Goblin (duh), but Norman works well without that as well. And it's very obviously Norman at work here and not the Green Goblin. I loved it. Of course, if you're not a Thunderbolts reader than you would be so lost in this it isn't even funny. Gage does his best to describe the situation, but he has a story to tell and no "To Be Continued ..." available at the end. If you read the main T-Bolts book and don't automatically get all of the one-shots, this is one you should pick up. It will be worth your while.

READ IT

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Logan #3

Brian K. Vaughn and Eduardo Risso's three part Marvel Knights book comes to a close as Logan comes to terms with his past in Hiroshima of 1945. This was a odd book, it almost feels like ti was supposed to be an arc in Wolverine: Origins. It's self-contained and touches on none of Logan's prior history other than the fact that he was alive and in 1945. And I suppose his fetish for Japanese women.

After a great first issue and a lackluster second, this third and final one rounds out somewhere in the middle. It's certainly better than the second issue, but doesn't have as much sentiment as the first. Yes, Lt. Warren is fleshed out some more (no pun intended) and I don't dislike him as much as before, but I really don't care about what happens to him. I did like how BKV just admits that Warren doesn't know how or why he turned back after (he assumes) killing Logan. Of course, then we go into the whole dream sequence when Logan wants to die and wants to leave with Atsuko which seemed a little too much like when he was dying after "Fatal Attractions." It was more forceful when the ghost was Illyana because Logan had failed to keep her alive. Atsuko we only met two issues ago and would have died regardless given that she lived in Hiroshima.

And maybe I'm a little bit too dense for it, but what the hell did Logan choose at the end of issue? Does he remember Atsuko or did she erase the entire episode from his memory? I've scanned the pages looking for a hint of her, but came up with nothing. It seems odd that he would choose to take memories away from himself given that he just got all of his memories back after "House of M."

BROWSE IT

Sgt. Sausagepants' books ...

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Secret Invasion #2

I swear the writers of secret invasion were told, " Here's what is going on in the page, make something even wackier happen." Issue #2 of the stunning series doesn't let up on the insanity provided by the first. Skrulls revealed! Dinosaurs roar! Lovers re-unite! Plus we get a special appears of the Young Avengers, further cementing me in my theory that Wiccan and his brother will save the Marvel Universe.

BUY IT

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Mighty Avengers #13

This Secret Invasion tie-in continues telling the story of what Nick Fury did while the Skrulls were building up their invasion plans, in what looks like it will lead to a huge reveal and ass-kicking (I hope) towards the end of Secret Invasion.

BUY IT

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Nova #13

Well, the war against the Phalanx seems to have moved over to the pages of Annihilation: Conquest, but that doesn't mean Richard Rider is any less busy. This issue he has to deal with the results of Galactus feeding and a strange entity known as Harrow. Promises of an awesome fight in the next issue.

BUY IT

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X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead (One-shot)

Quicksilver comes to terms with his recent, well, craziness, and has a fascinating discussion with his own subconcious (I think that's what's happening here). It's a really neat look at the mental processes of someone going through hell in the Marvel Universe, in the aftermath of M-Day.

BROWSE IT

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Midnighter #19

Honestly I'm not sure the team at Midnighter is even trying anymore. We finally get to the big showdown between Midnighter and his mystery assailant, and what we get is a book full of mediocre action and an unresolved ending. I guess it's senior-itis with only a few more issues to go until the book is done. Or maybe I was just expecting too much, that the action stay as insane and jam-packed as it's been in the past. This book definitely doesn't have any hugely cool 'Midnighter-moments' like we've seen before in this book and especially The Authority. I REALLY hate to say it for a character I love so dearly, but the book is breaking my heart. Go ahead and skip this one.

BURN IT

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The Boys #18

We get just a little bit of action in this issue and a lot of character development. Blarney Cock, or what's left of him, comes back for his hamster and has a showdown of sorts with Hughie. Annie seems to be planning something, but starts standing up for herself against the Seven, only after reminding herself not to sink to their level. She is rapidly becoming my favorite character in the series, and I'm really starting to hope she has a happy end in all of this (no sex puns intended).

READ IT

Oraclechele's books ...

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Buffy #14

With the exception of a giant Dawn storming the streets of Japan this issue, and for that matter this entire arc, felt more like the tv series than any other so far. That's not to say the first thirteen issues haven't been fantastic but Buffy Season Eight is beginning to feel like it's hit what they call in TV - November Sweeps. Plenty of planning, misdirects, death, blossoming romances, humor, and angst sprinkle the pages of Wolves At the Gate part three. Drew Goddard and Georges Jeanty should be commended for bringing the story to life in ways that any Buffy fan can't help but appreciate. With only one issue left in this arc I can't wait.

