Publishers

Quietly in the night, with no fanfare, coming in on little cat feet, DC Comics has launched an application for iPhone and iPad. The app was developed by ComiXology, which also launched the Marvel and Boom comics apps, and the DC version has a similar interface. Initial offerings include free comics: several stories from Batman Black & White, including one by Ted McKeever, Bayou from Zuda, and a preview of today's Superman #700. Paid offerings -- priced at the Marvel standard of $1.99 -- include the first issues of Sandman, Unwritten, Fables and The Losers, issues of Fringe, and a bunch DCU issues, including all four issues of Justice League: Generation Lost -- the first three issues are priced at $1.99, while issues 4 -- arriving in stores today -- is priced at cover price of $2.99.

It's time for pissed off readers to put their money where their mouth is.

As regular readers of this site and other comics sites know, the DCU has been taking a lot of lumps for perceived insensitivity in handling the death of various minority characters, and they haven't had too many opportunities to set the record straight. However, a big interview with co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee conducted by Fearless Kiel Phegley has been quoted widely:

Anything billed as an Absolute All-Star has to be great, but Frank Quitely holds up his end with the cover for ABSOLUTE ALL-STAR SUPERMAN,...

The Vertigo blog annoucned their GN schedule for Jan-Apr 2011 yesterday -- including some books that were announced back in May but didn't get too much attention: RAT CATCHER by Andy Diggle and Victor Ibañez NOCHE ROJA by Writer: Simon Oliver and Jason Latour (above -- nice!)) Also, a new OGN, AARON AND AHMED by Jay Cantor and James Romberger. Nothing else new we spotted, although we're bummed that the third volume of the deluxe collected Preacher won't be out for another year. We had already cleared a place on the shelf for it!

Found while surfing: An episode of the Mickey Mouse strip that features Mickey and Goofy getting all hopped up on goofballs. While they don't go out and muder some hookers while high, they do go to Africa so they can encounter uncomfortable racial stereotypes of the era. Was this the work of a rogue writer who slipped some crazy shit past Disney censors? Well, according to the site hosting this -- which offers "reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues:, this was really part of those wacky, wacky 50s and their unexpected propaganda:

Marvel has sent out preview pages of the "One Moment in time" storyline by Joe Quesada and Paolo Rivera, and since we're big fans of Rivera we thought we'd pass them along. Plus, you don't need balloons to see how THIS marriage plays out. And talk about supervillains -- MJ's smiling, eager face might just be the scariest thing most single men will ever see in their lives.

Archie Comics has a big presence planned, and they even have Stan Lee. (Is there a publisher that doesn't have Stan Lee this year?) Other participants in Archie activity include Michael Uslan, Dan Parent, Batton Lash, Kevin Keller, Rich Koslowski and Tania del Rio.

You realize this movie doesn't even have all the great lines in the trailer??

Speaking of New York, Jim Woodring, the magical cartoonist of existential dread and mysetry, is here! Three nights in a row!

Dynamic Forces sent over some advance looks at some of next month's books, including the latest installment of the comics adaptation of the WHEEL OF TIME franchise and Deepak Chopra's collected Buddha adaptation.

Okay, we've restocked our load of piss and vinegar and we've loaded our shotgun for bear! UNTIL WE TELL IT, WE JUST CAN"T MOVE ON! My first "Complaints" post drew a bit of private praise, especially from those who welcomed a return to more pointed commentary. To which I say, I'd love to do more of it but I was literally up until dawn writing that first one (I'm ssslllooowww) and this one will take just as long. Especially since this time I"m taking on everyone's FAVORITE SUBJECTS: Race and gender. It's a good thing comics never talk about religion or we'd be here all night and day! And if I can predict one thing with dead certainty it's this: Gene PHillips will show up in the comments.