Publishers

Variety confirms that Cobie Smulders is the front runner for the role of SHIELD agent Maria Hill in Joss Whedon's Avengers movie. Smulders is a Whedon favorite (he wanted her for his Wonder Woman movie) and Hill is a perfect Whedon-type character so the handwriting has been on the wall for this.

Dark Horse tells us that Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's awesome BEASTS OF BURDEN series will return in 2011. Good news!

It's not a great month for Marvel. In fact, it's one of those rare months when DC had the largest share of the direct market, beating Marvel by 33% to 32% in dollar terms (though if you prefer the unit share, Marvel lead by 39% to 37%). In part, it's because DC's new Batman titles are doing very well - but as we'll see, it's also the case that Marvel just don't have any really big titles out this month. There are a couple of new ongoing series this month - WOLVERINE: THE BEST THERE IS and HEROES FOR HIRE. Following the Shadowland crossover, DAREDEVIL reinvents itself as BLACK PANTHER. And there's just one new miniseries - ULTIMATE COMICS DOOM. And that's it, so far as new books.

Even our congressmen are getting bitten by the graphic novel bug, as Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) is signed with Top Shelf to co-write...

ICv2 has started its annual round of CEo chats and kicks off with IDW's Ted Adams in three parts.. Adam sis a good choice because IDW has made significant recent gains as the first new front-of-thebook publishers since exclusives were invented, and he doesn't give you a lot of double speak. A few excerpts: On pricing (IDW has always been $3.99):

http://d.yimg.com/nl/movies/site/player.swf Howcum Thor doesn't have a Norwegian accent? Just sayin'.

http://d.yimg.com/nl/movies/site/player.swf In addition to showcasing the TRON 3 trailer as performed by the Black Eyed Peas, Super Bowl XLV also featured the debut of the...

It's the Flash and he's....coming apart????? Oh dear. Art by Andy Kubert and Sandra Hope.

Marvel has released the cover to the first issue of its upcoming FEAR ITSELF event, written by Matt Fraction with art by Stuart Immonen...

July's Captain America film starring Chris Evans just got its first poster. Looks gritty.

DC has posted logos for five of their FLASHPOINT miniseries. FLASHPOINT seems to be a kind of DC-only alternative reality Amalgam comic where Cyborg is Superman and so on.

More info here.