My Fevered Brain Presents: Blind Justice Has a Big-Ass Robot

I feel the intense need to watch/read something that features the blind swordsman Zatoichi teaming up with Omega Supreme now.
via Relaqsa

via Here

And that would be the first issue of my new comic: Completely Unnecessary But Compelling Team-Ups. I think they would be a sufficiently hardcore introduction to the concept.

Issue #2: Tony Jaa & Rom The Space Knight in a little story called KYAG, Suckas

via GeekProspectus

via well, Rom

Issue #3: Abraham Lincoln & Jack Bauer in Four Score and Seven Ass-Kickings Ago

via SuperPunch

via SMH

Aaaaaaand I should finally go to sleep because I'm obviously delirious.

So, it might just be me.....

....but instead of reading Batman: Battle For the Cowl, I think I would like to read a title called Batman: Amok Time instead. And it would go a little something like this:

Upon finding himself trapped back in the time of Anthro the First Boy at the end of Final Crisis, Batman gets tired of waiting for DC editorial to send Booster Gold back in time to save him so it's time to do the job himself. Stealing a time machine from one of the fifty gajillion DC time villains randomly visiting the period he's stuck in(Lets say Per Degaton? Just cause?), Batman then looses the time machine in the belly of a T-Rex. After taming the T-Rex though, Batman uses its newly acquired time travelling abilities to port his way through DC history, teaming up with famous detectives and other heroes of the past to fight crime and injustice. Because he can't control the time dinosaur though, Batman doesn't know where he will end up and what each adventure will bring him.

And yes. Batman will totally get to punch Hitler in current continuity.

DC? You may now hire me.

via Nick Bachman

Huh

I....never ever thought they would have collected that

SUPERMAN: ENDING BATTLE TP

Written by Geoff Johns, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz and Joe Kelly

Art by Pascual Ferry, Duncan Rouleau and others Cover by Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino

When the villainous Manchester Black uncovers Clark Kent’s secret identity, it sets in motion one of the hardest days in Superman’s life. Collects stories from SUPERMAN #185-186, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #608-609, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #130-131 and ACTION COMICS #795-796. Advance-solicited; on sale May 20 • 192 pg, FC, $14.99 US

I actually liked this story a lot when it came out. I need to reread it again cause it's been so long. I guess since it's Johns they decided to print it? Maybe?

DC marketing, you confuse me.

Jim, if you would please?

So, one of my favorite comics is the Thor Ragnarok story by Michael Avon Oeming & Andrea Divito. It's the perfect blend of the Kirby/Simonson history and the actual Norse mythology of the final days of Asgard. The story is epic practically on every page, and Divito's art is so friggin' epic it's beyond words at times. Unless the words are "OH SNAP". So I see in the order forms a new over sized HC will be available soon. Sweet! That can only be awesome on top of awesome! That's gonna.....look........wtf?

They merged it with the other Disassembled bullcrap?

"Collecting Thor issues #80 to 85, Iron Man #84 to 89, Captain America & The Falcon #5 to 7 and Captain America #29 to 32, written by Mike Avon Oeming, Mark Ricketts, John Jackson Miller, Robert Kirkman and Priest, pencilled By Andrea Divito, Tony Harris, Scott Kolins, Jorge Lucas, Scot Eaton and Joe Bennett features a cover by Steve Epting."

BAH!!!!!!!!

Ok, just a quick remembrance of all those other stories:

-The Iron Man was a waste of time

-The Captain America was Kirkman, which should make it better, but it was very forgettable.

-The Captain America & Falcon was, well, Captain America & Falcon. It wasn't bad, and I love Priest's writing, but I don't think there was a need to really, y'know, ever see this again.

And they want $50

Jim?

A SINGLE OVER SIZED HC FOR THE ONE GOOD STORY DURING THAT WHOLE DISASSEMBLED MESS. $24.99. IS THAT SO HARD?!?!!?!?

I shit you not, I could sell 20 copies easy right off the bat. A $50 book full of crap? Not so much.

Read this book or suffer my wrath

Last week we received a press packet from a new publisher that included a copy of their first major publication, the Charlatan: Preludes GN. The packet included a publishers note stating that the long term goal of this new venture was to create solid and fun sci-fi/superhero stories that could appeal to all ages of readers. Essentially, a PG-13 book that doesn't dumb things down but doesn't feature buckets of blood and gore. I love you Fear Agent, but damn, I ain't passing you along to a 10 year old. So to sum it up in a horribly simplistic way, Charlatan is to the sci-fi/superero genre as Bone is to the fantasy genre: a completely accessible, well done, and thoroughly enjoyable book that you can pass on to pretty much everyone.

