July | 2015 | Comic Reviews by Walt

July 2015
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And That’s Done It

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Walt

I received confirmation late this afternoon from my comic shop that my drop request was received and has been processed.

While there may be some lingering issues already ordered for me and such (that I’ve asked still be passed to me, I’m not interested in making the comic shop absorb extra costs on top of what Valiant has already “cost” them), this officially leaves me with 4 titles I’m “officially” sticking with: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT: Current Mini-series (right now, Casey and April), TMNT Color Classics, the tie-in book based on the current TMNT animated series, and Letter 44.

No DC.

No Marvel (though I’m happily enjoying the Digital Comics Unlimited to READ a lot!).

and now, No Valiant.

Plenty of back issues for DC. A number of collected volumes of classic stuff. The Digital stuff from Marvel, to READ (but NOT own) stuff. and for now, despite my ire over the Legends of the Geomancer thing…I’m interested yet in the Deluxe Edition hardcovers from Valiant, and will be sticking to those, if anything from the publisher (for the foreseeable future).

I don’t know that I was 100% convinced myself on dropping the singles. But I hit “send” on the email last night.

And then part of me contemplated whether or not the shop had received the email or if it got lost in the busy-ness of stuff…and would I have to bring the matter up again?

In the next week or so, I’m expecting a handful of collected volumes from a recent Marvel blow-out.

After that, perhaps I’ll try some Image vol. 1s for a few weeks–the cost being a bit less yet on par with what I was spending most weeks on Valiant. Maybe I’ll buy a game or few–a number of Munchkin expansions I’m interested in, as well as several other games.

I want to read the Alan Moore Saga of the Swamp Thing volumes at long last. Maybe finally take the full plunge on Transmetropolitan after a couple of “false starts.” Maybe finally catch up on some of the TMNT Adventures paperbacks.

Maybe just actually SAVE some money.

Time will tell, I suppose.

I expect some doubt and reconsideration, maybe even a hint of “regret” in the near future. But I’m glad I opted to run with my “principle.” That I “pulled the trigger.” Yeah, life will go on. Does go on. Is going on. It will take some getting used to, not having Valiant stuff in my stack most weeks.

But I really, truly DO need to ENJOY what I’m buying. To be happy to be paying what I am. To be looking forward to what I’m gonna read, and not feel like I’m wasting money or harboring negative feelings over stuff.

Plenty yet to read. Loads to re-read.

Gimme a few weeks, and it probably won’t phase me. Angry as I am NOW, maybe in a month or few I’ll genuinely wish Valiant the best of luck. Right now, I don’t give a crap, though I dislike the sense of schadenfreude I’d take satisfaction in at the moment.

Regardless of crap with this publisher, a number of other elements in play right now, a part of my life. One day at a time…

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: comic books, comics, dropping books, Legends of the Geomancer, pull list, Valiant | Leave a comment »

How to Lose Buyers and Alienate Readers

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Walt

I bought X-O Manowar #1 the day it came out back in May 2012. I’ve bought at least one copy of every single (story) issue that Valiant has published for nearly 40 months. I’ve paid their $3.99/issue. I’ve had expensive overall comic weeks because Valiant insists on “clustering” issues, often leaving me with weeks with NO Valiant, while those others might have 3 books apiece.

I’ve bought issues for friends, to just GIVE them. “Here, try this, it’s good, I promise!”

I’ve talked Valiant up. Friends, coworkers. Made sure to reference them whenever there was opportunity. Pointing out how UNLIKE Marvel or DC, I could follow an ENTIRE COMICS UNIVERSE, and had been, since its inception. How unlike Image, the disparate books still functioned together as a universe, though they fit different genres.

I even pointedly bought the various vol. 1 editions to “support” those.

Aside from special oversized issues, in all this time, the cover price has been a standard $3.99. Since I don’t collect variants, since I have pointedly stuck to the advertised/standard/”A” cover, I’ve never had to “chase” an issue. Maybe I don’t have the “talking Aric” QR-code variant of X-O Manowar #1. Maybe I don’t have some “gold edition” Whatever #1. Maybe I don’t have the Whoever variant of Bloodshot #6, or Harbinger #7. But darnit, for that $3.99 per basic unit/issue, for however many issues in a given month (7-9ish), I was happy. I was entertained. I was satisfied.

I was following the ENTIRE STORY, the WHOLE of the comics UNIVERSE being laid out by a gradually-growing, major-to-me publisher.

So color me surprised and dismayed when–in some apparent bid to get their books in front of MORE PEOPLE, Valiant now PUNISHES buyers (fans, readers, collectors) like me, interested in the whole STORY, but making an ENTIRE SERIES ratioed-incentive-ONLY.

For every TWENTY-FIVE COPIES of Book of Death #1, a retailer could order ONE COPY of Legends of the Geomancer #1. Not 25 of BoD and then however many LotG. Granted, there’s some sort of discount in place, and returnability…and maybe on some technical, considering-ONLY-Valiant level it would “make more sense TO order 25 copies than less.”

My comic shop’s been burned in the past on the various Valiant events and stunt covers and such. Very few people with any interest at all (and I’ve seen recent issue tossed in the 25-cent bins, usually non-“A” cover variants, as apparently there’s really no back-issue interest/market for the things around here, either). Suffice it to say, not one copy of Book of Death on the shelves. I had a copy because of my “Every single-issue edition Valiant publishes” pull list.

But no Legends of the Geomancer #1. Don’t EVEN try to tell me to blame my comic shop. Don’t try to insinuate that it’s on the owner to cater entirely to ME. Don’t try to say I should have talked the thing up, clarified and explained stuff to the owner, DONE VALIANT‘S JOB of “selling” the owner on stocking the book in huge, unsalable quantities, just because I wanted–for myself, for my collection, because I have one copy of every OTHER story-issue the company has published–a copy of a single issue.

As said, I’ve bought at least one copy of every single issue they’ve put out for nearly 40 months. A complete run, a complete collection, a complete universe, something that meant something to me, that mattered in context, that I was satisfied with, that I enjoyed, that I was content to spend $3.99 per issue on despite loathing the price point. But…that streak is broken.

I will not pay more than $10 for a single standard-sized comic (outside of perhaps a TMNT comic, the TMNT stuff long being a very special exception). Certainly not for something with a $3.99 cover price.

And on top of the (artificial/intentional) SCARCITY of the issue…Valiant‘s had the gall over the past few weeks of putting out previews for the issue, listing it amidst its other issues, as if Legends of the Geomancer were something just ANYONE could simply, reasonably, get.

Look–when I’m consistently told by my local retailer that I AM his #1 Valiant customer, such that he’s handed me promo books rather than sell or put them on eBay, held copies of classic issues so I get first shot at them, extends a sale price to encourage me to clean out some of his classic Valiant titles–and I can’t even get a copy of the issue? There’s a problem.

For months now, since this was announced, I’ve had my feelings for Valiant shaken. There’ve been cracks in what was otherwise a great deal of good will and positivity toward the publisher. Whatever issues I had with them clustering titles, making use of variant covers to the point I had to SPECIFY that I only wanted “A” covers for my pull list, something being slightly “off” to their physical products compared to DC and Marvel and Image…I still had plenty of good to say about ’em.

I took to online resources–other shops, even eBay–to see what my chances were of getting a copy of the thing in the $10 range, and even half-flirted with the notion of going about $20 including shipping (in the heat of the ‘moment’). But I was met with asking prices of $30, $40, $50, even $80+.

Far beyond my budget and ability, let alone common sense willingness to pay. So, I don’t get the issue. I’m not able to get the issue in any reasonable fashion.

It’s not to be published digitally (through legal sources), nor is it to be reprinted in the inevitable Book of Death paperback collection.

I don’t have the issue.

I don’t have that story.

My collection as I see it, my having a copy of the entire STORY of the Valiant Universe…is incomplete.

Fine–the run is broken. So, no point in trying to keep up with everything, right? I don’t HAVE TO have every single Valiant issue ever published by this iteration of the company…I know that. I get that. I see that. I realize that.

But by being forced to face that, accept it in this manner, I just feel like I’m not the target audience for this publisher. As just some guy faithfully buying a copy of every single issue, pre-ordered sight unseen such that my local comic shop is at least ORDERING SOMETHING from Valiant off of everything they’re putting out as a single issue…

Why do I need ANY Valiant comics?

I’m being pushed away anyway, why not take a good, hard, long look…and hey! I don’t need to be buying Valiant.

I’m frustrated, angry, discouraged, upset….all these negatives…over A COMIC BOOK.

It’s not fun anymore.

And to me, continuing to support the publisher in the single issues format is to passively endorse their stunt. To say nothing of those negative feelings building up. Look at a Valiant issue, see anything about ’em and all the talk of that darned book that I couldn’t get?

No. No, thank you.

It’s a principle thing.

After stewing on it all afternoon and into the evening, I decided to hold to the principle.

I contacted my comic shop and asked to remove Valiant from my pull list.

I no longer want to have Valiant stuff waiting for me every week there’s something new from Valiant out. I’m no longer interested in paying $3.99 an issue for several issues at a time to keep up with ONLY “most of” a universe of story.

Does Valiant OWE me anything? No, they do not. NOR do I owe THEM anything. We had a good thing going, but they made their decision–whatever the motivations and expectations and intents…and I’ve made mine.

Am I SPITING myself? No–I can always track stuff down later in bargain bins or eBay lots, or some digital means (after all, by not KEEPING UP with everything, stuff’s gonna slip through the cracks, so no great “need” to get stuff in print). And I have loads of other stuff to read in the meantime. Shelves and shelves of collected volumes that have been neglected or languished lower in the queue. Stories I’ve “meant” to re-read for years. Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited. Actual prose novels. Life to live.

Sure, I’m angry right now. And that’s prompted this disjointed, lengthy post. It’s prompted a decision that will leave me with 3-4 TMNT books being pulled for me each month, and pretty much anything else will be in-the-moment off-the-rack purchasing, if it’s actually stocked.

Despite this…I have little doubt that I’ll continue to seek the oversized hardcover “deluxe” editions. And who knows? MAYBE Legends of the Geomancer will be reprinted in the Book of Death deluxe edition someday–getting around the “not digital, not in PAPERback” phrasing. I don’t know, and I suppose I have a few months to a year to wait to find that one out. Kinda moot for now.

Marvel and DC have long alienated me, and Valiant was a sort of refuge. Now they, too, have alienated me, and lost me as a buyer of single issues.

But I’m pretty sure that all things considered? Life most certainly goes on!

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: Book of Death, comics, Eternal Warrior, Geomancer, incentive, Legends of the Geomancer, Valiant, Valiant Entertainment, variants, VEI, X-O Manowar | 1 Comment »

The ’90s Revisited: Superman – Dead Again!

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Walt

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been reading/rereading complete stories rather than “just” single issues here or there that aren’t connected directly to one another by story or series.

The latest instance comes from issues I picked up recently at a sale (Carol and John’s Not At ComicCon 2015 sale). Finding they had a good stock of mid-’90s Superman books–ALL FIVE TITLES–allowed me finally to in one single purchase get the entirety of the Dead Again! arc (which either has not ever been reprinted in collected volume, or at least I do not have said volume). This purchase saved me the hassle of moving then replacing a dozen-some longboxes in a confined space to pull hardly a dozen issues, where I would then have to move and replace the boxes again after reading.

Despite seeing issues from this arc here and there over the past several months/years and being interested in re-reading the story in its entirety…it wasn’t until Michael Bailey and Jeffrey Taylor began their coverage of the story on their From Crisis to Crisis podcast that my interest was heightened to the point of action…which combined nicely with the well-timed opportunity of getting the issues and the time to actually read the entirety of the 11-issue arc in two days.

I actually can’t remember the last time I sat down and re-read more than one or two Superman issues in a row, let alone an entire cover-branded storyline like this from the ’90s Superman books. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and may next look to The Trial of Superman.

I never noticed it as a kid when I originally read this some 20 years ago, but the issues do not line up 100% going from issue to issue the way they probably would if this was being published in 2015. Each issue ends on a some level of cliffhanger/dramatic moment–setting the stage for the next chapter–but then that next chapter didn’t often seem to pick up from the exact same moment. Additionally, some of the narratives of individual chapters would be different stylistically…some straight-forward, others picking up “later” and then flashing back to fill the reader in, then continuing on.

The art is also all over the place throughout the arc, and reading it all at once, I noticed the differences from book to book in a way I never had before.

All of this is not unexpected, given the multiple titles and creative teams. I rarely went back to re-read issues week-to-week as the issues were coming out, and having a week between issues I don’t recall comparing the visuals to each other all that much…though even back then I’d noticed a personal preference for the art in the Superman title.

Dead Again! begins with characters reacting to the fact that a body–one that APPEARS to be the genuine Superman’s–is found in what should have been an EMPTY tomb. The tomb/room had been damaged in a fight between the current/live Superman and new villain Conduit. Various tests seem to confirm the body as being genuine, leading our active Superman to seek out villains that might be responsible for trickery…after all, he remembers coming back from the dead, being Clark Kent, etc. Other characters react in differing ways–Lois believing him to be genuine, while other characters aren’t so sure (and don’t have Lois’ “insight” into Superman’s genuinity).

Across the arc, Superman’s search involves Conduit, a new villain named Death Trap, the Eradicator and the Outsiders, STAR Labs, Atom, the New Gods on New Genesis, Darkseid on Apokalips, Mr. Mxyzptlk, the Metropolis SCU, hallucinations, and finally the ultimate villain of the piece (despite seemingly being ruled out on New Genesis) Brainiac himself.

Over the course of the story, we see Superman growing increasingly irrational as the situation drives him closer to sheer madness, as the supporting cast gets more concerned about him and his mental state. We also have a significant subplot as a young orphan–Keith–finds and loses his mother while gaining new foster parents in Perry and Alice White. We see the majority of Superman’s rogues gallery, and generally see questions raised and answered regarding whether or not there could have been–if this is–another “imposter” Superman…the possibility that Superman himself, the true Superman might never have actually been resurrected.

While I don’t recall this story getting any serious media attention and it does seem largely a footnote in the entirety of the ’90s Superman…this is a pretty significant arc, and an interesting follow-up to stuff. After the Death and Return of Superman “trilogy,” there were a number of smaller arcs and the overall continuing story/”Never Ending Battle” of the multiple titles collectively telling a weekly story…but this seems to be the largest singular story since Superman’s return, and paved the way for the likes of The Death of Clark Kent and The Trial of Superman, as well as (eventually) a number of other several-month arcs that punctuated the ongoing saga.

And this is definitely well worth the read if you get a chance!

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts, The '90s Revisited | Tagged: 1990s, Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Brainiac, Comic Reviews, Conduit, Darkseid, Dead Again, Death Trap, Eradicator, Man of Steel, Superman | Leave a comment »

Age of Apocalypse (2015) #1 [Review]

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Walt

Sticks and Stones…

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Gerardo Sandoval
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover: Sandoval & Curiel
Asst. Editor: Xander Jarowey
Editor: Katie Kubert
Executive Editor: Mike Marts
Published by: Marvel
Cover Date: September 2015
Cover Price: $4.99

For what I believe is the first time in years, the “classic,” ORIGINAL Age of Apocalypse logo is back (though lacking the oval and “After Xavier: The“). For over a decade, it seems a newer logo/font has been the “in” thing for use with the branding, from the 10th anniversary-onward. Add to that the fact that we have Magneto and Rogue prominently shown as well as a gratuitous placement of Weapon X (Wolverine)’s hand and claws, and this is something that absolutely grabbed my attention. (There’s also the fact that I revisited the saga in its entirety earlier this year, too!). While the characters are a bit “off” in appearance on the cover, this is still a great image to me, and I especially dig this rendition of Rogue.

We open the story to find the Savage Land under attack by Holocaust–son of Apocalypse (and in this Secret Wars version of the world, Apocalypse is Baron of the realm, with only god Doom above him). Holocaust is also one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen, sent to retrieve the young mutant Doug Ramsey (aka “Cypher”). Storm and Quicksilver’s squad of X-Men arrive to fight the monster and save Cypher…though things quickly go pear-shaped for all involved. We then shift to the aftermath and find what Mr. Sinister, Dark Beast, and the Summers brothers are up to as well as learning more about the situation, as Cypher pieces together an important bit of information. And finally, we get to Magneto’s squad of X-Men…and are left hanging for next issue.

As mentioned above about the cover, Sandoval and Curiel‘s art has the characters looking a bit “off” to me…but despite that, the work is very good, and overall I like what I got in this issue. Maybe I would have enjoyed this even more with one of the “classic” artists that worked on the original 1995 Age of Apocalypse, but this IS a newer story, a new look at stuff, and is not actually that SAME Age of Apocalypse (evidenced especially by the presence of modern Tablets that didn’t exist in any sort of commonality back in ’95). There are some differences–Magneto seems overly muscled, Cyclops’ hair seems a lot thicker, longer, and far more wild, and Sinister’s coloring seems more muted than I expected–but in and of itself, I’m cool with it. I enjoyed the look and feel of this issue.

Another selling point for me was very definitely that Nicieza–one of the writers on the original story–is the writer here on this book now. I generally find that I am far more accepting of changes to core elements of a story in new “takes” on an original when an original creator is involved…it’s sort of their seal of approval, being involved.

As we only have a few issues for this story as opposed to several dozen for the original, Nicieza deals nicely with scaling down the cast for the main story while directing our focus a bit. There’s a certain familiarity here that I truly appreciate, while the differences seem to come primarily from the fact that this is an Age of Apocalypse that is part of Battleworld and not solely its own thing…so certain continuity elements simply don’t exist here that did in the original…and/or they flat-out don’t matter. The story rang true to my reading, even more than probably anything else done with the AoA in the past 10 years.

You don’t need to have read the original story to follow this…there’s plenty in-context to move things along. As a part of Secret Wars and the whole “NOW, ALL THAT REMAINS…IS BATTLEWORLD!” this functions believably as simply an alternate take on/situation for X-Men characters. If you’re familiar with and enjoyed the original Age of Apocalypse epic, this version of the characters seems plucked from the heart of that, rather than some new status quo picking up years after the original.

The $4.99 cover price is a bit steep…and though I think I knew OF it a few weeks back looking ahead, I forgot about it, so was somewhat surprised when I re-realized what I’d paid for this. That’s probably also credit back to the cover imagery and logo and then my enjoyment of the story–I was distracted and not bothered by the price. We get about 30 content pages–more than the standard 20-22, so as much as any are these days, I’ll accept that as “justification” for the $4.99.

I thoroughly enjoyed the issue, and despite trying to shift to Marvel‘s Digital Comics Unlimited, I may actually keep current with this series. Highly recommended to Age of Apocalypse fans in particular…this may not be nearly as special as the original story, but as a new story it captures something that really works…at least to me.

Filed under: 2015 posts, 2015 Reviews, MARVEL, Marvel Universe, Secret Wars (Event) | Tagged: Age of Apocalypse, apocalypse, Clayton Cowles, Comic Reviews, comics, David Curiel, En Sabah Nur, Fabian Nicieza, Gerardo Sandoval, Holocaust, Katie Kubert, magneto, MARVEL, Marvel Comics, Mike Marts, Peter Corbeau, Rogue, Secret Wars, Sticks and Stones, Weapon X, Xander Jarowey | 1 Comment »

#NotAtComicCon (So I Visited Winston)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Walt

Comic Con is going on right now, but I’m not there. I’m cool with that, as there is plenty of comic stuff for me locally, and I truly prefer it to the sort of travel/etc that would presently be required for me to ever be at SDCC.

But because I’m not there, I was free tonight to pay a visit to Carol & John’s in Cleveland and see Winston (something that’s been on my mind since the other day).

With hours actually conducive to making the trip and such after work Friday, I drove up to Cleveland to visit the shop briefly.

Once there, I browsed momentarily and then discovered the extent of their #NotAtComicCon sale. Rather than a handful of Dollar Bins…they had a Dollar ROOM set up.

Once I’d browsed many of the boxes and found some neat stuff and even some specifics I was looking for, I returned to the main area, and asked about Winston.

There he was, just curled up comfortably, napping on a chair by the counter. He woke up a bit and stretched, then watched me ring out, remaining on his seat, one paw stuck out, seeming to enjoy being the king.

I usually avoid dollar books in any kinda bulk…they’re sure cheaper than $4/issue, but man do those $1s add up in a danged hurry! Along with a handful of Ultraverse issues, some Valiants, and several X-books…I also found the complete Dead Again arc from the Superman titles from 1994 (though it took a bunch of digging through the titles’ sections in the bins). I also bought the Robin magnet, as I’ve been snagging a bunch of magnets lately, and the Tim Drake Robin (up to about Flashpoint) is one of my all-time favorite comic characters.

Quite unplanned by me, Ziggy made himself at home on a comic box, and I managed to get this photo of him. My own comic book kitty!

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: Carol and John's, comic books, Comic Con, comic shops, comics, Not At Comic Con, pets, sales, SDCC, shop cat, Winston | 1 Comment »

#NotAtComicCon (But Got Archie #1 and TMNT vol. 1)

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Walt

Comic Con is going on right now, and I’m not there. Still, I don’t have to be in San Diego to buy comics, comics related stuff, or be cool with what I have locally.

Tonight, for instance, I swung by Books-A-Million and wound up with an unexpected comic purchase; and this week a TMNT book I’ve been waiting a number of months to see released and actually acquire the thing is finally in my possession.

I completely did NOT realize the new Archie #1 was out this week. I’m not sure if it sold out or wasn’t ordered or who-knows-what-all at the comic shop, but I figured I’d duck into another shop this weekend to get the issue, or just not worry about it at all. With local construction/traffic issues, it’s not worth going back to the usual shop “just” for the one single issue when another shop is about 2 minutes out of my way on its own or just across the street from a Target I frequent.

I stopped into Books-A-Million, and while standing in line to check out, spotted an Archie comic.

Now, much as I hate variant covers (and this is obviously the Books-A-Million-exclusive variant), I saw the price sticker was $3.99–same cover price I’d pay at a comic shop–in a sea of BAM variants priced $1-$3 above standard-cover cover price. And rather than have to go outta my way (I was already there with this thing right in front of me), I figured I’d suck it up and buy this…I’ve near zero intention of following the single issues, but I’m quite curious about the story content of the issue. So…we’ll see what I wind up with.

I first saw an ad for this TMNT book very early in 2015 saying it was due out in March, but seemed it was delayed at least a couple months. I finally saw it on Amazon for a really good price (about 48% off!) and pulled the trigger.

It was actually that ad, the pending existence of this oversized hardcover edition collecting 17 issues (just over 4 paperbacks’ worth of content) that instantly soured me on the expensive, skinny 4-issue paperbacks IDW insists on holding to.

This volume contains the first 12 issues of the ongoing series, the first 4-issue “Micro Series,” and the first issue of the second “Micro series.” It’s hardback, has the issues in story-order (the “Micro Series” issues taking place amidst events of and influencing the main title) and even has a bound-in ribbon as a bookmark, plus the cover images.

A far superior format and presentation (overall) to the paperbacks, and if I’m gonna “multi-dip” and get the singles as they come out and then a collected format for the bookshelf…I’m darned well gonna stick with this format!

And for the price…I seriously doubt any dealers in San Diego would beat this…or even match it.

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: archie, BAM, Books A Million, Comic Con, comics, IDW, IDW Collection, New Archie, Ninja Turtles, Not At Comic Con, San Diego, SDCC, TMNT | Leave a comment »

#NotAtComicCon (But Still Found a Couple Gems)

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Walt

I believe tonight is ‘Preview Night’ as the 2015 Comic Con kicks off for the year.

And of course, as always…I am not there.

However, despite NOT being at Comic Con…I managed to find a couple of neat goodies locally that are likely better finds than much of what I would otherwise find/buy at something like SDCC.

First up, a half-off full-size-box edition of Munchkin Zombies: Armed and Dangerous. Usually $20, and I found it for $10…plus it comes with the little pawns/tokens. I believe this is usually in one of the little expansion-pack boxes as Munchkin Zombies 2.

And after being vaguely aware of its existence for years, while simply flipping through the quarter bin at the comic shop this week, I found Countdown to Ultraverse, one of the promo issues from back in 1993 promoting the then-forthcoming super-hero line from Malibu. And with this, I’m that much closer to completing what I intend to for the Ultraverse line…

The back cover is a neat collage-y/mashup piece showing a bunch of characters…

…and the inside front cover, providing us the ‘title’ of the publication and a bunch of the initial creators involved with the line.

The whole book is pretty cool, giving some basic info about stuff, and it’s interesting to look at from 22+ years later. Maybe I’ll make a post of the interiors sometime.

While the Munchkin box might be decently easy to come by at a major convention…I’ve mostly lost faith in any dealers actually having this sort of thing accessible (it’d be lost in dozens of UNsorted longboxes that I’m NOT gonna crawl around digging through) or because it’s not overstock from the last 10-15 years it wouldn’t be there at all.

Yet here I was able to get this for only 25 cents–a significant issue for me–and I didn’t even have to go to a convention to get it…yet it’s certainly something worthy of a Comic Con sort of haul.

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: #NotAtComicCon, Comic Con, Comic Con International, comics, Countdown to Ultraverse, Munchkin, Not At Comic Con, San Diego, Ultraverse Revisited, zombies | Leave a comment »

#SaveWinston Ends On a Happy Note

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Walt

winston_on_comics_carol_and_johns_comic_book_shop I was quite dismayed early on Monday to learn that Winston, a Cleveland-area comic shop’s shop-cat, was missing.

I’ve been to this shop (Carol & John’s) a handful of times, and even if I’ve only caught a glimpse of the kitty, that’s made me smile, and justified the visit. (And I once drove out there specifically hoping to see Winston…something I’m contemplating doing this weekend again).

For me, there’s just something to there being a “shop cat” around…particularly given the way I’m such a “cat person.” I’d encountered a shop cat at a comic store in Pennsylvania about 6 years ago that I’ll always remember–he followed me around, stuck his paws down between issues while I flipped through a longbox, and even decided my head was a plaything while I knelt to flip through a box on the floor and he was stretching down as far as he could reach over the edge to swipe at me, trying to get me to play with him. I had also once “discovered” a book/comic/something shop when I moved for grad school back in 2004…the cat curled up in the window caught my attention, or I wouldn’t have even noticed the store.

There’s also the story of Dewey, chronicled in the book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World that gets to me.

