Comics Alliance: An AOL Comic Book Community

Ah, here we are my final holiday photo gallery. I've touched on video games, books and action figures, now I'm going to share with you nine DVD box sets that I've personally enjoyed, and that will appeal to a variety of taste for the anime lover in you. Just click on the first image below to check out the gallery and see what I have to say and trust me this is just the tip of the iceberg. Please check out anime when you have a minute, even if you don't watch it now. Trust me, it's not all hentai and big eyes, there is indeed something for everyone. I encourage you to check out Anime Sentinel, and soon I'll be launching a more comprehensive blog getting into more detail on Anime, Manga, Video Games and more. Good times.

Must Have DVD Box Sets Photo Gallery

Press Release

STAN 'THE MAN' LEE AND KEVIN SMITH TEAM UP FOR MAVERICK INTERACTIVE'S FIRST DVD RELEASE

One's the biggest name in comic book history, the other's the hottest moviemaker in the world under 40 – together they're dynamite in Marvel Then & Now: An Evening With Stan Lee and Kevin Smith, available on DVD just in time for the holidays as the debut feature from the Tampa studios of Maverick Interactive.

Filmed in front of a packed house at UCLA, Then & Now is two-and-a-half hours of Marvel tales and nuggets from the man who created Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk and legions of other legendary superheroes and nefarious villains. Lee is joined by Joe Quesada, the current editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics. Smith, director of fan favorites and box office hits like Clerks, Clerks II, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, ties the evening together as host and taskmaster.

In addition to the main feature, Then & Now sports a host of bonus material, from VIP room interviews to a behind-the-scenes reel with special guests like comic creators Brian Pulido and Jeph Loeb.

Marvel Then & Now sells for $24.99; a portion of the proceeds benefit The Hero Initiative, a charitable foundation benefiting struggling comic industry veterans.

For more information, to see a trailer, or to order, go to www.thenandnowdvd.org.

So, how did it feel NOT to have a new ep of Heroes to watch last Monday (or in my case reading my blogstress-in-crime Carol Orsini's awesome recaps the day after)?

Should you be looking to immerse yourself in all Heroes-related things during the coming holiday season -- maybe hitting the DVR to review Volume 2 or catching up on the first collection of online Heroes stories recently published by DC Comics -- here's an unusual freebie worth considering, straight from the good folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known to the world at large as MIT.

Last month, MIT's Communications Forum sponsored a two-hour seminar/ interview with Heroes executive producer Jesse Alexander (who worked once-upon on-a-time on popular TV serials Lost and Alias) and Mark Warshaw (formerly of Smallville) to discuss the multi-platform approach to marketing this groundbreaking series from online graphic novels, to podcasting to the free availability of previous eps, appropriately titled NBC's Heroes: From Appointment TV to Engagement TV?

There are two ways you can listen to this interesting and free two-hour podcast: Click on the link in the Audiocast section to listen at your computer or download the podcast from iTunes from the CMS Colloquia Podcast page.

Here's a bonus for those who use iTunes: Toward the bottom of the list, lectures 49 and 50 feature 2006 interviews with Scott McCloud (Understanding/Reinventing/Making Comics) and Frank Espinosa (Rocketo), comics luminaries whose work we admire.

Press Release

BURBANK, CA, (November 27, 2007) ­ Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner
Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new original movie Justice
League: The New Frontier on February 26, 2008 on DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray
Disc, distributed by Warner Home Video. Order due date is January 22, 2008.
The original movie will also be available OnDemand and Pay-per-View as well
as available for download on February 26, 2008.

