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PREVIEWS: 07/2009 *By Your Pal Dennis* What's up with the heat? *Your Pal Dennis* suggesting that you get you get your bad self to The Comic Gallery, where we've got great books, cool stuff, and Air Conditioning! This month, we're putting the Big Four on the back burner and focusing on the multitude of great Alternative and Independent Publishers found in the September issue of Diamond's Previews Catalogue. Some of they you may know...others may be on the fringes of your memory...and some may make you say, "I really gotta' check that out!" Let's get started! AARDVARK-VANAHEIM GLAMOURPUSS #10: Dave Sim, creator of "Cerebus the Aardvark," shows off his vast knowledge of comic book history in this bi-monthly publication. Of course, with Sim at the helm, you know there'll be plenty of humor as well. ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS TITANIUM RAIN Vol. 1 Hardcover: Everyone's worst fears have come to fruition—a nation's civil war has become a global conflict, threatening our survival. This futuristic tale of war and sacrifice is by San Diego creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha (who shop at our store!) A thought-provoking storyline combined with amazingly realistic art. BLOOMSBURY THE SECRET SCIENCE ALLIANCE AND THE COPYCAT CROOK: Acclaimed young adult writer Eleanor Davis and boyfriend Drew Weing present a tale to be enjoyed by every kid who thought he was different. Julian Calendar thinks he can lose himself at a new school...but finds kindred spirits in two other Secret Scientists as they work together to save a museum from an evil genius. Ms. Davis has earned much praise from fellow authors, and is the recipient of the Geisel Honor award for her book, "Stinky." BOOM! KIDS DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS; MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS; UNCLE SCROOGE; WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES: With Gladstone publishing getting out of the Disney franchise, it was possible today's youth would miss out on a comic book staple since the 1930s. Thankfully, Boom! has stepped in and picked up the Disney license for a new generation. These books will feature both classic tales as well as material that was previously published only in Europe. DESPERADO PUBLISHING OBERGEIST: THE ESSENTIAL EDITION: A disturbing tale of atrocity and redemption finally collected in one hardcover volume. Dan Jolley and Tony Harris present the story of Jurgen Steinholtz, a scientist in the employ of Adolph Hitler, directed to create supernatural, telepathic Nazi soldiers. At the moment of his death, the tables are turned on him, and he must make a moral choice to atone for his sins. A powerful and disturbing tale. THE HERO INITIATIVE THE WOLVERINE 100 PROJECT: Want to help out struggling comic creators but aren't sure how to go about it? Buying this book would get you started. The Hero Initiative is a non-profit organization created to provide a safety net for creators who might need a little financial help. Last year, THI presented THE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 100 PROJECT. This book is similar, and features 100 different covers created for Wolverine: Weapon X #1. This is the only time the book will be printed, so dig deep and help a brother out! TITAN PUBLISHING TANK GIRL: SKIDMARKS: Originally created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin, this tale of an apocalyptic Australia has seen its ups (damn great story and art) and downs (Lori Petty, anyone?) Now, Alan Martin adds Rufus Dayglo to the mix as the new artist for our hero, her tank, and her kangaroo/boyfriend, Booga. You need to read this book! NEW ENGLAND COMICS THE TICK! He's Back! Ben Edlund's famous blue superhero returns to comics in November. Created in 1986 to parody the hero archetype, The Tick stands for all that is good and decent in our world. If you've followed his adventures in the past, you'll enjoy this new series. If you've never read a single tale, then this is a great jumping-on point. And if you've seen the TV show, we bow to your superiority. FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE: If you're a fan of trash and exploitation cinema, then this is the book for you! Jacques Boyreau presents a collection of classic grindhouse movie art, direct from their VHS cases. From splatter to horror, from drug wars to women in penitentiaries, this collection even comes in simulated VHS container. All right—let's get to the meat and potatoes of our catalogue. Here's a brief selection of new and key items coming from the Big Five: DARK HORSE COMICS DR. HORRIBLE: Zack Whedon presents the origin of the title character from Josh's web-movie. AGE OF REPTILES: Ricardo Delgado returns to the land of the dinosaurs. GROO—THE HOGS OF HORDER: Groo wanders—and creates economic destruction! DEADLOCKE: A young man deals with his demons in this adaptation of the YA novel, Venomous. SW: THE THRAWN TRILOGY HC: 420 pages of Star Wars goodness! Collecting the three Zahn graphic adaptations, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. CREEPY TRADING CARDS: Classic covers from the Warren magazine. IMAGE COMICS IMAGE UNITED: Original creators revisit their original creations in this six-issue jam comic. Each Image celebrity draws his own character in every issue, making this a jam book to end all jams! HAUNT: Kirkman and McFarlane team up on a new project. COVER STORIES—THE ART OF GREG HORN, Vol. 2: The amazing digital artwork of Horn collected in a new volume. PTA NIGHT HC: The soup is alive, the janitor is a werewolf, and the dead are rising. Just a typical night at Austintown Middle School. MARVEL COMICS DARK TOWER—THE BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL: Peter David, Robin Furth, and Jae Lee continue their award-winning adaptation the tales of Roland Deschain. THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ: Shanower and Young return to OZ with Jack Pumpkinhead and Tip. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612 AND UP: Mark Waid has Spidey running "The Guantlet" against Max Dillon—Electro! DARK REIGN—THE LIST One Shots: Osborn goes after his problems one by one in this eight-issue series on one-shots. BLACK WIDOW—DEADLY ORIGIN: Follow Natalia Romanova through her shadowy past in this series, just in time to see her in the new Iron Man movie. DEATHLOK: The new origin of Luther Manning: cyborg, ultimate fighter, Demolisher! DOCTOR VOODOO: The mantle of Sorcerer Supreme has been passed to Jericho Drumm. STRANGE: And what of Stephen Strange? How will he find enlightenment and purpose? REALM OF KINGS: Spinning out of the "War of Kings' storyline. Medusa is now queen of the Inhumans, which leads to all sorts of problems, both courtly and interstellar. DARK X-MEN: Dark Beast, Mystique, Mimic, and Weapon Omega—the public face of mutants in an Osborn world. S.W.O.R.D: Henry Gyrich plans to rid Earth of all aliens. Can Agent Brand and Hank McCoy stop him in time? PUNISHERMAX: Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon keep the blood flowing in this new, not-for-the-squeamish series. POWERS: Bendis and Oeming get started on a new chapter in Det. Walker's life. 'Bout freakin' time. DC COMICS BLACKEST NIGHT: The dead continue to rise throughout the DCU. Watch for special Blackest Night tie-ins all month long. BONUS: look for your chance to own the various Lantern rings! AZRAEL: The Knight of St. Dumas returns in his own series. SUPERMAN—SECRET ORIGIN: Six issues from Johns and Frank that explore more of Clark's hidden past before he became Superman. BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL: The Man of Bronze meets the Dark Detective, leading into a limited series by Azzarello, Noto, and Morales. THE GREAT TEN: The super-functionaries of the People's Republic blast out of 52 into their own book. LOBO—HIGHWAY TO HELL: Who might be angry at Lobo this time? Could it be......SATAN? ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH: GL gets the Absolute treatment. VICTORIAN UNDEAD: Holmes and Watson vs. the walking dead! THE CHILL: Crime fiction novelist Jason Starr brings an original graphic novel to Vertigo Crime. CINDERELLA—FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE: The name is 'ella...Cinderella. Fabletown's secret agent takes on mundies and fables alike. GREEN LANTERN BUILD-A-STATUE: A three-part statue featuring Hal, John, Guy, Kyle, and Alan, along with a couple of Oans and a Manhunter. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! You know the place to be in 2009 is The Comic Gallery—celebrating our 30th year in business. So, what are you waiting for—a personally engraved invitation? Come on in and indulge your inner geek.

