Library Binding: Wants and Needs

I'm trying to put together some runs to send to Library Binding. I've got a number that are more or less ready to go. I think the first two will be Dreadstar 1-12 and Spectre 1-12 or maybe Breach 1-11.

Lately I got it in my head to get Batman and the Outsiders (1983) bound. I've got the first 8 issues but I'm missing a couple of crucial extras:

• Brave and the Bold #200 - which contains the preview
• New Teen Titans #37 - which contains part 1 of the story that concludes in BatO #5

There's a small con next week. I'll look there. I want those issues and won't get the collection bound without them, but I also don't want to spend more than a couple bucks a piece for them, preferably less.

Comic Book Notes (LJ) Apr 2005

04/14/05

Read, read, read. I finally got my shipment of comic books on Monday. Not too much volume wise.

Just seven comic books:

- Blood of the Demon # 1
- Breach # 3
- Ballad of Sleeping Beauty # 8
- Justice League Elite # 9
- Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis # 2
- Breakdown # 5
- Fallen Angel # 19

and three collections:

- Ministry of Space TPB
- Enemy Ace HC
- Losers: Double Down TPB

plus the Previews catalog.

The Enemy Ace book wasn't cheap but it is gorgeous. I just love pictures of planes and aerial combat from WWI. I also adore Joe Kubert's art work. So far I have only read the Simpsons Futurama comic. Very funny.

I'm already making my list of comics to order this month. So far there isn't much on it.

- Breach # 6
- Doom Patrol # 13
- Justice League Elite # 12 (of 12)
- Solo # 5 (by Darwyn Cooke)
- GLA # 3 (of 4)
- Deal with the Devil # 3 (of 5)
- Action Philosophers All Sex Special # 1
- Human Target TP
- She-Hulk: Single Green Female TP
- Previews Catalog

OK, maybe that's more than not much, but I could easily order more. I could if I weren't so disciplined about not ordering more than I can read. It is also a function of avoiding comic books for the most part and waiting for the trade collection to be published. Sometimes the wait is long, and it isn't always worth it, but it does tend to keep my expenditures down.

Winding down. Gotta go do other things. Its been a couple months since I published the list but here it is:

Finished Reading
- Batman: The Long Halloween
- Kare Kano Book 4
- Human Target Book 2
- Love Fights Book 2
- Marmalade Boy Book 4
- Phoenix Book 2: A Tale of the Future
- Queen & Country Book 1
- Scion Book 4
- Y: The Last Man Book 2

Currently Reading
- Enemy Ace (DC Archive Edition)
- Marmalade Boy Book 5
- Maxx Book 3

Have Not Started Reading Yet
- Buddha Book 1
- Hana-Kimi Book 2
- Losers Book 2
- Marmalade Boy Book 6
- Ministry of Space
- Powers Book 1

Ordered But Have Not Received Yet
- Stray Bullets Book 1
- Hysteria Book 2
- Hawkman Book 3
- Exiles Book 8

04/16/05

Breach # 3 - I enjoyed this issue more than the last one. The last one was kind of hard to follow. It wasn't until I reread # 2, just before reading # 3, that it all made sense. Anyhow the pieces are starting to fall into place. I'm getting into this series. Major Zanetti has woken up after being in a coma for about 20 years. The world has changed quite a bit. He has changed quite a bit. He isn't exactly human anymore.

I love the whole military angle of this thing. Kinda reminds me of how the military is portrayed on Justice League Unlimited. They don't trust the superheroes to save them or to always be on their side, so they hedge their bets by trying to develop technology to rival what the Justice League and others possess.

I like how they brought in Kobra's organization. Although it resembled Hydra quite bit. I didn't remember that about Kobra. Based on the way the issue wound down another organization, the JLA, will be making an appearance next issue.

I also like the artwork. Some splash panels, but also some effectively used small ones. It may eventually get collected but for now I think I will continue to buy it in comic book form.

Jack of Hearts # 1 - This is an oldy but goody in my book. This is the first in a four-issue miniseries. The miniseries was orginally released over 20 years ago. I don't think it has ever been reprinted. You can probably pick it up pretty cheap. It was written by Bill Mantlo, who also created Cloak and Dagger. He wrote a number of stories I enjoyed.

Anyhow, this series focuses on a character who was (at the time) relatively new to the Marvel Universe. From what I can tell this is the only Jack of Hearts mini-series ever released. He never got his own ongoing series. Prior to this series he had a few guest appearances here and there. I think he was originally a villain. This series find him in the custody of SHIELD. Jack is the wielder of great power which he doesn't completely understand. SHIELD considers him a threat and so are keeping him in (what they think) is a secure facility. Over the course of the series Jack learns more about his powers, learns that his mother was an alien, and travels to the planet that half his ancestry comes from. Once there he learns that the planet is in danger of dying (I think the sun was getting ready to go nova or something I haven't finished rereading the series yet) and gets embroiled in local politics.

