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Chasing Back Issues: Guy Gardner: Warrior #29

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Walt

There was a time that I figured I’d never be one to dig through back issue bins and multiple shops just looking for a random issue. Years of great quarter-bin finds and other bargain-bin acquisitions had somewhat numbed me to the notion of paying more than $1 for any given ’90s comic, having come to see most as merely 25-cent fodder.

More recently, I’ve specifically sought out an issue of Adventure Comics because of an ad for it in an issue of The New Adventures of Superboy. I bought a DC Comics Presents Annual due to some talk of the series on a podcast. I’ve sought out "random" issues of a couple other titles due to podcast discussions on them. I tracked down Green Lantern #81 for never having seen it in a quarter bin and wanting to finally read it. And so on.

And really, it’s been awakening this suppressed "joy" of the search (and finding) of certain issues. Thus far, it’s been more success than not, and really is very enjoyable to go into a week with a specific issue of a specific series in mind, and with a single trip through a handful of shops I frequent, find that issue. No ordering online and paying shipping and waiting; just finding the issue, being quite agreeable to the asking price (and it’s right there on the issue, no taking it to a counter and someone looks it up in a "price guide" NOW THAT someone is actually interested in purchasing it).

And in a post on his blog, covering the issue, Chris really piqued my interest in a Guy Gardner: Warrior issue the other day. If I already have the issue somewhere, I don’t recall it, and being intrigued, I went into a nearby shop over the weekend not truly expecting them to have the issue.

They had about half a dozen issues from the entire run…including this one, #29, that I was specifically interested in. And while I was thinking I’d prefer the newsstand cover, finding the "deluxe" "collector’s edition" for under $4 was quite pleasing.

back_issues_guy_gardner_0029

The price was all the more agreeable as it’s only 55 cents more than the cover price…and even adding in TAX, I only paid $3.75 for the issue.

To put that into perspective: I had a specific issue of a specific series in mind, that was published more than two decades ago, with a typical-’90s "enhanced cover," and I was able to walk into a comic shop and buy it–bag and board included–with tax–for 25 cents LESS THAN a modern 20-page Marvel or DC comic.

Instead of "just" "the latest issue" of something, I specifically sought this out, wanting it…and that wanting it, knowing it would NOT "just" be available at any/all comic shops on a rack prominently displayed…well, that just adds to the satisfaction of the purchase.

Yeah, I may still hold to EXTREMELY RARE exceptions to not paying more than $10 for any given comic, period…but I’m certainly more thoroughly enjoying back issue hunting than I would have thought, and continue to find myself enjoying back issues much more than most any new comics Marvel or DC are currently publishing.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The ’90s Revisited: Flash #79

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Walt

flash0079The Once and Future Flash

Story: Mark Waid
Pencils: Greg Larocque
Inks: Roy Richardson
Letterer: Tim Harkins
Colorist: Gina Going
Assistant Editor: Ruben Diaz
Editor: Brian Augustyn
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Date: August 1993
Cover Price: $2.50

I snagged this issue for 25 cents…the primary reason that it caught my attention was that it felt as thick as an annual…spotting the price, I saw it was priced as one also. Looking at the cover a bit closer, then, I realized it was an issue by Waid, and had the Reverse-Flash on the cover…a dynamic more interesting to me now as a fan of the tv series than any time previous. Plus, it has a nice “old-style” feel to it with the Flash’s speech balloons on the cover getting me curious. “You messed with my memories, threatened my city, and hur tmy friends…now you’re gonna pay!!”

Turns out…this issue seems to cap off the The Return of Barry Allen story that I’ve heard of, but never yet read for myself. So coming in, I’m at a loss of specifics to this story…but still felt like I was able to follow along without much issue, given my prior knowledge of Wally as the Flash, and stuff I’ve read about the character’s development aside of what I’ve actually read OF the character through stories.

Eobard Thawne–Professor Zoom–the Reverse Flash–apparently was posing as Barry Allen. Or rather, for a time he THOUGHT he actually WAS Barry. He stands revealed here, and ready to rumble–as he and Wally collide to fight out who gets to be THE Flash. We learn how Thawne wound up in the position he did, how he came to hate Barry, and so on…this is a younger Thawne, before he ever actually met Barry. Given the history that’s unfolded, he must be returned–alive–to his own time, that events might unfold as they’re known. This puts the entire timeline at risk, meaning that Wally can’t just kill him. In the course of the story we see the damage Thawne has caused, as well as the allies by Wally’s side, and it seems this is “the” issue where Wally fully, truly came into his own, getting out from under Barry’s shadow, etc.

Visually, this was a very solid issue. I read through it pretty quickly, and it wasn’t until I reviewed the first few pages that I really caught on to a nifty element: that we’re seeing Zoom’s fist get closer and closer until he and Wally collide–but interspersed between the fractions of time, we’re given flashbacks and context to bring us up to speed as things then jump to “real time.” On realizing this, it seems extremely cinematic–at least TV-cinematic. And that alone works very well for me. While my mind wants to compare this to the tv series, there are obvious elements that do not sync on a literal panel-to-screen basis…but the tone itself does. Leaving aside the visual differences to the tv show (which came some 20-21 years after this issue was published), the art is quite good and I have no problem with it at all. Given the size of this issue–at least double, if not TRIPLE–there was room for a lot to be packed in, as well as other moments spaced out…which allowed several full or double-page splashes to be VERY effective in a way that seems like a lost art in contemporary comics.

Story-wise, this had plenty of context–it’s from an era when it was NOT “inevitable” for everything to get a collected volume–so even coming in on the final chapter, I picked up readily on the overall “core” story beats related to this issue as I read. There’s plenty of detail, certainly some great moments and such that went over my head or that were in other issues so not even in my realm of awareness–but this felt like a season finale that I jumped in on, and didn’t feel LOST.

The prime drawback to me of reading this issue isolated and now lies in the fact that it illustrates to me–in one issue–just how deserved Waid‘s reputation on the book is and leaves me interested in the rest of the story, as well as more Flash (comics) in general.

I still know very little regarding the other speedsters outside of Jay and Wally…but I appreciate their presence, recognize them by name at least, and enjoy seeing the “Flash family” united, with a great sense of history and development. Though this issue leaves me interested in more Flash comics, it’s an interest tied to this era, to this particular incarnation of the series, emphasis on Wally…as opposed to much from the final several years before and thus far in the New 52.

I enjoyed this on reading it…and in typing the above roughly as stream-of-consciousness, I’m left simply feeling this was a fantastic issue, very well worth my time and money. Consciously knowing it is the end of a larger story, I’m hesitant to recommend this solely as a single issue…but if this one issue is an indicator of the quality of the entire story, I’ll “blindly” recommend that for now, containing this issue.

Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The Weekly Haul – Week of March 16, 2016

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Walt

Not much to show off this week–though I did raid some quarter-bins and found some Firestorm and DuckTales stuff. Just the new stuff for tonight!

weekly_haul_week_of_20160316

The IDW Greatest Hits and the DC Comics Essentials issues are $1 comics, pulled for my standing “$1 or less promo-priced stuff.” I enjoyed the first issue of Power Man and Iron Fist enough to get this second issue. While it’s enjoyable enough, I’m not sure if I’ll last even the entire first arc…but as long as the issues continue to come out on otherwise relatively light weeks and Marvel hasn’t done anything to overly tick me off on some “principle” or another, I’ll take it issue by issue when I see it on the rack.

And seeing/holding the issue (literally weighing it as I considered), I decided the $7.99 for Legends of Tomorrow #1 was worthwhile as a first issue. Once I read it I’ll decide if I’ll continue with subsequent issues, probably taking it on a month to month basis. But so far, the Firestorm story was 20 pages, and I’m pretty sure the Metamorpho one is close…not sure about the other two; but as a squarebound thing with the title/number on the spine, it’s a shelf-ready thing, and if it packs two full-length features plus a couple more, it’ll at least “match” 20-page $3.99 comics and prove the better value.

I’m not sure if they’re late or just not stocked where I’ve looked, but I’m also rather interested in IDW‘s Deviations issues…I forgot to check if the TMNT one was ordered under my TMNT pull request, but absolutely want that if no others.

It’s nice to hit two comic shops and walk away with a handful of new issues and a stack of 1980s’ stuff for about–or less–than the price of only several more current comics. And looking here…ignore the $1 “promo-priced” issues, and the only new stuff is a thick anthology book from DC that I’m trying, and only the second issue of a new Marvel book that however “fun” it is I probably wouldn’t miss if I did skip it…while I’m moving more and more to buying back issues–random catch-my-attention and specific issues–and cheap/clearance/etc. collected volumes, most of which reprint material from the 1990s.

But that’ll probably be a topic for another post…

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The ’70s Revisited: Action Comics #500

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Walt

actioncomics0500The Life Story of Superman

Writer: Martin Pasko
Artists: Curt Swan and Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Date: October 1979
Cover Price: $1.00

This is one of the older comics I’ve read in awhile, particularly as a single issue. With the October 1979 cover date, that places this at just over a year older than ME myself, as well as only just BARELY prior to “The ’80s.” While in some ways 500 isn’t that big a deal nowadays–a number of other US titles crossed the threshold in the ’90s and early 2000s–at the same time it’s a huge milestone given it will be a long,long time before any title hits such a number again “naturally.”

While a product of its time, the issue is extra-sized for “only” $1–something like this would absolutely be $7.99-$9.99 present-day.

The story is a bit hokey and clichéd–Superman is leading a tour through a newly-opening museum in his own honor (that he’s serving as a guest tour-guide raises money for his favorite charity, though). As they visit different displays, we as readers are given information of the various parts of his life to that point, as it stood in 1979. The means of this context being shared includes a memory device that allows Superman better access to his own subconscious memories as well as to share those with others…and thanks to a secret villain, the memories are also fed into a clone’s memory. Eventually the villain stands revealed as Lex Luthor, which is fitting enough given this anniversary issue and touching on major elements of Superman’s life. Overall, we’re shown a bit of the final days of Krypton and why Jor-El only saved his son; We’re seen how baby Kal-El arrived on Earth and came to be adopted by the Kents; that he operated as Superboy; that he had adventures while in college, joined the Daily Planet, etc.

It’s somewhat odd for me, reading this. This Superman feels very familiar in a nostalgic sort of way…this is (largely) the Superman I recall from reading Grandpa’s old comics as a kid. It doesn’t seem NEARLY as hokey as I thought I’d remembered–I credit that to this being “bronze age” Superman rather than “early Silver Age”–as it takes stuff relatively seriously, and definitely suggests a “continuity” of the time, that plays into stuff I do actually recall while reading (but might not recall off the top of my head with zero context)–such as the Kents’ ages.

I don’t recognize Pasko‘s name and certainly wouldn’t be able to–at present–tell his writing from anyone else I’m unfamiliar with…but the story works, and I didn’t have any significant problems with anything. I enjoyed the art for the issue…regardless of what continuity elements I do or don’t recall from reading as a kid…Swan‘s Superman is absolutely familiar, and while there’s something to this version that I don’t care for (behind Byrne and Jurgens‘ Superman), he’s visually iconic as the Superman from this period, which is something I definitely appreciate. I can’t quite explain it as of this typing, but there’s also something about seeing Julius Schwartz as the editor that made me smile a bit. Perhaps due to having come to learn well after the fact that he was editor on so many of the comics I’d read as a kid, and I retroactively associate his name with a certain tone.

This issue itself caught my attention as an anniversary issue, as #500…the “next” anniversary issue for the title going backward, for me (as I already have #s 600, 700, 800, and 900). The price–25 cents (4 for $1) was also most excellent and appealing. Though my copy isn’t in wonderful condition, it was quite readable, and I enjoyed it well enough. All in all I’m quite glad I bought the issue and made the point of reading it fairly immediately. It’s also raised my interest in other Super-books of the late-’70s/early-’80s.

If you’re a fan of “classic” Superman or just curious, this issue is certainly worth a few dollars…I don’t know a “guide value” for it, but I’d’ve certainly found it worth $4 (the price of most current new comics) if not $5 (it IS a vintage comic, after all).

Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The ’80s Revisited: The New Adventures of Superboy #1

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Walt

newadventuresofsuperboy0001The Most Important Year of Superboy’s Life!

Writer: Cary Bates
Penciller: Kurt Schaffenberger
Inker: David Hunt
Colorist: Gene D’Angelo
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Date: January, 1980
Cover Price: $0.40

This issue only just barely makes the cut to be counted as an ’80s comic…though I am pretty sure that is a technicality, as it’s the cover date, while the publication date was likely at least a couple months earlier, the end of 1979. I actually remember this issue as one I’d managed to acquire ages ago, when I was in junior high (probably–early 1990s). I could not have told you anything about the content of the issue from memory, but on reading it, I realized I had also definitely actually READ the thing, too.

We start with a classic Julius Schwartz cover, showing us a rather absurd, dramatic scene that relates to the content of the story within…a relation that plays up some element that doesn’t seem to make much sense on the cover, but has a reasonable story explanation. In this case, Superboy is celebrating a birthday, but his parents insist he needs an extra candle…and this story promises to tell us WHY.

Of course, while we have SUPERBOY on the cover…it’s actually Clark Kent being celebrated within…which fits continuity, as they weren’t THAT open about Superboy’s identity even back then…he held the secret identity knowing enemies of Superboy wouldn’t hesitate to strike at him through those he loved–particularly his parents. Clark’s 16 birthday is here, and he’s asked about the extra candle…he doesn’t know himself why it’s used, just that his parents have added it every year since his 8th. We then get a flashback from Jonathan and Martha’s point of view as the secret is revealed to us–the readers. Two ancient aliens found their way to Earth, where after “testing” the newly-revealed Superboy (that they have searched for since crossing paths with baby Kal-El’s rocket years earlier) deem him their salvation. They accidentally made themselves immortal–something that’s become a curse–and need someone of sufficient makeup that they could SURVIVE a device that would transfer one’s ability to age into them. Yet, they mean Superboy (and Earth) no harm…so provide the 8-year-old Superboy the choice: help them, or don’t.

We see the noble boy choose to help them, using their device on himself, which means he will no longer (ever) age, giving his ability TO age to the aliens, that they might finally age and find the end of their (unnaturally-long) lives. They also impart a bit of amnesia to the young Clark so that he won’t remember his choice, and can live with the thought that his ‘immortality’ comes from being Kryptonian on earth, rather than choosing to sacrifice a part of himself. After they leave and the Kents lament their boy’s fate, Clark reveals that he noticed from what the aliens had said about their plight that it was their own minds keeping them from aging…he actually countered their device with his heat vision…granting the aliens the BELIEF that they could age, which tricked their minds into ALLOWING them to age. Meanwhile, Clark will continue to age as normal…a win/win situation. Though the amnesia kicked in and he no longer remembers the aliens or his solution/decision, his parents do–and honor their pride in him with the extra candle.

I recognize the names Cary Bates and Kurt Schaffenberger, though I can’t particularly place them off the top of my head, as of this typing. I’m pretty sure they’re either “big names” at DC from the late-’70s/early-’80s, or on the Superman family of titles (or both). I of course recognize Julius Schwartz as the editor as mentioned above.

