If
you don’t know, Previews
is the catalogue that Diamond Comic Distributors use to offer the
products they distribute to comic book stores around the country.
This is where you can view and order (through your favorite Local
Comic Book Shop) comic books, trade paperback collections, t-shirts,
books, media, and toys and other collectibles from hundreds of
different vendors that deal in geek-oriented merchandise. The genius
part is that you actually have to pay for your copy of Previews
for the privilege of ordering other things to pay for. It’s like
the Ren Fest except without the horse poo smell.
So
every month a new edition of Previews
is sent out to comic book stores. Contained in the pages within are
products that might be currently available or could be released
anytime in the next year; but typically about two months away. Or
sometimes never. I’ve ordered lots
of things that have just never come in. Without getting into the
specific politics of Diamond, let me just say that they aren’t
quite
a monopoly and also aren’t quite
the worst distributor anybody has ever dealt with in the history of
the universe.
But
I’m not here to discuss that. I’m here to discuss a few of the
weird and/or wonderful items offered in this month’s edition.
At
this point I don’t know if I’ll have a copy of Marvel
Previews
by the time this posts. If I don’t I don’t and too bad for them.
I can’t imagine the tens of dollars they could potentially lose due
to the lack of my coverage.
Justice
League of America – DC (Back Cover)
“A
new era of widescreen action”. Does this mean that I’m going to
have to hold comic book sideways like an idiot? Like I did with the
that one issue of Batman/Superman?
And yeah – I know that was a three-issue arc. I didn’t buy the
other two because I hate holding my comics like that.
I
suppose I should actually look at the interior entry before I go off
on a rant about this. I’ll be right back…
Interesting.
Just more widescreen talk inside. I was interested in this one, as it
was supposed to be a title with no ties to continuity and that
appealed to me. But if I’m going to have to hold it sideways like a
freaking N-Gage (who gets that reference?), then no thank you.
Free
Comic Book Day 2015! (25 - 35)
Free
Comic Book Day falls on May 2nd
this year. I’m working with no way out. But that doesn’t mean
that I won’t be doing something special for the event. I’ve
already lined up a special guest for the podcast. More to come soon!
Edgar
Rice Burroughs’ At the Earth’s Core – Dark Horse (71)
I
love
that cover. Vicious flying dinosaurs chasing scantily-clad cavegirls
is something I can get behind. I also really dig “inside the Earth”
stories. The idea that there’s stuff going on right under our feet
has always fascinated me. And then on top of all of that you have the
suggestion that Lovecraft’s At
the Mountains of Madness
was inspired by this story – good stuff.
This
one was written by friend of the site Award-Winning
Bobby Nash.
Since he’s a stand-up guy and pretty much a genius, I’m going to
go ahead and give it my recommendation.
Post-Convergence
– DC Comics (82 - 127)
Oh,
boy. I hadn’t realized it was already time for DC’s
post-Convergence titles to be solicited. It’s time to get an idea
of how much of my money DC is going to be getting for the rest of the
year…
Also
– some characters are getting new looks that are even
dumber
than their New 52 designs. So it’ll be interesting to see how that
shakes out.
Black
Canary #1 – DC Comics (86)
SOLD.
I love the current Batgirl
comic and I really liked the portrayal of Black Canary in that comic.
I’ll happily follow that Dinah Lance into another comic with the
same style and aesthetic sense. I really dig the art here, as well.
Green
Lantern: The Lost Army #1 – DC Comics (91)
I
miss reading Green Lantern comics, especially ones about the Corps.
But I never liked what was going on in the New 52. Now there’s a
fresh start that sounds like it has nothing
to do with interminable wars between and within Lantern factions.
That shit got OLD. Plus, I really like Cullen Bunn’s work, so I’m
excited to give this a shot.
Harley
Quinn and Power Girl #1 – DC Comics (92)
This
is the unseen adventure from the end of Harley
Quinn
#20. I love that comic, so I’ll be getting this. If you like comics
that are fun, you should be reading anything with the names
“Palmiotti”, “Conner”, and “Gray” on it.
