AUGUST 2010 SOLICITATIONS

THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPER-HEROES TP
Written by PAUL DINI
Art and cover by ALEX ROSS
Between 1998 and 2003, Paul Dini, the Emmy Award-winning producer of Batman Beyond and The New Batman/Superman Adventures, joined forces with superstar illustrator Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME) to create six original graphic novels starring The World’s Greatest Super-Heroes:
• SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH
• BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME
• SHAZAM!: POWER OF HOPE
• WONDER WOMAN: SPIRIT OF TRUTH
• JLA: SECRET ORIGINS
• JLA: LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
Now, all six of these classic works are back in a new trade paperback that includes developmental art and more.
On sale SEPTEMBER 15 • 8.125”x11” • 400 pg FC, $29.99 US


ASTRO CITY: THE DARK AGE 2 – BROTHERS IN ARMS HC
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Art by BRENT ANDERSON
Wraparound cover by ALEX ROSS
In the concluding volume of THE DARK AGE, collecting BOOK 3 #1-4 and BOOK 4 #1-4, two brothers, one good and one evil, must deal with family secrets and social upheaval, involving heroes from Jack-In-the-Box to the Blue Knight and the unsettling events leading to the final fate of the mysterious Silver Agent. Find out why this era was so troubled through the eyes of two men who survived the its depths!
On sale OCTOBER 20 • 240 pg, FC, $29.99 US

BLACK TERROR #14
Written by ALEX ROSS & PHIL HESTER
Art by WAGNER REIS
Cover by ALEX ROSS
The mind blowing conclusion to Inhuman Remains is here.
The Black Terror battles his greatest foe when he comes face to face with Bob Benson, his own alter ego. To make matters worse, The Black Baron assembles a cadre of super villains to destroy both The Black Terror and Benson. But will any of them be spared the incalculable wrath of the goddess Pandora?
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +



KEVIN SMITH’S GREEN HORNET #6
Written by KEVIN SMITH
Art by JONATHAN LAU
Covers by ALEX ROSS (50%), JOHN CASSADAY (50%) & JOE BENITEZ (1-in-10)
We’re in the home stretch of the biggest superhero launch of the year as Dynamite continues to proudly present Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet! The dark forces that took the life of the original Green Hornet now set their sights on young Britt Reid Jr as he takes up his father's war on crime. With the help of the Kato family, Britt begins to grow into his role as hero. But a larger, more sinister game is afoot, one that could cost our new Green Hornet not only his life, but the lives of everyone in Century City. From the unproduced screenplay by fan-favorite Kevin Smith, featuring the careful hand of Phil Hester and artist Jonathan Lau! And check out the strong line-up of all-star covers!
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +

THE LAST PHANTOM #1
Written by SCOTT BEATTY
Art by EDUARDO FERIGATO
Covers by ALEX ROSS (50%), ALEX ROSS (50%), JOE PRADO (1- in-10) & FABIANO NEVES (1-in-15)
Forget everything you know about the Phantom as Dynamite, Alex Ross and Scott (Buck Rogers) Beatty present the ultimate tale of loss, redemption and revenge! This is THE LAST PHANTOM!
Redesigned with the utmost care by Alex Ross – who also provides incredible covers for the series (along with variants by Blackest Night artist Joe Prado and Fabiano Neves), the visuals of the Phantom pay homage to the old, while presenting the Ghost Who Walks for a whole new audience! And what better writer than Scott Beatty to enhance the vision as designed by Alex Ross?! Featuring the Dynamite debut of Eduardo Ferigato, The Last Phantom is the next must-read title from Dynamite!
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +

MY TWO CENTS: Nothing from Marvel except reprints, no action figures, only those 2 rocking collections, one for the oversized books and another for the latest chapter in the Astro City saga. Both look amazing. For Dynamite, I've said it before The Phantom designed by Alex is awesome. The Black Terror cover has an amazing perspective although the guy in it looks too much like Clark Kent. Finally, I really dig the color schemes Alex uses in those Green Hornet covers. Great stuff!

JUST IN: DC CHRISTMAS CARD

This is one item I have been waiting to add to my collection since I started collecting Alex Ross stuff but never had the opportunity to have it up till now. It has either been too expensive or they wouldn't ship it to my country, once I had even bought it cheap and it got lost in the mail and never got it in the end.
This card was a present to all DC employees for the 1997 holiday season and the image projects such warmth and love which is what this season is all about. This image was later re-used on one of the collector's plates from the Warner Studios store.

JUST IN: AVENGERS/INVADERS COMPLETE SERIES

Hi everybody! Check it out! I got a full run of the Avengers/Invaders mini-series from Marvel (including the sketchbook and variant issue 1) cheap at eBay (under US$10) and I love 'em. I'm already scanning the covers and will be updating the section of this series soon.Continue supporting this site, buy something from Amazon.com through this link. Thanks!

SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURES COMPARISON

Fellow collector and friend to this site, Mark from Vancouver, Canada has sent us these picture comparisons of all the 6 in. Superman figures Alex has designed. Take it away Mark...

