Arriving 4/2/2008

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Posted by: admin on March 31, 2008

Categories: Shipping Lists

Pretty decent week this week — nearly caught up with my work (order form due tomorrow), so, hopefully, “Around the Store” will begin again tomorrow… 2000 AD #1575 2000 AD #1576 2000 AD #1577 2000 AD #1578 ABE SAPIEN THE DROWNING #3 (OF 5) ACTION COMICS #863 ALL NEW ATOM #22 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #555 AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO #1 (OF 4) ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #6 ANITA BLAKE VH GUILTY PLEASURES #10 (OF 12) ANNA MERCURY #1 (OF 5) PAINTED CVR ARCHIE #583 BETTY #173 BOY WHO MADE SILENCE #1 BOYS #17 BRIT #5 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #13 CABLE #2 DWS CASANOVA #13 CLANDESTINE #3 (OF 5) COUNTDOWN SPECIAL KAMANDI 80 PAGE GIANT COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 4 DARK…  Read More…

Papa Don’t Preach: The Toughest Review Diana Ever Wrote, 3/26

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Posted by: admin on March 28, 2008

Categories: Reviews

During my (admittedly short) time as a comic book critic, I’ve reviewed comics that made me happy, or sad, or violently ill; works by writers I can’t stand, or admire, or wish would try just a bit harder because they’re capable of so much more (you know who you are). But there’s one comic I’ve never talked about, and likely never will: WATCHMEN. To be totally honest, WATCHMEN intimidates me. It’s too great a work for me to discuss, and it’s such a central part of comics discourse that I doubt there’s much I could say that hasn’t been said before, by greater critics than myself. And I’d be content to let sleeping dogs lie, except the comic I’m about…  Read More…

The Super-Spoilers of 3/26: Jog has found God at last

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on

Categories: Reviews

All Star Superman #10: As expected, this issue starts to wrap things up for the series, and it’s sort of a relief. I did like writer Grant Morrison’s suite of confrontations between Superman and various doppelgängers, Our Hero pressing to understand himself on the road toward the end of all things (er, keep in mind, I’m the one who thinks the second Bizarro issue is the best of the whole series), but it’s high time a little payoff should develop, and that’s what happens here. Given that Morrison tosses in an amusingly brief encounter with yet another Authentic Man of Tomorrow, I think even he’s gotten antsy. Over the course of one big day — events relayed out of chronological…  Read More…

Spy vs. Spy, Spy vs. Nature, Spy vs. Himself: Douglas on Kindt and Bendis/Mack

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on March 26, 2008

Categories: Reviews

SUPER SPY and NEW AVENGERS #39. Below the cut lurk spoilers (well, a plot summary, really) for the latter. Hence, the cut. For those who care about such things. Tom Spurgon wrote the other day in his you-must-go-read-it best-of-2007 roundup that ” I have a selfish reason for wanting to bring more people to the conversation on [Matt Kindt's] Super Spy: I think the book is good, but I can’t figure out how good, and I’d love to see a range of writers and thinkers muse on it in public to help me along. It’s the most confusing book of 2007 to me, and for that one of the most compelling.” I read it at last yesterday, after it had…  Read More…

Arriving 3/26/2008

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Posted by: admin on March 25, 2008

Categories: Shipping Lists

I’m totally swamped, post-ComicsPRO meeting, plus have to get the order form done, and we’re about to have our home bathroom remodeled, and I have to write the new TILTING, and then there’s the jury duty coming up, and… well, dang, everything happens at once, doesn’t it? I’ll return to “Around the Store” as soon as I can, I promise! In the meantime, here’s a slightly late list of what’s arriving this week at Comix Experience… A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #78 (A) ALL STAR SUPERMAN #10 AMELIA RULES #20 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #1 4TH PTG ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #187 ARMY OF DARKNESS XENA WHY NOT #1 (OF 4) AUTHORITY PRIME #6 (OF 6) BADGER SAVES THE WORLD #4…  Read More…

Because I can’t skip two weeks in a row…: Graeme reads some superhero books, writes some stuff about them. You know the drill.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on

Categories: Reviews

Between sickness, work craziness and deadlines for everything under the sun, it’s surprising that I’ve had any time to read comic books. Add in the fact that Brian Hibbs got me addicted to Death Note, and it’s even more surprising that I have anything to write about under the jump apart from “Light Yagami is messed up, dude.” And yet, commentary about superhero books await you if you click that “Click here to read more”… AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #554: Now that we’re three quarters of the way through Brand New Day – it stops having that branding after all the writers have been introduced, right? – it’s worth noting that we seem to have established this quality level that could best…  Read More…

Abhay Hurried Out Some Reviews This Morning

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on

Categories: Reviews

I don’t have anything interesting to say, but I noticed the other people who write for this site— they were all having busy weeks; I thought I’d try to chip in with some quickie reviews before work. Here’s what I’ve read lately… Incredible Hercules #116: I was flipping through the latest issue at random– I like Khoi Pham’s art, so I was glancing at it for that when I noticed this issue has this sweet detail: the bulk of the action takes place on the Hellicarrier from the 24-issue Doug Moench Godzilla comic book Marvel published in the 1970′s. Shit, man, I never even read those comics, but I just liked that detail so I read the rest of the…  Read More…

