Saturday, March 28, 2009

CURSE ME FOR A NOVICE! : 03-28-09
PUBLISH or PERISH!

---


"l'il mac"

---

To ANY readers who have been eagerly anticipating my review of New Avengers # 51, and the pursuant in-depth analysis of the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme... (with my continuing series on "the Search for, Nature and History of the Sorcerer Supreme").

It is nearly completed.

However, my general physical and mental state as of late has left me easily fatigued.

To that end, thrice over the past day, I have meant to hit "SAVE NOW" and instead clicked "PUBLISH POST" only to be forced to quickly scurry, copying and pasting everything into a NEW POST and then hurriedly deleting the posted, UNFINISHED version.

I mean - - WHO DESIGNED Blogger?
WHY would you place those two buttons so close together like that?

WTF?

So, if you have subscribed to this blog and have received a few half-formed posts on the subject, my apologies.

Feel free to read what you have, but please understand that it is unfinished and many notes are just tossed in various spots as mental placeholders.

I don't normally like to work this way, but I'm not operating at 100% today.

Keep your eyes on this space for that promised post.
Later today!
(I hope)

*UPDATE*
OK. The post is live.
You can find it either in the post que or feel free to just use this handy link: [HERE]
 
The Search for, Nature and History of...the Sorcerer Supreme : 
- SETTING THE STAGE. 
What has led up to New Avengers # 51

*END UPDATE*

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Be This Not... DOOMSDAY !

URGENT! *
FANS OF DOCTOR STRANGE... TAKE HEED!


While I wish I had posted this earlier today ** , I still want to make it known that ANYONE and EVERYONE who visits this blog should go QUICKLY to "Comics Should Be Good @ Comic Book Resources" and vote for DR. STRANGE who is in "March Madness"-type of battles.

He has already defeated Wolverine, but now is losing against DR. DOOM!

The battle rages HERE !

However, the voting ENDS at 2 PM E.S.T. tomorrow
(Friday, March 27th).
***CORRECTION***
Their web-site's clock is incorrectly set to P.S.T. not E.S.T., so you probably have until 5 PM EST to vote.


If you have more than one computer - vote on each one!

And then, keep on the lookout for Strange's next opponent.
If we all vote, we can turn this thing on it's head.

***UPDATE***
Vote finals show that DOOM defeated STRANGE : 453-334.
Doom got 58% of the vote
View vote results HERE.

I'm sure that if I had posted this earlier, we may have had a chance to rally.
Oh well... next time.
***END UPDATE***

*
(OK. So it's just a silly online contest... but that doesn't mean that Strange has to lose, right?)

Also in combat are Batman vs Darkseid.
Feel free to vote however you wish in that battle.



**
Work and life have taken their toll on me today.
I'm exhausted.
The review of New Avengers # 51 and my discussion on the nature of being the Sorcerer Supreme will continue anon.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The Search for, Nature and History of...
the Sorcerer Supreme :
- PRELUDE


For the past few weeks, I've been meaning to post a dissertation on the Search, Nature and History of the Sorcerer Supreme.

Much to my dismay, real life continually kept getting in the way. It still is. *

However, presently on the racks is New Avengers # 51 ; the start of Brian Michael Bendis' "Who shall be the next Sorcerer Supreme?" story arc, and I have thoughts on the issue.

Thoughts that will lead directly into my long postponed series about the mantle, it's meaning and those who have held it.

However, it feels "wrong" to post a review and images from a comic that hit the stands today.
So, expect the review tomorrow, with the rest of my dissertation to follow in the days after.






*
(Just trying to type this with the chaos around me and the mental blocks I'm experiencing seems as if it would be similar to what it would be like trying to cast a spell while being beset by disorientation spells and bolts of bedevilment. It's like trying to think through a mystic metal mental clamp (for the brain instead of the mouth like in Doc's origin). I need some magic aspirin.)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

GAZE INTO THE FUTURE : 2009 JUNE

The APRIL 2009 solicits are up
(for stuff shipping JUNE 2009)
so what are we waiting for?
Let's journey forth...into... the FUTURE:


=============

"Greetings, my friends.
We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I
are going to
spend the rest of our lives..."

... while reading comics.
"Official" graphic for this feature; "doctored" image from the cover to Strange Tales # 156
(original art by Marie Severin)

=============


First, let's take a look at the items where DOCTOR STRANGE will appear, then we'll move onto the other "6-Dimensions".

=============


Once again, we'll begin with the BIG SHOW:

Dr. Strange, Dormammu and the hunt for a new Sorcerer Supreme comes to a head in:

NEW AVENGERS #54


Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by CHRIS BACHALO
Cover by BILLY TAN
Variant Cover by CHRIS BACHALO

A Sorcerer Supreme is chosen!
Be witness to a very important chapter in Avengers history and the lore of Marvel magic! Plus, the Avengers finally have a big showdown with the Hood and not everyone walks away from it unharmed!

