Dollar figures for 10/04

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Posted by: admin on August 30, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Same thing, except this time I have it sorted by DOLLARS rather than UNITS This becomes a VERY different list! Witness the power of the book! -B 1 ASTONISHING X-MEN #6 2 IDENTITY CRISIS #5 3 SUPREME POWER VOL 2 POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES TP 4 ASTRO CITY A VISITORS GUIDE 5 AVENGERS #503 (#88) 6 CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOL 6 CURSE O/T GOLDEN SKULL TP 7 SUPERMAN BATMAN #15 8 PLANETARY #21 9 JIMMY OLSEN ADVENTURES BY JACK KIRBY VOL 2 TP 10 SUPREME POWER #13 11 MICHAEL CHABON PRESENTS ADVENTURES O/T ESCAPIST VOL 2 TP 12 FABLES VOL 4 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS TP 13 WE 3 #2 14 SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL 15 HC 15 SOLO #1 16…  Read More…

Order figures for 10/04

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Retailing/Industry

I’m not sure if this is of any interest to anyone but me, but since it only takes about 1 minute to generate a list like this, and I’m desperately trying to avoid typing up the subs (despite me having to have it finished by tomorrow), I thought I’d share what Comix Experience’s INTIAL ORDERS looked like for the month of October. These numbers can change dramatically by the time books ship (somethings don’t ship on time, other things will get reordered, and there’s always the chance that Marvel orders will be cut before the Final Order Cutoff), but here’s what I think I’ll be selling come October… Only doing the Top 50 here, but, as you can see, it’s…  Read More…

Cute Cute Cute Baby

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Uncategorized

I think he’s bloody adorable, and here’s some fresh pictures of Benjamin! (sorry for the relative radio silence the last few days — it’s order form week) -B

From Frying Pan to Fire to San Francisco High-Rise

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Posted by: admin on August 28, 2004

Categories: Reviews

Jeff, here. I thought I’d get a chance to get a few reviews in since nobody shows up to an non-air conditioned law firm in San Francisco on a Saturday just to hand out niggling jobs to their harried work staff, right? (The answer to that rhetorical question, by the way, is “wrong.”) Sadly, I played the “I don’t have the comics with me, so I apologize for any inaccuracies and undue crankiness” card last week, so I can’t really do it this time. So I’m going to blame everything on the heat. Yes, that’s it. The heat. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #511: Astonishing to me how much I can like the Peter/Mary Jane stuff and really, really hate everything else. Spidey…  Read More…

Some Comics from 8/25

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Posted by: admin on August 26, 2004

Categories: Reviews

Less time than I thought this week — too much message boarding (How does any of those incessant Newsarama posters get ANYthing done in real life? Do they just post on their boss’ dime all day or something? Are they all pale 13 year olds who never see the sun? Someone should do a study!), plus, last night our Television went out so we need to go buy a new one this morning. So just a quick couple of reviews so, y’know, they don’t take my blogging rights away from me. By the way, do I need to insert possible spoiler warnings for the below? Or is it just assumed? WORLDWATCH #1: If I know you well enough, you have…  Read More…

Bits

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Posted by: admin on August 23, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Marc-Oliver addresses the numbers behind Fallen Angel, and makes some points that I probably should have made more succinctly. (and, for the record, no I don’t think PAD and I are “fighting” or anything — I think this has been both a civil and productive discussion) It’s Monday, and I still have to do this week’s invoicing, and finish the sub form, so, thanks to the flurry of message board posting this weekend, I don’t think there will be more reviews until Wednesday with the next cycle of books. Sowwy. -B

In response to Peter David

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Posted by: admin on August 22, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

(in response to http://peterdavid.malibulist.com/archives/001891.html) Dear Peter, I don’t really know the finer protocols of blogging yet, so I’m sending a copy of this in e-mail to you as well as putting it up on my blog. (http://www.comixexperience.com/savblog/savblog.html) It just seemed presumptuous to assume you’re reading mine, or that the “greater blogosphere” will somehow notify you. And I didn’t want to respond in the “comments” section since you “called me out” on the front page, nor just send you a link. In the interest of clarity, feel free to run this in full or part on your site (http://peterdavid.malibulist.com/) (I know you know that, I’m only talking like this because it’s bloggy and in public.) if you choose to respond. Right,…  Read More…

Some Reviews of 8/18 Books from Jeff

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Posted by: admin on August 21, 2004

Categories: Reviews

I am Lamor, the Sub-Pariner (or is that pronounced “Sub-Pare-iner”?) Not only did I leave CE early yesterday, but I left without my books. So the only reviews I’ve got are a few quick “gotta-reads” and a couple of books I don’t buy but check in on. And I have to do it all from memory. Better than nothing? I guess we’ll see, won’t we? ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #631: Rucka tries to serve two masters here, and I don’t think it works. If you’re doing gritty military sniper action, why does one round of the sniper rifle explode and take out the whole troop? If you’re doing slug-’em-up superhero action, why does it all seem to take place in a…  Read More…

The Two Most Useful Words in the World

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Uncategorized

I. Forgot. It’s Rob Bennett’s birfday, do I gots to run the whole shift today at the store. It’s the Big Law of Comix Experience: No One Works On Their Birthday. So reviews later tonight? Tomorrow? Soon, I hope… (Hm, maybe I’ll bring the AlphaSmart with me to work) -B

FANGASM!!!!

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Posted by: admin on August 20, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

(That title’s just for Jeff Lester) I woke up late, so you probably already know that the new Tilting at Windmills is up at Newsarama. I generally don’t wade in to Newsarama threads, so post here, if you are scared of them, too. Mm, and Augie? Once is an accident, twice is avoidable, week after week after week is a pattern. (More comic reviews later tonight, I hope — most everything is read) -B

Comics of 8/18

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Posted by: admin on August 19, 2004

Categories: Reviews

Yah, like Lester I was thinking about how good ol internet time made it seem like we never posted. What’s up with that? I’ve mostly been trying to unravel a Mystery in the UK the last few days — I think I have most of it sussed, but I’m still not sure HOW to solve the crime, as it were. I also finished TILTING (appears on Friday on Newsarama), and have started making notes on Deppey’s NuMarvel essay in the new Journal. Damn, that’s one fine issue. Plus I dinged 30 in CoH, and am now playing the How Long Until I Get Bored and Quit game (I doubt I’ll make it to 35, is all I can say, but…  Read More…

Breaking Radio Silence…

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

Jesus. I’m putting together this month’s newsletter and I know Hibbs has a Tilting deadline on his back, but this is ridiculous. Thanks to the miracle of blog-time, it feels like nobody’s posted anything here in eleven million years. So, since I’m tired of trying to figure out new ways to hype books I haven’t read (and didn’t even know about before this morning), I thought I’d throw in my two pennies on some books from last week. I dunno, for those of you who might be hitting the store a week late or something. BLOODHOUND #1 &2: I picked these up only because Hibbs recommended them; the solicit text for the series didn’t grab me (something like “rogue serial…  Read More…

Books of 8/11

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Posted by: admin on August 16, 2004

Categories: Reviews

Yeah, yeah, I know, I left the comics hanging. But, somehow this week, even *I* didn’t care what I thought of AQUAMAN and EMMA FROST and SOULFIRE. So I’m going to skip the rest of the comics. On to the books to clear the table for the 8/18 comics. NEW X-MEN V 3 HC: The last big Grant Morrison book, all pretty and larger, and all in all a great deal. ESPER UNDERTOW: I fondly remembered this story, but it didn’t hold up nearly as well as I recalled. It’s almost kinda quaint. Still, I’m keeping my copy. SUPERMAN ADVENTURES v1 & 2 DIGEST: Mark Millar’s Superman stories. Some are good, others are great, though I don’t like the format…  Read More…

Deppey’s Back!

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Posted by: admin on August 15, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Looks like I beat FBR to this one — Dirk Deppey’s back on the TCJ site with a think piece on “NuMarvel” as well as a review of X-Men Reloaded. I have some thoughts on the think piece, but it will have to wait until next week, because I have to write Tilting at Windmills this week, and my small brain can only handle so much…. Go read anyway! -B

The Bendis Batman / Daredevil thing

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Posted by: admin on August 14, 2004

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Only because BMB asked that retailers pester Levitz over this thing, here’s one retailer’s 2 cents. Putting aside the whole “DC sucks! It’s just like the old days with Stan! Except I talk about penises!” trip that Quesada and Jemas were on (and, see, actions have consequences — does no one remember the adage of being nice on your way up because you get to meet all of those people again on your way back down?), I don’t think there’s a lot of value in DC getting in bed with Marvel as long as Marvel’s current publishing policies are as they are. Remember AVENGERS/ JLA? Marvel printed #1 and 3. Limited to initial orders only. Sold out upon release. Took…  Read More…

Awesome!

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Posted by: admin on August 12, 2004

Categories: Reviews

So, Ben showed me his first real signs of higher intelligence yesterday. We got him some blocks a month or so ago, and he did a lot of the “raking claw” and mostly just knocked them around the room. Which is cool, and all — he’s still a baby. But for the last week or so, everytime I’ve played with him I’ve tried patiently to show him how to stack the blocks. Didn’t really work, he mostly showed interest in knocking down the stack, flinging the blocks all over the room. This might have been because he was so excited he couldn’t control his fine movements, but I was starting to despair that he wasn’t figuring it out. Anyway, I’m…  Read More…

A Few More Reviews of Old Books….

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Posted by: admin on August 11, 2004

Categories: Reviews

And then I’ll get out of the way of Brian and the new batch of books. BATMAN THE TWELVE CENT ADVENTURE: There were a lot of typos in this. For example, I think the title is supposed to be SPOILER: THE TWELVE CENT EXPOSITION. Eh. BLUE MONDAY: PAINTED MOON #2: I like Blue Monday so much more when the humor comes from the characters and not the magical talking leprechauns or imaginary fart-monkeys or whatever. Consequently, I thought this was the best issue I’d read in some time. Very Good. CATWOMAN #33: A great idea for a story format, and I loved the individual title cards, but at least two of the stories are told so quickly they have no…  Read More…

Some more from 8/11

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

INVINCIBLE #14: Top notch super-fun here — I really liked the teleport gag. A few captions are pretty radically overwritten, but, ah, so what? Very Good IRON MAN #432: Ah. Add another Dead Girlfriend in the Fridge to the list, Gail. This is taking the easy path to drama, but at least no one got raped…. Eh SPIDER-MAN #5: Nice Frank Cho art, but, blech I don’t like Millar’s characterizations of anyone here. Why is MJ calling Felicia “Babe”? Or insisting she’s an idiot over and over again? “This is supposed to be the HOBBY”? No, sir, I don’t like this. I don’t want “gritty” Spider-Man! Awful. I mentioned the other day that people should pick up BIRTH OF A…  Read More…

OK, I won’t be defeated

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

Let me try to summarize what I spent two hours (total) writing twice, and see if the universe (NASTY BEAST!) lets this through IDENTITY CRISIS #3: Extremely powerfully skillfully done. This comes from affection, rather than cynicism, and it’s a great piece of craft. BUT, you can’t ask the audience to take Justice League of America #166-168 to its logical extreme AT THE SAME TIME as saying that they guy named “Deathstroke, the Terminator” doesn’t actually wax the JLA when he could do so effortlessly. Don’t bring the “real world” into the ACTUAL comics. These aren’t characters for today, these are characters for forever. Grant Morrison is right: the DCU is shiny hope-filled place or it should be, at least….  Read More…

Lament

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Site News

OK, I’ve learned something very important about Blogger. If you’re selecting text in a window using the shift key (Say, to make a copy) , and the post is many pages long, and you’re going from the bottom to the top, if you go “too far” (that is you’re still using the up arrow past the top of the post), all of your text will go bye bye leaving you with nothing. That’s TWICE I’ve done this now in one day — the first time taking more than an hour to write a long long essay about IDENTITY CRISIS #3, the second time doing it in about 40 minutes…. and I lost it both times. F. U. C. K. So,…  Read More…

A Few Quick Reviews from Jeff

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Posted by: admin on

Categories: Reviews

Yo. Since I destroyed all previous comments, I thought I’d make it up to you by giving a few quick reviews of what I’ve been reading lately. Some of it isn’t “current” because I’m a few weeks behind, but, you know, it’ll give you something to look for during those quiet weeks at the shop. (Although as you’ll see, most of what I’ve read so far is probably the stuff everyone picks up.) ASTONISHING X-MEN #3: Sweet Jesus, this is lovely looking work. Remember those young naive days when we thought we’d be getting Morrison and Quitely monthly on New X-Men? This is that book, filled with art and art that can deftly swing from quiet to violent to funny…  Read More…