Catching up on a few recently announced upcoming Kirby publications. The upcoming seventh MARVEL MASTERWORKS for Thor brings them one book from finishing Kirby’s run, which I think will pretty much wrap up Kirby’s silver age super-hero stuff at Marvel in that format. The KAMANDI one-shot is a nice cheap sampler of the series for those unfamiliar and unwilling to dip your toes at hardcover prices (and #29, not yet reprinted elsewhere, is a great little story, and a favourite of many people). There’s a big storyline in Marvel about Skrulls, hence the reprint of FF #2 in a book of more recent stuff. The TwoMorrows Free Comic Book Day sampler should be a good look at their various magazines, and a few more Kirby covers should be included in the final two issues of AVENGERS CLASSIC (and, I usually don’t comment on the non-Kirby contents of these books, but an Avengers story by Bob Burden? Woo!).

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE MIGHTY THOR VOL. 7 HC
Written by STAN LEE
Penciled by JACK KIRBY
Cover by JACK KIRBY

The epic saga of the God of Thunder continues as the Marvel Masterworks present another volume of Mighty Thor masterpieces by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! And there’s no holds barred from these masters of storytelling from page one: The evil Loki, God of Mischief, has created a dilemma of Asgardian proportions (natch!). Only with the medical skill of his guise as Dr. Donald Blake can Thor save the life of the lovely Lady Sif, but only with the power of Thor can he keep Loki at bay!

Meanwhile, in the darkened depths, a threat greater than any Thor has ever before faced rises when the malignant Mangog threatens to unsheathe the Odinsword and bring Ragnarok upon the Norse gods. It’s a tale considered by many to be Lee and Kirby’s most-pulse pounding Asgardian epic. Need we say more?

We do! Because with Stan and Jack, there’s always more amazing revelations around the corner. Like the startling secret hidden from Donald Blake, and a galaxy-spanning adventure that includes the origin of Galactus and a melee that pits Thor and Ego the Living Planet up against the infamous world devourer! Collecting THOR #153-162
224 PGS./All Ages …$54.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-2924-0

COUNTDOWN SPECIAL: KAMANDI, THE LAST BOY ON EARTH 80-PAGE GIANT
Written by Jack Kirby
Art by Kirby, Mike Royer and D. Bruce Berry
Cover by Ryan Sook

Collecting stories from KAMANDI: LAST BOY ON EARTH #1, #10 and #29, written and illustrated by Jack Kirby!
On sale April 2 – 80 pg, FC, $4.99 US

COMICS GO HOLLYWOOD—FCBD 2008 EDITION

TwoMorrows Publishing presents Comics Go Hollywood, unveiling secrets behind your favorite on-screen heroes! Our regular magazine editors have assembled this special 32-page behind-the-scenes guide, where you’ll learn what’s involved in taking a character from the comics page to the big screen! It includes: Storyboards from DC’s animated hit The New Frontier (courtesy of Draw! Magazine)! Jeph Loeb on writing for both Marvel Comics and the Heroes TV show (courtesy of Write Now! magazine)! Details on the unseen X-Men movie (courtesy of Alter Ego magazine)! A history of The Joker from his 1940s origins to his upcoming appearance in The Dark Knight (courtesy of Back-Issue Magazine)! And a look at Marvel Universe co-creator Jack Kirby’s Hollywood career, with extensive Kirby art!

SECRET INVASION: THE INFILTRATION TPB
Written by STAN LEE, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, BRIAN REED & DAN SLOTT
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JIM CHEUNG, LEINIL YU, MARK BAGLEY, MICHAEL GAYDOS & DAVID MACK
Cover by LEINIL YU

Retrace the roots of THE INFILTRATION all the way back to the beginning of the Marvel Age of Heroes! First, in FANTASTIC FOUR #2 (1962), it’s a close encounter of the Skrull kind as four shape-changing aliens pose as Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Thing and the Human Torch in an attempt to destroy the fledgling Fantastic Four! Then, flash-forward to the present day as the SECRET INVASION stands revealed in the pages of NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI, NEW AVENGERS, MIGHTY AVENGERS and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE. Conspiracy. Paranoia. Betrayal. Who do you trust? Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #2, NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 and #5, NEW AVENGERS #31-32 and #38-39, MIGHTY AVENGERS #7, and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE ANNUAL #1.
232 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3231-8

AVENGERS CLASSIC #11
Written by STAN LEE & TOM BELAND
Penciled by DON HECK & JUAN DOE
Cover by ART ADAMS

The mighty Avengers meet Spider-Man! And the only blurb we can write is “WOWEE!” Also re-introducing the mysterious KANG! Yes, it’s another classic spectacular story by Stan Lee with incomparable illustrations by Don Heck…plus an all-new masterpiece from the peerless minds of Tom Beland and Juan Doe!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

AVENGERS CLASSIC #12
Written by STAN LEE & BOB BURDEN
Art by DON HECK & JUAN DOE
Cover by ART ADAMS

“THIS HOSTAGE EARTH!” In which the mighty Avengers battle to save their beloved planet from a fate so deadly that none but the macabre Mole Man could have devised it! A timeless Marvel tale of most compelling excellence by Stan Lee and Don Heck! PLUS! An astonishing all-new Avengers adventure chockablock with madcap mayhem from masters of mirth Bob Burden (Flaming Carrot Comics) and Juan Doe (FANTASTIC FOUR: ¡ISLA DE LA MUERTE!)!! And MORE all-new material in this double-sized final issue!
48 PGS./Rated A …$3.99