Only a month to go until Titan release their book that reprints the classic Hook Jaw strips from Action. This violent, controversial strip proved highly popular back in 1976 when it was first published in weekly instalments and the collection is being eagerly anticipated by fans of the series.
When I posted the first news about this book back in March, Hook Jaw had a completely different cover (see below). Perhaps that cover was judged to be too gruesome for High Street bookshops? (Unfortunately the quote by me has also vanished from the new cover, unless it's on the back now.)
The main attraction though is the content, and it sounds like the book will be quite comprehensive as it even includes Great White Death, the prequel story that was originally published in Action Summer Special in 1976.
Hook Jaw, written by Pat Mills and Ken Armstrong, and with art by Ramon Sola, is now scheduled to be published on 12th September.
https://titan-comics.com/c/1008-hook-jaw-archive/
Titan Comics have launched a new Batman title in UK newsagents today. Batman:Arkham replaces their Dark Knight comic and continues the reprints of contemporary material from DC's Detective Comics and Dark Knight US comics alongside pages from Batman:Arkham Unhinged No.1.
Whereas Titan's Dark Knight comic was an A4 sized 52 pager, Batman:Arkham is a 76 pager in US comicbook format. This should help visibility in WH Smith, who often mistakenly shelved the Teen-rated Dark Knight comic alongside the junior titles such as The Beano and Moshi Monsters. Hopefully, the more distinctive smaller format will ensure that Batman:Arkham is shelved with Titan's other Batman comics and the Panini UK Marvel titles in the older readers section.
One point; although Batman:Arkham is £2.99, my local WH Smith charged me £3.99 as they claimed the barcode was wrong. I got a refund, but check your receipt when you buy this issue.
You can subscribe to the new monthly here:
http://titanmagazines.com/t/the-dark-knight/uk/subscribe/
I noticed this book listed on Amazon yesterday: Uncensored Action (The Best of Action). Or just The Best of Action according to the cover. From the brief description it looks like this 288 page paperback from Titan Books will reprint some classic material from the pages of IPC's Action, the boy's comic that shocked a nation in 1976 with its portrayals of violence. The powers-that-be back in the day hated the comic and it was withdrawn several months after its launch, to return in a much toned down form weeks later.
According to the book cover shown above (which of course may be different when it's eventually published in August 2014) the contents will include the controversial Kids Rule O.K. This strip survived Action's relaunch but suffered the consequence of having panels censored and an ending that went against the grain of its original concept.
Here's a page from an issue of Action (25th Sept. 1976) before the ban. Art by Mike White...
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| Copyright © Egmont |
No doubt The Best of Action will also feature background details on the rise and fall of the comic. However, this isn't the first time that Titan Books have covered this fascinating saga. Back in 1990 they published Action: The Story of a Violent Comic by the social and media historian Martin Barker. This compelling book reprinted many of Action's strips - including the ones that never made it to the shelves, comparing the published versions with the original uncensored pages, accompanied by text and research by Professor Barker. Perhaps Titan's new book will be similar, but if you don't have a copy of Martin Barker's edition it's well worth tracking down on eBay or wherever to read about this interesting part of British comics history.
The internet was split in half yesterday, then shattered into tiny pieces, and then all the bits were ground into dust, scattered into a black hole, and came out the other side all bewildered, wide eyed and curious as DC Comics confirmed long-running rumours that all of their superhero universe titles would be relaunched in September.
Something like this needed to be done. Many of DC's comics had become new reader unfriendly due to all the baggage of continuity, crossovers and drawn out story arcs. The changes will come as a result of the current Flashpoint event running across the DC universe at present.
Have no doubt about it, this is a major relaunch. Every DC title will end this summer and restart with a new No.1 in September, and many characters will be redesigned and some will face a new status quo. (Rumour has it the Clark Kent/Lois Lane marriage will cease to exist.) As can be seen in the image at the top (promoting the new Justice League No.1) costumes have been tweaked (for better or worse), Superman appears younger (if that is indeed Kal-El), Wonder Woman's gained some muscle, and Green Lantern looks really excited about the whole thing in a Freudian way.
Here's the brief details: in September DC Comics will release 52 all-new No.1 issues, approximately 13 issues each week. (Assuming all the superstar creators can meet their deadlines.) On the same day as each comic is released a digital version will also be available for download. This is the first time a major comics publisher has gone day-and-date digtial across their line.
From our perspective, how will this affect international editions? Titan Magazines currently have the licence to produce DC comics in the UK. Their Batman Legends comic has had fluctuating frequency recently (monthly, then every 6 weeks, then monthly again) and the ailing Superman Legends was replaced by DC Universe Presents last year but that's gone to six-weekly now. A Justice League Legends title didn't fare too well a few years ago and was soon canceled. Will this give Titan the incentive and opportunity to try a few new UK DC titles, confident that the comics will be free of the burden of previous continuity? Or do the previous failures indicate that the UK newsstand readership isn't interested in DC characters other than Batman?
Will this bold move by DC actually work? I'm sure we remember things turned out when Marvel tried a similar thing with Heroes Reborn years ago. (The old continuity was restored a year later.) Will most titles stand alone so that new readers (and older readers returning to the fold) can understand (and afford) the storylines? Or will they make the same mistake of bringing in huge crossovers and confusing anyone who starts reading them later?
Time will tell, but if they really are dumping all the old continuity wouldn't that make their vast range of trade paperbacks redundant? Wouldn't it confuse new readers if, for example, they jump on board with Superman No.1, enjoy what they see, and then they pick up a Superman trade which features a completely different setup to the new comics?
This item just scratches the surface of the story. For more information keep your eyes on the regularly updated news sites such as these:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/
http://www.bleedingcool.com/
and of course of DC's own official website:
http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/
(Updated 6/6/2011 with new cover images.)
