Gosh Blog! You don’t have to put on the red light. Those days are over, you don’t have to sell comics to the night!

Welcome back comic fans to the last blog of September. Evidently 2008 has been slowly eaten by Skrulls and Parademons, as it barely feels like there’s been a year.

But enough of my lamentations, to the funnybooks!

Image have a trifecta of goodness this week, winning the coveted Company of the Week crown with two new series and a collection. Their first missile of comics delight is Back to Brooklyn, the new miniseries from Garth Ennis and Jimmy Palmiotti, with art by Mihailio Vukelic. The comic follows Bob Saetta, who takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level when he goes to war with his brother: a crime boss who makes the Kingpin look like a member of Power Pack. It’s Ennis and Palmiotti, so expect violence to the nth degree, with a fair splattering of swears.

The second assault comes with another new series, Dead Ahead. This EC style mini by Clark Castillo & Mel Smith (with art by Alex Nino & Moose Baumann) is a survival tale about a fishing trip gone bad. Imagine this: you and your buddies have taken a little expedition in your Jaws style clipper, when a zombie plague hits. You’re stuck at sea, with provisions getting low. When all seems lost, a luxury liner sails into view. Seems like a dream come true, or is it…..A NIGHTMARE! (BUM BUM BUM!) Looks like Castillo, Smith, Nino and Baumann, are taking the tired zombie formula and are mixing it up a little.

Last and by no means least Image are taking a Mike Allred classic, and repackaging it into a beautiful 7 by 7 trade. For those of you who haven’t read Red Rocket 7, it’s a history of rock and roll, from its birth in the ‘50s right through to the new millennium, all told through the eyes of the seventh clone of a man from a distant world. This collection marks the tenth anniversary of this fantastic series, and it’s full of special features, including many rare illustrations. If you’re an Allred aficionado, or even a rock and roll fan, this is the book for you.

Previews of all the Image books here

Those of you who cried FUDGE or SHOOT at the pulping of All Star Batman #10 can now cry FUNK YEAH, as it ships on Thursday. See Batgirl pummel bad-guys, (but not grab them by their privates) and get called naughty names (that we will never see.) This is possibly the most insane Batman series ever created. Who’d have thought that we’d ever get treated to Frank Miller’s mixing of Batman and Sin City. So enjoy it kiddies, because one day Frank will be too big to treat us to his verbose Batness and swearwords.

I’ve often thought to myself, “I wish there were more female versions of my favourite Marvel Villains.” But never have we had a Kangrette, Doomra, or Venomgail. Thank god for Ed Brubaker, who this week introduces us to Lady Bullseye in the pages of Daredevil (I’d have called her Bullsarah, but what do I know?) Information on our new monochrome villainess is slim, but she’s a ninja, and might just have a link to the Hand. If you’ve not been reading Brubaker’s run on Daredevil, you are really missing out. His writing, along with Michael Lark’s dark and gritty art, have managed to outdo the fantastic Bendis run. I’d advise you to run and pick up the trades, so you can enjoy this new feminine fury (at least before Galactara appears.)

I’m sure it’s common knowledge, but Thursday is an international holiday: World Jeph Loeb Late Book Day. That’s right my lovelies (too personal?) both Hulk #6 and Ultimates Volume 3 #5 appear and finish their respective runs. In Hulk, we’ll hopefully find out who the mysterious Red Hulk is before the Green Hulk turns him into Black & Blue Hulk. In Ultimates, we’ll finally find out who murdered the Scarlet Witch as the scene is set for the coming Ultimatum. For fans of chunky superheroes with big chins and muscles, with Hulk art by Ed Mcguiness and Ultimates by Joe Maduriera.

Pop quiz, what do Avengers Initiative #17, Black Panther #41, New Avengers #45, Nova #17, Deadpool #2, Secret Invasion Amazing Spider-Man #2, She-Hulk 2 #33, Thunderbolts #124 all have in common? That’s right, they’re all Secret Invasion books! Ten points. Highlights include, Ant-Man against the Skrull Spider-Woman (Avengers Initiative), Jason Aaron and Jefte Palo making the coolest ever invasion story (Black Panther) and Brian Michael Bendis and Jimmy Cheung showing us how the House of M affected the Skrulls (New Avengers.) We’re heading into the home stretch of the Skrull incursion, so enjoy your bumpy green chins while you still can!

