It'd be nice if other companies would think about doing this.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
This is a really great idea. I think Marvel actually beat them by a month but nonetheless, you have to applaud them for doing this. Cheaper reprints have been a part of the comic book industry since...actually the very first comic was a cheaper reprint!
Its a great way for people to sample various series and I wish *everyone* would do it. I'll probably even pick up the Walking Dead reprint because for $1.00, why the hell not? I also actually need Chew #1 so that works too for me (I can put it in my pile rather than rely on the Walking Dead flip issue).
I still own Spawn #1 and Savage Dragon #1 from all those years ago but the fact that those series are still running is pretty impressive. This is a good way to bring in more readers. If they were really brillant like we Legion Worlders they would do a $1.00 issue in a few months for the current series to get readers a jumping on point for right now. *And* continue a reprint series for a cheaper price.
For $1.00 I may sample some other series like Proof.
Posted by Dev Em on :
I think that there is a market for cheap reprints. I also do not think that it would hurt TBP sales overall.
Imagine reprinting story arcs from books that are sure hits. Everyone hears about the drug issues from GL/GA...reprint them for a buck a piece. Same for the Spidey drug issues. Why not a Days of Futures past dollar reprints.
DC and Marvel should keep certain 1st issues of comics in rotation. Sandman, Y the Last Man, Preacher, etc. Grab someone new and get them interested in the trades. Even offer these types of books during free comic book day. List the trades in the back of the issue.
Posted by Dev Em on :
Forgot about the Marvel ones. Their selection seemed to be not as varied if I remember right.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"Marvel Tales" ran for 20+ years, the majority of them as a Spider-Man reprint comic. Those Spider-Man reprints were usually coming out about 2 years after they had originally been printed. I think in the 1970's it was one of the most commercially successful comics that Marvel did, and the 70's were a notoriously bad time for comic book sales. It might be something worth revisiting, particularly in this era of the $3.99 comic book.
Posted by MLLASH on :
This is brilliance. I'll definitely get TWD # 1.
Posted by Dev Em on :
TWD, Invincible and Chew are on my list.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
You know what could be fun and really funny? If all of us on Legion World buy Youngblood #1 and post very detailed reviews page by page, panel by panel. I would spend the $1 if others committed to it. If this comes out near April 1 then we can all praise it as the greatest comic ever.
Posted by Dev Em on :
I bought it for .50 years ago. Not gonna spend $1 for it now. Although I would dig it out and review it if ya wanna me to.
Posted by MLLASH on :
I think I unloaded mine years ago at a garage sale. But I'll do it for Cobie. Damn you!!!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Fist Marvel, then Image and now DC seems to have gotten into the act! But it seems like there is no press release or no fanfare at all for the DC ones. What's up with that? Someone in the marketing department screwed up?
Buried *deep* within the April 2010 solicitations:
GREEN LANTERN #27 NEW PRINTING On sale APRIL 28 • 32 pg, FC $1.00 US Written by GEOFF JOHNS Art and cover by IVAN REIS & OCLAIR ALBERT Witness the beginnings of the greatest Green Lantern of all in this new printing of the first chapter of “Secret Origin,”priced at just $1.00! Featuring art and story by the BLACKEST NIGHT team of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, this issue is collected in the GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN TP (NOV09090177).
BATMAN & ROBIN #1 NEW PRINTING On sale APRIL 7 • 32 pg, FC $1.00 US Written by GRANT MORRISON Art and cover by FRANK QUITELY The award-winning ALL-STAR SUPERMAN team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely reunited for this debut issue that kicked off the “Batman Reborn” epic, now reprinted for just $1.00 and featured in the upcoming BATMAN & ROBIN DELUXE EDITION HC (DEC0909201).
HUMAN TARGET #1 NEW PRINTING On sale APRIL 21 • 32 pg, FC, $1.00 US, MATURE READERS Written by PETER MILLIGAN Art by EDVIN BIUKOVIC Cover by TIM BRADSTREET The first issue of the original Vertigo HUMAN TARGET miniseries is reprinted for $1.00, just in time for the new series from Warner Bros. TV airing on Fox! The Human Target is hired to impersonate an African-American minister with a contract on his head and learns that there’s a contract out on his life as well. This issue is featured in the new HUMAN TARGET: CHANCE MEETINGS TP (OCT090298)
THE LOSERS #1 NEW PRINTING On sale APRIL 14• 40 pg, FC $1.00 US, MATURE READERS Written by ANDY DIGGLE Art and cover by JOCK The acclaimed Vertigo series from writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock began with this issue introducing an elite U.S. Special Forces unit that stumbled across a dirty CIA secret they couldn’t ignore. The CIA tried to kill them – but that only set the team on a course for bloody vengeance. This issue is featured in the new THE LOSERS VOL. 1 & 2 TP (NOV090232), just in time for the film adaptation in theaters later this year!
EX MACHINA #1 NEW PRINTING On sale APRIL 14 • 40 pg, FC $1.00 US, MATURE READERS Written by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN Art by TONY HARRIS & TOM FEISTER Cover by TONY HARRIS The award-winning WildStorm series began with this issue that introduced NYC Mayor Mitchell Hundred, formerly known as the super-hero The Great Machine, who put aside his heroic career after the events of September 11, 2001. This issue is collected in the EX MACHINA VOL. 1: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS TP (SEP058036) and timed for release near the end of the ongoing series! This issue is collected in the EX MACHINA VOL. 1: THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS TP (SEP058036).
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I've always felt like I missed the boat with Ex Machina since Vaughn has proven to be such an excellent writer (see: Y the Last Man), so I may pick that up. I also will get the Losers #1 since I've heard good things.
And everyone, I implore you: buy the Human Target #1. Its such a great story you'll feel very pleased with spending the $1.00.
But I've got to wonder: what the hell is DC thinking? The Losers and Human Target (this version) are long cancelled. Are they trying to gum up sales for the Trades? Why not find an ongoing title that also has trades and do it? Who made these decisions? Why is everything DC does seem like it was done by idiots?
Posted by Dev Em on :
The Losers are hitting the big screen this year. Thus the big push. Great book that I had to stop due to finances. Want to complete it someday.
Human Target is now on TV, which makes any issue #1 a hopeful draw to drum up trade sales of a great series.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
So today I was in Manhattan for work and decided to stop by the Midtown Comics on the East Side (there are 2, the one Rhino got to meet Paul Levitz is in Times Square). Mainly I was just stopping in inspired by Rhino’s meeting with Paul and I’m glad I did—not only did I get a signed copy of LSH #1 by Paul (the other Midtown Comics had a large backstock and sent them over), as well as complete my Lone Ranger & Zorro collections, I found a bunch of the $1.00 Image reprint comics we’ve been talking about, as well as the $1.00 reprint Marvels. Apparently while most comic book stores did not order the $1.00 reprints, Midtown did, as I suspected they might, just because its such as large CBS and they have basically everything. I even found Stumptown by Greg Rucka which no store I’ve visited has a copy of. Nicely done Midtown.
What I got was Witchblade and Proof; I already got Chew at my own CBS and own the original Spawn & Savage Dragon. I would have bought the rest if I’d found them. Alas, there was no copy of Youngblood #1—I suspect no store on Earth ordered a copy of the reprint issue.
So I figure I’ll post some thoughts here in this thread:
First, I’ve never read an issue of Witchblade in my life. I do know it’s a pretty popular comics for an independent, even being Megan Fox’s (the actress) favorite series. In the 90’s, Witchblade and the Darkness sold tons of copies and I think the highest selling comic of the late 90’s after Capital’s bankruptcy (the then other major distributor besides Diamond) is Darkness #11. Anyway, Witchblade is a comic book that definitely spun out of the 1990’s Image Comic books—the artwork by Michael Turner featuring a female lead is just backed with T&A—we see Sara Pezzini (Witchblade) in a thong, in a super-sexy red dress, thigh high boots, in tatters, etc. This is old school T&A the likes that doesn’t really exist anymore in a comic that takes itself seriously. Still, I thought this early Michael Turner work was better than what his style would eventually become in the numerous covers he’d do for DC and Marvel. The story was actually pretty good however! Much better than I would have thought it would be, and it was pretty intriguing with a good hook. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever read but if it came out today I might at least buy the second issue.
Will I start buying Witchblade? Probably not—its on like issue #127 and I still no very little about the series. But I know Ron Marz is the longtime writer by this point and his Crossgen work was simply fantastic. So maybe one day…I wouldn’t rule it out. This was more a fun thing to do with $1.00.
The other series I picked up was Proof, which I admit I never heard of until this ‘reprint event’, because it slipped through the cracks before I really made it a point to know all the independent comics on the market. And you know, this was also pretty good! The premise kind of reminds me of a horror version of Atomic Robo, with an X-Files type twist and a Chew type tone. The lead characters are certainly interesting. It was fun, weird, and had moments of horror too. The artwork was humorous and cartoony in a good way.
From what I understand of Proof, its first season has come to an end and it will probably relaunch again sometime in the future. I think I may check out that relaunch. The $1.00 reprint was certainly worth the $1.00 so I’m glad I bought it. It might be worth pursuing further but I can’t quite make the full recommendation to other posters to get the series at full price based on the original #1 alone. I did like the tone a lot though and this might make a great follow-up in my monthly reading to the awesome Chew.
All in all, this was a fun experiment. I would buy almost anything for $1.00 I think, so long as I didn’t absolutely hate the premise, creator or decision. (So yes, Dan Didio, I would not buy a Titans $1.00 issue—this clause was for you).
On a side note, I think that if Witchblade ever came out as an ongoing reprint series at like $1.50 an issue—maybe even $2.00 an issue—I’d probably then keep buying. I’d probably draw the line at anything over $2.00. I wonder if they’ll do the Darkness next time (unless no CBS ordering any of these ensures they’ll never do it again)? I’d get that too.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Some highlights for me are Mage by Matt Wagner, Liberty Meadows by Frank Cho and I might as well grab the Darkness.
Anyone who didn't get Wanted the first time, I recommend hitting it up for a buck.
MAGE FIRSTS: THE DARKNESS #1 story GARTH ENNIS art & cover MARC SILVESTRI SEPTEMBER 1 32 PAGES / FC $1.00
IMAGE FIRSTS: LIBERTY MEADOWS #1 story FRANK CHO art & cover FRANK CHO SEPTEMBER 8 32 PAGES / BW $1.00
IMAGE FIRSTS: WANTED #1 story MARK MILLAR art & cover J.G. JONES SEPTEMBER 15 32 PAGES / FC $1.00
IMAGE FIRSTS: I KILL GIANTS #1 story JOE KELLY art & cover J.M. KEN NIIMURA SEPTEMBER 22 24 PAGES / FC $1.00
IMAGE FIRSTS: MAGE #1 story MATT WAGNER art & cover MATT WAGNER SEPTEMBER 29 32 PAGES / FC $1.00
Posted by Dev Em on :
I may actually pick al of those up. I had Liberty MEadows a long time ago and sold it for a killing on Ebay.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I missed the boat on Liberty Meadows, coming in at like #38 on Pov's recommendation which might have been the last monthly issue. I'd totally collect it now if it was coming out.
I'm pretty sure Darkhorse is doing $1.00 comics in September too...I'll post those when I get around to looking at the solicits.
Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
This might be the excuse I need to take a look at I Kill Giants.
Posted by Dev Em on :
I had like the first 23 issues, plus the wedding issue, and sold them for over $300. Also sold Ultimate Spidey 1 - 38 for close to $400, and the U Spidey #1 White cover for over $400 in the same month.
Posted by Set on :
I read Witchblade for awhile, and, to be quite honest, Mike Turner's stuff is just pretty, pretty, pretty. It's the comic book equivalent of the Avatar movie, luscious visuals, and all the flesh on display hides the bare-bones narrative (or lack thereof).
As pretty as the book was, as compelling as the characters were, as much potential as the storylines contained, the characters simply failed to live up to the hype. Sarah Pezzini was indeed smoking hot (and Yancy Butler did a credible job in the TV adaptation), but she was hands-down the worst detective I've ever seen. In the first 24 issues, she actually performs one 'detective-like' thing, and that occurs off-screen, so we have no idea how it happened, just that she sort of coincidentally 'knew stuff' about some guy because she 'did some research.'
In the end, she reminded me too much of Scully, from the X-Files, who spent years dealing with supernatural stuff, and supposedly was an investigator, but was rendered utterly blind and stupid by the script, episode after episode, until you kind of wondered what sort of delusional world she lived in, since it clearly wasn't the world she was actually working in.
Same with Sara. Too much 'she's our best detective' and then she wanders blindly into a setup that the wino in the alley saw coming a mile off, and has to use her super-deus-ex-machina-that-rips-her-clothes-off to escape her own dumbassery.
Once Mike Turner stopped drawing it, I stopped buying it, since I couldn't even pretend to be buying it for anything other than the pretty pictures.
Fathom, unfortunately, worked in much the same manner, wandering around wide-eyed and naive in the middle of crap that big strong men (or her awesome superpowers) end up saving her from. As is, IMO, all-too-often the case with female superheroes, neither Aspen nor Sara had the slightest control of their powers, nor did they seem to be terribly interested in figuring them out or testing their limits or getting good at the stuff that they ended up pretty much having to do week after week. I've never been a fan of the 'women can't handle power' thing (see, Witch, Scarlet), so it just pushes my buttons to see Sara essentially a victim of a whimsical power that does what it wants, when it wants.
I liked the eye-candy (and even the guys were drawn with loving softcore porn detail), but when the 'heroine' is basically wandering around like Bambi on a shooting range, I have trouble feeling anything other than annoyance at her continued survival...
Posted by Kid Charlemagne on :
Bloody nass, remember when $1 seemed like price-gouging for a comic book?
The primary reason I gave them up was the never-dropping prices. Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
quote:Originally posted by Set: I read Witchblade for awhile, and, to be quite honest, Mike Turner's stuff is just pretty, pretty, pretty. It's the comic book equivalent of the Avatar movie, luscious visuals, and all the flesh on display hides the bare-bones narrative (or lack thereof).
As pretty as the book was, as compelling as the characters were, as much potential as the storylines contained, the characters simply failed to live up to the hype. Sarah Pezzini was indeed smoking hot (and Yancy Butler did a credible job in the TV adaptation), but she was hands-down the worst detective I've ever seen. In the first 24 issues, she actually performs one 'detective-like' thing, and that occurs off-screen, so we have no idea how it happened, just that she sort of coincidentally 'knew stuff' about some guy because she 'did some research.'
In the end, she reminded me too much of Scully, from the X-Files, who spent years dealing with supernatural stuff, and supposedly was an investigator, but was rendered utterly blind and stupid by the script, episode after episode, until you kind of wondered what sort of delusional world she lived in, since it clearly wasn't the world she was actually working in.
Same with Sara. Too much 'she's our best detective' and then she wanders blindly into a setup that the wino in the alley saw coming a mile off, and has to use her super-deus-ex-machina-that-rips-her-clothes-off to escape her own dumbassery.
Once Mike Turner stopped drawing it, I stopped buying it, since I couldn't even pretend to be buying it for anything other than the pretty pictures.
Fathom, unfortunately, worked in much the same manner, wandering around wide-eyed and naive in the middle of crap that big strong men (or her awesome superpowers) end up saving her from. As is, IMO, all-too-often the case with female superheroes, neither Aspen nor Sara had the slightest control of their powers, nor did they seem to be terribly interested in figuring them out or testing their limits or getting good at the stuff that they ended up pretty much having to do week after week. I've never been a fan of the 'women can't handle power' thing (see, Witch, Scarlet), so it just pushes my buttons to see Sara essentially a victim of a whimsical power that does what it wants, when it wants.
I liked the eye-candy (and even the guys were drawn with loving softcore porn detail), but when the 'heroine' is basically wandering around like Bambi on a shooting range, I have trouble feeling anything other than annoyance at her continued survival...
Have you ever checked out Witchblade since Ron Marz came on about 7 years ago? I have not, so I can't really give an accurate comment about it, but from what I've read, he's gone a long way into establishing Sara as a more competent & intelligent "thinking" character, doing things besides using her powers and looking really hot.
Witchblade is one of those comics I never picked up but know the basics about. Only recently did my curiosity for it begin, particularly spurred on by the $1.00 #1 reprint issue a few months ago which I liked.
As someone who really knows Witchblade, I'd be curious as to what you thought of the Marz era of the comic.
Posted by Set on :
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Have you ever checked out Witchblade since Ron Marz came on about 7 years ago? I have not, so I can't really give an accurate comment about it, but from what I've read, he's gone a long way into establishing Sara as a more competent & intelligent "thinking" character, doing things besides using her powers and looking really hot.
I am intrigued, as the mythology behind the character was pretty neat.
Then I made the mistake of Googling Ron Marz, as I was just about to enthuse about how much I loved X-Men 2099 (Had him conflated with Ron Lim).
Wow. Called out for both the Hal Jordan murder-pa-looza and the 'women in refrigerators' thing? Yikes. That must be every comic book writers dream, to have websites devoted to discussing how much of a misogynist you are... Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
I am no fan of Marz's GL work by any means, but to defend him slightly, after his GL days, he was one of the two main writers at Crossgen, where he created some really incredible series & characters. Some of the best comics of the last 15 years were by Marz at Crossgen.
These included several female protagonists who Marz wrote extremely well, such as Arwen, the lead character of Sojourn.
So I think Marz has learned and grown as a writer over the years. He's certainly not the only culprit of 'women in refrigerators' and the Hal Jordan debacle wasn't his fault, that was an editorial thing (with the proper culprits taking credit long ago).
Regarding Ron Lim, he was pretty good too, and I wonder what's happened to him?
Posted by Arachne on :
I agree with Cobie about Ron Marz. The woman in the refrigerator was pretty horrendous, and from his comments on Gail Simone's site, IIRC, he really didn't get the problem at the time. His work at CrossGen, though, was a vast improvement. I remember people really being surprised by it at them time.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Dark Horse is getting into it too in September. I'll probably get the Russ Manning Magnus Robot Fighter. I absolutely recommend Umbrella Academy to anyone.
1 for $1: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Andi Watson (W), Joe Bennett (P), Rick Ketcham (I), Guy Major (C), and Art Adams (Cover)
On sale Sept 8
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
Buffy Summers is not like other girls. She’s been chosen to save the world from the vampire plague, and balancing saving the world with high school is no easy task.
1 for $1: Groo
Sergio Aragonés (W/A) and Mark Evanier (W)
On sale Sept 1
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
If you thought Groo was a dangerous idiot, wait till you see how dangerous he is now that he’s intelligent.
1 for $1: Magnus, Robot Fighter
Russ Manning (W/A)
On sale Sept 8
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
In the year 4000, with the human race threatened by robots that would enslave mankind, one man alone has the power to fight back—Magnus, Robot Fighter!
1 for $1: Serenity: Those Left Behind
Joss Whedon (W), Brett Mathews (W), Will Conrad (P), Laura Martin (C), and John Cassaday (Cover)
On sale Sept 15
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
Firefly—the story of a ship full of mercenaries, outlaws, fugitives, and one law-abiding prostitute running across the fringes of space. The crew of Serenity once again find themselves broke and on the wrong side of a number of very large firearms…
1 for $1: Star Wars Legacy
John Ostrander (W), Jan Duursema (P), Dan Parsons (I), and Brad Anderson (C)
On sale Sept 1
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but all of the above happens just in this first issue! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place!
1 for $1: Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #1
Gerard Way (W), Gabriel Bá (A), Dave Stewart (C), and James Jean (Cover)
On sale Sept 15
FC, 28 pages
$1.00
Once, the Umbrella Academy was unstoppable. Under the tutelage of their guardian and mentor, Dr. Reginald Hargreeves, its members spent their childhoods fighting evil and honing their extraordinary gifts. Until something went terribly wrong…
Now, nine years later, the estranged members of the Umbrella Academy are reunited by the death of the only parent they've ever known and the rise of a new and terrible threat. Will they be able to overcome their history for long enough to save the world one more time? Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Image released their second round of $1.00 reprint #1's, this time including Haunt (already have), Mage (plan on one day getting the trade), the Darkness (interesting, hard to find), and many others. Like previously, many comic book shops, being more focused on the business end of things, did not order a lot of these and so they are hard to find.
Luckily, I was in NYC recently and was able to snag a reprint copy of Godland #1. I honestly would have bought almost any #1 reprint for $1.00 if I didn't already have it.
Godland is written by Joe Casey with art by Tom Scioli. Having only read #1 and therefore knowing it only really knowing it by covers in the solicitations each month, I can say it appears to be a superhero series heavily in the cosmic science-fiction genre with a huge Jack Kirby influenced (and I suspect others, like Jim Starlin).
You know, I actually enjoyed #1. I think if I hard purchased it when it came out, I would have stuck with the series and collected all along. What I really enjoyed was the art by Tom Scioli, with it's heavy Kirby influence. It's so much so, that it almost feels like a parody of Kirby's work, but you can tell Scioli is homaging more than just style, he's homaging composition and other aspects of Kirby's work.
Joe Casey's work hasn't always been my favorite, usually because it just doesn't draw my interest. Here it's all basically set-up and doesn't really get into any real plot specifics or character beats other than introducing everyone. So I have no real idea of what the writing on this series is like.
Would I buy this series? I guess if I happened to come across back issues for cover price or less, then absolutely yes. I probably would not go out of my way to get them though.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)