Comics

While Heidi and Torsten were off having fun at NYCC, the rest of us had to sadly experience all the comics-related mayhem vicariously. Nevertheless, on the digital comics front matters continue to develop in interesting ways, particularly in relation to online retailing behemoth, Amazon. The explosive Amazon-DC graphic novel exclusive agreement for the upcoming Kindle Fire tablet device remains a hot topic and shows no signs of fading from view, with even the New York Times jumping on the controversy.

An iconic — and, they say, ironic — Roy Lichetnstein painting based on a drawing by William Overgard is expected to sell for $35-45 million at a Christie's auction. In 1988 the painting sold for $2.1 million, but a recent Lichtenstein sale for $42.6 million suggest the market for his work has expanded a bit more. The painting has been shown at the Guggenheim Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The NY Times digs in to the DC/Amazon/B&N/Books-a-MIllions spat and doesn't get too much further than the vague statements that everyone has made so far, but you can read between the lines a bit.

If you can't make it out for these seminal events, you can still listen to these modern masters talk with WYNC's Leonard Lopate right here.

This story by Brigid Alverson on kids comics news at NYCC 11 is chock-a-block full of newsy bits, but we'll just spotlight the Oni news here:

Alas -- already sold out! Larger version and close-ups in link.

Although it's been known for years that Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons were teaming on a comic for Image, the name and art were still unannounced -- until just now. It's called THE SECRET SERVICE and will presumably revolve around doctors who quietly perform hair transplants...or something like that.

An all-star Madman anniversary collection and a Super Dinosaur coloring book highlight the month, plus a Jingle Belle collections, the first Witch Doctor trade, a comic about ancient Rome by Tito Faraci and Dan Brereton, and the second issue of Paul Grist's MUDMEN.

Dark Horse has just released its January solicitations -- a new reprint of a classic European comics by Hermann tops the list for us, along with a series of Mike Mignola variant covers in his monster year, and the Compleat Terminal City.

Webcomic sensation Emily Carroll has joined the team on Spera, the graphic novel edition of a long-running online comic by Josh Tierney. Arachaia is publishing the print edition, which includes art by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei Lin Lim and Carroll.

This one has been out there for a while but hasn't gotten too much attention: A.D.D., an original graphic novel by Douglas Rushkoff and Goran Sudzuka from Vertigo.

Continuing his A-to-Z (one hopes!) series of prints, man of letters Todd Klein has released the latest, a collaboration with Shawn McManus which is actually a board game called "Go Freelance" which sells for a mere $20.