Friday, December 28, 2007

Coming Distractions: March 2008

Didn't we just go through this a month ago? Anyway, here are the Legion-related titles coming out in March 2008: new stuff Countdown, Action (final chapter of Superman & the Lightning Saga Legion), JSA, Legion, LSH31C, and.... Wonder Woman? Reprints from Booster Gold, Supergirl and the LSH, and an odd choice of issues for the next Showcase volume. All this plus a new Supergirl action figure.

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #8-5
Story by Paul Dini
Story consulting by Keith Giffen
8 script by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti; art by Carlos Magno & Rodney Ramos
7 script by Sean McKeever; art by Ron Lim & Mark McKenna
6 script by Gray & Palmiotti; art by Jesus Saiz & Jimmy Palmiotti
5 script by Adam Beechen; art by Scott Kolins
Covers by Scott Kolins
The Countdown ticks down as storylines converge and collide - a Great Disaster is clearly proving to be unavoidable!
COUNTDOWN 8 on sale March 5
COUNTDOWN 7 on sale March 12
COUNTDOWN 6 on sale March 19
COUNTDOWN 5 on sale March 26
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Maybe the Karate Kid storyline will have found a plot by this time.



WONDER WOMAN #18
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Bernard Chang
Cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
Comics superstar Bernard Chang joins Gail Simone for a 2-part story that will take Wonder Woman to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, but not before the vicious alien race the Khund begin an assault on Earth! But before the invasion can begin, the relationship of Wonder Woman and Nemesis takes a defining turn.
On sale March 12 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

OK, now this one I didn't expect... Wonder Woman vs the Khunds?



THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN THE 31st CENTURY #12
Written by J. Torres
Art and cover by Alexander Serra
Back home in Metropolis, villains aren't nearly as fearsome as the Fatal Five, but they're learning fast! Although they're 1000 years away, the Legion has never left Superman's mind for a minute - will Superman's 31st Century know-how be enough to stop 21st Century bad guys, or will the learning curve be steeper than he can handle?
On sale March 12 o 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

Looks like this is still Season 1 continuity.



ACTION COMICS #863
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank & Jonathan Sibal
Covers by Frank
It's the grand finale to the 6-part "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes!" To save the galaxy, Superman and the Legion must clear the good name of Krypton's Last Son, but to do that, they must defeat the greatest villains of their time: the JLA! Featuring a stunning "Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes" cover plus a "Superman Triumphant" variant cover, both by Gary Frank!
Retailers please note: This issue will feature two covers that may be ordered separately. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (featuring "Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes" cover by Gary Frank), retailers may order one Variant Edition (featuring "Superman Triumphant" cover by Frank). See the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale March 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Yay, Blok is still alive and not dead at Roxxas' hand! And that's Invisible Kid in the lower right, though they miscolored his white stripe. This looks like the "standard edition" cover.



JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #14
Written by Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Art by Dale Eaglesham & Ruy Jose
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant cover by Eaglesham & Jose
"Thy Kingdom Come" continues as the mystery of the "Heartbreak Slayer" explodes while the Justice Society discovers a true "New" God stalking them. Meanwhile, devastating images of the future continue to plague the Man of Steel.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Eaglesham & Jose). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale March 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Starman appears. Below is the "Standard Edition" cover by Ross.



THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #40
Written by Jim Shooter
Art and cover by Francis Manapul & John Livesay
Part 1 of the story arc "Enemy Rising" - the begining of the One Evil Saga! To save her world, Shadow Lass battles alone against a Life-eradicator. The mystery of their origin deepens as important evidence emerges. Meanwhile, conflict between Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl explodes! Action, angst, amour, amperage and accuracy to the max!
On sale March 26 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

The "One Evil", huh? Hmmm. I hope it's not Darkseid (or Imperiex). I wonder if this is part 1 of the 16-part storyline, or part 1 of the Book 2 (where issues 37-39 were Book 1). FJM, care to comment?



SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: THE QUEST FOR COSMIC BOY TP
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Kevin Sharpe & Dennis Calero
Cover by Barry Kitson
In this volume collecting issues #31-36 of the acclaimed series, The Legionnaires' leader, Cosmic Boy, has disappeared. Was he captured by enemies or has he fled responsibility?
Advance-solicited; on sale April 2 o 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US

Advance solicited, as they say.



SHOWCASE PRESENTS: THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES VOL. 2 TP
Written by Jerry Siegel, Jim Shooter and others
Art by Curt Swan, Jim Mooney, John Forte and others
Cover by Swan & George Klein
Over 500 pages of classic Legion adventures, collected from the pages of ADVENTURE COMICS #316, #322-348, #365, SUPERBOY #117 and #125, and SUPERMAN ANNUAL #4!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 9 o 528 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

I have no idea why they're reprinting stuff out of order. In this batch they skip over issues 317 (intro Dream Girl), 318 (Sun Boy's sickness-induced mutiny), 319 (Subs rescue the Legion), 320 (Dev-Em), and 321 (Time Trapper), plus 349-364 (which includes some pretty significant issues like Universo, Superboy/Supergirl have to leave, the Fatal Five and death of Ferro Lad, the Adult Legion, the Legion Chain Gang, Mantis Morlo, and the Super-Pets). Issue 365 is the intro of Shadow Lass, Superboy 117 is the "Earth-3" Legion, and Superboy 125 is Kid Psycho.



BOOSTER GOLD VOL. 1: 52 PICK-UP HC
Written by Geoff Johns & Jeff Katz
Art by Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund
Cover by Jurgens & Rapmund
Booster Gold, the hero of 52, is back in this hardcover volume collecting BOOSTER GOLD #1-6 and the origin story from 52 #24! In this tale co-written by fan-favorite Geoff Johns (GREEN LANTERN, 52), the time-traveling super-hero from tomorrow must repair the timeline of the DC Universe if he's going to earn membership in the Justice League of America! Someone is exploiting the ravaged time stream, hoping to eliminate the world's greatest heroes, and only Booster Gold can stop them.
Advance-solicited; on sale May 7 o 160 pg, FC, $24.99 US

Reprints of the first issue with a minor cameo.



JUSTICE SERIES 8 ACTION FIGURES
Designed by Alex Ross
The best-selling action figure line from the hugely popular JUSTICE series reaches its amazing conclusion with four new figures!

Includes:

Supergirl o 6.5" h
Batgirl o 6.5" h
Toyman o 8" h
Captain Cold o 6.75" h

Each figure features multiple points of articulation and a base.
Advance-solicited; on sale August 13, 2008 * Action Figures * PI

Retailers please note: Supergirl, Batgirl, Toyman and Captain Cold are intended for individual sale to consumers, but are sold to retailers in inner and master cases.

Consult your Retailer Order Form for packaging and pricing details. These products are being offered simultaneously beyond the comic-book specialty market.

The Pre-Crisis 1970s-era Supergirl (red hot pants and poofy sleeves) gets a nice-looking new action figure.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I did not get it (shame on me), I'm pretty sure the first Showcase book reprinted everything up to Adventure #321. The material from issues #316 and #365 is, I think, from the "Meet the Legionnaires" featurettes in those books.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that cover for March's LSH is great.

The Action cover does bring one thought to mind: the only thing I think I'd regret losing from v4 would be the Vi-Ayla relationship. Somehow, it made sense to me, when a lot of other TMK stuff didn't, as much. I'd assume, even though I think Paul Levitz foreshadowed it, that Johns will have written it out.

And one wonders if these Countdown issues will show us Keith Giffen killing Karate Kid for the (sigh) third time....

Jim Drew said...

Other comics of potential Legion interest in April:
Salvation Run #5 (if the planet turns out to be Takron-Galtos)
Shadowpact #23 (features a version of Shadowpact from the "far future")

Collections due in April/May (some of these may have been in last month's listing):
Justice Society of America hardcover #2 (Starman)
Black Adam: The Dark Age (one panel of Starman)
Countdown to Final Crisis TPB #1 (Karate Kid and Una)

Murray said...

"The Action cover does bring one thought to mind: the only thing I think I'd regret losing from v4 would be the Vi-Ayla relationship."

I haven't read yesterday's issue of Action, so I'm not sure what's been revealed about Brin and Ayla yet... but weren't Vi and Ayla a couple during the Levitz years? The Bierbaums certainly took that story nugget and ran with it, but I certainly didn't have any questions that they were involved in the Levitz run.

MaGnUs said...

Anyone else think that Brek putting his flight ring on the ice arm he made for himself was stupid?

If his powers are somehow disrupted, or the ice is melted, he's left without flight capabilities!

Anonymous said...

Levitz kind of planted the seed with a scene where Vi asks Ayla what kind of person she wanted to be, but that's pretty much as far as he went. (Also, wasn't that post-Crisis, so out of Johns' stated time-frame?)

MaGnUs said...

Takron Galtos already exists in present time DCU.

Jim Drew said...

"Takron Galtos already exists in present time DCU."

Not that something already having been established has stopped them from re-doing (even several times) in the past few years. Sometimes for the better, sometimes less so.

There's gotta be something up, some explanation for that planet forthcoming. (Including how Amanda Waller got her mitts on it, when only Blue Beetle, Brenda, and Metron knew about it, so far as we know.)

MaGnUs said...

They just made several references to Takron Galtos in the Sinestro Corps Secret Files, so I doubt they'd re-do it right now.