Our Fighting Forces #158. A week after ordering on GoAntiques, I have my comic and am quite happy. I have my comic in hand and, to my delight, it is in the described condition. I am now going into a collector's fit, wherein I need to own all the DC Kirby war comics.

About a month ago, I wrote about browsing through GoAntiques, looking at some Bronze-age Jack Kirby war comic (read Testing the GoAntiques Waters – Buying a Comic Book Part I). I had not, at the time, purchased anything from a GoAntiques vendor, but I found several Our Fighting Forces comics and was smitten. I was even more so when I discovered an issue of Our Fighting Forces #158. At the time, I wrote that I was going to knuckle under and order it, and I promised I’d let you know how the whole process with GoAntiques went. Well, I’m here to report.

A week after ordering, I have my comic and am quite happy. Payment was easy and ran a little differently than other auction/shopping sites I have experienced. I agreed to purchase the comic, at which point an e-mail is sent to the seller to make sure the item is in stock. It’s not until the seller responds saying the comic is available that the buyer is asked to pay for the item, which I did using PayPal. There were credit card options offered as well. Shipping is decided by the seller, and most shipping rates can be found in the descriptions of the items. Six days later I had my comic and, to my delight, it was in the described condition, which has now sent me into a collector’s fit, wherein I need to own all the DC Kirby war comics. It’s a condition I’ll have to live with for the time being but one I’ll be satiating with the new hardcover collection of Kirby’s The Losers.

All-in-all, I found my GoAntiques experience to be a good one, with good communication from seller and a product that was represented very well. My criticisms come not with the site, but that some of the sellers are listing items for ridiculous prices. Now, of course, their will always be the school of thought amongst retailers and collectors both that the Overstreet Guide should be used as the bible of comic pricing, not just a “guide” to pricing comics. A theory that, in my opinion, only makes sense for the seller. It would be nice if we could all get top-dollar for our comics, but the truth of the matter is there is a real-world market out there that doesn’t pay much attention to the price guides. It seems that sites like eBay have become the ultimate nullifier to the comic price guide by showing what actual people are paying for comics new and old. Just because your price guide says a comic is worth $200 doesn’t mean you will be able to find a buyer willing to pay that price.

I would argue that GoAntiques could do a better job suggesting prices for sellers, or perhaps allow sellers to list similar books along side each other to allow buyers to pick their price along with their condition. Also, a feedback or reputation score for each seller would help with buyer’s confidence. In recent months, sites like eBay have tightened restrictions on their feedback policies watering down their meaning even more and perhaps GoAntiques would run into similar problems in the future. However, I did find it a little nerve-racking clicking the buy button not knowing how the seller I was buying from grades their comics. As I said earlier, I was happy, but the experience could’ve been even scarier had I been purchasing a $100 comic with no real knowledge of the seller.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

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Page 15 from Marvel's Defenders #1 (1972) drawn by silver-age legend Sal Buscema and inked by Frank Giacoia.

I receive a weekly newsletter from the Heritage Auction Galleries that is usually full of amazing comics and comic memorabilia that are so far out of my price range it makes me want to cry. Not to long ago I was staring at some early original Conan pages longing for a job that would pay me the kind a salary I need to support my addiction to original comic art. This week was no exception, and included original art pages from one of my favorite artists as a young collector.

Before he bought baseballs hit by steroid fueled pro baseball players and Canadian hockey franchises, Todd McFarlane was responsible for some of the best comic book artwork of the late ’80s and early ’90s. His run on both The Incredible Hulk and Amazing Spider Man are comics that will never leave my collection. My love affair ended with McFarlane shortly after he left Marvel for Image comics, but that is another story. My point is, when I opened this week’s email from Heritage Vintage Comics and Art auctions, I nearly fell off my yoga ball (I use it for posture reasons and to work on my core while typing) when I saw original McFarlane art from The Incredible Hulk #334 selling for $26. That was until I checked it out and saw why the price was so low; no Incredible Hulk. While being an excellent example of McFarlane’s art work, if I’m going to buy a page of his Hulk it better have the Hulk on it.

Now, below that auction was a different story, and this time the Hulk was there. Heritage has page fifteen from Marvel’s Defenders #1 (1972) drawn by silver-age legend Sal Buscema and inked by Frank Giacoia. The page features the Hulk, Dr. Strange, an unconscious Namor and the lesser known villain Necrodamus, who, I think, maybe only appeared once or twice before this issue. I wasn’t around when Buscema’s Defenders was originally being published and have never found high-grade copies of the back issues, but would definitely pay top dollar for Very-Fine+ copy of issue number one. Now, for an original page from issue number one, I’d be willing to knock over a bank if the plan was sound and I could trust the crew (I’ve seen enough heist movies to now what happens when you work with amateurs). By Friday, the bid was up to $600 for the page placing still in my price range but at the extreme upper-echelon. It eventually went for $1,314.50. Stupid bills! Stupid sense of financial responsibilities!

Defenders #1

Speaking of high-grade Defenders issues, also up for auction was a CGC 9.6 copy of Defenders #1. In Near-Mint condition, Defenders #1 (1972) guides for $185, but as CGC graded comics are famous for, I predicted this one would probably sell for two-to-three times that amount. Recently a 9.2 graded issue of Defenders sold on eBay for $250. I personally don’t own any CGC graded comics, and no it’s not just because I’m poor, but I do see the draw to a comic graded by a third party especially when buying vintage comics online. Whether or not a grade from a reputable grading company should add exponential worth to a comic is another argument however. One that I won’t get into here. Anyway, this comic finally sold for $776.75, which was more than I was thinking.

For those of you looking for other CGC graded comics, Heritage also offers a new service called ComicMarket that allows you to make an offer on comics that are being sold by private sellers using Heritage Auctions as consignment seller. The selection is, of course, amazing; however some of the asking prices seem pretty high. I’m not sure how the “make an offer” system works, but would love to hear from someone who has had made an offer to a seller.

I’m currently trying to convince WorthPoint of my need of an expense account so I can try this stuff out so as to better inform my readers of how it works but I think they’re on to my clever attempt at getting them to pay for my vintage comic addiction. Maybe if you guys flood them with emails they’ll go for it and I can finally buy that Defenders #1 I’ve always wanted.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

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I’ve spent hours cycling through countless eBay auctions looking at comics that the seller swears are in mint condition only to receive a comic in Very Good condition at best. If you know what I’m talking about in that last sentence, then you know the difference between Very Good and Near Mint is huge. In fact, I’ve often argued that mint-condition comics do not exist, and even near-mint copies are hard to come by.

Yet, if you search “Mint Comics” on eBay, you’ll currently find more than nine pages of results. Near mint, maybe, but 10.0 mint condition, no way. I’m not saying all these sellers are frauds, but rather they don’t seem to have the knowledge that longtime collectors or even retailers have of their own comics.

This is where GoAntiques seems to have an advantage. Are there some sellers there are asking ridiculous prices for garbage comics? Yes. However, there seems to be a large group of sellers who have professionally graded their comics and actually know what they are talking about.

Our Fighting Forces #158. After browsing like a nerdy shark looking for a back-issue to sink my teeth into, I found this one on GoAntiques. I made the purchase, and will report on what I actually bought when it shows up.

This afternoon, I spent an hour looking at some Bronze-age Jack Kirby war comics on GoAntiques that I would love to own. As of yet, I haven’t made any purchases but will let you know about my experience when I do. I don’t think I can resist these Our Fighting Forces comics much longer. When clicking on the page, I found the layout easy to read and simple enough not to get lost in the details. Most of the sellers I clicked on stated the grade/condition of the comics and that the dealer was using the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide for their pricing.

I’m not saying that Overstreet is the end-all, be-all of comic-book pricing. Remember, just because a comic-book guide says something should sell for hundreds of dollars does not mean you’ll be able to find someone to buy it for that price. I do like sellers who state they are using Overstreet as their guide because it is well accepted and used by most professionals and collectors alike as a way to establish a condition grade and a fair price.

So I’m browsing like a nerdy shark looking for a back issue to sink my teeth into. One thing that could be improved upon is the taxonomy. Rather than just lumping everything into comics, it would be nice to see Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern-age sections (by the way, if anyone from GoAntiques is looking for a nerd to help with comic-book taxonomy, I’m your guy). Not all of us can afford Golden-age comics or are even looking for them in some instances. Some of the sellers have included ages in their descriptions, and when I searched “Bronze-age” comics, I did find quite a few issues including the Our Fighting Forces #158 I keep coming back to. So maybe my taxonomy gripe isn’t warranted, or at least it wouldn’t be if more sellers would include the ages in their descriptions.

The next step is to buy, I guess. One thing that leaves me a little uneasy is the lack of feedback on the dealers. Maybe I’m missing something, but there doesn’t appear to be any. I’m sure this dealer is a fair-enough guy but reading someone else’s message to confirm this would put my mind at ease. Oh well, this is a learning experience, and I’m getting paid $10 dollars a word (chuckle), so here goes.

Checkout is pretty self-explanatory, paid with PayPal, but had the option of using my credit card, and now I wait. In Part Two of this story, I’ll talk about what happens next (how long the comic took to arrive, the condition, etc.). For now, I wait to hear from the seller to make sure they still have the comic in stock, which is a pretty handy function for store owners who want to have their inventory for sale in their brick-and-mortar store and on the Web. I’ll report back with my findings soon.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

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This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by WorthPoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here.

This Wednesday is the day many of us Bat-fans have been waiting for. Since Grant Morrison took over Batman in 2006, the title has been a wild ride that has ultimately led fans and collectors to tomorrow’s final issue of “Batman R.I.P.” Although it had been rumored for months now, an article in the BBC news this past Monday made it official; as of tomorrow, according to Morrison, Bruce Wayne will not be Batman. Now, don’t panic. The article doesn’t say Bruce will be killed, which would seem counterproductive to the fan-base of not only the comic but the wildly successful Batman film franchise. The latest franchise that is. However, if anyone would kill Bruce Wayne it would be Morrison. I can picture him throwing his head back and cackling as nerds everywhere cry out silently, in all caps, on comic-fan-site web-boards across the Internet. Trust me, he’s not afraid to blow Batman’s head off and have his corpse eaten by rabid dogs, if you’ve read Morrison’s Invisibles or Hellblazer then you also know it’s true. I was tempted to skip work to find out Wayne’s fate; yes, I’m that big of a nerd. One thing is for certain, eBay will light up with issues of Batman #681 starting at midnight tonight. I’m not predicting a shortage, but who knows; we are in a recession. Maybe retailers cut back on their orders as readers began tightening their financial belts. We could have an instant Bat-sell-out on our hands. Maybe I will skip work just to be safe.

Also shipping this week; Rafel Grampa’s Mesmo Delivery is being billed as a road adventure in the vein of Convoy meets the Twilight Zone. Brazilian native Grampa’s art is some of the freshest and kinetic work I’ve encountered in years and I’m very much looking forward to his first major comic offering. Grampa has worked with Gabriel Ba (Cassanova, The Umbrella Academy) and Fabio Moon (Cassanova) and has done design work for the Cartoon Network, Diesel and Coca-Cola. Mesmo Delivery tells the story of Rufo, an ex-boxer tasked with delivering a secret cargo that even he cannot know of. If you can’t find a copy at your local comic shop demand they order one for you. Grampa is an up and coming comic talent that will probably be drawing some of your favorite books very soon.

Are you one of those pathetic fools that ignored the hype and missed out on the Marvel “Secret Invasion” storyline only to later find yourself pale and sweaty like a desperate junkie, digging through back-issue bins searching for long sold out issues of New Avengers? If you are, don’t blame me. I’ve been screaming about how good this storyline is since day-one. Regardless, now you too can join the cool kids on the “Secret Invasion” bandwagon with the New Avengers Vol 8: Secret Invasion Book 1 Premiere Hardcover. Vol 8 contains New Avengers #38-#42 which details the beginning of the Skrull Invasion that will be remembered as one of Marvel’s best crossover events. Available at comic shops everywhere for $19.95.

And now, as I do every week, my buy list for the week of 11/25/2008. For a complete list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Batman #681
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19
Captain America #44
Daredevil #113
DMZ #36
Guardians Of The Galaxy #7
Hulk #8
Incredible Hercules #123
Justice Society of America – Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom
Nova #19
Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4 of 4
Superman #682
Thor: Man of War
The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #1 of 6
X-Force #9

Remember to contact me with your questions, concerns, threats, and suggestions as to what I am or should be reading.

So let’s talk speculation. As you may or may not know, the whole purpose of this blog is to arm the comic nerd with the information he or she needs to make an informed and quality new comic purchase every week. While they might not be worth piles of money, they may be pretty hard to find in the near future.

Batman #681; DC; Written By Grant Morrison; Art by Tony Daniel; Cover by Alex Ross; $3.99

Why it’s hot: Don’t turn on your TV. Don’t pick up a newspaper, don’t answer your phone and for god’s sake if some nerd in your comic shop tries to ruin the end of this one smash their face in before they can make a sound. Bat’s #681 is the final chapter of “Batman R.I.P.” and it very well may be the death of Bruce Wayne. Normally I would say there’s not a snowflake’s chance in Baghdad DC would kill Batman, but that was before Marvel killed off Captain America two years ago and sold a million comics in the process. All bets are off the table. I have no idea what’s going to happen. The only thing we do know is after tomorrow Bruce Wayne will not be Batman.

Why it’ll go fast: I can think of 500,000,000 reasons why this book will sell out, the main being news coverage. The death of Batman is big news, especially after the Dark Knight grossed over $500,000,000 at the box office this past summer (get it 500 million reasons? Oh whatever. You wouldn’t know wit if it bit you on your…). Watch for USA Today and CNN to pick up on this story, they love these nerd headlines. Ill even go as far as to predict Conan O’Brien makes a joke about Batman’s death in his monologue. The point is when the media picks up on these comic stories people that don’t usually buy comics seem to come out of nowhere to do so. For a complete RIP checklist click here.

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #1; Dark Horse; Written By Gerard Way; Art by Gabriel Ba; Covers by Gabriel Ba and Jim Lee; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: The Eisner Award winner for best limited series of 2007 returns with more of your favorite misunderstood heroes with parent issues in the long awaited second chapter of the Umbrella Academy. With every thing from news of an animated series to rumors of an upcoming film, My Chemical Romance front-man, Gerard Way’s Umbrella Academy couldn’t be hotter. (For the record I can’t stand the guys band but I have to admit, he writes great comics. Cheers Gerard).

Why it’ll go fast: The geeks are sold on this one. I, like many like me, fought the urge to read the first Umbrella Academy solely based on the fact that I couldn’t stand the band that the writer sang for. Month’s several brow beatings for being a music snob later I admit I paid way too much for issues one and two but have no regrets as I loved both the writing and Gabriel Ba’s incredible art. This is not to say that I am the King of Geeks leading all nerds to the shop to buy the new Umbrella Academy; which my finance will tell you is absolutely true. The buzz on this comic is huge so get to your shop early and hope it’s still there.

Body Bags #1; Image Comics; Written and drawn by Jason Pearson; $5.99.

Why it’s hot: Back in 1996 Pearson first introduced readers to Panda and Clownface, the father-daughter contract killer team and stars of Body Bags in a hyper-violent 4-issue mini-series from Dark Horse comics. Nine years later Pearson brought his family of killers to Image comics under the 12 Gauge imprint for a new short story. Call him slow, perfectionist, or whatever else, but Pearson and Body Bags are back again with their first full comic since 1996. Call me excited.

Why it’ll go fast: First of all, it’s been 12 years since readers have seen an issue of Body Bags and most didn’t read it in the first place. Those who did, myself included, fell in love with the iconic Clownface character and his penchant for extremely bloody murder. It was the 90s, I was a sick horror addicted youngster. Do I still care? We’ll see tomorrow. One thing is for certain; retailers are going to order a six dollar one-shot of a comic that hasn’t been seen for more than a decade with great hesitance. Don’t expect to see piles of this one laying around but if you’re looking for a violent romp with excellent art, Body Bags might just be the comic for you.

That’s it for this week true believers. Time for this nerd to get some shut eye. Have a happy Turkey Day. I’ll be preparing an apple-wood smoked bacon wrapped turkey with pear cider gravy and then reading the rest of my Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus while watching the dog show and of course, football. Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

The Week in Geek 11/12

By Matt Baum

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by WorthPoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here

As a child I used to listen to my father talk about how much he loved the 007 movies, especially the Sean Connery films. My dad and I had very similar taste in films when I was younger. He loved the old Godzilla films, The Godfather parts 1 and 3 and he took me to see the Road Warrior when I was 6 years old. At that age I was pretty much into anything my dad said was cool, except the old Bond films. I just didn’t get it. Maybe it’s the same genetic trait that’s kept me away from Doctor Who to this day, but I just couldn’t get into the British super-spy-thing. It all seemed so cheesy. That was until the latest adaptation of Casino Royal with Daniel Craig as James Bond. Not only did it further my man-crush for Craig but the film recreated Bond as a human and a gentleman-spy/killing machine. I can’t tell you how geeked-up I am for Quantum of Solace and a new compendium of the Illustrated James Bond that hit’s comic stands this week.

Hermes Press’ James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 chronicles James Bond’s many comic appearances starting with his daily comic strips in the British Daily Express in 1958. Writer and Pop Historian Alan J. Porter examines 50 years of James Bond in comics in this 240 page soft-cover book available this Wednesday at a comic shop near you. Confession time: I’ve never read any James Bond comics but fully plan on checking out this book to figure out what I need to read.

In weird news, I’m not judging, just saying this piece of news is arguably weird, Walt Becker, director of Van Wilder and Wild Hogs makes his comic book debut this week. Now, you might expect the man that brought us the aforementioned cinematic gems might give comic readers a light hearted comedy comic. Well funny comics don’t sell so well but you know what does, fantasy comics. So, in the interest of sales, or perhaps throwing off the shackles of his Hollywood comedy pigeon-holing, director Walt Becker and Boom Studious bring us Last Reign: Kings of War. Kings of War takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where a new order of Knights (in armor) have risen to bring peace in a time of… Well, post-apocalyptic turmoil I guess. Knights in armor in a post-apocalyptic future from the director of Van Wilder; only in comics folks.

Now once again, here’s the list of comics I’ll be picking up this week. As always please send me your criticism or praises on what I am or am not reading. For a complete list of this weeks comics click here. For a comic-shop near you click here.

Action Comics #871 – More New Krypton!
Batman: Cacophony #1 of 3 – See “Picks of the Week”
B.P.R.D.: The Warning #5 of 5
Captain Britain and MI:13 #7 – My anti Dr. Who stance weakens with each new issue.
Eternals Annual #1
Green Lantern Corps #30
Justice Society of America – Kingdom Come Special: Superman – See “Picks of the Week”
The Lone Ranger #15
Nightwing #150
Wolverine #69 – Old man Logan continues.

Push #1 of 6; DC/Wildstorm; Written by Adam Freeman and Marc Bernardin; Art by Bruno Redondo; Cover by Jock; $3.50

Why it’s hot: Push is a comic prequel to the film of the same name starring Dakota Fanning that premiers in 2009. The premise centers around a top secret government group called “the Division” that is rounding up people with extra mental abilities to fight as psychic soldiers in an upcoming secret war. Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman, writers of Wildstorm’sHighwaymen and Top Cow’s Genius bring readers the first look at Push.

Why it’ll go fast: Truth be told it may not go fast at all. I didn’t even know that Push was a movie tie-in until I looked into the title. Most retailers, disappointed with the low sales of Wildstorm comics may pass this one up altogether. In fact, I’m guessing no one pays much attention to Push until the opening weekend of the film. Much like the Matrix comics that no one paid any attention to until the film turned out to be a blockbuster sci-fi classic, which now guide for more than $30.00, Push could be a big comic hit long after it’s publication. That is if the movie is a hit. If it sucks then just forget I said anything.

Batman Cacophony #1; DC; Written by Kevin Smith; Art by Walt Flanagan; Covers by Adam and Andy Kubert; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: Coming off the success of Zach and Miri Make a Porno it certainly seems that Kevin Smith is back. He’s learned his lesson after trying to go mainstream and has returned to his raunchy comedy roots, but that’s not all. Smith has returned to comics to give readers a Batman story starring Onomatopoeia, a villain he created during his run on Green Arrow in 2001. Smith and his good friend and movie extra Walt Flanagan team up for this special three-issue limited series.

Why it’ll go fast: Earlier I said that Kevin Smith is back, but closer to the truth might be, “If Kevin Smith can put out all three issues of Cacophony on schedule, then I’ll say he’s back”. In the past Smith hasn’t been known for finishing his books in a timely fashion. I would hope that all three issues of his Bat-story are in the can but, you never know. His two issue limited series (was it supposed to only be two?) Daredevil: The Target began in 2003 and was never finished and his six-issue Spider-man Black Cat began in 2002 and finished in 2006. I love Smith’s writing and am a fan of most of his films but don’t trust him when it comes to deadlines. Retailers that got stuck with piles of his Daredevil and Spider-man books due to ridiculously late issues might not trust him anymore either. I would expect to see orders on Cacophony #1 much lower than Smith’s past books but probably not hard to find until issue #2 ships. If it ships on time that is.

JSA Kingdom Come Special: Superman; DC; Written and drawn Alex Ross; Covers by Alex Ross and Dale Eaglesham; $3.99

Why it’s hot: Alex Ross. I shouldn’t have to say anything else. But I will. If you’ve been reading Johns’ Superman and JSA stories than you already know how great they are. If not then you probably hate comics or yourself and are just misplacing your frustration on some of the best superhero stories ever written. I am not exaggerating here. If you love superhero comics you need to read this one. I give you my personal money back guarantee on this one. If you don’t like the JSA Supes special box it up and mail it to me and I’ll send you a check for $3.99. Someday, maybe.

That’s all for now true believers. Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

Week in Geek 11/05

By Matt Baum

Ok, here’s a little peek behind the “This Week in Geek” curtain. I write this blog on Tuesday’s, usually, and try to make it feel like it instantly springs from my skull on Wednesday morning. Well it doesn’t. Most Tuesdays it’s fairly easy to reference something vague that happened or will be happening that week to make the blog feel perfectly timely for that Wednesday. This however is not one of those weeks. As I write this people all across the U.S. are not only anxiously awaiting their new comics but also voting for the new president of the United States. I did so this morning, there was free coffee, it was nice. So in an effort to make my blog feel natural for the Wednesday after an election I will write the following intro as if it’s Wednesday morning and we are all waking up to a new day with a new President. All you will need to do is copy the blog, paste it into your word processing program, fill in the blanks and booyaa, “This Week in Geek” remains your source for instant and reliable comic book and election news. Here we go…

After a long night of election coverage I awoke to not only another new comics Wednesday, but the end of a long and hard fought presidential election. America voted in record numbers yesterday in what will truly be remembered as a historic election indeed. It’s been almost a two year battle but it’s finally over and now we need to all come together not as Republicans and Democrats but as Americans and welcome our new President ______ _____ to the White House. I’m not going to go into who I voted for but instead say to President _____, the time for talk is over, now let’s see you what you’ve got.

Now the real bickering and political infighting can begin. We the people can finally get back to our daily lives and not have to worry about who’s qualified or who’s a terrorist or who’s too old. Election season is over, Christmas is coming, but most importantly, today is new comic day.

This week DC is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman with two big books hitting the stands. Absolute Sandman vol. 4, which reprints issues #55-75, marks the end of the Absolute Sandman collection. These over-sized slip-cased reprints are bound in leather and make an amazing addition to any Sandman fan’s library. Also this week DC releases Sandman: Dream Hunters #1 of 4. See my picks of the week for more on Dream Hunters.

Marvel fans are in for another huge week with almost 30 new Marvel comics on the stands. However, the sneaky marketing guys at marvel are slipping in a few “special” issues that look just like your normal monthly title but may not be written or drawn by your normal monthly creative team. For instance, this week Marvel is releasing three specials, Avengers Initiative Special #1, Ms Marvel Special Storyteller, and the Punisher War Journal Annual. I’ve never been a big fan of special issues as they usually don’t have anything to do with the current storyline, they have a higher price tag and they usually aren’t created by the team that writes the monthly comic I enjoy. Avengers Initiative Special however, is an exception as it ties up a plot point that’s been building since issue one and is written and drawn by the normal creative team. I’m guessing they wanted to finish this story before the end of the Secret Invasion storyline. On the other hand, Miss Marvel and Punisher are perfect examples of my “Special Issue” stereotype. The Miss Marvel special is written by series writer Brian Reed, who I like, but has nothing to do with the current story and may even take place in an alternate reality. The Punisher War Journal Annual is handled by a completely different creative team, costs a dollar more than the regular monthly book and seems to have a really lame premise. I’ll give it a peek but I’m not blindly buying this one.

Also this week, Aspen Comics is publishing a very special 80-page book in memory of the company’s creator, Michael Turner. A Tribute to Michael Turner celebrates the work of one of the industry’s most beloved artists who tragically died of cancer earlier this year. Click here for more on Turner. Included in the book:
• A first time compilation cover by Michael Turner and Alex Ross.
• An introduction by Michel Turner’s mother Grace Crick.
• Special tributes from the Aspen Comics staff—the company Michael Turner founded.
• Over 40 all-new original pieces of art from the industry’s top creators and artists.
• Words of remembrance and unique tributes from the industry’s top writers, editors, and friends of Turner.
• A special section featuring fan art produced in honor of Michael Turner’s life and creations.
For more on the Michael Turner Tribute book click here.

Now here’s a look at the comics I’ll be picking up for the week of 11/05/2008. For a complete list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Kull#1 – Another character from Conan creator Robert E. Howard
Adventure Comics Special: Guardian – New Krypton Part 3
Final Crisis: Resist one-shot
JSA – Best DC superhero-team book on the stands every month.
Secret Six – Tons of fun from superstar writer Gail Simone.
Guerrillas #2 – The Story of genetically altered apes fighting in Viet Nam. Thank you Image Comics.
Avengers Initiative Special #1
Cable #8
Invicible Iron Man #7 – new story-arc begins.
Marvel Zombies 3 #2 – Halloween is over but Zombies are fun all year long.
X-men and Spiderman #1 – See picks of the week.

As always, feel free to contact me and tease, yell, or suggest other comics I should be reading.

Now lets look at my speculator picks for the week. Remember, these books are by no means guaranteed to be worth millions but they will probably be hard to find in the near future.

Kull #1; Dark Horse; Written by Arvid Nelson; Art by Will Conrad; Covers by Jose Villarubia, Andy Brase and Joe Kubert; $2.99

Why it’s hot: Dark Horse comics has a long history of producing top notch comic adaptations of the famous stories of Fantasy writer Robert E. Howard, best known for creating Conan the Barbarian. Kull follows the adventures of the pirate, turned gladiator turned King of Atlantis while he rules his kingdom with both sword and scepter. Howard created Kull before Conan and portrayed the character as philosopher-warrior, much different than Conan’s silent brutish nature. Kull was the thinking man’s Barbarian and was last seen in the pages of the Marvel Comics Kull the Conquerer in 1985. Conan fans rejoice, King Kull is back on the comic stands.

Why it’ll go fast: Like the Conan and Solomon Kane comics Dark Horse has done an excellent job at bringing Howard’s characters to comic format while sticking close to the source material and maintaining high art standards. Kull looks like another winner with amazing covers by fantasy artist Jose Villaruba and writing duties by Rex Mundi creator and writer Avrid Nelson. Rex Mundi doesn’t have a huge following but it’s fans are die-hards and will probably follow Nelson straight to the pages of Kull. The only problem will be finding copies of issue #1. Conan was the by far the most well known of Howard’s characters and issue #3 of the latest Conan comic checked in at 97 on the top 100 selling comics for September. Solomon Kane checked in at 147 on the top 300 and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Kull ordered somewhere in between there. I would guess the average shop will order 2-5 copies of Kull #1 based on these numbers making it tough to find if you didn’t pre-order your copy.

X-men and Spider-man #1 of 4; Marvel; Written by Christos Gage; Art and cover by Mario Alberti; $2.99

Why it’s hot: X-men and Spidey is a four issue limited series that tells four different stories about four different X/Spidey team-ups through four different time periods of the character’s lives. Issue #1 features the Blob and Kraven the Hunter attacking the newly formed X-men and a young Spidey on the streets of New York. Those of you, who like me, long for a Spidey story before the Brand New Day revamp will be thrilled.

Why it’ll go fast: Christos Gage is no longer a hot up-and-comer but is quickly becoming a fan-favorite writer and paired with Mario Alberti on art duties, this comic has a heck of a creative team. The other part of X-men/Spidey that excites me is the chance to read a Spider-man story that takes place in the mainstream Marvel U untouched by the many revamps the character has seen in the past 10 years. I would argue that even though there are some good stories coming out of Amazing Spidey, after the events of the Brand New Day storyline, it just doesn’t feel like my Spider-man comic anymore. That is not to say that another return to the Spidey-status-quo is in order. For now, those of us who don’t recognize Spider-man anymore can pick up X-men/Spidey and remember the good-old-days.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters #1;DC/Vertigo; Written by Neil Gaiman; Covers by Yuko Shimizu and Craig Russel; $2.99

Why it’s hot: I’ll let DC comics pitch this one for you:
In honor of the 20th anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s landscape-altering series THE SANDMAN, one of Gaiman’s most frequent collaborators, Eisner and Harvey Award-winner P. Craig Russell (THE SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS), inimitably adapts Gaiman’s prose story the SANDMAN: THE DREAM HUNTERS into a sequential, 4-issue comics event! Released 10 years ago, THE SANDMAN: THE DREAM HUNTERS was a prose novella accompanied by illustrations from Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano. Winning the 1999 Bram Stoker Award and the 2000 Eisner Award, it told the tale of a humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox who find themselves romantically drawn together.
As their love blooms, the fox learns of a devilish plot by a group of demons to steal the monk’s life. With the aid of Morpheus, the King of All Night’s Dreamings, the fox must use all of her cunning and creative thinking to foil this evil scheme and save the man that she loves.

Why it’ll go fast: Sandman is widely considered the best comic series ever written so the news that after 20 years there’s more story to tell, or at least adapt, is good news. There’s been plenty of Sandman tie-ins since the series ended but not any that were written by Gaiman himself. Sandman was one of those comics that reached across nerd lines and spoke to everyone, namely women. Most of the female comic fans that I know had their first comic experience with Sandman and have followed Gaiman ever since. I would expect people who haven’t read comics for a long time to come looking for Dream Hunters #1. The question is, do the retailers still believe in Sandman? Some of the highest selling Vertigo comics barely break the top 100 comic selling comics each month but see much higher sales tin trade-paperback collections. I’m guessing most retailers will order light on issue #1 and plan to sell the heck out of the collected version.

That’s all for now true believers. Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by WorthPoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here

Lots to be excited about this week. On the Halloween front there’s some great collected editions available this Wednesday. Dark Horse gives us the Evil Dead trade-paperback collecting issues 1-4 of their recent adaptation of the cult-horror film and Marvel comics offers the Tomb of Dracula Omnibus hardcover that collects Tomb of Dracula #1-31, Werewolf By Night #15, Giant-Size Chillers #1 and Giant Size Dracula #2-4. The original Tomb of Dracula was some of Gene Colan’s finest artwork and is widely considered Marvel’s best horror comic series.

Also this week get ready for yet another G.I.-Joe relaunch, this time from IDW when series creator Larry Hamma returns, yet again, to further the fight for freedom wherever there is trouble. If you didn’t care about the last four relaunches then… Well I’m not sure why you would care about this one either. On the subject of big returns, Danny Ketch, the guy that replaced Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider returns as, you guessed it, the Ghost Rider in the pages of Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch. See my picks of the week for more on Danny.

On the subject of everything-old-is-new-again-and-again-etc: Top Cow’s first Pilot Season series winner is nothing new. Remember the overdrawn and underwritten Marc Sylvestri series from the early 90′s Cyberforce? Well don’t get excited yet because Cyberforce is not back and neither is Sylvestri. But Cyblade is! Yup, the busty cybernetic Psylocke rip-off (90′s ninja-Psylocke that is) Cyblade is back. Click on the links and compare if you don’t believe me. The Pilot Season contest gave fans a chance to vote on which of the Pilot Season titles should become a monthly title. Well the fans have spoken and instead of picking the intelligently written Core by up and coming comics sensation Jonathan Hickman, amongst others, they picked Cyblade… Presumably because she has great big heaving… fan appeal. Cyblade #1 comes with two covers and, in true 90′s fashion, one features her in the shower. Thanks for raising the bar Top Cow fans.

For a list of all the comics coming to your friendly neighborhood comic shop this week click here:. To find a comic shop near you click here.

And now, my big steaming pile of comics for the week of 10/22. As always I encourage your feedback or questions on what I’m reading or what you think I should be reading.

Captain America #43 – Required reading for every Cap fan.
Daredevil #112
DC Universe: Halloween ’08 – Written by Brian Reed and others. Reed’s 1st DC work?
DMZ #35
Final Crisis #4 of 7 – Things better start making sense real quick here.
Final Crisis: Submit – Written by Morrison so it might shed some light on what happened in FC #3.
Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch #1 of 5 – Honestly, not sure if I care about this or not.
Hulk #7 – Art by Frank Cho and ArthurAdams.
New Avengers #46 – See picks of the week.
Secret Invasion #7 of 8
Superman: New Krypton Special – I couldn’t be more excited for this book!
Thunderbolts #125 – Still fun after Warren Ellis left.
Unknown Soldier #1 – Love the character. High hopes for this book.
X-Factor #36 – I hate to say it but Larry Stroman’s pencils are starting to wear on me.
Y: The Last Man Deluxe Edition Book 1 – An excellent chance to read one of the best written comic series of our time.

And without further ado; my speculator picks of the week.

Superman: New Krypton Special; DC; Written by Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling Gates; Art by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal, Renato Guedes and Wilson Magalháes, and Pete Woods ; Cover by Gary Frank; Variant cover by Renato Guedes and Wilson Magalháes; $3.99

Why it’s hot: The New Krypton saga begins here in an issue written and drawn by the entire Superman franchise creative team. Geoff Johns was quoted as saying that New Krypton will be one of the most important stories in Superman’s history. All his life Superman has been, for the most part, the lone survivor of Krypton until now. In the wake of the Brainiac storyline, Superman has freed 100,000 Kryptonians and now has to figure out what to do with them. If you’ve been yearning for a great Superman story your wait is over.

Why it’ll go fast: Even though Johns’ Superman has been some of the best Supes stories fans have read in years, sales are still relatively low; barley breaking the top 50 with Superman #680 at 47 and Action Comics #869 at number 44 on the top 100 ordered comics for September 2008. Retailers are cutting their orders on Action and Supes content to let the books sell out while slowly the word spreads on how good the titles actually are. I’m guessing orders on the New Krypton Special will be close to those of Action and Superman making this comic a quick sell out.

Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch; Marvel; Written by Simon Spurrier; Art by Javier Saltaries; Cover by Dan Brown; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: Back in the 1990 Marvel introduced fans to a new Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch, who’s sister had been murdered by ninja gangsters sending him on a mission of vengeance as the Ghost Rider. I know, ridiculous, but it was the 90′s and ninjas were all the rage. Even Danny’s cycle had a sleek-space-age-and arguably stupid 90′s look to it but slowly readers, yes me included, grew to accept and love Danny as our Ghost Rider. Then, in 2001, he disappeared and was replaced by Johnny Blaze for no apparent reason. Until now! Finally Danny Ketch fans can read the story of where their replacement Ghost Rider has been and why he’s back now. Click here for the complete Danny Ketch saga.

Why it’ll go fast: A lot of fans of Ghost Rider were let down by the movie, including myself who stood up and booed in the theater, and haven’t been thrilled with current Ghost Rider relaunch starring Johnny Blaze. The last great Ghost Rider comics I remember reading were toward the end of the 1990′s series starring Ketch. Ghost Rider geeks hold that series in very hard regard and many of the issues sell for surprising amounts considering the over abundance of other Marvel series of the 90′s. The moral of the story is that geeks remember this stuff and when they see Danny’s name on the cover they will buy this book. Now retailers on the other hand are going to be thinking just the opposite. Ghost Rider #26 dropped to number 96 on the top 100 ordered comics for August 2008 and retailers are not going to bank high orders on the return of the 90′s Ghost Rider when the original is barely selling.

New Avengers #46 Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Art by Billy Tan; Cover by Aleksi Briclot; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: Regardless of what DC apologists might say, Secret Invasion is currently the best company crossover event running and, though it hasn’t ended yet, I might add the best crossover event in recent memory. In this issue of New Avengers the villains enter the fray. Realizing that Earth’s mightiest heroes may not be able to hold off the invading Skrull horde, the Hood and his organized group of villains attack. It’s the beginning of the end of the Secret Invasion and the cover alone is enough to make me giggle with excitement.

Why it’ll go fast: The cover on this book alone virtually guarantees a sellout. Secret Invasion is a hit and the sellouts continue every week. Not that New Avengers needed any help with sales, it’s been in the top 10 in comic sales since issue #1 and no matter how many issues retailers up their order by it continues to sell out. Readers have been waiting for quite a while to figure out the secret behind the Hood’s new found demonic power and this issue reviles just who or what is responsible for it. Oh, and who doesn’t want to see Marvel’s most powerful villains coming to the aid of the heroes?

Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here

Halloween is only two weeks away and once again the zombie comics are the reason for the season. Marvel Zombies 3 #1 hit the stands last week and with it comes a horde of new Marvel Zombie incentive covers. This week sees three more Zombie variants in edition to last week’s Cable and Eternals zombie variants. Keep your eyes peeled for zombie variants of Amazing Spider-man #573, Captain Britain and MI 13 #6 and Young X-Men #7. The only new zombie variant to see much action on-line is the Sudyam variant of Marvel Zombies 3 #1 which is currently selling for $10-$15.00. Like other collectors on a small budget, I do my best not to get sucked into variant collecting but I have to admit, these latest Marvel Zombie variants are pretty cool.

For fans of classic horror and Batman and Superman (this is not a run-on sentence it’s a set-up for a joke), get ready for Batman and Superman vs Werewolves and Vampires #1. DC waited until October to release their candidate for the year’s longest comic book title but I think they’re safe bet to win it with this one. The title pretty much says it all; (this next part is funnier if you picture Bill Cosby saying it) you see, you’ve got your Batman and your Superman and then you have your Werewolves and your Vampires and they don’t like each other. So of course they have a big Batman, Superman, Werewolf and Vampire fight. Sigh… It’s comics like this that make it extremely hard for me to justify why adults shouldn’t be ashamed of their comic habits.

