WorthPoint » This week in geek

This Week in Geek 07/07/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:21:23 +0000

Batman Beyond #1: JH Williams variant

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written post-comic-shop-visit 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 the comics he’ll be purchasing 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. Make sure and post your comments below.

The Cover of the Week:

Before I get into my stack here’s my pick for the best looking cover on the stands this week.

Batman Beyond #1: DC; J.H. Williams 1:25 Variant

I love Williams’ art and hope he’s planning on doing more DC variants now that his run on Detective Comics has ended. This variant was so awesome in fact, that had it not been sold out by the time I reached my comic shop, I would have bought this one for the cover alone. Which is saying something, seeing as I wasn’t even planning on buying the regular comic.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, June 30, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Remember, no one is sending me this stuff for free so all comics reviewed here are comics that I bought. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Abe Sapian: The Abyssal Plane #1
Action Comics #890
Captain America #607
The Death of Dracula One-shot
Doomwar #5
Flash #3
Green Lantern b
Ghost Projekt #3
Invincible Iron Man Annual #1
Secret Avengers #2
Star Trek: Burden of Knowledge #1
Turf #1
Wonder Woman #600

Thoughts on the Pile:

After each review you’ll find my new rating system, which works on a four-level scale consisting of “Leave it” (the lowest rating meaning leave it on the stand), “Read it” (pick it up and give the issue a read if you have time), “Buy it” (worth the cover price) and “Archive it” (the highest rating meaning add it to your permanent collection). I’ve also thrown in a “Collector’s Rating scale measuring from “Low,” “Medium,” to “High,” with a brief explanation of whether or not you’ll need to add the comic to your collection. Let me know what you think.

Action Comics #890

Action Comics #890: Paul Cornell begins his run on Action Comics this week with a tale of Lex Luthor as we haven’t seen him for a long time. Absolutely despicable. And it’s about time. For years now, Luthor’s character has been whiney, mean, and borderline insane but far from evil or genius. Cornell has returned the evil genius to DC’s most famous evil genius and done so in the first few panels of his first story arc. I haven’t read Lex Luthor this interesting and fun for years. Cornell is on to something big here and I love it. Much like Martin Scorsese’s Bill the Butcher character from “Gangs of New York,” Cornell is writing Luthor like a loveable monster that we abhor but can’t get enough of. Equally amazing is Pete Woods’ art, which seems even better than I remember. I don’t know if it’s the inking but Woods looks cleaner and sharper than ever. This is a fantastic palette cleanser after Greg Rucka’s disappointing Action run and I can’t wait for more.

Rating: Archive it.

Collector’s Rating: High. Sales on the previous Action run were pretty dismal, which caused a lot of retailers to order very low on this issue.

Death of Dracula One-shot

Death of Dracula One-shot: I haven’t read much of Victor Gischler’s work at Marvel (Deadpool, Punisher Max), but have always heard good things. This being my first Gischler comic, I didn’t know what to expect, especially a comic about vampires. When I heard Marvel was bringing vampires back to the forefront of the Marvel U, I wasn’t thrilled. I’m not a “Twilight” fan, because I’m not a teenage girl and I like my vampires scary, and was afraid Marvel was looking to cash in on the fad. Luckily, I was wrong. Gischler picks up on a theme started by Paul Cornell during his Captain Britain and MI 13 run, where Dracula and vampire kind are a major force in the Marvel U that has been laying low and enjoying life in the dark corners of the world while super heroes and villains fight for power in the daylight. I love what Gischler is building on here and am genuinely excited to read his Mutants vs. Vampires story in the pages of his new X-Men series. The writing here is very solid. This story reminds me of what I enjoyed about the first two Blade movies and what made “30 Days of Night” so effective. The vampires are scary, organized, monstrous killers and they’re coming to eat us and retake their seat of power in the world. This a great story, paired with Guiseppe Camuncoli’s hard-edged, kinetic art and paneling. If Gischler can give us more storytelling of this quality, X-Men should be a runaway hit.

Rating: Archive it.

Collector’s Rating: Very High. First printings are already selling for twice cover price and going up. Retailers were not prepared for this one.

Wonder Woman #600

Wonder Woman #600: This is not the beginning of the J. Michael Strczynski run on Wonder Woman. It does feature an interesting short story to kick off his run but, like the other recent DC anniversary issues, WW #600 features some of our favorite Wonder Woman creators from the past writing short stories. Some, like the Amanda Connor story, were a lot of fun, while others, like Louis Simonson’s story, were a throw away but effective. We’re given a few stories that show us the different sides of the Amazon Princess, including the new direction, and yes, costume, that Straczynski will be taking the title. Now, everyone who’s been screaming about the new costume and the re-writing of her background needs to remember how comics work. Nothing is permanent. Not disfigurement, not death and certainly not origin stories or costume changes. So, take a deep breath and relax, haters. Oh, and a brief note for Fox News: Wonder Woman was never an American and her costume was not supposed to be an American Flag. In fact, technically she was an illegal alien. So, chill out. Yes, her costume changed but it’s probably just temporary and there’s actually a pretty good setup for a story here, wherein the world as Diana knows it—including her origin—has changed. And we don’t know why. See, there’s not just a costume change. There’s a story here, and Don Kramer’s art is gorgeous as usual, so I’m in. J.M.S has me interested in Wonder Woman again. Even Gail Simone, whom I love, lost me during her WW run. So did she change her clothes? Yes. Is there a story why? Yes, and it looks interesting. Was this a good issue overall? Yes, good stories, amazing pin-ups and a good setup for what comes next make this a great anniversary issue. Where does it stand with the other two DC anniversary issues we’ve had so far? Better than Superman #700 but not as good as Batman #700.

Rating: Buy it.

Collector’s Rating: Low. It’s true, #600 has sold out already, but I don’t see this issue being hard to find after the costume hoopla dies out. The reorders have shipped and it looks like everyone that needs this issue will get a copy.

There Can Be Only ONE!

If I had to pick one comic to read this week and one only (I’d be able to get this run of Superman and Action on eBay before it’s available in quarter-bins everywhere) it would be . . .

Invincible Iron Man Annual #1

Solicitation: The Mandarin is a collection of lies, stories, myths and legends. But two things are true: He wears, upon each finger, an alien weapon of unimaginable power . . . and he’s going to kill Tony Stark. Is he a violent street crook born in a brothel? The scion of an aristocratic dynasty? Was his father was a petty criminal or an ambassador? Was his mother a British noblewoman, or maybe a dragon-chasing wastrel lost in the underbelly of the world? He’s a murderer, a businessman, an artist, a terrorist, a hero. And this is the story of his life.

Written by Matt Fraction; art by Carmine Di Giandomenico; cover by Salvador Larocca.

Why this one? It’s been a great week for villains. Between Paul Cornell’s Lex Luthor, Victor Gishler’s Vampires and Matt Fraction’s Mandarin, I can’t think of three better stories about bad guys. This was one of the best Marvel Annuals I’ve read in a very long time. Maybe since the 1980s Clairmont X-Men Annuals. Fraction has reestablished the Mandarian as not only a viable villain but one of the most interesting and complex in the Marvel U. Think Kim Jon Il with super-powered weapons. The story here is wonderful. Rather than a long, drawn out rehash or retelling of the Mandarin’s origin, Fraction tells us the story thorough the eyes of a Chinese film director taken hostage and forced to direct the film of the Mandarin’s life. The only problem being he’s a lunatic and liar whose egocentrism has the director digging for the truth to fight back the only way he can: through the power of cinema. Don’t expect a happy ending here. Once again, Marvel has found another wildly talented Italian artist for the penciling duties. I don’t know how Marvel found this new contingent of Italian talent, but each new one seems to be more talented than the next. The art is excellent for the type of story Fraction is telling and really feels like a behind the scenes film production diary. This is more extreme high quality from Fraction and Marvel, which we’ve come to expect from this Iron Man series.

Rating: Archive it.

Collector’s Rating: Low; but not because of Marvel releasing the comic on iTunes the same day as the comic stands. Invincible Iron Man is consistently a top-10 seller and there won’t be any shortage of this title, especially with a higher price and complete lack of Iron Man.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Did anyone buy the Invincible Iron Man Annual on iTunes? Retailers were terrified the digital sales would crush the actual comic. Which I’m predicting is ridiculous. My guess is sales will be fine.

Collection Update!

OK, the purge goes on hold while my wife and I prepare for project Basement Rebirth. We will soon be gutting and remodeling our basement, which may—fingers crossed—include a giant comic cellar. I haven’t sprung the idea on my wife yet. Maybe I’ll include some pics of the project.

If this ranting and raving wasn’t enough for you feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I talk about comics, snipe about how College Baseball isn’t a sport because they use metal bats and host Read Along with Matt, where currently I’m reading the Roots of the Swamp Thing Hard Cover. Search #readwmatt on twitter for updates.

————————————–

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. And finally a word to the Federal Trade Commission; all the comics discussed here are purchased solely by the writer, who receives no gifts or free merchandise from any publishers even though he would graciously accept them.

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 06/30/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:43:55 +0000

Secret Warriors #17: Marvel

The Cover of the Week:

Before we get into the stack I want to introduce a new section that will be introducing this blog for the near future. It’s just like what it sounds. I pick my favorite cover of a comic on the stands for the week and you can either agree or send me hate e-mail. So, here it is: Secret Warriors #17 from Marvel.

When it comes to Super Hero comics, there just isn’t anyone doing cover work like Jimmy Cheung. This is a gorgeous World War Two homage featuring Cap and the Howling Commandoes. If I had the cash, I’d own the originals for all of Cheung’s covers. Great stuff, Jimmy.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday June 30, 2010 followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Remember, no one is sending me this stuff for free so all comics reviewed here are comics that I bought. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #635
American Vampire #4
Avengers #2
Fantastic Four #580
FrankenCastle (Punisher) #18
Green Arrow #1
Green Lantern Corps #49
Powers #5
Secret Warriors #17
Thunderbolts #145
Wolverine Weapon X #14
X-Factor #206
X-Men Legacy #237
Zatanna #2

Thoughts on the Pile:

After each review, you’ll find my new rating system, which works on a four-level scale consisting of “Leave it” (the lowest rating meaning leave it on the stand), “Read it” (pick it up and give the issue a read if you have time), “Buy it” (worth the cover price) and “Archive it” (the highest rating meaning add it to your permanent collection). I’ve also thrown in a “Collector’s Rating scale measuring from “Low,” “Medium,” and “High,” with a brief explanation of whether or not you’ll need to add the comic to your collection. Let me know what you think.

Avengers #2

Avengers #2: OK, this is hard, but it’s time to admit that John Romita Jr. might not be the artist I’d like on this title. I love Romita Jr.’s art, and have for years, but it is not working for me here. Romita’s blocky, hard-lined style I loved so much on Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Hulk in the past is not working on this latest Avengers title. Maybe 64 issues of New Avengers—drawn by Steve Mcniven, Mike Deodato and Lenil Francis Yu—has ruined me, as I cannot adjust to John Romita Jr. here. He does a fine job making machines look futuristic and filling backgrounds with tech, but he’s made some strange choices here. Most notably, Wonder Man’s weird pose on the cover and Maria Hill looks terrible—like a boyish-lesbian in horn-rimmed glasses. There’s even a panel where Thor is eating pizza while helping Tony and the new Captain Marvel build a time-machine. My Thor doesn’t eat pizza. But that’s just a small complaint. The writing still feels a little quirky here as well, and the team hasn’t really come together yet. I’m still not even sure if Spidey and Wolverine are permanent members of this team or not. The Avengers’ history is definitely present with characters like Kang and Wonder Man (something that was lacking from the previous New Avengers run), but I find it hard to believe that Wonder Man is as honked off as he is about the team’s reformation. So much so that he attacks them. There’s a weird feeling to this title that’s left me wondering why I don’t enjoy it more. Is it the art? The strange dialogue? Is Bendis just getting used to writing Marvel’s big guns again? I’m still in for now, but this is definitely my least favorite of the Avengers re-launches so far.

Rating: Read it.
Collector’s Rating: Low; this issue was so heavily ordered it won’t be hard to find for years to come.

Green Arrow #1

Green Arrow #1: During my time reading comics, I’ve become exceedingly tired of the mindless band of thugs that is constantly used to introduce—or in this case, re-introduce—the hero of the book. Which is exactly where Green Arrow #1 opens. A group of generic (skinhead? Punk?) sleeveless thugs chases a woman into the forest that mysteriously appeared in the center of Star City during Blackest Night (oh, and the forest is shaped like a star . . . coincidence?) with the intention of raping her. But don’t worry, our hero who was banished from Star City by a judge in one of the most ridiculous comic book judicial decisions ever (after the “Fall of Green Arrow” storyline) swoops into save the woman, who we will undoubtedly be seeing again. Not a great start for a re-launch. It seems writer J.T. Krul is banking on the fact that you read Blackest Night, Cry For Justice and the Fall of Green Arrow stories before picking this one up. Which I did, but I’m still not crazy about how GA got here, nor do I understand why this issue demands a re-launch. There’re a lot of new ideas brought to the table, including a scary, hooded Russian woman that, somehow, seizes control of Queen Industries, a plucky reporter trying to expose the corruption of the mayor, and a mayor whose not just corrupt but seemingly insane and willing to recruit his own robot militia to capture Green Arrow. For all that’s going on in this book, there’s a serious lack of depth to Oliver Queen, who we learned is living in a forest and mad. I’m giving this series two more issues to hook me before I give up, but issue #1 isn’t giving me much hope. I guess if there’s a bright side to this comic it’s that Krul didn’t irreparably damage Green Arrow’s character like he did to Roy Harper in the pages of Rise of Arsenal.

Rating: Read it.
Collector’s Rating: Low; if this series doesn’t get interesting fast, nerds will be dumping this series, leaving back issue bins full of the last two GA volumes.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one and one only comic to read this week (I’d be able to get this run of Superman and Action on eBay before it’s available in quarter-bins everywhere), it would be . . .

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3

Solicitation: The most anticipated miniseries of 2010 continues! As Bruce Wayne’s astonishing journey through time continues in this six-issue miniseries, the Dark Knight travels to the eras of high seas thievery! Mastermind writer Grant Morrison’s most ambitious project to date continues to chronicle the return of the original man behind the cape and cowl—Bruce Wayne! Featuring the dynamic artwork of Yanick Paquette.

$3.99
Written by Grant Morrison; art and cover by Yanick Paquette.

Why this one? As it would turn out, I may have spoken too soon when criticizing the death of Batman in Infinite Crisis. It seems, as always, Grant Morrison not only had a plan but a giant run-spanning story for the Caped Crusader. Page one opens with a flashback to Bruce being hit by Darkseid’s Omega Beam in the pages of Final Crisis, as Bruce fights to regain his memory. In this issue Morrison dives deep into DC history to show us how Batman influenced the origin of the Golden Age Black Pirate. And it was awesome. Normally, when Morrison is referencing silver and golden age DC, continuity it can be nearly impossible to follow, let alone even pick up on. Yet, here we are, three issues in to this story and not only can I understand what’s going on, I love it. Paquette’s art is perfect for this pirate treasure hunt through the caverns of Gotham in the 1800s, but there were some panels where the coloring was notably muted. Unlike the last issue by Frazier Irving, whose art along with Guy Major’s colors provided the perfect eerie backdrop for the story, the color here was a little dull. I would have liked to see more sepia tones to add to the pirate-fiction-feel here. Still, another very high quality issue with stunning art by one of the industry’s current best.

Rating: Archive it.

Collector’s Rating: Low; this series has been massively ordered and even with the issues going to 3rd printings, there is still no shortage of first prints out there.

Nerdy Question of the Week

Wonder Woman's new costume

The big news this week is Wonder Woman’s new costume. A costume that hasn’t changed in 70 years, so yes, that’s big news. So what do you think of her new duds?

Collection Update!

The first fatality of Brightest Day happened this week when I decided I was done trying to care about the new Titans series, starring Deathstroke and a small gang of villains. It’s just not great and I could swear I’m already reading a title starring super-villains from DC that is excellent every month. Sinister Six is the only villain title I need in the DCU right now, and the fact that Arsenal will be joining Deathstroke’s team only makes me want to stay further away from the new Titans storyline. I don’t care about the characters (Ink’s power to wield his tattoos as weapons is just stupid) and don’t see how this new line up of bad guys is going to excite the already disillusioned Titans fans out there. So that’s that. Two more issues for the eBay pile. Which brings me to a question: Does anyone know of a good comic mailer envelope out there? I’m getting sick of cutting card-board boxes to suit my needs.

Also, I’m going insane because somehow I missed issue #3 and #4 of Powers and, you guessed it, there seems to be no copies in town. Curses! Any help here would be much appreciated. Otherwise, I guess I could just re-order them from Diamond. They’re not sold out, right?

If this ranting and raving wasn’t enough for you feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I talk about comics, snipe about how College Baseball isn’t a sport because they use metal bats and host Read Along with Matt where currently I’m reading the Roots of the Swamp Thing Hard Cover. Search #readwmatt on twitter for updates.

