Category: Detroit Area Comic Book Store

Who is Larry Poupard from WonderWorldComics?

When I published Kelly and JD’s bios, a handful of you sent me messages asking if I was going to publish mine. Well, you wanted a bio for Larry Poupard, now you have it.

Larry Poupard

Larry Poupard

Larry Poupard, the Writer

Some of you know my history of writing. Prior to joining WonderWorldComics and turning it into a comic book news and information site, I was a freelance writer. My major clients have included Yahoo!, CNN, Dodge, AOL, and Men’s Magazine. I spent time as a travel writer, an event reviewer, a news commentator, movie reviewer, and analyst. My favorite niche was writing about the history and symbolism of the horror industry and comic book industry. These are two areas of which I hold I high level of passion for.

Larry Poupard, the Geek

Where do I start when talking about my geeky life? I am an avid fan of classic Dungeons & Dragons, World of Darkness, and G.U.R.P.S. I have collected classic gaming books for years. It may have been a long time since I played, but I still enjoy reading those old books.

Of course, you know about my passion for comics and comic book history. I love hearing about older storylines people remember and how they interpreted what they read. I think my passion for comics comes from how ten people can read the same comic and all have ten different interpretations of the same characters or story.

Some of you might have known about my passion for horror, but it is almost as equal to the level of passion I have with comics and classic gaming. I have lectured on the history, significance, and symbolism of horror. My favorite writer is easily H.P. Lovecraft followed by many of the other authors who added to the Cthulhu Mythos over the year.

Larry Poupard’s Favorite Reads Right Now

While I have more comics that I read each month, these are my personal favorites. They are not in any particular order:

Batman

Batman and Robin (or whoever in the hell he is teaming with this month)

Hoax Hunters (surprised?)

Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger

Justice League Dark

Suicide Squad

All New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men (two sides of the same story, both sides awesome)

Dislikes:

Superman (surprised?)

Digital comics (oh, you didn’t know about that? Give me an hour)

The perception that digital comics are the end of print comics (not while I can breathe)

The word “slacks”

Crossovers that force me to ready comics I don’t want to buy to get the full story

Unending lines of crossovers

People who think there is something wrong with adults reading comics

People who stand in line for a superhero movie who think they can tell you the entire damn story of a character even though he/she has never read the comic and would not understand the true significance of a character if it were to slap him or her.

Who is JD Stockman?

[I am continuing the series started yesterday which will introduce you to the contributors on WonderWorldComics.com. You will note that so far, I am building a team with different strengths and interests.]

Greetings! I am JD Stockman: I am a student of life, an artist (professionally in tattoos), a writer, and a commentator. I’ve worked with Yahoo! for a few years; writing human interest, equal rights, science, philosophy, and education pieces mostly. If I were to identify my geekdom, I’d have to say I am a fan of other people’s fandom, mostly. I’ve long been an admirer of cosplay and the independent comic gone pro.

JD Stockman

JD Stockman

I also take a great deal of interest in the human quality of fiction, as well as whether or not the writers have struck it well. I enjoy a story that gives me enough fantasy to get lost in and enough reality to suspend my disbelief. Big sellers for me showcase the highs and lows of humanity.

One of my biggest pet peeves that seems to occur with greater frequency is the urge to retrofit the continuity of entire comic companies; and not always for good reason.

I am an avid reader, not collector. I don’t much care for slews of loose comic issues laying around; and that will become evident when you see my “must read” list below.

I love how comics are invading the rest of the media, but lets face it: DC is where you go for cartoons, Marvel is where you go for movies. Video game finally really caught on in the last few years; and for the record- I will kick all your asses with Auqaman on “Injustice”.

Finally, protests of “movies not being true to the comic” are met with scoffs that you should quit whining. Never in the history of movies has a book – comic or otherwise – translated exactly. That said, the industry does owe an apology for X-Men, Spider-Man, and Blade 3; Ghostrider, Bat-nipples, Daredevil,or Catwoman.

Likes:

Most comic movies, all of DC Animation properties, Wolverine, Batman, Spider Jerusalem, modern mythology, (eventual) aging of a universe, updating characters for modern times (not to be mistaken for retro-continuity), story legacy, Christoper Nolan, Venture Bros.

Hates:

Superman, commercially beating dead horses, endless or back-to-back company-wide story arcs, retro-continuity, “forever 21” characters, transparent plot devices, Rob Liefeld, Catwoman (movie), X-Men 3, Wolverine: Origins (comic or movie), Marvel Anime, tripping at the finish line of awesome story arcs.

JD’s Priority Reads:

Transmetropolitan

Superman for all Seasons (and I hate Superman, so take this seriously)

Astro City: Life in the Big City

Daredevil: Guardian Devil

Kabuki

V is for Vendetta

Watchmen

World War Hulk

Identity Crisis

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Who is this Kelly Jackson You Speak Of?

[I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Kelly Jackson. She will be contributing to WonderWorldComics. She wrote a short piece to introduce herself.]

Kelly Jackson. The latest contributor to WonderWorldComics.com

Kelly Jackson. The latest contributor to WonderWorldComics.com

I’m new to comic books. Or at least a newly-returned comic book reader. Let’s just say, it’s been awhile and I’m completely not up-to-speed on anything other than the current Marvel movies.

Don’t hate me. Academia swallowed me whole.

The upshot of this is that I’m a graduate student in culture studies, which basically means that if something affects American culture in even the most infinitesimal way, I like to study it and write about it. I’ve written academic articles on patriarchy in paranormal romance novels, rape culture in young adult literature, and the portrayal of women in horror movies centering around demonic possession. And now, I want to write on a subset of culture that is becoming so prevalent, it is now impossible to ignore: Geek Culture.

Geek Culture is something to celebrate, as far as I’m concerned. For too long, cosplayers and Comic Con goers have been seen as the lepers of modern society, and that’s finally changing. With shows like The Big Bang Theory raking in the ratings and the revival of the Star Trek enterprise (pun intended), it’s no surprise that Geek Culture is simply becoming American culture. With this comes an important area of study for me: the portrayal of women in Geek Culture.

I have plenty to say about women in movies and TV shows, and I can get to that in another article at some other time. For now, I want to take a quick look at women in comic books. That’s a huge topic, I know, so I want to start simply.

I am in love with Hawkeye. And if you think I mean Clint Barton, you’re wrong; I’m talking about Kate Bishop. Now I won’t claim to be an expert on Kate or Hawkeye; I’ve only read the first volume of Hawkeye’s contemporary storyline. But from a preliminary standpoint, I can say a few things that make Kate Bishop downright badass:

1.)    Kate is intelligent and witty. Her banter with Clint is top-notch and she can obviously hold her own. Also, her reference to Domitian made my Classics-loving heart soar.

2.)    Kate doesn’t really need saving; Kate does the saving. The only instance of Kate being saved is after she ties up Madame Masque, pretends to be her to get a sensitive tape out of the wrong hands and thereby save Clint’s ass, and is discovered at an inopportune moment by one of Madame Masque’s guards. And even then, she’s technically saved by Maria Hill, without whom, Clint would have been mincemeat.

3.)    Kate may be spoiled, but she’s genuinely good-hearted and she obviously cares about Clint, and it’s not because she idolizes him. She respects him and he respects her in return.

4.)    Kate kicks ass.

My only critique of Kate is in the one comic where I’ve seen her Hawkeye costume, and this is a critique on the artists, not the character.

Can we please not put women in completely unrealistic crime-fighting outfits? Why in the hell would a master archer leave her midriff bare? Kate’s obviously a relatively skilled tactician, and she proves to be a pretty awesome leader; it makes literally zero sense for her costume to have the stomach cut out of it. If anything, that part of her would be protected. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there are some pretty vital organs in that area.

However. Costume aside. Kate is a fantastic character and, I think, a wonderful role model for young girls. She’s fit, she’s intelligent, she’s funny, and she’s strong (both emotionally and physically). I cannot wait to see/read more of her, and I definitely can’t wait to read more comics with some strong, kickass women!

Introducing Our New Cosplay Photo Gallery!

Introducing the WonderWorldComics Cosplay Gallery! Many of you have asked for a cosplay gallery on the site, so I am happy to oblige!

C2E2 Cosplay

C2E2 Cosplay

When looking for cosplay pictures, some readers have stated that they do not want to search the site for cosplay pictures WonderWorldComics has taken at various conventions around the country. To bypass this issue, I have created a gallery of cosplay pictures which will be updated with pictures from any convention this site attends.

New pictures will automatically be placed at the top of the page so that you do not have to search the page for something new every time you want to see what pictures we have. Of course, you can always go through the site at your leisure to remind yourself of some of the beautiful costumes (and women and men) we have taken pictures of over the course of our coverage.

WonderWorldComics continues to grow at a lightning pace and is quickly becoming one of the top sources for comic book news and information. Want something else on the site? Let me know. I will do my best to try to work in your requests.

You can view the Cosplay Photo Gallery by selecting the tab above or by following this link.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus – Gems of the Warehouse

The Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus is a hardcover masterpiece which I am happy to have read and wish to declare as the latest of the Gems of the Warehouse. Even if you are not familiar with the series, you are going to like this book. It is a bargain at any price.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus

Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus

What’s Inside Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus?

The Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus collects the 2003 mini-series of the same name published by Image in 2003. It also collects the issues in the year-long series (of the same name) published the following year by Devil’s Due Publishing. In all, you are going to get over 300 pages of deliciousness.

How is the Art?

Voltron fans are going to want to know about the artwork inside Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Trust me, one look at the artwork and you will remember your childhood. While the artwork was still modern by 2003/4 standards, it still harkened back to the original styles which made Voltron a hit when I was young.

How is the Story?

The story is strong, and you do not have to know about the Voltron universe when you first start reading the Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus. An easy-to-follow backstory is given which makes the universe appear new while still giving points which fans of the original show and toy line can appreciate and relate to.

What Happens?

The story takes place over a thousand years after Voltron was “destroyed” and his parts hidden. Five brave warriors (who are mostly in it for the fame, money, or because they are expendable in society) come forward to reunite the pieces of the Defender of the Universe to defeat the evil empire which enslaves much of the known galaxy.
The Result in Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus?
The result of great artwork and great writing is a book which you should have in your trades collection. I can see myself rereading this collection in the future. Isn’t that the best compliment you can give anything you have just read?
You can find Voltron: Defender of the Universe Omnibus in our Amazon store by following this link.

Scare Bears on 5/9/2013 Episode of Hardcore Pawn!

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

If you happen to catch the episode of Hardcore Pawn airing on 5/9/2013, you will see the on-screen premiere of Scare Bears. Remember, Wonderworld Comics is the exclusive Detroit area retailer for Scare Bears so if you hear your friends talking about wanting to own one, send them our way.

Scare Bears were recently featured at Motor City Nightmares and made a (legitimate) killing. Word about these devilish bears is spreading and we are happy our good friend Jay Langley is finding success. We hope he gains as much success as possible with his frightful creations.

Did You Catch Dennis Barger and the Silver Surfer on Hardcore Pawn?

All of us at Wonderworld Comics were happy to see the episode of Hardcoare Pawn featuring Dennis Barger and the Silver Surfer. The episode ended the mystery surrounding the Silver Surfer’s presence. I would like to take a moment to give you a little bit of the backstory of the episode.

Dennis Barger with the cast of Hardcore Pawn and the Silver Surfer

Dennis Barger with the cast of Hardcore Pawn and the Silver Surfer

First Contact

The producers of Hardcore Pawn contacted Dennis because of his presence in the local geek community to see if he had any items they could feature on the show. They knew Dennis is a leading expert in the area on pop culture and comics and that his personality would make him a perfect fit for the show. Dennis informed them of a few items we had in the store and warehouse which might interest them, and the decision was made to work out a deal with the Silver Surfer which has decorated the front window of our Detroit area comic book store (in Taylor) for five years.

What Happened on Hardcore Pawn?

Dennis met with Seth and Ashley in American Jewelry and Loan on Hardcore Pawn about selling them the Silver Surfer from our front window. Tough negotiations went back and forth until Dennis was ready to walk out the door without making a deal. Les stepped in and offered Dennis more money and saved the deal before Dennis made it to the front of the shop.

Big Question – Is it Scripted?

I know you are wondering if the entire situation on Hardcore Pawn was scripted. The only part previously discussed was roughly how much Dennis wanted for the Silver Surfer for the producer’s sake. Dennis was not handed a script or prompted on what he should say.

How Can I See the Silver Surfer Episode of Hardcore Pawn?

Of course you could wait for the episode to rerun, or you could check it out on OnDemand or through whichever video on demand service you use. You can also check it out on TruTV’s website by following this link. You can even see a shortened version of Dennis’ spot on Hardcore Pawn with the Silver Surfer here.

What Now?

Instead of having the Silver Surfer in our window now, we are now going to have a rotating front window display. Currently, the window is decorated with various toys and two pieces of artwork by Rock and Roll Speed Painter Dave Santia. There will be something else very special in the window very soon.

Warning!

I watched the episode on OnDemand in HD. At one point, there was a close-up of Dennis’ face. My 5-year-old daughter ran screaming from the room yelling “Too much Dennis! Too much Dennis! He is Big Brother!” (yes, my daughter does know Orwell). Just be careful because HD Dennis might scare small children.

Halloween: Nightdance – Gems of the Warehouse

The Halloween: Nightdance trade paperback was originally published by Devil’s Due Publishing in July of 2008, and is the latest find in our “Gems of the Warehouse” series. If you are a horror fan, a fan of the Halloween movie series, or are a fan of Tim Seeley’s, this book is for you.

Halloween: Nightdance is a Gem of the Warehouse

Halloween: Nightdance is a Gem of the Warehouse

Who Created Halloween: Nightdance?

The scripts of Halloween: Nightdance mini-series were written by Stefan Hutchinson who also wrote many of the other comic book adaptations of the Michael Myers character. Artwork was done by Tim Seeley who is better known for Hack/Slash and Revival.

The Story

Typically, comic books based on movie properties are disappointing because they either use shoestring continuity ties or go off on tangents which rarely reflect the property the series is based on. This is not true for Halloween: Nightdance.

In the story, Michael Myers becomes obsessed with a girl named Lisa who reminds him of his sister Judith. Many events and murders appear to happen in the story due to happenstance until a great reveal at the end which any fan of the original Halloween movies will respect as it could have been pulled from one of those movies. The basic story is fairly straightforward, but there are elements which add up to a mystery which will have you scratching your head until the last stave of the story.

The Exploited Fear

Remember, Michael Myer’s unyielding obsession of Judith was what made the original Halloween a success and scared so many people. It was a horror film which conveyed a fear women have about a man taking an obsession too far. The movie was based on a fear which women often share, but it was revealed and explored in a way which sent chills up men’s spines as well. Halloween: Nightdance does a great job of tapping into that type of fear so that both men and women can be chilled to the bone by it.

What’s Inside?

Halloween: Nightdance collects all four of the original comics mini-series. The trade paperback also collects the variant covers from the series and bonus backstory and epilogue material not found in the basic issues. There is a prose piece about Charlie Bowles, a Russelville serial killer reminiscent of Michael Myers which you will not find anywhere else.

I suggest checking out Halloween: Nightdance as it is a solid story which will take you back to the early Halloween movies. There are various tie-ins with the original movie series which fans will pick up on. Tim Seeley, as always, is able to convey the fear of his characters through his art. The artwork melds well with the story and produces characters we can relate to and push for. Check it out in our Amazon store by following this link.

Memories of Free Comics Book Day 2013 at Wonderworld Comics

A great time was had by all at Wonderworld Comics this year for free comic book day.

Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day

Cosplay dancers at Wonderworld Comics of Free Comic Book Day 2013

It was great seeing many of you there and hearing about what you thought about the website. Some of your suggestions will be hitting this site over the next week.

I want to thank all of the customers and guests for helping everything run smoothly and for many of the regulars who helped out with setting up the chairs for Dave Santia’s shows or by giving suggestions to other customers when we were busy with others. You help to remind me how our store is built on the backs of great customers.

I am already looking forward to Free Comic Book Day 2014 (which should fall on May 3 next year).

Pictures from Free Comic Book Day will be posted here when they become available.

Special Message from WonderWorldComics.com

On February 10, 2013, we relaunched WonderWorldComics.com as a comic book news and information site. The response from not only customers at the store, but from readers all over the world, has been absolutely amazing. I want to take a moment to talk directly to all of you as to what you should expect from WonderWorldComics.com.

Wonderworld Comics

Wonderworld Comics

The First Goal of WonderWorldComics.com

There are two main goals of WonderWorldComics.com. First off, I believe a well-informed reader or collector can have a better connection to the industry at large with information. Articles on the site about the history of comics, symbolism of characters, and tips for collecting, help you understand the world of comics better and can deepen your connection with what you read and what you collect.

The Second Goal of WonderWorldComics.com

The second goal, and arguably the most important goal, is to give you a voice in the industry. While attending C2E2 recently, I was amazed by the number of people in the industry from creators to comic book company executives that were talking about WonderWorldComics.com. Many of them visit the site on a regular basis now to see what I have written about what is going on in the industry. After a little over two months, this site is already becoming a leader in the charge against what comic book companies are doing wrong and is becoming a leader in explaining to those companies how they can improve.  Comic book collectors and readers can have a voice in the industry and it is time for the collective voice to be heard.

WhatWonderWorldComics.com is Not

If you have not realized this already, I will point out that I try to do my best to stay clear of rumors from around the industry. If for some reason I have to discuss a rumor, you will know it is a rumor and will not be reported as fact unless I can confirm it. I apologize for any slips along the way but will do my best to stay on my feet when it comes to this promise. A goal of this site is to give information and information clouded by rumors is disinformation. I believe you deserve better.

What is Coming?

I am slowly opening the gates to new writers on WonderWorldComics.com. Over the next few months, you will see writers other than me making posts but I will hold them to the same goals and promisses which I hold dear. You will also begin to see guest contributions very soon. Oh, and expect a few more interesting contests in the upcoming months as well.

I am now able to devote more time to WonderWorldComics.com. I want this site to become as successful as possible to ensure there are as many informed comic book readers as possible and to ensure a market which is inviting to all types of comic book readers and collectors. At the same time, I want to take a role in ensuring our entertainment medium stays as strong as possible. While it is not possible at this time to run new contest 24 hours a day, there is an influx of new content coming at a higher rate from myself and from other contributors. WonderWorldComics.com is shifting into a higher gear because it needs to.

Thank You

Every single one of you needs to be thanked for making WonderWorldComics.com the success it is becoming. We are marching this site along a different path than most and are proud to know so many of you are marching with us.

If you ever see something going on in the industry you believe should be addressed on this site, make sure you stop me in the store if you are in the area. If you are unable to get to the store, you can always email me at Larry@WonderWorldComics.com. Remember, this site is your voice. I just put your voice into words.

C2E2 Coverage and Post-C2E2 Shift?

In two days, a delegation from Wonderworld Comics (including myself) will be heading to Chicago for the Diamond Retailer Summit and C2E2. There will be so much happening – I don’t know what I should tell you about first.

Can you find the best C2E2 freebies?

Can you find the best C2E2 freebies?

Interviews

I am lining up interviews with major players in the industry and with special guests who will be at C2E2 this year. Those interviews will begin appearing on this site as soon as I can get them transcribed.

News

During the week, I will be uploading some news commentary articles about what I heard and experienced throughout the week.

Pictures

Yes,  I will be taking pictures throughout the week of the convention and there will be a ton of cosplay pictures taken during C2E2 to share with you.

Surprises?

You will just have to wait to see what surprises I have in store for you. There will be surprises.

What is the Shift?

Some of you have asked me about the shift on WonderWorldComics.com after C2E2 which I have alluded to. Don’t worry, you will still get the same types of articles and commentaries you have read before – but you are going to be getting more of them. The shift after C2E2 will not be away from anything or towards anything new. It will be a shift into a higher gear. Thanks for being along for the ride.

C2E2 Homepage

Free Comic Book Day Guests at Wonderworld Comics

Free Comic Book Day 2013 on May 4, 2013 is quickly approaching and Wonderworld Comics is proud to announce the official lineup of creators and guests!

Free Comic Book Day May 4, 2013 at Wonderworld Comics

Free Comic Book Day May 4, 2013 at Wonderworld Comics

Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Wonderworld Comics

The Free Comic Book Day events will be taking place in our Detroit (Taylor) location from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Not only will you be able to get your hands on the great free comics being offered during Free Comic Book Day, you will also have the opportunity to meet a few comic book legends and commission artwork from our panel of artists. Other special events may be added before the May 4, 2013 arrival of Free Comic Book Day. Monitor this site for any changes.

Dave Santia

Rock and Roll Speed Painter Dave Santia will be astounding guests with his unique brand of speed painting. Santia filled his auditorium at Detroit Fanfare every time he performed. Artwork created by Dave Santia during Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Wonderworld Comics will be auctioned off and part of the proceeds will benefit Blessings in a Backpack. This ain’t just paining – this is Rock and Roll Speed Painting!

Keith Pollard

Keith Pollard is an industry legend who may be known best for his artwork in Spider-Man, but he also made a name for himself drawing panels of pages in comics such as Thor, The Fantastic Four, and Green Lantern. Keith is the co-creator of Black Cat, one of the regular characters to face off against, and beside, Spider-Man.

Arvell Jones

Arvel Jones is another industry legend who has drawn for such titles as All Star Squadron and Superman Family. He was the publisher of one of the earliest comic book fanzines, Fan Informer. He also worked on DC Comics/Milestone Media’s Kobalt and Hardware.

Gary Reed

Gary Reed is the author of the critically-acclaimed Deadworld series. Over his legendary career, Gary has had the opportunity to work on many titles other than Deadworld including Saint Germaine and Sherlock Holmes.  He launched Caliber Comics in 1989 and many of the top comic book creators found a place to grow their talent under his tutelage.

Panel of Artists

Bill Pulkovski, Ted Woods, Bruce Gerlach, and Tony Miello will also be appearing during the Free Comic Book Day 2013 events at Wonderworld Comics. They will be selling prints and creating sketches.

Make sure you save the date (if you have not already) and plan to stop by and celebrate with your friends at Wonderworld Comics. May 4, 2013 is coming on fast. I can’t wait to see you on Free Comic Book Day at Wonderworld Comics!

What is Free Comic Book Day?

Wonderworld Comics Nominated for 2013 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award!

Wonderworld Comics’ image as being a leader in community involvement and a leader in connecting comic book readers and collectors to the medium they love has sparked interest in the organizers of the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award and will bring positive international attention to the Metro Detroit area.

Wonderworld Comics

Wonderworld Comics

Dennis L. Barger, Jr. and Robert Bowman are humbled to announce that Wonderworld Comics in Taylor, MI has been nominated for the 2013 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. This is an annual award given during the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at Comic-Con International: San Diego. This is the pinnacle award for comic book retailers and simply being nominated is an extreme honor.

A key judging point for the 2013 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award is a store’s connection with the local community. Wonderworld Comics is a founding member of Detroit Fanfare Comic Con, a comic book convention held each October at the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn. This convention created an event named Blood4Comics where fans make donations of blood or money to the Red Cross in exchange for comics. This tradition has carried over to other conventions across the country. Detroit Fanfare Comic Con has also run food drives for Gleaners Food Bank and has contributed to other notable charities.

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

Wonderworld Comics is a co-founder and board member of the Shel Dorf Awards held at Detroit Fanfare Comic Con. This award ceremony is named after the founder of the Detroit Triple Fan Fare (the first comic book convention) and the founder of the Golden State Comic-Con which would become Comic-Con International: San Diego. In 2012 and early 2013, the Shel Dorf Awards raised money to purchase and erect a tombstone for the unmarked grave of the industry legend.

Wonderworld Comics is the organizer of the Detroit Organized Retailers of Comics, a conglomeration of local comic book stores which meets each year to discuss fair business practices in the area. The store is also a co-founder of DetroitComicBookStores.com which makes deals with comic book publishing companies to bring special variant-covered comics to collectors in the Metro Detroit area.

Recently, Wonderworld Comics received special notation in the comic book industry for warning other comic book stores in the Metro Detroit area of a group of men who were attempting to pass off counterfeit sketches supposedly drawn by major players in the comic book industry. The store shared its surveillance footage with other stores and the media and was key in helping to convince the perpetrators to return the product and money wrongfully gained from various local stores.

Among the other areas in which Wonderworld Comics will be judged, is the store’s ability to offer opportunities for creators to reach buyers. The diverse inventory at the store exceeds offerings at most comic book stores and is a location where shoppers can find rare and obscure titles right alongside the most popular titles from Marvel and DC Comics.

Wonderworld Comics will also be judged upon its ability to stay informed on the machinations of the comic book industry and its ability to come up with innovative techniques to involve customers. The store’s recently updated website has become a focal point in the comic book industry as it is giving comic book readers and collectors a voice on various issues facing the industry. The site has allowed comic book fans a seat at the table to question the large companies about the decision to introduce digital comics on the same day as the print versions are introduced in the stores and to show their support for brick-and-mortar stores. The site is not only giving collectors a deeper connection to their collections, it is giving readers and collectors connections to the industry at large.

Dennis L. Barger, Jr. is the face of Wonderworld Comics and is known for innovative ways to connect new readers of all ages to the comic book medium. Robert Bowman runs the day-to-day store operations. The store recently held a special event to benefit P.O.E.T. Animal Rescue and is one of the few mid-west Phantom Variant retailers. The store has hosted signing events with legendary creators such as Larry Hama, Gary Reed, and Billy Tucci and new creators such as Rob Worley and Katie Cook.

As for this writing, Wonderworld Comics is working hard to plan their official nomination video which will be judged for the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. Wonderworld Comics hopes to become the second Michigan comic book retailer (Vault of Midnight in Ann Arbor, MI in 2010) and the first Metro Detroit comic book store to win the award. The nomination has Barger and Bowman, the staff at Wonderworld Comics, the customers in the store elated and honored.

March Madness Tournament Review

The WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close! The Legend of Oz: Wicked West won a tough battle at the end with The Walking Dead, but there is more to discuss about this tournament.

March Madness Champion

March Madness Champion

The Numbers

37,759 total votes were cast from 1,872 unique visitor locations. These votes represented 32 different countries. Votes poured in from every state except for Wyoming and Vermont. I never liked those states much anyways. Outside of Michigan, the states with the most voters were (in order) Illinois, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Batman in the Final Four Round was the most contested matchup with an amazing 9,953 votes being cast!

Biggest Bracket Upset

Of course, The Legend of OZ: Wicked West winning it all is an upset, but focus needs to be placed on another title for a moment. The Marvel and DC brackets were the most difficult with all of the titles represented being in the Top 100 sellers. Young Avengers was the lowest seller in the Marvel bracket and was able to overcome such titles as Deadpool (a tourney favorite), the New Avengers, and Iron Man on the road to winning the bracket section. A newer title beat out some of the heaviest hitters Marvel publishes and the fans should be commended for propelling this upset.

The Championship

The fight was dominated early by The Legend of OZ: Wicked West with the margin being as high as 88% to 12% at one point. Fans of The Walking Dead began to come out in the early evening and put up a huge fight in order to catch up. Going into the final few hours, the number of votes coming in was so fast and furious that the failsafe in the system shut the poll down a handful of times to keep the site stable. In the end, the fans of Big Dog Ink were able to stave off the attack from the fans of Image comics and help the title which has yet to break into the Top 100 beat the title which is typically in the Top 10 and is backed by one of the hottest shows on TV!

What Won March Madness?

The ability to drum up fan support won March Madness. Creators of various titles rallied their fans throughout the tournament and were able to swing votes in their favor. Big Dog Ink was able to master this technique early on. I have heard people from all over the industry talking about the March Madness Contest. At Gem City Comic Con, I realized that this contest opened people’s eyes to what can happen with fan support. What will happen next year when the bigger companies find themselves forced to rally their fans in a popular contest?

Next Year

Very soon, we will be reaching out to you to see what you thought about this tournament. We will ask you to tell us what you liked, and what you would like to see changed in the future. Keep your eyes on the site, and on the Facebook page for our invitation for critique. What other site gives you the opportunity to be heard by the industry?

Thank you all for your support. YOU helped to make the first WonderWorldComics.com contest a major success. We will have more contests in the near future and I look forward to announcing them. With your continued support, the voice which this site gives fans will continue to grow louder.

WWC March Madness Finals Are Set!

The votes have been cast and the Final Four Round in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has ended. It was a heavy day for voting. If yesterday is any indication of how today will turn out – it will be epic!

The Finals are set in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest

The Finals are set in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest

March Madness Final Four Match 1: Young Avengers vs. The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead 63% Winner

Young Avengers 37% Loser

The Marvel bracket went head-to-head with the 5%ers, and Image Comics’ The Walking Dead was able to pull out the victory in the March Madness Final Four Round. This was one of the most contested matches of the tournament. Young Avengers had the early lead, but fans of the zombie thriller were able to come back and rally in the last half of the day. Marvelites tried to pour it on in the last few hours, but stalwart fans of Rick and his crew stayed online until the bitter end to fend off the attack.

March Madness Final Four Match 2: The Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Batman

The Legend of OZ: Wicked West 60% Winner

Batman 40% Loser

This matchup pitted the winner of the DC bracket against the winner of the Independent bracket. Batman was the favored winner as many people had the headlining title making it to the Championship. Big Dog Ink fans declared that scenario was not meant to be as they were rallied by the publisher throughout the day. The Legend of OZ: Wicked West has had one upset victory after another and ended up winning the most contested matchup – there were 9,500 votes cast in this matchup alone. Sorry Batman, but it is time to return to the Batcave because Big Dog Ink made you it’s bichon!

The Walking Dead vs. The Legend of OZ: Wicked West

Voting is open for the Championship Round and fans of The Walking Dead are at war with the fans of The Legend of OZ: Wicked West. Will today’s voting cast a shadow on the record set yesterday? Will Big Dog Ink continue to rile their fans until the bitter end? Will Image rile their fans in an attempt to have their headlining title win it all? Will Cinderella be eaten by zombies before the clock strikes 12? Will the power of OZ be too much for Rick and his companions?

The Discount

For making it to the March Madness Championship Round, The Legend of OZ: Wicked West and The Walking Dead will both receive a 25% discount on 3/27/2013. The winner of the final matchup will be granted a 25% discount for the next week!

The Bracket Winner

Tomorrow (Thursday), I will go through the large stack of brackets to tabulate the winner. I should have an announcement sometime tomorrow evening about which bracket posted the most points and who won the Wonderworld gift card!

March Madness Final Four is Set!

The Elite 8 Round of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close and three of the matches appeared one-sided. All of the winners will receive a 20% discount in the store on 3/22/2013. The Final Four Round will commence in the wee hours on Tuesday, so be ready to vote for your favorites.

March Madness Final Four!

March Madness Final Four!

Match 1: Savage Wolverine vs. Young Avengers

Young Avengers 52% Winner: Marvel Comics Division Champion!

Savage Wolverine 48% Loser

With a 4% difference in the voting, this was our closest matchup of the day. At times, Savage Wolverine was taking it to Young Avengers while other times of the day saw Young Avengers giving it right back. In the final half hour, Young Avengers fans came out in droves and left their favored title standing tall.

Young Avengers was considered one of the underdogs in the Marvel bracket. Mind the fact that top Marvel Comics titles such as Superior-Spider-Man, All New X-Men, and The Avengers have all fallen in the tournament. Young Avengers has pulled off a major coup. Even if the title does not make it past the Final Four, it should be commended for surprising everyone to become the Marvel Comics Division Champion.

Match 2: The Walking Dead vs. Star Wars

The Walking Dead 79% Winner: 5%ers Division Champion!

Star Wars 21% Loser

Star Wars fans came out early and padded their title in the early goings. By the evening, The Walking Dead fans came out and continued to vote for their title even with a huge lead determined. In the final minutes, Star Wars fans tried to battle back, but there was nothing they could do.

The Walking Dead is a title which many people believe will go all the way. Nobody should be surprised by the success of the tile in the March Madness Contest. It has made way into the Final Four and is ready to take the game to the next level. Will fans whose titles lost vote against The Walking Dead simply to eliminate it?

Match 3: Batman vs. Batgirl

Batman 89% Winner: DC Comics Division Champion!

Batgirl 11% Loser

I was fully expecting this matchup to be close. In the early goings, Batman was only winning by a slight margin. Batgirl was not able to keep up with the pace in the last half of the day when Batman fans wanted to make sure Batgirl fans could not have a chance to come back.

Batman is another title which most people have going all the way. The Prince of the New 52 has left all other DC titles in his dust and is ready to take on his next opponent. Will his fans strike early, or will they wait for the final hours?

Match 4: The Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Neonomicon

The Legend of OZ: Wicked West 99% Winner: Independent Publishers’ Division Champion!

Neonomicon 1% Loser

In all of Neonomicon’s previous matchups, the title was able to come back at some point. It was not surprising to see the title come back from a 30% deficit. That never happened here. Legend of OZ fans came out in the early hours of voting and did everything they could to build up the title from Big Dog Ink. Neonomicon only received 10 votes in this matchup, and my inside sources tell me that at least 6 of those votes were simply pity votes.

If you look over the records for margin of win in this tournament, The Legend of OZ: Wicked West holds them all! It keeps setting records, and breaking them the next round. Fans of Big Dog Ink have catapulted The Legend of OZ to the top spot in the division. Is there any doubting the chance of the title walking away with the championship?

March Madness Elite 8 Round is Set!

The Sweet 16 Round of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close. Another round has ended with some surprises. Let’s take a look at what happened.

March Madness Elite 8 Round!

March Madness Elite 8 Round!

Match 1: Avengers vs. Savage Wolverine

Savage Wolverine 75% Winner

Avengers 25% Loser

This was a matchup which justified my posting who has the lead. Avengers stayed strong throughout most of the day, but whenever a post would come to the page about how Savage Wolverine was losing, votes would pour in. So too was it in the last half an hour when Wolvy fans said “Enough is Enough” and voted with power.

Match 2: Iron Man vs. Young Avengers

Young Avengers 53% Winner

Iron Man 42% Loser

Apparently, Iron Man hit the sauce in the last hour of this one. His boosters sputtered and the Young Avengers were able to move ahead. Young Avengers is moving on and Iron Man is moving out.

Match 3: The Walking Dead vs. G.I. Joe vs. Transformers

The Walking Dead 60% Winner

G.I. Joe 39% Loser

Transformers 1% Loser

I have to hand it to the fans of The Walking Dead. They temporarily locked up the website in the previous round and almost did it this round (Luckily I installed a failsafe. Rick and his crew held off two threats and survive another day.

Match 4: Star Wars vs. Chew

Star Wars 74% Winner

Chew 26% Loser

Star Wars had an early lead and this one and Chew could not battle with the power of the force. The Star Wars line has gotten this far. Can its popularity hold up for the long haul?

Match 5: Batman vs. Nightwing

Batman 68% Winner

Nightwing 32% Loser

This one was turning out to be one of the biggest upsets of the March Madness Contest. Nightwing fans continued to push for their favorite throughout the day and did not let up until the Batman fans came out and turn the tides to The Big Black Bat’s favor. Many people have Batman going all the way. Will he?

Match 6: Justice League vs. Batgirl

Batgirl 76% Winner

Justice League 24% Loser

Batgirl kept her momentum going from the last round and made minced meat out of the entire Justice League. Now, she faces Batman in the greatest battle of her life.

Match 7: Mega Man vs. Legend of OZ: Wicked West

Legend of Oz: Wicked West 95% Winner

Mega Man 5% Loser

The Big Dog Ink fans came out early and were able to easily clean up another victory. This title has already made it do the Elite 8. How much higher can it go?

Match 8: Neonomicon vs. Harbinger

Neonomicon  61% Winner

Harbinger 39%  Loser

Harbinger led for the entire day until the last half hour of voting when the Cult of Dagon appeared and gave the win to Neonomicon. “That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die.”

All titles entering the Elite 8 will receive a 20% discount on 3/21/2013. Who will make the Final Four next week?

Round 2 Results are Officially In!

Voting was heavy for Round 2 with many fans hoping their favored comics would move on to Round 3. I am so tired right now from watching the results come in and trying to figure out Match 3 that I am not even going to spend the time to italicize the comic book names. Here are the breakdowns for Round 2 of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest:

Results after Round 2

Results after Round 2

Match 1: Superior Spider-Man vs. The Avengers

The Avengers 62% Winner

Superior Spider-Man 38% Loser

This was a hard-faught battle from the start with Superior Spider-Man taking an early lead. The fans of The Avengers came out in the last few hour of voting and overtook Doc Oc/Peter Parker. We can declare, with absolute certainty, Gwen Stacy will not be back in this competition.

Match 2: Thor vs. Iron Man

Iron Man 63% Winner

Thor 37% Loser

Iron Man led through most of the day until the final hours of voting when Thor fans drank some coffee and got their game faces on. Iron Man fans rallied back in the last half hour to take back the lead. [Edited because I gave the wrong results here – everything is right now]

Match 3: The Walking Dead vs. G.I. Joe

The Walking Dead ??%

G.I. Joe ??%

There were so many votes coming in over the last few minutes that I cannot tell who the winner of The Walking Dead vs. G.I. Joe is. The site began lagging as I was closing the polls and as the site was about to crash, the polling went into a loop so votes were counting as extra. There were so many votes coming in so fast that our system was having multiple issues in trying to process the information. I had to force the site to shut down just so that I could close out the polls. In the end, the looping caused The Walking Dead to gain a huge margin in the final seconds. The only fair thing to do was to create the three-way match pitting The Walking Dead vs. G.I. Joe vs. Transformers!

Most of the other polls were closed when this issue happened. I have to manually close the polls, but the other two polls which were still open during the crash were not impacted with loops since nobody was actively voting in those polls in the final few moments. We are working hard today to make sure the site does not face this type of issue in the future. We are very sorry for any confusion or stress this situation might have caused.

Match 4: Transformers vs. Hellboy in Hell

Transformers 61% Winner

Hellboy in Hell 39% Loser

It looked like Hellboy in Hell might take this until the last 20 minutes of voting when a few Transformers fans were able to rally the troops and give marching orders to our site. Hellboy has been sent to Hell while Transformers has been sent to the Sweet 16 Round.

Match 5: Batman vs. Green Lantern

Batman 76% Winner

Green Lantern 24% Loser

Ya, Green Lantern never had a chance in this one. Batman simply crushed him and moved on to the next round.

Match 6: Detective Comics Vs. Nightwing

Nightwing 59% Winner

Detective Comics 41% Loser

Detective Comics took an early lead, but could not hold on at the end. Nightwing fans came out and did their hero proud by voting him past the secondary Batman title.

Match 7: Red Hood vs. Batgirl

Batgirl 56% Winner

Red Hood 44% Loser

This was an interesting match. It ran close for hours until Red Hood pulled ahead in the early afternoon. Batgirl fans were riled up in the late afternoon and put a huge margin into effect. Red Hood fans tried, but were not successful in closing the gap.

Match 8: Adventure Time vs. Mega Man

Mega Man 54% Winner

Adventure Time 46% Loser

Adventure Time kept the lead throughout the day. In the last twenty minutes, Mega Man fans decided they wanted their character to move on and caught the Adventure Time fans napping. The forrest has been burned to the ground.

Match 9: Game of Thrones vs. Legend of OZ: Wicked West

Legend of OZ 93% Winner

Game of Thrones 7% Winner

I talking about a possible Cinderella story earlier with Legend of OZ, and it might be coming through. Big Dog Ink has done a great job in rallying their minions and releasing the hounds. Was Game of Thrones just another victim on the way to complete domination of the bracket? Legend of OZ already won the most contested match in during March Madness and has won its second round by the greatest margin. Reconrds are being set people!

Match 10: Sonic vs. Neonomicon

Neonomicon 56% Winner

Sonic 44% Loser

Speed means nothing when facing the true power of the Neonomicon!

Match 11: Savage Wolverine vs. Hawkeye

Savage Wolverine 59% Winner

Hawkeye 41% Loser

Hawkeye was leading throughout the day until the early evening when Savage Wolverine fans came out to play. Hawkeye fans battled back, but there was nothing they could do. I guess he is just a guy with a bow and arrows.

Match 12: Young Avengers vs. New Avengers

Young Avengers 59% Winner

New Avengers 41% Loser

The up-and-comers vs. The Illuminati. In this matchup, youth won over experience. With many young voters in these games, maybe they went with the characters they could relate to. Either way, Young Avengers moves on and New Avengers goes away.

Match 13: Saga vs. Star Wars

Star Wars 64% Winner

Saga 36% Loser

Anything…and I mean anything, can happen in the WWC March Madness Contest. Saga, which is one of the highest-earning 5%er titles was defeated by Star Wars. The underdog created one of the bigger upsets of the bracket so far.

Match 14: Dr. Who vs. Chew

Chew 70% Winner

Dr. Who 30% Loser

Where did all the Whovians go? Chew trounced Dr. Who and has moved on to take on Star Wars. What will be the outcome in that matchup? Could we have a reversal of fortune?

Match 15: Justice League vs. Batman The Dark Knight

Justice League 59% Winner

Batman The Dark Knight 41% Loser

Another Batman Family title falls in the Second Round as Justice League Defeated Batman The Dark Knight. Batfans never woke up in this one and Justice League won an easy victory.

Match 16: Masks vs. Harbinger

Harbinger 71% Winner

Masks 29% Loser

I am not even going to try to speak this one up. Harbinger won. Now it faces the Neonomicon in the bottom section of the Sweet 16 East.

All winners receive a 15% discount in the store today. Have you voted in the Sweet 16 yet?

3/20/2013 Star Wars Legacy #1 Phantom Variant Special

Phantom Variant covers will be arriving at our Detroit Comic book store on Wednesday 3/20/2013. These variants are typically priced higher than the normal comics on our racks because of the limited print runs these comics see and the limited number of stores in the country which carry these variants. To help to introduce our customers to the Phantom Variant Group, we are running a special deal only on Wednesday, 3/20/2013 on the Star Wars Legacy #1 Floating World Phantom Variant.

What Variant Comics Are Coming In?

Five Ghosts Haunting of Fabian Gray #1 Phantom Variant (Image)

Five Ghosts Haunting of Fabian Gray #1 Phantom Variant (Image)

Five Ghosts Haunting of Fabian Gray #1 Phantom Variant (Image)

Revival #8 Phantom Variant (Image)

Revival #8 Phantom Variant (Image)

Revival #8 Phantom Variant (Image)

Star Wars Legacy #1 Floating World Phantom Variant (Dark Horse)

Star Wars Legacy #1 Floating World Phantom Variant (Dark Horse)

Star Wars Legacy #1 Floating World Phantom Variant (Dark Horse)

Variant Pricing and Deal

Both the Revival #8 Phantom Variant and the Five Ghosts Haunting of Fabian Gray #1 Phantom Variant will be sold at the regular Phantom Variant price of $9.99. We are reducing the price of Star Wars Legacy #1 Floating World Phantom Variant to $5.99 on 3/20/2013. Any which are left in stock on Thursday morning will go up to the normal price of $9.99.

