Blackest Night

The DC December solicitations are up and, as always, they give away just enough plot to keep us salivating. The most shocking of which seems to deal with the fate of one of my favorite members of the Green Lantern Corps. I’m not going into it because this is not a spoiler blog but I will say, it freaked me straight out.

In sad news, the body of Yoshito Usui, creator of the hilarious manga Crayon Shin Chan, was discovered at the base of a cliff on Arafune Mountatin in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. I fell in love with the anime-version of Shin while it was airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim a couple of years ago. The American manga version was published by the DC CMX Imprint. One of the more bizarre animes I’ve seen, Crayon Shin Chan is basically a Japanese Dennis the Menace with much more irreverent toilet humor. It’s not high-brow comedy by any terms, but it was fun and the show had one of the best theme songs ever written. Shin Chan will continue to be printed until November but the future of the Manga after that is not clear.

My Stack: Here’s a list of the comics I’ll be picking up this Wednesday, Sept. 23. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #606
Blackest Night: Superman #2 of 3
Dark Reign: The List: X-Men
Dark X-Men: The Confession
Detective Comics #857
Fantastic Four #571
Guardians of the Galaxy #18
Immortal Weapons #3 of 5
Incredible Hercules #135
Incredible Hulk #602
New Avengers #57
Spider-Woman #1
Star Trek Spock Reflections #3
Supergirl #45
Superman: Secret Origin #1 of 6
Uncanny X-Men #515
Underground #1 of 4
Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-size #1

Thoughts on the pile: It’s an awesome week for new comics starting with, in alphabetical order of course, Blackest Night: Superman. Like most DC nerds, I’m loving Blackest Night and the Zombie Earth 2 Superman is more than enough to sell me a comic. Two Dark Reign X-books this week and they both look great. Fraction’s writing on Uncanny X-Men has been wonderful and the X-Men “The List” book looks to be as good, if not better, than the others before it. Yost’s on the Utopia story was perfect, and Yost’s “The Confession” will tie up some loose plot lines dealing with his X-Force title, which has been equally great. Jonathan Hickman’s first issue of Fantastic Four ended with one of the best last pages I’ve seen in quite a while (I giggled audibly upon reading) and I can’t wait for this issue. Immortal Weapons has been fun but I would much rather a monthly Iron Fist title with an Immortal Weapons back-up story. I keep meaning to check out the Spider Woman motion comics over at iTunes. In all honesty, I don’t know how I feel about motion comics. I am, however, very excited about the new Spider Woman title. I loved Bendis and Maleev on Daredevil and expect to love Spider Woman just as much. I love the Spock: Reflections book and all the other IDW Star Trek movie tie-ins. So much so I started eyeing some of the other IDW Star Trek titles. That John Byrne Klingons trilogy is calling my name. If I had to pick one title to buy this week it would be Superman: Secret Origin. After all the shake-ups, reboots and cosmic-time-bending crossovers we need a new definitive origin for Supes and the team of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank couldn’t be more perfect for the job. Lastly, and right on time, is the Giant Size Wolverine: Old Man Logan finale. Remember the epic “Wolvie-in-the-future” story Mark Millar started but never finished about five months ago? Well, without any explanation as to why it’s so late, the final issue is here . . . Finally. It’s not so much that I want to finish this story but more that I have to. Damn it Mark Millar! Why can’t I quit you?

Speculator Picks of the Week:

Spider-Woman #1 1 Other Edition

Spider-Woman

Solicitation: THE WAIT IS OVER! The explosive Eisner award-winning team of Bendis and Maleev reunite for their first ongoing series since Daredevil! Ripped from the pages of New Avengers and Secret Invasion, watch as the gorgeous and mysterious Jessica Drew reenters a society she did not make . . . as an AGENT OF S.W.O.R.D. This brand new series is a perfect companion to the dazzling Spider-Woman motion comic. Containing new story and artwork not available in any other format. This is the start of a major chapter in one of the most high profile characters in all of Marvel Comics.

$3.99 US
JUL090552
Written by Brian Michael Bendis; Pencils and Inks by Alex Maleev; Cover by Matt Hollingsworth.

