But apparently we needed to bring that Trouble mini-series back into print.
- So it’s a good thing DC Comics has knocked the majority of their funnybooks down to the $2.99 price point, because you’re gonna need that money you’ve saved to buy their books this week. We have one $5.99 book being released (Action Comics #900), and for $4.99 each, the last issues of DC’s two year-long mini-series (Justice League: Generation Lost #24 and Brightest Day #24) and issue #50 of Justice Society of America. I gave up on JSA a while back, but I read the rest of these, and I may be double-tapped on Brightest Day #24 if the variant cover also features that big green swampy fella. Because, you know, I’m a sad completist.
- So Secret Avengers #12 and Secret Defenders #12.1 in the same week? Seriously?
- Here’s something I get asked for at the shop a lot: a trade paperback collection of Secret Wars. Oh, sure, there’s a hundred buck hardcover omnibus edition, but that’s bit of a harder sell than a theoretical $24.99 paperback containing the 12-issue series. But I bet we could sell a bunch if such a trade paperback were to be brought back into print.
Funny, I have a lot of Civil War trades here.
- Speaking of Secret Wars, I was speaking of Secret Wars the other day on the Twitter, and I had someone ask me if it was any good. My response was that it read like a transcript of a kid playing with his action figures (fitting, considering the Secret Wars toy tie-in line), and that it was, in a way, a form of naïve art. Like, all the basics of superhero comics distilled down to its very essence, without concern for subtlety or style.
I’m not saying this to be critical…I like the Secret Wars series just for what it is. It’s…well, I was going to say it’s “not pretentious” but of course it is, at least in conception, if not in execution. But it’s a dumb superhero comic and sometimes you just want to read a dumb superhero comic where superheroes fight supervillains and Secret Wars fits that bill and it’s just fine.
Anyway, Secret Wars: let’s have a trade of that, Marvel. I mean, c’mon.
- And a trade for Infinity Gauntlet, too, for God’s sake. I get asked for that all the time. EDIT: Forgot there’s a hardcover edition coming out soon. Well, that won’t be as easy to sell as a paperback, but at least it’s something.
- Also, it would be nice if Batman: The Dark Knight Returns were available for reorder, which it hasn’t been for the last couple of weeks. I know, I know, it happens, but still, this is one book that I hate to be without for the shop. This is, like, one of the very basic foundations for a graphic novel selection at a comic shop. You’d think everyone would have a copy by now, but no, I’m still selling plenty of them.
- So we opened the store for Easter, which we never do, but I had to be at the shop anyway to get some work done, and, you know, what was I going to do with my Easter, anyway? Yardwork? Clean house? Hang out with family? Pfffft.
Anyway, it’s a good thing I did, because a couple of regulars dropped by to pick up a lot of books they’d special-ordered, to the tune of several hundred dollars…okay, they were going to buy the books eventually anyway, even if they had to come on a day other than Easter, but still, better to get that money sooner than later. And I had another customer I hadn’t seen in about a decade pop in and drop some mad cash on back issues. And we were just generally busy the entire day, ultimately doing better business than we usually do on Sundays. (Also, Awesome Hospital‘s Matt Digges stopped by, because he took pity on me.)
So, for future Easters I suspect we may remain open. I’m still closing on Christmas Day, though. And on Lefthanders Day, because I can only take the cruel oppression from you fascist righthanders for so long.
There is an Infinity Gauntlet trade scheduled for August, at least according to Amazon…
Shhhh! The Secret Wars, Secret Avengers, and Secret Defenders are not going to be secret much longer if you keep talking about them!
I appreciated the “drop some mad cash” part of your post. Keeping it hip since 1969!
I tried to like Secret Wars, I really did. But the art was so awful, especially for such an “event,” that I read the TPB once and haven’t picked it up since.
I just realised that this spring marks the 25th anniversary of the Dark Knight mini-series. Is it possible you can’t get it right now due to an impending silver anniversary edition?
Your comment about the Dark Knight trade got me thinking about your old reports that the Watchmen trade was one of those things that ALWAYS sold at the shop. Is that still the case, or did, as you feared, the movie (and the huge surge in national sales of the trade that preceded it) change the enduring demand for the book?
Snell – I remembered that as soon as I shut down the computer. Ah, well. I think that it was out of print for so long was still bit of a shame (and a lot of missed sales).
Dan – Watchmen does still sell, but not nearly as often. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had to place a reorder for it (as opposed to when I used to have to reorder it weekly).
Ouch, six bucks for an issue which will probably be padded with not-great-writing (from my experiences with the last few ‘anniversary’ issues) and some one-page art pieces is a lot to ask of fans.
Just as long as it’s the regular cover that has Swampy on it. That’s all that matters!
What about Green Arrow #11?
Will that have Swampy in it too?
Keep us informed!
I take it nothing Swamp-centric took place in Green Arrow #1-10 and Brightest Day #1-22, thus making Brightest Day #23-24 (and possibly Green Arrow #11-12) the beginning of the “Swamp Thing: Rebirth” storyline that will continue in Search For Swamp Thing #1-3.
I haven’t bought anything from DC since the 2-part
“Luthor meets Death” story in Action #893-894, so
Brightest Day #23-24 marks a new beginning for me!
I had no idea you’re left-handed. You’re even cooler than I thought!
I didn’t know you were left-handed, either.
Congratulations on putting a brave face on life despite your handicap.
— MrJM
You were the first person I thought of when I saw this:
http://www.gocomics.com/dogsofckennel/2011/04/25/
Tony
I’m sure someone else mentioned about Secret Wars not being in print not that long ago (perhaps that Sims guy?). Anyway, Secret Wars is still available in paperback here in ol’ Blighty. Good old Panini – not only do they do stickers, they also put out some damned fine trade paperbacks.
Also Amazon UK says that the Infinity Gauntlet Premiere hardcover edition has been available since the end of July last year.
Secret DEFENDERS?
Oh, I wish.
Although, the “Secret Defenders” are now the “New Avengers”, even though they’re really more of the “regular DEFENDERS” and “Secret Avengers” are now the “Secret Defenders”.
Wait… what?
—
Re: Left-Handers.
Fantastic.
I’ll see you at the next meeting.
~P~