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Filed under: TMNT Adventures Revisited | Tagged: ads, archie, Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, toys | Leave a comment »
TMNT Revisited: The Ads of TMNT Adventures
Posted on October 30, 2014 by Walt
The Weekly Haul – Week of October 29th, 2014
Posted on October 29, 2014 by Walt
This week was actually a pretty light week overall…an unfortunate rarity of late.
Along with the “regular” stuff, I snagged the Cap book from a 60%-off bargain bin. Several volumes I might’ve also considered, but even 60% off wasn’t enough discount for me to splurge on ’em this time.
Somewhat matching the FCBD deal, for a certain donation to the CBLDF, a pack of “all” of the event day’s issue’s were available as a set. This of course being the Halloween Comicfest.
While there have been a number of these “mini-comics” available for/around Halloween for several years, it’s only been these last couple years that we’ve had the Comicfest “branding” on ’em.
Along with the mini-comics were several “full size” comics.
I can’t say I’m all that impressed with any of them, but being functionally quarter-bin comics and some more recent stuff, or at least more of a “sampler,” I’m happy enough with ’em.
Especially considering the whole mess of ’em was little more than the cost of a single $3.99 book.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: Archer and Armstrong, batman eternal, FCBD, halloween comicfest, Harbinger Omegas, new comics | Leave a comment »
The October Loot Crate…stuff
Posted on October 28, 2014 by Walt
After getting sucked in for last month’s “Galactic” crate, I stuck around for October’s…and it’s arrived, albeit a bit later than I’d expected.
I can’t say I’m really all that impressed with this month’s box. In and of itself, it’s definitely not worth it just for the Sharknado survival guide–which to me is the best thing in the whole mess. Not really a t-shirt guy, don’t care for the print, or the “tattoos” or the mini weapon or such.
And even the Walking Dead issue doesn’t do anything for me–I left off (in print) with #102 or so, this puts me with a 30-issue gap.
Can’t think of what November’s might be, but it’s a good thing I started with the Galactic one, cuz this one by itself would’ve left me soured on the whole concept.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, QUASI-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: fear, How To Survive a Sharknado, loot crate, Lootcrate, Octobe Loot Crate, oh brother print, Walking Dead 132 | 1 Comment »
Acquiring Critical Mass (and TPB pricing)
Posted on October 27, 2014 by Walt
Usually, I’m not one for buying a tpb the week it comes out, nor for buying it at a shop instead of waiting to get it on Amazon or some other site or finding it at a used book store.
But this volume is a bit of a milestone: it begins the collection of Paul Jenkins‘ run on the title–brand-new-to-collected-format material I have been interested in reading for well over a decade!
I’ve been trying to keep up with these new editions, and fully intend a serious re-reading project at some point. Until then, though, I add to the shelf, while removing my older editions to make space for these numbered editions.
This volume collects 13 issues, and while not the thickEST of the Hellblazer volumes in this new run, it’s still a very nicely-thick book. The best part is that despite that whopping issue-count…the cover price is STILL ONLY $19.99. And truthfully, I felt the need to buy this one in-store because so few volumes carry such a REASONABLE, respectable ratio of price-and-content.
I’ve no doubt that a Marvel volume of this size/this many issues would be at MINIMUM $34.99 if not $39.99. Of course, for Marvel, that’d be a “mere” $3/issue contained within as opposed to the seeming “standard” of $4-$5/issue contained.
This volume works out to about $1.54/issue…which is LESS THAN COVER PRICE for the individual issues it contains. Truly a benefit of the format, and a large part of what draws me in: the bargain of having en entire story or run of issues in a single volume…at a better price than the single issues. All the more as these issues are from the mid-1990s so nearly 20 years old and (at least in my experience) not the easiest to come by in bargain bins.
These new editions are becoming a larger part of my overall Hellblazer library. With many of these replacing 2-3 prior volumes, I’m also liking how the collection is shaping up with the thicker volumes instead of a bunch of skinny little things.
I’d thought this 9th volume wasn’t going to replace anything, but then realized that the first issue of the collection–#84–wraps up the material reprinted in the Hellblazer: Rare Cuts volume. At the time, that volume had stuff that hadn’t previously been reprinted, but it was primarily from the earliest part of the series–and these editions have filled in the gaps that Rare Cuts had tried to fill.
With this volume carrying to #96, I figure volumes 10 & 11 will be completely “new” content to my collection, with Son of Man picking up at #129. With several months between volumes, that won’t be something to worry about until next year sometime.
What’s going to be particularly “interesting” to me is when (if?) these catch up to where I “joined in” around #160/161 or so; or just as much a few issues earlier with the start of Azzarello‘s run.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: Collected volumes, comics pricing, Constantine, Critical Mass, DC Comics, graphic novels, Hellblazer, Paul Jenkins, tpbs, Vertigo | Leave a comment »
Recent Ultimate Spider-Man Acquisitions
Posted on October 24, 2014 by Walt
Over the last several weeks, I actually came across a couple volumes of the Ultimate Spider-Man oversized hardcovers that I’d thought long since out of reach, at least barring very specific hunting.
I came across vol. 9 at a sale at Comic Heaven recently; and about a week later discovered vol. 6 on the sale table as well. I ordered the Death of Spider-Man “omnibus” last weekend, having found it for just under 50% cover price INCLUDING shipping.
I’m now “only” missing volumes 7 & 8 from having the complete run. Yet, I don’t want to pay full cover price, ideally…and certainly no intention of paying significantly ABOVE cover price JUST because the darned things are “out of print.”
Still…it’s a new short-term “goal” for my collection, and a bit of a challenge given the volumes are several years out of print and not simply in-stock online for “easy” purchase.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: bendis, collection, Death of Spider-Man, Library, series, ultimate comics spider-man, ultimate spider-man | Leave a comment »
Dropping a Comic Because of the Art
Posted on October 23, 2014 by Walt
I hesitantly checked out the first Johns/Romita Jr. issue of Superman this summer, and thought I’d give it a chance, even though I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the art. I figured it would grow on me.
I’m done.
I’m interested in the STORY but while I may not be an artist myself, I know what I do and do not like, even if I can’t typically pinpoint it.
But this week, in the latest issue (#35) I pinpointed it in this particular case. Just within a couple pages, we have at least four different people in the darned costume with varying facial structure, visual definition, and necks!
I get that there are issues of “perspective” and “angles” and all sorts of other stuff that I–as Not-an-Artist–am not gonna “get” here.
But I obviously don’t like the visual style, don’t like the way Superman (in this example) is drawn, the inking/coloring can’t get past that, and I definitely don’t like Ulysses’ look (though that could be given a pass where Superman is a far more familiar character to me).
Johns has me for the story…but the art–for me–is just such a turnoff that I’m done. This isn’t some self-contained series like All-Star Superman was. This is simply THE Superman book, but the costume is just a costume to me, if the character isn’t recognizable facially.
Vote with my wallet, right?
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: art, DC Comics, Johns, romita jr., Superman | 1 Comment »
The Weekly Haul – Week of October 22nd, 2014
Posted on October 22, 2014 by Walt
Another week, another haul…
Kinda “normalizing” a bit. Decided to try Predator: Fire and Stone #1 to give all 4 #1s a shot, though having realized they’re just all 4-issue minis, I figure I’ll wait for the 16-issue compendium/omnibus/whatever.
Giving DC a chance on all 3 weeklies, still…though I’m a bit iffy on World’s End. Already falling into the trap I did at the start with the other two in getting backed-up on several issues…though I suppose reading several issues at a time won’t be bad.
Continuing to quite enjoy Valiant, and TMNT, and Letter 44.
And as usual…quite a spread of titles/publishers…but clearly lacking in Marvel.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: Dark Horse, DC Comics, IDW, Letter 44, Valiant | Leave a comment »
Hunter/Prey Superman/Doomsday and Vintage TMNT
Posted on October 21, 2014 by Walt
Over the weekend while visiting a friend, he took me to a local store that had a mix of toys (mostly vintage stuff), video games (lotta vintage stuff), comics (vintage back issues and 25-cent books and more recent graphic novels/collected volumes).
I was rather thrilled to see some vintage TMNT toys, and several hanging in “home-made” packaging.
I was awed when I spotted a very familiar but unseen-in-person-in-many-years action figure pack:
I distinctly remember having seen this and several of the other figures in the line “back in the day” while out shopping with my aunt and sister. But at the time I thought I was “out of” getting action figures and such, to say nothing of whatever this thing cost retail.
Seeing the $12 price tag on this, I took it off the peg and vowed to myself if I bought nothing else that night, I was buying this. At this scale, either one of the figures would be $10 or more, if not $12 individually.
Add in the fancy packaging with the comic book and either one would probably be $15 or more at Toys R Us or such present-day. But this is a vintage–or near-vintage–pack, of TWO figures…so $6/figure plus the comic still there? Awesome. (And I do have a loose copy of the comic somewhere, pulled from a quarter bin at some point in the last few years).
While I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of the other figures, I’m not too keen on yet another quasi-standard Superman just to get Massacre, and I still have hopes of someday tracking down DC Direct versions of Steel, Superboy, and the Eradicator.
The Hunter-Prey Superman with Doomsday is the gem of the bunch, to me, though…and one of the coolest purchases I’ve made recently.
For $5 apiece, I snagged this vintage Metalhead and Foot Ninja. I was already paying $9ish/ea for the “reprint” Foot, adding another to the mix for $5 is well worthwhile to me.
And my recent fascination with having the various versions of TMNT figures through the years made Metalhead a no-brainer as well. While these purchases move me into new territory–buying actual vintage objects, “copies” of what I remember having had a different copy of in my youth–still a cool purchase…especially for the price!
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: Doomsday, Doomsday is Coming, foot ninja, Foot Soldier, Hunter-Prey, Hunter/Prey, Man of Steel, Metalhead, Ninja Turtles, Superman, Superman/Doomsday, TMNT, toys, Vintage | Leave a comment »
TMNT Revisited: TMNT Adventures (Mini-Series) #3
Posted on October 20, 2014 by Walt
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (Mini-Series) #3
Filed under: TMNT Adventures Revisited | Tagged: archie, Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures | Leave a comment »
TMNT Toys in the Wild: Original Comic Book Leonardo & Michelangelo
Posted on October 17, 2014 by Walt
It was just very recently I saw something about exclusive figure-and-comic Leo & Mikey “Original Comic Book” versions. Of course, those are to be “Exclusive” to Toys R Us.
However, I found the “basic” figures at Target recently for $1 cheaper than usual (on sale this week), and opted to go with these rather than waste time and money later trying to “hunt” them down.
I definitely like the look, and glad they’re “colorized” rather than being a black and white figure. The original comics may have been black-and-white, but that’s a factor of the medium, not the characters.
I’m also glad for the variant color scheme both on the front and backing of the package, making it extremely simple to look for these without having to touch every single figure on a peg.
I nearly put these back…but they were just way too cool to me to pass up. I just hope finding Raph and Don won’t be too much hassle…!
Of course, given the turtles all originally wore red masks, I may actually have to use these photos to keep the characters straight later, if they’re separated from their weapons.
It’s also interesting to see the various different art styles on the packaging…I’m almost surprised they didn’t change up the logo to the classic, for these…but they’re still part of the “current” overall line of TMNT toys.
But of all the “variant” turtles…the Original Comic Book versions seem the most distinct, and by far the most “worthy” “variants” of all…at least to me!
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Toy Chronicles | Tagged: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Ninja Turtles, Original Comic Book, Original comic Book Leonardo, Original comic book Michelangelo, playmates, reviews, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), TMNT, toys | 1 Comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 