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Greetings ToW-Patrol, We've tackled many a thorny societal issue here in the 'ol ToW newsletter. Some may still be recovering from our last topic ("Legalization of medical marijanua in relation to evolution, Al-Qaeda, and Dick Cheney"). It is now time to turn our spotlight on the celebrity-obsessed culture that is eroding the very pillars of society. The media entertains us with an infinite parade of the self-absorbed, the drug-soaked, and the dumb-and-famous. We watch vacantly, unaware that we no longer celebrate bravery, fortitude, or virtue. Where are the heroes? Where have all the cowboys gone? Where is my John Wayne? Well, folks, he's actually right here:     2004 ToW HQ file photo The one, the only, Stephen Brett Lord. S! Brett Lord. Brawlin' Brett. The self-proclaimed, "King of Comic Shops," he's number one with the bullet, he's a power pack! Our former warehouse manager, Brett left us about a year ago to work at a dude ranch in Kansas City. Unsatisfied with the dudes, he returns to ToW to rise like the lovely phoenix that he is. Brett will contribute to our newsletters and other content soon after nesting at his new perch in the front office. He tells me that he plans to "bring the sexy back" to the newsletters, and I, for one, couldn't be more pleased (he's actually going to talk about comics!). Anyway, I wanted to give him a befitting intro because we're VERY happy to have Brett back. He's one of the first members of the ToW family and it's cool to have one of the originals back with us. Welcome back, Brett! All the best, Andy email: andy at talesofwonder.com "Boogaloo dudes... Brett, carry the news" -- David Bowie

New Releases 4/4 - Graphic Novels DC * Absolute Batman The Long Halloween HC: $52.49 * Showcase Presents Legion Of Super-Heroes Vol 1 TP: $11.89 * Batman Detective TP: $10.49 * Jonah Hex Vol 2 Guns Of Vengeance TP: $9.09 * Sgt Rock The Prophecy TP: $12.59 * American Splendor Another Day TP (Mature Readers): $10.49 Marvel * Ultimate Spider-Man Clone Saga Premiere HC: $20.99 * Essential Spider-Man Vol 8 : $11.89 * Alpha Flight Classic Vol 1 TP : $17.49 * Wolverine Origins Vol 1 Born In Blood TP : $9.79 * Spider-Girl Vol 8 Duty Calls Digest TP : $5.59 * Dark Tower Gunslinger Born #3 (Of 7): $3.99 Other * Blue Beetle Companion SC : $13.59 * Uncle Scrooge #364: $5.99 * Walt Disneys Comics & Stories #679: $5.99 * Alter Ego #67 : $5.59 * Spawn Collection Vol 3 TP: $23.99 * Cross Bronx Vol 1 TP (Mature Readers): $13.59 * Witchblade Vol 3 TP : $7.99 * Reiko The Zombie Shop Vol 6 TP: $10.39 * How To Create Comics From Script To Print TP New Ptg: $15.99

New Releases 4/4 - Statues

Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Han Solo on Tauntaun Statue - $131.99 Han Solo rode majestic Tauntauns on the frozen world of Hoth while patroling the surrounding area of the Rebel Alliance Echo Base. This statue re-creates the moment when Han mounted a Tauntaun to search for his lost friend, Luke Skywalker. Gentle Giant brings this memorable scene to life in this masterful piece that stands 13' tall and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Batman Black And White Statue By Matt Wagner - $44.99 Sculpted by Paul Harding. Certain to be another sought-after addition to DC Direct's collection of Batman: Black & White statues, this original creation designed by Matt Wagner presents his unique vision of the Caped Crusader. Painted in monochromatic tones, this limited-edition statue reflects the mood of BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE VOL. 1 and 2, the stunning collections of short stories by award-winning talent. The statue measures approximately 7.5' tall x 5' wide x 3.75' deep. It features a logo-shaped base and is packaged in a black-and-white box.

