MY JOURNAL

MY COMICS ORDER FORM FOR NOVEMBER, 2000

Written: 23 August, 2000

The listings for what comics will be in the new issue of Previews (which hits stores next week) can be found by clicking here. More details about the contents of the comics can be found at the Previews main page. More detailed info about the Marvel, DC, and Image solicitations can be found by clicking here. And more detailed info about the contents of some of the other companies can be found at Another Universe's page.

My local shop, for some reason, doesn't individually order most of the basic Marvel and DC titles -- they just get added to your pull list instead. Which can be a bit of a pain when some of the newer or already-reprinted DC Millennium Editions I don't want or need end up in my pull bag. I make sure to put the Millennium Editions and ABC titles I want on my order form, just to be safe, even though they are written down as being on my pull list. This also means that I have to remember to pick up some specific Marvel or DC titles when they come out -- ones I don't want to add to my pull since I just want that particular issue. I'll list some of those at the end of this list, as well as some stuff I'm tempted to get later if I see it cheap.

Anyway, here's what I put down on my order form for November, which I may turn in to the shop tomorrow if I decide to trek up there. (I have about 3 weeks' worth of new comics waiting for me at the shop.)

DARK HORSE:

MADMAN COMICS: G-MEN FROM HELL #4 ($2.99)
by Mike Allred. I'm loving his "Atomics" series right now.

DC COMICS:

Millennium Editions:

DETECTIVE COMICS #1 ($3.95)
WOW! Never thought I'd see this comic from 1937 reprinted!

MORE FUN COMICS #73 ($3.95)
I thought that this comic from 1941 would be an obvious choice to be reprinted since it contained the first appearances of both Aquaman and Green Arrow! I figured DC would skip it because it would be too difficult to reprint -- no longer having the original art to photograph from, etc. I'm also pleased that this will be the 2nd issue of More Fun Comics that will be reprinted this year. (More Fun #101, containing the first appearance of Superboy, is being released in a few weeks.) I've dreamed for years of owning an issue of More Fun Comics, and soon I'll have two of 'em! Thanks, DC!!

SHOWCASE #9 ($2.50)
This 1957 comic was the try-out for Lois Lane's solo series.

SUPERMAN #233 ($2.50)
This reprints the classic 1970 issue where all Kryptonite on earth became iron (or whatever) and thus powerless to hurt Superman anymore. In fact, he eats a Kryptonite rock in this issue when a criminal tries to use the rock against Supes. The Man of Steel comments that the Kryptonite would taste better with some salt but that, all in all, it makes a nice tasty snack! Despite that description I've just given, this was when Superman was given a more modern realistic approach after the ultra-silliness of the Silver Age stories. I already have the reprint of the main story in the "Superman from the 30s to the 70s" hardcover book, but it will be nice to have it in a regular comics format. There may be a backup story that I haven't read before in the issue, too. The cover is a classic one by Neal Adams showing Superman breaking Kryptonite chains across his chest and the title "Kryptonite Nevermore!"

America's Best Comics (ABC):

TOM STRONG #11 ($2.95)
Can't turn down Alan Moore comics...

AMERICA'S BEST COMICS SPECIAL #1 ($6.95)
Ditto...

TOMORROW STORIES #8 ($2.95)
This is probably my favorite series of the ABC line. I love anthologies. Apparently this issue was held up for awhile because Alan wanted to do a story that Paul Levitz felt that shouldn't be printed. According to Alan, DC's lawyer felt that there was no problem in printing the story, but Levitz decided DC couldn't print it anyway. I wonder how this issue will read, as a result. Hopefully DC won't tick off Alan again and ruin a good thing like ABC.

IMAGE COMICS:

MIDNIGHT NATION #3 ($2.50)
Getting it because Gary Frank is penciling it. The other Image titles that I buy (Crimson Plague, Kin, and Section Zero) aren't being solicited for November.

MARVEL COMICS:

MAXIMUM SECURITY #3 ($2.99)
Mini-series by Busiek and Ordway.

INDEPENDENTS:

AAA POP COMICS:

THE ATOMICS #11 ($2.95)
by Mike Allred.
I'm amazed that Allred is able to get these full color issues out so fast. If you like Silver-Age comics and you aren't following this series, then you are really missing out on something good.

ACCLAIM COMICS:

UNITY 2000 #6 ($2.50)
So far I have #1 & 2 of this long-delayed series, but haven't read them yet. But since it's by Shooter and Starlin, I trust it will be worth getting, even though I'm not familiar with the characters herein.

FANTAGRAPHICS:

COMICS JOURNAL #229 ($5.95)
Interviews with Tom Sutton and Ed Brubaker, as well as an article about Joe Sacco. Getting it because I like Sutton's 1970s Charlton ghost comics, and I like Sacco's work. Now here's hoping they don't switch the contents around on me, like they've done before!

GEMSTONE PUBLISHING:

CRIME PATROL #10 ($2.50),
WAR AGAINST CRIME #10 ($2.50)
Reprints of late 1940s "Pre-New Trend" EC crime comics, in full color. Good deal. I love these affordable EC reprints, although I liked some of the "New Direction" series like Piracy and Valor a lot more than I'm digging the "Pre-New Trend" stuff. I wonder what EC series Gemstone will reprint next?

