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.
DC
just keeps being interesting.
Here’s
what DC Young Animal “Guiding Light” Gerard Way says:
It
sounds like “Young Animal” is similar to what Marvel has done
with Gwenpool,
Silver
Surfer,
Howard
the Duck,
Spider-Woman,
and some other fringe titles that skirt continuity (until they get
sucked into some shitty crossover, anyway). Which is to say that it
will feature characters we know that aren’t so critical to the
universe at large that they have to deal with fan expectations and
mass-market synergy. Or something.
The
difference is that DC was smart enough to put a name on it and put a
respected creator like Gerard Way in front of it.
Side
Note: That’s in no way meant to diminish the talent working on the
aforementioned Marvel books. Those are Marvel’s best books in my
opinion. There’s just not a singular person to hang the “Creative
Director” sign on.
Mrs.
Troublemaker doesn’t get too excited about comics anymore, but when
she saw members of the Doom Patrol on this cover, her interest was
piqued. Personally, I’m thrilled to see Flex Mentallo.
Whatever
the case, this is exciting and I’ll be checking out anything under
the “Young Animal” banner.
It’s
worth noting that Previews
changed their masthead for this. I don’t know that this is
unprecedented, but I can’t remember seeing anything more than a
color change in the past. I mean, other than actual redesigns that
have stuck. I don’t recall them changing it for a specific comic
book.
Marvel
Now! - Marvel (Back Cover)
This
is obviously the fallout from Civil
War II,
but there’s nothing specific about it in the solicitations. These
three characters are quite popular and Marvel could do worse than
reorganizing the Universe around them. Or just giving them a team
book and making it a flagship title.
Yes
– I am aware that they’re in a team book and that’s the point
of them burning their Avengers IDs, but I mean an all-new team. Not
something that’s just given a recognizable title so that it will
sell.
UPDATE: I wrote this over the weekend. Marvel announced Champions on Tuesday.
Art
of Atari – Dynamite (Inside Front Cover, 336-339)
A
gorgeous, old-school ad for a book that I am very excited about. If
you read my
Atari post
from earlier this year you know that the 2600 was my gateway to video
gaming.
Something I neglected to mention was the spectacular art that
graced the boxes, cartridges, and advertisements for Atari’s
releases. This art was a critical element of the brand’s success,
as it sparked the imagination of the masses and sold the stories
behind the simple graphics of the games being produced. Art
of Atari
covers everything.
There’s
a regular edition for forty bucks and a deluxe slipcase for a
hundred. The slipcase has several fancy extras, including a Steam Key
that allows you to download 100 Atari games. I loved Atari back in
the day, but I gotta be honest – I have zero desire to play most of
those games ever again. I can barely think of five that would be
worth the time, let alone a
hundred.
Comic
Con HQ (6-7)
For
five bucks a month you can stream whatever the Comic Con powers that
be deem geeky enough to retain your interest (and money). I took a
survey from Wizard a few years ago asking me about this exact sort of
thing, but it looks like the Comic Con folks beat them to it.
I
don’t know how much programming they’re going to be able to
wrangle, but I am keenly interested to see how this shakes out. It
will probably determine the format and viability of any number of
niche streaming services.
It
will also, undoubtedly, create intense feelings of jealousy from me
over the number of people that get jobs providing content while I sit
here slowly dying at my day job.
Halloween
Comic Fest 2016 (37-47)
How
awesome is it that this is a thing? Plenty of publishers are taking
part in what is sort of a spookier version of Free Comic Book Day. On
October 29th,
we can all put on costumes and head out to the Local Comic Shop to
grab some nifty free books! Contact your
LCS
now and urge them to plan an event!
Aliens:
Life and Death #1 – Dark Horse (52-53)
The
Predator
and Prometheus
entries
into this saga have been excellent, so I recommend you check them
out. This, the Aliens-centric entry, features art by the incomparable
Moritat, one of my favorite visual storytellers. I’m excited to
read the next chapter in the Life
and Death
story, but even more excited to see Moritat draw some aliens and
predators.
Hellboy
and the BPRD: 1954 – Black Sun #1 – Dark Horse (59)
No,
this story isn’t about the time Hellboy met Prince Xizor.
At
least, not as far as I know.
These
stories of Hellboy’s early adventures have been great fun and don’t
rely on any previous knowledge of Mike Mignola’s most famous
creation. Any of them would be a great starting point.
Cyborg:
Rebirth/Cyborg #1 – DC (92-93)
All-new
adventures of Victor Stone written by Needless Things Podcast guest
John
Semper Jr.!
If you don’t know, John was the showrunner for Spider-Man:
The Animated Series.
He’s a great guy and has a brilliant mind for storytelling. Go
listen to the episode and add Cyborg
to your pull list!
Trinity
#1 – DC (96)
Team-up
books don’t usually keep my interest for very long, but Francis
Manapul’s pitch for the Superman in this title intrigued me, as I
mentioned in my Rebirth
rundown
and in the DC
Rebirth episode of the Needless Things Podcast.
Batman
#6 – DC (103)
I
love this cover. It reminds me of covers from the mid-80s for some
reason. Maybe I’m a little off on that, but it just has a very cool
sense of action and mystery that I feel like I don’t see very
often. All that’s missing is a blurb that says, “GOTHAM GIRL –
IN THE CLUTCHES OF THE BATMAN?!?”
Also,
that is one tiny
skirt that Gotham Girl is wearing.
Batman/TMNT
#1 Director’s Cut – DC/IDW (132)
This
was an excellent miniseries that did a fantastic job of mixing iconic
characters. I’m not going to fall for the double-dip, but if you
didn’t pick it up the first time around I recommend you check it
out. Or wait for the trade. But definitely read it.
Goodnight
Batcave – MAD (137)
This
is just silly. I’ll have to get it.
The
Flash By Geoff Johns Vol. 3 TP – DC (142)
I
just finished the first volume of Johns’ work on the Scarlet
Speedster and am about to start volume 2. It’s been great so far
and has clued me in to why so many comics fans love Wally West as
much as they do. I like him, but it was only because of the
Justice League
cartoons and Michael Rosenbaum. Now I’m getting a look at the print
version.
Batman
Animated: Batman Beyond 3-Pack – DC Collectibles (162)
These
figures look fantastic and as much as I’d like to have an Ace,
Batman
Beyond
was just never my thing. I don’t dislike it at all, but as picky as
I’m trying to be about toys lately I can’t branch out into stuff
that’s only a mild interest.
Revolution
#1 & #2 - IDW (164-169)
A
note to IDW – “Celebrating more than a decade of stories by IDW
and HASBRO” is a descriptor that immediately turns me off.
Personally, it’s because I don’t care for most of what IDW has
done with the GI Joe franchise. And from a general reader standpoint
it suggests that I need to be aware of that decade-plus of stories to
appreciate this.
I’m
all for this HASBRO shared universe. I want great stories about these
franchises that I grew up with and I think that bringing them
together to strengthen each brand and draw in disparate fandoms that
might not be big enough to support individual titles in some cases is
a great idea. It excites me that Cullen Bunn is involved because I
like everything that I’ve read from him.
I
don’t care for the cover art shown here one bit, but a quick Google
search for the interior artist – Fico Ossio – shows me that it
probably isn’t his work. I like most of what I saw there, even his
Skylanders stuff.
Then
there’s this checklist of $3.99 books that I am apparently going to
need to read to follow the story:
Ugh.
I’m exhausted just from thinking about all of this. As much as I’d
like to get into it, there’s just too much here that I’m not
invested in (and don’t want to inve$t in), which is the big flaw in
the whole “bringing them together to strengthen each brand and draw
in disparate fandoms that might not be big enough to support
individual titles” thing.
Side
Note: Who thought it was a good idea to put the pacifist, Lifeline,
in front of the folks running into battle? If there’s not an editor
at IDW who realizes that that’s wrong, then they aren’t the guys
to be doing these books. That is some awesome John Byrne artwork, though.
In
all seriousness – I wish these books the best of luck and I hope
that people love them. Even if it’s not to my liking, more
attention on these franchises is only good for their longevity.
Bloom
County Episode XI: A New Hope - IDW (180-181)
I
ordered my copy from Berke Breathed’s website because they had some
kind of special edition (not to be confused with the Special Editions
– as far as I know Breathed isn’t redoing effects and panels). If
you didn’t do that and want to have print versions of the new Bloom
County
strips that were released last year, order this.
Side
Note: Bloom
County
is the greatest comic anything, ever.
Glitterbomb
#1 - Image (208-209)
Jim
Zub is a name I’ve seen quite a bit, but I don’t think I’ve
ever read any of his work. There’s something here that grabbed my
attention. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I feel like I
have to read this book. It’s about a middle-aged actress and the
shallowness of Hollywood. Also, in the preview page, a Hollywood
executive gets killed by a gigantic demon tongue.
That
might
be the thing.
Civil
War II - Marvel (Cover, M1-37)
Still.
I’m
not reading any of it, but things I’m seeing online suggest that
this story isn’t being received all that well. That’s not to say
that it isn’t good, because I don’t know, but a lot of people
seem to dislike it.
I
will say this – I flipped through the portion of Marvel
Previews
that is devoted to Civil
War II
and its tie-ins and there is some magnificent artwork in there. Even
if you’re skipping the crossover, check out the section.
Also,
Marvel seems to be numbering all of their pages now. So thanks for
that!
Howard
the Duck #11 - Marvel (M55)
MOTHERPOOPINGCRAPBURGER.
One of my favorite Marvel comics is ending. Every single issue of
Zdarsky and Quinone’s run has been an absolute delight, no matter
how many times the ediots in charge have renumbered it. I hope that
someday it gets an omnibus edition that can ignore all of the moronic
numbering.
Gwenpool
#6 - Marvel (M62)
Much
to my surprise, Gwenpool
is very good. It’s fun and it’s completely different from
anything else Marvel is doing. Except for Silver
Surfer
and Howard
the Duck.
It’s actually a lot like those. If you like fun comics and won’t
get hung up on what appears to be a girl dressed up like Deadpool
that is kind of a rip-off of Spider-Gwen (it’s not any of that), I
highly recommend you check this book out.
Skybourne
#1 (of 5) – BOOM! (304-306)
Frank
Cho produces some incredible art. I can’t say I’m familiar with
his writing, but “Indiana Jones crossed with James Bond with
fantasy elements” sounds awesome. Also there’s Merlin and
Excalibur. Sign me up for this one.
The
Official Art of Big Trouble in Little China – BOOM! (308-309)
BOOM!
has found my weakness. I’ll buy just about anything about this
movie. Next month I’m expecting The
Official Weather Reports From the Set of Big Trouble in Little China.
And I’ll buy it.
Double
Take Trade Paperbacks – Double Take (367-368)
What
the heck is all of this? The publisher lived up to their name because
I did a literal double take on these pages. The cover art on each
collection is beautiful and I love the uniformity of the mastheads.
It’s always nice when you can recognize a publisher’s stuff
easily.
There
are ten total books here, each ranging from 128 to 144 pages of full
color stories. They collect five issues of comics I have never heard
of but am now extremely curious about. The crazy thing is, each of
the descriptions sounds good. Plenty of publishers have put pretty
covers on garbage, but these collections sound like something from
the Masters
of Horror television
series.
I
just find it odd that there’s so much material represented here and
that I’ve never heard of any of this before. Not that I’m genius
comic guru or anything, but this is a large collection of
storytelling to have slipped past my radar.
Carthago
- Humanoids (390-391)
That
is one big effing shark.
The
preview pages feature some classy-looking art and the story sounds
good. I wonder if a comic book can capture the same kind of intensity
as a movie. I’ve read some horror comics in my time, and while they
can be compelling, I can’t say I’ve ever been as frightened by
one as I have a film. Still, if the story and characters are good
enough, this could be a great read.
Bad
Little Children’s Books (505)
Oh,
man – this looks hilarious. It’s a collection of parodies of
those super-old Golden Books covers. The ones that just had kids on
them behaving themselves, from before Golden was licensing everything
under the sun.
The
Stanley Kubrick Archives: Bibliotecha Edition HC (507)
A
must for any fan of film. Kubrick is one of the more enigmatic
directors, so any kind of look behind the scenes of his work is
special. I’m super excited for this one.
Star
Wars Joke Book (510)
I
would have loved this when I was a kid. This will make an excellent
stocking stuffer.
Yes
– I do start shopping for Christmas in July.
Buckaroo
Banzai Tour Shirt (521)
This
is unbelievably cool. In addition to being a crime fighter and a
super scientist, Buckaroo Banzai also played guitar and fronted the
Hong Kong Cavaliers’ band. I love
in-universe merchandise. Sure, it’s cool to have a shirt with the
movie poster on it, but to have something that looks like it came
from the world of the movie is so much better.
The
design on this is perfect. They didn’t just lift one of the movie
logos – this really looks like a tour shirt that a band would have
had in 1984. I don’t need any more t-shirts, but I can’t pass up
something from one of my favorite movies that was crafted so well.
Muppets
Select Action Figures Series 3 – Diamond Select Toys (543)
I
would love
to have these figures, but I just can’t collect everything. If
Muppets are your thing, you should absolutely be buying these. DST
makes some of the best toys around and I’d bet these are no
exception. And I am blown away by the assortments. They’re
releasing incredibly satisfying sets of characters with every wave.
Rowlf is my favorite, but I know if I buy him I’ll just end up
getting them all.
Godzilla
Stuff! – Diamond Select Toys (547)
If
you guys have been reading these Previews
posts from the beginning you know that I love Diamond Select Toys,
but am particularly impressed with their vinyl bust and figural
banks. These are an alternative to spending a ton of money on
Japanese imports or statues. They look fantastic on the shelf. Highly
recommended.
RAD
RANGER’S
PICK
OF THE MONTH
(that
he doesn’t know about)
Power
Rangers Legacy: Red Ranger Helmet (553)
Out
of respect for my friend and Dirty
Dirty Con Con Game Game Show Show
co-worker, I feel obligated to mention this 1:1 scale replica helmet.
And
no – he won’t be wearing it during the game show at Dragon Con
this year. The last thing I need is our A/V guy collapsing from
asphyxiation.
Dick
Sprang Batman Maquette (554)
This
is absolutely beautiful. It’s too rich for my blood, but I’d love
to have this smiling Gotham guardian on one of my shelves.
One:12
Collective Green Arrow Action Figure - Mezco (554)
Green
Arrow was, for many folks, the highlight of the figures that Mezco
revealed at Toy Fair earlier this year. This is truly an
incredible-looking action figure. Aside from the Arrow
TV show I don’t have a lot of attachment to the character, so I’m
going to do my best to resist the urge to order this one.
DC
Superfriends 8-Inch Action Figures Series 2 – Figures Toy Company
(556)
These
days I love and appreciate Kenner’s Super Powers line, but if I’m
being honest, what I really wanted back in the 80s was these guys.
Figures is doing a great job of creating toys that “should have
been” with their Superfriends line. The head sculpts are excellent
and the fabric clothing is bright and fun.
Game
of Thrones Action Figures – Dark Horse (558)
It
takes a big man to admit when he was wrong and I am nothing if not a
big man.
In
choosing Funko’s more articulated action figures over these
statues, I was wrong. Funko’s 6” Legacy line appears to be
essentially dead and barely covered the characters I wanted to own.
Meanwhile, Dark Horse’s line continues on and is offering exciting
new figures almost monthly. I backed the wrong Dothraki and now I’m
stuck with a dead collection of figures that are too delicate to
ship, so I can’t even unload them on eBay.
Mogwai
Puppets (570)
These
were designed by FX artist Russ Lukich using the original props as
reference. The materials and dimensions are as close as you’re
going to get to the real thing, and at seventy bucks, I’d say
that’s a deal. I’d love to have both of these, but I think I’m
going to have to stick to my NECA figures.
Lament
Configuration Puzzle Cube - Mezco (572)
What’s
the only way to make Cenobites even scarier? Have them come out of a
diabolical invention like a Rubik’s Cube! I was around for the
heyday of the original Rubik’s and I always hated the things. Even
without demons launching chains out of it into my tender flesh, this
thing is a pass.
Neat
idea, though.
Living
Dead Dolls Pinhead - Mezco (572)
Much
like the above item, this is the only way Pinhead could be creepier.
Ugh. It’s a child with nails in its head. Super. Let’s ship this
one off to grandma.
In
all seriousness, this will end up in my home. My wife collects these.
Vincent
Price Sixth Scale Action Figure – Executive Replicas (572)
Someday
I will absolutely have a nice Vincent Price in my collection (I mean
besides my Egghead figure from Figures Toy Company), but this isn’t
quite the right one.
One:12
Collective Punisher Action Figure – Mezco (574)
Green
Arrow is impressive and Shazam was probably the most overwhelmingly
superheroic of the offerings thus far, but this Punisher is the one
that blew my mind. Every One:12 figure has looked great, but Frank
here is the cream of the crop so far in my opinion. With three head
sculpts, incredible wear detail, and a ton of hands and weapons, this
is the figure to be reckoned with. I have to have it on my shelf.
M.O.T.U.S.C.L.E.
Figures – Super 7 – (575)
Recommended.
They’re just Masters of the Universe characters in MUSCLE
minifigures form. Genius. I’d kind of like to have another set to
open, but Super 7 has put up some great variants as exclusives
lately. I’m hoping to get some of those.
He-Man
Power Sword Replica – Icon Heroes (623)
I
am baffled by this thing. It looks great. It’s 36” long, which
seems about right. But it’s only $29.00, which to me excludes the
idea of it being a “replica” and firmly places it in the category
of “costume accessory”. To me, replicas are items that to the
average Joe would be indistinguishable from the thing they are
replicating. They’d have the same weight and feel and at least look
like the same material.
Yes,
I understand that there isn’t an actual Power Sword.
But
thirty bucks says “plastic” to me, and that isn’t a replica. I
want to order this just to find out what the heck it is, but I don’t
have anywhere to put a Power Sword, replica or otherwise.
DC
Comics Wall Lights (633)
Batman
is awesome. I love
Batman. But the last thing I need in my life is Batman’s head on my
wall, watching and judging me as I do the things that I do, some of
which aren’t pretty. And this is a particularly judgy Batman head.
Look at those angled eyebrows and that frown. BATMAN DOES NOT APPROVE
OF YOUR REDTUBE HABITS.
I
do like the Batarang light, though.
Killer
Klowns From Outer Space Cotton Candy Prop (638)
This
makes me deliriously happy. Not that I would ever want this
terrifying thing, but the idea that some crazy person decided that
enough people would
want
this that it would be worthwhile to mass produce them is just
wonderful.
CONTEST!!!!!
WIN SOMETHING!!!
There
was an item in the “Import Toys*Statues*Models” section that I
found so inappropriate I wasn’t comfortable posting a picture of
it, even though I very strongly felt it warranted comment. If you
pick up this month’s issue of Previews
and can guess which item I found so objectionable, I will send you a
signed piece of Phantom art and a Random-Ass Toy from the Phantom
Zone!
I
honestly feel that whoever designed this thing should be investigated
by the authorities.
Submit
answers to PhantomTroublemaker@yahoo.com
Unaffiliated
Thoughts
Preacher
is rad. I was wrong to doubt Seth Rogen and his writing friend whose
name I can’t remember right now. Goldberg. Evan Goldberg? They’re
doing an amazing job. Like I said above – I can admit it when I’m
wrong.
Out
of the DC Rebirth books that I have read I enjoyed Detective
Comics
the most. Flash
is solid, but I’m a little iffy on the artwork. Batman
was very good. Wonder
Woman
is kind of annoying me with all of the jumping around. This makes me
sad because I love Greg Rucka. Hopefully once the split narrative
kicks in it will even out.
*****
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!
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