• John Carter first appeared in comic book format with The Funnies #30-56 (Dell, May 1939-June 1941). Unfortunately, these comics have never been reprinted. I hope that with the rejuvenation of the character that these classic tales will again see the light of day.

• Carter next appeared in 1952-53, again, under the Dell umbrella in Four Color Comics issues #375, #437, and #488. Jesse Marsh was the artist on the three books and he was no stranger to Burroughs’ work having been on Tarzan for many years. All of these comics have been collected by Dark Horse with the title of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars: The Jesse Marsh Years in January 2012.

• Dark Horse has also collected earlier comics with John Carter Of Mars: Weird Worlds. These stories were originally published in Tarzan #207-209 (1972) and Weird Worlds #1-7 (1972-1974) both series were published by DC Comic and done by Marv Wolfman, Murphy Anderson, Gray Morrow, Sal Amendola and Joe Orlando.

• John Carter Warlord Of Mars Omnibus (Marvel), $99.00, is being released today! This book collects the entire Marvel run, #1-28 and 3 Annuals that ran from June 1977-October 1979. Among the many creators on this series were Marv Wolfman, Peter B. Gillis, Gil Kane, Carmine Infantino, Larry Hama and Dave Cockrum. Please note that Dark Horse released the very same Marvel comics in a Black & White, 632 page, Trade paperback in February, 2011 for $29.99.

• In 1996, Dark Horse teamed up Burroughs’ heroes in the four issue series Tarzan/John Carter: Warlord of Mars by Bruce Jones and Bret Blevins. As far as I can tell, it has not been collected.

More recently Dynamite Entertainment began publishing several new series, they include:

• Warlord of Mars, the first two issues of this series is a prelude story and then issues #3-9 adapts A Princess of Mars. Issues #10-12 is an original story. Volume 1 TP collects #1-9, $24.99.
• Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris, is set 400 years before A Princess of Mars and focuses on her rise to power of the Kingdom of Helium. Volume 1 The Colossus Of Mars TP, collects #1-5, $16.99 and Volume 2 Pirate Queen of Mars TP collects #6-10, $17.99.
• Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom is set 100,000 years before A Princess of Mars. The final battle continues as the Green Hordes overwhelm the last stronghold of the White Martian Empire. Volume 1 collects the 5-issue series, $19.99.
• Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars is another upcoming series. I’m unsure of where this story takes place in the Dejah Thoris continuity, but it looks to be a follow-up to her first self titled series. Issue #1 is expected in April, 2012.

• Dynamite isn’t the only publisher to issue new material. In 2011 Marvel did John Carter: The World Of Mars, a 4-issue prequel to the movie by Peter David and Luke Ross. There was also a new 5-issue adaptation of John Carter: A Princess Of Mars by Roger Langridge and Filipe Andrade. Both trade paperbacks are in stores now and are $14.99 each.
• But Marvel is not done with our hero! Starting in March, there will be John Carter: The Gods Of Mars a 5-issue by Sam Humphries and Ramon Perez. This looks to be a sequel to the original Burroughs books as John Carter is transported back to Barsoom! Thanks to Roger Langridge on my oversight of the new Marvel Comics.
• John Carter was also adapted into a Sunday color comic strip. It only ran in for 69 weeks and in only four newspapers, debuting in The Chicago Sun on December 7, 1941. John Coleman Burroughs, son of Edgar Rice Burroughs, wrote and illustrated the strip. Sadly, this series is uncollected, however all are available to read online.

Finally, Disney Press is also releasing today new printings of the all 11 original novels:

• Collected John Carter Of Mars Volume 1 SC; Published from 1912-1914, A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars, $16.99
• Collected John Carter Of Mars Volume 2 SC; Published from 1916-1930, Thuvia, Maid of Mars; The Chessmen of Mars; The Master Mind of Mars; and A Fighting Man of Mars, $16.99
• Collected John Carter Of Mars Volume 3 SC; Published from 1934-1943, Swords of Mars; Synthetic Men of Mars; Llana of Gathol; John Carter and the Giant of Mars; and Skeleton Men of Jupiter, $16.99
• John Carter The Movie Novelization SC; This adaptation not only gives readers an amazing novelization of Disney’s upcoming John Carter film, but also the original text of A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, $9.99

When I was in high school I read the first two Barsoom tales, A Princess Of Mars (1912) and The Gods Of Mars (1913). I will be going to the movie due out March 9 and perhaps I’ll go back and read all 11 novels - probably on my Kindle.

