You may have already seen the news that swept across the Intardwebz that Joss Whedon’s Angel series is returning to Dark Horse Comics in 2011. For the last five years, Angel has been published with IDW Publishing, and when the word first broke it seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise.
ROBOT OVERLORD: Nothing creeps out robots like those freakin’ vampires. Only the Robots should live forever and be allowed to suck dry the joy that is human life… That’s probably why I, Your Robot Overlord, probably enjoy Buffy the Vampire Slayer so much.   I have been made aware that many humans also enjoy the Joss Whedon approved series, so I’ve been kind to Matthew and Stephen this week, and asked them to spill the beans. I’ve even allowed them to skip a day so they could prepare for the awesome sauce that is Buffy.
In this issue: This is has Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla trying to achieve world peace by kicking the crap out of Thomas Edison and J.P. Morgan… what else do you want? Oh, we’ve got Spider-Man 4, Buffy/Angel, and Brightest Day talk too, if you are really into that thing, but really, it’s all about science. SCIENCE!
Show Notes after the Jump!
IDW Publishing announced that Bill Willingham’s first issue on its Angel series has sold out at the distributor level. IDW will be sending Angel #28 back to press with a second printing of the first issue in “The Crown Prince Syndrome” story arc. The new printing will arrive on January 6, 2009.
The holiday wish lists for Angel fans just got bigger, with two new Angel comics from IDW coming in December, plus an exclusive variant! First, relive one of the most heart-wrenching stories from the television series with the start of the Angel: A Hole in the World miniseries. Then, Angel takes Hollywood by storm with Angel Annual #1, a comic spoof on the Angel movie that never was. Finally, fans can ask their local store about a special edition of Angel #28, the first of Bill Willingham’s extended story arc, available only on December 30th. In all, Angel fans are in for a very special December!
Press Release
It’s going to be a great holiday for Angel fans this year! Starting in December with issue 28, multiple Eisner Award-winning writer Bill Willingham (Fables) becomes the new regular writer of IDW’s ongoing Angel series. Willingham kicks things off in a big way with his first six-issue Angel storyline, titled “The Crown Prince Syndrome.â€
This week, IDW Publishing sends Major Spoilers a sneak peek of Doctor Who #1, Fallen Angel: Reborn #1, G.I. Joe Movie Adaptation #, and The Last Resort #1.
It worked for Battlestar Galactica, so why not try it with another television series from days gone by? The Syfy Channel is looking to remake Alien Nation into a new updated television series.
“Alien Nation” centers on the partnership between a veteran cop and his alien detective partner, set against the larger tale of alien “newcomers” who move to Earth and attempt to assimilate into society.
Tim Miner of Angel, X-Files, Firefly, and Strange World fame is currently writing the first script.
Alien Nation was a very good movie, and an intriquing television series as it gave the creators a platform to talk about immigration and racism without singling out a particular race. It jumped around a bit, and ended up spawning a series of made for television movies as a way to wrap up the big arc. If SyFy brings the goods like it did with Battlestar, then I’m sure it will work out just fine.
IDW Publishing has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of titles arriving in stores next week. Take the jump for a look at Angel: After the Fall #22, Barack Obama #1, G.I. Joe: Cobra #4, Groom Lake #3, Robot Galaxy #1: The Brotherhood Returns, Robot Galaxy #2, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan #2, and Transformers Spotlight: Cliffjumper.
Diamond Comic Distributors sent Major Spoilers the breakdown of comics sold during April 2009. Not surprisingly, Marvel Comics took the largest portion of the market share for the month, selling 40% of the all issues sold. DC Comics did better than last month by capturing 28% of the quantity share. From there, the scraps were picked up by rest with Dark Horse and IDW Publishing battling it out for the number three spot.
[table “” not found /]While the chart may not look good for DC, they can take comfort in the realization that the Neil Gaiman Detective Comics issue, and Flash Rebirth #1 took the top two spots for the month. That wasn’t the only win for DC, as the company featured five titles in the Top Ten Comics sold. The rest were claimed by Marvel, which means no third party publisher cracked the coveted spots. In fact, the first non DC/Marvel title to appear on the list is IDW’s Angel #20, which placed #81 Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which came in at #22, missing the Top 20 for the first time in a long time.
Take the jump for the complete Top 300 list.
Juliet Landau created a really the really unique vampire Drusilla in the Buffy the Vampire television series, now the actress is picking up the pen and writing Drusilla into the pages of IDW Publishing’s Angel. But before all that happens, Brian Lynch and artist Franco Urru reunite to tell the tale featuring the fate of Gunn in Angel #23, before Landau steps up for issues #24 and #25.
“We are very excited to have Brian back on Angel, and the stories he’s telling here really set the tone for what’s to come,†said IDW Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall in a prepared statement. “Not only do we see Gunn dealing with the repercussions of his actions in After the Fall, but we also finally get to check in on the intriguing and very insane Drusilla. And having Juliet Landau craft Drusilla’s story in such a clever way is an even bigger bonus for fans, since she has a true understanding of the character and what motivates her.â€
When fans last saw Gunn, his return from Hell left him comatose with only Illyria to look over him. Angel #23 explores what happens next, plus brings back a renowned character as the villain of the issue in an unexpected twist. Landau and Lynch will co-script Angel #24 and #25, with Urru once again handling art and cover chores. British artist Sam Shearon will also provide a cover for the issue. Making this two-issue event a must-have for fans, a new pictorial of Landau will be included as a back-up feature in the issue.
Angel #23 hits shelves in July, with $24 and #5 appearing the following months.
The Humanity NOW! organization is really causing grief for the mutants of the world, and with the hammer coming down, things don’t look too good. Marvel has sent Major Spoilers a sneak peek of The Uncanny X-Men #506 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson.