Comic Books I Bought on January 4, 2001

(The following post was written by me back on Friday, January 5, 2001 on one of the comic book message boards, probably CBR, detailing all the comics that I had bought the day before.  I have added cover images (mostly taken from the GCD) to show images of each comic.)

"My new comics purchases on Thursday"

Written: 5 January, 2001

I finally went to my local comics shop [Book Bin] on Thursday, after not having gone there since December 7th. So I had around 3 weeks' worth of stuff waiting for me in my pull bag. I haven't had a chance to read any of it yet, but I thought I'd list here what I bought. I ended up spending $78.71 for all of it. (Thanks to the shop's "30% off on new comics" policy. Without the discount, my total would have come to $111.16.)

Looking over this, it's kinda neat that I ended up buying new issues of Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, since growing up as a kid back in the late 1970s/early 1980s, I considered those some of the main Marvel titles...the Gruenwald titles (I think that he was editor or assistant editor on those four back then).

I had to wait around 20 minutes at the shop, and my friend who works there offered me a stool so I could talk with him by the cash register, so I became one of those "comic shop guys" that sits around a comic shop talking about comics -- for 20 minutes anyway. I'd kinda always wanted to do something like that, to talk comics with other fans on "new comics day," but most shops I've been in have never really given me that opportunity before (i.e., I'd usually just buy my stuff and leave). I was able to see what a few people were buying as they came in for the new comics, and I saw that Hulk Smash #1 and a thing called "Spider-Man/Sentry" seemed popular.

Anyway, here's what I bought:

ALL-STAR COMICS #8 (DC, $3.95)

This Millennium Edition reprints the 1941 comic in which Wonder Woman first appeared.

THE ALL-STAR COMPANION trade paperback (TwoMorrows, $19.95)

This 200+ page book was edited by Roy Thomas and features an index of every issue of All-Star Comics and is jam-packed with little bits of info and illustrations. In fact, it has more of a "scrapbook" look than I'd anticipated. But if you love the Golden-Age JSA or All-Star Squadron, then you'll want this book.

AMERICA'S BEST COMICS Special #1 (DC/ABC, $6.95)

I'd normally not get something that costs this much, but I've been really impressed by the ABC line. They are among the few comics that I buy currently that I've tried to interest non-comicfans with.

AVENGERS #37 (Marvel, $2.25)

Part 2 of Steve Epting's guesting on the book, before Alan Davis takes over. I enjoyed Epting's art this year on Aquaman, and it was generally good here as well, but I didn't like how the inking was so dark. I would have preferred that his Aquaman inker would have inked this as well -- maybe then it wouldn't have looked so dark.

BATMAN #1 (DC, $3.95)

This Millennium Edition reprints the 1940 debut issue. I already have a "tabloid-size" reprint of this from the 1970s, but it's kinda in tatters now, so this is a good replacement for it.

BONE #40 by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books, $2.95)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #37 (Marvel, $2.25)

I want to see how Cap gets out of this spot, in this issue (I haven't read it yet). I recall last issue, Protocide responded to Cap helping him by throwing Cap into a pit of lava, out of which there could be no escape.

THE COMICS JOURNAL #229 (Fantagraphics, $5.95)

This issue features an interview and lotsa art by long-time (and now, former) Archie artist, Dan DeCarlo.

FANTASTIC FOUR: THE WORLD'S GREATEST COMICS MAGAZINE #1 (Marvel, $2.99)

The Lee-Kirbyesque mini-series by Erik Larsen & friends. Looks like good old-time fun.

IRON MAN #36 (Marvel, $2.25)

This actually came out last month, I think, but I wanted to get it because it's by the guest creative team of Chuck Dixon and Paul Ryan. Too bad the cover art is all goofy looking, like stuff from the old "Teen Tony" era.

KILLRAVEN #1 by Joe Linsner (Marvel, $2.99)

I decided to get this one-shot after reading a review of it on another board.

MADMAN COMICS: THE G-MEN FROM HELL #4 (Dark Horse, $2.99)

In this issue's letters page, Mike Allred says this is the "last issue of Madman Comics as we know it," and it looks like he is going to concentrate on The Atomics for now, instead of doing any more Madman solo comics. I actually prefer The Atomics to Madman, so I'm not complaining.

MARVEL: THE LOST GENERATION #1 (Marvel, $2.99)

Final issue of the mini-series by Stern, Byrne, & Milgrom. Some panels showing Captain America in this issue. Stern & Byrne had done one of the all-time great Cap runs back around 1980.

MEASLES #7 (Fantagraphics, $2.95)

I fear that this all-ages B&W anthology is a little too indiefied and artsy for the younger readers that it is presumably intended for.

MIDNIGHT NATION #4 (Image/Top Cow, $2.50)

PROMETHEA #12 (DC/ABC, $2.95)

THE SHADOW #1 (DC, $2.50)

This Millennium Edition reprints the 1973 comic by Denny O'Neil and Mike Kaluta.

STEVE DITKO'S 160-PAGE PACKAGE (self-published, $13.00)

This is Volume 3 in Ditko's current Package series, and this particular volume consists of B&W reprints of twenty "ghost" stories that Ditko drew for Charlton during the 1970s. It also includes a foreword by Joe Gill, and a brief foreword written by Ditko about Gill. I'd written an article about Ditko's 1970s Charlton work for the fanzine "Ditkomania" a few years ago, and I see that four of the stories that I cited in the article were included in this volume. I was glad to see that because I felt that some of them -- particularly "The 9th Life," which closes the volume -- were hidden gems.

SUPERBOY #1 (DC, $2.95)

This Millennium Edition reprints the 1949 comic which was the first all-Superboy comic. As a big fan of the pre-Crisis Superboy, this is a comic I've dreamed of owning and I'm really glad that DC finally has reprinted it. There's also a page at the back giving additions and corrections to the credits info that has appeared in the other Millennium Edition reprints.

SUPERBOY #83 (DC, $2.25)

Haven't read this yet, but just judging by a flip through the pages, looking at the art, I'm wondering if I'll be dropping this title soon... This is the first issue by the new creative team of Joe Kelly and Pascual Ferry. And Superboy gets a new costume.

THOR #32 (Marvel, $3.50)

Got this in my pull bag by accident -- I want to get the upcoming Thor Annual -- but decided to get it anyway since it's a "100-Page Monster," is bound to have some old stuff I haven't read before, plus a new story to see what Thor is like now.

TOM STRONG #11 (DC/ABC, $2.95)

TOMORROW STORIES #9 (DC/ABC, $2.95)

WAR AGAINST CRIME #11 (Gemstone, $2.50)

Reprints the 1950 EC comic. This is the "last issue of the last of the EC comics on Gemstone's production schedule." *Sob!* I've been buying these Gemstone reprints since I started buying new comics again (in 1997), and I'm really going to miss these great-looking, affordable reprints of old obscure non-superhero comics. It's too bad more people didn't buy these comics (yes, I'm looking at all of YOU, even those of you who claim to be fond of old comics or claim to want more variety of genres in comics!). I'm still hoping that maybe someday Gemstone's reprint line will return.

WONDER WOMAN #165 (DC, $2.25)

I just started picking this title up again last issue, when I heard Phil Jiminez was doing the art (and plotting). I'm not crazy about this Batman-related storyline so far, but I'm sure things will pick up later and eventually there will be some stand-out issues in this run, provided Jiminez stays with it.

X-MEN: THE HIDDEN YEARS #16 (Marvel, $2.50)

Byrne inks himself this issue, instead of Tom Palmer.

* And I got the following semi-newish issues for 50 cents each:

BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #135 (DC; Nov. 2000)

Part Four (of five) of the arc penciled by Marshall Rogers. So far I've managed to get parts 1-3 in the 50 cents boxes, too. Hoping I can get Part 5 that way, too -- as well as the newish Paul Gulacy-drawn Bat-arc, in whatever Bat-title that is in.

CAPTAIN MARVEL #11 (Marvel; Nov. 2000)

Got it because I noticed that the issue was penciled by Jim Starlin and inked by Al Milgrom!

DETECTIVE COMICS #750 (DC; Nov. 2000)

Cover price on this one was $4.95 because it's 64 pages. Has a lead story which is mainly in B&W except for shades of green (I remember when Ms. Tree did this sort of thing and I hated it, but somehow it works OK on Batman), and a color backup story.

FANTASTIC FOUR #35 (Marvel; Nov. 2000)

Cover-price on this comic was originally $3.25 -- I think because of the gold ink used in the logo! Anyway, it's the FF -- though not done in the old-time style that I'd like -- so I figured I'd get it. I still have a little stack of FFs from last year or so that I'd gotten in the 50-cent boxes and figured I'd get so I could keep up with the new FF series despite being unable to stomach buying them new at cover-price. But I still haven't even gotten around to reading the ones I bought in the 50-cent boxes...

MARVEL KNIGHTS #4 (Marvel; October 2000)

I'd probably be buying this series new if it wasn't $2.99 and if it didn't seem so dark or something.

THUNDERBOLTS #44 (Marvel; Nov. 2000)

This was part of the recent Avengers cross-over, with Count Nefaria. I'd read the Avengers parts a couple months back, now I get to read the Thunderbolts half. (Because I decline to buy this title new due to the less-than-satisfying art style, IMO.)

And there you have it: my comics purchases from Thursday. I have a lot of reading to do!

"Upcoming Comics for Grumpy Old Fans" (1997-1998)

As I've posted about on this blog before (click here to read all about it), I had pretty much stopped buying new mainstream comic books between 1990 and 1996.  The main reason was my dissatisfaction whenever I bought one.  Reading them was usually a joyless experience and I felt like my money would be better spent on older comics -- preferably any published before 1982, before things got too slick and corporate-looking for my old-fashioned tastes.

In early 1997, I got home access to the internet and learned that one of my all-time favorite creators, Steve Ditko, had a new comic book coming out: Strange Avenging Tales #1, published by Fantagraphics.  I went to a couple local comics shops looking for the issue on the shelves, but didn't find it.  As an afterthought, I decided to stop at a local shop called The Pack Shack that had started out as a sports-card store but had expanded into carrying comics.  To my surprise, SAT #1 was sitting there on the new release shelf!  

I told the woman at the counter about how I had gone to other shops looking for the issue without success, and was really glad that they carried it.  She explained to me that the shop allowed customers to order new comics in advance and have them reserved for the customer on their "pull list."  She said that I could put Strange Avenging Tales on my pull list there, so I'd be sure not to miss an issue.  I'd heard of the practice before, but had never had a pull list -- and I don't recall any shop recommending one to me either.  But it sounded like a great idea, so I signed up to have SAT on my pull list.  (As it happens, a second issue of SAT was never published, but that's not important to our story here.)

