Looking back this was a week to remember in the world of comics. We lost the great Joe Simon, a man that everyone who has read, whether they know it or not. We also lost Ed Barreto, at a young age of 57 and last week Jerry Robinson died. A somber week, indeed.

Comics must go on though and when it comes to DC Comics, there is no sign of stopping. Two major announcements this week with Absolute Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison and Absolute Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War. The latter of which I have a few issues with – or should I say, the lack of issues!

I also talk more recent comic books with X-Men. That’s right, I read X-Men for the first time in several years. I get down to business with the Schism hardcover and just where Wolverine, Cyclops and the rest of the mutants may be heading with Regenesis, X-Sanction and Avengers Vs X-Men.

All this and Bob and Doug McKenzie.
Merry Christmas, hoser.

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

It’s always fun to deviate from he traditional review of a comic book collected edition. Today is such a show as I take a look at all of the DC Comics Animated movies, what storylines they are adapted from and where you can find them in print. I even go over the movies that are in production and the proposed and canceled ones, too.

Also on the show Pre-Watchmen, fun with Marvel Comics solicits and Showcase Presents: Ghosts – The Mis-Print Edition!

Movies and Books talked about:
Green Lantern: First Flight and Emerald Nights
New Frontier
Batman: Gotham Knight and Deadshot (Secret Six)
Superman/Doomsday
Batman: Under The Red Hood
Superman/Shazam
The Spectre
Wonder Woman
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
All-Star Superman
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and JLA: Earth 2
Batman: Year One and Dark Knight Returns
Jonah Hex
Catwoman
Justice League: Doom
Superman vs. The Elite
Flash
Aquaman
Green Arrow
Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War
Teen Titans The Judas Contract

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock
Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

Lots to go over on today installment of the CCL.
First up I question the timing of a Press Release from Image regarding The Nightly News Anniversary Edition HC, it’s a conspiracy theory is epic proportions. Next, I talk about the New 52 Trades and Hardcovers that will be coming out all year long in 2012. The Flashpoint trades will also be coming out in Q3, but oddly enough there is no Road To Flashpoint trade paperback in the mix. There’s also a lot of great reprints coming out from IDW’s Library Of American Comics imprint including announcements of Bloom County sequels Outland and Opus! Strange happenings with Marvel’s Avengers: The Children’s Crusade HC – not only is there a $5 price hike but it is also moved back on the schedule by 6 weeks! Finally, I go over Hal Jordan’s many origins and wonder if there are too many and just how much tweaking should there be for new readers – and movie goers.
Chris

Links Of Note:
Collected Editions Blog: DC’s New 52 Trades and Hardcovers
Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock
Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally get back to DC Comics and there is a lot to cover:

• T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Archives Volume 7: The new DC Comics solicitations came out just a few days ago and this book took me by surprise, but I guess now it make sense. For years DC has been after the rights to publish new T-Agents comics and now since, shall we say, curator of the Agents John Carbonaro is dead, DC did got their wish. The official solicit of this book states, In the mid-’80s, classic 1960s heroes The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents returned for Wally Wood’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1-5. That is true however they returned for 4 issues, under the direction of Carbonaro and before this David Singer 5-issue run.
• Legends Of The DC Universe: The now classic 41-issue run has never been collected in its own set of trade paperbacks and it’s doubtful it ever will. However, there is a bit of hope, DC is reprinting certain issues in their DC Comics Presents line of books. You know them, they are the $7.99, 100 page monthlies. It’s not how I would do it, but it’s good to see this series is getting another go around.
• There’s a set of three classic Green Lantern Corps trade paperbacks that came out in conjunction with Blackest Night. The first is Green Lantern In Brightest Day (2008) and all the stories collected were hand picked by Geoff Johns. DC capitalized on this with Tales of the Green Lantern Corp Volume 1 (2009) and Volume 2 (2010). A closer look a the latter two books and you’ll notice that they collect some of the same material that was reprinted in the Johns trade. It’s unclear why DC did this. I just hope DC learned their lesson because I hate when companies repackage the same material in different books with releases dates so close to one another.
• Lastly, is the feature at hand: The Spectre. This is one of the most iconic and powerful characters in the DC Universe. Subsequently he his one of the hardest to write for. Add another iconic character to the mix, Hal Jordan, and you have a big bowl of what the hell do we do now? When Hal took over as the Spectre it was a very controversial decision. Not only did they bring Hal back from the dead, something that many people did not want (IE Barry Allen), but many fanboys didn’t know their DCU history and thus had to learn just who the Spectre was. Thankfully Jay Garrick, Ted Grant, Alan Scott and the rest of the JSA were around to help sort things out. But the character became lost in his own series and couldn’t establish a past or present. Lucky for us, Geoff Johns came around and took Hal out of his misery (literally) and planted the seeds for his Rebirth as Green Lantern. Oddly enough Hal’s run as the Spectre, including his first appearance in the Day Of Judgement event, has never been collected. But could that change?

All this including the New Releases of the Week.

Thanks to Mike McLarty @MrDystopia for the Spectre suggestion!

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

DC Comics is underway with their big summer event Blackest Night. Today on the show I look at two recent trade paperbacks that not only feature members of the Green Lantern Corp, but Corps members who are playing pivotal roles in said event. Including a few that are confirmed Black Lantern Corps members. One has to wonder if the stories that were chosen for Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: In Brightest Day (Volume 1, 2008) and Tales of the Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2, 2009) were done so by design or if it’s just coincidence. We also take a look at what Geoff Johns had to do with these books, and Alan Moore and the Green Lantern prophecies that he foretold, too.

Just a quick caveat before you listen to this podcast, this is a follow up to the Around Comics Blackest Night Podcast that is did earlier in the week (Monday July 29). You may want to listen to that round table discussion first.

As for news, there isn’t much to go on this week, just that’s no surprise. Comic Con 2009 starts today with Preview Night and I’ll be gathering and Twittering all the Collected Edition news and information I can find. Next week for CCL Podcast #230, I’ll go over it all in detail.

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.
Links of Note:
Todd Klein on Green Lantern Corps TP
Todd Klein on Green Lantern Corps TP 2

An All-Star panel of comics podcasters assemble to discuss the first issue of the the year’s most anticipated event. Join Chris and Sal as they welcome Collected Comics Library’s Chris Marshall and The Comic Book Queers Stevie D. for an in-depth conversation of DC’s Blackest Night. The episode rounds out with e-mail from China, voice mails from Fester and Ted from Indiana and a look at The Punisher, 20th Century Boys and Geek Speed Dating.

Featured Music by Beck

Official Around Comics Website

• It’s always nice to find a new collected edition review blog: Graphic Novel Hovel.
• For all you X-Men fanboys, Klint Finley, Renegade Futurist, has a neat look at Evolution of the mutant in popular fiction.
• Timothy Callahan, CBR When Words Collide, takes a look at 20 collected editions coming out this summer. On his Blog, Tim mentions this site. Thanks Tim!
• Ron Richards, iFanboy Podcast, dives into the mailbag this week and talks about the difference between Marvel Masterworks and Marvel Essentials and mentions this site. Thanks Ron!
• Fantagraphics has a sneak peak at the upcoming Blazing Combat. A must have for me!

Collected Comics Library Podcast #185

36,454Kb; 38m 37s

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

Looking at the feedback I received from last weeks episode, many of you enjoyed the surprise and the change of pace. My thanks again to Rosh and Dean of the Prosperous Artists Podcast, and while I’m at it thanks to 11 O’clock Comics, John Mayo and Comic Book Page and Michael Eury for coming on the TwoMorrows Tune-In Podcast. It’s been a non stop tour this past week and I’m gracious to have been involved.

This week’s installment of the Collected Comics Library Podcast is one that is a long time coming – all three hardcover volumes of the Green Lantern epic saga: The Sinestro Corp War. These collected editions are nothing short of spectacular. Not only is it a fun read through the GL mythos, but the packaging and extras are splendid and the pricing is very affordable. This series will draw in past Green Lantern fans (like myself) and gives non GL fans an opportunity to get on board at exactly the right time. I also go into a bit of the hidden history of where the Sinestro Corp was born – the strange mind of Alan Moore!

The news this week is plentiful including a new romance and sci-fi collection of Ogden Whitney, the International edition of Watchmen, Noble Causes Archives Volume 2, Preacher, HBO and the fate of a new collection, and the second (not the first) round of Softcover Marvel Masterworks. All this including shipping and product changes and the New Releases of the Week.

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Chris

Discuss this topic on the CCL forum

Collected Comics Library Podcast #182

36,080Kb; 38m 13s

http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

It’s been in along time in the making, but it’s finally here – my big DC New Frontier Podcast. Today on the show I go over everything that is involved including The Absolute, the 2-Disc DVD and the New Frontier Special. All the contents, all the extras and even the action figures, Solo #5 and more! If you are a fan of Darwyn Cooke and New Frontier this is the episode for you and heck, even if you’ve never read it, this is for you, too. The New Frontier is part of the new classics that DC has been publishing and it is not to be missed.

Also on the show today, I go over Dark Horse’s new upcoming Four Volume Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery Hardcover Editions and two new Marvel Must Haves: 1985 and Kick-Ass both of which are coming out September 3rd. All this plus the New Releases of the Week.

I should also tell you that I’m off on vacation next week, so no Podcast, but I’ll still be Blogging. In the meantime you can catch me at the TwoMorrows Tune-In Podcast and Comic Book Page with John Mayo.

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades, Forbidden Planet International (UK), and Library Binding Company.

Chris

Links of note:
DC Comics Official Site for Absolute New Frontier
Warner Bros. Official Site for New Frontier DVD