Weekly Checklist for Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ahoy! Here are the comics, graphic novels, manga, books, action figures, statues, magazines and more coming to Jim Hanley's Universe Thursday, May 28, 2009.

ITEMS OF THE WEEK

Animal Man: Last Days of Animal Man 1
Avengers: New Avengers 53
Batman: Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive 1
Batman: In Barcelona: Dragon's Knight
Conan:SC-Comp: DH: 7-Cimmeria<0-7> Truman+ Giorello/Corben>
Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Tankies 2
Garth Ennis' Battlefields:SC-Comp: 2-Dear Billy
Green Lantern(4) 41
Hood: Dark Reign 1
Special Forces:SC-Comp: 1-Hot To Death
Spider-Man: Short Halloween
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man 595
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk 6
Wolverine(3) 72

The FULL Checklist can be seen after the jump.



Archie Comics
Archie {Comics} 597
Archie: Sonic Universe 4
Archie: Tales from Riverdale Digest 33

Boom! Studios
Eureka: Dormant Gene 2
Fall of Cthulhu: Nemesis 2
Farscape: D'argos Lament 2
Hero Squared: Love + Death 3
Muppet Show: Robin Hood 1

Dark Horse Comics
Aliens: 2009 1
Berserk:SC-GN: 29
Conan:SC-Comp: DH: 7-Cimmeria<0-7> Truman+ Giorello/Corben>
Dames, Doll, And Gun Molls:SC:
MPD-Psycho:SC-GN: 9
Rapture 1
Star Wars: Clone Wars:SC-GN: 3-Wind Raiders Of Taloraan
Star Wars: Legacy 36
Star Wars:SC-Comp: Vector: 2
Tarzan:HC-Comp: The Jesse Marsh Years: 2-
Usagi Yojimbo(3) 120

DC Comics
Animal Man: Last Days of Animal Man 1
Batman: Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive 1
Batman: In Barcelona: Dragon's Knight
Batman: Robin:SC-Comp: Teen Wonder
Batman: The Brave And the Bold 5
Bayou:SC-GN: 1
Cartoon Network Block Party 57
Fables: The Literals 2
Final Crisis: Aftermath: Ink 1
Fringe 5
Green Lantern(4) 38 <2nd> Johns + Reis/Albert>
Green Lantern(4) 41
Incognegro:SC-GN:
Justice League of America(4) 33
Justice Society of America(2) 27
King of Cards:SC-GN: 7
Madame Xanadu 11
Northlanders 17
Resistance (2) 6
Spirit(3) 28
Starcraft 1
Static Shock:SC-Comp: Rebirth of the Cool
Superman(2) 688
Teen Titans(8) 71
Teru Teru X Shonen:SC-GN: 5
Trinity 52
Trinity:SC-Comp: 1 <1-17> Kurt Busiek + Mark Bagely>
Unknown Soldier (3) 8
Wildcats: Worlds End 11
Wonder Woman (3) 32
World of Warcraft:HC-Comp: Ashbringer: 1

Drawn + Quarterly
John Stanley Library:HC-Comp: 1-Melvin Monster
Moomin:HC-Comp: 4- Complete Tove Jannson

Dynamite Entertainment
Death Defying 'Devil:SC-Comp: 1
Garth Ennis' Battlefields: Tankies 2
Garth Ennis' Battlefields:SC-Comp: 2-Dear Billy
Red Sonja (6) 44

IDW Publishing
Billboards:HC-GN:
Sparrow:HC: John Watkiss:
Star Trek:SC-Comp: Omnibus: 1-
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation 2

Image Comics
Astounding Wolf-Man 16
Back to Brooklyn 5
Darkness(3) 77
Dead@17:SC-Comp: Ultimate Ed
Elephantmen:HC-Comp: 2-Fatal Diseases
Godland 28
Impaler (2) 3
Power Up:SC-GN:
Special Forces:SC-Comp: 1-Hot To Death
Sword 17
This Is A Souvenir: Songs of Spearmint + Shirley Lee:SC-GN:

Manga Mania!
Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally:SC-GN: 1
Divine Melody:SC-GN: 2
Higurashi: When They Cry:SC-GN: 2
Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya:SC-GN: 2
Tezukas: Black Jack:SC-GN: 4
U Dont Know Me:SC-GN:

Marvel Comics
Avengers/Invaders 11
Avengers: New Avengers 53
Avengers: The Initiative 24
Dead of Night:SC-Comp: Devil-Slayer
Elektra: Dark Reign 3
Ender's Game: Enders Shadow: Battle School 5
Ghost Rider(8) 35
Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch:SC-Comp: Addict<1-5/finale> Spurrier/Velez + Saltares>
Guardians of Galaxy (2) 14
Guardians of Galaxy:HC-Comp: 2-War of Kings: Book 1<7-12> Abnett/Lanning +
Pelletier/Walker>
Hood: Dark Reign 1
Hulk: Incredible Hercules(2) 129
Hulk: Incredible Hercules:SC-Comp: Love And War<121-125> Pak/Van Lente + Henry/Espin>
Iron Fist: Immortal 26
Marvel Apes: Grunt Line Special
Marvel Masterworks:SC-Comp: Amazing Spider-Man 2 Stan Lee + Steve Ditko>
Marvel Masterworks:SC-Comp: Amazing Spider-Man 5 Stan Lee + Steve Ditko>
Marvel Universe:HC-Comp: All New Off HbA to Z 8
Moon Knight(7) 30
Moon Knight:SC-Comp: 4-Death of Mark Spector<21-25> Benson + Texeira/Saltares>
Ms Marvel (2) 39
Nova(4) 25
Runaways(3) 10
Secret Invasion: Chronicles 3
Spider-Man: Noir:HC-Comp:
Spider-Man: Short Halloween
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man 595
Squadron Supreme 2 11
The Stand: American Nightmares 3
Thor(3) 601
Thor:SC-GN: Marvel Adventures
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk 6
War Machine 6
Wolverine(3) 72
Wolverine: First Class 15
Wolverine: Origins 36
X-Force(3) 14 <2nd> Yost + Crain>
X-Force(3) 15
X-Force:HC-Comp: 2-Old Ghosts<7-11> Kyle/Yost + Crain>
X-Men: Future History Messiah War Handbook
X-Men: Legacy(2) 224
X-Men:HC-Comp: Magneto Testament
X-Men:HC-Comp: Worlds Apart
X-Men:SC-Comp: The Essential X-Men 9 E+HB>

Oni Press
My Inner Bimbo:SC-Comp:<1-6>Sam Kieth>

Other Cool Comics
2000 AD 1633
2000 AD 1634
Best of the West 70
City of Walls:SC-GN:
Crossed 5
Cursed Pirate Girl 1
Dellec 0
Fathom(5) 7
Futurama Comics 43
Glamourpuss 7
Golden Age Greats: 4-Big 3
Ice Cream
Ignition City 3
Jan's Atomic Heart
Judge Dredd Megazine 284
Killer Ink Comics 1
Knights of the Dinner Table:SC-Comp: Bundle 26 <87-89> Jolly Blackburn>
Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 6
New Spring 6
Otto Zeplin: Life and Times of Baby Otto Zeplin 4
Rogue Soup and Bug 1
Simpsons:SC-Comp: Bart Simpson: 7-Son of Homer<29-33> Matt Groening>
Surviving Life of Hanze Eneffer
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose 56
True Loves:SC-GN: Trouble In Paradise 2

Viz Media
Dogs:SC Vol 00 0
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys:SC-GN: 2-

Apparel
Aarrghh!:T-Shirt:
Batman:T-Shirt: Joker Swirl S
Futurama:T-Shirt: Bender: Ctl Alt Shift Kill S
Futurama:T-Shirt: Bender: Pimp Bot S
Futurama:T-Shirt: Planet Express Logo S
Green Lantern:Hoodie: Black Corps Symbol Hoodie M
Green Lantern:Hoodie: Blue Corps Symbol Hoodie M
Peanuts:T-Shirt: Charlie Brown Stripe S
Simpsons:T-Shirt: Multiheads XL
Superman:T-Shirt: Super City S

Cool Books
Biographic Novel:SC-GN: 14th Dalai Lama
Frankie Pickle:HC-GN: The Closet of Doom
George Sprott:HC-GN:
God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka:SC:
Gothic Lolita Punk:SC
Lucky Luke:SC-GN: 16-The Black Hills
Papercut Heart:SC:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:Novel:
Tezukas: Black Jack:SC-GN: 5
Witness My Shame:SC:
Wondermark:SC-Comp: The Annotated Wondermark

Magazines
Cinema Retro:Mag: 14
Comic Shop News:Promo-Bundle: 1145
Doctor Who:Mag: 408
Geek Monthly:Mag (2) 18
Jack Kirby Quarterly:Mag: 15 <15th>
Juxtapoz:Mag: 29 <100th>
Lost:Mag: Official Magazine 22
Non-Sport Update:Mag: Card Price Guide(16)
Previews(19) 1642
Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeller:Mag: 13
Sci Fi and Fantasy Modeller:SC-Comp: Presents Modelling 21s 2
Spider-Man Magazine 6
Star Wars:Mag: Insider 109
Star Wars:Mag: Insider 109
StarGate: SG-1:Mag: 28
Wizard: The Comics Magazine 213

Statues + Other Cool Stuff
Ringmaster:Bisque: Mini-bust
Wonder Man:Bisque: Original Costume Mini-bust

Toys
DC Heroes:Fig: Universe Classics: Series 8
Indiana Jones:Fig: 12-Inch: Arnold Toht
Marvel Minimates:Fig: Series 25 Asst
Marvel Minimates:Fig: Series 26 Asst
Star Wars:Fig: 12-Inch Utapau Trooper
Wolverine:Fig: X-Men Origins Movie Action Figure

Jeff

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Weekend Update: Signings Galore; Buy One, Get One Half Off is Coming!

Here are some updates on a few things we have announced over the past week.

This week's checklist can be found here. And pardon our appearance at our Manhattan location - we are currently undergoing some renovations to our store front, but fret not citizens of the Universe! New York City's premier comic store and gaming spot is open for business as usual!

Signings at JHU


On Saturday, June 27, Jim Hanley's Universe will be having a jam-packed day of events in celebration of LGBT Pride Day! All afternoon and into the evening, JHU's Manhattan location will be holding a myriad of signings, discussions, and events all about gay pride and comics including events at the JHU Underground - New York City's premier location for panels, lectures, Q&As, presentations, gaming, and more! More info to come, so stay tuned!

On Wednesday, June 24, Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan proudly presents the legendary artist and the co-creator of Preacher, Steve Dillon! This signing benefits the great folks at the Hero Initiative, the only charity for helping comic creators in need. More details are to come, so stay tuned!

And coming soon... Joe Simon! As Russel likes to say, this is For Realies!

Photo Cavalcade!


We've uploaded a ton of cool photos over the last week or so...

Check out these photos of Craig Yoe at the JHU Underground from April 3 and these photos from the jam-packed, red-hot Alara Reborn release tournament from May 1. And of course you can see all of our Geoff Johns coverage from the last several weeks here!

Free Comic Book Day was an absolute blast, and you can check out all our coverage here! Take a gander at the pics from the Joe Staton signing, the FCHS signing featuring JHU staffers Vito Delsante and Rachel Freire, and all our FCBD festivities!

Finally, check out my review of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life, featuring photos of the master signing at our Manhattan store!

Gaming Updates


Coming to Jim Hanley's Universe, Magic 2010! Click here for more on the exclusive pre-release tournament and launch party, and click here for the latest gaming updates.


More Nifty Stuff...


Speaking of the Hero Initiative, check out our coverage of our participation in Tom Brevoort's trading experiment that benefits Hero! Last, but certainly not least, congratulations once again to Ronnie and Nadine as they take the plunge and to Russel and Lola on the birth of their daughter! Woots all around!

Jeff

For more top stories, click here!

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The Hero Initiative presents Steve Dillon at Jim Hanley's Universe 6/24!

On Wednesday, June 24, Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan proudly presents the legendary artist and the co-creator of Preacher, Steve Dillon! Pretty awesome, right? Well, this is JHU - of course it gets better! This signing benefits the great folks at the Hero Initiative, the only charity for helping comic creators in need. (For more on the Hero Initiative, go to http://www.heroinitiative.org/. For more on some cool comics you could buy right now to benefit either Hero or another great comics charity, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, click here!)

Stay tuned for details!

Jeff

UPDATED 6/12: The details are in! Click here to find out how you can win original Steve Dillon art, and more!

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Becky Cloonan and more signing June 3rd! (UPDATED!)

On Wednesday, June 3, Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan welcomes our good friend, Becky Cloonan (Demo, American Virgin) in celebration of her new Buffy comic, Tales of the Vampires! Be here at 6:00 PM for the beginning of the party! Who knows? We might have some more guests coming in for this one!

JUST ANNOUNCED 6/2! We had originally announced Buffy artist Vasilis Lolos for the signing... he couldn't make it, so we found a pretty cool writer/artist to join Becky on Wednesday: BRIAN WOOD (DMZ, Demo, Local)!!! All you Demo fans, now you can get your books signed by both Cloonan and Wood! (And keep your eyes peeled for Demo volume 2 coming later this year from Vertigo!)

Read more...

June 27 is Pride Day at Jim Hanley's Universe!

June 27 is Pride Day at Jim Hanley's Universe!

It's the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, and on Saturday, June 27, Jim Hanley's Universe will be having a jam-packed day of events in celebration of LGBT Pride Day!

All afternoon and into the evening, JHU's Manhattan location will be holding a myriad of signings, discussions, and events all about gay pride and comics including events at the JHU Underground - New York City's premier location for panels, lectures, Q&As, presentations, gaming, and more!

So stay tuned to this blog for more on guests and events as they are confirmed!

Jeff

Update 6/22: Click here for all the details on who will be dropping by on this momentous day!

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Weekly Checklist for Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Ahoy! Here are the comics, trades, manga, books, toys, statues, magazines and more coming to Jim Hanley's Universe Wednesday, May 20, 2009.

ITEMS OF THE WEEK

Batman: Battle for the Cowl 3
Ben Templesmith's Dracula:SC-GN:
Best of Simon + Kirby:HC:
Buffy: Angel: After the Fall 21
Captain America(5) 50
Dracula: The Complete Dracula 1
Fantastic Four 566
Fantastic Four: Dark Reign 3
Final Crisis: Aftermath: Dance 1
G-Man:SC-Comp: 1-Learning to Fly Digest
Hulk 12
Invincible:SC-Comp: 10-Who's The Boss?<48-53> Robert Kirkman + Ryan Ottley>
The Boys: Herogasm 1
Thor:HC-Comp: Michael Straczynski Prem 2 <112> Bendis + Immonen/Von Grawbad>
Wolverine: Noir 2
Wolverine: Weapon X 2
X-Men: Forever Alpha Chris Claremont + Jim Lee>
X-Men: The Uncanny X-Men 510

Note: Wolverine 72, featuring the penultimate chapter of "Old Man Logan," will be released May 28 instead of May 20.

The FULL Checklist can be seen after the jump.



Archie Comics
Archie Digest Magazine 254
Archie's Pal Jughead (2) 195

Boom! Studios
Caped 2
Cars: The Rookie 2
Incredibles (2): Family Matters 2

Dark Horse Comics
Blood Plus: Adagio:SC-GN: 1
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer:SC-Comp: Omnibus Vol 7
Clover:SC-GN: Omnibus: 1
Criminal Macabre: Cell Block 666 4
Final Fantasy:HC: Dawn Worlds
Gigantic 4
Goon:SC-Comp: 7-A Place of Heartache and Grief
Herbie:HC-Comp: Archives 1
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service:SC-GN: 9
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 41

DC Comics
Air 9
Batman: Battle for the Cowl 1 Tony Daniel>
Batman: Battle for the Cowl 3
Batman: The Outsiders (2) 18
Batman:HC-GN: Mad Love And Other Stories
Booster Gold:SC-Comp: 1-52 Pick Up<1-6> Johns/Katz + Jurgens/Rapmund>
Brave And the Bold (2) 23
Ex Machina 42
Fables: Jack of Fables 34
Final Crisis: Aftermath: Dance 1
Gears of War 7
Green Arrow/Black Canary 20
Hellblazer 255
Heroes:SC-Comp: 2-
Killapalooza 1
Lapis Lazuli Crown:SC-GN: 1
Mysterius the Unfathomable 5
Name of the Flower:SC-GN 2
Rann/Thanagar: Holy War:SC-Comp 1 <1-4/hm> Starlin + Lim/Hunter/Milgrom>
Resident Evil (2) 2
Scooby-Doo(7) 144
Supergirl(5) 41
Superman/Batman 60
Superman:SC-Comp: Ending Battle
Tiny Titans 16
Tiny Titans:SC-Comp: 2-
Trinity 51
Vigilante(3) 6
World of Warcraft 19

Dynamite Entertainment
Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War 4
Black Terror 4
Dracula: The Complete Dracula 1
The Boys: Herogasm 1

Fantagraphics Books
You'll Never Know:HC-GN: 1-A Good And Decent Man

IDW Publishing
Ben Templesmith's Dracula:SC-GN:
Buffy: Angel: After the Fall 21
Doctor Who: Time Machination
GI Joe(8) 5
GI Joe:SC-Comp: Best of Hawk
Locke and Key: Head Games 5
Star Trek: Aliens Spotlight: Romulans
Transformers: All Hail Megatron 11
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation 1

Image Comics
Four Eyes 3
G-Man:SC-Comp: 1-Learning to Fly Digest
Godland 27
Great Unknown 2
Invincible 62
Invincible:SC-Comp: 10-Who's The Boss?<48-53> Robert Kirkman + Ryan Ottley>
Olympus 1
Witchblade 127 Ron Marz + Stjepan Sejic>

Manga Mania!
Awaken Forest:SC-GN:
Brilliant Blue:SC-GN: 1
Living for Tomorrow:SC-GN:
Vampire Hunter D:SC-GN: Hideyuki Kikuchi's 3

Marvel Comics
Agents of Atlas(2) 5
Avengers: Marvel Adventures 36
Avengers: Ultimates:SC-Comp: Galactus: Ultimate Galactus Tri
Black Panther:SC-Comp: Who Is Black Panther
Captain America(5) 50
Fantastic Force (2) 2
Fantastic Four 566
Fantastic Four: Dark Reign 3
Hulk 12
Hulk:HC-Comp: World War Hulk: Complete<1-5/wwh:as> Pak + Romita Jr + E+HB>
Marvel Mystery Comics: Timely Comics 70th Anniversary Specia 1
Marvel Triple Action 2
Punisher(8) 5
Punisher War Journal SC-Comp: 5-Secret Invasion< <24-26> E+HB>
Skaar: Planet Skaar Prologue One-shot
Skrull Kill Krew (2) 2
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man 594
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man: Family 6
Terror Inc: Apocalypse Soon 2
Thor:HC-Comp: Michael Straczynski Prem 2
Thor:SC-Comp: Visionaries: 2-Walt Simonson
Thunderbolts (1) 132
Timestorm: 2009/2099 2
War of Kings:SC-Comp: Road to War of Kings
Wolverine: Noir 2
Wolverine: Weapon X 2
X-Men: Forever Alpha Chris Claremont + Jim Lee>
X-Men: NYX:HC-Comp: No Way Home<>
X-Men: The Uncanny X-Men 510
X-Men: Young X-Men:SC-Comp: 2-Book of Revelations
Ythaq: No Escape 2

Oni Press
Barry Ween:SC-Comp: Big Book of Barry Ween Boy Genius<>
Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen 5

Other Cool Comics
2000 AD 1631
2000 AD 1632
Ace-Face:SC-GN: 1-The Mod With Metal Arms
Crossed 1
Gold Digger: Maidens of Twilight 4
Gold Digger: Sketchcard Album
Golden Age: Men of Mystery 79
Greatest American Hero 3
Grimm Fairy Tales 38
Hack/Slash Series 22
Hotwire 3
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Storm Front 4
Johnny Hiro:SC-Comp: 1
Judge Dredd:SC-Comp: Complete Heavy Metal Dredd
Kingdom: The Promised Land:SC-GN:
Knights of the Dinner Table:SC-Comp: Bundle 25
Mijeong:SC-GN:
Ninja High School (3) 170
Noodle Shop Affair:SC-GN 1
Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson: Homecoming 3
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time: Eye of the World 0
Simpsons Comics 154
Simpsons Comics: Treasure Trove 4
Sinister Dexter:SC-GN: 1-Eurocrash
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tales of the TMNT 58
Tick:SC-Comp: Karma Tornado: Complete Works
Warriors: Official Movie Adaptation 2

