Hello Gosh fans! No Tom this week, so you’ll have to make do with little old me.

It’s only fitting, however, that my first highlight for the week is Tom’s first comic, Suitcase Nuke: an hilarious strip book which tackles such hard hitting topics as dancing to Wang Chun and what really lurks behind the Golf Sale signs. I highly recommend this first outing from our own Tom Crowley (as he must now be bolded). It’s not only a barrel of laughs, but he’s a highly talented artist. Get in at the ground floor now, so when he’s famous you can flog them online.

Marvel have not one, but five Ultimate books out this week. We’ve got Ultimate Fantastic Four, (featuring guest Aspen artist Tyler Kirkman), the final issue of Orson Scott Card’s Ultimate Iron-Man 2, Ultimate X-Men (Robert Kirkman introduces Ultimate Onslaught & Stryfe), Warren Ellis’ Ultimate Human, and last but by no means least Ultimate Spider-Man (with gorgeous art by Stuart Immomen.) Over in the regular Marvel Universe, Secret Invasion hits Ms Marvel and New Avengers (featuring art by Kabuki’s David Mack) this week. Secret Invasion #1 hits next week, so expect big reveals in both! Meanwhile, Ed Brubaker starts his new arc on Daredevil this week, where Matt Murdock picks up the pieces after Mr Fear’s assault on his life.

What DC lack in volume this week, they make up for in sheer quality, including the latest issue of arguably the best superhero comic currently being produced, All Star Superman. As ever we’ll be treated to a lovingly crafted tale of the Man of Steel, with Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely producing some of the best work of their careers. Both Green Lantern and the Legion of Superheroes feature the beginning of new story arcs this week. In the future the Legion have to deal with the menace of the Life-Eradicator, while dealing with problems within the team. Green Lantern delves into the secret origin of Hal Jordan, and promises to reveal the secrets behind Abin Sur’s death, and his obsession with the prophecy of the Blackest Night. If you’ve not been reading Geoff Johns’ run on this title, I can highly recommend picking up the trades. He’s revitalised Hal Jordan along with the entire Green Lantern Corps and cemented his place as one of the finest writers to have worked on the book.
Without doubt the star of the week is the final volume in the fantastic Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus series. Collecting the remaining New Gods, Forever People and Mr Miracle issues (in chronological order) this volume also features a restored version of The Hunger Dogs, Kirby’s conclusion to the saga. If that’s not enough, this volume features rare Kirby art from DC’s Who’s Who series. The Fourth World Omnibuses are a must for Kirby fans. It’s obvious how much time and effort has gone into these volumes, and the art looks amazing on the newsprint-style paper.

There’s a small crop of indie books this week. Dark Horse have the latest issues of Gilbert Hernandez’ Speak of the Devil, and Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. They’ve also got the long awaited collection of Peter Bagge’s Apocalypse Nerd, the story of a software engineer whose camping trip takes an interesting turn after Seattle becomes a smouldering wasteland. It being Bagge, expect equal helpings of laughs and gasps. Image this week brings the welcome return of Eric Larsen’s always-underrated Savage Dragon, as Dragon continues his search for his missing wife. Also of interest looks to be That Salty Air, a tale of one man’s obsession with the sea by newcomer Tim Sievert.

The Easter weekend has meant that comics news is a bit light on the ground. J Michael Straczynski has announced that he’ll be writing two ongoing titles at DC, one starting in the Autumn and other at the beginning of 2009. Though nothing’s been confirmed, he’s voiced a love for both the Flash and Superman.

American Flagg fans can breath easy. The long delayed hardcover collection of the Howard Chaykin series finally ships in July. As well as collecting the first fourteen issues of the popular 80’s series, the collection also includes an all-new 12-page story written and drawn by Chaykin.

Fans of indie classic Box Office Poison will be thrilled to hear that Alex Robinson’s new book has been scheduled for release in July. Too Cool to be Forgotten tells the story of Andy Wicks, a forty-something father of two who is transported back to his high-school days when a quit-smoking hypnotherapy session goes a little awry. Early word from the likes of Brian K Vaughan is very positive, so keep an eye out for it.

