Your Comic Book News and Commentary for Friday 6/26/09

I apologize for getting the article up on a Saturday, real life got in the way yesterday. Here we go!

Harris Comics, best known for the character Vampirella, asks Do You Beleive in $1.99 Comics? this week with the announcement of a new, reduced price Vampirella mini-series launching in September. Comics are extremely expensive these days, and Harris is hoping that it’s lower point will expant the fanbase of a once popular character. Vampirella comics have always been cheesy T&A fests, but in the best, B-movie way possible. I know I’ll give the series a chance!

All good things must come to an end. In this month’s “Previews” catalog for September shipping comics, it was revealed that J. Michael Straczynski’s Eisner-nominated run on Marvel Comics Thor is coming to an end. This is a damn shame, because Thor is currently one of my favorite comics on the market. Straczynski moved Thor from a Thee and Thou relic of the silver age to a modern character that was actually interesting and fresh again. This departure was rumored earlier this year, when it was reported that an upcoming Marvel crossover event will be an “assault on Asgard,” which apparently he wanted nothing to do with. JMS’ departure will occur in a 64-page “Thor: Defining Moments Giant-Size”  one-shot by Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic.