NEW COMICS - WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5th

Pretty decent week coming up with a fair number of first issues.

First off are 2 new titles by one of my favourite writers, Christos Gage. I know he's not one of the big names, and most people are saying"huh" right about now, due to the fact he's never been on a regular title, at least for long. He has done work for pretty much every publisher and a few of these House of M minis though, as well as a run of Wildstorm issues, and always delivers a solid story with well paced action.

His new Avataar series is Absolution, set in one of those "if powers existed in the real world" type stories. The lead character is a powered police officer who crosses the line. As a writer for TV crime shows such as Law and Order, you can expect Gage will deliver a believable story here.

Speaking of powers crossing the line, Mark Waid's Irredeemable has been selling out since the first issue. If you've missed it, here's you chance to jump in as the first collection arrives at the bargain price of $10.99. Plus if you like what you see, issue #5 arrives for only a buck.

Jason Aaron has been pulling in new readers on Ghost Rider for months now, and it looks like Marvel has decided to give new readers a fresh start by cancelling the regular book and restarting it as a series of mini-series. Its a dumb stunt that could end up losing the momentum the title has built. Then again this could be a great little story for people who've been avoiding jumping into a title mid-stream. With both Ghost Riders and Hellstorm thrown in for a little extra "fire" power, saving the Anti-Christ should be a cinch.

Doom Patrol gets yet another relaunch. This book has had what seems like a dozen incarnations over the years, with its last relaunch just a few years ago. This time they have 2 things going for them though, and that's Keith Giffen and the Metal Men. The Metal Men are another quirky group that's had their fair share of restarts, but if anyone can make these two teams work, it's Giffen. It only helps that he has two great artists to work with as well. Mathew Clark draws some beautiful super people and delivers some of his best on Doom Patrol, and Maguire is the perfect fit for the Metal Men.

J. Micheal Straczynski starts his relaunch of the Red Circle(Archie) characters with the Hangman. Others to follow will include the Shield and the Fly. A few have already been popping up in the backgrounds and crowd scenes of some regular DC titles the last few months, but these one-shots will be the official intro-origins of the nearly forgotten super-heroes.

Captain America is still lost in time in the 2nd issue of Reborn. Sales on the first issue were actually a tad stronger than I was expecting and continues to sell well off the shelf a month later. Lets see how the hype of the first issue stands up, the killing Hitler cover can't hurt.

And to all those parents who thought they were done with Bone when the final volume shipped earlier this year, here's the Rose solo story done in the same format as the rest of the series.
The gorgeous artwork by Charles Vess makes it worth every penny.

Lots more coming , check out the on-line store for the rest.

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY- JULY 29TH

WOW! July is really going out with a wimper.

Not a bad week overall with some great reading from both the majors and smaller publishers, but not a heck of a lot to shout about. I can usually fill up a nice sized post just talking up the new first issues, but not this time.

Sure theres the Kid Colt one-shot from Marvel, and another Muppet Show mini-series kicks off, but there seems to be more series wrapping up than beginning. And the Dark Reign Goblin Legacy is basically a disguised reprint cashing in on the dark Reign event.

The 3rd and final issue of Blackest Night Tales of the Corps(the titles take longer to read than the book sometimes) arrives. This has been a great little introduction to the new colour cast added to the Lantern mythos, and reads well on its own but adds mostly to the reading experience of the Blackest Night title. Probably why the three issues shipped weekly to fit between issue 1 and 2 of the main book.

Marvel Zombies wraps up their 4th mini, but the story continues in the main Marvel Universe as Deadpool is already teaming up with his Zombie counterpart(at least his head) in the Deadpool Merc with a Mouth series.

The Millar Fantastic Four run wraps up with the finale of the Doom's master story. There was a lot of hype on this book when first announced, and despite some pretty solid sales, it never really felt like anything special. Heck the last issue doesn't even have any Hitch art other than the cover(although I love Stuart Immonen's stuff).

Ultimatum finally brings to a close the Ultimate Universe. Or at least that was the original story. Of course now we know that it continues with at least 3 titles restarting soon.

In fact, the Ultimate Spider-Man story seems to pick up right where it left off(if you ignore the devestation in the background).

As usual, you can check out the rest of next weeks list at:

http://shop.comicsnmore.ca/online/index.php?cPath=381&osCsid=419b0f202e472ce9204ea8d6c4f217e7

DRIVER WANTED

With my regular driver going on holidays for a few weeks, I find myself in need of someone to help me get the new comics to the store on Wednesdays.
A reliable driver with a mid-size or larger vehicle, available for a couple hours on Wednesday mornings from about 5:30-7:30 a.m.
The 3 Wednesdays would be JULY 29th, August 5th and August12th.
Anyone who thinks they would be able to help on any or all of these dates, contact me soon.
Aside from my gratitude, and being able to pick out your comics a couple hours before most stores are even open, you will receive a store credit with a temporary employee discount attached.