32 PGS./Rated A ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

---

Big Doc storyline, NO Doc on the cover.
Nice. Jackasses!

Maybe he'll fare better on the BACHALO VARIANT.



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---
Doctor Strange SHOULD be in ---

=============


AVENGERS/INVADERS #12 (of 12)


Written by JIM KRUEGER & ALEX ROSS
Penciled by STEVE SADOWSKI
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by DALE EAGLESHAM

DUTY NOW...FOR THE FUTURE!
The year long event concludes with a battle royale against a Cosmic Cube powered Red Skull that shakes history to its core. In an altered past and an unrecognizable present, three super-powered teams made up of Earth Mightiest Heroes and the Greatest Heroes of World War Two, find themselves at a crossroads that none of them...or us...may survive.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

---

Incredible... 12 Alex Ross covers and not ONE had Doc on it.
Maybe Strange is on the Eaglesham variant cover.
Thanks for "NOTHING", Alex Ross!



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MAN-THING
& the "6-DIMENSIONS" characters
appear in
these comics:

=============


MAN-THING (and Midnight Sons) will star in

MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #3


Written by FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by KEV WALKER
Cover by GREG LAND
80s DECADE VARIANT BY TBA

You've heard of Dark Reign, right? Well here comes the Dark Rain--a toxic cloud that zombifies everything in its path! The Midnight Sons can't enter the deadly mist, so they call in a reserve member who can--the macabre Man-Thing! Can the muck-encrusted shambler of the swamps apprehend the undead before the Marvel Universe is totally infected? And will The Hood stop at anything in his mad goal to profit from the growing horror to his own gain? The acclaimed creative team of
Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker continue the madness that CBR.com says "takes the Marvel Zombies franchise in a brand new invigorating direction."

32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

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(2 covers. Including a "1980's variant")
Man-Thing to the rescue!
Dang...I loves me my muck-monster Man-Thing!
But, I HAVE to wonder... what's the deal with that "frankensteined" amalgam (Sandman, Klaw, etc...) villain wearing the Cloak of Levitation?

--------

CLEA (well... "Cleook") is in:

MARVEL APES: PRIME EIGHT SPECIAL



Written by KARL KESEL
Penciled by TODD NAUCK
Cover by JOHN WATSON

In the face of a fate worse than death, the Ape Universe's greatest minds and leaders must come together to save their world in a secret council known as - the PRIME EIGHT! BLACK BOLT, king of the Inhominids! The invincible IRON MANDRILL! Bruce Bananner, the incredible HULK! PROFESSOR XAPIER, leader of the X-Simians! CLEOOK, Sorceress Supreme! DR. DOOM, master of Latvookia! SILVERBACK SURFER, Simian of the Spaceways! NICK FURY 2099, time traveling secret agent! Monkhattan stands on the brink of disaster in a story we had to call...APE-OKOPLIS NOW!

48 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

---

Damn... Why the heck did they kill off the Dr. Strange-ape before the whole Marvel Apes story even started.
Now, they're forced to jump through hoops in order to fill his shoes.
Oh, well... Clea needs some "screen time" too.

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Namor is in:

AGENTS OF ATLAS #6

Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU

Disturbing visions plucked from the malignant mind of Norman Osborn lead the intrepid Agents to the darkest depths of the Atlantic Ocean, where Namora must have words with her infamous cousin - The Sub-Mariner! What happens next shocks her team, who must prepare to say goodbye to their aquatic avenger!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009



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Dracula, Blade & Black Knight (among others) in


CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 ANNUAL #1


Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by MICHAEL COLLINS
Cover by GREG LAND

Meggan is Captain Britain's wife, an X-Man in Hell. And she's going to fight her way home. Over years, bargains, battles, with only her love to guide her. Can she get back to Earth in time to help her husband turn back Dracula and his evil invasion? And is that a metal gauntlet offering a hand? Don't miss this key part of "Vampire State"! Plus: MI13 delves into the secrets behind British Magic.

48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: June 3, 2009

- and -

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #14



Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by MICO SUAYAN

"VAMPIRE STATE"
The pieces are all in motion. Dracula, Lilith and Captain Fate are heading for Earth with their invasion force, as the Vampire Lord's deal with Dr. Doom and master plan all come together. MI13 has been taken apart and the world is ripe for the
taking. Part 5 (of 6)

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 10, 2009

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Nekra is a part of

DARK REIGN: LETHAL LEGION #1 (of 3)


Written by FRANK TIERI
Penciled by MATEUS SANTOLOUCO
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS

When Norman Osborn takes over, what happens to the villains who don't make his short list of acceptable allies? Grim Reaper, Mr. Hyde, Absorbing Man, Nekra, and Man-Ape are about to find out when their cooperative of crime lands on the wrong side of Norman's law - but they're not going down without a fight.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: June 3, 2009


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Scarlet Witch seems to be a member of:

MIGHTY AVENGERS #26


Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

DARK REIGN
The Avengers/Fantastic Four slobberknocker continues!
This one's got it all true believers: from MR. FANTASTIC and HANK PYM'S battle of the brains to HERCULES and THE THING'S battle o' the brawn! When it's over, expect BIG changes for Earth's Mightiest Heroes-- including the team's all-new headquarters and a very disturbing DARK REIGN alliance.

32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 17, 2009

---

Look at that cover!
Now THAT's a cool looking AVENGERS line-up!

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(alternate universe) Scarlet Witch is a member of

EXILES #3


Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by SALVADOR ESPIN & CASEY JONES
Cover by DAVE BULLOCK

Maybe a new untested team isn't what you want to throw against an island of united X-Men and Brotherhood mutants, all looking to protect Magneto. Then again, maybe it's the perfect solution! And maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay on this world longer, given what the NEXT one has waiting.

32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009

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Scarlet Witch is also in:

FANTASTIC FORCE #3

Written by JOE AHEARNE
Penciled by STEVE KURTH
Cover by BRYAN HITCH

Alex Ultron is in pieces and Banner Jr. has been turned against his teammates. It's a bad time for the Fantastic Force to face three of the most powerful women in the universe: Dark Phoenix, the Scarlet Witch and Polaris! The Hysteries, wrenched from their timeline at their maximum moment of betrayal and insanity, have been summoned to destroy Nu-World and the Fantastic Force are the only super heroes on this brave new planet to stand in their way...if they can even stand!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009

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Nick Fury, Hellfire and Druid are all:

SECRET WARRIORS #5

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by JIM CHEUNG

The smashing first arc of Marvel's best new series comes to a climax as the battle between H.A.M.M.E.R., HYDRA, rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and the Howling Commandos begins!
This is the first shot in a war that will result in the establishment of a new global power structure...and who's caught in the middle? You guessed it: Nick Fury and his team of Caterpillars.

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
IN STORES: June 3, 2009


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Valinor (the Black Knight's bat-winged steed) and more are in:


MARVEL PETS HANDBOOK



Written by MICHAEL HOSKIN, MADISON CARTER, SEAN MCQUAID, STUART VANDAL, GABRIEL SHECHTER, DAVID WILTFONG, RONALD BYRD, ERIC J. MOREELS, JACOB ROUGEMONT, MARKUS ETTLINGER, JEFF CHRISTIANSEN, MARK O'ENGLISH, MIKE O'SULLIVAN, CHRIS BIGGS & ROB LONDON
Cover by KARL KERSCHL

Rein yourself in for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe you thought you'd never see! A marvelous menagerie of mirthful mammals and more materialize! From the high-flying Falcon's pet Redwing to the ever-familiar Ebony to Speedball's cat Niels to Kitty's dragon Lockheed to Daredevil's dog Deuce to the Mole Man's monsters to Devil Dinosaur and all manner of Asgardian beasts! Cosmo says: "Buy one for me, comrade! Is good!" Lockjaw says: "Woof!" Can you say no to those puppy-dog eyes?

48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

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The HOOD is running things in:

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #25

Written by CHRISTOS N. GAGE
Pencils & Cover by
HUMBERTO RAMOS

"THE INITIATIVE: DISASSEMBLED" reaches its shocking conclusion! The full effects of Dark Reign take hold as Norman Osborn reshapes the Initiative into a place to train the Dark Avengers of tomorrow! And wait until you see who's running things now...(Hint: they're on the cover!) But what will happen to the Gauntlet, Tigra, Trauma and the other heroes who've made the Initiative what it is? Oh, Norman has plans for them as well... DON'T MISS THE ISSUE THAT CHANGES THE INITIATIVE FOREVER!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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The HOOD stars with Dr. Doom and the Cabal guesting in:

DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #2 (of 5)


Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by KYLE HOTZ
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

From the pages of NEW AVENGERS, The Hood leaps into the spotlight! Meeting with Dr. Doom, bossing around his own crime family - anyway you want to cut it, Parker Robbins is getting big. His territory is growing like a wildfire, and you can't keep any of his boys in jail. But there's always someone bigger than you. Calling shots in New York is one thing...but calling them in Latveria, the Atlantic Ocean, and Asgard is another! Worse still, even some of the small fries are trying to edge out Parker, but there's a reason only one of these people is wearing The Hood!