PREVIEWS: 07/2009
By Your Pal Dennis

What's up with the heat? Your Pal Dennis suggesting that you get you get your bad self to The Comic Gallery, where we've got great books, cool stuff, and Air Conditioning! This month, we're putting the Big Four on the back burner and focusing on the multitude of great Alternative and Independent Publishers found in the September issue of Diamond's Previews Catalogue. Some of they you may know...others may be on the fringes of your memory...and some may make you say, "I really gotta' check that out!" Let's get started!

AARDVARK-VANAHEIM

GLAMOURPUSS #10: Dave Sim, creator of "Cerebus the Aardvark," shows off his vast knowledge of comic book history in this bi-monthly publication. Of course, with Sim at the helm, you know there'll be plenty of humor as well.

				ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS

TITANIUM RAIN Vol. 1 Hardcover: Everyone's worst fears have come to fruition—a nation's civil war has become a global conflict, threatening our survival. This futuristic tale of war and sacrifice is by San Diego creators Josh Finney and Kat Rocha (who shop at our store!) A thought-provoking storyline combined with amazingly realistic art.

				BLOOMSBURY

THE SECRET SCIENCE ALLIANCE AND THE COPYCAT CROOK: Acclaimed young adult writer Eleanor Davis and boyfriend Drew Weing present a tale to be enjoyed by every kid who thought he was different. Julian Calendar thinks he can lose himself at a new school...but finds kindred spirits in two other Secret Scientists as they work together to save a museum from an evil genius. Ms. Davis has earned much praise from fellow authors, and is the recipient of the Geisel Honor award for her book, "Stinky."

				BOOM! KIDS

DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS; MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS; UNCLE SCROOGE; WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES: With Gladstone publishing getting out of the Disney franchise, it was possible today's youth would miss out on a comic book staple since the 1930s. Thankfully, Boom! has stepped in and picked up the Disney license for a new generation. These books will feature both classic tales as well as material that was previously published only in Europe.

				DESPERADO PUBLISHING

OBERGEIST: THE ESSENTIAL EDITION: A disturbing tale of atrocity and redemption finally collected in one hardcover volume. Dan Jolley and Tony Harris present the story of Jurgen Steinholtz, a scientist in the employ of Adolph Hitler, directed to create supernatural, telepathic Nazi soldiers. At the moment of his death, the tables are turned on him, and he must make a moral choice to atone for his sins. A powerful and disturbing tale.

				THE HERO INITIATIVE

THE WOLVERINE 100 PROJECT: Want to help out struggling comic creators but aren't sure how to go about it? Buying this book would get you started. The Hero Initiative is a non-profit organization created to provide a safety net for creators who might need a little financial help. Last year, THI presented THE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN 100 PROJECT. This book is similar, and features 100 different covers created for Wolverine: Weapon X #1. This is the only time the book will be printed, so dig deep and help a brother out!

				TITAN PUBLISHING

TANK GIRL: SKIDMARKS: Originally created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin, this tale of an apocalyptic Australia has seen its ups (damn great story and art) and downs (Lori Petty, anyone?) Now, Alan Martin adds Rufus Dayglo to the mix as the new artist for our hero, her tank, and her kangaroo/boyfriend, Booga. You need to read this book!

				NEW ENGLAND COMICS

THE TICK! He's Back! Ben Edlund's famous blue superhero returns to comics in November. Created in 1986 to parody the hero archetype, The Tick stands for all that is good and decent in our world. If you've followed his adventures in the past, you'll enjoy this new series. If you've never read a single tale, then this is a great jumping-on point. And if you've seen the TV show, we bow to your superiority.

				FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

PORTABLE GRINDHOUSE: If you're a fan of trash and exploitation cinema, then this is the book for you! Jacques Boyreau presents a collection of classic grindhouse movie art, direct from their VHS cases. From splatter to horror, from drug wars to women in penitentiaries, this collection even comes in simulated VHS container.

				All right—let's get to the meat and potatoes of our catalogue. Here's a brief selection of new and key items coming from the Big Five:

				DARK HORSE COMICS

DR. HORRIBLE: Zack Whedon presents the origin of the title character from Josh's web-movie.
					
AGE OF REPTILES: Ricardo Delgado returns to the land of the dinosaurs.
					
