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Image Comics, along with creators Joe Casey and Tom Scioli have again provided Newsarama with a full issue of Godland to preview. This time, issue #8, which recently hit stands.

The solicitation for the issue reads:

Written by JOE CASEY
Art by TOM SCIOLI
Cover by TOM SCIOLI & RICHARD STARKINGS
BOOK EIGHT: THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE

What other book would you need to read this month?!? All the answers are within! When the secret of Iboga is finally revealed, will Adam Archer be able to comprehend or even accept the ultimate truth? Cosmic deities and unimaginable ideas collide as GØDLAND shows you the money!

Related:

Godland #1: The Entire Issue

A Godland Update With Joe Casey

Moving Into Godland With Joe Casey

page 10

Add artist Keron Grant to the growing Zoom Suit army. While artist Billy Dallas Patton will be handling the art chores on issue #1 of the April-debuting four issue miniseries, Grant will be stepping in on issue #2, and then will be back next year…

For those coming in late, the premise of Zoom Suit is a simple one – fourteen year old Miles finds a suit of technological armor, and puts it on.

We spoke with Grant about his work on the miniseries, and how he got connected with the project.

Newsarama: Let’s start with the obvious lead-in - how did you get on the project?

Keron Grant: I was wrapping up Son of Vulcan for DC and received an email from John Taddeo.  He had visited my website and felt that my style would be a good match for Zoom Suit.  After trading a few e-mails I went and checked out the Superverse website (www.superverse.com).  It was good stuff.  Then I watched the Zoom Suit animated short.  After that, I let John know that I liked the project and wanted to be a part of it.

NRAMA: So you hadn’t been in contact with John prior to this?

KG: Nope.  He just found me on the net.  We’ve never met in person, but trade a lot of e-mails and phone calls.

NRAMA: What attracted you to the project?

KG: I felt that after drawing Son of Vulcan it was the logical step, since I've been pretty much drawing a 14 year old for a year so I was well practiced.  Plus my time on Iron Man made me very comfortable with the concept of an armored hero.

And of course, I’m a big fan of Bart Sears.  Bart did a cover for issue #2 of Simon Bane putting a beat down on Zoom and my cover is going to be the reverse image.  That was an exciting proposition.

Finally, the project in general.  It had already gotten a tremendous amount of press.  Even back when I first signed on it seemed like a project with some real potential.  And lately it’s grown even bigger.  Indies usually have a very rough time.  I’m very surprised at the attention this project gathers.  Fans seem to be eagerly anticipating this book.

NRAMA: Aside from the attention, was there something about Zoom Suit that made it something that you felt you couldn’t pass up?

KG: The concept is right up my alley.  You have tech, superheroes, teens in a very modern visual presentation.  Zoom Suit was the type of project I’ve been looking for.

I like the freedom of working on smaller press stuff.  It lets me really let loose and do my thing.  Also, the creative process with John and the guys on the animation is a very easy fit.  If either side sees the other do something cool, we try to adapt it to our medium – me on the comic side, the animators on the film side and John in the middle balancing it all out.  It works surprisingly well.

Plus, considering I jumped on issue #2, there wasn't much status quo to deal with.  I wasn’t getting bogged down with a massive history.  I watched a nine minute film, spoke to John for a half hour and started on page 1.  That was attractive. 

NRAMA: Just so we’ve got the traffic flow down, Billy Dallas Patton is drawing issue #1, and then you’re up for #2-#4…any worries about making the styles mesh between the first and remaining issues?

KG: It was a bit difficult at first since our styles are so different.  I had to train myself to draw a bit like him to make the transition a bit less jarring to the reader, but for the most part, I’m doing my own thing.

One of the things that attracted me to the project was I wasn’t told to draw like Billy.  Even when I asked, I was told, “No.  You do it your way.  Your interpretation.” There’s also a funny thing that happens that incorporates me coming on the book and Billy leaving to ease the transition.  You’ll see it in May.

NRAMA: Fair enough. In your words, what’s the story about?

KG: It's pretty much every 13 year old boy’s second wish, to discover a super suit that allows you to do amazing, fantastic things. So this is a story that explores that only with less cliché’s in some aspects, and a hell of a lot more in others, mostly used in a comedic manner.  It’s like we take you down the garden path and get you sure that you know where we’re headed, and then flip it around 180 degrees.  Then we ease you back in only to twist you again. 

There are also a lot of hidden, out of the ordinary type of stuff that will keep you surprised, guessing and offer up more entertainment than other books.  Although I think if I mention the secrets in the book, editor Diana Striker will blow a gasket because Taddeo almost spills it in every interview he does.

NRAMA: As you said, you were comfortable with the tech in the story, but how did you approach it?

KG: I think that stuff comes to me naturally from my training in school and prior work, so it was more from the gut and then seeing what happens.  I also had to go a bit from what Billy had done before, so I really haven't gotten wacky yet…yet.

NRAMA: How do you handle the suit and overall tech look of the story so it has a unique feel in a market where, frankly, there’s been a lot of tech and armor?

KG: I just try to draw the things I would like to see.  My stint on Iron Man was good practice for this stuff, which was one of the reasons John had offered me the project.  Also, we’re both very interested in film and we agreed early on that the breakdowns, pacing and choice of camera angles was of key importance.  I’m drawing the pages so that they’re exciting whether you’re reading along or not.  If you are reading, then between the story and the art, we want you to feel like you’re on a rollercoaster.

NRAMA: You said that you’re following in Billy’s stylistic footsteps, but was there much design work for you to do, or was it all pretty well laid out?

KG: Billy had done issue #1 and the entire first issue was nearly animated, but I still get to forge my own path.  Part of the craft is bringing something new.  That goes for if I pencil Superman, Spider-Man or Zoom.  I’m always looking to add something special.  Billy draws it his way, I draw it my way, but it’s obviously still the Zoom Suit.  How many different ways have we seen Spidey’s webs drawn?

It’s the artist’s job to always conjure up new and exciting takes.  I can always bring something to the table.  That’s my job.

NRAMA: You mentioned earlier that you’re comfortable drawing teens. How are you making Miles look like an average 14 year old rather than a small adult as can be seen in many instances when “teens” are in comics?

KG: Kids can be a bit challenging at first, but they take a different more loose approach.  Plus drawing from life helps a bit.  The style of the book helps as well.  They’re definitely kids.

NRAMA: So far, is there anything so far in the pages you’ve done that you can point to as something you feel you just nailed in terms of approach, design, etc?

KG: The double page spread of the stand off between the hero and the main villain.  I'm very satisfied with the way it turned out.  Some of the best work I’ve turned out in my career has been in this issue.  Son of Vulcan and Iron Man warmed me up, but the fact that it was 36 pages and had four double page spreads really let me get familiar with the look and then spread my wings.

NRAMA: How far into the series are you? 

KG: Almost done with issue #2, but issue #3 is already complete.  Billy is coming back on #3 and #4 and I’m moving over to the Zoom Suit Limited Series for 2007, but I don’t know if I can say that yet.  But I just did so it’s too late.  In 2007, I’m penciling the whole enchilada, all four issues and I start it right after Zoom #2.  So consider my fill in issue a specter of things to come.  

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BAD PLANET #1 (of 6) - GEM
Written by STEVE NILES & THOMAS JANE
Art & cover by LEWIS LAROSA & TIM BRADSTREET
Arachnid predators from space threaten to knock mankind off the top of the food chain. In our darkest hour, a lone alien warrior may be our only salvation – if mankind doesn't KILL him first!
December 14 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

BLOOD RIVER
Written by MIKE AVON OEMING & DANIEL BERMAN
Art & cover by BRIAN QUINN
Sex, Drugs and Zeppelin! In the 1970s four life-long friends plan their escape from a small town in New Jersey. Unfortunately they find that fate, nature, or some monstrous power has other plans for them… based on a true story.
December 21 • 72 pg • BW • $7.99

DUSTY STAR #1 (RES)
Written by ANDREW ROBINSON & JOE PRUETT
Art & cover by ANDREW ROBINSON
It’s a different time and a strange place. It’s burlesque shows and all-night poker games, robots and flying ships, tattooed horses and new wave cowboys and cowgirls with bad attitudes. This is the world of Dusty Star, a tough-as-nails gunslinger with a steely-eyed gaze and a draw as fast as greased lighting! An appealing blend of western, science fiction, adventure and humor.
December 7 • 32 pg • FC • $3.50

