PSA: Autism Fundraising

I'd debated for a while whether or not to post anything about this here, reluctant to let the real world bleed into my 4-color escape, but I came across the following project and decided to go ahead and make an exception for a larger cause:

Autism Project

My name is Nic Carcieri. I am the writer/co-creator of Portal Productions' comic book RIP from Repercussion Comics. I live in the metro-Atlanta area and have a 4 1/2 year old son named Ben. Ben has been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD) which is part of the autism spectrum.

What I am doing is putting together a project to raise money for the Autism Society of America. I'm creating a sketch book of artwork donated by many of the friends I've made in the comics industry. The book is going to contain pieces from many artists, both small press and mainstream. The theme of the book is going to be robots. Each participating artist will use his or her imagination in creating a robot.

The end results should be some fantastic artwork!

I will be updating this blogsite many times as the project continues, letting you all know the progress, who's involved and when it's done, how you can get it! If you have any questions or want to get involved, e-mail me at: autismproject@gmail.com

Like Nic, my 3-year old (on Tuesday!) daughter India was diagnosed with PDD earlier this year, and ever since, my wife and I have researched the hell out of autism and have started getting involved in fundraising efforts.



We're doing the Cure Autism Now WALK NOW on Saturday and have raised over $1700 so far. If you're so inclined, hit the link for more information and to make a donation on India's behalf.

Also, if you're an artist, contact Nic about his project and donate a piece of artwork to his efforts, too. I'm not an artist, but I'm going to do what I can to help him promote and sell the sketchbook when it's done.

If you want to know more about autism, this is a great place to start: 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew.

Link: Erik Larsen Goes Off

Wow!

An open letter to comic book creators everywhere:

Is that all you've got?

Really?

Because if it is-- that's pretty fucking sad.

...I understand the desire to clutch on to the security of a guaranteed page rate. And I understand the attraction of working on characters that you grew up with. But at what point are you going to grow up? When are you going to stop sucking on the corporate tit? When are you going to (gasp) take a risk?

Do you think the guy working for MdDonalds really has a better chance for success than the guy opening up his own restaurant? Sure, McDonalds employee #12876 is getting paid a regular paycheck. Sure, the guy going out on his own is taking a real risk-- thousands of restaurants go belly up every year and there's no guarantee of success-- but shouldn't there be more to life than slapping together somebody else's hamburgers? Are you really going to feel as though you've lived a full life having spent it churning out more Big Macs?

Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all.

What's the matter?

Chicken?

Or do you really have nothing to say?

Are you ready to confess that those "old hacks" that you look down on really had more going on than you do? Are you willing to confess that you're devoid of ideas? Are you going to fall back on the tried-and-true "all the good characters have been created" or "I'd just end up ripping off some existing character-- and who needs another Batman knock off?"

Bullshit.

It goes on for a bit, including the priceless, "Why are you such a pussy?" Considering Larsen's the publisher of Image Comics, it may be a bit self-congratulatory but damn if it doesn't make for far more fascinating reading than Quesada's weekly handjob over at Newsarama.

On The Shelves: 9/28/05

Support GOOD Comics! Try something NEW!

My weekly look at select comic books being released tomorrow, 9/28/05. 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]

COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
CBLDF SPS 2005 Anthology, $12.95

For a great cause, and from what I've heard, there's some good stuff in it.

DARK HORSE COMICS
Revelations #2 (Of 6), $2.99

Didn't love the first issue, but it was intriguing. Probably pick it up, read it, and pass it on to Dan.

DC COMICS
Losers #28, $2.99
Omac Project #6 (Of 6), $2.50
Silent Dragon #3 (Of 6), $2.99
Vigilante #1 (Of 6), $2.99

What a difference six months makes, hunh? Before Countdown came out, I was psyched about the DCU. After I read it, though, not so much, and have since dropped almost every mainstream DC comic I was reading from my pull list. If not for Andy Diggle, whose The Losers led me to both Silent Dragon and Vigilante (Ben Oliver did a fill-in arc on The Losers), they'd have completely struck out this week. Sad.

D. E.
Red Sonja #2, $2.99
Red Sonja Fiery Red Foil High End Ed #2, AR

After the laughable #0 issue - which remains one of my favorite reviews I've done for Buzzscope - the only interest I've had in this title is the car wreck aspect of it, as I'm betting it won't make it past #6 before it's cancelled.

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
Forgotten Realms Dark Elf Trilogy Vol 1 Homeland TPB, $14.95

I have the singles, but if YOU didn't buy them, I'd suggest picking up the trade. Well done!

EVIL TWIN COMICS
Action Philosophers #1 2nd Printing, $2.95
Action Philosophers Self Help For Ugly Loosers, $2.95

A smart, fun comic book, so I really hope that typo in the title is on Diamond's end. Pick up the first issue, too, if you haven't already.

IDW PUBLISHING

I wish their comics weren't so damned expensive, because every now and then they have something I'm curious about, but I can't justify the cost. And I get them at a discount!

IMAGE COMICS
Indigo Vertigo One Shot, $4.99
The Gift #13, $2.99

I have no idea what Indigo Vertigo is, but I'll give anything from Image at least a glance these days. I think I'm going to pick up The Gift just to see if my "spider sense" is correct and I really don't like it, as opposed to just assuming I don't.

MARVEL COMICS
Arana Heart Of The Spider #9, $2.99
Black Widow 2 #1 (Of 6), $2.99
Daredevil #77, $2.99
Defenders #3 (Of 5), $2.99
New Avengers #11, $2.50
Young Avengers #7, $2.99

I'm done with Araña! For real this time! New Avengers, too, thanks to that pointless Sentry arc. "Oh, he's going to join the Avengers? I didn't see that coming!" Plus Bendis only managed to muddle his origin even more by bringing Paul Jenkins and comic books into the story. I'm still not sure what happened there! WTF?!?! Black Widow, on the other hand, is a joyful double-dose of a sequel to one of Marvel's better mini-series of late, plus Bill Sienkiewicz artwork! And Young Avengers is quite possibly Marvel's best new series in ages. Let's see if OC-guy can sustain it, though.

