New In The Store This Week: Captain Marvel, Thor, Ultraman, Fantastic Four & More!

Captain Marvel #1 Walmart Exclusive Artgerm Variant Cover March 2019 Issue Marvel Comics Grade NM

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ALL THE STARS ALIGN AS KELLY THOMPSON AND CARMEN CARNERO TAKE ON MARVEL'S PREMIER FEMALE SUPER HERO! As Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers has spent months in space protecting Earth from alien threats big and small, but now it's time for Earth's mightiest hero to come home. New York City has never looked so good. But every re-entry comes with the unexpected, and Carol is about to hit a whole lot of unexpected. It's a fresh start and an oversized, star-studded welcome home for a hero who's been punching the glass ceiling since the 1970s - and just in time for the first female-led film from Marvel Studios! The next 50 years of Captain Marvel starts here! 48 pages, full color. Rated T+

Thor #700 Lenticular Cover Variant December Issue Marvel Comics Grade NM

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The Death of Mighty Thor: Part 1 - Written by Jason Aaron. Art by Walter Simonson, Russell Dauterman, Daniel Acuna, James Harren, Becky Cloonan, Das Pastoras, Chris Burnham, Andrew MacLean, Jill Thompson, Mike Del Mundo and Olivier Coipel. The final judgement comes as the Mangog arrives! The War Thor will meet the beast head on. But even the bloodthirst of this Ultimate Thor may pale in comparison to the might of the Mangog! The battle rages as Jane's cancer takes a turn for the worse, and she might not have to wait for the final judgment at all. The clock is ticking, and no hammer can save her this time. It's the beginning of the end that will lead to the most dramatic return in the Marvel Universe! PLUS: Includes 3 bonus MARVEL PRIMER PAGES! Story by Robbie Thompson and Valerio Schiti! 60 pages, full color. Rated T+

The Trials of Ultraman #1 Walmart Variant Cover May 2021 Marvel Comics Grade NM

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Ultraman narrowly averted a catastrophe decades in the making. The world was saved - but, also, forever changed. Now…come the consequences. Much of the populace regard their defenders with suspicion. Enemies hide in plain sight, and even those closest to Shin Hayata don't necessarily have faith in the Giant of Light. But at last, a long-thought-lost comrade has mysteriously returned! That's a good thing…right? The RISE is over. The training wheels are off, and the stakes have never been higher. THE TRIALS OF ULTRAMAN begin here! 44 pages, full color. Rated T+

Fantastic Four #24 2nd Printing Art Adams Variant December 2020 Marvel Comics Grade NM

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Hey, remember that time Iceman replaced the Human Torch as a member of the Fantastic Four? No? Well, Johnny Storm sure remembers! And now it's time to let everybody else in on the secret of the Fantastic Four story we were never supposed to talk about! Don't miss the revelations in "Cold Snap" by Dan Slott and Paco Medina. Plus: Thor in the bonus Fortnite/Marvel crossover story "Nexus War" by Donny Cates, Greg Land and Jay Leisten. Issue also includes a 2-page tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze. 44 pages, full color. Rated T

Black Knight Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 Walmart Exclusive Variant Cover May 2021 Marvel Comics Grade NM

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Dane Whitman is the BLACK KNIGHT and wielder of the magical EBONY BLADE, but the blade's power comes at a terrible price. Dane forever bears the burden of its curse: an insatiable lust for blood and mayhem that constantly threatens to swallow its owner in darkness. Must that be Dane's fate? Following the battle against the KING IN BLACK, a reinvigorated Dane has a greater sense of purpose than ever before. But his sword is the key to a new enemy's evil plan and only the Black Knight can prevent the coming death and destruction. This conflict spanning mythical Camelot to modern-day NYC will test Dane like never before and challenge everything he believes about himself, the Ebony Blade, and the entire history of the Black Knight! Guest starring the AVENGERS! 36 pages, full color. Rated T+

X of Swords Creation #1 November 2020 Issue Marvel Comics Grade NM

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X of Swords: Part 1 of 22 - Written by Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard. Art and Cover by Pepe Larraz. X OF SWORDS - CHAPTER 1 A tower. A mission. A gathering of armies. 68 pages, full color. Rated T+

Story continues in X-Factor (2020 Marvel) 4.

Detective Comics #997 (3rd Series) Variant Cover March 2019 DC Comics Grade NM

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Written by Peter J. Tomasi. Art by Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy and Mark Irwin. Cover by Brian Stelfreeze.

There's no man on Earth more convinced that he knows what makes Batman tick than Dr. Hugo Strange! Which makes him a natural target for the thing that's hunting Batman, unless Batman gets there first! 32 pages, full color. Rated T

Superman #9 July 2012 DC Comics Grade NM

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Cover by Ivan Reis (W) Fritz Saalfeld, Keith Giffen (A) Dan Jurgens, Jesus Merino SUPERMAN faces new supervillainess MASOCHIST! How can Superman fight an opponent he can't touch? LOIS LANE faces a turning point in her career as a journalist.

Deadpool In Wade We Trust! Hardcover Edition February 2014 Marvel Comics Grade NM

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Volume 1 - 1st printing. Collects Deadpool (2012-2015 3rd Series) #1-12. Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn's hilarious, nonstop reinvention of the Merc With a Mouth! When a cadre of dead U.S. presidents - from George Washington to Gerald Ford - rise from the grave to terrorize their countrymen, only someone with the already-sullied reputation, indiscriminate killing skills and implicit insanity defense of a heavily armed madman can be trusted with this abhorrent operation. But who in the Marvel Universe will dirty their hands by bashing in these resurrected heads of state? NOW! is the time for Deadpool! Then: A demon hires Deadpool to reclaim damned souls! And just in case you didn't think he could get any stranger, Wade gets in touch with his feminine side! Guest-starring your Superior Neighborhood Spider-Man and some dude with aquatic powers! And we promise Deadpool kills one of those two! Plus: Flash back to Wade's adventures of yesteryear with Iron Man! Hardcover, 280 pages, full color.

The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 TPB October 2012 Image Comics Grade NM

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Volume 2 - 2nd printing. Collects Walking Dead (2003 Image) #49-96. Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Art by Charlie Adlard. Cover by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn. Returning with the second eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times Best Seller series collected into one massive paperback collection! This is the perfect collection for any fan of the Emmy Award-winning television series on AMC: over one thousand pages chronicling the next chapter of ROBERT KIRKMAN's Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror- beginning with Rick Grimes' struggle to survive after the prison raid, to the group's finding short solace in The Community, and the devastation that follows... In a world ruled by the dead, we are finally forced to finally start living. Softcover, 1,068 pages, B&W. MATURE READERS.

A Look Back At The First Issue Of The Walking Dead

From Image Comics

When was the last time you read The Walking Dead #1?

I originally read it back in 2003 shortly before it went to press, and while I remember liking it, I don’t think it occurred to me then just how good it was. When we received copies at the Image offices, I recall admiring how well the greytones printed and thinking that it was a sharp looking book, but at the time it was just one of several series we were debuting that October as a part of a new horror line. I was Image’s Director of Sales & Marketing at the time, and my primary concern at that point was making sure people knew it existed.

Reading it now, though, nearly 16 years later, it’s pretty much a perfect first issue.

Even if you haven’t read The Walking Dead, you probably know that it’s a series about mankind’s struggle for survival in a world overrun by the living dead—or as Robert Kirkman once put it, a “zombie movie that never ends.” What makes it different from zombie movies, though—and from the myriad other zombie comics released both before and after The Walking Dead—is that it’s actually less about the threat imposed by the zombie than it is about us. There is violence, and there is gore, and yes, there are literally thousands of zombies over the course of the series, but at its heart, The Walking Dead is about the good and bad in all of us, and our will to keep going, even in the most hopeless of situations.

If you have read The Walking Dead over the last 187 months that lead up to the series’ conclusion in today’s issue #193 (yes, the math is screwy), you probably have a sense of what the book is at its core, and the sacrifices that have been made for survival. What makes this series so great, though, and what makes its first issue so extraordinary, is that no matter what’s happened over the last 15 1/2 years, The Walking Dead #1 tells you everything you need to know about this horrifying new world in a mere 22 pages.