Viz Media
FullMetal Alchemist:SC-GN: 18
Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka:SC-GN: 3
Vagabond:SC-GN: 29
Vagabond:SC-GN: Vizbig Ed 3

Cool Books
Best of Simon + Kirby:HC:
Chicken with Plums:SC-GN
Flinch:SC-GN: 1
Melvin Monster:HC-Comp: 1
Photographer:SC-GN: Into War Torn Afghanistan
Ten Cent Plague:SC: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Ch
The Jew of New York:SC-GN:
The Photographer:SC-GN: Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Docto

Magazines
Alter Ego:Mag:(2) 85
Back Issue:Mag: 34
Comic Shop News:Promo-Bundle: 1144
Comics Buyer's Guide:Mag: 1655
Comics Revue:Mag: 277
Heavy Metal: Magazine<2k> 124
Heroes Magazine 10
Illustration:Mag: 26
SFX:Mag: 182
Shojo Beat!:Mag:(5) 6
Star Trek Magazine 18
Terminator:Mag: Salvation Special

Statues + Other Cool Stuff
Batman:Neon Sign: Mini
Classic Marvel Figurine Coll Mag: 88-Man-Thing
Classic Marvel Figurine Coll Mag: 90-Adam Warlock
DC Superhero:Fig: Figurine Coll Mag: 25-Deadshot
DC Superhero:Fig: Figurine Coll Mag: 7-Green Arrow
DC Superhero:Fig: Figurine Coll Mag: Special
Dragon Ball Z: Sensu Jelly Beans 12ct Display
Hellboy:Bisque: Premium Format
Heroes of the DCU:Bisque: Batman
Red Wolf:Bisque: Mini-bust

Toys
Family Guy:Fig: Dashboard Driver: Quagmire
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Marvel:Fig: Minature Alliance: 2.75-Inch PVC
Star Wars:Fig: Battle Pack

Jeff

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Discount Statue Sale: Bigger and Better!

Our Discount Statue Sale is not only continuing, but intensifying!

At the back of the store at our Manhattan location, you can now find not only newly discounted statues from the likes of Randy Bowen and Sideshow Collectibles, but also over one hundred statues that now have even LOWER prices than before! So come on down and take advantage of this rare opportunity!

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Welcome to the Universe, Dinah Lillian Lee!

The Jim Hanley's Universe family just got a little bigger and a whole lot more awesome.... Congratulations to our man Russel and his wife Lola on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Dinah Lillian Lee!

We are happy to report that mother and child are in excellent shape. (And yes, she's named after Black Canary and how awesome is that?)

Woot times infinity!!!

Update: PICTURES!!!

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION and STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

New York's Best Comic Book Store Keeps Getting Better!

You may have noticed some changes afoot at our Manhattan Location... Fret not, Citizens of the Universe! We are undergoing some minor renovations to the front of our store, but we are still open for business, seven days a week!

New York City's Premier Comic Book Store and Gaming Spot is open and ready to serve you! We've got a bunch of great signings coming up, and some cool stuff happening with our regular Magic Tourneys.

So stay with us and stay tuned to this blog! When all is said and done, we will have a stunning new store front, and we'll be cooler than the other side of the pillow. We'll be cooler than a free comic on a Saturday Afternoon. Heck, we'll be cooler than Larry Johnson - and that's pretty darn cool!

Jeff

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Gaming Updates: Magic 2010 Coming, Sanctioned Tourneys Continue at Both Locations

Jim Hanley's Universe has New York's Premier Comic Book Store for nearly 25 years, and is now New York's Premier Gaming Spot!

Gaming at the JHU Underground at our Manhattan location continues to grow! Thursdays at the JHU Underground are Standard Constructed tournaments and Friday Night Magic at the JHU Underground features traditional Draft tournaments!

As usual, Draft tourneys are $15 to enter, and you get 3 booster packs on top of your entry into the hottest Magic tourneys anywhere in Manhattan. Standard Constructed tourneys cost $10 - you bring your own deck, with permitted expansions being 10th Edition, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara and Alara Reborn. (Running low? Don't Worry! JHU Carries a large selection of booster packs and starter decks from all the latest expansions.)

As always, for both days at the JHU Underground, doors open at 5:00pm and the games begin at 6:00pm. All Magic: the Gathering tournaments at both our locations are fully sanctioned by Wizards of the Coast and count towards the regional and national rankings on the Magic Pro Tour!

Don't forget about our Staten Island location, the original JHU gaming hot spot featuring the hottest tournaments with the most games of any place in New York City!

EVERY SUNDAY at JHU New Dorp
Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh! - 1PM-4PM
Magic: The Gathering & The Vs. System – 4PM-9PM

EVERY FRIDAY at JHU New Dorp
Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh! - 4PM-6PM
Magic: The Gathering & The Vs. System – 6PM-10PM

Stay tuned to this blog for further game day announcements from Jim Hanley's Universe and the new JHU Underground - your NEW home for all things gaming in Manhattan!

Jeff

P.S. And coming exclusively in New York City to Jim Hanley's Universe, Magic 2010 pre-release and launch parties! Click here for more!

Update: Casual Game Nights are on! Click here for details!

Click here for all our gaming coverage!

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Magic 2010 coming to Jim Hanley's Universe

The hotly anticipated new Magic: The Gathering core set, Magic 2010 will be released July 17, 2009 - and Jim Hanley's Universe will be holding New York City exclusive pre-release tournaments and release parties beginning July 11!

The festivities start Saturday, July 11 at both JHU locations with the exclusive, fully sanctioned sealed Magic 2010 pre-release tournament and continue through to Saturday, July 18 with our exclusive booster draft launch party!

Signup for July 11's sealed pre-release tourney begins at Noon at our Staten Island location (25 spots available), and at 4:00pm at our Manhattan location (50 spots available) - seating will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Be the first to get your hands on this brand new core set!

Don't forget: Jim Hanley's Universe has New York's Premier Comic Book Store for nearly 25 years, and is now New York's Premier Gaming Spot!

Jeff

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Photos: Alara Reborn Release Party and Tourney at the JHU Underground

Here are some photos from the smash hit Magic: The Gathering Alara Reborn release party and tournament held at the JHU Underground at our Manhattan location, Friday, May 1, 2009. This represents just a taste of the action to be seen every Thursday and Friday at Jim Hanley's Universe in Manhattan and every Friday and Sunday at JHU in Staten Island! Click here for all the exciting info on the next major Magic release from Wizards of the Coast coming exclusively in NYC to Jim Hanley's Universe, Magic 2010!



All photos by Jeffrey O. Gustafson. Click here to see the photos individually.

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Weekly Checklist for Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Ahoy! Here are the comics, trades, manga, books, toys, statues, magazines and more coming to Jim Hanley's Universe Wednesday, May 13, 2009.

