PENDRAGON'S POST

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TOY NEWS: H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon Pre-Order

SOTA Toys is proud to announce Dagon! A true Horror from the Deep.

SOTA Toys introduces the latest addition to the "SOTA Nightmares" product line, H. P. Lovecraft's Dagon. This 12-inch tall statue features incredible detail in its horrific presentation of nameless things that crawl on the ocean's slimy bed; Dagon. Made of high quality resin and special "flex-resin" in key parts, this limited edition collectible will be a prized addition to any collection highlighting H. P. Lovecraft, monsters, and, as Lovecraft stated, "gigantic, tenebrous, ultimate gods."

Bullet Points!
• Dagon is the latest addition to the SOTA Nightmares line of Horror statues.
• The Dagon Statue is the third statue in the SOTA Nightmares H.P. Lovecraft line of Cthulhu Collectibles
• Dagon stands in the same 12” scale as the Cthulhu and the Nyarlathotep statues.
• Dagon Pre-Orders are available here.
• Many more images of Dagon are available here and here.
• Dagon will ship to retail customers in late May, 2010 (Though pre-orders are available now.)

Copyright © 2010 SOTA Toys Read more...

RON MARZ & STJEPAN SEJIC’S

ANGELUS #1 and ANGELUS #2 SELL OUT

Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that the first and second issues of the six-issue miniseries Angelus has sold out at the distributor level.

Written by Ron Marz (Witchblade, Magdalena) and featuring art by Stjepan Sejic (Witchblade), the Angelus miniseries finds Danielle Baptiste returning home to New Orleans and coming to grips with her new role as the Angelus – the human bearer of the primal force of light.

"I'm just incredibly pleased at the news of Angelus #1 and #2 selling out,” said Marz. “This series is really the culmination of something we started planning more than three years ago when we introduced Dani Baptiste in Witchblade #100. We wanted to grow her into a character that readers could connect to, so that when she finally assumed the mantle of the Angelus, we'd have someone the audience cares about. Hopefully the success of the first two Angelus issues is an indication we did that."

“There's little to be unsaid about what Marz and Sejic have done for Top Cow's top character, and this title is in the same field of character development, intrigue, with magical elements that wouldn't let me stop turning pages.” – Newsarama’s Best Shots

“Sejic is still as spectacular as ever with each page, and if you have only seen the scans from the preview and were amazed, then it’s time you grabbed the book.” – Comic Attack

“The story was solid, and entertaining, and the artwork was awesome, as usual for Stjepan Sejic. The use of storytelling through panel progression and balance between calm subtle moments, and double page action spreads, really give this book a nice feel.” – Comic Collector Live

Angelus #1 and #2’s successes join five other recent sold-out Top Cow titles – The Darkness/Pitt #1, The Darkness/Pitt #2, Tracker #1, Pilot Season: Murderer #1 and Pilot Season: Demonic #1.

Angelus #3 will arrive in stores April 7th, 2010.

About Top Cow Productions Inc.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. (www.topcow.com), a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise, WITCHBLADE, was TNT’s #1 original film of 2000 and the subsequent TV series was released on DVD on July 29, 2008. A feature film, co-produced by Platinum Studios, Inc. and Arclight Films, is slated to begin production in Australia with director Michael Rymer. WITCHBLADE is also the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow’s other flagship property, THE DARKNESS, was developed into a major next-generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved platinum sales status. WANTED, an Eisner-nominated miniseries published by Top Cow from 2003-2005, is now a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. Virtually all of Top Cow’s other properties are in development as feature films, live-action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die-cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and roleplaying games. Read more...

In November 2001, Bungie and Microsoft brought the world “Halo: Combat Evolved”. The game became a worldwide sensation and helped rocket the “Xbox” to stardom. Since then, the franchise has continued to gain momentum with “Halo 2”, “Halo 3”, “Halo Wars”, and “Halo 3: ODST” (not to mention the DVD release of “Halo: Legends”). Now, as everyone waits in anticipation for Fall release of the prequel “Halo: Reach”, Diamond Select is proud to announce the inclusion of “Halo” into the Minimates universe!

