Monday, March 22, 2010

Martian Sightings for June, 2010



June is kind of a lame month. We still don't know whether J'Onn, or really anybody, is getting resurrected at the end of Blackest Night. Then there's some potential appearances and mild reprints. We finally see Martian Manhunter in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but unlike the retro designs and/or interesting liberties usually taken, this looks pretty much like the typical Post-Crisis J'Onn J'Onzz. Luckily, since I now hold over stuff from the back of the Previews until the following month's advance DC solicitations, there's a ton of awesome May stuff! Enjoy!

Books
DC Comics Super Heroes and Villains Fandex Deluxe
Celebrate 75 years of DC Comics with an obsessive Fandex Deluxe: a supersized deck of 75 iconic heroes and villains whose power over the popular imagination has never been stronger (think The Dark Knight, last summer's $1 billion blockbuster).

The gang’s all here: Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Green Lantern, Captain Marvel, Justice League of America, the Flash. So are their nemeses—the Joker, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, Lex Luthor, Cheetah, Brainiac, Poison Ivy, Deathstroke. Meticulously researched, with layers of information covering origins, biography, back-stories, affiliations, motivations, weaknesses, and fascinating trivia, the deck adds up to an insider’s history of the DC Universe. And what better way to present it than in the format with super powers—Fandex and its die-cut cards perfectly capture the characters in one dynamic pose after another, with the art taken straight from the pages of the original comics.

From the essential—learn about the Crisis on Infinite Earths—to the improbable—discover how Lex Luthor became President of the United States—to the offbeat—did you know that Clark Kent and Lois Lane lived in a building owned by Wayne (i.e., Batman) Enterprises: it’s a handheld feast for new¬comers and passionate comics fans alike.

Text by Randall Lotowycz
Other book format , 76 pages
ISBN: 9780761158561 (0761158561)
Published by Workman Publishing
$12.95(US) $15.95(CAN)
This title will be available for purchase from Workman.com on Apr 22, 2010. For now you can pre-order from one of these online retailers.
SO buying this, even if the Tom Mandrake art gives me terrible flashbacks to the Ostrander series.

Multimedia
DC Universe: Last Sons (Audio CD)
Metahumans, aliens, magical entities, or mortals driven by iron wills. Super heroes, renegades, or villains out for justice, vengeance, or cash. Whether legendary, infamous, or little known, these extraordinary beings are the true champions of the...DC UNIVERSE SUPERMAN. MARTIAN MANHUNTER. LOBO. Interplanetary bounty hunter Lobo is a notorious maverick. Happily wreaking havoc as he brings in his prey, he cares little who his clients or targets are even when his latest quarry is J onn J onnzz, Martian Manhunter of the Justice League. Suddenly Lobo finds himself confronting...Superman. Cogs in the machinations of a powerful artificial life-form, these three aliens, the sole survivors of the planets Krypton, Mars, and Czarnia, have only one thing in common they are the last of their kind...LAST SONS
Publisher: GraphicAudio (March 1, 2010)
I may have to buy this. Recommendations?

AniMANHUNTER
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #18
On sale JUNE 30
32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
Written by LANDRY WALKER
Art and cover by ERIC JONES
Batman learns what “Life on Mars” is all about when he teams up with the mysterious Martian Manhunter in order to prevent an invasion from the red planet!
The debut of the Brave and the Bold Martian Manhunter! Aaaand he vaguely resembles Mojo Jojo? Sooo, when do we get our Super Friend?

In BRIGHTEST DAY, In BLACKEST NIGHT
BRIGHTEST DAY #3-4
Issue #3 on sale JUNE 2
Issue #4 on sale JUNE 16
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by GEOFF JOHNS & PETER J. TOMASI
Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON, ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK & JOE PRADO
Covers by DAVID FINCH
1:25 variant covers by IVAN REIS & OCLAIR ALBERT
If this is the BRIGHTEST DAY then what is Black Lantern Firestorm doing on our cover?!
Retailers please note: These issues will ship with two covers each. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
Yes? No? I dunno.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #3-4
Issue #3 on sale JUNE 9
Issue #4 on sale JUNE 23
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & JUDD WINICK
Issue #3 art by FERNANDO DAGNINO
Issue #4 art by AARON LOPRESTI
Covers by TONY HARRIS & J.D. METTLER
1:25 variant covers by KEVIN MAGUIRE
DC’s biweekly JUSTICE LEAGUE event continues here! The heroes of the once-great Justice League International – Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire and Ice – have reteamed in order to stop a threat to all mankind. But will the heroes of the DCU take this group of misfits seriously? And what happens when Blue Beetle – a new hero with an old legacy – joins the team? And whose side is he really on? Be here to find out!
Retailers please note: These issues will ship with two covers each. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

Is he? Isn't he? We'll know on, what, Wednesday? After next?

Black Lantern Toys
Blackest Night Heroclix Starter Game
By NECA

The War of the Light comes to HeroClix with the DC HeroClix Blackest Night Starter Game! As the Blackest Night encompasses the world, heroes and villains alike are deputized into the Lantern Corps to fight back against the legions of Black Lanterns. Choose a team of lanterns and take them into battle! This starter game includes everything a player needs to play HeroClix, including figures, map, rules and more.
Estimated to Arrive
May 2010
Our Price: $22.99
Black Lantern J'Onn J'Onzz is bound to be in there somewhere, right?

