If
you don’t know, Previews
is the catalog 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.
Harley
Quinn and her Gang of Harleys – DC (Back Cover, 82)
I
love the ongoing Harley
Quinn
series, but I’m not a huge fan of the gang of Harleys. I don’t
know what it is, but they just haven’t clicked with me. I
definitely know that I enjoy the issues that don’t feature them as
heavily more. Part of it is probably that they aren’t fleshed out
much beyond being stereotypes (or should I be nicer and say
“archetypes” since I’m not trying to criticize?). I think it’s
mainly because I’m there to read about Harley. I like the other
supporting characters and the occasional appearance by Poison Ivy,
but I could do without the gang.
This
miniseries will probably work on developing the individual characters
in the gang, but I’m just not that interested.
FREE
COMIC BOOK DAY! (33-44)
I
won’t get too deep into FCBD until we get closer, but I wanted to
go ahead and mention these awesome shirts by Phantom Phavorites Art
Baltazar and Francesco Francavilla, available in several colors,
including Phantom Phurple!
Aliens:
Defiance #1 – Dark Horse (46-47)
I
recognize Brian Wood’s name and I’m pretty sure that I’ve read
his work, but I can’t recall anything specific. Regardless of that,
the one thing you can usually count on from Dark Horse is that
they’ve put interesting, competent people on their books. I don’t
necessarily get excited for everything they publish, but when there
is something I want, I know it’s going to be good. I’m also
digging the art samples for this one:
How
to Talk to Girls at Parties HC – Dark Horse (54)
Where
the heck was this twenty years ago when I needed it!?!
I’m
kidding, except also completely serious.
This
is a no-brainer – it’s the mega-talented duo of Gabriel Bá and
Fábio Moon working with Neil Gaiman to adapt one of his stories.
Buffy:
The High School Years – Freaks & Geeks TP – Dark Horse (61)
Dark
Horse’s Buffy
books lost me a while ago, as I feel that they got away from the
narrative I wanted to see. This is something I would be interested
in, but Yishan Li’s art is not at all to my liking. I can’t hang
with anything this Manga-influenced.
Fafhrd
and the Gray Mouser: The Cloud of Hate and Other Stories – Dark
Horse (64)
I
picked up Mike Mignola’s Fafhrd trade a few years ago and really
dug it, though I didn’t look any further into the adventures of the
thief and his barbarian companion. Fortunately, Dark Horse is
providing this collection of work from three of the masters –
Dennis O’Neil, Howard Chaykin, and Walt Simonson. This one is a
must-have.
5.5”
Snoopy Flocked Vinyl Figures – Dark Horse (77)
These
are super neat figures and sixteen bucks for a flocked vinyl figure
this size isn’t a bad deal. Plus, if you have a regular pull
service at your Local Comic Book Shop, you probably get a bit of a
discount on merchandise.
While
I naturally want the standard white Snoopy, I can’t deny the appeal
of a fuzzy Snoopy in my trademark purple. Also, don’t look “Fuzzy
Snoopy” up on Urban Dictionary. And if you do, I don’t want to
know about it.
Swamp
Thing #4 – DC (103)
This
is one of those instances where I’m mentioning something a few
issues in because I just read the first issue and want to recommend
it. There’s no New 52 bullshit here. This is just old school words
by Len Wein and fantastic horror art by Kelley Jones. I loved the
first issue and hope that the tone and momentum can stay the same. Of
course, with a “Rebirth” coming to the DCU, who knows? More on
that later.
Superman:
The Coming of the Supermen #3 - DC (110)
Yep.
That’s what I’m talking about. Good ol’ bonkers Neal Adams. I
can only assume that the Man of Steel cut himself shaving.
Poison
Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #4 – DC (117)
Same
as Swamp
Thing –
I mentioning this because I read the first issue and liked it. It
disregards other continuity or stories and does its own thing. It is
a little jarring that Harley Quinn’s character doesn’t quite line
up with how she’s depicted in her own ongoing book, but whatever.
This is a story about Ivy doing her own not-really-a-villain thing
and as of now I’m curious to see where it goes.
Harley’s
Little Black Book #3 – DC (118)
This
series is what Harley
Quinn and Power Girl
should have been. Six issues was way
too
many for that story. Here we have one-shots teaming Harley up with
other DCU characters. The first one featured Wonder Woman and was
perfect in both tone and length. As long as they can keep recruiting
fun, talented artists for this title, I’m in.
The
Joker: Endgame TP – DC (130)
While
not as incredible as Death
of the Family,
this is a must-read follow-up if you want the whole story. Scott
Snyder’s run on Batman
has had its ups and downs, but his handling of the Joker has been
something for the history books. I think that decades from now people
will still be referring to these Joker stories.
Dark
Knight: A True Batman Story HC – DC (139)
Paul
Dini – one of the most influential writers to ever give voice to
Batman and script his adventures – was brutally beaten nearly two
decades ago. It effected his life and career, but the idea of Batman
helped him through and unthinkably horrible experience and recovery.
