The March 2010 edition of Previews from Diamond Comic Distributors is now on sale, so it’s time to order the 40th anniversary edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Since 1970, the Guide has been the Bible of collectors and helped define the back issue market.

Features in Overstreet #40 include a special look at Conan #1 (which also debuted in 1970, the Guide’s first year), The Comics of 1970 (What else happened that year?), the Most Amazing List of Variants Ever, new additions to The Overstreet Hall of Fame, and more.

It is scheduled to go on sale July 21, 2010 and celebrates its 40th anniversary with two fantastic covers. You can find them both listed in the Comics section under Gemstone Publishing. Both are available in softcover and hardcover editions.

"As usual, the hardcover editions will be printed fairly close to initial orders," said J.C. Vaughn, Gemstone’s Associate Publisher. "So consumers and retailers should keep that in mind."

Reaction to both cover images has been superb so far, Vaughn said.

"With artists like Mark Chiarello and Darwyn Cooke, it would be hard to go wrong," he said.

BATMAN
By Mark Chiarello

Known for his inspired Star Wars images and innovative work covering the history of the Negro Leagues, Mark Chiarello has illustrated covers for Vertigo’s Terminal City, Jonny Double and The Crusaders, Marvel’s Wolverine and The Many Armors of Iron Man, and DC’s Vigilante, among other projects.

His long association with Batman includes covers for the Two-Face: Year One mini-series and both the cover and interiors on the highly-praised graphic novel Batman/Houdini: The Devil’s Workshop.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
By Darwyn Cooke

Known for his fluid art style and highly respected storytelling skills, Darwyn Cooke won an Eisner Award for Best Limited Series and a Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist for his work on DC: The New Frontier.

In 2009, he won further acclaim (and a very impressive amount of mainstream media coverage) for his graphic novel adaptation of the classic Donald Westlake – Richard Stark novel The Hunter, featuring the character Parker. The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Entertainment Weekly were just a few of the outlets to recognize his efforts.

Chiarello and Cooke joins the ranks of Guide cover artists that include Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Carl Barks, Bill Ward, Wally Wood, Alex Schomburg, Norman Mingo, C.C. Beck, Jerry Robinson, Murphy Anderson, Carmine Infantino, Joe Simon, Tony Harris, John K. Snyder III, Alex Ross, George Pérez, Mark Sparacio, Jim Lee and Billy Tucci, among others.