MARTIAN MANHUNTER CLASSIC
BOOSTER GOLD #33
On sale JUNE 9
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Written by KEITH GIFFEN & J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by CHRIS BATISTA
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
The shocking events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST leave Booster Gold bloody and beaten, and the only way for him to put right what went wrong and save the people he loves is to travel back into the past. But what happens when Booster comes face-to-face with himself and Justice League International?

There's always time travel...

SUPERMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? TP
On sale JULY 28
128 pg, FC, $14.99 US
Written by ALAN MOORE
Art by CURT SWAN, DAVE GIBBONS, GEORGE PEREZ, KURT SCHAFFENBERGER, MURPHY ANDERSON, RICK VEITCH & AL WILLIAMSON
Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
Legendary writer Alan Moore’s seminal Superman issues are collected in this title featuring beautiful art from Curt Swan (ACTION COMICS), Dave Gibbons (WATCHMEN), and Rick Veitch (SWAMP THING)! Collects the two-part “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” from SUPERMAN #423 and ACTION COMICS #583 as Superman faces his greatest foes and his final battle! Also featuring the classic story “For the Man Who Has Everything” from ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #11, in which Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman fight the evil warlord Mongul for the fate of The Man of Steel, and DC COMICS PRESENTS #85, in which Superman meets Swamp Thing.
J'Onn J'Onzz in the background in that one story! Um. Ooo, Mongul!

Comrades of Mars

Miss Martian
TEEN TITANS #84
On sale JUNE 30
40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Written by FELICIA D. HENDERSON
Co-feature written by REX OGLE
Art by JOSE LUIS & MARIAH BENES
Co-feature art by TED NAIFEH
Cover by JOE BENNETT & JACK JADSON
The Teen Titans are now a team divided as they go on the hunt for Raven! One side is stranded on a dead planet, the other thousands of leagues below the sea. But both are in serious danger as they head closer to a trap set by the dangerous Wyld!
Plus, in the second chapter of the Coven co-feature, Traci 13, Zach Zatara and Black Alice wake up in a world where their greatest wishes have come true. Is it all they ever wanted – or their worst nightmare given form?

Look! She's on the cover! Way in the background, but still!

TINY TITANS #29
On sale JUNE 16
32 pg, FC, $2.50 US
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
It’s Supergirl’s turn to toddler-sit the tiny Tiny Titans! Can she handle this crisis of infinite toddlers – or will she burst into tears?
Yes, even the 4,684th swipe of that Crisis cover that was itself a swipe of a Byrne X-Men cover is still kinda cute here.

7 comments:

LissBirds said...

About DC Universe: Last Sons...that looks promising. I don't know if it's in the same series, but I read JLA: Exterminators by Christopher Golden (which also available from "Graphic Audio") and rather liked it. The books are way cheaper than their audiobook counterparts, though.

"Aaaand he vaguely resembles Mojo Jojo" Aw, c'mon, man!! You're totally right and now I when I read that I'm only going to be thinking of evil monkeys.

That cover to Tiny Titans #29 is EPIC. I love that he actually credited Perez. Crisis of the Infinite Toddlers...hahaha. Do kids even get these jokes?

And when's J'onn going to show up in Superfriends? Is it because they think kids can't count to seven or something so they decided to cut off the JLA at six members?!

Is it sad that the only real Martian sighting we get in May is from Johnny DC? Is it even sadder that I'm more psyched for the kids books than the grown-up ones?

Diabolu Frank said...

As I recall, "Last Sons" was by Alan Grant, who wasn't really known for anyone in the book but Lobo. He was one of the better (and odder) Batman writers, so that could work for the Martian Detective.

If the grown up books had sense enough to at least write their icons correctly, maybe the kiddie books wouldn't hold such sway?

LissBirds said...

Yes, Last Sons is by Alan Grant. I've been trying to find it but no libraries in the area carry it, and the mass market paperback is $20, which is outrageous. One of the reviewers on Amazon said they liked J'onn's portrayal in the book. (And Lobo's.)

I think DC has a lot of lessons to learn from the simplicity and clarity of the kid's books (and cartoons.) Plus, wouldn't it be fun to have a little puzzle or word search in your comics?

Diabolu Frank said...

Yeah, I think they had an earlier paperback of "Last Sons" for less, but it was still more that I was willing to pay. The audiobook is cheaper, should be plenty fun, and will give me the gist of it (which with Grant should be all I need.) I wonder who provides the voices?

LissBirds said...

You can hear a preview of it here:

http://www.graphicaudio.net/audiobooks/previews/DCLSsample.mp3

Cast listed as:

J’onn J’onzz: Thomas Penny
Superman: James Konicek
Lobo: David Coyne

Eh. I think I'll stick to print. If you wind up buying it, let us know what you think.

Diabolu Frank said...

...and a quick Google reveals... Tom Penny died in 1588. No wait, Thomas Penny... is a professional skateboarder.

Why must you turn my blog comments forum into a House of Lies?!?!

But seriously, I'll order the CD, even if I don't know these people, and I know lots of people. I want to hear those three characters talking to one another some more, plus this makes me extra not want to invest my time in the book.

LissBirds said...

"Why must you turn my blog comments forum into a House of Lies?!?!" Becuase I'm evil, and every world dictator-in-training must first learn to osbscure the truth, even on a small scale.

It looks blogger cut off the rest of my link. If you go to Graphic Audio's site and navigate to Last Sons, there's link to preview it. The Main Man's voice kinda makes me laugh. But maybe that's the point? And Superman's voice, too. Or maybe I'm overtired and this all really isn't as funny as it seems...