Friday, June 29, 2012
TAKING A LONGER "VACATION"
The next new bloggy thing will appear on Monday, July 9. Between my son's upcoming move to Marietta for his new job, the holidays, my monthly Comics Buyer's Guide gigs, and the preparation for the start of my garage sales, I am swamped. Thanks for your patience.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
BLOGGY THING VACATION
This too busy month of June has finally caught up with me, so I'm taking five days off from the blog to clear the decks for what will hopefully be a very busy and productive July. See you on Monday.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
VAST ACCUMULATION OF STUFF SALE 6/26
My summer-long garage sale will commence within a week or two. So,
while I’ll continue to offer new items from my Vast Accumulation of
Stuff to my online readers, you’ll only get one shot at these items
before they are put into the garage sale. Keep reading this blog
and my Facebook page for the latest information on the garage sale.
If you’re anywhere within a hundred miles of my Medina, Ohio home,
you’ll want to attend the sale.
Here’s how these online sales work:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here are this week’s new items...
BRONX KILL by Peter Milligan and James Romberger. Vertigo Crime
softcover. 2009. ($4)
CABLE: WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD by Duane Swierczynski and
Ariel Olivetti. Marvel softcover. 2009. ($5)
CELADORE by Caanan Grall. Zuda softcover. 2010 ($5)
CUBA MY REVOLUTION by Inverna Lockpez and Dean Haspiel with Jose
Villarrubia. Vertigo hardcover. 2010. ($8)
DARK WOLVERINE: MY HERO by Daniel Way, Marjorie Liu and Stephen
Segovia. Marvel softcover. 2010. ($5)
DMZ: COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT by Brian Wood and others. Reprints #55-
59. Vertigo softcover. ($5)
DMZ: M.I.A. by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. Reprints issues
#50-54. Vertigo softcover. ($5)
EXECUTOR by Jon Evans and Andrea Mutti. Vertigo Crime softcover.
2010. ($4)
HELLBLAZER: PANDEMONIUM by Jamie Delano & Jock. Vertigo softcover.
2010. ($6)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: BLOODY CARNATIONS by Peter
Milligan & various. Vertigo softcover reprints issues #267-275. 2011. ($7)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: CITY OF DEMONS by Si Spencer and
Sean Murphy. Vertigo softcover. 2011. ($5)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: INDIA by Peter Milligan and various.
Vertigo softcover reprinting #261-266. 2010. ($5)
NOCHE ROJA by Simon Oliver and Jason Latour. Vertigo Crime HC.
2010. ($6)
PUNISHER: MOTHER RUSSIA by Garth Ennis and Dougie Braithwaite.
Marvel Max softcover. Reprints issues #13-18. 2005. ($5)
RAT CATCHER by Andy Diggle and Victor Ibanez. Vertigo Crime HC.
2010. ($6)
SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY by Denise Mina and Antonio Fusso. Vertigo
Crime hardcover, never unwrapped. ($7)
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES. Mockbuster DVD
from the Asylum. Stars Dominic Keating and Gareth David-Lloyd. The Great
Detective versus dinosaurs! ($5)
TRANSMETROPOLITAN: ONE MORE TIME by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson
and Rodney Ramos. Vertigo softcover reprinting final stories of the
series. 2011. ($7)
TOP 10 BOOK 1 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha and Zander Cannon. Wildstorm
softcover reprinting issues #1-7. 2000. ($5)
VICTORIAN UNDEAD: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. ZOMBIES by Ian Edginton and
Davide Fabbri. Wildstorm softcover collecting entire mini-series.
2010. ($6)
X-INFERNUS by C.E. Cebulski, Giuseppi Camuncoil & others. Reprints
X-Men miniseries plus related stories. Marvel softcover. 2009. ($6)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
while I’ll continue to offer new items from my Vast Accumulation of
Stuff to my online readers, you’ll only get one shot at these items
before they are put into the garage sale. Keep reading this blog
and my Facebook page for the latest information on the garage sale.
If you’re anywhere within a hundred miles of my Medina, Ohio home,
you’ll want to attend the sale.
Here’s how these online sales work:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here are this week’s new items...
BRONX KILL by Peter Milligan and James Romberger. Vertigo Crime
softcover. 2009. ($4)
CABLE: WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD by Duane Swierczynski and
Ariel Olivetti. Marvel softcover. 2009. ($5)
CELADORE by Caanan Grall. Zuda softcover. 2010 ($5)
CUBA MY REVOLUTION by Inverna Lockpez and Dean Haspiel with Jose
Villarrubia. Vertigo hardcover. 2010. ($8)
DARK WOLVERINE: MY HERO by Daniel Way, Marjorie Liu and Stephen
Segovia. Marvel softcover. 2010. ($5)
DMZ: COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT by Brian Wood and others. Reprints #55-
59. Vertigo softcover. ($5)
DMZ: M.I.A. by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. Reprints issues
#50-54. Vertigo softcover. ($5)
EXECUTOR by Jon Evans and Andrea Mutti. Vertigo Crime softcover.
2010. ($4)
HELLBLAZER: PANDEMONIUM by Jamie Delano & Jock. Vertigo softcover.
2010. ($6)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: BLOODY CARNATIONS by Peter
Milligan & various. Vertigo softcover reprints issues #267-275. 2011. ($7)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: CITY OF DEMONS by Si Spencer and
Sean Murphy. Vertigo softcover. 2011. ($5)
JOHN CONSTANTINE HELLBLAZER: INDIA by Peter Milligan and various.
Vertigo softcover reprinting #261-266. 2010. ($5)
NOCHE ROJA by Simon Oliver and Jason Latour. Vertigo Crime HC.
2010. ($6)
PUNISHER: MOTHER RUSSIA by Garth Ennis and Dougie Braithwaite.
Marvel Max softcover. Reprints issues #13-18. 2005. ($5)
RAT CATCHER by Andy Diggle and Victor Ibanez. Vertigo Crime HC.
2010. ($6)
SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY by Denise Mina and Antonio Fusso. Vertigo
Crime hardcover, never unwrapped. ($7)
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES. Mockbuster DVD
from the Asylum. Stars Dominic Keating and Gareth David-Lloyd. The Great
Detective versus dinosaurs! ($5)
TRANSMETROPOLITAN: ONE MORE TIME by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson
and Rodney Ramos. Vertigo softcover reprinting final stories of the
series. 2011. ($7)
TOP 10 BOOK 1 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha and Zander Cannon. Wildstorm
softcover reprinting issues #1-7. 2000. ($5)
VICTORIAN UNDEAD: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS. ZOMBIES by Ian Edginton and
Davide Fabbri. Wildstorm softcover collecting entire mini-series.
2010. ($6)
X-INFERNUS by C.E. Cebulski, Giuseppi Camuncoil & others. Reprints
X-Men miniseries plus related stories. Marvel softcover. 2009. ($6)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
NOTHING LIKE A TRIP TO THE COUNTRY
best job in the world would be to get paid for making comic books.
Fantastic Four Annual #1 was the catalyst and now we’re looking at
other issues from that month.
The cover of Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #93 [September 1963]
was drawn by the great Bob White. However, the inside B&V stories
were all penciled by Dan DeCarlo, inked by Rudy Lapick, and written
by Frank Doyle. In addition to the stories, there was a one-page
Li’l Jinx strip written and drawn by Joe Edwards, a one-page Betty
and Veronica strip written by George Gladir with art by DeCarlo and
Lapick, and a one-page text piece on “Ann-Margret...Beautiful Teen
Bombshell.” Lots of material for only twelve cents.
The Grand Comics Database page for this issue includes synopsis of
the stories. Here are the ones that stood out:
The girls go to a local island for the day to get some privacy, and
the boys follow them, only to discover that the island abounds in
rockslides and wild goats.
Betty admires Ronnie's great collection of raincoats.
Betty makes the acquaintance of a handsome new boy. When she
refuses to introduce him to Veronica, Ronnie tries a series of
tricks, disguises and assumed identities to get close to him.
Li'l Jinx's daddy is concerned about her strange gyrations.
More covers from July 1963 coming soon.
******************************
After a solid month of reading, I am more or less caught up on the
Avengers and X-Men titles...or at least those the friend who lends
me his comic books buys. The reason I wanted to get current on all
those titles was so I could read and understand Avengers Vs. X-Men,
Marvel’s latest big event.
Some quick thoughts on the first four issues...
The conflict between the two teams works for me. The Phoenix Force
is coming to Earth with Hope its likely host. The Avengers think
this could mean destruction while the X-Men believe it could mean
a rebirth of the mutant species.
The execution of this event to date has left me not much liking the
leaders of the two teams. Captain America has become an incestuous
clone of Nick Fury and the Tony Stark of Civil War. He no longer
stands for the American dream or our better angels. Instead, he’s
an overbearing government thug who acts as if all authority rests
with him. In short, he’s no longer my Captain America.
Cyclops? He’s the new Magneto. His actions reveal he has come to
consider mutants as separate from and superior to those mere human
beings with whom his kind much share the planet. He’s been a party
to murder and ordered murder. All the while overlooking that the
greatest wrong ever done to mutants was done by the Scarlet Witch,
herself a mutant.
Avengers Vs. X-Men has lots of pages of Avengers fighting X-Men in
the equivalent of a video game. Indeed, though my friend decided
to pass on it, he tells me there is a companion title to the main
series - A Vs. X - which is nothing more than extended versions of
the battles from the main series. Sheesh!
Where the series and its related spin-offs and titles shine for me
is when individual mutants have to chose a side. Their decisions
don’t come easy and that makes for interesting moments.
I’ll be looking at some of those related spin-offs and titles soon.
For now, here’s my call...
Avengers Vs. X-Men isn’t either a solid creative success or a total
failure. It’s about halfway between the two extremes. I’m hoping
there is redemption for some of these heroes, human and mutant, who
have strayed from the path of the truly heroic. I’ll choose hope
over misery every time.
******************************
Some quick and overdue notes on stories that appeared in issues of
Jughead’s Double Digest...
Jughead’s Double Digest #177 [March 2012] had an all-new, 22-page
story by the team of Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (penciler) and
Al Milgrom (inker). Reprints included many stories by some of my
favorite Jughead writers and artists: Craig Boldman, Frank Doyle,
George Gladir, Samm Schwartz and others.
There are more classics by those writers and artists in Jughead’s
Double Digest #178 [April 2012] and #179 [May 2012]. Since I like
to take notice of Archie stories involving comics or super-heroes,
issue #179's “The Solution” features Jughead as a super-powered and
costumed pizza delivery man. The tale is by George Gladir with art
by Fernando Ruiz and Al Nickerson.
******************************
Three Captain America titles, two of them ongoing, are on my desk
at the moment. Captain America #1-5 featured yet another trip to
an alternate reality, which has become Marvel’s fall-back position
when its writers can’t come up with interesting stories that take
place in the “real” reality. Issues #6-10 continued that story in
our reality as Jimmy Olsen, I mean, Cap underwent another strange
transformation, this time to a pre-super-soldier-serum version of
himself. Issues #11-12 got a little more interesting with the new
Scourge killing villains in witness protection. I bet that story
runs five issues as well.
Writer Ed Brubaker has done some wonderful work on Captain America,
but his decision to leave the title is probably a good one. He’s
served his time with honor and, even in these stories, we still get
a glimpse of the honorable Steve Rogers, so unlike the one running
around most other Marvel titles. Also worth noting/praising is the
high quality of the art in these dozen issues: Steve McNiven, Alan
Davis, Patch Zircher, all top talents.
Brubaker and co-writer Marc Andreyko also did fine work in Captain
America and Bucky #620-624, a storyline centered around World War
II missions. That was followed by a four-issue story by Brubaker
and James Asmus involving some obscure continuity and a substitute
Cap from the 1940s. Neither was the stuff of awards, but both were
entertaining and well-done.
The title changed to Captain America and Hawkeye with issue #629.
The new creative team is writer Cullen Bunn with artist Alessandro
Vitti. It’s “nothing to see here” disappointing save for Captain
America turning into a dinosaur. Or was that Jimmy Olsen? Looking
back at some Cap stories of the past, I wonder if there’s a secret
comics brotherhood of silly transformations.
One more: Captain America Corps by Roger Stern with art by Philippe
Briones. It features a team-up of Captain Americas from different
times and realities trying to foil a plot to destroy every version
of Captain America throughout those times and realities. What can
I say? Sometimes a writer does the alternate reality thing right.
The five-issue series has been collected in a trade paperback and
I do recommend it.
******************************
In future business...
Later today, I’ll be posting a list of new items for sale from my
Vast Accumulation of Stuff. These items will not be listed again.
Whatever doesn’t sell goes into my summer-long garage sale, which
will commence within a week or so. Keep watching this blog and my
Facebook page for details.
Tomorrow, it’s another Rawhide Kid Wednesday as I look at the last
Jack Kirby issue of the title. See you then.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Monday, June 25, 2012
VAST ACCUMULATION OF STUFF SALE 6/25
I have a Vast Accumulation of Stuff and I want to sell most of it
in the next five years. The following stuff is previously-offered,
still available items.
I’ve cut the prices on almost every item being offered again in an
effort to make those items unavailable as soon as possible. Here’s
how the sale works:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders or PayPal payments received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
This is your last chance to purchase these particular items online.
On Friday, whatever hasn’t sold will go into my summer-long garage
sale. More on that garage sale in tomorrow’s bloggy thing.
Here’s the list of items still available...
BATMAN: SCARECROW TALES by various. DC softcover. 2005 ($5)
BEST OF STAR TREK by Mike W. Barr, Diane Duane, Peter David, Tom
Sutton, Dan Jurgens, Curt Swan, James Fry & Gordon Purcell ($5)
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL: MASSACRE by Hiroaki Samura. Dark Horse
manga. ($1)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 1: BIRTH OF A LEGEND by Chris Claremont, Herb
Trimpe and others HC ($12)
DANGER GIRL: ODD JOBS by Campbell, Hartnell, Adams, Noto & Chiodo.
Reprints Danger Girl Special, Danger Girl Hawaiian Punch & Danger
Girl Viva Las Danger. Softcover. ($2)
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER VOLUME TWO by Darwyn Cook. DC softcover. ($5)
DEAD@17: THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES by Josh Howard ($1)
DRAWING DRAGONS AND THOSE WHO HUNT THEM by Christopher Hart. The
ultimate book for drawing the ultimate beast Softcover, 9" by 11", 128 pages. ($2)
ELEKTRA: THE HAND by Akira Yoshida and Christian Gossett. Material
from Elektra: The Hand #1-5. Softcover. ($2)
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOLUME TWO: TWO-EDGED SWORD by Chris
Claremont, Alan Davis, Ron Lim, Arthur Adams, and Marshall Rogers. Reprints
issues #6-11 plus Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. Marvel softcover. ($6)
FLASH: IGNITION by Geoff Johns and Albert Dose. Reprints issues
#201-206. Softcover. ($2)
FOGTOWN by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader. Vertigo graphic novel.
Hardcover. ($4)
GACHA GACHA THE NEXT REVOLUTION by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Volume 1, 2,
4, 6, 7, 8, 11 ($1 each)
GREEN ARROW: CITY WALLS by Judd Winick. Reprints issues #32, 34-
39. DC softcover. ($2)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT by Matthew Sturges, Luca
Rossi and Jose Marzan, Jr. Vertigo. ($2)
IN PLAIN SIGHT: SEASON ONE DVD unopened ($8)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 4 by Rumiko Takahashi ($1)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 5 by Rumiko Takahashi ($1)
ISAAC THE PIRATE 2: THE CAPITAL by Christophe Blain. ($1)
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #57 ($2)
JLA: CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE by Geoff Johns and others. Reprints JLA
#115-119. DC softcover. ($2)
JSA: BLACK REIGN by Geoff Johns and Rags Morales ($2)
JSA: BLACK VENGEANCE by Geoff Johns and Don Kramer. Reprints #66-
75. Softcover. ($2)
JUNIOR MISS #33 [Marvel; 1949] good condition ($4)
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST Volume 1 HC ($12)
KICK ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. HC ($7)
LEGEND OF GRIMJACK VOLUME TWO by John Ostrander and Timothy
Truman. Reprints first seven issues. Softcover. ($5)
LIVING LIFE INSIDE THE LINES: TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF
ANIMATION by animator Martha Sigall. Softcover. ($4)
MAXX VOLUME 4 by Sam Kieth. Reprints issue #21-27. Softcover. ($2)
PLANETARY: LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday.
Reprints issues #13-18. Wildstorm softcover. ($3)
PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON Vol. 1-4 plus CODENAME SAILOR V Vol. 1-
2 (all 6 for $15)
QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED VOLUME 2 by Greg Rucka and Rick
Burchett. Reprints Queen & Country Declassified Volume 2 #1-3. Oni
Press softcover. 2006. ($2)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #31 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and John
Totleben ($2)
SAMURAI DEEPER KYO 1 by Akimine Kamijyo ($1)
SCRAPBOOK OF FRANKIE PRATT: A NOVEL IN PICTURES by Caroline
Preston. HarperCollins, 2011. HC. ($1)
SPAWN VOLUME 4 by Todd McFarlane and others. Reprints issues #55-
75. Softcover. ($8)
SPIDER ISLAND: HEROES FOR HIRE #1 by Abnett, Lanning and Hotz ($1)
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-5. ($2)
STAR TREK: THE MODALA IMPERATIVE by Michael Jon Friedman, Peter
David and Pablo Marcos ($4)
STAR TREK: WHO KILLED CAPTAIN KIRK by Peter David, Tom Sutton and
Ricardo Villagran ($4)
STAR WARS #80 by Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, and Tom Palmer ($2)
SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Jon Sabal ($2)
THUNDERBOLTS: GUARDIAN PROTOCOLS by Fabian Nicieza & Tom
Grummett. Reprints issues #106-109. Marvel softcover. ($2)
VERTIGO FIRST TASTE by various. Reprints first issues of Death:
The High Cost of Living, Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets, Books of
Magic: Life During Wartime, Y: The Last Man, and Saga of the Swamp
Thing #21. Vertigo softcover. ($2)
WAKING DEAD BOOK TWO by Kirkman and Adlard HC unopened ($8)
X-MEN AND POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X by Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($1)
X-MEN KITTY PRIDE: SHADOW AND FLAME by Akira Yoshida & Paul Smith.
Reprints issue #1-5. Marvel softcover. ($2)
X-MEN: THE BLOOD OF APOCALYPSE by Peter Milligan, Salvador Larroca.
Reprints X-Men #182-187. Marvel softcover. ($3)
X-MEN: THE COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 3. Softcover, full-
color, 360 pages ($4)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
in the next five years. The following stuff is previously-offered,
still available items.
I’ve cut the prices on almost every item being offered again in an
effort to make those items unavailable as soon as possible. Here’s
how the sale works:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders or PayPal payments received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
This is your last chance to purchase these particular items online.
On Friday, whatever hasn’t sold will go into my summer-long garage
sale. More on that garage sale in tomorrow’s bloggy thing.
Here’s the list of items still available...
BATMAN: SCARECROW TALES by various. DC softcover. 2005 ($5)
BEST OF STAR TREK by Mike W. Barr, Diane Duane, Peter David, Tom
Sutton, Dan Jurgens, Curt Swan, James Fry & Gordon Purcell ($5)
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL: MASSACRE by Hiroaki Samura. Dark Horse
manga. ($1)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 1: BIRTH OF A LEGEND by Chris Claremont, Herb
Trimpe and others HC ($12)
DANGER GIRL: ODD JOBS by Campbell, Hartnell, Adams, Noto & Chiodo.
Reprints Danger Girl Special, Danger Girl Hawaiian Punch & Danger
Girl Viva Las Danger. Softcover. ($2)
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER VOLUME TWO by Darwyn Cook. DC softcover. ($5)
DEAD@17: THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES by Josh Howard ($1)
DRAWING DRAGONS AND THOSE WHO HUNT THEM by Christopher Hart. The
ultimate book for drawing the ultimate beast Softcover, 9" by 11", 128 pages. ($2)
ELEKTRA: THE HAND by Akira Yoshida and Christian Gossett. Material
from Elektra: The Hand #1-5. Softcover. ($2)
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOLUME TWO: TWO-EDGED SWORD by Chris
Claremont, Alan Davis, Ron Lim, Arthur Adams, and Marshall Rogers. Reprints
issues #6-11 plus Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. Marvel softcover. ($6)
FLASH: IGNITION by Geoff Johns and Albert Dose. Reprints issues
#201-206. Softcover. ($2)
FOGTOWN by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader. Vertigo graphic novel.
Hardcover. ($4)
GACHA GACHA THE NEXT REVOLUTION by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Volume 1, 2,
4, 6, 7, 8, 11 ($1 each)
GREEN ARROW: CITY WALLS by Judd Winick. Reprints issues #32, 34-
39. DC softcover. ($2)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT by Matthew Sturges, Luca
Rossi and Jose Marzan, Jr. Vertigo. ($2)
IN PLAIN SIGHT: SEASON ONE DVD unopened ($8)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 4 by Rumiko Takahashi ($1)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 5 by Rumiko Takahashi ($1)
ISAAC THE PIRATE 2: THE CAPITAL by Christophe Blain. ($1)
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #57 ($2)
JLA: CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE by Geoff Johns and others. Reprints JLA
#115-119. DC softcover. ($2)
JSA: BLACK REIGN by Geoff Johns and Rags Morales ($2)
JSA: BLACK VENGEANCE by Geoff Johns and Don Kramer. Reprints #66-
75. Softcover. ($2)
JUNIOR MISS #33 [Marvel; 1949] good condition ($4)
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST Volume 1 HC ($12)
KICK ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. HC ($7)
LEGEND OF GRIMJACK VOLUME TWO by John Ostrander and Timothy
Truman. Reprints first seven issues. Softcover. ($5)
LIVING LIFE INSIDE THE LINES: TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF
ANIMATION by animator Martha Sigall. Softcover. ($4)
MAXX VOLUME 4 by Sam Kieth. Reprints issue #21-27. Softcover. ($2)
PLANETARY: LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday.
Reprints issues #13-18. Wildstorm softcover. ($3)
PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON Vol. 1-4 plus CODENAME SAILOR V Vol. 1-
2 (all 6 for $15)
QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED VOLUME 2 by Greg Rucka and Rick
Burchett. Reprints Queen & Country Declassified Volume 2 #1-3. Oni
Press softcover. 2006. ($2)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #31 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and John
Totleben ($2)
SAMURAI DEEPER KYO 1 by Akimine Kamijyo ($1)
SCRAPBOOK OF FRANKIE PRATT: A NOVEL IN PICTURES by Caroline
Preston. HarperCollins, 2011. HC. ($1)
SPAWN VOLUME 4 by Todd McFarlane and others. Reprints issues #55-
75. Softcover. ($8)
SPIDER ISLAND: HEROES FOR HIRE #1 by Abnett, Lanning and Hotz ($1)
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-5. ($2)
STAR TREK: THE MODALA IMPERATIVE by Michael Jon Friedman, Peter
David and Pablo Marcos ($4)
STAR TREK: WHO KILLED CAPTAIN KIRK by Peter David, Tom Sutton and
Ricardo Villagran ($4)
STAR WARS #80 by Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, and Tom Palmer ($2)
SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Jon Sabal ($2)
THUNDERBOLTS: GUARDIAN PROTOCOLS by Fabian Nicieza & Tom
Grummett. Reprints issues #106-109. Marvel softcover. ($2)
VERTIGO FIRST TASTE by various. Reprints first issues of Death:
The High Cost of Living, Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets, Books of
Magic: Life During Wartime, Y: The Last Man, and Saga of the Swamp
Thing #21. Vertigo softcover. ($2)
WAKING DEAD BOOK TWO by Kirkman and Adlard HC unopened ($8)
X-MEN AND POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X by Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($1)
X-MEN KITTY PRIDE: SHADOW AND FLAME by Akira Yoshida & Paul Smith.
Reprints issue #1-5. Marvel softcover. ($2)
X-MEN: THE BLOOD OF APOCALYPSE by Peter Milligan, Salvador Larroca.
Reprints X-Men #182-187. Marvel softcover. ($3)
X-MEN: THE COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 3. Softcover, full-
color, 360 pages ($4)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
SUMMER FUN
It was July 1963 when I realized people got paid for making comic
books and that I wanted that job. This epiphany was triggered by
my buying and reading Fantastic Four Annual #1, the greatest comic
book of all time. So, when I’m not starting these bloggy things of
mine with covers from my birth month of December 1951, I’m starting
them with covers from July 1963.
“Betty and Veronica Summer Fun” was featured in Archie Giant Series
Magazine #23 [September 1963]. The cover was penciled by the great
Dan DeCarlo and an as-yet-unidentified inker.
The 68-page issue had seven Betty and Veronica stories, a handful
of one-page gag strips (one with Li’l Jinx by Joe Edwards) and all
sorts of fillers: fashion, pin-ups, and profiles of actor/singer
Eddie Hodges and actress Tuesday Weld. The stories were written by
either Frank Doyle or George Gladir and drawn by DeCarlo with inker
Rudy Lapick.
The Grand Comics Database has one-line synopsis of the seven Betty
and Veronica stories and, though I’ve never read these tales, some
of the synopsis alone have me intrigued and/or smiling:
Betty and Veronica must confront their fears when they're on an
island with a mysterious creature.
Betty is better than Veronica at every game except one.
Veronica hides from Archie so she won't commit the faux pas of
being early for a date.
Watch for more covers from the month of my awakening in this week’s
bloggy things.
******************************
Launching this week’s random comments and reviews...
I was so not the audience for Avengers: X-Sanction, the four-issue
limited series by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness wherein a dying Cable
travels from a future to our time to destroy the Avengers he holds
responsible for “what happened to Hope.” There isn’t much in that
sentence that I liked.
