Coming December 1st
Visit our 15th Anniversary page for more information!
Our schedule is going to be pretty wacky around Thanksgiving, so here's the rundown:
Thursday, November 22nd - Fanboy Comics Closed
Friday, November 23rd - Great Specials
Thursday, November 29th - Comic Order Arrives (One Day Late)
Hopefully that's clear enough for everyone. If there are any questions about our schedule, feel free to call or email us just to make sure you know what's going down!
Want one of these awesome Rampaging Hulk HeroClix? Read below and find out how to get one!
11/18 - HeroClix Sealed K.O. and Keep - $20.00 Entry
Each player can choose 2 boosters of Avengers or Justice League with which they can build their team. The store opens a booster for every player involved, and the players take on the store’s team, keeping any of the store’s pieces they K.O. If your team gets K.O.’d you can buy another booster to get back in on the action!
11/25 - HeroClix New-Guy Day
All new players who learn to play HeroClix and experinced players who bring new players get a free Limited Edition Rampaging Hulk miniature.
12/2 - HeroClix: Mutations and Monsters Release - $20.00 Entry
Each player gets 2 boosters with which they can build their team. First Prize is a Brick of Mutations and Monsters, Second Prize is 5 Boosters. (10 Players Min. For Prizes)
11/18 - Warmachine Mangled Metal Tournament
Bring 350 Points of Warcasters and ‘Jacks, and get ready for fast furious action. Grand Prize is a Warjack model of the player’s choice. (Up to a $35 value.) The top 3 runners-up get their faction’s small and large ‘jack wreck markers.
Free Thursday Magic Tournaments are Back!
Every Thursday evening, play in a free Type II Constructed tournament where the winner gets a pack for every player who shows up! No entry fee--just prizes!
Ha ha, just kidding, people who complain about Christmas starting too early like my dad!* We've got a whole bunch of stuff to help you out with your Christmas shopping. There's a Previews gift guide that has a wide array of items we can order from, and for that loved one who keeps their shameful love of comics or games secret from you so you don't know what they have or what they want, you can always buy one of our gift certificates!
Of course, Fanboy Comics will be offering some gift ideas right here in this newsletter for those of you who need a little bit of shopping help, so keep your eyes peeled!
*Hey, at least I haven't made any Christmas graphics for the newsletter yet!
$29.99
I don't know if you've heard of this whole "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" thing. I think it's based on a movie or something. Anyway, there's another volume of it coming out, for some reason. I guess probably Sean Connery wrote it. It has art, too. Yeah, whatever.
Oh, who the hell am I kidding this is going to be the best thing ever. It has a part with 3-D glasses, maps, a cutaway spread of the Nautilus, text stuff, and a Tijuana Bible! Curse you Alan Moore, for being so awesome!
$19.95
Hey, look, more Buffy merchandise! This one has a bunch of pictures in it. I was going to say something sarcastic about how I thought the writing was what people liked about Buffy, but then I saw the names of some of the artists in it. Chris Bachalo, J. Scott Campbell, Jeff Matsuda, Mike Mignola, Terry Moore, Eric Powell, Cliff Richards, Tim Sale, and Ryan Sook?! Why can't something I like get artist of that calibre to draw pictures of it? NOT FAIR.
$19.99
You know, I wasn't much into Dwayne McDuffie's first Fantastic Four arc, but that might just be because it ran concurrently with the terrible Black Panther Marvel Zombies storyline that featured the same characters. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it, so maybe I should just lighten up.
Anyway, I think I should give Dwayne McDuffie the benefit of the doubt. I've liked more or less everything else he's ever produced. Hopefully the collected edition here will change my mind.
$12.99
Hey, do you read Ex Machina? Well, if you don't, then you should solve that problem, because it's one of the best comic books on shelves today. It's a highly political book that manages to avoid falling into the cause-of-the-week trap and doesn't preach to you. Not only that, but it's also got a compelling overarcing narrative, and it draws on real-world events! This volume, for instance, is about the huge New York blackout. I don't really know anything else because I read this series in trade paperbacks. I'm sure it will be good, though!
Well, we ended our Subscriber Appreciation Week last Wednesday, and we've found the winner of our contest. It is none other than Brian Ray, Box #207! Congratulations, Brian, on your free subscription to a year's worth of ten comic titles!
Although you can't win anything by signing up for a new box or updating your old box, you should still do so if you feel it's the best thing for you to do. If you're interested in subscribing, you can check out our services page for more details!
