I’m writing this instead of reading all of my new comics…this is how much I love you.
Okay, I know I need to get back and address the shenanigans and goings-on in the comments sections of my posts from earlier in the week…I may do a Friday wrap-up tomorrow, if you all are interested. So get your comments in now!
Now I was poking though the Crisis on Infinite Earths “director’s commentary” in the new issue of Wizard, which was actually pretty interesting, pointing out story details that I hadn’t noticed before. However, when I saw Marv Wolfman’s declaration that John Constantine made his first appearance in Crisis #4 (and Wizard‘s editorial note that the two comics came out in the same month), something seemed a bit off there.
I was reading both Swamp Thing and Crisis as they were coming out at the time, and it’s my memory (granted, of events from 20 years ago) that I first encountered Constantine in Swamp Thing #37. Plus, the cover date of Crisis was July 1985, Swamp Thing #37 is June. On top of that, the “DC Comics on sale this week” listings inside the comics themselves state that Crisis was on sale the week of April 4th, while Swamp Thing #37 was due out the week of March 21st.
So, without access to our store’s invoices of the time to confirm (they’d been discarded a long time ago), and assuming Swamp Thing wasn’t shipping late, it appears that Constantine’s first appearance on the stands was indeed in ST #37.
Or Swamp Thing #25, if you want to complicate matters.
Yeah, I know none of you care about that. But if I didn’t talk about it, who would? Who?
Other funnybooks out this week:
Super F*ckers #2…or “#273” as it says on the cover. James Kochalka, Superstar, continues the colorful, insanely profane, yet strangely innocent, superhero comic. This installment is a little shorter, with a smaller cover price (only $5), so maybe some of you cheapskates can check it out this time. It’s good, it’s packed full of fun, and you’ll get your money’s worth, I assure you. (Go read more about Senior Kochalka at Kochalkaholic.)
Little Lulu: Letters to Santa – this new $9.95 volume from Dark Horse reprints issues #18 through #22, and, though I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I’m sure it’ll be just as fun and delightful as the previous volumes. If you want to see one of the pinnacles of comic book cartooning, you need to see these books.
Zombie Tales Oblivion #1 – I positively reviewed the previous installment a while back, and this new issue appears to be up to the same standards. If you’re getting tired of the same-ol’ same-ol’ zombie comics, let this series restore your faith in the shambling undead.
New Don Rosa story in this week’s Uncle Scrooge (#347), in case you didn’t know.
There’s a new Diamond Previews this week, and you know what that means: it’s time once again for PROGRESSIVE RUIN PRESENTS…THE END OF CIVILIZATION (previous installments 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8). Pull out your copies of Previews and follow along, won’t you?
p. 404 – As previously discussed on my site (as inspired by pal Dorian’s thoughts), DEVO action figures are now coming out, at last! Well, action figure, as it’s just one figure with five interchangable heads…one for each member of the band. Yes, really. Also comes with whip and energy dome. (Yes, I’m getting one.)
p. 412 – Star Wars Customs Rev-&-Go Choppers – pictured here are “Darth Vader’s Imperial Chopper” and “Luke Skywalker’s Rebel Chopper (with R2D2).”
Well, at least there can’t be any Star Wars merchandise sillier that th…oh, wait, what’s this on the same page?
Star Wars Transformers Series 1 Action Figures – “An all-new line of 8 inch scale figures that combine the legendary characters and vehicles of Star Wars with the dual function of the Transformers!” Pictured: Luke Skywalker, who transforms into an X-Wing. Swear to God.
p. 414 – G.I. Joe Cobra Commander Pistol Replica – “Full-sized, 1/1 scale piece,” mounted on a wall plate and limited to 1,000 individually hand-numbered pieces, only $350. For $350, it damn well had better shoot something.
p. 418 – Now I think that Aliens Wall Statue (featuring the Alien busting through a barred grill of some sort) is pretty neat, but it’s only nine inches? For $85? Just make it on cheap plastic and blow it up to life-size. Impress the in-laws with one of those, why don’t you?
p. 422 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy “Becoming” Bust – This statue incorporates Buffy’s gravestone from the early episodes of the series…which reminds me of a question. If everyone was trying to keep Buffy’s death a secret, why engrave a tombstone with her name and year of death on it? Yeah, I know it was supposed to be in an out of the way place…but why take that chance?
p. 422 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Gentlemen Voice Box Replica – For $69.99, you can get a four inch wooden box, with a hinged lid, that looks like something you saw on one episode of a TV show. Doesn’t sound all that swell when it’s put like that, now does it?
p. 422 – I Robot: NS-5 “Sonny” Android Bust – I don’t think Asimov’s body is spinning in his grave fast enough…thank goodness there’s this expensive piece of merchandise inspired by the crap movie that was based on his work (“in that they’re both in English,” to steal a line from MST3K) to turn up the speed a little.
p. 446 – For a second there, I thought I saw a four-foot wide plushie that looked like the head of Gizmo, the good Gremlin from the film of the same name (Gremlins, not Gizmo) but surely I was mistaken.
p. 448 – Oh man, a Scrooge McDuck (“A Pool of Riches”) statue, for $199.99. Man, I want that. (Somewhere, the Mirror Universe Mikester, the one without the goatee, is writing in his weblog “Man, what kind of dope would spend $200 on a Disney duck statue?”)
p. 473 – Aeon Flux Complete Animated Collection DVD Director’s Cut – Crud, I want this, too, if only to wash out the taste of the forthcoming live action Aeon Flux debacle. I actually have the original Aeon Flux DVD, which was one of the earliest DVDs, I believe. Remember my rant a while back about DVDs that ballyhoo “interactive menus” as a special feature? (Summary: if you couldn’t interact with it, what’s the use of a menu?) Well, it’s probably because of DVDs like this old Aeon Flux one that companies started noting “menus” as a feature. This disc has the Liquid Television shorts, four (I think) episodes of the half-hour cartoons, and if you want to see a later part of the disc, then by God, you have to skip ahead to it manually. No pansy-ass menus for you weaklings here.
p. 473 – Holy crap, Mirrormask is already coming on DVD? Well, it did show in at least four theatres nationwide, I guess that was enough.
p. 475 – Sin City Recut & Extended 2-Disc DVD – “Hey, remember that Sin City DVD you bought a couple months ago? Well, f*ck you, buy it again, fanboy!”
