• June 2023
    S M T W T F S
     123
    45678910
    11121314151617
    18192021222324
    252627282930  

  • On Facebook

    On Facebook

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Comic Blog Elite

    Comic Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory

Free Comic Book Day 2022

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Walt

I don’t even remember when Free Comic Book Day started…though I’m thinking offhand it was 2002, making this year’s ‘event’ the 20-year-anniversary, and the 21st FCBD. Buuut I could be off by a year or two; though I vaguely recall my senior year of college (spring 2003) being at least the SECOND FCBD, so…yeah. I could google it I’m sure, but this is an off-the-cuff rambling/stream-of-consciousness post.

As I’m typing this, I’m more or less planning to let this BE my "post for the week," as I don’t have any great expectations of getting the next Eclipso: The Darkness Within issue read AND written up in time; so this first "haul" post since losing Dad will take its place, and I’ll get back to "real" content next week, hopefully!

On to Free Comic Book Day 2022!

Met up with an old friend after too many years–made for some good catching up, shared time, and of course–comics!

fcbd2022_uncannyxmen

Plenty of other folks have posted stuff on the branded "FCBD" comics, so I’ll skip those.

Took advantage of a couple sales to knock out MOST OF the rest of Uncanny X-Men that I’ve been working on for yeeeeeears. Thanks to this, I’m now–as of this typing and according to my records–only missing #532 from having #s 139-544!

fcbd2022_pizzahutxmen

Happened across these two mini-comics and couldn’t pass them up. I’m sure I had them as a kid, and MIGHT still have them SOMEWHERE (if so, likely in a box of ephemera I haven’t really dipped into since my last move in 2016) but if my originals are indeed lost to time, I knew darned well I’d kick myself for passing them up!

As best I can tell/recall, these would have been pack-ins with the VHS tapes from Pizza Hut in 1993 (1 had the 2-part Night of the Sentinels and 2 had Enter: Magneto and Deadly Reunions–the first four episodes of the X-Men animated series.

On the whole, definitely more than I’d planned to spend for the weekend, but I do feel like it’s helping whittle away at my missing-X stuff, and it’ll be nice to "complete" a phase of Uncanny X-Men. Get that last issue and I’ll pretty much be casually looking for LOW-grade/reader-copy "raw" (non-‘slabbed’) copies of the title, working backward with the Dark Phoenix Saga and then just see how far back I eventually go. It’ll complete my most recent intent of filling in to have #141-the end (544), but having snagged several of the Dark Phoenix issues already, I’m inclined to just keep going back on occasion. As I’m looking for low-grade copies and everyone seems to deal with graded and/or high-grade slabbed stuff, we’ll see what happens!

freecomicbookday2022_blogtrailer

Filed under: 2022 Non-Review Posts, 2022 Posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Halloween ComicFest 2017

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Walt

Over the weekend, we had Halloween ComicFest. Basically like a Halloween-themed Free Comic Book Day with participating retailers. Same sorta thing–publishers put out specific comics that retailers can order, that are intended to be given away. Retailers, of course, can opt to do other stuff as well.

halloween_comicfest_2017a

Since I was not in costume, I was part of the crowd that qualified for picking 5 of the "free" issues. I’m definitely in a Thor mood lately, and Ghostbusters and The Tick caught my eye. I rounded it out with Darth Maul and Hellboy and the BPRD. I also snagged three "back issues" of Action Comics from the New 52-era (#s 37-39), which MIGHT leave me "only" missing #s 36 and 40 or so from that run, and thus effectively means I’m a mere 2 or so issues shy of having every issue of Action  Comics from #583 to #990!

halloween_comicfest_2017b

Along with the Halloween issues, Carol & John’s also had several bonus things to choose from with a purchase. I opted for the Thor by Walter Simonson vol. 1.

Later in the day after some non-comics personal stuff, I was able to stop by Comic Heaven, where I picked up Atomahawk #0 to try, and the fourth volume of Criminal (I think there are 7 volumes). I was also able to get the Walking Dead reprint of #1, Wizard World edition from 2013. Pretty nifty.

Thanks to a couple friends, I learned that Dollar General had some sort of pack of skeleton miniatures. Took some hunting (and finding multiple DG locations) but combined with figures I already had, I was able to take the following photo (done up meme-style at another friend’s suggestion).

tmnt_vs_skeletons

After all…this week (I believe) we get the first issue of a new (and this time weekly) TMNT/Ghostbusters comic series. And this would be a scenario (sorta) the Ghostbusters might just be able to help with, no?

Filed under: 2017 Non-Review Posts, 2017 Posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Weekly Haul – Week of May 11th Bargain-Stuff

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Walt

I managed to miss the pull-list stuff this week–store owner was busy with another customer, I forgot to ask, and I had a mix of stuff, so taking responsibility for myself…going back to the comic shop Friday to fix my error. Also stopped at the other local-ish shop to check on Captain America: Fighting Chance TPBs…alas, only had one, so zero temptation to splurge. Did get a handful of things from the quarter bins there. Between both shops, spent a whopping $4.50 on 18 25-cent books (and several extra Free Comic Book Day ‘free’ issues)!

(I say ‘free’ because the shops still have to purchase them…they’re just then expected to turn around and not charge customers for ’em. I know that, and appreciate that, so don’t truly consider them actually free.)

weekly_haul_week_of_20160511_bargains01

Scored the first couple issues of ElfQuest…neat little find. A Hawkman special that I may already have but don’t consciously remember. A “UPC variant” of HardCase #1 for the heckuvit. A couple issues of a Milestone series I don’t think I knew existed (or had forgotten, anyway). The first issue of Starlin‘s Dreadstar ‘cuz hey…Dreadstar. And because I know I’d lost my original sometime through the years, I continue to–on occasions like this that I come across it–snag the initial publication that helped lead to the Earth X mega-saga.

weekly_haul_week_of_20160511_bargains02

Several general-ish Marvel issues–the X-Men issue where we found out who Onslaught really is; a Marvel Comics Presents issue with the Falcon on the cover (‘cuz hey, I love the Anthony Mackie‘s MCU character!), and a couple issues–including the first–of Nomad (‘cuz hey…”Bucky”!) Snagged the first issue of MASK for quasi-nostalgic feelings; ditto the American Flagg! Special.

And then the Ash issue I actually opened up to check, and found the words “Vol 1. No. 1, November, 1994″…so I believe this is the first Event Comics issue…by Quesada and Palmiotti, several years before they were brought on with Marvel for the Marvel Knights project. As I recall, a relatively “hot” issue 20-ish years ago. 25-cents for me, now.

weekly_haul_week_of_20160511_bargains03

Also grabbed a couple of shiny duplicates in Turok and Thunder Strike #1s, as well as X #25. And then the several Free Comic Book Day issues from the FCBD leftovers.

All of these for “only” $4.50…a far superior value to most contemporary single-issues, and more interesting and such to me than pretty much anything that Marvel is putting out right now for $3.99 apiece!

Still, I did buy several DCs, with a couple other comics to pick up Friday that keep the “bargain books” very firmly a small minority of my weekly purchase.

All the more with planning to give the first few weeks of Rebirth a shot, if only to show “support” for the $2.99 price-point.

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

Free Comic Book Day Haul 2016

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Walt

Free Comic Book Day is no fun alone.

Suffice it to say, I went to one shop that was nearby for the weekend, picked several issues, bought a collected volume I’ve been intending to purchase for a couple weeks now, and got out.

fcbd2016haul

Free Comic Book Day’s good for when schedules work with friends–a group thing, a social thing.

Of the books, really the only one I “went in looking for,” or was particularly aware of ahead of time, was the ROM #0 issue. But I’d actually already “accounted for” that so it was not going to be a problem.

It just seemed a shame to NOT go out for FCBD, as I don’t think I’ve actually missed any of ’em yet.

Filed under: 2016 Non-Review posts, 2016 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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.

weekly_haul_october_29th_2014a

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.

weekly_haul_october_29th_2014b

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.

weekly_haul_october_29th_2014c

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: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Rise of the Magi #s 0 & 1 [Review]

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Walt

riseofthemagi001Writer: Marc Silvestri
Artists: Sumeyye Kesgin & Marc Silvestri
Colorist: Betsy Gonia (#0 – Jasen Smith)
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editor: Betsy Gonia
Art Assists: Bridget Silvestri
Cover: Marc Silvestri & Betsy Gonia (#0 – Silvestri & Andy Troy
Published by: Image/Top Cow
Cover Price: $3.50 (#0 – Free)

Rise of the Magi is one of the Free Comic Book Day comics that seemed to jump out more than most…though at present whether that was internet “hype” or the logo and cover of the issue itself catching me, I’m not sure. I hadn’t gotten around to reading that issue, but saw the first issue of the series itself out this past week, so decided to give it a chance. (While not the $2.99 that anymore is a quick-sell for me, the 0-issue having been free and this first issue being $3.50 at least kept it under the frustrating $3.99 price point).

riseofthemagi000The 0-issue’s cover was a bit deceptive…I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it led me to believe the main character was going to have some sort of agenda against witches (and warlocks?) or otherwise be opposed to magic/etc. in general. However, the issue begins with a page of mostly text setting up the situation–all magic is contained in a small orb, and doing something to the orb would affect the entire universe. A boy whose brother is part of some sort of guard unit protecting the orb stumbles across a situation threatening the orb, leading into the #1 issue.

