ship ahoy: Jan. 18, 2006

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

It's up now: http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping/shipping_011806.txt

For me:

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2 $2.99--best superhero comic around right now, on the strength of... um, the first issue.
INFINITE CRISIS #4 (OF 7) $3.99--le sigh
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #13 $2.99--guest starring Wi-Fi, the Future Air Wave!
NIGHTWING #116 $2.50--in which Devin Grayson attempts to wrap up her storyline early, and quickly
SEVEN SOLDIERS MISTER MIRACLE #3 (OF 4) $2.99--this is the only SS that hasn't come together for me yet, but I can see where it might
SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN ARROW VOL 1 TP $16.99--finger or no finger
TESTAMENT #2 (MR) $2.99--I find myself surprised at how curious I am to see where this goes
SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN #2 (OF 5) $2.99--ditto

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:53 (twenty years ago)

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2 (I'm not quite feeling this as much as the rest of you, but I'm sure it'll come eventually)
EX MACHINA #17 (Back in the city for a new arc)
FIRESTORM #21 (umm... still in space, still not that sure who's Firestorm any more)
FLASH #230 (NOT DEAD YET SHOCKAH! Although the Vandal Savage plot is nearly at an end.)
HELLBLAZER #216 (New writer might win me back over this, otherwise NOT FOR ME)
INFINITE CRISIS #4 (Why? Why do we buy SADFACE?)
JSA CLASSIFIED #7 (Grundy's last bit of crime before he gets inducted into Seven Soldiers following the death of Frankenstein, I predict)
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #13 (Something happens in space in the future! Hurrah! I still think the backups are the best thing about this book.)
LOSERS #31 (New arc. Has lost its way a little recently.)
LUCIFER #70 (NEARLY OVER)
PLANETARY #24 (Oh noes I cannot remember what happened or when the last one came out. WARREN, GET ONE DIARY)
SEVEN SOLDIERS MISTER MIRACLE #3 (As somebody else said somewhere, the 4th World recast as The Wiz is not the best starting point in the world.)
SGT ROCK THE PROPHECY #1 (No idea what this is, but it may help me prepare for HAUNTED TANK)
SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN ARROW VOL 1 (No beard, no finger)
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #4 (Spidey rape dollars spectacular pt 1)
INCREDIBLE HULK #91 (DEATH'S HEAD RETURNS, YES?)
IRON MAN THE INEVITABLE #2 (First issue very nice, will see where this goes)
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #26 (Yay for non JMS 4)
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #22 (Spidey rape dollars spectacular pt 2)
NEW MANGAVERSE #1 (Don't know about this, but I enjoyed the first wave of minis)
PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE #3 (Steve Dillon draws transvestite mobsters. How can this be bad?)
X-STATIX PRESENTS DEAD GIRL #1 (No idea - is this reprints?)

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:13 (twenty years ago)

Dead Girl is all new according to ninthart.com - Mike allred isn't drawing it, however.

Legion (can we have the climactic fight now pls thx?) and Infinite Crybabies for me

― Mark C (Markco), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 11:01 (twenty years ago)

Surely The Losers can't be a new arc, the last issue was a major-character-killing cliffhanger and the new one is the penultimate one!

― Flyboy (Flyboy), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:34 (twenty years ago)

Uh oh! The early list my comic shop posted on their web page was very scant, so I emailed my list in and added that they should put some Q&C and/or Stray Bullets in my file to make up for whatever, but now it looks like a hi-de-ho week after all! I'm on my way to the poor house! And it's all Earth-2 Superman's fault!

