I'm currently highly pissed by lateness in comics.  Sorry, just visited Millarsworld.com for the first time and saw the posting on Ultimates 13 finally being done.  And the way every single post kissed Bryan Hitch's a$$ for the book and not one single post said anything negative about the pathetic shipping schedule of this series.  I know Hitch makes mention of how he has been financally affected by the lateness of the project but that doesn't absolve the issue. I know Newsarama people went nuts on this post (how I wound up at Millarsworld) both for and against late product but to see the suck up work on the Millar board was amazing.  Do the moderators just remove negative posts in situations like that or do people jsut go to Newsarama to complain?  Seemed strange.

When did comics stop being professional.  When did deadlines lose meaning?  And why?  In the multi-billion dollar industry I work in I think all top management at Marvel and DC would have been let go a while ago and a good percentage of writers and artists - 10%+ at least. which is a huge percentage of a company.  Is it when the fans took over the asylum?  Was it the internet and reading the newsgroups?  When did professionalism leave and deadlines become meaningless?

I'm not trying to blame Ultimates for everthing, it's just one of the worst offenders and the one most immediate in my mind because of what I jsut read.  But there are many guilty parties out there.  They're not the majority of the industry but they affect everyone.  The stench gets everywhere from these late stinkers. 

I've watched tens of millions of dollars be lost by companies in my own industry because of missed deadlines.  How much money is the comic industry losing?  In how many years will the comic indusry become too unhealthy to continue to publish paper comics on a monthly basis?  And what will be the true root cause?  It won't be just one thing but I will always blame late product as one of the contributing factors.  And ow do we the consumer fight back to fix this.  In the business world I know and the models I can follow the customer simply takes their business elsewhere because competition drives professionalism and product. 

But as a comics fan I'm like a crack addict - even when stuff if I've been waiting for it I ahve to get it.  And that is why people like me have to take a burden with stuff like this.  And I'll bitch here, but then I'll go and buy Ultimates 13 just like I bought Ultimates 12.  Even though after reading Ultimates 12 my reaction was "this is what I waited for.  It took this long for this."  I'm Marvel's pawn here.  I'm a hypocrit, I can't say know.  I'm what they count on.  A completist comic nerd junky.  And yes, I'll buy Ultimates 2 issue 13.  Because I have to finish what I started. 

But whatever series Bryan Hitch is talking about moving on to - that I just won't start.  It's the only thing I can do to have some influence.  I read 80+ comics a month, I can live without starting another series.  And yes, this can backfire on me and help speed up the decline of monthly books if other people are thinking the same way - but it's going to happen anyway with the current plan, maybe if it happens for this reason someone will re-evaluate the business model.  I don't know.  I just know late books suck for me and I would like to see things change.  And I'm such a stooge to the system the only real way I have to do this is to stop reading new books by serial offenders.  Because serial offenders tend to be some of the mre talented people and if I start I'm hooked.  So to go back to my 80s childhood I just have to say no from the start.  Which sucks for many reasons, not least of which I don't normally pay attention to new creative teams, just the pitch in Previews.  So I don't want to make a mistake.

Not sure why I jsut typed all this.  Maybe becasue if I put it in writing I'll follow through.  Only time will tell.  And maybe I read enouh titles that I should not care when a book is late because I have ther things ot read - but I do.  And consistant, tolerated lateness will destroy this industry.  It might take 15 years (and we're in to that cycle) for it to happen, it won't be overnight, but it will kill something I enjoy so maybe I jsut needed to rant and seeing someone applauded for finally finishing their job put me over the edge.  And I'm not heartless, I understand that being this late was financially difficult for everyone involved on Ultimates 2 - but that should be a reason to do better or do something else.  I'm the customer, I have a right to be dissatisfied and expect different - it's what I live with every day in my own job - I'm not creating a double standard for others.

So work got kind of busy a few weeks ago and I had to miss a few weeks of weekly trips to the comic shop.  So I finally make it in and there are 4 weeks worth of books to pick up.  Nice big reading stack.  And you know, when you get a nice big reading stack some books have to be read early and some books have to be read late.  No choice.  And it's interesting what comes to the top of the pile and what goes to the bottom.

And today, because I spent a ton of time going through the bottom of the pile I'm going to complain about the garbage.  Mostly because the garbage is fresh in my mind.  And, as has been complained by me a lot, Civil War tie-ins are garbage.  Why do they feel the need for meaningless company wide crossovers.  Civil War could be good, but why drag all the other books in to this.  For no good reason.  They are killing the loyal fans here.  I read most of the titles that cross over in to Civil War, I'm not the target audience.  I know this.  I'm the taken for granted. loyal a__hole that they get to manipulate.  And I'll come back for more because I am a sucker, I know this.  But why screw with the loyal reader. 

If the story was good that would be one thing.  But this is crap.  Civil War 5 was near the top of the pile, I read it early.  I was underwhelmed.  Delay, delay, delay and then this is what we get.  I've read comics for over 25 years.  This is not good comics.  This is what drives people away from the industry.  People hear buzz, I hear people come in to the comic shop to see what the buzz is about.  But then they leave - because this isn't good.  Not good for the long term fan base.  Not good for bringing kids in to the fold.  I won't let a kid read Civil War - too dark, too gritty, too non kid friendly.  Marvel - no long term strategy.  No surprise.

DC - not off the hook.  Please, one Green Lantern title.  Guy Gardner Collateral Damage - why?  And has the writer of this series been reading Green Lantern Corps?  Because it's not the same Guy Gardner in each book and Green Lantern Corps came first so that characterization counts.  I don't really care either way but please keep consistant.  And Hawkgirl is just plain bad.  Really, really, really bad.  For no other reason thatn the book seems to have no identity and purpose.  And is there anything in the current Atom series that really required a new Atom?  Ray Palmer couldn't have done this story line?

There is good stuff out there.  For the first time in 4 or 5 issues I actually enjoyed Noble Causes again.  Mostly because it didn't deal with the current storyline, which has run too long and is dieing from Marvel decompression syndrome. 

I thought it was cool the way they did The Official Handbook of the Invincible Universe to the same format as the second official handbook of the Marvel Universe.  That was the best format for the handbooks and I'm glad they are using it. 

But get rid of the Civil War stuff in my regular reading and I would have so much more to enjoy in my reading.  I want my regular books un-hijacked by this series.  There in lies my gripe for the week.  There were a ton of books out in the 4 weeks I did not make it to my comic shop - Civil War hijackacked about 20% of them.  And that doesn't please me.  Please, don't take me for granted Marvel.  Or I'll just continue to fill in my Silver and Bronze age stuff and drop my Marvel pull list.  Which I think has 40 titles on it.  I know, I'm barely a blip on anyone's radar but you can't keep pissing off people like me.  We are what keeps you in business - not the next event book.

So I wrote a pretty insulting blog last night regarding what I thought was a pretty infantile thread on Newsarama.  Nastier then I tend to be.  But then I lost my network connection and my post never happened.  Which I'm taking to mean I should not do that sort of thing in my blog.  Need to be more polite.

So, something positive.  Just got my copy of Absolute Kingdom Come in the mail this week.  I don't get all the absolute editions, too expensive.  But each one I do get makes me wish I could get them all.  These are beautiful editions of these series.  And I've loved DC choices on some of these so far.  I'm looking forward to a free weekend to finally re-read Watchmen in the aboslute edition.  The size of the pages and the excellet color work just makes these things a dream to read.  First absolute Watchmen and then I'll go through Absolute Kingdom Come.  And probably by then I'll have earned enough Amazon points for Absolute Dark Knight.  Won't that be a treat.  I wish I trusted my wife enough to let her read these, but she still doesn't handle books well enough.  She'll have to settle for the regular trade reads on these. 

From just a quick scan of Absolute Kingdom Come I have to say the Alex Ross artwork looks great.  And I've always loved the story content.  One of the better Superman vs. Captain Marvel battles.  Although when you have Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel in the series it does make you wonder about the true epic contest of the fight.  Couldn't Freddie or Mary have just stepped in and stopped Billy leaving SUperman to take care of the rest.  Or couldn't Jr. or Mary have just taken care of everything if the Cap was a match for Superman? 

That's actually why I am happy about Trials of Shazam.  One Captain Marvel, no more every Marvel equal and DC trying to figure out pwer levels vs. Superman.  The splitting the power 3 ways thing made sense but it lowered the Captain Marvel mythos. 

And hey, how will Powers affect the Black Adam and Osiris.  Where does the depowering happen in the midst of 52?  The one year later and 52 timelines are still confusing me a little.  Must remember comic time is comic time, even when they try to impose a timeline.

LET'S GO METS!!!!!

The Golden Age - DC comics.  The end of the Golden Age really.  Got hooked on DC Golden Age stuff thanks to Roy Thomas and All Star Squadron when I was a kid.  And this was a great cap on the Golden Age.  Sometimes a little confused on wether this is or is not in continuity but otherwise a great read.  Didn't quite get the critical acclaim of what I consider it's compaion piece from Marvel.....

Marvels - Just an all around great looking book.  Good for the continuity buff too.  Not an excellent read but a visual masterpiece.  I've got this in trade and limited edition hardcover on the shelves.  Or at least I should.  Where is the hardcover?  Eh.  As with everything else this move I'll find that box eventually.

Ronin.  Frank Miller.  Is this thing still in print?  I think I've owned this trade since it first came out in the 80s.  Does anyone ot from the 80s know this one.  Read it.

New Teen Titans:  The Judas Contract - back when Titans outsold X-Men.  At least that's what they claimed.  We did't have the internet then to kee track of these things.  The Judas Contract is where I was first introduced to Titans.  I think I was 10.  Have to check the year the original came out.  Intro Robin as Nightwing.  The original origin of Deathstroke.  I say original because Green Arrow makes it feel like that is changing.  Perez at his best.  Wolfman finishing a major arc that took over a year but wasn't decompressed and didn't try to string along the deep mystery.  We knew Terra was bad pretty quick.  And you know, we didn't care if they old us.  I remember I read Judas Contract part 1 and I had to go find whatever Titans stuff I could find.  So, by the time the second part came out I ahd already ready most of the previous Terra issues.  See, that's a good story, one that makes a 10 or 11 year old want to read more of the book.  Judas contract does that.  That's why it belongs out on the shelves.

Legion OF Superheroes:  The Great Darkness Saga.  Hey, if you're a Legion fan you love this run.  Most would say the greatest arc in Legion history.  And remember, there's something about Legion fans that make us the most rabid and loyal fans in comics.  So if we love this arc over all others imagine how good it is.   

Word of warning.  There will be spoilers as I write about trades.  Some will matter, some won't.  Sorry about that but it can't be helped.

These will appear as I spot them on the shelf.  HAven't alphabetized yet so it will be random.

Planetary - The first trade hooked me on the series.  Had to go out and start reading this series.  The first Trade is great.  We get 30's pulps.  We get Japanese monster films.  We get Chinese Ghost Stories.  And of course the evil FF.  And the "Hulk" back up story.  How much fun was this trade?  But then I started reading this series monthly.  And the delays.  The underlying mystery.  Which would have worked fine if this was a monthly.  But the decompressed story grew as the shipping delays piled up and now it just hurts.  But this first trade sucks you in and you can't let go.  Essential trade.

Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told/Stacked Deck - Funny that I should have both of these on the shelf.  Isn't it just a hardcover trade and a leatherbound version of same.  But they look good on the shelf.  And if you are a joker fan this is great.  Pre - over the top, gone too far joker in here.  Joker as a character still.   Still psychotic.  But also some cheese.

Sin City - Marv.  I read these in Dark Horse presents but just had to get the trade when it came out.  At the time this was something the likes of which I had not read before.  If you've seen the movie you know the story.  but read it.

Well, Arizona somehow choked this game away so I can go to sleep now.  That's what's been keeping me up and this blog going.  How does Arizona lose that game.  I agree with Thiesman, this was a bizarre game. 

I am fortunate.  As a married comic collector I have the good fortune to have a wife who enjoys reading comics.  We don't always have the same taste and my wife does not have nearly the comic reading background I do.  So I get to suggest reading material and trade paperbacks.

I don't trust my wife reading actual issues, she doesn't handle them well yet.  But I'll give her trade paperbacks to read.  For a while I was a big fan of trade paerbacks.   I would buy trades to read even if I already had the originals because it was easier than finding the originals in my boxes.  Or I thought they would look good on my bookshelf.  Or I just couldn't afford the originals (Marvel Essentials and DC Showcase Presents trades might have to be their own discussion).  Many reasons but at the end of the day these days I would rather just own the originals.  But due to me being me I ahve a ton of trades.  More than I have bookshelf space to put out. 

(Bare with me this story is going somewhere).

