Lester, Tester: Please Ignore This Post and Enjoy Your New Year’s, Please.
Posted by: admin on December 31, 2008
Categories: Site News
Yeah, so we’re having problems publishing, hmmm? Lemme check.
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Archive for December, 2008
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 29, 2008
Categories: Shipping Lists
Your first shipment of 2009… and it, mm, isn’t very large at all. Let’s hope this isn’t setting the tone of the year… PLEASE REMEMBER THAT NEW COMICS ARE ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK — if you go into your LCS on Wednesday, they’re going to sadly shake their head at you, and no one wants THAT. Have a great New Year, everyone, and be safe out there! 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 30 DAYS TIL DEATH #2A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #95 (A) AVENGERS INITIATIVE #20 DKRAVENGERS INVADERS #7 (OF 12)BACK TO BROOKLYN #3 (OF 5) BATMAN #684BATMAN CACOPHONY #2 (OF 3)BLUE BEETLE #34CAPTAIN AMERICA #45CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #52CYBLADE #2DOCTOR WHO FORGOTTEN #5 FANTASTIC FOUR #562FANTASTIC FOUR COSMIC SPECIALFINAL CRISIS… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 26, 2008
Categories: Site News
I can’t quite figure out if something is broken with our blog, or what, but Douglas has had a post pending for 3 days that JUST WON’T PUBLISH, so I thought I’d post a little test thing here to see if it is his message, or if it is the blog Just to keep things vaguely on subject, I was complaining in Tilting last week that December was horrible. And it mostly has been. However, this last week has been really terrific, and Christmas Eve was the best Christmas Eve we’ve had in terms of sales in nineteen of them… it doesn’t look like the last minute surge will be good enough to send the month positive, but I think… Read More…
Let the monkey row: Douglas dips into some 12/17 Marvels
Posted by: Douglas Wolk on December 24, 2008
Categories: Reviews
THOR GOD-SIZE SPECIAL #1 is a very pretty-looking comic, and I don’t mind paying the $4 Marvel toll, even for a series I don’t normally read, to get a 38-page Matt Fraction story plus a Walt Simonson reprint. (A 22-page story, on the other hand… well, I suspect I won’t be buying certain titles much longer.) It’s a Fraction riff on a particularly charged scene from 1985′s THOR #362, which is the backup reprint, and it’s got fancy high-gloss artwork from Dan Brereton, Doug Braithwaite and the previously-unknown-to-me Miguelángel Sepulveda, as well as Mike and Laura Allred doing their Allred thing. But only the Allreds’ section looks anywhere near as interesting as the splintery power and scenery-chewing grandeur of the… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 22, 2008
Categories: Shipping Lists
Here’s your last shipment of 2008…! New Comics Day is Christmas Eve, Wednesday, just like normal. Next week AND the week after, it moves to Friday. Do your local comics store a favor and go and clear out your holds box before the end of the year. They’ll thank you, as will their accountants! If you’re in San Francisco, and have nothing much better to do, we’ll be having our annual Christmas party at CE, starting at 5 PM on Christmas Eve. Stop by for libations, and good people! I’ll try to squeeze out a few reviews tomorrow, but I’ve got to print ONOMATOPOEIA, so maybe not… Happy Holidays to one and all…! 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS ADVENTURES OF SINBAD #6ANGEL… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 19, 2008
Categories: Retailing/Industry
You can find it over on Comic Book Resources! As noted in the article, you can also pre-order Tilting at Windmills v2 TP, with the end of my tenure at Comics & Games Retailer, as well as my entire run at Newsarama, from any store with a Diamond account by using the order code of DEC084122, thanks to the loverly folks over at IDW, hooray! Go ahead and preorder that copy and put some pennies into my pocket! Feel free to drop any comments here, as well… -B
Back to Hell on 12/17: Jog shouldn’t have sworn an oath with his final breath
Posted by: Joe McCulloch on
Categories: Reviews
Hellblazer #250 (art and color by Rafael Grampá & Marcus Penna; there’s also captions in the actual comic) John Constantine, how long has it been? Just over 20 years since this thing started up? Almost 25 since The Saga of the Swamp Thing? That’s a lot of Silk Cuts, a lot of magic. A lot of politics – there was once a whole goddamned issue (#3) on the Conservative election victory of 1987. But there’s some enduring character to this Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette & John Totleben creation too; I often wind up thinking of Eddie Campbell’s parody version in Bacchus, who had the poor barmaid climb all the way to the top shelf, only to make her climb… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 15, 2008
Categories: Shipping Lists
Some good stuff shipping this week! I’ve got to go write a TILTING though… 2000 AD #1613 2000 AD #1614 AGE OF SENTRY #4 (OF 6)AIR #5 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #581AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #3ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #15AVENGERS INITIATIVE #19 SIBATGIRL #6 (OF 6)BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #14BEANWORLD HOLIDAY SPECIAL ONE SHOTBETTY & VERONICA #239BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #190BIRDS OF PREY #125BLACK TERROR #2BRIT #11 (RES)BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CHEN CVRC E MURPHYS TAKE A CHANCE #1CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #6CTHULHU TALES #9 CVR ADARK REIGN NEW NATIONDCU HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2008DEAD OF NIGHT DEVIL SLAYER #4 (OF 4) DEADPOOL #5DOG EATERS #2 DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #10 EX MACHINA #40 FABLES #79 FALLEN ANGEL IDW #32 FEAR AGENT #25 1 AGAINST 1 (PT… Read More…
Not Comics: Jeff Checks Out Punisher: War Zone
Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 13, 2008
Categories: Reviews
[Warning: I intend to spoil plot points from the movie Punisher: War Zone--to the extent anyone can spoil anything in a movie called Punisher: War Zone; also, technically it's misleading to call them 'plot points' since that suggests Punisher: War Zone has what one could call a 'plot,' so really I guess I should be warning you I intend on spoiling 'events' from the movie Punisher: War Zone--so if you really do intend on seeing the movie stop reading and go catch it now because it won't be in theaters more than two weeks, tops.] I saw Punisher: War Zone the other day with my pal Robson and two friends we helped sneak in to the theater, Asahi Super Dry… Read More…
I don’t know how to title this one!
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 9, 2008
Categories: Reviews , Uncategorized
I meant to say something last week (ugh, or was it two weeks now) when Spurgeon linked to Johanna’s (we miss you!) note about the pending release of the last color BONE volume. I volunteer at Ben’s school library one day a week (what can I say… I believe in libraries!), and, man, do the comics circulate like crazy! I’m only in there one day a week, but based on looking at the shelves I think it is true for every day in there — the comics circulate the INSTANT they get put back out on the shelves. My responsibilities include checking in each classes books, as well as checking the kids out each week (basically, it’s just retail, but… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 8, 2008
Categories: Shipping Lists
Fighting a cold again, brain failing. I have more things to say, but… tomorrow. This is an extremely small week for 14 shopping days before Christmas… 100 BULLETS #98 30 DAYS OF NIGHT 30 DAYS TIL DEATH #1A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #94 (A) ACTION COMICS #872 NEW KRYPTONAMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #27AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #580AMBUSH BUG YEAR NONE #5 (OF 6)ARCHIE & FRIENDS #126ASTONISHING X-MEN GHOST BOXES #2 (OF 2)BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #24BIG HERO 6 #4 (OF 5)BOOSTER GOLD #15BPRD WAR ON FROGS #2BUCKAROO BANZAI THE PREQUEL #2 (OF 2)CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #8CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #32CIVIL WAR HOUSE OF M #4 (OF 5)COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND PRINCE OF NOWHEREDARKNESS LODBROKS HAND (ONE SHOT) OEMING CVR ADEATH DEFYING DEVIL #1 DETECTIVE COMICS… Read More…
Nothing is More Dangerous Than a Comics Artist: Jog knew the truth on 12/4
Posted by: Joe McCulloch on
Categories: Reviews
Criminal Vol. 2 #7 And so another tale from Ed Brubaker (writin’), Sean Phillips (drawin’) & Val Staples (colorin’) crashes to its close, as does another run of Criminal itself. It’s going on hiatus until May 2009 or so, while the team works on the creator-owned supervillain-in-witness-protection series Incognito, although it won’t relaunch or anything once it’s back (so, next issue will be vol. 2 #8). In case you’re getting tripped up by the pamphlets/trades numbering, vol. 1 of the Criminal pamphlet series covered the first two trade paperbacks (Coward and Lawless), while the newish The Dead and the Dying trade hits issues #1-3 of the second pamphlet series. I like the pamphlets, myself; if you’re gonna charge $3.50, it… Read More…
I’M FINISHED! Abhay Is Never Going to Write about SECRET INVASION Ever Again After #8.
Posted by: Abhay Khosla on
Categories: Reviews
So, with the eighth and final issue of SECRET INVASION now in hand, we’ve come finally to my favorite part. Not the ending of SECRET INVASION. The endings of crossovers are always lousy. The end of CIVIL WAR? Terrible ending. WORLD WAR HULK— I have no memory whatsoever of how that ended, and that’s a series I liked. INFINITE CRISIS— I still don’t understand the end of that series. RETURN OF THE JEDI— the Jedi wake up next to Bob Newhart from the THE BOB NEWHART SHOW…? No, my favorite part is spoiler-dodgin’. Marvel asks readers for, what, $32 (if not far more) for a crossover, by repeatedly promising them an ending that changes things… forever. But if you give… Read More…
Here is the reason for the season: Jog on the Holiday Gifts of 12/4
Posted by: admin on December 5, 2008
Categories: Reviews
Drop your cocks and grab your socks, irregardless of anatomy! I’m taking you on an old-fashioned sleigh ride through today’s seasonal Marvel comics, just like Grandma used to do back in the ’60s, when she posted comic book reviews on the internet via heroic doses of hallucinogenic substances. Those were some good comics, or good hallucinogenics. Moon Knight: Silent Knight #1: One thing I’ve gotta say: I do like that Laurence Campbell & Lee Loughridge art, and there’s 32 pages of it in here (for $3.99, mind you), so that’s something. They’re also the current artist-colorist duo on The Punisher MAX, where some fun stuff is going on with heavy, angry blacks and hot & cold colors – there’s a… Read More…
The Debut Switcheroo: Jeff Advocates Cthulhu Tales #10 for Entirely Self-Serving Reasons
Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 4, 2008
Categories: Retailing/Industry
Um. So, I wanted to talk about last week’s Previews. More specifically, page 225: CTHULHU TALES #12 by William Messner-Loebs, Jeff Lester, Jeremy Rock & Chee Jeff Lester pens “Reunion Tour,” what is probably our favorite Cthulhu Tale to date, a story melding rock and roll, age-old partnerships, unnameable beasts from the dimensions beyond time and space, and flight attendants! Also, William Messner-Loebs returns to Cthulhu Tales with a short story of chilling horror! Honestly, as solicitation text for my comic book debut go, I couldn’t be more fortunate…except for one tiny, nagging detail: my story isn’t in Cthulhu Tales #12. It’s been moved up to Cthulhu Tales #10. And so, rather than an extended, perfectly planned and executed series… Read More…
Jeff Asks: Hey, Is Manga Dying?
Posted by: Jeff Lester on December 3, 2008
Categories: Retailing/Industry
Don’t get me wrong–I’m not asking if, y’know, manga manga, that whole ginormous industry over in Japan is dying? Nor am I asking if, like, collections of Naruto or Bleach are sitting there rotting on the shelves. But is the manga industry in America dying? I’m totally reluctant to ask such a question–not least because I’m totally in the dark about how something like, say, publication schedules in Japan can allow American publications to catch up (like with Sgt. Frog, I think) and all sorts of other mitigating factors. It was one thing when the sixth volume of Yotsuba&! never shipped from ADV. And it was another thing when DMP announced it was cutting eleven publications from its monthly publication… Read More…
It is 2006 again! (or maybe 1993)
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 2, 2008
Categories: Reviews
Something reasonably rare happened this week: SUPERMAN, BATMAN, and WONDER WOMAN all shipped in the same week. SUPERMAN #682: I’m just not feeling this “New Krypton” storyline — maybe because I agree with the idea that Superman works better when he’s the “Last Son of Krypton”. I can just barely accept Supergirl, too, but when there are Kryptonians everywhere (including, we’re told, new versions of Superwoman, and Nightwing & Flamebird; not to mention Zod, etc.) I start not to care. Superman is a hard guy to write, I get that, and not everyone is suited to him. I really like James Robinson as a writer, but Superman doesn’t play to what I would consider his strengths as a writer (same… Read More…
Posted by: Brian Hibbs on December 1, 2008
Categories: Shipping Lists
New Comics Day is THURSDAY in the US this week, because of last week’s Thanksgiving holiday. Don’t come in early, or you’ll feel silly!! I’m finishing the order form today (I hope), so a review tomorrow, I believe. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #579ANITA BLAKE VH LAUGHING CORPSE #3 (OF 5) ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #194ARMY @ LOVE THE ART OF WAR #5 (OF 6) ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN #10AUTHORITY #5BATMAN #682BETTY #177BOYS #25 BROKEN TRINITY WITCHBLADE BLAKE CVR A (ONE SHOT)CABLE #9CHARLATAN BALL #5CHUCK #6 (OF 6)CRIMINAL 2 #7 CRIMINAL MACABRE CELL BLOCK 666 #2 (OF 4)CROSSED #2 (OF 9) DARKNESS #72 LUCAS CVR A DOCTOR WHO FORGOTTEN #4 DREAMLAND CHRONICLES IDW #6EL DIABLO #4 (OF 6)ENDERS SHADOW BATTLE SCHOOL #1 (OF 5)ETERNALS #6HACK SLASH… Read More…