Amazing Spider-Man: #122 (Death of the Green Goblin)
Daredevil: #39
Conan: #1 (First Comics Appearance of Conan), 2-7, 8 (Hidden Panel Message), 9-13, 14-15 (Elric Appearance), 16-22, 23 (First Appearance Red Sonja), 24 (First Full Appearance Red Sonja), 25 (Jonh Buscema Art Begins), 26-36, 37 (Neal Adams Art), Annual #1-7, Giant-Size Conan #1-5
Kull: #1 (2nd Appearance and Origin of Kull), #2 (3rd Appearance Kull)
King Conan: #1-17
Marvel Super Special Magazine: #2 (Conan, Savage Sword), #9 (Conan), #21 (Conan Movie Cover)
Untamed Love #1 (All Frazetta Artwork); Phantom Lady Special #1, 2; The Best of Horror and Science Fiction #1 (Wolverton and Frazetta Art); Supercops #1; Sheena: Queen of the Jungle 3-D #1; Jungle Comics #1 (Sheena); Planet Comics #1 (Good Girl Art); Cry for Dawn #3, 5 (First Printings); Tales of the Leather Nun #1 (1973, Featres an Original First Printing R. Crumb Story);
As usual, a great many comic books have been pushed back to a later date. This news is so shocking that we are now developing a weekly section where we announce comic delays, so you can better know when your favorite books are coming out. Or when the next delay announcement will be, whatever. We'll also include other schedule announcements, like different products coming back in stock, second printings, and the like. But this is the comic industry, and we all know which type of announcment we will see the most.
Changed Release Dates
| OLD DATE | NEW DATE | |
| X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills Prem HC Reg./DM Var Eds. | 11/14/07 | 11/21/07 |
| Justice League of America #15 | 11/21/07 | 11/28/07 |
| Faker #5 (MR) | 11/21/07 | 11/28/07 |
| Kabuki: Reflections #9 (MR) | 11/28/07 | 12/05/07 |
| Powers Vol. 11: Secret Identity TP | 11/28/07 | 12/05/07 |
| Captain Marvel #2 | 12/12/07 | 12/19/07 |
| Superman #671 | 12/12/07 | 12/19/07 |
| Tales of the Batman: Tim Sale HC | 12/12/07 | 12/26/07 |
| Brave and the Bold #9 | 12/19/07 | 12/26/07 |
| Moon Knight Vol. 2: Midnight Sun Prem. HC | 12/19/07 | 01/02/08 |
| Foolkiller #4 (MR) | 01/16/08 | 02/13/08 |
| Captain Marvel #3 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Immortal Iron Fist #13 | 02/20/08 | 03/19/08 |
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Penciler: Paul Pelletier
Inker: Rick Magyar
Corolist: Wil Quintana
Man, I love me some Fantastic Four lately! Have you been reading it? No? What's the problem? The Fantastic Four has finally be worth reading lately, and it is all due to Dwayne McDuffie. His storytelling is amazing. What I thought would be a done deal once Storm and the Black Panther left has turned into another amazing story line, with a great, great ending that I'll never tell you! Ever! Read the book!
Issue 551 starts off 75 years into the future, where Earth is a Utopia thanks to Reed Richards and all his plans. All isn't sunshine, though. The future Dr. Doom escapes, and goes back in time with the future Namor and the future Black Panther. The future dudes tell the present FF that Reed Richards has a plan to cure the world of everything. All our problems. But the future Dr. Doom and the rest of them have issues with that, resulting in a move by Reed Richards that is unexpected and very, very awesome.
What I like about Dwayne's talent is that he lets the reader assume the Fantastic Four traits. Most writers do this silly thing where they sum up all the Fantastic Four characteristics and then gives them really silly and underrated problems to deal with. The Fantastic Four recently saved the world, beat the Frightful Four, and then saved the entire universe from killing itself. This Fantastic Four feel powerful, capable and dangerous. Ben Grimm isn't bitching and crying about his form over and over. The Human Torch is less a jerk and more an angry, pissed off dude. And Reed Richards is struggling against his own weight, which is cooler than any enemy he could face.
With the recent Skrull events coming up (Read the Illuminati issue 5 right now! Hurry! It is awesome!) I hope that level of energy moves to the Fantastic Four, too. It really does feel like the Marvel Universe is working together more than ever before. I'm not a fan of the upcoming Miller/Hitch creative team coming up, because I love the current Fantastic Four. Whatever. Jump on this book fast before it is over.
RATING: 5/5
Writers: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Penciler: Tom Raney
Inker: Scott Hanna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $2.99
It seems this week is all-star week, because all three books are getting five out of five stars. This is more because the guys finally gave me great stuff to read and less because comics are getting better. Thank God, a week where I don't have to deal with the freaking Countdown to Final Crisis crap. Note to DC: Hurry up and kill everyone. Again. For the last time. Again.
Anyway.
Annihilation is good for three reasons. One, they actually use the Phalanx threat to its utmost. For those out of the loop, the Phalanx have taken over the Kree home world, and turned them all into robot-peeps. A rag-tag group of heroes have decided to band together and do something about it. Ronan the Accuser is in the group, and he is lame so we won't go there. But the new Quasar is positively awesome. I'm not sure why Moondragon is an actual dragon now, but we'll figure that out some day. Wraith is cool, for an over-hyped cowboy. And, oh, we get the almighty and ultimate return of Adam Warlock. That's right, I said it. Adam "I'm awesome" Warlock. Yeah, I know, you probably think he is super-lame or some other insanity. I've always loved the Adam Warlock character. His return to the mainstream will, I hope, single a return of some very and truly cosmic stories. There are also two surprises in the book. One, I'll ruin. The High Evolutionary is rebuilding the Kree empire! Yes! But the other I won't ruin. No way. No how. What? A hint? I really shouldn't. Ok! Ok! Think about the coolest villain to be tied to the Phalanx. That's it! No more!