I can appreciate this for a number of reasons. First off, someone has been needing to do this for a long long time. DC & Marvel have their all ages titles, but they don't really make it a point to push it on the larger markets. And even then, they follow a very episodic formula that almost reduces them in appeal (at least to older audiences I believe). Don't get me wrong, I still pretty much stand by what I always say and that this stuff is much better than like 90% of main stream titles. Tiny Titans and Marvel Adventures: Avengers are some of the best things being published today. But actually grabbing hold of new readers is tricky, and unfortunately from the trends I see at our store not too many teen boys are going to come in running for Tiny Titans. And not too many girls either because they just don't know it's out there.

But then you have something like Bone which fills a needed niche so perfectly. Accessible to readers regardless of age? Check. A solid fantasy epic? Check. Great story and art? Check. Stupid stupid rat creatures? Check. One of the best of the few actual fantasy titles available on the direct market? Check. And Bone is one of the most successful all ages titles available today.

So, it's about time someone tried to attempt something similar for the sci-fi/superhero set again.

Charlatan attempts to tackle this gap in the market by offering a new interesting story with a great singular purpose behind the entire publishing venture: lets have some fun and try to do a few new things with superheroes. And that's exactly what this first volume offers. Charlatan focuses on the story of Lucy Halford, who is the first human to ever be chosen as the defender of the universe. The problem is, she is 4 years old. Lucy's father steps up, refusing to surrender his daughter to the aliens who will train her for a life of hardship and an inevitable violent death. And as they are confronted with new and horrible threats, Lucy's father and mother have to ask themselves if they are willing to sacrifice the one thing in the universe that means the most of them in order to save the universe. Remember when Marvel comics consistently used to have a moral and ethical center to the conflicts?

Lawson's scripting is tight and he doesn't waste time nor does he throw too much at you all at once. He has a clear idea where he is going and builds a fun ride by introducing a number of sub-plots that will slowly pay off. Gouveia's art is clean and the man knows how to lay out a page. Something so many people out there don't know how to do (I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BENITIZ). He's not particularly flashy, but I don't think that's something I would have wanted to see. He does not detract from the story, he enhances it. I look forward to seeing him develop more and maybe refine his style, but as a draftsman I believe he's great. At no point did I have trouble trying to figure out what was going on (YOU'RE ON THE LIST BACHALO!).

So yeah. I want to support the hell out of this and I wish the best of luck to Jen & Gil Lawson, the husband and wife team opperating Generaljinjur. They have a a definite purpose to their publishing, and it's one I can get behind.

Now, see if you can find a way to fit in an ape and we are golden.

http://generaljinjur.com/

Lost & Found: Blacksad

Blacksad is one of those books that I really really really wish will be reprinted in english soon, because more people in the states need to experience it. And I say experience because once you finish reading it you should come to one realization: this is how good comics are done.

Scratch that. This is how beautifully awesome comics are done and this should be considered a zenith in comic book production.

Written by Juan Diaz Canales with beautiful art by Juanjo Guardino, Blacksad is a series of crime noir stories starring anthropomorphic animals. In general I'm not drawn into a series just because it utilizes anthropomorphic animals as a stylistic choice. I know many people actually are and this may enchance your desire to read it, and it may also turn you off from it. The thing about Blacksad is that it truly is a unique approach that enchances the story. Gardino's ability to bring out a character's true personality using a specific species and then beautifully emoting them is nothing short of fantastic.

If you like crime noir stories, this is for you. As far as modern crime noir comics go, you can't really find many people doing it on this level besides Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips. If you like humour and great characterization, this is for you. If you like beautifully painted artwork, you need to own this. I can read this book and then just look at it again and again to just take in the art. Very cinematic, very detailed, and very thoughtful. The only other current artists in the industry that can truly captivate me with their facial expressions include:

-Carla Speed McNeil

-Steve Dillon

-Kevin Maguire

-John Cassaday

-Darick Robertson

And I would have to put Guardino pretty far up there. Actually, I don't know if I put him above McNeil, she's friggin' awesome. Hmm, I'm forgetting some people too. Damn yeah, Eric Powell, for sure. Screw it, ya get the point though. Being able to strike emotional cords through facial features is a key skill many comic book artists never peg down, and Guardino nails it.

Now the crap news. Apparently the english translations published through Ibooks a few years back are going for very large amounts of money. Actually, I'm going to look right now andSWEET BABEH JESUS.........vol 1 goes for $74 used on Amazon o.0

It's a 54pg soft cover book so, uh......yeah, that may keep people from really bothering >_<

And this is why I need to be in charge of shit. Time to reprint these suckers and start expanding everyones minds. Because I kid you not, if I didn't have my copies I would probably save the money up and pay that insane price. And as broke as I may be, I just can't think about selling these. So if you ever have the chance and you just magically come upon some of these, for the love of all that is good in life do yourself a favor and pick them up.

http://blacksad-gallery.blogspot.com/

http://www.blacksadmania.com/

Is it me or...

Does it feel like Marvel is kinda, I don't know, totally sabotaging themselves in what is currently a horrible economy? Over the past 3 weeks, it has become very obvious that both major companies are bumping up titles to $3.99.

However, DC seems to be spreading it a little bit more across their entire catalog. Just today, I rang up a large amount of customers that were all DC and a roughly equal amount who are all Marvel. And of the customers who had an equal sized pile, lets say a dozen books or so, the DC fans spent much less cash.

On the shipping list for this week, only 3 titles were $3.99 from DC:
-Final Crisis
-FC: Revelations
-Mirrors Edge
And really, who the hell is buying Mirrors Edge, so I'm just gonna count that as 2.

On the Marvel side, you had:
-Adam Legend of the Blue Marvel
-Astonishing X-Men Ghost Boxes
-Big Hero 6
-Marvel Apes
-Marvel Illustrated
-Punisher War Zone
-Secret invasion Dark Reign
-Wolverine 1-shot o'crap
-Wonderful Wizard of Oz
-X-Men/Spider-Man

Now granted, that's an eclectic batch from Marvel and not all Marvel fans are getting all of that.
And yes, DC just shoved a crapload of $3.99 specials down our throats with all the JSA 1-shots. But, after looking at the invoices, it's definitely Marvel showing this trend at it's strongest.

Long term, this has the stink of Marvel trying to destroy the single issue monthly business. And granted, that piece of the pie chart is shrinking and GNs & TPBs are a strong and always growing market. Not to mention the online stuff, which is honestly a smart move and new creative ground to move into.

BUT

There will always be people who want single issue comics, on a monthly basis. It is what the industry grew from, and it is hardwired into peoples heads. To ignore and abuse the potential for sales is just friggin' stupid. But, this is the comic book industry we are talking about. Fuckin' lobotomized sloths could do a better job at the Diamond shipping warehouses. ROB LIEFELD CONTINUES TO GET WORK. So obviously, shit ain't gonna be working at full speed and probably never will.

The thing is, if DC marketing plays its cards right, they have the potential to pick up a lot of those monthly sales. And Dark Horse and Image have a huuuuuuge opportunity here for new readership. And it's not gonna be for whatever reason Kirkman thinks about creative blah blah blah. That sounds all neat and promising, but honestly it comes down to how much money is going to be saved during a time of economic crisis. Even if I just follow the trends at our store and not assume it's playing the same way nationwide, Marvel is going to take a huge sales hit. At least 5 customers of ours have made a dramatic switch into just DC comics. If I offer them new alternatives at a basic $2.99 price point, they may even try the new Atomic Robo or the Boys. And hey, THEY DID.

Maybe I'm not reading any marketing/industry blogs. Maybe I'm too godamned busy running the store. But it feels like none of this stuff is really popping up in a real discussion, or at least not in a forum where people can actually see it. And if they are, cool, I'll shut up completely and read what you send me. But in the meantime, here are two more points of interest:

-Why does every damn book have to be on glossy paper? Would it not cut costs to drop down to newsprint? This would do 2 things as I see it. First, it would ideally cut down production costs that could be passed down to the readers. Second, it has the potential to bump up the secondary market value of modern comics. Because all those glossy stock books are gonna be easier to find down the road here, and none of them are really going to go up in value if everyone has clean copies of them. And if people want clean copies of the books, they could spend that on nice collected reproductions. Heeeeeeey there's that GN/TPB money you assholes wanted!

-Reinstate the single GN style releases for over hyped yet apparently demanded creative teams, therefore restoring the regular monthly schedule of books. You want a Mark Millar/Jim Lee/Steve McNiven/Frank Millar/Steve Skroce/Geof Darrow/Bryan Hitch/Kubert Bros/WHOEVER THE HELL book that will never be on time? Release it as an original GN and get all the hype you want ready for the book stores and mass market.

The supplementary plan I have for that one is WHY DON'T YOU STOP PAYING THE ASSHOLES WHO DON'T DESERVE A LUCRATIVE CONTRACT? Divide that money up to pay the GOOD talent (MARCOS MARTIN, PEOPLE) and pass the savings down to readers. Implement a punishment system. You can't meet a reasonable deadline or schedule? THEN WE WON'T HIRE YOU. This will support the monthly structure AND motivate the release of original GNs so these twits can be paid even though they need to learn something about work ethics.
And I don't care if that seems ranty or unfair. Fantastic Four and Wolverine, TWO OF MARVEL'S FLAGSHIP TITLES, are both horribly late and look at who's at the helm there. I have little sympathy for a man who wrote a story where a man named Shaft (Who I just propose we change his name to Dildo and be done with it) fought the reanimated corpses of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.
GAWDAMMIT I HATE MARK MILLAR.

So yes. Rant is done. Ideas? Comments? Death threats?

EDIT:
Found some good links and actual discussion. Still, I want to see more.
http://www.ifanboy.com/content/articles/Comic_Books_Prices__How_Much_is_Too_Much
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18625
The way I see it, we shouldn't have to take the stance that maybe some books shouldn't exist simply because we can't afford them. They shouldn't exist because they are CRAP, but I'm not prepared to trust anyone in marketing or editing to decide such a thing. It's a decision based on sales, sadly. So to be fair, I still believe we need to even the playing field by dropping the production costs with only a few possible exceptions.

And another random thought. You notice how some art, such as Kirby, just looks fantastic on newsprint? John Severin? Steve Ditko? This would be an interesting test for modern artists, I think.

Maybe I don't have my finger on the pulse of awesome, but...

Ok, again, maybe this counts more as fanboy ranting. But I swear by the unholy retail gods, if they would actually fricking make these things THEY WOULD SELL. And not just to me! It is my belief that instead of giving us another run of Superman/Batman figures, DC Direct could make a unique and successful ongoing series of special over sized figures. What would this series of over sized figures be? DC MONSTERS

Think of it. A series of DC's greatest creatures in rough scale with the average DC direct figure! Wave one could include:

Starro the Conqueror-Includes bendable arms (interior wire design?) that can hold other DC direct figures. Also comes with 5 or 6 mini-starros that fit over other DC direct figure heads. Other options could include a see-through eye in the center so you can look through it and a way to clasp the arms around your head so it doubles as a Halloween costume. Chemo (Classic or Modern)-Could simply be a figure done with the same paint design of the OMAC figures (clear green with bubbles). However, a solid figure with goo inside would be interesting. Comes with the option to open a hole in his head to drop mini-dc figures in (quarter inch versions of Metal Men? Aqualass?). A Base made up of the rubble of Bludhaven would be good for the articulated version. Brother Eye Satellite - Not much needed, just maybe make it able to float via a base stick. Little points of articulation needed, maybe some rotation points for his different layers. Can come with a half human/half OMAC figure (someone morphing into an OMAC). A classic Brother Eye would be good, but I would figure they would want to include that in a Kirby Style OMAC 2 pack. True Scale Doomsday- The sculpt of the last figure was great, but needs to be at least as big as Mongul from Infinite Crisis line. Throw in the restraint cuffs from his first appearance or a broken Highway sign for Metropolis.

Plop $24.99-$34.99 on these guys and I guarantee sales.

I've had customers list ideas off to me as well, including:

-Brimstone-Would be good if they can use the same flame material that was used on Firestorm's head.

-Mogo w/Bzzd- Really not much but a cool looking globe. If feeling generous, include Bolphunga or Children of the White Lobe. Perhaps a mini-Ranx.

-Arkillo of the Sinestro Corp. In scale with Kilowog would be great. Could be selling tons of Sinestro Corp aliens now if they bothered to make them =/ -True Form Parallax-Possibly include Ganthet or a Parallax/Kyle Rayner hybrid.

-Titano-Nothing says sales like a giant Gorilla with light up green eyes.

-Chang Tzu-With articulated arms and legs. -Monsieur Mallah & The Brain -General Eiling as The General-Includes some over sized guns, and maybe removable limbs for regeneration fun. -True size Grodd in Scott Kollins style

-The 4 Horsemen

-Lady Styxx -Solaris the Tyrant Sun -Kirby style Etrigan w/ Baytor or /Klarion & Teekle -Over sized Anti-Monitor -'90's style Metallo

-Asmodel

And many more I can't remember. But you get the gist. Any other suggestions?

Pardon My Kryptonite

Ok, so to be fair, I haven't actually read Superman & Batman vs Vampires & Werewolves.

I shouldn't assume it's crap, and I do like Tom Mandrake art. But really. Of all the things to publish, we get this while books like Blue Beetle and Manhunter are cancelled and awesome titles like Resurrection Man are never reprinted.

Well, I have a new crossover to propose.

In one corner, the duo of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel:

And in the other corner, their most dangerous challenge yet:

Superman & Batman VS Abbott & Costello: Who's Who on First

Oh yes. It's on now, bitches.