To help launch the line this Fall, comic book and specialty stores will be offering a 4-pack which will include:

Master Chief
UNSC Marine
Spartan in Scout Armor
Elite in Assault Armor

Future announcements will bring great news concerning other Spartan armor classes from the various games (in your favorite multi-player color schemes), aliens & allies, and vehicles. We’ll also be bringing you news about our plans for a sneak peek/debut at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

Don't miss the brand new New Avengers #1, from the superstar creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen, this June!

Read more...

Sculptor Jean St. Jean talks about the in progress work for the new DST Universal Monsters figures!

Click here to check it out. Read more...

What is Heralds, Marvel’s new secret project arriving in stores this June? Find out tonight exclusively on G4 (www.g4tv.com) at 7pm Eastern on Attack of The Show!

Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com. Read more...

A COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY EVENT!

POW! ENTERTAINMENT
& BOOM! STUDIOS
ANNOUNCE A NEW SUPERHERO LINE
FROM STAN LEE!

POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios announced a deal has been struck that will see the production of a series of three superhero titles presented by Stan Lee. These series will premiere from BOOM! Studios later this year.

BOOM!'s Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid, creator of BOOM!'s runaway hit series IRREDEEMABLE and its smash sister book INCORRUPTIBLE, will be writing one of the series. Two other series will follow, featuring A-list writers as a part of the creative team. Further announcements will clarify the teams and the timing for the roll-out.

This past December, POW! announced that Walt Disney Studios had entered into a first-look deal with POW! and currently has a number of projects in development where it is working closely with the world-renowned Lee.

The revelation of Stan Lee’s presenting a series of three superhero titles at BOOM! follows on the heels of a viral marketing campaign announcing "Stan's Back" that hit the internet early last week. Across major comic book news sites and blogs last week, ads appeared teasing "Stan's Back." The L.A. Times' Hero Complex & L.A. Times' Brand-X also got in on the action, running the "Stan's Back" campaign in print and on their respective website. All the banner ads linked back to www.stansback.com, a site which had only the "Stan's Back" logo and nothing else disclosing additional information.

For one week, the internet was in a frenzy with comic fans everywhere trying to figure out what could the "Stan's Back" teaser campaign mean. Today it has finally been revealed - Stan Lee is back, presenting a comic book series for the Direct Market comic specialty market that Lee was instrumental in fostering.

POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios had no further details at this time. More forthcoming.

About POW!
(Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, Inc. (Pinksheets: POWN) An advanced media and entertainment company, POW! was founded by Stan Lee together with award winning producer Gill Champion and intellectual property attorney Arthur Lieberman, Esq. to create, produce and license original intellectual properties. POW! specializes in franchises for the entertainment industry, including animation and live-action feature films, plus television, DVDs, video games, merchandising and related ancillary markets, all of which contribute to global expansion.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) is a unique publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry’s biggest talents, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM!'s children publishing imprint BOOM Kids! publishes titles such as Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES. The "lit comix"-oriented BOOM! Town imprint was launched this year with upcoming trading cards from underground comix artist R. Crumb. In 2010, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fifth anniversary.
Read more...

COMIC NEWS: I Am A New Avenger

Don't miss the brand new New Avengers #1, from the superstar creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen, this June!

MARVEL COMICS PUTS SPIDER-MAN’S ALTER EGO PETER PARKER INTO UNEMPLOYMENT IN LATEST AMAZING SPIDER-MAN STORYLINE

New Storyline Spins Its Web Beginning March 3rd in Amazing Spider-Man #623

Marvel Comics has two words to say to Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker -- You’re Fired! Beginning in Amazing Spider-Man #623, on-sale March 3rd, everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood hero has to not only survive key arch nemesis Vulture’s reign of terror…but also losing his job at the Mayor’s office! Peter Parker lays it all on the line to protect J. Jonah Jameson and keep the city from ripping itself apart, but Peter’s sacrifice winds up costing his career as a photographer.

But when you can’t pay the bills, how’s a Super Hero supposed to buy web-fluid and fix his costume? Spider-Man’s about to learn that with great power and great responsibility comes the great need to be employed -- which isn’t so easy when you’re blacklisted in New York City!

