Diamond List for February 11th, 2009

[Tron Bonne]

Don't ask, don't tell

DARK HORSE COMICS

BPRD BLACK GODDESS #2 (OF 5) $2.99
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3 (OF 8) $2.99
STAR WARS CLONE WARS #4 (OF 6) $2.99

DC COMICS

ACTION COMICS #874 (ORIGINS) $2.99
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1 $3.99
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #26 $2.99
BATMAN FALSE FACES TP $14.99
BOOSTER GOLD #17 (ORIGINS) $2.99
CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #34 $2.50
DMZ #39 (MR) $2.99
DMZ TP VOL 06 BLOOD IN THE GAME (MR) $12.99
FABLES #81 (MR) $2.99
GEARS OF WAR #4 (MR) $3.99
GEARS OF WAR FLIP BOOK $3.99
GEN 13 #27 $2.99
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #17 (ORIGINS) $2.99
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33 (ORIGINS) $2.99
JIHAI VOL 01 $9.99
MIRRORS EDGE #4 (OF 6) $3.99
NIGHTWING #153 (ORIGINS) $2.99
REBELS #1 $2.99
SCALPED #25 (MR) $2.99
SHOWCASE PRESENTS AQUAMAN TP VOL 03 $16.99
SIMON DARK #17 $2.99
SPIRIT #26 $2.99
STEEL FIST RIKU VOL 03 $9.99
SUPER FRIENDS #12 $2.50
TITANS #10 (ORIGINS) $2.99
TRINITY #37 $2.99
VIGILANTE CITY LIGHTS PRAIRIE JUSTICE TP $19.99
VIXEN RETURN OF THE LION #5 (OF 5) $2.99
YOUNG LIARS #12 (MR) $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

BERSERKER LITHO $29.99
BRIT #12 (RES) $3.99
CYBLADE #3 MAYS CVR A $2.99
CYBLADE #3 SEJIC CVR B $2.99
DARKNESS #75 ALL BEEF EDITION CVR F $4.99
DARKNESS #75 BERMEJO CVR A $4.99
DARKNESS #75 BROUSSARD CVR D $4.99
DARKNESS #75 KEOWN CVR B $4.99
DARKNESS #75 SEJIC CVR C $4.99
ROBERTS TP $14.99
WALKING DEAD #58 (MR) $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

ADAM LEGEND OF BLUE MARVEL #4 (OF 5) $3.99
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #29 $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586 $2.99
AVENGERS INVADERS #8 (OF 12) $2.99
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10 $2.99
ESSENTIAL AVENGERS TP NEW PTG VOL 01 $16.99
ETERNALS #8 $2.99
INCOGNITO #1 2ND PTG PHILLIPS VAR (MR) (PP #851) $3.50
INCOGNITO #2 (MR) $3.50
INVADERS CLASSIC TP VOL 03 $29.99
KABUKI REFLECTIONS #12 (MR) $5.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #48 $2.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #8 $2.99
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ODYSSEY #6 (OF 8) $3.99
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT WAR OF KINGS $2.99
MARVEL TV GALACTUS REAL STORY $3.99
NEW WARRIORS #20 $3.99
PATSY WALKER HELLCAT #5 (OF 5) $2.99
PUNISHER #1 2ND PTG OPENA VAR (PP #851) $3.99
NOV088112 SECRET INVASION WAR OF KINGS ONE SHOT 2ND PTG VAR $3.99
SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY #5 $3.99
THOR #600 $4.99
THOR #600 ZIRCHER VAR $4.99
WOLVERINE MANIFEST DESTINY #4 (OF 4) $2.99
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 (OF 8) 2ND PTG YOUNG VAR (PP #851) $3.99
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 (OF 8) $3.99
X-INFERNUS #3 (OF 4) $3.99
X-MEN ORIGINS SABRETOOTH $3.99


**********

COMICS

1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS ADVENTURES OF SINBAD #8 $2.99
ARCHIE & FRIENDS #128 $2.25
BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #168 $3.69
BEYOND WONDERLAND #5 (OF 6) $2.99
CASTLE WAITING VOL II #14 $3.95
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #35 $2.99
JACK THE LANTERN GHOSTS #3 (MR) $3.95
NOV083945 JUNGLE GIRL SEASON 2 #3 $3.50
MASQUERADE #1 $3.50
PHANTOM GHOST WHO WALKS #0 $1.99
RED SONJA SHE DEVIL WITH A SWORD ANNUAL #2 $3.99
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #197 $2.25
SOULFIRE SHADOW MAGIC #3 (OF 5) $2.99
STEPHEN COLBERTS TEK JANSEN #4 (OF 5) (MR) $3.99

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Green Lantern Corps #33
Walking Dead #58
Thor #600

 

[Tron Bonne]

BATMAN #686 $3.99 (Price noted and disliked)
YOUNG LIARS #12 (MR) $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586 $2.99
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ODYSSEY #6 (OF 8) $3.99
THOR #600 $4.99 (You ****ting me?)
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 (OF 8) $3.99

Maybes:
REBELS #1 $2.99

DARKNESS #75 ALL BEEF EDITION CVR F $4.99

The All Beef Edition?

 

[Specter313]

Captain britain and mi 13 #10
new warriors #20
thor #600
wonderful wizard of oz #3
x-infernus #3

 

[Phaedrus45]

Thanks tear

DARK HORSE COMICS

STAR WARS CLONE WARS #4 (OF 6) $2.99

DC COMICS

ACTION COMICS #874 (ORIGINS) $2.99
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1 $3.99
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #26 $2.99
BOOSTER GOLD #17 (ORIGINS) $2.99
DMZ #39 (MR) $2.99
GEN 13 #27 $2.99
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #17 (ORIGINS) $2.99
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33 (ORIGINS) $2.99
NIGHTWING #153 (ORIGINS) $2.99
REBELS #1 $2.99
SHOWCASE PRESENTS AQUAMAN TP VOL 03 $16.99
SIMON DARK #17 $2.99
SPIRIT #26 $2.99
TITANS #10 (ORIGINS) $2.99
TRINITY #37 $2.99
VIXEN RETURN OF THE LION #5 (OF 5) $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

WALKING DEAD #58 (MR) $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

ADAM LEGEND OF BLUE MARVEL #4 (OF 5) $3.99
AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #29 $2.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586 $2.99
AVENGERS INVADERS #8 (OF 12) $2.99
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10 $2.99
ETERNALS #8 $2.99
INCOGNITO #2 (MR) $3.50
KABUKI REFLECTIONS #12 (MR) $5.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #48 $2.99
MARVEL ADVENTURES SUPER HEROES #8 $2.99
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ODYSSEY #6 (OF 8) $3.99
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT WAR OF KINGS $2.99
MARVEL TV GALACTUS REAL STORY $3.99
NEW WARRIORS #20 $3.99
PATSY WALKER HELLCAT #5 (OF 5) $2.99
SPIDER-MAN BRAND NEW DAY #5 $3.99
THOR #600 $4.99
WOLVERINE MANIFEST DESTINY #4 (OF 4) $2.99
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 (OF 8) $3.99
X-INFERNUS #3 (OF 4) $3.99
X-MEN ORIGINS SABRETOOTH $3.99

COMICS

MASQUERADE #1 $3.50

 

[Spider-Jay420]

DC COMICS
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE) $3.99 (Looking forward to this. Hope it's good)
TRINITY #37 $2.99

MARVEL COMICS
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586 $2.99
AVENGERS INVADERS #8 (OF 12) $2.99
THOR #600 $4.99

thanks TearDrop

 

[Cosmic]

Bprd black goddess #2 (of 5) $2.99

 

[Aristotle]

BPRD BLACK GODDESS #2, HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3--The Mignolaverse titles just get better and better.
ACTION COMICS #874--Very much liking the direction that the Superman has taken, not necessarily because I like the New Krypton idea, but because this is an interesting way of posing the question of what makes Superman unique, and also because it's an actual direction, with bold plans and real ambitions that so many superhero books lack. I love New Warriors, for example, but what that book has been exploring for like 20 issues as its main longform plot is the kind of subplot that New Krypton would have had a solution for in those first eight crossover issues (i.e., two months), as it moved on toward a much larger sort of goal and direction. And then there's Blue Beetle, another title I like a lot, but which has basically been directionless since the Reach arc ended.
BATMAN #686--Neil Gaiman on Batman! Dream come true! Should happen again, for a longer time!
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1--I'm intrigued by where the solicits for Tomasi's Outsiders are pointing. I really think that maybe, this time, when Dan DiDio says all the DCU books are going to have a purpose and a direction and a reason for existing, I think this time it might be true.
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #26--Isn't this book canceled yet?
BOOSTER GOLD #17
DMZ #39--Just got into this one when my Serial/Monthly Comics reading group in my Studies In Fiction/Graphic Novels course selected this as a text to read. Very impressed. Always meant to get into it when it first came out and just never did. Glad I finally had a reason to sit down and read through it.
GEARS OF WAR #4--Apparently Gears of War #1 was the highest-selling single issue of 2008, at 450,000 copies. Granted, a huge part of that is that, according to LITG, over 90% of that was through venues other than the direct market, but I still feel like it would be worth my time to see what GoW is doing right that everyone else is doing wrong (aside from doing the smart thing and going outside the direct market for distribution, please God let someone at the Big Two and the smaller publishers be noticing this.)
GEN 13 #27--Loving the new WildStorm U. direction. The DCU never has status quo changes. The Marvel U has stupid status quo changes that are so dumb, even they give up on every one of them after a few months. The WildStorm U. takes chances, and it deserves to be recognized for that.
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #17
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33
NIGHTWING #153--I still say that the Batbooks will be back, with Bruce Wayne as Batman, when all is said and done, as a way for Morrison to demonstrate that Batman is an icon, and that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
REBELS #1
SPIRIT #26--I've been enjoying Uslan's run so far.
TITANS #10--I think Winick's making a comeback in terms of quality, guys.
TRINITY #37--Still think everyone gave up on this too quickly.
VIXEN RETURN OF THE LION #5--Surprisingly good. I'm not a huge Vixen fan, but this book is damn good.
AVENGERS INVADERS #8--I was reading it, but I just stopped giving a ****. Alex Ross needs to keep himself the hell away from the writing side of things. Has it gotten any more important or useful?
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10
NEW WARRIORS #20--Did I hear this was getting canceled?

 

[Kraven]

Batman #686 (note price) $3.99
amazing spider-man #586 $2.99
thor #600 $4.99

 

[Cosmic]

Bprd black goddess #2 (of 5) $2.99

 

[Aristotle]

