The Reason We Read Periodical Comics

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 30, 2011

Categories: Retailing/Industry , Reviews

There are two kinds of special thrills that periodical comics can bring. The first is tied to world-building, in which you get a piece of a story here, and another piece there, and eventually it adds up, building into something much larger than it’s parts — this is much of the thrill of the Marvel or DC universes, and one of the reasons that every other attempt to make a “universe” usually comes crashing down: it is nearly impossible to coordinate in that particular way, and it takes a multi-year dedication to build, with titles come out in a specific way. When you try to “erect” that kind of thing, the scaffolding is usually pretty apparent, and like a magic…  Read More…

Tucker Goes Deep Inside Hal Jordan’s War

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Posted by: Tucker Stone on March 29, 2011

Categories: Reviews

Green Lantern 64 (Part One of War of The Green Lanterns) Hal Jordan? Funny you asked. As a result of of the death of his father, he’s refused to acknowledge fear, forever living a life of risk and insubordination. He lacks professionalism and restraint and has never been able to keep his emotions in check. The Green Lantern Corps–a paramilitary police organization whose shield he operates under–was willing to look the other way, until he started hanging out with aliens who have and use colored rings from other spokes of what’s been called “The Emotional Spectrum”. Forming what’s been called the Rainbow Squadron, this unofficial team of Jordan’s is unacceptable to the Corps, so he must be, and he will be…arrested….  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 33: Your Little Glowing Friend

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

So here we are with Episode 33 of Wait, What?, ready for your listening pleasure.  We took George’s comment to heart and did our best to give you a podcast of only the stuff we’re positive about.  Admittedly, we don’t entirely succeed 100%–sorry, Fear Itself: Book of The Skull–but we  tried very hard.  Consequently, you get to hear Graeme and I wax rhapsodic about Classic G.I. Joe, the Captain America Jack Kirby Omnibus, Bakuman, Bucko, and more.  Or, well, hmm.  Actually maybe that is it, though there is some other stuff in there that’s not really book reviewing though not much–we kept things to a very manageable just-over-an-hour. It should be on iTunes by now if I’ve done everything right. …  Read More…

Arriving 3/30/2011

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 28, 2011

Categories: Shipping Lists

Is it just me, or is this a pretty exceptional shipping list? Plus, hooray! WonderCon this weekend! If you’re in town for it, please do stop in! 5 RONIN #5 (OF 5) ACTION COMICS #899 AFTER DARK #3 (OF 3) AGE OF X UNIVERSE #1 (OF 2) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #657 BIG AMERICAN VAMPIRE #13 ARCHIE #619 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #217 AVENGERS #11 BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #516 BUTCHER BAKER RIGHTEOUS MAKER #1 CALIGULA #1 (OF 6) CAPTAIN AMERICA #616 CAPTAIN AMERICA AND SECRET AVENGERS #1 CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #58 CYCLOPS #1 DEADPOOL CORPS #12 DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #883 DEAN KOONTZ FRANKENSTEIN PRODIGAL SON VOL 2 #5 DETECTIVE COMICS #875 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #3 DOLLHOUSE EPITAPHS ONE SHOT…  Read More…

Hibbs is doing stuff, honestly (some 3/23 included)

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 25, 2011

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Where have I been this week? Well, most importantly, I’m waiting for my new computer to arrive — my home machine mostly-died nearly 3 weeks ago, after about a 10-year run, and I can run anything past basic surfing on it, which means that all writing has to be done at work, sheesh — it was scheduled to arrive today, but FedEx ground has, seemingly, lost it….  at least until Monday. *grumble* Then we have the latest podcast with Comic Book Geek Speak — I very much enjoy talking with those guys, and this is my third go ’round, I think? — which you can find here. Plus, there’s a new TILTING AT WINDMILLS where I reflect a little on…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 32.2: It Can Destroy The World.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

As much as I wanted a cover of the Captain America Jack Kirby Omnibus here, I couldn’t find one that really grabbed me (or didn’t seem kinda small, which is exactly the opposite of the effect when you see the friggin’ thing) and so here is the cover of the third cover of Sean Chiki‘s Wunderkammer, which we discuss herein: Wait, What? Ep. 32.2: It Can Destroy The World. It’s available on Itunes and here, and perhaps floating about on some semi-cosmic curl of subconsciousness. In it, we also discuss the upcoming teams on Punisher and Daredevil, Stokoe’s Won Ton Soup, X-Force #5, and others. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Some quick retailing thoughts

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 22, 2011

Categories: Retailing/Industry

First:  I agree with nearly every word in these two posts about etiquette in your Local Comics Store (man, especially that bit about Amazon Visa — GR!) from Secret Headquarters in FLA Second: Kendall Swafford has some good points in this article about sell-through (versus sell-in), but I’d like to observe that the chart placements tend to be self-correcting. That is to say that the orders you see on (say) the June-shipping charts *tend to* reflect what sold through in March or April. Or to put it another way: the Diamond charts are LAGGING INDICATORS of what the market is doing, not current indicators -B

Arriving 3/23/11

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on

Categories: Shipping Lists

Oh, I forgot to put this up yesterday, didn’t I? I guess that is what happens when the order form is due. Well, in deference to the esteemed Mr. Lester (And Abhay’s awesome interfight!), hidden behind the jump….