Based on the graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke and produced by Michael Goguen
and animation legend, Bruce Timm, Justice League: The New Frontier is the
epic tale of the founding of the Justice League. The animated film, written
by Stan Berkowitz, features an incredible celebrity-laden voice cast
including David Boreanaz, Brooke Shields, Lucy Lawless, Neil Patrick Harris,
Miguel Ferrer, Kyra Sedgwick, Jeremy Sisto and Kyle MacLachlan and will be
available on DVD for $19.98 SRP. There will also be a 2 disc Special Edition
DVD available for $24.98 SRP which contains additional bonus features
including a documentary about the pathology of the super villain and three
bonus episodes from the Justice League animated series selected by Bruce
Timm. All the content from the 2-disc Special Edition DVD will be available
on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

The New Frontier takes viewers on an action-packed adventure, exploring the
origins of the Justice League. DC Comics legends Superman, Batman and
Wonder Woman are all featured in the film as well as Green Lantern, Martian
Manhunter and The Flash ­ as they band together to form the legendary super
team. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear
and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the
mighty Superman cannot stop it alone. If they fail, the entire planet will
be "cleansed" of humanity.

Justice League: The New Frontier DVD will feature incredible extras
including:

"Super Heroes United!: The Complete Justice League History"- The documentary
is a comprehensive forty seven year Justice League chronology from the
inception in the comics to vivid animated renditions. The story is told
with a myriad of interviews tracing back the early days of DC Super Hero
team ups during the Golden Age, to the Silver Age rendition where the
established heroes emerged and beyond. Interviews include Paul Levitz
(President of DC Comics), Dan Didio (SVP Executive Editor at DC Comics),
Michael Uslan (Historian), Gregory Noveck (SVP Creative Affairs DC Comics),
Mark Waid (DC Comics Historian and Writer), Mike Friedrich (Writer JLU),
Denny O¹Neil (Writer and Editor at DC Comics), Mike Carlin (DC Comics
Executive Editor), Stan Lee (Marvel Comics Co-Creator) and Marv Wolfman
(Writer of Fantastic Four).

"Sneak Peak: Batman: Gotham Knight" - One part anime, one part Caped
Crusader, the result is a glimpse at the world of Eastern anime
sensibilities combined with a Western tradition of Batman. A detailed look
at the world of Warner Bros Animation, and how they joined forces with the
renowned Japanese animators to create the highly anticipated anime film of
2008.

· "Audio Commentary I" (featuring the talented filmmakers of New
Frontier)

· "Audio Commentary II" (featuring Comic Book Writer and Artist Darwyn
Cooke)

· Widescreen (1.78:1)

· 5.1 Dolby Digital

The 2 disc Special Edition DVD will feature even more incredible extras
including:

"The Legion of Doom: The Pathology of the Super Villain"- This documentary
will examine the early mythological archetypes of nemesis characters from a
historical perspective, and see how the tenants of this rich history were
adapted and woven into the Justice League stories. The bonus feature
includes many of the talent included in Super Heroes United! As well as Jim
Kreuger (Writer of ³Justice²).

"Comic Book Commentary: Homage to the New Frontier"- This documentary is a
nod to the fans of the New Frontier comic book. This featurette further
expands the themes contained in the source material, and how these elements
were truncated or evolved for the inclusion in the film. Featuring vivid
imagery culled from the pages of the New Frontier comic, mixed with the
commentary of Writer and Artist Darwyn Cooke, this featurette is a treat for
both fans and scholars of the medium.

"Justice League Unlimited Bonus Episodes"
Bruce Timm selects three of his favorite episodes from the Justice League
Unlimited animated series:

1. Dark Heart ­ Alien invaders attempt to thwart the Justice League. The
fate of the world rests on the shoulders of Ray Palmer, AKA The Atom.

2. To Another Shore - Wonder Woman learns of a plot to steal the powers of
the 3,000 year-old corpse of The Viking Prince. It is up to the Justice
League to make things right.

3. Task Force X - Four incarcerated villains are released from prison by
Cadmus to undertake an impossible mission: steal a powerful mystic artifact
from the JLU Watchtower under the noses of the League.

"Having the opportunity to take the unique work of such a legendary comic
talent as Darwyn Cooke and create a small screen faithful adaptation of that
style is one of the cornerstones in what we hope to develop for core and new
fans alike as part of the DC Universe initiative on the Warner Premiere
slate", said Matt Bierman, Vice President Production, Warner Premiere.

"Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier is justifiably considered a modern classic, and
we at DC comics are excited to share this thrilling adaptation with the
book's legions of loyal fans. On Feb. 26, DC Universe Animated Movies will
lead everyone across the New Frontier," said Gregory Novek, Senior Vice
President of Creative Affairs, DC Comics.

"Following the huge success of Superman Doomsday, we are delighted to be
releasing the second DC Universe PG-13 animated movie," said Amit Desai, WHV
Vice President, Family, Animation and Sports Marketing. "Justice League: The
New Frontier will certainly not disappoint fans who have been eagerly
awaiting this next action-packed DC Universe installment."

Justice League: New Frontier Marketing Support

Justice League: New Frontier will be supported by a massive media campaign
including primetime TV spots, national print and online coverage. Marketing
support will also include strong promotion support, a dedicated website
(www.jlnewfrontier.com, as well as explosive online promotion stunts. Finally,
cross-trailering on targeted DVD releases will generate millions of impressions.

DC UNIVERSE ORIGINAL MOVIES

DC Comics, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video (WHV) and Warner Bros.
Animation (WBA) began the production and distribution of DC Universe, a
series of original, animated PG-13 movies in July 2006. This original, made
for DVD, movie is part of the DC Universe series of animated PG-13 films
written and directed by acclaimed comic book creators and animators and
featuring recognizable talent. WHV will be the exclusive worldwide home
entertainment distributor for all DC Universe movies which will include a
slate of 2-3 action-packed films per year.

BASICS

Street Date: February 26, 2008

Order Due Date: January 22, 2008

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: Spanish



Run Time: 75 minutes approx.

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Surround Stereo

Color / Closed Captioned

Rating: PG-13



Justice League: The New Frontier (DVD)

Price: $19.98 SRP / No MAP

UPC: 085391108177



Justice League: The New Frontier (2 Disc Special Edition DVD)

Price: $24.98 SRP / No MAP
UPC: 883929008483



Justice League: The New Frontier (HD-DVD)

Price: $29.99 SRP / No MAP

UPC: 085391171652



Justice League: The New Frontier (Blu-ray Disc)

Price: $29.99 SRP / No MAP
UPC: 085391171645

Evidently, helming the current Batman movie franchise hasn't dimmed Christian Bale's interest in superherodom, as the versatile and gifted actor will play John Connor in a planned Terminator sequel from Warner Bros. for the summer of 2009.

I like the idea of the Terminator movies forging ahead post-Schwarzenegger into new territory, and Bale is a terrific, chameleon-like actor who gives depth to most any role he plays -- even in B-movies like Reign of Fire. I wonder, however, if the quality bar has been set a bit higher for Bale since Batman Begins? And, will moviegoers enjoy watching Bale in another ongoing movie franchise?

Talking about Bale and the further adventures of the Caped Crusader, many thanks to Cinematical for pointing me in the direction of this awesome making of featurette with The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan about filming in the IMAX format.

Transformers the movie. The tale of the struggle between the valiant Autobots led by Optimus Prime and the treacherous Decepticons led by Megatron ... but you already knew this. The story of the Autobots and Decepticons is now well know with Michael Bay's interpretation of the struggle, an interpretation that pay homage to the original 80's cartoon series and the animated movie from 1985. As a life long Transformers fan who remembers sitting in the theater and watching the epic struggle as Optimus and Megatron clashed and having read and owned the entire 80 issue US comic series I was the biggest skeptic for the new movie, and the character design. My fears were unfounded as the movie I soaked in on July 3rd was every bit as magical as the original series, thanks in large part to Peter Cullen voicing Optimus. I could not wait till the day I could take home this movie and put it up on a nice HDTV, to see the struggle renewed anew in the comfort of my home. That day has passed with the release of Transformers not only on DVD but also HD-DVD. Which ones the best, well that's what I'm about to spout off on.

If you don't read the Sunday newspaper ad circulars regularly like I do -- it's better than reading the Obits or, for the most part, the Comics Section -- you may a little surprised to learn today's debut of Spider-Man 3 on DVD at many big-box retailers in America has been largely upstaged by an already available video game: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock by Activision and Neversoft.

