15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 4: An, "Afterlife With Archie," #1 First Printing Comic With a Variant Cover

What's this? Another giveaway thanks to my chums over at the website Comics Heating Up/Comics Heating Up Forums? That is correct! They are all incredible folks and courtesy of them I have a copy of, "Afterlife with Archie," #1 to have mailed to a lucky winner! This issue features a fantastic variant cover by Andrew Pepoy and is bound to only grow in popularity since the announcement of an, "Afterlife With Archie," show is in the works!

To win this incredible prize, you only need to comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours. That, or you can email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com if you would prefer your email not be public. Thanks yet again to the great folks at Comics Heating Up for this giveaway!

15th Anniversary Giveaway Post 3: A CGC 9.8 Slabbed Comic!

Update: The winner has been notified!

This giveaway comes courtesy of my good friends over at the website Comics Heating Up and the awesome Comics Heating Up Forums. If you like discussing what comics might become, "Hot," or chatting about popular books, this is the site for comic speculation. What am I giving away, you ask? A CGC graded 9.8 copy of, "Star Wars: The High Republic," #1, and it is a harder to find second printing!

To win this superb prize, you just need to comment with your name and email address on this post within the next 48 or so hours, OR you can email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com if you would prefer your email not be public. Then, wait and find out if you won, simple as that. Thanks again to the great folks at Comics Heating Up for this giveaway!

Oh, More Blind Bags/Mystery Polybags. Okay?

Readers may recall that when the blind bag/mystery polybags comics for the Image/Skybound comic, “Battle Beast,” were a hit that I made a prediction/bet. I said there would be at least six different blind bag promotions from comic publishers (even multiple ones from the same company), and if that did not happen, I’d gladly buy someone a dollar coffee at Scooters (or they’d owe me one). Well, nobody took my bet, and it’s a good thing for them because the market is getting absolutely flooded with mystery Polybag variants. Some are overpriced and don’t sound exciting (the, “Batman,” relaunch comes to mind), others are the same price as a regular issue and look fun (Mark Spears has one promotion due before Halloween and announced a Christmas-themed batch). Marvel is doing, “True Believers,” blind bags for, “Ultimate Endgame,” and DC just announced they’re doing even more of these for, “D.C. K.O.,” as well.

Publishers big and small are into the trend, and some fans love it while others appear to hate this, passionately. Some people say it is an exciting and fun little idea. Others say it is like comics trying to imitate trading cards with their packs and odds of pulling a, “Common,” one, “Rare,” version and so forth. I see multiple sides and have lived through a number of eras of comic gimmicks that came and went pretty quickly—remember lenticular covers? I don’t think this is going to destroy the comic industry or change it too much either. It’s a method to promote your comic, and right now it’s the hottest thing around. It’ll fade away mostly and be replaced by another gimmick before too long, most likely, and the one thing that will stand out when the hype fades is the quality of the comic itself.

Ah, yes, the actual comic. You see, I get the idea that it is fun to buy a comic and have a chance of a rare variant cover, but I only care as long as the comic is good. When the comic sucks and the only selling point is a cool variant cover stuffed into a blind bag, that is a problem, my friends. That’s the crux of this too: It is a gamble. Pay $6 for your comic, and if you’re lucky, maybe pull a rare $100 cover! Plus, if you get a regular/common cover, you still have a comic to enjoy, so it’s a bit better than buying a lottery ticket, kind of. It just worries me to see folks speculating on these blind bags like a guy buying a bunch of bulk of aforementioned scratchers with the idea to resell them. At the end of the day, at least the (winning) scratchers can be redeemed for money no matter waht, who is to say even the rarest of these mystery polybag comics will hold their value in a year or two from now? 

Comics are already a volatile market where a book worth thousands one day could suddenly lose popularity and be worth a tenth of what it was going for a mere week later. Comic speculation can be fun—I’m an active member of the Comics Heating Up Forum where we talk about popular comics and what could get hot next—but with comic-books you’re best off buying what you love and wanna read, then selling it if the book happens to become sought-after. Chasing trends and dropping a mortgage’s worth of money on blind bags is only going to get you burnt, I’d imagine. My overdrawn point is that these blind bags are a gimmick that marries gambling with comics.

The folks over at CHU and its forum are great!

Should you like to play the slots or a hand of blackjack sometimes and think these blind bags are a fun gamble, then have at it and buy some mystery polybags! Just remember, as with any gamble, you should only play what you can afford to lose, and the House (in this case, the comic publishers) always wins in the long run/overall. That’s why I previously have just bought one Polybag comic if it’s priced reasonably and it is a series I want to read. I get the comic I wanted to enjoy and whatever cover I get, I can happy with. In conclusion: Tread carefully if you’re into these blind bags, plenty of gimmicks before have been a massive success right before suddenly flopping into dollar bins.

A Comic Starring Kool Keith Sounds Fun

As reported by my friend over at Comic Heating Up, Kool Keith has a graphic novel about him incoming from Z2 Comics. It features his myraid of personas and is titled, "KOOL KEITH: KROSSOVER INTO THE FLOWER KOSMIC." Keith has assumed multiple identities from Dr. Octagon, to Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, among others. They're all teaming up to take down, "GERBIK." Written by Seamus “Esoteric” Ryan of CZARFACE and illustrated by Sean Von Gorman, this looks like a wild ride of a comic.

I'm a big fan of Kool Keith, and I love comics, so this looks to be right up my alley. There is a, "Platinum," version with a record, a deluxe edition, and the standard hardcover as can be seen on Z2's website. I look forward to the official release in July of this year and truly hope Kool Keith or any other incarnation of him can save reality!

More Thoughts on Whatnot Now That I've Been Using it Awhile

As readers of my blog know, I offered my thoughts on the Whatnot app when I started using it to buy collectibles (specifically comics). Then, I got approved to sell on Whatnot and had a good first show. Since then I've used it a lot for watching shows (mostly comic ones as that's what I know best) and I've used it to sell comics too. Now that I have used it for a while I will say I like it quite a lot.

Whatnot is an app that anyone can buy on but you have to be approved to sell with. Often sellers are folks who have physical stores, did online shows on other apps, or are, "influencers," whatever that exactly means. I got approved thanks to my great selling history on sites like eBay and having this blog that I suppose makes me an important and respected media figure--at least, that's what I whisper at night while I snuggle the award for great writing I made myself out of glue and macaroni. 

The way Whatnot itself works is people in various categories of neat collectibles (they can vary quite a lot from my beloved comics to Funko Pops, vintage clothes, and more) do live shows where they have stuff for sale that others can bid on or sometimes buy it outright. It's a bit like if eBay and Home Shopping Network had a baby what with the auctions and interesting personalities that sell stuff (myself included). I have found all kinds of cool comics for super great deals on Whatnot and love buying on it. The fact sellers get vetted before they sell ensures my comics are always packed with expert care--unlike when I've bought something from a random person on a website and it's shipped horribly or not at all like its description (too many times a comic in, "Amazing shape!" looks like a dog ripped into it). What about selling, though, if you are curious about that aspect? I can tell you what I think when it comes to selling comics at least.

I was excited to be approved as I usually have cool comics laying around (I'm always buying/selling/trading). Since my approval, I've generally done shows on Monday that I call my, "Monday Mayhem," shows although I did do a Superb Saturday once and a Terrific Tuesday recently. I usually like doing shows Monday around 11:00 AM Central as there aren't too many other comic shows around then and I avoid getting overshadowed by really popular sellers who draw lots of eyes on weekends or such. I find the Whatnot app is really easy to use to sell whether you're doing auctions in live shows or listing some items as a buy it now. I've used eBay/Mercari/etc. a lot less as oftentimes it makes more sense to put something neat I have on one of my Whatnot shows--even more lately as I've gained regular viewers who like the stuff I generally have. 

I do find that when it comes to the comic-book community that my Whatnot viewers are usually after newer stuff or things that are popular thanks to movie/television options. My older comics do generally sell better on sites like eBay (which have more older users, I'd wager), but any, "Key," issues I have from the Bronze age or more recent are generally a hit. It's good fun chatting with folks as they type comments whilst I do shows and my friend Anthony from Comics Heating Up has been doing shows around when I do mine so that we can cross-promote each other. He's a cool guy. Oh, and once stuff is sold it is really easy to weigh it and have Whatnot do all the work of making the label I print out. Then, after the comic is delivered I get paid. Easy as pie. It's quite straightforward and I like that. Whatnot is a really handy and fun app, I'd recommend checking it out.

The First Appearance Debate Has Reignited with a Moon Knight Comic

Everyone loves to argue about what is a, "First appearance," in comic books. Some people claim that if a character only pops up briefly, isn't named, is in shadows, or so forth then it is a, "Cameo," appearance. The first full appearance then comes later. People get really heated over this subject. I've seen folks almost come to blows over whether, "Avengers," #195 or #196 is the first true Taskmaster; "Amazing Spider-Man," #299 and #300 with Venom inspires debate too. Oh, and don't get me started on Wolverine and which issue of, "Incredible Hulk," truly counts depending on if you're going more by his first cover on #181 or how he appears in the last panel of #180 and outright says his name. Sometimes a, "First appearance," is a lot less cut-and-dry than you'd think. Now the latest run of, "Moon Knight," has led to debate anew.

In the first issue of, "Moon Knight," he meets a Dr. Badr and we see at the end of the issue Dr. Badr putting on his Hunters Moon mask. He isn't in the full outfit, however. Then, he's on the cover of issue #3 and spends much of that issue (which came out this week) in his full costume fighting Moon Knight. Does this mean #1 is a cameo and #3 is first full? Is #1 a first full and #3 is the first cover? Everyone is debating it online and it has been discussed over at the awesome Comics Heating Up Forums which I would recommend checking out (I'm quite active there, myself). In my own opinion that has no actual foundation besides it, "Feels," right, I'd say Dr. Badr/Hunter's Moon has his first full appearance in issue #1 but then has his first full cover for issue #3. I do not think #1 is a mere cameo as we hear his regular name as well as villainous title, plus we see him with the mask. Observe:

I think that's a pretty established first appearance, but feel free to disagree if you want. Part of the fun is seeing everyone debate!