NBM
Attitude Featuring Neal Swaab Rehabilitating Mr Wiggles TPB (AA), $10.95

Hunh? Winner of Best Title of the Week, I think.

ONI PRESS INC.
Peng One Shot, $5.95

I believe this is by the same guy that did the incomprehensible Sharkknife that Oni offered up for Free Comic Book Day this year. Didn't work for me at all.

PENNY FARTHING PRESS
Captain Gravity And Power Of The Vril #6 (resolicited), $2.95

One of the most underrated comics out there, I'm looking forward to now reading the entire thing in one sitting.

SPEAKEASY COMICS
Helios In With The New #1 (Of 8), $2.99
Super Crazy Tnt Blast #1, $2.99

Okay, is it just me or is Speakeasy starting to churn out a few too many comics all of a sudden? None of their stuff has really connected with me since The Grimoire, which was one of their launch titles. I hope these guys don't follow Alias down the drain. What? You haven't seen the writing on the wall?

TOKYOPOP
Cowboy Bebop Vol 1 GN New Ptg, $9.99
Steady Beat Vol 1 GN (Of 3), $9.99

Cowboy Bebop is one of the few manga I've heard of, so I might check it out. Steady Beat is by that CBR columnist, Rivkah, who's been causing a stir in the comics blogiverse recently, so I might take a peek to see what the big deal is.

Magazines
Back Issue #12, $5.95
Previews Vol XV #10, AR

Back Issue is, without question, one of the best comics magazines being published right now. Buy it! As for Previews, I always feel an obligation to buy it, but never do. Something about paying for a catalog makes no sense to me.

Buzzscope Reviews: 9/21/05

...and a couple of other things below, including a "big" announcement.

• ShadowHawk #5
  Recommending this as a jump-on point, which under normal circumstances it would be perfect as, comes with a huge caveat because of the upcoming changes that will supposedly represent "a complete 180."
  
  
• In the Scope: Beckett’s New Image Examined
  Jeff Amano and Gabriel Benson reflect on the past and offer a peek into the future, including a sneak peek at the cover of their first new release for 2006.

The Comics Shrew once noted that I make a "habit of trying to herd cats," in reference to my Industry Buzz column over at Buzzscope. Not content with that monthly juggling of multiple personalities, as of October 1st, I'll be taking over as the Senior Comics Editor for the site, charged with re[de]fining its mission, clarifying its vision and, ultimately, expanding its audience. I'll be joined by Ronée Garcia Bourgeois as Comics News Editor, and J.D. Lombardi who is stepping up as Comics Editor-At-Large. Plus, expect some new names to soon join the likes of the aforementioned Shrew, Greg Burgas, Neil Kleid, Tim O'Neil and others.

It's a great site with a lot of untapped potential, and I'm looking forward to making it a primary destination for comics fans of all stripes. There's some big plans in store, including something big for January 2, 2006. Be sure to check in on Saturday for my inaugural column that'll set things in motion and tease some of our plans. We're aiming right at Brady and Weiland's chunk of the internet! ;-)

INFO: Free Manga; Marvel Misstep

SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE MANGA MAGAZINE!

There are two ways to get Takuhai—in print and online—and each one has its own cool stories and articles.

Your Takuhai Online account lets you vote for your favorite manga on the Web—plus, it gives you access to all the great feature stories, all the manga previews and all the how-to articles.

Your subscription to the Takuhai print edition gets you a magazine delivered to your home via U.S. Mail. It's not available on newsstands! Every issue of the FREE Takuhai print edition will be packed with pages and pages of manga previews, behind-the-scenes with manga creators, Q&As with your favorite manga editors, and many more irresistible features.

Visit My Account to create an online account and subscribe to the Takuhai print edition. Make sure you get both!

NOTE: Subscription to the Magazine is available only to residents of the continental United States who are at least 13 years old. (Get your parents to sign up!)

This is actually a pretty cool deal - I received the first issue a while back - and incredibly smart marketing on TokyoPop's part. ie: I don't know a thing about manga, but as I've started to experiment with it, I'm more likely to try out one of their titles because of these free previews than something from Viz or CMX or whomever.

Over in Bizarro World, Marvel has announced a new Marvel Spotlight starting in December, with "in-depth extras and timely features – including sketches, character designs and script materials! Probing interviews and engaging commentary!" Of course they're blowing the opportunity to reach out to potential new readers by charging $2.99 for it. One step forward, two steps back.

LINK: Hope for One Year Later?

[via Fanboy Rampage]

"The good new [sic] is, and I garauntee [sic] you this, when we're on the other side of the CRISIS, those days are GONE. Just gone. We're sick to death of heroes who are not heroes, we’re sick to death of darkness...

Batman's broken. Through no ONE person's fault, but he's a dick now. And we've been told we can fix that."

--Mard Waid

I'll believe it when I see it, but damn, I really hope he's right!

LINK: Comics Sales Figures

[via The Beat]

I'm going to come back to this at a later date because this sort of thing fascinates me, but for now, I just wanted to bookmark it.

A Quick Business History of Comic Books: Part One (1934-1960)

A Quick Business History of Comic Books Part Two: 1960-2005

For now:

1942
Captain Marvel 1,000,000 plus
Superman 1,000,000 plus
Walt Disney Comics and Stories 1,000,000
Batman 913,000
Captain America (peak sales, circa 1942) 900,000
All-Star Comics 440,800
Shadow (1941) 400,000
Ace Comics 279,163
King Comics 256,653
Blue Bolt Comics 200,490

2005
Shonen Jump 177,000
The New Avengers 154,000*
Astonishing X-Men 134,000*
Superman/Batman 117,000*
Superman 104,000*
Wolverine 89,000*
Ultimate X-Men 87,000*
Ultimate Spider-Man 86,000*
Amazing Spider-Man 81,000*
Teen Titans 65,000*
JLA 64,000*
Batman 60,000*

(* first six month average comic shop sales derived from figures available at www.icv2.com)

Interesting, no?

CBC Quickees: 9/14/05

Better late than never, and it's a small but mostly good batch...

