Panel Laughs: Comic Book Cover History of THE X-MEN (15)

(Right click to enlarge, then save)

Panel Laughs: Battle of The Bulges, MARVEL SWIMSUIT Style -- But They Only Nailed The Ads (13 & 14)

 [via]

In the 90's, comics were a runaway train racing South even before the 'bubble burst,' and  Marvel's Sports Illustrated  impersonation only greased the industrial track - and probably more poles than Nielsen.  From 1991 to 1995, Marvel Comics' annual Illustrated Swimsuit Specials presented page after page of big boys with bulges and more superheroine T&A than a Rob Liefeld comic. Fittingly, the first Special featured members of the publisher's premier and woefully under-clad super-team, the Avengers -- and  several of the Avengers' members to boot.  For the money, our  favorite shot has to be Adam Hughes' Janet Van Dyne aka the size-shrinking Wasp, pictured ironically here between the unmistakable manhood (manhoods? men-hood?) of Wonder Man (truth in advertising for days) and mister stars and stripes forever himself, Captain America, two dudes who suffer not from any shrinkage.

To be fair, the Specials didn't take themselves completely seriously, a fact especially evidenced by the slightly subversive phony advertisements  and tongue-in-cheek articles peppered between their pin-ups.   We think they're rather clever -- fake ads augmenting the illusion that the fictional Specials are real, while making valid, real world  points on issues usually over-looked for fictional characters. Thanks (or no thanks) to Mike Zeck's ability to draw Canadians dripping sweat,  it's a challenge not to imagine how a stanky wet Wolverine smells. (And you gotta love the “deoderant” -- import, maybe?)  Thor's hammer ad is a whole 'nother horse, of course.  Marvel's golden boy gets one page full of double entendres  and a look that leaves little doubt this is one Thunder God who's more bent than the nails his hammer fails to, well, nail.  

ART BY ADAM HUGHES   

(To enlarge, click Right)

Even twenty years later, Marvel's faux marketing succeeds with the satire -- which, by the way, was also more the Swimsuit Specials goal than lending their hand to a monkey-punching fan base. But the proof's in the pandering, and Marvel's messages were mixed. In the battle of their Swimsuit bulges, Marvel Comics got cock-blocked -- by themselves.

Wolverine & Thor [via]

Forget What You Know: The Real REAL Origin of WOLVERINE

Be sure to watch out for those glowing radioactive wolverine animals when you're in Canada, eh?. They're like everywhere, dude.

Figures In Action! CAST A Vote For Your Favorite CAP

Here's something fun that'll take a minute out of your day - and give you something to talk about over beers  tonight. Through Memorial Day on ToyRUs.com  you’ll be able to vote for your favorite Captain America Minimate design. Just as those Uncanny Mating X-men  we showed you few days back prove, Minimates figures get a lot of...well, action.  Finally, this is the weekend for all of us to get in what we're missin -- and to witness the democratic process from the comfort of your own computer!  After the votes have been tallied, the top four selections will be collected into an exclusive Toys R Us box set from Art Asylum, celebrating the return of the original Captain America, Steve Rogers. The six (6) designs to choose from include:  

    * World War II-era (Golden Age)
    * Suspended Animation (Silver Age)
    * The Captain (80s)
    * Armored Captain America (90s)
    * Civil War Captain America (00s)
    * Captain America Re-Birth (current)

It's a tough pick, ain't it? Civil War Captain America is all kinds of torn-up, but the Silver Age Suspended Animation version comes with a melting block of ice. This election's as crazy as the '03 recall, so get in on the fun and vote [here]!!

MARVEL'S Downtown DISNEYLAND Debut

Speaking of 'Dismay,' the Orange County Register reported earlier this month that - for the first time since Black Monday - Marvel Comics merchandise has been spotted on sale at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. The newspaper documented a sizable display of superhero stuff at Disney's D Street, a Downtown Disney store.  But while Iron Man and Spidey merch was stacked floor-to-ceiling, D Street didn't exclude DC from its inventory. When there's a buck to be made, even Mickey is a bi-partisan Mouse.

