ERIC’S “THE WORLD HAS NOT BEEN SAVED. WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?!” COMICS NOW! NEWSLETTER VOL. 11 #4 – April 2009

INTRODUCTION
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So, we’ve got a new President from the other side of the aisle, and, as I write this, nothing’s changed. What’s up with that? President Obama was supposed to be sworn in and then there would no longer be problems in society. Or war. Or poverty. Or sucky comics. Well, since none of that has come to be (at least, not yet), let’s see what kind of frightening new comics the industry has in store for us (at least until the economic collapse takes the comic industry down with it).

IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE
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Most of you won’t be surprised by this, but my pick of the month is Spider-Woman. If you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ll note that a lot of my picks of the month have to do with impossibly hot lead women as the main characters. It’s because I like to read the articles. Really. But, that’s not the case in this case. Well. I mean, yeah, she’s obviously a superhot woman in unbelievably skintight spandex that shows every dimple, but the reality is this – Brian Michael Bendis wrote the comic. Yeah. You’re right. I’m his man-whore. I cater to his every whim. I am but the peanut-butter to get squished between his slices of bread. I am… completely out of metaphors. At any rate, Spider-Woman is back and it’s looking to be more awesome than ever.

FEB092519 Spider-Woman #1 $3.99 retail.

*** 50%-OFF AT WWW.COMICSNOW.COM ***

DECONSTRUCTING COMICS
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Visit www.deconstructingcomics.com and catch these cool podcasts!

January 26: THE FUTURE OF B.C.

In 2007, B.C. creator Johnny Hart passed on, and his grandson Mason Mastroianni (with the help of other family members and friends) picked up the torch. What’s it like to work on a “legacy strip”? Is there a future in the funny pages anymore, anyway?

February 2: MO WILLEMS’ DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

Children’s book writer Mo Willems has been found out: he’s actually a comics creator! He talks to Tim about the state of American comics for kids, the effect of his animation background on his approach to creating books, and. just why does that pigeon want to drive a bus, anyway?!

February 9: THE MARTIAN CONSPIRACY

Last year, writer Jason McNamara and artist Paige Braddock both appeared on the podcast. At last, Kumar and Tim have gotten a hold of their collaboration, “The Martian Conspiracy,” and they’re here to give their unbiased opinions. PLUS: Win a copy of The Martian Conspiracy, provided by Comics NOW! Tim explains how to enter the drawing.

February 16: CITY OF GLASS: ADAPTING A NOVEL TO COMICS

Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli’s comics adaptation of “City of Glass,” a 1985 novel by Paul Auster, is an amazing adaptation of an unfilmable novel. Tim and Kumar assess the herculean task of adapting it, in probably the only medium capable of doing so: comics!

February 23 (planned): READING “HIEROGLYPH”

Tim and Mulele review Richard Delgado’s amazing “Hieroglyph”.

www.deconstructingcomics.com

HUGE DISCOUNTS AT WWW.COMICSNOW.COM
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Aside from always offering 35% off the cover price of monthly comics with no minimum to buy, each month Comics NOW offers incredible deals on some of the newest titles out there. Just point your browser to http://www.comicsnow.com to order any of these titles below at huge discounts or any other comic at least 35% off the cover price.

Here are this month’s deals:

50%-OFF COMIC DEALS:

FEB090010 Aliens #1 $3.50

FEB090172 Flash Rebirth #1 $3.99

FEB090251 Literals #1 $2.99

FEB090263 Seaguy The Slaves of Mickey Eye #1 $3.99

FEB090196 Warlord #1 $2.99

FEB092537 All New Savage She-Hulk #1 $3.99

FEB092481 Daredevil Noir #1 $3.99

FEB092500 Dark Reign Hawkeye #1 $3.99

FEB092577 Deadpool Suicide Kings #1 $3.99

FEB092593 Destroyer #1 $3.99

FEB092559 Exiles #1 $3.99

FEB092535 Fantastic Force #1 $3.99

FEB092557 Marvel Zombies 4 #1 $3.99

FEB092583 Rampaging Wolverine #1 $3.99

FEB092517 Skrull Kill Krew #1 $3.99

FEB092519 Spider-Woman #1 $3.99

FEB092483 Wolverine Noir #1 $3.99

FEB092579 Wolverine Weapon X #1 $3.99

40%-OFF TRADE PAPERBACK DEALS:

