Pick of the Week Podcast
Show Notes
Introducing: War Corner. From now on and always.
Running Time: 01:05:18
Pick of the Week:
00:03:16 – Wytches #2
Comics:
00:14:32 – Batman #36
00:19:10 – Copperhead #4
00:24:19 – The Kitchen #1
00:29:47 – Thor #2
00:33:34 – All-New Captain America #1 / Superior Iron Man #1
00:41:33 – Drifter #1
00:43:34 – Savage Hulk #6
00:45:33 – Howtoons: Reignition #4
00:46:58 – She-Hulk #10
00:48:07 – Batgirl #36
Book of the Month:
00:49:40 – Conor brings us the October Book of the Month in November, and it’s The Batman Adventures, Vol. 1.
Audience Questions:
00:55:45 – Ben wants to know what comics we love from before we were born.
Music:
“Everybody Wants Some!!”
Van Halen
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Conor, what is the paper quality for the BOTM? Newspaper or glossy? Thanks!
It’s definitely not glossy.
But it’s not the horrible Vertigo trade quality, right?
I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Vertigo trade. But then again, it’s not usually something that I notice.
Better off Dead was great! “I want my 2 dollars!”
“Its Clint Barton! That’d be a helluva twist” (or something like that). That was gold, Conor! Thor #2 was my pick of the pick (despite its ugly logo). I just really like watching how Dauterman draws Thor fighting frost giants, and then I went back and re-read #25 and liked it that much more. Jason Aaron really does it for me. The book had a kinda “Big” (the movie) feel to it that made it fun and fresh. Its not Ribic and the AMAZING first 12 issue run, but its still superhero gold.
Wytches was cool, and I’m in for at least another issue, but I think it falls in that “Copperhead” area for me. I just don’t have the time to read everything that is “good”. Nowadays, with kids and work, etc, each book I pull needs to be pull me to my LCS on Wednesday, and if I’m not looking forward to it, then it gets cut. That’s part of the reason I liked your discussion on books you liked before you were born. I was born in ’83 and love late 70’s early 80’s Batman. So much good stuff in there that my Wednesday pulls get pushed aside.
Nice show as usual guys, always look forward to it. Have a great a week.
No one even mentioned “Django / Zorro” #1.
The great Quentin Tarantino’s first (I believe) foray into comics??
And with legendary Matt Wagner along for the ride, to boot.
I admit, I didn’t like it as much as I was hoping to, but still… it wasn’t awful. The portrayal of Zorro here was downright interesting.
Has anyone besides me heard of this? lol
Yep! Gonna pick it up when I hit my shop, I know Francavila did the cover as well.
Put this on and read the iFanboy Book-of-the-Month… “Batman: TAS” vinyl record. Beautiful design. http://mondotees.com/collections/music/products/batman-the-animated-series-die-cut-12-single
Great show as ever. You’re likely correct as to why the mind-altered Sam Wilson isn’t being a tool in Captain America, Conor. Happily, he is being all-Axis over in Al Ewing and Luke Ross’ Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #1 this week – definitely worth a read.
Julia Pennyworth was a regular in the Eighties Batman strips back when Gerry Conway/Doug Moench/Gene Colan/Don Newton and co were flipping back and forth between Detective Comics and Batman. Originally Julia Remarque, she was the product of Alfred’s wartime liaison with Mlle Marie.
If that woman from SHIELD is Thor. it’s almost appropriate – she’s a shieldmaiden (so much as anyone at Marvel is a maiden these days)..
I was thinking it was her too, and her name is left off the list in the letters page to which Aaron makes a little comment…only thing is, that she was on the moon. Could be the blue part of the moon where humans can breathe…
As for Julia…what a great time that was for the Batman books. Wonderfully rich supporting cast and a great long-game.
“Now that’s a real shame when folks be throwin’ away a perfectly good white boy like that. ” Better off Dead is an amazing movie. His mother was amazing cook.
I think there is another clue that it is Roz as the new Thor. She mentions in a thought bubble having met the Minotaur but he doesn’t know it.
On Josh’s comments about the quantity of Image books , I think he might be on to something and Ron Richards’ reply was a bit smart ass. The quality of the books is subjective of course and I buy a few series in trade, but the quantity of books does stop me trying anything new unless I have heard /seen a very good review and then remember to pick up the trade of the first few issues.
That is fine , however I attended a Image panel at DICE , where a few creators , Declan Shalvey , Jamie McKelvie, Jordie Bellaire , Kieron Gillien contributing from the seats. The creators laid out in a good bit of detail what the image deal is .
It is self publishing effectively, the creators are all ( apparently there are exceptions but details of that are private , rightly) working for no page rate up front, ie until the actual sales of the first issues come in do they get paid. I think one of the creators actually mentioned the first trade sales being the first time they got paid.
I have a little knowledge of the self publishing route and this is par for the course. But in the Image case I have mixed feelings as Image’s role in this means there is not much to stop them overdoing the quantity in total of the books published , they presumably get their publishing fee from each issue sold , but no incentive to bump sales of any individual series.
Like I said I have mixed feelings about this, I know that creators get to keep movie/tv rights and profits at a higher level if the book is successful , but even now they’re big if’s. Anything I have read about the actual values of movie rights (not much out there ,understandably) is that even a successful movie deal won’t mean retirement money.
All the creators mentioned creative freedom , the sense of ownership etc which is great but the financial stuff bugs me.
Say what you like about the big two but you get paid when the work is done and you don’t have to spend your time promoting the book which is an absolute necessity in self publishing. Even an unsuccessful big two book pays the creators, an unsuccessful self published one means no money.
If I have got anything wrong about the image deal I am happy to be corrected and I don’t have an axe to grind with Image the company or any of the people working in it.
I have heard creators say that they do not get paid until the first trade as well, this is true for series that don’t sell that great. Ron Marz on Shiki for Image is one of the ones I remember reading this about. Basically you can utilize your fan base at Image. If you are a popular creator you can sell books around the 10k range which is where I have heard cited by Brandon Monteclare of where they need to be on Rocket Girl to keep pace with what him and Amy Reeder would be pulling in on big 2 books. Anything additional to that is Gravy, with popular books pulling the creators quite a bit more than a big 2 book would get them.
Some Creators wouldn’t have the big 2 options. Image is a place big 2 creators go to tell stories they want to tell once they have gained some audience at the big 2, it is also a place to gain recognition to get work with the big 2. Marvel and DC.
Marvel and DC comics also have promotion, they are at con panels promoting the books and they do circuits of interviews with podcasts and comic media sights to promote those big 2 books. The big 2 are also pretty keen on sales as if you drop below a certain amount they will find a creative team that will sell or cancel the book and you are out a job.
If creators don’t like it which many of them do seem to like, then there is other deals in town at Dark Horse, Oni, Vertigo, Icon etc etc.
Keep in mind if you want to be raking money hand over fist and your name isn’t Robert Kirkman then you probably shouldn’t be in comics.
Agree with all your points , some other things about Image and comics business come to mind
I know a few people who work in the animation business at fairly good levels ( character design work) and they are very keen to get into the comics industry , the pay is better ( page rate anyway), the working conditions are way better in terms of hours , deadlines etc.
Remember the notice that Robert Kirkman got for the Video laying out how the industry should work ? One point on that interesting discussion stood out Kirkman sold ( and sells ) using Image as creator friendly financially using his own experience as an example. Granted the money in any industry is always secret ( unless you are a director of a public quoted company) and when anybody talks about money they are lying if their mouths are moving, but Kirkman’s Walking Dead experience is a huge exception, and should not be used as an example for any creator
In terms of the type of material Image currently puts out it has great depth , si fi , crime , horror etc but the vast majority of the books are aimed at 16 years + , there aren’t many books in their range that would appeal to a younger age group. This is not just a matter of swearing or nudity , but complexity of storytelling and art are turns offs too. Most of the books from the big 2 are accessible to a wider age group.(This is NOT a quality judgement btw). That is what touched off my comment – at what point are Image books going to eat themselves in sales ? They are mostly going for the same audience.
The creators rights /conditions discussion has and is a heated one because of the points raised here and above , it is a messy area but it is the same for any creative industry.
I am working in the Medical R + D area and the same issues arise there too, and I am sure arise in all areas with a creative side.
I would love to see a chart with a break down of the differences with the creator own deals from Image- Icon- Oni etc.
VanHalen + Ray Liotta laugh = best show opening ever!