Anyway, it got even better: Now that I had a comic on a pull list, she told me, I was allowed to receive a free copy of the Previews catalog every month from the store.  She handed me the latest issue of the massively-thick catalog and said that I could pre-order anything listed in it, provided that I turned my order form in to the store before the advance-order deadline.  

So, I took the catalog home and looked through every single page, trying to see if there was anything listed in there that I would be willing to spend my hard-earned money on.  I was really hesitant at first, so the first order form that I turned in contained only one comic: an issue of Totally Horses!, which was a full color magazine-size comic about horses that included a reprint of an old Charlton "Black Fury" story.  The issue was only $1.95, so it wasn't a big risk, and the magazine seemed to be aimed at general readers, not hardcore fans, which is one of the things I loved so much about Charlton.

Eventually I felt more comfortable ordering upcoming comics through the catalog each month.  Previews is still being published and is available at most comic book shops today (although usually not for free; the cover price is $4.99 these days).  You can view an online version of the current catalog on their website, but for anyone curious about getting into the habit of buying new comics, I would recommend getting a copy of the latest catalog and paging through it like I did.  It really helps to immerse you in the entire scene of what is going on in the industry right now.  (I should perhaps mention here that I haven't actually looked at the printed catalog in over 20 years, though.)

Anyway, as I noted at the beginning of this post, I got home access to the internet in early 1997, which meant that I had plenty of time to surf the web and look up stuff about things I was interested in.  Inevitably this meant checking out the various message boards back then devoted to the topic of comic books.  The two most popular boards on the web in 1997 were the ones at CBR and Alvaro's, and I began posting at both sites semi-regularly.  

There weren't many people posting about old comic books there in those days, however.  Most of the focus was on the stuff that was happening in the current issues, and this also helped to make me more aware of what was going on in comics now.  Eventually some of the enthusiasm and interest in the new stuff began to rub off on me, and I became more willing to try new titles, especially if they involved older creators who past work I enjoyed.  

For example, I bought Daredevil #365 (June 1997) off the shelf at The Pack Shack when I learned that Gene Colan was now the regular artist on the series.  How could I pass that up?  There was a bit of a retro trend entering comics at this time, notably Marvel's "Flashback" month (cover-date July 1997) that had cover designs based on the classic 1960s Marvel look.  I even ended up buying an issue of Venom from that month when I discovered that the entire issue was drawn in the style of Steve Ditko!

Word had spread on the message boards that George Perez would soon become the regular artist on The Avengers!  This was fantastic news, since he was the artist on the book back when I first started reading it as a child in the late 1970s.  In anticipation for his return, I added The Avengers to my pull list.

I also began buying a new DC series, The Kents, which despite its tie-in to Superman, was not a superhero comic but a western.  I had always felt that mainstream comics ought to be doing more genres that might appeal to a general audience, like comics had done in the past before most became geared towards superhero fans.  Well, here was a chance to support an effort at doing just that.  I wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't well-done, however, and fortunately it was.  I added The Kents to my pull list, and was now following a new DC monthly series for the first time since the late 1980s. 

In the mid-1990s, during my hiatus from new comics, I had been reading print fanzines like Bill Hall's Ditkomania and Gene Kehoe's It's a Fanzine.  In IAF #46 (Fall 1997), Gene wrote the first installment of a column he titled the "Grumpy Old Fans Appreciation Room."  The purpose of the column was to point out new releases that might be of interest to longtime fans.  Since I was looking through the Previews catalog each month anyway, I thought it would be a good idea for me to write a post at CBR letting people know about upcoming comics that might appeal to old-timers like myself.  (For the record, I was only 27 years old at the time!) 

So, the rest of this blog post consists of the columns that I wrote in 1997 and 1998 (or, at least the ones that I saved).  The first one below is taken from screenshots of the actual message board post.  In retrospect, it's interesting to see how quickly I had gotten back into the habit of buying new comics, and was able to sound knowledegable about the subject.  It's also interesting for me to realize that I was recommending comics that cost around $3.00 each, when today (over 25 years later) most new comics cost only a dollar or two more than that.  You can find me today posting about new comics on a Facebook group that I created recently called "Comic Books of the 2020s: A Discussion Group About New Comics." 

Now, without further introduction, let us journey back to those thrilling days of yesteryear, as I sought to convince old-time fans who were burned-out on new comics to give them a try again.

______________________________________________________

The second installment of my series can be read below.  I have updated the links in the post so that they direct to currently-active webpages, instead of the long-defunct URLs of 1998. 

UPCOMING COMICS FOR GRUMPY OLD FANS #2: FEBRUARY 1998
Originally posted on the Jonah Weiland Independents Message Board, on Feb. 5, 1998

On November 4th (on the late & lamented Comics News board), I posted the first installment of a column titled "Upcoming comics for grumpy old fans." I never did get around to doing another installment until now. I decided to post it here since the majority of titles I'll be recommending are independents, at least for the months of February and April, 1998.

In this column, I will point out comics scheduled for release in the new issue of Previews which may be of interest to long-time comics fans, or those who prefer the so-called "old school" style. I also will most likely mention new comics being produced by classic, longtime creators. Had I been better informed about the current work of such longtime favorites of mine, I probably would have bought more new comics during the 1990s, instead of dropping out of the comics-buying habit. So, don't quit, fellow old-time fans! There's still some good new comics to be bought!

I've broken this column up into two sections -- comics which are scheduled to be released this month (this post); and comics scheduled for release in April (which I'll post later this week). The April releases can still be ordered from your local comics shop through Previews if you hurry!! (The deadline listed on the order form is February 14, but I know at my local shop the deadline is about a week after that.) I'll list what comics are scheduled for release in March on this board around March 1st, so I don't get too far ahead.

A list of the contents of the current Previews issue (caution, it's long!) can be found here. Check with your local shop to see if they can order comics for you in advance; if they can't, try another shop!

While you wait for the new comics to arrive at the shop, you can check the New Comics Releases page. The New Releases List on that page shows what comics will be released in shops the current week. Andrew Troth's Late Comics Report, also on that webpage, shows what comics are currently being delayed. Obviously, independent titles are among those most likely to be delayed or cancelled. Sometimes titles which are cancelled before publication are re-solicited in subsequent issues of Previews.

Coming Out this Month (February):

In my first column, I started out with Tomb Tales, so I might as well begin there, since it seems like a perfect example of a new independent comic likely to appeal to grumpy long-time fans bored by current comics. The fifth issue of this quarterly B&W comic will be released this month. It is an anthology series in the tradition of the 1950s EC horror comics, with four stories per issue. One thing I find especially appealing is that the art is in that style as well, not a trendy new style. The cover of #5 is even inked by Al Williamson. The publisher is Cryptic Entertainment, and each issue costs $3.00. A new title worth picking up regularly if you are a fan of the old style anthology horror/mystery/ghost comics which the mainstream used to produce, a long time ago!

Another retro indy comic worth checking out is Jet Comics; it is retro superhero to Tomb Tales' retro horror. Jet Comics is published by Amaze Ink (Slave Labor Graphics) and each B&W bimonthly issue costs $2.95. The comic concerns a young high-school student who is granted super-powers by a dying alien. Okay, we've all seen that done before, and the first issue (which deals with the hero's origin) for that reason was a little less than thrilling. In a way, it kind of reminds me of comics like Nova and Firestorm. Anyway, the second issue I found more entertaining because the villain Dr. Vibes confounds the reader's expectations. Instead of being the huge fearsome foe suggested by the cover, it turns out that he's a poor geek who has been bullied and rejected by other people. In #2, our hero decides upon his superhero name, Spectrum. And I liked the bit about him having to sneak out of a test in class to go into action. When the cop says to Spectrum, "This isn't a game. You have some serious questions to answer," Spectrum flies off saying "Oh man! Do I ever!" (referring to the fact that he's missing a test). Nice writing there. If you have to choose between buying #1 or #2, I'd say buy #2 (which, conveniently enough, was released yesterday).

Small-press creator Rick Newby had a letter printed in Jet Comics #2, and Rick has two comics scheduled for release this month: Tales of Wonder #5 and Monster Mayhem #1. I ordered Monster Mayhem in advance because it looks like it is a comic in the style of the old pre-Marvel Kirby monster comics. MM #1 contains three stories, with such titles as "The Bog-Brute Stalks the Swamp!" and "Rampage of the Cement-Boy!" Both Newby series are published by Pet Shop Comics, are 32 pages, B&W, and cost $2.95.

Another apparently retro comic due out this month is Captain Neutron #1, published by Maverick Pulp Comix. The description says the comic "captures the idealism of the Silver Age," but I don't think I ordered this comic. Shanda Fantasy has a few animal-comics scheduled this month, including a Giant Shanda Animal #1 (the cover resembling a 1960s DC Giant) and Valiant Varmints (which is described as "patterned after the classic Justice Society and Justice League comics"), but the Mature Readers label and the $4.95 price tag turned me away. Any one have an opinion on those comics?

For those who want to read the best old stuff in an affordable format, I highly recommend Gemstone's current EC reprints, all of which are full-color comics for only $2.50 each. One of the most exciting things is that Gemstone is now reprinting several of the less-popular EC titles, which hadn't been reprinted widely before. This month, be sure to try the second issue of Piracy, which was a pirate anthology series in the EC manner. I loved the first issue, and I'm looking forward to getting the whole run. Hopefully they'll reprint other lesser-known EC series when that run is done. Also scheduled for this month is Two-Fisted Tales #23 and Vault of Horror #23.

EC artist Al Williamson is currently involved in Dark Horse's latest Tarzan story arc, "Tarzan vs. the Moon Men," of which the penultimate installment was released yesterday. The arc, published by Dark Horse, is written by Tim Truman, penciled by Tom Yeates, inked by Williamson, and has covers by John Totleben. (The next Tarzan arc begins in April and will be drawn by Mike Grell. The first issue of that can be ordered right now from your local shop, so you'll be sure not to miss it.)

Last year, the Small Press Expo published an excellent sampler comic showcasing work from a wide variety of small-press creators. This publication, Small Press Expo '97, was offered again in the December '97 Previews (listing comics to arrive in February '98). Even though I already had a copy of it, I ordered another copy because I enjoyed so much. Now I can have an extra copy to loan out (or give away) to people curious about independents. If you happen to see that comic on the shelves this month, I highly recommend it. Heck, it is 128 pages long but only costs $2.95! So, you can't go wrong there.

Another sampler book, titled Blip (for The Book of Little Independent Publishers) is scheduled to be released this month. It is 72 pages for $1.25, and "contains thirteen four-page excerpts featuring work by some of the best talent in the independent market" (to quote Previews). When I saw that Joe Zabel would have material in the comic, I knew I'd want to get it. Steve Bissette and Dave Sim also contribute, among many others. The comic is published by Bardic Press.

I usually don't buy comics that cost over 3 bucks. But Joe Sacco's The Bosnia Stories #1 (which is 48 pages for $3.95) looks worth it. I had enjoyed several of the stories in Sacco's Yahoo (particularly issues #1 & 4) and his contributions to Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy in the late 1980s (a mag he edited), and his collaborations with Harvey Pekar in Dark Horse's occasional American Splendor one-shots, so I'm looking forward to The Bosnia Stories! The series is a nonfictional account of the war in Bosnia through various eyewitnesses that Sacco interviewed. I hope that this series will be as good as Yahoo #4, which was another Sacco biographical story of war's impact on ordinary people, and which was one of the most powerful comics I've read.

For a total change of subject matter... keep an eye out for Felix the Cat B&W #2. This new humor comic starring the famous cartoon character is published by Felix Comics and costs $1.95.

And for still another change of pace... Check out Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated #1 (published by the same name as the title). This is an 80-page, full-color quarterly anthology title that costs $5.95, with art by the likes of Richard Corben, Joe Jusko, and William Stout. This sounds sure to be one nice-looking fantasy mag!

Speaking of good artists (and at last I've made a smooth segue between comics), a full-color, 96-page magazine published by Coppervale is scheduled for release this month. It is the second issue of International Studio, which will have "a spectacular gatefold" cover by Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, Mike Kaluta, and Jeff Jones. There will also be a story inside by Jon J. Muth (who, by the way, begins drawing Silver Surfer for Marvel in April).

Speaking of Wrightson, a magazine called Comic Book Profiles will have Wrightson as the focus of its second issue this month. In the interview, Wrightson will explain why he went from being called Berni to Bernie (I always wondered about that), among other topics. Fred Hembeck also contributes to the issue. Looks good. Costs $2.50.

Speaking of magazines, Indy Magazine #19 is also due out this month. I've not read Indy Magazine yet, but I ordered this issue. It focuses on the independent comics scene.

The Kents is not an independent comic, but a western mini-series published by DC which may be of interest to those old-time fans who wish other genres were presented more often in comics, as they once were. Well, here's your chance to support a non-superhero comic. The 8th issue came out yesterday, and is the first to feature Tom Mandrake as the artist. I wasn't sure if I would like Mandrake's interpretation or not but skimming through it so far, I felt it looked alright. Also released this month will be DC's Chronos #2 which guest-stars The Kents!

And if you want to support another western series this month, check out Desperadoes #5. This full-color series is $2.95 and published by Image.

If I may stop to mention another DC title of possible interest to old-time fans, I must mention current issues of Wonder Woman. The current issue, #131, prominently guest-stars the Golden-Age Justice Society, as will #132, which will be released this month. The December issue, #130, guest-stars the Golden-Age Flash, and that's the story which began the arc, so you'll want to start from there. Not only that, but there is a back-up serial in these issues as well. Written & drawn by John Byrne (but who will be leaving after #136).

Some of you may recall that back in November, I recommended Reaping the Whirlwind (Aardwolf Publishing), an 100-page graphic novel by Dave Cockrum, with an introduction by Chris Claremont. B&W, and costing $9.95. It was supposed to be released last month but has been delayed, and may appear this month instead.

Speaking of delayed titles, some of the ACG (also known as Avalon Communications) and Pyramid Comics I listed in my November post have still not been released. But they definitely appear to be the kinds of comics that old-time fans like myself will enjoy and want to buy. I mentioned Pyramid before in a post below. So far it appears that their Space Giants and Triple-Threat comics have not been cancelled and hopefully will finally appear in the shops this month. This means that subsequent issues of those titles which were scheduled for February (like Triple Threat Magazine #2, for example, which is listed as containing a Ditko reprint and a Kirby reprint among other material) are likely to be pushed back accordingly. Pyramid's four "Hyper-X-Classic Comics" reprints, originally scheduled for January, are also delayed.

Pyramid's True Romance, which I'd mentioned in my November post, was "cancelled" before publication, but the first issue was resolicited in Previews' December issue and so may be released in February. It will be a full-color 32-page comic for only $1.00 and contain reprints of 1950s Kirby and Frazetta romance stories in addition to new material.

ACG has a bunch of titles listed as being delayed also and hopefully these will eventually be published, too. Comics which ACG has scheduled for February are...

Adventures of Hercules #1 (reprinting Sam Glanzman's 1960s Charlton comic), House of Yang #1 (1970s Charlton reprint), UFO #1 (reprinting Charlton science-fiction by Ditko, Aparo, & Boyette), and most interestingly to me, Barbarians #1, reprinting sword and sorcery stories by Jeff Jones, Mike Kaluta, and Wayne Howard.

Another company that reprints old comics is A List Comics. Their titles include Planet Comics, Jungle Comics, and Wings Comics, among others. I had never ordered their comics because I feared it might be the same material as stories I have in Blackthorne reprints of those titles, or feared that the reprinting would be poor and muddy with lots of gray, as I have seen in some small-press reprint comics. But when I saw a recent copy of A List's Jungle Comics at a shop, I knew I had to buy it, and began ordering their reprints when I saw them in Previews. The reprinting in the Jungle Comics issue was fine, and it looks like A List is one of the few companies out there reprinting Golden-Age comics in an affordable format ($2.95 per issue). I may post more of what I thought about that Jungle Comics issue on the Golden-Age board one of these fine days, by the way.

