i doubt it'll effect the current jla arc. more than likely the jla arc happens before the events of hawkman.

Ohhhh ok.

Well, if someone other then the publisher is producing the CBRs, I'm definately against it. However, I'm a big believer in letting potential readers see what's in store for them. Nothing wrong with giving a teaser on a story. I'd actually like to see more of this for original graphic novels.

Here is what I picked up today. Extremely small comic book week, can't remember the last week with this little. . .

Catwoman #44 - Boy do I miss the days of Cooke, Stewart, & Brubaker on this book. It has sucked for so long. Hope the new creative team breathes some life into it. Really good to see AH doing some DC covers again though.

Legion Of Super-Heroes #7 - Really diggin' Waid's run.

Teen Titans #25 - So far behind on this book. About 10 issues behind.

Girls #2 - Really trying to avoid mini/maxi series but the first issue was so damn good I couldn't wait.

Noble Causes #11 - By FAR the single most underrated & innovative superhero title on the market & nobody is reading it.

Sea Of Red #3 - Really good new horror series. Image is putting out some tremendous new books lately.

New Avengers #6 -Its really hard to suck more than this series. It just makes no sense whatsoever.

New X-Men #15

Supreme Power #17

Ultimate Fantastic Four #20

Conan #17

Hellboy The Island #1 - OH MY GOD!!! I thought I would never see it in my lifetime. FINALLY a new original Hellboy story. By FAR my book of the week.

Dark Mists #1 - The cover alone is worth checking this book out.

Doc Frankenstein #3

Shaolin Cowboy #3 - These 2 new books by the Wachowksi Bros have been awesome so far. Especially SC & the art is just amazing.

Queen & Country Declassified Vol 3 #1 - One of the greatest comics ever written IMO.

I too miss the first run on the new Catwoman. Great Batman book that's really gone downhill.

The new Legion book is really spectacular. Each issue really builds upon the last. I also like how it's a very self-contained part of the DCU, probably the easiest way to tell a good story is to isolate yourself from the rest of the universe.

TT I am getting a little tired of. I can't really put my finger on it but I feel with each new issue there's no real advance in the plotline. Take the . The Identity Crisis X-over issue was really good though, considering I didn't really enjoy IC.

Noble Causes IS one of the best books being put out by Image these days. I wouldn't worry about it getting canned though, so i'm very comfortable with it right now not being a hot seller. Hell, even Invincible and The Walking Dead, the two titles that get the most publicity aren't really hot sellers either.

New Avengers is one of those grand superhero books that's supposed to emulate the great superhero action of The Ultimates only not as violent. But it's being done much better in Superman/Batman and Invincible. I don't really understand why the team has gotten together the way it has other than to say "hey guys - let's do this thing". When I first saw the line up I sensed that this was going to be a fanboy book, and it really has been. There's no reason for these characters to be in the same book other than for them to stand around and make bad jokes. Also, I hate the way Bendis makes every single character talk exactly the same.

Supreme Power is the most overrated Marvel book on the stands right now. First of all, JMS CANNOT do humor. He just can't. The jokes are stupid and awkward. Second, the whole "slow burn" thing isn't really working since the story has a case of manic depression. I also find the art extremely derivative and very inconsistent - it's hard to tell who's who outside of their costumes.

Ultimate Fantastic Four is another indicator that the Ultimate Universe needs to be overhauled seriously.

Q & C is a great series...somehow Vol. 3 flew under my radar and I didn't know it was coming out until I saw it today. Great book, what more can I say.

Sessa, are you one of those dudes that don't like to have holes in their runs or wait until the end of the current storyline to jump off a title? If not why do you continue to buy books you don't like? Seems like a minor form of self inflicted torture, no? Wouldn't it be better to take that money you spend on books you no longer like and put it towards a better book (or pocket the money)?

I for one enjoy New Avengers, even if it doesn't make a lick of sense. When I think of Avengers I think of Marvels most powerful and competent heroes - this crew certainly isn't that. Thor alone could practically slaughter the entire new roster (save for Sentry). These Avengers are very de-powered and even though they're going for that "Big Guns" feel (ala JLA), they failed to realize that the "Big Guns" that went to JLA just happened to be powerful & popular. Wolverine, Spidey, and Cage are ground level heroes and should stay that way. I always saw the Avengers as more of a JSA kind of book than JLA. But all that said I really do like the book. It's harmless fun. I'm actually reading Busiek's run on Avengers now too, and while I enjoy New Avengers, Busiek's are the "real" Avengers if you ask me. It just isn't the Avengers without Thor.

I too agree about the "big guns" and the Avengers. They were really going for that blockbuster feel but most of Marvel's most popular heroes are really wimps compared to other heavy-hitters. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, they could individually kick the whole team's ass. Though powered-down drama is usually a much better read, I have a feeling we're going to see either lame villains or situation where heroes will survive even though they shouldn't.

Oh here we go again with Hawkman's continuity being fucked up.

Y'know, for this to be the "heavy hitters" Avengers, I wonder how Hulk didn't get called up? I know his character and book wouldn't gel with the team...but that's never stopped them before.

I hear you on Supreme Power. I liked reading through it well enough (got them off a friend), but it's something I don't see myself ever wanting to revisit. It was just interesting enough to keep me coming back to see what happens next, but at the same time it's kind of boring.

About the Ultimate Uni, how do you mean overhauled exactly?

My first exposure to Fantastic Four was Waids fantastic fantastic run. I never gave a shit about Marvels first family (why, I dunno?) but with his book getting such raves I had to check it out. I loved it, but more than that, I fell for the characters. They are whats been missing in my comic reading experience. That family aspect in that book is soooooo much more satisfying than some angst ridden/grim and gritty book I find. So wanting to read more about these characters I picked up Marvel Knights "4". That was pretty good, not great, but it had some kick ass moments, interesting stories, and some really good art. Wanting even more FF I tried Ultimate FF and was not impressed. I don't know what it was that I didn't think worked in the book, but it just didn't click with me. I will be checking out the "crossover" storyline though.

Haven't read Ultimate FF yet, but I did preorder the HC. Not a huge FF fan (got burned by those Lyja issues), but I admit Waid and Ringo did bring me back, albeit briefly, into the fold. IMHO, though, Byrne's issues are still the classic FF (and are conveniently being collected... now where's the rest of Simonson's Thor run?)

Speaking of preorders... my Previews order is due this week, and I'd be interested in discussing (maybe for next month's Previews) what people are preordering or are interested in two months down the line. Don't know how many people browse the catalog and order from it, though. I'm currently debating whether to keep three HCs on this order: Earth X, Runaways, and Identity Crisis. Also debating whether to go ahead and order both Astonishing X-men volumes, or wait to see if a HC comes out that collects both of them...

I'm holding out for an Astonishing X-Men HC (just sold the singles on eBay), I can't see why they wouldn't do it at some point. I also picked up the Runaways HC, as it looks like a great package (also sold the singles on eBay). I'm not sure Earth X is something I'd read again (I have the TPB), but I remember it being a good story.

Yeah, but only on books I have full runs on that are well into their runs. There are books like Uncanny X-men, that I have nearly the entire runs except for about 10-12 issues each, I can never drop that. Books like Daredevil (vol.1 & 2), JLA (currest series), X-men, Wolverine (since the Miller mini-series) & more that I have full runs & could never drop. And books like Batman/Detective, the Avengers & the Superman books that I will just never drop b/c I've been getting them since I was a kid, no matter how bad they are I will never drop them, it doesn't mean I can't complain about them. I

I don't pay for my comics, I run a comic book store. It's one of the great perks. So it takes a lot for me to drop a title when I don't have to pay for it. But even if I did, my reading habits would be pretty much the same.

Cancelled would work for me. Then again, there are rumours that they're either going to merge the universes or just plain get rid of the "old" universe.

The Ultimate Universe needs an overhaul in the same way that the MU needed an overhaul when Jemas and Quesada took over. Too many crossovers, too many books oversaturating the market, too many characters.

I'm enjoying Ultimate X-Men. Vaughan is a very able writer. But I'm not a purist. I'm not hell-bent on keeping things the same. I'm just interested in a good story, so I don't care if it's the new version of the X-Men or the old. Right now, Ultimate X-men and Astonishing are the only mutant books I'm reading...add in Capt. America and you've got my entire list of Marvels each month.


Liquid Death, how much did you get for your Astonishing X-Men singles? I'm considering going the same route you've gone.

Of the 3 HC's you mentioned, I'm only getting Identity Crisis. As to Astonishing X-Men, I'm waiting for the HC, which is pretty much inevitable.

Other things pre-ordered:
All-Star Batman & Robin (only 75 cents!)
Absolute Batman: Hush (I dislike Loeb's writing but I'm a sucker for these "Absolute" books)
Nightwing Year 1
Batgirl Year 1
Robin Year 1
Superman For Tomorrow HC
100 Bullets Vol 8
Space Ghost Tpb
Liberty Meadows Vol 3
Mage Vol 2 HC
X-Men Masterworks Vol 5
New Captain America HC
New Avengers HC
Fastastic Four Unstable Molecules Tpb
Essential Killraven Vol 1
Bone Vol 2 Color HC
Legend of Grimjack Vol 3 Tpb
Pulse Vol 2 Secret War Tpb
Samurai Execution Vol 7
plus the latest issues of Conan, Red Sonja & Plastic Man

In regards to SUPREME POWER, I've been collecting it from issue one, but I think I am going to drop it. I do like it, but the upcoming reboot just ticked me off. It really isn't something I see myself re-reading either so I will probably sell them on eBay soon.

I'm a marvel junkie, but more and more of their titles seem to be dropping off my pull list.

Current Pull List:

Punisher
Captain America
Iron Man
New Avengers
Daredevil
Wolverine
Astonishing X-Men
Thunderbolts
Fantastic Four
Incredible Hulk
Walking Dead
Powers

I think thats it. I might start getting that All Star Batman. I've always loved Batman but just never found a good jumping on point for any title.

$32.xx shipped for 1-10 about a month ago. Less than what I was expecting, but it will cover the HC.

Do you own the store? If so, every issue of Avengers you take home is money out of your pocket, since you either could have sold it to someone else or wouldn't have ordered it in the first place.

Of course, if someone else is supplying the cash and it's simply the case that one of the perqs of your job is all the free comic books you want, then you're right.

What happened to the Invincible HC? Did I miss it, or did the date slip?


Liquid, $32 ain't not bad. Any return is good on some modern comics. Plus, as you said, you essentially get the HC for free now.

I ordered it from DCBS for $17 bucks and change, but have no clue when it's to ship. Notice how I didn't even come close to answering your question.

JUN05 2052 EARTH X HC 40% $29.99
JUN05 0351 IDENTITY CRISIS HC DIRECT MARKET VERSION 40% $14.99
JUN05 2053 RUNAWAYS VOL 1 HC 35% $22.74
JUN05 0452 V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION HC (MR) 50% $15.00

Wow, just finished ordering,and I actually preordered 4 hardcovers this month. And almost bit on three more (Watchmen, Daredevil 4, and Marvel Visionaries: Chris Claremont).

Really, gee I never thought of that

I did invest money to help buy the place, but that has long since been paid back. The store is under my care, I have no need to be paid in cash, my pay is merchandise & the store itself. It's a blast, I just wish I could spend more time there. And books I still get that I could never drop but don't want to support (like Winnick titles, Millar titles), my issues come from subscribers that never picked up there books, or dropped it or whatever reason, so I am still not even contributing a sale, it was ordered anyway for someone else.

Where might these prices be from..?

www.DCBService.com. Great site to order hardcovers and TPBs from. Their prices are incredible, great site since I just recently lost my sub. discount at my local store. The only downside is having to pay shipping.