Publishers

I don't know about you, but when the holidays come around and the relatives want a cheap-ish gift, I usually send them some links to Marvel Essential volumes on Amazon. They're relatively inexpensive, my relatives don't have to figure out where the comic shop is (in rural areas, this can be an issue) and they like the thickness of the volumes when they wrap them. Imagine my shock Thursday night as I was online and noting the massive amount of Essential volumes that were out of stock. Marvel's inability/unwillingness to keep tpbs in print has been a hot button topic in recent months, but this is a bit beyond anything I would have expected. This doesn't mean Diamond doesn't have some copies in the warehouse for the DM, but my experience with Amazon has been if they think it will take a few weeks to restock, you'll see a 4-6 weeks to ship notation and they'll take your order. Here's a list of major Essential series, how many volumes are out and then the ones where the only purchase option on 12/1 were the "used & new" 3rd party resellers. I'm not listing Dazzler/Ant-Man/Human Torch.

By Todd Allen Back in August, DC released the "TALES OF BATMAN: GENE COLAN VOL. 1" hardcover book. This book reprints Batman #340, 343-345,...

There have been frequent sightings of the fabled "WATCHMEN sequel" over the years, but no photographic evidence, if you will. Now, Bleeding Cool claims to have a solid source that a series of four prequels are under way, and Andy Kubert is slated to draw at least one of them. Also believed to be involved: J. Michael Straczynski, JG Jones, and original WATCHMEN collaborators John Higgins and Dave Gibbons. Darwyn Cooke is said to be masterminding the whole thing. Although unverified, Cooke and Kubert have been hinting at working on Top Secret projects for a while. WATCHMEN II supposedly got the nod after Paul Levitz left DC -- he had personally blocked it for nearly 20 years, kind of like that dude guarding the one true Chalice in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. But like that dude, Levitz couldn't hold on forever. With him gone, the story goes, Dan DiDio hopped all over it. But a lot of people at DC also thought the idea was blasphemy, and it kind of petered out -- or at least leaks about it to Bleeding Cool did.

Artist Cameron Stewart has been posting a few pages from BATMAN INCORPORATED: LEVIATHAN STRIKES!, the Grant Morrison-written one shot wrapping up the long-delayed BATMAN INCORPORATED's first season. Yesterday he posted a page which features Stephanie Brown -- yes, that Stephanie Brown. Leading to the predictable outpouring of attention. Which led him to tweet:

Here's something I have learned from Tumblr today - PEOPLE LOVE STEPHANIE BROWN

Led Zeppelin: check Avatar references: check 300 references: check Vast CGI alien crowd scenes: check Insane shots of Helium flyer fleet: Check.

DC isn't the only publisher betting big on the new generation of tablets -- IDW has made more than 30 of their GNs available for the NOOK, including Darwyn Cooke's Parker adaptations, and works by Joe Hill, Max Brooks, Anne Rice, and Eric Shanower. Unlike DC's exclusive with Amazon, this doesn't seem to have pissed off any retail partners...yet.

Marvel has updated its iOS app with a bunch of new features -- however, the App store tells me that you will have to restore all your purchases after the upgrade. The new features sounds worth it, however. What could go wrong? To entice you, Marvel is running a big sale on stuff like SCHISM, ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN, and other recent releases. That's a nice way to get people up to speed with the current goings-on for future print or digital purchases.

Eltingville! Fisher-Price Theater! Devil Puppet! ARE WE DREAMING? NO -- it is happening.

Our review copy of THE NEW 52, the $150, 1216-page collection of EVERY SINGLE NEW 52 #1 issue has arrived. Future uses: pressing flowers, anchoring papers during hurricane. This thing is HEAVY. And big. We've shown it here next to a cup of coffee for size reference. Meanwhile, James Robinson is on Twitter drumming up support for the non-New 52 SHADE which is selling badly and in danger of cancellation. Which, if it had been a New 52 book, would probably be selling as well as BATWING or OMAC.

This new Image book from writer Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Artiz Eiguren looks plenty arresting, but the cover by Sas Christian is what will claw its way into your nightmares. The standalone graphic novel goes on sale in February.

A nice preview of the Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan version of the Cimmerian brawler.

Bon Alimagno is leaving Marvel to take a job with software company The Apollo Group. At Marvel Alimagno worked closely with Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Talent Management David Bogart on freelancer scheduling and handling. He was formerly the editor at Harris Comics, overseeing the adventures of Vampirella.