“Peter Parker’s been through some rough times lately, with all of his deadliest foes returning, and he couldn’t lose his job at a worse time” said Senior Editor Steve Wacker. “He’s going to struggle with unemployment and trying to save the city while he can barely afford to keep a roof over his head.”

The intrigue starts in Amazing Spider-Man #623 with the shocking next installment, Amazing Spider-Man #624, spinning into stores just one week later – March 10!

Matty took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.

1. Battle Cat & Trap Jaw both sold out in a record amount of time and due to multiple technical issues many MOTUC fans are feeling left out in the cold because they couldn’t get their figures. After 14 months of operation, something needs to be done. One popular idea is to limit the number of figures people can buy at a time, for example making the limit two instead of ten. Is this at all possible or are fans out of luck until the re-release?

Actually, very few customers are buying more than two figures. We want to keep the ten options for those international customers who requested this to help with shipping.

2. What went into choosing a character like Mo-Larr, who debuted on Robot Chicken, as one of two SDCC MOTUC items?

Mo-Larr came about from a meeting Toy Guru had with Matt and Seth at SDCC a few years back. Doing Mo-Larr is a great way to bring some attention to the line and offer a figure just for pure fun!

3. Since you cannot comment officially on licenses you do not have, in a scenario where you already own the rights to, manufacture, and distribute figures for an intellectual property that you obtained the rights to from a company, can you provide a general list of barriers and obstacles that make it difficult or perhaps impossible to acquire the rights to other unique intellectual properties owned by the same company?

Sorry, this is not something we can share with the public.

4. Will the coupons issued out to subscribers for Battle Cat carry over to other items in the future as many couldn't use them to order?

If you did not redeem your coupon this time you may do so when he goes back on sale in the fall.

5. Is She-Ra's cape removable?

Yes. If you pop her head off, the cape slips off. Read more...

Eternian Observer: Of Beasts and Men, or, Keep Your Damn Dirty Apes Out of My MOTUC Subscription

I have tried to stay away from the drama in the always-controversial world of Masters of the Universe Classics. It seems that every week or two there is some huge point of contention in the MOTUC collectors community: Hordak's half armor, Teela's waist, Battle Armor He-Man's plates, Moss Man's ears, Mo-Larr, inclusion of POP characters, etc. For the amount of passion and intensity generated, you would think we were talking about something actually important like civil rights or health care reform. That being said, there are some very legitimate issues with the line, although none of them are artistic. There have been serious problems with delivery, customer service, and the website from the beginning. All of these have to do with Matty's fulfillment service, Digital River, but now there is a very important decision being mulled over regarding the 2011 subscriptions: whether or not to include "beasts" in the subscription plan. Based on what I have seen so far, I really hope that they don't.

Note to Mattel: If you are looking to sell a new subset of a popular toyline, don't show off your most ridiculous looking character as an example of what that line is going to be.

I bought a 2010 subscription despite the fact that the bonus figures were not included and the shipping was not combined. This is where the problems begin, as Digital River is not able to walk and chew gum at the same time and do a simple thing such as combine shipping for items ordered by the same person and mailed to the same address. Rightfully, people complained about this and Matty and Toy Guru said that they would re-evaluate including the now-scaled back bonus figure program in the 2011 subscription. They then introduced a line of beasts, of which Battle Cat was the first and was incredibly popular and well-received. Additional beasts were revealed at Toy Fair, Tytus and Gygor, and now it looks as though Matty will not only be including quarterly bonus figures in the 2011 subscription but quarterly beast figures at anywhere from $30-$60 each all in one subscription.

Now, the reasonable way to do this would be to offer two or three subscription plans but Toy Guru has been clear that there will be only one subscription option. They are not entertaining the idea of tiers or bolts or anything like that. Are you just interested in only monthly figures? Tough. Are you just interested in only monthly figures and quarterly figures? Tough. You either get everything, or you take the chance of getting nothing. If you want the only way to guarantee your figures, you have to get the beasts.

Despite the greatness that is Battle Cat, I'm not feeling the other beasts we've seen, two obscure z-list characters. At their expensive price point ($30-$60), these are figures I am going to want to cherry pick. While Tytus is a cool addition to the line, I will be saving my money (and shelf space) for something else. Gygor is...a yellow gorilla in a cape. Somehow he manages to look silly even in the context of MOTU.

I find it odd that Mattel was extremely cautious about the bonus figure line and their possible inclusion in the subscription. For a long time, it was, "Let's see how Zodak does," and then, "Let's see how Goddess does," and then, "Let's see how Battle Armor He-Man does." Now they've adjusted the bonus figure program and are seemingly ready to include it in the2011 subscription after several months of trial and error. Regarding the beasts, they seem to have all but made up their minds to include them in the plan, having sold only one beast character so far. And one can hardly use Battle Cat as a gauge of the beasts as a whole, as he is a beloved core character. Even the next most popular beast, Panthor, will not do as well.

If Mattel wasn't happy with the sales of the Goddess, imagine if she had been $30 or $40 and had never appeared in any media at all. Perhaps before sticking these expensive, large-scale figures in the subscription, it would be wise to give it a year and see how they sell. By February next year, there will have been four or five beast figures released and there will be a better gauge of their popularity. Unless, of course, it Matty thinks the only way that they will be able to have the sales they want on these kinds of figures is to compel people to buy them in a subscription...

Again, the only reasonable solution is to offer multiple subscription options. Perhaps because of a lack of trust in Digital River, they will not do this. It is unfortunate that they have a dysfunctional relationship with their fulfillment company but, as a costumer, it is not something that I should have to worry about. If Matty is opposed to a reasonable option, then the only truly fair way to go is to include only monthly figures and the quarterly figures that have proven their popularity. It seems that Mattel is orienting itself to the unfortunate position of "The subscriptions are for those people who want everything," which denies the basic fact that these figures are produced in very small numbers and have become even more difficult to get off-subscription than they were last year. It has become that the subscription is almost the only way to get the figures from Mattycollector.com, and, sadly, even then the subscription is not always a reliable way to purchase these figures. Mattel should not be putting people in the position of having to buy expensive extra products several times a year just to get the monthly subscription.

Please check out this poll on the matty forums and make your opinions known:

Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer Read more...

In just a few short weeks, fans of Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum will be able to take their Ghostbusters Minimates collections to an entirely new level thanks to the latest batch of exclusive Ghostbusters Minimates only available from Toys 'R' Us! This new assortment will deliver eight new Minimates and complete two sets started in previous waves as well as four new villains - including Vigo himself!

The first two-pack will feature the brilliant Egon Spengler in his Ghostbusters 2 uniform (the last missing Ghostbuster in that style) paired with the Titanic Ghost seen captaining the ill-fated luxury liner in the second Ghostbusters film. Two exclusive sets will complete the Courtroom set started with last year's Peter Venkman by pairing Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler with the dreaded Scolari Brothers - Nunzio and Tony. The final set combines two of our favorite Ghostbusters 2 characters: the near-unstoppable Vigo the Carpathian and Peter Venkman in his "World of the Psychic" ensemble - which of course includes his signature hairless cat!

All four of these exclusive sets will be available in Toys 'R' Us stores nationwide and serve as perfect compliments to the previously-released Ghostbusters Minimates sets currently available in comic and specialty stores. Look for these two-packs in the weeks to come and be sure to check out the latest updates from DiamondSelectToys.com and ArtAsylum.com as the Ghostbusters Minimate universe expands to new heights!

Read more...

At the time of the listing in Previews the Crimson Dynamo was not ready to show, so for those of you interested, here he is.

Read more...

TOY REVIEW MOTUC BATTLE CAT

The first "beast" figure in the line, Battle Cat is likely the ultimate version of this character. He is far superior to any previous incarnation of He-Man's fighting tiger and he has far more detail and articulation than I think anyone was expecting. He is a heavy bulky figure who is well worth the $30 plus shipping that Matty was asking for him.

The first thing you are likely to notice about him in his really nice window box packaging, is just how big this new Battle Cat is. He is scaled to the figures, which are a good deal larger than any of the previous lines, so Battle Cat actually comes out to be about the size of a small house cat.

He is also directly modeled on the vintage figure, there is little to no 200X influence on the design, which is a very good thing in this case as the classic design is far more distinctive and interesting, with its large, beaked helmet and vacant eyes.