BPRD BLACK GODDESS #2, HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3--The Mignolaverse titles just get better and better.
ACTION COMICS #874--Very much liking the direction that the Superman has taken, not necessarily because I like the New Krypton idea, but because this is an interesting way of posing the question of what makes Superman unique, and also because it's an actual direction, with bold plans and real ambitions that so many superhero books lack. I love New Warriors, for example, but what that book has been exploring for like 20 issues as its main longform plot is the kind of subplot that New Krypton would have had a solution for in those first eight crossover issues (i.e., two months), as it moved on toward a much larger sort of goal and direction. And then there's Blue Beetle, another title I like a lot, but which has basically been directionless since the Reach arc ended.
BATMAN #686--Neil Gaiman on Batman! Dream come true! Should happen again, for a longer time!
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS SPECIAL #1--I'm intrigued by where the solicits for Tomasi's Outsiders are pointing. I really think that maybe, this time, when Dan DiDio says all the DCU books are going to have a purpose and a direction and a reason for existing, I think this time it might be true.
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #26--Isn't this book canceled yet?
BOOSTER GOLD #17
DMZ #39--Just got into this one when my Serial/Monthly Comics reading group in my Studies In Fiction/Graphic Novels course selected this as a text to read. Very impressed. Always meant to get into it when it first came out and just never did. Glad I finally had a reason to sit down and read through it.
GEARS OF WAR #4--Apparently Gears of War #1 was the highest-selling single issue of 2008, at 450,000 copies. Granted, a huge part of that is that, according to LITG, over 90% of that was through venues other than the direct market, but I still feel like it would be worth my time to see what GoW is doing right that everyone else is doing wrong (aside from doing the smart thing and going outside the direct market for distribution, please God let someone at the Big Two and the smaller publishers be noticing this.)
GEN 13 #27--Loving the new WildStorm U. direction. The DCU never has status quo changes. The Marvel U has stupid status quo changes that are so dumb, even they give up on every one of them after a few months. The WildStorm U. takes chances, and it deserves to be recognized for that.
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #17
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33
NIGHTWING #153--I still say that the Batbooks will be back, with Bruce Wayne as Batman, when all is said and done, as a way for Morrison to demonstrate that Batman is an icon, and that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
REBELS #1
SPIRIT #26--I've been enjoying Uslan's run so far.
TITANS #10--I think Winick's making a comeback in terms of quality, guys.
TRINITY #37--Still think everyone gave up on this too quickly.
VIXEN RETURN OF THE LION #5--Surprisingly good. I'm not a huge Vixen fan, but this book is damn good.
AVENGERS INVADERS #8--I was reading it, but I just stopped giving a ****. Alex Ross needs to keep himself the hell away from the writing side of things. Has it gotten any more important or useful?
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10
NEW WARRIORS #20--Did I hear this was getting canceled?

 

[Dread]

BOOSTER GOLD #17
ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #4 (I know no one but me is reading this, but Blue Marvel/Adam Brashear is WAY cooler than Sentry ever was)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI-13 #10
NEW WARRIORS #20 (This ongoing finally comes to an end, but the adventures of Night-Thrasher continue in AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #22!)
PATSY WALKER: HELLCAT #5
THOR #600 (Priced at $5? How much do you want to bet it will consist of one 22 page story, two awkwardly reprinted comics and a Handbook Bio?)

Looks like a solid week, although a tad expensive than usual for 6 comics with the price hikes. Still, least THOR makes his bimonthly appearance. What are the bets that Thor will celebrate 600 issues by finally DOING SOMETHING in JMS' run besides sit on a throne and let Loki plot all around him for like half a year? Maybe he will drink some mead and talk about future action 4 issues from now.

 

[Dread]

((grahh, another double post.))

 

[Max J Power]

Batman #686
Incognito #2

 

[Max J Power]

Batman #686
Incognito #2

 

[Cosmic]

BOOSTER GOLD #17
ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #4 (I know no one but me is reading this, but Blue Marvel/Adam Brashear is WAY cooler than Sentry ever was)

I was reading this, but I dropped it after #3. I really do like the character, and some of the story elements, but I can't agree with the price tag. Some of these books just cost too damn much, IMO. I also found the art to be wildly inconsistent at times, and I felt that the Watcher was written out of character, which completely took me out of the story.

 

[Dread]

I was reading this, but I dropped it after #3. I really do like the character, and some of the story elements, but I can't agree with the price tag. Some of these books just cost too damn much, IMO. I also found the art to be wildly inconsistent at times, and I felt that the Watcher was written out of character, which completely took me out of the story.

I will agree about the Watcher; I didn't care for him. It was a moment of Mary Sue-ism, Grevioux making his bold new hero the best buddy of Uatu. However, that wasn't nearly as drastic as Paul Jenkins' Sentry, who was LITERALLY every Marvel superhero's best friend.

I also will agree about the price tag; the era of $3.99 comics will force a lot more people to trade wait or even DL. Marvel is trying to foil trade waiting by just releasing more expensive "mini hardcovers" for an extra $5, but that is a downright cynical gesture that won't win over anyone.