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 06/16/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:51:35 +0000

Avengers #1

Before we get into the stack, I wanted to take a second to talk about May’s Top 300 Comics List, which Diamond Comics Distributors published this week. This is the monthly list that tracks the 300 most ordered comics of each month. As most predicted, Avengers #1 was the highest-selling title of the month, shipping an amazing 163,867 copies. Good news for the comic market, which is up 15 percent from May of last year. Now, the bad news. There’s not a lot of information out there on what exactly the criteria is for canceling a monthly comic but, undoubtedly, low sales has got to be near the top of the list. Fans of the new Black Widow series and the newly returned Atlas series may have reason to worry. Issue #1 of Black Widow made its first appearance in the top 300 in April at number 55 and #2 sank to #86 in May. Not good numbers at all for a new series. Atlas #1 shipped in May and debuted at number 88 on the chart. Considering the first issue of a series is generally the highest-selling, Atlas #1 shipping only 22,756 copies is not a good sign for the series’ future. Other titles, like Marvel’s most recent Captain Britain and Exiles series were both canceled when their sales numbers dropped enough to knock them out of the top 100. Most recently, the same happened to the Doctor Voodoo Avenger of the Supernatural, which was canceled with issue #5. The announcement came in January when issue #4 checked in at the 131st spot that month. Just like fans of TV shows like ABC’s Flashforward, comic fans may find their new favorite series canceled just as they’re getting started.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, June 16, 2010 followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Remember, no one is sending me this stuff for free, so all comics reviewed here are comics that I bought. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #633
Amazing Spider-Man #634
Atlas #2
Birds of Prey #2
Black Widow #3
Brightest Day #4
Dark Wolverine #87
DMZ #54
New Avengers #1 Marko DjurDjevic 1:25 Variant
New Mutants #14

Thoughts on the Pile: A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was thinking of picking up all the Brightest Day 1:25 variants and, while this week’s was pretty hard to resist, I stopped after Issue #1. However, as you can see from the list above, I couldn’t stop myself from picking up all the Djurdevic variants of the new Avengers titles, although I did miss the Djurdevic Hawkeye and Mockingbird variant. But I will have it. Perhaps as a birthday present to myself. I should mention it’s my birthday this week, but I won’t be revealing my old age. Now let’s get to some reviews.

After each review you’ll find my new rating system which works on a four level scale consisting of “Leave it” (the lowest rating meaning leave it on the stand), “Read it” (pick it up and give the issue a read if you have time) “Buy it” (worth the cover price) and “Archive it” (the highest rating meaning add it to your permanent collection). Let me know what you think.

Birds of Prey #2

Birds of Prey #2: Issue two picks up right where we left off, with Black Canary and Huntress facing down the mysterious White Canary with an injured Penguin (the mobster, not the small, flightless bird) looking on. Ed Benes is really at the top of his game here, using a lot of crosshatching I’m not used to seeing from him (reminiscent of Barry Windsor Smith) but still holding on to his clean-line-Jim-Lee style. Benes art is so good here it makes the art switch to Adrianna Melo half-way through the issue all the more noticeable. Melo’s art is fine, but when placed next to Benes’ style, it causes a palpable break in an otherwise very fast moving story. It also begs the question: Why couldn’t Benes finish issue #2? One-and-a-half issues and the guy needs a break? Issue #3 is solicited with Benes as the only artist, so maybe this was a fluke. The writing is good here, but I’m still not sold on Hawk’s dialogue and Lady Blackhawk’s “Rosie the Riveter” WWII banter is wearing thin for me as well. I like where the title is going but I still need to understand why this team is working together. Namely, Hawk and Dove. Why are they here? The rest of the team—all hard-hitting-street-level-martial-arts heroes with no super-powers other than Canary’s Sonic Scream—makes sense. There’s a formula here, bad-ass girls fighting the nastiest elements of the underworld, and it works. I just don’t know if Hawk and Dove, other than having bird code names, belong here. All-in-all, and other than an art interruption, BOP #2 is a good read and is setting up a pretty interesting story. I just need a little more team-building before I’m in this series for the long haul.

Rating: Buy it.

New Mutants #14

New Mutants #14: While Second Coming is proving to be a very memorable X-event, I’m starting to wonder if this is the new status quo for the X-titles. Are we going to be reading one event after another that is continued in each monthly X-title? And, if so, why not just call them all X-Men and put the comic out weekly? As much as I’ve enjoyed writer Zeb Wells’ issues of New Mutants that have tied into Second Coming, it does seem like the title is starting to lose its identity. Sam, Bobby, Dani, Doug and the rest of the gang are still here, but they don’t feel like the stars of New Mutants right now. Don’t get me wrong, this is very high quality storytelling and these issues will probably be hard to find after the Second Coming storyline is over. But I have to wonder whether readers who picked up the issues during the crossover will stick with the title afterwards. Is the tie-in doing a disservice to the title if it sells well but features several other characters who aren’t regularly in the title? Am I over-thinking this? Should I just be happy with the fact that I read another great issue of Zeb Wells New Mutants and the high sales caused by the Second Coming event will secure at least another year for my favorite younger class of Mutants? Probably.

Rating: Buy it.

There Can Be Only ONE!

If I had to pick one comic to read this week and one only (I’d be able to get this run of Superman and Action on eBay before it’s available in quarter-bins everywhere) it would be . . .

New Avengers #1: Marvel

New Avengers #1

Solicitation: Find out who the New Avengers are, where they call home (gotta see it to believe it!), which Dark Avenger has joined their ranks, and just who the interdimensional demonic threat to our existence is! These heroes have gathered to take on the threats too dark, too dangerous and too bizarre for any other team of heroes. The New Avengers are back! And Bendis & Immonen are back, with the Siege & Secret Invasion colorista Laura Martin! You didn’t really think Marvel was going to cancel its number-one ongoing title did you? Heck no! Backup feature: Another brand new oral history of the Avengers chapter by Bendis!

$3.99
Written by Brian Michael Bendis; art and cover by Stuart Immonen.

Why this one? Of the two new Avengers titles from writer Brian Michael Bendis, this issue was my favorite. In fact, after reading both titles, I think it’s safe to say that Bendis is at his most comfortable writing these characters. Obviously, because he’s been doing so since he disassembled the Avengers in 2004. The dialog quirkiness of Avengers #1 is completely absent here. Bendis writes the hell out of the street-level Avengers. New Avengers #1 picks up the feel of the previous series instantly. I was nervous after reading Avengers #1—which I didn’t dislike but will take some getting used to—that Bendis was going to try to create something entirely new, thereby losing everything we loved about New Avengers. On the contrary. From the first page, this is Bendis New Avengers paired with the exceptional art of Stuart Immonen. Bendis sets up a perfectly good reason for the team’s existence and brings in a character from Dark Avengers that I was afraid we might not see again. This looks to be more of the New Avengers we’ve come to know and love, with a slightly new line-up that includes Iron Fist and the Thing. I just hope the other Avengers titles can be this good.

Rating: Buy it.

Nerdy Question of the Week

What title (or titles) are you currently reading and enjoying that no one else seems to be picking up? This is your chance to scream about your favorite comics and maybe convince one more nerd to check them out. Me, I’d say everyone who loves super-hero comics should be reading Jeff Parker’s Atlas. Maybe making Gorilla Man an Avenger would help sales.

To all things, an ending . . .

The Purge continues! The garage is clean (relatively anyway, I still can’t park my car in it) and it’s time to tackle this monster. Starting next week the eBay sales begin. First on the chopping block will be my James Robinson run on Superman, including all the one-shots and mini-series. I’m not expecting millions here but would be more than happy with something in the $50 range. Of course, that may be wishful thinking. I’ll keep you posted. I’ve also been trying to snipe out one of the Lone Ranger Definitive editions from Dynamite Entertainment on eBay. In fact, I just lost one by two dollars before writing this. Curse you, rival bidder!

If this ranting and raving wasn’t enough for you feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I talk about comics, marvel at the complexity of the World Cup tournament, and host Read Along with Matt, where currently I’m reading the Roots of the Swamp Thing Hard Cover. Search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates.

————————————

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 05/26/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:16:07 +0000

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, May 26, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Remember, no one is sending me this stuff for free so all comics reviewed here are comics that I bought. OK, a couple I borrowed from my shop, but I assure you I don’t read borrowed comics on the toilet. Make sure to post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #632
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2
Dark Wolverine #66
Doomwar #4
Green Lantern #54
Green Lantern Corps #48
Justice League: Generation Lost #2
Secret Warriors #16
Seven Psychopaths #1
Superman: War of the Supermen #4
Thor #610
Wolverine: Weapon X #13
X-Force #9

Thoughts on the Pile:

After each review you’ll find my new rating system which works on a four level scale consisting of “Leave it” (the lowest rating meaning leave it on the stand), “Read it” (pick it up and give the issue a read if you have time), “Buy it” (worth the cover price) and “Archive it” (the highest rating meaning add it to your permanent collection). Let me know what you think.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2: Before I get into this one, I have a confession to make. I sometimes forget that Frazier Irving and Daniel Acuna are not the same person. They both have similar art styles that I really enjoy but I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve seen Frazier’s art. Acuna has popped up here and there, most recently in the pages of X-Men Legacy, but Frazier has been laying low until now. In seeing this issue I forgot how different the two artists’ styles actually are and how much more I enjoy Frazier. If there is any better artist to draw a creepy-puritanical-Batman-tale, I certainly can’t think of one. Frazier’s heavy black style and interesting points of view are putting on an art clinic here for any future gothic horror artist. Even the choice of washed out browns and grays take on a sinister character. This is another gorgeous chapter in the Return of Bruce Wayne. Of course, it was just a matter of time before writer Grant Morrison led us headlong into a bizarre, Dr. Who-esque time travel story. This is the story of Bruce Wayne lost in time, after all. Unlike Morrison’s previous time-and reality-bending epics (see Superman Beyond for the weirdest example), I’m still following this one. It’s weird and creepy, don’t get me wrong, but Morrioson hasn’t lost me yet. We’ve still got four issues to get thoroughly confused. For now, Bruce’s return seems to be chugging right along with some of the best talent working in the comic industry today. I just hope Morrison can stay sober enough to finish this story in a way that fans will be able to explain what happened in less than a 30-page scholarly dissertation.

Rating: Buy it.

Green Lantern Corps #48

Green Lantern Corps #48: From the beginning I’ve been a huge fan of this series. I loved the Green Lantern Corps back in the late ’80s and I still love it today. Come to think of it, anytime you put a bunch of aliens on any type of police force or military unit, I’m in (except the Thor Corps; that was just ridiculous). This is the first issue by the new creative team of writer Tony Bedard and penciler Adrian Syaf, who are obviously not trying to reinvent the wheel here. GL Corps is an ensemble title that has consistently featured members of the corps that probably couldn’t sustain their own title. It’s a formula that works and Bedard is picking up the ball and running with it. The art is solid. I’d hate to be any artist that has to follow Patrick Gleason, who created an amazing look and feel for this title for so long. I like Syaf’s art but it is going to take a little getting used to. Tony Bedard is not a writer I’ve loved in the past but that might not be a fair judgment on my part. DC seems to keep putting Bedard on titles as a replacement to a previous super-star writer—in this case Peter Tomasi—which would be difficult for anyone. Like I said, Bedard does a good job keeping the feel of the GL Corps for this issue, but very soon here the three main characters—Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and Kilowog—will be leaving this title for the new Emerald Warriors title in August. This leaves Bedard a scant two months to build some interest in some B-List Corps members to keep us reading the book. I like the Migilari painted cover, and the addition of Ganthet to the corps is interesting (not a spoiler as it’s on the cover), but Bedard is going to have to give me more than this if I’m going to stay with a GL title that doesn’t feature Hal, Guy, Kyle or Kilowog.

Rating: Read it.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic to read this week and one only, I’d probably be able to actually log in some time playing Red Dead Redemption, it would be…

Thor #610: Marvel

Thor #610

Solicitation: Thor vs. Thor! Standalone issue! You’ve heard the word of mouth about Kieron Gillen’s critically acclaimed run on Thor . . . now he teams with the legendary Doug Braithwaite (Thor: God-Sized Special) to bring you the God of Thunder’s fight of the decade! The Siege of Asgard has devastated the Shining City, and the Norse heroes have suffered tremendous losses . . . but the worst is yet to come! Taking advantage of the chaos, the insane clone of Thor called Ragnarok comes to Asgard to kill Thor and all his kind! Will Ragnarok be the end of what little was able to survive the Siege?!

$2.99
Written by Kieron Gillen; Art and cover by Doug Braithwaite.

Why this one? Writer Kireon Gillen was given one of the toughest jobs in comics when he was picked to succeed critically-acclaimed writer J. Michael Straczynski on Thor, but he did so seamlessly. I have loved Gillen’s Thor run so far and I can’t say enough about this guy who clearly has a bright future at Marvel. Gillen has done such a great job picking up where JMS left off on what was already an amazing Thor run. I can’t think of a more difficult super-hero comic to write outside of the Demon, whose every line of dialogue has to rhyme (it gets annoying fast). Asgardian dialogue can be brutally Shakespearean, and ridiculous at times, too, but Gillen does an amazing job of making the Norse gods not only readable but relatable. From Baldar the Brave, desperately trying to fill Thor’s shoes as the King of Asgard, to Loki, the trickster-god and brother of Thor, realizing his schemes may have doomed his people to the rage of Tyr, the Asgard’s lord of war, Thor’s supporting cast has never been written this well. Not to mention the amazing art of Doug Braithwaite, who brings a level of emotion to this title that no one else could. Braith Wait’s soft line lends itself perfectly to the painted colors of Andy Troy and Paul Mounts, which adds up to panels as good as those of Alex Ross at his best. I love Matt Fraction, whose writing the next Thor storyline, beginning with September’s Thor #615, but he and artist Pascal Ferry have some god-sized shoes to fill here.

Rating: Archive it.

Indy Comic of the Week:

Seven Psychopaths #1: Boom!

Seven Psychopaths #1

Solicitation: From Criminal co-conspirator Sean Phillips! Seven men, one impossible mission: assassinate Hitler! With World War II in full swing, there’s only one-way to draw the war to a quick end, and that’s to kill Hitler. But who would be insane enough to try? Joshua Goldschmidt knows just the men to do it. Insane? Psychotic? Mad? Call them what you will, but the Seven Psychopaths are now the only hope the world has . . .In the vein of :Inglorious Basterds” . . .

$3.99
Written by Fabian Vehlman; Art and cover by Sean Phillips. $3.99

Why this one? I picked this issue up because of my love of Sean Phillips, who I started following back in 2000 when he took over the art duties of Wild CATS. Since then Phillips’ style has evolved into one of the most instantly recognizable hard-line pencils in the business. This story of seven lunatics sent to assassinate Hitler in WWII is a perfect showcase for Phillips’ art. I was shocked to see his lines even cleaner than usual and almost channeling Tim Sale. This is some of his best work I’ve seen yet. Because of the subject of the story, Seven Psychopaths will continually be compared to Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” even though it is actually an English retelling of a French comic, Sept Psychopathes, adapted by the original writer Fabian Vehlman, which saw print in 2007, two years before Quentin Tarantino’s film opened in theaters. It’s too bad that a review of this comic can’t be printed without mentioning the Tarantino film because the story is very different and uniquely quirky. Vehlman and Phillips do a fantastic job maintaining a pulpy-historical-noir feeling for the book and the colors leap off the high-quality paper that Boom prints all their comics on. This is more the high-quality comic book storytelling readers have come to expect from Boom! Comics and I very much look forward to issue 2.

Rating: Archive it!

Nerdy Question of the Week

Regarding the return of Bruce Wayne; what do you think the best part of the Dick Grayson as Batman has been? I’ve had this discussion with a few nerds now and I’m starting to wonder if there will be anything worth remembering about Dick’s time under the cowl. It seems to me DC really missed an opportunity to do something entirely different with Batman and instead just gave us the story of Dick Grayson treading water in the Bat-suit until Bruce comes back. Agree? Disagree? Let’s fight about it!

To all things, an ending…

Before I call it quits here, a purge update. What was once a small project to sort through my last year of acquired comics has mutated into a giant six-headed hydra of a comic sorting job. My entire collection is now living in the garage temporarily as I desperately try to build a collection out of this mess. I’ll keep you updated on the process which, as of now, has just been a lot of cleaning out the garage to make room for this project. Stay tuned . . .

If you want more feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I talk about comics, occasionally scream about the Stanley Cup playoffs, and host Read Along with Matt where currently I’m reading the Roots of the Swamp Thing Hard Cover Search #readwmatt on twitter for updates.

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 05/19/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Enter the Heroic-Age

It was a relatively light comic week this Wednesday, but that’s fine. Next week is going to be ridiculous. Marvel’s Heroic Age has officially begun with Avengers #1 and, like many nerds, I’m pretty excited. New teams, new directions and a return of some of my favorite villains. With that said, I’m not picking up most of the Heroic-Age one-shots. I’ve been burned on these Marvel one-shots too many times before. While I’m sure that Marvel Heroic-Age #1 is a fun read, it’s not something I need to own. I’ve pulled too many of these one-shots both Marvel and DC from my collection during this year’s purge and certainly don’t need to add anymore to the not-selling-for-anything-on-eBay-pile in my garage. Most of these one-shots would be worth reading as part of a hardcover collection, maybe, but after the big event stories have come and gone, most of these one-shots seem to lose their importance.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, May 19, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

American Vampire #3
Atlas #1
Avengers #1
Brightest Day #2
Invincible Iron Man #26
Legion of Super Heroes #1
Superman: War of the Supermen #3
X-Factor #205
X-Men Legacy #236
Zatanna #1

Thoughts on the Pile: After each review, you’ll find my new rating system which works on a four level scale consisting of “Leave it” (the lowest rating meaning leave it on the stand), “Read it” (pick it up and give the issue a read if you have time), “Buy it” (worth the cover price) and “Archive it” (the highest rating, meaning add it to your permanent collection). Let me know what you think.

Avengers #1

Avengers #1: I’ve been pretty excited by the idea of this title since it was announced and, for the most part, Bendis’ new Avengers hit the mark for me. Two of my favorite things a writer can hook me with are a great first page and a great last page. It’s the oldest trick in the book, but it’s one that still works. I love the way Bendis brings a human element to his characters and there’s plenty to love here. Namely, an exchange between Spider-Man and Hawkeye dealing with Clint Barton changing back into his old purple uniform, something I’ve been waiting to see since he took it off to wear the stupid Ronin costume. As much as I love Bendis’ writing, I’m an even bigger fan of John Romita Jr.’s pencils. That’s why I was shocked to find his art was one of my complaints here. There were panels that were just bad. I know J.R. Jr. is an acquired taste, but his is one I acquired years ago and have defended to nay-sayers ever since. I know you either love the guy or hate him, but his art seemed really inconsistent from panel to panel. There’s a Wonder Man panel that was just terrible followed by a Thor splash panel I would buy and proudly display. Jr.’s Spidey always looks great but his Iron Man is really bad. Maybe he’s feeling things out here or maybe the new Iron Man armor is just too streamlined to lend itself to his bulky style but it didn’t work here. I need you to get it together here Jr.

Rating: Buy it.

Atlas #1

Atlas #1: I was a big fan of Jeff Parker’s first Agents of Atlas title and am really happy to see it back. For how long is the question. Parker does an excellent job of reintroducing the idea of the mystique behind his group of Golden-Age heroes through the eyes of the 3D man, and Gabriel Hardmen’s minimal art style (which reminds me of Michael Lark) is perfect here. The back-up story, set in the 1950s, helps to flesh out the cast for new readers and is a good read. But I have to wonder, what’s going to sell this title to readers now that didn’t before? Agents of Atlas was one of the best titles Marvel was printing but the sales numbers just weren’t there. I just don’t see how the addition of the 3D Man is going to help Atlas with sales. Should I get emotionally invested in this series again just to have it canceled a second time? The short answer is yes. Jeff Parkers storytelling is so good and I’ve grown to love his Atlas characters so much that I’ll take whatever I can get. I can only hope other fans see the genius here as well.

Rating: Read it. Only because I’m afraid it’ll be canceled by this time next year. Otherwise, this is an “Archive it” book.

Zatanna #1

Zatanna #1: I’ve never been a big fan of Zatanaa for the same reason I’ve never much cared for Marvel’s Scarlet Witch. There seems to be no rules or limits to their “magic” powers and reading about a character who can do just about anything is no fun for anyone. In Zatanna’s case, her magic centers around her saying things in reverse and they just happen . . . I guess . . . It’s never been very clear how it works, but this is comics we’re talking here, so maybe I should drop it. Well, I did drop my pretenses for the character, read this issue and was glad I did. Writer Paul Dini has unabashedly loved this character and has been waiting to write her in her own series for years. Why it took this long we may never know, but it seems to have been worth the wait. Rather than a lengthy reintroduction to a character we’ve all known for years, Dini hits the ground running, throwing Zatanna directly into a supernatural murder mystery along with the San Francisco police. I didn’t realize how many DC titles seem to be set on the East Coast until I read this one and really noticed the California setting. Zatanna is confident, powerful and actually interesting for a change, rather than just acting as the JLA’s back up sorcerer. I really liked how Dini shows us the character out of costume (No, not nude, you pervert). It’s a really easy way to humanize Zatanna and, unfortunately, it’s a device that’s seldom used (I loathe when super-villains are sent to prison in costume). Stepahane Roux’s art works very well for Zatanna and is very reminiscent of greats like early Greg Land and Terry Dodson. I’m glad I took a chance here and look forward to issue #2.

Rating: Buy it.

There Can Be Only One!

If forced to chose just one comic to buy this week, after much tearful deliberation and desperate junky-esque begging and bargaining, it would be:

Iron Man #26: Marvel

Solicitation: In the wake of this summer’s hit “Iron Man 2” movie, the brand-new storyline Stark: Resilient continues! The Hammer Girls unleash Detroit Steel on a world hardly ready for that much metal and chrome, and God help anyone that gets in his way. Tony keeps sifting through the ashes of his old life and tries to rebuild who he is and what he does. Written by Matt Fraction, art by Salvador Larroca.

Why this one? Could this story come at a better time? While a ruptured deep sea well is spilling anywhere from 5,000 to 25,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, Matt Fraction is writing a story about Tony Stark using his Iron Man technology to bring limitless clean power to the world and the energy execs and military big-wigs that are standing in his way. Fraction has made Tony Stark one of the most interesting characters in the Marvel U by making him face his failures and the realization that he wouldn’t take back anything that’s happened in the recent, turbulent past. This is some of the best characterization I’ve read in a comic book in a long time. This issue also reintroduces Spymaster, a classic and somewhat laughable Iron Man villain, who I’ve never paid much attention too but looks scarier than ever thanks to Larroca’s incredible art. The latest Spymaster suit was designed by Frazier Irving in Iron Man: the Inevitable (Marvel 2005), but Larroca lifts the minimal pink and black suit to new levels of malevolence in the intro to this issue. As much as I love Larroca drawing of armor and robot-tech, his habit of referencing famous people for his characters, most notably Sawyer from Lost when drawing Tony, can get annoying. And if you do need to reference a star for Tony, why the hell wouldn’t be Robert Downey Jr.? All photo-referencing aside, Iron Man has never been a better read.

Rating: Archive it.

Nerdy Question of the Week

Let’s say, for moment, that you, like me, have recently been suckered into buying some variant covers, for whatever reason. What is the most you are willing to spend on a variant?

To all things, an ending . . .

That’s about it for this week. If you just can’t get enough of me, make sure to follow me on Twitter where I talk about comics, bitch about the Cubs lack-luster pitching, and host Read Along with Matt, where currently I’m reading the Roots of the Swamp Thing Hard Cover. Search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates. I’ll be getting back to the purge soon here, so expect updates on stuff I’m getting rid of and, of course, feel free to e-mail me if you want any of it.

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 05/05/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:04:35 +0000

Last Stand of New Krypton

Only a couple of reviews this week because I’ve been so busy catching up on my Superman reading. As of last night, I’ve finished Last Stand of New Krypton and am about to read War of the Superman #0. I liked it—I’m not cool with the whole Toyman-fooling-Brainiac-with-a-robot-Lex-thing—but I still think this run of Action, Superman and Adventure Comics is probably going away. Watch for this auction on eBay soon.

I love James Robinson, but am starting to wonder if I love the memory of Robinson’s Starman more? I’m not asking for more Starman. Writers have to change and evolve. I understand. That said, I haven’t loved his Superman run and don’t care for his current JLA at all. I’ll still pick up anything he writes to give it a chance, I just wonder if he hasn’t found his niche at DC yet.

It makes me wonder what would’ve happened had Robinson and Rucka taken over JSA, a title where they would have had much more freedom to play with the characters. Case in point, World of New Krypton was, in my opinion, the best of the three Superman titles, mainly because of the freedom the writers had with the characters. Meanwhile, both Action Comics and Superman felt like they were treading water with way too many characters while slowly building to the War of the Supermen event and the re-launch of a Legion title that may or may not excite anyone. Not to mention the sub-par and ever changing art teams on both titles.

I’m a big fan of both these writers and applaud their gamble to take Superman out of both his titles for a year. In the end, that gamble didn’t pay off for me, or for the monthly sales of both titles. I just didn’t find anything about Nightwing and Flamebird that I cared about in the pages of Rucka’s Action and Mon-El seemed to go from interesting to whiny real fast in Superman. I would’ve liked to see Robinson concentrate on the Guardian and the new Science Police more rather than spreading his story so thin with Mon-El and the Legion stuff. Mon-El’s story could have easily been told in the pages of Adventure Comics alongside one Legion story.

Rucka’s Action Comics sounded like a great idea—Nightwing and Flamebird tracking down Zod’s Kryptonian sleeper cells on earth—but it got too bogged down in Kryptonian religious prophecy (which I still don’t understand) and, you guessed it, a love story between the main characters. It might have been more interesting to see the two fail in their job and get killed in action as the lead into War of the Supermen. Maybe they even knew it was a suicide mission the whole time. That would have really played into Flamebird’s religious zealotry. Sort of like what Eric Trautman did in the back up story, and best part, of the recent Adventure Comics. Now, with the recent news of Rucka leaving DC, suddenly I have to wonder whether we’ll see these characters again anyway?

I really enjoyed the bulk of Rucka’s DC work, especially his Gotham Knights and recent run on Detective Comics, and look forward to whatever he does next. As for Robinson, like I said, I’ll continue to check out his work as it comes, I just hope he can find a better fit for his writing style at DC.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday May 5, 2010 followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #630
Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 of 6
Batman and Robin #12
Brightest Day #1 of 26
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #35
Ghost Projekt #2 of 5: Glasnost
Hellboy: In Mexico (or, A Drunken Blur)
Secret Six #21
Star Trek: Captain’s Log: John Hariman
Superman: War of the Supermen #1 of 4
Uncanny X-Men #524
Vengeance of the Moon Knight #8

Thoughts on the Pile:

Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine #1

Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine #1: I had zero expectations when I picked this title up, and truthfully, I only did so because of Adam Kubert’s art. I like Jason Aaron, but really only expected filler here. So, when I opened the comic to find Peter Parker trapped in prehistoric times collecting giant bugs and trying to figure out a way to either travel back to the present or prevent the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs, and the group of proto-humans that Wolverine is protecting, I was sold. This is really fun, stand-alone comic writing the likes of which I haven’t read in a while. Also, I didn’t realize how much I missed the Kubert boys drawing Marvel characters. Adam Kubert is in rare form drawing dinosaurs, Spidey with a beard and Wolvie murdering Neanderthals. What more could a Marvel nerd want?

Brightest Day #1

Brightest Day #1: I’m really excited for what writers Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are setting up with this title. Two issues in and I’m hooked. With an amazing art team to match the writing, Brightest Day has jumped to the top of my read pile twice a month. Johns and Tomasi have taken a cast of characters that have proven unable to support their own titles and brought them together in what is essentially an anthology comic that touches every corner of the DCU. I love Hawkman, Aquaman and The Martian Manhunter but don’t need to see them in yet another iteration of their own monthly series. Brightest Day is making these characters relevant to the DCU again, and for the first time I think I might care about Deadman. It reminds me of my favorite parts of 52 and reinforces how badly executed the following two DC weekly titles were. It’s almost as if DC took a page out of Marvel’s book and is trying to give their universe a bit of continuity. It’s about damn time.

iZombie #1

iZombie #1: When I heard Mike Allred was working on this title I was thrilled. As much as I loved Allred’s original Madman comics, his recent run lost me pretty quickly. His art is still as good as it’s ever been, but the metaphysical turn Madman took was so bizarre I felt like I wasn’t intelligent, or high enough—or both—to follow along. Or maybe it was just bad. Anyway, iZombie #1 was like a perfect mix of Twin Peaks meets Dead Like Me, with a zombie, a were-terrier and the ghost of Gidget. All drawn by the masterful Mike Allred and for only $1. If you passed on this one you missed out and you might be a jerk. Vertigo continually puts out some of the most original comic story telling on the stands each month and iZombie looks like a great addition to their line.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic only to read this week, I’d drive my wife insane asking her about her day and constantly calling her to talk about how bored I was, it would be:

Hellboy: In Mexico (or, A Drunken Blur): Dark Horse

Hellboy: In Mexico (or, A Drunken Blur)

Solicitation: During the 1950s, Hellboy caravans across Mexico with a trio of vampire-killing luchadores, finding the undead, evil turkeys, a terrible bat god and a little too much tequila. Reuniting Mike Mignola and Richard Corben, the creative team behind the Eisner Award-winning miniseries Hellboy: The Crooked Man!

$3.50 US
MAR100042
Preview Available!
Written by Mike Mignola; Art and cover by Richard Corben.

Why this one? Hellboy, drunk, in Mexico, with masked Mexican Wrestlers, fighting vampires. If that doesn’t sell you on this comic then we probably don’t have anything in common. And you hate things that are awesome. I love when Richard Corbin draws monsters and I have a feeling I’m going to love him drawing Luchadores as well. This just looks like fun. Now, to get a bottle of good tequila, perhaps a Herradura Anejo, and a Pacifico to sip on while reading. Feel free to join me in my back yard this Friday. There will be an amateur fireworks show late that night.

Indy comic of the Week:

Ghost Projekt #2 of 5: Glasnost: ONI

Ghost Projekt #2 of 5

Solicitation: As U.S. Weapons Inspector Will Haley and his Russian counterpart, Anya Romanova, begin to uncover the truth behind the mysterious military project known only as “Dosvidanya,” those most closely associated with the program keep turning up dead. Can this pair of sleuths get past their cultural differences before the body count rises even further, or is this just a prelude to the nightmare the Soviets planned for their enemies?

$3.99 US
FEB101047
Written by Joe Harris; Art and cover by Steve Rolston.

Why this one? I love Steve Rolston’s art and the fact that he refused to go a more cartoonish route with his style and has instead given us comics like Greg Rucka’s Queen and Country about British Intelligence agents and now Ghost Projekt, a story about a Russian Cold-War era genetic experiments and supernatural revenge. Issue #1 was just creepy enough to pique my interest and as usual, Rolston’s attention to detail and paneling creates a perfect eerie feeling. There was a panel in the first issue where the main characters discover an abandoned facility with a room full of clear plastic cribs like you would see in a hospital’s new born ward. I had goose bumps.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Now that Brightest Day is in full swing, and the big reveal as to who was coming back from the dead has passed, are there any heroes you would’ve like to have seen come back that didn’t make the cut? I was hoping for Aztek.

Finally…

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I’m always commenting on comics and now rooting for the Minnesota Twins in the wake of the Cubs losing series to both the Astros and the Pirates at home. Also, Read Along with Matt continues as I plow my way through Warren Ellis Freak Angles. If that’s not enough, you can check out my wife’s blog Girl Meets Nerd, where you can find out why I was comparing her to the classic anime-pirate Captain Harlock. It’s a pretty funny story.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 04/28/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:34:56 +0000

Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day has become a holiday in my life. It’s been eight years since Free Comic Book Day started and I’m proud to say I’ve spent every one of them working in a comic book store. This past Saturday was great and reminded me why I love working in the comic shop environment so much. Even if it’s just for four hours a week.

All my life I read and loved comics; they’re one of the only constants in my life I can think of, to be quite honest. I spend a lot of time looking at sales numbers for the blogs I write and fretting over the lower sales figures each week. Free Comic Day is the one chance that comic shops have to put comics in the hands of people that might not otherwise read them. Most notably, kids. Kids don’t seem to read comics anymore, and nothing spells the death of any hobby faster than not having a younger generation of enthusiasts. It was great to see so many parents bringing their kids to my shop this past Saturday and I can only hope the pile of comics those kids left with turns them into fanatics. Comic Books are one of the only truly American art forms we have. If we lose our comics, we lose a part of our history. If you love comics, I ask you to take some time and encourage one kid you know to read a comic book. If they hate it, then at least you tried. But if they turn out to love comics, then you’ve done your part in ensuring the future of this hobby.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday April 28th followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #629
Captain America #605
Fantastic Four #578
Green Lantern Corps #47
Invincible Iron Man #25
Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #2 of 4 (0f 4)
The Last Unicorn #1
Mighty Avengers #36
New Avengers #64
Punisher #16
Secret Warriors #15
Siege: Secret Warriors
Stumptown #3
Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #3 of 3
Superman #699
Thor #609
Thunderbolts #143

Thoughts on the Pile:

The Last Unicorn #1

New Avengers #64

Thor #609

The Last Unicorn #1: Upon hearing about this comic I remember wondering if anyone was going to care. After seeing the preview images, watching the 1980s animated version again and reading all the stellar early reviews I knew I was going to have to deal with “you know how I know you’re gay?” jokes at my comic shop when I bought this one. But it was worth it. Some of the paneling was a little disjointed, but Renae De Liz’s art was perfect—some of the most perfect Fantasy comic art I’ve seen in years—and Peter Gillis does an excellent job adapting Peter S Bagge’s classic. This another very high-quality book from IDW. If you love your fantasy to read like a Shakespearian sonnet with art reminiscent of the Rankin and Bass animation epics of the ’80s, look no further.

New Avengers #64: In the wake of the Siege storyline, which centers around the fall of Asgard and the rise of the Sentry, New Avengers writer Brian Michael Bendis takes time out from smash, bang, super-heroics to give readers a smash, bang, super-villain love story. Which is what I love about Bendis; he doesn’t just love and develop the heroes he writes, he also loves his villains. It’s easy to show readers how evil a villain can be, but to show them in love is just good writing. The Hood has been one of the central villains this title since very early in the run and Bendis has turned him into one of the most interesting and well-developed characters in the Marvel U. I can’t wait to see what happens in the Heroic Age Avengers re-launch.

Thor #609: I am officially going to miss writer Kireon Gillen on Thor when he leaves. I love the way Gillen writes the Asgardian gods, whose dialog can easily become more tedious than DC’s Etrigan, The Demon (whose every line is written in rhyming verse) in the wrong hands. Case in point, Gillen’s use of Volstagg the Voluminous has made me love the fattest member of the Warriors Three more than I ever thought I would. In fact, Thor doesn’t even make an appearance in this issue and I didn’t care. I remember hearing the news that former writer J. Michael Straczynski was leaving Thor because he had no interest in writing the Siege crossover issues and fearing for the worst. Now I can’t wait to read what Gillen does next and even though one of my current favorite Marvel writers, Matt Fraction, will be taking over Thor I hope to see him back on this title in the future. This issue is another strong Siege tie-in.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic only to read this week, I’d drive my wife insane asking her about her day and constantly calling her to talk about how bored I was, it would be:

Invincible Iron Man #25: Marvel

Invincible Iron Man #25

Solicitation: Double-sized issue! Co-released alongside this summer’s surefire blockbuster hit “Iron Man 2,” this issue is the perfect jumping-on point for fans of the films and readers new and old alike! New year. New decade. New trade dress. New threats. New loves. New armor. New Tony Stark. New storyline: Resilient. Get onboard the Eisner-award winning Invincible Iron Man here!

$3.99 US
FEB100519
Written by Matt Fraction; Art and cover by Salvador Larocca.

Why this one? Writer Matt Fraction’s Invincible Iron Man is the best Iron Man title I’ve ever read. I love it, unabashedly. Salvador Larocca’s art is gorgeous and, alongside Fraction-channeling Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark gives the title a very cinematic feel that any fan of the Iron Man movies would enjoy. After Tony’s role in the Civil War and his downfall after the Invasion story line, there really was nothing left to do with the character other than kill him. Or erase his brain in an attempt to keep the identities of Marvel’s super heroes away from Norman Osborne and have him later re-download his memories, personality and intelligence. The best part, this brain back-up of Tony’s was recorded before the Civil War and the death of Captain America. Now Fraction has a chance to rewrite every mistake Tony made for the last 10 years. It’s going to be a great read.

Indy comic of the Week:

Stumptown #3: Oni

Stumptown #3

Solicitation: P.I. Dex Parios has finally caught up with Charlotte Suppa, but what she’s found is a whole lot more than she bargained for. Who rounds out the Charlotte love triangle? What criminal scheme is she wrapped up in? And what do people have against Dex’s poor Mustang convertible? Find the answer to these questions and more in this new series from superstar writer Greg Rucka (Whiteout, Detective Comics) and hot new artist Matthew Southworth!

$3.99 US
OCT091041

Why this one? Nobody does the street tough female character better than Greg Rucka. If you haven’t read his White Out (do NOT see the movie), his Queen and Country or his Wonder Woman run, I can’t recommend them enough. Rucka recently announced that he was leaving DC, which I was pretty upset about, initially. After reading this issue of Stumptown and glancing over my Queen and Country hard covers, I now realize that Rucka does his best work with his own characters and look forward to whatever he chooses to write in the future. Props to Greg Rucka to giving up the paycheck to write something he loves.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Every time I see an issue of Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo on the stands, I wish I was reading and invested in the title. There’s just so much Usagi to catch up on I wouldn’t know where to start. In fact, I just pre-ordered the Usagi Yojimbo Special Edition from Fantagraphics. But I digress. What series, if any, do you wish you had been reading since day one?

Finally . . .

Check out my Twitter feed if you want to follow along while I read my pile of comics and bitch about the Cubs pitching each week. Also, Read Along with Matt continues as I plow through my shelves of collected comic editions. Currently, I’m reading through the first three volumes of Warren Ellis’ Freak Angels. And yes, I’m aware that it’s a free webcomic, but I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy who needs to hold a book while he reads it. I’ll also be getting back to my yearly purge updates soon but had to put that project on hold while I work on some home projects I’d been promising my wife I’d finish. Stupid garden, and yard, and gutters . . .

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 04/21/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:50:29 +0000

The Losers

Much like the Summer-Blockbuster movie season, which seems to start earlier every year, the Summer-Blockbuster comic season is already upon us. With Marvel’s “Siege” event almost over and DC’s “Brightest Day” already here, the crossovers are hitting shops like it’s July. Comic book movie season is here in full force, as well. Already, we’ve had two comic book movies, both of which I thought were going to blow up in theaters and both actually bombed. Which begs the question: is the Comic Book movie dead? Not the Super-Hero movie—no problems there—but the Comic-Book movie. Yes, there are comics out there that aren’t about superheroes. Both “Kick Ass” and “The Losers” underperformed on their opening weekend, with “Kick Ass” expected to bring in $30 million (and only making $19 million), while “The Losers” only brought in $9.5 million. Numbers like these cast serious doubt on any comic property without a well known super-hero getting adapted to film. Frankly, I blame myself for not going to the movies this last week. For a full list of comics that shipped last week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

The Stack:

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday April 21, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa.

Amazing Spider-Man #628
American Vampire #2
Bloom County: The Complete Library Volume 2
Dark Wolverine #85
DoomWar #3 of 5
Green Lantern #53
Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #2 of 2
Joe the Barbarian #4 of 8
Justice League of America #44
Nova #36
The Spirit #1
Supergirl #52
X-Factor #204
Y: The Last Man Deluxe Edition Book 3

Thoughts on the Pile:

American Vampire #2

American Vampire #2: I love this title and couldn’t be more surprised to be enjoying a comic book about vampires in a time when pop-culture couldn’t be more over saturated with vampire stories. In fact, I loved issue #1 so much I bought the variant cover of issue #2. It was a Bernie Wrightson cover, and anyone who knows me knows my weakness for Wrightson. The writing in this comic is the real star here. Both stories are fantastic period pieces with perfect art by Rafael Albuquerque. Albuquerque nails the perfect creepiness behind the story, mixing his smooth lined style of the humans in the story with contrast of a hard, jagged line when drawing vampires and corpses. I haven’t been this excited about a Vertigo title in quite some time.

Green Lantern #53

Green Lantern #53: I was ready to take a break after Blackest Night; maybe I expected one after a year of legendary, continuity defining GL stories, but no. Geoff Johns picks up right where he left off, continuing what is arguably his best DC work to date. Also, Doug Mahnke continues drawing the creepiest imagery we’ve ever seen, while he and Johns lay out another creepy mystery in the past of the Green Lantern corps. I’ll take any guesses as to the identity of the guy with the green shackle around his leg. Not to be redundant, but man, was he creepy. The only valid complaints I found about Blackest Night was the predictably of the story. Now that Blackest Night is over and the future is unwritten, GL remains the best super-hero comic DC publishes every month. I never thought a cosmic-themed super-hero comic could be so darn scary. And I’ve never enjoyed Green Lantern this much. More please.

The Spirit #1

The Spirit #1: This probably marks the end of my dabbling in the DC First Wave line. I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t care about these characters. At first, I thought it might be because of the separate continuity, but then, after reading First Wave #1, I found myself excited to check out the new line. Two issue #1’s later I’m less than ecstatic. Unlike Doc Savage, which was terrible in both story and art, the art here is great. Moritat’s loose pencils and the muted colors produce the perfect mood and very much remind me of Will Eisner’s style. I just couldn’t get invested in the story. I tried, and there was nothing wrong with the Mark Schultz writing but there was nothing for me to grab onto either. I’ll still probably check out Azzarello’s First Wave Batman #1 because I find myself losing more and more interest in the current Batman titles, but it looks like First Wave could go the way of the recent Red Circle titles DC hyped up and then canceled before issue #12.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic only to read this week—and I’d drive my wife insane asking her about her day and constantly calling her to talk about how bored I was—it would be:

Guardians of the Galaxy #25: Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy #25

Why this one? Once again, rumors are swirling about both Guardians and Nova being cancelled. Marvel has not yet commented on either title being “cancelled,” but has said that they are both on “hiatus.” Which sure as *@$#!% sounds like “cancelled” to me. I warned you guys months ago what would happen if sales didn’t pick up on these titles and now, just in time for a major story pay-off that’s been building since issue #1, both titles are going away. For now . . . Or maybe forever. Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have rebuilt the Marvel Cosmic Universe into a cohesive, interesting and compelling place. Cosmic stories in the Marvel U used to be reserved for giant crossovers that ultimately had no affect on the status quo or for fill-in issues that also had no lasting affects to any continuity. Back in the 1990s, Marvel could sell upwards of 500,000 copies of a title like “The Infinity Gauntlet” which, while fun to read at the time, starred a bunch of heroes that had no business in outer space (i.e. Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Captain America, just to name a few), and when all was said and don, nothing had changed. Nobody but bad guys died, and even that was undone. With Guardians, Nova, The Annihilation minis and, most recently, War of Kings, Abnett and Lanning have given character development and storytelling the likes of which has never been seen in Marvel’s cosmic titles. It’d be a damn shame if these titles weren’t re-worked and re-launched.

Indy comic of the Week:

The Culture Corner by Basil Wolverton: Fantagraphics

The Culture Corner by Basil Wolverton

Solictation: Basil Wolverton’s feature “Culture Corner” originally appeared every month in Fawcett’s Whiz Comics (featuring the adventures of Captain Marvel) from 1945 to 1952. Each episode would tackle a different subject from the practical to the pixilated, from “How to cross a busy street” to “How to tweak a beak.” Fantagraphics’ collection of the complete strips is the first time the little known feature has been reprinted since its original publication over 60 years ago! Revered by aficionados, it contains some of Wolverton’s most outrageous drawing and his trademarked lexicon of wacky wordplay.

160 pages
$22.99 U.S.
JAN100956

Why this one? Basil Wolverton was one of the most influential underground comic creators in the business and I know very little about him. An embarrassing fact, but I admit it. I can’t think of a better way to learn to appreciate Wolverton’s weirdness than this book. Especially at this price. One question: does one need to be stoned to enjoy Wolverton or does it just help?

Nerdy Question of the Week

As I mentioned above, movie adaptations of both “Kick Ass” and “The Losers” have already hit theaters to pretty bad opening weekends. Did you see either or both? What did you think and why do you think nobody went to see these movies?

Finally. . .

I’ve built a few pretty good lists for following comic book news. Check out my Twitter feed if you want to follow along with me. Read Along with Matt also continues on Twitter this week, as I’ll finally be tackling Warren Ellis’ Freak Angels vol.1. Just search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates. Check out the Batman project that just ended over at the comictwart blog if you get a chance. I think Andy Khun’s was my favorite, and it’s not just because I met him recently and he was awesome and he’s in a band and he gave me the inside scoop on the new upcoming Firebreather comic. I just liked it because it was awesome.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 04/14/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:49:21 +0000

The author with his favorite super villains attacking his crotch. It's comic-gold, he says.

C2E2 Recap:

It was nuts. Absolutely nuts. Okay, I should premise this with the fact that I didn’t go to the show on Friday. Before you start booing, I had box seats, four rows back off the first-base line, to see the Cubs beat the crap tar out of the Astros. There was no way I could pass up an afternoon at Wrigley, even without John Cusack singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (which was also awesome). So I had to cram all my Chicago-Con into one day. But cram it I did, and here’s my brief recap.

The first thing I noticed was the Archaia booth. It was huge with shelves holding its entire library and a table in the middle where it was giving entire runs of Archaia titles—Mouse Guard, The Killer and many others—all free. It was brilliant. Everywhere I looked there were nerds waiting in line to meet some creator or other, and they were all reading Archaia titles. Nicely done, guys.

The BOOM! Studios guys were also there in full force even if their booth wasn’t huge. I got to meet Mark Waid, a personal hero of mine and editor-in-chief of Boom!, who got me set up with a press deal where BOOM! will be sending me comics to review for you guys. Very cool, and yes, I promise to stay objective.

The Marvel and DC booths were predictably loud and huge and over-run with nerds looking for Joe Quesada or Matt Fraction (who I don’t think was even there) or Geoff Johns (the only guy there with a massive line). DC had some free stuff as well, and I picked up Demo #1 and #2 and some free pins and Green Lantern rings. I don’t recall seeing Marvel give anything away, but its booth was fun. But I couldn’t find Agent M, Marvel’s Web and Social Networking guy whose tweets are really funny, who I really wanted to meet.

Dark Horse had great booth but I’m concerned it may have been robbed blind by fans who didn’t know if the spinner rack full of their comics was free for the taking or not. I think I even may have accidentally stolen something. I did end up joining the B.P.R.D., and met Guy Davis and Mike Mignola (two of my favorites).

The bulk of my time was spent wandering Artist’s Alley, talking to creators. It seemed that almost everyone who had a huge line at the company they worked for could be easily approached in the Artist’s Alley. And they were all more than happy to talk to fans, sign stuff or even sketch your favorite character. Here’s a brief list of the coolest creators I talked too: Jimmy Cheung, Jill Thompson, Cris Samnee, Cliff Chaing, Andy MacDonald, Giuseppe Camunicoli, Alessandro Vitti, Fred Van Lente, Gary Giani, Bob Layton, Andy Kuhn and Eric Canette. Keep in mind these are just the creators who I spoke to for more than five minutes. The highlight being legendary writer/artist Bob Layton, whose famously filthy mouth was in full effect as he talked through the plot for his new Hercules comic. It was hilarious, and I love the guy even more now. Oh, and he’s following me on Twitter now, too. I gushed like a little girl re-tweeted by Justin Bieber.

After that I spent some time at the costume contest, making fun of the slightly plump ladies falling out of their costumes, and asked for photos of my favorite super villains attacking my crotch. It’s comic-gold, trust me.

At the end of the day it was time for a quick sweep of the retailers, most of which were concerned with the turnout. I was a little shocked myself. There were plenty of nerds there but nowhere near the sell-out crowd from last year’s New York Comic-Con, which was hosted by the same company. No one was calling the C2E2 a failure but the turn-out was definitely lower than expected. Which was great for fans like me, who could approach just about any booth without a line. However, the retailers are the back-bone of these conventions, and if they aren’t making their money they won’t be back next year. If C2E2 can’t rent the spaces on their convention floor this could be their first and last Chicago-Con. I sincerely hope the Con was success, as I’d plan on going next year and maybe making C2E2 an annual trip. All-in-all, good times. Thanks Chi-town.

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, April 7, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics that shipped last week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Action Comics #888
Adventure Comics
Black Widow #1
B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #4 of 5
Brightest Day #0 of 26
Daytripper #5 of 10
DMZ #52
The Flash [v3] #1
Green Arrow/Black Canary #32
Iron Man: Legacy #1
New Mutants #12
Secret Six #20
Siege: Loki

Thoughts on the Pile:

Black Widow #1

The Flash vol. 3 #1

Black Widow #1: I have what could be a sexist secret to admit. I don’t read any female-driven comics. I used to love Peter David’s—and later Dan Slott’s—She-Hulk. I loved Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey and am looking forward to the new Gail Simone Birds series. Oh, and Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman. OK, maybe I’m not a sexist, but I do tend to judge female-driven comics harder and I don’t know why. So, I’m excited to enjoy this series and I’m confident with the creative team of Liu and Acuna, I will. I hope. Then I won’t feel like such a chauvinist pig.

The Flash vol. 3 #1: I love Geoff Johns, I love Pascal Ferry and I love the Flash. So why was I not more excited for this issue? Maybe it was because of the way Flash Rebirth ended. Or fizzled out, to be more to the point. Issue one was strong, the art was excellent and Ferry’s style really lends itself to the Flash and his speed powers, but I still feel like Johns needs to sell me on Barry Allen as the Flash. I’m not trying to be the close-minded Flash fan here, but I grew up with Wally West as the Flash and now understand what the old guys felt like when he replaced Barry. I’m in for the foreseeable future here because I trust Johns as a storyteller but I need him to make me believe we needed Barry Back first.

Green Arrow #32

Iron Man Legacy #1

Green Arrow #32: I guess I didn’t realize this was the last issue of Green Arrow until the re-launch in June, but it’s probably as good as any place to end this volume. GA needs a re-launch to just wash the taste of this wasted volume away. Writer J.T. Krul has done a fantastic job with the Fall of Green Arrow story, but this one had kind of a hokey ending. I don’t do spoilers in these micro-reviews but you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when you get there. The art by Nieves, who I’ve been enjoying, left something to be desired as well. It may have been the inking but something was different. Like the lines were too soft and the computer coloring was almost bursting out. Truthfully, everything that happened here probably could have been done in a couple pages of the last issue. There was an abundance of reflective narration that I felt like I’ve been reading for three issues now. Also, if you have the chance, make sure you read this issue before Brightest Day #0. The last page will work better for you.

Iron Man Legacy #1: I love writer Fred Van Lente’s work on Hercules and the Hulk but did not think he was going to work on Iron Man. In fact, I was pretty vocal about how, not only would he not work on Iron Man, but we probably don’t need a second Iron Man series at all. Well, after reading it, I’m happy to say I was wrong, and if Van Lente can keep up the intensity he developed with this first issue, I’ll be happy to read two Iron Man titles every month. Van Lente nails Tony Stark and does an excellent job of making him sound even more like Robert Downey Jr. than Matt Fraction’s Invincible Iron Man. Legacy is a great jumping-on point for any new Iron Man fan and a great read for serious Iron Man nerds like myself.

There Can Only Be One !

If I had to pick one comic only to read this week—and if that were the case, I’d drive my wife insane asking her about her day and constantly calling her to talk about how bored I was—it would be:

Brightest Day #0 of 26: DC

Brightest Day #0 of 26

Solictation: The biggest event in comics continues as Brightest Day burns back the Blackest Night from the writing team behind Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps—Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi! And don’t miss the exciting DC Comics debut of red hot cover artist David Finch (New Avengers, Ultimatum)! The effects that the already classic Blackest Night will have on the DC Universe will be felt for years to come and this issue not only sets the stage for the new ongoing biweekly DC Universe book Brightest Day, but also the next exciting era of the DC Universe!

56 PGS
$3.99 US
FEB100116

Why this one? Let’s start with the 56-page count. If I’m paying $3.99 for a comic, 56 pages of story sure makes me feel better about my purchase. This was a big, thick comic that picked up right where Blackest Night ended and, man, was it great. Johns doesn’t seem to have lost any momentum moving into the next chapter of the DCU and, I for one, can’t wait for more. Boston Brand (Deadman) seems to be the main character so far, dealing with his return to the land of the living and some unexpected new powers. There’s a great splash page that deals directly with Green Arrow #32 that worked very well after reading both stories. With gorgeous art by Fernando Pasarain and a story that looks to map out the future of the DCU written by two of the best authors in the comics business, Brightest Day looks to be mandatory reading for any DC nerd.

Indy comic of the Week:

Other Lives: DC Vertigo

“I can count on one hand the number of comic artists whose work is as strong…maybe on two or three fingers.”

– Robert Crumb

Solictation: Meet three certified geeks: a self-loathing journalist who has a seemingly normal girlfriend, a conspiracy theorist who still lives with his mother, and an unemployed gamer who lives in his car. These strangely likable misfits find that dark personal secrets can sometimes be a virtue in Other Lives, a hilarious original graphic novel by award-winning creator Peter Bagge (Hate). The story also explores people’s identities, both real and created, and how the two become confused and conflated through the Internet and role-playing games.

136 PGS
$24.99 US
Item Code# DEC090263
Written and drawn by Peter Bagge

Why this one? I know Vertigo is not exactly an “Indy” comic company but I had to mention Peter Bagge’s new book somewhere. I’ve been a big fan of Bagge since reading my first Hate comic in the early 1990s. Nobody does misfits in uncomfortable situations like Bagge. His stories can be painful to read but always hilarious. I find his work most enjoyable after a couple glasses of wine. Something young and spicy, like a Chilean Malbec.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

More than a few of my friends have been making the move from monthly issues to trade paperbacks. I’ve discussed this at length with a few of them and have to say their logic is quite sound. The stories read better, there’re no adds, and the paper quality is better, which makes the art and color look better. I agree with all these points but am still not making the jump to trades only. I keep saying “I collect comics, not books,” but it’s not enough. Help me out here. I need a reason. Why should I, or any comic reader, stick with the monthly issue instead of just waiting and reading the collected trade paperback?

Finally…

My wife is hard at work on her Girl Meets Nerd blog, detailing this past weekend from her point of view. I’m sure it’ll be hilarious at my expense. I got to meet Chris Samnee, who will be working on a new Thor series and no longer needs my plugs here, but I told him I’ll still keep pointing nerds to the comictwart.com site anyway. I haven’t had a chance to see “Kick Ass” yet, but plan to ASAP. With ”The Losers” coming out this weekend and “Iron Man 2” the weekend after tha,t I’ve got to get my nerd movies watched before any other nerds ruin them for me. I was a little disappointed to see “Kick Ass” get it’s ass kicked by “How to Train Your Dragon” on it’s opening weekend. Could this be the death of the R-rated comic movie? After “Watchmen” tanked, and now “Kick Ass” bombed in it’s opening weekend, the future doesn’t look good.

Until next time true believers…

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 03/31/10

Matt Baum — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:37:12 +0000

Unfortunately, The Flash is out in the annual Spring Purge.

The yearly purge has begun and already comics are piling up. Now, I know I’ve been telling you that every year I go through the previous year’s comic acquisitions and decide what goes into the collection, yadda-yadda-yadda . . . The truth is, I just started this purging three years ago, so the entire master collection is probably due a looksie as well. The other truth is I didn’t finish the purge last year so I’ve effectively got two years of comics to sort through. So far, the first victims of this two year purge are as follow:

• Danny Bilson/Mark Waid’s terrible Flash re-launch (I’m not bagging on Waid; he even admitted it was bad. I don’t think Bilson was ever heard from again though).

• Outsiders, which became Batman and the Outsiders, and then Batman “died” and it was back to Outsiders; shortly after that I stopped caring.

• Alex Ross’ Justice; very pretty to look at but, much like Project Superpowers, not a great read. I love the guy when he’s painting but don’t need Ross writing.

• Project Superpowers (ditto).

• Zorro, by Matt Wagner; love Matt Wagner but didn’t love his Zorro.

• JSA, by Bill Willingham and Matt Stugess. The first thing that the new creative duo did to the team turned me off. They broke up the family. I don’t need snark and infighting in my JSA title. They’re supposed to be a family. A family that Geoff Johns spent years building. I know comics have to grow and change or they stagnate and die, but this isn’t good storytelling. It’s stale and played out. Save the infighting for the Titans comic that no one is reading. I hate not reading JSA monthly. It doesn’t feel right.

If anyone is looking for any of these issues, let me know and we can work something out. Otherwise it’s eBay for those that are worth the time, or back to the comic shop as a charitable donation for the rest. Let me know if you need anything here.

Here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, March 31, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Adventure Comics #9: Namesake
Amazing Spider-Man #627
Blackest Night #8 of 8
Dark Wolverine #84
Detective Comics #863
Fantastic Four #577
Godland #31
Justice League of America #43: All Along the Watchtower
New Mutants #11
Punisher #15
Realm of Kings: Inhumans #5 of 5
X-Force #25
X-Men: Second Coming

Thoughts on the Stack:

Adventure Comics #9

Dark Wolverine #84

Adventure Comics #9: While Adventure Comics is part of the “Last Stand of New Krypton” storyline, and perhaps because I’m a sucker, I’ll be picking this one up. I want to love the Legion, I really do, and now that Geoff Johns has reduced their numbers to one team in one reality (I think that’s how Legion of Three Worlds ended; right?) I’m ready to pay attention. One problem: Geoff Johns isn’t writing the Legion anymore; James Robinson is and it’s not bad, but he’s only on the title for two more issues before Paul Levitz takes over. Am I going to care? That remains to be seen. I didn’t read Levitz’s previous Legion stuff, but Legion-nerds have told me I should. I remain cautiously optimistic.

Dark Wolverine #84: I love this comic. Every month writers Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu pull me into the story of Wolvie’s evil kid, Daken, even deeper. Mohawk and all. I love it. Somehow, artist Giuseppe Camuncoli has done the impossible with a really bad character design and succeeded in making Daken look cool, scary and tough even with the lamest of mohawks. No offense to Steve Dillon, who helped Daniel Way create the character, but a mohawk and tribal tattoos? What is this the Jersey Shore? DW had perhaps my favorite single panel of last week. I won’t give it away, but the panel is on page 6 and it made me laugh out loud. Oh, and it was yet another great Siege tie-in.

Fantastic Four #577

X-Men: Second Coming #1

Fantastic Four #577: Writer Jonathan Hickman is not attempting to recreate, rebrand, remix or reboot the FF. Instead, he’s doing what he does best and pumping out some of the best FF stuff I can remember reading. Hickman writes highbrow Sci-Fi with just enough mystery and superhero action to keep you wanting more. I don’t think anyone even threw a punch in this issue, but the story Hickman is setting up is going to change everything we thought we knew about the Inhumans and their ties to several other alien races in the Marvel U. As good as Hickman’s writing is, Dale Eaglesham’s art might be even better. I can’t think of an artist outside of Jack Kirby who has created a more stylish and iconic look for the FF. I hope he never leaves this comic. NEVER!

X-Men: Second Coming #1: It’s almost summer, and that means time for another giant X-event. Second Coming is going to be huge and fun and dramatic, and mutants are going to get killed, and Colossus is back with Kitty, and Cable has big guns again, and somehow it feels like the huge X-crossovers of the ’90s are back. And I couldn’t be happier. I felt like a 19-year-old-nerd reading my X-Men comics all over again. Eww and David Finch’s art was super-neato! I forgot how much I dig this guy. Sadly, I think this three-issue story is Finch’s last work at Marvel before jumping over to DC. Which is fine, because he draws an awesome Batman too. I’m excited for Second Coming if you can’t tell.

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic from the stack this week, I’d freak the #&%@ out! Still, if I had to pick, it would be:

Blackest Night #8 of 8: Marvel

Solicitation: The extra-sized conclusion to the most talked-about event in comics is here, and the results will change the course of the DC Universe for years to come. Earth has become the final battleground for life versus death, but how will our heroes fight back against the darkness of sentient space itself? And what does the future hold for Green Lantern, The Flash and the rest of the world’s greatest heroes and villains? Find out here as the stage is set for the next epic era of DC Comics!

40 PGS
$3.99 US
JAN100231
Written by Geoff Johns; Pencils by Ivan Reis and Oclair Albert; Inks Joe Prado and Oclair Albert.

Why this one? Can I just tell you what happened? Can I ruin BL #8 for you? I squealed like a little kid while reading this one! It was so friggin’ good! Was this another Johns fairy tale with big gushy happy ending? Yes. Was it everything I thought it would be and expected? Absolutely. It can be argued that Johns’ stories are formulaic and end predictably at times, but it’s a formula that works and sells. Problems were fixed, heroes came back from the dead, and Reis and Albert drew the hell out of this issue, which included the best four-page spread I’ve ever seen. Not that I can recall many four-page spreads. Or any, for that matter. Regardless, Geoff Johns has once again nailed it and set up the DCU for the next year. Thank you, Geoff Johns. For making this nerd happy, even if it was just for 20 minutes.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Now that Blackest Night is over and Siege is coming to an end, which post-event universe are you more excited for: Marvel’s Heroic-Age or DC’s Brightest Day?

Finally . . .

There is a highly entertaining review of Guardians of the Galaxy #18, as written by my wife, in her blog Girl Meets Nerd, which details her interactions with my nerdity. I was offended at first, because I love GotG so much, but ended up laughing along.

In Twitter news, Read Along with Matt continues this week with Warren Ellis’ Freak Angels vol. 1. You can follow along by following me on Twitter or just searching #readalongwmatt.

If you need some real comic journalism, check out The Comics Journal new site. Recently, The Comics Journal moved from a print magazine to a constantly updated Web format. TCJ has long been known for some of the best comic industry analysis and opinion out there. Good luck with the new format, and hopefully the death of the comic-magazine isn’t a harbinger for comics themselves.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 03/24/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:05:01 +0000

The Uncanny X-Men

This weekend the weather is supposed to crescendo into what could be a perfect spring Sunday. The kind of Sunday that prevents suicides; we have particularly rough winters here in Nebraska. And so the great purge of 2010 will begin. Right where the purge of 2009 left off.

Each year I dig through the long boxes of comics I’ve acquired since the previous purge and attempt to make sense of the beast that is my comic collection. The idea is simple; I can’t keep it all. There’re comics I need to own, comics I enjoyed reading but don’t need and then there’s the garbage. Like I said, I can’t keep it all. Just having a bunch of comics does not make a collection. This year, I’m entering the purge with three categories of comics I’ll be keeping; ongoing series that I love (i.e. Avengers, Batman, Daredevil, X-Men, etc.), characters that I follow (Moon Knight, Beta-Ray-Bill, Spider-Woman), and creators who write great comics (Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Jonathan Hickman, Robert Kirkman, etc). With that in mind, there’s plenty of stuff that won’t make it into the master collection, I’ve got to come up with my own Pedigree name for my comic collection. Any suggestions? I was thinking about something regal like the “Baum of Dundee” collection (Dundee’s my hood, y’all). Sounds regal right? But I digress, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, this year I’ll be making a real attempt to sell some stuff rather than just giving it all away. It’s been a tough economy for all of us, right? So watch this space for upcoming auction stories. I’ll be sharing my wins, losses and general thoughts on what it’s like to be a comic hobbyist selling his stuff to the masses.

In the meantime, here’s a look at my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, March 24, 2010, followed by some short reviews of stuff I’ve read and some thoughts on why I’m picking these titles up. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #626
Captain America #604
Green Lantern #52: Life Blood
Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #1 of 4
The Marvels Project #7 of 8
Mighty Avengers #35
Millar & McNiven’s Nemesis #1
New Avengers #63
Orc Stain #2
Secret Warriors #14
Supergod #3 of 5
Superman #698: Destiny
Thor #608
Thunderbolts #142
Uncanny X-Men #522
X-Factor #203

Thoughts on the Stack:

Green Lantern #52

Justice League: The Rise of Aresenal

Green Lantern #52: I’m not sure of the name of the writing device used in fiction wherein the author takes a villain and turns them into a hero, but it’s one of my favorites. I love me a redeemed villain. Which appears to be what’s going on in GL. SPOILER ALERT! It looks like writer Geoff Johns is going to end his wildly successful Blackest Night cross-over with the redemption of Sinestro. Which might involve a name change as well (could be hard to trust a guy named Sinestro, I guess). Last we saw him, Sinestro was slipping a White Lantern ring on his finger to save the Universe from the Black Lanterns. I guess I hadn’t thought of the possible racial overtones to this story until I typed that sentence . . . huh. I haven’t read this one yet, but I haven’t been let down by a GL issue for quite some time.

Justice League: The Rise of Aresenal: Writer J.T. Krul seems to be just the shot in the arm the Green Arrow family needed to make the comic interesting again. Finally. It’s been quite sometime since I’ve been able to read a comic about Ollie Queen (Green Arrow) and Roy Harper (Arsenal), both of which are characters I love. The two have found themselves in pretty terrible situations as of late, Ollie, murdering villains in the wake of the destruction of his home, Star City, and Roy having his arm ripped off and daughter murdered. We’ve seen how Ollie is dealing with the situation and now I have to know what Roy does next. It’s about time someone wrote a compelling story for DC’s archers.

New Avengers #63:

Thor #608

Thunderbolts #142

New Avengers #63: While Siege was action from page one, New Avengers seems to have taken it’s time jumping into the event and given us an intimate look into how the characters are going to be dealing with this final battle with Norman Osborne. This issue focused on Luke Cage’s family, which is a soap-opera I would read every month if Bendis was writing it. I love the dialogue between Luke and Jessica, the mother of his child and ex-Avenger. Superhero comic dialog doesn’t get better than this. And really, do all of our comics need to be a smash-bang affair? Some times it’s nice to see the human side of these characters too, and nobody does it better then Brian Michael Bendis. As always, New Avengers was the first new comic I read this week and well worth the price of admission.

Thor #608: I never thought I would be disappointed to hear Matt Fraction (writer of Cassanova, Uncanny X-Men) would be taking over any comic, but I’ll be really sad to see Kieron Gillen leave Thor. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the Fraction Thor will be great. But Gillen’s Thor portion of the Siege event has been excellent, and writing all that flowery god-like dialog and keeping things interesting without being longwinded, can’t be easy. I don’t think I’ve ever loved Volstag the Voluminous more. Wherever Gillen goes, I’ll be sure to follow him. The guy writes great comics and his Thor is no exception.

Thunderbolts #142: I guess I stayed with this comic on the promise of what will be happening after the Siege event. Thunderbolts isn’t bad, I guess for a comic starring a group of villains I hardly care about, and the new Ant Man is as good as it could be. However, I’ll be much more excited about the title when Luke Cage joins the cast (if they bring Iron Fist into the book I’ll lose my mind). This issue was fun, there was a good tussle between Scourge (who is actually Nuke) and U.S. Agent, but Thunderbolts is definitely losing its steam. Hopefully, things pick up with Heroic-Age. I’m betting Thunderbolts just needs a little direction and having Luke Cage leading a group of villains looking for redemption in the wake of the Dark Reign storyline sounds perfect.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

If I had to pick one comic to take home this week—which is ridiculous, I know—but if I had to, it would be:

X-Factor #203: Marvel

Solicitation: Deep into unknown jungles go Monet and Guido—a.k.a. Strong Guy, a two-person rescue team—in a desperate gambit to free Monet’s father from the hands of terrorists. And what exactly do the terrorists want? They want Monet, as it turns out. And you’ll never guess who’s behind it all.

32 PGS
$2.99 US
JAN100628
Written by Peter David; Pencils by Valentine De Landro; Inks by Array; Colors by Tony Bedard.

Why this one? Even with constantly rotating cast of artists, some of which were really bad, writer Peter David is able to keep X-Factor one of the most fun, entertaining, high-quality reads every month. If you need a break from the huge cross-over events sweeping through both Marvel and DC currently, I highly recommend X-Factor. Mutant “B-lister” Jaime Madrox has become one of the most interesting and outspoken characters in the Marvel U with David’s run on X-Factor, which seems to be a half-way house for the forgotten mutants of the late ’80s and early ’90s. This is a comic for nerds who love character-driven X-Men stories. This latest run of X-Factor is one I’ll cherish years from now and gets an instant pass into my master collection.

Indy Comic of the Week:

The 120 Days of Simon: Top Shelf

The 120 Days of Simon

Swedish cartoonist/rapper Simon Gärdenfors left his home to spend four months on the road. His rules were simple: During the 120 days he wasn’t allowed to return to his home, or to spend more than two nights at the same place. Otherwise, anything could happen—and it did.

The result was an epic adventure across Sweden as Simon slept on strangers’ couches, visited an ostrich farm, ate a psychedelic cactus, practiced free love, received death threats, was beaten up by teenagers, got adopted by a motorcycle gang, drank obscene amounts of alcohol and sacrificed his underpants to the Nordic god Brage.

For ages: 16+  Page Count: 416  Details: Soft cover, Black & white  ISBN-13: 9781603090506
$14.95 US
FEB101095

Why this one? I read the first 30 pages of this one at the shop the other day and fell in love. The book itself is small enough to fit in any back-pack or purse and is perfect for commuter reading. Even though the story takes place in Sweden, the material is very accessible—aside from some names that I won’t even attempt to pronounce. The art is minimal and cartoonish, but lends it’s self very well to the attitude of Simon, the writer. Very high-quality stuff, as usual, from Top Shelf press.

Nerdy Question of the Week

It’s almost summer movie season again, and that means time for even more comics to make the jump to the big screen. With the exception of Iron Man 2, which we all know is going to amazing, what nerd-related summer movies are you most excited for? I’m going to go ahead and include April in the blockbuster season because of Kick Ass and The Losers. After seeing the Scott Pilgrim Vs the World trailer, that film jumped up to the top of my list. If the Scott Pilgrim trailer isn’t enough to get you excited here’s a Rap by Adam WarRock of the War Rocet Ajax podcast that recaps the first five Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. Excellent work as usua,l Euge.

Finally…

My wife’s new blog, Girl Meets Nerd, a blog about her dealing with being married to a nerd (me), is trucking right along. Her latest entry deals with our iPods and the music stored on them. Turns out I listen to pretty good stuff. In your face, baby. Also Read Along with Matt continues on Twitter, where I tweet notes on graphic novels and collections I’m reading. And yes, my Twitter name is Yobofofas. I swear. I’ve received some concerned e-mails. Now I’ve got to go start sorting through some comic boxes. See ya’s next week. In the meantime you should check out the Comictwart blog, where different comic creators draw their takes on famous comic characters. This week is Riverdale’s most famous red-head, Archie.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 03/17/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:42:41 +0000

Spider-Woman

I don’t feel anything for Spider-Woman. I enjoyed the recent series, very much so, but this isn’t one I need to own. In fact, had I know the latest volume was going to end up a seven-issue-mini-series, I might have waited for the trade, or even just read the issues at my shop. I don’t feel cheated here or anything; I did enjoy Bendis’ writing and Alex Maleev gorgeous art, but Spider Woman vol. ? is not going to make the master collection. That can only mean one thing: time to sell.

Part of my new collecting philosophy that I’m slowly adopting is to keep better track of what I’m collecting so as not to just acquire comics on a weekly basis, but actually build a collection. With that in mind, I’m going to have to start parting with some comics. Not a big deal. I’ve mentioned it here before, but yearly I do a collection “Spring Cleaning” where I pull out all the comics I’ve picked up in the last year and decide what stays and what goes. Usually, the stuff that goes just gets dropped off at my local comic shop with a thanks. Often, it’s not worth even fighting for trade, let alone cash for the comics. I’ll still be cleaning out the collection this year, very soon actually, but I’m going to try to make more of an effort to actually sell some stuff while it’s hot—or at least selling for something. It’s not a revolutionary idea, I know, but it’s important as a collector to keep these ideas in mind rather than hording every comic is sight. It’s one thing to have piles of unsorted comics and quite another to have a collection. I’m even thinking about taking the process one step further and using the money I make selling comics to start that Marvel Silver-Age collection I’ve been thinking about for so long. Daredevil #1, here I come.

So here’s how it works: buy a comic, read it, bag and board it, and place it in the “Recently Acquired” comic-long-box. When that box is full, I sort through it quickly, pulling out anything I know I don’t need, mark the long box with a dated Post-it note and then it goes downstairs to await the yearly sorting. The stuff that gets pulled immediately goes up for sale or trade. Now, to come up with a name for the system. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Below, you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Amazing Spider-Man #625
American Vampire #1
Dark Avengers #15
Doomwar #2 of 5
Green Arrow #31
Green Lantern Corps #46
Guardians of the Galaxy #24
Hercules: Fall of An Avenger #1 of 2
Incredible Hulk #608
Joe the Barbarian #3 of 8
Nova #35
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #5 of 5
Siege #3 of 4
Spider-Woman #7
Supergirl #51
Vengeance of the Moon Knight #6

Thoughts on the stack:

American Vampire #1

Dark Avengers #15

American Vampire #1: This was an excellent read. Really high-quality stuff from Vertigo. I was skeptical because Stephen King was only writing the back up story, but ended up enjoying both stories immensely. Great art, great storytelling and a great period piece to boot. It’s good to know that Vampires don’t just have to be mopey high school kids.

Dark Avengers #15: OK, by now, if you’ve been reading this title, you’ve deduced that there is definitely something going on with the Sentry. Personally, I don’t have a theory yet, but when we do find out, presumably in the pages ofSiege #4, it better be big. And by big, I mean shocking. Not just that he has a split personality and one half of it is evil. We already knew that. I’m still with writer Brian Michael Bendis here, but I need him to bring it on home. Sock it to us, Bendis. What the hell is the deal with the Sentry? That said, this was one of the most brutal Bullseye stories ever printed. Don’t expect a happy ending here.

Green Arrow #31

Vengeance of Moon Knight #6

Green Arrow #31: It was refreshing to read a good Green Arrow comic for the first time in quite a while. I love Green Arrow; Ollie Queen is one of my favorite DC characters. Thank you, DC, for bringing a new creative team to this title and making Green Arrow relevant to the DCU again. Even if it’s because he’s murdering people. The Fall of Green Arrow looks like it’s going to be a good time.

Vengeance of Moon Knight #6: It’s so great to be reading and enjoying a Moon Knight comic. I say it every time this title comes out, but holy $#@&, Jerome Opena is doing amazing work penciling this title. Writer Gregg Hurwitz has done a great job putting together the pieces of a particularly puzzling previous Moon Knight run (eat your heart out, Stan Lee), and returning the character to both sanity and a damn good story. Although, when the teaser for the next issue said “Deadpool,” I did let out a sigh . . .

There Can Be Only One!

If I had to pick one comic to take home this week, which is ridiculous I know, but if I had to it would be:

Siege #3 of 4: Marvel

Siege #3 of 4

Why this one? Siege has been a blast so far and is the perfect book end to the Dark Reign event that spanned most of last year. Bendis seems to have listened to the critics of his last two cross-over event comics, focused his ideas and gave readers a neat-and-tidy four-issue super-hero-comic. The action starts on page one and ends with a cliff-hanger on the last page. Is it ground-breaking comic genius? No. But Siege has been a fun read with amazing art that is coming out on a regular monthly schedule. Nicely done, Marvel. I can’t wait for issue #4.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

There’s been quite a few mini-series coming to an end as of late (Spider-Woman, The Marvel’s Project and several Blackest Night minis, just to name a few). Are there any you’re thinking of ditching, or are you just adding them to pile? And, if you are getting rid of any, how do you plan on doing it?

Signing Off . . .

With my NCAA bracket in shambles and my wife snickering at how badly she’s beating me in the pool we entered together, I’ve decided to stop paying attention to college basketball altogether and focus on happier thoughts, like this weeks comics and the upcoming disappointment that will be the 2010 Chicago Cubs season. If you’d like to read more about my marriage, you should check out my wife’s new blog “Girl Meets Nerd,” which is basically about what it’s like to be married to a nerd. Me, specifically. Leave her a note and let her know what you think and of course feel free to make fun of me and weird, nerdy relationship with my normal, well-adjusted wife.

In the meantime you can follow me on Twitter where I host Read Along with Matt which is currently nearing the end of the Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives vol. 1 (I know, I’ve been reading this one for way too long) and make nerd-related comments on manner of nerd-related stuff.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 03/10/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:00:42 +0000

Black Panther 2

I finally received the run of Black Panther 2 #1-#12 I won on eBay for $20 and was thrilled to find them in perfect condition. They didn’t ship very quickly, but sometimes receiving the comics in the condition they were described in is worth the wait. I’ve only read up to issue #6, but I’m really enjoying it so far. I decided to pick up this run after reading and enjoying Doom War #1 and am glad I did. I wasn’t a fan of Reginald Hudlin’s last Black Panther series but this latest one was really underrated. I’ll be starting Johnathan Maberry’s run tonight and I’m really looking forward to it. If you can find this short run I’d recommend picking it up; Black Panther 2 is great stuff.

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve moved from talking about what I’m going to buy/read to what I have bought/read. Let me know what you think of the short comic reviews. Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Action Comics #887
Amazing Spider-Man #624
Batman and Robin #10
B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #3 of 5
Cable #24
Daytripper #4 of 10
DMZ #51
Ghost Projekt #1
Justice League Rise and Fall Special
Powers #3
Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1 of 3

Thoughts on the Stack:

Cable #24

Batman and Robin #10

Cable #24: Last issues of good comics are always tough. I’m going to miss Cable—or perhaps writer Duane Swierczynski’s Cable (I finally spelled his name correctly on the first try)— but understand why the series is going and I agree, this story did not need to be this long. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Cable was not cancelled but is just ending, which is not something you see happening to a series very often. The usual plan is to run a series into the ground before canceling it, sometimes in mid-story. Swierzy (his Twitter name and much easier to type) had a story to tell and then it’s on to his next project. I really like the way this guy tells stories and am excited to see where the Second Coming story goes from here. Now, before you start yelling at me: yes, I know there is another issue before Cable ends, but issue #25 is titled Deadpool and Cable #25 (or the “Hey, you kids love Deadpool, right? Well here he is in this comic, too!” issue) and I find it hard to care. I don’t hate Deadpool, but you have to admit Marvel is cramming the Merc with a Mouth down our throats right now. I’m picking it up, even though when I file this one in the master collection, the title change is going to challenge my OCD on many levels. As far as I’m concerned, Cable ends here.

Batman and Robin #10: The return of Bruce Wayne begins here and, well I guess I’m excited. I mean, we all knew this was coming. Bruce couldn’t stay dead forever—or even as long as Captain America, for that matter—but I guess he never “died” in the first place. I’m not going into the story here because just thinking about it makes my head spin, but ultimately, Bruce was lost in time. Now Bruce is leaving clues for Dick and Damian as to what happened to him. As it turns out, there’s all manner of secret passages and caves in and under the 200-year-old Wayne Manor that we hadn’t ever known about. Which is fun, and the art has improved considerably. I like Cameron Stewert, but a Bat-title is just not the right place for him. This looks like it’s going to be a good read as long as writer Grant Morrison can keep his lunacy reigned in enough for us to understand what’s happening.

Daytipper #4

Ghost Projekt #1

Justice League Rise and Fall Special

Daytipper #4: Daytripper is the best title I’ve read from Vertigo in years. That’s not to say I don’t like other Vertigo titles, because I do, but Daytripper stands above the others. The book is beautiful in both art and writing and a welcome respite from the constant barrage of Superhero comics I read. I wish I knew creators Gabriel Ba or Fabio Moon well enough to convince them to design a tattoo for me. Needless to say, I love their art.

Ghost Projekt #1: It’s been a while since I’ve seen artist Steve Rolston’s work and I almost forgot how much I loved his pencils. Rolston isn’t reinventing comic art, but his style is instantly recognizable without being obtrusive and always solid. Which makes him perfect for a story about missing biological weapons in Russia. Ghost Projekt feels like reading a storyboard for a Paul Greengrass film. If you dig good international-creepy-spy/intrigue stories with a touch of detective work, Ghost Projekt is for you. I predict this one gets green-lit for a movie in less than a year.

Justice League Rise and Fall Special: I was hesitant in buying this one, as I’ve been burned on plenty of DC “special” issues of late. But I found Rise and Fall to be a good read that left me a little more excited for writer J.T. Krul’s Green Arrow run. I love Ollie Queen and would be thrilled to read and enjoy a monthly Green Arrow title again after at least a year of mediocrity. As far as the story goes, without spoiling anything here, it’s controversial yes, but I’m in. One note of confusion here: Rise and Fall was originally solicited as being written by James Robinson and J.T. Krul, the issue shows up without Robinson’s name anywhere on it. Weird right? Not that I’m complaining, Robinson’s JLA hasn’t exactly been required reading so far.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Once again, Marvel and DC seem to be mirroring themselves in their post-crossover-events. After Blackest Night Ends at DC comes the Brightest Day event which will be sweeping through all the DCU titles. Meanwhile, over at Marvel, fans will get “The Heroic Age,” which will put the heroes back in control of the Marvel U. So which are you more excited for; the Brightest Day or the Heroic Age?

Signing Off . . .

Convention season is almost upon us again and I planning on attending a couple at least. More if I can convince my WorthPoint Overlords to buy me some plane tickets. Right now I’m gearing up for C2E2 in Chicago in early April. If you’re planning in going I’d love to meet up and do some convention shopping. Shoot me an email if you’re interested. In the meantime you can follow me on Twitter where I’m still hosting Read Along with Matt, search #readwithmatt for updates, and yes I’ll be finishing the Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives #1 this week. And then pricing and possibly buying some original BWS Conan art.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 03/03/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:51:35 +0000

Wolverine Vol.1 No. 2

Saturday was a good day. Even though I was shrugging off a stomach virus I found the strength to go dig through some 50-cent boxes at a local comic shop that was clearing out quite a bit of back-stock. There’s something that every comic nerd can’t resist about back issue clearance sales. Whether it’s the mystery of what’s hidden in those long boxes or the excitement of the treasure hunter, armed with the secret knowledge of what these close-out comics are really worth, that makes it great, I’m not sure. I do know that I love digging through boxes of comics. There’s no better way to waste an afternoon.

I showed up a little after the shop opened and found the usual cast of scavengers and bargain hunters at work, heads down, fingers crawling across rows of unsorted comics with want-lists in tow. There’s an understood etiquette in these sales events and everyone is very polite, most of us serious collectors at least recognize each other if we don’t know the other’s name, but make no mistake; this is high-stakes, blood-in-the-water-comic-collecting. The trick is to keep moving through boxes as fast as possible while making light conversation and remaining friendly but staying focused on the task at hand; finding what you need before anyone else can steal it from you.

I didn’t find much but was shocked to come across Wolverine Vol.1 (Marvel, 1988) #2-#6 in better condition than the ones in my own collection. When coming across a find like this I like to ask one of the shop’s employees “are these supposed to be in the sale boxes?” at just enough volume so as to alert the other shoppers to the fact that I found something awesome and they did not. This may seem like gloating but, whether it’s a slight chuckle as they pull a “find” out of a box or an audible exclamation, it’s all part of the game and all the sharks do it. There really wasn’t much else I needed—of course “need” can be such a strong word when collecting anything—but several of my nerdy friends did leave with short boxes full of clearance comics. Not a bad way to start a Saturday.

Sunday was a different story. At around 9 a.m. I received a text message from nerd-friend that basically informed me that Amazon.com was having some kind of unadvertised 50-to-90-percent-off sale on Marvel Omnibus Editions and a few other hardcover collections. Then I received another text about it from a different friend. Then two e-mails from other nerds. Sure enough, after further investigation, Amazon.com was offering $99 Marvel Omnibus Editions for less than $10. I went insane and instantly my virtual shopping cart was full. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I removed some stuff I already owned in single issue, but still ordered six different silver-age collections including The Hulk, Iron Man, and The Fantastic Four. I then called Amazon to figure out why the Tomb of Dracula Omnibus I ordered was holding up the shipment and, after being told it was back ordered, canceled that one as well and bought the rest. Done-and-done. Nice haul Matt; maybe . . .

As it would turn out, the “sale” prices were part of some “glitch” on Amazon’s site. Rich Johnston of bleedingcool.com started reporting on the “glitch” Sunday afternoon and by Sunday night people were already receiving cancellation e-mails on their orders. As of now, I still haven’t received my cancelation notice (fingers crossed) and am hoping beyond hope my order slips through the cracks and shows up on my porch.

Now let’s talk about last Wednesday’s new comics. It was a light week and I actually had a chance to read some titles for a quick review. Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Adventure Comics #8
Amazing Spider-Man #623
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #33
Detective Comics #862
Invincible Iron Man #24
Justice League: Cry For Justice #7 of 7
Mighty Avengers #34
Wolverine: Weapon X #11

Thoughts on the Stack:

Adventure Comics #8

Detective Comics #862

Adventure Comics #8: Just as I think I’m done with this title, writer Sterling Gates pulls me back into the Legion of Superheroes’ far-flung-DC-future. I’d love to read and enjoy a monthly Legion title, and if Gates were writing it I might enjoy it. But he’s only on board for the next three issues to tell the Last Stand of New Krypton story and he’s only writing the back-up story while James Robinson writes the main story. I haven’t been in love with Robinson’s JLA of late, but am still enjoying his Superman and want to see where this is going. Do I need to be buying this title? Probably not, but I’m in for the next three issues at least. We’ll see what happens when Paul Levitz takes over with issue #12.

Detective Comics #862: Detective remains the rock-solid Bat-title it’s been since writer Greg Rucka took over. I love what he’s done with Batwoman and it’s about time she started working with Dick Grayson as Batman. If I have one complaint here it’s the art. I love the artist’s (Jock) other work but just don’t think he’s a good fit here. I highly recommend looking into The Losers series Jock penciled for an example of what he does best. Maybe it’s the shock of moving from J. H. Williams beautiful painted style to Jock’s kinetic loose, thin-lined pencils but it’s just not working for me here. Love the story though.

Invincible Iron Man #24

Justice League: Cry for Justice #7 of 7

Invincible Iron Man #24: I gush about it every month, I know, but it’s only because I love Matt Fraction’s Iron Man so much. This title is near perfection, and if you love Iron Man you should reading along. Unlike other reboots and ret-cons, Fraction has stripped Tony Stark down to his very core and returned the character to a very interesting black slate. I’m not giving away too much here, am I?

Justice League: Cry for Justice #7 of 7: Perhaps the most controversial comic that came out last Wednesday, Cry for Justice has a last page that you’ll either love or hate. I was fine with it, personally. It was the rest of the story I had issue with. There were a lot of pretty pictures here but not a whole lot of story. Or maybe too much. It’s hard to tell. There were so many plot lines and guest stars that when the real story finally presented itself, the plot was too much of a mess to care about and the pay off seemed to just fizzle out. It’s hard to know if Robinson’s story changed midway through the series when he found out he would be taking over the JLA monthly or if it was meant to wander around introducing legions of guest stars and team members that aren’t on his JLA team. Now that it’s over, I’ll probably be dumping this one.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Tom Breevort, executive editor at Marvel Comics, and Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC Comics, have been having a polite spat lately. The two have jokingly, or maybe seriously (hard to know), been poking each other on Twitter, and most recently have suggested fans send them both postcards on what they should do to one another next. The latest question is whether Tom should personally give Dan one of the Deadpool Team-Up variants that retailers could only receive by sending Marvel torn covers of Blackest Night one-shots. The question is simple; whose doing a better job steering the ship? Tom at Marvel or Dan at DC?

OK, I’m finishing up the Barry Windsor Smith Conan this week, I swear. There’s been a lot to read lately and I admit I’ve put Read Along with Matt on hold. Well, I’m back on track and you can follow/read along on Twitter by searching #readwmatt for updates.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 02/24/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:34:15 +0000

C2E2 Chicago

It’s almost Convention season again, and this year I’m planning on attending C2E2, Chicago’s newest comics and pop-culture convention, to be held April 16-18, 2010. Shoot me a line and let me know if any of you nerds are coming as well. I’m always down for meeting other nerds and talking comics.

It’s another massive shipment of new comics this week, with more than 200 comics coming in from Diamond. Which means another huge pile of comics to read, then bag-and-board, and then store. It’s also almost spring, and that means it’s almost time for my yearly purge. It’s about this time I start paying close attention to the size of the Wednesday pile. Every year, in early-to-mid April, I set out the folding tables in the garage, fire up a Mystery Science Theater 3000 marathon and decide what I’ve collected from the past year stays and what goes. I generally don’t even try to sell the stuff that goes. I’ll take trade from my local comic shop and donate the rest. The fact is, I buy a lot of stuff and not all of it can make it into my master collection. After a conversation with a fellow collector and friend this afternoon, I’m thinking about getting rid of a lot of the Marvel Secret Invasion miniseries I picked up. I’ll keep you posted on what else isn’t going to make the collection and expect me to be asking for your opinions as well.

Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here. Again, no reads-only this week due to the huge pile I left the shop with.

I’ve been trying to focus on reading the comics I’m buying and not reading much else. Although I’ll probably read the Red Hulk Fall of the Hulks tie-in this week.

The Stack:

Amazing Spider-Man #622
Avengers: The Initiative #33
Batman and Robin #9
Blackest Night #7 of 8
Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island #1 of 4
Dark Wolverine #83
Fantastic Four #576
The Flash: Rebirth #6 of 6
Green Arrow/Black Canary #30: Lying to Myself
The Marvels Project #6 of 8
New Avengers #62
Realm of Kings: Inhumans #4 of 5
Secret Warriors #13
Superman #697
Thor #607
Thunderbolts #141
X-Factor #202
X-Force #24

Thoughts on the Stack:

Avengers: Initiative #33: I’m feeling a little guilty about this one, especially since I had stopped reading the title with #25. That, and the fact that the title is ending in two more issues. When I jumped back on board the series, the announcement of the cancellation of the Avengers titles hadn’t been made yet. Writer Christos Gage has done a great job on this Taskmaster-centered story, although I do find it hard to believe the Taskmaster could take Thor out even on his best day.

Blackest Night #7 of 8

Blackest Night #7 of 8: Spoiler Alert! Maybe. If you haven’t read issue #7 yet, skip this part. If Blackest Night is moving in the direction I think it is—the redemption of Sinestro—I couldn’t be happier. It’s no secret that I love Geoff Johns writing and the latest “White Lantern” twist is exactly why. Unlike most comic writers, Johns’ heroes and villains aren’t black-and-white (no pun intended) comic book stereotypes but characters with emotions and motives that the reader might not always be able to call heroic or villainous. Johns is rewriting the history of the Green Lantern mythos with the utmost respect for the creators that have made theses characters an integral part of the DC Universe. Green Lantern has never been this good.

Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island #1 of 4

Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island #1 of 4: I love Warren Ellis’ Avatat work. After reading No Hero, the first two issues of Supergod and the first half of the Freakangels TPB, I’m hooked. Truthfully, I had forgotten how much I loved Ellis as a writer. It’s really fun to see him playing in his own sandbox with no rules whatsoever. I love his creepy brand of science fiction, and Captain Swing looks like good-steampunk-style fun. I can’t wait to read this one.

Flash: Rebirth #6 of 6

Flash: Rebirth #6 of 6: Remember everything I just said about Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern? Well the same goes for his entire body of work on the Flash; except for this story. The return of Barry Allen was billed as the biggest thing that’s ever happened in the DCU, but somehow the story has been lost in the shuffle of the Blackest Night, Batman and Superman events. Not only that, but the story has been anything but compelling. I admit I’m not a Barry Allen Flash guy—I grew up with Wally West as my Flash—but I trust Johns and was willing to give Barry the benefit of a doubt. As long as Wally wasn’t pushed to the back burner, like all the other characters DC spent so much time selling us on after the originals died or disappeared (i.e. Conner Hawke, Kyle Rayner, Cassandra Kain, etc), I’d be into it. I haven’t read this issue yet, but barring this being the single best issue I’ve read in years, I don’t see myself being any more excited for Barry’s return. Although I do like Wally’s new costume.

Green Arrow Black Canary #30

Green Arrow Black Canary #30 or Blackest Night Green Arrow #30: The comic that was so hyped up they named it twice. Or it was unsolicited under the Blackest Night banner and with a new creative team to increase sales. It worked in my case anyway. Writer J.T. Krul has received some fan praise for his work on Titans of late and seems to be coming up through the DC ranks. This Blackest Night Green Arrow story is Krul’s first arc on the Emerald Archer before The Fall of Green Arrow story begins. I love Green Arrow but haven’t been buying the title since writer Judd Winick left. Winick was replaced by Andrew Kriesberg, fans (myself included) weren’t digging the title and sales plummeted to an all time low. Now Krul picks up where Kriesberg left off and hopefully everything will be hunky-dory. I’m in for a few issues anyway.

New Avengers #62

New Avengers #62: This comic was solicited as a Siege tie-in, has a Siege Tie-in cover and has nothing to do with Siege other than it’s the issue before the Siege tie-in. It was a great issue, no complaints, but not a Siege tie-in. Hopefully, this isn’t the beginning of a stream of misleading Siege tie-in titles.

Thor #607

Thor #607: I can’t say enough about writer Kieron Gillen’s Thor. It’s excellent and a perfect example of why Marvel is making DC look bad. Marvel has been fostering young talent for years now, grooming these creators to take over for the big names when they inevitably move on. Conversely, DC likes to hand off titles to established creators that can’t do the job. See the current JSA title for a perfect example. Marvel trusted Gillen to take over one of their highest-selling monthly titles after superstar J. Michael Straczynski left and the gamble seems to have paid off. Thank you for giving Gillen the chance to shine Marvel.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

On the subject of getting rid of comics; now that Blackest Night is ending, what are you planning on keeping? Did you buy it all? If so, is the whole shebang going into your collection?

It looks like Freakangles will be the next collection I’ll be reading as part of Read Along with Matt. You can follow/read along on Twitter by searching #readwmatt for updates. Speaking of Twitter, welcome aboard to all the followers I picked up this week and please send me a tweet and let me know what you’re reading and collecting.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 02/10/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:51:52 +0000

Let’s talk about shelves for a minute. Over at comicbookresources.com, Robot6, which is a blog within the site (I think), people have been posting pictures of what they call “Shelf Porn”. Relax, this is still a PG-13 blog. “Shelf Porn” is basically pictures of people’s book shelves overflowing with nerdy goodness. I’ve been watching this blog for quite a while and glancing at my own shelves with each new entry. I’ve never had the guts to send in images of my own shelves, but today that changes. I present to you my shelves.

Matt's shevling will be organized soon, he says.

Not exactly chocked full, but definitely a mess. A mess that will be organized soon (It’s a spring-cleaning project). Now, here’s the real shame; half of these hardcovers and trade-paperbacks on my shelves are unread. I got all excited about them, held them up in the air like a proud father while saying the title aloud, took the books home, threw them on the shelf and left them there, unread, neglected and collecting dust. It’s shameful. And it ends now. Part of my Read Along with Matt program is to get me to read these damn collections. Don’t tell my friend Big Mike, but I still haven’t read the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” Absolute edition. The idea is simple; if I’m going to collect this stuff, then I have to read it. So it’s come down to rules. Well, not rules so much, but a reading schedule. The idea is simple; comics are for day-time reading and collections are read before bedtime. So far, it’s working. I’ve burned through two hardcover collections, including Vol. 1 of the “DC Starman Archives,” Vol. 1 of “Y the Last Man” from DC Vertigo, and am working my way through “The Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives,” Vol. 1. The schedule it working with a little help from my new Sleephones.

I recently purchased some Sleephones from Sleephones.com and they’re great. Perfect for night-time reading while drifting off to sleep. Sleephones are basically a soft headband with earphones in them and I love them. Thanks to Grammar Girl from the “Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing Podcast” for introducing me to them.

Below, you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here. I’m passing on reading extra titles this week to attack the massive pile of new stuff I’ve gathered over the last month so lets get straight to the stack:

The Stack:

Action Comics #886
Amazing Spider-Man #620
Batman and Robin #8
B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #2 of 5
Daytripper #3 of 10
DMZ #50
Mesmo Delivery
New Mutants #10
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #4 of 5
Secret Six #18
Vengeance of the Moon Knight #5

Thoughts on the Stack:

Batman and Robin #8

Daytripper #3 of 10

Batman and Robin #8: I love the idea of this story but am getting a little lost in the details. A problem I’ve seemed to have with most of writer Grant Morrison’s work of late. I dig the Knight and Squire characters (the British Batman and Robin) he introduced to us in the “Batman: Black Glove” storyline, but heaping the entirety of their world and mythology, including a whole new British rogues gallery in two issues was a bit much. I love the BBC and British movies but just never got into their comics. This latest story is feeling a little too much like a 2000 AD comic to me. I still dig it. I just wish Morrison would focus his ideas a little.

Daytripper #3 of 10: I love this series and have been gushing about it since issue one. I know you guys get sick of me saying it, but Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba are the most talented team working in comics today. Do yourselves a favor and pick up anything you can find by either of them (Cassanova, the Umbrella Academy). Can anyone tell me if they’re twins? Their bio on their blog lists them both as being born on the same day in 1976.

Mesmo Delivery TPB

New Mutants #10

Secret Six #18

Mesmo Delivery TPB: I remember ordering this book in early 2009 after reading a review of creator Rafael Granpa’s work shortly after the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art convention of 2008. I never received the original printing published by Adhouse Books, which is now selling for more than $100. Thanks Diamond Comics. The good news is Dark Horse Comics picked up the rights to this graphic novel and finally I get to read it and marvel at his amazing art. Granpa’s was also part of a multi-creator project called “5” along with Gabriel Ba, Fabio Moon, Vasilis Lolos and Becky Cloonan produced for the San Diego Comic-Con 2008 but I’m not expecting to ever find a copy.

New Mutants #10: I’d almost given up on this title twice now but have immediately been pulled back in. Issue #10 was one of those stories that will keep me around for another six issues. I have loved these characters for years and it’s about time the next generation of X-Men started to get some respect. There’s a great conversation between Scott Summers and Emma Frost that anyone who’s a Cannonball fan needs to read. I love Sam Guthrie as an X-Man and can’t wait to see more from him. Isn’t it about time the “New” Mutants graduated to the main team rather than bringing back marginal X-Men like Psylocke? Well ninja-Psylocke anyway. I preferred prim-and-proper-British Betsy Braddock with the puffy-blue sleeves.

Secret Six #18: Gail Simone’s “Secret Six” has consistently been one of the best reads DC puts out monthly. Outside of the Green Lantern titles, this is the first DC comic I read every month and by far the best Blackest Night tie-in story (again outside of the GL titles) so far. The “Suicide Squad” Blackest Night one-shot led into this two-part story about the Squad coming to collect their AWOL member Deadshot with a host of zombie super villains causing problems for everyone. Fun stuff here for fans of the old Ostrander “Suicide Squad” series.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

What must-read comic story are you most embarrassed for not having yet read? Mine has to be “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” It’s just so overwhelming.

Read Along with Matt is still chugging away on Twitter if you’d like to follow along or comment on the Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives. I think I chose this one subconsciously in memory of Conan O’Brien’s short lived tenure on the Tonight Show. Keep the comments coming and welcome aboard to my super-nerdy Twitter-feed to all my new followers. Oh, and the updates on my Xbox Achievements are an automatic thing. My younger brother called me this week to see why I was so excited about Tekken 6?

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 02/03/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:34:11 +0000

Ultimate Comics X

Monday morning, while working my weekly shift at the comic shop (I have three other jobs counting this one), I was asked why I don’t read Marvel’s line of Ultimate comics? It seemed like a good time to bring this up with Marvel’s “Ultimate Comics X” #1 reinventing the X-Men and hitting comic shops this week. It’s not because they’re bad; I loved Bendis’ Ultimate Spiderman and Millar’s Ultimates 1 and 2. So why did I quit? When asked, I give the same answer: “I only have time to pay attention to one Marvel Universe.” I grew up reading comics that took place in the mainstream Marvel U and that’s where I like them. I’m trying to stay focused here. Nothing against the Marvel’s Ultimate line, it is what it is, but it’s not for me. Do I need another young incarnation of Wolverine from an alternate continuity? Does anyone?

Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping, this week click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here. Before I get into this week’s stack, here’s a look at some comics that I’ll be reading but not buying:

The Question #37: One More Question

Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1 of 4

Red Robin #9

The Question #37: One More Question: I loved the Dennis O’Neil-Cowan/Sienkieicz “The Question” series from the late ’80s. It wasn’t something I was picking up back in the day, but I picked up an entire run while working at a comic shop years ago. Great stuff and yes, further evidence that I love all things written by O’Neil. I’ve also recently been really digging Rucka’s Question back-up stories in “Detective Comics” and am starting to accept Rene Montoya as the new Question. Regardless of all the Question-gushing, I’m only planning on reading this one. I love me some Vic Sage, but don’t need to buy his adventures as a zombie. All-in-all, I’m going to call the Blackest Night one-shots a disappointment.

Realm of Kings: Son of Hulk #1 of 4: So let me get this straight: This is not Skaar: Son of Hulk, but Hiro-Kala: of Hulk that was born on Planet Hulk right before the place got blowed up in the end of the “World War Hulk” story line. Or something. I have paid no attention to this other “Son of Hulk,” but will give this one a read just because of the “Realm of Kings” tie-in. And it takes place on Jarella’s, Hulk’s old girlfriend from the Microverse, home world. In the Microverse, right? I need confirmation here.

Red Robin #9: I gave up on Red Robin recently because the title wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t poorly written but grossly uneventful. I didn’t care about the League of Assassins story line and it didn’t lead us any closer to the return of Bruce Wayne. Now that’s over, Tim is back in Gotham and I’m giving it a second chance.

The Stack:

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #3 of 3
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #32
Cable #23
Invincible Iron Man #23
Nova #34
Siege #2 of 4
Superman: World of New Krypton #12 of 12
Wolverine: Weapon X #10

Thoughts on the Stack:

Finally, a light week. I have stacks of stuff to read from the last month. Piles, even. Which makes this a good week to catch up.

Cable #23

Invincible Iron Man #23

Cable #23: Cable is cancelled, or ending with issue #25. It’s hard to know which. The good—or bad—news is that it’s becoming “Cable and Deadpool” again. If Swierczynski is still writing, I’m in. As long as the new title doesn’t delve into the Wacky-World-of Deadpool. It’s a shtick that just isn’t working for me. But that’s coming down the pipe. Let’s talk about Cable #23. Writer Swierczynski has constructed a time-traveling-epic that leads right into the X-Men’s “Second Coming” event. I’ve loved it. Please Marvel, let Swierczynski keep writing the new Cable title and tone down the Deadpooly-ness.

Invincible Iron Man #23: Nobody writes Tony Stark better than Matt Fraction. We’ve seen Tony as an alcoholic, a hero and the leader of free world, but we’ve never really seen him as just plain Tony. Fraction’s storyline “Stark Disassembled” has stripped Tony down to his very core and allowed us to examine what makes Tony tick. Iron Man has never been so personal and human. And the last two issues have guest-starred Dr. Strange trying to pull Tony out of his subconscious while the Siege on Asgard is kicking into gear. Iron Man has never been a better read.

Siege #2 of 4

Superman: World of New Krypton #12 of 12

Siege #2 of 4: We’ve all heard an Avenger dies in this one, and I’m not going to spoil who it is, but I will confirm there is an Avenger death. And whoa, is it messy. I’ve never seen a death like this in the pages of a Marvel comic. This one is gory. I’m talking Warren-Ellis-Avatar-gory. I should mention the comic was also excellent. Unlike writer Brian Michael Bendis’ last two mini-series events, Siege has jumped straight to the action with page one. It’s been a joy so far and my favorite part; Siege is only four issues long.

Superman: World of New Krypton #12 of 12: No one has done more to build on the character of Superman than James Robinson and Greg Rucka with this series. World of New Krypton has been start-to-finish great. Not to mention brave. We haven’t seen Superman in his red and blues since issue one. Nor have we seen him acting like Superman. This is the story of Kal-El, a Kryptonian who grew up on Earth, trying to fit in with his people and gently guide them to peaceful existence with Earth. Which, judging by the title of the “War of the Supermen” event, doesn’t seem likely. This will be an excellent hardcover collection to add to the shelf.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

We all know an Avenger died this week in the pages of Siege #2 and it was awesome. With that said, which Avenger would you have picked to get the axe? If you had to pick one. Who would you have killed?

Read along with Matt has been chugging away on the Barry Windsor-Smith Conan archives. Thanks to those who have been following along and feel free to join in. Just search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates. While your there feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I’m always popping off about nerdy topics. Next week’s new comics list looks huge so be prepared.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 01/27/10

Matt Baum — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:05:31 +0000

This week was a back-breaking huge one for new comics. In fact, the last two weeks have been gigantic and lead to some tough decisions based on what do I need to be collecting. I’ve recently been preparing for my Spring Purge, wherein I set up some folding tables in the garage and sort through the past year’s comic book acquisitions before the good stuff makes it to the master collection. Sorta separating the wheat from the comic chaff. In the past, everything made the cut. But due to storage concerns and financial realities, I’ve taken to this new form of comic collecting. It helps me gain some distance and perspective on the mania that is my comic collecting. Now, I’m trying to bring this same perspective to my weekly purchases. Do I really need all these one-shots and mini-series? Especially since I work in a shop and have the unique chance to read whatever doesn’t sell out? It takes discipline, self-control and maybe in my case, medication. If nothing else, I promise to be honest. Even in my moments of weakness.

Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here. Before I get into this week’s stack, here’s a look at some comics that I’ll be reading but not buying:

The Atom & Hawkman: #46

Avengers: The Initiative #32

The Atom & Hawkman: #46: I love DC’s Blackest Night event unabashedly. However, I’m not buying these January BL one-shots. Are they good reads? Some of them, sure. Do I need to own them? No. In looking at the last 10 years of my collection I’ve found it to be really unfocused. This is the year I start concentrating on my regular series/runs that are important to me. I’ll be dodging more and more one-shots and limited series unless they have some irresistible sentimental value (See the “Starman: Blackest Night” one-shot for an example). This one is going to be a great read, but I don’t need it.

Avengers: The Initiative #32: I dropped this title a while ago but am interested in reading the “Siege” tie-in stories. The news of this series being replaced with a new Avengers title in a few months further reinforces this as a read-only title. I do dig the art though.

The Stack:

Blackest Night: JSA #2 of 3
Amazing Spider-Man #619
Batman and Robin #7
Captain America: Reborn #6 of 6
Daredevil #504
Detective Comics #861
Fall of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1 of 4
Fantastic Four #575
Green Lantern #50
Guardians of the Galaxy #22
Justice League: Cry For Justice #6 of 7
Justice League of America #41
New Avengers #61
Punisher #13
Secret Warriors #12
Supergirl #49
Superman #696
Thor #606
X-Factor #201
X-Force #23

Thoughts on the Stack:

Captain America: Reborn #6 of 6

Fall of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1 of 4

Captain America: Reborn #6 of 6: Finally it’s here! This weekend I read this, “Cap: Who Will Wield the Sheild” and “Cap” #602. Now, if these comics had come out in the order they were supposed to ship, wow, would there have been some great return of Cap moments. Don’t get me wrong, the stories were great, but had Cap not been popping up in several other comics before his return had finished, his return might not have seemed so anti-climactic.

Fall of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1 of 4: OK, before the “boo’s” start, yes, I admit I had written this event off and now am picking it up. Call me powerless. Too many people I respect told me “Fall of the Hulks” was fun, so here I am again. I tried to get out but these suckers pulled me right back in. And, I have to admit, it’s been a really good read so far. Besides, it’s Jeff Parker writing and I love Jeff Parker. Does that make it better? Probably not. But at least I’m aware of my problem.

Justice League of America #41

Supergirl #49

Thor #606

Justice League of America #41: JLA writer James Robinson did the best he could with the last few issues of JLA, which tied up the remnants of the Dwayne McDuffie/Len Wein story-lines, and they were fine. Not great, but fine. Well, that’s over and done with and now we get to see the JLA story Robinson wants to tell. One thing to note here: the beginning of this run hit one month before the end of Robinson’s “JLA: Cry for Justice,” which is supposed to introduce his regular JLA monthly. Could this be any more confusing?

Supergirl #49: I was an idiot for thinking I could stop buying this title. Sterling Gates run on Supergirl has been the best SG stories I’ve ever read. Full disclosure here; I haven’t read many. I recently sat down and caught up on the last three issues and immediately re-added Supergirl to my pull file. I also realized that I’m enjoying Supergirl more than the current “Action Comics” title. I’m just finding it hard to care about Nightwing and Flamebird. My apologies to Gates. Supergirl is still a great read.

Thor #606: I can’t say enough about writer Kieron Gillen’s Thor. If you’ve ever enjoyed Thor comics in the past, I would highly recommend reading this entire Thor run which is leading into a reunion of the original Avengers. Excellent art, great storytelling and Doctor Doom vivisecting Asgradians and rebuilding them as Doombot-cyborgs. What else could a Thor fan want, except for maybe a Thor/Doom knock-down-drag-out fight?

Nerdy Question of the Week?

DC is introducing yet another world/universe where superheroes don’t exist. Only hard-hitting crime fighters in a pulpy-60′s-detective-noir world. The idea is being called First Wave and #1 is coming very soon. The question is simple. Do you care? I’m not sure that I do. I was pumped to hear that DC had acquired the rights to the golden age hero Doc Savage, but not when I heard how he’d be featured. Why a separate continuity? Why is Doc Savage, a globe trotting proto-Indiana Jones fighting inner city crime? I don’t get it. How about you?

Ok, I’ve slacked off a little on Read along with Matt as of late. Gimme a break here. The last two weeks have dumped more than 35 new comics in my lap. That’s a lot of reading and I don’t exactly do this full time. I’d love to, if I could just convince WorthPoint how important the position of full-time-comic-nerd is to their online empire. This week, I swear, I’m attacking the Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives Volume #1. So as always, follow along, read along, or just make fun of my Twitter-feed. Threats and insults are always welcome. Just search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates.

Until next time true believers . . .

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 01/20/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:31:46 +0000

When the Siege event ends, so will the Avengers titles.

Huge news coming out of Marvel earlier this week when it was announced that after the Siege event ends, so will the Avengers titles, as we have come to know them. Of course they will be coming back; there’re already rumors of an Avenger’s Academy title replacing “Avengers: The Initiative.” Now this can’t be much of a surprise for anyone. Surely, no one was thinking that the bad guys would run the Marvel U forever, and when they inevitably get their super-villain-butts handed to them, it’d be hard to continue a Dark Avengers title. Now, Thunderbolts is another question. The April solicits are out and issue #143 is not being called the last issue but, according to the solicitation, “sets the stage for the next big chapter of the most unpredictable book ever!” I’m going to stick with Thunderbolts, mainly because I love writer Jeff Parker, and, if I can’t have a monthly Agents of Atlas comic, it’ll have to do. News like this does come with tough collector questions. Questions like: “why did I invest in 35 issues of Avengers: The Initiative, 16 issues of Dark Avengers and 36 issues of Mighty Avengers?” Perhaps a better question is why should we stick around for four new Avengers series? Is this just the nature of comic collecting in the age of short-attention-span-entertainment-overload? If the comics are good, I’m in. The same will probably be true for most nerds. Regardless I’ll be watching the sales charts to let you guys know.

Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here. Before I get into this week’s stack, here’s a look at some comics that I’ll be reading but not buying:

Avengers vs. Agents of Atlas #1 of 4

Cowboy Ninja Viking #3

Hulk #19

Avengers vs. Agents of Atlas #1 of 4: Jeff Parker writes this one and, yes, I was just gushing over him and his Agents of Atlas title, but I learned my lesson from the last AoA crossover with the X-Men. Nothing happened. The story was good enough, sure, but nothing happened. It’s hard to believe that during the biggest Avengers shake up in years this title is going to have any major ramifications. Not that I only collect comics that have major continuity ramifications. Or do I? Oh my god . . .

Cowboy Ninja Viking #3: The only reason I’m not buying this comic, and it’s a weird one, is the size. I can’t handle strange-sized comics. The first one I remember was Frank Miller’s “The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot.” Then there was Mike Allred’s “Red Rocket 7.” Then “Mouse Guard,” and more recently Image’s “Viking.” All these comics were amazing but drove me nuts because of their weird size. How the hell am I supposed to file these? It drives me nuts. Now, big hardcover collections don’t bother me at all, and I have no good reason why. In fact, the bigger the better. I love DC’s Absolute editions and Marvel’s omnibus.

Hulk #19: Fall of the Hulks is like a car accident that I can’t look away from, even though there’s blood and gore everywhere. Which is not to say that the story is bad. Yet. I’ve just lost all faith in writer Jeph Loeb and am waiting for FotH to jump the shark at any moment. Also, and I know I’m repeating myself here, I hate Doc Samson as a villain. Hate it.

The Stack:

Amazing Spider-Man #618
Blackest Night: The Flash #2 of 3
Captain America #602
Dark Avengers #13
Dark Wolverine #82
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #4
Green Lantern Corps #44
Incredible Hercules #140
The Mighty Avengers #33
Nova #33
Realm of Kings: Inhumans #3 of 5
Spider-Woman #5
Starman #81
Thunderbolts #140
Uncanny X-Men #520
Wolverine: Weapon X #9

“Blackest Night: Flash” #2: While I’ve been enjoying “Flash Rebirth” (Writer Geoff Johns story of Barry Allen’s return to the DCU), I’ve got to wonder if it wouldn’t have been more appropriate in this comic. I really like what’s going on here with the Rogues facing their undead predecessors, and Scott Kollins pencils have never been better, but wouldn’t make more sense tell the story of a Flash returning from the grave during a crossover event about the dead rising? I’m sure this is bad editorial timing at its finest here, but really. Did no one discuss this? It’s as weird as having a Batman storyline called “RIP” wherein Batman doesn’t die but instead killing him in one panel of a really confusing crossover event in which Barry Allen returned to life for no other reason than to sell more comics. I guess he did out run a time traveling bullet, or something. I’m still a little foggy on Final Crisis I guess.

“Dark Wolverine” #82: Every issue of Dark Wolverine has been surprisingly great both in storytelling and art. And let me tell you, I had no intention of caring about this one. I’m not a big Daniel Way fan and hated the idea of Wolverine having a son (suspiciously very close to the introduction of Batman’s son). I didn’t care for Way’s Wolvie Origins title and was really disappointed to hear Daken (Wolive’s kid) would be taking over the starring role of his dad’s title. Now, nearing the end of Daken’s run as the star, presumably, I’m really hoping to read more about him. Maybe it’s the co-writing of Marjorie Liu that’s helped me enjoy Daken, but the psychology and depth they brought to the character has made this title a really great read. Penciler Giuseppe Camuncoli’s amazing art was the perfect compliment to Way and Liu’s characterization. His thick lines and usage of black to create depth and sinister moodiness, even in broad daylight, was the perfect compliment to Way and Liu’s characterization. Also, there’s a huge lat page event here that may make this issue a very important one in the evolution of Daken.

Doctor Voodoo” #4

Starman” #81

“Doctor Voodoo” #4: Writer Rick Remender gets my vote for best new Marvel writer for 2009. His work on both the Punisher and Doc Voodoo has been nothing short of stellar. Reminder is a nerd’s nerd and knows what we want to read. I love the Marvel Magic characters, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve had a Marvel Magic title worth reading. Even Mark Waid’s latest “Strange” mini-series isn’t really doing it for me. One of the things that always set the Marvel magicians apart from DC’s sorcerers was the practice and theory behind the Magic. Doctor Strange had a library of ancient tomes that referenced Lovecraftian monsters and Sumerian texts, while Zatanna was speaking in reverse to create a spell. I love the Occult references used by the Marvel magicians and to this day neither understand nor care how Magic works in the DCU. Remender’s Doc Voodoo is rife with the Occult and Voodoo lore and beautifully penciled by Jefte Paolo who almost seems to be painting in some panels. I can’t recommend this title enough.

“Starman” #81: Here’s where the fan-boy gushing starts. James Robinson’s Starman from the late-80s-early-90s remains one of my all time favorite comic book series to this day. Jack Knight, retro-junk dealer who reluctantly inherits the mantle of Starman from his deceased brother, was one of the first heroes I could relate to. I loved Robinson’s dialogue and film references. One that sticks out in my head was a conversation between Jack, Alan Scott (the Golden-Age Green Lantern) and Batman where they discussed their favorite Woody Allen films while tracking a murderer. Batman’s was of course “Crime and Punishment.” When I heard there was going to be a Blackest Night one-shot Starman issue my eyes teared up a little. I adored this series so much that it took me five years to read the final issue. Mainly because I didn’t want it to end. My only regret here is that Starman artist Tony Harris only returned to do the cover and not the interior art. Other than that, I expect to have goose bumps while reading this one.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

When the Avengers titles are re-launched who do you want to see on the roster? Should Spidey stay? Wolverine? Should Tigra be there? So shout out “Avengers assemble” and let’s hear you ideal team.

The first Read Along with Matt wrapped up this past week upon my finishing of the Warren Ellis “No Hero” trade-paper-back and I hope all those who joined me will do so again after reading what was undoubtedly the most violent comic ever published. I really dug it, but WOW, was it gory. Next it looks like I’ll be tackling the Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives Volume #1. While I own a number of the original issues, I’ve never had a chance to assemble a complete run and as always, I’ll use any excuse to buy a really sexy hardcover edition. So watch my Twitter feed and post your thoughts if your reading along with me or just loved reading it in the past. Just search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates.

See ya next time true believers.

————————————

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.

This Week in Geek 01/13/10

Matt Baum — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:38:14 +0000

SWORD: Canceled

Bad news for fans of Marvel’s new “SWORD” series broke this week when the titled was canceled with issue #5. The cancellation comes in the wake of very low shipping numbers for the first two issues (#1 appeared on the Top 300 ordered comics list for November at the 95th spot and shipped 21,770 copies, #2 dropped drastically in December to 141st and shipped only 15,113 copies). Low sales, bad economy, it adds up to quick cancellations of titles that aren’t selling. However, there could be hope. Probably not but, maybe. Greg Hyatt of the Nerdery blog has launched a petition to save SWORD from cancellation. Stunts like these by fans have worked in the past in the case of titles like Deadpool, Black Panther and Spider-Girl, however all those titles were selling more copies at the time. Also, “SWORD” writer Kieron Gillen is a busy guy at Marvel as of late writing Thor and the >b>Ares miniseries amongst other titles; he might appreciate the lighter work load. In short, it looks like this one is going away.

It seems to me SWORD could have attracted more readers had it been handled differently. The best thing about the first issue (IMHO) was the back-up story dealing with Kitty Pryde rocketing through space from the aftermath of Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men story. Now that’s compelling. That’s a story X-nerds will read. Agent Brand’s wise-crackin’ alien brother being chased by Death’s Head (Marvel’s knock-off version of Lobo)? Not so much. I’m fine with her Brand dating Hank McCoy (the X-Men’s Beast) and I really like the character that Whedon created but SWORD seemed too quirky and cute to me. Am I wrong? I like Gillen’s writing, dig Agent Brand and generally love to read any comic that features Lockheed. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work here.

Below you’ll find my stack of comics for the week of Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010. Make sure and post your own weekly stack of comics below so I can make fun of what you’re reading and vice-versa. For a full list of comics shipping this week click here. To find a comic shop near you click here. Before I get into this week’s stack, here’s a look at some comics that I’ll be reading but not buying:

Catwoman #83

Conan The Cimmerian: The Weight of The Crown One-shot

Nation X #1 of 4

Catwoman #83: It’s part of the Blackest Night reanimated series so I’ll give it a read. Now had it been written by Catwoman writer Ed Brubaker or even his replacement Will Pfeifer I’d be buying this one. Brubaker’s Catwoman was excellent superhero-crime-noir and was drawn by the amazing Darwyn Cooke. It was and still is the only Catwoman run I own and I highly recommend.

Conan The Cimmerian: The Weight of The Crown One-shot: I love the idea of Conan comics a lot more than the actual execution. They just seem to lose my interest after a while. Maybe I need to try reading them in trade-format but that’s a subject for a different blog. Here we have Derrick Robertson both writing and penciling everyone’s favorite barbarian. I like Robertson’s work, his style reminds me of a rougher Richard Corben, and am curious to see what he can do as a writer. Plus a Conan one-shot may be just enough to keep me interested.

Nation X #1 of 4: “Nation X” #1 was a great read, for an anthology. Anthologies can be a lot of fun but they live and die with the guest writers. Sometimes they’re great, other times; meh . . . Issue #2 could be fun but to be honest, having Jubilee on the cover doesn’t fill me with confidence.

The Stack:

Action Comics #885
Adventure Comics #6
Amazing Spider-Man #617
The Anchor #4
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31
Daytripper #2 of 10
DMZ #49
Invincible Iron Man #22
The Marvels Project #5 of 8
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard #3 of 5
Secret Six #17
Star Trek: Captain’s Log: Sulu

Thoughts on the Stack:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31

Daytripper #2 of 10

Star Trek: Captain's Log: Sulu

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #31: All it took was a little controversy to bring me back to Buffy. Of course I’m talking about the return of Angel to the Buffy universe and the controversy caused by fans and IDW “Angel: After the Fall” writer Bill Willingham when Buffy creator Joss Whedon allowed Dark Horse to use the character without informing IDW. It was a hot-button issue (no pun intended) that had Buffy nerds drawing lines in the sand and shouting on message boards in ALL CAPS. It left me wondering if I should be checking out the IDW Angel series.

Daytripper #2 of 10: If asked, I’ll tell you that Gabrial Ba and Fabio Moon are my two favorite comic artists working today. Their style is loose and minimal but expressive and kinetic. Turns out they can write, as well. Daytripper is an amazing title destined to win multiple Eisners this year. I highly recommend it as a break from all the superhero hub-bub.

Star Trek: Captain’s Log: Sulu: My first introduction to Star Trek comics was this past year with IDW’s “Star Trek: Countdown,” which was the prequel to last summer’s Star Trek film reboot. I loved it. So much so that I’ve found myself tracking down the other IDW Star Trek titles and devouring them. I recently finished “Spock: Reflections” and really enjoyed the cinematic feel that the writing team of Scott and David Tipton and artist David Messina bring to their titles. This is great stuff that any classic Trekkie or casual fan of the newest film will really enjoy.

That’s all for now, nerds, but keep your eyes peeled on my Twitter-feed this week as Read Along With Matt returns (search #readwmatt on Twitter for updates). The “No Hero” Trade-paperback finally hit stores this week so I can end my search for issue #2 and finish reading the story. Mental note; make sure you have the whole story before beginning another Read Along with Matt.

See ya next time true believers.

————————————–

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Join WorthPoint on Twitter and Facebook.