32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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DR DOOM is raising hell in:

FANTASTIC FOUR #568

Written by MARK MILLAR & JOE AHEARNE
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH

The penultimate chapter of THE MASTER OF DOOM, as Reed Richards is offered a Solomon's choice by the triumphant
Marquis of Death!

32 PGS./Rated A ...$2.99
In Stores: Jun 24, 2009


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COLLECTED EDITIONS
HARDCOVERS & TPB's

=============


Doc is in nearly every issue within:

SENTRY: THE AGE OF THE SENTRY TPB (DM ONLY)

Written by JEFF PARKER & PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by NICK DRAGOTTA, RAMON ROSANAS, BILL GALVAN, MICHAEL CHO & COLLEEN COOVER
Cover by DAVE BULLOCK & MICHAEL CHO

"Classic" tales of the Sentry at the birth of the Marvel Age! Discover the previously unexplored history of the Golden Guardian of Good as he battles the Mad Thinker; Ursus the Ultra Bear; Mountain Man; and Cranio, the Man with the Tri-Level Mind -- all leading up to a final showdown with his arch nemesis, the Void! Featuring guest-stars galore, including Millie the Model and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Plus: a special story guest-starring one of the greatest -- but sadly forgotten -- British Invasion bands, the Crick-Hits! More than ten tales of old-school super-hero action!
Collecting THE AGE OF THE SENTRY #1-6.

152 PGS./Rated A ...$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3520-3

In Stores: Jun 3, 2009



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VALKYRIE and the Lady Liberators star in:

SHE-HULK VOL. 9: LADY LIBERATORS TPB

Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by VINCENZO CUCCA, PASQUALE QUALANO & STEVE SCOTT
Cover by MIKE DEODATO JR.

From the pages of HULK, the Lady Liberators burst on the scene! She-Hulk has been capturing the bad-guys as a bounty hunter...but is that enough for our conflicted hero? Time to kick things up a notch- and that means calling in Valkyrie, Thundra and the Invisible Woman to dispense some hard justice as the Lady Liberators!
Collecting SHE-HULK #34-38.

144 PGS./Rated T+ ...$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4114-3



In Stores: Jun 3, 2009

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Black Knight and more are in:

CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 VOL. 2:
HELL COMES TO BIRMINGHAM TPB


Written by PAUL CORNELL
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by BRYAN HITCH

As the team is rocked by confusion in their ranks, they're called into battle on their first official mission. All hell has broken loose in Birmingham and MI 13 agent Captain Midlands in the middle of it. It's super heroes vs. the supernatural, full on. What has Dr. Plokta offered the residents in return for their immortal souls? And why are the Mindless Ones starting their assualt from Birmingham? The team lost one member in their first adventure... can they all survive this?
Collecting CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13 #5-9.

120 PGS./Rated T+ ...$14.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3345-2


In Stores: Jun 10, 2009

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The tales of Adam Warlock are in:


MARVEL MASTERWORKS: WARLOCK

The Story: The MARVEL MASTERWORKS line is proud to present one of comics’ most mind-blowingly cosmic sagas. At ’70s Marvel there was no who quite mastered the startling scope and high-concept complexity of truly cosmic adventure like writer/artist and overall Renaissance man, Jim Starlin. His first effort with Captain Marvel redefined a character. His second with Adam Warlock set the tone for star-spanning spectacle that is considered a high-water mark to this day. Taking the legacy laid out by Lee, Kirby, Thomas and Kane, Jim Starlin evolved Warlock to the next level, imbuing the character with the furies and inner demons of a man-god on the brink of insanity. Forced to confront the Magus, an evil version of himself, and the nihilistic menace, Thanos, Warlock’s conflicts weren’t just knuckle-grinding throw-downs, they were epic, existential struggles for the very soul. Culminating in the first-ever assembling of the Infinity Gems, and featuring the first appearances of such cosmic Marvel mainstays as Gamorra and Pip the Troll—not to mention an all-out struggle to save the universe joined by the Avengers, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man—this MASTERWORKs edition is definitive Marvel. So reserve that copy today, True Believer!
Collecting STRANGE TALES #178-181, WARLOCK #9-15, MARVEL TEAM-UP #55, AVENGERS ANNUAL #7 and MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #2.

All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3511-1

In Stores: Jun 17, 2009


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Hellcat scratches your fan-bone in:

PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT TPB (DM ONLY)

Written by KATHYRN & STUART IMMONEN
Penciled by DAVID LAFUENTE & STUART IMMONEN
Cover by STUART IMMONEN

Patsy Walker, S.H.I.E.L.D. wants YOU to join the Initiative...and protect the frozen north. You heard me right, sister.
The Klondike. Seward's Folly. Alaska. So pack some long johns and prepare for trouble. Plus, we all know Patsy Walker is Hellcat, so who's the other Hellcat? Find out in this four-part series, from the pages of Marvel Comics Presents. Collecting PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT #1-5 and material from MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #1-4.

152 PGS./Rated A ...$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3379-7

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Magik returns from Limbo in:

X-INFERNUS HC

Written by C.B. CEBULSKI
Penciled by GIUSEPPI CAMUNCOLI
Cover by DAVID FINCH

When last we saw Darkchylde, she had claimed the throne of Limbo as her own. And now she's determined to get her soul back, even if she has to conquer Earth in the process. Can the combined forces of the X-Men stop her rampage? They'll have to fight through every demon in Limbo to try. Plus, get the whole story of Magik's exciting return to the Marvel Universe with X-MEN: RETURN OF MAGIK and the X-INFERNUS SAGA!
Collecting X-INFERNUS #1-4, X-INFERNUS SAGA and X-MEN: RETURN OF MAGIK MUST HAVE.

152 PGS./Rated T+ ...$24.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3947-8
Trim size: oversized



In Stores: Jun 17, 2009

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Doctor Strange and the New Avengers make appearances in:

FALLEN SON: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA HC

Written by JEPH LOEB
Penciled by JOHN CASSADAY, DAVID FINCH, ED MCGUINNESS,
JOHN ROMITA JR. & LEINIL FRANCIS YU
All New Cover by ED MCGUINESS

Where were you when Captain America died? Perhaps you were listening to the radio or reading the morning paper. Maybe you were surfing the web or on the phone with a friend. You were probably shocked, most likely thinking, "How could this happen to Cap?" And for a moment, you perhaps thought about all the ways the super soldier meant something to you. Something very real, very abiding. Fallen Son: Death of Captain America follows the reaction of the legendary heroes' best friends and closest comrades as they struggle to work through the emotions stirred by the loss of their ally, and the stages of grief that make them confront the part they may have played in that loss. This is their story. This is Cap's story. This is our story. The story of a Fallen Son and the world he helped make a better place. Plus, this edition also includes tons of never-before-seen extras!
Collecting FALLEN SON: WOLVERINE, AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPIDER-MAN and IRON MAN; and CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 plus extras from MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: CAPTAIN AMERICA REMEMBERED and the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE.

224 PGS./Rated T+...$29.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4128-0
Trim size: oversized

In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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DOCTOR STRANGE is the Master of the Mystic Arts in:


ESSENTIAL DOCTOR STRANGE VOL. 4 TPB



Written by ROGER STERN, DON MCGREGOR, RALPH MACCHIO, CHRIS CLAREMONT, BILL KUNKEL, DAVID MICHELINIE, J.M DEMATTEIS & GARDNER FOX
Penciled by TOM SUTTON, RICARDO VILLAMONTE, ALAN KUPPERBERG, RUBY NEBRES, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, GENE COLAN, DAN GREEN, WALT SIMONSON, AL MILGROM, WENDY PINI, FRANK GIACOIA, JOE RUBINSTEIN, BOB WIACEK, TOM PALMER, KERRY GAMMILL, MICHAEL GOLDEN, MARSHALL ROGERS, TERRY AUSTIN, PAUL SMITH, BRENT ANDERSON, HOWARD CHAYKIN & DON PERLIN
Cover by PAUL SMITH

Dormammu, Ikonn, Tiboro, Ningal, the Dweller in Darkness, names to conjure with...literally! Yet they're only a few of the occult enemies who confront Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, challenged by Baron Mordo, the Eye Killers, and sorcerers from across the world and throughout the dimensions! Weirdness awaits in the Realm of the Shadowqueen and an unfallen Roman Empire, but with Nightmare and D'Spayre around, the human psyche may be the deadliest battleground of all! Plus the mystery of Murdoch Adams, Monster Hunter! With the Man-Thing, Brother Voodoo, and Namor the Sub-Mariner, plus the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the Howling Commandos! Featuring rare horror work by genre legend Howard Chaykin!
Collecting DOCTOR STRANGE #30-56; CHAMBER OF CHILLS #4 and MAN-THING #4.

564 PGS./All Ages ...$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3062-8




In Stores: Jun 24, 2009

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=============

Whew!
That seems to be it for this month.
If you see anything that interests you, be sure to pick it up when it ships.

If you like any of the Collected Editions, a kindness of ordering through my Amazon links would be greatly appreciated.
Heck, check them out for anything you might be looking for.

