Publishers

So now we know that Kindle exclusive is really OVER, as DC has officially announced that DC graphic novels will be available for B&N's Nook. The comics, which include the 100 favorite such as WATCHMEN as well as the new launch of New 52 collections, will be readable in a new "Zoom View" format—which is B&N's version of comiXology's guided view.

A concept artist who worked on BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM has posted some Justice League concept art that could be just an afternoon doodle...or something else? It's definitely a more video-game esque and robust take on the characters. Our guess: something toyetic.

Archie Comics has just made a hire and some promotions that solidify their role as a fast-track comics publishing company. Jim Sokolowski has joined the company as SVP - Sales and Business Development. Additionally, Harold Buchholz has been promoted to Senior Vice President – Publishing and Operations; Paul Kaminski has been named Executive Director of Editorial and Alex Segura has moved up to Vice President – Publicity and Marketing.

Continuing their teasers for the CCI Amazing Spider-Man panel, here's the new one. Captain America, eh?

Archer & Armstrong will be the latest Valiant book getting the revival treatment. The original A&A was a Barry Windsor-Smith book. It was also a book with a sense of humor about itself. An immortal of slovenly bent and an uptight martial artist. Yes, this was the comics version of a buddy movie.

In the run-up to San Diego 2012, Marvel have released two teasers for an upcoming story called 'War'

Disney comics is a complicated topic. Disney bought Marvel, but the BOOM! had some of their licenses. BOOM! lost the licenses, but Marvel didn't exactly come charging out of the gate with a lot of Disney titles. If you were paying attention to job listings, you'd also see Disney was hiring comics editors and digital comics people for their publishing office in White Plains (which is about to move to Burbank). It looks like we're seeing their first product: the "Brave Interactive Comic."

We're a little less than three weeks away from Comicon and there's a ton of speculation about Marvel's next move. Which is assuming there is a *formal* next move, granted. If you look at the May sales estimates, AVX is distracting from a sad state of affairs. Throw out the AVX minis, and no estimate breaks 70K. Throw out the Avengers and X-titles getting pumped up by the event (which are just under 70K and would likely be clustered about 60K without the bump). Selling in the 50Ks are three Spider-Man issues and Uncanny X-Force sneaks in. So the 40K band is pretty decent sales at Marvel these days. Throw out their most successful sales stunt in years and the rest of the line is as low as Marvel has been.

True to their word, DC is launching a followup reader survey, after last fall's New 52 launch survey. John Rood mentioned that any demographic info would only be truly useful as more comparisons were able to be made, and future surveys were promised. And here it is. We tried to take it but got booted out for truthful answers, sadly. (In this case not actually buying any DC comics.) As before there is a fake survey title, ORANGE IVY, to weed out wannabes.

Marvel's variant cover for Avengers Vs X-Men #8 shows Cyclops and chums having a lovely time

Although it is branded as a Pixar movie, "Brave" is more like a Disney feature. Is the Golden Age of Pixar over?

Even comics news is coming out in advance of Comic-Con—in this case, new HEROIC SCALED booth art for Image (#2729). As past con-goers may be aware, Image's booth is anchored by a huge 16' x 32' "Wall of Art" which now features more of the new mega-creator themed stuff like SAGA, MIND THE GAP, AMERICA'S GOT POWERS, and something called THE WALKING DEAD.