BC comes complete with his helmet and a large harness both of which are colored a dark red. The Horsemen have brought out lots of great detail on this classic design, such as a finely-lined, leathery look to the saddle as well as numerous bronzy highlights on the various bolts, buckles and rivets. The saddle area features indentations for He-Man's fuzzy shorts, allowing you to fit characters in there reasonably tightly.

Mmmm...corn.

There are also two straps on either side, ostensibly to hold the Power Sword, although these are a rather silly place to store something as precious as the Sword of He. It would have been nice if there had been somewhere closer to the saddle to store weapons. I would have also liked to have seen some sort of t-bar on the saddle for He-Man to grab on to. Also, there should be a more secure way to keep the helmet on, as it tends to shift and come off too easily.

As I said above, Battle Cat has an amazing amount of articulation for an animal figure like this and I am very relieved that all of his joints are reasonably tight. The head seems to be on a ball joint, although the sculpt prevents a lot of movement, which is a shame. You can completely rotate the head and there is some lateral play but turning the head or looking up is restricted. The jaw is on a hinge joint and opens and closes fully. The neck slides up and down and can bring BC's nose to the ground or at about chest height on the MOTUC figures, again with no lateral motion.

Unfortunately, Battle Cat cannot really look up. The legs are fully articulated at each joint, as they would be on a real cat and the paws are even on a ball joint and can be rotated. There is even a little play on the shoulders allowing BC to move his front limbs in and out a bit. The figure even features "mid torso" articulation, allowing him to arch his back somewhat or event twist at the waist (take that Teela!). The tail is made of a flexible plastic (but does not hold a shape if you bend it) and is on a combo ball and hinge joint allowing it to be posed numerous ways.

Sadly, Battle Cat sold out before many people could get him but Matty seems to be rushing him into re-release for the fall, so fans will have another shot to get this iconic Masters of the Universe character. Mattel and the Horsemen really went all out with this figure, and it most have cost them a lot to make a brand new figure, this big with this much articulation and still sell it at the relatively reasonable price of $30. Make sure you are ready to go when he is re-released or pick him up on the secondary market because no MOTUC collection is complete without the fighting tiger of Eternia.

Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer Read more...

New issue arrives in comic shops Feb. 24 and features products on sale beginning May 2010

Spawn creator Todd McFarlane is joined by writer Will Carlton and artist Szymon Kudranski for Image Comics’ SPAWN #203, an issue that not only marks the new creative team’s debut, but one that’s featured on the front cover of the March PREVIEWS, the comic shops’ catalog.

Image has designated March “Spawn Month,” and with this new team picking up the reigns of the ongoing title, it’s easy to see why. Carlton, Kudranski, and McFarlane start off strong, as Spawn learns of a lineage connection between himself, Clown, and Bludd, the vampire clan leader.

March PREVIEWS’ back cover demands just as much attention with a feature on DC Comics’ BRIGHTEST DAY #1, which begins the 26-issue, bi-weekly series that follows the conclusion of Blackest Night. Following the story of Blackest Night as crafted by Green Lantern’s Geoff Johns and Green Lantern Corps writer Peter Tomasi, those same scribes team once again to tell this new story impacting the entire DC Universe. A select group of DC heroes will uncover a secret that binds them, and no DC fan will want to miss finding out what it is.

March PREVIEWS editorial features:

Featured Theme
“Manga Month” – is back! Manga Month comes around every March, when PREVIEWS highlights products from publishers and creators that fuel readers’ enthusiasm for the Asian-influenced art form. Featuring a mix of material imported from overseas and created by American artists inspired by manga, the products offered during Manga Month represent some of the best on the market, and are certain to find favor with established manga-maniacs and new converts alike.

Page 2 of 2
PREVIEWS Next: March Issue’s Covers & Features
IndieEdge
Matt Wagner – This month’s creator feature spotlights Matt Wagner, the creator of Grendel who is also set to re-establish the origins of a classic hero for Dynamite Entertainment with Green Hornet: Year One. In the feature, Wagner shares his current comic reading list with PREVIEWS fans.
Sneak Peeks
In March, comic fans are given a glimpse of Dark Horse Comics’ Janet Evanovich’s Troublemaker Hardcover Book One, DC Comics/WildStorm’s A God Somewhere Trade Paperback, DC/Vertigo Crime’s Revolver Hardcover, and Image Comics’ Sam & Twitch: The Writer #1, Shadowhawk #1, and What Happened to Baron Von Shock? #1.
Bob Overstreet Interview
Overstreet Price Guide Celebrates 40th Edition—The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide has provided comic book fans, collectors, and dealers with prices, grading information, articles, and resource material for 40 years. In celebration of the milestone, Bob Overstreet, creator of The Guide, looks back on his career and the resource’s rich history for PREVIEWS readers.

Plus: Staff Picks, our Top 100 Comics and Bestseller Charts, and much more!

March PREVIEWS’ Gems of the Month

The Gems of the Month from March’s catalog include: Dark Horse Comics’ Janet Evanovich’s Troublemaker Hardcover Book One and Cardcaptor Sakura Dark Horse Omnibus Edition Volume 1, DC Comics’ Brightest Day #1 and Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1, Image Comics’ Sam & Twitch: The Writer #1 and Shadowhawk #1, Marvel Comics’ Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1, and Wizard Entertainment’s Wizard #225.

All this and more is waiting in the March issue of PREVIEWS, which hits your local comic shop on Wednesday, February 24th at a cover price of $4.50. Ask your comic shop retailer on how you can qualify for a free issue. Pre-orders are due to your comic shop by March 13th for merchandise in this issue.

For a sneak peek at this issue’s Gems, Featured Items, and more head on over to www.PREVIEWSworld.com.

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com.

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS—the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

ABOUT PREVIEWS: PREVIEWS is a monthly “mag-a-log” (catalog and magazine) used by comic shop retailers and over 50,000 comic shop customers to pre-order comics, graphic novels, and other pop-culture merchandise. Items solicited in each catalog are schedule two months in advance. For more information, visit PREVIEWSworld.com.

© 2008 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners. Read more...

From cool kids comics to the greatest super-hero fare, from classic reprints to the latest stories, it’s a wide spectrum of comics covered in the Gold and Silver comic books available for Free Comic Book Day 2010, taking place Saturday, May 1, 2010!

No you can go the Comics Page of the www.freecomicbookday.com website and view six-page Previews of eighteen of the Gold and Silver titles.

Books you now have the opportunity to preview are:

Gold Titles
• Archaia Entertainment's Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock Flip Book
• Archie Comics' Archie's Summer Splash! #1
• Boom Studios' Toy Story
• Drawn & Quarterly's YOW! The John Stanley Library
• IDW Publishing's G.I. JOE #155 1/2
• Image Comics' Fractured Fables

Silver Titles
• Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog: Hide & Seek & Destroy!
• Aspen Comics' Worlds of Aspen
• Asylum Press' Fearless Dawn/Asylum Press Sampler
• BOOM! Studio's Irredeemable #1 FCBD Edition
• Del Rey Comics' Del Rey Showcase
• IDW's Library of American Comics #0
• Marvel Comics' Iron Man: Supernova
• New England Comics' The Tick #1
• Radical Publishing's Radical: Bigger Books! Bigger Value!
• Red 5 Comics' Atomic Robo & Friends
• Storm Lion's Freedome Formula: Speed Metal Overtures
• Th3rd World Studios' The Stuff of Legend: Mortal Instruments Preview

Don't forget to also become an FCBD fan at Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/FCBD10.

As we add the sponsor book previews we'll be "tweeting" their arrival on the FCBD website! Read more...

THREE STORIES. THREE DISTINCTIVE ARTISTS!

Great entry point for new readers!

