2 To The Chest #2 (the first issue was fun in a non-superhero kind of way)

 Aleister Arcane #1 (could be good)
 
 El Zombo #1 (i'm skeptical but will give it an issue)

 Forgive Me Father #1 (i have no idea what this is but will give it a shot)
 
 Ghost Wolf #1 (again, skeptical but you never know)
 
 Joe Lansdales By Bizarre Hands #1 (i'm a big Lansdale fan and The Drive-In was a blast)
 
 Runaways #14 (one of my top 5 titles)

 Ultimate Spider-Man #57 (usually a good read though i think this "Hollywood" storyline blows)
 
 Walking Dead #6 (inching up to my favorite book to read)

Secret Identity (one of Kurt Busiek's FINEST!!) If you aren't reading this, then you're missing out!!
Superman/Batman #9
Fantastic Four # 512

Wait a minute -- JLA97 didn't come out today?

It would make sense that it didn't as 96 came out just last week.

Wait a minute -- JLA97 didn't come out today?

Nope. 96 just came out last week. Bi-weekly, right?



Matt Reed

Yeah, diamond has it listed next week:

http://www.diamondcomics.com/shipping/expected_042804.txt

Dang -- my comps keep throwing off my calculations. I used to get them the week before the book went on sale. Now I seem to be getting them 2 weeks early.

My pickups for the week, expectations lower than lass week:

The solid locks:
Superman/Batman
Fantastic Four

Will give the new teams a chance:
Hawkman (fill-in)
Adventures of Superman

Bubble books:
Gotham Knights
Robin

The lunch time read: Robin.
The bubble has burst. I'll be back when Tim is back in the suit, and there is a new writer.

Arrowsmith/Astro City #1


Told ya I was really cutting down on my purchases....

This week....

Ultimate Sp. man 57

Superman/Batman 9

Robin 125

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 1-(they had and I'm curious, so we'll see.)

ARROWSMITH ASTRO CITY
CAPTAIN MARVEL #22
HAWKEYE #7
HAWKMAN #27
HUMAN TARGET #9
POWERPUFF GIRLS #49
ROBIN #125
ROSE AND THORN #5
SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL 13
WONDER WOMAN #203

Read the Robin issue so far. Not bad, but I wonder if they're going for a "new beginning" kind of story or "there can be only one" kind of story. If it's the latter, I'm rather fond of Stephanie (I was pulling for her to get the Batgirl gig, but I guess Robin works, too ) so I hope things don't turn out too badly for her.

Outsiders and Robin are finished for me, too. Teen Titans beats Outsiders down, I'll have to see how much NuRobin annoys me in TT because I'll drop it, too, even though I love Geoff Johns' writing, over NuRobin. My problem with NuRobin simply is I think it is an editorial stunt and I don't agree with stunts and the only meaningful way to show my displeasure is by voting with my wallet. Actually, all the Bat books are off my list and I'm debating if I want to write that well thought out snail-mail letter asking for a change of editor because when I can't find any Bat Book I currently like, I know it's more than just the writers.

Rucka's Superman worked well this week. There is hope for a Superman that doesn't suck.

Superman/Batman 9 - Not feeling it. Think I'm going to stop reading this one. Supergirl 4.0 has all the charm of a can of white paint - naught but a mcguffen. Krypto was the best part of this issue.

Runaways - Worth reading, but I don't want this to be an unlimited run series. I think if taken as a serialized novel this book will work well and the buzz will build. Show us that the story has a middle and an ending and that everything is building towards a climax and I think the audience will follow. We don't need another series that is just futzing around for 20 issues and then wraps up because it finally got cancelled so they give it the big finish.

Mike Nebeker - Super Genuis
Good Judgement comes from Experience and Experience comes from... Bad Judgement.

Superman/Batman 9
Outsiders 11 (?) why I don't know
Batman Adventures 13
Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Sipder-Man volume 6 (a monster 296 pages)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Hardcover
Zatanna Mini-bust

I was supposed to get the final issue of Superman: Secret Identity, but they undershipped to my store, so I'll get it next week. I did pick up a compilation of the first six issues of MAD on Monday. That'll just have to be my comics shipment for this week.

Astro City / Arrowsmith
Marvel Masterworks Amazing Spider-man Vol. 6 - I'm already 100 pages into this and lovin' it! I hadn't read Annual 4 since I was 6 years old and it brought back many fond memories.

Cheers,

Rod

"Runaways - Worth reading, but I don't want this to be an unlimited run series. I think if taken as a serialized novel this book will work well and the buzz will build. Show us that the story has a middle and an ending and that everything is building towards a climax and I think the audience will follow. We don't need another series that is just futzing around for 20 issues and then wraps up because it finally got cancelled so they give it the big finish."

Wow, do I disagree! This is one of the best-written books out there. By your logic, all comic series should follow this trajectory and end after an alotted time. I don't see why this has to end, even if the kids confront and/or defeat the Pride. There are always new thing to run from!

Another week with few comics that intrested me. I picked up Superman/Batman, which I am enjoying a lot. Also picked up Marvel Masterwork Amazing Spiderman Vol 6. All around great, great book. Can't go wrong with Lee and Romita. just can't. That's all folks. Nothing else caught my eye. Almost picked up the DC 1 million trade, but 20 bucks? Please!

**Wow, do I disagree! This is one of the best-written books out there. By your logic, all comic series should follow this trajectory and end after an alotted time. I don't see why this has to end, even if the kids confront and/or defeat the Pride. There are always new thing to run from!**

Not all comic series, just the ones that live in a mostly self-contained universe, like Runaways.

Runaways reads like a serialized novel. This is a good thing. Make it open ended and the book will become a parody of itself. This title has a specific story it wants to tell and I say when it is over, collect it in a trade and either dump the characters into the general hero population or let them lie low until the next novel presents itself. Otherwise, like I said, you will have a book that moves at a languid pace and then gets cancelled so everything gets tied up in some unsatisfactory doublesized final issue.

There is little to no buzz with the book at the moment, but if you say, "This story for this book is 30 issues long and then it is over." You generate buzz. People get interested, get curious, pick up the back issues. And it keeps the writing focused - something this book had problems with in the earlier issues. It took the first threat of cancellation for the plot to start moving, that is harsh medicine. Better to control your destiny and leave them wanting Runaways 2 than go out at some strange issue number with the project consigned to oblivion.

Mike Nebeker - Super Genuis
Good Judgement comes from Experience and Experience comes from... Bad Judgement.

but i still disagree. the title is well-written. period. people not reading it is as baffling to me as people not watching ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. that doesn't mean that AD should be canceled and that the characters should be shuffled into other Fox shows.

to bring this back to JB, X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS was theoretically a finite concept, but I got the feeling that JB could have kept going for years and years.