Reviews of books, comics, movies, and other random stuff.
No Buzzscope reviews this week as my both of my kids started school last week and I started today (online), so free time has been scarce. The past two weeks' lessened output have been an unexpected but refreshing break as every now and then it's nice to simply read comics for the pleasure. On that note...The Adventures of BioBoy #1: Irreverant fun, beautifully illustrated by NYC Mech's Andy MacDonald. Creator/Writer Sal Cipriano's got an intriguing concept here, with bonus points for two "complete" stories in this issue, but the next issue or two needs to flesh it all out a…
Support GOOD Comics! Try NEW comics!The column formerly known as "Try Something Different" has become something different. Instead of listing every single comic book shipping each week, the newly rechristened "On the Shelves" will instead take a look at select comic books being released tomorrow, 9/8/05. 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]AARDVARK-VANAHEIM/WIN-MILL PRO Following Cerebus #5, $3.95Can someone explain the appeal of this…
Via Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog:Here's what you gotta do. Go to the Comics Weblog Update-A-Tron 3000 and click through to at least ten comic book blogs. You can do more, but ten is the minimum. I would also stick with blogs that have been updated within the last couple of weeks, but that's not a hard and fast rule. As another loose rule, go for blogs you haven't visited before, if you can. The goal of this challenge is to meet new bloggers and see new stuff.Visit each blog. Look at it. Form an impression about it. Then write a short bit about…
A light week of reviews, both for Buzzscope and CBC Quickees, as reality pushed comic books back into the realm of non-judgemental escapism, and my critical abilities were shot after one review. Besides Johnny Raygun, other highlights of the week were: Amelia Rules #14 (officially joining Bumperboy as one of my favorite, truly all-ages comics), Powers #12 (saved from the axe after stagnating a bit), The Expatriate #3 ("WTF?" done right), and The Grimoire #5 (consistently fantastical fun). Oddly, after three false starts, the much-acclaimed Rocketo #1 sinks further into my to-read pile.Johnny Raygun #6A satisfyingly straightforward, subtly satirical spin…
Comic-related swag for a great cause.And, of course, you can always donate directly to the Red Cross:
Not really. But there's an interesting little coincidence going on over at Amazon.com w/r/t Combat Zone: True Tales of GIs in Iraq. I posted a version of my Buzzscope review there a little while back, as I do with everything I review that they happen to sell, and received a couple of negative emails about it. Unusual, but not a big deal. It's a touchy subject for many.What's interesting, though, is that since I posted mine, five more reviews were posted, four overwhelmingly postive, each one from a first-time reviewer. Plus, my review has received an unusually disproportionate "6 of…
Industry Buzz is my monthly roundtable column at Buzzscope, featuring some of the most outspoken creators, retailers, pundits and advocates in comics commenting on the issues affecting the comics industry. This month, we took a look at hype, and what, if any, affect it has on sales.Does marketing/hype help sell more copies of a comic book? Would, say, the first volume of Runaways have sold better if Marvel had promoted it half as much as House of M? What about reviews? Do they have any measurable effect on sales, especially of independent comics that lack the marketing resources of the…