IRREDEEMABLE SPECIAL #1 is written by Mark Waid with interior art by Howard Chaykin, Paul Azaceta and Emma Rios. This special issue ships April 2010, with two covers by Paul Azaceta and Dan Panosian in a 50/50 split, a 1-in-10 incentive cover featuring art by Jeffrey Spokes and carries a Diamond Code of FEB100758.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) is a unique publishing house specializing in high-profile projects across a wide variety of different genres from some of the industry’s biggest talents, including Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?, The Henson Company’s FARSCAPE, and the original Mark Waid series IRREDEEMABLE. BOOM! recently launched its youth imprint, BOOM Kids!, with Pixar’s THE INCREDIBLES, CARS, and TOY STORY, as well as Disney’s THE MUPPETS, DONALD DUCK, UNCLE SCROOGE and WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES. This year, BOOM! Studios celebrates its fifth anniversary.
Read more...

One of the strengths of great G.I. Joe Comics, is that regardless of how absurd the set-ups or plot twists or technology involved in a particular story, the characters generally acted like no nonsense military personnel. They most often made the smart, level-headed decisions that revealed their professionalism, dedication, and training.

In IDW's continuation of the Rise of Cobra based continuity, G.I. Joe: Operation HISS, somebody somewhere forgot this lesson, forgot that soldiers and especially officers are not, frankly, idiots.

On what do I base this review? The fact that in an attempt to infiltrate a private military corporation believed to be linked to Cobra, Hawk sends one of the people he can't possibly send. A person nearly any highly placed person in Cobra is going to be able to make a positive identification of. A soldier who might possibly have been engaged to one of Cobra's top agents. Who was in the US military with Cobra's Commander.

Right. Duke. How is this even possible? How is Duke even considered?

Sure, sure, you can maybe claim I'm just being the fanboy picking apart the book. But on this indefensibly stupid decision...the kind of decision no previous incarnation of Hawk would even have considered...the book falls apart for me. Some might say that with Destro, Baroness, and Cobra Commander in custody (something the first issue of the miniseries breaks out an Exposition Fairy moment to remind us of) this doesn't matter as much. Nonsense; anything connected to Cobra is still going to have too much easy access to information that will allow them to positively ID Duke.

There are things to like about this book; it introduces Dataframe (although, frankly, why it introduces a new character to do what was Breaker's job in the movie is something I don't quite understand). The art has a sharp style that I tend to like, heavy on the ink, but interesting to look at, with clearly defined and flowing action. Major Bludd is appropriately cutthroat and an interesting 'new' villain for the movie continuity, and I love his updated character design (though it could do, perhaps, with a touch less black). If you really enjoy the movie continuity, you probably won't be disappointed by this book.

Maybe Duke is front and center because, in the movie continuity, Duke simply must be front and center. Ultimately that doesn't change my central point; a G.I. Joe book in which Hawk has no critical thinking ability is not one I want to read. I wanted to like this book, and I really enjoy its art. But I can't recommend it.

Dan Ford
Staff Reviewer Read more...

TOY NEWS: STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN

"EARLY BIRD" PREORDERS BEGIN FOR SUPER7'S STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN

Super7 is set to begin accepting preorders for the Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun in the manner of the original Star Wars collectibles: as part of a special "Early Bird" program. Preorders begin at 12:00pm Noon PST (3pm EST) this Friday February 26th at the website STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM

"Early Birds" will receive the following benefits:

* FREE SHIPPING of the mammoth toy - a $30 savings! (This offer applies to continental US only.)
* An exclusive EARLY BIRD commemorative certificate
* Guaranteed to receive the STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN itself before any other customer

The retail price is $299 , and is scheduled for release on Saturday May 29th. The Early Bird preorder benefits will be offered for a limited time only.
The Star Wars Stormtrooper Super Shogun stands a whopping 24 inches tall, and includes all of the features that you expect from an authentic Jumbo: free rotating wheels on the bottom of his feet, and a spring-loaded Rocket Punch firing fist.
Utilizing the same techniques implemented by Japanese toy manufacturers in the 1970s, the Super Shogun is constructed from durable, blow-molded polyethylene with a painted vinyl helmet. The figure is articulated at the neck and shoulders, and includes a removable, highly-detailed BlasTech E-11 laser blaster, which even features a posable stock that unfolds from below the barrel. This marks the first authentic Super Shogun produced in over twenty-five years. For more information, please visit the dedicated website STARWARS.SUPER7STORE.COM.