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2 - Maybe. I d/led the first one and enjoyed a lot more than I enjoyed ASBARTBW, but for different reasons (where's my Lois Lane crotch shot, FQ???)
FLASH #230 - Will he or won't he? Die, that is. Most likely, he'll start running really fast and start to crumble, and then it'll say TO BE CONTINUED IN THE PAGES OF INFININININININTE CHRYSLER
GREEN LANTERN #7 - Green Arrow and Green Lantern TOGETHER AGAIN! This hasn't happened since all those other time they've been together. Pacheco's art is fun, at least. And it'll be kind of a lark to see GJ playing with Alan Moore's table scraps.
INFINITE CRISIS #4 (OF 7) - Will Black Lightning be abducted so that he can power the MIGHTY MORPHIN' MONITOR MACHINE?
JSA CLASSIFIED #7 - Is this any good? Solomon Grundy, you say? Damnit!
SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN ARROW VOL 1 TP - Twenty years of 8-page Green Arrow stories! Activate finger-finder...NOW!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Surely The Losers can't be a new arc, the last issue was a major-character-killing cliffhanger and the new one is the penultimate one!

Ah. I didn't get the memo that cancelled it. Oh well, it's been a fun ride.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:03 (twenty years ago)

For Maddie and me:

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2
EX MACHINA #17 LUCIFER #70
PLANETARY #24
SEVEN SOLDIERS MISTER MIRACLE #3
WALKING DEAD #25
RUNAWAYS #12
UNCANNY X-MEN #468
ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD #3
X-STATIX

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:12 (twenty years ago)

Legion, Uncanny, X-Statix, All Star Superman. Nice!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

REAR ENTRY #11 (A) $3.95

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

OCT052872 ADRIAN TOMINE NEW YORK SKETCHES 2004 SC $24.95

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:27 (twenty years ago)

About the Tomine.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:30 (twenty years ago)

Just kidding about Tomine or Rear Entry?

xpost

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:30 (twenty years ago)

about the tomine - DUH

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 19:54 (twenty years ago)

The thought of Tomine porn exacerbates my ulcer.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 19:59 (twenty years ago)

Which, of course, leads to SADFACE.

― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:00 (twenty years ago)

I would buy Adrian TOmine's Identity Crisis Redux.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:00 (twenty years ago)

dude tomine's chix are HOT, they can't all be your precious morgan fairchild.

― j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 20:02 (twenty years ago)

All-Star Superman and The Comics Journal, if the latter makes it out here this week.

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 00:00 (twenty years ago)

Tomine chix are hott, but the pillow talk will probably make me cry or loathe humanity.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 00:31 (twenty years ago)

Dead Girl gets covers and inks by Allred. Milligan still writes. I will get this.

― c(''c) (Leee), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 00:32 (twenty years ago)

However, continuity alert -- ANARCHIST AMONG THE LIVING??

― c(''c) (Leee), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 00:33 (twenty years ago)

Skateboarding dude is there as well, possibly they're none of them living. I know it's a long shot.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 01:27 (twenty years ago)

But but all of the characters on that cover have kicked the bucket.

― ng-unit, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 02:25 (twenty years ago)

SCHIZO #4!!!!!!!!!

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Gee, that makes sense now. "Dead" Girl!

― c(''c) (Leee), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Everyone in X-Statix died! Except for Doop, of course, because he's eternal.

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 17:34 (twenty years ago)

Is Dead Girl worth getting? I passed it up in the shops, along with the new Testament, which I am still slightly curious about (anybody here reading it?) but which didn't look that great from the quick once-over I gave it. I only ended up getting ASS and Mister Miracle, and at some point in my busy life I may end up reading them too (first page of Superman looks great though)!

― Chris F. (servoret), Thursday, 19 January 2006 00:54 (twenty years ago)

