I have piles of comics to read at the moment, but that won't stop me buying more this Thursday. Here's what I'll be shoveling into the old nerd sack..
Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite #6 (Of 6)
The first couple of issues in this series were excellent, but #3 and #4 were garbled and poorly paced. I haven't read #5 yet, but perhaps the whole thing will work when read as a whole. If not I can still get a few quid selling the set + Free comic book day prelude to some EMO kid on e-bay.
Checkmate #23
Reading Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps from start to finish has been rewarding, I get the feeling that sitting down and doing the same with Checkmate would be a good idea too. This is one of my favourite books, but there's so much going on that digesting it in short monthly bursts can be difficult. I want to support the book though, so I'll keep buying the floppies instead of the trades.
Amazing Spider-Man #551
After two ssues of the Guggenheim/Larocca triptic, it's clear that they aren't as good a match for this title as Slott and McNiven. I'm still enjoying the book though. It's a better read than Ultimate Spider-Man at the moment and I may drop the latter as a result, after all who needs two regular Spider titles in their life?
The Order #8
I'm a few issues behind on this, but I know it's good. Sadly it's also been cancelled. Baw bags.
Ultimate Human #2 (of 4)
OK so this is only there to be released in trade paperback format in time for the new Hulk and Iron Man movies, but unlike other blatant movie cash-ins (I'm looking at you Spider-Man v Doc Oc and Silver Surfer Requiem) this is actually good. Warren Ellis and Cary Nord are a shit hot team who, if issue #1 is anyhting to go by, are going to serve us up some good wholesome gamma on iron action.
Jenna Jamesons Shadow Hunter #1
Porno sword and sorcery shenanigans. KERCHING! No lame jokes about the fact that it's being published by Virgin, I promise.
Showing posts with label The Order. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Order. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Last Orders
The Irredeemable Ant-Man, Exterminators and now The Order. Yes, as of issue #10, another of my favourite books is getting the chop.
Obviously Marvel feel that The Order isn't selling well enough to justify an extended run, but it can't be healthy to keep cancelling comics that have barely got into their stride. After all why should I continue to part with my cash for titles that have little or no chance of avoiding the chop? And what chance do any new comics have if people like me stop buying them?
Yes there'll always be Superman, Batman, Spidey, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, but outside of those mainstays precious little is making it beyond issue 20. I guess Checkmate at DC is getting a decent crack of the whip despite less than impressive sales, but that probably has something to do with Greg Rucka. I imagine the book would be canned if he weren't such an influential figure. It might still be axed now that he's no longer exclusive to DC.
Very few other new ongoing titles get a chance at the big two. What we're left with is a raft of mini-series, often cynically timed to coincide with the release of new superhero movies and a bunch of over-hyped event linked books.
I suppose I shouldn't grumble. The established titles are the ones that make the money. If the Order and Ant-Man aren't making any dough then it's no surprise that they get cancelled. Surely DC and Marvel realise that these titles aren't going to sell in huge numbers though, which begs the question: "why are they soliciting them as ongoing series in the first place?"
If they had set Ant-Man up as a 12 issue mini series I wouldn't have felt like I'd wasted £24 at the end of the run! And if overall sales of the book had been better than expected they could just have solicited another 12 issues.
If they do insist on selling these titles as ongoing series, then they should be willing to stick with them for a reasonable amount of time. Their refusal to do so leaves me feeling more convinced than ever that I'm wasting my time buying single issues that have little or no chance of survival in an industry which is geared towards trade paperbacks and the cross promotion of big budget movies.
Obviously Marvel feel that The Order isn't selling well enough to justify an extended run, but it can't be healthy to keep cancelling comics that have barely got into their stride. After all why should I continue to part with my cash for titles that have little or no chance of avoiding the chop? And what chance do any new comics have if people like me stop buying them?
Yes there'll always be Superman, Batman, Spidey, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, but outside of those mainstays precious little is making it beyond issue 20. I guess Checkmate at DC is getting a decent crack of the whip despite less than impressive sales, but that probably has something to do with Greg Rucka. I imagine the book would be canned if he weren't such an influential figure. It might still be axed now that he's no longer exclusive to DC.
Very few other new ongoing titles get a chance at the big two. What we're left with is a raft of mini-series, often cynically timed to coincide with the release of new superhero movies and a bunch of over-hyped event linked books.
I suppose I shouldn't grumble. The established titles are the ones that make the money. If the Order and Ant-Man aren't making any dough then it's no surprise that they get cancelled. Surely DC and Marvel realise that these titles aren't going to sell in huge numbers though, which begs the question: "why are they soliciting them as ongoing series in the first place?"
If they had set Ant-Man up as a 12 issue mini series I wouldn't have felt like I'd wasted £24 at the end of the run! And if overall sales of the book had been better than expected they could just have solicited another 12 issues.
If they do insist on selling these titles as ongoing series, then they should be willing to stick with them for a reasonable amount of time. Their refusal to do so leaves me feeling more convinced than ever that I'm wasting my time buying single issues that have little or no chance of survival in an industry which is geared towards trade paperbacks and the cross promotion of big budget movies.
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Shorts
Perhaps it's wrong to start an entry headed "shorts" with a picture of a t-shirt, but no matter we here at LLC like to take crazy risks and so...
props to the folk in 2000AD's merchandising department for coming up with this effort. I think I'd feel a bit self conscious wearing it (especially on the streets of Hackney) but there is something cool about a T with classic Gibbons art on it.
*************************************************************************************
Just finished reading Issue 1 of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters a book that I idly picked up in Forbidden Planet.
Flicking through the first few pages in the shop I thought it couldn't fail to be anything but fantastic. After all it starts with the hook: "My great uncle was Rick Raleigh, the first Red Bee. He died fighting Nazis alongside Uncle Sam in World War Two. He loved insects"
And rapidly spins off into a full on super-hero vs giant alien insect war in outer space.
So to recap, that's: Nazis, World War Two, Giant insects, Super-heroes and outer space.
Kerchinng! Here's my £2 Mr comic shop man.
Honestly the first eight pages are REALLY good. Sadly the rest of the book is a huge wordy pile of poo that I ended up skim reading. Boo-hoo, I hate it when comics do that.
*************************************************************************************
While I'm moaning about comics: The Order #3 was a bit merggh. That's not to say it was bad. Nope, still a good title this one. I just felt it wasn't quite as tight as the first two in the series.
I have to admit that I haven't read a great deal of Matt Fraction's other stuff, but I get the feeling that he's still a bit of rough diamond. Clearly there's a mad genius of a comics writer in there but, for all the wild ideas, his stories can get a little loose around the edges.
Definitely a man to follow though, and I loved this example of his aforementioned mad genius from the latest issue...
I HEART ZOBOS! Anyone smart enough to think of putting them in a comic is obviously going to be a GIANT in the industry.
*************************************************************************************
Lastly, just because I'm in a Batman is better than Superman sort of mood today...
EAT IT ALIEN SCUM!
props to the folk in 2000AD's merchandising department for coming up with this effort. I think I'd feel a bit self conscious wearing it (especially on the streets of Hackney) but there is something cool about a T with classic Gibbons art on it.*************************************************************************************
Just finished reading Issue 1 of Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters a book that I idly picked up in Forbidden Planet.
Flicking through the first few pages in the shop I thought it couldn't fail to be anything but fantastic. After all it starts with the hook: "My great uncle was Rick Raleigh, the first Red Bee. He died fighting Nazis alongside Uncle Sam in World War Two. He loved insects"
And rapidly spins off into a full on super-hero vs giant alien insect war in outer space.
So to recap, that's: Nazis, World War Two, Giant insects, Super-heroes and outer space.
Kerchinng! Here's my £2 Mr comic shop man.
Honestly the first eight pages are REALLY good. Sadly the rest of the book is a huge wordy pile of poo that I ended up skim reading. Boo-hoo, I hate it when comics do that.
*************************************************************************************
While I'm moaning about comics: The Order #3 was a bit merggh. That's not to say it was bad. Nope, still a good title this one. I just felt it wasn't quite as tight as the first two in the series.
I have to admit that I haven't read a great deal of Matt Fraction's other stuff, but I get the feeling that he's still a bit of rough diamond. Clearly there's a mad genius of a comics writer in there but, for all the wild ideas, his stories can get a little loose around the edges.
Definitely a man to follow though, and I loved this example of his aforementioned mad genius from the latest issue...
I HEART ZOBOS! Anyone smart enough to think of putting them in a comic is obviously going to be a GIANT in the industry.*************************************************************************************
Lastly, just because I'm in a Batman is better than Superman sort of mood today...
EAT IT ALIEN SCUM!Sunday, 26 August 2007
Shorts
Busy, busy, busy!
Yes True Believers, the stress of having a premature baby in a special care unit is taking it's toll at the moment.
So GARGGGH!
Anyway, a few bits and bobs for you
Firstly a link to an interview with Zack Snyder in which he talks about Watchmen some more. Nice to see Dave Gibbons getting involved and I'm looking forward to the Nixon prosthetic. Interview HERE
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I made a flying visit to Forbidden Planet on Friday to pick up some comics.
As is my way when hitting FP, I flitted ever so briefly into the role playing section where I was stopped in my tracks by possibly the lamest looking D&D expansion EVER!
Perleasssse! How may adolescent boys (I assume they still make up the vast majority of D&D's player base) are going to want to role play Shakespeare plays? Uggh.
If "The taming of the shrew" was in fact called "The taming of the orc" I could see a case for this nonsense. As it is though its a ridiculous idea.
I guarantee this monstrosity will sit and gather dust on FP's shelves for years.
.........................................................................................................................................................................
As you can imagine, I'm somewhat behind on my comics reading at the moment. I did manage to peel issue #2 of Matt Fraction's excellent new comic The Order of my teetering "to read stack"though. Fun stuff. Most notable for being the first and probably last Marvel comic to include a Julie Burchill quote. Now there's someone you never thought you'd see in spandex.
.........................................................................................................................................................................
Speaking of the tight shiny stuff, I'm heartened to see that "Sodam Yat" has overtaken "Guys in spandex" as the number #1 search term by which people find their way to L L C.
The arrival of Green Lantern Corps #15 (or The Sinestro Corps War #5 as it will come to be known) has led to an upsurge of people hitting this site in their quest for more knowledge on the man who would be Ultimate Green Lantern.
Sadly I've given you all the info I have on your favourite Daxamite at the moment, but I do recommend this website to anyone who fancies trawling for more.
Yes True Believers, the stress of having a premature baby in a special care unit is taking it's toll at the moment.
So GARGGGH!
Anyway, a few bits and bobs for you
Firstly a link to an interview with Zack Snyder in which he talks about Watchmen some more. Nice to see Dave Gibbons getting involved and I'm looking forward to the Nixon prosthetic. Interview HERE
..............................................................................................................................................................................
I made a flying visit to Forbidden Planet on Friday to pick up some comics.
As is my way when hitting FP, I flitted ever so briefly into the role playing section where I was stopped in my tracks by possibly the lamest looking D&D expansion EVER!
Perleasssse! How may adolescent boys (I assume they still make up the vast majority of D&D's player base) are going to want to role play Shakespeare plays? Uggh.
If "The taming of the shrew" was in fact called "The taming of the orc" I could see a case for this nonsense. As it is though its a ridiculous idea.
I guarantee this monstrosity will sit and gather dust on FP's shelves for years.
.........................................................................................................................................................................
As you can imagine, I'm somewhat behind on my comics reading at the moment. I did manage to peel issue #2 of Matt Fraction's excellent new comic The Order of my teetering "to read stack"though. Fun stuff. Most notable for being the first and probably last Marvel comic to include a Julie Burchill quote. Now there's someone you never thought you'd see in spandex.
.........................................................................................................................................................................
Speaking of the tight shiny stuff, I'm heartened to see that "Sodam Yat" has overtaken "Guys in spandex" as the number #1 search term by which people find their way to L L C.
The arrival of Green Lantern Corps #15 (or The Sinestro Corps War #5 as it will come to be known) has led to an upsurge of people hitting this site in their quest for more knowledge on the man who would be Ultimate Green Lantern.
Sadly I've given you all the info I have on your favourite Daxamite at the moment, but I do recommend this website to anyone who fancies trawling for more.
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