COMICBOOKS+

To Trade or not to Trade?

2009-12-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Is it time for me to 'Trade' in my monthly comicbook buying habits for collected editions?

I have recently been thinking about the various comics series that I am collecting on a regular basis, and have come to the rather startling realization that I could stand to save quite abit of money if I were to simply stop buying the monthlies and instead just wait foir the softback trades to come out and buy them instead. One obvious savings would be the fact that ,most trades are cheaper per issue than the originals that they are reprinting. Another way that they are cheaper (and this one just occurred to me) is dependent on whether or not you are collecting any comics that regularly issue multiple covers - and of course dependent on whether or not you actually ever buy any of those alternate covers. I personally can think of one time when I readily bought the alternate cover each month: when the Boys began issuing a second guest artist cover for awhile, I was along for the ride. Of course this ended up costing me double each month and after six months I had payed for a whole year's worth of issues in just half the time!

However, I don't think that I would consider this option for every book even assuming that they all have trades issued on a timely basis; for some books, honestly, I enjoy them too much to wait for any trade collection. I could just see myself flipping through the latest issue on the stands peaking inside for any little hint of what is going on with the series right now, as if the book were an ex who I had run into and was sereptisiously questioning just to see if she were better off than me since we broke up. I know, that is a really sad analogy, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, I now would like to offer a list of some titles that I could live with reading in trade, and some that I would probably never stop buying on a monthly basis.

Those that I would be happy to read in trade format include:

The Boys
Project Superpowers
Batman and Robin
Lone Ranger
Dark Avengers
New Avengers
Justice Society
Wasteland
Agents of Atlas
Thor
Invincible Iron Man
Guardians of the Galaxy
Daredevil
DMZ
Rex Mundi
Captain America
Powers
28 Days Later
Kick Ass
The Marvels Project

And those that I would find it very hard (if not impossible) to wait for the trade to come out before reading include:

The Walking Dead
Fantastic Four
Secret Warriors
Impaler
Irredeemable

Wow, after looking at these two lists, I realize that I have some serious thinking to do about my future buying habits, as well as some pondering on whether I would really be able to go 'cold turkey', so to speak while waiting for the trades to catch up to the issues where I would stop reading. Like I said, some serious thinking ahead...

Marvel's Dark Reign over this reader...

2009-11-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of Johnathan Hickman's work, and have been really enjoying his recent stint on Marvel's Secret Warriors title. Recently I realized that I had two Hickman comics waiting to be read, Secret Warriors #8 and the Dark Reign - The List: Secret Warriors one shot. I was thrilled with the realization that I was about to hunker down with two times the Hickman goodness. Well, I had just gotten through reading the issue of Secret Warriors and had cracked the cover of Dark Reign - The List, when I spotted the fine print at the bottom of the first page; that fine print explained that the events of this comic took place after the events of Secret Warriors #9, a comic which had not yet been released! Well, that sucked. I just didn't understand why the issue of Secret Warriors could be so late and that the one shot could still come out on time. Out of curiosity I went back and looked at the full page ad for the one shot and Secret Warriors 9 which had appeared in the back of Secret Warriors 8: to my surprise, issue 9 of the series had originally been scheduled to ship after the Dark Reign one shot! Well this really sucked and seemed kind of dirty pool for regular readers of the title. Why would Marvel schedule aone shot to come out on October 7th when the issue you would want to read before it was scheduled to come out on October 28th - a whole three weeks later!?!

My guess is that Marvel decided to have a Secret Warriors Dark Reign one shot and wanted it to come out then for reasons of shipping symmetry - the other one shoys were all coming out around the same time. Unfortunately this did not allow for the regular shipping schedule of the monthly Secret Warriors title which would be much later in the month. The upshot of this is that I had to put off a really cool book for a few weeks and Marvel found anew way to put off one of their readers...

If I were editor on MY OWN dream comic book one-shot...

2009-11-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

This post really owes its existence to one of my recent daydreaming sessions while riding the bus on my way home from work. I was reading a graphic novel ( I find them less conspicuous to read in public than individual comic books, for whatever reason) and I had just happened to reach the endof the book - it was the third installment of the Rex Mundi series collection from Dark Horse - and my thoughts started to drift towards all things comics, and I found myself speculating on who I would most like to see chronicling the story of my life. Well of course I quickly came up with a ridiculously long and unwieldy list of names of my favourite comics creators and soon realized that maybe I should limit the exercise to something more specific. So I did. I then decided to consider who I would most like to see chronicle my life story - for the present day. To further limit things, I decided that only those creators whose work I was enjoying on anything resembling a regular basis would be considered to be in the running, so to speak.

Well, that still left me with an ample - read too long- list of names from which to choose from. I limited things to only writers and artists; I do not mean to slight the contribution of inkers and colorists to the medium but really I am just too lazy to take things that far. I won't get into the process of elimination just suffice to say that it was a fun process and really an effective technique to get me to realize just how many gifted individuals work I am fortunate to be enjoying these days. I heartily recommend it. Anyway, without any further ado, I present to you the winners of the first ever, Stephen's Current Day One-Shot Winter Special:

Writers
Johnathan Hickman
Mark Millar
Ed Brubaker
Brian Michael Bendis

Choosing the four writers was tough, but choosing the four artists was not any easier - even though I had included a pin-up section and had decided that the Special would recieve the dual cover treatment! The four section artists that I settled on were:

Artists
John Romita Jr.
Charlie Adlard
Gary Erskine
Bryan Hitch

This was a fun exercise, however I didn't stop there: I decided to have some more fun with things by taking the liberty of pairing up the writers and artists into four teams. Here now are the four pairs that I finally setteld upon (and it may interest you to know that it was not as hard a decision to pair them all up as I thought it might, I guess some of these names just are a more obvious fit style-wise that I thought) :

Writer - Artist
Hickman - Erskine
Millar - Hitch
Brubaker - Adlard
Bendis - Romita Jr.

Now this part was probably the most fun; after the slogging through the choice of names, I found that it was just as challenging to pair the names up based on their styles. I have to admit that some pairins were easier to figure out than others. I felt that the Brubaker - Adlard combination was almost aninstinctual no-brainer for me. But that's just me. I also was excited about the thought of Erskine and Hickman working together on my favourite character, lol.

So why did I choose the creators that I did?

I have been enjoying Johnathan Hickman's work ever since I lucked out and stumbled upon his mini-series, The Nightly News, which had me hooked from the first issue. From there, I have followed his work rather closely through series such as Pax Romana, and more recently his work for Marvel, with series such as Secret Warriors and Fantastic Four.

Mark Millar is a writer who I have been enjoying all over the place for a few years now. I remember how anxiously I would wait for the next issue of the Wanted mini-series or the next issue of The Ultimates a few years ago. More recently, I have been enjoying his work on such stories as the Old Man Logan issues of Wolverine and even the less than critically acclaimed, Kick-Ass.

The first time that I can remember reading Ed Brubaker's work has to be his early series, Lowlife. When I met him at a Seattle comic convention a couple of years back and asked him to autograph my collected edition of the series, he was a bit taken aback (in a good way) to see someone carrying one of those books around. I guess you never completely escape your early efforts, lol. (Much) More recently, I have been enjoying Brubaker's work on both Daredevil and Captain America for Marvel, as well as his creator owned series, Criminal, and his recent mini, the Marvels Project.

With Brian Bendis, it seems as if one moment I had no awareness of his work at all, and then the next I was enjoying his work in various places at once; with both Daredevil and his creator owned series, Powers, I found myself really taken with his work. Now I have been loyally following his work on his various Avengers titles and Marvel one-shot comics for the last few years - even his less than well received Secret Invasion mini for Marvel a year or so ago. Regardless, I still find myself enjoying his stuff enough to keep on coming back without much hesitation and you would know that that says a lot about his writing if you knew how finicky I can be about my books these days.

So the artists.

I remember John Romita Jr's earlier work on the Uncanny X-Men back when I was a teenaged comic fan, and the funny thing is that I wasn't too crazy about his work at the time. I suppose part of it is the fact that at around the same time I was enjoying the likes of Paul Smith working his magic on the book as well as the occasional 'fill in' issue by one Barry Windsor Smith or one Alan Davis. That is some mighty fine 'fill in artists', eh? Anyway, as time went on I obviously warmed up to his work; recently I found myself reading Amazing Spider-Man for the first time in years because of his run with J Michael Straczynski. Since then I have enjoyed his work on the Eternals mini and Wolverine and other books and recently have been reading Kick-Ass in large part because he is on it.

I have been a fan of Charlie Adlard ever since his work on the Mars Attacks miniseries for Topps comics in the late nineties; from there I enjoyed his work on the X-Files series, Shadowman, various one-shots, and now as the regular artist on the Walking Dead series.

Gary Erskine is a personal favourite of mine and I am pleased to finally declare my appreciation of his work in some kind of venue (even this less than mighty blog, lol). I first saw Erskine's work in the pages of Marvel UK's first Knights of Pendragon series. As with Romita Jr. I wasn't a huge fan of his work on first sight, mainly because the inking over his pencils was very rough and lost a lot of the details of his pencils. Soon enough however, his work really grew on me and I was hooked and keeping an eye out for the next time I could enjoy his art, which was usually in one miniseries or another. From books such as Hypersonic (for Dark Horse) and The Filth (for Image), or his work on different Terminator books for Dark Horse to his fill in issues on series near the ends of their respective runs, such as Firearm or Blaze, I have followed his progression. The only series that I have held off from reading so far have been Army at Love and the Thunderbolts, only because the premise of both books has not grabbed me at all. Also in the case of Thunderbolts I believe he was mainly only the inker on various issues.

Bryan Hitch. When I first saw Hitch's work on a book it was one of those Marvel Uk titles from back in the early to mid Nineties and at the time I thought that he was pretty much trying to be an Alan Davis clone. He has sure come a long way since then. I don't think that I have enjoyed the art as consistently on any regular series or maxiseries more than Hitch's runs on the Authority and the Ultimates and Ultimates II; it was this fact that made it so hard for me to even consider reading the recent Ultimates III series when I heard that he would not be on the book - that plus the fact that Millar would not be writing it either.

So, since the last time I checked most comics still came with covers and in many cases multiple covers, I decided that it would be appropriate to choose acouple of cover artists. Also, what special would be complete without the obligatory bonus pin ups that we have all grown used to seeing in the back of many a comicbook through the years?

For my cover artists, I went with a couple of artists that I didn't see doing a complete story in the comic. I won't get into the whole deadline thing, but suffice to say that I thought it would be a safer bet to only commission them for their cover work at this time - what an asshole, eh? lol
For the covers I setteld on two perennial cover artist favs of mine:

Alex Ross and John Cassaday

Both artists have become known as being able to consistently deliver awesome covers and both are already favourites of mine so it seemed a natural fit in both cases. Both of these gentlemen are reasons that it is so easy for me to buy as many Dynamite comics as I do.

As for the pin up artists, I decided to go crazy and shoehorn in as many of my remaining favs as possible. the list: (drum-roll, please)

Michael Golden
Howard chaykin
Paul Smith
George Perez
Tony Harris
Mike Mignola
Matt Wagner
Frank Miller
J. G. Jones
Jerry Ordway

Whew! What a list and I am soo sure that I will remember somebody else -just as soon as this is posted! Well, don't you wish that all of the tough decisions in life were like this? Anyway, If anyone out there has been motivated by this, please feel free to compose your own similar lists and send them to me and I will be pleased to post them to this blog - with your permission, of course.

Marvel has shown an understanding of subtle buzz building.

2009-03-06T20:03:00.001-08:00

Here is something funny: I went to an Incredible Hulk movie blog and found out some interesting ifo on the future Captain America movie. Why is this funny to me? Mostly because these two characters don't seem similar to me; one is the epitome of chaotic destructionwhile the other is an iconic figure that represents calm decision-making while under siege. (well, more or less)

However, based on the information contained within the recent Hulk DVD, there would appear to be a link between the two characters on the big screen. This next bit I learned from the Hulk blog. In one of the deleted scenes from the last Incredible Hulk movie, Bruce Banner goes to the Arctic and contemplates suicide. While there he gets caught in a snow slide. One result of this is that the frozen figure of Captain America appears to be revealed among the ice and snow. Now this is a hotly contested point made hard to prove by it being a very brief glimpse in the scene but it has been confirmed by the movie's Director, so... Anyway, this leads to my next point: that Marvel has been showing some ingenious efforts to tie the continuity of their different characters together. Whether it is Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, Captain America's shield during Iron Man, the super soldier serum during the Hulk, or this scene with Captain America under the ice. this will only be heightened in a couple of years as Marvel has timed things to have series of movies released in sequence so as to build off of each other's momentum. Even though the Captain America movie will be reportedly set during WW II it is understood that the character will be brought upto current continuity with the release of the subsequent Marvel movie, the avengers.

I gotta give Marvel credit, they definitely know how to hype the product - by using the product.

Which Super Hero is Best at Poker

2009-01-27T22:45:00.001-08:00

Both characters have had their movies relaunched over previous years and it looks like they are just as big as they used to be. The Dark Knight was a box office smash. And The Man of steels new film looks set to be re branded and re done to have a darker feel and be a huge success like Batman.

But all in all these superheroes are great at saving people, but which one of them would win at a game of poker. Let us look at both of their powers and look at why Superman would come out smelling of roses.

2008-12-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

The far off in the future Marvel Avengers movie could be considered both a journey and a destination...

A while ago, Marvel Entertainment announced that they were going to start producing their own movies; this was a major shift in the way that they had been doing business: before this, Marvel had been happy to accept the upfront cash by selling the movie rights to a character/franchise to a movie studio and letting them do all the work while garnering a share of the profits. By deciding to go the route of producing their own feature films while hiring studios to just make them under Marvel's supervision, Marvel is taking on a huge load of risk but is set to reap a huge load of success if this goes the way they expect. Apart from monetary success. Marvel would also be the proud owner of well made comicbook movies which is something that we don't always get enough of.

One obvious reason that Marvel wanted more control over their franchises would have to be because they have a bigger plan in mind; they want to set up a string of successful and well made films showcasing their brand - ie. their most iconic characters. Of course the best way to do this and guarantee that the films are made in the order that you want them to be made and released is to be the one making them. Marvel has decided to make the Avengers movie their target movie: the movie that is the light at the end of the tunnel for comic fans.

Marvel has a number of other movies scheduled for release before the Marvel Avengers, such as Iron Man II, Thor, Ant Man and Captain America, and all of these films are in some way serving to build up the hype for the Marvel avengers movie. you don't want this kind of build up derailed by a studio deciding that they won't be releasing the movie according to schedule after all.

Content wise, avengers should be interesting; by the time this movie is being shot, the cast should be in large part decide by the casting of prior movies. Iron Man, Captain America. Ant Man, Wasp maybe), the hulk, and any possible supporting characters that might be carried over from previous projects would almost all be decided before the avengers goes before the camera. I personally think that the casting of Captain America is one of the most important decisions facing Marvel at this time: such an iconic character has to go over well with the moviegoing audience if Marvel is to see any huge success with the Avengers movie. Captain america: The first Avenger is obviously from its title the lead in to the Marvel Avengers movie - as well as the fact that it is scheduled to be released a couple of months before the Avengers movie.

The Marvel Avengers movie is scheduled for a July 15th, 2011 release and is already being anticipated by Marvel Zombies everywhere...

Buying Collectibles Online

2008-12-10T20:44:00.001-08:00

Collectors are a particular lot in that they harbor a rabid interest in objects in which other people may not immediately perceive the value. But, regardless of what those who are not colloectors think, there is a massive market for rare antiques, artwork, comics, stamps, sports memorabilia and items derived from popular culture. Up till now, getting a hold of these items was difficult. Now however, the internet has made it easy to find these items.

There was a time when the only way to purchase collectible comic book items was either at trade shows trade shows, auctions or through mail order catalogues. Obviously, it's a lot more work to visit a trade show than it is to visit a webpage. Using the checkout function of a website is also a lot easier than having to write a check and mail it to a PO box. Clearly, the additional convenience of placing an internet order is a major plus when it comes to finding and placing an order for collectibles on the internet.

As well, the internet has seen prices drop on several rare collectibles. The reason for this is that on the internet searching for and finding the items is not a difficult task. Prior to this, if a rare collectible such as a 1950s comic book was only available through 10 stores in the United States, {most collectors} wouldn't have been aware that the comic book existed unless they went and visited one of the stores. Now, all 10 stores could advertise the comic book on Ebay simultaneously. So, even though the comic is a rare item, the scarcity factor is reduced and this brings the price down.

And speaking of price drops, Ebay's listing fees are pretty small as opposed to placing mail order ads. Instead of paying $500 for a magazine ad, Ebay charges a small listing fee and takes a cut of the sale. This reduction in overhead is another factor that lets the seller lower prices as well. As such, buying online is a much more cost effective option than following the traditional method.

Something to be aware of however: it is difficult to determine the condition of an item if one is buying via the internet. Photographs of what is for sale may not completely depict an accurate representation of the condition. Therefore, it is imperative that you make sure there is a return policy in effect. If the item is not in the condition you were led to believe then you should have the option of having your money refunded.

It is safe to say however, that most collectible dealers are very conscientious and they do not sell merchandise that's not as advertised. Therefore, the majority of online collectible purchases will go smoothly and will meet all expectations.

Tintin The Belgium Boy Detective Explained

2008-10-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

Now a Tintin movie is reported to be released early 2010 it is good time to get behind the Tintin character? Tintin is a young Belgian reporter who through heroic action solves mysteries that are presented at the start of each comic book. Tintin was first introduced to the world in Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Tintin was the creation of George Remi under he pen name Herge and was first introduced in a Belgium paper in 19289-1930.

Tintin and the Land of the Soviets was a political satire that poked fun at the Soviets claims to having a thriving economy and found an audience due to many people’s unease with the Soviet Empire. Remi himself had distrust for the Soviet Empire.

The Tintin comic series have an almost formulaic feel about it. Most of the books deal with Tintin having to solve a mystery of some kind whilst also having to write a story for his paper.

A great example of how a Tintin album works is Tintin and the Black Island. In The Black Island Tinitn sees a plane make an emergency landing and goes to try and help. Tintin goes to the pilots aid but it only results in the pilot trying to shoot him. Tintin then recovers in hospitable where he finds out that a similar plane crashed in a field in Sussex from the detectives Thompson and Thompson.

Tintin then obviously decides to investigate the mystery for himself. The adventure thus starts leading Tintin to be accused of assault and theft of a fellow passenger on a train journey and later kidnapped and forced to jump off a cliff (saved by his dog snowy before he is made too). The trail leads to an Island off Scotland where stories of a strange beast is said to kill humans. Tintin discovers the Island to be the hideout of forgers and cleverly captures them and holds them till the police arrive.

The reader will always see Tintin solve the mysteries put before him though some adventures are set over two books such as Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. The wierd happenstance in many Tintin albums is that you will see Tintin solve crimes but more often than not hand in a finished article. The end of the comic strips often sees him receiving a hero’s reception along with Captain Haddock and Snowy.

Tintin is a heroic young man but lacks the color of many of the other characters that appear in the comic books. Herge created a chararcter in Tintin with neutral attitudes which makes him easier to understand.

On the release of the first Tintin movie in 2010 of a Tintin move trilogy should see Tintin becoming even more popular. The Tintin movie will be directed by Steven Spielberg andto find out more please visit the website Le Tintin Movie.

HALLOWEEN: gifts and ideas for celebrating Halloween on a budget

2008-10-21T15:49:00.001-07:00

Halloween is almost upon us once again, and the amount of items available in stores made me wonder why isn’t Halloween made into even more of an event? Maybe an unearthly Easter. Think about it- you could have jolly old Satan Claws come and fill your stocking with guts, surround your Halloween tombstone with goodies and rotting carcasses, and then you could all sit down to a pleasant Halloween dinner of roast pumpkin and Gutted Bystander. Really though, it could be turned into more than just simple Trick Or Treating and bobbing for apples, even in these financially erratic times.

Halloween can be a riot for both kids and adults, and can serve as a bonding experience for friends and families. Involving children in Halloween styled games can be a great way to entertain youngsters and educate them on traditional pastimes (even when their origins have become so obscured by popular culture). Dressing up can be fantastic fun for all, and properly supervised Trick-Or-Treating is a great thing for making memories.

But halloween shouldn't be limited to kids parties. With all kinds of themed events on in clubs, cinemas etc, there's lots that the adult Halloweener is able to sink their teeth into (sorry). There's a great deal of Halloween themed merchandise that make great gifts, such as licensed horror movie memorabilia and other merchandise such as action figures, posters, statues, and of course the movies themselves. You could check out things like the ever-creepy Living Dead Dolls, or movie collectibles created by MacFarlane Toys, NECA and Sideshow Collectibles.

Do you want a fun Halloween in? Gather your friends, some suitably kitsch horror movies (Go for the cheese more than the darker stuff- zombie films, cheap B-movies, Chucky, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and its billion sequels, films you can shout at), Halloween snacks (stock up on kids snacks and themed sweets- there's nobody saying the grown-ups can't have some fun too), add some suitably camp music (I recommend 'Project 1950' and 'American Psycho' by the Misfits, and anything by the Cramps) and voila, you have the makings of a fun Halloween party in your own home. While that sounds like a typical night in at our place, there are people out there who are actually normal. Somewhere. I suppose. get your place decked out with fake cobwebs and plastic skulls and make an event out of it.

Looking for an evening's worth of viewing? A few recommendations for you:

The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, An American Werewolf in London, Bad Dreams, Hellraiser, Evil Dead 2, Return of the Living Dead 2, Creepshow, Day of the Dead, Trick or Treat, Re-animator, Scanners, The Burning, Poltergeist, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, A Nightmare on Elm street, Class of Nuke ‘Em High (okay, this is a spoof but it still kicks ass),. TITLE. EVER), Dead Zone, The Gate, The Hunger, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Monster Squad, Sorority babes in the Slime-ball Bowl-O-Rama….. There's literally thousands of them. See what fun there is to be had.

There's a wealth of ways to go to make your Halloween memorable. Get things underway with a movie night as suggested above, then maybe go along to a themed party or pub night. Preferably dressed up. Check your local listings for events in your area that you can go along to and take part in, the more ludicrous the better. If all this sounds like a no-brainer, that's because it really is. With little effort you can transform this commercial event into something really enjoyable. Don't think of it as more cost- think of it as a break from normality and a way to have some fun down in these difficult times. Halloween celebrations shouldn’t be all about handing out sweets to bored kids on your doorstep- it should be enjoyed and relished. I mean, how often can you actually run around dressed as a bloodied monk during the rest of the year? Actually, best not answer that question.

Buying A Supergirl Adult Costume - Things To Consider

2008-10-11T01:40:00.001-07:00

If you're not sure what to wear to this year's Halloween party, or you have a trick or treater without a costume, Supergirl might be the perfect choice. She's not as well known as Superman, but a Supergirl Halloween costume is enough to make any one of us a cool crime fighter this year.

Supergirl came to comics in the late 1950s, and ever since, she's been a popular hero. For the entirety of her comics career, Supergirl has worn a version of Superman's red and blue, but with a short skirt. There's some variation, though, and in the 1960s, fans even got to vote on what Supergirl was wearing! The current version is the one most of the Supergirl Halloween costumes you find will be based on. It features a blue and red leotard, boots, a cape, and a short red skirt.

Of course, even this outfit has lots of different interpretations. There are kids costumes, toddler costumes, adult Supergirl outfits, sparkly ones, and more. The simplicity of this costume means a less variable price range than many other costume types, but there are still lots of options. For instance, some costumes include extras like false boot tops or boots. Some are better made and use nicer materials, which means a slightly higher price.

Some people may wish to assemble a Supergirl costume on their own, rather than buying one. This can be difficult, however. That's because Supergirl is a relatively distinctive costume, and most of the pieces can't be bought in the department store or scavenged from your closet. Instead, they all need to be made from scratch. Stretchy fabrics can be a challenge to sew, causing many people to choose to purchase their Supergirl costume, instead.

Choosing to buy doesn't mean you don't get to try to save money on your costume, though. After all, everyone wants to get the best deal possible. Don't cut corners and buy the cheapest costume out there, however. That can result in a low quality costume that won't last and doesn't look good.

What's a better option? Do your shopping online. That way, you can browse through the entire selection of costumes. You'll be able to find the size and look you want, and you or your little hero can fly high this year without spending too much. Online sellers can offer great deals on even higher end costumes, helping you save.

Just remember to buy your Supergirl Halloween costume early, and avoid letting extra fees damage your budget. The amount you're really paying can be affected by shipping and handling, though the price might not rise much. Just pay attention, and you'll get a great deal on even a small budget.

So, if you're not sure what to wear this year, make it a Super Halloween. Supergirl Adult costume are a great choice for kids, and they're a fun part of a Super couples costume. Dress your guy as Superman, and you'll be a matching set!

MARVEL vs DC: Summer 2008

2008-09-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well this past Summer has certainly been a most interesting one for the 'Big Two'. During this time we got to see both companies present their readers with their annual Summer event books, replete with a long list of tie-ins, such as the obligatory one shot specials, related mini-series and the countless number of tie-in issues of each company's regular titles.

The Marvel event book this year is Secret Invasion, and is focused on the Skrulls efforts to systematically infiltrate and then invade the planet Earth with the belief that it is the promised land for the Skrull race.

The DC event book this year is Final Crisis, and primarily involves the rebirth of the various New Gods characters (after their recent apparent demise) and a cunningly orchestrated assault on the heroes of the DCU by the reborn forces of Apokolips.

Although both Summer events are still unresolved as of the time of my writing this, I am pretty much ready to declare a winner here. Before I declare it though let me be clear: I was definitely anticipating both of the Big Two's event books this Summer - there really was no bias here at the outset. (honest).

After reading a number of issues of both series, as well as a number of the tie-ins (yes, I am a sucker for them every year) I would have to give the victory to ...

Now here is how I reached my decision on this.

Storywise, I have to admit that Secret Invasion had me more engrossed in its storyline early on; after the first two issues I was really wanting to see where the story was going to go next with all of the Skrulls devious infiltrations starting to bear fruit and their traps being sprung on the confused and bewildered Marvel heroes. Of course a decent start to a story isn't too hard a task for someone like Brian Bendis, the writer of this mini. I suppose where it started to go downhill for me was probably at about the third issue; by that point despite the interesting peripheral stories that Bendis was telling, the main storyline was starting to feel bogged down, with major heroes of the story standing around stuck in the Savage Land fighting each other as well as a group of apparent Marvel hero imposters. I knew it was eventually going to move ahead to a (hopefully) entertaining climax, I just felt that I was being asked to wait too long to get there. You know it is a bad sign when the crossover issues are more entertaining than the actual main series and that was where I was at by the third issue. Ironically, it was the Bendis written crossovers that I was enjoying more than his main event book. This is actually more of a compliment on the writing of his current Avengers titles rather than saying anything negative about Secret Invasion. However, crossover issues shouldn't have to be the saviour of the main book and unfortunately for Secret Invasion they are.

Artwise, secret Invasion was nothing special. I seem to be in the minority of people that actually don't mind - heck, even enjoy Leinil Yu's artwork on the New avengers regular series. For some reason however, even though many of the same characters are in it, I wasn't getting the same level of enjoyment from Yu's work on Secret Invasion. I will keep buying it and reading it to see where it all goes because I am still enjoying it to some extent, just not to the level I was at the start.

Interestingly enough, my experience with DC's Final Crisis has been almost the exact opposite to that of reading Secret Invasion; for me Final Crisis started out a bit slow - as I sometimes find Grant Morrison's work is guilty of doing, but really started to peak my interst after a couple of issues. Morrison has been subtley building up the tensions throughout this story while drawing many different threads together. On the surface the storlines seem to be disparate, but it is becoming evident that they will all be eventually tiying in towards a very big climax. Morrison's plotting here is very reminiscent of aspects of his work on 52. I have to wonder though if there was any kind of a company mandate for having the return of a certain scarlet speedster or if it was all from the mind of Morrison. These first few issues have beared rereading because Morrison is giving us so much detail in his scripts; there is some effective layering going on here.

The J G Jones artwork has been very solid so far and has really been fitting the mood of the story. Jones has a knack for drawing super heroes as pretty normal looking peole and is quite effective at capturing the feel of a chaotic and gritty environment (ala Bladerunner), and that style really suits the story here. Obviously I will be following this series to its conclusion as well.

There you have it, I picked an end of Summer winner even though we have not yet reched the end of this Summer's events. Okay, maybe it was a bit premature on my part but i was feeling the urge to somehow mark the passing of this year's Summer events, even though they will still be with us come Halloween...