ITEMS OF THE WEEK

Avengers: Young Avengers: Dark Reign 1
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer:SC-Comp: 2-4: Time of Your Life 4
Captain Action 4
Captain Britain And MI 13 13
Connective Tissue:HC-GN:
Final Crisis: Aftermath Escape 1
Flash Gordon:HC-Comp: 75th Anniversary Special
From the Ashes 1
Fusion: Cyber Force/Hunter-Killer/Avengers/Thunderbolts 1
Green Lantern Corps 36
Hellboy: BPRD: Black Goddess 5
I Kill Giants:SC-Comp<1-7> Joe Kelly + J. M. Ken Niimura>
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:SC-GN: III: Century-1910 1
Lockjaw And the Pet Avengers 1
Secret Warriors 4
Superman:HC-Comp: New Krypton 1
Umbrella Academy: Dallas 6
Unthinkable 1
Walking Dead (2) 61

Also, a note about the Wolverine shuffle:
Wolverine 73 comes out this week, featuring brand new stories by Wolverine: Weapon X writer Jason Aaron and Wolverine Origins writer Daniel Way. Wolverine 72 (featuring the penultimate chapter of "Old Man Logan") comes out May 27. June 10, Wolverine 74 comes out, concluding Aaron and Way's stories.

The FULL Checklist can be seen after the jump.



Archie Comics
Archie: Betty and Veronica Digest 194
Archie: Betty and Veronica Spectacular (2)
Archie: Jughead's Double Digest 150
Archie: Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol 2 (4)
Archie: Sonic the Hedgehog (2) 200
TMNT:SC-Comp: Adventures Heroes In A Half Shell 1

Boom! Studios
Potters Field:HC-Comp:
Unknown 1
Unthinkable 1

Dark Horse Comics
Amazon 3
Applegeeks:SC-Comp: 1-Freshman Year 1
Boris Karloff's Tales of Mystery:HC-Comp: Archives: 1- 1
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer:SC-Comp: 2-4: Time of Your Life 4 <>
Creepy:HC-Comp: Archives: 3- 3 <>
Hellboy: BPRD: Black Goddess 5
Oh My Goddess!:SC-GN: 32
Star Wars: Clone Wars 6
Umbrella Academy: Dallas 6

DC Comics
Batman Confidential 29
Batman: Azrael: Death's Dark Knight 3
Batman: Battle for the Cowl 1 <>
Batman: Battle for the Cowl: Oracle: The Cure 3
Batman:SC-Comp: Scarecrow And Two Face: Year One
Booster Gold: All New (2) 20
Cartoon Network Action Pack 37
Fables 84
Final Crisis: Aftermath Escape 1
Green Lantern Corps 36
Hellblazer:SC-Comp: Roots of Coincidence<243-244/247-249> Diggle + Manco/Camunco>
History of the DC Universe:SC-Comp Marv Wolfman + George Perez>
House of Mystery 13
King of Debris:SC-GN 1
Legion of Super-Heroes:HC-Comp: Enemy Manifest<45-50> Jim Shooter + Francis Manapul>
Martian Manhunter:SC-Comp: Showcase: 2- 2 Miller + Certa>
R.E.B.E.L.S. (2) 4
Secret Six(2) 9
Storming Paradise 5
Stormwatch: PHD 21
Super Friends 15
Superman: Action Comics 877
Superman:HC-Comp: New Krypton 1
Swan:SC-GN: 14
Titans (2) 13
Trinity 50
Unwritten 1
Young Liars 15

Dynamite Entertainment
Battlestar Galactica: Final Five 2
Man With No Name 10
Super-Zombies 3
Zorro(6) 13

Fantagraphics Books
Castle Waiting: Vol II 15
Connective Tissue:HC-GN:
Love and Rockets:HC-Comp: Luba

IDW Publishing
Astro Boy:Movie Prequel: Underground 1
Buffy: Angel: Not Fade Away 1
Doctor Who: Classics (2) 6
From the Ashes 1
GI Joe: Cobra 3
GI Joe:SC-Comp: Best of Cobra Commander<1,> Hama + E+HB>
Little Orphan Annie:HC-Comp: 3-Complete 3
Star Trek: Missions End 3

Image Comics
Fusion: Cyber Force/Hunter-Killer/Avengers/Thunderbolts 1
Hip Flask: Elephantmen 19
I Kill Giants:SC-Comp<1-7> Joe Kelly + J. M. Ken Niimura>
Jack Staff(2) 20
Lillim 3
Savage Dragon (2) 148
Soul Kiss 4
Walking Dead (2) 61

Marvel Comics
Avengers/Invaders 10 <>
Avengers: The Initiative:SC-Comp: 3-Secret Invasion 3 <>
Avengers: Ultimates:SC-Comp: 3: Who Killed Scarlet Witch 1
Avengers: Young Avengers: Dark Reign 1
Black Panther(6) 4
Captain Britain And MI 13 13
Cloak + Dagger:HC-Comp: Child of Darkness<>
Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead 1
Hawkeye: Dark Reign 2
Howling Commandoes 1
Incognito: Marvel Must Have<1+2> Brubaker + Phillips>
Lockjaw And the Pet Avengers 1
Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes 11
Marvel Illustrated:SC-Comp: Iliad<1-6> Thomas + Sepuveda>
Marvel Masterworks:HC-Comp: Golden Age of Marvel Comics: 4- 4
Pride + Predjudice 2
Punisher(7) 70
Secret Warriors 4
She-Hulk(5): All New Savage 2
Spider-Man J:SC-GN: 2-Japanese Daze Digest 2
Spider-Man: Marvel Adventures 51
Spider-Man: Ultimate Spider-Man 132
Spider-Man:HC-Comp: Family Ties Prem
Thor: Tales of Asgard By Lee + Kirby 1
Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk 4 <2nd>
War of Kings: Ascension 2
Wolverine(3) 66 <4th>
Wolverine(3) 67 <3rd>
Wolverine(3) 68 <3rd>
Wolverine(3) 69 <2nd>
Wolverine(3) 70 <2nd>
Wolverine(3) 73
Wonderful Wizard of Oz 6
X-Factor(3) 43
X-Factor:SC-Comp: 6 6 <33-38/sh> David + Stroman/Delandro>
X-Men 2099:SC-Comp 1
X-Men: Cable:HC-Comp: 2 2
X-Men: Deadpool: Suicide Kings 2
X-Men: GeneXt: United 1
X-Men: New Exiles:SC:Comp: 4-Away We Go 4 <16-18> Claremont + Seeley/Villagrassa>
X-Men:HC-Comp: Manifest Destiny

Other Cool Comics
Always Comix 5
Arlenes Heart:HC:
Art of Joe Jusko:HC:
Attack of the Monstrology:SC-GN:
Bonnie N. Collide
Captain Action 4
Clive Barker's Age of Desire:HC-GN:
Color Ink Book 1
Color Ink Book: Preview
Crossed 1
Demon Cleaner 2
Echo: TM 12
Flash Gordon:HC-Comp: 75th Anniversary Special
Funday Sunnies
Gold DiggerVol 2 (3) 106
Gravel 11
Jesus Hates Zombies:SC-GN: Lincoln Hates Werewolves: 2- 2
Knights of the Dinner Table 150
Phantom: Ghost Who Walks 2
Prince of Heroes: Chapter 2 2
Ramona and Imogene 2
Ramona and Imogene 3
Rawbone 2
Sherlock Holmes and Kolchak 2 <>
Street Fighter II: Turbo 6
Trivial
Voyages of the She-Buccaneer: Eye of the Jade Dragon 2
Yes

TokyoPop.com
Animal Academy:SC-GN: 01 Hakobune Hakusho 1
Future Diary:SC-GN: 1
Return to Labyrinth:SC-GN: 3

Top Shelf Productions
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:SC-GN: III: Century-1910 1

Viz Media
Ikigami Ultimate Limit:SC-GN: Vol 01 1
Project Arms:SC-GN:

Cool Books
Awful Homesick:HC:
Citizen Kano:HC: The Art of the Hustle
Devil Made Me Blog It: The First 100 Sways
Gris Grimly:HC: Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud
Gris Grimly:HC: Wicked Nursery Rhymes
Guerillas 4
Knowledge Comes With Gas Release:HC:

Magazines
Comic Shop News:Promo-Bundle: 1143
Comics Journal 297
Fangoria:Mag: 284
Giant Robot:Mag: 59
Horrorhound 17
Lee's Toy Review:Mag: 198
Monsters from the Vault:Mag: 26
Rue Morgue Magazine 89
ToyFare: The Toy Magazine 143

Statues + Other Cool Stuff
Angry Youth Comix:Fig: Vinyl Set
Batman:Bisque: Black + White Statue
Falcon:Bisque: Statue
Ronan the Accuser:Bisque: Mini-bust:
X-Men:Bisque: Nightcrawler Bust: Marvel Collection Fine Art

Toys
Batman:Die-Cast: Hot Wheels 1/50 Batmobile
Halo:Fig: 3- Crimson Spartan Scout
Indiana Jones:Fig: Mighty Muggs
Iron Man:Fig: 12-Inch
Star Wars:Fig: Joker Squad

Trading Cards and CCG’s
Dungeons and Dragons: Miniatures: Handbook Booster
FreeRealms: CCG: Boosters
FreeRealms: CCG: Starter Decks
Magic: The Gathering:CCG: Alara Reborn Booster Display
Magic: The Gathering:CCG: Alara Reborn Fat Packs
Magic: The Gathering:CCG: Alara Reborn Intro Decks

Jeff

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Photos: Craig Yoe at the JHU Underground 4/3

JHU Manager and comic creator Vito Delsante moderated a lively and informative discussion, Q&A, and signing with Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster author Craig Yoe April 3 at the JHU Underground. Here are some EXCLUSIVE photos from this fun event!



All photos by Jeffrey O. Gustafson. The photos can be seen individually here.

Jeff

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JHU and Tom Brevoort's Great Marvel Trading Experiment

Photo: Tom Brevoort/Marvel.com

We here at Jim Hanley's Universe would like to give a special shout out to our old friend and Marvel Comics Executive Editor Tom Brevoort. Over at his blog at Marvel.com Tom has been conducting an old school trading experiment with the goal of getting a copy of Fantastic Four #1. Once he gets it, he will donate it to the great folks at the Hero Initiative, the only charity for helping comic creators in need. We thought we'd like to help out, and traded in a beautiful copy of Sub-Mariner Comics #6 for some swell silver age Marvel books. For more, check out Tom's blog post on the trade here.

If you would like to participate in Tom's trading experiment, check out his blog at http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Tom_Brevoort/

For more on the Hero Initiative, go to http://www.heroinitiative.org/

For another great (and quite important!) comics charity we all support, check out The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at http://www.cbldf.org/

For more on some cool comics you could buy right now to benefit either the CBLDF or Hero, click here!

Jeff

UPDATE 9/23: Tom has reached Fantastic Four #1! Check out the details here. The comic - along with the remaining books including the great Sub-Mariner we traded in - will be auctioned off for the Hero Initiative! Congratulations to Tom in achieving this great feat for this great cause!

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Congratulations Ronnie and Nadine!

Seriously, CONGRATULATIONS RONNIE AND NADINE!


Good Luck!

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Photos: Joe Staton at Jim Hanley's Universe May 2, 2009

Joe Staton dropped by Jim Hanley's Universe during Free Comic Book Day to sign and give some really lucky fans some killer sketches! Below are some EXCLUSIVE photos from the event.



All photos by Jeffrey O. Gustafson. The photos can be seen individually here.

Jeff

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Weekly Checklist for Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Ahoy! Here are the comics, trades, manga, books, toys, statues, magazines and more coming to Jim Hanley's Universe Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

ITEMS OF THE WEEK

Alias:SC-Comp: Ultimate Collection: 1 1 <1-15> Bendis + Gaydos>
Astro City: The Dark Age (6) 9
Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time 1
Avengers: New Avengers: Reunion 3
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(2) 25
Eternal Smile:SC-GN: Three Stories
Fin Fang Four Return 1
Final Crisis: Aftermath: Run 1
Flash: Rebirth 2
Power Girl 1
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man 593
Superman: The World of New Krypton 3
The Boys 30
Thor:HC-Comp: Ages of Thunder
Walking Dead:SC-Comp: Compendium: 1- 1 <1-48> Kirkman + Moore/Adlard>
War of Kings 3

The FULL Checklist can be seen after the jump.



Archie Comics
Archie and Friends 131
Archie's Pals 'n' Gals Double Digest 131
Archie: Veronica 194

Boom! Studios
Farscape: Strange Detractors 2
Irredeemable 2

Dark Horse Comics
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(2) 25
Kull 6

DC Comics
Astro City: The Dark Age (6) 9
Authority: (4): World's End 10
Bang Tango 4
Batman: Battle for the Cowl: The Network
Batman:SC-Comp: The Resurrection of Ras Al Ghul
Dead Romeo 2
Final Crisis: Aftermath: Run 1
Fire Investigator Nanase:SC-GN: 2
Flash: Impulse:SC-Comp: Mercury Falling Dezago + Van Sciver/Battle>
Flash: Rebirth 2
Genghis Khan:SC-GN: To the Ends of Earth And Sea 1
Green Arrow/Black Canary:SC-Comp: League of Thier Own<11-14> Winnick +
Norton/Barreto>
Jonah Hex (2) 43
Justice League of America:HC-Comp: 5-The Second Coming 5 <22-26> Dwayne McDuffie + Ed
Benes>
Looney Tunes (3) 174
Mighty 4
Palette of 12 Secret Colors:SC-GN 5
Point Blank:SC-Comp: Ed Brubaker + Colin Wilson>
Power Girl 1
Prototype 2
Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye 2
Solomon Grundy 3
Strange Adventures 3
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade 6
Superman: The World of New Krypton 3
Superman:SC-Comp: Escape From Bizaro World
Trinity 49
Two Flowers for the Dragon:SC-GN: 4
Warlord (2) 2
Y - The Last Man:HC-Comp: Deluxe Edition 2 <>

