THE NEW COMICS ARE HERE!!!

I don't care what the other websites say!!

The new comics for this week are in today on Wednesday as usual. I've already had about a dozen calls from customers asking if the new comics are in, and a few who even acted like I was lying to them when I said yes. Even one of my distributors called me this morning and was surprised I was busy working on the new delivery.

The only holiday that will effect the delivery schedule this year is Canada Day, and that's only because the holiday is actually on the Wednesday.

Its a pretty big week too, with a great mix of titles. As an added incentive to come in on this rainy day, I've put out a stack of Marvel Masterworcks hrdcvrs on the front table, on sale for only $35.00 each.

WEDNESDAY MAY 27th

Dark Horse Comics first hit the big time back in the '90s with Aliens #1, time to try it again.

If the Free Comic Day entry was any sign, it should do well.

DC gives us another Final Crisis Aftermath, Ink #1, this time centered on the new Tatooed Man who came to Black Lightning's rescue in Final Crisis. This was probably one of the best Final Crisis One-shots , so I'm looking forward to this one.

Is Batman Alive? Read the Gotham Gazette #1 to find out.(I'm betting its just Dick).

The Hood seemed like just a petty crook with a gimmick, until Bendis got his hands on him. Dark Reign Hood #1 could actually be interesting to see what he has in mind for him. (Don't confuse it with Muppet Robin Hood also out this week,they're very similiar books :))

(Hey when I put a smiley face in a bracket it looks like I have 2 chins! Oh yeah, never mind.)

Last Days of Animal Man seems to be set in the future, and the title gives us all the description we need. I remember when the original Animal Man series first started, and was amazed at the number of Marvel regulars who picked it up. Might have just been the Bolland covers though. Good thing Bolland is doing the covers again.

Check out the shipping list at the on-line store for the rest of this weeks books.

FREE COMIC DAY WRAP-UP

Yeah I know this seems pretty late, but it always takes a while to wind down from these events.

I still have to set up a date for the anniversary sale sometime in June.

Free Comic Day seems to get busier every year, which is kind of the point. There was a bit of a line-up, so I had to open a little earlier than planned.

It was great to see so many new faces, and a ton of youg kids, some even in costume.

Even with pre-bagging the freebies, it was still kind of hectic, and that was inside the store. The 10cent sale outside drew a huge crowd that continued through the day(until the weather got a little rainy). Still managed to sell more than 3,000 comics though.

We still have some free comics left over, and as in previous years will give away different ones each week as we work through the leftovers making up assortments to donate to school fun fairs and charity events.

DMZ

Written by Brian Wood;
Art by Wood and Riccardo Burchielli; Cover by Wood

From indie comics icon Brian Wood (Demo, Channel Zero, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) and up-and-coming Italian artist Riccardo Burchielli (John Doe) comes DMZ, the series about the ultimate embedded war journalist trapped in a most unlikely war zone: the streets of New York City.
In the near future, America's worst nightmare has come true. With military adventurism overseas bogging down the Army and National Guard, the U.S. government mistakenly neglects the very real threat of anti-establishment militias scattered across the 50 states. Like a sleeping giant, Middle America rises up and violently pushes its way to the shining seas, coming to a standstill at the line in the sand — Manhattan or, as the world now knows it, the DMZ.
Matty Roth, a naive young man and aspiring photojournalist, lands a dream gig following a veteran war journalist into the heart of the DMZ. Things soon go terribly wrong, and Matty finds himself lost and alone in a world he's only seen on television. There, he is faced with a choice: try to find a way off the island, or make his career with an assignment most journalists would kill for. But can he survive in a war zone long enough to report the truth?



A truly brilliant story and wonderful art pull you in and won't let go.


A movie desperately needs to be made of this series, if you could keep idiots from referencing Escape From New York when they talk about it.


Brian Wood also writes the excellent series Northlanders, another story about manVS.manVS environment...only 1000 years earlier.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

Its no news to regular comic fans that this Saturday May 2nd is Free Comic Book Day. But FCBD http://www.freecomicbookday.com/ is not about regular comic fans. Sure its a chance to pick up a couple of free books that may interest you, and most shops that participate in the event hold some sort of sale that day.

But the main purpose is to promote the comic book art form to those who may not be as enlightened as the rest of us.

Tell as many friends as possible. Anyone with kids in your social circle should definitely be brought into the loop. Help spread the word that comics are still around, they are great entertainment value, and fun and educational at the same time.

