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Offbeat Observations
By: Kurt AmackerDate: Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Greetings, Maniacs, and welcome to another catastrophic adventure into Comicscape. My scheduled interview for this week fell through, so I’ve reduced myself to one of those pithy observational columns. Fortunately, Wizard World Chicago wrapped last weekend and left us with some interesting news.
In a bit of news surprisingly lacking in controversy, Alex Ross and Jim Krueger – the creative team largely responsible for Marvel’s Earth X trilogy – will collaborate on a 12-issue Avengers/Invaders crossover next year. Steve Sadowksi will pencil the book based on Ross’s designs. Over at Newsarama, Ross explained that the series will take place in continuity and will feature the Invaders traveling through time to the present. Initially, Marvel teased the series with a single image of Captain America with flames behind him and the word “Return” printed across his chest. Fortunately, Ross quickly dispelled the obvious insinuation of the image – the resurrection of Captain America – and explained the time travel angle. I hate huge, drawn-out teases like that, so kudos to Marvel and Ross for coming clean so soon.
At the Mondo Marvel panel, Joe Quesada answered a few questions and dropped a couple of hints. It seems that Marvel won’t publish the last two issues of Ultimate Hulk/Wolverine until they’ve been completed. I suppose that may delight or dismay you, depending on whether you want the next issue right away or want to wait for it and know that the final one will follow on time. And, thanks to you, the fans, The Irredeemable Ant-Man is irredeemably cancelled. Unless we all run out and buy stacks of the remaining issues, the book will conclude with the twelfth issue. Curiously enough, Marvel hasn’t set a release date for The Last Fantastic Four Story – a 48-page special written by Stan Lee and drawn by John Romita, Jr. Marvel solicited the book in June with an expected ship date of August 1st. At least as a one-shot, readers can enjoy the story without a delay between issues, rather than the nightmare scenario described above with Ultimate Hulk/Wolverine.
At the aforementioned panel, Quesada confirmed his distaste for Peter Parker’s continued marriage to his wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker. He never set a particular time or circumstances for an end to their union, but he confirmed that he felt it didn’t work for Spider-Man, who should, apparently, be unmarried and miserable. Because, you know, it’s not like married people aren’t stressed and miserable (Hi, honey!).
Over at the DC panels (for there were a few), Dan Didio and company hyped the forthcoming Final Crisis miniseries without divulging a whole lot of new information. When a fan asked about the continued glut of Crises (Identity, Infinite, and Final), Didio explained that the stories move the DC Universe forward in acts, with Final Crisis wrapping everything up neatly. DC has yet to publicly say that the miniseries will end their Universe as we know it, but it sure sounds that way. Frankly, I think DC’s continuity has moved beyond repair. You can only ret-con and explain away so many contradictions and multiple origins before fans just throw up their hands and decide to move on. Marvel has the same problem, though to a lesser degree. The continuity issue hasn’t exactly rendered DC’s titles unreadable, though. I still get my two Batman books, I’ve heard fantastic things about the Sinestro Corps War and Jeff Smith’s Shazam: Monster Society of Evil did so well as to merit another, similar series – Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, by Mike Kunkel. I don’t want anyone to think I’ve turned into a DC-basher or anything. But, the guys over at The Onion AV Club pointed out that as the continuity – for both Marvel and DC, by the way – becomes more complex, it becomes less appealing to new readers and more so only to those capable of remembering vast amounts of minutiae.
In other DC news, the publisher has postponed Gail Simone’s first issue on Wonder Woman until #14, which will hit shops in November. I only remark on this because it seems that Wonder Woman fans haven’t had an easy ride with this series. After the Allan Heinberg debacle, a controversial fill-in issue by Will Pfeifer, and the much-reviled Amazons Attack! crossover, I can’t imagine what else DC has in store. The publisher claims that co-penciller Terry Dodson has a few other commitments to clear up first. I can’t comment on Dodson’s schedule. But, Simone’s presence on the title remains the last good reason to continue reading this series. One would hope that DC would prevent delays like this somehow. But, we don’t know the particulars and I don’t like to speculate. Still, it’s at the very least unfortunate that DC has allowed this title to suffer so many delays and other problems.
After Wizard World concluded, a curious bit of news about Marvel and the Dabel Brothers Productions hit the web. It seems that the two have dissolved their relationship. Most of you probably know that Dabel Brothers publishes licensed comics based on several popular novels, including Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake and Orson Scott Card’s Alvin Maker series. Dabel Brothers has switched publishers a number of times, from self-publishing to licensing through Image, Devil’s Due, Alias Enterprises, and, most recently, Marvel. Curiously enough, Marvel has retained the rights to publish those creations Dabel Brothers Productions brought with it. Thus, Marvel will continue to publish Anita Blake and the other titles on its own, while Dabel Brothers plans another line of books. Hence, whatever contract existed between the two likely allowed Marvel to retain the rights of those series under certain circumstances. We don’t know the terms of that contract, but it clearly worked out in Marvel’s favor. I haven’t read any of the Dabel Brothers titles, but they seem well-regarded. I hope that the House of Ideas continues to treat the characters with the same respect as Dabel Brothers Productions.
If anyone’s wondering why I didn’t review Stardust, it’s because I haven’t seen it yet. Strictly speaking, the story is a prose novel and not a comic book, but I probably would’ve let that go if I hadn’t had the aforementioned interview that fell through. Still, I will unceremoniously and gloriously shatter my distinction between illustrated-novels-released-as-comics and actual comics in a forthcoming interview with someone I’ve admired for a long time. It’s not Neil Gaiman, though I certainly admire him. You’ll just have to wait and see.
The Spinner Rack
By Ben “Super-Awesome” Johnson and Kurt Amacker
Ben: DC continues its decline as this week Archie and Jughead Digest outsells the entire line 3 to 1.
Kurt: You said it, not me.
DARK HORSE COMICS
Classic DC Character #4 The Flash $49.95
Ben: When did Dark Horse start making DC busts?
Rex Mundi DH Ed #7 $2.99
Ben: Writers are really reaching when they’re calling a designated hitter King of the World.
DC COMICS
Action Comics #854 (CD) $2.99
Ben: If it has a CD, you can bet you’ll See Dees feet walking away.
Kurt: Seriously, what the hell does that mean? I looked everywhere online.
Amazons Attack #5 (Of 6) $2.99
Ben: Got to hand it to DC. Two awful mega-events in one summer is an amazing achievement.
Kurt: Are you really trying to start a flame war in the comments section?
Apothecarius Argentum Vol 2 $9.99
Aquaman Sword Of Atlantis #55 $2.99
Ben: Something smells fishy about this one.
Army @ Love #6 (MR) $2.99
Black Canary #4 (Of 4) $2.99
Booster Gold #1 $3.50
Ben: I really like Booster Gold…
Booster Gold Var Ed #1 $3.50
Ben: …but a variant? C’mon DC, does a comic that will be cancelled in less than a year really need a variant?
Brave And The Bold #6 $2.99
Catwoman #70 (AA) $2.99
Ben: Hello my name is… Wait, where is everyone? Am I late? Can this joke be dragged out any longer?
Kurt: I’d like to announce an opening as my joke-writer for Comicscape.
Catwoman Its Only A Movie TP $19.99
Kurt: My friend told me that the Catwoman movie was the worst thing ever. I have yet to see it.
Checkmate #17 $2.99
Countdown 37 $2.99
Ben: My friend told me this is starting to pick up and I should get back into it. I stuffed him in a crab pot and cut the buoy.
Flash #231 $2.99
Flash Greatest Stories Ever Told $19.99
Ben: There is some kind of poetry in exposing yourself to Moby Dick.
Kurt: The Flash jokes never get old, do they?
Friday The 13th Pamelas Tale #2 (Of 2) (MR) $2.99
Good As Lily $9.99
Ben: Lame as hell.
Grifter Midnighter #6 (Of 6) $2.99
Hellblazer #235 (MR) $2.99
Highwaymen #3 (Of 5) $2.99
Justice League Of America #12 (Note Price) $3.50
Justice League Of America Var Ed #12 (Note Price) $3.50
Ben: I really don’t care for this edition of the JLA (Note Displeasure)
Legion Of Super Heroes In The 31st Century #5 $2.25
Loveless #19 (Res) (MR) $2.99
Mad Magazine #481 $3.99
Musashi #9 Vol 12 $9.99
Outsiders Five Of A Kind Week 3 Thunder Martian Manhunter $2.99
Programme #2 (Of 12) $2.99
P.J. O’Rouke: "The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don't know."
Robin #165 $2.99
Shadowpact #16 $2.99
Superman Batman #39 $2.99
Superman Vs Doomsday Collectors Set $29.99
Kurt: It’s a toy.
Will Eisners Spirit Archives Vol 22 HC $49.99
IMAGE COMICS
Killing Girl #1 (Of 5) (MR) $2.99
Ben: You’ve got to start somewhere, might as be with #1.
Kurt: Dude, everyone’s killed Girl #1. Did you think you were the first or something?
Ripclaw Pilot Season #1 $2.99
Spawn #170 $2.95
MARVEL COMICS
Annihilation Conquest Quasar #2 (Of 4) $2.99
Captain America #29 CWI $2.99
Ben: Fact: rock beats scissors. Fact: scissors beats paper. Fact: paper beats rock. Fact: Ed Brubaker beats them all.
Kurt: Dude, Ed Brubaker could beat me and I wouldn’t even hit him back. I’d just lie there and be honored.
DP 7 Classic Vol 1 TP $24.99
Ben: Somehow classic doesn’t seem the appropriate moniker.
Kurt: Yeah, it takes amazing self-control on my part whenever this book ships.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #23 $2.99
Iron Man Director Of Shield TP $14.99
Kurt: How to drive fan-boys into a rage.
Marvel Adventures Hulk #2 $2.99
Marvel Adventures Two-In-One #2 $4.99
Marvel Illustrated Treasure Island #3 (Of 6) $2.99
New Avengers Vol 6 Premiere HC $19.99
New X-Men #41 $2.99
Ben: Some kids die.
Newuniversal Vol 1 Everything Went White Prem HC $19.99
Kurt: Um, what happened to this series?
Red Prophet Tales Of Alvin Maker #10 (Of 12) $2.99
Spider-Man Family #4 $4.99
Ben: You’d think with MJ as his wife one would be enough.
Kurt: Peter Parker has discovered polyamory.
Sub-Mariner #3 (Of 6) CWI $2.99
Super Villain Team Up Modoks 11 #2 (Of 5) $2.99
Terror Inc #1 (Of 5) (MR) $3.99
Ben: A Max version of Terror Inc. gives me that funny feeling down there.
Thor 2nd Ptg Coipel Var #1 $2.99
Ultimate Spider-Man #112 $2.99
Wolverine Origins #16 $3.99
Wolverine Origins Vol 3 Swift And Terrible Prem HC $19.99
Ben: The title for this is as voted by comic readers at large. Whenever I write at large I think of Harry Knowles.
Kurt: I think of Harry Knowles when I’m at the gym. And then, I stay there just a little bit longer.
World War Hulk Match To #3 (Of 5) $3.99
Ben: And I have no idea what the hell this is.
Kurt: Jeez, I thought everyone knew.
Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at comicscape@mania.com.
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