Variant Collectors

There are many comic book collectors which go out of their way to grab any variant covers they come across. Limited print runs and typically higher prices can keep the average collector away from the market. On the flip-side, though, this can also keep timid collectors away from the rewards which variant covers can bring down the road. Prices can skyrocket on some variant covers while prices ascend slower on other variants. In the end, a variant cover will usually retail higher than the average non-variant back issue of the same comic.

If you are a variant collector, this is a deal for you as you can pick up a variant cover and another comic for the price you would usually drop for a variant. If you have considered collecting variant covers, but the prices have been out of reach, this is a great opportunity for you as well. One look at any of these covers will explain quickly why the PVG covers are in such high demand.

You can learn more about the Phantom Variant Group by clicking on the image below:

We are a Phantom Variant retailer!

We are a Phantom Variant retailer!

 

 

Round 1 Block 4 Results!

With the ending of Block 4 voting, Round 1 of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close. As per usual, voting picked up in the last few hours and leads changed hands. Here is how it played out:

March Madness Round 1 Complete

March Madness Round 1 Complete

Match 26: Indestructible Hulk vs. New Avengers

New Avengers 59% Winner

Indestructible Hulk 41% Loser

Apparently, Indestructible Hulk is destructible when facing the power of the Illuminati. New Avengers took the lead early and held on until the bitter end. This was one of only a few matchups in Block 4 which stayed the same throughout the voting.

Match 27: Justice League vs. Wonder Woman

Justice League 50% Winner

Wonder Woman 50% Loser

When all was said and done, Justice League and Wonder Woman had a tie. The votes for each were an exact match. If you remember, when a tie happens, the winner is determined by overall sales in the previous month. Justice League beat Wonder Woman due to the tiebreaker rule.

Match 28: Action Comics vs. Batman The Dark Knight

Batman The Dark Knight 55% Winner

Action Comics 45% Loser

Action Comics never had a chance in this matchup. Batman The Dark Knight took an early commanding lead, and it was only narrowed slightly in the final minutes of voting. Another Batman title moves on.

Match 29: Star Wars vs. The Massive

Star Wars 59% Winner

The Massive 41% Loser

The Massive was winning this match until the last few hours when the Star Wars fans put down their lightsabers and grabbed their computers. With the force still be with Star Wars in the second round? Only your votes will determine.

Match 30: Chew vs. Invincible

Chew 50% Winner

Invincible 50% Loser

On the surface, Chew and Invincible look like they were tied. In the end, Chew ending up gaining one more vote than Invincible. This matchup ended up coming down to the last second of voting. The cult favorite Chew posts a major upset against one of the top 5%er titles on the market.

Match 31: Grimm Fairy Tales vs. Masks

Masks 59% Winner

Grimm Fairy Tales 41% Loser

Grimm Fairy Tales had the lead through most of the voting until fans of Masks came out in force during the last hour. With this matchup, Zenescope has been sent packing from the competition. Many of you had this company’s titles going deep, but neither title made it past the first round.

Match 32: Crossed: Badlands vs. Harbinger

Harbinger 54% Winner

Crossed: Badlands 46% Loser

I was expecting the Crossed fans to come out in force due to the strong push for the title in recent weeks. Crossed: Badlands set the pace early, but could not hold on in the end. Harbinger pulled off the late victory and moves in to Round 2.

All of the winners from these matchups will receive a 10% discount in our Detroit area comic book store today.

Scare Bears Exclusively at Wonderworld Comics!

Scare Bears have arrived at Wonderworld Comics and the way you look at teddy bears will never be the same. Scare Bears creator Jay Langley recently finalized a deal with our store to be the exclusive brick and mortar in the area for his devilish bears. Head down to our Detroit comic book store today to see what all the buzz is about.

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

Scare Bears at our Detroit comic book store

Jay’s Scare Bears were the talk of King Kon and will soon be showcased on a nationally-televised TV show which is based in Detroit. When he brought them into the store this past Saturday, some of the horrific cuddlers didn’t even make it to the shelves as they were snatched up by customers who wanted to be among the first to own one of these mini monstrosities.

The Scare Bears in the store will be priced between $20 and $80, and are each individually named and inspired. If teddy bears are the carriers of sweet dreams to children, these hand-crafted creatures are the carriers of nightmares. They are non-toxic, but starring at one long enough might melt your very soul!

You will see the Scare Bears in the front window at our Detroit comic book store and in a display case on the counter. Phase 1 critters are out now with more arriving in the near future. Placing one of these fiends on display in your house will spark countless conversations as people look on with envy, disgust, or both. These dark creations mix teddy bears (which are always in fashion) and the zombies and corpses which are today’s craze.

Scare Bears would make great gifts for any fan of “The Walking Dead,” horror movies, or those who love to make others ask “WTF?”

You can learn more about Scare Bears at our store, or at the Scare Bears website (click here). You can also follow Scare Bears on Facebook (click here).

Warning:

WonderWorldComics.com and Wonderworld Comics refuse to make any guarantee that Scare Bears will not animate in the middle of the night and plot evil as you sleep. We also do not know if these items are harbingers of Hastur The Unspeakable One, one of the many masks of Nyarlathotep, or are the heralds of some other eldritch evil which man (and woman) was not meant to know. Ia!

Round 1 Block 3 Matchup Winners!

The third block of voting in Round 1 of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close. Some of the winners in this block won by wide margins. Here are the results:

Updated March Madness 2013 Bracket

Updated March Madness 2013 Bracket

Match 17: Savage Wolverine vs. Uncanny Avengers

Savage Wolverine 51% Winner

Uncanny Avengers 49% Loser

Voting was going on in this matchup up until the last seconds of the poll being open. Fans of both books came out in the final moments with the tally going back and forth between Savage Wolverine and Uncanny Avengers. In the end, the solo book was victorious.

Match 18: All New X-Men vs. Thor

Thor 65% Winner

All New X-Men 35% Loser

All New X-Men kept the lead until the last ten minutes of voting when Thor fans were able to claim victory. One of the hottest titles in the Marvel NOW library has been sent packing. What might have happened if fans of the title had stuck around in the final hour?

Match 19: Batman vs. Earth 2

Batman 88% Winner

Earth 2 12% Loser

This matchup set a new WWC March Madness Contest tournament record. The 76 percentage points separating these two titles set a high bar for another matchup to attempt to beat. Batman took the early lead and defeated Earth 2. No matter what reality you are in, The Big Black Bat took out an entire alternate reality by himself.

Match 20: Batgirl vs. Teen Titans

Batgirl 79% Winner

Teen Titans 21% Loser

Teen Titans never had a chance in this one as Batgirl fans hit early. Teen Titans is out of the competition as another member of the Batman Family moves on to the second round with momentum.

Match 21: Saga vs. Angel and Faith

Saga 78% Winner

Angel and Faith 22% Loser

Angel and Faith fans must not have paid attention to their calendars as to which day their comic was having a matchup. Saga fans came out, voted, and went home knowing their favorite title would be moving out to faceoff again next week.

Match 22: Dr. Who vs. Star Trek

Dr. Who 72% Winner

Star Trek 28% Loser

I really thought this matchup was going to be closer as sci-fi fans battled for their favorite characters. In the end, Star Trek fans must have been floating in space. Maybe, Dr. Who fans just went back in time and made their opponents forget about voting.

Match 23: X-O Manowar vs. Sonic

Sonic 57% Winner

X-O Manowar 43% Loser

Simply put, this was one of the biggest upsets of the competition so far. Maybe voters thought I had pitted the fast food restaurant against X-O Manowar. Maybe there are that many Sonic fans out there. We will know for sure in Round 2.

Match 24: Archie vs. Neonomicon

Neonomicon 65% Winner

Archie 35% Loser

In the oddball matchup of the day, fans of Neonomicon knocked out one of the oldest titles in the competition. Many of us grew up reading Archie, but that does not matter in the WWC March Madness Contest. Only the final result truly matters.

All of the winners of the block will receive a 10% discount on Sunday 3/17/2013 in our Detroit comic book store.

Round 1 Block 2 Matchup Winners!

Block 2 of the Round 1 matchups in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest is now over and there were some interesting matchups with unpredicted outcomes.

March Madness 2013 Bracket after Block 2

March Madness 2013 Bracket after Block 2

Match 9: The Avengers vs. Captain America

The Avengers 79% Winner

Captain America 21% Loser

Maybe there is something with the first slot in the contest which curses one of the competitors. Iron Man and The Fantastic Four were in the first slot during Block 1 and the Golden Avengers beat Reed’s team by 60 percentage points. This time, The Avengers whipped Captain America by 58. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes took the lead early, and Ol’ Cap never had a chance.

Match 10: Deadpool vs. Young Avengers

Young Avengers 54% Winner

Deadpool 46% Loser

Fans of the Merc with a Mouth and the Up-and-Comers put up a hard fight which went all the way until the moment the polls closed in our most-contested matchup of Block 2. In the end, The Young Avengers had more voters in the eleventh hour than Deadpool did and a favored son of the brackets has lost in upset.

Match 11: Detective Comics vs. Superman

Detective Comics 68% Winner

Superman 32% Loser

The Darkness vs. The Light. The Protector of Gotham vs. The Protector of Metropolis. Whatever you call them, Superman still lost. The Man of Steel was only ahead (from what I saw) for about 20 minutes in the middle of the first day. Detective Comics stayed ahead the rest of the time and proved once again, Batman should be the poster boy for DC and not Superman.

Match 12: Batman & Robin vs. Red Hood

Red Hood 58% Winner

Batman & Robin 42% Loser

Another major upset happened in this match as Red Hood took out the Caped Crusaders. Maybe the anger about the upcoming name changes to Batman & Robin upset voters here, but I am not sure. The Dynamic Duo had an early lead, but fans of Red Hood came out with force on the second day of voting.

Match 13: Transformers vs. Mind MGMT

Transformers 68% Winner

Mind MGMT 32% Loser

Mind MGMT never had a chance here. Transformers went ahead at the beginning of voting and Mind MGMT never had a chance to recover. It should be interesting to see how the Transformers take on Hellboy in Hell in the next round.

Match 14: Hoax Hunters vs. Hellboy in Hell

Hellboy in Hell 53% Winner

Hoax Hunters 47% Loser

Hoax Hunters led throughout the entire voting period up until the last hour. Hellboy’s fans waited in the bushes for the Hoax Hunters to exit for the night and struck with a vengeance. There was about a 25% change within the last hour of voting and the Hoax Hunters were sent packing.

Match 15: Dejah Thores vs. Mega Man

Mega Man 62% Winner

Dejah Thores 38% Loser

Ok, this one surprised me. While neither comic is a blockbuster, I would have figured voters would be more excited about casting for the sexy comic instead of for the throwback comic. I guess I was wrong. Dejah Thores had a lead through most of the matchup, but the Mega Man fans did not let up in the last six hours of voting.

Match 16: Game of Thrones vs. The Simpsons

Game of Thrones 59% Winner

The Simpsons 41% Loser

Talk about an oddball battle? Yes, I was drinking when I came up with this pairing and the Block 3 pairing of Archie vs. Neonomicon. This battle pit two comics with popular shows attached to their franchises. Again, The Simpsons had the lead throughout most of the competition until the last few hours when the Game of Thrones fans woke up for the evening.

So it appears that The Avengers, Young Avengers, Detective Comics, Red Hood, Transformers, Hellboy in Hell, Mega Man, and Game of Thrones will all be getting a 10% discount on 3/15/2012!

Hidden Gems of the Warehouse: Pin-Up Girls

This article brings a new regular column to WonderWorldComics.com entitled “Hidden Gems of the Warehouse.” It will explore some of the gems we have in our warehouse you might not know about. In this first edition, we will take a look at “Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World.”

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Fred Beltran is an artist who gained fame in the pages of Playboy for his pin-up art. This book explores some of his pin-up art. Each page introduces you to a new piece of artwork which represents women portrayed in pin-up style based on clothing or trends from other countries at the time.

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Originally published in 2002, “Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World” includes an interview with the artist and over fifty pages of artwork which any pin-up enthusiast or comic book lover will enjoy.

Among the art, you will find a resemblance to Wonder Woman, a crewperson from the Starship Enterprise, alcohol ad-inspired art, and pin-up girls in costumes from all over Europe and Asia. “Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World” gives a wide-range of pictures to entice even the strictest pin-up enthusiast.

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

It is a hardcover book and would be a great book to display on a coffee table to get conversations started. I have one my my collection and suggest you take a look at “Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World” as well.

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World

You can find “Metal Hurlant Proudly Presents Pin-Up Girls from Around the World” in our Amazon store by following this link.

Round 1 Block 1 Matchup Winners!

The turnout for the first block of voting for the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest was absolutely amazing. Thousands of votes were cast from all over the Metro Detroit area, the country, and the world. Votes came in from 39 different states and 16 different countries. In total, 6,851 votes were cast on which comics would move on. Here is how the matchups played out:

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Match 1: Iron Man vs The Fantastic Four

Iron Man 80% Winner

The Fantastic Four 20% Loser

Iron Man took the early lead in this one and held on until the bitter end. The 60% margin of victory was the largest span in the competition. I would have never thought that The Fantastic Four would do so poorly in this competition. Maybe the buzz over the upcoming Iron Man movie got the voters excited in this matchup.

Match 2: Green Lantern vs. Aquaman

Green Lantern 52% Winner

Aquaman 48% Loser

Aquaman had an early lead on Monday but was overtaken by the Green Lantern in the early afternoon. By Tuesday afternoon, Fishboy was getting crushed by the power of the ring. In the late evening, Aquaman’s fans battled back and put him in the lead. In the end, though, The Lantern was able to pull out the narrow victory.

Match 3: Superior Spider-Man vs. Cable and the X-Force

Superior Spider-Man 51% Winner

Cable and the X-Force 49% Loser

Superior Spider-Man squeeked out the narrowest victory in the first block of voting and won by only 7 votes! Cable got a jump on the web-slinger, but the combined minds of Doc Oc and Peter Parker (or the fans) brought this to completion. Looking at the brackets cast, Superior-Spiderman is favored to go deep in the competition. What will this narrow win mean in the next round?

Match 4: The Walking Dead vs. Buffy

The Walking Dead 58% Winner

Buffy 42% Loser

Talk about going down to the wire…The Walking Dead held a commanding lead through the first day of competition with the Buffy fans coming out in droves on the second day. This was the second most contested matchup and The Walking Dead was losing at 11pm on Tuesday night.  Even though Buffy lost, I have to commend her fans for coming out so strong for their favored character. Will they come back for revenge in the second round?

If this had been a crossover comic, Rick would have snapped and the survivors would have faced a swift death from Buffy’s team. Someone (Andrea, Michonne, Carl, Glenn’s ghost) would have brought Rick around in the last moments to save the day. Either way, TWD moves on.

Match 5: G.I. Joe vs. Hack/Slash

G.I. Joe 59% Winner

Hack/Slash 41% Loser

Hack/Slash lost a narrow lead over G.I. Joe a few hours into voting and was never able to catch up. Larry Hama’s baby dominated its first round opponent. I can’t wait to see if the Joe team can dominate again in the voting and be a middle-seed victor.

Match 6: Nightwing vs. Batman Incorporated

Nightwing 69% Winner

Batman Incorporated 31% Loser

Batman Incorporated never had a chance in this one. Nightwing took a commanding lead early on and at one point, Batman’s team of crusaders only had 10% of the vote. The team was able to battle back, but could not come close to touching Grayson. Will this strength stay with Nightwing in the second round?

Match 7: Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Wonderland

Legend of OZ: Wicked West 52% Winner

Wonderland 48% Loser

Simply put – this was the most contested first round matchup. Big Dog Ink and Zenescope were able to rally their troops into a battle which will be discussed in Wonderworld for years. A little over 1/3rd of the overall votes cast in the first block were cast in this matchup. Legend of OZ: Wicked West and Wonderland went back and forth for hours until a huge outpouring came from the Zenescope camp. This was reciprocated by an even greater outpouring from Big Dog Ink. Zenescope had a huge push at the end, but it was not enough to catch up. There is a Cinderella Story to be told here. Big Dog Ink could take this comic far. Zenescope has another chance with Grimm Fairy Tales on Sunday. Let’s see how they do.

Match 8: Adventure Time vs. Bloodshot

Adventure Time 65% Winner

Bloodshot 35% Loser

Bloodshot had an early lead until this matchup began going back and forth on the first day. Tuesday morning saw an influx of votes for Adventure Time and then an influx for Bloodshot. It went back and forth throughout the day until the fans of the show had enough and just brought the BOOM! Many fans have Adventure Time going far in their brackets. They should be interesting to watch.

Remember, all winning comics will receive a 10% discount in the store on March 13, 2013!

Each win you correctly chose in your bracket will gain you 1 point in the contest.

Happy voting!

Round 1 Schedule of WWC March Madness Contest

Below is the opening round schedule for the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest. I have a few things to tell you first:

  1. Voting for each of these matchups will begin between 8:00am and 9:00am on the scheduled morning. Voting on each matchup will continue until midnight the following night. You will have around 40 hours to vote on the matchups before a break for the following matchups.
  2. Each correctly chosen matchup will award one (1) point to your total score.
  3. You may vote once per visit in the store and can vote unlimited times on the website. After voting on the website, all you have to do is submit and refresh your browser or visit another page to vote again.
  4. Any comic receiving a win in the first round will be eligible for a 10% discount the following day after the matchup. You get to determine the sales in our Detroit area comic book store!
  5. The winners of the previous day will be listed on the website around the same time as voting begins for the following matchups.
  6. It was originally stated that there would be five matchups each day and that there would be 24 hours to vote on each. The changes here supersedes the original rules
  7. To see the original announcement and rules, please follow this link.
  8. To see tips on making the selections in your bracket, please follow this link.
  9. Completed forms must be into the store or emailed to Larry@WonderWorldComics.com no later than midnight on Sunday, March 10, 2013. They can also be dropped off at the Wonderworld booth at King Kon on March 9, 2013.

 

Round 1 Schedule:

 

Monday, March 11, 2013 – Tuesday, March 12, 2013

 

Superior Spider-Man vs. Cable and X-Force

Iron Man vs. Fantastic Four

Green Lantern vs. Aquaman

Batman Incorporated vs. Nightwing

Walking Dead vs. Buffy

Hack/Slash vs. G.I. Joe

The Legend of Oz: Wicked West* vs. Wonderland

Adventure Time vs. Bloodshot

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 – Thursday, March 14, 2013

 

Avengers vs. Captain America

Deadpool vs. Young Avengers

Detective Comics vs. Superman

Batman & Robin vs. Red Hood

Transformers vs. Mind MGMT

Hoax Hunters vs. Hellboy in Hell

Dejah Thores vs. Mega Man

Game of Thrones vs. The Simpsons

 

Friday, March 15, 2013 – Saturday, March 16, 2013

 

Savage Wolverine vs. Uncanny Avengers

All New X-Men vs. Thor

Batman vs. Earth 2

Batgirl vs. Teen Titans

Saga vs. Angel and Faith

Dr. Who vs. Star Trek

X-O Manowar vs. Sonic

Archie vs. Neonomicon

 

Sunday, March 17, 2013 – Monday, March 18, 2013

 

Hawkeye vs. Uncanny X-Force

Indestructible Hulk vs. Ne w Avengers

Justice League vs. Wonder Woman

Action Comics vs. Batman The Dark Knight

Star Wars vs. The Massive

Chew vs. Invincible

Grimm Fairy Tales vs. Masks

Crossed Badlands vs. Harbinger

 

*Accidently entered as OZ Wild Wild West on ballot. Sorry BDI.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Variables of WWC March Madness Contest

Many people have been talking about the WonderWorldComics March Madness Contest and have asked for tips on picking a strong bracket. Instead of telling you who you should pick to win, I can open your eyes to some of the factors and variables you might not have considered. In actuality, I don’t have any more clue than you on which comics will win in the end.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Style of Selection

Are you going to pick winners based on your favorite comics or are you going to choose winners based on which comics would logically win each matchup in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest? These factors should influence your decisions.

Voting

Remember, anyone can vote in the WonderWorldComics March Madness Contest. It does not matter if they entered the contest themselves. Many creators and publishers know about this contest and I am expecting that at least some of them will tell their fans to vote for specific titles. A smaller publication could make a major upset.

Number of Votes

Remember that you can vote in either the store or online. Voting online is unlimited whereas voting in the store is on a once-per-day basis. Will one of the creators encourage his or her fans to overwhelm the voting? Only time will tell.

Ties

Remember that if there is a tie during a matchup, the winner will be determined by the most recent sales totals. Should you select your winners by sales just in case there is a tie?

The Winner

Are you going to hold out for your favorite title in the finals to make sure your favorite title gains the 25% discount for a week? Are you going to try to vote for an unpopular title in the matchup to make the sales appear odd?

What other variables in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest can you think of?

Follow this link for the official announcement and rules

WWC March Madness Contest

WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest

In a Nutshell

The WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest is officially underway! We are pitting 64 comics in the store in a tournament fight to the death! Well, maybe not to the death – but you get the picture. Read on for an explanation, rules and the brackets!

Between now and March 10, 2013, you can stop by the store and fill out a tournament bracket. You can also edit the bracket pictures here and email them to me at Larry@WonderWorldComics.com to be eligible. Points will be awarded for each winning selection with the player with the most points at the end of the contest winning a $50 Wonderworld Comics gift card! If anyone has a perfect bracket (all winners on all sides chosen), he or she will win a $100 Wonderworld Comics gift card! See the rules below about what would happen if there are ties or multiple winners.

During the days of the contest, matchups will be listed in the store and on the website. Visitors to the store or to the website can vote for who they think should win each matchup. Any comic winning a matchup will go on sale the next day in the store! Even if you did not fill out a bracket form, you can still vote and you can still receive the discount as long as you make the purchase on the appropriate day!

•             Winning comics making it to the second round will receive a 10% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.

•             Winning comics making it to the Sweet Sixteen round will receive a 10% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.

•             Winning comics making it to the Elite Eight round will receive a 15% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.

•             Winning comics making it to the Final Four will receive a 15% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.

•             Winning comics making it to the WWC Championship round will receive a 20% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.

•             The WWC Champion comic will receive a 25% discount in the store for the seven days following the contest.

In other words, one of the matchups will be Batman vs. Earth 2. If Batman wins, Batman comics in the store will go on sale the next day (and only the next day) for 10% off. Let’s say Batman wins against Nightwing a few rounds later, Batman comics will then receive a 15% discount the following day! The WWC Champion will go on sale for the seven days following the tournament at a $25 discount.

Note, the discount only applies to comics. If Star Wars wins a round do not expect a discount on the classic ships we have in stock. Merchandise outside of comics does not apply. Of course, if you win a Wonderworld Comics gift card, you can spend it on anything in the store.

If you have any questions, ask the workers in the store or leave a comment for me below.  Have fun! Matchups begin on March 11 so get your bracket filled out already!

Official Rules and Stuff

How to Play

Anyone can play the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest by filling out an official bracket sheet in the Detroit location, or by emailing a completed form to Larry@WonderWorldComics.com. All bracket forms must be complete for consideration and must be received in the store or online by midnight on March 10, 2013. Only one form may be filled out per player.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Official Bracket. Click to enlarge.

The Matchups

The winner of each matchup will be determined by voters in the store or through WonderWorldComics.com. A listing of the day’s matchups will be listed in the store for voting. Matchups will also be listed in the right sidebar of the website for convenient voting. You can vote once per visit per visit in the store. You may vote once per visit to the website. You can visit both the store and the website multiple times during a day. Even if you did not complete a WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest form, you may still vote on the matchups.

Marvel Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Marvel Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Points

Those who have filled out WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest forms will receive one point for each winning selection made for the first round. Three points will be awarded for each correct selection in the second round. Five points will be given for each correct selection in Sweet Sixteen round. 8 points will be awarded for each correct selection in the Elite 8 round. Each selection you have correct for the Final Four will grant 11 points. Correct selections making it into the Championship round will equal 15 points. Twenty-five points will be awarded for correctly selecting the champion.

DC Comics Bracket. Click to enlarge.

DC Comics Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Prizes

The player with the highest number of accumulated points at the end of the tournament will win a $50 Wonderworld Comics gift certificate. In the case of a tie, the winner will be randomly selected.

If a player picks the winners of all of the matchups in the tournament, (s)he will win a $100 Wonderworld Comics gift certificate.

Any comic which wins a matchup will be approved for a discount the following business day.  The WWC Champion comic will be approved for a discount for the following week of business.

5% Bracket. Click to enlarge.

5% Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Discounts

  • Winning comics making it to the second round will receive a 10% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.
  • Winning comics making it to the Sweet Sixteen round will receive a 10% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.
  • Winning comics making it to the Elite Eight round will receive a 15% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.
  • Winning comics making it to the Final Four will receive a 15% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.
  • Winning comics making it to the WWC Championship round will receive a 20% discount in the store the day after the winning matchup.
  • The WWC Champion comic will receive a 25% discount in the store for the seven days following the contest.

Announcement of Matchup Winners

A list will be in the store by noon each day of the previous day’s matchup winners. A listing will also be provided on the WonderWorldComics.com website. There will also be a small blurb about what happened during the matchup.

Independent Bracket. Click to enlarge.

Independent Bracket. Click to enlarge.

The Quickies

Employees of Wonderworld Comics or WonderWorldComics.com and their immediate families may play in the Contest and/or vote, but are not eligible for prizes.

In the case of a voting tie during a matchup, the comic with higher unit sales in the previous month will win.

There is no purchase necessary for participating in the Contest or voting in the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest.

Anyone filling out a WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest form is required to provide a valid phone number for contact upon potential winning. The phone number will be destroyed after prizes are claimed and will not be used for any other purpose.

Winners of prizes will be determined by Wonderworld Comics and no alternative prizes will be awarded than those listed.

Wonderworld Comics and WonderWorldComics.com reserves the right to change the rules to include any wording or qualifiers overlooked during initial planning.