Happy New Years, everybody!

Be safe, have fun, been a great year for The Launchpad and next year will only be better. Take care everyone. We're closing up early today, getting out of here at 6, been a slow day, quiet end to a busy month here at the shop...

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 28th, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week. 

ITEM! No comics shipping this week save for one: Blackest Night #6! 

ITEM! We'll also be having a one-day sale on the 12/30, Most Wanted Wednesday. Select Crime, Noir, and Suspense titles will be on sale for 30% off. 

BLACKEST NIGHT #6

The secrets of Nekron are revealed as darkness consumes the DC Universe. Everything else: TOP SECRET.

Catching up, part the second...

Powers #2: A series I hadn't read previously. Think I'll be following this book from now on. Brutal, brutal first couple of pages.

The Stand Soul Survivors #3: Very good book. This adaptation is continuing at a ideal pace for me. Wonder how many volumes it'll be when it's done?

Wolverine Weapon X #8: Pretty dark stuff. I've been enjoying this arc so far. Makes me wonder though why they don't have a Wolverine Max series and just go for it. Nothing in this issue is kid-appropriate anyway.

Wolverine Origins #43: Just jumping in to this arc (thank you Marvel for the recaps in the beginning of the ish) and I love the idea of Wolverine going to practice his sword technique with the Silver Samurai and would have like to see more of that actually. Good issue, tightly plotted with some good twists and turns.

That's it for now.... (Mike)

Catching up...

Hope everyone had a Happy Holiday. Personally, I'm a bit wiped out from a busy couple of days. But now it's time to catch up on some comic reading (Mike):

Crossed #8: Got pretty worried when I mistakenly thought this was the final issue (it's got one more to go). This series seems to alternate between "talky" issues and issues filled with crossed-committed atrocities. This was a talky one which addresses some of the awful stuff that went down in issue #7 and sets up the next issue which looks like it will tie up the remaining plot threads. Still holding out judgment on this one, it's been a harrowing ride but I'm still hoping for a satisfying conclusion.

Detective Comics #860: Batwoman's origin continues. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite comic characters and Rucka seems to have found more traction with this series as his run continues. Bit sad to hear JH Williams will be leaving this series (but there's hints he may return for another run in future). But I'm familiar with Jock from his work on Judge Dredd and I'm looking forward to his take on the character. The Question Second Feature is fun but just doesn't grab me.

Fantastic Four #574: Still a solid book. The art in this issue and last looks a bit rushed. Something of a filler-issue/jumping-on-point. The new storyline, focusing on the children, looks very promising.

Halo Blood Line #1: Haven't read any of the other Halo comics. This is a decent start, but I'm hoping the members of Spartan Team Black aren't as clichéd as they seem at first glance. The plot continues along the familiar Halo lines, a strange signal lures both Spartan Team Black and the Covenant to a mysterious alien world.

Fall Of Hulks Gamma One-Shot: I was ambivalent about FOH before, but Parker's Alpha One-Shot got me off the fence. Gamma, written by Jeph Loeb, is pretty good too, continuing to deepen the mystery and set up the impending showdown. The writing in this issue is a stark contrast to Loeb's work on Hulk.While the Hulk series is fun, it's just been dragging its feet in the exposition department. Looks like they're throwing things into a higher gear for the FOH crossover.

Hellboy Bride of Hell One-Shot: Well, it's Corben doing the art, so I'm sold already. Solid, solid comic. I needed a little Halloween injected into my Christmas.

Getting busy... Try to continue my reading frenzy later.

Changes to DC's Co-Features

Details at this CBR Exclusive.

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 21st, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week. 

ITEM! Thanks go out to everyone who stopped by for our Christmas Party, it was a fantastic turnout. Hopefully we'll see more of you next year! (or at a gathering that might be sooner than Christmas ... stay tuned)   

ITEM! Our TPB sale ends on the 24th. If there's anything you've been eyeballing now might be the time. The sale also applies to special orders as long as you place the order by the 24th. 

ITEM! A reminder, there will be no new comics shipped next Wednesday (12/30). Because of this Marvel is treating this week like a double ship week, there's a lot of stuff coming out. If you want more titles than you can afford right now, just remember there will only be one new comic on sale next week (Blackest Night #6). And we'll be happy to hold stuff for you until after the holidays, just let us know. For that matter if you can't make it in at all, just call us or drop us an email and we'll set you books aside for you. 

ITEM! We'll also be having a one-day sale on the 12/30, Most Wanted Wednesday. Select Crime, Noir, and Suspense titles will be on sale for 30% off.

CAPTAIN AMERICA WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD ONE-SHOT 
SPOILER WARNING! This book is set after the events of Captain America Reborn #6.
Steve Rogers has returned, but Bucky Barnes is the current Captain America, and has come into his own in the role.  Will there be two Captain Americas?  Will Bucky go back to being the Winter Soldier?  What will happen?  Decisions, decisions, decisions....

FALL OF THE HULKS GAMMA ONE SHOT
It's almost here! JEPH LOEB and original WORLD WAR HULK artist JOHN ROMITA JR. bring you the set-up to the event of 2010. With the Hulk family growing exponentially over the past year, it was only a matter of time before things came to a smashing head.  But what could set all of these characters into a rage that has them turning on each other, and on the world?  Whose death starts this? Just what role do Skaar, A-Bomb, the She-Hulks and the Marvel Universe play in this story? One thing's for sure-things are about to get incredible!

LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME #1 (OF 3)
From Rick Remender, the critically acclaimed writer of Punisher. In the not-too-distant future, as a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans in secret to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. To keep this from the public, the government creates a distraction, installing a new currency system using digital charge cards.
Enter Graham Brick, a career criminal never quite able to hit the big score. In a grand scheme, Graham intends to steal one of the charging stations, skip the country and live off unlimited funds for the rest of his life. But the media has leaked news of the anti-crime signal one week before it was to go live... and now Graham and his team have just a few days to turn the crime of the century into the last crime in American history.

SUPERMAN #695
Part 2 of Man of Valor! Metropolis gets a chance to see the new Mon-El in action. But now the stakes are raised even higher and the action escalates as Mon finally goes mano-a-mano against the Parasite! This is a battle that's been brewing since Mon's emergence on Earth and now it explodes into the streets and skies of the city.
Plus, with Mon-El's secret identity publicly known, how will the Science Police react to him now that they know he's been living among them all this time? All this plus the return of Natasha Irons and the fate of Steel! 

New Comics In Store 12-23-09

Big List, check it out after the jump...

Wow.

From DC's March Solicitations... we have: (Spoilers if you haven't seen Cry For Justice #5).

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE RISE OF ARSENAL #1
In JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE, Roy Harper lost everything at the hands of Prometheus, barely surviving the brutal severing of his arm. But when he finally awakens from his coma, Roy will find that his dangerous journey into despair is just beginning.

This is an extreme cover, especially for DC... see it after the jump.

Mark Strong on Kick-Ass & John Carter of Mars

Mark Strong has some words about the Kick-Ass, Robin Hood, and John Carter of Mars movies.

Homage Covers Cont'd

Damn Nation coming to the screen

Damn Nation (published by Dark Horse) is slated to be written by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz who wrote the Thor film.

Set in a U.S. evacuated after an attack from "inhuman nocturnal predators," the comic tells the tale of the survivors after the government has been forced to relocate to London while scientists search for a solution.

From Heat Vision.

Singer to direct X-Men: First Class

According to the Heat Vision blog at The Hollywood Reporter Brian Singer has signed on to direct the upcoming X-Men: First Class film.

The story is still in the early stages of development but will deal with the first meeting of Charles Xavier and Magneto and involve the creation of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, the school masquerading as the headquarters of the X-Men.

The Siege Package Deal

Norman Osborn May Pay The Ultimate Price, 
But You Don't Have To!

SIEGE is upon us! This is the start of another universe-spanning Marvel crossover. While Marvel has been crafting some of their greatest stories over these past few years, it has often been difficult for readers to afford every single tie-in issue. 

This will, by all reports, be the last big crossover from Marvel for at least the next year so The Launchpad is making it easier to take part in SIEGE with a special package deal each month of the series' release. 

For example, the Package Deal for January includes the following SIEGE titles: 

SIEGE #1

AVENGERS THE INITIATIVE #32

DARK AVENGERS #13

DARK WOLVERINE #82

NEW AVENGERS #61

To buy all of these titles at cover price would cost $17.95. But we're offering the above titles for a package price of $13.95.  Pay the package price when Siege #1 comes out on January 6th, and we'll set aside for you each of the other comics in the package as they arrive. 

Each month we'll have a similar SIEGE deal and we'll be announcing those details in future.  

Cover Homages

There have been a ton of cover homages lately. Especially from Marvel with various title apeing movie posters from titles like Deadpool Merc with a Mouth, Marvel Zombies, and currently Necrosha. DC also has some covers now and again that reference classic covers of yore. Thought you might like to see some of the sources a coupla recent covers are making a nod to. (Mike)

 

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 14th, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.

ITEM! The 3rd Annual Christmas Party at The Launchpad on Saturday 19th @ 7pm.

CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #5
This is actually not the finale, Marvel has extended this series to six issues, so this is, in fact, the penultimate issue.
Steve Rogers is back...or is he? This is the action-packed finale of the best-selling series as the Avengers try to rescue their best and brightest from the Red Skull's darkest designs. Find out the fates of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes and what their futures hold in store!

DAYTRIPPER #1
Preview
They were two of Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 stars to watch. They've won multiple Eisners and have worked with the top names of comics and pop culture from Joss Whedon (Sugar Shock) and Mike Mignola (BPRD: 1947) to Gerard Way (Umbrella Academy) and Matt Fraction (Casanova).
    Now, Brazilian wonder twins Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá are back writing and drawing in a hauntingly lyrical series set in their native Brazil. With DAYTRIPPER, they follow in the tradition of Craig Thompson, Paul Pope and David Mazzucchelli - cartoonists at the top of their game making comics about the quiet moments that ask big questions. Brás de Oliva Domingos is an obituary writer with a famous father, a career he hates, and tons of questions. How does a person become a successful writer? How does a man get out of his father's shadow? But those concerns will dwarf the surprise he'll find in the first issue - a twist both he and readers will never see coming, which will grow into a mystery about the meaning of life itself.

MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ #2
The further adventures of Oz continue! ERIC SHANOWER (Age of Bronze) and SKOTTIE YOUNG (X-MEN) further adapt the amazing adventures of Tip, Scarecrow, and Jack Pumpkinhead as they face the frantic and fantastic aspects of the Land of Oz.

POWER GIRL #7
A blast from the past! The alien Vartox has come to Earth to claim a wife-and her name is Power Girl! PG may have wanted a boyfriend, but not quite like this! The fan-favorite team of Palmiotti, Gray and Conner craft another winner!

New Comics In Store 12-16-09

Full list after the jump...

The Return of Bruce Wayne.

From USA Today:

In 2010, DC Comics will launch a new series created and written by legendary comic book scribe Grant Morrison. Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne finds the original Batman trying to reclaim his memory, his identity and his proper place in time and space.

So a Cyborg, a Ninja, and Tasha Yar walk into a bar...

It's a terrible movie but I can't help but point out that Eliminators is playing on Comcast On Demand right now.

MONDAY TELEMETRY For December 7th, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.

ITEM! Our buy one get one at half price sale on TPBs continues until 12/24.


ITEM! Don't forget, our Christmas Party at the shop will be held on 12/19 @ 7pm.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #21
Tony's closest friends and lovers have gathered to try and help the man rebuild his shattered consciousness, body, life and legacy...but when Tony gets the call, does he WANT to come back? CAN he...even with Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, bridging the gap between the two worlds? And you didn't think the bad guys were going to just sit back and let Tony rest and recuperate, did you?

MODERN WARFARE 2 - GHOST #2
Sgt. Riley - codenamed "Ghost" - has found himself in many a sticky situation while serving in the S.A.S. But never has a mission fallen apart so fast. On his first Joint Task Force mission, a combination of betrayal and bad luck has landed him in the hands of a blood-thirsty Mexican drug czar. Could things possibly get worse? Absolutely, yes.

NATION X #1
A mutant nation has been created on UTOPIA, off the coast of California.  But what does that mean to the X-Men?  Don't miss the series that delves into the lives and minds of your favorite X-Characters. This issue stars Colossus, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and others!

SHIELD #4
A new mission begins, taking The Shield on a Nazi hunt in the jungles of South America. But there are already complications and an international incident brewing when he encounters the Great Ten!
Plus, Inferno has finally been cornered by the FBI. Has he run out of room to escape - or will he leap to the top of the Most Wanted list?

New Comics In Store 12-09-09

Full list after the jump...

The Next Big Thing?

Millar and McNiven's Nemesis...

Rayguns and Manly Adventure

Probably the coolest looking book we got in today:

NEW COMICS 12/3/09

THE NEW COMICS ARE IN!!!

