tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:51:55 +0000Smart-ass comic reviews, and comics retailing intelligence, by Brian Hibbs, owner of San Francisco's Comix Experience. And friends!http://savagecritic.com/noreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)Blogger1634125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-597243798181083054Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:50:00 +00002010-02-04T19:51:55.750-08:00BrianComic Book Geek SpeakI should have mentioned this earlier in the week, but I Forgot.The gents at Comic Book Geek Speak have be back yet again, and I get all pontificatey in episode #777, which you can listen to here: http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodes/comic_geek_speak-999.phpEnjoy!-Bhttp://savagecritic.com/2010/02/comic-book-geek-speak-podcast-with.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-8285801826532722888Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:45:00 +00002010-02-04T19:49:11.015-08:00BrianI'm pretty good about doing my own research, most of the time, but as I wander through my BookScan Analysis this year (Sheesh, I'm at 12,000 words, and I still haven't touched 2 of the 4 categories!) I'm hoping I can depend on YOU to help me a bit.What movies based on comics were released in 2009?Watchmen, obviously. And Wolverine. Astro Boy. But then I start to blank. Name me some titles, would http://savagecritic.com/2010/02/comic-book-movies-in-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-6325294268578519197Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:27:00 +00002010-02-02T14:13:50.599-08:00BrianI'm drowning in work, so I'll keep this super-double short this week...JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #6: You know something's gone wrong with scheduling when a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ARTIST THAN SOLICITED (Scott Clark, rather than Mauro Cascioli) does the interiors. Clark's work has enough surface similarities that it isn't jarring (and, in fact, if you didn't check the credits, it is possible http://savagecritic.com/2010/02/hibbs-rushes-127.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-2110152699614045366Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +00002010-02-01T09:55:16.533-08:00BrianShipping ListsWhoops, the new order form is due tomorrow. Guess I better start it?Also? Publishers: We can't make money if you don't ship us comics....28 DAYS LATER #6ALADDIN LEGACY OF THE LOST #1 (OF 3) A CVR DJURDJEVICANGEL HOLE IN THE WORLD #3AUTHORITY #19BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #41BETTY #184BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #3 (OF 3)BOYS #39 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 TWILIGHT PT 1 (OF 5) JO CHEN CVCABLE http://savagecritic.com/2010/02/arriving-232010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-6354476681084814474Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:30:00 +00002010-02-01T16:49:14.287-08:00JogThis is a song about Louisiana and some of the people in it. Or outside it. Or nearly anywhere in these United States as the 1950s approached, and superheroes declined as charismatic rogues stood tall, proud like they knew we'd miss them once fatedly laid low. It's a nostalgic record.Let it play. Can I offer you a drink?This is Hadacol.***Twelve Percent True(Being a second and updated version of http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/my-life-is-choked-with-comics-20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jog)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-1631380069267740293Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:24:00 +00002010-01-26T12:13:20.714-08:00BrianI really REALLY should be working on the new TILTING (I finally got the BookScan numbers, and it's like a 20+ hour job to write that column each year), but promises are promises....BRAVE AND THE BOLD #31: Comics like this really make me say "Double-you-tee-eff" out loud, and get my six year old asking me "What does that mean, daddy?". I decline to state for Ben, but for you? Look, the problem http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/hibbs-assays-120.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-3038147538762634069Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:05:00 +00002010-01-25T10:06:33.946-08:00BrianShipping ListsFinally, a normal sized week... right at the end of the month *sigh*2000 AD PACK DEC 2009 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #619 GNTLTARCHIE #605ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #1 (OF 4)ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46 (BLACKEST NIGHT)AVENGERS INITIATIVE #32 SIEGEBATMAN AND ROBIN #7BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #201BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #12BLACK TERROR #7BLACKEST NIGHT JSA #2 (OF 3)BUCK ROGERS #8CAPTAIN AMERICA http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/arriving-1272010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-953463912487653828Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:13:00 +00002010-01-19T12:22:57.342-08:00BrianThe one problem about promising to do this weekly for the quarter (well, or perhaps more properly promising to TRY) is sometimes I feel stupid and tired and without anything meaningful to say. So this one will be short!ADVENTURE COMICS #6: I sort of wonder if Geoff Johns had really intended to be on this book for more than the 6 issues or not, but it all ends this issue. The "what would Superman/http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/hibbs-talks-little-about-113.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-956626542976109346Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:30:00 +00002010-01-19T19:15:00.984-08:00JogOrc Stain #1: This is a VERY GOOD Image comic about orcs and stealing and penises and conquest. It didn't come out this week, but I didn't get hold of a copy until Saturday, which is okay by me; this is a perfect comic to find, to turn around in your hands and marvel at how 32-page all-story comics still exist at $2.99, in color, out of the front of Previews, embodying in their small confines ahttp://savagecritic.com/2010/01/startups-and-follow-ups-113.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jog)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-5861087669697403509Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:47:00 +00002010-01-18T10:48:19.683-08:00BrianShipping ListsComics are still on Wednesday this week, despite the Monday holiday.AIR #17 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #618 GNTLTANNA MERCURY 2 #3 (OF 5) AUTHORITY THE LOST YEAR #5 (OF 12)AVENGERS VS AGENTS OF ATLAS #1AZRAEL #4BARACK THE BARBARIAN FALL OF RED SARAH ONESHOTBATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #8BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13BEYOND THE WALL #3BLACK WIDOW AND MARVEL GIRLS #3 (OF 4)BLACKEST NIGHT THE FLASH #2 (OF 3)http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/arriving-1202010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-1554776465305075183Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:05:00 +00002010-01-16T17:10:43.365-08:00AbhayIt's 2010. I wanted to start the decade by talking about the future.But, heck, I don't know anything about the future. This one is just about webcomics. WARNING: this one is also particularly image intense. If that's a concern for your computer, you might want to skip this one.If you google "overstimulated"-- the seventh link google finds, at the time of this essay, is for a webcomic. The http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/does-abhay-rambling-incoherently-about.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Abhay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-5214398178851269588Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:47:00 +00002010-01-15T17:49:23.417-08:00BrianTiltingOh, I forgot to link this earlier -- here's the latest Tilting at Windmills on CBR.Their message boards seem to be down, so feel free to comment upon it here!-Bhttp://savagecritic.com/2010/01/tilting-v3-21-up-at-cbr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-3475494365278542894Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:47:00 +00002010-01-13T21:07:05.478-08:00Marvel can in fact do the right thing sometimesBrianI am getting tired of leaksretailingI, as I think you've noticed, am a fairly frequent and vocal critic of Marvel Comics (though I sort of find it interesting that the tenor on the HaloScan threads here seems to be leaning with me being more "against" DC. C'est la guerre!), largely because I think that a company that is that big and powerful has certain responsabilities that go with those powers. This, of course, is something http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/very-public-thank-you-to-marvel-comics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-1277355628534984156Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:05:00 +00002010-01-13T12:26:04.455-08:00BrianSales ChartsretailingIt is the time of the year for Looking Back at total sales and all of that, and John Jackson Miller does some excellent heavy lifting on that score.But there's something that I don't see any commenter making a point of, and I think it is a REALLY significant impact that people-who-aren't-retailers seem to be forgetting: In February, Diamond began a major warehouse move. More or less the entire http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/put-asterisk-next-to-it-jj.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-4402507258761549448Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:15:00 +00002010-01-13T09:16:21.214-08:00BrianI am getting tired of leaksretailingWell, not intentionally, or anything.But I came in this morning to a "drip drip drip" sound.Hm, that's not good, I thought, and, hey, why are there puddles on the floor?Some moron staying at the hotel above apparently decided that if the toilet doesn't flush, they should simply flush it again and again and again until it finally flushed (which it never did). Gravity is a bitch, and it has nowherehttp://savagecritic.com/2010/01/i-no-longer-carry-marvel-comics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-9202224243840879336Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:21:00 +00002010-01-11T12:11:24.456-08:00BrianI'm going to try REALLY HARD to do an old-school review each and every week throughout all of the first quarter. Not sure if I'll make it, but I'm going to TRY. Probably on Monday mornings.AUTHORITY #18: Well, at least it has a nice looking cover, but, honestly, this latest semi-reboot of the WS properties doesn't work any better than the last five; and it is stuffed and packed with so many http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/hibbs-says-hi-to-new-years-first-batch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-2638622293218410210Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:20:00 +00002010-01-11T10:22:43.623-08:00BrianShipping ListsY'know what might be awesome? If publishers would grok that the amount of money we make in the first quarter is a direct correlation to what they actually ship. But, no, here's the second mini-week of comics in a row, sigh.ABSOLUTION #6 (OF 6) ACTION COMICS #885ADVENTURE COMICS #6AGE OF REPTILES JOURNEY #2 (OF 4)ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON HORNBOOK AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #617 GNTLTANCHOR #4ANGEL #29ANITA