“O, Bitter Victory!”: 40% off Amazing Spider-man!

Art for ASM #49 by John Romita.

Stan Lee and John Romita’s run on Amazing Spider-man is a legendary must-read. And from April 2012, you can get ASM #39- 67, Annual #3- 5, Spectacular Spider-man Magazine (1968) #1- 2, and material from Not Brand Echh #2, 6 and 11 in a 968- page omnibus.

With an RRP of £75, the HC also features the art of Don Heck, Larry Lieber, Jim Mooney and Marie Severin, with alternate covers by Romita and Humberto Ramos.

And until Wednesday 23^rd November, the Romita cover is available from forbiddenplanet.co.uk for just £45, a saving of 40%! You can get your copy here:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=67242

The Humberto Ramos cover – a homage to ASM #39 – can be pre-ordered from fp.co.uk for £50.25; the Romita cover is expected to  increase to this price once the promotion is over.

While Amazon.co.uk hasn’t even listed it yet, forbiddenplanet.com has the two covers for £51.74 each.

Though it’s a continuation of 2007’s first ASM omnibus – with the art of Steve Ditko – this second hardcover can be read in isolation, with such milestone issues as “How Green Was My Goblin!” – in which the Green Goblin’s true identity is first revealed – “The Sinister Shocker!” (which introduces one of my favourite villains) and “Spider-man No More!” The latter, in ASM #50, introduced the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk, a major criminal in the Marvel Universe, and partly inspired the film, Spider-man 2.

Cover art by John Romita.

Personally, it includes some of my favourite issues, so I will definitely have the omnibus in pride of place.  One of the first Spider-man comic storylines I remember is, in fact, from ASM #48- 49, a grim but thrilling tale of a very ill Spider-man facing off against Kraven the Hunter and the new (-ish) Vulture, Brackie Drago.

Coming July 2012...

Of course, the omnibus comes just in time for the release of The Amazing Spider-man film in July 2012, a reboot starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans.

Andrew Garfiled on set with Emma Stone.

“The Next Generation”: 40% Off Ultimate Comics Avengers!

April 2012 sees the release of the Ultimate Comics Avengers omnibus, which collects some of Mark Millar’s final work for Marvel (though he may still return after the expansion of the MillarWorld line).

Art by Leinil Yu.

Until 16^th November – yep, just under a week – you can pre-order the HC for £33.59, a 40% saving off its RRP of £55.99, from forbiddenplanet.co.uk.

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=67238

Written by Mark Millar, and pencilled by Carlos Pacheco, Leinil Francis Yu, Steve Dillon and Stephen Segovia, the omnibus collects Ultimate Avengers #1- 6, Ultimate Avengers 2 #1- 6, Ultimate Avengers 3 #1-6 and Ultimate Comics Avengers Vs. New Ultimates #1- 6, and sees the Ultimates and Avengers battling against the Red Skull, Ghost Rider and a whole heap o’vampires!

Carlos Pacheco's Ultimate Cap!

The material in the 608-page book is also collected in paperback and hardcover graphic novels, under the titles: The Next Generation; Crime and Punishment; Blade vs. The Avengers; and Avengers vs. New Ultimates: Death of Spider-man.

Amazon.co.uk and thebookdepository.co.uk have the omnibus for £41.99, while forbiddenplanet.com has it on pre-order for £38.63.

Art by Leinil Yu.

Will you be buying it? Are you a Mark Millar fan? And did you pick up the last Ultimates omnibus? Please share your views; all are welcome.

January 2012’s Solicitations

Marvel has just released details of what’s coming in January 2012… and it looks like Amazon.co.uk was right with their prediction of Mark Millar’s run on Ultimate Comics Avengers. It seems that December will be a quiet time for Omnibus fans, but the New Year will continue the trend of two releases a month. Here are the solicitations for Ultimate Comics Avengers and – get ready to be excited – The Amazing Spider-man Volume Two…!

ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS BY MARK MILLAR OMNIBUS

Cover art by Leinil Francis Yu.

Written by MARK MILLAR

Penciled by CARLOS PACHECO, LEINIL FRANCIS YU, STEVE DILLON & STEPHEN SEGOVIA

COVER BY LEINIL FRANCIS YU

All of superstar Mark Millar’s ULTIMATE AVENGERS sagas, collected in one volume!