Spider-Man Sinister 6 Spider-Man Med Statue - $63.79 A Diamond Select Release! With Peter Parker unmasked to the world, you can bet his enemies will be gunning for him - especially the deadly Sinister Six! Fifth in this ongoing series, this 8' Jeff Feligno sculpt captures the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler as he surveys the skyline - ready for anything! Display individually or with the companion pieces to recreate one of Spider-Man's most challenging battles! Limited to 2,500 pieces, each statue features a hand-numbered base with matching box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Marvel Origins Hulk Statue - $56.29 A Diamond Select Release! Bruce Banner put his life on the line to save a young teen from deadly Gamma radiation and was transformed into the Incredible Hulk! Now this key moment in Marvel history can be yours with the 9' Marvel Origins Hulk statue! Sculpted by Greg Millington and limited to 2,500 pieces, this statue features a hand-numbered base with matching box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Marvel Milestones X-Men 3 Phoenix Rising Statue - $149.29 A Diamond Select Release! Sculpted by Gentle Giant! Fresh from the blockbuster sensation X-Men: The Last Stand comes this massive twelve inch statue of Jean Grey's return! Featuring scanned likenesses of X3 stars Famke Janssen and James Marsden, the beautifully rendered statue recreates this key scene from the film and brings Phoenix and Cyclops right into your home. Sculpted by Gentle Giant Studios and limited to 1,000 pieces, this statue features a hand-numbered base with matching box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Marvel Heroes & Villains Bookends - $187.49 A Diamond Select Release! An Art Asylum Design and Sculpt! Now the greatest heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe can be added to your collection with these impressive bookends! Featuring the very best (and worst) the Marvel Universe has to offer, these seven inch bookends feature a unique Art Asylum design sure to catch the eye. Limited to 1,000 pieces, each bookend features a hand-numbered base with matching box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Spider-Man 3 Black Spider-Man Bust - $44.99 A Diamond Select Release! A Gentle Giant Design and Sculpt! Peter Parker is in for the battle of his life in the biggest movie of the summer - Spider-Man 3! Featuring the wise-cracking wall-crawler's new black costume, this six-inch bust was sculpted by Gentle Giant using the latest in digital scanning technology. Limited to 5,000 pieces, each bust features a hand-numbered base with matching box and Certificate of Authenticity.

New Releases Full Description - Graphic Novels

Absolute Batman The Long Halloween HC - $52.49 ABSOLUTE BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN Written by Jeph Loeb. Art and cover by Tim Sale. Don't miss the latest ABSOLUTE EDITION from DC, collecting the landmark, award-winning 13-issue miniseries written by Jeph Loeb (BATMAN: HUSH) with art by Tim Sale (SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS)! As the Dark Knight struggles to find an elusive, mysterious serial killer who strikes only on holidays, he discovers no shortage of suspects in a Gotham City beset by mobsters and freakish costumed criminals, any one of whom could be his prey. This volume includes a host of extras, including an interview with Loeb and Sale, a section on the LONG HALLOWEEN action figure line, and a look at the series proposal, plus sketches by Sale! Also, this edition will feature a 4-page sequence cut from the original miniseries and previously released only in script/breakdown format! 8.25' x 12.5', 400 pg, FC.

Showcase Presents Legion Of Super-Heroes Vol 1 TP - $11.89 Written by Jerry Siegel, Otto Binder, Edmond Hamilton and various. Art by Curt Swan, George Papp, John Forte and various. Cover by Swan & Stan Kaye. A massive black-and-white volume collecting classic tales of the Legionnaires, from ADVENTURE COMICS #247, 267, 282, 290, 293, and 300-328, ACTION COMICS #267, 276, 287 and 289, SUPERBOY #86, 89, 98 and 117, SUPERMAN 147, SUPERMAN ANNUAL #4, and SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN#72 and 76! 552 pg, B&W.

Batman Detective TP - $10.49 Written by Paul Dini and Royal McGraw. Art by J.H. Williams III, Don Kramer, Joe Benitez and others. Cover by Simone Bianchi. Don't miss this all-new collection of mystery stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #821-826 written by Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series)! The Dark Knight faces the Riddler, the Penguin and Poison Ivy as well as brand-new villains while pushing himself to the limit to solve crimes. 144 pg, FC.

Jonah Hex Vol 2 Guns Of Vengeance TP - $9.09 Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti. Art by Luke Ross, Paul Gulacy and various. Cover by Ross. The bloody Western adventures of Jonah Hex continue in this volume collecting issues #7-12 of the acclaimed series! Hex dodges bullets, rights wrongs and courts death in these lushly illustrated tales! 144 pg, FC.

Sgt Rock The Prophecy TP - $12.59 Written by Joe Kubert. Art and cover by Kubert. Renowned comics icon Joe Kubert returns to the legendary military unit he made famous in this action-packed tale based on a true story! Collecting the acclaimed 6-issue miniseries, this volume has Rock and his company of hard-bitten veterans in the No Man's Land of the Balkans searching for a religious prize that could decide the outcome of World War II! 144 pg, FC.

American Splendor Another Day TP (Mature Readers) - $10.49 Written by Harvey Pekar. Cover by Dean Haspiel. Art by Haspiel, Eddie Campbell, Ty Templeton and others. Harvey Pekar returns to celebrate 30 years of autobiographical comics with his newest volume collecting the 4-issue acclaimed miniseries. 136 pg, B&W.

