Publishers

Following on what seems to have been a successful run with the Ultimate line, starting in June, Marvel will include a digital download code with ALL its books selling for $3.99. Marvel's moving ahead in this regard is interesting, since DC's John Rood has indicated that redemption of their combo packs has been "astonishingly low." In contrast David Gabriel says Marvel's program has been a big success.

Another mystery team!

The most eye-popping adaptation of Burroughs ever, and perhaps the most naked Martians you will ever see.

BY CASEY BURCHEY -- Last summer, DC inaugurated a series of artist-centric hardcover Batman collections with Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan, Volume 1, which highlighted the moody work Colan contributed to Batman and Detective Comics in the early 1980s. Since then, DC has also released similar volumes featuring stories drawn by Don Newton and Marshall Rogers.

As first noted in the comics blogosphere by Graeme McMillan, Marvel's proposed KISS KISS BANG BANG and ROUTE 666 Crossgen revivals have been shelved indefinitely. Word came via Tom Brevoort's rolling press conference, i.e. Formspring. Graeme wrote:

Based on this teaser, one infers that there is a X-men wedding to come in this June's ASTONISHING by Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins, which has already been hyped as a much talked about issue. So who will tie the knot? We're not up on current X-Men mythology and can't hazard a guess but popular internet speculation is guessing Northstar and Kyle will tie the knot, making this the first blow for marriage equality in the Marvel U. Another gay couple, Hulkling and Wiccan, just kissed, perhaps paving the way.

Marvel is releasing more covers for their epic fisticuffs battle, and here's AVENGERS #27 , written by Brian Michael Bendis with art and cover by Walt Simonson. In this issue, as the battle rages...an Avenger betrays the team!

A Finnish girls finds a Moomin figure at the flea market and builds it a cute little house, or "Muumitalot."

When DC launched their comics app, these many months ago, a lot of people wondered why there wasn't a Vertigo app to go along with it. Well, wonder no more. Today Vertigo announced you can download a standalone Vertigo app from the App Store/iTunes. You can also get some 99-cent Sandman issues while you're there.

As many have noted, DC rolled out its brand spanking new website yesterday, with a whole new look, new logo and new commenting system. Among the many improvements, new sections for major characters, and subsections for videos, live social media updating and the like. (What, no Pinterest?) The site seems to be the work of the West Coast branding/web team, and although useful and streamlined, it does match the corporate vibe of a lot of DC rollouts of late.

The other day it was announced that Jonathan Hickman was leaving FF in October, after a very successful run there. With his other Marvel work also winding down, there was mucho speculation about what this "architect" would be up to. One thing is his new series (on sale today) THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS (with artist Nick Pitarra) which will be released digital day and date. To make ready, Hickman is also releasing TEST PATTERN, a digital anthology of his previous five collections, THE NIGHTLY NEWS, PAX ROMANA, TRANSHUMAN, A RED MASS FOR MARS, and THE RED WING, available exclusively via comiXology for $34.99. An affordable way to keep Hickman's body of work readily available for those discovering his new book? Sounds like it.

MYSTERY CREATIVE TEAM ALERT.