IMAGE COMICS HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2005
Written by GLEN BRUNSWICK, JOE CASEY, JAY FAERBER, BRIAN HABERLIN, ROBERT KIRKMAN, SCOTT KURTZ, ERIK LARSEN, B. CLAY MOORE, MARK SMITH & JIM VALENTINO
Art by CHARLIE ADLARD, GABE BRIDWELL, SHAWN CRYSTAL, BRIAN HABERLIN, CULLY HAMMER, DAN HIPP, SCOTT KURTZ, ERIK LARSEN, TOM SCIOLI & JIM VALENTINO
Cover by FRANK CHO
Image Comics celebrates the holiday season with a 100-page special featuring all-new stories from the creators of THE AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS, GØDLAND, THE GRAY AREA, NOBLE CAUSES, PvP, SAVAGE DRAGON, SHADOWHAWK and THE WALKING DEAD, plus a few carefully-crafted surprises!
(art shown is not final cover)
December 7 • 100 pg • FC • $9.99

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ONE-PAGE FILLER MAN GN
Written by JIM MAHFOOD
Art by JIM MAHFOOD
Cover by JIM MAHFOOD & JOSE GARIBALDI
When JIM MAHFOOD needs to complete his new graphic novel, he enlists the help of One-Page Filler Man, insane superhero and philosopher, and Randy, his little ice cream-loving sidekick. The two of them seek out adventure and wind up on the most surreal and hilarious adventure of their bizarre careers.
December 7 • 140 pg • BW • $11.99

THE INTIMIDATORS #1
Created & co-plotted by JIM VALENTINO
Written by NEIL KLEID
Art & cover by MIGUEL MONTENEGRO
America's domestic strike force, the Intimidators, handle next level threats that send average heroes screaming for their mommies! When their latest mission rockets Astroman - a goody-two-shoes sixties superhero - into the twenty-first century, the government assigns him to marshal Crash, Byrn, Limit, Fetish and Firepower - a group whose morals he objects to and methods he can't condone. In a world beset by robot mafia, killer models and Republicans, Astroman struggles to make heroes out of a team to whom killing's just part of the day. They, of course, can't wait to see him try.
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

AD COPY: ATTACKING EVIL WHERE IT LIVES – AND KICKING IT WHILE IT’S DOWN! REPEATEDLY!

THE LOOKING GLASS WARS: HATTER M. #1 (of 4)
Written by FRANK BEDDOR & LIZ CAVALIER
Art by BEN TEMPLESMITH
Like a violent birth, Royal Bodyguard Hatter Madigan explodes through a puddle on the Champs Elysées from his world in the year 1859, shockingly separated from the future Queen of Wonderland he had been entrusted to protect. Pursued by the police, taunted by nationalistic Frenchmen and challenged by an evil black magician, Hatter must evade the authorities while simultaneously searching for lost princess Alyss!
The myth of Hatter M begins here.
December 7 • 40 pg • FC • $3.99

STRANGE GIRL #7
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by HARPER JATEN & JOELLE COMTOIS
painted cover by BRET BLEVINS
This endearing Christmas issue tells the tale of Bethany Black’s first meeting with her future sidekick, Bloato. In a world controlled by the demonic legions of hell, wrought with violence and famine, a lone human girl sets out on a quest to recreate her favorite childhood holiday at any cost. With a fully painted cover by comic book legend, BRET BLEVINS, this promises to be an extraordinary installment to this hit series.
December 14 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99


THE WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS, VOL. 1 HC – GEM
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art by TONY MOORE, CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
Cover by TONY MOORE
This deluxe hardcover features the first 24 issues of the hit series along with the covers for the issues all in one massive, oversized slip-cased volume. Perfect for long time fans, new readers, and anyone needing a heavy object with which to fend off The Walking Dead.
Retailers: This is a limited, one-time offer. This item will be limited to initial orders only and will not be reprinted.
Collects THE WALKING DEAD #1-24
December 14 • 560 pg • BW • $100.00 (limited to initial orders)/S&N $150.00 (limited to 100 copies)

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

ARTHUR SUYDAM: THE ART OF THE BARBARIAN HC
Written by ARTHUR SUYDAM
Art & cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
The paperback version of this book has completely SOLD OUT! To the rescue comes this expanded deluxe book with added color bonus material!
Award-winning artist Arthur Suydam explores his own take on the Barbarian character, expertly rendered in the style of the old Dutch Masters. This book now represents—in both lush color and evocative sepia--Suydam's work on a myriad of characters from Conan to Tarzan to Death Dealer. Includes an in-depth interview with the artist, exploring aspects of his creativity, inspiration, and life.
December 14• 96 pg • FC • $19.99

COYOTE, VOL. 2 TP
Written by STEVE ENGLEHART
Art by STEVE LEIALOHA, BUTCH GUICE, CHAZ TRUOG & BOB WIACEK
Cover by ALAN WEISS
The story of Coyote moves forward fast, as the son of the totem gets past his heartbreak by moving into a swinging singles complex in Las Vegas. Revenge scents in the desert air as he gets a job, working for the mob, which works for the Shadow Cabinet. And he has his first run-in with the Djinn, a Middle eastern crime lord we'll see plenty more of. But best of all, he meets two sisters who will change his life in ways even the Trickster could never imagine.
December 21 • 128 pg • FC • $12.99

GIANT KILLER TP
Written by DAN BRERETON
Art & cover by DAN BRERETON
When giant alien beasts attack San Francisco, the U.S. Military responds by bio-engineering a human-monster hybrid to stop them – and GIANT KILLER is born! NOCTURNALS creator DAN BRERETON's acclaimed 'monsterpiece' is finally collected in to one high-octane trade paperback collection!
Collects the original six-issue miniseries, plus the fully-painted 27-page "Field Guide to Giant Monsters," a cover gallery and more!
December 14 • 128 pg • FC • $14.99

KISS & TELL TP
Created & written by JEFF AMANO
Art by CRAIG ROUSSEAU
Colors by GIULIA BRUSCO
Cover by JEFF AMANO
Betrayed by all legs and even more curves, Sam Swede finds himself alone and in-between the mob and dirty cops. Having immense strength never gave Sam a reason to use his noggin’ much, not even as a private dick. So no one was surprised that Sam got taken to the bank when he met a dame with the upstairs to match her downstairs. The real surprise was how Sam came back and made the whole stinkin’ town pay.
The critically acclaimed film noir take on the Samson & Delilah classic in one complete volume!
December 21 • 224 pg • FC • $19.99

SEA OF RED, VOL. 2: NO QUARTER TP
Written by RICK REMENDER & KIERON DWYER
Art by PAUL HARMON & KIERON DWYER
Cover by KIERON DWYER
The year is 2005 A.D. and after 500 years, Marco Esperanza’s wait for revenge ends when he finally confronts the man on whom he blames his fate, Lesser Blackthroat. However, Marco learns that nothing is as it seems when he is confronted by a shadow from his past.
COLLECTS SEA OF RED #5-8
December 28 • 104 pg • 2C • $11.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

SPAWN MANGA, VOL. 2 TP
Written & illustrated by JUZO TOKORO
Cover by BRIAN HABERLIN & JUZO TOKORO
Volume 2 of the pulse-pounding story of a Spawn and his struggle for vengeance against his own gangster killers. At the same time he’s trying to hold onto his humanity long enough to save the life of his sister. ALL-NEW HEROES AND VILLAINS AND 100% MANGA! Spawn like you’ve never seen him before!
December 7 • 200 pg • BW • $9.99

STRANGE GIRL, VOL. 1: GIRL AFRAID TP
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art & cover by ERIC NGUYEN & JOELLE COMTOIS
Ten years after the Rapture beautiful occultist Bethany Black and her pet runt demon, Bloato, embark on a road trip to the last open gateway to Heaven, in hopes of befriending God and escaping Hell on Earth. A bare-knuckle, action-driven series, peppered with social commentary and dark humor, STRANGE GIRL mixes the aesthetic elements of Preacher, Tank Girl and Doctor Strange with the desperate pace of The Road Warrior.
COLLECTS STRANGE GIRL 1-4
December 14 • 104 pg • full color• $12.99

A DISTANT SOIL #38 (RES)
Written by COLLEEN DORAN
Art & cover by COLLEEN DORAN
The rebel leader has a deadly biological weapon to terrorize the enemy: the Terminal Decrepitude Virus, a disease that will cause the vain and beautiful Hierarchy to age and die. But the Hierarchy holds the fate of Earth in their hands and if the rebellion doesn't surrender, they will release the power of their young Avatar and destroy the Earth.
December 29 • 40 pg • BW • $4.50

AGE OF BRONZE #22
Written by ERIC SHANOWER
Art & cover by ERIC SHANOWER
“BETRAYAL,” Part Three
Trojans attack! In the middle of a victory feast, battle erupts when Paris aims an arrow directly at Menelaus. Only the two Ajaxes stand between Menelaus and death. Then Achilles' fury mounts when he finds the feast started without him. Why don't Agamemnon and Odysseus mind the anger of Achilles?
December 7 • 24 pg • BW • $3.50

