What Lurks in YOUR collection?

From Comics Buyer's Guide #1689:

Recently my esteemed editor at Comics Buyer's Guide Magazine asked its team of reviewers and columnists for feedback on this issue's theme:  What's in your collection?  For today's blog, I've included my responses to the questions, based on our experiences with buying back issues, going to conventions, and looking for those "gems" that can literally show up anywhere.  Among the questions were:

Where Do You Buy Your Back Issues?

My response...

"For several years my wife has been the primary buyer of back issues in our household.  Her marketing and research background has proven invaluable in making deals with both private owners and professional comics dealers.  Although we find some good deals at such larger conventions as Heroes Con, our best finds have been located through Craigslist.  Among her finds was "The Telegraph Collection" (we often name our collections based on the street on which they were purchased), a private collection of 10,000 comics that consisted of a mix of Silver Age, Bronze Age and Modern comics, including such great finds as a near-complete run of Sandman and two NM copies of New Mutants #98 (Feb '91, the first appearance of Deadpool).  Perhaps her best find was "The Eagle Trace Collection," which consisted of almost 5,000 comics at a cost of 8 cents per issue.  Just in the first couple boxes, we found Near Mint copies of such gems as Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 88), Batman #492 Platinum Edition (May 93), and Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8, along with a large variety of such hard-to-find small-press comics as Scud the Disposable Assassin #1."


What's Your Favorite Comics-Related Find?

My response...

"Once again, my wife gets the credit for several “favorite finds,” among them a Fine+ copy of Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb 74, the first appearance of The Punisher) she found at Heroes Con at a very reasonable price and a nice copy of Ghost Rider #1 (Aug 73) at Adventure Con, which I then proceeded to get signed by co-creator Gary Friedrich just a few minutes later."


What's Your Biggest Regret In Buying Or Selling Or Both?

My response...

"My only real regret would be that I left the field for about three years back in the late 90's for personal reasons.  There are definitely some comics I had during that period that I wish I had not sold at "blowout" prices, but it's all part of the learning process." 


What's Your Holy Grail, The ONE Item For Which You're Looking?

My response...

"One comic that I have been searching for during the past couple years is The Walking Dead #2 (Nov 03), which is the only issue I'm missing in the entire run.  Although I had two copies of the first issue, #2 has proven to be both elusive and priced outside of my budget." 

There's lots of additional feedback and stories from the entire team of contributors in this issue, plus great reviews, articles and market updates.  You can also check out the additional responses on their website at http://www.cbgxtra.com/!

Check out Comics Buyer's Guide #1689, now on sale!!  

What Lurks in the Longbox? #21

Wulvern #1
$5.99, 45 pgs, b&w
Writer: Chris Gaynor
Artist: KJ Eldridge
Lunar Works Productions 

If you like werewolves with your wild west, then Wulvern #1 might be the comic for you.  It features the exploits of werewolf hunters Andres Gomez, his teacher Bart Plantagenet, and the Native American Guide whose expertise is essential to finding groups of the creatures. 

This first issue also tells the story of an unknown sect of the Catholic Church called the "Secret Gospels," whose final mission after hundreds of years is to rein in a rogue member of their group, who is waging his own personal war against werewolves in the 1800's American West. 

The story takes on an interesting global perspective, with events starting in Vatican City and then shifting to the Texas/Mexican border, as the Secret Gospels' agents (appropriately named Matthew, Luke, Mark and John) arrive to deal with Bart Plantagenet, whose personal agenda has brought too much attention to the group. 

Complicating matters further are the "Gospel" members who seem to spend as much time questioning each other's abilities as they do with their primary task of tracking down Bart.  At the same time, an obsessive and somewhat psychotic U.S. Marshall is also on Bart's trail, so it will be interesting to see who catches up to him first. 

Last year's Wulvern Zero Issue Preview!

Wulvern features an interesting story concept, an unusual cast of characters, and plenty of non-stop action.  With werewolves, warrior priests, and an obsessive marshall all playing a part in this graphic novel, I'm looking forward to seeing where the story leads next.  You can pick up a copy now at the Indy Planet.com store.

Wulvern #1 is now available at Indy Planet.com !

 

What Lurks in the Longbox? #20

Young Justice #7 !
$2.99, color, 32 pgs.
Writers: Kevin Hopps, Greg Weisman
Artists: Christopher Jones, Dan Davis


I'm a huge fan of "kid friendly" comics.  I love seeing them prominently displayed in a comic shop.  I have especially enjoyed many of DC's offerings, such as Tiny Titans, Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  I think many stores would benefit from having a specific section/rack/shelf devoted to all-ages comics.  Parents who bring their children to a comic shop for the first time are often overwhelmed by the quantity of material available.  They would benefit from having a store employee point the way to a section where they can pick titles that they feel comfortable about their children reading.  During the 2010 Free Comic Book Day event, we were joined by several parents (as well as their children) that had never seen a comic shop before.  Unfortunately, as is often the case with this annual event, most of those parents never went back. 