Also this week from Image comics comes Dear Dracula, a story suitable for all ages that details a young boy who writes to Dracula to ask if he can become a real vampire for Halloween. I’m picking this one up for my niece who, with a gentle nudge from her uncle, is quickly becoming a comic-nerd much to my younger brother’s chagrin. Dear Dracula is 48 page one-shot hard cover that sells for $7.99.

Now let’s take a peek at my very own pile of comics for the week of 10/15. Subsequently, I did pick up Marvel Zombies 3 #1 last week and was pleasantly surprised. As always your feedback will be either appreciated or promptly ignored based on whether or not I agree with you.

My Comics for the week of 10/15:

Conan the Cimmerian #4 – I love this book more every month.
Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #2 – It’s about time.
Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge #2 – In my opinion the best parts of FC are taking place in these minis.
JSA #19
Robin #179 – New series writer Fabian Nicezia is at the top of his game here.
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1 – James Robinson writes the return of a hero long thought dead. I’m calling my shot here, it’s the original OMAC.
Madman #11
Astonishing X-Men #27
Captain Britain and MI 13 #6 – You need to read this book!
Guardians of the Galaxy #6 – This one too!
Iron Man Director of Shield #35 – Continuing the War Machine storyline.
Mighty Avengers #19 – More Secret Invasion fun.

For a complete list of this week’s new comics click here.

And now, for those planning on putting their kids through college by selling their comics years from now, I give you my speculator picks for this week:

Amazing Spider-Man #573 Stephen Colbert Variant cover; Marvel Comics; Written by Dan Slott; Art by John Romita JR; Variant cover art by Joe Quesada; $5.00-$10.00.

Why it’s hot: Stephen Colbert has been hosting a fictional presidential bid in the Marvel Universe and will be joining Spider-Man for an 8 page story in this issue of Amazing Spidey. As of this time I’ve been having a heck of a time trying to figure out how limited the cover actually is. One thing is for certain, this variant is going to go fast.

Why it’ll go fast: Now that McCain has chilled out on calling Obama a terrorist there isn’t a whole lot to talk about on the presidential race which makes this the perfect time to start talking about Colbert’s fictional presidential race. Right? Well maybe it won’t be front page news but I’ll bet USA today features Amazing Spidey #573 in their living section tomorrow and you can bet the Colbert Report will be all over this story.

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1; DC Coimcs; Written by James Robinson; Art by Jesus Merino; Cover by Ryan Sook and Kevin Nowlan; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: There’s been some controversy on the net about whether or not James Robinson’s return to comics has lived up to the hype. In my opinion it has but don’t take my word for it, check out his monthly Superman for yourself. It’s great stuff. In this issue Jimmy Olsen looks into the Mysterious Atlas character that recently nearly fought the man of steel to a standstill and in the process rediscovers a hero long thought dead. When ever hero long thought dead is slated to return some geek buddies and I all start betting on the identity like 1930′s boxing enthusiasts on a bare knuckled hobo brawl. I’ve personally got $2.00 on the original OMAC returning in this issue.

Why it’s hot: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen hasn’t been hot since Don Rickles made a guest appearance in the 70′s and no I’m not making that up. Retailers are going to thumb their nose at this one after being disappointed by sales of Robinson’s Superman, #46 on the top 300 comic sales for August. Depending on who returns in this issue, the Supes Pal Jimmy book could sell out very quickly.

The Chronicles of Dr Herbert West; Zenescope; Written by Joe Brusha; Art by Ralph Tedesco; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: Fans of H.P. Lovecraft have no shortage of comics to choose from every week. One of Lovecraft’s most beloved characters was Herbert West, a diminutive yet brilliant scientist that figures out how to bring the dead back to life with disastrous results. Lovecraft’s short story was adapted for a 1985 cult horror film, Reanimator followed by a few unwatchable sequels. Since Reanimator Herbert West has seen a few comic appearances, most recently on the controversial Hack Slash #15 cover which has now been recalled due to image rights violations, but none have looked as slick as this latest incarnation.

Why it’ll go fast: Even though horror nerds everywhere can give you a scene for scene narration of Reanimator it is still just a cult horror film. Retailers know that other cult horror films like Army of Darkness and Evil Dead have had good success as comic franchises but not huge successes by any standards. Zenescope is still a new company, a fact that might not instill a lot of confidence when ordering as opposed to a companies like Dark Horse or IDW who handle other large selling horror titles. If you’re a horror-nerd like me you pre-ordered your copy of Herbert West #1. If not, happy hunting.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

For those of you who are growing more and more concerned with the dire state of the US economy and the apocalyptic reports coming from Capitol Hill, you’ll be glad to know that this week is a very light one for new comics. While channel surfing late Monday night I found myself stopping at each 24-hour news channel to listen to the doom-and-gloom financial reports as spouted by the various talking heads and heard a quote from Kieth Oberman that made me smile. While talking to an MSNBC financial analyst Oberman shouted, “What are we supposed to do sink all our money into vintage comic books?”.

Although I don’t recommend rolling your 401k into a Fantastic Four run, Oberman does have a point. As the stock market plummets and hungry bears begin to prowl wall street so too do the prices of collectible comics.. Now is the time to invest in that X-Men #1 you’ve always wanted or that first-appearance of Swamp Thing you’ve been eying in your local comic shop; if you have the cash that is. If you’re poor, like me, then you’ve got some time before this financial crisis trickles down to your level so enjoy it while you can. For more on the current comic book bear market look for my other blog, The Comic Book Speculator later this week.

Quick market watch note; Deadpool variants of issues #1 and #2 are selling like crazy. Issue #2 hit the stands last Wednesday and already the Ed Mcguiness 1/20 variant cover is selling for $20.00 on-line. Issue #1 is selling for close to $15.00 but both look to be going up in price for the near future. In other news, DC comics announced that Legion of Superheroes will be canceled with issue #50 so look for orders on the remaining issues to be slashed drastically. Also, Sony pictures announced they have purchased the rights to Mark Millar’s War Heroes for a feature film, which I subsequently predicted in my blog two weeks ago. Score one for me!

Now let’s look at this weeks new comics. The first wave of October comics won’t actually ship until next week making the this Wednesday a fairly light new comic week. Here’s a look at my pile for this Wednesday October 1st.

Batman #680 – The RIP storyline is almost over and I’m still totally lost. Oh Grant Morrison, why can’t I quit you?
House of Mystery #6 – Quickly becoming my favorite Vertigo book.
Jonah Hex # 36
Justice League America#25
Nightwing #149
Red Mass for Mars – Highbrow Sci-Fi from Jonathan Hickman
Cable #7 – Ships with a truly disturbing Richard Corben variant cover.
Eternals #5
Punisher: War Journal #24 – Secret Invasion tie-in.
Top 10 vol 2, #1 – Alan Moore’s super-cops in a super-powered city are back, but without Alan Moore.

A light week indeed. I theorize that much like the mysterious sudden drop in crude oil prices, the comics giants are choosing not to kick America while they’re down for fear we’ll find something better to spend ever diminishing paychecks on. It’s also a very tough week for speculator picks with out any major first issue launches, unless you count DC’s Terror Titans which I could honestly care less about. Regardless of the circumstances, we must have speculator picks:

Batman #680; DC; Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Tony Daniel; Covers by Alex Ross and Tony Daniel; $2.99.
Why it’s hot: DC billed this issue as the one where something big happens and, after reading it, I guess something big happened but *Spoiler Alert* it wasn’t the death of Batman. Depending on what happens in the next issue, #681, this one could be hot. We’ll just have to wait an see.

Why it’ll go fast: Maybe… Batman RIP just keeps getting weirder and, perhaps, more disconnected. If you’ve been reading all the tie-ins to the storyline running through the other Bat-books you may be wondering what they have to do with each other. The answer is very little. While Morrison’s story has been entertaining I have to wonder if the other Bat-family writers were told anything beyond the title and basic premise of the storyline. I imagine the memo that hit Detective Comics writer Paul Dini’s desk read something like:

Attn: Bat Writers

Morrison penning the death of Batman/Bruce Wayne, sort of, maybe.
Will get back to you with details as we have them, maybe.

Sincerely;

Dan Didio, Grand Pubah of DC Comics

P.S.; Please write a tie-in story.

Now, if it all comes together in the next and final issue of Batman RIP then we’ll all be talking about Morrison’s genius and scrambling to find these back issues. That is if Batman dies, which isn’t a solid bet at this time regardless of the story-line’s title.

Vixen: Return of the Lion #1; DC; Written by G Willow Wilson; Art by Cafu; Cover by Josh Middelton; $2.99

Why it’s hot: If you’ve been reading Justice League America there is a good chance that you’ve been trying to figure out what has been going on with Vixen’s powers since issue #1 of this latest volume. Well get ready for answers. This mini-series explores the changes Vixen has seen recently and promises to answer why she has lost her connection to the animal world. Air writer G. Willow Wilson gives us a look into DC’s hottest Afro-American super heroine in this four-issue mini-series with gorgeous covers by Josh Middelton.

Why it’ll go fast: Justice League spinoffs are historically famous for two things; being too expensive and not selling. I’d expect most retailers to order low on Vixen as she’s never been an A-list hero. However, the covers and art are beautiful and retailers should never underestimate a busty black woman when it comes to selling issues. Yes, I’m interested in the story. Of course she’s hot, but I swear, I read these books for the stories and Playboy for the articles.

Supergirl #34; Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Jamal Igle and Kieth Champagne; Cover by Josh Middelton and Fernando Pasarin; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: Yet another new team is taking the creative reigns on Supergirl; nothing new there for the a book that has had seen 33 issues and 4 creative teams. So why be excited. The new team is trying something that hasn’t been done in Supergirl history; tyeing the comic into current Superman continuity. Geoff Johns (writer, Action Comics) and James Robinson (writer, Superman) are currently writing some of the best Superman comics in recent memory and have both featured Supergirl recently. My only question; why not start with a new #1?

Why it’ll go fast: Supergirl has never been a big seller, the current series has almost been canceled twice now and had so many creative shake-ups that retailers might not have even noticed the new team on this issue. If fans pick up Supergirl #34 at even half the level of Action or Superman this comic will disappear by Thursday. With another amazing Middelton cover and fantastic new creative team I’m calling Supergirl #34 the surprise sell-out of the week.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

It’s Wednesday again and there is seven hundred billion reasons why you should check out this week’s comics. I’m just going to list a few. This week was a back-breaker for Marvel fans, as you will see by my stack of books, with almost 30 new comics on the stand. Of course you don’t need to buy them all; that’s why you’re here.

Who reads “This Week in Geek” you ask? The “This Week in Geek” reader is a discerning nerd with keen eye for comic talent and sense of financial responsibility only matched by his/her good looks. When they aren’t downloading Battlestar Galactica webisodes (man I hate that term) the TWIG reader is content relax with a blended scotch (I’m a Jameson 12-year Reserve man) and loyal dog by their side to enjoy the latest company wide crossover tie-in or zombie-horror-survival comic. Yeah, life just isn’t interesting enough for a geek of your caliber. No sir, no one’s going to tell this adult they shouldn’t be reading comics. Maybe if your approached by an alien and asked to join an interstellar commando force tomorrow, things would be different. But for now, its movies, video games, nerdy TV, and all the comics you can afford. That’s the TWIG reader.

That was supposed to read like one of those “What kind of man reads Playboy?” adds but really just ended up kind of depressing. Anyway, here’s a look at the comics I’m buying this week with my “golden parachute” incentive package after my firing from a major Wall Street investment firm that will, for now, remain nameless.

Hellboy: the Crooked Man #3 – Mignola and Corben, is there a better horror team out there?
Solomon Kane #1 – Conan creator Robert E. Howard’s Puritan demon hunter makes his comics debut.
Superman #680 – Starman writer James Robinson’s Superman run is awesome so far.
Dead Ahead #1 – Zombies have overtaken the mainland making the sea the only safe place for humanity.
Avengers: Initiative #17 – Secret Invasion tie-in.
Black Panther #41 – Secret Invasion tie-in.
Captain America #42 – The best Cap story I’ve read so far.
Daredevil #111 – Meet Lady Bullseye.
Fantastic Four #560 – It just gets weirder and weirder but you’ve gotta love it.
Hulk #6 – The identity of the Red Hulk FINALLY revealed.
Marvel 1985 #5 – More fun from Mark Millar.
New Avengers #45 – Secret Invasion tie-in.
Nova #17 – Darkhawk? Seriously?
Thunderbolts #124 – Secret Invasion tie-in.

As you can see;a new comic stack dominated by Marvel titles, although, I find myself mostly excited for the Dark Horse books I picked up. Which brings me to my:

SPECULATOR PICKS OF THE WEEK!

”Solomon Kane #1”; Dark Horse; Written by Scott Allie; Art by Mario Guevara and Dave Stewart ;Covers by John Cassaday and Joe Kubert; $2.99

Why it’s hot: If you’re a Conan fan then you too should be excited for this book. Kane is a puritanical witch hunter created by Robert E. Howard and brought to comics by Dark Horse Conan editor Scott Allie along with the amazing art talents of Mario Guevara and Dave Stewert. If you like your heroes dark, imposing and driven by maniacal religious zealotry then this is the book for you. Also, the art looks georgeous.

Why it’ll go fast: Not many Conan fans know that Howard created any other characters unless they were a fan of his fiction. I had a book of short stories about Kane pushed on me by a rabid Howard fan years ago and have loved the character since. Most retailers are going to order very low on this one based on the fact that no one knows who Solomon Kane is. If you didn’t pre-order issue #1, you can expect to be hunting for it. Solomon Kane looks like another high quality addition to the Dark Horse line that very few readers will actually have the chance to buy before this issue sells out.

Black Panther #41; Marvel Comics; Written by Jason Aaron; Art and cover by Jefte Palo; $2.99

Why it’s hot: Not to sound like a broken record here but, it’s a Secret Invasion tie-in. That said, Aaron’s Black Panther has been some of the best I’ve read since Christopher Priest left the book. This is the third part of the “See Wakanda and Die” storyline and I can’t believe I haven’t hyped it yet. Aaron is the acclaimed writer of DC/Vertigo’s Scalped and currently writing Marvel’s Ghost Rider. While I’m not crazy about his Ghost Rider, his Black Panther has been excellent.

Why it’ll go fast: The whole “See Wakanda and Die” storyline has been quietly selling out at shops and just recently has started to gain attention with fans that wrote the book off long ago. I don’t expect Black Panther to be the most expensive Secret Invasion back issue but it wouldn’t surprise me to see this storyline selling for $10-$15.00 an issue in a few months. Retailers have been happy to watch this book sell out for a change and then scratching their heads when re-orders requested from customers can’t be filled. Guess what? It’s because Black Panther is great again. Pick up issues #39-#41 if you can find them. You won’t regret it.

Samurai Legend #1; Marvel Comics/Soliel; Written by Jean-Francois Di Giorgio; Art and cover by Frédéric Genêt;
$2.99.

Why it’s hot: Samurai Legend is the latest from the Marvel/Soliel imprint and looks like another excellent addition. Like Sky Doll and Universal War One, Samurai is another European comic translated and marketed to American audiences by Marvel. If Samurai is anything like the first two Soliel series than Marvel has another instant hit on their hands. The premise: “A samurai seeks to discover the answers to his mysterious past, as one of Japan’s most important figures seeks to betray the Emperor—but just how are both connected to the 13th prophet? And what does it mean for the future of Japan?”. Sounds cool enough. I’m in.

Why it’ll go fast: There are a few things that will guarantee sales for a new comic; Wolverine or Superman on the cover, ninjas, zombies, and of course, samurai. Nerds love samurai and this comic has samurai right in the title. Also the art is gorgeous and the writing looks to be top-notch. Marvel’s Soliel imprint seemed like a bad idea to me when they first introduced Skydoll but the quality of the comics speaks for themselves. I was wrong, Marvel was right, and Samurai Legend is going to sell like hot-cakes.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

Paris and antiques—can it get any better?

Ah, to be in Paris in September. Ah, to be in Paris any time of the year. For antiques collectors, September has the added appeal of the Biennale des Antiquaires running through September 21 in the Grand Palais.

The New York Times reports that there are 94 exhibitors with an incredible selection of classical furniture. But not necessarily for those of the faint of heart and paltry funds. One dealer has an André-Charles Boulle writing desk from the 1690s. Price? You can have it for $9.1 million.

Other notable antiques up for sale are a Louis XV Rococo commode, what the Times deems as a “fantastic” 17th-century Melchior Baumgartner cabinet, a bronze Chinese water buffalo from the fifth to third century B.C., and much, much more.

Oh, to be in Paris—with a sizable bank account.

Strumming collectibles

On a more affordable note is the upcoming auction of Martin guitars.

The Morning Call of the Lehigh Valley, Pa., writes that Christie’s, New York, will be selling 49 Martin-made guitars as the company is celebrating its 175th anniversary.

There are those, such as Scott Pavloty, who swear by the quality of this manufacturer. “Martins are just really big and booming sounding,” he says. “They’re great for strumming.

Among the instruments being sold at the October 10 auction are Eric Clapton, Woody Guthrie and Graham Nash signature guitars, prototypes and experimental editions.

Proceeds will go to the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.

Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a Superman auction.

Brad Meltzer is a writer of novels and comic books who loves, really loves Superman. So much so that two weeks ago, he started an online auction to raise money earmarked to save the home where Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, grew up.

The Cleveland house was, to put it mildly, a wreck. “The house where Google was founded is preserved,” Meltzer wrote on his Web site. “The garage where Hewlett Packard was founded is protected. But the house where Superman was born? I was in shock.”

He set about coming up with $50,000 to repair the roof and exterior. TV station WKYC in Cleveland and Akron reports that to date $53,455 has been raised. And the online auction goes to 11:59 p.m. September 30.

There are a lot of incredible collectibles left. How about the original cover artwork for “Final Crisis: Superman beyond 3-D” Number 2? Or an original Bizarro painting by Felipe Massafera? An original Superman color illustration by Matt Wagner, creator of “Grendel” and “Mage”?

The complete auction list of these collectibles can be found at Ordinary People Change the World.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

As Wall Street crumbles, hurricane victims abound and the Presidential race moves even further away from actual issues, one thing has become painfully obvious. All this week’s news is bad news and there appears to be no good news in sight. So, if I may make a suggestion to you, my readers. Stop reading the news and read some comics instead! It’s Wednesday, give the news a break. It’ll be there tomorrow. I promise.

As you know Wednesday is new comic day and once again your local comic shop is fully stocked with new books that won’t make you embarrassed of the state of politics or the floundering economy after reading them. Besides, if you’re like me then you don’t have to worry about the stock market as all your money is tied up in old Daredevil issues. Who’s laughin’ now Merrill Lynch?

Last week I switched the format a bit and listed the comics I was buying that Wednesday and then my speculator picks. Well it seems you guys dug it, well two of you anyway. So the new format stays! Again, the idea is to discuss this stuff. You know like “Matt, do you really need to be reading Pirates vs Ninjas… Really?”. So tell me what you think. What should or shouldn’t be in my weekly comic haul?

Here’s my pile of comics for the week of 9/17:

Conan the Cimmerian #3 – Love the new series and new “anthology-style” storytelling.
Action Comics #869 – I don’t think Superman comics have ever been this good!
All Star Superman #12 – Currently the only Grant Morrison book I can follow.
Robin #178 – Easily the best part of Batman RIP.
Astounding Wolfman #8 – Robert Kirkman you did it again!
Godland #25 – Every fan of Jack Kirby’s Fantastic 4 should read this book.
War heroes #2 – Calling my shot here. This is the issue where writer Mark Millar gets controversial.
Captain Britain and M.I. 13 #5 – Fun from the writer of Doctor Who
Incredible Hercules #121 – What can I say, I love a hunky guy in a green skirt.
Mighty Avengers #18 – Secret Invasion tie-in and great every month.
Secret Invasion: Thor #2 – Matt Fraction writes Thor and I love it!
X-Factor #35 – Writer Peter David is the king of quippy comic dialog.

A rather short stack this week but not a huge new comic week all around. Now lets take a look at my predictions for this week’s sellouts:

War Heroes #2; Image Comics; Written by Mark Millar; Art by Tony Harris; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: The premise: in the near future the U.S. Armed Forces, unable to recruit new troops for their endless war in the Middle-East and Afghanistan, starts offering superpowers to new recruits. Suddenly everyone wants to defend their country from terrorist insurgents with super strength and flight powers but at what cost to their own humanity and what will be the ramifications for the rest of the world. Millar examines the war on terror from a super-hero-comic stand-point but still keeps this book poignant. Oh, and Tony Harris’ art is amazing.

Why it’ll go fast: Mark Millar is the hottest writer in comics at present and, if this series is as popular as Kick Ass, War Heroes will be optioned for a movie before issue #3 even hits the stands. #2 ships with a mature readers warning on the cover which means tis comic is going to take a turn for the controversial as is Millar’s style and when it does you can expect the news media to pick up on the story. After that, finding issues of War Heroes (issue #1 ranked at 77 on the 300 most ordered comics for July 2008 as published by Icv2.com) will be impossible to find. I expect #2 to sell out even faster than #1 as retailers tend to cut back their orders on second issues.

Action Comics #869; DC Comics; Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Gary Frank; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: As I stated above, Action Comics has never been better and the Johns/Frank creative team makes this book worth the price of admission alone. The latest Brainiac story has taken what I had always considered a badly developed Silver-Age villian and made him terrifying. I can’t recommend Action highly enough. If you ever loved Superman comics you will enjoy this book.

Why it’ll go fast: Little known to fans there are two versions of the cover of Action #869 and no, I’m not talking about an incentive variant. Last week at the same time that DC was recalling All Star Batman and Robin #10 for naughty words, they were also desperately trying to recall all the issues of Action #869 not for bad language but because it showed Clark Kent having a beer with his adopted father. I don’t see the problem either. Regardless, the issue was recalled and shipped today with the Kents enjoying a “Soda Pop” together. Just like last week a few copies of the “a beer with Pa Kent” cover (as I’m calling it) shipped out to some retailers and are now instantly spiking in value. DC hasn’t given any details as to how many of the recalled issues shipped but the number is probably lower than ASB&R #10. Keep your eyes peeled for the booze cover super-fans.

Iron Man: Director of Shield #33; Marvel Comics; Written by Christos Gage; Art by Sean Chen; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: Secret Invasion tie-in! Usually by know readers are fed up with the crossovers and tie-in issues but the Secret Invasion stuff seems to be an exception. This issue features Jim Rhodes as War Machine, dealing with the Skrull Invasion while Tony is incapacitated.

Why it’ll go fast: Iron Man’s star was eclipsed by Batman this summer due to The Dark Knight‘s rollicking success at the box office but let’s not forget how great hi movie was. We all loved it and for a brief time Iron Man’s comics were flying off the shelves. Flash forward three months and Iron Man Director of Shield has fallen from #59 on the 300 most ordered comics list in June to #67 in August. After Daniel Knauff left the book it’s popularity seemed to leave with him. Now that Gage and Chen are on the book they’re actually preparing for it’s cancellation with issue #35. But don’t fret, the War Machine storyline in the pages of Iron Man DOS leads into the new upcoming War Machine title due out in December by World War Hulk writer Greg Pak. War Machine is also rumored to play a large part in the upcoming Iron Man sequel due in theaters in summer 2010. I’d expect this book to see low initial orders but sell out in the next couple of weeks.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

The Comic Speculator is a blog by Worthpoint Comic Book Worthologist Matt Baum that discusses comics as collectibles and the back issue comic market.

Before the advent of the Internet and Ebay collectors mainly used printed guides to establish the value of their collectibles. This worked fine for years but also allowed certain parties to see the values of their collectibles artificially inflated. There were also regional problems, especially with hobbies like baseball card and comic collecting. The main problems were caused by trends in the largest markets. For instance, a 1982 Cal Ripken rookie card may have been very difficult to find on the east coast where the Baltimore Oriels are a very popular team, yet on the west coast Ripken’s card may have been readily available. Fans in L.A. may have passed on Ripken’s card while hunting down a Pedro Guerrero or Steve Sax card and when looking for a Ripken had to pay East-coast-prices despite availabilty. Without a national database to track sales it was virtually impossible to decide on a true value of a card or comic based on it’s rarity and for a time, the guides reigned supreme. Then came the Internet.

Suddenly a collector in L.A. could talk to one in Baltimore instantly and trade their Guerrero for a Ripken. With the birth of Ebay collectors could look at sales on their favorite items and track what prices were actually being paid by real people for the items they collected rather than having those prices dictated to them by guides. As it would turn out some guides were proven legitimate while others were exposed for their insane price inflation. As collectors used the Internet more and more to both collect and communicate with each other, the nature of collecting began to change. Historically, for the most part, only older items were considered rare and therefore rose in price as they became older and rarer. However auction sites like Ebay were seeing an old idea reborn in the form of the instant collectible.

Instant collectability didn’t necessarily get it’s start with Ebay. One story that I remember as a child was the Bill Ripken “naughty word” card that were released with the first printings of the of Fleer 1989 MLB card set. In his photo Ripken was holding a bat that had… well, a naughty word written on its handle. Fleer attempted to recall the cards but several had already made it to circulation and instantly spiked in value. Had this same incident happened today, who knows how much Ripken’s naughty card would be selling for on Ebay?

A very similar incident took place at comic shops every where this week with their shipment of All Star Batman and Robin #10. Earlier this week Diamond Comics sent an email to comics shops saying that if they receive and copies of ASB&R #10 the issues were to be destroyed due to a printing error. Diamond was able to intercept shipments of the issues to the West Coast but a few shipped to stores in the East and Midwest. 90% of which are on Ebay right now. As it would turn out writer Frank Miller’s version of Batgirl has a pretty nasty mouth on her. Rather than replacing her naughty words with symbols (like “Oh $%#@!”) DC choose to print the cuss words and then print black lines over them. Only the black lines weren’t dark enough and guess what, the naughty words were plainly legible. So Diamond announces a recall and an instant collectible is born.

As of today there are more than 50 issues of the recalled comic on Ebay selling for an average of $40.00-$50.00. The most expensive issue sold for $150.00 yesterday. What does this mean for the future of ASB&R #10? One thing is for certain, there aren’t any more of the issues out there that will later surface. It’s rare, yes. But will collectors care years from now? The Bill Ripken card I mentioned once sold for $70-$80 but now only sells for $10-$15.

A similar incident took place in 1999 when DC recalled the entire print run of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #5 because of a fake advertisement for a women’s hygiene product named after Marvel Comics. None of the issues made it to American stores but an estimated 100-200 were shipped to the U.K.. The 2008 Oversteet Comic Price Guide lists the comic at $30 in Near Mint condition, which is in most opinions is vastly undervalued due to the low number of copies in existence. The same guide lists the recalled issue of DC’s Elesworld’s Eighty Page Giant, recalled because of a panel showing Superman Jr dead in a microwave, at $175.00 in Near Mint even though there is an estimated 2000 copies in existence.

There are plenty of other recalled comics on the market today but few have held their once inflated value. That said, it’s been a while since collectors have seen a recalled comics due to content and not a legitimate error, the most recent being in 2001 when Marvel Comics recalled Elektra vol. 2 #3 which showed nude panels of the main character (18.00 in Near Mint).

Only the future will tell if collectors stay interested in Batgirl’s string of legible cuss words. For now ASB&R #10 joins the ranks of the instant collectibles spiking in value due to company recalls because of, as Bill Cosby calls it, “filth-flarn-filth”.

I decided to try something new this week. Rather than starting out with some quips about this week’s new comics I’ve decided to change the format a little and give you guys an actual list of what I’m spending my money on at the comic shop followed by my picks of the week. The idea being, to provide you with a look at the comic junkies stack each week. See, I don’t just buy this stuff because it may or may not be worth more than it’s cover price some day. Comic nerds like myself collect comics, of course, but we read them and discuss them as well. Half the fun of reading comics is arguing with your friends about what they should or shouldn’t be reading. Why just 10 minutes ago I was just making fun of fellow collector/friend earlier about picking up the new ”Deadpool” book. I’m just not a big fan of the writer and it seems comics like these are banking on a character, Deadpool specifically (whose like a Psychotic Spider-man with swords and a healing factor) rather than a great story idea starring that character.

As money gets tighter it can become harder and harder to rationalize spending money on comics. After all, we don’t need comics… Well some of us don’t. And spending money on comics that suck, well that’s just down right stupid. Like buying gas that doesn’t run the cherry condition 1972 Ford Ranchero you rebuilt and airbrushed that awesome Rattlesnake on it’s hood. It’s good to take a critical look at one’s hobbies now and again especially when money is tight. That’s the idea of the new format. In sharing my pile with you guys I fully expect you to call me out if you see something I don’t need to be buying. PLEASE!

Now you may notice that my buy pile doesn’t include one or even all of my speculator picks of the week. This is mainly due to the fact that I’m not a comic speculator as much as I am a collector. So here’s what I’m buying this week with commentary where needed:

B.P.R.D #3
King Size Cable #1 – this one was on the cusp until last issue. It took me a few issues to figure out where series writer Duane Swierczynski was going but I’m liking it more and more.
Final Crisis: Revelations#2 – Finding it harder and harder to care about Rene Montoya as the new Question. This might be the last one I buy.
The Goon #28
Green Lantern Corps #28 – Prelude story to the Rage of the Red Lanterns storyline.
Kick Drum Comics #1 – Love that Jim Mafhood
Lone Ranger #13 – Currently in a tie race with Jonah Hex for best Western comic currently on the stands.
Secret Invasion: Inhumans #2 – NBC Heros writer Joe Pokaski nailed the first issue. I can’t wait to read more from him.
Secret Invasion: X-Men #2
Secret Invasion #6

As you can tell not a huge week for me but enough new comics to keep me busy until next Wednesday. Big news in my Speculator picks this week so let’s get to them.

”All Star Batman and Robin”; DC Comics; Written by Frank Miller; Art by Jim Lee; $2.99

Why it’s hot: Other than the fact that it has Frank Miller and Jim Lee’s names on the cover there is no reason to buy this comic. It’s terribly written and massively over-printed. Miller’s latest Bat-Book has been laughable at best and just-plain-bad at its worst. I don’t read it nor do I get what Miller is trying to do with this comic other than maybe punish readers or prove that he’s completely lost touch with the character of Batman. I know what you’re thinking; how does anything he’s said make this book hot? See below.

Why it’ll go fast: As it would happen Miller has injected some of his detective-noir sensibilities into All Star Bats most notably by giving Batman a dirty mouth. (very creative). As it would happen, rather than using symbols to illustrate naught words (IE. “@$&# you ya @$&#-hole”) DC made the choice to cross out the naughty words with black lines. Don’t ask me why. Well it turns out, due to a printing error all the naughty words were blacked out but not well enough and were quite legible. The print run containing the naughty words were prevented from shipping for the most part but as luck would have it, a few copies made it to a few random shops. Only one copy made it to Omaha as far as I know. Diamond Comics sent out an email on Monday telling retailers to destroy any copies of All Star Bats #10 that they receive and they will be replaced with properly censored issues. If you can find this issue BUY IT! The last time I can think of a naughty issue recall was for The League of Extraordinary Gentleman vol.2 #5 that had a fake add for a womens hygiene product. Again the comic was recalled but a few made it to shops and today it sells for more than $300.00. By the way, this is the only reason to buy this comic. Like I stated above, it’s terrible.

”The Stand: Captain Tripps #1”; Marvel Comics; Written by: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; Art by: Mike Perkins; $2.99

Why it’s hot: This new limited series spins off the success of the other Marvel/Stephen King Project, The Dark Tower and it’s many spin-off series as well. Captain Tripps is not a graphic retelling of King’s The Stand but focuses on some of the character’s from the book.

Why it’ll go fast: The success of Marvel’s Dark Tower comics showed retailers that fans of King’s novels will crossover to the comic world to read more about their favorite characters. The Dark Tower series was one of King’s cult hits, nowhere near as popular or widely read as The Stand, but was a huge seller for Marvel. I would guess that Capt Tripps will enjoy similar if not greater success at the stands.

”Green Lantern Corps #28”; DC Comics; Written by Peter Tomasi; Art by Luke Ross; $2.99

Why it’s hot: If your not reading both of the current Green Lantern books then you are missing out on the best GL stories ever told. And, your probably a jerk. Peter Tomasi’s GL Corps has been nothing short of fantastic yet most fans aren’t reading it. Issue #28 is the lead-in story to the upcoming Rage of the Red Lanterns storyline that will lead into the much anticipated Blackest Night Storyline.

Why it’ll go fast: GL Corps has been dropping is sales for the past couple of months (from #44 in June to #49 in July on the Diamond Estimated comic sales list) which is too bad because the book is great. Those looking to pick up the entire lead in to the Blackest Night storyline in the future may find this prelude issue very hard to find due to low order numbers. Don’t be a sucker and jump on the GL Corps bandwagon today. You won’t regret it.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comicbook Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

If you charge into your comic shop this Wednesday with fists full of cash and a hankering for new comics prepare to be disappointed. Normally new comics arive every Wednesday to the joy of comic nerds everywhere. It’s like nerd Christmas every week, but sadly, not this week. It is my sullen duty to report there will be no new comics this Wednesday. But don’t fret comic junkies. Your weekly schwag is coming, it’s just a day late. Labor day gave the boys at UPS a day off leaving us nerds biting our lips and sweating it out for one more day. But rest assured this week’s pile of fun is worth the wait and new comic Thursday is going to be huge.

On the Batman: RIP front Detective Comics #848 and Nightwing #148 hit this week along with DC’ Manhunter #34 Green Lantern #34 and Verigo’s Fables #75. Marvel is countering with Invincible Iron Man #5, Eternals #4 The Haunt of Horror #3 and the next big X-crossover event begins with X-Men: Manifest Destiny#1. I’m also picking up Buffy the Vampire Slayer #18 (it’s time for Dark Horse to reacquire the rights to Angel at any cost!) and the new Boom Studios undersea-thriller Challenger Deep #1. A drug habit might be cheaper than my weekly comics.

Now do I expect you to buy all these titles? No of course not. That’s why each week I pick three must buy comics for you, the frugal collector, who, unlike myself, has a modicum of self control when visiting the comic shop. Of course if you are buying all these titles or completely different ones, I want to hear about them. What are you reading/collecting? Get on the Worthpoint.com comic collecting forums and start talking!

Now let’s get to it. Here’s my picks of the week for Thursday 9/04/2008:

”Secret Six #1”; DC, Written by Gail Simone; Art by Nicola Scott; $2.99

Why it’s hot: The first modern Secret Six incarnation appeared in pages of the Villains United mini-series that led up to 2005′s Infinite Crisis. There were three other mini’s that loosely led up to Infinite Crisis but Simone’s ”Villians United” was, in my opinion, the best of the four. Issue #1 of VI still sells for $8.00 – $10.00. The Story centered around 6 villains that refused to join Lex Luthor’s Secret Society of Super Villains at the time and have stuck together as a loose team since The Secret Six reappeared in 2006 in another mini-series written by Simone, while still great, didn’t sell quite as well as Villains United. Now in their own ongoing series, the Secret Six find themselves seeking two new members while exploring the darker side of the DC universe.

Why it’ll go fast: Gail Simone is currently one of my favorite DC writers and only seems to get better with each new project (her ”Wonder Woman” is a must read). Nicola Scott is one of my favorite new artists of the past five years and has attracted the eye of several readers and not just with her art (cute nerd girl alert). Secret Six is going to be hot but not right away. I predict issue #1 selling out slowly over the next couple of weeks but by issue #3 the buzz on Secret Six will make back-issues next to impossible to find. I don’t expect orders on Secret Six #1 to be too high after the disappointing sales on the 2006 mini-series at the retailer so pick it up now before you have to pay $30.00 for it on Ebay.

”Fringe #1” DC/Wildstorm; Written by Zack Whedon, Julia Cho, Alex Katsnelson, and Denielle Dispaltro; Art by Tom Mandrake and Simon Coleby; Photo Cover; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: The plot of JJ Abrams latest TV series, Fringe, has been a complete mystery up until the Pilot episode popped up on the internet this past month. You just can’t trust those critics to keep anything a secret I tell ya. Fringe is being touted as the new X-Files which sounds good unless of course those saying it are including anything that happened post X-Files season 6 and the latest box-office flop. Regardless, the hype on the show is huge and the comic, written by Zack Whedon (who will be perpetually known as Joss Whedon’s little brother) and others, is the first glimpse of what Abrams new show is all about.

Why it’ll go fast: Everyone who already hasn’t downloaded the pilot episode of Fringe (which is a crime and is NOT condoned by this blog) will be looking for this comic to get a peek at what to expect from the show. Retailers can’t order enough of this comic and, if I’m correct, they won’t. TV spin-off comics rarely sell well as they usually aren’t written by the series writers and don’t have the same quality stories. The Fringe comic however is a prelude to the much anticipated show and is written by the series writers. This issue is going to sellout before close of buisness Wednesday and will be selling for at least $10.00 on ebay by Friday. GO GET IT NOW OR PAY TO MUCH FOR IT LATER!

”Necronomicon #1”; Boom Studios; Written by William Messner-Loebs; Art by Andrew Ritchie; Cover by J.K. Woodward; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: This week’s little-book-that-could comes from Boom Studios and is about the mythical Necronomicon, a book written by the Mad Arab Abdul-Alhazred that detail the history of the ancient gods that wait on the edge of reality to devour mankind and sink the earth back into the nightmarish chaos where once resided. Sounds uplifting right? The Necronomicon was actually a creation of pulp-horror writer H.P. Lovecraft who would influence just about every modern horror writer and filmmaker. Necronomicon is a four issue mini-series that will examine the history of the unholy books and expose the horrors that lie within. What more could a horror nerd want?

Why it’ll go fast: The Boom horror comics sell but they don’t exactly sell huge numbers. Although I expect that to change as Editor-in-Chief Mark Waid builds his Boom “Horrorverse” which will bring all the Boom Horror titles into one Lovecraftian universe. The only thing that horror nerds dig more than squid-headed demons is continuity in there horror comics. I would expect that based on the orders of the the other Boom horror comics initial orders on Necronomicon #1 will be extremely low. My local shop only ordered two copies, until I told them how cool Necronomicon is going to be. Then they upped their order to three copies. That’s me… A man of power and influence.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, chek out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comicbook Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

Summer is almost over, the Olympics have ended and the Democratic National Convention is messing up traffic in Minneapolis as I write this. Kids are already back in school and football season starts this weekend. If you’re a college football fan then I need not remind you. Go Huskers! Anyway, remember that stuff I said last week about the volume of new comics slowing down with the approach of fall? Well forget it. I’m an idiot. This week is a MONSTER new comic week. Marvel is hitting us with eight Secret Invasion tie-ins including all three Avengers books and DC is countering with three Final Crisis tie-ins. Take that nerdy wallets everywhere! Oh and purses too. This Week in Geek is an equal opportunity new comic blog.

