The Qwillery

I picked up many many many comics yesterday. I obviously like comics with vampires in them. My favorite this week though is... Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2.

BOOM! Studios

Dracula: The Company of Monsters #9

BRAND NEW ARC. GREAT FOR NEW READERS! Kurt Busiek continues to bring an incredibly modern spin to the Dracula mythos! As Dracula and Conrad's fight reaches a fever pitch, Evan enters into an unlikely, and dangerous alliance with Marta and her men. It's vampire vs. vampire vs. vampire hunters as the ongoing horror series from the mind of Kurt Busiek continues!


BOOM! Studios
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dark Horse Comics
 
The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde #1 (of 4)  This looks great so far. I like the artwork. I'll have to see what I think about the story!


Sometimes good police work just isn’t enough, as Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard finds out when he’s assigned to the Jack the Ripper case. He’ll need the guidance of imprisoned madman and amoral libertine, Dr. Henry Jekyll, whose mind-splitting serum Jack might be using to commit his bloody murders. Written by Cole Haddon and illustrated by M.S. Corley, part 1 of Hyde sets in motion events that will pit London’s two greatest monsters against one another. Will Adye--and his soul--survive intact?

* Thrilling Victorian horror written by exciting newcomer Cole Haddon.

* Weaving together the Jack the Ripper legend with the elements of the classic tale of Jekyll and Hyde.

Dark Horse Comics



Dynamite Entertainment

Warlord of Mars # 6

There are 7 covers for Warlord of Mars # 6 (the last of this series). I'm just going to share my favorite. The cover artist is Patrick Berkenkotter.

Dejah Thoris and John Carter travel to the dreaded city of Thark, where the green Martian warlord awaits. Unfortunately for them, the big, slobbery green monster has a "thing" for red Martian girls. Fortunately, John Carter has super-human strength, and a super-human will to go along with it! Carter realizes he and Dejah cannot remain captives of the green Martians any longer. But the green Martians aren't giving up without a fight. And if they do escape, what terrors await them in the harsh and desolate wilderness of Mars? Find out in Warlord of Mars #6: A Desperate Flight!


Dynamite Entertainment





IDW Publishing

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2

There are 4 covers for Issue 2. Cover A is a more modern depiction of Godzilla so not my favorite cover. I much prefer Godzilla as depicted on Cover B. That's Rodan flying behind Godzilla and Anguirus in the foreground. Awesome! I especially like the 3rd cover that shows Rodan.

The world is in panic as Godzilla reduces Tokyo to rubble. No one knows where the giant lizard has come from and even the most extreme military counter-measures prove useless. As the people of Japan struggle to survive Godzilla's wrath, the world's governments start thinking outside the box. Unfortunately, Godzilla may not be the only monster-sized threat the world faces... IDW Publishing

True Blood: Tainted Love #3

The Tru Blood contamination scandal escalates! Sookie goes to Eric for help and finds a herself in a whole new batch of trouble. Meanwhile, Jessica's condition worsens and the violence escalates... will Bill be her next victim?!  IDW Publishing

Marvel Comics

Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Circus of the Damned: Ingenue #3 of 5



Meet Lawrence “Larry” Kirkland, the newest animator in St. Louis. Short, skinny, like an overgrown Howdy Doody puppet. It’s his first night on the job and Larry’s bitten off than any novice animator can chew. Good thing veteran Anita Blake is on call to pull his fat out of the fire!
Marvel Comics













Tomb of Dracula Presents: Throne of Blood (One-Shot)




Long ago, the seeds of a vampire cataclysm were planted in the Marvel Universe. One lone vampire rose above the rest and operated in the shadows as the world around him changed. Prepare for a clash of steel, blood, and the undead in Vampire #1, as Marvel changes the way you see vampires…and shows you the meaning of Fear Itself.


Marvel Comics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vertigo Comics
 
American Vampire #14
 
 
 
The war in the Pacific rages on! Henry and the crew storm the shores of a remote island with a secret at its core. But the island's secrets are nothing compared to what Skinner has up his sleeve. Meanwhile, our gal Pearl sets out on a desperate mission of her own . . .
 

It was a great comics week for me, but I'm only going to share a couple of the many comics I picked up.

I'm going to start of with Issue 5 of the Warlord of Mars from Dynamite Entertainment. Issue 5 has 7 covers: 4 regular covers and 3 Retailer Incentive (RI) covers.


John Carter is falling for Dejah Thoris. They are being held captive by the Green Men of Mars. Carter does not understand Martian tradition and insults Dejah. A Green Man challenges Carter. Dejah thinks that Carter has been killed.


From Moonstone Comics... Kolchak: The Night Stalker Files, Issue 2. I love Kolchak. I adore the TV Show and the TV movies.

Things are looking up for night stalking reporter Carl Kolchak - he's got a new job in sunny South Florida with a fat paycheck and an editor who loves him. But deep in the heart of the Everglades, something inhuman is on the prowl; a terrifying creature with a taste for human flesh. Moonstone

I find that I gravitate toward comics that are somehow related to books or shows I loved from years ago.  These comics are special to me. What pulls you to a particular comic?

This was a very good comic week for me. I picked up 7 different comics, but I'm going to share only 2 of them.

Avatar Press

Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island is written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Raulo Caceres. Issue 3 has 4 covers.