• Captain America goes rogue to learn the truth about the Red Skull, and S.H.I.E.L.D. commissions a new team to bring him in!

• A 7-foot-tall biker with a flaming skull has been brutally murdering the rich and powerful, and the White House orders the Avengers to take down the Ghost Rider!

• The various vampire clans have united under a charismatic new leader encased in a salvaged Iron Man suit. Can Blade and the Avengers work together to stem the blood-red tide?

Collecting Ultimate Avengers #01-06; Ultimate Avengers 2 #01-06; Ultimate Avengers 3 #01-06; and Ultimate Comics Avengers vs. New Ultimates #01-06.

608 PGS./Parental Advisory …$75.00

ISBN: 978-0-7851-6132-5

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 2

Cover art by John Romita.

Written by STAN LEE

Penciled by JOHN ROMITA with DON HECK, LARRY LIEBER, JIM MOONEY & MARIE SEVERIN

Covers by HUMBERTO RAMOS & JOHN ROMITA

The Stan Lee/John Romita era starts here! Lee and Romita transformed the web-slinger into Marvel’s top title with stories that raised your spirits, tore at your heartstrings and kept you on the edge of your seat. From the revelation of the Green Goblin’s secret identity to the unforgettable entrance of Mary Jane Watson, these classics define Spidey to this day — with star-studded debuts including the Kingpin, the Rhino and Captain Stacy; Spidey’s disastrous first tryout with the Avengers; the iconic “Spider-Man No More!” issue; the true story of Peter Parker’s parents; and an epic battle against the Green Goblin!

Cover art by Humberto Ramos.

Collecting Amazing Spider-man#39-67 and Annual #03-05; Spectacular Spider–man Magazine #01-02; and material from Not Brand Echh #02, 06 and 11.

968 PGS./Rated T …$99.99

ISBN: 978-0-7851-5857-8 (Ramos cover) and ISBN: 978-0-7851-6014-4 (Romita cover).

The first ASM omnibus was released in 2007, and collected the entire Steve Ditko run, so it’s about time we had a follow-up, featuring the brilliant art of John Romita.

Amazing Spider-man #67

Obviously, with this omnibus finishing on ASM #67, there’s plenty of Lee and Romita’s legendary run remaining, so maybe we’ll see even more of the web-head in 2012. Who else is hoping for a follow-up to Uncanny X-Men Volume One or other classic omnibuses?

January’s going to be a great month – especially for those with excess money from Christmas!

“What Would Spidey Do?”: 40% off Spider-man!

If you’re a fan of Spider-man – and who isn’t?! – get over to Forbiddenplanet.co.uk for a massive 40% saving off March’s Untold Tales of Spider-man omnibus. With an RRP of £75, by clicking on the link below you can pre-order it for £45:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=66705

Cover B By Pat Olliffe

Get there now though – the offer ends on Wednesday 12^th October 2011! It only applies to Cover B… but it’s by the excellent Pat Olliffe, so if you have a problem with that, there’s probably something wrong with you. Olliffe also provides Cover A; so it’s win-win!

The 800-page omnibus collects Amazing Fantasy #16-18 (from 1995), Untold Tales Of Spider-Man #1-25, #-1, Annual 1996-1997 and Strange Encounter, plus material from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37, and is written by Kurt Busiek, G.L. Lawrence, Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern and Fred Hembeck. There’s a plethora of fantastic artists too, including: Pat Olliffe, Paul Lee, Greg Loundon, Ron Frenz, Bob McLeod, Mike Allred, Tom Lyle, and John Romita.

Cover A... also by Pat Olliffe!

It’s expected around 14^th March, and features some of the supposedly-‘lost’ stories of Peter Parker as the wall crawling menace.

If you wanna see what’s included in this omnibus, take a look here:

http://spiderfan.org/comics/title/spiderman_untold_tales.html

Really does look awesome, huh?

The seriously cool cover to Untold Tales of Spider-man #15

Forbiddenplanet.co.uk also have Cover A for £48.70, while Amazon.co.uk has Cover B for this price too. Forbiddenplanet.com has the highest price for both covers at £51.74. WHSmiths.co.uk has it on pre-order for £49.50.

In other news…

 

Amazon.co.uk has revealed a really big teaser of things to come: they’ve got an omnibus pre-order for April 2012… Ultimate Comics Avengers By Mark Millar. Of course, the range has previous with the Ultimates omnibus, which is now long out-of-print. Here’s the blurb, straight off Amazon:

“All of superstar Mark Millar’s Ultimate Avengers sagas, collected in one oversized volume! In a bid to learn the truth about the devious Red Skull, Captain America goes rogue and S.H.I.E.L.D. commissions a new group of Avengers to bring him in. But can Nick Fury, Hawkeye, War Machine, Red Wasp, the new Black Widow and Nerd Hulk hope to keep Cap from his mission? Then: a 7-foot-tall biker with a flaming skull has been brutally murdering rich and powerful men across America, and the White House orders the Avengers to take down the Ghost Rider by any means necessary.”

Apparently a 608-page HC, the book has an RRP of £55.99, but they have it for £47.59. If they’re right, I’m looking forward to this one; what do you think, everyone?

“The Old Order Changeth!”: 40% off the Avengers!

“And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then—for now, the Avengers Assemble!”

Avengers #16

I haven’t been this excited about an omnibus in a while.

February 2012 sees the release of The Avengers omnibus, collecting Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck’s Avengers #1- 30, which introduces several characters including Kang the Conqueror, Wonder Man and, of course, the re-introduction of Captain America! (It’s odd, however, that the omnibus finishes at #30; Lee went on to write and edit until issue 35.) The HC will be the equivalent of buying the first three volumes of the Marvel Masterworks: Avengers editions.

Art by Jack "The King" Kirby!

The 728-page book has an RRP of £75, but anyone after the Jack Kirby DM – that’s Direct Market – cover (a re-coloured version of Avengers #01) should go to forbiddenplanet.co.uk for a 40% saving:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=66206

The offer stands until 21^st September; as anyone with a calendar in their peripheral will know… that’s tomorrow, so get over there straight away!

The DM Kirby cover.

If you’ve missed it, don’t panic; amazon.co.uk has a pre-order price of £45.54:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avengers-Omnibus-1-Jack-Kirby/dp/0785158464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316517898&sr=8-1

Bookdepository.co.uk currently has it for £47.46, while forbiddenplanet.com has a price of £51.74.

Avengers #20

John Romita Jr. (my favourite artist by a mile) provides a variant cover, which promises to be just stunning. Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has this available for £50.25, which I expect will be the price of the Kirby cover after tomorrow.

The JRJR variant cover

Despite Amazon predicting 29^th, the omnibus is expected around 15^th February, plenty of time before the release of the The Avengers Movie. There are obviously a few omnibuses out there for Kirby fans, including his runs on Captain
America, Fantastic Four, Devil Dinosaur and The Eternals.

Original Eternals advert

The first Avengers comic I read was the milestone #16, which heralded a new line-up for Earth’s Mightiest, and since then, I’ve loved them, just like every Marvel fan. While the original team – debuting in September 1963 – comprised of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant man and the Wasp (with Cap joining the team in #4), issue 16 saw the roster change, with Captain America headlining a team of Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

The final panel of Avengers #01.

“Welcome back, Carter”: 40% off the Warlord of Mars!

February’s John Carter, Warlord of Mars Omnibus release is an unexpected one, though there is a new film in the mix, but I’m sure will be welcomed by many. The science-fiction series ran from 1977 to 1979, and won the 1978 Eagle Award for ‘Favourite New Title.’

Cover art by Gil Kane

The omnibus collects John Carter, Warlord Of Mars #1- 28 and Annual #1 -3, written by fan-favourites Marv Wolfman, Chris Claremont, Peter B. Gillis, Bill Mantlo and Alan Weiss, and pencilled by Gil Kane – who provides the cover to the HC – Dave Cockrum, Carmine Infantino, Ernie Colon, Frank Miller, Mike Vosburg, Walter Simonson, Ross Andru, Larry Hama, Sal Buscema, Ernie Chan and Alan Weiss. English artist, Alan Davis, best known for his work on Fantastic Four, provides a variant cover.

Cover art by Alan Davis

The 624-page omnibus will have an RRP of £75, but you can pre-order it from forbiddenplanet.co.uk for £45 – a saving of 40% – if you pre-order it by tomorrow, 14^th September – so what are you waiting for?!

