Current Comics Report for 10/5

This is a report about what I think about the comics of this week, based upon Diamond's Shipping This Week list, as reprinted below, with my (sometimes quite snarky, so be forewarned) comments.

I am digging the guest commentaries, so welcome to a repeat performance, Comics Should Be Good's own, Pol Rua! And since Pol cut out half way through, to finish the job, I enlisted comic colorist extraordinaire, Blond!

Certain sections of the Current Report on the 10/5 Comic Book Week contain forward-looking statements that are based on my expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to projections of books being good, writing performance, character flaws, artistic coolness and continued title stability.

Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Prognasticators Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation:

• A book being better than I thought it would be;

• A different creative team on a book;

• A different type of story than I thought it was;

• Differences in anticipated and actual performance by the writer and/or artist

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report or, in the case of any document incorporated by reference, the date of that document.All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to me are qualified by the cautionary statements in this section...

NOTE: P=Pol, Blond=Blond, B=Brian, if there is no letter before the sentence, then it is me, as well.

Shipping This Week: October 5, 2005

DARK HORSE

JUN050021 AEON FLUX #1 (OF 4) $2.99

P - Heh. Aeon Flux movie. Who're they kidding. "Justification for Charlize Theron in fetishware": The Movie is more like it!

AUG050015 CONAN & THE DEMONS OF KHITAI #1 (OF 4) $2.99

Paul Lee and Pat Lee.

A match made in heaven or hell?

JUN050023 CONAN THE GOD IN THE BOWL AND OTHER STORIES HC $24.95
JUL050018 CURSE OF DRACULA TP $9.95
JUL050027 DAMN NATION TP $12.95
JUL050019 FOG TP $6.95

Scott Allie is writing this, and I have to pick it up, as it apparently has a Dylan reference in it!

JUN050025 JINGLE BELLE TP $12.95
MAY050019 KONG KING OF SKULL ISLAND TP $19.95
JUL050047 USAGI YOJIMBO #87 $2.99
JUL050040 YOU DESERVED IT TP $9.95

P - Bob Fingerman's 'You Deserved it' should be interesting. He's got a real eye for grotesques. This is the sort of thing you're probably gonna wanna take a shower after reading.

DC COMICS

JUL058295 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #643 SECOND PTG $2.50

Imagine actually wanting to second printing of a RECAP comic!

JUN050419 ALBION #3 (OF 6) $2.99

P - I estimate that once again, Albion will prove that Alan Moore's execution, not his ideas, are what make him so good, as another writer completely fails to make anything interesting out of them.

P - Plus Jack Staff Jack Staff Jack Staff...

B - It IS amazing at how much better Grist was at the basic concept of Albion, which is rejuvenating old British heroes.

AUG050206 AQUAMAN #35 $2.50
AUG050185 ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY ED SC (MR) $17.99

Is this actually the first time this has come out in softcover? That is pretty amazing if it is true.

AUG050179 BATMAN GOTHAM COUNTY LINE #1 (OF 3) $5.99

P - I'm interested in seeing Gotham County Line. I have this weird hope that it'll hearken back to the more macabre Denny O'Neill/Neal Adams stories from the 70's with ghosties and ghoulies and stuff.

B - Steve Niles is on quite a run, I expect good stuff here.

JUL050260 BATMAN STRIKES VOL 2 IN DARKEST KNIGHT TP $6.99
AUG050207 BLOOD OF THE DEMON #8 $2.50
JUN050360 DC SPECIAL THE RETURN OF DONNA TROY #4 (OF 4) $2.99

Devin Grayson loves Nightwing.

Her Nightwing stunk.

Phil Jiminez loves Donna Troy.

Sensing a pattern?

AUG050181 DETECTIVE COMICS #812 $2.50
AUG050246 ELFQUEST ARCHIVES VOL 3 HC $49.99
AUG050192 GOTHAM CENTRAL #36 $2.50

I do not want Brubaker to go. PLEASE STAY!!

AUG050221 JSA #78 $2.50
AUG050240 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #14 $2.25

Best Justice League comic out there.

AUG050247 LOONEY TUNES #131 $2.25
AUG050255 MADARA VOL 5 (MR) $9.99
AUG050224 OUTSIDERS #29 $2.50
JUL050320 QUITTER HC (MR) $19.99
AUG050231 RANN THANAGAR WAR #6 (OF 6) $2.50

With an over/under of 10%, what do you think are the chances of this having a good resolution?

AUG050265 ROBOTECH THE SHADOW CHRONICLES #1 (OF 5) $3.50
AUG050226 SHOWCASE PRESENTS METAMORPHO VOL 1 TP $16.99

P - I have to mention again how good DC's showcare series is. Goddamn. Now where's my Essential THUNDER Agents!

AUG050229 SON OF VULCAN #5 (OF 6) $2.99

P - I have the definite feeling that Son of Vulcan would definitely have sold better if it were not called Son of Vulcan... same with Manhunter.

B - What are they gonna call it to sell better? Son of Batman? Supermanhunter?

P - I dunno. DC's got a really bad track record with original characters.

JUL058321 SUPERGIRL #1 THIRD PTG $2.99
AUG050198 SUPERMAN SHAZAM FIRST THUNDER #2 (OF 4) $3.50

Oooh...purdy.

AUG050288 SWAMP THING #20 (MR) $2.99

Seriously, just cancel this now. Give us time to have a later writer do a REAL relaunch, not thia meandering stuff. I don't even blame Dysart, to be honest. He has, like, NOTHING to work with here!

JUN050452 V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION HC (MR) $29.99
AUG050290 VERTIGO FIRST OFFENSES TP (MR) $4.99
JUN050406 WATCHMEN THE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC $75.00
JUL058296 WONDER WOMAN #220 SECOND PTG $2.50
JUL050258 WONDER WOMAN #221 $2.50

Stupid OMAC things!! AURGH!

IMAGE

FEB051586 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #19 (MR) $2.50
JUL051708 DARKNESS & TOMB RAIDER B&W CVR #1 REMARKED $89.99
JUL051707 DARKNESS & TOMB RAIDER B&W CVR #1 SGN $49.99
AUG051673 FELL #2 $1.99

P - I enjoyed Fell #1. It seemed less self-consciously Ellisy than a lot of Ellis' recent work. I mean, I like Ellis, but shit man, he needs to tone his 'voice' back. You can't hear the story over his narration.

B - I really enjoyed Fell #1, and I love the idea of making a story denser for less pages.

P - Plus, as someone who's NOT a fan of the whole pseudo-Dave McKean stuff being produced by my countrymen, Ben Templesmith and Ashley Wood, I found Templesmith's art again more restrained. Instead of being all expressionistic and you have no idea what's going on, the art actually helped tell a story instead of the usual case where it looks sweet and you have no idea what's going on.

JUL051697 FRESHMEN #3 (OF 6) $2.99

P - I like Seth Green, he's a funny guy. But seriously, this is like 'When The Clown Cried'. I could accept this being a humour comic if it was being written by some guy who hadn't gone out of his way to go on about what a big nerd he was...

P - But it's so riddled with the worst kind of predictable gags. It's like a less edgy version of Revenge of the Nerds with superpowers.

P - The main character I think is supposed to look like Seth Green. I dunno. It just seems like they keep going for the obvious joke rather than trying to actually do something REALLY funny.

JUL058211 FRESHMEN EXTRA CREDIT ED #1 (OF 6) (PP #686) $2.99

Blond - I colored the last 5 pages, so you know they're good.

AUG051684 GROUNDED #3 (OF 6) $2.99
FEB051592 JACK STAFF #9 $3.50

P - HOLY POOP! NEW JACK STAFF!!! *bounces in place*

P - Now I am happy.

B - Now is your chance, people, buy this book!!!

FEB051648 RISING STARS HC $69.99
FEB051649 RISING STARS HC SLIPCASE ED $99.99
JUL051703 RISING STARS VOICES OF THE DEAD #5 (OF 6) $2.99

Blond - I colored half this book, so you know it's at least half good.

JUL051700 WITCHBLADE #90 $2.99
JUL051711 WITCHBLADE & TOMB RAIDER B&W CVR #1 REMARKED $89.99

P - $90 US for Darkness/Tomb Raider without colour! Gah! WHO IS BUYING THIS CRAP!?

B - I dunno, Pol, what if "Remarked" meant "Redone, only with a brand new Grant Morrison story inside? That'd be pretty cool. Not worth $90, though...

JUL051710 WITCHBLADE & TOMB RAIDER B&W CVR #1 SGN $49.99

MARVEL

AUG051914 AMAZING FANTASY #13 $2.99
JUN058283 ASTONISHING X-MEN SECOND PTG VARIANT #12 $2.99

Huh.

How meta.

AUG051980 DAREDEVIL REDEMPTION TP $14.99

Check out David Hine talking about this series here. Some real interesting stuff.

AUG051938 FANTASTIC FOUR IRON MAN BIG IN JAPAN #1 (OF 4) $3.50
JUL058045 GHOST RIDER RETAILER VARIANT #1 (OF 6) PI
AUG051912 INCREDIBLE HULK #87 $2.99

Possibly Peter David's LAST issue of Incredible Hulk.

Eerie.