The A List comics scheduled for February are Pulp Fiction #4 which reprints Golden-Age comics and pulp material, and Flamingo #1 which reprints a 1952-53 comic strip.

Fantagraphics publishes a lot of worthwhile and artistic comics. One especially noteworthy comic scheduled for release this month from that company is Luba #1 by Gilbert Hernandez. This new series shows the character Beto created in his Palomar stories living in the U.S. Personally, I've greatly enjoyed some of Gilbert's work but been bored by others. His "Love & Rockets" serial circa L&R #32 was entertaining, and his early chapters of "Poison River" were powerful and moving and thought-provoking, but then subsequent chapters failed to interest me. But it's great that Gilbert has a new series out this month!

Top Shelf Volume 1 #6 is scheduled for this month. It's an 80-page indy anthology which I ordered simply because James Kolchalka has a Moon-Boy story in it. Price is $6.95.

Uncut Comics #0 comes out this month by publisher Uncut. I have no idea what this is, but it said it had nine different stories (how did they fit that in 36 pages, I wonder) for only 99 cents, so I ordered it.

Well, that's it for me on the comics I'm looking forward to this month. How about you?

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My third "Upcoming Comics for Grumpy Old Fans" post appeared later the same month, and like the first column, I have used screenshots of the original message-board post for its appearance below:

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The next post in the series (of the ones I saved anyway) appeared in April 1998, and is also reproduced from screenshots below (and therefore the links in the post do not work):

(And, of course, those links don't work today in 2024!)

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The following column in the series is also taken from screenshots of the original CBR post:

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At this point, I stopped doing a regular "Upcoming Comics" column on the message boards, but I did continue to post about what comics I was ordering which was (as I say below): "in lieu of an "upcoming comics for grumpy old fans" column -- which would just list what I'd be ordering a given month anyway." 

My comics order for December 1998

Written: 30 September, 1998

This post was inspired by Jam's earlier post of the same title, listing the stuff he's getting. Me, I had to wait until today when Previews actually comes out so I could go over every page (like usual) to find the stuff I didn't know I wanted. (Yeah, I had looked at the Previews list order form on the web last week, but that just lists all the titles, not the little details like who created it or a sample of the art so I can decide whether I want it or not. World of Westfield puts up all those little details, but December's stuff not up on their site yet.) I'll list everything I'm special-ordering this month as well as stuff that's already on my pull list (pull titles designated with an asterick). And the Page # given is the Page of this month's Previews that the title can be found on. And I'll add some commentary to each of the titles below explaining why I want them. And then at the end, I'll mention those titles that didn't make the cut this time.

This post is in lieu of an "upcoming comics for grumpy old fans" column -- which would just list what I'd be ordering a given month anyway. Prices are given so you & me can see just how much cash I blow every month on the new stuff. Away we go...

DC Comics:

THE KINGDOM #2, PAGE 77 (& 56), $2.95
(Getting it because Mike Zeck & John Beatty are drawing it. They were the artists on Captain America in the early 1980s and I have a lot of fondness for their old issues.)

JONAH HEX: SHADOWS WEST #1, PAGE 89 (& 64), $2.95
(Getting it because it's another western, by cool creators!)

SUPERMAN: A NATION DIVIDED, PAGE 81 (& 61), $4.95
(Getting it because it's drawn by Eduardo Barreto, and I recently picked up one of his comics and was impressed by the art. Also, this is a historical comic written by Roger Stern, one of my favorite comics writers. So, although I'm the kind of guy who hates to pay $4.95 for a comic, I couldn't pass this up. Plus, I'd grudgingly admit that I'd rather pay $4.95 for a 48-pg comic with no ads than two 32-pg comics with ads for $2.50 each.)

LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: CRISIS ON INFINTE EARTHS, PAGE 84 (& 66), $4.95
(This is like 64 pgs -- even more pages than the above format -- and takes place before Crisis. Again, hard to pass this up.)

* SUPERBOY #59, PAGE 80, $1.99
(Unfortunately, this will be by a fill-in artist, not Grummett. Arghhh...)

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #564, PAGE 80, $1.99
(This one is drawn by Grummett. I'm beginning to buy stuff based just on whether Grummett drew it.)

SUPERMAN #142, PAGE 80 (& 67), $1.99
(Getting this because "Hurricane" Georges Jeanty drew it. He was the SB artist during SB #45-49, right before Grummett returned, and I liked his stuff.)

SUPERMAN 80-PAGE GIANT #1, PAGE 81, $4.95
(Might as well get it. Nothing really stands out, but at least it should have a few good points, given the amount of pages! Also, I'm getting the feeling that we won't see 80 pg comics selling at $4.95 for much longer, so I'm getting this while the getting is good.)

SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS #2, PAGE 81, $4.95
(Getting this because it's by Byrne.)

JLA/TITANS #3, PAGE 84, $2.95
(Getting this whole mini-series. Looks like it will be great.)

LEGENDS OF THE DCU UNIVERSE #13, PAGE 84, $1.99
(The 2nd part of the Silver-Age JLA 2-parter. Looking forward to seeing Zatanna in her Perez-era costume!)

* POWER OF SHAZAM #46, PAGE 85, $2.50
(Getting this cos' Ordway draws it now.)

* WONDER WOMAN #141, PAGE 86, $1.99
(Getting this for a little while, to see how I like the new creative team.)

* YOUNG JUSTICE #5, PAGE 86, $2.50
(Getting this because I get SB, and seeing how I like it, or not.)

Marvel:

* CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #6, PAGE 158, $2.99
(Love this anthology series!)

* AVENGERS FOREVER #3, PAGE 159, $2.99
(Hope this maxi-series is worth the moolah...)

* IRON MAN #13, PAGE 159, $2.99
(I enjoy this series!)

* CAPTAIN AMERICA #14, PAGE 160, $1.99
(This series takes some weird turns sometimes with the choices of villains...but I'm sticking with it for now.)

* AVENGERS #13, PAGE 161, $1.99
(My favorite series currently. Just read the new issue today & want to read it again before trying any of the other new comics I bought!)

* A-NEXT #5, PAGE 163, $1.99
(Trying this one out, and each upcoming issue looks at least interesting, so I keep getting it.)

* AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2, PAGE 164, $1.99
(Getting it solely because of Byrne's art.)

* SPIDER-MAN: CHAPTER ONE #4, PAGE 164, $2.50
(Getting this because it's Byrne. If it turns out to be a rerun of Lee-Ditko issues I already have read, then I'll dump it.)

* WEB-SPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #2, PAGE 165, $2.50
(Looking forward to buying this new anthology series. I suspect this will be the Spidey-reboot title that I stick with the longest.)

* CABLE #64, PAGE 167, $1.99
(As long as Ladronn draws it, I'm there.)

X-MEN #85, PAGE 169, $1.99
(Wow, can you believe it? I'm actually gonna buy a new X-Men comic! I haven't bought a brand-new x-Men issue since X-Men #3, back in 1991! But when I saw that the art for the next 6 issues of this series will be by Alan Davis, I knew I had to swallow my pride and order a copy!)

Misc. Publishers:

* DARING ESCAPES #4 (Image), PAGE 110, $2.50
(I've read #1 so far, and it's allright, so I might as well get the rest. I like the bits about Houdini, but not so into all the supernatural stuff.)

SCREAM COMICS #2 (A List), PAGE 188, $2.95
(Reprints of old horror comics.)

* PLANET COMICS #6 (A List), PAGE 188, $2.95
(Reprints of 1940s sci-fi comics.)

ROCK N' ROLL ROMANCE #2 (ACG), PAGE 194, $2.95
(Reprint of 1950s romance comic.)

THE HORRIBLE TRUTH ABOUT COMICS by James Kochalka (Alternative Press), PAGE 195, $2.95
(Getting this because I enjoy Kochalka's work, but don't like to pay much for it. For example, he also has a graphic novel book also solicited this month, but I'm not getting it because I don't want to spend that much. Fortuantely, he still puts out these more affordable comics, like Mermaid #1, from earlier this year.)

HIGH STAKES ADVENTURE #1 - REGULAR EDITION (Antarctic Press), PAGE 200, $2.95
(Full color 32-page indie comic for that price...pretty good deal. Looks like they have various strips and some Kirbyesque art, too. Hope it is good.)

ARROW SPOTLIGHT: ADV. OF SIMONE & AJAX by Andrew Pepoy (Arrow Comics), PAGE 205, $2.95
(I'd read and enjoyed a Simone & Ajax strip in an issue of Mythography; Pepoy's art is nice and I've noticed his work has appeared in mainstream comics. Should be worth getting just for the art.)

AUGUST #3 by Scott Rosema (Arrow Comics), PAGE 205, $2.95
(I'd seen a flyer for August #1 back in May but didn't order it. But I thought the art by Scott Rosema had a nice mianstream superhero look to it. Can't remember whether I ordered #2 or not. Well, #3 is offered this month, & I got room, so I'm getting it. Then I can see whether I like it or not.)

TIGRESS #2 (Basement Comics), PAGE 218, $2.95
(This is the 2nd of a 2 issue mini-series written by Budd Root and drawn by Mike Hoffman. I bought #1 and enjoyed it, so might as well get #2. Hoffman's art has a kind of 1950s Al Williamsonish look, appropriate to this sci-fi story.)

PERIPHERY #1 (Dreamriders Workshop), PAGE 238, $2.95
(Gave my reasons in a previous post!)

WOLFF & BYRD: COUNSELORS OF THE MACABRE #22 (Exhibit A Press), PAGE 246, $2.50
(I liked Mavis #1 and thought I oughtta try the series that Mavis spun-out of. Plus, Batton Lash's art sometimes has a Ditkoish look. Maybe reading this will remind me of the old 1970s Charlton ghost comics that I like.)

COMICS JOURNAL #210 (Fantagraphics), PAGE 246, $7.95
(152 page mag! A list of the Top 100 English-language comics! A panel of experts discusses Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics! And much more. Looks cool. So... which comics do you think will be in the Top Ten?)

* PENNY CENTURY #4 (Fantagraphics), PAGE 248, $2.95
(Reason for getting: Jaime Hernandez!)

* FELIX THE CAT BLACK & WHITE #5 (Felix Comics), PAGE 250, $1.95
(Reason for getting: I like Felix the Cat, and it's not expensive!)