New Comics on Thursday

Well, I was surprised to discover comics have been delayed til Thursday. Guess we missed the shipping advisory. Wanted to let everyone know new comics are coming in 12/3, not 12/2, due to the holiday.

San Jose Comic Festival

From ICv2:

SLG Publishing’s Dan Vado, a founder of the Alternative Press Expo (APE), is launching a new series of comics festivals focused on indy and small press comics and zines.  The San Jose Comics Festival has been planned as a series of single-day shows throughout the year that will commence on January 16th with a free event that will be held the SLG Publishing gallery/warehouse compound in downtown San Jose and will feature special guests, Jamaica Dyer (Weird Fishes), Rich Koslowski (3 Geeks), and Landry Walker (Tron, Little Gloomy).

Vado says that unlike APE, the San Jose Comics Fests will not concentrate on single type of comic or creator, “the Comics Festivals will be about people who do the work, regardless of what kind of comics they choose to produce.”

New Comics In Store 12-02-09

The complete list after the jump...

Podcasts

I've taken to listening to podcasts at the shop between customers over the last several months. Gets my mind engaged on those bleary Saturday mornings. Just discovered a new one: http://www.thesinglemaltversus.com/

Check it out, it's local and they cover two of the things I love: Comics and Video Games. (Mike)

CHRISTMAS SALE STARTS TODAY

Starting today we're having a sale on all Trade Paperbacks. You buy one TPB get the other TPB (of the same or lesser value) at half price! This applies to both in stock TPBs and any available special order TPBs.

The sale runs from today til 12/24/09.

MONDAY TELEMETRY For November 23rd, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store this week.


So, not enough time for a normal post this week so I thought I'd hit the high points and let you know about what's been going on lately at the shop:


ITEM! We changed our floorplan around last week to make more room for, well , everything. TPBs are all in one place and not so crowded, we've got another 4 feet of wall space dedicated to new comics, more room for back issues, and RPGs and Board Games each have their own bay. We're still putting on the final touches and will post some pics when everything is finished. 


ITEM! We will be closed for Thanksgiving (Happy Holidays everyone!) but will resume our normal schedule on Friday. Speaking of which we will be having a sale starting on Black Friday that will last until Christmas Eve. More details very soon or you can stop by the shop and pick up a very informative flyer. 


ITEM! Our annual Christmas party is nigh. 12-19 @ 7:00. Make a note of it!


So, we're getting usual "massive amount of stuff at the end of the month" this Wednesday. Why do they always do that anyway? Spread it out a little guys!


Releases of note: 

BLACKEST NIGHT #5 and Wave 2 of the action figures to go along with it!

DETECTIVE COMICS #859. Still the best looking book every month.

IMAGE UNITED #1. The band's back together.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #20. So what the heck is going to happen to Tony Stark now?

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #4. If you've liked anything Millar has been doing this last year, you need to check out this book.

UNCANNY X-MEN #517. When purple lightning shoots out of his eyes, Magneto doesn't even flinch.

New Comics In Store 11-25-09

After the jump is the metric crapton of stuff coming in this week...

Latest Actor to join the Thor cast is Idris Elba

Idris Elba will portray Heimdall in the upcoming Thor film. Good actor, you may have seen him in 28 Weeks Later or the Ultraviolet TV Series. 

From IcV2: Elba joins a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Anthony Hopkins (Odin).  Ray Stevenson, Stuart Townsend, and Tadanobu Asano were recently announced as the Warriors Three.

MONDAY TELEMETRY For November 16th, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store in the coming week.

FLASH REBIRTH #5
Delayed from last week, issue five finally drops. 
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver
The greatest threat to face the Flash Family in decades stands revealed! A new hero will step into an old speedster's boots! And Barry Allen will make the ultimate sacrifice: his life! Oh yeah, you read that right, but you'll never believe just what it means! They always say nothing will ever be the same, but trust us, this one will rewrite the history books!

KOOKABURRA K #1
So this is what Humberto Ramos has been up to. 
Written by CRISSE & HICKS
Adapted by AUBREY SITTERSON
Pencils & Cover by HUMBERTO RAMOS
From beyond the farthest frontiers of any solar system explored by man, a destructive force is sweeping through the universe wiping Callystes, Dakoï, Lilith and Planet Earth from the stellar map. A rocket full of refugees hurtles through space with the letter "K" emblazoned on its side. On board the unlikely crew of seven children, several adults, an ancient wizard-knight and the ghost of a cyborg travel with a mysterious cargo that will alter their fates forever. 

PUNISHER #11
Oh, yeah did anyone mention Frank Castle had been taken out in his Dark Reign List one-shot?
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by TONY MOORE
Cover by DAVE WILKINS
"FRANKEN-CASTLE" PART 1-In the belly of New York, skulking and forgotten creatures of the night uncover the remains of a man in a familiar outfit. Frank Castle is dead.  What exactly IS Frankencastle? Long time collaborators Rick Remender and Tony Moore (GHOST RIDER, Fear Agent, The Walking Dead) are reunited for what will be the greatest struggle in the afterlife of the Punisher.  Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster...

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #1
Got a chance to read an advance copy of this. Great first ish, but of course I'm a sucker for zombies.
Written by Ian Edginton
Art by Davide Fabbri
Cover by Tony Moore
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Those are the words of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the world's first consulting detective, yet even he finds his skills tested to their limit as he and his erstwhile comrade Dr. John Watson are confronted with the most extraordinary case of their career - the dead are returning to life! Can a plague of Biblical proportions be far behind for Victorian London? And who - or what - is behind the resurrection of these ravenous revenants?
From renowned writer Ian Edginton (STORMWATCH: PHD) and acclaimed international artist Davide Fabbri (Star Wars) comes the first chapter in an incredible new 6-issue Sherlock Holmes adventure! Featuring a cover by original Walking Dead artist Tony Moore!

New Comics in Store 11-18-09

A list of new stuff coming in this week after the jump... (we're getting a bunch of restocks too, but those are listed).

Word Balloon podcast with Brain Azzarello

The early details on DC's First Wave line of pulp-inspired titles. 

MONDAY TELEMETRY For November 9th, 2009

 Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store in the coming week.

BATMAN DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL #1
Doc Savage returns to DC Comics...and comes face-to-fist with the Batman! Superstar scribe Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, JOKER) and the breathtaking art of Phil Noto combine to shine the first light on a shadowy new version of the DC Universe, where the thugs run rampant, corruption runs deep, and even heroes can't be trusted! Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, hates what he's heard about the connections between a grisly murder and Gotham City's violent new vigilante. But the Batman can't abide do-gooders getting in his way...and his .45 just won't stay in its holster!

Be here for this vital prologue to an upcoming 6-issue miniseries by Azzarello and Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), which will pull back the curtain to reveal the full width and breadth of DC's new pulp-influenced universe. This special issue also features sketchbook material by Rags Morales that will show you just what you're in for! You might think you're ready - but you're very, very wrong...

GHOUL #1
When Los Angeles Detective Lieutenant Lloyd Klimpt finds himself in the middle of a Hollywood mystery that falls way outside the norm, he knows he's going to need a different kind of help than he's used to. He finds it in the bizarre form of The Ghoul, a monstrous investigator with a reputation for solving the world's weirdest crimes. Written and created by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), with art by industry legend Bernie Wrightson. Also included is an illustrated prose story by Niles. 

 LOCKE & KEY: CROWN OF SHADOWS #1
Prologue: "The Haunting of Keyhouse." Sam Lesser may be dead and gone, but Dodge still has uses for him, and in the first chill days of October, will make contact with him again. The dead know things the living may not, and Sam's restless spirit has had time to discover the thing Dodge wants to know most of all... where to find the key to the black door. The third storyline in the Eisner-nominated series begins here!

PUNISHERMAX #1
An all-new ongoing series from the acclaimed team of Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE: WEAPON X) and Steve Dillon (PUNISHER: WELCOME BACK FRANK), two guys who were born to tell the exploits of Marvel's most brutal vigilante.
Wilson Fisk is a bodyguard for mob boss Don Rigoletto, but he has his eyes on a much bigger prize, and he's gonna use Frank Castle to help him realize his dreams.  The biggest story in MAX history begins here, as we witness the birth of the greatest villain the Punisher has ever faced.

New Comics In Store 11-11-09

A list of new stuff and restocks after the jump.

Funny the things you find

Following some hyperlinks on wikipedia led me here. I vaguely remember Solson, but not this comic. (Mike)

It's all about Baron Karza

One of The Friends of The Launchpad is a micronaut/microman fanboy so I'm obligated to post a link to this.

Hasbro continues their steamrolling of Hollywood with the announcement that J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) is in negotiations to produce a film based on their Micronauts property. The Japanese science-fiction action figure line from Takara was brought to the States in the 1970's by Mego (with some items replicated for the collector's market in 2002 by Palisades), but has kept a pretty low profile since the line's cancellation in 1980.

I owned a Space Glider, Acroyear, Microtron, and a Hydro Copter just for the record... (Mike)

Scott Kurtz is my hero.

He just said, quite eloquently, what I too have thought about the idiotic counter-programming Wizard has been doing with their cons. (Mike)

MONDAY TELEMETRY For November 2nd, 2009

Welcome to another installment of Monday Telemetry, a weekly blog from The Launchpad that covers some of the more interesting releases or events that are coming to the store in the coming week.

 

  

ASSAULT ON NEW OLYMPUS

Hercules! Spider-Man! Ares! New Avengers! Wolverine! Mighty Avengers! The Agents of Atlas! If there's a bigger event this fall, we don't know what it could be! At long last, the Prince of Power takes the fight to his villainous stepmother Hera and the forces of the Olympus Group -- just as she unleashes the most terrifying threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen! But first Herc has to gather together a star-studded strike force from the ranks of the New and the Mighty Avengers! First on the list: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN! But why is Everyone's Friendly Neighborhood fighting against Hercules? Has he joined the side of the dark gods? It's webs and wisecracks versus Olympian power in this super-sized one-shot! (There will be major property damage, we guarantee.) Plus: The iHerc team proudly welcomes our new INCREDIBLE HERCULES on-going back-up feature... THE AGENTS OF ATLAS, written by fan favorite scribe Jeff Parker! When the forces of New Olympus target Venus, will Jimmy Woo lead his team into the fray for or against Hercules' forces?

 

BLACK WIDOW DEADLY ORIGIN #1

Before she steals the world's heart in Iron Man II, get caught in the wicked web of Marvel's sexiest and deadliest super-spy! She's been everything from a Russian espionage agent to a Champion to an Avenger, now a skeleton from Natalia Romanova's past is reaching out for those she's loved and lost...and the Black Widow has many victims to choose from! From the frozen streets of Moscow to the upper stratosphere, writer Paul Cornell (CAPTAIN BRITAIN & MI3) and artists Tom Raney (DARK REIGN: HAWKEYE) and John Paul Leon (The Winter Men) deliver a globe-hopping, bone-breaking, high-tech thriller that reveals how Natalia's shadowy past threatens all she now holds dear. Guest-starring the Winter Soldier and Wolverine!

 

GREAT TEN #1
Part 1 of a 10-part miniseries! Join writer Tony Bedard (R.E.B.E.L.S.) and artist Scott McDaniel (NIGHTWING, GREEN ARROW) for an adventure exploring the extraordinary characters from the pages of 52 and CHECKMATE!
At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the 10 official "super-functionaries" of the People's Republic face their greatest challenge as the gods of Ancient China return to destroy communist rule! Will the most populous nation on Earth drag the rest of the world down with it? Do its heroes even want to save a government that treats them like pawns? Don't miss this tale that redraws the map of the DCU and fleshes out the most exciting and mysterious new characters from the mind of Grant Morrison! Featuring a gorgeous cover by rising artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau (FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE).

LOBO HIGHWAY TO HELL #1
A Lobo story like nothing you've seen before! You can imagine that when you live life the way the Main Man lives life - loud, loose, and ludicrously violent - you might pick up an enemy or two along the way. An enemy like, say, oh I don't know, Satan himself. And Satan, my friends, does not play around. Hell's iron-fisted ruler has a serious mad-on for the last Czarnian, and he's gonna hit Lobo right in his blackened, scabrous heart. So Lobo's just gonna have to hit him harder. Repeatedly. In the FACE. But first, Lobo has to go to Hell...a little sooner than anticipated!
Metal icon Scott Ian of Anthrax makes his comics debut, joining forces with visionary creator Sam Kieth to bring you a Lobo story that's so over the top, you won't even remember what the top used to look like! Bleeding dolphins, demonic Chihuahuas, the world's worst cruise ship, exploding moons, severed heads, and still more sick fraggin' stuff all await you on the Highway to Hell - don't miss a single twisted page!

New Comics In Store 11-04-09

After the jump a list of all the cool stuff arriving Wednesday...

Hive of ... what now?

This is great but NSFW. Re-voiced Obi Wan courtesy of Peter Serafinowicz. (Mike)

Happy Halloween!

Stay on target!