Lori, the Comic Book Goddess, talks about Comics

My SDCC 2010 Experience

2010-07-30T20:15:00.003-05:00

San Diego Comic Con 2010

[Top picture: Cynthia Martin, Moi, Stan the Man Lee, and Trina Robbins]
[Bottom picture. Back row: Maggie Thompson, Barbara Kesel, Karen O'Brien.
Front Row: Moi, Cynthia Martin, Trina Robbins, Gillian Horvath, and Nicola Scott]

This is the second year I’ve gone to the show as a “Pro” and not as an “Exhibitor.” I've been to six other SDCC's, all as an exhibitor, working the booth for our sister company, Moonstone. The con itself is pretty well organized overall, and even though the line for Pro Badge pick-up was long, it moved fairly quickly. The con floor opens on Wednesday, Preview Night at 6 PM. We got in line to get in with the rest of the attendees, and I think we managed to actually get INTO the hall at around 6:30 or so. Mind you, the con floor is only open until 9 PM on Preview Night. So that was rather annoying, again I'm used to being an exhibitor which means you can wander in any time after 8am or something like that. I really missed that exhibitor perk! I didn't miss all the time and effort spent as an exhibitor, getting our booth and product to the con hall and set up and shipped out after the show, not to mention all the hours that must be spent at the booth, etc.

The SDCC is BEYOND capacity at this point, just too many people running around, literally RUNNING through the hall. People get jostled, bumped, and practically run over by the insane masses. I’m about 5’1” and I got bonked in the head with more back backs than I care to count. I think the main thing I learned as a result of this show is I’m not good with large crowds of obsessed fans.

If/when I go back to the SDCC, I will do what many other Pros I know, they ONLY hit the convention floor for signings, otherwise they try to take ALL of their meetings outside of the hall. There are plenty of hotel lobbies, coffee shops, and restaurants to take a meeting, without all the craziness. I did do this a few times, so it worked out fine, but the main lesson learned is do NOT go into the convention hall unless you want to take your life in your hands. I can not imagine how difficult it must be to try to navigate the con floor with a stroller or a wheelchair. Dear lord. And everything in the con hall is a line, there is a line for just about everything. It’s like going to Disneyworld, but without the certainty of satisfaction. Want a toy exclusive? Sure, get in line and wait to see IF you get it. Be prepared to blow a bunch of time doing so, and you will be set, oh and be prepared to get disappointed when you get to the front of the line and they tell you “Sold out!.”

I wasn’t standing in line for anything for myself, mostly for friends, so it wasn’t too much of a big deal because if I didn’t get said exclusive it wasn’t going to be the end of the world, it would just cause one of my friends immense disappointment. Thankfully I was able to get most everything I was trying to get for my buds. The only thing I wasn’t willing to stand in line for was for the Plastic Man figure because you had to go upstairs to get in line for a ticket so you can then come downstairs and stand in line again. No thanks.

What did I manage to do while at the con? Got to say hello to many friends and colleagues, so that was way cool. Unfortunately, there were many of my friends and colleagues that I was unable to get together with, but such is the nature of the SDCC. There are time constraints on everyone. I was especially happy that I was able to meet one of my idols in the industry, Trina Robbins. Trina has worked for Moonstone on a variety of projects; most recently she penned a story for my forth-coming prose anthology Chicks in Capes and a two issue arc of our new Honey West comic that will be shipping in a few short weeks. Trina has to be one of my favorite people in the industry. What an amazing woman. I was also especially pleased to have had a chance to sit down for breakfast with many fine ladies that have contributed to both Chicks in Capes and Honey West: Karen O’Brien (CBG columnist and my fellow editor on CIC), Maggie Thompson (CBG woman of power, who was kind enough to write the intro for the aforementioned CIC), Cynthia Martin (artist on the first two issues of our new Honey West comic), Trina Robbins (writer of many fine things, including a few Moonstone projects, as mentioned previously), Gillian Horvath (contributing writer for Chicks in Capes), Barbara Kesel (contributing writer for Chicks in Capes), and Nicola Scott (one of our cover artist for Chicks in Capes). So much fun to meet all of these lovely ladies in person! Stan the Man Lee was at the table next to us, which just added to the fun. Check out the pictures to see what I’m talking about, his head is popping out right above the top picture of Cynthia, myself, and Trina.

What else did I do while at the SDCC? I’ll tell you what I didn’t do! I didn’t stab someone in the eye with a pen, I was tempted, but that wasn’t me, I’m afraid that was some other poor sap. That whole incident sums up the con for me. Yes it really felt like I was getting stabbed in the eye pretty much hourly, and I can see how tempers could easily flare, resulting in all kinds of nastiness. Too many over-zealous fanboys and fangirls in a confined area will inevitably lead to an unpredictable frenzy. I feel bad for the poor fellow that rather unceremoniously received a painful stab in his eye. I think I’m just getting old and can’t handle the crowds anymore. Maybe all the years working behind a booth for Moonstone has made me a jaded and crabby attendee. I like being on the other side of the booth way more than trying to make my way through the throngs of people on the con floor. Back when Moonstone had a booth at the SDCC on a regular basis, I almost never made it out on the floor, unless of course the path to and from the restrooms and to and from concessions count. I would watch the masses go by the booth, quite content to help whoever happened to come up to the booth.

What else did I do at the show ? Well, of course, I’m a huge Tokidoki fan and for the first time in history I made a B-line for the Tokidoki booth first thing on Preview Night, as per my ususal, and the only thing I bought there was a Tokidoki/Capcom t-shirt for a friend, NOTHING for me, at least not there. I did manage to find some Tokidoki apparel from a few seasons back at another booth, so I dropped some cash there. I also fell in love with a t-shirt designer/artist that I was unfamiliar with until this year’s con: Arlyn Pillay from Ogreshop.com. I picked up one shirt from him, and what a nice guy! I highly recommend his lovely t’s, tanks, prints, ties, and more.

And then there was Tron, or as the Tron fans were calling it ComicTron. Tron was pretty much all over the convention hall, outside the hall and more. The new Tron movie is coming in December and Disney pulled out all the stops this year to hype the shit out of this movie. We are talking a BIG panel in the infamous Hall H at the show, featuring the producer, the director, the original creator of Tron from back in the day, the old stars and the new stars. They were kind enough to show a new preview for the film in 3D, so that was cool. I’m not a huge Tron fan myself, just a casual fan, but even I enjoyed the panel discussion and film excerpts. Then there was Flynn’s Arcade. The Disney folks reproduced the arcade from the original film and the forthcoming sequel. You could actually go in and check it out, all the retro games were available on free play starting on Friday. Behind the arcade they had Flynn’s old workshop set up, with all the props you remember, and then behind that was the Tron dance club. I shit you not. It was pretty damn cool. Go tooling around on Youtube and I’m sure there are folks out there that videoed the whole thing. Crazy nuts. They also had many of the cool new Tron-related merchandise that will be coming out later this year showcased under lights. My favorite Tron-related merch coming out? Tron light up shoes and Tron Oakley sunglasses. The sunglasses will set you back a measly $700, I’ll get two pair at that price! Tron Mania!

What else happened at the show? Scott Pilgrim of course! There was a huge Scott Pilgrim pavilion set up outside the con hall, and it was just a mob scene. They handed out bags of Scott Pilgrim swag, I did manage to snag myself one, and people were just SO excited about Scott Pilgrim. I couldn’t be happier for Oni Press, they are great little company and the success of Scott Pilgrim has really rocketed them into a very high profile position. Congrats to them and to Bryan Lee O’Malley, for a job well done! Who would have thought back when volume one came in 2004 that this series of graphic novels would DOMINATE the graphic novel best seller lists? In the swag bags they gave away a FREE Scott Pilgrim shirt, exclusive to the show, one for guys and one for girls. Very cool, definitely the best piece of swag I picked up at the show.

Interesting aside. Southern California has a huge homeless population because of the lovely weather that they have pretty much 365 days a year. I was walking around the streets of SD late at night, and here come two folks staggering down the street in the exclusive Scott Pilgrim T-shirts. Aha I thought, here are two more con attendees, but upon closer examination, it was quite evident that they were actually part of SD’s homeless population. I can only assume that when these folks saw the Scott Pilgrim swag being handed out, that they got in line to get their free t’s too! Good for them and good for the Scott Pilgrim guys. In theory you had to have a SDCC badge to get a bag of swag, but somehow these two got their own. This seems like an excellent untapped marketing idea. Why not spend a bunch of money getting t-shirts, blankets, umbrellas, hats, whatever printed up with whatever you wanted to promote at the show and hand them out to the homeless population and then you have instant advertising for the duration of the show. Costs a lot less then buying those damn banners that were hanging all over the city or draping your ad on the side of a high rise or plastering it on the side of a bus. Not only would you be advertising, you would be donating goods to a segment of the population that could really use it, instant tax right-off.

The SDCC is something every fan should experience at least once. There are down sides of course, but the spectacle of it all is something that must be seen in person to be believed. Watching coverage on G4 does not count, you have to be there, sweating with the masses of people, to really understand the level of insanity possible with this event.

Glad I was able to go, but boy am I giddy as a school girl to be back home, in my sleepy little suburb. On the plus side, my shop didn’t burn down while I was gone, so that made me a very happy girl. My lackeys at the Frankfort location did a stellar job running things until I got back. 

Comicon of Savings 2010!

2010-07-30T11:58:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't heard about Amazing Fantasy's upcoming event, I wanted to let you know all about it.

Are you sick and tired of being comic-conned out of your hard earned cash by that shifty "wizard"? No ticket prices, no parking fees, no paying for autographs of "celebrities," just 100% savings! @

Amazing Fantasy's
Comicon of Savings 2010!

Friday, August 20th, 11am-8pm
Saturday, August 21st 11am-7pm
Sunday, August 22nd 11am-5pm

Drop by one or all four A/F locations for savings that will be worth leaving the house for! Every store will have something different! The Wheel of Savings! Games of Chance! Monkey Knife Fights! (OK the Monkey Knife Fights will not be taking place, not really, but I wanted to make sure you were paying attention!)

As an extra special deal, dress as your favorite character and you will receive an additional 5% off whatever discounts we are offering that day!

You'll save so much money this weekend, you won't regret not seeing Billy Dee Williams bitch-slap James Marsters!

Frankfort 815-469-5092
Calumet City 708-891-2260
Tinley Park 708-633-0837
Lockport 815-834-1658

For those of you not paying attention, this sale will be taking place during Wizard World Chicago. We highly encourage you to skip Wizard World this year, instead be green! Shop local, save local. Save gas and save money! If you really want to go to a comic convention, start saving your pennies now for C2E2 next year: March 18-21 2011. Wizard does not deserve your hard earned cash, but your favorite LCS does!

New Thor Trailer!

2010-07-29T15:42:00.003-05:00

http://io9.com/5599251/check-out-the-full-thor-trailer-and-get-hammered

I'm sure everyone has seen this, but in case you haven't had a chance to view the full Thor movie trailer, as seen at the SDCC, go here and get giddy.

I knew this movie was going to look amazing, but it looks way better than I expected! All of the gods look great, there's tons of action, lots of great effects, and man Asgard looks exactly how I imagined it. Kenneth Branagh is the man. Only he could pull this off in a way that works. I am so excited about this!

And yes, I did atend the SDCC, full report coming soon. :)

X-Men Shindig Thursday July 8th

2010-07-06T16:56:00.003-05:00

Don't forget, comics ship a day late this week, due to the July 4th holiday. Not only will your friendly neighborhood comic shop, Amazing Fantasy of course, have all the new releases for the week on Thursday, but we will also be participating in Marvel's X-Men Day!

All day long on Thursday, July 8th, all four locations will be offering specials, please call your local A/F for details:

Calumet City: 708-891-2260
Tinley Park: 708-633-0837
Lockport: 815-834-1658
Frankfort: 815-469-5092, or just see below for info

The Frankfort Amazing Fantasy will be offering the following X-citing deals on Thursday July 8th ONLY:

Buy a copy of the first ongoing NEW X-Men #1 in 20 years, written by Victor Gischler with art by Paco Medina, and receive a FREE Limited Edition Paco Medina Exclusive Cover Print.
(Quantities limited, so arrive early to avoid disappointment).

Spin the Wheel of Savings to save BIG money on X-Men and X-Men Related Graphic novels and back issues. (Ask for details when you come in for your X-Men fix).

We will be raffling off ONE X-Men #1 Variant every hour on the hour. No purchase necessary, one entry per person, per hour. No requests, the variant I decide to give away that hour is the one that will be given away, and once you win a variant, you will not be able to win any additional variants that day. Give me lip, and I will keep the variant for myself. Seriously folks, I could take the variants and sell them on Ebay for extra cash, but instead I am giving them away for FREE. Who's your daddy when it comics to comic book-related goodies? Amazing Fantasy of course!

So come on out and let your geek flag fly high boys and girls, because we all LOVE comics. No need to deny it or hide it, tell the world you love comics and especially the X-Men on X-Men Day!

Hope to see you all there. And don't forget to wear your favorite X-Men t-shirt to be entered into extra special raffle to be announced that day!

Wonder Woman #600

2010-07-02T15:15:00.005-05:00

Yes, yes, it's been AGES since I've written anything, and I apologize. It's been a busy summer so far, but I just HAD to make time to talk about the NEW Wonder Woman costume that has been getting so much attention in the various media outlets.

The above image is the redesign that Jim Lee came up with, and boy has there been a lot of talk about it. Give it a rest folks, she HAS changed costume before. Granted this is a more radical change, less skin on display, which really isn't a bad thing if you ask me. The only thing I don't really like are the shoulder pads, what's up with that, they just scream 1980's to me. Personally, my all time favorite version of WW's costume is her very first costume as seen in her early appearances in Sensation Comics (see pic above). She had a very pretty skirt on, which looked really nice. Way more tasteful than the variations that came after, her pants/swimsuit kept getting smaller and smaller, higher and higher-cut legs, and more and more cleavage over the years, lol.

I think the costume looks better in the issue itself, no offense to the immensely talented Jim Lee, but Don Kramer and Mike Babinski outdid themselves with the art in the last half of Wonder Woman #600. These two artists together are a force to be reckoned with, beautiful, just beautiful I tell you. Now before you get your panties in a bunch over the whole costume change and the whole timeline shift in that JMS and company have brought to us, the humble readers, I want to say the first half of this double-sized issue features some great little short stories featuring everyone's favorite gal of the moment.

Sprinkled throughout the issue, there are many great WW pin-ups by a variety of artists, such as Adam Hughes, Ivan Reis, Gullem March, Greg Horn and more. Nice little touch. I would much rather see the pin-ups peppered throughout the issue rather than lumped together at the end of the issue. The issue itself begins with a nice little intro by TV's Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter. For many folks, Lynda will always be Wonder Woman. I can't go back and rewatch those episodes, they are too cheesy and painful, but when I was a young girl, I truly enjoyed them. The short stories include a nice little girl-power piece by Gail Simone and George Perez, an absolutely adorable story by Amanda Conner (which is my favorite story in the issue because it's all about Power Girl's cat, and I'm a cat person, so too cute!), a fun tale of Superman and Wonder Woman by Louise Simoson and Eduardo Pansica, and a super short mini-tale by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins. The issue wraps up with the prologue to the new Wonder Woman storyline by JMS, Don Kramer, Mike Babinski, Alex Sinclair, and Travis Lanham. 10 pages of story by the new crew, which is just enough to make people outraged or intrigued to pick up the first issue of their new arc next month, Wonder Woman #601.

What do I think of the timeline shift? Well, it's hard to say in only a 10 page tease, BUT it could be interesting. I'm going to give JMS the benefit of the doubt, FOR NOW. Knowing the art team on the book, there is no doubt that Wonder Woman will be well worth the price for those beautiful pages alone. Honest to God, these have to be the prettiest pages I've seen from these two dynamos. How long will this timeline shift be going on? I have no idea. Will it somehow be Incorporated into current continuity? Again, I have no idea. I will be back month after month to see how it all plays out. Will I be pissed off with JMS by the end of his run? God only knows. I hope not, but I haven't ruled it out just yet.

As far as the other costume changes go, besides the Totally 80's shoulder pads, it's not all that bad. I like the new tiara, the new choker, the new jacket, and the new bustier. I think her new gauntlets/bracelets LOOK cool, but does she really leave a "W" when she punches something or someone? (This is according to JMS). What is she, the Phantom for God's sake? And her pants I don't mind, I don't LOVE them, like I loved her old skirt, but from a practicality perspective it makes sense. I mean come on, who would fight crime in a bathing suit? What woman on Earth would elect to do so of their own free will? NO ONE I tell you, no one. Hell, I won't even wear a bathing suit in public and I know many other women who share that very same opinion with me. No woman WANTS to be seen in a bathing suit, talk about feeling vulnerable. When you are attempting any type of physical feat, you want, hell NEED to be comfortable. Why was she in a swimsuit for SO long? Sure, I got used to her completely ridiculous costume, but I think it's time for a change. And of course I'm betting we will see her back in her original costume before too long anyway. Anyone else remember the failed attempt to change Superman's costume back in the 90's? Did not last very long at all if I'm not mistaken. So everyone just needs to calm down. Let's not forget that her snazzy new costume is much easier on the eyes if DC manages to make a live-action Wonder Woman movie, because I think everyone knows that her old costume would look absolutely ridiculous on the big screen. Lynda Carter looked fine as WW in the old costume, but times have changed and there is no way any movie go-er today would take a WW movie seriously if there weren't some changes made to her costume.

All of this excitement around Wonder Woman gives me hope that the numbers will pick up for her monthly title. All I can say is, it's about damn time things are shaken up to get people buzzing. Without the buzz, people are less likely to shell out a few extra bucks a month for the continuing tales of, imo, the most important and oldest female icon in print today.

The First Thor Promo Pic!

2010-04-30T12:20:00.004-05:00

Holy Shit! First the Destroyer picture was leaked yesterday and now they release this OFFICIAL Thor promo picture. WOW! I had NO idea that Chris Hemsworth was going to look so damn good as every one's favorite Norse God! Hemsworth's big claim to fame before this role was in last summer's blockbuster Star Trek relaunch as Kirk's father, George Kirk. I guess I just have a thing for Norsemen/Vikings, because I also have a soft spot for the character of Eric Northman, the very tall blond vampire in True Blood who just so happens to have been a Viking when he became a vampire. Vikings/Norseman RULE! There definitely seems to be some kind of pattern for me here, not only do I lust after the all new Thor and Eric on True Blood, but I really enjoy reading Vertigo's hot Viking series, Northlanders. Oh yeah, I guess I SHOULD mention the Destroyer too, he looks cool and all, but he can't hold a candle to Chris Hemswroth as Thor. I mean, could Thor's costume pictured here be MORE spot-on? I don't think so. It looks like Marvel is doing it again, making a movie about a Marvel character that I've never cared about, and then after seeing the movie, I DO care about said character. It happened first with Iron Man, and now it seems to be happening with Ye Olde Thor. It appears that Marvel CAN do some things right in my book, especially where the movies are concerned. And did you hear that there was a leak for the "after credits" teaser from the theatrical release of Iron Man 2? Apparently Thor's hammer makes an appearance. Again, all I can say is "Oh my frickin' god!"

C2E2 Panel Report

2010-04-30T11:18:00.003-05:00

(The above picture is from the Big Moonstone Panel, that I discuss a bit further down the page).

The first panel I was part of was the following on Saturday afternoon:

"Do We Still Need a Women-in-Comics Panel?" Panel

Saturday E353

5:30-6:30PM

C2E2 focuses on the brilliant contributions made by the best and brightest women who continue to show everyone how it's done. Join Marvel Editor Jeanine Schaefer (Girl Comics, X-Force, Wolverine), Harvey Award nominated Lora Innes (IDW's The Dreamer), Comics Buyer's Guide Editor Maggie Thompson, Moonstone Editor Lori Gentile (Chicks in Capes, Domino Lady) and Renee Witterstatetter, editor, writer, agent and co-producer of the documentary series "Creator Chronicles." Moderated by Ed (Captain Action) Catto.

The turnout wasn't half bad for this panel. It was in a HUGE room, which really surprised me. I found out later that ALL of the panel rooms were HUGE, so even things like DC Nation didn't full up an entire room. This panel was a lot of fun. I was very nervous at first, but once I got over being microphone-shy, I was quite chatty and opinionated. Surprising I know. If you've ever met me or shopped at my store you know that give me half a chance and I'll be spouting opinions on just about any comic-related topic. (Case in point, this blog.) All of my fellow panelists were very cool, I'm glad I had a chance to meet and chat with all of them. Unfortunately, Maggie Thompson was unable to attend the show so therefore she wasn't on our panel. We did have two panelists that were not in listed in the original line-up: Dark Wolverine and Black Widow writer Marjorie Liu and artist Jenny Frison. The entire line-up made for some interesting dynamics and conversations, because four of the panelists are on the young side (20-somethings if I'm not mistaken), then there was me (39 going on 40 god help me) and Renee (not 100% sure of her age, and I'm not one to guess ages, but she was editing at Marvel when I was still reading a ton of Marvel comics, so let's just assume she's a little bit older than me). I can't thank Ed Catto enough for twisting my arm to be part of this panel.

The other panel I was involved in was the BIG Moonstone panel:

New Moon Rising: Moonstone Publications

Saturday E350

7:45-8:45PM

You may have seen them recently in USA Today, but did you know that Moonstone is celebrating a second decade of publishing? Publisher Joe Gentile is joined by top writers and artists for an exciting look ahead at Moonstone's exciting summer plans - The Return of the Originals, Chicks in Capes, Captain Action, and a "honey" of a comic!

It was great to be part of this panel! Many Moonstone regulars were on hand to discuss our upcoming projects: Joe Gentile (EIC and Co-Publisher of Moonstone), Dave Ulanski (Art Director and Co-Publisher of Moonstone), myself (Moonstone editor), Mike Bullock (Moonstone editor and writer), Len Kody (Moonstone writer), Jeff Limke (Moonstone writer), Aaron Shaps (Moonstone writer) and J Anthony Kosar (Moonstone artist) and Ed Catto (Captain Action). We showcased covers from many of our upcoming projects including: Phantom Detective, Black Bat, the NEW ongoing Buckaroo Banzai, the NEW ongoing Captain Action, the New Lost Tales of Sherlock Holmes, the New Honey West comic, Air Fighters, and many more! A nice lively discussion of all of these upcoming projects followed. This panel wasn't as well attended as it could have been, again we were in a HUGE room,this time with stadium seating, but at the very same time the BIG Neil Gaiman fund-raiser/appearance was going on next door, but we had a nice size crowd that seemed very interested and excited about all of our upcoming projects. Our thanks to everyone that stuck around after the show for this panel.

Moonstone also participated in two other panels that I was not part of, but thankfully there are online reports about both of those panels:

The Pulp Panel
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/04/gorillas-riding-dinosaurs-the-return-of-pulp/

The Outgrowing Your Toys Panel
http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/30606031

Many many thanks again to Ed Catto (of the now famous Captain Action Enterprises) for making all of these panels possible!

FCBD 2010

2010-04-29T18:20:00.004-05:00

Hang on to your capes true believers! Free Comic Book Day is almost upon us. Egad, where does the time go? It feels like just yesterday that Skottie Young and Chris Mitten where on hand to help us celebrate Free Comic Book Day, but that was a whole year ago! What is happening this year? Let me tell you all about it!

This Saturday, May 1st
at ALL four Amazing Fantasy locations
(Frankfort, Lockport, Tinley Park, and Calumet City)
from 11am-7pm
Come get your FREE comics!

Tons of to titles to choose from, all yours for FREE, no purchase necessary!
{Please Note: Some limits apply, and limited quantities available, so arrive early to avoid disappointment}

Special bonus at the Frankfort store only, in store appearances from 11am-2pm:

Andrew Pepoy
Andrew is the Eisner-winning, Hugo Award nominated artist from Fables, Jack of Fables, and the Simpsons, just to name a few. His work is also featured int he FCBD 2010 Bongo Comics Free for All! He'll be on hand to sign and sketch for his fans!
(Time permitting)

Bill Reinhold
Bill is a long time comic artist, inking many of the major characters for both Marvel and DC, including Earth X, Punisher, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Hulk, Batman, Green Arrow and most recently, Wolverine Origins. His work is featured in the FCBD 2010 Doctor Solar/ Magnus: Robot Fighter flip comic. He'll be on hand to sign and sketch
for his fans as well!
(Time permitting)

And in honor of FCBD, there will be Sales and Specials all day long
at all four stores!

Hope you can make it. FCBD at Amazing Fantasy is an event not to be missed!

C2E2 Very Late Thoughts and Impressions Part 1

2010-04-29T16:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, yes, I know I am WAY behind the times here. I'm just getting around to blogging about C2E2 NOW. Things have been busy around here, and I apologize.

