Friday, July 27, 2012

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1st

I was a little upset at some of the graphic content appearing in Saga, without any kind of mature readers label, but now Image is giving us Black Kiss 2. This is one of the comics that started the whole need for a Comic Legal Defense Fund in the first place!! Will it be poly-bagged like the first time around, or can any kid who comes in the store just flip through it at their leisure?
Marvel plays it safe however with another Hawkeye regular? series, and First X-Men. Lost tales of an  unknown group from before Prof. X put together his first team. Neal Adams is working with a proven writer this time(Christos Gage) so it should be a lot more coherent than Batman Odyssey was.
Peter Parker #156.1 is a retro-fit story, the first of a weekly set of revival comics celebrating Spidys 50th anniversary.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY JULY 25th

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URGENT SHIPPING UPDATE ON BATMAN INCORPORATED #3
Out of respect for the victims and families in Aurora, Colorado DC Entertainment has made the decision to postpone the release of BATMAN INCORPORATED #3 for one month because the comic contains content that may be perceived as insensitive in light of recent events. We request that retailers do not make this issue available as previously solicited. Its new on sale date is August 22, 2012.
This includes all versions of BATMAN INCORPORATED #3, previously set to go on sale 7/25 .

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Archie comics jumps on the 99% bandwagon with a special issue featuring a great Jill Thompson cover.
Mad magazine puts out a special ALL Batman issue full of some of the stuff they've done over the last 50 years or so.
Marvel decides we don't have enough X-Men titles, so they relaunch an old one, X-Treme X-Men. It sounds a lot more like the old Exiles book though.

National Comics is an anthology type book that will feature single stories updating classic characters. Up first, is Kid Eternity by Jeff Lemire. Also from Jeff Lemire, is the official release of Underwater Welder. I've had a ton of pre-orders on this one( I've increased my order 3 times), and if there aren't any on the table when you get here, just wait a week and more will be coming in.

For the kids, another batch of those great DC Pets books arrive. I still can't believe they did one with Swamp Thing!
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Friday, July 13, 2012

SALE TIME

Well it's that time of year again when I need to call on your help to clean out my basement.
I have way too much stock building up and that's good for you bargain hunters out there.
Tomorrow, SATURDAY the 14th looks like it should be a nice day(if a little on the hot side), so I will be putting a few tables full of bargain priced books out front of the store.
There will be hundreds of Marvel collections priced to sell, only
 $5.00 a piece for paperbacks and $10.00 a piece for hrdcvrs.,
That's more than 50% off, and closer to 70% off in some cases. Some are stocked in depth but most are the last of their kind, and Marvel has taken them out of print.
If this sale goes over well, and weather permits, I will continue with more books next week, and add a huge pile of DC paperbacks to the mix.



Thursday, July 12, 2012

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY - JULY 18th

Well the NEW Captain Marvel starts this week( a few months ahead of the BIG Marvel relaunch), hopefully she'll make a big enough impression that people will come back for her actual first appearance which came in THIS week in Avenging Spider-Man #9.
IDW continues to combine ALL their franchise characters into team-up books as they launch
Danger Girl/G.I. Joe #1.
DC continues to prove their marketing genius, as they ship a preview book for Batman Earth One. A hardcover book that shipped 2 weeks ago and I'm still waiting for re-orders to be filled on it.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Anthologies!



It's great to see so many anthologies on comic store shelves recently. With last month's launch of Creator-Owned Heroes (Image), three of the four top-selling comic companies are currently publishing a regular anthology series - only Marvel is the outlier. With so many titles, there is enough range in talent, content and style to appeal to pretty near any reader.


Dark Horse Presents

Only one year old for the newly-revived print edition (following 36 digital issues on MySpace), DHP is proving to be a powerhouse for comic talent and new properties. Harlan Ellison, Fiona Staples, Steve Niles, Neal Adams, John Layman, Sam Keith, Francesco Francavilla, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Brian Wood...the list goes on and on and on. This monthly series edited by Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson is great value for the money at $8 for a minimum of 80 pages. It features a mix of serialized and singles stories, established characters and franchises - such as Concrete, Hellboy, and Criminal Macabre - as well as new stories and characters.

Each issue of this title covers a range of genres. It's been a great testing ground for new ideas such as Resident Alien and Carla Speed McNeil's Finder: Third World, as well as serving as the launch pad for new DH series, like Brian Wood's new eco-thriller, The Massive. You'll even find the occasional prose story.

