by J. Michael Straczynski, Stan Lee, Olivier Coipel, Chris Giarrusso & Various

The mighty God of Thunder hits a major milestone! THOR goes back to its classic numbering for this issue 600 mega-event, and even Stan “The Man” Lee joins the party with an all-new story! J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel bring their widely acclaimed run to a major culmination! And Chris Giarrusso lays down an epic Mini Marvels Thor adventure! Plus jaw- dropping wraparound covers by Olivier Coipel and Marko Djurdjevic!

FC, 104pg       $4.99
ORDER CODE: NOV082404

It’s not just a guide book—it’s the “big book.” And comic shop customers worldwide will be on the lookout in April for Gemstone Publishing’s The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the front cover feature for the December issue of PREVIEWS, the comic shop’s catalog.

PREVIEWS spotlights the long-established resource that is invaluable for comic fans and collectors. In addition to offering extensive pricing information on over 285,000 comic book issues, the 39th edition of the Guide celebrates Batman’s 70th anniversary; introduces readers to The Hero Initiative; welcomes new members to the Overstreet Hall of Fame and more. It’s all framed under two great Guide covers: a modern interpretation of Avengers #1 by John K Snyder III, and a spot-on recreation of All Select Comics #1 by Murphy Anderson.

PREVIEWS’ back cover is dedicated to DC Comics’ upcoming BATMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? storyline from writer Neil Gaiman and artist Andy Kubert, which identifies key moments and relationships for the Dark Knight before more changes come in the wake of Batman R.I.P. The two-part tale begins in Batman #686 and concludes in Detective Comics #853, both scheduled to ship in February.

Plus, don’t miss these December PREVIEWS editorial features:

• Featured Theme: “Share Your Love of Comics with the Ones You Love” – Writer Scott Braden explores getting your significant other equally enthused about comics and provides a thorough list of introductory books that are perfect for Valentine’s Day gifts.

• Burning Questions: Fans ask online at PREVIEWSworld.com and we get ‘em answered in print as Jeff Parker, creator of The Interman GN and writer behind Marvel Comics’ new Agents of Atlas series, takes your questions.

• IndieEdge: Our creator feature talks with Joe Hill of Locke & Key from IDW.

• SneakPeaks: DC Comics provides pages from their new series’ The Mighty and Bang! Tango.

• Plus: Staff Picks, Our Top 100 Comics and Bestseller Charts and much more!

PREVIEWS December’s Hottest Items

DECEMBER GEMS OF THE MONTH:
In December, our Gem of the Month top picks include: Dark Horse’s Dawn: The Worlds of Final Fantasy HC, DC’s Batman #686, Marvel’s Black Panther #1, Image’s Soul Kiss #1, and Wizard’s Wizard #209. 

PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVES:
Each month, we offer items that you can only order through PREVIEWS and December features these great PREVIEWS Exclusives (PX): Tonner Doll Company’s Tomb Raider: Lara Croft PX Doll; DST’s Star Trek: Borg Seven of Nine PX Action Figure; Hot Toys’ Star Wars: Jango Fett Jumbo Chubby PX Figure and Steve Jackson Games’ Munckin Chibithulhu Plush – PX Pink Edition.

All this and more is waiting in the December issue of PREVIEWS, which hits your local comic shop on Wednesday, November 26^th at a cover price of $4.50. Ask your comic shop retailer on how you can qualify for a free issue, and remember that orders for this are due to your comic shop by December 13^th. To find a shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com.

Plus, be sure to return to PREVIEWSworld.com on November 26, when many of the great features in the newest issue make their way to the site.

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, her continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!

These words, familiar to millions since the debut of Star Trek in 1966, speak to the power of Gene Roddenberry’s classic television Star Trek to excite, to entertain, and to inspire viewers. What adventures await in the depths of space? What beings might humanity find there? While the next generation voyaged into deep space, the legends of Captain Kirk and his crew were never forgotten, and in May 2009 director J.J. Abrams (Lost) and writers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Transformers) bring the valiant Captain back to the silver screen. Before Abrams’ Star Trek film debuts, IDW Publishing brings Star Trek fans the story they have long awaited — the official prequel to the highly anticipated film in Star Trek: Countdown #1!

Screenwriters Kurtzman and Orci have teamed with comics writers Tim Jones and Mike Johnson to chronicle the story of the mysterious Nero. Portrayed by Eric Bana (Hulk) in the film, the Romulan Nero will threaten the survival of the entire universe. But where did he come from? What fate does he have in store for the galaxy? And who can challenge his plans? Nero’s compelling story is brought to life with artwork by David Messina, no stranger to the 23rd century with IDW’s previous Klingons: Blood Will Tell and Mirror Images mini-series. With the writers of the film at the helm and one of Star Trek’s best artists onboard, Star Trek: Countdown will be the comics events Star Trek fans will be talking about this spring!

• IDW Publishing, ORDER CODE: NOV084113, $3.99, 32 Pages, Page 279

Apprentice Crashes A Star Destroyer

Prophecy says that there are always two Sith Lords at any given time — Master and Apprentice. History teaches that the Sith Apprentice always overthrows his Sith Master. Darth Sidious overthrew his own Sith Master, Darth Plagueis. Darth Vader, Darth Sidious’ apprentice, plots his own overthrow of his Sith Master. But to do so, Darth Vader needs an apprentice of his own, a secret apprentice ready to take Vader’s place when Vader ascends to Sidious’ place in the Sith hierarchy.

Vader Knights Apprentice

This struggle between Sith Master and Sith Apprentice in the Dark Times between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is chronicles in LucasArts’ video game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and the glorious concept art from the game is reproduced in a line of fine art giclees! Vader knights his apprentice Starkiller in “Darth Vader’s Apprentice,” Vader personally leads Imperial forces in “Vader on Kashyyyk,” and a cataclysm is commemorated on “Apprentice Crashes a Star Destroyer” as Starkiller uses the Force to pull a starship out of orbit. Limited to 200 pieces each, these giclees are works of art that no Star Wars fan will want to miss!

Darth Vader on Kashyyyk

• COLLECTIBLES & NOVELTIES, Page 463

• “Apprentice Crashes Star Destroyer” (13″ x 19″), ORDER CODE: NOV085035, $79.00

• “Vader Knights Apprentice” (13″ x 19″), ORDER CODE: NOV085036, $79.00

• “Darth Vader on Kashyyyk” (15″ x 26″), ORDER CODE: NOV085037, $179.99

Secret Invasion rocked the Marvel Universe. The Skrulls, seeking revenge on humanity for its defeats at the hands of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the rest of Earth’s pantheon of heroes, invaded Earth in force and activated their “sleeper agents” scattered throughout Earth’s superhuman population. Earth’s heroes fought back at great cost, and in the aftermath of the Skrull invasion, a Dark Reign has settled over human society.

Some heroes adapted to the new status quo.  Some heroes played both sides, waiting to see who gained the upper hand.  Some heroes lurked in the shadows, waiting for their time to strike.  Someone like Frank Castle, the Punisher, is out of his depth in the new world order. He has spent his life in his one-man war on New York City’s criminal underworld, protecting the innocent and the oppressed from the criminals who would oppress them.

In every revolution, there is one man with a vision. Perhaps, that man can be Frank Castle. Perhaps, armed with the latest in Skrull weaponry he scavenged from their invasion, Frank Castle can make a difference. Frank Castle and the rest of New York City is living in the stygian darkness of the Dark Reign; perhaps one bullet from the Punisher can usher in light.

A new chapter is ready to be written in the Punisher’s War Journal. Writer Rick Remender (End League, Fear Agent) teams with Jerome Opeña (Wolverine, Fear Agent) in Punisher #1, the beginning of the Punisher’s next war on the forces of oppression. Those holding the reins in Dark Reign have ways of dealing with a man like Frank Castle. When they can call in someone like the Sentry do their bidding, the Punisher may be nothing more than an annoyance quickly dispatched!

Dark Reign is affecting every corner of the Marvel Universe, and the shadows that have been Frank Castle’s friends for so long may offer him little protection in new the world’s new status quo! The Punisher has the means and the personal drive to fight against the encroaching darkness, but can this single man make a difference? Take a look inside his War Journal this January in Punisher #1 and find out with “Living in Darkness,” Part 1!

• MARVEL PREVIEWS, $3.99, 48 Pages, Page 50

ORDER CODE: NOV082394

The DC Vault: A Museum-In-A-Book Spiral HC The DC Vault unlocks DC Comics’ most fascinating secrets and deeply buried treasures, presenting a colorful array of historic and never-before-published memorabilia, including early sketches, covers, memos, press material, and much more. From a working reproduction of a 1942 Junior Justice Society of America decoder, to a series of Public Service Announcements starring Superman and Batman, to the original pencils and inks for Wonder Woman #63, this dazzling chronicle contains more than 25 plastic-encased archival pieces for readers to pull out and examine while learning about the super-heroes that make up the DC Universe.

