karlson@dec-vlnvax.UUCP (01/19/86)
Just received my newsletter from "New England Comics". Some excerpts follow [reprinted without permission]: >> Please note that my comments will be preceeded by ">>" (if any), and that >> all exclamation and hype comes verbatim from the newsletter (they ARE in >> the business of selling comics). This includes "()". Some of this may >> have been printed/hinted-at/guessed/etc. elsewhere, but this (sort of) >> makes it official. Also, this note is LONG. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ NEWSFLASH: LATE BREAKING STORY! Another X-MEN Comic! Marvel has just announced the introduction of a new X-Men comic starting in May. Classic X-Men will reprint the early expensive issues of the new X-Men. But Classic X-Men will be a lot more than reprints. Each issue will have a ten page brand new "untold" X-men story set in approximately the same time period as the reprinted story. Each will also have a brand new cover drawn on an alternating basis by master artists Arthur Adams and John (Black Knight) Bolton. Format is 32 pages for $1.00 (like Marvel Saga). Classic X-Men #1 will reprint a ten-page excerpt of the very first appearance of the new X-Men in Giant Size #1. It will also include a BRAND-NEW 20 page story written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Bolton. The story will serve as a continuity link between the events that occurred in Giant Size #1 and X-Men #94. Thew new story in #2 will show how the friendship between Jean Grey and Storm began. #3 will be an untold tale of the funeral of Thunderbird (who died in X-Men #95.) +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ DREADSTAR to move to First! Big news from First Comics is that Jim Starlin will be bringing his very popular Dreadstar series to Frist from Epic. Dreadstar is the best seller in Marvel's Epic Line. Dreadstar #27 will be published by First and the title will continue to be bi-monthly. No reason was give for the change of publisher. One possibility is that First allows its creative people complete creative freedom wile Marvel exercises some control -- even at Epic. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ John Byrne will be leaving the Hulk with #320. Al Milgrom will be taking over. This is not doubt due to Byrne's recent decision to take over Superman at DC. At first, Byrne maintained that he would continue to do Fantastic Four and Hulk for Marvel while producing Superman. But recent announcements that Byrne would be involved in the production of all three DC Superman-related titles (including Action and DC Presents) made clear that Byrne would have to drop at least one of his Marvel titles. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ New titles appear -- Old titles die. That's life in the comics universe. The following titles have recently died or will pass away in the next months (with their last issue number): Omega Men 38 Best of DC Digest 71 Power Man 124 Indiana Jones 34 Micronauts 20 Thing 36 Neil The Horse 14 Black Zeppelin 6 Next Man 5 Planet Terry 12 Get Along Gang 6 Royal Roy 6 Wally The Wizard 12 Strawberry Shortcake 6 New Or upcoming titles: Activators 1 (Marvel) due Jan. 10 HeMan & MOTU 1 (Marvel) Jan. 10 Alter Ego 1 (First) Jan. 17 Young Astronauts 1 (Star) Jan. 17 Dynamo Joe 1 (First) Jan. 24 Electric Warriors (DC) Jan. 31 Hawkmoon (First) Jan. 31 Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters 1 (Eclipse) January Secret Doors 1 (Dimension) January Voltron 1 (Solson) January Death Of The JSA Graphic Novel (DC) Feb. 7 Dakota North 1 (Marvel) Feb. 7 Shadow 1 (DC) Feb. 14 Whisper 1 (First) Feb. 14 Blue Beetle 1 (DC) Feb. 21 Green Lantern Corps 201 (DC) Feb. 28 Dark Knight Returns 1 (DC) Mar. 7 Lords Of The Ultra-Realm 1 (DC) Mar. 14 Son Of Ambush Bug 1 (DC) Mar. 14 Roots Of The Swamp Thing 1 (DC) Mar. 21 Evengeline Special 1 (Lodestone) March +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Thundercats #1 was an instand nationwide sellout. Prices on the scarce copies have risen to as high as $15.00 on the West Coast. >> This is not a gag item! +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Howard Chayking has left American Flagg! as artist (he's still writing the title of course) but his future plans will keep him very busy. His Shadow limited series begins for DC on February 14. Chayking will follow up with a graphic novel for Marvel, entitled The Scorpio Connection. It stars Wolverine and Nick Fury in espionage and intrigue. (Due this summer at the EARLIEST!) Occupying Chaykin for the next two years will be Times^2. Times^2 is a set of three graphic novels released six months apart. Each will be self- contained but there will be story continuity between them. >> Times^2 (times squared) +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ George Lucas is planning a movie about Marvel's Howard The Duck. The movie will be live action, not cartoon, and Howard will be brought to life using sophisticated special effects technique. The movie is scheduled for summer 1986 release. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ We hear the DC has scheduled Watchmen to being this year. A twelve issue maxi- series, Watchmen will be written by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Wonder Woman's long running title has been cancelled but the Amazing Amazon will star in a four issue limited serioes drawn by Trina Robbins. Wonder Woman will return with her own title shortly thereafter starting with #1. Scheduled artist is George Perez. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ 1986 is Marvel's 25th anniversary...One top secret project is called "The New Universe" which involves the release of EIGHT new titles in the summer of this year! +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ >> Here's one for you Jerry! Alan Moore has completed writing a Batman Graphic Novel which DC plans to release later this year. The novel is tentatively titled Batman And The Joker. No artist has been assigned yet. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Tying in the current comet craze is a six-part Marvel limited serioes due to be released in April. The Comet Man is written by Billy Mumy who "oldtimers" will remember as Will Robinson in the Lost In Space TV program. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ DC will introduce a new Titans title sometime in the spring. Teen Titans Spotlight will be written by Marv Wolfman and will feature stories about individual Titans or small groups og Titans. Various guest artists will draw the book +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Captain America #318 begins a three-part series about the Scourge. The Scourge is a very mysterious character who has been bumping off minor criminals and villains in a number of Marvel comics during the last year or so. The reve- lations about who the Scourge is and why he's committing these murders will be found in Cap 318-320. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ First COmics will be reprinting the entire six-issue Elric series published by PC (Pacific Comics). the format will be a single graphic novel of about 180 pages and will cost approximately $14.95 +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Hawkman will be coming back in a regular monthly comic this spring. Written by Tony Isabella and drawn by Rich Howell. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Green arrow #200 leads to Green Lantern Corps #201 -- a new title and a new beginning for GL. #200 is a double-sized anniversary issue which sets the stage for the new title change. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ There will be an Index to The Crisis On Infinite Earths coming from the same people who did the Teen Titans Index, and the soon to be released Doom Patrol Index. The Index will contain information and details on what happened in Crisis including lists of who died and who was introduced, etc. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ An Elementals Special is scheduled for release by Comico in April. It will be drawn by Bill Willingham and is devoted to a serious discussion of child abuse. It will be on extra heavy paper and sell for $1.75