Bought/Thought December,3 2009 - SPOILERS

[Mike555]

I hope nobody mines that i post this i still have to get my comics for the week so my reviews will be out later today.

 

[Phaedrus45]

For most of us, comics are delayed until tomorrow, right?

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, but I think he might have his dates mixed up since today is the 2nd

 

[Phaedrus45]

Well, for those of us with no comics to get today, I highly recommend JewishHobbit's thread, the Not New Comics Thread:;

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=330662

Grab an old comic(s) or a trade, and leave a review!

 

[Mike555]

Why is there a delay in comics this week?

 

[Phaedrus45]

For the major holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) you can always expect comics to come a day late. I don't understand this, especially when the holiday falls on a Thursday...and, you would think the companies could find a way to get these products out Wednesday (after all, DVDs, books, magazines all come out on Tuesday, and there is never a problem); but, they can't seem to handle a holiday.

 

[Mike555]

That makes no sense thanksgiving is long gone.

 

[Dread]

For the major holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) you can always expect comics to come a day late. I don't understand this, especially when the holiday falls on a Thursday...and, you would think the companies could find a way to get these products out Wednesday (after all, DVDs, books, magazines all come out on Tuesday, and there is never a problem); but, they can't seem to handle a holiday.

That isn't the half of it. Check out this news article from the summer: http://www.examiner.com/x-19829-Bro...iamond-Skips-a-Fortnight--More-Spidey-Musical

Basically, Diamond will not ship any comics from Dec. 24th to Jan. 6th, a two week period of nada. Their philosophy is some shops get fewer delays during that time based on sheer luck of location, so in the grand socialist design, the best way to equalize everyone is for no one to have any.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I'm not sure I quite understand this. The quote says, "Any orders made after five p.m. Dec. 13th but before five p.m. Dec. 20th will be shipped by Jan. 6th, 2010. Any orders after that final date will not ship to shops until Jan. 13th, 2010."

So, it sounds to me like they just won't be taking any orders for two weeks, right? Part of that article does make it sound like we won't get comics for two weeks; but, it also sounds like they are just talking about orders. If you got in an order, they'll still receive a shipment??

 

[Dread]

I'm not sure I quite understand this. The quote says, "Any orders made after five p.m. Dec. 13th but before five p.m. Dec. 20th will be shipped by Jan. 6th, 2010. Any orders after that final date will not ship to shops until Jan. 13th, 2010."

So, it sounds to me like they just won't be taking any orders for two weeks, right? Part of that article does make it sound like we won't get comics for two weeks; but, it also sounds like they are just talking about orders. If you got in an order, they'll still receive a shipment??

What is says that if you want your comics shipped on 1/6/10, you have to order them between 5:01 p.m. 12/13/09 and before 4:59 p.m. 12/20/09. Otherwise you will not receive ANY new comics until 1/13/10, an EXTRA week later.

For two weeks, from the last week of December through the first week of Jan. 2010, there will be NO shipments of any new comics, and probably not even trades, from Diamond. Nothing. Nada. Zippo. Nowhere. Deciding some distribution of comics during that fortnight period has been unequal, Diamond is making it equal by shipping to no one. Because they're a monopoly, and thus they can.

Diamond states that with three major holidays during that period (Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day) that delays in mailing always were a mess, so they're essentially sitting out the whole period this year. Which is the perfect gift to struggling retailers in the middle of the worst recession since Reagan was in office.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I wonder what this means for comics in the UK. We usually get our comics a day later, IE Thursdays. But sometimes, when you guys get a delay we don't get our comics until Friday. Other times we're unaffected and get our comics Thursday as usual.

 

[runawayboulder]

Since we'll be waiting a day, here's a guess-the-spoiler game from CBR.com.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/12/02/guess-the-real-spoiler-december-2-2009/

 

[Phaedrus45]

Oh, well. It's a good time to read a novel, I guess. Or, actually complete one of these dang video games I buy.

 

[runawayboulder]

Just found this out from someone, I have not seen it for myself yet, but a HUGE spoiler regarding the end of Dark Avengers Annual #1:

Spoiler

Steve Rogers appears at the end of the issue with Bucky (as Cap) spying on Marvel Boy trying to determine whether or not he is a potential ally against Osborn.

 

[CantThinkOfAName]

This is the most uneventful Bought/Thought I've ever read

 

[squeekness]

I had no idea there would be a delay. I was so bummed when I got to my shop and nothing was there.

 

[roach]

maybe the thread should be called "Didnt Bought/Thought"

 

[Mike555]

I got around to finish haddix book one found atleast today and guess what today was my day off from work curse you comic delays curse you!

 

[AgentEnforcer]

yeah, there is a huge return at the end of Dark Avengers. He's not wearing his costume, he's in a black sneaking suit.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I got around to finish haddix book one found atleast today and guess what today was my day off from work curse you comic delays curse you!

Well, if nothing else, you made a memorable Bought/Thought thread...or, as Roach said, Not Bought/Thread!

Man, and it does seem like Thanksgiving was already quite some time ago. Reminds me I better throw away that old turkey carcas in my fridge tomorrow...I think the bird has probably gone bad by now.

 

[AgentEnforcer]

Dark Avengers Annual: Marvel Boy meets a girl who is fighting with her boyfriend, at first she thinks he's a creep but then warms up to him. Sentry attacks and he and Marvel Boy fight it out on the streets, Marvel Boy uses his Kree weapon. Sentry disarms him but the girl picks up the weapon and attacks Sentry with it. Sentry tells Marvel Boy he wants to bring him to Norman to talk, but Marvel Boy says he knows the truth and it no longer interested in being on a team of criminals and psychopaths. Some funny dialogue from Sentry, telling MB that he is mean for saying he is a criminal and insane. MB gets away and recieves a communication from the Kree who grant him the Nega Bands and he becomes Captain Marvel, but his costume is different from anything I've seen. Norman and the Dark Avengers show up to try and find Marvel Boy but cannot track him. Marvel Boy retrieves the weapon from the girl and promises he'll see her again. She thinks he is boyfriend material. Meanwhile Bucky Cap and

Spoiler

"Steve"

watch from above. Bucky says that Marvel Boy is not with them (Norman) so he must be with us.

I really don't like the art, but the dialogue was decent, and MB's internal ramblings about wondering about that humans want as a species was interesting as he compares it to Kree mentalities. Captain America Reborn needs to finish up quick because

Spoiler

Marvel cannot wait to get Steve back in action.

Siege - Cabal: Norman orders a meeting of the Cabal, sans Emma and Namor, of course. Taskmaster has taken their place. The Hood sits patiently because Loki more or less tells him what to do, and Loki always has a plan beyond what he tells people. Doom shows up and is pissed off about the stance Norman has taken on Namor, and Norman more or less tells him to fall in line lest he sic his mysterious ace in the hole on Doom. Doom does not relent, someone steps out in shadows and Blasts Doom repreadedly. Surprise, it was a Doombot, who unleashes techno insects who almost cause Avengers tower to crumble and kill a bunch of HAMMER agents in the building. Sentry comes in and stops everything by ripping the Doombot in half. Doom and Norman have words, and essentially they are done with each other.

Norman attempts to get the President to grant him the clearance to attack Asgard. This is denied, so Loki tells Norman that just as the Civil War was caused by an inciting insident, so to will the campaign against Asgard. In the preview for Seige 1, we find out that

Spoiler

repeating what happened in Civil War, Loki has The Hood send some high powered villains to attack Volstagg in public. Volstagg is sent flying into a nearby football stadium, which is packed for a game. The Villains all blast Volstagg creating a huge explosion killing everyone at the stadium... this gives Osborn the clearance, presumably.

Decent issue, builds up a lot of stuff for the Siege event and brings together some points which were raised throughout the whole Dark Reign tie in. We see why Loki helped The Hood and to what ends he wants to use him. There is a cool internal dialogue with Norman and the goblin mask. We see he is losing it, the Green Goblin is controlling him now. I'm not sure how I feel about reusing the Civil War plot point so start Seige, but I guess it makes sense, and it is acknowledged as such.

 

[roach]

two explosions bookending "Dark Marvel"

 

[sandwraith]

Heh, Nova #32 was just tops in my book. I like how Darkhawk is being given a bigger role here (at the expense of Nova chumping a little) and the Sphinx is playing a curious game.

The book ends with a strange yet debate worthy panel. Now consider this: "Blown Back in Time!".

 

[CaptainCanada]

Black Widow and the Marvel Girls #1 - the second of the two tie-in-errific Black Widow miniseries, this one a bunch of teamups with other female characters (something that writer Paul Tobin is clearly a big fan of). In this issue, there's a story about her youth in the Red Room (is this in-continuity? It doesn't match with Deadly Origin at all) which is framed by her working as a Russian operative. The guest star this issue is Enchantress, who has gotten bored and decides to mess around with Natasha for fun: basically, she pretends to help her escape the Red Room, but then ****s her over at the last minute. However, her superiors are impressed by her escape attempt, so she isn't killed. Neat but throwaway, basically what I expected on buying it. Espin's art is great.

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1 - Greg Rucka returns to Wondy, though not, sadly, to do any of his own plots. Instead, we get a basic leadup to the final scene of Blackest Night #5, with Wonder Woman facing off with BL-Maxwell Lord. Notably, she's just about the only hero so far who doesn't get her ass kicked by the Black Lanterns right out of the gate; indeed, she defeats swarms of them with comparative ease. It's a nice little action story overall, and I like the interaction between Diana and the two soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns, who refuse to leave their posts (which has not been left unguarded since 1937) even as the entire Arlington Cemetery rises. All aided by excellent art from Nicola Scott (though she uses a ton of two-page layouts here, you'd think she was Bryan Hitch).

The Marvels Project #4 - The miniseries now hits its halfway point, and I still find this perfectly technically competent, but kind of dull. There's a lot of well-trod material being told again here, and I think the retrospective narration from the Angel is part of the problem; it has a distancing effect (particularly when Brubaker's really well-known for character monologues). We get a lot of stuff about the German plans to infiltrate Project Rebirth here, and the conclusion is known well ahead of time. The part I find most interesting so far is the return of obscure Golden Age hero John Steele, who has the advantage of me never having heard of him before. I suspect this would probably be more exciting to someone who knew less about Marvel history.

Thor #604 - JMS takes his ball to go home, and Gillen begins his six-issue stint on the title. He does a pretty admirable job of picking up JMS' plot points, and for the most part the main characters aren't acting stupid now (though Balder still earns a few stupid points for stupidly dividing what was potentially an overwhelming force and attacking Doom with just a handful of men). Donald Blake puts the pieces together fairly adeptly (one imagines this would have taken a lot longer under JMS), with a little help from Reed Richards. I quite liked this scene, between the random invasion of Reed's lab that occurs mid-conversation, and the reference to the whole Clor thing. This also further establishes the idea of Blake and Thor as separate people, as Blake doesn't really seem bothered at all by it; bringing up Clor might be a deliberate contrast, given the story "Latverian Prometheus" involves Doom turning his vivisected Asgardians into cyborg sentinels. Billy Tan's art was quite good, I thought (great colours, too).

Uncanny X-Men #518 - the series now turns to dealing with one of the major changes from "Utopia", the piece of the void now living inside Emma Frost. Cyclops goes in, with psi-support from Professor X and Psylocke, to try and...well, honestly, I'm not really sure what he's trying to accomplish. The Void would clearly have to go somewhere, but no one really seems to have given that much thought. The issue ends with the Void leaving Emma and entering Scott, which she intuits was its plan all along. In the world of 'writing for your artists', this is the third Dodson issue where Fraction has found an excuse for a massive gallery of Emma Frosts in different clothing styles. Elsewhere, Beast's disillusionment grows, and he has a nice scene with Iceman. It strikes me that Fraction's characters, when he focusses on them, are well-done; he just needs to focus.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Heh, Nova #32 was just tops in my book. I like how Darkhawk is being given a bigger role here (at the expense of Nova chumping a little) and the Sphinx is playing a curious game.

The book ends with a strange yet debate worthy panel. Now consider this: "Blown Back in Time!".

I'm finally catching up on my Nova reading, and just finished issues #29 and #30. Couldn't the artist have made the red costumes a little different? Do we really need the stars in the exact location of where the boobs are??

I think I'm about the only person who just can't get into this title. It seriously bores me, and I don't think I've enjoyed an issue since the reemergence of the Corps. (I think the last good issue for me is the one with Warlock.) I'm hoping this Darkstar storyline is better.