I've read several articles and online comments over the years stating there are kids that have never seen an actual comic book, but I was always a little skeptical.  However, after a couple years of listening to my own child's observations about his classmates, I've come to realize it's totally true.  Many kids in the elementary school age range have no idea what a comic book is, let alone have ever seen one.  I'm hoping to work with my son's school in the Spring for some kind of promotion related to Free Comic Book Day, but haven't thought out the details just yet.

As a comic reviewer, I try to review all-ages comics as often as possible, especially the ones that are a great fit for kids and older readers.  DC's Young Justice is a fun companion book to the hit TV series, and I recently did a quick review of one of the issues.

Cartoon Network’s newest DC series focuses on Artemis in this issue.  It’s one of the benefits of a comic adaptation of an animated show:  Readers get to see a character’s background in more detail than what can be shown in the limited time available during a typical episode.   

The first half of the story explores Artemis’ family life, as her mother returns home from prison.  The other half shows her embracing her new superhero status.  She successfully foils a liquor store robbery, just before her first encounter with the newly formed Young Justice team.  While she does well dealing with armed robberies and jewelry heists, Artemis quickly realizes she's in over her head when she runs into her first super-villain.

Like many of DC’s all-ages books, it’s a little light on dialogue and a very quick read.  However, it’s still a fun series, with vibrant art and lots of action.  While the “New 52” titles are getting all the attention, it’s also important to remember that DC is still publishing good comics for younger readers.  I was disappointed to hear that a couple of these series have recently been cancelled, but at the same time I'm hopeful that the upcoming titles Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Superman Family Adventures will be fun replacements. 



DC Nation's 2012 FCBD offering will include a preview of Art Baltazar's "Superman Family Adventures."



What Lurks in the Longbox? #19

Omega Paradox Returns!

As most of you know, I recently reviewed the "zero" issue of Moonstone's new creator-owned sci-fi series Omega Paradox, both on this blog as well as in the pages of Comics Buyer's Guide Magazine.  This followed my interview with the entire Omega Paradox creative team (Mark Sparacio, Ian Ng, and Abe Rivera), which served as the cover story for CBG #1685.  Creator Mark Sparacio was kind enough to send me a review copy of the first issue of the ongoing series, so I was happy to get another chance to check out this exciting series!

Following up on the events from the "zero" issue, the alien team of Julian, Solarra, Malice, Gemma and Grinder continue their quest to rescue Quintoro and locate the Eye of Ancev.  As mentioned in the interview, the Eye of Ancev is an ancient artifiact that the team must find before it falls into the wrong hands, which would have catastrophic results.  Besides getting more familiar with the team members in this issue, we also learn a little more about Valerius, the leader of the group.  As mentioned on the Omega Paradox Facebook page, one of these characters "may hold the key to keeping the universe together," so the reader will feel a definite sense of urgency as they read each chapter of the series. 

The team uses the information provided by Quintoro to travel to a planet that promises to hold clues to the next step in locating the Eye.  However, some overconfidence from their earlier victory over their enemies may prove to be their undoing, when they fall into a surprise ambush in the Temple of Neak Prei.  Even worse, they find that none of their technology seems to work in this place. 

The issue ends with a great cliffhanger, with next issue's promise stating that "The artifact is within their grasp, if they don't fall for the distractions along the way!"  While Ian Ng gradually peels back each layer of the mystery, Sparacio and Rivera continue to deliver stunning art.  I'm looking forward to seeing where the story takes the team next.    

Dealers and retailers can also receive an incentive sketch cover variant free with the purchase of just 5 copies of an issue, which is a nice bonus for stores that support this creator-owned series.

What Lurks in the Longbox? #18

The Theatre #4
Writer: Raven Gregory
Artists: Robert Gill, Novo Malgapo, Michael Garcia 
$3.99, color, 29 pgs.
Zenescope Entertainment

Zenescope's The Theatre mini-series continues with an issue that gives plenty of food for thought, especially for those readers that are parents and/or guardians. 

As mentioned on the publisher's website, the series focuses on an old fashioned movie theater that releases horror on the victims that visit the theatre to watch horror movies themselves. 

"...This unassuming theater holds a deep dark secret, one that threatens the lives of anyone who dares enter it. And when an unsuspecting couple decides to visit the old movie house to watch some horror films, they soon will find that something full of horror is also watching them."

During each issue, the sadistic theatre owner "entertains" his victims by presenting a different horror tale.  In this issue, two best friends that live across the street from each other make a fateful decision for the sake of their families' safety, but one of the friends quickly realizes he may have made the worst mistake of his life. 

It also begs the question for all of us:  Could you commit a horrible crime if you felt it was necessary to protect your family?  Moreover, how long could you continue to justify commiting such an act if the guilt was driving you insane?  Secrets can be kept from those we love for decades, but you can never hide those secrets from yourself.

Things get worse between the two friends when one of them inevitably begins to crack under the guilt of what they have done.  The other man decides that his friend has become a weak link in their plan and needs to be dealt with permanently.  Unfortunately for him, things don't always go as planned.

The writing and art on this series is excellent, and besides being a horror story, it's also a great character study on how one person can influence another into doing a horrific act that they would have never committed on their own.  Episodes of the popular television series Criminal Minds often examine the concept of the "alpha," or the dominant member of a team of criminals, and this issue of The Theatre takes a close look at that type of relationship, while never losing the story's momentum. 

What Lurks in the Longbox? #17

From Comics Buyer's Guide #1682:

War of the Independents #1 was "advance-reviewed" in the October issue of CBG and hit stores about a month later.  For those who have not picked up the first issue, you're missing out on one of the most innovative and just plain fun crossover events ever conceived.  Here's my review from that issue:

How many "indie" characters can you name on this cover?

In what may be the most ambitious crossover ever attempted by an independent publisher, Dave Ryan brings together over 200 “indie” characters in a single series, from all-age heroes like Bone and Gumby, to darker characters like Faust and The Maxx.  Originally scheduled for release by Arcana almost three years ago, Ryan’s own publishing venture released a preview issue at a recent New York convention. 

The basic concept is that an ancient wizard threatens the destruction of Earth by attempting to open a gateway to a dimension belonging to the creature known as Razorjack.  The outmatched team of Penance travels to other dimensions to recruit an army that will prevent this gateway from opening.  With characters as diverse as Milk & Cheese, Cerebus and The Tick teaming up, the possibilities are endless.  As an example, here's a great page featuring the characters from Jeff Smith's Bone:

Can I emphasize how much I’m hoping for a confrontation between Reid Fleming and "Too Much Coffee Man"?  For readers that are weary of the Big Two’s annual “events,” this book is serious fun, and well worth the $5.00 cover price. 

Even better, since I first wrote this review, the regular version of the issue was released at a less expensive $2.99 cover. 

When I last checked, the first issue was still available at Liberty Comics, one of my favorite stores, located in Roseville, Michigan (although I believe they were getting down to their last copy).  After Creator Dave Ryan recently mentioned on his Facebook page that he was unable to get much feedback from comic shops throughout the country that received complimentary copies, I felt strongly about contributing some additional promotion for this title.  This series should have received a lot more buzz and attention by the comic news websites and industry overall, but for some reason, it just didn't.  The second issue is about to hit the printer as I type this, so if you have a chance, do yourself a favor and pick up War of the Independents #1 anywhere you can find it! 

What Lurks in the Longbox? #16

Omega Paradox #0

Moonstone Comics

Writer: Ian Ng; 
Artists: Mark Sparacio, Abe Melendez Rivera 

Mark Sparacio released this “zero” issue as a preview of his first creator-owned series.  As a science fiction story, it starts out in an unusual setting:  a university library located on an alien planet.  The story begins with a team of five people being ambushed by a gang of aliens, followed by the revelation that one of their allies is not who he claims to be.

The team is led by a mysterious character called “The Master,” although one member refers to him as “Father.”  Although he may remind readers of The X-Men’s Charles Xavier, this leader takes a no-nonsense approach to ending dissension within the ranks, as evidenced by the last couple pages of the issue.

There is plenty of action to compel readers to check out the new series (the first issue should be available in your local comic shop now!), which will focus on the team’s search for “a man who may hold the key to keeping the universe together,” according to the book’s Facebook page. 

Fans of Sparacio’s cover artwork will be very pleased with his interior art, and Rivera’s vibrant colors further enhance the book.   

For more information on Omega Paradox, please check out my interview with Mark Sparacio in the pages of Comics Buyer's Guide #1685, which should still be available at some comic shops!  If you missed that issue, you can also check out the online version of the article, which can be found on the CBG website at the following link:  http://cbgxtra.com/comics-news-and-notes/the-genesis-of-omega-paradox

I'll have a follow-up review of the first issue soon.  Stay tuned!