FEB090241 Absolute Promethea HC Vol 1 $99.99

FEB090203 Final Crisis HC $24.99

FEB090204 Flash Presents Mercury Falling TP $14.99

FEB090260 Preacher HC Book 01 $34.99

FEB090216 Superman Batman Finest Worlds HC $19.99

FEB090218 Superman Ending Battle TP $14.99

FEB092394 Astounding Wolf Man TP Vol 02 $14.99

FEB092644 Exiles Ultimate Collection TP Book 01 $34.99

FEB092643 House of M TP Civil War $14.99

FEB092611 Hulk Prem HC Vol 02 Red & Green Adams Cvr $19.99

FEB092607 Incredible Hercules HC Smash Titans $29.99

FEB092605 Marvel Zombies 3 Prem HC $19.99

FEB092616 Punisher War Zone Prem HC Resurrection Ma Gnucci $24.99

FEB092616 Punisher War Zone Prem HC Resurrection Ma Gnucci Dm Ed $24.99

FEB092652 Spider-Man 2099 TP Vol 1 $29.99

FEB092620 Supreme Power Prem HC Powers & Principalities $24.99

FEB092615 Thor Prem HC Ages of Thunder $24.99

FEB092610 Ultimatum X-Men Fantastic Four Prem HC $24.99

FEB092606 Uncanny X-Men HC Manifest Destiny $29.99

TOP-10 and TOP-100
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Check out Comics NOW! Inc.’s Top-100.

Download the March 2009 Top-100 PDF file (it’s 8KB!) at:

http://www.irxproductions.com/comics/mar09top100.pdf

It’s Comics NOW!’s very own Top-10 and Top-100 lists. This list is based on the internal sales quantities of the titles with Premiere being the big guns who pay the extra bucks to be listed first in the ordering system: Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics. The Independent list is everyone else, all those pea-shooters who no one really pays attention to… or do they?

Here’s an example of how to read the format:

1. (3) The Amazing Eric Comic

“1.” – the place of the title in the list this month

“(3)” – where the title was LAST month (“-” if it wasn’t)

the title – this one should be pretty obvious

TOP 10 PREMIERE COMICS

1. (3) Justice League of America

2. (4) New Avengers

3. (8) Superman Batman

4. (6) Uncanny X-Men

5. (9) Action Comics

6. (7) Amazing Spider-Man

7. (-) Batman Battle for the Cowl

8. (-) Superman

9. (-) Mighty Avengers

10. (10) Green Lantern

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT COMICS

1. (1) Transformers All Hail Megatron

2. (2) Transformers Maximum Dinobots

3. (-) Transformers Spotlight

4. (3) Transformers Revenge Fallen Movie PRQ Defiance

5. (4) Boys

6. (6) GI Joe

7. (5) Angel

8. (-) Tarot Witch of the Black Rose

9. (7) GI Joe Origins

10. (-) Soulfire

THE GOOD STUFF
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DARK HORSE COMICS

ALIENS #1 of 4

Aliens return. It really doesn’t matter what the storyline is because it’s all virtually the same… and that sameness is KICK ASS! There’s a group of miners… in space. They land on a planet with the intent of raping it of its natural resources. They find a lost civilization that is virtually empty of any life. They start to go crazy because it’s so large. And, then, they start to disappear. One by one. What could possibly be killing them? AAAAAACCCCKKK!! It’s big, giant aliens with acid for blood! Yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.
By John Arcudi, Zach Howard and Mark Irwin.
32 pages. 4-issue mini-series. $3.50 retail.

DC COMICS

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #1 of 5

If there was a comic infamous in the DC Universe for bringing back dead heroes, it would be The Flash. In this mini-series, Barry Allen must bring all of the other Flashes together in order to battle another Flash who came back from the dead. Yup. There’s originality for you. We brought Barry back so now we’re going to bring back a speedy bad guy for them to fight.
By Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.
40 pages. 5-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

DEAD ROMEO #1 of 6

Once again, I’m completely floored by the insanity of a premise. Jonathan Romero’s nickname is Dead Romeo and he was the lead singer of an ’80s rock band called The Dead Romeos before he was turned into a vampire and sent to hell. Now, he’s either got to kill his true love or protect her and burn in hell for eternity. I’m serious! This is nearly a verbatim description of this comic. An ’80s rock star gets turned into a vampire and comes back to save his true love. It’s like a Metallica single gone horribly, horribly… ermmm… well, they are ALL wrong already…
By Jesse Blaze Snider and Ryan Benjamin.
32 pages. 6-issue mini-series. $2.99 retail.

