Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 10/26/11

For all of the curious people out there wondering what I like to read week to week here is a list of the titles I am going to be picking up for the week of 10/26/11:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics.)

01. All Star Western #2 DC
02. Amazing Spider-Man #672 Marvel
03. Annihilators: Earthfall #2 of 4 Marvel
04. Aquaman #2 DC
05. Batman: The Dark Knight #2 DC
06. Blackhawks #2 DC
07. Captain America & Bucky #623 Marvel
08. DMZ #70 Vertigo
09. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz #2 of 8 Marvel
10. Flash #2 DC
11. A Game of Thrones #2 Dynamite
12. Green Lantern: New Guardians #2 DC
13. Justice League Dark #2 DC
14. Legion: Secret Origin #1 of 6 DC
15. Spaceman #1 Vertigo
16. Superman #2 DC
17. Voodoo #2 DC

This is the last week of the "New Re-Jiggered 52" number twos and I'm looking forward to reading: All Star Western, Green Lantern: New Guardians, Superman, Justice League Dark, and Aquaman. I know my girlfriend is looking forward to Voodoo this week, and she keeps asking when the next Catwoman issue is out. She obviously has no patience, but I like seeing her interested in not only comics but reading as well.
Overall I must say that I have been impressed with the number twos from this month. Some of them actually renewed my interest in continuing some of the titles I was on the fence about.
I do believe DC has done some great stuff with the "New Rejiggered 52" and despite a dip in sales for the number twos this month (which is not unusual for any number two of a series) I think DC has something going here and I hope they keep it up.
Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.

As usual I'll be talking comics on The Comic Conspiracy, and on the Geekbox Forums. Now get out there and enjoy some good old fashioned comic book reading.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Random Comic Pick - Episode 29

My random comic pick on The Comic Conspiracy: Episode 28 is Gotham Central written by Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker with are by Michael Lark. I picked this up on a recommendation and loved it, which is how most people came to love this series. It started in 2003 and ended with issue 40 in 2006. It follows the Gotham City Police Department and the lives of those who serve an protect in the city where Batman prowls the streets and super criminals run amok.
Some of the main characters that appeared in the series were Marcus Driver, Romy Chandler, Renee Montoya (who later becomes the Question), Crispus Allen (The Spectre) and Josephine "Josie Mac" MacDonald. A good lead cast has good supporting character and these were mainly the superiors at GCPD, Commissioner Michael Akins, Captain Margaret "Maggie" Sawyer and Lieutenant Ron Probson. You will also find Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Bullock makes appearances throughout the series.
Gotham Central is collected into four hard covers and five soft trades. Here is a list of the soft trades:

Vol. 1: In the Line of Duty
Vol. 2: Half a Life
Vol. 3: Unresolved Targets
Vol. 4: The Quick and the Dead
Vol. 5: Dead Robin

The whole 40 issue series is available for digital download through our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.
If you like any type of TV police drama or even just a good story I would pick up Gotham Central and see what happens in the lives of those on the GCPD.

Remember Comics Conspiracy is a great place to order comics and you can also download comics at the Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront for your computer, tablet or phone.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Waui Design Needs Your Help



Robert True, an old friend of mine who recently found out that his son Jayce was diagnosed with Autism. Since I have experience working with autistic children I can understand Robert's desire to be with his son more.
Autism is a difficult disorder because it is a neurological. The characteristics associated with Autism are impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior that can range from mild to severe.
Robert has always been a creative individual so he has decided to try and make a go at doing something that will allow him to provide for his family while giving him the freedom to be with his son more. Robert wants to make cute character t-shirts and he has started a KickStarter.com page to raise money to help him get this dream off the ground (much like the Comedy Button Podcast that is a part of the Geekbox family of podcasts). Please check out more about Robert's t-shirt designs at WauiDesign.com. And if you are interested in helping Robert achieve his goal to be there for his son and provide for his family please visit his Kick Starter Page and pledge your support. And remember that even if you are not able to pledge you can share this with friends and get the word out. Thank you for reading and your support.

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 10/19/11

For all of the curious people out there wondering what I like to read week to week here is a list of the titles I am going to be picking up for the week of 10/19/11:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics.)

01. Batman #2 DC
02. Captain Atom #2 DC
03. Catwoman #2 DC
04. DC Universe Online: Legends #16 DC
05. DC Universe Presents: Deadman #2 DC
06. Fables #110 Vertigo
07. Green Lantern Corps #2 DC
08. Justice League #2 DC
09. Legion of Super-Heroes #2 DC
10. Red Hood and the Outlaws #2 DC
11. Star Trek / Legion of Super-Heroes #1 IDW
12. Supergirl #2 DC
13. Uncanny X-Men #544 Marvel
14. X-Men #1: 20th Anniversary Edition Marvel

First off I want to say how horrible Fear Itself #7 was. I read it and was so disgusted with what is going on in the Marvel Universe. It was so bad it turned me off from picking up Fear Itself: The Home Front #7 of 7 that came also out today, and from continuing another Marvel title that I have been reading. Check out my blog post why Fear Itself is garabge. Uncanny X-Men has its final continuous issue this week and it marks the death of long running sequential comics at Marvel. All I can say, even though a new inking of Jim Lee's X-Men #1 came out this week (which looks amazing), is this; Marvel you are a huge disappointment.
On the other side of the shelf there is DC's Justice League, Batman, Catwoman, Green Lantern Corps, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Supergirl and DC Universe Presents: Dead Man, to name a few, which are turning out to be great reads! I am really looking forward to Justice League #2, Batman #2 and the Star Trek / Legion of Super-Heroes cross over from IDW this week. And I know my girlfriend is waiting to see what happens between Catwoman and Batman in Catwoman #2. I think she wants to see a little super hero bump and grind; don't we all.
Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.

As usual I'll be talking comics on The Comic Conspiracy, and on the Geekbox Forums. Now get out there and enjoy some good old fashioned comic book reading.

Fear Itself #7 is a Steaming Pile of Shit

Spoiler Alert

Today Fear Itself #7 came out and I read through it and it was a gigantic let down of epic proportions. There were 54 actual pages of comic in this $4.99 title and all of the epilogue stuff was 20 pages of preview material for titles coming out of this shitty event from Marvel. So, you really only got 34 pages from Fear Itself #7 and those pages where not worth the paper they were printed on. So, to recap the garbage that has come from Fear Itself I have complied a list of some of the things I found disappointing, dumb, or just in general bad with this Fear Itself event:

1) Bucky dies and we don't care. I definitely didn't and I had really come to like the Ed Brubaker take on who Bucky Barnes had become.

2) Fear Itself didn't actually have a solid story. It always seemed like each issue was just a solicitation for the Fear Itself cross over titles and mini-series, and it didn't have any solid content on its own, or if it did I didn't see it. I read one review that said Fear Itself was like a big giant puzzle where you didn't have the actual picture to see where to put the pieces. I would agree with that.

3) Captain America's shield is broken and then repaired, but it has a crack in it that Steve Rogers doesn't want covered up or buffed out, because he says it adds character to the shield. Cool except for the fact that Steve has been running around in the recently relaunched Captain America series, which happens after Fear Itself and he doesn't have a cracked shield. This is a huge inconsistency! So, huge that I find myself thinking, "I haven't really enjoyed this new relaunch of Captain America and I think this inconsistency just made this title ready for the chopping block!"

4) I hated the fact that I could sum up an issue with a few words that even when said out loud sounded as dumb as the content in Fear Itself. here are some examples:

Issue #1 - Asgardians are leaving and shit is falling from the sky.
Issue #2 - That shit that fell from the sky where hammers which when picked up turn the wielder into a Tron looking bad guy.
Issue #7 - Thor dies, Captain America's shield is fixed and the Asgardians left (well some of them)

5) Franklin Richards has a mega super power and doesn't use it because he promised his father he wouldn't. What?! If your kid can make a difference and stop the bad guys from destroying the world you let him do it! Smartest Man in the Marvel Universe my ass. Of course he was really busy trying to find a cure for those infected on Spider Island and couldn't be there to guide his son in using his powers to fix things.