From the sparking-mad mind of Warren Ellis, comes an electrical romance of a pirate utopia thwarted: CAPTAIN SWING & THE ELECTRICAL PIRATES OF CINDERY ISLAND. Secrets are revealed, in the weird little pirate utopia of Cindery Island, as Captain Swing explains exactly what's been happening in the world over the last two thousand years or so. But the forces of Law are coming for them, and Law has no time for Pirates -- or Science. This historical science-fiction piratical romance by Warren Ellis is illustrated in Raulo Caceres' stunning woodcut style, and presented in full color. It is the time of Captain Swing and his Electrical Pirates, and history will never be the same. CAPTAIN SWING #3 is available with a Regular or Wraparound cover by series artist Raulo Caceres, and a special retailer incentive Penny Dreadful cover designed to look like a classic novel of yore.  Comic Cavalcade

Dynamite Entertainment

If you've been reading the blog for a while you will know of my affection for all things John Carter of Mars related. The Barsoom or Martian series penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of my favorite reads. The first book in the series is A Princess of Mars. My copy was printed in January 1963 by Ballantine Books with a cover by Robert Abbett.  You can see the covers for all the copies I have here.

Dynamite Entertainment has kicked off its Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris series with 8 covers (plus a 9th variant from Dynamic Forces). The story is set 400+ years before the first book in Burrough's series. I'm just going to share three of the nine covers, though I have all nine. You can see all of the covers at Dynamite Entertainment's website.

Martians live forever -- everyone knows that. So what was Dejah Thoris doing all those hundreds of years before John Carter arrived? Four hundred years before the events of Warlord of Mars took place, Dejah's nation of Helium was divided into two warring city-states. An unscrupulous overlord from afar encouraged that rivalry to his own advantage, until he discovered a terrible secret from Mars' ancient past beneath Dejah Thoris' capital. A secret to kill for! Dynamite Entertainment

Later this month one of my most anticipated comics of the year comes out. More on that in a couple of weeks.

After some very light comic weeks, I picked up a lot of comics yesterday. Of course some of these were variants. Here are my favorites:

DC Comics

Victorian Undead II: Sherlock Holmes vs Dracula, #4 of 5
The game is afoot as Sherlock Holmes and his strange group of allies race against the clock to counter Count Dracula's moves in London against the Royal Family. Will their efforts be enough to stop a darkness spreading over the newly rebuilt London? Elementary, my dear reader!

DC Comics


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Doc Savage, #11
Doc Savage's adventure in the war-torn Zone races toward its unbelievable finish, as the secrets of the Two Who Are One – and Ronan McKenna's disappearance five years ago – are revealed! But Doc's discoveries may have set in motion a terrible fate for the Zone's innocent inhabitants!
 
DC Comics
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
Dynamite Entertainment
 
Sherlock Holmes: Year 1, #1 of 6  

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's dauntless detective returns in an all-new series of adventures exploring the sleuth's untold origins! Join Dr. John Watson as he meets young Sherlock Holmes in a fateful encounter that will\forever shape both men's destinies! Mysteries and murders most foul abound as we discover clues that reveal just how Holmes became the world's most famous [detective].  Dynamite Entertainment

Other covers

Just as John Carter is getting settled in on Mars, he gets a big surprise: Dejah Thoris. Dejah is a beautiful Martian princess, and protecting her is going to earn Carter plenty of enemies. We've only seen one side of Mars so far, but in this issue we're going to see a whole lot more. Dynamite Entertainment

Vertigo

The Unwritten, #22
Tom's accidentally broken the novel Moby-Dick, and he's looking for a way out. What he finds is a path into a whole different ocean, with more trouble (and more whales) than he could possibly imagine.

And remember that endless stairway from issue #2? Well, now we get to see what it's for...

Vertigo

I was going to write about the comics that I picked up at New York Comic Con this past weekend, but instead I feel compelled to write about a comic that I picked up yesterday. I am a HUGE fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs and in particular his Barsoom or Mars series.

I first read the books as a preteen and occasionally reread them. I have a set with covers by Robert Kennedy Abbett, which were published in the 1960s.

The books in the Mars series:

A Princess of Mars
The Gods of Mars
The Warlord of Mars
Thuvia, Maid of Mars
The Chessmen of Mars
The Master Mind of Mars
A Fighting Man of Mars
Swords of Mars
Synthetic Men of Mars
Llana of Gathol
John Carter of Mars

These are scans of my books:

One of the most extraordinary writers of the century, author of the Tarzan books, the Mars series and many other titles, EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS wrote in the grand tradition of Rider Haggard, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and other spinners of fantastic and wonderful adventure stories.

His heroes became household names and, over the years, his books have become collector's items.

Now, Ballentine Books is proud to announce that they have been authorized to reprint the entire Martian series for the first time in lowcost paperbound form. The series will be released in sequence, as they were originally published, starting with the first two - A PRINCESS OF MARS, and THE GODS OF MARS.

From inside the book cover:

A PRINCESS OF MARS is the beginning of an odyssey in which John Carter, gentleman from Virginia, embarks on the daring adventure which leads him to the fantastic dying planet of Mars with its multilimbed carnivores, fierce giant green men, weird vegetation, ancient cities and the incomparable Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium-

A Princess of Mars was originally published in 1912 in All-Story Magazine as Under the Moon of Mars.

Imagine my delight when I walked into my local comic shop and saw Warlord of Mars, a new comic published by Dynamite Entertainment. (This is not the first comic series based on Burrough's Mars novels.) Here are a description of the series and the covers, some of which remind me more of the Frank Frazetta's Mars series illustrations than the Abbett covers.

The original warrior of Mars returns from Dynamite! Warlord of Mars is an enhancement of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs story, Princess of Mars! If you thought you knew the story, think again! This series will capture the grit and action of the original while expanding on it with new elements. The story is about John Carter, an ex-cavalry officer in the Confederate Army who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars! Joining him in his adventures there are Tars Tarkas, his Martian comrade, and Dejah Thoris, a Martin Princess. This series is written by Arvid Nelson and is illustrated by Stephen (Avengers/Invaders) Sadowski and Lui Antonio, and features covers by Alex Ross, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Jusko and Lucio Parrillo! Dynamite