cahubble09

January 11, 2012 1:49 am There's only one left. Not much to get worked up over ...

January 11, 2012 1:48 am OMFG ... was that literally the first word that the Female has ever said in the entire series? LMAO!!!!!

January 8, 2012 11:59 am Yet more proof that DC's "New 52" hasn't changed the status quo. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36301 Marvel wins in overall, DC dominates top ten ... but more importantly, total sales year over year are up only 10%. In addition to the "New 52", that can be explained by any number of reasons ... bounce back in the economy, holiday sales, yada yada yada ... but is the industry growing and bringing in new readers? I don't see it.

January 6, 2012 2:32 am God I love this comic ... so amazingly good ...

December 20, 2011 6:03 pm I hear you. My gut tells me that the only specialty shops that will survive will be those who complement their brick and mortar operations with internet-based storefronts (e.g. TFAW, Midtown, Lone Star Comics, etc. etc.) and who try to carry a diverse inventory. I sure as heck would not want to be in this business because the risks associated with monthly ordering are brutal. The LCS I frequent sold out ALL their New 52 titles within weeks because another local shop closed down. That was a major opportunity missed. Occasionally, I'll buy a digital copy and read it on my iPad if I'm feeling impatient about waiting until the month-end DCBS shipment.

December 20, 2011 2:27 pm mixed feelings about pre-orders ... I can see why an LCS might want to rely on them. They do take on all the risk of over- or under-ordering after all, don't they? I order all my regular titles through DCBS, and then walk into the LCS if/when I hear about something on a podcast that sounds interesting ... but my back issue purchases I'm sure help to keep at least one LCS in Texas in business. It's too bad there's no way to follow your office compatriots longitudinally to see of the reading habit sticks and/or branches out into other genres. A key issue, IMO, is the lack of youth-friendly books. Last year at FCBD I was looking for something for an eight-year old nephew and only one or two of the books available fit the bill. Although the greatest irony was sitting down with my nephew to read Axe-Cop, a comic written by a five year old, only to discover just how brutally violent that particular five year old's mind is. ;) I buy comics and graphic novels every Christmas for all my nephews and nieces. Hopefully the experience of reading will stick with them into adulthood. The industry seems to be geared toward an audience that possesses disposable income sufficient to support the habit, but that locks out bringing in young new readers. A real catch-22 ...

December 20, 2011 1:23 pm I also found Uncanny X-Force to be indescribably amazing and just can't seem to quit Fantastic Four/FF.

December 20, 2011 1:20 pm 2011 left me feeling glad that I spread my dollars around. I enjoyed "Fear Itself", but agree it wasn't a stellar endeavor. JIM, actually, was the sleeper of the year for me. Following the adventures of kid Loki was addictive; both the story and artwork in that title were extraordinary. I'm also a perennial X-Factor/PAD fan--so just haven't been all that disappointed with Marvel, since my exposure is minimal. I was disappointed with the New 52, because they axed two of my favorite titles: Batman and Robin, Red Robin. The new Batman and Robin feels like it is treading old ground as Bruce attempts to mold Damian in his image. The chemistry between Dick and Damian made the previous book for me. With that said, I'm excited that DC has finally gotten around to publishing Batwoman, and I don't feel disappointed with that title thus far. And I just don't agree that DC's reboot has successfully brought NEW readers into the industry. My LCS talks about old readers RETURNING as a result of the New 52--but NOT about new readers coming in. DC's marketing campaign was foolish in that it focused on EXISTING readers. Time will demonstrate, I believe, that DC failed to fundamentally alter the status quo dynamics of the industry; they simply haven't succeeded in bringing new young readers to the market. And the utter lack of youth-friendly material will prove to be a serious miscalculation. Of course, until the big two start releasing digital sales numbers, we won't know for certain. Some smaller publishers' work was far more engaging and compelling for me. Boom!'s Starborn was fun and what they're doing with "Planet of the Apes" (both the ongoing and "Betrayal") has been phenomenal. Boom! also wrapped up a successful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". What made that project most compelling for me was the use of Dick's prose in its entirety. The back-matter in that book was also worthwhile reading. Dark Horse's "Star Wars: Invasion" also made for enjoyable reading. Vertigo's "DMZ" was reliable and the hilarious shock factor of Dynamite's "The Boys" never disappointed (although both books had their less-than-stellar moments as well). All in all, I enjoyed comics this year--but am glad I'm not hooked into any single publisher. Based on reviews and comments from other readers, I think I would have been bored to tears and disillusioned if I had limited myself to the fare being offered by the big 2.

December 15, 2011 8:05 pm Thank you! Seen them, and I think her work is stunning ... but I'm waiting especially to see the interiors. Williams' layouts have been amazing.

December 13, 2011 2:43 pm You know ... it's funny ... I've been looking forward to Amy Reeder's arc. But now I'm starting to wonder what it will look like. I think she is a wonderful artist and (thinking back on her Madame Xanadu renditions of London and Paris) is perfect for drawing Gotham--but I wonder if the shift from Williams to Reeder may be too much for some readers to bear. It will be interesting.