THE AMAZING JOY BUZZARDS, VOL. 2 #3
Written by MARK SMITH
Art by DAN HIPP, KHARY RANDOLPH, SEAN GALLOWAY, MARK
ENGLERT & RICK CORTES
Cover by DAN HIPP
“GO, EL CAMPEON, GO!!!”
You’d think El Campeon would have it made, being the Supernatural-Mythical-Mexican-Wrestler friend to the Amazing Joy Buzzards. But nothing could be further from the truth when everyday life borders on the surreal. Adventure just seems to follows El Campeon wherever he goes, whether defending his wrestling belt, or running into an old nemesis in the supermarket, he just can’t seem to shake it! Can’t a Supernatural-Mythical-Mexican-Wrestler get a break?!!!
December 7• 32 pg • BW • $2.99

BATTLE POPE #7
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & cover by TONY MOORE & VAL STAPLES
Hellcorp is in shambles and the demons under Lucifer’s rule are left to pick up the pieces and rebuilt. Somewhere along the way, Battle Pope gets mixed up in it all. Reprinting ROBERT KIRKMAN’s first published work, now in STUNNING full color, with a brand new cover by original artists MATTHEW ROBERTS & TONY MOORE and original cover colorist VAL STAPLES.
December 29 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

BONE REST #6
Written by MATTEO CASALI
Art & cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI & LORENZO RUGGIERO
“SECOND COMING,” Part Two
Who is the man named Julius Carpenter? Is he savior or the dark mastermind of Apocalypse? What does he want from the people at the Dead Point Club and how does he know so much about Bone? Will the mouthless stranger like him? Hell, NO! Come see for yourself...
December 7 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

BURGLAR BILL #6 (of 6)
Written by PAUL GRIST
Art & cover by PAUL GRIST
It looks as if time and luck are running out for Burglar Bill in this final issue. The good guys want Burglar Bill. The bad guys want Burglar Bill. And all Bill wants is to be left alone.
Looks as if some one's going to be disappointed!
December 29 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

CASE FILES: SAM AND TWITCH #24
Written by MARC ANDREYKO
Art by GREG SCOTT
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
"FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS," Part Five
With the public breathing down their necks for justice in the murder of a child star, Sam and Twitch find themselves stuck in an ever-tightening web of lies, blackmail and family secrets! But will a suspect's relationship with the mayor prevent the detectives from solving this heinous crime? Plus: Who is that in Johannesburg? Hint: It's the last person you'd expect and they are coming for Twitch!
December 29 • 32 pg • BW • $2.95

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

EXPATRIATE #5 (RES)
Written by B. CLAY MOORE
Art & cover by JASON LATOUR
Jack Dexter has to go back on the run, but to do so he’s got to escape from the clutches of his own government. That means he’s got to overcome a sexy Russian spy, the horrible things that have been done to his body, and deadly things that glow bright green.
ALL PREVIOUS ORDERS ARE CANCELLED
December 7 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

FEAR AGENT #3
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art by TONY MOORE & SEAN PARSONS
colors by LEE LOUGHRIDGE
Cover by TONY MOORE
Exiled on an arctic world populated by a race of Killer Robots bent on the extermination of all life, Heath Huston and his unwilling accomplice, scientist Mara Esperanza must fight for their very lives! Do the Killer Robots that rein supreme in this arctic wasteland hold the secrets to the fate of Heath’s family? And can Heath fight his way past the Automaton’s of planet ice and warn the Earth of impending doom?!!
December 28 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

AD COPY: No Escape from – The Automaton’s of planet ice!!!
Crush-Kill-Destroy!
An action packed shot of 100 proof, 1950’s style Sci-Fi/horror-- with bite.

FELL #4
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Art & cover by BEN TEMPLESMITH
The docks, where Snowtown meets the sea, is the black spot in the police's clean-up rate. Bodies are just thrown out into the bay, and the ones that wash back are usually unidentifiable. Detective Richard Fell attempts to trace one body back to its murder, to lay just one ghost among the thousands that haunt the docks to rest.
December 14 • 24 pg • FC • $1.99

GIRLS #8
Written by JOSHUA LUNA
Art & cover by JONATHAN LUNA
What’s the worst thing you could ever tell a woman? Ethan learns another hard lesson.
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

GØDLAND #6
Written by JOE CASEY
Art by TOM SCIOLI
Cover by TOM SCIOLI & RICHARD STARKINGS
BOOK SIX: THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
Discordia on trial! Crashman a key witness! And the entire world watching it on television! As Adam Archer struggles with the complexities of his own existence, a media orgy of uncanny proportions occurs in a lone superior courtroom. And who is the mysterious Tormentor? The ongoing GØDLAND epic enters a new phase of expansive intrigue!
December 14 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

GROUNDED #5 (of 6)
Written by MARK SABLE
Art & cover by PAUL AZACETA
Just when Jonathan thought he’d learned to cope with a high school where everyone had superpowers but him, sinister forces have made his classmates powerless as well. Now it’s up to Jonathan to lead the charge to reclaim what’s theirs. But will he pay the ultimate price?
December 7 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

HAWAIIAN DICK: THE LAST RESORT #4 (of 4) (RES)
Written by B. CLAY MOORE
Art & cover by STEVEN GRIFFIN
Things go from bad to really, really bad as rival gangs tear through the Last Resort in a revenge match for the ages. Complicating matters are the angry spirits of Hawaiian dead, risen from their graves and evidently impervious to gangland bullets. Byrd, Mo and Kahami focus on one goal: escaping alive before the entire bay explodes in a bullet-fueled spectacle of supernatural fury.
ALL PREVIOUS ORDERS ARE CANCELLED
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

INVINCIBLE #30
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & cover by RYAN OTTLEY & BILL CRABTREE
“A DIFFERENT WORLD,” Conclusion
Invincible returns home following the most life-changing and cataclysmic adventure of his life. But the home he returns to is changed forever. This issue sets the stage for the future of INVNINCIBLE.
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

IRON GHOST #5 (of 6)
Written by CHUCK DIXON
Art by SERGIO CARIELLO
Cover by FLINT HENRY
Tannhauser and Volz close in on the Iron Ghost's identity after the raid at Alexanderplatz. Their loyalties will be tested as they decide which is more surprising: the Ghost's identity or his final plan. The two detectives must decide if it's better to arrest the Ghost before or after he completes his mission.
December 14 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

JACK STAFF #11
Written by PAUL GRIST
Art & cover by PAUL GRIST
He's the Eternal Warrior, a champion destined to wander through time and space for all eternity. Fighting.
So what's he doing in the middle of a supermarket carpark in the center of Castletown? More fighting, really. And his fist opponent is John (Jack Staff) Smith!
Also in this issue, find out the secret history of the Nazi Super Villain Kaptain Krieg!
December 29• 32 pg • FC • $3.50

NIGHT CLUB #2 (of 4) RES
Written by MIKE BARON
Art by MIKE NORTON & KARIM WHALEM
Cover by MIKE NORTON
“JUNKYARD APOCALYPSE”
Annie sees the future. Walter talks with God. Jerry makes machines mutate and grow. And Jack? Nobody knows exactly what Jack does. The apocalypse begins not in heaven, but in New England. On July 2nd, in a Boston junkyard, these four makeshift heroes must defeat a battalion of lost souls to stop the devil's reign on earth.
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

NOBLE CAUSES #17
Written by JAY FAERBER
Art by FRAN BUENO
Cover by GABE BRIDWELL
It looks like Celeste is going to earn her title as the Nobles’ resident “bad girl,” as she continues her affair with the villainous Dawn Blackthorne. Is there more to this couple than meets the eye? Is Celeste playing Dawn, or vice versa?
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $3.50

PvP #22
Written by SCOTT KURTZ
Art & cover by SCOTT KURTZ
NERD ROCK FOREVER!
The boys fabricate an elaborate Internet hoax, claiming they were once part of a famous metal band in the 80's to make their past seem more exciting and mysterious. What starts out as a simple prank snowballs into a madcap adventure when the fake band's popularity spurs them to be booked to perform on a popular television show. It's sidesplitting situation comedy in the Incredible Image Fashion!
December 29 • 24 pg • BW • $2.99

PvP SKULL PLUSH
Copy to come
December 7 • $20.00

SEA OF RED #9
Written by RICK REMENDER & KIERON DWYER
Art by PAUL HARMON
Layouts & cover by KIERON DWYER
1937: Deep in the heart of Nazi Germany, blind to the price he’ll pay, an ancient vampire makes a deal with a devil for the salvation of his people.
33 A.D.: A roman slave is entrusted with a charge who has the potential to radically affect the course of history by spreading a plague of biblical magnitude on all mankind.
December 29 • 32 pg • 2C • $2.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