Marvel Comics Unmasks Their Newest 'AVENGERS'

Marvel's latest promotion of the mega-relaunch of their entire Avengers comics franchise -- the I Am An Avenger photo wall. Anyone you know up there? We might be. Find out online at Marvel.com or here.

Jean, Girl, You Need To Quit It

Either Jean's been up again for three days, or Professor X is up to his old tricks...

New X-Men #126  by Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly (Marvel Comics, 2002) via

Gabriele Dell'Otto and The Sorcerer Supreme

Doctor Strange, The Sorcerer Supreme  

by Italian comics artist Gabriele Dell'Otto [link]

QuoteA: Real American Hero LARRY HAMA (1/3) plus All The News on COBRA-Con 2010

    Photo by Seth Kushner, 2010 [via]

Larry Hama turns 61 in June, and it's a birthday we're sure he'll long associate with the next chapter of his storied career. A writer, artist, actor, editor, musician and veteran, Hama simply considers himself a 'drawer' -- to him, even the writing that's occupied so much of his time for the last thirty years is simply 'drawing with words.' [source]
 
The words Hama's drawn  have literally shaped an enormous part of the pop cultural landscape, not to mention the imaginations of countless boys who grew up reading or playing with GI JOE: A Real American Hero.  Hasbro relaunched their GI JOE toys with A Real American Hero in 1982 as well as a comic book of the same name published by Marvel Comics to support the new line.  Needing work at the time, Hama agreed to write the toy-inspired series, accepting a job other writers had turned down, considering GI JOE  to be a 'dead-end'. 

But Hama treated the series and its characters with respect,  and the result is now comics history: Marvel's GI JOE: A Real American Hero continued for fourteen consecutive years, with 155 issues of the core title published between 1982 and 1994. During his long run, Hama became GI JOE's virtual commander-in-chief; aside from his comics duties, Hama is responsible for writing the dossiers Hasbro included with every one of their 3 3/4" action figures.

GI JOE's been in the hands of four different publishers since its Marvel days, and, to one degree or another, Hama's been on-scene for each one; the producers of 2009's GI JOE: The Rise of COBRA even brought him aboard as a consultant.  This year, after nearly three decades of forging the fate of GI JOE and their serpentine COBRA foes, Hama's coming back to the JOES in a big way -- and we'll show you just HOW big in next week's Larry Hama, Part II! 

While he's been quoted on GI JOE numerous times, we especially enjoyed the personal anecdotes Larry Hama shared with Christopher Irving, when he interviewed Hama back in January. You'll find Irving's incredible hour with Larry Hama [here]; while quotA has our favorite insight from the comics writer below...

[Source]

GI JOE fandom is a phenomenon that spreads across three generations and encompasses over forty years. But GI JOE's truly phenomenal trait is its appeal to comic book collectors, toy collectors, military enthusiasts, animation fans, and movie fans alike. While some pull double-duty as enthusiasts of all things GI JOE, many do not; but once a year, those separate units converge as one army to attend Hasbro's G.I. JOE Collectors’ Convention.

Known as GI JOE Con, the annual event draws thousands of fans and collectors of all ages, while inspiring other smaller, regional conventions across the country and even a Canadian counterpart. This year's JOE Con is just days away --the rallying cry "Yo, JOE!" will be heard throughout the city of Providence, Rhode Island  from 29 April - 02 May.  Wanna Go? Check out the official GI JOE Con website [here] and download a Registration Form [here].