Robin:
Son of Batman #1 – DC Comics (99)
I
trust Patrick Gleason to guide the solo adventures of Damian Wayne.
Starfire
#1 – DC Comics (101)
Remember
what I said up there about Palmiotti and Conner?
Batgirl
#41 – DC Comics (119)
I’m
very excited about following the new adventures of Barbara Gordon. I
am not excited about this dumb new Bat-Bunny robot thing. Look, I try
not to be a naysayer, but I SAY THEE NAY. I hated that thing the
second I saw it. And not in a “They shouldn’t do that” kind of
way. Of course they should
do it. Nothing is going to hurt the legacy of Batman. There’s no
reason why they shouldn’t try new things. Dick Grayson as Batman is
still one of my favorite stores ever. I was crushed when they undid
it.
So
I support experimentation. But I don’t have to read it until
somebody tells me it’s good.
Batman:
The Animated Series Batmobile – DC Collectibles (148)
I
think we discussed this enough on the Toy
Fair Episode of the Needless Things Podcast
and in my Toy
Fair recap.
I’m buying one.
Batman
Animated Series: Mad Hatter, Bane, Nightwing, and Scarecrow – DC
Collectibles (149)
As
was discussed in the above linked recaps, I don’t like these
designs for Bane and Scarecrow. I won’t be buying ‘em. Even if
they don’t make the versions from the original series, I’d rather
not have the characters than own these. Nightwing and Hatter look
great, though I am a little bummed Hatter doesn’t come with a
mechanical White Rabbit like the Kenner version did.
Wonder
Woman: The Art of War Statue by Jill Thompson – DC Collectibles
(151)
I
love this design. It’s very different, but everything about it says
“Wonder Woman” I love the lines and the look and the expression
on her face. The vibe is very Greek. Only one thing is keeping me
from buying this – the stick. What’s with the stick? It just
seems odd to me that Wonder Woman has a Gandalf staff.
DC
Comics Constantine Statue – DC Collectibles (154)
Okay,
is it just me or does his face look like Keanu Reeves? I’m not
going to talk shit about Keanu because I do genuinely like him and
John
Wick
was fucking phenomenal, but maybe he isn’t the John Constantine we
all want.
Constantine
(TV) Dr. Fate’s Helmet – DC Collectibles (155)
Another
beautiful prop replica from DCC. Only thing is, it doesn’t specify
if it’s wearable or just a shelf item. Because I notice it doesn’t
actually say
“Prop Replica”.
If
you’re an insane person, there’s also a 24K gold plated version
for three hundred dollars more.
Empty
Zone #1 – Image (206-209)
I’m
not familiar with the creator of this title – Jason Shawn
Alexander. I’m also not too terribly prone to checking out new
titles that look “gritty”, “edgy”, or “dark”. But the
above image got me.
It’s
sort of a Tank Girl-like chick on the floor and it kind of looks like
she’s trying to relax. But she has a bunch of machinery instead of
a right arm, SO THAT’S PROBABLY A LITTLE FREAKING DIFFICULT. The
artistic style reminds me a lot of Kent Williams, who did some of my
favorite art in Havok
& Wolverine: Meltdown.
If you haven’t read it, you need to.
So
that image got me and I had to read the sneak preview, which I don’t
do very much. It was cool. It might end up being a little too grim
for me, but I’m going to give it a try because I dig the art and
the preview hooked me.
American
Gothic Press (261-263)
This,
to me, is big news. Famous
Monsters of Filmland
is starting its own comic book imprint. They’re kicking it off with
a book from Paul Tobin that looks kind of like a more horror-oriented
Pacific
Rim.
That sounds pretty great to me. I’ll be following these releases
closely. Forthcoming titles include more from Tobin, as well as books
from Steve Niles and Nat Jones. I’ll be curious to see how close
they can stick to what I consider to be Famous
Monsters
material. So far it looks like they’re off to a good start.