SEASON OF THE WITCH #3 (of 4)
Written by JAI NITZ
Art by KEVIN SHARPE
Cover by STEVE PURCELL
“AUTUMN”
Jessica's inexperience in the realms of politics and war is taking its toll on her and Mazzul both. As her inner turmoil rages, King Elian sends Titus the Black Knight to finish Jessica once and for all. They meet in a battle to the death – and Jessica loses. No, really.
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $3.50

SHADOWHAWK #8
Ceated & plotted by JIM VALENTINO
Written by SCOTT WHERLE
Art by CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Cover by TED WING
“MY WORLD ON FIRE,” Part Two
As Eddie barely survives a head-on attack, the identity of the serial arsonist that's been plaguing Manhattan is finally revealed! Even more unsettling is the arsonist's motive, which hits a little too close to home for our hero. Plus, a major player is maneuvering some of ShadowHawk's enemies around like chess pieces. Who is the mysterious Rebound and how does she fit into his Machiavellian plans?
December 21 • 32 pg • FC • $2.99

SPAWN #153
Written by DAVID HINE
Pencils & cover by PHILIP TAN
Inks by DANNY MIKI
With Spawn revitalized, it’s time to take his POUNDS of flesh from those who have imprisoned and tortured him. A battle royal of classic proportions in the bowels of Hell itself with Spawn’s most vile villains! And meanwhile, all is not right at the Fitzgerald’s. The twins are behaving VERY strangely…. A not-to-be-missed issue for new and old SPAWN fans alike!
December 29 • 32 pg • FC • $2.95

THE WALKING DEAD #26
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art & cover by CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN
The bold new direction for THE WALKING DEAD continues.
December 14 • 32 pg • BW • $2.99

RETAILER WARNING: MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES

TOP COW DECEMBER 2005 SOLICITATIONS

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT SUBMITTED BY PENETRATING SERVICES, INC.

SUBJECTS: Dan Jurgens, freelancer; Jim McLauchlin, editor, Top Cow Productions

DETAILS: Telephone conversation secretly recorded March 10, 2005, 3:13 PM Pacific Standard time.

DJ: Hello.
JM: Jurgens! McLauchlin! So I gotta ask, what’s your take on the Twins’ pitching? Good? Bad? Or suck beyond belief?
DJ: Quit worrying. Twins will be in the World Series this year. You know I’m always right about this stuff.
JM: That you are. We’ll have to talk stock tips later. So…your fingers ready to type?
DJ: Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Willis?
JM: I’m wondering if you want to write! I got something to drop on you!
DJ: Tempt me.
JM: City of Heroes. Ever heard of it?
DJ: Who hasn’t? I know a bunch of guys who’re into it. But licensed stuff? That gets kinda tricky. Too restricting.
JM: No (expletive deleted)! But these guys are different! Really helpful! They have a nice little bible I’ll drop on you that explains a few things about their characters and the world they inhabit.
DJ: Hey, Jim…can you hold on a sec? I’ve got another call.
[NOTE: Jurgens does not hear the following remark, made to an unidentified office associate.]
JM: Hah! Make that a 7,000 page bible that’ll melt his computer! But make sure we don’t send it until he signs the contract, okay?
DJ: Still there, Jim?
JM: Gonna make me a happy man, amigo?
DJ: Uh…careful how you phrase that. When do you need the script?
JM: June! You’ve got lots of time! More than you could possibly need!
DJ: Aw, what the hell. I’m in!
JM: Cool! Okay, I gotta get motorvatin’, so start working up the plot and I’ll e-mail you the CoH bible, okay?
DJ: Already? But you said--
JM: Just make sure you have lots of room on the hard drive, okay? I’ll explain later.
[Subject McLauchlin hangs up. Audible dial tone.]
DJ: Jim? Jim?
DJ: Must’ve been disconnected.

—Dan Jurgens
City of Heroes writer

STILL AVAILABLE
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Aphrodite IX #0 $2.95
SPECTACULAR David Finch artwork

The Darkness: Black Sails one-shot $2.99
Pirates and stunning painted art by Keu Cha!

The Tenth: Darkk Dawn one-shot $4.99
The origin of Tony Daniel’s monstrous creation!

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Darkness #19 Paradise Toronto Comicon variant
This David Lapham-written masterpiece comes wrapped in a new exclusive cover by Darkness maestro Dale Keown. Each copy is a hand-numbered limited edition of only 500 copies. Only a very few remain!
$10 suggested retail

Witchblade #83 MegaCon 2005 Variant
This chapter in Ron Marz’ and Mike Choi’s epic “Witch Hunt” storyarc comes wrapped in a special exclusive Orlando MegaCon cover by V.I.C.E. artist Tyler Kirkham. Limited to only 1000 copies, only a very few of these babies are left!
$5 suggested retail
$15 suggested retail autographed by artist Tyler Kirkham

Hunter-Killer #8
JOHN CASSADAY covers Hunter-Killer!
(W) Mark Waid (P) Eric Basaldua (Col) Steve Firchow (Cov) John Cassaday or Marc Silvestri
If Hunter-Killer rivals-partners Wolf and Ellis can't put their differences aside, the cost in human lives will be staggering--and if you've been reading, you know we're not at all shy about spending human lives in this series, so this is no empty threat! And when Ellis realizes the true relationship between Samantha and Wolf, the gloves come off!
Full color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series
Two covers available by John Cassaday or Marc Silvestri! Have your retailer reserve your favorite!

ALSO AVAILABLE: Hunter-Killer #8 certified and graded by Comics Guaranty Corporation!

• Hunter-Killer #8 (John Cassaday cover) CGC Graded 9.8 $59.99 suggested retail
• Hunter-Killer #8 (Marc Silvestri cover) CGC Graded 9.8 $59.99 suggested retail
• Hunter-Killer #8 (Marc Silvestri cover) Signature Series autographed by Marc Silvestri CGC Graded 9.6 or better $99.99

Legal: © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. “Hunter-Killer,” the Hunter-Killer logo, and all related characters and likenesses are trademarks of Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

Witchblade #93
"Artifacts," Part 1 of 2
Steven Sadowski and the fallout from the 10th Anniversary!
(W) Ron Marz (P) Stephen Sadowski (I) Andrew Pepoy (Cov) Terry Dodson
Rolling directly out of events of the epic Witchblade 10th Anniversary issue, a seemingly inconsequential statue is stolen from the mysterious man known only as “The Curator.” NYPD Detective Sara Pezzini is on the case, but as her investigation deepens, she learns not only the deadly truth behind the goddess statue, but also the long-buried secrets of the Curator himself! The Witchblade revelations continue, with guest pencils by Stephen Sadowski of JSA fame!
Full color 32 pages $2.99 continuing series

ALSO AVAILABLE: Top Cow Fine Art Lithograph of this Terry Dodson cover! A limited edition of 250 pieces, reproduced at the highest quality possible at 12x18 inches!
Limited edition lithograph $19.99
Limited edition lithograph signed by artist Terry Dodson $29.99

Legal: © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. "Witchblade," the Witchblade logo, and the likenesses of all featured characters are registered trademarks of Top Cow Productions, Inc.

Freshmen #5
"The Deepest Level of Truth," pt.5 of 6
The Seductress head-to-head with The Puppeteer-- literally!
(W) Hugh Sterbakov (P) Leonard Kirk (Col) Tyson Wengler (Cov) Rodolfo Migliari
With The Puppeteer, trapped inside the psyche of the comatose Seductress, the team reels from their losses while their worst blow yet looms: A heartbreaking betrayal! This special issue follows The Puppeteer as she uses her power and shows what it's like to enter a person's memories. Plus! An insight into The Beaver's musical tastes, and The Intoxicator delivers the best line of dialogue in the entire series! Co-created by Austin Powers and Buffy star Seth Green and written by His Fatness, Hugh Sterbakov.
Full color 32 pages $2.99 - part four of a six-part mini-series

Legal: Freshmen is © 2005 Seth Green, Hugh Sterbakov, and Top Cow Productions, Inc. "Freshmen," the logos, and the likenesses of all featured characters are trademarks of Seth Green, Hugh Sterbakov, and Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

V.I.C.E #3
Top Cow’s NEWEST ongoing hit series!
(W) Aron Coleite (P) Tyler Kirkham (Col) John Starr (Cov) Tyler Kirkham
Adventurous? Patriotic? You may be right for a position in V.I.C.E.—The Violent Incident Control Enforcement branch of the FBI. Excellent insurance. Travel benefits. Applicants must submit to psychosurgery and DNA modification.
Hit TV writer Aron Coleite (Crossing Jordan) and fan-favorite penciler Tyler Kirkham (Darkness/Superman) continue their blistering new ongoing series as suicide bombers threaten to start a second Civil War!
Full Color 32 Pages $2.99 - Ongoing Series