Why it’ll go fast: Bendis can sell the hell out of an Avengers title but can he sell fans on Spider Woman? Bendis and Maleev last partnered on Dardevil in 2006, and while their DD sold well, it was never a top-10 seller. Spider Woman is pretty far from an A-list hero, like Daredevil, so I can’t see retailers ordering too high on this book which is why it’ll sell out very quickly. Fans have been waiting for this one and maybe the iTunes motion comic will even help sales. I doubt it but maybe. Watch for the 50:50 Alex Ross variant as well.

Star Trek Spock Reflections #3: IDW

Star Trek Spock Reflections

Solicitation: Ambassador Spock’s mysterious journey continues! As Spock makes his way toward Earth, he thinks back on another previously untold tale from his past, this time featuring James T. Kirk, Leonard McCoy and the crew of the original U.S.S. Enterprise! From the team that brought you Star Trek: Mirror Images, and the artist of Star Trek: Countdown!

32 pages
$3.99 US
JUL090925
Written by Scott and David Tipton; Pencils by David Messina and Federica Manfredi; Cover by David Messina.

Why it’ll go fast: I’ve been pimping these Star Trek movie spin-off comics for months now and have taken some criticism for it recently. Not because the comics aren’t great; even the guy that criticized my speculator choice admitted to loving the comics. The back issues of both the Spock and Nero comics haven’t taken off as fast as the Star Trek: Reflections issues did. True . . . But they are starting to pick up some steam and will only get harder to find as the next movie approaches. I’d bet my replica tricorder on it.

Superman: Secret Origin #1 of 6: The Boy of Steel

Superman: Secret Origin

Solicitation: Hot on the heels of their acclaimed run on Action Comics, superstars Geoff Johns and Gary Frank reunite to present a six-issue event that spells out the definitive origin of Superman for the 21st century—and it all starts with a gigantic 48-page issue! Chronicling Clark Kent’s journey from the cornfields of Smallville to the skyscrapers of Metropolis, you’ll witness a whole new look at the beginnings of Lex Luthor, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lois Lane, Metallo, Jimmy Olsen, the Parasite and more! It’s a look at the mythic past of the Man of Steel with an eye toward the future!

48 PGS
$3.99 US
JUL090178
Written by Geoff Johns; Pencils by Gary Frank; Inks by Jon Sibal; Cover by Brad Anderson.

Why it’ll go fast: Superman nerds both young and old will be keeping an eye on this book and with good reason. Nothing could be more controversial than an updated version of the first, and arguably most important, superhero. I trust Geoff Johns implicitly and adore Gary Frank’s art, as do most super-nerds. I’m guessing a lot of retailers underestimate the selling potential on this title due to the low sales on the regular Supes-titles as of late. Which is too bad, because all the regular continuity Superman books are better than they’ve been in years. It’s Superman history in the making nerds. If you miss out I won’t be the only one making fun of you.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

With the recent rumor of Marvel lowering prices on their regular comics to $1.99 retailers have been in a panic fearing their profits being cut in half. What would the lower price tag do for you as collector? Would you buy more? Try different titles? Or just save some cash?

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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. Also, feel free to post your comments in the new “comments” section below, or you can follow him on Twitter, where he is always screaming about something nerd-related. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your comics in the “Ask A Worthologist” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

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Captain Britain and MI: 13

Still overwhelmed by my Watchmen experience yesterday—a series of unfortunate events prevented me from going this weekend—I found myself squinting at my computer screen last night trying to figure out how I was only expecting to buy ten comics this Wednesday and the alphabetical list I made ends with the letter “i.” Weird right? I suppose it just gives me some more time to catch up on Jason Aaron’s Scalped from DC/Vertigo. My friend Ryan loaned me the first three collections recently and I fell in love, with the book not him. Nicely done, Ryan. Also this week, the first in the Jack Kirby war comic collections hits the stands. The Losers by Jack Kirby collects issues #151-#162 of Our Fighting Forces and features a forward by Neil Gaiman. The other DC Kirby reprints have been a great way for collectors on budget to read some of the most influential comic work in comic history in excellent hardcover reprints.

With that said, let’s take a look at the new comics coming out this Wednesday, March 11. Below you’ll find the list of new comics I’ll be purchasing. For a complete list of this week’s comics click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Action Comics #875
Batman: Battle For The Cowl #1 of 3
B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess #3 of 5
Captain Britain and MI: 13 #11
DMZ #40
Green Lantern Corps #34
Guardians Of The Galaxy #11
Immortal Iron Fist #23
The Invincible Iron Man #11

Like I said earlier, a weird list, right? Not much in the way of new series this week other than the Bat-event “Battle for the Cowl” (see my picks below for more on that). Although it’s a light week, there’s some real quality on the shelves. The best comic you’re not reading is Captain Britain and MI: 13, written by Paul Cornell (writer on the Doctor Who TV series). Cap and MI:13 has brought Count Dracula back to the fore-front of villains in the Marvel U and fans love it. In all seriousness, you need to give this series a chance. Lately, its sales have dipped to dangerous levels and rumors of its cancellation are beginning to circulate. It would really be a shame to lose a comic this good just as the series is finding it’s legs.

And now, on to the Speculator Picks of the Week. These are books that, for one reason or another, may sell out quickly and become instant collectibles. If you don’t pay attention and get to your local comic shop in a timely fashion, you could be paying way too much for these comics very soon. The codes you see listed below the solicitations are for use when ordering through your local comic shop.

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 of 3: DC

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 of 3

Solicitation: “Batman: R.I.P.” and FINAL CRISIS saw the end of Batman. Now, months following the disappearance of her protector, Gotham City sits at a precipice and it may be too far gone for Nightwing, Robin, Commissioner Gordon and the rest of the city’s heroes to save the day. Amid the fires, rioting, looting and gang warfare, one question rings out from the souls of Gotham’s desperate citizens: Where is Batman?
With guest-stars galore, the destruction of a sacred Gotham City institution and an ending that will have everyone talking, this three-issue miniseries event written and drawn by Tony Daniel (The Tenth) features the battle to take on the Mantle of the Bat. Who has earned the right? Who thinks they deserve it? Robin? Nightwing? Jason Todd? Two-Face? Catwoman? Batgirl? Who will ultimately win the BATTLE FOR THE COWL?
• 40 PGS
• $3.99 US
• JAN090180
Written by: Tony Daniel. Pencils by: Tony Daniel. Inks by: Sandu Florea. Cover by: Tony Daniel.

Why it’ll go fast: Regardless of whether or not you liked RIP and Final Crisis, chances are you want to know what happens next. Once again DC is going way out on a limb and giving the job of telling this story to an unlikely candidate, an artist. Tony Daniel, who, while being an accomplished comic artist, has had very little writing experience. Who knows, maybe Daniel’s fresh perspective will make “Battle for the Cowl” a triumph. However, maybe this is where the retailers draw a line in the sand. Since RIP, numbers on both Bat-books have dropped and the announcement that the second part of the Neil Gaiman Bat-story, in the pages of Detective Comics, isn’t coming out until April certainly isn’t going to excite anyone. The chatter on the fan sites isn’t what I’d call optimistic at this point but I still think this one is going to sell. It has all the hallmarks of the 1990′s “Reign of the Supermen” storyline that followed the “death” of Superman. None of us honestly believed that Supes was dead forever but we still all went along for the ride.

Resident Evil #1: DC/Wildstorm

Resident Evil #1

Solicitation: Capcom’s international video game sensation returns in March with Resident Evil 5 and WildStorm debuts the new prequel miniseries tying into the highly anticipated release! Find out what led Chris Redfield to Africa and learn the dark burden that haunts him! An absolute must-read for fans of the franchise and a starting point for new readers!

• 32 PGS
• $3.99 US
• JAN090264
Written by: Rick Sanchez. Pencils by: Kevin Sharpe. Inks by: Jim Clark. Cover by: Brandon Badeaux .

Why it’ll go fast: Say what you will about video-game-comic-adaptations, I personally don’t read them, but they sell. Wildstorm’s Gears of War adaptation sold only about 20,000 copies in the direct market (comic shops and book stores) and about 380,000 copies elsewhere (probably video game stores?). With the hype behind it’s video game release, this Friday, the Resident Evil 5 comic could easily out sell GOW based solely on franchise history. Gears of War: 2 games. Resident Evil: 5 games and three movies. Resident Evil wins even though the movies were terrible and I’m not excited about still having to stop and shoot zombies in the new game. Advantage Gears of War, purely on gameplay.

Rorschach 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure: DC Direct

Rorschach 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure

Solicitation: This 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure of the movie’s masked vigilante features an intricate and authentically detailed fabric costume with multiple layers, including a suit, boots, a Rorschach mask and accessories. Packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel, the figure also comes with a display base.
• $99

Why it’ll go fast: Again, I apologize for bringing toys into our weekly comic blog but this one is amazing. If you have read Watchmen or recently seen the movie, which you should, you undoubtedly fell in love with the character of Rorschach and thought to yourself, “man, I need to drop a hundred bucks on a figure of that guy.” Well now is your chance. At $99 each, rest assured there aren’t going to be piles of these laying around, and those of us who want them are going to buy them quickly.

The Indy Comic of the Week will return next week.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Several fanboys and comic creators have complained about the end of the Watchmen movie being different from the original comic, while the rest of the film was a virtual word for word adaptation. With out ruining it for those who haven’t seen the film yet, did you like or dislike the changes made to the end of the Watchmen movie?

Thanks again for your continued input and keep the answers to the nerdy questions coming. 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.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Before we get started let’s talk housekeeping. I’ve received a few e-mails detailing some problems with finding older “This Week” blogs, problems with posting comments and even some problems with getting in contact with me. I assure you I’ve read all your emails and forwarded them to the proper geeks and have been reassured by those same geeks that problems are in the process of being solved. There’s a lot of changes coming down the WorthPoint-pipe real soon here (no I’m not being replaced, as far as I know anyway) and they are all for the benefit of you guys. Stick around and you’ll see.

With that out of the way let’s talk comics. The yearly comic sales numbers have been released and it seems, once again, Marvel stomped DC in comic sales while DC whupped Marvel in Trade-Paper-Back sales. All in all not very surprising as Marvel’s “Secret Invasion” seems to have been a rollicking sales and critical success. The fans spoke with their wallets and bought a lot more Marvel Comics than DC. The numbers don’t lie. However, does sales success translate to collectivity? The short answer is maybe. For more on this question check out my other blog, “The Comic Speculator” where I’ll be taking a look at Marvel’s last big crossover event, “Civil War,” to try and predict where prices on the “Secret Invasion” comics will sit after the dust settles. Look for that blog later this week.

For now let’s take a look at this week’s new comics. Here’s my pile if comics for the week of Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. As always, I welcome your criticism, praise or threats of bodily harm based on what I am or am not reading/collecting. You may have noticed a new section below where you can respond to this article, it’s the perfect place to agree with or lash out at me for all to see! (No rhyme intended) For a complete list of this week’s new comics click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Action Comics #873
B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess #1 of 5
Captain Britain and MI: 13 #9
DMZ #38
Faces of Evil: Prometheus
Final Crisis #6 of 7
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #2 of 2
Green Lantern Corps #32
Nightwing #152
Punisher: War Zone #5 of 6
X-Infernus #2 of 4

Now let’s talk speculation. As you may or may not know, the 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, these issues may be pretty hard to find in the near future.

Amazing Spiderman #583, Obama Variant

Amazing Spiderman #583, Obama Variant; Marvel Comics; Written by Mark Waid; Art by Barry Kitson, Back up story Written by Zeb Wells; Art by Todd Nauck; 32 pages $3.99.

Solicitation: YOU ASKED FOR IT, YOU GOT IT! PETER PARKER ON A DATE! After the revelations of “Mind on Fire,” love is in the air for more than one member of the cast, and Pete finally gets some time out with the ladies (and who better to bring it to you than two men who both had dates as recently as 1987!?!). Amidst the romance, though, forces are gathering that will spell trouble for Peter in the months to come. And, to celebrate the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama, Marvel is proud to present an all-new story teaming up one of the world’s most recognizable political figures with the world’s greatest super hero, as President-Elect Obama joins Spider-Man in “Spidey Meets the President!”

Why it’ll go fast: As you may recall, a few months ago Batman may or may not have died in the pages of Batman as part of the “RIP” storyline. This issue prompted me to predict a huge sellout on the basis that DC would drop a press release to media sources everywhere, hoping the news papers and networks would pick up on the story and send people everywhere to their nearest comic shop to see how Batman dies. Well it didn’t happen. Whether DC dropped the ball on this one or no one cared, we may never know. Marvel on the other hand seems to have their PR dept in marching order and already this week CNN, NPR, and USA TODAY have run stories about Spidey meeting Obama in the pages of Amazing Spidey #583. Already pre-sales for the issue on eBay are going for $30-$50 and with the announcement of a second printing of the Variant cover it would seem the entire first print-run is spoken for before hitting the stands. Retailers had to order more of the regular cover of #583 than they did of Amazing Spidey #575 to be eligible to order the Obama variant. If they surpassed their order of #575, then the sky’s the limit; order as many Obama Variant as you want, although there’s no guarantee you’ll receive them all. The distribution of the variants seems to be a mystery, and the rumor of a10,000- to 20,000-print-run will make this comic extremely hot and hard to find. I wonder how a Sarah Palin variant would sell?

Faces of Evil: Prometheus

Faces of Evil: Prometheus; DC; Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Federico Dallocchio; Cover by Mauro Cascioli; 32 pages; $2.99.

Solicitation: It’s an all-new prelude to the upcoming, all-new JUSTICE LEAGUE #1! Prometheus once defeated the Justice League single-handedly, and with his latest lethal crime spree, he’s moved to the top of the heroes’ Most Wanted list. But what grave crimes has he committed, and what will he do to prevent capture? Learn the real face of evil that is Prometheus!

Why it’ll go fast: I love the current Faces of Evil event, but sadly, am still awaiting last week’s FOE: Grundy issue due to a shipping error at Diamond Comics. I’m still trying to get a solid answer on who was affected by this shipping error and will let you know as soon as I do. That aside, FOE takes a look at the villains that will be making problems fot the DC heroes in the coming year and Prometheus is one of my favorites. Writer Sterling Gates has been doing great work on the current Supergirl run and I’m excited to see how he brings Prometheus back to the DC villains “A-list.” While the numbers for orders on the first FOE issue aren’t available yet, I’m guessing this issue will be ordered much lower than the Geoff Johns Grundy issue based on the fact that, though he’s great, Sterling Gates isn’t a huge name yet.

X-Infernus #2 of 4

X-Infernus #2 of 4; Marvel Comics; Written by C.B. Cebulski; Art by Giuseppe Camuncol; Cover by David Finch; 32 pages; $3.99.

Solicitation: Darkchilde comes calling to the X-Men’s doorstep—and she’s not leaving without her Soulsword. The next pulse-pounding issue by C.B. Cebulski (LONERS, Drain) and Giuseppe Cammuncoli (MS. MARVEL, Intimates) is here and it’s shaking up the X-Men in a big way.

Why it’ll go fast: X-Men mini-series haven’t had the best reputation for sales or quality for quite a while now, however, X-Infernus seems to be the exception to the rule. Issue one was GREAT! I love the character of Magik, Illyana Rasputin (Colossus’ little sister), and can’t wait for her to return to the Marvel U (sans goat legs). I’m not the only nerd that loved this story, fans bought issue #1 by the fistful causing an instant sell-out at the printer and a second and third printing. If you can find issue X-Infernus #1 pick it up along with issue #2. It’s good fun for fans of both the now classic New Mutants, and the more recent New X Men Academy X.

The Indy book of the Week pick will return next week. For this week, I’m introducing yet another new section to stir up some discussion. It’s called the The Nerdy Question of the Week, where I’ll pose a question to you the reader and hopefully you’ll respond. Responses can come via email or using the “comments” section at below. This weeks question comes from a discussion a friend of mine and I had this past weekend.

If you had to reduce your pile to one comic a month (just one title) what comic would it be?

Post you answers below or feel free to e-mail them to me.

Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss new and 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.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques and Collectibles