CHECK OUT THE PAGES BELOW!

Title: The DC Vault: A Museum-In-A-Book Spiral HC
Publisher: Running Press
Format/Price: HC, FC     $49.95
Order Code: JUN084468

J. Michael Straczynski was recently interviewed on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition about his script for the recently released The Changeling, as well as his recent work for Marvel Comics!

In The Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie as a mother who has the wrong son returned to her after his abduction, Straczynski’s script is directed by double-barrelled legend, actor-director Clint Eastwood. To read excerpts from the interview or hear the story, please click here.

Straczynski, no stranger to Marvel Comics, made a name for himself as the writer for Amazing Spider-Man, and his work on another character, the Mighty Thor!

In the NPR piece, it was the in-studio chat with fans of the man called “JMS” that has comic fans gabbing. To listen to the chat featuring NPR’s Elizabeth Blair, comic blogger Glen Weldon and Marvel geek and NPR staff member Jim Lesher, click here.

Over the past five years the Marvel Universe has been torn apart. The Avengers disbanded – then reformed as two rival groups, each claiming the mantel of history. The world’s burgeoning mutant population found itself under siege as millions of mutants were depowered in the wake of the “House of M” crisis. Hero turned upon hero in a civil war as the passage of the Superhero Registration Act forced longtime friends and allies to decide where they stood on the question of essential liberties and little securities. With the Marvel Universe already reeling from these cataclysms and the heroes divided, an ancient enemy took advantage of the opportunity to implement a long-buried plan. The Skrulls, a race of alien shapeshifters, had been replacing Earth’s heroes with sleeper agents for decades, and with the heroes divided the Skrulls saw an opening to launch their takeover of Earth, their Secret Invasion!

Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu rocked the Marvel Universe to its core in their eight-part crossover blockbuster Secret Invasion, and the next chapter promises to take the Marvel Universe in new and darker directions, for after Secret Invasion comes Dark Reign! Friends were revealed to be enemies, heroes were revealed to be villains out for the world’s destruction. If identity, personality, even truth itself, are malleable, then can anything be trusted in this strange, new world? What new dangers lurk in the shadows for the heroes that remain? The shape of the Marvel Universe for years to come begins in December’s Secret Invasion: Dark Reign from Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Then Dark Reign: New Nation from Bendis, Jonathan Hickman, Jeff Parker, Greg Pak, Jim McCann, Adam Felber, Stefano Caselli, Carlo Paguylan, Leonardo Manco, and more continues this next chapter in the Marvel Universe’s history. The effects of Dark Reign start to be felt in Secret Invasion: Requiem, Avengers: The Initiative #20, Invincible Iron Man #8, New Avengers #28, War Machine #1, and Ms. Marvel #34, each which show new and familiar characters confronting the dangerous new world left in the wake of Secret Invasion! And this is just the beginning, as more characters and titles begin to feel these effects, launch, and even end in the dawn of this Dark Reign!

Much like “The Initiative” banner was added on titled following Civil War, Dark Reign titles will be bannered as such as this story and new world order begins. The Skrulls came to Earth with the message of embracing change. Now, change has come to the Marvel Universe, and is anyone prepared for the Dark Reign that follows? Discover the truth for yourself when the Dark Reign begins this December!

• MARVEL PREVIEWS, $3.99, 32 Pages, Page 2

by Andrew Cosby, Brendan Hay, & Diego Barreto

TV’s smash sci-fi hit comes to BOOM! In what Eureka creator Andrew Cosby calls “Season 1.5, ” Cosby and writer Brendan Hay (The Daily Show) bring all-new stories from everybody’s favorite town of eccentric geniuses! Things start off with a bang when something menacing escapes from Global Dynamics, and it has a target! It’s up to Carter and Jo to put together the pieces, but will elements from Jo’s past stop her from getting the job done? Available with two covers, both by J.K. Woodward!

SC, 24pgs, FC (1 of 4)SRP: $3.99

Marvel Comics offers True Believers another chance to look at a horrific universe crawling with undead heroes and villains with its Marvel Zombies TP, offered both in the Spider-Man Cover, Hulk Direct Market Cover, and Iron Man Direct Market Cover. So now what excuse do you have for not checking out this cult phenomenon which turns your favorite heroes into ghoulish corpses? Comic-book fans devoted enough to read only Marvel titles have long been dubbed “Marvel Zombies,” but even the most passionate reader could not have predicted the astounding success of this series.

