Miracleman Annual #1 – Jeff Smith Variant Cover

Here’s this week’s list of comics – both US and UK releases – on sale in specialist UK comic shops tomorrow, Wednesday 31st December 2014. We’ve picked out the titles published by British publishers in bold below, or titles with a British connection we’re aware of, including cover artists.

Although there’s no new 2000AD-related release this week there are plenty of Rebellion-published goodies still on sale in comic shops and newsagents, including Prog 2015 which launches a new Judge Dredd – Judge Death story, and a number of new collections, highlighted here last week.

This week also sees the release of the first issue of IDW’s Star Trek/Planet of the Apes five-issue mini series. While it has no British connection whatsoever, it’s a mash-up that’s reminded us of the time Marvel UK briefly reused its parent company’s Killraven stories from Amazing Adventures as a ‘new’ strip for the Planet of the Apes weekly comic in the 1970s.

The weekly frequency of the title meant that the British weekly used up Planet of the Apes stories faster than Marvel US was producing them, so, in an effort to make up for a lack of new material, “Apeslayer” saw a recast Killraven battling apes – the ape heads stuck over all his the Martian opponents in the original. The strip ran for just eight issues, from Planet of the Apes UK Comic 23 – 30. The experiment was short-lived, and the UK fans, judging by the letters pages, were less than impressed with the hastily-put-together story of bionic apes from Mars, albeit a comic that no other Apes fans were offered. (There’s more information on this bizarre footnote to Planet of the Apes comics here and here on the Planet of the Apes Wiki.)

US Publishers

BOOM! STUDIOS

Abigail And The Snowman #1 (Of 4)
Writer, Artist and Cover Artist: Roger Landridge

With his acclaimed run on The Muppet Show Comic Book, his strips for Doctor Who Magazine and his work on Thor: The Mighty Avenger, the Britain-based New Zealand comic creator Roger Langridge has earned a reputation for telling classic stories filled with heart and humour. After working with Roger on Jim Henson’s The Musical Monsters Of Turkey Hollow, Boom! couldn’t wait to set him loose on his first creator series since the Eisner Award Snarked. The fact that there are Yetis in Abigail And The Snowman only made the editorial team even more confident Roger’s latest is going to be something special.

Abigail is a nine-year-old girl with a huge imagination who moves to a small town where she’s the new kid at school, struggling to make friends. All that changes when she meets a Yeti named Claude who has escaped a top government facility. Abigail and Claude become the best of friends, but to make sure he can truly be free from the “Shadow Men” chasing him, they must go on an adventure to find Claude’s real home!

DARK HORSE COMICS

Massive Volume 4 Sahara Trade Paperback
X Volume 4 Better Off Dead Trade Paperback

DC COMICS

Batman Eternal #39
Earth 2 World’s End #13
New 52 Futures End #35

IDW PUBLISHING

Star Trek Planet Of The Apes #1 (of 5)

IMAGE COMICS

East Of West #16 (Cover I by Jamie McKelvie & Matthew Wilson)

Jamie McKelvie and colourist Matt Wilson have created a number of variant covers for Image this month, including this one for East of West. If you’re a McKelvie fan, he’s also done variants for Bitch Planet #1, Shutter #7, Rumble #1, Revival #26, and The Wicked + The Divine #6. Hang on a sec – he already draws the covers for The Wicked + The Divine anyway… that’s a head twister!

Wytches #1 (Image Firsts Edition), $1.00

MARVEL COMICS

Cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto

Cover by Joe Quesada

Cover by Joe Quesada

All-New Miracleman Annual #1
Writers: Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan Artists: Joe Quesada, Mike Allred Cover Artist: Gabriele Dell’Otto

Originally written over 20 years ago, this annual features Grant Morrison’s long-lost Miracleman story, drawn by Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada. The story is a foreboding tale of the once Kid Miracleman, on the eve of the Battle of London.

In the second story, X-Statix creators Peter Milligan and Mike Allred go back to the brighter, early days of Miracleman. Miracleman, Kid Miracleman and Young Miracleman do battle against Dr. Gargunza, but something is not right. A sense of unease. Something in MIracleman’s own mind. What is Project Zarathustra?

The issue also features extras, including Grant Morrison’s original script, sketches, and original art.

Here’s some preview pages…

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

X-O Manowar #31 (Cover A Raul Allen; Cover B Raul Allen; Emanuela Lupacchino Variant Cover)

• First Age Comics also has a shop site on e-Bay: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/First-Age

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: 2000AD, British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, Events, US Comics

Tags: 2000AD, Abigail And The Snowman, Apeslayer, East Of West, First Age Comics, Gabriele Dell'Otto, Gosh Comics, Grant Morrison, IDW, Image Comics, Jamie McKelvie, Joe Quesada, Killraven, Marvel Comics, Matt Wilson, Mike Allred, Miracleman Annual #1, Peter Milligan, Roger Landridge, SF Comics, Star Trek Planet Of The Apes, Star Trek/Planet of the Apes, Superhero Comics