ADD's Comics in Reviewc

Summer's nearly here, and with it the opportunity (for most of us, anyway) to relax with a good book or two. If you're including comics and graphic novels in your reading plans (and if you aren't, why not?), here's a look at some recent titles that might catch your eye.

2 Guns -- This Steven Grant-written crime comic (published by Boom Studios) involves two criminals who are each not quite what the other thinks; there's plenty of double-dealing, reversals of fortune and, toward the end, moments of revelation that were solidly planted in earlier chapters. The art is somewhat problematical -- there's a good design sense throughout, but a lack of backgrounds and an unfortunate tendency toward xeroxed panels. Grant's story is solid enough that you're drawn through to the end despite these flaws. Grant's Damned with artist Mike Zeck came out a few years back, and is an even better bet if you're looking for an excellent crime comic. You also can't go wrong with Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, published by Marvel/Icon.

MOME Vol. 11 -- Summer, 2008 sees the release of the 11th volume of the excellent Fantagraphics anthology of new and established cartoonists. This time out we get excellent offerings from Tom Kaczynski (a truly riveting tale about corporate immersion, one of his best stories yet, and he's always interesting), Dash Shaw (an outstanding story about art and jealousy and fakery and self-deception), and an amazing text piece (illustrated, yes, but mostly text) by Paul Hornschemeier. Hornschemeier also contributes another chapter of his ongoing "Life with Mr. Dangerous" serial (actually the most intriguing outing yet), but the text piece, "The Guest Speaker," is a real stretch, a prose exploration of a single character that feels like Hornschemeier's creative voice, exploring new boundaries of his storytelling. Also in this volume, Gary Groth interviews lettertype cartoonist Ray Fenwick (coinciding with the release of Fenwick's new Fantagraphics release Hall of Best Knowledge, and the result is a fascinating look at his process and creativity. Cartoonist Al Columbia is in here with four pages of mood and colour that are worth the price of admission all by themselves.

Kirby: King of Comics -- Author Mark Evanier delivers a generously illustrated biography (published by Abrams) of the man born Jacob Kurtzburg, better known as Jack Kirby. Evanier was friends with Kirby from the time he was a teenager, and gives us the scoop on both the humiliations and the triumphs the greatest superhero artist of all time experienced. Kirby's vision and contribution to the comics artform so transcend normal boundaries of accomplishment that it's impossible to overstate his importance and place in history. Kirby: King of Comics is a treasure, a celebration of one of only five or so true geniuses of the comics artform entire.

Lifelike -- Dara Naraghi's been writing small press comics for about as long as I have been writing about comics, and he finally gets a chance in the spotlight with the beautiful hardcover collection Lifelike, published by IDW. Naraghi writes all the stories in this anthology, with a strong collection of up-and-coming artists illustrating his vision. Some, like Steve Black and Tom Williams, are welcome, familiar names; others, like Jerry Lange and Tim McClurg, are new to me. But they all bring their best work to Naraghi's scripts, resulting in a book that is visually diverse but beautiful to look at, and held together by the strength of Naraghi's writing. The stories in Lifelike span a variety of genres, from autobiography to EC-style suspense (the excellent "Double-Cross at the Double Down" with artist MP Mann). But virtually everything here has the spark of genuine creativity and the power to entertain. It's twenty bucks you won't regret spending in the least, and if you're new to Naraghi's writing, a very good entry into his world.

That Salty Air -- Tim Sievert's first graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions, is a parable of frustration, rage and grief, with a strong and confident use of black ink that defines the ocean that creates the "salty air" that the protagonist, Hugh, professes to love. The blackness of the ocean hides depths of despair and resentment, in addition to the wondrous creatures of the deep that seem to hover around the edge of Hugh's consciousness. Sievert's story becomes stranger the more it unfolds, and the unknowable oddness of the deepest undersea life is a fine metaphor for the ways in which we are unable to process the most profound and unwelcome moments of our life. That Salty Air concerns itself with Hugh's choices and his ultimate decision, and is a very good first graphic novel from a very promising young talent.

Yearbook Stories 1976-1978 -- Top Shelf co-publisher Chris Staros writes the two tales in this comic book, one longer one illustrated by Bo Hampton in lush black and white, and a shorter one drawn by Rich Tommaso. "The Willful Death of a Stereotype," the Hampton-drawn story, is about Staros attempting to reinvent himself by running for 6th grade class president. Of such stuff are Afterschool Specials made of, but thanks to Hampton's brilliant artwork and Staros's forward-driven narrative, "Willful Death" becomes something special. Great, truthful little moments and a genuinely reflective conclusion leave the reader with real insight into Staros's personality -- hell, even into his inclusive vision of comics. Good autobio comics tell you something about their creator while they entertain you, and "Willful Death" does both. "The Worst Gig I Ever Had" is the pleasant after-dinner mint of the book, a short story about the weird things that can happen to high-schoolers who form a band. Tomasso illustrates the story in an inky sort of Paul-Grist-Meets-Kevin-Huizenga groove, and it ends on an amusing note that would shock and awe the Staros found in the previous story. Top Shelf has priced Yearbook Stories at a hugely reasonable $4.00. It's a nicely-formatted slightly-larger-than-digest-sized pamphlet that will please anyone who's into comics.

---

Have a comics-related question for Alan? Send him an email to alandaviddoane AT gmail.com and he will answer it in a future blog post.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Censorship’s Impact on Comic Book Value

By Jamie

I found this really interesting clip about censorship of comic books in the 1940s and 1950s. Apparently, Dr. Fredric Wertham along with two senators attacked the comic book industry with hearings and a huge smear campaign.

Wertham, who worked with juvenile delinquents, found that one common tie between them was that they all read comic books. Of course, at that time comic books were widely popular with most young people, but Dr. Wertham failed to make this important realization.

Just like today’s hearings about music and video games, the comic book hearings resulted in a rating system. The comic book publishers banded together and decided what to publish based on strict censorship rules. The Comics Code Authority approval had to be granted before any comic was to be published.

Comics were heavily shaped by this code. Super heros like Superman, Bat-man and Wonder Woman all changed their behavior to make people more comfortable. Check out the video for yourself.



I can’t even begin to imagine how huge of an impact this must have had on the comic books we read today. Imagine where the natural evolution of the books would be today if it hadn’t been interrupted. What a shame that so many people who might have enjoyed reading comics, have never even picked on up because the readership levels were cut so sharply, years ago. It is so strange to see that our culture has a way of repeating itself even though the past has proven against it.

I suppose there are some good things that came from this terrible situation. Today’s comics prices might have been higher if demand for them was greatly increased and the worth of comics from before the Comics Code Authority must be astronomical. Collectors are probably foaming at the mouth to get comic books in a more pure form. I’m not sure how long the approval system was in place but comics with the seals of approval might even show up for high dollar amounts in a comic price guide if they are hard to find. I’d be shocked if these comics appraisals weren’t effected by this at all. All comics appraisers know that a collectibles value is often shaped by historical events.

Register with iTaggit to Find the Value of Your Comics and Collectibles Today

Blogged with the Flock Browser

More Iron Man News

Rumor has it, the new Iron Man game is going to feature multiple Iron Man suites, including both new and classic suits. Apparently, the game will feature seven suits, all of which will be playable and unlockable. Both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 will have an additional platform specific suit. So unless you own both of those systems I’m afraid you won’t get to play with all nine. We don’t have long to wait to see if this rumor is true. The new Iron Man game debuts on May 2, 2008.

The Iron man game has been under development for a long time and they’ve worked extra hard on making a game and controls that can handle all of Iron Man’s abilities. If that sounds exciting to you and you can’t wait to hear more, you are in luck. I’ve found a cool video all about the making of the game. Check it out!



The game featuring multiple suits is likely to have an effect on Iron Man collectibles value. Figurines of all the different suits are sure to follow the release of this game. There will be more Iron Man memorabilia available now than ever before.

Once the movie and game release don’t forget to reevaluate your comics prices. Considering the success of the movie and the game, prices are likely to change. Comics appraisals might be in order. Keep an eye on your favorite comic price guide to be sure.

By Jamie.

Marvel Comics Brings Us Behind the Scenes Footage of Incredible Hulk

By Jamie Gilliam

With the release of the new Incredible Hulk movie only 65 days away, Marvel Comics is making sure we’re ready. Today the top story on their official site was the release of some behind the scenes footage. Check it out!



Personally, I love behind the scenes footage, and that clip didn’t disappoint. Seeing the producer’s and director’s comments was really interesting and I’m even more excited about seeing the movie now.

If that wasn’t enough Hulk for you, don’t worry there is plenty more where that came from. On Marvel’s site you can check out the Hulk’s bio and get photos, videos and wallpaper for your computer. If that still isn’t enough, you can also find more info about the Incredible Hulk video game due out this June.

I think it is really cool that they are making this movie. The Hulk has starred in lots of movies and shows and I think it is time that they finally do it right. For a character who has been around since the time when comics prices were well under a dollar. It amazes me that his story is still so relevant and interesting today. As I’ve said before, I’m really excited to see what this movie does to the worth of comics featuring the Incredible Hulk. I hope the comics appraisers are ready!

.

List of Comics Prices for Feb 2008 Now Available

If you are asking yourself “how do I value comics?” Diamond Comics Distributors may be able to help. They recently released their list of sales estimates for Feb 2008. The list only covers Diamond’s direct market, news stands and overseas markets are not included.



The information they have complied could be really useful in helping you track the worth of comics, it includes comics prices, top comics by company, top comics by title and even the top traded comics companies. Last month, Marvel Comics barely beat out DC Comics in the Top Comics Breakdown. While DC beat out Marvel in the Top Trades Breakdown. Marvel and DC are really battling right now to be the top of the trade. It will be exciting to see who comes out ahead in the charts for March, but don’t forget to watch for the other two big publishers Dark Horse and Image Comics. Who knows when they might start to climb.



Marvel cleaned up on the Top Comics list, they had nine of the top ten spots, including “X Force” in the number one slot. DC had only one comic in the top ten with “All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder” in the number six slot. Other notable changes included “Hulk” and “Fantastic Four.” “Hulk” was in the number two slot in January, and fell to the number seven slot in February, dropping 32%. “Fantastic Four” was in the number thirty-eight slot in January and managed to climb all the way up to the number eight slot in February nearly doubling in sales.



I’m sure that comics appraisers use information like this to help them value comics, but these lists are available to every comic fan. If you are interested in the market fluctuations or need some insight to finding the worth of your comics just check out the information here.



By Jamie.

Celebrated Writer Leaves Marvel Comics

Comic book collectors who attended San Francisco’s WonderCon may have already heard the news that writer, J. Michael Straczynski is leaving Marvel Comics and heading over to DC Comics. JMS’s announcement is the biggest news to come from the convention season so far.

Straczynski is known for his work on “Amazing Spider-Man” when some of the most controversial events took place in Peter’s life, including Aunt Mary learning his secret identity once and for all. Straczynski also worked on several other graphic novels for Marvel including, “Babylon 5,” “Fantastic Four,” and “Supreme Power,” but it is yet to be announced what he will be working on at DC. All we know is that his first title with them will be released in the fall of 2008.

This isn’t the first shake-up for Marvel this year, if you remember from my previous blog, veteran artist, Mark Bagley, left a few months ago to work with DC Comics. Surely with these two industry giants on their side the worth of comics at DC are likely to go up. I imagine they are pretty excited about all of this. Hopefully Marvel can maintain their level of success even though they are losing people to competitors. It is pretty interesting that they are having such a hard time holding on to people who have been with them for so long. DC could be making offers these writers and artists can’t refuse or maybe they are looking for new blood at Marvel. Only the industry insiders really know that for sure.

Like I said before, if you have any Mark Bagley or JMS comics, now would be the time to look into comic book appraisals, your comics prices may have changed.

By Jamie.

Marvel Comics Releases Hulk Teaser Trailer

Hey comic book collectors, if the Incredible Hulk is on your list of favorites now is the time to head over to Marvel Comics official site for the new teaser trailer. The movie’s June 13th release is a long way off, but trailers like this one will tide us over until then. I snagged it from youtube for your viewing pleasure. Take a look!



I have to say that I’m pretty excited about this movie. The funny thing is that I’m not really a big Hulk fan. I remember my brother watching the TV show when I was a child and I hear the TV show strayed heavily from the graphic novels. Though it isn’t my favorite story, this movie just looks so good. The fact that I love Edward Norton and Liv Tyler might have something to do with that.

The Hulk has been around now for forty-six years. When he first appeared he wasn’t even green, he was grey. I imagine that finding a book with a grey Hulk is pretty hard. If anything is going to affect the worth of comics, it would be a major art change like that. The movie is likely to cause a change in these comics prices as well. We’ll all have to watch and see what happens over the next several months.

I’m glad I saw this trailer, because it has really raised my interest in the Incredible Hulk. Before researching the story, I never new that Dr. Bruce Banner was such a complex character with such interesting story lines. I’m not sure how much of the story will be covered in the upcoming movie, but I’m excited to find out. If you love the Hulk let me know!

By Jamie.