BUY IT

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Angel After the Fall #7

Special guests are a thing of beauty in comics, especially when the secret stays a secret, but despite loving the re-introduction of an old Angel favorite issue #7 fell a little flat. Perhaps a TV series like Lost is helped along by flashbacks and forwards but in the midst of all the action of issue #6 I found the stop and re-direct to be frustrating. That isn't to say that the three stories that make up issue #7 aren't worth the read because they are worth it.

Not only was the direction of issue #7 a little bit of a bummer but so is the fact that the Whedon Buffy verses are living with two different publishers. Not that Angel needs the Buffy cast to have compelling stories but considering the mythos that is hinted at in this issue it couldn't hurt to have that option.

READ IT

Jonostarsmore's books ...

Secret Invasion #2

The difference between DC and Marvel is that Marvel has a good idea as to how to make even the most insane, unrealistic events relatable. In a pivotal scene, Hawkeye and Mockingbird share a powerful moment that is grounded in as much reality as the medium allows. In other words, it makes the invasion much more human. DC has struggled with this in the past, but this is the topic of a discussion to be had elsewhere. Secret Invasion continues to build on the first issue's momentum as more Skrulls are revealed and new characters are brought into the war. So far, the main series and all of its tie-ins are delivering the goods!

BUY IT

Secret Invasion #3 Cover Revealed

2008-05-09T13:35:07Z

CBR has the first look at the Steve McNiven variant cover for next month's Secret Invasion #3. It's very much a cool image and I may pass up the painted cover for it, even though I hate mixing covers for this sort of collection.

Has the Thing ever looked so forlorn before?

Hit the thumbnail below for the fullsize image of Fury in all his gun-totin' glory.

Favreau Not Directing Iron Man 2?

2008-05-09T01:31:57Z

While no contracts have been signed either eay (and we're still a ways away from that), it seems that writer/director Jon Favreau may not be coming back to work on the nxt Iron Man as everyone had assumed. He's been saying for some time now that he would love to come back and complete what he saw as a trilogy.

In Favreau's story arc, the second film would have Tony turning 40 and deal with his mid-life crisis by turning to the sauce. The second film was always supposed to be a reworking of the seminal Demon in a Bottle storyline. It's a defining work for the character and speaks to who Tony Stark is (both losing and regaining control).

The only problem is that the first IM film was TOO successful. it seems that Marvel is eying Iron Man as a family franchise. Makes sense given the children's bed sheets and inflatable bath toys being advertised with Iron Man on them. Of course, a film dealing with alcoholism isn't exactly going to be hauling the nine year olds in by the truck load. As adept as Favreau is at making kids movies (he directed both Elf and Zathura), he always stated that he saw Iron Man as an adult film, just with a few fight scenes thrown in. Tony's battlr with the drink certainly fits that mold, but what if both he and Marvel Studios are unwilling to budge? It's ultimately Marvel's call, but if Favreau was so integral to the first Iron Man (and he was), what would a sequel out of his hands look like?

Head over to CHUD for the full story.

Looks Like He Really Is Invincible

2008-05-09T00:33:24Z

Not a terribly big surprise, but the Invincible Iron Man #1 has sold out at Diamond. While some stores may still have a copy or two left, they can no longer order more copies from the distributor. Something of a surprise though - Marvel has announced they have no plans to go back to press on the issue. I guess six variant covers are enough.

Invincible Iron Man #1 is the opening gambit in a new Iron Man ongoing book aimed at a more movie-friendly, superhero audience as opposed to the more secret agent vibe of Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Secret Invasion #2: PK Reviews

2008-05-08T19:03:26Z

Secret Invasion #2 has arrived! Does it get better than issue #1? Is it worth picking up? Is your mother a Skrull? Find out after the jump!

Also be sure to stay tuned for our weekly reviews later today!

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Goblin

Buy It

Sgt. Sausagepants

Buy It

Jonostarsmore

The difference between DC and Marvel is that Marvel has a good idea as to how to make even the most insane, unrealistic events relatable. In a pivotal scene, Hawkeye and Mockingbird share a powerful moment that is grounded in as much reality as the medium allows. In other words, it makes the invasion much more human. DC has struggled with this in the past, but this is the topic of a discussion to be had elsewhere. Secret Invasion continues to build on the first issue's momentum as more Skrulls are revealed and new characters are brought into the war. So far, the main series and all of its tie-ins are delivering the goods!This is a definite...

Buy It

Superheroes Invade The Met

2008-05-08T02:28:25Z

Our readers who live in or near New York take note, a special exhibit at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art on super-heroic style and it's effect on fashion has just started.

Each hero or heroine is used to represent a different body archetype. The character and their costume are featured in the display, counterpointed with the examples of fashion inspired by the character and their look.

These exhibits include original costumes from various films and TV shows featuring these heroes over the years, and the lobby contains this stunning statue of the the big three themselves, worthy of placement in front of any Hall of Justice.

You can check out more images and a full write-up over at Newsarama, and you can see the exhibit at the met until Sept. 1st.