A quick summary of the first issue is perhaps in order:

Cynthiana, KY Police Officer Rick Grimes awakens from a coma following an injury sustained in the line of duty. The hospital is empty, and as he attempts to find someone to help him and explain what’s going on, he encounters a number of zombies—or “walkers,” as we come to know them over the course of the series. Fleeing the hospital, Grimes discovers the whole city is virtually deserted, but as he approaches his home neighborhood, he spots a disabled walker writhing in pain on the side of the road. The horror that has befallen the world hits Rick hard, but he pushes on.

Upon reaching his neighborhood, Rick's knocked unconscious by an unseen assailant, only to wake up a second time, in the home of Morgan Jones and his son Duane. Morgan feeds Rick and explains that Duane whacked him with a shovel because he thought he was a walker—noting that the quickest way to stop a walker is a blow the head. Morgan shares as much information about the state of the world as he can, but the truth is, no one knows what happened. People were directed to make their ways to larger cities for protection, but Morgan felt like staying in a small town was safer. Rick explains that he’s looking for his wife and son, and he hopes they went to join his in-laws in Atlanta.

After this exchange, Rick takes Morgan and Duane to the police station, where they stock up on weapons and grab a couple vehicles. Morgan expresses concern over taking a police car, but Rick files the loaner under “protect and serve”—Morgan and Duane are going to need the car to survive; they just need to return it back when things “get back to normal.” As they’re leaving, a walker approaches outside the fence surrounding the compound. Rick prepares to shoot, but Morgan cautions him against doing so—he may need the bullet later, and the sound of the gunshot may attract more walkers.

After Rick parts ways with Morgan and Duane and begins the drive to Atlanta, he passes the spot where he saw the disabled walker earlier in the day. The walker is still in the same spot, twisting in agony. Realizing the walker is essentially trapped in this spot forever, Rick mercifully opts to ends its suffering with a quick shot to the head. As “life” fades from the walker’s eyes, Rick is overcome with emotion, but he wipes his eyes, gets back into his car and drives on into the night.

I’m not doing that justice—you’re better off just reading the comic—but if you’re wondering what makes all that so perfect, it’s simple. The Walking Dead #1 is the beginning of the series, but it also works just fine on its own. Rick’s clearly beginning a long journey into a harrowing new world, but even if you never read another issue, these 22 pages form a good story in their own right. Better still, the story is compelling enough that it leaves the reader wanting more.

On the surface, that’s an unremarkable achievement, because historically, that’s how comic books are supposed to work: The characters are introduced, and their situation is clearly established. Conflict is introduced, suspense is built, the story reaches a climax, and we have a resolution.

Even as far back as 2003, though, our medium had somehow lost touch with the nuts and bolts of how the best episodic fiction worked, and developed storytelling habits that were geared less toward sustaining interest in monthly comics than they were with selling readers graphic novels on a kind of installment plan.

Robert Kirkman understood, however, that if THE WALKING DEAD was ever going to be collected as a graphic novel, then it had to succeed as a monthly comic. He knew he had to hook people with his first issue, just like showrunners for television shows seek to hook first studio executives and then viewers with a pilot. It’s not rocket science, but it’s something comics have become remarkably bad at over the years as our industry bristles at the “restraints” placed on comics by the monthly format.

In capable hands, though, the monthly format is merely a challenge and not a restraint. THE WALKING DEAD—one of comics’ greatest success stories over the years since its debut, is proof positive of that, not just because it began with an excellent first issue or because Robert understood basic storytelling rules, but because every issue was an invitation to come back for more.

So, whether you’re mourning the series’ conclusion with today’s issue, or you’re one of the holdouts who has spent a decade and a half resolutely refusing to give THE WALKING DEAD a try, I highly recommend finding a copy of the first issue and giving it a read.