-------------

Feel free to discuss these solicits in the comments section.

(all new comic cover images yoinked from Marvel.com)

-------------

So, once again, my friends... I'll see you... in the future...

Monday, March 23, 2009

The Sorcerous Sauce...

The past few weeks have been brutal.
Replace Doc's bottle of Vodka * with one of Bourbon, and that's me there **.

* Don't worry. He doesn't take the drink.

**I however, will. ***
I may even imbibe out of my Doctor Strange toon tumbers.

*** I'll avoid driving my sports car into a tree though ****...
The likelihood of my hooking up with a centuries-old Tibetan monk and his teaching me the mystic arts is pretty slim.

****Even slimmer than the chances that I would even HAVE a sports car.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

ROM : Spaceknight - The Legacy
Is ROM one step closer to a RETURN?

While flipping through some comics a week or so ago, I was checking out the contents of this "comic":

*click to make more eeevil*
Dark Reign Files : Know Your Foes

It's your basic database style reference comic; in this case showing the various baddies that are currently active in the Marvel Universe.

The pretense is that it is Norman Osborne's reference logistics about each of these villains, and what the powers/ threat level / allegiances / expendability for each may be.

Among the list is THIS entry:

DIRE WRAITHS!

Notice the direct name-check of ROM in the text!
Prior to this minor notation, the closest there has been within the past decade to an actual admission that ROM even existed in the Marvel Universe was by referring to him as some alternate title like; "Greatest of the Spaceknights", but almost never directly by name.

Now, perhaps it's just a thorough researcher / editorial assistant / editor who decided that a mere mention of these baddies and their chief enemy wouldn't violate any legal rights / copyright rigamarole...

OR

Perhaps, it's somehow ties in with the fairly recent development that HASBRO has filed for more permanent rights renewals to a certain silver Spaceknight
(the details of which previously blogged about HERE)...

AND

The fact that Hasbro is kissing cousins with Marvel, since they are producing most of Marvel's toys and action figures...

AND

that even some rare / obscure / long-lost-to-the-mists-of-time characters are being made into 3D plastic idols of joy... to the point that some of the action figure releases have been precursors to complete revivals of certain long-unused characters...

SO

Could it be that a return of ROM is on the horizon?
With the successes of Marvel's space and cosmic heroes again, the stars may have aligned themselves to bring about the right time for...


...the RETURN of...

ROM : SPACEKNIGHT!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Comic Review:
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #9

------------------------------



Hello again, Dimension-hoppers!

I'm just going to do one major review tonight, and have a few quick review-type bits of other recent comics at a later date.

Today we'll look at:

Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes # 09
(Featuring Doctor Strange)

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I'll be tackling this one as a solo entry, because I have the most to say about it.

I'll recap by pasting the information for the issue that I posted (HERE) back in December '08, when this issue was solicited (and then, I'll continue with current thoughts):

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"GENERAL ALL-AGES" DOC appears yet again in:

MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES # 9


The Story: A PENNY SHORT IS A DAY SAVED: In a time long gone, the Ancient One fought a tremendous battle against the Dread Dormammu, ultimately banishing the ruler of the Dark Dimension back to his own reality by power of a mystically binding contract. Unfortunately for Dr. Strange, that mystical contract is hundreds of pages long, and the Dread One has now found himself one nasty lawyer, and a whole lot of loopholes. Dr. Strange is going to need all the mystical might he possesses, along with the legal prowess of one Mr. Foggy Nelson, Attorney At Law, in order to send Dormammu packing, or maybe just to stay alive!
All Ages …$2.99
In Stores: Mar 11, 2009

I gave a very good grade in my review of the PREVIOUS "All-Ages-Doc" appearance, in # 05 this mag
(read it if you wish, HERE).
All I can say is that the solicit for this new issue seems JUST as full of possibilities for FUN as the previous one. And it's by the same great creative team:
COVER BY: ROGER CRUZ
WRITER: PAUL TOBIN
PENCILS: JACOPO CAMAGNI
INKS: NORMAN LEE
COLORED BY: GURU-EFX
LETTERED BY: DAVE SHARPE

So... I have nothing but good feelings about this one.
Probably not something I'd want in a "canon" tale (Foggy Nelson; Interdimensional Lawyer? Really??), but for a fun romp... why not?

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That was the original solicitation and then my thoughts on it.
The solicitation text is still fairly accurate. Some minor changes were made to the issue - the title for starters (for reasons that will be obvious once you've read the issue).

Now titled; "Contractual Discombubulations", it seems as though it may have been an alternate offered due to possible editorial fiat (since the solicited title is a big "SPOILER").

