Reading Books Last: A Roundabout Review

My reviews have been mostly about Marvel, it might be because I am biased on the company that helped ease me into collecting comic books the same way my sister taught me how to swim. They pulled me into the water and then when I was comfortable, let go. My sister of course would grab hold of me again, it never occurred to me she could have drown in the pool as well as I could, if not easier, she had no water wings on her arms to hold her afloat, I did. Marvel would do the same by introducing characters in various comics and then put them in an explosive environment that would have me riveted and waiting for the next month so I could find out what happened in the very next issue, this time I had no water wings, I was at the dreaded mercy of the writer.

As my weekly allotment grew and grew I would set aside my favorites to read last. It’s almost 30 years later and I still do the same thing. I remember reading in a “forward” from a trade paperback that they too saved the favorite for last until they were older. Now, as they are older, much like I am, they read their favorites first because they don’t have time for the crap. I might partially agree, but there has to be something last, there has to be something to make you wish it was the following month already and the latest issues of comic books are in your hands begging to be read. Which, once again, is why I read my favorites last, once in a while there are a few. This week I have to compete with Marvel’s Daredevil by Mark Waid and IDW’s Locke & Key by Joe Hill, not to mention DC’s Justice League by Geoff Johns.

Nine books made their way home from me from Jack’s Comic Crypt in Center City Philadelphia, Nine bags and boards accompanied them as I took the first one out on the elevated train. It wasn’t the worst but I started to read Justice League of America #1. It was new and also by Geoff Johns. By the end, I am willing to give #2 a try. I normally will read a second comic before I get to my stop, but today I was tired from working a night shift and wanted to be as alert as possible to enjoy the rest of my haul. Once home I thought I would sleep but both Harbinger and X-O Manowar begged to be read. I obliged. This company continues to impress.  My Fourth book for the week was Justice League, the conclusion to “Throne of Atlantis”. This book has been my last to read from time to time, and this book is good, so why do I still have five more to go.

Avenger’s #5 by Jonathon Hickman has me on the fence. It could be great, rather than just good. The last four I have yet to read. Of the remaining four, three are from Marvel and one is from IDW. Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man is, well, Superior. Joe Hill’s Locke & Key is coming to a close and Indestructible Hulk by Mark Waid is my surprise hit of the year competing against Daredevil, also by Mark Waid. So Instead of deciding what to read next I finally slept and woke up refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to read… to read, well to read the next book, whatever comic book that is.

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Rumor Has it!

Rumor has it

I can’t remember the first pre bagged book I ever picked up and I am not talking about back issues either. I remember X-Force bagged with Variant Cards, I remember Spider-Man bagged as well. Both those bags were clear. The Death of Superman was the first bagged book I remember that was not see through. The black background accented the Red S. I bought more X-force books than I ever should have and I learned to curtail my spending for the Superman bagged issue. I only bought two.

So many people thought that would be the next best book, the book that would send their kids through school. I wanted one to read, and one to keep bagged. My readable copy is gone. I still have the bagged copy in between a thick plastic holder much like they use for baseball cards. Variant covers were another gimmick but at least now you have a choice to purchase a “rare” cover, much like a fellow collector on the registry was looking for the 1 in 200 copy of JLA.

When I spent money quicker than I was earning it I would buy comic related cards as well and felt like I won the lottery when I found a hologram card in one of the two packs I purchased. If I remember correctly it is a card of Spider-Man and Venom. I still have the card. I just don’t know where it is. There is something magical about being surprised by the unexpected, much like Christmas Morning. I feel that DC is pulling off a huge gimmick with their whole line starting over at #1 that a lot of people are overlooking the Ultimate line bagging their number one books.

So why are they doing this? It can’t be to stop the readers from gazing through the book. All the new #1’s that the ultimate line is doing are bagged but the variants are easily accessible. Most shops have them bagged and boarded with a price hike. I would have no problem unbagging one and looking through the book to see if I wanted to buy it, much like I did with the September 7^th DC books. I can understand why they did it with the last issue of the Ultimate Spider-Man. Does he die or doesn’t he. I’ll admit I was wrong. I thought Peter would live. So why bag the other number ones?

At my comic shop today, a day I wasn’t going to go, I picked up a fair amount of books including a single DC #1. My LCS was busier today so I was able to talk to the manager and he asked me a question. He asked me if I knew why Marvel was bagging all the #1’s. Admittedly I said no.  I chat with many people about Comic books now that I am writing for Comicbooked.com and even started my own blog with AshotofComics.Blogspot.com but no one mentioned what he mentioned to me and I am curious enough to post this article/journal entry/ blog entry on all three avenues of communication just to find out if it is true.

I have a copy of Ultimate Comics All-New Spider-Man which I had the option of buying a variant but decided since I was already buying another variant I would have to pass. I only wanted the book to read anyway, not collect, maybe a CGC copy down the line, which was the reason why I bought the other variant. Anyway, what I was told that the reason for the bagged copies was inside were random variants which were signed by Stan Lee? Is this true? I don’t know but I would like to find out whether a reader could tell me, or who knows maybe I will be lucky enough to find out right now…….

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb

Benefit of the Doubt

I have collected DC comics in the past but my passion was with Marvel and has so remained with them. I picked up Flashpoint #1 because then ending of the book gripped me much like a novel by my favorite author’s Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Book two became a letdown, but that’s ok because you need to drop after such a climatic first issue and build from there. The series was written like a short story with the highs and lows. The unfortunate circumstance is although you can read the five issue limited as a while story, you don’t get the full effect unless you read the side stores. Something I am not going to do.

Books I collected in the past from this company were JLA, Action, Batman, Detective, JLA Europe (am I remembering that title correctly), Captain Atom, Hawk and Dove, Teen Titans, New Teen Titans (I loved Brother Blood), Captain Carrot, Green Lantern, well I can go on. I was disappointed in the end of Flashpoint that Batman knew The Flash but in JLA he didn’t know anyone. I’ll have to see if they resolve this or if they started off with a mistake. So for the month of September I pledge to give DC a try, after all I will need wrapping paper in December.

I will pick up at least one book for each week of September. These books will be Action Comics, and Detective comics for September 7^th. I will get Batman and Robin along with Green Lantern for Week Two. Legion of Super Heroes and SuperGirl for September 21^st and the last week I will try Teen Titans and The Flash. I only picked the Flash over the Dark Knight because I want to see if they tie up the loose end I so desperately want them to tie up. If they are good, if DC winds me over, then I will stop collecting the individual books and just wait for the trades unless DC can really Wow me in September, they won’t have my business in October.

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