Two Short Things

Thing #1: I think I'm finished with JMS's Amazing Spider-Man. It wasn't the "Sins Past" story that did it to me, but rather the just completed "Skin Deep," which was boring boring boring. I think he's run out of things to say about Spidey. I had already planned on stopping the floppies and moving to trades, so I haven't pre-ordered any further issues, but if I continue at all at this point it'll be because the public library gets a copy of the trade.

Thing #2: Speaking of the public library, I returned the massive tome of American Elf: James Kochalka's Collected Sketchbook Diaries this morning, after having read about 10% of it. On the one hand it's a pretty amazing achievement: five years of daily journal entries in comic strip form. On the other, that's something like 1800 comics about Kochalka's mostly mundane life. I think I got the jist of it from the amount that I read. I can see why many others would like this so much, but it's not for me, and I've got huge stacks of other comics stuff to read.

Prof. Gloeckner Goes to Angoulême

The new issue of Indy Magazine is now available, and among other things it features Phoebe Gloeckner's photocomic-journal/travel report for the trip she took to the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême, France (with Annette, our art & design librarian, in tow). It makes for a good, quick read, and includes Robert Crumb's feet.

Marvel Hinders Chance for 7-11 Success

The ink is barely dry on the announcement that Marvel will be putting comics back into 7-11 stores, and already it looks like they're going to shoot themselves in the foot and blow their chance at success.

As reported in a Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services article (link via Thought Balloons), the Marvel comics that will be available in 7-11s across the country are their Marvel Flip Books.

What are the Marvel Flip Books? They're 64-page comics reprinting relatively recent issues of Marvel comics, for $3.99. They're in the latest Marvel Previews (or see the Marvel June solicitations on Newsarama):

Ultimate Marvel #1 reprints Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 & Ultimate X-Men #1.
Marvel Heroes #1 reprints New Avengers #1 & Captain America #1
Ultimate Tales reprints Ultimate Spider-Man #1
Marvel Tales #1 reprints Amazing Spider-Man #34 & Amazing Fantasy #1
Marvel Adventures #1 reprints Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #1 & Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #1
Marvel Select #1 reprints Astonishing X-Men #1 & New X-Men: Academy X #1

The problem? Except for Marvel Adventures, these are all comics that reprint the first chapter of story arcs that were constructed for the trade edition. So when Marvel Heroes #3 shows up at the 7-11, it'll presumably contain reprints of the third issues of New Avengers & Captain America, middle chapters of six-part stories. While dedicated comic shop customers may be willing to put up with following long decompressed story arcs, I can't see them appealing to kids wandering into the 7-11. Why are they not focusing exclusively on the Marvel Adventures titles, which are inteneded for kids & newsstand audiences?

The New 80s Revival

I think we're starting to enter a second 80s revival in comics.

The first 80s revival manifested mainly in the proliferation of comics based on 80s comics that were based on toy properties: G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, Micronauts, etc. That seems to have pretty much run its course, although a couple of those properties are still hanging on.

This second 80s revival is rooted in some of the better, more creative works from that decade. We're seeing the emergence of new comics for Grimjack; Jon Sable, Freelance and Concrete; Frank Miller on Batman; a deluxe hardcover edition of Watchmen; even the dim hope that we'll finally see Miracleman again before the year is out.

(Of course, we're also seeing a new Crisis and a new Secret War...)

I think that this latest revival is better than the first--and I for one am thrilled to be getting new Grimjack and Concrete--but it's still a movement largely based on nostalgia. Now nostalgia has always been a huge motivator in comics, but it's also fickle and a moving target. This too shall pass, and then it's on to the next thing (nostalgia for early 90s Image-style? Shudder!)

Not much of a point to be made here, I guess; just an observation. What do you think?

Pupshaw and The Thing

Jim Woodring fans may enjoy this.

(link via Sara Ryan)

New This Week: March 23, 2005

Based on the NCRL list for this week's comics shipping from Diamond, here are a few things to look for at the local comic shop tomorrow:

The Pick of the Week is Queen & Country, vol. 7: Operation Saddlebags from Oni, the latest installment in Greg Rucka's excellent spy series, with very good art by Mike Norton. (I reviewed the main part of this collection in its original comic form here.


In other comics:

AAA Milwaukee Publishing (getting to the front of Previews with that name!) releases Essential Arsenic Lullaby, vol. 1.

Antarctic has a new issue of Fred Perry's Gold Digger (#62).

Checker has a third collection of the old Gold Key Star Trek comics.

DC starts another of Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers series, Guardian, with Cameron Stewart on art. Nightwing #106 finishes up "Nightwing: Year One," while JLA: Classified #5 continues "I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League," where if you wish you can just pretend that the whole IDCrisis thing never even happened. They also have new issues of 100 Bullets (#59), Authority: Revolution (#6), Hellblazer (#206), and Sleeper Season Two (#10).

Drawn & Quarterly starts reprinting Chester Brown's Ed, the Happy Clown in floppy form, instead of doing the sensible thing and releasing a trade collection.

Image has the first issue of B. Clay Moore's Expatriate, and the second issue of Pigtale.

Kenzer & Company releases issue #101 of Knights of the Dinner Table, and I've barely made a dent in reading last month's massive one hundredth issue.

Marvel has an Ultimate Spider-Man collection (volume 12: Superstars), the second issue of the second volume of Runaways, and the debut of Mike Carey's Spellbinders.

TokyoPop has the eighth volume of that Fruits Basket book that some people seem to really like.

Wizard has the first issue of New West, with pretty Phil Noto art.


No smarmy comment at the end this week; I've got to go fill up my $65 Doctor Who Dalek Cookie Jar!

Muppets

TVShowsonDVD.com has extensive information about Disney's plans to release season sets of The Muppet Show, starting with season in late 2005. It looks to be a really good DVD set, with the episodes being uncut and including the UK-only skits (the show was produced in the UK, where there are fewer commercials per half hour than in US syndication). It will also include several historic pilots and specials, and interviews with several muppeteers.