I Wish I Still Lived In Los Angeles

The comics legend is signing
Batman and Robin and his new book, Final Crisis!

Los Angeles – June 17th, 2009 - It is time to break brains and separate souls!

It is time to weave wonder and leave mouths agape in the wake of impenetrable accents and extraordinary ideas! It is time for YOU to return to MELTDOWN, because the Scottish swami Grant Morrison is returning to grace us with his presence and give us mere cave dwellers our first bouts of intellectual fire! Are you going to allow the microphone to be dominated with the weeping milk-tears of egg-handed fools who will simply rehash old discussions of the Talmud of Mr. Tawky Tawny or shall we look towards a brighter day to come and inquire after new scripts, songs, fashions and fabulations?

If you consider yourself a worthwhile nerd, a good geek, a fascinating fan of freak fiction, then do us a favor and start formulating your questions now so that we can extract as much information about our favorite characters and series, old and new, and even if for a moment transcend our mortal coil to a dream world of comical capes and quizzical chimpanzees. Come complete the circle and revel in the impossible.

CLIVE BARKER will hold a brief conversation with GRANT MORRISON before the signing. Copies of Mr. Morrison’s latest literary luncheons, Final Crisis HC + Batman and Robin #1, will be on sale. That same day is the release of Batman and Robin # 2. Buy one (or 3) of these 3 books and get into the event in the Meltdown Gallery.

Sadly, no outside items will be allowed due to time constrain on the talent. But don’t despair! Refreshments and music will also be provided.

WHO: GRANT MORRISON

WHY: Signing Batman and Robin and his latest Hard Cover Book, Final Crisis!

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1st, 2009 - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

WHERE: Meltdown Comics, 7522 SUNSET BLVD, L.A., CA, 90046

www.meltcomics.com

MUSIC PROVIDED BY: iheartcomix.com & DJ Franki Chan

DRINKS: ASAHI & TIBETAN TEA

As If It Needed To Get Better...

Doug Mahnke added to the event of 2009, Blackest Night? You already had me. Now I need a Blackest Night bib to catch the drool.

Come to think of it, though, part of me wishes they put Mahnke on something else that could use the added attention. Of course, if they did, I might have just complained that they didn't put a big enough name on the book in his place. From finishing up Final Crisis to the heart of Blackest Night, maybe Mahnke is finally going to get treated

Ultimate Comics Walk-Up Sales For Dec 10th, 2008

From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 12/10/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.

1. Secret Invasion: Dark Reign
2. Final Crisis #5
3. Punisher War Zone #2
4. Justice League of America #27
5. Captain Britain and MI13 #8
6. Final Crisis Revelations #4
7. Wonderful Wizard of Oz #1
8. Amazing Spider-man #580
9. Watchmen #1
10. Civil War House of M #4


Commentary

1. The customers are generally excited about Dark Reign.
2. Delays hurt this one (besides any storytelling problems)
3. People dig this one.
4. meh, we'll see if the gimick helps sales stay up.
7. YAY!
9. I guess at this point, it means we are officially in a fever for this product!

1. Seems to be something you're either very excited about or looking to tar and feather the EiC for, with very few people in the middle.
2. There's so much that can be claimed to have hurt this book, with the two mentioned being in that long list.
4. Read the issue. McDuffie did the same job introducing the Milestone characters into the DCU that you'd expect from a work-for-hire hack, rather than someone who has a care. The issue read pretty bad, IMO, and I doubt is getting many new fans for the introduced characters.
7. Yay? What's got you so excited there, Lee?

Wonder If This Will Appear In Blackest Night...

From the Rock of Ages arc in JLA #12

What's Going On At DC?

Rich's LitG this week seems to be pointing at Dan Didio as the source of a lot of disgruntlement for the writers at DC.

Making Grant Morrison change the ending to Final Crisis that is, supposedly, exactly what was approved at the beginning (have some doubts on that one)?
Writers having to put their own stories on hold because of the Final Crisis changes?
Having a stand-up shouting match with James Robinson (who, IMO, is writing like a guy back from Hollywood that thinks comic book scripts are kids' stuff)?
Winding up with Tony Daniel on your big follow-up to BATMAN R.I.P. (any bets on whether this winds up worse than Countdown: Arena?)?

I have no idea what is actually going on, but it doesn't look good for DC at all.

Ultimate Comics Walk-Up Sales For Nov 5th, 2008

From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 11/05/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.

1. Sandman The Dream Hunters #1
2. Ultimatum #1
3. Amazing Spider-Man #576
4. Final Crisis: Resist
5. Justice Society of America #20
6. Marvel Zombies 3 #2
7. Cable #8
8. Civil War: House of M #3
9. Adventures Comics Featuring The Guardian #1
10. Trinity #23

Commentary:

1. Woo Hoo, Sandman. 20 years later and still a phenomenon. Beautiful book + great character + great story = great sales.

2. They turned out to see the Ultimate Universe die. OF course, selling it for half price didn't hurt!

3. Spidey just bounces around the list. Stability would be nice.

4. I wonder how many people were confused when they read a Checkmate book? Perfect coda to a great book (Checkmate not Final Crisis) by the way.

6. The fans like this Zombies much better then the last.

2. Half price will do it. I don't know how many #1 issues I ordered from DCBService.com simply because they were 75% off cover. Too bad it seems like Loeb gave readers 75% less story.

3. Wonder if Lee's heard from any of his customers as to why they keep buying Amazing Spider-Man off the shelf rather than pull-listing the book?

4. You know, I was of two minds on that. It's kinda like rooting for the Rough Riders in Canada. I was kinda happy it wasn't really about Final Crisis, eh...but I was, also, bummed that it wasn't really about Final Crisis.

5. I think Geoff Johns did himself and the book a disservice by sticking the Power Girl resolution stuff in the middle of the Gog/Magog arc. I understand that it was the mechanism used to shuffle her off to Earth-2, but it wound up feeling more like something that delayed resolution in the larger arc. Not that it effected sales or anything, here...but I felt like mentioning it.

8. I'm still mystified at how the House of M event has such life in the TPB market (direct and bookstore) that it makes financial sense for Marvel to keep pumping out more mini-series in that world.

Is Pick On Didio Day Over?

Cuz I just wanted to sneak these bits in:

People seem to identify this problem as being unique to DC, but I would argue that it happens across the entire industry. I would argue that no matter what your expectations are every week, those expectations are unfortunately broken. I would argue that this problem is unique to the business.

Sure, it happens everywhere. But you, Mr. Didio, were those most emphatic about scheduling issues getting fixed. Marvel made the decision that it won't put fill-in artists on a major event and stuck to it. Quesada has said they'd do everything they can on scheduling issues, but did not feel that sacrificing quality for timeliness was an acceptable trade-off.

DC, on the other hand, lets their events run fairly late and then STILL uses fill-in artists. You have to pick a course and stick to it. If you're willing to use fill-ins, then try to have artists ready to fill-in, rather than wait until you're sacrificing both quality (in as much as lack of consistency in art styles) and timeliness.

As Mr. Miyagi said:

"Left side road? OK. Right side road? OK. Middle of road? (SLAP) Squish like grape."

Pick an approach that satisfies timeliness or satisfies quality issues, rather than satisfying neither.

Regarding the use of the multiverse:

DD: The real answer – I just don’t want to approach it in a haphazard manner. Being incredibly candid, I want Grant Morrison to have first crack at it. So realistically, the multiverse is Grant’s toy to play with and use as he likes. I want Grant, when he becomes available, to do the first and best exploration of the mutliverse. He has the best grasp of the concept, and the interpretations that I feel matter.

Geoff did a wonderful job for the Earth-2 story he did in JSA recently, but Grant has so many fabulous ideas for the multiverse that we’re going to wait for him.

That's right. It is an incredibly wise idea to wait for the guy who's work ethic more or less led to you needing to bring in Doug Mahnke to finish Final Crisis and who wants to go off and do Vertigo for awhile. I'm sure we'll get to see that in a reasonable amount of time with the customer base just as anxious and excited to see it.

All that said, I like Didio and think he often gets too much shit from fans (and told him as much at Wizard World Chicago...twice...while drunk). There's just obvious room for improvement.

Ultimate Comics Walk-Up Sales For Oct 29th, 2008

From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 10/29/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.

1. Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns

2. Presidential Material: Barack Obama

3. Avengers: The Intitiative #18

4. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1

5. Ultimate Captain America Annual #1

6. Spike: After the Fall #4

7. Hellboy: In the Chapel of Moloch

8. Spawn #185

9. Amazing Spider-Man #575

10. Thor #11

Commentary:

Despite online grumblings about Astonishing X-Men Ghost Boxes and its price, the fact that we were short shipped had more to do with this book not being on the list then the price point. The few folks who did get ahold of it seemed to have good things to say about it, in store. Online is another matter altogether.

1. Johns is the MAN!!!! We knew this would sell well and despite it being short shipped it still brought people in the door. That is a book with huge potential. Why it doesn't translate into sales I haven't figured out, but with the hardcover of Secret Origins hitting the shelves early next month, maybe the book will get the boost the fans and almost certainly DC wants.

2. We weakened and did one last reorder. I, also, pulled them off the shelves from two of my other stores. (Wednesday saw a run on the Ross Obama Tee)

3. Skrull Kill Crew seemas to be full of win this time around.

4. People really liked One Brand More Day... it probably helped that this story pretty much came out of the Secret Invasion tie in series.

5. Kevin may be right, people may want to see this universe end, we'll know for sure next week.

6. This book like Amory Wars and Umbrella Academy seemed to pick up the further it got along until at the end you had people coming in to buy the whole thing in one fatal swoop. I don't know if there is a disconnect with reaching the fans in a timely matter like the Who Wants to Be a Superhero book a couple years ago or if they just don't like the monthly thing (which I don't see reflected in Buffy or Angel).

7 & 8. Put the original creators on their books and people will check them out. The key now is to retain that interest.

9. Hmmm. Amazing Spider-Man has dropped another slot in the top ten. I'd be curious to know if it is because more of the walk-up purchasers have added it to their pull (thus not counted here) or sales are returning to normal after the New Ways To Die arc.

5. I'll be just as shocked as anyone if I wind up being right about something. ;)

4. Wait wait wait...what? They named the annual story "One More Day"? I don't know whether to call it ballsy or retarded.

2. Barack Obama: helping the economy before even in office. I wore my Ross OBAMA shirt to the polls...before being reminded I couldn't wear a shirt seen as campaigning into the polling place. Had to turn it inside out before going in the building.

1. FINAL CRISIS on the cover and being a key part of the set-up to BLACKEST NIGHT? Yeah...that's a recipe for success cooked up by Geoff.

Note to Retailers: If anyone out there would like to provide similar information regarding sales at their store, I'd love to have it (with or without commentary). A link to your store's online presence will be included in any installment that uses your data. More data = more gooder.

Ultimate Comics Walk-Up Sales For Oct 22nd, 2008

From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 10/22/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.

1. Final Crisis: Submit
   
2. Secret Invasion #7
   
3. Final Crisis #4
   
4. Superman: New Krypton Special #1
   
5. Aetheric Mechanics
   
6. Unknown Soldier #1
   
7. Hulk #7
   
8. Amazing Spider-Man #575
   
9. Invincible #54
   
10. New Avengers #46

Commentary:

1 - Um... this is why walk up sales are more interesting, shear numbers wise Secret Invasion and Final Crisis CRUSHED this book, but for folks who didn't commit to something this sold better. Part of the reason is the nature of the FC tie-ins themselves. Most of them seem so periphial to the book itself that a one off would seem undesirable. However, this is where working in a chain or really big shop gets a hand up. I get to read a number of books Tuesday night. I am no dummie, so I read books that aren't going to sell them selves, I can check out Final Crisis and Secret Invasion in the quiet hours of the morning at the shop to avoid spoilers, but knowing that Submit was a bridge into FC #4 allowed me to tell people and get the book to walk out the door. Product knowledge is key.

1,2,3,4,7,8,10 - event books... hmm event fatigue huh? If it actually existed I would see other books creep into the top ten. I include Hulk and Spidey in this category because they are buzz books which in the end is just as good as an event or crossover.

5. Warren Ellis. We love him here at Ultimate Comics.

6. Unknown Soldier was a bit of a surprise for us. There is a genuine disconnect, I feel, in the marketing of comics. If you follow my comments around the intrawebs, you will see that I think Kids books are being woefully mismarketed. I think the downfall of Minx was evidence of this. The comic book industry markets to itself and as a result, it stays a niche market.

Now this book was handled quite the way I think it should be. It was previewed in House of Mystery, certainly the most successful of the Vertigo books in the last few years. There was quite a bit of buzz in the market and outside it about this book and its social consiousness. While I was excited about the return of the concept and interested in this new take, the customers did not respond in kind. Instead, the same two guys were on the card for the book, so we ordered conservatively.

However, all that marketing worked and the demand was bigger than our supply. I don't know how to correct this disconnect between marketing correctly and getting the customer to say they want the book.

A few weeks ago, I talked about the success of No Hero #1 and how people wanted this book before it arrived. Would a zero issue have helped this book? I don't know, all I know is that there was demand here that we could not meet because it was not expressed. Maybe bagslicks like Ellis did with Doktor Sleepless, I don't know. I certainly hope that the folks who read this have some ideas, because I would dearly love to know how to tap into what happened here.

9. I think this is a result of kind of a lite week overall. Sure there were big books and it was an average sales week overall, but there was not a large amount of titles like this current week or the previous week.

Well, it looks like either Lee perfectly called it on the demand for the Presidential Materials books or he just didn't have enough left in stock for it to crack the Top 10. ;)

Amazing Spider-Man still doing noticeable walk-up numbers, but it drops to 8 this week where it had two entries in the Top 6 last week. This seems to suggest that Paul C (a reader of SCHWAPP!!!) may have been right to say the book got the Colbert Bump last week. At the same time, any week where ASM is in the Top 10 of walk-up sales has to be a positive sign that sales might be going back up for the title.

I only read Unknown Soldier #1 this morning, but I believe it merits every bit of attention it has gotten. Like any book with a completely brown skin cast, it makes me happy & sad at the same time. Happy for the diversity it brings to the shelves, sad for the potential of a cancellation clock already ticking in a market with a customer base that rarely seems to reward this sort of diversity.

The Root Cause For Final Crisis Delays?

Hi there, folks. You may remember I blogged about how I felt JG was falling on his sword and taking too much of the blame when Grant Morrison was likely more responsible for the delays.

What's that you're saying, Dan Didio?

The fact that at a point we were waiting for parts of the script from issues #6 and #7, the reality came to be that we were never going to be able to hit our dates.

Thanks, Dan. Dan went on to talk about other issues, with one in particular grabbing my attention:

In February, again, we’re bringing the line back closer together and working to bring the continuity back in synch. In that month, we’ll have a series of books – I think we’re up to about 19 in all now – that will have six page stories as backups, and each book will be branded “Origins and Omens.” What you’re going to see in those stories is a little of the origin of each character, what’s essential to know about each character to date, and more importantly, a little foreshadowing of what’s to come with the character. Each one of the “Origins and Omens” installments will have a common narrator, and that narrator has direct ties to Blackest Night later in the year.

Can we say Martian Manhunter? That's my guess, at least.

Ultimate Comics Walk-Up Sales For Oct 15th, 2008

From Lee Newman of Ultimate Comics, the list of top-selling books at one of their locations in North Carolina for what was released on 10/15/08. Pull lists are not included, as this is meant to capture what is being bought off the shelf.

1. Presidential Materials: Barack Obama
2. Amazing Spider-Man #573
3. Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2
4. Final Crisis: Rogue's Revenge #3
5. Presidential Materials: Flip Book
6. Amazing Spider-Man #573 Stephen Colbert Variant
7. Ultimate Origins #5
8. Presidential Materials: John McCain
9. Scooby Doo #137
10. Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen Special #1

Presidential Material - JUGGERNAUT!!!! Yay, unfortunately this will slow down as I will not be reordering any more, the time is past. If I could guarantee delivery and sales for before the election I would, but to reorder at this point would be fiscally irresponsible (editor's note: did political debate talking points slip in here?)

Amazing-Spiderman - Despite what the interwebs say, when you take Peter Parker put him in his proper setting and thro in Venom and the Green Goblin to boot, he sells comics. Since the Colbert variant was a seperately ordered item all together we had ample quantities and I tracked as if it were another title.

Final Crisis Tie-Ins, these are the best of the bunch and written by Johns, none of the others perform as well. Wonder why that is?

Scooby Doo - Kid's books, if you buy them, they will come. This one often makes the top ten as does Tiny Titans. Now if I could just convince more kids to buy Billy Batson.

Jimmy Olsen - Yeah, have Robinson write a phenomenal comic book and it sells well, even when it ties into the odd Atlas Arc.

Not mentioned in Lee's notes: looks like maybe some readers that left the Ultimate titles are wandering back to see its death and rebirth.

JG Jones Is A Class Act

I could think of many reasons why I wouldn't fall on my sword in this situation, like JG Jones just did.

One of the many would be Grant Morrison.

You know, that writer who has practically become a deity to his many fans.


You know, that writer who has needed fill-in artists on BOTH of his events (FINAL CRISIS & BATMAN R.I.P.).



You know, that writer who had delays on 7 SOLDIERS OF VICTORY that are only dwarfed by Kevin Smith's own battles with timeliness.


You know, that writer who is the devourer of lead time and plays matador to the bull of blame & accountability.


Now, I love much of Grant's work. But all signs point to him being the problem with the scheduling of his product. It'd be nice if he step up and admit to that, rather than letting his artist have the target painted only on his back...front...and anywhere people want to slag him.

Doug Mahnke on Final Crisis #7?

FINAL CRISIS #7
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Covers by J.G. Jones and Doug Mahnke
The dramatic finale to the epic, seven-part saga of the DC multiverse concludes with an apocalyptic battle for the soul of humanity that must be seen to be believed! Can the heroes of 52 Earths save the multiverse? And is the only way to save it, to change it forever?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by J.G. Jones and Doug Mahnke that will ship in approximately 50/50 ratio. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale January 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

So, two artists on the book aren't enough to get the job done? They have to bring in another?

Somehow, I don't think two artists can really be THAT slow. Do you?

Quite Possibly Fan Reaction To Final Crisis Tie-In Minis

(as in there's a fire burning in the tie-ins when there isn't in the main book)

Final Crisis: Good Story/Bad Event?

Over on Newsarama, I read the latest Grant Morrison interview regarding Final Crisis. The interview itself was great. The spirit of it was a lot better than the interview for issue 1 or 2. Much less of that "f*ck 'em if they don't understand" feeling from Grant.

The comments section is, however, quite ridiculous.

One Newsarama regular who is NEVER ridiculous is Vinnie Bartilucci. Just so we're clear: I don't think he's being ridiculous here, despite my not quite agreeing with his point.

"In most comic books, especially good ones, readers don't have to look up things in wikipedia. Nor should they have to."

Philip Jose Farmer's "Wold Newton" family tree is one of the most self-referential, over-complicated piece of fanwank ever written. It drags more things into a single continuity than anyone has ever tried before. Geoff Johns is dirt under PJF's feet when it comes to continuity revamps.

It is also wonderful.

There is nothing new about trying to do a lot in one story, and running the risk of leaving a few readers in the dust as the price of really making a lot of hardcore fans happy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wold_Newton_family

My response:

VBartilucci:

"There is nothing new about trying to do a lot in one story, and running the risk of leaving a few readers in the dust as the price of really making a lot of hardcore fans happy."

New? No. Wrong? Yes. And let's just remember how few of the hardcores out there are actually big Fourth World fans. Did some of us forget how many attempts to have a successful ongoing in that corner of the DCU have crashed and burned?

Events are supposed to have mass appeal. The wider audience isn't wrong for expecting something that helps bring them in, rather than shut them out.

I contend that this is a bad event, not necessarily a bad story. I think fan reaction would be entirely different if DC had Morrison and Jones do this as their own Kingdom Come, rather than their Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Any thoughts?

How To Be Lazy & Still Post Something

In the unscientific and only sparsely voted on poll, here's how the results broke down regarding which of the Big Two events people are enjoying more:

• Both about the same: 6%
• Neither really: 24%
• Final Crisis: 30%
• Secret Invasion: 36%

Wow. Almost a quarter of the respondents feel both events are pretty much stinking up the place? I expected far more passionate feelings for one or the other (even if purely being driven by partisanship).

If this were conducted on a bigger site (thus drawing in more voters), I'd truly be shocked by the results. I'd probably be selling a bit of controversy by saying that the top three vote-getters are all within the margin of error from each other.

But it was run here. With a whopping 69 votes. So...it's nothing. ;)

Just So I Don't Go 0-For-Monday...

Busy day out in the real world today, so I didn't really have time to blog much today.

So I decided I'd throw a poll up. Which are you enjoying more: Final Crisis or Secret Invasion?

Before the events came out, I didn't even really think that'd be a hard call to make personally. Oh how things good in concept aren't always so good in execution...

Wow...So Much To Bitch About In DC Solicits

And I Used To Bitch About Marvel's "Classified" Solicits...

DC just spoils the hell out of their product this month. From the reveal of who joins the Secret Six before the first issue could hit the stands to someone being made into the next Magog, it's just ridiculous. There's even a Bat character death (or is it two?) that seems to be spoiled.

I find especially funny that they spoil the mystery of who is returning to the Titans from the prior issue. As if Winick's run needs more obstacles than...well...his writing of late.

But They Thought This Was Too Big To Spoil?

Gog rewards those he deems fit. Starman has regained his sanity, Sandman his sleep, Dr. Mid-Nite his sight, Damage his pride and Citizen Steel...? What "wish" will the indestructible hero be granted? And more importantly, what drawbacks do these wishes come with? Plus, Starman's true mission is revealed!

Let me get this straight. Who becomes the new Magog? Eh, not important...throw it in the solicit. What wish Citizen Steel will make? WHAT? You better hold that fucker back! Yessirree, Bob!

Too Slow To Do Both Covers Now?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by J.G. Jones and Carlos Pacheco & Jesus Merino that will ship in approximately 50/50 ratio. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

I can be understanding of the interiors bit. But having to drop one of the two covers? Really? Not enough time for essentially a part of a splash page that doesn't have to fit perfectly into the narrative? Lame...

Unintentionally Intentionally Funny

A guy named Mike Miller complaining about something seeming gay?
Why does that seem familiar?

Grant, Your Interviews Aren't Helping...

So, the new 'Rama interview with Grant Morrison is up. I haven't read the whole thing yet. I'll get to it. But I just couldn't get past this statement:

Sonny’s appearance in the book is an early clue as to what’s really going down behind the scenes.
...
The presence of Sonny Sumo on ’New Earth’ is another big red flag that something is going wrong with the machinery of the entire Multiverse.

Really? Seriously? I'm pretty sure that a large majority of the people reading your story, Mr. Morrison, have no idea that Sonny Sumo ever existed before you wrote him in this issue. How one can call the use of an obscure character "another big red flag" without breaking out in giggles when they try to say it is beyond me, personally.

Of course, all of this will be rendered moot by Grant Morrison being the man behind the Libra mask. Who will care about what was indecipherable when they see him write himself into a story again.