Loeb’s writing is hit and mostly miss for me. I think that Cable’s
a stupid character. Future alternate worlds usually bore the crap
out of me. I don’t dislike Hope per se, but these cling-ons to her
story have become incredibly tiresome. Nothing worth reading here.
******************************
Riverdale Con 2012 is the setting for a Chuck and Nancy story in
B&V Friends Double Digest #224 [Archie; June 2012]. Written and
drawn by Dan Parent with inks by Rich Koslowski, the six-page tale
finds the duo going to the convention to promote cartoonist Chuck’s
newest creation, Danger Giraffe 3000. Nancy is usually a bit more
supportive of her beau than she is in this story, though she does
come around when she realizes how much a little girl loves Danger
Giraffe. Big no-no: Nancy leaves Chuck’s table unattended to grab
a romantic lunch with someone in a Danger Giraffe costume who she
thinks is her boyfriend. Riverdale’s a pretty nice place and all,
but I bet it still has shoplifters.
As much as possible, I’m going to try to note Archie stories that
involve comic books or super-heroes. Look for more of these notes
as I catch up on recent Archie comics and digests.
******************************
Spider-Man is spoofed on the cover of MAD #516 [August 2012] and is
just part of the super-hero silliness within. While there isn’t a
parody of the upcoming movie inside the issue, there is “Spider-Man
Tweets While Watching the Avengers,” “What If Batman Were Jewish”
“MAD’s Less-Than-Amazing Outtakes from The Amazing Spider-Man” and,
“Super Powers You Didn’t Know the Avengers Have.”
Other features that tickled me included: “Least-Recommended Dating
Websites,” “A MAD Look at Hospitals” by Sergio Aragones, “Chilling
Thoughts 2012 Edition” by Desmond Devlin with art by Evan Dorkin,
and writer/artist Teresa Burns Parkhurst’s wonderfully topical and
biting “New Laws Under Consideration to Regulate Women’s Bodies.”
Even at $5.99 cheap, I’m enjoying MAD a lot these days.
******************************
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Vol. 1 "Race to Death Valley" by Floyd
Gottfredson [Fantagraphics; $29.99] collects some terrific Mickey
Mouse stories from Mickey’s early 1930s newspaper strip. This is
one of my favorites versions of the immortal Mouse with comedy wed
to edge-of-your-seat adventure...and there’s just over two years of
the strip lovingly restored for modern readers.
In addition to the strip reprints, Fantagraphics packs this volume
with close to a hundred pages of informative articles and art from
the Disney archives. Part of me would have preferred another year
of the strip. Part of me is bowled over by the remarkable material
uncovered by editors David Gerstein and Gary Groth. Every bit of
me recommends this book. Check it out.
ISBN 978-1-60699-441-2
******************************
I’m not a fan of DC’s “New 52.” While I’ve enjoyed some of those
titles, most of them have left me cold. Even some titles I liked
after reading their first issues ended up disappointing me as they
continued. Then there’s The Flash.
When I reviewed The Flash #1, I brushed it off with “nothing to see
here.” Since then, I read issues #2-7 in one sitting and, just a
few days ago, read issues #8-9. Darn if it isn’t one of those “New
52" rarities, a title that has gotten better with each succeeding
issue. My kudos to artist/co-writer Francis Manapul and co-writer
Brian Buccellato.
In those two most recent issues, we’ve seen a super-powered, lost-
in-the-speed-force member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a most intriguing
take on the Flash’s relationship to the Speed Force, a new take on
Grodd and Gorilla City, a new, very true-to-life take on the Pied
Piper, an anti-super-hero movement that actually makes some sense
to me, and what appears to be a re-imagining of the Weather Wizard
as the head of a crime family...and those are only the new things
added to the title in those two issues.
I’m also loving the flow of Manapul’s visual storytelling and the
wonderfully weird things he’s doing with some of his sequences. It
isn’t your typical comics storytelling or, in the case of too many
artists, an utter lack of storytelling. It’s something different
that still works to move the story forward. Though I almost never
say this about the current batch of artists, Manapul is someone I’d
love to work with. I think his skills would challenge a writer and
challenges have always excited me.
The Flash is a contender for my favorite DC super-hero title. I’m
looking forward to upcoming issues.
******************************
Paying the bills...
Later today, I’ll be posting a list of still-available sale items
from my Vast Accumulation of Stuff. Then, on Tuesday, I’ll post a
list of new items for sale. My bloggy thing readers came through
big for me last week and I’m hoping for even better results this
week. I promise you that every purchase helps support me and the
family in the lavish style to which we have grown accustomed. You
know, things like eating and having electricity.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Saturday, June 23, 2012
YET ANOTHER BLACK LIGHTNING INTERVIEW
responsibilities were towards interview requests. Many felt that
I should be grateful that people wanted to interview me, even when
they asked the same questions I have answered time and time again.
I don’t entirely agree with that position and I certainly believe
there are basic rules of courtesy interviewers should follow before
and after getting interviews. We’ll discuss that a little further
after this interview, which was sent to the person requesting it on
May 11. Rather than post the actual questions, which I don’t own,
I’m prefacing each answer with a subject line.
Basic concept for Black Lightning
Entirely from me and my sense of fairness. I had a lot of black
friends who read comic books and there weren’t a lot of black
heroes for them to enjoy. I really liked the Black Panther and the
Falcon and Luke Cage, but I wanted to create a more relatable hero,
one who wasn’t an African king or an ex-con.
Influences and inspirations
It was a process. I tried to do something different when I had
Bill Foster take Hank Pym’s growth serum and become Black Goliath.
I wanted to call him Giant-Man. But a scientist still wasn’t the
kind of person young readers would encounter in their own lives on
a regular basis. When I started thinking about what kind of person
kids would encounter regularly and be very familiar with, “teacher”
seemed a natural choice.
After that, creating Jefferson Pierce was job one. I wanted him to
be a fully-realized character, so I had to figure out most of his
background and why he could do the super-hero thing. The notion of
returning to teach at his old high school was inspired by Welcome
Back Kotter, a TV show starring comedian Gabe Kaplin.
Why Black Lightning was part of the DC Universe
DC was planning to launch a book called Black Bomber, featuring a
white racist who turned into a black super-hero without either of
his identities being aware of the other. It was easily one of the
most offensive concepts I’d ever seen...and DC had already bought
two really awful scripts for this character. The company wanted me
to rewrite those scripts and then continue writing the series. On
reading the scripts and seeing the basketball uniform costume which
had been designed for the Bomber, I declined. Indeed, I begged DC
to write off those scripts and go with a new hero of my creation.
What convinced them was when I asked them if DC really wanted its
first headline black super-hero to be a white racist? The company
gave me three weeks to come up with something better. Which I did.
Without any input from DC.
What Black Lightning brought to DC
Diversity, reality, a street vibe, and, a more ground-level kind of
inspirational hero than DC had known. DC was still real stuffy
when I came to work for them. Their heroes weren’t connecting with
the younger readers of the 1970s in the way Marvel’s heroes were.
DC recruited me because they wanted some Marvel magic. Always one
to go my own way, I tried to create a blend of both Marvel and DC’s
respective strengths.
The creation of Black Lightning
Jefferson Pierce was created first, then I needed a super-hero
persona for him. Julius Schwartz had a Wonder Woman cover hanging
on his wall in which she was trying to lasso a black lightning bolt
while imploring Hera to help her “stop this black lightning before
it splits that building in two.”
The words “black lightning” sounded cool to me in the era when so
many movies included “black” in their titles, so I decided that’s
what I would name my creation. The lightning motif was one of the
last pieces of the puzzle.
I never considered any other names for my character.
Jefferson Pierce
Jefferson Pierce is a reluctant hero. He abhors violence, knows it
is necessary to fight the criminals who were plaguing his inner-
city neighborhood. He holds himself to a very high moral code and
inspires others to do so as well.
When I wrote the second Black Lightning series, I decided he should
also be a religious man. He was a “liberal Northern Baptist.” He
was a man of faith without the bigotry that so often goes hand in
hand with so-called Christians.
Jeff Pierce is a man of faith. He has faith in Jesus, in himself,
and in the potential of human beings. He makes mistakes and they
weigh heavily on him, but he never stops trying to do what’s right
and never stops trying to improve the lives of those around him.
As a teacher and as a super-hero, he uses all his gifts in pursuit
of that.
My goals for Black Lightning
Black Lightning was supposed to be a partnership between me as his
creator and DC Comics as his publisher. Unfortunately, DC has
never honored its agreements with me. But my hope was that Black
Lightning would be the fourth iconic hero in DC’s “Big Four” along
with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. I wanted to write novels
with the character and also a newspaper comic strip. I wanted to
see a live-action Black Lightning TV series. Because I thought and
still think he’s a great character who should be a major player in
the entertainment world.
Trevor von Eeden
I am the sole creator of Black Lightning. Period. That is the
actuality and that was the designation DC agreed to when we struck
our partnership deal. If you’ll look at the first Black Lightning
series and the handful of stories that appeared in World’s Finest,
you’ll see I am the only credited creator.
Everything vital to Black Lightning was created before Trevor was
hired to draw the series. I consider him the primary designer of
the first Black Lightning costume - which was replaced in my second
series - but he wasn’t the sole designer of that costume. I had a
hand in the design as did Bob Rozakis and Joe Orlando.
While it has become commonplace to designate the first artist of a
character as co-creator, that wasn’t the case when I created Black
Lightning and it wasn’t what was in the agreement I struck with DC
Comics. It was only when I inquired about buying out DC’s share of
my creator that DC retroactively and inappropriately decided Trevor
had been the character’s co-creator. He wasn’t.
Trevor has developed into an insanely talented artist. I love his
work. But he had no effect on the creation or development of Black
Lightning. Indeed, Eddy Newell, who drew my second series, had a
greater impact. Eddy’s more realistic approach to Black Lightning
and his inner-city world inspired my scripts...and the costume in
that second series is nearly all Eddy. The only things I gave him
there were the lightning eyes and a direction that the new costume
should looked like something Jeff Pierce put together on his own.
The Newell-designed costume is my favorite Black Lightning costume.
******************************
The interview request and questions were sent to me on May 3 sans
any prior “could you do this” notice as if it were expected of me
to answer questions for a DC-centered magazine. The interviewer
needed my answers by May 17.
Initially, I wasn’t going to answer the questions at all. But the
comments from my bloggy thing readers convinced me that I should.
So I did.
I sent the interviewer my responses on May 11, six full days before
my “deadline” of May 17. I did include a copyright notice staking
my claim to my answers and giving him permission to use them. But
I also included the instruction to him that my responses could not
be edited without my express permission. I felt six days was more
than sufficient time to work out any problems he might have with my
responses.
Since May 3, I’ve received no e-mails from the interviewer. Not
even a simple “thank you.” That’s not the first time someone has
failed to perform that basic courtesy, but it’s still pretty rare.
This interviewer hasn’t ruined things for anyone else who wants to
interview me. As always, my acceptance or refusal will depend on
my own schedule and the nature of the questions I’m asked. When I
accept, I’ll answer the questions honestly...and I’ll also reserve
the right to re-purpose my answers as I choose.
Will the above interview ever appear in the magazine for which it
was conducted? I don’t know. But, given the discourtesy shown me,
I decided to run my answers in today’s bloggy thing.
There probably isn’t anything in my answers I haven’t said before.
Still, I hope you find those answers entertaining and informative.
I’d like to have something to show for my time.
I’m taking a day off for the Columbus wedding of my nephew Lou and
the most excellent Erica, but I will be back on Monday with more
stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Friday, June 22, 2012
TINY TOT STORIES, PUZZLES AND GAMES
the title. It had started as Family Funnies and ran eight issues
before becoming Tiny Tot Funnies for a issue and Junior Funnies for
issues #10-13.
As Family Funnies, it boasted of containing the “world’s best known
comics, all in ONE magazine” and the border around the main cover
illustrations do show well over a dozen characters. I’m guessing
the title featured reprints of newspaper strips. The one issue of
Tiny Tot Funnies issue changed the cover slogan to “WORLD’S best
known comics for little folk,” but still featured a dozen or more
characters in its border.
When the title changed to Junior Funnies, the title added “special
new playtime puzzles and games for juniors” and the character line-
up seems to have been reduced to Dagwood, Henry, Popeye, Daisy and
the Katzenjammer Kids. One issue promised to teach readers how to
make “Dagwood’s soap boat.”
The Grand Comics Database hasn’t indexed these issues yet, so I’m
unable to tell you exactly what was in them. However, I did find
one online mention of an artist names Frank Fletcher who was said
to have drawn stories of Daisy and Her Pups. As always, I welcome
further information on this and other comics from my birth month of
December 1951.
******************************
My friends at Stormwatch Comics in East Berlin, New Jersey, sent me
all the Free Comic Book Day issues so that I could review them in
this bloggy thing. If you’re in East Berlin, do me a solid and buy
some comics from them. They’re good people.
Lady Death is from Boundless Comics, which is a division of Avatar
Press. Created by Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes, the character is
some kind of goddess and she’s been published in several different
venues over the years. There was even a Lady Death animated movie
made in 2004 by ADV Films. Clearly, the character has enjoyed some
success over the years...just not with me.
This FCBD giveaway was 34 pages of full-color comics from the first
Lady Death volume. Yet, even with so many pages, it failed to make
me care about the lead character or any of the other characters in
the segment. Indeed, the overwhelming impression I came away from
this comic with was that it was pretty much one bloody fight after
another. Nothing to win me over, nor any clear explanation of what
was happening. Some readers will certainly like this better than
I did, but I’d rate it a fail as a FCBD effort.
******************************
From Gemstone Publishing, Overstreet’s Comic Book Marketplace #2 is
focused on “the greatest horror comics of all time.” Since there
is now talk of a second, Halloween-centered Free Comic Book Day, it
would have been better suited for that.
Inside the giveaway, we get a selection of short articles on horror
comics and the creators who worked on them. Most of the articles
are too short to convey much knowledge and the writing, with a few
notable exceptions, doesn’t have much flair.
The purpose of this giveaway largely eludes me. CBM doesn’t come
out on a regular basis, so it’s not really being promoted here. If
the intent was to promote other Gemstone publications, the giveaway
didn’t do that well either. I’d have to rare this FCBD item as a
well-intentioned miss.
******************************
The Transformers: Regeneration #80.5 [IDW] does a pretty good job
of recapping earlier issues of a title whose numbering is continued
from the Marvel Comics series of the 1980s. Kudos to writer Simon
Furman for that. The Andrew Wildman/Stephen Baskerville art looks
good. It almost makes me wish I gave a rodent’s behind about these
giant shape-shifting robots. Almost.
This falls squarely into the “if you like this sort of thing, you
will like this comic book” arena. If you’re a Transformers fan and
you didn’t know about the various comic-book series featuring those
characters, this FCBD giveaway will delight and inform you. Which
makes it a FCBD success.
******************************
Witchblade: Unbalanced (Top Cow/Image) tries to do pretty much the
same thing as the Transformers giveaway. However, its summation of
the character’s history comes off as a long and tiresome monologue
with illustrations. I’ve enjoyed the Witchblade comics I’ve read
in the past, but this giveaway wouldn’t inspire me to start reading
the current title. Your mileage may vary, but this FCBD book just
didn’t work for me.
******************************
Worlds of Aspen 2012 “proudly presents a preview of all we have to
offer!” Until an online friend recommended Executive Assistant Iris
to me, I had never read any of this publisher’s titles. I thought
Iris was a pretty good comic book, so I was eager to see what else
Aspen was doing. This Free Comic Book Day giveaway didn’t give me
a great deal of information on Aspen’s titles, but a few of them -
Homecoming, Idolized, Shrugged, and various Iris-related series -
did look interesting. Were money no object, I’d buy all of those.
As it is, I’ll see if I can get the collection editions through my
local library system. I’d rate this a good FCBD effort.
******************************
Yo Gabba Gabba! Free Comic Book Day! [Oni Press] features strange-
looking creatures I’ve only seen from channel-surfing. I’ve never
watched an episode of the show, but I still found the four stories
featured in this giveaway to be charming, funny, and, very weird.
I have no idea how closely the comic resembles the TV show, but, if
it is like the show, I think fans of the show will also like Oni’s
ongoing comic book. I still don’t know the who, what and why of Yo
Gabba Gabba, but this FCBD giveaway seems to be a terrific way to
win the show’s audience to this comic book and, hopefully, comics
in general.
******************************
The Zombie Kid FCBD Special by Fred Perry with art by Brian Dehman
(Antarctic Press) isn’t a comic book. It’s a heavily-illustrated
prose story. I had a tough time getting through it, but there is
probably an audience for this material. I’m just not part of it.
The giveaway does a good job of introducing the character, so, on
that basis, it’s a decent FCBD effort.
That concludes my Free Comic Book Day reviews. I’ll be back on the
morrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Thursday, June 21, 2012
ORPHANS OF THE CONGO
my birth month of December 1951. The cover feature was Ka'a'nga,
who you’ll find in the background of the cover. Up front in more
ways than one is his aviatrix girlfriend Ann Mason. Unfortunately,
the Grand Comics Database hasn’t yet identified the artist who drew
this gorgeous cover.
Ka'a'nga, who also had his own title, was the headliner in Jumbo.
He was basically a Tarzan clone: parents killed by wild beasts in
the jungle and then raised by a she-ape. Maurice Whitman drew the
10-page “Orphans Of The Congo,” but the writer is unknown.
Other features:
Wambi was the second most successful feature in Jungle Comics and
also had his own title for a while. The jungle boy wore a turban
and breechcloth, which made him look as if he lived in the Indian
jungle, though everything else in his adventures looked like they
were from the African jungles. His four-page story in this issue
was drawn by Henry Kiefer, who draw most of his stories. The GCD
hasn’t identified the writer.
Capt. Terry Thunder starred in “The Big Ghost of Simbah” (5 pages),
drawn by Robert Webb. The Captain was an explorer.
Camilla was the issue’s big finish. She was the queen of some lost
empire in the African jungle. Her seven-page adventure was drawn
by Ralph Mayo.
More vintage comic-book covers to come.
******************************
More Free Comic Book Day reviews...
DC Nation FCBD Sampler/Superman Family Adventures Flipbook #1 aims
at a younger demographic than the publisher’s ultra-sexual, ultra-
violent “New 52" super-hero comics. If you want to see the Batman
boning Catwoman or Starfire doing everyone, you shouldn’t expect to
get that for free.
The Green Lantern story that leads off the DC Nation part of this
giveaway is fun if not outstanding. I got a kick out of seeing an
obscure villain like Myrwhydden in the story by Art Baltazar and
Franco with art by Darid Brizuela. That was followed by a five-page
excerpt from an issue of Young Justice. The story and the excerpt
give a fair representation of the comic books they promote, which
is, of course, what a good FCBD issue should do.
It’s hard for me to judge the Superman Family Adventures section of
the flipbook. The Art Baltazar story (with Franco) and art score
high for charm and cuteness, but I have no way of knowing if young
kids go for this stuff. My 23-year-old son favors manga and non-
super-hero graphic novels and my 20-year-old daughter hasn’t read
a comic book since the early issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
she found those unsatisfying within a couple issues. Not to rush
anyone, but, before I can consider Superman Family Adventures more
fully, I’m gonna need some grandchildren.
******************************
There’s not enough actual story content in the Dinosaurs Vs. Aliens
Free Comic Book Day Special Preview to sell me on checking out the
Liquid Comics graphic novel. I can say the art is most impressive.
If I had to predict the reaction to this giveaway, it would be to
opine that if you love dinosaurs (I do) or Grant Morrison (hit and
mostly miss with me), you’ll at least consider buying this graphic
novel. It’s a good FCBD effort.
******************************
Image 20 is one of the strongest of this year’s Free Comic Book Day
giveaways. It features four-page snippets from six of its titles
and full-page ads for another four. The snippets are from G-Man by
Chris Giarrusso, Guarding the Globe by Phil Hester and Todd Nauck,
Crime and Terror by Steve Niles and Scott Morse, Revival by Tim
Seeley and Mike Norton, It-Girl and the Atomics by Jamie S. Rich
and a busy Mike Norton, and Near Death by Jay Faerber and Simone
Guglielmini. They all look good, so good that, if I could afford
to buy comic books, I’d check them all. The same for three of the
four comics in the full-page ads. If you seen the ads, I bet you
can guess which one doesn’t interest me.
Image Comics is publishing a lot of intriguing titles. DC “New 52"
is mostly awful. Marvel’s unending crossover storylines as well as
its over-reliance on a small group of writers and multiple titles
for virtually every major star in its roster have made its comics
more hit-and-miss than ever. In that mythical world where I have
the money to buy comic books - the one in which I’m working a lot
more steadily and both my kids are finished with college - I think
I’d be buying as many and likely more Image titles than either DC
or Marvel. In short, Image did a great job on their FCBD giveaway
and I hope it pays off for the company.
******************************
The Hypernaturals Free Comic Book Day Edition [Boom! Studios] seems
to be a cosmic take on super-heroes from the prolific writing team
of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. I’m not entirely sold on this one,
but the writing is good, the art by Brad Walker and Tom Derenick is
first-rate, and the concept intrigues me. This may be one of those
series I need to read several issues at a time. As FCBD issues go,
it was a decent effort.
******************************
From Capstone comes The Rockhead & Zinc Alloy 2-For-None giveaway,
a very funny and kid-friendly preview of two graphic novels. The
Incredible Rockhead is by Scott Nickel with art by C.S. Jennings.
Zinc Alloy: the Invincible Boy-Bot is by Donald Lemke with art by
Douglas Holgate. These “geeks in disguise” deliver both action and
humor. I think kids will love them as much as this old coot did.
A fine FCBD book.
******************************
The late Don Thompson, my friend and mentor, used to have a handy
phrase for use in reviewing comics he didn’t care for personally:
“If you like this sort of thing, you’ll like this.” I’m reminded
of that every time I look at an issue of Archie Comics’ Mega Man or
Sonic the Hedgehog. I can’t get into comic books based on either
role-playing or video games.
That said, the Free Comic Book Day edition of Mega Man reprints the
first issue of the Archie title and is very kid-friendly. If you
like the video game, I believe you’ll like it and, if you like the
video game and have never seen the comic before, I think you will
want to read more Mega Man comics. Which makes it, as I reckon it,
a successful FCBD giveaway.
The Free Comic Book Day reviews conclude tomorrow.
******************************
In other matters...
My thanks to those who ordered items from my Vast Accumulation of
Stuff sales. It was my best week ever for these online sales and
has definitely encouraged me to continue them. There are still a
great many cool things for sale here and here. Please take a few
moments to look over the lists.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
RAWHIDE WEDNESDAYS 15
The Rawhide Kid is one of my favorite comics characters. Inspired
by Essential Rawhide Kid Vol. 1, which reprints Rawhide Kid #17-35,
I write about the Kid every Wednesday. There are spoilers ahead.
You have been warned.
The Rawhide Kid #31 [December 1962] was Jack Kirby’s next-to-last
issue on the title and the last issue to feature three stories of
the title hero. For the cover, Kirby did one of his finest action
shots of Rawhide, marred only by the gun floating in the air right
in front of the Kid’s mouth. Talk about all-out action.
The Grand Comics Database tentatively credits Kirby as the inker of
this cover, but I’m not seeing it. My guesses as to the identity
of the inker would be just that, but, if guess I must, I’d suggest
either Sol Brodsky or Paul Reinman. But, as I said, those are no
more than guesses and artist identification isn’t my strong suit.
The GCD doesn’t list a credit for the writer of the cover copy, but
I don’t see how, logically, it could’ve been anyone other than Stan
Lee. “Fighting mad” strikes me as a description Stan used on quite
a few occasions.
All three of the Rawhide Kid stories are solid despite their short
lengths. “Shoot-Out with Rock Rorick!” (7 pages) by Lee, Kirby,
and inker Dick Ayers leads off the issue. Rorick is a rancher who
has blocked the water to other ranchers to force them to sell their
land to him. When Rorick’s thugs harass the ranchers in the local
saloon, Rawhide sends the bullies packing. A highlight of the
fight is when one of the thugs exclaims in disbelief: “You can’t be
the Rawhide Kid! From what I heerd tell of ‘im, he must be most ten
feet tall and wide as a barn!”
The ranchers beseech the Kid to help them against Rorick, but he’s
busy enough just keeping one step ahead of the law. But when his
path out of town takes him past the ranch of an elderly couple who
have been targeted by Rorick, Rawhide sees red. He takes the fight
- and what a wild fight it is - to Rorick’s spread and takes down
the rancher and all his thugs. He then forces Rorick to sell all
of his land to the Kid, who promptly restores it to its rightful
owners. Rorick’s pleas to the townspeople fall on deaf ears. The
story ends with Rawhide relaxing in the saloon. Obviously, the Kid
can’t stay there for long, but he gets a momentary respite from the
life of a wanted man.
In “Trapped by Dead-Eye Dawson!” (6 pages), Rawhide is the prey of
Dawson, a special deputy described in the striking splash page - a
close-up of Dawson’s face with the Kid in his eyes - as a “man who
never stops, never gives up, until he has caught his prey.” He’s
come to Rustler’s Gulch, Texas with his young son and his prey is
the Rawhide Kid.
Dawson is seven kinds of crafty and it looks bad for the Kid. It
comes down to a stand-off between Dawson and the young outlaw
with the Kid having but one bullet left to his name. When Dawson’s
son enters the field of battle, Rawhide seems to shoot him. In reality,
he’s used his last bullet and his last chance to escape to kill a rattler
before said serpent could strike at the child.
Once again, Rawhide exercises his “mutant” ability to get a lawman
to quit rather than arrest the Kid. I haven’t been keeping count,
but this is at least the third time this has happened at the end of
a story. Maybe there should be an Old West version of the X-Men.
