Tenative DCBS Shipment for November

And here's the list of what I think will be arriving from DCBS some time between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3, along with a few pre-arival comments:

52 Aftermath The Four Horsemen #4
Action Comics #859
All New Atom #17
All Star Superman #9
Amazing Spider-Girl #14
Angel After The Fall #1
Annihilation Conquest #1
Annihilation Conquest Star Lord #4
Archibald Saves Christmas #1
I am a sucker for Christmas comic books. I used to love the oversized Christmas reprints DC and Marvel used to release in the seventies. Not that this is in the same vein, but it does have "Christmas" in the title.

Astonishing X-Men #23
Atomic Robo #2
Avengers Initiative #7
Back Issue #25
Batman and the Outsiders ##1-2
I'm still concerned that after the remarkable rehabilitation of Batman's persona post-Infinite Crisis/52, this title is a harbinger that Bat-jerk is still hovering around, ready to reappear permanently, which, of course, means I'll be dropping all mainstream Bat-titles again, for another eighteen years, if necessary.

Batman Strikes #39
Birds of Prey #112
Black Panther #32
Booster Gold #4
BPRD Killing Ground #4
Brave and The Bold #8
Anyone who doesn't appreciate what a better place the DCU is post-Infinite Crisis and the return of the multiverse need only read this title and Booster Gold. If you still don't appreciate it, go away because you'll never appreciate that at its most basic, the DCU is a science fantasy universe where "reality" is really an uncomfortable fit.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #8
Captain America #32
Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #2
Countdown Lord Havok and the Extremists #2
Countdown Search For Ray Palmer Gotham By Gaslight #1
Countdown Search For Ray Palmer Red Rain #1
Countdown To Adventure #4
Countdown To Final Crisis ##25-22
Countdown To Mystery #3
Crime Bible The Five Lessons of Blood #2
Daredevil #102
Death of the New Gods #3
Doc Frankenstein #6
Drafted #3
Very good comic book, dealing with an alien invasion of Earth, the twist being that the invasion is for the purpose of drafting everyone on the planet into a military force so that humans can defend themselves from a worse threat.

Ex Machina #32
Delays are hurting this book, and I don't generally care if a comic is delayed, to the point that I want to know how many issues Brian K. Vaughn envisions his story running.

Fables #67
Fantastic Four #551
I know it isn't sound business sense, but if I were running Marvel, I'd rather that Dwayne McDuffie were writing a Fantastic Four comic book that honestly reflects the team rather than giving control of the book to Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch. The latter pair will ensure that the book sells well, gaining new readers, but I'd rather those new readers were introduced to the traditional MU Fantastic Four, rather than a FF driven by the beats found in a action movie.

Fantastic Four Omnibus, vol. 1
Fearless #1
Flash #234
Franklin Richards Fall Football Fiasco
Yes! Another issue coming right on the heels of the Halloween issue. Too bad there isn't going to be a Christmas issue.

Futurama Comics #34
Godland #20
Goon Chinatown
Gotham Underground #2
Green Lantern Corps #18
Groo Hell On Earth ##1-2
Hellboy Darkness Calls #6
Heroes For Hire #15
Infinity Inc #3
Iron Man Power Pack #1
Jack of Fables #17
JLA Classified #47
JSA Classified #32
Justice League Unlimited #39
Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #8
Lobster Johnson The Iron Prometheus #3
Lucha Libre #2
The last issue I'm ordering. Like I'd written earlier, I thought the first issue was too long, packed with stories I didn't care about, other than the lead. If this had just featured the lead story at a lower cover price, I'd have continued, but as it is, I can't justify it.

Madman Atomic Comics #5
Maintenance #6
Marvel Adventures Avengers #18
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #30
Marvel Adventures Hulk #5
Marvel Adventures Iron Man #7
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #33
Marvel Comics Presents #3
Men Of Mystery #69
Metal Men #4
Metamorpho Year One ##3-4
I was concerned that the changes to Metamorpho's origin would fall into the category of "changes for their own sake." I was pleasantly surprised that the changes aren't so severe, it does explain how Rex Mason makes a living when penny-pinching Simon Stagg. For this series, it looks like "Year One" is going to refer to the origin story alone, which is kind of a shame because I wouldn't mind seeing Metamorpho in straight stories without an origin hook.

Midknight #1
Moonstone's Holiday Super Spectacular
I don't read any Moonstone comics, primarily because the cover prices are too high. Yet here I am getting this, but what can I say other then that I am a sucker for holiday/Christmas comic books.

Ms Marvel #21
New Avengers #36
New Avengers Illuminati #5
I wrote it before and I'll probably write it again: When it comes to mainstream super-hero comic books, Bendis's greatest strength is that he writes a great illusion of action. The trouble is, once you catch on to that, the comics he writes are kind of dull. Is it wrong of me to be glad that this is the late issue of this book?

Nova #8
Powers #27
Previews, Vol. XVII #12
PS238 #27
PVP #36
Salvation Run #1
Savage Dragon #13
Shadowpact #19
Shazam Ser 1 Action Figure Assortment
When it comes to DC Direct, one of its more annoying policies is multiple editions of the same character, but such a policy is made even more devious by usually ensuring that each succeeding version be more than a re-paint, but a whole new sculpt, one that is much better than the previous. That's how they got me with Green Lantern, as any version had to be better than the one that was released in the "Hard Travelling Heroes" wave. I actually liked the original Captain Marvel/Billy Batson set DCD released years ago enough that I skipped subsequent versions. However, with this set, which includes Maru Marvel, Junior, and Sivana (with Mr. Mind), I just gave up and bought the Captain Marvel figure, too, especially since I was buying a new Billy Batson just to get the Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny figure. You think me a fool? Look at this picture and tell me you could skip out on owning a Hoppy? Besides, he is a fit companion for my plastic Legion of Super-Pets I am gathering, the members so far being Krypto, Ace, Beppo, and Streaky.

Simpsons Comics #136
Simpsons Winter Wingding #2
Another hoilday-centric comic book. If only DC would see the logic in reprinting the complete Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a nice trade at kid-present-friendly prices. And, once it does see the logic, pays the licensing fee, and reprints Rudolph, I want them to put a Scooby-Doo/Batman team-up one-shor on the schedule, a sequel to the time the two met on The Scooby-Doo Movies. What is the point in having the same owner if co-owned properties can't meet occasionally (and, hopefully, meet in a more entertaining way than the way the Superman & Bugs Bunny mini-series played out. However, if there ever was a mini-series deserving of reprinting in a perpetually available format for kids, it is Superman & Bugs Bunny.

Spirit #11
Supergirl #23
Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #36
Superman #670
Superman Annual #13
Superman Batman #43
Super-Villain Team-Up Modok’s 11 #5
Teen Titans #53
Teen Titans Go! #49
I'm not saying that it is because of my complaining, but the good news is that this title isn't canceled. Now, all we need is a similar reprieve for Justice League Unlimited.

The Order #4
Ultimate Fantastic Four #48
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3
Welcome To Tranquility #12
Will Eisner’s Spirit Archives, Vol. 23
Wonder Woman #14
Y The Last Man #59

November 2007 DCBS Order

I didn't mean to let so much time to past between posts, but that's the way things sometimes go, unfortunately. In an attempt to try to post something more often, here's what I ordered from DCBS this month, peppered with an occasional comment.

52 Aftermath The Four Horsemen 6
Action Comics 861
Adam Strange Archives, vol. 3
Al Capp’s Complete Shmoo The Comic Books
Most comic book readers don't appreciate how popular Shmoo was in the late 40s and early 50s. (You can go here or here, if you are interested in learning more.) If anyone knows the character at all, it is from the cartoons that teamed it with Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble (who beyond logic were cops in Bedrock) or where the Shmoo played the Scooby-Doo role in another variation on the Scooby theme. These are comics I would never seek out, but in a collection like this, I'll bite. What I'm really waiting for is the archival collection of the Peanuts comic books from the 50s and early 60s.

All-New Atom 19
Alter Ego 75
Amazing Spider-Girl 16
Amelia Rules 20
Angel After The Fall 3
Annihilation Conquest 3
Atomic Robo 4
I'll just pause here for a moment, using Atomic Robo as the example of how good all the Red 5 comics.

Avengers Initiative 9
Back Issue 26
Bat Lash 2
Batman 673
Batman Strikes 41
Birds of Prey 114
Black Panther 34
Bomb Queen, vol. 3
Booster Gold 6
In a million years, I never would have thought that Booster Gold would star in a must-buy comic, especially after he and Blue Beetle were made the JL-Bwah-ha-ha's class clowns, but he is. I just hope that the DCU that remains after Final Crisis allows for continued time travel adventures.

BPRD 1946 1
Buffy The Vampire Slayer 10
Captain America 34
Catwoman 75
Clockwork Girl 3
Countdown Lord Havok and the Extremists 4
Countdown to Adventure 6
Countdown to Final Crisis 17-14
Countdown to Mystery 5
Crime Bible The Five Lessons of Blood 4
Daredevil 104
Dark Horse Heroes Omnibus
Death of the New Gods 5
Detective Comics 840
Drafted 5
Dynamo 5 #11
Engineer 2
Essential Captain America, vol. 4
Fables 69
Fantastic Four 553
Flash 236
Futurama Comics 35
Goon 21
Gotham Underground 4
Green Lantern 27
Harvey Comics Classics, Hot Stuff, vol. 3
I don't know what makes me happier, that Harvey comic books from the late 50s through the mid-60s are getting the recognition they deserve, or that the very bad Harvey comics from the mid-70s forward are being ignored.

Hybrid Bastards 2
Immortal Iron Fist 13
Infinity Inc 5
Iron Man Power Pack 3
Jack of Fables 19
JLA Classified 50-51
Jungle Girl 5
Justice League of America 17
Justice League Unlimited 41
Justice Society of America 12
Legion of Super Heroes 38
Legion of Super Heroes In The 31st Century 10
Lobster Johnson Iron Prometheus 5
Madame Mirage 6
This might be the last issue of this title for me. I bought this solely on the basis of Paul Dini's name and the story is o.k., but I have not enjoyed the art so far. If there is another series, I'll look closely at who is named as artist and make my decision from there.

Madman Atomic Comics 8
Maintenance 9
Marvel Adventures Avengers 20
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four 32
Marvel Adventures Hulk 7
Marvel Adventures Iron Man 9
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man 35
Marvel Masterworks Golden Age Daring Mystery, vol. 1
I never thought I'd say this, but Marvel really has DC beat when it comes to reprinting its pre-Silver Age material.

Mavis 5
Metal Men 5
Midknight 2
Mighty Avengers 8
Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #4
Ms Marvel 23
New Avengers Annual 2
Nexus #100, Space Opera Act 2 Of 4
Nova 10
Order 7
Pax Romana 1, 3
Previews, vol. XVIII #1
PS238 29
PVP 40
Red Mass for Mars 2
Salvation Run 3
Savage Dragon 136
Shadowpact 21
Shark-Man 1
She-Hulk 2 #25
Showcase Presents Ser 1, Superman Action Figure
Showcase Presents Superman Family, vol. 2
Simpsons Comics 138
Spirit 14
Superman 672
Superpowers 1
Teen Titans 55
Teen Titans Go! 51
Teen Titans The Lost Annual
Was there anyone not taken by surprise by this book on the schedule? I wish someone would ask Dan Didio what happened that he "gets" this book now, after famously taking it off the schedule because he didn't get it when it was completed.

Teen Titans Year One 1
I know that this is going to get on my nerves. Already, the half-fish Aqualad shown on the cover and Bat-jerk giving Robin grief in the preview pages annoy me, but I just couldn't control myself.

The Twelve 1
In theory, I should like this, a new story featuring Marvel's more obscure Golden Age heroes, but I know that JMS is going to insist on putting his post-modern mark on the characters, but I'm still a sucker.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 5
Wonder Woman 16
Wonder Woman: Who Is Wonder Woman? collection
You never know where life is going to take you. As a child, I really disliked Mike Sekowsky's stilted art on any title other than Justice League, and here I am buying a trade of his Wonder Woman work.


World War Hulk Aftersmash Damage Control 1
I haven't read a single issue of "Planet Hulk" or "World War Hulk," yet I'm buying this because Dwayne McDuffie is writing it.

X-Men First Class, vol. 2 #8
I know it makes me a fanboy, but as much as I like this comic, I'd like it even more if the costumes the X-Men wear actually matched costumes they were shown wearing in previously published stories.

Y, The Last Man 60
Is it wrong of me to be glad that this comic is finally ending. I mean, it started out strong, but geez, it took forever to get to the end.