Devil's Due Publishing
Hack/Slash: Entry Wound
Voltron: A Legend Forged 5
Zombies That Ate the World 3

Dynamite Entertainment
Army of Darkness: King For A Day 20
The Boys 30

IDW Publishing
Buffy: Angel: Blood And Trenches 3
Doctor Who:SC-Comp: Classics 3
Ghostbusters:SC-Comp: 1-The Other Side 1
GI Joe: Movie Prequel: Baroness 3
GI Joe:SC-Comp: Classic 3
Groom Lake 2
Life And Times of Savior 28 2
Star Trek: Crew 3
Sword of My Mouth 1
Transformers: Best of the UK: City of Fear 4

Image Comics
Jersey Gods 4
Killer of Demons 3
Noble Causes:SC-Comp: Archives: 2
Overlook 2
Pherone:HC-GN:
Spawn:SC-Comp: Origins 1
Top Cow: Crossover Set
Walking Dead:SC-Comp: Compendium: 1- 1 <1-48> Kirkman + Moore/Adlard>
Witchblade: Annual 2009 2009 Jay Faerber + Eric Basaldua>

Manga Mania!
Fairy Idol Kanon:SC-GN: 1
History of West Wing:SC-GN:

Marvel Comics
Agents of Atlas(2) 4
Alias:SC-Comp: Ultimate Collection: 1 1 <1-15> Bendis + Gaydos>
Astonishing Tales 4
Avengers: New Avengers: Reunion 3
Daredevil: Noir 2
Destroyer 2
Fantastic Four:SC-Comp: True Story Paul Cornell + Horacio Domingues>
Fin Fang Four Return 1
Hulk: Broken Worlds 2
Human Torch Comics: Timely Comics 70th Anniv Special 1
Iron Man: Invincible Iron Man 13
Marvel Masterworks:HC-Comp: Golden Age Human Torch: 2- 2
Marvel Masterworks:HC-Comp: Incredible Hulk: 5 5 <111-121>
Marvel Masterworks:HC-Comp: Incredible Hulk: 5 5 <111-121>
Marvel Spotlight: New Mutants
Marvel Universe: Official Index 5
Marvel Zombies 4 2
Marvel: 70th Anniversary Posterbook
Spider-Man: The Amazing Spider-Man 593
Spider-Man:HC-Comp: Death + Dating
Spider-Man:SC-Comp: The Essential Spider-Man 9
Terror Inc: Apocalypse Soon 1
Thor:HC-Comp: Ages of Thunder
Trojan War 1
Ultimatum:HC-Comp: X-Men/Fantastic Four E+HB>
Universal War One: Revelations 2
War of Kings 2 <2nd> Abnett/Lanning + Pelletier>
War of Kings 3
X-Men: Cable(3) 13 <>
X-Men: Cable(3) 14
X-Men: Deadpool(4) 9 <2nd> Way + Medina/Vlasco>
X-Men: Deadpool(4) 10
X-Men: Exiles(5) 2
X-Men: First Class: Finals 4
X-Men: New Mutants 1

Other Cool Comics
10th Muse: 800 3
Ace-Face:SC-GN: 1-The Mod With Metal Arms 1
Anna Mercury 5
Atomic Robo: Shadow From Beyond Time 1
Cerebus: Archive 1
Crossed 2
Defending Tavyr 0 Shawn Corliss>
Demon Cleaner 1
Doktor Sleepless 12
Fire and Brimstone 5
Freakangels:HC-GN: 2- 2
Gold DiggerVol 2 (3) 105
Gold Digger Tech Manual 3
Gravel:SC-Comp: 1-Bloody Liars 1
Grimm Fairy Tales/Return to Wonderland Annual 1
Next to You
Plan 9 From Outer Space: Strikes Again
Prince of Heroes: Chapter 2 (2) 1
Seaweed:HC-Comp: A Cure for Mildew 1
Shrapnel 5
Soulfire 9
Soulfire: New World Order 1
Steve Canyon:SC-Comp: 8 <1954> Milt Cannif>
Vincent Price Presents 8
Warlock(Bluewater) 2

TokyoPop.com
Burst Angel:SC-GN: Manga 3
Gakuen Alice:SC-GN 7
Pet Shop of Horrors:SC-GN: Tokyo 4

Viz Media
Bakegyamon:SC-GN: 2
Captive Hearts:SC-GN: 02 4
D Gray Man:SC-GN:
Dr. Slump:SC-GN:
Dragon Ball:SC-GN: Vizbig Ed 4
Hikaru No Go:SC:SC-GN: 15
Kaze Hikaru:SC-GN:
Kurohime:SC-GN 11
Love Com:SC-GN: 12
Nana:SC-GN: 16
Whistle:SC-GN:
Yu Yu Hakusho:SC-GN: 17

Cool Apparel
Avengers:T-Shirt: Team Avenger S
Black Panther:T-Shirt: Panther In The S
Captain America:T-Shirt: Color Dont Run S
Gambit:T-Shirt: Gambitron S
Green Lantern:T-Shirt Corps Blue Symbol : M
Green Lantern:T-Shirt: Corps Red Symbol Hoodie M
Hulk:T-Shirt: Big Fist S
Iron Man:T-Shirt: Aftermath S
Iron Man:T-Shirt: Human Weapon S
Marvel:T-Shirt: Blacklot Four S
Marvel:T-Shirt: Trio Cover S
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Desaturate S
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Flying Solo 7
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Jumbo Web S
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Now Showing S
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Paint the Town S
Spider-Man:T-Shirt: Wall Creep S
Thor:T-Shirt: Crush S
Thor:T-Shirt: Marian Thor S
Thor:T-Shirt: Mighty Weathy S
Thor:T-Shirt: The Wind S
Thor:T-Shirt: Thor Frame S
Wolverine:T-Shirt: Box Blades S
Wolverine:T-Shirt: Clawstrophobe S
Wolverine:T-Shirt: Comic Punch 4
Wovlerine:T-Shirt: Regulator S

Cool Books
Batman:SC: Batcave Companion 1
Comic Values Annual:SC: 2009 2009
Eternal Smile:SC-GN: Three Stories
Grailpages:SC: Original Comic Art and the Collectors
Modern Masters:SC: 20-Kyle Baker 20
Optic Nerve:Box Set: 32 Stories The Complete Optic Nerve Min

Magazines
Comic Shop News:Promo-Bundle: 1142
Draw!:Mag: 17
Filmfax:Mag: 120
Indiana Jones Magazine 6
Jack Kirby Collector:Mag: 52
Shonen Jump:Mag:(3) 78
Smallville Magazine 32
Smallville Magazine 32 >
Tomart's:Mag: Action Figure Digest 177

