Archive for September, 2007
Only in a Local Comic Shop
How do you get your comics? Online subscription service, a pull list at a LCS, or old fashioned walk ups are all fine ways to keep your comic monkey fed. I hate to admit I use all three methods. Each has its benefits and I figured the best way to get the most is to keep all three going. My hardcover purchases are always made online to get the best discount available and I don’t have to lug the tomes home from the store since delivery is part of the online experience. My Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus was almost half off cover price at Discount Comic Book Service and all fifteen pounds of it were delivered to my doorstep. When I want to talk comics with other comic geeks I make sure I have a few dollars to drop on Wednesday when I visit Gary’s Comics in Morgantown West Virginia. The staff and customers are like a family with Gary at the head of the table. I have gotten great recommendations and a few back issue runs to get me caught up with a current title. I make sure to take a late lunch on Wednesday’s just so I can escape to Gary’s and geek out for 30 minutes. Finally I have a pull list at my local comic shop in San Francisco. Sure I could consolidate but then I might miss something. I mean how many people get to buy their comics on both coasts each week?
If I were just concerned about the money I’d go online for everything but there are some experiences that can only happen in a comic shop. Today my fiancee Stacey and I went to our local comic shop to pick up my pull list and the new Buffy issue. The store owner James was in the process of planning for an upcoming artist appearance. Later this month J.H Williams III (http://www.jhwilliams3.com/wp-content/plugins/falbum/wp/album.php?show=recent) will make an appearance at Isotope Comic Lounge. There he will display and sell pages that include Batman issues 667-668. I just read these books yesterday and while I am still trying to figure out the Grant Morrison story the art immediately blew me away. I thought it was different and rich, that was until James asked if would like to see the original pages. For the next 25 minutes Stacey, James and I carefully examined each page and panel. My appreciation for the artist is twenty fold now. The amount of effort and detail that went into these pages was breathtaking. J.H. Williams inks himself and he also plays with white overspray, water colors, and red splatters on his pages. I can only imagine how much these pages are worth. We were having a deeper connection with the issues now that the actual pen strokes were at our fingertips. Stacey rushed to read the finished comics once we got home and now she wants to follow Batman each month.
We must have looked at over $10,000 worth of original art today. We discussed and studied it page by page. This experience could only have happened in a local comic shop. James and Gary each provide their comic community a place to meet and share. Special events and local flair make these shops special. None of this would have been possible via mail order so please be sure to support your local comic shop whenever possible. It’s about more than the books; it’s about the community too.
Sean Wheatley has been reading and collecting comics for over 35 years. Send comments and suggestions to: Seanwheatley1@earthlink.net
No commentsDumpster Diving for Comics
I have three nephews, all of them at ages where I can influence their reading habits. I recently discovered that with a little effort and time I could find books at deep discounts that might ignite their interest in comic books. This week I spotlight four books from Overstock.com. At these prices my nephews can beat up these volumes without worry; in fact I hope they wear the covers off.
Other dumpster diving resources include the discount book section of Barnes and Nobles website. The selection there changes often so you have to check back regularly. A little trick I use is to scan the discounted book section of the local store and make a list, and then I find the same books on their website at an even bigger discount.
The selections below can be found at Overstock.com while supplies last.
Marvel Five Fabulous Decades of the World’s Greatest Comics $18.78 by Daniels, Les
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/Marvel/793968/product.html
The Marvel Comics Encyclopedia $25.08 The Complete Guide to the Characters of the Marvel Universe by DK Publishing, Inc.
The DC Comics Encyclopedia $25.08 by Jimenez, Phil
http://www.overstock.com/Books-Movies-Music-Games/The-Dc-Comics-Encyclopedia/1007344/product.html
The Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up: Marvel True Believers Retro Collection $15.67 by Marvel
Sean Wheatley has been reading and collecting comics for over 35 years. Send comments and suggestions to: Seanwheatley1@earthlink.net
No commentsSummer Slam 2007 or What I Read Last Summer
The Last Fantastic Four Story – Stan Lee & John Romita Jr. – One Shot $4.99
Colors by Civil War veteran Morry Hollowell
Mild Spoilers Follow
I didn’t expect much from this comic and I have to say it delivered exactly that. The packaging, the art, and the included script for the story were excellent it is just too bad that the actual meat of the book couldn’t live up to the high production value of the total package. I won’t give away the full story but suffice it to say that Stan Lee didn’t really stretch himself to weave this tale. The characters seemed flat and the portrayal of the Thing was so far out of character I wondered if Stan remembered the heart he created in Ben Grimm. On the upside the interior colors and art were fun and I especially enjoyed the cameo by the Inhumans. This was the second time this summer I watched Blackbolt open his mouth in an effort to save a world. The major disappointment for me was the resolution of the conflict. It was pure 1970’s DC. The battle unexpectedly turns to favor our heroes, we don’t know why until Reed explains what had happened off panel that turned the battle. This device is neat and clean and oh so easy to write. There is more to the story so if you are “True Believer” you may want to pick this issue up now; otherwise I suggest waiting for the dollar bin.
Bad Boy Trouble! Part 3 – Melanie J. Morgan & Steven Butler – Betty and Veronica Double Digest #153 $3.69
Inks by Marvel legend Al Milgrom
Mild Spoilers Follow
Grim and gritty has finally made it to Riverdale High. This summer Archie Comics celebrated a birthday and radically updated characters that have remained largely unchanged for decades. The four part Bad Boy Trouble has been billed as an experiment to see if there is fan support for reading Archie stories that include current themes and situations. The story revolves around a school yard shakedowns that culminates in one of the wildest fight scenes this side of World War Hulk. Page after page of big punches and a surprise finish that really satisfies this old man. I grew accustomed to the new look within a few panels and the influence of Al Milgrom’s inks gave this updated Archie story an old Marvel feel. The rest of the digest is in the traditional Archie style which should quiet the Betty and Veronica purists out there. If we can support 52 universes at DC then I think we should also make room for the new class of Riverdale.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 / Fantastic Four #1 US Postal Service Limited Edition - Stan Lee & Steve Ditko / Stan Lee & Jack Kirby $19.99 includes sheet of 20 Marvel stamps and 1st day issue envelope
The US Postal Service just released its second series of superhero themed postage stamps. Along with the stamps the USPS also released a number of additional items to commemorate the occasion. I purchased the limited edition reprint of Amazing Spider-Man 1 / Fantastic Four 1 package which included a sheet of the new stamps and a 1st day issue envelope. The best part of the package was the comic, of course. We all know both of these stories but when was the last time you actually sat down and reread the pages in comic form? Steve Ditko’s art is still crazy wonderful and it made me believe that Spidey could hold on to a space capsule re-entering earth’s atmosphere. The Fantastic Four stories also hold up surprising well. The Mole Man reveal and origin still choke me up and the sacrifice he makes at the end is the first of many tragic ends that flow through the Marvel universe to this day.
In addition to three classic reprints the comic also contains enlargements and credits for the covers used on the postage stamps. It is great to see the artists and writers of the classic tales acknowledged this way. This is an easy way to get the next generation interested in the heroes we love.
Sean Wheatley has been reading and collecting comics for over 35 years. Send comments and suggestions to: Seanwheatley1@earthlink.net
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