Tag Archives: john costanza

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: DC Compact Comics Edition is a solid new edition to a classic

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Regarded as one of the greatest Batman stories of all time, master storyteller Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is the perfect graphic novel for longtime comic book fans and new readers alike!

Writer/artist Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in this saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, 10 years after the Dark Knight’s retirement. Forced to take action, the Dark Knight returns in a blaze of fury, taking on a whole new generation of criminals and matching their levels of violence. He is soon joined by a new Robin—a girl named Carrie Kelley, who proves to be just as invaluable as her predecessors.

Can Batman and Robin deal with the threats posed by their deadliest enemies after years of incarceration have turned them into perfect psychopaths? And more importantly, can anyone survive the coming fallout from an undeclared war between the superpowers—or the clash of who were once the world’s greatest heroes?

Story: Frank Miller
Art: Frank Miller
Ink: Klaus Jansen
Color: Lynn Varley
Letterer: John Costanza

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon

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Prey focuses on Hugo Strange who gets a newer take, and obsession, with Batman

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Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader.

This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection.

We check out Prey which collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15.

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Story Doug Moench
Art: Paul Gulacy
Ink: Terry Auston
Color: Steve Oliff
Letterer: John Costanza

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Kindle

Fanhome provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Rick Veitch, Michael Zulli, and Vince Locke’s Swamp Thing 1989 #1 comes to comic shelves this April

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DC has announced that Swamp Thing 1989 #1, the long-awaited, fully restored, lost issue that begins the conclusion of Rick Veitch’s acclaimed late-1980s run on Swamp Thing will be released in April 2026. After more than three decades, Veitch’s ambitious final epic will be released under the DC Black Label across four issues, published monthly through July.

Written by Rick Veitch, with art by original penciler Michael Zulli and inked by Vince Locke, Swamp Thing 1989 #1 completes the comic Veitch and Zulli intended to deliver as Swamp Thing #88. In this issue, Swamp Thing is cast back through time and encounters a humble carpenter whose presence will alter the creature’s destiny and send ripples through the DC Universe. The issue also sets the stage for the long-anticipated origin of Etrigan the Demon and catapults Swamp Thing on his mythic journey back to the Big Bang and beyond.

The main cover by Rick Veitch reflects the quiet tension and symbolic weight of the story’s historical setting. Variant and foil covers by Michael Zulli present painterly imagery of Swamp Thing that captures the emotional and mythic intensity surrounding this pivotal moment in Swamp Thing’s saga.

The issue will be released with its original trade dress, period-accurate numbering on the cover, facsimile-style paper stock, and vintage ads, Swamp Thing 1989 #1 begins the journey to Veitch’s final Swamp Thing saga, running as it would have been published in 1989.

DC Black Label is completing the work exactly as it was intended. The long-lost Swamp Thing #88, now called Swamp Thing 1989 #1, features art by the late Michael Zulli, who returned to work on the issue before his passing in 2024, completing the painting featured as the variant cover. Working closely with Zulli’s wife, Karen Zulli, DC selected Vince Locke, Zulli’s longtime inker, to complete the issue over his original pencils while preserving the integrity of Zulli’s original vision.

Veteran Swamp Thing series artist Tom Mandrake will illustrate the brand-new Swamp Thing 1989 #2-4, which would have been Swamp Thing #89–91, bringing Veitch’s never-published storyline to its intended conclusion. For Swamp Thing 1989 #2-4, colorist Trish Mulvihill honors the palette and spirit of legendary series colorist Tatjana Wood while letterer Todd Klein brings the same reverence to the work of original Swamp Thing series letterer John Costanza.

Swamp Thing 1989 #1 is a 32-page comic book priced at $4.99 US, with a card-stock variant available for $5.99 US and a foil variant for $7.99 US. The new series begins on April29, 2026.

Tales of the Demon is packed with interesting classic Batman stories featuring Ra’s Al Ghul

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Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader.

This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection.

We check out Tales of the Demon featuring Detective Comics #411, #485, #489-490, and Batman #232, #235, #240, #242-244, and DC Special Series #15.

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Story: Denny O’Neil
Art: Bob Brown, Neal Adams, Irv Novick, Michael Golden, Don Newton
Ink: Dick Giordano, Dan Adkins
Color: Corey Adams, Adrienne Roy
Letterer: John Costanza, Milt Snapinn, Ben Oda

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Amazon

Fanhome provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

JLA: Tower of Babel is an important story that has a lot that just doesn’t stand the test of time

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Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader.

This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection.

The Legends of Batman Collection includes the best and most essential Batman adventures by legendary creative teams. The collection forms an expansive overall narrative that begins with Batman’s origin in Year Zero and culminates in Batman Year 100.

The Fanhome The Legends of Batman collection delivers a modern classic: JLA: Tower of Babel!