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY - JULY 22nd

A nice balanced week this time around with a good mix of stuff. No big first issue really but the anniversary issues make up for it.


Both Hulk and Amazing Spider-Man hit the big 600 at the same time, which seems strange when you figure how much earlier Spidy started and the fact that he's been shipping 3 times a month for the last year or so. Multiple covers for both of these should help them sell brisk even with the hefty price tags. The Spider-Man is over 100 pages though, and NO reprint material. Thats a heck of a deal for under $6.00, plus a new story by Stan the man himself.
The Hulk #600 is not as good a deal with a Savage She-Hulk back-up and a reprint of Jeph Loeb's Hulk Gray #1 included. Still, it features Spidy trying to track down the mystery identity of the Red Hulk.

Also this week is another of Vertigo's great buck book reprints. This time its
100 Bullets #1, which will include previews of the new Vertigo hardcover crime library. These books will be smaller sized(roughly paperback novel)
and in black and white. Of the first 2 volumes, one is a new Constantine murder mystery and the other is a story by Brian Azzarello about an ex-football star who finds himself drawn into the underworld of sex, drugs and rock and roll, while playing the part of lapdog to a spoiled rich girl.

Another Halo min-series comes our way, and I have to hope that with Peter David scripting this time, the book may actually finish in under 3 years.

Also in the better late than never department, we finally see the last issue of the Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds mini. Granted its only a half year late, but considering it ties into the relaunch of the new Adventure Comics and the return of Superboy
it'll be a welcome read.

Check out the on-line store for the rest of the weeks offerings, including the new (now in colour) Lenore vol.2 #1.

Also a couple of $1.00 paperback specials available to on-line orders only, for a limited time.

http://shop.comicsnmore.ca/online/

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY- JULY 15th

Well it looks like DC has the first big hit of 2009 with Wednesday comics. Despite placing a huge order(about double Dark X-Men numbers), I was totally sold out here by about 4:00 on Wednesday. A quick re-order has confirmed that more copies are on the way(probably on the 22nd) so if you missed out don't worry, you'll just have to hold on to an issue #2,#3 until you can read them all together.

Speaking of which, due to the nature of a weekly comic shipping schedule, it could well be issue 3or4 before stores are adequately supplied with Wednesday Comics. If you picked up the #1 and want to make sure to get the second issue on the 15th, put in an order with the store before Tuesday at 6:00. An on-line order gets filled faster but even an e-mail or phone call is better than just hoping there'll still be some on the shelf when you get here.

Wednesday Comics #1 sold even faster than Green Lantern #43, which is a direct lead in to the Blackest Night #1 arriving this week. This event looks to be story of the summer with even the tie-in comics being pre-ordered heavily. Just which heroes and villains will rise from the dead to fight on the side of the Black Lanterns? G.L. #43 gave us some hints as Black Hand runs down a mental list of the fallen from recent stories. P.S. don't forget to ask for your free Black Lantern ring with issue #1.

A couple more of the buck issue specials arrive on the 15th, the Batman #608 is the first issue of the excellent Hush storyline by Jim Lee and Jeff Loeb. If you haven't read the two volume set, it is a great read as well as beautifully illustrated.

Of more note is the Fables #1 Special. More than just the first issue of the amazing fantasy series, this reprint will include sample work from the Peter and Max hardcover coming in October. This book is a new Fables story done in hardcover as an illustrated novel (not a graphic novel). Its a little different from your standard comic stuff, but looks to be a fantastic story. Orders will be a lot lower on this than regular Fables comics, so anyone interested should grab a copy of this preview and let me know if its something you want to pre-order.

Peter Davids Fallen Angel series restarts after a short break with a special guest star. Illyria, from Joss Whedon's Angel series arrives in Bette Noir, but for a team-up, or a knock-down fight?

I also want to mention 2 great collections arriving. Preacher, Garth Ennis' irreverent story of a backwoods preacher who gains the "word of God", is given the deluxe hardcover treatment. Dark humour at its finest, this one isn't for everyone, but it is certainly one of my all-time favourites.

If you haven't given Madame Xanadu a try yet, do yourself a favour and pick up the first paperback. It's not only an amazing deal with a whopping 10 issues for under $17.00, but it is a great introduction to a classic character that has been a part of the DC universe for over 2 decades (mostly behind the scenes). Matt Wagner blends fantasy, history and mystery beautifully, and gives us a look at how this enchanting mystic has influenced the DC universe from its earliest days. All this and the Phantom Stranger (another DC mystery staple) too.