Let’s first look at the series breakdowns:

• RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo

• MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke

• COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones

• DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes

• NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert

• OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee

• SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

• BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE –  Featuring the work of various writers and artists

• CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR (2 page back up in all 35 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: John Higgins.

Deluxe Hardcover
DC is all about the Deluxe Hardcover collected edition these days.  The upcoming Batman: The Black Glove will be 384 pages/$39.99. Under this plan we would have a 3 volume set to collect the entire series. What comics would be in which hardcover (or trade) remains to be seen. I doubt we will see the “DVD extras” that will be in the Absolute, but you will get your fair share. I think this format will be the first one we will see in 2013.

Trade Paperback
Without a doubt the most affordable route would be to buy Before Watchmen in softcover trades. DC could collect each series individually. Let’s assume that all comics will be 30 pages/$2.99. That means:

• Five 4-issue trades; 120 pages each
• Three 6-issue trades; 180 pages each
• One  Crimson Corsair/Epilogue; 100 pages (70 pages/30 pages)

Sounds great, but I doubt this will be the case. That’s just too many trades (9 total) and DC Comics is not going to charge $11.99 for a 4-issue book when you could get so much more money if you combine them. More likely is the possibility that DC will collect it like this:

• Three 10-issue trades (One 4-issue and One 6-issue); 300 pages; $29.99 each
• One 9-issue plus Crimson Corsair storyline (Two 4-issue, Crimson Corsair/Epilogue); 340 pages; $29.99

Why $29.99? Again recent DC history gives us this price point. Resurrection Man TPB is 336 pages/$29.99 so it seems like a good place to start. However, DC has also released new editions of Batman: Knightfall which is roughly 652 pages/$29.99. But that’s too much Watchmen for too small a price for brand new material.

Either way I am excited for Before Watchmen. Not all of the comics, but most.
And it has nothing to do with JMS.

I welcome your comments.

The questions beckon – Why were we wrong? Why aren’t these cheap paperbacks a thing of the past? The answer may lie between now and the future. The major majority of comic book collectors are just not ready to move full on to digital. Yes, iPad and tablets are increasing in sales and so many more comics are going to a day-and-date release schedule, but I’m not talking about the monthly periodical comic. I’m talking about the softcover trade of recent material.

If anything I predict that the monthly book will live in cyberspace and the subsequent storyline will get packaged as a digital collected edition. Think of it in terms of a song on iTunes. Sure you can buy a song at a time, but it’s more affordable if you buy the album.
With that said, there’s no need for a publishing house to print the trade. Now the hardcover and special editions are something different. This is more like a Netflix model. You can easily download the movie (trade paperback) but if you want the extras, you’ll have to buy the 2-disc Blu-ray (Absolute).

I also must reiterate that I think DC, Marvel and others will still publish older material in the trade format IE Showcase Presents, Marvel Classic trades and softcover 6×9 Omnibuses – at least for now. Truly, though, what the market will bring is anyone’s guess. We still have newspapers and CDs and I really don’t want to live in a world where everything is digital. But thinking of it in terms of a comic book publisher it makes more sense to weed out the old format and make way for the new.

When will this take place?
I don’t know.
Be sure to check back in 5 years.

Chris Marshall of the Collected Comics Library and Matt Moring of Altus Press join Ric to talk about comic trade paperbacks and hardbacks.

I’d like to thank Ric for having me on his show! It’s been two years since I was last on.

I’d also like to thank Matt for the Marvel Saga pic that you see here (FYI, it’s for sale – $40, contact Matt via his site and tell him I sent you). Matt has several homemade Archives and Masterworks and a wonderful collection of trades and hardcovers. Please visit his great company Altus Press featuring Pulps of yesterday and today.

This podcast episode originated on the The Book Cave podcast. And please excuse Ric’s audio. Thx!

Every day we are getting more and more information on the DC “reboot” coming in September. Most of the titles have been announced (both officially and unofficially) as well as the creative teams. What struck me is the reintroduction of many characters for a new generation of readers such as Voodoo, Grifter, Resurrection Man, Swamp Thing, John Constantine and to a certain extent Captain Atom, Firestorm and Mr. Terrific. That got me thinking that I don’t even know a lot about these characters (or have forgotten) and that’s why I think this is a perfect opportunity for DC Comics to bring back Who’s Who series of comics to help all of us understand these “new” characters and their surroundings. I’ll say this, Marvel certainly has been the forerunner in this category for the past few years releasing periodic updates to the Marvel Handbook with a focus on the major Marvel events and the live action movies.

