Archive for the 'Cons' Category

The Week of April 16

Published on April 16, 2012 in Best Bets and Cons. 0 Comments

Sorry, haven’t decided to not move… Still headed to Beaverdale on May 5th.

The positives well out weigh staying where we are.  When it finally finishes you will see this was the best thing we could do for the extended, long term health and existence of the shop.

That new shop is 2608 Beaver and I hope to have some pics of the interior of the new shop next week.

End of an Era Party

It is May 4th and will start around 8 and go until midnight.  There will be crazy sales and deals, several artists drawing and signing, discounts on drinks and of course Free Beer!  We will put some of the free comic book day books out at midnight – then we move the shop.  There will be lots to pack; we will take the help that is offered.

New Shop First Day

This will happen at 9:00 am on May 5th.  There will be continued sales and specials on comics, all the free comic book day books as well as some face painting and more artist signings.  Hopefully this will be a big party as well.

We will also be open at the old shop as we continue to move from one to the other, but it will be limited hours after the 5th.  Comics will be at the new shop only (except for some free comic book day books at the old on the 5th) after we start the move.  If there are any questions about hold boxes, what is happening, concerns, problems – just ask.  For a comic book collector, their shop is part of their family.  We think of you all as family too, so, please, ask if you have a concern.

For those of you thinking we are abandoning the south side or moving to greener pastures, come talk to us.  I assure you, after you hear the full story, you will understand why we doing what we are doing.

 

Get your Preview orders in THIS WEEK!!

I will be attempting to find time to get the previews order done this weekend.  Obviously, I am a little busy right now and it would be wise to get the order in before the last day it is due.

 

C2E2, retailer summits and baseball…

One of the three of these is awesome.  A second is okay and a third is too much for me (read – I hated the con and cut out early to drink and watch the home opener for the White Sox.)  I leave it to you to figure out which of these corresponds to which, though obviously you have major hints there.  Call me an old curmudgeon if you want, but to many people in too small a space.

Yes, attended the retailer summit before C2E2 this last week.  It was pretty good for helping bring me new ideas that should benefit the shop and then by extension you.  I always dread going and it always comes out making me feel better about this wretched industry.  I don’t know if they plan it to be a reset button for jaded retailers – though letting us sit and talk, with alcohol included, probably isn’t the best idea.  Had an exceptionally good time catching up with my old store’s owner from when I was in college, Mike from the Core in Cedar Falls, and my good friend and fellow hater of this industry, Dean from Krypton in Omaha.  Dean and I were having a really good time ripping on this industry, which can be pretty dumb if you didn’t know.

Some things you can expect in the future:

Digital in the Shop

We will be offering some form of digital comics in the shop.  Yeah, yeah… I know.  I hate even the idea of reading digital comics too, but the thing is if I can offer it at NO risk and can make money off it, I’m going to do it.  It will NOT interfere with comics in the shop and might being in a small amount of new readers who may buy physical copies too.  It is a win/win for us, so it will be happening.

Each week, after the new Diamond connection goes live, we will have a sheet up on the wall listing the new digital codes we can sell to you that week.  We will also have a binder with past titles you can order.  The transaction will happen instantaneously, you won’t have to wait any longer than me printing out a code for you.  Don’t think this will in anyway infringe on your physical comics at the shop.  It just opens up a possible new customer base or supplements possible sold out issues on the wall.  As the old Chinese man at the beginning of World War Z says, “everything going to be okay.”

 

You are going to LOVE Before Watchmen

I can tell you this, as I have seen three pages – more or less – of every one of the books, that they have some of the best art of any comic I’ve seen recently.  Absolutely amazing stuff.

“How did this happen,” you exclaim?  Well, Bob Wayne, one of the top executives in publishing at DC Entertainment, had these sets of pages at round table discussions at the Diamond Retailer Summit.  Instead of releasing images to the press first, he showed retailers.  That impressed me.  Then DC said they would be running ads on TV and heavily supporting the comics too.  That means they back these books too, but it was the pages that really did it for me.  They really were mind-blowingly beautiful.  Now I’ll stress these were un-colored, un-lettered pages, maybe the writing will suck or something in the transfer won’t work, but they have me convinced that these will be THE biggest books of the summer.

And before you say, “I don’t care, these’ll be garbage because (insert something about how it dishonors Alan Moore’s legacy or something)” I want to say I would have mildly agreed with you… before I saw the art.  Now I want to see these books.

 

New Books from two big creators

Yes, I could list out all the “news” that was released, but instead you can go to Comics Alliance to find that.  I’m going to only give you these two nuggets.

All you crazy Grant Morrison fans have until September to wait for the next big thing, Happy.  This will be a creator owned project with friend of the shop Darick Robertson!  I know nothing about what this is about, but really, does it matter?

The Massive is coming in a few months.  This is the next big release from Brian Wood, which is a heavy favorite of people at the shop, but you knew both of these things already.  What you didn’t know is that Dark Horse (and I) will be trying to get you to read it monthly.  NO waiting for the trade!  They will be putting special content, much like the essays in Criminal and the other Brubaker books, that will only be available in the monthly issues.  I’m pretty stoked for this book and so is Dark Horse.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Dark Horse is THE best company to deal with.  Every time I deal with them and every year at the retailer summit they treat me the most like they give a crap about what is actually happening in my shop.  They know that they sell best through the small hands on shops.  They are a class act operation up there in Portland.