Legal: V.I.C.E. is © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. "V.I.C.E." the logos, and the likenesses of all featured characters are trademarks of Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Necromancer #4
NEW storyarc begins! Jump on NOW!
(W) Joshua Ortega (P) Francis Manapul (Col) Brian Buccellato (Cov) Francis Manapul
After the tragic events in Colorado, Abigail van Alstine heads out West to seek a new life. However, the Dark Agents have set their sights on Abby, now that Deacon McCabe and the Church of Mali have informed them of her powerful potential. So where can a 17-year old outcast go to hide? The City of Angels, of course–but Abby soon finds that the city harbors demons as well. Join critically acclaimed novelist Joshua Ortega (Frequencies) and artist extraordinaire Francis Manapul (Witchblade) for the beginning of the second arc of this hot new mystical ongoing series!
Full Color 32 Pages $2.99 - Ongoing Series

Legal: The Necromancer is © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. "The Necromancer," the logos, and the likenesses of all featured characters are trademarks of and Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

Down #2
Award-winning WARREN ELLIS does violent crime drama!
(W) Warren Ellis (Art) Cully Hamner (Col) J.D. Mettler (Cov) Tony Harris
Detective Deanna Ransome has been sent “down” into the criminal underworld on a mission to infiltrate the city's most notorious narcotics gang and retrieve—or kill—the cop who descended before her and went native. But when her mission drags fellow cops into the crossfire, will she still think her mission is worth the rivers of blood?
Find out in this fast-paced and blood-soaked crime noir thriller from award-winning Warren Ellis!
Full color 32 pages $2.99 part 2 of a 4-part series

Legal: © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Warren Ellis. All rights reserved. "Down," the Down logo, and the likenesses of all featured characters are trademarks of Top Cow Productions, Inc. and Warren Ellis.

City of Heroes #8
Dan Jurgens tours the City!
(W) Dan Jurgens (P) David Nakayama (Cov) Rodolfo Migliari
Comics legend Dan Jurgens (Superman) continues his turn in the City of Heroes as events go down a decidedly dark path. The Back Alley Brawler comes out of retirement to settle an old score against a mystery villain long thought dead—and the Brawler wants to make sure he stays dead this time! Stunning superhero action leaps off the page with art by Wizard contest winner David Nakayama!
Full color 32 pages $2.99 ongoing series

Legal: City of Heroes is © 2005 Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NC Interactive, Inc. NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, City of Heroes, and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes is a registered trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and Ncsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Top Cow's Best of Michael Turner
Great works from a comics great!
(W) David Wohl, Christina Z and more! (Art) Michael Turner
Top Cow's Best of Michael Turner showcases some of this artistic superstar’s early works, establishing Top Cow's flagship characters and his own stellar career! Includes nine full issues, including Witchblade, Tomb Raider and more, plus rare promotional works trading card images, posters, pinups, variant cover images and more!
Full color 240 pages $24.99 trade paperback collection

ALSO AVAILABLE: Top Cow Fine Art Lithograph of the Marc Silvestri/Michael Turner Witchblade #18 cover! A limited edition of 250 pieces, reproduced at the highest quality possible at 12x18 inches!
Limited edition lithograph $19.99
Limited edition lithograph signed by artist Marc Silvestri $29.99

Legal: © 2005 Top Cow Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. "Witchblade," “The Darkness,” the Witchblade logo, The Darkness logo, and the likenesses of all featured characters are registered trademarks of Top Cow Productions, Inc.

The Miracle of Big Bird

by Paul Jenkins

I started yelling at the television when I was three.

It was Sesame Street that first got to me, and Big Bird in particular: I hated that fluffy yellow bastard because he was in charge of the “One of These Things is Not Like the Other One” spot. Even at the age of three, I could tell this guy was an idiot.

What really drove me berserk was when they would put up, like, two triangles and a boat, or something. This would make me rant and rave at Big Bird: “What the hell is wrong with you, you freak?  The odd one out is a bloody ocean liner!  The first two are little geometric shapes and the third transports people to America!”

And it got worse.  Big Bird used to go searching for Ernie all around Sesame Street but he could never find him.  If it were me the first place I would have searched was in Bert’s bed because that’s where Ernie seemed to spend most of his time.  But failing that how about looking behind you, you moron! 

Big Bird never listened and as a consequence I grew up with a healthy loathing for (a) people wearing yellow feather outfits and (b) anyone who didn't seem to be able to spot the difference between, say, a ferret and a hovercraft.

Well, folks, this week I went to my first birthing class.  Previously, I had thought Big Bird was the biggest dingbat in the known Universe.  But I have looked into the face of Captain Bloody Obvious and her name is Crazy Judy.

At first—no word of a lie—I was excited to be there. I wanted to learn about how to stand in the waiting room with the other fathers and to understand the correct etiquette for smoking a cigar with your obstetrician.  It made me feel like a grown-up to be in a room with other couples.  Maybe Nigh Perfect and I could make “couple friends”… that’d be neat, I thought.  (This would make a change from my other mates, all of whom can pass gas on command and recite the entire Oscar Mayer Wiener song backwards). 

Enter Judy and her Television Cart of Horror.  She looked like a Fraggle, so there was the Muppet connection right there.  Judy scowled a lot. I knew this was going to go badly when the first thing she said was: “Two things we don't like: interrupting and… anyone?

The room fell silent.  Was she asking us to fill in the missing thing she doesn’t like? I decided to give it a shot:

“Uh, terrorists?”

She shot me a look that would melt the arse off a whale.

“No.  We don't like silly comments or jokes.”

Believe me, things went downhill from there.  As it turned out, Judy was on day release from a local insane asylum.  I could only assume that as a condition of her parole she had arranged to run a birthing class and scare people straight.  She would ask the most obvious question ever invented and then scowl at the class, challenging them to respond.  We were terrified of getting the wrong answer but she refused to continue with the class unless someone spoke up. 

Crazy Judy:                   “This is the device with which we slice open the amniotic sac.  What does it look like?  Anyone?”

Nervous Dad:                 “Chopsticks?”

Crazy Judy:                   “Can anyone tell me how the wife gets pregnant?  Anyone?”

Dads (in unison):            “Yeah, it’s Benny the postman!”

Dads stop for a moment to look at each other.  That’s quite a coincidence.

This went on for THREE HOURS! During that time, I learned what I could have learned in five minutes: Husband and wife kiss, wife gets knocked up, nine months later she has the baby and it is a very painful but rewarding experience.  Crazy Judy droned on and on, occasionally stopping to glare at the class, and it was at that point that I truly understood the excruciating pain of childbirth.  Maybe that was the point: if our wives were going to be miserable, so were we.  But Judy had even bigger plans.  Enter the Television Cart of Horror.

“Now we’re going to show you a short video on the subject of… anyone?”

“Politics?”

“Childbirth.”

Judy glowered one last time and then dimmed the lights.  In a show of bravado, one of the Dads produced a bag of popcorn.  The film began.  The footage was of the same quality and time period as the Zapruder film, but slightly more graphic, as it turned out.  As the cheesy old credits began I half expected a voice to come on and say, “Hi, my name is Troy McClure.  You may remember me from such birthing videos as, “Doctor, It Hurts When I Squeeze” and “Nine Months To Liftoff.”

Then it happened: the actual birth.  Blood starts flying all over the delivery room.  The mother begins to scream.  Someone tosses a placenta into a bucket.  The baby is covered in a white, milky substance called Vernix.  It looks like an albino Phantom of the opera.  Fourteen people stare at the screen in horror. Is this for real?  That woman just squeezed a bloody cannonball out of her private bits!  Why couldn’t you have shown this to us before we got knocked up?  We would have bought a puppy, or something.

By the time it finished, seven expectant mothers were crying with fear and seven expectant fathers looked like someone had a gun to their heads.  Judy turned the lights back on and stood in front of the class, scanning us for signs of hyperventilation.  No one said a word.  Somewhere on his route, Benny the Postman felt a cold breeze go up the back of his neck.  Judy finally smiled. 

It was a wicked, thin-lipped smile that was probably similar to the expression Caligula had when he was deciding the fate of Christians.

“Now… is anyone scared?  Anyone?”

Knocked Up

Thankfully, we did a second class this week with an extremely nice lady named (Sane) Lorraine on the subject of “Baby Essentials.”  Lorraine actually encouraged us to crack jokes but we were a little gun-shy after the previous experience.  Nigh Perfect spent most of her night laughing at me as I attempted—for the first time in my life—to change a diaper.  I kept dropping the practice baby on the floor “by accident,” just as I do with the dishes at home, my rationale being that if Nigh Perfect sees this she will never want me to clean any diapers.  It didn't work: she thought it was cute that I looked so uncomfortable.  She kept insisting that we bring our camera to the next class. 

“There’s a next class?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she laughed.  “Couples breast feeding.”

My Job, Part 1: Hollywood Mogul

All I can say is that we are still waiting for someone in Los Angeles to make a decision about something—anything—so that we can start work.  Give us a location, or something… give us our principal shoot date… anything!  This is actually quite normal as the financial guys sign off on this or that but it is driving us crazy.  Kevin Eastman is climbing the walls… I can hear scraping noises whenever I call him.  I imagine he’s like one of those demonically possessed people in the Exorcist, hanging upside down from the ceiling with his body in reverse and his eyes spinning.  

The longer we go without picking a starting date, of course, the closer it gets to the arrival of Torak.  I am hoping that the two do not coincide.  If they do, of course, I will be there for the birth of my son but I’m telling right now he is grounded until he is twelve.

My Job, Part 2: The Comics Industry

I am off to Marvel in two weeks to talk about the plans for my Civil War stuff.  We are going to have a sort of mini retreat with just me.  Instead of going to fancy restaurants like Bendis and JMS and Mark Millar did on their retreat last week, we are going down the pub.  I have to pay for my own beer but they did say that had a coupon for half off a plate of wings.  It’ll be great to catch up with the crew again… it’s been a while since I saw Joe and Nanci and especially their little daughter, Carly.  Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso, Andy Schmidt, Nick Lowe… the list of dedicated and talented people goes on.  One thing I will definitely say about Marvel is that we have such a friendly group of people… it really helps create a productive work environment. 

One of my favorite people up at Marvel is Ralph Macchio, who gave me my first Spidey work.  Ralph is, like, the patriarch of Marvel.  I plan on going by his office and bitching with him about everyone else in the industry. 

My Job, Part 3: Video Games

We are now back in the swing of things as far as the Darkness game goes.  Lars, Mikael, Jens (One and Two) and I had a great telephone conference this week so the game’s production has picked up speed.  I have a lot of things to do, such as reworking dialogue for pickups (re-recording various characters) and writing character descriptions for the game.  I am under the impression that the new publisher is very supportive of what the guys are trying to accomplish and have given us all a little more time to complete the game, which is nice. 

Very Random Thoughts

Boy, did my beloved Colts suck!  I have always been a big defender of Peyton but damn, boy!  You choked big time.  The game plan was rotten from the beginning.  The one time they ran Edgerrin James, he piled up fifty yards and a touchdown and in response they abandoned the run again.  The idiot kicker missed his game-tying kick so far to the right that it was in danger of hitting a cheerleader.  I am sour.

Better new is that our beloved Crystal Palace won again.  I know you were all dying for that result.

The Bachelor was a little slow this week – no real freaks yet but I can tell the situation is coming to a boil.  One of the women has developed a nervous twitch that bears watching as she falls further and further in love with Doctor Lance.  I am, like, oh-for a thousand on guessing which chick he will like.  Every time I venture an opinion (ie: “She’s pretty cool… I bet he chooses her.”) I am dead wrong.  Thankfully, Nigh Perfect’s instincts for matchmaking are even worse than mine, if such a thing is possible.  She is constantly trying to set up our various male and female friends.  Every single time—without exception—she picks two people that immediately loathe each other.  This makes for some pretty interesting double dates. 

I want to talk to you a little about Klingons.  In a future column I will discuss the issue of Klingon hunting but in the meantime if you want to have a little fun just type in the word “Klingon” into a Google search for images.

Finally, I have decided to write a Manifesto of Hatred sometime soon.  Can anyone tell me why Martha Stewart, Tom DeLay or Paris Hilton are not currently incarcerated?

Anyone?

one of these things is not like the others. Anyone?

Catch up on Flogging a Dead Horse:

week 5
week 4
week 3
week 2
week 1

Joining the preview already issued from Marvel, the publisher has released a few more pages from this month’s House of M Sketchbook as well as some color pieces of upcoming HoM tie-ins.

First – at www.marvel.com, the publisher has posted a few sample pages from the Sketchbook, including labeled pages featuring Hulk, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four, all showed in their House of M configurations.

The Hulk page is also available in color at the website as a wallpaper, showing/confirming that standing beside the Hulk is the new Scorpion.

A wallpaper from The Pulse: House of M Special shipping in July is also posted, offering color art of the page showing either Magneto or Quicksilver looking regal after receiving fashion tips from the King of Spain, apparently, as a blogger in Spain pointed out.

And finally, Newsarama has received the color version of Fantastic Four: House of M #1 cover from Marvel, showing the…different team.

Last time out, Rick Shea, manager of Famous Faces & Funnies in Melbourne, Florida checked out the variant scene in the direct market, and expressed some serious concerns over the practices that publishers seemed to be adopting on a more and more regular basis. Five months later, Rick's back for another look, and still is worried about the effect of variants on the halth of the industry, who they've actually benefitting, and how much they cost the retailer.

by Rick Shea

This past year, the comic book industry has seen a lot of "returns."  We've witnessed a return to the top of the sales charts for a few popular creators like Michael Turner, Joss Whedon, Brad Meltzer, Jim Lee, and Warren Ellis.  We've recently seen the return of quite a few "formerly dead" characters like Colossus, Magneto, Supergirl and Hal Jordan.  There's been a return to prominence for some of the second tier DC heroes and villains in Identity Crisis.  We've noticed a return of the element of surprise and mystery, most recently in books like Astonishing X-Men, Identity Crisis, Runaways, Batman: War Games and Amazing Spider-Man, where people are comparing notes and guessing instead of having all the answers up front.  Sadly, there's one more return of late that I could have done without.  Sure enough, it's the return of the variant covers and gimmicks.  That is the last thing this industry needs. 

Anytime people start talking about variants, sides are quickly drawn.  I've heard from collectors who love them, either to have a choice of covers or quite often because they want both covers.  I've also heard everything from complaints about retailers charging too much, stores that are unable to get them, or even the completist mentality that you need each and every cover no matter the ridiculous cost.

Needless to say, I'm not a fan of variant covers.  Although it was an interesting novelty in the early to mid 1990s to grab your choice of covers on a certain issue or even grab both, variant covers are not a trend that is helping the industry in the long term.  They were created to squeeze more money out of a struggling market and I know this industry should be way above that now.  Since the content of the comics has improved, as has the creative talent working on the books, we don't need gimmicks like variant covers to "help" the industry.  The best way to sell a book is to have a fantastic creative team, throw some interesting characters into wild situations and more times than not, your audience will find you.  "Tricking" people into buying two copies of the same story just because it has a different cover is one of the biggest scams the industry has ever seen.  That's why I'm so frustrated that variants seem to be making a big comeback. 

Although DC seems to have restarted the variant trend about a year and a half ago, Marvel seems to really be kicking it into overdrive.  In August of 2003, DC made three covers for Batman #619, the last chapter of the insanely popular “Hush” storyline, which went on to be the best-selling issue of the year in 2003.  Originally the hero and villain covers were going to be 50/50 distribution, with the newsstand cover as a separate code, but then DC gave them individual codes and we could order exactly what we wanted on all three versions.  They later went on to do a second printing with an all new fourth cover and that sold pretty well also.  Again, we could order whatever we liked. 

Around the same time, we saw the first issues of Superman/Batman, Teen Titans, Supreme Power, 1602 and a few other bigger books.  There was a new energy and excitement going on in comics that we hadn't seen in years.  Superman/Batman # 1 and Teen Titans # 1 featured two covers, 50/50 style.  Both books went on to several later printings with only the second printing of S/B # 1 featuring the same exact cover (Batman version only) as the first printing.  When it came time for a third printing of S/B # 1, they drew an entirely new cover, and even had to reprint Superman/Batman # 8 twice featuring the highly anticipated return of Supergirl by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner.  The first reprint saw the black and white pencils and then the third printing featured another all new cover.

Teen Titans used the same new cover art for the second and third printing.  The fourth printing was a black and white uninked pencil sketch variation of Michael Turner's first issue cover.  Teen Titans even had a new cover on the second printing of issue # 2.  Supreme Power # 1 had a regular edition for $2.99 and a special edition for $4.99 with some sketches and other extras.  1602 came out without any variants or gimmicks and still sold pretty damn well.  DC was doing a few variants outside of the reprints featuring different covers, although they seemed to have calmed it down for now.  Only the upcoming often delayed Superman/Batman # 13 stands out in my mind as the next big DC book to see a 50/50 split variant cover.  I think that is it for DC variants for the rest of the year, and that was originally scheduled for August.  Who knows, there may be more from DC before too long, but for now, they seem to have hit pause on "Variant Fever" and I'm highly appreciative of that.