This issue’s story worked decently for me–I’m not thrilled with it, nor does it play much into “continuity” that I recall except the obvious references and Editor’s Notes to remind (or inform) the reader of things of note (like the elder Kents having been de-aged). Stuff like that I took at face value as a kid, and took at face value here, but the added benefit of–as an adult–now having some vague memories of reading about the stuff being referenced, since I’d originally read the issue. In and of itself, I don’t know if I “buy” Superboy as an 8-year-old…but then, some of that may simply be that I’m so far removed from that age now, where I was only several when I would have originally read this. The story is a done-in-one, with nothing of note added to an ongoing saga or anything; just another “adventure” that takes an issue and leaves things in place for the next issue.

The art is quite good, and I really like the style overall…there’s something particularly familiar to it that puts me in mind of some of these characters even into the then-current comics I read in the late-’80s. It certainly fit the story and nothing to the art drew me out or distracted me, so it definitely succeeded in doing its job.

All in all, I enjoyed the issue as what it is–a “random” one-off, done-in-one issue that just so happens to be a #1 from an age when an issue with a #1 actually had some measure of significance. This was more than worth the 25 cents I paid for it.

Additionally, there’s an ad in the issue for the then-current issue of Adventure Comics that grabbed my attention…to the point that I actually sought it out in a non-bargain back-issue bin and found/bought it. It’s possible dabbling in these older back issues lately is just that–a dabbling. At the same time, I find myself more and more interested in older comics than new, and I’m increasingly willing to buy an issue from the back issue bins where I used to hold myself strictly to the quarter-bins.

Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

New 52 Zero Omnibus

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Walt

One large part of it being rather disconcerting randomly purchasing the Dark Knight Returns/Death of Superman hardcovers the other day was that I was already planning on another large purchase: the DC Comics New 52 Zero Omnibus.

An employee at Half-Price Books had recently–in asking if I was on the marketing list–mentioned their huge sale coming up with the daily coupons 20/20, 30/30, 40/40 and 50% off.

I was unwilling to pay even HPB‘s price on this particular volume…but take an additional 30% off? That brings it very much into worthwhile pricing territory!

dc_new52_zero_omnibus

I drove out of my way after work specifically to get this, figuring copies were fairly limited and others might take advantage of the sale the same way I intended…so I bought it with a 30% off coupon, rather than wait a couple more days for 40% (and I’d be shocked if any remain by Sunday’s 50% off). All told, I saved over $100 off the cover price of this thing, and 70% off total between the already-discounted price and the coupon, with some tax thrown back on.

While I’ve no idea when I’ll get around to reading from this, it (and the Villains Month Omnibus I got last year) are especially appealing to me for the issues largely being one-shots (to my understanding) even if they serve an ongoing narrative…so while this has but one single issue from any given title of the 52 or so…it’s still a bunch of issues that I’d hope I can enjoy well enough on their own one at a time.

Now, I guess there’s just a matter of finding that Futures End Omnibus and waiting to see if they do an omnibus of the weekly series. And for around the price I paid for this, I would not be opposed to the #1s omnibus.

That said…there are loads of other books I’m interested in and want to get in the near-ish future…but I’ve gotta try to back off the spending a bit, with some personal stuff going on. I’d been looking forward to this one for weeks, between spotting it at a HPB and then weeks after that learning of the upcoming sale and resolving to get it–if available still–using a sale coupon.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

The ’90s Revisited: Armageddon 2001 #1

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Walt

armageddon_2001_001Dark Time

Writer: Archie Goodwin
Penciller: Dan Jurgens
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Albert De Guzman
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Asst. Editor: Kelley Puckett
Editor: Dennis O’Neil
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Date: May 1991
Cover Price: $2.00

One up-front problem with reading this issue now: I know who Monarch is…who he was supposed to be…and how stuff’s developed over the quarter-century since this issue was published. So there’s no true wondering, curiosity, nor concern to me about that…nor does this issue hold any particular story/continuity significance to me outside of being the introduction of Waverider. Which–honestly–is the reason I picked it up this time around. I wanted to revisit that character’s introduction, given the name appears only as homage in the current DC’s Legends of Tomorrow tv series.