Statues + Other Cool Stuff
Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiyan Energy Drink<24ct>
Sonic Boom Energy Drink<24ct>
Toon Tumblers:Glass: Captain America Pint Glass

Toys
DC:Fig: 13-Inch Deluxe Collector
Emily the Strange:Fig-Plush: Fiddy Seven
Emily the Strange:Fig-Plush: Jinx
Emily the Strange:Fig-Plush: Teeny + Tawny
McFarlane's MLB:Fig: Derek Jeter Collector's Edition Box Set
Spirit:Fig: PVC Set
Star Wars:Fig: Basic Asst<200901>
Umbrella Academy:Fig: PVC Set

Trading Cards + CCG's
Star Trek:Card-Pack: '09 Movie
X-Men Origins: Wolverine:Card-Pack: Movie

Jeff

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Photos: Rachel Freire and Vito Delsante FCBD Signing

JHU employees and comic creators Rachel Freire and Vito Delsante signed copies of their Free Comic Book Day edition of FCHS (soon to be a graphic novel from AdHouse books based on their hit webcomic!) Saturday, May 2, 2009 as part of our Free Comic Book Day festivities! This was Rachel's world premier signing; check out the EXCLUSIVE photos below!



All photos by Jeffrey O. Gustafson. Check out the photos individually here.

Jeff

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Photos: Free Comic Book Day 2009

Free Comic Book Day is really the highlight of the year for us, and we had an absolute blast this year. We gave away thousands of free books to hundreds upon hundreds of fans, we had a bunch of great creators stop by (photos coming soon!), and I personally can't wait for next year. Below are some photos from this year's festivities!



All photos by Jeffrey O. Gustafson. The photos can be seen individually here.

Jeff

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A Drifting Life

Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life

"[A Drifting Life] is a book that manages to be, all at once, an insider’s history of manga, a mordant cultural tour of post-Hiroshima Japan and a scrappy portrait of a struggling artist. It’s a big, fat, greasy tub of salty popcorn for anyone interested (as Americans increasingly are) in the theory and practice of Japanese comics. It’s among this genre’s signal achievements." -The New York Times Book Review

More and more often I find myself marveling that I work at such an amazing store. In the past couple of months we've had some of the biggest names in comics doing signings including Geoff Johns, Jonathan Hickman, Duane Swierczynski, Stefano Caselli, C.B. Cebulski, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Gabriel Del'Otto, Bryan Lee O'Malley, and so many more great artists and writers. And being located where we are, we have some of the biggest luminaries in comics as regular customers! And although I've come to expect the unexpected, I was still floored when I walked into work Friday, and sitting at our back counter, sketching and signing a bunch of copies of his latest English Language releases, was none other than manga master Yoshihiro Tatsumi!

Yoshihiro Tatsumi is credited with creating gekiga, a revolutionary form of alternative, mature manga in the 1950's. He was long regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of manga in Japan, but until recently, his many works were out of reach to most western audiences. Beginning last year, however, our friends at Drawn & Quarterly started an ambitious new program of releasing much of the master's best works in new, gorgeously presented English language editions, starting with last year's release of the red-hot critically lauded Good-Bye. As part of their new initiative to re-introduce the world to Tatsumi, D&Q has just released A Drifting Life, the astonishing new graphic memoir and cultural history of Tatsumi's rise to prominence in post-World War II Japan, through the advent of gekiga at the end of the tumultuous 1950s.

I don't have a lot of experience with manga: my to-do list is exponentially larger than what I've read (pretty much just some of Tezuka's Phoenix epic), and at 850 pages, A Drifting Life is no slim undertaking. But I took a stab in the dark and read the book last week on the strength of the many, many positive reviews that have been coming from all corners of the world for this remarkable work, and I was not disapointed in the least. While reading the book, there were points that seemed repetitive and in some small spots a bit slow, but these are few and far between and are frankly obliterated while reflecting on the work afterwards. Indeed, it was after I finished reading it that the book's many strengths began to appear to me: this is an astonishing achievement in not just manga, but in comics. A Drifting Life is a memoir in comic form about one of the most significant periods in comics history - really, a new development in the form, not just for manga but for comics, period. While there is no lack of autobiographical comic works, how many of them focus on the creation and revolutionizing of the form the story itself takes? There are many excellent histories of the comic medium (Men of Tommorow being the best), but how many of those are comics? Imagine if Jack Kirby or Will Eisner had crafted an epic, brutally honest comic memoir about their experiences in the Golden Age of American comics, and you can start to understand the significance of this work.

A full decade in production, A Drifting Life opens at the end of World War II and follows an oh-so-slightly fictionalized version of Tatsumi as he turns his love of comics to the work of his life. We follow Tatsumi as he struggles with money and editors, colleagues and women, and his explorations and reinvention of no less than the very idea of what manga, what comics can be. There are fascinating passages recounting Tatsumi and his peers discussing the language and theory of comics, and their subsequent role in revolutionizing the form forever. This is a stunning work about one creator's role in completely changing comics, that, in itself, is playing a role in completely changing comics. Tatsumi is, naturally, at the top of his game here. He mixes in his own recollections of the history unfolding around him with snapshots of that moment's place in Japan's cultural and political history, from the first bottle of Coke sold in Japan to the riots over the US-Japan Mutual Security Treaty. And the art is certainly top-notch... the image at left is a great example of what you will see in this work, a mix of cartoonish simplicity and striking, page stopping detail.

One of the most fascinating elements of this book, for me, is certainly the look into the burgeoning comics culture of Japan. Not unlike the development of American geek culture in the 1930s, the nexus of Japanese geek culture was with the fans, getting together, forming clubs and interacting with their wonderfully accessible heroes. Equally fascinating and revelatory to me were the differences in the method of delivery for many comics in Japan versus their American counterparts. In the United States, comic strips were syndicated in newspapers, longer-form comic stories published in the magazine format still largely dominant today. In Japan, strips appeared largely in specialty magazines, and long format and anthology series were published in square-bound magazines and hard-bound editions that were sold largely to manga rental (!) outlets. At the same time that EC was revolutionizing the art and content of comics amid a firestorm of controversy and legislative investigations, Tatsumi and his peers were revolutionizing the art and content of manga with their own share of heat from the press and legislators.

This is a must read for anyone wanting to learn about the history of comics in Japan, post-war Japanese culture, or a look at the creative process from one of the masters. There is so much to talk about with this book (how many more positive adjectives can I throw at you before it gets over the top?), and so many reasons to go out of your way to get it: Just Get It. And if you drop by Jim Hanley's Universe, you get the added bonus that, while supplies last, not only are our copies signed by Tatsumi himself, each one has an original, unique sketch by Tatsumi inside (same with our copies of Good-bye!).

(Want more reviews? Click here! Need more reccomendations? Simply come by one of our locations and ask one of our friendly, knowledgable staff!)

c) 2009 Jeffrey O. Gustafson - The opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

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