"I miss writing the Justice Society." - @GeoffJohns

Got a little bit excited about that tweet. Which, like so much of the last few years, could just as easily be a reference to something totally unrelated to unpicking the New 52. Maybe the JSA factor into The Flash (something he's been tweeting about). Maybe the JSA is just getting a reprieve in The New 52. Any number of less desirable options are available. Yet I live in hope. #BurnHollywoodBurn

- Preview: Batman Beyond Universe #11





I was never a Batman Beyond fan, so it might be for that reason I find myself interested when "Superman Beyond" shows up. The annual they did a few years ago before relaunching the series was quite enjoyable.

This issue looks pretty cool, even if I'm generally repulsed by how inundated DC Comics has been with asshole versions of Superman. I would say we don't need more Batman/Superman battles than we've already had over the past couple of years, but that would be ignoring the ones that get it right, and the inevitability of many more leading up to the movie.

- Marvel's ORIGINAL GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Get Ongoing GUARDIANS 3000 Series in October



I was never much of a Guardians fan, but that's unbelievably cool. Hope it finds an audience, particularly with people jumping on the "new" Guardians of the Galaxy. There are rumors of a Marvel reboot - which is a shame. This belies it, showing a spark of imagination and investment in the properties they have. Cool stuff.

- FUTURES END Mysteries: Biggest Questions (and Possible Answers) Two Months In



In keeping with my usual distraction, the picture of a helmeted mystery Superman made me wonder if there was something new suggesting an unpicking of the New 52. If I want to see that, I'm sure I can, but reading this article about Future's End almost made me hate [superhero] comics.

Got roped into some obligated sitting, so I grabbed a few single issues off the pile just to have something to read. Glad I did. Don't do it enough, these days.



What these issues aren't is exceptional - but there's a lot of virtue in their pages. Refreshers are cumbersome, but remind how easy it is to have an on-going continuum of events without leaving people in the dark. Exposition comes a little clunky, if anything. Back-to-back issues feature the same blunt explanations of things that don't necessarily need it in the second instance (particularly in the case of #10's guest character -- who literally does a disappearing act in #11, right after a second take of facts retold in #10).

Were that it enough to merely refine these elements without losing the fly-by-the-seat approach to monthly superhero comics!

What's still abundantly apparent about this period is that it was a product of what came before it. It's moving along. There's an encroaching nineties sensibility that's certainly palpable here - not to any glaring negative. The characters are intact as iconic, recognizable versions, even as they're embroiled in contemporary affairs and life struggles. The characters have a sense of the times and a forward trajectory, despite their connection to the past. Looking at those storytelling issues [noted above] -- it's easy to think about the writer-driven resurgence of the early 2000s. Those were the comics that moved things forward in that way. They too were part of a continuum of refinement that makes it easy to have some confidence about the follies of the now. It's not just generational disdain. The chain of decades has been broken.

"Acts of Vengeance" has always been a favourite Marvel Comics event. A shuffle of hero-to-villain combinations in a time when that shuffle really meant something. Hobgoblin (demonically upgraded lethal foe of Spider-man) is the more interesting contrast, but Morbius (The Living Vampire -- another former Spidey villain) is an old favourite I enjoy seeing enter this world. It wasn't long after this Marvel arranged Strange & Morbius into a collective of books that dealt with darker, mystically inclined, street centred characters. It was fun seeing the 70s horror & mystic characters repackaged for the nineties. It's nice to have favourite characters like these. Characters whose saga was sometimes only told through sporadic guest spots and the occasional short-lived series, but without the loss of that continuing existence. That disjointed sense of verisimilitude -- of revisiting an old friend who's in a slightly different point in their life -- has often made characters like Morbius (or popular villains) some of the most interesting and fun to read about.

This thread should be for anyone with any level of interest in comics -- new or old. So I don't like to bog it down in grousing about the current state of the big two super-publishers. Better to grab onto the bits that work and leave everyone to sort themselves out. That said, it's been all too long since I've really spent time with non-descript back issues and I thought it'd be nice to dwell on that a bit. The pleasure of insignificant issues that never formally surrender their significance. A good balance.

I was disappointed Morbius didn't stick around beyond #10. He was there to usher in developments of a vampiric nature and it would've made a bit of sense to have him stick around to see those through. They aren't exactly concluded here and now, though. In the decades that followed, this probably would've been a much more organized storyarc that had Morbius present for a to-be-collected four-six issues. Perfection probably lies somewhere in between.

Also happened to flick through Punisher War Journal #13. Another Acts of Vengeance issue from the same time -- this one pitting Bushwacker against Punisher in another fun villain swap. One that was a very natural fit.

- Drawing Crazy Patterns – The Thing’s Floating Superhero Poker Game



There are a lot of fun quirks and traditions in superhero comics. [Thing]'s poker games and the X-Men's softball games rank among the best heroes in mundane situations. Great article recapping some of the fun times!

- Preview: Black Dynamite #3





Oh, yes. I think so!

- Marvel Reveals Two AXIS Tie-In Limited Series



Zero interest in AXIS, but it's always cool to probe the corners to see what genuinely interesting things squeeze out of these CHANGE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE FOREVERRRRRR events. Not sure if Hobgoblin will be one of them, but that's a really cool cover. Always liked the character. Would be nice to see this version (Roderick Kingsley) restored to prominence.

Hasn't Kingsley been featured a whole bunch in Dan Slott's run on Spider-Man? I've been irregular as a reader but I feel like I've seen at least a few Hobgoblin arcs going on both before and during Superior.

Have to confess ignorance. Last Hobgoblin stuff I'm aware of was Phil Urich during Big Time. Which is who knows how many years ago, now.

If I recall correctly, Kingsley, who has made a new career out of collecting D-lister villains' gear and costumes and selling the "franchise rights" to mooks, returns and makes Urich pay tribute to keep using the Hobgob gear and the two of them share the role for a while.

Then Urich switches to Norman's side during the final arc of Superior and calls himself "Goblin Knight". Kingsley fakes his death to make Norman think he's won and went to lie low for a while.

I love the D-List franchise concept. Finding Urich a new identity makes a lot of sense. I'm just not sure compounding ye olde goblin problem is a good look for modern comics. I was a little iffy on Menace. Seems awfully soon to be adding a Goblin Knight to the mix, as well. Then again, it sounds like it was probably pretty organic, at least.

I kinda like getting Phil Urich back in the mix. I'm just not sure anyone should be looking at the Goblinmania of the past and be seeing precedent.

Especially now - when it seems like Marvel is making most of their trademarks ineffective and meaningless. Spidey can probably endure 100 Spider-People running around, but surely you want second & third tier villains to keep their strength by not running them into the ground.

[Ughhh, I feel like such a grumpy old man.]

Norman was recruiting a gang and calling himself "Goblin King" at the time, so it fit.
To be fair, "too many goblins running around" was the theme of the arc, and at the end the hero does triumph and restore the status quo somewhat. Still, I can see where you're coming from. Marvel has had a LOT of events lately where the premise was "Everybody becomes X", like "Every hero becomes a Hulk" or "Everybody gets a hammer from Asgard" or "Everybody in New York has Spider-powers"...

Cap's dead again. Thor's a chick again. Does anybody care?

Not dead. Old.

I care, and I'll follow...if they're good. However, they're tampering with my most beloved heroes. Marvel

The longer you read, the more these events become "for me, it was Tuesday".

- Mile High Comics To Not Return To SDCC

Howdy!

I am turning 60 years old next March. I mention that major turning point in my life only because the last time that I did not attend a San Diego Comic-Con, I was 17 years old, and still in high school. Since I graduated, for all 42 years of my adult life, I have committed the heart of each of my summers to my personal obsession with experiencing the joys of the San Diego Comic-Con. I even passed this personal passion on my part on to my four daughters, all of whom spent their entire childhoods delightedly roaming the halls of the various incarnations of this great comics convention.

Sadly, that entire blessed reality may need to end after this year’s show closes tomorrow evening. I have not yet found the courage to reach my final decision, but my best estimate is that, at our current rate of sales, we will suffer a loss of $10,000 at this year’s show. As much as I like being a part of this wonderful gathering, I simply do not have the money to be able to pay $10,000 out of my own pocket for the privilege of providing the fans here with comic books. After 42 consecutive years in a row, it may finally (at long last...) be time for me to bid San Diego good-bye, forever.

Before I go further, I would encourage those of you who have not yet read my newsletter from yesterday to first read my analysis of some of the seismic changes that have contributed to our loss. The one factor that I would ask that you especially note when you read my first essay is the fact that our entire 7-booth display that we are operating at this year’s San Diego convention was first premiered six weeks ago, at the Denver Comic-Con. Despite our having about 20,000 fewer comics available in Denver, and that convention being only three days long (with half the number of attendees as San Diego...), our sales per hour in Denver were double (!) what they are here. That made all the difference, as we turned a reasonable profit in Denver, as opposed to a massive loss in San Diego.

So how could an extremely successful back issue comics booth in Denver become so stunningly unsuccessful in San Diego? Because in Denver we were not being utterly crushed by the very publishers who’s goods we sell on a daily basis. In a nutshell, the comics publishers with booths at the San Diego convention have so cleverly exploited the greed and avarice of comics fans through limited edition publications that are only available through their own booths, that there is no longer enough disposable income left in the room to sustain us. A sad state of affairs, but also completely true.

To illustrate my point, I had the leader of one of the major comics publishing houses stop by our booth on the way out the door last evening. This man has been our friend and ally for decades. He was absolutely ebullient yesterday evening in describing the amazing success that they were experiencing in their booth as a result of selling vast quantities of exclusive variants. I felt more than a little embarrassment and shame when I had to rain on his parade, by pointing out to him that the collective effect of his actions (combined with the other publishers and manufacturers at the show...) was devastating our sales. My response was not at all what he expected to hear. But as the validity of what I was expressing became clear, I could see awareness dawning in his eyes.

All of the above having been said, my publisher friend is an extremely astute man, so he quickly understood the unintended consequences of his actions. Given that he was only seeking to cover his own costs of exhibiting in this dreadfully expensive venue, however, he could muster no material reply to my pain. In many regards, that was the most depressing aspect of this entire fiasco. Being obviated by lifelong friends is particularly galling, especially when we it is clear that we are nothing more than collateral damage, in a battle being waged by giants.

So where does this leave us? As much as I hate to admit this, it now seems obvious to me now that we finally have to end a lifetime of exhibiting at San Diego, and instead seek out relatively popular comics conventions in other cities. Especially conventions where our publisher friends choose to not exhibit. Doesn’t that thought just drip with irony? Comics publishers have evolved to become toxic to their own retailers. Who would ever have thought that would happen? Even with all my many years of experience, I simply cannot believe that our world has now been so perverted by the mania for exclusive variants, that comics retailers can now only survive in the absence of the very publishers we support. No matter how you look at it, this is a profoundly sad day.

Chuck Rozanski,
President-Mile High Comics, Inc.

July 26, 2014

I don't think con variants are the only factor working against retailers, but that hardly matters in the end. Breaks my heart to see the comics business being eaten from the inside out.

- Inside DC Comics’ 1990 redesign of Robin

This is a nice summary article highlighting another, much more thorough article about the 1990 Robin design [RE: Batman 25th anniversary]. A time in comics I remember very fondly. A costume that undoubtedly ranks among the great improvements to a classic design! This is my absolutely favourite part of CBR's highlight, though:

Adams also said he created a “darker” design for Robin that he turned in to DC; however, he recommended they not show it to the Batman producers, because they would like it more and would ruin DC’s franchise.

“Then they asked DC, ‘Could you have your designer go one step further? Have him give Robin a darker costume, closer to Batman’s costume.’ So, I did. I created another Robin costume. Then I had Kris [Adams' daughter] get on the phone with DC Comics and she said to them exactly what I am going to say to you. ‘Neal is going to send over a Robin costume. We recommend that you do not show it to the film company. You will sort of like it. It’s not Robin, it’s a dark costume. They will love it because they want a dark Robin. You have already shown them a successful Robin. If you show them this costume they will buy this costume and you will destroy your licensing for Robin forever. We are going to send it over, but we recommend that you do not show it to them. Make up whatever excuses you can to not show it to them. You can say, “You know, we have gone far enough. We have changed the Robin costume enough. We have cooperated enough. We are not going to go any further we are not going to do any more designs” We recommend you not show it because it looks too good. Do not show it.’”

I love it! Great call, tremendous chutzpah! Neal Adams is excellent

- This map of the DC Comics multiverse will blow your mind



- GRANT MORRISON on MULTIVERSITY: It's Going to 'F' People Up

I don't think I can pull any quotes. It's all just wonderful. Read the article.

- THE MAP OF THE MULTIVERSE

Welcome to the Multiversity! Hover over an Earth to see its details. Click on it to learn more. New Earths are being revealed frequently so visit often.

Interactive multiverse map~! Woo!

This is the kind of stuff a comic fan is probably gonna know, but for the sake of completion (and getting it to the people who don't know) - check out our Will Hydro be in the Next Mortal Kombat? feature "investigation".

It's not just about the much discussed character (Hydro), but the general fate of Malibu Comics. We talked to John Tobias and Tom Brevoort, who are both quoted in the article. Comics fans will know them as the co-creator of MK and one of Marvel's most prolific modern editors, respectively.

Any comments/questions should be directed to that thread. (Don't post them here! Cheers.)

Today would've been Jack Kirby's 97th birthday. Lots of great art tributes going on out in the world. If you've got any, bring 'em here.

I've been following Phil Hester's output, which includes 97 inked mugshot sketches of Kirby characters. Pretty damn fantastic!

- 80-year-old Art Deco artist primes for his comic debut

Polish expat Andre Krayewski has had a long and interesting life. Born in 1933 in Stalinist Poland, de Krayeski dreamed of America and jazz music, and he expressed himself through art. With his Art Deco style, he became known in his home country for creating Polish movie posters, and he later moved to America, where he found success in the art scene. He’s best known for creating the 1997 Panasonic Jazz Festival poster, as well as paintings for the New York Film Academy.

The artist put pen to paper and wrote a-semi autobiographic novel titled Skyliner relating his jazz-loving youth in 1950s Poland. And now, at age 80, Krayewski is adapting that work for comics.

Very cool!

Ok, question.

I've relocated to an area that doesn't have a comic shop, but there is a Hastings nearby. I've had very little experience buying from them, but they seem to be fairly well stocked. However, I'm hesitant since most of my shopping has been through dedicated comic shops. There is a comic shop about 60 miles away, which I could probably get a box at, but I would really only make the trip when I had to, so pile-up would be an issue. So has anyone had any negative/positive experiences with Hastings? Is it at-least good enough for more mainstream titles? Do they charge box fees?

- OLD CAP and DEADPOOL Defend WOLVERINE After His Death



In the wake of Death of Wolverine, someone’s out to desecrate the memory of the long-time hero and make off with his DNA. Fortunately, his friends from the unlikely brotherhood of the Weapon Plus program – Captain America and Deadpool – want to protect their fallen comrade’s memory. This October 29 (Newsarama Note: due to delays on the main Death of Wolverine series, this date is subject to change), Marvel is releasing the one-shot Death of Wolverine: Deadpool & Captain America that sees this unlikely duo reunite – under extraordinary circumstances.

Most Deadpool stuff since... Joe Kelly,, I guess... leaves me pretty cold. This one seems like it could be a lot of fun, though. Nice concept. Scott Kolins is back in fine form (with good finishes). Small interview and some preview pencils. Worth checking out!


Wish I could help!

- Mignola Unleashes "Frankenstein" Into Hellboy's World



... [W]ith his latest project, the artist is returning to a monster that wouldn't stay dead in his imagination. Dark Horse's 2015 miniseries "Frankenstein Underground" brings back the creature from Mary Shelley's novel as an ongoing character in Hellboy's world. The pair last crossed paths in the "House of the Living Dead" graphic novel, but now Frankenstein takes center stage in "Underground," as written by Mignola and drawn by Ben Stenbeck.

Oh hell yes!