Even if you’ve read it before, I think you’ll find yourself wanting to dive right into the next issue and then the next after that, and if you’re unfamiliar with the adventures of Rick Grimes, his family, and his friends, I think you’ll find there’s much, much more to THE WALKING DEAD than just people fighting zombies. - Eric Stephenson

Related:

The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2 TPB October 2012 Image Comics Grade NM - Shop Now

Volume 2 - 2nd printing. Collects Walking Dead (2003 Image) #49-96. Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Art by Charlie Adlard. Cover by Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn. Returning with the second eight volumes of the fan-favorite, New York Times Best Seller series collected into one massive paperback collection! This is the perfect collection for any fan of the Emmy Award-winning television series on AMC: over one thousand pages chronicling the next chapter of ROBERT KIRKMAN's Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror- beginning with Rick Grimes' struggle ...

The Walking Dead Volume 17 Something To Fear TPB November 2012 Image Comics Grade NM - Shop Now

Volume 17 - 1st printing. "Something to Fear!" Collects THE WALKING DEAD #97-102. Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Art and cover by CHARLIE ADLARD and CLIFF RATHBURN. In this volume of the NYT bestselling survival horror, Rick and his band of survivors work to build a larger network of thriving communities, and soon discover that Negan's "Saviors" prove to be a larger threat than they could have fathomed. Crossing Negan will lead to serious, dire consequences for the group; it seems that for the first time since the Governor's reign of terror that Rick ...

The Walking Dead Volume 18 What Comes After TPB June 2013 Image Comics Grade NM - Shop Now

Volume 18 - 1st printing. "What Comes After!" Collects THE WALKING DEAD #103-108. Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Art and cover by CHARLIE ADLARD and CLIFF RATHBURN. Following the events of SOMETHING TO FEAR, Rick and the other survivors accept a new way of life under Negan's rule, but not everyone agrees....

The Walking Dead Volume 19 March To War TPB November 2013 Image Comics Grade NM - Shop Now

Volume 19 - 1st printing. "March to War!" Collects THE WALKING DEAD #109-114. Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN. Art and cover by CHARLIE ADLARD. Rick. Ezekiel. Gregory. Negan. Each man holds the fate of their community in their hands... and WAR is on the horizon.

Marvel Tops Comic Book Sales in 2014

Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man #1, which saw the return of Peter Parker to the title - after the whole, wonderful, Dr Octopus diversion - was the biggest selling comic of 2014, according to Previews, and the biggest selling comic of the last decade.

Marvel scored nine of the top ten slots, with only The Walking Dead #132 spoiling their otherwise clean sheet.

DC's highest selling title was Batman #32, penultimate chapter of  Zero Year, which came in 14th place.

The best selling graphic novel was Saga, Volume 3, and DC Collectibles' The New 52: Justice League Action Figure Seven-Pack Boxed Set, was the best-selling toy product to specialty retailers in 2014.

In stark contrast to the comic book charts, DC Collectibles held 50 per cent of the top ten slots for toy sales.

Frank Darabont Developing 'The Walking Dead' For AMC

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Variety

There was a time when certain networks exclusively aired 'classic' television shows and movies. Those days seem to be slowly coming to an end as channel after channel begins to air 'new' programing. Such is the case with TV Land, which began as a network that showed only reruns of popular oldies, and now AMC (American Movie Classics) has jumped on board with their series "Mad Men".

"Mad Men" has proved to be a huge success for AMC, which is now looking to continue the series popularity with a slate of new programing. One of the network's biggest draws is it's yearly Halloween movie festival called "Monster Fest", which recently became "Fear Fest", that is undoubtedly the inspiration for the network developing it's own horror series.

The cable network has hired Frank Darabont to write and direct a new series called "The Walking Dead", which is based on a series of graphic novels produced by Image Comics.

"The Walking Dead" follows a group of survivors after an apocalyptic event turns people into zombies. The group is led by a police officer, Rick Grimes, who tries relentlessly to find a safe place to live.

Joel Stillerman, AMC's senior vice president of programming, production and original content, explains that it was the comics unique storytelling that first caught his attention, "This is not about zombies popping out of closets. This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in 'Walking Dead') is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way."