Official announcements of Convention guests - including comics scribe Larry Hama - and of  several awesome and exclusive GI JOE toys and comics available only on-site have been pumping up JOE fandom for months. Even COBRA, the world terrorist organization bent on global domination, jumped in to the fray in February, releasing both a promotional video and a public statement to encourage fans to attend their own convention, COBRA-Con, to be held concurrently with GI JOE Con! Outrageous! Plus, we hear that Cobra Commander himself  has promised an even better time than the competition. 

Dabblers, what to do?  Our end-of-the-month plans have become quite a toss-up now. Do you have the same problem? To help us all decide, we've got everything COBRA has to say below. Hope it helps!

Cobra announces CobraCon 2010 in Providence, Rhode Island

Cobra Island – February 26, 2010 – Today, Cobra Commander has announced that Cobracon 2010 will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island from April 29th to May 2nd. Cobra wants to make sure that the fans of Cobra do not confuse this show with GIJoecon 2010, also being held in Providence, Rhode Island from April 29th to May 2nd. No, CobraCon will be FAR more exciting!!!

Unlike last year's convention (apologies again for the unexpected exposure of mind control gas at the Saturday Night Dinner event), this year's CobraCon promises a smooth and relatively danger-free show, complete with a special appearance by Black Major and his trusty comrades, the Red Shadows. Along with special guests, art contests, an invasion of Hasbro's headquarters, panels and seminars featuring Hasbro and other Cobra loyalists and supporters, this year's convention is THE show to attend!

So what are you waiting for! Just head on over to our convention site now - www.CobraCon.com - and sign up for the Cobra event of a lifetime. NOW! Cobraaaaaaaaaaa!

 

About COBRA

For over 25 years, Cobra has been the leading international criminal organization, offering the whole of humanity the finest in criminal espionage, homicidal clones, doomsday scenarios and an alternative to the decadent and foolish governance of so-called 'democracy.' Located on Cobra Island and any number of small towns near you, Cobra reaches more people than any rival organization; with attacks on G.I. Joe and the many countries they help defend such as Japan, United States, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia and Canada. For more information visit our convention site. To view our competitors site (which we recently "acquired") visit www.gijoeclub.com. Comments? Please direct email to Tomax.

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: The 1940's Newspaper Strip on Marvel Digital Comics

While the iPad presents a whole new set of challenges for comics, adapting them for a digital audience isn't completely new. Marvel's been turning out digitally-formatted online comics for a few years now, offering internet junkies and early adopters an alternative to the  paper monthlies with a mix of both recent titles and classic ones.  Not every  Peter Parker fan can afford the first 100 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, but online, they're just part of the   annual dues. 

Becoming Marvel's newest digital devotee will set you back about $60/year, but the price is a bargain considering that over 5,000 different books have been digitized for online consumption. They range from the obscure (Balder The Brave - a 1985 Thor tie-in) to the popular (Dark Avengers) to the prized (Giant-Size X-Men #1, 1975), and they are many. 

Marvel also offers  exclusive online content, such as the newly-launched series, Captain America: The 1940's Newspaper Strip.  We've got a patriotic preview of the strip for you below -- not so much because you deserve it, but we thought y'all need to brush-up on your Cap history before we blog what's new with Chris Evans' First Avenger: Captain America movie later this week. Find helpful linkage at the bottom -- and remember: right-click to enlarge!

 +  +  +  +  +  +  + 

 Marvel Digital Comics Linkage

 [Subscriptions]

[Digital Comics Catalog]

[Free Digital Comics of the Week]

 

Great Weekend (2/3): iPAD's Arrival Tomorrow Means Tablet Technology Meets Comics

Every once in a while, all the awesome in the Universe seems to converge within a two day period.  We're not sure why it happens, but it has, it does, and if our experience with the power cosmic means anything, we're sure it'll happen again. Dabblers  might very well call these spectacular spectaculars Comic Convergences, but sometimes, even those words aren't enough. 

