Monthly Archives: June 2010

CCL Podcast #276 – Wednesday Comics HC

June 30, 2010
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Collected Comics Library Podcast #276
16,788Kb; 17m 48s

Once in a great while something new, something innovative, and something captivating comes along. But of course we all know that there are no new ideas anymore and the things of old just get reimagined and repackaged for a new generation. I’m talking about Wednesday Comics; last summer’s weekly newspaper phenomenon that updated the full page and full color weekly Sunday comics of the 1930 and 40′s. DC Comics rounded up arguably the best talent the could find and put them on their premiere properties like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and others, publishing 15 different one page stories that ran for 12 weeks straight.

I enjoyed the first four issues very much but I stopped buying them because I thought the format was a bit cumbersome and decided to wait for the collected edition to read the entire storylines in one sitting. I think my patience paid off because I believe this is one of the best books to come out this year. Not only is there a multitude of talent and just about every DC character is represented, but we get to see our heroes in a new light and we are not tied to any continuity or pervious incarnation. If all you know about Batman is from Adam West that’s OK, it works. And if you have no idea who Kamadi or Metamorpho is that’s OK, too. After you have read the first page you are instantly transported to their world and are rooting for the good guys to get justice.

There are a few pages of sketches and creator biographies to satisfy your need for DVD extras. But the real Easter Eggs are the full color single pages of The Creeper (written by Keith Giffen with art by Eric Canete) and Plastic Man (written by Evan Dorkin with art by Stephen DeStefano. I can only wonder if the full stories are sitting on Dan Didio’s desk just waiting to get approval for a Wednesday Comics Volume 2.

I go over this book in full and also talk about Steve Canyon, which will now get republished by Hermes Press (previously by Checker Book) and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

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Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

In the USA…
Great books from In Stock Trades
 In the UK and Europe…
Pre-order books from Forbidden Planet International
The Comic Book Podcast Companion
Wednesday Comics HC
Jack Of Fables TP Vol 7 New Adentures Of Jack & Jack
Saga Of The Swamp Thing HC Book 3 (MR)
Nova TP Vol 6 Realm Of Kings
Proof TP Vol 4 Julia
Last Airbender Movie Adaptation GN
Avatar Last Airbender Film Comic TP Vol 1
Akira Kodansha Edition GN Vol 2 (MR)
Tomb Of Dracula TP Vol 1
Batwoman Elegy Deluxe Edition HC
Disneys Alice In Wonderland GN
The Comic Book Podcast Companion
Wednesday Comics HC
Marvel – 40% off Special until July 14 – Marvel Masterworks Marvel Team-Up Vol 1
DC – 40% off Special until July 14 – Ex Machina Deluxe Edition Vol 4 HC
Indy – 40% off Special until July 14 – Walking Dead Compendium Vol 1 (New Edition)
Manga – 40% off Special until July 14 – Street Fighter II The Ultimate Edition
Classic – 40% off Special until July 14 – Box Office Poison (New Edition)
Inuyasha Volume 52
The Smurfs Vol 1 The Purple Smurf
Best American Comics 2010 HC
JSA All-Stars Constellations
Captain America War & Remembrance Premiere HC Cover B

The Top 10 Collected Editions for May 2010

June 27, 2010
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The May 2010 Comic Book Sales Figures Estimated (Comics Sold to North American Comics Shops as Reported by Diamond Comic Distributors) were recently released and as far as the Trade Paperbacks and Collected Editions go Ex Machina Vol. 9 Ring Out the Old came in at #1. Let’s a take a look at the Top 10. You can follow along with the full list courtesy of The Comics Chronicles. As usual, I’ll be sitting down with John Mayo on his Comic Book Page Podcast, to go over these numbers and more very soon.

Top Selling Collected Editions (Trade Paperbacks, Hardcovers and Graphic Novels)

  1. Ex Machina Vol. 9 Ring Out The Old ($14.99) – Wildstorm’s hot property continues to sell well in TPB and so do the Deluxe HC’s. The monthly series is almost over. I think people were a little late to this title (like me) and are just now discovering it. Perhaps with enough interest Ex Machinacould spin-off something new in the future.
  2. Sweet Tooth Vol. 1 Out Of The Woods ($9.99) – DC / Vertigo has a nice habit of pricing the Volume 1 trades at the $10 mark. It’s a good way to suck you in. Jeff Lemire’s star is getting more bright by the month. Be sure to read The Essex County Trilogy so you can tell all your friends that you read him when he was an unknown.
  3. Invincible Vol. 12 Still Standing ($16.99) and…
  4. Walking Dead HC Vol. 5 ($34.99) - there’s just no stopping the Image Comics Robert Kirkman-verse. Walking Dead is coming to a TV near you and I bet Invincible won’t be far behind. I’d like to see a cool Spawn inspired animated show myself.
  5. Scalped Vol. 6 The Gnawing ($14.99) Sweet Tooth above – replace Jeff Lemire with Jason Aaron and read The Other Side.
  6. Wednesday Comics ($49.99) – Could this offering from DC Comics be the the CCL’s Best Collected Edition of the Year? With 6 months into 2010 it’s got a good shot. I do have to admit that I fully believe that people liked the original newspaper presentation but didn’t exactly know what to make of it after they read it. Do you throw it in the recycle bin? Do you save it? And if so how and for how long? Or do you drop it after 4 issues, like I did, and wait for the collected edition? NOTE: I’ll be reviewing this book on this week’s podcast.
  7. Deadpool Vol. 3 X Marks Spot ($15.99) Deadpool sells! Not much else to it!
  8. Hellsing Vol. 10 ($13.99) This long running title from Dark Horse sneaked up on me and I have no recollection of how Volumes 1-9 faired on previous lists.
  9. Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3 Most Wanted Book 2 ($14.99) Well, well, a book from Marvel. Good thing Iron Man is a big star and had a movie come out in May to help this trade paperback along. Otherwise no Marvel (616) book would’ve cracked the Top 10.
  10. Kick Ass Premiere HC ($24.99) More movie hangovers for Marvel. This time from their Icon line.

CCL Podcast #275 – Chris Staros, Publisher, Top Shelf Productions

June 23, 2010
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Collected Comics Library Podcast #275
43,163Kb; 45m 56s

I’m back once again with Chris Staros, Publisher of Top Shelf Productions. In the conversation we cover The Surrogates movie an its impact on an independent publisher, Alan Moore’s Dodgem Logic, Eddie Campbell’s The Playwright, Jess Fink’s We Can Fix It, Top Shelf’s foray into manga with AX, the Swedish Comics invasion and so much more!
Also for those of you who are into Digital Comics, Chris announces on the podcast that Top Shelf is working with iVerse and will debut two apps, Top Shelf Kids Club and Top Shelf All Up, at Comic Con 2010 in San Diego!!!
Please go out and support these great works of art, you won’t be disappointed and your life may just be better for it.
I want to thank Chris for taking time out of his busy schedule to come on the show.

Chris
PS There’s also my take on the DC Comics digital program.

Links Of Note:
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf 2.0
CCL #214, April 2009, Chris Staros

Collected Comics Library iPod App
http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

DGTL Comics
www.dgtlcomics.com
@dgtlcomics
dgtlcomics@gmail.com

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

In the USA…
Great books from In Stock Trades
 In the UK and Europe…
Pre-order books from Forbidden Planet International
IDW for September
Marvel for September
DC October
The Comic Book Podcast Companion
Moving Pictures GN
Alec Years Have Pants Life Size Omnibus HC
American Elf Coll Sketchbook Diaries Of James Kochalka HC
Box Office Poison Complete HC
Complete Essex County HC
Incredible Change Bots HC
League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen III Century: 1910 (MR)
Surrogates Special HC ED
Swallow Me Whole HC
Swedish Comics History SC (MR)
The Comic Book Podcast Companion
Marvel – 40% off Special until June 30: Acts of Vengeance Omnibus HC Cover B
DC – 40% off Special until June 30: Batman & Robin: Batman Vs Robin Deluxe Edition HC
Indy – 40% off Special until June 30: Turok, Son of Stone Archives Vol 7 HC
Manga – 40% off Special until June 30: Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus Book 2
Classic – 40% off Special until June 30: DMZ Vol 1 On the Ground
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World Vol 3
Zombo: Can I Eat You Please?
Gotham City Sirens: Songs Of The Sirens HC
Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD Premiere HC
Avengers/Invaders

CCL Podcast #274 – Dan Nadel, Art In Time (Abrams)

June 16, 2010
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Collected Comics Library Podcast #274
40,116Kb; 42m 41s

As someone who is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of reprint and collected editions it’s a treat to come across a book (or books) that are ideal for your distinguished taste. Both Art Out of Time and the companion follow-up Art in Time (Abrams ComicArts) by Dan Nadel are two such books. Anyone who reads this blog or listens to this podcast must own these great books – not only for historical reasons but for pure enjoyment of a time gone by. Nadel packs in so much and yet he leaves you wanting more. Which is his overall goal. For the real enjoyment is the hunt that you must undertake after your read these books – to seek out, back issue hunt and explore the hidden gems of a classic era in comics. Today on the show Nadel shares with the why’s and how’s of these books and his overall take on the reprint market itself.

Art in Time: Unknown Comic Book Adventures, 1940 – 1980 By Dan Nadel
Published by Abrams ComicArts
304 pages, 11 x 8, $40.00
My thanks to Abrams ComicArts for supplying me a copy of the book.

Chris

Links Of Note:
PictureBox
Comics Comics

Collected Comics Library iPod App
http://www.collectedcomicslibrary.com/

DGTL Comics
www.dgtlcomics.com
@dgtlcomics
dgtlcomics@gmail.com

Please visit my site sponsors: In-Stock Trades and Forbidden Planet International (UK)

A Sad Week

June 16, 2010
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It’s been a sad week in the comic book industry.
Not only did we see the last Little Orphan Annie strip but we also lost a giant, and one of our most beloved creators, Al Williamson.

If you never read Annie, I recommend picking up the Library Of American Comics (IDW) reprints. Currently there are five volumes ranging from 1927-1935. They are $49.99 each. And if you have a little girl in your home I suggest you watch the Annie movie from 1982 starring Carol Burnett and Albert Finney. As far as comic book/strip movies go, it’s one of the better ones ever produced.

Steve Bryant has a wonderful post on his hero Al Williamson, which includes a comprehensive rundown of Williamson collected editions. You can also hear Steve talk about Williamson on this week’s Word Balloon Podcast with John Siuntres.

Both Annie and Al will be missed.