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=66090

If you’re reading this on 15^th September though… don’t panic! Amazon.co.uk has it available for £45.54:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Carter-Warlord-Mars-Omnibus/dp/0785159908/ref=cm_lmf_tit_9_rsrsrs1

Thanks to Matschi for commenting on my previous X-Men post, recommending bookdepository.co.uk, which has the John Carter omnibus for £45.54 too.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/John-Carter-Warlord-Mars-Omnibus/9780785159902

Alternatively, the Alan Davis cover is available from forbiddenplanet.co.uk for £50.25, which is what the Gil Kane one will probably rise to after tomorrow. Forbiddenplanet.com has it on pre-order for £51.74.

Burrough's original 'A Princess of Mars' book

The series takes place during the novel, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which is being turned into a comic books series by Roger Langridge (Thor: The Mighty Avenger; Doctor Who Magazine) and Skottie Young (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; New Warriors: Reality Check) this month.

“With our new partnership with Marvel Entertainment, we believe we have found the best creative force to revive the thrills and adventures in the 21st Century of the legendary John Carter of Mars. We are looking forward to introducing this original interplanetary adventurer to a new generation of fans and await the first issue with great anticipation,” said James Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Skottie Young's cover to 'John Carter: Princess of Mars' #01.

For more on this, take a look at the Marvel website here: http://marvel.com/news/story/16055/john_carter_a_princess_of_mars_coming_in_september

Avengers details revealed

Marvel has revealed the preliminary covers to the upcoming Avengers omnibus, due for publication in February 2012. The normal cover is a recoloured version of Jack “The King” Kirby’s Avengers #01…

Art by Jack Kirby.

The variant edition will feature a cover by John Romita Jr. in homage to Kirby’s.

Art by John Romita Jr.

JRJR is my favourite artist, so I’m especially looking forward to this release, which is set to collect Avengers #01-30, by the legends that are Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck. The HC will be 728 pages, with an RRP of £75.

The Avengers omnibus is scheduled for release just before the movie of the same name… which is bound to be a massive hit, right?

Avengers Assemble!

“The Art of War”: 40% Off Apocalypse!

Personally, I think Apocalypse is one of the best characters in the MU, and if you’re a like-minded individual, you’ll want to get over to forbiddenplanet.co.uk to pre-order the upcoming Age of Apocalypse Omnibus.

Enter the AoA!

The 1072-page hardcover collects Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men #40-41, Cable #20, X-Men Alpha, Amazing X-Men #1-4, Astonishing X-Men #1-4, Factor X #1-4, Gambit & The X-Ternals #1-4, Generation Next #1-4, Weapon X  #1-4, X-Calibre #1-4, X-Man #1-4, X-Men Omega, Age Of Apocalypse: The Chosen and X-Men Ashcan #2.

The massive book encompasses the entire MU, and sees the death of Charles Xavier and the victory of Apocalypse. What more could anybody ask for?! Well, how about a wealth of incredible creators, like Mark Waid, Scott Lobdell, Steve Epting and Salvador Larroca?

Cover B by Joe Maduriera.

Until 7^th SEPTEMBER 2011 – Yes, tomorrow – you can get 40% off, bringing the price down to £57, if you visit:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=66034

With an RRP of £95, its certainly worth pre-ordering now to avoid paying more upon its release in February 2012. The discount is for Cover B, by Joe Madureira, while Billy Tan’s Cover A is available for £63.65; I expect the price of Cover B to increase to this when the offer ends. Cover A looks to be that of X-Men Alpha, re-coloured for two of the TPB editions of the 1995-96 mutant epic.

X-Men Alpha

These aforementioned four trade paperbacks were issued between 2005 and 2006, and can be found for about £15 each on the web. To get the whole story would cost you £60; so this omnibus is definitely worth it! Oddly, it apparently omits two issues that were included in May’s Prelude to Age of Apocalypse TPB (http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=63534); very strange indeed! Can anybody give us a hint as to why those two are missing from the omnibus? Or will this change nearer publication date?

Cover A by Billy Tan.

Amazon.co.uk doesn’t have the omnibus listed yet, while forbiddenplanet.com has the Tan cover for £64.85. So it’s definitely advisable to get to fp.co.uk as fast as possible.