All-Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder #2 (DC Comics, $2.99): Oh, Frank, what in the hell are you doing? On first read, I groaned at how bad the scripting was, particularly Batman who sounds like a crazed Adam West auditioning to play Sin City's Marv. Then I read Fossen's take on it, and skimmed through it a second time. And I groaned again! A little bit louder. Regardless of what Miller's intent is with this story, the fact of the matter is that his writing is godawful. Considering this is DC's oblique answer to Marvel's Ultimate line, both purportedly targeted to new/lapsed readers, I can only shake my head and wonder if it isn't all just one big practical joke on Miller's part. I mean, he did make up with Wizard in order to promote it, which means its suckiness has to be purposeful! Either that, or ironic.

100 Girls #6 (Arcana Studio, $2.95): I love this series! It's over there in the left column, on my Top 10 List. This issue, Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong pull out all the stops as Sylvia and her sisters find the secret lab and a battle royale breaks out. While it's not a traditional jumping on point, in between the action, Gallardo touches several bases that will make any new reader curious enough to want to know more about what's going on. You've bought the first trade already, right?

El Arsenal: Unknown Enemy #2 (Arcana Studio, $2.95): Sometimes, in the service of a particularly entertaining story, T&A can actually work. In this case, Salvador Vazquez Mtz. (as translated by Carlos Garciá Campillo) and Daniel Peréz Sánchez pull it off, as El Aresenal is the sci-fi action movie Richard Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino would team up for if somebody gave them the right budget. Throw in the "How to Swear Like a Mexican" tutorial and it's more fun than it has any right to be!

Fell #1 (Image Comics, $1.99): Warren Ellis addresses two of the most common complaints about comics these days: cost and decompression. For $1.99, he's promising to deliver a monthly done-in-one story, free of continuity and corporate crossovers, and in this first issue, he's done exactly that, offering up a crisply told, hardboiled - yet oddly enough, not overly cynical - detective mystery starring Richard Fell and the intriguing city of Snowtown, a place that makes Gotham seem like Peoria. It's television-style setup, with a mystery presented and solved while introducing a full cast of characters and giving them just enough screentime to make a proper impression. Ben Templesmith's art, which always seemed a bit too sketchy-Sienkiewicz, is more restrained here, and sets a perfect tone for the series. I'm actually very excited about the possibilities of this series, and hope Ellis can keep it on track.

On The Shelves: 9/21/05

Support GOOD Comics! Try something NEW!

My weekly look at select comic books being released tomorrow, 9/21/05. 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]

ARCANA STUDIO
Dead Men Tell No Tales #1 (Of 4), $3.95
Starkweather Vol 1 TPB, $9.95

Thanks to 100 Girls, anything Arcana puts out gets an automatic look, though Dead Men sounds like something I'd take a peek at regardless. Didn't realize it was going to be four bucks, though! The first four issues of Starkweather were interesting, but there was something missing that I just couldn't put my finger on.

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Betty #150, $2.25
Sonic X #1 (Of 4), $2.25

I've joked in the past that I was going to review an Archie comic for Buzzscope at some point, and this just may be the week. Betty #150 is a milestone! Remember when comics used to do special "collector's item" issues for something like this? Wonder what the "X" in Sonic X stands for. Is the hedgehog venturing into Conker territory?

AVATAR PRESS
A ridiculous amount of Lady Death crap...

I'm told this stuff is big with the goth kids, right? No wonder they get beat up in school! (Sorry, Omar!)

BLISS ON TAP
God The Dyslexic Dog #4, $3.50

Winner for best title of the week, in this case for the comic and the company!

COMIC CAVALCADE
Lady Death Abandon All Hope Comm Cvr #2 (Of 4), $5.99
Lady Death Abandon All Hope Gold Foil #2 (Of 4), $5.99
Medieval Lady Death Belladonna Comm Cvr #1, $5.99
Medieval Lady Death Belladonna Gold Foil Ed #1, $5.99

You can not escape [Lady] Death!

DARK HORSE COMICS
Conan #20, $2.99
Goon #14, $2.99

Conan is a mainstay on my pull list. I've been tempted to try The Goon, but I'm wary. Anyone want to personally vouch for it?

DC COMICS
Batgirl #68, $2.50
Batman Jekyll And Hyde #6 (Of 6), $2.99
JSA Classified #2 Second Ptg, $2.50
Seven Soldiers Mister Miracle #1 (Of 4), $2.99

Still hanging in there with Batgirl and the Jenkins/Lee mini, but other than that...bleh! JSA Classified #2 includes an incredibly ridiculous explanation for Power Girl's peekaboo cleavage, and Mister Miracle lost me when DC yanked Pascual Ferry from art duties after one issue because he apparently has a Marvel exclusive announcement waiting in the wings. So much for me giving Morrision's self-indulgent comics hipster-approved crossover a try. Stupid! (Comics hipster? Is that an oxymoron?)

DEVILS DUE PUBLISHING
GI Joe Snake-Eyes Declassified #2 (Of 6), $2.95

The first issue was decent enough to keep me riding the not-quite nostalgia wave.

DIGITAL MANGA DISTRIBUTION
Lets Draw Manga Bodies & Emotions TPB, $19.95

An entire book on drawing big eyes and motion lines? I keed, I keed!

DORK STORM PRESS
Dork Tower Coll Vol 1 Dork Covenant TPB New Ptg, $15.99

I used to like this when I subscribed to Dragon, so I might pick this up at some point. Not this week, though.

ETERNAL ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Lady Death Abandon All Hope #1 S/N Ed, $15.00

How exactly does Lady Death come out under three different publishers?

GIRL TWIRL COMICS
Janes World #21, $4.95

GIRL TWIRL wins runner-up for best name of the week!

IMAGE COMICS
Girls #5, $2.99
Shadowhawk #5, $3.50

Saw the Luna Brothers in Baltimore on Saturday and felt bad for disliking Girls so much. The comic, I mean, which is written like they're not terribly familiar with real girls. ShadowHawk's first arc was decent, but I think I only kept up with it because Scott Wherle takes over the writing with this issue and he did a pretty good job with the ill-fated Blacklight.

MARVEL COMICS
Black Panther #8, $2.99
Captain America #10, $2.99
Machine Teen #5 (Of 5), $2.99
New Avengers #10, $2.50

**Sigh** First the totally unnecessary House of M tie-in, now an X-Men crossover? Meanwhile, Hudlin's first arc ended without resolving the question of where the hell this series fits into the larger Marvel Universe. I don't usually harp on continuity, but WTF!?! He better address it in this issue or I'm dropping it and will pick up the run on eBay or something to keep my larger Black Panther collection intact. New Avengers is also on the chopping block, depending on how Bendis resolves the Sentry's presence. Honestly, I'm not hopeful.

MOONSTONE
Silencers Black Kiss TPB, $14.95

Read some good things about this series, despite the Image relaunch tanking after one issue, and it's written by the same guy who writes the entertaining Action Philosophers.

SPEAKEASY COMICS
Rocketo #2, $2.99

After three separate false starts, Rocketo #1 continues to sink further into my to-read pile. The landscape saddle-stitching annoys me and the story just wasn't grabbing me. Sorry, comics blogiverse.

Magazines
Comics Buyers Guide Dec 2005 #1611, $5.99
Lo Fi Oct 2005 Vol 2 #1, $5.95

Midtown actually got CBG last week, and I'm still enjoying it as my Wizard substitute. Picked up an old copy of Lo-Fi a few weeks ago and liked it, despite its trying a little too hard and busy page layouts seemingly inspired by Wired. It's the closest thing out there to the magazine I'd do if I started one, so it's as much for research as for leisure.

Review: The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction

In January I did a post entitled Top 3 Comic Book-Themed Video Games. As the title implies, I listed my top 3 comic book-themed video games. Some ground rules for judging were set and my #1 game was Spider-Man (1983) for the Atari 2600.

Eight months have passed since then, and the time has come to declare a new #1. I didn't hear about this game until about a week before its release, and as a result, it was a welcome surprise that now sits atop my list.

The first time you hear, "Angry man is on the loose!" from the puny little soldiers, the hair on your arms will stand up. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (HUD) is the best comic book-themed video game ever!

If you're looking for a traditional review of this game go somewhere else. Reviews for HUD are a dime a dozen. Heck the game came with its own review! HUD shipped with the score of "8.9 out of 10" from Official X-Box Magazine printed on the cover.

To me, the game is absolutely about the vibe you get from playing. You see, there are no innovations in HUD. No ground breaking graphics. No answer for the standard camera problems 3rd person games have. HUD is a good-looking, well-produced hybrid of Grand Theft Auto and Spider-Man 2. Sierra, the developers of HUD, pilfered the best aspects of both games and condensed them to create an extremely pleasurable gaming experience.

From here on out, there will be no mumbo-jumbo technical nonsense. My personal favorite being frame rate comparisons from the different consoles. You can find that information anywhere. The very best thing about HUD is its feel, its vibe. After 10 minutes of game play, the endorphins will be flowing, and it will feel good to be the jolly green giant.

In fact, I suggest you don't even read the rest of this review. Not that I'm including any spoilers or the like. I just don't want to rob you of the awesome experience of picking up this game cold like I did. You shouldn't have any preconceived notions other than, you are The Hulk! If you like the idea of being a virtual goliath and doing just about anything you can imagine, I have a suggestion. Go out and get this game. Discovering the capabilities of this virtual Hulk is a great experience. If you read on, you'll spoil some of that fun.

Consider yourself warned.

The rest of this review will highlight some points that make HUD my new #1 video game in the comicsverse. There is a saying that goes, "It's the little things that count." Well HUD perfectly nails the little things, and makes the big things even better.

Here are a few examples of the "little things" I'm impressed with:

• During gameplay by simply running through the environment, Hulk can do some serious damage like wreck cars, bring down light poles, and damage the sides of buildings etc. While walking though, Hulk does not damage the environment. Seems like a small detail, but it's thoughtful on the part of the designers.
  
• This next example is an extension of the environment interaction in HUD. While running, Hulk likes to nudge objects as he passes them. If he is not directly running into something, at times he sticks out his elbow and gives a glancing blow to objects just outside of his path. So if you're running alongside a bus and get close enough, he'll give it some elbow loving. Sometimes the bus will flip over, sometimes it gets pushed aside. The damage all depends on the speed and angle you hit it at.

• This last "little thing" has to do with how Hulk interacts with humans. If you grapple a soldier you have three options. 1) Punch his lights out with a melee attack. 2) Throw him as far as the eye can see. (I especially like throwing them at other soldiers.) 3) Or, drive him into the ground (accompanied by a cool animation). If you grapple a civilian though, your options are slightly different. 1) Hulk will hold the person with one hand, and with the other flick them away like an insect. The first time you see this you won't believe it. 2) You can still throw citizens really, really far. 3) You can simply put the person back down without harming them. Then Hulk will squat down to their eye level and pat them on the head. What a gentle giant! It's hilarious the first time you see this happen, and it hasn't gotten old yet.

These "little things" may not seem all that important, but they are. It's the culmination of these factors that create a game atmosphere unmatched in a comicsverse video game.

As for the big things... Well, how about Paul Jenkins for starters? He is the author of the story that drives HUD. Easily he is one of the best storytellers in the comic book business. Check out his now cancelled run on Spectacular Spider-Man. He consistently put together some really solid work.

As the title implies, there is destruction. Cars blow up, civilians run in fear, soldiers attack, tanks are deployed and Hulk becomes angry. These are common occurrences, but there are plenty of surprises in store for players. Lets just say in the game there are Hulk Busters (Hulk size mech suits built by the military to combat Hulk), and then there are HULK BUSTERS. You'll find yourself in the middle of some fierce battles that do not disappoint.

The WOW factor as explained in my ground rules is off the chart for HUD. This game has a large of amount of buzz and deservedly so. I can't image anyone not liking this game. What is there not to like, you're the Hulk! Easily one of the most powerful characters in the comicverse. Let me add that I'm no fan of Hulk. I've never been interested in him before as a solo character. Most of my experience with the Hulk has been through the Avengers or guest appearances in other books.

There really isn't anything more to say other than, "Hulk smash competition!"

The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction gets 5 outta 5 Gamma Bombs.

Buzzscope Reviews: 9/14/05

Remember when I used to post 3-5 of these every week? Between school cutting into my leisure reading time - what, you thought I got paid for this stuff? - and not wanting to review anything I've previously covered (with purely subjective exceptions), it's been pretty tough to write up the longer reviews recently. Add to that the likelihood that I'm going the "wait for the trade" route with a lot of Marvel/DC stuff, I'm guessing 1-2 Buzzscope reviews will become the norm for the time being. Speaking of...

Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai GN
If Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai represents the future of independent publishing – quality stories told in long form via a reasonably priced trade format – then that’s a future I can wholeheartedly get behind.

In other news, check out Buzzscope's newest contributor, Ronée Garcia Bourgeois, and her inflammatory "What A Girl Wants" column that already has the forums buzzing, and all she did was introduce herself! Not only is she an outspoken, comics-loving female, she's also the National Vice President and Public Relations Contact for the Friends of Lulu and a regular Industry Buzz contributor. Be sure to sign up for the Forums and get in on the fun!

Tomorrow...CBC Quickees, featuring Frank Miller flipping YOU the bird!

Old School, Baby!

You're Bob Kane's Batman.

You're a dark, mysterious vigilante who often kills his villains, and uses a gun. Your girlfriend's Julie Madison, an aspiring actress who thinks you're nothing more than a playboy millionaire. At this stage, you're fighting foes such as Dr.Death and the Monk, but they're only the beginning.

What kind of Batman are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

More later, perhaps...

The Baltimore Comic-Con was mostly worth the last-minute trip. Well, as worth it as a day that starts with me on roller blades for the first time in 5+ years at 7am could possibly be. Put a few faces to names, including AdHouse's Chris Pitzer (who comped me a copy of Hope Larson's attractive Salamander Dream, with custom rounded corners!) and Buzzscope's Yang to my Yin, J.D. Lombardi. Of course, I once again took no pictures because I suck at that kind of thing. In lieu of that, however, I offer People's Evidence A in the case of: "If I love your comic book, I'll pimp the hell out of it."


Those are my kids yesterday at the Bronx Zoo, representing for the much-loved Bumperboy. My wife was wearing the NYC Mech t-shirt I got her at the Con the day before, where I was wearing my "i HAVE iSSUES" t-shirt from Riot!. At the Con, I was sporting my "borp" t-shirt. (If you don't know what "borp" means, your life is incomplete.)

In related news, there's been a shift in my Top 10 for 2005, with the sporadic Mu being displaced by NYC Mech: Beta Love, the intriguing mini-series that features possibly the best single issue of the year. Word at the Con is there's big things coming from Ivan Brandon, Miles Gunter and Andy MacDonald in 2006. Be sure to check out the trade of the first NYC Mech mini-series due out in a few weeks.

INFO: Baltimore Comic-Con *UPDATE*

UPDATE: Turns out I'll be heading down for this after all, albeit only for Saturday, so the end of this post still applies. I doubt I'll hit any of the panels, except for the DC Comics: A Look Ahead at 12pm, but I'll definitely be wandering the floor, looking for interesting comics and passing out business cards. Hope to put some faces to blogs, too. That's a vague approximation of what I look like there on the left, for anyone that wants to play Where's Waldo Guy. Just don't sneak up on me, especially if I've bashed your work. I'll cut you!

I was really hoping to attend this one, and/or the following week's Small Press Expo, but the cost of gas and my starting school this week made it impractical. BC-C seems like a nice alternative to the WizardWorld shows, though, which I doubt I'll ever attend again.

The Baltimore Comic-Con is pleased to announce the line-up of its 2005 programming Schedule. The Baltimore Comic-Con will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18. Show hours are Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm.

Visit www.comicon.com/baltimore for the full schedule and more information.

What I'd check out if I was going [on Sunday]:

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18:
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Spotlight On: Denny O’Neil
Can 35 years of exceptional comics be discussed in a mere 60 minutes? We ask acclaimed writer and editor Denny O’Neil about all the great characters he’s worked on -- including Superman, Wonder Woman, Daredevil, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, The Question, Iron Man, and even Millie the Model! Oh, and some guy named Batman... Find out what Denny thought of Batman Begins, his favorite artistic collaborators, how writing novels about superheroes is different than writing comics, and what he has planned for the future.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Kidz Comix Rule!
And the best part is -- They’re not just for kids! And we’re spotlighting a bunch of great ones!. With Todd Dezago (Tellos), Jimmy Gownley (Amellia Rules!), Steve Conley (Bloop!), John Gallagher (Buzzboy), and Andy Runton (Owly). If you’re not reading these books, you’re missing some of the best comics available!

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. HowYaGonna...?: Comics Creation for Kids of All Ages
John Gallagher (Buzzboy) and other comics professionals Todd Dezago, Rich Faber and Mike Wieringo will take you step-by-step through the comics creation process and show you how you can create your own mini-comic book! From idea and script through character design to penciling and inking, John will give an overview of comics, printing, and working together to create your own comic. Bring a pencil and something to write and draw on! This talk is based upon John's work with libraries and schools across the US and his mission to teach kids about the magic and educational value of comics.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Comics in Education Roundtable
A special seminar session for teachers, librarians, and comic book creators! This session provides an opportunity for these groups to come together and discuss comics in an informal atmosphere, with two goals: Helping teachers understand comics and their creators, and helping comic book creators understand the needs and concerns of educators! Comic book creators in attendance include: Louise Simonson, Barry Lyga, Jimmy Gownley, and others. Bring your questions and get answers!

Moon Knight: Silver and Black

Via the extremely adorable spiderspawn.com.

INFO: The Losers go Hollywood

One of my favorite comics - check the Top 10 over in the left column - is coming to a movie screen near you! (via Andy Diggle, via Variety)

'The Losers' wins its way to WB
Berg to pen screenplay, co-produce

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

DC comic 'The Losers,' about a rogue CIA unit, will get a shot at the bigscreen.

A double-crossed CIA black ops team known as "The Losers" is the latest DC Comics property to be tapped for the bigscreen by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Peter Berg and Akiva Goldsman will produce the pic for the studio, with Berg to pen the screenplay with an eye to direct. Also taking producing credit are John Cameron and Sarah Aubrey for Berg's Film 44, and Kerry Foster for Goldsman's Weed Road.

Film will follow the exploits of the highly skilled CIA team members as they are attacked by their own agency and left for dead. They set out to learn why they were betrayed, and to avenge the wrong, as well as other injustices they encounter.

Berg showed a cynical sense of humor with The Rundown and Very Bad Things that I think will be a perfect fit for The Losers. If only he can figure out a way to cast Christopher Walken, perhaps as Max?

If you haven't been reading The Losers, catch up on the trades now: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3. Vol. 4 is out either in November or next January, depending on where you're getting your information from. The monthly series itself concludes with issue #32, which if it remains on schedule, should be out in February, I believe.

On the Shelves: 9/15/05

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, 9/15/05. 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]

ADHOUSE BOOKS
Salamander Dream GN, $15.00

Thanks to Skyscrapers of the Midwest, Project: Superior and Bumperboy, I'll give anything AdHouse puts out a shot.

ARCANA STUDIO
100 Girls #6, $2.95
El Arsenal #2 (Of 3), $2.95

As seen over in the left column there, 100 Girls is one of my favorite comics of the year, and El Arsenal #1 was rocking fun.

DC COMICS
Absolute Batman Hush Oversized HC, $49.99
All Star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder #2, $2.99
Winter Men #2 (Of 8), $2.99

Truth-in-advertising should require a title change to: Absolute Batman Hush OverRATED HC. All Star Robin (everyone realizes now that's what it really is, right?) better make a huge jump this issue or it's getting left at the store. Winter Men #1 was interesting.

IMAGE COMICS
Ant #2, $2.99
Ronin Hood Of The 47 Samurai GN, $9.99

Thought I was going to stick with Ant for another issue or two until the cover of my copy of #1 got all wet and I realized I didn't care. Ronin Hood, on the other hand, looks like it should be good.

MARVEL COMICS
Fantastic Four Presents Franklin Richards Son Of A Genius, $2.99

Oh, Marvel! Why have you forsaken me? Is this really the only thing of interest this week? A reprint of stories I already own?

NBM
Zorro #4, $0.99

I really wanted to like this one but it started off shaky and got worse. :-(

NEW RELIABLE PRESS
You Aint No Dancer Vol 1 GN, $5.95

Winner for best title of the week!

CBC Quickees: 9/8/05

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 bit more to keep it on the pull list.

Elsinore #3: Still creepy, though it's hard to remember everything that happened in the previous issues, and Lillie-Paetz jumps around a lot without much exposition, making things harder to follow than necessary. (A "Previously..." page would be a welcome addition to this title.) Presumably can't count on a trade from Alias for anything not written or drawn by Mike S. Miller, so I may just stockpile a few issues at a time and read them all at once.

Gotham Central #35: The intriguing "Dead Robin" storyline continues with a surprise revelation that has to be a red herring. Some great dialogue between Robin and Stacy that perfectly illustrates what I love about this series. Why aren't more people reading this?

Son of Vulcan #4: I still don't love the art and coloring, but Beatty's telling such a fun story, I've adjusted to it. How can you not like a comic where the hero gets beat up in a pawn shop holdup while trying to sell his main weapon, and the Coalition of Crime makes an appearance?

Karma Incorporated #2: I liked the first issue a lot, but this one takes a bit of an unexpectedly mean-spirited turn that I'm still on the fence about.

Vaistron #1: When I first contacted Andrew Dabb about doing an interview way back in the earliest days of CBC, he mentioned two upcoming projects, Atomika and Vaistron, and I figured the former sounded a bit more up my alley as the latter included the description "robot porn." I was wrong, kind of, as Atomika left me a bit cold, while Vaistron is...intriguing. Still not up my alley, but it's an alley I'm curious about checking out. Boussourir's art reminded me of Cracked Magazine for some reason. The Tijuana Bible version, at least!

Araña #8: Okay, seriously, I just need to stop buying this thing. It's not getting any better - in fact, the art is getting worse with each issue - and it fulfills none of my primary criteria for buying a comic book beyond some misguided sense of affirmative action. I can't imagine it's going to survive past its 12th issue, unless the digests are inexplicably selling gangbusters at Barnes & Noble. Disappointing.

House of M #6: Bendis apparently took Marvel's 6-issue decompression template and tacked on two more. Next issue will presumably be the all-action issue where someone important gets killed, while #8 will offer an incomplete denouement which will be continued in yet another mini-series. I predict by the end of the year, I will be almost completely in the "wait for the trade camp" when it comes to Marvel.

Ororo: Before the Storm #1: Well, that was fun, if rather pointless for a non-X-fan like myself. And it seemed like an unnecessary retcon inexplicably stuck in an all-ages book that even most X-fans probably passed on.

Death Jr. #3: I'd never heard of the video game this mini-series is supposedly based on, but if it has even half of its action, humor and personality, I'm going to buy it! Well worth the pricey Prestige Format, and if you missed it, buy the trade!

Comics still on the read pile (and the relative order I plan to read them in): Fell #1; The Bakers #1; Shocking Gun Tales; Forgotten Realms: Homeland #2-3; Queen & Country: Declassified (Vol. 3) #2-3; Alan Moore's Hypothetical Lizard #3; Mora #3 (not quite sure why it's taking me so long to get to this one...); Action Philosophers #2; XIII #1; Banana Sunday #1; Sonambulo #1; The Tick: Days of Drama #1; Solo: Howard Chaykin; Rocketo: Journey to the Hidden Sea #1 (the format's just not working for me). Plus, a ton of graphic novels and trades...

On the Shelves: 9/8/05

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, $3.95
Can someone explain the appeal of this series to me? The original, I mean. In 50 words or less?

ALIAS ENTERPRISES LLC
Elsinore #3 (Of 9), $2.99
Lullaby Wisdom Seeker Vol 1 TPB, $9.99
XIII #2, $2.99
Finally with Elsinore! Seems like Ken Lillie-Paetz is the only Alias contributor really doing it for me, what with this creepy little book and Monkey vs. Lemur. Talk about having range! Lullaby totally lost me by its last issue, though I suspect it might read better in trade form. XIII #1 is still sitting near the bottom of my to-read pile. Below Rocketo #1.

AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS)
Vaistron #1, $2.95
Andrew Dabb's creator-owned project, of which I've had a preview of the first two issues sitting in my inbox for weeks now and haven't had a chance to read yet. Who says the internet will replace print one day? I'll be picking up the real deal, though, since, Atomika aside, he hasn't let me down yet and I'm curious to see what he does in his own sandbox.

APCOMICS
Apcomics Comic Expo Ltd Ed Pack, $20.00
Lexian Chronicles Full Circle Red Foil Cvr #1, $9.95
Lexian Chronicles Full Circle Sgn #1, $19.95
Hunh?!? Not sure what's going on with APC, but these are some odd offerings for a publisher in such apparent turmoil.

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
Sonic Super Special #4 Return Of The King (AA), $2.25
I must admit that I'm curious...

AVATAR PRESS
Garth Ennis 303 #5 (Of 6), $3.99
I still have the first two issues of this in my to-read pile, on Greg's recommendation.

BASEMENT COMICS / AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT
Cavewoman Reloaded #1, $3.95
Random title of the week!

DC COMICS
Ex Machina Vol 2 Tag TPB, $12.99
Gotham Central #35, $2.50
Son Of Vulcan #4 (Of 6), $2.99
Everyone's reading Ex Machina, right? It's a Buzzworthy 2005 pick, you know. Gotham Central, of course, is one of the best comics DC's currently publishing. Certainly the best of a woeful roster of Batman titles. And my pet cause, Son of Vulcan: new character, fun story, no connection to Infinite Crisis.

IMAGE COMICS
Bone Rest 2nd Prtg #1, $2.99
Coyote Vol 1 TPB, $14.99
Fell #1, $1.99
Grounded 2nd Prtg #1 (Of 6), $2.95
PvP #18, $2.99
From what I've seen online, I wasn't the only one who didn't get Bone Rest #1. Nice art, though. I have the full run of Coyote in floppy form, but couldn't get through the first issue when I tried a couple of months ago. Fell looks interesting, and Ellis is due to connect with me again after Desolation Jones left me flat. Grounded has a lot of potential, but it's got one more issue to fulfill it before I cut it. #1 is a great issue, though. The PvP #0 issue did nothing for me.

KYLE BAKER PUBLISHING
Bakers #1, $3.00
After Nat Turner #1, I'll give anything Baker does a look.

MARVEL COMICS
Arana Heart Of The Spider #8, $2.50
House Of M #6 (Of 8), $2.99
Ororo Before The Storm #4 (Of 4), $2.99
Why am I still buying Araña? Same reason I'm still buying House of M, I guess. I want to believe! Sumerak's Ororo mini has been a fun read.

SILENT DEVIL PRODUCTIONS
Dracula Vs King Arthur #2 (Of 4), $2.95
The first issue was interesting enough, but it'll be a gut call when I see it on the shelf.

SPEAKEASY COMICS
Adventures Of Bio Boy #1, $2.99
Maybe. Maybe not. Speakeasy's been hit and miss for me, but even the misses have had a certain appeal. Unlike, say, most of Alias' misses!

VIPER COMICS
Karma Incorporated #2 (Of 3), $2.95
A fun first issue landed this one on my pull list. Viper has a great visual style that carries through all of their titles without losing their individual identities.

VIZ MEDIA LLC
Shonen Jump Oct 05 #34, $4.99
I think it's time I picked one of these up to see what all the fuss is about.

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Inquest Gamer Dungeons & Dragons Cvr #126, $4.99
Will. Not. Give. In. To. D&D. Hook.

Blogaround Challenge Met!

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 it. Then repeat until you have ten. Be sure to link to the blog when you talk about it. Positive, or at least constructive, thoughts are encouraged. If you don't like the blog, don't include it, go on to another one.

I'm almost a month late with this challenge, but it's 1:53am EST as I start this, and I'm halfway through a last-minute fantasy football draft and struggling to stay awake.

NOTE: The Comics Weblog Update-A-Tron 3000 last updated at 1:07am EST. Between the lateness of the hour, and my mind mostly on shoring up my fantasy team, take the following with a grain of salt.

Nobody Laughs at Mister Fish
Love the panel scan/logo. I skipped the non-comics post that was most recent, but totally agreed with the assessment of current DC's inaccessibility to new readers. Further down, his reasoned take on Reginald Hudlin's Black Panther won me over. To the blogroll with ye!

Delenda Est Carthago
One of my favorite comics bloggers - I even snatched his "Comics You Should Own" column up for Buzzscope - his comics writing has moved over to the Comics Should Be Good blog, so I don't visit this one too often anymore. I do track it via Bloglines, though, as Greg's an intelligent guy with agreeable politics. He's also quite verbose!

hypnoray
Solid enough blog, but it lacks a compelling hook. Skimming several posts, I never got a sense of who joncormier is and why I should be following him. Nice to see he picked up on Gotham Central, though. Probably click over now and then when he pops up on the ol' Weblog Update-A-Tron.

PV Comics
Um...too tired to figure out what's going on here. Also, the last update was 9/1 so I'm not sure why it's showing up on the Weblog Update-A-Tron right now. I've always wondered it people ping that thing just to boost their traffic.

Websnark.com
I must be getting tired because I can't penetrate all of that text right now. Love the URL, though. It's caught my eye many times and yet, even when I've clicked over, the content's never connected with me for some reason.

the Successless Comics Blog
Woah! Several posts about Cerebus raise a red flag for me. That's one of a handful of well-regarded comics I have no interest in. Sorry. :-(

Comics Should Be Good
This blog transformed itself from one of my least favorites when I first came across it, particularly for its annoyingly sycophantic love for everything Grant Morrison and affected dismissal of pretty much everything else, to now being one of my daily visits. Brian Cronin, the aformentioned Greg, et al, are always good for entertaining and intelligent commentary and reviews.