Congress Finally Does Something Worthwhile

2008-05-08T00:30:58Z

Don't worry, I'm not going to go into a big political thing here. Though the urge to bring up Hillary vs. Obama is tempting, I'd prefer to not break the comments section (though I would love to see them get some more use!).

Instead, out friendly neighborhood Library of Congress has added an invaluable asset to their already extensive collection of American literature by unveiling original pages from Amazing Fantasy #15! An anonymous donor gave up these priceless pieces to our four color pastime tot he LoC for prosperity and while I admire this donor very much, I don't know if I could ever part with such a treasure.

Just a taste from the Library of Congress blog(okay, when the LoC has it's own blog, I'm fairly certain the whole concept of the blog has hit its zenith:

A couple of colleagues and I got the opportunity yesterday afternoon the see the pages in person. (Don't worry, we made sure to keep our drool far away from the art.) They do indeed appear to be in very good condition, especially considering their age. The Library's Prints and Photographs Division (P&P) provided me with a scan of one of the pages and a detail section, which you'll see here at right. (They are, in actuality, even a bit less yellow than the scans appear.)

This is a very interesting addition to the LoC and is just another notch in the belt for comic's legitimacy. I just may hit up the LoC computer banks next time I'm in D.C. and take a look at the scans. Or I'll go all Nic Cage and attempt to steal the ~~Declaration of Independance~~ Spider-Man pages from the archives. Who wants to be my adorkable and wiseass sidekick?

Hit the jump for the official word from the LoC blog and a gallery of images from the pencil-and-ink pages.

]]> Comic Book Guy of "The Simpsons" has been known to have a cardiac episode or two. But an acquisition the Library of Congress just made might give his heart its "worst episode ever." (Apologies for borrowing the pun from that particular "episode.")

"Spider-senses" all around the Library were set tingling when we learned that the Library had just acquired 24 pages of original 1962 drawings from "Amazing Fantasy #15," which marked the first time the world's most famous web-slinger, Spider-Man, would appear in print anywhere. The Spider-Man origin story in "Amazing Fantasy" was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko; the pages are Ditko originals, complete with pencil erasures and white-out opaquing fluid.

The acquisition came to the Library within the past few weeks, thanks to an anonymous donor. (News had already begun leaking out -- where else -- in the blogosphere.)

A couple of colleagues and I got the opportunity yesterday afternoon the see the pages in person. (Don't worry, we made sure to keep our drool far away from the art.) They do indeed appear to be in very good condition, especially considering their age. The Library's Prints and Photographs Division (P&P) provided me with a scan of one of the pages and a detail section, which you'll see here at right. (They are, in actuality, even a bit less yellow than the scans appear.)

I also snapped a few pictures as Helena Zinkham, acting chief of P&P, carefully splayed some of them out for us on a table. In one of the shots of the very first page, you get a clear sense of some of the areas where white-out was applied. The "SPIDER-MAN" title balloon in the banner is literally stuck onto the page.

People who are more familiar with Amazing Fantasy #15 than I are probably not surprised by this fact, but I got a good chuckle from the disclaimer that appeared at the top of the first page (pictured at left). It almost seems to be begging skeptical readers to give Spider-Man a chance, completely unaware of the phenomenon that was about to be unleashed on the world.

The excessively exclamatory paragraph reads: "Like costume heroes? Confidentially, we in the comic mag business refer to them as 'long underwear characters'! And, as you know, they're a dime a dozen! But, we think you may find our SPIDERMAN just a bit ... different!"

Most sentient beings are already aware that Marvel's Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes ever, spawning several comic-book series, graphic novels, television series, video games, toys, a blockbuster movie franchise, and adding phrases to our popular lexicon such as "true believers" and "your friendly neighborhood (fill-in-the-blank)."

The pages will be digitized within the next few weeks, although access to the images will likely be restricted to on-site use at the Library (copyright restrictions and such). The pages themselves are available to researchers with a valid reader-identification card by appointment only.

Our full news release can be found here.

I never try to guess where an editor will place a story, but I hear a rumor that J. Jonah Jameson will be giving this front-page treatment.

These Remakes Are Getting Out Of Hand

2008-05-07T18:48:56Z

I just don't have any words to accompany this.

There's just ... well, what could you possibly say to make this poster funnier and/or sadder?

Via Fprbidden planet.

Update: The Beat has video!

And Let Us Not Forget The Men

2008-05-07T15:33:15Z

Remember a few weeks ago we showed you the downright gorgeous new poster by Adam Hughes spotlighting the women of the DC universe? Well, Comics Worth Reading is a blog after my own heart as they're currently running a contest looking for the male equivalent or what they call the Men of the DC Universe.

There are are only three entries posted thus far, so I encourage all of you artistically gifted PK readers to enter for the nice greenback reward. The deadline for submission is May 15th so get a move on and send those entries in! Don't forget to give a little shout-out to your favorite blog that told you about the contest too.

If you need some inspiration, check out the gallery below for previous submissions (including quite possibly the cutest Batman ever).

