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.
It’s only been two weeks since the last installment thanks to Dragon Con and the shortness of September. I feel like I barely got any September, but that’s okay because tomorrow is October and that means we start 31 Days of Halloween!
Harley’s
Little Black Book (Front Cover, 70)
I’m
in, obviously.
Thanks
to her treatment at the hands (and minds) of Jimmy Palmiotti and
Amanda Conner, Harley Quinn has become my favorite character in the
current DC Universe. Clearly I am not alone if they’re sticking her
on the cover of Previews
and giving her another title.
While
the Harley/Power Girl team-up book feels a little bloated, I love the
idea of a bi-monthly series that teams DC’s version of Deadpool up
with random other DC characters. And with DC’s new “loose
continuity”, that means we could potentially see the most
interesting versions of said characters rather than whatever bland
post-New 52 personifications are currently moping their way around
the DCU.
Two
more things: This is a hilarious and fantastic illustration; and I
don’t know what the polybag deal is, exactly, but I am a huge fan
of gimmicks as long as they come from clever people. And with
Palmiotti and Conner’s names on this I feel like we’re in good
hands.
I
guess I’m going to be commenting on this line for as long as
Squenix keeps sticking them on the front.
I
don’t; care for this Cap. His armor is a bit too much and he has
girlface. Steve Rogers should never
have girlface.
Black
Widow looks so awesome that I’d probably buy one if it wasn’t a
hundred and forty effing dollars. Girlface on her is fine. And while
her armor is alos a little busy, it isn’t quite as ridiculous as
that Cap’s.
These
figures cost way too much.
Our
pal, Mike
Gordon,
gives out comics instead of candy on Halloween and I think that’s a
fine idea. This year on Halloween, comic shops are being invited to
participate in a sort of mini-Free Comic Book Day where kids can come
in and get free comics. There are a ton of fun titles in here, though
you might want to keep Vampblade
Featuring Zombie Tramp
on the higher shelves.
HOLY.
SHIT.
I
never could have imagined that such a thing would actually happen.
One of the first custom action figures I ever made was a Batman
scaled to go with my Ninja Turtles figures way back in the day. The
Batman figures that were available at the time were all eighteenth
scale or so, which was too small to go with Playmates’ Turtles. The
twelfth scale C.O.P.S. N’ Crooks figures were perfect, though. So I
put another figure’s head on Barricade’s body and did a little
sanding, painting, and whatnot and had an okay Batman. I also made a
Joker out of Buttons McBoomBoom.
This
crossover is a dream come true. And I trust James Tynion IV as much
as I would trust anyone to pull it off.
I
don’t care. If this had happened before Flashpoint
I would be totally into it. But I still
just can’t muster up any interest for events in the DCU because,
quite frankly, I feel like nothing matters. I know I need to get over
it, but my brain just doesn’t believe these are the same characters
I cared so much about five or so years ago. Harley works because I
honestly didn’t care much about her until after the New 52. But
everything that happens with the Bat-verse now seems sort of hollow,
no matter how good the story is.
It’s
not you, DC, it’s me.
I
mean, it’s because of the dumbass thing that you did, but it’s me
that can’t ever get over it apparently.
But
then there’s Batgirl. I love this comic. And I think I can love it
because it’s so
different. It’s not a pale imitation of what existed before, it’s
a dynamic change from any Batgirl we’ve had. Bryan Q. Miller’s
run with Stephanie is probably the closest in tone, but this is a
whole new Barbara Gordon that still feels like Barbara Gordon.
I
probably need to record a podcast about this.
DAMMIT.
Just
when I was getting back into a GL book, DC went and cancelled it. I
get it – people weren’t buying it, I guess. But I thought it was
really good. I spread the word as much as I could.
I’m
not usually a fan of Joker variations. I like the guy in some form of
suit. But this is a very striking design. The purple and green is
there and the face looks fantastic, which is apparently a tough thing
to do on a 3D Joker. I’ve seen tons
of lousy Joker heads in my day.