Ultimate Spider-Man Clone Saga Premiere HC - $20.99 Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS. Pencils & Cover by MARK BAGLEY. THE FIRST-EVER ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN PREMIERE HC! As Peter Parker tries to sort out his relationship with the X-Men's Kitty Pryde - and continue his friendship with Mary Jane - a mall-food-court lunch turns into a free-for-all as Peter and MJ are interrupted by the debut of…the Ultimate Scorpion! But who is the Scorpion - and what sinister conspiracy is threatening Spider-Man's very existence? The clues have been laid over the past 96 issues…and it all starts to come together here, as we begin the most shocking, most mind-blowing Spider-Man story ever published! Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #97-105 and MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS/MARK BAGLEY, plus extras. 288 PGS.

Essential Spider-Man Vol 8 - $11.89 Written by LEN WEIN, BILL MANTLO, MARV WOLFMAN, ARCHIE GOODWIN & STAN LEE Penciled by ROSS ANDRU, MIKE ESPOSITO, DAVE HUNT, FRANK GIACOIA, JIM MOONEY, TONY DEZUNIGA, SAL BUSCEMA, ROSS ANDRU, DON PERLIN & LARRY LIEBER. Cover by ROSS ANDRU. Spider-Man is as amazing as ever against adversarial alumni like the Lizard and the Kingpin, as well as up-and-coming enemies such as Stegron and Jigsaw - with the lesser-known larcenies of the Big Wheel and the Spider-Squad to fill his spare time! Featuring the first appearances of Rocket Racer and Will O 'the Wisp! Forgotten chapters from the Green Goblin legacy and the Clone Saga! Spider-Man's origin and Peter Parker's college graduation! And J. Jonah Jameson at his best and worst! Guest-starring the Punisher, Nova the Human Rocket, the Human Torch and the X-Men! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #161-185 and ANNUAL #11, GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN #6, and NOVA #12. 512 PGS.

Alpha Flight Classic Vol 1 TP - $17.49 Written by JOHN BYRNE. Pencils & Cover by JOHN BYRNE. Guardian! Shaman! Snowbird! Aurora! Northstar! Puck! Marrina! Sasquatch! Exploding from the pages of X-MEN, Alpha Flight goes solo! Canada's premier super human strike force, Alpha Flight was brought together by Department H for the greater good of humankind, to battle injustice and evil forces across the globe - including the Master of the World, Tundra, Kolomaq, Deadly Ernest and Delphine Courtney! Featuring cameos by the Sub-Mariner, Invisible Woman, Wolverine and Nightcrawler! Collecting ALPHA FLIGHT #1-8. 224 PGS.

Wolverine Origins Vol 1 Born In Blood TP - $9.79 Written by DANIEL WAY. Penciled by STEVE DILLON. Cover by JOE QUESADA. Picking up where HOUSE OF M and WOLVERINE: ORIGINS & ENDINGS left off! Armed with the one thing that could kill him, as well as key clues to his very existence, Logan embarks on the first leg of a long and bloody quest for vengeance against those who once enslaved him. No longer feeling the need to play it quiet, Logan's first strike elicits a Condition Critical response from the U.S. government. With no other choice, they drop their bomb - and you won't believe who it is! When Logan hits D.C., someone's going to be waiting for him. Collecting WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #1-5. 128 PGS.

Spider-Girl Vol 8 Duty Calls Digest TP - $5.59 Written by TOM DEFALCO. Penciled by PAT OLLIFFE. Cover by PAT OLLIFFE. Wall-crawling gets crowded when a new Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider swing into action, and the one true web-slinger joins Spider-Girl to clear up the costumed clonery! Plus: One of Spider-Girl's longtime foes meets his doom, prompting his family into vengeful action! And introducing the MC-2 incarnation of the New Warriors! Collecting SPIDER-GIRL #39-44. 144 PGS.

Dark Tower Gunslinger Born #3 (Of 7) - $3.99 Creative and Executive Director STEPHEN KING. Written by PETER DAVID & ROBIN FURTH. Art and Cover by JAE LEE & RICHARD ISANOVE. Young Roland Deschain and friends have fled for the city of Hambry, as their home in Gilead is now too dangerous. But, once there, Roland learns to his horror that he is no safer. Hambry's leaders have switched allegiance and the assassins known as the Big Coffin Hunters have marked Roland and company for death! Plus articles and bonus features galore! 48 PGS.

Blue Beetle Companion SC - $13.59 The Blue Beetle debuted in 1939, rivaling such icons as Superman and Batman for longevity in comics. Now with his resurrection in DC Comics' hit Infinite Crisis series, Comic Book Artist magazine's Christopher Irving decides to explore the history and uncover the secrets of the character. Follow his 60 + years of evolution, from the world of Fox Comics to an in-depth history of Charlton Comics, to the hall of today's DC Comics. Plus, an in-depth look at the Blue Beetle radio show and Jack 'King' Kirby's Blue Beetle comic strip. Also, the first appearance of Blue Beetle from Mystery Men Comics #1!

