Ever since Comic Con in late July and thanks to Fantagraphics and IDW, there has been lots of talk of the EC line of comics. The talk heated up even more this week with the announcement of GC Press’ revival of the EC Archives started by Gemstone. Today on the show I straighten all out as to who is doing what. All projects are vastly different with much of the same material.

Also on the show I call out Marvel as it pertains to their most recent solicitations. There were blatant mistakes and I find it aggravating, amateurish and a bit humorous.

Finally there is news about Batman: Earth One, The Harvey Awards, a wonderful blog from The Comics Journal and Shipping and Product changes for Fantastic Four Omnibus by John Byrne Volume 1 you do not want to miss!

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The set will have the following:

• Two hardcover volumes per year (or roughly six months apart from each volume printed).
• $25.00 and 240 pages each (200 are the comics and 40 are the extra material).
• The first book release, Lost In The Andes, will collect the year 1948  (Fall 2011) and will be the 7th Volume. The second book, Only A Poor Old Man will cover 1952-54. Fantagraphics stated they want to start off with the best material and then go back and finish the series at a later time.
• The books will all be designed by Jacob Covey who has worked on Popeye, Dennis The Menace and Krazy Kat.
• The books will be slightly smaller then the standard comic book size.
• Every page will be be recolored, under the direction of Rich Tommaso, who is using the original comics as the color guide. You may recall Rich from his bestseller,  Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow (Hyperion Books, 2007).

There have been a couple of Disney reprint projects announced from Fantagraphics in recent months in including, Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse, which will also be out in 2011.

You also may recall that a similar undertaking of Carl Barks was announced by Gemstone three years ago. I blogged about the details in a post from March 23, 2008:

Also due out later this year is the first set (of 10) of the Complete Carl Barks Collection (Gemstone). Topping out at 960 pages and a cover price of $150, this set promises to deliver! ‘Remastered in more exceptional quality and color than earlier editions, the great tales of Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge McDuck, Gladstone Gander, and Gyro Gearloose are accompanied by a vast selection of archival rarities and fascinating new editorials by lifetime Barks scholar Geoffrey Blum. This initial boxed set includes Barks’ very first 1940s adventures, including “Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold,” “The Mummy’s Ring,” and “Pluto Saves the Ship!”’ This is due November 2008. Also, from Gemstone is the The Don Rosa Library Volume 1: 1987-1988 (December 2008, 208 pages $40). Restored, recolored, and furnished with numerous editorial features, here’s the first in a cracking, wakking Gemstone multi-volume series!

As you now know that never came to fruition and Boom! Studios scooped up the rights to Don Rosa.

All is now good in the land of the Mouse (and Duck).

• Solicits for DC, IDW and Dark Horse are all done and posted for your reading pleasure on the New Releases Page. Marvel will be up Wednesday afternoon. All the checklists will be updated by then, too.
• Speaking of Dark Horse, more information on the upcoming Beards of our Forefathers and The K Chronicles Omnibus books.
• Roy Thomas needs your help!
• Marvel To Publish Ultimate Collections In Spanish. Bueno!
• Top 100 Graphic Novels Actual–February 2008
• Review: Brendan Wright on Empowered Volume 3
• Reviews: Collected Editions Blog, on Blue Beetle: Road Trip TPB and 52, Volume 3 TPB