In comics movie news, rumours around Hollywood abound. Word is that Edgar “Hot Fuzz” Wright has found his Scott Pilgrim in Super Bad’s Michael Cera. For fans of the series this is good news, now here’s hoping the rest of the castings fits as well. Mark Miller’s latest series Kick-Ass has recently been optioned, with Matthew “Layer Cake” Vaughn tipped to write and direct. If the first issue is anything to go by, expect a gritty, ultra violent romp.

To make things a bit different this week we at Gosh thought we’d recommend not a comic, but a website! If you haven’t discovered it, Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed is one of the most enjoyable comics columns around. It deals with, you guessed it, urban legends of the comic world and finally shows the truth behind the story. Discover whether or not DC had planned to kill of Batman in Knightsend, whether Superboy was designed to look like Rob Liefield, or whether Marvel were planning a Ghost Rider/Casper the Friendly Ghost crossover. Hours of fun to be had.

And finally, it’s COMPETITION TIME! This week in honour of the one and only Jack “King” Kirby’s final Fourth World Omnibus, we’re giving away five, count ‘em, five copies of Image’s recent Silver Star collection. It’s easy to enter: simply comment on this post to answer the question below:

Which well-known writer/artist named his son “Kirby” in honour of his hero? A bit of a tough one, so here’s a clue: he’s something of a rare bit fiend.

First 5 people to comment with the correct answer win a copy of the Silver Star book! Please note that the judges decision is final and that it is the responsibility of prize winners to arrange collection of the prize within a period of 14 days, after which any non-collected prizes will be offered to the runner-up.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming…

- Matt

Hello everybody, and welcome to a somewhat unusual column, as first off I’m going to push a comic from last week! And a weird one it is too. Last week I gave Screamland #1 a slight mention out of mere curiosity, describing it as seeming ‘at once intriguing and utterly commercially suicidal’. It’s a very odd comic, for numerous reasons. It’s about the classic Universal monsters as though they were actors, struggling for work in today’s CGI-centric movie industry, and reads like a high-concept TV sitcom. More importantly – and I was genuinely surprised about this – it is flat-out excellent. It’s endearing, well drawn with a honed sense of design, and wittily written. Genuinely comic comics are few and far between these days, so please believe me when I say that Screamland #1 deserves the hype I’m giving it. Check it out or, if it sells out too quickly, back-order it; this is a writer / artist team that are deserving of some attention.

Marvel’s biggest release of the week is Thor #7, which begins the much-vaunted two-part run by famed cover artist Marko Djurdevic. How does it look? Well, the short answer is: a bit disappointing. The layouts are impressive and the colouring work (provided by Marko’s wife, Jelena Kevic Djurdevic) stands up to the series’ high standard, but I can’t help but feel that Djurdevic’s first non-painted internal work has been let down by an unsuited inker in Danny Miki. Had Djurdevic’s work had the smooth, clean work of regular series finisher Mark Morales laid over it, I suspect we would have seen a more satisfying final result. Still, don’t let my nit-picking put you off! The writing’s still spot-on, with some very memorable moments in an issue that manages to drive the over-arcing plot forward while retaining the series’ light touch and background sense of humour. And for those of you following the lead-up to Secret Invasion, your lucky number this week is Captain Marvel #4.

It’s a bit of a slim showing from Dark Horse, but worry not, as Image brings out the must-have Invincible #49, which I am especially happy about because I just managed to catch up with the back-issues. As such, I can now confirm that writer Robert Kirkman’s work on this series has not slipped in the slightest over the last several issues and his masterful grasp of interweaving storylines and a large cast of characters continues to provide superlatively rewarding reading. His recent issues of Walking Dead have shown that he can really pull off impressive change and surprising twists in his ongoing titles, so I think we can believe his hype about the lead-up to issue #50.