The Newest Rant 10th Anniversary Giveaway Winner Announcement

As can be seen above, the winner of my giveaway for a CGC 9.6 copy of, "Spider-Man Unlimited," #1 is Mike Bernardo. I did the drawing this early afternoon after the 11AM deadline to enter with a comment. The video of me doing the drawing can be seen here. I entered all the names in the order they commented and then ran the randomizer. Mie Bernado has 48 hours from now to email me at davidbitterbaum@gmail.com and claim his prize! Thanks again to Comics Heating Up for helping me to promote this giveaway too.

The Newest Rant Turns 10 Years Old Today and I Have a Giveaway to Celebrate

10 years ago on this very day, I launched my blog. If you don't believe it has been that long, click this link to my original short post. Whether you've been reading my blog from the start, joined some years ago, or just started recently, I thank you and I appreciate you. Even if I changed the design a smidgen now a lot has stayed the same--although I'd argue my writing has gotten better just from the sheer amount of it over this decade. My focus at the start was to share my opinions on popular culture with a slight focus on comics, and so it has been since then. It is wild that some sites I linked to years ago don't even exist anymore and other sites that didn't even exist yet are now quite popular. The whole time I've been here, plugging away and growing to a surprisingly solid readership.

I want to celebrate my blog turning 10. Therefore, I have a comic I am going to give away to you--my beloved readers--for free! It is a copy of, "Spider-Man Unlimited," #1 which has been graded as a 9.6 by CGC and is notable as the first appearance of the symbiote known as Shriek. I actually won this comic in a contest that was run by my good friends at Comics Heating Up. I won it a year or two ago, sent it to get graded, and now am going to give it to someone--so it is kind of a giveaway from both them and myself! They are helping to promote my free contest on their awesome website too, which I would recommend you read regularly if you don't already. Now then, as for the rules...

Giveaway Rules

1. Between now and when it has been a full week from this post--December 8th at 11:00 AM you can comment on this post with your name/preferred nickname, etc. That's all you have to do!

2. You can only comment/enter the giveaway once. Anyone who does it multiple times be disqualified from winning.

3. I will use a randomizer website where I will enter everyone's name and then, "Run," the program so it randomly selects a winner. I can record this too if folk would like.

4. The winner will be announced on December 9th in a post and have 48 hours from that time to email me and claim their prize--it will be shipped to them for free if they live in America. If the winner lives outside the United States they will be asked to help cover some of the shipping. 

5. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours then the randomizer will be run again with a new winner being selected who will then have 48 hours themselves to reach out to me.

That's it! Go ahead and comment if you'd like to be entered to win!

UPDATE: Entries are closed and a winner will be announced in a post!

DC Officially Quits Diamond, Causes the Biggest Comic-Book Distribution Shake-Up in Decades

This news is now being reported all over, but I saw it first on Comics Heating Up--DC is leaving Diamond to instead distribute its individual comics solely through its own distribution system it set up. I wondered if this would happen when DC made its alternative system, or if they would try to have both it and Diamond. I guess the question of what exactly would happen has been answered now. DC was locked-in with Diamond for decades, but the shutdown brought about by COVID-19 allowed them to try their own thing, which they now are going to fully pursue, whether comic-stores like it or not. Basically, if you want DC floppies, you've gotta go through their distribution system (trade paperbacks that go to bookstores will be through their regular distribution method with Penguin).

This is quite the shake-up and it could work out well for Diamond to have more competition or could very well result in a crisis that brings the comic-book industry to its knees (anyone who remembers the Heroes World Distribution debacle with Marvel knows what I'm talking about). Big changes are afoot when it comes to the selling of comic-books and it'll take some months for the ramifications to really sink-in of DC's break with Diamond. I just hope everything shifts for the better as opposed to causing a mess.

The Hot Comics Revue: Speculation Potion Number Nine

I hope anyone old or weird enough to get the vintage music joke in my headline enjoyed it. We're back with my occasional segment looking at comics that are gaining or have obtained a degree of popularity that they're, "Hot," and cost a degree more than cover-price. I have to, as always, give thanks to the crew at Comics Heating Up for helping me come up with this segment. They are the best website around for speculation on upcoming comic releases as well as offering news and tidbits on books that are out and may gain interest. Now then, let's talk about a comic that's warming-up, some red-hot stuff, and books featuring a character with steamy potential.

A Comic That Is Warming Up

Here's a title I never even heard of from an imprint I barely recognized. The book is, "Ball and Chain," and it is from Homage Studios. Homage studios was an imprint of sorts from Wildstorm when it was a part of Image and then became owned by DC when Jim Lee took Wildstorm to it. In other words, it was an imprint of an imprint at one point. As for, "Ball and Chain," it was a forgotten dollar bin book about a husband and wife who are having marital issues but then gain superpowers that only work when they are near each other. It suddenly is demanding $30-40 for the first issue, however, and $80-or-so for the whole four issue fun because it was announced how it was optioned with some big-name talent attached. Dwayne, "The Rock," Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to play the couple, and assuming the movie does get made (as opposed to struggling in development Hell forever), this book could become even more popular.

Some Red-Hot Titles

Ever since BOOM! Studios signed a deal with Netflix that allows almost any of their books (that weren't already optioned somewhere else) to be developed into movies and shows, many of their titles have gotten crazy-hot. "Black Badge," "Something is Killing the Children," and others all easily fetch $25 or more depending on the printing or variant, with some snatching-up over $100 such as the Peach Momoko cover for, "Red Mother." BOOM! Studios puts out some great reads, so I personally look forward to some hopefully snazzy adaptations.

Comics With Steamy Potential

The aforementioned Comics Heating Up and other sites have been sharing chatter about how it looks more and more likely that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will have a, "Nova," solo flick shortly. Rumors have abounded for years, with the debut of the Richard Rider version of the character--in solid condition--often demanding anywhere from $40-$100. A newer iteration of the character named Sam Alexander popped-up some years ago in, "Marvel Point One," #! (not to be confused with, "Marvel NOW! Point One," #1 as confusing as that sounds), and that book is quite reasonably priced in a range of $10-$20 for a near-mint copy. Whether we would see one or both of these versions of, "Nova,' remains to be seen, but each book or the one with the character who ends-up featured could appreciate quickly should an official announcement be made in the near future.

Sympathy for the Speculator?

My friend Tony from Comics Heating Up and I once did an article on each other's websites. I said how once upon a time I viewed comic-book speculation as the Devil before coming-around to a more complex viewpoint. Tony just simply declared himself the Devil in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. Comic-book speculation has been around for quite some time. It was (mostly rightfully) blamed for the collapse of the industry in the 1990s that took a long time for publishers to come back from. It didn't go anywhere, but simmered more in the background until recently.

My friend Nick created the Key Collector App and I talked about it in January of 2019 before it really became popular in the Summer. I felt it was a good way to see what in your collection has value, or to find cool stuff when browsing the dollar bins at stores. I've talked to some comic-book stores that think it is a handy way to know what books may become, "Hot," and are worth ordering. I've spoken with other stores that think it is, well, the Devil. One new article worried about the comic-book industry has basically said it is like a poisonous gas.

A lot of focus on speculators and how they are either good for comics or a plague upon it has arisen with the hype lately around someone named Punchline. I made a post about how people were going nuts for her early appearances in assorted comics and that DC had been hyping her up. A man with extensive experience and knowledge in the comic-book industry, retailer and writer Brian Hibbs had some harsh words for people trying to speculate on Punchline or comic-books in general. We are seeing a very apparent line being drawn between those who think comics should just be bought and read for enjoyment and those who see them as a way to make some money. This leads to me and how I've always asked the question, "Can't it be both?"

I will sell items from my collection if they feature a character who has suddenly become popular and will use that money to buy more comics I like. I'll sometimes sell a newer book if I don't want to keep it and it is popular, using that money to (you guessed it), buy more comics. Between flipping some comics and doing a bit of freelance ghostwriting here-and-there it allows my comic hobby to sustain itself without losing money buying the books I love to read. I'm not some super-professional speculator buying tons of copies of a book and raking in cashing flipping them, but some would maybe consider me a small-scale speculator to some degree and unleash their wrath upon me. Others would say what I do is okay because I'm funding my comic-book hobby of buying books I just like reading (and which have no value) via sometimes selling ones that are, "Hot." I'm in a gray zone of sorts, and it is why I don't rush to condemn speculation as some folk do or outright try to argue it is good for the comic-book industry (it can hurt it too).

I'm just here trying to say that speculation isn't outright the Devil, and it can have its uses in this industry. Old books with popular characters are valuable and new books with possibly hot characters have value and may stay pricey or end-up fizzling. Should speculators want to buy a bunch of, "Punchline," and end up eating the cost, that will be that. If comics can innovate and have steady sales with quality content that matches the hype, that's perfectly fine. Should the industry try to simply play into speculators' hands it will be a collapse like we saw in the 90s, possibly a worse one there will be no recovery from. Tony at Comics Heating Up isn't the Devil. Nick with his Key Collector App isn't the Devil. They are people who provide information and the market responds accordingly. I sometimes sell my books for even the smallest of profit and that doesn't make me Devil either, in my opinion.

There are people who are awful out there when it comes to speculation, but you can't lump everyone together. It is a complex machine we are all looking at right now with the comic-book industry and what the future holds for it. Speculation is just one gear of a whole lot of parts, and while one part breaking can damage it all, plenty of other parts are a concern too (I'm looking at you, the horrifically broken Direct Market model). Let's just try to keep this metaphorical contraption well-greased and running efficiently so we can all continue to enjoy our comic-books for the years to come.

Hot Comics Revue: Eight is Great

Here we are with entry number eight of my now-and-then segment, "Hot Comics Revue." I must, of course, thank the stellar guys and gals at Comics Heating Up for inspiring me to do this occasional segment, which is a great site for comic speculation whereas my segment is about what it already warming-up, red hot, or has steamy potential. With that said, let's talk about three comics that fit that bill.

A Comic That is Warming-Up

Memetic #1
Optioned by Point Grey Pictures, this Seth Rogen-headed production company has plans to adapt this comic about a deadly meme into a flick. With Rogen and Mattson Tomlin (who most recently wrote for the script for the upcoming, "The Batman," movie) apparently writing the adaptation, it has been getting buzz and the first issue is going for about $30 consistently on internet marketplaces. Now, the problem with stuff getting optioned is that sometimes after such a thing occurs that's it--nothing actually gets made. Whether we will be enjoying a, "Memetic," movie in some years or so could really impact if this keeps warming-up or cools off.

A Red-Hot Title

Amazing Spider-Man #101
The first appearance of Morbius has been getting a whole lot of love since the trailer dropped and was surprisingly good. Now even a beat-up copy goes for $100 quite easily and Very Fine to Near-Mint copies being worth about a grand (when officially graded). Keeping in mind how a really high-quality copy was nowhere near that a year ago this time it is on fire. Now, if the movie bombs expect this to crater, but if it is a big ol' hit, well, this issue could go nuclear.

A Comic With Steamy Potential

Lois Lane #8
This one came a bit out of nowhere. Generally, when a series is some issues deep it is under-ordered compared to a first issue, and this issue has the first full appearance of a new character named Kiss of Death (she has a cameo in #7). Between the fact it is ordered less and has a potentially hot new villain, the book has started simmering to a solid degree and is trending for $15-$20 on various sites. It may get hotter or cool, it is hard to say, but right now it shows steamy potential for sure.

Superman Revealing His Identity Again Seems Like Such Lazy Writing

I am a fan of the comic writer known as Brian Michael Bendis. I am realistic tho, loving some of his work and admittedly thinking parts of it are not as good (his team-books oftentimes were lackluster compared to titles focused on a singular hero). Some time ago he went to work for DC Comics after years at Marvel and his big thing right now is having Superman reveal his identity as Clark Kent...which yes, happened like a couple years ago when Lois Lane spilled the beans.

This seems so lazy because as I said, it happened some years ago and nobody really cared, so why are we treading the same/really similar ground? I would argue the fact Clark Kent and Superman are the same person is the least interesting thing about both identities, the whole point is that Superman represents goodness and doing the best you can while Clark Kent is a way for Superman to live a normal and human life...so by revealing they are the one person that erases the point of Clark Kent, arguably. Heck, having Clark Kent as an identity helps humanize Superman as well, keeping him grounded despite being so almighty--there is a big monologue in, "Kill Bill: Volume 2," about this actually:



Bendis does not seem to care about any of the reasons I and the late David Carradine list as the upcoming, "Superman," #18 will apparently have the big reveal (unless this is all some clever trick to hide a more wild twist, in which case that would be pretty impressive). I have not seen any excitement about this, just people shrugging and thinking this is a redundant idea from Bendis at best or, "Chasing headlines," at worst, as my friend Agent Poyo at Comics Heating Up describes it. Perhaps this will be a great story somehow, for now I'm not that enthusiastic.

The, "Magnus the Brave," Kickstarter Looks Awesome and Still Has Some Time Left to Pledge!

I heard about, "Magnus the Brave," from my chum, Tony, who runs Comics Heating Up. Created by a fellow fan of CHU, Chris Rau, Tony mentioned it to me and readers of his website how it was a cool-looking comic with a Kickstarter that was going on to raise funds. I was intrigued when I heard how Rau does the story, artwork, and coloring, with some story co-writing by Ace Nuckolls, as having a creator who does most of the aspects of a comic is always cool to me in this era where sometimes comic-creation can be a bit fragmented between a big creative team. I had the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of the comic in my capacity as a journalist (that's what I call myself, at least) and was quite impressed. I can see why, "Magnus the Brave," met its funding goal so quickly and has continued to raise money from interested backers!

"Magnus the Brave," is described by Rau as mixing the identity of Conan the Barbarian with Samurai Jack to create a warrior who can fight in a bloodthirsty and viscous manner, but also values peace and introspection. Rau's art style is inspired by a cool mash-up of anime-styled over-the-top action and bloody violence. Imagine if the warriors of old who fought with swords and arrows could also occasionally bust-out a super-powered move full of bright explosive colors and you get the idea of what Rau is doing. The comic follows Magnus as he protects his village from all sorts of strange villains...villains who don't last long. The meshing of the ideas and the weird characters Magnus fights creates something that is original yet also readily appeals to fan of these different style of entertainment. I greatly enjoyed what I read of, "Magnus the Brave," and would encourage you to visit its Kickstarter page while there is still time to pledge (a bit under two days now) and to back it should the comic strike your fancy.

The Key Collector Comics App is Really Handy

I dabble in comic-book speculation, as folk may know, which is the art of buying a comic in the hopes it will have some value shortly (or later on) and then selling it. I've written about hot comics for my occasional segment The Hot Comics Revue, and I'm a big fan of the website Comics Heating Up (a fantastic place to learn about upcoming comics that might be sought-after). One thing I heard about and have used for a bit is Key Collector Comics. They both have a website and a really professional app. You can use it to find details about past comics that are getting popular, upcoming releases that might be worth getting, and scuttlebutt about things that aren't hot now, but if they get optioned/have a show made, might very well then be in-demand.

Key Collector Comics is free to use, but if you want a whole bunch of other helpful features (alerts, assorted snazzy articles) you can subscribe for $1.99 a month or $19.99 for the whole year. Based on how much this website and its app contains I would say that is quite worth the price. For example, once I made my account a paid one I took advantage of some alerts about books that might become, "Key," issues to dig in my back-issues and pull-out comics that I thought were worth all of a dollar but depending on what the future holds might go for a chunk more someday. Even if you are someone who doesn't do much buying and/or selling of comic-books, the lists and writings are full of fun facts, trivia, and otherwise I'd say they're extremely informative if you just like learning about comics.

Some of the current categories/lists being featured.

I'd encourage folk to visit the website, and for sure try Key Collector Comics out on their iPhone, or if they have an Android-style phone it is available in that format as well. Between the user-friendly design and great content I really like Key Collector Comics and am eager to continue using it to both get advice on popular comics, and learn a lot of interesting things too.

DC's Black Label Really Seems Troubled, To Say the Least

Featured last month on the cover of, "Previews,"
now delayed indefinitely a few weeks later.

DC's imprint of books called a part of the, "Black Label," sounded like a cool idea to me with a lame name when it was first announced. Then the first book came out due to everyone barely getting a glimpse of Bruce Wayne's penis DC's parent company apparently got mad, and DC went-about retooling plans for the Black Label heavily. The series, "Batman: White Knight," which was given Black Label status retroactively was supposed to have its trade paperback collection come out with some unedited artwork which included Harley Quinn nude...until it suddenly was not going to have that.  "Batman Damned," had its second issue incredibly delayed until it finally came out this week and people think they can notice certain changes were made, with my eagle-eyed friends over at Comics Heating Up noting a variety of stuff. Oh, and one book that sounded really cool, "The Other History of the DC Universe," is indefinitely delayed--e.g. it probably will be canceled and resolicited without the Black Label moniker, if at all. I hope it comes back though as the writer of it, John Ridley, is a really good storyteller whether he's doing a movie such as, "12 Years a Slave," or a comic like his, "The American Way."

The Black Label really is starting to look all but dead, serving as little more than a logo now just being given to comics that came out awhile ago under various other imprints that are now defunct (All-Star) or weren't with a particular identified, "Line." It is sad as some of the books announced as being with the Black Label now may not come out, will be heavily altered from whatever was being produced, or could find themselves under some other imprint. The Black Label clearly is suffering, and it arguably all is because of mostly-in-the-shadows penis. I imagine this tells you a lot about how messed-up America is in regards to sex and violence where our comics featuring Batman mutilating criminals are considered fine for most ages but even a hint of male anatomy results in pure havoc.

A Chunk of News and Links to Kick-Off December 2018

December Has Arrived

It is now officially the last month of the year. Big winter holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the like are rapidly approaching. Let's relax with some news and links before things get too crazy, shall we?

Knowledge to Absorb (As Well as Useless Stuff)

When I was a young pre-teen I had not yet really started feeling much in the way of attraction to females, but as puberty started to hit certain things would trigger me feeling fluttery and weird in my stomach. One of those things that left me all confused about being hot-and-bothered was Ivy Valentine from the first, "Soul Calibur," game and its sequels. I knew the outfit was exploitative and tacky, yet my hormone-addled self couldn't quit staring. I appreciated this article by Maddy Myers where she shares how she had much of the same sensations as a teen too, "I have felt every possible feeling about character Ivy Valentine’s tits and ass. Alienated. Angry. Sad. Jealous. Embarrassed. Bored. Horny. Amused. Jaded," and how she came to a terms of sorts about the character.

A new version of, "Batman and the Outsiders," had been solicited with two creators I enjoyed working on it--Bryan Hill as well as Dexter Soy--but has suddenly been canceled before even the first issue had a chance to be released. It seems it may be solicited again in the near future, but this is just odd.

My friends at Comics Heating Up have an article discussing virtual reality technology from the angle of how it could impact comic-culture, for example chilling in Bruce Wayne's mansion, or helping the Avengers fight Thanos. I myself have never been a big fan of VR as it makes me sick to my stomach wearing those headsets. Perhaps in a another decade or two the technology will advance further to where I'm more of a fan.

Rare image of the Sentinelese.