Also, on the show today, I go over what titles I plan on picking up (so far) and some great upcoming releases from DC Comics and Dark Horse including BPRD: Plague of Frogs HC Volume 2!!!.
Cheers!

Chris

PS Early in the show I guess that Tim Drake would return as Red Robin in the Teen Titans. Glad to know I was right!

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

Every day when I look at my books, I’m reminded of the wonderful words and art that has been published throughout the years. But I’m also reminded of the packaging of these comics; hardcover, softcover, oversized, regular sized, digest, thick or thin, you name the format and it’s sitting before me. As a man on the go, I can’t always take my Omnibus with me and sometimes one trade paperback isn’t always enough to satisfy me if I’m held over at the airport, getting my car fixed or lounging in the backyard. I, like you, can read 128 pages at a good clip and being that the majority of the books I read are from DC and Marvel, I think it’s high time they offer us readers a new format, but one that’s been in circulation for sometime and one that I’m very fond of – the 6×9 inch softcover.

Dark Horse and IDW have been publishing these handy trades for a few years now. Not only do they have more pages then the standard, but for the amount of comics you get they usually come at the very affordable price of $24.99 and perhaps best of all they are heavy duty and can take a beating. I dive into this topic and tell you what comic runs would be a great trial for this format.

Also on the show today, a quick Motor City Comic Con wrap up , my adventure at the Thor movie and the return of Shipping and Product changes.

Cheers!

Chris

Links of note:
Collected Editions Blog – Trade Perspectives: DC August 2011 Solicitations: JLA and other concerns

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

106.2 Mb; 147m 36s

This week on the podcast I sit down with comic book historian and writer, Chris Irving for a candid discussion about all things comics. From Marvel and DC reprint projects to digital comics and movies we even touch on current happenings. I’ve known Chris for a few years now but never had the chance to talk to him at length. He is a wonderful and very knowledgeable person and I am so glad he took the time out of his very busy schedule with Hermes Press and Graphic NYC to join me.

Chris

Links of note:
Chip Kidd’s Glass Books via The Comic Archives

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

This week on the podcast I continue my look at classic comic strips with Peter Maresca of Sunday Press Books. The aptly named company has been reprinting Platinum Age, turn-of-the century, newspaper strips for a few years now and has an excellent reputation of reproduction. Maresca comes on the show to talk about his love for this special time period of comics and the wonderful library he is amassing, including Little Nemo In Slumberland, Krazy Kat and Sammy Sneeze, just to name a few. We also talk about how helpful the late Bill Blackbeard was to Sunday Press Books.

I want to thank Peter for taking the time to come on the CCL Podcast!

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

Today on the podcast, I celebrate the fact that the DC Archives are not dead, as we have evidence of Lois Lane Volume 1, which is due out in December. I go over a bit of the publishing history of Lois and her Silver Age comics that are reprinted in the Showcase Presents: Superman Family series of books.

Also on the show I talk a little bit about the Eisner’s and one category in particular: Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. I try to answer the question: just what is Comic Book Journalism? I can be misunderstood, especially in this day and age of instant information and headline reporting.

Lastly, IDW officially solicited the log awaited Star Trek Movie Omnibus. Originally slated for November 2009, it was held back so it could contain the recently complete adaptation of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It will collect all six Original Series movies as published by three different houses. Should be a good one!

Cheers!

Chris

Links of Note:
iFanboy – Missed Eisner Nominations
The Weekley Crisis - Eisner Award Nominations for 2011
Comic Books Circus eBay page

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

Wouldn’t you know that I go record my six year anniversary podcast and it turns out that I get a bad sore throat. Not to worry, it’s a quick show today as I go over some collected edition news from IDW, DC, Marvel, Fantagraphics, Flesk, Boom, and Dark Horse (and even more) that has caught my eye and is worth commenting on.

I want to thank everyone who has come by this blog and downloaded a podcast from the past six years. It truly means a lot to me and your support keeps me going from week to week.

If you are gong to C2E2, please let me know, I’d be happy to meet with you.

Chris

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