6) Didn't Juggernaut lose his hammer or powers in the Uncanny X-Men: Fear Itself issues? I read them, but you can tell: 1) I didn't care enough to remember and 2) I'm not going to research this because I honestly don't care. But feel free to fill me in on why Juggernaut is in Fear Itself #7 when I thought he was beaten before.

7) The words "fear itself" are very powerful and invoke in people the old quotation from Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address:

This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

This excerpt sounds like what Marvel was attempting to do in Fear Itself, but failed miserably.

Overall, I think Fear Itself was way to choppy, a solicitation book for cross over titles instead of a story in itself and a complete waste of time.

Where did Marvel go wrong? I think Marvel has been the top dog in the comics industry for so long that they have lost sight of releasing a quality product that will stand the test of time, keep old fans engaged and excited while being creative enough to entice new readers, and to make reading a Marvel comic something enjoyable again. But as of now this is not the case it seems over at Marvel.
In the last five years or more it seems the only thing driving the bus at Marvel is the brand recognition of their characters and the idea that more titles means more sales. Marvel needs to take a moment and get back to being a comic publisher. That means having writer's that write good stories and artists that draw amazing panels that catch your eye. These are two of the basic components that I feel are the corner stone great comics. Marvel needs get back to this by wanting to release a great product that can market itself and not be what they are today; a marketing scheme aimed at pumping out garbage just to try and make a buck.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Random Comic Pick - Episode 28

My random comic pick on The Comic Conspiracy: Episode 28 is Sandman #8 written by Neil Gaiman with art by Mike Dringenberg. The stand alone story in this issue is titled "The Sound of Her Wings" and it is one of my favorite Sandman stories. This issue marks the first appearance of Death of the Endless in comics. It is a simple story in which Sandman and his sister Death walk and talk as she goes about her duty of collecting the dead to take them to the other side.
I instantly fell in love with this story and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story. You can find the actual issue but it will cost you a little bit because it is the first appearance of Death, but there is an Essential Vertigo copy out there that is cheap, you can pick up Sandman (Vol.1): Preludes and Nocturnes (which collects Sandman #1-8), or you can snag a digital version from out Comixology digital store to give it a read. I have enjoyed this story so much that I actually used a panel from it as my first banner on my other blog.


"The Sound of Her Wings" is and will always be one of my favorite comics of all time. Check it out.

Remember Comics Conspiracy is a great place to order comics and you can also download comics at the Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront for your computer, tablet or phone.

Paternity Ups and Downs

Paternity leave has been a fun and great experience so far, and I hope it stays that way. The time to bond with a child is very important not only for the little one, but for the parent as well. Brody and I have had lots of time to do this bonding thing, and I think because of it he will really come to hate my guts one day. For now though I'm just really happy to be a new dad, learn as I go, and watch my son grow up right before my eyes everyday.
The one draw back (besides the others) has been that it really cuts into the time I can spend working on the blog. Brody sleeps all through the night, but his naps during the day can last ten minutes to two or even three hours. You never know how long you are going to get with him. This makes writing a little difficult because if I start something during the day when he goes down to sleep I don't know how long I have, and if I try and write at night I am normally really tired and can't focus on what to type. Either way I'm not giving you the reader the best experience and that's what I want to give. It is 1:30 AM and I need to go to bed. Good Night.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Conspirator Brock's Conspiracy Blog just passed 10,000 hits

Today I stopped in to add the post about my girlfriend's picks for the "New Rejiggered 52" and I saw that the blog has had over 10,000 hits. This is so awesome! Thank you all for taking the time to visit my little blog corner of the internet and listen to The Comic Conspiracy. Now get out there and read some comics.

My Girlfriend's "New Rejiggered 52" Picks

With DC's rejiggering I asked my girlfriend Calli if she wanted to try out some of the titles. She said sure. So, I picked up all of the titles that had female leads for her and here is the list of books she wants to continue reading:

Batgirl
Catwoman
Huntress
Voodoo

She has always liked Wonder Woman and she was disappointed that it didn't interest her after reading it. Maybe I'll have her try again with Grant Morrison's run next year. As for the other female lead books she said they didn't look interesting or they weren't entertaining. Then she asked me when the next Fables hardcover was suppose to come out because she really wants to know what happens. I told her not for a while and suggested she read the soft covers but she doesn't' like reading those.



Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Occupy Comics?

A friend on Facebook posted this image and I thought it was awesome!

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 10/12/11

For all of the curious people out there wondering what I like to read week to week here is a list of the titles I am going to be picking up for the week of 9/6/11:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics.)

01. Amazing Spider-Man #670 Marvel
02. American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest #5 of 5 Vertigo
03. Batgirl #2 DC
04. Batman and Robin #2 DC
05. Batwoman #2 DC
06. Deathstroke #2 DC
07. Demon Knights #2 DC
08. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E #2 DC
09. Green Lantern #2 DC
10. Grifter #2 DC
11. Legion Lost #2 DC
12. Resurrection Man #2 DC
13. The Shade #1 of 12 DC
14. The Stand: The Night Has Come #3 of 6 Marvel
15. Suicide Squad #2 DC
14. Super Dinosaur #5 Image
15. Uncanny X-Force #16 Marvel
16. The Unwritten #30 Vertigo
17. X-Men Legacy #257 Marvel

Week two of number twos from the "New Rejiggered 52" and I am picking up two titles I had previously passed on: Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E and Demon Knights. With all of the buzz circulating the comic book stores with these titles it is hard not to go back and check something out you may have passed on. There are three books I can't wait to read from this week and those are: Green Lantern, Suicide Squad and Resurrection Man. To quote Ryan Higgins, "So, Good!"
Marvel actually gets a few titles on my list this week, but frankly they are not impressing me very much, and I may have to cut them from my pull list entirely.
Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.

As usual I'll be talking comics on The Comic Conspiracy, and on the Geekbox Forums. Now get out there and enjoy some good old fashioned comic book reading.

Friday, October 7, 2011

What Value?

Marvel announced that they will be including a digital claim code in some $3.99 titles that will be coming out soon. The titles will be poly-bagged so you have to buy the physical issue to get the code. The Bleeding Cool article below goes into more detail on this, but I wonder if this will really pan out for Marvel. I like the concept of having the digital copy available for download if I buy the physical comic much like the movie industry has done with movies, but the idea that your local comic book store will get a credit if you redeem the code under the store's affiliate program is a joke. Is this going to work? Marvel is going to test this out in the coming months.

I for one don't understand why Marvel doesn't team up with Comixology to release their titles digitally. That would make things a lot more convenient for digital comic book readers, and for Comic Book Stores to get a kick back from digital comic book sales, but hey "Common Sense" hasn't applied in business for a long time. Maybe Marvel should offer their graphic novels exclusively to Barnes & Noble for use on the Nook color e-Reader (if they don't already).

And what is to stop people from buying the physical comic and then turning around and selling the digital claim code for far less than Marvel would charge for a straight digital comic purchase?

As to my original question, what value? Marvel comics are $3.99 and the price per actual comic page is the highest in the industry and the content of those pages is not of the highest of quality when it comes to art and story. So, for my money the "value" of a Marvel comic is no where near that of a DC comic or an Independent comic for $3.99 even with a claim code for a digital copy of the title.

Marvel needs to accept the fact that DC has made head way on the Day-and-Date Digital Comic side of the business, the value of a comic when it comes to price per page and the quality of the titles themselves, and just follow suit.

Bleeding Cool Article: Giving Value To The $3.99 Marvel Comic, For Readers And Retailers

I thought the point was to make money?

Barnes & Noble bookstores will no longer carry 100 of the best selling DC graphic novels on their shelves because of DC's exclusive deal with Amazon to release digital trades for the Kindle Fire.
With Border's dead and gone so that Barnes & Noble stores have no other major bookstore competition out there in the brick and mortar arena, and the fact that all of the buzz around "The New Rejiggered 52" has brought in new readers curious about the stories that came before; why would you shoot yourself in the foot by not offering these already in-demand items in your stores? Because Barnes & Noble is stupid, childish and still trying to beat the Amazon Kindle in the e-Reader market which isn't going to stay around with multipurpose tablets becoming the standard (i.e. iPad2 and Droid based devices).
I say if Barnes & Noble doesn't want that money then everyone looking to get their graphic novel fix check out your local comic book store where they will most likely have the DC trade paperback you are looking for in stock (there are numerous comic book shop locators online). If not they can special order it for you as long as the title is not "Out Of Print". And best of all in most cases they will have a knowledgeable staff to help you out. Most of you already know that this is the case at Comics Conspiracy.

Bleeding Cool Article: Barnes & Noble Pulls Watchmen, Sandman And 100 DC Graphic Novels From Their Shelves Over Amazon Kindle Fire Deal

DC on top in September

It was inevitable, but DC dominated the market in September. Beating Marvel by a landslide. I picked up 17 out of the twenty on the list featured in the BleedingCool.com article. Fear Itself, Ultimate Spiderman, and Teen Titans where the three titles I in good conscious couldn't buy. But good job DC now you just have to keep it up.

Check out the article: Batman #1 Best Seller In September As DC Comics Take Seventeen Of Top Twenty

And check out Comics and Dakine's take on this here.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 10/5/11

For all of the curious people out there wondering what I like to read week to week here is a list of the titles I am going to be picking up for the week of 9/6/11:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics.)

01. Action Comics #2 DC
02. Animal Man #2 DC
03. Batwing #2 DC
04. DC Universe Online: Legends #15 DC
05. Detective Comics #2 DC
06. Green Arrow #2 DC
07. House of Mystery #42 Vertigo
08. Huntress # 1 of 6 DC
09. Justice League International #2 DC
10. Red Lanterns #2 DC
11. Severed #3 Image
12. Stormwatch #2 DC
13. Swamp Thing #2 DC

We are now entering the month of number two's, new titles, and some old ones that carry over from "the Pre-Rejiggered DC". There is a lot more pressure this month on DC to deliver all the titles on time and keep fans engaged in this "rejiggered" world of DC. I am excited now and hopeful still that DC pulls this off.
Severed #3 also comes out today and I can't wait to pick that up. No Marvel titles this week and even looking at our new release shelf at the shop Marvel brought virtually nothing to the table this week.
Now get out there and pick up some comics! You can find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.

As usual I'll be talking comics on The Comic Conspiracy, and on the Geekbox Forums. Now get out there and enjoy some good old fashioned comic book reading.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Random Comic Pick - Episode 25

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, but it is here now. Enjoy.

My random comic pick on The Comic Conspiracy: Episode 25 is Morning Glories: Vol. 2 written by Nick Spencer with art by Joe Eisma. I wasn't a big fan of this Image Comics title initially. Ryan Higgins told me to check out the first issue so I skimmed through it and wasn't impressed. When the trade came out and some buzz had gotten itself behind this book I gave it a try. I must say I was blown away. Morning Glories is about a school for gifted children, but this isn't Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, because at this school the staff is trying to kill the student body. Volume 2 came out a few weeks ago, and it is a little awkward to start a series with number two, so go out and pick up volume one and check this series out, because it is good.

Remember Comics Conspiracy is a great place to order comics and you can also download comics at the Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront for your computer, tablet or phone.