The artwork is pretty good for the time, although the colors and quality of the paper that the series was printed on leave a lot to be desired.

04/24/05

Read a little more of Maxx (Book 3) and Generation X.

04/28/05

I haven't gotten the previews catalog yet, but MailOrderComics is offering a couple deals this month that sound a little too good to pass up.

Sgt. Rock Archives Vol. 3 - I haven't read the first two volumes, but this is an episodic series. There are no long story arcs here and very little in the way of continuity. I enjoy war comics. It isn't cheap, but I was thinking of buying the first volume and they are offering this one for almost 1/2 price.

Captain America Vol. 1 - This is the first colection of the news series. I read and enjoyed the first issue. I like the story and the art. Not much to dissuade me here. Plus, they are offering it for 1/2 price this month.

Comic Book Notes (LJ) Feb 2005

02/03/05

Previews Catalog Part 1

Marvel - not much here, just GLA # 1, and Strange # 5. Not wild about this miniseries, but I wanna see how it winds up. I can't see myself ordering anything else from Marvel this month. I wanted to order Exiles Book 8, but I need to take a break from ordering trade paperbacks. They are starting to pile up again. Wolverine: Enemy of the State HC has me intrigued. I know it got hyped, so it probably isn't as good as it looks, but I do like John Romita Jr.'s artwork. Other collections? How about Black Widow: Homecoming or She-Hulk: Superhuman Law? They both look like fun reads.

Dark Horse - Steve Rude's The Moth is finally out in trade paperback form. I perused the comics at the comic shop. It has a retro look to it that I like and the story looked kind of zany. Not this month, but it goes on my list.

DC - Batman: Faces TP written and drawn by Matt Wagner. I'm willing to give it a try, but not this month. No trade paperbacks, thank you! I will get Breach # 4. This series looks cool. I just got issue # 1, and haven't read it yet, but it just has one of those looks to that make me wanna get it. I hope it lives up to expectations; mine at least. Justice League Elite # 10? But of course. If I was going to get a trade paperback and I wanted it to be something different then I might get Strontium Dog: The Early Cases. Looks cool. Bounty hunters are cool.

Image - Invincible # 0 looks like a cost effective purchase at 50 cents. It is yet another series that I have heard good things about and want to try. The Iron Ghost # 1 looks very cool. Definitely looks reminiscent of The Shadow.

So far I am ordering:

- GLA # 1
- Strange # 5
- Breach # 4
- Justice League Elite # 10
- Invincible # 0
- Iron Ghost # 1

There still all the smaller publishers to go through, but not tonight. Hopefully tomorrow or over the weekend.

02/04/05

Here's the list of trade paperbacks that I want to buy. Overtime I will buy some of them. I doubt that I will ever get them all. Some I may lost interest in before I get them or may just get dropped off the list without being purchased.

02/05/05

Previews Catalog Part 2

ADV Films - Not just films, manga too. Only thing to mention here is Ray. Story about a girl who is raised to be harvested for her body parts, but who escapes and attempts to live a normal life. Sounds good to me, but not this month.

Alias Enterprises LLC - Deal with the Devil looks too good to pass up. I don't know the writer or artist, but its the first ish of a four issue mini and looks too good to pass up. And it is only 75 cents. Other than that Alias seems to have quite a few T&A looking titles, like 10th Muse and Judo Girl, that catch my eye but that I think I will pass on. OK maybe not all of them feature scantily female characters, but I still think I will still pass on the rest.

Devil's Due Publishing - Breakdown continues to be a fun ride, so I will continue to buy. Plot? Good guy turns into a vigilante after his family gets wiped out by the baddies.

Evil Twin Comics - Action Philosophers # 1? Yes. Why? Looks too silly for me to pass up. I need to at least give it a try.

ibooks - Blacksad # 2 looks good, but at $12.95 its a little more than I feel like spending this month, even though at 56 pages it isn't very long. The first book was just plain gorgeous. Blacksad # 3? Nah, I don't buy sketchbooks.

IDW - Easy Way #1 looks interesting, but I'm not wild about the $3.99 cover price. Maybe someday they'll collect it in a trade paperback.

Second to Some Studios - I can't remember how long it has been since the last issue came out, but Fade From Blue # 10 is finally being solicited. Final chapter.