“Return of the Outlaw!” (5 pages) by Lee and artist Don Heck is the
issue’s non-series story. After the death of their father, a pair
of brothers go their separate ways. One becomes an outlaw and the
other a farmer. It’s the second time for this basic concept which
was used earlier for the non-series story of The Rawhide Kid #19.
The farmer brother has a son who admires his outlaw uncle for his
fame, but when that brother rides up to the farm, the admiration is
short-lived. Wounded, the outlaw falls from his horse as a posse
arrives to take him into custody. But he wanted to come back and
tell his farmer brother one thing: “I - I told you I was takin’ the
easy way —- but —- I was wrong –- it was the hard way! You were the
smart one, Joe! You with the farm –- family –- you took the easy
way –- the right way –- not me –- I was a fool –- and now –- I’ll
pay for it –- for the rest of my life!”
There’s “No Law in Lost Mesa!” (5 pages), but the Kid doesn’t learn
that until he’s handed his guns over to a phony lawman. Which is
the second time he’s fallen for that one.
Rawhide gets knocked about for several panels and then, guns or no
guns, he starts fighting back. When he gets his guns back and with
the support townspeople finally tired of their town being a haven
for outlaws, the Kid civilizes the town right quick. The grateful
townspeople would probably have been happy to see Rawhide stay on
with them, but he’ll be back on his lonely outlaw road by the next
issue.
I’ll discuss that next issue on the next Rawhide Kid Wednesday. In
the meantime, I’ll be back tomorrow with another vintage comic-book
cover and more Free Comic Book Day reviews.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
VAST ACCUMULATION OF STUFF SALE 6/19
I found a rich new vein of items for sale from my Vast Accumulation
of Stuff. Here’s how these ongoing sales work:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses. If it seems high, look at it in light of the low prices
on most of these items.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here are this week’s new items...
100% by Paul Pope. Reprints issues #1-5. Vertigo softcover. ($8)
AUTHORITY: KEV by Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry, Reprints Authority:
Kev and Authority: More Kev #1-4. Wildstorm softcover. ($5)
AVENGERS WEST COAST: VISION QUEST by John Byrne. Reprints issues
#42-50. Marvel softcover. ($8)
BATMAN: SCARECROW TALES by various. DC softcover. 2005 ($7)
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER VOLUME TWO by Darwyn Cook. DC softcover. ($7)
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOLUME TWO: TWO-EDGED SWORD by Chris Claremont,
Alan Davis, Ron Lim, Arthur Adams, and Marshall Rogers. Reprints
issues #6-11 plus Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. Marvel softcover. ($8)
GRIMJACK: KILLER INSTINCT by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman. IDW
softcover. ($7)
GREEN ARROW: CITY WALLS by Judd Winick. Reprints issues #32, 34-
39. DC softcover. ($4)
HOUSE OF M by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. Reprints
House of M #1-8 plus The Pulse: House of M Special Edition. Marvel
softcover. ($8)
HOUSE OF M: INCREDIBLE HULK by Peter David, Jorge Lucas, and Adam
Kubert. Reprints Incredible Hulk #83-87. Marvel softcover. ($5)
JLA: CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE by Geoff Johns and others. Reprints JLA
#115-119. DC softcover. ($4)
LARRY: THE STOOGE IN THE MIDDLE by Morris Feinberg. Foreword by
Steve Allen. Appendix by Jack Kerouac. Illustrations by Drew
Friedman. Softcover. 1984. ($5)
LEGEND OF GRIMJACK VOLUME TWO by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman.
Reprints first seven issues. Softcover. ($7)
MAJESTIC by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Karl Kerschl. Reprints
Action Comics #811, Adventures of Superman #624, Superman #201 and
Majestic #1-4. DC softcover. 2005. ($5)
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL. Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting
Marvel Holiday Special 2004, Marvel Holiday Special 2005, Marvel
Team-Up #1 and Uncanny X-Men #143. ($3)
MARY JANE VOLUME 2 by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa. Full-
color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($2)
PLANETARY: LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday.
Reprints issues #13-18. Wildstorm softcover. ($5)
QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED VOLUME 2 by Greg Rucka and Rick
Burchett. Reprints Queen & Country Declassified Volume 2 #1-3. Oni
Press softcover. 2006. ($3)
RUNAWAYS VOLUME 6: PARENTAL GUIDANCE by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian
Alphona. Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #13-18.
($3)
SAM AND TWITCH: THE BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS COLLECTION VOL. 1. Art by
Angel Medina and others. Reprints issues #1-9. Softcover. ($8)
SPAWN VOLUME 4 by Todd McFarlane and others. Reprints issues #55-
75. Softcover. ($10)
SPELLBINDERS: SIGNS & WONDERS by Mike Carey and Mike Perkins. Full-
color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-6. ($3)
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-5. ($3)
SUPERMAN: THE WRATH OF GOG by Chuck Austen and Ivan Reis. Reprints
Action Comics #812-819. DC softcover. ($5)
THUNDERBOLTS: GUARDIAN PROTOCOLS by Fabian Nicieza and
Tom Grummett. Reprints issues #106-109. Marvel softcover. ($3)
UNTOLD TALES OF THE NEW UNIVERSE BY various. Marvel softcover. ($5)
VERTIGO FIRST TASTE by various. Reprints first issues of Death:
The High Cost of Living, Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets, Books of
Magic: Life During Wartime, Y: The Last Man, and Saga of the Swamp
Thing #21. Vertigo softcover. ($2)
X-MEN KITTY PRIDE: SHADOW AND FLAME by Akira Yoshida & Paul Smith.
Reprints issue #1-5. Marvel softcover. ($5)
X-MEN AND POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X by Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($2)
X-MEN: THE BLOOD OF APOCALYPSE by Peter Milligan, Salvador Larroca.
Reprints X-Men #182-187. Marvel softcover. ($6)
YEAR ONE: BATMAN/RA’S AL GHUL by Devin Grayson, Paul Gulacy, Jimmy
Palmiotti. Reprints issues #1-2. ($3)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
of Stuff. Here’s how these ongoing sales work:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses. If it seems high, look at it in light of the low prices
on most of these items.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here are this week’s new items...
100% by Paul Pope. Reprints issues #1-5. Vertigo softcover. ($8)
AUTHORITY: KEV by Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry, Reprints Authority:
Kev and Authority: More Kev #1-4. Wildstorm softcover. ($5)
AVENGERS WEST COAST: VISION QUEST by John Byrne. Reprints issues
#42-50. Marvel softcover. ($8)
BATMAN: SCARECROW TALES by various. DC softcover. 2005 ($7)
DC: THE NEW FRONTIER VOLUME TWO by Darwyn Cook. DC softcover. ($7)
EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOLUME TWO: TWO-EDGED SWORD by Chris Claremont,
Alan Davis, Ron Lim, Arthur Adams, and Marshall Rogers. Reprints
issues #6-11 plus Excalibur: Mojo Mayhem. Marvel softcover. ($8)
GRIMJACK: KILLER INSTINCT by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman. IDW
softcover. ($7)
GREEN ARROW: CITY WALLS by Judd Winick. Reprints issues #32, 34-
39. DC softcover. ($4)
HOUSE OF M by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel. Reprints
House of M #1-8 plus The Pulse: House of M Special Edition. Marvel
softcover. ($8)
HOUSE OF M: INCREDIBLE HULK by Peter David, Jorge Lucas, and Adam
Kubert. Reprints Incredible Hulk #83-87. Marvel softcover. ($5)
JLA: CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE by Geoff Johns and others. Reprints JLA
#115-119. DC softcover. ($4)
LARRY: THE STOOGE IN THE MIDDLE by Morris Feinberg. Foreword by
Steve Allen. Appendix by Jack Kerouac. Illustrations by Drew
Friedman. Softcover. 1984. ($5)
LEGEND OF GRIMJACK VOLUME TWO by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman.
Reprints first seven issues. Softcover. ($7)
MAJESTIC by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Karl Kerschl. Reprints
Action Comics #811, Adventures of Superman #624, Superman #201 and
Majestic #1-4. DC softcover. 2005. ($5)
MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL. Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting
Marvel Holiday Special 2004, Marvel Holiday Special 2005, Marvel
Team-Up #1 and Uncanny X-Men #143. ($3)
MARY JANE VOLUME 2 by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa. Full-
color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($2)
PLANETARY: LEAVING THE 20TH CENTURY by Warren Ellis, John Cassaday.
Reprints issues #13-18. Wildstorm softcover. ($5)
QUEEN & COUNTRY: DECLASSIFIED VOLUME 2 by Greg Rucka and Rick
Burchett. Reprints Queen & Country Declassified Volume 2 #1-3. Oni
Press softcover. 2006. ($3)
RUNAWAYS VOLUME 6: PARENTAL GUIDANCE by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian
Alphona. Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #13-18.
($3)
SAM AND TWITCH: THE BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS COLLECTION VOL. 1. Art by
Angel Medina and others. Reprints issues #1-9. Softcover. ($8)
SPAWN VOLUME 4 by Todd McFarlane and others. Reprints issues #55-
75. Softcover. ($10)
SPELLBINDERS: SIGNS & WONDERS by Mike Carey and Mike Perkins. Full-
color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-6. ($3)
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-5. ($3)
SUPERMAN: THE WRATH OF GOG by Chuck Austen and Ivan Reis. Reprints
Action Comics #812-819. DC softcover. ($5)
THUNDERBOLTS: GUARDIAN PROTOCOLS by Fabian Nicieza and
Tom Grummett. Reprints issues #106-109. Marvel softcover. ($3)
UNTOLD TALES OF THE NEW UNIVERSE BY various. Marvel softcover. ($5)
VERTIGO FIRST TASTE by various. Reprints first issues of Death:
The High Cost of Living, Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets, Books of
Magic: Life During Wartime, Y: The Last Man, and Saga of the Swamp
Thing #21. Vertigo softcover. ($2)
X-MEN KITTY PRIDE: SHADOW AND FLAME by Akira Yoshida & Paul Smith.
Reprints issue #1-5. Marvel softcover. ($5)
X-MEN AND POWER PACK: THE POWER OF X by Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru.
Full-color manga-size softcover reprinting issues #1-4. ($2)
X-MEN: THE BLOOD OF APOCALYPSE by Peter Milligan, Salvador Larroca.
Reprints X-Men #182-187. Marvel softcover. ($6)
YEAR ONE: BATMAN/RA’S AL GHUL by Devin Grayson, Paul Gulacy, Jimmy
Palmiotti. Reprints issues #1-2. ($3)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
SNAFU REPORT
I had some computer/internet issues yesterday and, as a result, I'm running behind on a bunch of stuff. I still hope to post a new list of VAOS sale items later today and write tomorrow's bloggy thing.
I really want to thank my bloggy thing readers for the several VAOS sale orders that came in yesterday. I'll respond to all of these by this afternoon.
One order was lost because it ended up in my spam filter and was deleted by accident. If you haven't heard from me on your order by this evening, get in touch with me asap.
Onward, ever onward...
Tony
I really want to thank my bloggy thing readers for the several VAOS sale orders that came in yesterday. I'll respond to all of these by this afternoon.
One order was lost because it ended up in my spam filter and was deleted by accident. If you haven't heard from me on your order by this evening, get in touch with me asap.
Onward, ever onward...
Tony
SLAVE RUNNERS OF BOMBARU
is Jumbo Comics #156 [cover-dated February 1952]. Sheena, Queen of
the Jungle, has her big stabby spear on the cover and it looks like
she’s about to stabby a whip-wielding slaver. If that’s not jumbo
fun, I don’t know what is.
The Grand Comics Database has not yet identified the cover artist
of this issue or any of the issue’s writers, but it does list the
various features and their artists. “The Slave Runners of Bombaru”
(10 pages) is credited to Robert Webb.
Webb is also credited as the artist of the four-page Hawk story in
the issue. Hawk is a continuation of the “Hawks of the Sea” series
credited by Will Eisner.
Other features included “Ghost Gallery” (6 pages) with art by the
legendary Jack Kamen and “Long Bow” (6 pages), the third Webb-drawn
story in the issue. The former appears to be an anthology series
of spooky tales. The latter stars a Native American hero who also
headlined his own title for several issues.
Keep reading this bloggy things for more vintage comic-book covers
from the month of my birth.
******************************
Looking at some Free Comic Book Day issues...
World’s Most Dangerous Animals [Silver Dragon Books in conjunction
with Animal Planet] is something I would’ve loved as a kid and get
a kick out of today. The grizzly bear and the saltwater croc are
the deadly critters featured in this giveaway. Each entry starts
with a nice pin-up shot and some facts, then goes into an exciting
story of animal mayhem. The two entries are well-written and well-
drawn. I’d definitely recommend this title.
Not so the brief preview of Jurassic Strike Force 5 #1, which is as
poorly written and drawn as the full-size FCBD I reviewed a while
back. It’s hard to believe it’s being published by the same outfit
that publishes World’s Most Dangerous Animals.
