Marvel Preview Review For June Part 1 of 2

Lee: Here’s the warning. THIS MONTH SUCKS! I’m in one of those moods and I’m taking it out on the Marvel solicitations. It’s sarcasm and whiny complaining from here on out. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!
Jim: The Dark Reign thing has really taken over Marvel. On one hand I’m sick and tired of all the tie-ins, on the other hand Marvel has been signing up a bunch of writers that I like with Jason Aaron, Andy Diggle and now Rick Remender. So I just pick and choose what I want to read and if the book I reading just pulled into some event, more often then not I may drop the book.

SPIDER-MAN: ELECTION DAY PREMIERE HC
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM, MARK WAID, ZEB WELLS, & MATT FRACTION
Penciled by JOHN ROMITA JR., BARRY KITSON, TODD NAUCK, PAT OLIFFE, FABRIZIO FIORENTINO, MARCOS MARTIN & PAOLO RIVERA
Covers by PHIL JIMENEZ & JOHN ROMITA JR.
Plus: The world's greatest super hero teams up with the 44th president of the United States in "Spider-Man Meets the President." This is your chance to own the groundbreaking story that had fans lining up and attracted unprecedented media attention! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583-588; material from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: EXTRA #2-3; and "Gettysburg Distress," a Captain America/Spider-Man/Abraham Lincoln team-up previously available only online! 216 PGS./ $29.99
Lee: So, let me understand, I could have paid $50 on ebay for the Spiderman/President cover or I could pay $30 and get the same thing here. Gosh darn do I love speculators!!! But, I have to admit the Cap-Spidey-Ab Lincoln team up reminds me of some incredibly awful silverage teamups.
Jim: Well if the pointless Obama story wasn;t enough of a draw Cap-Spidey-Ab sure is. This is one of those ideas that is going to be a miss in my opinion as the Obama comic was lighting in a bottle and the hard cover will be a reprint and not garner any attention. Plus these hardcovers being put out by Marvel and DC for these short arc are using slapped on covers with a glued binding and are not the high quality product hard covers.

OFFICIAL INDEX TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #6
Written by VARIOUS
Continuing the chronicle of the Marvel Universe, starting with Spider-Man (from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #18 on), Iron Man (from IRON MAN #183 on) and the X-Men (from UNCANNY X-MEN #253 on). Follow the history of the Marvel universe as it unfolds month by month with the All-New Official Index to the Marvel Universe. Each issue provides synopses for dozens of individual comics, including back-up strips, introducing you to the characters, teams, places and equipment that appeared within, providing vital information about first appearances, where they last showed up and where they appeared next! 64 PGS./$3.99
Lee: While I’m not getting this in single issue format, I’m hoping Marvel collects this as a hardcover. I love looking at the old covers and getting the “cliff notes” version of the plot. If you still collect back issues, then this is an invaluable research tool.
Jim: Get the Marvel Chronicle instead, it is a nice hardcover that gives a year by year synopsis of the most important events up till 2007 and it is only $30 from Amazon and you can get free shipping.

GOLDEN AGE MARVEL COMICS OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by JOHN COMPTON, RAY GIILL, STOCKBRIDGE WINSLOW & MORE
Penciled by CARL BURGOS, BILL EVERETT, PAUL GUSTAVSON, BEN THOMPSON, STEVE DAHLMAN, BOB OKSNER, AL ANDERS, IRWIN HASEN, PAUL LAURETTA & MORE
Featuring an extensive essay on Marvel's pulp magazine pre-history, publisher Martin Goodman and the birth of Marvel Comics by noted historian Will Murray, and topped off with special bonus features including original artwork and items never seen since 1939. Collecting MARVEL COMICS #1 & MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #2-12, 832 PGS/$125.00
Jim: This is a blatant screw your customer deal. They are charging $125 for three volumes of Masterwork material but would not republish the first Masterwork volume even after everyone agrees the reproduction was screwed up. No way I’m buying this. THANKS MARVEL, at least they could send us a kiss.
Lee: Yeah… but… but it’s got an essay! Doesn’t the essay make it special????

DAREDEVIL NOIR #3 (of 4) - 32 PGS./$3.99
WOLVERINE NOIR #3 (of 4) - 32 PGS./$3.99
Lee: I just figured it out. The Ultimate Universe has been replaced with the Noir Universe.
Jim: Well after they let Jeph Loeb ruin the Ultimate Universe, they needed something to replace it with.

DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN: UTOPIA - 48 PGS./$3.99
DARK AVENGERS #6 - 32 PGS./$3.99
NEW AVENGERS #54 - 32 PGS./$3.99
MIGHTY AVENGERS #26 - 32 PGS./$2.99
DARK WOLVERINE #75 - 40 PGS./$3.99
ALL-NEW SAVAGE SHE-HULK #3 (of 4) - 40 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: LETHAL LEGION #1 (of 3) - 32 PGS./$3.99
Lee: I just want to mention that Dark Reign appears to be an even bigger crossover than Secret Invasion was. This is incredible. Look at this, there are 7 books this month related to Dark Reign. Absolutely ridiculous! At least it didn’t cross over into non-Avengers series.
Jim: Okay so Civil War was big, but then Secret Invasion was bigger and now Dark Reign is making that look like it was a drop in the bucket. What scares me is what the f*** Marvel will be doing next and how many damn books will they sh*t out for that event.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #596 & #597
Written by JOE KELLY
Pencils by PHIL JIMENEZ & PAULO SIQUEIRA
AMERICAN SON continues. Spider-Man goes up against Venom and Bullseye as he prepares to infiltrate the Dark Avengers headquarters. Meanwhile Harry's life takes a dramatic turn now that he's reunited with Lily and wedding plans continue for two lucky Parker pals.
32 PGS.(each)/$2.99 (each)
Lee: HERE’S A SHOCK! Dark Reign did cross over into other series. Spiderman is now sucked into Dark Reign. I am soooooo glad that Spidey joined the Avengers because since he joined the team, it has guaranteed that his titles are always affected by every crossover. Dark Reign count increased to 9 books this month.
Jim: Spider-Man is dead to me. I need at least three or more years before I can even consider reading Spider-Man after that ridiculous re-set they did with One Crappy A** Day.

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #37
Written by DANIEL WAY
Pencils by SCOT EATON
Cover by DOUG BRAITHWAITE
"ROMULUS," Part 1 For over a century, he's been hiding in the darkest shadows of Wolverine's life, controlling the beast and destroying the man. But now, finally, the tide is turning...and Wolverine's vengeance is within reach! Introducing: ROMULUS! 32 PGS./$2.99
Lee: Oh cut me a friggin’ break already! “For over a century, he's been hiding in the darkest shadows of Wolverine's life”. Seriously, for over 100 years? What’s the matter, is it too hard to develop a new villain that hates Wolverine since last Tuesday? Here’s an idea, Wolverine ran Romulus’s mother over with a bus. LOOK AT THAT! A whole new motivation for a villain to hate Wolverine and it didn’t require screwing with his already convoluted history. What a friggin’ novel concept.
Jim: Oh no this is so cool Lee. The ultimate stalker movie, I mean 100 years come on how cool is that, I mean this just makes everything so much cooler. Remember when this series was launched and it was suppose to lay out Logan’s life and make it a more coherent story. When someone does that, pleas call me.

DARK REIGN: YOUNG AVENGERS #2 (of 5) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: THE HOOD #2 (of 5) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: THE SINISTER SPIDER-MAN #1 (of 4) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: MISTER NEGATIVE #1 (of 3) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: HAWKEYE #3 (of 5) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: ELEKTRA #4 (of 5) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: ZODIAC #1 (of 3) - 32 PGS./$3.99
DARK REIGN: FANTASTIC FOUR #4 (of 5) - 32 PGS./$2.99
THUNDERBOLTS #133 - 32 PGS./$2.99
Lee: Holy double crapper Batman! Marvel, in it’s infinite sneakiness, slip in one book so I forget about Dark Reign, then adds a bunch titles when I’m not looking. That one book inbetween the long list of Dark Reign books made me think we were done. We’re now up to 18 Dark Reign primary and tie in titles. This has got to be the end.
Jim: Also look at the lame-ass project being thrown out there. You have Mister Negative, Lethal Legion (prior pick), Zodiac, Sinister Spider-Man, the Hood and more and almost every one is a $4 22 page comics (32 pages = 22 pages of story and art). I feel sorry for anyone who actually wants to follow all of this.

SECRET WARRIORS #5
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, Penciled by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
The smashing first arc of Marvel's best new series comes to a climax as the battle between H.A.M.M.E.R., HYDRA, rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and the Howling Commandos begins!
This is the first shot in a war that will result in the establishment of a new global power structure...and who's caught in the middle? You guessed it: Nick Fury and his team of Caterpillars. 32 PGS.$2.99
Lee: Wrong again. There is no end to the pain that is Dark Reign. While this doesn’t sport Dark Reign on the cover, it’s close enough. We’ll count this as ½ a Dark Reign book. The running total 18.5 books this month. And, for the record, if I was Nick Fury I’m not sure I would call my team a bunch of Caterpillars. It’s doesn’t exactly strike fear in the heart of the enemy if you know what I mean.
Jim: I like Lee’s point, the Caterpillars does not strike fear into anyone’s heart. Speaking of picking and choosing, I have been getting this book as I like Jonathan Hickman and Nick Fury is a character I usually enjoy and at least I know why he is still alive as he has an Infinity Formula that he takes (or did back in the day).

SKRULL KILL KREW #3 (of 5)
Written by ADAM FELBER Penciled by MARK ROBINSON
Cover by MARIO ALBERTI Cow Variant Cover by TOP COW STUDIOS
Evil Skrull scions! Massively malevolent cow meat! And a guy with a gun arm! This over-the-top follow-up to last year's Secret Invasion continues with the return of more members of the Krew...including a white-supremacist who hasn't read the paper in about a year.
All brought to you by a writer for National Public Radio.
Man, one of these things just ain't like the other.
32 PGS./$3.99
Lee: On thank goodness, a break from everything Dark Reign! For something completely different we have a cross over to… SECRET INVASION???!!!! Are you kidding me? Great, Dark Reign 18.5 books. Secret Invasion 1.
Jim: Okay we have a lame concept (Skrull Kill Krew) – check, unknown writer (Adam Felber) - check and an unknown pencil artist (Mark Robinson) - check and it ties into a horrible “event” – check and you are selling it for $4 an issue for a regular size comic – check. All a perfect list of reasons why this book would never come home with me.

Lee: And, someone explain to me a cow variant cover? Are you kidding me?

MS. MARVEL #40 - 32 PGS./$2.99
The Dark Reign continues!
NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION #4 (of 4) - 32 PGS./$3.99
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #25 - 32 PGS./$2.99
The full effects of Dark Reign take hold as Norman Osborn reshapes the Initiative into a place to train the Dark Avengers of tomorrow!
Lee: This is sad because I can’t get away from Dark Reign now. Ever time I think it’s over there are more books. Sadly, I long for the days of tightly controlled crossovers like Secret Invasion (still at *1* by the way). Dark Reign now stands at 21.5 books for the month.
Jim: I believe that Marvel has every Dark Avenger (except Iron Patriot) in their own series. Of course since Norman Osborne is the Iron Patriot and he appears in every damn Dark Reign book, a series featuring him would be redundant.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #14
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art & Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
Variant Cover by MARC SILVESTRI
It's the perfect jumping-on point, as the second half of WORLD'S MOST WANTED begins here! Don't miss out on this critically acclaimed blockbuster! Tony's failing health makes the Iron Man too complicated to pilot. Hill hunts the world's most un-huntable man. Pepper defies Norman Osborn and H.A.M.M.E.R. itself. And all of Iron Man's rogues' gallery is after him and the billion-dollar bounty on his head...starting with the murderous Madame Masque! But believe it or not, there'll soon come a time when everyone looks back on these as the good old days... 32 PGS./$2.99
Lee: Let’s see, it mention Norman Osborn. It mentions Hammer. It pretty much stinks of Dark Reign. We’ll call this the other half of The Furious Caterpillars and run our Dark Reign total to 22 books.
Jim: This has been an okay book and it is totally a Dark Reign book, but the actual story is rather interesting as Matt Fraction is having Tony lobotomize himself and I wonder where this will leave Tony after the arc is over.

Lee: This month made me so mad that I actually didn't make it to the X- books. I'll spew venom at them tomorrow.

If One is Good, are Three Better?

Pops being out of town and all, I'm starting this one with a rant. More of a policy proposal. This was stimulated by some inane teaser for some TV "news" story on the increasing violence of the drug cartels in Mexico and the bleeding of that violence across the US border. The channel asks the question "What can the US do about it?"

Here's a novel idea. Stop creating legislation that's based on religious dogma. Try thinking about a problem or issue and coming up with a possible solution that doesn't find its basis in some book written a couple of milenia or more ago.

Let's look at the drug issue, for one. Why are marijuana, heroin and cocaine illegal? Because we don't want people using them. Why don't we want people using them? On the one hand, it's claimed to be because it's bad for the user's health and bad for society because they're less productive and more dangerous to the rest of us. Ok, those are pretty good reasons. Except that banning the use or sale of the drugs does nothing to further the goal of having people stop using the drugs. It does mean that the drugs are more dangerous because no one is monitoring what's in them or at what strength they can be safely (in the sense of not killing the user) taken. And, as with all things banned but wanted by a substantial number of people, there's a huge profit in the selling. Scarcity births profit, whether it's from a limited number of paintings done by an artist, the limited ecological resources of ores or jewels, or government created scarcity. And in this case, the prohibition on the drugs is based in punitive bans present in biblical and quranic texts, whithout regard to the consequences of that decision.

In my opinion, the writers of the Bible, Torah, Quran, and their followers today, want drugs banned because takers of the drugs are less likely to do what those writers wanted. Some drug addled person is not going to hop to it to convert more people to the faith, in a nice peaceful view of the religions, or go out and kill infidels, in a less charitable view of the the religions. Of course, drugs can be used by "religious" leaders to make the followers engage in acts the might otherwise be resisted, such as with the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. But that's the exception more than the rule. The major faiths want their followers sober as far as drugs and alcohol are concerned, but quite high in the ecstacy of religious ferver. A different form of dependence, but a dependence nonetheless. One that more people are susceptible to than drugs or alcohol, too.

A reasoned policy, without the religious overlay, would be to legalize and tax. Government control over quality and content means less risk of overdose death. The savings in law enforcement and the revenue from tax make it considerably more possible to have sufficient treatment programs to help the addicted wean themselves from their addiction. And if they don't want to be weaned? Well, then, that's their problem, but at least they won't have to worry about being shot while trying to buy a fix, sold a more potent batch that kills them, or otherwise engage in violent activity. Because it's not the use of the drugs that is the root of the violence problem in the drug trade. Users are generally too under the influence to muster a lot of violent behavior. The violence is begat by the illegality of the trade. The sellers fight for power and territory. The sellers kill their rivals, their rivals' families, and law enforcemtent officials who don't look the other way. In fact, endemic corruption in Mexico and other Latin countries could well lose almost its entire impetus if the drug trade were not the profit machine it currently is.

Same goes for prostitution, too.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

One good Crisis deserves another. And you thought our title was going to be about group sex. Ha! You wish. All you can look forward to here are semi-scholarly dissections of comics. Since I did Crisis on Infinite Earths last week, I thought I'd follow up with its two sequels, even if they were within the last 4 years, which is more recent than my usual writing topics.

Infinite Crisis, written by Geoff Johns, and mostly pencilled by Phil Jimenez, but with assits by George Perez, Joe Ordway, Ivan Reis and Joe Bennett ran 7 issues from December '05 through June '06. No one can say DC rushed into this sequel, coming 20 years later as it did. It shows, too. This one was extremely well written. The art was great, even with so many contributors. And the production values improved significantly from 1985. No more losing text to bleeding black background. A lot more big splash pages, too.

This is a much more straightforward tale than the original Crisis, but jumps off from that story. Whatever happened to the Earth 2 Superman and Lois Lane, the Superboy of Earth Prime and Alex Luthor of Earth 3, who had gone off into some pocket dimension that Luthor was able to create out of his own person at the end of Crisis? No one had seen them in the 20 years since. Turns out they were watching the new, solo Earth and weren't too happy with how things had progressed. The new Earth was in the crapper. Wonder Woman killed Maxwell Lord, who had killed Blue Beetle. Batman was a paranoic with a satellite network to spy on everyone. Hal Jordan had become Parallax and killed millions. The Green Lanterns were wrapped up in their own drama. Supeman was kind of effete in not fixing it all. What were these 4, who had sacrificed their own lives to create this Earth, to do?

Turns out they all had different ideas, but Alex Luthor was the smartest of the bunch (not as smart as Lex Luthor, in the end) and manipulated the others. Superman and Lois Lane, who was dying, thought they were going to replace the current Earth with their Earth 2. Superboy thought he would show the world what Superboy should be, rather than the Conner Kent clone, who vacilated constantly about his role in the world. Alex Luthor, though, had the grand plan. He'd recreate the infinite multiverse, then take elements from each that he wanted to see in Earth, and destroy all the rest that weren't necessary.

Naturally, it didn't work out. Lois Lane died anyway. Earth 2 Superman, after intitially blaming Superman, came around to realize their plan was flawed and there was no such thing as a perfect Earth. Not if it needed a Superman. Alex Luthor failed to account for the ability of the fueding heroes to band together when necessary and to bring some villians in to help, too. But the most interesting thing this story did was make Superboy into an interesting character. Not Conner Kent. He was inherently a dud. That was resolved by him ending up dead. The interesting Superboy turned out to be the Earth Prime uber Boy Scout.

Turns out watching another Superboy come around, one who was not committed to the cause of fighting for good, was enough to turn Prime into a psychotic, murderous machine. In his quest to prove he's the one true Superboy, the one who will be the wonderful Superman, he beats Conner Kent to death and kills off several minor heroes I didn't recognize or care about. He also turns out to be the main threat to the universe when he decides none of the beings in it should be allowed to live because they don't recognize his greatness. He tries to destroy Oa but ends up imprisoned by the Oans and the Green Lantern Corps, at the sacrifice of Earth 2 Superman and the loss of Superman's powers.

There was a countdown to Infinite Crisis that ran through a lot of books, but there was no need to read any of that. I didn't. This was a coherent story unto itself. It ended with set up for more stories but there was nothing to say a reader had to read those stories. The DCU went into its One Year Later jump, which allowed for the telling of 52, but you didn't have to read any of that to enjoy this story or to get into the One Year Later stories. I skipped 52 until it was out in trades and got right on board with those DC titles I wanted to read without any problem. Excellent work all around.

Final Crisis was written by Grant Morrison, with art by J.G. Jones, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, Doug Mahnke, Marco Rudy, and Christian Alamy. This felt forced. Rushed. Incomplete. This one simply cannot be read alone. The various ancillary Final Crisis tie in books are necessary, especially the 3D mess with Superman and the Legion of Superheroes tie. And as far as I know, the Legion story hasn't even finished publication, even though the main book did last month (actually, February when it arrived on the stands). Beyond those two tie-ins, you had to know who these Monitor beings are. Me, I don't. The Monitor in Crisis on Infiinite Earths was only 2 guys, Monitor and Anti-Monitor. There was no race of them. Somehow, now there is. In fact, one of them is some kind of galactic vampire and a main villain player in this story. Which is funny, since he doesn't show up in the main book until the end.

Another major problem with the story is that that heavy throughout most of it is Darkseid. Jack Kriby or no, I have never found the New Gods and Darkseid to be very interesting. They're too removed from humanity. They're too much paragons of certain characteristics. None of them add up to a complete person. They're just extremis. In total they make up a person, so I'd characterize them as a split personality universe. But they've never made for very interesting stories to me, whether told just within their corner of the universe or interacting with the wider DCU. And the Anti-Life Equation that's used to take over the world is just so much ex machina. Once it's in the computer system there's no drama to it. It takes over almost all of the world, with a few pockets of resistance. Those pockets are supposed to be the drama, as is Dan Turpin's resistance to being taken over by Darkseid, but there's a certain inevitability to the story that leaves me cold.

In Crisis the big surprise and drama was how the multiverse would be made into a universe and what elements of the multiverse would make up the universe. In Infinite Crisis, the drama was how Alex Luthor's machinations would alter the universe, plus the big surprise of how Superboy was changed. In Final Crisis, you know the 52 universes aren't going to be eliminated. They were just created in 52. There's too much story to be told with them still. You know that Darkseid's going to lose, because he always does. You end up with Batman dead at the end, maybe, but I don't believe that's going to last, even if Bruce Wayne was actually killed. I don't believe the Martian Manhunter will stay dead, either, but I also don't think he was a key character in the DCU. Making the Question into some sort of global peace agent is new, but not very interesting. Probably bad for the character, too. The Question and global dilemmas just don't go together. It's not that sort of character. It's like Spider-man in the Avengers. It's forcing an inherently solo character into a group function.

But I digrress. The biggest problem with Final Crisis is its lack of cohesion. In fact, reading Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis together only shows the strengths of the former and the weaknesses of the latter. Where Johns tells a cosmic, self contained story, despite its DCU wide repercussions, Morrison leaves the reader asking where's all the stuff I missed in reading what's here? I don't have a complete story in Final Crisis. I have parts of a story. And I don't have anything of great significance told here. Infinite Crisis was worth the buy in. Final Crisis was not.

Two out of three's pretty good, if it's a baseball game. But maybe Final Crisis was just a bridge too far. Let's hope it lives up to its name, at least.

Sex, Introspection and Traffic

Filling in for Pops two days running, so this will be a quick hit and run. A two-fer, though. These are two books I received at Christmas.

The first is Art Spiegelman's Breakdowns. It's an over sized, hard bound collection of some of his early work. A lot of it is the self absorbed musings of a young man of the '60s one would expect from the underground comix world, but in amongst it are some early pages of what would eventually become Maus. I suppose it's important to know thyself before getting into the lives of others, especially your parents, but a lot of this is important only to Spiegelman.

That being said, it's interesting to see the parts of the stories that involved his perspective of his interactions with his parents and how those interactions would later shape what he wrote in Maus. And, clearly, Spiegelman recognizes the fatuousness of a lot of his early work, what with his sub title of Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! So, taking it in that vein, it's a very good read.

It's also a very adult read with graphic depictions of sex. That much is refreshing, to me. I'm not big on sex as a hidden activity, so whenever it's front and center as part of a good story, not just up there for titilation, it works for me. Still, unless your kids are familiar with falatio and intercourse, you might not want them reading this. Which Spiegelman is up front about. He's not presenting it as a kid's book. You can get it on Amazon for $18, if you're interested.

The other Christmas book I just finished is Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt. No illustrations in this one.

It's a statistics driven account of traffic habits and laws around the world, but Vanderbilt also traveled to many of the cities about which he writes to get a first hand view of the traffic and to talk to the traffic engineers who try to protect us from our selves.

Not surprisingly, the most difficult traffic, and the most dangerous, is in the notorious spots of Beijing, Moscow, New Delhi and Rome. Not that the US does very well either. With nearly 40,000 dead each year in traffic accidents in the US it's amazing how much blather there is in opposition to speed cameras. Hell, here in Maryland there's a movement afoot to put a just passed law allowing speed cameras only in construction and school zones up for referendum. As always, this sort of thing is cloaked in constitutional rights and the injustice of a non-human citing people for traffic tickets, but I've yet to find anything in the Constitution that addresses auto speeds. Might have something to do with them not being invented when the Founders were around and no amendments that took on the issue. The opponents always ignore the numbers that say speed cameras reduce speeds and save lives at a minimal cost.

Anyway, digressions aside, the books is a good read. Its ultimate conclusion that until technology reaches the point where cars drive themselves there will always be accidents and congestion is fairly obvious, but how he gets there is entertaining. It can be had on Amazon for under $17, too.

Digital Comics / Ready or Not Here it Comes

I have written before about digital comics and recently Vaneta Rogers on Newsarama did a great piece talking about e-comics. The more I think about the more I believe that digital comics will have the same impact that digital books is having, but not the same impact that digital music had, still I thought about and have broken it down from the three different perspectives that I can bring to it, as a fan, as a financial person (I’m an ex-CPA) and as an ex-retailer.

From a fan’s perspective would I ever consider moving to digital comics?

I’m almost a total print person, but I realized that I review a fair amount of books and the publisher does not mail out a black and white pre-production book, but they send out a PDF or give a link for a download of their book, so I’m already reading digital comics. Now reading them on my computer is not the most pleasant way of reading a comic. Still the digital format allows me to expand the size or decrease the size of the page as I see fit. Almost every PDF I have received is stripped of any advertising, so the flow of the story works very well. What is missing is the portability of the comic as lugging my computer onto my favorite chair or taking it into the men’s library is impossible. Of course this only covers my type of typical desktop computer and we have laptops, computers hooked to large screen TVs and more, so portability is a problem that can be overcome.

I also miss the tactile idea of reading a comic and holding it in my hands. I find the digital version does not always work with certain types of page designs, but that is because it was design to be read as a comic or a trade paperback. So if pages are designed to be read as both a digital and a printed version then that problem can be overcome.

I have thought that maybe I would miss the ownership of the comic, but I have gotten over that a long time ago as on a weekly basis I send all of my comics out to people and I even pay the postage while giving my books away. When I find a series I really love I may get a hard cover or trade of the book, but ownership is not something I care about anymore. Let’s face it I may want to read the next issue of Booster Gold, Dark Reign Hawkeye, The Cleaners, Challenger Deep or any other book, but do I care if I have the entire five issue mini-series of Dark Reign Hawkeye forever buried in a long white box in my basement –answer no. Once you get to that point and you realize that you are paying $20 for an entertaining but usually forgettable experience like Dark Reign Hawkeye it is easy to take the next step. If you could get the same story and pages of artwork to look at and page through and only pay $5 or even $10 for the mini-series and the digital copy can be stored on your computer and some other back up source, the idea as a fan of moving to digital comics becomes a lot easier.

The digital comic starts to win on a convenience and money factor. Not everyone is friends with the owner of where they shop or an ex-retailer, so the loyalty factor is not as strong as it runs with me. So let me role play a little and pretend to be more of the average fan who let say spends $45 every week on average. Less then a year ago with the bulk of comics costing $3 and a modest discount from the store he could get 15/16 books a week. Now with the $4 comic quickly becoming the norm the amount of books is dropped to 11/12 a week. As that fan I probably have had to cut some titles that I still wanted to read, but my wife/girl-friend and I need to eat, pay the utilities and the rest. Heck with the reduction in hours from my job I have had to actually reduce my outlay to only $36 per week and at $4 on average I’m now getting only 9 books a week. That is 6 to 7 books less then what I used to get and I still love comics. For Christmas my wife buys the new ITablet that has come out from apple. It is 71/2” x 10” slightly smaller then a standard piece of paper and guess what BOOM and IDW have pre-loaded copies of a small catalogue of their comics that have been digitalized and given to you for free. In addition a service is available to buy the rest of their book and any new offering from them for $1 each. The word is out that DC, Dark Horse, Radical and Image will be putting out their product also for a $1 with Marvel asking $1.25 for their books. You can download the books direct to your table via the Itunes store. So now the your $36 can get you at least 25 books and since you are not driving to the store you are saving gas and since the states have not caught up with everything yet you are not paying taxes on your purchases. The only thing you are missing is physically having the books. Than you realize they are sitting in long boxes that you hardly ever re-read as you don’t have the time. You checked what they are selling for on e-bay and you realize modern comics will never have the value that the first issues of Batman or Spider-Man have as they are not as rare. Sadly you cancel your pull list and sit at home, on an airplane, on a beach, waiting at a doctor’s office, at a soccer practice reading more comics then you have in years and wondering why in the heck you ever thought digital comics were not going to be for you. Your Itablet allows you to carry virtually over 1,000 comics with you where ever you go.

The companies are start to send out five page previews to you to try and entice you to buy their comics, so instead of waiting to see what is coming out from previews or some other method the publishers are knocking directly on your door. You pick and choose as you look at the previews, you never worry about the store being out of an issue, heck you never miss a “hot” issue again. The series you really love and never want to be without is the one you buy in a trade or a hard cover so you can still enjoy the what has fast become the old way of enjoying comics, but for you there is no going back.

To try and sum up my fan viewpoint of this, as the technology continues to get better and the price point for a comic goes down significantly the resistance to the idea of reading digital comics will disappear. As a fan with the right digital tool and the right price point, I could just as easily just download a book whenever I want it, in my pajamas or naked and drunk at 4AM as opposed to having to go out into the cold and rain and drive to my store when they are open and then find out that issue has sold out. It will be impossible to stop the revolution. The Tyrannosaurs Rexes like me will continue to buy print copies, but then one day when I’m going on vacation and my wife surprises me with the Itablet that has now been out for five years and I can adjust the fonts to any size (which makes it easy for my old eyes to read it), than I will be hooked on digital too.

Remember I’m talking digital comics. Motion comics and their ilk I believe are a different type of entertainment as you are a passive party in that type of entertainment as the book is being performed for you. Movies, music, cartoons, motion picture comics are all forms of providing entertainment where you are just a receiver. Reading and reading a comic means you are involved, at the very least you are adding the character voices in your head, so digital comics or e-comics, if you will, are coming – are you ready for them?

Hopefully I will get around to my views on the financial side of the coin from the publisher side of the equation. Then I hope to do a post on and what this might mean to the retailer in the near and longer term future, but I do not want this column to be any longer then it already has become.

One last point about e-comics, this could be a true golden age for comic books. As the movies have highlighted so many of the characters the ease and accessibility of getting a e-comic and trying it for a $1 could garner a huge fan base that has never bothered with comics. The birth of the direct market saved comics from dying, but also marginalized the audience as the best place to buy comics was a specialty shop that maybe a welcome place for a comic fan, but can be off-putting to much of the buying public.

Kick Ass #6 - When Has Something Gone Too Far

When have we gone too far with something? I got into a debate once before about Kick Ass and I found to my dismay that for some people their are no limits and that bothers me on a certain level.

What I'm talking about is the portrayal of violence. Even though this is in a mature reader comic (which I do not believe means a ten year old cannot buy it in many states) it is showing a young girl of perhaps 10 or 11 years old drapped in blood and enjoying hurting and killing people.

Now I have not read any issue other then number one, but I have seen enough pages to know that the story of Kick Ass seems to have a heavy focus on this little girl and she manages to use the "C" word and be covered in blood quite frequently. The cover image is really "nice".

Add to that image the one in this issue that has her father shooting at her and the other pages in this post and we get a clear picture of over the top and ridiculous level violence. That permeates this book.

Of course that is a point that someone can use against my saying this is wrong, because it is obviously an absurd level.

From my viewpoint this book goes to far and as a society we should have some limits. We have the term pornography and I think this books reaches that level.

The cover does not pass the simple coffee table test that I sometimes imagine all covers should have to pass. That test is would you leave this out on your coffee table and have a party at your house that included co-workers and family. This cover does not pass that test.

If pornography and as a sociey child pornography is defined as showing children in a sexual manner (and we have gone too far with that as some kids are facing child porn charges over sexting and 15 year olds exhanging naked pictures is not the same as the 40 year old man looking at naked 10-12 year old boys and girls) then is there not a level of violence that should be considered pornographic.

Thomm has made the point on occasion that we show violence with no qualms, but show a sex scene and many people get upset.

I'm no polyanna who wants everything sanatized, I enjoyed Preacher, read Ennis' Punisher and the level of violence in even a book like Flash Rebirth is all okay with me as it is between adults. Once you bring a minor into it and I'm sorry a small girl it makes it wrong in my viewpoint.

I'm not advocating censorship, but we do not allow everything to be printed and if this is violence raised to a pornographic level and therefore child pornography, then should it be published? I'm sure the comic stores are not selling their "X" rated comics on the main racks of their stores like this is sold.

What would be the reaction be if we found out the little girl was only killing gay people or if she was black and only killing white people. Would it be okay if she were to spout racial epithets and then gleefully go kill a roomful of black people as long as they are drug dealers?

We it be okay if we show her father making wild love to a sheep and she was getting it on with a german shepard?

If anything is okay, that we have no society. Freedom of speech is not unlimited, no yelling fire in a crowded theatre. Without limits we lose our ability to be a society.

How do you think we will be judged as advocates of our favorite artform if this is a book that you have to defend.

What is the point of this story and did it have to be made this way. Enough is enough, wrong is wrong and this book is wrong and if you are buying it I think you are wrong to support it.

DC Preview Review for June

Jim: I have been told that it is total conspiracy theory stuff, but I still find it odd that DC cancelled Robin, Nightwing and Birds of Prey (all titles started by Chuck Dixon) and the month that the Bat titles come back all three titles are still missing. Anyway June has some great items this month for DC and no new neon sign.
Lee: I was really hoping for a new neon sign. Maybe we just need to look for it!
Gwen: I think we have more than enough neon signs sir...

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 Written by Grant MorrisonArt and cover by Frank Quitely Variant cover by JG Jones Sketch variant cover by Frank Quitely"Batman Reborn" begins here! With the reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, this first issue kicks off a 3-part story arc that can't be missed! The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who’s been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer. But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here! Retailers please note: This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Frank Quitely), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by JG Jones). For every 250 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Frank Quitely), which is a sketch version of the Standard Edition.On sale June 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: Look, you can order 250 copies and get the sketch variant! Hell pay another $3K and buy the art. If this is Dick and Damien, I’m okay, otherwise I’m not okay, but Morrison and Quietly is impossible for me to pass on.
Lee: Yeah, but I bet almost every store will have one copy of the Sketch Variant. This is going to sell big, big numbers. Morrison has been less than stellar lately so I’ll wait for reviews.
Gwen: I have to agree with Lee about Morrison - still it could be a good story.

BATMAN #687 Written by Judd Winick Art by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter Cover by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea Variant cover by JG Jones In this special epilogue to BATTLE FOR THE COWL, new BATMAN writer Judd Winick rejoins the Bat Family! This 40-page issue explores the final moments of the Battle for the Cowl as the new Batman learns that winning the Cowl comes at a high price! Witness the new Batman taking to the streets of Gotham City for the first time! Putting a new man inside the Bat-suit was the easy part – now the fun begins! Guest-starring Superman and Wonder Woman, this issue is a must-read for any Batman fan.On sale June 10 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Jim: Think the Coors Light commercial and Jim Mora saying “playoffs” and that is what I said when I heard Judd Winick was writing Batman again. “Winick” are you kidding me. He has run so hot and cold and lately he has been very cold. Not looking forward to this.
Lee: I agree. How did Winick get this gig? He’s been very, very cold lately. While his team books tend to be weak, his single character stuff is stronger. The only question, how long before Winick gets on his soapbox and starts inserting the social message.
Gwen: I'll jump on this bandwagon, Winick's stuff hasn't been very good recently.

RED ROBIN #1 Written by Christopher Yost Art by Ramon Bachs Cover by Francis Manapul Variant cover by JG Jones Writer Chris Yost (New X-Men, X-Force) and artist by Ramon Bachs (Civil War: Front Line) kick off a brand-new ongoing series right here with “The Grail” part 1 of 4! Following the aftermath of BATTLE FOR THE COWL, a new Batman watches over Gotham City. But not everyone is ready to give up on the old one. Someone believes that Bruce Wayne may still be alive…and that someone is Red Robin. But who is wearing the Red Robin costume, and why is he traveling the globe looking for a dead man? Whoever he is, he's not alone in his search!On sale June 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: Another ho-hum re-launch. Chris Yost is not a writer I look forward to and he has some big Marvel gigs, so his work is okay at best. If Red Robin is Tim Drake, then again I can live with this. Lee: Wasn’t Yost’s work on X-men mostly a killing fest? I don’t know many people who look back at his work on X-men and say “ooohhhh gotta have!” DC really does need to find a new stable of writers.
Gwen: I don't see the necessity for a Red Robin honestly.

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #1 Written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs and Georges Jeanty & Karl Story Cover by Dustin Nguyen Variant cover by JG Jones An all-new Batman series by the DETECTIVE COMICS creative team of Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen! As a new Batman rises on the streets of Gotham City, the heroes, villains and citizens take notice. How will the police feel about this new Batman, and can he control the crime in Gotham the way the old Batman did?This new series also features a regular ongoing co-feature starring Manhunter written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Georges Jeanty (Buffy Season 8)! Kate Spencer lost a friend during the chaos of BATTLE FOR THE COWL, and now she wants payback. As usual, she’ll use any means necessary to get it!On sale June 17 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Jim: DC is moving to $4 books now just as Marvel has done, but they are at least trying to add value for your buck by giving us an extra eight page back up story. Of course once prices escalate the extra pages will disappear. Not sure how I feel about this series, it is like a rip off of Gotham Central.
Lee: But Dini is a proven commodity so I bet this will be very good. And, notice that Manhunter is back!
Gwen: I love Paul Dini writing Batman stories.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1 Written by Paul Dini Art and cover by Guillem March Variant cover by JG Jones This all-new series features the bad girls of Gotham City! Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are tired of playing by other people's rules regardless of which side of the law they're on. These tough ladies have a new agenda that's all their own, and they'll use any means necessary to pursue it. But can they get along and work as a team? And who will get hurt along the way? DETECTIVE COMICS and STREETS OF GOTHAM writer Paul Dini kicks off this brand-new ongoing series with amazing artwork by Guillem March (JOKER’S ASYLUM: POISON IVY, GOTHAM GAZETTE).On sale June 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: This sounds like the “Birds of Prey” with bad girls. Plus is Guillem March that much of a good girl artist to pull this book off. Good thing they have Dini as the writer, otherwise I would pass on this book.
Lee: Now, this looks good. Of all the new books DC is launching I bet this has the best chance to succeed.
Gwen: I have to agree with Jim on this one - Dini is the only current DC writer outside of Gail Simone who can write villain stories I enjoy.

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #3 Written by Geoff Johns Art and covers by Ethan Van Sciver At last, the answer to the question that’s plagued DC fans for decades: Who’s faster, Superman or The Flash? Call your bookie and bet the farm, because you’ve never seen a run like this – and if speedsters keep dying at the pace they’re going, you might never see another one again!Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Ethan Van Sciver). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.On sale June 10 • 3 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: Two points. The variant is by the same artists? Isn’t Carmine still alive, couldn’t they commission a piece from him and please the lame Flash/Superman race. I love silver age as much as anyone but that stuff was always DUMB!
Lee: Almost every story these days is recycled silver age material! I can’t believe you are complaining about the Superman/Flash race. Maybe the ‘re-imagining’ will make it better.
Gwen: *snicker* Oh yes, I've always wondered who was faster. It keeps me up on many nights.

THE MIGHTY #5 Written by Peter J. Tomasi & Keith Champagne Art by Chris Samnee Cover by Dave Johnson After last issue’s shocking finale, Gabriel Cole finds himself faced with a terrifying new threat. And it’s the only menace on Earth that his ally Alpha One can’t help him vanquish! Writers Tomasi and Champagne welcome the stunning art of new series regular Chris Samnee (CHECKMATE) as the saga of THE MIGHTY reveals its true shape!On sale June 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Lee: Since, it appears that DC has lowered the amount of t&a on the covers, they had to do something to compensate. It appears to be blood and violence. So the Gratuitous Blood & Guts (GB&G) award goes to this book with the bullet hole in the head. That’s nice!
Jim: Oh a new award, I like it. Of course the “t&a” was better, but we can go with the GB&G. I second the nomination.
Gwen: I have nothing to say. Boys and their cover awards...


GREEN LANTERN #42 Written by Geoff Johns Art and cover by Philip Tan & Jonathan Glapion Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari The conclusion to “Agent Orange”! Hal battles the leader of the Orange Lanterns in a bizarre confrontation between will and avarice! But what is the true secret behind the power of the Orange Light? And what value does it hold for the other Corps? On sale June 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Lee: I’m sorry but all I can picture is Daffy Duck jumping into a pile of gold yelling “MINE MINE MINE” while Bugs looks on incredulously. Green Lantern is now no better than Duck Dodgers!
Jim: Ha, ha, ha. Now the image is in my mind too. Great call Lee.
Gwen: HAHAHA

JSA VS. KOBRA: ENGINES OF FAITH #1 Written by Eric Trautmann Art by Don Kramer & Michael Babinski Cover by Gene Ha The new lord of Kobra has shown his true face of evil, and now the JSA stands ready to face Kobra. But the old tactics may not work against this new terrorist network. Conspiracy mastermind Eric Trautmann and artist Don Kramer take you inside the mind of Jason Burr, the diabolically clever Kobra leader whose goal is nothing less than bringing the world into the age of Kali Yuga. Set throughout the major cities of the DC Universe and wrapped in the gorgeous covers of Gene Ha (TOP 10), this 6-issue miniseries sets the stakes higher than ever before for the Justice Society!On sale June 10 • 1 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: At least DC is following up on one of the “Faces of Evil” ideas thrown out a few months ago. Adding the JSA into the mix means I’m trying out issue #1 at least.
Lee: Oh YEAH! Spin-offs of spin offs. This smells like a weiner. Typo… smells like a winner.
Gwen: Eh, I'll wait and see on this.

ABSOLUTE JUSTICE HC Written by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger Art by Alex Ross & Doug Braithwaite Cover by Alex Ross The spectactular 12-issue series by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Doug Braithwaite is collected in this amazing, oversized, slipcased Absolute edition. The members of the Justice League of America are about to learn they aren't the only ones who can band together toward a common goal. The greatest criminal masterminds of our time appear to be acting in concert — but with a surprising plan that seeks to achieve more good than the JLA ever could!This Absolute edition features a new cover by Ross, plus sketchbook a section with previously unseen artwork and more!Advance-solicited; on sale November 25 • 8.25” x 12.5”, 496 pg, FC, $99.00 US

Jim: This is against my better judgment to be ordering this book as the story was not that great, but I still love Alex Ross’ artwork and I think the book will read better as a whole and I have skipped like three Absolutes, so I’m going with it.
Lee: That’s an awful lot of money for something you’ve deemed ‘marginal.’ Why not get the smaller hc’s from ebay for a fraction of the cost and see if it’s worth it. If you still like it, then send the hc’s to Gwen and THEN get the absolute. If the story stinks then you’ve saved the money on the absolute and Gwen still gets shiney new hc’s.
Gwen: I'll second Lee's plan!

Jim: I bet you will Gwen, but no.

DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY: THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA BY GEORGE PEREZ VOL. 1 HC Written by Gerry Conway Art by George Pérez with Frank McLaughlin and John BeattyCover by George PérezThe first half of artist George Pérez’s 1980s run on JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA is collected in this new hardcover featuring issues #184-186, 192-194 plus Pérez’s very rare JLA postcard set! Don’t miss the team’s battles with Darkseid and The Secret Society of Super-Villains, as envisioned by the artist of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS!Advance-solicited; on sale August 26 • 176 pg, FC, $39.99 US

Jim: Another book I should pass on as 176 pages for $40 is not a steal, but I love Perez’s artwork and I remember these as fun stories.
Lee: These are really, really fun stories. I remember buying 192-194 off the stands and loving every page. I can’t wait to get this!
Gwen: I don't think I ever read this. I'll borrow it from Jim at some point.

THE SANDMAN BY JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY Written by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby Art and cover by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby At last, the classic 1940s Super Hero series by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is collected from the pages of WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #6-7, ADVENTURE COMICS #72-97, #100-102 (1942-1946) and SANDMAN #1, the comic that reunited Simon & Kirby in 1974!In the capable hands of Simon and Kirby, the Sandman left behind his trademark green suit, fedora and gas mask to become a brightly costumed adventurer on the trail of crime in the big city with the help of his sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. With a strong element of the fantastic in the form of haunted dreams and foes claiming to be figures of myth, these stories were perfect examples of the fast-paced, slam-bang adventures that made Simon & Kirby the most celebrated comics talents of the 1940s.Advance-solicited; on sale August 12 • 304 pg, FC, $39.99 US

Jim: I’m surprised I passed on the Loser’s book DC put out by Jack Kirby, but this is something I have to have. I just wish DC would dreg up all of the Ditko work they have and publish it (Creeper / Hawk and Dove / Shade).
Lee: I’m with you. But I got the Losers book too.
Gwen: ooo, Hawk and Dove would be a good one to republish!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: BAT LASH TP Written by Nick Cardy, Sergio Aragones, Dennis O’Neil, Len Wein and Cary Bates Art by Nick Cardy, Mike Sekowsky, George Moliterni and Dan SpiegleCover by Nick CardyDC’s legendary Western series is collected at last in one volume featuring SHOWCASE #76, BAT LASH #1-7 and stories from DC SPECIAL SERIES #16 and JONAH HEX #49, 51 and 52.Advance-solicited; on sale July 8 • 240 pg, B&W, $9.99 US

Jim: Another two reasons to talk about this book. Number one Nick Cardy, Lee forced me to buy a book with him about Nick Cardy and I learned what one hell of an artist this guy was. Two the small Showcase is a great idea for certain series that would never ever see the light of day otherwise. For $10 I could not pass this up.
Lee: I’m sold too! I’ve always heard this was some of Cardy’s best comic book work ever. And, for $10 you really can’t go wrong.
Gwen: I'm curious as to how Lee forced you to buy something. Is this like when André forces me to eat chocolate by putting it in front of me?

Jim: No, it is Lee telling me that it is a great book and we should split the costs, knowing full well he will end up with it forever once I read it. It was a trick, now I really respect Cardy's work more then ever.

FILTHY RICH HC Written by Brian Azzarello Art by Victor Santos Cover by Lee Bermejo Richard “Junk” Junkin has always lived on the wrong side of trouble. A former pro football star whose career was cut short by injury (and a nasty gambling problem), Junk now spends his time dreaming of what might have been, selling cars in Jersey and lusting after the boss’s unbelievably spoiled, unbelievably sexy and unbelievably rich daughter, Victoria. So when the boss asks him to be Victoria’s personal bodyguard while she tears up the New York City club scene, Junk leaps at the chance. But before long, he’s finds that Victoria wants a lapdog and not a chaperone, someone who’s going to do all of her dirty work—all of it—someone who wants to get filthy rich…Advance-solicited; on sale August 19 • 200 pg, B&W, 5.5" x 8" • $19.99 US • MATURE READERS

Jim: I absolutely love this idea. DC is jumping into original graphic novels with a line of Crime novels. I just hope they are not looking at the direct comic market as there main point of sales as this material needs a wider audience. Can’t wait.
Lee: Normally, I would pass because I’m not a huge crime fiction guy, but high page counts always sell me. It doesn’t mean the material will be any better but if it’s good I’ll get lots of it.
Gwen: This looks pretty cool.

DARK ENTRIES HC Written by Ian Rankin Art by Werther Dell’Edera Cover by Lee Bermejo “Rankin’s work is crime fiction at its most consuming, cerebral best.” – The New Yorker“The best living British crime writer.” – Lee Child, bestselling author“One of Britain’s leading novelists in any genre.” – New StatesmanOccult detective John Constantine has seen his share of strange things in his career, but nothing could prepare him for the horrors of…reality television. “Haunted Mansion” is currently the hottest show on tv, but when the macabre house actually starts attacking the contestants, Constantine is hired to be the ultimate mole. Locked inside with a cast of wannabe-celebrities, his every move being monitored by a deadly figure from his past, Constantine must figure out who (or what) is pulling the strings before he gets cancelled—permanently.DARK ENTRIES is a classic locked-room mystery starring HELLBLAZER’s John Constantine from Ian Rankin, the #1 international best-selling crime writer best known for his “Inspector Rebus” novels. Rankin has won numerous awards, including the Edgar Award in 2004 and is joined in this graphic novel by Italian artist Werther Dell’Edera, the illustrator of a number of American comics – mostly notably Vertigo’s LOVELESS.Advance-solicited; on sale August 19 • 216 pg, B&W, 5.5" x 8" • $19.99 US • MATURE READERS

Jim: Not sure I agree with using Constantine in one of the “crime novels” but he did get a semi-decent movie made with his name on it, so the sales potential is there, I’m just happy to see such an aggressive move by DC. Sign me up for both of these babies.
Lee: Sure, why not. If I’m going to try the other book I might as well try this.
Gwen: I can see Constantine working in this kind of story. I'm looking forward to these.

ZATANNA 1:6 SCALE DELUXE COLLECTOR FIGURE With a wave of her wand, mistress of magic Zatanna becomes the latest addition to the popular 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure line! Dressed in her trademark intricate and authentically detailed costume of removable top hat and tails (not to mention fishnets!), Zatanna also comes with accessories including a magic wand, a rabbit and her “Hex Appeal” book. The figure features 28 points of articulation, is packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel and includes a display stand.Manufactured to order. Advance-solicited; on sale November 11, 2009 * Collector figure * $99.99 US

Lee: Yeah, yeah, yeah 28 points of articulation but wwwaaaaayyyyy to much material in the clothes. Seriously, after seeing all the statues of strippe… er, I mean of Super heroines this is kinda a let down. It’s almost… I don’t know… respectable?

Jim: Plus if you buy this you really are in the category of being a doll collector.
Gwen: I can't think of anything to say here.

COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSEBLACK CANARY STATUEBASED ON THE ART OF ADAM HUGHES SCULPTED BY JACK MATHEWS Black Canary, the Sonic Siren, cracks her knuckles in anticipation of taking on her next adversary.This latest addition to the instantly popular COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSE statue line is posed just as she appears on Adam Hughes’ variant cover of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6.Hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain and measuring approximately 9.5” tall x 4” wide x 3.75” deep, this statue includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box.Manufactured to order. Advanced-solicited; on sale November 25, 2009 * Statue * $99.99 US

Jim: I love my wife, but if Black Canary showed up at my door…..
Lee: … I would hug her, and kiss her, and have tea parties with her! Is that how you were planning on finishing that sentence?

Jim: Yeah that's it exactly.
Gwen: Tea parties? I'd like to be the March Hare, Jim can be the Hatter and Lee can be the Doormouse!

NEON SIGNS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: BLACK CANARY SIGN

Lee: OMGoodness. Look a Black Canary neon sign. I knew it was in the listing somewhere because we can’t have a month without a neon sign.
Jim: There was no Neon Sign this month! Thank Didio.
Gwen: Now we have to make up neon signs?


Jim: An almost all Batman month, but I have to say the Crime novels look very cool. One of DC’s most exciting solicitation months in a while.
Lee: Not bad. Not great. But better than last month, that’s for sure.
Gwen: I think I'm only really looking forward to the crime novels. It makes me want to go watch the Maltese Falcon.

The Easter Egg Hunt

I don’t know what Easter is like around your house, but at my house, it’s a total disaster. It’s one giant Easter egg hunt for a week leading up to the official day. The kids hold practice hunts in every room, and we end up with little, plastic eggs all over the house.

What’s interesting in how the hunts have evolved over time. When it was just Boy and Girl, egg hunting was really easy. Boy and Girl hid eggs in places they thought were tricky. These places included the middle of the floor, in the corner of the room, or even on their chair. They would tell me to close my eyes, set the egg in the middle of the floor, and ask, “Can you find it?” It was fun.

But, as time past, eggs started going behind curtains, under the couch, and other more interesting places. In fact, by the time Tiny arrived, we were into real egg hiding which meant there was a 50-50 chance the egg was lost forever. Tiny skipped the really easy egg hiding phase, but she hasn’t really figured out how to hide eggs in really tricky places. Or, so I thought.

Tiny’s latest Easter Egg hunt started the other day as soon as I arrived home from work. I opened the front door and was immediately assaulted by, “Wanna hunt for Easter Eggs?”

Honestly, it was the last thing that I wanted to do. But, work has been especially busy lately, so I haven’t been at home as much as I would like. I couldn’t say no.

“Sure,” I said, as we walked into the living room. I set my briefcase down, looked around, and said, “Ok, let’s have an Easter Egg hunt!”

I started in the obvious spot and looked in the middle of the floor. There were no eggs to be seen. “Well, I don’t see any eggs. You must have hidden them really well!”

Tiny, beaming with pride at her ability to hide eggs said, “Do you want a hint, Daddy?”

Honestly, I was slightly offended. I have been a world champion egg hunter for as long as the kids have been around. There wasn’t an egg that I could not find.

“Thank you, but I think I can find them.” I was officially on a mission.

I looked under a pillow. No egg. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint, Daddy?”

I checked under the couch cushions. No egg. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint Daddy?”

I checked under the couch. Again, the little voice asked, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” I know she was just asking, but it was getting close to a taunt.

Let’s recap, so far I haven’t found a single egg. This was ridiculous. Add, the constant little voice, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” and I wasn’t having fun anymore.

I checked behind the curtains, in the lamp, under the carpet, and each time rewarded with no eggs and a, “Do you want a hint Daddy?”

“NO, Daddy doesn’t want a hint!” I hissed.

Finally, after 15 minutes, no eggs, and a room that was turned upside down, not to mention several hundred, “Do you want a hint Daddy?” I finally gave up. “Tiny, Daddy is ready for a hint.”

Tiny, full of glee, smiles at me and says, “They’re in the other room.”