Flash #230 - Big fuckin' whoop. I called the "To be continued in the pages of InfCri" ending. The Vandal Savage thing was okay, but ouch, you end nearly 20 years of awesomeness with THAT?
Green Lantern #7 - A year or two ago, Geoff Johns was writing some of the most exciting paced comic books in Flash and JSA, and even GL: Rebirth. Now (and this applies to Infinite Crisis as well), what gives? As Bob Haney might have had Aqualad say, "Strictly subaquatic dullsville, daddy-o."
Infinite Crisis #4 - Wherein three issues of hogwash culminates in a big schmozzle with unanticipated but not surprising results. The Booster Gold/nu-Beetle scene was creepy in a way that 1950s Batman/Robin (or Green Arrow/Speedy) comics never dared.
Showcase Presents Green Arrow - Wow, this is a lot more fun than even I anticipated (or maybe it just seems that way after Infinite Crisis. Gimme gimme more 7-page stories. "The Battle of the Useless Inventions"!!! "The Menace of the Mechanical Octopus"!!! "Xeen Arrow"!!!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

yay, schizo. abt bluddy time.

agreed w/ Huk abt the pleasures of seven page comic strips - full length often makes for flabby storytelling. i wonder why neither Marvel or DC publish split, Tales to Astonish-like bks anymore...

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:55 (twenty years ago)

Amazing Fantasy #15 was all 5-10 page stories! (And all but one were pretty good!) Other issues of Amazing Fantasy did the split-story thing, too. In addition, the last 2 issues of the hot-to-trot Doc Samson mini feature back-up stories starring THE LIVING TOTEM!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 19 January 2006 15:58 (twenty years ago)

I got Schizo. Is Ivan Brunetti always like this? (I've only read him in small doses.) It was definitely entertaining, polished, etc., but it was sort of formulaic: Paul Giamati-style neurotic monologue followed by either interpersonal relationship anecdote or Peanuts-inspired self-pitying lament! Also, I'm sort of sick of this "I'm a grown-up comics collector! Look at how pathetic I am!" trope that pops up here, and in Chris Ware, Seth, and Dan Clowes. I also felt like it was very much a class-based comic--something I'd probably feel weird about reading if I was in high school, but something a liberal postdoc would totally relate to.

Also--is he usually so influenced by Chris Ware? (Comments in the marginalia section, round-headed peanutsiness, etc.) Did he need to put in little notes like "Ivan Brunetti, funniest man on earth"? It seems like he just looks bad in comparison because his craftmanship isn't as obsessive and formalistic.

― kenchen, Thursday, 19 January 2006 19:15 (twenty years ago)

this is very much NU-IVAN, he's been through several phases in his work. I am a bit trepidatious as to how well all these Highwater strips are going to work in one book, but after eleven years of Schizo being on my standing order, special requests for re-orders, special requests on re-solicited back issues, special orders for HAW! etc, my local shop has only ever supplied me with one (1) Ivan comic, and this isn't it.

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 19 January 2006 21:39 (twenty years ago)

I was waiting for Kit to chime in first. I haven't seen the issue yet, but have seen most of the strips in it in their Highwater/ Chicago Reader form. I don't really like what he's up to these days. His style is much prettier for all of the Schultz/ Ware idolatry, but it's pretty jarring in comparison to his earlier work. I like where he went with his filthy one-panel gag strips in Haw! and Hee!, for sure. I'm not as fond as what he's doing with longer strips. I guess you can't stay young and angry forever, though. Piet Mondrian? Fuck that, I wanna see a baby with a heroin needle in its arm.

― ng-unit, Friday, 20 January 2006 04:35 (twenty years ago)

Four words (following this colon):

DEAD GIRL IS AWESOME!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 20 January 2006 05:49 (twenty years ago)

Birds of Prey - the Birds manage to fight Deathstroke and his ugly blue and orange costume without totally getting their asses kicked and then go on to PWN batman. hurrah! now that the gay lunks have left, I am looking forward to some new recruits

Legion - big fite fite fite - was OK though the legion of supervillains were a bit anonymous (did the bunch that sun boy joined include wildfire and blok???). Lots of reminders about Dream Girl so hopefully she will come back to life soon. cute letter column drawn by Amanda Conner.

― Mark C (Markco), Friday, 20 January 2006 10:35 (twenty years ago)

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2
Umm. Wow. It's hard to believe this must have been written/pitched before Showcase Presents, even though it clearly was. Bold prediction as it is, this could easily be book of 2006. And ILC's favourite book ever.
EX MACHINA #17
Haha potentially comic misunderstandings as Mayor Hundred allows an anti-Iraq demo but then OH NOES his girlfriend leaves OH NOES the young sexy intern leaves OH NOES there is poizin gasses. I BET IT'S NOT THEM FILTHY TERR'ISTS.
FIRESTORM #21
Following the SHOCKING EEK events in Infintely Sadfaced, we get an ENTIRE ISSUE of Jason arguing with Martin Stein inside the Firestorm Matrix and agreeing to remake Firestorm. Despite this, it's one of the best issues yet, and has a very nice Superman/Supergirl/Crisis homage cover.
FLASH #230
Vandal Savage, gone? Duplicating the sequences as Barry Allen died with writers and plots MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BIG HINT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN INFINITELY SADFACE (as I think I said very long ago).
HELLBLAZER #216
This is OK, actually. It still sort of feels like it's been done before, but it's not a bad start.
INFINITE CRISIS #4
ALL-NEW BETCHA BY GOLLY WOW ALL-DEATH ISSUE. Big dead Heroes: Firestorm and Flash. Lesser dead heroes: Some Titans I didn't recognise.
JSA CLASSIFIED #7
Haha GRUNDY BORED GRUNDY GO BACK TO SWAMP. Plus Icicle and Tigress shagging. How can you go wrong?
LOSERS #31
One issue left, only one really alive. Next time: MEGA ARMAGEDDON DEATH.
LUCIFER #70
Umm. Nice enough, but too desperately wanting to be Neil Gaiman for my taste.
PLANETARY #24
Snow gets everyone ready to BEAT TEH BAD MEN UP. And lots of Brazil is destroyed by SPACE LASERS. Ace.
SEVEN SOLDIERS MISTER MIRACLE #3
Despite the misgivings, this is really good. GASP as SS Darkseid whispers the anti-life equation.
SGT ROCK THE PROPHECY #1
Does exactly what you'd expect. Well worth it.
INCREDIBLE HULK #91
Great stuff. The thing in space turns out not to be Death's Head after all, but WATCH IN HORROR as Fury double-crosses Banner and sends him out into space FOREVER. (read: until we get bored with Planet Hulk, then he'll be back)
MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #26
Did the writers of this not read Bendis' final Avengers issues? Anyway, MAGIC abounds as the Salem Seven invoke an Elder God. Yes, really.
MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #22
I missed RAPE DOLLARS 1 this week, so I'm unsure about lots of this. The spider bits woman? The webs all over Avengers Mansion? Who is The Other? I'M NOT SURE I CARE.
NEW MANGAVERSE #1
FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN. Plus Black Cat/Mary Jane kissyface action. HAWT.
PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE #3
Better than you'd think. Actually, not much happens in this issue, but it still works well.
X-STATIX PRESENTS DEAD GIRL #1
AS MUCH DEAD HERO FUN AS MARVEL ZOMBIES. But with added jokes about Doctor Strange and his piles.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 20 January 2006 11:27 (twenty years ago)

I think Mike Carey's a much better plotter than Gaiman, though I forgot to get Lucifer this week. Also your recap reminded me that I stopped reading Planetary half way through to go reread Superman again.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 20 January 2006 12:46 (twenty years ago)

Kit and NG Unit--thanks for the comics. I was thinking of buying some back issues of Schizo online from fanta. Any suggestions? Have you read the Imp issue about him?

Mike Carey is a better plotter than Gaiman only in the sense that he uses plots and Gaiman really doesn't. But Carey really isn't a good plotter: sure, they're intricate and he throws around lots of characters, but they've always felt stiff and unexcited. In almost every Mike Carey plot I've ever read there's been a sense of something happening for no reason--not quite deux ex machina, but the sillier, fantasy-book, Vertigo equivalent.

― kenchen, Friday, 20 January 2006 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Mike Carey's plots engaged me for the first HELLBLAZER arc he did and then I realized that there's no dramatic tension in any of them. They're all complicated and overly worked. Sure, they glide like swiss watches, but they're not engaging. It's highly technical and meh. MY FAITH IN FRANKIE was ten times better than his HELLBLAZER or LUCIFER stuff.

Aldo's right about ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2. Favorite book of the year so far. Maybe ever. Maybe. (Okay, that's an exaggeration.) And I thought that MISTER MIRACLE #3 was a distinct improvement. That sequence where Mr. Miracle falls to the Anti-Life Equation was stellar.

TESTAMENT is okay, but the second issue didn't do much overlapping of the old and new via the artwork/design like the first issue did. The modern stuff is familiar control/anarchy dichotomy stuff and not wowing me. Maybe I just need Liam Sharp Bible Comics? Still going to give it the whole of the first arc before I make a final judgement.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:54 (twenty years ago)

That's totally right (about Carey). There are a few cool moments in Hellblazer (like when the First of the Fallen appears or the Swamp Thing nostalgia with the dog from hell arc), but the stories lack tension because you never get the sense that they could have happened any other way. Have you read the new writer on hellblazer? I flipped through it and it seemed sort of silly.

― kenchen, Friday, 20 January 2006 19:04 (twenty years ago)

I've got the issue sitting on the pile to be read yet. I have a feeling, though, that my Hellblazer loving days are over. I read the book from the start in SWAMP THING and loved every moment of Delano's tortured run. That book should have ended with #40 or whatever issue he wrapped up with.

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Friday, 20 January 2006 19:10 (twenty years ago)

Have you read the Imp issue about him?

No-one has! Raeburn lost his shirt on Imp 4 and never published the Ivan issue.

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 20 January 2006 20:28 (twenty years ago)

There's a tell-all story about Raeburn and his difficulties with the Imp #4 in the Chicago Reader written by Carrie Golus that's fantastic and maybe worth the archive fee. I did a profile of Mr. Raeburn for the same publication right when the Imp #3 was coming out which I will send to you if you drop me an e-mail. As far as Ivan goes, he bares his soul in Schizo #1 and #2 and you'll come away with a fairly complete portrait of how badly his divorce fucked him up after reading those. I think your first step is grabbing a copy of the oh-no-you-didn't gag panel collection Haw! Schizo #1 is an odds-and-ends collection, #2-3 are probably worth seeking out next.

― ng-unit, Saturday, 21 January 2006 00:49 (twenty years ago)

Schizo #1 and 2 are PRE-divorce though! (and he's so much better-adjusted since then. I think the absolutely monsterkillergenius #3 might have been post-divorce though, though possibly still set during the marriage, given the fact that he avoids showing any homelife at all...)

― kit brash (kit brash), Saturday, 21 January 2006 13:20 (twenty years ago)

Just e-mailed you, Kit. Anyway, is #2 really pre-divorce? Wow. I need to reread those issues, stat. Possible lessons learned: your wife probably won't mind you spilling seed over the Spice Girls unless you choose to depict it in comics form.

― ng-unit, Saturday, 21 January 2006 14:08 (twenty years ago)

I think so! I'd check if I had any idea where my issues were.

― kit brash (kit brash), Saturday, 21 January 2006 22:51 (twenty years ago)

I got me some Schizo #4 over the weekend, the presentation is certainly purty. Nice coloring! Also Berlin #12, Palookaville #16, Gabriella Giandelli's beautiful Interiorae from the Fanta Ignatz series and my pick for forgotten masterpiece from 2005: Zak Sally's The Recidivist. Where is the love for this former member of Low?

― ng-unit, Monday, 23 January 2006 13:22 (twenty years ago)

ASS is great.

Runaways is great.

Lucifer is really good too. I suppose this issue it's Gaimanish b/c of the folk storytelling, but it's done well and a nice, quiet follow-up to the big climactic stuff in the previous ish. I love Zander Cannon's art too.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 23 January 2006 15:46 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.