The issue opens on someone being saved by a hero pulling him out of some rubble…though he doesn’t seem to remember which one…it could be any of a number of heroes active in the late 20th century (1991). We then move to the year 2030 (when this issue was published, that was nearly 40 years in the future. Now…it’s a mere 14 years!). Matthew Ryder is a scientist, working for the government…which itself is under this Monarch–a super powered being who rules over all, providing order and peace. Or as Ryder sees it…”order” and “peace.” Though he has a family, he sees even family time as a mere intersection of four lives drifting apart from each other. At work, one day, there’s a breakthrough, and time travel becomes a reality…at least to some degree. Ryder volunteers to be a test-subject, but is turned down: he simply won’t conform and blend with society. One way we see this is with his visiting a small shop for black market disks on turn of the century history (REAL history, not the stuff force-fed from the top-down). Events come to a head and Ryder stakes his life on a risky endeavor that brings him to the attention of Monarch…and ultimately “earns” his place in the time travel testing. Ultimately, this leads to his rebirth as an energy-being with temporal abilities–at a touch, he can see one’s most probable future. This is an ability he plans to put to use to try to determine which of “the heroes” becomes Monarch…as Matthew Ryder (now Waverider) seeks to change the future.

As said above–I already know the resolution to “who is Monarch?” so there’s no particular significance/drama there for me personally. Though I’ve also read this very issue at least once in the past, I didn’t remember much detail, so in many ways this felt like a first reading for me. The issue also felt a bit dated with its technology references that are now 25 years old. I’d forgotten that this entire issue was basically “the origin of Waverider,” to give us background on who he was, how he came to be, the time-travel stuff, the Monarch question…basically to set the character to then move through the various Annuals with a lot more context than could reasonably be set up a dozen times. The story in no way blows me away–it’s ho-hum in that regard–BUT it is absolutely not bad, either. It failed to excite me now, 25 years after its publication, some 24 1/2 years after its story was fully wrapped up…but as a piece of its time, it worked.

Visually, I quite enjoyed the issue…which did not surprise me, given the Jurgens art, and having so thoroughly enjoyed his work on Superman in the ’90s. With most of my ‘experience’ with Waverider and the Linear Men coming from the pages of Superman and Zero Hour (art by Jurgens on both titles) and the Superman/Doomsday Hunter/Prey mini (again, Jurgens art), character designs and such in this issue felt extremely familiar in a good way, lending to a visual continuity I always enjoy.

As best I can recall at this typing, my earliest exposures to Waverider were the Adventures of Superman Annual that took part in the Armageddon 2001 story as well as the 2nd/bookend issue to the event Armageddon 2001 #2. Those were followed by his appearance in the Legacy of Superman special and then certainly Zero Hour. He also appeared in an issue of Superman shortly before the Doomsday! story, but I missed that and I recall the issue being a hassle to acquire.

Which all gets back to: I don’t recall much “fallout” from this series outside of it having obvious effect on another title of the time and the way elements were picked up (yet again: by Jurgens) for Zero Hour, or Waverider’s place in the DC Universe for a few years. I know there were a couple of follow-up mini-series, but I’ve never heard anything particularly good about those nor had any inclination to make time to read them myself…but I imagine if even those had had a lasting impact I’d’ve known about it by now.

All told, as a “4/$1” “clearance” issue at a Half-Price Books…this was certainly worth my expense and time to read. It also has re-ignited my interest in tracking down the entire story to actually read…especially since it’s “only” 12 annuals plus the two-issue bookend mini.

Filed under: 2016 posts, 2016 Reviews, The '90s Revisited | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Thoughts on a Couple Announcements: DC Rebirth

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Walt

So, a couple posts being floated around social media caught my attention tonight. And they’re a decent way to do another stream-of-consciousness post. So…here we go!

“Action,” “Detective Comics” Return To Original Numbering For “Rebirth”

While it sounds like everything “else” is either restarting with yet another new #1, or continuing recent numbering (i.e. MY understanding is nothing will be hitting #53), we’re getting “legacy numbering” on the two formerly-longest-running titles.

I do call shenanigans here. If they’re JUST continuing the “New 52” or non-PreFlashpoint stuff…then they should keep the recent numbering or dig into the same hole with yet another #1. Or, if throwing a bone to older/long-time fans and giving us perhaps a single book with a version of the character(s) we want back…give us Action #905-onward. If this is just a 2-year march to #1000 for the sake of that numbering…it’s STILL a messed-up game of trying to have (had) their cake and eat it too, so to speak.

It’s also all the more disheartening–for me–because that puts a 50+ issue GAP in my run on Action Comics, that definitely hits my OCD in a bad way. All the more for having had the book at $3.99+ for 4 1/2 years.

DC Announces Full “Rebirth” Line, Twice-Monthly Books, Lowered Price Point

I’m all for the lowered price point. That does seem (to me / for me) to be where they often sucker me in, OVER a Marvel book. I’m far more likely to give random issues a shot at $2.99, where for $3.99 I’ll leave the issue on the shelf.

I’m far from keen on all the specials–THAT seems like they’re trying to double-dip; get someone with a special, but then have to get ANOTHER issue to get the “first” issue of either a new numbering or continuation of the direction.

Then again…perhaps that could go toward another omnibus–a Rebirth Omnibus with all the Rebirth specials in it.

I do sort of like the notion of some of the “combo” books–Batgirl and the Birds of Prey jumped out at me in particular–where if the book’s to be twice-monthly, you can kinda have one book, but two sets of characters. (I often remember that time ages back with Thunderbolts at Marvel where they went biweekly for awhile…but you essentially had two simultaneous stories going on, so each story got a focus once a month).

I think most appealing to me would be to just split the various titles, and throw everyone a bone. Give us an Action Comics, say, with adventures of the pre-Flashpoint Superman (one who was never trapped in Gotham in a Bottle). A biweekly Superman could follow the New 52 Superman and perhaps involve the Lois and Clark Superman family. Give us an Adventures of Superman–perhaps picking up itself with #650–with a pre-CoIE Superman. Give us a We Are Robin book that perhaps alternates issues with Damian and Tim Drake…or give us a Red Robin book with the pre-Flashpoint Tim Drake.

And yet, it is also seeming like just a scramble to grab people.

I’m buying Superman: Lois and Clark. I left the New 52 Superman title hardly 6 issues in, briefly revisiting around #31 for Doomed and the “full circle” where my first-ever issue of Superman I owned was the post-Crisis Superman #31. I bailed on Action Comics after #2 when the story ended 2 pages past the center staples, for $3.99, and only briefly revisited during Doomed.

I revisited Batman for a bit digitally for Death of the Family and a bit after that, including and slightly past the death of Damian. I never got around to most of the other books, even where I had some slight interests here and there…then of course, I got suckered by the three weeklies, though I fell prohibitively far behind on actual reading, so have far too many issues to “catch up on” reading there.

I want to see DC have a DIRECTION, or a long-term plan…something I can feel a CONFIDENCE in. Get away from all these variants, the “theme-of-the-month” and such. Roll back–as they are–to $2.99.

Why not do a bit like Convergence…and give us “pockets” of books. These handful of titles feature new adventures of a version of characters from pre-Crisis DC. This handful of books is set in the pre-Flashpoint DC. These over here are the New 52-continuity characters. And perhaps a scattering of one-shots and minis that can fit in where-ever.

Since everything’s basically “for the graphic novel” now anyway, why not cut back to just a handful of “core” ongoing books, and then let everything else BE a mini-series, or series of mini-series.