Dark Horse extend two of their best licences this week, with My Name is Bruce and a new Robert E Howard mini (Solomon Kane). MNIB is the story of my hero Bruce Campbell, as he’s mistaken for one of his heroic movie protagonists when a small town is plagued by a Chinese demon. This is the adaptation of Bruce’s cinematic directorial debut, and judging from the trailer it’s going to be a hoot! Hopefully one day I can go drinking with Bruce Campbell. That’s nothing to do with the comic, I just felt like dreaming. Preview here.

Solomon Kane (preview here) adapts Howard’s “The Castle of the Devil.” The story follows the vengeance filled puritan as he goes after the man responsible for a boy’s hanging: a baron with a cursed castle. Comedy and japes ensue, or dark and brooding tales of death and supernatural thrills; it’s all down to perspective. This series is written by Scott Allie, who was the original editor on Conan, with art by art by Mario Guevara and Dave “best colourist in the business” Stewart. If Conan is any benchmark, then this series could be fantastic.

Talking of everyone’s favourite loin clothed Cimmerian, Dark Horse collect the fantastic Hand of Nergal run from the ongoing series by Timothy Truman and Tomàs Giorello. Watch Conan battle a cursed supernatural horde, as he attempts to head back to his homelands. Our hero battles an ancient evil, as well as dealing with some unfinished business from his past. Dark Horse have done a great job on these Conan collections, and I beseech you to go back and read them all, by Crom!

If trades are your thing, then we’ve got even more amazing trades slotting into your bookshelves this week. First up we’ve managed to procure some copies of Absolute League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier. This oversized slipcased edition of the incredible original graphic novel by Messrs Moore and O’Neill, will look a treat next to your other Absolute Leagues. We’ve only got limited quantities, so jump on your airship now!

100 Bullets’ latest trade hits this week. Collecting issues 84-88 of the series, we see more members of the shadowy Trust fall as one old timer heads out of retirement to stem the flow of blood.

From Dark Horse, Abe Sapien’s first solo miniseries gets the collection treatment. Written by Mike Mignola, and featuring the art by Jason Shawn Alexander (Damn Nation, The Secret, The Escapists), the story features Abe’s first solo adventure for the BPRD, as he’s sent to collect the remains of an evil warlock. It being a Mignolaverse book, expect some nice extras.

The Papercutz Classics Illustrated line reprints the gorgeous Kyle Baker adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass. It’s a beautiful hardcover package, a steal at only £6.50.

And lastly, DC bring us the last collection of Darwyn Cooke’s stellar Spirit run. This volume is designed to sit perfectly next to your last Spirit Hardcover, and features the Sand Seref issue (which Frank Miller has adapted for the Spirit movie.) If you love your Cooke or Eisner, then this is the book for you!

News time!

It’s the fourth and final week of the Siegel House auctions, and you’d be silly not to take a look. Judging from last week there’s some bargains to be had, and best of all you’ll be helping to preserve a piece of comics history.

Paul Gravett, the author of the NEO award-winning book Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics, invites you to discover secrets behind the most dazzling Manga creators and characters on 23rd October (7pm to 9.30pm) at the St Albans Centre, Leigh Place, Baldwin Gardens, London, EC1N 7AB.

Paul will ruminate on all aspects of Manga, from the best book to get started with, how the genre has become so popular, and how you can enjoy the books to their fullest. Tickets at £10 and available in advance from http://www.paulgravett.com/events/talks/talks.htm.

We at Gosh have been sent news on our friend Dan McDaid. You may remember Dan’s fantastic strip in Doctor Who magazine. Well, Dan informs us that not only is he writing the ongoing strip for the long haul at DWM, but he also has two pages in the next Popgun anthology. They’re preview pages for his and Glen Brunswick’s “Jersey Gods” (which is out February of next year.) You heard it here first!

That’s all folks!
Matt.

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Gosh’s weekly pick’n’mix of joy and delight. It’s a medium one this Thursday; that is, unless you’re a DC fan!

Superman fans can both rejoice and cry at this: Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’s tour de force All Star Superman comes to its titanic end with the much-anticipated issue #12. The Man of Steel has completed his twelve super-challenges, but Lex Luthor’s now super-powered. What will become of the dying hero, especially with Solaris, the aptly described “tyrant sun”, helping his arch nemesis? This will be sadly missed, and here’s hoping that DC see sense and make an absolute version of their best ever Superman book.


In an unusual move on the Gosh blog, we’d like to point towards some action figures in this week. To complement the end of All Star Superman, DC Direct bring us four All Star figures all based on the designs of their respective artists. Expect Batman, Superman, Super-Lois and All-Sweary Batgirl. From the pictures these look like some of the best figures the company has produced yet.

Action Comics finally appears this week (after being initially pulped due to Supes enjoying a beer on the cover) with the penultimate chapter of the Brainiac Saga. The evil Coluan mastermind has set his sites on Metropolis for his city collection. Can Superman save the day against this scarily beefy alien? This run is the prequel to the New Krypton event that hits the Super-world in a couple of months.

Another Super-book worth checking out is the hardcover collection of Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale’s Kryptonite story from Superman Confidential. The story tells of Big Blue’s first encounter with Kryptonite, as well as Lois Lane’s first post Superman crush. This story is some of Sale’s best work, and Cooke’s handling of classic Superman is up to New Frontier standard. This is a definite must for any fan of Superman or the previous works of either creator.

The other pulped book appearing this week is DC Universe Decisions. Timed to coincide with the American election season, Judd Winick, Bill Willingham and Rick Leonardi pit hero against hero, as they’re forced to put aside their political affiliations to catch a killer. Though not much is known about the book (other than it was destroyed for having a Condoleezza-a-like) the two writers have proven their skills over the years. And with a trusted artist like Leonardi handling art chores, it could be worth a look.

Vertigo introduce us to the greatest British super team of all time in Greatest Hits. Written by David (Bite Club) Tischman with art by fan favourite Glenn Fabry, the story follows The Mates, from their humble beginnings in the 1960s through the next four tumultuous decades. Imagine the Rolling Stones’ Shine A Light, but about a British super team.

Well it’s Wednesday, which means its time to talk about how much we love Jason Aaron. He’s dreamy. This week regular artist R.M.Guera returns to Scalped for the beginning of a new arc. This run focuses on Chief Red Crow and Dino Poor Bear, two characters on polar opposites of the reservation’s food chain. Will Red Crow change his murderous and violent ways after the death of a friend? Will Dino head down a dark path to make a better life for himself? Don’t expect a happy ending. Mr Aaron also treats us with the latest chapter of his Ghost Rider run. After last months pulse-pounding issue, Danny Ketch has set fire to the house containing the entire history of the Spirit of Vengeance. Johnny Blaze is after answers, so expect an epic throw down. To compliment the fantastic scripts, Tan Eng Huat is doing the best art of his career. Who’d have thought Ghost Rider could be one of Marvel’s best books? There’s a reason Gosh loves the work of Jason Aaron, so pick some up!

Marvel have a few other gems this week. Firstly Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin bring us two silver-age styled tales of the Golden Guardian in Age of the Sentry. This series, featuring art Nick Dragotta and Ramon Rosanas, kicks of with the origin of the Sentry and a battle against the Mad Thinker! For fans of artists like Mike Allred, Darwyn Cooke and Dave Bullock (who provides covers with Michael Cho) this book is well worth a flick through. I imagine it’ll be a thoroughly satisfying read, as each story will be self-contained. Parker’s work usually injects some fun and joy into comics, and I have high hopes for this.

The Incredible Hercules starts its third arc this week, just as its first hits trade paperback. Originally spinning out of World War Hulk, the series is written by Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak and follows Marvel’s favourite rebel demigod. He’s joined by young genius Amadeus Cho as they cause havoc across the MU. The best thing about this series is the manner in which it uses its mythic source material. Hercules’ character is immensely flawed, desperate for redemption and greatness, but unfortunately his prideful, boisterous personality too often gets in the way. At first people worried that this was a strange move changing from Hulk to Herc, but the title is quickly proving its worth. The similarities between the two characters are played upon, and the storylines are intelligently written, action packed and fun to read. If you need a comparison, the most apt would be Walt Simonson’s Thor. It’s that good. In the first arc witness Herc’s ongoing feud with his estranged half-brother, Ares (god of war), and Amadeus Cho’s effort to bring down S.H.I.E.L.D. The collection also features an untold tale of Herc vs Hulk by Jeff Parker. After reading that and catching right up with Hercules’ subsequent Secret Invasion issues, the new arc sees Herc looking for comfort in the arms of Namora. Unfortunately not only is Ares back, but the Amazons have invaded Atlantis! Poor Herc.