In shop news, don’t miss this week’s release of Joann Sfar and Lewis Tronheim’s excellent Dungeon Monstres Vol 1 paperback, featuring two guest artists – Jean-Christophe Menu and Mazan – chronicling the adventures of some of the fantasy series’ colourful supporting characters. Fans of pitch-dark humour will be glad to hear that we’ve finally secured more copies of the Sam and Max Surfin’ the Highway paperback. What’s more, Marvel has very proactively released an early second printing of Fantastic Four #554, the first issue of Millar and Hitch’s run. Some might say too proactively, as we’ve still got quite a few copies of the first printing in stock if you still want to grab the original. What’s more, for those of you wondering what on Earth Piq Magazine is, that’s the renamed and revamped anime & manga magazine Newtype.
This week, we’re sad to have to bring you the news of the passing of Dave Stevens on March 10th at the age of 52, succumbing to the leukaemia that he had battled for several years. Stevens was best known as the creator of Rocketeer, a character that first came to light in the early 80s, but whose high-spirited pulp tone was spiritually a product of the 30s. He staked out a patch of the industry early on in his career, with his high-detail pin-up styled illustration, and was much loved for it, having caught the eye of such luminaries as Jack Kirby and Russ Manning as early as the late 70s. Though his presence in the industry has waned in recent years due to his illness, his body of work has secured his legacy as both a writer and an artist and he will be much missed. Loving tributes have flooded in from across the creative scene, including from writer Mark Evanier, whose obituary of Stevens can be found here.

DC provided a chunk of news all at once this week via its Countdown to Final Crisis panel at the Wizard World LA expo. There was word of a new, separate Justice League title to run alongside the current Justice League of America devised and written by James Robinson, entitled, funnily enough, Justice League. Though no artist has yet been announced, Robinson spoke in detail about the new team and its motivations. The characters involved will include Hal Jordan – the Green Lantern – leading, and some somewhat less likely heroes such as Batwoman and ‘a 90-year-old man named Bill’. Huh.

However, the panel’s discussion wasn’t limited to continuity books, but also discussed the upcoming project of another panellist, Darwyn Cooke. Cooke is apparently slated to contribute at least one story to the upcoming second wave of Vertigo American Splendor comics, as well as at least one upcoming issue of Jonah Hex. The origins of the Jonah Hex story apparently come from an agreement Cooke made with the title’s writers, Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, that he’d only provide the artwork for a story which took the title character to Canada. Palmiotti and Gray delivered, so the Cooke issues will indeed be coming.

Advance word from writer Greg Pak about the fate of the stinger on the tail of World War Hulk: Skaar, Son of Hulk. Pak insists that he’s got big plans for the character in the vein of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk in the ongoing title. However, hottest news of late is that Ron Garney, whose excellent work can currently be seen in Wolverine, will be providing internal artwork indefinitely. There’s also word of a ‘dream’ cover artist circulating, though who it actually is remains under wraps for the time being.

And finally, it’s COMPETITION TIME! Yes, it’s the inauguration of our – for the forseeable future – weekly blog competition. It’s easy to enter: simply comment on this post to answer the question below, first person in is the winner! This week’s prize? One for all those Peter David fans out there: a complete set of volumes 1-4 of the new X-Factor hardcovers, plus the hardcover of the Madrox mini-series. That’s five hardcovers, free to a good home for those who can answer the question of the week. What question? This question:

During his initial run on X-Factor back in the early ‘90’s, Peter David wrote an acclaimed issue in which each of the team members has a chat with super-psychiatrist Doc Samson. #87 to be precise: it’s a great issue and well worth your time tracking down. But which of the creators was credited as the “Doctor of Gynecology” at the end of the issue?

First person to comment with the correct answer wins! Please note that the judges decision is final and that it is the responsibility of prize winners to arrange collection of the prize within a period of 14 days, after which any non-collected prizes will be offered to the runner-up.

Good luck!
- Tom

-Dave Stevens photo courtesy of The Beat

Hello and welcome to a week that sees publisher Dark Horse putting out comics like they’re going (even further) out of fashion! Included among these is the Pick of the Week, Serenity: Better Days #1, and don’t be fooled: while it may say Serenity on the cover, this is Firefly Season 2 through and through, set during the crew’s halcyon days of space pirate adventure. Sadly, creator Joss Whedon is only plotting, not fully scripting the issues, though he’s backed up by the very capable team that supported him on the previous Serenity series: Brett Matthews (on script) and Will Conrad (on upright bass). As a Firefly fan, I did have my grievances with Serenity: Those Left Behind, but chief amongst these was the somewhat rushed storytelling, covering about a season’s worth of plot in three issues. As such, I’m very keen to see what this creative team can do with the freedom of this new series.

