Comic Shop Stop

Promising myself to stop spending too much on comics that then clutter my apartment, I've held off getting much at the comic shop lately, which has made these posts pretty much nonexistent.

But I went to Midtown Comics a couple weeks back and then Jim Hanley's Universe this week! Fuck self-promises; here's what I snagged...

Midtown purchase list first, where I visited along with David and Darren:



BRAIN CAMP - I'm a slut for stories set at summer camps and this quirky camp story from First Second grabbed me the second I scoped that dope cover. I dig Faith Erin Hicks's art, though I'm not familiar with the writing team of Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan. I NEVER buy OGNs at cover price sight unseen. You win, First Second. Mathnet on “Square One TV.” I’m SUPER gonna marry this book.



SEEDLESS - A new OGN from Corey Lewis!!! About evil grapes?!? Ahhhh!! Comics are rarely this kinetically exuberant...

Now for my Hanley's haul. I'd actually hit the store looking for Michael DeForge's Lose #2. I got #1 at MoCCA but recently read that Sean had a copy of the new issue - so I’ve been looking for it. Even though they didn't have it, Hanley's has a stellar mini-comics section, so I knew the trip would still be worth my time. I even ran into Alejandro at the shop - New York City comics scene! I'm missing SPX this year (boooo!), so I was even more open to grabbing some new stuff to TRY (pffft) and make up for what I'll miss...



CROOKED TEETH #5 - A new issue of Nate Doyle's ongoing mini-comic series is always too sweet. And this has been done since June!! I'm slacking.



TRAFFIC & WEATHER (two issues) - It's been full YEARS since I've been able to buy a new sequential comic from Robert Ullman (since Lunch Hour Comix and Grand Gestures), so I was giddy to find two issues (!!!) of this journal comic mini. Comic book surprise!



RAMBO 3.5 - Here’s some math: Jim Rugg + Sequel to Rambo 3 = Me smiling so big I rip my lips off with sheer force of joy.



BLAMMO #5 - A new issue of Noah Van Sciver’s full-color, one-man anthology series! I love his squiggle line-work and how the panels look to meticulous until you pull back and look at a full page and see even MORE meticulousness.



THREE #1 - A story by Joey Alison Sayers urged me to flip through this new color anthology series, but the autobio feel of the other two stories and the fact that it was a new venture helped make me decide to buy it. It’s odd that Sayers’s story is the only one making FULL use of the full-color, as the other two are only green and blue-toned, respectively. Hope that extra cost with little exploration doesn’t cause any financially motivated publishing problems down the road. I wanna see more books like this do well!



EVERYTHING DIES #3 - I’ve only just started reading Box Brown’s work since MoCCA 2010, but this series exploring religion with accessible art and a thoughtful tone is really interesting. The cover’s pretty, too.



SAVAGE DRAGON #163 - I’ve got a crush on Rachel Freire’s art from FCHS (go get a copy after reading this free sample and also look here for info on Rachel!), so seeing ANYTHING she’s drawn, even if it’s the Savage Dragon characters - which I know almost nothing about - means I need to buy it in a showing of support. Sooooo clean.

And that’s it for now. What’d you get lately?

Comic Shop Stop: What I Bought This Week

Sometimes it's new stuff. Sometimes it's old stuff. Sometimes it'll be back issues or the same ol' thing I got 4 weeks ago. Whatever the case is, here's what I got at the shop this week (lemme know if you wanna borrow anything):



KICK-ASS #8 - Man, this started while I was still at Wizard. Doesn't feel like all that long ago, and I'm excited to read this final issue of what's being called volume 1. Looking forward to the movie, too. Rent Layer Cake if you haven't seen it yet, by the way.



SWORD #21 - Neat cover! I heart the Luna Brothers so much I wanna take them behind the middle school and get them pregnant.



WALKING DEAD #69 - Lookit that cover! They made it to Washington D.C.! There are some books I can wait for the trade for, but MAN, I love reading this in single issues.



AFRODISIAC - Street Angel is one of my favorite comics ever (no shit!) and this spin-off looks like it captures all the enthusiasm and off-the-wall extravagarbonzo fun of that book. Underrated artist Jim Rugg (click here for his Watchmen sketch and here for my commission from him and here for his site) and writer Brian Maruca reteam for a gorgeous hardcover presentation from AdHouse that's way way more than a blaxploitation paint-by-number and more of full throttle urban action adventure for your face (and pants). Sean already read it, and you should, too!!

How about you guys? Get anything good?

(Quick disclaimer: I borrow a LOT of stuff from Ben each week from Marvel, so I don't always buy single issues of the Marvel books. And I get everything from DC, WildStorm, Vertigo, and Zuda for free, so I never really buy anything from them unless I'm picking up for somebody else. So don't take my exclusion of DC stuff as a sign that the books aren't good enough to buy. They are. So there.)

Comic Shop Stop: What I Bought This Week

Just like last week, I stopped by Midtown Comics on Wednesday and grabbed some new stuff.

Sometimes it's new stuff. Sometimes it's old stuff. Sometimes it'll be back issues or the same ol' thing I got 4 weeks ago. Whatever the case is, here's what I got at the shop this week (lemme know if you wanna borrow anything):



MEZCO JASON VOORHEES 3 & 3/4" FIGURE - I've been crushing hard on 3 and 3/4 inch action figure lines (Marvel Universe, DC Crisis) lately and ever since TJ came home from Toy Fair 2009 with a glow-in-the-dark mask variant of this puppy, I've kept my eyes open for the regular line's release. I spotted one at Big Apple Con a couple months back, but the douche retailer was selling them for $35! Luckily at Midtown, they're only $12. Jason'll be sleeping tonight on my bookshelf sandwiched between my Channing Tatum G.I. Joe and my Sam Elliott Golden Compass cowboy.



INVINICIBLE #69 - I needed issue #38, too, but after being out for only a month, Midtown decided to stock it in the back-issue bin at a 50-cent price increase and my good friend Darren backed my move to pass on the inflated purchase. Thinking back, I shoulda just bought it cause I get a discount there as it is, so those guys have saved me money in the past. Christmas time frugal monsterism just took hold when it shouldn't have, and I apologize to those who were caught in the friendly fire. I'll prolly go back tomorrow for 38.
Still, fuck yeah, Kirkman and crew (and maybe especially editor Aubrey Siterson ?) for getting us so many issues so consistantly this year!



CRIMINAL #3 - Sam's been reading Sleeper, so I'm pretty excited for her to check out THIS series from Brubaker & Phillips, too. Darren bought the deluxe hardcover like a champ and that thing is gorgous, btw. It even has the essays found in the first volume's single issues and whenever a hardcover does away with the dustjacket, I'm always a fan - I can't NOT ruin them, so I feel guilty.



DEAD DUCK OGN - I've never heard of this comedy fantasy about what I think is a zombie duck and his bizarre cast of (from what I saw during the flip-thru) hilarious supporting characters. Reminded me of longer form Liberty Meadows but in color with its animated-as-hell aesthetic, and there's a He-Man parody (!), so since I decided not to buy this other OGN that will remain nameless, I went ahead and bought this. Also reminded me of this comic I used to buy in high school, too.



SUB-LIFE VOLUME 2 - Jesus, try and find a prettier comic, I FUCKING dare you! John Pham's one-man anthology was mostly reprints from his Mome contributions when volume 1 dropped last year, but volume 2 is all new content! The front story reminded me of flipping through old galaxy photo-packed encyclopdias when I was in elementary school, and the glossy - in some places foil/in some places ribbed - covers reminded me that COMICS ARE RAD! Ahhh, buy this $8 steal!



ZOMBIES THAT ATE THE WORLD #7 - This actually came out last week, but I couldn't make it to the shop so Darren grabbed it for me and I never wrote about it. For 3 months or so, I've been having a secret affair with Guy Davis's art on BPRD, but I'd started buying this Humanoids import about the undead before I ever read BPRD. It's like I tried a few raspberrry Skittles from a friend at work and then went home only to realize I'd bought a whole thing of Very Berry Skittles a month ago and it's PACKED with raspberry Skittles! Or zombies.



SILVER STREAK COMICS - This is the second issue in the Image series where creators from today take public domain superheroes and tell throwback stories with modern twists. I shunned the first issue, then tried it, then unshunned it and shunned myself for a few days. And hey, this issue has a Paul Grist super-speedster story, so Merry Christmas. This also came out last week, but I missed it.



CROSSED #8 - I'm behind on my reading, so I bought but haven't read the last 7 issues of this Avatar book, though I trust Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows enough that blindly buying a mass serial killer attack series involving their talents is a comfortable move for me.

How about you guys? Get anything good?

(Quick disclaimer: I borrow a LOT of stuff from Ben each week from Marvel, so I don't always buy single issues of the Marvel books. And I get everything from DC, WildStorm, Vertigo, and Zuda for free, so I never really buy anything from them unless I'm picking up for somebody else. So don't take my exclusion of DC stuff as a sign that the books aren't good enough to buy. They are. So there.)

Comic Shop Stop: What I Bought This Week

Just like last week, I stopped by Midtown Comics today and grabbed some new stuff.

Sometimes it's new stuff. Sometimes it's old stuff. Sometimes it'll be back issues or the same ol' thing I got 4 weeks ago. Whatever the case is, here's what I got at the shop this week (lemme know if you wanna borrow anything):



PUNISHER MAX #2 - I should prolly wait for the trade on this bastard, but I can't help grabbing a new Steve Dillon Punisher comic. His run with Ennis back in the early 00s CHANGED me. And I still haven't read ALL of Preacher...



DODGEM LOGIC #1 - Alan Moore came out with a magazine. Dod you know that? I kinda did. And at 4 bucks, I didn't mind trying it out. There's a CD inside, too. Just a weirdo thing I couldn't resist!



RUE MORGUE #96 - My first issue of Rue Morgue! I'm a big supporter of Horrorhound, but this issue has a special section on VHS stuff, and since I passed on picking up Portable Grindhouse in the store (I'm gonna order if from Amazon this evening, prolly), I had VHS in mind. Plus: an article on Squirrel Machine!



WALKING DEAD #68 - I used to have a hookup on this series, but ever since it dried up I've been happy to grab the single issues. I'll eventually trade up for the over-sized hardcovers, but these single issues heighten the serial comic cliffhanger to new levels.

How about you guys? Get anything good?

(Quick disclaimer: I borrow a LOT of stuff from Ben each week from Marvel, so I don't always buy single issues of the Marvel books. And I get everything from DC, WildStorm, Vertigo, and Zuda for free, so I never really buy anything from them unless I'm picking up for somebody else. So don't take my exclusion of DC stuff as a sign that the books aren't good enough to buy. They are. So there.)

Comic Shop Stop: What I Bought This Week

Just like last week, I stopped by Midtown Comics today and grabbed some new stuff.

Sometimes it's new stuff. Sometimes it's old stuff. Sometimes it'll be back issues or the same ol' thing I got 4 weeks ago. Whatever the case is, here's what I got at the shop this week (lemme know if you wanna borrow anything):

INVINCIBLE PRESENTS ATOM EVE & REX SPLODE #2 - Thank Marmaduke Kirkman and crew let the world have more Invincible every month than just the monthly title. This miniseries just so happens to be by some of my favorite creators - Nate Bellegarde and Benito Cereno - too. Pick up their book Hector Plasm if you ever find it!!

COMIC BOOK COMICS #4 - I snagged the first 2 issues of this book ABOUT comics back at Wizard World Philly this year on the cheap-cheap and then I spotted this guy at the store today. I was gonna pass and try and find it in a quarter bin down the road, but I flipped through and saw a long story about Stan Lee that seemed unafraid to show the blemishes on Lee's career and didn't smooth over the controversies, so I said, "balls it," and grabbed the thing. Plus, a story about Herge!

KING CITY #3 - Brandon Graham's magazine-sized book is one of my favorite reasons to go to the comic shop each month. It's fun and big and vibrant and exciting. I LOVE COMICS!



THE SWORD #20 - The Luna Brothers kidnapped my heart with their pitch-perfect thriller Girls and I'm enjoying this modern-day fantasy epic just as much. Pretty!



THE COMICS JOURNAL #300 - A buddy of mine at work has been giving me his copies of The Comics Journal each month for a while now, but I've been anticipating this final issue packed with interviews for so long that I had to grab it at the store when I spotted it.



SON OF MARVEL READING CHRONOLOGY - Wanna know what order to read Marvel collections in? Boom: get this. Wanna see the rad art that accompanied Sean's Marvel Oral History in a recent issue of Maxim? Boom: get this. Want something free? BOOOOM: get this.

How about you guys? Get anything good?

(Quick disclaimer: I borrow a LOT of stuff from Ben each week from Marvel, so I don't always buy single issues of the Marvel books. And I get everything from DC, WildStorm, Vertigo, and Zuda for free, so I never really buy anything from them unless I'm picking up for somebody else. So don't take my exclusion of DC stuff as a sign that the books aren't good enough to buy. They are. So there.)

Comic Shop Stop: What I Bought This Week

After stopping by Midtown Comics today - a day where we got out early from work in celebration of the holiday this week - it struck me that I was excited to see what was bought by the other guys with whom I went to the store. Who DOESN'T like to see what their buddies bought at the comic shop?

SO! In celebrating that curiosity, I've decided to post each week what I've picked up at the comic shop. Sometimes it's new stuff. Sometimes it's old stuff. Sometimes it'll be back issues or the same ol' thing I got 4 weeks ago. Whatever the case is, here's what I got at the shop this week (lemme know if you wanna borrow anything):

MUPPET SHOW: THE TREASURE OF PEG-LEG WILSON #4 - Missed this when it came out last week. And I got THIS cover, too! Roger Langridge!

IMAGE UNITED #1 - As if being written by Kirkman, who I love, wasn't enough, this bastard is drawn by a bunch of different guys within the same panels. I can't wait to see what this oddball looks like! And it might even be a great read! Ahhhhhhhh!

ULTIMATE AVENGERS #4 - I REALLY don't like the taint-expose pose on characters. Even still, I caved in and grabbed the first 3 issues of this for-fun book a couple weeks ago in time to grab this new TODAY.

SPARKY O'HARE - I fell in love with the creator known as Mawil after We Can Still Be Friends earlier this year and then bought Beach Safari. So I was surprised to see this new title from Blank Slate new in the store this week - especially since I didn't see it on the ship lists I study before hitting the store each week. This is exactly why browsing is fun!

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS #2 - What am I gonna do? NOT buy the new book by Brubaker and Sean Phillips? Pffft. SOLD.

IKIGAMI VOL. 3 - This manga series about the government choosing someone at random to kill each day in order to shock the populace into a more fervent life has had me hooked since I saw volume 1 in solicits forever ago. I didn't even know volume 3 was due out today! This is one of those books that people who are afraid of reading manga should definitely check out. You're warned. Viz Signature are some quality-ass guys.

SYNCOPATED VOL. 1 - I really meant to grab this about 94 times in my life and never did. Walking over to the checkout line today, it caught my eye again, so I snagged this sweet little anthology book from 2002 (that was almost 8 years ago, people!) featuring guys such as James Kochalka, Nate Powell, Ivan Brunetti and many more. Solid, clean stuff. And I can finally mark it off my "to buy" list.

How about you guys? Get anything good?

(Quick disclaimer: I borrow a LOT of stuff from Ben each week from Marvel, I don't always buy single issues of the Marvel books. And I get everything from DC, WildStorm, Vertigo, and Zuda for free, so I never really buy anything from them unless I'm picking up for somebody else. So don't take my exclusion of DC stuff as a sign that the books aren't good. They are. So there.)