I’m working on the July monthly order and found a solicitation that blew me away. Now, I’m fairly jaded when it comes to comics. (shush, I hear that sarcastic “No… you?” from the peanut gallery.)
Here is the solicitation for Final Crisis Issue 4, “How to Murder the Earth!”:
“It’s one month after the Anti-Life Equation was released worldwide. Millions now toil as slaves of Darkside, while the Justifier shock troops of Apokolips lay waste to planet Earth and hunt down its protectors.
The remaining free humans and superheroes are stationed around the world, besieged within the walls of ten very familiar ‘Watchtowers’, as they fight a desperate, losing battle against the triumphant forces of evil.
While Green Arrow and Black Canary attempt to deliver the secret of humanity’s last hope across America’s blasted wastelands, the Outsiders brave the horrors of the Bludhaven bunker in search of Batman. The ultimate battle is coming… but which heroes will become villain - and vice versa? And what part do the Secret Society have to play in the dawning of this new Age of Evil? Darkness is falling and death rules the day. Id this truly the end of the Age of Super Heroes?”
Holy Cats!! That has me really interested in what is coming in this book and only an issue away.
Related to this, Rogues Revenge (which came out last week) was actually pretty good (minus the art from Scott Kollins, who I swear has forgotten how to draw since he was on Flash.) The book is about how the Rouges (the name of Flash’s main slew of villains) feel regret about what happened to Bart Allen, when they were tricked into killing him and ending his ‘run’ as Flash. They are seeking revenge on what this act caused them. Geoff Johns is writing it and his run is widely regarded one of the best the book has ever seen. The main Flash book has taken a hard hit of late. The stories, though not the worst thing I’m reading, are not great. I’ve been reading The Flash for nearly twenty years and have a collection that spans nearly forty, so, I know my Flash. Johns knows this character and this book shows it. I highly recommend this title and any of the trades Johns wrote.
This is also a sign that not only is Final Crisis looking really good, but its “crossovers” are of a higher quality too. Granted, this doesn’t let Dan Didio off the hook for the last two years of DC sucking.
Did anyone see a movie this weekend? Bat-something-or-other?
I saw Hellboy. It was awesome. Go see it. End of review.
I found a disturbing write up about a religious group attacking a comic themed Barbie Doll. The article, from Newsarama, quotes a British religious group attacking the Black Canary Barbie as “filth.” Read the story and the response from artist Amanda Conner here: www.newsarama.com/comics/080718-BCBarbie.html Normally, I would just blow off idiots (religious or otherwise) who are attacking what they don’t have a clue about or don’t have any information on. It’s more, for them, all about attacking anything risqué. However, this type of thing reminds me that we all must stay vigilant with our comics and support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Though this is “just a Barbie” next it could be your comics. Remember, comics have been banned in Des Moines once before (hell, was that ever actually lifted?) and comics have always been an easy target for those with an agenda. Know your comics, get the right comics into the right hands and fight for your comics. This subject is a much longer write-up then I am willing to get into today, but just be aware that there are those out there who do not want you reading what you are reading… for many reasons. So, make a donation to the CBLDF and let someone borrow your copy of Preacher and know it irritates someone somewhere. he he he.
I was looking around on my internet machine for some interesting tid-bits to let you in on or give you a link to and I could find nary a thing. It probably means most of the big info or releases are being held for San Diego’s Comic Con, which will be held in a few weeks. I would love to go out to that some day… but, as with every year, not this one.
I hope you all made it out to see Hellboy this weekend. I did not, and hope to go sometime this week (old people don’t like to brave the crowds.) A good friend of mine saw it and said it was better then the first and a very well made film. He added the budget for this film is smaller then the first, but looks better. Hey, though, Del Torro is in the director’s chair, of course it would be good. Pardon my geeky nerding out here for a second, but, I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE HOBBIT!!
Speaking of very nerdy… I did come across something I found beyond the normal lines of nerdiness on line. The Upright Citizen’s Brigade (an LA comedy troupe) held an event called the Tournament of Nerds. It’s a March Madness style bracketed tournament pitting superheroes and pop culture “icons” against each other. A true “who would win in a fight” tournament. Like, Hulk versus Jason Voorhees, Batman versus Snake Eyes and Wonder Woman versus the Terminator… yep, nerdiest thing EVER!! but I found I could not pull my eyes away from the article and even was “rezoning” in my head why Hulk would TOTALLY smash Jason. I guess a leopard and spots and whathaveyou. You can find the full article here: www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17185 Just know what you are getting into before venturing into it. I’m taking the tape off my glasses and removing the pocket protector as we speak.
Here are a few reviews for you from last week.
Action Comics #867, the second part of the Brainiac storyline, is showing again why, though he seems to NEED his “stamp” (a la John Byrne) on a story he has written, Geoff Johns is a hell of a good writer and Gary Frank, who is laying down some hellishly good pencils, is one of the best in the biz. The story is re-writing the character Brainiac and making him really rather creepy. Though we don’t know the full what’s and why’s, we have seen “him” or at least robots doing a bunch of menacing Brainiac stuff, including stealing the bottled city of Kandor from Krypton. We are being told the Brainiac’s from Superman’s past are… oh, that would be telling to much. Superman is a hard character to get right; many a writer has tried and failed. However, it is this team’s run that is making it look so easy. Superman is both Clark Kent and Superman. How he acts and looks, you believe that people can’t tell the difference. Very refreshing.
I thought issue four of Secret Invasion was OK, but I think I’m more interested in Final Crisis at this point in their development. That is also to say I’m interested in seeing how they both turn out, but I really don’t like how they’re trying to force you to read all these other titles to find out what the hell is going on in the actual main book. I don’t know how many SI additional issues I have needed (it has been a lot), but there has been one for Final Crisis and It’s Final Crisis Requiem (though you don’t even NEED it.) The book is about the final moments of Martian Manhunter’s fight against Libra and the subsequent fall out. The book was strongly put together with Peter Tomasi doing the writing and Doug Mahnke providing some really fine art skills. It is kind of like Final Crisis #1.5.
I’m going to rail on you for not reading some good Dark Horse books, but then it wouldn’t be a Weekly E-mail if I didn’t then, would it? The Goon #26 is the best Goon issue in a year (or more) and one of the 10 best books on the market. I get more issues in this week and it’s a great jumping on place. Oh, and BPRD is back with it’s continuing storyline… and it’s freaking awesome! The new storyline, The Warning, picks up right where Killing Ground left off. This book has been so good for several years now. I can not recommend it enough, especially if you are looking for something slightly different.
Reminder, no comics until Thursday this week.
However, if you would like to stop by on Wednesday, we’ll make it worth your while. All trades are on sale that day in what we would like to call an Awesome Andy sale (Andy being the Mad Thinker’s square headed android who was most recently seen in She-Hulk. But you knew that.) Thing is we are already getting rid of some of our trades. Those with stickers on them are an additional 10% off (yes, some 85% off!! We are practically giving this sh-stuff away.) Everything without a sticker, 20% off. So, come and see us a day early.
A couple of bits of movie news. One I found this morning on Newsarama. The Goon is headed to the big screen as an animated feature! Everyone knows my love of The Goon. I’ve been reading it since it was self published. This is one of the best books on the racks and for once, they are going to get it an adaptation… with animation. Eric Powell is going to right the script and it will be CGI based. Well, God bless The Goon. Let’s just hope Peaches Valentine is going to appear. Or maybe that isn’t such a good idea.
Hellboy 2 comes out on Friday. Go see it. Guillermo del Toro is directing again (The Hobbit will be his next endeavor) and if the early stills and trailers are anything… wow! This looks better then any of the other comic movies coming out this summer. But, I’m biased. Hellboy is just damn cool and does not appear in a rubber bat suit.
Last week had a bunch of great reads (Fables, Walking Dead, Batman, Northlanders, that’s just a few) but one that has risen to the tops of my must read list is House of Mystery. I’m not really sure where it is going, I don’t really know what it’s about, but I like it, a lot. The basic story, so far, is that the House of Mystery is in some alternate dimension. Some can come and go, but some show up and can never leave. It’s like a stranger version of the “Hotel California.” There is a strange currency in the House of Mystery, stories, and this is what makes the comic so different. In every issue there is a multi-page story about… anything told by someone in the House’s “bar.” So far they have been of an awesome weirdness. Different artists will be seen and the range is going to be very diverse. This is a book for the uppity art crowd and Vertigo snobs, but most importantly, it’s for everyone who liked Sandman, Swamp Thing and currently love Fables. You might want to give it a try and if you didn’t get an issue number one, I should have a few more by the end of the week.
I want to point out a book that would probably only catch the eye of a select nitch of customers. Storming Paradise is from Wildstorm and is about an alternate history World War II landing of mainland Japan. Those who know their WW2 history, know the Allies were ready to invade Japan, but used the Atom bomb on Hiroshima and then again on Nagasaki and the Japanese capitulated. Much debate has been made as to the rightness or wrongness of those two acts and if they were posturing against the Soviets or actually a true and needed deterrent to continued fighting and eventual surrender for the Japanese. But what if The Bomb was never an option. Operation Olympic (the invasion plan’s code name) was a real war plan that was nearly used. Some historians theorize that as many as half a million American soldiers (some suggest it could have been much, much higher) could have died in such an invasion. Those numbers don’t even come close to the theoretical death toll of Japanese soldiers and civilians. Chuck Dixon is writing and Butch Guice is on art duties. The first issue is fantastic. It has elements of old school war comics with lots of (at least early on) less fleshed out citizen soldiers. This puts the main emphasis on the over all historical story not individual characters and I think (at least early on) is needed to get your head around an alternate history. This book was obviously designed for World War II history buffs, but after one issue, it’s good enough for a general readership too. Personally, I finished reading it and turned right around and read it again. I very rarely do that, so, this gets my highest recommendation.
Oh, and if you missed the best book that came out last week, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, I still have a few copies left. Richard Corben delivers some unbelievably creepy art (I don’t think he can do any other.) The story is less Hellboy mythology and more just damn good story telling that just happens to have a big red demon guy in it. It’s really very good, but then when has anything touched by Mignola not been? Even Cosmic Odyssey ruled!
A couple of business notes first.
This week we will be closed for much of Friday. One, we are getting a new sidewalk in front of the building and it would be a mess for parking and getting into the shop. The other is it’s somebody’s birthday or something.. no, no, don’t report me, It’s the fourth of July and we will be out blowing things up.
That leads me to the other note that for some reason The Fourth on a Friday will delay comics next week by a day. They will arrive on Thursday the 10th. I asked my Diamond rep about this and she said “…I don’t really know. I’ll send your complaint upstairs.” I know it has something to do with not getting everything packed and to UPS in time or UPS simply not getting it shipped on time… but, wouldn’t you think you would work a little extra to get it done and out on time? It again makes me question Diamond’s commitment to the industry it controls.
I have an apology. I have noticed a few messed up pulls lately. I’m not sure if I have had a problem with data not getting saved properly or what, but some adds and drops have been missed or deleted of late. Please don’t feel I’m doing this on purpose (especially you Chuck). This is some glitch and I think I have it fixed.
Found a strange bit of news on line this morning. Something related to 300. Frank Miller, though currently finishing The Spirit film, would like to do some form of a new 300 type story, either a prequel or sequel or spin-off and then Zack Snyder, who directed the film, would put it on the big screen. Now, if this rumor seems a little far fetched, it was reported in Variety, so there might be a little credence to it.
If you didn’t pick up issue two of Final Crisis because you were lost in issue one, you might want to give it a try. I was holding out full judgment until the second issue and I have to say I liked it more. It was more of a superhero comic, but with Grant Morrison at the helm, so it was… different.
Speaking of Morrison, Batman #678 is out this week. I can’t say enough about this book. I have over thirty years of Batman comics in my collection at home and have read them all. I have read some good and bad and really crappy Bat stories, but Morison’s run is up at the top.
First things first… Lets sell some books.
New stuff out this week includes a second printing of Sky Doll #1. I also have issues of number two still in the shop. This is a great read Marvel has imported from France. The art is FANTASTIC.
Also in is the trade of Umbrella Academy. This is my favorite book of the last year. If you didn’t get a chance to read it while it was coming out monthly, you should do yourself a favor and read it now.
Additionally, from Dark Horse is a restart of Conan, with a new cheap zero issue. I agree the book is not as good as it was before Kurt Buisek went off to DC to write on a weekly basis, but it is still pretty good. If you left, this would also be a great chance to try it out again and not pay to much to do so.
Captain America issue #39 is shipping, but all I’m going to say about that is you should have been on this book a LONG time ago.
For Vertigo people, a new book Madame Xanadu #1 is in. I’m not sure what to think of this. I was less impressed with the preview in the latest DMZ, but then I wasn’t impressed with the sneak peak they did of that book either and now it is at the top of my must read pile.
So… I don’t usually drop names of famous people, but last night I was at the shop working on orders and my cell phone rings. I’m in a grouchy mood and seeing a number I don’t recognize, I answer it with a gruff “hello.”
Turns out it isn’t a telemarketer, it’s Darick Robertson, artist of Transmetropolitan and The Boys (among other great books.) He was calling with concern for the shop and wondering how we were doing. If you weren’t with the shop a few years ago, Darick was in for an impromptu signing after that year’s I-Con. He was, as every artist we’ve had in the shop, great and we got him to the airport just in time to make his flight. You can see his drawing of Spider on the wall the next time you are in the shop.
It was a really nice gesture and want to point out how good a guy Darick is. He’s still got Boys coming out on a regular monthly basis and hell, it’s still pretty damn good and if you haven’t read Transmet, you need to. This is one of my all time favorite series and it wouldn’t have been the same without Darick doing the art. Darick, you rule.
Hmm, rough week at DC. If you haven’t heard, a lot of trouble is coming to a head in their offices. It all started with sales figures coming out and them being far below Marvel, then Chuck Dixon was let go and the blogs started reporting the rest.
Dixon was not real happy about the “not quitting” that happened and then added “don’t blame my editors. DC, currently, is run from the top down in a way that makes Jim Shooter’s aegis at Marvel look like a hippie commune. I’ve worked under tyrants and I can say that I’d prefer to work under a talented, knowledgeable tyrant with a successful plan than a directionless gladhander with a ouija board any day of the week.” (this was all posted on his blog Dixonverse.com)
It is pretty much a sure thing Dan Didio is going to be out as executive editor (editor in chief). It may not come for another year, but it IS coming. I will be the first to praise this move. I’ve read DC for a long time and I can not remember a worse period of leadership at that company.
There was an interesting blog post that looks at possible successors and “scores” them. Find it here: