Even though the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday might throw bank tellers and postal workers for a loop, it doesn't faze us here at Fanboy Comics! We'll still be getting everything in on time next week and we'll also be open on Monday in case you were curious.
Don't forget that you can get sneak peeks of each Tuesday's specials by befriending us on MySpace! We've also gotten out some new dollar boxes out for your perusal!
We've also added a bunch of back issues to the regular old back issue boxes that aren't nearly important enough for me to list here!
Tomb of Dracula (Bronze Age Marvel): #11, 12 (2nd Appearance of Blade), 14, 16-18, 19 (First Mention of Blade's Vampire Blood), 20-24, 25 (First Appearance of Hannibal King), 26, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 37-44, 45 (Intro of Deacon Frost), 47, 48, 50 (Silver Surfer Appearance), 52-57, 59-63, 65, 67-70 (Last Issue)
Giant-Size Dracula:#2, 5 (First John Byrne Marvel Art)
Ultimate Spider-Man: #1 (K.B. Toys Edition), #1 (Free Comic Book Day Edition)
Wolverine (1988 Series): #1-10
Ultimate X-Men: #2-58, Annual #2 (Death of Gambit)
$12.95
Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory is an awesome catalogue of wacky 50's science inventions like ray guns, robotic chairs, and others. It's only 32 pages, but it's chock full of awesome visuals and is really pretty cheap when you consider the quality of work that went into it. So, can I recommend Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory? Yes, I can. Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory looks pretty awesome.
$19.99
When I saw this item, I was wondering to myself exactly how they could justify a whole hardcover just for the Hulk: The End story, which was a good story but not that large. However, it turns out that this hardcover also contains the excellent Future Imperfect story! So, you get two of Peter David's best Hulk stories, both with an awesome apocalyptic theme! David is probably the definitive Hulk writer, and if you like the hulk at all, this is not one to miss.
$29.99
Man, this hardcover took a while to come out. We've had at least two Marvel-wide crossovers since House of M ended! Really, House of M was pretty good, despite a few flaws, and it's worth reading the miniseries by itself. The tie-ins and aftermath vary in quality, but when you take the series by itself, it's a pretty good story. And this hardcover has the whole thing, plus a few fancy extras. If you missed House of M, it's definitely worth checking out! There are a lot worse books you could have on the shelf.
$19.99
If you've been reading X-Factor, then--well, first off, you have good taste, but that's not really germane to my point--anyway, you might have missed kind of the prequel to the current series. It was a short Madrox mini-series featuring the character as a detective, trying to solve his own murder. It was also awesome. Now, it's out in a fancy premiere hardcover that will look great on the shelf next to all of my X-Factor hardcovers. If you missed it the first time, you shouldn't let it happen again.
Goethe's Faust Parts 1-2, 1962 Edition
This auction contains both volumes of Goethe's Faust, featuring the Bayard Taylor translation. This rare book was published by Collier Books in 1962. Book 1 (HS 6) is in nice condition with spine and corner wear. A highlighter was used throughout the book. Other than that the book has a high eye appeal. Book 2 is (AS 462) in nice condition with wear along the left side of the front cover. The interiors are in wonderful condition.
Spider-Man Comic and Record
This auction is for Spiderman: The Mark of the Man-Wolf comic book and
record set. Record runs at 45 rpm, has the serial number of PR #10, and
was put out by Power Records in 1974.
Comic is in nice shape with minor to moderate cover creasing. The record plays great and is in excellent shape.
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 | |
| Powers # 28 (MR) | 07/04/07 | 02/06/08 |
| Powers Encyclopedia Vol.1 | 08/22/07 | 03/12/07 |
| Witchblade #114 Cvrs. A-B | 12/26/07 | 01/30/08 |
| Halo 3: Master Chief Mini Bust | 12/26/07 | 05/28/08 |
| Faker #6 (MR) | 01/16/08 | 01/23/08 |
| Order #7 | 01/16/08 | 01/23/08 |
| Iron Man #25 | 01/16/08 | 01/23/08 |
| Superman Confidential #11 | 01/16/08 | 01/23/08 |
| Demons of Mercy #2 Free Cp. (MR) | 01/16/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Infinite Crisis TP | 01/16/08 | 02/06/08 |
| Y: The Last Man #60 (MR) | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| New Avengers Annual #2 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Fables #69 (MR) | 01/23/08 | 02/06/08 |
| Thor #6 | 01/23/08 | 02/20/08 |
| Marvel Spotlight: Ultimates 3 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Green Lantern #27 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Avengers Initiative #9 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| Captain America #34 | 01/23/08 | 01/30/08 |
| All Star Superman #10 | 02/06/08 | 03/12/08 |
| Foolkiller #4 (OF 5) (MR) | 02/13/08 | 03/19/08 |
| Thor #7 | 02/20/08 | 03/19/08 |
| Predator Omnibus TP Vol 02 | 02/20/08 | 01/23/08 |
| All New Off. Hdbk. Mvl. Univ A-to-Z Prem. HC V. 01 | 02/20/08 | 02/27/08 |
| Moon Knight TP Vol 02: Midnight Sun | 02/27/08 | 03/19/08 |
| Powers #29 (MR) | 03/19/08 | 03/26/08 |
| Powers #30 (MR) | 03/26/08 | 04/23/08 |
| Thor #8 | 03/26/08 | 04/16/08 |
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Steve McNiven
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colors: Morry Hollowell
Last week, I said I wasn’t going to read any more Spider-man comics until it returned to “Normal”. Then the guys at Fanboy gave me this book to review. I’m sure Cyrus is in a leather chair, looking over the city, rubbing a white cat and laughing as the nuclear bombs go off. I’ll get you for this, Cyrus. Oh, yes. [Editor's Note: Tee hee.]
Anyway. I’m going to review this. And I’m going to do it as objectively as I can. Too a point. This issue starts off after they totally screwed up, I mean, after they altered Spidey’s past and made it more dumbed down, I mean, more accessable to readers. This Spider-man isn’t married and never has been. He lives with Aunt May again. He doesn’t have a job. And he hasn’t been Spider-man in months. So, he’s basically a loser. Oh, and even though he revealed himself to the public in the wonderful and amazing Civil War #2, uh, no one knows he’s Spider-man. Hang on. (Jarvis takes big long swig of whiskey). Ok. I’m good. Where was I? Oh yeah. And Mary Jane is a superhero. Oh, god. My stomach hurts.
Dan Slott does a good job with this new/old Spider-man. This Peter Parker has some hard times, but he does the best he can, you know? He loves his Aunt May and he knows he’ll get through the bad patches if he works hard and flies straight. The art by McNiven is simply amazing and beautiful. Seriously, McNiven might become THE Spider-man artist from now on. Add to that a pretty cool new villain and you’ve got a comic that is actually pretty good and worth reading.
RATING: -100/5
Story: Joe Casey
Art: Derec Donovan
Colors: Bill Crabtree
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99
I remember a conversation I had with a guy back when Image first was created. He believed that Image would be this watershed moment, where the artist finally gets to tell some amazing stories without the restrictions of "The Man". Power to the People! Yeah, well, one billion years later and guess what companies are still standing and which books are collecting dust under your bed. Remember when you thought Youngblood #1 was going to be worth lots of money? Last week I ran out of toilet paper. Guess what I used. Come on. Guess.
This current revision of the, ahem, classic story has Youngblood reformed by a Government PR group. The world hates America. So, in an effort to get people to like the old red, white, and blue, the government reforms Youngblood, puts them in front of cameras, makes them pose, and has them fight giant robots. Shaft, the leader of the group, is jaded and angry about all this, but recognizes that there might be a real need for Youngblood, and soon. Pull back the curtain and you see a bad guy from their past with his own set of villains, ready to take the fight to Youngblood in the streets and on television. Lights! Camera! Vomit!
Here is my problem with Youngblood. The idea behind them was garbage in the first place. It was silly. Rob Liefield designed the characters so he could have something cool to draw. There isn't anything interesting, new, or innovative about Youngblood then or now. Joe Casey is a great writer, and he does alright with this book. The art is capable, if not boring and lackluster. Its almost like no one is putting too much work into the book because they know its junk. It is Youngblood, and I'm sure some poor soul will buy it. But I don't care if you take mud, put sugar in it and bake it at 500 degrees. It is still mud. Someone take Youngblood and bury the whole mess. We've been through enough.
RATING: 3/5
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Penciler: Ed McGuinness
Inker: Dexter Vines
Colorist: Jason Keith
Ok.
So, after World War Hulk, the US government took Bruce Banner and locked him up. We all saw that in the last page. However, the beginning of Hulk has a Hulk-like-thing killing the Abomination. I thought he was already dead. All fingers point to the Green skinned baddie. But, why is Rick Jones in the middle of nowhere, with no clothes on? And, if the Hulk killed the Abomination, why is Bruce Banner locked up? And why is there a picture of a Red Hulk on the cover? And why do I care? I know the answer to that last question. I don't care. Not at all.