CRIME SUSPENSTORIES #26
* FRONTLINE COMBAT #15 (final issue)
* VALOR #5 (final issue)
HAUNT OF FEAR #26
(Above 4 comics are on PAGE 254, $2.50 each, published by Gemstone. Reason for getting: Full color reprints of classic 1950s EC comics by great creators. I'm wondering what they'll replace Valor with next month!)

CAPTAIN GRAVITY #1 (Penny Farthing Press), PAGE 283, $2.75
(Full color 36-page comic for a good price that takes place in the 1940s, and the cover is nicely drawn. Might as well try it!)

* JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #22 (Magazine), PAGE 316, $5.95
(Great mag for Kirby fans like myself!)

JACK KIRBY CHECKLIST 1998 EDITION (Magazine), PAGE 316, $5.00
(Same reason as above!)

COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE #1310 (Newspaper), PAGE 316, $2.95
(Has a special section about the Golden Age this issue. I think I've only ordered one CBG this year -- the one that comes out next week, about "Crisis on Infinite Earths" -- so I was looking to get another, and this one looked good to get.)

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My comics order for February 1999

Written: 25 November, 1998

I posted what I'd be getting way below, but now that I have the actual Previews issue before me, I can be more certain, and have already written up my order, in fact. I hate how there are only 16 blanks on the "short order form." I inevitably break up a few of the lines to make two spaces instead of one, especially near the bottom of the form. Anyway, here's what I'm ordering:

SUPERMAN #143 (penciled by Steve Epting)
SUPERMAN: MAN OF TOMORROW #13 (penciled by Paul Ryan)
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #566 (penciled by Tom Grummett)
Getting these because of who did the art. Skipping Action Comics because I'm not an Immonen fan.

I was going to put Superman & Batman: Generations #4 on the order form, but I'm trusting that the shop will order it anyway, since I ordered #1-3 previously. I can always add it to my pull list next time.

CONJURORS #1, $2.95 (art by Ed Barreto)
Getting it because I like Barreto's art.

LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE #15

And adding that series to my regular pull list, in the process. (If I put "ATP" in the QTY box, the shop adds it to my pull list.) I didn't put it on pull before because I wasn't sure how long I wanted to keep getting it, but this Barry Allen arc lasts until issue #17, which will come out in April, so that's a-ways away, so I might as well put it on pull so I don't have to especially order it each time.

JONAH HEX: SHADOWS WEST #3, $2.95

HUMAN TORCH COMICS, $3.99
Presumably this is the same reprint of Human Torch #5 that was solicited before, although shortened in page count and price apparently.

I thought about ordering Wild Animals #1 (A LIST, page 164 of PREVIEWS), which reprints an old funny animal comic, but I ran out of space on the order form. Ah well, maybe it's for the best...

ACG (page 167-168 of PREVIEWS):

ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD #1
ATTACK OF THE MUTANT MONSTERS
FULL FORCE #1
TALES OF BLUE & GREY #1
(Old Charlton reprints. These were the first ones that I wrote down on the order form.)

STEVE CANYON #19 (page 194 of Previews)
(144 Pages, reprinting a year's worth of strips from 1953-54, for only 5 bucks. Hard to pass that up!)

PERIPHERY #2 (page 208 of Previews)
(48 pages for $2.95, another good bargain!)

MEASLES #2 (page 218 of Previews)
(All ages anthology. #1 was supposed to come out today, but must be late since it wasn't at my local shop.)

ACES HIGH #1 (page 224)
IMPACT #1 (page 226)
(Reprints of 1955 EC comics, in color, for only $2.50. These comics haven't been reprinted in comicbook format in 40 years! Highly recommended.)

THE WEDDING OF POPEYE AND OLIVE #1 (page 248)
(Full color 32-page Popeye The Sailor comic written by Peter David, with a cover drawn by Tom Grummett, for only $2.75!)

CAPTAIN GRAVITY #3 (page 252)
(Full color 32-page comic that takes place during the 1940s, for only $2.75. I've ordered #1 & 2, too, but they haven't come in yet.)

Julies Journey/Gravity #5 was supposed to come in today, but it didn't which is why I'm not ordering #6 of that series (also page 252) -- don't want to get stuck with #6 if #5 isn't to my liking. (I've never seen a copy of it before.)

THREE GEEKS #9, $2.50 (page 260)
(A funny comic!)

COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE SPECIAL EDITION (page 266)
This reprints the best material from CBM's earlier issues, being 120 pages for $9.95. I'm ordering Cover A (choice of 3 different covers).

COMIC BOOK PROFILES #6 (page 268)
Magazine that focuses on one creator per issue. This issue, #6, focuses on Gene Colan, and will be $2.99 for 56 pages. #5 should be coming out soon, and focuses on John Byrne.

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #23 (page 268)
(68 page magazine for $5.95. Somehow my local shop forgot to order the recent issue of this for me...grrrrr)

Thought about ordering Fandom's Finest Comics Volume 2 and Golden Age of Comic Fandom (both listed on page 279 of Previews) but I ran out of space on the order form....! They also have Complete Jack Kirby Vol. 3 listed on that page, but I can't remember if I've ordered that or not....and I can always get it another time.

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And there you have it.  It's interesting for me to see now, in 2024, what comic books that I was interested in buying back in 1997 and 1998.  In a way, when reading these posts, it doesn't seem so long ago...