Now Dini presents a tale of Batman inspired by these events. There’s
no way I can pass this unique story up.
Batman:
Arkham Knight Action Figures – DC Collectibles (150)
These
are starting to get pricier than I am comfortable with.
Harley,
Joker, and Ivy are being offered as single-carded figures, while the
two different Arkham Militia solders come with Batman.
I
love that they’re doing Harley in her original costume, as it
provides a sort of closure to the figures for this series. This one’s
a must for me. Joker looks great, but it annoys me that we’re
getting this variant when we still
don’t have a decent figure of Joker in his standard Arkham
garb. This one’s a pass. Ivy looks great except for her leaf
panties, which look odd and too big compared to how she looks in the
game. I feel like DCC got shy for some reason. I want to see this
figure in person first.
As
for the three pack, I want those Militia dudes very badly, but I am
not shelling out for another Batman that I already have. DCC has been
really bad about pushing repaints on us, and this one doesn’t even
appear to be a repaint. It’s just the Arkham
Knight
Batman again. I can’t get behind that.
Batman:
Rainbow Action Figure 6-Pack – DC Collectibles (154)
This,
on the other hand, is a solid deal for a set of figures that is going
to look pretty swanky on your shelf. Since they’re all repaints of
an old mold, DCC can get away with charging seventy bucks for the
whole set of six. I’m tempted. I don’t think I’m going to order
it, but I like it.
DC
Comics Icons Static Shock Action Figure – DC Collectibles (155)
NOTE:
This item is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
This
is very interesting. This figure was first offered a couple of months
ago at the price of $45, which I thought was outrageous. Now it has
been resolicited for $28 and I can’t help but notice that all of
the accessories that were pictured before are no longer shown.
There’s just a note that says, “This action figure comes with his
own accessories.
I
don’t know what the story is. If I had to guess, I’d say that
orders didn’t meet what DCC wanted for the $45 version, so they’re
scrapping some accessories and dropping the price. But I have no
idea. This is still a great looking figure and while I wasn’t going
to pay $45 for it, it will be a shame if Static doesn’t have the
admittedly great assortment of gear that was initially offered.
Batman:
The Animated Series Deluxe Batmobile – DC Collectibles (156)
*Pauses
to install Angry Eyes*
This.
This is some straight-up horseshit.
I
bought their Batmobile. I bought their Batman figure and their Robin
figure that do not fit into their Batmobile without removing their
capes.
And
now DC Collectibles is pooping in my face by telling me that I, as an
early adopter and loyal customer, am going to have to buy all of that
stuff over again if I want improved versions of the Batmobile and the
figures, not to mention a kickass Batsignal that hasn’t been
offered elsewhere.
These
figures have cloth capes that can fit into the Batmobile. This
Batmobile has chrome parts instead of dull grey.
I
am so damned irritated by this.
Micronauts
#1 – IDW (158-159)
I’m
a little surprised that this wasn’t on the cover.
As
a toy guy, I can’t help but be familiar with Micronauts. They were
slightly before my time, but thanks to my Granny’s constant garage
sale habits I did have a number of them, though I didn’t know that
back in the day. When I was a kid I thought they were fun to play
with, but also slightly off-putting due to their weird silver faces
and almost-human forms.
I
find it odd to see this launching anywhere other than Marvel, but
it’s a Hasbro license, so it makes sense that it found a home with
GI Joe and Transformers. With the excellent Cullen Bunn writing and
the art samples looking fantastic, I’m going to have to give this a
shot. My only concern is that it will be too “gritty” and “edgy”
like IDW’s GI Joe titles.
The
Walking Dead Coloring Book – Image (231)
To
quote one of my favorite seller of comic books, Mike from Titan Comics in
Smyrna, GA:
“Image
has already been publishing The
Walking Dead
adult coloring books for over a decade now”.
Black
Panther #1 – Marvel (Cover, M5-7)
Comic
book media is treating the fact that Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing
Black
Panther
as a HUGE deal. I am not familiar with the writer, but I think it’s
great that a black guy is writing the book. You guys know that I am
not particularly politically correct, but I do think that whenever
possible the author should represent the character they are writing.
White dudes writing females and non-white ethnicities is a little
ridiculous. It’s one thig when it’s a team book, but when it’s
solo characters a little personal perspective and experience should
be present. I’m not trying to suggest that Coates’ life is
anything like Black Panther’s, but he can provide an outlook that
no white dude can.
For
me, the big sell is that Brian Stelfreeze is doing the art. I love
his work and can’t wait to see what he does on this book.
Side
Note: Yes, I am sure that some of you chafe at my use of the term
“black guy”, but I find “African-American” to be extremely
problematic. Not every black guy is from Africa, and it’s actually
pretty racist to suggest that they are. Additionally, not every black
guy is American. Do you call black guys that were born in the UK
African-American? Only if you’re an idiot.
Side
Note to Black Guys: Let me know your preference. I really have no
idea at this point. I’d love to just be able to say “dude”,
“person”, or “lady”, but sometimes it is
important to note these things.
Star
Wars: Poe Dameron #1 – Marvel (Back Cover, M8-9)
I
am very excited about this. I love the character of Poe Dameron and
the fact that he is a hero of the Resistance in a way that we never
got to see from Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter on screen. He’s
also one of the few characters that can be fleshed out through the
new Expanded Universe, since his pre-The
Force Awakens
exploits can be detailed without affecting the story we know.
On
top of all that, Marvel put the dynamo team of Charles Soule (the
Lando
miniseries) and Phil Noto on this one.
Gwenpool
#1 – Marvel (M10-11)
I
am not above trends, you guys. Especially funny trends. I liked this
character when she showed up in Howard
the Duck
(one of Marvel’s best current books) and the Gwenpool
Holiday Special
was hilarious, if a bit heavy-handed on the social commentary.
The
concept is that she’s from our world and has ended up in the
post-Secret Wars Marvel Universe with all of these characters that
have been in her own world’s comic books. It’s kind of like
Superboy-Prime, but funny. I’ll give this a shot and see where it
goes.
Old
Man Logan #4 – Marvel (M87)
After
reading a synopsis of the first issue I picked it up and enjoyed it.
The idea is that Old Man Logan ended up in the current post-Secret
Wars MCU (are we seeing a pattern?) and has seen the opportunity to
prevent the horrible future he comes from. The fun part is that this
is old-school Logan and not actual schoolteacher Logan, so his
solution is to murder everyone he remembers being responsible. The
first issue is a jaw-dropper, so I added it to the pull list.
Spider-Man
by Todd McFarlane Omnibus HC – Marvel (M118)
Over
the years I have sold my comic collection several times. Among the
runs of comics I have kept are Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man issues.
The artwork is incredible and the stories are fun. These are still
some of my favorite Spidey comics. If you don’t have them, I
recommend this collection.
Twilight
Zone: The Shadow #1 (of 4) - Dynamite (335)
This
is certainly interesting. As far as I know, The
Twilight Zone
has never crossed over with anything. At first glance it seems like a
bizarre concept to mix the greatest anthology series of all time with
any other IP. Until you realize how many concepts have just ripped it
off. It’s a natural fit for almost any
comic book property, especially one like the Shadow, that hasn’t
done as much (if any) exploration into alternate realities.
Darkwing
Duck #1 – Joe Books Inc. (382)
It’s
good to see that DW’s adventures will continue, but they can’t
possibly be as good as the one that Miss Lady Flex wrote for the
Dirty Dirty Con Con Game Game Show Show. Coming soon to a con near
you.
Also,
it seems incredibly wrong to me that this Joe Books is producing
Disney titles alongside books starring Dreamworks’ mostly lesser,
fart-centric characters.
Madballs
#1 – Lion Forge (388-389)
SOLD.
I love Madballs, but when you’re offering me Madballs as written by
Brad McGinty, creator of Glorp
Gum
and one-time guest on the Needless
Things Podcast,
then I simply cannot resist!
Magneto
Was Right T-Shirt – Mighty Fine (506)
This
has popped up from time to time in actual Marvel continuity, I think
first worn by Quentin Quire. That makes it one of the coolest kinds
of t-shirts you can get. I’m pretty sure Quire’s didn’t
actually feature Magneto’s mug, but I think later versions did.
Retro
Cloth Daredevil Action Figure – Diamond Select Toys (518)
Another
fantastic figure, but one that I just can’t see paying eighty bucks
for. Maybe if it was an actual three pack and not just head and hand
swaps for a single figure.
Alien
Big Chap Vinyl Bust Bank – Diamond Select Toys (520)
As
much as I adore DST’s vinyl bust banks – that basically serve as
affordable statues and busts – it’s been a little while since
I’ve gotten personally excited over one. This is that one. It looks
like the dome is painted as opposed to actually being transparent
with a skull underneath, but it still looks great. You can also still
get eh Warrior Alien from Aliens
if that’s your preference:
Unaffiliated
Thoughts
Not
much to say here other than to point out that the Marvel Previews
continues to stand out thanks to gorgeous artwork.
DC,
on the other hand, is going to be shaking things up this Summer.
While there’s no sign of it in this Previews, “Rebirth” is
coming soon. Apparently it’s another reboot-ish type thing that
will reset all of the books to #1 and have an as-yet-undetermined
effect on characters and continuity.
I
don’t really care. I can keep not buying DC comic books or I could
get interested again if DC truly shakes things up. I’m betting on
the former.
Oh,
and I recently posted on Facebook that I thought Supergirl was the
best superhero DC has on TV. Not the best show,
the best superhero. For more on that, be sure to check out this
Friday’s Needless
Things Podcast!
*****
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!
Not sure of the page number, but I have a book solicited in this issue under Moonstone Books.
ReplyDeleteMoonstone Books for April 2016.
Domino Lady, Sherlock Holmes, & The Black Bat.
SHERLOCK HOLMES/DOMINO LADY TPB
Written by Nancy Holder, Bobby Nash, art by Reno Maniquis, Mike Fyles, cover by Mike Fyles.
Bobby