I will be encouraging as many customers as possible to read the Free comics they get this Saturday, and then pass them along to someone else. Maybe just leaving one behind on the TTC on your way home, could bring one more customer into a comic store with a craving for these funnybooks we all love so much.

At Comics & More,the giveaway will be handled a little differently this year. In years past, I simply put stacks of the various comics out for people to pick through and choose the ones that interested them.

The problem was the confusion, and mess this caused in the store.

This year, all the comics I'm giving out have been randomly bundled into grab bags(in 3 age appropriate categories), and as customers leave the store, they get one of these bags to take with them.

Sure some people may not like all the selections in their bag(each bag should have 5-6 comics), but from experience, most people show up in groups, sometimes with up to a dozen kids in tow. It should add a little to the fun, getting kids to look through their bags and trade amongst themselves after they leave the store.

I think a big part of the hobby that has been lost over the years is the actual collecting and trading among friends. This randomness to the giveaway may encourage more of that.

Plus I can add stuff other than comics to the bags. Most will have a Wolverine poster(promoting the movie) as well as assorted loose packs of various superhero and gaming cards.

Aside from the Free comics, if the weather permits, I will have some tables of

10/$1.00 comics outside, and the bargain table at the front of the store will be loaded with paperback and hardcovers at up to 70% off. At the back of the store will be a table loaded with all-ages appropriate books at 20% off cover price.

MARCH PREVIEWS -MARVEL

Time to look at some of the stuff from the March Previews, due to arrive in May.

Marvel seems to be going with a new strategy of shipping a crap load of new first issues in the first week of each month. That is, new comics in the sense that they are being newly printed not that they are new or original ideas. For instance, bringing back the title New Mutants, for what seems to be the 3rd or 4th time. Same characters, same old story(Legion is back), its just surprising not to see a Bill Seinkiewicz cover, although Alex Ross does a pretty fair imitation.

Also, since Planet Hulk was a huge hit, why not do it again, only with Hulk's son Skaar. This comic comes complete with a mysterious blanked out character on the cover, so you know its going to be full of suspense. Will the first meeting of Hulk and his son result in a battle that splits the earth in two? I'm betting not.






Marvel continues their 70th anniversary specials with a Human Torch issue. These actually look pretty good, although the cover made me think Iron Man was on fire. Paying an extra buck for a 10 page back-up reprint at least feels right in a case like this where the idea is to celebrate the history of the character.
You know, for characters that don't even have an on-going title, the Young Avengers sure get a lot of play time during these crossover events.

There are 2 books that actually do impress me with a certain amount of originality, despite being knock-off DC ideas. Lockjaw and the pet Avengers is basically a Marvel version of the Legion of Super-Pets, but if DC doesn't have the brains to properly market ideas like that, then I can't blame Marvel for jumping in and stealing it. For an idea of what the DC super pets comic could be like, check out any recent issue of Tiny Titans.
Spider-Man the Short Halloween is written by a couple of Saturday Night live regulars as a one-shot special. Why a Halloween Special in May? Will Marvel fans even get the pun of the title? Who knows, but its drawn by Kevin Maguire who's well known for a more comedic style that should fit this book perfectly.
Lets see if I can actually get around to looking at some DC titles and the rest of the catalog before the month runs out.

AFTER WATCHMEN

Someone at the "big two" is finally thinking ahead. D.C. Comics has just announced a great program to capitalize on the Watchmen movie fever. I've already seen a swell of interest in other Alan Moore projects from many new readers who invariably ask, "after reading Watchmen what should I try next". D.C. comics will be answering this question by releasing 5 specially priced $1.00 comics, each one the first issue of a popular series of stories or collections.

The first of course is none other than Saga of the Swamp Thing #21, which introduced us all to the talented Mr. Moore.

Due to arrive on March 11th, this is a great introduction to the Saga of the Swamp Thing hardcover collections, the first of which was just released earlier this month. The following weeks will give us Transmetropolitan #1, Planetary #1, Preacher #1, and Identity Crisis #1, all for only $1.00 each.

As a bonus, the first Wednesday of March, I will be putting out copies of Fables #1 special and Sandman #1 special for only 50 cents each. And to further encourage new readers, a special promotional price will be offered in store on any volume 1 paperbacks connected to these special issues.

Even if you already have these great titles, this is an excellent opportunity to pick up some great reading for friends of yours who've read your copy of Watchmen and bugged you for something more.