That said, I think the writing on this book is sharper than on Grevioux's ongoing title, the now-canceled NEW WARRIORS. I can buy an immensely powerful black mutant superhero being stifled by political whims in the early 60's on both sides of the race issue more than I can buy someone getting the power of "a billion exploding suns" from a generic elixir and then becoming a worldwide psychic split personality. Aside for Uatu, few know of Blue Marvel and he is only now entering the splotlight. Unlike Sentry, who EVERY superhero knew and loved, just they don't remember. It is harder for me to swallow. It seems like a larger retcon.

The other hiccup is the story clearly takes place before SECRET INVASION, which means Yellowjacket and Dugan (who had a key scene) are Skrulls. Stark is also no longer head of SHIELD. So it is at least a half year or more behind on continuity. That usually doesn't fly well for monthly sales, and the numbers for this mini have been dire.

Still, like I said, it is an improvement in Grevioux's writing. Unlike DARK REIGN, which has been poorly timed for the Obama administration and historic election, I think ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL was lucky in that regard; it couldn't have asked for better social context than we have now. Despite whatever niggles about the plot I have, I genuinely like the title character, which is the main point of the mini. All Grevioux has to do is not blow the ending. Which can be harder than it seems.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

GEARS OF WAR #4 (MR) $3.99
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #33 (ORIGINS) $2.99
TITANS #10 (ORIGINS) $2.99

NEW WARRIORS #20 $3.99
THOR #600 $4.99 (Heck yes!!!)
WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #3 (OF 8) $3.99
X-INFERNUS #3 (OF 4) $3.99
X-MEN ORIGINS SABRETOOTH $3.99

 

[Themanofbat]

Simon Dark #17
Amazing Spider-Girl #29
Amazing Spider-Man #586
Avengers/Invaders #8
Thor #600 (maybe)

 

[CaptainCanada]

DC COMICS

BOOSTER GOLD #17 (ORIGINS) $2.99 - Be interested to see what this "origins and omens" thing amounts to, since "Faces of Evil" basically amounted to "the cover has a villain pinup".

MARVEL COMICS

AVENGERS INVADERS #8 (OF 12) $2.99 - I keep meaning to drop this, but still I'm here; I suppose I'm still waiting for Krueger and Ross to really make the whole thing click.
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10 $2.99 - should be cool.
INCOGNITO #2 (MR) $3.50 - first issue was very enjoyable.
THOR #600 $4.99 - Ah, yes, a blue moon on the horizon. Hopefully Loki's heretofor really unsubtle machinations have interesting results.

 

[Aristotle]

"Faces of Evil" basically amounted to "the cover has a villain pinup".

Faces of Evil amounted to disruptive, irritating breaks in the stories of the books I was trying to read.

 

[CaptainCanada]

Faces of Evil amounted to disruptive, irritating breaks in the stories of the books I was trying to read.

Of the ones I read (WW, Booster, GL), Cheetah appeared for exactly four panels, Laira wasn't much more of a presence than the preceding issues (though she was important to the end); only Enemy Ace had a significant moment, but the point of it was that he wasn't a villain at all. Which ones are you talking about?

 

[Aristotle]

Of the ones I read (WW, Booster, GL), Cheetah appeared for exactly four panels, Laira wasn't much more of a presence than the preceding issues (though she was important to the end); only Enemy Ace had a significant moment, but the point of it was that he wasn't a villain at all. Which ones are you talking about?

The Batman/Detective story should have just been its own FoE one-shot. Maybe banner it with Batman Last Rites or something so you can justify doing an extra FoE one-shot or whatever. Birds of Prey, JLA, Nightwing, Superman, and Teen Titans all felt very disrupted. I admit, quite a few of the others were not so disruptive, but those ones sapped a lot of the enthusiasm I had for the books.

 

[Manic]

DC COMICS
BOOSTER GOLD #17
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #17

MARVEL COMICS
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #10
THOR #600
X-INFERNUS #3 (OF 4)


5 books. Nice.

 

[imdaly]

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #29
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #586
AVENGERS INVADERS #8
NEW WARRIORS #20
THOR #600

Pretty decent week. Though any week with ASM in it is a good one to me.