It isn't just the new title that seems randomly inserted.
With what seems to me to be some poor characterization, it's almost as if Paul Tobin wrote a perfectly serviceable Spider-Man tale, then realized that the deadline was for a Doctor Strange story instead, and just decided to swap the names and basic plot points to better "fit" Dr. Strange.

Much like my reaction to their last go-round with Dr. Strange in the Marvel Adventures Super Heroes title, this issue is an entertaining, yet uneven story, both in writing and artwork.
However, the story, predominantly the "big fight" portion does give forth some new and interesting uses for Strange's magic and also offers some good visuals while doing so.

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Allow me to post a few pages so you can get a feel for it.

*Click pages to enlarge*

and a few pages later...


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OK. I'll start with the overall tone of the writing.
Let me just state (as I did for my - otherwise positive review of the prior Dr. Strange appearance in issue # 05 of this title [HERE] - a comic that actually WON my "Best of 2008" Sanctum Award [HERE]) that the seemingly perceived need to have "all-ages" versions of the classic Marvel characters behave in an overly "young" manner is just plain wrong-headed.

I started reading comics when I was fairly young, in the 01970's and Doctor Strange comics back then were heady and intellectual stuff.
Kids today are supposedly much more intelligent (or so I've been told) and are more likely to be able to appreciate writing that isn't dumbed down.

As stated, this felt like it was written for any number of other, more lighthearted, characters.
Spider-Man, for instance. Doctor Strange, especially as a part of his origin (even here in this incarnation) is that he's a former world-class surgeon, who has studies the mystic arts for decades... wouldn't speak or behave like a teenager. And yet, here - he does.

It's not just him, either.
EVERY character speaks much the same way.

The newly youngified "Jason" Wong is the "Asian Rick Jones" of the book.
Sadly, however, when discussing matters of mental acuity, art appreciation and the sorcerous capacity of squirrels, "Jason" Wong comes across as the much more enlightened and learned mystic - even though, we know (from issue # 5) that (in this all-ages Marvel Universe) both He and Stephen, together, studied with the (now still very much alive) Ancient One.
So, if they BOTH studied at the same time, and Stephen is the "Sorcerer Supreme", WHY is he seemingly less apt than "Jason" Wong?

The story does make mention that, while Wong is not a mystic master, he is good at "the research end of things".
Still, a practicing Sorcerer Supreme should be just as knowledgable (if not moreso - due to the practical usage of the knowledge) than a studious non-adept.

One of the first points to strike me as characterization missteps was having Strange not seem to "get" abstract art. I can understand that art appreciation is a subjective thing, and that no two people feel the same, or even see art the same way. That said, for a character like Stephen Strange, who walks the worlds of abstract landscapes (and most likely even has to think in abstract ways for the more effective application of spell casting), to have him NOT understand abstract art seems myopic. A nice "bit" of "characterization", but just NOT for Stephen Strange.

Even Dormammu; Dread Lord of the Dark Dimension, speaks and acts less like an all-powerful demonic entity and more like a sitcom character.

Perhaps in the most telling manner... the ONLY character in the issue who behaves in an adult (and slightly malevolent) manner is Dormammu's attorney.
(Lawyers... seemingly evil no matter WHAT universe they inhabit.)

One way to have made this issue infinitely better (and more appropriate in feel and tone), since this issue does utilize the trappings of magic, might have been to use a "young" magic-user, instead of Dr. Strange. CLEA, for instance, would have been perfect, as she was handled quite nicely in a similar type of "all-ages" tale in King Size Spider-Man Summer Special #1 , not coincidentally, also written by Paul Tobin.

Still, it's not all bad news here.
There were some good points to the story.

  • The opening scene at the Guggenheim Museum, while poorly written from a characterization point of view, was nice to see as a locale. It helped give the tale a real-world feel. (Although, having Strange walk about in the museum and on the streets in his full costume was a bizarre choice.)
  • Dormammu being treated as a powerful entity who shrugs off most of this still-wet-behind-the-ears Strange's spells was a welcome aspect to the character. One not seen in many a year. Strange being able to only hold his own for seven seconds was an interesting way of letting the reader know that his only way to defeat the superior foe would be through intellect (or luck).
  • The flashback scene of Dormammu battling the Ancient One was the highlight of the issue.

    Honestly, that was the only part of the comic that got my full interest - my pulse noticeably getting a "bump" while seeing those panels.
    What may have gripped my attention at first is that the artwork and coloring, in that scene, took a dramatic turn for the darker and more realistic, as opposed to the brightly lit candy-colored pages that represented the "present".
    From a writing point of view; that the A.O. was able to battle strongly against Dormammu for several weeks is a testament to the proper treatment of a true Sorcerer Supreme - especially of a character who is usually shown as a frail, waning old man.