 

Next Week is Goon #39

I’ve seen this thing and though I only flipped through it, I can tell you this will be one hell of a read.  Also, for all you discerning readers of high end, high brow… okay, for you weirdoes and head cases, er Goon fans, I can tell you that the Goon is going monthly.  Also, Eric Powell is a fantastic guy who is as funny in real life as on paper.  He really deserves more respect from the industry as a whole.  Really great guy.

…and I think he will be writing a Star Wars book some time later this year, but may have been drunk when I heard or saw that.

 

Big signing this summer

I’m not going to tell you who, but it is a pretty good bet that we will have a major writer coming to the shop to do a signing this summer.  Also made a few more Chicago connections that could bear fruit this fall.  Stay tuned.

 

Also the bad from Chicago

A very good customer has asked me to pass on some terrible news and see if you can help stop a thief.  One of the shop’s regular’s best friends had a bunch of his original art stolen at the C2E2 convention.  If you go to art selling sites and would take a look in hopes of catching this person it would be appreciated.  Here is a link to the guys comicartfans site. Thank you.

 

Little treat from Dark Horse

DH has been doing some motion comics and putting them up on Felicia Day’s Youtude site.  Some are very well rendered and one of them is Umbrella Academy.  It is so good it makes me want to pull out my collection and re-read it.  Worth a look.

 

Saturday is Record Store Day…

This is a shout out for my good friend Nate at ZZZ Records on Ingersoll.  Saturday is Record Store Day, which is like Free Comic Book Day for music stores.  They always have a huge sale and get in a ton of very special, very limited releases on this day each year.  ZZZ has been a staple for Des Moines record collectors for over a decade and Nate has been my best of sounding boards for business related ranting (he understands.)

If you want to see some of the stuff being released on Record Store Day, try this link or just show up on Saturday to ZZZ.

 

Not Ronnie’s Best Bets

Ronnie is dealing with some weather damage, so, none of his best bets this week.  Instead I have something better… Mine!  And I have only two number twos.

First is Ragemoor #2.  This is the perfect example of the perfection that is Richard Corben.  It is a story about a demonic castle, that lives on blood and death.  Pretty simple concept made awesome and actually very scary by the master of terror in sequential art.  This book is one of the best horror comics on the market right now.  I have more number ones in on Wednesday afternoon as well so no excuses.

Second is Rocketeer vol 2, #2.  I have said how good this is over and over from first volume to the first issue of the second.  I don’t know what else I have to do people.  This Rocketeer mini is still an anthology book (until the Mark Waid’s mini-series comes out later this year) and is a great way to show off wonderful art and fantastic writing using a character that lends himself well to this style of storytelling.  If you are not reading it, then don’t ask for recommendations for anything else ‘cause I don’t have them.

 

Week of March 26th

Published on March 26, 2012 in Best Bets, Comics, Cons and Reviews-comics. 0 Comments

Avengers vs. X-Men Party Tuesday April 3rd 7:00

The mega-crossover is nearly a pone us and to celebrate the launch of the big event we are having a party and are being allowed to sell issue one that Tuesday night.  We will also have Sales, Discounts, Prizes, first shot at Variant Covers, maybe some cake and – of course – Free Beer!

I know several of you are into costuming and by all means you are encouraged to dress as an Avenger or an X-Man.  We might try and come up with a game or two as well.

Should be a good time and think about it, what else are you doing on a Tuesday night?

 

Launch of Adventures of Nikki Harris #4, ALSO on April 3rd

Local comic creator Carter Allen will be launching issue #4 of The Adventurs of Nikki Harris Tuesday, April 3rd.  While another comic company (who must not be named) is launching their own universe-shattering event, Nikki and her friends and foes battle it out in the far future, with the fate of the galaxy at stake!  Or was it for a new iPad(tm)?  Either way, creator Carter Allen will be signing copies of the Giant-Sized issue, sketching, having the occasional beverage and offering his opinions on why the comic cross-over peaked around the time Gary Coleman met Knight Rider… or was it when Simon and

Simon teamed up with Magnum P.I.?

For more info and some art check out the comic book bin AND if you want to get an earlier issue… early… One through three are at the shop right now.

 

So, Yeah.. We’re moving…

I’m going to continue with the discussion I started last week.  I’m going to try and answer some of the questions we’ve been asked lately concerning this.

Where is this new place? 2608 Beaver.  It is on the main business strip in the Beaverdale neighborhood district of Des Moines.

When does this start? Technically, May 5th and yes, that is free Comic Book Day.  We are planning to have our midnight party on May 4th.  Then pack up the comics and move the shop overnight (sounds crazy, but… yeah.)  We plan a grand opening May 5th at 9am the next morning.

After that we will have very specific hours at the Fleur location.  There will be options of hold lists (for two weeks) at one place or the other.  Coffee will be available on the South side when we are open too.

Why do this? There are a lot of reasons.  Most revolve around different financial reasons, as most would when talking about small businesses and a move.  You need to remember, we are a business and if you want us around in two years, we can’t stay where we have been for ten years.  If you’ve looked on the south side you know there is not a plethora of great retail options here.  We were also looking at ever increasing costs that needed to be decreased, not increased.  This move does that in numerous ways.

Please remember, we didn’t want to go through this.  We didn’t do this as some kind of personal attack on you, the south side or our customers in general.  If you have further questions on why, come talk to me.  I will explain MUCH more.

What changes are you doing? The new shop is not going to be a full coffee bar, but we will have free coffee.  (see below in my ripping of Newsarama.)  We will be MUCH heavier stocked with comics and trades.  We will have a larger kids section too.  Some of the seating will go away, but much will stay.  We will still encourage you to hang out, have a cup of free coffee, browse and read.  Plain and simple, minus the coffee bar, not much will change.