I ‘discovered’ Dewey barely a week after I lost my first cat, Christy…and reading the book had a huge impact on me, was truly cathartic and really helped me, in its own way, to deal with that loss.

And aside from that, it’s just fascinated me ever since, to consider there being a library or a shop or such with a resident cat that I might see every time I went there.

Even as I type this, a memory’s just surfaced that when I first “discovered” Carol & John’s, I researched the place online, their web page, before I went out, and it was the notion of Winston, their shop cat, that “sold” me on driving out immediately, and the inward thrill of actually seeing him briefly (it was late and he’d probably had enough for the day–I recall him going behind the counter away from the main part of the shop).

So when I saw the top edge of a “Missing Cat” poster in my Facebook newsfeed early Monday afternoon, I had that immediate thought I always have–feeling bad for whoever has lost a cat, but was shocked and then dismayed to realize it wasn’t “just” Carol & John’s page sharing a local missing kitty, but it was their own kitty–a kitty I’ve met, that I “know,” and it was a gut-punch I don’t usually get from such postings.

I’d shared a couple of the posts on social media myself, doing what I could to get the word out so anyone local-ish would know and could keep an eye out, all the while dreading what seems to be the “usual” horrible news.

So when a friend shared a post to my newsfeed last night, I was first curious about the post…but my heart truly leapt with a beat of joy when I saw what the post actually was:

Great news!

He’d been found, he was safe, the story had a happy ending.

And I’ve thrilled tonight looking at the Carol & John’s facebook page, reading all the comments, seeing several recently-posted photos, and generally seeing just how well-loved this cat is, by so many in the community.

I’d commented to a couple friends last night that I’m sure Winston’s gonna have extra visitors this week, and as mentioned above, I myself am really thinking I want to take a trip out there to see him (regardless of a Not-At-Comic-Con sale the store is holding this week).

And obviously the situation touched me in such a way that it’s what I chose to write about tonight, superseding any other posts I might’ve written.

If you’re in the Cleveland area, it’s well worth paying Carol & John’s a visit. Great service, amazing stock, plenty of bargain-bin ($1) comics, lots of new stuff, a kids’ play area…and of course, Winston the cat.

Photo (above): Winston laying on some comics, back home again after going missing for a couple days. This particular photo was posted as the profile picture of the Carol & John’s Facebook page Tuesday evening 7/7/2015. Please visit their page, check them out (enjoy photos of Winston at least!), and all that.

You can find them at 17462 Lorain Ave / Cleveland, Ohio in Kamms Plaza.

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: Carol and John's, cats, Cleveland, comic books, comic shops, comics, Ohio, pets, shop cats, Winston | 2 Comments »

Superman Mug, Because…Clark Kent

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Walt

For me, Clark Kent is the core character when it comes to Superman. Particularly as depicted in the late 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s, the character could be summed up as “Clark Kent is who he IS, Superman is something he DOES.”

With recent developments–as I understand as an outside party no longer finding the comics worth following at the moment–DC has decided to pretty much do away with Clark Kent officially, at least for now..

While I recall stories such as The Death of Clark Kent where it was a short-term status quo shift and story-driven, the bits I’ve picked up on the current stuff suggest it will be a much longer thing and far less story-driven, at least in any way that I would enjoy offhand.

And it’s to the point that as much as it drives me nuts to consider Clark Kent “merely” some disguise or mask…I saw this mug.

And even this “classic” depiction of Superman with the bumbling mask/disguise version of Clark Kent was something I opted to buy, in a moment’s notion of “support” for something involving CLARK KENT.

Plus, it’s a nifty coffee mug, Superman-themed.

Not only pre-52, but pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths. Sure, it’s not my favorite, but it’s still preferable to the contemporary version.

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: Clark Kent, coffee mug, comics, DC Comics, mug, Superman | Leave a comment »

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Superman Mug, Because…Clark Kent

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