Now if you thought about ignoring Marvel Apes, I’d ask you to reconsider. Though not the world’s greatest comic magazine (that’s Fantastic Four if you’re to believe Marvel) it is genuine fun. The story follows the Gibbon (rubbish villain, I explained his origin 2 weeks ago, it is long) as he ends up in a monkey New York. This city features monkey versions of our heroes, unfortunately they protect the planet with the rules of the jungle. The series also features a great History of the Marvel Ape-verse with art by Barry Kitson. Another fun title, that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

One title that can’t be enjoyed by people of all ages is Punisher Max, which continues its latest arc this week. Frank Castle has ventured down to the little Mexican town of Tierra Rota, on the trail of a vicious killer. How far will the Punisher go to put an end to these terrible crimes? The story is a solid Punisher tale, but the highlight of this run is Laurence Campbell’s art. His dark tones are absolutely gorgeous, and he’s sure to be a rising star at the House of Ideas. Having a spy at the December solicits, we’ll soon see Mr. Campbell working on a Moon Knight one-shot with Peter Milligan. I’d keep an eye on this British artist, as he’s sure to being on a huge project in due course (or he at least should be!)

I’ll keep the Secret Invasion war report quick. Over in Mighty Avengers #18, we’re introduced to Nick Fury’s Secret Warriors, while in SI: Thor #2, the Skrulls reach Asgard, and Goldilocks is nowhere to be seen. Finally this week in the brilliant Guardians of the Galaxy, mistrust infects Knowhere (their base in the head of a dead Celestial) as Skrull agents are discovered.

Oni Press brings us a wonderful hardcover collection of Brian Wood’s Local this week. Local features 12 interconnected shorts, each a year apart, representing a slice in the life of Megan McKeenan. Megan begins the series leaving her home of Portland, Oregon with a backpack and a desire to find a place to call home. As the series moves on across twelve real life North American cities (including my former stomping ground of Park Slope, Brooklyn), we see Megan grow, and meet the people whose lives she intersects. Andrew says this series is a fantastic collection of vignettes that’s well worth a look. And you don’t want to know what happened to the last person who didn’t listen to Andrew’s advice.

Kirkfans of the world rejoice! Both Walking Dead and Astounding Wolf-Man are in! In the world populated by zombies, our heroes are reunited with crazy Michonne. Will she be friend or foe? Who knows? Will she still be a bit crazy? More than likely. Astounding Wolf-Man starts its new arc after the cataclysmic events of the last issue. Wolf-Man goes in search of the Elder: the one who turned him into a werewolf. But will this help him come to terms with what his life has become? If you’ve not yet tried this latest superhero offering from Kirkman, this issue picks up directly after the first trade, which we still have in stock. Huzzah!

Last but by no means least I must highlight a Manga release this week. Viz have recently been repackaging their most popular series into compendiums which house three regular volumes at a larger size, and a lower price. This week sees the release of the first Vagabond Vizbig edition. If you’ve not yet sampled this beautiful series, now is the time. The story is based on real-life swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (the inspiration for samurai rabbit, Usagi Yojimbo), in the early part of his career. The man himself, who became the most celebrated samurai of all time, started out as a brutish teen who becomes a hunted outcast. The series is by famed creator Takehiko Inoue (Real, Slam Dunk) and is one of best samurai manga ever made. The story is addictive and moving, and the art is absolutely beautiful.

As well as this first Vizbig collection we also have two Inoue Vagabond art books in this week: Sumi and Water. These large collections showcase the creators ink and colour work, and are absolutely stunning. They’re the books that Vagabond fans have been calling for, especially those of us who couldn’t make it out to his exhibition in Japan. We still have the regular Vagabond books downstairs in the manga department, if you wanted to get up to date. This series gets Gosh’s highest recommendation, artistically and story-wise. Not just for manga fans.

Apart from DC destroying their books, news has been little light on the ground this week. For those of you who want to know the swearwords that caused all the hubbub in All Star Batman, head over to Lying in the Gutters at CBR. We won’t do a direct link, as they are a bit naughty.

Be sure to check out the Siegel House auctions here. If you can’t bid, they do have cool T-shirts for sale, and it’s all for a good cause.

Tezuka fans (or indeed anyone with an interest in classic comics and animation) take note! The Godfather of Manga gets his due this week at the Barbican, with a weeklong season of films and an attendant art exhibition. Osamu Tezuka: Movies into Manga takes place at the Barbican, London EC2 (www.barbican.org.uk 020-7638 8891), Sept 18-24 2008.

The nominations are in for the Ignatz Awards, with a healthy amount of material by independent publishers. Results will be announced 04/10/08 at SPX.

And finally a big thank you for anyone who came along to our Gilbert Shelton signing on Saturday. Those who braved the queues were treated to a lovely day of sketching and stories. Big thanks to Gilbert for making the day possible. Dom Sutton gives an account (with video!) over on his excellent London Loves Comics blog.