So this weekend I finally got around to finding a place for the long whites full of trades.  But some stuff was going to ahve to go on the bookshelves.  Otherwise why have them :)  And my wife requested I pull out stuff for the shelves that I think she might enjoy.  So that is what I was doing last night.  Was just going to pull stuff for the wife to read.  But then I started pullin stuff that just had to go out on the shelves.  Kind of a quintessential trade paperback collection.  Everyone else does one so why shouldn't I?   I remember reading the Wizard list of essential trades and agreeing on some and disagreeing on some so here was an example of my list.  I don't claim to own all the best trades.  Not by a long shot.  Heck, I own so much in original form I never bothered to buy a lt of trades also.  And my trade buying habits slowed down about 5 years ago.  But i think it makes an interesting look.  4 long whites wound up racked and shelved.  About 2 boxes worth hit the shelves.  And some were just for the wife to read.  So not complete but it will mke an interesting list I think.  When I write it. 

OK,  feel bad if someone bothered to read this far.  Even though I write this for myself.  SO I'll throw a couple ofthings out there.

I have the Fireside trades from Marvel way back when. 

Origins of Marvel Comics

Son of Origins

The Superhero Women

Bring on The Bad Guys (my first ever trae, got this when I was in first or second grade)

Marvels Greatest Superhero Battles

Anyone remember when you didn't get 3 new trades a week?  When these were an uncommon occurence?  These and treasury additions and DC digest size?

I'm curious how my wife (a feminist) will react to The Superhero Women.  I remember how much I wanted Son of Origins to see the origin of the X-Men when I was 7.  The first Appearance of Dr. Doom in Bring on te Bad Guys.  These were great for a kid.  And you knwo, they can still be read by kids today.  They might seem a little cheezy to someone my age now (33) but if you have kids at the age of 6-10 and you want them to enjoy some comics find them these stories to read.  These'll hook kids.  And they're still fun for adults.  Well, except certain parts of the Superhero Women, some of those stories might not work.  But the first Invisible Girl Forceshield story in FF is fun.  My wife will hate how Sue is portrayed but it was a fun read as a kid for me.

So upon recommendation I picked up the first Loveless trade paperback and a few issues afterwards.  It seems to have a plot and a point.  But it also seems highly disjointed, the art makes so many characters look the same you can't tell who's who and if the pacing was any slower I might go catatonic reading it.  I just don't get it.

Mixing flashback with main story this way might work for lost.  It ain't working here.  Maybe with better art. I'm not saying the artist is bad, but he isn't the right artist to carry the writing of this book.  The storytelling needs better contrast between realtime and flashback.  It needs cahracters that look different.  Can you tell one character with a moustache from another in this series. 

I read through issue 11 of this series.  I won't be reading issue 12.  I gave it long enogh for the story to develop.  I rail against decompression but this isn't that.  It's the need to string along the mystery.  To see how far you can go without actually revealing the big story and see how long you can drag the reader along.  Too many people think that they can just leave things as one big mystery and throw out a little bit and we the sheep will come back for a little it more.  I blame Chris Claremont.  And it can work if the overall story is engaging and the day to day story can carry the book along.  But an entire series based on mysterious and bad things are slowly trickled out to you while nothing really happens with the main characters just doesn't work for me.

So no more Loveless for me.  Wasn't worth it.  Could care less what the big town secret is.  I'll go read the Preacher: Saint of Killers mini and fulfill my bada$$ western comic need. 

It's not like many people read this blog, and like I said in my first blog entry I'm not writing this for others.  But I'm going to push a product here.  GO to htis link and take a look:

http://www.drmasterbooks.com/chinesehero/

I'm a big fan of Chinese Martial Arts comics.  Have been since Jademan Comics in the late 80's.  They put out the books Oriental Heroes, Drunken Fist, Force of Buddh'a Palm, Iron Martial, and relative to this discussion Blood Sword and Blood Sword Dynasty.  This series here is what Jademan pulished as Blood Sword in the 80s and 90s.  In Hong Kong the series is titled Chinese Hero and it looks like Drmaster is going to use that title.

Anyway, Chinese martial arts comics are a real fun read.  The wa they represent martial arts masters the characters might as well be super powered heroes given the lack of real world believability of themoves they perform.  The art is fantastic and if they get the translations better than Jademan did previously even better because the stories tend to be fairly deep.  Chinese Hero  - at the point it looks like they are picking the series up is a great jumping in point for new readers.  PLease give this a shot.

Now my pushing this comes from a point of self interest.  Not enough of these books get published in the states.  And when they do they don't get quite enough readership to keep the books going.  And I want these books to be published so I can read them.  So if others will buy these books and enjoy them it means I can get more issues to read.  And I want more of this stuff translated because learning Chinese just wasn't working for me.

So look.  See what you think.  And look at some of their other product too.