So let's see. The con IN Chicago, the very thing many industry folks have been crying for for years, literally. FYI: I was there as an exhibitor for our sister publishing company, Moonstone.

Let me give you a few general impressions I had leading up to the show. As a retailer, Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics, all four of our locations, pre-sold tickets for the show. We did VERY well. We sold MORE C2E2 tickets than we have for Wizard in the past few years. That alone was impressive. Something I really appreciated, again as a retailer, was how easy it was to get in contact with the show people, Reed Exhibitions. I would make a phone call, and either A) get my guy on the phone the first time around or B) leave a message and my guy would call me back in a timely fashion. This is the way people organizing a show should be, you know professional. Made me very happy. You know what else was cool? Reed sent out a very snazzy digital count-down clock for each of our locations. Very eye-catching. And it really did the trick, people would come into the shop and ask "What is that clock counting down TO?" And then we would proceed to give them the scoop on the all new C2E2 convention coming to town. Did I mention that Reed did not charge anyone for these cool promotional items, and that these clocks are RE-USEABLE? I'm using it right now to count down to Free Comic Book Day at the Frankfort store.

Upon walking into the convention hall, the thing that struck me first and foremost was the NATURAL light coming in through the windows, and did I mention the beautiful Chicago skyline visible from the con floor? Wow. Amazing. The ceilings were way high and maybe that was why the second thing that I noticed right away jumped out at me: NO con smell. Not even on day three. How is this possible? Maybe it was the high ceilings? Maybe it was the con organizer's not so subtle hints that all attendees should take a shower before attending the show? Honest to God, I think it was mentioned on C2E2's official website for "how to get ready for the show" or something to that effect. And I saw it in the official program book also. I can honestly say that was the first time I've seen a convention organizer come right out and say what everyone has been thinking for years. To be fair I think they also mentioned "eat breakfast, and get a good night's sleep before the show" in the list of things to do before the big con. Cute. Made me giggle too.

The hall itself was very spacious with SUPER WIDE aisles. Again, weird. I'm so used to tripping over people with strollers. And at every show I go to, I feel just awful for people in wheel-chairs, they get shoved and pushed, etc. Not so at this show, the aisles were wide enough for multiple wheelchairs and strollers to be able to pass each other without a problem! Will the aisles always be as wide as this year's show? Hard to say. Over time, in theory, the show will grow every year, so eventually those aisles will eventually become the more condensed versions we are all used to, but until then I'm going to enjoy the space. Because of the wide aisles, this was the first year at a con that I can recall, that we didn't have at least one of those moments that someone decides that our booth is a good place to set all their shit down to stuff something or other in their backpack or rearrange their bags of purchases etc. Do you know what I'm talking about? If you've ever been a vendor at a show, you know what I mean. Some people are oblivious to the world around them. At an average comic convention, any flat space, with or without product on that space mind you, becomes a "table" or "counter" for the average attendee to use as they see fit. Check off two great NON-problems at this show.

Reed reported attendance to be about 27,500. Not too shabby considering that the New York Comicon's first show was under 20,000 I believe. Wizard Chicago normally pulls about 40,000. I've seen some reports of Wizard Chicago attendance to be as high at 70,000, but I'm in disagreement on those estimates. I've been to San Diego with attendance over 100,000, and Wizard Chicago has never felt even close to that, but I digress. This attendance number is very respectable, and will only grow in the years to come. Any bets on what next year's C2E2 #'s will be? I'm thinking about 50K.

Signing and directions to C2E2. I have to admit, my experiences at McCormick Place prior to this show were scanty at best. I think I've only attended one show there in recent memory and that was the National Library Association show that I went to last year. So, granted, I had no idea where the hell I was going, and it showed. I ended driving into the wrong garage one day, and boy was that fun trying to get to the right one. Dear god, I won't make that mistake again, I think it took me ten whole minutes to navigate between the two. Ok, once I managed to get INTO the correct parking garage, where to go? They really need some signs in the parking garage with arrows "C2E2 this way" or something. Thankfully, on day one I ran into someone who told me that there was a Kitchen and Bath show happening in the other part of McCormick Place, so I was able to walk in the right direction at least. Even after getting to the right area, the space is so huge it was hard to know exactly where we were suppose to go. I figured it out eventually, I just felt like a complete moron until I did so.

As a valued member of the Moonstone Team, I participated in TWO panels this year. Lots of fun! I will post about those tomorrow, time permitting.

I hope everyone who had a chance to attend C2E2 enjoyed the show and plan to attend next year!

More Moonstone Panels at C2E2!

2010-04-02T14:24:00.003-05:00

Just found out we are involved in two more C2E2 panels!

Outgrowing Your Toys
Friday 2:45-3:45pm
Room: E352

We all have a favorite toy. What's yours? From GI Joe to Stretch Armstrong, to Transformers, pop culture has enthusiastically embraced toy nostalgia. Join self-styled retropreneur Ed Catto (Captain Action), Zeroids writer Aaron Shaps, and a panel of toy enthusiasts to explore the 2010 version of the truism "everything old is new!"

Pulp Fiction
Saturday 4:00-5:00pm
Room: E350

The pulps is where it all started - the first glorious synergy of lurid pictures and purple prose! How has this unique art form survived and why is it thriving now? Join creators behind DC's First Wave and Moonstone's Return of the Originals pulp line and more for a look backwards and a glimpse of what's to come. Featuring writer Brian Azzarello, writer Joe Gentile, writer Mike Bullock, and pulp expert Jim Alexander for this in depth look at the pulp genre!

This con is just looking better and better every day! Hope to see some of you at least one of these great Moonstone-related panels. You now have FOUR to choose from. (Check my earlier post for info on the other two panels we are involved in!)

Avengers Day, May 19th!

2010-03-31T15:08:00.003-05:00

Avenger's Day is Wednesday, May 19th at all four Amazing Fantasy locations: Frankfort, Lockport, Tinely Park, and Calumet City.

What is Avenger's Day? Excellent question! This is a nationwide event held at all comic stores that choose to participate, so of course we want to be part of the festivities! This event is in honor of the relaunch of all the Avengers titles.

We are still working out all the details, but I wanted to give everyone enough notice so you can mark it on your calendars NOW.

The officially sanctioned AVENGERS DAY PARTY is sure to be the must attend event of May (wait that's Free Comic Book Day), um I mean, the must attend event of Summer (wait that's our annual Sidewalk Sale coming up in June), er....it's the MUST attend event of Late May, yeah that's it! Be sure to stop by your local A/F for Avengers fun.

There will be a raffle at each location for the special Avengers Party Exclusive Avengers #1 Romita Jr. Gatefold Variant.

You can purchase your copy of Avengers #1 that day of course, along with one of the Avengers #1 I Am an Avenger Blank Variant if you so choose. Blank Variants are pretty cool, especially if you enjoy going to comic conventions. You can bring one of the Blank Variants to any artist at a con for him/her to customize for you. Of course said artist will most likely charge you for the sketch, but it's almost always worth the money. Limited copies of the Blank Variant will be available that day, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Special Limited Edition Avengers #1 Romita Jr. Prints will be available on a first come basis.
I believe they will be FREE with your purchase of Avengers #1. (These are strictly limited so again, arrive early to avoid disappointment). Details are still being finalized on this item.

There will most likely be some kind of Marvel or Avengers related sale/promotion too. Details to follow in the next few weeks.

I'll keep everyone posted on how this Marvelous Avengers Event shapes up. Again, more details as they become available.

There might even be a cake to celebrate Avengers Day, anything is possible!

Siege #3 Deadpool Variant

2010-03-31T14:22:00.003-05:00

Hey kids!

Look, it's the Siege #3 Deadpool Variant! One copy of this very very rare variant is up for raffle at the Frankfort store. This baby is going for around $220.00 on Ebay, because there were LESS THAN 500 copies made of this variant. Raffle tickets are $1.00 each, and there is no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase!

Drawing will be held on Avengers Day, May 19th. Winner need not be present.

Just Becuase I LOVE Domo!

2010-03-30T14:43:00.006-05:00

I LOVE DOMO! Who doesn't I mean come on, what could possibly be cuter that a little 2" Domo Qee?
Pictured here is a selection of cool Domos coming in tomorrow at the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy. The pink flocked Domo totally rocks. I think I might have to pick that up, to go with my pink plush Domo. Yes, they made a plush Pink Domo for Valentine's Day that was near impossible to find! Those bastards! Well, I'm going to pick up the mini pink flocked Domo tomorrow, along with the Skeleton Domo because...just because! Interested in any of these super kewl 2" Domos? Stop by the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy to get yours. The other Amazing Fantasy locations may be getting a selection of these too, you will have to check with your local A/F for availability.

DOMO=HAPPINESS

Now, all I need is a Hello Kitty/Domo collection and life would be complete. I know, I know, Domo kills kittens (according to the Internet), but I'm sure they could come up with SOME kind of cool collaboration. Tokidoki and Marvel did it, and the result was nothing less than brilliant! Also, I can't forget the incredibly awesome, too cute for words, Tokidoki Hello Kitty collaboration. Maybe Domo could hang out with Tokidoki, I mean WHY NOT?

Two C2E2 Panels You NEED to attend!

2010-03-29T16:21:00.002-05:00

The panel line-up for C2E2 looks great! The two most exciting panels imo are highlighted here.

I will be on my very first panel, in an official capacity at C2E2! I'm both excited and a little bit nervous. If you are going to be at C2E2, and have nothing going on on Saturday from 5:30-6:30pm join me and these other fine ladies at the MUST ATTEND panel of the con:

"Do We Still Need a Women-in-Comics Panel?" Panel

Saturday E353

5:30-6:30PM

But wait, there's more! Moonstone has had panels at various conventions over the last several years, but since this is the first C2E2 convention held in our very own home town, we couldn't disappoint our fans. Drop by to hear Joe's presentation on all the cool new projects happening at Moonstone:

New Moon Rising: Moonstone Publications

Saturday E350

7:45-8:45PM

Humanoids Returns! (Fourth times the charm!)

2010-03-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

Everyone on the various comics news sites this week has been discussing Humanoids Inc. returning to the states. What do I think of this?

Fourth time's the charm I guess. I love me some Humanoids books, they are well written beautiful books. But every single time, as a retailer, I give it my all. I faithfully order everything they offer, individual comics and graphic novels, so all of my customers can check them out and hopefully purchase some. Alas, I have been rather unsuccessful in this endeavor. It seems almost impossible to get any new fans for Humanoids books. I've tried, every single time. I recommend them to various customers, make displays focusing on them, etc. I think I can count on two hands the number of Humanoids fans that shop at my store.

The first time I tried this, was several years ago when Humanoids Inc. first made it to the states with many gorgeous hardcover graphic novels for the american comic buying public to drool over, and drool they did. There was no denying the beauty of these books, some of the biggest names in european comics touched the Humanoids books, names like Moebius, Jodorowsky, along with a few key big American names like John Cassaday and Geoff Johns. Even these names were not enough to draw new fans in.

A few years later, DC decided to make an imprint for the Humanoids graphic novels, figuring surely they could make a success out of this, what with mega-corporationWarner Brothers behind them, it would of course be a hit! Wrong, so very wrong. In fact it took years for DC to blow out the remaining stock of the Humanoids graphic novels they had published at ridiculously low prices. Personally, I think the paperbaack DC versions of the very same hardcover Humanoids graphic novels that had come out a few years before, were quite inferior. They were smaller, paperback, shittier paper quality, and yet they charged almost the same price. Of course that didn't work.

Then most recently, Devil's Due deciced to bring a few key Humanoids books to these shores ONE MORE TIME, just for shits and giggles. Surprise, suprise, they flopped horribly.

So now, Humanoids themselves are going to be publishing there amazing graphic novels for american audiences one more time! I predict that they too will cease publication within one year. Why? Because Humanoids graphic novels have proven time and again to be relatively inaccessable to the american public. It's a crying shame, it makes me ashamed to call myself an american comic book fan. I love everything that has made it to these shores from Humanoids, but there is only a small following in the states that agrees with me.

I wish Humanoids Inc. much luck, and I hope to god I'm wrong and that the fourth time is indeed the charm for them! I hope this time around, all of their books sell large numbers and the american public embraces them with open arms and wallets. A girl can dare to dream can't she?

Easter Sale Tomorrow!

2010-03-26T13:10:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, Saturday March 27th don't forget to stop by your local Amazing Fantasy!

Savings throughout the store!

Each store will be offering different specials. I can't tell you all of the details , but I can say that the Frankfort store will be offering two ways for you to save GREEN! Various categories will be on special, plus you will be able to get a coupon valid on your NEXT purchase. Every person who buys anything at the Frankfort Easter Sale will be given an Easter Egg. Inside that Egg will be a coupon. There are many different coupons, and you won't know which one you will get until you open your egg! Here is a list of the different coupons types you could draw:

Save an extra 10% off during the sale, on top off whatever offers are valid during the sale.

Save an extra $2.00 during the sale, again on top of whatever offers are valid during the sale.

Save an extra $3.00 during the sale, again on top of whatever offers are valid during the sale.

Save an extra $5.00 during the sale, again on top of whatever offers are valid during the sale.

Save an extra $10.00 during the sale, again on top of whatever offers are valid during the sale.

OR you can save money on your next visit to the shop!

Save an extra 10% off your NEXT purchase at thee shop. (Can be combined with other offers but not other coupons).

Save an extra $2.00 off your NEXT purchase. (Can be combined with other offers but not other coupons).

Save an extra $3.00 off your NEXT purchase. (Can be combined with other offers but not other coupons).

Save an extra $5.00 off your NEXT purchase. (Can be combined with other offers but not other coupons).

Save an extra $10.00 off your next purchase. (Can be combined with other offers but not other coupons).

Lots of money can be saved! So come and see me at the Frankfort store tomorrow! Or visit your local Amazing Fantasy where the friendly staff will be more than happy to help you find that perfect Easter Basket gift or that perfect Spring gift for yourself! So many great items to choose from. All four Amazing Fantasy locations stock a stellar selection of comics, graphic novels, manga, role-playing games, action figures, statues, and more! Be sure to check out each location for the unique items that that locale offers. For example: the Frankfort location has the biggest selection of board games and self-contained card games you will find in the area, and we recently received our first shipment of Tokidoki Marvel t-shirts and hats. Available in both men's and women's styles. Very unique items, sure to bring a smile to any Marvel fan's face. :D

Hope to see all of you tomorrow! Happy Spring and Happy Easter! I hope the Easter Bunny brings you everything you've been hoping for! He does most of his shopping at Amazing Fantasy, seriously.

Chris Evans as Captain America!

2010-03-26T12:57:00.003-05:00

I know I am WAY late with this post, but I have to comment on Chris Evans being announced as Captain America for the Cap movie coming in 2012.

I liked Chris Evans as Human Torch, I did. (Not that the FF films were very good, but he worked as the wise-cracking flame-head). But Cap? Nope. Not working for me. Geez, I'm really in bitch mode today, but it's true. This guy does NOT look right. He doesn't have the right build, the right look, the right presence, or anything that I want to see as Cap on the big screen.

I hear they signed him to something like 9 movies. I hope to god he manages to pull Cap off, otherwise I'll just be sitting there thru nine films cursing. I want a broad-chested all-american stand-up guy as Cap! Is Chris Evans good looking? Sure, but not the way I've always pictured Cap or the way he's been depicted in comics for the last 70 years or so.

Of course, I remember bitching big time about Hugh Jackman being cast as Wolverine. Even though Hugh is way too damn tall, and way too damn good looking for Logan, it still works. Here's hoping I will be pleasantly surprised when it comes to ol Captain A on the big screen.

I would have preferred an unknown. Don't' tell me they didn't have 20 Hollywood unknown hunks audition that would have been perfect for the role. It pisses me off when they cast the same actor as multiple super heroes. I'll always think of Chris Evans as Human Torch.

Don't even get me started about Ryan Reynolds being cast as BOTH Green Lantern and Deadpool. I'm not buying that either. Why doesn't Hollywood consult me on these casting choices?

Thankfully Marvel hasn't tried to cast Christian Bale as any Marvel character because that wouldn't work either. Christian Bale is Batman and that is that, he shouldn't even attempt to portray any other licensed character. Personally, I haven't watched the latest Terminator film, but many folks have told me that it was distracting to have Bale in that film, because it's hard to turn the Bruce Wayne/Batman association off.

Scott Pilgrim Trailer UP!

2010-03-26T12:48:00.003-05:00

Unless you've been offline for the last 24 hours, you should already know that the Scott Pilgrim trailer is up and ready for viewing! I would post a link here, but for some reason I can't seem to post any links that work. I will look into it and try to fix that soon.

So, upon viewing this exciting new trailer, the movie looks very promising! I'm very excited about this movie, it looks great. Almost perfect, with the exception of Michael Cera. I hate to say it, but I can't buy him or his extra-puffy hair as Scott Pilgrim. He's just not an action star. All of his scenes look OFF. The evil ex-boyfriends all look AWESOME, Romona looks AWESOME, Knives looks AWESOME, but Scott? Not so much.

Will I still go see it opening weekend? Hell yeah! Will I still recommend people go see this movie? Hell yeah! Will I continue to recommend the graphic novels? Of course. But Michael Cera as Scott is just not working for me. I hope I'm proven wrong once I see the whole film.

Moonstone's New Website

2010-03-17T18:29:00.005-05:00

The Moonstone gang is pretty excited. The new and improved Moonstone website is here and it looks great! It's super easy to navigate and fun to look around. I'll bet you discover at least one title that will peak your interest.

Check it out.

www.moonstonebooks.com

Ratings on Comics

2010-03-09T17:18:00.005-06:00

People off the street do not understand the ratings on comics and graphic novels, mostly because there is no uniform system in place across the market. Marvel rates some of their comics, DC rates some, and most of the other publishers don't note anything on the cover.

What are parents suppose to do? They ask me, the retailer, but to be honest it is not for me to decide what is and isn't appropriate for their children. It amazes me how concerned parents are about content of comics. Do they do the same thing when they buy their children books (i.e. novels) at Barnes and Nobles or Borders? I'm betting they don't. There is something about the comic book medium that makes parents extra careful. I find it infinitely amusing because these are the same parents that buy their kids Grand Theft Auto and other mature rated video games. Of course, I really can't make a blanket statement like this, but it does amuse me when some parents are more concerned about violence than sex. But I'm not a parent, so I guess I should be quiet. (But I really can't at least not for a few more paragraphs).

We just have to remember that violence is OK, but sex or even a suggestively sexual cover is a NO NO. Oh my, there is a girl on the cover in spandex suit, how different is that than seeing girls at the beach in bathing suits? I can understand parents wanting to be careful about what they expose their children to, but sometimes it seems like some people take it too far.

I had two parents in the shop the other day, and they looked at EVERY comic and commented on many of them, that they looked "too scary" or "too racy." I'm not sure what else we as a retail store can do. We have a children's section of comics and graphic novels in the shop, but I'm not going to police children and tell them they must NOT set foot outside of their designated area. They should be free to roam, and by all means, parents please roam around with them, but to find something to be concerned about with most everything in the store is going too far, imo. Again, I understand the need to be concerned, all good parents should be involved in their kids's choices of entertainment. I'm not sure what these parents were expecting. Perhaps a store of nothing but Archie, Disney, and Sonic comics?

The comics medium seems to come under extra scrutiny when it comes to content. I've already discussed the problems that a library had with the content of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen a few months back. Again, I understand being concerned about that book, it is very adult, along with the Vertigo line and the Max line.

What I would like to see is a ratings system adopted across the board for comics and graphic novels, including Manga. Most manga GN do have an age or rating, but they are not uniform, and if we could have the same ratings on regular comics and graphic novels that would help. Why not just use the ratings already established with the movie industry? G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. Seems to cover most everything. At least then when potential new customers walk in the store they can easily understand what comics and graphic novels are intended or at least intended to be appropriate for their children. This would leave the ball in the parent's court, where it should be. If a parent decides that their 10 and 12 year old kids could read PG-13 comics then they could do that easily, just by looking at the covers, or if for some reason they decided that their 10 and 12 year old children could only read G comics, then they could easily find those comics and graphic novels without a problem. It would be up to the parent, and that is the way it should be.

To be frank, I don't understand why there isn't a rating system in place for regular novels. There are a lot of books out there classified as "Young Adult" or "Teen" and I wonder how many parents have actually read those books to see if they find them appropriate for their OWN children. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, parents SHOULD be active in their kids' lives. They should take an interest in what they viewing, reading, playing, etc. If publishers don't spell it out easily for parents to see, then those same parents could potentially get upset with the store that sells what they deem as "inappropriate" to their children.

All I'm saying is, it would be nice to have a uniform rating system for the entire industry.
I am reminded of this periodically whenever potential new customers come in the store and they stand in the shop, rather bewildered by the sheer selection. I feel for these parents, I really do, but at the same time, it would be nice if parents didn't feel the need to Disney-fy everything in every aspect of their children's lives. Some day these children will realize that the world is not the happy shiny place they believed it to be. Wouldn't it be better to sit down with your children and explain the good and the bad in the world, so these same children can be better informed. In theory, this should help insure that these children will make better choices, not worse. Granted, not every child can understand everything going on around them, but to deny the existence of say "death" or "violence" or god forbid "sex" for these kids seems like a bad idea, but I digress.

I'm just a retailer. And no I am not a parent, so perhaps I could never understand the need to shield your child from the world. I just want the publishers to make life a little easier for retailers and consumers. Give me a uniform ratings system and I can stop these periodic rants. Am I asking for that much?

C2E2

2010-03-05T13:09:00.003-06:00

Reed has announced that there will be 175 programming events for C2E2. This includes panels and screenings. Just to put this into perspective, the San Diego Con usually has around 400 programming events. I think Wizard Chicago last year had 30 to 40 events scheduled (don't quote me here, it could have been less). Reed has not announced the line-up yet, just the total number. I imagine we will see the complete break-down in another 2 weeks or so, about a month prior to the show. Reed has also announced that they will have 200 Exhibitors and Artist Alley will be 250 strong. All impressive numbers. I suppose it's altogether possible that this show could sell out, so I can't recommend enough that you buy your tickets BEFORE the show. The sooner the better. Next time you are at your local Amazing Fantasy, pick them up. This con is looking better and better as we get closer to the show! Check their website around the middle of March to get the highly anticipated programming event guide. www.C2E2.com

Upcoming Events!

2010-03-04T15:13:00.004-06:00

_______________________

Easter is coming up quick which means:
Our annual Spring Fling Easter Sale is right around the corner!
At your favorite LCS:
Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics
Saturday, March 27th
11am-7pm
At all four locations: Frankfort, Lockport, Calumet City, and Tinley Park.

Don't miss it! This is a great opportunity to stock up on all your Easter basket gift-giving needs. So grab your bunny ears, and hop on over to your favorite A/F location for eggs-tra special savings
throughout the stores!

____________________________________________
__________________________________________

C2E2
April 16th-18th
at McCormick Place in Chicago!
www.c2e2.com

This is going to be a great show, I can feel it in my bones! The guys over at Reed Exhibitions, the guys and gals behind the super successful New York Comicon will be bringing their magic to the Windy City.

All four Amazing Fantasy locations are selling tickets NOW for this tres cool event!
One day passes are $25 each and three day passes are $50 each.

Tickets will be available at your local A/F up through the end of the convention, but don't delay, get yours before they sell out!
Yes, you can buy them on their website, but support your favorite local comic shop by making your ticket purchase at Amazing Fantasy.

Please note: children 12 and under are FREE all day long on Sunday at C2E2 and
children 5 and under are FREE on Friday and Saturday, but over 5, the kids will need a full price admission pass.

Amazing Fantasy's publishing arm, Moonstone will have a booth at C2E2. I will be there as well as Moonstone Co-Publishers Joe and Dave. We'd love to see you!
_________________________________________

_______________________________________

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
will be upon us before you know it!
Mark your calendars NOW for
Saturday May 1st!
FREE COMICS
will be available all day long at all four Amazing Fantasy locations
(Frankfort, Tinley Park, Calumet City, and Lockport)
while supplies last!

Creator Appearances at the Frankfort location on FCBD
from 11am-2pm:

Andrew Pepoy
Andrew is the Eisner-winning and Hugo-nominated artist from Fables, Jack of Fables and The Simpsons. Andrew will be on hand to sign and sketch (time permitting) for fans. Andrew's work is also featured in the FCBD 2010 Bongo Comics Free for All comic that will be available for FREE on FCBD. (Supplies limited).

Bill Reinhold
Bill is a long-time comic artist, inking many of the major characters for both Marvel and DC including Earth X, Punisher, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Hulk, Batman, Green Arrow and most recently Wolverine:Origins for Marvel. Bill will be on hand to sign and sketch (time permitting) for fans. Bill's work is also featured in the FCBD 2010 Doctor Solar/Magnus Robot Fighter flip comic from Dark Horse that will be available for FREE on FCBD. (Supplies limited).
_______________________________________

Looks like we are all going to be VERY busy in the next few weeks!

Wow, Where Did All This Cash Come From?

2010-03-02T16:01:00.004-06:00

The final reports are in from the Heritage Auction that took place over the weekend, and have been for a few days. I just got around to looking at the final numbers today, and let me say they are quite impressive, especially considering the state of the economy.

As reported everywhere as well as on this blog, we all know about Detective #27 selling at this Heritage Auction and breaking the newly minted record of One Million Dollars. But what else sold and for how much?

Well it's way too much to list ALL of it, but I picked out a bunch of big ticket items to share. If I had been in the same room with all of these great collectibles I probably would have had a heart attack. Very exciting stuff! I'm sure there are many collectors out there doing a happy dance after winning their highly sought after comics. Kudos to all that bid and won on these stellar examples of the comic book medium.

Big Golden Age Books

Adventure Comics #40 7.0 $38,837.50

All Flash #1 9.4 $33,460.00 (For some perspective they also sold this same comic in a 8.0 for $5676.25. Quite the difference between that 8.0 and 9.4.)

Batman #1 (Denver Pedigree) 9.0 $59,750.00

Brenda Starr #14 (Mile High Pedigree) $13,145.00

Captain America Comics #1 4.5 $21,150.00 (Not too shabby for a 4.5!)

Captain America Comics #3 (Rockford Pedigree) 7.0 $11,352.50

Captain America Comics #15 9.4 $17,925.00

Daredevil #1 9.0 $10,175.50

Detective #18 7.0 $14,340.00

Detective #62 9.4 $26,290.00

Flash Comics #1 4.5 $11,950.00

Four Color #1 Donald Duck 8.0 $20,315.00

Green Lantern #1 6.5 $7170.00

Marvel Comics #1 Pay Copy 9.0 (Better sit down for this one!) $227,050.00
(This is the highest price book from this auction, next to that Detective #27 that hit the million mark).

Marvel Mystery Comics #3 (Larson Pedigree) 9.0 $22,705.00

More Fun Comics #52 (Larson Pedigree) 9.2 $89,625.00

More Fun Comics #53 (Rockford Pedigree) 9.6 $47,800.00

More Fun Comics #54 (Larson Pedigree) 9.2 $38,837.50

Sensation Comics #1 9.4 $83,650.00 (I can NOT believe this book didn't go for more. Poor Wonder Woman, she doesn't get the love she deserves).

Spirit #1 9.6 $6572.50

Startling Comics #49 9.4 $14,340.00

Sub Mariner Comics #1 4.0 $3883.75

Superman #1 2.0 $19,120.00

Superman #1 (Restored) 6.0 $17,925.00 (Just for a little comparison).

Whiz Comics #2 (#1) 2.5 $9560.00

Wonder Woman #1 (Crowley Pedigree) 8.5 $53,775.00

Young Allies Comics #1 9.0 $9560.00

Other Big Books from Other Eras

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Restored) 9.2 $7767.50

Amazing Spider-Man #1 8.0 $16,730.00

Amazing Spider-Man #194 9.9 $3107.00

Cerebus #1 (Dave Sim File Copy) 9.4 $7767.50

Dell Giant Comics: Sleeping Beauty #1 9.8 $4481.25

Fantastic Four Annual #1 9.4 $3107.00

Giant Size X-Men #1 9.8 $6572.50

Giant Size X-Men #1 9.4 $1434.00 (Wow, just look at that price difference!)

Green Lantern #1 9.4 $50,787.50 (Damn impressive book and a damn impressive price!)

Incredible Hulk #1 7.5 $17,925.00

Incredible Hulk #181 9.8 $11,950.00

Journey Into Mystery #83 7.0 $6572.50

Justice League of America #1 8.5 $4780.00

Richie Rich #1 9.4 $8365.00

Tales of Suspense #39 7.5 $5676.25

Venom Lethal Protector #1 (Rare Black Cover Press Error) 10.0 $3585.00

X-Men #1 (White Mountain Pedigree) 9.0 $7170.00 (This is the SILVER AGE book people NOT the Jim Lee book!)

Zap Comix #1 9.0 $7170.00

Zap Comix #1 8.0 (Light Blue Rare Variant) $9261.25

Other Crazy Cool Stuff That Sold at This Auction

Superman #1-#12 (Golden Age) Bound Volume $31,070.00

Vampirella #1 (Magazine) 9.2 $1673.00

Superman Contest Prize Ring (Fine) $4630.63

Alberto Vargas Playboy Painting $179,250.00

Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta Original Cover Art for Thor #132 $5676.25

Snoopy Vs. Red Baron Sunday Strip Original Art 1966 $101,575.00

Wally Wood Daredevil #7 (Silver Age) Original Interior Art $35,850.00

Bernie Wrightson Original Interior Art from Creepy #63 $13,145.00

Bernie Wrightson Original Painting from Murders at the Rue Morgue $41,825.00

There you go boys and girls. This auction was incredible, and I can't wait to see what they have up for auction next time around. They never disclose who bought what, with good reason of course, but I do wonder who has this kind of disposable income for comics and related goods. I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there in the world with extra cash to burn, but seeing all of this together in one auction from one auction house is absolutely astonishing to witness. Good show Heritage Auctions!

Heritage Auctions

2010-02-25T18:06:00.004-06:00

Heritage Auctions just started their big comic auction today, and that Detective #27 is part of that collection. I'm looking at the catalog right now and it's 284 pages long. Lots of good stuff in this offering. Quite impressive, but that Detective #27 was the cream of the crop.

Other amazing stuff up for auction through Feb. 27th in Dallas Texas? Now some of these auctions might already be over, I have no idea, but here are a few books that they are offering that jumped out to me as more WOWs. Here's a sample of some of the great Golden Age books they have up for auction:

Adventure Comics #40 7.0
"This book is the scarcest of the DC keys, and one of the ten most valuable comic book issues in the hobby! CGC has certified just 11 unrestored copies of the book as of this writing. For comparison's sake 25 unrestored Action #1's have been certified."

All-Flash #1 9.4
"Sensational copy of one of Overstreet's Top One Hundred Golden Age Books. Only the Denver copy has matched this one's 9.4 grade."

Batman #1 9.0 Restored Denver Pedigree
"This is a beautiful copy of one of the most desirable comic books in the hobby! The case has been made that Batman #1 should be ranked ahead of Superman #1 in value and behind only Action #1 and Detective #27. The argument used to buttress this case are that Batman #1 has almost all original material and it's got the first appearances of both The Joker and Catwoman." This will be one to watch. Note: The only restoration of this copy is cleaning.

Marvel Comics #1 9.0 Pay Copy
"One of the most famous single comics in the hobby, this is tied with one other at the top of the CGC's census, yet equaled by none in terms of significance. "

Sensation Comics #1 9.4
"Just three copies of this historic issue have CGC certifications nicer than 8.5 and no other as high as this."

Wonder Woman #1 8.5

Amazing Spider-Man #1 8.0
"Nice copy of an issue currently ranked by Overstreet as the third most valuable Silver Age comic."

The catalog is HUGE and has so many note-worthy books that are part of this auction, I can't even touch on the whole list, it's an absolutely amazing collection of high-end books. There is literally something for everyone in this auction: tons of key Golden Age books, key Silver Age books, and more. Including: Playboy #1 7.5, Zap Comix #1 8.5, Green Lantern #1 (Silver Age) 9.4, Giant Size X-Men #1 9.8, More Fun Comics #52 9.2, Startling Comics #49 9.4, Amazing Fantasy #15 9.2 Restored, Cerebus #1 9.4 (Sim File), Incredible Hulk #181 9.8, Richie Rich #1 9.4, X-Men #1 9.0 (Silver Age), and so, so, so many more....

I wish I was independently wealthy right now. I would be bidding on that Sensation Comics #1 and that Wonder Woman #1 if I could.

Go here to view the video overview of this auction and to participate in live online bidding, or just look at all the pretty pictures, lots of great original comic art too, including great examples of Kirby and Wrightson work.
http://comics.ha.com/common/auction/catalog.php?SaleNo=7017

That Didn't Take Long...

2010-02-25T17:56:00.002-06:00

Rich over at Bleeding Cool has the scoop. A 8.0 copy of Detective #27 (first Batman) has topped the Action #1 8.0 price of just a few days ago.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/02/25/exclusive-detective-comics-27-breaks-one-million-dollars-new-most-expensive-comic-book-ever/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BleedingCool+(Bleeding+Cool+Comic+News+%26+Rumors)

I knew it was going to happen, but holy shit, really? That frickin fast? The real question is, is it the same buyer as the Action #1? If so, how much money does this guy have, and how can I get him to shop at my store? (Yes, yes, I know, if I had a stack of 8.0 key Golden Age books, he would be camping out on my doorstop I'm sure).

There is a recession, but I guess people with piles of cash still have piles of cash, just a few less piles, but still plenty of piles to make purchases like this possible.

Wow. This is just nuts. What will happen come next week? How much more money can be spent on single, slabbed, comic books? You can't even read these babies, or even think about reading these books. I can't conceive of spending this much money on something big, like a house, but one book? We have entered a whole new arena here, and something tells me it's just going to get crazier.

White Lantern Ring Announced!

2010-02-24T17:35:00.003-06:00

We all knew it was coming.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/02/dc-comics-adds-white-lantern-ring-to-brightest-day-promotion/

Yeah, my set will now be complete! Until the Drab Lantern Set is announced:
Beige, Taupe, Mauve, Brown, and Gray.

Beige=Boredom
Taupe=Apathy
Mauve=Ennui
Brown=Listlessness
Gray=Sloth

(Don't like my color assignments? Give me your own ideas for the Drab Lanterns!)

Action #1 Sells for ONE MILLION BUCKS!

2010-02-23T13:43:00.003-06:00

Everyone has reported on this major sale that occurred yesterday. The above copy of Action #1 sold for $1,000,000. Unprecedented. Unbelievable. The start of a trend I'm sure. More key issues in high grades will follow the lead, it's just a matter of time. Detective #27 will be the next to hit that mark or close to that mark, I'm thinking, along with Superman #1. This Action #1 is one of two known to exist in this grade of 8.0. Could you imagine what would happen if a 9.0 surfaced? Geez, just speculating about teh possiblity is mind-blowing.

This is both exciting and a little sad at the same time. It's now at the point, that many of the key early appearances will be priced way out of the fan's pocketbook. It's been like this for some time, especially in the Golden Age market, but given enough time we might see some more significant jumps in the Silver Age market. The Silver Age key appearances will never go for the dollar amounts of the key GA books because the GA books are older of course and less of the GA books are known to exist. Don't forget the paper drives during WWII laid claim to many of the GA books.

Quick personal story. My mom owned a copy of Sensation Comics #1 (first full Wonder Woman story in her own book, her 2nd appearance overall) and my uncle owned a copy of Action #1 way back in the day. Both of those books ended up in a paper drive. It was the patriotic thing to do, everything was being recycled that could be during WWII. This was such a common practice, I'm amazed that we have as many copies of these old GA books that we do. According to sources, there are 800 copies of Action #1 known to exist, in varying grades. Remember this is out of the original 200,000 copies that were printed.

Granted, if everyone that had owned a copy of Action #1 or Sensation Comics #1 or Detective #27 had actually saved them, they would be worth less, most likely never hitting the $1,000,000 mark. The real question is what if anything does this mean for the industry as a whole? Not a whole heck of a lot. It's nice to see comics making the news, almost on a daily basis now, but will this help or hurt in the long run? Maybe this will encourage folks to go digging through grandma or grandpas boxes of misc. ephemera a little more thoroughly. This kind of story also causes folks to start thinking that THEIR comics must ALSO be worth millions of dollars because the news says so! Not really understanding that it is only a few books that have such a high value. And to add to the confusion, Action #1 has been reprinted quite a few times, and of course, some folks will only half paid attention to the news report and then immediately jump to the conclusion that Superman #1 is worth a million. Do you have any idea how many version of Superman #1 are out there? I'm not just talking about Superman #1 from 1939, I'm talking about the sheer volume of Annual #1's, Special #1's, and the bazillion mini series featuring Superman with a number one of the cover. Crack open a copy of the current Overstreet to see what I'm talking about. There are pages of these things listed, pages.

If only my mom had saved her Sensation Comics #1, that would have been something. Would I have encouraged her to sell it or would I have encouraged her to keep it? Personally, if we had had that in the family, I would have begged her to let me read it as a kid, so I'm sure it would have only been in a 6.0 or less, but still, just to have that baby in the family would have been exciting. Any family lucky enough to have an Action #1, or other key Golden Age book in the vault, rejoice! It looks like it's going to pay off big time! My advice to those who own any of these books, get them CGC graded and send them off to Heritage Auctions. Their newest catalog is full of great books, and now after this Action #1 sale, their next batch of auctions will be even more impressive. Everyone will be trying to sell their big GA boys. Will the market be able to support all these high-ticket items hitting the market at the same time? Things are definitely going to get interesting.

New Publisher Named at DC!

2010-02-18T12:46:00.003-06:00

Jim Lee and Dan DiDio Named Co-Publishers DC Comics

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Geoff Johns to Serve as Chief Creative Officer*******************************John Rood Named EVP, Sales, Marketing and Business DevelopmentPatrick Caldon Named EVP, Finance and Administration

(February 18, 2010 – New York, NY and Burbank, CA) DC Entertainment, founded in September 2009 to unleash the power of the DC Comics library of characters across all media platforms, has named its executive management team, including new co-publishers of DC Comics and a Chief Creative Officer, as well as heads of Sales/Marketing/Business Development and Finance/Administration. Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, made the announcement today.

The new senior executive team includes Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, who have been named Co-Publishers of DC Comics, and Geoff Johns, who will serve as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. Additionally, John Rood has been named Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, and Patrick Caldon will serve as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration. Each of these executives will report directly to Nelson.

“DC Entertainment’s new executive team is a creative ‘dream team,’ with accomplishments and talent unrivaled in the business,” said Nelson. “This announcement continues and underscores DC’s legacy as the ultimate destination for creators. We’ll benefit enormously from the deep experience this team represents, while re-energizing the direction and focus of the company. I’m excited and honored to have each of them with me at the helm of DC Entertainment.”

“With this new leadership team, Diane will be able to fully and respectfully integrate DC’s brand and characters, not only as key content drivers in the film division, but across all of the businesses of Warner Bros. and Time Warner,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “I am very proud and excited about the accomplished executives who are charged with expanding this powerful library. They each have a diverse and complementary skill-set and are deeply committed to contributing to the DC Comics legacy.”

Prior to his current post, Lee served as Editorial Director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC Comics’ bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Batman: Hush” and “Superman: For Tomorrow.” He also serves as the Executive Creative Director for the upcoming DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.

Lee is an award-winning comic book illustrator/creator/publisher who started his professional career at Marvel Comics where his work on the X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single issue sales at eight million copies sold in one month. At Marvel, he also drew the Punisher and co-created many characters, the most popular being Gambit, featured in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” feature film. In 1992, he started his own production company, WildStorm Productions, and co-founded Image Comics, an independent comics company which quickly grew to become the number-three North American comics publisher. His most notable creations, “WildCats” and “Gen 13,” saw life beyond comic books as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and as a direct-to-video animated movie distributed by Disney, respectively. In 1998, he left Image Comics and sold WildStorm to DC Comics.

DiDio most recently served as Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Universe, overseeing the editorial department for the DC Universe imprint, including the ongoing adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and scores of heroes and villains. He also worked to develop new titles with the industry’s premier writers and artists. At DC Comics, DiDio has spearheaded such bestselling projects as “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Identity Crisis,” Green Lantern, Teen Titans and The Outsiders.

Before joining DC in 2002, DiDio was with Mainframe Entertainment, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, overseeing the development, distribution, marketing and promotion of all Mainframe’s television properties. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Children’s Programming for ABC, where he was also a publicity manager, having started his television career at CBS, working in a variety of positions.

Johns builds on his current role at DC from being one of today’s most prolific, popular and award-winning contemporary comic book writers with this new executive role. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written highly acclaimed stories revitalizing Green Lantern, Superman, the Flash, Teen Titans, and the Justice Society of America for DC Comics.

Johns began his comics career creating and writing “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” for DC Comics while at the same time working with film director Richard Donner. After acclaimed runs on Flash, Teen Titans and the bestselling “Infinite Crisis” mini-series, Johns co-wrote a run on Action Comics with his mentor, Donner. Johns has also written and produced for various other media, including the acclaimed “Legion” and “Absolute Justice” episodes of Warner Bros. Television’s “Smallville” and Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” and “Titan Maximum.” He also wrote the story of the DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.

Rood returns to Warner Bros. after 10 years with the Disney ABC Television Group, where he most recently was Senior Vice President of Marketing, ABC Family. While at ABC, he also consulted for ABC News during the recent transitions at “Good Morning America” and “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.”

Prior to Disney, Rood worked for six years at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, negotiating promotional deals with national advertisers using Warner Bros.’ properties, including the DC Comics characters. He has also worked in promotions for Equity Marketing on the Burger King account and in advertising for Leo Burnett on the McDonald’s and Miller Brewing accounts.

Caldon most recently served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations of DC Comics and MAD Magazine. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and his other posts at DC include Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Controller, the position in which he joined the company in 1985. Prior to joining DC Comics, Caldon spent a decade at Warner Communications in corporate accounting and as Senior Vice President and CFO of the Cosmos soccer team (owned by Warner Communications at the time).

DC Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, is charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment utilizes the expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises to prioritize the DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business is the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month as well as continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

_______________________________________

W0w! Big announcement day at DC! Some pretty interesting choices here. I think between Didio and Lee we should see some very positive changes over at DC as a whole. I wonder what this means for Wildstorm? Is it just going to be folded into DC proper or will it still be a separate imprint like it is now? Jim Lee and even Geoff Johns are both in California, as is the Wildstorm office. What will this mean? Industry folks have been speculating for a while now that part of DC would be moving to the west coast, and with those two so heavily involved now, I don't see how that is in anyway avoidable. Johns is heavily involved in Hollywood so this should bode well for the future of DC properties as films opportunities. Bringing Lee and Johns higher up the ladder is an excellent move, but what about Didio? Some folks in the industry have had mixed feelings about Didio in the past, what will happen now? Will there be much rejoicing or much bitching? I'm guessing a lot of both, we are talking about the comic book industry after all. It will be fun to witness the crazy internet chatter that is presently unfolding, and will continue do so for many days or even weeks to come.

Well good luck and congrats to all involved!

Stan the Man Announces Yet Another Project

2010-02-11T16:18:00.003-06:00

Stan The Man Lee has partnered with Archie Comics for a new project. Read all about it here on Comic Book Resources:

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/02/stan-lee-partners-with-archie-a-squared-for-super-seven/

While I love The Man, do we really need another new Stan Lee project? He hasn't had the best track record as of late, don't get me wrong, he struck comic book gold back in the day with Spidey, FF, the X-Men and more. He seems to have a hand in just about everything these days. Kudos to Lee for not retiring quietly, he's been out there making deals and making money ever since he left Marvel. No rest for the wicked. I wonder if Archie comics will be disappointed in the sales figures for this new line of comics? Or am I wrong, and they will sell crazy-well? I for one can't wait for Stan The Man to show up again in MORE comics, lol. He's quite the celebrity these days isn't he? I still laugh when I think about the last time I saw him at the SD show a couple of years back. There we were busy working at the Moonstone booth, when Stan walks by. It was incredible. There was a guy in front with a megaphone announcing "Make way for Stan the Man Lee" as he went through the hall. People would stop and clap as he walked by, and he had a whole entourage with him, just like the rest of the Hollywood-types walking through the hall on any given day. I've seen a lot of stars in the hall, such as Sarah Michelle Geller, Gene Simmons, Dominic Monaghan, and others whose names I can't remember at this moment. They all usually walk around the hall with huge groups of people/bodyguards around them. Crazy shit I tell you. I stopped what I was doing, of course, and clapped with the rest of the masses, because he IS Stan the Man Lee, how can you not?

What do you think, should Stan keep trying new things in the entertainment world, or should he just BE Stan Lee and that should be enough? I guess we can't begrudge the man from trying to make more money, he's very good at it. People WANT to believe in the magic that is Stan Lee, but will it pay off for Archie Comics?

Go go Stan! We love you, not only because you wrote many of our favorite Marvel characters back in the day, but because you are such an entertaining character in your own right. And wasn't it mentioned somewhere recently that Stan will be making a BIG announcement at some upcoming Wizard show or something? What else can the man be working on? He sure is a busy guy!

February Fantastic Four-Day-Sale!

2010-02-05T11:33:00.003-06:00

All four Amazing Fantasy Locations will be hosting a very cool sale!

February Fantastic Four-Day-Sale!

Tuesday, Feb. 16th 11am-8pm
Sunday, Feb. 21st 11am-5pm
Tuesday, Feb. 23rd 11am-5pm
Sunday, Feb. 28th 11am-5pm

Four special days to save at your local A/F!
All four stores are hosting sales, but each one will be slightly different.

The specials listed below are valid for the above dates and times ONLY!
__________________

Amazing Fantasy
20523 S. La Grange Rd.
Frankfort, IL
815-469-5092

Special Pricing on: Statues, Mini-Busts, T-shirts, and Hoodies!
Awesome Deals on Select Independent Graphic Novels!

____________________________

Amazing Fantasy
582 Torrence Ave.
Calumet City, IL
708-891-2260

Special Pricing on: Toys
Awesome Deals on Select Independent Graphic Novels!
_______________________________

Amazing Fantasy
15948 S. Harlem
Tinley Park, IL
708-633-0837

Special Pricing on: Toys and T-Shirts!
Awesome Deals on: Select RPG's!
________________________________

Amazing Fantasy
1128 S. State St.
Lockport, IL
815-834-1658

Special Pricing on: Action Figures and T-Shirts!
Awesome Deals on: Select Independent Graphic Novels!

______________________________

Some restriction apply.
Discounts and Specials can not be combined with any other discount, offer, coupon,
or punch card.

And NO this sale is NOT only on Fantastic Four related-merchandise, we just thought it would be fun to make the name of the sale comic book related, so do not get confused .
It's a FANTASTIC sale that will be happening for FOUR days, get it?

Marvel GN's for Under $10?

2010-02-04T11:21:00.014-06:00

Alright, all of you that have been reading this blog, know that I've been highlighting various GN for under $10 a pop. DC/Vertigo/Wildstorm, and Image have quite a nice selection. I didn't even list all of them, there are THAT many from both of those publishers.

This SO isn't the case with Marvel. Honest to god, I went looking around the shop today for Marvel GN for under $10 that I could recommend, and you know how many I came up with? Two, yep, thats right TWO. And one of them doesn't count because it's out of print!

________________________________

First up, Runaways digest-sized GN's, 9 volumes total, each volume is $7.99-$9.99, written by some top-notch talent: Brian K. Vaughn, Joss Whedon, and Terry Moore.

The write-up for Volume one of this acclaimed series:

Written by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
Cover & pencils by ADRIAN ALPHONA
All young people believe their parents are evil ... but what if they really are? Meet Alex, Karolina, Gert, Chase, Molly and Nico - whose lives are about to take an unexpected turn. When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teens find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy.
Collects the critically acclaimed RUNWAWAYS #1-6 in the affordable, full color 5"x8" Digest format!
144 PGS./5"x8"/ MARVEL AGE (12+) $7.99

______________________________

Mini Marvels

Volume One: Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Volume Two: Secret Invasion are both out of print. They retailed at $9.99 each. These books are loads of fun for fans of all ages. The great thing about the Chris Giarrusso strips collected in these volumes is many times the action/story is based loosely on events happening in the Marvel U at the time of publication. Very funny stuff for fans in the know, and kids enjoy these books too because the characters are so cute and silly. Highly recommended reading. I have literally sold the piss out of both of these, mostly due to Mike's passion for the Mini Marvels strips, but we weren't the only stores that did well with these, Marvel went back to press twice for Volume One. The sad thing is now you can only purchase the Ultimate Collection, and not only does it cost $19.99, it doesn't include all of the strips that were in the original Chris G. Volumes One and Two, it includes SOME of those strips, along with strips by Sean McKeever, Paul Tobin, Audry Loeb, and others. While the Ultimate Collection is nice with it's assortment of strips, I would like to have the original two volumes put back into print for the original retail of $9.99 each.

Here is the write-up for the Mini Marvels Ultimate Collection:

Written by SEAN MCKEEVER, MARC SUMERAK, PAUL TOBIN, AUDREY LOEB & CHRIS GIARRUSSO
Penciled by CHRIS GIARRUSSO
Cover by CHRIS GIARRUSSO
All-ages fun featuring the wild and crazy kid counterparts to Marvel's greatest heroes! Featuring Spidey, Wolverine, Iron Man, Hulk and more Marvel favorites - reimagined for an all-ages audience! ALL your favorite Mini Marvels adventures collected in one hilarious and action-packed collection! Be there when Spidey gets the Paperboy Blues, Wolverine goes on a Cereal Quest, Hulk goes on a date and the Fantastic Four are impersonated by Skrulls. Plus: Spidey gets in over his head when he babysits Power Pack, but he gets by with a little help from his AMAZING FRIENDS Iceman and Firestar!
216 PGS./All Ages ...$19.99

____________________________

So I literally spent the last hour wandering around the store trying to find Marvel GN's for under $9.99, ANY GN for under $9.99. The ONLY ones I could find were the original kids-friendly digest sized GN's, which includes an assortment of Marvel Adventures GN's and other all-ages fare. While many of these books are fun little reads, I would like to see Marvel publish a few key Volume Ones for $9.99. They could print them on newsprint for god's sake, who cares, but something would be better than nothing. They could focus on introductory volumes, such as Ultimate Spider-man Volume One for $9.99, or they could focus on low-selling titles that could use the boost, you know the ones I'm referring to, the critical darlings that fall short of Marvel's ideal profit plateau, such as Agents of Atlas. (You might recall I already mentioned this option in a previous post, but it bears repeating). Or how about NextWave Volume One for $9.99? I could recommend a list of great choices for Marvel to reprint for $9.99. Hell, they could reprint them in the small digest size for all I care, just make them affordable, that's all I'm asking here.

To illustrate just how much Marvel is SO not behind this idea, the three all-ages graphic novels that were released this week ranged in price from $14.99-$19.99. Not only are we talking a higher price-point we are talking about Marvel's new size format for these all-ages books. The traditional all-ages GN's, such as the Runaways and original Mini Marvels GN, were released in the digest size: 7 3/4" x 5 1/8". The new size that Marvel has been publishing is 8 3/4" x 5 3/4".

Let's look at the three all-ages GN from this week, just for fun!

Iron Man: Tales of the Golden Avenger
$14.99
This volume collects various issues of the now-defunct all-ages Marvel Adventures: Iron Man title and issues #3-#4 of Iron Man and Power Pack. Why only the last two issues of the IM/PP mini? I have no clue.

Iron Man: Armor Wars
$14.99
This volume collects the recent 4-issue Armor Wars mini-series, plus the random Iron Man #225, from the original Iron Wars saga from back in the day. Pfft, whatever.

Star Comics: All Star Collection Volume Two
$19.99
What the hell is this, one might ask, well back in the 80's Marvel had an imprint called Star that published all of their kids titles. This particular volumes collects, ok you might want to sit down for this exciting selection of titles collected in this volume: Planet Terry #3-#4, Top Dog #4-#6, Wally the Wizard #3-#4, and the long awaiting Royal Roy #3-#4. You get ALL of this for the low, low price of $19.99. WOW, what an amazing collection of crap!
In case you were wondering Volume One of Star Comics All Stars contains the earlier issues of these titles. So, if you want to catch up on any or all of these stellar kids titles of yesteryear, be sure to pick up Volume One first or you will be completely lost!
Ok, I understand Marvel wanting to reprint some of their old kids titles, I get it, but in collections for $19.99 EACH? Wow, you can find all of these issues at any given convention in quarter boxes, I gurantee it. Why didn't they collect each series in one volume for a LOWER price point? If they had published Planet Terry #1-#4 in a little digest sized book for $7.99 or less, there would be a chance, however slight, that I would be able to sell that book. Instead, if for some unknown reason you DID want to relive your childhood with your favorite Wally the Wizard comics, you would have to spend $40.00 American Dollars to read the entire run of FOUR issues. That equals out to $10.00 AN ISSUE! Did I order Volume One and Two of Star Comics All Stars for the shop? Well, yes, I like to have ALL of the releases from any major publisher in the store. We are the ultimate destination for Graphic Novels afterall, so I HAD to order it, but I still am allowed to bitch.

If anyone out there can think of anything that Mavel has published for under $10.00 that is note-worthy, feel free to comment.

NO F-ing WAY, NO NO NO!!!!

2010-02-03T14:44:00.002-06:00

Rich Johnston, over at Bleeding Cool, posted about a possible Watchmen Prequel or Sequel in the works at DC now that Levitz has stepped down as publisher. We all heard about this possibility back in the day when Watchmen (the comic) originally came out, but Moore and Gibbons were not interested. According to Johnston, this is a pet project of Mr. Dan Didio. Christ, this better not happen. Read all about it here:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/02/03/get-ready-for-watchmen-2/

Would there be creators that would actually touch this piece-of-shit idea? I mean really? Yes, would a new Watchmen series sell in huge numbers? Unforatunately yes, but this is just another example of "just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD." And yes, if we see more Watchmen comics in the future, you know that another Watchmen movie will be right around the corner. Shit....

I really don't want this to happen. Moore and Gibbons get right of first refusal, and you KNOW that neither one of them is going to touch this idea with a ten foot pole. Maybe DC can convince Gibbons to do some covers, but that is all I forsee.

I know DC would get tons of press for this project, but the backlash in the industry would be huge.

More Great Books for under $10.00!

2010-02-03T13:04:00.005-06:00

Oops, I meant to post this on Monday, but I got distracted by something shiny.

Anyone who knows me or my taste in comics, I am quite the Vertigo pimp. Always have been, always will be. I can't help it, Vertigo has consistently put out quality comics for something like 15 years now, maybe longer, I can't remember exactly. (I am getting to be an old fangirl at this point).

Vertigo (aka DC) was I believe the first publisher to offer Volume Ones of various series for $9.99, since 2006 if I'm not mistaken. Not every Volume One from the Vertigo imprint is $9.99, but there are many to choose from. I may sound like a broken record mentioning some of these, which is why I will not take up much time or space with the following: 100 Bullets Volume One, DMZ Vol 1, Exterminators Vol 1, Fables Vol 1, and Unwritten Vol 1. Just know that I do recommend all of these, but I wanted to spend some time and space on some of the lesser known Vertigo/Wildstorm $9.99 GN's.

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Air Volume One
This book is not nearly as popular as it SHOULD be, imo. I read volume 1 & 2 and was thoroughly entertained. If you are a fan of Lost or Flash Forward, you should give this book a try.

Written by G. Willow Wilson
Art and cover by M.K. Perker
Collecting the story that started it all, from AIR #1-5! Blythe knew there was no time like the present more dangerous to be an airline stewardess, but the skies might be much more dangerous than anyone imagines. She's just learned of the Etesian Front - vigilantes dedicated to take the skies back from terrorism - and they're after Zayn, a man she's just met. Whether he's an average frequent flier or a terrorist, finding out will lead Blythe to discover the weird science of hyperaxis and the mysterious artifact that will change the way we see technology forever.
From the comics imprint known for innovation, G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker introduce a new way of looking at the magic of flight.
$9.99
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Ex Machina Volume One

This is a great book, by the man behind Y, Brian K. Vaughn. So why not, try it already? I'm pretty sure this series has been picked up to be a movie (at this point, what hasn't?), but honestly I can see this book as great inspiration for a TV show.

Written by Brian K. Vaughan; Art by Tony Harris & Tom Feister; Cover by Harris

From Wizard Magazine's Top Ten writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: THE LAST MAN) and Eisner Award-winning artist Tony Harris (STARMAN) comes a collection of one of the most critically acclaimed new series of the year, featuring a gorgeous new cover by Harris! THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS collects the first five issues of this stellar ongoing political thriller, including the extra-sized origin of the super-heroic Great Machine, as well as the 4-part "State of Emergency."

Set in our modern-day world, EX MACHINA tells the story of civil engineer Mitchell Hundred, who becomes America's first living, breathing super-hero after a strange accident gives him amazing powers. Eventually Mitchell tires of risking his life merely to maintain the status quo, retires from masked crimefighting and runs for mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide. But Mayor Hundred has to worry about more than just budget problems and an antagonistic governor, especially when a mysterious hooded figure begins assassinating plow drivers during the worst snowstorm in the city's history!
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Greek Street Volume One (Note: this GN ships to LCS on March 10th!)

This book is not for everyone, but anyone that has a love of Ancient Greece should really check it out. I love me some Peter Milligan, and this book fills that role nicely. This is a pretty violent, gritty series.

MATURE READERS
Written by Peter Milligan

Art by Davide Gianfelice

Cover by KAKO
"A reminder that some stories are too true and too dangerous to ever die...crackles with Promethean fire." - Grant Morrison
Boasting a "Greek Chorus" of sexy strippers, vengeful gangsters, a murderous youth and a disturbed clairvoyant teenaged girl, GREEK STREET is Peter Milligan's reimagining of the brutal and visceral tragedies of Ancient Greece played out on the mean streets of modern-day London. This first paperback collects issues #1-5 of the provocative new series.

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House of Mystery Volume One

Looking for something, anything to replace the gaping hole that Sandman left after it ended all those years ago? This is the book you've been waiting for, it takes place within the universe that Gaiman brought to life back in the day. Want some Cain and Able? Look no further!

Written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham
Art by Luca Rossi, Ross Campbell, Sean Murphy, Zachary Baldus, Steve Rolston and Jill Thompson
Cover by Sam Weber
"This is the next Vertigo pillar to watch!" - Wizard
Welcome to the House of Mystery! Filled with peculiar, otherworldly characters from all walks of life, this series from Matthew Sturges (JACK OF FABLES) and Bill Willingham (FABLES) focuses on five people trapped in the reality-warping House of Mystery, a supernatural bar where tales are the legal tender and only the finest storytellers are patrons! But how - and why - they're stuck inside is all just a little piece of the puzzle in this first volume, which collects issues #1-5 of the all-new acclaimed series and special bonus material.
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Northlanders Volume One

Liek DMZ? Good, get Brian Wood's OTHER Vertigo genre-reaching series. Vertigo done right with a Viking twist! Collects EIGHT issues for $9.99, what an incredible deal!

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Davide Gianfelice
Cover by Massimo Carnevale

In this first volume collecting NORTHLANDERS #1-8, DMZ writer Brian Wood stabs Viking lore in the face with a fresh take on what it means to be a warrior. Meet Sven, an exiled Viking prince who must return to the desolate lands of his birth to reclaim his vast inheritance upon the death of his father. See why Entertainment Weekly calls it "a well-reserched, richly realized world that illuminates politics and culture without getting bogged down in history-book stuff."
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Unknown Soldier Volume One

Want to read a book with some edge? Check this series out, writer Dysart is pretty hard-core with his grim portrayal of the horrors of war, with the usual Vertigo twist.

Written by Joshua Dysart
Art by Alberto Ponticelli
Cover by Igor Kordey

"UNKNOWN SOLDIER could be a new Vertigo classic." - The Onion
"A story with teeth, unafraid to confront some horrific truths about the world we live in, Joshua Dysart's UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a comic that genuinely matters." - Garth Ennis

"This is an immensely brave, intelligent and ruthless piece of work. You need to read it." - Warren Ellis

Welcome to Northern Uganda. In 2002, it's a place where tourists are hacked to death with machetes, 12-year-olds with AK-47s wage war, and celebrities futilely try to get people to care. Moses Lwanga is a pacifist doctor caught at the center of this. But when his life is threatened, Moses suddenly realizes he knows how to kill all too well. What is this voice telling him the only way to fix what's wrong with the country is by slaughtering those responsible? And what is Moses' connection to past bandage-wrapped warrior?

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Next time you are fixin for something new to read, try any of these great Vertigo Volume Ones. Something here is bound to please. And as usual, all four Amazing Fantasy locations carry all of these books, along with every other Vertigo/Wildstorm/DC graphic novel you could possibly want.

Man it would be SO cool if I could add some Marvel books to the list of "Great Reads for under Ten Bucks!" There are some great digest-sized Marvel graphic novels I can discuss. I will highlight those for next time, but what I really want to see is Marvel jumping on the $10 band wagon, NOW please. Come on, if Agents of Atlas Volume One was $10, instead of the $20 for volume one, or $25 for the mini-series collected, I could convince a bunch of people to give it a shot. All I'm saying is Marvel certainly hasn't done everything possible to gather interest in the lesser known titles. Come on Marvel, take a cue from your friends at DC and Image and do this already!

Great Reads for Less than $10.00!

2010-01-29T16:33:00.007-06:00

You've all heard me hype the Vertigo and Image $9.99 Volume One Graphic Novels before, but I thought is was about time to start highlighting many of the great graphic novels that have been published by DC/Wildstorm/Vertigo and Image GN's that are $10.00 or less EACH, all the little undiscovered gems just waiting to be read and enjoyed that I haven't droned on and on about! In this troubled economy, who couldn't use a little comic book goodness for about what it costs to go see a movie at the local theatre?

Everyone who is everyone knows that Walking Dead Volume One, Chew Volume One, and Proof Volume One make the under $10 list, but did you know that these other cool Image graphic novels are also under $10 bucks a piece? I bet you didn't.

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40 OZ Collected, Puttin the Backbone Back, and Stupid Comics
all three by Jim Mahfood, published by Image and each stellar collection is under $10 bucks!

40 OZ, THE CONCEPT:
40oz Comics, for the first time in one handsome collection! Hot indy artist Jim Mahfood (Clerks, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Grrl Scouts: Work Sucks) brings you this collection of his underground 40oz mini-comics. Previously, these four volumes have only been available at comic book shows and thru Jim's website, so lots of people have missed out on this stuff!

Stupid Comics, THE CONCEPT:
Fan-favorite JIM MAHFOOD (CLERKS, GRRL SCOUTS) offers a hilarious and satirical collection of his infamous Stupid Comics strips. Pulled from the weekly Phoenix New Times newspaper, these comics are universal in theme, lampooning government, war, pop culture, the entertainment industry, relationships, sex and technology. A must-have for comedy fans, political junkies, and anyone else slightly concerned with the world we live in.
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City of Silence
by Warren Ellis and Gary Erskine, published by Image, less than $10 bucks!

City of Silence, THE CONCEPT: The future is bad for you. In a place where everyone has the technology to create brand-new, weird sciences ten times a day, there are policemen who will hunt you down for having a bad idea. They are the Silencers. And the investigation of a dead kid with a silicon pentagram on his neck opens up a whole box of bad ideas upon a city that only survives through silence...

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Fire: Definitive Collection
with words and pictures by the indomitable Brian Michael Bendis, published by Image, less than $10 bucks!

YOUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT YOU TO READ THIS BOOK! Loosely based on events in the American intelligence community during the Reagan administration, FIRE tells the unique and powerful story of a young man's virgin journey through the complex world of international intelligence. This is a complete globe spanning thriller for fans of "Bond," pulp spy novels, and true world crime stories. This definitive presentation of Eisner Award-winner Brian Michael Bendis' first cinematic noir comic features re-mastered art, lettering, and a newly revised script. The design and format will match the Bendis line of definitive collections (Powers, Jinx, Torso, Goldfish)

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American Jesus Volume One, Chosen
words by Mark Millar, pictures by Peter Gross, published by Image for less than $10 bucks!

From the writer of WAR HEROES, KICK ASS and the Universal hit, WANTED! It's the next MARK MILLAR graphic novel set to become a feature film! AMERICAN JESUS, VOL. 1: CHOSEN follows a twelve-year-old boy who suddenly discovers he's the returned Jesus Christ. He can turn water into wine, make the crippled walk and perhaps even raise the dead. How will he deal with the destiny to lead the world in a conflict thousands of years in the making?

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Dynamo 5 Volume One
words by Jay Faerber, pictures by Asrar and Riley, published by Image for less than $10 bucks!

He was the world's greatest hero, but Captain Dynamo was not a faithful husband. Now he's dead and his family is trying to piece their lives together. As his enemies descend on his unprotected city, Captain Dynamo's widow rounds up his five illegitimate children, each of whom have inherited one of their father's super-powers. Can these total strangers come to terms with their powers, their father's legacy and each other as total chaos erupts?

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Elephantmen War Toys Volume One No Surrender
words by Richard Starkings, pictures by Moritat, published by Image for less than $10 bucks!

The story of the war to end all wars now in one volume! The prequel to Image's hit series, ELEPHANTMEN finds Africa and China at war. The battlefield: Europe, recently devastated by a lethal virus. Enter: MAPPO's soldiers, The Elephantmen. Even in the face of blistering resistance, it seems that nothing can stop MAPPO's advance across France to the North. But as Hip Flask comes face to face with the last vestiges of humanity in the frozen Scandinavian wastes, he discovers that only the dead see the end of warfare.

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Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai
words by Jeff Amano, pictures by Rousseau and Faycher, and yes you guessed it, less than $10 bucks, published by Image.

The Free Comic Book Day sensation of 2005 is now in one complete graphic novel!

Masterless after his Lord falls prey to treachery, samurai Oishi of the 47 Ronin leads his faithful few to vengeance. The time has come to defend their honor and raise their swords one final time.

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Suburban Glamour Volume One
story and art by Jaimie Mckalvie, published by Image for less than $10 bucks baby!

Life's tough when you're a teenager-homework, boy trouble and meddling parents. So when Astrid Johnson has to deal with imaginary friends turned real, monster attacks and faerie magic as well-that's just not fair, is it? Collecting the critically acclaimed mini-series from the co-creator of PHONOGRAM.

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All of these fine graphic novels can be found at all four Chicagoland Amazing Fantasy locations. If you don't see what you are looking for, don't be afraid to ask for help. And if for some reason we are out of the book you are looking for, we will gladly order it for you!

Check my blog on monday for more great reads for under $10.00, when the focus will be DC/Wildstorm/Vertigo.

I love graphic novels under $10.00! Marvel, are you out there, are you listening? We want $10 trades! We want $10 trades! Everyone join me! Let's start an email campaign right now!

It's Called an iPad!

2010-01-27T13:58:00.005-06:00

Big news day today. Not only do we have big announcements from Marvel and DC, but Apple finally unveils their fancy-dancy iPad. Read about it here or just about anywhere else because every other news source has their own take on it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_apple

Here is the price break-down:

16GB 32GB 64GB

WiFi $499 $599 $699

WiFi+3G $629 $729 $829

Seems a little nutty, but the price will come down over time I'm sure. Is this tech really the be all end all that everyone in the industry has been lusting over since the first hints of it surfaced a few years back? I have no idea. I'm sure it's a lot of fun to use and looks very pretty, but it's still pretty damn expensive and you have the option to buy into the dataplan with AT&T. Great, just what everyone needs, another monthly bill to add to the monthly cell phone and monthly Internet charges, no matter if you have crappy DSL or groovy cable there is still a bill. So now we are talking THREE ways for money to fly out of your wallet for services only. I hate paying a monthly service fee for an intangible something-or-other. Now, don't get me wrong, if Apple decided for, whatever reason, to give me a FREE iPad with FREE Internet services for a year, I'm sure I would take advantage, I would enjoy the shit out of the iPad, but for now, I will sit back, relax, count my pennies and wait for the barrage of online articles about the iPad and how awesome it is. The media coverage alone will be entertaining I'm sure. For god's sake there has been a countdown on many comic book related news sites. Will comic art look good on this fancy color touch-screen? Hell yes, I'm sure it will, BUT it is worth the price of admission? I'm sure there are many folks out there that can purchase an iPad and call it an "office expense" for business purposes, especially if their job requires a lot of traveling. I'm absolutely certain those kind of people will find all kinds of use for the iPad, but don't those same folks already have cool high-end laptops? I know the touch screen and the thinness of the pad are alluring, but is it enough to warrant another tech purchase, or is just something for techheads to get excited about?

Late breaking news:
Also check out this link at Newsarma, with more info:

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Apple-iPad-Announcement.html

Marvel Announces "Heroic Age"

2010-01-27T12:01:00.005-06:00

http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.10914.marvel~colon~_the_heroic_age

Check out the above link for info from Marvel about The NEW HEROIC AGE!!!

So, in theory Marvel is "getting back to the basics," whatever that means. I guess, in theory, we will see the end of big sweeping cross-over, universe-breaking EVENTS, and that can't happen soon enough imo.

Quesada says that this is NOT due to the Mouse in the House. I will believe him, this time, because both companies have been talking about getting back to a classic heroic age this year.

Could prove to be interesting.

DC Announces MORE Promo Rings!

2010-01-27T11:38:00.004-06:00

The following information was sent to retailers from DC Comics:

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DC COMICS OFFERS PROMOTIONAL RINGS WITH THE FLASH #1 AND GREEN LANTERN #53

With THE FLASH #1 and GREEN LANTERN #53 soliciting in the February Previews as BRIGHTEST DAY tie-in issues, DC Comics offers promotional FLASH and GREEN LANTERN RINGS to qualifying retailers.

"This is a thank-you to our retailers and readers for their enthusiasm and support throughout BLACKEST NIGHT and the previous ring promotions," says Bob Wayne, DC's VP - Sales.

With a minimum combined purchase of 10 copies of THE FLASH #1 retailers may order FLASH PROMOTIONAL RINGS, ring orders may not exceed the combined number of copies of THE FLASH #1 . THE FLASH #1 and the FLASH PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on April 14.

With a minimum combined purchase of 10 copies of GREEN LANTERN #53 retailers may order GREEN LANTERN PROMOTIONAL RINGS, ring orders may not exceed the combined number of copies of GREEN LANTERN #53. GREEN LANTERN #53 and the GREEN LANTERN PROMOTIONAL RINGS are scheduled to arrive in stores on April 21.

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The rings are pictured above. What does this mean for consumers you might ask? Easy, if you want either one of the rings, you must purchase the comic associated with the ring. There will be NO extras, unlike last time around for DC Promo Rings.

Some are speculating that this is DC's answer to Marvel's Deadpool Variant Stunt. If that is the case I say Well Played DC! This is a nice MATURE way to respond, something that Marvel can't seem to grasp. Of course, I'm biased because I'm a DC fangirl at heart. DC has lowered the quantity for retailers to qualify for the promo rings, unlike the last ring promotion that had some retailers complaining that the minimums were TOO high. I wasn't one of those retailers because, well we sell enough DC books that it wasn't a big deal, but I can understand if you were a small store that couldn't hit those minimums, I would definitely be bitching big time.

Something that seems a little unknown at this point, are the rings NEW versions of these rings? I have a call into my rep at DC, and as soon as he gets back to me about that I will post the answer here. If the above pictures are to be believed, it looks like the Flash Promo Ring IS slightly different. (DC gave away Flash rings not last year, but the year before, at various cons). The Green Lantern ring looks EXACTLY like the ring they gave away with Blackest Night #5. I certainly hope the Green Lantern ring is different, because what would be the point if it's the same?

I'll keep everyone posted as I hear more...

Must Read of the Week! Joe the Barbarian #1

2010-01-21T12:17:00.004-06:00

From the original DC Solicitation:

JOE THE BARBARIAN #!

Written by Grant Morrison

Art by Sean Murphy

Cover by Sean Murphy

Having an overactive imagination can get a kid through a lot, but it doesn't change the facts: Joe's still the kid in school that can't fit in. He's the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. And then there's the Type 1 diabetes he has to live with.So is it insulin-deprived delirium or something much, much bigger that transports Joe to a land inhabited by all his toys - from ninja commandos to action robots to magical knights to star fleet captains? Is Joe really the savior of this wild fantasyland that's been held under siege by dark magic and evil forces? With the help of a samurai rodent, is he ready to take back besieged castles and win the freedom of an oppressed people? Or is he just an over imaginative boy who could die if he doesn't take his meds?White-hot writer Grant Morrison follows up his phenomenal BATMAN AND ROBIN with an epic adventure that's Home Alone by way of Lord of the Rings accompanied with to-die-for art by future superstar Sean Murphy (YEAR ONE: BATMAN/SCARECROW, HELLBLAZER).On sale January 20 o 1 of 8 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US o MATURE READERS Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Sean Murphy, Cover by Sean Murphy. Having an overactive imagination can get a kid through a lot, but it doesn't change the facts: Joe's still the kid in school that can't fit in. He's the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. And then there's the Type 1 diabetes he has to live with.So is it insulin-deprived delirium or something much, much bigger that transports Joe to a land inhabited by all his toys - from ninja commandos to action robots to magical knights to star fleet captains? Is Joe really the savior of this wild fantasyland that's been held under siege by dark magic and evil forces? With the help of a samurai rodent, is he ready to take back besieged castles and win the freedom of an oppressed people? Or is he just an over imaginative boy who could die if he doesn't take his meds?White-hot writer Grant Morrison follows up his phenomenal BATMAN AND ROBIN with an epic adventure that's Home Alone by way of Lord of the Rings accompanied with to-die-for art by future superstar Sean Murphy (YEAR ONE: BATMAN/SCARECROW, HELLBLAZER).

On sale January 20

1 of 8

32 pg, FC,

$2.99 US MATURE READERS

I have to say I truly enjoyed this book! Even though the solicitation reads $2.99 it is only ONE MEASLY DOLLAR! Get it before they reprint it at the original $2.99 price, which is what I'm betting they WILL do if they have to go back to press, or maybe they will make the reprint $1.99 like DC did previously with Unwritten #1. The basic concept of Joe the Barbarian, does have some similarity to indie-darling Stuff of Legend, but really it's only in the very loose sense. Joe's toys do come to life, sort of, in the insulin-deprived dreamland he finds himself, but this time we get to see Batman and other toys brought to life, since Vertigo is owned by DC Comics, which is pretty cool. I can't wait to read the rest of this mini-series. I'm sad that it's only 8 issues long, but I read somewhere that there is definitely a possibility for more stories to be told with other protagonists in other locales. Conceivably every house could have an inhabitant that could end up in another world. Joe's bedroom in his house is every child's dream bedroom. He lives in the attic , with high shelves of toys and cool stuff, the classic Sears brand twin size bed that is above a desk (you have to use a ladder to get to the bed, wasn't that every child's dream, lol), and you have to use a rope ladder to get to his room in the attic. How cool is that?

Morrison does not disappoint this time around, (Let's be honest here, does he ever disappoint? Not this fangirl, and all of you Final Crisis nay-sayers leave me alone, I liked FC!) and this is one of the first stories he has written that leaves me with a rather warm fuzzy feeling. Joe the Barbarian is a magical series with potential to become one of the years best graphic novels. Sean Murphy has blown me away with his beautiful artwork. Joe is the perfect vehicle to catapult Murphy to fame and fortune. Morrison and Murphy, the perfect combination for fantasy fans of all ages. This Vertigo mini doesn't seem to warrant the "mature readers" tag YET, but maybe it gets more bloody and dramatic as the series progresses. I could see the MR tag being used NOT for language and sexual situations this time around, but because it deals with such weighty mature issues, such as mortality. This series is bound to end in tragedy, but be that as it may, I can't wait for the enchanted journey to commence, whatever the ending may bring.

So there you go, I highly recommend you pick up JOE THE BARBARIAN #! for $1.00!
If you missed the title that I've mentioned over and over again it's JOE THE BARBARIAN.

New Spidey Director Announced!

2010-01-19T23:46:00.003-06:00

The news we've all been waiting for!

http://io9.com/5452328/spider+man-has-his-new-director

Well, I'm excited. I saw 500 Days of Summer recently and thought it was pretty entertaining, even though the ending was rather Hollywood, but the rest of the movie was quite pleasing. I've been a big fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and he did not disappoint in that film. BTW, if you haven't seen Brick, do yourself a favor and rent it. Gordon-Levitt did an amazing job. It would be pretty cool if Webb (rather a coincidence on the name, don't you think?) brings him along as Pete. THAT would be a Parker I would cheer for, that's for sure. Interesting idea and rumors abound....

As long as Obama doesn't make an appearance in this script, I'll be happy! (Did you know that the long-awaited Obama/McCain RPG book released this week? Yeah, not stocking that baby.)

Hitler Is a DC Fanboy!

2010-01-15T14:23:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, Marvel made a big hubbub by sending out the following press release to the world:

In an effort to provide assistance to comic retailers in 2010, Marvel is offering retailers an opportunity to turn unsold comics into an extremely rare Siege #3 Deadpool Variant!

Retailers – for every 50 stripped covers of the following comics sent to Marvel, you will qualify to receive one FREE Siege #3 Deadpool Variant. The 50 stripped covers can be any combination of the comics listed below and all submissions need to be received at the Marvel office at the address below by Tuesday 2/16/2010. Also included with the stripped covers must be your store contact information including Diamond Account # and email address.

Stripped Covers To Be Sent:

Adventure Comics #4

Booster Gold #26

Doom Patrol #4

Justice League Of America #39

Outsiders #24.

R.E.B.E.L.S #10

Address To Send Submission:
James NausedasMarvel Entertainment, LLC417 Fifth Avenue, 10th FloorNew York, NY 10016

Information To Be Included With Submission:Store NameStore AddressContact PersonEmail AddressPhone NumberDiamond Account #List of stripped covers being returned and their quantities.

All the directions above must be adhered to in order to receive the free Siege #3 Deadpool Variants and the submissions must be received by Tuesday 2/16/2010 in order to qualify.

Please note that this is not a Diamond-affiliated promotion and Diamond should not be contacted. Retailers will be contacted via email once Marvel receives the submissions. Retailer with further questions should contact helpme@marvel.com.

When this information first hit yesterday, I went out of my way not to comment on it, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, in these days of all information ever being available online all the time accessible by everyone is not something I approve of, and I have commented on this again and again. I guess I'm the only one that thinks this type of PR is not for consumption by the general public. Why do my customers need to know this information? They don't, and there are many instances where this kind of information gets distributed globally. Why should I care? And if Marvel did send out an email to retailers only, I'm sure there are many retailers out there that would immediately post this info for the world to see, on their Facebook pages, as a Tweet, or Blog about it. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see this PR go out to all the news sites etc., and I'm not, but it is frustrating to have all information about my business out there for the world to see. To be quite frank I can't understand why all fanboys and girls feel the need to know all of this type of thing, they don't own/operate a shop, etc. So anyway, this is one of the main reasons I did NOT comment on this before, but now there is this great "Hitler on the Marvel Variant News" Youtube video that I DO now feel the need to share because it's way too funny for words.

Go. Watch this and enjoy. Warning, this video is not intended for any underage viewers due to the language content.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8KbNag962A

Looking at offical PR (above) it seems like a pretty shitty move on Marvel's part to slap DC so hard and in such a public fashion. It has been pointed out on numerous comic news sites and comic message boards that DC has been dominating the online comic news of late, but really is that any reason to do this? If they REALLY wanted to help the retailers out, like they say they do in the PR, they would offer us returns on any number of crap Marvel books. Like Brian Hibbs pointed out, why not make the Captain America Reborn stuff returnable? We are all pretty much choking on those, and the Dark Reign shit too, again like Hibbs pointed out. But instead of doing something much more productive and helpful to the retailers, they offer to take about $200 (retail) worth of comics for ONE Siege #3 Deadpool variant. Really? Wow, thanks Marvel, that's just awesome! I suppose there are people out there willing to spend A LOT on this variant, but I would have to sell that one book for AT LEAST $100.00 or a little more to make it worth my while. I was a little shocked to see this PR yesterday, I have to admit. This is a new low for Marvel. Will I send a bunch of the ring books in for one of these ULTRA rare variants? Maybe, I haven't decided for sure yet, but why didn't Marvel offer this sort of deal for returns of their own damn books, that's what I want to know. I suppose if they did, Marvel couldn't have stolen DC's crazy announcement after announcement online thunder, but really was this necessary?

Hitler is mad and so am I. I may not be yelling and screaming as loudly as Hitler in the video, but I can understand his frustration. I just don't want this whole episode to escalate into any kind of pissing match between the Big Two. Why can't we all just get along? Silly question, I know, we are talking about comics here, and we are a medium traditionally steeped in rivalries, but still....

More One Measly Dollar Books coming!

2010-01-14T12:22:00.003-06:00

Image has announced the $1.00 reprint month, starting March 31st, running through April 28th. Every week during the promotion they will reprint 2 Image #1's for just a BUCK! Following on the heels of DC's "After Watchmen...What's Next" promotion, along with Marvels #1 reprint month, Image is getting in on the game. How long before Dark Horse follows suit? I have no problem with this idea, not in the least. Who wouldn't spend a buck to try a new book that they've heard of but never read before? Too bad I've already read all of Image's offerings, but that shouldn't stop the rest of you! Here is the list of what they will be reprinting for ONE MEASLY DOLLAR:

Youngblood #1
(*groan* seriously folks? Do they HONESTLY think that IF someone is willing to spend a buck on this that it will somehow translate into graphic novel sales or Youngblood issue sales? Dear god, no. In fact, if someone picks this up as their only $1.00 try an Image book experiment, I'm betting they will NOT be back for more. I can't fault Image and Liefeld for trying, I suppose it's POSSIBLE although highly unlikely that someone will buy this issue, read it, and return for more Youngblood.)

Walking Dead #1
(Just in case, there is SOMEONE out there that HASN'T tried Walking Dead yet, lol. Just looking at my numbers and reorders for the floppies and the graphic novels, I would find that to be very surprising, but this choice was a no brainer on Image's part).

Spawn #1
(Hm... I guess they had to include this one, since Spawn and Savage Dragon are the only still ongoing books from the original Image founders that are being published by Image proper. At least this books LOOKS nice, you remember back when McFarlane would actually draw his own book? Wow those days seem like eons ago...)

Chew #1
(Another no brainer on Image's part. This book has been the runaway sleeper hit of the past year. For one measly dollar, we should be able to turn a lot of new folks onto this unique book.)

Savage Dragon #1
(Ok, ok, I know this one like Spawn #1 HAD to be reprinted, but I wonder if this $1 issue will translate into any subsequent sales of Savage Dragon comics or graphic novels. Fans of the Dragon are die-hard indeed, but how many new possible Dragon fans are there? Interesting, very interesting, to witness the after effects of this particular reprint.)

Age of Bronze #1
(Great choice Image! I'm VERY excited to see this first issue reprinted for One Measly Dollar! This is a great book, that more people need to read. Damn fine historical fiction that I certainly hopes translates into graphic novel sales.)

Witchblade #1
(Again, this book is by one of the founding Image partners, so it rather has to be reprinted with this promotion, even though Silvestri and all of his properties splintered off into Top Cow years ago. This book, despite my lack of enthusiasm, has some staying power. They managed to spin this book off into a TV show, a video game, a manga, and I think a movie might be in the works if I remember correctly. Just goes to show you that not every book is for everyone.)

Girls #1
(Interesting choice here Image. This was a mini-series from the Luna brothers, that was a rather entertaining read, but it is not a current on-going series from Image. The Luna brothers have made their home at Image, so it was a natural choice for Image to reprint ONE of their books. Maybe this will translate into some graphic novel sales.)

Invincible #1
(Another no-brainer here. This is Kirkman's other flagship book at Image, that continues to sell well, not as well as Walking Dead, but respectably well for a non-Big-Two superhero book. I expect this reprint to spawn (no pun intended) an upswing in Invincible back issues and graphic novels.)

Proof #1
(Another great call Image! This book doesn't sell very well as a monthly, but the graphic novels do rather well, and this affordable reprint may be just the ticket to rocket this fun comic into the big league. Recommended reading for any Hellboy fan imo.)

So ten FUN new reprints for ONE MEASLY DOLLAR, coming your way in April! Try a couple of these, and odds are good you will find something new that is worth getting excited about.

The Spectre Animated!

2010-01-13T15:19:00.002-06:00

This is pretty cool, The Spectre will be animated in the new Justice League, Crisis on Two Earths, direct-to-dvd animated special, as a special animated short included with the full length movie. Check out the details, and a preview on the link from Newsarama here:

http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=32838

I'm pretty excited about this! I love The Spectre, from the Golden Age, down through the present, but I have to say Detective Corrigan has always been my favorites of the Spectres, and the only one that counts imo. They have also announced that they will be doing more of these little animated "shorts" in the future, the next one being, surprise surprise, Jonah Hex. I can't wait to see which other characters they choose to highlight this way in the future. Obviously they want to devote some time to these secondary characters, but DC knows that the odds of a Spectre full-length animated special would most likely sell significantly less than say... the Justice League or Wonder Woman. Who could be next? I would love to see them produce some animated specials based on Vertigo properties, wouldn't that be brilliant? I have serious doubts that we will EVER see the Sandman or Death movies, since they have been in Hollywood limbo for years with options all over the place, but nothing officially green lit. Or better yet, how about a direct-to-dvd Constantine movie? I would be all over that, and they wouldn't be limited by the budget because all of the effects would be animated, John could travel to hell and back again for a lot less than a full-length feature film. Damn, am I the only one that would kill to see a trippy animated Invisibles or animated Doom Patrol? Oh the possibilities are endless....

Spider-Man 4 to be Spider-Man 1!

2010-01-12T19:09:00.005-06:00

Yes, I'm a day late reporting the Spider-Man movie reboot announcement, but I still have to run a busy comic book shop by day, so sometimes it's hard to find the time to blog. MTV has an amusing "Five Things We'll Miss about the Raimi Spidey Movies" here:

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2010/01/12/five-things-well-miss-about-sam-raimi-tobey-maguires-spider-man-franchise/

So, good or bad? I think it's about time if you ask me. I was getting a little tired of Tobey Maguire as Peter, and don't even get me started about Kirsten Dunst as a drab not very model-like MJ. Tobey is getting a little old to pull it off anyway. Spidey 3 sealed the deal for me, time to move on, although I will miss ol' Bruce and his chin, making the Raimi-required cameo. I think the second Spider-Man film was my favorite of the trilogy, and the same can be said for the original 3 X-Men movies, number two was again my favorite, following in the tradition of Empire Strikes Back. There is something magical about Part 2 of a trilogy because all of the origin stuff can be skipped and we can get into the meat of the characters without all the necessary wrap-ups at the end of trilogy. Incidentally I think Two Towers is my favorite of the LOTR films because that battle is SO incredible.

It will be interesting to see who they cast as the new younger, high-school aged Peter Parker, Ultimate Spider-Man anyone? Some folks are crying for Bendis to take over the Spidey movie script chores, and maybe he could pull it off, but it does make me a little nervous. Keep in mind, Bendis is the man that managed to drag out Spidey's origin over SEVEN issues in Ultimate Spidey, whereas back in the day, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee did the same damn thing in ELEVEN PAGES. So if Bendis does get involved in the Spidey movies, we can expect to see the series dragged out to at least 6 movies instead of the usual magical trilogy.

Right now it's just a lot of speculation out there, no real news to report expect the actual announcement that the franchise is being rebooted. So there you go, your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Kid soon. Can't wait. Really. No really, you are mistaken if you note any sarcasm in this post whatsoever.

And So Brightest Day Rises!

2010-01-11T14:29:00.005-06:00

DC has announced Brightest Day, the new storyline that will follow Blackest Night. Read the full story here at Newsarma:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Brightest-Day-Announcement-100111.html

Ok, show of hands, who DIDN'T see this coming? I'm a little shocked that the main series is going to be 26 bi-weekly issues, but I'm not surprised that DC is following the mega-successful Blackest Night with the flip side, Brightest Day.

More details as they become available.

2010 is here!

2010-01-07T13:27:00.003-06:00

Lots has been happening since the new year began, and I'm a little behind in my posts. First up, David Finch has been announced as going exclusive with DC. Interesting little bit of news there, since he has been almost only producing Marvel-related books for the last few years. The above sketch is from his sketchbook, not for any particular Bat-book, so don't freak out just yet. This is very good move on DC's part if you ask me, fans really like Finch, so if he does a bunch of covers and/or interiors for any of the Bat-books, or any title for that matter, should help boost the sales for that book/books. Would it help if Finch suddenly starting drawing a less popular book such as R.E.B.E.L.S. ? Hm... maybe a little bit, for a little while, but it wouldn't help long term, I don't think so anyway.

Apple's ITablet/ISlate is coming as well as Microsoft's version, both will most likely be available later this year. Everyone is talking how these devices could spell doom for brick and mortar comic shops, and they may well kill us at some point, I think it will take a LONG time for that to happen. I don't imagine that either one of these items will be very affordable, at least not for a little while, and what with the economy being what it is these days, with many folks still out of work, these devices will sell, there is no doubt about it, but will everyone I know have one by the end of the year? Obviously not. Just another platform for viewing pretty pictures, just like laptops, cellphones/pda's, and other such devices. All very cool and exciting, but I wish people would just relax about these things already. Amazing Fantasy isn't going anywhere, we will continue to be here selling comics and graphic novels, for many years to come. Let's see how many people completely switch their comic buying habits to digital once these devices become affordable. I'm keenly interested to see how this will all play out, because this could also obviously affect the book market in a big way, much like Amazon's Kindle and B&N's version, whose name is escaping me at the moment. Hell, I didn't know B&N had their own version until yesterday, but it makes sense if I had just stopped to think about it for a moment. I don't really frequent B&N's website, for obvious reasons. (I have enough reading material temptations in stock at the shop, I don't need to look elsewhere for more). Any of you that read this blog, are you going to run out to buy one of these new fancy electronic tablet devices AS SOON AS they become available for consumption?

Oh before I forget, I need to thank everyone who came out to our New Year's Eve Eve parties! We all had loads of fun and by all accounts most attendees also had a good time. What a successful non-new-comic-book day Wednesday! The karaoke machine at the Frankfort store was too much fun, lol, I'm not sure I will ever truly recover after hearing some of our customers singing their favorite songs, but since everyone seemed to enjoy it, I'm sure we will do that again at some point. We are now back to our normal routine, all kinds of shiny new comics and graphic novels came in yesterday, so if you haven't been to your local A/F, be sure to swing by, to see what kind of cool stuff is waiting for you.

2010 looks to be the year of, you guessed it, MORE comic-based movies, who would have thought? Scott Pilgrim, Losers, Kick Ass, Jonah Hex, and Iron Man 2 just to name a few. I'm especially looking forward to Scott Pilgrim and Kick Ass. I'm sure you've all seen the Scott Pilgrim stills that are out there, and the various Kick Ass trailers that are online at this point, so I won't bother linking to those here. I head that Scott Pilgrim was coming to theatres March 19th, but there aren't any trailers yet, which makes me think that that is no longer the case. If anyone has further info, please feel free to share.

And I can't really talk about the beginning of 2010, without at least mentioning James Cameron's mega-hit 3D film, Avatar. I can only assume that most folks have seen it by this time, but if you haven't, I must say, stay away, unless you see it in 3D. There isn't much point, wasting your money and time, without seeing the amazing 3D effects. The story and dialogue is some of the worst that I've witnessed in a long time. I understand that he wanted to appeal to the lowest common denominator, but wow. The plot seems like a mosh-up between Disney's piece of garage Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves, which isn't much of a compliment. Did the film LOOK amazing? Hell yes, very pretty and colorful. It ran a bit long for my taste, I started to get antsy about 30 minutes before the end of the film. Nothing against long-running movies, as long as the run time is warranted, I'm cool with it. Avatar, not so much. I realize that I am in the minority here, but since everyone is talking about it, I figured I would chime in with my two cents for no particular reason.

2010 is shaping up to be a very interesting year in comics. Can't wait to see what the next big announcement will be, can you? I have my fingers crossed for that Marvel/Disney variant cover month, or better yet, that new Bendis-penned X-Disney book.

New Year's Eve EVE!

2009-12-29T15:44:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow, the last Wednesday of the DECADE, December 30th, go to your local Amazing Fantasy for fun and excitement! Each store will be doing something different, so if you are bored, take a trip to all four!

Here is the scoop for what is a happening at the Frankfort location:

FREE Marvel 2010 Calendars (quantities limited, arrive early to avoid disappointment)

Free Marvel Origins of Siege Comic (again, quantities limited)

Free Avengers ID cards (Marvel has not sent them to us yet, so if they do, we will have them available with the same disclaimer, quantities limited. Unless they show up tomorrow morning, it doesn't look like we will have these, sorry.)

Fall of the Hulks New Years Eve Eve Variant will be available for purchase (I bet you can guess that quantities are limited)

The only NEW book that day will be Green Lantern: Blackest Night #6, so that will be available for purchase. We plan on doing a live reading of Blackest Night #6 also, so that should be entertaining. Pick your favorite character!

There will be special sales and special pricing all day long!

FREE Champagne and wine for all of our customers over 21! And sparkling juice for the youngsters.

Cheese and crackers will also be available for snacking!

Karaoke all day long, and maybe Guitar Hero too, who knows!

Comic Book related trivia all day long!

Periodic raffles will be held throughout the day for 4 IPod shuffles, a couple of ITunes gift cards, Green Lantern Blackest Night variant covers and more!

Local horror author Shelia C. Johnson will be doing an in-store reading of a few of her stories from her collection: The People He Thought He Knew: Horror Stories from the Suburbs, including a special Christmas Horror short story. From 4pm-5pm. She will also be selling copies of her book for $10 if you would like to pick one up.

And last, but not least, there will be an assortment of FREE comics! (Limit of 3 free comics per customer, limited to a selection of comics. So, NO you can't just walk around the store and pick any three comics, they will be limited to what we have selected as possible freebies. So don't be a jackass and bring up the three newest issues of Green Lantern and say "these are Free right?")

I hope we see everyone there! Should be way too much fun for everyone! Come see Mike passed out behind the counter at the Frankfort store from drinking too much, come see your friends make fools of themselves as they sing for discounts, come on by and save money while you are entertained by your friendly neighborhood comic shop employees, and come by to get FREE stuff!

Hawkman The Movie!

2009-12-22T14:15:00.002-06:00

Check it out, DC is looking to develop Hawkman into a film!

http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/dc-comics-developing-hawkman.php

Personally, I don't agree with whoever wrote this article, and I guess that is because I am such a huge fan of any of the Golden Age DC characters from the JSA on up. Hawkman does have HUGE potential. For god's sake, Marvel managed to turn Iron Man, I mean the dude that used to have transistors on his armor as part of his then "high tech" gadgetry, into a crazy HUGE franchise. It looks like Marvel is going to be doing the same thing with Thor amazingly enough, so really, why shouldn't DC take a crack at bringing a second string character to the big screen in a big way? I would personally love for Geoff Johns and/or James Robinson to be in on those script development meetings. And I would love to see Hawkgirl on the big screen too! The on again/off again romance between these two characters has been one of the great love stories in comic books. They were destined to be together, whether they like it or not, or so the history of these characters go. There is something rather romantic about the idea of there being someone out there that you are "meant" to be with, and that is an element of the story that DC can play up a bit to get more women in the theatre. Plenty of women saw Iron Man, and I'm sure plenty of women (including myself of course) would see a Hawkman movie with or without a gushy love story, but think of the potential! This movie could have all the action and special effects we have come to know and expect from big Hollywood blockbusters along with a little romance, could mean a big payday for DC Entertainment.

It would be awesome if they could somehow show the Golden Age JSA in this movie, even if just for a flashback scene, ala the Watchmen film. I'm thinking a Hawkman/Hawkwoman film could be the start of something special at DC Entertainment! Am I wrong? In addition to this movie talk, I hear that Hawkman will be appearing in this next season of Smallville, they have even posted some pictures of this version of Hawkman online. Not really working for me, BUT if they introduce Hawkman on Smallville, that will raise his brand awareness level with the masses. You know what would be beyond cool imo? A Golden Age tale of each of the Golden Age JSA members: The Spectre, Hawkman, the original Starman, the original Sandman, and more. That would be fantastic, but.... I somehow doubt that that would EVER happen, but stranger things have transpired in the recent past as far as comics and comic book characters being transformed into movies. Who the hell ever thought that we would see a V for Vendetta, Watchman, Ghost World, or Hellboy movie? If you had asked me 15 years ago what the odds would have been for all these to have actually been made, I would have bet my life on NO. Just goes to show you, how wrong I can be. I'm only human, and can't tell the future.

New Editions of the Sandman GN's!

2009-12-18T12:34:00.004-06:00

It's about time I would say!! After releasing the entire series RECOLORED in Absolute Editions, Vertigo has announced that they will be re-releasing the entire series of 10 Sandman Graphic Novels in paperback, all using the recolored art from the Absolutes. I can't tell you how excited I am by this! Sandman suffered from the lack luster coloring of the 90's that many books did at the time, through no fault of the colorists I might add, they did the best they could with the tools available. Now, with the advent of digital coloring/painting the look of standard comics have changed dramatically. I am so excited to see Vertigo releasing the Sandman paperbacks with the new coloring. To be quite honest, Sandman can be a hard sell these days to the average person on the street, because of the flat colors. Now with these new editions I can go back to pimping the hell out of this series. I guess this means I will be giving Neil Gaiman MORE money sometime next year. I swore up and down that I would NOT contribute ANY more cash to his wallet as far as Sandman is concerned, but damn it now I have to go back on my word. See, back in the day, I bought every single one of the floppy issues of course. Then they started releasing the graphic novels in paperback, which I bought of course so I could spread the joy of Sandman to my friends and family, and then they released th GN's in hardcover, which I had to buy to put on my book shelf. When Vertigo released the Absolute Editions, I swore up and down that I would NOT buy the same damn thing AGAIN, especially for the price and the size of the books. I really have no where to put Absolute Editions, my place is just not big enough for books that size. NOW with the re-release of the newly recolored paperbacks, I guess I will have to give Neil money ONE MORE TIME. Sigh....I hope he has enjoyed all the cash he has made off of all the crazy Sandman fans in the world, that just keep buying and rebuying the same material over and over again. I'm sure he makes more cash off of his NY Times Best-selling novels, but still, I'm sure those royalty checks from DC don't hurt. I really don't have space on my book shelves for another set of Sandman graphic novels, but I will find somewhere to put them.

I can only hope that some day Vertigo goes back to recolor other series. I would love to see the Grant Morrison Doom Patrol run recolored, and just about any other Vertigo series from the 90's. Don't they know that new fans today have a tough time stomaching the old colors? I know, both Marvel and DC could recolor their entire libraries. Some fans would applaud this move and others would bitch and moan that that would be sacrilege of the worst order. It's sort of like George Lucas going back to redo effects shots for the old Star Wars movies. He did the best he could at the time, so unless he wants to reshoot all three films, he should leave well enough alone. 9 out of 10 times the coloring matches the art of the time period so they should leave it alone, but every once in a while, a series is SO good it would be nice to see it recolored. Time will tell if DC considers doing this with any other series in their library.

So, if you don't already own Sandman 3 times, you may want to consider picking up the recolored versions. If you already own all 10 Sandman GN's, why not pick up the new versions for yourself and then give away your old editions to a friend to get he/she hooked on comics. That is most likely what I will be doing with my old editions. (On second thought I only have the hardcover editions still on my book shelf, I already gave away my old paperback editions. Not sure if I will ever part with my original hardcover editions. I like having the original editions right next to the new editions. I did this back in the day with the original Star Wars trilogy, I had to own both the new Special Editions and the original theatrical releases. And yes, I did the same damn thing with all three LOTR films. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. It's the collector within, she never rests.)

Iron Man 2 Trailer!!

2009-12-17T11:58:00.002-06:00

I'm sure by this time, everyone has seen this, but just in case you haven't, here is a link to the amazing looking Iron Man 2!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid16681868001?bctid=57699172001

Not only is this movie going to make tons and tons of cash, but shit it looks SO good. Wow. Marvel somehow managed to pull off the first Iron Man film, but this looks like it will surpass it quite easily. Can. Not. Wait. Geez, I got goosebumps while watching this trailer. All I can say is: more Nick Fury and more War Machine please! This is the type of movie that might make me go buy a BlueRay player and a new flat screen tv, because you know when this comes out on dvd it's going to look just gorgeous! Damn it. Stupid Hollywood making cool movies, screwing up my budget for 2010 already.

Two Great Gift Ideas!

2009-12-16T16:39:00.003-06:00

Wow, check it out, even Hello Kitty is getting in on the multi-colored Lantern action!

The JLA Green Lantern Rings Prop Replica came in today, see picture above. It's just beautiful and it lights up! Limited edition made of resin and metal. Retails at $250.00. Check it out next time you are at the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy. Believe me, this the ULTIMATE gift for the Green Lantern fan on your list!

Coincidentally, Sanrio released this plush assortment of colored Hello Kitty plush today. The picture above does show the five kitties included in the set, what it doesn't show you is they are stacked in a pyramid in the box, and the box is similarly sized to the Green Lantern Ring Prop box. And each Hello Kitty represents something different. Green=Wishes (but we all know it's really Will), Pink=Cute (but again, we all know that it is really Love), Yellow=Compassion (hell no, we know it means FEAR, get a clue Sanrio!), Purple=Sweetness (No it doesn't, it means Compassion doesn't it? Because the Pink looks like the Lantern Corps Violet and the Lavender sort of looks like the Indigo ring), and Red=Friendship (but in the DCU it means RAGE baby!). This lovely 35th Anniversary Hello Kitty Colors set retails at the low, low price of $29.99. I say, if you have a Green Lantern Corps member on your list, get them this instead, it's the same basic idea as the Prop Replica, just pick up some extra colored Lantern rings and put them on the plush Hello Kitties and you will be all set. Really.

There you go, two more GREAT gift ideas courtesy your friendly neighborhood comic shop.

More BIG DC Announcents!

2009-12-11T11:13:00.003-06:00

Over at Comic Book Resources, Dan Didio talks about the new 10 issue Legacies mini-series:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23996

Also, at the bottom of the article they mention a NEW History of the DCU (finally) and a NEW Who's Who in the DCU (again, all I can say is FINALLY!)

Legacies looks to be pretty damn cool, very much in the tradition of Marvels. As good as Legacies sounds, I am way more excited about the NEW History and the NEW Who's Who. The last Who's Who was ages ago (early 90's) and the last History was around the same time (DC did recently reprint that mini-summery-series in GN form, as much good as that does considering how different the DCU is now compared to then). As a retailer, I can always use a fresh edition of both of these books, just to field various DCU-related questions. Granted, I know a lot, but it's nice to have an authoritative version of these things that I can fall back on, especially since my memory isn't what it used to be, a serious side-effect of getting older.

Midnight Madness This Weekend!

2009-12-10T16:18:00.003-06:00

So, what are you doing this weekend? Did you say you would be attending "Amazing Fantasy's Annual Midnight Madness? Damn straight! We better see you at your local Amazing Fantasy! Friday night from 8pm-12 midnight, visit the Frankfort and Tinley Park locations for fun and savings. Saturday night from 7pm-11pm, visit the Calumet City and Lockport locations for more fun and more savings.

We only do this mega savings spectacular ONCE A YEAR for FOUR HOURS ONLY. You really, really, really don't want to miss this. If you for some reason, you are unable to attend, you will cry like a little girl when you hear about all the deals you missed. Seriously, come in on the Sunday after the sale and the shelves will be close to empty. THIS is the weekend to shop at Amazing Fantasy, THIS is the weekend to SAVE at Amazing Fantasy. There will be snacks, there will be trivia, there will be Christmas music! (We only play Christmas music in honor of the annual sale, we don't pipe it in 24/7 from Halloween to New Year's, like SOME chain stores). And our Christmas music is much cooler, and sometimes borderline offensive. Richard Cheese has a wonderful Christmas album that I very much like to play at the Frankfort store every year, and this year I have two new additions to my Christmas play list, both being punk rock Christmas albums.

So come on out, so you can save money on your favorite comic-book related gifts for yourself or your friends and family. Don't be shy, ask for help, if you are trying to find that perfect graphic novel for your buddy or loved one. All Amazing Fantasy employees are personable and full of comic-book-y knowledge and we always have a list of great recommendations at our fingertips. You won't leave the store empty-handed!

Hope to see you all there! Be extra cool, and drive to all four locations! Each store will be doing something EXTRA, maybe cookies, maybe punch, maybe raffles, you never know!

Bruce Wayne RETURNS

2009-12-09T13:21:00.002-06:00

Well, well, well. USA Today interviews Grant Morrison about the RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE in April 2010. Read all about it here:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/2009-12-09-morrison-bruce-wayne-st_N.htm

See, I told EVERYONE Bruce wasn't dead! Ha, I was so totally right!!! (Mike says I'm still wrong, but read the interview yourself, I was right!) So the basic gist is that Bruce has been tripping through time, making his way to the present. In this aptly titled "Return of Bruce Wayne" storyline we will thrill to the exploits of Pilgrim/Puritan Batman, Pirate Batman, Pulp/Noir Batman and more. Thanks Grant, for bringing Elseworlds back to the DCU, and making it part of continuity no less. 2010 is shaping up to the year of the Bat, (oh and the year of the Man of Steel if Robinson has anything to say about it, and hopefully it will be the year of Girl Power. Important things are in the works for my gal in 2010, I can feel it, after reading Blackest Night: Wonder Woman.)

Two BIG DC Announcements!

2009-12-08T18:25:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, DC announced the Earth One Graphic Novel line, to much debate. Read the link below to get the scoop from Newsarma.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091207-Earth-One-DCU.html

I applaud DC on this move. Anything to try to get new readers into comics is a good move in my book. Until we know the price point and format (hardcover, paperback, deluxe, digest) I can't say exactly HOW exciting this is just yet, but the potential could be great. I know many fans are pissing and moaning since they are starting the line off, with you guessed it, the origins of Batman and Superman. Yes, yes, yes, they've been done to death, true enough, but you have to start at the beginning for these kind of things. Personally, I would have liked to see the line launch with Wonder Woman thrown into the mix, she is DC's number three after all, remember Trinity? Why do they always seem to forget about her until the second round? They did the same thing with the first wave of Blackest Night mini-series: we had BATMAN of course, and SUPERMAN of course, and the third one was Titans? WTF? I know from Geoff John's pov it makes sense but dammit, sometimes I just want to see my girl up front and center, you know? And let's hope DC doesn't drop the ball in getting the Green Lantern Earth One graphic novel out in time for the Green Lantern movie. Not that they've announced one or anything, but we can only assume that this will follow.

DC's big announcement today was about the next BIG Superman crossover that will kick off with a FCBD edition, very much in the vein of successful Blackest Night issue #0 from this past year. Check out the link for the skinny.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091208-war-of-the-supermen.html

Kudos again DC. Will a big Superman cross-over be as exciting as Green Lantern and Blackest Night has been? Well it definitely would be something if DC can manage to get tongues wagging as much about this crossover as the Green Lantern/Blackest Night crossover. Personally, I would very much like to see fans get excited about Superman, it's long overdue. He's a tough character to write, well because he's SUPERman for god's sake, meaning the dude can do just about anything. James Robinson has been doing a respectable job on the Superman books up till this point, can he carry it a step farther? We will have to wait and see.

Great Gifts Under $15.00!!!!

2009-12-07T13:39:00.002-06:00

The list is mighty long for "Great Gifts for under $15.00"! I'm not going to discuss the merits of each of these, but if you disagree with any of my choices or agree, feel free to chime in.

Scott Pilgrim Volume One $12.99
Everyone should read this book, especially since the much hyped, much discussed Michael Cera movie is coming out March 19th. This makes a wonderful gift for any girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, or husband that isn't already into comics. There are five volumes so far, and once they read Vol. 1, they will quickly request the rest. Described on the back as comedy/action/romance, "You'll laugh. You'll cry. This is Scott Pilgrim. This is your life." I love, love, love this book! Also a great gift for the manga fan on your list, it is very manga-like, but not too much so, so it will also appeal to regular folks.

Y: The Last Man Volume One $12.99
There are ten volumes total in the complete Y library. Volume one is another one of those great books that you can hand off to any non-comic book fan, male OR female, to get them hooked. This series has been optioned for a movie, but no definite information has been made available as of yet. This book put Brian K. Vaughn on the map.

Proof Volume One $9.99
Oops, I forgot to put this one on my list of "Great Gifts Under $10.00" list. So happy to see Image following the Vertigo model again. Kudos. (Gee if only Marvel would get their act together, and jump on board this excellent marketing tool). Description on the back of the book: "Proof doesn't leave urban legends where it finds them....Bigfoot wears a suit to the office. Fairies devour anyone in sight. A lonely monster wears human skin for company. The hit series starts here." A very interesting and highly entertaining read for any humor/horror fan.

Batman: Year One and Batman: Dark Knight Returns
$14.99 each
Frank Miller's two greatest Batman books, NOT to be confused with the @#$%* All Star Batman and Robin or the piece of #$%@ Dark Knight Strikes Again. If you have any type of Batman movie or video game fan on your list, give them one of the aforementioned Bat books, so they can read the inspiration for the Batman they know and love.

Buffy: The Long Road Home
ok, this is technically $15.95, so that puts it over my $15.00 cut off by $.95, but I'm going to include it anyway.
This book is volume one in the fan favorite Joss Whedon helmed Buffy Season Eight series of graphic novels. Got a Buffy fan on your list? Look no further for the ultimate gift, just pick this book up, or pick up all five volumes that are currently available. This is Season Eight as Joss would have made for TV, given the opportunity.

Invincible Volume One
$12.99
Already have a Walking Dead fan on your list? Get them hooked on Kirkman's other popular creator owned book. This is Kirkman's great little superhero book. Kurt Busiek describes Invincible "...distinctive and clever and alive, all the while standing foursquare at the heart of a longstanding, well-worked genre that many would say has nothing more to offer."

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
$14.99
Got someone on your list that loves that direct to dvd DC animated specials? Get them this book, that served as the inspiration for the newest DC special of the same name. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, and I do not give Jeph Loeb praise lightly, although I have to say whenever he teams up with Tim Sale, it is usually a cause for celebration. This is volume one in the series. This book is a great read for any Batman or Superman fan mostly because it stands on it's own, 9 out 10 times, meaning you don't have to be reading 30 other DCU books to understand what the heck is going on in it, so that makes this book a very popular read amongst the more casual comic book fan.

The Ultimates Volume One
$12.99
This is the ultimate Avengers book, no pun intended. Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch together just equals bloody amazing for this series. The Ultimates continues into a volume two, and then again into a "Season 2" books one and two. This is the book for any Marvel movie fan because it brings together so many powerful characters into one amazing HUGE story: Captain A, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Giant Man, and Hulk. Thrill to the crazy exploits of the Avengers as never seen before! Captain A kicks ass of course, and this is the best interpretation of Thor anywhere if you ask me.

Peanutbutter and Jeremy's Best Book Ever
$14.99
Pure James Kochalka magic! This is a super little book for readers of all ages. This book has been called "A Delightful surprise" by Comic Book Gallery, "It's laugh out-loud weirdness" by Four Color Reviews, and "If life's a silly ride, Kochalka is selling the tickets" by Publishers Weekly. Another love, love, love this book selection.

And dear god, there are so many possible "Great Gifts for under $15.00 that I am getting tired from typing all of this! Other books I would be amiss if I did not mention:

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume One ($14.99), Preacher Volume One ($14.99), Pride of Baghdad ($12.99). Justice Society of America: New Age ($14.99), and Irredeemable Volume One too (another $9.99 selection I inadvertently left off my last list)!

Great Gifts for Under Ten Bucks!

2009-12-04T14:14:00.006-06:00

Want to buy everyone on your list at least ONE graphic novel? All five of these pictured are no-brainers, and every single one costs UNDER $10! Share the joy of sequential storytelling without breaking the bank.

All five of these are books that most every comic fan already owns, but this list isn't for YOU, it's a short list of books you can buy for OTHERS. Do I really need to spell out why each of these would make a "perfect gift?" I guess there really isn't much point to this blog if I don't give you my personal opinion at every possible opportunity, now would it?

Walking Dead Volume One. WE all know what a great book this is, but how about all of your friends, do THEY know how great this book it? Any horror fan on your list NEEDS this book. I think I've encountered one soul that I recommended this title to that did NOT like it. It's that good, especially if you are even mildly interested in zombies, this book is for you. But Walking Dead isn't just about the undead hordes, it's also about the characters that Kirkman has created, there is a huge stable of them, each one unique, but the real kicker is Kirkman does not hesitate to mix things up on regular basis. One thing for sure, don't get too attached to any one character because you just never know when that character might be ripped to shreds by the roamers, lurkers, or some crazed maniac human, or by their own hand, because don't forget the world of Walking Dead is about what happens AFTER the zombie apocalypse.

Serenity Volume One. Ah, Joss Whedon I love you so. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a little Joss, imo. Any Joss Whedon fan on your list NEEDS this book, and I can only assume that there is at least ONE Whedon fan on there, if not two. And if they are indeed a Whedon fan, than we can only assume that they too are Firefly/Serenity fans. This great little graphic novel, bridges the gap between the end of the short-lived tv show (Firefly) and the movie (Serenity). Joss even co-wrote the three issue mini-series that this graphic novel collects. It's a nice little arc, ESSENTIAL reading for all Whedon fans, and again UNDER $10!

Fables Volume One. If you don't know my love of Fables yet, than I guess you've missed half of my posts. I love recommending this book to all kinds of people. Volume One is only $9.99, and it's just enough to whet your appetite for MORE Fables! Makes a great gift because the world of Fables requires absolutely no explanation whatsoever to non-comic-reading-folks on your list. Everyone is familiar with the story of Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs, the Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and the rest of the fables and fairy tales that all remember from their days as a youngin. Take those characters that we all know and love, and put them in the middle of present day New York, it's very much a "what happened next" scenario. After the stories we remember from childhood, what became of these beloved characters? We all know of course, because all comic fans with good taste read Fables, but this holiday season is a great time to give the gift of wonderful storytelling to your loved ones and friends. Buy at least one copy of Fables Volume One to give as a gift this Christmas.

Chew Volume One. This is a brand new addition to the stack of possible gift-giving affordable graphic novels. Wow, TWO Image books made this list, who would have thought that would happen? And look at that, not one Marvel book made the list because they ALL cost MORE than $10. Again, who would have thought that? What a bunch of jerks. It looks like even Image figured out the Vertigo publishing model. I could make a huge list of $9.99 Vertigo graphic novels, but I'm pretty sure I've done that at some in the recent past, so instead I should get back to discussing Chew. Chew is a lot of fun. If you are looking for something new and different to give to one of a person of distinguished taste on your list, than look no further. The back of the book describes the series better than I can, so here you go: "Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets physic impression from whatever he eats. It also means he is a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of FDA, the most powerful law environment agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre case."

Bone Volume One. OK, technically this book is $10.99, not $9.99, but it WAS $9.99 until very recently. Scholastic is using a strategy that is opposite of the Vertigo model, making the first volume of a series MORE expensive than the rest (As of right now volumes 2-9 are still priced at $9.99, but this could change in the near future. Perhaps all subsequent printings of Bone will be priced at $10.99 each.) Scholastic knows for a fact that many many many people will buy volume one of the series, but not as many people will buy volume two, this is a fact, no matter how good Bone is as an all ages fantasy adventure, volumes ones ALWAYS sell better than volume twos, this is a proven fact. Also happens with floppy comics too. #1's are almost always the best selling issue of a series, with occasional exceptions of course. (Sometime a new artist, writer, or character or event, becomes hot and that will bump the numbers for that particular issue #). If you have a child on your list and you haven't bought them a copy of Bone Volume One yet, you really should. Bone is one of those magical series that will capture a child's imagination and engage him/her and get them truly excited about reading. Any Harry Potter fan on your list, adult or child, do them a favor and buy them volume one of this series. No doubt they will be asking you about volume two in record time.

I really have to mention a book that Marvel did offer recently for under $10.00. The annual Marvel Holiday comic. This year, it's called the Marvel Holiday Spectacular, is magazine size and retails at a whopping $9.99. Contains material originally published. Marvel has been doing this an awful lot lately, mixing new material with old material and jacking up the price. If they had made the book normal comic book size, and taken out all the reprints, the book would have easily retailed at half the price, which would mean more people would have bought it. The price point and dimensions of this book are really killing the potential sales of this book. It could have been the perfect stocking stuffer for the Marvel zombie on your list, but Marvel dropped the ball on this one.

Join me for my next gift-giving themed blog will be about great gifts under $15.00. (That potential list is quite a bit bigger, but I will try to limit it to 10 items or less).

Hell YEAH!!!

2009-12-02T14:12:00.003-06:00

Oh man, this looks like it's going to be SO good! (fingers crossed) I still would have preferred to see Terrence Howard in the role of War Machine, since his character was in the first film, but Don Cheadle is a talented man, so I'm sure it will turn out fine in the end. I'm pretty sure that Iron Man 2 will see the very first Don Cheadle action figure to be released. I almost forgot that this movie will see the debut of Black Widow, Scarlet Johansson and of course Nick Fury (Samual Jackson) will be making an appearance. The list of characters is pretty long for this film, I hope we don't see the kind of thing that has happened way too often in superhero flicks: too many characters with not enough screen time or character development. Just look at this list from IMDB:

Scarlett Johansson	...	Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Tony Stark / Iron Man
Kate Mara	...	Unknown
Sam Rockwell	...	Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke	...	Ivan Vanko / Whiplash
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Nick Fury
Jon Favreau	...	Hogan
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Pepper Potts
Paul Bettany	...	Jarvis (voice)
Leslie Bibb	...	Christine Everhart
Don Cheadle	...	Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes / War Machine
Olivia Munn	...	Melina Vostokoff / Iron Maiden
Clark Gregg	...	Agent Coulson
John Slattery	...	Howard Stark
Stan Lee	...	Larry King
Helena Mattsson	...	Rebecca
Garry Shandling	...	Senator Stern
Tim Guinee	...	Major Allen
Natalina Maggio	...	Model
Anya Monzikova	...	Rebekah
Davin Ransom	...	Young Tony Stark
Jennifer D. Johnson	...	Ironette Dancer
Keith Middlebrook	...	Dr. Jason Miller
Jack White	...	Jack!

That's a lot of people crammed into one movie! And can someone tell me is Jack White the same Jack White of White Stripes fame? If it is, that's pretty cool, if not, than I don't care. And what's with Paul Bettany just being the "voice" of Jarvis? I don't get it. Do we only hear him over an intercom or something? I want to SEE Paul Bettany damn it! Speaking of Bettany, wouldn't he have made a KILLER John Constantine, instead of Keanu Reeves? And hey Gary Shandling always rocks! Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Pots still makes my stomach churn, but hopefully like last time, we won't have to see or hear her too much. (I just checked into it, and I'll be damned Bettany was the voice of Jarvis in the first movie too, I guess I'll have to go back and rewatch it just for that.)

So who's excited about this sure to be HUGE summer blockbuster of 2010? I sure am! I've told everyone this before, but damn I never thought I would give a crap about an Iron Man ANYTHING! That first movie was so very entertaining, mostly due to Robert Downey Jr. He's the perfect Tony Stark.

Owly is the Perfect Gift for Kids of ALL AGES!

2009-12-02T13:56:00.004-06:00

Continuing with my series of "Great Gifts" blog postings, here is a great example of comics for KIDS! Owly is a magical series of graphic novels, there are four so far by Andy Runton. They are a pleasure to look at, with simple lovely art, and to make it super easy for kids of all ages, they are wordless graphic novels. Like Gon before it, Owly is just a pleasure to behold. As pictured here, there is also an Owly plush available. Why not get your niece, nephew, son, daughter, or little cousin into comics the easy way? Buy them some Owly, and they will love you for it! Owly has received multiple awards across the industry and in the book industry too. It's one of those graphic novel series that you will find at almost every library in the county, along with Bone of course. Librarians, teachers, parents, and kids LOVE Owly, the question is, have YOU tried Owly yet? You really really should.

Blood Makes a PERFECT Holiday Gift!

2009-12-01T13:33:00.004-06:00

Have you seen these? They are pretty damn cool, if you are into this sort of thang. They retail for a mere $3.99 each. What a great stocking stuffer! Or better yet, buy a bunch of bags of blood and use them at your holiday feast with the family. I'm sure old Auntie Gretta would love to drink some blood for your annual holiday toast!

Blood: energy Potion has the following info on the front of the "bag":

-Similar nutrients to real blood
-Fangtastic fruit punch flavor
-Up to four hours of pure energy
-Delicious for vampires or humans
-Succulent source of electrolytes
-Delectable source of iron
-Protein and energy
-Garlic free

On the back of the bag, there are instructions for warming it in the microwave to make it a "perfect" 98.5 degrees.

Not recommended for mortals under 12.

_____________________________________

There is the PERFECT holiday add-on. Stuff theses little bags of blood into stockings or tie one to the top of every gift you give this year! Not only does this "blood" leave a great metallic aftertaste but it is a rather thick liquid, so if you poor it in a goblet it will look very blood-like. Give these to all of your Twilight friends! Tween girls WANT to drink blood, or at least pretend to drink it. :) Also makes a great gift for the "True Blood" fans on your holiday list.

Available at the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy.

New Heroclix are HOT!

2009-11-27T19:20:00.004-06:00

There are TONS of great gifts available at your local Amazing Fantasy for all the cool kids on your list! One of the most surprising items of the season is the new Heroclix set: Hammer of Thor. Heroclix has been on hiatus for a year or more, which made many gamers quite sad. I'm happy to report that Heroclix is back and in a BIG BIG way! The figures look great, better than previous sets IMO. Neca is now producing the Heroclix game. I was worried since they had not produced a miniature game before, BUT they did a good job with this expansion. This is the set that was already planned on being produced before Wizkids discontinued Heroclix last year.

Never played Heroclix and you are wondering what the heck I'm going on about? Stop by your local A/F for a FREE "quick start rules" sheet. It's a super simple miniatures game featuring your favorite super heroes. There are both Marvel and DC figures available, so every fanboy's/fangirl's wet dream can come true. "What would happen if the Thing fought Superman" or whatever burning dual you can dream up can be played out right on your tabletop! Damn cool. The figs are prepainted, so none of that time-consuming bullshit associated with traditional tabletop wargamming, like Warhammer, this game is ready to go right out of the box.

If you are looking to pick up any of these Hammer of Thor Heroclix boosters, act quickly because every set is limited. Each booster of 5 random Marvel Heroclix figures retails at $11.99, and this brand new set, Hammer of Thor, is FLYING off the shelves! Buy a brick of 10 boosters and get a FREE exclusive figure: an oversize Ragnarok Surtur.

Heroclix boosters make GREAT stocking stuffers!

Two BIG Holiday Events Coming SOON!!!

2009-11-25T16:34:00.004-06:00

Two HUGE events coming very soon to your local Amazing Fantasy location!

Our 15th annual Midnight Madness Sale!
This year it will be Friday December 11th from 8pm-12 Midnight at the Frankfort and Tinley Park locations and Saturday December 12th from 7pm-11pm at the Lockport and Calumet City locations. If you have never had a chance to make it to one of these sales before I can not emphasize how amazing it is. Really, I shit you not. Just ask anyone who has been to Midnight Madness before, it is absolutely MAD!

Every year, we do something a little different every year, so don't bother asking me WHAT is going to be on sale, suffice it to say that there are deals to be had throughout the store. People usually start showing up a hour or so beforehand to start scoping the place out. No announcements will be made about what the special specials will be until the sale begins! Expect to be wowed, expect to save tons of cash. Bring your wish list, your friend's wish list, your husband/wife's wish list, your mom's wish list, your children's wish lists, well you get the idea.

Also, each store will have a little something extra going on. Santa may attend the sale, elves, Mrs. Claus, Supergirl, who knows? Everyone who is everyone is going to be there, so you need to mark these dates on your calendar, or on your IPhone, wherever you keep track of all the cool stuff you do from day to day so you aren't left out! Some locations will have snacks available, some stores will be playing special holiday themed music, some stores might be raffling off goodies, and MORE! The fun will be NON-STOP. This is a DO NOT miss event!

New Year's Eve Eve Day/Night of FUN
Wednesday, December 30th ALL DAY long at all four Amazing Fantasy locations! That's right, from 11am-8pm! Come on in for crazy fun! What all is going on? Well, it's a skip week for new comics, but don't let that stop you from coming by your favorite LCS, no sir. There will be PLENTY to keep you occupied and entertained. There will be sales and specials all day long, since it will be the PERFECT time to try something NEW. Buy that graphic novel you've been eyeing for months or jump on a new series that you've been thinking about. We'll be hosting a number of incentives to encourage a little funtime reading. Every store will be hosting some extra special fun! One thing I can tell you for sure: Frankfort will be hosting Karaoke from 4pm-8pm with special host/MC Bill R! It was suppose to be Jerkules, but he's being a "Jerk", go figure, lol. :P And Frankfort will also have some champagne, wine and cheese and crackers available to get into the pre-party spirit of New Year's Eve. Remember this special event is on the EVE of New Year's Eve so you will be able to booze up before the big booze up the next evening. We might even have confetti and balloons, who knows? You will just have to come and see for yourself!

My Love Affair with Jack Knight Knows No End...

2009-11-25T15:19:00.003-06:00

More great gifts for the holidays: The wonderful Starman Omnibus Volume 1-3. These babies retail at $49.99 each. Volume Four will be shipping in February. Here is the page count for each volume: 1 has 448 pages, 2 has 416 pages, 3 has 432 pages as does the forthcoming volume 4. Quite impressive tombs. These Omnibus collections are the perfect way to start your very own Starman library or to recollect your Starman issues.

I just finished all three Ominbus volumes. I hadn't read my Starman floppies for many years, so this was a real treat. I love, love, love Jack Knight. If he was a real person, I would SO have a crush on him. His tats, his jacket, his toys, and his goatee all look mighty fine. I've been SO in lust/love with the character of Jack Knight for SO long that I've been planning on getting some ink in honor of him, and that time is coming very soon. I've been hoping to get the Starman symbol on my lower back forever now, but I'm glad I didn't. I've decided to get the Starman symbol on the back of my neck now, which is a much better idea. I'm coming up on 40 fast, so I don't really need a tramp stamp on my lower back, do I?

Ok, back to why James Robinson and Tony Harris's creation of Jack Knight/Starman is so great. James did a bang up job of taking ALL the Starman characters from the Golden Age through the present and somehow managed to make it all make sense. I never gave a crap about any of the Starman characters before this series, but because of the ongoing Starman series I now have a special place in my heart for all of them. Ted Knight, the original Golden Age Starman is Jack's father and plays an important supporting role in the series. In face if you are any kind of Golden Age fan, you should really read this series because Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman, also plays a role. There are also numerous references to the Golden Age JSA. Trivia that only came to light in the Starman series: Ted Knight (G.A. Starman) had a short-lived affair with the G.A. Black Canary. Oh yeah, you get all the dirty details of the Golden Age in this series. The original artist Tony Harris also played a big part in making me love this series. The character of Jack Knight, his likes and dislikes, is pretty much based on James Robinson, but the LOOk of Jack Knight is based on Tony Harris himself. I think the tattoos that Jack has on his body throughout most of the series were the same or close to the same ones that Tony had on his. So Jack Knight is the combination of these two great creators in more ways than one. Tony also designed Opal City for the book, from scratch if I'm not mistaken. I believe he and James talked at length about how they wanted the city to look and feel and then Tony made it come to life. Opal City is Starman's homebase, has always been his home base, from Ted Knight to David Knight (Jack's deceased older brother) and of course Jack Knight also calls Opal home. Opal City looks fabulous, art deco/noveau inspired beauty as far as the eye can see, in every panel on every page. Even the colors on this book were pitch pefect. From issue to issue, from cover to cover, Starman is one of my ALL TIME favorite super hero books, EVER.

The only real complaint I have about the collections is the lack of letter column reprints. DC chose a smattering of letters pages to reprint, but man back in the day how I loved to read the letters column in Starman. So damn entertaining! It was great. You have to remember that this was back before the internet, so things were different for collectors then. If you collected anything, vintage records, old Fisher Price Litte People, Hawaiian shirts, comics, whatever collectible you could think of, you couldn't just go to Ebay because Ebay didn't exist! James, at least back in the day, was a huge collector of all kinds of fun stuff, so he would write all about different type of collectibles in his letters column. It was awesome. He would even ask his readers if they had a certain collectible he was looking for and people would write in to ask questions about collectibles or to offer James something he was looking for. Yes, I know I'm dating myself here talking about the days before Ebay, but just THINK about how crazy that time was.

I can't wait for volume 4 of the Omnibus! There will be a total of 7 volumes all together and they would look GREAT on any bookcase. The Starman Omnibus volumes, make great gifts for your friends or hell, treat yourself to some fabulous reading this holiday season.

This Should Be On Everyone's List!

2009-11-24T12:54:00.004-06:00

I said I was going to blog about a different Great Gift Idea everyday, so here is today's! Marvel's Wonderful Wizard of Oz hardcover! It's the perfect gift for ANYONE! Collecting all eight issues of the mega-popular comic series in hardcover for the affordable price of $29.99. Adapted by Mr. Oz himself, writer Eric Shanower with delightful art by the amazing Skottie Young. I can not recommend this book enough. It's the type of gift that even non-comic fans will enjoy. This is the first of many volumes that Marvel will be producing, adapting the Oz novels. They have already started the next volume: The Marvelous Land of Oz. There are an awful lot of Oz books that L. Frank Baum wrote back in the day, I think Baum wrote 13 Oz novels all together. Wouldn't that be wonderful if Marvel managed to adapt ALL 13?

From the inside flap of the HC: "With Marvel's Wonderful Wizard of Oz, an American fantasy comes to life in a classic comics retelling! Shortly after its initial publication in 1900, author L. Frank Baum put his children's literature in context: It was written 'solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment of joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares left out.' Baum died 19 years later, but only after leaving behind a legacy of Oz-inspired fantasy 13 sequels long - a legacy augmented by the 1939 MGM picture starring Judy Garland that took an already beloved story and turned it into a cultural institution."

Every child on your list, and every child at heart, should receive this book for the Holidays this year. It would make the world a happier place, wouldn't it? It also makes the perfect gift for moms and dads that remember the books or the movie growing up. I'm just excited that Marvel has already begun the process of adapting further volumes of the series. There are many folks out there that had NO idea that there were more books in the series.

Marvel did something right. You better write this down.

IDW and Desperado Join Forces

2009-11-23T14:20:00.002-06:00

GO IDW GO! Announced today, Desperado is now an imprint of IDW. Cool stuff, that I am happy to see find a home with the great folks over at IDW. IDW has been slowly growing by leaps and bounds over the last few years and over the last year alone, they have acquired quite an assortment of worthy imprints, including: Robert Bloch, The Library of American Comics (strip collections), Worthwhile Books (great all ages picture books) and now Desperado!

Desperado has jumped around from being self-published to an imprint over at Image and back to self-publishing. Now that they have joined with IDW, they can focus on getting their high quality books out on a more regular basis.

This is great news! Congrats to Joe Pruett and the whole crew over at Desperado for what is sure to be a great decision, and congrats to IDW for being smart enough to bring Desperado under the IDW banner.

Some of the great books that I've enjoyed over the years from Desperado: The Art of P. Craig Russell, the gorgeous Art of Brian Bolland, the Obergeist collection, and the forth-coming Art of Tony Harris hardcover. Damn that will be another one for the bookcase for sure.

The Holidays Are Right Around the Corner!

2009-11-23T14:11:00.002-06:00

Wow, where the hell does the time go? I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! Since the Gift Giving Season is now right around the corner, I thought I would take some time to highlight one GREAT GIFT every day on my blog.

First up? UGLYDOLLS! (Pictured above). Aren't they just the cutest or the ugliest as the case may be? All four Amazing Fantasy locations carry an assortment of these colorful critters. The Frankfort location has the biggest selection. If you want to know if I have a particular character in stock, feel free to give me a call or drop me an email.

Uglydolls are awesome because they are SUPER soft, they can easily work as throw pillows on a couch, they are they soft and squishy! I carry three sizes: 12" plush retail at $20.00, the 6" plush retail at $10, and the plush key chains retails at $6.00. These fellows look GREAT popping out of a stocking on Christmas morning! Uglydolls are popular with children of All Ages and pets too because all of their eyes and mouth are flat and sewn on, NO lose little parts that can fall off to choke a child or pet. Dogs get a kick out of them, and spray a little catnip on them and watch your feline go to town!

Be sure to check them out you are in the shop. You can't miss them, I have an assortment of Uglydolls hanging from the ceiling above the section!

Art Baltazar Signing Report

2009-11-10T19:40:00.005-06:00

This last Saturday was KID'S DAY at the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy. Want to check out the pictures? Go to this link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankfort-IL/Amazing-Fantasy-Books-and-Comics/91058162397?v=photos#/album.php?aid=123313&id=91058162397

All in all, it was a fabulous day, as the pictures can attest. This is the first time I've had Art Baltazar at the shop and he was "awesome!" The kids loved him and all the free sketches he did! We also offered Tiny Titans coloring sheets, face painting, kids comics and graphic novels specials, oh and free balloons! Fun was had by all that attended. I was quite pleased with the number of kids that showed up, lots and lots! Many of them new faces, and many of them little girls. So cute! Made me so proud to see this new batch of fanboys and girls lining up to get their comics signed and to get custom sketches.

Tiny Titans is a great entry level comic for young children, and of course adults love it too because of all of the DCU "in" jokes. Gotta love "Jason Toddler" yes indeed. I applaud Art and Franko on a job well done. Art's art and coloring are top rate and the stories they collaborate on are just a riot. What a wonderful book. It's the comic I go to again and again when parents come in looking for a good comics for kids. Tiny Titans is always my number one recommendation.

Our thanks again to Art for making time in his very very busy schedule to come out for a fun afternoon! Everyone should really check out the above link to see all the cool pics. Many kids came out wearing their favorite superhero costume, it was AWESOME!!!

Saturday is KID'S DAY at the Frankfort A/F!

2009-11-05T12:03:00.005-06:00

This Saturday, November 7th from 12 noon to 3 pm Art Baltazar will be on hand for Amazing Fantasy Frankfort's KID'S DAY! Should be a blast!

I've already mentioned this event on a previous post, but now that the event is right around the corner, I wanted to remind everyone.

Why are we calling this "kid's day" and not just a "signing?" We can't call it just a "signing" because it going to be SO much more than that! Art of course will be on hand signing away, and he will be doing FREE quick sketches all day for any fan that shows up (time allowing of course). We also will be giving away FREE balloons to any child that wants one (while supplies last). FREE face-painting by one of our good customers/friends, Brandon. Brandon will happily paint any superhero symbol on your cheek, for FREE. Choose from the classics like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman, or be daring and challenge Brandon with the likes of the Aquaman symbol (it's a very dated looking capital "A,") or ask him for the Martian Manhunter symbol, I'm sure he would LOVE to paint that one. Or any of the other popular Lantern symbols, I think every child should have a Red Lantern (Rage) symbol painted on their cheek or the Orange (Avarice) symbol, because that would amuse me, and damn it I like to be amused when I come in on a weekend for a special event. There will also be a coloring contest, featuring one of Art's famous Tiny Titans covers. Crayons and table space will be available so the kiddies can color while they are waiting to get their faces painted or waiting for a sketch from Art. Special BONUS: dress you or your child up in a superhero costume and be brave enough to be photographed in it, and you will receive an EXTRA discount on kids comics and graphic novels. Even if you don't wear your favorite superhero costume, there will be special pricing on all kids comics and graphic novels for the duration of the event.

Just look at all the great reasons I have given you to come out to the Frankfort Amazing Fantasy this Saturday from 12 noon-3pm. I hope to see all of you there as well as your kids! This is the perfect event to get your kids excited about reading and comics. Don't have kids? So what, we are all kids at heart, aren't we, otherwise we wouldn't be reading and/or collecting funny books, so why not come on out anyway? Meet Art and get a cool FREE sketch. Art is one of the nicest guys working in comics, and he's absolutely fabulous with the kiddies, and heck even adults like him! If you've never seen Art at a con, next con you go to, be sure to check out his table in artist's alley, he always has a HUGE line because everybody LOVE Art and his art!

Oh Yeah, Awesome!!!!!!

This Industry Continues to Baffle Me

2009-11-03T18:38:00.004-06:00

If you've read this blog before, you know that I've been in this godforsaken industry for over 18 years now. Hopefully you've also picked up on the fact that I am female. Good gosh, I'm a girl, it's true! I've been fighting stereotypes in this industry the entire time I've been working in it, and before that as a fan. At times, it has been very frustrating. Obviously, being a woman, I know nothing about back issues. Obviously, being a woman I must be married to or at least dating whatever male I am working with at the shop. Obviously, being a woman behind the Moonstone booth at various cons, I must be married to one of the men that work behind the scenes at Moonstone. Obviously, being female, I must only read "girly" comics. Obviously, being female working at a comic shop, I must want men to refer to me as "honey" "sweety" or "doll" on a regular basis. You've all heard me bitch, you've heard all the stories about the fun I've had with this sore spot over the years, you may have even witnessed some of these fun vignettes first hand at the shop! Many people that come into the shop to sell back issues, automatically start addressing whichever male employee I happen to be working with that day, and then when that employee points out "no, you need to talk to HER" said walk-in customer will stand in front of me but still LOOK at the male employee while addressing me. Anyway, most of this just makes me laugh, I mean really after this many years, there shouldn't be anything left to surprise me. Lookie here, I've been surprised yet again.

Two interesting discussion topics came up IN THE SAME EVENING. I was hanging out with some like-minded comic-book friends, discussing the Fables series of comics and graphic novels. I need to mention the fact that this was a Halloween themed get together with many attendees wearing various costumes of the Fables-related variety or other fun costumes. I was dressed as Red Riding Hood, see above picture. As should be OBVIOUS to anyone, I am indeed a female. I was standing next to one of my male comic book friends to get a picture taken of both of us in our costumes and his brother says to him "stand closer to her like you like girls" and he replies "but Lori doesn't count!" That's right, I don't "count" as a female. Ok, makes sense, I'm one of the guys in many ways. I can discuss Batman, Green Lantern, obscure Golden Age characters, indy comics, manga, pulps, you name it, with any guy on any day and odds are good that I am better informed than said individual. All I'm saying is, I do know a thing or two about the industry I work in, hard to believe, but I swear to god it's true. Many men and women that shop at our stores are well aware of this fact. So I'm not really a "girl" in their eyes because many of the women they know don't have the knowledge or interest in the sheer number of stereotypically "male" hobbies that I do: sci-fi, fantasy, role playing games, board games, card games, comics, graphic novels, toys, etc. I've always felt like "one of the guys" for most of my life. The vast majority of my friends have been male, back when I was younger, as well as today. I have never considered myself overly "girly". (Ok, I do like Hello Kitty, but that doesn't count!) So this friend's comment that "Lori doesn't count as a girl" makes sense. I'm not offended in any way, but coupled with the other comment I was on the receiving end of that night, I am perplexed!

That same evening another comic-book minded friend of mine was "surprised" when he read Fables upon my recommendation and found that he liked it, because he figured if I liked it, it must be "girly." I've know this person for many years, he's been shopping at MY store for many years, and yet still he somehow thinks I must only like "girly" comics. Whatever the hell that is. I'm not talking about Shojo manga, the type that is created FOR women. I've told this individual all about some of my all time favorite comics: geez that list is long, but I want to share with you some of the titles so everyone can bare witness on how "un" girly my tastes run. JSA, JLA, anything by Grant Morrison, anything by Alan Moore, anything by Garth Ennis including "THE BOYS" monthly, most Peter Milligan comics (and yes Hellblazer is VERY girly), Ed Brubaker (again when I think "girly" I think of books like Criminal and Captain America for god's sake!), Greg Rucka (mind you he is currently writing Batwoman in Detective Comics, but the vast majority of the Rucka fan-base is male), all the Green Lantern books, Daredevil (again he is SO feminine, I know!), Batman (better be careful if you call Batman a sissy and he hears you, you will be in for a mighty ass-kicking) and many many more. Oh and here's a partial list of some of my favorite pulp characters, yeah you know that predominately MALE fanbase includes me, I've even worked on some of these characters for Moonstone: The Spider, The Avenger, The Shadow, and Doc Savage, oh and Black Bat, and most of the others! I love Green Hornet, and Zorro too. I also have a collection of swords at home, another example of just how girly I am indeed.

I can NOT believe the strangeness of it all. It just goes to show you that no matter how hard I try I can NOT understand the world of comic books. I'm damned because I'm a woman that reads comics, edits comics, and sells comics. To summarize: I'm considered both "not a girl" and yet also "too girly" therefore my tastes do not count. I just don't' get it, and want to scream very loudly on the top of my lungs because of the absurdity of it all.

These days, many women shop at comic shops on a regular basis, including Amazing Fantasy of course, and many women work in the industry, yet we still have problems. We've come a very long way, but not far enough apparently. The road will continue to be both long and arduous. If I ever make sense of it all, I'll be sure to share. :) Sorry for the bitch fest, but sometimes....

One Prose Place

2009-11-03T14:34:00.003-06:00

http://www.moonstoneforums.com/showthread.php?tid=817&pid=4861#pid4861

Our sister company, Moonstone is offering FREE stories! The above link is for the new Moonstone prose thread on the Moonstone forums, called One Prose Place. I wanted to share this with everyone because it's pretty cool and it's FREE! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we will be posting about 500 words of one of our short stories for FREE! We've started with a story from the short story anthology: Phantom Chronicles. White Knight was penned by Phantom scribe and Phantom group editor, Mike Bullock. So when you are sitting around bored at work, go to the Moonstone forums to read some FREE tidbits! It will take a few weeks but we will reprint an entire story from one of our great anthologies! We have a lot to chose from, so over the course of the coming months you will be able to thrill to not only stories of the Ghost Who Walks (I'm talking about the Phantom of course), everyone's favorite paranormal investigator Carl Kolchak, the man that serves his own kind of justice The Spider, another pulp favorite The Avenger, the blond bombshell Domino Lady, and many more! If you like what you read, all of the Moonstone short story prose anthologies are available from your local Amazing Fantasy branch, your local bookstore, your LCS, or you can order them direct from Moonstone at http://www.moonstonebooks.com/. Next time you feel the need to waste time at work, instead of playing the farm or mafia game on Facebook, check out some cool stories instead!

Happy reading!

Marvel Comics on IPhone

2009-10-30T11:08:00.003-05:00

The providing information has been copied and pasted from Bleedingcool.com

My comments are below.

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Marvel titles being made available for iPhone and iTouch users through the iPhone Apps systems. And not tied down to any one App provider, but spread out a bit. So what’s out there?

Comixology: (71 issues, $1.99 each)
Age of Apocalypse #1–6Astonishing X-Men #1–24 (Full Whedon Cassaday run)Captain America #1–30 (Brubaker, Epting)Marvel Zombies #1–5X-23 #1–6

iVerse: (37 issues, $1.99 each)
Age of Apocalypse #1–6Amazing Spider-Man #519–524Astonishing X-Men #1–12Captain America #1–6 (Brubaker, Epting)Invincible Iron Man #1–6X-23 #1–6

Panelfly (84 issues, $0.99 each)
Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #1-25 (Lee, Ditko)Amazing Spider-Man #519-524Astonishing X-Men #1-24Invincible Iron Man #1-16X-23 #1-6Age Of Apocalypse #1-6

Comixology gets the lion’s share of new content at $1.99 a title but no Iron Man or Spider-Man. iVerse also has a different lesser range for $1.99 with some Iron Man and Spider-Man but no Marvel Zombies and only a little Captain America. PanelFly has a stack, no Captain America or Marvel Zombies but much more Iron Man and a stack of Lee/Ditko Spider-Man. More importantly, they’re only charging $0.99. So if you want Iron Man, Age Of Apocalypse, NYX or Astonishing X-Men, it would be silly to get them from the rival providers.

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We all knew it was going to happen, so this isn't really a shock or anything. I'm just waiting to hear when DC is going to get in on this new stream of cash. I can never argue with comics being available in and on multiple mediums/platforms. If we can convert a few new readers, it can't be a bad thing. Personally, I'm not very interested in reading any comics on a small screen, such as an IPhone or IPod. I've discussed the new tablet that's coming from Apple at some point before (big color screen, unlike the Kindle) and what that could mean for comics, but until such time that that is the norm for everyone on the planet, we can only look at this new digital content as a positive for the industry. One of the most dangerous things about an IPhone or IPod is all the ways you can blow your cash, what with apps, music, games, and movies/tv shows. It's all a little crazy. If you happen to be one of those lucky souls that can spend all kinds of cash on digital apps, than go crazy! I'm old school, I know this, but I still like the physical comic and GN's, and most likely always will. This whole topic is more for getting NEW readers into the medium, this is for all the youngins that are used to only having their products digitally.

When DC makes the move, I wonder what titles they are going to start with and what era, interesting thing to ponder. Kingdom Come is a no-brainer, as well as Y, Fables, Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, V, Sandman, Batman: Killing Joke, the various Crisis stories, etc. They certainly have a lot of great stories to choose from once they make the move.

Tony Isabella's New Book!