Wait, What? Ep. 32.1: (Jason) Aaron & Ahmed

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

So I did my best to wait until Hibbs posted the shipping list, but I can just tell that no matter when I set this thing to post, he’s going to write something that will take up the whole homepage five minutes later…which is certainly his prerogative, and typically preferred. But I did want to tell you that, should you be interested, the first part of Episode 32 is up on iTunes and in it Graeme and I talk Punisher Max #11, Aaron & Ahmed, Wolverine #6, the last ten or so issues of Captain America, James Robinson’s two Jimmy Olsen Specials from the other year, and a bunch of other stuff. Should you choose, you can listen to it…  Read More…

Creator vs. Critic– Abhay interviews Mark Sable about SECRET AVENGERS Issues #1 to #5

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Posted by: Abhay Khosla on

Categories: Interviews

COMIC CREATORS! COMIC CRITICS! NATURAL ENEMIES SINCE THE VERY DAWN OF TIME! An enmity forged in the fires of Malice! Born to hate, living to die, dying to love, but loving to fury– a fight that can only end one way: in the squared octagon. A SQUARED OCTAGON MADE UP OF LENGTHY BLOCKS OF DULL TEXT THAT WE CALL… CREATOR VS. CRITIC.   In the CREATOR corner, hailing from the mean streets of Hollywood, California– Mark Sable… author of GROUNDED, HAZED, TWO FACE YEAR ONE, CYBORG, TEEN TITANS: COLD CASE, WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN DID SOMETHING OR ANOTHER THAT I’M SURE WAS VERY INTERESTING, FEARLESS, and/or RIFT RAIDERS. Mark’s next book is GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES from Image Comics, with Paul Azaceta…  Read More…

In Which Hibbs Actually Recommends Something

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 16, 2011

Categories: Reviews

As many of you know, I’ve really become quite a cynical bitch about comics lately. There’s just a resounding sameness to so many of them, and too many writers are “writing for the trade” (rather than trying to make each single issue a compelling read in an of itself). In far too many weeks, I think the alright stuff is really just all right in comparison to other, lousier, comics. Well, I read a comic that I genuinely liked in and of itself this week, and I want you to read it as well, That comic is XOMBI #1. XOMBI gave me a thrill, because it’s full of crazy ideas just tossed out there, like a good Grant Morrison comic…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 31: Epic Runs of Non-Epicness

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on March 15, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

I’ll spare you the epic amounts of bitching I usually unleash around this time, the end/start/whatever-the-hell-it-is of Daylight Savings Time that always fucks me up for at least a few days and sometimes as much as a week. Suffice it to say, if you’ve ever heard Paul F. Tompkins’ terrific bit mocking people who over-react to DST, and wander about in a daze saying things like, “Who–who’s President? What day is this? Have I grown a long, woolly beard?”, you will know he is making fun of people like me. Even as I laughed with recognition at the routine and promised to change, I apparently cannot: it took a taser to get me out of bed this morning. Anyway, enough…  Read More…

Arriving 3/16/2011

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 14, 2011

Categories: Shipping Lists

Ugh, I loath Daylight Savings Time… especially for this time of year with a before 8 AM school drop off time… 2000 AD PACK JAN 2011 28 DAYS LATER #21 5 RONIN #3 (OF 5) CAMUNCOLI VAR ADVENTURE COMICS #524 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #656 BIG ARCHIE & FRIENDS #153 ARTIFACTS #6 (OF 13) CVR A NOTO AVENGERS ACADEMY #11 AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE YOUNG AVENGERS #1 BATMAN #708 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #189 BOMB QUEEN VS HACK SLASH SPEC ONE-SHOT BRIGHTEST DAY #22 CASANOVA GULA #3 (OF 4) CHARMED #8 A CVR SEIDMAN DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER LITTLE SISTERS ELURIA #4 (OF 5) DARKWING DUCK #10 DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN IRRESISTIBLE #1 DC UNIVERSE LEGACIES #10 (OF 10) DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS…  Read More…

CE: 21 — Better late than never!

