Yeee haw. Another month of comics has come and gone, so it's time to make a switch to a new thread. But be careful, don't talk about anything else or we'll get locked.

Anyone pick up the new Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths? I surely wanted it, but man, $100 is a little hefty. Thing that sucks is that there's a good chance this sucker sells out like Watchmen did. If so, there's no time like the present to make a purchase.

I didn't spot the new Red Sonja trade, so I was unable to pick it up. Anyone nab it?

COIE was $55 on DCBS back in July. Look for it on Amazon if you want it now. I think Watchmen will get a new printing. On another message board they are saying all the absolutes so far have been kept in print.

COIE was $55 on DCBS back in July. Look for it on Amazon if you want it now. I think Watchmen will get a new printing. On another message board they are saying all the absolutes so far have been kept in print.

Hmmm, my sources say otherwise. I'll have to look into this further.

I've been reading this board. It's for both the DC and Marvel books. These guys are really into the collected editions. I think there is a thread on Watchmen in the DC section. If anyone wants to keep up with collected comics in hard and softcover form this site is a must read.

http://p206.ezboard.com/bmarvelmasterworksfansite

I thought Absolute Authority Vol 1 was OOP (or maybe it was reprinted) - it was mighty pricey on eBay for a long time.

Anyone pick up Tales Designed To Thrizzle by Michael Kupperman? He did that Snake N Bacon book. There is some funny funny stuff in there. I think its from Fantagraphics.

There's a guy on ebay according to that other message board who has 98 copies of Watchmen at a buy it now for $33. Wonder if these are some of that batch that got returned for having too much glue on them.

Don't forget the $17.82 for shipping and $5.72 for required insurance!!!

I've been reading this board. It's for both the DC and Marvel books. These guys are really into the collected editions. I think there is a thread on Watchmen in the DC section. If anyone wants to keep up with collected comics in hard and softcover form this site is a must read.

http://p206.ezboard.com/bmarvelmasterworksfansite
yeah, as a longtime member over there, it's a treasure trove of knowledge and nice people too!!

But be careful, don't talk about anything else or we'll get locked.


:blush:

Absolute Crisis is $54.99 at buy.com

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202086371&loc=273&sp=1&queryType=book

Budget shipping adds another $2.40.

Absolute Crisis is $54.99 at buy.com

http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-280928-10391416?&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebuy%2Ecom%2Fretail%2Fproduct%2Easp%3Fsku%3D202086371&loc=273&sp=1&queryType=book

Budget shipping adds another $2.40.

Oooh, good price. I'll still need to wait...can't afford this gift for me when I have Christmas presents to deliver.


New books are up on DCBS. And I have a question. For the new Warlord, they have the regular book for 75 cents. But they have a second one for $1.49. The first is code DEC050281 and the second DEC050281A. Anyone have any idea what the difference is? I've seen different codes and prices before, but the second never has an image and I have no idea what it is.

So, since it's nearing the end of the year, I was thinking it'd be cool to devote a chunk of this thread to making a list of the Best Comic Books of 2005.

If you can, jot down a few of your favorite titles in these categories. I'll do some tabulations along the way. If nothing else, it'll give us all more books to try.

Best On-Going Title
Best Mini
Best Collected Trade
Best Original Graphic Novel
Publisher of the Year
Writer of the Year
Artist of the Year

(Those are the ones I can think of...if you have others, well, the more the merrier.)

New books are up on DCBS. And I have a question. For the new Warlord, they have the regular book for 75 cents. But they have a second one for $1.49. The first is code DEC050281 and the second DEC050281A. Anyone have any idea what the difference is? I've seen different codes and prices before, but the second never has an image and I have no idea what it is.

I've always wondered that myself. Maybe if you order one it's the $.75 price and if you want a second copy, you have to order the $1.49?

I think the 1.49 button is used if you want to order more than 2 copies. If you want the two covers you can use the .75 button and get both.

I didn't even know there were two covers. Maybe I'll shoot them an email.

well I could be wrong, but in the past when there has been 2 buttons and 2 prices there have always been 2 covers. That's what I'm basing my assumption on. I'm pretty sure they lose money on the .75 comics and thats why the limit is 2.

What makes the absolute crisis absolute? Is it all the parts of the crisis and supporting stories?

What makes the absolute crisis absolute? Is it all the parts of the crisis and supporting stories?

All of the supporting stories would be a pretty huge book! Maybe they should do a companion Showcase collecting them or something?

Now this landmark series gets the star treatment in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS: THE ABSOLUTE EDITION — an oversized slipcased set containing two hardcover books. The 368-page Book One includes the full 12-issue maxiseries (which was painstakingly restored and meticulously recolored in 1998), with an introduction by Marv Wolfman, afterword by Dick Giordano, and creator bios. George Pérez provides all-new art for the dustjacket. (Please note that the Monitor Tapes section from issue #10 will be shot from the original art for this issue and represented in its original form.)

The 96-page Book Two contains a compendium featuring the full behind-the-scenes story on the years-long making of the maxiseries complete with memos, notes, original plots and commentary from Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway; the Official Index to Crisis and Official Index to Crisis Crossovers being reprinted for the very first time, completely updated; a look into post-Crisis events and aftermath stories, how the Superboy/Legion conundrum was solved, and a look at the 20th anniversary of this seminal event. George Pérez provides all-new art for the dustjacket.
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=4203

All of the supporting stories would be a pretty huge book! Maybe they should do a companion Showcase collecting them or something?


http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=4203
Yeah, I'm not entirely sure how much they devoted to the crisis. I completely missed it as it took place a year after I was born. I've been interested in reading it, but somewhat confused on where to start as it seems there is crisis on infinite earths, crisis on multiple earths(which is what I was referring to as supporting stories), and who knows what else.
Thanks for the info and link. Somehow it didn't occur to me to check out DC's website.

There's a guy on ebay according to that other message board who has 98 copies of Watchmen at a buy it now for $33. Wonder if these are some of that batch that got returned for having too much glue on them.Didn't see any...

Didn't see any...

Not on the auction portion, but on the store portion of the site here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Absolute-Watchmen-by-Alan-Moore-2005_W0QQitemZ8356709095QQcategoryZ377QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

ah ha....and under "Fiction Books" too...silly me.

Thanks Chew.

I've always wondered that myself. Maybe if you order one it's the $.75 price and if you want a second copy, you have to order the $1.49?
exactly. If you want up to 2, you can get them for .75. Anything more than that will cost you the 1.49 price

For those who have read the original Crisis that is an Absolute book now:

1) Is it "worth" $65+ if the Absolute version doesn't include crossovers?
2) Will someone who only knows a tiny bit about the old DC characters understand the story?
3) Are there other versions of the book that would be considered a better value?

Well here is James' list . . . I'm sure most will come up with better stuff than I will. I only read the comic equivalent of pop music anyway.

Best On-Going Title
The Ultimates count in this section?

Best Mini
I want to say Infinite Crisis, but since it's not completed how about Villains United.

Best Collected Trade
Looks like it's going to be Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths

Best Original Graphic Novel
Gotta leave it blank.

Publisher of the Year
DC hands down.

Writer of the Year
Geoff Johns for his hand in reshaping the DCU

Artist of the Year
I'm digging the art in Infinite Crisis so far so how about Phil Jiminez

For those who have read the original Crisis that is an Absolute book now:

1) Is it "worth" $65+ if the Absolute version doesn't include crossovers?
2) Will someone who only knows a tiny bit about the old DC characters understand the story?
3) Are there other versions of the book that would be considered a better value?

1) IMO, the series is pretty well self-contained. You won't really need the crossovers. They flesh out the story more than anything. Just like the current "Crisis".
2) I don't think you're going to have nearly as much appreciation of the story and it's actual affect on the DC universe if all you've ever read is "post-Crisis" stuff. That doesn't change the fact that it's a good read.
3) Yeah, my tpb copy. :lol:

I would stop reading Infinite Crisis right now since you plan on reading CoIE. You'll appreciate both better. :)

Anyone pick up Tales Designed To Thrizzle by Michael Kupperman? He did that Snake N Bacon book. There is some funny funny stuff in there. I think its from Fantagraphics.

Yeah, I love his work. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380807904/104-2610773-5272736">Snake and Bacon's Cartoon Cabaret</a> is fantastic, and "Thrizzle" (despite the awful title) is good so far. The guy has such a skewed sense of humor, but it works ("The adventures of ... The Manister! Half man, half banister!")

Ok...

Best On-Going Title
JSA

Best Mini
Villians United, since it's too early to say Infinite Crisis. That, or Green Lantern:Rebirth.

Best Collected Trade
Out of one's I bought... Batman/Superman:Supergirl or New Teen Titans:Who is Donna Troy?

Best Original Graphic Novel
didn't read any 'original' ones this year.

Publisher of the Year
DC - without a doubt

Writer of the Year
Geoff Johns

Artist of the Year
Tough call, but I think I'll give it to Ethan Van Sciver for his (always) excellent work on Green Lantern:Rebirth, and the current ongoing series.

Just checked my DCBS order on DHL's site - comes in at a whopping 21 pounds!

Delayed shipment email still didn't stop it from arriving on the regular day! :banana:

Edit: by far my lowest DCBS order total last night, only $75! Not much of interest coming out that month, I guess.

Haven't read any new releases but I did read the 1st collection of the new Black Panther series. I wasn't too impressed by the writing though some of the ideas were good. Romita Jr. & Janson their usual good work.

I just cracked open the Spirit Archives Vol. 1 and am excited about that. I've read the Spirit at various times through Kitchen Sink's reprints over the years but never got to go all the way back to the beginning. Can't wait to dive in.

I think the 1.49 button is used if you want to order more than 2 copies. If you want the two covers you can use the .75 button and get both.
This is the correct answer. You order two of 'em, you use the .75 button. You order any more than that, you start using the 1.49 button too.

There's not other covers on this one.

After using Mile High Comics for about 5 years I'm switching over to DCBS after having heard so much about it here and checking out their prices I just couldn't pass it up. :up:

Way to go. I don't think you will regret it.

yeah, mile high doesn't hold the appeal for me it once did. since they took away the big discounts on their collected editions and started charging shipping per book, it takes away any good deal. and their individual comics prices are so jacked up usually that that kills that too.

Best On-Going Title
TIE
Solo
Usagi Yojimbo

Best Mini
TIE
We3
Smoke

Best Collected Trade
We3

Best Original Graphic Novel
TIE
Black Hole
Scott Pilgrim

Publisher of the Year
Vertigo

Writer of the Year
Grant Morrison

Artist of the Year
James Jean

Favorite Single Issue
Fell #2

Favorite New Series
Fell

Comic Most Deserving of More Attention
Usagi Yojimbo

Favorite Online Comic
Penny Arcade

Favorite Cover Artist
James Jean

Favorite Talent Deserving Wider Attention
TIE
Stan Sakai
Kyle Baker

For those still leary of DCBS, here’s a breakdown of my latest DCBS order. I'm doing this to show you what kind of discounts you might expect. Your results may vary, but the more you buy, the more you save.


Total comics purchased - 31 (plus one trade at 50% off)
Total cover price - $115.04
Total DCBS price before shipping - $68.32
Plus monthly shipping ($7.95) - $76.27
Plus twice a month shipping ($4) - $80.27

Total payment for comics this month: $80.27
Total cover price - $115.04
Total savings - $34.77 (I also add mylites/full-back combos, which are 50 cents each)

So after shipping, I save a little more than $1 per book. At Mile High (my LCS), I generally save about 20 - 35 cents a book on my pull list. So on this order, my Mile High cost would be about $107 (or a bit more). So I save about $27 or more by using DCBS.

That's not a huge savings. But that $27 sure goes a long way to buying other comics or going out with my wife or whatever. And since I'm on a monthly budget for all of my spending, any savings is a very good thing.

For the order I got from Mile High last month I had 28 books for a total with shipping of $83.87.

The order I just placed today I ordered 45 books + bags and boards with shipping: $95.85.:banana:

Ugh I am so tempted to get back into comics but I got into the bad habit of buying without reading. I am sure I still have books laying around I haven't read.

Is there anywhere I can just get a previews shipped to me? I would love to browse and see if there are any titles that even interest me. The problem I have is the local shop is a good distance away to browse or even pick one up.

http://www.dcbservice.com/ has the same synopsis Previews does with every title. Browse around their site.

I used to be a big X-fan back in the day but hadn't looked at an issue in some time. I saw a copy of Uncanny #466 recently and flicked through it which brings me to my next point. What the fuck is wrong with the artwork?! Seriously! It looks like they gave a coked-up child a box of crayons. The proportions of the characters are all wrong and not in the good, exaggerated-breasts sense. The colours are all round just horrible. This book looks like shit. Is this a temporary thing or is the way the book has been looking for a while?

I actually like Bachalo's art. Bought this issue just to enjoy it in fact. To each his own I suppose.

I used to be a big X-fan back in the day but hadn't looked at an issue in some time. I saw a copy of Uncanny #466 recently and flicked through it which brings me to my next point. What the fuck is wrong with the artwork?! Seriously! It looks like they gave a coked-up child a box of crayons. The proportions of the characters are all wrong and not in the good, exaggerated-breasts sense. The colours are all round just horrible. This book looks like shit. Is this a temporary thing or is the way the book has been looking for a while?

What's "Back in the Day?" When I think of X-Men, I think Dave Cockrum and John Byrne (even though I didn't start reading until later). I read when guys like Silvestri and Lee were drawing and liked them at the time, but like their X-Men work less now that I look back on it. On the other hand, I hated John Romita Jr. when I was a kid and love him now. And then after I stopped reading, you had guys like Joe Madieura (never liked him) and Andy Kubert (he was good) and Carlos Pacheco (I think his X-Men stuff was terrible, but I like his work on Avengers Forever that he was doing at about the same time. Go figure.)

As for Bacchalo, I haven't seen his X-Men stuff, but I enjoyed his run on Shade the Changing Man from about 15 years ago. Definitely not to everyone's taste, though.

Have you checked out Astonishing X-Men? That has art by John Cassady, who's got a clean-line style that's very different from Bacchalo's.

With all due respect to my comic loving brothers here....

Can we make a seperate thread for all the <b>Online Comics Store</b> shi...stuff?

I mean I hardly come in here anymore because this is all the "Monthly comic threads" have become...."Look how much I saved!"..."My package..(he he he ;) )...Was 29 lbs this month!!"..."I spent $12,000 on comics this month, I saved $3,000 thanks to XXXXcomicstore.com, and I also saved 75% on my car insurance by switching to GIECO!!!" Ok, that last one was a joke. But you know what I mean.

All the talk of heroes, stories, and other stuff directly related to comics is just a sidebar at this point.

It could be worse.

We could be talking sports. :p

But, i'm glad i'm not the only one thinking that. Then again, perhaps we should have two separate threads...one for people who get their stuff monthly through the mail and the other for those of us that buy our stuff weekly. Actually, that'd probably be a bad idea. Wouldn't want to clog up Book Talk :D

Continued from last month's thread...

Michael Golden did some amazing Batman (and related) work way back when. Really? I had no idea. I'll have to look that stuff up. There's another great talent I wish were still in the biz.

I was also a big fan of Shawn Martinbrough on Detective. Good call. I was disappointed when Dixon and Nolan left 'Tec. But then I really enjoyed Rucka and Martinbrough's run. I liked the experimental color scheme. It certainly made it stand out.

Not a major spoiler, as it won't be permanent. A long-running franchise book like Spider-Man will never have a major permanent change to it that would affect marketed properties. Tell that to this guy:

http://www.comicboards.com/interviews/jurgens-superman123.jpg

Has anybody else been reading Fell?

Issue #3 was another good story. Well worth the $1.99 cover price.

I missed the boat. I finally got around to reading The Dark Knight Returns and you know, I wasn't terribly impressed. I'm thinking this was groundbreaking stuff back in the day. But now, after years of "dark" comics, the book was pretty much ho hum. And pretty poorly drawn to boot.

It's time you turned in your "comic-book fan" membership card. -ohbfrank-


;):p

It's time you turned in your "comic-book fan" membership card. -ohbfrank-


;):p
Hahaha. I know. When the book hit, I wasn't a comic fan so I never picked it up. Then I kept procrastinating because I didn't think it would live up to the hype. And, well, it didn't. Well, it did...kinda. But it didn't blow me away.

I was 15 years old and all over DKR when it came out. And then I reread it every few years and always found something new in it for me or something I didn't notice before. It's dense nature seems to encourage this. I'm eagerly awaiting the inevitable Absolute because I know it will feel new all over again to me.

Now Strikes Again I read for the first time just this past summer. Took some time to get used to. I went in with such low expectations that anything would be an improvement. I liked it, but not as much as Returns. I would read it again.

Perhaps, I just appreciate the political satire more than others maybe. I've noticed that comic readers on the message boards (not here) have been fairly conservative as of late and tend to be critical of writers who weave political themes into their yarns. I think that is at the root of the criticisms against Strikes Again online.

And sorry Giantrobo about us discussing the online stores. It's just so exciting to talk about bargains. You know how it is - I mean we don't get any DVD Bargains anymore. It think the store discussion could merit a thread of its own. Or maybe we could just promise to discuss it more sparingly.

I was 15 years old and all over DKR when it came out. And then I reread it every few years and always found something new in it for me or something I didn't notice before. It's dense nature seems to encourage this. I'm eagerly awaiting the inevitable Absolute because I know it will feel new all over again to me.

Now Strikes Again I read for the first time just this past summer. Took some time to get used to. I went in with such low expectations that anything would be an improvement. I liked it, but not as much as Returns. I would read it again.

Perhaps, I just appreciate the political satire more than others maybe. I've noticed that comic readers on the message boards (not here) have been fairly conservative as of late and tend to be critical of writers who weave political themes into their yarns. I think that is at the root of the criticisms against Strikes Again online.

You know, I liked the political stuff. Most of the TV clips were great. And like you, I have a feeling I'll enjoy this story more upon multiple readings. I think my expectations were just too high. I wasn't blown away like I was expecting. It's a good story with lots of depth, it just didn't take me by the balls and make me gasp with appreciation.

Tell that to this guy:

http://www.comicboards.com/interviews/jurgens-superman123.jpg
Yeah, but those were all temporary. They just kept coming. Unless they did something to him again that I don't know about.

Tell that to this guy:

http://www.comicboards.com/interviews/jurgens-superman123.jpg

The argument comes full circle, tell it to this guy:

http://www.samruby.com/WebA/Large/Web001.JPG

They both lasted a while, but were hardly permanent.

The black one became Venom though, right?

The black one became Venom though, right?
The black one was the alien symbiote costume that spidey had reject with the help of a sonic gun if I recall. After it escaped it found Eddie Brock and they became Venom and part of that costume merged with Cletus Cassidy and became Carnage. Any further exploits of the symbiote, I don't know. Also, he went back to the black costume at some point, but I don't remember how long he wore it.

Although, I think the bigger change in spidey's life was probably the whole clone saga. And if you really wanna bring up these changes into the argument, why not "Knightfall" or "Fighting Chance"?

The black one became Venom though, right?

:eek: Haven't read Secret Wars either, huh?

Yes, you are correct: it went on to be Venom.

I got out of Marvel comics right before Venom. I guess he hasn't been seen for awhile. Nobody has mentioned him in anything I've read recently.

And speaking of new costumes for Spidey. It sounds like he is getting one after The Other concludes from Tony Stark. Wonder if it will look different or just have some sort of enhancement to help him recover from whatever he is suffering from.

I always liked Spidey's Black costume and I also liked his clone's costume. :up:

:eek: Haven't read Secret Wars either, huh?

Yes, you are correct: it went on to be Venom.
What did I say wrong? Secret Wars was the book that got me into super hero books in the first place. So yeah, I've read it. Just not close enough to get a comic ID card. :D

What did I say wrong? Secret Wars was the book that got me into super hero books in the first place. So yeah, I've read it. Just not close enough to get a comic ID card. :D
I think I missed something. I've been reading comics for half my life and I never got my ID card. I feel left out.

I think I missed something. I've been reading comics for half my life and I never got my ID card. I feel left out.
Let's you and I start our own group with all the cool kids who never got their card.

I have two cards -- an Avengers ID card that they gave away as a promo item back when Solo Avengers started and a Legion of Superheroes ID card that they gave away after the Zero Hour reboot.

But the coolest promo item I have isn't a card -- it's the Green Lantern ring they gave away back when they started the post-Emeral Dawn GL title.

I always liked Spidey's Black costume and I also liked his clone's costume. :up:


Word. Spidey has had some great costumes and I too am partial to the black and Ben R. costume. But then he ran around with a paper bag on his head so...

I know I'm late as hell, but I just read the wedding issues (417-418) of Peter David's Incredible Hulk run. So damn funny. Captain America is such a boob. These two issues finally got me off my ass to check out some of this run (been meaning to for the longest time).

yeah, the peter david/gary frank run on hulk was incredible (pun intended). gary draws really hot babes. :drool: ignore the spanish

http://members.fortunecity.com/jmolinamuscara/girl15.jpg

Finally got around to the most recent issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Woah. Don't know how this is going to turn out for Spidey!

Finally got around to the most recent issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Woah. Don't know how this is going to turn out for Spidey!
I think I'm going to be buying the last few issues of The Other saga. Sounds like it could be good from here on out.


I do have one last question concerning DCBS, but I'm putting it in spoiler tags for those who don't want to read it. :D

I got my second shipment yesterday, and the comics came in two different sizes of bags (standard and current) Is this normal? I just moved all of my comics into the same size of bags so they're neat and tiyd. I'd hate to have a hodge podge of sizes with all my new books.

I had an order once that had bags that were a little larger. Not a typical event, but it has happened to me also. I was actually wondering if we could convince them to just offer bagged comics for .05. The boards end up taking up a lot of space and with the increased ads in comics, I need all the space in long boxes I can get.

And to have a comic book post today to offset the store post . . .

I liked the first 3 issues of The Other and read parts 4-6 last night. Not digging it. I can take the slow build up for 3 issues, but I needed a little more in parts 4-6. But I guess we know what organ Spidey loses now. But why the hell can't we know why he is sick!?!?! I guess I was surprised that the sickness didn't cause the organ loss. Interesting there.

Maybe The Other is suffering from the whole trilogy style of writing. It always seems that the middle chapters of a story always slow down and lack the pizazz the beginning and end have.

Could someone clue me in on what the big event was that went down in "The Other" storyline (so far anyways)? I'm kinda interested in whats going on, just not enough to actually read it.

Could someone clue me in on what the big event was that went down in "The Other" storyline (so far anyways)? I'm kinda interested in whats going on, just not enough to actually read it.

There's really only about two big things you need to know from the first half of the story:

Spidey has a mysterious disease that not even the best and brightest of the Marvel Universe can figure out. It's considered terminal at this point. In the most recent issue, the big-bad (Morlun? sp?) put a beatin' on Spidey and tore one of his eyes out. The last shot of the issue is Spidey left for dead.

Well in part 6 in Amazing, Spidey loses his left eye. I suppose that's his lost organ that has been hyped by Marvel. And I guess that's the big event? But Spidey is also very sick. But for the readers haven't been clued in yet with exactly what. It's tied somehow to the baddie Morlun who is stalking him telling him he will die. He also takes Spidey's eye. Parts 4 and 5 consisted of Spidey going to different big shots in the MU looking for a cure and also Mary Jane and Aunt May using Iron Man's old armor and going to Dr. Dooms castle to use his time machine. That was pretty groan inducing.

Yeah, but those were all temporary. They just kept coming. Unless they did something to him again that I don't know about. Yeah, but at the time, DC was saying that the change was going to be permanent. That this was Superman's new look from now on, and the old look was gone forever. Of course, they realized after a year or two that you can't screw with an iconic character like Superman like that, and made some lame plotline about his powers turning back to normal.

The same thing almost happened with this guy though:

<img src="http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/8/82/Webofspiderman118.jpg">

At the end of the Maximum Clonage thing, Peter Parker was supposed to die, and Ben Reilly was supposed to be the new Spider-Man forever. Fortunately, they Marvel got their heads out of their asses before they actually did it.

Yeah, but at the time, DC was saying that the change was going to be permanent. That this was Superman's new look from now on, and the old look was gone forever. Of course, they realized after a year or two that you can't screw with an iconic character like Superman like that, and made some lame plotline about his powers turning back to normal.

The same thing almost happened with this guy though:

<img src="http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/8/82/Webofspiderman118.jpg">

At the end of the Maximum Clonage thing, Peter Parker was supposed to die, and Ben Reilly was supposed to be the new Spider-Man forever. Fortunately, they Marvel got their heads out of their asses before they actually did it.
Then he qualifies, too:
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/07206180254.500.2ND.PRT.gif
And he went through a permanent change:
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/19768226990.8.gif

The Spidey clone in "a dynamic new costume". Not quite the word I would use. :lol:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/scans_daily/1166338.html#cutid1

Here's a few pages from The Other part 7 in Friendly issue 3. It shows further changes to Spidey.

Thanks for the recaps guys. I think I'll continue to stay away from this storyline.

Hmm, I actually think it looks kinda cool.

I just have to ask . . . JLA Cold Steel . . . WTF? Mega Morphs at Marvel had a (ridiculous) toyline at least.

http://www.dccomics.com/media/covers/4604_400x600.jpg

http://www.livejournal.com/community/scans_daily/1166338.html#cutid1

Here's a few pages from The Other part 7 in Friendly issue 3. It shows further changes to Spidey.:whofart:

What. The. Fuck.

-ohbfrank-

Wait, wait, wait... is that aunt may thing true?

I still love 'Ringo, but man does this sound like a horrid storyline.

As long as we're talking spidey changes, let's not forget the six-armed spidey from back in the day, and the Death-of-Superman rip-off that resulted in four different new costumed characters taking over the four spiderman books (they also had their own book for a while, though I remember nothing about it other than ChrisCross was the artist). Also, Ben Reilly was supposed to be the real Peter Parker, though I could never keep up with that storyline. I mean, who thinks it's a good idea to resurrect a storyline from that long ago?

Bats has changed costumes a fair amount too, even beyond the Knightfall Azbats stuff. Even Azbats had two different costumes in his short lifespan. Does Bats still have the black one, or did it change yet again? Not to mention all of the different Spidey and Batman toy variations.

I guess they could keep Ultimate Spidey as the iconic character and radically change the regular MU one permanently, but somehow, I don't think so.

So who wants to tell me how Parker got this disease?

On the plus side, am I the only one excited about the upcoming Essential Marvel Handbook? Sure all that stuff is sorely outdated, but I still love those things. I wonder if the new Marvel Handbook stuff will be better than the overpriced glossy comic-book sized crap they're putting out now.

Wait, wait, wait... is that aunt may thing true?

I still love 'Ringo, but man does this sound like a horrid storyline.

As long as we're talking spidey changes, let's not forget the six-armed spidey from back in the day, and the Death-of-Superman rip-off that resulted in four different new costumed characters taking over the four spiderman books (they also had their own book for a while, though I remember nothing about it other than ChrisCross was the artist).

Slingers


Also, Ben Reilly was supposed to be the real Peter Parker, though I could never keep up with that storyline. I mean, who thinks it's a good idea to resurrect a storyline from that long ago?


He was the real PP, but then it was revealed that he wasn't and Norman Osbourne was behind it all and PP took it back up as BR totally degenerated near instantly.

I loved the Power Girl Infinite Crisis lead up in JSA Classified 1-4. Just saw that the original art has been put up on ebay with a portion going to charity. Cool stuff.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmdelfini

Read "the Other" part 8..

It ain't gettin' any better, kiddies..-ohbfrank-

I thumbed through Marvel Zombies and was pleasantly surprised by Kirkman's writing. Not really a big fan of his but I thought this first issue was well done. Will probably pick up the trade when it comes out.

I just realized I totally forgot to snag the Captain America/What If issue! Now I have to go back to the store.

Lotta good stuff today.

Marvel Zombies has been getting much praise. And though I flipped through it too, I just can't get into the concept.

It's probably better than The Other rotfl

Read "the Other" part 8..

It ain't gettin' any better, kiddies..-ohbfrank-
How did you do that?

I read part 7 last night, the first issue I've read of the Other, and I kinda liked it. I think I'm just not old school enough to bash some of these modifications to old characters. I'm interested in seeing what happens next. Sure, it'll be reconned in another 6 months anyway, but for now, I kinda like the possibilities.

Plus, Wieringo's art is really good. I've never really seen his stuff before, but now I might be on the look out for it.

You should check out his run on Fantastic Four with Mark Waid and Tellos.

You should check out his run on Fantastic Four with Mark Waid and Tellos.

and Waid and 'Ringo's earlier stuff on the Flash (maybe not as polished, but still great). Though I thought his earlier Spidey run was mainly forgettable, mostly due to the storylines. Looks like this time is following suit. (By the way, I have no problem with them changing the characters, but really, the whole spoilerized May thing seems out there... unless I just read that synopsis wrong...)

What's with 'Ringo getting to draw all these mauled Marvel heroes? Didn't Reed Richards get mauled in the Waid/R'ingo issues too?

We regret to inform you that your weekly shipment will be leaving our store a day late due to shipping error. Our carrier, Overnight Transportation, lost the entire shipment and Diamond sent emergency replacements that arrived today. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Carrie

Discount Comic Book Service

Good reason why I haven't gotten a shipping email yet.

Chew, Noooooooooooooooooooooo! That's bloody terrible. I hope you had some back up books to be reading in the interim.


What do all y'all think of Ellis redoing the New Universe line for Marvel. I loved the New Universe as a kid.

I loved the New Universe as a kid.Gotta agree with this. :up: Too bad I stop collecting Exiles a LONG time ago...

Gotta agree with this. :up: Too bad I stop collecting Exiles a LONG time ago...
Is Exiles related to the New Universe? I had no idea.

Exiles is visiting the New Universe right now. Issues 73-75 I think.

Not sure what I think about the Ellis re-imagining. Since Exiles is doing the real thing right now, and it there are these one shots coming out, I think they should just stick to that.

Chew, Noooooooooooooooooooooo! That's bloody terrible. I hope you had some back up books to be reading in the interim.


:lol:

I think I'm OK. ;)

I can't remember if this has been discussed in past threads but are the minis, <b>Jonah Hex</b> and <b>Vigilante</b> going to become regular series? I'm buying them but I'm not going to read them until the last issues come out.

I think Jonah Hex is a regular. The first issue was self contained and excellent. You should definitely read it. Vigilante did nothing for me.

http://www.livejournal.com/community/scans_daily/1166338.html#cutid1

Here's a few pages from The Other part 7 in Friendly issue 3. It shows further changes to Spidey.

That looks awful (except for MJ in that shirt shirt!)

A little Infinite Crisis assistance:

I've ordered tpb's of the build up mini series and was wondering if there is an order to read them in. Days of Vengeance, OMAC, Rann/Thanagar War, Villain United (did I miss anything?). Thanks in advance.

I've ordered tpb's of the build up mini series and was wondering if there is an order to read them in. Days of Vengeance, OMAC, Rann/Thanagar War, Villain United (did I miss anything?). Thanks in advance.

I think any order should be fine. Don't forget the one shots of each title that start in January.

You might also seek out the Superman Sacrifice trade that is coming as its 3 Superman issues and a Wonder Woman tie in with OMAC.

The Return Of Donna Troy is an unofficial mini that ties to IC and is being packaged in a trade with the Death Of Donna Troy.

Also I haven't heard about the first 4 issues of the JSA Classified Powergirl arc being collected, but it ties in as well. I'd seek out the 3rd printings if you can and haven't read it. Very enjoyable stuff.

Upcoming comic that I thought looked lame at first, but now think is really cool: Busiek and Guice's Aquaman (http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Aquaman/swordofatlantis.htm). I'm not an Aquaman fan and I hate pointless revamps, so I thought this would have two strikes against it. But it looks like Busiek's come up with a cool concept, and he's not only got real reasons for the revamp, but he's being respectful to the character in doing his revamp. And, like I said, it just looks cool. Like Aquaman meets the Road Warrior meets Conan meets Thundarr the Barbarian. Or something. I'm looking forward to this one.

Upcoming comic I should be into but don't care about: Warren Ellis's revamp of Marvel's New Universe (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/NextWave/pressconference.htm). I was a big fan of the New Universe back in the day. Super big. How big, you ask? Put it this way -- I bought every single issue of Kickers, Inc. If you don't know what that is, count yourself lucky. Anyway, even though I loved the New Universe, I don't really give a dqamn about Warren Ellis's "I'm going to use the name and maybe a few of the characters, but I'll ignore everything that came before and do my own thing" version. Still, if it will give us reprints of the old stuff, I won't complain. If they do reprint the old stuff, I definitely recommend that everyone grab any DP7 or Psi Force that they can get their hands on.

I loved the new universe. Hell, I had the entire run of Spitfire. Good grief. But I loved Star Brand and Nightmask and DP7. I look forward to seeing these again in trade (of course, I could probably get the entire run of each title for less than $5, but still...).

I think any order should be fine. Don't forget the one shots of each title that start in January.

You might also seek out the Superman Sacrifice trade that is coming as its 3 Superman issues and a Wonder Woman tie in with OMAC.

The Return Of Donna Troy is an unofficial mini that ties to IC and is being packaged in a trade with the Death Of Donna Troy.

Also I haven't heard about the first 4 issues of the JSA Classified Powergirl arc being collected, but it ties in as well. I'd seek out the 3rd printings if you can and haven't read it. Very enjoyable stuff.

Thanks, MBoyd, I'll seek out the Superman trade & Donna Troy stuff. I'm hoping for an announcement on the JSA Classified. Thanks again.

Upcoming comic I should be into but don't care about: Warren Ellis's revamp of Marvel's New Universe (http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/NextWave/pressconference.htm). I was a big fan of the New Universe back in the day. Super big. How big, you ask? Put it this way -- I bought every single issue of Kickers, Inc. If you don't know what that is, count yourself lucky. Anyway, even though I loved the New Universe, I don't really give a dqamn about Warren Ellis's "I'm going to use the name and maybe a few of the characters, but I'll ignore everything that came before and do my own thing" version. Still, if it will give us reprints of the old stuff, I won't complain. If they do reprint the old stuff, I definitely recommend that everyone grab any DP7 or Psi Force that they can get their hands on.Wow. After reading some of that link, I want him to stay FAR away from it. :mad:

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Feb06/preview/MarchDCPreview.htm

Well . . . more Infinite Crisis stuff at Newsarama. The blacked out figures on the Supergirl cover sure are interesting. People are speculating its Supergirl and Powergirl and they have lost their powers. Robin has a new costume. I guess it's still Tim. What does anyone else think?

EDIT
Now there's a preview cover for Nightwing up as well. Speculation abounds that Nightwing is now a certain someone with the initials J.T. Hope it's not forever.

If JT is Nightwing, then Nightwing must be Batman right?

or dead . . . or retired . . . or mayor. :)

EDIT: Well scratch out mayor . . . maybe Dick is just going to stay Nightwing.

Now there's a preview cover for Nightwing up as well. Speculation abounds that Nightwing is now a certain someone with the initials J.T. Hope it's not forever.

An interesting choice indeed.
http://www.james-taylor.net/jamestaylor.jpg

Some cool Catwoman covers coming up. :drool:

http://dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4686


I wonder if this was what Batman had hinted at when speaking with J'Onn concerning Selina and her feelings for him in JLA a few months back? :(

http://dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4559

It's been quiet lately. So, anyone pick up anything today? I got Firestorm, DMZ (both I have added for next month on DCBS) and just for kicks Son of M.

Nothing for me this week.

It was a mighty weak week.

I picked up DMZ and JLA. I thought JLA was pretty cool for one reason: almost every page had some sort of dialog that gives clues to what is rumored to be happening one year later. If you read the issue, you'll understand, but I think this will be an issue to re-read after all is said and done to see what I missed.

With the whole Donna Tryoy taking everyone off into space creeping into so many titles I wonder if DC could ever collect those issues/pages from all the books. That was still going on in the new JLA right? I think I've lost track of all that they have been in and what order.

If anyone is interested, Episode 83 of Comic Geek Speak includes an interview with Stan Lee. In fact, the entire episode is about him.

http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodedetail.asp?episodeid=111

With the whole Donna Tryoy taking everyone off into space creeping into so many titles I wonder if DC could ever collect those issues/pages from all the books. That was still going on in the new JLA right? I think I've lost track of all that they have been in and what order.

Ask and ye shall receive (http://dccomics.com/comics/?cm=4980).

I'm planning on trimming the fat from my comic collection. If anyone is interested in seeing my list, let me know and I'll send you an email. I'd much rather sell 'em cheap to someone here at the talk then sell 'em on ebay.

I'd like a list if you get the chance.

Stoney, I'll get you a list later this weekend. They're mostly moderns...

But back to the thread, newsarama is asking members to post questions (http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=52491) for the next Crisis Counseling. If you have any questions, I'd suggest you ask em.

If anyone is interested, Episode 83 of Comic Geek Speak includes an interview with Stan Lee. In fact, the entire episode is about him.

http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodedetail.asp?episodeid=111

That was really neat, but I think the interview with Gene Colan from an ep or three prior was the best one they've done so far. Talk about a sweet man who was really touched that people wanted to talk to him. I wasn't familiar with his work before hand, but his humble personality totally won me over...his art work is pretty damn fantastic too.

Light week for me too:

JLA 123 (and I haven't read 122 yet)
Captain Atom: Armeggedon #3 (Cap is SO bad ass in this, I hope he stays in the WS universe and gets a regular running book with this creative team)
Teen Titans 30
Books of Doom #2 (and I haven't even read #1 yet...but it's Doom, can't say no to that)
G.I. Joe America's Elite #6 (and I haven't read 4 or 5 yet...actually it's been so long since I've read through the first 4 issues, I need to reread all of them again to freshen the memory)
Y The Last Man 40

Haven't read jack yet, but it's there just waiting. I'm kinda behind on everything (haven't read a Runaways or Captain America book since god knows when), but this happens when the school semester comes to a close. After my final tomorrow I plan on catching up with everything over the next week or two.

boredsilly, post your comments on Books of Doom #1 when you read it. I didn't like it much at all and want a second opinion.

I read the first issue of Doom too. I was sort of lukewarm on it too, but I have a feeling it will build into something pretty cool. I certainly preferred Brubaker's Deadly Genesis last month to Doom.

I liked the first two issues of Books of Doom, althought the art is a little stiff for me. I'm a sucker for any Doom stories, but this one has an interesting amount of introspection and character work that's firing pretty good so far.

I just got finished reading "SUPERMAN:In the Name of Gog".....HELP! What happened at the end? WTF is going on with Doomsday?:confused:

Recently, I discovered Exiles. Picked up the first trade on a whim and enjoyed it very much. Picked up the second trade yesterday and just read it through. For those who haven't read it, it's a fun series about a group of characters who go from one parallel world to another. On each world, they have a mission they must accomplish. Then they get sent to the next. Think "Sliders" with X-Men characters. If you like seeing alternate versions of the Marvel Universe, it's worth picking up.

Can anyone give me background on some of the characters?

Morph -- Is he based on any pre-existing character?
Mimic -- I know he's an old school (pre-"All New, All Different") character. Has this version (long-standing member of the X-Men) appeared anywhere prior to Exiles?
Thunderbird -- Has this version (you-know-who did you-know-what to him) appeared anywhere prior to Exiles?
Blink -- I understand she appeared in Age of Apocolypse. Has there been a version of her on the main Marvel Earth?
Nocturne -- Obviously no version of her appeared on the main Marvel Earth, given her origins. Was she a pre-existing alternate reality character, or new for the series?
Magnus -- Same situation as Nocturne -- did Winnick make him up for the series, or was he new?
Sunfire, whom I'm spoilerizing since her arrival spoils the end of the first collection -- did this version exist in any comics before she appeared in Exiles?

I could probably ask the same question about Wendigo, but I'll hold off since (s)he only showed up in one panel of the issues I've read so far.

No spoilers for any issues of Exiles beyond the second collection (issue #11), please!

Blink is the only one that had really been around before. I didn't read AoA, but I think Morph was in that, but it was a different Morph. Morph's first appearance was actually in the first episode of the 90s X-men cartoon. I think a couple of the characters made their first appearance here: http://www.cbdb.com/action.lasso?-database=comics_.fp3&-layout=master&-response=record_detail.htm&-recordID=12595170&-search

That was basically just a sketch book kind of thing, various artists trying out new characters and new takes on old characters.

I'm really sad that Exiles has been so mediocre under Tony Bedard. The first couple years of the series was so great and the only work of Winick's that I've loved. After Winick leaves the first time, the title goes down a little in quality and when he leaves the second time the title goes way down in quality. During the first hiatus, Chuck Austen delivered some of the only comics I've really liked from him.

Thanks for the info, nny. Do you know which issues Winnick wrote?

I said earlier that I picked up the first TPB on a whim. After I posted, I remembered that isn't true. The real reason I picked it up is because I had heard that the Exiles were traveling to the New Universe. My local shop only had the second issue of the New U storyline, but I liked it enough to check out the first TPB. Maybe this means I'll enjoy Bedard's run in general.

Blink is the only one that had really been around before. I didn't read AoA, but I think Morph was in that, but it was a different Morph. Morph's first appearance was actually in the first episode of the 90s X-men cartoon.

Well not quite. Many of these characters have 616 counterparts. The Morph in Age of Apocalypse looks exactly like this morph so it is reasonable to assume that they are based on the same character. The Age of Apocalpyse Character was meant to be The Changeling, a changeling character who (as a favor to Xavier) impersonated Xavier in the 616 universe ultimately dying in X-men (1963) #42.

Mimic (616, so not this version)was actually a member of the old X-men joining in issue #27 where he hung around for about three or four issues before quitting. He was mostly forgotten until the mid 90s when he briefly appeared in X-Force as a villain. Later it was determined he had lost his powers (I think this happened in 1997/98 also in X-Force but I am less certain of the specifics).

This is the first time this version of Thunderbird appeared.

Blink was an integral character of AoA and did appear in the 616 universe as the character Clarice Ferguson during the Generation Next issues of the Phalanx Covenent (X-men #37, #38 and Uncanny X-men #316, #317).

Nocturne and Magnus are new for the series.

As for the other character she is basically new, although really just a combination of two pre-existing characters. Since I can't remember if they revealed her real name or not yet, I will not expand on that subject.

Disclaimer - all issue numbers are from memory and may be slightly off.

Mimic (616, so not this version)was actually a member of the old X-men joining in issue #27 where he hung around for about three or four issues before quitting. He was mostly forgotten until the mid 90s when he briefly appeared in X-Force as a villain. Later it was determined he had lost his powers (I think this happened in 1997/98 also in X-Force but I am less certain of the specifics).

Shows how old I am. I remember Mimic dying in a 1970s issue of the Hulk -- he mimiced the Hulk and gave himself gamma radiation poisoning. That actually played into an early issue of Exiles. I didn't know that they had brought Mimic back, though.

I also remember Changeling (not that I read his stories, but I read about him in the old OHOTMU). I had no idea Morph was supposed to be a version of Changeling.

They mentioned who new character was, but since
Wolverine has so many Japanese chicks in his past, I can't remember which one she is. Samurai-girlfriend-chick, maybe, or Ninja-chick. I don't know. :p

I picked up the first few Exiles trades, though I got tired of the concept after some time (plus the art seemed sporadic). Does it get any better/different later?

Finally read the OMAC trade. Man it's tough to not only wait for trades, but also for a monthly shipment. Next is Days of Vengeance. I'm finally beginning to understand what's going on.

Kudos to DC for doing a great job with the trade. Great summaries of the backgrounds of the characters I didn't know about (since I don't read Batman) and issues that they skip over. Decent pricepoint too. Unlike the Prelude to Infinite Crisis trade that I couldn't really follow.

I'm this close to going all trade, too Fuji. I'm going through my comics making a list of all those that I'm willing to get rid of and I'm realizing that I kind of want to get rid of them all. If that's the case, I might be a trade guy in no time. Heck, if it weren't for the deals on DCBS, I might already be.

If I knew for a fact that all of the series I buy would be out in trade in short order, I would too. But stuff like Gotham Central is 2+ years behind and may never catch up.

Perhaps I need to do a closer look as to what issue I'm on and what issue the corresponding trades are on. Sounds like a Christmas weekend project. :)

I bet every GC issue will be collected at some point.

I wonder how liberating it would feel to not have to order, read, and bag monthly comics.

Well, for another thing: I would go from buying long-boxes and stuffing comics away in a closet to buying bookshelves and displaying trades in the open of my bedroom.

That's what I did... though the number of trades I now have is overwhelming my poor bookshelf.

With a lot of stuff, there's no guarantee that it'll be collected, but pretty much everything Marvel will eventually be (sometimes within weeks of the last issue coming out). DC seems a little more random, but the monthly titles I still collect (Teen Titans, JSA, JSA Classified, Legion, Superman/Batman) will inevitably be collected... I'm just too lazy to make the transition after collecting the monthlies for so long (and I like them enough to support them). But for Infinite Crisis, I knew they would collect all the ancilliary issues (I am collecting the series monthly, just not reading it until I catch up). Image is a little more iffy... I still have no clue how and why Larsen decides to break out a new Savage Dragon tpb. He's got a huge break in the middle too.

Of course, for a title like Gotham Central (and stuff like Invincible) that has borderline popularity as it is, it might be a good idea to stick with the monthlies just to see it continue.

Captain Atom: Armeggedon #3 (Cap is SO bad ass in this, I hope he stays in the WS universe and gets a regular running book with this creative team)


Yes, I've been quite liking this book, too! Never much cared one way or the other about Capton Atom before, but this book's been great all around. Hope to see an appearence by The Authority, and it seems as if they're hinting at it, too - at least in this issue.

What's going on with Superman/Batman? The last issue came out three months ago. -ohbfrank-

Jeph Loebs son died back in the summer and it threw off the schedule of all his books. I think the last Loeb issue is 25 and his son helped with that issue or something.

Ah. That makes sense then. :(

IIRC, Smallville ran an "In Memoriam" for Jeph's son (it might have been the Arthur Curry episode).

I like Jeph's work quite a bit. Everyone seems pretty down on his upcoming Ultimates 3 though. I'll continue to check it out because I'm a fan.

My friend and I were talking about Inifnite Crisis yesterday and he mentioned that Jeph and Geoff actually shared an office at DC and he was surprised that Jeph wasn't involved more with Crisis like Rucka and Winick. I hope his exit to Marvel wasn't on bad terms. I like his Marvel stuff, but his DC books have been a lot more fun for me. Looks like a lot of people are getting forced out of DC. Some of that is good though - Devin Grayson comes to mind.

I'm going to follow up with a couple of big posts I found today that includes the big DC post-crisis comic news/52 news that is supposed to be in tomorrows issue of Wizard. I think a lot of you will enjoy this. This just saved me spending $5 on that rag, although I do hear they have a LARGE 28 page article on Superman Returns.

22 one year later previews from Wizard. - some spoilers/not too bad IMO

DC Comics jumps ahead "One Year Later" in March- Here are 22 books to keep your eye on

Action Comics/Superman

Writers Feoff Johns (Infinite Crissi) and Kurt Busiek (Astro City) join artist Pete Woods (X-Men: Deadly Genesis) to take the Man of Steel on a eight-part odyseey, readjusting to a world he no longer feels he knows. "He's dealing with the ramifications of his past year," says Johns. "We're redifining him for the future."

Aquaman

The Series will not be cancelled as previously reported; instead, DC confirms Kurt Busiek and Butch Guice (Birds of Prey) as the new writer/artist team to steer the King of the Seven Seas in a new direction.

Batman/Dectective Comics

James Robinson (Starman) returns to comics after a three-year absense with artist Don Kramer (JSA) and Andy Clarke (Aquaman) and Leonard Krik (The Freshmen) at his side for a an eight-part adventure with Batman and Robin returning to Gotham after a year away to find corruption in City Hall and a new face behind the desk of the Police Commissioner. "This is James Robinson doing what he does best," says Editor Preter Tommasi, "peeling back the layers of character until you get right to their hearts."

Birds of Prey

One Bird is out of the picture and an unexpected replacement has come under writer Gail Simone's wing, "One of DCU's most dangerous villians joins the book, as an agent for Oracle," says Simone, who'll be joined by artist Carlos Sequira, "I think this is going to be our most exciting and unpredictable year yet"

Catwoman

She's pregnant! Writer Will Pfeifer won't reveal the daddy, but talker about how this will change Selina Kyle's life. "It's a wild little plot twist, but we'll use it to explorer some offbeat questions," says Pfeifer, whose artist on the book has not yet been anounced. "Has a lifetime of thievery prepared her for this? And while Selina is changing diapers, who's watching East End?"

Checkmate

The OMAC Project team of writer Greg Rucka and artist Jesus Saiz creat a new Checkmate with a mix of familar metahumans and "normals" runing the show. "Take a big chunk of The OMAC Project, take the concept of "Who Watches the Watchmen?" and throw in some James Bond and you've got Checkmate," says Rucka.

The Flash

DC holds to a firm "no comment" when it comes to the future of the Fastest Man Alive.

Green Arrow

There's a familiar face in the Star City mayor's office: Oliver Queen! What do writer Judd Winick and artist Scott McDaniel (Robin) have planned for hizzoner? "Ollie became mayor in order to save Star City," say Winick. "Ultimately, there's only so much you can do by puttin on tights and shooting arrows."

Green Lantern

Having gotten in some hot water on Earth, Hal Jordan takes to the stars for a dangerous rescue mission. "He needs to find the Lanterns he left for dead as Parallax," says writer Johns, joined by artist Carlos Pacheco. "The Guardians don't aprrove, so he needs a team of GLs willing to break the rules for backup."

Green Lantern Corps

Out of the events of the Recharge mini-series, the GLC goes monthly with comics legend Dave Gibbins pulling double duty as writer and artist for the first arc. "The Corps itself will be radically re-organized, more tightly disciplined and controlled," says Gibbins. "The Guardians will become ever more aloof and unfathomable, their Great Purpose ever more mysterious."

Hawkgirl

With Hawkman M.I.A., Kendra Saunders tries to fill the wings, but, as writer Walt Simonson notes, that's easier said than done. "She's trying to fill the void Carter has left, but she doesn't have his experience," explains Simonson, who is joined by artist Howard Chaykin. "Also, an ancient evil of S.t Roch is rishing up and causing violent, nasty stuff."

Ion

Kyle Rayner is reunited with his creator, writer Ron Marz, but is it with or without the Green Lantern Corps? "Kyle's story is still going to be tied to the GL mythos-- that's a part of who he is," promised Marz of his upcoming run with artist Greg Tocchini (Thor: Son of Asgard). "But the role he takes on is beyond anything he's ever experienced."

JSA

Alongside incomparable artist Rags Morales (Identity Crisis), DC Publisher Paul Levitz returns to characters he last wrote 27 years ago. "I've always liked the Justice Society because you've got a mix of young old people," reflects Levitz. "I'm looking forward to writing nes characters like Stargirl and playing with old favorites like Flash and Wildcat."

Nightwing

Does something happen to Dick Grayson in Infinite Crisis? New writer Bruce Jones (Vigilantes) will be chronicling a new man behind the mask, So where is Grayson? Jones (whose artist still has not been released)isn't saying. "readers will see a new Nightwing," says Jones. "Now established in New York City, he will deal with more formidable fores, new metahuman rivals and an unlikely new romance."

Shadowpact

The 10th Age of Magic has dawned and with it writer/artist Bill Willingham returns to the team he made famous in Day of Vengeance, promising plenty of unfamilar threats for DC's mystical underdogs. "A lot of bad things that were put down in the 9th Age are waking up," says Willingham. "It's a great time to resurrect really bad and terrible stuff."

Specture: Dead Again

A new Spectre rises in this three-issue mini-series by Pfeifer and artist Al Barrionuevo (Gotham Knights), but he's not the most willing Spirt of Vengeance. "He barely believes in the afterlife and wants no part of the Spectre's concept of Divine Justice," says Pfeifer. "Too bad he has no choice in the matter."

Supergirl

Kara's got a new writer, Greg Rucka. joining artist Ian Churchill as well as a new foe famillar to readers of the Superman titles. "She's Supergirl. That should ge great, but it sucks," says Rucka. "We're going to show just how much it sucks and what she does to make it great."

Superman/Batman

New writer Mark Verhelden (Superman) and artist Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern) take the World's Finest out of this world. "A strange, evil influence begings inpacting our extraterrestrial heroes and villians," shares Verheiden. "Look for surprising guest stars and tons of big action, Van-Sciver-style."

Teen Titans

The Titans get new blood in new regular artist Tony Daniel (The Tenth) and two new members: the mysterious Kid Devil and the deadly Ravager! "The first arc will see the Titans team with a new Doom Patrol against a new Brotherhood of Evil," reveals writer Johns.

Wonder Woman

While hot-babe uber-artist Terry Dodson (Spider-Man/Black Cat) has been confirmed as being part of the amazing Amazon's post-Infinite Crisis plans, DC has yet to release and information on either the writer or direction of the book. But the publisher promises both announcements will make major waves, so stay turned.

And finally MAJOR 52 spoilers - still no price though LOL

The Main Players

-Black Adam : DC's Dr. Doom
-Booster Gold: The Sell-Out
-Renee Montoya: The Drunk Knight
-Elongated Man: Too Far Gone?
-Steel: Lex's New Nemesis
-The Question: The New Batman

1. Luthor's JLA: With the JLA disbanded, the bald baddies forms his own Justice League, comprised of entirely new characters plus one familiar face.

2. Wholesale Destruction: An entire country within the DC Universe will be leveled by a known power player, killing every man, woman and child within.

3. Batwoman Begins: A new female crimefighter takes to the streets of Gotham, but who's behind the mask? Here's a hint: It's not who you think.

4. Steel: The Conscience of the DCU: John Henry Irons steps back into the Steel armor and steps up his game to cover for the absence of several heroes following Infinite Crisis, ruffling some feathers with his philosophy that true heroes do their job without accolades.

5. Star Wars: A new villain will be introduced in the outer reaches of space. Early word has this new tyrant giving Darkseid a run for his money.

6 Cast of Millions: Forget just the Big Three, the Justice League or even everybody that has appeared in Infinite Crisis-- this series will indeed star the entire DCU.

7. Back in the Saddle: Keith Giffen returns to DC in a major way to co-plot and do layouts on 52, bringing his grand sense of scope and knack for humor to the table.

8. Weird Science: A shadowy figure is abducting big brains like T.O. Morrow, Will Magnus and Dr. Sivana, with an eye toward altering the world of technology.

9. Renee Montoya: DC's Drunk Detective: Introduced in the 1990's "Batman: The Animated Series," then making the jump to comics as the lead of Gotham Central, Renee Montoya has sunk to her lowest point as an alcoholic dectective and must find her way back to respectability.

10. For Freedom!: From the ashes of the original team's gory demise in Infinite Crisis, a new team of Freedom Fighters emerges to take up the fight!

11. Drawing Blood: Joe Bennett, who showed he could draw the nastiest fight scenes around during his time on Hawkman, will now have the entire DCU at his disposal as one of the main artists on 52.

12. Girls Gone Wild: Down-on-her-luck Montoya will see her bed become a revolving door of lovers -- one of whom will make her mark on the DCU before all is said and done.

12. Man becomes Superman: A DC hero known for getting the job done without metahuman powers will get their abilities augmented in a major way.

13. Dynamic Duo: M.I.A.: Batman and Robin won't step foot in Gotham for the entire year. What's keeping them away?

15. The Ultimate Insult: A beloved DCU character no longer of the living will have their grave defaced in a shocking act.

16. Encore: Writer Geoff Johns looks to follow up his work on Infinite Crisis by telling an even bigger story, if you can believe that.

17. The Question: Getting Answers: If you loved him on "Justice League Unlimited" get read for the Question to return to the DCU in a major way, becoming a lynchpin of 52 and setting himself up as Gotham's new protector.

18. Ralph Dibny: The Next Step: Nobody in the DCU has suffered more in the past two years than Elongated Man, but in 52, Ralph Dibny tries to move on in way that will shock you.

19 On the Edge: A respected former member of the Justice League his bottom and contempletes suicide. Will this beleaguered Leaguer pull the trigger?

20. Real Time: Like on TV's "24" this number-titled series unfoldes week by week at the pace of real life, putting fans right in the thick of things.

21. Bad As He Wants to Be: With the White House way behind him, Lex Luthor gets back to basics and pushes the envelope, becoming more evil and ruthless than ever.

22. Big Break: After years of toiling in relative obscurity, Chris Batista made his mark on JLA last year-- now he'll try to cement himself as one of the best artists around.

23. Wedding Bells: One of the DCU's most eligable bachelors finally meets the super-woman who can tame him enough to settle down.

24. The Mad Genius: Writer Grant Morrison will be unleashed upon DCU once more, bringing with him the seemingly endless fountain of new concepts and characters he displayed in JLA and Seven Soldiers.

25. Final Farewell: Some members of the team Donna Troy took into space during Infinite Crisis won't be back by the first issues of 52, and some won't be coming back at all.

26. Wind of Change: A new Red Tornado unlike anything that's come before will ride the eye of the storm into 52 and possibly beyond.

27. Booster Gold: The Big Time, At Last: Booster Gold was considered a joke as a member of the Justice League International, but 52 sees him take his shot as a A-list hero.

28. Fortune & Glory: One character's long-fought quest for respect comes to an end when they become the leader of their own country.

29. Ralph Gets Some!: Mr. Dibny finds himself getting busy with somebody other than his beloved Sue. Who's the lucky lady (or fella)?

30. Fate: With Hector Hall out of the picture for the time being, someone new will step up to the golden mantle of Dr. Fate and become the world's most powerful sorcerer.

31. DC Encyclopedia: Nobody knows the DCU better than writer Mark Waid, and he'll be putting every ounce of his trivia knowledge to good use redefining everybody from Superman to Ambush Bug.

32. From Beyond the Grave: Having seen Superman, Green Arrow and now Hal Jordan return from the dead, a former Justice League member attempts to resurrect an old friend.

33. Monster Mash: Lex Luthor changes the face of humanity forever through a series of experiments on Monster Island.

34. Family Drama: A rift forms between Steel and his niece when she makes a decision affecting the entire DCU.

35. Black Adam: Choosing a Side: Black Adam has walked the line between hero and villain for the past 3,200 years. 52 will provide the most in-depth look yet at what motovates this complex character and his sense of honor.

36. Rising Star: Don Kramer came out of nowhere to wow fans as artist on JSA for the past two years--now he'll get to ply his knack for drawing sprawling casts on an even bigger stage.

37. The Main Man?: Is Lobo going back to basics? We've heard whispers, but it's too soon to say...

38. Mr. Versatile: Greg Rucka can write anything from superheroes to comedy to epionage drama, and he'll be tested in every area over the course of 52.

39. Whodunnit?: The Question will put Montoya's detective skills to the test with a mystery that ends up taking a year to solve.

40. Changing the Future: Booster Gold and sidekick Skeets will attempt to use their knowledge of the past from the future to prevent major disasters before they happen. Will they succeed, or destroy the timestream in the process?

41. JLA=S.E.X.: Two former Justice Leaguers you would NOT expect will bump uglies by year's end. Awk-ward!

42. Who's Who: Each issue of 52 contains a two-page origin story on one of the DCU's heroes or villians, as written and drawn by top industry talent. Get caught up!

43. Crossing Over: A well-established character with a lot of history will make their first appearance in the DCU.

44. Not That There's Anything Wrong With That: A new gay character make their first appearance in 52, before moving on to their own ongoing series.

45. 52 Wednesdays: The first weekly comic attempted in over 15 years-- since the demise of Action Comics Weekly in 1989--52 will give fans a reason to get excited about going to the comic shops every single week.

46. Microsoft Man: Signing endorsement deals left and right, Booster Gold becomes a corporate hero, but when push comes to shove, who's pulling the strings?

47. Look! Up in the Sky!: A mysterious and powerful new character named Supernova will make his debut in Metropolis. But is this actually a famillar face with a new look?

48. Cover Me: J.G. Jones will provide the art for not one, not two, not 33 , but all 52 covers of 52. With Jones' smooth, innovative style, that's another 52 reasons right there.

49. Powerless: One of DC's biggest icons spends the years as a civilian, unable to prevent what they once would have handed with ease.

50. Don't Get Too Attached: One of the six leads of 52 won't see the end of the year. Who'll bite the dust?

51. Dream Team: Morrison, Johns, Waid, Rucka, Giffen---any of these names is enough to get the average fanboy to wet himself, but ALL of them on the same book? Every week? Break out the adult diapers!

52. The Journey: By the time the first issue of 52 hits the stands, we'll already know where the DCU is headed thanks to the "One Year Later" jump, but more than half the fun is trying to piece together how everything got there as the mysteries unravel

Okay, I'm still a month behind in my reading. But I just read Supergirl 2-3... is it just me, or is this whole storyline crap? Issue 2, she goes to meet Superboy, they fight. She breaks Superboy's jaw then resets it, ending their fight... and then the Titans attack her for little reason (I read Titans, so I know the whole Superboy/Luthor thing, but it still made little sense). At the end of that issue, Starfire comes to get her, and issue 3 opens with her fighting the Outsiders (for practice?) with the Outsiders using Kryptonite to limit her powers? Kara kisses Nightwing? Then they mysteriously find Luthor in the middle of the desert? Is this part of some larger plan that I'm having trouble seeing, or is this book just crap? Not to mention that Churchill's art isn't the best... they should've gotten Benes back on this book.

Also read the post-Liefeld issue of Teen Titans, which also didn't make much sense to me. Uh... Red Hood attacks Robin because... uh, why again? Why isn't this just an issue of Robin? Where the hell did Donna Troy, Bumblebee and Herald come from? Why is the art so crappy (while still better than the previous two issues?)

Maybe I'm just holding them up to a higher standard after reading the OMAC trade. I think Legion is getting better, but JSA is kinda losing me with the huge, epic storylines one after another. Supes/Batman hasn't been seen in a while (and I was having trouble following that pseudo-Ultimates/Bizarro story anyway), but JSA Classified has been great.

I was pretty interested in Supergirl when it first started, but I dropped it with this month's order.

I've been reading current JSA for a few months now, all while catching up on the trades. I agree, it's been far too long without a break in tone and they should dial down the "epicness" for a couple storylines. Hopefully, after Crisis.

I have to say that this blurb from the above Wizard article (no spoilers) doesn't leave me with a lot of confidence in the future of Supergirl:
Supergirl

Kara's got a new writer, Greg Rucka. joining artist Ian Churchill as well as a new foe famillar to readers of the Superman titles. "She's Supergirl. That should ge great, but it sucks," says Rucka. "We're going to show just how much it sucks and what she does to make it great."

Also, why is Johns off of JSA? And where did McKone go? I don't want Daniels on Titans!

Is Manhunter being canceled?

I havent heard that, but who knows.

sigh----

Anyone reading BLACK HARVEST by Josh Howard. I love his artwork, and Dead @ 17 had some great moments. I look forward to seeing what he does for DC this year (heard he'll be doing at least some art).

To go back a bit. I really love those first 20 some issues of Exiles. I came away from that book really giving a shit about the characters. For how many books I read, it is still rare for that to happen. Winnick did a fantastic job of creating a family out of that crew and I never really got tired of the gimmick of world jumping during his run. I did jump of once he left, but I may give those other issues a chance. I really hope the they jump to the Zombie Marvel World. That would be cool, but only for 1 or 2 issues.

I hate comics. Hate them! Bagging and boarding, storage...all of it. It really is liberating to get rid of them and keep them gone. TPB's and HC's are the way to go. Not only are the easier to store, but it makes rereading certain story arcs a 1,000 times more likely. How many times have you all gone back and reread a certain story arc of comics you bought in 92 vs grabbign a tpb off the shelf on a rainy sunday afternoon to reread? I still buy comics, but I give them away or sell them once I'm done and buy the trades later.

Also read the post-Liefeld issue of Teen Titans, which also didn't make much sense to me. Uh... Red Hood attacks Robin because... uh, why again? Why isn't this just an issue of Robin? Where the hell did Donna Troy, Bumblebee and Herald come from? Why is the art so crappy (while still better than the previous two issues?)

Maybe I'm just holding them up to a higher standard after reading the OMAC trade. I think Legion is getting better, but JSA is kinda losing me with the huge, epic storylines one after another. Supes/Batman hasn't been seen in a while (and I was having trouble following that pseudo-Ultimates/Bizarro story anyway), but JSA Classified has been great.

Are you saying the art from OMAC is better than Teen Titans or just the story? I found the art in OMAC to be really lackluster and very muddy. The story was kind of a let down for me as well, but that could be because I went in expecting something other than what a got, so I wouldn't hold that against him. Teen Titans 30 was kinda random, but I loved it (I am a bat family whore). This whole Red Hood business is working for me something major. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop to let us know what's really going on.

You aren't the only person who has had issues following the latest Supes/Bats storyline. Actually to be honest, I've had issues following both of the last 2 storylines. I think it's because the books stories act more like mini-series than a cohessive comic book. The first arc has nothing to to with the supergirl arc has nothing to do with the alt univers arc has nothing to do with...whatever the hell is going on now.

Yeah, the Superman/Bats book is like a series of miniseries. But the last one just dropped you in medias res and I still have no idea what's going on. The long delays between issues doesn't help.

I guess I'm just not up on the Bat books, so the Titans issue felt like a throw-away. That's after two throw-away Liefeld issues, making 3 in a row that I didn't care for. Ooo... the red hood dresses up in his old Robin costume to beat the crap out of the new Robin, and just leave him there. Hey, let's attack him in Titans tower, where there are a lot of other superheroes. Good thing Cyborg programmed the Tower to let in all past members of the Titans, dead or alive.

The OMAC thing seemed more cohesive and driving towards a bigger story. In some ways, the early part of the book reminded me of Owlman (based on Blue Beetle) finding and confronting Ozymandias (not to compare the book to Watchmen, but I thought that was pretty cool). Sure, people were out of character (why would Jonn just tell Beetle to get out?), but I think it did a decent job of presenting a story that held together. Maybe it helps that I read it all at once.

Meanwhile, stuff like Supergirl (where she just fights every superhero team in the DC universe for kicks), Superman/Batman (which I think I would drop if I didn't love Mcguinness's art so much) and the latest Titans issues just don't make much sense to me. I think I'm pretty good at suspending my disbelief (these are superheroes after all) but I've just been disappointed lately. And the fact that the artists on Supergirl (ugh, though I thought he was decent on cable) and Titans (what happened to Daniels?) aren't going anywhere might make me drop the titles.

I hate comics. Hate them! Bagging and boarding, storage...all of it.

This is going to make some of you want to boil me in oil, but ... nobody says you have to bag and board them. I have mine in a big pile. When the pile gets too high, I buy a short box, put them in the short box (still without bags and boards) and start the pile over. When I'm feeling industrious, I sort through them, putting them in order by series and issue number. Every couple of years, I take a couple of short boxes full of stuff I think I'm never going to read again and sell it to my shop for whatever they'll pay (usually about $25 per short box, give or take).

After spending a couple weeks waiting and waiting for Buy.com to ship my copy of Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths, I decided to cancel my order with them and buy from an Amazon Marketplace seller. I placed my cancel request with Buy and was told it would take a day to clear the warehouse. I proceeded to order from the Marketplace seller.

Today, I check into my account with Buy to find out it shipped! Pretty shortly, I'll have two copies. :rolleyes:

It sure seems like funny timing how it doesn't ship for weeks but then does once the order is canceled. -ohbfrank-

Chew, if you're looking to sell one of 'em, I might be interested. Sorry to hear about your luck...