Superblog!!
Um...the description says it "is a daily journal of stupid fun." I suspect even if I were fully awake, though, it wouldn't be my thing.

Dance of the Puppets
Cool name, interesting looking posts that are a bit too dense for 2:48am EST!??! Intriguing enough to check back in on, though.

Dave's Long Box
Who doesn't know this guy? Talk about catching lightning in a bottle! I mean, Newsweek? Or was it Time? Well deserved, though, as it's a great read - Boob War was priceless! - but I suspect it's all a bit more calculated than he lets on. Which is cool. At least he admits he's an aspiring comic book writer.

And that's a wrap! One-and-a-half rounds left in the draft. Good night!

Buzzscope Reviews: 8/31/05

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 #6
A satisfyingly straightforward, subtly satirical spin on the superheroing set that, like the best Pixar movies, is suitable for all ages without being condescending or dumbed-down.

Hug your loved ones.

PSA: Charity Auction for Red Cross

Comic-related swag for a great cause.

And, of course, you can always donate directly to the Red Cross:

eBay: Batman: War Games Complete Run + Extras

Going through my overflowing longboxes this weekend and have decided to make some room.

Batman: War Games + War Crimes + Robin 126-128

This auction is for the complete run of the 2004 Batman: War Games crossover, including the controversial 2005 War Crimes follow-up, and Robin #126-128, the 2004 prelude that introduced Stephanie Brown as the new Robin: The Girl Wonder.

All issues are in VF+/NM condition, read once and individually bagged and boarded:

- Robin #126-128 (The Girl Wonder)

- Batman: The 12-cent Adventure #1 (War Games Prelude)

- War Games: Act 1, Parts 1-8
Detective #797; Legends of the Dark Knight #182; Nightwing #96; Gotham Knights #56; Robin #129; Batgirl #55; Catwoman #34; Batman #631

- War Games: Act 2, Parts 1-8
Detective #798; Legends of the Dark Knight #183; Nightwing #97; Gotham Knights #57; Robin #130; Batgirl #56; Catwoman #35; Batman #632

- War Games: Act 3, Parts 1-8
Detective #799; Legends of the Dark Knight #184; Nightwing #98; Robin #131; Gotham Knights #58; Batgirl #57; Catwoman #36; Batman #633

- War Crimes: Part 1-4
Detective #809-810; Batman #643-644

Bidding starts at $9.99 with a Buy It Now option for $29.99, cheaper than the three individual trade paperbacks which don't include the "War Crimes" and Robin stories. Auction closes Sep-10-05 18:17:29 PDT.

Comment: Right-Wing Conspiracy?

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 36 people found the following review helpful" rating.

I also came across another positive review of the comic that referenced mine, courtesy of the so-called Conservative Comic Book Pundit, who felt my issues with it were because I was "mostly upset that a conservative actually got a comic published."

Um, no. While I might be surprised that a conservative has any interest in the arts, I'm not the least bit upset that one published a comic book. Persecution complex, anyone?

There was a funny, but truthful comment, on Fanboy Rampage awhile back that comes to mind:

Where does the right wing get this constant feeling of persecution from?

You spend enough time persecuting people, you start to wonder when the wheel will turn.

Anyway, this weekend we're celebrating Labor Day, a holiday which, much like Christmas, has lost any true connection to its history. I'm only half surprised Republicans haven't figured out a way to swap it for a National Ronald Reagan Day. Of course, they have their hands full this week with the unexpected opportunity to gentrify an entire city.

Oops! Don't want to inject politics into anyone's four-color escapism.

Prayers and best wishes to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Peace.

---

UPDATE (9/7/05): Amazon's customer tracking is always interesting in a Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon kind of way. Combat Zone's "Customers who bought this item also bought" listings?

• The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades) by Robert Spencer
  
• Our Oldest Enemy : A History of America's Disastrous Relationship with France by John J. Miller
  
• A Patriot's History of the United States : From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart
  
• The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy: The Untold Story of How Democratic Operatives, Eccentric Billionaires, Liberal Activists, and Assorted Celebrities Tried to Bring Down a President--and Why They'll Try Even Harder Next Time by Byron York
  
• The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell : An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq by John Crawford
  
• 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37) by Bernard Goldberg

INDUSTRY BUZZ #2: Hype Will Eat Itself

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 Big Two?

Sitting at the table this month:

Ronée Garcia Bourgeois: National VP / PR, Friends Of Lulu
Johanna Draper Carlson: Reviewer, Comics Worth Reading
Brian Scot Johnson: Proprietor, Khepri.com
Frank Miller: Proprietor, Richmond Comix
Chris Pitzer: Publisher, AdHouse Books
Jason Rodriguez: Editor, Hoarse & Buggy
Rose Vess: Reviewer, Shrew Review

Plus, Special Guests:

Jim Demonakos: PR & Marketing Coordinator, Image Comics
Scott Beatty: Writer, Son of Vulcan, Batgirl: Year One
Joshua Dysart: Writer, Captain Gravity & The Power of the Vril, Swamp Thing
Joshua Hale Fialkov: Writer, Elk's Run
Debbie Huey: Creator/Writer/Artist, Bumperboy

Check it out.

Moon Knight: The Bottom

"Moon Knight: The Bottom is violent. Period. It's a Moon Knight story based in the Doug Moench continuity and while Marc Spector, as Moon Knight didn't really kill people, it seemed like everybody died. Until they started getting resurrected in Marc Spector: Moon Knight, every bad guy that he faced off with ended up getting blown up or killing themselves or being killed by somebody else. Usually, it was tragically, or in a very dark and ironic manner; it was grim stuff. And Marc Spector is a killer. Period. End of story. He was a man who was paid money to kill people. And all of the rationalization he may have had about having always fought on the good side and not killing innocent people, he went into foreign countries and accepted cash money payments to go out and kill people. So, you know, yeah, it's dark and it's violent..."

-- Charlie Huston, Writer, Moon Knight: The Bottom

NOTE: David Finch artwork from Wizard #168, via Moon Knight: The Yahoo! Group