This is the first installment of my own monthly column for this board. In "Upcoming Comics for grumpy old fans," I will point out comics scheduled for release in the new issue of Previews which may be of interest to long-time comics fans, or those who prefer the so-called "old school" style. This will also be a good place to let people know about new comics being produced by classic, longtime creators. Had I been better informed about the current work of such longtime favorites of mine, I probably would have bought more new comics during the 1990s, instead of dropping out of the comics-buying habit. So, don't quit, fellow old-time fans! There's still some good new comics to be bought!

I've broken this post up into two sections -- comics which are scheduled to be released this month; and comics scheduled for release in January. The January releases (listed last) can still be ordered from your local comics shop through Previews if you hurry!! (The deadline listed on the order form is November 15, but I know at my local shop the deadline is about a week after that.) I'll list what comics are scheduled for release in December closer to the end of November, so I don't get too far ahead.

A list of the contents of the current Previews issue (caution, it's long!) can be found here. Check with your local shop to see if they can order comics for you; if they can't, try another shop!

While you wait for the new comics to arrive at the shop, you can check the New Comics Releases page. The New Releases List on that page shows what comics will be released in shops the current week. Andrew Troth's Late Comics Report, also on that webpage, shows what comics are currently being delayed.

Coming Out this Month (November):

Tomb Tales, published by Cryptic Entertainment, is to horror comics what Big Bang is to superheroes. This b&w anthology comic recreates the feel of the old 1950s anthology comics, with brand-new work in that tradition. I recently bought the second issue under the impression that it was a reprint comic after a casual flip-through. I was surprised and delighted to see that it was all-new material -- it just looks like the old stuff! The new issue (#4) of this quarterly comic will be released this month, with a Marie & John Severin cover. Costs $3.00.

The Kents is DC's newest western, a 12-issue mini-series written by John Ostrander, chronicling the events surrounding the Kent ancestors during the Civil War. The sixth issue comes out in November. One of my favorite current comics, and a worthwhile but neglected genre (for comics anyway). Don't let the Superman connection scare you off from this one (it has no superheroes in it).

For those interested in superheroes in their classic incarnations, perhaps the JLA: Year One 12-issue mini-series will be worth checking out. The first issue goes on sale Nov. 12th. Another series to check out is Unlimited Access. The second issue of this 4-issue mini-series where Marvel and DC heroes meet is released on Nov. 19th. The first issue showed Jonah Hex meeting the Two-Gun Kid in the old West!

Weird #2 (DC) features reprinted short stories from the Big Books series of true strange subjects. It is magazine-sized, b&w, and costs $2.99. I've not bought Weird yet, but I did check out its predecessor, 100% True?, and enjoyed it. Weird #2 contains art by Marie Severin among others.

Big Bang Comics #16 has a lead feature starring Thunder Girl, in the tradition of 1940s Fawcett comics. The issue contains two back-up strips of other characters, too.

Kingpin is a $5.99, 48 page graphic novel featuring the Spidey foe as done by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita Sr. A must for fans of the 1960s Spider-Man comics. Goes on sale Nov. 26th.

Marvel is finally releasing a Golden Age of Marvel trade paperback on Nov. 5th, featuring reprints of 1940s Timely comics "by Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, Joe Simon, John Romita Sr., Stan Lee, and more!"

A List Comics reprints old 1940s comics in B&W. The release for November is Jungle Comics #2.

ACG also reprints old comics in B&W, mostly from the 1960s it seems. I have yet to read one of their comics, although I've been ordering them each month in Previews. Many of them have been delayed. They Call him Loco #1, a western, for example, has been delayed for a few months now according to the Late Comics Report mentioned earlier. They have three comics scheduled for release in November, though they too will probably be delayed. The comics are: Invasion #2 (a science-fiction title with reprints of stories drawn by Jim Aparo, Pat Boyette, and Steve Ditko), Out of the Night #1 (horror reprints by Mike Zeck, Ditko, and Dan Day), and most interestingly Crime and Justice #1 with reprints by various creators including Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

A mix of new and old appears to be what will be found in Pyramid Comics' line of comics. Scheduled for release in November are three full color, 32 page comics, all for only a dollar each (I'll have to see this to believe it!). The Space Giants #1 is apparently based on a 1960s live-action Japanese TV series. Triple-Threat #0 (the title reminds me of Marvel Triple Action, perhaps that was the intent) also has the Space Giants. And the third title is True Romance #3, with reprints of work by Kirby and Frazetta, as well as new material. I have really been looking forward to Pyramid's comics, and have been disappointed that last month's offerings have still not been released. A message on a newsgroup in July indicated that Pyramid had not obtained permission to publish Simon & Kirby material. I hope that they will continue with their line of comics, however; I'd like to read them!

American Splendor: Music Comics, published by Dark Horse, is a one-shot comic reprinting strips originally published in the Village Voice about jazz, written by Harvey Pekar and drawn by Joe Sacco. I'm think both of them are superb creators, so the combination is sure to be good. Plus, no superheroes. B&W, $2.95.

