Publishers

Poring over the February solicitations this week has revealed several bits of news. For instance, the Old New 52 gang is breaking up some more as Ron Marz is no longer writing VOODOO, to be replaced by Josh Williamson. Although VOODOO's cameltoe-tastic art by Sami Basri had drawn criticism, most observers agreed that for a story about a stripper who is really an alien, Marz had done a decent job. However, editors wanted a different take, even though editor Rex Ogle was leaving to take a job at Scholastic, as Marz told Newsarama.

Rather than putting out all its solicitation information at once, Marvel prefers to parcel it out to various sites, so info on February's releases is drifting out here and there...and among them, more cancellations.

One of its early hits but on hiatus for a while, ARMY OF DARKNESS is coming back from Dynamite in a new series with a new female Ash who wears her underwear 2005-style. Based on the EVIL DEAD trilogy, the new series is by writer Elliot Serrano and artist Marat Mychaels.

More Godzilla comics coming their way from IDW, via a five-issue GODZILLA LEGENDS mini-series, which focused on various kaiju, like Anguirus, Rodan and so on. And covers by Art Adams, because you can't do monsters with Art Adams. (The art shown here is by Bob Eggleton, however.) The first issue is on sale today.

This month's release of the first volume of Fantagraphics' Carl Barks reprints is call for rejoicing. There have been many reprint projects centered on Barks' work, but they must have been designed by the three bears: one was too expensive, one was too cheap, one had garish color, and so on. This new effort -- reprinted in handsome hardcovers with simple coloring by Rich Tommaso that recalls the original limited coloring without a lot of fanfare. I think a lot is going to be said as more of Barks' work becomes available in a world where the bodies of work of the great cartoonists are becoming increasingly available -- it is the golden age of the comics reprint, after all. For now, this conversation between James Romberger and Gary Groth will serve as a good introduction. Fantagraphics has a 17-page pdf preview available on their site. In the meantime, here's a seven-page preview of that preview. And these may be the seven of the greatest comics pages ever. Enjoy.

Top Shelf has just announced a team-up with comiXology that includes their own iOS app, and a separate app for the Kids Club line. Books from LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN to OWLY will be available across various platforms. Interestingly, Top Shelf is the first "alt.comix" type publisher to go whole hog with digital. D&Q and Fantagraphics and most of the smaller indies have remained remained aloof to the ecomics world. Although most art comics are best suited to the paper medium -- and are, indeed the very type of objects that will keep print books alive for quite some time -- a lot of indie cartoonists read just fine on the screen — we've found some of the "panel grid layout" types even look great on an iPhone. It seems like only a matter of time before everyone has their own app and storefront...but how long?

Not that Avengers. The ones with John Steed and Mrs. Peel. You know, Diana Rigg. The image suggests a six-issue miniseries beginning in January based on the '60s TV show The Avengers, whch featured an urbane pair of British spies. The show was a huge influence on Morrison, so it's not hard to see why he'd want to write a miniseries based on the property.

*BLUSH* I discovered a file I had overlooked yesterday... Here are some more interesting titles from IDW! Click on the titles for more information!

IDW publishes a wide variety of titles. Licensed properties, archival collections of both comic books and comic strips, original works, literary adaptations, and even the occasional picture book! This season, we see more of that, and many "wish list" items, just in time for the holidays! What caught your eye?

Artist Guillem March's work on CATWOMAN has gotten a lot of attention -- although not for the best reasons. But before he pencilled superheroes book for DC, he had a busy career in his native Spain as a pin-up artist. Now Image is showcasing that side of his art in a new book slated for January. PR below:

Here's another lost comic: a Killraven mini series by the dynamic duo of Robert Kirkman and Rob Liefeld. Although FIVE issues were finished, it has never been printed and doesn't look that will change any time soon. In 2007 Kirkman told CBR all about the series:

Since the olden days of the Marvel Bullpen, it has been tradition to draft an army of freelancers to do an overnight rush to get a book out on time. This week, the week-early release of HULK #2 on comiXology due to a computer error gave everyone who managed to snag a copy before it was withdrawn a chance to peruse the credits and they were a wonderful tribute to this Bronze Age tradition: