There are going to be quite a lot of new comics coming up over the next few weeks...which coincides with the Christmas shopping season, meaning that I've got to learn how to save and budget and prioritise like never before!
Brian Michael Bendis' Secret Invasion just finished...and what a series it was! The anticipation of what would happen in the next issue was just like Mark Millar's Civil War a couple of years ago and boy, was that a fantastic series and Secret Invasion certainly ended with more questions than resolutions.
Yes, the Skrull invasion was halted...was there really any doubt? But the fallout is just about to happen, and it leads nicely into Marvel's event of 2009: Dark Reign. I won't list any spoilers for those who haven't yet read Secret Invasion (and if you haven't, hurry up and go read it already!), but the gist of it is, the Marvel Universe has just become a much darker place with even MORE conspiracies than ever before at the conclusion of the failed Skrull invasion.
While Tony Stark was heralded as the Marvel Universe's saviour only a mere two years ago, with the Superhero Registration Act implemented as a result of the Civil War, he now finds himself discarded by his own government. All his plans post-Civil War failed to yield any fruition and he's failed to deliver on his promise of protecting America with the 50-State Initiative program.
So the government has sacked Tony from being the big kahuna of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wait until you see who they've chosen to be the new big boss...it's the shock ending of Secret Invasion that will resonate and create a ripple effect in all of Marvel Comics' books for years to come!
Anyway, I'll give Secret Invasion a proper review sometime down the line. Back on topic, another new title I'll be adding to my standing list is Dark Avengers, which spins off from the ending of Secret Invasion. There have been quite a number of huge releases in the TPB and HC format such as The Boys: Definitive Edition HC which collects the first 13 issues of Dynamite Entertainment's superb series.
The Boys is a guilty pleasure and the world it's set in is as realistic as it comes in posing the question: What would it be like if there really were superheroes in the real world? Garth Ennis (of Preacher and Punisher: Max infamy, and one of my favourite writers) crafts such a splendid tale of absolute power corrupting absolutely. He certainly doesn't hold back and while there are some moments in the series which are just flat out gross, it IS classic Ennis, which means fans will be treated with over-the-top humour in the vein of Preacher.
Hmm...methinks I should review The Boys sometime down the line too! It's just too good not to have a review!
The Rising Stars Compendium HC also gets released after the new year, which collects the entire series of Rising Stars, from the original 24 issue mini-series by J. Michael Stracyznski, to the three related mini-series. Rising Stars was absolutely brilliant, especially in the first third of the series where it established the world in which 113 special humans with powers lived and how they interacted with society at large.
It's a great time to be a comic book fan...not good for our wallets though!
Francis is also helping me to get the entire series of the Slam Dunk manga in English, published by Chuang Yi Comics in Singapore. 31 volumes means that it'll be a while before I can actually pay him for the order...yipes. Good reading times ahead!
Showing posts with label New comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New comics. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
More of Jim Lee's comics...for Jim Lee to sign!
Went to the Camberwell Fair at the Camberwell Civic Centre yesterday morning...and there were quite a number of sellers there with comic book stock! Old issues, really really old issues from the Silver Age and new issues as well...I'm sure if I spent more time there and hunted around, I probably could have picked up single issue comic book gold like Amazing Spider-man #129 (1st appearance of the Punisher) and The Incredible Hulk #181 (1st appearance of Wolverine)...not that I could afford it.
I was there with two friends, Marcelo and Kim, so that was a good thing because I'm sure I could have spent AGES there browsing through all the wares. I went to each seller's booth though, just to quickly check out the wares and have a feel for where I thought I could get the best bargain or where I would find something I would purchase. Eventually stopped at the corner booth where they seemed to have the most variety (and the most number of) comics.
The seller was very informative and from chatting to him, he was a true comics fan...who actually read his comics! There are a lot of collectors who simply purchase comics because of the perceived (real or otherwise) increase in value after a period of time and they are more in the business to make money than true comic book fans. This guy certainly was not like that.
I wish I caught his name, but he worked in Evil Empire Comics in Coburg. He definitely knew his stuff though, because when I picked up some X-Men comics, he engaged me in a conversation about going to Armageddon 2008 because Jim Lee was there and we started chatting about the storylines in X-Men. In the particular bundle of comics I was browsing through, he was telling me that it had some valuable issues like issues #1 (still the best selling single comic of all-time with five variant covers...though there was only the gatefold cover),#25 (part of the Fatal Attractions storyline where Wolverine had the adamantium yanked out of his body) and #30 (wedding of Scott Summers and Jean Grey).
I mean, I knew all that information already, but it was nice chatting to someone who actually knew his stuff! So we talked about Jim Lee being at Armageddon and how, in that bundle, there were only 11 issues or so actually illustrated by him. It was nice that he actually warned me about that in case I thought all the comics in the bundle was illustrated by Jim...as I said, I already knew that, but it was information that was much appreciated.
So how could one not purchase something from his store? I bought the bundle of the first 30 issues of X-Men, which I used to own many many years ago but didn't anymore. There was another bundle for the first 80 issues, but not only was it more expensive (obviously), but I actually owned a lot of those issues already back in Singapore. I couldn't remember which issue I started from exactly so I thought it was probably better just to get the smaller and more inexpensive bundle of single issues...if I were missing out on certain issues from my collection I'm sure I could always obtain them from elsewhere!
So now I've got 30 issues of X-Men to read finish before this Saturday...or at least those issues drawn by Jim Lee, since I want to bring them all for him to sign at Armageddon 2008! I've already got Absolute Batman: Hush, All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder Vol.1 HC and Fantastic Four: Heroes Reborn TPB for Jim to sign.
Only five more days to go. To coin an Australian phrase: How excitement!
I was there with two friends, Marcelo and Kim, so that was a good thing because I'm sure I could have spent AGES there browsing through all the wares. I went to each seller's booth though, just to quickly check out the wares and have a feel for where I thought I could get the best bargain or where I would find something I would purchase. Eventually stopped at the corner booth where they seemed to have the most variety (and the most number of) comics.
The seller was very informative and from chatting to him, he was a true comics fan...who actually read his comics! There are a lot of collectors who simply purchase comics because of the perceived (real or otherwise) increase in value after a period of time and they are more in the business to make money than true comic book fans. This guy certainly was not like that.
I wish I caught his name, but he worked in Evil Empire Comics in Coburg. He definitely knew his stuff though, because when I picked up some X-Men comics, he engaged me in a conversation about going to Armageddon 2008 because Jim Lee was there and we started chatting about the storylines in X-Men. In the particular bundle of comics I was browsing through, he was telling me that it had some valuable issues like issues #1 (still the best selling single comic of all-time with five variant covers...though there was only the gatefold cover),#25 (part of the Fatal Attractions storyline where Wolverine had the adamantium yanked out of his body) and #30 (wedding of Scott Summers and Jean Grey).
I mean, I knew all that information already, but it was nice chatting to someone who actually knew his stuff! So we talked about Jim Lee being at Armageddon and how, in that bundle, there were only 11 issues or so actually illustrated by him. It was nice that he actually warned me about that in case I thought all the comics in the bundle was illustrated by Jim...as I said, I already knew that, but it was information that was much appreciated.
So how could one not purchase something from his store? I bought the bundle of the first 30 issues of X-Men, which I used to own many many years ago but didn't anymore. There was another bundle for the first 80 issues, but not only was it more expensive (obviously), but I actually owned a lot of those issues already back in Singapore. I couldn't remember which issue I started from exactly so I thought it was probably better just to get the smaller and more inexpensive bundle of single issues...if I were missing out on certain issues from my collection I'm sure I could always obtain them from elsewhere!
So now I've got 30 issues of X-Men to read finish before this Saturday...or at least those issues drawn by Jim Lee, since I want to bring them all for him to sign at Armageddon 2008! I've already got Absolute Batman: Hush, All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder Vol.1 HC and Fantastic Four: Heroes Reborn TPB for Jim to sign.
Only five more days to go. To coin an Australian phrase: How excitement!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: First thoughts.
Got a pretty nice haul of comics on Saturday from Classic Comics. There were actually much fewer comics than I thought I had to pick up. I was expecting perhaps six of the seven Bone HCs I had ordered but none of them were there, which was a bit of a relief I guess, because it would have eaten a LOT into my finances.
I did pick up The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Absolute Edition Vol.2 HC though, which I'm really looking forward to reading. The only thing though, is that I still have a huge stack of comics (both single issues and trades) and manga that I haven't started on yet. And that doesn't even count all the comics I've borrowed from the Knox City Library that I've got to read finish in exactly two weeks' time!
I also picked up another Nintendo Wii game in Super Smash Bros. Brawl from JB Hi-Fi. It's one of the most talked about games for the Wii and while reviews have been mixed (just check out the Amazon website...the game has been given reviews from the lowest one star to the highest of five!), the majority of people have just said how much of an awesome game it is. And how could one own a Nintendo system and NOT own a Smash Bros game?
I tried this out today when Marcelo and Kim were over and I got my ass handed to me by Marcelo in the Brawl portion of the game. To be fair though, I walked into the game having read about the controls ONCE before, and that was a good week and a half ago. Marcelo wanted the classic controller and I only had one, so I first tried out the Wiimote by itself, then the Wiimote + nunchuk combo. And I just couldn't really string together any combination of attacks. Had to break out the manual to have a look at the controls.
After reading figuring out what the controls were, it was a bit better and I think I prefer using the Wiimote to the Wiimote + nunchuk combo, but I think obviously, classic controller was made for this type of game. It was pretty fun even though I was confused trying to figure out the controls to play the game but this is the type of game where you'd need a lot of practice. I can't wait to start unlocking all the other characters though...there are a LOT of things that a player can unlock in this game! It's such a massive massive game...and I think it's the first Nintendo Wii game that actually uses dual-layered DVD discs!
It's also the first game in the Super Smash Bros series that actually uses third party (read: non-Nintendo exclusive) characters. Apart from old Nintendo favourites such as Mario, Link, Yoshi and Pikachu, there are also characters like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series and Sonic the Hedgehog. The lineup is pretty massive and it'll be awesome trying all of the characters out.
Marcelo and I also played the single player mode called "The Subspace Emissary". It was pretty awesome as it allowed two players to play through the mode, which is a welcome change and brought me back to the days when I played Streets of Rage 2 with my cousin on the Sega Megadrive!
The one thing we didn't like about the single player mode is there wasn't any dialogue. It was kind of like watching a mute version of a game from the Final Fantasy series, except it had your favourite Nintendo characters. The single player mode is really good for practising the movesets of the various characters you get to use during the game though. And while it IS side scrolling it's still pretty fun...I'm slowly discovering how to use all the various item that get dropped onto the ground! Really like the bazooka at the moment, though it seems that if I pick it up facing a certain way, I have to face that way until I drop the bazooka and pick it up again.
More reviews and my thoughts about the game when I play it more!
I did pick up The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Absolute Edition Vol.2 HC though, which I'm really looking forward to reading. The only thing though, is that I still have a huge stack of comics (both single issues and trades) and manga that I haven't started on yet. And that doesn't even count all the comics I've borrowed from the Knox City Library that I've got to read finish in exactly two weeks' time!
I also picked up another Nintendo Wii game in Super Smash Bros. Brawl from JB Hi-Fi. It's one of the most talked about games for the Wii and while reviews have been mixed (just check out the Amazon website...the game has been given reviews from the lowest one star to the highest of five!), the majority of people have just said how much of an awesome game it is. And how could one own a Nintendo system and NOT own a Smash Bros game?
I tried this out today when Marcelo and Kim were over and I got my ass handed to me by Marcelo in the Brawl portion of the game. To be fair though, I walked into the game having read about the controls ONCE before, and that was a good week and a half ago. Marcelo wanted the classic controller and I only had one, so I first tried out the Wiimote by itself, then the Wiimote + nunchuk combo. And I just couldn't really string together any combination of attacks. Had to break out the manual to have a look at the controls.
After reading figuring out what the controls were, it was a bit better and I think I prefer using the Wiimote to the Wiimote + nunchuk combo, but I think obviously, classic controller was made for this type of game. It was pretty fun even though I was confused trying to figure out the controls to play the game but this is the type of game where you'd need a lot of practice. I can't wait to start unlocking all the other characters though...there are a LOT of things that a player can unlock in this game! It's such a massive massive game...and I think it's the first Nintendo Wii game that actually uses dual-layered DVD discs!
It's also the first game in the Super Smash Bros series that actually uses third party (read: non-Nintendo exclusive) characters. Apart from old Nintendo favourites such as Mario, Link, Yoshi and Pikachu, there are also characters like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series and Sonic the Hedgehog. The lineup is pretty massive and it'll be awesome trying all of the characters out.
Marcelo and I also played the single player mode called "The Subspace Emissary". It was pretty awesome as it allowed two players to play through the mode, which is a welcome change and brought me back to the days when I played Streets of Rage 2 with my cousin on the Sega Megadrive!
The one thing we didn't like about the single player mode is there wasn't any dialogue. It was kind of like watching a mute version of a game from the Final Fantasy series, except it had your favourite Nintendo characters. The single player mode is really good for practising the movesets of the various characters you get to use during the game though. And while it IS side scrolling it's still pretty fun...I'm slowly discovering how to use all the various item that get dropped onto the ground! Really like the bazooka at the moment, though it seems that if I pick it up facing a certain way, I have to face that way until I drop the bazooka and pick it up again.
More reviews and my thoughts about the game when I play it more!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Bone: In colour!
Now that I no longer play Magic: the Gathering, (in fact, I've sold off my entire collection...the only Magic cards I still have left are basic lands and some uncommons here and there...and less than 10 rares), my disposable income sort of gets centred on comics and games. Of course, most of my salary goes to the rent and joint savings/savings for my parents. But anything else I have, I can spend the way I want it!
And I have purchased quite a number of TPBs and HCs, my comic reading of choice now, since they're so much more awesome than single issues, though single issues are the ones that are worth more, in terms of collectibility. But I don't really need single issues (and it's impossible to store around here) and I prefer to read story arcs in the one go rather than having to wait month by month what's happened. In fact, whenever I read a single issue as part of a story arc, by the time the final issue of the arc is released, I find myself having to read everything from the start again anyway.
One of the series that I'm really looking forward to get (AND have placed an order for!) is the Bone hardcover series in colour. Aeris got me the phonebook-like black-and-white TPB as a Christmas present two years ago and that is absolutely awesome. But Bone...in glorious colour! Hardcover editions as well! I can't wait to read this awesome series from cover to cover again in full colour.
The only HC that isn't available to order from Classic Comics is Volume 6: Old Man's Cave. It's certainly available to purchase online...found it fairly cheaply on Amazon and even on famous US comic shops like Midtown Comics. The only thing is that it's kind of hard to purchase without actually possessing a credit card. And I can't seem to find it on eBay at all! (Not that eBay would be the best place to purchase comics anyway).
Plus, it'd be much easier just going into a local comics shop and picking up the HC, even if it may work out to be more expensive. So I guess I'll have to start looking around in other comic shops to see if it's available. Luckily, I'm no longer in Geelong and it'd be easier to get into town and shop for comics. There's Minotaur and Comics R Us in the CBD. And there's also Alternate Worlds in Windsor. Spoilt for choice!
And I have purchased quite a number of TPBs and HCs, my comic reading of choice now, since they're so much more awesome than single issues, though single issues are the ones that are worth more, in terms of collectibility. But I don't really need single issues (and it's impossible to store around here) and I prefer to read story arcs in the one go rather than having to wait month by month what's happened. In fact, whenever I read a single issue as part of a story arc, by the time the final issue of the arc is released, I find myself having to read everything from the start again anyway.
One of the series that I'm really looking forward to get (AND have placed an order for!) is the Bone hardcover series in colour. Aeris got me the phonebook-like black-and-white TPB as a Christmas present two years ago and that is absolutely awesome. But Bone...in glorious colour! Hardcover editions as well! I can't wait to read this awesome series from cover to cover again in full colour.
The only HC that isn't available to order from Classic Comics is Volume 6: Old Man's Cave. It's certainly available to purchase online...found it fairly cheaply on Amazon and even on famous US comic shops like Midtown Comics. The only thing is that it's kind of hard to purchase without actually possessing a credit card. And I can't seem to find it on eBay at all! (Not that eBay would be the best place to purchase comics anyway).
Plus, it'd be much easier just going into a local comics shop and picking up the HC, even if it may work out to be more expensive. So I guess I'll have to start looking around in other comic shops to see if it's available. Luckily, I'm no longer in Geelong and it'd be easier to get into town and shop for comics. There's Minotaur and Comics R Us in the CBD. And there's also Alternate Worlds in Windsor. Spoilt for choice!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
A "reclaimed" hobby and burgeoning of the #1 one!
Did I mention that I've got a new hobby? Well, it's not really a new one, since it's been sort of a passing hobby over the years since my childhood. But now I'm getting back into videogames! Have had the Wii since August and though we only have four games (Wii Sports, Wii Play, Mario Party 8 and Super Paper Mario), Aeris and I have been playing Wii Sports for the longest time.
And most recently, after getting feedback from a couple of other friends in Geelong, I traded in my PSP and games for a brand new Ice Blue Nintendo DS Lite! And in the short period of time, I've gone DS-crazy, snapping up a number of games cheaply, utilising EB Games Buy-2-preowned-games-get-1-free offer. Yes, JB Hi-Fi sells BRAND new games of the same version a little bit cheaper...but you just can't go past getting another game...for free!
I've now got Marvel TCG Game (the first one I bought) brand new and pre-owned versions of Nintendogs (Dachshund and Friends), Mario Kart DS, Brain Training, Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros. and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. And I was really tempted to purchase a brand new The Legend of Zelda: Phoenix Hourglass, which was priced only at $59, but I decided since I had so many of these other games already, I just might hold off for now...who knows when I'll get on to play that, even though it does seems heaps fun!
I've now moved away completely from Magic: The Gathering...don't even think about it anymore! Well I do, but any thoughts associated with Magic is restricted to thinking about selling my expensive cards to buck up the digits in my bank account.
Alrighty, new comics! They actually got new comics in the shop yesterday, but for some reason, it didn't register in my mind and I didn't pick up Ultimate Power #8. I somehow DID remember about the latest issue of Wizard though, but they hadn't unpacked it yet so I couldn't purchase it.
A LOT of new stuff:
Y - The Last Man Vols.5-7 TPB
Jack of Fables Vol.2 TPB
Marvel Zombies: The Covers HC
Girls Vol.1-2 TPB
and five The Goon TPBs, though I'm not sure which ones!
Also got single issues of What If? Planet Hulk, Moon Knight #13 and Marvel Spotlight: Marvel Zombies.
I've got all the existing Y - The Last Man TPBs here with me in Oz now...save Volume 4! They didn't have it at Classic Comics and are getting it in the next couple of weeks. The problem is that I've started on Volume 3 and I'm sure I'll be done reading that in no time. Grah...might have to get it soon elsewhere! There's only Volume 10 to go until the series' end...and I'd have recreated my entire collection here! It's such a brilliant series that it's worth it though.
Also now have the entire TPB collection of the 24-issue run of Girls here. Can't wait to read it in one sitting too.
And most recently, after getting feedback from a couple of other friends in Geelong, I traded in my PSP and games for a brand new Ice Blue Nintendo DS Lite! And in the short period of time, I've gone DS-crazy, snapping up a number of games cheaply, utilising EB Games Buy-2-preowned-games-get-1-free offer. Yes, JB Hi-Fi sells BRAND new games of the same version a little bit cheaper...but you just can't go past getting another game...for free!
I've now got Marvel TCG Game (the first one I bought) brand new and pre-owned versions of Nintendogs (Dachshund and Friends), Mario Kart DS, Brain Training, Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros. and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. And I was really tempted to purchase a brand new The Legend of Zelda: Phoenix Hourglass, which was priced only at $59, but I decided since I had so many of these other games already, I just might hold off for now...who knows when I'll get on to play that, even though it does seems heaps fun!
I've now moved away completely from Magic: The Gathering...don't even think about it anymore! Well I do, but any thoughts associated with Magic is restricted to thinking about selling my expensive cards to buck up the digits in my bank account.
Alrighty, new comics! They actually got new comics in the shop yesterday, but for some reason, it didn't register in my mind and I didn't pick up Ultimate Power #8. I somehow DID remember about the latest issue of Wizard though, but they hadn't unpacked it yet so I couldn't purchase it.
A LOT of new stuff:
Y - The Last Man Vols.5-7 TPB
Jack of Fables Vol.2 TPB
Marvel Zombies: The Covers HC
Girls Vol.1-2 TPB
and five The Goon TPBs, though I'm not sure which ones!
Also got single issues of What If? Planet Hulk, Moon Knight #13 and Marvel Spotlight: Marvel Zombies.
I've got all the existing Y - The Last Man TPBs here with me in Oz now...save Volume 4! They didn't have it at Classic Comics and are getting it in the next couple of weeks. The problem is that I've started on Volume 3 and I'm sure I'll be done reading that in no time. Grah...might have to get it soon elsewhere! There's only Volume 10 to go until the series' end...and I'd have recreated my entire collection here! It's such a brilliant series that it's worth it though.
Also now have the entire TPB collection of the 24-issue run of Girls here. Can't wait to read it in one sitting too.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Heaps of new comics purchased yesterday!
Bought my comics yesterday! I used the 25% voucher at Classic Comics so I got a nice big fat discount. Or, the way I looked at it was like this: I didn't get a discount. I paid full price for my comics, but I received a free TPB thanks to that voucher. :D
Picked up quite a bit of stuff:
Y - The Last Man Vols.1-3 TPB (yes, I'm trying to recreate my collection here a la Preacher! It's such a great read after all)
Exiles Vols.13-15 TPB - have the first 12 volumes in Singapore and I love this series
Grimm Fairy Tales Vol.2 TPB - the first TPB is out of print! So I can't even ORDER it! NOOO...where can I get it from? Comics R Us hopefully? Amazon a last resort?
Mighty Avengers #5 - review to come soon
Marvel Zombies 2 #1 - YESSSSSSSSS! More brains for everyone!
Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-man #whatever - part two of One More Day
Captain America: The Chosen #3
Would have been a bit more, had I been able to order Grimm Fairy Tales Vol.1 and if they had New Avengers/Transformers #4 in stock. Ah well...I have another 25% coupon to be used sometime over the next two weeks! I AM running out of TPBs to buy though...only the expensive HCs I'm sort of after nowadays. :(
Read all the single issues yesterday night. All really good reads! My one gripe with the Captain America: The Chosen storyline is that it's just moving so SO slow. The penciller, Mitch Breitweiser looks like he's going to be Marvel's next breakout star penciller. His pencilling reminds me of Bryan Hitch's super detailed pencils, but with a bit more grit to give his characters that rugged look. He seems to draw all the individual links in Cap's chainmail armour as well!
I'm still trying to figure out where The Chosen fits into Marvel continuity. They have Captain America half dead in some facility somewhere...is this straight after events in Civil War and Captain America #25 when he was shot? Or is this some separate incident? It's hard to tell.
And writer David Morrell has revealed that Captain America has some sort of additional powers! He is some sort of pseudo-telepath! What the !?!?!?
The story goes as such:
As we all know, the super soldier serum that Captain America took increased his physical ability immensely. What we DIDN'T know (and what David Morrell has suggested in The Chosen) is that his BRAIN was also affected by the super soldier serum.
There was a time when Captain America's body had broken down and he couldn't fight anymore. But Cap's brain was still functioning at peak capacity. Cap discovered he could visualise certain parts of the world...enemy bunkers and territory...just like a satellite could, but in more vivid detail! And Cap was a commercial artist, so he could draw up those "maps" he envisioned in his mind.
The US government conducted some experiments on Cap (with his approval) and they basically linked his brain with some computer or whatever...and it was discovered that Cap could ALSO project his likeness in certain places in the world! Cap could "telepathically" project his likeness in, say, an enemy base, and make people think that he was there.
Ugh. I'm still interested in how this series goes (because I think they might choose a NEW Captain America), but I'm hoping Marvel doesn't tinker too much with Cap's powers. It's one thing that he's a super soldier, but to give him mental abilities too? Hmmm. :(
I really enjoy Joe Quesada's pencils on this One More Day arc in the Spider-man titles. The weblines he draws are amazing...very Todd McFarlane-esque! The story seems to be really awesome as well, tugging at the core elements of Spidey-lore: things like "Spider-man does not kill" are tested and examined and how Aunt May is a centric character to Peter's world and what happens when she's taken away from him.
Unfortunately, I was really tired when reading it and I kept nodding off, so I don't quite remember what I read anymore. I think I'll have to read it again tonight.
Strangely enough, after finishing the second part of One More Day, I was awake enough again to read finish the other two issues! Mighty Avengers was brilliant again...can't get enough of Frank Cho's cheesecake art. The way he draws Ms Marvel...rrrrrrooowwwwwwwwr.
Mighty Avengers featured a knock-down drag-out fight between Sentry and the female Ultron. But the man with the power of a million exploding suns just could not put Ultron away...his punches wrecked half of Ultron's face...and all Ultron did was to reform it again, a la the T-1000 liquid metal regeneration in Terminator 2! It was revealed that Ultron was just trying to distract the Avengers while achieving the REAL goal of hacking into the computers of nuclear installations over the world.
Ares has really been elevated to being a major player in the Marvel pantheon. He devised this plan all on his own to get Hank Pym to shrink Ares down to a microscopic level, and then Ares could enter the body of Ultron and hit her with a virus. Hmmm...someone's been watching Independence Day too many times I think. When Hank Pym suggests that his ex-wife, the Wasp, would be the ideal person to plant the virus, Ares insists he be the one to do it, because Ultron has no idea what to expect from him and because Ares has the self-confidence in his own abilities to layeth the smacketh down.
Marvel Zombies 2 was last, and boy, was I really anticipating this. It's 40 years later and the core team of Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-man, Captain America, Luke Cage and Giant Man, who were imbued with the power cosmic after they defeated (and ingested) Galactus, have joined up with some other cosmic characters in Gladiator, Dark Phoenix, Thanos and Firelord. They have scoured the entire universe...and found there is nothing left to eat! They decide to head back to Earth, because Giant Man vaguely remembers a dimension-hopping device that Reed Richards and Iron Man were working on could send them to another dimension...with a lot more food.
While they're on their way back to Earth, Hulk punches Thanos' head clean off and the Marvel Zombies discover Ego, the Living Planet! It's pretty funny the way they start chomping down on Ego and when someone remarks: "A living planet! Why didn't we find this earlier?"
Back on Earth, Black Panther and his Acolytes have rebuilt some semblence of civilisation. They have not been able to repopulate the world, but they have, at least, birthed the new generation of Acolytes...who aren't too keen to adhere to Black Panther's rule as they see him as an archaic, no-action leader. The Acolytes plan to assassinate Black Panther and take over his rule.
Meanwhile, Black Panther's sun finds the head of Hawkeye and brings him back to the Panther's kingdom. It is revealed that while the Wasp is still a zombie, she no longer feels "the hunger" and it is further revealed that without eating flesh, the Marvel Zombies go through some sort of "zombie detoxification" and can live as normal again.
Black Panther gets stabbed when he sleeps and to save him from a certain death, the Wasp chomps down on his neck...rebooting "the hunger" in her and changing Black Panther into a Marvel Zombie! The two of them greedily devour the Panther's assailant and intestines, livers and spleens all fly across the room and get digested.
Oh man, I can't wait for the next issue! Are the rest of the Acolytes dead, since they're just food for Black Panther and the Wasp? What's going to happen when the power cosmic-imbued Marvel Zombies return to Earth?
Only a month's wait to find out!
Picked up quite a bit of stuff:
Y - The Last Man Vols.1-3 TPB (yes, I'm trying to recreate my collection here a la Preacher! It's such a great read after all)
Exiles Vols.13-15 TPB - have the first 12 volumes in Singapore and I love this series
Grimm Fairy Tales Vol.2 TPB - the first TPB is out of print! So I can't even ORDER it! NOOO...where can I get it from? Comics R Us hopefully? Amazon a last resort?
Mighty Avengers #5 - review to come soon
Marvel Zombies 2 #1 - YESSSSSSSSS! More brains for everyone!
Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-man #whatever - part two of One More Day
Captain America: The Chosen #3
Would have been a bit more, had I been able to order Grimm Fairy Tales Vol.1 and if they had New Avengers/Transformers #4 in stock. Ah well...I have another 25% coupon to be used sometime over the next two weeks! I AM running out of TPBs to buy though...only the expensive HCs I'm sort of after nowadays. :(
Read all the single issues yesterday night. All really good reads! My one gripe with the Captain America: The Chosen storyline is that it's just moving so SO slow. The penciller, Mitch Breitweiser looks like he's going to be Marvel's next breakout star penciller. His pencilling reminds me of Bryan Hitch's super detailed pencils, but with a bit more grit to give his characters that rugged look. He seems to draw all the individual links in Cap's chainmail armour as well!
I'm still trying to figure out where The Chosen fits into Marvel continuity. They have Captain America half dead in some facility somewhere...is this straight after events in Civil War and Captain America #25 when he was shot? Or is this some separate incident? It's hard to tell.
And writer David Morrell has revealed that Captain America has some sort of additional powers! He is some sort of pseudo-telepath! What the !?!?!?
The story goes as such:
As we all know, the super soldier serum that Captain America took increased his physical ability immensely. What we DIDN'T know (and what David Morrell has suggested in The Chosen) is that his BRAIN was also affected by the super soldier serum.
There was a time when Captain America's body had broken down and he couldn't fight anymore. But Cap's brain was still functioning at peak capacity. Cap discovered he could visualise certain parts of the world...enemy bunkers and territory...just like a satellite could, but in more vivid detail! And Cap was a commercial artist, so he could draw up those "maps" he envisioned in his mind.
The US government conducted some experiments on Cap (with his approval) and they basically linked his brain with some computer or whatever...and it was discovered that Cap could ALSO project his likeness in certain places in the world! Cap could "telepathically" project his likeness in, say, an enemy base, and make people think that he was there.
Ugh. I'm still interested in how this series goes (because I think they might choose a NEW Captain America), but I'm hoping Marvel doesn't tinker too much with Cap's powers. It's one thing that he's a super soldier, but to give him mental abilities too? Hmmm. :(
I really enjoy Joe Quesada's pencils on this One More Day arc in the Spider-man titles. The weblines he draws are amazing...very Todd McFarlane-esque! The story seems to be really awesome as well, tugging at the core elements of Spidey-lore: things like "Spider-man does not kill" are tested and examined and how Aunt May is a centric character to Peter's world and what happens when she's taken away from him.
Unfortunately, I was really tired when reading it and I kept nodding off, so I don't quite remember what I read anymore. I think I'll have to read it again tonight.
Strangely enough, after finishing the second part of One More Day, I was awake enough again to read finish the other two issues! Mighty Avengers was brilliant again...can't get enough of Frank Cho's cheesecake art. The way he draws Ms Marvel...rrrrrrooowwwwwwwwr.
Mighty Avengers featured a knock-down drag-out fight between Sentry and the female Ultron. But the man with the power of a million exploding suns just could not put Ultron away...his punches wrecked half of Ultron's face...and all Ultron did was to reform it again, a la the T-1000 liquid metal regeneration in Terminator 2! It was revealed that Ultron was just trying to distract the Avengers while achieving the REAL goal of hacking into the computers of nuclear installations over the world.
Ares has really been elevated to being a major player in the Marvel pantheon. He devised this plan all on his own to get Hank Pym to shrink Ares down to a microscopic level, and then Ares could enter the body of Ultron and hit her with a virus. Hmmm...someone's been watching Independence Day too many times I think. When Hank Pym suggests that his ex-wife, the Wasp, would be the ideal person to plant the virus, Ares insists he be the one to do it, because Ultron has no idea what to expect from him and because Ares has the self-confidence in his own abilities to layeth the smacketh down.
Marvel Zombies 2 was last, and boy, was I really anticipating this. It's 40 years later and the core team of Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-man, Captain America, Luke Cage and Giant Man, who were imbued with the power cosmic after they defeated (and ingested) Galactus, have joined up with some other cosmic characters in Gladiator, Dark Phoenix, Thanos and Firelord. They have scoured the entire universe...and found there is nothing left to eat! They decide to head back to Earth, because Giant Man vaguely remembers a dimension-hopping device that Reed Richards and Iron Man were working on could send them to another dimension...with a lot more food.
While they're on their way back to Earth, Hulk punches Thanos' head clean off and the Marvel Zombies discover Ego, the Living Planet! It's pretty funny the way they start chomping down on Ego and when someone remarks: "A living planet! Why didn't we find this earlier?"
Back on Earth, Black Panther and his Acolytes have rebuilt some semblence of civilisation. They have not been able to repopulate the world, but they have, at least, birthed the new generation of Acolytes...who aren't too keen to adhere to Black Panther's rule as they see him as an archaic, no-action leader. The Acolytes plan to assassinate Black Panther and take over his rule.
Meanwhile, Black Panther's sun finds the head of Hawkeye and brings him back to the Panther's kingdom. It is revealed that while the Wasp is still a zombie, she no longer feels "the hunger" and it is further revealed that without eating flesh, the Marvel Zombies go through some sort of "zombie detoxification" and can live as normal again.
Black Panther gets stabbed when he sleeps and to save him from a certain death, the Wasp chomps down on his neck...rebooting "the hunger" in her and changing Black Panther into a Marvel Zombie! The two of them greedily devour the Panther's assailant and intestines, livers and spleens all fly across the room and get digested.
Oh man, I can't wait for the next issue! Are the rest of the Acolytes dead, since they're just food for Black Panther and the Wasp? What's going to happen when the power cosmic-imbued Marvel Zombies return to Earth?
Only a month's wait to find out!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Armageddon Expo was a blast!
Hey all! Back from the weekend and the awesomeness that was Armageddon Expo. I'll post up more details about the Expo some other time...when I've got more free time and when I've got photos to show!
I'll happily report that I didn't overspend at the Expo, with my most expensive purchase being a $50 Palomar HC. I spent less than $100 on stuff at the Expo ($99 to be exact! Though I didn't count the Expo entry or lunch or brekkie for the day), which is kinda outstanding because there was SOOOOO much stuff I wanted to buy, being exposed to merchandise and comics and all sorts of other stuff at such a huge pop culture, comics and entertainment expo.
So yay! I'm glad I managed to exercise a bit of self-restraint because I need to be quite stingy with my expenses for the next three weeks or so. Need to pay the rent which is going to be due soon, and my parents are going to be here next week for my graduation, which means we'll be going out for lunches and dinners quite a fair bit. Of course we're not going to let my parents pay for anything! So we've got to tighten our beltstrings a bit for the next couple of weeks at least.
Oh yeah, I spotted the Palomar HC at the Classic Comics booth and I remembered reading briefly about it in a book about graphic novels that one should read. It's a pretty thick HC and it's from the Love and Rockets series by the Hernandez Brothers, and though there was some other stuff I was looking to pick up, I decided to get that instead since I hadn't seen that HC available in any of the other comic shops before (not that I've been really looking hard, to be honest). And I managed to pick up quite the steal, the first volume of the Yotsuba manga for only $5! Which is amazing considering the cover price is US$9.99, it's a pretty popular manga AND it's the first volume! Yippee!
I'll happily report that I didn't overspend at the Expo, with my most expensive purchase being a $50 Palomar HC. I spent less than $100 on stuff at the Expo ($99 to be exact! Though I didn't count the Expo entry or lunch or brekkie for the day), which is kinda outstanding because there was SOOOOO much stuff I wanted to buy, being exposed to merchandise and comics and all sorts of other stuff at such a huge pop culture, comics and entertainment expo.
So yay! I'm glad I managed to exercise a bit of self-restraint because I need to be quite stingy with my expenses for the next three weeks or so. Need to pay the rent which is going to be due soon, and my parents are going to be here next week for my graduation, which means we'll be going out for lunches and dinners quite a fair bit. Of course we're not going to let my parents pay for anything! So we've got to tighten our beltstrings a bit for the next couple of weeks at least.
Oh yeah, I spotted the Palomar HC at the Classic Comics booth and I remembered reading briefly about it in a book about graphic novels that one should read. It's a pretty thick HC and it's from the Love and Rockets series by the Hernandez Brothers, and though there was some other stuff I was looking to pick up, I decided to get that instead since I hadn't seen that HC available in any of the other comic shops before (not that I've been really looking hard, to be honest). And I managed to pick up quite the steal, the first volume of the Yotsuba manga for only $5! Which is amazing considering the cover price is US$9.99, it's a pretty popular manga AND it's the first volume! Yippee!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Have got some new stuff to read...purchased and borrowed!
Back from the weekend! And it was a pretty busy weekend for us, because we had our housewarming party on Saturday! But since this is a comics/pop culture/entertainment-centric blog, I'll leave the actual details of the housewarming to the other blog.
But there were some comic-centric/entertainment stuff. First off, we received heaps of presents for the housewarming! So sweet of people to actually get us so much stuff...and there was some stuff that was really expensive too! I won't talk about the flowers/wine/dinneware stuff we got, but Marcelo & Kim got us the Super Paper Mario game for the Wii and Dean & Emily got us a Wii controller with the Wii Play game! That extra Wii controller certainly came in handy and we were able to have lots of fun playing Mario Party 8 and Wii Sports with three players! Haven't tried (or even opened up) Super Paper Mario yet though.
Dean lent me a whole heap of comics too, including Tom Strong and Marvel Team-Up. He borrowed a number of comics from me too, including Spider-man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do HC, Ex Machina Vols.4-5 TPBs, What If?...Why Not? TPB and The Complete Bite Club TPB. Oh yeah, Dean's birthday party is next Saturday and he's invited Aeris and I to go...but we can't go because we're having Eddy & Jane and Marcelo & Kim over! But I wanted to get Dean a birthday pressie anyway.
So yesterday when I was in Classic Comics, I picked up Preacher Vol.8 which I had ordered in and paid for, then also got myself TPBs of Dr Strange: The Oath and Y - The Last Man Vol.9. I don't think Dean reads this blog at all, apart from the first time I directed him here, so I think it's safe to say that I got him Ex Machina Vols.1-2. If you DO read this Dean...er...Happy Birthday! Not much of a surprise anymore!
But there were some comic-centric/entertainment stuff. First off, we received heaps of presents for the housewarming! So sweet of people to actually get us so much stuff...and there was some stuff that was really expensive too! I won't talk about the flowers/wine/dinneware stuff we got, but Marcelo & Kim got us the Super Paper Mario game for the Wii and Dean & Emily got us a Wii controller with the Wii Play game! That extra Wii controller certainly came in handy and we were able to have lots of fun playing Mario Party 8 and Wii Sports with three players! Haven't tried (or even opened up) Super Paper Mario yet though.
Dean lent me a whole heap of comics too, including Tom Strong and Marvel Team-Up. He borrowed a number of comics from me too, including Spider-man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do HC, Ex Machina Vols.4-5 TPBs, What If?...Why Not? TPB and The Complete Bite Club TPB. Oh yeah, Dean's birthday party is next Saturday and he's invited Aeris and I to go...but we can't go because we're having Eddy & Jane and Marcelo & Kim over! But I wanted to get Dean a birthday pressie anyway.
So yesterday when I was in Classic Comics, I picked up Preacher Vol.8 which I had ordered in and paid for, then also got myself TPBs of Dr Strange: The Oath and Y - The Last Man Vol.9. I don't think Dean reads this blog at all, apart from the first time I directed him here, so I think it's safe to say that I got him Ex Machina Vols.1-2. If you DO read this Dean...er...Happy Birthday! Not much of a surprise anymore!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
New stuff purchased 24 Sep 2007
Headed to Classic Comics yesterday after work to pick up The Complete Bite Club TPB. I read the collected TPB of the series some time ago and it was pretty fantastic, so this was something I was really looking forward to read. Haven't had the time to do so yet, of course.
Oh, and I got the Captain America Omnibus HC yesterday too! I saw that it was on sale and since it was really cheap (as far as 25+ issues worth of a collected edition...hardcover no less!) I decided it would be worth it there and then to buy it on the spot while it was still available. It'd be too difficult (and perhaps expensive if the price went up!) to obtain a copy later...especially since I'm expecting it to be sold out as interest in Captain America picks up when the movie is about to be released...or when Marvel decides to resurrect the character.
Got and read The Pro yesterday...it's hilarious! I couldn't find it on the TPB racks under "R" and I asked the sales assistant, who said they had put it with all the other Garth Ennis stuff. Ennis is such a brilliant writer...I often find myself laughing out loud at his dark, sick and twisted humour. Some of my favourite comics and series have been penned by the Irish master scribe: Preacher, the reboot of the Marvel Knights imprint Punisher series ("Welcome Back Frank"), his Marvel Max imprint Punisher series, among others.
Slowly, but surely, I'll catch up on reading all the stuff that I've bought. Gotta find something to do in the evenings when waiting for Aeris to return home, and at night before I go to bed!
Oh, and I got the Captain America Omnibus HC yesterday too! I saw that it was on sale and since it was really cheap (as far as 25+ issues worth of a collected edition...hardcover no less!) I decided it would be worth it there and then to buy it on the spot while it was still available. It'd be too difficult (and perhaps expensive if the price went up!) to obtain a copy later...especially since I'm expecting it to be sold out as interest in Captain America picks up when the movie is about to be released...or when Marvel decides to resurrect the character.
Got and read The Pro yesterday...it's hilarious! I couldn't find it on the TPB racks under "R" and I asked the sales assistant, who said they had put it with all the other Garth Ennis stuff. Ennis is such a brilliant writer...I often find myself laughing out loud at his dark, sick and twisted humour. Some of my favourite comics and series have been penned by the Irish master scribe: Preacher, the reboot of the Marvel Knights imprint Punisher series ("Welcome Back Frank"), his Marvel Max imprint Punisher series, among others.
Slowly, but surely, I'll catch up on reading all the stuff that I've bought. Gotta find something to do in the evenings when waiting for Aeris to return home, and at night before I go to bed!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Crazy spending on comics after paycheck received!
Couple of purchases yesterday! Ok, not couple...but a LOT of purchases. I got really excited about my paycheck hitting my bank account and I went a bit crazy. Now that the madness if over, looking back, it was perhaps foolish to overspend like that...though I know I'll really enjoy those comics.
I got the Marvel Zombies Vs Army of Darkness HC, Preacher Volumes 4-6, Essential Punisher Vol.2 TPB and single issues of New Avengers/Transformers #4, Moon Knight #12, Ultimate Power #7 and JLA:Wedding Special.
Gots me some reading to do! Apart from reading all the manga that we borrowed from West Geelong library (just finished Bleach #12 today on the train!), I've also started reading one of my favourite series of all-time, Preacher. It's taken me quite a while to get through the second volume and I only started on the third volume this morning. Fantastic reading though...absolutely brilliant comic.
I got the Marvel Zombies Vs Army of Darkness HC, Preacher Volumes 4-6, Essential Punisher Vol.2 TPB and single issues of New Avengers/Transformers #4, Moon Knight #12, Ultimate Power #7 and JLA:Wedding Special.
Gots me some reading to do! Apart from reading all the manga that we borrowed from West Geelong library (just finished Bleach #12 today on the train!), I've also started reading one of my favourite series of all-time, Preacher. It's taken me quite a while to get through the second volume and I only started on the third volume this morning. Fantastic reading though...absolutely brilliant comic.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Perth Comic Shops!
I'm back! And even though I was all the way over there in Perth, these eyes were still always looking out for a comics shop...and after nasty weather hindered our efforts to play the role of tourists on Monday, our fourth and penultimate day in WA, I grabbed the Yellow/White pages from our studio apartment and tracked down a couple of comic shops located in the CBD area.
I only found one White Pages listing that began with "Comics", and that was Quality Comics, located at 872 Hay Street. Checked the Yellow Pages under the listing of "Bookshops" but that was the only name that seemed to indicate it was a shop selling comics. So when the rain eased off, I dragged Aeris and Francis along with me and we proceeded to search for the place.
While walking down Hay Street, we occasionally stopped into souvenir shops so that Francis could buy some Australian souvenirs for his nephews. At one such stop, we discovered another comics shop that wasn't listed in either the Yellow or White Pages: The Comic Zone, located at 572 Hay Street. I couldn't find a website for this shop, but while Google-ing the shop name, I found this blog entry about it: ComicZone in Perth
Seems like that blog was created and owned by one Ben Templesmith, the Australian artist best known for his association with IDW and art on 30 Days of Night and Fell. I've added his blog address in the links column.
Anyway, I was chatting with the clerk at The Comic Zone and he said the shop had only been open for about three months, which would explain why they weren't in the Yellow/White Pages listing. I didn't spend too much time in there, because we were really supposed to be looking for Quality Comics, so I quickly browsed through the single issues on the racks...they were definitely much cheaper than Comics R Us and Minotaur back in Melbourne!
Picked up single issues of Black Panther #30, Onslaught: Reborn #4 and Mighty Avengers #4. The TPBs and HCs seemed fairly cheap (perhaps not as cheap as Minotaur), but like I said, didn't have much time to browse.
Just as I was about to head to the counter to pay for my haul, I noticed this little beauty hanging on one of the T-shirt racks:
Omigod! The cover art of Marvel Zombies #3! In all its beautiful glory! And it was nicely priced at $35...yes, expensive for a T-shirt, but it was an authentic American shirt produced by Marvel! I took it off the rack, knowing that I was going to buy it, and then I found this directly behind it:
Homina homina homina. That was only the shirt I'd been looking for in AGES! This shirt sold at K-Mart quite a long time back and I'd always wanted to get it but never did. Then when I finally decided to get it, K-Mart wasn't selling them anymore. I've been searching for this T-shirt in Australia for so long, even going to the really expensive shop that specialises in selling authentic Marvel/DC T-shirts at Little Malop Street which didn't have any available.
Needless to say, I put back the Marvel Zombies T-shirt and purchased the Captain America tee instead.
When Captain America throws his mighty shiiiiiiiiieeeeeeellllllllllldddddd..........
They also had DC Comics buttons/badges that were free at the counter, so I picked up two for myself and one to give to Theo.
We then hurried off to find Quality Comics. After walking Hay Street for another 10 to 15 minutes, occasionally stopping to go into some other shops, we finally found Quality Comics. The single issues there priced a bit more than those at The Comic Zone, but there was a HUGE price difference in TPBs and HCs. Quality Comics priced their TPBs and HCs more than twice the US price while The Comic Zone sold them about 1.7 times the US price. But Quality Comics was a MUCH bigger shop and, of course, it would have much more stock for single and back issues, being the bigger shop.
Picked up Black Panther #29, Avengers: The Initiative #4, Captain America #25 Director's Cut and Army of Darkness #13 (the precursor issue to Ash "jumping" into the Marvel Zombieverse!). Picked up a whole stack of free CSNs (Comic Shop News), something that don't seem to be available in Victoria at all! That used to be the main way I kept up to date with what was going to be released in upcoming weeks and months when back in Singapore...I only get to rely on Wizard (and occasionally surfing the net) nowadays.
Oh yeah, on the way to Quality Comics, we passed by this place called Empire Toys. I really wanted to go in, but we didn't know how much time I'd be spending in Quality Comics, so I decided not to. And I had forgotten about Empire Toys when we passed it on the way back to the CBD. Found out from Theo later during dinner that Empire Toys also sold comics and manga! D'oh!
We did more shopping in the CBD then found that we still had some time before meeting up with Theo and Serene, so we proceeded back to The Comic Zone where I could now thoroughly check out all the stuff that was on the racks. Purchased TPBs of The Boys, Alan Moore's Another Suburban Romance and once again, something else that I don't remember. I also wanted to get the Ultimate Fantastic Four HC which reprinted issues #21-32...which included the TWO story arcs involving the Marvel Zombies!
As you all know by now, I'm a HUGE Marvel Zombies fan and I'm trying to compile all the appearances of the Marvel Zombies in comics, be it single issues, TPBs or HCs, and that was absolutely perfect to get. Aeris knew how much I wanted it, so she got it for me as a birthday present. Thanks dear. *muaks*
There was this really huge hardcover slipcased box of ALL the Sin City comics which really interested me too, but it was $250. $250!!! I think it was the combination of Frank Miller's Sin City Library I and Sin City Library II HCs.
Aeris asked me if it was worth getting and I couldn't really answer that. On the one hand, it probably would have been worth every penny, since it'd be one of those limited edition things that would be a lot cheaper than if you bought it off Amazon.com. But on the other hand, $250 is a lot of money...and of course, lugging it back with us to Victoria (and maybe Singapore!) would be kind of pointless. Ah well...perhaps if I see it again in the future.
Edit on 3 August @ 0855: The Alan Moore graphic novel I purchased from The Comic Zone was actually "Another Suburban Romance". Have changed it above to reflect the mistake!
I only found one White Pages listing that began with "Comics", and that was Quality Comics, located at 872 Hay Street. Checked the Yellow Pages under the listing of "Bookshops" but that was the only name that seemed to indicate it was a shop selling comics. So when the rain eased off, I dragged Aeris and Francis along with me and we proceeded to search for the place.
While walking down Hay Street, we occasionally stopped into souvenir shops so that Francis could buy some Australian souvenirs for his nephews. At one such stop, we discovered another comics shop that wasn't listed in either the Yellow or White Pages: The Comic Zone, located at 572 Hay Street. I couldn't find a website for this shop, but while Google-ing the shop name, I found this blog entry about it: ComicZone in Perth
Seems like that blog was created and owned by one Ben Templesmith, the Australian artist best known for his association with IDW and art on 30 Days of Night and Fell. I've added his blog address in the links column.
Anyway, I was chatting with the clerk at The Comic Zone and he said the shop had only been open for about three months, which would explain why they weren't in the Yellow/White Pages listing. I didn't spend too much time in there, because we were really supposed to be looking for Quality Comics, so I quickly browsed through the single issues on the racks...they were definitely much cheaper than Comics R Us and Minotaur back in Melbourne!
Picked up single issues of Black Panther #30, Onslaught: Reborn #4 and Mighty Avengers #4. The TPBs and HCs seemed fairly cheap (perhaps not as cheap as Minotaur), but like I said, didn't have much time to browse.
Just as I was about to head to the counter to pay for my haul, I noticed this little beauty hanging on one of the T-shirt racks:
Omigod! The cover art of Marvel Zombies #3! In all its beautiful glory! And it was nicely priced at $35...yes, expensive for a T-shirt, but it was an authentic American shirt produced by Marvel! I took it off the rack, knowing that I was going to buy it, and then I found this directly behind it:
Homina homina homina. That was only the shirt I'd been looking for in AGES! This shirt sold at K-Mart quite a long time back and I'd always wanted to get it but never did. Then when I finally decided to get it, K-Mart wasn't selling them anymore. I've been searching for this T-shirt in Australia for so long, even going to the really expensive shop that specialises in selling authentic Marvel/DC T-shirts at Little Malop Street which didn't have any available.
Needless to say, I put back the Marvel Zombies T-shirt and purchased the Captain America tee instead.
When Captain America throws his mighty shiiiiiiiiieeeeeeellllllllllldddddd..........
They also had DC Comics buttons/badges that were free at the counter, so I picked up two for myself and one to give to Theo.
We then hurried off to find Quality Comics. After walking Hay Street for another 10 to 15 minutes, occasionally stopping to go into some other shops, we finally found Quality Comics. The single issues there priced a bit more than those at The Comic Zone, but there was a HUGE price difference in TPBs and HCs. Quality Comics priced their TPBs and HCs more than twice the US price while The Comic Zone sold them about 1.7 times the US price. But Quality Comics was a MUCH bigger shop and, of course, it would have much more stock for single and back issues, being the bigger shop.
Picked up Black Panther #29, Avengers: The Initiative #4, Captain America #25 Director's Cut and Army of Darkness #13 (the precursor issue to Ash "jumping" into the Marvel Zombieverse!). Picked up a whole stack of free CSNs (Comic Shop News), something that don't seem to be available in Victoria at all! That used to be the main way I kept up to date with what was going to be released in upcoming weeks and months when back in Singapore...I only get to rely on Wizard (and occasionally surfing the net) nowadays.
Oh yeah, on the way to Quality Comics, we passed by this place called Empire Toys. I really wanted to go in, but we didn't know how much time I'd be spending in Quality Comics, so I decided not to. And I had forgotten about Empire Toys when we passed it on the way back to the CBD. Found out from Theo later during dinner that Empire Toys also sold comics and manga! D'oh!
We did more shopping in the CBD then found that we still had some time before meeting up with Theo and Serene, so we proceeded back to The Comic Zone where I could now thoroughly check out all the stuff that was on the racks. Purchased TPBs of The Boys, Alan Moore's Another Suburban Romance and once again, something else that I don't remember. I also wanted to get the Ultimate Fantastic Four HC which reprinted issues #21-32...which included the TWO story arcs involving the Marvel Zombies!
As you all know by now, I'm a HUGE Marvel Zombies fan and I'm trying to compile all the appearances of the Marvel Zombies in comics, be it single issues, TPBs or HCs, and that was absolutely perfect to get. Aeris knew how much I wanted it, so she got it for me as a birthday present. Thanks dear. *muaks*
There was this really huge hardcover slipcased box of ALL the Sin City comics which really interested me too, but it was $250. $250!!! I think it was the combination of Frank Miller's Sin City Library I and Sin City Library II HCs.
Aeris asked me if it was worth getting and I couldn't really answer that. On the one hand, it probably would have been worth every penny, since it'd be one of those limited edition things that would be a lot cheaper than if you bought it off Amazon.com. But on the other hand, $250 is a lot of money...and of course, lugging it back with us to Victoria (and maybe Singapore!) would be kind of pointless. Ah well...perhaps if I see it again in the future.
Edit on 3 August @ 0855: The Alan Moore graphic novel I purchased from The Comic Zone was actually "Another Suburban Romance". Have changed it above to reflect the mistake!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Trades I'm looking forward to getting!
A new issue of the Frank Miller/Jim Lee All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder is out tomorrow! And about time too...there was a fairly long wait between issues #4 and #5, so hopefully this title will be back on its bi-monthly schedule again. I wonder whether the lateness of this book has got anything to do with Frank Miller's burgeoning Hollywood commitments, or Jim Lee's slowness in pencilling, or a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B?
There are a couple of trades I'm looking to get in the next couple of months or so, pending my budget. The only real hobby I have nowadays is comics, but my weekly expenditure has to be budgeted between food, transport and other miscellaneous stuff, so I can't really splurge like I have in the past. Plus, part of my salary goes to the rent, another part goes to my parents and a third part goes to our savings account, so I don't have a lot of room to move, money-wise!
But here's some of the stuff I'd be looking to get:
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Vol. 1
Writer: Stacie Ritchie and Jess Ruffner-Booth
Artist: Brett Booth
Price: US$19.99
This one's based on the Anita Blake series written by Laurell K. Hamilton. I've never read the novels before but it seems like an extremely interesting concept that I can certainly get to like and enjoy.
Here's the review from Wizard Universe:
If Buffy approached middle age and moved to St. Louis, she’d be pretty close to the title character of this series, an adaptation of the Laurell K. Hamilton novel of the same name by writers Stacie Ritchie and Jess Ruffner-Booth and artist Brett Booth. Anita gets roped into hunting down a vigilante vampire killer; mixed emotions and romantic entanglements ensue. With vampires, blood, scars and a stripper bar all at the center of this arc, one might expect something along the lines of “From Dusk Till Dawn” instead of the comic equivalent of lush violin music punctuated by occasional stab wounds that’s on offer here. Don’t plan on seeing any voluptuous vamps at the stripper bar, either: It’s all male performers built like Michael Turner characters. In fact, there’s not a lot of overtly risqué visual content here at all. The juicy stuff’s in the subtext and dialogue between Anita and the many men she runs across in her travels. The repetitive rhythm of the series—sequences consisting of threat, confrontation, weird quasi-romantic tension, and peace-making deal that leads into the next scene—gets established fairly quickly; this even applies to an exceptionally wince-inducing encounter between Anita and a giant wererat. For pulp romance lovers and Hamilton readers, this sort of book is not without its fanbase, particularly due to Booth’s mastery of slender male physiques and an original Anita story written by Hamilton for the collection. But if action scenes, meaty plots and well-rounded characters are what you need, hunt elsewhere.
Another one I'm looking to get sometime down the line:
Hulk: Planet Hulk HC (only available in HC now, but I'm guessing they'll release the softcover version sometime down the line)
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Aaron Lopresti
Price: US$39.99
One of the best storylines to come out from the Hulk series in years, this one is the prequel to the company-wide World War Hulk event at Marvel Comics. I'm not really interested in World War Hulk as of yet, even though Marvel keeps saying that the ramifications from that event would be pretty earth-shattering...and why wouldn't it be since it involves an angry, pissed-off Hulk taking on Earth's superhero population!
So yeah, I'd be looking to get this first and THEN get the World War Hulk trades when it gets released in a couple of months down the line. Here's the Wizard Universe review for Hulk: Planet Hulk:
THE BASICS The Illuminati thought they were banishing the Hulk to a peaceful planet where he could live out his days without harming anyone. They thought wrong. Instead, a wormhole opens up and drops the Hulk on a world ruled by the despicable Red King, who forces Hulk and other familiar faces to do battle in his gladiatorial arena. Not one to bear abuse for long, Hulk and his warbound allies free themselves to take the fight to the king. On a world full of monsters, has the Hulk finally found himself a home? Collecting the entire “Planet Hulk” storyline (Hulk #92-#105, Giant Size Hulk #1 and part of Amazing Fantasy [vol. 2] #15), this hardcover is one-stop shopping for the best Hulk story to come along in years.
THE EXTRAS Aside from the main “Planet Hulk” saga, Marvel’s including the Amazing Fantasy story which tells the origin of super-smart teenager Mastermind Excello, who shows up again in Giant Size Hulk when he goes toe to toe with Reed Richards over the Hukl’s fate. Expect Mastermind to be a big help to Hulk when he returns to Earth during World War Hulk.
THE HIGHLIGHTS In this epic space opera, writer Greg Pak takes a character who’s been put through every wringer imaginable and finds a new one to crank him through. By getting the Green Goliath away from Earth and putting him in a less-civilized—though intelligently detailed and thoroughly thought-out—setting, Pak allows Hulk’s savage essence to flourish. Indeed, Bruce Banner only shows up twice in the whole series. This is the Hulk’s show, baby: He smashes, bashes and slashes his way through an entire planet, reveling in his natural state and taking the fans along for the ride. But this time, rather than a menace, he’s a hero with equally outcast friends and even a love interest. From slave to rebel to king, the Hulk climbs the ladder of fame and honor and finally finds happiness, alongside the strongest supporting cast he’s had since the Peter David days—until the book’s brutal conclusion, which launches the Jade Giant back toward his homeworld.
THE LOWLIGHTS For Hulk fans, there are very few. The biggest drawback would no doubt be the sci-fi setting; though Pak has created a believable and complex society for his saga, the simple fact that the book doesn’t take place on our world may keep readers who like their Hulk stories down-to-Earth away.
THE BOTTOM LINE From great art by Aaron Lopresti, Carlo Pagulayan and Juan Santacruz to bone-crushing battles to even a little romance, Planet Hulk is a smash. By taking a chance and doing something completely outside the box, Pak has produced a Hulk story to which all others will be compared for years. And the best part? It continues right into World War Hulk, the Pak-penned mega-event to which Planet Hulk is an engrossing prologue.
There are a couple of trades I'm looking to get in the next couple of months or so, pending my budget. The only real hobby I have nowadays is comics, but my weekly expenditure has to be budgeted between food, transport and other miscellaneous stuff, so I can't really splurge like I have in the past. Plus, part of my salary goes to the rent, another part goes to my parents and a third part goes to our savings account, so I don't have a lot of room to move, money-wise!
But here's some of the stuff I'd be looking to get:
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Vol. 1
Writer: Stacie Ritchie and Jess Ruffner-Booth
Artist: Brett Booth
Price: US$19.99
This one's based on the Anita Blake series written by Laurell K. Hamilton. I've never read the novels before but it seems like an extremely interesting concept that I can certainly get to like and enjoy.
Here's the review from Wizard Universe:
If Buffy approached middle age and moved to St. Louis, she’d be pretty close to the title character of this series, an adaptation of the Laurell K. Hamilton novel of the same name by writers Stacie Ritchie and Jess Ruffner-Booth and artist Brett Booth. Anita gets roped into hunting down a vigilante vampire killer; mixed emotions and romantic entanglements ensue. With vampires, blood, scars and a stripper bar all at the center of this arc, one might expect something along the lines of “From Dusk Till Dawn” instead of the comic equivalent of lush violin music punctuated by occasional stab wounds that’s on offer here. Don’t plan on seeing any voluptuous vamps at the stripper bar, either: It’s all male performers built like Michael Turner characters. In fact, there’s not a lot of overtly risqué visual content here at all. The juicy stuff’s in the subtext and dialogue between Anita and the many men she runs across in her travels. The repetitive rhythm of the series—sequences consisting of threat, confrontation, weird quasi-romantic tension, and peace-making deal that leads into the next scene—gets established fairly quickly; this even applies to an exceptionally wince-inducing encounter between Anita and a giant wererat. For pulp romance lovers and Hamilton readers, this sort of book is not without its fanbase, particularly due to Booth’s mastery of slender male physiques and an original Anita story written by Hamilton for the collection. But if action scenes, meaty plots and well-rounded characters are what you need, hunt elsewhere.
Another one I'm looking to get sometime down the line:
Hulk: Planet Hulk HC (only available in HC now, but I'm guessing they'll release the softcover version sometime down the line)
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Aaron Lopresti
Price: US$39.99
One of the best storylines to come out from the Hulk series in years, this one is the prequel to the company-wide World War Hulk event at Marvel Comics. I'm not really interested in World War Hulk as of yet, even though Marvel keeps saying that the ramifications from that event would be pretty earth-shattering...and why wouldn't it be since it involves an angry, pissed-off Hulk taking on Earth's superhero population!
So yeah, I'd be looking to get this first and THEN get the World War Hulk trades when it gets released in a couple of months down the line. Here's the Wizard Universe review for Hulk: Planet Hulk:
THE BASICS The Illuminati thought they were banishing the Hulk to a peaceful planet where he could live out his days without harming anyone. They thought wrong. Instead, a wormhole opens up and drops the Hulk on a world ruled by the despicable Red King, who forces Hulk and other familiar faces to do battle in his gladiatorial arena. Not one to bear abuse for long, Hulk and his warbound allies free themselves to take the fight to the king. On a world full of monsters, has the Hulk finally found himself a home? Collecting the entire “Planet Hulk” storyline (Hulk #92-#105, Giant Size Hulk #1 and part of Amazing Fantasy [vol. 2] #15), this hardcover is one-stop shopping for the best Hulk story to come along in years.
THE EXTRAS Aside from the main “Planet Hulk” saga, Marvel’s including the Amazing Fantasy story which tells the origin of super-smart teenager Mastermind Excello, who shows up again in Giant Size Hulk when he goes toe to toe with Reed Richards over the Hukl’s fate. Expect Mastermind to be a big help to Hulk when he returns to Earth during World War Hulk.
THE HIGHLIGHTS In this epic space opera, writer Greg Pak takes a character who’s been put through every wringer imaginable and finds a new one to crank him through. By getting the Green Goliath away from Earth and putting him in a less-civilized—though intelligently detailed and thoroughly thought-out—setting, Pak allows Hulk’s savage essence to flourish. Indeed, Bruce Banner only shows up twice in the whole series. This is the Hulk’s show, baby: He smashes, bashes and slashes his way through an entire planet, reveling in his natural state and taking the fans along for the ride. But this time, rather than a menace, he’s a hero with equally outcast friends and even a love interest. From slave to rebel to king, the Hulk climbs the ladder of fame and honor and finally finds happiness, alongside the strongest supporting cast he’s had since the Peter David days—until the book’s brutal conclusion, which launches the Jade Giant back toward his homeworld.
THE LOWLIGHTS For Hulk fans, there are very few. The biggest drawback would no doubt be the sci-fi setting; though Pak has created a believable and complex society for his saga, the simple fact that the book doesn’t take place on our world may keep readers who like their Hulk stories down-to-Earth away.
THE BOTTOM LINE From great art by Aaron Lopresti, Carlo Pagulayan and Juan Santacruz to bone-crushing battles to even a little romance, Planet Hulk is a smash. By taking a chance and doing something completely outside the box, Pak has produced a Hulk story to which all others will be compared for years. And the best part? It continues right into World War Hulk, the Pak-penned mega-event to which Planet Hulk is an engrossing prologue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