DC’s most change-earning release of the week is, surprisingly, Superman Confidential #13. This is the second issue of teetering-ever-so-close-to-superstardom creators B. Clay Moore and Phil Hester’s run on the series, and for those of you who missed part 1, we’ve got copies left in the back-issues. It’s worth jumping on, as the arc so far has showcased Phil Hester on top form and B. Clay Moore’s deeply entertaining, proto-retro take on the character. Full of fun, explosions and giant mechanised toy soliders, just like Superman ought to be.

Another second issue to catch up on is Wolverine #63, the second part of Jason Aaron’s run offsetting the hellzaclawpoppin’ Canadian’s hunt for Mystique against their previous skirmishes through history. For those of you still hurting from Mark Guggenheim’s recent writing stint, let me assure you, this is a different league of material altogether. Ron Garney’s artwork goes far above and beyond his recent work on Amazing Spider-Man, and Aaron continues to cram each issue full of more action, adventure and cleverly-woven exposition than one would expect from the average X-book. Don’t just wait for Millar’s run – jump on early!

No catching-up required for Punisher #55, however, being as it is the first part of Garth Ennis’ final story on the title! This gritty take on the character has been the Max imprint’s most successful title, and it’s certainly the steady hand of Ennis that cemented the series as one of comics’ greatest treats. Given the strength of recent arcs, there’s no doubt that this final five issues, entitled Valley Forge, Valley Forge: The Slaughter of a US Marine Corps and the Birth of the Punisher, should provide a finale as grandiose as its title.

As previously mentioned, Dark Horse has brought a huge number of titles to the table this week (The Goon, two Star Wars titles and BPRD 1946 to name some of the more impressive), but Image’s efforts by no means pale in comparison! In addition to such mainstays as Walking Dead and Madman Atomic Comics, there’s the debut issue of a title that seems at once intriguing and utterly commercially suicidal. Screamland #1 tells the 21st century story of cinema’s Frankenstein’s Monster, scrabbling for work and distraction in a world of hi-tech CGI. Mad? Yes. But for that reason, worth having a look at! And speaking of mad, there’s also the new issue of Simon Spurrier and Frazer Irving’s Gutsville, after many months of waiting! Will wonders never cease?

The greatest happenings in comics are, as always, a-happenin’ within our very walls, as this week our sale has expanded! Stock clearing is a beautiful thing for the consumer, and our formerly measly £1 sale section has arisen once more, like the Phoenix, and now sees new life as the £5 or less sale section! There are some real treats to be had in there, too. So drop in and have a rummage, you won’t regret it!

This last week has also seen the beginning of an exhibition like no other! China Comics Now, set up by comics historian Paul Gravett, is an extensive gallery exhibition showcasing the latest and greatest in manhua art, and is running at the London College of Communication in Elephant and Castle until Friday 11th April. More information can be found at: www.paulgravett.com

Jeff Smith fans found reason to be guardedly pleased this week when it was announced that the film rights to his epic series Bone have been snapped up once again – this time by Warner Brothers. The producer, Dan Lim, is also working on the studio’s on-again, off-again Justice League movie. Early reports suggest that the film is either going to see the light of day as a fully-CGI cartoon or as a CGI-enhanced live action picture. It almost seems a shame, given Smith’s much-publicised love of traditional cel animation, but it’s a story that could well lend itself to adaptation in many forms if handled correctly. We say: yeah, why not?

Finally, those of you who have wondered if Marvel are ever going to do anything with The Eternals again after Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr’s splendid run last year can put your wondering minds to rest. Marvel have just revealed a brand new ongoing Eternals series to be written by up-and-coming father-son writing team Daniel and Charles Knauf and drawn by former Flash artist Daniel Acuña. Acuña can really bring good work to the table when motivated, and that certainly seems to be the case here, as preview internal art has been very impressive indeed. So, one to look out for in June!

Happy reading!
- Tom