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.
Monthly Archive for June, 2008
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:
A couple notes on some books shipping this and the next few weeks.
Sky Doll #2 shipped last week and I have more copies coming in this week. Second printings should be in very soon. Maybe my bitching is being heard by someone. Nah, that would give me way to much power.
Guardians of the Galaxy issue two ships this week. A second printing is in next week. I can’t even start to tell you how much I’m enjoying it. It’s funny and adventurous without a bunch of back story needed, but I’m sure is enhanced if you have read it.
Second printings of the first issue of the Batman R.I.P story is also now available. I’ve liked it and if you have strayed from the holy path of Morrison, this would be a good time to get back in line.
This week also sees the arrival of Wolverine #66. This is being dubbed the “Old Man Logan” storyline and will be tying in with Fantastic Four and 1985. These are all written by Mark Miller. I’m not sure what the storylines are or why they fit together, but I can only see one image when I hear of an old man Logan. Here is an old gnarled Wolverine with cane and pants pulled up to his navel sitting on his porch shaking his cane and yelling at little mutants to get off his lawn. I’m sure that is NOT what this storyline is about, but I would like to see a What The? story about that idea. (What? You don’t remember What The? Man, either I’m old or have read way to many comics. It was a comedy book Marvel put out in the eighties mocking themselves.)
A couple shop related things.
I will be making a purchase from a shop in Minnesota here in a few days and if you are looking for anything out of the ordinary, let me know. I’ve shopped at this place, College of Comic Book Knowledge (best name for a comic shop ever!) since long before I opened mine. Tim, the owner, comes to all the Des Moines shows, has an extensive amount of back issues and is a great guy, so, let me know very soon.
We have a new idea we may start to implement, delivery of comics. We have had some thoughts about this for sometime, but are unsure exactly how to implement it and what charges would be. I think the only way we would do it is if we were to know there is a desire for something like this. If you think you would like this let me know.
Also, I’ve posted the delivery schedule for Diamond and UPS for the rest of the year’s holidays on line. I still can’t believe that a major company (hell, two of them) can’t figure out a way to get these books to their accounts on time, holiday or not. It really makes me feel like they do their jobs as half assed as it… wait a second. Am I saying Diamond Comic Distributors doesn’t care about the industry they have taken over? Hmmm.
I’ll probably be keeping this week’s e-mail to just a review and that’s it. I’m behind on a lot of work and need to get moving on it as I, one of my best friends and my fiancé have tickets in Chicago on Wednesday night to see Iron Maiden, the best pure metal band period. There is just something good about a metal band you can rock out to and learn something at the same time. Sorry, got a bit distracted by the prospects of my rocking.
So, last week I said I would give an honest review of issue one of Trinity. Here it goes. I like Kurt Busiek, I think I should get that out of the way straight away. He has some of the best runs on more then a few books in comic’s past. His Conan and Avengers runs are, in particular, so very very good. He has also recently wrote Superman and did a great job in making him a readable character. I’ve said many times, Superman must be one of the hardest to write; Busiek made me want to come back and read about him. Now he takes this success into not just more Superman, but also Batman and Wonder Woman as well. This is the premise (and the only knowledge you need) going into Trinity.
The weekly comic will be about the holy three of DC and, as it appears after only a single issue, explore their importance to the DC universe. It will probably be a big and boisterous power laden tale of cosmic proportions. However, that is not how it started. Issue one begins with the three sitting down for coffee. They’ve all had the same dream and are troubled by it. In these rather simple scenes, Busiek shows why this weekly book will be different then the last two weekly offerings DC has rolled out. He presents the three with distinct character differences and has more character development then all of Countdown had in 52 issues. This book is going to be about these important characters and why they are so different and so very much the same.
If there will be any drawback to this book it will be the art. Mark Bagley is the primary artist with a back-up story having art and additional storytelling help from other creators, however, those will all pertain to the main story. Bagley is an ok artist, but I personally think he is over rated. His stuff usually looks rushed and unpolished for the praise he gets. However, he might be the best person for this gig. He was the regular artist on Ultimate Spider-man when that book was publishing full issues 18 times a year. Here he will do half an issue each week, that is a hell of schedule for anyone, but if anyone can do it, Bagley can.
So, honestly, is it worth getting? I think yes. You’ve heard a couple reasons above, but if you like Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman, this book is for you. If you like good, well written superhero fare, this book is for you.
I have cut down what I read over the last couple years. I just don’t have time (too much rocking to do). I will be taking a copy of this home each week. I have a serious Superman and Batman collection and would really like this to be good. I think it could be… it might even be one of those gems that by the end people look back on and know they have read a landmark of modern superhero comics. Something the last two weekly runs were unable to do.
Found a couple interesting things that were announced at Wizard World Philly this weekend.
The first, and frankly most interesting as both a retailer and, well, me, is that Stephen King’s The Stand is being adapted into comics form starting in September. Here are my reactions in the order my brain worked them. 1. This is will be another great way to get people who do not read comics into a shop to buy comics (as was what I said when the Dark Tower series started.) 2. Wow, Mike Perkins is going to do art on it too and 3. Wait, that’s like a million page book, how the hell do they expect to do that?
Well, as I continued to read, there will be six, five issue series for a total of thirty issues (which is, frankly, one hell of an editor’s nightmare.) For those who don’t know, the Stand is about a virus that wipes out most of humanity and then we watch the battle between the good and evil who survive.
What does this mean for us comic nerds, we now get one more book we tell our non-comic nerd friends about or make feel jealous about as we sit and read it and they say “hey, is that The Stand in comic form? Can I look at that?” And you get to say, “Sure, when I’m done.” I guarantee I will be doing this.
For you Garth Ennis fans, he is working on a World War II book through Dynamite called Battlefields. If you are familiar with Ennis at all you know how much he likes that era of history. This will be a hell of a well researched and written series when it finally reaches us.
Also, Marvel announced the Marvel Zombies will be reaching the regular Marvel universe. (JUST MY OPINION – so put down the stones) This is the dumbest idea in comic history, but I know a bunch of you love it long time, so there you go. You enjoy… But Zombies don’t talk!!
These are just a couple of the thousands of announcements from this weekend. Go to Newsarama.com and check out the rest.
I did want to get in a couple of notes on more new issues hitting shelves this and last week.
Trinity, the new weekly book featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, arrives Wednesday. An early review points out the great writing done by Kurt Busiek. We’ll see if he can keep that up over 52 issues. Countdown fell off rather quickly and I have heard from a lot of people who actually stuck around for the entire run, who say they won’t give this a try. I don’t know. I’ve read a lot of Supes, Bats and Wondey Woman. I also LOVE the Busiek… I think I’ll actually give it a try and give you an honest answer next week.
Since I feel so honest, I’m going to tell you exactly what I think of Final Crisis. I have No Idea What Is Going On! I don’t know if I should recommend it or not. I didn’t read Countdown. I just didn’t dig it. I don’t know if this ties into that or not. I know a bunch of characters that are in it, but I’m more then a little confused. Now, that said, Grant Morrison confusion is a lot better written confusion then Bendis’s Secret Invasion confusion which is more irritating then anything else. So, honestly, I don’t know. I’m going to read it, I might not understand it, but I have faith in Morrison to give me a good read in the end. Oh, and Kumandi was in it… I think.