Every month I pre-order comics, trades and other related items from Previews magazine. Even though there is information online for just about everything, I still find the Previews catalog to be the simplest way to scan through the different items and to get some inspiration on what I want to buy.
There’s lots of stuff being offered by Diamond this month: Plenty of great stuff and plenty of crap too… So I will try to sort the wheat from the chaff and hopefully point out some good items that you might order or buy from your LCS or Online Retailer. Our taste may differ– so if you buy something and I hate it… Don’t blame me. I did my best to warn you!
The STATUS in the description of each product indicates the likelihood of whether I’m going to order it ranging from Firm Order as the most likely to a POS (Piece of Shit)– with everything else being somewhere in between. I’m sure you can figure it out!
Game of Thrones
Jon Snow & Ghost Statue
$349.99Status: If I won the lottery…
Additional Notes: This is a great looking statue– well posed & well executed. But the price… While it doesn’t quite cost an arm and a leg, it’s at least maybe a couple of fingers and a cornea.
Before Watchmen Dollar Bill #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: While I LOVE Steve Rude’s art, this Before Watchmen thing is just flogging a dead horse at this stage! DC, give the Rude Dude work on a better book please!
Justice League of America #1
40 pages
$4.99 eachStatus: POS
Additional Notes: Written by Geoff Johns, Art and Cover by David Finch. Do you need MORE reasons to stay away from this pile?
Justice League of America’s Vibe #1
32 pages
$2.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: So they name a character after a sex toy… But there’s no sex in this comic book?
Since DC is so hellbent on revisiting the crappy 90s– where’s my vibrating lenticular holographic cover?
The Jack Kirby Omnibus Vol 2 HC
$39.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: $40 for 600 pages of Jack Kirby work?
Even if it’s some of the King’s lesser known DC comics, it’ll be better than 95% of anything else coming out.
Batman Gotham By Gaslight TP
(New Edition)
$12.99Status: Recommended
Additional Notes: The Elseworlds imprint was very successful during the 90s, so it’s rather perplexing DC discontinued it.
This is a great story featuring a Victorian Age Batman, with art by Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell.
Marshal Law Deluxe Edition HC
$49.99
480 pagesStatus: Firm Order
Additional Notes: Nothing less than a complete savaging of the superhero genre by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill, this makes Garth Ennis’ The Boys look like Sesame Street. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol 3 HC
$75.00
792 pagesStatus: Firm Order
Additional Notes: Why can’t DC make comics like this rather than most of the garbage in the New 52?
Good stories, good art… Simple, no?
Joe the Barbarian TP
$19.99
224 pagesStatus: Firm Order
Additional Notes: Buying this is a no-brainer.
That it has taken so long for Joe the Barbarian to come out as a Trade shows how fucked DC’s trade release policy is.
Judge Dredd: The Complete
Carlos Ezquerra Vol 1 HC
$49.99
248 pagesStatus: Hmmm…
Additional Notes: Carlos Ezquerra is the co-creator of Judge Dredd and one of its most prolific artists– so this should be a lock. But IDW’s lack of information to the actual contents of this book pisses me off.
Snapshot #1 (of 4)
32 pages
$2.99Status: Recommended
Additional Notes: Writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock team up again, this time for a creator-owned book. I’ve already read this in the Judge Dredd Megazine– it’s bloody good.
Five Weapons #1 (of 5)
32 pages
$3.50Status: Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: Writer/Artist Jimmie Robinson of Bomb Queen (and IMJ Header) fame creates a new series about a school for assassins.
The preview pages for Five Weapons look great. I have confidence this will be good.
Debris TP
128 pages
$14.99Status: Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: I got the first issue of this series and enjoyed it a lot. Riley Rossmo is my favourite artist working in American Comics at the moment.
G-Man Vol 1 Learning to Fly
(New Edition)
$9.99
96 pagesStatus: Recommended
Additional Notes: Chris Giarrusso is the writer/artist of Mini-Marvels and is criminally underused by Marvel. This is his creator owned book, suitable for both adults and children.
Terry Moore Sketchbook Vol 1
Hot Girls and Cold Feet
64 pages
$10.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: The estimable Terry Moore is a great artist. One of the things he does best is to draw beautiful women. Just buy this already!
Mylo Xyloto #1 (of 6)
40 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: A comic inspired by a Coldplay album, it could well be the most phenomenally boring thing ever committed to print.
Jim Balent’s Love and Beauty Portfolio
5 prints
$39.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: Jim Balent will never be called “critically acclaimed” but he has self-published his comics for 12 years and draws beautiful women– even if he has taken Wally Wood’s advice on drawing boobs a bit far!
Dejah Thoris and the
Green Men of Mars #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: BRASS NIPPLES!
Love Hina Omnibus Vol 5
400 pages
$14.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: The final volume of Love Hina– one of the best wacky hi-jinks comedy mangas. Contained in 5 chunky volumes, it’s a handy way to collect this popular series.
Nova #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Writing by Jeph Loeb. Do I even need to explain why this will be shit?
New Warriors Omnibus Vol 1 HC
1064 pages
$99.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: I have no idea why garbage like this is being reprinted– especially when Marvel has quality works that are out of print.
Uncanny X-Men #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: The first Marvel comic I ever started buying regularly. I’m glad I won’t be buying this to see Bendis ruin these characters (although in fairness, plenty of other writers since Claremont have done a pretty good job of ruining them too).
Judge Dredd: Day of Chaos -
The Fourth Faction
192 pages
$28.99Status: Firm Order (on Book Depository)
Additional Notes: If you want high quality storytelling then buy this book. This is the best comic you haven’t read in the last year.
Nemo Heart of Ice HC
56 pages
$14.95Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is one of the best comic series of the last 20 odd years. This is a side story about Nemo’s daughter taking over as Captain of the Nautilus and exploring Antarctica.
Corto Maltese Vol 1
The Ballad of the Salt Sea TP
256 pages
$25.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: About a year ago, Universe published an edition of this book that was universally panned for a poor translation and poorly scanned and cropped artwork. There is no information in the current solicit as to whether the currently offered edition is improved or not.
The Jungle Book Last of the Species #1
40 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Zenescope gives public domain work a bad name. Here they desecrate your childhood with the Jungle Book characters. Fun times.
Battlestar Galactica Cubit Replica Set
$34.95Status: POS
Additional Notes: For your $35, you get two replica cubits made from brass and chrome plated metal… So you don’t even get a lump of pure brass or chrome.
Ms. Marvel Warbird Statue
$225.00Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: If I wasn’t boycotting Marvel products and I had loads of fucking money– I’d be tempted by this.
It’s a very good looking model indeed.
Star Wars: Battle Droid Pilot Mini-Bust
$75.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: The dullest, stupidest, most boring robot of all the Star Wars films.
Why would you want something as mundane as this?
Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man
Venom Unbound Fine Art Statue
$209.99Status: Paging Jon Runyan…
Additional Notes: Just Sayin’!
DC Chara-Covers Wonder Woman iPhone 4/4S Case
$34.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: This is vastly overpriced, so naturally it’s aimed at iPhone customers.
Would you really want to pull a phone out of your pocket with a fat Wonder Woman on it?
Team Fortress 2 Archimedies Plush
$24.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Your gamer friends might– and I stress MIGHT– have a clue what this is, but normal people will just think you have a thing for dead, bloodstained animals.
Doctor Who Siluria Mug
$10.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: Irish people like mugs. (We drink a lot of tea, see?) This is a good looking product and it’s a reasonable price. Stick a Star Wars logo on it and sell it for double!
Tiger and Bunny: Set One
$54.97Status: Cheaper on Amazon
Additional Notes: Great superhero/mecha anime series from Japan. I’ve been looking forward to this.
Sanctuary The Complete Series
$149.99Status: Hmmm…
Additional Notes: I discovered this show long after it was originally broadcast, but I really enjoyed it. You see, once upon a time the SciFi channel used to make good programmes. 150 bucks is too much though. Look around, you should find it for less.
Before Watchmen Dollar Bill #1
Justice League of America #1
Justice League of America’s Vibe #1
The Jack Kirby Omnibus Vol 2 HC
Marshal Law Deluxe Edition HC
The New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol 3 HC
Joe the Barbarian TP
Snapshot #1 (of 4)
Five Weapons #1 (of 5)
Mylo Xyloto #1 (of 6)
Jim Balent’s Love and Beauty Portfolio
Love Hina Omnibus Vol 5
Nova #1
New Warriors Omnibus Vol 1
Uncanny X-Men #1
Nemo Heart of Ice HC
Corto Maltese Vol 1
The Jungle Book Last of the Species
Battlestar Galactica Cubit Replica Set
Ms. Marvel Warbird Statue
Star Wars: Battle Droid Pilot Mini-Bust
Marvel Comics Amazing Spider-Man
DC Chara-Covers Wonder Woman iPhone 4/4S Case
Team Fortress 2 Archimedies Plush
Doctor Who Siluria Mug
Tiger and Bunny: Set One
Sanctuary The Complete SeriesThe post-Christmas/pre-Summer period can be a fairly fallow time for Comic fans and Geeks in general. There’s a lot of good reprint offerings this month, but not so much in the way of new product… Image being the only company to have multiple new series that look interesting. There’s also not very much in the way of regular books, import toys and novelties. I guess companies figure people are broke this time of year… And if they looked at my bank balance, they’d be right. Let us know if there’s anything coming up that you think is worth looking at.