Jeph Loeb sucks. This is a typical paint-by-numbers Hulk issue, complete with silly fight scene. Loeb thinks that, as long as we don't know who or what this new Hulk is, we'll keep reading. Well, he's right. But once we find out, we probably won't come back to it. A mystery is only good until the mystery is revealed. Once that happens, the story just flops. I mean, lets be real here. Rick Jones is probably the New Hulk. Why is he the new Hulk? And why did he kill the Abomination? Is Rick Jones a killer? These are boring questions. Everything about this book I have seen before and it is complete uninteresting and unimportant.
This has happened before with the Hulk. John Byrne came on board and tried to make the Hulk back into a monster, rampaging and dangerous. It worked for three issues, then the book went to complete trash. Once the editorial team swayed away from the psychological problems of the Hulk, the book just got bad. Peter David's Hulk has character and depth. It has weight to it. We need more than the Hulk being red. We need the Hulk to be interesting and engaging. World War Hulk did that, to a point. Planet Hulk did it really well. Peter David's run did it perfectly. This Red Hulk is just a gimmick. I'm tired of gimmicks.
The only good part about this book is the art by Ed McGuinness. His work is wonderful. He is the perfect artist to do the Hulk. And, even though it isn't a Hulk I'm all that interested in, I'm still impressed with this guy's abilities.
This is the only Hulk you're going to get for a while. I have a prediction. In less than a year, we see a fight between Green Hulk and Red Hulk! Wow! Who would have ever guessed that?
RATING: 3/5
Ah, Wikipedia. You are, perhaps, the greatest single resource in the history of mankind. Not for knowledge, necessarily, but certainly for entertainment. If you know what to do, there are endless joys to be had within its confines. Wikipedia vandalism is, perhaps, the simplest form of pleasure you can achieve, but it takes true brilliance to make it work. Even an amazing, hilarious vandalism like the last paragraph of this edit of the Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar article lasts for at best an hour, but probably less. A truly brilliant vandalism is the one that stands the test of time, like the end of this article on Dinah Soar. To quote:
The name "Dinah Soar" is an obvious reference to "dinosaur," matching her appearance. It may also be a reference to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar project (1957–1963), which was an early attempt to design a space shuttle, or to TV personality Dinah Shore.
That reference to the Boeing space shuttle has been there since March of last year, and nobody has caught it! In fact, it was originally the only thing there, and it was worded as such:
The name “Dinah Soar” is an obvious reference to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar project (1957–1963), which was an early attempt to design a space shuttle.
Obviously! Still, that's really a side note to what I really wanted to do, some good old-fashioned comic-book-related wikigroaning. What's wikigroaning? Well, that's when you go on wikipedia and find an article about something that's not really in any way applicable to real life--say, Magneto (Comics)--and then compare it to a similar article that is actually relevant to human existence--in this case, Magnetism. Do you notice which one is longer? That's right. Wikipedia's article on Magnetism, a fairly common and important physical phenomena, is shorter than their article on a MADE-UP PERSON. This is what makes wikipedia great, and it's one of my favorite things to do. It's a great way to pass the time at work. Or so I hear. Anyway, here's a few I've found:
Mutation
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber (Comics)
British Royal Family
Batman Family
Solomon
Hercules
Atlas
Zeus
Achilles
Mercury
Captain Marvel
Ex Post Facto Law
Retcon
Bathing
No-Fault Divorce
Spider-Man: One More Day
If you find any good ones, feel free to email them to editor@fanboycomics.biz. Maybe there will be a prize involved for the best one! Who knows?
World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control #1
Damage Control returns, to handle one of the most destructive Marvel events yet: World War Hulk! With original creator Dwayne McDuffie on board, expect this series to encompass everything you loved about the original Damage Control! I'm assuming you loved Damage Control here, but I could be wrong. The preview copy looked pretty good though, so it's probably worth checking out!
X-Men #207After three straight months of probably the best X-Men crossover since the line became so unweildy it could have crossovers with itself, Messiah Complex is coming to an end, with a knock-down, drag-out fight for the future of the first mutant baby since House of M! Bishop vs. Cable vs. Predator X vs. The Marauders vs. The X-Men vs. The Purifiers vs. the amount of words I can reasonably put in a sentence fragment like this! It's all here!
Young Avengers Presents #1: PatriotMan, I have missed the Young Avengers. You'd think that since there's a writer's strike going on, Allan Heinberg might be able to crank out a few scripts for this amazing series, but, noooooo, we have to settle for a series of character-centric one-shots by writers like Ed Brubaker. Pfft, who even cares about Ed Brubaker anymore? He's washed up. I hear he's barely writing Captain America at all these days. He just sits around, wishing he could write the O.C. or something. Woah, what the heck happened to this train of thought?
