Sunday, November 30, 2003

Comic Book Notes (LJ) Nov 2003

11/01/03

After that I read Empire # 3. Great issue. I really am getting into this story line. It's a shame that it is only a 6-issue limited series. I won't be getting issue # 4 in my next shipment, so I am probably six weeks away from reading the next ish. I heard a rumor that they are planning a follow-up for sometime next year.

I also read JLA # 86. Or was it 87? It's the one with Superman on the cover with his hands and feet buried in concrete. It was pretty good. I really like the art; something about the way Doug Mahnke and Tom Nguyen draw the team members, in particular Batman and Wonder Woman.

11/02/03

I went to Closet of Comics today. I picked up copies of Route 666 # 16, 1602 # 1, Solus # 7, and Lady Death # 3 and 4. I finally got around to reading issue #1 of Frank Miller's Robocop. It was pretty good, and violent, but I don't think I'll be picking up the rest of the issues. I might buy the trade paperback if there is one. Just one more issue of Solus to go. I originally was going to drop the series after issue #6, but since they are canceling it with issue #8, I figured I may as well buy the last two issues and make it a complete collection. Issue # 7 does have a beautiful cover.

11/03/03

I just finished reading Lady Death # 3.

11/06/03

I got home around 9 and read Solus # 6.

11/07/03

I was thinking of buying Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before I saw the ads and the press release about it. Looks too much like Ruse, which I wasn't wild about. Besides, I am collecting plenty of other comicbooks.

This week seems to have flown by. I don't know quite why.

I picked up my mail while at lunch. I got the new Bud Plant catalog. I love looking through that thing, but I've got too much stuff at home to be buying more comics. Maybe I can find some gifts in there.

I also finished off Batman and Superman: Generations 2 by John Byrne. The ending was worth it. I'm starting to wonder what Generations 3 will be like. I have the first nine or ten issues, but I think I'm going to wait for the trade paperback to come out before reading it. Up next I have two trade paperbacks, Batman: The Cult and Maxx Vol. 1.

11/08/03

I was looking at bidding on some comics online today, at eBay,. but came to my senses and didn't. Some of them ended up going for considerably more than I was willing to pay. I don't need to be buying back issues anyway. I've got too many current comics to read as is. If not comics, then certainly too many trade paperbacks.

There are a lot of good looking collections of silver and bronze age comics that come out on a regular basis. In particular the DC hardback collections look very attractive. They retail for $49.95, but can be obtained for about $35 at Amazon. The problem isn't money so much as it is buying things just for the sake of having them. If I am going to buy reading materials I think that I should read them at least once. Twenty comic books a month I can read, but when I start buying trade paperbacks, even just two a month, it really adds the backlog of comic book reading I have. to do. So in an effort to limit myself I am trying to keep a forward thinking/reading perspective. Not buying things, or only buying them sparingly, which aren't new material. Blah, blah, blah....

I got around to reading Marvel 1602 #2 this afternoon. Another great issue. I can't wait to read some of the comments that other people have about this ish. I loved the ending. Despite the fact that Neil Gaiman reportedly is not going to use characters who weren't introduced in Marvel Comics prior to the late 60's or early seventies I am convinced that Virginia Dare is supposed to be Snowbird of Alpha Flight. The ending of Marvel 1602 #2 seems to support this conjecture. Of course, I also like another theory which holds that she is Thor (in human form) and that the treasure of the Templars is the staff which will turn him back to his true form and which is in reality his hammer, Mjolnir.

I also read Fallen Angel # 3 today. I wasn't too wild about ish # 2, and was thinking of dropping the series after the end of the current story arc, but # 3 has renewed my interest in this series. If I enjoy # 4 as much as I did # 3 I will definitely stick with the series for at least another story arc or two.

I'm looking at the e-mail I got about the shipment I'll be receiving in another week (probably) and I still can't but think (again) that it looks small.

11/09/03

Anyhow, this morning I took Batman:The Cult with me to read while I was doing my laundry.

11/10/03

I mentioned that I started in on Batman: The Cult on Sunday, but what I forgot to say was that I really love the artwork. Bill Sienkiewicz (I think I spelled that right) and Bill Wray have done a spectacular job. Some of the pages I can just sit and stare at. Such depth. So far I would say it is the trade paperback I have read this year since the Adam Strange book I bought in the Spring.

11/11/03

I read Negation # 21 last night.

Negation # 21 was awesome. Great issue. A shame that one of the escaped prisoners has to die, but what a way to go. The coloring on this issue was fantastic. It wasn't until I had finished reading it that I noticed that they had a new colorist. James Rochelle has moved on to Route 666 and Laura Martin has taken over. Hopefully she'll stick with Bedard, Pelletier and Meikis when they start in on The War.

I put in an order with mailordercomics.com.

After hearing about them on the Newsarama message boards I decided to give mailordercomics.com a try and put in a relatively small order. They offer considerably bigger discounts than Mile High's NICE program. I'm not ready to jump ship just yet, but I may if things work out for the first couple months.

11/14/03

I read JLA # 87 last night.

11/15/03

Since I am running low on new issues of comic books to read, I recently dug into the pile of back issues that I have bought in the last couple months but not read yet. I read the sixth of ten issues in the Thor/Walt Simonson trade paperback. I also read issues X-Men: The Hidden Years # 1 - 3. I am starting to realize that John Byrne's work isn't everything that I remembered it to be. It lacks the depth of some other artists. I am speaking of both the artwork and his writing. His stories (for the most part) seem very surface level. Having said that there is still a very iconic look to his work. It probably doesn't hurt that he is one of the two artists to have first drawn the New X-Men.

I also read the first couple issues of Dreadstar. I picked up the first 27 issues for about $0.68 per issue a couple months back. I didn't collect Dreadstar when it first came out, but I had a friend who did and I remember reading it. Great stuff.

11/16/03

I read the second chapter of Batman: The Cult at the laundromat this morning. It wasn't as good as the first chapter. Much less focused. There was much more to advance the plot, but I just wasn't as taken by this chapter as I was by the first. Oh, well.

11/19/03

Now I want to know where my damn comics are! It's been three weeks since Mile High sent me an e-mail telling me that they were on their way. The longest it has ever been is three-and-a-half weeks. Of course they charged my credit card for the comics when they (said they) sent them. It's happened before that they haven't mailed the comics out until a week or three or four days after they e-mail me. One more reason to switch to MailOrderComics.com. The ironic thing is that what I want almost more than the comics themselves is the Previews catalog so that I can put in my order for January comics. Grrrrr!

11/21/03

I got my comic books last night, at last. They, Mile High Comics, overcharged me for postage and, according to the postmark, they didn't mail them out until fifteen days after they told it was going out. So, I sent them a e-mail. I tried to be to the point and not nasty, but I've got a feeling that some of my disappointment came through in my choice of words and phrasing. No fowl language but I made it clear that I wasn't pleased and expected some explanation.

Oh, well. One more nail in the coffin of my Mile High account. Of course, what I was really looking forward to was getting the new Previews catalog.

11/22/03

I read Lady Death # 4 the other night, and Solus # 7 this morning. Both good episodes. I'm not sure if Solus # 8 is out yet, but I'm going to the comic shop today to see if it is and if they still have copies of Lady Death # 5 & 6. There are a few other things I want to look for. I'd better make a list before I go.

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