Diamond List for January 27th, 2010

[TheCorpulent1]

Millar probably realized it'd look bad if the film were completed before the comic it's based on.

 

[Dread]

That's a rather cynical interpretation. It's hardly unusual to want to read the story for the emotional beats and, well, the actual story, even if you already know how it ends.

There is a difference between guessing the outcome of a story and continuing to read/watch it anyway to see how it is executed, and having said story be forecast for you and every relevant detail about the climax story-boarded for you up to two months before it was supposed to finish up by editorial snafu, and then said editorial still expects fans to show up in droves to buy the last issue. Marvel has been willing to criticize DC's retailer incentive policies about BLACKEST NIGHT with their own promotional stunt; how about compensating retailers for having REBORN issues they won't move because everyone knows where the story is going?

If a reader happens to be experienced enough to be able to play the game of predicting where a story will go, that is his/her choice. If a company through incompetence completely spoils the story for the reader through self-caused delays (Hitch has run at least a month behind in every single arc he has drawn for, oh, the last 8 years; editorial added an extra issue to the series with little advance notice), then it isn't the reader's fault, but they suffer having a story be less than it can be.

Marvel expects anyone who buys REBORN #6 to throw away, and I mean THROW AWAY, $4 USD for a product that offers no surprises, nothing of value, nothing that is unknown, nothing that is in any way, shape or form relevant or worthwhile. Unless of course you're a fan of Hitch/Guice artwork, and in that case I suppose it is worth paying $4 for 22 pages of pretty pictures. Red Skull loses, completely; his psyche isn't even stuck inside Rogers. Steve Rogers is freed, completely. He decides to let Barnes stay Cap for a while longer, at least until watching Thor get smacked down in SIEGE #1. Falcon is fine. Carter is saved. Even the cyborg arm that Barnes had damaged is not only repaired, but improved upon. Really, what is the point of buying REBORN #6 besides "completism", which I am learning, from self experience, is another word for sucker?

I feel like the biggest sucker in the universe for buying REBORN #6, and I haven't even actually bought it yet.

By that same reasoning, anyone who buys a trade is a sucker, too.

Now, while I agree this is not Brubaker's best story; it's still much better than most Captain America stories I've read before Brubaker took over this title. And, believe me, I know bad Captain America stories!!! I've been reading Cap since the very early 80's...and, by far, this is SOOO much better than the time Captain America had to wear armor when he was supposedly dying.

BTW, do you know what the storyline involving Cap wearing that armor was called? "Operation Rebirth." OOooooo....that's kind of spooky! I wonder if Brubaker was even aware of that.

And I have my own axe to grind with people who trade-wait, since they're not contributing to the health of ongoing comic series, but that's just me. Dread's logic is pretty faulty in this instance.

So...the logic is that it doesn't matter that REBORN was ruined of Marvel's own stupidity, because it's a better story than some rubbish Cap tales from the 80's and 90's? By that logic, it's better to have AVATAR ruined for you because you've seen far worse movies like "BATMAN & ROBIN" without spoilers. That's like not being pissed if Marvel ruined the ending to ANNIHILATION, because the space stories of the 90's were far worse. What does that have to do with anything?

Comparing trade-waiters to this is apples/oranges. People who trade wait do it of their own free will. It is THEIR choice to wait longer for a story, it is THEIR choice to risk spoilers if they float about online until the trade comes out. Marvel is blameless. If anything, Marvel punishes trade-waiters now by making trades a few cents more expensive than normal priced issues combined, or by releasing small hard covers first and rooking them for an extra $5.

REBORN being ruined was not a fan's choice, unless they should have also chosen to ignore SIEGE, ignore WHO WILL WIELD THE SHIELD, ignore INVINCIBLE IRON MAN (and who knew Steve would show up there) and ignore CAPTAIN AMERICA #602? In order for this publishing debacle to have not effected the reader, they would have had to ignore their computer, and ignore a slew of comics for two months without being aware they had to unless it was too late, or they had a lead inside the company. That is NOT the same as choosing to wait for a trade.

I certainly didn't choose to have REBORN ruined for me. I didn't ask for Marvel to add an extra issue to it; if anything, at 5 issues it had some drag. I didn't ask for Marvel to attach Hitch to it; fans had betting pools on how long it would take him to run late. This is a debacle of Marvel's own making, and then they turn around and play moral high ground against DC for thinking outside the box a little and using plastic rings instead of variant covers? Marvel should keep their own house in order properly before they go criticizing the drapes in someone else's. And I don't like being made into a sucker just for following a hot story.

REBORN is hardly Brubaker's best Cap story but it'll be better than SIEGE likely. So? That's like saying a punch to the gut is better than having your leg removed. It's true, but wouldn't you rather avoid harm to begin with?

The comics that take place after REBORN from Brubaker so far have actually been better. But there's still that last issue of REBORN coming out, that no longer has any purpose.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Batman and robin #7 $2.99
green lantern #50 (blackest night) (note price)$3.99
justice league cry for justice #6 (of 7) $3.99
justice league of america #41 cvr a $3.99
teen titans #79 $3.99

avengers initiative #32 siege $2.99
captain america reborn #6 (of 6) $3.99
guardians of galaxy #22 $2.99
kick ass #8 (mr) $2.99
marvelous land of oz #3 (of 8) $3.99
new avengers #61 siege $3.99
thor #606 $2.99
x-factor #201 $2.99
x-force #23 xn $2.99
x-men legacy #232 xn $2.99

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

DC
atom and hawkman #46 (blackest night) $2.99
batman and robin #7 $2.99
green lantern #50 (blackest night) (note price) $3.99
superman secret origin #4 (of 6) $3.99
web #5 $3.99


MARVEL
amazing spider-man #619 gntlt $2.99
avengers initiative #32 siege $2.99
captain america reborn #6 (of 6) $3.99
daredevil #504 $2.99
kick ass #8 (mr) $2.99
new avengers #61 siege $3.99
thor #606 $2.99
x-factor #201 $2.99
x-force #23 xn $2.99

 

[TheDarkKnight08]

DC COMICS

ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46 (BLACKEST NIGHT) $2.99
BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 $2.99
DETECTIVE COMICS #861 $3.99
GREEN LANTERN #50 (BLACKEST NIGHT) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99


MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 GNTLT $2.99
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (OF 6) $3.99
DAREDEVIL #504 $2.99
FALL OF HULKS GAMMA 2ND PTG MCGUINNESS VAR FOH (PP #901) $3.99
FANTASTIC FOUR #575 $2.99
KICK ASS #8 (MR) $2.99
PUNISHER #13 $2.99
THOR #606 $2.99
X-FORCE #23 XN $2.99

 

[Jennifer Walters]

BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 $2.99
GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #8 $2.99 (With Birds of Prey announced to be coming back I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts.)
GREEN LANTERN #50 (BLACKEST NIGHT) (NOTE PRICE) $3.99
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 GNTLT $2.99
AVENGERS INITIATIVE #32 SIEGE $2.99
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (OF 6) $3.99
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #22 $2.99
MS MARVEL #49 $2.99
NEW AVENGERS #61 SIEGE $3.99
THOR #606 $2.99
X-FACTOR #201 $2.99
X-FORCE #23 XN $2.99 (Maybe. Just because of Necrosha.)
X-MEN LEGACY #232 XN $2.99