tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6376817072528467092012-02-16T05:36:03.065-06:00remember to always shoot for the headskullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-36868034843441678352011-08-29T00:18:00.004-05:002011-08-29T09:16:56.818-05:00

We are basically only a few days away from the start of DC's new 52 and there are still a few unanswered questions bouncing around in my brain. So I figured I would bounced them off of the internet as well. 1) There are four Lantern-related books in the relaunch. However, none of them appear to feature Hal Jordan (either at all or in any major role). So for those among us who don't mind the

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-78748011749633559812011-07-10T22:40:00.019-05:002011-07-10T23:04:52.712-05:00

Now that the details of the DC 'non-reboot' (as they want to phrase it) have had a little time to sink in, I want to have a look at how the relaunch will be affecting my reading list.To start, I will list the DC titles I have been reading regularly within the past year. A few of these titles were actually cancelled in recent months (even before the news of the relaunch was released), but they are

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-8293556007603938402011-06-24T23:56:00.009-05:002011-06-25T00:03:08.668-05:00

Get ready for a really long blog entry. The purpose of this blog entry is to take a quick look at DC's 52 new series and provide some thoughts on the potential of these titles and which ones will be finding their way onto my buy list.Justice League by the creative team of Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams. This one is going to feature the big guns of the DCU and is a title guaranteed to

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-19159116089179742012011-06-18T11:27:00.003-05:002011-06-18T11:30:58.807-05:00

DC has announced that following the end of their Flashpoint event, the entire DCU will be getting a jumpstart with every current title being cancelled and 52 new titles getting launched.These new titles will bring many changes to the DCU and the characters readers have been following for years. While we won't know the extent of these changes until those books actually hit the racks in September,

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-87986948632005184992011-05-07T23:41:00.004-05:002011-05-07T23:45:12.935-05:00

You know how you’re aware of certain things, but you’re not really ‘aware’ of them.There are a lot of comics (both in print and web form) out there. A LOT.So it is pretty easy to overlook stuff. Maybe because you just don’t know quite enough about some projects or you think you know enough but you really don’t, so you end up not really paying attention to a lot of stuff.And in a lot of cases,

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-78115725504973395362011-01-30T12:57:00.003-06:002011-01-30T13:08:27.458-06:00

I realize I'm behind here since comics previews (from the February issue of Previews -- which will be in stores next week) for several of the major publishers have already been presented by the comics press, but I'm going to talk about the January issue of Previews (comics solicited for March publication), and more specifically the Marvel section of Previews.Marvel is celebrating the 70th

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-85279304036304070292010-02-09T01:08:00.001-06:002010-02-09T20:07:39.783-06:00

March is tentacle porn month at DCOnly this time the targets are male characters.JSA All-Stars No. 4Superman No. 698Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton No. 1The Shield No. 7

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-39097976143547623292009-09-30T19:09:00.001-05:002009-10-13T22:32:14.264-05:00

This blog is on haitus for the time being.I'm hoping to find time to come back to it and actually give it the sort of attention I had originally intended.  If I determine that isn't possible however, then I will likely discontinue it entirely.

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-65632728801703061812009-08-31T22:13:00.002-05:002009-09-01T00:29:53.826-05:00

With the news that Disney is going to be purchasing Marvel Entertainment we find the landscape of the comic industry undergoing a potential major change. Marvel has already seen changes in recent years as the publishing arm of the company has shifted focus to maximizing profits by inundating the market with more and more material (a case of quantity over quality if you will) in order to meet the

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-12727462086089824502009-07-31T13:16:00.009-05:002009-08-02T23:07:46.746-05:00

The recent jump to the $3.99 price point for some titles has been implemented in different ways. Marvel Comics bumped up the price on their top level monthly titles and mini-series and left their mid-level and lower selling titles at the $2.99 price. DC initially bumped up seven monthly titles and select mini-series (plus two more recently premiering titles) and left the rest of their line at the

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-34700847890036690872009-06-30T21:08:00.004-05:002009-06-30T21:11:19.193-05:00

Now that the final issue of the second mini-series has finally hit the stands, I sat down and read the entirety of Mouse Guard: Winter 1152. Written and illustrated by the very talented David Petersen and published by Archaia Studios Press, Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 follows the travails of Guard members Saxon, Kenzie, Lieam, Sadie as they travel with the legendary Celanawe on a mission to deliver

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-26992379478042288572009-05-31T22:59:00.002-05:002009-05-31T23:02:14.982-05:00

Bristol: DC NationThe UK’s first DC Nation panel was rounded off with news about the Marvel family, and the place of the Justice League of America within the DCU. For the Marvels, their current storyline was finished with “Justice Society of America” #25, and following this they will be reset to become an important part of the post-“Blackest Night” DCU, with Freddy Freeman in the role of Shazam

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-23635445636616740102009-04-12T03:47:00.005-05:002009-04-12T04:02:39.822-05:00

Comic publishers have put a lot of effort into building a strong fan base for their comics. With team books, they rotate the cast until they can find the combination of characters the largest number of fans want to see. With single title characters, they ramp up the challenges to tell more compelling stories and they also do crossovers with more popular titles to try and entice the readers into

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-62113476218841144882009-03-31T20:34:00.008-05:002009-04-02T02:06:49.939-05:00

Wonder Woman (2009)Directed by Lauren MontgomeryStory by Gail Simone and Michael JelenicScreenplay by Michael JelenicFeaturing the voice talents of Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Virginia Madsen, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, and Vicki LewisSynopsis: On the mystical island of Themyscira, a proud, strong warrior race of Amazon women lives in a utopian civilization shielded from the corrupt world

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-15513558186620345232009-02-28T22:14:00.007-06:002009-02-28T23:19:26.497-06:00

DC is launching a new limited series titled Flash: Rebirth to herald the return of Barry Allen as an active player in the DC Universe. Barry Allen actually returned to the land of living last year in the second issue of the Final Crisis limited series. Flash: Rebirth is intended to re-establish Barry as the primary Flash.My question in regards to all of this is - Why?Does the DC Universe really

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-17957325391993129332009-02-04T00:25:00.007-06:002009-02-04T00:41:32.879-06:00

Legion of Super-Heroes No. 50 (DC)Writer – Justin Thyme; Penciller – Ramon Bachs; Inker - John LivesaySolicitation: Written by Jim Shooter; Art and cover by Francis Manapul and Livesay. It's the final issue! The climactic conclusion of the Universal Annihilation War is here and every Legionnaire, every reservist and even the United Planets' Young Heroes battle to save existence. Also featuring

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-54523923195943834282009-01-31T23:07:00.002-06:002009-02-02T21:18:57.093-06:00

Diamond has recently raised their purchase order benchmark from $1,500 to $2,500. For those unfamiliar with this benchmark, this means the publisher has to be selling enough copies of their title to merit Diamond paying them at least $2,500 to buy said copies (and Diamond is buying them at a discounted level --- as mentioned in part one of this post, that discount is close to 60% for some

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-55036999777085762262009-01-28T22:23:00.007-06:002009-02-01T00:07:30.400-06:00

As most, if not all, of you have probably heard by now, Marvel will be raising the price of their monthly titles to $3.99 in 2009.In regards to that price increase, Brian Hibbs mentioned this is his most recent column:‘The reason Marvel is willing to try selling regular monthly comics at $3.99 is because 10 of the top 10 for the year are $3.99.’Given the current economic climate, one might wonder

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-31409107452669476962008-12-30T22:25:00.001-06:002008-12-30T22:27:03.882-06:00

I bought a copy of DC's re-launch of the Vigilante title last week.I know why I bought it. Walt Simonson is doing the covers and Rick Leonardi is doing the interior art. Two artists whose work I greatly enjoyed through the late 80s and 90s (and even some this decade, though their output has certainly diminished to some degree). And the Vigilante is a character I quite enjoyed in the late 80s

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-45918360753605176032008-12-09T22:57:00.006-06:002008-12-09T23:06:19.011-06:00

So were those intended jabs at Bendis by Grant Morrison (Batman no. 681) and Paul Dini (Detective Comics no. 850) in the final issues of their R.I.P. arcs?I found the inclusion of the line quite humorous.

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-65373905093537668032008-11-16T02:04:00.006-06:002008-12-09T23:01:53.005-06:00

Title = favorite saying of mine. That's the way it goes. Typically doesn't mean a good thing.So this is my DC rant.Initially I was ticked with the Robin/Nightwing/Birds of Prey cancellations until I stopped and thought about it. And then it all (almost) made sense. Batman R.I.P. It has been close to the vest at this point and they are attempting to position readers to believe someone else

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-48047987852286177002008-11-10T01:08:00.003-06:002008-11-10T01:27:06.942-06:00

I had the good fortune of picking up a couple of projects this week from two of my favorite female comic creators.The first was Magic Trixie Sleeps Over from Jill Thompson. The back cover gives an age range for the story of 8-12. I am decidely out of that particular range (by a good couple of decades plus), but I very much enjoyed it nonetheless.First I have to say that I love the watercolor

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-66094690264001739582008-10-19T20:53:00.001-05:002008-10-19T20:54:31.487-05:00

I check comics news sites just about every single day. Comicbookresources.com, Heidi McDonald's The Beat, and Newsarama.com on occassion (I used to hit Newsarama all the time, but I really don't care for the redesign of the site so now I hardly visit).Quite often there is a column, interview, or news item related to Amazing Spider-Man. And to be honest, I have yet to click on a single

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-35055190533381721772008-09-27T22:34:00.007-05:002008-09-27T22:45:00.961-05:00

I just found out the biggest Spider-Man fan that I know stopped reading Amazing Spider-Man 3 months ago.This is a guy who used to buy Marvel titles that he didn't regularly read simply because they had a Spidey cameo in them (and that included even the smallest of appearances --- such as Spidey showing up in the background of some big group fight on a cover --- even if he didn't actually appear

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-38060287416320114892008-09-14T21:54:00.004-05:002008-09-14T22:05:59.167-05:00

Made two trips to the LCS this week (I wasn't able to stop in last week due to other time commitments). Picked up lots of good comics, many of which I haven't yet read.And that is because hurricane Ike decided to blow through town very early Saturday morning. I was fortunate in that my home took minimal damage. A tree broke in half (luckily it did not land on the house), part of my gutters

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-62051828282581029652008-09-01T00:21:00.004-05:002008-09-01T00:25:50.702-05:00

Been almost a month since I last posted, so I'll try to make some brief mention of what I've read recently and what I thought of it.The first issue of Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (DC) was really quite good. Written by Geoff Johns with art by George Perez and Scott Koblish, it was definitely one of the more impressive titles I picked up that particular week. It is obviously a Final Crisis

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-36623699881827121462008-08-03T01:08:00.007-05:002008-08-04T18:12:49.344-05:00

Back in January of this year, I commented (in my zine for the MZS APA) on how Joe Quesada's move to cancel the lower selling Spider-Man titles in order to consolidate everything under the Amazing Spider-Man banner (with 3 issues published per month) would allow him to hide the decline in the actual number of readers of the main title even while the overall monthly sales would be higher. I even

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-36169651593735435842008-07-26T15:06:00.002-05:002008-07-26T15:13:45.695-05:00

Is it just me or has Comic-Con 2008 been rather ... ho-hum thus far?I know there have been several announcements of some notable degree (new Vertigo Crime imprint from DC, Disney/Pixar projects at BOOM! Studios, and Devil's Due teaming with TriggerStreet.com among them), but two days into the Con there hasn't really been any big announcements the likes of what we've seen in previous years. Even

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-36161764578282461102008-07-13T02:58:00.006-05:002008-07-15T22:06:22.567-05:00

I'm trying to figure out where the buzz is for this title. I'm trying to figure out why there doesn't really seem to be much of anyone talking about this title. I'm really trying to figure out why some of the people who I would expect to be making mention of this title are not doing so.Is it simply that no one knows about it???I realize is it published by IDW and they don't have the presence of

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-44722575105003893712008-07-01T23:33:00.005-05:002008-07-01T23:42:02.952-05:00

Madame Xanadu No. 1 (DC-Vertigo) - $2.99Matt Wagner - Writer; Amy Reader Hadley - ArtistSynopsis: Centuries long and around the globe her tale winds before the ageless fortuneteller arrives in modern era New York. Her powers of sight can change the course of human events, but how does the seer see herself? The first issue opens into a medieval kingdom beset by intrigue and foul sorcery. A fair

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-83145875619273024742008-06-18T21:40:00.004-05:002008-06-18T23:24:07.209-05:00

Currently DC is running a story in the Batman family of titles known as Batman R.I.P.Though it hasn't been revealed exactly what the acronym R.I.P. details in terms of repercussions for the Dark Knight come the finale of this tale, there have been statements to the effect that Batman will not be dying.In truth, this is just a smoke screen. Because Batman does indeed die. But Batman R.I.P. is

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-40333100414561154012008-06-17T23:29:00.003-05:002008-06-18T21:44:22.746-05:00

The Vinyl Underground is a comic that has encountered the same fate as many others that have come before it. It opened with little fan-fare and promotion and subsequently has seen the small sales one would expect from a title that hasn't been properly marketed by the publisher.The Vinyl Underground is a Vertigo title and like most other books published under that imprint, it is a damn good

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-24972816824248392762008-06-03T21:55:00.005-05:002008-06-03T22:10:45.290-05:00

I've been rather neglectful of this blog of late.  It hasn't been for a lack of reading material.  There has been plenty of that.  There was a time crunch for a couple of months, but that is no longer the case.  Really the issue has been a lack of desire in blogging.  I'll try to do better in the coming weeks.Here are some quick hit thoughts on a few of the things I read recently.Wonder Woman No.

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-5475445125224082082008-05-21T23:27:00.007-05:002008-05-21T23:45:47.098-05:00

Had quite a treat today.I got to see the Death Note live-action movie.It was a 2 night only engagement.  I'd read several weeks back that it was going to be coming around, but then I completely forgot about it.  Tonight was actually the second night, so I almost missed it.  Fortunately my comic shop had a flyer for it and I noticed it when I went in to pick up my books this week.  Still, once I

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-40642934756521775782008-05-08T21:43:00.006-05:002008-05-08T22:05:42.543-05:00

I've been quite busy as of late (so much so that I have nearly three months worth of trade paperbacks sitting on my table waiting to be read -- and this after I was finally able to catch up on over 2 months worth of individual comics) and obviously haven't posted in a few weeks.This isn't going to be a monolithic post though.I drove up to Dallas to attend CAPE this past weekend (and also to

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-68102726702377760002008-04-20T19:00:00.004-05:002008-04-20T19:08:37.165-05:00

Amulet – Book One The Stonekeeper (Scholastic) - $9.99Written and illustrated by Kazu KibuishiSynopsis: After a family tragedy, Emily, Navin, and their mother move to an ancestral home to start a new life. On the family’s very first night in the mysterious new house, Emily and Navin’s mother is kidnapped by a tentacled creature. Now it’s up to Emily and Navin to figure out how to set things

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-42240721068747115972008-04-10T01:51:00.006-05:002008-04-13T21:15:55.826-05:00

Bride of the Water God [vol. 1 & 2] (Dark Horse)Written and illustrated by Mi-Kyung YunSynopsis: When Soah’s impoverished, desperate village decides to sacrifice her to the Water God Habaek to end a long drought, they believe that drowning one beautiful girl will save their entire community and bring much-needed rain. Not only is Soah surprised to be rescued by the Water God – instead of killed –

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-84802063053913823232008-04-01T23:37:00.005-05:002008-04-02T13:54:05.861-05:00

There has been much opinion and discussion of late in regards to the developing relationship between Diana of Themyscira and Tom Tresser (AKA Nemesis). Amy Reads (she of the exceptionally written blog Arrogant Self-Reliance) has expressed her own, perhaps undefinable, dislike of Tresser. I also have not found the romance to be particularly agreeable. While I've been reading comics for nigh on

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-70500559543218107132008-03-23T12:37:00.010-05:002008-03-23T17:04:48.553-05:00

I'm not reading Secret Invasion (wasn't even planning on reading it prior to my complete boycott of Marvel comics post OMD) so I probably shouldn't even bother commenting on it. But I will [grin]. Not really the event itself, but some of the ramifications.If you really think about the situation going into the series, you have to ask yourself a question. What is the result of the replacement in

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-81928262680361832092008-03-22T04:13:00.003-05:002008-03-22T06:12:45.570-05:00

Neozoic No. 1 (Red 5 Comics) - $2.95Paul Ens - Writer; J. Korim - ArtistSynopsis: Eighty million years into the Earth’s Cretaceous period, a comet destined to strike the northern continent was redirected by less than a single degree. The huge rock instead collided with the moon, saving the oblivious dinosaur kingdom from their extinction and dooming the emerging mammals to a harsh co-existence

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-89597039142566045232008-03-22T04:03:00.006-05:002008-03-22T06:11:44.344-05:00

The Vinyl Underground No. 1 (DC/Vertigo) - $2.99Si Spencer - Writer; Simon Gane - Pencils; Cameron Stewart - InksSynopsis: In this fast-paced, ultra-cool ongoing crime-noir series, an unlikely quartet of occult detectives secretly solve crimes — from DJ crack bars in Camden to the elegant, high-society ballrooms that make up modern London. The Vinyl Underground is led by Morrison Shepherd, a

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-78904317439538513742008-03-22T03:58:00.005-05:002008-03-22T06:10:44.749-05:00

Justice League of America Wedding Special (DC) - $3.99Dwayne McDuffie - Writer; Mike McKone - Pencils; Andy Lanning - InksThe ‘wedding’ referred to in Wedding Special is that of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen (Black Canary and Green Arrow for the DC-impaired among you). However, to call this particular issue a ‘wedding special’ is really a joke. Frankly, it has almost nothing to do with the wedding

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637681707252846709.post-78020479906565406222008-03-22T03:52:00.004-05:002008-03-22T06:09:37.383-05:00

Typically I post my comic 'reviews' on the MZS APA web-site, but I will cross-post some of them here on occassion.

skullduggeryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00094390152364651764noreply@blogger.com0