Also of possible interest:
Aliens: Alchemy #3 (Dark Horse) drawn by Richard Corben, on sale Nov. 26th; Red Rocket 7 #4 (Dark Horse) by Mike Allred, on sale Nov. 19th; Sergio Aragones' Louder Than Words #5 (Dark Horse), on sale Nov. 19th; Uncle Sam #1 (DC/Vertigo), painted by Alex Ross, on sale Nov. 5th; Jet Comics #1, looks like an old-time superhero comic from the cover anyway; Crimson Plague #2 (Event Comics), a full-color series written & drawn by George Perez; Penny Century #1 by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics); Gemstone's reprints of EC titles (this month, the 22nd issues of Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy, and Two-Fisted Tales); Comic Book Profiles #1, a fan magazine that contains a Joe Kubert interview; Desperadoes #3, a full-color new western series published by Image.

I decided that most of the stuff I would list in this column would be normally-priced comics, around 2 or 3 bucks each. Inclusion of the many handsome reprint collections would just get too crazy. But there is one collection coming out in November worth mentioning I think: The second volume of The Complete Jack Kirby, which is 184 pages long and costs $25. This book reprints in b&w many of Simon & Kirby's early superhero work -- but pre-Capt America, I believe.

Coming Out in January:(Note: All of the comics listed below as being scheduled for January can be ordered in advance right now through comics shops, and held for the customer when they arrive, which is why I'm listing these so early.)

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan #18 (Dark Horse) is the 2nd issue of a 4-issue story arc (the numbering on the cover changes to reflect this): "Tarzan vs. the Moon Men." The first issue is scheduled for Dec. 3rd. The covers will be by John Totleben (who worked on Swamp-Thing and Miracleman in the 1980s), and the insides are by Tim Truman, Tom Yeates, and Al Williamson. With talent like that involved, it has got to be good! 32 full color pages for $2.95; scheduled for Jan. 7th.

Tales Well Calculated to Drive You Mad is an 8-issue DC mini-series reprinting the first 23 issues of MAD, when it was a comicbook in the 1950s. Each issue has three MAD issues reprinted in a full color magazine. The third installment of this series is scheduled for January, is 96 pages, and costs $3.99. Recommended!

More EC reprints. Tales from the Crypt #23 and Panic #5 will be coming in January. But the big news is that Piracy, one of the final EC titles, will finally be available again in an affordable, full color format! The first issue will be released in January and cost $2.50. I believe this series was the inspiration for the pirate comics series shown in Watchmen.

Reaping the Whirlwind (Aardwolf Publishing) is a 100-page graphic novel by Dave Cockrum, with an introduction by Chris Claremont. B&W, and costs $9.95.

AC Comics regularly reprints old comics. In January, they will publish Golden-Age Men of Mystery #6, a 52-page, b&w comic featuring reprints of many old-time superheroes. The Black Terror appears on the cover.

ACG has three releases scheduled for January. The one I'll be ordering is Blazing Western #1, a 32-page, B&W comic reprinting old western stories for $2.75. The other two comics are a reprint of the 1960s superhero Magicman, and the 1970s Charlton spy series The Vengeance Squad.

Pyramid Comics offers another slew of intriguing titles for January. Among them are The Space Giants #4, True Romance #5, and Triple Threat #1, all of which now cost $1.50 instead of a dollar each. They have added four inexpensive ($1.95 each) B&W reprint titles: Red Mask #1 (western), Jet Power #1 (science-fiction), Danger Is Our Business #1 (science-fiction), and Great Western #1. I'm really looking forward to these anthology reprint titles!

A List Comics' reprint for January is Wings Comics #3.

The Jack Kirby Collector will release an 18th issue in January. This magazine-sized fanzine is 68 pages and costs $5.95. This issue is devoted to Jack's Marvel work, with a Fantastic Four cover. Another fan publication, Comic Book Marketplace #56 will be a special issue devoted to artist Neal Adams.

Also of possible interest:
Sergio Aragones' Groo #1 (Dark Horse), the first of a new 6-issue mini-series in b&w; Martha Washington Saves the World #2 (Dark Horse) by Frank Miller & Dave Gibbons, second of a 3-issue mini-series, scheduled for Jan. 28th (the first issue comes out Dec. 24th); Red Rocket 7 #5 (of 7) by Mike Allred; The Kents #8 (DC); Power of Shazam #36 and Starman #40 (a cross-over); Wonder Woman Secret Files #1 (includes art by Byrne, Dave Cockrum, and Joe Kubert among many others); Wonder Woman #131 (guest-stars the JSA as done by Byrne); Big Bang Comics #17; Blade: Crescent City Blues (Marvel, $3.50, 48 pages, penciled by Gene Colan); Journey Into Mystery #518 (begins the 3-issue Black Widow run); Unlimited Access #4 (final issue of the current Marvel/DC mini-series); Avengers #2 (drawn by Perez); Conan the Barbarian Vs. The Lord of the Spiders #1 (first of a new 3-issue mini-series written by Roy Thomas); Jet Comics #2 (published by Amaze Ink); Judgement Day: Aftermath #1 by Alan Moore and Gil Kane; a 296-page hardcover book reprinting NOW Comics' Green Hornet #1-12 in color for $10.

Additions and comments welcomed. Hope this list will be useful to some readers. I plan to post a list of December releases in the last week of November.

Rob Imes