The omnibus comes at a particularly good time, with the excellent Uncanny X-Force series focussing on many elements from the story. First of all, X-Force went face-to-face with Apocalypse (…sort of) and his horsemen in The Apocalypse Solution… Then, most recently, they journeyed into the actual Age of Apocalypse!

Uncanny X-Force #04. Cover art by Esad Ribic.

Come back soon for Spider-man, the Avengers… and the War Lord of Mars!

The Dark Tower Looms!

Marvel has recently released details of the upcoming Dark Tower Omnibus, the first double-set in a slipcase, alongside an excellent feature on the origins of the series. Based on the work of Stephen King (yes, really), the Dark Tower comic expands on the gritty world of The Gunslinger, written by Peter David – best known for his work with the Hulk –  and illustrated by Jae Lee (Inhumans; The Sentry). The massive books really do look special…

In all its glory!

In the feature on marvel.com, editor, Ralph Macchio says:

“I had read the Dark Tower novels before talk of a comic series had come along, and I had already pictured what the book would look like, so living up to that for myself and for the readers out there was difficult.

“Another thing that proved difficult was planning it out; when [co-writer] Robin Furth and I worked out the first arc of 30 issues, we were thinking pretty far into the future. I know certain comics work out where they’re going in advance, but working out an entire story-arc going 30 issues was pretty ambitious, especially since the writing hadn’t even begun.”

The Slipcase

Take a look at the full article here: http://marvel.com/news/story/16462/a_towering_achievement_the_dark_tower_omnibus

Cover art by Jae Lee

Collecting the first five volumes of the Dark Tower story, the slipcase omnibus (or should that be omnibuses?) has a huuuuge RRP of £110, according to amazon.co.uk. However, they currently have it available for pre-order for £82.50, while forbiddenplanet.com has it for £77.63.

Forbiddenplanet.co.uk has it for the best price, though. So snap it up at an excellent £73.70!

The Companion HC Omnibus

The  Dark Tower Slipcase HC Omnibus is due for release on 21^st September. Will you be getting it? As it’s technically two omnibuses, packaged as one, do you think it’s worth the RRP? And does the range have a future as double packs? Let me know your thoughts!

“Too Many Mutants!”: 40% Off The X-Men!

 

Recoloured art by Jim Lee

Chris Claremont and Jim Lee’s exceptional collaboration on Marvel’s #1 mutant team continues in January 2012’s omnibus, which sets the X-Men up against Skrulls, The Shadow King and – of course – Magneto. The X-Men By Claremont and Lee Omnibus Volume Two also sees X-Factor take on Apocalypse, Wolverine versus Omega Red, the return of Mojo, the loss of Cyclop’s son, and time-travelling chaos with Bishop.

Omnibus cover art by Jim Lee

The pair’s award-winning run brought the X-Men into the 1990s with a bang. With a massive 880 pages, collecting Uncanny X-Men#273- 280, X-Factor #63- 70, Ghost Rider #26- 27, and X-Men #1- 9 – plus material from #10 and 11 –  this release will be a must for fans of mutantkind.

Uncanny X-Men #280

If you’re not a member of Friends Of Humanity, you’ll want to get over to forbiddenplanet.co.uk before Wednesday 10^th August to save 40% off the RRP of £95, bringing the cost down to £57! They list the expected delivery date as 4^th January, so perhaps something to spend that money you get for Christmas on…

While the Omnibus is available with two different covers  – both by Jim Lee –  only the one based on Uncanny X-Men #275 is on offer for £57 from fp.co.uk. It’s a great design, but anyone searching for the other, more Wolverine-centric one can get it from fp.co.uk for £63.65, which is also the same price as the previous Claremont/Lee X-Men omnibus. Following the current promotion, the Volume Two omnibus will probably go for this price as well.

The Recoloured X-Men!

Amazon.co.uk, meanwhile, have both omnibuses for the pre-order price of £71.25 each (which is kinda rubbish, really!), and forbiddenplanet.com have Volumes One and Two – all covers  – for £64.85 each.

Other X-Omnibuses include The X-Men Volume One and Two, which collects the earliest tales of the team, the long-OOP New X-Men with stories by Grant Morrison, and the formation of the second team – including Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler – in Uncanny X-Men By Claremont and Cockrum. Yep, the X-Men have a history of going out-of-print…