Hey Folks!
I must admit that, generally speaking, the only comics I can keep up with on a monthly basis are the surfeit of D.C. and Marvel comics that come crashing in like a wave every week. It takes a lot of energy to follow the monthly adventures of Batman and Superman and Spider-Man and the JLA and the Avengers AND the X-Men. It’s just non-stop. As a result, I tend to miss out on the more off-brand titles from Image, Dark Horse, BOOM! Studios, and IDW, as well as the smaller publishers. I always swear that I will catch up when the trade paperbacks come out and yet I never seem to get around to them.
Well, I am going to try and turn a new leaf this month. I’m going to make a concerted effort to read more of the small press stuff. From what I’ve read online and what I’ve heard from customers I am missing out on a lot of good comics and, as I’m sure you can imagine, it is somewhat difficult to sell a book that you haven’t read and those of you who have been trapped at the counter while I expound on this comic or another know I like to hand sell stuff.
Keeping with this new initiative, I’d like to introduce you to a new comic on the stands this week from ABLAZE Comics, a relatively new small press label. It’s called Vampire State Building and it is written by Ange & Patrick Renault and penciled by Charlie Adlard (late of Walking Dead) and it is a doozy. Taking place at famed Empire State Building we are gradually introduced to a varied cast of characters including an intriguing mix of tourists, business people who work in the building, and security guards. It’s established early on that there’s some renovations going on in the building and there’s been a strange hidden room discovered…one with curiously primitive scribbling on the wall. Trust me when I say it doesn’t bode well for our intrepid cast. Something has come to awareness in the Empire State Building and it has put out a call summoning a mob of monsters. Once they arrive they take control of the building and start to hunt those stuck inside. Unfortunately, the police think they are terrorists, not aware of how truly awful things are about to get…
This is a great comic! Maybe I’m being influenced by the Halloween season which is bearing down upon us, but I love a good horror comic and this one is executed perfectly with just the right amount of suspense balanced with the gore. I didn’t carry it initially, but after I read about it online (as well as getting more than a few special orders for it) I decided to get some for the rack. So look for it when you come in for your stash this week if you’re looking for something a little different and a lot scary!
Speaking of small press titles, Kieron Gillen’s magnum opus, Wicked & Divine, has reached its end and the final trade paper back is on sale this week. I haven’t read it yet, but I am very much looking forward to the exciting conclusion. For those not in the know, Wicked & Divine follows the adventures of 12 gods, incarnated in human form every 90 years, who have two years to explore their divine power before, well, dying. Mostly illustrated by Jamie McKelvie, Wicked is an amazing piece of work with a twisty plot that moves and slithers and turns back on itself to deliver an exciting narrative and timeless mystery that jumps back and forth through the whole of human history. I have recommended this title to many people and not once has the reader been disappointed. If you’re looking for something a bit off the beaten track with intriguing writing and incredible art then look no further. And it’s complete now so you don’t even have to wait to get to the end!
So D.C. is having some fun with their new Dollar Comics line of books that are designed to compete with Marvel’s True Believer reprint titles. I’ve approved of the books they’ve reprinted so far (Detective Comics #854, Batman #608, Crisis on Infinite Earths #1), but I don’t understand why they are changing the covers! Joker #1, originally published in 1975, came out under the Dollar Comics banner and they’ve given it a new and updated cover despite the fact that the original was perfectly fine! I mean, okay, using the Alex Ross/George Perez are for the Crisis #1 Dollar Comic was somewhat understandable, but changing Joker #1? I don’t get it. I hope in the future they will stick to reprinting the original covers on the books. I’ve posted both covers below…which one do you prefer?
To my continual surprise, the art covered short comic boxes continue to be a roaring success! This week we received two new designs for your edification. We’ve got the DC Superman 80th Anniversary box, featuring Jim Lee art from the cover of Action Comics #1000, as well as the Marvel Panther Nation, featuring art by Brian Stelfreeze. Both boxes are gorgeous and retail for $12.95 each!
Just got word from Diamond this week that Funko has a plethora of new POP vinyl figured coming out devoted the first family of comics…The Fantastic Four! Featured characters this time around include Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, Human Torch, Super Skrull, Galactus, Silver Surfer, Mole Man, Doctor Doom, and, of course, Herbie! They all stand about 3 ¾” high and retail for $10.99 each. The final order cut-off date is October 14th with an estimated release date of January 22nd! I will be carrying a selection of these figures on the rack, but please let me know if you’d like me special order any of the figures ahead of time!
Okily dokily…that’s about it for the week. I’ve really got to get the Shipping List and Subscription Form posted! I hope everyone enjoys the seasonal cool down and has a great weekend!
Eddie