Hell: Marvel didn’t need to tell me, on 3/19

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on March 21, 2008

Categories: Reviews

War is Hell: First Flight of the Phantom Eagle #1 (of 5): I thought there was something odd about this book the whole time I was reading it. But it wasn’t until I checked the credits box and saw Todd Klein’s name that I realized what was going on: There’s no sound effects in this thing. And the reason that feels odd to me is because prolific Howard Chaykin is doing the drawing, which naturally made me wonder how Klein might handle those famous webs and strings and walls of letters that Ken Bruzenak used to do with Chaykin back in the day, the ones various parties have provided since then. Well, no luck. There’s plenty of possible reasons. This…  Read More…

Around the Store in 31 Days: Day Thirteen

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 18, 2008

Categories: Reviews

So, since it is the (spooky!) 13th day of this little experiment, let’s go with something off the Horror rack? I think I mentioned before that we also have a Licensed rack, and an awful lot stuff in “Horror” could fit there as well — EVIL DEAD, Clive Barker comics, HALLOWEEN, and so on. Ditto with today’s pick — RICHARD MATHESON’S I AM LEGEND. After all, it was originally a prose book (and, eventually, several different films as well). IAL was originally published back in the day by Eclipse, and it was one of the first books that IDW “rescued” from Eclipse’s backlist. It is adapted by Steve Niles, back in the days in which he was primarily known as…  Read More…

Around the Store in 31 Days: Day Twelve

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Posted by: admin on March 17, 2008

Categories: Reviews

OK, so I’ve clearly lost the daily pattern we had at the start — my apologies, it’s been a rough and busy week. I SHOULD be able to do daily through Wednesday this week, but then I have to disappear again (ComicsPRO’s annual in Vegas) Matt Wagner is one of my favorite creators in the whole wide world. (Come by the store some day and I’ll tell you the story of why I’m in comics, and why Matt is really the one to blame) You can tell if you look at the store, because I’ve got more than 20 pieces of original Matt Wagner art (most commissions) hanging around the store — including an on-going series of JSA portraits (in…  Read More…

Arriving 3/19/2008

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

100 BULLETS #89 A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #77 (A) AFTERBURN #2AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #554ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #5AVENGERS CLASSIC #10BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #5BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #159BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #82BIRDS OF PREY #116BOHDA TE #1BRAVE AND THE BOLD #11CAPTAIN AMERICA #36CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 (OF 5) SIICATWOMAN #77CHECKMATE #24CIRCLE #5COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 6DANGERS DOZEN #3DARK IVORY #1 (OF 4)DARKNESS VS EVA #1 (OF 4) DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #7 (OF 8)EVERYBODYS DEAD #1EX MACHINA #35 FABLES #71 FEAR AGENT #19 HATCHET JOB (PT 3 OF 5)FLASH #238FOOLKILLER #4 (OF 5) FRANKLIN RICHARDS SPRING BREAKFX #1 (OF 6)GENE SIMMONS ZIPPER #4GHOST RIDER #21GHOST WHISPERER #1GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL #5 (OF 8)GRIMM FAIRY TALES #25 GRIMM FAIRY TALES…  Read More…

And Now, Jog: 3/12 comics were three days ago

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Posted by: Joe McCulloch on March 16, 2008

Categories: Reviews

Gutsville #3 (of 6): Glad this one’s back in action. It’s an Image miniseries from writer Simon Spurrier and artist Frazer Irving; both 2000 AD veterans, the former was last seen in US comics via the recent Silver Surfer: In Thy Name miniseries, while the latter has provided distinctive visuals to projects ranging from DC’s Robin to Marvel’s Silent War. Issue #2 came out roughly half a year ago, the subsequent delay apparently owing to personal and familial illnesses on Irving’s part. The remaining half of the series should be out in shorter order. I like it so far, and this issue is a GOOD indicator of why. I don’t think it’s saying too much to note that Irving’s art…  Read More…

All will be well if if if if if: Douglas on two 3/12 Marvels.

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Posted by: Douglas Wolk on March 15, 2008

Categories: Reviews

Two ’70s throwbacks, of different kinds. Short version: the new Mighty Avengers is a very nice execution of a badly flawed premise, and The Last Defenders struggles with the idea behind what it’s building on. More under the cut. MIGHTY AVENGERS #10: I’m still really enjoying Brian Michael Bendis’s attempts to give every issue of this series (and of New Avengers) its own plot and tone–it helps prevent the sense a lot of other series have that they’re written for the trade and broken up wherever the plot allows–and I’m glad he’s still doing the info-overload tricks (the thought balloons, the constant internal chatter from Tony’s armor) that make this series read differently from its sibling. This issue: Iron Man…  Read More…

Abhay Is Going to Post This Nonsense and then Sleep Until Monday, Y’all

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on

Categories: Reviews

So, this last week, I’ve been really into Conan and Octopus Pie, I guess…? They’re both sitcoms– situational comedies? Somehow, sitcoms became a bad word among educated people, but they’re great in theory: characters get into situations, and then the comedy is seeing how the particular character chooses to get out of them. A comedy that arises out of the observation of character? Well, hell, that doesn’t sound so bad. On the other hand, Mama’s Family. Oh god, Mama’s Family. Why, Vicki Lawrence? WHY? You don’t put Mama below the jump. You don’t put Baby in the corner, and you don’t put Mama below the jump. That’s just common sense. OCTOPUS PIE: Octopus Pie is an Odd Couple sitcom created…  Read More…

Comix Experience Top Sellers in EW

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 14, 2008

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Page 65 of this week’s ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (the SNL cover) Neat! -B

Around the Store in 31 Days: Day Eleven

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Reviews

Yeah, looks like “daily” is starting to peter out, what with having to retour schools and stuff thanks to the incredibly screwed up results of the SFUSD system for placing elementary schools… Since I did a DC superhero comic last time, let’s go with “Equal Time” and do a Marvel one this go round. Find out what it is after the jump! So, the real problem with a Marvel GN is that they don’t exactly have their shit together in terms of keeping things in print, or at least in a format that I especially want to recommend — I’m a little so-so on something like the MILLER BY DAREDEVIL COMPANION HC, when I’d rather tell you to buy DAREDEVIL…  Read More…

Poll: "Click for more"

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Posted by: admin on March 13, 2008

Categories: Site News

There’s been just enough complaints about the “Click for more” feature that i’d like your input, please Let’s see if this little bit of linkery works… polls – Take Our Poll -B

Around the Store in 31 Days: Day Ten

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 11, 2008

Categories: Reviews

OK, how about a superhero comic, since I’ve gone nine days without one… This one is from our DC rack, and represents one of the best re-imaginings of a classic character that I think has ever been done. The late 80s were a weird period for DC comics, still reeling from the impact of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. As I understand it, one of the various plans was that the entire “universe” was to be “rebooted”, and started from scratch. This pretty much didn’t happen in a satisfying fashion, with some books starting over, while others didn’t. MAN OF STEEL revamped Superman, but Batman kept on being the “same old” BATMAN (barring, of course, BATMAN: YEAR ONE), and the less…  Read More…

Heart Attacks and Rock’N'Roll: Graeme digs some 3/5 books.

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Posted by: Graeme McMillan on

Categories: Reviews

There’s something to the way that your workplace reacts to someone having a heart attack in the middle of it, I think; whereas other, “lesser,” places than my dayjob would shrug off the sight of four medics asking questions of, and sticking all manner of IVs in, a near-comatose woman in the middle of the office, right now it’s like someone’s dropped a special Unnerving Bomb. Everyone here is freaked out and wondering when it’s going to be their turn. Well, except for everyone who’s already been through that kind of thing. Not the most healthy of places, my work. Anyway, comics? CABLE #1: Yet another attempt by Marvel to redo Lone Wolf and Cub (Really, Nomad wasn’t enough?), this…  Read More…

Around the Store in 31 Days: Day Nine

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 10, 2008

Categories: Reviews

Comics, of course, aren’t just an American thing (or just a Japanese thing, for that matter) — there’s tons and tons of really amazing work coming out of Europe. Virtually none of it makes it to America, however, at least not at a price that most Americans are willing to pay. And probably 2/3rds of what DOES arrive in the states in Erotica. This is a dire shame, really, because there’s so much good material out there that could find an audience if only someone would publish it here. DC tried and failed with the Humanoids deal (I think it was mostly overproduction of fairly mediocre material, at the same time they overproduced the CMX manga stuff), and Marvel is…  Read More…

Arriving 3/12/08

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

Daylight Saving Time really kicked my slender white ass, I’m jet-lagged and behind schedule on a lot of stuff, regular posting probably resumes tomorrow… 2000 AD #1574 ABE SAPIEN THE DROWNING #2 (OF 5)AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #18AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #553ANNIHILATION CONQUEST #5 (OF 6)ARCHIE & FRIENDS #117ARCHIE DIGEST #242ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #5ATOMIC ROBO #6 (OF 6)AVENGERS FAIRY TALES #1 (OF 4)AVENGERS INITIATIVE #10BADGER SAVES THE WORLD #3 (OF 5)BAOBAB #1 (O/A)BAT LASH #4 (OF 6)BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #14BATMAN STRIKES #43BOOSTER GOLD #7BPRD 1946 #3 (OF 5)COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 7COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY #6 (OF 8)DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING MAN THING #2 (OF 4) DIARY OF NIGHT #1 (OF 4)DIARY OF NIGHT #2 (OF 4)DMZ #29 DOCTOR WHO #2EVIL DEAD #3 (OF 4)FANTASTIC FOUR #555GAMEKEEPER…  Read More…