Viz LLC - Midori's Days Book 1, also known as Midori no Hibi. I was reading it on a snoopycool.com, but its no longer available there. I might just buy it, but not this month.

That's about it so let's see. From the second half of the catalog I am ordering:

- Deal With the Devil # 1
- Breakdown # 6
- Action Philosophers # 1
- Fade From Blue # 10

No trades this month.

02/06/05

Batman: The Long Halloween - I've read the first six (of thirteen) chapters. I love the artwork and the story isn't bad, but haven't I read this story before? Maybe it wouldn't seem as dated as if I had read it when it first came out. What I mean is that it reminds me a lot of Batman: Hush, in that it is a pageant. Batman is trying to solve a mystery and as he works he crosses paths with a number of prominent characters (Joker, Harvey Dent, Solomon Grundy, Catwoman, Riddler) from his past/present. Instead of focusing on his relationship with any one or two of these characters the point of the story seems to be to showcase, Tim Sale's art if nothing else. I like the characterizations and as I said before I love the art. I just wish there was more to the story.

02/15/05

Haven't written much about what I've been reading lately. Not much change to the list of trade paperbacks I am reading other than the fact that I started reading Queen & Country Book 1, but here it is anyway:

Recently Finished Reading
- Human Target Book 2
- Marmalade Boy Book 4

Currently Reading
- Batman: The Long Halloween
- Phoenix Book 2: A Tale of the Future
- Queen & Country Book 1

Have Not Started Reading Yet
- Scion Book 4
- Kare Kano Book 4
- Marmalade Boy Book 5
- Marmalade Boy Book 6
- Maxx Book 3
- Y: The Last Man Book 2
- Love Fights Book 2

Ordered But Have Not Received Yet
- Ministry of Space
- Stray Bullets Book 1
- Enemy Ace (DC Archive Edition)
- Losers Book 2
- Hysteria Book 2


The online solicitations for DC Comics (to be realeased in May) are out. There are only a few things that jump out and make me want to buy them.

The Golden Age TPB - DC is finally releasing a new printing of this miniseries, that I have heard so much about. Gotta have it, but I might wait until it comes out and not preorder.

Hawkman Book 3 - Just a year after the last TPB collection came out here it is.

Losers Book 3 - I have yet to read book 2, but I will probably be buying this one somewhere down the line.

02/22/05

Later that afternoon we checked out two of the bigger comic book stores in NYC. The first, Midtown Comics, had a huge selection, but for the most part it was mainstream (DC, Marvel, Image, etc.) and not much in the way of back issues on the racks. The second comic book store, Jim Hanley's Universe, was much more to my liking. It had a bigger selection of independents than it did of mainstream. I found the two back issues of Heroes Anonymous that I was missing.

02/23/05

Y: The Last Man Book 2 - I'm only one chapter in, but so far so good. Who woulda thunk that this series could be this good. It is entertaining on more than one level, too. It is exciting and amusing. It makes me think about trying Ex Machina, another series written by Brian K. Vaughn.

Flipping back and forth between unflopped manga and American comic books sometimes gets me confused and I start reading from the wrong side of the page. Lately I've started reading Naruto and Gantz @ degreeanime.com. While I wait for the pages to load I sometimes read from comic books.

Batman: The Long Halloween - Still reading it. Love the artwork. It is very dark and expressive. I'm not gaga about the coloring job, but I think it goes well with the sort of story that is being told and the work done by the penciler/inker, Tim Sale. I also like the detail in the artwork. It isn't always realistic. For instance the Joker's toothy smile looks positively and unrealistically horrific. And just because the work is detailed doesn't mean that you can see all the fine lines on every characters face. Anyhoo, I've got about 3 more chapters to go in this monster epic.

Phoenix Book 2 - Still reading it too. I guess I am close to the halfway point. This is a very different story from the first book. I can't wait to see how things work out in the end. Osamu Tezuka's artwork is sheer genius. Visually he tells a story as well as any artist I can think of. The flow from one panel to the next is smooth and logical.

That's it for now. I still have quite a few comics and trade paparebacks waiting in the wings to be read.

02/25/05

Breach # 1 - I like it. It reads more like something that Marvel would publish, but I like it. What's it about? An experiment 20 years ago gone wrong. Man horribly transformed. Story begins in December 2005. That is not a typo. Then the story flashes back to show how (in 1985) he was transformed. Of course he left a wife and kid behind. Angst. The first issue more or less just tells his origin. What comes next? I can't wait to read the next issue and find out why he, his wife, best friend and a couple others were in a helicopter than crashed in Siberia.