Collecting: JLA #43-46, JLA Secret Files & Origins #3

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Story: Mark Waid, Dan Curtis Johnson
Art: Howard Porter, Pablo Raimondi, Steve Scott
Ink: Drew Geraci, Mark Propst, Claude St Aubin, Mark Meikis
Color: Pat Garrahy, Tom McCraw
Letterer: Ken Lopez, John Costanza

Fanhome provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The Dark Knight Returns Fanhome Edition shows off why this is a classic story

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Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader.

This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection.

The Legends of Batman Collection includes the best and most essential Batman adventures by legendary creative teams. The collection forms an expansive overall narrative that begins with Batman’s origin in Year Zero and culminates in Batman Year 100.

The Fanhome The Legends of Batman collection delivers a classic: The Dark Knight Returns.

Collecting: The Dark Knight #1-4

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Story: Frank Miller
Art: Frank Miller
Ink: Klaus Janson
Color: Lynn Varley
Letterer: John Costanza

Fanhome provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The Folio Society To Publish DC: Batman

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The Folio Society, independent publisher of beautifully illustrated hardback books, in collaboration with DC, will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the first comic book appearance of DC’s Dark Knight Detective with the release of DC: Batman. Created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, Batman first appeared in 1939’s Detective Comics #27 and since then the Dark Knight has stood as a symbol of determination, courage and justice to generations of fans for over 80 years. Batman is one of the most iconic fictional characters in the world, and is a self-made Super Hero, notable not for his super powers, but for his intelligence, determination, and tech savvy.

This collectible compilation includes twelve seminal comics, by a host of iconic writers and artists— including Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller, Dave Mazzucchelli, Alan Moore, Brian Bolland and Kelley Jones—all selected and introduced by former DC President, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of DC, Jennette Kahn. Along with the 320-page one-of-a-kind deluxe book, DC: Batman also comes with a stand-alone replica copy of Batman #1. Scanned in its entirety from an original 1940 copy, the replica copy of the Batman #1 comic book, which includes the original back-up strips and vintage ads and introduces DC’s Clown Prince of Crime, aka The Joker, and The Cat, who would come to be known as Catwoman.

DC: Batman includes:

Facsimile: Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
Writer: Bill Finger
Cover artists: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
Artists: Bob Kane, Sheldon Moldoff
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth

The Bat-Man
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
Editor: Vincent Sullivan

Batman and Green Arrow: The Senator’s Been Shot!
The Brave and the Bold #85 (September 1969)
Writer: Bob Haney
Cover artist: Neal Adams
Penciler: Neal Adams
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Murray Boltinof

The Dead Yet Live
Detective Comics #471 (August 1977)
Writer: Steve Englehart
Cover artists: Marshall Rogers, Terry Austin, Tatjana Wood, Gaspar Saladino
Penciler: Marshall Rogers
Inker: Terry Austin
Colorists: Marshall Rogers
Letterer: John Workman
Editors: Julius Schwartz, E. Nelson Bridwell

Batman: Year One—Chapter One: Who I Am—How I Come to Be
Batman #404 (February 1987)
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Dave Mazzucchelli
Colorist: Richmond Lewis
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Dennis O’Neil

The Last Arkham (Part One)
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June 1992)
Writer: Alan Grant
Cover artist: Brian Stelfreeze
Penciler: Norm Breyfogle
Inker: Norm Breyfogle
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editors: Scott Peterson, Dennis O’Neil

Robin—the Boy Wonder
Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artists: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth

The Crimes of Two-Face!
Detective Comics #66 (August 1942)
Writer: Bill Finger
Artists: Jerry Robinson, George Roussos
Letterers: Ira Schnapp
Editor: Whitney Ellsworth

Daughter of the Demon
Batman #232 (June 1971)
Writer: Dennis O’Neil
Cover artist: Neal Adams
Penciler: Neal Adams
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Julius Schwartz

The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (June 1986)
Writer: Frank Miller
Cover artists: Frank Miller, Lynn Varley
Penciler: Frank Miller
Inker: Klaus Janson
Colorist: Lynn Varley
Letterer: John Costanza
Editors: Dick Giordano, Dennis O’Neil

Batman: The Killing Joke (July 1988)
Writer: Alan Moore
Cover artists: Brian Bolland, Richard Bruning
Artist: Brian Bolland
Colorist: John Higgins
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Dennis O’Neil, Dan Raspler

Knightfall Part 1: Crossed Eyes and Dotty Teas
Batman #492 (May 1993)
Writer: Doug Moench
Cover artists: Kelley Jones, Bob LeRose
Penciler: Norm Breyfogle
Inker: Norm Breyfogle
Colorist Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Scott Peterson, Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Dennis O’Neil

The release of DC: Batman is the second release in the Folio Society publishing program with DC, following the release of the acclaimed DC: The Golden Age. DC: Batman has been made according to The Folio Society’s exceptional production standards. Scanned from original copies held in the DC archives, the comics have been reproduced in 10” x 7” treasury format. An anti-scratch laminated hardcover features Batman’s signature silhouette, with titles foil-embossed in yellow and midnight blue, the book itself cowled in a pitch-black slipcase bearing the famous Bat-Signal. A compendium of gothic artwork and Batarang-sharp storytelling, DC: Batman is an unmissable investigation into the adventures and pathology of one of the world’s most famous – and most troubled – DC Super Heroes. DC: Batman will be available from the Folio Society on February 20, 2024.