3 comments

Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 11, 2011

Categories: Retailing/Industry

Well, so our 22nd anniversary is about three weeks away, but Seven Summit Productions just finished up the production on the video that they shot at the 21st anniversary party. I think it is swell! It’s also filled with all kinds of familiar faces saying all kinds of nice things. Give it a watch!   Comix Experience 21st Anniversary from Seven Summits Productions on Vimeo. -B

Hibbs kicks around some of 3/9/11

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 9, 2011

Categories: Reviews

Hitting the ground running, too much on my plate… (and I blew too much of my morning by reading those transcripts that Rich posted…) BOOSTER GOLD #42: It’s looking extremely likely that Booster Gold is going to keep being published at least through issue #50 (though, given sales figures, I really wouldn’t give it a lot of hope past that…), which is pretty amazing when you consider that his first series only lasted 25 issues! Giffen and DeMatties have mostly been bringing the bwah during their run here, but this issue was fairly serious and straight forward. I was pretty deeply amused by the “tada, time travel!” nature of having last issue’s cliffhanger, and also not letting it derail the…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 30: Slow Burns and Subplots

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on March 8, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

Yes, it’s that time again (though I would’ve had this yesterday for you if I could): Graeme and I are back with Episode 30, and in it we talk about Veronica Mars, the future of slow-burns and subplots, Dave Roman’s Astronaut Academy, and of course Mike Friedrich’s Justice League of America.  It’s brief, it’s peppy, and it’s been remixed with both Levelator and noise removal tools (because my new headset might be a bit of a dog).  Does it sound better? Worse?  The same?  Let us know! You can find it on iTunes, or so I’m told, or should you prefer, you can certainly listen to it here: Wait, What? Ep. 30: Slow Burns and Subplots As always, we hope you…  Read More…

Arriving 3/9/2011

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 7, 2011

Categories: Shipping Lists

Here’s this week’s shipping list…. ALL NEW BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #5 BATGIRL #19 BATMAN AND ROBIN #21 BATMAN INCORPORATED #3 BIRDS OF PREY #10 BOOSTER GOLD #42 CINDERELLA FABLES ARE FOREVER #2 (OF 6) DOC SAVAGE #12 DOOM PATROL #20 IZOMBIE #11 JSA ALL STARS #16 JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST #21 (BRIGHTEST DAY) LEGION OF SUPER VILLAINS #1 OUTSIDERS #37 (DOOMSDAY) SUPERBOY #5 TITANS #33 VERTIGO RESURRECTED FINALS #1 VICTORIAN UNDEAD II HOLMES VS DRACULA #5 (OF 5) WEIRD WORLDS #3 (OF 6) WONDER WOMAN #608 ZATANNA #10 5 RONIN #2 (OF 5) BROOKS VAR CAPTAIN AMERICA AND FIRST THIRTEEN #1 HAWKEYE: BLIND SPOT #2 (OF 4) INCREDIBLE HULKS #624 NEW AVENGERS #10 ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED #2 (OF…  Read More…

Why We Cease To Care

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Posted by: Brian Hibbs on March 4, 2011

Categories: Reviews

Comic sales are down, as we all know; people are reading less of the periodicals, and, in many cases, walking away from the hobby altogether. It is my belief that, in almost all cases, this is the very fault of the publishers. Here, for me, are four examples of why, in the form of four “reviews”:

Wait, What? Ep. 29.3: Not A Joiner.

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on

Categories: Podcasts

The above image really doesn’t have as much to do with our final installment of Ep. 29 as I would like, but sweet baby Jesus, do I love it so.  It’s going to take a lot of work not for me to dig up a Marcos Martin checklist and start collecting. That said–yes! The conclusion of Episode 29!  Graeme and I answering your questions and talking until your iPod is blue in its face!  We talk Spider-Man as member of the Future Foundation and possibly X-Men! We talk comic book continuity!  We talk Superman and his role in the DCU! We talk the box office receipts of Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim! And more!  With slightly better grammar, even! It’s on…iTunes? …  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 29.2: Retweeted by Brad Meltzer!

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on March 3, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

Okay, things are a little bit more peaceful here, so here’s something a little more episode appopriate for Ep. 29.2, wherein Graeme and myself continue to answer questions posed by us on Twitter. I won’t spoil the questions but I some of the answers are: The Fantastic Four, Peanuts, Ghost Rider, Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, Jack Kirby’s Demon, Black Lightning, Brian Wood’s Josie & and the Pussycats, Luke Cage, Buck Wild, and much more. (Well, at least a few more, anyway.) It’s on iTunes (although apparently that’s no guarantee of anything as some of you didn’t get ep. 28 or its prologue even though I put it up middle of last week) and you can also listen to it “barbarian-style,”…  Read More…

Wait, What? Ep. 29.1: Requiem for a Heavyweight

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Posted by: Jeff Lester on March 2, 2011

Categories: Podcasts

Boy o boy, am I running behind.  Dramatically behind.  And the RSS feed is acting up for reasons I can’t explain, nor really be able to take the time to figure out what’s happening with it (today). So–thanks again for the terrific Adam Knave for his fan art! But I did want you to be able to listen to Graeme and I talk about Dwayne McDuffie and get into the first of our three installments answering listeners’ questions as posed to us on Twitter.  (You are following us on Twitter, right?  @graemem and @lazybastid?)  We talk Bob Haney, Martian Manhunter and Justice League, the first comics we ever read, and the secret power of our own dumb-assedness.  It’s on iTunes,…  Read More…