In Rise of the Magi #1, we get some further context of the magic orb, the Spellguard, and what’s going on that threatens the orb. As the threatening scenario plays out, the boy is drawn tightly into the situation, and ultimately thrust into a world he’s going to have to learn to operate in as the series moves forward.

Visually, I was more impressed with the first issue–brief as it was. The second issue had a bit of a jarring visual shift, though at least it came with a “chapter break” in the story rather than just shifting with no apparent rhyme or reason. Given this is not an “established property,” I have no visuals to compare it to–simply the archetypal fantasy setting given the primarily-fantasy setting of the story. That lack of comparison leaves the art to stand on its own, with no preconceived notions on my part with the specific characters. Given I’ve liked Silvestri‘s art in the past on X-Men stuff in particular, I had rather high expectations for this, but found myself a bit disappointed. The art was not bad, it just didn’t live up to whatever my expectations had set.

Story-wise, I found myself rather “iffy” partway into #1, figuring this to be “just another” fantasy thing, but the ending of the issue gave a bit of a twist to that…yet, it’s a twist that also feels like “just another” of its kind. The characters and specifics may be a bit different, but it’s definitely not the first such story I’ve seen/read of its kind, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.

I can’t say I’m exactly “impressed,” but to again use the passive: it’s not bad. If you like Silvestri or any of the other creators involved, it’s definitely worth taking a look. All in all, I think it’s safe to say that if I happen to notice the next issue I’ll pick it up, giving the series another issue to really hook me, but it doesn’t yet have me enough to want to put it on my pull list.

Filed under: 2014, Image, Rise of the Magi (Top Cow) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Not So Free Comic Book Day

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Walt

Last weekend included Free Comic Book Day 2014 on Saturday, May 3rd. While the “free” side didn’t work out QUITE as planned, I did wind up scoring some stuff I would not have if I hadn’t been out with a friend hitting 5 shops and a Half-Priced Books in one day:

FCBD2014_01

Since Batman Eternal #s 1-4 were all available in one go, AND “only” $2.99 rather than that frustrating $3.99 “everything” seems to be these days, I decided to take ’em as a “set” to give the thing a shot. I’m also all about Image‘s $9.99 vol. 1s, and will try most anything at that price point. Half Price Books had the New Avengers vol. 1 OHC for $9.99 as well, so I figured: why not?

FCBD2014_02

I also found Conan the Savage #4–a magazine/comic I’ve been trying to find for over a decade. Also picked up the “classic Valiant” Magnus #s 7 & 8…a bit pricey at $6/ea, but still well below my max of $10 for any single back issue of anything in 25 years. Found the old Bizarro’s World TPB for cover price (even all these years later) and decided to snag that as well.

Also snagged some 50-cent-bin comics–primarily a bunch of the post-Zero Hour #0 issues from DC from 1994 and a bag/boarded copy of the original The Ray mini-series #s 1-6.

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Recent Acquisitions: Older Books

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Walt

Along with the various “free” comics I picked up on Free Comic Day, I also snagged a couple other bargains: a fresh copy of the Superman Tribute issue from Wizard that came out after The Death of Superman stuff; a hardcover The Trial of Captain America, and most surprising of all (to me) a $5 copy of Solar, Man of the Atom: Alpha and Omega still in the original bag with a poster! (originally cover-priced $10 on initial release back in 1994). The Captain America book was also $5, and the Wizard issue was a mere 25-cents.

FCBDnonfreebooksI’d also found myself that Saturday revisiting eBay, checking on the current pricing of the Ultimates 2 hardcover. I’d snagged the first hardcover in early May last year, paying a bit of an unwelcome “premium” for it including shipping, on the expectation that its price would skyrocket with the Avengers movie as “everyone” would want the darned thing. I wound up getting Ultimates 2 (also out of print like Ultimates) including shipping for well under cover price, giving me the two-volume set I’ve wanted to have for years.

ultimatesHaving managed to track down the Ultimates 2 volume, I turned my attention to tracking down the Ultimate Galactus Trilogy hardcover. I’d first seen it at a Books-A-Million a number of years ago while visiting with a friend, and I passed on a $17 copy several years ago at Kenmore. Managed to get this copy, including shipping for under $14.

ultimategalactusandvaliantmastersI also have meant to get the Valiant Masters hardcover edition of Bloodshot since about the time the book came out last year. I wound up finding both it and the Ninjak volume, and got both–including shipping–for little more than cover price of either of the single volumes.

ultimategalactusandvaliantmastersstacked Continue reading →

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Molly Danger FCBD 2013 [Review]

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Walt

mollydangerfcbd2013Story and Art: Jamal Igle
Inker: Juan Castro
Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
Editor: Adam P. Knave
Published by: Action Lab Entertainment
Cover Price: $0.00

I was kinda surprised by this issue’s cover, as it seemed at first glance to suggest that Molly Danger could be a more fantasy-esque series than I’d thought, and that she might have a “sidekick” picked up in a story titled “Princeless.”

