THE SPIRIT #6
MIGHTY AVENGERS #3
MOON KNIGHT #10
ULTIMATE X-MEN #82
ULTIMATES 2 #13 (after a mere 8 months since the last issue, folks!)
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS SPECIAL
Yes, we have two horribly late books coming out this week. The last issue of ULTIMATES 2 shipped 9/27/06. And the last issue of ALL-STAR BATMAN actually shipped almost A FULL YEAR AGO (May 2006). I was getting both and out of sheer disgust I hope to not bother with one, so being a Marvel Zombie I pick to keep Ultimates 2 #13. It's the last issue, and the story has been much, much better. Even if it is rather hard to get worse than ALL-STAR BATMAN. Frank Miller is so past his prime and should just be allowed to fade into history working on his movie adaptations (and, somewhere in a dark corner, pitching a script for ROBOCOP 4).
BTW, I went to a major comic book store in Manhattan yesterday, JIM HANELY'S UNIVERSE, and saw firsthand that Diamond Sales figures don't always show what actually leaves the shelf; the major competitor to MIDTOWN COMICS still has full shelves full of every issue of 52, as well as the first 2-3 issues of ALL-STAR BATMAN and even a first print ULTIMATES #1 there. The reality of sales is that some books are ridiculously overordered and even "hot" books can wind up being sold in half off bin's some 5 years later if a shop can't clear the inventory.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS SPECIAL is essentially the in-between issue to mark the end of the 8 issue mini and the beginning of the ongoing starting in June. I wonder, couldn't Marvel have simply not bothered with another #1 issue and just retroactively made XM:FC an ongoing? I mean, Marvel has embarrassed themselves in the past when they retroactively converted ongoing titles into "mini's" to cancel them, like NYX and JUBILEE. Why can't they go in the other direction when a mini is becoming an ongoing? And while this book amuses me, it's hardly a top seller so even I am still shocked Marvel is contining it; I'd have much rather seen THE LONERS get an extention. About the only ancedotal evidence to support the move is that XM:FC sells well on newstands (the few that still sell comics) and acts as a sort of MARVEL ADVENTURES X-MEN.
But, any week with THE SPIRIT, DC's most underrated book, is a good one. I also, if I was smarter, officially put ULTIMATE X-MEN on a 3-6 issue notice to improve or get dropped.