Of the major Big Boxers in the Austin area, only Circuit City spotlighted the Web-Spinner, but only because of a special wrap-around sheet to the real cover featuring guitarist Slash from Guns and Roses and VR. Conversely, Target made no bones about hawking bundle packs (including wireless guitars for two) for Wii, XBox 360 and PlayStation.

Guess that mirrors the general apathy among critics -- ranging from "entertaining noise" (Houston Chronicle) to "aesthetically and conceptually wrung out" (New York Times) to "pull(ing) off a smartly subversive drag show" (Time) -- and moviegoers.

Of course, it helps that Guitar Hero has a two-day headstart on S3 at stores, one of the many moves made by Activision and Neversoft to compete against its arch-rival Rock Band, made by Hamonix, the original makers of Guitar Hero, according to Wired.

Just the same, being the DVD nutjob that I am, I'll probably buy S3 on opening day anyways for the spiffs -- I'll be looking for the closest Best Buy store near my office that'll be giving away free Spidey masks I can pass down to the grandkids. Of course, that'll happen once they've gotten old enough and I've worn it a few 100 times or so...

If you're itching for a taste of some of the perks enjoyed by Comic-Con International: San Diego attendees and you're a fan of Heroes, drive safely to your nearby BestBuy or Target store today!

Not only is today's release of the Heroes Season 1 DVD box set on sale in the $35-38 range at various brick and mortars near you and Amazon.com, a limited number of sets being sold at BestBuy stores are including a smaller version of the limited edition Heroes comic book given to folks who attended the San Diego panel, including the work of Michael Gaydos (Alias), Michael Connell, Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween) and colorist extraordinaire Dave Stewart.

Interestingly, Target stores are also competing for your fanboy/fangirl dollars in the Heroes collectible realm, with an extra disk of DVD content and mini-replicas of four paintings (I'm assuming by Sale) for the "deluxe" price of $44.99.

To feel the real Comic-Con love, however, take a few minutes to watch the videos embedded on the Heroes Web site from the San Diego panel.

Two events forever rocked my small yet growing world as a pre-teen, steeped in comics, classic sci-fi movies and pop culture in 1966, a time when the definition of the word geek took on a far harsher, more derogatory tone than the badge of honor it has come to be.

On Jan. 12, Batman leapt out of the pages of my comic books and into stark and campy live-action via ABC and 20th Century Fox TV. And, slightly less than nine months later, Gene Roddenberry finally realized his vision for the future in Star Trek, and, in doing so, changed the way many on this planet perceive space as our true final frontier.

And, it almost didn't happen...

At least, that's what Adam West, nee of Batman TV series fame, told the Winnipeg Sun, in a interview prior to this weekend's Fan Expo Canada in Toronto.

To wrap up what I began yesterday with my geeky State of the Industry post, here's a few tidbits from the blogger's notebook you may not find elsewhere...

1. My fellow Alliance blogger and pal Greg McElhatton recently spilled the beans about Jeff Smith's indy follow-up to Bone, Rasl. Smith shared the first six pages of Rasl during a Comic-Con panel, and it's a HUGE departure from the further adventures of the denizens of Boneville or Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil in more ways than one. Case in point, it's being published in a Treasury-style format akin to Alex Ross' recent series of oversized and beautiful graphic novels by DC.

Here's the REAL kicker: Once Smith is done with Rasl -- eight to 10 oversized issues over the next two years starting next January -- they'll be collected in a standard-sized trade paperback, not an oversized one.

Scratching your heads about that one too?

Press Release

Get ready for a cutting-edge, heart-pounding, visual masterpiece on July 31st when 300 arrives on DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video. Based on the stylized graphic novel from icon Frank Miller (Sin City), 300 is an epic action-adventure about the 300 Spartan warriors led by the heroic King Leonidas who challenged Xerxes and his massive Persian army at the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. Facing insurmountable odds, they fought to the death to defend their honor and freedom, inspiring all of Greece to unite against the enemy.
From visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder (upcoming The Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead), 300 combines stunning live action with virtual backgrounds and features spectacular performances from Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera, Reign of Fire), Lena Headey (The Brothers Grimm, The Cave) David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) and Rodrigo Santoro (Love Actually, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle).

The 2-Disc Special Edition and hi-definition versions are loaded with over 90 minutes of thrilling extras, including additional scenes and revealing featurettes on the real-life Spartans. With the HD DVD Combo, experience the entire film with "blue screen" picture-in-picture running throughout the feature and special commentary by Zack Snyder, plus an exclusive strategy game "Vengeance and Valor."

300 will be available on Single Disc at $28.98 SRP in both widescreen and full frame formats. The 2-Disc Special Edition DVD will be available in widescreen format for $34.99 SRP. The HD DVD Combo will be available at $39.99 SRP and the Blu-ray Disc version will be available at $34.99 SRP.

"An incredible visual ride."
- Jeffrey Lyons, NBC'S REEL TALK

"Mind-blowing."
- Susan Wloszcyna / USA TODAY

SYNOPSIS
The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge.

DVD ELEMENTS
The 2 Disc Special Edition features over 90 minutes of special features including:
• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed
• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors
• FRANK MILLER's vision realized on film

The HD DVD COMBO features the following special features:
• BLUESCREEN PICTURE-IN-PICTURE VERSION: Director Zack Snyder Compares the Pre-CGI-Enhanced Version to the Finished Film
• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors [in High Definition]
• FRANK MILLER's Vision Realized on Film [in High Definition]
• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed [in High Definition]
• WHO WERE THE SPARTANS?: How the Actors Built Their Characters Based on Spartan Customs [in High Definition]
• WEBISODES: Go on Set with the Cast and Crew
• Exclusive to HD DVD Game Vengeance and Valor: Lead More Spartan Warriors into Battle Against Xerxes' Forces and Test Your Combat-Hardened Knowledge of Tactics and Strategy
• PICK YOUR FAVORITE SCENES: Assemble Your Favorite Clips and Create Your Own Montage
• WEB-ENABLED FEATURES: Cool Mobile Downloads

The Blu-ray disc features the following special features:
• ADDITIONAL SCENES of the Traitorous Hunchback and Never-Before-Seen Giant Warriors [in High Definition]
• FRANK MILLER's Vision Realized on Film [in High Definition]
• 300 SPARTANS – FACT OR FICTION?: The Shocking Life of a Spartan Revealed [in High Definition]
• WHO WERE THE SPARTANS?: How the Actors Built Their Characters Based on Spartan Customs [in High Definition]
• WEBISODES: Go on Set with the Cast and Crew
• COMMENTARY by Director Zack Snyder – and MORE!

Press Release

Mystery Science Theater 3000's brilliantly insane trio reunite as The Film Crew for exclusive preview Of new cult-film DVD series.

The Film Crew unleash their warped sense of humor with exclusive excerpts from three upcoming DVDs -- KILLERS FROM SPACE, WILD WOMEN OF WONGO, THE GIANT OF MARATHON -- followed by a rare Q&A session.

"Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K) was one of the most successful cult comedy shows of all time, with 199 episodes on Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel, and a feature film over the course of its 11-year run. Now the writers and stars of MST3K-Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and the head writer and on-air host Mike Nelson-bring their hilarious brand of film commentary to a new line of B-movie send-ups as The Film Crew. The three guys in The Film Crew work in the dank basement of an office building. Each day, their boss, the entertainment mogul Bob Honcho, calls them up on speakerphone and gives them their assignment, which is to decimate yet another Hollywood clunker with their incisive commentary.

The Film Crew will be signing autographs on Friday, June 27 from 3:00-4:00pm at the Shout! Factory Booth #3749.

Press Release

Penny-Farthing Press (PFP) jumps into the world of animation! Along with exclusive convention specials and author signings, PFP will debut their new animated short, The Loch: Threats From Above. Specially priced and packaged with a companion Loch comic book, it¹s the not-to-be-missed bargain of the convention!

