PICK OF THE WEEK

Every Wednesday new comic books arrive at my store and I choose my favourite as my personal ‘Pick of the Week’. This decision is made before I read the issue and is based upon several variables. Contributing factors include the creators, cover, story summary, previous events in the comic, and personal interest in the comic. The options I choose from our only limited by what Diamond has listed to release this week according to their shipping list (and in some rare cases the issue won’t even arrive at my shop). So without further adieu, this week’s pick is:

IMMORTAL IRON FIST: ORSON RANDALL AND THE GREEN MIST OF DEATH # 1



Matt Fraction
Mothers, lock up your daughters when we revisit the continuing adventures of that dashing rogue, Orson Randall, the Golden Age Iron Fist! The last time we flashed back to the life and times of Orson Randall, in the much fan-loved and critically acclaimed IMMORTAL IRON FIST ANNUAL, readers unlocked several secrets affecting Danny Rand, the Iron Fist of today. Now get ready for more! We promise you spine-tingling chills, ass-kicking action and pulp-fiction adventure like you’ve never seen, featuring gorgeous flashback art by Mitch Breitweiser, Chris Brunner, Russ Heath and Lewis LaRosa! Orson Randall goes head-to-head again and again versus none other than…the endlessly mystifying and unstoppably powerful Prince of Orphans! How will their battle through the ages echo in the life of Danny Rand?! You bet your kicked butt it has everything to do with the kung fu tournament of death unfolding in the pages of IMMORTAL IRON FIST!!

Not only does this title take the prize for pick of the week, but that has to be the longest comic title published this month if not so far this year. If you have been reading the Immortal Iron Fist (and you all should be reading it) then this pick would be of no suprise to you. Right now this series is one of the best out there and the one-shots seem to be right on par with the on-going. I could have easily had to fight with myself over this weeks pick, with great titles like Angel, Runaways, JLA, Avengers, and the FINAL Cable & Deadpool...but upon see this title it was a no contest win.

A Clever Ruse? One More Time

So after reading a rather intruiging series of posts on the bendis board, collected rather brilliantly Newsarama's Graeme McMillan here, I have a new idea.

What if, just what if with me here Marvel-ites, the whole OMD/BND thing is a clever ruse to view spider-man in a what could be different scenario before returning us into the living hell that was Peter's life before a deal with Mephisto. I mean honestly, could you imagine both the joy and dismay of fans and creators alike (let alone the twisted happiness brought across Mephisto's face) if suddenly around a year from now we see Peter living this happy and amazing life on his own before BAM! Suddenly he's back to May dying, trying to hold together his marriage, and everyone knowing exactly who he is. Honestly, what if this suddenly happier lifestyle he's living gets thrown out the window and the fans all get what they've been begging for, the old continuity of Spidey. I wouldn't put it past Joe Q, he has been known to show a rather twisted mind for circle compositions. Furthermore, it could definitely sink in with certain theories about Steve Rogers and others. I know I for one would give the story far more credit if they messed with my comic emotions so well. So what do you all think, is Joe Q an evil comic genius, playing with our hearts like a mad puppeteer? Or, is he merely to be taken at face value? If thats the case Joe, you still have sometime to come off as incomparable in the comic market with such an amazingly near-unforseen twist that could captivate us all.

Step Aside Steve, There is a New Captain in America

James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is the new Captain America. I'd normally put a spoiler over such things, however in this case I have a reason. Anyone who truly cares should have long since known this outcome. In fact, if you actually read the comic last month, you'd have known Bucky would be the new Cap before his "debut" issue even occured in #34.



This was hardly an unforseen twist from the day Captain America #26 was released. However, a little over a year ago (well many of us were awaiting Captain America #25 and far more were just not expecting to visit a comic shop that week) no one would've seen it coming. When Steve died the news went wild and I sold litterally hundreds of copies of this issue in my store alone. Hell, when I find them I can still sell Captain America #25 at a pretty penny. Sadly, issue #34 will not likely hold the same value or love. The media coverage was near non-existant as a few places mentioned it, the largest program coverage being displayed below on the Colbert Report. I recieved 40 copies at my store and sold out of all of them by sunday. I feel 40 was an appropriate amount because not once did anyone ask me for the issue, it sold well on its own and mainly to comic fans. This is very unlike Cap #25 where I had many people unfamiliar with comic shops coming into ask if I had the issue and where they could find it in the store. I've come to learn over my years at this shop that when people ask where the comics would be in this comic shop, they're generally not comic fans. Thusly the lack of any questions about the issue and simple yet silent sale of all 40 issues in under 5 days tells me the general audience for this issue. That being said, who knows how many late comers will barge into the store over the next month asking for a copy. I'll definitely be ordering second printings.

As for the issue itself, it was good. Thats all, it was merely good. I enjoyed the issue, it was not in anyway bad, but there was no amazing moment or milestone to it. I didn't feel some special tingle when Bucky put on the costume or ever think to myself that "this is steve's sucessor". I mean, the most meroable and amusing moment in the issue was Bucky in the new Cap outfit, capping three AIM agents in the knees. It was just like every issue since Cap's death though, good, worth reading, but not any spectacular moment that has me saying Steve is finally gone.

When issue #25 originally came on shelves I told almost all my customers that this was in no way the end of Steve Rogers. Of course we all knew Steve would eventually be back, but I expected a little sooner than those that were waiting for the next "wipe the slate clean" Marvel event. I was originally shooting out dates like a year to two years. Now, I can't say my view never faltered, unlike my co-worker who still says 18 months. I fortunately got to talk with Ed Brubaker at the 2007 WWLA convention and he persuaded me that Cap was dead. Thusly, I returned with the "He's Dead, Jim" attitude that he wont come back until said "clean slate" event. Now I'm back where I started, he'll be back and soon. Why do I hold this view? Bucky isn't the new Captain America. If Marvel and Brubaker were serious about this transition we would all see a full page splash, glorious, and patriotic moment where Bucky first throws on that Captain America outfit. I didn't see that or get that feeling. Furthermore, the unmemorable and merely enjoyable issue that #34 was leads me to believe this is all merely a temporary thing and Steve will be back in full force within the year.

Furthermore, as much as I did enjoy Bucky as Captain America, he just wouldn't work out. Look at him, he's carring the gun around and hold his darker, Winter Soldier, attitude still that simply doesn't have that Captain America feeling of hope. Bucky is just not the guy you all look up to and admire as the amazing symbol of Captain America. My final word: Good issue, definitely worth the read, expect Steve back soon.

Colbert * Quesada '08!!!

As many of you may well know, Joe Q was on the infamous and amazing Colbert Report last night. Did you miss it? maybe you want to see it again? you can thank me later.



First off, before you run off to check your Amazing Spider-man #546 covers in disbelief, the Colbert '08 ad is sadly not on there. I wish it was and would buy the issue over again with this variance, yet it doesn't seem such a cover exists...yet!

Now as for the idea of Colbert being a viable canidate for the '08 presidential election within the Marvel universe? I'd find this a beautifully well thought out advertising scheme that would benefit both groups and amuse countless fans. It could honestly be done quite simply through a subtle viral campaign. Think about it, now and then seeing billboards, bumper stickers, and newspapers mentioning Colbert for president throughout the pages of Marvel comics. It would detract from the story anymore than the fake ads do now and would certainly beat the hell out of the Army and Lost ads currently leaking into our comic pages. I can also guarantee that people would pick up the comics for this factor and retailers would sell a few extra copies. I mean...I sold all the issues of Tek Jansen #1 we got in my store with the greatest of ease. The only question is...who is Stephen going to choose for his running mate? I'd honestly put a Colbert * Quesada '08 sticker on...well, just about everything I own. So listen up Marvel, its time to get this campaign running and put Colbert in something as close to the Marvel's Oval Office as possible!


Now, an image to remember, lets look at Quesada's cover to the never released (or even written) Rampaging Colbert #1

One More Day/Brand New Day

I think just about the whole internet has expressed their views on Marvel's recent [bad] move known as Spider-man: One More Day. My turn to throw two cents at Joe Q's face well also bringing up their follow up, Brand New Day.

SPOILERS AHEAD (but you honestly should know them by now)

Let me start by saying that Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #41 was one of my spider-man comics of 2007. Straczynski pulled a good move with that story in not only showing the beauty and significance of the Peter Parker-Mary Jane relationship, but in getting our hopes up. How did he get our hopes up? Well we should all know that the concept to One More Day was that Peter Parker and Mary Jane were offered a deal with the devil (Mephisto), wherein Aunt May (who was recently put into brink of death state, thanks to a poorly aimed bullet) would be allowed to live and return to her healthy old life if they chose to end their marriage with no memory of it. Sensational Spider-man #41 made me think for just a moment that they wouldn't go through with the deal.
Now let me take an aside and give you my view on the marriage. It's well known that Joe Q and many others opposed Peters holy union with Mary for sometime and that they feared it aged the character too much. That being said, I see people married in their early twenties every day (in fairness, I live right by a military base). So my opinion is the marriage was great because it fit, these characters seemed made for eachother (and Mary Jane quite litterally was made for Peter, in a very eve sorta way). Sure, you can't write other female interests for Peter with him married or he'd look like a dog. Well...no, I take that back, look what Kevin Smith did in Spider-man/Black Cat. In fact, that only plays to Peters character better when you have temptation you can't take (I can honestly say its hard not being single, so many beautiful women out there!). Thusly I believe that the only problem with the marriage is coming up with ideas to keep the stories involving MJ and Pete interesting. Well, any writer worth his salt should be able to do that or should tackle a different subject. Just because you're hitting the writers block on this relationship, doesn't mean you should ruin it for fan and future creators. If anyone needs proof that the relationship could be done right, or even broken up in a far better way, then just check out what Erik Larsen had to say over at CBR.
Despite the outcry of thousands of fans, Marvel went along with disolving the marriage and confusingly putting some 2+ decades of comics continuity in to question. You'd think they'd have learned a lesson from the whole clone saga. It was a bad call, a poor to end to the story line, a sad ending point for Straczynski Spider-man run, and just plain contradictory to the last several big Spider-Man Events.
To elaborate on the last bit, lets just look at the last 3 events that recently had changed Spider-Man:
-Organic Webshooters*
Gone
-Reincarnation/Crazy Wrist Spikes**
Gone
-Publically Known Identity***
Gone

*Spider-Man: Disassembled
**Spider-man: The Other
***Civil War

It was truly truly a bad call to erase so much with such a horrible deus ex machina. However, should they undo it? NO!
Sure, I wish it never happened, I honestly think it was just stupidity to do this, but you can't undo it. It's done, it be truly foolish to try and fix it now and would just show stupidity on Marvels behalf. It's one of those points where you have to be stubborn and not admit to the problem. This leads us into a Brand New Day, quite literally as the story holds that name.

Brand New Day starts with Amazing Spider-man being released 3 times a month at the expense of all other main universe Spider-man titles. This already irks me a bit considering I only picked up Ultimate Spidey and Amazing Spidey, to avoid picking up several books on the same character every month (I already do this with Batman, Superman, and Wolverine!). Heres the trick they used, they have revolving 3 issue storylines where each month a new creative team tells their tale. To the creators its just like normal, 3 issues over a few months, nothing new. However to the fans the whole story comes out in one month. Thats cool on one end, that we get a complete story every month, but my wallet hates me for it. Furthermore, were just not given the time to say "I don't like this storyline, I'm not picking up next month's issue". It's not as easily done as it is when there is several titles coming out with one part of the story every month. Still, I've bought into it.

Now on to the important part, how is Brand New Day? Annoyingly, I must answer that it truly is good. It's plain and simple spider-man stories that anyone can hop onto and enjoy. Marvel was right, their plan worked...It pisses me off to no end!...but they were right. On the retail end I can honestly hand a new reader an issue of Amazing Spider-Man each month and they can hop on without the stress of continuity pounding on their backs. Haven't read spider-man in 20 years? never truly read it? doesn't matter, all you need is the basic concept (which you can get in the first 30 minutes of the movie or a 5 minute explanation) and you're set to read spider-man. I hate that this is the follow up to One More Day, that Marvel thinks it was a good choice because the sales will see high figures, but I truly do enjoy the current stories being written in Amazing Spider-man. If only they could have thrown Dan Slott and the others on this title before Straczynski big reveal, maybe we'd have good stories with MJ and Peter still wed...

My Comic Facts

Now before I truly get into posting, let me tell you a bit about my fandom so you can see where I'm coming from, my biases, and catch some of my inside jokes.

-First of all, I'm a primarily DC fan. I love DC comics and its many heroes, even prefer its comic universe to any other. Oddly enough though, it's the Marvel comics that normally find there way to the top of my read pile each week.

-I can't recall my first comic, but I remember the first title I started regularly buying. Amazing Spider-man, Volume 1, around the end of 1993.

-I discovered Image, specifically Top Cow and Wildstorm, in '95 and have complete runs of the majority of their amazing titles (even when they're not all that amazing)

-I BUY an average of 130 new comics a month, check diamond's website every monday, and generally pick up my books on a saturday. Because of this, many comics that don't jump to the top of my read pile slip far down the list and wont get read for several months!

-I've been annually attending Comic Con International every year since 1999 and started attending many other comic and anime conventions annually since 2005. I average around 12 conventions a year.

-I'm an absolute sucker for variant covers (but truly hate paying extra for more limited released ones)

-Rob Liefeld and John Byrne have made their names into curse words within my comic shop because of the ways they carry themsevles online and in person.

-My comic collection is so large I honestly have no clue how many thousands of issues I own...though they are suprisingly well organized.