Starting Monday, 9/9/2013, Wonderworld Comics will be open during the following times:
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Monday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
On Sunday, the hours of operation will change on this website to reflect the new hours.
Wonderworld Comics will be set up at Michigan Comic Expo this weekend! We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday.
September 7, 2013
Taylor Town Trade Center
22525 Ecorse Road
Taylor, MI 48180
Hours are from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission is $5.00, children under 10 are free when accompanied by an adult
Parking is free!
Look forward to finding comics, toys (including classic toys and action figures), memorabilia, and guest artists!
During the first official week of the September War, Love Stories (to Die For) is my Pick of the Week! This week saw the first issue of God is Dead, the first two chapters in the X-Men: Battle of the Atom series, the return of Hoax Hunters, the start of Batman Black and White, the beginning of Forever Evil, and the kickoff of Villain Month. We also had the second issue of Army of Darkness vs. Hack/Slash and the first issue of the long-awaited The Star Wars. For me, Love Stories (to Die For) stood out the most as the comic I think you should take a look at.
Love Stories (to Die For) is easily my Pick of the Week!
Yes, Dirk Manning is one of my friends in the industry, he is a good friend of Wonderworld Comics, and he is coming to our store later this month for a signing – but that is not why Love Stories (to Die For) was chosen as my Pick of the Week. I read comics created by other friends this week, but there were a few aspects of Love Stories (to Die For) which set it aside from the rest. Remember, the Pick of the Week is the comic which I suggest above all others for you to take a look at because something inside it shines.
Love Stories (to Die For) is a flip book published by Image’s Shadowline. Both stories are by Dirk Manning with the art on a historical timepiece story by Rich Bonk and the art on a futuristic story done by Owen Gieni.
The futuristic tale in Love Stories (to Die For) is about a couple who is preparing to be together while the female’s husband is in the other decks of a space station trying to battle his way through alien creatures. As we enter the story, the male in the couple is trying to make sure his lover is ready to part ways with her husband. The husband is decks away and has just set a self-destruct sequence to blow up the station and the aliens inside.
While reading, you gain a sense of understanding of what the female character is going through as she works through feelings for her lover and for her husband. While this can be a common theme in literature and comics, it is not something which is typically easy for a male writer.
Men traditionally have issues conveying complex emotional states in their female characters. Usually, women’s emotions are displayed in simple formats or downgraded to stereotypical characters which can only display base emotions like the females we find in the work of Stephanie Meyer. Instead, Dirk Manning did a superb job of bringing an emotional attachment to this woman’s emotional struggle.
The other story in Love Stories (to Die For) takes us to 946 AD Friesland (Germany of old). As someone who grew up reading Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, reading Thor, and playing Dungeons & Dragons, I gained a love for Viking stories. Dirk Manning delivers a Viking tale here which veers from the typical clichés of fantasy writing by creating deeper dialogue in characters which do not call out to the gods every three lines or rabble on about honor and battle. Statements like these are present, but not relied upon for full content.
Most fantasy writers who attempt to tell stories of the Vikings typically leave out anything about Christianity. The Christians were in Europe during the later times of the Vikings and the two groups often crossed paths. In fact, during the late times in the Viking period (such as when this story took place), Christian leaders often paid Vikings to help guard their churches, monasteries, and sacred lands – as was done in this story.
In this portion of Love Stories (to Die For), we see Vikings facing off against vampires. It is interesting to watch how Dirk Manning connected the readers to the shock the Vikings faced when going against foes which would not stay down. He gave the right amount of shock to not compromise the legends of the Viking warriors while still holding the balance of a story which is supposed to cause fear and trepidation in the reader.
The art by both Rich Bonk and Owen Gieni do what they are supposed to do in Love Stories (to Die For) – complement the story. Not only is the art pleasant to look at, it complements the writing by displaying the needed emotions and causing an understanding of the emotions which writing cannot always do alone. Both artists brought in some gore, but it was not over-the-top for shock value. That is a line which too many artists today cross which often distracts from a story.
Both stories in Love Stories (to Die For) draw you in quickly and keep you interested (even after you are done reading). Both stories leave you at the edge of a cliff and force you to ask “Ok, what happens next?” Whether we see more of these characters in the future is left to be seen. It should be noted that there are few writers on the market today which can keep your imagination going past the end of a story as well as Dirk Manning can. He obviously learned the lessons of writers such as Phillip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury who mastered the techniques he uses today.
Three more weeks until the Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere. Three more weeks until our questions begin to get answered. Three more weeks until we get to see the greatest strike in the history of the September War. It is time for my Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere prediction.
Is Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a good enough representation?
I am expecting nothing less than Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. having the biggest television premiere ever. I expect the first episode to make certain Super Bowls look silly.
I fully expect Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to have the biggest numerical drop-off of viewers between the first and second episode in history. I don’t think that this will be a reflection, though, of the quality of the show.
The Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere is a major event which ABC has been pushing for months. There is not another show debuting this year which has had more of a push. Blacklist does not even come close when you consider the hype from Comic-Con. People are going to adjust their schedules to make sure they are home for the Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere. This show’s premiere is a watershed moment for the comic book industry, and countless fans will tune in to see if the hype was worth it.
All shows, no matter how good, will have a drop off between the first week and the second week. People decide they don’t like the show, while others who did like the show just wait for it to come on OnDemand or on another replay service. Others might not be able to cook their schedules the same way the next week, so will have to see it at a later hour as well.
I do not see Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. having the biggest percentage drop from week one to week two, but the greatest number of people dropping. When this is the biggest premiere in history, it will be easy to see how the average drop-off percentages would translate into more people than usual. Just don’t believe the media hype when they try to make Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. look like a second week failure.
Word is out that Mark Waid is now a partial owner of Alter Ego Comics (store’s website) in Indiana. I have delivered many commentaries about how digital comics hurt, and will continue to hurt, the comic book industry. I have also stated in the past that I am a fan of Mark Waid’s work and have a deep respect for the man as I believe he wants the best for the industry as a whole. What are my thoughts about him now being a comic book store owner?
Mark Waid: Creator, blogger, digital comics proponent, comic book store owner
Mark Waid, and his partner in life, Christy Blanch, have purchased equal shares into Alter Ego Comics, which they will now co-own with Jason Pierce. Waid has stated on his blog that Blanch and himself will not be silent partners, but will be working in the store along with continuing the endeavors they already work on. Their goal is to be work hard and to expand the store.
Some might claim that owning a retail store might pose a conflict of interest for Mark Waid since he is such a strong proponent for digital comics. I actually don’t see this as a conflict of interest. To my knowledge, Waid has never stated that digital comics should be the only method of reading comics. Instead, he promotes the idea of digital and physical comics both having a place in the market and that each can complement and promote the other.
As a comic book creator, Mark Waid will now have more of an opportunity to see what fans are looking for up close. He will also be able to see what retailers face on a daily basis in the industry. This helps two-fold.
From the creative aspect, he gets to speak to “the end user.” Typically, creators only have the opportunity to speak with readers directly at conventions. Even then, conversations sometimes have to be rushed due to lines at a creator’s booth. During slow times at the store, Mark has the opportunity to spend extra time speaking to his fans and speaking to those who do not read comics he creates to find out why.
From the ownership aspect, Mark will be able to prove or disprove his own theory as to digital comics helping print comics. Personally, I believe he will see shortcomings in his theory when he realizes that if a person purchases a digital comic, it typically means that a retailer will lose out and only the publisher and sites such as ComiXology benefit. As an owner, he will have a reason to ask “how will digital comics benefit my store?” or “how will digital comics benefit my customers” instead of how a creator might ask “how will digital comics benefit the industry.” I believe the difference in questions will eventually give him a better understanding about why comic book stores are uncomfortable at best, and afraid at worst, of digital comics and their eventual chipping away of the physical stores and of comic book collecting.
I look forward to seeing how the inclusion of Waid and Blanch in the ownership of Alter Ego Comics, and the expansion of the store, turns out. As someone who loves the industry, I am happy to see positive changes, no matter where they are in the industry. At the very least, I would expect the store to become the top seller in the country of titles which Mark Waid works on. Who is a better salesperson for a comic than one of the people who created it? If not, I have something to tease him about the next time our paths cross. I have a feeling I will be stopping in the next time I am in Indiana.
Here we are on the eve of the first day of the September War, and I am not filled with the excitement which should be coming with the official start of one of the biggest months of the year for comic book readers and collectors. Instead, I am filled with compassion for comic book store owners across the country and worry about some of the misplaced rage they might have to face due to the Villain Month allocation.
The real villains of Villain Month?
Last week, I posted an article about why September 4, 2013 will be one of the worst days ever for comic book stores. We have the DC Comics Villain Month allocation which will be felt across the country. We have the fact that shipments of comics are coming a day later than normal due to the holiday which just passed. Many stores across the country will see lines of readers and collectors for product which they just won’t have due to the shortage of the 3D covers.
I am making this plea as a fellow reader and collector. I have already heard of people planning to go in late to work tomorrow or scheduling a day off in order to be one of the first in line at their local comic book store. Please, do not direct your anger at comic book store owners. Save it to direct towards those who actually caused the Villain Month allocation through poor planning.
Each store has come up with its own plan on how to distribute the few 3D covers they will receive due to the Villain Month allocation. Bleeding Cool posted an article last week which listed some of the plans comic book store owners have devised. Even if you do not agree with the plan your favored comic book store owner came up with, please understand that this we the best he, she, they could come up with the meet the demands of customers. Save your rage for after you leave the store.
Save your rage until you get home and post it online. Gear the rage towards making sure comic book publishers get the message that you are as mad as Hell and you’re not going to take it anymore. Make sure that every single publisher knows that if demand is going to be created for a product, there damn well better be enough supply to suffice the masses. Let’s make sure something like the Villain Month allocation never happens again.
For weeks, comic book news and information sites have been filled with comic book movie casting news. Once the fevered pitch of discussion dies down, another bit of comic book movie casting news comes out. Why is all of this information coming out right now? There are many parts to this puzzle.
Ben Affleck as Batman proves consistency at DC Comics
Comic book movie casting news is hot since comic book movies are the hottest commodity in entertainment right now. Marvel and DC Comics loved the focus during Comic-Con, but knew they needed to do something to stay relevant to the general public afterwards. These announcements work perfectly.
What is the best thing to do when you opponent makes a huge announcement? Make one or two of your own. This steals thunder away from the other guys and brings it to your side of the fence. Corporations save up announcements for a long time in order to simply steal the spotlight if the competition says something big.
September is the biggest battle month of the year on the comic book industry because all of the focus is on Image in October because of The Walking Dead. Enter, the September War.
Granted, these major announcements all happened in August, but it bridged the gap between the hot and heated action in July with Comic-Con and the sparks that will fly in September.
I highly doubt that the comic book movie casting announcements are done. I would expect at least a few in September to keep the ball rolling into the battle month. There might also be one or two big ones saved for a few days before the premiere of The Walking Dead, or a day or two after. The comic book companies need to stay relevant, and comic book movie casting news keeps them in the most-searched lists on Google and Yahoo!.
Don’t believe me? Check out these big announcements and talk:
X:Men Battle of the Atom starts in just days, and I doubt that I could be more excited than I am right now. The concept of the crossover is ingenious and the build to it has been fun to watch. After the disappointment of the Trinity War (read here) and my upset state over the DC Comics Villain Month allocation, I need a good crossover to get me back in the comics swing.
X-Men: Battle of the Atom
In X-Men: Battle of the Atom, the X-Men of the future come to the present to get the current X-Men to send the X-Men from the past back to the past. Try saying that really fast.
As we approached the Trinity War, many fans were asking all types of questions and were nervous about what the outcome might be. Speculation about a return to the pre-New 52 continuity, a crossing of continuities, and other worries placed a damper on the lead-in to the series. On the flip, people are just excited about X-Men: Battle of the Atom. There is a little speculation, but much more excitement and less trepidation.
We will get a look at which X-Men will be in the future. We will see some our favorites X-Men from years gone by. We will finally have the confrontations Marvel has been building up for over the last year. We will have the return of Nightcrawler! I am popping! Ok, yes, it could go wrong – but I am hoping it does not.
With the recent mistakes made by DC Comics, Marvel has a great chance to shine. DC Comics might tap some extra market share simply because of the number of titles they are offering for Villain Month, but Marvel can show its competition how to tell a crossover story. They can be the top winners of the September War, even if the numbers do not support it. All they have to do is live up to our expectations with X-Men: Battle of the Atom.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013, will be a day that owners of comic book stores will remember for a long time. For many comic book stores, it will be a perfect storm that they will pray will never happen again. It is a day which might break many comic book stores around the country.
Forever Evil / Villain Month
The Villain Month allocation is hitting most comic book stores hard. Wednesday is the day they have to explain to the majority of their empty-handed customers about why they cannot get the collectible cover they want. There is going to be anger, accusations, and sadness. Owners and workers are going to have to deal with this.
The Wednesday will be the Wednesday after a holiday, so the Diamond shipments will hit stores a day later than usual. There will be a mad rush to get the comics out on the shelves as quickly as possible. In many cases, customers are going to have to be told to come back later to get their issues – if they will be able to get them at all. This will be another series of blows hitting the workers and owners of comic book stores all over.
Along with over 25 Villain Month issue coming out on the fateful day, there are other big titles hitting as well. Forever Evil #1, X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1, the Star Wars Lucas Draft #1, Infinity #2, Superior Spider-Man #17, and many other big titles all all hitting on the same day. For many comic book stores, this will be the biggest shipment they have ever gotten on a day they have been dreading for weeks. This will have to be processed asap.
On top of all of this, I would not be surprised by long lines before the comic book stores open. Fans are going to line up for their chance to get the titles they want. So comic book stores are going to have to deal with long lines for a late shipment which will not have the amount of product they ordered for one of the biggest comic book events in years.
The DC Comics Trinity War has come to pass, and it is time for me to make my comments on a series as a whole. I have had many conversations with various people over the last few days about the Trinity War, and it is time for me to discuss it with you. Since you have had a few days to read the final issue, I am free to discuss without causing general spoilers. If you have not read it yet, sorry – my time limit for not giving spoilers is up.
Trinity War triptych focus
With the amount of time DC Comics has been slowly marketing the Trinity War, I expected it to be one of the best crossovers DC Comics has ever had. Ya, well…not so much.
DC Comics took a long time to slowly push out information about the Trinity War. Over the course, we argued about who might be the trinity that fights in the war. Could it be Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman? Could it be the three factions of the Justice League? Could it be the Phantom Stranger, Pandora, and The Question? In the end, there were multiple trinities in the Trinity War, which played out well until Earth 3 entered. If Earth 3 is part of the trinity, is Earth 2 getting involved as well? If so, that part of this particular trinity would be coming out after the Trinity War and would botch the idea as a whole.
The Trinity War did a great job of focusing on the Dark Universe. Constantine was awesome during the Trinity War and is one of the shining stars of the series. The Phantom Stranger got extra time, and might benefit as much as Constantine can from the extra exposure. Other than that, most of the characters from the three factions of the Justice League were lost in the fray. Yes, Pandora got a ton of face time, but what did we learn about her? What spiked out interest in reading her title? What got us interested in continuing on with reading the three factions?
Sure, some of you might come to the side of DC Comics and say that unanswered questions are a good thing because they will keep you reading. To an extent – yes. To the extent caused by the Trinity War – no.
Most of the questions listed above have left me with a sour taste in my mouth that I was strung along for no apparent reason outside of selling comics. Yes, comic book companies are in the business of selling comics, but they have an obligation to me (as a purchaser) to give a good story. A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The questions above make me wonder if there were either too many cooks in the kitchen who wanted their ingredients used, or if DC Comics just kept change course in the middle of the story and hoped nobody would catch on. Comic book publishers have been known to change their own stories and hope nobody catches on.
I have dropped Justice League from my pull list because the lead-up issues and Trinity War series did not keep me interested in the team.
I have dropped Justice League of America from my pull list because the lead-up issues and the Trinity War did not get me excited about that team either.
I have dropped Trinity of Sin: Pandora from my pull list because I have realized that I could care less about the New 52 version of the character.
In hindsight, I am actually angered by the Trinity War and think it was a waste of time, marketing, and my money. Sure, there were some great points for characters such as the Phantom Stranger, Wonder Woman, and Constantine. The problem is that most of the characters in the story were underutilized if utilized at all. At the same time, there were too many inconsistencies with the DC Universe as we know it, and with the Trinity War story itself. I will have major problems trusting DC Comics crossovers in the future.
So we have an announcement about the casting of James Spader as Ultron in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. In the wake of the announcement of Ben Affleck as Batman, does the announcement of James Spader as Ultron impress me? Oh Hell yes!
James Spader as Ultron in The AVengers: Age of Ultron!
James Spader could play a rock and I would pay money to see it. Why? The man is a great actor and has proven time and time again in recent years that he is one of the top actors in the business.
We have seen commercials all summer about his upcoming series, The Blacklist. I remember telling someone a few weeks ago that the previews alone for the series prove how the actor could play an ultimate bad guy. I even went so far as to say that they could cast him as Lex Luthor and I would bypass my hatred of Superman simply to see him in the role. My wife and I are looking forward to watching his new show, and now I have another reason to look forward to The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Someone is going to make the argument that Ultron is supposed to be a robot. Yes, but James Spader as Ultron is a good move. I am sure he can pull this one off. If he does not, I will wear a Superman outfit one day to work.
With James Spader as Ultron, Marvel proves once again that its casting department is much better than the one at Warner Bros. How could I not be happy with that? Congrats DC Comics…this casting announcement will finally take the spotlight off of the major mistake you made by allowing Warner Bros to cast Ben Affleck as Batman. The Marvel Age of Movies continues on.
As I am writing this, we are only a few days away from the beginning of September. My mind, though, is focused on October. Sure, the September War is going to be huge for the comic book industry, but we can’t forget that October is going to be one of the best months this year for comic book fans. There are many reasons why I am excited about the month that starts after the September War.
Detroit Fanfare Comic Con!Most people’s year starts on the first day of January. Mine begins on the first day of Detroit Fanfare Comic Con. I have attended each of the previous year’s Detroit Fanfares, and the convention is something I wait all year for. In the past, I have covered the event for another site, but as many of you know, I have taken a position on the Detroit Fanfare Comic Con staff so the convention is even more special to me now. We will knock your socks off. Click here to learn more.
We have waited too long to see what is going to happen to Rick and the other survivors. If it were not for Detroit Fanfare Comic Con, Season 4 of The Walking Dead would hold the top spot. I can’t wait to start the new ride the creators will take us on!
Daredevil #32I am really looking forward to Daredevil crossing paths with Zombie, Frankenstein, and the other creatures on the Dark side of the Marvel Universe. From the preview picture, it also looks like he might be saying hello to Werewolf by Night as well. Ohhhh.
The Battle of the Atom will still be in full swing. Hopefully this crossover is one we will talk about positively for many years to come. When you add on the fact that Fantomex will be getting a MAX series, I foam at the mouth.
A new miniseries from my friend Tim Seeley and Mike Norton will be hitting shelves in October. I pop for dark comics, and this one looks to be right up my alley. I have said it before – I hope Dark Horse is able to spread out from the Star Wars realm, and The Occultist looks like a title which can get them on an interesting track.
Many people missed out on Dia de Los Mortos because not many were ordered around the country. I was only able to get my hands on the introductory issue, so the trade will be ready for my purchase. I highly suggest it simply due to the great story by my friend Dirk Manning.
I have to admit that I have not regularly read Archie titles in many (many) years, but Afterlife with Archie looks like it will be an interesting title. I have had my eye on this for money and can’t wait to get my hands on it.
With the last day of September, my personal penalty against DC Comics will be over. The Villain Month allocation will be a thing of the past, and I can pick up wherever I left off on the titles I read.
October is going to be a BIG month for me. Hopefully, it will be BIG for you as well.
One of the hottest topics in comics right now is the casting of Ben Affleck in the role of Batman. So many are coming to the side of the actor by pointing out certain instances in which comic book fans were wrong about the casting of particular actors in roles in superhero movies. This is a horrible argument against comic book fans because we have been right in our accusation on many occasions.
Ben Affleck as Batman will suck
Michael Keaton as Batman
Heath Ledger as Joker
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
David Morrissey as The Governor
These are just a couple examples of times in which we complained about castings only to be pleasantly surprised with the final product. I could add RDJ to this list for his casting as Tony Stark/ Iron Man, but I would not be acting honestly with myself. That is one casting I have to admit that I liked from the start because there is no better actor for playing a character which has hit rock bottom than an actor who has hit rock bottom himself. Of course, Tony has not hit rock bottom in the movies yet, but I look forward to seeing it.
I know you are waiting to see some of the names I put down as some of the worst superhero castings of all time, but let’s take a look at some we supported (as a majority) from the beginning and we were happy we were right:
Anthony Hopkins as Odin
Sir Ian McKellen as Magneto
Gerard Butler as Leonidas
Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull
Patrick Stewart as Professor X
There were also times in which we supported certain casting choices in superhero movies in which we were completely wrong. The actor might have been great, but the end product was depressing:
Michael Chicklis as Thing
Halle Berry as Catwoman
Jennifer Garner as Elektra
Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor
Instead of just talking about when we were wrong, or when our positivity paid off, let’s take a look at when we were right about the wrong choice being made:
George Clooney as Batman
Val Kilmer as Batman
Topher Grace as Venom
Shaq as Steel
Nicholas Cage as Ghost Rider
Brandon Routh as Superman
Collin Ferrell as Bullseye
Ben Affleck as Daredevil
The list goes on and on. Remember, too, we were right when complaining about Ben Affleck the first time with Daredevil – I have a feeling we will be right again.
Many on the Internet are freaking out about David Morrissey, The Governor on The Walking Dead, being cast in an AMC pilot. They are taking the announcement about the potential show, Line of Sight, which would star Morrissey, as an omen that he will not last very long on the show. Don’t get your underwear in a bunch. This is not a major slip.
The Governor on The Walking Dead
So David Morrissey was cast in a pilot. How easy people forget that pilots do not automatically become shows. Remember the Wonder Woman fiasco? Pilots are shot all the time, and do not make it out of the gate. There are also times in which pilots are requested, but never get made. David Morrissey could easily shoot the pilot during an off-week of The Walking Dead shooting.
There could be a very long time between now (the casting) and when the pilot for Line of Sight is actually shot. If AMC loves the series, it could take another year or two before it goes into production. That could give David Morrissey as many as two more years as The Governor on The Walking Dead.
The pilot for Line of Sight does not mean that we should expect to see David Morrissey killed off of The Walking Dead in the coming months. In actuality, it means that AMC has faith in the actor we have grown to respect for his role as The Governor. It means that he has shown his ultimate bosses that he can deliver.
In my opinion, I would be surprised if The Governor lasted past Season 5 of The Walking Dead. I would like to see the creators keep David Morrissey as The Governor, and The Governor as a thorn in Rick’s side throughout this season, and through at least an episode of the next season. Make the death of The Governor a milestone in the show. Make it the big event to open Season 5 of The Walking Dead.
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It is time to start combing dollar comics boxes across the country for issues of Sunfire and Big Hero 6, Big Hero 6, and Alpha Flight #17 from Marvel. I have already seen a kick up in interest in this comic and believe it would be a great investment now. Big Hero 6 is about to become the talk of the town and you have the opportunity to be in-the-know before anyone else.
If you see a comic associated with Big Hero 6, buy it
Big Hero 6 was originally a superhero team comprised of Hiro Takachiho, Honey Lemon, GoGo Tomago, Baymax, Wasabi-No-Ginger [which sounds tasty], Fred, Ebon Samurai, Silver Samurai, Sunfire, and Sunpyre.
Alpha Fight #17 was supposed to be the team’s first appearance in the Marvel Universe, but a scheduling snafu caused Sunfire and Big Hero 6 #1 to appear on shelves before Alpha Flight #17. So, they had their own title before they were actually formally introduced into the continuity of the Marvel Universe. The team later went on to have their own miniseries without Sunfire.
Disney is making an animated Big Hero 6 movie which is set to premiere in November 2014. I have confirmed sources which have told me that Disney has already begun purchasing issues of the Big Hero 6 comics for their archives, so there are some issues which are dropping out of circulation. I have no clue how many issues Disney is purchasing, but don’t expect the archived ones to hit the market again.
Don’t expect Sunfire or Silver Samurai to be in the Big Hero 6 movie as the main stars are going to be Hiro Hamada and his robot Baymax. The film will have oriental influences as the story takes place in San Fransokoyo (San Francisco and Tokyo). In case you have been living under a rock for your entire life, you know that Disney is the greatest marketing giant of all time and turns almost everything it touches to gold. Turn that gold into a dollar comics box find to remember.
Lazarus #3 is my Pick of the Week! If you are not reading this comic, you probably should be. Lazarus is both a breath of fresh air in the comic book industry, it also reminds me of aspects of comics which have been sorely missing from most titles for way too long.
Lazarus #3 is my Pick of the Week!
Lazarus takes place in the future. Instead of governments or corporations running the show, society is run by “families.” An easy analogy to make would be that they are like mob families. Instead of using tools of crime to increase or sustain power, though, the families in the Lazarus story use political maneuvers, espionage, and war.
Each family in the story has a Lazarus. The Lazarus is a genetically-enhanced member which is used as the greatest line of defense for the family. In the story we follow, Forever Carlyle is the Lazarus of the Carlyle family. She is a 19-year-old beauty who is trained to kill by any means necessary. Through her genetic enhancement, she is faster, stronger than her size would normally allow, and she can shrug off almost any type of injury.
Lazarus makes an interesting social statement in the breakdown of society. There are three basic types of people in the world. Family members stand at the top of the ladder. On a distant second rung, you find serfs, which are the people who do the work for the families. Serfs can be military grunts, specialists in genetics, or simple janitors. At the bottom of the ladder would be “waste.”
“Waste” are people who are not serfs, but still need to be fed. On a positive sociological side, we might say that the society in Lazarus is better than many futuristic societies we have read about in the past in that leaders at least have concern about the masses eating, drinking, and being secure. On the negative site, most “waste” do not have the opportunities to better themselves and the society in this story apparently works to keep the bottom at the bottom.
Writer Greg Rucka has created a world very different from our own, but you will not be at a loss if you start reading this series at this point. Differences are not outright explained, but (thus far) woven into the story in a way to guide you into understand what is going on no matter which issue you have started with. We are at the third issue in the series at this point, and it is common for creators to forget about the importance of guiding us to understanding changes by the end of the first issue.
Michael Lark runs the artwork in Lazarus. Simply put, I like his style and it is as enjoyable for me as the story itself. I have a few titles I am reading regularly where I am simply holding on because of the story or because of the art. I like being able to hold onto a title for both.
Forever is sent by Malcolm Carlyle (her father and the head of the Carlyle Family) to go down to Mexico to parlay proposed terms of an agreement between the Carlyle Family and the Morray Family. She has interesting interactions with Joacquim Morray, the Lazarus of the Morray Family, which might surprise people who might expect the Lazarus of one family to automatically be at odds with another. At the same time, Jonah and Johanna Carlyle continue to plot the usurping of their father while also planning to make sure their sister Forever is not a hassle to their plans. The end of the story gives us a great cliffhanger which will have me wondering what will happen until September 18, when Lazarus #4 comes out.
I remember years ago when creators used to regularly add a few pages onto their comics to give more information about their characters or the world in which their stories took place. The most popular form of this was through the answering of letters from readers. While some creators still do add a little here and there, I have been happy to see the creators of Lazarus add letters and more information about Forever’s world. This helps to make Lazarus a “total package” which should be much higher on the Diamond Top 100 list.
Hands down, comic book creators are more impressive to me than Hollywood celebrities. I have met (and interviewed) multiple Hollywood celebs over the years. I have also had the opportunity to meet (and interview and party with) many comic book creators. There are basic differences between the two types of people which stand out in my mind.
Don’t Get Me WrongI have met Hollywood celebrities which have been great people and hold many of the same qualities as most of the comic book creators I have met. Adam Baldwin, Steven Yeun, and Tony Todd are great people who have not allowed celebrity to overtake them (at least in my eyes). At the same time, I have met comic book creators which are complete [Censored]. I am just not going to name any names. For the sake of argument, though, I am lumping all Hollywood celebrities and comic book creators together.
I have always found most comic book creators are more approachable than Hollywood celebrities. If you were to try to walk up to Brad Pitt to compliment his work, chances are good he might say thanks, but would spin off to see who he could see. A comic book creator is likely to thank you, and then find out what you like about his or her work along with what your favorites are. I have had few beers with Hollywood celebrities, but have forgotten portions of the night when partying with comic book creators. Don’t believe me? Head to a comic book convention and see how the celebrities act differently than the comic book creators.
Hollywood is notorious for creating celebrities which are detached from their fans. Sure, they might pop something out on Twitter, but if you think following a star’s Twitter account is some type of actual attachment, you are sadly mistaken.
Comic book creators are more accepting of their fans for various reasons. The comic book market proves time and time again that if your product does not sell, you will not be on the block very long. Sure, there are mishaps and miscues, but the average comic book creator cannot stay around after too many failures. Because of this, comic book creators try to listen to their fans more often than Hollywood celebrities would.
Most comic book creators are fans as well. I have been at comic book conventions where mid-level creators are as nervous about meeting the A-list creators are the fans are. Comic book creators have more of a love for the genre than the average Hollywood celebrity, creators are kids and fans at heart who like to share their favored genre with others just like we do. Don’t believe me? Head to a comic book convention and see how the celebrities act differently than the comic book creators.
I have many friends who are comic book creators and have heard them say about how a particular fan really made them feel special at a convention. I have heard them talk about how they were overwhelmed by the fans over a weekend or about how they made fans into friends. Statements such as these show me how appreciative comic book creators really are of their fans. You would be hard-pressed to find a Hollywood celebrity genuinely acting the same way. Don’t believe me? Head to a comic book convention and see how the celebrities act differently than the comic book creators.
The Walking Dead Season 4 is approaching, and people are trying to predict how huge the season premiere will be. Will viewership for The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere set a new record for the show? Will it set a new record for cable? Actually, I see it as impossible to predict as there are way too many factors involved this year.
Yes, The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere will be huge. How huge will be determined by certain factors listed below.
Should there be cannibals on The Walking Dead?
The fourth season of a show is often called a “hump season.” At this point, most shows have had a declarable shark jump, but not so (that we can tell) with The Walking Dead. There are very few shows which have had a larger fourth season than third season. One easy example would be The X-Files. Even The Big Bang Theory has a drop from the third season to the fourth. We have to consider that most shows have a fall-off in viewership after the third season.
The Walking Dead should be considered with shows such as The X-Files because both shows have/had very dedicated fans who wanted to know everything possible about the show and refused to miss a week due to their dedication and the dedication of those who they talk to who also watch the show. We will see the dedication of the “deadheads” during the The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere. They will be the core audience which AMC will attempt to build on. The number of dedicated fans increases with every marathon of the show, so AMC can pad the premiere numbers a little more with a strong marathon in the upcoming weeks.
The more marketing AMC does going into the premiere, the bigger it will be. AMC and Image Comics have done great jobs so far in promoting the show. If they let up in the next eight weeks or so, the season premiere will be lacking.
The wild card which prevents us from being able to say how HUGE The Walking Dead Season 4 premiere will be is the third season finale. It was lacking in closure since The Governor is still alive and it did not give us a cliffhanger which would make us tune in this October. Rick simply letting in a bunch of old people and children did not hold a drop next to some of the cliffhangers the show has become notorious for in the past. Some disappointed fans will not be back next season. How many are disappointed enough to stay away is left to be seen.
Over the weekend at Fan Expo, Todd McFarlane talked about a new Spawn movie, and about the possibility of it starting shooting as early as next year. The thought about a new Spawn movie got me thinking about which other comic book-based movies should be remade.
New Spawn movie?
The recent Marvel movies have set the bar very high for comic book-based movies, and this has to be considered for a new Spawn movie as well as with any remade movie. When looking at most of the comic book-based movies over the years, there are very few which can hold a candle to the current Marvel movies. The easy exceptions which come to mind would be the first two Christian Bale Batman movies, Sin City, the first two Spider-Man movies, and the initial two Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. Feel free to disagree.
We all know that the Fantastic Four is being worked on for a reboot and I have heard whispers from time to time about a redone Punisher movie. In all honesty, it would be difficult to make worse movies than we have seen in the past with these titles. I see definitive action towards a new Spawn movie would be a catalyst for other comic book-based movies to be remade.
On one hand, we will have some comic book fans who will be upset that newer characters (who have not been in movies) are not being looked at. At the same time, we have the chance of finally having the movies these characters deserve. I hope to see a new Spawn movie in the future, and I hope to see some of the other poorly made comic book-based movies redone as well. As I stated before, they can’t be any worse. Just don’t remake Howard the Duck.
With all of the other news going around today (Ben Affleck, Justice League Canada), you might not have heard about Stan Lee’s reality TV show. The project is being worked on, and the great creator could not talk about much. This sounds like an interesting project.
During Fan Expo, Stan Lee “let information slip” about an upcoming reality TV show he is working on which will search for the next great comic book writers and artists out there. Contestants will be judged, and voted off when needed.
If this project comes to fruition, it will be a great opportunity for lesser-known creators to get noticed. Any opportunity for lesser-known creators to get noticed is a good thing. Even if a creator does not win, he or she might still be picked up on the open market for a particular project.
As comic book fans, we can often get pigeonholed in our reading. We might find ourselves only gravitating towards certain publishers, certain writers, or certain artists. We might only look at the comics from a particular “family” and forget that there are other titles to explore. Stan Lee’s reality TV show could open all of our eyes to new styles we had not considered before.
I am interested to see how the voting panel would be made up. Could we see reps from Marvel DC Comics, Image, and IDW share the judge’s table? Would comic book fans be able to do the voting?
At this point, I am hoping that Stan Lee’s reality TV show comes into being. It would be a great opportunity for creators, and a great opportunity for fans to be exposed to various types of creators.
Justice League Canada will be coming to store shelves next year. As someone with Canadian heritage, I can understand how those living in the land of my ancestors would be proud to have Justice League Canada…until they realize what they are getting.
Justice league Canada is coming
According to Jeff Lemire, during Toronto Fan Expo, the Justice League Canada team will be comprised of a few A-Listers, some lesser-known heroes, and a new Canadian hero. The team will come together due to the changes happening in the days following the Trinity War and Forever Evil.
While the lineup of Justice League Canada has not officially been announced yet, I have some speculations about the makeup. The team will most likely not have Batman or Superman as there would be too much upheaval in the DC Universe and fan base if Batman were taken out of Gotham and Superman was taken out of Metropolis. Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow, though, are not locked into U.S. locations, so they are all fair game.
I would not be surprised by Katana and Vibe heading to the Great White North. Personally, I would be offended if I lived in Canada and was supposed to get excited about Vibe. Oh, wait….I live outside of Detroit and am supposed to get excited about Vibe. Back to the drawing board people.
I could also see Simon Baz heading there as well. Wait, whatever possessed DC Comics to put something that looks like a ski mask on a black character? I digress.
I can see Justice League Canada having a push in Canada just like the Justice League of America had here. We will see variant covers with the flags of each Province and territory. I am sure everyone is going to clamber over Nunavut and Manitoba. The title will last six to twelve months and then disappear.
This is Mamma Yamma
Lemire (who is Canadian) will write the comic, and they are already pushing his Canadian upbringing. They are going to push that this is the best thing to happen to Canadian comics since Wolverine and Alpha Flight. There will be a new special Canadian character created for the series. My vote goes to Mamma Yamma, the talking sweet potato on Kids’ CBC.
The article I linked above on TheStar.com about Justice League Canada points out a limited number of Canadian superheroes and makes it sound like Captain Canuck, Wolverine, and Alpha Flight are Canada’s only claim to fame in the comic book character world. What about Northstar? Did they not know that Sabertooth came from Canada? How about Scott Pilgrim? Hell, what about Deadpool? Sorry, I digress again.
Whoever is added to the lineup for Justice League Canada, the title is doomed from the start. Just think about what Lemire stated in the article when he was asked where the idea came from. He said it was totally Dan DiDio who came up with the idea. Sorry Canada.
The big news last night was how Ben Affleck has been given the role of Batman for the Man of Steel sequel. I think this was a fitting decision by DC Comics and look forward to more decisions like this in the future. I love when a company proves it can be consistent.
Ben Affleck as Batman proves consistency at DC Comics
Ever since the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con International, Batman/Superman has been lauded as the greatest movie endeavor DC Comics has ever undertaken. Fans wondered if the movie could end up rivaling The Avengers and the billion dollar take the first movie had. Delivering us Ben Affleck after all of this hype is consistent to current practice at DC Comics. It is very reminiscent of how the 3D covers were hyped earlier this year and then we were told that there were not going to be enough to equate to supply and demand. In the end, we have a limited number of happy collectors and Ben Affleck as Batman.
I would have expected DC Comics and Warner Bros. to consider all of the past superhero movies made over the years while casting for the Man of Steel sequel. I would have expected them to see how certain roles were cast and how those castings impacted the market. I would have expected them to know what everyone else in the comic book industry knows – Affleck was in Daredevil and the movie is one of the worst superhero movies in the last thirty years.
Now, DC Comics has passed the blame for the lack of 3D Villain Month covers onto the printer by stating that there were not enough materials for the job. Sounds like a lack of research to me. At least they are consistent with not doing the proper research. In the end, we don’t have enough 3D Villain Month covers and Ben Affleck as Batman.
Yes, there are some running to the side of DC Comics in the “Ben Affleck as Batman” debate raging across the world, but the general consensus I saw across the comic book industry is shock and outrage among the DC Comics/Batman fans and elation among those who do not like the company. This is the same consensus which came out when the Villain Month allocation was announced. Consistency!
I do not believe Ben Affleck as a bad actor. Granted, he was in Daredevil, Gigli, Armageddon, and Jersey Girl, but he has also given great performances and given us some memorable characters. At the same time, I still see DC Comics winning in market share and dollar share in the industry during the September War. Where the consistency comes into play is that DC Comics could have done so much better if certain steps were taken. DC Comics continues to settle for “on the mountain” instead of “the top of the mountain.” I look forward to more decisions like this because I have already been prepping my “Image Bumps DC Comics Out of Top 2 in Market Share” article to come out sometime in the future. In the end, we have a poor delivery on Villain Month and Ben Affleck as Batman.
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Archie Comic Publications has been around since 1936, and has gained much strength over the years. Let’s take a look, as I continue my series on the strengths of various comic book publishers, at the strengths of Archie Comic Publications. While the company has more strengths than these, these are the ones which make the biggest impact in the market today.
The strengths of Archie Comic Publications
When you ask the average person on the street about comic book characters, most are going to mention Superman, Spider-Man, and other characters from the DC Comics Universe and Marvel Universe. Many, though, would add Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead. Archie Comic Publications can boast of the most recognizable characters outside of the Big 2.
Most comic book publishers on the market today are fairly new. Archie Comic Publications has been around since 1936 and continues to learn from mistakes. They have been thee, and they have done that.
Many in my generation (GenX) grew up reading the stories of Archie and Jughead, so it is something we can become nostalgic about and pass on to our children. Comics can be extremely violent and sexually graphic, but, as parents, we know our children will not be exposed to things they should not see within the printed pages from Archie Comic Publications. We know they are going to get a story which will teach them lessons and give them a laugh or two.
All of the major comic book publishers are trying to make it in children’s comics right now. Every month, we hear of another publisher trying to break into the growing market which targets the children of comic book readers. Archie Comic Publications has been doing this for decades. While other publishers might be making waves in the children’s market, Archie has owned the lake for years. While titles like Sonic and Megaman might be newer than most of their titles, they are still recognized by children along with the Archie comics recognized by their parents.
Archie Comic Publications has made headlines in the last few years for the incorporation of GLBT characters into their stories. This should not have been a surprise for anyone since Archie Family comics have taught about acceptance for years. While they might not have had the first LGBT characters, they have the most impactful on the market as a whole.
While many of the comic book publishing companies have great website, the Archie Comic Publications website (seen here) is the most fitting out of all of them. The bright vibrant colors, font, and pictures make a site which is instantly relatable to the types of comics they produce. It looks like a children’s site, and it should.
I have a very strong feeling that Afterlife with Archie is going to be much bigger than people are predicting. When you mix recognizable characters with zombies, you will sell comics. There will be collectors who snatch up the Afterlife with Archie issues and decide to check out to see what is currently going on in the regular comics. I would be very surprised if the new venture does not push Archie Comic Publications into the Top 10 in market share. The Big 2 are always on the brink of something big which will “change the universe.” This is Archie’s chance to shine and I have a strong feeling it will.
Archie Comic Publications has been a strong company for many generations. Their current strengths will make sure they stay strong for generations more.
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After much deliberation, I have decided on how I will personally protest the mistakes made with the 3D covers for DC Comics Villain Month and how I will protest the mistakes on this website.
Forever Evil / Villain Month
During the month of September, and DC Comics titles part of Villain Month will be expect from consideration for my Pick of the Week. This also includes Forever Evil. These will not gain a primary spot for commentary on this page. To make sure that I have a decent number of comics to read during the month, I will be taking suggestions from you as to which comics from publishers outside of DC Comics. More on that within the next few days.
I am not going to read any of the Villain Month titles during the month of September. While it was a difficult decision to come to, I am even going to be boycotting the Harley Quinn Villain Month title along with those from Justice League Dark, and the Batman Family. I am not interested in giving DC Comics any of my money during the month.
This posting is not being made to persuade you from purchasing the DC Comics Villain Month comics. It is to point out to you the steps I am taking to make sure my voice is heard by the decision makers at DC Comics. By reducing the publicity given to the company by this site, I will be countering the old adage that any publicity is good publicity. No publicity equals negativity. At the same time, not giving DC Comics the $100 some dollars I would have spent on Villain Month products also takes a stab. You are free to join in my protest, figure out your own, or completely ignore any protests and purchase whatever you want. I would never want to take your options away from you.
I am a firm believer in always having more comic book storage supplies than you currently need. I always have one empty short box I am not using, extra bags and boards waiting to be used, and extra tape. You never know when you will need them.
You Never KnowI was driving down Gratiot with my family one day and saw that a vacant shop had temporarily been turned into an estate sale. There were tons of antiques which I passed by, but my eyes caught a table with comics on it. While there were not many, my $8.00 purchase was for a few hundred dollars in comics. If I did not have extra comic book storage supplies, something might have happened to these issues between the purchase and when I could get to a store to purchase protection.
There have been times I have been called on the fly by friends and family about garage sales with comics. These instances can come up at any time, and I do not want to be caught with my pants down without enough supplies.
If you have been into Wonderworld Comics, you know that all of our comics are bagged and boarded. Most comic book stores do not do this. Since I travel around to various stores to see what they sell to improve my collection, I need extra comic book storage supplies on hand at all times.
If you do not have enough comic book storage supplies around the house, something could happen to your newly-purchased comics. Life happens. Stacks get knocked over. Drinks get spilled. Kids get excited and grab. These are some of the events comic book storage supplies attempt to protect you from. If you have been collecting for a long time, you can count at least a dozen times when you waited too long to protect your comics.
Batman and Nightwing #23 and Daredevil #30 are both Pick of the Week for me. Both stories were so strong in a similar way that it was hard to choose between the two. I tried flipping a coin, but my daughter ran into the room screaming “It hit the floor, it is mine,” and ran off with the quarter before I could see which way it landed.
Daredevil #30 and Batman and Nightwing #23 both made Pick of the Week!
Batman and Nightwing #23 obviously teams Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (I will never get used to calling him Richard), but this issue could also have been entitled Batman and Alfred. I can’t go too much into that as it would give away parts of the story. On the flip, Daredevil #30 teams Daredevil and the Silver Surfer.
Both issues are fairly contained stories. While both draw on elements from past issues in the series (in the case of the Batman title, it pulls from other Batman Family titles as well). Both could be considered as issues which could stand alone from the rest of their prospective runs as they both have a set beginning, middle, and end.
In today’s market, it is very difficult to find fully-contained stories. Many issues might have a beginning , but you have to wait until the next month for the middle and a few more months for the end of a story. Once arc storytelling took over, many comic book creators and publishers apparently forgot that you can tell a story in one issue. Both Batman and Nightwing #23 and Daredevil #30 were fresh air.
Both Batman and Nightwing #23 and Daredevil #30 are tight stories which pack a ton of information into a limited number of printed pages. Both stories are strong enough, though, that they could have been expanded into their own graphic novels. This is a compliment to the writer of Batman and Nightwing #23, Peter J. Tomassi, and to the writers of Daredevil #30, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. It is a very difficult task for a writer to create a story which leave you wanting more while satisfying you with what you received at the same time.
Both the Batman and Robin title and Daredevil have had Pick of the Week status in the past. This should tell you something. If you are not reading these titles, you should be. Batman and Nightwing #23 and Daredevil #30 are perfect spots to check out these titles if you have not.
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Someone mentioned to me the other day that they did not like seeing exceptionally expensive items at comic book conventions. He said that dealers should know that people are not going to have “thousands of dollars to bring to a show to drop on an item that costs more than the average person makes in a month.” Ahh, but there are reasons why dealers bring exceptionally expensive items to conventions.
I am not going to be talking about items which are a few hundred dollars in this article. Instead, I am going to be talking about items such as a high graded copy of Avengers #4, pre-#100 issues of Batman, or some of the rarest in toy collectibles.
Typically, dealers will bring these items in just to grab attention. These items are sometimes called “honey pots” as they will bring people in like bees. In many cases, it will be the first or only time a collector might see a prized item and is a reminded that big prizes and finds are always out there. The more people around a particular booth, the higher the chance of making a sale.
Sometimes, dealers like to intimidate each other. They like to brag about what items they have found and the deals they were able to take advantage of. If I was a dealer sitting across from one with a key expensive issue on display, I might be a little jealous. Every little chance to knock the competition off should be taken.
I have been at many conventions where I have heard about items selling for in the four to five figure range. While these are rare, a dealer with an expensive item has every chance while dealers who keep the expensive items back don’t have any chance. Maybe…today will be the day that…
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One of the hottest topics over the last few days has been the thought that Batman: The Killing Joke was supposed to be comics canon, or should not have been canon. My thought? Comics canon is only what readers consider to be comics canon.
WTF Certified: Canon
Comic book creators do not create canon. Comic book publishers do not create canon. The only ones who do are the readers collectively. There have been many times in which comic book companies have attempted to backtrack on certain aspects of created canon, but it has not worked. You, and I create canon in comics and nobody can take that away from us.
If you believe Batman actually killed Joker in the final pages of the graphic novel, good for you. I am not going to say that you are wrong because it is what you believe to be true. I might wonder how you accept that Joker continued on in the comics afterwords, but why argue? It is canon for you.
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Is there a comic book market bubble? The comic book market has grown considerably in the last few years, and there is typically a burst when markets or types of products grow too fast. Should we be concerned?
The crowds at C2E2 would be much smaller after a comic book market decline. Let’s make sure that does not ever happen.
Usually when we talk about a market bubble, we are talking about a market which has skyrocketed in recent years which is either new or saw unchecked exponential growth. The Beenie Baby market bubbled and burst because people simply realized the babies were not holding their value and were not a viable short-term or long-term investment. The sports card market bubble burst when production was much greater than demand and interested waned.
I will be the first to agree that a comic book market bubble is not impossible. We have seen near collapses of the entire industry a few times in the past when the bubbles burst. Overproduction, an unconditional push towards collectability, and drops in the importance of quality in exchange for quantity have all plagued the comic book market in the past. The problem was that these issues had gone unchecked and drove the market down.
There is a huge difference between today’s comic book market, and the comic book markets of the past. The Internet is something which can save the comic book market from a bubble burst. Sure, there were comic book industry magazines and fanzines in the past – but they could not compete with the speed or distribution of the Internet. In the old days of magazines and fanzines, a writer could write an article about an issue with the comic book industry – but it might takes months before it saw print, Even after it saw print, it might only be read by a few hundred people.
Today, a comic book market commentary can be out for the masses within minutes. Social media can be used to make the topic go viral and get thousands of fans riled up. Gone are the days when comic book shop talk is the fastest and most effective way to pass information about what is going on. Today, those discussions have gone online in article comment sections and forums.
Comic book store owners, fans, and collectors have more of a voice today than they did even five or ten years ago. Store owners realize they can speak up, as do fans and collectors. This empowerment bore this site in particular. We have stated in the past that WonderWorldComics.com is a megaphone for your voice in the comic book industry because it is read by many movers and shakers in the industry and helps in a small way to keep the market in check.
One other aspect which helps to keep comic book market in check is the continuing push in business to be so concerned about market share. While this was always a concern in business, the concern has grown more in the last few decades, and in the last ten years especially. The focus on driving market share forces publishing companies to take risks, but not to flood the market in any way. In a way, the market checks itself.
Since the days in which the publishers could work unchecked are over. Even though we might not have a comic book market bubble burst, we could easily have a decline. In fact, that decline could be pretty steep. Certain market issues such as the lack of communication from some companies, the push towards digital, the apparent dissing of collectors (which digital comics are since you can’t collect and sell them), the illegal downloading of comics, and other issues mentioned on this site could cause the market to decline. The items just mentioned in this paragraph are areas which this site has hounded on and we are still waiting for the comic book publishers to realize could hamper the market.
Moving Forward
We have to stay diligent. I love the comic book market and want to see it continue on for generations. The only way to ensure that is to make sure that every aspect of the market is checked by someone. We need to self-regulate it to make sure there is not a comic book market bubble burst ever. We all have to stay strong and remember that we have as much power as, if not more power than, the publishers.
Many people believe comic book conventions are a great place to sell-off or trade their collections or particular parts of their comic book, gaming, or toy collections. While this is viable in certain cases, there are some potential issues you should take into consideration.
Don’t AssumeDon’t automatically assume vendors are going to be interested in purchasing or trading for your product. They have product of their own they are trying to move. In most cases, their primary concern will be taking care of the shoppers at their booths. They might not be interested in looking at what you have when they have to make sales and make sure people are not walking off with product.
Respect the Vendors
Some vendors are just not interested in buying or trading at a convention. Respect that and move on to another table. Don’t try to sell your item to a person who does not want to buy.
Don’t run up to a vendor to attempt to sell or trade right when the doors first open at a convention. He or she is waiting to be overwhelmed with guests and will be making sure everything is in order and in place. Let alone the fact that the vendor might not have any extra cash on hand since nothing has sold for the day.
Don’t go up to a booth at a comic book convention to sell or trade items when there are excess customers shopping. The vendor is going to be more concerned at that point with protecting product and making money.
Don’t try to sell or trade at a comic book convention when a vendor is eating. At some conventions, vendors have to eat when and where they can. This might be the only five to ten minutes he or she has to relax and recharge before the next rush comes in.
All comic book conventions have slow times. Try at the end of a day or during the first few hours on Sunday. These are typically the slowest times and vendors will have extra cash as long as the convention has been successful.
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Anger is raging across the comic book community due to the Villain Month allocation by DC Comics. A few days ago, I gave a few theories about what could have caused the Villain Month allocation. Let’s take a look at the Villain Month allocation timeline, take a look at the problem, and delve into some of the possible outcomes the market may/will face.
The real villains of Villain Month?
DC Comics made the initial (and official) announcement about Villain Month at the DC Comics Road Show. Remember, that was the road show to meet with retailers but bypassed most of the retailers in the country…but I digress. At the time, DC Comics pushed Villain Month as one of the hottest events of the year and shed light on the 3D motion covers which would drive collectors crazy with anticipation.
At the Retailer Lunch at San Diego Comic Con International, DC Comics Senior Vice President: Sales, Bob Wayne announced that the DC Comics orders for the 3D motions covers had gone out the week before and for retailers to get their orders in as soon as possible. He encouraged retailers to “up” their orders. He also announced that “slight allocations might occur” during Villain Month. This was the first hint at a Villain Month allocation. Dennis, the co-owner of Wonderworld Comics, was at the Retailer Lunch and stated that he had “total faith that Bob Wayne would not under order and that Wayne would know to increase orders to equal demand”
Dan DiDio (Co-Publisher at DC Comics) reportedly told some retailers that there would be a Villain Month allocation and that it could be between 10-40% for certain titles. At this point, there was not an official announcement which went out to retailers, only stories quoting DiDio on select websites.
FOC is an ordering term which relates to the last Monday retailers can adjust their orders for a particular upcoming week. Monday August 5, 2013 was the last day retailers had to adjust their orders for the first week of Villain Month. While there were rumors about a Villain Month allocation, nothing was officially released from DC Comics about any changes.
On August 6, retailers, readers, and collectors officially learned that there would be 2D covers for the Villain Month comics. At the time, I believed that the $2.99 cover-priced-issues were becoming available for those readers who did not want the motion covers or for those of us who wanted to read the story inside without potentially damaging the issue.
In the late afternoon on Friday, August 9, retailers across the country received an email confirming the Villain Month allocation. They were told that they only had until Monday, August 12, to get their orders in for the 2D covers they wanted to fill in the gap from the allocated 3D covers.
Over the next weekend, retailers scrambled to try to figure out what to do about the Villain Month allocation. Retailers only had a matter of days to review and reformulate the Villain Month plans they had worked on over the summer. More on the problems this caused and the potential outcomes this could cause in a few moments.
This past Monday, the FOC went out and retailers had to confirm the number of 2D covers they will be ordering in replacement of the 3D covers they were expecting. DC Comics announced that retailers can order as many 2D covers as they want as they will be fully returnable. DC Comics also begins letting retailers know that the Villain Month allocation is happening because of a production issue caused by the lack of materials for the 3D covers.
Of course, the 2D covers are a fix for the Villain Month allocation, but not a significant fix. DC still has weeks before the third and fourth weeks of Villain Month covers have to be shipped. Other possible solutions include finding another company to make the 3D covers or figure out a solutions such as postponing certain shipments until orders can be fulfilled.
The Villain Month allocation is not only the biggest comic book news story of this month or this year. This is one of the biggest upsets and catastrophes in the history of the comic book industry. DC Comics wanted to make waves with Villain Month. The Titanic made a lot of waves too when it hit the iceberg. One day we will look back on the Villain Month allocation and say “That was when DC…”
I was asked an interesting question yesterday which many of you might not know the answer to. I am paraphrasing by saying the question was, “Why did so many creators in the 1960s use pennames instead of their own names?”
The HistoryBefore we had comics, we had the pulps. These short story magazines paved the way for the medium we have grown to lover over the years. While many adults and children read pulps, there was a certain stigma which hung over the heads of the writers and artists used in these magazines. Publishers outside of the pulp market believed that pulp writers wrote schlock which was simply used to fill the pages of the pulps. These publishers grouped writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith with the people who popped out whatever they could simply to make a paycheck.
This stigma continued for short story publication writers into the 1950s and 1960s. Writers such as Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke and Fritz Leiber were overlooked for a long time because they wrote for these smaller publications.
When comics first came out, they were geared towards children. The “funny books” gained the same type of stigma as the short story magazines which were disappearing each month for newsstands. Many comic book creators did not want the chance of losing out on a job opportunity at a non-comics company so they used pennames. According to the book The Ten Cent Plague, many creators kept their work from their families so they did not have to deal with the social stigma at home.
Don’t forget, the comic book market gained another stigma during the congressional investigations. If you were a creator who was looking for money, would you want to be associated with a market which Congress kept a watchful eye on?
By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the comic book market had taken off and on their way to becoming a respectable form of entertainment and learning. The pennames were dropped in many cases as creators realized they had a future in the medium or could at least show off what they could do in the confines of the printed pages.
Zenescope Entertainment is a company which is often overlooked by many comic book readers, but there are certain strengths the company has which should not be overlooked. Even though the sales of the Zenescope titles have not placed the company in the Top 10 in market share, its strengths should not be ignored as they could help to lead the company down the path to more success in the future. So continues my series on the strengths of certain comic book publishing companies.
Zenescope has strengths which should not be overlooked
Most comic book publishing companies struggle for years to figure out their niche or to try to encompass every niche market possible to improve their sales. In the long run, many companies miss the boat because they are too concerned about the waters. Not true for Zenescope.
Darkness, dark humor, playful horror, graphic violence, and sexuality are the first words that come to mind when I think about Zenescope. These make up the niche market which Zenescope has become successful with. There is a strong market for these areas in comics and the company has been able to build on its niche with titles such as Grimm Fairy Tales and Wonderland. Some readers might state that most of the titles from the publisher are under the Grimm Fairy Tales or Wonderland names, but why veer from what works? It works for Marvel (X-Men, Avengers) and DC Comics (Batman Family, Superman Family, Green Lantern Family), so why not a smaller publisher? Of course, there are other strong titles outside of these groupings such as Robyn Hood which have gained their own followings.
I see Zenescope as one of the forerunners for reopening the variant market. While the variant market has been present for a long time, it took a lull for many years and is in full force now and strong then it has ever been. The Zenescope fans who would travel around from convention to convention to snatch up every single Grimm Fairy Tales variant proved that the market was ripe again for variants and that more publishers should explore the market.
A few years ago, I wrote an article for a major website pointing out how Grimm Fairy Tales is one of the truest and purest interpretations of the Brothers Grimm’s work. Of course, many of the stories in the comic are set in a newer or varied age, but they exude the sexuality, dark humor, playful horror, and violence of the original work. Most people don’t realize that the original tales were not written for children. They were originally written for adults and then adapted for children. From a literary prospective, Zenescope is right on the mark with GFT.
How many times have you seen a comic book cover and automatically said “That looks like a Zenescope cover?” The sexuality and sensuality portrayed in the publisher’s covers have become synonymous with the publisher and worked as a calling card. Other publishers who use similar covers are automatically grouped in with Zenescope or compared to it.
The publisher has also ventured into the licensing market with titles such as Charmed, Final Destination, and Se7en. This is significant because the smaller publisher was able to sell itself to those who owned these rights. This takes a few links out of the armor of the larger companies who wished they would have gotten the rights instead.
Grimm Fairy Tales: The Animated Series, Wonderland, and The Piper are all being pursued for television deals. These are huge for a smaller publishing company such as Zenescope. If even one deal can be landed, Zenescope could be skyrocketed in market share and the company could become one which makes those at the top of the ladder nervous. I can’t wait to see what surprises the future holds for the company.
The Strengths of Marvel Comics
I cannot sit here in good conscious and give you a Pick of the Week this week. It is not due to my coming back from vacation (remember that I had a Pick of the Week during my vacation). It is not because I am current disgruntled about the Villain Month allocation. It is because I found myself saying “Meh” after every comic from my pull was read.
Why the Meh?This is a transitional month in comics. I have found August as being a bit of a downer month for the last few years because of the September War when the publishers try to do everything they can to pad their sales in September to take some of the attention away from how Image will be the talk of the town in October with the release of the new season of The Walking Dead. Each issue I read either tried too hard, lacked a reason to come back, or just fell short in the story.
Marvel is building up to X-Men: Battle of the Atom and DC Comics is building up to Villain Month and Forever Evil. Right now, the X-Men titles are all working towards telling the story leading up to the great battles they will have during the September War. DC Comics is trying to give some extra story to hold people over past the hiatus which most titles will be taking as we pass through Villain Month. Some comics will take more than a one month storyline hiatus as many DC Comics titles will have a Batman: Year One crossover after Villain Month.
On the Trinity War side, Justice League of America #7 was a bit of a downer because it was a middle issue where certain subplots had to be tied up and the story progressed with little action. This is typical for middle issues, but it was something I was hoping could have been handled better since the Trinity War was built up as a major battle series. Of course, what we have been promised in battles has not come to pass.
The X-Files: Season 10, Constantine, Suicide Squad, Uncanny X-Men, and even Batman were also letdowns this week as publishers attempted to hold stories or transition between one series to the next.
On a positive side, I finally got to try out Miss Fury #1 and found it intriguing. I will have to pick up some more of the issues to see how the story is going. While it was the best “new” comic I read this week, I could not name a Pick of the Week on a comic which is a few months old.
Hopefully, I can have a strong Pick of the Week next week. All I need is for the publishers to deliver. I know there are many other comics coming out this week, but they are not regulars for me. I have heard great things about Infinity, but, as you might know, I am not one for cosmic storytelling.
Tuesday, 8/13/2013, will be the last day you can use the WONDERCO coupon code in the Wonderworld Comics Amazon store. This will be the last chance you have to get the great collectibles we have online at $25% off. Remember, the discount does not apply to taxes and shipping fees. How much money will you save in the next few days?
As a comics noob, I’ve run into a few walls here and there in finding things that I enjoy reading. I’m enjoying the current run of Captain America in all of its weirdness, and I was able to pick it up from the first issue. I’ve also picked up the current run of X-Men, Avengers Arena, and Red Sonja, from the first issues. I’m sure most of the readers on this site aren’t comic noobs, but you can read this for the sheer factor of watching a new comic reader blossom and learn as she goes.
I read the current run of Hawkeye in the first volume of the trade that Marvel released, and I loved it. I wasn’t sure if I should continue by picking up additional issues, or if I should just wait for the next trade. This was problematic because 1.) I couldn’t remember which issue ended volume one, and 2.) I didn’t know when the next trade would be released. Obviously, this is information you can get from your friendly comic book store proprietors. And the Internet. But I’m sometimes lazy.
I ended up waiting for the second volume of Hawkeye to come out, and I’m glad I did. I like the feel of a trade better than single issues, and I like the lack of advertising. I hate advertisements with the passion of a thousand fires. But I also like Hawkeye enough to now switch to the single issues, because if I have to wait six more months to find out what happens, I may literally rip my hair out. So, single issues it is. Same for Saga. I. Cannot. Wait. For. More.
On the other hand, I’m also reading Morning Glories, which I enjoy, but I’m not hugely engaged with it. It’s a nice sort of side-read. I don’t mind waiting for trades for Morning Glories because if I were to get the single issues, I’d just have to go back and read the three issues before the current one to remember what the hell was happening.
My cousin wants to start collecting The Walking Dead single issues, numbers 1 through 100, simply to say he has them. He just wants that collection to hold on to. He’s really passionate about it, and I almost feel bad for him because it’s going to cost him a fortune in time and money to find what he’s looking for. So, if you’re a collector or you like the satisfaction of having an intact collection, definitely go for single issues. My cousin is really annoyed with himself that he didn’t start his collection from the beginning, so I guess it’s nice to have that foresight going into a series.
I think I’ll be glad I have the single issues of Captain America. Not for actual monetary value, assuming they ever have any, but because I can look at my collection and have a little smile and think to myself, “Hey, this is what you started out with. Remember?” So here’s how I’ve decided to tackle my own comic collecting:
1.) Always pick up the first issue if it’s a series you think you’ll love.
I’ll give a series 3-5 issues. If I’m not feeling it after 5 issues, but still want to read, I’ll wait for the trades from there on out. It’s less costly and I obviously don’t enjoy the series or the run of the series enough to want each issue as it comes out.
2.) If you just have to see the letters pages, pick up any single issues you can.
There are no advertisements splitting up the action in trades, but there are also no letters pages, which can sometimes be disappointing, depending on what you’re reading. And when those letters pages can have sketches from fans and really insightful info, you’re missing out.
3.) If it’s an older story, just get the trade.
Seriously, who has the time or money to get every single issue of Preacher? I sure as hell don’t, and I love the story. Trades it is.
Do you have your own way to decide between single issues and trades? Any tips or tricks for the comics newcomer? Leave it in a comment!
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How much room does the TV market have for TV shows based on comic books? More TV shows based on comics books are slated for the next few years, but should we be worried right now about market inundation? Can the public support a high number of TV show based on comic books? For this article, we are going to look primetime TV, and not afternoon animated shows as those have been on the market for decades.
The Walking Dead
Let’s take a look at the current, and upcoming TV shows based on comic books. We have Season 4 of The Walking Dead and Season 2 of Arrow. Within weeks, we will have the premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and have told about the strong possibilities of Thief of Thieves and Flash.
Don’t worry about immediate inundation as it takes a year or two to get a new TV show off the ground. It could be a few years until the comic book market has a firm presence in the primetime TV market. There could come a day when we look to television and realize the market is saturated with TV shows based on comic books and that the market could be ready to burst. I just don’t see that happening in the next year or two.
Even though reality TV has passed its prime, there are still very many on TV. The same could be said for contestant shows such as American Idol and AGT. While these shows might not be pulling the numbers they once did, they are still strong. Essentially, even if the comic book-based market ballooned, it might still hold strength for a long time.
I remember when I worked for a few sites analyzing the television market and realized that whenever the market is in a state of flux (between one type of dominant show and another), game shows would flood the market. Note the high number of them right now. I see the network execs just waiting for TV shows based on comic books to take off.
Comic books might be superhero-heavy, but the market is still diversified in other areas. As long as the TV shows based on comics show diversification, the market should stay strong. If we see too many TV shows based on comic books take on a superhero theme, the market could go down quick. We can still have our heroes, but those with super powers could drag the market down. Rick and his crew from The Walking Dead and Oliver Queen from Arrow were strong starters, but we cannot have too many men running around in tights if we want the market to stay strong. As long as the diversity is kept, we could realistically have market dominance.
As I stated before, it takes about a year to two to get most TV shows through production. With all of the networks tripping over each other to get comic book-based TV shows, we might not find an issue until around 2015/16 TV season. As someone who loves the comic book medium, I am looking forward to seeing how the networks deal with TV shows based on comic book and hope they don’t screw it up.
DC Comics has not produced enough of the 3D Villain Month comics, and has initiated what some are referring to as the Villain Month allocation. Simply put, most retailers are not going to receive all of the issues they ordered. In many cases (including with the case of our Detroit area comic book store), stores will receive less copies than they would in a normal order of a particular title outside of the Villain Month allocation. This has to lead me to two possible theories.
Maybe we should refer to DC Comics as Dunce Cap Comics. One particular theory we could point to for the Villain Month allocation is that DC Comics was simply naïve to how much demand there would be for the 3D Villain Month issues. This is horrible to think about because it would mean that the publisher did not have faith in the promotion and that it did not believe collectors and readers would be as interested in the Villain Month issues as in the regular issues. If this is true, people should be fired for poor planning. To this point, I have not heard about anyone being fired, so I must consider the other option.
The other theory is that they printed too few of the 3D Villain Month covers with the intent of instituting a Villain Month allocation. Maybe the DC should stand for Deceptive Campaign.
There are two possible reasons I could see for this. The first is that the hardcover coming out in December might be less expensive for DC Comics to produce and create higher margins. That would mean that we are being led by a string to purchase a $150 coming out later this year.
The other possible reason for forcing a Villain Month allocation would be to try to push digital comics. DC Comics could easily press through social media that since the Villain Month issues are sold out, readers who want to read what is happening should download the digital versions of the issues. Since DC Comics cannot cut enough into the market with digital content, they will try to force the issue during the September War.
No matter which reason for the Villain Month allocation is the correct one, retailers, Diamond Comics, collectors, and readers all get screwed. Retailers are going to have to deal with angry customers who don’t understand why there is not enough product to fit demand. Diamond is screwed over because it has to deal with angry retailers who want more product. Collectors are screwed because digital comics don’t hold any value and do not increase over time. Comic book readers are screwed because they are being forced into a medium which has so far, proven it does not work well in the comic book market.
If I were an investor in DC Comics, I would feel screwed as well. DC Comics should be focused on making as much money as possible. Stupidity and coercion to not make for a profitable company.
Everyone connected to comics should backlash in some way against DC Comics. How people should backlash is up to each person, but a message needs to get across to DC Comics that we are not happy. I am currently considering a few options for this site during the September War to get the point across to DC Comics which I will tell you about in the upcoming weeks. I am not happy with the Villain Month allocation, and you should be raving mad as well.
I say the real villain of Villain Month is DC Comics.
What if the Phantom Stranger never existed? Yesterday, I told you how Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 was my Pick of the Week, but I also told you that there was something about the issue I would comment on today. The final panels of the issue showed one of the most historically binding moves ever taken.
The Phantom Stranger
In The Phantom Stranger #11, the main character, Batman, Katana, and Deadman attempt to draw Doctor Light out of Heaven. If Doctor Light was alive again, Superman could not be guilty for his murder. Living up to his word, the Archangel Zauriel ceased the existence, past existence, and memory of the Phantom Stranger for attempting to pull another soul out of Heaven.
In this article, I am going to assume religion because Judeo Christian beliefs are weaved into the mythology of the DC Universe. Any statement of religion, and “religious history,” is not an attempt to make you believe. The statements are meant to flow with the assumed history of the DC Universe and particular characters.
Remember, the Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot and is forced to travel until his debt of sin is paid. If Judas did not exist, there would not have been someone to hand Jesus over to the Sanhedrin. This would mean Jesus would not have been able to carry out His destiny and would have died being recognized as a prophet and not the Son of God.
Since Jesus simply died as a prophet, it would mean that the Apostles and other followers would not have had the same drive to spread the Gospels around the world. The Holy Spirit would not have come to them on Pentecost (since there would not have been a Pentecost). No force to spread the Word – no major push for Christianity.
Christianity teaches that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and reopened the gates of Heaven. If Jesus did not die in a torturous way, it would mean that the gates of Heaven had not been opened. This would mean that all of the dead would wait in Purgatory for the Messiah to open the gates to Eternal Salvation.
If the spread of Christianity never happened, it would mean the Emperor Constantine never unified the Roman Empire through monotheism. He would not have created the Holy Roman Empire using the power of Christianity to strengthen his empire. He did so in the real world because his empire had become too spread out and was falling apart. If the Phantom Stranger never existed, the Reich that was the Holy Roman Empire never existed either.
The next big issue comes in 1096. If there is no Christian Church unifying Europe, who would have fought in the First Crusade? There would not have been one and the Ottoman Empire would have spread across the Middle East and eventually Europe and Africa. The Muslim religion would have spread unabated by Christianity and would probably have been the dominant religion of the modern world.
If Rome did not have the central power of the world through the Christian Church, the world’s banking system would not have evolved the way it did. The Medici, Bardi, and Peruzzi families would not have developed the banking system we have today. The Knights Templar would not have had the power from the Church to create the loan system which they developed over the years. Without an expansionist banking system, the world would have stayed in the Middle Ages.
Another debatable point would be the lack of science if the Ottoman Empire would have spread without the existence of the Phantom Stranger. The Middle East now, which is essentially the remnants of the Ottoman Empire (especially in Iran), we don’t see the evolution of science. Without the Phantom Stranger in the world, we should not expect science to have developed as an oppressive fundamentalist government does not encourage the free thinking science needs.
If the Phantom Stranger (Judas Iscariot) never existed, we would have never gotten out of the Middle Ages. The Justice League should all be wearing armor and meeting in castles. Bruce Wayne would not be rich which would mean that Batman would not have the cool toys he does. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the upcoming pages of the Trinity War. Either way, I am sure someone over at DC Comics did not do their homework.
Nothing (including vacation) could keep me from declaring Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 as my Pick of the Week! As with a few previous picks, there is something I need to discuss in greater detail, but I will save that article until tomorrow as to not spoil it for anyone. There are many points, though, that I can hint to without giving the story away.
Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 is my Pick of the Week!
As you can see on the cover of The Phantom Stranger #11, the main players in this story include the Phantom Stranger, Batman, Katana, and Deadman. Don’t worry, the focus of the issue is shared between all four characters.
The foursome travels into Heaven in order to find clues as to what is happening to Superman. It is interesting to see the New 52 version of Heavern (well, versions).
This single issue makes one of the most interesting single issue shots I have read this year. It explores some new aspects of secondary characters such as Katana and Deadman. At the same time, it gives a glimpse into Batman’s psyche which is sure to be discussed and referenced for many years. The issue also shows why the Phantom Stranger is more important of a character than many give him credit for. If you are a Batman fan, you should pick up this issue for the interesting glimpse into the character’s soul.
There is a question which is posed in The Phantom Stranger #11 which needs to be explored on multiple levels. Since I am writing this on New Comic Day, I will save my exploration until tomorrow. It is important enough to be added onto tomorrow’s plate. Just don’t tell my wife I am hiding away writing while on vacation.
Bleeding Cool is reporting that Dan DiDio of DC Comics has warned retailers at Boston Comicon that they will not be getting as many Villain Month issues as they were expecting during the September War. The allocation could be as high as 40% in some cases. I had such high hopes for DC Comics during the September War, but this announcement is just discouraging.
Forever Evil / Villain Month
Villain Month is not only supposed to be the biggest event for DC Comics this year, it has been pointed to as the biggest event of the year in comics. I would go as far as to say that it is one of the Top 5 biggest events in comics in the last five years. With all of the attention being paid to Villain Month, DC Comics should not have problems keeping up with orders.
It has been my understanding that DC Comics put the Villain Month issues into production before the month was officially announced. Even if I am wrong, the issues started printing before the orders were placed. If DC Comics is going to hype a particular comic or grouping of comics, it better be sure it has enough to equal out, or at least come close to equaling out, demand.
In my mind, the allocation for Villain Month equals out to a complete failure on the part of planning. DC Comics is telling the world that it expected Villain Month to be great, but not as great as it was promoting it to be.
DC Comics is handing a huge headache to retailers by forcing an allocation. I can see stores with lines down the street during the Wednesday openings as comic book readers and collectors push to get all of the issues they want. I can see phones ringing off the hook at some locations which have to tell their disappointed customers that they did not receive all of the issues ordered and having to take the brunt of anger which DC Comics should be dealing with. Remember, comic book stores often deal with the backlash against publishers, but should not have to.
Even with the allocation, I still see DC Comics coming out on top of the unit’s sold and dollars sold charts. I still see DC Comics taking a lead for the month in market share. I just don’t see them taking a dominant lead in either. Sure, they will be above Marvel by a few percentage points, but not the double point leads I was initially expecting with Villain Month. DC Comics should still win the September War with Villain Month and Forever Evil. They just won’t slaughter the competition.
For some reason, the comic book market is becoming inundated with giant books! They are taking over and have the chance of clogging shelves across the country! Who are these books best for??
WTF Certified
There is a new omnibus for this comic, and a new “master collection” for that one. There is a new “complete collection” for this comics, and a new “giant-sized essential” for that one. From Chew to Villain Month, to Grimm Fairy Tales, the giant books with 500-1,400 pages are taking over.
Outside of the giant Villain Month book coming out by Christmas, the giant books don’t appear to be the best purchase for new readers. You know what you are getting into with the Villain Month book, but what about with comes you have not read yet? Let’s say you want to give a particular comic title a try. Let’s say all of your friends are saying that you are going to love it. You should fight the temptation are try it out with a few issues or with a smaller trade than investing $50-$150 off the start. If you drop all of that money and don’t like the comic, how many times are you going to drop a ton of money on one book in the future?
By new readers, I am talking about people who are just starting out in comics. They might be on their first trip or second trip to a comic book store. Dropping $100 or more for one book is a little silly to me. Many people will disagree on this with me, but hear me out for a second. If new readers drop $100 or more on a book and don’t like it, why would they come back to comics? A huge hit like this might discourage them in the future.
These books are perfect for readers who want to eliminate a hefty number of books from their collections. These are also for people who know a particular title and are comfortable with it. Would I purchase one of these giant books if it were for Batman? Probably. Would I purchase one of these books for a character I just began to follow? Probably not.
These giant books are not going to go into huge production, so some might see a decent increase in value. Also, since they are so big, they are going to take excess damage over time. This could drive up the collector’s market on them. How many copies are going to look like they are in mint condition after two or three years? Very few.
If you are looking for a Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review, you came to the right place. So, I spent a few hours last night playing Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2, and I have to say that the new season of the game is living up to most of my hopes and expectations, but falls short in a few areas.
The WonderWorldComics Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review is out!
Odd that I would start out with talking about the music during my Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review, but I have to. Music needs to set the music for a game or an adventure; the new music does that. While listening to the new music, I get brief thoughts of the original Superman movie, Luke standing on the hill looking at the twin suns, Elliot and E.T. flying past the moon, the closing credits of Indiana Jones, the moments before a James Bond action sequence, and points of dread I a Jaws movie. The hints in the music are perfect and make me want to play the new levels.
I really like the way allows you to work towards two goals at one time. That helps out and prevents you from having to redo the same level over and over again. At the same time, the constant bonus awards pushes you to go further. To this point, I have unlocked five of the stages in the chapter and seen only goals which are not too time consuming or difficult. Since there are many difficult things which need to be done for full completion of a chapter, it is good that the smaller goals are easier.
The new levels hold a challenge, but they are easier than I was hoping they would be – even on Challenge Mode. When you first start out a new level, you compete it at normal level. To accomplish one of the main goals for the chapter, you have to go back and finish the level in Challenge Mode. I like this new addition, but so far the levels are still a little too easy for me (Level 190 with most of my characters at level 12).
I am so-so on the new bosses. The top level bosses were all used in the first season and third-string characters such as Sugar Man had to be brought out. While it is interesting to see them being used, it feels like the creators were forced to come up short in this area. The fact that Sugar Man is about as difficult as Baron Zemo , this strikes me as odd. If there were great bosses left over from the first string, this part of my Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review would have been better.
Another high point in this Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review, is the rewards. I spoke already about the constant rewards, but having the subsections (such as Heroic Battles) allows for more types of rewards and more rewards. I cannot be upset with more awards. Getting new costumes for completion is awesome.
For me, this section of the Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review is positive, but it might be a negative for newer players. Since I have been playing for over a year, I have most of the characters available in the game. Completing side missions is easy since I have most of the needed characters. Someone who is new would not and would take a much longer time to complete each level, stage, or chapter.
Overall, for my Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review, I would have to give the game an 8 out of 10. If there were better bosses left over for the second season, if it was not so lengthy for newer players, and the new bosses were not ridiculously strong for who they were – my Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2 review would have probably peaked out.
To read up about most of the changes, check out the Marvel Avengers Alliance app page on Facebook.