Although the variants stayed pretty calm for a few months, things started to get pretty wild a few months back with the release of Astonishing X-Men # 1.  In order for DC to compete, after finally seeing the top of the sales charts again recently with these huge aforementioned hits, DC decided to have their two biggest and best-selling artists, Jim Lee and Michael Turner draw 50/50 split variant covers for Superman/Batman # 10 and Superman # 205.  In response, Marvel announced two variant covers on Astonishing X-Men # 1 through different incentives for retailers.
      
In order to get a single Level One variant for AXM # 1, we had to order ten copies each of AXM # 1, Uncanny X-Men # 444, X-Men # 57 and New X-Men Academy X # 1.  That's forty comics total just to get one variant.  The problem I have with this is that we're ordering only tangentially related books to get something that our customers are asking for.  The Level Two system was set up so that retailers would get one out of every two copies as variant for what they ordered above their Ultimate Fantastic Four # 1 total orders.  If I'm not mistaken, UFF # 1 was Marvel's best-selling book from 2003.  So even if we ordered 450 AXM # 1, but ordered 250 on UFF # 1, we would only get 100 Level Two variants (half of the 200 over the base UFF number) out of all 450 copies.  Something like that is going to be different for each store, depending upon how aggressively they ordered UFF, but it still seems like an odd tie-in to me.  You can see why these incentives and variants are headache-worthy.
 
DC's approach seems pretty simple to me.  If we get 200 copies of their book, then we'll have 100 Lee covers and 100 Turner covers.  Although I don't like variants at all, if you're going to do it, split down the middle seems like the way to go if the cover artists are on about the same level of popularity.  Lately Marvel has been forcing retailers into ordering extra copies of sometimes indirectly related books just to get the variant copies.  Here's some prime examples:

Ultimate Spider-Man # 54 had a recent variant even though the book came out several months ago.  In order to get copies of USM # 54 with the two variant interior pages showing Arachno-Man instead of Spider-Man, your order wasn't based on USM, but instead you got one copy of the USM variant for every five copies you ordered of Amazing Fantasy # 1.  I understand Marvel wanting to give this new title a boost, but the two books don't even take place in the same universe or continuity.  It just seems a little underhanded to try and "trick" retailers into ordering Book B to get what their customers might want for Book A.  If I ran my business like that, my customers would abandon me.

Astonishing X-Men # 4 is another surprise variant.  After we placed our order for AXM # 4, Marvel announced that we could then order up to an additional 1/6 of our order worth of variants.  We initially ordered 150 AXM # 4, and were able to order an additional 25 copies of the variant making it effectively one out of every seven copies we got.  However, because this was announced with little warning, some retailers may have missed it if they don't pay close attention to the Diamond Daily newsletter or hadn't seen this offer at Diamond's website in the relatively short window of opportunity.  The variant is probably less than one out of every seven copies of AXM # 4.  Not insanely rare, but not something you'll probably find at cover price.

Ultimates Volume Two # 1 was originally planned to have a 50/50 split.  That's good news, right?  Not exactly.  The plan was for half of the issues retailers ordered to be in color, and the other half to be in black and white (cover and interior) to showcase the beautiful pencils of Bryan Hitch.  Now I like Ultimates as much as the next guy and it is a top-selling title that is going to continue to be a big part of Marvel's arsenal.  But did they really think that they need to offer retailers half of their copies in black and white?  Could they honestly think there would be that much demand that people would want to buy both versions or that we'd genuinely sell as many copies with or without color?

Or could it be that they figured retailers would just give up and double their orders from the 100 or so copies they know they can sell of the regular color version, to 200 copies total just to get those 100 color copies.  Never mind that I think a retailer would be stuck with at least 75 copies of the black and white version.  If they really had faith in a B&W edition, they would solicit it with a separate code and let each retailer decide how many they think they could sell.  Surprisingly, Marvel caught so much static from retailers over this decision that they changed the ratio from the 50/50 split to a 90% color and 10% black and white variant in just a few days after the Previews announcing the incentive came out.  I guess the squeaky wheels sometimes really do get the grease. 

Believe it or not, it does get crazier than that, although Ultimates is the most recent example.  November's New Avengers will start out with a 1 out of 20 variant for the first issue.  Our tentative plan is to order 160 copies unless I bump it to 200 before the Marvel final order cutoff date almost a month from now.  I'm selling just over 100 copies of Avengers right now during the controversial “Avengers Disassembled” story, and although I might be able to sell more than I'm ordering on the first issue, in order to even think about getting the rest of the variants, I had to actually lower my orders on number one and hope I can scrounge up extras on the secondary market or trade with other dealers if I need them as Marvel's incentive is once again making it difficult to get the variants that a handful of customers have already asked about.  Regardless of the variants, this is going to be a huge book for Marvel.

If we order 200 copies, we'll get ten variants.  But it gets trickier from there, because Marvel is going to make a variant cover by one of the "Young Guns" artists on the first six issues.  So in order to get the variant for the second issue, you have to order 95% of your first issue order, otherwise, you don't get any variants at all.  Then number three has to reach 95% of your second issue orders and so on up to issue six.  If you miss the variant for issue two, you can't get variants for three or later issues.

We'll run an example using 200 first issues because it's a nice round number.

Issue #        Number of Copies     Number of Variants        Regular Copies

1                  200                     10                       190
2                  190                      9                        181
3                  181                      9                        172
4                  172                      8                        164
5                  164                      8                        156
6                  156                      7                        149     

The typical drop-off from # 1 to # 2 could be as high as 35 - 50%.  Because Marvel is asking retailers to order at only a 5% drop per issue in order to get the variants, some stores will inevitably drop their orders on # 1 below what they can probably sell so that they can make the later variants attainable.  Unless a store ignores the variant scam altogether, or goes overboard on all the issues, they are likely to have tons of extra copies of issues 2-6 exponentially, but run out of the first issue very early.  It's like they're punishing retailers for trying to push the first issue of a new book, because 95% on the second issue and so on is just not realistic in any capacity.  What they're effectively doing is making an artificial demand for a harder to get first issue because the second issue and on should still be available in most stores as fans will probably pass them up when they can't find issue number one. 

Unless I change my mind over the next few weeks, I currently have a lower order for # 1 than I would have placed if there were no variant at all.  I wonder if other dealers will do the same.  Maybe we're expected to make up the difference using the more expensive New Avengers Director's Cut # 1?  Either way, New Avengers # 1 may be the first book to have a smaller than expected print run even though retailers know there is more demand out there.  However, if we hit our expected demand for number one, it's highly unlikely we can afford to risk ordering 95% of such a high number, so we may have to cut the base number for the first issue even if it means selling out of number one before we'd like to.  This book won't be truly rare by any chance, but because of these unusual circumstances, it may be ordered under Marvel's high expectations.  

I've seen a lot of stores that still have plenty of Astonishing X-Men # 1 in stock, but they might be sold out or really low on copies of # 2, # 3, and maybe even # 4.  I think the exact opposite will happen with this title because of the marketing scheme they worked up for this book.  I managed to sell almost 300 copies of the regular cover of AXM # 1, but still only sold just under 200 # 2 and that's on a book with my highest possible recommendation!  However, that's still a 35% drop-off and that's on the mostly highly anticipated book of the year.  AXM # 1 was estimated to sell about 265,000 whereas AXM # 2 is estimated to have only sold about 136,000 copies.  That's dangerously close to a 50% drop-off.  People might check out a first issue and not come back for the rest.  No one who buys the second issue and up is likely to have skipped the first issue, it just doesn't make sense.  

That effectively means in order to get the variants of all the issues, Marvel is counting on 95% of readers who buy issue # 1 coming back for the second issue, and although I give Bendis a lot of credit and faith here (except for Wolverine on his fourth team, why oh why) I doubt that we'll see a 95% sell-through on the second issue compared to the first.  Several collectors might even buy multiple copies of the first issue making it even harder to find. 

Even the books that have the best sell through don't hit 95%.  Identity Crisis, which I've praised to the ceiling and offered a money back guarantee on (which no one has taken me up on so far), has had about a 90% sell-through.  This is after months of hype and mainstream coverage on CNN, USA Today and several other places.  I sold just over 200 copies of issue # 1, and about 180 of # 2 through # 4.  That is an almost impossible number to reach, and I would say there is very little chance of beating that percentage as my Astonishing X-Men example proves. 

And if you think that's the last of the recent crazy variants, then you're forgetting about the one big one that's already selling on eBay.  This might be even nuttier than the Avengers scam.  Wolverine # 20 starts a new story with a possessed Wolverine running around killing folks and clashing with a big portion of the Marvel Universe.  This book is already destined to be a big seller because it features the new creative team of Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.  The gimmick with this book isn't one of out of five or ten copies.  It's not even twenty.  We're talking one of the rarest Marvel comics ever made.  Wolverine # 20 is going to have a variant that is one out of every sixty-five copies.  How crazy is that?  Of course, that may be the final straw for even the most hard-core collector finally giving up on collecting every variant.  This book is going to be so rare, it will be insane.

Wolverine is estimated to sell about 65,000 copies right now, and no doubt it will get a big boost with the new creative team, storyline and of course the incentive as well.  At the current numbers, there would only be about 1,000 copies of the variant, total.  That's a pretty tiny number.  Even with a giant boost up to 100,000 copies total, that means there will only be 1538 copies printed of this variant cover.  That's it.  Not a big number to work with.  If retailer A orders 30, and retailer B orders 35, neither of them gets a variant, so only stores that order 65 or more will even get one variant copy.  I can't tell you how many copies there were of the ultra-rare Level One Astonishing X-Men # 1 comic, but I'm sure it was many more copies than whatever this rare variant will clock out at.  And those were going for up to $100.00 at one point on eBay.  Although there are already copies out there on eBay hovering around $75 - $90 with few or no bids, this book is bound to be "worth" way more than your standard variant, but the point of this whole article is that it's not really worth any more than what someone is willing to pay for it.  Do you really need to spend $50, $100 or even $150 to complete your collection?  The second you splurge on something like this, who knows what even wilder variant scheme we'll see next month? 

The other thing is this, it's going to be almost impossible for a smaller store to try to get a copy of the Wolverine variant if they can't afford to order 65 copies of Wolverine # 20.  In effect, it means your mail order places that deal in thousands of comics will get richer and the little shop that's just trying to get by can't get this for their customer that might really want a copy.  It's not the end of the world, but it's another step closer to that customer possibly abandoning the "little guy" in favor of a bigger store or an online retailer.  That breaks my heart.  I've heard some of the bigger retailers with multiple stores tell Marvel that they love these policies and want more incentives and Marvel seems damn happy to give it to them as long as they keep their orders high.  I think these retailers have totally lost track of what comics are about: A sense of wonder, escape and most of all, entertainment.  When it turns into an impossible collection to complete, it's just not fun anymore for some of the more extreme collectors.  If I get two copies of this book and five people want it, how do I pick which two customers to sell it to without making the other customers mad?  It's a no win situation.  I'll gladly give up this supposed "extra revenue" to not have to deal with the BS that comes with these crazy ordering incentive and "picking favorites."  

My problem with variants is this.  Once they are out on the market or even announced, you've got that faction, no matter how small, that "has to have it."  I probably have about 500 people or so that buy comics from me on at least a monthly basis.  Some of those are fairly casual and some are pretty hard-core collectors.  It's usually the hard-core collector that rushes in to see when I'll be able to get him that copy of the Wolverine 1 in 65 variant and wants to know how much it'll cost.  Although I only have a handful of customers that really "need" to get that variant, because they have every other variant before this, it's still a frustrating situation.  Unfortunately, we have to jump through several hoops or order a ridiculous amount of copies to get certain variants that our customers are looking for. 

If we mark the variants up to a ridiculous price, that's probably going to cut into their budget to try out new titles or even clean out the rest of their folder, but if we have to order extra stock in order to get these books, we're left with no other choice.  Even worse, if we can't get the book that a certain customer is looking for because the variant is out of our reach, then they're going to think we're not doing everything we can to get them what they want.  Worst case scenario, a retailer could lose a customer to another store that does pander to these variant scams.  It all just seems so unnecessary.

How can someone justify spending $10, $20, $50, $100, or even a sickening $150 on a variant cover that is nothing other than one page of new art?  That's just insanity to me.  The market right now has way too many good comics for someone to spend their money that way when they could be checking out new titles altogether.  Books outside the standard already tried and true (some would say boring) main characters or great independent titles will never succeed in a market where someone drops that extra $20 on Wolverine's claws facing left (instead of right, woohoo).  Instead, they could be helping this industry grow and prosper by trying something new instead of just wasting money on a "hot potato" book that they'll no doubt get stuck with or realize they overpaid when the temporary demand disappears and no one cares.  Even the last few "gotta have it fanboys" cringe or act like it's a chore rather than fun when they pick up their ridiculously overpriced variant. 

I know it seems the simple answer to this is "Just ignore these variants if you don't like them" and although I wish I could, if I have even one customer ask about them, it's my job to try to do what I can to get them what they're looking for, not convince them that they’re wrong, and don’t need a particular item.  On top of that, if I do have a book with variants, whether it's one out of ten, or even a 50/50 split, it's going to screw up my numbers trying to figure out what we're actually selling on a regular basis as they inflate numbers for the short term only.  Some fans that bought the variant AXM # 4 didn't buy the regular cover, although a lot of folks bought both.  End result is I might not have enough copies of even the regular issue when all is said and done, because any variant and the "extra" short term sales that go along with it mess up our inventory because it's impossible to know if we're actually selling twenty variants to twenty new people or just eighteen people who wanted both covers.  I have to do my best to figure out what we can sell via people picking up both and still make sure I have enough for all my customers without over-ordering too much or we'll be out of business. 

Marvel seems to believe in the justification that a 50/50 split book hurts the market more because customers are more likely to spend the extra $2.95 and buy both covers and since these variants are cover price, more people are likely to pick up both.  Although that is true, I'm not stressing as much about the extra three bucks, but instead the bigger bills that get brought out to buy that really out of control variant. 

Marvel claims their more limited and expensive variants are actually "Collector's Items" and because they are much more rare than the regular covers, I guess to some degree, that's true.  These rarer variants are out of most folk’s price range and therefore won't really take any money away from the market.  But is it really worth it to bleed that well dry and find out that customer isn't coming back.  I don't necessarily agree with that, but I can almost see their excuse to some degree.  But cheap or expensive, wouldn't that money be better spent checking out a different title like Invincible, Y the Last Man, Sleeper, Walking Dead, or Fables instead of just another cover of a book you already own. 

I think you can see why I'm not a big fan of variants.  But as long as publishers produce them, there will always be at least some short term demand which will probably hurt the long-term appeal of a great book.  Please stop turning readers into collectors.  The industry is producing great stories with great art and I don't want to see it all go back to the lowest common denominator, "Ooh look, shiny cover!"  Stop squeezing extra money out of the same collectors and instead worry about putting out better stories that will bring new readers to comics and keep them interested.  I've seen way too many folks leave this hobby entirely because they felt overwhelmed or their eyes were bigger than their wallet and they felt if the couldn't get everything; they would just stop collecting comics completely.  It sucks, but I've seen it hundreds of times over the years and it's one of the few things I don't enjoy about my job. 

When comics finally slipped back out of their 1990s coma, it wasn't because of variants and that crap, it was because they were starting to be well made again by creators who enjoy their work and it shows.  I'm seeing less and less of that and more emphasis on one gimmick or another to help sell books when the story and art should be the only real selling point.  I'm not a big manga fan, but the reason they seem to be doing so well in bookstores is because the stories and characters manage to capture the reader’s imagination instead of anyone worrying if they got the red cover or blue cover of Ranma 1/2 Volume 27. 

Concentrate on keeping the quality high on all the books and I swear, the readers will find you.  Stop trying to "trick us" into variant covers and other gimmicks.  We're smarter than that, and a lot of those that didn't like dealing with stuff like this have already left comics.  I don't want to see that continue.  Shortsighted thinking like this will only hurt the comic industry in the long haul.  The bottom line is that comics are an amazing and unique reading experience.  If the companies would put more time into making sure they are putting out the absolute best product they can, then they'll keep the fans happy and new readers will gradually find their way into our wonderful hobby.  Remember, this is all supposed to be fun.  If you can't understand all that, then do you at least want to buy my 13 Gen 13 # 1 covers and 11 Darkness # 11 variants?  C'mon, these were really hot at one point, remember?  Seriously, yesterday's red hot books are tomorrow's quarter bins.  Comics are for reading.   

Rick Shea operates Famous Faces & Funnies in Melbourne, FL

Marvel has released a preview of X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #1, the first part of a six-issue miniseries celebrating the 10th anniversary of the event.

Marvel’s solicitation for the miniseries reads:

COVER BY: Chris Bachalo
WRITER: Akira Yoshida
PENCILS BY: Chris Bachalo

Apocalypse has been destroyed; the end of the world has been averted. Or has it? Sinister has just unleashed a massive force unseen, unrivaled, and unbeatable. Magneto and the X-Men's only hope lies in tracking down a retired Weapon X! 32 PGS./Marvel PSR...$2.99

Click here for Newsarama’s interview with Yoshida and editor CB Cebulski.

Click on the thumbnails for larger versions.