******************************
Oni Press’ Bad Medicine #1 Free Comic Book Day Edition was one of
the best of the giveaways. It’s a scary contemporary sci-fi series
that lives in the general vicinity of The X-Files, but with a more
focused storyline. It’s written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina
Weir with art by Christopher Mitten. While it’s probably a series
best read several issues at a time, I thoroughly enjoyed this first
issue. Backing up the cover feature is an all-new Wasteland story
by Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten. The back-up is readable
but not in the same league as Bad Medicine.
******************************
I can’t think of a comic book published by Bluewater Comics I have
enjoyed and the company’s Burt Ward Boy Wonder/Wrath of the Titans
flipbook didn’t change my low expectations. Burt Ward involved in
animal rescue is cool and the notion of him having weird adventures
likewise, but the actual writing and art are pathetically terrible.
Following the Burt Ward material is an ad for a comic book called
The Secret Lives of Julie Newmar. The woman on the rather boring
cover doesn’t even look like the actress.
The Wrath of the Titans side of the giveaway is less interesting.
The story is told in prose with illustrations - sometimes designed
to look like comic-book pages - on every other page. Neither the
writing nor the art is any good. I’d recommend giving both titles
a pass. Which might be good advice to apply to Bluewater’s entire
line of comic books.
******************************
The Censored Howard Cruse seems to be a joint publication of Boom
and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. While it makes its point by
showing how Cruse’s amazing stories would look/read if they had to
be censored, the stunt does a considerable disservice to the work.
Obviously, Cruse was okay with this, but, as a big fan of his work,
it annoyed the shit out of me. If the word “shit” offends anyone,
they can take a magic marker to their computer screen.
Okay, yeah, I’m being kind of a dick here. Sometimes the CBLDF, a
fine organization, strikes me as being a little too into itself and
a little too self-congratulatory. I have issues.
Though this FCBD book isn’t the best showcase for Cruse’s upcoming
work from Boom! Town, let me recommend it to you. Howard is one of
comicdom’s largely unsung geniuses. He and his work are deserving
of a larger audience.
******************************
Marvel’s Free Comic Book Day 2012 (Avengers: Age of Ultron Point
One) #0.1 telegraphs its “mystery” villain in its title. However,
what I found very cool about this Brian Michael Bendis/Bryan Hitch
story was the full-page last panel with Tony Stark discussing what
just happened. Jaded as I am on Avengers/X-Men Marvel super-hero
comics at the moment, it makes me want to learn what happens next.
Excellent writing and art with an ending that wants me to read the
next issue. I would rate this issue a very successful Free Comic
Book Day giveaway. Nice job all around.
******************************
Bongo Comics/Spongebob Comics was another cool Free Comic Book Day
issue. The Bongo side had a funny Simpsons story - “Tales from the
Springfield Bear Patrol” by Brian Houlihan with art by James Lloyd
and Andrew Pepoy and an amusing autobiographical story from Sergio
Aragones. The Spongebob side had a fun story by Derek Drymon with
art by Gregg Schigiel and the great Ramona Fradon...and a page of
gags by James Kochalka. I’m a regular Simpsons reader, but, though
I’ve never watched the Spongebob cartoon, I’m tempted to check out
his comic book. Bongo scores with this giveaway.
******************************
After reading the Free Comic Book Day preview of Graphic Elvis from
Liquid Comics, I’m wishing I had the two hundred dollars to buy the
special limited collector’s edition it previews. The concept: the
world’s greatest graphic novel creators celebrate the life of the
world’s greatest rockstar, teaming those great comics talents with
quotes by and about Elvis. The giveaway features material by Stan
Lee, Steve Rude, Gilbert Hernandez and others. It’s a cool concept
and the execution looks fantastic. I don’t know how many comics
fans who scored this giveaway will be able to afford the book, but,
based on my own reaction, I think this FCBD preview will grab the
imagination of those who can afford it.
******************************
Some quick “me” updates...
Two thousand bucks, one new transmission and a set of brakes later,
our van is back in operating condition. Now would be an absolutely
wonderful time for you to purchase items from my Vast Accumulation
of Stuff sales. I posted previously-offered items here yesterday
and cut the prices on every item. Later today, I’ll be posting a
few dozen new items for sale. As always, your patronage is greatly
appreciated.
On Father’s Day, Sainted Wife Barb and Eddie made a great start in
the quest to get our garage cleaned out. I should be able to work
on the garage sale set-up by early next week.
Although I won’t be able to start the official garage sales until
the first or second weekend in July, comics fans and retailers will
be able to make appointments to view and buy once I’ve completed my
initial set-up. Check my Facebook page and this bloggy thing for
the announcement of when I’ll be open for business. And, once I’m
open, I hope to restock on a nigh-daily basis.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Monday, June 18, 2012
VAST ACCUMULATION OF STUFF SALE 6/18
I have a Vast Accumulation of Stuff and I want to sell most of it
in the next five years. The following stuff is previously-offered,
still available items. With a major difference.
I’ve cut the prices on every item being offered again in an effort
to make those items unavailable as soon as possible. Here’s how the
sale works:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses. If it seems high, look at it in light of the low prices
on most of these items.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here’s the list of items still available...
ANGEL OMNIBUS. IDW. ($5)
APOLLO’S SONG by Osamu Tezuka ($3)
ARGUING COMICS: LITERARY MASTERS ON A POPULAR MEDIUM. ($3)
BATMAN: BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME. DC hardcover. ($6)
BATMAN: DARK JOKER - THE WILD by Doug Moench, Kelley Jones and John
Beatty HC ($8)
BATTLE ROYALE 13 by Koushun Takami & Masayuki Taguchi with English
adaptation by Keith Giffen unopened ($2)
BEST OF STAR TREK by Mike W. Barr, Diane Duane, Peter David, Tom
Sutton, Dan Jurgens, Curt Swan, James Fry & Gordon Purcell ($6)
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL: MASSACRE by Hiroaki Samura. Dark Horse
manga. ($2)
BLOODLINE CHRONICLES. The sizzling noir thriller in the tradition
of 100 Bullets by Varanda and Ange. Softcover. ($2)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 1: BIRTH OF A LEGEND by Chris Claremont, Herb
Trimpe and others HC ($15)
CHAFF N’ SKAFFS: MAI AND THE LOST MOSKIVVY by Amanda and Luke
Feldman, illustrated by Luke Feldman. HC children’s book ($2)
CHILL by Jason Starr and Mick Bertilorenzi. Vertigo GN ($2)
CITY OF SPIES BY Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan and Pascal Dizin ($2)
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION: INTERN AT YOUR RISK Manga by Sekou
Hamilton and Steven Cummings ($2)
DANGER GIRL: ODD JOBS by Campbell, Hartnell, Adams, Noto & Chiodo.
Reprints Danger Girl Special, Danger Girl Hawaiian Punch & Danger
Girl Viva Las Danger. Softcover. ($3)
DAREDEVIL VOL. 13: THE MURDOCK PAPERS by Brian Michael Bendis and
Alex Maleev. Reprints Daredevil #76-81. Softcover. ($3)
DEAD@17: THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES by Josh Howard ($2)
DEATH FROM THE SKIES: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE END OF THE WORLD by
Philip Platt Ph.D ($2)
DEATH KAPPA so bad its...nah, it’s just bad DVD (50 cents)
DEVIL DOG: THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SAVED AMERICA by
David Talbot with illustrations by Spain Rodriguez HC ($3)
DRAWING DRAGONS AND THOSE WHO HUNT THEM by Christopher Hart. The
ultimate book for drawing the ultimate beast Softcover, 9" by 11",
128 pages. ($3)
DUNGEON VOLUME 2: THE BARBARIAN PRINCESS by Joann Sfar and Lewis
Trondheim. Softcover. ($2)
EL BORBAH BY Charles Burns. Weird masked wrestler adventure, black-
and-white, 12" by 9", 104 pages ($3)
ELEKTRA: THE HAND by Akira Yoshida and Christian Gossett. Material
from Elektra: The Hand #1-5. Softcover. ($2)
FANTASTIC FOUR: THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMICS MAGAZINE by Erik Larsen
and others. Collects 12-issue series. HC ($10)
FLASH: IGNITION by Geoff Johns and Albert Dose. Reprints issues
#201-206. Softcover. ($3)
FOGTOWN by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader. Vertigo graphic novel.
Hardcover. ($5)
GACHA GACHA THE NEXT REVOLUTION by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Volume 1, 2,
4, 6, 7, 8, 11 ($2 each)
GREEN LANTERN: SLEEPERS Books One, Two, and Three by Christopher J.
Priest, Mike Baron and Michael Akn HC prose trilogy (all three for
$15)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT by Matthew Sturges, Luca
Rossi and Jose Marzan, Jr. Vertigo. ($3)
HUMAN TARGET by Len Wein, Bruno Redondo and Sergio Sandoval. DC.
($3)
INFINITY WAR by Jim Starlin. Reprints material from Infinity War
#1-6, Marvel Comics Presents #108-111, and Infinity Watch #7-10.
Softcover. ($8)
IN PLAIN SIGHT: SEASON ONE DVD unopened ($10)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 4 by Rumiko Takahashi ($2)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 5 by Rumiko Takahashi ($2)
IRON MAN VS. WHIPLASH by Marc Guggenheim, Brandon Braga & Phillippe
Briones ($3)
ISAAC THE PIRATE 2: THE CAPITAL by Christophe Blain. ($2)
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #57 ($3)
JSA: BLACK REIGN by Geoff Johns and Rags Morales ($2)
JSA: BLACK VENGEANCE by Geoff Johns and Don Kramer. Reprints #66-
75. Softcover. ($3)
JUNGLE BOOK (NBM; 2009) by Rudyard Kipling, art by Tieko. Oversized
HC ($2)
JUNIOR MISS #33 [Marvel; 1949] good condition ($5)
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST Volume 1 HC ($15)
KICK ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. HC ($8)
KITCHEN PRINCESS 7 by Natsumi Ando and Miyuki Kobayashi ($2)
KITCHEN PRINCESS 8 by Natsumi Ando and Miyuki Kobayashi ($2)
KOKO BE GOOD by Jen Wang. Softcover, 300 pages. ($3)
KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND by Joe DeVito HC ($10)
LIVING LIFE INSIDE THE LINES: TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF
ANIMATION by animator Martha Sigall. Softcover. ($5)
LOSERS: TRIFECTA by Andy Diggle and Jock ($3)
LUCIFER: EXODUS by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Reprints issues #42-
44, 46-49. Softcover. ($3)
MAMMOTH BOOK OF EXTREME FANTASY ($2)
MAXX VOLUME 4 by Sam Kieth. Reprints issue #21-27. Softcover. ($2)
MONSTERS, INC. Collectors Edition 2-Disc DVD unopened ($2)
OUT OF PICTURE: ART FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Volume 1 (Villard,
2007), features short illustrated stories. Oversized softcover
($2)
OUT OF PICTURE: ART FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Volume 2 (Villard,
2008), features short illustrated stories. Oversized softcover
with more pages than first volume ($2)
PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON Vol. 1-4 plus CODENAME SAILOR V Vol. 1-
2 (all 6 for $18)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #31 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and John
Totleben ($2)
SAMURAI DEEPER KYO 1 by Akimine Kamijyo ($2)
SCRAPBOOK OF FRANKIE PRATT: A NOVEL IN PICTURES by Caroline Preston
HarperCollins, 2011. HC. ($2)
SPIDER ISLAND: HEROES FOR HIRE #1 by Abnett, Lanning and Hotz ($1)
STAR TREK: THE MODALA IMPERATIVE by Michael Jon Friedman, Peter
David and Pablo Marcos ($5)
STAR TREK: WHO KILLED CAPTAIN KIRK by Peter David, Tom Sutton and
Ricardo Villagran ($5)
STAR WARS #80 by Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, and Tom Palmer ($2)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME FOUR - ALLIANCE ($3)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME SEVEN - STORMS ($4)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME NINE - MONSTER ($4)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME TEN - EXTREMES ($4)
STAR WARS VECTOR VOLUME TWO ($4)
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: THE SEARCH FOR KRYPTONITE by Michael Green, Mike
Johnson, Shane Davis and Matt Banning ($3)
SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Jon Sabal ($2)
TEENAGERS FROM MARS by Rick Spears and Rob G. Softcover. 270 pages.
($4)
TEEN TITANS: BEAST BOYS AND GIRLS ($2)
TOY STORY 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD 2-Disc Set unopened ($3)
TWO-STEP by Warren Ellis, Amanda Conner, and Jimmy Palmiotti ($3)
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL. 4 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley &
Art Thibert. Hardcover, full-color, reprints issues #40-45 & #47-
53. ($8)
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL. 5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley &
others. Hardcover, full-color, reprints issues #46 & #54-59 plus
Ultimate Six #1-7. ($8)
ULTIMATE X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR by Mike Carey and Pascal Ferry.
Softcover. ($2)
WAKE 6/7 by Jean David Morvan (writer) & Phillppe Burchet (artist).
Science fiction series with mix of Manga and European styles from
NBM (2005). Softcover, full-color, 92 pages ($2)
WAKING DEAD BOOK TWO by Kirkman and Adlard HC unopened ($10)
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Gail Simone and
Horacio Domingues. DC. ($2)
WONDER WOMAN ARCHIVES VOLUME 5 HC unopened ($20)
X-MEN: THE COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 3. Softcover, full-
color, 360 pages ($5)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
in the next five years. The following stuff is previously-offered,
still available items. With a major difference.
I’ve cut the prices on every item being offered again in an effort
to make those items unavailable as soon as possible. Here’s how the
sale works:
First come, first serve. In other words, the quicker you e-mail me,
the better your chance of getting the item or items. All items are
in very good or better condition unless otherwise noted.
Items will be shipped via United States Postal Service. There is
a $5 shipping/handling charge for up to five items via media mail.
Add $1 for every two additional items. The charge helps defray my
expenses. If it seems high, look at it in light of the low prices
on most of these items.
Payments are by check, money order or PayPal. My PayPal address is
the same as my email address. Purchases will be shipped within a
week of checks clearing, money orders received or PayPal payments
received.
Because this is a one-man operation done between family, household
and work responsibilities, these items are only available to buyers
within the United States and to APO buyers.
Here’s the list of items still available...
ANGEL OMNIBUS. IDW. ($5)
APOLLO’S SONG by Osamu Tezuka ($3)
ARGUING COMICS: LITERARY MASTERS ON A POPULAR MEDIUM. ($3)
BATMAN: BRUCE WAYNE THE ROAD HOME. DC hardcover. ($6)
BATMAN: DARK JOKER - THE WILD by Doug Moench, Kelley Jones and John
Beatty HC ($8)
BATTLE ROYALE 13 by Koushun Takami & Masayuki Taguchi with English
adaptation by Keith Giffen unopened ($2)
BEST OF STAR TREK by Mike W. Barr, Diane Duane, Peter David, Tom
Sutton, Dan Jurgens, Curt Swan, James Fry & Gordon Purcell ($6)
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL: MASSACRE by Hiroaki Samura. Dark Horse
manga. ($2)
BLOODLINE CHRONICLES. The sizzling noir thriller in the tradition
of 100 Bullets by Varanda and Ange. Softcover. ($2)
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 1: BIRTH OF A LEGEND by Chris Claremont, Herb
Trimpe and others HC ($15)
CHAFF N’ SKAFFS: MAI AND THE LOST MOSKIVVY by Amanda and Luke
Feldman, illustrated by Luke Feldman. HC children’s book ($2)
CHILL by Jason Starr and Mick Bertilorenzi. Vertigo GN ($2)
CITY OF SPIES BY Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan and Pascal Dizin ($2)
CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION: INTERN AT YOUR RISK Manga by Sekou
Hamilton and Steven Cummings ($2)
DANGER GIRL: ODD JOBS by Campbell, Hartnell, Adams, Noto & Chiodo.
Reprints Danger Girl Special, Danger Girl Hawaiian Punch & Danger
Girl Viva Las Danger. Softcover. ($3)
DAREDEVIL VOL. 13: THE MURDOCK PAPERS by Brian Michael Bendis and
Alex Maleev. Reprints Daredevil #76-81. Softcover. ($3)
DEAD@17: THE COMPLETE FIRST SERIES by Josh Howard ($2)
DEATH FROM THE SKIES: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE END OF THE WORLD by
Philip Platt Ph.D ($2)
DEATH KAPPA so bad its...nah, it’s just bad DVD (50 cents)
DEVIL DOG: THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SAVED AMERICA by
David Talbot with illustrations by Spain Rodriguez HC ($3)
DRAWING DRAGONS AND THOSE WHO HUNT THEM by Christopher Hart. The
ultimate book for drawing the ultimate beast Softcover, 9" by 11",
128 pages. ($3)
DUNGEON VOLUME 2: THE BARBARIAN PRINCESS by Joann Sfar and Lewis
Trondheim. Softcover. ($2)
EL BORBAH BY Charles Burns. Weird masked wrestler adventure, black-
and-white, 12" by 9", 104 pages ($3)
ELEKTRA: THE HAND by Akira Yoshida and Christian Gossett. Material
from Elektra: The Hand #1-5. Softcover. ($2)
FANTASTIC FOUR: THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMICS MAGAZINE by Erik Larsen
and others. Collects 12-issue series. HC ($10)
FLASH: IGNITION by Geoff Johns and Albert Dose. Reprints issues
#201-206. Softcover. ($3)
FOGTOWN by Andersen Gabrych and Brad Rader. Vertigo graphic novel.
Hardcover. ($5)
GACHA GACHA THE NEXT REVOLUTION by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi Volume 1, 2,
4, 6, 7, 8, 11 ($2 each)
GREEN LANTERN: SLEEPERS Books One, Two, and Three by Christopher J.
Priest, Mike Baron and Michael Akn HC prose trilogy (all three for
$15)
HOUSE OF MYSTERY: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT by Matthew Sturges, Luca
Rossi and Jose Marzan, Jr. Vertigo. ($3)
HUMAN TARGET by Len Wein, Bruno Redondo and Sergio Sandoval. DC.
($3)
INFINITY WAR by Jim Starlin. Reprints material from Infinity War
#1-6, Marvel Comics Presents #108-111, and Infinity Watch #7-10.
Softcover. ($8)
IN PLAIN SIGHT: SEASON ONE DVD unopened ($10)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 4 by Rumiko Takahashi ($2)
INU-YASHA: A FEUDAL FAIRY TALE 5 by Rumiko Takahashi ($2)
IRON MAN VS. WHIPLASH by Marc Guggenheim, Brandon Braga & Phillippe
Briones ($3)
ISAAC THE PIRATE 2: THE CAPITAL by Christophe Blain. ($2)
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #57 ($3)
JSA: BLACK REIGN by Geoff Johns and Rags Morales ($2)
JSA: BLACK VENGEANCE by Geoff Johns and Don Kramer. Reprints #66-
75. Softcover. ($3)
JUNGLE BOOK (NBM; 2009) by Rudyard Kipling, art by Tieko. Oversized
HC ($2)
JUNIOR MISS #33 [Marvel; 1949] good condition ($5)
JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST Volume 1 HC ($15)
KICK ASS by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. HC ($8)
KITCHEN PRINCESS 7 by Natsumi Ando and Miyuki Kobayashi ($2)
KITCHEN PRINCESS 8 by Natsumi Ando and Miyuki Kobayashi ($2)
KOKO BE GOOD by Jen Wang. Softcover, 300 pages. ($3)
KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND by Joe DeVito HC ($10)
LIVING LIFE INSIDE THE LINES: TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF
ANIMATION by animator Martha Sigall. Softcover. ($5)
LOSERS: TRIFECTA by Andy Diggle and Jock ($3)
LUCIFER: EXODUS by Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Reprints issues #42-
44, 46-49. Softcover. ($3)
MAMMOTH BOOK OF EXTREME FANTASY ($2)
MAXX VOLUME 4 by Sam Kieth. Reprints issue #21-27. Softcover. ($2)
MONSTERS, INC. Collectors Edition 2-Disc DVD unopened ($2)
OUT OF PICTURE: ART FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Volume 1 (Villard,
2007), features short illustrated stories. Oversized softcover
($2)
OUT OF PICTURE: ART FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN Volume 2 (Villard,
2008), features short illustrated stories. Oversized softcover
with more pages than first volume ($2)
PRETTY GUARDIAN SAILOR MOON Vol. 1-4 plus CODENAME SAILOR V Vol. 1-
2 (all 6 for $18)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #31 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch and John
Totleben ($2)
SAMURAI DEEPER KYO 1 by Akimine Kamijyo ($2)
SCRAPBOOK OF FRANKIE PRATT: A NOVEL IN PICTURES by Caroline Preston
HarperCollins, 2011. HC. ($2)
SPIDER ISLAND: HEROES FOR HIRE #1 by Abnett, Lanning and Hotz ($1)
STAR TREK: THE MODALA IMPERATIVE by Michael Jon Friedman, Peter
David and Pablo Marcos ($5)
STAR TREK: WHO KILLED CAPTAIN KIRK by Peter David, Tom Sutton and
Ricardo Villagran ($5)
STAR WARS #80 by Jo Duffy, Ron Frenz, and Tom Palmer ($2)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME FOUR - ALLIANCE ($3)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME SEVEN - STORMS ($4)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME NINE - MONSTER ($4)
STAR WARS: LEGACY VOLUME TEN - EXTREMES ($4)
STAR WARS VECTOR VOLUME TWO ($4)
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: THE SEARCH FOR KRYPTONITE by Michael Green, Mike
Johnson, Shane Davis and Matt Banning ($3)
SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and Jon Sabal ($2)
TEENAGERS FROM MARS by Rick Spears and Rob G. Softcover. 270 pages.
($4)
TEEN TITANS: BEAST BOYS AND GIRLS ($2)
TOY STORY 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD 2-Disc Set unopened ($3)
TWO-STEP by Warren Ellis, Amanda Conner, and Jimmy Palmiotti ($3)
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL. 4 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley &
Art Thibert. Hardcover, full-color, reprints issues #40-45 & #47-
53. ($8)
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL. 5 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley &
others. Hardcover, full-color, reprints issues #46 & #54-59 plus
Ultimate Six #1-7. ($8)
ULTIMATE X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR by Mike Carey and Pascal Ferry.
Softcover. ($2)
WAKE 6/7 by Jean David Morvan (writer) & Phillppe Burchet (artist).
Science fiction series with mix of Manga and European styles from
NBM (2005). Softcover, full-color, 92 pages ($2)
WAKING DEAD BOOK TWO by Kirkman and Adlard HC unopened ($10)
WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Gail Simone and
Horacio Domingues. DC. ($2)
WONDER WOMAN ARCHIVES VOLUME 5 HC unopened ($20)
X-MEN: THE COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 3. Softcover, full-
color, 360 pages ($5)
Thanks for your patronage.
Tony Isabella
THE STATE OF THE TONY
This bloggy thing of mine is many things. One of those things is
a record of my life. So, if you’re looking for comic-book content
today, you won’t find a lot of it here. Some comic-book content,
but not a lot.
The biggest recent event in my life was my son Eddie’s graduation
from The Ohio State University on Sunday, June 10. Something like
10,000 graduates plus their families in the largest such ceremony
in the institution’s history. The close-to-90-degrees heat was a
challenge, but the ceremony was an unforgettable experience.
A strong sense of community was evident throughout the “Horseshoe,”
as Ohio Stadium is commonly known. It was the only place on campus
large enough to host the festivities.
That sense of community flows from Gordon Gee, the president of The
Ohio State University. You can’t listen to this guy for even five
minutes without recognizing how passionately he loves the college,
and you can’t watch the student reaction to him without recognizing
how much they love him back.
The commencement speaker was Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent
Representative to the United Nations. Her father was one of the
Tuskegee Airmen. Rice was a terrific speaker, though one right-
wing lout a few rows up from us would boo every time she mentioned
President Obama. That ended when I stared him down and told him he
was being a jerk. He shut up. As you can imagine, I have little
patience with racists and the right-wing creeps who are ruining our
nation. Or their clueless uninformed supporters.
After the ceremony, we were crazy busy. I went with one group to
make sure the restaurant (J. Alexander) held our reservations while
Barb’s group collected Eddie and one of his best friends, stopped
at Eddie’s house to get some stuff, and then joined us. It was a
really nice meal.
Of course, just when Barb and I were feeling cocky about being down
to one college tuition, the universe gave us the finger. Yep, our
van died before we left Columbus. We were lucky to be able to roll
down an exit.
The van was towed to Medina where it looks like we’ll be needing a
new transmission. Thanks to AAA, though, the tow only cost me $20.
And the driver was from Montrose. He had towed a car to Columbus
when the call came in from us and he was thrilled he didn’t have to
drive back empty. We had an entertaining ride back, exchanging our
stories about the nutty characters we’ve run into.
Last week was crazy busy. On Monday, Eddie had his third interview
with the same company. On Tuesday, he was hired. After three weeks
of training in Columbus, he’ll be doing his civil engineering thing
in Parkersburg, West Virginia. I’m sad that he won’t be around as
much as I’d hoped, but very happy for and proud of him.
On Friday, Sainted Wife Barb and Eddie went apartment hunting and
came up bupkis. Fortunately, they have a whole bunch of excellent
leads that Eddie will follow up on next weekend. Still, no matter
how great an apartment he finds, it’s going to be a major change in
his life. Ohio State has a larger population than Parkersburg and
nearby Marietta Ohio combined. It’s a bigger “city” than anything
in West Virginia.
Before Eddie’s graduation, it was looking like I’d have to sit in
a handicapped section of the stadium. I was suffering from gout,
a condition also known as, in one of life’s cruel ironies, the rich
man’s disease. Leave it to me to screw up the “rich man” part of
this annoying disease. However, it is treatable and I just needed
to wear a special boot to keep my foot from hurting. Which it did.
As a friend of mine described it, even the pressure of a bed sheet
can be agonizing.