Lieutenant
Cthulu T-Shirt – Antarctic Press (264)
This
is Gary’s Madness of the Month, even though Gary had no say in the
matter.
Archie
#1 – Archie Comics (270-273)
Okay,
Afterlife
With Archie
is great. Sabrina
is great. But I don’t; want to buy a regular Archie comic. I don’t.
But how can I pass up a book by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, two of
my absolute favorite creators right now? This almost doesn’t seem
fair. I’m not interested in regular Archie stories at
all,
but Waid and Staples are two of the most talented people working in
comics.
Dammit.
I guess I have to give this a look.
Femme
Fatales Cassie Hack Statue – Diamond Select Toys (Splash
353/Offered 494)
SOLD.
Hack/Slash
is one of my favorite comics. I loved everything about it except for
the rough times where the book couldn’t seem to get decent artists.
Other than that it’s always been a fun title that hit all of my
sweet spots. I’d prefer a Cassie Hack action figure, but I’ll
support and Hack/Slash
merchandise that gets made.
As
far as the statue itself, it looks great. This is classic Cassie
Hack, exactly as I would want a statue of her to look.
What
I like about these Femme Fatale statues is that they’re PVC, so you
get a 9” statue for under fifty bucks. It’s a little pricier than
an action figure would be, but it’s not a two hundred dollar
statue.
21st
Century Tank Girl #1 – Titan Comics (407)
It’s
a pretty big deal that Jamie Hewlett is returning to Tank
Girl.
He’s been off doing his Gorillaz (one of the greatest bands ever
created) thing for a while now. I don’t know if anybody really
expected him to come back to this one.
The
blurb mentions contributions from “a host of series stalwarts and
newcomers”, so I’m wondering just how much Martin and Hewlett are
doing here. I mean, it’s only 32 pages. But I’m going to find
out, because I love Tank Girl.
Side
Note: I find it somewhat odd that this #1 issue does not offer
eighty-seven variant covers.
ED-209
T-Shirt (472)
This
is awesome. I don’t need any more t-shirts, but if I had the closet
space I’d get this one. The design is perfect – it looks like
something OCP would have given its employees at the 4th
of July company picnic. Right before ED-209 blew them into millions
of little gobbets of gore.
DC
Movie Poster Variant Cover T-Shirts – Graphitti Designs (474)
These
covers are coming out this month, so keep an eye out. There are some
amazing ones. If they had done the Purple
Rain
Batgirl cover I would have bought it. It’s funny – the Superman
ones aren’t even in my Top Ten. That Aquaman is my number two pick,
though. So subtle and perfect.
Tattooine
Falcon T-Shirt – Mad Engine (477)
Another
triumphant design from Mad Engine! These guys must be around my age,
because they produce a lot of things that punch me right in the
nostalgia. I had a shirt almost exactly
like this when I was eleven, except that it had no sleeves and was a
Miami cityscape. I’ve never even been to Miami.
Of
course, I haven’t been to Tattooine, either.
I
totally believe they sell these in the Chalmun’s Cantina (or
whatever it’s called in the post-EU galaxy) gift shop, right beside
the thimbles and shot glasses.
Nightmare
Before Christmas Select Figures – Diamond Select Toys (487-488)
DST
has been upping their game with both licenses and quality lately.
I’ve owned many, many
NBC toys and these look top-notch. It’s going to be hard to resist
these, especially the Oogie Boogie with the removable face. My only
gripe is that the bases don’t appear to be interlocking. That might
have actually been a big selling point for me. The idea of a massive
Halloweentown diorama would have been too good for me to refuse.
Batman
Classic TV Series Batgirl Statue – Diamond Select Toys (490)
If
I were going to spend $200 on a statue, it would be on this Yvonne
Craig Batgirl sculpted by Clayburn Moore. It’s gorgeous.
