Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.
Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Written by Neil Gaiman Art by Andy Kubert
Promo copy:
Best-selling author Neil Gaiman (The Sandman) joins a murderer’s row of talented artists in lending his unique touch to the Batman mythos for this Deluxe Edition hardcover! Spotlighting the story "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" from Batman #685 and Detective Comics #852, Gaiman joins artist Andy Kubert and inker Scott Williams for a story that shines a new light on the Batman mythos. Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? also collects Gaiman stories from Secret Origins #36, Secret Origins Special #1, and Batman Black And White #2. This collection is not to be missed!
Promo copy:
Nerdy high school senior Danny has spent six hundred bucks on the hotel room, the limo and the tux for his prom. He’s only missing one thing – the girl. Hampered by well intentioned but clueless advice from his newly divorced parents and unsympathetic mocking from his best friends, Danny battles peer pressure, teen angst and his own raging hormones as he desperately searches for a prom date. Danny’s luckless quest turns to panic when he learns that even Bart – the school’s biggest dweeb – has secured not only a date but also a hotel room for the night.
Madame Xanadu: Disenchanted Written by Matt Wagner Art by Amy Reeder Hadley
Promo copy:
Legendary creator Matt Wagner (MAGE, GRENDEL, SUPERMAN/BATMAN/WONDER WOMAN: TRINITY) and rising star artist Amy Reeder Hadley, present Vertigo’s newest ongoing fantasy epic MADAM XANADU.
Centuries long and around the far reaches of the globe, her tale winds before the ageless fortuneteller, whose powers of sight can change the course of human events.
As the mysterious past of Madam Xanadu is slowly unraveled, Wagner takes us on a journey throughout her history, from a medieval kingdom beset by foul sorcery to the court of Kublai Khan. Eventually Madam Xanadu returns to Europe as mystic advisor to Marie Antoinette, and as political tensions begin to boil, the Phantom Stranger makes his return. This time he seeks to kick-start the revolution and ensures that Paris’s streets run red – a blood sacrifice that will keep certain demonic forces at bay.
Readers will also be happy to discover that the fan-favorite character Death from THE SANDMAN makes a special appearances Madam Xanadu wagers her immortality in a game of chance against.
One of the most underutilized characters in the DCU, it’s nice to see this intriguing character getting her own magazine.