Look forward to seeing you all at our Jill Thompson signing in October! Expect more details next week!

And that’s that,
Matt

Stuck indoors with heavy rain? Good thing there’s comics to read! Here’s this weeks Gosh blog, to prove that every cloud does have a silver lining.

Before I get straight into it, I must remind you all it’s our Gilbert Shelton Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers signing this Saturday, 13th September. The man himself will be in our basement from 2pm to 4pm.

If you haven’t seen this wonderful collection yet, then you’re in for a treat. It collects all the Freak Brothers material in one bumper package; that’s 624 pages (including 224 in full colour) for only £20, an absolute steal! It also features an offer to buy shares in the upcoming Freaks movie, so if you’re a fan of the dazed and confused trio, then this book is a must.

If you can’t make it on the day, be sure to let us know and we’ll reserve you a signed copy; and it won’t cost you a penny more than the cover price.

Now to this week’s delivery!

After a quiet one last week and a mega one the week before, this Thursday brings us a medium sized week. Goldilocks will be pleased! This week has a bit of something for everyone, though Marvel fans will be particularly happy.

The biggest release of the week comes from not Marvel, DC, Dark Horse nor Image. Fantagraphics and the Hernandez brothers have answered their fans’ calls with Love & Rockets – New Stories #1! With a 100 pages of all new material, Love and Rockets: New Stories reboots the beloved ongoing series into this new, annually produced format. This time around Jaime brings us a 50 page “Kirby-style slam-bang super-hero action” story featuring Penny Century, while Gilbert brings us a cavalcade of stories (six in total) including one written by the third Hernandez brother, Mario. This has been a long time coming, so if you’re a long standing Love & Rockets fan, or if you’re thinking of joining the party, this book will be a very reasonable £9.99.

Marvel once more have a slew of Secret Invasion titles shipping at once. The main Secret Invasion series hits with a bang, as the (kinda) classic Avengers reunite to deal with the bumpy-chinned threat. As the series hurtles towards its conclusion, Marvel have said that the last double page spread of this issue will send a chill down readers’ collective spine. I imagine it’ll be Spider-Woman running her nails down a chalk board.

As well as that, we’ve also got a brand new ongoing launching in the midst of the invasion with Deadpool #1. “The Merc with a Mouth” “returns to the Marvel U with a bang. Lots of quips, gore and funnies ensue from Daniel Way and Paco Medina.

Other Secret Invasion titles this week are Ms Marvel #30, Secret Invasion Inhumans #2,
Secret Invasion Runaways Young Avengers #3, and Secret Invasion X-Men #2.

The House of Ideas’ Stephen King world grows this week, with not only the new Dark Tower series starting up, but also the beginning of their adaptation of The Stand. Based on the best selling novel, The Stand: Captain Trips charts the outbreak and spread of the titular virus as it eradicates most of the world’s population. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four) and artist Mike Perkins (Captain America) bring the first part of humanity’s last stand.

Marvel also has two Magneto-themed series starting on Thursday. First up, Christos (House of M: Avengers) Gage and Andrea (Annihilation) Di Vito fill us in on the history of House of M, and how the Master of Magnetism took over the world. This series will give us a first look at House of M versions of Apocalypse and Bucky, and features Magneto’s first battle with the Sentinels. If you prefer your Magneto stories a little darker, Greg Pak and Carmine di Giandomenico bring us Magneto: Testament the same day. This story features Erik Lehnsherr as a young Jewish boy in 1935 Germany. Don’t expect a happy tale. Judging by di Giandomenico’s art on Daredevil: Battling Jack Murdock, it’ll be beautifully drawn.

The March to Ultimatum continues in Ultimate Origins (which I constantly call Ultimate Oranges) and Ultimate X-Men Fantastic Four Annual #1. In the former, the secret history of the Ultimate Universe is continued with the tale of Ultimate Hulk. We might also get more info on those strange cyclopean monoliths as well. In the Ultimate X-Men FF Annual, the X-men of the future come to kill the modern Fantastic Four. Who could possibly stop them? Why the future FF of course. But the team is unrecognisable from their current state, so what tore them apart? Answers within, hopefully!

If you prefer your books superhero-free, then this week also meets your needs.

I’m not going to bang on about Criminal, because let’s face it, if you’re not reading it you’re only hurting yourself. If you are late to the game, you can catch right up by getting the first 3 trades and last months issue (which we still have copies of). Then you can buy this week’s issue 5, the continuing story of an ex counterfeiter who’s been dragged back to his old life. Best book coming out month to month here, folks!