LGBT Character Of The Week: Off-Ramp

2008-05-07T06:00:00Z

This week we take a look at one of the Young Heroes in Love... Off-Ramp.

The character Off-Ramp first appeared in a DC House promotional ad that listed all the heroes as well as who they loved. For Off-Ramp, his caption simply said "You don't want to know what Off-Ramp loves..." which began the mystery of just what exactly Off-Ramp loved that was so different from everyone else. At first readers were led to believe it was his car, however, it turned out to be something else.

Later in the series, it is revealed he is attracted to teammate Frostbite, who was unveiled as a bisexual. The series ended shortly thereafter, but in the 1,000,000 issue (as part of the DC One Million crossover event) it is revealed that at some point in the future, he and Frostbite lived together for several years before separating.

Off-Ramps powers were that of transportation. He could create rifts that allow himself and others (including his car) to travel just about anywhere. He often used them to visit his son in Italy, and his son's mother, Samira. (implying that he is either bisexual himself, or at the very least had a straight relationship before coming to terms with being gay) He apparently had a good relationship with her often visited his son, whom he loved very much.

New Comic Tuesday: Invasively Whedon Edition

2008-05-07T03:48:42Z

Another week, another fine selection of comics coming to you tomorrow. Who's here to help pick the cream of the crop? Why us, of course!

Here are our picks of the week!

Marvel

Avengers/Invaders #1
Classic Cap is transported into the future and confronts Iron Man! This is the beginning of a 12 issue maxi-series by the same creative team as Earth X (Alex Ross, Jim Krueger).

Invincible Iron Man #1
The debut of the second ongoing series of Marvel's current hottest superhero written by The Order's Matt Fraction. Hopefully you'll be able to pick your favorite cover out of the 6 being offered.

Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas #1
Flying under the radar is Iron Man movie director Jon Favreau's comic book debut. I can't vouch for quality, so check it out at your own risk.

Logan #3
The last issue of Brian K. Vaughan's Wolverine miniseries.

Mighty Avengers #13
SECRET INVASION ALERT! This issue features Nick Fury and the new Howling Commandos as they try to stop the aforementioned invasion.

Secret Invasion #2
Grab some popcorn because I'm sure this issue will be shocking and entertaining.

DC

DC Universe Special: Justice League of America
An 80 page comic that reprints classic JLA stories that will be relevant to Final Crisis.

Vertigo

House of Mystery #1
A classic comic re-imagined. Five characters are trapped in a supernatural bar and are trying to figure out how they got there.

Dark Horse

Buffy #14
The Wolves at the Gate storyline continues with the Scooby gang hitting up Tokyo!

IDW

Angel: After the Fall #7
It's a Whedon fest as Buffy and Angel come out this week.

Full list after the jump!

]]> A.D. VISION
PiQ Magazine #3 (June 2008), $6.99

ABRAMS
Looker Photographs By Richard Kern HC, $40.00

ABSOLUTE TYRANT
Nearly Infamous Zango #2, $3.50

ACTION FIGURE NEWS &TOY REVIEW
Lees Toy Review #187 (May 2008), $5.95

AIRSHIP ENTERTAINMENT
Buck Godot PSmith HC, $28.95
Buck Godot PSmith SC, $18.95

AMAZE INK/SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS
Rex Libris #11, $3.50

ANTARCTIC PRESS
Gold Digger #96, $2.99
Gold Digger Sourcebook #17, $3.95
Gold Digger Swimsuit Special 2008, $4.50
Gold Digger Ultimate Collection Two Disc DVD Rom Vol 1, AR
Oz the Manga Pocket Manga TP Vol 01 (AA), $14.95
Pirates Vs Ninjas TP Vol 02 Up The Ante, $15.95

ARCANA STUDIO
Gearhead TP, $14.95
Kade Shivas Sun #3 (of 4), $3.95

ARCHIE COMICS
Pals N Gals Double Digest #121, $3.69
Veronica #188, $2.25

AVATAR PRESS
Lady Death 2007 Swimsuit Special (Canvas Cover), $100.00

BASEMENT COMICS / AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman Reloaded #5, $3.95
Cavewoman Reloaded Special Edition #5, AR

BLACK LIBRARY
Warhammer Hist Legends Of The High Seas, $38.00
Warhammer 40K Relentless MMPB, $7.99
Warhammer Time Of Legends Heldenhammer MMPB, $7.99
Warhammer Vampire Wars Omnibus, $11.99

BONGO
Futurama Comics #12 (AA), $2.50
Futurama Comics #13 (AA), $2.50
Futurama Comics #14 (AA), $2.50
Simpsons Comics #89 (AA), $2.99
Simpsons Comics #90 (AA), $2.99
Simpsons Comics #91 (AA), $2.99
Simpsons Summer Shindig #1 (AA), $4.99