    I could definitely find myself looking forward to reading a comic (or perhaps a series of back-up stories) about the adventures of an "Ancient One" in his prime. *

    Still, a mere TWO panels is all that flashback garnered, yet those two panels were the stand-out point of the entire issue.
  • The Ancient One explaining to Strange that the reason Strange couldn't hold his own is due to only studying for decades, while he, even before he was "ancient" had thousands of years under his belt. That's a much longer time-frame than he enjoyed in the "616" universe (being alive only 600 years or so there), but a nice admission that experience doesn't come quickly.
  • The Mindless Ones.
    No matter HOW they're portrayed - and HERE they're Dormammu's giant, red-hued minions (not his stone-grey bane as in the "real" M.U.) - I just love them.
  • The Artwork.
    Jacopo Camagni's pencils and
    inks by Norman Lee while not what I would consider "perfect", were indeed interesting and intricate. Much like their outing in issue # 5, the art in this issue also had varied inconsistancies. Some pages are strong and definitive, while others are whispy and tentative. It isn't as if the art line-widths were reflective of the action on their repective pages, since some strong action scenes had weak lines and vise-versa.

    The coloring by Guru-EFX
    may have been to blame for obfuscating much of the line-art.
    Their special effects colors are dazzling and well handled, and as I mentioned earlier, the panels of the Ancient One's battle with Dormammu were beautifully colored. However, much of the rest of the book was far too bright and cartoony.

    Still, if you like that in your comics, then kudos... you'll love the look of this book.
  • The cover.
    Cover artist Roger Cruz delivers a beautiful rendition of the mystic master.
    While the scene depicted has absolutely no bearing on the story within, it is a pin-up worthy piece of work. I also like that it addresses one of my nit-picks from Doc's last appearance in this title; that he would be best depicted drinking tea instead of a Starbucks-type styrofome cup of coffee. The levitating tea-set is much more appropriate.
    As a tea-drinker myself (never really liked coffee), I approve whole-heartedly.
  • The "continuity".
    The returned mention of the "Gnarian Orb" (last seen and mentioned in issue # 5 of this series) seems to be an item of power that will be brought up again in a future issue and most likely have a big story-line built around it. I liked the use of this "MacGuffin" in subtle ways and can only hope that the big pay-off is worth the repeated foreshadowing.

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Anyone reading this review is going to walk away wondering just how I feel about it, since I offer both negative and positive aspects to the tale. Honestly, I'm of mixed mind to it.
It's unneveness is apparent, and hard to reconcile since this is a work by professionals.
Paul Tobin is, normally, an excellent writer. He does bring a cornucopia of good concepts to the story, as well as some interesting new "rules" for the magic (of Dormammu - due to the convoluted nature of his contract with the Ancient One), however, it is exactly those "rules" that, all-too neatly provide the all-too convenient solution to the threat of Dormammu.

With a contract with thousands of pages and clauses delineating the "rules of engagement" in complex and convoluted ways to better thwart the Dark Domain's overlord from gaining access to our world, the Ancient One was able to keep his nemesis away from Earth for hundreds of years - at least until Dormammu consults - a lawyer.
Clauses like "Dormammu can only perform magic while standing next to a red convertible" or "Dormammu must eat a hot dog if it is a Wednesday" are cute little hoops through which he must jump in order to conquer this world. Dormammu's lawyer has found a precise path of loopholes through which the conqueror can navigate, but it is exactly one of those loop holes that Dormammu so conveniently messes up and Strange and his legal team (and the reader - in a fashion like the child mysteries of "Encyclopedia Brown") are able to point to as the fatal misstep of the villain.

To me, the primary failing of the comic is the unnecessary treatment of Strange, a former world-class surgeon and a decades-long practitioner of the mystic arts, as an inexperienced youth. It's really that the visual of a 50+ year old man and the 20-something way he speaks are incongruous to each other.
That's not to say that it doesn't happen in real life. No one said that an adult man can't behave like a young man (as I can readily attest), but for someone like Doctor Strange, an "odd" personality is a much better avenue to take than a "young" one.

So... while this issue won't be winning my "Best of" Sanctum Awards next year (except for possibly the handling of the Ancient One in flashback - I mean... WOW.), it did have a few points to keep me hanging on, in hopes that the next installment will be a little better and/or offer forth a more proper overall handling of Strange.

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* Yes. There have been a few tales of a "Young Ancient One" scattered out through the years - first starting in the early issues of Strange Tales, then in a few back-up stories and finally, in an aborted story that was to have been continued in Marvel's 2nd go at the "EPIC" line.
There's a wealth of material just waiting to be mined there.