This post was inspired by Jam's earlier post of the same title, listing the stuff he's getting. Me, I had to wait until today when Previews actually comes out so I could go over every page (like usual) to find the stuff I didn't know I wanted. (Yeah, I had looked at the Previews list order form on the web last week, but that just lists all the titles, not the little details like who created it or a smaple of the art so I can decide whether I want it or not. World of Westfield puts up all those little details, but December's stuff not up on their site yet.) I'll list everything I'm special-ordering this month as well as stuff that's already on my pull list (pull titles designated with an asterick). And the Page # given is the Page of this month's Previews that the title can be found on. And I'll add some commentary to each of the titles below explaining why I want them. And then at the end, I'll mention those titles that didn't make the cut this time.

This post is in lieu of an "upcoming comics for grumpy old fans" column -- which would just list what I'd be ordering a given month anyway. Prices are given so you & me can see just how much cash I blow every month on the new stuff. Away we go...

DC Comics:

THE KINGDOM #2, PAGE 77 (& 56), $2.95
(Getting it because Mike Zeck & John Beatty are drawing it. They were the artists on Captain America in the early 1980s and I have a lot of fondness for their old issues.)

JONAH HEX: SHADOWS WEST #1, PAGE 89 (& 64), $2.95
(Getting it because it's another western, by cool creators!)

SUPERMAN: A NATION DIVIDED, PAGE 81 (& 61), $4.95
(Getting it because it's drawn by Eduardo Barreto, and I recently picked up one of his comics and was impressed by the art. Also, this is a historical comic written by Roger Stern, one of my favorite comics writers. So, although I'm the kind of guy who hates to pay $4.95 for a comic, I couldn't pass this up. Plus, I'd grudgingly admit that I'd rather pay $4.95 for a 48-pg comic with no ads than two 32-pg comics with ads for $2.50 each.)

LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: CRISIS ON INFINTE EARTHS, PAGE 84 (& 66), $4.95
(This is like 64 pgs -- even more pages than the above format -- and takes place before Crisis. Again, hard to pass this up.)

* SUPERBOY #59, PAGE 80, $1.99
(Unfortunately, this will be by a fill-in artist, not Grummett. Arghhh...)

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #564, PAGE 80, $1.99
(This one is drawn by Grummett. I'm beginning to buy stuff based just on whether Grummett drew it.)

SUPERMAN #142, PAGE 80 (& 67), $1.99
(Getting this because "Hurricane" Georges Jeanty drew it. He was the SB artist during SB #45-49, right before Grummett returned, and I liked his stuff.)

SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT #1, PAGE 81, $4.95
(Might as well get it. Nothing really stands out, but at least it should have a few good points, given the amount of pages! Also, I'm getting the feeling that we won't see 80 pg comics selling at $4.95 for much longer, so I'm getting this while the getting is good.)

SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS #2, PAGE 81, $4.95
(Getting this because it's by Byrne.)

JLA/TITANS #3, PAGE 84, $2.95
(Getting this whole mini-series. Looks like it will be great.)

LEGENDS OF THE DCU UNIVERSE #13, PAGE 84, $1.99
(The 2nd part of the Silver-Age JLA 2-parter. Looking forward to seeing Zatanna in her Perez-era costume!)

* POWER OF SHAZAM #46, PAGE 85, $2.50
(Getting this cos' Ordway draws it now.)

* WONDER WOMAN #141, PAGE 86, $1.99
(Getting this for a little while, to see how I like the new creative team.)

* YOUNG JUSTICE #5, PAGE 86, $2.50
(Getting this because I get SB, and seeing how I like it, or not.)

Marvel:

* CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #6, PAGE 158, $2.99
(Love this anthology series!)

* AVENGERS FOREVER #3, PAGE 159, $2.99
(Hope this maxi-series is worth the moolah...)

* IRON MAN #13, PAGE 159, $2.99
(I enjoy this series!)

* CAPTAIN AMERICA #14, PAGE 160, $1.99
(This series takes some weird turns sometimes with the choices of villains...but I'm sticking with it for now.)

* AVENGERS #13, PAGE 161, $1.99
(My favorite series currently. Just read the new issue today & want to read it again before trying any of the other new comics I bought!)

* A-NEXT #5, PAGE 163, $1.99
(Trying this one out, and each upcoming issue looks at least interesting, so I keep getting it.)

* AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2, PAGE 164, $1.99
(Getting it solely because of Byrne's art.)

* SPIDER-MAN: CHAPTER ONE #4, PAGE 164, $2.50
(Getting this because it's Byrne. If it turns out to be a rerun of Lee-Ditko issues I already have read, then I'll dump it.)

* WEB-SPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #2, PAGE 165, $2.50
(Looking forward to buying this new anthology series. I suspect this will be the Spidey-reboot title that I stick with the longest.)

* CABLE #64, PAGE 167, $1.99
(As long as Ladronn draws it, I'm there.)

X-MEN #85, PAGE 169, $1.99
(Wow, can you believe it? I'm actually gonna buy a new X-Men comic! I haven't bought a brand-new x-Men issue since X-Men #3, back in 1991! But when I saw that the art for the next 6 issues of this series will be by Alan Davis, I knew I had to swallow my pride and order a copy!)

Misc. Publishers:

* DARING ESCAPES #4 (Image), PAGE 110, $2.50
(I've read #1 so far, and it's allright, so I might as well get the rest. I like the bits about Houdini, but not so into all the supernatural stuff.)

SCREAM COMICS #2 (A List), PAGE 188, $2.95
(Reprints of old horror comics.)

* PLANET COMICS #6 (A List), PAGE 188, $2.95
(Reprints of 1940s sci-fi comics.)

ROCK N' ROLL ROMANCE #2 (ACG), PAGE 194, $2.95
(Reprint of 1950s romance comic.)

THE HORRIBLE TRUTH ABOUT COMICS by James Kochalka (Alternative Press), PAGE 195, $2.95
(Getting this because I enjoy Kochalka's work, but don't like to pay much for it. For example, he also has a graphic novel book also solicited this month, but I'm not getting it because I don't want to spend that much. Fortuantely, he still puts out these more affordable comics, like Mermaid #1, from earlier this year.)

HIGH STAKES ADVENTURE #1 - REGULAR EDITION (Antarctic Press), PAGE 200, $2.95
(Full color 32-page indie comic for that price...pretty good deal. Looks like they have various strips and some Kirbyesque art, too. Hope it is good.)

ARROW SPOTLIGHT: ADV. OF SIMONE & AJAX by Andrew Pepoy (Arrow Comics), PAGE 205, $2.95
(I'd read and enjoyed a Simone & Ajax strip in an issue of Mythography; Pepoy's art is nice and I've noticed his work has appeared in mainstream comics. Should be worth getting just for the art.)

AUGUST #3 by Scott Rosema (Arrow Comics), PAGE 205, $2.95
(I'd seen a flyer for August #1 back in May but didn't order it. But I thought the art by Scott Rosema had a nice mianstream superhero look to it. Can't remember whether I ordered #2 or not. Well, #3 is offered this month, & I got room, so I'm getting it. Then I can see whether I like it or not.)

TIGRESS #2 (Basement Comics), PAGE 218, $2.95
(This is the 2nd of a 2 issue mini-series written by Budd Root and drawn by Mike Hoffman. I bought #1 and enjoyed it, so might as well get #2. Hoffman's art has a kind of 1950s Al Williamsonish look, appropriate to this sci-fi story.)

PERIPHERY #1 (Dreamriders Workshop), PAGE 238, $2.95
(Gave my reasons in a previous post!)

WOLFF & BYRD: COUNSELORS OF THE MACABRE #22 (Exhibit A Press), PAGE 246, $2.50
(I liked Mavis #1 and thought I oughtta try the series that Mavis spun-out of. Plus, Batton Lash's art sometimes has a Ditkoish look. Maybe reading this will remind me of the old 1970s Charlton ghost comics that I like.)

COMICS JOURNAL #210 (Fantagraphics), PAGE 246, $7.95
(152 page mag! A list of the Top 100 English-language comics! A panel of experts discusses Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics! And much more. Looks cool. So... which comics do you think will be in the Top Ten?)

* PENNY CENTURY #4 (Fantagraphics), PAGE 248, $2.95
(Reason for getting: Jaime Hernandez!)

* FELIX THE CAT BLACK & WHITE #5 (Felix Comics), PAGE 250, $1.95
(Reason for getting: I like Felix the Cat, and it's not expensive!)

CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #26
* FRONTLINE COMBAT #15 (final issue)
* VALOR #5 (final issue)
HAUNT OF FEAR #26
(Above 4 comics are on PAGE 254, $2.50 each, published by Gemstone. Reason for getting: Full color reprints of classic 1950s EC comics by great creators. I'm wondering what they'll replace Valor with next month!)

CAPTAIN GRAVITY #1 (Penny Farthing Press), PAGE 283, $2.75
(Full color 36-page comic for a good price that takes place in the 1940s, and the cover is nicely drawn. Might as well try it!)

* JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #22 (Magazine), PAGE 316, $5.95
(Great mag for Kirby fans like myself!)

JACK KIRBY CHECKLIST 1998 EDITION (Magazine), PAGE 316, $5.00
(Same reason as above!)

COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE #1310 (Newspaper), PAGE 316, $2.95
(Has a special section about the Golden Age this issue. I think I've only ordered one CBG this year -- the one that comes out next week, about "Crisis on Infinite Earths" -- so I was looking to get another, and this one looked good to get.)