This weekend 02-04 April  promises to be the first of  2010's potentially Great Weekends, with 3 mega-events exploding nationwide: (1) San Francisco's own gigantic comic convergence, Wonder Con, begins it's three-day stay today in the Bay Area, while (2) Louis Leterrier's remade Clash of the Titans charged into theaters this morning - and in some places, even last night. Apple's game-changing iPad makes our (3) as it the game-changing tablet technology makes its public appearance just hours from now.

Yes, Apple confirmed Monday that their new iPad Wifi version (not the Wifi + 3G) will go on sale nationwide in all 221 Apple retail stores, as well as “most” Best Buy stores, beginning Saturday 03 April 2010 at 9am.  The company also said that their earliest iPad pre-orders have begun shipping as well, meaning at least a few lucky dabblers - along with  Stephen Colbert, who announced he received a free on during last night's episode of The Colbert Report - are probably shopping the App Store even now. 

Based on a 2007 survey, over 10 million or 30% of Americans own or will own an iPhone , and it's estimated that sales of the iPad should hit the 1 million mark within the next week.  Numbers like that mean, well, a lot of things - but in general, they translate very well as a technological tidal wave that, once it hits, will even give places like Des Moines, Iowa the metaphorical beach front property its always wanted. 

In other words, iPad's tablet technology will be a game changer. A plethora of other companies - among them  Lenovo, HP, Archos, Enso, Asus, and Fusion Garage - will be releasing their own media tablets this year, and cumulative orders are expected to hit 4 million by year's end.  By 2015, the world-wide number is forecasted to be 57 million annually.

To both usher in and ease the inevitable process, Apple's  posted several  iPad tutorials and guided video tours to their website, focusing on their new device's core features, such as Safari, Mail, iBooks, and the iWork suite. Of more interest to dabblers may be the tutorial for Apple's new iBookstore, which will first require a user to download an App before iPad can go cyber-shopping.  To begin your new iPad education, go HERE.

  

Reading iBooks on the iPad will be akin to using an e-Book reader,  but in a far better way than is currently offered by any e-reader currently on the market.  Apple’s iBookstore will designate about 20 main tier categories, including Fiction & Literature, Reference, and Cookbooks. Comic Books & Graphic Novels  will also rank among the Top 20 -- which we think is excellent and reassuring news. Manga will be delineated as a subcategory beneath the Comics tier, just one of over 150 total iBookstore subs available.  (And for our gamers on the blog, Apple reports their video game catalog will be just - if not even more - impressive.)

Apple's iPad capabilities are perfectly suited for comic books and graphic novels.  Online sites like ComiXology have become instrumental as the comics industry marches toward its own digital evolution; ComiXology itself boats an impressive, non-stop shop destination for the comics crowd, featuring not only weekly digital  comics and graphic novel content, but blogs, reviews, previews, forums, user ratings, and mobile applications for users on the go.   Expanding on the ComiXology model is Longbox Digital, a device and hardware independent platform for the secure distribution, sale and enjoyment of digital comics.  While Longbox is currently in private Beta test mode, public Beta testing is expected to come soon.

And that's an event that could be huge - especially in the months and years to come. Longbox has the potential to be the future of comics distribution, eliminating the monthly paper comic book format entirely. Longbox will function in a way very similar to iTunes, and like Apple's music store, plans to offer $.99 content.  With individual comics priced  anywhere from $2.99 to $4.99 or more, collecting has been prohibitive for many readers.  The potentials of Longbox suggest that may not be the case in the future. Still, that time won't arrive anytime soon. The new models of comics sales and distribution that the industry would need to adopt also predict the end of comics' current system - the independent direct market. With an entire industry structured around the direct market, the future will not be won easily.

Of course, that doesn't mean it won't be coming. Several comics publishers already offer digital content for iPhone via their individual apps,  and porting them to iPad and other media tablets will be a seamless process. Among the companies offering their comics digitally are: Image, Arcana, Archaia, Antarctic Press, Bluewater, Boom Studios, Devil's Due, Dynamite Entertainment,  Moonstone, Red 5, Robot Comics,  Slave Labor Graphics, Studio 407, Top Cow, and Viper. 

