Every month I pre-order comics, trades and other related items from Previews magazine. Even though there is information online for just about everything, I still find the Previews catalog to be the simplest way to scan through the different items and to get some inspiration on what I want to buy.
There’s lots of stuff being offered by Diamond this month: Plenty of great stuff and plenty of crap too… So I will try to sort the wheat from the chaff and hopefully point out some good items that you might order or buy from your LCS or Online Retailer. Our taste may differ– so if you buy something and I hate it… Don’t blame me. I did my best to warn you!
The STATUS in the description of each product indicates the likelihood of whether I’m going to order it ranging from Firm Order as the most likely to a POS (Piece of Shit)– with everything else being somewhere in between. I’m sure you can figure it out!
Creepy Archives Volume 16 HC
256 pages
$49.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: If Dark Horse keep making these, I’ll keep buying them.
Marvel Classic Character –
X-Men #1 Cyclops Statue
$49.95Status: POS
Additional Notes: I thought we’d seen the last of these shitty statues.
Batman Incorporated #10
32 Pages
$3.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: SPOILER WARNING! Damian Wayne is resurrected this issue.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #19
20 pages
$2.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Somebody got paid to draw this cover? I could draw a better picture with my foot.
Solo Deluxe Edition HC
568 pages
$49.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: Finally something from DC worth fucking buying!
In the Days of the Mob HC
108 Pages
$39.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: Whoa! Something else from DC worth buying?!
Just like Solo, this series was interesting and innovative, so naturally– DC killed it. This has some of the King’s best artwork. Don’t think, just buy it!
Watchmen Deluxe Edition HC
448 pages
$39.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Just how many versions of Watchmen is DC going to put out? Coming next month, the Bronze Age Edition– entirely lettered in Sanskrit!
Superman The Golden Age
Omnibus Vol 1 HC
784 pages
$75.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: “We’ve beaten the last of those fucking creators’ relatives in court– so let’s rush out something to really spit in their faces!”
Judge Dredd Vol 1
124 pages
$19.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: As if reading these stories the first time around wasn’t bad enough!
Jupiter’s Legacy #1
32 pages
$2.99Status: Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: Artist Frank Quitely really seems to be channeling Milo Manara nowadays… (You can already sense there’s a but coming, right? Fair enough!)… But this comic is written by Mark Millar, so there’s only a remote chance it could be passable.
Most likely, it will be utter shit.
Invincible Universe #1
32 pages
$2.99Status: Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: Creator Robert Kirkman extends his Invincible-verse.
It looks fairly interesting, but I’ll wait for the trade.
Happy TP
112 pages
$12.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: I’ve been waiting for this trade since I first heard the series announced… So I’m glad to hear that it’s had pretty good reviews.
Hopefully we’ll see more of Grant Morrison’s independant work.
Siegfried Vol 2 The Valkyrie HC
144 pages
$24.95Status: Firm Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: The second volume of this beautiful translated European series.
I can’t recommend this highly enough.
Betelguese Vol 1
The Expedition + The Survivors
96 pages
$19.95Status: Recommended
Additional Notes: Another great sci-fi/adventure series from Cinebook– written and drawn by Brazilian artist LEO.
This book’s format is slightly different from the normal Cinebook format– in that it includes 2 stories not 1. The size is also closer to an American trade size, rather than the normal European size.
Miss Fury #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Looks like Catwoman’s gotten bored with DC’s nu52 and is moonlighting for Dynamite.
Pathfinder Vol 1 Dark Waters Rising HC
160 pages
$29.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: An unusual Dynamite series… In that it’s well written and the art is decent. I’ve enjoyed the single issues a lot.
T
he Complete Crumb 5 –
Happy Hippy Comix
144 pages
$19.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: I’m probably the only person who thinks Robert Crumb is the most overrated artist in comics’ history. Thousands fawn over his every scribbling, but I just don’t get it… Plus I find his writing to be phenomenally boring and depressing.
X-Men #1
32 pages
$3.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: The cover to this is absolutely gorgeous– and with Brian Wood writing, it might even not be shit!
The Secret Service HC
160 pages
$24.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Just look at the cover to this collection.
Not only does the protagonist do that fucking stupid shit where he holds the gun sideways, but if he’s stupid enough to fucking fire– the recoil’s going to smash his stupid fucking eyesocket in.
Slaine The Grail War TP
192 pages
$29.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Produced during Pat Mills mid-life crisis in the 90s, this is one of the worst Slaine series.
Avoid.
A1 #1
36 pages
$3.99Status: Trade-Waiting
Additional Notes: Back in the 90s, the original A1 from editor Dave Elliot was one of the best anthologies around.
Hopefully he can pull it off again.
Lenore Vol 2 #8
36 pages
$3.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: Creator Roman Dirge suffered serious injuries in a car crash recently.
Instead of buying a corporate comic, how about helping out a great creator?
Knights of Sidonia Vol 2
186 pages
$12.95Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: The first volume of Knights of Sidonia was excellent… So I have little doubt this will be too.
Vertical is consistently one of the best Manga publishers out there.
Tiger & Bunny Vol 1
168 pages
$9.99Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: It’s about fucking time this was released in the US!
The character designs are by Video Girl Ai creator Masakazu Katsura.
DC Comics Superman Wall Clings – Flying into Action
16 pages
$9.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Wall Clings? WALL CLINGS? Who the hell thinks of this shit anyway?
Benchwarmer Hot For Teacher 2nd Edition
Super Premium Trading Cards
$99 per boxStatus: POS
Additional Notes: So let me get this right… These are trading cards with tiny pictures of women? You know, there’s this thing called the internet where you can get billions of free pictures of women… And some of them are actually naked!
Star Trek The Next Generation
“Trexel Crew” Black T-Shirt
$20.99-$23.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: While I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing this, I wouldn’t disown a friend if they wore it. That’s about the highest recommendation I can give to any piece of “geek” apparel.
Doctor Who “Eleventh Doctor” Costume T-Shirt
$26.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: If you actually wore a shirt, bowtie and tweed jacket– you might look like less of a fucking twat!
Femme Fatales Lady Death PVC Statue
$45.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: Apparently this chick has breasts.
You’d never know it just by looking at her would you?
Star Trek Enterprise Project Cutaway Ship
$174.99Status: If I won the Lottery, I’d buy 10 of these.
Additional Notes: This just looks fucking cool, doesn’t it?
Beyblade Hyperblades Battle Tops
$15.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: They’re fracking the shit out of North Dakota– and this is the garbage they make with those precious natural resources?!?
Auto World Richard Petty’s 1972 Road Runner 1/18-scale Die-Cast
$75.95Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: I’m strangely attracted to this. Retro Nascar looks way better than current Nascar.
Iron Patriot Statue
$230.00Status: If I won the lottery Part 2
Additional Notes: Shitty character– awesome statue!
Knights of Sidonia Tsugumori Riobot
$129.99Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: Yeah, now this is the kind of shit that makes me really drool.
But the price!
Chumbuddy III Shark Sleeping Bag
$200.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: Made from 100% pure woman repellent.
Superhero Toilet Paper
$2.99Status: POS
Additional Notes: Presumably made from recycled Bendis Avengers comics.
Punisher Gun Charm Necklace
$30.00Status: POS
Additional Notes: What all the stylish NRA members are wearing this spring.
Star Trek The Original Series Art Prints
$34.95 eachStatus: Severely Tempted
Additional Notes: Finally, something in the Previews collectibles section that looks legitimately awesome… And doesn’t cost so much that you need to sell a kidney to own it.
Warhammer 40k Baneblade
$14.00Status: Conflicted
Additional Notes: On one hand, I consider Games Workshop to be a bunch of scumsucking bastards– on the other hand, I’m kind of tempted by this book. Hmmm.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
$12.98Status: Firm Order
Additional Notes: WAITAMINUTE! There was a Volume 1 of this series too– and I missed it? WTF? I loved this show when I was a kid.
A Certain Scientific Railgun Season 1 – Part 1 & Part 2
$59.98-64.98 for each partStatus: Tempted
Additional Notes: I really like the manga, but these box sets are just way too expensive. Get real Funimation FFS.
Doctor Who The Ark in Space
(Special Edition)
$34.98Status: Tempted
Additional Notes: From the Tom Baker era– this series of episodes has some of the worst special effects ever.
It’s almost worth getting just for that.
The Complete Space 1999 Megaset
30th Anniversary Edition
$99.95Status: POS
Additional Notes: I’m not saying the show is a POS but this lacklustre release is…
… Get the Blu ray Set of Season 1 from Amazon UK instead!
Batman Incorporated #10
Red Hood and the Outlaws #19
Solo Deluxe Edition HC
In the Days of the Mob HC
Watchmen Deluxe Edition HC
Judge Dredd Vol 1
Jupiter’s Legacy #1
Invincible Universe #1
Happy TP
Siegfried Vol 2 The Valkyrie HC
Miss Fury #1
Pathfinder Vol 1 Dark Waters Rising HC
X-Men #1
The Secret Service
Slaine The Grail War TP
A1 #1
Lenore Vol 2 #8
Knights of Sidonia Vol 2
Tiger & Bunny Vol 1
DC Comics Superman Wall Clings – Flying into Action
Doctor Who “Eleventh Doctor” Costume T-Shirt
Femme Fatales Lady Death PVC Statue
Star Trek Enterprise Project Cutaway Ship
Beyblade Hyperblades Battle Tops
Auto World Richard Petty’s 1972 Road Runner 1/18-scale Die-Cast
Knights of Sidonia Tsugumori Riobot
Chumbuddy III Shark Sleeping Bag
Superhero Toilet Paper
Punisher Gun Charm Necklace
Star Trek The Original Series Art Prints
Warhammer 40k Baneblade
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
A Certain Scientific Railgun Season 1 – Part 1 & Part 2
Dark Horse and Image are fairly quiet this month– both are probably holding their fire and waiting for Summer to release some interesting comics. Marvel and DC have the usual mixed bag… But there’s some good European stuff, and more than enough expensive statues to drool over and stare at. Keep buying those lotto tickets, folks… And let us know if there’s anything coming up that YOU think is worth looking at.
