Monthly Archive for May, 2008

The Week of May 26th

Published on May 28, 2008 in Comics. 0 Comments

BIG REMINDER

Comics ship a day late this week do to the fact Diamond and UPS don’t work on Memorial Day.

But I do.  Hard at work on the May Order, which is/was due today.  The reason I mention this is that the new previews book is in on Thursday and I sometimes get people mentioning the cool thing we had one time or another or if we could ever get that one crazy thing in for the whatever… the rambling I’m trying to make sound like some form of sense, is that you all should look threw previews.  You would be surprised at what you might find.  I can order nearly everything that is listed in that telephone book like tome.  It makes me happy when people get weird shit they really like.  See, it’s all about me making people happy.
Now, happy is not what Marvel has made me lately.  Their printing numbers and “sell-outs” are starting to get irritating to say the least.  Last week I mentioned I was mad at not being able to get more copies of Sky Doll or Invincible Iron Man in.  I extend this to DC with Batman #767 (the start of the RIP storyline).  I get it when you have one issue go nuts and you sell out.  This is the case with Sky Doll.  I didn’t have any idea it would do as well as it did, I’m guessing Marvel didn’t either.
This is not the same when it comes to starting a new series or storyline.
With Iron man, for an example, I tripled the orders of Invincible over the orders of Director of Shield for May.  That’s a pretty big increase.  I never guessed the movie would do as well as it did, the book sold out and I tried to reorder three days after it shipped.  No go, there was nothing available from the distributor.  Why?
That is my question, Why?  Did they – the producers of the Iron Man film – Marvel, not have enough faith in their own movie or their own comic to print enough extra to last even a week?
Batman, sold out before it even shipped.  I get that there will be reorders, but so many they don’t even make it to the ship date?  Is there a reason you wouldn’t want to have that book around through out the duration of the storyline?
It must be because they know they get a certain bump up in sales on a second or third printing?  If this is the case, what is the cost differential of just printing more in the first damn place?
Am I just a grouchy irritable retailer?  Yes, but…
Why have we not seen a second print of Sky Doll then?
It’s my contention that the publisher should take the burden off of the retailer and make comics returnable if they want us to order more to start with.  You may or may not know that I can NOT return my excess stock.  Now you know why I have to keep my walls as close to one or none left over and why I’m always trying to get you to put books on your hold list.)
The new DC book Trinity is returnable at the cost of a 10% restocking fee for all returned copies and if we order over a certain amount.  This is great and I upped my order over what I sold on Countdown 1 by 30%.  They get more books on the shelf and I get to send them back if I don’t sell them.  AWESOME.
It doesn’t change the fact that the publishers want a free ride (so to speak) by getting us to order with no guarantee of sales.  Oh, and I have to wait three weeks for a second print (if at all as many Marvel books never go back to press) on books I could be selling right now.
So… there is my rant on the industry this week.  I hope that explains some of the reasons I do certain things.  If you ever have any questions about retailing, ask me.

A great strategy.

Published on May 26, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

I was sent this by a friend and if you know me, you know where I stand on this guy and I’m not saying who you should vote for, I’m just saying this is a good campaign stop to try and get that young nerd vote.

Go get ‘em Barack.

https://i3.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/CCAN/images/Barack%20Obama%20is%20not%20superman.jpg

The Week of May 19th, 2008

Published on May 19, 2008 in Comics and Cons. 0 Comments

Reminder, books will be late by a day next week, due to the inability of Diamond or UPS to work… I mean because of Memorial Day.
That out of the way, the e-mail will be a little lighter this week as I’m swamped right now.
I want to point out one of our customers who has gone out of their way to advance comics.  Kathy Scott, who has been one of our customers for some time, ran the Kid Zone at the I-Con this weekend and did a great job.  I really think this was a fantastic idea to get kids interested in comics.  Getting them to WANT to come out to a comic convention (and at no charge under nine years of age) was genius.  I heard from a bunch of kids coming around the booth who were more interested in Word Girl then in Spider-man, but still you get the idea.  Kathy (with help from the rest of the Iowa Comic Book Club, especially Jen Saylor) deserves a big congratulations on a good con and helping get more kids to read.
A couple good books last week included Sky Doll (which is sold out and I am working on getting more, but, I’ll probably bitch about this in depth next week) DMZ and BPRD 1946.  These are all somewhat smaller titles that have a very select readership.  However, you couldn’t go wrong by moving away from some of the superhero stuff and taking on these.  Sky Doll is a French comic being published for the first time in English.  It has some great art (most of the European art is so much more detailed) and a story revolving around religion, sex and morals.
DMZ is a futuristic look at war torn New York City.  The point of the book is looking at the problems people living in a war zone (in this case quite obviously Iraq), but doing it through the lens of a reporter.  One of the smarter and original comics being published.  I’ve enjoyed it since it started, but the latest story arc about an election in the DMZ is easily the best the book has been.
Yes, I’m going to pimp BPRD again.  I’m sorry, but this latest arc dealing with the very start of the team is one of the creepiest yet.  It’s set in 1946 in post war Berlin and has Nazis, Vampires, Communists and giant killer robotic Monkeys.  No really, it is great.
I have one preview book to recommend as well.  If you are not reading Captain America, do it… NOW!  The book is so damn good, I feel bad if you are not reading it… cause it’s really that good.  Issue #38 hits stands Wednesday.

The Week of May 12th

Published on May 12, 2008 in Comics, Cons and Movies. 0 Comments

I would like to remind you all about the annual I-Con at the State Fair Grounds this weekend.  Doors open at 9:00am and it runs until 5:00pm, this Saturday, May 17th.  The local Iowa Comic Book Club is putting the event on which will include guests John Ostrander (writer of Star Wars: Legacy and a long spectacular run on Spectre) Greg Larocque (artist on Flash and Legion of Super Heroes) Mike Baron (creator of Nexus) Mathew Clarke (artist on Wonder Woman) Phil Hester (writer of The Darkness and artist extraordinaire) and many others.  Also, this year’s con will have special section for the kids.  My friend Cathy is putting together the Kid’s Zone which will include a slew of activities.  So, I guess you could say the I-Con has something for kids of all ages this year.

It’s nearly summer and one time honored tradition holds, the releasing of a bunch of new titles.  It used to be because kids had more money in the summer and would try new titles out, at least that was the theory.  Kids don’t buy comics anymore, but comic companies still release their new titles and events in May.  Last week was round one.  We saw Invincible Iron Man (and Iron Man – Viva Las Vegas as well), The Man With No Name, House of Mystery, Tor and The War Time Forgot all on one week.  This week we have a New NewUniversal book (written by Ellis), Genext, Sky Doll and Guardians of the Galaxy.
I have to say Guardians was a lot of fun.  I never read any of the Annihilation books, but I was a fan of the old future set Guardians in the eighties and nineties.  This is Not set in the future, but has a sense of fun action book it looks like Marvel may be trying to get back to with some of its titles.
House of Mystery was okay, but didn’t grab me like many of Vertigo’s other first issues have.  I’m not giving up on it, but this one, at least to me, does not seem like it could have the legs some of their other titles have shown.  But I didn’t read Fables right off either and that’s the best book on the market.
Tor and War Time Forgot were both set for rather eclectic tastes.  Joe Kubert’s work on Tor is fantastic.  It is like reading something ripped from time.  It might not be for everyone, but I’ll be back for issue two for no other reason then Joe’s art.  War seemed a little forced.  I can’t say I disliked it, but it didn’t grab me like Tor did.  If Neal Adams, who did the cover, had done the interior art… that might make it a different story.
I’ll try and get you all a pack of reviews next week of the rest of the new stuff.

To wrap up this week, I found an interesting news article from the Associated Press on Newsarama about the story behind Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.  I was rather uninterested in this new Jones film, until I found this.  So… Maya legend has it, 13 ancient crystal skulls exist and when brought together hold the power to save the world.  The “real” legend can be found here: forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=156715
Very interesting reading.

The Week of May 5, 2008

Published on May 5, 2008 in Movies. 0 Comments

So… hmmm, anything happening this last weekend?  No.. none, that I can… OH, WAIT, yeah.  Some movie about a dude flying around in a tin can opened in theatres.
Yeah, pretty big news.  If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t feel bad, neither have I.  However, if you haven’t, then you and I are the only ones who haven’t.  (I was busy, give me a break.)
I have not heard one person say they disliked it and even those who saw it and have only a passing interest in the character Iron Man say it was great.
Variety Magazine is reporting the film made over $104 million domestically and over $201 million worldwide.  Let me put these numbers in perspective.  Iron Man’s opening is the tenth best opening ever!  It is the second best non-sequel ever!  (Number one is some other superhero movie about a guy who crawls on walls.)
I’m shocked.  Not just surprised, but truly shocked.  Why? Well, I thought it would do well, but not any where near this well.  Iron Man is simply not a very well known character, at least not in the sense of, say, Spider-man or Batman.
Maybe I should have seen this though.  The previews looked great, the CG is fantastic and Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors in Hollywood, period!
(Whatever you think of him personally, it matters not.  He is a great actor.  Watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang if you don’t believe me.)
So what does this mean?  (As Danny Rand would say over a dead Skrull.)
Well, it didn’t take long to answer that question.
Marvel announced a film schedule for the next few years over a shareholder web cast Monday morning.  Included was confirmation of IRON MAN 2.  It’s on the fast track and set for an April 30, 2010 release.  Supposedly, all three of the main actors are signed on for three films.  Also an AVENGERS movie is now set for July, 2011. Also on the release schedule are THOR for June 4, 2010 (staring Triple H as Thor?  Hope Hope!!) and THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICAN on May 6, 2011. While Zak Penn is writing THE AVENGERS and Matthew Vaughn is developing THOR, there is no talent yet attached to CAPTAIN AMERICA.
I don’t know what to think about a Cap movie.  Have they watched the one from the late 80′s or equally as bad, the one from the seventies.  Shudder!
There were also a couple other smaller video game properties, direct-to-DVD movies and animated TV series announced.  One was a little disturbing, a Spider-man musical.  That just doesn’t seem right.
ANT MAN was also confirmed as being in development (with Edgar Wright attached to write and direct) but no release date was announced.
Pretty big news, but what happens if Hulk flops?  We will just have to see, because with Batman 2 (or is it Bat 6?) expected to be monstrous as well, you can expect a new slate of DC characters announced after that film explodes too.