Publishers

A few years ago Dark Horse made a splash by announcing an all-new project with CLAMP, the insanely popular supergroup of manga-ka behind such hits as CHOBITS, CARDCAPTOR SAKURA, and CLOVER. Since then, little has been heard as CLAMP was busy with other projects and scheduling was not possible. However, DH has just announced that GATE 7 is finally coming out in October and released the cover image.

ACTION COMICS #900 is a momentous occasion for many reasons -- both numerically and thematically. The issue includes stories by an all-star line-up of folks including Paul Cornell, Damon Lindelof, Richard Donner, David S. Goyerm and Geoff Johns. It also includes a mild little tale by Goyer wherein Superman decides to help out some Iranian protesters and gets chided by the US government for getting involved in "policy." Prompting Superman to proclaim that he's not a US citizen but a citizen of...the universe! Or, as Fox News succinctly puts it:

Superman is no longer an American.

Yesterday was the big day for the launch of Dark Horse's digital store -- and apparently it was a hit -- at least one server melted from the onslaught of fans, according to a press release:

We'd venture the opinion that a fairly entertaining film could be made of Mark Ruffalo just wearing Hulk Hands. BTW, is this the slowest news week ever or what? Is everyone just exhausted from the brutal spring convention schedule? Probably.

Why do all the mutants have English accents? Jennifer Lawrence, hot off her Oscar nod, is steamy as Mystique! X-MEN: FIRST CLASS opens on June 3rd.

Read all of Shannon Wheeler's I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER online right now.

Marvel has released the first still from the just commenced AVENGERS movie, and it's all about the sitting down. Director Joss Whedon and crew went into production yesterday in Albuquerque for the movie you may have always dreamed would happen.

The just arrived issue of PW Comics Week has a nice preview of Celluloid, Dave McKean's first graphic novel since Cages. You'd think an undertaking of this sort might have gotten a little but more hoopla. Perhaps when people start looking at the art, it will Celluloid is described as a "pornographic work of art" about a man, a woman and a porn film that all intersect. It's out from from Fantagraphics next month.

Normally we don't run more than one Marvel PR in a day -- and they send out about 38 each and every day -- but when we saw that Joe Quesada had done a variant billed as the "No dry eye in the house" variant for The Death of Spider-Man storyline just now wrapping up in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN...well...we had to share. Because we like everyone to blubber in the afternoon. It's good for you.

This July, Marvel is serving up a RED SKULL miniseries starring the villain in the Cap movie, written by Greg Pak with art by Mirko Colak. David Aja has provided some tasty covers, influenced by WWII imagery from propaganda posters and the like.

Artist Josh Medors has been battling a rare form of spinal column cancer for several years. The Hero Initiative has been helping him for some time, and now they are teaming up with Marvel for a special Spider-Man print to benefit Medors. PR below:

Artist Josh Medors has been battling a rare form of spinal column cancer for several years. The Hero Initiative has been helping him for some time, and now they are teaming up with Marvel for a special Spider-Man print to benefit Medors. PR below: