What Lurks in the Longbox? #16

Omega Paradox #0

Moonstone Comics

Writer: Ian Ng; 
Artists: Mark Sparacio, Abe Melendez Rivera 

Mark Sparacio released this “zero” issue as a preview of his first creator-owned series.  As a science fiction story, it starts out in an unusual setting:  a university library located on an alien planet.  The story begins with a team of five people being ambushed by a gang of aliens, followed by the revelation that one of their allies is not who he claims to be.

The team is led by a mysterious character called “The Master,” although one member refers to him as “Father.”  Although he may remind readers of The X-Men’s Charles Xavier, this leader takes a no-nonsense approach to ending dissension within the ranks, as evidenced by the last couple pages of the issue.

There is plenty of action to compel readers to check out the new series (the first issue should be available in your local comic shop now!), which will focus on the team’s search for “a man who may hold the key to keeping the universe together,” according to the book’s Facebook page. 

Fans of Sparacio’s cover artwork will be very pleased with his interior art, and Rivera’s vibrant colors further enhance the book.   

For more information on Omega Paradox, please check out my interview with Mark Sparacio in the pages of Comics Buyer's Guide #1685, which should still be available at some comic shops!  If you missed that issue, you can also check out the online version of the article, which can be found on the CBG website at the following link:  http://cbgxtra.com/comics-news-and-notes/the-genesis-of-omega-paradox

I'll have a follow-up review of the first issue soon.  Stay tuned!

What Lurks in the Longbox? #15

THE WALKING DEAD: RISE OF THE GOVERNOR

Written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin Press
ISBN #978-0-312-54773-8
$24.99, 308 Pages

I recently received the new Walking Dead novel as an early Christmas present and enjoyed it immensely, finishing it up within just a few days of receiving it.

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor is the "first in a series of novels exploring the origins of fan favorite characters from the Walking Dead universe."  For this first novel, Kirkman chose the most evil character from the comic book series:  Philip Blake, "The Governor."  Readers of the comic series know that Blake spent several issues doing his best to destroy Rick Grimes and his group of survivors, through kidnapping, murder and torture, until his reign of terror was finally ended by one of his own people.  However, for several years since that storyline ended, unanswered questions remain:  What drove a devoted family man to such extremes, and what did Philip Blake experience that eventually turned him into a soulless monster? 

This book not only answers those questions, but also succeeds in what most fans would think is nearly impossible: making the reader feel empathy for Philip Blake. 

One of the enjoyable aspects about the book that made it feel a little more "real" for me were the references to the internet and social networking, both of which gradually went away, as conditions worsened in the weeks following the outbreak. 

(The following is a selected passage from the book)


Nick is still keeping tabs on the radio, TV, and Internet...and like the failing bodily functions of a terminal patient, the media seems to be sparking out one organ at a time.  By this point, most radio stations are playing either recorded programming or useless emergency information.  TV networks - the ones on basic cable that are still up and running - are now resorting to either twenty-four hour automated civil defense annoucements or inexplicable, incongruous reruns of banal late-night informercials. 

By the third day, Nick realizes that most of the radio dial is static, most of basic cable is snow, and the Wi-Fi in the house is gone.  No dial-up connections are working, and the regular phone calls Nick has been making to emergency numbers - which, up to this point, have all played back recordings - are now sending back the classic "f--- you" from the phone company:  The number you have dialed is not available at this time, please try again later. 

The novel moves along very quickly, introducing readers to many fascinating characters, none of which are around very long, due in part to the nomadic existence of the Blake family and their two companions. 

Rise of the Governor is a great start to what I hope will be a long running collection of novels featuring individual characters from The Walking Dead.  With the series on its way to the 100th issue in 2012, there are a wealth of characters to draw upon for future novels, and I'm looking forward to see who gets picked for the next book. 

HOLIDAY GIFT SUGGESTIONS!

From Comics Buyer's Guide #1685:

For those of you still trying to come up with ideas for Christmas gifts, here are five holiday gift suggestions for the comic book fan on your list!


1) The Adventures of Tintin Young Readers Edition: I started reading Tintin over 30 years ago with monthly installments in Children’s Digest. These inexpensive volumes (under $10) are a great way to introduce Tintin to a new generation of readers.

2) Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things: Couldn’t all of us learn something from this book? As the description reads, “Stuff answers the question of what happens when our stuff starts to own us.”



3) Super Dinosaur Volume 1 (Trade Paperback), by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard. For anyone who enjoys shows like Ben 10 or Generator Rex, this series is just pure fun, and is begging to be made into a show on Cartoon Network.

4) Too Cool to be Forgotten, by Alex Robinson. When Andy’s quest to stop smoking results in him being transported back to 1985, a middle-age man gets a second chance to change the decisions made by his teenage self. However, he must decide if altering those decisions will actually make things worse. It’s Back to the Future done in a much more realistic manner.




5) The Complete Peanuts (Any Volume). The significance of this project cannot be overstated. Fantagraphics releases two volumes of these hardcovers each year, with each volume covering about two years of strips. With hundreds of never before reprinted strips and wonderful introductions from people like Lynn Johnston and Walter Cronkite, this collection is meant to be enjoyed and passed on to future generations. The publisher also offers the option of purchasing both volumes together (for any given year) in a nice collector’s slipcase.

Good luck with those last minute purchases, and please...leave the pepper spray at home. 

What Lurks in the Longbox? #14: Is Marvel "New52" on the way?

All eyes seem to be on DC Comics right now with their "DC New 52" relaunch event that kicked off in September.  Recent reports indicate that DC has taken a significant market share lead over their longtime rival Marvel.  

And it's not just their comics that have people talking either. 

One week ago Cartoon Network premiered a special one-hour preview episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series, which will officially launch in 2012.  In addition, the network announced "DC Nation," a huge initiative that is coming next year.  DC Nation is a block of programming that will focus on three areas: 1) new episodes of shows like Young Justice and Green Lantern; 2) animated shorts featuring properties from DC's huge library of characters, including Lego Batman, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol; and 3) something new called "interstitials."  Sam Register, the Executive VP of Creative Affairs at Warner Brothers, recently described interstitials as "live action news segments that allow you to see what's going on in the DC Nation."  A huge Mego doll collector was mentioned as one of those segments, with the concept being that all of us are part of the DC Nation, not just the people working directly in the industry.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series premiered on Cartoon Network last Friday.

In a recent presentation, Register previewed some of the content that will be included in the new programming block.  He mentioned that "With all that content, every week on Cartoon Network you will see something new...it promises the viewer that they will be able to see something new every time they come on."  He also gave a brief mention of another new show: the upcoming "Beware the Batman" animated series that is premiering in 2013.  

Meanwhile, it appears that Marvel has some serious catching up to do, although it has become very obvious that something is in the works at the House of Ideas.  During the past month Marvel started announcing cancellations on several titles including Iron Man 2.0, All-Winners Squad, and Alpha Flight (although technically this one was originally a mini-series that was changed to an ongoing series, and then back to mini-series status).  Was there some corporate cost-cutting going on here, or just a general trimming of titles with sales that were not meeting expectations?

Shortly after hearing this news, Marvel took it a step further and cancelled two series that had not even seen the light of day yet: Victor Von Doom, which had already been solicited, and Destroyers, which was not even scheduled to be released until 2012.  Then a couple days later, it became official that X-23 would be ending as well.

Earlier this week, one of my Facebook friends posted the sad news that PunisherMax, one of my favorite titles, would be coming to an end with Issue #22.  PunisherMax is a "mature readers" series by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon that has featured some of the most intense Punisher storylines ever seen, which is saying a lot considering the legacy of Garth Ennis' run on the previous volume of the series.  Aaron also took several classic Marvel villains and successfully brought them into the MAX universe, including The Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra.  A recent article I read mentioned it was not so much a cancellation, as it was a planned ending to the storyline.  Jason Aaron stated "PunisherMax is ending, the way I always intended.  It was not cancelled."

PunisherMax will end its run with issue #22.

For this humble blogger and comic reviewer, yesterday's announced cancellations of Black Panther and Ghost Rider have confirmed that Marvel is taking the first steps toward a significant change in their universe, perhaps at the same level as DC's "New52" event.  In addition, according to a recent twitter post, the following titles are also facing the chopping block (although these are not confirmed yet): Daken: Dark Wolverine, Thunderbolts, Generation Hope and DeadpoolMax.  

So what's next?  Marvel's Point One comic that was released last week gives several clues to major storylines coming in 2012, but something tells me this is only the tip of the iceberg. 

Could the "retro" variant cover for Marvel Point One indicate a DC-like relaunch? 

Will Marvel do a total revamp/relaunch of their entire line like DC did?  If so, won't they face criticism for copying what DC already did?  Or, does Marvel have a totally different plan in mind?  In any case, it definitely appears that 2012 will be another interesting year in the comic book industry.  Like everyone else, I'll stay tuned and see what happens next. 

Scarlet Spider is one of the new series that was previewed in Marvel Point One.

What Lurks in the Longbox? #13

Jughead #200 Anniversary Issue!

Writer: Tom Root    Artists: Rex Lindsey, Jim Amash 

Jughead celebrates its 200^th issue with an appropriate story that focuses on the title character’s one true love: food.  Jughead’s curiosity about a new diner results in him trading his most “prized earthly possession” to a witch (disguised as a waitress) in exchange for a sandwich that he describes as “paradise on a bun.”  Unfortunately, he discovers far too late that the price to be paid for that sandwich is something he has never experienced before, and it’s up to Archie, Veronica and Betty to rescue him from this predicament.

In order to help Jughead retrieve what he has lost, each of them is also forced to trade something of incredible value, resulting in a “Butterfly Effect” scenario that leads to more complications.  A special guest star steps in to put things right, but it’s Jughead that eventually saves the day and returns everyone’s life to normal, while learning a valuable lesson about healthy eating. 


The creative team provided readers with a fun all-ages story, with extra credit given for delivering a special anniversary issue without raising the cover price, like most major publishers do.

What Lurks in the Longbox? #12

Action Comics #890-900   Writer: Paul Cornell  Artist: Pete Woods

About a year before anyone had heard about the DC "New 52," Paul Cornell began his run on what would become known as "Lex Luthor's Action Comics." 

When fantasy writer Paul Cornell started writing Action Comics, he immediately removed Superman from the book and placed Lex Luthor in the spotlight.  In his quest to regain the godlike power of the Black Lantern ring he possessed in the Blackest Night mini-series, Lex submitted himself to a device that provided infinite streams of information about the rings, but at a high risk of insanity in the process.  As he moved closer to obtaining the answers he was seeking, Luthor looked to a familiar face for both comfort and counsel: Lois Lane.  Except...it was a robot Lois Lane (this may sound familiar to Buffy fans). 

Cornell’s first issue started out strong, as he demonstrated his understanding of both Luthor’s obsessive personality and sociopathic tendencies.  One item of interest in this first chapter: There is a certain amount of irony when one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe nearly becomes a victim of a disgruntled LexCorp employee, which could happen just as easily to any office or cubicle dweller.

The villain reveal at the end of the issue was an unexpected surprise, which is rare in this age of internet spoilers.  The covers by David Finch were a nice bonus, and the year-long storyline was packed with guest stars, such as Gorilla Grodd, Deathstroke, and the Joker (one of the best chapters in the series).  Even Vertigo's "Death" showed up in Issue #894, making for an interesting confrontation between her and Luthor.
   

COMIC BOOK GARAGE SALE - THE SEQUEL! (THE GARAGE STRIKES BACK)

Two weeks after our Comic Book Garage Sale in September ended, we were still receiving emails and Facebook requests about the sale.  Collectors and friends were asking questions like "Is there anything left?" and "Do you still have (blank) item?"  An example would be the collection of movie posters that we sold to a cinema enthusiast almost two weeks after the sale was over.

The movie posters are sold !

So after some debate, we decided to have a follow-up sale this weekend.  Unlike the previous month, the plan was for the sale to be only on Saturday, but when I received multiple requests from people who wanted to get first shot at the comics on Friday, I decided to make it a two-day event.

During our sale in September, we had absolutely perfect weather, with temps in the mid to high 60's.  That was not the case with this sale.  With a forecast of rain, high winds and damp conditions, we knew ahead of time that those conditions would factor against us.  However, we forged ahead, and I made sure to mention in my Craigslist posting that we would be having our sale, come rain or shine!

Although both days of the sale were a little slow in terms of attendance, the collectors who did come were once again armed with their want lists, and ready to buy.  The first customer showed up about 10 minutes before our opening time of 10:00 a.m., with another one close behind him, so the sale got off to a good start.  During the weekend, most of our customers purchased anywhere between 20-60 comics, with one person taking advantage of our "buy 'em by the box for $75" deal. 

With about 10,000 comics for sale, customers came armed with their want lists! 

Marvel was the big winner last month, but this time it seemed to be all about DC.  Was DC's "New 52" a factor in getting people looking for back issues?  It's a possibility, since the big sellers this time included titles like Batman, Detective Comics, Justice Society, Birds of Prey, Nightwing, and Swamp Thing.

Marvel titles being sought out included Silver Surfer, Daredevil and X-Men titles, while independent comics were once again mostly ignored, with a couple exceptions, such as the Dark Horse Star Wars titles. 

We also had action figures and some cool vintage DC postcards at the sale.

Perhaps the most interesting visitor to our sale was the woman who was looking for Archie comics, and then literally took off in her car when I retrieved the first box about three minutes later.  I'm still not totally sure what that was about, but she was obviously in a hurry!

Overall, the weekend was a success and we think we made the right decision having another garage sale.  We already had a couple people ask if we were planning to have another one next year, and the answer is yes.  I'm thinking sometime in the Spring, but will probably not have any dates announced until after the holidays, so please stay tuned to my blog, as well as the Secret Identity Comics Facebook Page for updates!

Some unusual Marvel trading cards from Japan.

Once again we would like to thank everyone who came out and supported the sale by picking up lots of great comics at bargain prices.  Just as a reminder, I will be setting up on Saturday, December 3rd at the Great Lakes Comic Book & Toy Expo, taking place at the VFW Post on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, Michigan.  I'll have more updates on this show as it gets closer.