In Search of A Spinner Rack

While I don’t have the official statistics, “The New 52!” from DC is an outstanding success. I can attest to this personally. Remember my pull list post from a few weeks back, where I had only managed to add two measly DC titles to the roster (Swamp Thing and Superman)? Well, I now have EIGHT (not counting the Flash tryout)!!! If you’re wondering where I’m going to find room in my budget for all of these…Well, I’m going to have to get back to you on that. (I did already axe Princess of Mars and FF.)
Here’s the current DC list:

Swamp Thing
Superman
Action Comics
Supergirl
Batman
OMAC
DC Universe Presents
Justice League

Notice a common element in half of these books? “It’s…SUPERMAN!” Yes, that strange fashion challenged alien from another planet has totally captivated my interest (again). It’s like 1986 all over. Maybe I’ve just been having a Man of Steel deficiency (similar to my possible Iron deficiency that makes me crave the delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, Liver and Onions from Pullman Place in Leavenworth, KS). I haven’t even read Justice League yet, but I’m picking up issues 1 and 2 this week (tomorrow from my perspective), meaning I’m going against my strict comic collector code and purchasing a…“shudder”… FOURTH printing of the first issue (pathetic miss-the-boat-the-first-time loser that I am).

Last week, I had finally decided to try out OMAC and Green Arrow only to be frustrated to discover that the first printing of Green Arrow #1 was SOLD OUT!!! My store had a bunch of copies the week before (or so I thought). Our friendly storeowner was just as surprised as I was at this phenomenon. I snatched up the OMAC issues (there was only one copy left of No. 2) and thoroughly enjoyed them (just like I thought I would).


But what was I going to do about Green Arrow? Would I have to succumb to the humiliation of getting a second printing?! Maybe not. You see I had a plan. My family and I were going on a mini-vacation to Virginia Tech and the fall foliage spectacle of the North Carolina Mountains last weekend and I thought I could pick it up on the road. I choose to get gas at a 7-11 in Winchester in the hopes that they might have some comics, instead of just car and girly magazines. I even managed to visit the one and only comic store in Blacksburg (made me really appreciate our wonderful Cosmic Comix in Catonsville) and they only had a second printing of issue one and had no printings of Justice League. Nothing at the Wal-Mart in North Wilkesboro either. Bookstores are scarce these days and drug stores haven’t carried comics in decades. It was very discouraging. I suppose I should have checked the University Bookstore on campus (where I once worked and where I obtained my own personal spinner rack, saving it from a trip to the dumpster back in 1994), but the high price of an official Tech maroon hoodie kept me away.

Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, NC

The point is that despite multiple printings available only at a direct market outlet or instant downloads if you’re fortunate enough to have a tablet computer, I couldn’t find the book that I was looking for out in the “real” world. Back in the day, if I couldn’t find a copy at my local comic shop, I at least had a chance to find it on the spinner rack in the local convenience store. I miss those days and I think comics still might have a distribution problem.

Regardless, the majority of the DC titles I’ve read have been great and most of them I’ve already read TWICE! Can’t say I’ll be rereading Spider-Island anytime soon, if ever.… Although, Daredevil is certainly worthy of multiple readings.

Disclosure Update: My store found a first printing of Green Arrow this week AND the one in Blacksburg may have had one two, but I thought it was a second printing due to the reddish background. The fourth printing of Justice League #1 did NOT ship this week (which is crazy). I got WAY too many books this week. I think I need some counseling or maybe I'm compensating for my real job "challenges".

Disclosure Update 2: I'm at Toys R Us today (Friday) and what do I find? A first printing of Justice League #1. Almost as good as a spinner rack! It's a good thing I wrote this post early, because by week's end the premise had all fallen apart!