Stemming from the events of Ultimate Fantastic Four #30-#32, the new trade paperbacks collect Marvel Zombies #1-#5, and features a story by modern zombie master Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam.

On an Earth shockingly similar to #616, a deadly virus has mutated all of the world’s heroes into flesh-eating zombies! The combined forces destroyed all life on the planet in mere hours, but what happens when they run out of humans to eat?

The book follows the zombies’ quest to find more food and features the arrival of The Silver Surfer and Galactus, the World Devourer!

A perfect book for fans of What If?-style tales or horror comics, the 136-page, full-color Marvel Zombies TPs are now available at your local comic shop.

And check out this week’s New Releases listings to get in on the feeding frenzy for Marvel Zombies 3 #1!

Booster Gold #12

Deadpool #1

Final Crisis Revelations #2 (OF 5)

Genext #5 (OF 5)

Green Lantern Corps #28

Secret Invasion #6 (OF

Secret Invasion X-Men #2 (OF 4)

Ultimate Origins #4 (OF 5)

Ultimate X-Men Fantastic Four Annual #1

X-Men Magneto Testament #1 (OF 5)

by Rockne O’Bannon, Keith R.A. DeCandido & Tommy Patterson

In March 1999, a new television series debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel. Produced by the Jim Henson Company, Farscape was the story of American astronaut John Crichton. On a routine orbital flight, his space shuttle fell through a wormhole, and Crichton found himself in the midst of galactic conflict. An accident trapped himself and a member of the Sebacean Peacekeepers aboard a living starship, Moya, where they were forced to join forces with a group of escaped convicts. After a successful and acclaimed four season run and a follow-up miniseries, The Peacekeeper Wars, BOOM! Studios brings Farscape back with a new mini-series, featuring new stories co-written by series creator Rockne S. O’Bannon!

Picking up from the conclusion of The Peacekeeper Wars mini-series, O’Bannon, co-writer Keith R.A. DeCandido, and artist Tommy Patterson are taking the crew of the Moya on a journey they’ve never taken before – a trip to Rygel’s homeworld of Hyneria! All of the series’ trademark wit and pop culture sense are intact, and characters like Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Chiana, and more face new challenges in their lives. The next chapter in the fan-favorite Farscape saga begins in November with BOOM!’s Farscape #1, and no ‘Scaper will frelling want to miss out!

• BOOM! STUDIOS, $3.99, 24 Pages, Page 222

by Christos Gage; art by Mario Albert

Christos Gage (Thunderbolts, House of M: Avengers) is joined by international superstar-artist Mario Alberti to bring you the most misunderstood team of all time meeting the most misunderstood super hero of all time in a 4-part mystery that starts in the early days of the Marvel Age and winds it’s way through to today!

In Part One, Kraven the Hunter and the Blob attack the world’s strangest teens while deep in the background an even greater threat watches…and waits.

32pgs, FC         $2.99

by Neil Gaiman; adaptation and art by P. Craig Russell

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s landscape-altering series The Sandman, one of Gaiman’s most frequent collaborators, Eisner and Harvey Award-winner P. Craig Russell (The Sandman: Endless Nights), inimitably adapts Gaiman’s prose story the The Sandman: The Dream Hunters into a sequential, 4-issue comics event! Released 10 years ago, Dream Hunters was a prose novella accompanied by illustrations from Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano. Winning the 1999 Bram Stoker Award and the 2000 Eisner Award, it told the tale of a humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox who find themselves romantically drawn together.

As their love blooms, the fox learns of a devilish plot by a group of demons to steal the monk’s life. With the aid of Morpheus, the King of All Night’s Dreamings, the fox must use all of her cunning and creative thinking to foil this evil scheme and save the man that she loves.

MATURE READERS

32pgs, FC        $2.99

by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá, & Dave Stewart

The Umbrella Academy returns for a second six-issue series—Dallas, where they put the term “hero” to the test.

The Umbrella Academy has saved the world, but the house they were raised in is destroyed. One member is bedridden, the side of her head held together with tape; and another has lost her voice, the source of her power. Now that they’ve fulfilled their destiny, does the Umbrella Academy have any future at all?

32pgs, FC        $2.99

This Wednesday, fans will get to see the first trade paperback collection based on the web series, MySpace Dark Horse Presents.