AUG051939 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #8 $2.50
AUG051932 MARVEL MONSTERS DEVIL DINOSAUR $3.99
AUG051928 MARVEL TEAM-UP #13 $2.99
JUL051925 MARY JANE VOL 2 HOMECOMING DIGEST TP $6.99
AUG051920 NEW THUNDERBOLTS #13 $2.99

I estimate that this will never be referenced in the pages of New Avengers.

Ever.

Like, EVER.

AUG051978 NEW X-MEN HELLIONS TP $9.99
MAY051811 POWERS #13 (MR) $2.95
AUG051954 PUNISHER #26 (MR) $2.99
AUG051982 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL 6 FINAL CURTAIN TP $14.99
AUG051896 SPIDER-GIRL #91 $2.99

Spider-Girl and fashion. A novel idea.

AUG051988 SPIDER-MAN DOOR POSTER $15.99
AUG051887 SPIDER-MAN THE OTHER SKETCHBOOK $2.99
AUG051956 SUPREME POWER NIGHTHAWK #2 (OF 6) (MR) $2.99
AUG051924 THOR BLOOD OATH #2 (OF 6) $2.99
AUG051964 ULTIMATE MARVEL FLIP MAGAZINE #5 $3.99
AUG051965 ULTIMATE TALES FLIP MAGAZINE #5 $3.99
AUG051941 UNCANNY X-MEN #465 $2.50

I don't like the idea of using this title just as a prologue for the New Excalibur.

AUG051976 X-MEN COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 2 TP $29.99
AUG051947 X-MEN UNLIMITED #11 $2.99

If you want to see who is picking up Mister Miracle, read the first story in this comic!

WIZARD

AUG052581 INQUEST GAMER CITY OF HEROES CVR #127 $4.99

COMICS

JUN053017 A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #20 (A) $4.99
AUG052603 ACTOR DF UNSIGNED GRAB BAG $14.99
JUN052656 ACTOR DFE HUNTER KILLER RED FOIL CVR #1 $14.99
AUG052604 ACTOR RISING STARS MONSTERMART ALT CVR #12 $2.95

Can't knock ACTOR. It's a good cause.

AUG052687 AP HOW TO DRAW HENTAI DOUBLE TEAM TWO PACK (A) $8.95
JUL052637 ARCHIE DIGEST #220 $2.39
APR052987 ATOMEKA #1 ALEX ROSS WWLA SKETCH ED $19.99
AUG058083 ATOMIKA #2 (OF 12) $2.99
JUN052939 BAGHDAD JOURNAL AN ARTIST IN OCCUPIED IRAQ HC (MR) $34.95
JUL053264 BANANA FISH VOL 10 TP $9.99
AUG053020 BAREFOOT GEN VOL 3 TP NEW PTG (RES) $14.95
AUG053021 BAREFOOT GEN VOL 4 TP NEW PTG (RES) $14.95
AUG052810 BART SIMPSON COMICS #20 (O/A) $2.99
JUL052719 BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #11 $4.99

There is a LOT of BIG BIG BIG talent on this comic book! Pick it up and be amazed at the names they have working on it!

JUL053241 BASTARD VOL 9 TP (MR) $9.99
AUG053357 BECKETTS BASEBALL CARD PLUS NOV DEC 2005 #20 $9.99
JUL052639 BETTY & VERONICA #212 $2.25
JUL052845 BLAB VOL 16 $19.95
JUN052984 BONE SHARPS COWBOYS & THUNDER LIZARDS GN $22.95
JUN053081 BONEYARD #19 $2.95
AUG052718 CANNON HAWKE #1 $2.99
AUG052660 COLLEGE GIRL NAMED JOE VOL 2 TP $14.95
JUN053010 CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON VOL 2 REVISED & EXPANDED DLX ( $17.95
JUN052910 CURSE OF THE BLOOD CLAN REG CVR #1 (OF 3) (MR) $4.95
JUN052911 CURSE OF THE BLOOD CLAN VARIANT CVR #1 (OF 3) (MR) $4.95
JUN053148 CURSED EARTH BLOOD OF HEROES GN $19.99
JUN052878 DEADBEATS #73 $2.50
MAY052732 DF DAREDEVIL #75 SGN $19.99
APR052851 DF HOUSE OF M #2 SGN $19.99
MAR052860 DF NEW AVENGERS #7 BENDIS SGN $19.99
JUN052949 DF SUPERGIRL #1 DOUBLE SGN $49.99
JUN052952 DF ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 SGN $29.99
JUL052875 DONALD DUCK ADVENTURES VOL 14 TP $7.95
AUG053101 ELKS RUN #1-3 COLLECTED ED VOL 1 TP $7.99
AUG052643 EMO BOY #3 $2.95

Emo Boy is funny.

AUG052734 ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
AUG052737 ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD GORE CVR #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
AUG052738 ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD LEATHER CVR #1 (OF 5) (MR) $19.99
AUG052736 ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD TERROR CVR #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
AUG052735 ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD WRAPAROUND CVR #1 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99
JUL052657 FATHOM DAWN OF WAR VOL 1 TP $9.99
JUL052539 FULL METAL PANIC OVERLOAD MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99
JUN053116 FURRLOUGH #151 $3.50
JUL053268 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 8 2ND ED TP $9.95
JUN052978 GENIE #3 $2.95
JUN053117 GENUS #73 (A) $3.50
AUG052860 GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE #4 $2.95

Blond - GI Joe is more fun than you might think, thanks to Joe Casey. Plus Destro is back, and he's badass.

AUG052675 GOLD DIGGER HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 $2.99
AUG053066 ICE HAVEN GN (O/A) $18.95
JUL052918 INNOCENCE GN (A) $19.95
JUN052913 INTERGALACTIC ADVENTURES OF GARA GALAXY #1 (OF 3) $4.95
JUL052854 JIMBO IN PURGATORY LTD ED SGN HC (O/A) $99.95
AUG052697 JUSTICE CITY CHRONICLES VOL 1 #1 (OF 2) $3.50
MAR052701 KEITH GIFFENS TRENCHER TP $17.99

I really like the idea of smaller companies collecting old comics. Soon any odd comic that was pretty decent will be collected, and we will all be the better for it.

JUN052966 KRAZY & IGNATZ 1935-1936 A WILD WARMTH OF CHROMATIC GRAVY $19.95
JUL053095 LILING PO VOL 3 GN (OF 7) (RES) $9.99
AUG052641 LITTLE GLOOMYS SUPER SCARY MONSTER SHOW #2 $2.95
JUL053110 LIZZIE MCGUIRE CINEMANGA VOL 1-4 GN BOX SET $19.99
JUL052855 LOCAS A LOVE & ROCKETS BOOK HC (O/A) (MR) $49.95
JUL052910 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER VOL 1 GN (RES) $6.95

Is this new?

JUL053256 MAISON IKKOKU VOL 13 2ND ED TP $9.95
DEC035251 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE SANTALUCIA CVR #3 $2.95
JUL052964 NIGHT #2 (MR) $2.95
JUL052615 OZ THE MANGA #4 (OF 8) $2.99
JUL053085 PITA TEN VOL 1-4 GN BOX SET $29.99
MAY052930 POISON ELVES VENTURES #3 PURPLE MARAUDER (MR) $3.50
JUL052818 PUSH MAN & OTHER STORIES HC (MR) $19.95
AUG052897 PYONGYANG A JOURNEY IN NORTH KOREA HC (MR) $19.95

Brad Curran wanted to pick this up, but then realized it didn't say Pootietang as he first believed.

APR052891 RAISIN PIE #4 (MR) $3.50
AUG052984 SAW REBIRTH $3.99
JUL053205 SHONEN JUMP NOV 05 #35 $4.99
AUG052807 SIMPSONS COMICS #94 (O/A) $2.99
AUG052808 SIMPSONS COMICS #95 (O/A) $2.99
AUG052809 SIMPSONS COMICS #96 (O/A) $2.99
JUN053096 SIN CITY #1/2 JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT $4.99
JUL052646 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #154 $2.25
JUL053065 SPELLGAME #1 $2.99
JUN053038 STEVE NILES CELLAR OF NASTINESS TP $24.99

Is this older work?

AUG052817 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #30 (O/A) (MR) $2.95
AUG052816 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE SGN #30 (MR) $10.00

Holly Golightly used to write Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Think about THAT.

JUL053111 THATS SO RAVEN CINEMANGA VOL 6 GN (OF 7) $7.99
JUN053011 THIRD TESTAMENT VOL 1 HC (MR) $9.95
JUN052790 THUNDERBIRD #1 $2.95
JUL053259 TOUGH VOL 4 GN (MR) $9.99
JUL052571 TRUE PORN VOL 2 TP (A) $19.95

Blond - Now I'm not saying I'm into porn, but you know there's some juicy stories right there.

JUL052751 TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #15 $2.95
JUL053247 TUXEDO GIN VOL 14 TP $9.99
JUL052878 UNCLE SCROOGE #346 $6.95
JUL052985 VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY #1 (MR) $2.95
JUL053248 VIDEO GIRL AI VOL 13 TP $9.99
JUL052879 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #661 $6.95
AUG052798 WARHAMMER 40000 FLAMES OF DAMNATION TP $9.99
JUL053179 WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME IF I WET THE BED GN $7.00

A question that has plagued us all.

JUL053008 ZORRO #5 $2.95
JUN053090 ZORRO VOL 1 HC $12.95
JUN053089 ZORRO VOL 1 SC $7.95

Well, that's it for us this week!

Feel free to check back later to tell me how off our predictions were!

Read More