Hype

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On The Shelves: 1/4/07

Reading is fundamental. Don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! Hello, 2007! 2006 was a great year for comics of all types (be sure to check out my Best of picks) and I'm betting this year is going to be even better all-around. Hopefully Ed Brubaker's crystal ball is in working order: What will be the biggest story in comics in 2007? The rebirth of major interest in creator-owned non-universe spanning comics in the American Market. Yeah, after two years of crossovers and events, readers decide they just want to read the ones they like, and miss…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Best of 2006

In the most glaring sign yet of how much my tastes have changed over the 3.5 years since I started reading comics again, compare my Best of 2004 choices to this year’s stellar roundup (below). Posted nearly two months before the year had ended, that 2004 list was limited to ongoing series, two of which were canceled prematurely, in my opinion, and two others that were cut from my pull list a while back. The lone survivor, Conan, remains a consistently good read, and a repeat honoree on my 2005 list, but it didn’t make the cut this year. In fact, reflecting my gradual shift towards OGNs and TPBs, only three ongoing/mini-series made my list this year.

Top 10 Comics of 2006(in alphabetical order)

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

On the Shelves: 12/28/06

Reading is fundamental. Don't waste your time reading bad comics out of habit! My weekly, semi-informed look at select comic books being released Thursday, 12/28/06 follows. The full shipping is list available at ComicList. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE WEEK Captain Gravity and the Power of the VrilAMERICAN MULE ENTERTAINMENT Public Enemy #2, $2.99 It was nice to see Public Enemy promoting their comic book alter…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Indie Bookstores Bailing Out; Bad Sign for Comics?

[UPDATED: 9:55 pm] PW Daily has a sobering article about several independent bookstores shutting their doors thanks to increased expenses and competition, and I can't help but think about how it parallels the current state of the comic book industry, both on the publishing and retailing side, and how it could potentially affect graphic novel sales, one of the few growth categories in publishing right now. In New York City, after 34 years serving Manhattan's Upper West Side, the independent mystery bookstore Murder Ink will close on December 31. Owner Jay Pearsall also announced that the attached bookstore, Ivy's Books…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Crystal Ball: March 2007 Solicitations, Part I

Support GOOD Comics! Pre-order something new EVERY month. My monthly look at select comic books being solicited for release by the major direct market publishers in March 2007. Independent publishers will follow in a separate post. Links to full solicitations from almost every publisher can be found at MillarWorld. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your local comic book shop (LCBS) offers a pre-ordering service, download a convenient order form from Diamond and be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE…

Continue ReadingCrystal Ball: March 2007 Solicitations, Part I
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

CBC Quickees: Big Two Roundup

I'm so far behind on reviews these days that in order to jumpstart my critical faculties, I've grabbed a stack of comics from my most-recently read pile and, focusing on some of the floppies I'm still reading from the Big Two, am giving random ones the super-quickee treatment.Criminal #1-2 (Icon/Marvel, $2.99), Captain America #3 (Marvel, $2.99), Daredevil #91 (Marvel, $2.99)Ed Brubaker has officially become one of my favorite comics writers, whether it's working within his own gritty world in Criminal, or making two of Marvel's best-known but least interesting characters immensely readable. The first two issues of Criminal feel like…

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