BOOM! STUDIOS
Foundation #5 (of 5), $3.99

CHRONICLE BOOKS
Yoshitomo Nara Lonesome Puppy HC, $17.99

COMIC SHOP NEWS INC
Comic Shop News #1090, AR

DABEL BROTHERS PRODUCTIONS LLC
George R R Martins Wild Cards Hard Call #2 (of 6), $2.99

DARK HORSE
Abe Sapien the Drowning #4 (of 5), $2.99
Batman Grendel Limited Edition HC, $99.95
Black Magic 2nd Edition TP, $14.95
Buffy The Vampire Slayer #14 (Season 8)(Jon Foster/Georges Jeanty covers, $2.99
Color Of Rage TP Vol 1, $14.95
Conan #50, $4.99
Eden Its An Endless World TP Vol 10, $12.95
Oh My Goddess Rtl TP Vol 29, $10.95
Star Wars Clone Wars Photo Comic, $9.95
Star Wars Legacy #23, $2.99
X Omnibus TP Vol 1, $24.95
Classic Comic Book Characters #10 Goon, $49.99
Classic Comic Book Characters #7 Green Lama, $49.99
Domo Embroidered Patch, $4.99
Journal Kathie Olivas, $9.99
Journal Red Tango, $9.99
Serenity Ornament Reaver Ship, $39.99
Stationery Set Kathie Olivas, $4.99
Stationery Set Red Tango, $4.99

DC COMICS
Action Comics Annual #11 (Regular Adam Kubert Cover), $4.99
Action Comics Annual #11 (Incentive Adam Kubert Variant Cover), $4.99
All New Atom #23, $2.99
American Splendor Season Two #2 (of 4), $2.99
Batman Death Mask #2 (of 4), $2.99
Countdown To Mystery #7 (of 8), $3.99
Crayon Shinchan Vol 2 TP, $7.99
Crossing Midnight #18, $2.99
DC Special Raven #3 (of 5), $2.99
DC Universe Special Justice League Of America, $4.99
Detective Comics #844, $2.99
Exterminators #29, $2.99
Exterminators TP Vol 04 Crossfire And Collateral, $14.99
House Of Mystery #1 (Regular Sam Weber Cover), $2.99
House of Mystery #1 (Incentive Bernie Wrightson Variant Cover), $2.99
Infinity Inc #9, $2.99
JLA Presents Aztek The Ultimate Man TP, $19.99
Jonah Hex #31, $2.99
Justice League Unlimited #45, $2.25
Kiichi And The Magic Books Vol 01, $9.99
Looney Tunes #162, $2.25
Metal Men #8 (of 8), $2.99
Midnighter #19, $2.99
New Dynamix #3 (of 5), $2.99
Nightwing #144, $2.99
Question TP Vol 02 Poisoned Ground, $19.99
Rann Thanagar Holy War #1 (of 8)(Regular Jim Starlin Cover), $3.50
Rann Thanagar Holy War #1 (of 8)(Incentive Ron Lim Variant Cover), $3.50
Smallville Series 2 Aquaman Action Figure, AR
Smallville Series 2 Clark Kent Action Figure, AR
Smallville Series 2 Cyborg Action Figure, AR
Smallville Series 2 Green Arrow Action Figure, AR
Smallville Series 2 Impulse Action Figure, AR
Smallville Series 2 Inner Case Assortment, AR
Smallville Series 2 Master Case Assortment, AR
Supergirl #29, $2.99
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Raising Cain #1 (of 3), $3.50
Tor #1 (of 6), $2.99
Vinyl Underground #8, $2.99
War That Time Forgot #1 (of 8), $2.99
Women Of The DCU Series 2 Batwoman Bust, $55.00

DEL REY MANGA
Hell Girl GN Vol 02, $10.95
Kitchen Princess GN Vol 06, $10.95
Nodame Cantabile GN Vol 13, $10.95

DESPERADO PUBLISHING
Deadworld TP Requiem For The World, $16.99

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING INC
Forgotten Realms The Legacy #2 (of 3)(Atkins Cover A), $5.50
Forgotten Realms The Legacy #2 (of 3)(Walpole Cover B), $9.50
Halloween Nightdance #4 (Cover B - Robinson), $3.50
Halloween Nightdance #4 (Cover A - Seeley), $3.50
Halloween Nightdance #4 (Cover C - Templesmith), $5.50
Spooks #4 (Cover A - Archer), $3.50
Spooks #4 (Cover B - Struzen), $5.50

DH PUBLISHING
Case Closed Casebook Essential Guide SC, $11.95
Japans Bar Girls Bare All HC, $15.00
Nana Essentials Ultimate Fanbook SC, $11.95
Tsubasa Chronicle Factbook SC, $11.95

DK PUBLISHING CO.
Indiana Jones Ultimate Guide HC, $24.99
Indiana Jones Golden Treasure Sticker Book SC, $6.99
Indiana Jones Heroes & Villains Sticker Book SC, $6.99

DO GOODER PRESS
PS238 #31, $2.99

DR MASTER PUBLICATIONS INC
Dark Edge TP Vol 7, $9.95
King Of Fighters Art Book SC, $21.95
Puri Puri GN Vol 05, $9.95

DYNAMIC FORCES
Fantastic Four Lost One Shot (Dynamic Forces), $399.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #3 (Michael Avon Oeming/Tom Nguyen covers), $3.50
Battlestar Galactica Origins #5 (Jonathan La/photo covers), $3.50
Boys #18, $2.99
Man With No Name #1 (Regular Richard Isanove Cover), $3.50
Man with No Name #1 (Incentive Arthur Suydam Zombie Variant Cover), $3.50
Savage Tales #7 (Fabiano Neves/Stjepan Sejic covers), $4.99

FANTAGRAPHICS
Amor Y Cohetes SC, $16.99
Comics Journal Library Vol 1 Jack Kirby TP (AA), $18.95
Why Are You Doing This GN (AA), $12.95

FILMFAX
Filmfax #117, $9.95

:01 FIRST SECOND
Life Sucks GN**, $19.95
Little Vampire GN**, $13.95

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING
Uncle Scrooge #375, $7.99
Walt Disneys Comics & Stories #690, $7.99

HAMPTON ROADS PUBLISHING
Indiana Jones Off The Beaten Path SC, $15.95

HARPER COLLINS
Neil Gaiman Dangerous Alphabet HC**, $17.99
Neil Gaiman Interworld MMPB**, $6.99
Neil Gaiman M Is For Magic MMPB**, $6.99

IDW PUBLISHING
Angel After The Fall #7 (Michael Avon Oeming/Rebecca A Wrigley covers), $3.99
Doctor Who #4, $3.99
Mack Bolan The Executioner Devils Tools #2 (of 5)(Rebecca A Wrigley/Gold Eagle Variant covers), $3.99
Mummy Movie Prequel Rise & Fall Of Xangos Ax #1, $3.99
Rogue Angel Teller Of Tales #3, $3.99
Silent Hill Sinners Reward #3 (Steph Stamb/Justin Randall covers), $3.99
Tinyrannosaurus HC, $15.99
Transformers Best of the UK Dinobots TP, $19.99
Transformers Movie Sequel Reign Of Starscream #1 (Alex Milne/James Raiz/Gabriel Rodriguez covers), $3.99

IMAGE COMICS
Bomb Queen TP Vol 04 Suicide Bomber, $14.99
Dead Space #3 (of 6), $2.99
Dynamo 5 Annual #1, $5.99
Gemini #1 (of 5), $3.50
Jack Staff #16, $3.50
Lucha Libre #4, $6.99
Madman Atomic Comics #8, $2.99
Pretty Baby Machine #1 (of 3), $3.50
Scud The Disposable Assassin #24, $3.50
Suburban Glamour TP Vol 1, $9.99
Witchblade #116 (2nd Printing)**, $2.99

INFINITY STUDIOS
Chun Rhang Yhur Jhun GN Vol 5, $10.95

JAPANIME CO LTD
Kanji De Manga Special Edition Yoji-Jukugo, $9.99

MARRS MEDIA INC
Rue Morgue Magazine #78, $8.95

MARVEL COMICS
Amazing Spider-Man #558 (Regular Barry Kitson Cover), $2.99
American Dream #1 (of 5), $2.99
Avengers Invaders #1 (of 12)(Regular Alex Ross Cover), $2.99
Avengers Invaders #1 (of 12)(Incentive David Finch Variant Cover), $2.99
Avengers Invaders #1 (of 12)(Incentive Alex Ross Variant Cover), $2.99
Cable #3 (Regular Ariel Olivetti Cover)(X-Men Divided We Stand Tie-In), $2.99
Cable #3 (Incentive John Romita Jr Variant Cover)(X-Men Divided We Stand Tie-In), $2.99
Captain America Premiere HC Vol 02 Death Of Captain America (Direct Market Edition), $19.99
Captain America Premiere HC Vol 02 Death Of Captain America (Book Market Edition), $19.99
Dark Tower Long Road Home #3 (of 5)(Regular Jae Lee Cover), $3.99
Dark Tower Long Road Home #3 (of 5)(Incentive Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover), $3.99
Dark Tower Long Road Home #3 (of 5)(Incentive Jae Lee Sketch Variant Cover), $3.99
Essential X-Men TP Vol 01 (New Printing), $16.99
Fantastic Four TP New Fantastic Four, $15.99
Foolkiller #5 (of 5), $3.99
Franklin Richards Not So Secret Invasion, $2.99
Hulk TP World War Hulk, $24.99
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Joe Quesada/Salvador Larroca covers), $2.99
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Incentive Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover), $2.99
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Incentive Bob Layton Variant Cover), $2.99
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Movie Variant Cover), $2.99
Invincible Iron Man #1 (Incentive Billy Tan Variant Cover), $2.99
Iron Man TP Enter The Mandarin, $14.99
Iron Man Viva Las Vegas #1 (of 4)(Regular Adi Granov Cover), $3.99
Iron Man Viva Las Vegas #1 (of 4)(Incentive Skrully Variant Cover), $3.99
Iron Man War Machine TP, $29.99
Kick Ass #2 (2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover), $2.99
Logan #3 (of 3), $3.99
Logan #3 (of 3)(Black & White Variant), $3.99
Lords Of Avalon Sword of Darkness #4 (of 6), $2.99
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #39, $2.99
Marvel Two-In-One #11, $4.99
Mighty Avengers #13 (Secret Invasion Tie-In), $2.99
Moon Knight #18, $2.99
New Avengers Illuminati TP, $14.99
Nova #13, $2.99
Omega Unknown #8 (of 10), $2.99
Punisher War Journal #19 (Regular Alex Maleev Cover), $2.99
Punisher War Journal #19 (Incentive Skrully Variant Cover), $2.99
Secret Invasion #2 (of 8)(Incentive Steve McNiven Variant Cover), $3.99
Secret Invasion #2 (of 8)(Regular Gabriele Dell Otto Cover), $3.99
Secret Invasion #2 (of 8)(Incentive Steve McNiven Sketch Variant Cover), $3.99
Secret Invasion #2 (of 8)(Incentive Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover), $3.99
She Hulk Premiere HC Jaded, $19.99
Thunderbolts Reason In Madness, $2.99
X-Factor Quick And Dead, $2.99
Young X-Men #2 (X-Men Divided We Stand Tie-In), $2.99