Star
Trek: The Next Generation Enterprise D Electronic Ship – Diamond
Select Toys (496)
If
you love TNG and you’ve got the scratch for it, I can’t recommend
this beautiful ship highly enough. You can check out my review here.
Firefly
Legacy Collection Action Figures – Funko (506)
We
also covered these pretty thoroughly in the above linked Toy Fair
posts and podcast. The crotches look weird, but otherwise they’re
awesome. It’s Firefly
– the greatest show ever made. These are not optional.
Aliens:
Power Loader Deluxe Vehicle – NECA (508)
NECA
got us good with this one. Those of us that purchased their
incredible Alien Queen
pretty much have to buy one of these. And it looks awesome, so I
don’t have much of a problem with that. Other than the price tag, I
mean. Yikes.
Side
Note: Is it kind of sad that we’ll probably never see the drop ship
or the troop transport, but that we’re getting a fancy forklift?
Alien:
1979 Version Quarter Scale Figure – NECA (508)
I
want this something terrible, but I just can’t buy everything. And
the crummy part is that if you don’t get it when it first goes on
sale, the price is going to triple. The regular scale Big Chap is
around fifty bucks now and rising.
Predator:
Dark Horse 25th
Anniversary Action Figure – NECA (508)
If
you’re reading this, then I assume you’re at least a little bit
of a comic book nerd. And I would also assume that you, being a
right-minded individual, love Predators. This is the Predator action
figure for you. It commemorates the Predator’s first appearance in
comic book form from the cover of Predator
#1 from
Dark Horse. The color scheme perfectly matches that of the
interstellar hunter’s print version. This is a great-looking figure
and one of the best of NECA’s series of repaints.
Friday
the 13th
Part VI Jason Retro Action Figure – NECA (511)
This
isn’t necessarily my favorite Jason (that would be Jason X), but
this might be the best version of Jason Voorhees to make as a retro
action figure (except, maybe, for Jason X). I think this one looks
great and now that I’ve already fallen down NECA’s retro rabbit
hole with their Misfits, Ash, and Snake Plisskin figures I might as
well dive further.
Living
Dead Dolls Creature from the Black Lagoon – Mezco (511)
I
own one Living Dead Doll – a luchador from a Day of the Dead series
a few years ago. Now I will own two.
Of
course, Mrs. Troublemaker thinks she
owns them just because she owns all of the other Living Dead Dolls.
But these two are mine.
Bettie
Page Sixth Scale Action Doll – ? (514)
The
description on this thing is crap. Is it poseable? Are the clothes
removable? Will the plastic it’s made of give your dog diarrhea? I
don’t know the answers to any of these questions, I just mention
this figure because it’s the best-looking Bettie Page likeness I’ve
seen on a toy. There’ve been a few Page toys over the years and
most of them have been pretty bad.
Hammer
Horror Busts – Titan Merchandise (545)
These
look great, but busts aren’t my thing (mostly). If they ever do a
Captain Kronos series I’m going to be in trouble, though.
Masters
of the Universe Mouse Pads – ? (563)
These
are beautiful and I’d love to have prints of the artwork, but who
pays for mouse pads?
That’s
all I’ve got for this month. Start putting your pennies in your
Diamond Select figural bank and remember to drop your order form off
at your Local Comic Book Shop!
Heh. Phantom called me a genius. hee, hee,... He might be the first to utter that word about me. Thanks, pal.
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss ya at FCBD.
Bobby
I wish I wasn't working.
DeleteBut that goes for pretty much any day.
Understood. I recently returned to corporate life and it's put a big dent in my writing time.
DeleteMan, those Batman: Animated Series figures are sweet. I want!
ReplyDeleteBobby
They're great so far. I'll have reviews up for Dick Grayson Robin, Joker, and Man-Bat next week.
DeleteCool. I've not actually seen any in person yet. My bank account is already a twitter. :)
DeleteGood stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Delete