Thursday also brings my favourite comic, The Goon, back to our fair shores. The Goon is forced to team up with the (now blinded) Zombie Priest, as the Labrazio gang war steps up a notch. The series has been going from strength to strength and the monthly run will soon end. So enjoy Dark Horse’s best series while it’s still coming regularly!

We’ve uncovered a pile of early work by brothers Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, in the form of Rock N’ Roll. This hard to find one shot is your typical story of boy meets and loses girl; girl then gets offered up as a sacrifice to a monster; boy rescues girl. If you’re a fan of both brothers’ work on Casanova, and Gabriel’s art on Umbrella Academy, grab this while you still can!

Fans of classics, both comic and prose, have cause for celebration with my final two picks of the week.
First up the final volume of Fantatgraphics complete Krazy & Ignatz arrives, finishing the brick lobbing adventures of comics’ first Cat and Mouse duo. These volumes are gorgeous, and are well worth checking out.

If Oscar Wilde is more your bag, then Ian(s) Edginton and Culbard bring The Portait of Dorian Grey to life this week. This stunning, complete graphic novel adapts Wilde’s tale of a man who attempts to cheat death while enjoying a life of hedonistic delight. Edginton has proved his skill at this form of adaptation with Nevermore, and has proven his place as one of Gosh’s favourite writers time and time again. Culbard fans will delight at his first full graphic novel work, and if you’re unfamiliar with his work you’ll be longing for more once you feast your eyes on this.

News-wise, the Marvel machine has rolled into Vegas at the Diamond Retailer Expo and given out a ton of info on exciting new projects.

First up, Mark Millar’s return to the Ultimate Universe begins in early 2009 with Ultimate Avengers. This series will run for two years with four 6 issue arcs, all by different artists. Though no-one’s been named yet, Millar has promised four of the best artists working in comics today. Millar claims that this series will be the equivalent of two events a year in the UU. The list of characters appearing include Ultimate Cap, Ultimate Iron Man, Ultimate Blade, Ultimate Punisher, Ultimate Ghost Rider, Ultimate Spider Man, Ultimate Doc Doom, Ultimate Red Skull and (phew) Ultimate Kang, to name but a few.

Brian Bendis appeared and announced the next Marvel event, Dark Reign. Details on the series will be kept under wraps, but it’ll deal with the post Secret Invasion Marvel U. The announcement was also followed by the news that Bendis is leaving Mighty Avengers with #20, and starting yet another Avengers book (Dark Avengers) with Mike Deodato. Bendis also reassured fans that his Spider-Woman series with Alex Maleev is still coming.

Those of you worrying whether the quality of Marvel Zombies 3 would match the previous series need fear not! If you head here CBR bring us a preview of the gorgeous Kev Walker art and an interview with writer Fred Van Lente. Van Lente has a genuine love for comics and he’s a deft hand at creating engaging stories, combining humour and action perfectly. My theory is this mini could even out do the last two MZ titles. Don’t miss out, order yours now.

While Van Lente’s under discussion, the teasers featured in recent comics have been revealed to be for the writer’s new mini, X-Men Noir. Set in an alternate reality where the X-Men and other mutants are criminals in a 1930s New York, the four issue mini will feature art by Dennis (X-Factor) Calero. The story will be a noir-styled murder mystery, after the death of Jean Grey. In Van Lente’s own words: “The X-Men in this book are not superheroes…this is a crime series.”

Those of your upset at Garth Ennis leaving the Punisher will be happy to know he’s back, if only for a six issue mini. The writer will re-team with Steve Dillon on a follow up to his comedic gore laden Marvel Knights series, with Punisher War Zone. It will feature the return of everyone’s favourite quadriplegic, Ma Gnucci.

And lastly, due to popular demand, we’re going to give you a competition this week! To celebrate the release of the new Love & Rockets volume from the mighty Los Bros Hernandez, we’re giving away a copy of the signed, limited edition hardcover of Volume 5: House of Raging Women. Please note that this item is rather old now, so it’s not in pristine condition, but it’s a genuine rarity, and a treat for any L&R fan. And the question this week is:

Who is this?
If you think you know, just comment on this post on our blog. If you can’t sign in to a personal account, you can comment anonymously – but don’t forget to leave your name in the comment itself! The first two people to comment with the correct answer win a copy of the book. Please note that the judge’s 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.

That’s all for now guys and gals,

Matt