What does the future hold for The Cup? We are planning on FINALLY getting our book bindery up and running.  We want to get a much larger online presence AND an online shop.  All three of these should be up and running by fall.  However, overall comic-wise, we want to provide even better customer service to our comic book customers.  So many people tell me they love us because we talk to them about comics.  Without having to make coffee in-between ringing up comic customers will make it easier for us to help you find the best books on the racks.

And the long term future… I can’t talk about all the irons we have in the fire, but if the Des Moines Social Club moves into the Firehouse we would work strongly with them in that endeavor.

If you have further questions, please e-mail or stop in and talk to any of us.  If we can answer it, we will.  When I say we thank you for being our customer, we mean it.  You are the life blood of our business and are a part of this move.  Talk to us if you need too.

 

So, why does Comic Book Resources suck ass?

Last week we were mentioned on CBR about our shop moving.  In the tiny piece they say we are dropping the coffee aspect of our shop.  Well, that is incorrect, but then when “news” journalists don’t check their facts and just write what they want, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that they would get something wrong.

We are NOT dropping coffee.  We are stopping the bar part and will no longer be charging for it.  Like nice friendly local book stores or banks or a mechanic’s waiting room we will have coffee for you while you peruse the books.

I guess, when it comes to CBR, we aren’t Robert Kirkman or another person they need to hob nob to, they don’t need to e-mail or call for information.  Little makes me more angry than poor journalism.  (I used to work as a news producer and finally quit due to seeing a systemic failure in modern corporate journalism.)  Bloggers are journalists and if they want to be taken seriously they need to get their damn facts right.

 

So, who’s running for that elected office?  A Super Villain!?!…

Since most elected officials seem to be, or at least turn into, super villains after elected why not just come out and say it… before you get elected.  “Hello, my name is Von Doom and I am running for President.”  But that isn’t fair.  Doom has an extreme amount of cool and, frankly, none of the candidates running for President are as cool as Doom!

However, comicsalliance.com had a great post this week with some awesome art of campaign posters for super villains.  They of course also had the cover from Superman after Lex Luthor won the presidency.  Remember that?  Good times.

 

Reviews…

The Rocketeer volume 2 #1

Written by Peter David, Marc Guggenheim and Stan Sakai

Art by Sandy Plunkett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Stan Sakai, Dave Stewart and Art Adams

Covers by Dave Stevens and Darwyn Cooke

What was the best book that came out last week, you might ask.  Sometimes I might have two or three or there isn’t an easy answer, but last week it was so simple, The Rocketeer.  It may be a new number one issue for the new volume; the format is the same for this round.  You get great writers and artist to do short stories about one of the coolest superheroes ever invented.

I found what series editor Scott Dunbier said in explaining the book fit perfectly, “The Rocketeer takes us back to another time, one stuffed to the brim with heroism and thrilling adventures.  Some might call these stories old-fashioned—and what’s wrong with that?”  They are simple, old school stories set in the late 1930’s or 40’s in an anthology book – like nearly all comics were back in the 30’s and 40’s.  Most have some kind of a statement or message to make or are pulling on our comic book heart strings, either comedically or emotionally.  All things that comics, from the same time period these are set in, did too.

However, this book is, with no disrespect to the artist and production values of that time, so much better than any of those books.  The first volume, as well as this first issue in the second volume, is each works of comic book perfection.  Easily one of the two or three best books being published right now and hands down this and the first volume should be no brainer multiple Eisner Award winners this summer.

The book is set for a four issue run with other contributors to the series to include Kyle Baker, J. Scott Campbell, Eric Canete, Paul Dini, Michael Golden, Dave Johnson, David Lapham, John Paul Leon, Bill Morrison, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Tom Taylor, Matt Wagner, Colin Wilson, and more.

In additional Rocketeer news – there is an ongoing book planned that will be written by Mark Waid and drawn by Chris Samnee.  For more info head to Comics Alliance.

In additional IDW news – Some more publishing is coming from them too.  New series from The Crow, Judge Dredd, The Cape and a formerly unpublished Dave Stevens project.  More info on that can also be found at Comics Alliance.

 

Ronnie’s Best Bets…

BPRD – Pickens County Horror #1

This promises to be awesome.  We got Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Scott Allie (sometime BPRD writer and all the time editor) on scripts, Jason Latour (Noche Roja, Loose Ends) and Dave Stewart (everything good) on art, and the phenomenal Becky Cloonan (Demo, Conan the Barbarian) on the regular covers. An all-star team for sure.  This two issue mini is supposed to be the Mignola-verse take on vampires.  I am confident that it will take the vampire idea back to its roots, strip it of all the current nonsense and bring it back to horrific glory.  I am also betting this will be a great jumping on point for those not currently reading BPRD.  I am really anticipating this.  I am sure you will read it.

 

The New Deadwardians #1

Another new vampire and zombie book…  But this time written by Dan Abnett, who along with partner Andy Lanning have written way to many good things to count.  The premise is something along the lines that we follow a detective during post-victorian England.  However, the catch is that all the upper classes are voluntarily vampires while all the lower classes are zombies.  Sounds ripe with socio-political commentary… Hopefully.

 

American Vampire #25

Yep, this is the vampire week!  Although anyone who’s read a bit of this series knows that this is vampires done very right and really awesome.  This issue will be the conclusion to the 50′s era death race story which has been kicking butt for the last few.  This was Scott Snyder’s (Swamp Thing, Batman) breakout series, and is still one of the best on the racks.  Read it.

 

It was really cool seeing so many Des Moines-ers at Planet ComiCon this past weekend.  The attendance has been growing every year, and this year showed a large surge.  I got a chance to meet some awesome creators like Jonathan Layman and Tim Sale.  I also had some great conversations with folks like Nathan Fox, Jason Aaron, Matt Kindt and Scottie Young.  Des Moines Native Tyler Wapole had a tablet there and said he was doing really well.  And for all those wondering, Billy Dee Williams is looking great.  I also got a pile of old Batman and Detective Comics for really cheap.  It was a really great time and I highly suggest y’all go next year.  Maybe we’ll get a party bus headed that way.

 

And a Matty J’s Best bet…

Atomic Robo, Real Science Adventures #1

This is guaranteed – no really, I’m guaranteeing this book – the best thing you will read coming out this week.  One of my other two or three favorite (Usagi Yojimbo is the other one, if you were wondering) comics from the last year.  Just a fantastic, fun book that is comparable to Hellboy and BPRD, but with REAL science rather than occult as it’s driving force.  Great, just freak’n great books so far and I expect the greatness to continue.

Don’t believe me.  Fine.  We will go to the creator’s website http://www.atomic–robo.com to see what they say.  Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener give you this promise: No angst, No “cheesecake,” No reboots, No filler and No delays (that we have any control over, i.e. Diamond will be Diamond.) – THAT IS AWESOME!!!  Seriously, what else do I have to say… how about that it costs only $2.75!!  Take that evil corporate comics!!  Oh, yeah, if you didn’t already know it is an indy comic, also making it better.

 

The Week of March 19th

Published on March 19, 2012 in Cons, Reviews-comics, Ronnie's Reviews and Shop Crap. 0 Comments

Avengers vs. X-Men Party Tuesday April 3rd 7:00

The mega-crossover is nearly a pone us and to celebrate the launch of the big event we are having a party and are being allowed to sell issue one that Tuesday night.  We will also have Sales, Discounts, Prizes, first shot at Variant Covers, maybe some cake and – of course – Free Beer!

I know several of you are into costuming and by all means you are encouraged to dress as an Avenger or an X-Man.  We might try and come up with a game or two as well.

Should be a good time and think about it, what else are you doing on a Tuesday night?

 

Launch of Adventures of Nikki Harris #4, ALSO on April 3rd

Local comic creator Carter Allen will be launching issue #4 of The Adventurs of Nikki Harris Tuesday, April 3rd.  While another comic company (who must not be named) is launching their own universe-shattering event, Nikki and her friends and foes battle it out in the far future, with the fate of the galaxy at stake!  Or was it for a new iPad(tm)?  Either way, creator Carter Allen will be signing copies of the Giant-Sized issue, sketching, having the occasional beverage and offering his opinions on why the comic cross-over peaked around the time Gary Coleman met Knight Rider… or was it when Simon and

Simon teamed up with Magnum P.I.?

For more info and some art check out the comic book bin AND if you want to get an earlier issue… early… One through three are at the shop right now.

 

Kansas City’s Planet Comicon is this Weekend

I know there are several of you going, but I wanted to make point out that one of, if not the best comic con in the mid west is going to happen in Kansas City this weekend.  It is Saturday and Sunday, very affordable at only $15 for a single day pass!

Some great guests this year include John Lyman of Chew, Rick Remender, Mike McKone, Tim Sale, Bernie Wrightson, Mike Golden, Joe Kelly… and not to mention Edward James Olmos and Billy Dee Williams.  Probably their best show ever.

If you need more info, head over to the website planetcomicon.com.

 

Iowan to play big part on Walking Dead

A very big character just appeared on Walking Dead Sunday night and the actress happens to be from Iowa.  Joe Lawler has the story over at the Des Moines Register.

…and in case you hadn’t heard and though I would never encourage you to go get porn, ‘cause I am a registered Republican and upstanding member of society anxiously awaiting the Santorum presidency (if you believe that, please ask me about a bridge I have for sale)  Go grab a copy of Playboy.  Yeah, the origin of a character we have all wanted to see for like five years is being published in the latest issue of Playboy.  I’m not going to get into the irritation this brings (why are we not seeing this in, say, THE COMIC!!?!!) but it is a good reason to grab a Playboy and for once you can actually say, “No, I read it for the articles!”

 

In other news…

It might be the worst kept secret the shop has ever had.  We are moving.

I’ll get into some of the whys, but first the where.  We are headed to the Beaverdale area, 2608 Beaver to be more exact.  If you are unsure where that is, it is across from The Rice Bowl on the main drag in Beaverdale, near Grounds for Celebration, Talley’s, Beaver Tap and Beaverdale Books.

I’m sure those of you we were not able to tell in person might be freaking out a bit.  Please don’t.  This is a good thing for us and in the long run for you too – even if you don’t think so right now.  Small business is a tough racket (and by racket I’m not talking about John McEnroe) and for our long term survival, this is our only really choice.

There will be a few changes, some pretty big.  One is coffee, we will not be charging you for it anymore.  I don’t want to spend 500 words describing the terribly written ordinance that requires all food service establishments to have a grease interceptor, but that is the reason.  This ordinance is wretched and will prevent us from making mochas and lattes.  It will not stop us from offering free coffee however.  If you come in and look around, make a purchase or just want to stop and sit for awhile, we will have free coffee for you.  Free coffee for the people!  But I’ll get to that and our hopeful future endeavors in another weekly e-mail down the road.

As you may have seen, there has also been a move around us to push our shop into obscurity.  When we moved in ten years ago, things were different.  The layout of the neighborhood was different.  We were the first brick and mortar coffee shop on the south side.  We were a coffee shop with comics in it.  Now we are a comic book shop that serves coffee – some days, not all that much either.  Things had to change or we would not be here in another two years.