Uncle Scrooge #364 - $5.99 by Various. In Carl Barks' 'Case of the Sticky Money,' Scrooge's money vanishes while the Beagle Boys get richer! Three Easter-themed Scrooge adventures wrap the book: in Lars Jensen's 'The Nest Egg,' McSwine cons Scrooge into building an egg-shaped money bin. In Pat McGreal's 'Scrambled Eggs,' Scrooge chases a lost Fibbergee egg. And in Al Hubbard's 'The Egg and Why?' a hungry hen swallows Scrooge's Number One Dime!

Walt Disneys Comics & Stories #679 - $5.99 by Various. Daan Jippes turns Donald into 'An Easter Basketcase,' then has the Junior Woodchucks defending a petrified sequoia in 'Coal Black and the Three Ducklings.' Next come two strange tales of weird science: Mickey's battle with artificial intelligence in Noel Van Horn's 'Faulty Circuits,' and in Janet Gilbert's 'Sit-Down Strike!'Donald is transformed into an armchair. William Van Horn's Big Bad Wolf wraps the book.

Alter Ego #67 - $5.59 This issue of Alter Ego focuses on Bob Oksner, the guy who drew it all! The artist of Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Angel and the Ape, Leave It to Binky, Jerry Lewis, and many Silver Age DC covers talks about his life and times to Jim Amash. Plus, art and artifacts by Shelly Mayer, Irwin Hasen, Lee Elias, C.C. Beck, Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Julie Schwartz, and many more! Also, there's FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) with Marc Swayze, C.C. Beck, and others, Michael T. Gilbert and Mr. Monster, and a great Oksner cover featuring many of his most renowned heroes! Edited by Roy Thomas.

Spawn Collection Vol 3 TP - $23.99 Story TODD MCFARLANE. Art TODD MCFARLANE, GREG CAPULLO & TONY DANIELS. Cover TODD MCFARLANE. TODD MCFARLANE & GREG CAPULLO art and story! Spawn, the archetypal anti-hero, featured in pivotal confrontations with The Violator, The Freak, Cy-gor, and The Curse. Complete your SPAWN library! Twenty issues of pulse-pounding sequentials, containing issues 34-54 of the SPAWN comic! COLLECTS SPAWN #34-54. 480 PAGES, FC.

Cross Bronx Vol 1 TP (Mature Readers) - $13.59 CROSS BRONX follows Detective Rapheal Aponte in the Bronx as he investigates a mysterious gang slaying that quickly brings him face to face with the supernatural in the form of a beautiful ghost named Santaria. Taking out her revenge on the city, Santaria challenges Aponte's faith in the law as it clashes with his faith in God - or lack of it. Collects CROSS BRONX #1-4

Witchblade Vol 3 TP - $7.99 This is the story of Sara Pezzini, a New York street Detective, and how she came to wield the most powerful artifact in the universe… the Witchblade! Her journey will take you through the murder-filled alleys of New York to the highest towers of society as a supernatural war is waged within her own soul.

Reiko The Zombie Shop Vol 6 TP - $10.39 The rip and slash horror action gets nastier in this installment of Reiko the Zombie Shop! This time Reiko faces off against a cabal of new superzombies brought together by a mysterious new necromancer, a young man with the power to rob Reiko of her 'gift' and who may be the greatest threat she's ever faced! Part Sixth Sense and part Evil Dead-the ultra-violent, comical, and disturbing manga Reiko the Zombie Shop has been resurrected stateside and translated into English in its original format for the first time. Don't miss out on the series that took Japanese readers by the throat and made them scream for more!

How To Create Comics From Script To Print TP New Ptg - $15.99 Before Stormbringer, before the Beast Wars, before even Generation One, there was... The War Within. Four million years before the TRANSFORMERS came to Earth, civil war rocks their home world of CYBERTRON, and OPTIMUS PRIME faces his first-and greatest-challenge. But before he can deal with the Decepticons, the new Autobot leader must look within... and decide if CYBERTRON is worth saving at all! If you think you know the TRANSFRORMERS... think again! IDW is proud to present an all-new collection of this long-out-of-print tale from the TRANSFORMERS' past.

April Advance Orders The April advance order products are now available for preorder (credit cards aren't charged until release): -- April Graphic Novels -- April Statues and Busts Marvel-ous Graphic Novels Sale! Bowen Blowout Sale! Weta Kong & Narnia Statue Liquidation Free Shipping Free shipping for book orders over $99. Tales of Wonder Gift Certificates Give the gift of Wonder - gift certificates to buy comic book merchandise. Visit our newsletter archive to see the online version of this newsletter.