So yeah… I was wrong. Or at least I neglected to look at the shipping-next-week-list until right after I published last weeks blog, which I thought was a good one. Maybe not entirely factual but good for a chuckle here and there right? OK true believers, I apologize. Also, wrong about Amazing Spiderman. I wanted to be excited, see ”last week’s blog”, but after reading it I had to except the fact that Spidey has moved on and I have not. I don’t care about the ”Brand New Day Spidey tales” and don’t plan on reading anymore of them. Sigh… The good news is there is a ton of great stuff hitting the shelves this week and my three hot picks are just a fraction of what you should be reading.

As always, I want to know what you guys are reading and collecting so drop me a line or post in the comics forums of ”Worthpoint.com”. I’m a comic nerd, you’re a comic nerd. Let’s get together and talk comics!

Now lets get to this weeks Hot Picks:

Kick Ass #4; Marvel Comics; Written by Mark Millar; Art and cover by John Romita Jr; $2.99.
Why it’s hot: How many times do I have to tell you how hot Mark Millar is right now? Everyone in Hollywood wants a piece of this guy, there’s even rumors that he’s writing the next Superman movie. Millar’s Kick Ass has been a huge hit so far with every issue selling out a the presses almost instantly. If you’re not Kick Ass yet you’ll have to settle for second prints as the first prints have vanished from comic shops.

Why it’ll go fast: See above. Also, issue #4 is the first appearance of “Hit Girl”. Described as a “9-year-old that loves Hello Kitty and could tear your throat out with her bare hands”, Hit Girl is already one of my favorite new characters. Kick Ass has been one of the hottest selling comics of the summer and the news that a ”movie version has already entered pre-production” is just making the title even hotter. Until the movie premiers expect Kick Ass back issues to be hot sellers and, based on the success or failure of the film, their value could rise even higher. Kick Ass #3 checked in at 261 on the only shipping an estimated 5,757 issue nationwide. Compared to Secret Invasion #3 which shipped more than 175,000 issues it’s easy to see how rare Kick Ass back issues will be in the near future.

Final Crisis: Superman Beyond; Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Doug Mahnke, Covers by Doug Mahnke and J.H. Williams III; $4.50

Why it’s hot: IT’S IN 3D! The only thing that could make me love ”Doug Mahnke”‘s art more would be if it was jumping off the page at me. The story spills right out of the pages of Final Crisis and sends Supes on a multi-dimensional quest to save the DCU. Complete with 3D glasses Suupes Beyond promises to be an eye-popping good time.

Why it’ll go fast: Though this comic may not fly off the stands it will join a short list of comic back issues that came with an extra. This time it’s 3D glasses but in the past there have been comics that shipped with collectible cards, previews of other comics, stickers, or even coupons for fan club offers. In each case the issues were always worth more with the giveaways intact. Everyone that buys Superman Beyond is going to tear open the 3D glasses to see the amazing art but those that can resist that urge may see a big pay off in the future. My advice; buy 2 copies. With a $4.50 cover price I can’t see a lot of collectors following this advice but I can guarantee Final Crisis: Superman Beyond will be worth more with 3D glasses. If they come sealed in plastic the unopened ones will add even more value to the comic.

”Guerrillas #1”; Written by Brahm Revel; Art and cover by Braham Revel; $3.99

Why it’s hot: The premise of this one sold me instantly:
“Guerillas” depicts a top-secret program initiated by the Nixon administration during the height of the Vietnam conflict. Said Revel, “They’ve begun using specially trained chimps to fight the war in Southeast Asia. The action follows a timid new recruit who accidentally falls in with the experimental apes, but as they hump through the damp jungles of Vietnam, it becomes unclear if these chimps are a stable fighting unit or an erratic and volatile pack of animals. The chimps have gone through the U.S. military machine and are trying to reconcile the ideas and orders that they’ve been taught with their innate instinctual drives.”
(Brahm Revel from an ).
It’s Project X meets Platoon in the latest Image Comics creator owned title from newcomer Brahm Revel.

Why it’ll go fast: Guerrillas has three things going against it; 1. It’s black and white, 2. It’s written and illustrated by a newcomer and 3. no superheroes. These three strikes will add up to low initial orders by retailers. I think my local shop only ordered two. None of the three strikes I named add up to a bad comic, just lower sales. Black and white books don’t sell as well as color and when you add that to a no-name writer with no superheroes. Well, you can figure out the rest. This book does have a lot going for it though. The story sounds amazing and the art looks great. Pair that with 48pgs per comic and you’ve got a book worth it’s cover price. Guerrillas looks great and if it catches fans eye’s like I hope it does issue #1 could be very difficult to find.

That’s it for this week but get ready for another Marvel heavy shipment next Wednesday including the ”Marvel Apes” mini-series premiere. Marvel has been shipping variant covers of several titles with Ape versions of your favorite heroes to create some buzz for next week’s ape event. Personally I’m not too excited but have to admit this week’s Daredevil variant was pretty cool. ”Click here to see all the Marvel Ape Variants.”

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, chek out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comicbook Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story lines and creators discussed here

The dog days of mid-August bring with them going back to school sales, shorter lines at the theaters, rising inflation, a falling American dollar, a rising Olympic medal count and, oh yeah, there’s a presidential race going on. It’s a strange time of summer when the weather is still hot but it feels strangely like fall. Mid-August is a time we find our attentions split between many things, be it school, the Olympics (this year), politics (especially this year), football season (coming very soon!), Bigfoot corpses (I want to believe) or any number of other things that fall will bring.

Hollywood understands we’re busy preparing for the changing of seasons and new responsibilities that come with “back-to-business fall” after our long summer vacation. So instead of continuing the summer blockbuster season theater goers will find themselves offered less choices but higher quality. The comic book world has been modeling itself after Hollywood for years now, even going as far as to call reprints “Directors Cut” editions and new volumes of series “Seasons”, which in my opinion is stupid. They are completely different mediums. However, one could make a strong argument that The Dark Knight made more than any Batman comic ever has so why not mimic Hollywood?

Just as summer blockbuster season sees a reduction in the amount of films released so too do releases from the major comic companies. This week is a light one for new comics but the quality of what’s coming out on Wednesday is what we should be excited for. There’s actually a lot of high quality stuff hitting the selves this week including: Conan the Cimmerian #2, (Truman’s new take on Conan has been excellent) Air #1 (new Vertigo), Robin #177 (the best part of RIP so far), Madman #10 (if you think I have a man crush on ”Joe Casey” you should hear me gush about ”Mike Allred” some time). These are just a few of the books I’m excited for but not my picks of the week. No, my picks for this week are as follows:

”Doctor Who: The Forgotten #1”; IDW; Written by Tony Lee; Art and Cover by Pia Geurra; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: Have you ever found yourself in a conversation wherein you discovered you’ve been missing out on something great for years now? That’s how I feel now that every nerd I know has fallen in love with Doctor Who. I’ve often said “I just don’t get it” or “it’s too damn British” (which isn’t racist, I swear I have lots of British friends) when talking about why I haven’t given Doctor Who a chance. The truth is I’m becoming jealous of my Doctor Who friends and, as of late, have found myself spending a little too much time hovering my cursor over Sci Fi Network’s Doctor Who Season 1 “Add to my queue” button on Netflix.com. OK, I just added it to my queue. Regardless, Doc Who nerds are fired up for this one because it stars every Doctor there has ever been. Which, if you watch Doc Who, probably freaks you right out. For now, I still don’t get it.

Why it’ll go fast: Doctor Who has been enjoying strong cult status for like fifty-years but is still just a cult phenomenon. Doctor Who comics on the other hand have never sold well and, for the most part, are worthless. However, this latest IDW series could prove to be the exception. Much like ”Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files” (1-4 routinely sells for $25.00 and up on Ebay), which was also a Sci Fi Network cult phenomenon, I’m betting The Forgotten #1 will be under-ordered, under-printed and very hard to find in the near future. Unlike The Dresden Files, Doctor Who has not been canceled and has a much larger, and arguably nerdier, fan base. Having ”Y the Last Man” artist ”Pia Guerra” drawing the book doesn’t hurt the hype either.

”Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #1”; Written By Geoff Johns; Art and cover by George Perez; $3.99.

Why it’s hot: To begin, everything ”Geoff Johns” does is hot. I have a friend that doesn’t like the way John’s revises continuity but that friend is confused and angry about internal things and misplacing his anger on awesome things like Geoff Johns storytelling abilities. He’s a nice guy, don’t get me wrong, but he’s mistaken. Geoff Johns is one of the best comic writers of our time and I’m not afraid to give a friend a fat lip if he keeps on criticizing him. Now on to ”George Perez”. I have another friend that is wiggling in anticipation of this book mainly due to the Perez art. Old comic nerds love them some George Perez and for good reason. Unlike some aging comic artists (cough-John Byrne-cough) Perez has still got it. The team of Johns and Perez are perfect to finally fix all the weird Legion continuity giving us one definitive Legion of Superheroes team and this is the comic that’s going to do it!

Why it’ll go fast: Final Crisis specials haven’t been selling like Marvel’s Secret Invasion tie-ins. That’s not to say they aren’t good, I enjoyed ”Requiem” and ”Rogues Revenge” more than the actual ”Final Crisis” book, so far. The reorders don’t lie however. Final Crisis and it’s tie-ins have been reordered on much lower levels than Secret Invasion comics. Retailers are slashing their numbers on Final Crisis orders and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Legion of Three Worlds disappear from shelves because of it.

”Amazing Spiderman #568”; Written by Dan Slott; Art by John Romita Jr; covers by John Romita JR, John Romita Sr and Alex Ross.

Why it’s hot: Well three reasons really. The creative team of ”Dan Slott” and ”JR Jr”, the return of the Green Goblin and Anti-Venom all add up to a must have issue of Amazing Spidey this week. Yes I’m still the same guy that drove spikes into my eyes after reading “Spider-Man: One More Day” and demanded the head of ”Joe Quesada”. Still me. I’m also the same guy that stood on top of my local comic shop shirtless waving an American flag and announced that I would NOT be reading anything under the ”Spider-Man: Brand New Day” banner. Yep, also me. However, perhaps Donald Rumsfeld said it best when he said “We go to war with the Army we have, not the Army we want.”. Much like the Iraq war Spider-man has been mismanaged as of late but it’s the only Spider-man book we’ve got and ignoring it is not going to make it go away. I like Dan Slott and love JR Jr. The Green Goblin, count me in. Anti-Venom, I guess I’ll find out if I hate it soon. One thing is for certain, whether you love or hate the current state of Amazing Spidey, everyone is going to pick this one up to see the new Venom, thing, person, whatever…

Why it’ll go fast: Diamond Comics, the monopolistic overlord that is responsible for shipping out everyone’s comics, released their top 300 selling comics for July 2008 and on that list Amazing Spidey, which currently ships three times a month slipped out of the top 20 with issue #565. Something that hasn’t happened for a while. Fans haven’t been crazy about the Brand New Day storyline or the three-issue-a-month shipping schedule on Amazing and sales are beginning to reflect these feelings. I personally don’t remember a time when I wasn’t buying at least one Spidey title a month. But issue #568 looks like good old Spidey fun in the Mighty Marvel tradition and dipping sales mixed with dipping orders are going to make this issue a quick sell out.

You heard it here first: Matt Baum recants on Spider-man, plans on buying issue tomorrow. Where did I leave that spine of mine? Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, chek out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

New Comics Day is upon us once again and boy howdy is this one going to be huge. Marvel is hitting its fans with a wallet-smashing (or purse-smashing) 20 different titles this week, 6 of which are direct Secret Invasion tie-ins. Like a pit-bull biting down on the market share and shaking it like a rag doll Marvel continues to dominate Summer comic sales while DC continues to clean-up in the internet-fan-criticism department as Final Crisis and Batman RIP just get weirder and weirder. When these series finally end I’m predicting that I will have enjoyed them both. However, Morrison’s writing has been so bizarre it’s reminded me more of his head-scratching work on DC/Vertigo’s The Invisibles than his classic 90′s JLA run.

This week we get the latest installment of Morrison’s Batman RIP storyline in Batman #679. After last months issue which found Bruce Wayne wandering around with the ghost of a junkie only to don a multi-colored bat-suit and proclaiming himself “the Batman of Zur-Enh-Arrh”, I find myself confused and losing interest. A good friend of mine described Morrison’s writing style as “pointillist”, a painting style wherein the artist uses small dots to create a bigger picture and I agree with him. When looking at single panels or even pages of Morrison’s story I find myself turning my head like a confused dog but, when presented with the whole story Morrison’s ideas and themes usually become apparent and are usually pretty good… Usually… I still can’t tell you what happened in his 2005 Seven Soldiers crossover. I love you Grant and I believe in you, but sometimes you can be hard to love.

Now lets get to my Wednesday hot picks!

”Golly”; Image Comics; Written by Phil Hester; Art and cover by Brooke Turner; $2.99.

Image Comics is quickly becoming the official Hollywood and TV try out company with almost all of it’s hot titles being optioned for both the big and small screen. Golly writer Hester is also the creator of Image’s Firebreather, which also comes out this week and is worth reading, which is currently being turned into an animated series for Cartoon Networks Adult Swim late night programming. Hester’s latest title is being touted as “Southern Fried Horror in the vein of Preacher and The Goon”, by Comicbookresources.com both of which are required horror comic reading.

Why it’ll go fast: Golly has all the look of an adult horror book that’s just a little to irreverent for DC’s Vertigo imprint and will probably sell on the order of other Vertigo hits like Fables and Hellblazer. That is after this first issue disappears and is reprinted several times. Look for initial orders on Golly #1 to be low and print-runs to vanish quickly. Any true horror fan needs to look no further than the cover to see the quality here. Demon’s, angles, and a guy in a Dio t-shirt working on an engine. What more could the horror comic enthusiast ask for?

”Secret Invasion: Inhumans”#1 of 4; Written by Joe Pokaski; Art by Tom Raney; Cover by Stejpan Seijic; $2.99.

Why it’s hot: Since reading Avengers: Illuminati #5 readers have been wondering what happened to ”Black Bolt”? The wait is over as NBC Heroes writer Joe Pokaski shows us what happens after the ”Inhumans” found out their leader was replaced by a ”Skrull”.

Why it’ll go fast: The Inhumans haven’t been a huge seller since the 1998 Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee 12-issue mini-series so don’t expect to see retailers ordering piles of this Secret Invasion tie-in. Pokaski is a hot-shot tv-writer but has yet to prove himself in the comic world, which is laughable if you compare the size of the audiences. Raney’s art has been hit or miss for the past few years but looks excellent here as he returns to a style reminiscent of his ”Stormwatch” days at Image comics in the early 90′s. S.I. Inhumans looks great and is going to be a great read for fans of Marvel’s Secret Invasion event.

Green Lantern Corps; Written by Peter Tomasi; Art by Luke Ross; Cover by Rodolfo Migliari; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: Green Lantern Corps has quietly been becoming one of my favorite DC team books since issue #1. The latest storyline is building to the Green Lantern “Blackest Night” storyline that everyone who has been reading either Green Lantern book is eagerly anticipating. Paired with an amazing painted by (newcomer?) Rodolfo Migliari and top notch interior art Green Lantern Corps is going to be selling out faster and faster as Blackest Night grows closer making these early issues impossible to find in the future. GL Corps has moved up slightly on the Diamond Comics estimated top 300 selling comics from May to June (#46-#44) but is still under-ordered and routinely selling out at most comic shops.

That’s all for this week. Sorry about my lateness but there were some minor site issues that the big-brains had to help me with. Which means I was brow beaten and insulted for my pathetic level of computer literacy and will receive extra beatings by my worthpoint masters. Before you feel sorry for me know that I chose this life and desrerve every lashing. After all, they wouldn’t hit me if they didn’t love me. At least that’s what they keep saying anyway.

Until next week, keep the questions coming, feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, chek out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

The Comic Speculator is a blog by Worthpoint Comic Book Worthologist Matt Baum that discusses back issue comics and the back issue market.

For the most part the small-independent comics press is vastly overlooked when it comes to back issue comics. Because of the extremely limited print-runs and cult nature of the small press indy-comic back issues are grossly undervalued and with the economy on it’s current downturn comic values are bottoming out. Comics and other collectibles are often the first thing to go as food and gas prices rise but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The whole idea for this blog came to me the other day when I spotted a 1st printing of Milk and Cheese #1 on Ebay. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 1st print Milk and Cheese #1, in fact I remember being impressed when I found the 3rd printing that I currently own. Bad economy = prime comic shopping. I guess we can thank “W” for something. As the stock market gets uglier and housing prices bottom out people start selling their comics and suddenly back issues of Milk and Cheese, Cerebus and Strangers in Paradise, all of which are really hard to find small press comic, are popping up for sale.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not waving an upside-down flag and cheering for the death of the U.S. Economy, I’m just pointing out a rare chance for comic collectors. For once I’m calling the glass half-full.

There’s plenty of indy-comic-back-issue gold for the collector out there but today I’m going to focus on a few titles that I loved as a lad.

Milk and Cheese; Written and drawn by Evan Dorkin.
By the time I discovered Milk and Cheese the series had already hit cult status and been reprinted several times over. I think the 1st #1 issue I purchased was a 5th printing back in 1993. The comic centered around an anthropomorphic carton of milk and a wedge of cheese that would go on short, often one-page, alcohol fueled rampages for any number of reasons. One strip that sticks in my memory is the duo destroying a generic American city after finding out that Hereve Villachaize, (the little person from Fantasy Island) was dead. The comic was ridiculous in premise and perfect in it’s biting satire and violent simplicity. I still laugh out loud while reading Milk and Cheese strips I’ve read hundreds of times. Dorkin went on to write another series called Dork and work on animated projects like Cartoon Network’s Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Warner Bros’ Superman.

Milk and Cheese #1 was published by Slave Labor Graphics in 1991 and had to have had a print run of less than 5000 issues. Issue #1 1st print currently guides for $50.00 but has sold for more than $100.00 on line. As I stated earlier I have never seen a 1st print of Milk and Cheese #1 and would probably pay way too much for one given the chance.

Here’s a brief checklist of the rarest Milk and Cheese comics and listings of what they guide for in Near Mint Condition:

#2 (titled “Other Number 1”), $30.00
#3 (titled “Third #1), $20.00
#4 (titled “Fourth #1), $10.00
#5 (titled “First 2nd issue”) $10.00

Multiple reprints exist for each of these issues and are only worth cover price.

Scud: The Disposable Assassin; Fireman Press; Written and drawn by Rob Shrab.
Scud was the tale of a robotic assassin that could be purchased from a vending machine that self destructs after killing it’s target. The hero of the book, a Scud Heart-Breaker model has been programmed with an almost human AI in order to allow the robot to be as creative as the client wishes when killing it’s target. Upon reading the warning label on his back detailing his self destruction upon killing his target, Scud decides to let his target live and instead maims his target, a genetically altered monster that spouts music lyrics, and is forced to carry out hits for money in order to pay for his original target’s hospital bills. If this premise sounds insane it’s because it is. Scud was a hyper-violent-pop-culture-comedy in the vein of a Quentin Tarentino film. If Tarentino was on psychedelic drugs that were smuggled from the future. Most recently the complete Scud was reprinted in one giant edition called “The Whole Shebang” by image comics and is available in both hard and soft cover.

Scud creator Rob Shrab has also worked as a writer for Comedy Central’s Sarah
Silverman Show and co-wrote the 2006 animated film Monster House. Shrab’s art is only matched by his bizarre sense of humor and encyclopedic-pop-culture refrences. Scud is not for everyone but those who do love it love the hell out of it. The current reprinting of the series has brought Scud to a whole new audience and rekindling interest in Scud back issues.

Currently Scud issue #1 1st printing guides for $6.00 in Near Mint condition but I challenge you to find one. Fireman Press was another extremely small, now defunct, company that printed very low runs of the early Scud issues which, in my opinion, are grossly under-valued. Runs of Scud are already starting to see higher prices on Ebay and if the rumors of an animated film version are true, could be going for premium prices soon.

Next time in The Comic Speculator I’ll be taking a look two other Indy cult classics, Dave Sim’s Cerebus and Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise. For info on new comics check out my other blog, ”This Week in Geek” where I discuss the new comics of the week that could be tomorrow’s hot collectibles. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by Worthpoint Comicbook Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday Matt takes a look at the weeks new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the books discussed here

Last week was a light one for new comics, a welcome break for those of us who work solely to pay for our comics. July had five Wednesdays which means, rather than throw off their schedules and ship everyone’s August books early, we get what used to be called a “fifth week event”. The fifth week used to be a make shift crossover event when DC and Marvel would put out a 4-6 issue story that all came out that Wednesday to fill the void left by the fifth Wednesday of the month. Titles included New Year’s Evil in January of 1997 which focused on the DC villians, GirlFrenzy which highlighted female versions the DC heroes, and Marvel Mangaverse which as the title suggests showed readers Japanese Manga versions of Marvel Heroes. Other Fifth Week Events include fan-favorite- cult-books like Amalgam which combined Marvel and DC heroes into hybrids such as Darkclaw, a mixture of Batman and Wolverine, and Iron Lantern, Iron Man and Green Lantern. I’m not going to say that these Fifth Week event books were great or that they are undervalued but I will say that they represented a chance for the major comic publishers to do something unique. I miss the corny fifth week stories that have been replaced by reprint books and poorly written special issues. Bring Back the Fifth Week Event!

This week is things return to normal as the first new comics of August hit the shelves and the now three-week-late Final Crisis #3 finally shows up as well. Nice of you to join us Final Crisis. The weird and wild Batman RIP also continues this week in the pages of Detective Comics #847, Nightwing #147 and Robin #176. Anyone who can tell me what’ s going on in this story and why Batman seems to acting like a different character in each book please feel free to post to this article and explain it for me. I’m lost and have no Idea what RIP is about or where the story is going. It seems strange to me that in the same summer that Warner Brothers releases The Dark Knight and makes $400 million at the box office DC comics would have such a impenetrable story running through the Bat-family comics.

Well we’re not here to whine about the loss of the Fifth Week Event or puzzle over Batman stories. Here we discuss speculator picks for this week’s new comics. So here’s my Wednesday hot picks.

”Hulk #5”; Written by Jeph Loeb; Art by Ed Mcguiness; Covers by Ed McGuinnes and Oliver Copieal; $2.99 cover price.
Why it’s hot:The latest Hulk relaunch hasn’t been great. Loeb’s tale of the Red Hulk vs the Green Hulk has felt more like a Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster film than the cerebral Greg Pak epic that preceded the new Hulk book. The good news is Greg Pak’s story continues in the pages of the Incredible Hercules, the bad news is Jeph Loeb’s Hulk continues to plod further down the path it’s been on. Love it or hate it the book continues to sell fueled by McGuinness’ incredible art talent.

Why it’ll go fast: This issue probably won’t reveal the identity of the Red Hulk yet, yawn, but it does have one major thing going for it; Thor. The argument of who would win in a Thor vs the Hulk fight has raged in comic shops for years and this week’s Hulk issue will leave both sides heads a-spinning. No, Thor won’t be putting the hurt on the Green Hulk. He’ll be fighting the Red Hulk who seems to be stronger than the Green Hulk but we still have no idea what his true identity is making it very hard to care about the Red Hulk at all. Does your head hurt yet? Like all the other fan boys I will be buying this book for at least one more month just to see Ed McGuinness draw Thor fighting, well A Hulk. Whoever that Hulk turns out to be.

”NYX: No Way Home”: Marvel Comics; Written by Marjorie Liu; Art and cover by Kalman Andrasofsky; $3.99 cover price
Why it’s hot: NYX vol 1 was the first appearance of Wolverine’s cloned daughter ”X23” and at one time issue #1 was selling for more than $50.00. It’s been five years since the first ”NYX” series that brought penciling talen Josh Middelton to fame and this new series looks to introduce another hot art talent in Andrasofsky.

Why it’ll go fast: Like the first NYX series retailers are scarred of this one only maybe even more so. Not only are there no famous mutants in the book but the writer/artist names are relative comic-unknowns as well. Liu is an established New York Times best selling author but a newcomer to comics who’s only previous Marvel Mutant work was on a 2005 X-men novel called Dark Mirror. Sometimes novelists make the shift to comics beautifully (ie. Greg Rucka and Brad Meltzer) other times the transition isn’t as smooth (Charlie Huston and Jodi Picoult). One thing for certain is that Marvel is not giving up on their novelist recruitment. Retailers on the on other hand aren’t yet sold on the idea. Marvel’s Cable, written by novelist DuaneSwierczynski has been slowly dropping in sales from #39 in May to #35 on the estimated top 100 ordered comics list for June and Moon Knight which had been written Charlie Huston had almost dropped off the list. Orders on NYX vol 2 could be pretty low which is too bad because the book looks great.

Crossed #0; Avatar Press; Written by Garth Ennis; Art by Jacen Burrows; .99-cent cover price
Why its hot: Garth Ennis is a lunatic with a nasty mouth and when it comes to high concept disturbing horror stories there’s nobody better. Ennis describes the story as survival horror without zombies for a change. In the near future a virus begins to infect people with what can only be described as pure evil. The virus manifests as a cross shaped rash on the victims face and makes victims want to live out there most evil fantasies. The promo art for Crossed says it all, “There is no hope, there are no heroes.”. Come and get it Hollywood.

Why it’ll go fast: I’m calling my shot right now, Crossed will be optioned for a movie before issue #1 hits the stands in October. The premise is just too good. Avatar has been slowly building a cult following on hyper-violent-dark-comics like Warren Ellis’ No Heroes and Doktor Sleepless. Though not a huge seller yet Avatar is coming into it’s own with the help of fan favorite creators like Ennis. As soon as Crossed is optioned for the big screen expect this book to be next to impossible to find. It’s going to happen.

That’s it for this week true believers. This kid has gots to read and decipher the new Final Crisis and get to bed. Until next week feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also, for more back issue comics check out my other blog, ”The Comic Speculator”, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.