Marvel is pleased to announce that WOLVERINE #73 has sold out at Diamond (though copies may still be available at retail level) and will return with WOLVERINE #73 Second Printing Variant!

In the first of two stories which conclude in WOLVERINE #74, Jason Aaron, who was recently named one of Marvel's "Write Stuff '09" writers, and artist Adam Kubert deliver a fast-paced story of non-stop action, mysterious women, and evil bad guys, and that's just one day! In the second story, the fan favorite creative team of Daniel Way and Tommy Lee Edwards prepare for a shocking change by presenting the prelude to the all new ongoing DARK WOLVERINE! Logan makes his way back to San Francisco, but it isn't his style to quietly sit around! Don't miss the powerful interior art of Adam Kubert on the cover of this second printing variant!

Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on all WOLVERINE issues, as the series continues to generate immediate sell-outs. What happens to Logan before the title's stunning change to DARK WOLVERINE? Be sure to catch all the carnage and mayhem in WOLVERINE #73 and #74!

WOLVERINE #73 SECOND PRINTING VARIANT (APR098064)
Written by JASON AARON & DANIEL WAY
Penciled by ADAM KUBERT & TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
Cover by ADAM KUBERT
Parental Advisory…$2.99
FOC -- 5/28, On-Sale -- 6/17/09

No SCALPED in August. It's taking a month off so we can try and get back on schedule. Sorry for the delay, but hopefully "The Gnawing" will prove to be worth the wait.


GHOST RIDERS: HEAVEN'S ON FIRE #1 (of 6)
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by ROLAND BOSCHI
Cover & Variant Cover by JAE LEE
The acclaimed GHOST RIDER run of writer Jason Aaron reaches its fever-pitched conclusion with six more issues of insanity, all jam-packed with new villains, old allies and the same old grindhouse action that Flamehead fans have come to know and love. The renegade angel Zadkiel is out to thwart Biblical prophecy by assassinating a young boy bred by Satanists to rule the world, so if Ghost Riders Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch are going to save the world, they'll first have to save the Anti-Christ. Guest-starring Hellstorm, the Son of Satan.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99



WOLVERINE WEAPON X #4
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils & Cover by RON GARNEY
50/50 Cover by ADI GRANOV
70th Frame Variant by DAVID FINCH
“THE ADAMANTIUM MEN”
The red-hot, sold-out "Adamantium Men" storyline continues! Wolverine is intent on bringing down the evil corporation Blackguard, one executive at a time if he has to, but when he finally comes face-to-face with the man at the top, he finds the soldiers of Strikeforce X waiting for him, laser-claws and all. Can you say SNIKT? Part 4 (of 5)
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99



DARK X-MEN: THE BEGINNING #3 (of 3)
Written by PAUL CORNELL, JASON AARON & OTHERS
Penciled by HUMBERTO RAMOS, JOCK & OTHERS
Cover by JAE LEE
The conclusion to the anthology that illustrates the conception of the Dark X-Men. If you’re reading UTOPIA and think you know the whole story, think again. In this issue, Emma Frost convinces Namor to join the team. And learn where Professor X fits into UTOPIA. Also, witness the first Marvel Comic with art by JOCK (Losers, Green Arrow: Year One)!
40 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99


GHOST RIDER: THE LAST STAND TPB
Written by JASON AARON
Penciled by TAN ENG HUAT
Cover by MARC SILVERSTRI
Yes, true believer, the rumors are true... Danny Ketch is back! But whose side is the former Ghost Rider on, and what familiar faces has he brought with him to the party? And who just got shot in the head with a hellfire shotgun? For those answers, plus more than your daily-recommended dose of supernatural action, don't miss the team-up you never imagined and the showdown that had to happen!
Collecting GHOST RIDER #26-32.
168 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3175-5
FOC - 7/9, On-Sale 07/29/2009

That was interesting. I've never done anything like that before. Sat in a big room full of people and talked and talked and talked about comics for three days. Don't know that I was ready for it at first, honestly, but by the end I felt like I was able to make a contribution. Sometimes things went super fast, other times points were belabored. Loeb gave me a lot of shit, which I took in stride, and turns out he's a sweetheart. Loved meeting him. Fraction cried a few times, which was kind of pathetic, but what are you gonna do? All in all, I was really excited about all the new books we talked about and that my WOLVERINE ideas survived without being ripped apart or shot down. Excelsior!

