Comics

We really don't link to our comics coverage over at PW Comics World as much as we should, so we are here to remedy that, especially when an issue as jammed as this month's comes out. Some highlights:

For years, writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have been running a "Get MONOLITH A Trade!" campaign to get their 12-issue maxiseries from 2004 a collection. Although the book had a dedicated following—especially for fans of Phil Winslade's amazing art—given that its sales were modest, that wasn't the most likely outcome. However, on Facebook it's revealed that rights have finally reverted and a collection is in the works from Image. Or rather—two collections, both in an oversized European hardcover album, like The Pro deluxe hardcover.

At his blog, famous realist/curmudgeon SLG publisher Dan Vado explains why he wasn't at ECCC and won't be at C2E2 and "recreates" the experience of the SLG booth:

Marvel's Junior Art Director Rich Ginter -- the man responsible for many of their ad campaigns and advertising materials, such as this stylish Defenders campaign, is moving to Disney in California, Twitter tell us. There he'll be a Digital Designer, where he'll be "working on their comic/magazine apps & designing stuff for that and new apps."

Yes yes, reprint pr is a dime a dozen, but from Image comes word that FATALE #1 the first issue of the Image book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is going back to press for a fifth printing. The first printing came out in January, so that's a printing a month. Issue #4 is currently out, and issues #2 and #3 have also been reprinted. Does this just mean tiny print runs? Not enough preorders? Maybe. It could also mean that a very good book keeps finding new readers.

If you're a student of comics history the phrase "National Comics" conjures an image of Jack Liebowitz chomping on a cigar while urging teenaged creators to sign contracts...but if you're not, it means a new edgy anthology from DC Comics which will launch in July and run "pilot stories" based on some of the DCU's more "off beat" characters, like Kid Eternity, Madame X, and so on. First up, Eternity, above. Creative teams below:

Brandon Graham's KING CITY is something of a poster child for the fusion comics generation—begun as a "OEL manga" it was rescued from contract limbo and returned to lead the vanguard of Image's newly invigorated and eclectic line. But it's more than just a symbol—people actually seem to be buying it.

We're getting word this afternoon that a little shake-up at the DCU editorial staff has taken place. Senior Editor Bobbie Chase has been promoted to Editorial Director and current Executive Editor Eddie Berganza has been moved to a different position.

Although DC's "New 52" relaunch was well past its prime in February, sales were still good enough for the publisher to take the Top 10 slots on the Diamond Top 300 chart again, for the second month in a row. The average "New 52" title dropped by 7.6% in February, which is in line with January's 7.4% drop and suggests that, while the bigger drops seem behind us, the numbers haven't quite found their level yet, either. The average DC Universe title now sells fewer copies again than it did two years ago (34,456 vs. 35,895), but then again, the company's main imprint had 20 more titles on sale this time around: In February 2010, it was 47; in February 2012, it's 67. On balance, consequently, DC is still selling a lot more superhero comics than it has in most months in the last 10 years. In the 108 months since March 2003 we have comparable data on, February 2012 is only No. 71 in terms of average DC Universe sales, but it's still No. 17 in total DC Universe unit sales (2.3 million) and No. 20 in total DC Universe dollar sales ($7.3 million). Looking at the individual "New 52" books, meanwhile, we're once again getting a mixed picture. The top-selling books mostly continue to be very stable, but the farther down the chart you go, the steeper the decline. There were 14 "New 52" books selling below 20K in February (up from 10 in January) and 21 selling below 25K (up from 19).

The D&Q blog has a tempting preview of a new edition of ED THE HAPPY CLOWN, Chester Brown's early surrealist masterpiece about a man who has Ronald Reagan's head grafted onto the end of his penis.

How far would you walk for a copy of your favorite comic? Would you do it with a group of friends? How about a road trip? People wander in pub crawls, sometimes in costume, so why not do it for comics instead of cheap beer?