Free Comic Book Day: A Roundabout Review

Where will you go May 4th 2014? Comic book stores across the country will be giving out free comic books. No gimmicks at all with the word free. Some comic book shops have sales to accommodate the throngs of customers coming into get their free stuff but what about all the juicy back stock, trades, and or special blow out sales. 

I work nights, but I plan on after leaning work at seven am Saturday morning to go home and change before going to my LCS Fat Jack's ComicCrypt on Sansom street in Center City Philadelphia. I've been shopping there for over three years, on a regular basis, of course this is every Wednesday. The kicker is it is one of the farthest comic book shops from where I live. So What makes the travel worth it. Other than having coffee with my dad.

Occasionally I make banter with the staff and the clientele. This makes it an ideal spot to go. I can find out about new books and tally the back issue bins for old ones. I tend to always attribute the seriousness of a comic shop by the back issues, in other words, no back issues means not a seriously good comic book shop.

I first found out about Fat Jack's over twenty-Five years ago when they were next store from their current location. My father worked around the corner and for thirty minutes I was allowed to peruse through the store. It was never enough. I still go and my father goes with. He's bored and for me there is still not enough time. 

I invite you all to go the first Saturday of May, but besides picking up the free comic books they'll have but maybe a back issue or two.

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A Glorious Morning: A Roundabout Review

The long of it:

Image has been a small powerhouse originally taking a piece of the industrial pie from the major two, DC and Marvel. Of course when they were first created it was almost like they were a Marvel lite. Titles such as Spawn, Youngblood, and Wildcats were added to my subscription list. I was Well into my adult life when I had to stop collecting. Space became scarce and my purge of possessions ended with the majority of my comic books. After my reclamation to the comic market I picked up my favorites based on memory. Image was not part of that process. I never jumped on the Walking Dead band wagon and still haven't, mainly because I'm not a Zombie Fan. I even skipped a few other decent stories due to the lack of money but now that Comixology has specials every Monday for .99 I have found it to be a glorious Monday indeed.

Stuck on a slow day at work I decided to purchase Morning Glories #1 and Son of Merlin #1. The following issues of the Son of Merlin were subsequently higher in price so I passed, as much as I enjoyed the premiere. Morning Glories however had issues one through twenty five all below one dollar. I have picked this up in Fat Jack's, skimmed through it, and passed on purchasing the book. At ninety nine cents I vowed to only buy the first one, then I vowed I would only buy the first story line. I didn't abide by that either. After reading a full nine issues at work on my iPhone and another nine issues at home I plan on getting to the last issue I have. But, then what? Will I continue to collect at the full retail price or wait again for a sale?

The artwork is clear cut and easy on the eyes. The story is J.J. Abrams-esque by giving flashbacks with the characters mainly involved. Nick Spencer is spinning a tale that Joe Eisma articulates very well. The covers alone by Rodin Esquejo are tantalizing that purchasing copies graded by CGC are weighing heavily on my mind and I wonder why I didn't skip a cup of coffee or two just to purchase the book...ok I know why I didn't skip coffee.

I picked up another Image title dubbed Non-Humans to figure out if I want the actual comic book or just the digital rendition. My decision was once that series was over I would stick with a Comic book I could hold in my hand and only get the digital copy if it came free with the comic book (thank you Marvel, but please have Daredevil added back to that mix). However, at .99 cents how could I pass on getting the whole series available.

The short of it:

Get the series by trade, back issues, or digital, but buy this title to read.

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Marvel Now: A 2nd Roundabout Review

Is Age of Ultron a Marvel Now title? And when does Marvel Now become Marvel Then? Besides I'm getting confused I don't know when the Avengers are? Iron Man is in space and now part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The 616 universe, if that's still the universe we are in has finally brought Jim Shooter's New Universe into play. Although I vaguely remember Marvel trying something like this before, both StarBrand and NightMask are intriguing additions.

Mark Waid has been weaving a tale in Bruce Banner's Universe incorporating Sheild. Not to mention Daredevil which technically was started over with a new number one pre-Marvel Now. Both titles are part if my must get list. 

Uncanny Avengers I like the least, while with the Avengers I am waiting for Sam and Roberto to be used a bit more. New Avengers keeps  redefining what an avengers should be, especially in light of Captain America having his mind wiped. And how soon does Hank McCoy become like the Beast from the Apocalypse universe.

All New X-Men and  Uncanny X-Men continue to be the rock of my Marvel Universe. I like how the two titles read together give you more of a feel that you read three. If the universes could be made tighter like a good weave on an expensive oriental rug rather than start over with a new number one maybe their would be less of buying the next big thing and more buying of everything. 

As far as Captain America, FF, Fantastic Four, and a few other Marvel Now comic books, I'm sticking with the ones I mention in more than just name. 

DC added another title that I will give another month to and Valiant is still a short tight universe but I'm afraid with upcoming future titles I might just pass on. 

If I had to recommend one official Marvel Now title I'd  recommend the Indestructible Hulk primarily because you don't have read anything else to enjoy it.

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Locke & Key: A Roundabout Review

This is the end. I might not have started at the beginning but I started to follow after the third hardcover came out. Joe Hill started off with "Welcome to LoveCraft" and followed with "Headgames" and "Crown of Shadows" just finished. Free comic book day introduced me to the series and then "Keys to the Kingdom" came out. At first I thought I would wait for the next hardcover to come out, the thing is I couldn't. I needed to know what happened to the Locke children.

I continued with each new issue that came out. "Clockworks" became the first issue I purchased graded. The 9.9 signature series copy was the first one of its kind. Others have surfaced. I did eventually sell that copy. It now resides out in Seattle. The series ended with a beautiful cliff hanger and I had to wait yet again for the next limited series.

"Omega" arrived earlier this year and will end this year. This time it will be over. I am very much against constant relaunches. I would much rather have issues in the high hundreds for titles that originally started in the golden age through to today. But, I can withstand numerous number ones when it comes to a limited series. Dark Horse has been great at that for years, but IDW has proven itself among the greats and it was Locke and Key.

After reading Issue #4 as my last ComicBook for my weekly haul not only did I thoroughly enjoy it but I also felt a tinge of sadness. This great series is ending. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Read the trades and then anxiously wait for the end. I don't think I can do it alone.

Thanks for Reading