Opening day of the Marvel retreat was apparently pretty mellow by retreat standards. If that's the case, I can't wait to see it when it gets truly contentious. Found out about a cool new gig today. Also saw a bunch of kick-ass pages from the upcoming IMMORTAL WEAPONS one-shot. Tomorrow things kick into high gear.

I've been invited to Marvel's big editorial retreat for the first time this week. I'll try to post some photos and updates here as we go along, as well as on twitter:

https://twitter.com/jasonaaron

If I'm not back in a week, somebody send the Alabama National Guard.

Shaper of flesh, mistress of gristle and bone. Coming soon to the pages of GHOST RIDER #35. Art by Tony Moore.

SCALPED #31
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by RM Guera
Cover by Jock
FBI Agent Nitz finally has what he's dreamed about for years: an eyewitness who can put Chief Red Crow away for murder. Unfortunately, the only thing standing in his way just happens to be his own undercover agent, Dash Bad Horse. Part two of the pivotal new arc "The Gnawing" offers more surprises and plenty more bloodshed.
On sale July 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS




IMMORTAL WEAPONS #1 (of 5)
Written by JASON AARON & DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by MICO SUAYAN & TRAVEL FOREMAN
Cover and Variant Cover by DAVID AJA
Out of the pages of IMMORTAL IRON FIST! Jason Aaron (WOLVERINE) and Mico Suayan (MOON KNIGHT) plus an all-star roster of guest artists kick off IMMORTAL WEAPONS in this double-sized issue!
Fat Cobra! No man has fought more heartily, consumed more mightily, or lived life more fully! Fat Cobra! Master of the sumo thunder stomp and the devil’s skullcrusher! Fat Cobra! Immortal Weapon from the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven! But to this day, no man has known the story of Fat Cobra’s life...including the Cobra himself! Discover the shocking origins of this boisterous brawler and witness his decades of adventure!
Meanwhile, Danny Rand embarks on his own mission of search and adventure, in a special bonus story by IMMORTAL IRON FIST writer Duane Swierczynski running through all five IMMORTAL WEAPONS issues!




GHOST RIDER: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS TPB
Written by JASON AARON & SIMON SPURRIER
Penciled by TONY MOORE & MARK ROBINSON
Cover by MARK TEXEIRA
Hit the highway with four stories starring the Spirit(s) of Vengeance! The all-new Caretaker struggles to pick up the pieces of her life, but the mad-dog man-mountain called the Deacon has other plans. Plus: Caretaker leads a special guided tour of the long sordid history of the Spirit of Vengeance in America. Learn the legend of the Highwayman, the hellbilly terror of the hammer lane — a former trucker who was cursed by the devil and now drives a mystical black rig, preying on the souls of anyone foolish enough to drive his highways. See what happens when Johnny Blaze tries to get away from it all in a sleepy fishing village in Japan, where the locals have some demons of their own. And welcome to Mercy, Idaho, a small town in the hills with more than its fair share of secrets: a winged terror that haunts the woods; an irresistible pull on the desperate and the suicidal; and now a stranger on a low-slung chopper, with fire in his eyes. For Johnny Blaze, searching for a way to wage war against heaven itself, the frozen forests of Mercy might just provide a path through the Pearly Gates. Collects GHOST RIDER #33-#35 & ANNUAL #2.
120 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$12.99

Latour is a good friend and great conversationalist, in addition to being one hell of an artist and writer (though he does have rather poor taste in sports franchises). Look for his upcoming Southern fried crime series LOOSE ENDS from Image. This kick-ass SCALPED piece is from his blog.