The Folio Society edition of DC: Batman, selected and introduced by Jenette Kahn, will be available for £65 / US $100 on February 20, 2024.  

NYCC 2023: Robin Lives! Return to Batman #428 and an alternative ending of Jason Todd’s fate

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Explore an alternate fate for Jason Todd in DC‘s “faux-simile” coming December 12, 2023. During the “Gotham City Confidential” panel at New York Comic Con 2023, DC announced plans to release a never-before-seen story from its vault. It’s an alternate ending to one of DC’s most polarizing events that took place in Batman #428.

Batman #428‘s “faux-simile” release this December reprints the penultimate chapter of “A Death in the Family,” with a new twist. It’ll feature a previously unpublished ending to the issue. In this version, Jason Todd survives his brutal enounter with The Joker.

“A Death in the Family” was released 35 years ago and was a pretty dark comic in which fans decided Jason’s fate. Dialing into a 900 number (kids, ask your parents), people voted if Jason should live or die. The vote received 10,614 responses and Jason’s fate was decided by 72 votes, 5,343 to 5,271.

This “faux-simile” edition features original story and art from the from “A Death in the Family” storytelling team – writer Jim Starlin, artist Jim Aparo, colorist Adrienne Roy, inker Mike DeCarlo, and letterer John Costanza.

Review: Star Trek Classics: The Mirror Universe Saga

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Star Trek Classics: The Mirror Universe Saga

Today’s generation of Star Trek fans are much fortunate in many ways. Technology has lot to do with it, as they have ways to connect with other fans around the world without ever meeting them. Streaming plays a large part in that as well , as they can watch several series within the franchise and at least two new shows before the year ends.

The one thing that just about every series has touched except for ST:TNG, is the Mirror Universe. As Discovery’s first season went right into making multiple visits over its 4 season run. My favorite was Enterprise’s adventure into that dark abyss, even changing the their theme song, into something ominous. In a story that has not seen publication in 30 years, we find the crew of the Enterprise shortly after the events of Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, facing evil versions of themselves in Star Trek Classics: The Mirror Universe Saga.

We find Spock still recovering from the events of Star Trek III, as his friends visit him, he still has trouble remembering exactly who they are. As Kirk, still reeling from the death of his son, appreciates the peace but something is wrong in the universe, as the Enterprise has just destroyed the research station where his ex-wife and the mother of his son as this crew is from the Mirror Universe. They wreak havoc across the fleet, wrecking the USS Courageous, but not before they run into the heroes we know, as a standoff between the counterparts, leads to some intense stare downs., where the good counterparts get captured. They would soon break free from their captors, and Kirk would find an ally onboard this version of the Enterprise, from his last adventure in the Mirror Universe, Marlena, who knows how beat this crew., taking control of the ship while their Mirror Universe counterparts hijack the the Excelsior and the Klingon Bird Of Prey they took during Search For Spock. While the evil version of Spock returns to Vulcan and gets into a fierce mind meld with the newly reborn Spock. Our heroes hatch a plan to enter the Mirror Universe and exact revenge on the invaders, but their plan fails, when their true identities are be found out, causing the crew to seek help from an unlikely ally in this universe, the Klingons. By the book’s end, they restore everything in order, and Kirk and Spock get their own commands.

Overall, Star Trek Classics: The Mirror Universe Saga is an action packed story, which is worthy of being a movie. The story by Barr is exciting. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, one of the best stories to come from original DC Comics run of Star Trek.

Story: Mike W. Barr Art: Tom Sutton, Ricardo Villagrãn
Color: Julianna Ferriter Letterer: John Costanza, Janice Chiang, Carrie Spiegle
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle

Valiant Teams Up with Kowabunga Comics for an Exclusive Harbinger #1 (1992) Facsimile Reprint!

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Valiant Entertainment has announced a new reprint of the classic Harbinger #1 from 1992, available exclusively through Kowabunga Comics.

The historic and must-read Harbinger #1 launched nearly three decades ago, paving the way for one of the industry’s most iconic super-hero teams whose impact can still be seen today. From writer Jim Shooter and artist David Lapham with inker John Dixon, colorists Janet Jackson & The Knobs and letterer John Costanza comes the ultimate super-hero team series that debuted back in Harbinger #1! The new Dawn of Man is upon us – and the world needs the awesome power of four seventeen year-olds on the road to hell…or heroism! 

Return to 1992 and rediscover the hit comic Harbinger #1 with this facsimile reprint that is sure to delight new and longtime fans alike. This Harbinger #1 facsimile reprint edition also includes the original mail-away coupon as well. 

The Harbinger #1 (1992) Facsimile Reprint comic can be purchased HERE exclusively from Kowabunga Comics. This reprint is limited to just 5,000 copies.

The new The Harbinger series from writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, artist Robbi Rodriguez, colorist Rico Renzi, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is on sale October 27th, 2021.

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