ABOUT SUPER7
Founded in 2001 as a magazine devoted to the obsessive-compulsive world of Japanese toy collecting, Super7 embarked on a mission to become the premiere outlet for information and reference for the obscure oddities of the toy universe. The success of the magazine immediately led to Super7 collaborating with Japanese toy manufacturers to create exclusive toys and various special editions, evolving over time to Super7 designing and manufacturing its own collectible toys.

Super7's philosophy is to make products- toys, books, magazines, t-shirts, and even their own retail store in San Francisco- that its collector founders would want, resulting in Super7's products being recognized by fans as original, unique, and most of all, genuine. Read more...

Image Comics' makes an exclusive appearance at this year's ComicsPRO annual meeting, featuring Robert Kirkman!

Many of the nation's top comic book retailers will converge on Memphis, TN this April for ComicsPRO's Annual Members Meeting, and WALKING DEAD creator and Image COO Robert Kirkman will be delivering the keynote speech. Image Comics will also be making an exclusive appearance at the 2010 retailer event.

"While reviewing our options for the 2010 calendar, Image Comics has decided to put its focus for retailer events on ComicsPRO," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "We feel the organization does a massive amount of good for the comics industry and with the ever-growing amount of competing events, we felt the need to reaffirm our support for our retail partners by making our appearance at this year's annual meeting our sole retailer event for 2010."

ComicsPRO is the only trade organization for Direct Market comic book retailers. Their goals are not that different from trade organizations in other industries: to promote advocacy, education and opportunity for their members. Each annual meeting focuses on the many issues this unified, yet independent retailer organization faces and works towards building a stronger future. In addition to Kirkman, Stephenson and Image PR & Marketing Coordinator Joe Keatinge will also attend. The company's decision to so strongly support this year's annual meeting has been met with great enthusiasm by members of ComicsPRO's Board of Directors.

ComicsPRO President and Flying Colors Comics owner Joe Field added: "When a key supplier like Image Comics decides that their time, energy and focus are best spent meeting with ComicsPRO retailers in Memphis, it highlights the dedication Image has to professional, dedicated comics specialty retailers. We hope more retailers notice this and make plans to join us for the only retailer-directed trade event in the comics' business."

"What I admire most about Image Comics is its commitment to creators and their independence," ComicsPRO Board of Directors member and Comix Experience owner Brian Hibbs said. "It's amazing to see that same level of commitment and passion being brought to bear for the benefit of the independent comic book retailer as well. This energy and support can't help but make the best retailer-focused event that much better!"

The ComicsPRO Annual Members Meeting is March 24-27th, 2010 at the Hilton Memphis. For more information on the meeting, visit http://comicspro.org/meet10.html

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently five partners in Image Comics (Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com. Read more...

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TOY NEWS: H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon Pre-Order

COMIC NEWS: ANGELUS #1 and ANGELUS #2 SELL OUT

TOY NEWS: Halo Minimates Revealed!

COMIC NEWS: I Am A New Avenger

TOY NEWS: Universal Monsters - In Progress!

COMIC NEWS: What Is HERALDS?

COMIC NEWS: STAN'S BACK REVEALED!

Monday, March 1, 2010

COMIC NEWS: I Am A New Avenger

COMIC NEWS: Peter Parker, You're Fired!

ASK MATTY: MATTY ANSWERS 3/1/10

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Eternian Observer: Of Beasts and Men, or, Keep Your Damn Dirty Apes Out of My MOTUC Subscription

TOY NEWS: More Ghostbusters Exclusives Coming to Toys 'R' Us!

TOY NEWS: Update: New art to MM wave 36 cleared

Friday, February 26, 2010

TOY REVIEW MOTUC BATTLE CAT

COMIC NEWS: PREVIEWS Next: March issue Spotlights Image’s Spawn #203 and DC’s Brightest Day #1

COMIC NEWS: 18 Free Comic Book Day Previews Available Now!

COMIC NEWS: BOOM! STUDIOS REVEALS HOWARD CHAYKIN ON IRREDEEMABLE SPECIAL #1

COMIC REVIEW: GI Joe: Operation Hiss # 2 (IDW)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

TOY NEWS: STORMTROOPER SUPER SHOGUN

COMIC NEWS: COMICSPRO'S EXCLUSIVE IMAGE

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