On Friday, while Barb and Eddie were apartment-hunting, I was back
at the Medina office of Kaiser Permanente. In an amusing note, the
automatic appointment message mispronounced Medina. I’ll have to
mention that to someone.
The good news is that my gout had subsided earlier in the week. I
was offered medication, but since part of the problem was caused by
one of the two blood pressure medications I was taking, and since
I am the poster child for side effects, my teenage doctor agreed I
could pass on any medication unless the gout reappears.
I’m exaggerating in describing my doctor. He’s not really Dougie
Howser. But he did seem almost insultingly surprised that my 60-
year-old blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart were all in great
shape. As a bonus, and because it had become a problem, we decided
I could stop taking the troublesome blood pressure medication and
just stick with the other one.
My blood pressure is better than it’s been since I had that mini-
stroke several years back. That was my “Nick Fury” phase, during
which I had to wear an eyepatch. The lower blood pressure is the
result of my working hard to remove as much stress from my life as
humanly possible. We’ll talk more on that another time.
Two other health concerns turned out to be nothing to be concerned
about. A new health concern surfaced and will require additional
testing, but this new annoyance may proved to be related to either
the now-dropped medication or damage done many years ago. Neither
seems particularly worrisome at this time.
The best laugh of my visit to the doctor came when I filled out my
medical history record. It asked if I'd ever had a colonoscopy.
The first question was yes/no and the second was "when." The third
was "location." To the best of my knowledge, there's only one entry
point for a colonoscopy, so I asked about this. Had the form asked
"where," I would have said "Akron and Parma," which is where it was
done the two times I’ve had the procedure. Ah, well, my confusion
brought a smile to some faces.
Moving on to some comics talk...
I’m almost caught up with Marvel’s Avengers and X-Men titles, but
I’m taking a break from them to finish reading all the Free Comic
Book Day giveaways sent to me by Stormwatch Comics in West Berlin,
New Jersey. Look for a bloggy thing or three featuring my reviews
of these issues later this week.
Why take a break from the Marvel books? Honestly, because I find
them tiresome at the moment. Rehashed plots. Overblown crossover
epics. They often read more like marketing campaigns than actual
stories. There are bright spots and I’ll certainly discuss those
in upcoming bloggy things, but I’m disappointed in the most recent
Marvel titles. Which is a shame given that the wonderful Avengers
movie might be getting some new readers to sample the Marvel books.
The movie is better.
My VAOS (Vast Accumulation of Stuff) sales are progressing slower
than I would like. For Father’s Day, my wife and kids intended to
clean out the garage so I could start preparing for my summer-long
garage sale. Alas, inclement weather made that difficult. There’s
still quite a bit of cleaning to be done.
I’m really looking forward to when I can start making regular runs
to my storage unit to bring back boxes of stuff for sale and stuff
I want to keep for a while longer. I’m constantly rethinking what
I can part with. For example, I have really nice Silver Age runs
of Batman, Superman, and related titles. Realistically speaking,
I don’t think I will be rereading those more than once more before
selling them to other eager fans.
My online sales will continue. Later today, I’ll post the list of
still-available items, albeit discounted from their already low prices.
On Tuesday, I’ll post a couple dozen newly-offered items. I
appreciate your business.
Moving forward, I have three major goals:
Lose at least 15 pounds by next June.
Transition to an eBay/garage sale financial system so that, if and
when I get back to writing, I am able to do it on terms favorable
to me and my work. Within two years, I would like to be able to
dispense with my rental storage unit. Within five years, I want to
get my VAOS down to where it can fit in my office and my designated
library room.
Get the "I want to write this" items on my long bucket list of things I
want to write written.
Depending on where I am with the above three goals, I'd like to
start doing some traveling next year and connect with friends I
haven't seen in ages or have never met at all.
One more item for today:
Saturday was Sainted Wife Barb's and my 28th wedding anniversary.
Her sainthood is assured.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
a record of my life. So, if you’re looking for comic-book content
today, you won’t find a lot of it here. Some comic-book content,
but not a lot.
The biggest recent event in my life was my son Eddie’s graduation
from The Ohio State University on Sunday, June 10. Something like
10,000 graduates plus their families in the largest such ceremony
in the institution’s history. The close-to-90-degrees heat was a
challenge, but the ceremony was an unforgettable experience.
A strong sense of community was evident throughout the “Horseshoe,”
as Ohio Stadium is commonly known. It was the only place on campus
large enough to host the festivities.
That sense of community flows from Gordon Gee, the president of The
Ohio State University. You can’t listen to this guy for even five
minutes without recognizing how passionately he loves the college,
and you can’t watch the student reaction to him without recognizing
how much they love him back.
The commencement speaker was Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent
Representative to the United Nations. Her father was one of the
Tuskegee Airmen. Rice was a terrific speaker, though one right-
wing lout a few rows up from us would boo every time she mentioned
President Obama. That ended when I stared him down and told him he
was being a jerk. He shut up. As you can imagine, I have little
patience with racists and the right-wing creeps who are ruining our
nation. Or their clueless uninformed supporters.
After the ceremony, we were crazy busy. I went with one group to
make sure the restaurant (J. Alexander) held our reservations while
Barb’s group collected Eddie and one of his best friends, stopped
at Eddie’s house to get some stuff, and then joined us. It was a
really nice meal.
Of course, just when Barb and I were feeling cocky about being down
to one college tuition, the universe gave us the finger. Yep, our
van died before we left Columbus. We were lucky to be able to roll
down an exit.
The van was towed to Medina where it looks like we’ll be needing a
new transmission. Thanks to AAA, though, the tow only cost me $20.
And the driver was from Montrose. He had towed a car to Columbus
when the call came in from us and he was thrilled he didn’t have to
drive back empty. We had an entertaining ride back, exchanging our
stories about the nutty characters we’ve run into.
Last week was crazy busy. On Monday, Eddie had his third interview
with the same company. On Tuesday, he was hired. After three weeks
of training in Columbus, he’ll be doing his civil engineering thing
in Parkersburg, West Virginia. I’m sad that he won’t be around as
much as I’d hoped, but very happy for and proud of him.
On Friday, Sainted Wife Barb and Eddie went apartment hunting and
came up bupkis. Fortunately, they have a whole bunch of excellent
leads that Eddie will follow up on next weekend. Still, no matter
how great an apartment he finds, it’s going to be a major change in
his life. Ohio State has a larger population than Parkersburg and
nearby Marietta Ohio combined. It’s a bigger “city” than anything
in West Virginia.
Before Eddie’s graduation, it was looking like I’d have to sit in
a handicapped section of the stadium. I was suffering from gout,
a condition also known as, in one of life’s cruel ironies, the rich
man’s disease. Leave it to me to screw up the “rich man” part of
this annoying disease. However, it is treatable and I just needed
to wear a special boot to keep my foot from hurting. Which it did.
As a friend of mine described it, even the pressure of a bed sheet
can be agonizing.
On Friday, while Barb and Eddie were apartment-hunting, I was back
at the Medina office of Kaiser Permanente. In an amusing note, the
automatic appointment message mispronounced Medina. I’ll have to
mention that to someone.
The good news is that my gout had subsided earlier in the week. I
was offered medication, but since part of the problem was caused by
one of the two blood pressure medications I was taking, and since
I am the poster child for side effects, my teenage doctor agreed I
could pass on any medication unless the gout reappears.
I’m exaggerating in describing my doctor. He’s not really Dougie
Howser. But he did seem almost insultingly surprised that my 60-
year-old blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart were all in great
shape. As a bonus, and because it had become a problem, we decided
I could stop taking the troublesome blood pressure medication and
just stick with the other one.
My blood pressure is better than it’s been since I had that mini-
stroke several years back. That was my “Nick Fury” phase, during
which I had to wear an eyepatch. The lower blood pressure is the
result of my working hard to remove as much stress from my life as
humanly possible. We’ll talk more on that another time.
Two other health concerns turned out to be nothing to be concerned
about. A new health concern surfaced and will require additional
testing, but this new annoyance may proved to be related to either
the now-dropped medication or damage done many years ago. Neither
seems particularly worrisome at this time.
The best laugh of my visit to the doctor came when I filled out my
medical history record. It asked if I'd ever had a colonoscopy.
The first question was yes/no and the second was "when." The third
was "location." To the best of my knowledge, there's only one entry
point for a colonoscopy, so I asked about this. Had the form asked
"where," I would have said "Akron and Parma," which is where it was
done the two times I’ve had the procedure. Ah, well, my confusion
brought a smile to some faces.
Moving on to some comics talk...
I’m almost caught up with Marvel’s Avengers and X-Men titles, but
I’m taking a break from them to finish reading all the Free Comic
Book Day giveaways sent to me by Stormwatch Comics in West Berlin,
New Jersey. Look for a bloggy thing or three featuring my reviews
of these issues later this week.
Why take a break from the Marvel books? Honestly, because I find
them tiresome at the moment. Rehashed plots. Overblown crossover
epics. They often read more like marketing campaigns than actual
stories. There are bright spots and I’ll certainly discuss those
in upcoming bloggy things, but I’m disappointed in the most recent
Marvel titles. Which is a shame given that the wonderful Avengers
movie might be getting some new readers to sample the Marvel books.
The movie is better.
My VAOS (Vast Accumulation of Stuff) sales are progressing slower
than I would like. For Father’s Day, my wife and kids intended to
clean out the garage so I could start preparing for my summer-long
garage sale. Alas, inclement weather made that difficult. There’s
still quite a bit of cleaning to be done.
I’m really looking forward to when I can start making regular runs
to my storage unit to bring back boxes of stuff for sale and stuff
I want to keep for a while longer. I’m constantly rethinking what
I can part with. For example, I have really nice Silver Age runs
of Batman, Superman, and related titles. Realistically speaking,
I don’t think I will be rereading those more than once more before
selling them to other eager fans.
My online sales will continue. Later today, I’ll post the list of
still-available items, albeit discounted from their already low prices.
On Tuesday, I’ll post a couple dozen newly-offered items. I
appreciate your business.
Moving forward, I have three major goals:
Lose at least 15 pounds by next June.
Transition to an eBay/garage sale financial system so that, if and
when I get back to writing, I am able to do it on terms favorable
to me and my work. Within two years, I would like to be able to
dispense with my rental storage unit. Within five years, I want to
get my VAOS down to where it can fit in my office and my designated
library room.
Get the "I want to write this" items on my long bucket list of things I
want to write written.
Depending on where I am with the above three goals, I'd like to
start doing some traveling next year and connect with friends I
haven't seen in ages or have never met at all.
One more item for today:
Saturday was Sainted Wife Barb's and my 28th wedding anniversary.
Her sainthood is assured.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
Saturday, June 16, 2012
TONY’S BACK PAGES: TREASURE CHEST
Remember a few issues back when I mentioned I wished that I still
had the issues of Treasure Chest I bought while a student at Sts.
Philip and James School in Cleveland, Ohio? Imagine my delight and
surprised when I subsequently received a box of old Treasure Chest
comics from a CBG reader. This generous guy has amassed a complete
set of the title and bound them in hardcover columns. He sent me -
no strings attached - duplicates he’d acquired during that process.
Is any wonder I love comics fans?
Treasure Chest Vol. 19, No. 11 [January 30, 1964] is easily one of
my favorite issues from my years collecting the title. Its cover
feature was the opening chapter of “Pettigrew For President,” a 10-
chapter serial about the fictitious campaign of a New York governor
to be the Democratic Party candidate for President. It was written
by Barry Reese and drawn so expertly by the great Joe Sinnott that
young Tony never noticed Pettigrew was never shown clearly until
the final chapter’s big reveal...that he was the first black man to
run for President of the United States.
This issue had lots of other good stuff in it as well. There was
the opening chapter of a new “The Champ” serial by Frank Moss with
art by Frank Borth. The hero of this adventure/humor series was a
young man, wide of girth and short of height, who would nonetheless
always manage to best those who took him lightly.
In the pages of Treasure Chest, “Chuck White” grew from a juvenile
delinquent to a fine young man. His serials were a mainstay of the
comic and, in this issue, writer Max Pine and artist Fran Matera
started him on a new adventure in New York City. I wonder if Chuck
ever met Governor Pettigrew during his stay.
Other features in this issue included a short biography of Amelia
Earhart drawn by Reed Crandall from a script by Helen Gillum; the
homey “Floogles” in a prose story; an animated mouse-narrated fact
feature on movie-making; crafts with “Patsy Planner”; and a single-
page gag starring the turban-topped Ali. That’s 36 pages of cover-
to-cover fun, all in color for a dime, and a very fond memory of my
1960s childhood.
******************************
One final note for today, which happens to be the 28th anniversary
of the day Barb and I were married. I’m not going to indulge in a
litany of the wonderful moments of our life together or offer any
life lessons on the ups and downs we’ve shared to keep our marriage
strong. I’ll just share this with you:
I am happier and more content than I have ever been in my life and
I owe much of that to Barb. I love my darling bride and I expect to
keep loving her for the next 28 years and then some.
I’ll be back on Monday with more stuff.
© 2012 Tony Isabella
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