Two veteran comic book creators are spotlighted this week with the release of a deluxe collection that may have slipped under the radar. Vertigo, DC Comics’ mature-readers imprint, continues to produce quality projects that do not feature brightly colored superheroes, but do push the boundaries of the art form in often shocking ways.

“Back in 2004, writer/wunderkind Grant Morrison collaborated with the then-relatively new artist Frank Quitely to produce the miniseries ‘WE3’,” said Ed Katschke of Monarch Cards & Comics. “‘WE3’ is a simultaneously heartbreaking and charming science fiction reworking of the children’s classic ‘The Incredible Journey.’ In this version, we follow the adventures of a dog, a cat and a rabbit who have been abducted from their loving homes and mercilessly grafted onto cyborg death machines by a shadowy government program. The new hardcover version is beautifully produced, showcasing Quitely’s art perfectly. It also contains 10 brand-new story pages and another 25 pages of sketchbook and development material. I defy anyone to read this work without getting choked up by its end.”

Speaking of a journey’s end, Katschke, a veteran of more than a few comic book industry upheavals, takes a moment to reflect on what he calls “The End of the DC Universe.”

“Today brings the last issues of the outgoing DC Universe titles before the big re-launch begins next week. The final issues of ‘Action Comics,’ ‘Batman Incorporated,’ ‘Batman: The Dark Knight,’ ‘Gotham City Sirens,’ ‘Green Arrow,’ ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors,’ ‘JSA,’ and ‘Teen Titans’ are shipping along with another half-dozen miniseries and one-shots. I know that most of these books will still exist in one form or another, but it still feels like we will be closing the door on an era. I’m finding it hard to get too sentimental considering that most of the titles listed above have been at their lowest ebbs since the turn of the century, but I still thought it deserved some reverent mention. Let’s have a quick moment of silence as the line of continuity starting with 1985’s ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ limps into limbo, never to be heard from again.”

‘Gotham City 14 Miles’ on Amazon

“Gotham City 14 Miles,” the book of essays about the 1960s “Batman” TV show (edited by yours truly and featuring a number of local authors, including TFP Star Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller), is now available for sale on Amazon.com. This brings it to an even wider audience and everyone involved in the project is looking forward to hearing feedback through Amazon’s review function. This is a great time for fans of the show, with the 45th anniversary this year and now more availibility for the first real critical examination of “Batman ’66.”

Tags: Amzon.com, Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Frank Quitely, Gotham City 14 Miles, Grant Morrison, Jim Beard, Michael S. Miller, Monarch Cards and Comics, Vertigo, WE3

This entry was posted on Monday, August 29th, 2011 at 10:36 am and is filed under Comics, Star.
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