Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 8/29/12

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 8/29/12:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics. I have not included links to Dark Horse books because you cannot support us currently by buying them through our site.)

01. American Vampire #30 Vertigo
02. Aquaman #12 DC
03. Detective Comics Annual #1 DC
04. Flash Annual #1 DC
05. Green Lantern Annual #1 DC
06. Justice League #12 DC
07. Justice League International Annual #1 DC
08. National Comics: Looker One-Shot DC
09. Phantom Lady #1 of 4 DC
10. Superman Annual #1 DC
11. X-O Manowar #4 Valiant


Graphic Novels
Resurrection Man: Vol. 1 - Dead Again DC
(collects #1-7)

Reading List:

Before Watchmen: Minute Men #3 of 6 DC
Winter Soldier #9 Marvel

Hopefully, you have a fat wad of cash this week, because DC released five Annuals and Justice League #12 with two Jim Lee covers and a special Robot Chicken variant. We will have copies at Comics Conspiracy so don't waste your time trying to snatch up an over priced copy from eBay.
Despite it being a fairly light week there is a lot of comic book on the shelf this week with the DC Annuals, and with the Independent books that shipped. I'm really looking forward to Justice League, Aquaman, the Green Lantern and Justice League International Annuals. All of these books are by Geoff Johns and they all are on the bottom of my pile this week. Much like Charlie I think I will be OD'ing on Johns this week. If you are really bored ask Charlie about the digital combo pack for the Green Lantern Annual.
Also don't forget to pick up the Resurrection Man: Vol.1 - Dead Again trade. This title is a great read, and yes I'm still pissed off at DC for cancelling it. So, show some support for the title and get the trade.
There are some other books of note out this week that I wanted to mention here. The first being Phantom Lady by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with art from Cat Staggs. I'm not familiar with Phantom Lady, but Gray and Palmiotti have been doing some great work with All Star Western so I'm going to give this four issue mini series a try.
The second title I am going to mention this week is the National Comics: Looker One-Shot by Ian Edginton with art from Mike S. Miller. Looker is a character from my favorite team the Outsiders, and I can't wait to see her in this "New Rejiggered 52". Who knows maybe the Outsiders will make a come back in the future? I can only hope and dream right now, but I'll take a Looker one-shot to tide me over.
Five week months are sometimes odd, but I think we have a good solid week from DC which ends the first year of the "New 52". Interesting ride, but I need to get through this week's books before I can really comment on the past year of books. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile you need to get your ass down to your local comic book store to get the media hyped twelfth issue of Justice League where Superman and Wonder Woman lock lips for the first time in this "New 52". Poor Steve.

Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront or you can still order comics from us directly by visiting the shop, giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

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, August 28, 2012

It's Tuesday, Ryan Said What? 8/28/12

Tuesdays are Ryan's long day and some days he just unravels. Today seemingly out of nowhere he blurted out:

"I will back hand you with the Best of Archie!"

Now I have no idea what prompted such an angry response, but it was funny as hell, and so I share it with you.

Ryan Higgins becomes a different person on Tuesdays and yes he does swear like a sailor once the doors close at 6.


Monday, August 27, 2012

What Comics Am I Going To Bind Next?

After two comic book binding experiments I must say that I am really into comic book binding. So after some thought and research I have come to the conclusion that I am going to become a comic book binder (not professionally).
There are so many titles in my collection that just sit around unread, because they aren't complete runs or I just haven't had time to dive into them as single issues. So, binding these titles seems to be the best course of action, because it will reduce the size of my comic book collection (at least in long boxes), I will get to create my own library of titles, and finally binding books will help me fine tune the titles I actually want to collect in single issues. Even though it is an investment I know that if I bind it, and I don't like it there is always eBay.
So, far I have a fair amount to find, but here is a list of the titles that I'm going to be taking up to Herring and Robinson in Brisbane for the binding treatment:


Ascension - Almost done getting all the issues I need.
Catwoman - This will most likely be fair amount of volumes, but I am going to get as much in as I can. This is going to be a trail run for other longer running series.
Crimson - I'm actually experimenting with multiple covers, and chrome variants with this series.
Curse of Spawn - All done and ready to go.
Guardians of the Galaxy - This will be a multiple volume collection, but I'm going to get the ball rolling with Volume 1.
Wild C.A.T.S. - Same as Guardians, but I'm going to try to include a lot of the variant covers, mini's and cross overs in this multiple volume collection, because I have always liked the dynamic of this title, and it was the book I enjoyed the most from Image.

In all I think with this first batch I will have about 8 bindings total, maybe more. I will post the progress of each here as I get them done so stay tuned for more. I may also need your help in finding some of these titles or figuring out how to go about organizing them together for binding.
I know with Wild C.A.T.S. I am having a time of trying to get everything in order for this binding collection (and no, I'm not going to bind the gold covers). I have a Reddit post asking for any help with my Wild C.A.T.S. reading order so check it out here if you have some input.
With that I must get to the stacks!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 8/22/12

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 8/22/12:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics. I have not included links to Dark Horse books because you cannot support us currently by buying them through our site.)

01. All Star Western #12 DC
02. America's Got Powers #3 Image
03.Batman Incorporated #3 DC
04. Batman: The Dark Knight #12 DC
05. Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #6 Dynamite
06. Fables #120 Vertigo
07. Flash #12 DC
08. Green Lantern: New Guardians #12 DC
09. Justice League Dark #12 DC
10. Planetoid #3 Image
11. Super Dinosaur #13 Image
12. Superman #12 DC
13. Unwritten #40 Vertigo
14. Voodoo #12 DC


Graphic Novels
Swamp Thing: Vol. 1 - Raise Them Bones DC
(collects #1-7)

Reading List:

Amazing Spider-Man #692 Marvel
Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1 of 4 DC

What are the books I am looking forward to reading this week? They are: Planetoid, Justice League Dark, and All Star Western. Only three books this week because of the five week month there are books that would have been on this list, but they aren't out until next week. Of the books on the bottom of my stack I am really liking Planetoid by Ken Garing. It is an interesting story on an interesting world, and I'm curious to see where it goes with every issue.
Justice League Dark is one of those titles that I'm liking because of the cast of characters in the book itself; not to forget the fact that Jeff Lemire has picked up the writing duties on the title. Honestly, I can only see this book getting better especially with art from Mikel Janin.
All Star Western has been one of my guilty pleasures for a year now. Thank you Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray for such a great title that I can't recommend high enough. That reminds me I need to go back, and read their previous run on Jonah Hex. Hopefully those trades are still in print.
As for the rest o my list this week it seems like this week is the week of really late books:
-Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #6 is finally out. Issue five was released back on 4/18/12. Better late than never, right?
-America's Got Powers #3 is not as bad, but number two did come out back on 5/30/12. -And I know some people will want to lump Batman Incorporated #3 in with the late releases, but to those insensitive assholes I say shut it.
Voodoo is coming to a close, and despite the story falling off after the first few issues, and me deciding to stick it out, I am not completely disappointed to see this title go.
Green Lantern: New Guardians is hopefully going to stop dragging out this story arc with the stolen lantern rings. Much like Red Lanterns this book has suffered from a story that has been to long in its telling. I like Kyle Rayner so I've stuck it out with this book. Hopefully this next year will see some improvement.
As for the rest of my pull list they are all good to fair titles that I still get because there is some interest or investment in the books. So, I'm sticking with a lot of them for now. I can honestly say that I am sticking with a lot of the DC titles longer than I normally would because of the $2.99 price point. If these books hit $3.99 you would see my pull list shrink up very quickly. Thank you DC for holding the line.
Swamp Thing: Vol. 1 - Raise Them Bones is out and you shouldn't think twice about picking it up. Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette are masters when it comes to weaving this tale about the avatar of the green. So, buy Swamp Thing, because you know you already want to.
As for the two titles on my reading list:
-Dr. Manhattan is just another Before Watchmen title that shouldn't have the Before Watchmen ad bar across the top. Even though I haven't been blown away by any one title they have been entertaining enough to read. So, I will read up on everyone's favorite naked blue guy.
-Amazing Spider-Man #692 is the celebratory 50th anniversary issue, and it is over sized and over priced. With a $5.99 price tag I don't know if I would even want to buy it if it was still on my pull list. Marvel has got to make up for the decline in sales somehow I guess.
Anyway, that is my rant for the week regarding the new books. You know what time it is. Click that Comics Conspiracy Digital Store book mark or get down to your local comic shop to get you weekly fix of titles.

Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront or you can still order comics from us directly by visiting the shop, giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

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, August 20, 2012

Random Comic Pick - Episode 71

My random comic pick on The Comic Conspiracy: Episode 71 is "The New 52" title National Comics: Eternity One-Shot written by Jeff Lemire with art by Cully Hamner. National Comics as a one-shot title is a good way to introduce DC characters that aren't well known. This first installment brings a new light to an old character Kid Eternity. Only 24 hours to solve a murder how will Kid Eternity do it? You'll have to read it for yourself to find out who this Kid Eternity is (or look it up on Wikipedia), and how his powers work, but I can say that I really enjoyed this story. With that said I am looking forward to more National Comics One-Shots, because it is nice to get away from the A-List super heroes every once in awhile.


I also threw Suicide Squad (Vol. 1) - Kicked in the Teeth (Issues #1 - 7) on there, because it is definitely a book that should be on your book shelf. Written by Adam Glass with art by: Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty, Andrei Bressan, Clayton Henry, and some awesome covers by
Ryan Benjamin. Basically a team of villains must take on suicide missions to reduce their criminal sentences. Oh and they have to come back or the little nano bomb implanted in their head will explode. This book is a fun, action packed thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and wanting more. If you haven't been reading this you should, because you are missing a great title that is still kicking readers in the teeth with every new issue.


I know it is being cancelled, but I had to give it a shout out before the end. Resurrection Man written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with some nice art from Fernando Dagnino is definitely the first book on the cancellation block from DC that I am saddened to see go. Since being introduced to Mitch Shelley and his super hero persona Resurrection Man I have been a huge fan. There is so much potential with a character like this that it is a big disappointment that DC isn't trying to keep the book alive. But who knows, we may see another resurrection of Resurrection Man down the road. I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed.




Remember you can download digital comics at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront or you can order comics from us directly by visiting the shop, giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Samuel Lujan, December 1967 - August 2012


"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night, the day thou can then be false to no man...or something like that."

Sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning a co-worker, great friend, and amazing man passed away. His name was Sam.
I met Sam about four years ago when I started working at Comics Conspiracy. Sam was our Thursday guy. He knew so much about comics, Magic the Gathering, football, and the opposite sex. We became fast friends. A little over a year ago Sam's health took a turn for the worse, and I was the one who stepped in as the Thursday guy. I did a good job, but I could never replace Sam.
I last saw Sam a little over a month ago when he stopped by the shop to say hi. He was in good spirits and he was happy to be at the shop. He said he wanted to come in a few weeks to be on The Comic Conspiracy podcast, but he was unable to make it. He was on one episode of the podcast, Episode 53. It was a fun episode to record and I will always have fond memories of that episode.

(The Comic Conspiracy: Episode 53 cast Left to Right:Omar, Charlie, Ryan, Brock, and Sam)

Sam was a clown, a writer, a poet, a comic book nut, a listener, and most of all Sam was someone who could make you laugh. Serious when he needed to be and creepy when everyone was looking Sam made life seem less of a burden when he smiled.
I will miss Sam. The conversations, the jokes, and most of all I will miss Sam because he was a man I respected. I never heard his whole story, but I heard enough to know that Sam touched the lives of a lot of people, and he will be remembered. Rest in Peace Sam you deserve it.

If you would like to donate through PayPal in Remembrance of Roblue (Sam's pen name) please click here.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 8/15/12

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 8/15/12:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics. I have not included links to Dark Horse books because you cannot support us currently by buying them through our site.)

01. Batwoman #12 DC
02. Bloodshot #2 Valiant
03. Captain Atom #12 DC
04. Catwoman #12 DC
05. DC Universe Presents: Kid Flash #12 DC
06. Green Lantern #12 DC
07. Green Lantern Corps #12 DC
08. Harbinger #3 Valiant
09. Legion of Super-Heroes #12 DC
10. Red Hood and the Outlaws #12 DC
11. Saga #6 Image
12. The Shade #11 of 12 DC


Reading List:

Amazing Spider-Man #691 Marvel
Avengers Vs X-Men #10 Marvel
Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1 of 4 DC
Daredevil #17 Marvel


Welcome back to another fun filled week of books. A fairly small week for me, which was nice because I was able to pick up my Sons of Anarchy T-Shirt. Can't wait to wear it.
There are four books this week that are at the bottom of my reading stack, which is where I put all the good reads, because you should save the best for last. Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Catwoman, and Saga are those four books this week. If you want something great to read then I highly suggest you try these titles out.
DC Universe Presents starts a new story arc starring Kid Flash. I'm curious to see if Fabian Nicieza can give us a memorable take on this Kid Flash. We will just have to see, but if I'm not impressed I will have to say good-bye to DC Universe Presents until the next arc.
The infamous Rorschach gets his turn in the Before Watchmen spotlight this week, and despite the fact that the Before Watchmen titles have been on my reading list I must say that some of them are good reads and I may have to eventually pick them up in trade. Hopeful Rorschach delivers and we get to see more of the mask vigilante who's face his hidden behind an ever changing mask.
AvX ten is out and all I can think of is that I am so glad that it is almost over. The event as a whole hasn't impressed me, and the only thing I can say that is positive about AvX is that the book was a hundred times better when John Romita Jr's art was no longer corrupting the pages. Soon we will be done this this, and moving on to more garbage from Marvel Now!. So, be ready to see Marvel books disappear from my reading list entirely, but hey there is always hope something might be worth reading.
Well that is my blurb for this week's books. Get down to your local shop or over to the Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront to get your pull list filled. I'm off to enjoy my last weekend before the day job starts up, and celebrate turning a year older.


Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront or you can still order comics from us directly by visiting the shop, giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

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.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Marvel Now! Is Nothing New!

There has been some buzz going around about what Marvel will be doing come this October. Dubbed Marvel Now! this new promotional gimmick from Marvel is going to see a new number one once a week for 22 weeks, and these titles will most likely double ship after they are released with a $3.99 price tag so get ready for a pricey Marvel pull list if you feel inclined to jump on at this point.
You have to wonder though where is the catch? There really isn't one. Marvel is not doing anything really special with this re-numbering, and it appears that this is going to just be the next step in the Marvel Universe. How is this suppose to attract people to actually buy Marvel books, and stick with them? It doesn't, because just on the fact that Marvel is yet again using a re-numbering gimmick to pull in new readers there will most likely be a drastic fall in the orders for issues 3 and 4.
The real draw, if there is one, might be the new creative teams, but they aren't really new. From the solicitation announcements it sounds like Marvel just took a deck of cards with writers and artists names on them, and shuffled. Which is just a poor attempt to entice people who follow talent to pick up these new books.
Marvel has been, for some time now, struggling to keep some since of quality in the stories they published, and it just seems like they throw anything to the wall to see if it will stick.
I'm not buying it. The whole of Marvel Now! is just another gimmick, and that is a shame, because there is so much that can be done to the Marvel Universe to give readers quality comics. Marvel will hopefully learn from this, and grow as a company, but I can't get behind the re-numbering, the shuffling of creative teams, the $3.99 price point, and the double shipping of titles. Such a shame because the fact that The Guardians of the Galaxy was coming back might have put a Marvel back on my pull list, but the creative team will most likely not impress me enough to even give it a read. So, sad. Good luck Marvel. You need it Now! more than ever.

40,000 Page Hits and Rising!

There have been, as of this post, over 40,000 page hits on Conspirator Brock.com. Thank you all for checking out my little blog corner of the internet, leaving comments, and liking the blog on your social network of choice. Remember to keep listening to The Comic Conspiracy, and don't forget to tell your friends about us because everyone needs a support group when it comes to addiction.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 8/8/12

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 8/8/12:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics. I have not included links to Dark Horse books because you cannot support us currently by buying them through our site.)

01. American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares #3 of 5 Vertigo
02. Archer & Armstrong #1 Valiant
03. Batgirl #12 DC
04. Batman #12 DC
05. Batman and Robin #12 DC
06. Batman: Arkham Unhinged #5 DC
07. Creator-Owned Heroes #3 Image
08. Demon Knights #12 DC
09. Fairest #6 Vertigo
10. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E #12 DC
11. Legion Lost #12 DC
12. The Massive #3 Dark Horse
13. Resurrection Man #12 DC
14. Suicide Squad #12 DC


Reading List:

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 6 DC
Captain America #16 Marvel
Grifter #12 DC



Last month this was a huge week for me, but with things being pushed around with release dates it turns out this week is going to be a middle of the row one for my pull list. I'm looking forward to American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares, Creator-Owned Heroes, Resurrection Man, Suicide Squad, and Batman this week, and it saddens me to know that Resurrection Man is ending soon. Still a big disappointment DC.
If you haven't checked out Creator-Owned Heroes you should because it is a good over all read. You get two comics, some articles and an interview. This month it is creator Mark Waid who sits down to talk some shop. Pick this up or put it on your pull list.
Scott Snyder is getting lots of love from me, from last week's Rotworld cross over between Animal Man and Swamp Thing, to Batman and American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares this week. Scott you make comics fun and enjoyable. Keep it up.
There is a book on the chopping block this week and it is Brian Wood's The Massive. I tried to get into this post-apocalyptic world on water, but I'm just not feeling it after two issues. If I'm not hooked with this issue I'm done.
I've kept Grifter on my read list because Rob Liefeld hasn't drawn interior pages, and this small detail holds my interest just enough to read it. As for Captain America, I'm enjoying the book, but as soon as the creative team changes with Marvel Now I am going to drop the book. With Ozymandias I'm actually surprised that I could get past Jae Lee's art and enjoy the book a little. With most of the Before Watchmen titles I'm entertained enough to read them, but I will most likely stick to buying the trade of the titles I really enjoy.
There you go. You have my little blurb on this week's comics. Now get down to your local comic book shop or click on over to theComics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront, and get your weekly dose.

Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront or you can still order comics from us directly by visiting the shop, giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

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.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Conspirator Brock's Pull List for 8/1/12

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 8/1/12:

(Note: I have included deep links for some titles if you wish to support Comics Conspiracy when you buy digital comics. I have not included links to Dark Horse books because you cannot buy them through our site.)

01. Action Comics #12 DC
02. Animal Man #12 DC
03. Batwing #12 DC
04. Detective Comics #12 DC
05. Dial H #4 DC
06. Earth 2 #4 DC
07. The Hypernaturals #2 Boom!
08. Justice League International #12 DC
09. Red Lanterns #12 DC
10. Smallville: Season 11 #4 DC
12. Swamp Thing #12 DC
13. Thief of Thieves #7 Image
14. Worlds' Finest #4 DC


Reading List:
Avengers Vs X-Men #9 Marvel
Before Watchmen: Night Owl #2 of 4 DC
Daredevil #16 Marvel

Okay we are closing in on the end of year one for the "New Rejiggered 52", and I must say that across most of the line DC has impressed me. Next month we will be getting the "Zero Issue" treatment, and despite the gimmick I am really still excited to see what DC has in store for us. First things first, we have to get through this month of number twelves.
What I'm looking forward to the most this week is Animal Man and Swamp Thing. The "Rot World" cross over begins, and I can't wait to see what happens. Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire are teaming up to give us an epic tale of Red and Green Vs. The Black. Gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. If you haven't been reading these two books you are missing out on some great comics. I'm also stoked to read Earth 2 and Thief of Thieves, because they are great too.
There are some titles on this week's pull list that are on the chopping block: Dial H and The Hypernaturals. Both of these books I had high hopes for, but they aren't delivering. With Dial H I find myself wanting to see more accidental hero stuff, but all the book is giving me is a confused story about dials, and I don't know three issues in where the story is going. As for The Hypernaturals I'm not impressed with it at all. The first issue didn't grab me, and I am normally a fan boy when it comes to Abnett and Lanning's space stuff so I'm a little more than disappointed that I'm not excited for issue 2. So, if I'm not hooked with these issues then I must say adieu to them.
I could rant about how horrible AvX has been, but I'm not up to it right now. Maybe issue nine will change my mind, but I highly doubt it.
Well I think it is time for you to go get your fix, and get to reading some new comics. So, either click over to Comics Conspiracy's Digital Store or get your ass down to you local shop, and get you some comics.


Remember you can now find these titles and more in digital format at our Comics Conspiracy - Comixology Storefront.
You can still order comics from us directly by visiting the shop or giving us a call (408) 245-6275, or dropping Ryan an email at ryan@comicsconspiracy.biz.

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.