Long career lovenote to the great comics creator Keith Giffen, who died in October [TCJ]

[28 November 02023]

Marvel's February 02024 solicits include a Bats story!

DOCTOR STRANGE #12
Jed MacKay (W)
DANILO S. BEYRUTH (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY TBA
VARIANT COVER BY PACO MEDINA
Doctor Strange is a busy man- sometimes, it seems like the busiest man. But that man has a best friend.
So when there's something strange haunting the Sanctum Sanctorum, who can we turn to? Why, BATS THE GHOST DOG, of course!
But can Bats solve the mystery on his own, or is this good dog in over his head?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

CAPTAIN AMERICA #6
J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (W)
LAN MEDINA (A)
Cover by Taurin Clarke
VARIANT COVER BY DIKE RUAN
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY Pete Woods
BLACK HISTORY MONTH VARIANT COVER BY MATEUS MANHANINI
CAPTAIN AMERICA VS. THE EMISSARY! It's a fight to the death as Captain America races to take down the Emissary before he destroys a peace rally- and Cap himself. But when physical might proves futile against the supernatural, will an assist from Doctor Strange be enough to turn the tide?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $4.99
Cover w/Doc and the Eye of Agamotto on Cap's shield!

DAREDEVIL #6
SALADIN AHMED (W)
AARON KUDER (A)
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. (w/Doc)
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY Ben Su
VARIANT COVER BY SERGIO DAVILA
A BOOK OF REVELATIONS!
In their first no-holds-barred arc of DAREDEVIL, Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder tore Matt Murdock's world asunder! With those closest to him ensnared by some dangerous and malevolent force, Matt's been left with nothing but questions. IN THIS ISSUE, he finally starts to get some answers from the STRANGEst source of all...
32 PGS./Rated T+ $4.99

SENTRY #3 (OF 4)
JASON LOO (W)
LUIGI ZAGARIA (A)
Cover by BEN HARVEY
VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
When Misty Knight and Jessica Jones uncover a connection between the new Sentries and the occult, they call upon the only people who might be able to make sense of it- Stephen and Clea Strange. But why do the Sentries they've managed to identify seem to be disappearing?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

[27 November 02023]

Did Deadpool Sexually Assault Doctor Strange?

X-Force #45 and #46
Doctor Strange in a couple pages of standard consult-and-transport role, helping X-Force analyze and use a captured ring-key to get in and out of Colossus' brother's pocket-dimension prison. Deadpool says he has goosed Doc- and while he expected the flat ass of a sedentary scholar, was surprised to find sculpted cantaloupes.

[13 November 02023]

Jonathan Hickman Ties G.O.D.S. To Black Swans & Black Priests

Black Priests Black Swans Library Of Worlds [Fandom Marvel Database]

Doctor Strange Meets Marvel's Newest Characters In Preview Of G.O.D.S. #3

While Neilalien is pleasantly surprised that there has been so much Doctor Strange in G.O.D.S.- and his accoutrements- Living Tribunal's staff, In-Betweener's Skinner box- and Hickman is referring to his Incursions/Secret Wars, Black Priests and Swans- we must assume Doc is mostly here as audience, clueless-reader stand-in, connection to the rest of the Marvel Universe, passive observer of these new characters in their own book. We shall see...

[12 November 02023]

Comics Retailer: It's Nearly [0]2024 And I'm More Than Concerned
"Go woke go broke" nonsense to the right of you...

Retailer Warns That Comics Are Dying Again
and Neros fiddling past graveyards to your left...

[11 November 02023]

Interview: Retailer Ron Hill Talks About The Closing Of JHU Manhattan
[iconic NYC comic shop Jim Hanley's Universe] [good read; lots here; nuts-and-bolts re: publishers/creators keeping to a release schedule, keeping books in print, having relevant books on shelves when a movie/TV show comes out; Invincible: the serialized periodical begets the TPB collections begets the TV show begets the Compendium selling; the Diamond distribution divorce didn't end monopoly and create more competition in a positive way, just more work for retailers, lots of fiefdoms, and reduced order-size discounts] [The Beat]

[10 November 02023]

AI Is Coming To Comics Whether We Like It Or Not. Are There Ways It Could Help?
[Rob Salkowitz column on ICv2]
[AI can help with compiling and analyzing sales data, marketing, translations, reconfiguring comics from the printed page format to the digital infinite-vertical scroll, etc... but then the more humble jobs of backgrounds and coloring are next... "labor-saving" becomes "labor replacement"... please don't use it to actually write and draw... the myth of the frustrated storyteller now empowered by AI tools to give voice to their imagination... removing the frustration and skill-mastery that might be necessary for art/creation...]

Update: More Salkowitz/ICv2: Is A Post-Superhero Direct Market Even Possible?
[DM shops struggle without the reliable Wednesday juice of superhero collectability and continuity that has become increasingly kaput... "there are paths forward for comics that seem lucrative and straightforward, based around sales of trade books, manga, Webtoons and other formats, and in converting stores into more experience-oriented destinations with events, game nights, community involvement and more... Given a choice of how to spend scarce resources: on risky products that appeal to an unproven new customer segment, or overserving dependable customers, it's clear where many retailers placed their bets..."]

[8 November 02023]

Letterer Todd Klein with some long lovely posts lately:

• Pen Lettering For Comics
• Digital Lettering For Comics
• Janice Chiang
• John Workman
• Tom Orzechowski

[via LMG]

[7 November 02023]

Crisis At Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, 'The Marvels' Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers And More Issues Revealed [Variety]

Update: Marvel Studios Taking Stock Of Strategy Amid 'The Marvels' Meltdown [Hollywood Reporter]
[an emphasis on quantity to feed Disney+ with content seen as causing superhero glut and hurting quality; 'The Marvels' had the worst MCU opening ever; audiences complaining they have to watch all the TV shows to understand movies that aren't theater-worthy; only one movie now next year (Deadpool 3), instead of three]

[6 November 02023]

Doctor Strange #9 is out!

Preview at Comics Continuum

Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up

Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics

Entry at Fandom Marvel Database

Also: Crypt Of Shadows (V4) #1 02023 one-shot [out 18 Oct in time for Halloween]

This year's installment of Crypt Of Shadows has "the insane vampire brother of Doctor Strange", Victor Strange, continuing his new appearance-meme from last year's digital Strange Tales: Victor Strange Infinity Comic, a mirror-trapped phantom in the Sanctum Sanctorum, with Crypt-Keeper-like horror-comic-hosting duties, knowing all, plotting revenge, wearing pajamas, and teased to be free and coming to the pages of Doctor Strange when we least expect him. The ex-Baron Blood is back in the toybox for Marvel creators to use.

Update: Is Al Ewing Coming To Doctor Strange?

[5 November 02023]

Steve Ditko would have had his 96th birthday today! [Wikipedia]

[2 November 02023]