"I just bought the latest batch of Series 2 Justice Society action figures, and they're all faithful to Alex Ross' character designs, but in particular I want to highlight the new Kingdom Come Superman, which in my opinion is the best Alex Ross style Superman figure ever:

- It stands free without the plastic base (Justice Series 1 Superman was fine but had a gimpy left leg)
- The body proportions are good (tall and sturdy, and not just a generic muscular body copied for any character)
- The face really looks like Superman in Kingdom Come - it's so good it should also please fans who like the classic Curt Swan style
- No flaws in painting the eyes (some of my old figures are cross-eyed or lack pupils)
- The new boot design, flesh tone, darker colors in the uniform, and redesigned cape are nice improvements

IMHO they nailed it this time. THANK YOU ALEX + THANK YOU DC DIRECT."
MY TWO CENTS: You're absolutely right Mark. This is the ultimate, the definitive version of Superman by Alex Ross. The JSA figure blows the other two completely out of the water.

What do YOU think? Sound off in the comments!

NEWS: ALEX ROSS' THE PHANTOM

Press release from Dynamite Entertainment

THE PHANTOM RETURNS WITH DYNAMITE!

Alex Ross shares his vision of The Phantom with comic book fans!

May 7, 2010 - Dynamite Entertainment, under license from King Features syndicate, returns The Phantom to comic books this August with Alex Ross at the creative helm, Scott Beatty scripting and Eduardo Ferigato on art in the ongoing series. With orders taken for THE LAST PHANTOM series deadline May 24th, now is the time for fans to reserve their copies!

As we begin the series, there is no Phantom. The historic line stops at Kit Walker the 21st, who has forsaken the mantle of The Ghost Who Walks and is enjoying a life with a growing family, while handling the day-to-day affairs of the Walkabout Foundation, a philanthropy created by one of the previous Walkers/Phantoms to help support charities benefiting Bengala, and the surrounding nations of continental Africa. The Walkabout Foundation was funded initially by pirate treasure from the very first Phantom's origins. The organization is symbolic of every young Walker's world-spanning journey from the Skull Cave to the "outside world," becoming educated and awaiting his destiny to one day take up the costume and crusade of the Phantom. Except that this Kit refused to take up the domino mask, rings, and Colt .45s of his father upon Kit Sr.'s death. Alex Ross' beautiful and dynamic vision promises to bring the concept of the Phantom to the 21st century, and it could not be in better hands.

"Being a fan of the Phantom for many years, I've had a vision for a long time of a stylistic change and a dramatic way of illustrating him," said Alex Ross. "Finally through Dynamite Entertainment and working with Scott Beatty, I'm able to fulfill this artistic concept and give a very personalized spin on one of the greatest superheroes of them all."

"Wearing the Skull Ring carries a lot of responsibility, for both Kit Walker and the writer chronicling his adventures," added writer Scott Beatty. "Lee Falk's Ghost Who Walks predates both Superman and Batman, and remains one of the most popular superheroes in the world. I'm already several scripts in on my run on THE LAST PHANTOM, and I can tell you that with every word I write, I know that the Jungle Patrol--its membership in the millions--is watching to make sure their favorite costumed hero is in good hands."

"The Phantom is one of the first ‘masked' heroes to come out of the 1930s," said Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. "This story is a passion project for all involved. Scott Beatty has worked with us to bring to fruition some of the crispest stories Dynamite produces, and Alex has been an integral part of the Dynamite family. Bringing on Eduardo Ferigato on art chores, whose execution is perfect for this story, with a grittiness that's near a ‘Mignola-esque' art style, we're ecstatic to have the team in place on on a series we're hoping to be a signature Dynamite series. "This is the journey of today's Kit Walker, who is working towards making the world a better place through the Walkabout Foundation. But, can he escape destiny? And where will this adventure bring him," said Barrucci.

The Phantom made its American debut as adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk (who also created Mandrake the Magician) and syndicated by King Features. through the years, King Features adapted the popular feature into many forms of media, including television, film and video games. It stars a costumed crime fighter operating from the fictional African country, Bengalla. The Phantom is the 21st in a line of crime fighters that originated in 1536, when the father of British sailor Christopher Walker was murdered during a pirate attack. The only survivor of the attack, Christopher was washed ashore on a Bengallan beach, and swore an oath on the skull of his father's murderer to dedicate his life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice, with his sons and their sons set to follow him. Making a costume based on the image of an old jungle idol, he became the Phantom. When he died, his son took over the role of the Phantom, and so the mantle would be passed down to new generations, leaving people to give the mysterious figure nicknames such as "The Man Who Cannot Die," "Guardian of the Eastern Dark" and "The Ghost Who Walks," believing him to be immortal. Unlike many fictional costumed heroes, the Phantom does not have supernatural powers of any kind, but relies on strength, intellect and his reputation of being an immortal ghost to defeat his opponents.

VIDEO: ALEX ROSS INTERVIEW ON WGNTV

 
Thanks to fellow collector Jeff Dzurovcak for the tip.