THE WARLORD #1

Sigh. A group of paleontologists find the perfectly preserved remains of a dinosaur that appears to have died just days before. Further investigation takes them to a hidden land at the center of the Earth where they are trapped with dinosaurs and a guy named Travis who has claimed this land in the name of Spain (well, not really in the name of Spain but that just worked for me). Travis is “The Warlord.” I’m pretty sure that’s where this comic got its title. Now, he reunites with Tara, Shakira, Tinder and a number of other washed-out rockstars from throughout the ages. Wait. They’re not really rockstars. Though, if you’re still reading this description at this point, you may as well go out and buy the comic because you’re WAY too interested in it.
By Mike Grell, Joe Prado and Walden Wong.
32 pages. Ongoing series. $2.99 retail.

PROTOTYPE #1 of 6

Yet another comic based on a video game. Except, this time we took two perfectly good writers, teamed them with two perfectly good artists and sent them on a collision course with total disaster. New York homicide detectives are tracking a serial killer… in an era “where human extinction and monstrous evolution collide!” *sigh*
By Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Darick Robertson and Matt Jacobs.
32 pages. 6-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

THE LITERALS #1 of 3

The Literals comes from the Fables crossover, Jack of Fables, and now they have their own crossover. So, it’s really a crossover of a crossover which kind of makes it a crisis-crossover with better music (random early-90’s reference for all you old fogies like me out there). The Literals is a family of characters who are written like the literary concepts they embody (thus the name). This story investigates everything about them. Fun, huh? I love Fables, so my answer to that question is “yes.”
By Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Mark Buckingham and Andrew Pepoy.
32 pages. 3-issue mini-series. $2.99 retail.

SEAGUY: THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1 of 3

I really can’t describe this comic. Morrison’s gone over the deep end. Seaguy lives in a cartoon future world where everyone has super powers and no one ever dies. Except, he wants them to. Or something. It’s hard to tell. There are weird characters and a corporation named Mickey Eye and the Happy Group that want to erase Seaguy from ever existing in linear time. I mean, this is some seriously weird stuff. I can’t figure it out. I like Morrison, but, c’mon Grant, what the hell?!
By Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart.
40 pages. 3-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

IMAGE COMICS

VIKING #1

Finn and Egil are two brothers who are committing crime left and right in the 9th century. They’re Vikings. That’s the title. That’s it.
By Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein.
24 pages. Ongoing series (?). $2.99 retail.

OVERLOOK #1 of 3

Mickey is a prize-fighter on the take assigned to kill off a mobster’s wife and find his rainy-day money in a town named Overlook. In exchange, the mobster will kill a victim of Mickey’s selection. Of course, my question is: “If Mickey’s willing to kill the wife, why won’t he just kill the victim he wants the mobster to kill?” I’m sure the answer would be: “Silly Eric, then there wouldn’t be much of a comic now would there?”
By Joshua Williamson and Alejandro Aragon.
32 pages. 3-issue mini-series. $3.50 retail.

MARVEL COMICS

DAREDEVIL NOIR #1 of 4

It’s a noir storytelling of Daredevil set in the 1920s when Prohibition was all the rage. It’s your typical noir with a beautiful, lying woman, a corrupt crimelord and a superhero. Okay. Maybe everything but that last part.
By Alexander Irvine and Tom Coker.
32 pages. 4-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

WOLVERINE NOIR #1 of 4

See the description of Daredevil Noir and replace Daredevil with Wolverine. A woman comes into Logan’s (a.k.a. Wolverine) detective agency that he runs with his brother, Dog, called, logically enough, Logan & Logan. Wolverine is the baddest knife in the city (SURPRISE) and the woman’s lying about her story (SURPRISE #2) causing Wolverine to revisit his past (SURPRISE #3!!!).
By Stuart Moore and C.P. Smith.
32 pages. 4-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

