Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Ipicked this up on the weekend. Hell of an issue. Squadron Supreme has had some of the best knock down fights I've ever seen. Probably my favorite super-hero book right now.

I also got the "EC Segars Popeye Volume 1", which is one of the sexiest hard covers I've purchased.

Speaking of wich, has anyone seen any of the "EC Comics" reprints Hard covers? "Weird Science Vol 1" should of been out. Amazon keeps delaying it.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I think I've seen them at my local comic shop, although it's wrapped in plastic. I've heard it's kind of an odd thing to look at, because it's been re-colored - apparently, even trying to mimic the look of the old books, modern coloring doesn't quite look right.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

It seems that Gemstone horribly underestimated demand for the EC Archives. Seems like every retailer blew through their initial orders in about a day or two and since then everything's been trickling out v e r y slowly. Reports from people that actually have the books, though, have generally been very positive.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

thanks for the update guys. Typical, I skip ordering it through my comic guy as he's prtty unreliable with this type of stuff and amazon had good prices, and for the first tmie ever, the comic shops are the only ones getting it.

Maybe I'll see it next month, I see previews has it relisted with Vol 2.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Geez. Huge week, and the next two look even bigger. I don't know if it's delayed books hitting at once, the comic companies figuring nobody will be buying between Christmas and New Years and thus moving books up, or just a push for Christmas sales, but it's going to get expensive. 12 books this time (admittedly, a few of them came out earlier and I somehow missed them):

Superman Confidential 1 and 2, Irredeemable Ant-Man, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Batman/Spirit, Immortal Iron Fist, Ultimate Vision, Dr. Strange, Marvel Holiday, Newuniversal, and Spider-Man: Reign. For buying all of that, I got a free graphic album called Cowboys and Aliens.

I don't think it's getting a lot of fanfare, but Ant-Man's a pretty good book. The new Ant-Man is a real dog. He uses a woman's grief to try to get laid, puts on the Ant suit in order to watch another woman bathing, and falsely tells his best friend's girl that the friend is cheatin on her. He lives up to the cover billing: "the world's most unlikeable super hero." If, in fact, there is anything heroic about him. Not yet.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I've heard nothing but good things about Ant-Man. I'm waiting for a trade paperback though.

I finally got a confirmation on Weird Science shipping. I can't wait!!

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Detective - good Dini story about Robin facing off the Joker in a joyride of sorts. It played a little too cozy, though.

Supergirl 12 - I liked more coherent story from Gray and Palmiotti (in comparison to the recent dreck put out by Joe Kelley, etc. after Loebs left), and Amanda Connor's artwork really suits this title, I will stick around if this creative team sticks around as well.

Mystery in Space - another decent issue, and it does appear to be building to something big.

I'll post more on the other issues I picked up last week, soon.

Agents of Atlas - a much more involving issue for me (the previous issues were a little tough to digest with all the exposition of these characters that I wasn't as familiar with while reading the issues).

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I had, of course, heard of the Spirit long ago, but I never actually read a Spirit story until last week with the Batman/Spirit one-shot. Now, I've read two, with this week's The Spirit #1, and I'm pretty impressed. Darwyn Cooke does a good job at pseudo-retro, as evidenced by both this and Superman Confidential. The Spirit is a pretty neat character. Who ever heard of a superhero living inside a tomb in the cemetery? Weird, but intriguing. The whole atmosphere kind of reminds me of Dick Tracy, with the way the police chief is drawn with crazy hair, and the gruesome, oddball villain. I'm sticking with it and recommend it.

Also good was this week's Ultimate X-Men. I'm liking Kirkman's run pretty well. This issue had a nice action sequence, against a very different X-Force.

Edit: err, guess that's Six Pack, and not X-Force. I quit mutant comics too long ago to even know about Six Pack.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Both the first issue of Illuminati and the Iron Man/Captain America one-shot were really good. I won't give anything away, but the starting sequence of Illuminati culminates in a two-page spread, and it is awesome.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I bought the first issue of 52 the day it came out, and I enjoyed it, but I was buying a ton of back issues at the time and had to cut back somewhere. I kept getting further and further behind and decided to forget about the series. Last week, something made me start catching up, and I'm really enjoying it. I know very little about the DC universe, but it's written in such a way that even a newbie can understand what's happening. I'm glad DC implemented the "every issue in print, always" policy, because getting it at cover price has been a snap. I still have a long way to go, though.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I've been a little lax in following up on my comic reading of late. I am caught up on my titles as of last week, but can't remember which titles were from last week, so I'll just cover the few titles I can remember reading recently:

52 week 33 - a decent issue, though Nightwing is going overboard with the flirting with Batwoman, eh?

52 week 32 - for the life of me, I can't remember what happened just 2 weeks ago in this title. Sad, I guess.

Y The Last Man 52 - another good episode, finally tying up some confrontations between Allison and her father. Next issue will be the conclusion to the current arc. I wonder how much longer BKV will write this book before finishing it up for good? BTW, BKV has now been added to the cast of writers/producers for "Lost" on ABC. He would be a natural in episodic storytelling that "Lost" is all about.

Birds of Prey 101 - Gail Simone is doing a fine job with the new cast of characters, and keeping up the adventure and action while sprinkling in some fun dialogue while balancing Oracle and Katarina's upcoming face-off.

Taking a break from Batman until Grant Morrison returns. Hate these fill-ins. I'm doing the same for Detective when Dini gets a fill-in.

Gen13 4 - The new re-imagining of Gen13 is getting better, though it's good while I read it, but reflecting on it later doesn't do the relaunch much justice. Originally I liked having Talent Caldwell on the pencilling, but I'm not as high on his artwork in this issue.

JLA 4 - The new team members get a little more of a spotlight, but I'm not sure I like the lineup yet. Still have to see where Red Tornado's now human limitations will fit in with his continues presence in the DCU.

Stormwatch PHD 2 - this was the Wildstorm relaunch title that I had the least enthusiasm for, but it's becoming a favorite of mine, plus the Chaykin-esque art by Mahnke is growing on me. The characterizations is what makes the book interesting for me so far.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I took the Christmas money I got this year and blew it all on comics, mostly by taking advantage of the Google checkout deal at Buy.com. Ordered the Deadman Collection, Absolute New Frontier, the Weird Science and Shock Suspenstories Archives, Black Panther by Jack Kirby vol. 2, Grimjack vol. 5, the Complete Dick Tracy vol. 1, Bone: One Volume Edition, BPRD: The Black Flame, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion, Conan: The Book of Thoth, and I pre-ordered the Madman Gargantua.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Ah, darn, I missed out on using the GCO on the Deadman Collection, but I did pick up a bunch of comic-related HCs as well (Ab New Frontier, Ab The Authority vol. 2, Neal Adams Batman vol. 3, The Fountain TPB).

More comics from last week:

Illuminati 1 - Loved the artwork (even if Cheung's faces appear to look similar, I like how the character inhabit the panels). The story was okay, perhaps the next installment will be more interesting.

She-Hulk - The story of Andy - not bad, kept me a bit interested, but the next issue should be a little more She-Hulk, which is more of why I buy She-Hulk in the first place.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Hey everybody!!!

I'm finally catching up from the holidays. I picked up my books, but mky stupid dealer didn;t have any of the latest other then some manga TP's GRUMBLE!!

That's a sweet list!! The Weird Science and Shock Suspense stories books are gorgeous!! I had originally boughten most of the EC cheapo newsprint annuals, and am really glad to be upgrading them. The Bine 1 Vol edition is a great read as well, I blind bought that one. I was going to pass on "Absolute New Frontier" until I read that it has added story pages, Amazon.com had a good price on it so I rodered it up.

I also have that "Madman" book on pre-order.

I find I'm buying way more collections then single issues. I never sell my old books. anyone else doing that?

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

For the EC fans, around Halloween I saw a cover of a Tales From the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, one of those -- anyway, it showed a guy pitching a human head during a baseball game.

Any of you know which issue that was? I can't find the link anymore.

Thanks,
Doug

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I don't know exactly what you saw, but it's a story called "Foul Play" from an issue of Tales From the Crypt. Maybe that will help you in a search.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I'll be listing the last couple of weeks of books, backlogged due to the holidays.

52 Week 34 - The Black Adam family scurries home after Osirus has a rough time using his powers. Steele has to use subterfuge to get to talk some sense into his niece. Lex has something up his sleeve as the New Year arrives. Loved Brian Bolland's artwork for the Zatanna origin 2-pager.

Detective 827 - not quite impressed by Dini's story featuring the Ventriloquist (or whatever is animating the doll and the moll).

Justice League of America 5 - I'm starting to warm up to Meltzer's opening arc on JLA with Solomon Grundy and Amazo-Tornado driving the dramatic tension.

Supergirl 13 - I hate myself for buying this title at times, but hopefully this is the end of the Joe Kelly run, and I was actually looking forward to the Amanda Connor run (with Gray/Palmiotti on writing chores), so I picked this up as it cleaned up the first half from #11.

Supergirl and the LSH 25 - Mon-el gets released from the Phantom Zone, and it could come at a better time as the LSH get blindsided by the re-appearance of the Wanderers, which brings some family complications for Lightning Lad and Light Lass.

Ultimate Power 3 - if you wanted to know how the Supreme Squadron showed up in the Ultimate Universe, this would be the issue to read. Liked the art, but the story seemed a little padded.

Astonishing X-Men 19 - Very much a setup issue for the oncoming conflict with Breakworld. Collosus has a nice line that causes a double-take from the gang.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 6 - Miss America makes an appearance to save the day, and Father Time eludes capture. The rest of the team pair off for some downtime, and things take a deadly turn as we head for the home stretch.

Jack of Fables 6 - Ever wonder how Jack became Jack Frost, this issue starts that tale.

Superman 658 - We continue with seeing a glimpse into a world without a Superman, provided by Orion, but it's just more setup for the next issue or two.

Superman Confidential 3 - the dialogue continues to sparkle with Cooke's run on this book. Early in their courtship, Superman and Lois struggle to balance his call to duty with his commitment to Lois for a long-term relationship.

All-Star Superman 6 - More Morrison trippy tales, this one featuring a Timecop feel as Superman's early years (just moved to Metropolis, but makes a visit to Smallville). Can't wait for the next issue.

52 Week 35 - Lex's Everyman project undergoes a power outage with deadly results for some of them. Steele's niece is finally ready to accept that Lex has less than philantropic motives for the Everyman project, but has to play it cool for now. Lobo pulls the ol' double-cross on the star-faring group (Tamara, Adam, and Buddy).

Civil War 6 - 2 setup issue in a row, and one more to go, this "crossover" event is fizzling out in a major way, but I'll be there for last issue, but have kept my expectations really low.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I don't think it's a run - they just did one issue (#12), which I gather is sort of a preview for the Gray/Palmiotti/Conner "Terra" mini-series. Ms. Conner, as great as she is, apparently isn't well-suited for ongoing runs.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Ack!

BTW, Amanda Connor is a very cool lady in person, I've had the pleasure to meet her in person a few times, and she was always pleasant and down-to-earth.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Yes, she is.

Doug

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Thunderbolts - Fairly stupid and heavy-handed. Maybe artless would be the better term. I hate when a writer wants to parody something, and they take it so over the top that it instantly becomes a scene in a comic book rather than something believable. Ellis parodies Fox News by calling it Fix News and giving it the tag, "We give you your opinion." I've seen about half a dozen different names for Fox News in the Marvel universe. They ought to sit down and decide on one name for real things they want to parody, if this is a consistent universe. Also, the Thunderbolts action figure commercial was really dumb. The team has just gotten together--they've barely even been in the same room together--and they are already the hot, new toy? And, with a "Captain America masked terrorist" action figure to boot. Right. That makes the Marvel Universe completely unbelievable. People might be mad at Captain America and feel betrayed, but to rush out and buy him as a terrorist? And, these same people would be pro-registration and against uncontrolled superpowered beings, but they are going to idolize remorseless killers like Bullseye, Venom and the Green Goblin? No sale. If anything, this team would have to be deep undercover, or they would single-handedly derail support for the program.

Only other buys were Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Wonder Man, and I don't expect much from either. At least I got a trio of 52s, which has been far more interesting than Marvel's output, in my opinion.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I finally got around to looking this up. Foul Play! is contained in issue 19 of The Haunt of Fear.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Andy --

Thanks a lot! I wish it had a baseball cover instead of the double-decapitation.

Doug

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Here's a rundown of the previous 3 weeks of titles for moi:

Justice 9 - This is a fun read for me. Liked the JLA/Metal Men team-up at the end. The Big Red Cheese got put through the wringer. Loving the epic tone of this maxi-series, and can't wait for the remaining 3 issues.

52 Week 36 - Didn't much care for the cosmic subplot (Lobo and company), and things weren't looking so good for Animal Man. Montoya continues to look for ways to cure Charlie. Osiris is not liking the bad press over killing an adversary. And we get the shocking reveal from Rip Hunter and Supernova. Enjoyed the 2-page Power Girl origin story/art by Adam Hughes (why couldn't he do a monthly Power Girl book, why????)

Stormwatch PHD 3 - this title continues to be a gas to read. Las Vegas is the spot, and daemonites are on the loose. The characterizations/dialogue are the strong points of this title. The art is very Chaykin-esque, and gives it a nice hard edge.

Justice Society of America 2 - quite the little mind-bender at the end with Starman. This book has the makings for some really good reading with 52 winding down (Johns must be having a blast writing it), and the fallout from Infinite Crisis continues to impact the DCU. Eaglesham is doing a good job with the artwork.

Gen13 4 - Mainly a showcase for Grunge (how he gets his codename, and a display of his powers). Sunny Lee fills in for Talent Caldwell, but I didn't miss Caldwell's art all that much.

Y The Last Man 53 - Yorick and company are nowhere to be found in this issue, but his family plays a part in a "six feet under"-ish issue.

52 Week 37 - Animal Man is put to rest, much to his consternation. And we finally find out who Supernova is, and what DC has been hinting at from the ashes of Infinite Crisis.
Warning Spoiler! Click to show .

Birds of Prey 102 - Babs and Lois Lane play information chicken over dinner. Manhunter has her hands full with being interrogated.

Runaways 23 - Chase continues his quest to bring back Gert, but takes on unorthodox measures in doing so. Currently this feels like BKVs weaker title, as he winds up his run on Runaways.

She-Hulk 15 - Shulkie's now a part of SHIELD, and gets to deal with the Abomination. Getting some help in the psych department helps her deal with the Abomination, but not before they share some fun fight scenes together. Slott's doing a good job on the title, and the art imparts a nice tone to the book as well.

Agents of Atlas 6 - a nice conclusion for the series, as a well as a springboard for further adventures of the team. Kudos to Parker and Kirk for a fun ride.

52 Week 38 - Montoyna takes Charlie away, seeking alternative treatment. The wacky scientists on Oolong Island have created some scary looking Horsemen of the Apokolips. Steel finally has Natasha on the inside working to help others afflicted by Luthor's gift of super-powers with a flip-off switch.

Doctor Strange: The Oath 4 - ever wonder who operated on Stephen Strange after his accident that left him unable to operate anymore as a surgeon? Well, we finally find out. BKV is doing a fine job on this mini-series. The art reminds me a little of Ditko.

Supergirl and the LSH 26 - Family reunions can be a pain sometimes, and the Ranzz family reunion is no exception. Mehk, leading the wanderers, come to a truce with the LSH, and a small LSH team is dispatched to face what appears to be a large mecha-bot threat that turns out to be something worse...a nice setup for the next issue.

Mystery in Space 5 - Finally we get some answers to a rejuvenated Capt. Comet, and even the tie-in with the Weird to the front story with Comet almost makes sense.

Whew!

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

LCS had a 35-50% off sale on new comics/back issues, so I finally got caught up with 52. Even though I'm not a DC reader, I've enjoyed this much more than Civil War. After it's over, I'll have to investigate some DC books to start following. I've never quite made it beyond the Batman and Superman books.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Ultimate FF 38 - The atrocious God War six-parter limps to its pitiful end, but Mike Carey continues as the book's writer, unfortunately. Six parts. Half a year for this monstrosity. Shame on me for continuing to buy it, but I do so hate holes in a collection. It'll become inevitable if he doesn't improve quickly, or leave the book, because everything he's done on UFF has been bad--even his pair of fill-in issues and his annual.

Not too much else this week. I did pick up a Kolchak comic that I didn't even know existed.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

I've cured myself over having holes in a title's run these days. I checked out of the Ostrander run in Batman, and will return when Grant Morrison returns as the writer. It gets easier as time goes by.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Since I've been critical of Mike Carey's past Ultimate Fantastic Four work, it behooves me to mention when that has changed, as it has with the latest issue. It was coherently written for a change, and it's actually a fairly interesting storyline. The art was better than the last arc as well.

Greg Land fans might want to check out the Werewolf By Night one-shot that was released this week. It was also written by Carey and, though a little slight, was enjoyable. Land continues to draw fantastic women that always look like Sue Storm, and characters who smile at inappropriate times. But, it's still appealing art somehow.

I think this latter book is part of a series of Marvel monster books that will be coming out, sort of like last year's run of Marvel westerns.

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

Civil War #7 in 30 seconds

Re: Comics: The Weekly Rundown (was Heroes Con 2006)

"Land continues to draw^H^H^H^Htrace fantastic women that always look like Sue Storm, and characters who smile at inappropriate times."