Most of you can’t help with these. I know my readers are
Joe Punchclocks just like me. We are in the mud, making this country function. Then again….it doesn’t hurt to ask.I love The Flash, but the book can’t seem to get any traction. Anytime momentum builds we have a delay. If I didn’t know better, I would think that the Rogues have come to Earth-Prime and are messing with the schedule. Did Johns or Manapaul get hit with any suspicous boomerangs? Were the pages suspicously frozen? Help a Flash fan out!
Stop Hoarding
If you keep getting a series and you haven’t actually read an issue in nine months, I want to give you a gift. I grant you release from your psychic obligation to the series. My birthday powers give me that power. You can continue to imagine that you are purchasing that series while spending the money on books that you are actually excited to read.
Collect All-Star Squadron
This beloved series has never been collected, which is criminal. The JSA has become a firmly established part of the modern DC universe and these stories would provide great insight into the history of these characters. People dig WWII stories. They got sweet villains and poignant moments. Make this happen.
More Comic Book TV Shows
The Walking Dead pilot has me thinking in a new direction. TV is the way to go. It matches the serialized nature of comics. It gives characters room to breathe. The producers can adjust on the move as they see how their product is interacting with the audience. A well done TV show can generate the same emotional investment as the monthly periodical. Cliff-hangers. Reoccuring villains. The fun part of comics. You can even have a bad episode and still have hope for the next one.
Marvel/DC Crossovers
In the past they probably went a little overboard with the crossovers. That ends up diluting the magic. It has been long enough that fandom’s tolerance is at an all time low. A Marvel/DC crossover is going to hit everyone like a Four Loko. Shops will be filled with staggering nerds. We need this. I need this.
More Indie Success Stories
One of these wishes is bound to come true. When they do….I am taking the credit.
Tom Katers got a sweet Packers winter hat for his birthday. The Packers even decimated the Cowboys for him.
Happy Late B-Day! Hmmm…I do have a stack of unread Streets of Gotham that I haven’t read since issue 2. Okay I’ll read it!
Would Chew count as a success story? Also HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TOM
Wonderful list, Tom. Hear, hear on THE FLASH. I’m loving it but I’m also missing it.
Personally, I’ve gravitated more to YOUNG ALL-STARS than ALL-STAR SQUADRON. I’m still missing several issues, but enjoy seeing younger heroes trying to make their way during WWII. Also, it ties directly into James Robinson’s THE GOLDEN AGE, so that’s neat.
And yes, the time is ripe for another DC/Marvel crossover. I would totally read your Thing/Superman crossover.
Tom- my birthday is 11-11 also
I hope you are ready for the giant super powers upgrade next year
11-11-11
Happy belated birthday Tom!
I agree with you on the Flash. Its getting tot he point where when i get the new issue, i don’t remember the story thats been happening. I’m not one to get livid when comics ship late, BUT having to reread an entire arc cause of lateness is kinda annoying.
I like Marvel/DC crossovers in theory. They just never leave much of an impression on me. That being said i really did love the Batman/Captain America crossover from a few years ago. Had lots of self refferential humor and golden age jabs and awkward moments.
I cut my list down to only a few books a month, for budget and practicality. I don’t want to buy books i don’t read. I have a bookshelf full of trades i’ve never read, and i’m going through that slowly.
I’m gonna add some of your wish list items to my own.
Those Jimmy Olsen co-features have been a lot of fun. I hope you get everything you wish for.
The Flash is dead! Long live the Flash!
It’s crazy how late that book is. Manapul said that with his new style he can do 2 pages a day! If that’s true, what the hell is he doing?
@ctossejr: I’m not saying that this specifically applies to the case of THE FLASH because I don’t know why that book is so slow, this is more of a general statement because I see it more and more lately that when a book is late it is ALWAYS just automatically assumed that it’s the artist’s fault.
It’s definitely not always the artist’s fault that the book is late.
Happy birthday, Tom! I got you a coupon for free hugs.
@Connor: Good point. I thought about pulling my punch on Manapul because, in fact, I don’t know if it’s his fault. It could certainly be Johns who’s holding up the show. I mean, he’s got the new gig and he’s on 3 books at the moment. (GL, BD, Flash) I know BD has been on-time. GL was late one month. It might be him, but I thought he wrote things well in advance. Or, at least, that was always my impression.
Damn, i am so sick of hearing "i can’t remember what happenend last issue". I guess this is what happens when you buy too many series that you’re stuck trying to keep track of so many storylines. Personally i never understood it. In my case i can only buy once in a full moon and stick to a budget. I only buy what i know i will enjoy the most. Then i reread the hell out of the issue or issues. I never forget what happened last time, i may be confused but i don’t forget. Just buy what you wanna read and ignore peer preassure. Sheesh!
@TheConfessor: What if you want to read a lot of comics?
Happy belated B-Day, Tom! I regularly pine for those weeks when one of the "big three" is "out sick" and we get bonus Tom content in the weekly iFanboy POTW podcast! Maybe a "Tom vs." backup podcast is called for? Hmmm? Just tack it onto the end – you know – where they just ramble on about sponsors? The part I FFWD through anyay? That’s the spot.
Ah, Tom, you always cut to the heart of the thing! It’s a pleasure to read your Wisconsin-infused musings each week.
Funny, I didn’t get any powers on my 01/01/01 bday. Wait, I did. The power to please the ladyzzz! All great ideas Thomas!
1. Nick Spencer’s Jimmy Olsen is THE best thing I’m reading in comics right now. As a general rule, I choose not to buy $3.99 books, but I’ve been happily paying $3.99 for Action just for the Jimmy Olsen back-up.
2. I second "More Flash" – except by that I mean I want more Wally West.
3. Most importantly, what issue is that awesome Thing panel from??? I need to go buy it right now!
Happy Bday Tom!! An awesome Marvel/DC crossover maybe just what the industry needs!
Oh man I agree with you on The Flash. I have lost intrest in it. I waited for what seemed like 2 years for Flash Rebirth to finish.
Happy B’day.
Happy belated Birthday Tom!
@theconfessor–you shouldn’t make so many unfounded assumptions.
Momentum is important in any sort of serialized fiction like comics and tv shows. It keeps interest and makes sure that your readers/viewers don’t lose interest. Its a shame that such a great title as The Flash has such a momentum problem right now.
the irony in flash not having momentum.
the only thing that would be more ironic is if the juggarnaut had his own series with no momentum.
Thing vs Superman is a great idea.
Captain America needs to teamup with Jay Garick.
This is where you won me over:
"I want Tom Fowler to draw it."
You should be an editor.
There aren’t many people that could make me honestly say to myself, hmmmm, I should really go back and find issues of All Star Squadron, but you sir have done just that. Amazing.
Happy birthday in a belated fashion. I would love to have the All Star Sqaudron collected. Long live the original commander Steel.