Check out the on-line store for these and the other great books coming next week.
http://shop.comicsnmore.ca/online/index.php?cPath=379&osCsid=a4522bb92dc2bc19f19482c51414959e

NEW COMICS - WEDNESDAY JULY 8TH

Back to Wednesday delivery this week, with a lot smaller delivery, but still some choice books.
The big book of the week,(and it is big, 4 times the size of a standard comic), is the newest entry in DC's weekly comics. Aptly named Wednesday comics, it's meant as an homage to the old tabloid sized newspaper comics strips that used to come with your paper every Sunday.
Each issue unfolds to a massive 14"x20", with each of the 16 pages featuring a different strip by an all-star line-up of talent.
Where else will you ever get the likes of Kyle Baker, Walt Simonson,Brian Azzarello,Amanda Conner, and Neil Gaiman, along with dozens more, all in 1 comic.
The Superman image on the cover is practically screaming, BUY THIS COMIC!!!
DC also gives us 2 more great buck books this week as they reprint All-Star Superman #1 and Tom Strong #1. Both are great choices, and most of you will already have them, but pick up a few and pass them on to friends or co-workers. It'll be the best couple bucks you ever spent.

The Dark Reign X-Men story continues as we get to see Normans "evil" version of the mutant team. I've really been impressed with the whole Dark Reign thing so far. It's mostly been the complete opposite of the traditional Marvel mega-event. You know the type where its basically 6-7 issues of heroes fighting heroes in senseless battles that amount to nothing in the end.
But the dark Reign stuff has been a little more character oriented so far as we see the logic behind the villians and the lengths they'll go to in an effort to screw each other over.


100 Bullets vol. 13 finally arrives, and completes the epic 100 issue run of one of Vertigos finest series. And I get some shelf copies of The Nobody to sell. After replacing the advance copies Jeff generously volunteered for the signing last Thursday, I should have a half dozen or so on the racks.
Almost forgot to mention Green Lantern #43, the opening chapter of the Blackest Night event. The first of the Black Lanterns is "born".

Great week all around, check out the rest or reserve your copies at,
http://shop.comicsnmore.ca/online/index.php?cPath=378&osCsid=a797606e5d5042dcc22ed09092a6d322

NEW COMICS - THURSDAY JULY 2nd

Due to the holiday Wednesday, new comics will not arrive until Thursday this week. Along with the excellent new Vertigo hrdcvr THE NOBODY, by the talented Jeff Lemire, here's some other
stuff to look forward to.

The Batman Reborn launch has been a huge success with every one of the first issues selling out almost instantly. The first was the Batman and Robin series by Morrison and Quitely, and issue 2 ships this week. I'm still a little worried about how well the non-Morrison issues will sell, but there's still a month(or more) before we have to worry.

Speaking of Reborn, Captain America Reborn #1 arrives Thursday as well. To be honest the whole Quesada news release thing fell pretty flat, but there could be some unexpected sales to the general public because of it.

Mostly I still expect it to sell out with all the regular Cap buyers picking it up, with a few curious lapsed readers and anniversary issue collectors to snap up whats left.

Deadpool gets a 2nd regular comic starting this week, with the unwieldy title of Deadpool Merc with a Mouth. Well technically there's 2 mouths involved, as Deadpool gets his hands on the severed head of his zombie counterpart.

I know he has a movie coming out next year, and his regular series is selling great, but Marvel really has to learn that spinning off characters into multiple titles just results in lower sales all around.

A while back, DC comics came up with the idea of re-releasing the first issue of popular long running titles for a dollar. A nice cheap way of introducing people to some of the great books they've put out over the years, with an eye to leading into paperback sales.

At the same time, the Vertigo division of DC has been starting off new mature titles with dollar issues to encourage you to try out new stuff.

A great idea that I support enthusiastically, it really paid off with Unwritten #1, as I sold roughly 10 times my normal numbers for a Vertigo first issue.

The only problem is when schedules run together and we end up getting 3 of these specials all in the same shipment. Not really a big problem, because as I said, they are only $1.00 each. It would just be a lot easier for me to promote them to full advantage if they would show up a week or so apart.

Greek Street #1 boasts a modern retelling of classic Greek tales full of murder, incest, oracles, Kings and Gods. Peter Milligan excells at this kind of thing and its about time he came back with a new Vertigo title. I just wish the previews they ran in the comics recently gave us a better look at the actual story rather than just bio type stuff on the characters.

The 2 reprints are Y-the Last Man and Green Lantern Rebirth. The latter is obvious as the Green Lantern Blackest Night event starts off this month, and the Y #1 is probably meant to promote the deluxe hardcover collections.

To see what else is coming, check the on-line store

http://shop.comicsnmore.ca/online/index.php?cPath=21

and don't forget that artist/writer Jeff Lemire will be in-store from 4-6 on Thursday to personally sign copies of his book. This is an advance signing as regular shipping of the book won't be for another week, and copies are limited. If you haven't already spoken to me about reserving a copy, phone or e-mail me quick. The on-line store orders at this point are set for July 8th delivery.