All San Diego Comic-Con attendees will be able to stock up on Penny-Farthing Press merchandise at reduced prices. Most comic books will be sold at the special price of two dollars each while children's books and select graphic novels will be sold for ten dollars each. Retailers will be able to receive additional discounts by enrolling in PFP's Direct-Order-Retailer (D-O-R) Program at the convention and will be able to save up to fifty percent on bulk orders.

Fans and retailers will also have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite PFP talent as well. On Saturday, July 28th at 1:00 p.m., bestselling author Barbara Hambly (Patriot Hearts, The Emancipator's Wife, the Benjamin January mysteries) will be at the Penny-Farthing Press booth to sign free previews of PFP's new graphic novel series, Anne Steelyard and the Garden of Emptiness. The 2007 preview contains brand new penciled pages by break out artist, Alex Kosakowski, and a full colored page by Mike Garcia. Anne Steelyard is a historical and mystical adventure that follows the struggles of a female archaeologist in pre World-War I Mesopotamia. Told in a series of three graphic novels, it is the story of an accomplished and courageous woman attempting to find her place in a turn-of-the-century man¹s world. Look for upcoming advertisements in Previews this fall.

Also signing will be Penny-Farthing Press's own Marlaine Maddux and Courtney Huddleston, writer and artist of The Loch: Threats From Above. On Saturday, July 28th at 3:00 p.m., both will sign copies of DVDs and comic books as well as the series that started it all, The Loch Trilogy.

As always, Penny-Farthing Press will have it's highly recognized collection of graphic novels and comics on hand, including Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril, Stuart Moore's PARA and Trainor Houghton's maze-like masterpiece, The Victorian: Acts I, II and III. Also look for the critically acclaimed Decoy anthologies, Decoy Menagerie I and II.

Penny-Farthing Press can be found in the Small Publisher area of the San Diego Comic-Convention at booth 1320.

Today definitely started off better than yesterday. Mostly. I stayed up later than usual last night due to an unnamed blogger ::cough::Clayton::cough:: This unnamed person got into town late, so we went out to have a few drinks, that turned into several drinks and at least one shot. There may have been more shots, but things got a little blurry about that time... Translation, the world was a little fuzzy this morning. All things considered, that is still better than being stuck in traffic.

I admit to having been a DC fanboy the last several years, so I thought that going to a Marvel Panel would be a good place to start getting reacquainted with the Marvel Universe. This led to the first stop of my day being the talk on World War Hulk. In attendance were Joe Quesada, Greg Pak, Jim McCann, Tom Brevoort, C.B. Cebulski and Frank Tieri. I think this may have been the most people I have seen on stage all weekend.

I thought that World War Hulk would be a mostly self-contained event. Boy was I wrong. Everything starts off in the World War Hulk series. This will be the main focus of the storyline, but it will branch out into several other titles.

• World War Hulk: Frontline will deal with with the event from the sidelines. It will be set up much like Civil War: Frontline.

• World War Hulk: Gamma Corps looks at the world of people whose lives were made works by the Hulk and raises the question of "who is the villain of this storyline?"

Press Release

Marvel Then and Now: An Evening with Stan Lee and Joe Quesada (hosted by Kevin Smith), was supposed to ship at the end of March. The way we know this is because we posted it on the Web site (www.thenandnowdvd.org), but we experienced a few technical glitches along the way. The end result is:

People who ordered their copy from the Web site for $24.95 will begin receiving their copies shipping on April 27.

Retailers who ordered their copies at trade shows or online will begin receiving their copies shipping on April 27, at their advance-order preferred pricing.

In addition, Diamond Comics Distribution will handle distribution to comics shops. The product will be in the upcoming edition of Previews (for July-shipping product) at a consumer price of $29.95.

The advance-order consumer price online will remain $24.95, until the end of May, at which time, it will be raised to match the prices in stores.

"Our learning curve on producing a DVD was a little steeper than expected," said Jim McLauchlin, president of The Hero Initiative. "But we got the kinks out. This is yet another in a line of great products we're producing for 2007. Dan Wickline's The Unusual Suspects book just hit, and the book collecting all of Hero's Ultimate Spider-Man #100 covers will be coming soon. Our aim is to give retail great product they can sell, and give fans great bang for their buck."