While some of the serialized stories are being collected into one-shots worth picking up for those of you who aren't reading this series regularly (*ahem* Resident Alien and Skeleton Key), much of the material can only be found within these covers. Plus Richardson's introductions (often insightful, always interesting) are one of the reasons I like picking up this book.


Mystery in Space (Vertigo)

"This one-shot anthology is loaded with unsettling short stories that will hijack your imagination and take you to strange, mysterious places. Journey to the edge of the abyss with Michael Allred! Plus: Broken hearts will be cryogenically frozen, a zero-gravity menage รก trois will be compromised by aliens, and solar systems will spiral out of control when top comics talents and exciting newcomers collide!

Eighty pages of solid sci-fi, this is Vertigo's latest instalment to their recently launched bi-annual anthology series. Last year, they published one sci-fi and one horror book - Strange Adventures and The Unexpected respectively - both excellent. When Strange Adventures was released, there were many reviews comparing it to Dark Horse Presents, but they are two entirely different beasts in my opinion. Vertigo's are one-shot issues packed with standalone stories that play within one of the two genres. Each entry so far has proven its worth both in content and talent. Mike Allred, Kyle Baker, Andy Diggle, Ann Nocenti, Robert Rodi, Ming Doyle, Duane Swierczynski, Davide Gianfelice, Michael Wm. Kaluta are just a few of the top caliber names you'll find in this issue of Mystery in Space.




Creator-Owned Heroes (Image) issue #1

"AMERICAN MUSCLE, Part One by STEVE NILES & KEVIN MELLON

 The world ended a long time ago. How it happened exactly and what exists in the wasteland have always been a mystery. Now Chloe, Gil and a gang of rebels have escaped the last human stronghold and are blazing across Post-Apocalypse America in search of paradise.

TRIGGERGIRL 6, Part One, by JIMMY PALMIOTTI, JUSTIN GRAY & PHIL NOTO In this sci-fi thriller, the sixth in a series of genetically modified assassins born in a secret laboratory sets her sights on the ultimate target. But what happens when the perfect killing machine takes a personal interest in her target only to uncover a conspiracy that may change the fate of the entire human race? 


PLUS! An interview with NEIL GAIMAN! Triggergirl cosplay! Con photos! And original articles all celebrating the creator-owned spirit of independence!"

One part comic, book one part magazine. "These days, some comics can be read in a few minutes and without letters page, they're a quick read for your money," writes Jimmy Palmiotti in his editorial. So he, Justin and Steve have embarked on a mission to provide readers with a more value-for-your-money comic experience.

This is not something new. In addition to Marvel reintroducing letters pages to some books, the Ed Brubaker and Steve Phillips Criminal and Incognito series have included essays and long editorials that provide additional minutes of reading pleasure. It's too early for me to have an opinion on the two strips in Creator-Owned. But after taking in most of the first issue, including the non-strip material in the back half of the book, I must say it's a fascinating read. I'll be curious to see how long Jimmy and Justin can keep it up.

The first issue also includes interviews with Neil Gaiman, rambling columns by Palmiotti, Gray and Niles, backstage information on the cover design, and even some convention and cosplay photos. Everything a comic geek could ask for. Cover-to-cover fun.


One part comic, book one part magazine. Jimmie Palmiotti's editorial pretty much captures what these guys are trying to nail with this maga-comic.


I haven't yet got around to reading the second issue (which is on shelves now, it's too early to have an opinion on the two strips. But based on the first issue, including the non-strip material in the back half of the book, I must say it's a fascinating read. I'll be curious to see how long Jimmy and Justin can keep it up.


The first issue also includes interviews with Neil Gaiman and Niles, rambling writing by Palmiotti and Gray, and backstage details on the cover design. Most comics fans will be entertained from cover to cover.

Friday, July 6, 2012

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY - JULY 11th

Adventure Time is such a huge hit, its getting a spin-off. Then again, so is Chew, as Agent Poyo gets his own mini-series.
The new Valiant invasion continues with Bloodshot #1. I've been really impresssed with all the
Valiants so far.
Another blast from the past as goth hero, the Crow, returns.

A new Vertigo mini-series starts called Punk Rock Jesus. The title pretty much says it all.
Same can be said with Space Punisher.
Transformers Generation One, picks up where the classic Transformers left off 20+ years ago at Marvel.
Darwyn Cooke fans will snap up the newest installment of Richard Stark's Parker

Revival is a new twist on the zombie story as the plague hits one small town over one day and the story deals more with the aftermath. Its by the Hack/Slash guy Tim Seeley.
I doubt its a coincidence that it arrives the same day as Walking Dead #100.
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