Give us a 5-issue Red Robin featuring pre-Flashpoint Tim Drake. If the writer only has that story TO tell…then leave it at that. Collect it into a book with the title of the story itself, and go on to other stuff. Someone else comes along with another story to tell, that can build of that…then 5 months later, pick up and give us #s 6-14 maybe. If it’s 8 months after that before anyone else has more to do with the character…fine.

For better or worse…I’m more likely to give DC another chance…but as has become usual for me…if I don’t’ like where something’s going or the tone or variants or just something “not positive” comes to me while grumpy…I’m not above dropping something mid-arc, or with the 2nd issue, even if I’d “planned” on going further.

There’s some potential…we’ll just see how “time” bears it out.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Crisis 30th Anniversary Edition: Acquired

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Walt

When I first got into comics, it was via Grandpa’s old Silver Age stuff. When Mom bought me my first few brand-new comics, I knew there was a LOT of stuff between Grandpa’s comics and what I had in-hand (if only the 3-400-some difference in issue numbers!). It would be several years before I learned of the existence of the major story that “split” the continuities…for much of my time as a comics person, DC could be referenced as “Pre” and “Post” Crisis.

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It was at least another decade before I ever actually READ the story myself, getting it first-hand…and that came sometime after reading Wolfman‘s novelization of the thing.

I think it was another couple years before I finally acquired a copy of my own…of course, I was happy at the time with the edition I got–with the Perez/Ross cover.

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Then, just last week I happened across a 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. I recal seeing something about it, so its existence was not a surprise…but seeing it for myself, it was just this beautiful volume, and though I’d intended to hold off at least a couple weeks, I opted not to put off ordering it (justifying it as a birthday present to myself).

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This new edition is an oversized hardcover, and dwarfs its earlier paperback edition…length, width, thickness.

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The physical size is accounted for with the price…this weighs in at a hefty $49.99 cover price (to the paperback’s $29.99 most of a decade ago).  This certainly makes the paperback the better value solely for the story…but I am quite happy with my purchase (I was able to order the volume for 45%-off that cover price).

This is a volume that definitely illustrates where I feel DC is by FAR Marvel‘s superior when it comes to pricing stuff. Where DC‘s far physically-smaller paperback is a whopping $20 (60%) cheaper than its massive, oversized hardcover counterpart…I can’t help but remember my shock at seeing the similarly-paired editions of the Planet Hulk volumes. The hardcover was $39.99…while the paperback was a mere $5 cheaper at $34.99. If $5–barely more than a SINGLE-ISSUE COMIC–is all the difference, then for me it’s a no-brainer: I’ll pay that slight bit more for the superior edition. (While generally speaking, such a $20 difference would certainly prompt me to stick with paperback).

I suppose the next thing is for DC to publish several oversized hardcovers collecting the Crisis on Multiple Earths series…which would certainly have my interest!

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

My Dark Knight Three

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Walt

dkiii001The newest chapter in the Dark Knight series began last week, with the release of DK III #1.

I passed on it–I was disgusted by all the variant covers and incentives and such, the multiple editions and all that…worse (to me) if this is so special, it deserves the squarebound treatment the first two series had. This looked to be just a standard (cardstock-ish) cover, and I don’t want to deal with individual issues when the inevitable collected volume will be far preferable to me. DK2 was–each issue–functionally a mini paperback itself.

I’ll probably buy the collected volume when the paperback comes out (unless I break down and get The Dark Knight Saga hardover and DKIII gets an oversize hardcover that can match it). But for now…I’m not buying/supporting DK III as single issues.

I do have my own "Dark Knight Three," though:

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The original ’80s edition, by Warner Books; the 1996-ish Tenth Anniversary edition, and the more recent paperback edition with trade dress to match DK2.

A local library had that original edition, and it was one of the first graphic novels/collected volumes I’d ever read…probably matched with a copy of The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (not to be confused with the more recent Superman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told volumes) and A Death in the Family.

I’m sort of surprised DC did not include this in that series of graphic-novel-and-Blu-Ray releases they put out recently.

Filed under: 2015 Non-Review posts, 2015 posts | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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