MAGAZINES:

COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE #83 ($5.95)
I order it every month regardless of what the cover feature is about. When I first heard of CBM, back in 1997, I didn't buy it unless I was interested in the cover subject. But it didn't take me long to realize that every issue is filled with interesting articles about old comics.

THE ALL-STAR COMPANION Trade Paperback ($19.95)
Roy Thomas-edited book about the history of the JSA. (Click here for more details.) Call me a pessimist, but for some reason I have a hunch that this book might run into problems with DC, just like Comicology Volume 1 ("The Kingdom Come Companion") did a few years ago. This book is bound to be so good that DC will be shamed by the fact that they didn't publish it themselves. So, if you want to get this book, better advance-order it, don't wait to see it on the shelves.

THE COMIC READER Vol. 2, #5 ($4.95)
Ya know, I think I've ordered every issue of this revived magazine so far, but I haven't seen an issue of it yet! Has #1 come out yet? I keep ordering each issue as they are solicited because I trust they will be good, and because there's not much chance I'll see it on the shelves at my shop if I don't advance-order it!

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #30 ($5.95)
Great mag, what else can I say?

The reason I'm not advance-ordering COMIC BOOK ARTIST, in case you wonder, is because I have a subscription to it. Got the current issue in the mail recently, in fact. I highly recommend it.

OK, now to mention some titles that aren't listed on my order form and explain why.

I've told the person at the comics shop (a long-time friend of mine actually) that I wanted to start getting Deadpool because Paul Chadwick & Ron Randall (of "The World Below") are going to be doing the art. But I think they start in like September. So, I think I put it on my pull list, but if a non-Chadwick/Randall Deadpool issue is sitting in my pull bag, I'll let him know that I don't want it, that I just want the Chadwick/Randall issues.

Other Marvel comics I have on my pull list are Avengers, Captain America, X-Men: The Hidden Years, X-Men: Children of the Atom (which ended this month), and Marvel: The Lost Generation. I'll be putting The Defenders on my pull list, too; Defenders #1 is scheduled for December.

Iron Man #36, scheduled for November, sounds interesting, a stand-alone issue by Chuck Dixon and Paul Ryan. I like Paul Ryan's traditional-style art, so I'll have to remember to pick up Iron Man #36 when it comes out. Iron Man had been my 2nd favorite current Marvel series (Avengers being first) until Busiek left. Then the new writer revealed Tony's secret identity to the world and resolved it in the next issue as "it was all a dream." Then artist Sean Chen left (to draw the Avengers Infinity mini-series, which I'm enjoying), and the new artist drew in a bit more weirder style. And then Iron Man's armor started talking to Tony, and then killed a super-villain on its own. Part of me was morbidly fascinated at what was going to happen next, but after the "it was all a dream" thing, I decided I couldn't trust the writer enough to follow where he was going. It wasn't the same title it had been only a few months before, so I dropped it. Funny how a title can move from great to crappy so quickly. All it takes is for a writer or artist (or both) to depart, and a formerly dependable title will hit the skids right away. That's why I'm hoping everything will go okay with Avengers, now that Perez is leaving. I enjoy Alan Davis' art, so that is a little more comforting. The creative changes on Superboy currently are not so comforting, because I love Grummett's art and what I've seen of his replacement's work didn't appeal to me in the least. Anyway...

The Daredevil/Spider-Man mini-series scheduled for November looks interesting. I always liked it when those two characters teamed up. But I think I'll just wait and see if it hits the cheap boxes next year instead. There's also a "Spider-Man: The Mysterio Manifesto" mini-series drawn by Lee Weeks (who drew another Spidey mini recently that I skipped but was tempted to get) starting in November. I hope to get some of these recent Spidey minis later in the cheap boxes. My local shop often has semi-new releases priced later for only 50 cents each.

As for DC, the DC titles I have on my pull list are Superboy, JSA, Millennium Editions, all ABC titles, and Batman: Gotham Knights (which I put on my pull list when I heard that Steve Ditko was doing a B&W backup story for last month's issue -- unfortunately, when the comic came out it was by John Buscema instead...which was fine, but I put it on my pull specifically for the Ditko story, and I don't know now if I should drop the series or keep getting it till the Ditko tale sees print -- if ever?).

There are 5 issues of a mini-series called "Batman: Turning Points" scheduled to come out in November. #2-4 are of interest to me, being drawn by Joe Giella, Dick Giordano, and Brent Anderson respectively. I may just wait to get those when they hit the shelves.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #137, in November, begins a 5-part storyline by Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy. I may add LotDK to my pull list when this issue comes out. There were some Marshall Rogers-drawn Batman issues (spread over various Bat-titles I think) which I thought about ordering, but decided to just wait till they appeared on the shelves. Now I just hope that if I do decide to buy those Rogers-drawn issues that I'll be able to locate them all.

Nightwing #51, scheduled for November, will be drawn by Kieron Dwyer. I really enjoyed a Teen Titans story he drew (for a Flash 80-Page Giant?) last year or so, since it was done perfectly in an old Silver-Age style. So, I wonder what this Nightwing issue will look like. I'll have to flip through it when it comes out.

Wonder Woman #164 is scheduled for November 29th, and marks the beginning of Phil Jiminez's run as penciler. I think I'll have to add WW to my pull list in November. I had dropped WW from my pull around the #140's, shortly after Byrne left.

And there you have it, my take on November's releases. What comics will you be getting?


BACK TO MY JOURNAL