For
whatever reason I like the armaments on this Joker and the pose is
great. I’m even tempted to add it to my small statue/bust
collection.
Uh
oh. Looks like IDW might have homed in on one of my soft spots. I
find it hard to pass up Holiday/Christmas Specials (unless they’re
labeled “X-Mas”, which I hate). The idea of Cybertronians
celebrating… whatever they celebrate is very appealing to me. And
it looks like IDW has more Holiday fun in store.
I
am disappointed there’s no GI Joe Christmas Special, though.
I
haven’t read the new Jem
book even though I dig the art because Jem just isn’t my thing. But
I’ll read a Jem Holiday Special. Like I said, I’ll read just
about any
Holiday Special.
Just
about. I can’t bring myself to buy a My
Little Pony
comic. That is just a step too far outside of my interests and age
range.
Okay,
I’ll give this one a pass. As much as I dislike “X-Mas”, even I
would’ve used it here.
This
one’s a no-brainer. Anything I can read with Lil’ Troublemaker
goes into the pull box.
While
I love Funko’s Game of Thrones Legacy figures, I’m still kind of
on the fence as to whether or not I should really be collecting them.
At twenty bucks apiece it’s going to be very expensive to collect
all of my favorite Westerosians(?), and that’s if
Funko is able to continue the line for any significant amount of time
and even get to characters who will have been dead on the show for
years before they actually get made.
These
building sets from McFarlane represented what might have been a
feasible alternative. But seeing that they are selling the single
figures in blind bags, the only rational response is, “NOPE”.
I
get what they’re doing here. I think the idea of Amadeus Cho as a
Hulk is fantastic and this could well be the best Hulk book since
Peter David’s incredible run. But this is my least favorite drawing
of a green Hulk ever. That fauxhawk is sticking a thumb in the eye of
everything I believe in.
But
I get it, I really do.
This
is clearly building upon the foundation that Cullen Bunn laid with
his excellent Magneto
series. It’s possible that the angry, vengeful mutant thing could
be played out by this point, but Bunn has earned my trust. I’ll
check this out for sure.
It
looks like I might have spoken too soon last month when I said I was
done with Marvel. Putting Nick Bradshaw on a Spider-Man title that
promises “a rip-roaring romp” is the kind of thing I can get
behind. It’s been a long time since I was reading a Spidey book
(though that new one should be hitting any day now) and this looks
like exactly the webslinger I want.
Yes,
obviously this is ridiculous. But Marvel’s sense of humor has been
pretty keen lately and I’ve got to believe this is going to be one
of those instances where they poke some fun at themselves. Plus, it’s
a Christmas Special!
I
love that they’re doing these and I love that they are displaying
them all together on one page for easy reference.
James
Robinson and Tony Harris, back together again! And on a Star Wars
book, no less!
By
the way, if you’re not following Tony Harris on Instagram, you
should be. His is the best account in my feed.
THE
GREEN SECTION
Alright,
Phantomaniacs – this is a one-time special offer to see if I can
get a recurring column going again. If you would like to see me
review some random-ass, potentially shitty comic book from The Green
Section, let me know in the Needless
Things Podcast Facebook Group
and I will order and review it. Nothing is off limits. Find something
you’re genuinely curious about or just try to pick out the
worst-looking or weirdest thing you can. I will give it an honest
review.
This
is a new publisher launching in December. They’ve got a heck of a
talent pool and I’m interested in three of the four titles they’re
offering. Replica
(Paul Jenkins and Andy Clarke) and Super
Zero
(Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Rafael De Latorre) sound
genuinely good and I’m adding them to my pull list. I don’t know
how interesting InSEXts
(Marguerite Bennett and Ariela Kristantina) really sounds to me, but
with a title that lurid and outrageous I’m certainly curious.
Dreaming
Eagles
(Garth Ennis and Simon Coleby) is probably going to be solid, but I
just can’t get too interested in war stuff.
I
wish these guys the best of luck. More strong publishers means more
good comic books, and that’s something we all want, right?
And I just realized that "Insexts" is a play on "insects" and not "incest".
And I just realized that "Insexts" is a play on "insects" and not "incest".
I
had no idea that Evan Dorkin had done a Bill & Ted comic book. I
am absolutely buying this.
I
don’t dabble in manga, so I don’t know much about Junji Ito other
than he created Uzumaki,
which was the basis for the movie of the same name (which wasn;t all
that great).
What I do know is that this:
I
can’t find this anywhere else in the book and I have no idea who
the publisher is. I am beginning to suspect that an evil ghost put
this ad in my copy of Previews
and that my descent into insanity is drawing nigh.
There
are no page numbers in the Titan section, which is really annoying
and makes it hard to order things.
While
that might be a bad idea, this collection of features and interviews
from Star
Wars Insider
is a great idea. I hope that Titan continues the series and isn’t
just planning to do one every time a movie comes out.
Then
again, apparently we’re getting a new Star Wars flick every year
from now until eternity, so I guess that wouldn’t be such a bad
plan.
Titan
is also doing this for the X-Files
and Buffy
the Vampire Slayer
magazines. Good stuff.
DST’s
vinyl banks are like cheaper versions of statues that look just as
good on the shelf. This is a great Harley that I’ll be adding to my
Animated
Series
collection.
I’m
enjoying Gotham
as a sort of bonkers, Elseworlds-esque take on the mythology of
Batman. I think the second season is off to a good start, as the
creators appear to have abandoned any premise of this being attached
to any origin story we already knew. That being said, I don’t
particularly want action figures of the characters. What I do want is
a figure of Sean Pertwee and a desk. I’m a big fan of Pertwee’s
and this is one of those figures I’ll buy just because I like the
actor. I don’t want Nygma, but that desk look sgreat and I’d like
to have a desk for my twelfth scale figures (though these are a bit
bigger than twelfth scale).
I’m
also a big fan of Donal Logue, but I don’t feel like they quite
captured him with this figure. It’s a little too trim and clean.
Egghead
is easily the best villain ever portrayed on Batman.
Not because he has an egg gimmick – that’s dumb. It’s because
he was played by Vincent Price and any character played by Vincent
Price gets an automatic +50 to awesomeness over a character not
played by Vincent Price. This bust sculpted by Jean St. Jean is
gorgeous.
As
for the Julie Newmar as Catwoman statue, I want to see it in person.
It looks good here, but I feel like the printed picture probably
isn’t capturing the excellence of Clayburn Moore’s sculpt. A
black catsuit isn’t the best, photography-wise.
I
can vouch for this as a kickass playset. Check out my review here.
It’s totally worth your sixty bucks if you need a place for your
Mego-style figures to hang out.
Most
of the stuff being offered in this edition of Previews
will ship to stores in December, which is when The
Force Awakens
comes out. That must be why the new Star Wars section is earlier in
this month’s guide and bigger than it has been since it first
showed up a few months ago. Here are some notable items from this
month’s offerings:
Huh.
Despite the fact that the section was bigger, there just wasn’t
much that excited me. Lots of weird items this month, like those
stupid paper wallets.
These
are adorable, but I’ve learned my lesson about ordering stuff from
Diamond without seeing an actual product picture. For one, if there’s
no picture that means that the product does not, technically exist
yet and that the chances of it ever shipping are even less than those
of other merchandise (which often just never shows up). Additionally,
while these drawings are cute guidelines, there’s no guarantee the
finished product will reflect what is seen here.
I
wouldn’t recommend buying these sub-par, overpriced figures from Mattel.
Instead, go buy the excellent retro-style figures from Figures
Toy Co.
Side Note: Those bookends are not part of the offending merchandise. They were just too hard to crop out of the picture. I'm sure they're quite nice.
Side Note: Those bookends are not part of the offending merchandise. They were just too hard to crop out of the picture. I'm sure they're quite nice.
These
look excellent and I was very excited when I first saw them. They’re
only two inches tall, but they’re also only $3.49 each. I think if
you’re into the nostalgic reproduction thing, this is the way to
go. I would bet money that these are static and have zero points of
articulation, but they’re still neat-o.
While
I applaud the idea of a Holiday Groot, I think the execution could be
better. Here he’s just stuck in a flower pot with a bow on it. I
want a full-on Christmas Groot with ornaments and garland. Funko is
usually spot-on with their pop culture, but this one misses the mark
for me.
I
want this thing so
bad,
but I cannot justify the two hundred dollar price tag. With this one,
Funko nailed it. The size and style are perfect.
Speaking
of things that I can’t afford, here’s the final version of that
Lawmaster that Mezco showed at Toy Fair. It’s gorgeous and I want
it. But it’s also two hundred and sixty bucks. So that’s not
happening.
Here’s
the thing about these pricey toys – I could sell stuff to get them
or plan in my budget, but I just can’t spend this much on a toy.
I’d feel dumb. I can buy my son’s drum kit for less than this and
I would feel like a total shithead if I had Judge Dredd and his
motorcycle on a shelf and no drum kit for my son.
Different
people are into different things and I always try to recognize and
respect that, but if you’re spending $135 on a midget Voltron, I do
not understand you. I do have to admit that it’s pretty neat that
it does transform. And includes mini pilot figures.
Dammit.
Now I kind of want it.
I
don’t know what any of those words mean, but I’m assuming it’s
something along the lines of “Mostly Naked Teenage Girl With
Lightning Shooting Out of Her Vagina and Her Bottom”.
Sorry
– my Japanese is a little rusty.
How
the heck do you put out a Dennis Rodman action figure with removable
clothing and not
include a wedding dress? Or interchangeable hair? This is a fail.
Obviously
I want this. I’m pretty sure these are twelfth scale figures,
though, so that ninety dollar price tag makes it a no-go. Plus, once
I had one I would end up wanting the others. The Imperial Guards, in
particular, look fantastic.
I
always wonders what sort of person is spending hundreds of dollars on
something like figures of the absolute worst portrayal of the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles that have ever existed. I cannot imagine any
person old enough to have disposable income looking at these and
thinking, “Man, I liked that movie so much that I want to spend
almost a THOUSAND DOLLARS buying the Turtles in this design”.
Granted, the character designs were not the problem with that movie
– literally everything else about it was the problem.
Also
featured here is the mech from the third Matrix
movie that even I can’t totally defend and Optimus Prime from
Bayformers. While the success of Michael Bay’s version of the
Transformers can’t be argued, I still have to wonder who would
choose to spend $430 on this
Optimus Prime when there are so many high-end figures available of
much, much better Optimus designs.
These
are badass and I would love to have them. Actually, what I would love
more would be if NECA picked up the license and made figures I could
justify buying. I should just stop even looking at the Import
section.
Finally
– a DC Bombshells product that I can buy! I love these designs, but
they just didn’t feel right as shirts or anything.
Unaffiliated
Thoughts
DC
still has a lot of covers that aren’t exactly wonderful.
Marvel
publishes a
lot of
books. Their catalogue is huge and offers more titles that feel like
top-tier books than don’t. I know I was bagging on them last month,
but it’s mostly because a ton of those books don’t interest me.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t good or, at least, significant.
Marvel has taken their roster of characters that, it could be argued,
will never
be as big as Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman and created a vibe of
importance, relevance, and excitement that DC seems unable to
duplicate. When I am more in love with the current Howard the Duck
comic than any of the current Batman comics, DC is fucking things up
horribly.
To be fair, though, Zdarsky and Quinones are killing it on that one.
But still.
*****
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!
I'd be in for a batgirl/canary podcast.
ReplyDeleteI actually dropped Black Canary. It was good, but I'm trying to cut back. Again.
Delete