Updates and News: Incognito Variant Cover, Call for Brubaker Interview Questions.

In my last post, I noted an uncertain future for the paperback crime imprint Hard Case Crime. That future is beginning to brighten: along with reprinting the relevant newsletter email from publisher Charles Ardai, The Violent World of Parker highlighted the news that Subterranean Press will be publishing the first HCC hardcover, scheduled to be published in the first half of next year. The book will collect two early Lawrence Block novels, printed back-to-back: this 69th book in the line wasn't announced earlier and is proof that the imprint still has some life in it.

(The site, devoted to the Richard Stark's brutal creation Parker, also reported that the University of Chicago Press has secured the publishing rights for the Parker books up through Firebreak. That's the twentieth book of the series, and the U of C press will publish books 16, 17, and 18 this March. Fans of Criminal and Darwyn Cooke's Parker adaptations should definitely look into these trade paperbacks.)

While Hard Case Crime fans will have to wait a while for the next release, the wait has finally ended for the conclusion to the first arc for Stumptown, a detective comic that deliberately evokes shows like The Rockford Files. The fourth issue was released just last week, just over four months after the publication of issue #3. Over at his blog, writer Greg Rucka -- Brubaker's co-writer on Gotham Central -- announced that this sort of delay won't be repeated. Subsequent story arcs won't be solicited until it's clear that the entire arc can be released on time.



Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Incognito will also see a short delay. On Twitter, Brubaker relayed that the release has been pushed back from the original release date of September 15th. Marvel.com currently lists the release date as October 6th.

The "apocalyptic pulp noir" is definitely on its way. Starting in late August and throughout September, Sean Phillips has been posting plenty of work from Incognito on his blog, including thumbnails, pencils, and completed inks.

Most interesting is the artwork featured here, what has been announced as a variant cover for the first issue of Incognito: Bad Influences. I believe this is the first variant cover for any Brubaker and Phillips collaboration, not counting the second printing for the debut issue of Incognito, and Brubaker explains that it is "a nod" to the title's pulp origins. The cover is featured in a 1:10 variant edition, offered to retailers at the same price as the regular edition.



Finally, Brubaker recently publicized an opportunity to submit questions for an upcoming Word Balloon podcast with John Siuntres. The deadline for questions is this Monday evening.


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