However, that’s certainly not the case! What happened here is something that I’m not used to, as I’ve stuck pretty much to mainstream stuff from the big publishers of late. That is, with these “independent” publishers, creators get a lot more freedom to work together, and so in this case, Igle‘s Molly Danger can be featured with Whitley‘s Princeless, and it works.

And that’s what this issue is: we get a Molly Danger story, my introduction to the character–and we get a separate Princeless story (that I’ll cover below).

I’ve heard of Molly Danger–I recall there was some sort of Kickstarter campaign awhile back, and I’ve seen stuff posted online. So I was curious…and here, fulfilling one of the greatest things about Free Comic Book Day, I’ve been given a chance to read a story of the character withOUT having to sink $3-$4 into it.

This story opens with a couple pilots responding to an alert, and reference to something called D.A.R.T.–apparently the group they belong to. We see that the city’s under attach by a large mech, and come to realize that D.A.R.T. seems to be a sort of analogue for Marvel‘s S.H.I.E.L.D., and they ‘support’ Molly Danger, that she’s got some sort of super abilities, but can’t (effectively) do it all herself. When the mech surprises her and knocks her over a mile away, she finds herself in a tough spot–with authorities blocking the area off, she needs to get back in–which is where those pilots come in.

There’s something a lot more fun and elegant to the story itself, that my words do not convey…as with any story: the difference between experiencing it, and being told ABOUT it.

The art has a nice quality to it–something I can’t quite put to words. But it’s good, and IS Molly Danger. I enjoyed Igle‘s work on Supergirl a few years ago from DC, and having sampled his creator-owned stuff in this: I’m inclined to seek out the series itself, and look forward to more of this character.

Continue reading →

Filed under: Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Molly Danger (Action Lab) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

TMNT New Animated Adventures FCBD 2013 [Review]

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Walt

tmntnewanimatedadventuresfcbd2013Story: Erik Burnham
Art: Dario Brizuela
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Letters: Shawn Lee
Edits: Bobby Curnow
Cover by: Dario Brizuela
Published by: IDW
Cover Price: $0.00

I’ve been “expecting” this series for quite awhile. I recall thinking it’d be one of the first TMNT things put out by IDW, and precede the new animated series. Obviously I was wrong in that expectation, but that also made me all the more curious about this issue, having watched most of the episodes so far of the tv show serving as inspiration.

I was quite gratified to find that this issue totally fits–for me, anyway–within the continuity of the show. It was like an adaptation of an episode, yet even better–because it’s an original story, with some really good art, that simply captures the spirit of the show while doing its own thing.

We open with Mikey showing off some new moves and getting teased by his brothers. Splinter steps into things, and uses the brotherly rivalry as a teaching moment–the turtles are all quite good with their chosen weapons…but what’s their skill level with an unfamiliar weapon? Ordered to maintain a temporary weapon swap, the turtles head up out of the sewers, and wind up fighting some Purple Dragons before encountering an even larger menace, and learning the wisdom Splinter set forth.

The story has these characters nailed–the personalities from the nick tv show shine through on all involved characters, and some of the quips are highly true to the show. I was especially impressed at a moment with Raphael and Donatello where Raph grabs Donnie and instructs him “Don’t you EVER try and finish that sentence”–the context and hearing the voice from the cartoon in my head nearly made me laugh out loud in a way that so rarely happens.

Visually I really enjoyed the art. Brizuela‘s name is familiar to me from work on a number of issues of Tales of the TMNT from 2004-2009. It’s very cool to see another “veteran” of Mirage TMNT doing some new TMNT work for tmntnewanimatedadventuresfcbd2013backIDW…something I hope to see more of from creators with any interest in doing so. The characters all look like their animated counterparts (though admittedly CGI to 2D); but the art’s still got a certain uniqueness about it. It’s obviously based on the cartoon, but it’s not trying to BE the cartoon. It’s also quite a lot better-looking than stills taken from the cartoon itself.

This is easily my favorite Free Comic Book Day issue this year, and I’m really looking forward to the first issue of the actual ongoing series this summer.

If you can only grab one FCBD issue this year, I’d highly recommend this to fans of the TV show or fans of Burnham or Brizuela‘s other work, and general fans of the TMNT as a whole.

Filed under: Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), IDW Publishing, TMNT New Animated Adventures (IDW) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Next Page »
%d bloggers like this: