Batman Automobilia Collection launches in January

A new fortnightly series, Batman Automobilia Collection, launches in the UK in January from Eaglemoss, which distributors Comag say will offer Batman fans and car model enthusiasts alike the chance to collect the most iconic vehicles ever driven by the DC Comics hero.

Aimed at predominantly at men aged 16 and over the 80 part work series will feature Batmobiles from the hit TV shows, blockbusting films and more than 70 years of comics, from its first appearance in Detective Comics No.27 in May 1939 to The Dark Knight Rises film in 2012.

The Batmobile has gone through numerous incarnations, but has always been an innovative and inspirational vehicle for fans of the Caped Crusader. With weapons, gadgets and special abilities, it is almost a character in its own right in the stories for some, and its appearance is eagerly anticipated whenever a new one is designed.

Every issue will carry a superb quality die-cast model of a Batmobile in a Perspex display box with a lenticular background. In addition to the Batmobile, each issue will carry a 12-page magazine that describes that particular version of the vehicle.

On sale for a month, issue No.1 of Batman Automobilia Collection is on sale 2nd January 2013 at the introductory price of £2.99 and will carry a Batmobile from the 1989 film Batman. Issue No.2 will be on sale 17/01/13 priced £5.99, with a model of the vehicle from the 1966 TV series. Issue No.3 will be on sale 31/01/13 at the regular price of £9.99, featuring the Batmobile from the 2005 film Batman Begins. Issue No.4, on sale 14/02/12, will have the car from 1995’s Batman Forever.

Comag says the magazine will be supported by a staggering £1 million media campaign across TV, e-mail, online marketing and social media - imagine that kind of budget for The Phoenix or 2000AD...

Ebay auction in aid of comics writer Jake Black

Friends of comic feature writer Jake Black (who is one of the main writers for Britain's DC Figurine Collection magazine, and also wrote some features for me back in my Titan Magazine days) are running a charity auction on eBay to help raise some money for the bills he's had during a recent fight with cancer (which he won, by the way, which is great news).


This is the first of ten auctions of some amazingly limited edition figurines (each featuring different characters) and all money made in the auction will go to Jake.

The first figurine on offer is the original grey cast of Teen Titan Donna Troy (originally presented in DC Comics Super Hero Collection #22). These grey casts are the first to be taken by the original sculptor and are used for the first part of the extensive approval process Eaglemoss go through with DC Comics. 

To date only a handful have been given away as gifts/prizes and the grey cast of Donna Troy has never been released to the world, so this is your chance to own a figurine that's not just collectable, but ultra-collectable - something eBayers clearly already appreciate, as the bidding for Donna currently stands at £82, all of which has left DC Figurine editor Alan Cowsill, who has organised these auctions, rather stunned!

The figurine will be accompanied a copy of the DCSHC Donna Troy issue, signed by the editorial and design team.

Jake Black is a published comics author and one of the main writers for the DC Comics Super Hero Collection. He has been with the series since the beginning and wrote the main features for the Donna Troy issue.

Alan tells us several more figurines will be released over the coming weeks - check out the auctions being offered by this eBay seller for new auctions.

• Check out the Donna Troy auction on eBay at: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280535117160