In Beaverdale we have a few things we will never have had before.  Visibility from a busy road with signage you can actually see.  We will have walk by traffic.  We will be part of a neighborhood – one voted by Forbes magazine as the seventh prettiest in America.  We will cut costs down to that of a comic shop, not a coffee AND comic book shop.  (You would be surprised.)

We don’t want to leave the South Side, however, if you have looked at retail costs on the South Side and/or getting on a main road so you can get a little signage… well, yeah.  Listen, I have some better than good friends that we are leaving in a lurch because of this move.  People we consider family.  We did NOT make this decision lightly and the move will not be easy.  If the shop is to survive, this must happen.

Also, we do – finally – hope to open our Book Bindery.  This is something Kyle in particular has wanted to do for nearly two years.  But it is not cheap.  The costs on some of the equipment are insanely high, but with the move and the need for a loan to relocate, we are trying to move those costs into that.  We hope by mid to late summer to be taking our first orders for comic book binding.  Eventually we want to be known as the only readily accessible, open to the general public book bindery in the city.

Those are some whys and whats and wherefores.  We will answer any questions you have about it.  You can either e-mail me – Matt – and I will answer them all or come in and talk to us.

 

Ronnie’s Review…

Swamp Thing – by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette

I hope y’all are reading Swamp Thing, along with its sister title Animal Man, these two titles are the best that DC has to offer right now.  (WOAH! Did Ronnie just say these are better than a Bat book!?!)  They both exist in the current DC universe, but occupy their own corner, separate from the SuperBatWonderLantern universe. And they both succeed despite the reboot with nothing much changed for the better or worse.  Better than can be said of pretty much the rest of DC’s current titles.

The most recent issue of Swamp Thing is the first time we see Alec Holland as the Swamp Thing monster.  A common complaint is that it took seven issues to see the title character appear in his own book (not a spoiler, it’s on the cover).

True, but it was a calculated risk that really paid off. Unlike the current Justice League ach that just ended, Swamp Thing and Animal Man’s decompression makes for a truly epic story with each issue building the tension to deliver a truly meaningful climax.

There seems to be a backlash against this type of writing in recent years, but appears to me that it is a reaction to the writing-for-the-trade policy that damaged the writer’s ability to create the correct pacing.  There are a million different ways to tell a story, each story depends on the writer finding the one that works for them in the story they are writing.  To those that have read this series, imagine all that has happened, all that is now at stake, all that you now know of the characters and their motivations happening in only one or two 22 page issues.  It wouldn’t work any other way than how Scott Snyder has done it.

I haven’t even mentioned the art by Yanick Paquette with colors by Nathan Fairbairn. Other than that it is truly awesome in all the classic ways, the way they use the frames and gutters as another element is beautiful.  There is not a single unused corner of the page, all of it is deliberate and carries the story forward.  Alec Holland’s metamorphosis in the last issue is soon to be legendary.

Scott Snyder is really making a worthy follow up to the incredible Alan Moore run, in fact, it has played homage throughout.

 

A Review of a Perfect Book from Matty J

Conan The Barbarian #2 – by Brian Wood, Becky Cloonan and Dave Stewart

The best book I read last week had three very important things in it and that book was Conan the Barbarian #2.  Easily one of the best Conan stories I’ve read in years (since the short three issue run of Busick and Mignola.)  This is the Queen of the Black Coast storyline from Robert H. Howard’s pulp writings being adapted into the Dark Horse era’s run.  The story is one of Conan finding his first real love, a nasty sea pirate who has been terrorizing this section of the coast.

At first glance, you might see Wood and Cloonan and say “oh, sweet a new Vertigo boo… HEY!  This is Conan.  I’m way to high-brow for that.”  …and you may be, but think for a minute what else you read and then think if you are happy with it.  That is the clincher.  Reading different genres for comics is good, especially if done well.  A broad mind is an open one.  Don’t discount something just because you “aren’t a fan.”  Horror, Crime, Adventure all can be done better than Capes and have been.  Usually it takes a good team to do it.  In the case of Action/Adventure that team just happens to be well out of the ordinary for this genre.

Wood has done plenty of Action based storytelling; he just tends to focus on the character development – his forte – while he is writing the action.  His DMZ and more importantly to this discussion, Northlanders, are probably the best examples of his ability to focus on a character, expand and flesh them out while having a ton of sh!t happen to them.   Cloonan is perfect for Conan as well.  I feel her art is such a great throw back to the the Buscema-esque days of Marvel’s publishing of Conan.  Look at the hard lines and free flowing forms.  They are not so far different than you might think.  Becky just puts more into the backgrounds, though those old Marvel books, it wasn’t John’s fault.

AND – did anyone else notice that the third name on the cover is none other than the greatest colorist in comic history, Dave Stewart!  Yes, I am going to keep harping on his quality work until everyone notices.  If you read Conan, you will see why it is on the cover (not something that happens at Marvel or DC, colorists are throw away unimportant afterthoughts.)  His work so well compliments Cloonan’s it isn’t even funny.  Just perfect damn creators all around.

But we have two of the three things that make for a good Conan book; action and creators.  What could the third thing be?  Well, duh, women in chainmail bikini’s.  Yes, a perfect book.

 

The Week of July 25th

Published on July 24, 2011 in Cons, Events, Reviews-comics, Shop Crap and Wrestling. 0 Comments

There is a very important event this Wednesday.  It is our mid-year charity event for Animal Life Line.  I’ve got details on the event below, but I want to, just quick, mention why this is important to me and my shop.

You may or may not know I am a huge lover of animals.  I am not able to put in time volunteering at the shelter because I couldn’t handle seeing the animals in cages.  So, I do what I can with events.  This goes strongly into what I feel a business should be; a part of the community.  I’m not going to get real long winded with this, ask me sometime and I’ll expound.

I hope you can attend and have a little fun while helping a very worthwhile cause.  Here are the details:

Christmas in July is the 27th…

This week is X-mas in July, our annual event to benefit Animal Life Line, a no kill special needs shelter located here on the south side.  The event will take place on July 27th and start at 5:00.  The concept is simple, bring a gift for the shelter and receive gifts from us.  We will have drink specials, comic deals, special presents and free beer!  Also, the Des Moines Kubb club will be at the shop to toss some lumber.

We had this event planned for several months, but it has become more important after the events of a few weeks back.  Thieves broke into a storage shed sometime Tuesday night and stole over $1600 in special needs dog and cat food, prescriptions and supplies.  Yep, pretty vile and disgusting.

 

The gifts the shelter needs are general supplies, that when donated, is money the not for profit doesn’t have to go and buy.  Things they need in abundance are: Liquid Laundry Soap, Dish Soap, Bleach, Clorox Spray Cleaner, Tall Kitchen Bags, Lawn and Leaf Size Garbage Bags, Zip Lock Storage Bags, Endust Spray, Scrubbers, Copy Machine Paper, Postage Stamps and #10 Envelopes.

 

Also, there are specifics to Dogs and Cats both.  Stuff like Toys, Peanut Butter or Cheese Slices (to help with pills), Catnip or Milkbone Dog Biscuits, Cat Litter, Gift Cards to the typical general needs stores and any monetary donation would be greatly appreciated to help with costs of prescription food and medications.   I full list can be found at the shop or at the Animal Life Line website.

 

I hope you can make it.

 

Also – The event will be the launch party of Tom Finley’s new book Brave Bunny.  Tom has been a friend and customer for many years and I am happy to help in getting his children’s books off the ground.

 

Need something else to do next weekend?

Friday

3X Wrestling…

It is the sixth year anniversary of 3X Wrestling.  Amazing.  Their anniversary party is this Friday on the lower level of All Play downtown.  First Bell is 7:30.

Just some of the great matches you will see include a Canadian Tuxedo Match (No, I don’t know what that is either) between AJ Smooth and Ryan Slade, Women’s wrestling returning to Des Moines and the 3X Heavyweight Championship on the line between Brian Ash and Jeremy Wyatt.  However, probably the best match of the night will be the 3XW Pure Wrestling Championship match.  Zach Thompson, who made a bold heel turn a few months ago, is putting his belt up against easily one of the baddest asses in the Midwest, Mark Sterling.  Should be a great time.

 

Saturday

Dude-a-Rama…

Are you an achiever?  Show it while attending the 3rd annual Dude-a-Rama on Saturday, July 30th at AMF Lanes on NE 14th Street.  The party starts at 7:00 and you can bowl until they kick you out at 1am.  There will be costumes, bowling (obviously), live music, White Russian drinking, Prizes, trivia, and some great seminars.  I can’t tell you what they are about, but I know and I will be attending.

If you would like to bowl with people from the Cup (we already have a couple of people ready to roll) go, pay and get signed up.

For more info go to dude-a-rama.com/

 

Lots from SDCC…

There are a lot of things coming out of San Diego this weekend.  Everything from new comics announced, new collections, new stories, new movies, new action figures… pretty much every piece of news you want about anything, writer or artist you are into.  I’m not even going to get started listing out links to all the stuff I’ve looked at, except… this:

spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2011/07/22/cci-the-walking-dead-gets-premiere-date-epic-new-trailer/ Wow.  Looks all scary and sh!t.  Can’t wait.

And this:

www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33485 Todd McFarlane’s take on the marketing and mindset behind the DC new 52.  It is VERY worth reading.

The rest, I suggest just going to comicbookresources.com and to their news page.  It is flooded with info.

 

Grant Morrison Interview…

Curt found a great interview with Grant Morrison mostly about his new book Supergods, which is in on Wednesday (we will have copies in), and also about comics, his and other people’s, in general.  It is a good interesting look at one of industry’s best writers.

It can be found here: mindlessones.com/2011/06/30/grant-morrison-supergods-interview-transcript/

I found his comments about comic books and movies interesting.  “The superhero and the comic book were made for one another – my love for them comes through the comics rather than films…  I’m just not into them, my interest in superheroes comes from comic books.”

 

New Podcast…

I and my friend Mike at South Sider Studios are starting another podcast, this is going to be called From The Bargin Bin.  The concept is pretty simple; reading comics.  The idea comes from when I read comics to my best friend’s kid who is five.  This is only our first attempt, Ghost Rider, Vol. 2 #6, second part of a team-up with the Punisher.  We are working out some kinks and I think before long this is going to be a great cast.  You can find it here: feeds.feedburner.com/FromTheBargainBin

 

Facebook and the Future…

So, it is no secret that I’m not much of a social networker.  Just not big on the trend personally; much more of a private person, however, I do understand how it can be used to help a business.  This week we hit a landmark 900 friends.  Now to me this brings an episode of South Park to mind, but also says we are reaching people.

What does it mean for the future?  I don’t know.  There are big changes coming for Cup.  I’m not getting into all of them here, but just know that we hope you are all along for the ride, whatever it might be.

 

Review Time…

Normally I try to do a review of a new of excellent book that you might not be reading or has just come out and might be worth picking up.  This week though I do have one for you, I also have the Eisner awards for you, which in my eyes should be like a shinny beacon for you to find real quality in the fog of modern comics.  Here are the Eisner’s, below is my review of the New Daredevil book, which is very, very good.

 

Eisner Awards…

On Friday night the 2011 Eisner Awards were announced.  I’m not going to go through every category and critique the vote, I will say though that everything honored, is quality of the highest order.  This is a great way, much better than any single review I could do.  Look through this list, I can get in or already have most of these in stock.

A few comments:

Did you notice who won best colorist?  Again!?!  Dave Stewart might be the best colorist in the history of comics.  They just need to rename the award or permanently put his name on it.  You doubt me on this?  Pick up a Hellboy, Goon or BPRD book.  Then pick up any other book.  Compare and see why I’m right.

How many more times do I have to tell people to read Chew?  It has now won the best continuing series.  Please, read this book.  I’ll have more trades to get you caught up.

And did I not predict back when it came out that Wednesday Comics would win an Eisner?  I think I did.  Still one of the best looking collected editions I’ve ever seen…. And the biggest we will ever see.

 

The Awards:

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

Hellboy: Double Feature of Evil, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)

 

Best Continuing Series

Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)

 

Best Limited Series

Daytripper, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Vertigo/DC)

 

Best New Series

American Vampire, by Scott Snyder, Stephen King, and Rafael Albuquerque (Vertigo/DC)

 

Best Publication for Kids

Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

 

Best Graphic Album—New

Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann and Janet Lee (Archaia)

 

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Wednesday Comics, edited by Mark Chiarello (DC)

 

Best Adaptation from Another Work

The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young (Marvel)

 

Best Writer

Joe Hill, Lock & Key (IDW)

 

Best Writer/Artist

Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Outfit (IDW)

 

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Skottie Young, The Marvelous Land of Oz (Marvel)

 

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)

 

Best Cover Artist

Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Baltimore: The Plague Ships (Dark Horse)

 

Best Coloring

Dave Stewart, Hellboy, BPRD, Baltimore, Let Me In (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC); Neil Young’s Greendale, Daytripper, Joe the Barbarian (Vertigo/DC)

 

Best Lettering

Todd Klein, Fables, The Unwritten, Joe the Barbarian, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom (WildStorm/DC); SHIELD (Marvel); Driver for the Dead (Radical)

 

Daredevil #1 by Mark Waid (writer) and Paolo Rivera/Marcos Martin (artists)

Without a doubt the best book that came out this week and probably this entire month.

I have, in my day, read A LOT of Mark Waid comics.  The guy knows his stuff and knows how to write simple, yet interesting and compelling stories.  He doesn’t try to change the medium every time he gets behind a computer he sticks to what he knows.  He knows what makes good comic books.  He does understand continuity and understands how to get out of continuity problems too.  He is a damn good comic book man.

He is perfect for Daredevil, a character that has a long and storied history and a TON of baggage coming with him.  However, Mark Waid isn’t the kind of guy to throw all that out and start over.  No sir, he finds a way to use it and make his stories just more layered.  In this new restart of the book, that is what he is doing, continuing with what has happened in the past, but not putting it at the forefront of the story.  It is needed, because it has happened, but it is NOT the driving force of THIS book.

Think back to the last major “not a re-start” Waid had at Marvel, it was Fantastic Four, some nine years ago and remains one of the best runs that comic will ever see.  It was a bold new direction.  Just like then, Mark Waid is perfect for this “not a re-start” too and that being said, so are Riviera and Martin for art duties too.  They have a similar minimalist style as Mike Weringo had on FF.

Rivera and Martin are the complete opposite to what we have seen on Daredevil for the past decade.  If you don’t know their styles, I can only describe it as Darwin Cooke-esque, which is one of the best compliments I think I can give an artist.  Add in the nice bright color pallet being used, makes for, what I for one, am looking for in comics… The Olden Days!!

The story in this issue is very simple.  It is a stage setter and reminds me so much of the books I used to read as a kid.  Daredevil is back in town after leaving and wondering about to try and “find himself” – something he did all the time in the eighties.  Waid does not do a massive recap of what has transpired in the book in the past, he mentions just a few minor things, but anyone having the most rudimentary knowledge of the character will be good to go.

The “re-set” of story has Matt Murdock back practicing law and most people apprehensive to trust him 100% (and I think this will be the story in issue two as well.)  The developing story comes from a trial he was working on, just like Daredevil stories are supposed to.

Nothing against the Brian Bendis run, I think it is probably some of the best comics Marvel has ever published, but there are times and places for dark and moody.  There are places for this new start too.  I think if you liked Bendis’s run, you can still like this, just know it is not the same, but at the core, the character is.

I think, if you are looking for a fairly simple in overall style comic book without (at least at this point) no crossovers and crap, this is the book for you.  It certainly is for me.

 

The Week of July 7th

Published on July 11, 2011 in Comics, Cons and Events. 0 Comments

I’ve spent a goodly part of the weekend working on orders.  This week’s order, which was is very big and the monthly order, which has all the DC 52 issues of retailing fun.  Several of you have asked and YES, you can now put in requests for holds on the New DC stuff.

It won’t be another couple weeks before the order is put in official (and single issue holds are always accepted,) but if you have anything from the July catalog get that order in sooner, rather than later.

As per the NU DC this week… I’m taking a few weeks off from it.  They’ve saturated the market pretty well and, I think, are just hoping for something to grow.

A little less than a month from now I’ll again have to revisit it when final order cut downs are due.  I don’t look forward to that and I will have more info from our side of the counter then.

 

X-Mas in July on the 27th…

This is our summer party designed to help Animal Life Line, the no kill – special needs shelter here on the south side.  The concept is simple, you bring “gifts” for the animals and you get gifts from us.

The gifts the shelter needs are general supplies, that when donated, is money the not for profit doesn’t have to buy.  Things they need in abundance are: Liquid Laundry Soap,  Dish Soap, Bleach, Clorox Spray Cleaner, Tall Kitchen Bags, Lawn and Leaf Size Garbage Bags, Zip Lock Storage Bags, Endust Spray, Scrubbers, Copy Machine Paper, Postage Stamps and #10 Envelopes.

Also, there are specifics to Dogs and Cats both.  Stuff like Toys, Peanut Butter or Cheese Slices (to help with pills), Catnip or Milkbone Dog Biscuits, Cat Litter, Gift Cards to the typical general needs stores and any monetary donation would be greatly appreciated to help with costs of prescription food and medications.   I full list can be found at the shop or at the Animal Life Line website.

Here is the deal, if you give a gift, I will have a gift for you.  We will also have drink specials and some free beer (what, it’s a Cup party, we always have free beer.)  There’ll be X-mas cookies and hopefully cupcakes too.  We are also going to get games going outside too, including a few games of Kubb, an awesome old timey Swedish yard game you will love.

If you don’t know, I am a huge animal lover.  Some say I like animals a heck of a lot more than people.  I say those people are right.  I do these events (X-mas in July and Geeky X-mas) to do anything I can to help.  Last summer’s event was a huge success, so, if you can help make this one even better.

 

Next Week is San Diego Comic Con…

AH, it is really that time of year again already?  Yes, San Diego, the time when a small few go to the “Mecca” of comic conventions and the rest of us sort-of peer in from our computers.  I hear it is like nothing else in all of comics and should be experienced at least once.  As I get older in the tooth at this comic retailing thing, I care less about such things, though, I will admit, every year I get a pang of interest in going.

I think the desire to be there always grows when I see the artist alley guest list and some of the creators that will never come anywhere near a Midwest convention.  Like Jordi Bernet, where the hell you going to see him outside of France?

But then there are all the people, the crowds of insanity and the very high prices for everything.

Yet, I will still be pretty interested to hear a report from those I know will be going.  In the mean time, we can sit back and see the steady stream of unrelenting comic “news” flowing out of San Diego.

 

Heard from a little bird…

Speaking of conventions, I have heard that there are some pretty big names coming to the I-Con this year.  It has been confirmed that writer Tony Bedard and artist Tyler Kirkham are coming to Des Moines.  These two will be working on the post DC Restart Green Lantern book, New Guardians, together.

Bedard has been putting in solid work for DC and Marvel for years and before that was a great contributor at Crossgen.  Recently, he had an under-appreciated run on REBELS, but then Tony might be the most under-appreciated writer DC has.  The guy never writes a bad story.

Kirkham has been working for several years on a bunch of projects for several companies.  Most recently he has been turning in excellent work for DC on Green Lantern Corps.

Not to diminish either of these great talents, but it was the third guest that really blew me away.  The guest of honor at this year’s I-Con will be none other than Denny O’Neil.  If a concise history of DC comics was written, Denny O’Neil would be on nearly every page.  The Batman you have come to recognize was shaped by his direction of those books, as group editor, for years, but it is probably his historic writing of Green Lantern he is, or should be, best known for.

O’Neil was the writer during the landmark Green Lantern/Green Arrow “hard traveling heroes” run in the 1970’s, some of the best that comic books can aspire too.  The run dealt with everything from teenage drug abuse (“My ward is a Junkie,” exclaims Ollie on the cover to issue 85) to racial issues and tensions never touched on in comics to this point.  Though it would be nice to meet Tony Bedard, getting to shake the hand of a living comic legend like O’Neal, will be really something.  This is the best guest we have had at a Des Moines comic convention since James Kirby brought in legend Shelly Moldoff.

This year’s I-Con is scheduled for September 17th at the Adventure Land Inn.

 

Speaking of Denny O’Neal…

He will be writing a couple of the 1970’s DC Retroactive issues that scheduled to come out over the next couple weeks.  These are stories set in the time period they say.  Not necessarily a character’s time period or continuity’s time periods, but real life publishing’s time period.

They are expensive, priced at a whopping $4.99, and containing only one new original story (each issue has a back up re-print from that issue or character’s time period.)

We ordered rather conservative on them because of the price (you don’t want to get stuck with a bunch of five dollar books if your fine customers decide a 1970’s story about pant suit wearing Wonder Woman isn’t for them.)  If we sell out and you want them, let me or someone behind the counter know and I’ll get more in for you.

I have no idea what to expect on these.  They could be the best thing ever or total garbage.  They could be loved by no one or the perfect counter to two massive companywide crossovers.  Just don’t know.

 

Great link from Ronnie…

Where does he find these great links?

Someone at DC seems to think Rob Liefeld is talented enough to give him Hawk and Dove during the Restart.  But, I don’t know a single person who thinks he has even a shred of talent and neither do these fine gents: http://www.letsbefriendsagain.com/2011/07/08/feet-101/

As an added bonus, you can see his crappy Levi’s jean add directed by Spike Lee (?)  Spike, is this why your quality started to suffer?  Wow, have we figured out what happened to the rest of the old Image crew?  Were they all infected?  Totally different kind of horror movie, yet it still starts with a poo flinging creature.

Hawk and Dove is my choice as first book to be late and/or cancelled out of the new 52.  Which one do you think?