Publishers

February sees Marvel's "Point One" programme get under way, with issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, WOLVERINE and IRON MAN. The Age of X crossover starts in X-MEN LEGACY and NEW MUTANTS. And there's a new ongoing series, IRON MAN 2.0. As usual, Marvel had the largest share of the North American direct market. It's a pretty wide margin over DC this month - 45% to 31% in unit terms, 41% to 28% in dollars. Thanks as always to ICV2.com for permission to use these figures.

With Marvel picking up most of the licensed Disney material that BOOM! Studios had published, it's no surprise that they'll be publishing the much-loved Muppets comics by Roger Langridge in a 96-page collection called "MUPPETS PRESENTS: MEET THE MUPPETS" -- previously collected by BOOM! in 2009. Bringing back Langridge's great comics is a no-brainer, but there is still the question of the Langridge comics that were left in publishing limbo. On his blog, Langridge suggested that the material in question was in a contractual limbo, with DIsney unable to publish it until it had been published by BOOM!. Asked whether the lost material would be showing up at Marvel, a spokesman had only a "No comment."

Chester Brown's PAYING FOR IT is destined to be one of the most talked about graphic novels of the year -- we'd suspect it may be THE most talked about. It's a great work of comics that is nonetheless problematic for the views it espouses about human relationships and commerce. Just in case you aren't sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the book to come out, PAYING FOR IT is a memoir by Chester Brown about his experiences employing prostitutes. Brown's previous works include such masterworks as I NEVER LIKED YOU, ED THE HAPPY CLOWN and the historical narrative LOUIS RIEL, which is considered an important political work in Brown's native Canada. As one of the pioneers of the most successful schools of autobiographical comics, Brown is a major figure of the art comix era.

No one has really decided what the metrics for digital comics are -- real numbers are scarce, and most players keep it close to the vest. Back in December comiXology announced they had 1 million downloads of their comics apps, and now iVerse/IDW has hit the same milestone, with over 3 million digital IDW comics distributed.

After a year-long stint with Random House as their book distributor, Radical Publishing is back at Diamond, we are told by press release. The announcement is a bit of a no-brainer, considering that Radical was at last month's Diamond Retailer Summit.

Ted McKeever drawing Wolverine, Tomm Coker on Master of Kung Fu, Dr. Strange by Kieron Gillen and Frazier Irving? All in glorious black and white. Sign us up! While this sounds like some cool, beatnik Marvel anthology comic, Don McPherson explains it is really a little-noted or promoted Marvel project: two black and white comics magazines that were released last year to no fanfare, Marvel Super Special and Marvel Super Action. McPherson guesses that this is some kind of Disney-inspired inventory cleaning:

The MoCCA Fest social scene is already jam-packed, but we wanted to alert you to this one, which takes place just around the corner from the Armory and leaves you plenty of time to get a signed book, have a brew and a bite, and then head off to wherever you next need to be. It's being co-hosted by the CBLDF and The Beat, and will feature tons of your favorite cartoonists, so come on by!

Please note that the Mad Hatter also has a patio so if the weather is nice we can stand outside and talk about comics! They are also giving us happy hour specials so even someone on a comics budget can have a good time. See you there!

Five of this week's Image books have sold out at Diamond and are going back to press. PR below and 2nd printing cover roughs scattered throughout this post. Please note, just because these are sold out at Diamond doesn't mean you can't still buy them in your local comics shop -- according to my email there are many copies available.

Continuing the recent trend of releasing new series to rave reviews and instant sellouts, Image Comics has announced that BLUE ESTATE #1, GREEN WAKE #1, NONPLAYER #1, UNDYING LOVE #1 and the second printing of THE INFINITE VACATION #1 have all sold out at the distributor level and are going back to press.