MC FARLAND & COMPANY INC.
Faith And Choice In Works Of Joss Whedon SC, AR
Science Fiction Serials SC, AR

NBM
Tales From The Crypt Collected Edition HC Vol 3 Zombielicious, $12.95
Tales From the Crypt GN Vol 03 Zombielicious (AA), $7.95

NETCOMICS
Great Catsby GN Vol 6 (resolicited)**, $19.99
June GN Vol 2 (of 10)(resolicited)**, $9.99

NIGHTLIGHT PRESS
Starslip Crisis Vol 01, $14.99

ONI PRESS
Maintenance #10, $3.50
My Inner Bimbo #4 (of 5)(resolicited), $2.99
Salt Water Taffy GN Vol 1 Legend Of Old Salty, $5.95
Wasteland #17, $3.50

PICTUREBOX
Gary Panter HC Slip Case, $95.00
Powr Mastrs GN Vol 01 (of 6)(AA), $18.00

PLATINUM STUDIOS
Alien At Large GN, $14.99
Big Badz #1 (of 4), $3.99

POCKET BOOKS
Lost Journal Of Indiana Jones SC, $25.00
Potential GN Touchstone Edition, $15.00

PUTNAM PUBLISHING GROUP
Anita Blake The Harlequin MMPB, $7.99

RADIO COMIX
Furrlough #181, $3.99

RANDOM HOUSE
Hammer Story Revised HC Edition (AA), $35.00

RAW JUNIOR, LLC
Ottos Orange Day HC**, $12.95

RENAISSANCE PRESS
Amelia Rules HC Vol 04 When the Past Is a Present, $24.95
Amelia Rules SC Vol 04 When the Past Is a Present, $11.99

SCB DISTRIBUTORS
My Favorite Model HC, $49.95
Where Madness Reigns Art Of Gris Grimly SC (resolicited), $24.95

SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Aoi House Omnibus TP, $10.99

SQPINC
Dragontails Vol 3 TP (AA), $9.95
Treasured Chests Vol 3 TP (AA), $9.95
Treasured Chests Vol 4 TP (AA), $9.95

ST. MARTINS PRESS
Kaput & Zosky GN, $13.95
Three Shadows GN, $15.95

STARLOG GROUP INC
Starlog #366 (Jun 2008), $7.99

TASCHEN AMERICA L.L.C.
Gil Elvren HC, $14.99
M C Escher Graphic Work HC, $14.99

TITAN
Star Wars Insider #101 (Newsstand Edition), $5.99
Star Wars Insider #101 (Previews Exclusive Edition), $5.99

TITAN BOOKS UK
Modesty Blaise TP Vol 13 Yellowstone Booty, $19.95

TOKYOPOP
Adventures Of Duan Surk Novel Vol 04 (Of 11) Opal Of Ice & Snow, $10.99
Archlord GN Vol 05 (of 6), $9.99
Brave Story GN Vol 04 (of 6), $9.99
Cherry Juice GN Vol 03 (of 4), $9.99
Chronicles Of The Cursed Sword GN Vol 20 (of 27), $9.99
CLAMP No Kiseki Magazine Collectible Vol 11 (of 12), $19.99
Fantamir GN Vol 03 (of 3), $9.99
Gatcha Gacha GN Vol 07 (of 7), $9.99
Good Luck GN Vol 05 (of 5), $9.99
Good Witch of the West GN Vol 06 (of 6), $9.99
Heavenshield GN Vol 01 (of 3), $10.99
Initial D GN Vol 30 (of 35), $9.99
Kannazuki No Miko Destiny Of Shrine Maiden GN Vol 01 (of 2), $10.99
Kindaichi Case Files GN Vol 17 (of 27), $9.99
King Of Thorn GN Vol 04 (of 6), $9.99
Knockout Makers GN Vol 02 (of 3), $9.99
Little Queen GN Vol 06 (of 8), $9.99
Monochrome Factor GN Vol 02 (of 4), $9.99
Queens Knight GN Vol 11 (of 17), $9.99
Rhysmyth GN Vol 02 (of 2), $9.99
Sakura Taisen GN Vol 07 (of 7), $9.99
Satisfaction Guaranteed GN Vol 07 (of 9), $9.99
Short Sunzen GN Vol 02 (of 5), $9.99

TOMART PUBLICATIONS
Tomarts Action Figure Digest #165, $5.95

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
24x2, $5.00

TRANSFUZION PUBLISHING
Deadworld TP Vol 1 Bits & Pieces, $18.99
Orlak TP Redux, $11.99

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING
Best Of Draw Magazine TP Vol 03, $29.95

VIDEO WATCHDOG
Video Watchdog #139, $7.95

VIPER COMICS
Dummys Guide To Danger Lost At Sea #2 (of 4), $3.25
Wulf & Batsy #1 (of 6), $3.25

VIRGIN COMICS LLC
Dock Walloper #4 (of 5)(resolicted), $2.99
Megas #3 (of 4), $2.99
Nicolas Cages Voodoo Child HC, $29.99

VIZ COMMUNICATIONS
Absolute Boyfriend GN Vol 06, $8.99
Black Cat TP Vol 14, $7.99
BODY GN Vol 01, $8.99
Crimson Hero TP Vol 08, $8.99
D Gray Man GN Vol 09, $7.99
Dr Slump TP Vol 15, $7.99
Fairy Cube GN Vol 01, $8.99
Gin Tama TP Vol 06, $7.99
High School Debut GN Vol 03, $8.99
Hikaru No Go TP Vol 12, $7.95
Hunter X Hunter TP Vol 20, $7.99
Kaze Hikaru GN Vol 09, $8.99
Kurohime TP Vol 05, $7.99
Love Com TP Vol 06, $8.99
NANA TP Vol 10, $8.99
Naruto TP Vol 29, $7.95
Prince Of Tennis GN Vol 25, $7.95
Sa GN Vol 04, $8.99
Sand Chronicles GN Vol. 02, $8.99
Shaman King TP Vol 16, $7.95
Shonen Jump June 08, $4.99
Skip Beat TP Vol 12, $8.99
Whistle TP Vol 19, $7.99

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Special Operations Report Vol 7, $9.95
Special Operations Report Vol 8, $9.95
Special Operations Report Vol 9, $9.95
Special Operations Report Vol 10, $9.95
Special Operations Report Vol 11, $9.95
Special Operations Report Vol 12, $9.95

WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Forgotten Realms Blade O/T Moonsea Vol 01 Swordmage HC, $24.95
Forgotten Realms Citadels Shield Of Weeping Ghosts MMPB**, $6.99
Forgotten Realms Legend Of Drizzt Vol 08 Starless Night MMPB, $7.99

Week In Review (April 28- May 5)

2008-05-06T21:52:40Z

Ahoy there!

Catch up with what transpired in the underground PK lair this past week!

The AGGROgator debuted!

Entertainment Weekly debuted the Anti-Venom...golf claps ensue...

Justice's dad became our LGBT Character of the Week.

Goblin landed a cool PK exclusive advance review of Iron Man.

We reviewed the monthlies!

The Blue Beetle was equated to marijuana.

Iron Man opened with a plethora of good reviews and a slew of planned sequels.

The hilarious Bee Power became our Webcomic Spotlight.

Chris Claremont went under the microscope again.

Final Crisis promises to clean up continuity...

Iron Man Destroys Box Office: Sequel, Avengers Movie Follow

2008-05-06T00:19:26Z

Considering the weekend box office for Iron Man($98.6 million dollars) , it is no surprise that Marvel has announced a sequel to the mega hit. But Marvel isn't only relying on Iron Man and the Hulk to put money in their pockets. Adding to the sequels' scheduled 2010 release there will be a entire slate of other Marvel properties.

USA TODAY is reporting we can expect solo films from Thor, Captain America, and Ant-Man to join Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk on the big screen. In July 2011 all this solo action will lead to an Avengers film.

Anyone who sat through the credits of Iron Man can't be surprised by an Avengers project but I am curious as to the box office draw of solo Thor and Ant-Man projects.

And what about the budget for an Avengers project? With Downey, Jackson, and Norton sure to be on board they better hope they go the 'unknown' route to round out the team.