GROO—THE HOGS OF HORDER: Groo wanders—and creates economic destruction!
					
DEADLOCKE: A young man deals with his demons in this adaptation of the YA novel, Venomous.
					
SW: THE THRAWN TRILOGY HC: 420 pages of Star Wars goodness! Collecting the three Zahn graphic adaptations, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command.
					
CREEPY TRADING CARDS: Classic covers from the Warren magazine.

				IMAGE COMICS

IMAGE UNITED: Original creators revisit their original creations in this six-issue jam comic. Each Image celebrity draws his own character in every issue, making this a jam book to end all jams!
					
HAUNT: Kirkman and McFarlane team up on a new project.
					
COVER STORIES—THE ART OF GREG HORN, Vol. 2: The amazing digital artwork of Horn collected in a new volume.
					
PTA NIGHT HC: The soup is alive, the janitor is a werewolf, and the dead are rising. Just a typical night at Austintown Middle School.

				MARVEL COMICS

DARK TOWER—THE BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL: Peter David, Robin Furth, and Jae Lee continue their award-winning adaptation the tales of Roland Deschain.
					
THE MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ: Shanower and Young return to OZ with Jack Pumpkinhead and Tip.
					
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #612 AND UP: Mark Waid has Spidey running "The Guantlet" against Max Dillon—Electro!
					
DARK REIGN—THE LIST One Shots: Osborn goes after his problems one by one in this eight-issue series on one-shots.
					
BLACK WIDOW—DEADLY ORIGIN: Follow Natalia Romanova through her shadowy past in this series, just in time to see her in the new Iron Man movie.
					
DEATHLOK: The new origin of Luther Manning: cyborg, ultimate fighter, Demolisher!
					
DOCTOR VOODOO: The mantle of Sorcerer Supreme has been passed to Jericho Drumm.
					
STRANGE: And what of Stephen Strange? How will he find enlightenment and purpose?
					
REALM OF KINGS: Spinning out of the "War of Kings' storyline. Medusa is now queen of the Inhumans, which leads to all sorts of problems, both courtly and interstellar.
					
DARK X-MEN: Dark Beast, Mystique, Mimic, and Weapon Omega—the public face of mutants in an Osborn world.
					
S.W.O.R.D: Henry Gyrich plans to rid Earth of all aliens. Can Agent Brand and Hank McCoy stop him in time?
					
PUNISHERMAX: Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon keep the blood flowing in this new, not-for-the-squeamish series.
					
POWERS: Bendis and Oeming get started on a new chapter in Det. Walker's life. 'Bout freakin' time.

				DC COMICS

BLACKEST NIGHT: The dead continue to rise throughout the DCU. Watch for special Blackest Night tie-ins all month long. BONUS: look for your chance to own the various Lantern rings!
					
AZRAEL: The Knight of St. Dumas returns in his own series.
					
SUPERMAN—SECRET ORIGIN: Six issues from Johns and Frank that explore more of Clark's hidden past before he became Superman.
					
BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL: The Man of Bronze meets the Dark Detective, leading into a limited series by Azzarello, Noto, and Morales.
					
THE GREAT TEN: The super-functionaries of the People's Republic blast out of 52 into their own book.
					
LOBO—HIGHWAY TO HELL: Who might be angry at Lobo this time? Could it be......SATAN?
					
ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH: GL gets the Absolute treatment.
					
VICTORIAN UNDEAD: Holmes and Watson vs. the walking dead!
					
THE CHILL: Crime fiction novelist Jason Starr brings an original graphic novel to Vertigo Crime.
					
CINDERELLA—FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE: The name is 'ella...Cinderella. Fabletown's secret agent takes on mundies and fables alike.
					
GREEN LANTERN BUILD-A-STATUE: A three-part statue featuring Hal, John, Guy, Kyle, and Alan, along with a couple of Oans and a Manhunter.

				And that's just the tip of the iceberg! You know the place to be in 2009 is The Comic Gallery—celebrating our 30th year in business. So, what are you waiting for—a personally engraved invitation? Come on in and indulge your inner geek.