If anyone will have trouble adapting their comics to digital, its the Big Two, Marvel Comics and DC.  We'll take a closer look at both these companies digital designs in Part II of our Digital Comics review - coming this weekend!

Mark Of A Hero: DICK GIORDANO Will Be Remembered As One Of The Greats

Though the comics spotlight most often shines on the hottest drawers of the day, few linger in that light for long, and far fewer still leave their permanent mark on the industry or its fans. Dick Giordano, who passed away Saturday at the age of 77,  was one of the few exceptions to that rule, and leaves behind him a heroic legacy of imagery and storytelling that defined superheroes for an entire generation.

The announcement came early 27 March 2010 from Giordano's business partner and comics creator whom he once served as mentor, Bob Layton: 

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

It is my sorrowful duty to announce that legendary artist/editor/entrepreneur Dick Giordano passed away today.  Few could ever hope to match what he accomplished in his chosen profession, or to excel while maintaining great humor, compassion for his peers and an unwavering love for the art form.

His unique vision changed the comic industry forever and all of those who work in the business continue to share in the benefits of his sizable contributions. I have been honored to call him a business partner, mentor and dear friend throughout the majority of my lifetime.

We will not see his like again.
   
Regretfully,Bob Layton

Having recently just purchased one of my earliest childhood memories, DC Comics'  tabloid-sized Justice League of America Limited Collectors' Edition C-46 from 1976 which features Giordano's cover art of DC's top heroes speeding out from the JLA seal - an iconic image that has been recreated numerous times since  and put into motion for the opening credits of at least one iteration of the Super-Friends  cartoon - the penciller and inker was coincidentally on my mind the week before he died.  As a kid, the comic book stories and their writers mean little, but the pictures mean everything. In retrospect, there's no doubt that Giordano was one of the main reasons I'm reading comics today.

My over-sized Justice League comic is only one of Dick Giordano's many invaluable contributions to comics and the superheroes he portrayed. Influenced by comics strip artists like Alex Raymond and Hal Foster, Giordano began his long career in comics in 1951 as a freelance artist, doing work for the majority of the publishers at that time.  Most of his early years, however, were spent in Connecticut at Charlton Comics. By 1965, he had risen in the ranks to become the company's Editor-in-Chief, leading a resurgence of the publisher's "Action Heroes" like the Blue Beetle and Captain Atom under the pen of Spider-Man co-creator, Steve Ditko.

 

Giordano went to work for DC Comics in the late 1960's as an editor and inker, and along with writer Denny O'Neil and penciller Neal Adams, contributed his skills to one of the publisher's most important series of the time, Green Lantern / Green Arrow. He also lent his talents to other genre-defining books of the early Bronze Era, including Batman, and perhaps the two most significant of DC's Treasury books, Superman Vs The Amazing Spider-Man (1976) - the very first intercompany cross-over between the heroes of Marvel  and DC - and 1978's Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali, a true collector's item that DC announced will finally be remastered and reprinted later this year. 

As an Executive Editor at DC, Giordano was instrumental bringing two of the 1980's most pivotal series to print: Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.  Perhaps an ever greater achievement, many of comics best artists and writers, from Neal Adams to Jim Lee, may not be working in the industry today if not for Giordano's encouragement.

But for those of us here at the Springfield Home Office, and we expect for many comics fans across the country and the world, its Giordano's art, synonomous of superhero, that has left its greatest impression.  While non-comics folks might not recognize Giordano as the man responsible, images of his Aquaman, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, among others, would be instantly familiar to even the uninitiated. Dick Giordano's portrayal of those and many other of pop culture's greatest characters has not only forged their name in history, but also his own.

Top: Aquaman by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano

Middle: DC Heroes inked sketch by Dick Giordano 

Bottom: Wonder Woman inked sketch by Dick Giordano

To read more about Dick Giordano as well as view his comics art work, visit the artist's own website HERE.   Google Books also features a 176-page online preview of Two Morrows Publishing's Changing Comics One Day At A Time, their 2003 biography of Dick Giordano, HERE.

Boy, It's Vintage! An Accurate HULK For Boys Town

Marvel Comics wasn't always about superheroes. After World War II especially, Marvel's comics were synonymous with monster comics - and the Incredible Hulk created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962 is a product of that early era.  An amalgam of Jekyll and Hyde and the Frankenstein Monster, even the first issue of The Incredible Hulk asks, "Is He Man or Monster or...Is He Both?"  Point of fact, dear dabbler, that nowhere on that cover does it say,"Or Is He ... Super Hero? Can He Be a Super Hero? Please, please?"

The Incredible Hulk series didn't catch on, and was canceled with its sixth issue.  Shortly after, Lee found a use for his Hulk in the pages of Marvel's first - and then only - superhero title,  Fantastic Four #12.  Ever since, Marvel and the incredible number of writers its had tackle Hulk have endeavored to somehow make the character - and  more importantly, the idea behind the character - fit neatly inside the box of the company's expanding Universe.

But the schizophrenic, nuclear-spawned monster with a powerful metaphor at its core rarely has fit well, for the simple fact that the Green Goliath is not a superhero.  Bruce Banner, the scientist with a secret inside, may be heroic in his efforts to suppress his angry side,  but the same could have been said for Jeffrey Dahmer on a good day.  Despite that unfortunate comparison, the Hulk remains a rich and useful character -- just not in the pages of the  character's current two monthly series. In the greater Marvel Universe of today, the Hulk's been reduced to a plot device, a means of mass destruction and a reason for Wolverine to headline yet another limited series. In Hulk, writer Jeph Loeb has literally exploited the character's schizophrenic nature; Hulk is red one month, blue the next, though we suppose Loeb's just keeping us on our toes until he hits us with chartreuse Hulk just before his  ridiculous run is over.

We ran the risk just now of turning our beloved comicsblog into a comics-rant, but only to illustrate a point, dear dabbler: there is a Hulk within us all. Robert Louis Stevenson knew this, Stan Lee knew this, we (and you) know this, and, we're happy to mention,  he creator of the Hulk Boys Town advertisement at the top of tonight's blog knew this, too. The ad ran inside Marvel's New Warriors #33  back in March of 1993, and it's one of the best uses of the Hulk that we've seen in comics in a long time, before and since.

If you've heard of Boys Town, you'll also understand, then, why we think this the Hulk makes a terrific spokesperson. Boys Town, founded in Nebraska in 1921 by Father Edward J Flanagan, provides an integrated continuum of care to at-risk youth, and its National Hotline has served as a life line for kids nationwide who need help. It's done so for over twenty years, which means that good ol' Hulk was one of the Hotline's first mascots, and maybe even its only comic book mascot at that. 

We think its great that in all the years since, the Boys Town National Hotline is still going strong and remains as true and dedicated to its mission as it was when it was created. Hulk, you may be think you're "the strongest there is," but  we've got news for you: nope. Image [via]

CoMicsMerchant Says He's GLAAD There's No Time Like The Present

As often as we've claimed our day to bring all you comicsblogees brand-new blogs is Friday, we'll make an exception for Saint Patrick's.  And though it may be St. Paddy's, Pay Day (one of our favorite holidays) is so close we can smell the money.  If you can, too,  then this is place you want to be and our resident CoMics Merchant is the dude you need to meet   He's got a knack for the new that'll knock your socks off; he's the merchant with a penchant for spending other people's cash.  Will he succeed putting you in the poor house tonight? Only one way to find out: Let's go shopping - abbracadabbling style!

Just like the awesome Iron Man MacBook Decal we featured a few months ago, this cool Green Lantern MacBook Decal will add a gaggle of green comics color to your MacBook or MacBook Pro. The full-color decal of DC Comics' most famous Green Lantern is perfectly positioned so that your (and CoMics Merchant's) MacBook's apple light gives good glow and makes Hal Jordan's power ring sparkle with emerald energy.  Movie Magic Man's up to his old tricks, but when it comes to Green Lantern, we'll let him work that old black magic anytime he wants. He's even designed the decal to fit 13 inch, 15 inch and 17 inch laptop models -- and we'd bet good money he's got an iPad design waiting in wings.  For just $15, your Mac can become the next member of the the Green Lantern Corps HERE.

Superheroes may rely on masks to protect their identities when on the job, but we all know an MP3 player and headphones serve the purpose even better. Now, Coloud, the 'new name in music', has given us the best of both worlds with these soon to be hot-off-the-assembly-line Marvel Headphones! Coloud's new Marvel-themed headgear features a range of Marvel heroes, from Iron Man and Hulk to Punisher and Wolverine! -- and there's even an X-Men version, so how can we not be psyched? Fans of Daredevil, you're out of luck.  But for everyone else, CoMics Merchant  says Christmas is coming early this year. Get in line and pre-order your MP3's next super-accessory for just $39.99 HERE. 

Alan Cumming - X-Men 2's big-screen, blue-skinned Nightcrawler - hosted the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York last Saturday, which you already know is the annual ceremony that honors all forms of media - including comics - which elevate and promote fair, accurate and inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) stories, issues, and people.  Joining fellow GLAAD Award recipients Joy Behar (LMAO co-host of The View) and Ms. Aliens herself, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Kane won this year's GLAAD Award in the Outstanding Comic Book category for her portrayal of Batwoman in the ongoing DC Comics series Detective Comics.

Well, okay, Kate Kane and her alter-ego may not exist (that we know of), but DC's Detective Comics, the longest published series in comics, did earn this year's honor for featuring lesbian superheroine Batwoman in the publisher's flagship title.  That alone wouldn't have been enough for the title to win an award; the book's  creative team of writer Greg Rucka and artist J.H. Williams III  is that magic that's consistently put Detective Comics over the top and earned the series copious amounts of critical attention since the modern incarnation of Kate Kane began headlining the Batman-related book in June 2009.

After nearly a year of headlining Detective, Batwoman nabs GLAAD's award just as she's about to exit the book in order to make room for the return of a back-from-the-past Bruce Wayne.  While a short hiatus may be in her solo future, so's her solo title, which Rucka and Williams will launch later this year. But our CoMics Merchant doesn't see any reason for you to wait to find our what everyone's been so GLAAD that you've been missing. Head down to your local comics shop and find out just how the comic book industry is tackling LGBT issues, as the red-haired spunky Batwoman is about the best example going right now. Insightful -- and a good read with plenty of eye-pleasing pictures thanks to Williams' decorative flare.

With abbracadabbling being the official comicsblog of Present Magic Comics, we're the authority on the power of being present. But living in the moment can be difficult for even the most tempered dabbler among us. Thank goodness for the timely arrival of the CoMics Merchant! He's always watching out for us, and now we'll never have trouble keeping it current thanks to Yanko's Past, Present, Future Watch. The 'PPF' watch is designed to remind its wearer that ‘there is no time like the present’ as it only displays the present time,  with the current time always moving around the dial and always being displayed at the top of the watch in the present time.  

This watch seems like it was tailor-made for followers of our blog, and to all those devoted to the philosophy of Present Magic across the globe. Yanko's tapped into our Flow, but  we almost didn't notice. Our attention's locked on their Fall line-up of watches - three nifty little gizmos that won't tell you what time it is, but what time it will be three hours and twelve seconds down the road.  You know, way too much to look forward to, but just one great $95 wristwatch to buy in the HERE...and now.