There has been a lot of controversy and discussion relating to a self-declared missionary of Christianity who a number of times tried to interact with one of the last remaining isolated cultures in the World--the Sentinelese--and ended up killed. They've been contacted before by anthropologists so they aren't completely without outside-world interaction, but the small tribe has repeatedly made clear it desires nothing more than to be left alone. There has been outrage from some organizations that feel the man--who was breaking multiple laws contacting the tribe--was wrongfully murdered, and others point-out it was self-defense but feel we somehow, "Owe," it to these remote tribes to modernize them. I personally think we should leave them alone, not because I am against modernizing them or for any fancy philosophical reason like Survival International discusses in its preference for allowing the tribe to remain isolated--I simply think it is wise because they literally have immunity to nothing and further contact with the outside world could utterly wipe them out. They apparently are recognized as their own sovereign location, so unless someone from there tries to contact the outside world, leave them alone.

Anytime in the future I see a white person comment how, "Slavery/Segregation/etc." was a long time ago and black people should get over it, they have the same opportunities as everyone else now," I'll point them to this article that breaks-down the economics of our nation's long history of institutional racism through discussing a big study on said topic. Hopefully once someone sees these facts they'll shut-up with their, "Racism is over," shit that it still astounds me to hear people say with a straight-face.

I've been playing, "Red Dead Redemption 2," and shared some thoughts on it recently. I enjoyed this article observing how there is so much to do in the game, yet nothing feels forced or rushed, something I loved as well.

I am a big fan of Lion Forge comics, a publisher based here in Saint Louis. Hearing they are doing some restructuring just makes me hope everything is okay and that whatever changes they make allow them to have continued success.

Plenty of folk observed that the, "Venom," movie (which I still need to eventually force myself to see) was in a way a romance movie about Eddie Brock and his Symbiote. Sony seems to be leaning-in to this, with an official promo-ad for the upcoming DVD (and Blu-Ray) release really playing-up that angle.

Finally, I always thought the, “Star Wars,” prequels were silly, not just because an evil wannabe dictator ascended to power, but because so many ignorant people in the movies supported the Empire despite the fact it was essentially telegraphing how evil it was, basically screaming, “We are the bad guys, persecuting anyone different!” Then I read the latest example of Trump supporters so blindly in love with him they are cheering the tear-gassing of children whose families are trying to seek safety in America (A nation whose own leader is treating them like inferior beings) and I realize we were all a little too hard on George Lucas back then. Jar Jar Binks still sucked though.

The Hot Comics Revue: Getting Our Kicks with the Sixth

It's Been Awhile

I am aware that it has been a bit since I did an installment of, "The Hot Comics Revue," as the last one was in, let me see here...March of this year. There are consistently titles that are quite, "Hot," or showing potential though, so I thought I would do a new entry! Oh, and as always, I'd encourage you to visit my chums at Comics Heating Up for speculation on comics that haven't been released yet and could become highly desired.

A Comic That is Warming Up

Riptide (The Series So Far)
A snazzy title from independent publisher Red 5 Comics, this mini-series tackles the idea of an absurdly large tidal wave forming that pulls the ocean miles away from land, giving everyone only a limited amount of time to flee to safety if they are on the coast, and putting anyone currently within the ocean (such as on a cruise ship) in immense danger. It's a quite clever concept and I've read two of what I believe will be four issues. It's had some buzz and not many copies at all were published as this is a smaller publisher. If this idea were to get optioned for some kind of big-budget blockbuster however this title could become quite the gem. As for right now, first-print copies of the early issues trend for $10-$20.

A Red-Hot Title

Batman: Damned #1 (either cover)
We all have Batman's penis to thank for this one. I mean, I would've imagined a barely-visible outline of Bruce Waynes wiener would've caused some buzz, but dear God, who saw this coming (no pun intended, get your mind out of the gutter)? Apparently it has actually made some of the people in DC who hold a lot of power upset, and it could very well result in the Black Label line as we know it basically being dead upon arrival. If some nudity really causes DC to panic and move away from mature-reader books--which was the whole damn point of the Black Label--that's just spineless. We all know comics aren't just for kids anymore (as hacky news articles like to declare every couple of months) and you can have a Batman who sells toys coexist with the kind who brutally beats-up the Joker in, "The Dark Knight," or gets nude in the Batcave within, "Batman: Damned." The hilarious thing is that because all future editions of the comic will have the offending genitalia edited-out its caused more hubbub and everybody wants a copy of this book now (either cover) resulting in it easily selling for an easy $40 and up.

A Comic With Steamy Potential

Dark Avengers #1 (Regular Cover or Variants)
This title actually came out back in 2009, arguably serving as one of the main books during Norman Osborn's so-called, "Dark Reign," where he gained a whole bunch of political power thanks to helping save the day at the end of, "Secret Invasion." It was essentially a team of evil Avengers and due to a rumor that we may be getting a, "Dark Avengers," movie everyone is eager to grab a copy in the hopes it'll go from a former dollar-bin book to something super-sought after (kind of like how nobody once cared about Groot, and now we all want his early books). This could all be one big pile of lies, could simply be a title that actually doesn't draw from the comics at all (like, "Age of Ultron,") or is possibly an indicator of what the future holds for Marvel's films. Whatever the case, dig through your short-boxes for the copy of the first issue you put away and forgot about, it is starting to trend for at least 20 bucks.