http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/arriving-1132009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-268713551617121120Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:22:00 +00002010-01-10T12:47:11.168-08:00DavidOkay, this is going to be fairly short and a bit soapboxy and business-related. I know this is usually Brian's wheelhouse, but I'm just so annoyed that this keeps happening.I find that most weekends, scanned covers (with trade dress) of the upcoming week's books show up on eBay. I was flipping through them this week, and saw that YET AGAIN DC completely changed the creative team from soup to nutshttp://savagecritic.com/2010/01/open-letter-to-dc-comics-creators.htmluzumerid@gmail.com (David Uzumeri)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-344572290611856307Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:20:00 +00002010-01-09T23:22:40.939-08:00DouglasThere's a lively discussion going on in the comments to my last post here, but I wanted to carry one thing that's been brought up there over to a new post:How many "Marvel completists" are there right now? According to the estimates over at The Beat, November's issue of "Marvel Adventures Super Heroes" sold 3,308 copies in the direct market (one of them was to me). The final issue of "Omega the http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/in-search-of-marvel-completist.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Douglas Wolk)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-600348436077082250Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:27:00 +00002010-01-08T00:47:47.914-08:00SIEGE #1: I've enjoyed "Dark Reign," and particularly Brian Michael Bendis's fuming, coffee-nerved Dark Avengers, and I wanted to see how it all ended. I've got no quarrel with superhero event comics, obviously. But this is just a distressingly shabby piece of work, and it fails to deliver the goods in nearly every way it might have.[Explanation under the cut...]Here's a bit from a scene where http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/douglas-vs-siege-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Douglas Wolk)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-7983910742610852292Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:49:00 +00002010-01-07T17:49:49.053-08:00reviewsJeffHello there, fine readers of this blog. I'm running very late today and I've decided during this current fickle flirtation I'm having with 'content,' that it's better to be speedy than right. Must I choose? On a day like today, where it's almost noon and the pajama pants are still on and I promised myself I would absolutely, positively get out of the house by 1:30, the sad answer is yes. And http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/pairings-2-of-jeff-on-sugarshock-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Lester)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-5594513159415396731Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:18:00 +00002010-01-05T10:28:29.131-08:00BrianSavage Critics are Awesome-SauceIt is a Savage Critic Four-fer (is that a word?) as Tom Spurgeon interviews Jog on Death Note, Douglas on Invincible Iron Man, Tucker on Ganges, and Sean on Blankets!All of them (as well as all of the non-Savage Critic interviews as well!) are definitely must-read pieces!Spurge initially asked me to do an interview, as well, but then he suddenly decided to do this one-critic-one-book series, and http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/savage-critics-on-reporter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-6264574862980385691Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:28:00 +00002010-01-05T08:42:22.986-08:00Blackest NightFantastic fourJeffAs I mentioned the other day, I got to Comix Experience yesterday for the first time in a month--well, over a month, obviously, because so many of the books I follow had two issues waiting for me. So while I'm gonna try and pass this off on you as a study of "trends" or "pairings" or some similar "horseshit," don't be fooled: it's just because I read two issues of something at once and can't http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/pairings-1-of-jeff-looks-at-blackest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jeff Lester)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-8181646812857944508Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:54:00 +00002010-01-04T11:03:54.542-08:00DavidThis current trending topic, about how 2009 was a lame year for comics (especially superhero/mainstream/adventure comics), just doesn't resonate with me at all. I enjoyed a huge amount of comics this year, many of which were from creators I really didn't expect to become such an ardent fan of, and while most of my non-superheroes comic reading was either manga or stuff released previous to 2009, http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/davids-2009-this-has-nothing-to-do-with.htmluzumerid@gmail.com (David Uzumeri)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7735109.post-2978956871785593195Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:17:00 +00002010-01-04T10:19:25.816-08:00BrianShipping ListsI wonder how many weeks it will take me to get used to typing "2010"?We start the new year off with a pretty reasonably solid batch of stuff...!2000 AD PROG 2010 28 DAYS LATER #5AMAZING SPIDER-MAN PRESENTS JACKPOT #1 (OF 3)ANGEL HOLE IN THE WORLD #2AUTHORITY #18BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #40BIG QUESTIONS #13 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #2 (OF 3)BOYS #38 BPRD KING OF FEAR #1 (OF 5)BUCK ROGERS #7CABLE http://savagecritic.com/2010/01/arriving-162010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brian Hibbs)0