SKRULL KILL KREW #1 of 5

Originally spoken of in 1994 (yes, almost 15 years ago), the Skrull Kill Krew is back. It’s a guy with guns and the shape-shifting aliens who hate him in Skrull Kill Krew. Personally, I’ve had way too much of the Skrulls in the last year so I’m just going to sit this one out if it’s okay with the rest of you.
By Adam Felber and Paulo Siqueira.
32 pages. 5-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

SPIDER-WOMAN #1

I was all set to make fun of Marvel for trying to launch the consistently failing Spider-Woman franchise. She’s hot and we all love her, but, for the love of all that’s holy, her comics always suck (and not in that good way, either). Except, now, Bendis is writing it. Curse you, Bendis!!!! CURSE YOU!!!! Now, I’ve got to buy the comic because Bendis is writing about the adventures of Jessica Drew (a.k.a. Spider-Woman) and I am totally Bendis’ bitch.
By Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.
32 pages. Ongoing series. $3.99 retail.

ALL-NEW SAVAGE SHE-HULK #1 of 4

Okay, this one is only for the desperate lovers of the green lady hulk here. It’s about a hypothetical society where everything’s fallen apart and She-Hulk is pretty much like the regular Hulk – crazy, stupid and incredibly strong. If you’re interested in a retelling of She-Hulk, then this might be the comic for you. Otherwise, stay far away… you won’t like this comic if it makes you angry.
By Fred Van Lente and TBA (seriously, that’s what it says).
40 pages. 4-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

MARVEL ZOMBIES 4 #1 of 4

The team from Zombies 3 comes back to tell another story. Not quite the same team as 2 but a little better than the team that did 1. Oh, who gives a flying fig! The Zombies are back. They’re eating stuff. Hilarity ensues.
By Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker.
32 pages. 4-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

EXILES #1

The Beast, the Witch, Panther, Forge and Polaris suddenly get shifted out of the reality they’re familiar with into a new environment that they don’t know. ‘cept Blink’s back, and we all know that whenever Blink’s back, it ain’t good. Though, she is hot… it’s always good when the bad girl’s hot.
By Jeff Parker and Salvador Espin.
40 pages. Ongoing series (?). $3.99 retail.

DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS #1 of 5

Once again, Wade Wilson has been framed for a crime he didn’t commit (can’t a guy catch a break?). Now, the Punisher, Daredevil and Spider-Man are ALL after him and he’s got to avoid them in order to clear his name. It was probably the jerkoff that hired him. Yeah, I know this reads like a real comic preview, but I can’t help myself… I love Deadpool.
By Mike Benson and Carlo Barbieri.
32 pages. 5-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

WOLVERINE: WEAPON X #1 of 5

Have you ever wondered exactly how many comics Marvel has released where Weapon X appears in the title? I definitely do. Logan finds out that an evil corporation named Roxxon has found the plans for the Weapon X program and is trying to start it up again. Obviously, that’s Wolvie’s “call-to-action” and he’s determined to stop it. Of course, he’s going to stop him. Really, you don’t need to buy the comic. It’s already written. And has been written. Before. Many times.
By Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.
40 pages. 5-issue mini-series. $3.99 retail.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

In case you weren’t paying attention, there’s this movie coming out about Wolverine called X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This comic is just like the movie. Except it’s a comic. Printed on real paper. With words and stuff.
By Christopher Yost and Mark Texeira.
40 pages. One-shot. $3.99 retail.

THE DESTROYER #1 of 5

Keen Marlowe is a super-hero who’s dying of some sort of disease. Before he calls it quits, he’s going to hunt down and kill as many super-villains as he can. Sounds like a plan to me, and not a terrible idea for a comic. There. I said something positive. Are you all happy now?!
By Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker.
32 pages. 5-issue mini-series. $3.99 retai.

FINAL NOTES
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It’s Tax Month and that never makes Eric a happy man. But, at least there are a ton of comics coming out that I can take my wrath out on… or a government that hasn’t changed a whole lot since we’ve gotten a new President for me to bitch about. 😉

As always, if you aren’t the best there is at what you do, then why are you doing it at all?

And, as always, thank you for your business!

Eric Jacobson