This book isn't without the problems, sorry to say. There is no explaining much. We get to know why the Phalanx are in the picture, but that is it. We don't know why Quasar is a woman now. We don't know what happened to the original Quasar. We don't know why Moondragon is a real dragon. And we don't know where Adam Warlock has been, or why he ran away in the first place. And where is Nova? And why isn't the Silver Surfer in this story? And, ok, ok. You get the idea. There are a lot of unanswered questions and there really needed to be a few pages just for back-story. [Editor's Note: You could, hypothetically, read the four Annihilation: Conquest Prologue series to find out the answers to these questions! They're quite good!]
I do think this comic is assessable for new readers, though. And I really think this deserves a read. The creative team is top notch and, hopefully, Marvel will promote this book with the proper book. It should get any and all hype it receives.
RATING: 5/5
Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Tan Eng Huat
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $2.99
The Silver Surfer has been having some continuity issues as of late. He just died in a mini-series, but that was an Elseworlds thing, so it doesn't really count. He has been working for Galactus again in the Fantastic Four comic. But that flies in the face of this recent comic that just came out. In Thy Name has Norrin Radd flying through space as a wanderer again. And, me personally, I wouldn't have him any other way.
This story starts with the Surfer basically stumbling upon a utopia, where everything is nice and happy. The Surfer has very rarely seen this, having to deal with death on such an epic scale for so long. Not everything is lovely in Utopia land, however. A threat is destroying an out laying colony. When the Surfer goes to help, he's hailed by the deprived underclass as the "lightlord" and a subsequent savior.
The writing for this book is what is separating this recent Surfer tale from all the other stuff that has been floating around. The Silver Surfer finally has a personality, or at least a different one than before. He is still brooding, over thinking and a bit morbid, but there are hints for a reason for this. He acts more like an individual character and less like this "Silver Surfer" stereotype. I'm not sure how one character can get a stereotype of himself, but it happened. I'm glad that the writer, Spurrier, is carefully working around that.
The art is also doing some fun, interesting things. There are a lot of details in Tan Eng Huat's pages. It seems packed and just full of stuff. And, I'm not sure why, but these pages make the Surfer seem small, almost tiny. Or, maybe, not over-done or made more important. Each item in the panels has the same level of importance. It's a different technique, one that is very non-"Marvel", but it is working on a wonderful level.
New readers will be able to jump into the story instantly. There is very little back-story to know about. The beginning of this mini-series is handled extremely well and I'm really looking forward to the rest of it. It must be cosmic story month over at Marvel right now. All their space-faring books are rocking like diamonds.
RATING: 5/5
Well, I saw that Marvel launched their Digital Comics Unlimited whatever today. Anyway, if you're interested in the service, I've put together a simulator that, while still in beta, should give you a good idea of what the service is like, so you can decide whether or not you want to use it. I don't have the graphical frills, but this is more or less an accurate portrayal of how Marvel's Digital Comics Unlimited service functions:
Click Here to Launch The Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited Simulator v. 0.2.1!
Batman and the Outsiders #1
Hey, the Outsiders are back! If you haven't been following the whole Outsiders thing, here's a primer: The Outsiders kind of did something wacky and Checkmate was involved, so Batman decided to take over the team and have tryouts, like it was some sort of bizarre sports team. He selected a team in a 5-part miniseries, and then they changed creative teams for the book and it didn't come out for a month or so. The lead-up has been cool, and the idea behind the series is cool. I'm hoping the execution will live up to the premise, and if it does, we're in for a treat.
Salvation Run #1
You know what the best idea Britain ever had was? Taking all of their convicts and shipping them off to Australia, because it eventually resulted in the art of Ben Templesmith. I don't know if shipping the Joker to some distant planet will result in another Ben Templesmith, but it might at least result in a good read. I like Bill Willingham, and they've given him most of the good villains of the DCU to work with, so I hope we're in for a treat.
Captain Marvel #1
Man, I sure wish that I hadn't read the first issue of this series already so I could make a bunch of stupid jokes about it and the whole not-a-resurrection resurrection that Marvel's trying to pull of here, but, unfortunately, I have, and it's actually pretty good. I'm looking forward to seeing where this series is going. Right now it's added a little bit of mystery to the circumstances surrounding Captain Marvel's return, making it possibly not quite as goofy as I originally thought. Curses.
Thor #4
Hey, you know what's been pretty awesome? This new Thor series. I would say the pacing is slow, but that kind of implies the book is bad and should be moving faster. It shouldn't. This book is proceeding at exactly the right speed. That speed just happens to be slow. You know what? I'm going to stop using the word slow. Instead, I'll say it's methodical. You know what? I'll just shut up in general.
World War Hulk #5
This is it.
Are you ready?
