When Lone Wolf and Cub was first released in Japan in 1970, it became wildly popular (some 8 million copies were sold in Japan) for its powerful, epic samurai story and its stark and gruesome depiction of violence during Tokugawa era Japan.
Lone Wolf and Cub is one of most highly regarded manga due to its epic scope, detailed historical accuracy, masterful artwork and nostalgic recollection of the bushido ethos. The story spans 28 volumes of manga, with over 300 pages each (totaling over 8,700 pages in all). Many of the frames of the series are hauntingly beautiful depictions of nature, historical locations in Japan and traditional activities done in the classical ukiyo-e style.
Lone Wolf and Cub was initially released in North America in a translated English edition by First Comics in 1987, as a series of monthly, comic-book-sized, square-bound prestige-format black-and-white comics containing between 64 and 128 pages, with covers by Frank Miller, and later by Bill Sienkiewicz, Matt Wagner, Mike Ploog, and Ray Lago. Sales were initially strong, but fell sharply as the company went into a general decline. First Comics shut down in 1991 without completing the series, publishing less than a third of the total series in 45 prestige-format issues.
Starting in September 2000, Dark Horse Comics began to release the full series in 28 smaller-sized trade paperback volumes, similar to the volumes published in Japan, completing the series with the 28th volume in December 2002. Dark Horse reused all of Miller’s covers from the First Comics edition, as well as several done by Sienkiewicz, and commissioned Wagner, Guy Davis, and Vince Locke to produce new covers for several volumes of the collections. In October 2012, Dark Horse completed the release of all 28 volumes in digital format, as part of their “Dark Horse Digital” online service.
Lone Wolf and Cub #1 NM $14Lone Wolf and Cub #2 NM $9Lone Wolf and Cub #3 NM $9Lone Wolf and Cub #4 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #5 9.6 White Pages $49Lone Wolf and Cub #5 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #6 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #7 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #8 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #9 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #10 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #11 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #14 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #15 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #19 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #24 NM- $5Lone Wolf and Cub #27 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #28 NM $6Lone Wolf and Cub #29 VF-NM $4
With the publication of issue #226 (April 2006), the series was canceled as part of the company-wide Infinite Crisis event. The Adventures of Superman was returned to its original title, Superman, with issue #650 the following month.
In November 2011, a third volume of Superman was launched with issue #1 as part of The New 52 company-wide reboot.
The Giant line of comics mixes all-new original material by some of DC’s top creators with reprints for a 100-page package.
Creators working on the new material include such fan-favorites as Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis and the Harley Quinn writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, each working on characters outside of their traditional range in the regular DC line, with Bendis working on his first solo Batman material in September — a 12-part story beginning in Batman Giant No. 3 — and Tom King taking on Superman with artist Andy Kubert for their own yearlong epic beginning in Superman Giant No. 3. Not to be left behind, Palmiotti and Conner will launch a 12-part Wonder Woman story in the third Justice League issue.
Iron Man, Thor and Captain America have been the Avengers’ heart and soul since the team’s earliest days. But in the wreckage of Asgard, they find themselves squabbling over old wounds. As unstable magics cast the heroes-at-odds into the scattered Nine Realms, they quickly realize the world in which they’re trapped is not how it should be. Can they come together and put it right? Then, as the three heroes re-forge the Avengers with the likes of Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Wolverine and Spider-Woman, Kang returns from the future bearing ill tidings of a force so powerful even he can’t conquer it!
DC Comics ended the DC Rebirth branding in December 2017, opting to include everything under a larger DC Universe banner and naming. The continuity established by DC Rebirth continues across DC’s comic book titles, including volume 1 of Detective Comics and volume 3 of Batman.
Soon after the publication of The Incredible Hulk #449, the team’s own series premiered. The first issue, cover dated April 1997, was played largely as a straight superhero story, until the revelation of the Thunderbolts’ true nature on the last page of the comic. This is considered one of the most well-conceived plot twists in the history of American comic books, with Wizard magazine readers voting it “Comics’ Greatest Moment of 1997” and later, in 1999, placing it at #11 on a list of “The 25 Greatest Comic Moments Ever”. Marvel managed to keep the secret of the Thunderbolts’ true villainous identities tightly under wraps before the book launched. When word got out, the first issue sold out so quickly that Marvel not only offered a second printing, but also did a “mini-trade paperback” collecting the first two issues. Fabian Nicieza replaced Busiek in issue #34. Patrick Zircher, after a couple of fill-ins, replaced Bagley in issue #51.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman’s then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which focused on Batman’s early years. Batman: Shadow of the Bat looked into the psyche of the various cast members of the Batman comics. It was also notable for introducing the villain Victor Zsasz into the Batman mythos.
Shadow of the Bat #0 NM $4Shadow of the Bat #1 NM $5Shadow of the Bat #5 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #6 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #7 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #8 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #9 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #11 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #12 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #13 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #15 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #16 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #17 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #18 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #19 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #20 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #22 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #23 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #24 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #25 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #26 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #28 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #29 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #31 NM $4Shadow of the Bat #33 NM $4Shadow of the Bat #36 NM $4Shadow of the Bat #37 NM $4Shadow of the Bat #39 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #40 NM $3Shadow of the Bat #41 NM $3
Murdered by his sadistic parents, Obadiah Archer returns from the dead with uncanny physical abilities and a mission: to punish all evil-doers like his parents; Learning martial arts in the Orient, Archer soon becomes the world’s greatest fighter!; He soon encounters Armstrong, a free-spirited immortal with the strength of ten men!; They have just met when they are attacked by Armstrong’s foes, the Sect.; Can they survive their crazy friendship?
Archer and Armstrong #0 CGC 9.8 SS White Pages $189Archer and Armstrong #0 NM $6Archer and Armstrong #2 NM $5Archer and Armstrong #8 NM $6
In the wake of the events following The Empire Strikes Back, it is a dark time for the heroes of the Rebellion. The Rebel fleet…scattered following a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Hoth. Han Solo…lost to the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, after being frozen in carbonite. And after being lured into a trap on Cloud City and bested in a vicious lightsaber duel against the evil Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker…learned the horrible truth about his past. Vader did not kill Luke’s father Anakin–Vader is Luke’s father! Now, after narrowly escaping the dark lord’s clutches, and wounded and reeling from the revelation, Luke, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, the Wookiee Chewbacca and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 must fight their way back to the Rebel Alliance—for the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake! After so many losses is victory still possible? But, what Leia, Luke and their ragtag band of freedom fighters do not realize is that they have only traded one Imperial trap for another! Enter the cunning and vengeful Imperial Commander Zahra, at the helm of the Tarkin’s Will!
EHT Comics 