Late-October Link Mini-List

A Little Less This Time

I just don't have quite as many links this month. That's okay though, because this mini-list of stuff worth reading is still plenty interesting!

A Handful of Quality Links

Halloween is a fun holiday and coming-up quick, but have you ever wondered about its history? Well, read this article from the History Chanel and wonder no more!

The AV Club did a solid write-up about how the game, "Hotline Miami," was violent, nihilistic, and interesting. I personally found it fascinatingly uncomfortable in how it would be so colorfully gruesome and then make you question what kind of person you were for liking the bloody action.

Also from the AV Club is this piece about Horrorcore--a rap subgenre that frankly sucks. The only thing vaguely horrocore-ish I've ever gotten into much is some of Kool Keith's weirder material which arguably flirts with some Horrorcore concepts.

If you're at all into virology or just want to read-up on microscopic pathogens (because personally I find them fascinating) then Paste has a stellar article recommending various books to try-out.

I previously expressed great joy at my winning a contest sponsored by ComicsHeatingUp and the creative team behind the previously self-published (and now upcoming from Scout Comics) title, "Stabbity Bunny." Well, they both are at it again with a contest to win those first four self-published issues with only the request that entrants share the link about how to order an issue of the comic's near-future release (which I'll happily provide too).

This article about the longest board game ever is fascinating. I can barely imagine the dedication required to even take a couple turns.

Sexual harassment needs to stop, in any industry. Oh, and saying you didn't know what was going on when all the warning signs were there is basically just another form of enabling.

Speaking of harassers, is it any surprise Donald Trump lied about a painting in his art collection? At this point isn't it more of a surprise when he tells the truth?

Have a Great Rest of October!

I hope everyone has a stellar rest of the month and a happy Halloween. I for one have greatly enjoyed this month and was pleased a punch to celebrate my 2nd anniversary of wedded bliss with my wife, Samii.

The Hot Comic Revue's Third Installment: Attack of the Threequel!

Third Time and Just as Charming

Here we are with the latest installment of The Hot Comic Revue. As always, thanks to my chums at Comics Heating Up who talk about what upcoming books look worthy of speculation and encouraged me to pursue writing about what's popular in regards to stuff that is already out.

A Book That Is Warming-Up

Gasolina #1
Any brand-new Image book isn't guaranteed to be a huge hit, but usually stands a decent chance. The first-printing of, "Gasolina," sold out both its covers from Diamond and the promotional ashcan that came out a bit before the first issue continues to briskly sell online. This book hasn't yet caught fire but it looks promising. Things From Another World, MyComicShop, and eBay all are good ways to get yourself a copy.

Two Red-Hot Titles

Spider-Gwen #24
Spider-Gwen already is a very popular-character who was created in 2014 and good ol' Venom continues to be a fan favorite after rocketing to popularity in the 1990's. So, when the news emerged this issue was arguably the first appearance of Gwen merging with a version of the Symbiote and thereby becoming, "Gwenom," the book started flying off the shelves. There actually is a variant cover featuring Gwen, "Venomized," and they both appear to be equally popular, with anyone who is selling both covers at once making a pretty penny. Right now eBay or MyComicShop are your best chance to snag a copy.

Sink #1
It pleases me to see that, "Sink," is a huge hit as I of course did an advance review where I described how I loved it and had the pleasure of interviewing the creators of the book, who are both stellar guys. A stellar comic that mixes horror and crime to great success, the first issue of, "Sink," has two covers that were printed in equal quantity and therefore are both desirable--with many people wanting at least once of each (there is less-common blank variant too that doesn't seem especially hotter)! eBay or MyComicShop both have copies for sale, with the comic going for quite a lot before settling into a popular-but-not-prohibitive $10-$15 for either cover.


Two Comics with Steamy Potential

Graveland #1
Scout Comics have released a number of books that have gone on to achieve great popularity and success. "Graveland," is one of their newest releases. It features Giants causing immense destruction and is a fun action-movie-styled read. Considering how many books from Scout have gone on to at least warm-up if not become blazing-hot it would be wise to maybe grab at least one copy of, "Graveland," if you can. It currently can be found on Ebay or at MyComicShop.

Wonder Woman Conan #1
Cross-over books between two properties and publishers (DC and Dark Horse) seem to usually get a bit warm or even really hot. Considering how popular Wonder Woman is right now thanks to the awesome movie and the fact that Conan the Barbarian tends to always have a solid fan-following, this book could appeal to a variety of people and has the possibility of getting steamy in the future. I'll be the first to admit this book may be more of a slow-burn however while we wait for the next, "Wonder Woman," flick or Conan to be adapted for the big-screen or television again (which it will be, because everything is getting rebooted and brought-back now). The first issue of, "Wonder Woman Conan," is purchasable at Things From Another World, MyComicShop, and of course eBay.