Comic Book Previews for September 30th, 2009
For those who get paid at the end of the month, this Wednesday is your lucky day! Go green and save some gas by running to the back with your check and then head over to your local comic book shop to pick up this week’s latest and greatest new releases! DC this week features an 80-page GIANT special titled Justice League of America, which shows the super team scattered throughout time and battling various foes from across times, locations and forms of combat. Teen Titans reaches a milestone this week with issue #75, and be sure to jump aboard here, as new writer Felicia D. Henderson makes her mark on this DC staple. Also look for Justice Society of America #31, as the traitor in the team’s midst stands revealed! Superman #692 continues a new direction for the title, as the Science Police become more of a force! Read more
Comic Book Previews for August 26th, 2009
The kids back in school this week aren’t the only ones starting a new term and a new direction, as this Wednesday gives us the highly anticipated debut of the Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham creative team behind The Fantastic Four with issue 570. A new story arc also begins in Secret Warriors #7, as the Dark Avengers, Thunderbolts and Nick Fury’s Secret Warriors find themselves on a collision course, with Ares’ son the prize! New Avengers #56 promises some shocking action, as the events of the previous issue unfold with several heroes having their power drained. The Incredible Hulk #601 sees the return of the recurring title with a new world for Bruce Banner and company. Dark X-Men: The Beginning wraps up with issue three, bringing to a close the origin of this deceptive, Emma Frost-led team. Read more
Justice League: Who Will be the Final Members?
By this point, it’s no secret that DC Comics’ premier super-team, the Justice League of America, will be undergoing a dramatic lineup change this fall, under the pen of writer James Robinson. Another thing that is not a secret is the identities of some of those members, as recently revealed at Comic-Con. With a very cryptic image, as seen here, revealing some of those characters, the big, and obvious question, remains.
Who else is on the team? Read more
Comic Book Releases for July 29, 2009
Well kids of all ages, the final days of July are upon us, and as we turn to our final vacations, cookouts and day trips before the children head back to school and the final heat waves hit us, it’s time to celebrate the last week of this month with some comic book happenings for July 29th, 2009! Mystery, terror and lots more await us! Let’s dive right in! Read more
More Breaking News from the DC Comics HeroesCon Panel!
Just on the heels of major announcements from Marvel Comics, DC Comics held their first major panel of HeroesCon 2009 at 2PM. Led by Ian Sattler, DC Senior Story Editor, talent such as Dustin Nguyen and Jamal Igle sat down to discuss goings on in the DC Universe for the next few months.
The discussion quickly kicked off with talk of the major changes to the Batman universe. The new ongoing series Batman:Streets of Gotham will focus on the changes in not only personnel of the Bat Family, but also the city of Gotham itself, just now recovering from the violent events of Battle for the Cowl. Sattler said that SOG, with a Manhunter feature, will have much more of a focus on the day-to-day effects of living in this new Gotham City with a new Batman and Robin.
It’s a Comic Book Summer! DC Comics Sizzles!
In my previous article I laid out for you eager readers many of the delicious treats that Marvel has in store for the summer. Not to be outdone, DC has several big events and happenings on the not too distant horizon. Just check out this sampling of big storylines and events sure to make you sit up and take notice during the hot summer months!
Total Blackout After giving us a taste of bad things to come in a Free Comic Book Day issue, Green Lantern and its tie-ins will launch the highly anticipated Blackest Night storyline, the follow-up to the smash Sinestro Corps. It’s safe to say that this will be the epic DC event of the year, as the story will cross over into the worlds of heroes such as Superman, Batman and the Teen Titans. Promising visits from recently and long-deceased members of the DCU, Blackest Night is expected to pack quite an emotional punch on members of an already-shaken hero community.
DC Comics Raises Cover Prices
According to reports on Newsarama and Comic Book Resources, DC Comics will raise its cover price from $2.99 to $3.99 per issue on some of its titles. The price change will begin with forthcoming issues of Booster Gold and Teen Titans. In an exclusive interview with Newsarama, DC’s executive editor Dan DiDio revealed that the change would begin as early as the June ’09 issues of the two series.
Recently, Marvel Comics announced that they would be raising cover prices to the $3.99 mark on some of their titles. DC had initially been hesitant to follow suit after Marvel’s announcement. “We’re holding the $2.99 line as hard as we can, and we will never move a book over to $3.99 unless we feel that there is value added to justify that price change,” DiDio told Newsarama.
So what was DiDio’s justification to the price increase? Add more pages to each book! Both Teens Titans and Booster Gold will add co-features at the end of each issue. The recently canceled Blue Beetle series will continue its story run in Booster Gold. Meanwhile, Teen Titans will add stories about the character known as Ravenger.
Think of the Starving/Addicted/Abused/Illiterate Children! Memorable “Cause” Comics
If you were ever a child of the 80’s or 90’s, have a passing familiarity with Diff’rent Strokes or can remember some bizarre After School Special, then the concept of a “cause” episode or showcase is certainly not foreign. The ‘very special episode’ was a time for sitcoms to put aside the usual yuks and teach us all a valuable lesson about drugs, being illiterate or the dangers of a cameo by Nancy Reagan.
As hokey as these shows sometimes were, and let’s face it, After School Specials were no showcase of solid acting chops usually themselves, they often brought attention to causes or needs that may have been overlooked by the target demographic; the molestation episode of Diff’rent Strokes, for example, is often credited with helping raise awareness about the warning signs of a pedophile. Kids, a big part of that show’s audience, certainly benefited from this sort of portrayal.