This first edition features diverse writers such as Joss Whedon, Gerard Way, Mike Mignola, Steve Niles, Gilbert Hernandez, Ron Marz, John Arcudi, The Fillbach Bros., and even Bob Fingerman! These same writers (like Fingerman) also lend their drawing talents to the project, as well as other seasoned artists that include Gabriel Ba and Guy Davis.

A monthly comic book anthology, MySpace Dark Horse Presents is a partnership between Dark Horse Comics and MySpace Comic books. MDHP takes its cues from the original Dark Horse Presents, a comics anthology published from 1986 to 2000, which featured work that included Frank Miller’s SinCity and Paul Chadwick’s Concrete.

Since the launch in July of 2007, MDHP has featured renowned comics creators such as Joss Whedon, Steve Niles, Mike Mignola, Tony Millionaire, and Stan Sakai. New issues of MDHP appear the first Wednesday of every month exclusively at www.myspace.com/darkhorsepresents.

MySpace Dark Horse Presents Volume 1 goes on sale this Wednesday, August 20^th!

PREMIERS:

MARVEL COMICS

• Daredevil #112 (AUG08 2343, $2.99) will be Part 2 of “Lady Bullseye”, not Part 1.

• X-Men: Magneto – Testament #2 (AUG08 2415, $3.99) will have a cover by David Aja and Marko Djurdjevic, not Djurdjevic alone.

• Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four Annual #1 (JUL08 2259, $3.99) will have art by Mark Brooks and Dan Panosian, not Brandon Peterson. However, it will have a cover by Brandon Peterson, not the originally solicited Eric Basuldua.

• Wolverine: Saudade (JUL08 2360, $4.99) will be 48 pages, not 56 pages.

• The Punisher by Garth Ennis Omnibus HC (JUL08 2378, $99.99) will be 1,136 pages, not 1,192.

COMICS:

• The format of IDW Publishing’s Ed’s Terrestrials (JUL08 4133E) has changed from hardcover to softcover. As a result, the book’s price has changed from $19.99 to $11.99.

TRADING CARDS:

• The Upper Deck Company has announced that the Jay Leno autograph cards will not be available in the release of the Igor Movie T/Cs (AUG08 4736, $27.25).

Certified Cool from Diamond

Throughout Previews, you’ll find a selection of some of the coolest comics around, but let’s face it, some comics are so cool that they deserve to be singled out. So every month, we “certify” some of the best and brightest. “Certified Cool” is Previews‘ way of showing you a comics world that is powerfully unique unto itself. The titles listed below stood out to us as perfect examples of distinct comic stories that will broaden your entertainment experience and the industry. Dive right in and enjoy some of these wonderful tales…

CERTIFIED COOL - AUGUST 2008 CONTRACT: SOLO MISSIONS — TSUMI ONE-SHOT GRANT MORRISON’S DOCTOR WHO #1 HI-FRUCTOSE TEX: THE ART OF MARK TEXEIRA HC & DLX HC CHRISTOPHER WALKEN: A TO Z SC Looking for Something Different? Throughout Previews, you’ll find a selection of some of the coolest comics around, but let’s face it, some comics are so cool that they deserve to be singled out. So every month, we “certify” some of the best and brightest. “Certified Cool” is Previews‘ way of showing you a comics world that is powerfully unique unto itself. The titles listed below stood out to us as perfect examples of distinct comic stories that will broaden your entertainment experience and the industry. Dive right in and enjoy some of these wonderful tales… DC COMICS Greatest Hits #2 Young Liars MARVEL COMICS Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The Laughing Corpse #1 COMICS A First Salvo Contract: Solo Missions — Tsumi One-Shot Amaze Ink/Slave Labor Graphics Tales To Suffice #1 Ape Entertainment Scarlet Veronica #1 Blackhalo Productions Almighty GN (Mr) Harper Collins Publishers Zot! Special Edition Signed HC IDW Publishing American Freakshow GN Grant Morrison’s Doctor Who #1 Insight Editions Will Eisner’s The Spirit Pop-Up GN Last Gasp The Dizzy Dictionary HC Hi-Fructose Collected Edition Oni Press Labor Days Volume 1 GN Pantheon Books Breakdowns: A  Portrait of the Artist As Young %&@*! HC I Live Here HC Titan Publishing Tank Girl Anniversary Edition Volume 2 GN Vanguard Productions TEX: The Art of Mark Texeira HC & DLX HC BOOKS Orcs: History, Culture & Magic of the Dark and Mysterious Race HC The Savage HC Poe’s Children: New Horror Anthology HC 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die HC Christopher Walken: A to Z SC Peter Pan Pop-Up Book HC