2009-10-28T15:24:00.002-05:00

Tony Isabella's new book arrived at LCS this week: 1000 Comic Books You Must Read published by Krause Publications in hardcover, retailing at $29.99. There are a couple of reasons that I would like to recommend this book. Tony is a long-time contributor to Comic Buyer's Guide, as well as a comic writer and editor. (He created Black Lightning, DC's first headline African-American hero).
From the back of the book: "1000 Comic Books You Must Read is an unforgettable journey through 70 years of comic books. Arranged by decade, this book introduces you to 1000 of the best comic books ever published and the amazing writers and artists who created them." Full color, on glossy paper, this book would look great on any coffee table.
Chapter One: "This is a job for Superman." This is a very short chapter about the man himself, Superman, highlighting 6 of his golden age tales.
Chapter Two: The Fighting Forties. This is a pretty meaty chapter, highlighting many famous and not-so-famous but worth reading, golden age issues. Important books that are of course included in this chapter: Detective #27 (first Batman, for those of you that aren't good with issue numbers), Marvel Comics #1( first Human Torch and Sub-Mariner), Flash Comics #1 (first GA Flash), Planet Comics #1 (first sci-fi comic ever), and all the other major books of the Golden Age, and wow there are a lot of important ones. It's really something to see them all pictured together, with the explanation beneath each one detailing WHY the book is important enough to include in the book.
Chapter Three: the Fearful Fifties. This chapter is even bigger than the GA chapter. This of course details the non-superhero era. All of the important EC comics are showcased, as well as the famous western comics, the famous romance comics, Archies, Tarzan, Disney stuff, war titles, and other fun stuff that many folks may have forgotten. The last half of the chapter details the onset of the Silver Age (second age of heroes), with Showcase #4 (first SA Flash) as well as other important DC books of the day.
Chapter Four: The Swinging Sixties. Lots of great books are discussed in this chapter, no surprise here, what with the barrage of BIG Marvel releases this decade: first Spidey (Amazing Fantasy #15), first FF (FF #1), the first Avengers (Avengers #1 duh!), the first X-men (in X-men #1, surprise surprise!), and other such cool issues of note.
Chapter Five: The Surprising Seventies. Lots of great books came out in the 70's, despite the over-use of the word "groovy" and too many characters wearing bell-bottoms. Highlights include: Green Lantern #76 (first GL/GA), a bunch of good Kirby stuff (New Gods #1, Mister Miracle #1, Forever People #1), a ton of cool horror titles (Tomb of Dracula #1, first appearance of Werewolf by Night, first appearance of Ghost Rider, Swamp Thing #1), and many many other cool books that I now want to go back and reread.
Chapter Six: The Energetic Eighties. The Direct Market changed the comic book world forever, and made it possible for such gems as: Detectives #1, Jon Sable #1, Groo #1, Badger #1, Love and Rockets #1, Nexus #1, American Flag #1, Zot #1, TMNT #1, and holy shit there are a TON more of these great non-Marvel/DC books that made it in a big way back in the 80's! Wow, I remember my weekly trips to the local shop and there were just so many choices it was crazy fun.
Chapter Nine: The Noisy Nineties. The 90's were full of good and bad, 92-93 saw many many bad books hit the market. Notable exceptions: Sandman, From Hell, Bone, the Milestone books, Marvels, Tale of One Bad Rat, all 17 "Big Book" anthologies from Paradox Press (one-time imprint of DC), and as usual, many more amazing books.
Chapter Ten: The New Millennium. Blankets, Persepolis, Alice in Sunderland, and so many more. Two wonderful books that I am super excited have been included in this tome of comic book knowledge: Phantom #17 (part 1 of 3) of the Invisible Children storyline and Pat Novak: for Hire. Two Moonstone books in this most important collection of what should be read by all. We are very excited and proud to be part of this book. Both Phantom #17 and Pat Novak are available for purchase at all four Amazing Fantasy locations, your LCS, or if your LCS does not have them on hand, you can order directly from us : www.moonstonebooks.com.

There you have it, a small sampling of the 1000 comics that Tony has included. This is a book that all libraries should have on the shelf, every comic shop should also have it for sale, every book store and, of course every true comic book connoisseur should also make an effort to pick this up. It's a wonderful overview of over 70 years of sequential storytelling at its best.

NEW Stephen King comics from VERTIGO!

2009-10-26T13:43:00.003-05:00

This is pretty damn cool news!
(More of my thoughts and comments after the copy and paste)
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Via the Vertigo blog, news of a new vampire series, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, written by well-regarded horror writer Scott Snyder with art by rising star Rafael Albuquerque, and stories written by one Stephen King.

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The new ongoing series, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, will introduce readers to a new breed of vampire—a more muscular and vicious species of vampire with distinctly American characteristics. The series’ first story arc, to be told over the course of five issues, will feature two different stories, one written by Snyder, the other by King. Snyder’s storyline is one of decadence and deception and Jazz Age glamour. Pearl is an ambitious modern woman with starlet dreams. She frequents Hollywood’s speakeasies and dance-halls searching for her first big break, only to find something far more sinister waiting for her. King’s story provides the origin of the very first American vampire: Skinner Sweet, a bank robbing, murdering cowboy of the 1880s. Skinner is stronger and faster than previous vampires; he has rattlesnake fangs and is powered by…. the sun? Following the conclusion of the first story arc, Snyder and Albuquerque will trace Skinner’s bloodline through various decades of American history.

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More info via The Beat:

The Daily Beast has some more art, some of the origin story of the project:
When American Vampire was in the early stages of being greenlit, the editors at Vertigo asked Snyder if he knew anyone that would be willing to give a blurb to the project. Snyder had maintained a friendship with Stephen King after King had written a blurb for Voodoo Heart, so he sent King what he had so far of the series.

“He came back saying he loved it and he’d actually be willing to do a few issues at some point if we wanted him to,” Snyder says. “I went back to Vertigo and pretty much made sure that they were gonna take it regardless. It was really important to me that they weren’t going to take it because Steve was involved, because I’m the one who has to carry the series beyond Steve.”

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This is great news for Stephen King fans as well as comic fans in general. All of King's forays into comics thus far have been adaptations of his existing work. (Marvel has published several very successful Dark Tower mini-series, and a few Stand mini-series thus far. DelRey is starting their Talisman comics very soon too. ) This would mark King's very first ALL NEW original story and characters for the comic book medium we know and love. This could possibly prove to be one of the best-selling Vertigo series of all time. This might also mark the first time that Vertigo will offer hardcover collections FIRST for a title BEFORE the paperbacks. Vertigo has been slowly offering hardcover GN of some of their best-selling series, way way after the fact. For example, Fables is on volume 12 in the paperbacks and volume 1 of the hardcover was released last month. Each volume of the Vertigo hardcovers contains two volumes of the paperback. They did a similar thing for Y and for Preacher. Well after the series was over, the first Preacher hardcover was published a few months back. Y's first hardcover volume shipped for the X-mas holiday last year. Marvel, on the other hand, has released the Stephen King Dark Tower collections in hardcover ONLY, the same with the Stand. Marvel's normal formula is to releases a paperback release of the hardcover volume of the same name, about 2-3 months after the hardcover release. The first Dark Tower HC volume came out 2 years ago. Similar to the Harry Potter novels, there is little reason to publish paperback editions of a book when the hardcovers continue to do well. Those first three volumes of the Harry Potter books were in hardcover ONLY for a few years before the paperbacks were finally released.

One other note about the future collection of this yet-to-be released, not even officially solicited series, American Vampire. Traditionally, Vertigo releases all of their volume ones for ongoing Vertigo series in a super affordable $9.99 edition. There are exceptions to this of course (Madam Xanadu volume 1 leaps to mind) because this is a newer development, sometime in the last 5-7 years, starting with Fables volume 1 if I'm not mistaken. I don't think they were able to offer this attractive price point for Madam Xanadu because the first story-arc is longer than the normal initial story arc. Books that I can think of that started off with a $9.99 collection: Scalped, Fables, DMZ, Crossing Midnight, American Virgin, Exterminators, House of Mystery, 100 Bullets, the forth-coming Unwritten collection, Sandman Mystery Theatre, and Young Liars. I am therefore guessing that Vertigo will not release a $9.99 paperback edition of American Vampires because they will not be able to afford to do so. Stephen King is not cheap labor, so they may well try to milk the hardcover for as long as possible before releasing a paperback edition, and when the paperback is finally released it will most likely be in the neighborhood of $14.99, but it is a little premature to start guessing about this kind of thing. More food for thought: American Vampire could well be the first $3.99 monthly release from Vertigo also, again because of the price tag for Stephen King.

Much to speculate about, and much to look forward to with this announcement!

This new American Vampire comic could well turn out to be the True Blood of comics. I'm definately interested to check this series out.

Library Craziness!

2009-10-23T15:35:00.004-05:00

Check out this story that I found on Comic Book Resources:

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Libraries Two library employees in Nicholasville, Kentucky, were fired last month after they refused to allow an 11-year-old girl to check out The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which they dubbed pornographic. However, the policy of the Jessamine County Library states it's the responsibility of parents to decide what's appropriate for their child to read.
The fired employees, Beth Bovaire and Sharon Cook, stand behind their decision, asserting that the award-winning comic by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill contains lewd pictures that are inappropriate for children.
"If you give children pornography, a child, a 12 year old, can not understand and process the same way a 30 year old can," Cook told a local television news station. [WTVQ, WTVQ]

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I have to say, I'm a little torn over this. I don't think the library employees deserved to be fired for this. I understand and applaud the library's policy, BUT maybe the employees were just trying to cover their own asses. I know I've done this at the shop several times. Not that long ago, a 14 year old came in to buy League volume 1. His mom was with him, I told her she might want to look at the book first to make sure it would be appropriate for him. I, as a retailer, do not want to be the one to decide what is appropriate for any child to read. For example, all of the Vertigo books out there, have a "suggested for mature readers" printed on the front of the comics and the graphic novels. If I encounter a child (if you can't drive yourself to the store, I will consider you a "child") that wants to buy Vertigo books, I always double check with the parents. I don't want to get slapped with a law suit for selling pornographic material to a minor. I support the CBLDF but hope to never have to use them as a source for launching a legal defense. I absolutely agree with the principle that the library supports of not censoring any checkout by a minor, I find it downright amazing that a library in Kentucky supports this right so strongly. Couldn't the library just have reprimanded the employees instead of firing them? It seems a little extreme. I'm betting if these employees had gone ahead and let any under age child check LOEG out, there would be at least one parent out there trying to sue the library for exposing their precious children to "pornography." I do not agree with the assessment of these employees that LOEG is "porn" . "Lost Girls?" Oh yeah, definitely porn, but LOEG Vol 1? Adult themes and situations for sure, but I would call it "suggested for mature readers" before labeling it "adult", "porn", or even "erotica". Volume 3 on the other hand, what with the Tijuana Bible insert perhaps could be considered "adult." Thanks for the controversy Alan Moore! (That crazy old White Wizard loves to stir up controversy over any type of porn. If the old man had it his way, there would be a whole class devoted to Victorian Porn in kindergarten.)

Odd note: I just walked over to the shelf, and I'll be damned, NO WHERE on the LOEG graphic novels does it say "suggested for Mature Readers" I guess that is only a Vertigo thing, not America's Best Comics (Moore's imprint at Wildstorm, which in turn is a imprint at DC). I checked a bunch of the Vertigo GN's, and yep, sure enough they do have the "suggested for Mature Readers" tag line printed on every volume. That is really all we need on these books, so that the publisher's ass is covered. Every store and library needs to find some kind of middle ground for how to handle these situations. I'm betting that most bible-belt conservatives would NOT want their children checking out LOEG or any other "suggested for mature readers" title, in fact these very folks would stage a protest outside of any public institute that has these types of materials on display on a shelf low enough for the kiddies to stumble upon. How many times have I heard stories about comic shops that sold "adult" or even "suggested for mature readers" books to minor, only to be slapped with a lawsuit or at least threatened with a lawsuit? Thank god that the CBLDF exists for this very reason.

There is you food for thought for the weekend, nothing like scratching your head over the strangness of it all. What a strange f'd up world we live in.

Fables: Peter and Max Novel Review

2009-10-19T14:43:00.003-05:00

Finally finished Peter and Max by Bill Willingham. LOVED it! I'm so glad that Vertigo decided to go ahead and publish their very first foray into prose. Comic fans should love this story because it explores until now, unknown information about Peter Piper and Bo Peep, their mysterious past back in the Homelands and their secret role in the recent War for Fabletown. The story moves along very quickly, alternating between past events in the Homelands and present events in New York and Europe. Willingham manages to get most of the important "Peter" fables moments in this story: he gets his hand stuck in a jar of pickled peppers, and he puts his wife in a pumpkin shell and keeps her very well, and of course more Piper related story than I thought would be possible. Did you know that not only is the Piper of legend that leads the rats away Peter's brother Max, but there was a whole family of pipers back in the Homelands. The same with Bo Peep, she was just one sister among 5 other Peeps. The Peeps and the Pipers were friends back in the Homelands, which is how our two lovebirds met. I don't want to give too much away, but Bigby, Snow, Red, King Cole, and Frau Totenkinder all make key appearances, especially Frau Totenkinder back in the Homelands. Frau Totenkinder at one time she was not only powerful, but youthful and beautiful. This is a story of two brothers, two pipes, the past and the present, true love, and true evil. A magical tale for fans of the Fables comics/graphic novels as well as potential new fans. The 8 page comic at the back of the book places the story within the Fables current continuity, hopefully spurring more readers to pick up the trades. The above illustrations are peppered throughout the book, along with countless others, making it heavier on illustrations than the average novel. I expect that DC will see another surge in Fables GN sales after this release gets hold in the book stores.

Every Fables fan should read this book. Highest possible recommendation.

Some of These Are Just WRONG

2009-10-18T19:17:00.005-05:00

As a lifelong fangirl, I am excited by the sheer number of female superhero costumes now available for the average gal for Halloween. Last year, we saw a great assortment: Supergirl (which I did pick up, and even wore last year), Wonder Woman, Batgirl (granted the Batgirl costume they produced looked NOTHING like any Batgirl I've seen, but that's besides the point), and a female Robin. (Female Robin is pictured above). I applaud all of these choices because all of these characters have actually appeared in comics. (Don't forget that there was a female Robin first in Miller's Dark Knight Returns and then briefly when Spoiler took over a few years back for something like a half a issue). New this year, apparently: Jade (I think they are actually calling it Green Lantern on the packaging, but those of us in the know can approve of this costume), Emma Frost the White Queen (again, makes sense, because both of these are indeed female characters in the comic book world). Pictured here are just some of the new offerings for this Halloween season that defy logic: a female Captain America (sorry boys, but no matter how hot she looks, this just doesn't work for me on any level. yes I know that there was that female Captain America character in the M2 universe, but she didn't look like this), Spider-man (god knows if they are calling this costume "spider-man" or "spider-woman" on the package, but this reeks of WRONG. and yes, I know there is a Spider-woman in the Marvel U, but THIS is not her costume. If they had produced a costume that actually looked closer to Spider-Woman's regular costume, I wouldn't have an issue with this), Black-costumed Spider-man/Venom (ugh, this looks awful! make a Black Cat costume already if this is what you want to do!), Flash (OMG, really?). And last but not least, we have the slutty version of poor Zorro here. Wow, that one is in a category all its own. The Zorro people should sue this company for making this piece of shit. I understand the need to produce sexy super-hero costumes for the ladies, but couldn't they just work with the ones that already exist? I've yet to see a store-bought version of Harley Quinn, what about Power Girl (that outfit is sexy enough without tweaking), Raven, Starfire, Vampirella (I mean COME ON, this is already such a whore-ish costume it's a no brainer), any of the female Legion characters, BATWOMAN already please (and no the weird Batgirl costume they've been producing does NOT count, it needs to come with a beautiful long-locks red wig thank you very much), Question (they could sell the Batwoman and Question costumes as a two-pack!), Storm, Marvel Girl/Jean Gray, and the list goes on for some time. Now maybe some of these do exist out there at the stores, it's not like I did a ton of research, most of the ones I mention and picture here were offered through Previews (with the exception of that god-awful Zorro-whore). I am VERY happy that suddenly we have SO many options for the fangirl and non-fangirl alike (who knows, maybe somewhere out there a gal will pick up the Green Lantern/Jade costume and then will wander into a comic store to pick up Blackest Night, it COULD happen), but some of these choices have left me rather annoyed. It's like the companies didn't bother to ask REAL fangirls what we would like to see available on the shelves this year. I guess I wouldn't have a problem with this whole thing if they started making MALE versions of the Wonder Woman costume, the Catwoman costume, and Emma Frost. Surely if we can have female versions of male characters as costumes, how about the other way around. Turnabout is fair play if you ask me.

I'm sure most of the men on the planet don't care one bit if any of these are actual characters or not, as long as they can convince their girlfriend or wife to wear it they will be as pleased as punch. Btw, if that is indeed the case, I too have issue with THAT because these same comic fans have TONS of issues with various super-hero movies or video games not staying true to the character etc., but THIS is ok. I really shouldn't try to find logic where there is none to be had, I should know better, after being in this industry for 18+ years.

Lantern Symbol Ramblings

2009-10-16T11:55:00.005-05:00

Red=Rage (Love that choice, it’s perfect!)

Orange=Avarice (Because of this storyline, there are now millions of geeks in the world that can use “avarice” in a sentence. See, comics CAN make you smarter).

Yellow=Fear (Yellow is suppose to be a cheerful color, but in the DCU it’s scary!)

Green=Will (Classic, there can be no argument for this choice).

Blue=Hope (Aw…hope is so "hopeful", isn’t it?)

Indigo=Compassion (Another aww color/word combination. Now if only they could be consistent with the hue, see my rant below).

Violet=Love (9/10 times it looks Magenta to me, again see my gripe below. I’ve yet to see any guy buy the “Love” shirt btw, lol. Come on men, you should be secure in your masculinity!)

Black=Death (Zombie, zombie, zombie fun in the DCU!)

White=Life (It has to be, right? It is the opposite of black after all. Will Wonder Woman be a White Lantern? Who knows, but it does look like Dove is a White Lantern, right?)

We received the lantern prom rings on Wednesday. Now, don’t freak out, we only received one of each as a promo for the promo. Seriously. A PROMO for the PROMOTION. Damn, this is nuts. All that aside, they looking amazing, I mean really. They have a metallic sheen to them, giving the impression that they are made of metal, pretty cool. So we made a nice little display showcasing them. Sigh…. So cool. So fun. Congrats Geoff Johns, the various Lantern symbols has really been a way to get people excited. The various symbol t-shirts are definitely selling like crazy, along with the ultra cool black shirts with the words on them, like “Compassion,” “Will,” “Fear,” etc. man I really like those black shirts, and if you don’t know what I’m referring too, you really don’t come into the Frankfort store enough. We have a lovely wall display showcasing all the Lantern symbol t-shirts.

Is it just me, or is it rather sexist that Star Sapphires can only be of the female persuasion, I mean really, what gives? It seems a little unfair, like only women are able to experience true love or some such bullshit. I don’t like it, not one little bit.

Color problems in the DCU. There seems to be some discrepancy in the Indigo Lantern’s true color. Have you noticed the problem? Sometimes it looks dark blue, sometimes it looks like a grayish dark blue, and now with the promo rings, the Indigo ring looks surprisingly PURPLE and then the Star Sapphires ring looks magenta. I don’t get it. We need consistency here people! The t-shirts for the Star Sapphires are definitely PURPLE, but in the comics and now the rings, they are MAGENTA. Magenta and Purple are NOT the same color, ask any artist. It is really that hard to get this stuff right? Does DC have no control over the colors that Graphitti Designs uses for the t-shirts themselves nor for the colors used for the images on the shirts? Do they not have control over the colors of the promo Lantern rings? I would find that very hard to believe. There is also a problem with the yellow shirt Graphitti used for the Sinestro Corps shirt. It looks like a Colonel Mustard color, why couldn’t they use the shirt they used for the Reverse Flash symbol shirt? THAT is the perfect color. And have you seen the Sinestro Corps hoodie? I won’t carry it at the store because it looks like beige or tan, not the right color AT ALL!

The first wave of Blackest Night action figures will be shipping next Wednesday. I guarantee that they will fly like the wind coming in off the lake. They will be here, and then *snap* they won’t be. Just like that. At the rate these figures are being delayed from DC Direct, I certainly hope that the next two waves of figures aren’t as late, because then Wave 3 would be coming out AFTER issue #8 of Blackest Night, and THAT just won’t do. Nope.

The spin-off Blackest Night mini-series, like Batman, Superman, and Teen Titans are doing WAY WAY better than I ever dreamed. Again, kudos to Geoff Johns for bringing this project together in such a cohesive way. Personally, I’m reading the Batman and Superman Lantern tie-ins and they are pretty good, I recommend them in fact, if you are enjoying the Blackest Night so far, pick them up. Teen Titans isn’t doing it for me, but there is another batch of Blackest Night mini Min-series on the horizon: Wonder Woman (the one to watch, I’m sure of it), Flash (written by Geoff so it should be good) and JLA (written by Robinson, so again, should be good). Can’t wait for all three of those to come out! Those minis will be starting in December.

Who knew zombies in the DCU would be THIS exciting? Thanks Geoff Johns!!!

Comic-con 2009 Cosplayers

2009-10-15T17:38:00.004-05:00

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/comiccon_2009_cosplay_gallery_600_amazing_costumes?page=0%2C0

You REALLY really really need to go check out this site. 600 costumed cosplayers from this past year's San Diego Comicon. WOW! It's fun to see of these collected on one site. Being at a con that size, it's almost impossible to see all of the costumes, and I don't know if this is ALL of them, but this is a good chunk anyway. This selection of costumes blows away the paltry selection at this year's Chicago Wizard World (or Chicago Comicon, whatever it's called these days). Some people obviously take a full year to work on their costumes, and some...not so much. I'm sorry but if you BUY your costume off the rack somewhere, say at the local Halloween costume shop, it DOES NOT count in any cosplay world, so sayith I, the Comic Book Goddess. I too own the Supergirl costume pictured in this selection of 600 costumes, at least 4 times, but you don't see me wearing that to a con because it does NOT count. It's cheating plain and simple. Some of these you can tell the insane attention to detail that some people put into their costumes, and they there are some that, well, just make me scratch my head. Of course that is the point of cosplaying, to make people stop and ask to take your picture, right? Lots of people will stop and ask to get a picture of someone in costume, even if they don't know who it is they are taking a picture of, so there you go. Really, go check out the link, it's tons of fun.

Zombies, Zombies, Everywhere!

2009-10-15T12:50:00.008-05:00

The current zombie craze imo started with Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide, published in 2003, along with Walking Dead #1 also published in 2003. Which really started the trend? For comics, it was obviously Walking Dead, but for the rest of the world, it was The Zombie Survival Guide. Comics folks sometimes forget that the rest of the world doesn't necessarily notice which comics are "hot." The Zombie Survival Guide was on the New York Times Bestseller list for a long ass time, and it's on its 25th printing. Yep, you read that right, 25th printing. Walking Dead Vol. 1 is on it's 7th printing. As respectable as 7 printings of a trade is, I think the Zombie Survival Guide's 25 printings blows that away.

The three books pictured here are some of the zombie offerings for this Halloween season.

The much-anticipated, graphic novel by Max Brooks, entitled The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks just came in this week. This book has been in the works for quite some time, I'm so glad to see that it finally has been released. Published by Three Rivers Press, with spooky black and white art by Ibraim Roberson, $17.00. "Scripted by the world's leading zombie authority, Max Brooks, Recorded Attacks reveals how other eras and cultures have dealt with - and survived - the ancient viral plague. By immersing ourselves in past horror we may yet prevail over the coming outbreak in our time. The New York Time bestselling author of The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, Max Brooks has been called 'the Studs Terkel of zombie journalism.' " If you want this book, pick it up sooner rather than later, I'm guessing the first print is going to be sold out very soon.

I didn't even realize that the newest Star Wars novel release was zombie-related until it was pointed out to me yesterday. It's called Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber, published in hardcover for $24.00. If you think about it, it was only a matter of time before zombies found their way into Star Wars fiction. I can't believe it took this long. From the front flap: "When the Imperial prison barge Purge - temporary home to five hundred of the galaxy's most ruthless killers, rebels, scoundrels, and thieves -breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope appears to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict, and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party from the Purge is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back -bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours nearly all aboard the Purge die in ways too hideous to imagine. And death is only the beginning. The Purge's half-dozen survivors - two teenage brothers, a sadistic captain of the guards, a couple of rogue smugglers, and the chief medical officer, the lone woman on board -will do whatever it takes to stay alive. But nothing can prepare them for what lies waiting aboard the Star Destroyer amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn't really empty at all. For the dead are rising: soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakable hungry." I stopped reading Star Wars novels year ago, after the first Zahn trilogy, but I'll be damned, this one sounds good! I do so enjoy the overuse of the words "scoundrel," "rebel," "only hope," and I can't forget "rogue." I think it's a prerequisite for all Star Wars licensed comics and novels, they have to use these four words at least 20 times. If they used all four of these words in just the description of the novel, it makes you wonder how many times they are peppered throughout the novel. This book sounds appealing anyway, so I might just give it a go. Star Wars: Death Troopers has to be the most intriguing of this newest batch of zombie themed works to come out this Halloween season.

I can't wait until next con season, you know there will be at least a half a dozen zombie-troopers, maybe they will be called Legion 666 or something.

Zombies: a Record of the Year of Infection field notes by Dr. Robert Twombly was also just released. It's a nice oversize paperback, full color, for $19.95. "This illustrated journal was discovered in the aftermath of the worldwide necrotic infection that began on or around January 7, 2012 and lasted for approximately one year, killing more than 5 billion people. The journal is a unique record of the time of infection in that its author sought to understand the undead by living among them. It is also the record of the author's day-to-day experiences at a time when such records were not commonly kept. The manuscript was found inside an empty cottage at the edge of Hudson bay in northern Canada. The fate and the whereabouts of the author remain unknown. The contents of the journal are reproduced uncensored and in their entirety. " Damn clever idea. Highly recommended for all zombie fans! It reminds me of Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Journal by Terry Jones and Brian Froud from several years back.

Well that should be enough zombie fun to keep even the most feverish zombie fan happy, or at least satisfied until they are able to eat more brains.